bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High resolution sparse voxel DAGs
Authors: Kämpe Viktor , Sintorn Erik , Assarsson Ulf
Published: July 2013

We show that a binary voxel grid can be represented orders of magnitude more efficiently than using a sparse voxel octree (SVO) by generalising the tree to a directed acyclic graph (DAG). While the SVO allows for efficient encoding of empty regions of space, the DAG additionally allows for efficient encoding of
identical
regions of space, as nodes are allowed to share pointers to identical subtrees. We present an efficient bottom-up algorithm that reduces an SVO to a minimal DAG, which can be applied even in cases where the complete SVO would not fit in memory. In all tested scenes, even the highly irregular ones, the number of nodes is reduced by one to three orders of magnitude. While the DAG requires more pointers per node, the memory cost for these is quickly amortized and the memory consumption of the DAG is considerably smaller, even when compared to an ideal SVO without pointers. Meanwhile, our sparse voxel DAG requires no decompression and can be traversed very efficiently. We demonstrate this by ray tracing hard and soft shadows, ambient occlusion, and primary rays in extremely high resolution DAGs at speeds that are on par with, or even faster than, state-of-the-art voxel and triangle GPU ray tracing.
Of Catwalk Technologies and Boundary Creatures
Authors: Adams Anne , Fitzgerald Elizabeth , Priestnall Gary
Published: July 2013

Researchers designing and deploying technologies in the wild can find it difficult to balance pure innovation with scalable solutions. Tensions often relate to expectations around current and future roles of the technology development. We propose a catwalk technology metaphor where researchers as boundary creatures focus on innovation whilst providing links to prêt-à-porter (ready to wear) developments. Evidence from 140 participants, within three “in-the-wild” field-based learning case studies (for mobile, distributed, sensor and augmented reality systems), conceptualise the researchers’ “boundary creature” role in managing design process tensions. Stakeholders, including participants, expected the research projects to produce ready to wear (prêt-à-porter) boundary objects for current practices even when researchers sought to take catwalk approaches by innovating technologies and changing practices. The researcher design role (RDR) model articulates researchers’ narratives with the design team, stakeholders and users around what is innovated (e.g., technology, activities) and how the intervention changes or sustains current practices.
Sharing Stories “in the Wild”
Authors: Bonsignore Elizabeth , Quinn Alexander J. , Druin Allison , Bederson Benjamin B.
Published: July 2013

Today’s mobile devices are equipped with a variety of tools that enable users to capture and share their daily experiences. However, designing authoring tools that effectively integrate the discrete media-capture components of mobile devices to enable rich expression---especially by children---remains a challenge. Evaluating such tools authentically, as they are being used in-situ, can be even more challenging. We detail a long-term, multimethod study on the use of StoryKit, a mobile storytelling application. By taking advantage of a public distribution channel, we were able to evaluate StoryKit’s use on a scale beyond that usually found in lab settings or limited field trials. Our results show that StoryKit’s simple but well-integrated interface attracted a high number of dedicated users in education contexts at all levels, including children with special learning needs. We include a discussion of the challenges and opportunities that similar “in the wild” studies hold for HCI research.
Analysis of reusability of object-oriented systems using object-oriented metrics
Authors: Goel Brij Mohan , Bhatia Pradeep Kumar
Published: July 2013

In object-oriented systems, assessing reusability plays a key role in reducing a cost and improving the quality of the software. Objectoriented programming helps in achieving the concept of reusability through different types of inheritance programs, which further help in developing reusable software modules. And object-oriented metrics identify the effectiveness of each reuse strategy. Software reusability has considerable effect on software quality. Software quality increases as reuse of software components increases. But software quality improvement cannot be understood unless it is measured. This paper focuses on an empirical evaluation of object-oriented metrics in C++ using three different object-oriented features. Three programs have been considered as input for the study -- the first program uses multilevel inheritance, the second program uses multiple inheritance and the third program uses hierarchical inheritance. We have found that multilevel inheritance has more impact on reusability among these three features.
NLP@Desktop
Authors: S. Indu , N.K. Srinivas , P.J. Harish , R. GangaPrasad , Varghese Nobby , Sreekanth N.S. , Pal Supriya N.
Published: July 2013

Research and development in Natural Language Processing (NLP) has made significant progress over the last decade. Many robust NLP systems have been developed for handling machine translation, question-answering, summarization, topic detection, cluster analysis, information extraction, named entity recognition (NER), etc. Despite this advancement in NLP research, the results are still not accessible for common desktop users. In the current scenario, it is difficult to integrate a new NLP tool with the existing text processing applications. To overcome this, we have implemented a service deployer framework based on DBus[1] for the seamless integration of NLP applications with desktop clients like email clients, word processors, browsers etc. This framework enables NLP researchers to make their products equipped for the desktop clients with minimal efforts.
Configuring business process models
Authors: Jiang JianMin , Zhang Shi , Gong Ping , Hong Zhong
Published: July 2013

