bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SWIM
Authors: Vardasbi Ali , Faili Heshaam , Asadpour Masoud
Published: August 2017

A considerable amount of research has been devoted to the proposition of scalable algorithms for influence maximization. A number of such scalable algorithms exploit the community structure of the network. Besides the community structure, real-world social networks possess a different property, known as the layer structure. In this article, we propose a method based on the layer structure to maximize the influence in huge networks. Conducting experiments on a number of real-world networks, we will show that our method outperforms the state-of-the-art algorithms by its time complexity while having similar or slightly better final influence spread. Furthermore, unlike its predecessors, our method is able to show a high entanglement between structure and dynamics by giving insight on the reason why different networks have two contrasting behaviors in their saturation. By “saturation,” we mean a state during the seed selection process after which adjoining new nodes to the initial set will have a negligible effect on increasing the influence spread. We will demonstrate that how our method can predict the saturation dynamics in the networks. This prediction can be used to identify the network structures that are more vulnerable to the fast spread of the rumors.
Fuzzy Bin-Based Classification for Detecting Children’s Presence with 3D Depth Cameras
Authors: Yoon Hee Jung , RA Ho-Kyeong , Basaran Can , Son Sang Hyuk , Park Taejoon , Ko Jeonggil
Published: August 2017

With the advancement of technology in various domains, many efforts have been made to design advanced classification engines that aid the protection of civilians and their properties in different settings. In this work, we focus on a set of the population which is probably the most vulnerable: children. Specifically, we present
ChildSafe
, a classification system that exploits ratios of skeletal features extracted from children and adults using a 3D depth camera to classify visual characteristics between the two age groups. Specifically, we combine the ratio information into one bag-of-words feature for each sample, where each word is a histogram of the ratios. ChildSafe analyzes the words that are normalized within and between the two age groups and implements a fuzzy bin-based classification method that represents bin-boundaries using fuzzy sets. We train and evaluate ChildSafe using a large dataset of visual samples collected from 150 elementary school children and 150 adults, ranging in age from 7 to 50. Our results suggest that ChildSafe successfully detects children with a proper classification rate of up to 94%, a false-negative rate as low as 1.82%, and a low false-positive rate of 5.14%. We envision this work as a first step, an effective subsystem for designing child safety applications.
Social Influence Spectrum at Scale
Authors: Nguyen Hung T. , Ghosh Preetam , Mayo Michael L. , Dinh Thang N.
Published: August 2017

Given a social network, the Influence Maximization (InfMax) problem seeks a seed set of
k
people that maximizes the expected influence for a viral marketing campaign. However, a solution for a particular seed size
k
is often not enough to make an informed choice regarding budget and cost-effectiveness.

In this article, we propose the computation of
Influence Spectrum
(InfSpec), the maximum influence at
each
possible seed set size
k
within a given range [
k
lower
,
k
upper
], thus providing optimal decision making for any availability of budget or influence requirements. As none of the existing methods for InfMax are efficient enough for the task in large networks, we propose LISA (sub-Linear Influence Spectrum Approximation), an efficient approximation algorithm for InfSpec (and also InfMax) with the best-known worst-case guarantees for billion-scale networks. LISA returns an (1-1/e -ϵ)-approximate influence spectrum with high probability (1-δ), where ϵ, δ are precision parameters provided by users. Using statistical decision theory, LISA has an asymptotic optimal running time (in addition to optimal approximation guarantee). In practice, LISA surpasses the state-of-the-art InfMax methods, taking less than 15 minutes to process a network of 41.7 million nodes and 1.5 billions edges.
Optimal Induced Universal Graphs and Adjacency Labeling for Trees
Authors: Alstrup Stephen , Dahlgaard Søren , Knudsen Mathias Bæk Tejs
Published: August 2017

In this article, we show that there exists a graph
G
with
O
(
n
) nodes such that any forest of
n
nodes is an induced subgraph of
G
. Furthermore, for constant arboricity
k
, the result implies the existence of a graph with
O
(
n

k

) nodes that contains all
n
-node graphs of arboricity
k
as node-induced subgraphs, matching a
Ω
(
n

k

) lower bound of Alstrup and Rauhe. Our upper bounds are obtained through a log
2
n
+
O
(1) labeling scheme for adjacency queries in forests.

We hereby solve an open problem being raised repeatedly over decades by authors such as Kannan et al., Chung, and Fraigniaud and Korman.
Algorithm 982
Authors: Snyder W. Van
Published: August 2017

A method to compute explicit solutions of homogeneous triangular systems of first-order linear initial-value ordinary differential equations with constant coefficients is described. It is suitable for the limited case of well separated eigenvalues, or for multiple zero eigenvalues provided the entire column corresponding to a zero eigenvalue is zero. The solution for the case of constant inhomogeneity is described. The method requires only the computation of a constant matrix using a simple recurrence. Computing the solutions of the system from that matrix, for values of the independent variable, requires one to exponentiate only the diagonal of a matrix. It is not necessary to compute the exponential of a general triangular matrix. Although this work was motivated by a study of nuclear decay without fission or neutron absorption, which is used throughout as an example, it has wider applicability.
Precise Predictive Analysis for Discovering Communication Deadlocks in MPI Programs
Authors: Forejt Vojtǎch , Joshi Saurabh , Kroening Daniel , Narayanaswamy Ganesh , Sharma Subodh
Published: August 2017

