bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Overhauling SC atomics in C11 and OpenCL
Authors: Batty Mark , Donaldson Alastair F. , Wickerson John
Published: April 2016

Despite the conceptual simplicity of sequential consistency (SC), the semantics of SC atomic operations and fences in the C11 and OpenCL memory models is subtle, leading to convoluted prose descriptions that translate to complex axiomatic formalisations. We conduct an overhaul of SC atomics in C11, reducing the associated axioms in both number and complexity. A consequence of our simplification is that the SC operations in an execution no longer need to be totally ordered. This relaxation enables, for the first time, efficient and exhaustive simulation of litmus tests that use SC atomics. We extend our improved C11 model to obtain the first rigorous memory model formalisation for OpenCL (which extends C11 with support for heterogeneous many-core programming). In the OpenCL setting, we refine the SC axioms still further to give a sensible semantics to SC operations that employ a ‘memory scope’ to restrict their visibility to specific threads. Our overhaul requires slight strengthenings of both the C11 and the OpenCL memory models, causing some behaviours to become disallowed. We argue that these strengthenings are natural, and that all of the formalised C11 and OpenCL compilation schemes of which we are aware (Power and x86 CPUs for C11, AMD GPUs for OpenCL) remain valid in our revised models. Using the HERD memory model simulator, we show that our overhaul leads to an exponential improvement in simulation time for C11 litmus tests compared with the original model, making *exhaustive* simulation competitive, time-wise, with the *non-exhaustive* CDSChecker tool.
Taming release-acquire consistency
Authors: Lahav Ori , Giannarakis Nick , Vafeiadis Viktor
Published: April 2016

We introduce a strengthening of the release-acquire fragment of the C11 memory model that (i) forbids dubious behaviors that are not observed in any implementation; (ii) supports fence instructions that restore sequential consistency; and (iii) admits an equivalent intuitive operational semantics based on point-to-point communication. This strengthening has no additional implementation cost: it allows the same local optimizations as C11 release and acquire accesses, and has exactly the same compilation schemes to the x86-TSO and Power architectures. In fact, the compilation to Power is complete with respect to a recent axiomatic model of Power; that is, the compiled program exhibits exactly the same behaviors as the source one. Moreover, we provide criteria for placing enough fence instructions to ensure sequential consistency, and apply them to an efficient RCU implementation.
The complexity of interaction
Authors: Gimenez Stéphane , Moser Georg
Published: April 2016

In this paper, we analyze the complexity of functional programs written in the interaction-net computation model, an asynchronous, parallel and confluent model that generalizes linear-logic proof nets. Employing user-defined sized and scheduled types, we certify concrete time, space and space-time complexity bounds for both sequential and parallel reductions of interaction-net programs by suitably assigning complexity potentials to typed nodes. The relevance of this approach is illustrated on archetypal programming examples. The provided analysis is precise, compositional and is, in theory, not restricted to particular complexity classes.
PSync: a partially synchronous language for fault-tolerant distributed algorithms
Authors: Drăgoi Cezara , Henzinger Thomas A. , Zufferey Damien
Published: April 2016

Fault-tolerant distributed algorithms play an important role in many critical/high-availability applications. These algorithms are notoriously difficult to implement correctly, due to asynchronous communication and the occurrence of faults, such as the network dropping messages or computers crashing. We introduce PSync, a domain specific language based on the Heard-Of model, which views asynchronous faulty systems as synchronous ones with an adversarial environment that simulates asynchrony and faults by dropping messages. We define a runtime system for PSync that efficiently executes on asynchronous networks. We formalise the relation between the runtime system and PSync in terms of observational refinement. The high-level lockstep abstraction introduced by PSync simplifies the design and implementation of fault-tolerant distributed algorithms and enables automated formal verification. We have implemented an embedding of PSync in the Scala programming language with a runtime system for partially synchronous networks. We show the applicability of PSync by implementing several important fault-tolerant distributed algorithms and we compare the implementation of consensus algorithms in PSync against implementations in other languages in terms of code size, runtime efficiency, and verification.
Dependent types and multi-monadic effects in F*
Authors: Swamy Nikhil , Hriţcu Cătălin , Keller Chantal , Rastogi Aseem , Delignat-Lavaud Antoine , Forest Simon , Bhargavan Karthikeyan , Fournet Cédric , Strub Pierre-Yves , Kohlweiss Markulf , Zinzindohoue Jean-Karim , Zanella-Béguelin Santiago
Published: April 2016

