bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Double Isotope Method to Measure Vitamin B12 Absorption
Authors: Campbell C. B. , Craswell P. W.
Published: September 2017

A double isotope method using 51Cr chromic chloride as a non‐absorbable marker was used to study absorption of vitamin B12. Results were compared with those obtained by the Schilling test and, in some patients, the total faecal excretion method. The test proved reliable with certain advantages over other methods of assessing vitamin B12 absorption. It measures absorption directly, does not require quantitative collection of excreta, is independent of renal function and results are available within forty‐eight hours.
Reversal of “Cirrhosis” in Idiopathic Haemochromatosis Following Long‐term Intensive Venesection Therapy
Authors: Powell L. W. , Kerr J. F. R.
Published: September 2017

Apparent complete reversal of cirrhosis is described in 2 patients with idiopathic haemochromatosis who were subjected to prolonged and intensive venesection. Evidence of increased iron stores was found in the relatives of both. It is suggested that the rarity of similar reports might be due to insufficiently long follow up of many cases. But the possibility that idiopathic haemochromatosis might eventually produce irreversible changes in the liver cannot be excluded. Further, intercurrent alcoholic damage may account for the failure, in some patients, of the hepatic lesions to resolve after adequate removal of iron.
Gastrointestinal Haemorrhage, Gastric Ulcer and Aspirin
Authors: Duggan J. M.
Published: September 2017

In 1,634 admissions for acute gastroduodenal haemorrhage, the diagnosis was chronic peptic ulcer in two thirds, and “acute lesion” in one quarter. The age incidence of female gastric ulcer was bimodal, with peaks in the fifth and seventh decades. This was in conformity with previous observations of a younger group of female gastric ulcer patients in this community. A high proportion of this younger group took aspirin preparations regularly. 66% of the ulcer and "acute lesion" groups had taken aspirin before haemorrhage. However, in nearly 50% this was part of a regular habit of aspirin taking and in only 17% was it an isolated event. More of the “acute lesion” group took isolated aspirin before bleeding than the ulcer groups but the difference was not significant. The significance of isolated aspirin taking in the aetiology of acute gastroduodenal haemorrhage has been exaggerated by a failure to distinguish it from regular aspirin intake. In both males and females there was a significant association of gastric ulcer bleeding and regular aspirin consumption compared with the duodenal ulcer and “acute lesion” groups. Isolated aspirin taking occurred in those with pre‐existing ulcer as well as those with “acute lesions”.
A Study in Erythromelalgia
Authors: Jelinek V. M. J.
Published: September 2017

Erythromelalgia is a condition characterized by redness and burning pains in the limbs occurring as a response to a rise of limb temperature. In the past, it has been treated by a number of drugs, none of which has been particularly effective. In this study, an electric blanket was used to produce a rise of limb temperature and development of pain in a 25 year old man who had been disabled by primary erythromelalgia. 10 drugs of known vaso‐active or anti‐inflammatory properties were tested by this method without affecting the pain experienced by the patient. Despite these findings, a pilot clinical study suggested that when used in combination, methysergide 2 mg t.d.s. and ephedrine 60 mg t.d.s. could prevent the occurrence of the patient's symptoms. However, owing to the known toxicity of methysergide, a test was sought which could demonstrate an objective effect of this agent before continuing its use in combination. Further testing with an electric blanket did not confirm its efficacy, but testing with a bicycle ergometer did demonstrate therapeutic benefit of both methysergide and its combination with ephedrine. After nine months successful use of the methysergide and ephedrine combination, it was found that methysergide could be deleted with minimal aggravation of the condition. A review of the clinical features of erythromelalgia suggests that this phenomenon may be due to kinins liberated by a rise of limb temperature in predisposed subjects.
Progressive Systemic Sclerosis (Scleroderma)
Authors: Tay Chong Hai , Khoo Oon Teik
Published: September 2017