The Message Passing Interface (MPI) is the standard API for parallelization in high-performance and scientific computing. Communication deadlocks are a frequent problem in MPI programs, and this article addresses the problem of discovering such deadlocks. We begin by showing that if an MPI program is single path, the problem of discovering communication deadlocks is NP-complete. We then present a novel propositional encoding scheme that captures the existence of communication deadlocks. The encoding is based on modeling executions with partial orders and implemented in a tool called
MOPPER
. The tool executes an MPI program, collects the trace, builds a formula from the trace using the propositional encoding scheme, and checks its satisfiability. Finally, we present experimental results that quantify the benefit of the approach in comparison to other analyzers and demonstrate that it offers a scalable solution for single-path programs.
Geometric Reconstruction of Implicitly Defined Surfaces and Domains with Topological Guarantees
Authors: Engwer Christian , Nüßing Andreas
Published: August 2017

Implicitly described domains are a well-established tool in the simulation of time-dependent problems, for example, using level-set methods. To solve partial differential equations on such domains, a range of numerical methods was developed, for example, the Immersed Boundary method, the Unfitted Finite Element or Unfitted Discontinuous Galerkin methods, and the eXtended or Generalised Finite Element methods, just to name a few. Many of these methods involve integration over cut-cells or their boundaries, as they are described by sub-domains of the original level-set mesh.

We present a new algorithm to geometrically evaluate the integrals over domains described by a first-order, conforming level-set function. The integration is based on a polyhedral reconstruction of the implicit geometry, following the concepts of the marching cubes algorithm. The algorithm preserves various topological properties of the implicit geometry in its polyhedral reconstruction, making it suitable for Finite Element computations. Numerical experiments show second-order accuracy of the integration.

An implementation of the algorithm is available as free software, which allows for an easy incorporation into other projects. The software is in productive use within the DUNE framework (Bastian et al. 2008a).
Numerically Aware Orderings for Sparse Symmetric Indefinite Linear Systems
Authors: Hogg Jonathan , Scott Jennifer , Thorne Sue
Published: August 2017

Sparse symmetric indefinite problems arise in a large number of important application areas; they are often solved through the use of an

LDL
T

factorization via a sparse direct solver. While for many problems prescaling the system matrix
A
is sufficient to maintain stability of the factorization, for a small but important fraction of problems numerical pivoting is required. Pivoting often incurs a significant overhead, and consequently, a number of techniques have been proposed to try and limit the need for pivoting. In particular, numerically aware ordering algorithms may be used, that is, orderings that depend not only on the sparsity pattern of
A
but also on the values of its (scaled) entries.

Current approaches identify large entries of
A
and symmetrically permute them onto the subdiagonal, where they can be used as part of a 2 × 2 pivot. This is numerically effective, but the fill in the factor
L
and hence the runtime of the factorization and subsequent triangular solves may be significantly increased over a standard ordering if no pivoting is required.

We present a new algorithm that combines a matching-based approach with a numerically aware nested dissection ordering. Numerical comparisons with current approaches for some tough symmetric indefinite problems are given.
Adaptive Knowledge Propagation in Web Ontologies
Authors: Minervini Pasquale , Tresp Volker , D'amato Claudia , Fanizzi Nicola
Published: August 2017

We focus on the problem of predicting missing assertions in Web ontologies. We start from the assumption that individual resources that are similar in some aspects are more likely to be linked by specific relations: this phenomenon is also referred to as homophily and emerges in a variety of relational domains. In this article, we propose a method for (1) identifying which relations in the ontology are more likely to link similar individuals and (2) efficiently propagating knowledge across chains of similar individuals. By enforcing sparsity in the model parameters, the proposed method is able to select only the most relevant relations for a given prediction task. Our experimental evaluation demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed method in comparison to state-of-the-art methods from the literature.
10 ways to be a better interviewer
Authors: Matsudaira Kate
Published: August 2017

Plan ahead to make the interview a successful one.
Gunrock
Authors: Wang Yangzihao , Pan Yuechao , Davidson Andrew , Wu Yuduo , Yang Carl , Wang Leyuan , Osama Muhammad , Yuan Chenshan , Liu Weitang , Riffel Andy T. , Owens John D.
Published: August 2017

For large-scale graph analytics on the GPU, the irregularity of data access and control flow, and the complexity of programming GPUs, have presented two significant challenges to developing a programmable high-performance graph library. “Gunrock,” our graph-processing system designed specifically for the GPU, uses a high-level, bulk-synchronous, data-centric abstraction focused on operations on a vertex or edge frontier. Gunrock achieves a balance between performance and expressiveness by coupling high-performance GPU computing primitives and optimization strategies with a high-level programming model that allows programmers to quickly develop new graph primitives with small code size and minimal GPU programming knowledge. We characterize the performance of various optimization strategies and evaluate Gunrock’s overall performance on different GPU architectures on a wide range of graph primitives that span from traversal-based algorithms and ranking algorithms, to triangle counting and bipartite-graph-based algorithms. The results show that on a single GPU, Gunrock has on average at least an order of magnitude speedup over Boost and PowerGraph, comparable performance to the fastest GPU hardwired primitives and CPU shared-memory graph libraries, such as Ligra and Galois, and better performance than any other GPU high-level graph library.
Recommendation in a Changing World
Authors: Liu Yining , Liu Yong , Shen Yanming , Li Keqiu
Published: August 2017

