bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
National Audit of Seizure management in Hospitals (NASH): results of the national audit of adult epilepsy in the UK
Authors: Dixon Peter A , Kirkham Jamie J , Marson Anthony G , Pearson Mike G
Published: April 2015

Objectives

About 100 000 people present to hospitals each year in England with an epileptic seizure. How they are managed is unknown; thus, the National Audit of Seizure management in Hospitals (NASH) set out to assess prior care, management of the acute event and follow-up of these patients. This paper describes the data from the second audit conducted in 2013.

Setting

154 emergency departments (EDs) across the UK.

Participants

Data from 4544 attendances (median age of 45 years, 57% men) showed that 61% had a prior diagnosis of epilepsy, 12% other neurological problems and 22% were first seizure cases. Each ED identified 30 consecutive adult cases presenting due to a seizure.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Details were recorded of the patient's prior care, management at hospital and onward referral to neurological specialists onto an online database. Descriptive results are reported at national level.

Results

Of those with epilepsy, 498 (18%) were on no antiepileptic drug therapy and 1330 (48%) were on monotherapy. Assessments were often incomplete and witness histories were sought in only 759 (75%) of first seizure patients, 58% were seen by a senior doctor and 57% were admitted. For first seizure patients, advice on further seizure management was given to 264 (27%) and only 55% were referred to a neurologist or epilepsy specialist. For each variable, there was wide variability among sites that was not explicable. For the sites who partook in both audits, there was a trend towards better care in 2013, but this was small and dwarfed by the intersite variability.

Conclusions

These results have parallels with the Sentinel Audit of Stroke performed a decade earlier. There is wide intersite variability in care covering the entire care pathway, and a need for better organised and accessible care for these patients.
Fosfomycin versus meropenem in bacteraemic urinary tract infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producingEscherichia coli(FOREST): study protocol for an investigator-driven randomised controlled trial
Authors: Rosso-Fernández Clara , Sojo-Dorado Jesús , Barriga Angel , Lavín-Alconero Lucía , Palacios Zaira , López-Hernández Inmaculada , Merino Vicente , Camean Manuel , Pascual Alvaro , Rodríguez-Baño Jesús ,   and the FOREST Study Group
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Finding therapeutic alternatives to carbapenems in infections caused by extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producingEscherichia coli(ESBL-EC) is imperative. Although fosfomycin was discovered more than 40 years ago, it was not investigated in accordance with current standards and so is not used in clinical practice except in desperate situations. It is one of the so-called neglected antibiotics of high potential interest for the future.

Methods and analysis

The main objective of this project is to demonstrate the clinical non-inferiority of intravenous fosfomycin with regard to meropenem for treating bacteraemic urinary tract infections (UTI) caused by ESBL-EC. This is a ‘real practice’ multicentre, open-label, phase III randomised controlled trial, designed to compare the clinical and microbiological efficacy, and safety of intravenous fosfomycin (4 g/6 h) and meropenem (1 g/8 h) as targeted therapy for this infection; a change to oral therapy is permitted after 5 days in both arms, in accordance with predetermined options. The study design follows the latest recommendations for designing trials investigating new options for multidrug-resistant bacteria. Secondary objectives include the study of fosfomycin concentrations in plasma and the impact of both drugs on intestinal colonisation by multidrug-resistant Gram-negative bacilli.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was obtained from the Andalusian Coordinating Institutional Review Board (IRB) for Biomedical Research (Referral Ethics Committee), which obtained approval from the local ethics committees at all participating sites in Spain (22 sites). Data will be presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.

Discussion

This project is proposed as an initial step in the investigation of an orphan antimicrobial of low cost with high potential as a therapeutic alternative in common infections such as UTI in selected patients. These results may have a major impact on the use of antibiotics and the development of new projects with this drug, whether as monotherapy or combination therapy.

Trial registration number

NCT02142751. EudraCT no: 2013-002922-21. Protocol V.1.1 dated 14 March 2014.
Protocol for a pre-implementation and post-implementation study on shared decision-making in the surgical treatment of women with early-stage breast cancer
Authors: Savelberg Wilma , Moser Albine , Smidt Marjolein , Boersma Liesbeth , Haekens Christel , Weijden Trudy van der
Published: April 2015

Background

The majority of patients diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer are in a position to choose between having a mastectomy or lumpectomy with radiation therapy (breast-conserving therapy). Since the long-term survival rates for mastectomy and for lumpectomy with radiation therapy are comparable, patients’ informed preferences are important for decision-making. Although most clinicians believe that they do include patients in the decision-making process, the information that women with breast cancer receive regarding the surgical options is often rather subjective, and does not invite patients to express their preferences. Shared decision-making (SDM) is meant to help patients clarify their preferences, resulting in greater satisfaction with their final choice. Patient decision aids can be very supportive in SDM. We present the protocol of a study to β test a patient decision aid and optimise strategies for the implementation of SDM regarding the treatment of early-stage breast cancer in the actual clinical setting.

