bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A JVM for soft-error-prone embedded systems
Authors: Stilkerich Isabella , Strotz Michael , Erhardt Christoph , Hoffmann Martin , Lohmann Daniel , Scheler Fabian , Schröder-Preikschat Wolfgang
Published: July 2013

The reduction of structure sizes in microcontollers, environmental conditions or low supply voltages increase the susceptibility of embedded systems to soft errors. As a result, the employment of fault-detection and fault-tolerance measures is becoming a mandatory task even for moderately critical applications. Accordingly, software-based techniques have recently gained in popularity, and a multitude of approaches that differ in the number and frequency of tolerated errors as well as their associated overhead have been proposed. Using type-safe programming languages to isolate critical software components is very popular among those techniques. An automated application of fault-detection and fault-tolerance measures based on the type system of the programming language and static code analyses is possible. It facilitates an easy evaluation of the protection characteristics and costs, as well as the migration of software to new hardware platforms with different failure rates. Transient faults, however, are not bound to the application code secured by the type system, but can also affect the correctness of the type system itself. Thereby, the type system might lose its ability to isolate critical components. As a consequence, it is essential to also protect the type system itself against soft errors. In this paper, we show how soft errors can affect the integrity of the type system. Furthermore, we provide means to secure it against these faults, thus preserving its isolating character. These measures can be applied selectively to achieve a suitable tradeoff between level of protection and resource consumption.
Concurrent libraries with foresight
Authors: Golan-Gueta Guy , Ramalingam G. , Sagiv Mooly , Yahav Eran
Published: July 2013

Linearizable libraries provide operations that appear to execute atomically. Clients, however, may need to execute a sequence of operations (a composite operation) atomically. We consider the problem of extending a linearizable library to support arbitrary atomic composite operations by clients. We introduce a novel approach in which the concurrent library ensures atomicity of composite operations by exploiting information (foresight) provided by its clients. We use a correctness condition, based on a notion of dynamic right-movers, that guarantees that composite operations execute atomically without deadlocks, and without using rollbacks.

We present a static analysis to infer the foresight information required by our approach, allowing a compiler to automatically insert the foresight information into the client. This relieves the client programmer of this burden and simplifies writing client code.

We present a generic technique for extending the library implementation to realize foresight-based synchronization. This technique is used to implement a general-purpose Java library for Map data structures -- the library permits composite operations to simultaneously work with multiple instances of Map data structures.

We use the Maps library and the static analysis to enforce atomicity of a wide selection of real-life Java composite operations. Our experiments indicate that our approach enables realizing efficient and scalable synchronization for real-life composite operations.
How to combine widening and narrowing for non-monotonic systems of equations
Authors: Apinis Kalmer , Seidl Helmut , Vojdani Vesal
Published: July 2013

Non-trivial analysis problems require complete lattices with infinite ascending and descending chains. In order to compute reasonably precise post-fixpoints of the resulting systems of equations, Cousot and Cousot have suggested accelerated fixpoint iteration by means of widening and narrowing.

The strict separation into phases, however, may unnecessarily give up precision that cannot be recovered later. While widening is also applicable if equations are non-monotonic, this is no longer the case for narrowing. A narrowing iteration to improve a given post-fixpoint, additionally, must assume that all right-hand sides are monotonic. The latter assumption, though, is not met in presence of widening. It is also not met by equation systems corresponding to context-sensitive interprocedural analysis, possibly combining context-sensitive analysis of local information with flow-insensitive analysis of globals.

As a remedy, we present a novel operator that combines a given widening operator with a given narrowing operator. We present adapted versions of round-robin as well as of worklist iteration, local, and side-effecting solving algorithms for the combined operator and prove that the resulting solvers always return sound results and are guaranteed to terminate for monotonic systems whenever only finitely many unknowns (constraint variables) are encountered.
Reconciling exhaustive pattern matching with objects
Authors: Isradisaikul Chinawat , Myers Andrew C.
Published: July 2013

Pattern matching, an important feature of functional languages, is in conflict with data abstraction and extensibility, which are central to object-oriented languages. Modal abstraction offers an integration of deep pattern matching and convenient iteration abstractions into an object-oriented setting; however, because of data abstraction, it is challenging for a compiler to statically verify properties such as exhaustiveness. In this work, we extend modal abstraction in the JMatch language to support static, modular reasoning about exhaustiveness and redundancy. New matching specifications allow these properties to be checked using an SMT solver. We also introduce expressive pattern-matching constructs. Our evaluation shows that these new features enable more concise code and that the performance of checking exhaustiveness and redundancy is acceptable.
Fast RMWs for TSO
Authors: Rajaram Bharghava , Nagarajan Vijay , Sarkar Susmit , Elver Marco
Published: July 2013

Read-Modify-Write (RMW) instructions are widely used as the building blocks of a variety of higher level synchronization constructs, including locks, barriers, and lock-free data structures. Unfortunately, they are expensive in architectures such as x86 and SPARC which enforce (variants of) Total-Store-Order (TSO). A key reason is that RMWs in these architectures are ordered like a memory barrier, incurring the cost of a write-buffer drain in the critical path. Such strong ordering semantics are dictated by the requirements of the strict atomicity definition (type-1) that existing TSO RMWs use. Programmers often do not need such strong semantics. Besides, weakening the atomicity definition of TSO RMWs, would also weaken their ordering -- thereby leading to more efficient hardware implementations.