Users’ preferences, and consequently their ratings and reviews to items, change over time. Likewise, characteristics of items are also time-varying. By dividing data into time periods, temporal Recommender Systems (RSs) improve recommendation accuracy by exploring the temporal dynamics in user rating data. However, temporal RSs have to cope with rating sparsity in each time period. Meanwhile, reviews generated by users contain rich information about their preferences, which can be exploited to address rating sparsity and further improve the performance of temporal RSs. In this article, we develop a temporal rating model with topics that jointly mines the temporal dynamics of both user-item ratings and reviews. Studying temporal drifts in reviews helps us understand item rating evolutions and user interest changes over time. Our model also automatically splits the review text in each time period into
interim
words and
intrinsic
words. By linking interim words and intrinsic words to short-term and long-term item features, respectively, we jointly mine the temporal changes in user and item latent features together with the associated review text in a single learning stage. Through experiments on 28 real-world datasets collected from
Amazon
, we show that the rating prediction accuracy of our model significantly outperforms the existing state-of-art RS models. And our model can automatically identify representative interim words in each time period as well as intrinsic words across all time periods. This can be very useful in understanding the time evolution of users’ preferences and items’ characteristics.
Assuring software quality by preventing neglect
Authors: Hill Robin K.
Published: August 2017

The
Communications
Web site, http://cacm.acm.org, features more than a dozen bloggers in the BLOG@CACM community. In each issue of
Communications
, we'll publish selected posts or excerpts.

twitter

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/blogCACM

http://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm

Robin K. Hill suggests software neglect is a failure of the coder to pay
enough
attention and take
enough
trouble to ensure software quality.
Why GPS spoofing is a threat to companies, countries
Authors: Kugler Logan
Published: August 2017

Technology that falsifies navigation data presents significant dangers to public and private organizations.
All the pretty pictures
Authors: Hoffmann Leah
Published: August 2017

Alexei Efros, recipient of the 2016 ACM prize in computing, works to harness the power of visual complexity.
Trust and distrust in online fact-checking services
Authors: Brandtzaeg Petter Bae , Følstad Asbjørn
Published: August 2017

Even when checked by fact checkers, facts are often still open to preexisting bias and doubt.
Providing Predictable Performance via a Slowdown Estimation Model
Authors: Xiong Dongliang , Huang Kai , Jiang Xiaowen , Yan Xiaolang
Published: August 2017

Interapplication interference at shared main memory slows down different applications differently. A few slowdown estimation models have been proposed to provide predictable performance by quantifying memory interference, but they have relatively low accuracy. Thus, we propose a more accurate slowdown estimation model called
SEM
at main memory. First, SEM unifies the slowdown estimation model by measuring IPC directly. Second, SEM uses the per-bank structure to monitor memory interference and improves estimation accuracy by considering write interference, row-buffer interference, and data bus interference. The evaluation results show that SEM has significantly lower slowdown estimation error (4.06%) compared to STFM (30.15%) and MISE (10.1%).
Digitocracy
Authors: Reidenberg Joel R.
Published: August 2017

Considering law and governance in the digital age.
Multitasking without thrashing
Authors: Denning Peter J.
Published: August 2017

Lessons from operating systems teach how to do multitasking without thrashing.
Computational design
Authors: Denning Peter J.
Published: August 2017

Computational thinking refers to a deliberative process that finds a computational solution for a concern. Computational doing refers to use of computation and computational tools to address concerns. Computational design refers to creating new computational tools and methods that are adopted by the members of a community to address their concerns. Unfortunately, the definitions of both "thinking" and "doing" are fuzzy and have allowed misconceptions about the nature of algorithms. Fortunately, it is possible to eliminate the fuzziness in the definitions by focusing on computational design, which is at the intersection between thinking and doing. Computational design is what we are really after and would be a good substitute for computational thinking and doing.
Cold, Hard Cache
Authors: Neville-Neil George
Published: August 2017

Dear KV, Our latest project at work requires a large number of slightly different software stacks to deploy within our cloud infrastructure. With modern hardware, I can test this deployment on a laptop. The problem I keep running up against is that our deployment system seems to secretly cache some of my files and settings and not clear them, even when I repeatedly issue the command to do so. I’ve resorted to repeatedly using the find command so that I can blow away the offending files. What I’ve found is that the system caches data in many places so I’ve started a list. All of which brings me to my question: Who writes this stuff?!
The role of Ca2+-activated Cl− current in tone generation in the rabbit corpus cavernosum
Authors: Hannigan Karen I. , Griffin Caoimhin S. , Large Roddy J. , Sergeant Gerard P. , Hollywood Mark A. , McHale Noel G. , Thornbury Keith D.
Published: August 2017