Sixteen cases of progressive systemic sclerosis (PSS) were studied in a large general hospital in Singapore from 1957 to 1967. Thirteen were Chinese and 3 Malays. The majority were middle‐aged housewives and half of the cases were seen less than six months after onset. A comparison of clinical features of this series and those from western countries was made. The pattern of cutaneous sclerosis was different and there was notable diminished incidence of Raynaud's phenomenon and associated secondary skin lesions. On the other hand, gastric and duodenal involvements seemed to be more common. A high percentage of cases had mild to moderate albuminuria without any other evidence of renal damage. The laboratory findings were similar to other western series, but with a low incidence of rheumatoid arthritis factor and antinuclear antibodies. Although steroids were given, the majority remained clinically unchanged. The prognosis for the chronic type of PSS is good.
Periodic Diseases, Physiological Rhythms and Feedback Control—A Hypothesis
Authors: Morley Alec
Published: September 2017

Consideration of some general features of controlled biological systems and examination of a particular system, granulo‐poiesis, suggest that feedback control may be responsible for many physiological rhythms and for the periodic features observed in a number of diseases.
Urinary Excretion and Plasma Levels of Sulphonamides in Patients with Renal Impairment
Authors: Adam W. R. , Dawborn J. K.
Published: September 2017

Urine and plasma levels and the clearance of two sulphonamides have been studied in patients with varying degrees of renal failure. In patients with renal impairment there is a decreased sulphadiazine clearance and a reduced 24 hour excretion after a single intravenous dose of sulphadiazine.

In 4 patients on 7 occasions on continuous sulphadiazine or sulphamethizole therapy for three days there was an accumulation in the plasma of free and conjugated sulphonamide. In three of these patients elevated sulphonamide levels were associated with toxic side effects.

Urine concentrations of free sulphonamide were much reduced in patients with renal impairment. Low urine concentrations and high plasma levels limit the use of sulphonamides in patients with renal damage.
Leber's Optic Atrophy: A Possible Example of Vertical Transmission of a Slow Virus in Man
Authors: Wallace D. C.
Published: September 2017

It is demonstrated that the unusual form of inheritance seen in Leber's disease could be due to the presence of a slow virus acting upon individuals with a variable and partly inherited resistance to the infection. A study of a family afflicted by Leber's disease has demonstrated a pattern strongly suggestive of vertical (i.e. parent‐child) transmission of a slow viral agent with late neurological effects.
The Activated Partial Thromboplastin Time in the Control of Heparin Treatment
Authors: Hirsh J. , O'Sullivan E. F. , Gallus A. S. , Martin M.
Published: September 2017

The effect of heparin on the activated partial thromboplastin time and whole blood clotting time was measured in 30 patients with thrombo‐embolic disease. In 27 of these patients there was good correlation between the results of the two tests. Three patients showed little change of the activated partial thromboplastin time, although the clotting time was prolonged by heparin. It is uncertain at present which of these two tests provides the better measure of the antithrombotic effects of heparin when such a discrepancy exists. However, the activated partial thromboplastin time is more convenient to perform and we consider it to be the more suitable test for the routine control of heparin therapy.
Xanthomatous Tumour of the Lung with Identification of Lipid Content
Authors: Long Frank L. , Nott D. B. , MacArthur E. B.
Published: September 2017

A case of benign xanthomatous tumour of the lung presenting with haemoptysis in a woman aged 49 years is described.

Histochemical studies were carried out to determine the nature of the lipids present within the tumour and these were found to be cholesterol and cholesterol esters. The xanthoma cells were considered to be the result of macrophage response to haemorrhage.
Information from social networking sites: Context collapse and ambiguity in the hiring process
Authors: Pike Jacqueline C. , Bateman Patrick J. , Butler Brian S.
Published: September 2017

