bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A LOW-POWER LOW-VOLTAGE 6-BIT 1.33 GS/s FULLY MCML ALL NMOS FLASH ADC WITHOUT A FRONT-END T/H
Authors: NESHANI SARA , AZHARI SEYED JAVAD
Published: September 2013

In this work, a 6-bit 1.33 GS/s flash analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is proposed. To noticeably save the power and area and greatly increase the speed, compactness and accuracy its complete structure is elaborately implemented in MOS Current Mode Logic (MCML) topology. The proposed ADC does not use a front-end track and hold (T/H) block either. Furthermore, a novel optimized resistance ratio averaging-interpolation scheme is applied to: (1) reduce the offset, nonlinearity, number of preamplifiers, area and the power (2) increase the accuracy and mismatch insensitivity (3) minimize the size of elements towards the more compact size, smaller area and higher speed for the ADC. To maximize all these achievements, most favorably, it is completely built by NMOS transistors realizing the ever desired unique NMCML (NMOS-MCML) structure. Using intermediate gray encoding and exponential gains by extra latches greatly removes the bubble/meta-stability error and increases both the speed and the accuracy. Utilizing a differential ladder and some other deliberate arrangements reduces the kickback noise and common mode interferences, minimizes the structure and facilitates fast recovery of overdrive signals. The proposed ADC is simulated by Hspice using 0.18 μm TSMC technology and shows; effective resolution band width (ERBW) larger than 903 MHz that is 1.36 times more than Nyquist frequency (fs/2), 35.17 dB/49.4 dB SNDR/SFDR, 5.53 bits ENOB (rather flat SNDR and ENOB from 50 MHz to 750 MHz), and the low power consumption of 37.77 mW from a 1.2 V supply. These results prove that applying so many effective and novel plans has obtained a unique all N-MCML flash ADC with power-efficiency of 0.61 pJ per conversion step. Both Monte Carlo and corner cases simulations in addition to temperature analysis are performed that prove both intra-die and inter-die robustness of the proposed structure.
ANALYSIS OF HIGH-SPEED RAIL ACCOUNTING FOR JUMPING WHEEL PHENOMENON
Authors: ANG KOK KENG , DAI JIAN , TRAN MINH THI , LUONG VAN HAI
Published: September 2013

In this paper, a computational study using the moving element method (MEM) was carried out to investigate the dynamic response of a high-speed train–track system. Results obtained using Hertz contact model and linearized Hertz contact model are compared and discussed. The dynamic responses of a train travelling across a uniform foundation and a transition region are also investigated. Parametric study is performed to understand the effect of various factors on the occurrence and patterns of the jumping wheel phenomenon such as the variation of foundation stiffness, travelling speed of the train and the severity of railhead roughness.
A STATIC CONDENSATION REDUCED BASIS ELEMENT APPROXIMATION: APPLICATION TO THREE-DIMENSIONAL ACOUSTIC MUFFLER ANALYSIS
Authors: HUYNH D. B. P.
Published: September 2013

We apply the static condensation reduced basis element (scRBE) method to treat the class of parametrized complex Helmholtz partial differential equation. We construct a set of components of interoperable parametrized reference components in a Library to model a family of target models relevant to acoustic devices. The components in the Library are built upon the scRBE method by using reduced basis (RB) formulation, and are compatible to each other by a set of common interfaces, or port. We apply an offline–online computational strategy to achieve rapid and accurate prediction of any parametric systems formed from a set of components in a Library. We demonstrate that the approach can handle large scale models with many parameters and/or topology variations efficiency in several numerical examples. We show that significant computational savings can be obtained by the scRBE method.
VLIW coprocessor for IEEE-754 quadruple-precision elementary functions
Authors: Lei Yuanwu , Dou Yong , Guo Lei , Xu Jinbo , Zhou Jie , Dong Yazhuo , Li Hongjian
Published: September 2013

In this article, a unified VLIW coprocessor, based on a common group of atomic operation units, for Quad arithmetic and elementary functions (QP_VELP) is presented. The explicitly parallel scheme of VLIW instruction and Estrin's evaluation scheme for polynomials are used to improve the performance. A two-level VLIW instruction RAM scheme is introduced to achieve high scalability and customizability, even for more complex key program kernels. Finally, the Quad arithmetic accelerator (QAA) with the QP_VELP array is implemented on ASIC. Compared with hyper-thread software implementation on an Intel Xeon E5620, QAA with 8 QP_VELP units achieves improvement by a factor of 18X.
Using machine learning to partition streaming programs
Authors: Wang Zheng , O'boyle Michael F. P.
Published: September 2013

Stream-based parallel languages are a popular way to express parallelism in modern applications. The efficient mapping of streaming parallelism to today's multicore systems is, however, highly dependent on the program and underlying architecture. We address this by developing a portable and automatic compiler-based approach to partitioning streaming programs using machine learning. Our technique predicts the ideal partition structure for a given streaming application using prior knowledge learned offline. Using the predictor we rapidly search the program space (without executing any code) to generate and select a good partition. We applied this technique to standard StreamIt applications and compared against existing approaches. On a 4-core platform, our approach achieves 60% of the best performance found by iteratively compiling and executing over 3000 different partitions per program. We obtain, on average, a 1.90× speedup over the already tuned partitioning scheme of the StreamIt compiler. When compared against a state-of-the-art analytical, model-based approach, we achieve, on average, a 1.77× performance improvement. By porting our approach to an 8-core platform, we are able to obtain 1.8× improvement over the StreamIt default scheme, demonstrating the portability of our approach.
Skeletal Muscle Regeneration on Protein-Grafted and Microchannel-Patterned Scaffold for Hypopharyngeal Tissue Engineering
Authors: Shen Zhisen , Guo Shanshan , Ye Dong , Chen Jingjing , Kang Cheng , Qiu Shejie , Lu Dakai , Li Qun , Xu Kunjie , Lv Jingjing , Zhu Yabin
Published: September 2013