Rabbit corpus cavernosum smooth muscle (RCCSM) cells express ion channels that produce Ca2+-activated Cl− ( IClCa) current, but low sensitivity to conventional antagonists has made its role in tone generation difficult to evaluate. We have reexamined this question using two new generation IClCa blockers, T16Ainh-A01 and CaCCinh-A01. Isolated RCCSM cells were studied using the perforated patch method. Current-voltage protocols revealed that both L-type Ca2+ current and IClCa. T16Ainh-A01 and CaCCinh-A01 (10 μM) reduced IClCa by ~85%, while 30 μM abolished it. L-type Ca2+ current was unaffected by 10 μM CaCCinh-A01 but was reduced by 50% at 30 μM CaCCinh-A01, 46% at 10 μM T16Ainh-A01, and 78% at 30 μM T16Ainh-A01. Both drugs reduced spontaneous isometric tension in RCCSM strips, by 60–70% at 10 μM and >90% at 30 μM. Phenylephrine (PE)-enhanced tension was also reduced (ED50 = 3 μM, CaCCinh-A01; 14 μM, T16Ainh-A01). CaCCinh-A01 at 10 μM had little effect on 60 mM KCl contractures, though they were reduced by 30 μM CaCCinh-A01 and T16Ainh-A01 (10 μM and 30 μM) consistent with their effects on L-type Ca2+ current. Both drugs also reversed the stimulatory effect of PE on intracellular Ca2+ waves, studied with laser scanning confocal microscopy in isolated RCCSM cells. In conclusion, although both drugs were effective blockers of IClCa, the effect of T16Ainh-A01 on L-type Ca2+ current precludes its use for evaluating the role of IClCa in tone generation. However, 10 μM CaCCinh-A01 selectively blocked IClCa versus L-type Ca2+ current and reduced spontaneous and PE-induced tone, suggesting that IClCa is important in maintaining penile detumescence.
Age-related external anal sphincter muscle dysfunction and fibrosis: possible role of Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways
Authors: Rajasekaran M. Raj , Kanoo Sadhana , Fu Johnny , Nguyen My-Uyen (Lilly) , Bhargava Valmik , Mittal Ravinder K.
Published: August 2017

Studies show an age-related increase in the prevalence of anal incontinence and sphincter muscle atrophy. The Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway has been recently recognized as the major molecular pathway involved in age-related skeletal muscle atrophy and fibrosis. The goals of our study were to 1) evaluate the impact of normal aging on external anal sphincter (EAS) muscle length-tension (L-T) function and morphology and 2) specifically examine the role of Wnt signaling pathways in anal sphincter muscle fibrosis. New Zealand White female rabbits [6 young (6 mo of age) and 6 old (36 mo of age)] were anesthetized, and anal canal pressure was measured to determine the L-T function of EAS. Animals were killed at the end of the study, and the anal canal was harvested and processed for histochemical studies (Masson trichrome stain for muscle/connective tissue) as well as for molecular markers for fibrosis and atrophy [collagen I, β-catenin, transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), atrogin-1, and muscle-specific RING finger protein-1 (MuRF-1)]. The L-T was significantly impaired in older animals compared with young animals. Anal canal sections stained with trichrome showed a significant decrease in the muscle content (52% in old compared with 70% in young) and an increase in the connective tissue/collagen content in the old animals. An increased protein and mRNA expression of all the fibrosis markers was seen in the older animals. Aging EAS muscle exhibits impairment of function and increase in connective tissue. Upregulation of atrophy and profibrogenic proteins with aging may be the reason for the age-related decrease in anal sphincter muscle thickness and function.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY Our studies using a female rabbit model show age-related alterations in the structure and function of the external anal sphincter (EAS) muscle. We used endoluminal ultrasound to measure age-related changes in EAS muscle thickness. We employed Western blot and quantitative PCR to demonstrate age-related changes in the levels of important fibrogenic as well as atrophy markers. Our findings may have significant clinical implications, i.e., use of specific antagonists to prevent age-related EAS muscle dysfunction.
Cerebellar Involvement in an Immunocompetent Patient Presenting with Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy
Authors: Garcia-Carretero Rafael , San Jose Montano Blanca
Published: August 2017

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease caused by the JC virus, a polyomavirus that can be reactivated under certain immunosuppressive conditions, such as AIDS, immunomodulatory therapy, and haematological malignancies. However, a few cases of immunocompetent patients have been reported in which no immunodeficiency was present. We describe the case of an 83-year-old immunocompetent man who presented with severe cerebellar symptoms with an MRI scan suggestive of severe demyelinating disease. We were not able to identify any occult immunosuppression or malignancy in our patient.
Enhancement of Antioxidant Mechanisms and Reduction of Oxidative Stress in Chickens after the Administration of Drinking Water Enriched with Polyphenolic Powder from Olive Mill Waste Waters
Authors: Papadopoulou Aliki , Petrotos Konstantinos , Stagos Dimitrios , Gerasopoulos Konstantinos , Maimaris Antonios , Makris Haralampos , Kafantaris Ioannis , Makri Sotiria , Kerasioti Efthalia , Halabalaki Maria , Brieudes Vincent , Ntasi Georgia , Kokkas Stylianos , Tzimas Pavlos , Goulas Panagiotis , Zakharenko Alexander M. , Golokhvast Kirill S. , Tsatsakis Aristidis , Kouretas Demetrios
Published: August 2017