Forming impressions of job candidates is a challenging process, one characterized by ambiguity brought about by the uncertainty associated with making decisions and judgments. To reduce ambiguity, hiring professionals have established policies and procedures to facilitate the sourcing and use of information about a candidate. However, recently, a public source of information is increasingly being used—information from social networking sites (SNSs). While conventional wisdom says more information is better and can help make decisions less ambiguous, this relationship may not be as straightforward as expected when facing assessments of candidates. This paper examines two such aspects, information‐task quality and context collapse, and their collective impact on ambiguity when making an assessment of a job candidate. Using data from an online survey‐based experiment, the findings suggest information from SNSs can be useful, yet can create ambiguity for decision makers because of context collapse made possible by SNS technologies.
Ayni Real and Imagined: Reciprocity, Indigenous Institutions, and Development Discourses in Contemporary Bolivia
Authors: Wutich Amber , Beresford Melissa , Carvajal Cinthia
Published: September 2017

Durante la última década hubo un cambio muy grande en las políticas bolivianas, demarcado por el rechazo a los gobiernos neoliberales y un incremento del activismo indígena. Ayni (“reciprocidad,” quechua) representa nuevas posibilidades para un naciente orden económico. Exploramos el papel que las ONGs tienen en la promoción del ayni como una forma alternativa de desarrollo. Extrayendo de un análisis histórico de ayni, examinamos encuentros y desencuentros entre la retórica en ayni utilizada por ONGs y la realidad de la reciprocidad practicada en comunidades. Encontramos que los discursos de las ONGs sobre ayni, primero, amplían y debilitan el concepto, y segundo, re‐conciben ayni en formas más compatibles con practicas nuevas de reciprocidad vinculadas a la comercialización y reevangelización. Concluimos que ayni ayuda a las ONGs a encontrar un balance entre diferentes corrientes de cambio social–económico, político y religioso–que han cambiado profundamente a Bolivia en los últimos 30 años.
Typification of names related to Salix lapponum (Salicaceae) and its hybrids published by Ignaz F. Tausch
Authors: Hroneš Michal , Trávníček Bohumil
Published: September 2017

Typifications and nomenclatural notes on seven names (two at the rank of species and five varietal ones) of willows published by I. F. Tausch in 1837 are provided. The name Salix arenaria var. latifolia is deemed illegitimate. Four names (Salix arenaria var. atropurpurea, S. arenaria var. nivea, S. arenaria var. marrubiifolia and S. argyroides) are considered synonymous to S. lapponum var. lapponum and one (S. arenaria var. denudata) to its hybrid with Salix silesiaca. In contrast, Salix daphneola applies to a unique glabrous variety of S. lapponum (var. daphneola) endemic to the Krkonoše Mountains, Czech Republic.
Optimal management of two ecologically interacting deer species—reality matters, beliefs don't
Authors: Elofsson Katarina , Mensah Justice Tei , Kjellander Petter
Published: September 2017

The aim of this paper is to analyze the optimal management of two ecologically interdependent, competing species, roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) and fallow deer (Dama dama). To this end, we develop a numerical stage‐structured model, accounting for species‐specific life history characteristics, gender, and stage‐specific hunting values. Two contrasting management regimes are considered: optimal joint management of the two species and management where the decision maker is ignorant about interspecific competition. Results from our case study show that the presence of interspecific competition reduces roe deer population size and harvest by 30% and 47%, respectively, and reduces the net present value by 9%. High interspecific competition could lead to the exclusion of the roe deer from the area. In contrast, ignorance about the level and consequences of interspecific competition has no impact on harvest decisions and revenues. The explanation is the higher hunting benefits for fallow deer.

Summary for Managers

Wildlife managers need bioeconomic models for decisions on ecologically interdependent species.

This study investigates optimal joint management of roe and fallow deer when the fallow deer exerts a negative impact on roe deer due to interspecific competition.

Results show that interspecific competition reduces the net present value of hunting at the study site by 9%.