Methods/design

This paper concerns a pre-implementation and post-implementation study, lasting from October 2014 to June 2015. The intervention consists of implementing SDM using a patient decision aid. The intervention will be evaluated using qualitative and quantitative measures, acquired prior to, during and after the implementation of SDM. Outcome measures are knowledge about treatment, perceived SDM and decisional conflict. We will also conduct face-to-face interviews with a sample of these patients and their care providers, to assess their experiences with the implementation of SDM and the patient decision aid.

Ethics and dissemination

This protocol was approved by the Maastricht University Medical Centre (MUMC) ethics committee. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal articles and presentations at national conferences. Findings will be used to finalise a multi-faceted implementation strategy to test the implementation of SDM and a patient decision aid in terms of cost-effectiveness, in a multicentre cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT).

Study registration number

NTR4879.
Developing person-centred analysis of harm in a paediatric hospital: a quality improvement report
Authors: Lachman Peter , Linkson Lynette , Evans Trish , Clausen Henning , Hothi Daljit
Published: April 2015

The provision of safe care is complex and difficult to achieve. Awareness of what happens in real time is one of the ways to develop a safe system within a culture of safety. At Great Ormond Street Hospital, we developed and tested a tool specifically designed for patients and families to report harm, with the aim of raising awareness and opportunities for staff to continually improve and provide safe care. Over a 10-month period, we developed processes to report harm. We used the Model for Improvement and multiple Plan, Do, Study, Act cycles for testing. We measured changes using culture surveys as well as analysis of the reports. The tool was tested in different formats and moved from a provider centric to a person-centred tool analysed in real time. An independent person working with the families was best placed to support reporting. Immediate feedback to families was managed by senior staff, and provided the opportunity for clarification, transparency and apologies. Feedback to staff provided learning opportunities. Improvements in culture climate and staff reporting were noted in the short term. The integration of patient involvement in safety monitoring systems is essential to achieve safety. The high number of newly identified ‘near-misses’ and ‘critical incidents’ by families demonstrated an underestimation of potentially harmful events. This testing and introduction of a self-reporting, real-time bedside tool has led to active engagement with families and patients and raised situation awareness. We believe that this will lead to improved and safer care in the longer term.
Using a virtual environment to study child pedestrian behaviours: a comparison of parents’ expectations and children's street crossing behaviour
Authors: Morrongiello Barbara A , Corbett Michael
Published: April 2015

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare parents’ expectations for their children crossing streets with children's actual crossing behaviours and determine how accurately parents judge their own children's pedestrian behaviours to be.

Method

Using a fully immersive virtual reality system interfaced with a 3D movement measurement system, younger (7–9 years) and older (10–12 years) children's crossing behaviours were assessed. The parent viewed the same traffic conditions and indicated if their child would cross and how successful she/he expected the child would be when doing so.

Results

Comparing children's performance with what their parents expected they would do revealed that parents significantly overestimated the inter-vehicle gap threshold of their children, erroneously assuming that children would show safer pedestrian behaviours and select larger inter-vehicle gaps to cross into than they actually did; there were no effects of child age or sex. Child and parent scores were not correlated and a logistic regression indicated these were independent of one another.

Conclusions

Parents were not accurate in estimating the traffic conditions under which their children would try and cross the street. If parents are not adequately supervising when children cross streets, they may be placing their children at risk of pedestrian injury because they are assuming their children will select larger (safer) inter-vehicle gaps when crossing than children actually do.
Continuous daily use of cilostazol prevents in-stent restenosis following carotid artery stenting: serial angiographic investigation of 229 lesions
Authors: Miyazaki Yuichi , Mori Takahisa , Iwata Tomonori , Aoyagi Yoshinori , Tanno Yuhei , Kasakura Shigen , Yoshioka Kazuhiro
Published: April 2015

Background

Several studies have reported that cilostazol (CLS) may reduce in-stent restenosis (ISR) after carotid artery stenting (CAS). However, it is not known for how long CLS must be continued to prevent ISR.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed a prospectively collected database of patients who underwent elective CAS and follow-up angiography at 3 months and 1 year after the procedure. ISR was defined as stenosis of 50% or greater on digital subtraction angiography. The cumulative incidence rates of angiographic ISR were compared between the three groups, divided according to duration of CLS use : (1) patients who were maintained on CLS for 12 months or more after CAS (12M CLS group, n=70), (2) patients who were treated with CLS for the first 3 months after CAS (3M CLS group, n=23), and (3) patients who did not receive CLS (no CLS group, n=136).

Results

A total of 229 lesions in 199 patients were included in our analysis. During a median follow-up of 365 days, ISR was detected in 15 lesions. The cumulative ISR rates overall and in the 12M CLS, 3M CLS, and no CLS groups were 5.6%, 0%, 5.0%, and 8.4%, respectively, at 1 year, and the log rank test showed that there was a significant difference between the three groups (p<0.05). Cox regression analysis demonstrated that the 12M CLS group had a significantly lower risk of ISR than the 3M CLS group (adjusted relative risk (aRR) 3.06e-10, 95% CI 0 to 0.51, p<0.05) and the no CLS group (aRR 1.41e-10, 95% CI 0 to 0.15, p<0.001), whereas no difference was found between the 3M CLS group and the no CLS group.