The aim of the study was to examine the effects of a polyphenolic powder from olive mill wastewater (OMWW) administered through drinking water, on chickens’ redox status. Thus, 75 chickens were divided into three groups. Group A was given just drinking water, while groups B and C were given drinking water containing 20 and 50 μg/ml of polyphenols, respectively, for 45 days. The antioxidant effects of the polyphenolic powder were assessed by measuring oxidative stress biomarkers in blood after 25 and 45 days of treatment. These markers were total antioxidant capacity (TAC), protein carbonyls (CARB), thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS) and superoxide dismutase activity (SOD) in plasma, and glutathione (GSH) and catalase activity in erythrocytes. The results showed that CARB and TBARS were decreased significantly in groups B and C, and SOD decreased in group B compared to that in group A. TAC was increased significantly in group C and GSH was increased in group B, while catalase activity was increased in groups B and C compared to that in group A. In conclusion, this is the first study showing that supplementation of chickens with polyphenols from OMWW through drinking water enhanced their antioxidant mechanisms and reduced oxidative stress‐induced damage.
Comprehensive Study on Elastic Moduli Prediction and Correlation of Glass and Glass Ceramic Derived from Waste Rice Husk
Authors: Lee Chee Sun , Amin Matori Khamirul , Ab Aziz Sidek Hj. , Kamari Halimah Mohamed , Ismail Ismayadi , Mohd Zaid Mohd Hafiz
Published: August 2017

Zinc silicate (ZnO–SiO2) systems were fabricated using zinc oxide (ZnO) and white rice husk ash (WRHA) with compositions of (ZnO)x(WRHA)1−x (x = 0.55, 0.60, 0.65, and 0.70 wt.%) was symbolized by S1, S2, S3, and S4, respectively. The ZnO–SiO2 samples were fabricated by applying the melt-quench method and the physical and elastic properties of the samples were investigated. Physical properties used in this study are density and molar volume while the theoretical elastic moduli of the samples produced were obtained using direct calculation of theoretical model compared with the experimental elastic moduli obtained by acquiring ultrasonic velocities using ultrasonic pulse-echo technique. Values of experimental elastic moduli including longitudinal modulus (L), shear modulus (S), Young’s modulus (E), bulk modulus (K), and Poisson’s ratio (σ) were compared with theoretical model calculated using Rocherulle’s model. All the configurations of the elastic moduli obtained experimentally match very well with the configuration from Rocherulle’s model but Poisson’s ratio obtained experimentally differs from the values of Poisson’s ratio obtained through Rocherulle’s model.
Sequential, Multiple Assignment, Randomized Trial Designs in Immuno-oncology Research
Authors: Kidwell Kelley M. , Postow Michael A. , Panageas Katherine S.
Published: August 2017

Clinical trials investigating immune checkpoint inhibitors have led to the approval of anti–CTLA-4 (cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen-4), anti–PD-1 (programmed death-1), and anti–PD-L1 (PD-ligand 1) drugs by the FDA for numerous tumor types. In the treatment of metastatic melanoma, combinations of checkpoint inhibitors are more effective than single-agent inhibitors, but combination immunotherapy is associated with increased frequency and severity of toxicity. There are questions about the use of combination immunotherapy or single-agent anti–PD-1 as initial therapy and the number of doses of either approach required to sustain a response. In this article, we describe a novel use of sequential, multiple assignment, randomized trial (SMART) design to evaluate immune checkpoint inhibitors to find treatment regimens that adapt within an individual based on intermediate response and lead to the longest overall survival. We provide a hypothetical example SMART design for BRAF wild-type metastatic melanoma as a framework for investigating immunotherapy treatment regimens. We compare implementing a SMART design to implementing multiple traditional randomized clinical trials. We illustrate the benefits of a SMART over traditional trial designs and acknowledge the complexity of a SMART. SMART designs may be an optimal way to find treatment strategies that yield durable response, longer survival, and lower toxicity. Clin Cancer Res; 24(4); 730–6. ©2017 AACR.
Mechanistic Evaluation of the Protective Effect of Carnosine on Acute Lung Injury in Sepsis Rats
Authors: Sun Chenliang , Wu Qinfeng , Zhang Xuejie , He Qianru , Zhao Hongsheng
Published: August 2017

This study analyzes the sepsis healing therapeutic potential of carnosine against experimentally sepsis-induced male albino rats. Carnosine in 2 different doses, 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg, were administered for 30 consecutive days. At the end of the treatment, lipid peroxidation, catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase and myeloperoxidase activities were measured. Lungs weight and total protein content were determined in the bronchoalveolar fluid (BALF). Cytokines such as macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF), interleukin-8 (IL-8) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were determined in the BALF. In addition, the histopathological analysis was also carried out to understand the effect of carnosine in the cellular architecture. Carnosine treatment significantly renormalized the lipid peroxidation and other antioxidant enzymes. IL-β, TNF-α, and MIF were found to be reduced after carnosine treatment. After carnosine treatment, the intensity of sepsis was significantly reduced evidenced by histopathological analysis. In western blot analysis, carnosine treatment causes the upregulation of IκBα together with the downregulation of the expressions of p65 and p-IKKα/β (Ser 180/Ser 181).
Antithrombotic potency of ticagrelor versus clopidogrel in type-2 diabetic patients with cardiovascular disease
Authors: Zafar M. , Baber Usman , Smith Donald , Sartori Samantha , Contreras Johanna , Rey-Mendoza Juan , Linares-Koloffon Carlos , Escolar Gines , Mehran Roxana , Fuster Valentin , Badimon Juan
Published: August 2017

