bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The evolving block universe and the meshing together of times
Authors: Ellis George F. R.
Published: October 2014

It has been proposed that spacetime should be regarded as an evolving block universe, bounded to the future by the present time, which continually extends to the future. This future boundary is defined at each time by measuring proper time along Ricci eigenlines from the start of the universe. A key point, then, is that physical reality can be represented at many different scales: hence, the passage of time may be seen as different at different scales, with quantum gravity determining the evolution of spacetime itself at the Planck scale, but quantum field theory and classical physics determining the evolution of events within spacetime at larger scales. The fundamental issue then arises as to how the effective times at different scales mesh together, leading to the concepts of global and local times.
Direct and indirect effects of marsupial browsing on a foundation tree species
Authors: Borzak Christina L. , O'Reilly‐Wapstra Julianne M. , Potts Brad M.
Published: October 2014

Plant‐mediated indirect effects can be important ecological drivers in plant communities, especially in systems where extended genetic effects of foundation species can shape communities and influence ecosystem dynamics. Here we investigate the direct and indirect effects of uncontrolled browsing by marsupial herbivores including the common brushtail possum Trichosurus vulpecula, Bennetts wallaby Macropus rufogriseus and the red‐bellied pademelon Thylogale billardierii, in a Eucalyptus system known to have extended community and ecosystem genetic effects. In a common garden trial containing 525 full‐sib families from an incomplete diallel crossing program located in northeastern Tasmania, Australia, we assessed the genetic basis to herbivore preferences, the impact of a single and repeated marsupial browsing event on tree fitness and morphological traits and the associated indirect plant‐mediated effects on a subsequent herbivore, autumn gum moth Mnesampela privata. Marsupial browsing was not influenced by plant genetics, but spatial components instead affected the pattern of damage across the trial. Marsupial browsing had significant impacts on tree development, morphology and survival, resulting in reductions in survival, height and basal area, an increase proportion in multiple stems, delays in flowering as well as delays in phase change from juvenile to adult foliage. Fitness impacts were minimal in response to a once‐off browsing event, but effects were exacerbated when trees suffered repeated browsing. We demonstrate clear plant‐mediated indirect effects of marsupial browsing on subsequent tree use by an invertebrate herbivore, through induced changes in plant morphology. Such indirect effects have the potential to influence biotic community structure on a foundation species host‐plant, and the evolutionary interactions that occur between organisms and the host‐plant themselves.
Compensatory growth following transient intraguild predation risk in predatory mites
Authors: Walzer Andreas , Lepp Natalia , Schausberger Peter
Published: October 2014

Compensatory or catch‐up growth following growth impairment caused by transient environmental stress, due to adverse abiotic factors or food, is widespread in animals. Such growth strategies commonly balance retarded development and reduced growth. They depend on the type of stressor but are unknown for predation risk, a prime selective force shaping life history. Anti‐predator behaviours by immature prey typically come at the cost of reduced growth rates with potential negative consequences on age and size at maturity. Here, we investigated the hypothesis that transient intraguild predation (IGP) risk induces compensatory or catch‐up growth in the plant‐inhabiting predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis. Immature P. persimilis were exposed in the larval stage to no, low or high IGP risk, and kept under benign conditions in the next developmental stage, the protonymph. High but not low IGP risk prolonged development of P. persimilis larvae, which was compensated in the protonymphal stage by increased foraging activity and accelerated development, resulting in optimal age and size at maturity. Our study provides the first experimental evidence that prey may balance developmental costs accruing from anti‐predator behaviour by compensatory growth.
Faba bean forisomes can function in defence against generalist aphids
Authors: MEDINA‐ORTEGA KARLA J. , WALKER GREGORY P.
Published: October 2014

Phloem sieve elements have shut‐off mechanisms that prevent loss of nutrient‐rich phloem sap when the phloem is damaged. Some phloem proteins such as the proteins that form forisomes in legume sieve elements are one such mechanism and in response to damage, they instantly form occlusions that stop the flow of sap. It has long been hypothesized that one function of phloem proteins is defence against phloem sap‐feeding insects such as aphids. This study provides the first experimental evidence that aphid feeding can induce phloem protein occlusion and that the aphid‐induced occlusions inhibit phloem sap ingestion. The great majority of phloem penetrations in Vicia faba by the generalist aphids Myzus persicae and Macrosiphum euphorbiae triggered forisome occlusion and the aphids eventually withdrew their stylets without ingesting phloem sap. This contrasts starkly with a previous study on the legume‐specialist aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum, where penetration of faba bean sieve elements did not trigger forisome occlusion and the aphids readily ingested phloem sap. Next, forisome occlusion was demonstrated to be the cause of failed phloem ingestion attempts by M. persicae: when occlusion was inhibited by the calcium channel blocker lanthanum, M. persicae readily ingested faba bean phloem sap.
The World Transplant Games: An incentive to improve physical fitness and habitual activity in pediatric solid organ transplant recipients
Authors: Deliva Robin D. , Patterson Catherine , So Stephanie , Pellow Vanessa , Miske Stephanie , McLister Carol , Manlhiot Cedric , Pollock‐BarZiv Stacey , Drabble Alison , Dipchand Anne I.
Published: October 2014