In the field of tissue engineering, polymeric materials with high biocompatibility like polylactic acid and polyglycolic acid have been widely used for fabricating living constructs. For hypopharynx tissue engineering, skeletal muscle is one important functional part of the whole organ, which assembles the unidirectionally aligned myotubes. In this study, a polyurethane (PU) scaffold with microchannel patterns was used to provide aligning guidance for the seeded human myoblasts. Due to the low hydrophilicity of PU, the scaffold was grafted with silk fibroin (PU-SF) or gelatin (PU-Gel) to improve its cell adhesion properties. Scaffolds were observed to degrade slowly over time, and their mechanical properties and hydrophilicities were improved through the surface grafting. Also, the myoblasts seeded on PU-SF had the higher proliferative rate and better differentiation compared with those on the control or PU-Gel. Our results demonstrate that polyurethane scaffolds seeded with myoblasts hold promise to guide hypopharynx muscle regeneration.
The Prevalence ofHelicobacter pyloriInfection Decreases with Older Age in Atrophic Gastritis
Authors: Chen Shaohua , Ying Lixiong , Kong Mei , Zhang Yu , Li Youming
Published: September 2013

The clinical pathological characteristics of 3969 adult patients with chronic atrophic gastritis were retrospectively studied. The positivity of intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia in atrophic gastric specimens increased with age; however,H. pyloripositivity and inflammatory activity decreased significantly with increased age.H. pyloriinfection was present in 21.01% of chronic atrophic gastritis patients, and 92.33% of the subjects withH. pyloriinfection were found to have simultaneous inflammatory activity. The intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia positivity markedly increased as the degree of gastric atrophy increased. In conclusion, the incidence ofH. pyloriinfection decreased with age and correlated significantly with inflammatory activity in atrophic gastritis patients. The intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia positivity notably increased as the degree of gastric atrophy increased. Large population-based prospective studies are needed to better understand the progression of CAG.
Nonlocal Variational Model for Saliency Detection
Authors: Li Meng , Zhan Yi , Zhang Lidan
Published: September 2013

We present a nonlocal variational model for saliency detection from still images, from which various features for visual attention can be detected by minimizing the energy functional. The associated Euler-Lagrange equation is a nonlocalp-Laplacian type diffusion equation with two reaction terms, and it is a nonlinear diffusion. The main advantage of our method is that it provides flexible and intuitive control over the detecting procedure by the temporal evolution of the Euler-Lagrange equation. Experimental results on various images show that our model can better make background details diminish eventually while luxuriant subtle details in foreground are preserved very well.
Bearing Capacity Factors for Eccentrically Loaded Strip Footings Using Variational Analysis
Authors: Li Xinggao
Published: September 2013

Bearing capacity factors for eccentrically loaded strip smooth footings on homogenous cohesive frictional material are deduced by the variational limit equilibrium method and by assuming general shear failure along continuous curved slip surface. From the calculated results, the effective width rule suggested by Meyerhof for bearing capacity factors due to cohesion of soil is justified, and the superposition principle of bearing capacity for eccentrically loaded strip smooth footings is derived together with the bearing capacity factors for cohesion and unit weight of soil. The two factors are represented by soil strength parameters and eccentricity of load. The bearing capacity factor related to unit weight for cohesionless soil is less than that for cohesive frictional soil. The reason for this discrepancy lies in the existence of the soil cohesion, for the shape of the critical rupture surface of footing soil depends on both soil strength parameters rather than on friction angle alone in the previous limit equilibrium solutions. The contact between footing and soil is decided by both the load and the mechanical properties of soil. Under conditions of higher eccentricity and less strength properties of soil, part of the footing will separate from the underlying soil.
Detection of Urinary Metabolomics before and after Pringle Maneuver-Induced Liver Ischemia and Reperfusion Injury in Rats Using Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Chen Liyan , Luo Zhenchao , Fu Wenguang , Liao Xinxin , Cui Zhonglin , Zhou Jie
Published: September 2013

Background. Metabolomics studies can quantitatively detect the dynamic metabolic response of living systems.Objective. To detect urinary metabolomics after hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury induced by the Pringle maneuver using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).Methods. Male Sprague-Dawley rats () were randomly divided into 4 groups (/group): sham operation, day 1, day 3, and day 5. Rats in the day 1, day 3, and day 5 groups underwent the Pringle maneuver. Serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and total bilirubin (TBIL) were measured, and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining of the liver tissue was performed. GC-MS was used to detect urinary metabolomics.Results. Compared with the sham group, the serum ALT and TBIL levels at day 1 were significantly elevated () and then decreased and reached close to normal levels at day 5. GC-MS detected 7 metabolites which had similar changes as those of liver tissue revealed by histological examination. Significant differences in lactic acid, pyruvic acid, alanine, serine, and glycerol-3-phosphate were found among the groups (). Principle component analysis showed that 7 metabolites distinguished the day 1 and day 3 groups from the sham group.Conclusions. Noninvasive urinary metabolomic analysis is a potential means for the early detection and diagnosis of hepatic I/R injury.
Bruno Pontecorvo and Neutrino Oscillations
Authors: Bilenky Samoil M.
Published: September 2013