Type-2 Diabetes Mellitus [T2DM] is associated with increased platelet reactivity and hypo-response to antiplatelet drugs. Ticagrelor, with its faster and more potent antiplatelet effects, was shown to reduce adverse events more than clopidogrel in the overall CAD patient population of PLATO trial, but the benefits did not reach statistical significance in the T2DM subgroup. To better understand these findings, we compared the antithrombotic effects of ticagrelor versus with clopidogrel in T2DM patients with cardiovascular disease. In a randomized, 2 treatment-sequence, crossover-design, T2DM patients (n=20, 57±8 years, 60% male) received a loading-dose [LD] plus one week of daily-therapy [DT] of clopidogrel or ticagrelor. Treatment effects were assessed by measuring thrombus formation (Badimon Chamber) and platelet aggregation (Multiple Electrode Aggregometry (MEA) Analyzer and VerifyNow®) at 2- and 6-hour post-LD and on Day-7 of DT, in comparison with pre-treatment baseline. After 2 weeks of washout, patients switched to the second treatment under identical testing conditions. Ticagrelor significantly reduced thrombus formation versus baseline at 2- and 6-hour post-LD and Day-7 of DT (33%, 40% and 31%, respectively, p<0.01 for all) whereas thrombus reductions with clopidogrel were much lower and significant only at 6-hour post-LD (16%, 20% and 17%, respectively). Antithrombotic effect of ticagrelor at 6-hour was significantly stronger than clopidogrel (p<0.05). Platelet aggregation (MEA and VerifyNow®) was inhibited by both treatments but effects of ticagrelor were significantly stronger at each time-point. Ticagrelor exhibits a faster and more potent antithrombotic effect than clopidogrel in T2DM patients with cardiovascular disease, supporting its use in this population.

Clinical Trial Registration: Unique Identifier: NCT01823510.

Supplementary Material to this article is available online at www.thrombosis-online.com.
The Master Plan and the California Higher Education System
Authors: Marginson Simon
Published: August 2017

The 1960 Master Plan for Higher Education in California, created by University of California President Clark Kerr and his contemporaries, brought college within reach of millions of American families for the first time and fashioned the world’s strongest system of public research universities. The California idea, combining excellence with access within a tiered system of higher education, and underpinned by a taxpayer consensus on the common good inherent in equality of opportunity in education, became the leading model for higher education across the world. Yet the political conditions supporting the California idea in California itself have evaporated. The taxpayer consensus broke down two decades after the Master Plan began and California no longer provides the fiscal conditions necessary to ensure both excellence and access, especially access for non-white and immigrant families. Many students are now turned away, public tuition is rising, the great research universities face resource challenges, and educational participation in California, once the national leader in the United States, lags far behind. The article traces the rise and partial fall of the Californian system of higher education as embodied in the Master Plan, and draws out lessons for other countries in general, and China in particular.
Efficacy of Grade Retention in Macao
Authors: Zhou Yisu , Wong Yi-Lee
Published: August 2017

Grade retention is widely used in Macao at the elementary and secondary levels. While many teachers and students believe retention gives low-performing students the opportunity to catch up, there is little empirical evidence to support such a claim. Using Programme in International Student Assessment 2009 (pisa, 2009) data, we examine the effect of grade retention on students’ learning time, learning strategy, metacognition, and academic achievement. We also analyze the influence of school policies to determine the net effect of retention. Our findings suggest that, contrary to conventional thinking, grade retention has a highly negative effect on the above factors. Students who repeated a grade did not benefit from this second chance, but rather were substantially held back in their learning trajectory. We suggest that schools in Macao shift their focus to designing programs that will help students with greater needs, rather than focusing exclusively on identifying such students.
Technology, Future Learning and Flourishing Thinking
Authors: Tan Oon Seng
Published: August 2017

The 21st century era of rapidly changing technology entails cognizance of the changing nature of knowledge, learning and environments. New models of knowledge building and knowledge co-creation are emerging. Personalized learning takes on new dimensions with mobile devices and new tools for sharing and meta-thinking. Evidences from research in learning sciences and neurosciences point to the importance of understanding human cognition and behaviors in optimizing the use of technology for learning. Future learning entails a powerful use of the cognitive propensity to learn by imitation and modeling as well as the novelty of inquiry and creation. Didactics are replaced by conversational learning with social media as powerful platforms. Apart from the analytics and logic, future learning incorporates big picture thinking, multiple perspective thinking and connective thinking to flourish problem-solving and creativity. The address will conclude with some implications for design and practice.
Leading Online Education for Student Success
Authors: Coates Hamish , Kelly Paula , Naylor Ryan
Published: August 2017