A configurable business process model (sometimes referred to as a reference business process model) may be configured to meet the specific requirements of an organization. The configuration activity is required to automatically determine the variability of a configurable process model and ensure the correctness of a specific process model. However, few approaches solve the problem. In this paper, we propose an innovative approach for automatically separating a configurable process model into atomic and correct sub-process models (sub-process models without abnormal behavioral problems). The atomic sub-process models that fulfill specific requirements are merged into specific process models that are provided for organizations. Compared with existing approaches, since the configuration activity is incorporated into the verification process of a process model at design time and can obtain all feasible configurations, our approach avoids independently handling the configuration activity and does not suffer from computational complexity. Moreover, our approach is language-independent. We have developed a prototype tool for configuring these process models.
Bio-inspired optimization techniques
Authors: Rai Deepak , Tyagi Kirti
Published: July 2013

Despite insistent and breathtaking advances in computing, we continue to be humbled by the variety and adaptability of the natural world around us. Bio-inspired optimization is a term that covers a wide variety of computational approaches that are based on the principles of biological systems. This motivates the application of biology to optimization problems. Biologically inspired computing and optimization is a major subset of natural computation. This paper presents a critical survey of bio-inspired optimization techniques. There are many legacy optimization techniques available. This survey explains almost all important bio-inspired optimization techniques based on their development, intention, performance and application. It provides insight into determining the direction of future optimization techniques research.
UML behavioral model based test case generation
Authors: Shirole Mahesh , Kumar Rajeev
Published: July 2013

In software engineering, system modeling is the process of formulating a representation of a real system in an abstract way to understand its behavior. Software testing encourages reusing these models for testing purpose. This expedites the process of test case generation. UML structural and behavioral specification diagrams have been used by testing researchers for generation of test scenarios and test data.

The aim of this survey is to improve the understanding of UML based testing techniques. We have focused on test case generation from the behavioral specification diagrams, namely sequence, state chart and activity diagrams. We classify the various research approaches that are based on formal specifications, graph theoretic, heuristic testing, and direct UML specification processing. We discuss the issues of test coverage associated with these approaches.
Reusability of open-source program code
Authors: Taibi Fathi
Published: July 2013

Reusing program modules is one of the most direct and useful ways to develop cost effective software, especially with the availability of huge amounts of open-source projects. Reuse saves cost, increases the speed of development and improves software reliability. The quality of popular open-source packages is good as shown by various empirical studies. However, the quality of less known packages and the large number of projects developed by programming enthusiasts is unknown. Reusing them may be the source of more problems rather than being a solution to a problem. In this paper, a conceptual model is proposed to measure the reusability of program modules. A balanced set of wellestablished metrics is used to compute the most significant factors of reusability and an empirical investigation is conducted to measure the reusability of the modules of randomly selected open-source Java projects. The results obtained are thoroughly analyzed to discover the real reusability potential of open-source program code together with suggestions on how to improve this potential.
Comparison of requirements prioritization techniques employing different scales of measurement
Authors: Voola Persis , Babu A. Vinaya
Published: July 2013

The objective of this paper is to conduct a controlled experiment with the three requirements prioritization techniques: Numerical Assignment (NA), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Extensive Numerical Assignment (ENA), each based on ordinal, ratio and interval scales respectively. NA and AHP are widely used traditional requirements prioritization techniques. ENA is a novel technique introduced by the authors, which acknowledges the uncertain and incomplete nature of human judgment about requirements priorities, which are in turn uncertain guesses about the upcoming product. The aim of the experiment is to examine the three techniques using various objective and subjective measures like number of decisions, time consumption, ease of use, attractiveness, scalability and reprioritizability. The experiment was executed by prioritizing the requirements of a university website system with students as participants in the experiment. The results of the experiment proved that ENA transcends NA and AHP.
Artifact evaluation for software conferences
Authors: Krishnamurthi Shriram
Published: July 2013

Software and other digital artifacts are amongst the most valuable contributions of computer science. Yet our conferences treat these mostly as second-class artifacts---especially conferences in the software sciences, which ought to know better. This article argues for elevating these other artifacts by making them part of the evaluation process for papers, and reports on experience from an iteration of an Artifact Evaluation Committee for ESEC/FSE 2011.
OOPSLA 2002
Authors: Berger Emery D. , Zorn Benjamin G. , McKinley Kathryn S.
Published: July 2013

Programmers hoping to achieve performance improvements often use custom memory allocators. This in-depth study examines eight applications that use custom allocators. Surprisingly, for six of these applications, a state-of-the-art general-purpose allocator (the Lea allocator) performs as well as or better than the custom allocators. The two exceptions use regions, which deliver higher performance (improvements of up to 44%). Regions also reduce programmer burden and eliminate a source of memory leaks. However, we show that the inability of programmers to free individual objects within regions can lead to a substantial increase in memory consumption. Worse, this limitation precludes the use of regions for common programming idioms, reducing their usefulness.

We present a generalization of general-purpose and region-based allocators that we call reaps. Reaps are a combination of regions and heaps, providing a full range of region semantics with the addition of individual object deletion. We show that our implementation of reaps provides high performance, outperforming other allocators with region-like semantics. We then use a case study to demonstrate the space advantages and software engineering benefits of reaps in practice. Our results indicate that programmers needing fast regions should use reaps, and that most programmers considering custom allocators should instead use the Lea allocator.
Cognitive radio kit framework
Authors: Le Khanh , Maddala Prasanthi , Gutterman Craig , Soska Kyle , Dutta Aveek , Saha Dola , Wolniansky Peter , Grunwald Dirk , Seskar Ivan
Published: July 2013