I discuss briefly in this review, dedicated to the centenary of the birth of the great neutrino physicist Bruno Pontecorvo, the following ideas he proposed: (i) the radiochemical method of neutrino detection; (ii) theμ-euniversality of the weak interaction; (iii) the accelerator neutrino experiment which allowed to prove that muon and electron neutrinos are different particles (the Brookhaven experiment). I consider in some details Pontecorvo's pioneering idea of neutrino masses, mixing, and oscillations and the development of this idea by Pontecorvo, by Pontecorvo and Gribov, and by Pontecorvo and myself.
Suppression of thymosin β10 increases cell migration and metastasis of cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Sribenja Sirinapa , Sawanyawisuth Kanlayanee , Kraiklang Ratthaphol , Wongkham Chaisiri , Vaeteewoottacharn Kulthida , Obchoei Sumalee , Yao Qizhi , Wongkham Sopit , Chen Changyi
Published: September 2013

Background

Thymosin β10 (Tβ10) expression is associated with malignant phenotypes in many cancers. However, the role and mechanisms of Tβ10 in liver fluke-associated cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) are not fully understood. In this study, we investigated the expression of Tβ10 in CCA tumor tissues and cell lines as well as molecular mechanisms of Tβ10 in tumor metastasis of CCA cell lines.

Methods

Tβ10 expression was determined by real time RT-PCR or immunocytochemistry. Tβ10 silence or overexpression in CCA cells was achieved using gene delivery techniques. Cell migration was assessed using modified Boyden chamber and wound healing assay. The effect of silencing Tβ10 on CCA tumor metastasis was determined in nude mice. Phosphorylation of ERK1/2 and the expression of EGR1, Snail and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) were studied.

Results

Ten pairs of CCA tissues (primary and metastatic tumors) and 5 CCA cell lines were studied. With real time RT-PCR and immunostaining analysis, Tβ10 was highly expressed in primary tumors of CCA; while it was relatively low in the metastatic tumors. Five CCA cell lines showed differential expression levels of Tβ10. Silence of Tβ10 significantly increased cell migration, invasion and wound healing of CCA cellsin vitro; reversely, overexpression of Tβ10 reduced cell migration compared with control cells (P<0.05). In addition, silence of Tβ10 in CCA cells increased liver metastasis in a nude mouse model of CCA implantation into the spleen. Furthermore, silence of Tβ10 activated ERK1/2 and increased the expression of Snail and MMPs in CCA cell lines. Ras-GTPase inhibitor, FPT inhibitor III, effectively blocked Tβ10 silence-associated ERK1/2 activation, Snail expression and cell migration.

Conclusions

Low expression of Tβ10 is associated with metastatic phenotype of CCAin vitroandin vivo, which may be mediated by the activation of Ras, ERK1/2 and upregulation of Snail and MMPs. This study suggests a new molecular pathway of CCA pathogenesis and a novel strategy to treat or prevent CCA metastasis.
Class III β-tubulin is a predictive marker for taxane-based chemotherapy in recurrent and metastatic gastric cancer
Authors: Hwang Jun-Eul , Hong Ji-Yun , Kim Karham , Kim Seung-Hun , Choi Won-Young , Kim Min-Jee , Jung Sung-Hoon , Shim Hyun-Jeong , Bae Woo-Kyun , Hwang Eu-Chang , Lee Kyung-Hwa , Lee Jae-Hyuk , Cho Sang-Hee , Chung Ik-Joo
Published: September 2013

Background

Class III β-tubulin (TUBB3) is a prognostic marker in various tumors, but the role of TUBB3 in advanced gastric cancer is not clearly defined. We analyzed the significance of TUBB3 expression, along with that of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) in recurrent and metastatic gastric cancer patients receiving taxane-based first-line palliative chemotherapy.

Methods

We reviewed the cases of 146 patients with advanced gastric adenocarcinoma who received taxane-based first-line palliative chemotherapy between 2004 and 2010 at Chonnam National University Hwasun Hospital (Gwangju, Korea). Immunohistochemical staining for TUBB3 and ERCC1 was performed using paraffin wax-embedded tumor tissues. We evaluated the patients’ response to chemotherapy, progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS).

Results

In total, 146 patients with advanced gastric cancer received docetaxel and cisplatin (n = 15) or paclitaxel and cisplatin (n = 131). The median PFS was significantly shorter for patients with high-level TUBB3 expression than for patients with low-level TUBB3 expression (3.63 vs. 6.67 months, P = 0.001). OS was not associated with TUBB3 expression (13.1 vs. 13.1 months, P = 0.769). By multivariate analysis, only TUBB3 was related to a shorter PFS (HR 2.74, 95% CI 1.91-3.91, P = 0.001). Patients with high-level ERCC1 expression showed a lower response rate than patients with low-level ERCC1 expression (24 vs. 63.2%, P = 0.001); however, ERCC1 had no clinical effect on PFS or OS.