This prospective, interventional study examined the impact of training for the WTG on levels of health‐related physical fitness and habitual activity in a cohort of pediatric SOT recipients. Physical fitness (FitnessGram®) and habitual activity (HAES) measures were performed on participants (n = 19) in the WTG and compared to non‐participant controls (n = 14) prior to and following the WTG. Pre‐WTG exercise training was provided to participants. Participants demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in their habitual weekday (6.1 ± 1.7 to 8.5 ± 1.9 h; p = 0.002) and weekend (6.3 ± 2.6 to 8.4 ± 2.5 h; p = 0.01) activity over the training period, while controls improved weekday activity only (6.3 ± 2.0 to 8.3 ± 2.1 h; p = 0.05. Weekend activity: 7.7 ± 2.7 to 8.3 ± 2.3 h; p = 0.68). Participants demonstrated a non‐statistical improvement in select physical fitness parameters; however, a greater number of participants achieved healthy criterion standards for cardiovascular fitness (2 vs. 1), abdominal strength (5 vs. 3), and upper body strength (7 vs. 3) following training and participating in the WTG. The WTG can provide a positive incentive for greater levels of physical activity and promote improvements in physical fitness levels. Further study is needed to examine long‐term impact on lifestyle changes and health outcomes.
Does antibody binding to diverse antigens predict future infection?
Authors: Owen J. P. , Waite J. L. , Holden K. Z.
Published: October 2014

We studied diverse antigen binding in hosts and the outcome of parasitism. We used captive‐bred F1 descendants of feral rock pigeons (Columba livia) challenged with blood‐feeding flies (Hippoboscidae) and a protozoan parasite (Haemoproteus). Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and immunoblots were used to test (i) whether pre‐infection IgY antigen binding predicts parasite fitness and (ii) whether antigen binding changes after infection. Assays used extracts from three pigeon parasites (northern fowl mite, Salmonella bacteria and avian pox virus), as well as nonparasitic molecules from cattle, chicken and keyhole limpet. Binding to hippoboscid and S. enterica extracts were predictive of hippoboscid fly fitness. Binding to extracts from hippoboscids, pox virus and nonparasitic organisms was predictive of Haemoproteus infection levels. Antigen binding to all extracts increased after parasite challenge, despite the fact that birds were only exposed to flies and Haemoproteus. Immunoblots suggested innate Ig binding to parasite‐associated molecular markers and revealed that new antigens were bound in extracts after infection. These data suggest that host antibody binding to diverse antigens predicts parasite fitness even when the antigens are not related to the infecting parasite. We discuss the implications of these data for the study of host–parasite immunological interaction.
Shame, Publicity, and Self‐Esteem
Authors: Galligan Phillip
Published: October 2014

Shame is a puzzling emotion. On the one hand, to feel ashamed is to feel badly about oneself; but on the other hand, it also seems to be a response to the way the subject is perceived by other people. So whose standards is the subject worried about falling short of, his own or those of an audience? I begin by arguing that it is the audience's standards that matter, and then present a theory of shame according to which shame is a response to the subject's perception that he is not thought of in the way he intrinsically values himself for being thought of by someone else.

Then I go on to suggest some refinements to this basic view. First, the subject of shame is primarily concerned about his audience's attitudes toward him, not what they believe about him. And second, there may be one particular attitude which he values himself for inspiring. There is no very perspicuous term for this attitude, so I call it ‘proto‐respect’ – the attitude a social animal directs toward those it regards as valuable allies or bad enemies.
Justice Sensitivity in Childhood and Adolescence
Authors: Bondü Rebecca , Elsner Birgit
Published: October 2014

Individuals differ in their sensitivity toward injustice. Justice‐sensitive persons perceive injustice more frequently and show stronger responses to it. Justice sensitivity has been studied predominantly in adults; little is known about its development in childhood and adolescence and its connection to prosocial behavior and emotional and behavioral problems. This study evaluates a version of the justice sensitivity inventory for children and adolescents (JSI‐CA5) in 1472 9‐ to 17‐year olds. Items and scales showed good psychometric properties and correlations with prosocial behavior and conduct problems similar to findings in adults, supporting the reliability and validity of the scale. We found individual differences in justice sensitivity as a function of age and gender. Furthermore, justice sensitivity predicted emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents over a 1‐ to 2‐year period. Justice sensitivity perspectives can therefore be considered as risk and/or protective factors for mental health in childhood and adolescence.
Keeping Up with the Congressmen: Evaluating Constituents’ Awareness of Redistricting
Authors: Lawrence Christopher N. , Huffmon Scott H.
Published: October 2014

Objective

We seek to understand how voters respond to being drawn into a new congressional district: specifically, the new Seventh District of South Carolina created in 2012.

Methods

We employ data from a survey of voters in the new district, and employ descriptive statistics and logistic regression models to identify whether voters are aware of the new district, whether they expect better representation as a result, and to explain their likely vote choice.