This paper presents an overview of a Cognitive Radio Kit, an open software defined radio framework developed specifically to enable experimental research in cognitive radio and dynamic spectrum techniques. Currently available open software defined platforms are limited by performance and bandwidth constraints, and inadequate frequency tuning range at the RF front-end. The proposed platform addressed those limitations by providing the ability to dynamically add hardware based acceleration for baseband processing, coupled with up to four wide-tuning range RF front-ends. The challenge resides in defining the architecture and programming model for the platform. All those considerations along with an application example are discussed and presented in this paper.
GRAPEVINE
Authors: Plymoth Anders Nilsson , Johansson Per , Cruz Rene L. , Chipara Octav , Griswold William G.
Published: July 2013

This paper present Grapevine, a wireless networking protocol designed to be used in challenged environments such an emergency response network. These environments typically experience a lot of noise, interference, disconnections and high mobility resulting in high packet loss rates. As often critical data needs to be disseminated to other nodes it is important to have a protocol that efficiently delivers data under these conditions, but which is also efficient under good conditions. Grapevine uses to fountain coding to opportunistically and cooperatively to efficiently delivers data in high throughput wireless multi hop networks, as well as lossy and delay tolerant networks. Results show that our flooding based protocol is more efficient than traditional protocols in lossy networks both in terms of lower delay and lower overhead.
A Fibromatosis Case Mimicking Abdominal Aorta Aneurysm
Authors: Tasdemir Arzu , Kahraman Cemal , Tasdemir Kutay , Mavili Ertugrul
Published: July 2013

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare fibrosing reactive process that may be confused with mesenteric fibromatosis. Abdominal aorta aneurysm is rare too and mostly develops secondary to Behcet’s disease, trauma, and infection or connective tissue diseases. Incidence of aneurysms occurring as a result of atherosclerotic changes increases in postmenopausal period. Diagnosis can be established with arteriography, tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging associated with clinical findings. Tumors and cysts should be considered in differential diagnosis. Abdominal ultrasound and contrast-enhanced computerized tomography revealed an infrarenal abdominal aorta aneurysm in a 41-year-old woman, but, on surgery, retroperitoneal fibrosis surrounding the aorta was detected. We present this interesting case because retroperitoneal fibrosis encircling the abdominal aorta can mimic abdominal aorta aneurysm radiologically.
A Numerical Scheme to Solve Fractional Optimal Control Problems
Authors: Pooseh Shakoor , Almeida Ricardo , Torres Delfim F. M.
Published: July 2013

We review recent results obtained to solve fractional order optimal control problems with
free terminal time and a dynamic constraint involving integer and fractional order derivatives. Some particular cases are studied in detail. A numerical scheme is given, based on expansion formulas for the fractional derivative. The efficiency of the method is illustrated through
examples.
Probabilistic Representations for the Solution of Higher Order Differential Equations
Authors: Mazzucchi S.
Published: July 2013

A probabilistic representation for the solution of the partial differential equation(∂/∂t)u(t,x)=−αΔ2u(t,x),α∈ℂ, is constructed in terms of the expectation with respect to the measure associated to a complex-valued stochastic process.
50 Hz Electromagnetic Field Produced Changes in FTIR Spectroscopy Associated with Mitochondrial Transmembrane Potential Reduction in Neuronal-Like SH-SY5Y Cells
Authors: Calabrò Emanuele , Condello Salvatore , Currò Monica , Ferlazzo Nadia , Vecchio Mercurio , Caccamo Daniela , Magazù Salvatore , Ientile Riccardo
Published: July 2013

SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were used as an experimental model to study the effects of 50 Hz electromagnetic field, in the range from 50 µT to 1.4 mT. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis evidenced a reduction in intensity of the amide A band and a slight increase of vibration bands at 2921 cm−1and 2853 cm−1corresponding to methylene groups. A further increase of the magnetic field intensity of exposure up to 0.8 mT and 1.4 mT produced a clear increase in intensity of CH2vibration bands. Moreover, it has been observed some alterations in the amide I region, such as a shifted peak of the amide I band to a smaller wavenumber, probably due to protein conformational changes. These results suggested that exposure to extremely low electromagnetic fields influenced lipid components of cellular membrane and the N–H in-plane bending and C–N stretching vibrations of peptide linkages, modifying the secondary structures ofα-helix andβ-sheet contents and producing unfolding process in cell membrane proteins. The observed changes after exposure to 50 Hz electromagnetic field higher than 0.8 mT were associated with a significant reduction of cell viability and reduced mitochondrial transmembrane potential.
Fractalkine (CX3CL1) and Its Receptor CX3CR1 May Contribute to Increased Angiogenesis in Diabetic Placenta
Authors: Szukiewicz Dariusz , Kochanowski Jan , Pyzlak Michal , Szewczyk Grzegorz , Stangret Aleksandra , Mittal Tarun Kumar
Published: July 2013