In this paper we argue for TSO RMWs to use weaker atomicity definitions -- we consider two weaker definitions: type-2 and type-3, with different relaxed ordering differences. We formally specify how such weaker RMWs would be ordered, and show that type-2 RMWs, in particular, can seamlessly replace existing type-1 RMWs in common synchronization idioms -- except in situations where a type-1 RMW is used as a memory barrier. Recent work has shown that the new C/C++11 concurrency model can be realized by generating conventional (type-1) RMWs for C/C++11 SC-atomic-writes and/or SC-atomic-reads. We formally prove that this is equally valid using the proposed type-2 RMWs; type-3 RMWs, on the other hand, could be used for SC-atomic-reads (and optionally SC-atomic-writes). We further propose efficient microarchitectural implementations for type-2 (type-3) RMWs -- simulation results show that our implementation reduces the cost of an RMW by up to 58.9% (64.3%), which translates into an overall performance improvement of up to 9.0% (9.2%) on a set of parallel programs, including those from the SPLASH-2, PARSEC, and STAMP benchmarks.
Fast condensation of the program dependence graph
Authors: Johnson Nick P. , Oh Taewook , Zaks Ayal , August David I.
Published: July 2013

Aggressive compiler optimizations are formulated around the Program Dependence Graph (PDG). Many techniques, including loop fission and parallelization are concerned primarily with dependence cycles in the PDG. The Directed Acyclic Graph of Strongly Connected Components (DAGSCC) represents these cycles directly. The naive method to construct the DAGSCC first computes the full PDG. This approach limits adoption of aggressive optimizations because the number of analysis queries grows quadratically with program size, making DAGSCC construction expensive. Consequently, compilers optimize small scopes with weaker but faster analyses.

We observe that many PDG edges do not affect the DAGSCC and that ignoring them cannot affect clients of the DAGSCC. Exploiting this insight, we present an algorithm to omit those analysis queries to compute the DAGSCC efficiently. Across 366 hot loops from 20 SPEC2006 benchmarks, this method computes the DAGSCC in half of the time using half as many queries.
SPL
LIFT
Authors: Bodden Eric , Tolêdo Társis , Ribeiro Márcio , Brabrand Claus , Borba Paulo , Mezini Mira
Published: July 2013

A software product line (SPL) encodes a potentially large variety of software products as variants of some common code base. Up until now, re-using traditional static analyses for SPLs was virtually intractable, as it required programmers to generate and analyze all products individually. In this work, however, we show how an important class of existing inter-procedural static analyses can be transparently lifted to SPLs. Without requiring programmers to change a single line of code, our approach SPLLIFT automatically converts any analysis formulated for traditional programs within the popular IFDS framework for inter-procedural, finite, distributive, subset problems to an SPL-aware analysis formulated in the IDE framework, a well-known extension to IFDS. Using a full implementation based on Heros, Soot, CIDE and JavaBDD, we show that with SPLLIFT one can reuse IFDS-based analyses without changing a single line of code. Through experiments using three static analyses applied to four Java-based product lines, we were able to show that our approach produces correct results and outperforms the traditional approach by several orders of magnitude.
(Invited) Status and Trends in Ge CMOS Technology
Authors: Claeys Cor , Mitard Jerome , Hellings Geert , Eneman Geert , De Jaeger Brice , Witters Liebeth , Loo Roger , Delabie Annelies , Sioncke Sonja , Caymax Matty , Simoen Eddy
Published: June 2013

Since the last decade there has been renewed interest in Ge-based technologies for deep submicron CMOS technologies. Whereas good performance data has been reported for p-channel MOSFETs this was not the case for the n-channel counterpart. This manuscript first reviews some key technological aspects for Ge processing, before outlining the status and trends for p-and n-channel Ge MOSFETs in relation to the ITRS specifications. Special attention will be given to GeSn technologies.
(Invited) A Possibility of Crystalline Indium-Gallium-Zinc-Oxide to Very Large Scale Integration
Authors: Yamazaki Shunpei
Published: June 2013

We have found that an IGZO film can exhibit a c-axis orientation by extremely highly purifying the oxide semiconductor. We call this IGZO as CAAC (C-axis Aligned Crystal). CAAC structure can be realized even on an amorphous and concave-convex surface. The CAAC structure has a crystal morphology in which crystal grain boundaries are not observed. By virtue of the CAAC structure, an off current Ioff is on the order of yA/μm (10-24 A/μm) even with a channel length of 0.45 μm at a temperature of 85°C. This can be used for an ideal 4-terminal switching element of a voltage input type having an on/off ratio of 20 digits or greater. Also, the temperature characteristics of Vg-Id is stable at -25 °C to 150°C. We attempted to apply it to a normally off type CPU and FPGA with small increase of F2 and a non-volatile memory with no degradation.
(Invited) Silicon on Thin Buried Oxide (SOTB) Technology for Ultralow-Power Applications
Authors: Sugii Nobuyuki , Iwamatsu Toshiaki , Yamamoto Yoshiki , Makiyama Hideki , Shinohara Hirofumi , Aono Hideki , Oda Hidekazu , Kamohara Shiro , Yamaguchi Yasuo , Mizutani Tomoko , Hiramoto Toshiro
Published: June 2013