We present a new, completely redesigned, version of F*, a language that works both as a proof assistant as well as a general-purpose, verification-oriented, effectful programming language. In support of these complementary roles, F* is a dependently typed, higher-order, call-by-value language with _primitive_ effects including state, exceptions, divergence and IO. Although primitive, programmers choose the granularity at which to specify effects by equipping each effect with a monadic, predicate transformer semantics. F* uses this to efficiently compute weakest preconditions and discharges the resulting proof obligations using a combination of SMT solving and manual proofs. Isolated from the effects, the core of F* is a language of pure functions used to write specifications and proof terms---its consistency is maintained by a semantic termination check based on a well-founded order. We evaluate our design on more than 55,000 lines of F* we have authored in the last year, focusing on three main case studies. Showcasing its use as a general-purpose programming language, F* is programmed (but not verified) in F*, and bootstraps in both OCaml and F#. Our experience confirms F*'s pay-as-you-go cost model: writing idiomatic ML-like code with no finer specifications imposes no user burden. As a verification-oriented language, our most significant evaluation of F* is in verifying several key modules in an implementation of the TLS-1.2 protocol standard. For the modules we considered, we are able to prove more properties, with fewer annotations using F* than in a prior verified implementation of TLS-1.2. Finally, as a proof assistant, we discuss our use of F* in mechanizing the metatheory of a range of lambda calculi, starting from the simply typed lambda calculus to System F-omega and even micro-F*, a sizeable fragment of F* itself---these proofs make essential use of F*'s flexible combination of SMT automation and constructive proofs, enabling a tactic-free style of programming and proving at a relatively large scale.
PolyCheck: dynamic verification of iteration space transformations on affine programs
Authors: Bao Wenlei , Krishnamoorthy Sriram , Pouchet Louis-Noël , Rastello Fabrice , Sadayappan P.
Published: April 2016

High-level compiler transformations, especially loop transformations, are widely recognized as critical optimizations to restructure programs to improve data locality and expose parallelism. Guaranteeing the correctness of program transformations is essential, and to date three main approaches have been developed: proof of equivalence of affine programs, matching the execution traces of programs, and checking bit-by-bit equivalence of program outputs. Each technique suffers from limitations in the kind of transformations supported, space complexity, or the sensitivity to the testing dataset. In this paper, we take a novel approach that addresses all three limitations to provide an automatic bug checker to verify any iteration reordering transformations on affine programs, including non-affine transformations, with space consumption proportional to the original program data and robust to arbitrary datasets of a given size. We achieve this by exploiting the structure of affine program control- and data-flow to generate at compile-time lightweight checker code to be executed within the transformed program. Experimental results assess the correctness and effectiveness of our method and its increased coverage over previous approaches.
Query-guided maximum satisfiability
Authors: Zhang Xin , Mangal Ravi , Nori Aditya V. , Naik Mayur
Published: April 2016

We propose a new optimization problem "Q-MaxSAT", an extension of the well-known Maximum Satisfiability or MaxSAT problem. In contrast to MaxSAT, which aims to find an assignment to all variables in the formula, Q-MaxSAT computes an assignment to a desired subset of variables (or queries) in the formula. Indeed, many problems in diverse domains such as program reasoning, information retrieval, and mathematical optimization can be naturally encoded as Q-MaxSAT instances. We describe an iterative algorithm for solving Q-MaxSAT. In each iteration, the algorithm solves a subproblem that is relevant to the queries, and applies a novel technique to check whether the partial assignment found is a solution to the Q-MaxSAT problem. If the check fails, the algorithm grows the subproblem with a new set of clauses identified as relevant to the queries. Our empirical evaluation shows that our Q-MaxSAT solver Pilot achieves significant improvements in runtime and memory consumption over conventional MaxSAT solvers on several Q-MaxSAT instances generated from real-world problems in program analysis and information retrieval.
System f-omega with equirecursive types for datatype-generic programming
Authors: Cai Yufei , Giarrusso Paolo G. , Ostermann Klaus
Published: April 2016

Traversing an algebraic datatype by hand requires boilerplate code which duplicates the structure of the datatype. Datatype-generic programming (DGP) aims to eliminate such boilerplate code by decomposing algebraic datatypes into type constructor applications from which generic traversals can be synthesized. However, different traversals require different decompositions, which yield isomorphic but unequal types. This hinders the interoperability of different DGP techniques. In this paper, we propose Fωμ, an extension of the higher-order polymorphic lambda calculus Fω with records, variants, and equirecursive types. We prove the soundness of the type system, and show that type checking for first-order recursive types is decidable with a practical type checking algorithm. In our soundness proof we define type equality by interpreting types as infinitary λ-terms (in particular, Berarducci-trees). To decide type equality we β-normalize types, and then use an extension of equivalence checking for usual equirecursive types. Thanks to equirecursive types, new decompositions for a datatype can be added modularly and still interoperate with each other, allowing multiple DGP techniques to work together. We sketch how generic traversals can be synthesized, and apply these components to some examples. Since the set of datatype decomposition becomes extensible, System Fωμ enables using DGP techniques incrementally, instead of planning for them upfront or doing invasive refactoring.
Monitors and blame assignment for higher-order session types
Authors: Jia Limin , Gommerstadt Hannah , Pfenning Frank
Published: April 2016