Results

We find limited awareness of the new district among voters, despite a competitive election campaign, but nonetheless a broad public understanding that redistricting may lead to more local influence in Congress.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that redistricting efforts that ensure the maintenance of communities of interest to preserve voter‐representative links, even if that means deviation from a strict “one person, one vote” standard, may be superior from a representational standpoint.
Rooting down the aphid's tree – the oldest record of the Aphidomorpha lineage from Palaeozoic (Insecta: Hemiptera)
Authors: SZWEDO JACEK , LAPEYRIE JEAN , NEL ANDRE
Published: October 2014

The new genus and species Lutevanaphis permiana gen.n. et sp.n., represents the oldest Aphidomorpha, new superfamily Lutevanaphidoidea superfam.n. and new family Lutevanaphididae. This taxon is described from the Middle Permian of the Lodève Basin, southern France. The presence of very small Aphidomorpha in the Middle Permian contradicts the hypothesis of the ‘Lilliput effect’ that is presumed to have affected the insect fauna during the Early to Middle Triassic, after the end‐Permian crisis. Very small insects were present well before the end of the Permian; their relative rarity is attributable probably to taphonomic biases.
Modified lamellar keratoplasties for the treatment of deep stromal abscesses in horses
Authors: McMullen Richard J. , Gilger Brian C. , Michau Tammy M.
Published: October 2014

Objective

To describe a surgical modification of deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasty (DLEK) and posterior lamellar keratoplasty (PLK) procedures, to facilitate surgery on standing horses under‐sedation.

Animals studied

Four client‐owned horses, for which the owners declined surgery under general anesthesia, underwent standing corneal lamellar keratoplasty procedures for the treatment of deep corneal stromal abscesses.

Procedures

All four horses were placed in stocks and sedated with detomidine. Local eyelid and retrobulbar blocks were performed to provide local analgesia and akinesia, and each horse's head was stabilized and supported by soft pads placed on a mobile cart. Deep lamellar endothelial keratoplasties (DLEKs) and posterior lamellar keratoplasties (PLKs) were performed on two horses each, for the treatment of deep stromal abscesses (DSA). Following the firstDLEK, a mid‐stromal two‐step anterior lamellar keratectomy modification was used to facilitate rapid closure of the anterior chamber immediately following removal of the abscess.

Results

Each of the four horses had similar cosmetic and postoperative visual outcomes, compared to previously published results. Intra‐operative complications were most prevalent in the firstDLEKcase (i.e., focal iris and lens damage and postoperative anterior chamber collapse) and were all but eliminated in the remaining three cases. Similar to previously reported findings, greater postoperative corneal fibrosis was observed in theDLEKcases.

Conclusions

In horses with deep stromal or endothelial abscesses, for which general anesthesia is not an option, both the modifiedDLEKandPLKcorneal procedures may be performed as an alternative to enucleation on the standing, sedated horse.
Pharmacokinetics of Injectable, Long-Acting Nevirapine for HIV Prophylaxis in Breastfeeding Infants
Authors: Cortez John M. , Quintero Rafaela , Moss John A. , Beliveau Martin , Smith Thomas J. , Baum Marc M.
Published: October 2014

Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) of HIV-1 remains a global health problem. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations advise the administration of a once-daily, oral, prophylactic regimen of the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor nevirapine (NVP) from birth until 4 to 6 weeks of age for infants born to HIV-infected mothers in regions without access to safe and nutritionally adequate alternatives to breast milk. A critical factor driving the successful implementation of the WHO guidelines involves sustaining high adherence to the frequent dosing. With these challenges in mind, we have developed the first injectable, sustained-release NVP formulations with the goal of providing, for 6 weeks or longer, preventative plasma drug levels from a single subcutaneous administration at birth. The long-acting NVP consists of large (>50 μm), monodisperse NVP particles coated with biocompatible polymers that control the drug release kinetics. Two lead formulations exhibiting burst-free, sustained-release kinetics for up to 75 days
in vitro
were developed. Subsequent
in vivo
studies in rats demonstrated no toxicity related to the formulations. Rat plasma NVP concentrations were above the analytical assay's limit of quantification for up to 28 days. Pharmacokinetic analysis of the rat plasma NVP concentration-time data allowed absorption rate constants to be calculated. These data then were used to simulate infant NVP exposure from a single injected dose (<200 mg) of our long-acting formulations, demonstrating preliminary feasibility of the technology to maintain safe, preventative NVP plasma levels (0.2 to 3.0 μg ml
−1
) for 6 weeks or longer.
Topology of Streptococcus pneumoniae CpsC, a Polysaccharide Copolymerase and Bacterial Protein Tyrosine Kinase Adaptor Protein
Authors: Whittall Jonathan J. , Morona Renato , Standish Alistair J.
Published: October 2014