Demands for low-power CMOS devices are still increasing. Ultralow-voltage operation of CMOS with maximum power efficiency can extend the opportunity of using the electron devices to power-conscious applications such as ubiquitous sensor network, etc. The main issues for low-power (highly efficient) operation of the modern scaled CMOS are reducing variability and enabling adaptive control of circuit performance and power consumption under the operation at voltages as low as possible. In order to solve these issues, we are developing the silicon-on-thin-buried-oxide (SOTB) transistors. We show features of the SOTB, transistor technology dedicated for ultralow-voltage (down to 0.4 V) operation, circuit design applicable for SOTB and we discuss on the performance projection and ULV application with SOTB.
Electrical Characterization of Ultra-Thin Silicon-On-Insulator Substrates: Static and Split C-V Measurements in the Pseudo-MOSFET Configuration
Authors: Pirro Luca , Diab Amer , Ionica Irina , Ghibaudo Gerard , Cristoloveanu Sorin
Published: June 2013

Ever since the invention of the pseudo-MOSFET, the static current measurements have allowed quickly obtaining the SOI material parameters. The extension of this measurement technique to ultrathin films was successful even though the parameter extraction is more tedious due to higher impact of the surface. Enriching pseudo-MOSFET configuration with other measurement methods was one of the priorities in the last few years. In this context, the split C-V was implemented and validated on standard SOI. Here we will focus on static and split C-V measurements for ultra-thin SOI. We will describe the methods and the parameter extraction.
Electrical Detection of Trapped Charge Displacements Using an Ultra-Thin SOI Percolation Transistor
Authors: Fleming Stephen , Milne William I , Hasko David G
Published: June 2013

Electrical detection of solid-state charge qubits requires ultra-sensitive charge measurement, typically using a quantum point contact or single-electron-transistor, which imposes strict limits on operating temperature, voltage and current. A conventional FET offers relaxed operating conditions, but the back-action of the channel charge is a problem for such small quantum systems. Here, we discuss the use of a percolation transistor as a measurement device, with regard to charge sensing and backaction. The transistor is based on a 10nm thick SOI channel layer and is designed to measure the displacement of trapped charges in a nearby dielectric. At cryogenic temperatures, the trapped charges result in strong disorder in the channel layer, so that current is constrained to a percolation pathway in sub-threshold conditions. A microwave driven spatial Rabi oscillation of the trapped charge causes a change in the percolation pathway, which results in a measurable change in channel current.
(Invited) Towards Higher Integration Thin Film Technology by Involving P-Type and N-Type Vertical Channel Thin Film Transistors
Authors: Zhang P. , Bonnaud Olivier , Jacques E. , Rogel R.
Published: June 2013

The silicon based thin film transistors (TFTs) technological process evolution is governed by electrical performance improvements that are needed for the numerous fields of large area electronic applications. The TFTs must be fabricated at a temperature low enough to be compatible with the substrates. In addition, one of the challenges is to increase the equivalent electrical current density per substrate area in order to increase the circuit integration. Similarly to ICs technologies, the improvement passes through a three dimensional approach that involves a new geometry with the channels perpendicular to the substrate surface. But also similarly to ICs, a drawback comes from the leakage current flowing between source and drain. The introduction of an insulating barrier between stacked source and drain regions and the decrease of the thickness of the quasi-vertical channel active layer, lead to electrical behavior of p-type and n-type thin film transistors much more suitable for applications.
(Invited) Monolithic Ge Optical Emitters for Photonic-Electronic Integration
Authors: Oda Katsuya , Tani Kazuki , Saito Shin-ichi , Ido Tatemi
Published: June 2013

We investigated the electrical and optical properties of our two previously proposed Ge optical emitters, lateral-carrier-injected Ge waveguides and Ge-fins fabricated on the buried oxide layer of a silicon-on-insulator wafer. Intense photoluminescence spectra from both structures show that good crystallinity and sufficient carrier confinement can be achieved, and the obvious red-shifts of the peaks were observed due to the tensile strain in the Ge active region applied through the fabrication processes. The enhanced electroluminescence corresponding to the direct recombination at the G-valley was also observed by injecting forward currents into the Ge active regions. These results indicate that these device structures efficiently improve the performance of Ge optical emitters.
(Invited) Towards a Digital Radiology Roadmap
Authors: Rowlands John A. , Zhao Wei
Published: June 2013

The appearance of digital x ray detectors based on a-Si technology over ten years ago has revolutionized the practice of radiology by making available systems of unprecedented capabilities which are well positioned to integrate into hospital PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication Systems). Much more recently CMOS wafer scale devices have become feasible and are already making headway in the market. The clinical requirements for x ray systems for are extremely varied. Each imaging task would ideally require a detector optimized for that particular task. This is not practical so the system designer needs to make compromises so that the device is of reasonable cost, has sufficient resolution and is dose efficient for the majority of tasks it will be called on to perform in the clinic. Thus there are a multitude of options and decisions to be made before even it is possible to design an optimized detector.
Metal Complexes of Macrocyclic Schiff‐Base Ligand: Preparation, Characterisation, and Biological Activity
Authors: Ahmed Riyadh M. , Yousif Enaam I. , Hasan Hasan A. , Al-Jeboori Mohamad J.
Published: July 2013