Conclusions

TUBB3 was a strong predictive marker in recurrent and metastatic gastric cancer patients receiving taxane-based first-line palliative chemotherapy. No clinical impact of ERCC1 was evident in this setting.
Impact of oleic acid as co-substrate of glucose on “short” and “long-term” Crabtree effect in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Marc Jillian , Feria-Gervasio David , Mouret Jean-Roch , Guillouet Stéphane E
Published: September 2013

Background

Optimization of industrial biomass directed processes requires the highest biomass yield as possible. Yet, some useful yeasts like Saccharomyces cerevisiae are subject to the Crabtree effect under glucose excess. This phenomenon can occur in large scale tank where heterogeneities in glucose concentrations exist. Therefore yeasts encounter local environments with glucose excess leading to ethanol production to the detriment of biomass formation. We previously demonstrated that oleic acid as a co-substrate in glucose-limited chemostat allowed to delay and modulate the “short-term” Crabtree effect in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here we further investigated the effect of oleic acid as a modulator of the Crabtree effect.

Results

The impact of oleic acid as co-substrate on the Crabtree effect was investigated in terms of i) strain specificity, ii) reversibility of the potential effect with aerobic glucose-excess batches and iii) durability and maximal capacities under high ethanol stress with glucose-excess fed-batches. First, the addition of oleic acid resulted in an increase of the critical dilution rate by 8% and the specific carbon uptake rate by 18%. Furthermore, a delay was observed for the onset of ethanol production when a batch was inoculated with cells previously grown in glucose-oleate chemostat. Finally, the culture of adapted cells in a glucose-oleate fed-batch led to a redirection of the carbon flux toward biomass production, with a 73% increase in the biomass yield.

Conclusions

This work demonstrated clearly that the perturbation by oleic acid as co-substrate resulted in a decrease in the “short-term” and “long-term” Crabtree effects. This impact was not strain dependent and reversible. Thus, industrial applications of this biochemical strategy could be envisaged to tackle heterogeneities issues in large scale tanks or to prepare starter yeasts for various applications.
Multivariate matching pursuit in optimal Gabor dictionaries: theory and software with interface for EEG/MEG via Svarog
Authors: Kuś Rafał , Różański Piotr Tadeusz , Durka Piotr Jerzy
Published: September 2013

Background

Matching pursuit algorithm (MP), especially with recent multivariate extensions, offers unique advantages in analysis of EEG and MEG.

Methods

We propose a novel construction of an optimal Gabor dictionary, based upon the metrics introduced in this paper. We implement this construction in a freely available software for MP decomposition of multivariate time series, with a user friendly interface via the Svarog package (Signal Viewer, Analyzer and Recorder On GPL, http://braintech.pl/svarog), and provide a hands-on introduction to its application to EEG. Finally, we describe numerical and mathematical optimizations used in this implementation.

Results

Optimal Gabor dictionaries, based on the metric introduced in this paper, for the first time allowed for a priori assessment of maximum one-step error of the MP algorithm. Variants of multivariate MP, implemented in the accompanying software, are organized according to the mathematical properties of the algorithms, relevant in the light of EEG/MEG analysis. Some of these variants have been successfully applied to both multichannel and multitrial EEG and MEG in previous studies, improving preprocessing for EEG/MEG inverse solutions and parameterization of evoked potentials in single trials; we mention also ongoing work and possible novel applications.

Conclusions

Mathematical results presented in this paper improve our understanding of the basics of the MP algorithm. Simple introduction of its properties and advantages, together with the accompanying stable and user-friendly Open Source software package, pave the way for a widespread and reproducible analysis of multivariate EEG and MEG time series and novel applications, while retaining a high degree of compatibility with the traditional, visual analysis of EEG.
Knockdown of the C. elegans Kinome identifies Kinases required for normal protein Homeostasis, Mitochondrial network structure, and Sarcomere structure in muscle
Authors: Lehmann Susann , Bass Joseph J , Szewczyk Nathaniel J
Published: September 2013

Background

Kinases are important signalling molecules for modulating cellular processes and major targets of drug discovery programs. However, functional information for roughly half the human kinome is lacking. We conducted three kinome wide, >90%, RNAi screens and epistasis testing of some identified kinases against known intramuscular signalling systems to increase the functional annotation of the C. elegans kinome and expand our understanding of kinome influence upon muscle protein degradation.

Results

96 kinases were identified as required for normal protein homeostasis, 74 for normal mitochondrial networks and 50 for normal sarcomere structure. Knockdown of kinases required only for normal protein homeostasis and/or mitochondrial structure was significantly less likely to produce a developmental or behavioural phenotype than knockdown of kinases required for normal sarcomere structure and/or other sub-cellular processes. Lastly, assessment of kinases for which knockdown produced muscle protein degradation against the known regulatory pathways in C. elegans muscle revealed that close to half of kinase knockdowns activated autophagy in a MAPK dependent fashion.

Conclusions

Roughly 40% of kinases studied, 159 of 397, are important in establishing or maintaining muscle cell health, with most required for both. For kinases where decreased expression triggers protein degradation, autophagy is most commonly activated. These results increase the annotation of the C. elegans kinome to roughly 75% and enable future kinome research. As 33% of kinases identified have orthologues expressed in human muscle, our results also enable testing of whether identified kinases function similarly in maintaining human muscle homeostasis.
Plasma microRNA-133a is a new marker for both acute myocardial infarction and underlying coronary artery stenosis
Authors: Wang Feng , Long Guangwen , Zhao Chunxia , Li Huaping , Chaugai Sandip , Wang Yan , Chen Chen , Wang Dao Wen
Published: September 2013

Background

Previous study demonstrated that miR-133a was released into blood from injured myocardium in cardiovascular diseases. However, the dynamic change of circulating miR-133a level in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and the correlation between miR-133a and severity of coronary stenosis in coronary heart disease (CHD) patients are not clear.