In Gram-positive bacteria, tyrosine kinases are split into two proteins, the cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase and a transmembrane adaptor protein. In
Streptococcus pneumoniae
, this transmembrane adaptor is CpsC, with the C terminus of CpsC critical for interaction and subsequent tyrosine kinase activity of CpsD. Topology predictions suggest that CpsC has two transmembrane domains, with the N and C termini present in the cytoplasm. In order to investigate CpsC topology, we used a chromosomal hemagglutinin (HA)-tagged Cps2C protein in
S. pneumoniae
strain D39. Incubation of both protoplasts and membranes with carboxypeptidase B (CP-B) resulted in complete degradation of HA-Cps2C in all cases, indicating that the C terminus of Cps2C was likely extracytoplasmic and hence that the protein's topology was not as predicted. Similar results were seen with membranes from
S. pneumoniae
strain TIGR4, indicating that Cps4C also showed similar topology. A chromosomally encoded fusion of HA-Cps2C and Cps2D was not degraded by CP-B, suggesting that the fusion fixed the C terminus within the cytoplasm. However, capsule synthesis was unaltered by this fusion. Detection of the CpsC C terminus by flow cytometry indicated that it was extracytoplasmic in approximately 30% of cells. Interestingly, a mutant in the protein tyrosine phosphatase CpsB had a significantly greater proportion of positive cells, although this effect was independent of its phosphatase activity. Our data indicate that CpsC possesses a varied topology, with the C terminus flipping across the cytoplasmic membrane, where it interacts with CpsD in order to regulate tyrosine kinase activity.
Comparative Analysis of
kdp
and
ktr
Mutants Reveals Distinct Roles of the Potassium Transporters in the Model Cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. Strain PCC 6803
Authors: Nanatani Kei , Shijuku Toshiaki , Takano Yousuke , Zulkifli Lalu , Yamazaki Tomoko , Tominaga Akira , Souma Satoshi , Onai Kiyoshi , Morishita Megumi , Ishiura Masahiro , Hagemann Martin , Suzuki Iwane , Maruyama Hisataka , Arai Fumihito , Uozumi Nobuyuki
Published: October 2014

Photoautotrophic bacteria have developed mechanisms to maintain K
+
homeostasis under conditions of changing ionic concentrations in the environment.
Synechocystis
sp. strain PCC 6803 contains genes encoding a well-characterized Ktr-type K
+
uptake transporter (Ktr) and a putative ATP-dependent transporter specific for K
+
(Kdp). The contributions of each of these K
+
transport systems to cellular K
+
homeostasis have not yet been defined conclusively. To verify the functionality of Kdp,
kdp
genes were expressed in
Escherichia coli
, where Kdp conferred K
+
uptake, albeit with lower rates than were conferred by Ktr. An on-chip microfluidic device enabled monitoring of the biphasic initial volume recovery of single
Synechocystis
cells after hyperosmotic shock. Here, Ktr functioned as the primary K
+
uptake system during the first recovery phase, whereas Kdp did not contribute significantly. The expression of the
kdp
operon in
Synechocystis
was induced by extracellular K
+
depletion. Correspondingly, Kdp-mediated K
+
uptake supported
Synechocystis
cell growth with trace amounts of external potassium. This induction of
kdp
expression depended on two adjacent genes,
hik20
and
rre19
, encoding a putative two-component system. The circadian expression of
kdp
and
ktr
peaked at subjective dawn, which may support the acquisition of K
+
required for the regular diurnal photosynthetic metabolism. These results indicate that Kdp contributes to the maintenance of a basal intracellular K
+
concentration under conditions of limited K
+
in natural environments, whereas Ktr mediates fast potassium movements in the presence of greater K
+
availability. Through their distinct activities, both Ktr and Kdp coordinate the responses of
Synechocystis
to changes in K
+
levels under fluctuating environmental conditions.
Genome-Wide Analyses in Bacteria Show Small-RNA Enrichment for Long and Conserved Intergenic Regions
Authors: Tsai Chen-Hsun , Liao Rick , Chou Brendan , Palumbo Michael , Contreras Lydia M.
Published: October 2014

Interest in finding small RNAs (sRNAs) in bacteria has significantly increased in recent years due to their regulatory functions. Development of high-throughput methods and more sophisticated computational algorithms has allowed rapid identification of sRNA candidates in different species. However, given their various sizes (50 to 500 nucleotides [nt]) and their potential genomic locations in the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions as well as in intergenic regions, identification and validation of true sRNAs have been challenging. In addition, the evolution of bacterial sRNAs across different species continues to be puzzling, given that they can exert similar functions with various sequences and structures. In this study, we analyzed the enrichment patterns of sRNAs in 13 well-annotated bacterial species using existing transcriptome and experimental data. All intergenic regions were analyzed by WU-BLAST to examine conservation levels relative to species within or outside their genus. In total, more than 900 validated bacterial sRNAs and 23,000 intergenic regions were analyzed. The results indicate that sRNAs are enriched in intergenic regions, which are longer and more conserved than the average intergenic regions in the corresponding bacterial genome. We also found that sRNA-coding regions have different conservation levels relative to their flanking regions. This work provides a way to analyze how noncoding RNAs are distributed in bacterial genomes and also shows conserved features of intergenic regions that encode sRNAs. These results also provide insight into the functions of regions surrounding sRNAs and into optimization of RNA search algorithms.
Weekly working hours for Norwegian hospital doctors since 1994 with special attention to postgraduate training, work–home balance and the European Working Time Directive: a panel study
Authors: Rosta Judith , Aasland Olaf G
Published: October 2014

Objectives

To examine the weekly working hours of Norwegian hospital doctors from 1994 to 2012 with special emphasis on the quality of postgraduate training and work–home balance, and in relation to the requirements of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD).