Chemokine CX3CL1 is unique, possessing the ability to act as a dual agent: chemoattractant and adhesive compound. Acting via its sole receptor CX3CR1, CX3CL1 participates in many processes in human placental tissue, including inflammation and angiogenesis. Strongly upregulated by hypoxia and/or inflammation-induced inflammatory cytokines secretion, CX3CL1 may act locally as a key angiogenic factor. Both clinical observations and histopathological studies of the diabetic placenta have confirmed an increased incidence of hypoxia and inflammatory reactions with defective angiogenesis. In this study we examined comparatively (diabetes class C complicated versus normal pregnancy) the correlation between CX3CL1 content in placental tissue, the mean CX3CR1 expression, and density of the network of placental microvessels. A sandwich enzyme immunoassay was applied for CX3CL1 measurement in placental tissue homogenates, whereas quantitative immunohistochemical techniques were used for the assessment of CX3CR1 expression and the microvascular density. Significant differences have been observed for all analyzed parameters between the groups. The mean concentration of CX3CL1 in diabetes was increased and accompanied by augmented placental microvessel density as well as a higher expression of CX3CR1. In conclusion, we suggest involvement of CX3CL1/CX3CR1 signaling pathway in the pathomechanism of placental microvasculature remodeling in diabetes class C.
ℐ𝒦-Convergence in the Topology Induced by Random 2-Normed Spaces
Authors: Yamancı U. , Gürdal M.
Published: July 2013

We study ℐ𝒦-convergence which is common generalization of the ℐ*-convergence of sequences in the topology induced by random 2-normed spaces and prove some important results.
Impact of Amending the Acetylcysteine Marketing Authorisation on Treatment of Paracetamol Overdose
Authors: Thompson G. , Fatima S. B. , Shah N. , Kitching G. , Waring W. S.
Published: July 2013

In September 2012, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) substantially amended the Marketing Authorisation for acetylcysteine following an extensive review. The present study examined the impact of this license change on patterns of acetylcysteine use in patients presenting to hospital after paracetamol (acetaminophen) overdose. Between September 2011 and April 2013, 785 consecutive patients presented to York Hospital due to paracetamol overdose, and a before-after analysis was used to compare outcomes. There were 483 patients before and 302 patients after the license amendment, and age, gender, acute or staggered overdose pattern, and dose were similar in both groups. In the patients with paracetamol concentrations between the “100-line” and “200-line,” a significantly higher proportion received acetylcysteine treatment (51% before versus 98% after, ), as expected. A modest increase was also observed in relation to late or staggered overdose or cases where the time of ingestion was uncertain (53% versus 74%, ). The median duration of hospital stay increased across the entire study population, from 15 to 24 hours () due to the increased proportion of patients requiring acetylcysteine treatment. The findings indicate that the MHRA amendment is a financially costly intervention, and further studies are needed to examine clinical outcomes so that its cost effectiveness might be addressed.
Patent Foramen Ovale in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease and Stroke: Case Presentations and Review of the Literature
Authors: Razdan Sheila , Strouse John J. , Naik Rakhi , Lanzkron Sophie , Urrutia Victor , Resar Jon R. , Resar Linda M. S.
Published: July 2013

Although individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk for stroke, the underlying pathophysiology is incompletely understood. Intracardiac shunting via a patent foramen ovale (PFO) is associated with cryptogenic stroke in individuals without SCD. Recent evidence suggests that PFOs are associated with stroke in children with SCD, although the role of PFOs in adults with stroke and SCD is unknown. Here, we report 2 young adults with SCD, stroke, and PFOs. The first patient had hemoglobin SC and presented with a transient ischemic attack and a subsequent ischemic stroke. There was no evidence of cerebral vascular disease on imaging studies and the PFO was closed. The second patient had hemoglobin SS and two acute ischemic strokes. She had cerebral vascular disease with moyamoya in addition to a peripheral deep venous thrombosis (DVT). Chronic transfusion therapy was recommended, and the DVT was managed with warfarin. The PFO was not closed, and the patients' neurologic symptoms were stabilized. We review the literature on PFOs and stroke in SCD. Our cases and the literature review illustrate the dire need for further research to evaluate PFO as a potential risk factor for stroke in adults with SCD.
Note on the Hahn-Banach Theorem in a Partially Ordered Vector Space
Authors: Kawasaki Toshiharu , Toyoda Masashi , Watanabe Toshikazu
Published: July 2013

Using a fixed point theorem in a partially ordered set, we give a new proof of the Hahn-Banach theorem in the case where the range space is a partially ordered vector space.
A Cosmological Scaling Relation for Describing the Late Time Dynamics
Authors: Cristofano Gerardo , Luongo Orlando
Published: July 2013

A scaling relation between mass and minimal information of a given system is inferred from primordial black holes. Extending its validity, it is possible to describe different stages of the universe evolution. Particularly, the broad interest on matching the scaling law, from early to late redshift regimes, may suggest the mechanism to relate quantum and classical aspects of gravity. Under this hypothesis, the scaling relation is interpreted as a thermodynamic modification able to describe the cosmological dynamics at late times. In this scheme, dark energy emerges, as a consequence of assuming the validity of our scale relation. The corresponding equation of state reduces to a cosmological constant at early times and evolves in terms of the apparent horizon at late times.
Three-Dimensional Dual-Energy Computed Tomography for Enhancing Stone/Stent Contrasting and Stone Visualization in Urolithiasis
Authors: Ibrahim El-Sayed H. , Haley William E. , Jepperson Maria A. , Thiel David D. , Wehle Michael J. , Cernigliaro Joseph G.
Published: July 2013