Methods and results

Three different cohorts (including 13 AMI patients, 176 angina pectoris patients and 127 control subjects) were enrolled to investigate the expression levels of circulating miR-133a in patients with myocardial ischemia and also the relationship between plasma miR-133a and severity of coronary stenosis. Plasma miR-133a levels of participants were examined by real-time quantitative PCR. Simultaneously, plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnI) concentrations were measured by ELISA assays. The results showed that circulating miR-133a level was significantly increased in AMI patients in time-dependent manner, and achieved a 72.1 fold peak at 21.6 ± 4.5 hours after the onset of AMI symptoms and exhibited a similar trend to plasma cTnI level. We also found that plasma miR-133a levels were higher in CHD patients than control group. Importantly, the levels of circulating miR-133a positively correlated with the severities of the coronary artery stenosis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis revealed that circulating miR-133a had considerable diagnostic accuracy for CHD with an AUC of 0.918 (95% confidence interval 0.877-0.960).

Conclusions

Circulating miR-133a may be a new biomarker for AMI and as a potential diagnostic tool. And increased miR-133a level may be used to predict both the presence and severity of coronary lesions in CHD patients.
Acute and chronic nephrotoxicity of platinum nanoparticles in mice
Authors: Yamagishi Yoshiaki , Watari Akihiro , Hayata Yuya , Li Xiangru , Kondoh Masuo , Yoshioka Yasuo , Tsutsumi Yasuo , Yagi Kiyohito
Published: September 2013

Platinum nanoparticles are being utilized in various industrial applications, including in catalysis, cosmetics, and dietary supplements. Although reducing the size of the nanoparticles improves the physicochemical properties and provides useful performance characteristics, the safety of the material remains a major concern. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the biological effects of platinum particles less than 1 nm in size (snPt1). In mice administered with a single intravenous dose of snPt1, histological analysis revealed necrosis of tubular epithelial cells and urinary casts in the kidney, without obvious toxic effects in the lung, spleen, and heart. These mice exhibited dose-dependent elevation of blood urea nitrogen, an indicator of kidney damage. Direct application of snPt1 to in vitro cultures of renal cells induced significant cytotoxicity. In mice administered for 4 weeks with twice-weekly intraperitoneal snPt1, histological analysis of the kidney revealed urinary casts, tubular atrophy, and inflammatory cell accumulation. Notably, these toxic effects were not observed in mice injected with 8-nm platinum particles, either by single- or multiple-dose administration. Our findings suggest that exposure to platinum particles of less than 1 nm in size may induce nephrotoxicity and disrupt some kidney functions. However, this toxicity may be reduced by increasing the nanoparticle size.
Bernoulli numbers and certain convolution sums with divisor functions
Authors: Kim Daeyeoul , Kim Aeran , Yildiz Ikikardes Nazli
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we investigate the convolution sums

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MSC:11A05, 33E99.
Supporting visual quality assessment with machine learning
Authors: Gastaldo Paolo , Zunino Rodolfo , Redi Judith
Published: September 2013

Objective metrics for visual quality assessment often base their reliability on the explicit modeling of the highly non-linear behavior of human perception; as a result, they may be complex and computationally expensive. Conversely, machine learning (ML) paradigms allow to tackle the quality assessment task from a different perspective, as the eventual goal is to mimic quality perception instead of designing an explicit model the human visual system. Several studies already proved the ability of ML-based approaches to address visual quality assessment; nevertheless, these paradigms are highly prone to overfitting, and their overall reliability may be questionable. In fact, a prerequisite for successfully using ML in modeling perceptual mechanisms is a profound understanding of the advantages and limitations that characterize learning machines. This paper illustrates and exemplifies the good practices to be followed.
Cervical necrosis after chemoradiation for cervical cancer: case series and literature review
Authors: Fawaz Ziad Simon , Barkati Maroie , Beauchemin Marie-Claude , Sauthier Philippe , Gauthier Philippe , Nguyen Thu Van
Published: September 2013

Background

The aim of this study was to assess the management of cervical necrosis (CN) following radiotherapy (RT) and the impact of smoking status. This rare complication mimics a neoplastic recurrence, and causes concern among attending physicians.

Methods

Between July 2008 and March 2013, 5 women on 285 with localized cervical cancer had a CN following RT. Patients were treated with concomitant chemoradiation. The medical records were reviewed to abstract demographic and clinical information until March 2013.

Results

1.75% (95% confidence interval: 0.23 to 3.28%) developed CN. All patients were smokers with a mean of 19.5 pack-years (range: 7.5-45 pack-years). All patients were treated with weekly Cisplatin chemotherapy and external beam radiation to the pelvis, 45 Gy in 25 fractions. Four patients received an extra boost with a median dose of 7.2 Gy (range: 5.4-10 Gy). All patients had intracavitary brachytherapy (range: 27.9 to 30 Gy). Clinical presentation was similar for all the cases: vaginal discharge associated with pain. Mean time for time post-radiation therapy to necrosis was 9.3 months (range: 2.2-20.5 months). Standard workup was done to exclude cancer recurrence: biopsies and radiologic imaging. Conservative treatment was performed with excellent results. Resolution of the necrosis was complete after a few months (range: 1 to 4 months). Median follow-up until March 2013 was 19 months. All the patients were alive with no clinical evidence of disease.