Design

Panel study based on postal questionnaires.

Setting

Norway.

Participants

Unbalanced cohort of 1300–1600 doctors in 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, 2010 and 2012.

Outcome measures

Self-reported total weekly working hours and whether 45 weekly working hours are too short, sufficient, or too long to meet the quality requirements of obligatory postgraduate training for junior doctors.

Results

From 1994 to 2012, the number of weekly working hours was stable for senior (46–47 h) and junior (45–46 h) hospital doctors. In 2012, significantly more senior (27–35%) than junior (11–20%) doctors reported suboptimal work–home balance, defined as working more than 48 h a week. The majority perceived the present situation with an average of 45 h per week for juniors as sufficient for obligatory postgraduate specialist training, but doctors of higher age (OR 1.04, 95% CI 1.01 to 1.08), senior doctors (1.07, 1.04 to 1.11) and doctors working in surgical specialties (OR 1 vs laboratory medicine 0.03, 0.01 to 0.25, internal medicine 0.31, 0.17 to 0.58, psychiatry 0.12, 0.04 to 0.36, paediatrics 0.36, 0.12 to 1.07, anaesthesiology 0.08, 0.02 to 0.39, gynaecology 0.07, 0.01 to 0.56 and others 0.39, 0.04 to 3.56) were more likely to want the work-week to be longer.

Conclusions

The weekly working hours of Norwegian hospital doctors were always below the EWTD requirements. A significant growth of hospital doctor density over the past two decades, national regulations and cultural values might be important factors. Specialty differences in perception of sufficient training time may call for more flexibility in working time regulations.
Biochemical changes in cyanobacteria during the synthesis of silver nanoparticles
Authors: Cepoi L. , Rudi L. , Chiriac T. , Valuta A. , Zinicovscaia I. , Duca Gh. , Kirkesali E. , Frontasyeva M. , Culicov O. , Pavlov S. , Bobrikov I.
Published: October 2014

The methods of synthesis of silver (Ag) nanoparticles by the cyanobacteria Spirulina platensis and Nostoc linckia were studied. A complex of biochemical, spectral, and analytical methods was used to characterize biomass and to assess changes in the main components of biomass (proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, and phycobilin) during nanoparticle formation. The size and shape of Ag nanoparticles in the biomass of both types of cyanobacteria were determined. Neutron activation analysis was used to study the accumulation dynamics of the Ag quantity. The analytical results suggest that the major reduction of Ag concentration in solutions and the increase in biomass occur within the first 24 h of experiments. While in this time interval minor changes in the N. linckia and S. platensis biomass took place, a significant reduction of the levels of proteins, carbohydrates, and phycobiliproteins in both cultures and of lipids in S. platensis was observed after 48 h. At the same time, the antiradical activity of the biomass decreased. The obtained results show the necessity of determining the optimal conditions of the interaction between the biomass and the solution containing Ag ions that would allow nanoparticle formation without biomass degradation at the time of Ag nanoparticle formation by the studied cyanobacteria.
The force dependence of isometric and concentric potentiation in mouse muscle with and without skeletal myosin light chain kinase
Authors: Gittings William , Aggarwal Harish , Stull James T. , Vandenboom Rene
Published: October 2014

The isometric potentiation associated with myosin phosphorylation is force dependent. The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of a pre-existing period of isometric force on the concentric force potentiation displayed by mouse muscles with and without the ability to phosphorylate myosin. We tested isometric (ISO) and concentric (CON) potentiation, as well as concentric potentiation after isometric force (ISO-CON), in muscles from wild-type (WT) and skeletal myosin light chain kinase-deficient (skMLCK−/−) mice. A conditioning stimulus increased (i.e., potentiated) mean concentric force in the ISO-CON and CON conditions to 1.31 ± 0.02 and 1.35 ± 0.02 (WT) and to 1.19 ± 0.02 and 1.21 ± 0.01 (skMLCK−/−) of prestimulus levels, respectively (data n = 6–8, p < 0.05). No potentiation of mean isometric force was observed in either genotype. The potentiation of mean concentric force was inversely related to relative tetanic force level (P/Po) in both genotypes. Moreover, concentric potentiation varied greatly within each contraction type and was negatively correlated with unpotentiated force in both genotypes. Thus, although no effect of pre-existing force was observed, strong and inverse relationships between concentric force potentiation and unpotentiated concentric force may suggest an influence of attached and force-generating crossbridges on potentiation magnitude in both WT and skMLCK−/−muscles.
Exploring the origin of the D genome of oat by fluorescence in situ hybridization
Authors: Luo Xiaomei , Zhang Haiqin , Kang Houyang , Fan Xing , Wang Yi , Sha Lina , Zhou Yonghong
Published: October 2014

Further understanding of the origin of cultivated oat would accelerate its genetic improvement. In particular, it would be useful to clarify which diploid progenitor contributed the D genome of this allohexaploid species. In this study, we demonstrate that the landmarks produced by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) of species of Avena using probes derived from Avena sativa can be used to explore the origin of the D genome. Selected sets of probes were hybridized in several sequential experiments performed on exactly the same chromosome spreads, with multiple probes of cytological preparations. Probes pITS and A3-19 showed there might be a similar distribution of pITS between the Ac and D genomes. These results indicated that the Ac genome is closely related to the D genome, and that Avena canariensis (AcAc) could be the D-genome donor of cultivated oat.
Radial quantization of the 3d CFT and the higher spin/vector model duality
Authors: Hu Shan , Li Tianjun
Published: October 2014