Regulations will not increase the net present value of hunting in a situation where the manager is ignorant of interspecific competition.
Documentation of heritage buildings using close‐range UAV images: dense matching issues, comparison and case studies
Authors: Murtiyoso Arnadi , Grussenmeyer Pierre
Published: September 2017

Three‐dimensional (3D) documentation of heritage buildings has long employed both image‐based and range‐based techniques. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide a particular advantage for image‐based techniques in acquiring aerial views, which are difficult to attain using classical terrestrial‐based methods. The technological development of optical sensors and dense matching algorithms also complement existing photogrammetric workflows for the documentation of heritage objects. In this paper, fundamental concepts in photogrammetry and 3D reconstruction based on structure from motion (SfM) will be briefly reviewed. Two case studies were performed using two types of UAVs, one being a state‐of‐the‐art platform dedicated to obtaining close‐range images. Comparisons with laser scanning data were performed and several issues regarding the aerial triangulation and dense matching results were assessed. The results show that although the dense matching of these UAV images may generate centimetre‐level precision, a further increase in precision is often hampered by the quality of the onboard sensor.
Outpatient Appointment Block Scheduling Under Patient Heterogeneity and Patient No‐Shows
Authors: Lee Seung Jun , Heim Gregory R. , Sriskandarajah Chelliah , Zhu Yunxia
Published: September 2017

We study outpatient appointment block scheduling policies for single providers under conditions of patient heterogeneity in service times and patient no‐shows. The objective is to find daily appointment schedules that minimize a weighted sum of patients’ waiting time, the physician's idle time, and the physician's overtime. We contribute by suggesting new effective sequential block scheduling procedures motivated by actual outpatient clinic practices across the globe and grounded in the successful Toyota Production System load smoothing approach. Our block scheduling policy first assigns a sequence of different patient types within a time block. The policy then allocates repetitive blocks across a planning horizon. We start our analysis by studying the case with zero probability of no‐shows. Under the setting that the physician's idle time is zero, we propose a polynomial time optimal scheduling approach for two patient types, before demonstrating that the problem with at least three patient types is NP‐Hard. Various extensions to incorporate practical outpatient clinic environment dimensions are considered. We then extend our scheduling approach to incorporate reasonable patient no‐show probabilities. Finally, our block scheduling approach is adapted for scenarios where outpatient clinics use an open‐access scheduling environment, where patients make same‐day appointments. We compare our block scheduling policies against extant scheduling policy, finding our block scheduling policies surpass the benchmark method.
Sagebrush treatments influence annual population change for greater sage‐grouse
Authors: Smith Kurt T. , Beck Jeffrey L.
Published: September 2017

Vegetation management practices have been applied worldwide to enhance habitats for a variety of wildlife species. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata spp.) communities, iconic to western North America, have been treated to restore herbaceous understories through chemical, mechanical, and prescribed burning practices thought to improve habitat conditions for greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus) and other species. Although the response of structural attributes of sagebrush communities to treatments is well understood, there is a need to identify how treatments influence wildlife population dynamics. We investigated the influence of vegetation treatments occurring in Wyoming, United States, from 1994 to 2012 on annual sage‐grouse population change using yearly male sage‐grouse lek counts. We investigated this response across 1, 3, 5, and 10‐year post‐treatment lags to evaluate how the amount of treated sagebrush communities and time since treatment influenced population change, while accounting for climate, wildfire, and anthropogenic factors. With the exception of chemical treatments exhibiting a positive association with sage‐grouse population change 11 years after implementation, population response to treatments was either neutral or negative for at least 11 years following treatments. Our work supports a growing body of research advocating against treating big sagebrush habitats for sage‐grouse, particularly in Wyoming big sagebrush (A. t. wyomingensis). Loss and fragmentation of sagebrush habitats has been identified as a significant threat for remaining sage‐grouse populations. Because sagebrush may take decades to recover following treatments, we recommend practitioners use caution when designing projects to alter remaining habitats, especially when focused on habitat requirements for one life stage and a single species.
Closure of singular foliations: the proof of Molino’s conjecture
Authors: Alexandrino Marcos M. , Radeschi Marco
Published: September 2017