The use of dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) for evaluating urinary calculi has been appreciated due to the modality’s capability of differentiating between uric acid (UA) and non-UA stones, which are color coded based on a postprocessing algorithm. No other imaging modality or laboratory test is able to identify the stone composition without first attaining the stone material. Knowledge of the stone composition is clinically significant since UA calculi may be treated medically whereas non-UA calculi may require surgical removal. Regardless of the stone type, ureteral stents are often placed to prevent or treat obstruction. Recent work has demonstrated that commonly used stents are also colored based on their dual energy characteristics and may thereby either improve or obscure the identification of adjacent calculi. Herein, we report the case of a 65-year-old man who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy of a large staghorn stone with subsequent significant residual stone fragments noted on a follow-up scan. By using three-dimensional DECT and taking advantage of color contrasting, the stone composition, burden, shape, and boundary were clearly depicted apart from the adjacent stent, resulting in successful medical treatment and obviating the need for further surgical intervention.
Mycobacterial Etiology of Pulmonary Tuberculosis and Association with HIV Infection and Multidrug Resistance in Northern Nigeria
Authors: Aliyu Gambo , El-Kamary Samer S. , Abimiku Alash'le , Ezati Nicholas , Mosunmola Iwakun , Hungerford Laura , Brown Clayton , Tracy Kathleen J. , Obasanya Joshua , Blattner William
Published: July 2013

Objective. Data on pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) caused byMycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) complexin Nigeria are limited. We investigated species ofMTB complexin TB cases from northern Nigeria.Methods. New TB suspects were enrolled, screened for HIV and their sputum samples were cultured after routine microscopy. Genotypes MTBC and MTBDRpluswere used to characterize theMTB complexspecies and their resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin.Results. Of the 1,603 patients enrolled, 375 (23%) hadMTB complexinfection: 354 (94.4%) hadMycobacterium tuberculosis; 20 (5.3%) hadMycobacterium africanum; and one hadMycobacterium bovis(0.3%). Cases were more likely to be male (AOR = 1.87, 95% CI : 1.42–2.46;P≤0.001), young (AOR = 2.03, 95% CI : 1.56–2.65;P≤0.001) and have HIV (AOR = 1.43, 95% CI : 1.06–1.92;P=0.032). In 23 patients (6.1%), the mycobacterium was resistant to at least one drug, and these cases were more likely to have HIV and prior TB treatment (AOR = 3.62, 95% CI : 1.51–8.84;P=0.004; AOR : 4.43; 95% CI : 1.71–11.45P=0.002resp.), compared to cases without any resistance.Conclusion.Mycobacterium tuberculosisremained the predominant specie in TB in this setting followed byMycobacterium africanumwhileMycobacterium boviswas rare. The association of TB drug resistance with HIV has implications for TB treatment.
A Hybrid Approach of Bundle and Benders Applied Large Mixed Linear Integer Problem
Authors: Pinheiro Placido Rogerio , Oliveira Paulo Roberto
Published: July 2013

Consider a large mixed integer linear problem where structure of the constraint matrix is sparse, with independent blocks, and coupling constraints and variables. There is one of the groups of constraints to make difficult the application of Benders scheme decomposition. In this work, we propose the following algorithm; a Lagrangian relaxation is made on the mentioned set of constraints; we presented a process heuristic for the calculation of the multiplier through the resolution of the dual problem, structured starting from the bundle methods. According to the methodology proposed, for each iteration of the algorithm, we propose Benders decomposition where quotas are provided for the value function andε-subgradient.
Convergence of Sample Autocorrelation of Long-Range Dependent Traffic
Authors: Li Ming , Zhao Wei
Published: July 2013

We depict our work on a fundamental issue in the theory of long-range dependent traffic in the aspect of the convergence of sample autocorrelation function (ACF) of real traffic. The present results suggest that the sample ACF of traffic is convergent. In addition, we show that the sample size has considerable effects in estimating the sample ACF of traffic. More precisely, a sample ACF of traffic tends to be smoother when the sample size increases.
The Preparation and Structure of [(2,4-Dimethyl-8-ethyl-5,8-diazadec-4-ene-2-amine)chlorocopper(II)] Perchlorate
Authors: Curtis Neil F. , Wikaira Jan
Published: July 2013

Copper(II) chloride and perchlorate, N,N-diethylethane-1,2-diamine, react in (m)ethanol with acetone and ammonia to form [(2,4-dimethyl-8-ethyl-5,8-diazadec-4-ene-2-amine)chlorocopper(II)] perchlorate, C12H27Cl2CuN3O4, , monoclinic, C2/c, (Hall-C2/c); a, 26.418(1), b, 9.7385(4); c, 14.0993(5) Å; β, 91.134(3)°. This has copper(II) in tetrahedrally distorted square-planar coordination by one primary, one tertiary, and one imine nitrogen atom and the chloride ion.
Conservation Laws of Some Physical Models via Symbolic Package GeM
Authors: Naz Rehana , Naeem Imran , Khan M. Danish
Published: July 2013

We study the conservation laws of evolution equation, lubrication models, sinh-Poisson equation, Kaup-Kupershmidt equation, and modified Sawada-Kotera equation. The symbolic software GeM (Cheviakov (2007) and (2010)) is used to derive the multipliers and conservation law fluxes. Software GeM is Maple-based package, and it computes conservation laws by direct method and first homotopy and second homotopy formulas.
Semisupervised Learning Based Opinion Summarization and Classification for Online Product Reviews
Authors: Dalal Mita K. , Zaveri Mukesh A.
Published: July 2013