We study the radial quantization of the 3dO(N) vector model. We calculate the higher spin charges whose commutation relations give the higher spin algebra. The Fock states of higher spin gravity in AdS4 are realized as the states in the 3d CFT. The dynamical information is encoded in their inner products. This serves as the simplest explicit demonstration of the CFT definition for the quantum gravity.
A Chern–Simons–Yang–Mills–Higgs system in 3+1 dimensions
Authors: Navarro-Lérida Francisco , Radu Eugen , Tchrakian D. H.
Published: October 2014

We study spherically symmetric solutions of an SO(5) Chern–Simons–Yang–Mills–Higgs system in 3+1 dimensions. The Chern–Simons densities are defined in terms of both Yang–Mills fields and a five-component isomultiplet Higgs. The SO(3) × SO(2) solutions are analyzed in a systematic way, by employing numerical methods. These finite energy configurations possess both electric and magnetic global charges, differing radically, however, from Julia–Zee dyons. When two or more of these Chern–Simons densities are present in the Lagrangian, solutions with vanishing electric charge but nonvanishing electrostatic potential may exist.
Absolute Stability of a Class of Singular Nonlinear Systems with Set-Valued Mappings
Authors: Feng Gaoming , Tan Xingguo
Published: October 2014

A class of singular nonlinear systems with set-valued mappings are studied in this paper. Criteria are given based on the Lyapunov function to check the absolute stability of the systems, then the results are extended to the time delay systems and the time delay systems with uncertainty. Three examples are simulated to show the effectiveness of the proposed stability conditions.
Very High Data Rate Support for Mobile Cloud Services Using SDN-Based Heterogeneous Carrier Aggregation
Authors: Kim Dong Ha , Kim Cheolhoon , Oh Yumi , Lee Sungwon , Lee Seung Gwan
Published: October 2014

Mobile traffic is currently the most important traffic on the Internet, both domestically and internationally. This is predominantly attributable to widespread cloud computing-based services on mobile networks. Fifth generation (5G) mobile networks are expected to comfortably accommodate this type of traffic by supporting 1,000 times faster speeds than conventional 4G. However, commercial implementation of 5G mobile is targeted for the year 2020. Therefore, interim accommodation approaches are needed. In essence, 5G mobile networks are an evolution of 4G in which a licensed spectrum that generates revenue from user data transfer is being considered. Consequently, more cost-effective methods that utilize the unlicensed spectrum are also desired. Meanwhile, concomitant with pursuit of miniaturization and reduction in weight, the number and types of network interfaces in recent mobile devices are increasing. We propose a method for carrier aggregation of multiple heterogeneous wireless links based on software-defined networking (SDN) that controls traffic and manages the wireless interfaces of mobile devices effectively when multiple radio access technologies are available. Evaluations conducted of the proposed method on an experimental testbed developed using the OpenStack cloud computing platform with aggregated multiple radio access technology environments indicate that it is feasible and provides higher data rate.
Heterogeneous and Elastic Computation Framework for Mobile Cloud Computing
Authors: Shih Chi-Sheng , Chen Joen , Wang Yu-Hsin , Chang Norman
Published: October 2014

The number and variety of applications for mobile devices continue to grow. However, the resources on mobile devices including computation and storage do not keep pace with the growth. How to incorporate the computation capacity on cloud servers into mobile computing has been desired and challenge issues to resolve. In this work, we design an elastic computation framework to take advantage the heterogeneous computation capacity on cloud servers, which consist of CPUs and GPGPUs, to meet the computation demands of ever growing mobile applications. The computation framework extends OpenCL framework to link remote processors with local mobile applications. The framework is flexible in the sense that the computation can be stopped at any time and gains results, which is called imprecise computation in real-time computing literature. The framework has been evaluated against OpenCL benchmark and physical computation engine for gaming. The results show that the framework supports OpenCL benchmark, RODINIA, without modifying the codes with few exceptions. The elastic computation framework allows the cloud servers to support more mobile clients without sacrificing their QoS requirements. The experiment results also show that IO intensive applications do not perform well when the network capacity is insufficient or unreliable.
Quantum chemical prediction of structure and stability of the benzodihydropyrimidine tautomers
Authors: Dobosz Robert , Gawinecki Ryszard
Published: October 2014