Conclusions

This study, the largest to date, shows that conservative management of CN after RT is effective, and should be attempted. This complication is more common in smokers, and counseling intervention should result in fewer complications of CN.
Identification of a Histidine Metal Ligand in the argE-Encoded N-Acetyl-L-Ornithine Deacetylase from Escherichia coli
Authors: McGregor Wade C , Gillner Danuta M , Swierczek Sabina I , Liu Dali , Holz Richard C
Published: September 2013

The H355A, H355K, H80A, and H80K mutant enzymes of the argE-encoded N-acetyl-L-ornithine deacetylase (ArgE) from Escherichia coli were prepared, however, only the H355A enzyme was found to be soluble. Kinetic analysis of the Co(II)-loaded H355A exhibited activity levels that were 380-fold less than Co(II)-loaded WT ArgE. Electronic absorption spectra of Co(II)-loaded H355A-ArgE indicate that the bound Co(II) ion resides in a distorted, five-coordinate environment and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry (ITC) data for Zn(II) binding to the H355A enzyme provided a dissociation constant (K
d) of 39 μM. A three-dimensional homology model of ArgE was generated using the X-ray crystal structure of the dapE-encoded N-succinyl-L,L-diaminopimelic acid desuccinylase (DapE) from Haemophilus influenzae confirming the assignment of H355 as well as H80 as active site ligands.
Die LaVaCro-Studie: Langzeitergebnisse der Varizenoperation mit Crossektomie und Stripping der V. saphena magna
Authors: Altenkämper H. , Bernheim C. , Broermann M. , Dresler C. , Frings N. , Hartmann M. , Heisterkamp T. , Jünger M. , Steffen H. P. , Stenger D. , Temboulatov M. , Mumme A. , Flessenkämper I. , Papapostolou G.
Published: September 2013

Hintergrund: Multizentrische Langzeitstudien mit hohen Fallzahlen nach Crossektomie und Stripping der Vena saphena magna (VSM) liegen nicht vor. Den in mehreren Studien und Registern erhobenen Daten zu den Rezidivraten der endovenösen Therapieverfahren stehen außerordentlich heterogene Daten der operativen Therapie gegenüber.

Methode: In einer von der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Venenoperationen (VOP-AG) der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Phlebologie (DGP) initiierten prospektiven Multizenterstudie wurden in 12 Zentren 841 Patienten (1 070 Extremitäten) mit einer Stammvarikose der VSM aufgenommen und entsprechend einem streng standardisierten Protokoll operiert. Primärer Endpunkt ist das hämodynamisch relevante saphenofemorale Rezidiv, definiert als eine Vene in der Crossenregion (Durchmesser >5 mm, Reflux >0,5 sec) mit einer Verbindung zur V. femoralis communis Sekundäre Endpunkte sind die Rate duplexsonografisch nachweisbarer pathologischer Crossenrefluxe (Durchmesser <5 mm, Reflux >0,5 sec.), perioperative Komplikationen und neu aufgetretene Varizen nach dem REVAS Klassifikation. Die klinischen und duplexsonografischen Kontrollen erfolgten 7 bis 14 Tage, 3 bis 4 Monate und ein Jahr postoperativ. Hiernach sind jährliche Kontrollen vorgesehen.

Ergebnis: Die Rate klinischer Rezidive lag 3–4 Monate postoperativ bei 1,1 % und ein Jahr postoperativ bei 6,4 %. Die Rate duplexsonografischer Rezidive im Crossenbereich betrug nach 3–4 Monaten 0,53 % und nach einem Jahr 2,24 %. Davon waren lediglich zwei (0,29 %) ein Jahr postoperativ hämodynamisch relevant (Durchmesser >5 mm).

Schlussfolgerung: Die unter standardisierten Bedingungen vorgenommene Crossektomie und Stripping-Operation weist im Verlauf bis zu einem Jahr eine geringe Rezidivrate auf.
E-survey on venous leg ulcer among Dutch dermatologists
Authors: de Roos K-P. , Vogels R. J. M. , Neumann H. A. M. , Reeder S. W. I.
Published: September 2013

Aim: To get insight into the frequency of venous leg ulceration in the Dutch dermato-logic practice, and into how this profession treats this disease.

Design:

Material and Methods: An e-survey was conducted. To all Dutch dermatologists and residents dermatology an email was sent with an online link to a questionnaire on venous leg ulcers.

Results: The overall response was 30 %. 83.5 % of the doctors usually treat their patients according to the guideline. The dermatologic practice consists on average of 73 patients (range 0-500; SD 93) with leg ulceration, and yearly 54 new leg ulcer patients (range 0-300; SD 50) are seen. 65 % of the patients are women, 80 % is more than 45 years of age and 55 % is older than 65. Of all ulcers, 77 % has a venous aetiology, of which 59 % has a primary cause. Mean time to heal is 74 days (range 4-200; SD 39). Per year, dermatologists admit on average 7 patients (range 0-50; SD 11) because of leg ulceration. Eventually, 47 % of the admitted patients are treated by skin transplantation.