A new macrocyclic multidentate Schiff‐base ligand Na4L consisting of two submacrocyclic units (10,21‐bis‐iminomethyl‐3,6,14,17‐tricyclo[17.3.1.18,12]tetracosa‐1(23),2,6,8,10,12(24),13,17,19,21,‐decaene‐23,24‐disodium) and its tetranuclear metal complexes with Mn(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) are reported. Na4L was prepared via a template approach, which is based on the condensation reaction of sodium 2,4,6‐triformyl phenolate with ethylenediamine in mole ratios of 2 : 3. The tetranuclear macrocyclic‐based complexes were prepared from the reaction of the corresponding metal chloride with the ligand. The mode of bonding and overall geometry of the compounds were determined through physicochemical and spectroscopic methods. These studies revealed tetrahedral geometries about Mn, Co, and Zn atoms. However, square planar geometries have been suggested for NiII and CuII complexes. Biological activity of the ligand and its metal complexes against Gram positive bacterial strain Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative bacteria Escherichia coli revealed that the metal complexes become more potentially resistive to the microbial activities as compared to the free ligand. However, these metal complexes do not exhibit any effects on the activity of Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria. There is therefore no inhibition zone.
A New Concept for Atmospheric Reentry Optimal Guidance: An Inverse Problem Inspired Approach
Authors: Abbasi Davood , Mortazavi Mahdi
Published: July 2013

This paper presents a new concept for atmospheric reentry online optimal guidance and control using a method called MARE G&C that exploits the different time scale featured by reentry dynamics. The new technique reaches a quasi-analytical solution and simplified computations, even considering both lift-to-drag ratio and aerodynamic roll as control variables; in addition, the paper offers a solution for the challenging path constraints issue, getting inspiration from the inverse problem methodology. The final resulting algorithm seems suitable for onboard predictive guidance, a new need for future space missions.
Mediterranean Diet Adherence in Individuals with Prediabetes and Unknown Diabetes: The Di@bet.es Study
Authors: Ortega E. , Franch J. , Castell C. , Goday A. , Ribas-Barba L. , Soriguer F. , Vendrell J. , Casamitjana R. , Bosch-Comas A. , Bordiú E. , Calle-Pascual A. , Carmena R. , Castaño L. , Catalá M. , Delgado E. , Gaztambide S. , Girbés J. , López-Alba A. , Martínez-Larrad M.T. , Menéndez E. , Mora-Peces I. , Pascual-Manich G. , Rojo-Martínez G. , Serrano-Rios M. , Urrutía I. , Valdés S. , Vázquez J.A. , Gomis R.
Published: July 2013

Background and Aims: Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) is causally related to diabetes and is a dietary pattern recommended to individuals with diabetes. We investigated MedDiet adherence in individuals with prediabetes and unknown (PREDM/UKDM) or known diabetes (KDM) compared to those with normal glucose metabolism (NORMAL). Methods: This was a national, population-based, cross-sectional, cluster-sampling study. MedDiet adherence was scored (MedScore, mean ± SD 24 ± 5) using a qualitative food frequency questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between MedScore and PREDM/UKDM or KDM versus control subjects. Results: We evaluated 5,076 individuals. Mean age was 50 years, 57% were female, 826 (582/244) were PREDM/UKDM, 478 were KDM and 3,772 were NORMAL. Mean age increased across MedScore tertiles (46, 51 and 56 years, p < 0.0001). Higher age-adjusted adherence to MedDiet (5-unit increment in the MedScore) was associated with lower and nondifferent odds (OR, 95% CI) of prevalent PREDM/UKDM (0.88, 0.81-0.96, p = 0.001) and KDM (0.97, 0.87-1.07, p = 0.279), respectively, compared to individuals in the NORMAL group. Conclusions: In a representative sample of the whole Spanish population, MedDiet adherence is independently associated with PREDM/UKDM. Therapeutic intervention may be, in part, responsible for the lack of differences in adherence observed between the KDM and NORMAL groups. However, reverse causation bias cannot be ruled out in cross-sectional studies.
A Study of Inflammation-Based Predictors of Tumor Response to Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer
Authors: Krauthamer Mark , Rouvinov Keren , Ariad Samuel , Man Sofia , Walfish Shlomo , Pinsk Ilia , Sztarker Ignatio , Charkovsky Tatiana , Lavrenkov Konstantin
Published: July 2013