The growth of E-commerce has led to the invention of several websites that market and sell products as well as allow users to post reviews. It is typical for an online buyer to refer to these reviews before making a buying decision. Hence, automatic summarization of users’ reviews has a great commercial significance. However, since the product reviews are written by nonexperts in an unstructured, natural language text, the task of summarizing them is challenging. This paper presents a semisupervised approach for mining online user reviews to generate comparative feature-based statistical summaries that can guide a user in making an online purchase. It includes various phases like preprocessing and feature extraction and pruning followed by feature-based opinion summarization and overall opinion sentiment classification. Empirical studies indicate that the approach used in the paper can identify opinionated sentences from blog reviews with a high average precision of 91% and can classify the polarity of the reviews with a good average accuracy of 86%.
Luminescence Properties of Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Encapsulating Different Europium Complexes: Application for Biolabelling
Authors: Lechevallier S. , Jorge J. , Silveira R. M. , Ratel-Ramond N. , Neumeyer D. , Menu M. J. , Gressier M. , Marçal A. L. , Rocha A. L. , Martines M. A. U. , Magdeleine E. , Dexpert-Ghys J. , Verelst M.
Published: July 2013

In this work we have synthesized and characterized new hybrid nanoplatforms for luminescent biolabeling based on the concept of Eu3+ complexes encapsulation in mesoporous silica nanoparticles (≈100 nm). Eu complexes have been selected on the basis of their capability to be excited at 365 nm which is a currently available wavelength, on routine epifluorescence microscope. For Eu complexes encapsulation, two different routes have been used: the first route consists in grafting the transition metal complex into the silica wall surface. The second way deals with impregnation of the mesoporous silica NPs with the Eu complex. Using the second route, a silica shell coating is realized, to prevent any dye release, and the best result has been obtained using Eu‐BHHCT complex. However, the best solution appears to be the grafting of Eu(TTA)3‐Phen‐Si to mesoporous silica NPs. For this hybrid, mSiO2‐Eu(TTA)3(Phen‐Si) full characterization of the nanoplatforms is also presented.
Near-Stoichiometric Adsorption of Phosphate by Silica Gel Supported Nanosized Hematite
Authors: Gromadskaya L. I. , Romanova I. V. , Vyshnevskyi O. A. , Kirillov S. A.
Published: July 2013

Decreasing the size of oxide particles to nanoscale enables one to ensure maximal reaction rates and depths in the solid due to the enhancement of the specific surface area and the increase of the diffusion rate caused by shortening diffusion paths. For that reason, one may suggest that in the case of adsorption onto nanoparticles, the complete conversion of sorbents to stoichiometric compounds would become possible. Adsorption of phosphate ions onto nanosized hematite supported on silica gel surface has been studied. Modification of silica gel surface by hematite in the quantity of 0.62 and 1.25 mass% has been carried out by means of a citric acid aided method. The morphology of the samples obtained has been characterized using DTA, XRD, SEM, and low temperature desorption of nitrogen. It has been found in batch experiments that unlike natural and synthetic hematites, for which the limiting adsorption values do not exceed 14 mg/g, silica gel supported nanosized hematite adsorbs 400–2000 mg of the phosphate ions per gram, thus forming near-stoichiometric iron phosphates on the surface of the support. The degree of conversion of hematite to iron phosphates is greater in acidic media and at a lower surface coverage, when hematite crystallites are small and better accessible by adsorbate.
Comprehensive Look at Blood Transfusion Utilization in Total Joint Arthroplasty at a Single Academic Medical Center under a Single Surgeon
Authors: Robinson Sean , McGonigle Owen , Volin Sam , Sung Yung-Chi , Moore Matthew , Cassidy Charles , Smith Eric
Published: July 2013

The utilization of autologous and allogeneic transfusions in total joint arthroplasties was to characterize patients who may benefit from giving preoperative blood donations. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 525 patients to document preoperative hematocrit, estimated blood loss, length of stay, transfusions, and medical comorbidities. Results of our review showed that total hip arthroplasty revision (THA-R) had the highest prevalence of transfusions (60%) followed by total hip arthroplasty (THA, 53%), total knee arthroplasty-revision (TKA-R, 33%), and total knee arthroplasty (TKA, 23%). There was significant waste of autologous donations: 92% of TKA patients, 64% of THA, and 33% of THA-R patients wasted on average 1.527, 1.321, and 1.5 autologous units, respectively. Pre-operative hematocrit was the strongest predictor of future transfusion need across all procedures, and primary THA had additional predictors in age and gender.
Solving Nonlinear Differential Algebraic Equations by an Implicit Lie-Group Method
Authors: Liu Chein-Shan
Published: July 2013

We derive an implicit Lie-group algorithm together with the Newton iterative scheme to solve nonlinear differential algebraic equations. Four numerical examples are given to evaluate the efficiency and accuracy of the new method when comparing the computational results with the closed-form solutions.
Lamin B1 Is a Novel Therapeutic Target of Betulinic Acid in Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Li Lei , Du Yiqi , Kong Xiangyu , Li Zhaoshen , Jia Zhiliang , Cui Jiujie , Gao Jun , Wang Guokun , Xie Keping
Published: July 2013

Purpose: Betulinic acid, a naturally occurring pentacyclic triterpenoid, exhibits potent antitumor activities, whereas the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the current study, we sought to determine the role and regulation of lamin B1 expression in human pancreatic cancer pathogenesis and betulinic acid–based therapy.