Online education has grown exponentially over the last few decades, churning through a swarm of acronyms, ambiguities and potentialities. Substantial energy has been invested in producing technology, building academic capability, and understanding learners and markets. Though it feels pervasive, online education is comparatively new in the scheme of higher education, and key education and business models remain in formation. To spur advance, this paper argues that as online education matures increasing energy must shift from supplier-centric concerns about provision to instead ensuring learner value and success. We argue that online education presents new opportunities not just for the mechanics of higher education, but for improving each student’s experience and outcomes. Central to such advance is a clear picture of student success, cogent perspectives for understanding students, effective strategies for analysing and interpreting huge volumes of data, and more evidence-based academic leadership. The paper investigates each of these areas, provoking an agenda to guide further student and institutional achievement.
A Breach of the Norms of Cautiousness as Fundament for Criminal Responsibility
Authors: Byczyk Marcin
Published: August 2017

This paper attempts to investigate the question of the norms of cautiousness in criminal law. It appears that while in civil law countries the breach of those norms, manifested in external conduct, is a necessary premise for stating that an agent has committed an unintentional crime, common law countries tend to perceive carelessness or incautiousness merely as a state of mind. Consequently, exemption from responsibility in the event of a cautious behaviour is problematic and is resolved by a means of a host of different institutions, like the reasonable man figure. Such an approach does not appear to be fully convincing. Instead, the importance of the norms of cautiousness in criminal law should be more explicit, as it is in Scots law or in the legal systems of a number of civil law countries, which would eliminate the risk of serious injustice while still punishing individuals for unintentional crimes.
The Pselaphinae (Coleoptera: Staphylinidae) of Madagascar. VII. Description of Madastiger robustus gen. and sp. nov. from Central Madagascar
Authors: HLAVÁČ PETER , BAŇAŘ PETR
Published: August 2017

Madastiger robustus, gen. and sp. nov., is described based on a single male collected by sifting of leaf-litter in Ambohitantely Special Reserve, Central Madagascar. The aedeagus has apical accessory lobes, a unique feature within the tribe Clavigerini, which are here described and illustrated. The genus is tentatively assigned to the subtribe Mastigerina (Pselaphinae: Clavigeritae: Clavigerini).
Near-Surface Temperature Inversion Growth Rate during the Onset of the Stable Boundary Layer
Authors: van Hooijdonk Ivo G. S. , Clercx Herman J. H. , Abraham Carsten , Holdsworth Amber M. , Monahan Adam H. , Vignon Etienne , Moene Arnold F. , Baas Peter , van de Wiel Bas J. H.
Published: August 2017

This study aims to find the typical growth rate of the temperature inversion during the onset of the stable boundary layer around sunset. The sunset transition is a very challenging period for numerical weather prediction, since neither accepted theories for the convective boundary layer nor those for the stable boundary layer appear to be applicable. To gain more insight in this period, a systematic investigation of the temperature inversion growth rate is conducted. A statistical procedure is used to analyze almost 16 years of observations from the Cabauw observational tower, supported by observations from two additional sites (Dome C and Karlsruhe). The results show that, on average, the growth rate of the temperature inversion (normalized by the maximum inversion during the night) weakly declines with increasing wind speed. The observed growth rate is quantitatively consistent among the sites, and it appears insensitive to various other parameters. The results were also insensitive to the afternoon decay rate of the net radiation except when this decay rate was very weak. These observations are compared to numerical solutions of three models with increasing complexity: a bulk model, an idealized single-column model (SCM), and an operational-level SCM. It appears only the latter could reproduce qualitative features of the observations using a first-order closure. Moreover, replacing this closure with a prognostic TKE scheme substantially improved the quantitative performance. This suggests that idealized models assuming instantaneous equilibrium flux-profile relations may not aid in understanding this period, since history effects may qualitatively affect the dynamics.
GSI Three-Dimensional Ensemble–Variational Hybrid Data Assimilation Using a Global Ensemble for the Regional Rapid Refresh Model
Authors: Hu Ming , Benjamin Stanley G. , Ladwig Therese T. , Dowell David C. , Weygandt Stephen S. , Alexander Curtis R. , Whitaker Jeffrey S.
Published: August 2017

The Rapid Refresh (RAP) is an hourly updated regional meteorological data assimilation/short-range model forecast system running operationally at NOAA/National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) using the community Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation analysis system (GSI). This paper documents the application of the GSI three-dimensional hybrid ensemble–variational assimilation option to the RAP high-resolution, hourly cycling system and shows the skill improvements of 1–12-h forecasts of upper-air wind, moisture, and temperature over the purely three-dimensional variational analysis system. Use of perturbation data from an independent global ensemble, the Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS), is demonstrated to be very effective for the regional RAP hybrid assimilation. In this paper, application of the GSI-hybrid assimilation for the RAP is explained. Results from sensitivity experiments are shown to define configurations for the operational RAP version 2, the ratio of static and ensemble background error covariance, and vertical and horizontal localization scales for the operational RAP version 3. Finally, a 1-week RAP experiment from a summer period was performed using a global ensemble from a winter period, suggesting that a significant component of its multivariate covariance structure from the ensemble is independent of time matching between analysis time and ensemble valid time.
Relationship status and drinking-related outcomes in a community sample of lesbian and bisexual women
Authors: Veldhuis Cindy B. , Hughes Tonda L. , Drabble Laurie , Wilsnack Sharon C. , Riggle Ellen D. B. , Rostosky Sharon S.
Published: August 2017