Background: The ability of pretreatment laboratory markers of acute-phase inflammatory reactions like serum albumin level (SAL), hemoglobin (Hb), and absolute blood cell counts to predict complete pathological response (CPR) to neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NACRT) in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) has not yet been fully studied. Methods: We retrospectively examined the relation between SAL, Hb and absolute blood cell counts, and CPR rates in 140 LARC patients treated with NACRT. Results: Univariate analysis showed a significantly higher probability of CPR to NACRT in patients with clinical stage (CS) III LARC who had SAL >3.5 mg/dl (OR = 2.39; p = 0.04) and a neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) value <5 (OR = 2.86; p = 0.03). The relation of CPR with SAL (OR = 2.11; p = 0.048) and NLR (OR = 2.54; p = 0.04) was confirmed by multivariate analysis in the same subset of patients. None of the parameters studied predicted CPR in patients with CS II disease. Patients who achieved CPR to NACRT had a higher probability of 5-year overall survival (HR 0.48; p = 0.01) and 5-year disease-free survival (HR 0.33; p = 0.003). Conclusions: Our data indicate that SAL >3.5 mg/dl and NLR <5 may be positively related to CPR after NACRT in patients with CS III LARC. Hypoalbuminemia and a high NLR may be considered an indication for a more aggressive approach to NACRT and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy in this subset of patients. This hypothesis requires confirmation in a randomized study.
Quality of Care of Patients with Chronic Lymphoedema in Germany
Authors: Herberger K. , Blome C. , Sandner A. , Altheide F. , Heyer K. , Münter K.C. , Gottlieb W.R. , Augustin M.
Published: July 2013

Background: The management of lymphoedema is complex and should be based on guidelines. To date, no data assessing quality of care in lymphoedema in Germany are available. Objective: We aimed at evaluating the quality of care of lymphoedema in the metropolitan area of Hamburg using guideline-based indicators. Methods: Cross-sectional, community-based study including patients with lymphoedema. Assessment included a structured interview, clinical examination and patient-reported outcomes. Quality indicators derived from guidelines by a Delphi consensus were applied. Results: 348 patients (median age 60.5 years) with lymphoedema (66.4%), lipoedema (9.5%) or combined oedema (24.1%) were included. 86.4% performed compression therapy, 85.6% received lymphatic drainage. On average 55.0% of the quality of care criteria were met; 64.8% were satisfied with care. The distribution curve of the health care index was almost normal. Treatment by specialists led to a higher quality of care index. Conclusion: Although overall quality of care in lymphoedema is fair, many patients are not treated properly according to guidelines.
Transbronchial Needle Aspiration: A Systematic Review on Predictors of a Successful Aspirate
Authors: Bonifazi Martina , Zuccatosta Lina , Trisolini Rocco , Moja Lorenzo , Gasparini Stefano
Published: July 2013

Background: Transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) is a safe and useful sampling technique for the diagnosis of mediastinal adenopathies/masses, but its accuracy seems to be influenced by selected clinical and procedural aspects. Objectives: We performed a systematic review to identify the main predictors of a successful transbronchial aspirate according to different clinical settings. Methods: We searched Medline and Embase for all studies evaluating predictors of TBNA diagnostic yield, published up to February 2012. Two authors reviewed all titles/abstracts and retrieved the full text of articles that are potentially relevant to identify studies according to predefined selection criteria. The methodological quality of studies was assessed through the revised Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool. Evidence synthesis was graded according to overall number of studies, patients involved and methodological features. Results: Fifty-three studies, involving more than 8,000 patients and evaluating 23 potential predictive factors, were included. Major predictors in an unselected population, as well as in patients with suspected/known lung cancer, included lymph node size (short axis length ≥2 cm), presence of abnormal endoscopic findings, subcarinal and right paratracheal location, and the use of histological needle by an experienced bronchoscopist. Stage I and sampling of more than one lymph node stations were the only predictors of a successful TBNA result in patients with suspected sarcoidosis. Conclusions: The diagnostic yield of TBNA depends on selected clinical and procedural features. Knowledge of factors that predict a positive TBNA result may help optimize the diagnostic success of the procedure in different clinical settings.
Neonatal Hypercalcemia due to a Homozygous Mutation in the Calcium-Sensing Receptor: Failure of Cinacalcet
Authors: García Soblechero Eduardo , Ferrer Castillo María Teresa , Jiménez Crespo Belén , Domínguez Quintero María Luisa , González Fuentes Concepción
Published: June 2013

A neonate affected by a novel inactivating mutation in the calcium-sensing receptor (CASR) gene is presented. This mutation is homozygously inherited and has not been previously described. A deletion in exon 5 (c.1392_1404del13) of the gene causes a loss of function of the receptor, which results in neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism and an ensuing extreme hypercalcemia. In a case of homozygosis of the CASR gene, the use of cinacalcet is the second reported calcimimetic treatment attempt and the first treatment attempt prior to surgery. However, because of the type of mutation, parathyroid surgery was necessary at 4 months of age after therapeutic failure. Because there are multiple mutations that affect the CASR gene in different ways, treatment with cinacalcet as an alternative to surgery may be valuable in homozygous cases that are caused by different mutations than the reported case.
Spontaneous Knot Formation in the Peritoneal Catheter: A Rare Cause of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Malfunction
Authors: Charalambides Constantinos , Sgouros Spyros
Published: June 2013

Ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction is a relatively common problem encountered in shunted hydrocephalic patients and is attributed most frequently to mechanical obstruction of the ventricular catheter. We present the case of a rare cause of mechanical obstruction of the peritoneal catheter due to the spontaneous formation of a knot just underneath the abdominal wound. This occurred 1 year after shunt implantation and is thought to have been caused by a combination of plastic material memory and bowel peristaltic movements. This case brings for discussion the role of radiographic investigation of the shunt system in children who present with suspected shunt obstruction. Radiographic investigation is warranted in children who have unusual shunt arrangements (e.g. Y-connectors and multiple catheters) in order to exclude disconnections or those who develop shunt problems years after implantation, to exclude material fracture in the neck or migration of any kind. In shunt systems which have been implanted for shorter time periods, the need for radiographs is less apparent. Some surgeons proclaim that when clinical circumstances fall outside the realms of obvious possible proximal obstruction, radiographic evaluation of the shunt system should be considered.
Pontine Extraventricular Neurocytoma in a Child
Authors: Hawasli Ammar H. , Haydon Devon H. , Dahiya Sonika , Smyth Matthew D.
Published: July 2013

Extraventricular neurocytomas mimic central neurocytomas histologically but are located outside the lateral and/or third ventricles. Pontine neurocytomas represent an extremely rare subset of extraventricular neurocytomas, and reports are limited to 2 adults followed under 28 months. The authors present the case of a 14-year-old boy who initially underwent near-total resection of a pontine extraventricular neurocytoma. One-year postoperative surveillance imaging revealed a small, local recurrence treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy. This case details the diagnosis and management of the first reported pontine extraventricular neurocytoma in a child with 4.5-year follow-up data.
Clinicians' Attitudes toward General Screening of the Ashkenazi-Jewish Population for Prevalent Founder BRCA1/2 and LRRK2 Mutations
Authors: Shkedi-Rafid S. , Ofer-Bialer G. , Meiner V. , Calderon-Margalit R.
Published: June 2013

Aims: Advances in genomics may eventually lead to genetic susceptibility screening of the general population, regardless of a personal or familial history of the disease in question. Yet, little is known about clinicians' attitudes toward such programs. We explored attitudes of family practitioners, medical geneticists and genetic counselors toward genetic screening of the general Ashkenazi-Jewish population for the common founder mutations in BRCA1/2 and LRRK2 genes (which increase the risk of hereditary breast/ovarian cancers and Parkinson's disease, respectively). Methods: Participants (n = 204) completed a specially designed questionnaire, distributed by e-mail, regular mail or in-person. Results: Slightly more than half (52%) were in favor of BRCA screening, while the vast majority (86%) opposed to LRRK2 screening. About two-thirds (68%) of the respondents supported pre-test genetic counseling. Attitudes were largely independent of professional background and sociodemographic characteristics, though a correlation was found with personal interest in genetic self-testing for the above genes. Adverse psychological impact and discrimination in insurance and employment were the major concerns cited by respondents with regard to screening programs. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the availability of measures for prevention and/or treatment is a major factor in the attitudes of healthcare providers toward population screening for late-onset conditions.
Meiosis and Its Deviations in Polyploid Plants
Authors: Grandont L. , Jenczewski E. , Lloyd A.
Published: July 2013

Meiosis is a fundamental process in all sexual organisms that ensures fertility and genome stability and creates genetic diversity. For each of these outcomes, the exclusive formation of crossovers between homologous chromosomes is needed. This is more difficult to achieve in polyploid species which have more than 2 sets of chromosomes able to recombine. In this review, we describe how meiosis and meiotic recombination ‘deviate' in polyploid plants compared to diploids, and give an overview of current knowledge on how they are regulated. See also the sister article focusing on animals by Stenberg and Saura in this themed issue.
A Complex Chromosome Rearrangement Involving Four Chromosomes, Nine Breakpoints and a Cryptic 0.6-Mb Deletion in a Boy with Cerebellar Hypoplasia and Defects in Skull Ossification
Authors: Guilherme R.S. , Cernach M.C.S.P. , Sfakianakis T.E. , Takeno S.S. , Nardozza L.M.M. , Rossi C. , Bhatt S.S. , Liehr T. , Melaragno M.I.
Published: July 2013

Constitutional complex chromosomal rearrangements (CCRs) are considered rare cytogenetic events. Most apparently balanced CCRs are de novo and are usually found in patients with abnormal phenotypes. High-resolution techniques are unveiling genomic imbalances in a great percentage of these cases. In this paper, we report a patient with growth and developmental delay, dysmorphic features, nervous system anomalies (pachygyria, hypoplasia of the corpus callosum and cerebellum), a marked reduction in the ossification of the cranial vault, skull base sclerosis, and cardiopathy who presents a CCR with 9 breakpoints involving 4 chromosomes (3, 6, 8 and 14) and a 0.6-Mb deletion in 14q24.1. Although the only genomic imbalance revealed by the array technique was a deletion, the clinical phenotype of the patient most likely cannot be attributed exclusively to haploinsufficiency. Other events must also be considered, including the disruption of critical genes and position effects. A combination of several different investigative approaches (G-banding, FISH with different probes and SNP array techniques) was required to describe this CCR in full, suggesting that CCRs may be more frequent than initially thought. Additionally, we propose that a chain chromosome breakage mechanism may have occurred as a single rearrangement event resulting in this CCR. This study demonstrates the importance of applying different cytogenetic and molecular techniques to detect subtle rearrangements and to delineate the rearrangements at a more accurate level, providing a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in CCR formation and a better correlation with phenotype.
Biting midges (Diptera, Ceratopogonidae) in amber forest communities based on analysis of syninclusions in Late Eocene Rovno amber
Authors: Perkovsky Evgeny E. , Rasnitsyn Alexandr P.
Published: June 2013