Session types provide a means to prescribe the communication behavior between concurrent message-passing processes. However, in a distributed setting, some processes may be written in languages that do not support static typing of sessions or may be compromised by a malicious intruder, violating invariants of the session types. In such a setting, dynamically monitoring communication between processes becomes a necessity for identifying undesirable actions. In this paper, we show how to dynamically monitor communication to enforce adherence to session types in a higher-order setting. We present a system of blame assignment in the case when the monitor detects an undesirable action and an alarm is raised. We prove that dynamic monitoring does not change system behavior for welltyped processes, and that one of an indicated set of possible culprits must have been compromised in case of an alarm.
Abstraction refinement guided by a learnt probabilistic model
Authors: Grigore Radu , Yang Hongseok
Published: April 2016

The core challenge in designing an effective static program analysis is to find a good program abstraction -- one that retains only details relevant to a given query. In this paper, we present a new approach for automatically finding such an abstraction. Our approach uses a pessimistic strategy, which can optionally use guidance from a probabilistic model. Our approach applies to parametric static analyses implemented in Datalog, and is based on counterexample-guided abstraction refinement. For each untried abstraction, our probabilistic model provides a probability of success, while the size of the abstraction provides an estimate of its cost in terms of analysis time. Combining these two metrics, probability and cost, our refinement algorithm picks an optimal abstraction. Our probabilistic model is a variant of the Erdos--Renyi random graph model, and it is tunable by what we call hyperparameters. We present a method to learn good values for these hyperparameters, by observing past runs of the analysis on an existing codebase. We evaluate our approach on an object sensitive pointer analysis for Java programs, with two client analyses (PolySite and Downcast).
The hardness of data packing
Authors: Lavaee Rahman
Published: April 2016

A program can benefit from improved cache block utilization when contemporaneously accessed data elements are placed in the same memory block. This can reduce the program's memory block working set and thereby, reduce the capacity miss rate. We formally define the problem of data packing for arbitrary number of blocks in the cache and packing factor (the number of data objects fitting in a cache block) and study how well the optimal solution can be approximated for two dual problems. On the one hand, we show that the cache hit maximization problem is approximable within a constant factor, for every fixed number of blocks in the cache. On the other hand, we show that unless P=NP, the cache miss minimization problem cannot be efficiently approximated.
Learning programs from noisy data
Authors: Raychev Veselin , Bielik Pavol , Vechev Martin , Krause Andreas
Published: April 2016

We present a new approach for learning programs from noisy datasets. Our approach is based on two new concepts: a regularized program generator which produces a candidate program based on a small sample of the entire dataset while avoiding overfitting, and a dataset sampler which carefully samples the dataset by leveraging the candidate program's score on that dataset. The two components are connected in a continuous feedback-directed loop. We show how to apply this approach to two settings: one where the dataset has a bound on the noise, and another without a noise bound. The second setting leads to a new way of performing approximate empirical risk minimization on hypotheses classes formed by a discrete search space. We then present two new kinds of program synthesizers which target the two noise settings. First, we introduce a novel regularized bitstream synthesizer that successfully generates programs even in the presence of incorrect examples. We show that the synthesizer can detect errors in the examples while combating overfitting -- a major problem in existing synthesis techniques. We also show how the approach can be used in a setting where the dataset grows dynamically via new examples (e.g., provided by a human). Second, we present a novel technique for constructing statistical code completion systems. These are systems trained on massive datasets of open source programs, also known as ``Big Code''. The key idea is to introduce a domain specific language (DSL) over trees and to learn functions in that DSL directly from the dataset. These learned functions then condition the predictions made by the system. This is a flexible and powerful technique which generalizes several existing works as we no longer need to decide a priori on what the prediction should be conditioned (another benefit is that the learned functions are a natural mechanism for explaining the prediction). As a result, our code completion system surpasses the prediction capabilities of existing, hard-wired systems.
Lattice-theoretic progress measures and coalgebraic model checking
Authors: Hasuo Ichiro , Shimizu Shunsuke , Cîrstea Corina
Published: April 2016

In the context of formal verification in general and model checking in particular, parity games serve as a mighty vehicle: many problems are encoded as parity games, which are then solved by the seminal algorithm by Jurdzinski. In this paper we identify the essence of this workflow to be the notion of progress measure, and formalize it in general, possibly infinitary, lattice-theoretic terms. Our view on progress measures is that they are to nested/alternating fixed points what invariants are to safety/greatest fixed points, and what ranking functions are to liveness/least fixed points. That is, progress measures are combination of the latter two notions (invariant and ranking function) that have been extensively studied in the context of (program) verification. We then apply our theory of progress measures to a general model-checking framework, where systems are categorically presented as coalgebras. The framework's theoretical robustness is witnessed by a smooth transfer from the branching-time setting to the linear-time one. Although the framework can be used to derive some decision procedures for finite settings, we also expect the proposed framework to form a basis for sound proof methods for some undecidable/infinitary problems.
Confluences in programming languages research (keynote)
Authors: Walker David
Published: April 2016