Conclusions

An overall cumulative ISR rate of 5.6% was documented angiographically at 1 year after CAS. Continuous daily use of CLS (for at least 1 year) may have a beneficial effect on long term prevention of ISR.
Diabetes distress: understanding the hidden struggles of living with diabetes and exploring intervention strategies
Authors: Berry Emma , Lockhart Sam , Davies Mark , Lindsay John R , Dempster Martin
Published: April 2015

Diabetes distress is a rational emotional response to the threat of a life-changing illness. Distinct from depression, it is conceptually rooted in the demands of diabetes management and is a product of emotional adjustment. Diabetes distress has been found to be significantly associated with glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level and the likelihood of an individual adopting self-care behaviours. The lack of perceived support from family, friends and healthcare professionals significantly contributes to elevated diabetes distress, and this issue tends to be overlooked when designing interventions. Pioneering large-scale research, DAWN2, gives voices to the families of those with diabetes and reaffirms the need to consider psychosocial factors in routine diabetes care. Structured diabetes education programmes are the most widely used in helping individuals cope with diabetes, but they tend not to include the psychological or interpersonal aspects of diabetes management in their curricula. The need for health practitioners, irrespective of background, to demonstrate an understanding of diabetes distress and to actively engage in discussion with individuals struggling to cope with diabetes is emphasised.
Preparation, electrochemical behavior, and variable-temperature magnetic properties of Co(3,5-DBSQ)2 complexes of imidazole- or pyrazole-substituted ligands
Authors: Dowling Carolyn , Dinsdale Danielle R. , Lemaire Martin T.
Published: April 2015

Herein we describe the preparation of four new Co(3,5-DBSQ)2 containing known 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole 1, 2,2′-bisbenzimidazole 2, or 2,2-(1H-pyrazole-3,5-diyl)dipyridine 3. We investigate the electronic and variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility properties of these complexes. Complexes containing 2 and 3 are bimetallic and variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility data suggest observation of a stable intermediate (high-spin and low-spin) state for the bimetallic complex with 3, which does undergo valence tautomerism. Complexes 4–6 containing imidazole-based ligands 1 and 2 feature high-spin ground states and no valence tautomerism is observed in these materials. This experimental finding is corroborated with density functional theory calculations, which support the existence of a stable high-spin ground state in these complexes.
Spatiotemporal dynamics of natural tree regeneration in unmanaged subalpine conifer forests with high wild ungulate densities
Authors: Brüllhardt Martin , Risch Anita C. , Filli Flurin , Haller Rudolf M. , Schütz Martin
Published: April 2015

Increasing wild ungulate populations in the northern hemisphere led to extensive research on their influence on forest regeneration. According to the results of different studies, high ungulate densities may alter forest structure and composition, as well as inhibit forest regeneration. However, little is known about the long-term impact of large herbivores on forest dynamics at the landscape scale. Therefore, we studied forest regeneration in conifer forests of the highly protected Swiss National Park. We assessed sapling densities and apical shoot loss by repeated systematic sampling in 2003 and in 2011–2012 in two valleys featuring exceptionally high densities of wild ungulates of up to 86 individuals per vegetation-covered square kilometre during summer and 28 individuals per vegetation-covered square kilometre during winter. Mean apical shoot loss ranged between 2.9% and 10.6% depending on study site and assessment year. In addition to the increasing sapling densities, these results suggest that ungulates had little impact on tree establishment in the studied subalpine conifer forests. Additionally, sapling diversity was higher on plots repeatedly influenced by ungulates (apical shoot loss), suggesting rather positive effects of ungulates on sapling diversity. Habitat containing a mixture of forest and grassland without livestock or human disturbance provides a high-quality environment for ungulates, which likely explains the low impact of ungulates on forest regeneration in our study area.
On a possible method of Casimir pressure renormalization in a ball
Authors: Dubikovsky A. I. , Silaev P. K. , Timofeevskaya O. D.
Published: April 2015

We propose a method of Casimir pressure renormalization for massive scalar field in a ball. This method is slightly different from the generally accepted methods. An alternative way of choosing the normalization point leads to an exponential pressure dependence on the mass of the field instead of an inverse polynomial dependence. The proposed method does not use the scalar quantized field in the exterior domain. This allows us to bypass the difficulties that appear when one uses the standard approach.
Effect of heat treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of a Ti-6Al-4V alloy rod prepared by powder compact extrusion
Authors: Yang Fei , Gabbitas Brian
Published: April 2015