Over 2,500 pieces of unselected Rovno amber (Late Eocene of Ukraine) are studied for their contents of syninclusia depending on amber piece weight class and taxonomic position of syninclusion components. Unlike previous publications (Perkovsky et al. 2010a, 2012), ceratopogonid components enter analysis separately (as genera or genus groups) rather than as entire taxon. This changes the resulting pattern drastically. Instead of two correlation pleiades, the air-plankton one (include biting midges), and the ‘Sciarazone’ dwellers, we have six pleiades now depending on developmental environments (terrestrial saprotrophsvs. aquatic) and adult behavior (low level fliers and tree trunk visitorsvs. air plankton and others which show no preference to tree trunks). Causes of some differences are uncertain.
New phlebotomine flies from Burmese amber (Diptera : Psychodidae : Phlebotominae)
Authors: Ain Malak Michelle , Salamé Youmna , Azar Dany
Published: June 2013

For long time the age of Burmese amber was debatable. Recently this material was finally dated as Late Albian-Early Cenomanian. We describe herein three new species of psychodid sandflies (Phlebotomites grimaldii,P. neli, andP. burmaticus) belonging to the extinct genusPhlebotomites, known to date only from the Early Cretaceous amber of Lebanon. These new taxa are characterized, described, illustrated and their taxonomic position is discussed. This discovery is very interesting for the understanding of the evolution of this group, as it allows concluding that this extinct genus of sand flies was widespread and well diversified in the past, and lasted at least for thirty million years.
Writing More and Less ‘Jewishly’ in Judezmo and Yiddish
Authors: Bunis David M.
Published: June 2013

Abstract

Max Weinreich used the term yídishlekh to describe the traditional, ‘Jewishly patterned’ style of writing in Yiddish. Weinreich illustrated this style by comparing Mendele Moykher Sforim’s ‘Jewishly-styled’ 1884 Yiddish translation of Leo Pinsker’s Autoemanzipation (Berlin 1882) with the original German-language text. The present article demonstrates that in Judezmo as well as Yiddish, writers have consciously used ‘Jewish styling,’ and its converse, in the diverse literary genres they cultivated from the Middle Ages into the early twentieth century. However, as a result of somewhat divergent social, political, and ideological trends in the Judezmo as opposed to Yiddish speech communities later in the twentieth century, Yiddish writers today prefer to incorporate features of ‘Jewish styling’ in their writing, while Judezmo writers tend to reject them.
Notes on the original description of the maned three-toed sloth, Bradypus torquatus (Mammalia, Pilosa, Bradypodidae), by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger in 1811
Authors: LAMBERTZ Markus
Published: June 2013

The maned three-toed sloth, Bradypus torquatus (Mammalia, Pilosa, Bradypodidae), is an endemic species inhabiting the Mata Atlântica in southeastern Brazil (Hayssen 2009) and according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature is classified as vulnerable (Chiarello & Moares-Barros 2011). This species was described in the classic early account of mammalian classification (Illiger 1811) by Johann Karl Wilhelm Illiger (1775–1813), who mainly is well known rather for his entomological contributions (Heß 1881). However, this was not accepted by all subsequent authors, because it was claimed that the putative description of B. torquatus by Illiger represents a nomen nudum (see discussions in Gardner 2005, 2007). The first one who questioned the validity of this nomenclatural act was Thomas (1917: 352), who in turn rather attributed it to Desmarest (1816) (ex errore as “1817”). The main reason for this conception was that the original publication of this nomen by Illiger apparently was not accompanied by a diagnosis (Figure 1A), which according to Article 12.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (“the Code”, Anonymous 1999) is one of the obligatory criteria for the availability of scientific names. Gardner (2007: 160) on the contrary argued that the “N.” following the potential description of “Br.[adypus] torquatus” in Illiger (1811: p. 109, compare Figure 1A) probably refers to the note (“Nota”) at the end of the same page containing the actual description rather than to something like “novum”. The note, which also extends on page 110, indeed contains a brief diagnosis for this species (Figure 1B), validating it certainly as the formal description.
A new species of Platyla (Mollusca: Gastropoda: Aciculidae) fills a biogeographic gap in the Mediterranean
Authors: ALTABA CRISTIAN R.
Published: July 2013