Experimental Design: We used cDNA microarray to identify betulinic acid target genes and used tissue microarray to determine the expression levels of lamin B1 in pancreatic cancer tissues and to define their relationship with the clinicopathologic characteristics of pancreatic cancer. We also used in vitro and in vivo models to determine the biologic impacts of altered lamin B1 expression on and mechanisms underlying lamin B1 overexpression in human pancreatic cancer.

Results: We found that lamin B1 was significantly downregulated by betulinic acid treatment in pancreatic cancer in both in vitro culture and xenograft models. Overexpression of lamin B1 was pronounced in human pancreatic cancer, and increased lamin B1 expression was directly associated with low-grade differentiation, increased incidence of distant metastasis, and poor prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer. Furthermore, knockdown of lamin B1 significantly attenuated the proliferation, invasion, and tumorigenicity of pancreatic cancer cells.

Conclusions: Lamin B1 plays an important role in pancreatic cancer pathogenesis and is a novel therapeutic target of betulinic acid treatment. Clin Cancer Res; 19(17); 4651–61. ©2013 AACR.
Phosphodiesterase V Inhibition Reduces Airway Responsiveness, but Does Not Improve the Beneficial Effect of Deep Inspiration
Authors: Pyrgos George , Togias Alkis , Brown Robert H.
Published: July 2013

Background: Deep inspirations (DIs) can prevent (bronchoprotection; BP) and reverse (bronchodilation; BD) methacholine (Mch)-induced bronchoconstriction, but this effect is reduced or absent in people with asthma or airways hyperresponsiveness (AHR). The mechanisms of this defect are unknown. Objective: To indirectly examine the role of guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) by testing the hypothesis that the phosphodiesterase (PDE) V inhibitor, sildenafil, would improve DI-induced BP in individuals with AHR. Methods: Thirty-two individuals were screened and 15 met all the inclusion/exclusion criteria (7 subjects with AHR and 8 healthy subjects). A single-dose Mch challenge inducing a 20% reduction in FEV1 in the absence of DIs was first identified. Thereafter, every study participant had 4 pairs of visits, each pair testing DI-induced BP and BD against the single-dose Mch, with no drug, or pretreatment with 25, 50 and 100 mg of sildenafil, respectively, in consecutive order. Results: Sildenafil did not influence baseline lung function. However, in the absence of DIs, the drug caused a dose-dependent attenuation of the Mch-induced decrease in FEV1 by 17% (median value; 25th percentile: 1, 75th percentile: 16), 35% (-3, 61) and 37% (13, 79) for the 25-, 50- and 100-mg doses, respectively (p = 0.0004). No differences between the two participant groups were found. There were no effects of sildenafil on DI-induced BP or BD. Conclusion: We infer from these results that the mechanism responsible for the defective ability of DIs to protect the airways from bronchoconstriction is unlikely to be due to dysregulation of cGMP. Of importance, a potential role for PDE V inhibition as a bronchoprotector treatment needs to be explored.
Central Adiposity and Mortality after First-Ever Acute Ischemic Stroke
Authors: Chiquete Erwin , Ruiz-Sandoval José L. , Murillo-Bonilla Luis , León-Jiménez Carolina , Ruiz-Madrigal Bertha , Martínez-López Erika , Román Sonia , Panduro Arturo , Ramos Alma , Cantú-Brito Carlos
Published: July 2013

Background: The waist-to-height ratio (WHtR) may be a better adiposity measure than the body mass index (BMI). We evaluated the prognostic performance of WHtR in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS). Methods: First, we compared WHtR and BMI as adiposity measures in 712 healthy adults by tetrapolar bioimpedance analysis. Thereafter, baseline WHtR was analyzed as predictor of 12-month all-cause mortality in 821 Mexican mestizo adults with first-ever AIS by a Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for baseline predictors. Results: In healthy individuals, WHtR correlated higher than BMI with total fat mass and showed a higher accuracy in identifying a high percentage of body fat (p < 0.01). In AIS patients a U-shaped relationship was observed between baseline WHtR and mortality (fatality rate 29.1%). On multivariate analysis, baseline WHtR ≤0.300 or >0.800 independently predicted 12-month all-cause mortality (hazard ratio 1.91, 95% confidence interval 1.04-3.51). BMI was not associated with mortality, tested either as continuous, binomial or stratified variable. Conclusion: WHtR is a modifiable risk factor that accurately demonstrates body fat excess. Extreme WHtR values were associated with increased 12-month all-cause mortality in Mexican mestizo patients with AIS. No survival advantage was found with high WHtR as the pragmatic indicator of obesity in this population.
Urinary Retention: Benefit of Gradual Bladder Decompression - Myth or Truth? A Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Boettcher S. , Brandt A.S. , Roth S. , Mathers M.J. , Lazica D.A.
Published: July 2013