In this paper, Ti-6Al-4V alloy rods were manufactured by the powder compact extrusion of a powder mixture of hydride–dehydride (HDH) titanium powder, elemental aluminum powder and master alloy powder. Extrusions were carried out at 1300°C and with a holding time of 5 min in an argon atmosphere. The effects of different heat treatments (HT1: 960°C/1 h, water quenching, HT2: 960°C/1 h, water quenching + 500°C/6 h, air cooling, HT3: 850°C/2 h, furnace cooling to 540°C, then air cooling) on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-extruded Ti-6Al-4V alloy rods were investigated. The results showed that a homogeneous microstructure, composed of a lamellar structure with a grain size range of 40–60 μm, was produced by powder compact extrusion of a powder mixture. The mechanical properties achieved were an ultimate tensile strength (UTS) of 1254 MPa, a yield strength (YS) of 1216 MPa and 8% ductility. After quenching at 960°C and with a holding time of 1 h, the UTS and YS of the heat treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy rod were increased to 1324 MPa and 1290 MPa, and the ductility was increased to 12%. After HT2, the UTS and YS of the heat treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy rod were significantly increased to 1436 MPa and 1400 MPa, but the ductility decreased to 4%. After HT3, the mechanical properties of the heat treated Ti-6Al-4V alloy rod were slightly decreased to give a UTS of 1213 MPa and a YS of 1180 MPa, with an increase in ductility to 11%. The microstructural changes of as-extruded Ti-6Al-4V alloy rods were also investigated for the different heat treatments.
Preparation and property of duplex Ni–B–TiO2/Ni nano-composite coatings
Authors: Wang Shu-Jen , Wang Yuxin , Shu Xin , Tay Seeleng , Gao Wei , Shakoor R. A. , Kahraman Ramazan
Published: April 2015

The duplex Nickel–Boron–Titania/Nickel ( Ni – B – TiO 2/ Ni ) coatings were deposited on mild steel by using two baths with Ni as the inner layer. TiO 2 nanoparticles were incorporated into the Ni – B coatings as the outer layer by using solid particle mixing method. The microstructure, morphology and corrosion resistance of the duplex Ni – B – TiO 2/ Ni nanocomposite coatings were systemically investigated. The results show that the duplex interface was uniform and the adhesion between two layers was very good. The microhardness of duplex Ni – B – TiO 2/ Ni coating was much higher than the Ni coating due to the outer layer of Ni – B – TiO 2 coating. The corrosion resistance of the duplex Ni – B – TiO 2/ Ni coating was also significantly improved comparing with single Ni – B coating. The Ni – B –10 g/L TiO 2/ Ni coating was found to have the best corrosion resistance among these duplex coatings. This type of duplex Ni – B – TiO 2/ Ni coating, with high hardness and good corrosion resistance properties, should be able to find broad applications under adverse environmental conditions.
Effects of polymer binder on rheological properties of silver pastes for screen printing front electrode films of solar cells
Authors: Qin Jun , Zhang Weijun , Liu Zhuofeng , Bai Shuxin
Published: April 2015

The purpose of the study is to characterize and improve the fundamental understanding of the effects of Ethyl Cellulose (EC) binder on the rheological properties of silver pastes for screen printing front electrode films of solar cells. Dispersions of silver particles (surface modified with oleic acid) in EC polymer solutions with and without thixotropic agent were prepared; and yield stress values were measured by setting shear stress to characterize the strength of interaction in pastes. Week flocculation network of silver particles is produced due to depletion of flocculation. EC polymer also has a significant interaction with thixotropic agent. Down-sweep flow curves of dispersions without thixotropic agent were measured and well fitted by Generalized Casson model. The model parameters p indicated that EC polymer with high molecular weight has a stronger shear-thinning ability. Steady-state flow, three interval thixotropy shear test (3ITT) and oscillatory measurements were conducted to study the effect of EC content on viscosity, structure rebuilding and viscoelastic properties of electrode pastes. Increasing EC polymer is not the best way to prevent the layer printed from laying down.
Modeling of weld bead geometry for rapid manufacturing by robotic GMAW
Authors: Yang Tao , Xiong Jun , Chen Hui , Chen Yong
Published: April 2015

Weld-based rapid prototyping (RP) has shown great promises for fabricating 3D complex parts. During the layered deposition of forming metallic parts with robotic gas metal arc welding, the geometry of a single weld bead has an important influence on surface finish quality, layer thickness and dimensional accuracy of the deposited layer. In order to obtain accurate, predictable and controllable bead geometry, it is essential to understand the relationships between the process variables with the bead geometry (bead width, bead height and ratio of bead width to bead height). This paper highlights an experimental study carried out to develop mathematical models to predict deposited bead geometry through the quadratic general rotary unitized design. The adequacy and significance of the models were verified via the analysis of variance. Complicated cause–effect relationships between the process parameters and the bead geometry were revealed. Results show that the developed models can be applied to predict the desired bead geometry with great accuracy in layered deposition with accordance to the slicing process of RP.
Waves of spin current in magnetized dielectrics
Authors: Andreev P. A. , Kuz'menkov L. S.
Published: April 2015

Spin current is an important physical quantity in present day spintronics and it might be very useful in the physics of quantum plasmas of the spinning particles. Thus it is important to have an equation of the spin current evolution. This equation naturally appears as a part of the set of quantum hydrodynamic (QHD) equations. Consequently, we present the set of QHD equations derived from the many-particle microscopic Schrödinger equation, which consists of the continuity equation, the Euler equation, the Bloch equation and the equation of the spin current evolution. We use these equations to study the dispersion of the collective excitations in the three-dimensional samples of the magnetized dielectrics. We show that the dynamics of the spin current leads to the formation of new type of the collective excitations in the magnetized dielectrics, which we called the spin current waves. We focus our attention on the waves propagating perpendicular to the external magnetic field.
Quantum-Behaved Particle Swarm Optimization-Based Structural Modal Parameter Identification Under Ambient Excitation
Authors: Chang Jun , Nagarajaiah Satish
Published: April 2015