A confluence occurs when two rivers flow together; downstream the combined forces gather strength and propel their waters forward with increased vigor. In academic research, according to Varghese, a confluence occurs after some trigger, perhaps a discovery or a change in technology, and brings two previously separate branches of research together. In this talk, I will discuss confluences in programming languages research. Here, confluences often occur when basic research finds application in some important new domain. Two prime examples from my own career involve the confluence of research in type theory and systems security, triggered by new theoretical tools for reasoning about programming language safety, and the confluence of formal methods and networking, triggered by the rise of data centers. These experiences may shed light on what to teach our students and what is next for programming languages research.
Teaching Online Can Make Us Better Teachers
Authors: Norman Marie
Published: April 2016

Online education gives teachers unique opportunities to more profoundly bring learning research and learner-centered teaching practices into their teaching. This article examines five reasons online teaching can lead teachers in healthy directions by exploring the (beneficial) challenges of lecturing online, the untapped potential of student-generated content, the critical importance of student motivation, the social and emotional components of learning, and the benefits of multi-sensory learning.
Trace Attack against Biometric Mobile Applications
Authors: Ghouzali Sanaa , Lafkih Maryam , Abdul Wadood , Mikram Mounia , El Haziti Mohammed , Aboutajdine Driss
Published: April 2016

With the exponential increase in the dependence on mobile devices in everyday life, there is a growing concern related to privacy and security issues in the Gulf countries; therefore, it is imperative that security threats should be analyzed in detail. Mobile devices store enormous amounts of personal and financial information, unfortunately without any security. In order to secure mobile devices against different threats, biometrics has been applied and shown to be effective. However, biometric mobile applications are also vulnerable to several types of attacks that can decrease their security. Biometric information itself is considered sensitive data; for example, fingerprints can leave traces in touched objects and facial images can be captured everywhere or accessed by the attacker if the facial image is stored in the mobile device (lost or stolen). Hence, an attacker can easily forge the identity of a legitimate user and access data on a device. In this paper, the effects of a trace attack on the sensitivity of biometric mobile applications are investigated in terms of security and user privacy. Experimental results carried out on facial and fingerprint mobile authentication applications using different databases have shown that these mobile applications are vulnerable to the proposed attack, which poses a serious threat to the overall system security and user privacy.
Genome Editing of the CYP1A1 Locus in iPSCs as a Platform to Map AHR Expression throughout Human Development
Authors: Smith Brenden W. , Stanford Elizabeth A. , Sherr David H. , Murphy George J.
Published: April 2016

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR) is a ligand activated transcription factor that increases the expression of detoxifying enzymes upon ligand stimulation. Recent studies now suggest that novel endogenous roles of the AHR exist throughout development. In an effort to create an optimized model system for the study of AHR signaling in several cellular lineages, we have employed a CRISPR/CAS9 genome editing strategy in induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) to incorporate a reporter cassette at the transcription start site of one of its canonical targets, cytochrome P450 1A1 (CYP1A1). This cell line faithfully reports on CYP1A1 expression, with luciferase levels as its functional readout, when treated with an endogenous AHR ligand (FICZ) at escalating doses. iPSC‐derived fibroblast‐like cells respond to acute exposure to environmental and endogenous AHR ligands, and iPSC‐derived hepatocytes increase CYP1A1 in a similar manner to primary hepatocytes. This cell line is an important innovation that can be used to map AHR activity in discrete cellular subsets throughout developmental ontogeny. As further endogenous ligands are proposed, this line can be used to screen for safety and efficacy and can report on the ability of small molecules to regulate critical cellular processes by modulating the activity of the AHR.
Sofosbuvir-Based Therapy for Genotype 4 HCV Recurrence Post-Liver Transplant Treatment-Experienced Patients
Authors: Ajlan A. , Al-Jedai A. , Elsiesy H. , Alkortas D. , Al-Hamoudi W. , Alarieh R. , Al-Sebayel M. , Broering D. , Aba Alkhail F.
Published: April 2016

Background and Aim. This is an open label prospective cohort study conducted at a tertiary care hospital. The primary endpoint is SVR12 in patients treated with sofosbuvir-based therapy in post-liver transplant patients with genotype 4 HCV recurrence.Methodology. Thirty-six treatment-experienced liver transplant patients with HCV recurrence received sofosbuvir and ribavirin ± peginterferon.Results. We report here safety and efficacy data on 36 patients who completed the follow-up period. Mean age was 56 years, and the cohort included 24 males and one patient had cirrhosis. Mean baseline HCV RNA was 6.2 log10 IU/mL. The majority of patients had ≥ stage 2 fibrosis. Twenty-eight patients were treated with pegylated interferon plus ribavirin in addition to sofosbuvir for 12 weeks and the remaining were treated with sofosbuvir plus ribavirin only for 24 weeks. By week 4, only four (11.1%) patients had detectable HCV RNA. Of the 36 patients, 2 (5.5%) relapsed and one died (2.75%).Conclusion. Our results suggest that sofosbuvir + ribavirin ± pegylated interferon can be utilized successfully to treat liver transplant patients with HCV recurrence.
Extended Perioperative Antibiotic Coverage in Conjunction with Intraoperative Bile Cultures Decreases Infectious Complications after Pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Fathi Amir H. , Jackson Terence , Barati Mehdi , Eghbalieh Babak , Siegel Kelly A. , Siegel Christopher T.
Published: April 2016