Introduction: Urinary retention is a common emergency requiring immediate catheterization. Gradual decompression (GD) of the extended bladder is believed to minimize the risk of complications such as bleeding or circulatory collapse, but to date it has not been compared with rapid decompression (RD) in controlled trials. Materials and Methods: Male patients presenting with urinary retention (n = 294) were randomized to rapid or gradual catheterization. For the latter, the transurethral catheter was clamped for 5 min after every 200-ml outflow until the bladder was completely empty. Patients were monitored for at least 30 min thereafter with regular checks of vital signs and presence of macroscopic hematuria. Results: Of 294 patients, 142 (48.3%) were randomized to the GD and 152 (51.7%) to the RD group. Both groups showed no statistically significant difference with regard to age, anticoagulation treatment, catheter size and material, or volume retained. Hematuria occurred in 16 (11.3%) of the GD and 16 (10.5%) of the RD group; 6 patients in the former and 4 in the latter required further treatment. No circulatory collapse occurred. We noted a decrease in the previously raised blood pressure and heart rate in both groups, although without clinical significance. Conclusion: In this first randomized trial, no statistically significant difference was noted between gradual and rapid emptying of the bladder for urinary retention. Gradual emptying did not reduce the risk of hematuria or circulatory collapse. Therefore, there is no need to prefer gradual over rapid emptying, which is both easy and safe.
Association between Phosphorylated AMP-Activated Protein Kinase and MAPK3/1 Expression and Prognosis for Patients with Gastric Cancer
Authors: Kim Jong Gwang , Lee Soo Jung , Chae Yee Soo , Kang Byung Woog , Lee You Jin , Oh Sung Yong , Kim Min Chan , Kim Ki Han , Kim Su-Jin
Published: July 2013

Objectives: Phosphorylated AMP-activated protein kinase (pAMPK) plays a central role in cellular metabolic sensing and energy balance homeostasis, and interacts with various pathways [e.g., TP53, mTOR, NUAK2 (sucrose nonfermenting-like kinase), MAPK3/1 (ERK) and PDK]. Therefore, the present study analyzed the expression of pAMPK, NUAK2, MAPK3/1 and PDK-1 and their effect on the survival of patients with resected gastric cancer. Methods: A total of 621 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma surgically resected with curative intent were enrolled in the study. Immunohistochemical staining for pAMPK, NUAK2, MAPK3/1 and PDK-1 was performed using tissue microarrays of surgical specimens of gastric cancer tissue. Results: Positive pAMPK, NUAK2, MAPK3/1 and PDK-1 expression was observed in 379 (61.0%), 257 (41.4%), 327 (52.7%) and 67 (10.8%) cases, respectively. Multivariate survival analysis showed a significantly better survival for the patients with positive pAMPK or MAPK3/1 expression than for the patients with a negative expression [pAMPK: disease-free survival (DFS), hazard ratio (HR) = 0.750, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.568-0.970, p = 0.030; MAPK3/1: DFS, HR = 0.692, 95% CI = 0.720-0.974, p = 0.021), while NUAK2 or PDK-1 expression had no effect on survival. Conclusion: pAMPK or MAPK3/1 expression was found to be an independent prognostic marker for patients with resected gastric cancer.
Does Pregnancy-Associated Breast Cancer Imply a Worse Prognosis? A Matched Case-Case Study
Authors: Dimitrakakis Constantine , Zagouri Flora , Tsigginou Alexandra , Marinopoulos Spyros , Sergentanis Theodoros N. , Keramopoulos Antonis , Zografos George C. , Ampela Konstantina , Mpaltas Dimosthenis , Papadimitriou Christos , Dimopoulos Meletios-Athanassios , Antsaklis Aris
Published: July 2013

Background: Significant controversy exists in the literature regarding the role of pregnancy in the prognosis of breast cancer. We designed a matched case-case study, matching pregnancy-associated breast cancer (PABC) cases with breast cancer cases for stage, age, and year of diagnosis. Patients and Methods: 39 consecutive cases of PABC were matched with 39 premenopausal cases of breast cancer. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses followed by adjustment for stage, grade, estrogen receptor status, and age at diagnosis, were performed. Results: Regarding overall survival (OS), univariate analysis pointed to longer OS in non-PABC cases vs. PABC cases. Accordingly, a more advanced stage predicted shorter survival. In the multivariate analysis, the independent aggravating effect mediated by pregnancy persisted. Interestingly, a post hoc nested analysis within PABC cases indicated that the 3rd trimester pointed to shorter OS. The aforementioned results on OS were also replicated during the examination of relapse-free survival. Conclusion: Implementing a matched case-case design, the present study points to pregnancy as a poor prognostic factor for breast cancer.
Management of Paclitaxel-Induced Hand-Foot Syndrome
Authors: Assi Hussein A. , Ayoub Zeina A. , Jaber Sara M. , Sibai Hassan A. , El Saghir Nagi S.
Published: July 2013

Background: Hand-foot syndrome (HFS), also known as acral erythema or palmoplantar dysesthesia, is a manifestation of painful erythema and dysesthesia mostly occurring in the palms and soles. Although many chemotherapeutic agents have been shown to cause HFS, it remains an uncommon adverse cutaneous manifestation of paclitaxel. Case Report: We report a case of paclitaxel-induced grade 3 HFS in a patient with breast cancer. HFS developed after 6 weeks of paclitaxel weekly infusions. The patient was managed by avoidance of sun exposure and extensive use of sunscreen and moisturizers. The skin lesions stabilized and improved gradually. This allowed us to continue the planned necessary course of 12 weeks of paclitaxel under close surveillance. Conclusion: Paclitaxel-induced HFS can be managed with topical creams and avoidance of sun exposure without the need to discontinue chemotherapy. However, close monitoring for any increase or change in symptoms is warranted.