Under ambient excitation of white noise, structural modal parameters can be identified from cross-power spectrum calculated from structural outputs, without known input. The minimization of difference between theoretical value and test value of cross-power spectrum — the former is an equation including modal parameters to be identified, and the latter is computed based on the output-only data of structure — is adopted as an objective function for optimization. The optimal objective function value can be obtained through optimal modal parameter search. Quantum-behaved particle swarm optimization (QPSO) — swarm intelligence optimization algorithm based on particle swarm optimization (PSO) — is used for optimization to identify the modal parameters of structure under the ambient excitation. Then, the modal parameter identification method based on QPSO presented herein had been demonstrated by a numerical simulation of three-span continuous beam and experimental results of a three story structure. The computed results indicated that QPSO can be effectively used in the structural modal parameter identification under ambient excitation.
GAIT ANALYSIS DRIVEN 2D FINITE ELEMENT MODEL OF THE NEUROPATHIC HINDFOOT
Authors: GUIOTTO ANNAMARIA , SCARTON ALESSANDRA , SAWACHA ZIMI , GUARNERI GABRIELLA , AVOGARO ANGELO , COBELLI CLAUDIO
Published: April 2015

The diabetic foot is one of the most serious complications of diabetes mellitus and it can lead to foot ulcerations and amputations. Finite element analysis quantifies the loads developed in the different anatomical structures and describes how these affect foot tissue during foot–floor interaction. This approach for the diabetic subjects’ foot could provide valuable information in the process of plantar orthosis fabrication and fit. The purpose of this study was to develop two finite element models of the hindfoot, of healthy and diabetic neuropathic subjects. These models accounts for in vivo kinematics, kinetics, plantar pressure (PP) data and magnetic resonance images. These were acquired during gait analysis on 10 diabetic neuropathics and 10 healthy subjects. Validity of the models has been assessed through comparison between the peak PPs of simulated and experimental data: root mean square error (RMSE) in percentage of the experimental peak value was evaluated. Two different finite elements analysis were performed: subject-specific simulations in terms of both geometry and gait analysis, and by adopting the complete gait analysis dataset as boundary conditions. Model predicted plantar pressures were in good agreement with those experimentally measured. Best agreement was obtained in the subject-specific case (RMSE of 13%).
Dynamic Analysis and Control of Multi-Body Manufacturing Systems Based on Newton–Euler Formulation
Authors: Hwang Yunn-Lin , Truong Van-Thuan
Published: April 2015

This paper presents the numerical dynamic analysis and control of multi-body manufacturing systems based on Newton–Euler formulation. The models of systems built with dynamical parameters are executed. The research uses Newton–Euler formulation application in mechanics calculations, where relations between contiguous bodies through joints as well as their constrained equations are considered. The kinematics and dynamics are both analyzed and acquired by practical applications. Numerical tools help to determine all dynamic characteristics of multi-body manufacturing systems such as displacements, velocities, accelerations and reaction forces of bodies and joints. Using the acquisition, the dynamic approach of multi-body manufacturing systems is developed then whole fundamentals for controller tuning are obtained. It leads to an effective solution for mechanical manufacturing system investigation. Numerical examples are also presented as the illustrations in this paper. The numerical results imply that numerical equations based on Newton–Euler algorithm are valuable in multi-body manufacturing system. It is an effective approach for solving whole mechatronic manufacturing systems including structures, kinematics, dynamics and control.
A Genetic Algorithm with the Mixed Heuristics for Traveling Salesman Problem
Authors: Wang Yong
Published: April 2015

Traveling salesman problem (TSP) is one of well-known discrete optimization problems. The genetic algorithm is improved with the mixed heuristics to resolve TSP. The first heuristics is the four vertices and three lines inequality, which is applied to the 4-vertex paths to generate the shorter Hamiltonian cycles (HC). The second local heuristics is executed to reverse the i-vertex paths with more than two vertices, which also generates the shorter HCs. It is necessary that the two heuristics coordinate with each other in the optimization process. The time complexity of the first and second heuristics are O(n) and O(n3), respectively. The two heuristics are merged into the original genetic algorithm. The computation results show that the improved genetic algorithm with the mixed heuristics can find better solutions than the original GA does under the same conditions.
An analytical approach to model manufacturing a drift heterobipolar transistors: On approach to optimize technological process to increase integration rate
Authors: Pankratov E. L. , Bulaeva E. A.
Published: April 2015

In this paper, we introduce an approach to increase integration rate of drift heterobipolar transistors. The approach is based on manufacturing of heterostructure with spatial configuration, doping of required areas of the heterostructure by diffusion or ion implantation and optimization of annealing of dopant and/or radiation defects.
Pricing interest rate derivatives with model risk
Authors: Hosokawa Satoshi , Matsumoto Koichi
Published: April 2015