Background. Bile contamination from the digestive tract is a well-known risk factor for postoperative complications. Despite the literature concerning prevalence of bacterobilia and fungobilia in patients with biliary pathologies, there are no specific recommendations for perioperative antimicrobial coverage for biliary/pancreatic procedures. We evaluated the effect of at least 72 hours of perioperative broad spectrum antibiotic coverage on outcomes of pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Materials and Methods. A retrospective review of all patients at Case Medical Center of Case Western Reserve University undergoing PD procedure, from 2006 to 2011, was performed (n=122). Perioperative data including demographics, comorbidities, biliary instrumentation, antibiotic coverage, culture results, and postoperative outcomes were analyzed. Propensity score matching method was used to match the patients according to duration of antibiotic coverage into two groups: 72 hours (A72) and 24 hours (A24). Results. Longer broad spectrum antibiotic coverage in group A72 resulted in significantly less surgical site infections after PD, compared to routine 24 hours of perioperative antibiotics in group A24. This study did not reveal a statistically significant decrease in postoperative fungal infections in patients receiving preoperative antifungals. Conclusion. Prolonged perioperative antibiotic therapy in conjunction with intraoperative bile cultures decreases the short-term infectious complications of PD, with no significant increase in Clostridium difficile colitis incidence.
Masking Agents Evaluation for Lead Determination by Flow Injection-Hydride Generation-Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry Technique: Effect of KI, L-Cysteine, and 1,10-Phenanthroline
Authors: Beltrán Blanca G. , Leal Luz O. , Ferrer Laura , Cerdà Víctor
Published: April 2016

Hydride generation (HG) of lead technique presents interferences from foreign ions of complex matrix samples. In order to minimize these interferences, the effect of masking agents such as KI, L-cysteine, and 1,10-phenanthroline was studied in the absence and in the presence of selected interfering species (As, Cr, Cu, and Fe). Different modes of addition of masking agents were accomplished, that is, to either sample or KBH4reducing solution. The lead determinations were performed using a flow injection analysis (FIA) system coupled to HG and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (AFS). The linearity of calibration curves (1–10 μg Pb L−1) was not affected by the addition of the masking agents. The use of KI in the reducing solution diminished interferences from concentrations of As and Cu, while 1,10-phenanthroline showed a positive effect on the interference by As. Moreover, Cr and Cu appeared to be the most serious interfering ions for plumbane (PbH4), because they drastically reduced the analytical signal of lead. Fe did not present any interference under the employed experimental conditions, even at high levels. The accuracy was established through the analysis of certified reference material (i.e., BCR-610, groundwater) using KI as masking agent. The detection limit reached by FIA-HG-AFS proposed methodology was 0.03 μg Pb L−1.
A Rare Case of an Early Postoperative Obstructive Ileus in a Young Female Patient due to a Residual Trichobezoar Mass
Authors: Christopoulos P. , Ross-Thriepland S. , McCarthy H. , Day C. S. , Sasi W.
Published: April 2016

Trichobezoar is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction, whereby a mass forms most commonly in the stomach and duodenum of young females, from ingestion of hair, a condition known as trichophagia. We present a case of recurrent small bowel obstruction due to a residual hair mass that was removed surgically in a young female patient who had a laparotomy and gastrotomy for removal of a large gastric trichobezoar just two weeks prior to the current admission. This case illustrates the importance of a thorough inspection of the whole bowel to ensure that no residual bezoars remain after surgery.
The Comparative Efficacy and Safety of Entecavir and Lamivudine in Patients with HBV-Associated Acute-on-Chronic Liver Failure: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Authors: Yang Jiao , Sun Hang , Liu Qi
Published: April 2016

Background.Currently, both of entecavir and lamivudine are effective for patients with HBV-associated acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF). However, there is no consensus on the efficacy of entecavir versus lamivudine for patients with HBV-associated ACLF. The aim of the study was to compare the efficacy and safety of entecavir with that of lamivudine for HBV-associated ACLF patients.Methods.Publications on entecavir versus lamivudine in HBV-associated ACLF patients were comprehensively identified. Odds ratio and mean difference were used to measure the effect.Results.Ten studies, totaling 1254 patients, were eligible. No significant differences between the two drugs presented in the 1-, 2-, 3-, or 6-month survival rates. However, after 12 months of treatment, patients prescribed entecavir had a statistically higher survival rate (p=0.008) and lower total bilirubin (p<0.0001) and alanine aminotransferase (p=0.04) levels compared to patients prescribed lamivudine. More patients achieved HBV negative levels when taking entecavir as measured at 1-, 3-, and 12-month time points and had a lower rate of HBV recurrence.Conclusion.While entecavir and lamivudine are both relatively safe and well tolerated, entecavir was more efficacious in terms of survival rate and clinical improvement in long-term treatment. Further prospective randomized controlled trials are needed to validate these results.
Nanostructured Barium Titanate/Carbon Nanotubes Incorporated Polyaniline as Synergistic Electromagnetic Wave Absorbers
Authors: Yu Lujun , Zhu Yaofeng , Qian Chen , Fu Qiang , Zhao Yongzhen , Fu Yaqin
Published: April 2016