Conclusions: This questionnaire gives a good insight in the epidemiology, and the diagnostic and therapeutic regimen for patients with venous leg ulcers in Dutch dermatologic practice.
Multilinear generalized Radon transforms and point configurations
Authors: Grafakos Loukas , Greenleaf Allan , Iosevich Alex , Palsson Eyvindur
Published: September 2013

We study multilinear generalized Radon transforms using a graph-theoretic paradigm that includes the widely studied linear case.
These provide a general mechanism to study Falconer-type problems involving (k+1)-point configurations in geometric measure theory, with k ≥ 2, including the distribution of simplices, volumes and angles determined by the points of
fractal subsets E ⊂ ℝ
d
, d ≥ 2.
If Tk
(E) denotes the set of noncongruent

(
k
+
1
)

${(k+1)}$

-point configurations determined by E, we show that if the Hausdorff dimension of E is greater than d - (d-1)/(2k), then the

k
+
1

2

${\binom{k+1}{2}}$

-dimensional Lebesgue measure of Tk
(E) is positive. This complements previous work on the Falconer conjecture ([Int. Math. Res. Not. IMRN 23 (2005), 1411–1425] and the references there), as well as work on finite point configurations [Recent Advances in Harmonic Analysis and Applications, Springer-Verlag, New York (2013), 93–103; Anal. PDE
5 (2012), no. 2, 397–409]. We also give applications to
Erdős-type problems in discrete geometry and a fractal regular value theorem, providing a multilinear framework for the results in [Adv. Math. 228 (2011), 2385–2402].
High impact toughness of polyamide 6/poly (vinylidene fluoride) blends induced by an ionic liquid
Authors: Li Chun , Na Bing , Lv Ruihua , Zhu Jie , Pan Huayan , Yu Zhiwei
Published: September 2013

This study reports the high impact toughness of polyamide 6 (PA6)/poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) blends achieved via adding an ionic liquid. The presence of the ionic liquid in the blends promotes the transformation of sea-island structure into co-continuous morphology, which to a large extent accounts for the improvement in toughness. In addition, it is believed that the enhanced mobility of the PA6 matrix by the ionic liquid also contributes to the high impact toughness.
Debussy’s Toy Stories
Authors: Morrison Simon
Published: September 2013

Research in Moscow, New York, Paris, and Stockholm uncovers the compositional and early performance histories of Debussy’s ballet pantomime for children, The Toy Box. Surprisingly, the first large-scale production took place in Moscow, not Paris, and Henri Forterre—in advance of André Caplet—completed the orchestration after Debussy’s death. Theater directors and choreographers variously interpret Debussy’s distinctive approach to creating music for children as having been influenced by the designs of his scenarist, André Hellé. Although newly uncovered source materials might permit a reconstruction of The Toy Box, to do so would be to violate the spirit of the ballet, which embraces the imagined over the real and, paradoxically, the permanence of the ephemeral.
Immunophenotype of Dental Implant-Associated Peripheral Giant Cell Reparative Granuloma in a Representative Case Report
Authors: Galindo-Moreno Pablo , Hernández-Cortés Pedro , Ríos Rosa , Sánchez-Fernández Elena , Cámara Miguel , O'Valle Francisco
Published: September 2013

We report the case of a 74-year-old white male patient who had worn an overdenture for the previous 6 years, retained by 4 screwed implants and a bar, who presented with an exophytic multilobed lesion of 2.5 × 2.0 cm on the anterior aspect of 1 implant neck, which was surrounded by pink-reddish tissue. All of the soft tissue around the implant was removed until the periosteum was reached. Histologic examination of the lamina propria revealed a cellular proliferation with imprecise boundaries, dense stromal component composed of spindle- to round-shaped mononucleated cells (fibroblasts and monocytes/macrophages), abundant multinucleated giant cells surrounding microscopic hemorrhagic foci, and deposits of hemosiderin; the diagnosis was peripheral giant-cell reparative granuloma (PGCG). Giant cells share the immunohistochemical expression of monocyte/macrophage markers (CD68, calprotectin [Mc387]) and osteoclastic cell markers (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase, cathepsin K, and microphthalmia-associated transcription factor). After 6 months of follow-up, no bone resorption or recurrence of implant loss was observed. There have been only 12 case reports on dental implant–associated PGCG. Research results to date indicate that there may be little difference in immunophenotype among the giant cells of PGCG, central giant cell reparative granuloma, and peri-implant osteolysis. In conclusion, the immunohistochemical study confirms an osteoclast like giant cells phenotype differentiation in PGCG.
Lixiviação de potássio proveniente do termopotássio
Authors: Duarte Ivaniele Nahas , Pereira Hamilton Seron , Korndörfer Gaspar Henrique
Published: September 2013

As perdas de potássio no solo, por percolação ou lixiviação, podem ser reduzidas com o emprego de fontes menos solúveis. Objetivou-se avaliar as perdas por lixiviação do potássio proveniente do cloreto de potássio (KCl) granulado e do termopotássio farelado fino e termopotássio granulado. O delineamento utilizado foi inteiramente casualizado, com três repetições, em esquema fatorial com quatro fontes (testemunha, KCl granulado, termopotássio farelado fino e termopotássio granulado) e dois tipos de solo (Neossolo e Latossolo). As amostras de solo foram adicionadas a lisímetros e irrigadas até sua capacidade de campo. Os fertilizantes potássicos foram aplicados à dose de 3.000 kg ha-1 de K2O, na parte superior dos lisímetros, e incorporados ao primeiro anel da coluna (0,05 m), em todos os tratamentos. Estas colunas foram irrigadas por 18 dias, com quantidade de água equivalente a uma chuva de 344 mm. A solução do solo era recolhida a cada dois dias e armazenada em galões de 50 L. Ao final do experimento, foram determinados os teores de potássio no lixiviado e no solo, até a profundidade de 0,8 m. A lixiviação do potássio foi maior quando a fonte utilizada foi o KCl. O termopotássio farelado mostrou maior enriquecimento dos teores de potássio na camada superficial do solo (0-20 cm), enquanto o KCl promoveu maior enriquecimento com potássio nas camadas subsuperficiais, sendo que esta fonte apresentou maior mobilidade no perfil, independentemente do tipo de solo. O termopotássio granulado disponibilizou menos potássio que o farelado fino, na camada superficial, e, nas demais camadas, não houve diferença significativa.
Contamination of the water supply to the town of Carolina, Mpumalanga, January 2012
Authors: McCarthy Terence S. , Humphries Marc S.
Published: September 2013