This paper studies an interest rate derivative when there is the model risk in an interest rate model. We consider a mean reverting interest rate process whose volatility model is not known. Most of prices of interest rate derivatives cannot be determined uniquely, based on this interest rate model. We study the price bounds of a derivative and propose how to calculate the price bounds by a trinomial model. Further, we analyze the model risk of derivatives and their portfolios numerically.
Bitten ammonites from the upper Lias Group (Lower Jurassic) of Saltwick Bay, Whitby, North Yorkshire, UK
Authors: Maddra Richard
Published: April 2015

Two specimens of
Dactylioceras
, collected loose on the foreshore at Saltwick Bay, near Whitby, North Yorkshire, show damage similar to that recorded previously on specimens from Dorset and elsewhere in Europe. The damage is attributed to predation. The stratigraphical derivation of the specimens is unknown, but their location suggests that they are likely to be from the Whitby Mudstone Formation in the upper Lias Group of the Lower Jurassic. The specimens from Saltwick Bay extend the record of predated ammonites to the Lower Jurassic of North Yorkshire.
Dynamic Pricing with Limited Supply
Authors: Babaioff Moshe , Dughmi Shaddin , Kleinberg Robert , Slivkins Aleksandrs
Published: April 2015

We consider the problem of designing revenue-maximizing online posted-price mechanisms when the seller has limited supply. A seller haskidentical items for sale and is facingnpotential buyers (“agents”) that are arriving sequentially. Each agent is interested in buying one item. Each agent’s value for an item is an independent sample from some fixed (but unknown) distribution with support [0,1]. The seller offers a take-it-or-leave-it price to each arriving agent (possibly different for different agents), and aims to maximize his expected revenue.

We focus on mechanisms that do not use any information about the distribution; such mechanisms are calleddetail-free(orprior-independent). They are desirable because knowing the distribution is unrealistic in many practical scenarios. We study how the revenue of such mechanisms compares to the revenue of the optimal offline mechanism that knows the distribution (“offline benchmark”).

We present a detail-free online posted-price mechanism whose revenue is at most O((klogn)2/3) less than the offline benchmark, for every distribution that is regular. In fact, this guarantee holds withoutanyassumptions if the benchmark is relaxed to fixed-price mechanisms. Further, we prove a matching lower bound. The performance guarantee for the same mechanism can be improved toO(√klogn), with a distribution-dependent constant, if the ratiok/nis sufficiently small. We show that, in the worst case over all demand distributions, this is essentially the best rate that can be obtained with a distribution-specific constant.

On a technical level, we exploit the connection to multiarmed bandits (MAB). While dynamic pricing with unlimited supply can easily be seen as an MAB problem, the intuition behind MAB approaches breaks when applied to the setting with limited supply. Our high-level conceptual contribution is that even the limited supply setting can be fruitfully treated as a bandit problem.
Cryptographic Theory Meets Practice
Authors: Rupp Andy , Baldimtsi Foteini , Hinterwälder Gesine , Paar Christof
Published: April 2015

We propose a new lightweight cryptographic payment scheme for transit systems, called P4R (Privacy-Preserving Pre-Payments with Refunds), which is suitable for low-cost user devices with limited capabilities. Using P4R, users deposit money to obtain one-show credentials, where each credential allows the user to make an
arbitrary
ride on the system. The trip fare is determined on-the-fly at the end of the trip. If the deposit for the credential exceeds this fare, the user obtains a refund. Refund values collected over several trips are aggregated in a single token, thereby saving memory and increasing privacy. Our solution builds on Brands’s e-cash scheme to realize the prepayment system and on Boneh-Lynn-Shacham (BLS) signatures to implement the refund capabilities. Compared to a Brands-only solution for transportation payment systems, P4R allows us to minimize the number of coins a user needs to pay for his rides and thus minimizes the number of expensive withdrawal transactions, as well as storage requirements for the fairly large coins. Moreover, P4R enables flexible pricing because it allows for exact payments of arbitrary amounts (within a certain range) using a
single
fast paying (and refund) transaction. Fortunately, the mechanisms enabling these features require very little computational overhead. Choosing contemporary security parameters, we implemented P4R on a prototyping payment device and show its suitability for future transit payment systems. Estimation results demonstrate that the data required for 20 rides consume less than 10KB of memory, and the payment and refund transactions during a ride take less than half a second. We show that malicious users are not able to cheat the system by receiving a refund that exceeds the overall deposit minus the overall fare and can be identified during double-spending checks. At the same time, the system protects the privacy of honest users in that transactions are anonymous (except for deposits) and trips are unlinkable.
Fully Homomorphic Encryption: Cryptography's holy grail
Authors: Wu David J.
Published: April 2015

For more than 30 years, cryptographers have embarked on a quest to construct an encryption scheme that would enable arbitrary computation on encrypted data. Conceptually simple, yet notoriously difficult to achieve, cryptography's holy grail opens the door to many new capabilities in our cloud-centric, data-driven world.
The Price of Anarchy in Games of Incomplete Information
Authors: Roughgarden Tim
Published: April 2015

We define smooth games of incomplete information. We prove an ’’extension theorem” for such games:price of anarchy bounds for pure Nash equilibria for all induced full-information games extendautomatically, without quantitative degradation, to all mixed-strategy Bayes-Nash equilibria withrespect to a product prior distribution over players’ preferences. We also note that, for Bayes-Nashequilibria in games with correlated player preferences, there is no general extension theorem forsmooth games.