The three-dimensional (3D) conductive network structures formed by barium titanate/carbon nanotubes incorporated polyaniline were favorable for strengthening electromagnetic absorption capability. Herein, an easy and flexible method consisting of sol-gel technique, in situ polymerization, and subsequent mechanical method have been developed to prepare the barium titanate/carbon nanotubes incorporated polyaniline (CNTs/BaTiO3/PANI or CBP) ternary composites. The dielectric properties and microwave absorption properties of CNTs/BaTiO3/PANI composites were investigated in the frequency range of 2–18 GHz by vector network analyzer. Interestingly, it is found that the CNTs/BaTiO3/PANI composites with 3D conductive network structures presented outstanding electromagnetic absorption properties, which may be attributed to the high impedance matching behavior and improved dielectric loss ability and novel synergistic effect. Additionally, it also can be supposed that the “geometrical effect” of composite was more beneficial to absorbing the incident electromagnetic wave. The CNTs/BaTiO3/PANI composite (the mass ratio of CNTs/BaTiO3to PANI is 2 : 3) exhibits the best microwave absorption properties, of which the minimum reflection loss value can reach −30.9 dB at 8 GHz and the absorption bandwidth with a reflection loss blew −10 dB ranges from 7.5 to 10.2 GHz.
Random First-Order Linear Discrete Models and Their Probabilistic Solution: A Comprehensive Study
Authors: Casabán M.-C. , Cortés J.-C. , Romero J.-V. , Roselló M.-D.
Published: April 2016

This paper presents a complete stochastic solution represented by the first probability density function for random first-order linear difference equations. The study is based on Random Variable Transformation method. The obtained results are given in terms of the probability density functions of the data, namely, initial condition, forcing term, and diffusion coefficient. To conduct the study, all possible cases regarding statistical dependence of the random input parameters are considered. A complete collection of illustrative examples covering all the possible scenarios is provided.
Different Levels of DNA Methylation Detected in Human Sperms after Morphological Selection Using High Magnification Microscopy
Authors: Cassuto Nino Guy , Montjean Debbie , Siffroi Jean-Pierre , Bouret Dominique , Marzouk Flora , Copin Henri , Benkhalifa Moncef
Published: April 2016

Objective. To analyze DNA methylation levels between two groups of spermatozoa taken from the same sample, following morphological selection by high magnification (HM) at 6100x microscopy. A prospective study was conducted and studied 876 spermatozoa from 10 randomly selected men. Sperm morphology was characterized at HM according to criteria previously established. High-scoring Score 6 and low-scoring Score 0 sperm were selected. Sperm DNA methylation level was assessed using an immunoassay method targeting 5-methylcytosine residues by fluorescence microscopy with imaging analysis system to detect DNA methylation in single spermatozoon.Results. In total, 448 S6 spermatozoa and 428 S0 spermatozoa were analyzed. A strong relationship was found between sperm DNA methylation levels and sperm morphology observed at HM. Sperm DNA methylation level in the S6 group was significantly lower compared with that in the S0 group (p<10-6), OR = 2.4; andp<0.001, as determined using the Wilcoxon test.Conclusion. Differences in DNA methylation levels are associated with sperm morphology variations as observed at HM, which allows spermatozoa with abnormal levels to be discarded and ultimately decrease birth defects, malformations, and epigenetic diseases that may be transmitted from sperm to offspring in ICSI.
A Comparison between the Effects of Glucantime, Topical Trichloroacetic Acid 50% plus Glucantime, and Fractional Carbon Dioxide Laser plus Glucantime on Cutaneous Leishmaniasis Lesions
Authors: Jaffary Fariba , Nilforoushzadeh Mohammad Ali , Siadat Amirhossein , Haftbaradaran Elaheh , Ansari Nazli , Ahmadi Elham
Published: April 2016

Background.Cutaneous leishmaniasis is an endemic disease in Iran. Pentavalent antimonial drugs have been the first line of therapy in cutaneous leishmaniasis for many years. However, the cure rate of these agents is still not favorable. This study was carried out to compare the efficacies of intralesional glucantime with topical trichloroacetic acid 50% (TCA 50%) + glucantime and fractional carbon dioxide laser + glucantime in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis.Methods.A total of 90 patients were randomly divided into three groups of 30 to be treated with intralesional injection of glucantime, a combination of topical TCA 50% and glucantime, or a combination of fractional laser and glucantime. The overall clinical improvement and changes in sizes of lesions and scars were assessed and compared among three groups.Results.The mean duration of treatment was6.1±2.1weeks in all patients (range: 2–12 weeks) and6.8±1.7,5.2±1.0, and6.3±3.0weeks in glucantime, topical TCA plus glucantime, and fractional laser plus glucantime groups, respectively (P=0.011). Complete improvement was observed in 10 (38.5%), 27 (90%), and 20 (87%) patients of glucantime, glucantime + TCA, and glucantime + laser groups, respectively (P<0.001).Conclusion.Compared to glucantime alone, the combination of intralesional glucantime and TCA 50% or fractional CO2laser had significantly higher and faster cure rate in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Study of Model Predictive Control for Path-Following Autonomous Ground Vehicle Control under Crosswind Effect
Authors: Yakub Fitri , Abu Aminudin , Sarip Shamsul , Mori Yasuchika
Published: April 2016