Acid mine drainage has become a serious environmental concern in South Africa, particularly for the long-term sustainability of the country’s fresh water supply. Such concerns were dramatically highlighted in January 2012 when water in the Boesmanspruit Dam, which supplies the town of Carolina with potable water, underwent rapid deterioration following a large rainstorm event. A sudden drop in pH to 3.7, accompanied by elevated levels of iron, aluminium, manganese and sulphate rendered the water toxic and unsuitable for use. The problem remained unresolved for 7 months, provoking community protests and eventually court action against the Department of Water Affairs. Although evidence pointed to coal mining as the source of contamination, it was unclear how the dam became polluted so rapidly. We investigated the events surrounding the contamination of Carolina’s water supply, in an attempt to identify a possible cause and to assess whether the event has relevance for other dams in the Vaal River system. Chemical analyses of water samples revealed that the pollution originated from the Witrandspruit subcatchment where seepage from coal mines had accumulated in a wetland upstream of the dam. During an unusually heavy downpour, ponds holding polluted run-off from coal handling facilities overtopped and flushed the contents of the wetland into the Boesmanspruit Dam. While a recurrence of the event at Carolina is possible, major dams in the upper Vaal River catchment are unlikely to experience a similar catastrophic event. In the long term, pollution of these dams is likely to proceed gradually, as is currently occurring at the Middelburg and Witbank Dams.
In Reply
Authors: Schildmann Jan , Tan Jacinta , Salloch Sabine , Vollmann Jochen
Published: September 2013

Ethics and communication competencies are core to professional decision making with patients with advanced cancer, but it is important to distinguish between these two domains. Those involved in the teaching of professional decision making in oncology should be aware of the differences between ethics and communication and should be equipped with the competencies to teach both in an integrated manner.
Model Checking Vector Addition Systems with one zero-test
Authors: Bonnet Rémi , FInkel Alain , Leroux Jérôme , Zeitoun Marc
Published: September 2013

We design a variation of the Karp-Miller algorithm to compute, in a forward
manner, a finite representation of the cover (i.e., the downward closure of the
reachability set) of a vector addition system with one zero-test. This
algorithm yields decision procedures for several problems for these systems,
open until now, such as place-boundedness or LTL model-checking. The proof
techniques to handle the zero-test are based on two new notions of cover: the
refined and the filtered cover. The refined cover is a hybrid between the
reachability set and the classical cover. It inherits properties of the
reachability set: equality of two refined covers is undecidable, even for usual
Vector Addition Systems (with no zero-test), but the refined cover of a Vector
Addition System is a recursive set. The second notion of cover, called the
filtered cover, is the central tool of our algorithms. It inherits properties
of the classical cover, and in particular, one can effectively compute a finite
representation of this set, even for Vector Addition Systems with one
zero-test.
General Bindings and Alpha-Equivalence in Nominal Isabelle
Authors: Urban Christian , Kaliszyk Cezary
Published: September 2013

Nominal Isabelle is a definitional extension of the Isabelle/HOL theorem
prover. It provides a proving infrastructure for reasoning about programming
language calculi involving named bound variables (as opposed to de-Bruijn
indices). In this paper we present an extension of Nominal Isabelle for dealing
with general bindings, that means term constructors where multiple variables
are bound at once. Such general bindings are ubiquitous in programming language
research and only very poorly supported with single binders, such as
lambda-abstractions. Our extension includes new definitions of
alpha-equivalence and establishes automatically the reasoning infrastructure
for alpha-equated terms. We also prove strong induction principles that have
the usual variable convention already built in.
Software Model Checking with Explicit Scheduler and Symbolic Threads
Authors: Cimatti Alessandro , Narasamdya Iman , Roveri Marco
Published: September 2013

In many practical application domains, the software is organized into a set
of threads, whose activation is exclusive and controlled by a cooperative
scheduling policy: threads execute, without any interruption, until they either
terminate or yield the control explicitly to the scheduler. The formal
verification of such software poses significant challenges. On the one side,
each thread may have infinite state space, and might call for abstraction. On
the other side, the scheduling policy is often important for correctness, and
an approach based on abstracting the scheduler may result in loss of precision
and false positives. Unfortunately, the translation of the problem into a
purely sequential software model checking problem turns out to be highly
inefficient for the available technologies. We propose a software model
checking technique that exploits the intrinsic structure of these programs.
Each thread is translated into a separate sequential program and explored
symbolically with lazy abstraction, while the overall verification is
orchestrated by the direct execution of the scheduler. The approach is
optimized by filtering the exploration of the scheduler with the integration of
partial-order reduction. The technique, called ESST (Explicit Scheduler,
Symbolic Threads) has been implemented and experimentally evaluated on a
significant set of benchmarks. The results demonstrate that ESST technique is
way more effective than software model checking applied to the sequentialized
programs, and that partial-order reduction can lead to further performance
improvements.