We give several applications of our definition and extension theorem. First, we show that many gamesof incomplete information for which the price of anarchy has been studied are smooth in our sense.Our extension theorem unifies much of the known work on the price of anarchy in games of incompleteinformation. Second, we use our extension theorem to prove new bounds on the price of anarchy ofBayes-Nash equilibria in routing games with incomplete information.
Profiling-based L1 data cache bypassing to improve GPU performance and energy efficiency
Authors: Huangfu Yijie , Zhang Wei
Published: April 2015

While caches have been studied extensively in the context of CPUs, it remains largely unknown how to exploit caches efficiently to benefit GPGPU programs due to the distinct characteristics of CPU and GPU architectures. In this work, we analyze the memory access patterns of GPGPU applications and propose a cost-effective profiling-based method to identify the data accesses that should bypass the L1 data cache to improve performance and energy efficiency. The experimental results show that the proposed method can improve the performance by 13.8% and reduce the energy consumption by about 6% on average.
Support for cross-domain composition of embedded systems using MARTE models
Authors: Vasilevskaya Maria , Nadjm-Tehrani Simin
Published: April 2015

Embedded systems have evolved from tailormade systems developed by specialists to artefacts built from complex software/hardware components with many extra-functional concerns. Ubiquity of embedded devices demands other facets such as security and safety to be brought to the forefront. At the same time, cost efficiency dictates building systems from reusable building blocks. However, integration of extra-functional building blocks comes with a certain resource overhead that must be taken into consideration while designing resource-constrained embedded systems. This paper builds on the premise that functional models can be extended with platform modelling to help the application engineers to select the right extra-functional building blocks while accounting for performance implications of their integration. We define a UML profile relating it to relevant parts of the MARTE profile in order to capture the performance analysis results for a reusable building block, and a generic notion of model-based compatibility analysis for platform models. Additionally, our approach rests on creation of ontologies to store MARTE descriptions of hardware components, and is supported by a MagicDraw plugin developed for capturing the analysis results and performing the compatibility analysis.
Post ranking in a blogosphere
Authors: Hwang Won-Seok , Kim Sang-Wook
Published: April 2015

Existing algorithms of post ranking in a blogosphere do not consider the information on categories and timestamps of posts, which is valuable to improve the accuracy of post rankings. The category, created by a blogger, implies her/his interesting topics, and the timestamps, which indicates the creation times of a post and a blog action, are closely related to the quality of a post. In this paper, we propose three strategies that exploit the information related to the categories and timestamps, and address how to apply it to four existing post ranking algorithms, i.e., PostRank, BAITS, BloggerAVG, and PBFS. We evaluate the accuracy of these algorithms by conducting extensive experiments using real-world blog data. The results show that our strategies help each algorithm improve the accuracy.
Evidence for a link between gut microbiota and hypertension in the Dahl rat
Authors: Mell Blair , Jala Venkatakrishna R. , Mathew Anna V. , Byun Jaeman , Waghulde Harshal , Zhang Youjie , Haribabu Bodduluri , Vijay-Kumar Matam , Pennathur Subramaniam , Joe Bina
Published: April 2015

The gut microbiota plays a critical role in maintaining physiological homeostasis. This study was designed to evaluate whether gut microbial composition affects hypertension. 16S rRNA genes obtained from cecal samples of Dahl salt-sensitive (S) and Dahl salt-resistant (R) rats were sequenced. Bacteria of the phylum Bacteroidetes were higher in the S rats compared with the R rats. Furthermore, the family S24-7 of the phylum Bacteroidetes and the family Veillonellaceae of the phylum Firmicutes were higher in the S rats compared with the R rats. Analyses of the various phylogenetic groups of cecal microbiota revealed significant differences between S and R rats. Both strains were maintained on a high-salt diet, administered antibiotics for ablation of microbiota, transplanted with S or R rat cecal contents, and monitored for blood pressure (BP). Systolic BP of the R rats remained unaltered irrespective of S or R rat cecal transplantation. Surprisingly, compared with the S rats given S rat cecal content, systolic BP of the S rats given a single bolus of cecal content from R rats was consistently and significantly elevated during the rest of their life, and they had a shorter lifespan. A lower level of fecal bacteria of the family Veillonellaceae and increased plasma acetate and heptanoate were features associated with the increased BP observed in the S rats given R rat microbiota compared with the S rats given S rat microbiota. These data demonstrate a link between microbial content and BP regulation and, because the S and R rats differ in their genomic composition, provide the necessary basis to further examine the relationship between the host genome and microbiome in the context of BP regulation in the Dahl rats.
The Evolving Impact of G Protein-Coupled Receptor Kinases in Cardiac Health and Disease
Authors: Sato Priscila Y. , Chuprun J. Kurt , Schwartz Mathew , Koch Walter J.
Published: April 2015