We present a comparative study of model predictive control approaches of two-wheel steering, four-wheel steering, and a combination of two-wheel steering with direct yaw moment control manoeuvres for path-following control in autonomous car vehicle dynamics systems. Single-track mode, based on a linearized vehicle and tire model, is used. Based on a given trajectory, we drove the vehicle at low and high forward speeds and on low and high road friction surfaces for a double-lane change scenario in order to follow the desired trajectory as close as possible while rejecting the effects of wind gusts. We compared the controller based on both simple and complex bicycle models without and with the roll vehicle dynamics for different types of model predictive control manoeuvres. The simulation result showed that the model predictive control gave a better performance in terms of robustness for both forward speeds and road surface variation in autonomous path-following control. It also demonstrated that model predictive control is useful to maintain vehicle stability along the desired path and has an ability to eliminate the crosswind effect.
Recent Advances in Graphene-Assisted Nonlinear Optical Signal Processing
Authors: Wang Jian , Hu Xiao
Published: April 2016

Possessing a variety of remarkable optical, electronic, and mechanical properties, graphene has emerged as an attractive material for a myriad of optoelectronic applications. The wonderful optical properties of graphene afford multiple functions of graphene based polarizers, modulators, transistors, and photodetectors. So far, the main focus has been on graphene based photonics and optoelectronics devices. Due to the linear band structure allowing interband optical transitions at all photon energies, graphene has remarkably large third-order optical susceptibilityχ(3), which is only weakly dependent on the wavelength in the near-infrared frequency range. The graphene-assisted four-wave mixing (FWM) based wavelength conversions have been experimentally demonstrated. So, we believe that the potential applications of graphene also lie in nonlinear optical signal processing, where the combination of its unique largeχ(3)nonlinearities and dispersionless over the wavelength can be fully exploited. In this review article, we give a brief overview of our recent progress in graphene-assisted nonlinear optical device and their applications, including degenerate FWM based wavelength conversion of quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) signal, phase conjugated wavelength conversion by degenerate FWM and transparent wavelength conversion by nondegenerate FWM, two-input and three-input high-base optical computing, and high-speed gate-tunable terahertz coherent perfect absorption (CPA) using a split-ring graphene.
Characteristics of Atmospheric Compositions in the Background Area of Yangtze River Delta during Heavy Air Pollution Episode
Authors: Xu Hong-Hui , Pu Jing-Jiao , He Jun , Liu Jie , Qi Bing , Du Rong-Guang
Published: April 2016

In order to understand the formation and evolution of recurrent severe haze pollution episodes in Yangtze River Delta, China, a short comparative sampling campaign was conducted at the Lin’an background monitoring station from 25 November 2013 to 14 December 2013. The characteristic concentrations of PM2.5, black carbon, CO2, CO, and CH4have been systematically recorded at the abovementioned site. Coupled with detailed analysis of air backward trajectories, fire spot distribution surrounding the studied site and meteorological impacts, temporal trend, diurnal variation, and intercorrelation of the aforementioned species have also been comprehensively investigated throughout prehaze, haze, and posthaze periods.
A Computational Study of the Boundary Value Methods and the Block Unification Methods fory″=f(x,y,y′)
Authors: Biala T. A.
Published: April 2016

We derive a new class of linear multistep methods (LMMs) via the interpolation and collocation technique. We discuss the use of these methods as boundary value methods and block unification methods for the numerical approximation of the general second-order initial and boundary value problems. The convergence of these families of methods is also established. Several test problems are given to show a computational comparison of these methods in terms of accuracy and the computational efficiency.
Centered Kernel Alignment Enhancing Neural Network Pretraining for MRI-Based Dementia Diagnosis
Authors: Cárdenas-Peña David , Collazos-Huertas Diego , Castellanos-Dominguez German
Published: April 2016