B3LYP/maug-cc-pVTZ and MP2/maug-cc-pVTZ calculations show that 3,4-dihydro-quinazoline and its 2- and/or 4-methyl and -phenyl substituted derivatives in solution (chloroform, DMSO, methanol) are only by 0.3 kcal/mol–2.2 kcal/mol more stable than the respective tautomeric 1,4-dihydroquinazolines (the available literature experimental stability data are not coherent). In the gas phase, 2- and/or 4-substituted tautomers of 3,4-dihydroquinazoline are also energetically preferred (B3LYP/maug-cc-pVTZ, MP2/maug-cc-pVTZ and CCSD/cc-pVDZ calculations lead to the same conclusion). In vacuum, 1,4-dihydro tautomer is by 0.1 kcal/mol–0.2 kcal/mol more stable only for unsubstituted dihydro-quinazoline. The observed tautomeric preference was found almost independent on substitution and solvent used. The optimization procedure used shows that the pyrimidine ring in dihydropyrimidines studied is not planar. Noncoplanarity of the 2-phenyl ring and C = N bond in the respective compounds studied is responsible for the weakened conjugation of these two moieties.
Mathematical study for peristaltic flow of Williamson fluid in a curved channel
Authors: Maraj E. N. , Akbar Noreen Sher , Nadeem S.
Published: October 2014

In this paper, we have investigated the peristaltic flow of Williamson fluid in a curved channel. The governing equations of Williamson fluid model for curved channel are derived including the effects of curvature. The highly nonlinear partial differential equations are simplified by using the wave frame transformation, long wavelength and low Reynolds number assumptions. The reduced nonlinear partial differential equation is solved analytically with the help of homotopy perturbation method. The physical features of pertinent parameters have been discussed by plotting the graphs of pressure rise, velocity profile and stream functions.
3D Digital Microscopy for Characterizing Punchworks on Medieval Panel Paintings
Authors: Cacciari I. , Nieri P. , Siano S.
Published: October 2014

This article is devoted to a novel application of the micro-3D modeling based on shape from focus. A 3D portable digital microscope prototype has been used for the first time in order to analyze gold punchwork on medieval panel paintings. In general, the 3D domain provides a more flexible and complete characterization of these decorative elements than traditional photographic documentation. Low-magnification 3D digital microscopy is well suited for analyzing morphologies, depths, and profiles of different punch marks. Here, we used these parameters for interpreting the punching process and recognizing sliding and bouncing effects. The 3D reconstruction of the surface engraved also allowed identifying types of anomalies that could be useful as possible authentication markers. The advantages of the present approach with respect to the photographic documentation are of general valence and can be exploited in order to document, parameterize, and interpret a variety of engraving works on panel paintings and metal artifacts.
A Generic Multilabel Learning-Based Classification Algorithm Recommendation Method
Authors: Wang Guangtao , Song Qinbao , Zhang Xueying , Zhang Kaiyuan
Published: October 2014

As more and more classification algorithms continue to be developed, recommending appropriate algorithms to a given classification problem is increasingly important. This article first distinguishes the algorithm recommendation methods by two dimensions: (1) meta-features, which are a set of measures used to characterize the learning problems, and (2) meta-target, which represents the relative performance of the classification algorithms on the learning problem. In contrast to the existing algorithm recommendation methods whose meta-target is usually in the form of either the ranking of candidate algorithms or a single algorithm, this article proposes a new and natural multilabel form to describe the meta-target. This is due to the fact that there would be multiple algorithms being appropriate for a given problem in practice. Furthermore, a novel multilabel learning-based generic algorithm recommendation method is proposed, which views the algorithm recommendation as a multilabel learning problem and solves the problem by the mature multilabel learning algorithms. To evaluate the proposed multilabel learning-based recommendation method, extensive experiments with 13 well-known classification algorithms, two kinds of meta-targets such as algorithm ranking and single algorithm, and five different kinds of meta-features are conducted on 1,090 benchmark learning problems. The results show the effectiveness of our proposed multilabel learning-based recommendation method.
Mining Unit Tests for Discovery and Migration of Math APIs
Authors: Santhiar Anirudh , Pandita Omesh , Kanade Aditya
Published: October 2014

Today's programming languages are supported by powerful third-party APIs. For a given application domain, it is common to have many competing APIs that provide similar functionality. Programmer productivity therefore depends heavily on the programmer's ability to discover suitable APIs both during an initial coding phase, as well as during software maintenance.

The aim of this work is to support the discovery and migration of math APIs. Math APIs are at the heart of many application domains ranging from machine learning to scientific computations. Our approach, called M
ath
F
inder
, combines executable specifications of mathematical computations with unit tests (operational specifications) of API methods. Given a math expression, M
ath
F
inder
synthesizes pseudo-code comprised of API methods to compute the expression by mining unit tests of the API methods. We present a sequential version of our unit test mining algorithm and also design a more scalable data-parallel version.

We perform extensive evaluation of M
ath
F
inder
(1) for
API discovery
, where math algorithms are to be implemented from scratch and (2) for
API migration
, where client programs utilizing a math API are to be migrated to
another
API. We evaluated the precision and recall of M
ath
F
inder
on a diverse collection of math expressions, culled from algorithms used in a wide range of application areas such as control systems and structural dynamics. In a user study to evaluate the productivity gains obtained by using M
ath
F
inder
for API discovery, the programmers who used M
ath
F
inder
finished their programming tasks twice as fast as their counterparts who used the usual techniques like web and code search, IDE code completion, and manual inspection of library documentation. For the problem of API migration, as a case study, we used M
ath
F
inder
to migrate Weka, a popular machine learning library. Overall, our evaluation shows that M
ath
F
inder
is easy to use, provides highly precise results across several math APIs and application domains even with a small number of unit tests per method, and scales to large collections of unit tests.
An Intelligent Agent for Bilateral Negotiation with Unknown Opponents in Continuous-Time Domains
Authors: Chen Siqi , Weiss Gerhard
Published: October 2014