Although marriage tends to be protective against hazardous drinking among women in the general population, few studies have compared drinking rates, levels, or problems based on relationship status among sexual minority women (SMW; lesbian, bisexual). We examined associations between relationship status (committed relationship/cohabiting; committed/not cohabiting; single) and past-year drinking outcomes using data from a diverse sample of 696 SMW interviewed in wave 3 of the 17-year longitudinal Chicago Health and Life Experiences of Women study. The mean age of SMW in the sample was 40.01 ( SD = 14.15; range 18–82). A little more than one-third (37%) of the sample was White, 36% was African American, and 23% Latina; 4% reported another or multirace/ethnicity. Compared to SMW in committed cohabiting relationships, single SMW were significantly more likely to be heavy drinkers. SMW in committed noncohabiting relationships were more likely to report alcohol-related problem consequences, and both single SMW and those in committed noncohabiting relationships were more likely to report one or more symptoms of potential alcohol dependence. Findings underscore the importance of exploring relationship factors that may influence drinking and drinking-related problems among SMW.
Saliva use in sex: Associations with use of smartphone dating applications in men who have sex with men
Authors: Chow Eric PF , Cornelisse Vincent J , Read Tim RH , Chen Marcus Y , Bradshaw Catriona S , Fairley Christopher K
Published: August 2017

Smartphone dating applications have become a primary source for men who have sex with men (MSM) to meet sexual partners. It has been found that MSM who used smartphone dating applications are at higher risk of gonorrhoea, but the reasons remain unknown. This study aimed to investigate whether MSM who met their partners via smartphone dating applications are more likely to engage in sexual practices such as rimming (oro-anal sex), and use of partner’s saliva as a lubricant, that are associated with the risk of gonorrhoea. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1672 MSM attending the Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Australia, between 31 July 2014 and 30 June 2015. Multivariate logistic regression was conducted to examine the associations between sources of meeting partners and the two aforementioned sexual practices. MSM who used smartphone dating applications were 1.78 (95% CI: 1.38–2.28) times more likely to get rimmed, and 1.63 (95% CI: 1.27–2.09) times more likely to use partner’s saliva as a lubricant during anal sex, compared to other sources, after adjusting for age and other sources for meeting partners. These practices are highly associated with gonorrhoea.
The integration of compressive sensing and clustering for date gathering in unmanned aircraft system–aided networks
Authors: Chang Xiangmao , Wang Quan , Qu Zhiguo , Zhao Yanchao
Published: August 2017

The development of the unmanned aircraft systems is envisioned to greatly reduce the energy consumption of sensor nodes in data gathering process using unmanned aircraft systems as mobile sinks. In traditional sensor networks, compressive sensing and clustering are two key energy-efficient techniques for data gathering. However, how to integrate two techniques into the data gathering for unmanned aircraft system–aided wireless sensor networks effectively is still an open problem. Moreover, most clustering schemes focus on the cluster head selection strategy and simplified the problem of cluster member selection, and most compressive sensing schemes are not integrated with the clustering strategy. To this end, this article studies the problem of integrating compressive sensing with clustering for data gathering in unmanned aircraft system–aided networks. We first give a theoretical formulation of this problem. Considering the non-deterministic polynomial-time hard complexity of the problem, we present two algorithms by jointly considering the compressive ratio variation factor and the distance factor to find near-optimal solutions heuristically. Evaluations based on real data traces show that the proposed algorithms greatly reduced the energy consumption of sensor nodes efficiency.
Benzodiazepines and risk for hepatic encephalopathy in patients with cirrhosis and ascites
Authors: Grønbæk Lisbet , Watson Hugh , Vilstrup Hendrik , Jepsen Peter
Published: August 2017

Background

There is limited evidence to support the belief that benzodiazepines increase cirrhosis patients’ risk of hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

Objective

We aimed to examine the association between benzodiazepine use and HE development in cirrhosis patients.

Methods

We used data on 865 cirrhosis patients with ascites from three trials to study the effect of benzodiazepine use on development of first-time HE. For each patient, we classified periods of benzodiazepine use by the number of days since initiation. We used Cox regression to compare the risk of HE in current benzodiazepine users vs. non-users adjusting for confounders.

Results

Cirrhosis patients were not at increased risk of HE for the first two days of benzodiazepine use, but then faced a five-fold increased risk of HE during days 3 to 10 of benzodiazepine use. The risk of HE was not increased for those who had been using benzodiazepines for more than 28 days.

Conclusion

Cirrhosis patients who had begun using benzodiazepines between 3 and 10 days previously had a markedly increased risk of developing first-time HE. Cirrhosis patients who had been using benzodiazepines for just one or two days or continued use for more than 28 days did not have such an excess risk.