Dementia is a growing problem that affects elderly people worldwide. More accurate evaluation of dementia diagnosis can help during the medical examination. Several methods for computer-aided dementia diagnosis have been proposed using resonance imaging scans to discriminate between patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and healthy controls (NC). Nonetheless, the computer-aided diagnosis is especially challenging because of the heterogeneous and intermediate nature of MCI. We address the automated dementia diagnosis by introducing a novel supervised pretraining approach that takes advantage of the artificial neural network (ANN) for complex classification tasks. The proposal initializes an ANN based on linear projections to achieve more discriminating spaces. Such projections are estimated by maximizing the centered kernel alignment criterion that assesses the affinity between the resonance imaging data kernel matrix and the label target matrix. As a result, the performed linear embedding allows accounting for features that contribute the most to the MCI class discrimination. We compare the supervised pretraining approach to two unsupervised initialization methods (autoencoders and Principal Component Analysis) and against the best four performing classification methods of the 2014CADDementiachallenge. As a result, our proposal outperforms all the baselines (7% of classification accuracy and area under the receiver-operating-characteristic curve) at the time it reduces the class biasing.
Comprehensive Analysis of Complement Genes in Patients with Atypical Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome
Authors: Zhang Tao , Lu Jianping , Liang Shaoshan , Chen Dachen , Zhang Haitao , Zeng Caihong , Liu Zhihong , Chen Huimei
Published: April 2016

Background: Genetic defects in complement proteins reportedly contribute to the atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS). Numerous genetic studies have been published in recent years, but limited data have been gathered from Asian countries. Methods: Genetic variants of 11 complement genes were analyzed in 23 Chinese patients with aHUS by high-throughput sequencing. The genotype-phenotype relationship in the Han population was evaluated and compared with the relationship that existed in other ethnicities. Results: We identified 20 causative mutations in complement genes, including 19 missense mutations and 1 splicing mutation. Six previously reported mutations, 6 mutations detected for the first time, and 8 rare polymorphisms were noted. Twelve out of 23 patients harbored complement mutations. Among the patients, one was a homozygote (Arg142Cys in CFHR3), and 4 carried combined mutations. Chinese patients have a similar prevalence of complement mutations as European, Japanese, and American patients. Complement factor H (CFH) mutations were common in aHUS in different ethnicities, but Chinese patients exhibited a higher percentage of complement factor B mutations than were found in European patients and a lower percentage of component 3 (C3) mutations than in Japanese patients. Compared with non-carriers, the aHUS patients carrying mutations had reduced C3 levels. In particular, patients with CFH mutations had a worse renal function than those with membrane cofactor protein mutations, a higher level of serum creatinine at the disease onset and a higher percentage of renal insufficiency during follow-up. Conclusions: Because complement genetic dysfunction has clinical significance in aHUS, a comprehensive assessment of variants is necessary for the proper management of aHUS patients in China.
Jesus, the Kingdom and the Promised Land
Authors: Willitts Joel
Published: April 2016

N.T. Wright’s understanding of the nature of the kingdom of God in Jesus’ proclamation has been persuasive and significant. The present article engages Wright’s presentation with respect to the particular question of the relationship to between the kingdom of God and Israel’s Land promise. For all the focus on the Jewish context of Jesus, the so-called Third Quest for the Historical Jesus, of which Wright is an exemplar, has been reluctant to consider the possibility of an ongoing interest in territorial restoration in Jesus’ conceptions of the eschatological hope. Where Wright does address the Land of Israel he argues that Jesus reinterprets it away from a localized territorial conception to a more universal symbol of God’s sovereign reign. The argument of the article, while appreciating much in Wright’s interpretation of Jesus, seeks to destabilize his ‘reinterpretation view’ of the Land, on the one hand. And, on the other, the present work presents substantial evidence in support of the hypothesis that the historical Jesus both affirmed Israel’s Land promise and promulgated Israel’s territorial restoration in his teaching, preaching, and even in his physical movements in Greater Galilee.
A Genesis Index for Monsoon Disturbances
Authors: Ditchek Sarah D. , Boos William R. , Camargo Suzana J. , Tippett Michael K.
Published: April 2016

Synoptic-scale monsoon disturbances produce the majority of continental rainfall in the monsoon regions of South Asia and Australia, yet there is little understanding of the conditions that foster development of these low pressure systems. Here a genesis index is used to associate monsoon disturbance genesis in a global domain with monthly mean, climatological environmental variables. This monsoon disturbance genesis index (MDGI) is based on four objectively selected variables: total column water vapor, low-level absolute vorticity, an approximate measure of convective available potential energy, and midtropospheric relative humidity. A Poisson regression is used to estimate the index coefficients. Unlike existing tropical cyclone genesis indices, the MDGI is defined over both land and ocean, consistent with the fact that monsoon disturbance genesis can occur over land. The index coefficients change little from their global values when estimated separately for the Asian–Australian monsoon region or the Indian monsoon region, suggesting that the conditions favorable for monsoon disturbance genesis, and perhaps the dynamics of genesis itself, are common across multiple monsoon regions. Vertical wind shear is found to be a useful predictor in some regional subdomains; although previous studies suggested that baroclinicity may foster monsoon disturbance genesis, here genesis frequency is shown to be reduced in regions of strong climatological vertical shear. The coefficients of the MDGI suggest that monsoon disturbance genesis is fostered by humid, convectively unstable environments that are rich in vorticity. Similarities with indices used to describe the distribution of tropical cyclone genesis are discussed.