The family Aciculidae Woodward, 1854 is endemic to the southwestern Palaearctic and includes tiny operculate land snails living in the soil or underground, and seldom encountered. The genus Platyla Moquin-Tandon, 1856 is restricted to Europe west of the Great and Pannonian Steppes, occurring on islands only in the Ionian Sea off Greece, along the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, and in the Tyrrhenian Sea on Sicily, Sardinia and Elba (Boeters et al. 1989; Cianfanelli et al. 2000; Bodon & Cianfanelli 2008; Subai 2009). Its absence from the Balearic archipelago remained as a puzzling gap, given its palaeogeographic relationship with surrounding land masses. Herein I describe a very rare new species of Platyla from the island of Mallorca, which is most similar to congeners living in Sicily, around the Adriatic and in the Pyrenees, supporting the hypothesis of Neogene vicariance through microplate dispersal in the western Mediterranean.
Partial Stroke Testing: Diagnostic or Proof Test?
Authors: Dearden Harvey T
Published: June 2013

This study examines the relationship between the specification of safe failure fraction and partial stroke testing provisions for valves deployed as final elements in safety instrumented functions.
What the Good Doctor Said: A Critical Examination of Design Issues of the RSBY Through Provider Perspectives in Chhattisgarh, India
Authors: Dasgupta Rajib , Nandi Sulakshana , Kanungo Kanica , Nundy Madhurima , Murugan Ganapathy , Neog Randeep
Published: July 2013

The Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana (RSBY) is a state funded health insurance scheme targeted for families below poverty line (BPL) in India providing a coverage of ₹30,000 for a family of five. This qualitative study covered three districts in Chhattisgarh, India, and included empanelled private for-profit, public and not-for-profit institutions. RSBY beneficiaries constituted a miniscule proportion of the total patient load in large multispecialty hospitals, institutions capable of providing treatment for serious illnesses. Small private nursing homes were the biggest gainers. There was evidence of complicated conditions being booked instead of simpler ones. Some government hospitals reported declines in patient loads after the introduction of the RSBY, clearly signalling a shift from the public to the private sector. Community and Primary Health Centres are unable to compete with private providers as the latter have relatively better patient facilities and specialists. Significantly, for the not-for-profit sector, used to functioning on tight price lines, the RSBY is beginning to provide the elusive sustainability.
Collaboratively constructed contradictory accounts: online organizational narratives
Authors: Tunby Gulbrandsen Ib , Nørholm Just Sine
Published: June 2013

Based on a mixed-method case study of online communication about the Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, this article argues that online communication plays out as a centrifugal narration process with centripetal consequences. Through a content analysis of communication about Novo Nordisk, three dominant online meaning constructions that present themselves as narratives are identified and their convergence into one overarching meta-narrative is identified. The meta-narrative of Novo Nordisk as the ruthlessly profit-seeking socially responsible heavenly work place is made up of the three interrelated, yet disparate tales about Novo Nordisk as (1) a socially responsible organization, engaged in society at large; (2) an organization primarily concerned with fulfilling its own objectives – profit maximization; and (3) a great and employee-centred workplace. The article then discusses the theoretical and methodological implications of the empirical findings. It is argued that although the findings are not in themselves surprising, they adequately reflect that online meaning formation is, indeed, a collaborative process in which centrifugal forces have centripetal consequences. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the chosen mixed-method case study successfully navigates the dilemma of studying online collaborative processes through the traces they leave behind.
Nation as neighborhood: how Bab al-Hara dramatized Syrian identity
Authors: Al-Ghazzi Omar
Published: June 2013

This article discusses a popular Syrian television drama series, Bab al-Hara (The Neighborhood Gate), which ran for five seasons (2006–10). It is part of a genre of television series called the “Damascene milieu,” which nostalgically dramatizes life in imagined Damascene neighborhoods in the late 19th or early 20th centuries. The narrative of Bab al-Hara focuses on how a Syrian community lived under and resisted French colonial rule and its local collaborators. The article argues that the strategic imagination of the past in the series reflects the Syrian regime’s project of national consolidation in Syria, a country sharply divided by class, sect, and local belonging and desperately seeking to bridge a gap between state authority and a national sense of belonging. However, within the context of the 2011 uprising, both regime and opposition discourses echoed themes and symbols from the series – demonstrating its political relevance. The article concludes that the series is a spectacular example of how popular culture, particularly in postcolonial and authoritarian contexts, contributes to the imagination of identity and memory in ways that are used by different national groups to bolster and contest political positions.
Live co-produced news: emerging forms of news production and presentation on the web
Authors: Ekström Mats , Eriksson Göran , Kroon Lundell Åsa
Published: June 2013

New technologies offer new interactional possibilities for news journalism, but they also pose a challenge to broadcasters who are accustomed to the practices of ‘old’ television news. The web is one such arena where broadcasters are in the process of mastering a sense of sociability and ‘communicative ease’ in relation to audiences. They struggle to find ways to engage audiences in the roles of both viewers and users in line with the technological affordances of the web. Rather little attention has yet been paid to how the general sociability of broadcasting is influenced by the development of digital media. This article presents a case showing how broadcasters orient to their audience(s) in a so-called live news co-production on the web. The main point is to highlight both possibilities and dilemmas in the management of audience-oriented activities on a new technological platform with its different conditions for production and reception. We argue that broadcasters interested in producing web news both need to adhere to the professional principles and standards of ordinary broadcasting, and at the same time show that they are competent enough to also produce unpolished, layman-like material normally associated with unprofessionality.