Automated negotiation among self-interested autonomous agents has gained tremendous attention due to the diversity of its broad range of potential real-world applications. This article deals with a prominent type of such negotiations, namely, multiissue negotiation that runs under continuous-time constraints and in which the negotiating agents have no prior knowledge about their opponents’ preferences and strategies. A negotiation strategy called
Dragon
is described that employs sparse pseudoinput Gaussian processes. Specifically,
Dragon
enables an agent (1) to precisely model the behavior of its opponents with comparably low computational load and (2) to make decisions effectively and adaptively in very complex negotiation settings. Extensive experimental results, based on a number of negotiation scenarios and state-of-the-art negotiating agents from Automated Negotiating Agents Competitions, are provided. Moreover, the robustness of our strategy is evaluated through both empirical game-theoretic and spatial evolutionary game-theoretic analysis.
The Complexity of Adding Multitolerance
Authors: Chen Jingshu , Ebnenasir Ali , Kulkarni Sandeep
Published: October 2014

We focus on the problem of adding multitolerance to an existing fault-intolerant program. A multitolerant program tolerates multiple classes of faults and provides a potentially different level of fault tolerance to each of them. We consider three levels of fault tolerance, namely failsafe (i.e., satisfy safety in the presence of faults), nonmasking (i.e., recover to legitimate states after the occurrence of faults), and masking (both). For the case where the program is subject to two classes of faults, we consider six categories of multitolerant programs—FF, FN, FM, MM, MN, and NN, where F, N, and M represent failsafe, nonmasking, and masking levels of tolerance provided to each class of fault. We show that the problem of adding FF, NN, and MN multitolerance can be solved in polynomial time (in the state space of the program). However, the problem is NP-complete for adding FN, MM, and FM multitolerance. We note that the hardness of adding MM and FM multitolerance is especially atypical given that MM and FM multitolerance can be added efficiently under more restricted scenarios where multiple faults occur simultaneously in the same computation. We also present heuristics for managing the complexity of MM multitolerance. Finally, we present real-world multitolerant programs and discuss the trade-off involved in design decisions while developing such programs.
Utility-Based Mechanism for Structural Self-Organization in Service-Oriented MAS
Authors: Val Elena Del , Rebollo Miguel , Vasirani Mateo , Fernández Alberto
Published: October 2014

Structural relations established among agents influence the performance of decentralized service discovery process in multiagent systems. Moreover, distributed systems should be able to adapt their structural relations to changes in environmental conditions. In this article, we present a service-oriented multiagent systems, where agents initially self-organize their structural relations based on the similarity of their services. During the service discovery process, agents integrate a mechanism that facilitates the self-organization of their structural relations to adapt the structure of the system to the service demand. This mechanism facilitates the task of decentralized service discovery and improves its performance. Each agent has local knowledge about its direct neighbors and the queries received during discovery processes. With this information, an agent is able to analyze its structural relations and decide when it is more appropriate to modify its direct neighbors and select the most suitable acquaintances to replace them. The experimental evaluation shows how this self-organization mechanism improves the overall performance of the service discovery process in the system when the service demand changes.
Combining Centralised and Distributed Testing
Authors: Hierons Robert M.
Published: October 2014

Many systems interact with their environment at distributed interfaces (ports) and sometimes it is not possible to place synchronised local testers at the ports of the system under test (SUT). There are then two main approaches to testing: having independent local testers or a single centralised tester that interacts asynchronously with the SUT. The power of using independent testers has been captured using implementation relation dioco. In this article, we define implementation relation diococ for the centralised approach and prove that dioco and dioco

c

are incomparable. This shows that the frameworks detect different types of faults and so we devise a hybrid framework and define an implementation relation diocos for this. We prove that the hybrid framework is more powerful than the distributed and centralised approaches. We then prove that the Oracle problem is NP-complete for diococ and diocos but can be solved in polynomial time if we place an upper bound on the number of ports. Finally, we consider the problem of deciding whether there is a test case that is guaranteed to force a finite state model into a particular state or to distinguish two states, proving that both problems are undecidable for the centralised and hybrid frameworks.
Traffic Analysis of Encrypted Messaging Services
Authors: Coull Scott E. , Dyer Kevin P.
Published: October 2014

Instant messaging services are quickly becoming the most dominant form of communication among consumers around the world. Apple iMessage, for example, handles over 2 billion messages each day, while WhatsApp claims 16 billion messages from 400 million international users. To protect user privacy, many of these services typically implement end-to-end and transport layer encryption, which are meant to make eavesdropping infeasible even for the service providers themselves. In this paper, however, we show that it is possible for an eavesdropper to learn information about user actions, the language of messages, and even the length of those messages with greater than 96% accuracy despite the use of state-of-the-art encryption technologies simply by observing the sizes of encrypted packets. While our evaluation focuses on Apple iMessage, the attacks are completely generic and we show how they can be applied to many popular messaging services, including WhatsApp, Viber, and Telegram.