G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important regulators of various cellular functions via activation of intracellular signaling events. Active GPCR signaling is shut down by GPCR kinases (GRKs) and subsequent β-arrestin-mediated mechanisms including phosphorylation, internalization, and either receptor degradation or resensitization. The seven-member GRK family varies in their structural composition, cellular localization, function, and mechanism of action (see sect. II). Here, we focus our attention on GRKs in particular canonical and novel roles of the GRKs found in the cardiovascular system (see sects. III and IV). Paramount to overall cardiac function is GPCR-mediated signaling provided by the adrenergic system. Overstimulation of the adrenergic system has been highly implicated in various etiologies of cardiovascular disease including hypertension and heart failure. GRKs acting downstream of heightened adrenergic signaling appear to be key players in cardiac homeostasis and disease progression, and herein we review the current data on GRKs related to cardiac disease and discuss their potential in the development of novel therapeutic strategies in cardiac diseases including heart failure.
The Physiology of ProteinS-acylation
Authors: Chamberlain Luke H. , Shipston Michael J.
Published: April 2015

Protein S-acylation, the only fully reversible posttranslational lipid modification of proteins, is emerging as a ubiquitous mechanism to control the properties and function of a diverse array of proteins and consequently physiological processes. S-acylation results from the enzymatic addition of long-chain lipids, most typically palmitate, onto intracellular cysteine residues of soluble and transmembrane proteins via a labile thioester linkage. Addition of lipid results in increases in protein hydrophobicity that can impact on protein structure, assembly, maturation, trafficking, and function. The recent explosion in global S-acylation (palmitoyl) proteomic profiling as a result of improved biochemical tools to assay S-acylation, in conjunction with the recent identification of enzymes that control protein S-acylation and de-acylation, has opened a new vista into the physiological function of S-acylation. This review introduces key features of S-acylation and tools to interrogate this process, and highlights the eclectic array of proteins regulated including membrane receptors, ion channels and transporters, enzymes and kinases, signaling adapters and chaperones, cell adhesion, and structural proteins. We highlight recent findings correlating disruption of S-acylation to pathophysiology and disease and discuss some of the major challenges and opportunities in this rapidly expanding field.
Regulation of Increased Blood Flow (Hyperemia) to Muscles During Exercise: A Hierarchy of Competing Physiological Needs
Authors: Joyner Michael J. , Casey Darren P.
Published: April 2015

This review focuses on how blood flow to contracting skeletal muscles is regulated during exercise in humans. The idea is that blood flow to the contracting muscles links oxygen in the atmosphere with the contracting muscles where it is consumed. In this context, we take a top down approach and review the basics of oxygen consumption at rest and during exercise in humans, how these values change with training, and the systemic hemodynamic adaptations that support them. We highlight the very high muscle blood flow responses to exercise discovered in the 1980s. We also discuss the vasodilating factors in the contracting muscles responsible for these very high flows. Finally, the competition between demand for blood flow by contracting muscles and maximum systemic cardiac output is discussed as a potential challenge to blood pressure regulation during heavy large muscle mass or whole body exercise in humans. At this time, no one dominant dilator mechanism accounts for exercise hyperemia. Additionally, complex interactions between the sympathetic nervous system and the microcirculation facilitate high levels of systemic oxygen extraction and permit just enough sympathetic control of blood flow to contracting muscles to regulate blood pressure during large muscle mass exercise in humans.
PARD3 Inactivation in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinomas Impairs STAT3 and Promotes Malignant Invasion
Authors: Bonastre Ester , Verdura Sara , Zondervan Ilse , Facchinetti Federica , Lantuejoul Sylvie , Chiara Maria Dolores , Rodrigo Juan Pablo , Carretero Julian , Condom Enric , Vidal Agustin , Sidransky David , Villanueva Alberto , Roz Luca , Brambilla Elisabeth , Savola Suvi , Sanchez-Cespedes Montse
Published: April 2015

Correct apicobasal polarization and intercellular adhesions are essential for the appropriate development of normal epithelia. Here, we investigated the contribution of the cell polarity regulator PARD3 to the development of lung squamous cell carcinomas (LSCC). Tumor-specific PARD3 alterations were found in 8% of LSCCs examined, placing PARD3 among the most common tumor suppressor genes in this malignancy. Most PAR3-mutant proteins exhibited a relative reduction in the ability to mediate formation of tight junctions and actin-based protrusions, bind atypical protein kinase C, activate RAC1, and activate STAT3 at cell confluence. Thus, PARD3 alterations prevented the formation of contacts between neighboring cells and the subsequent downstream signaling. Notably, reconstituting PAR3 activity in vivo reduced tumor-invasive and metastatic properties. Our findings define PARD3 as a recurrently inactivated cell polarity regulator in LSCC that affects tumor aggressiveness and metastasis. Cancer Res; 75(7); 1287–97. ©2015 AACR.