In this paper we prove the conjecture of Molino that for every singular Riemannian foliation $(M,{\mathcal{F}})$, the partition $\overline{{\mathcal{F}}}$ given by the closures of the leaves of ${\mathcal{F}}$ is again a singular Riemannian foliation.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Dehalobacterium formicoaceticum
Strain DMC, a Strictly Anaerobic Dichloromethane-Degrading Bacterium
Authors: Chen Gao , Murdoch Robert W. , Mack E. Erin , Seger Edward S. , Löffler Frank E.
Published: September 2017

Dehalobacterium formicoaceticum
utilizes dichloromethane as the sole energy source in defined anoxic bicarbonate-buffered mineral salt medium. The products are formate, acetate, inorganic chloride, and biomass. The bacterium’s genome was sequenced using PacBio, assembled, and annotated. The complete genome consists of one 3.77-Mb circular chromosome harboring 3,935 predicted protein-encoding genes.
Complete Genome Sequence of Ralstonia solanacearum FJAT-91, a High-Virulence Pathogen of Tomato Wilt
Authors: Chen Deju , Liu Bo , Zhu Yujing , Zhang Haifeng , Chen Zheng , Zheng Xuefang , Xiao Rongfeng , Chen Yanping
Published: September 2017

Ralstonia solanacearum
FJAT-91, which displays higher virulence toward plants belonging to the family
Solanaceae
, was isolated from a wilted tomato plant vessel in Fujian province, southeast China. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of
R. solanacearum
FJAT-91 using long-read single-molecule PacBio sequencing technology. The genome comprises a 3,873,214-bp circular chromosome and a 2,000,873-bp circular megaplasmid with an overall G+C content of 66.85%.
Complete Genome Sequence of Spiroplasma corruscae EC-1
T
(DSM 19793), a Bacterium Isolated from a Lampyrid Beetle (Ellychnia corrusca)
Authors: Tsai Yi-Ming , Lo Wen-Sui , Kuo Chih-Horng
Published: September 2017

Spiroplasma corruscae
EC-1
T
(DSM 19793) was isolated from the gut of a lampryid beetle (
Ellychnia corrusca
) collected in Beltsville, MD, USA, in 1983. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of this bacterium to facilitate the investigation of its biology and the comparative genomics among
Spiroplasma
species.
Draft Genome Sequence of Klebsiella pneumoniae OK8, a Multidrug-Resistant Mouse and Human Pathogen
Authors: Nagamalleswari Easa , Nagaraja Valakunja
Published: September 2017

We report here the draft genome sequence of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
OK8, a multidrug-resistant strain which was isolated in 1976 from a human and is known to be a mouse pathogen.
Validity of studies suggesting postsurgical chemotherapy for resectable gastric cancer: critical appraisal of randomised trials
Authors: Manzini Giulia , Henne-Bruns Doris , Kremer Michael
Published: September 2017

Background and aim

In 2013, Diaz-Nietoet alpublished a Cochrane review to summarise the impact of postsurgical chemotherapy versus surgery alone on survival for resectable gastric cancer. The authors concluded that postsurgical chemotherapy showed an improvement in overall survival. The aim of this article was to assess the validity of four studies included in the Cochrane review and to investigate the impact of an exclusion of these four studies on the result of the meta-analysis.

Methods

Overall survival was selected as endpoint of interest. Among the 34 included papers which analysed this endpoint, we identified the four publications which have the highest weights to influence the final result. The validity of these papers was analysed using the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials) checklist for randomised controlled trials. We performed a new meta-analysis without the four studies in order to assess their impact on the general result of the original meta-analysis.

Results

The analysed four studies revealed several inconsistencies: inappropriate answers were found in up to 77% of the items of the CONSORT checklist. Unclear or inadequate randomisation, missing blinded set-up, conflict of interest and lacking intention-to-treat analysis were the most common findings. When performing a meta-analysis excluding the four criticised studies, postsurgical chemotherapy still showed a significant improvement in overall survival. Even when excluding all single studies with a statistically significant outcome by themselves and performing a meta-analysis on the remaining 26 studies, the result remains statistically significant.

Conclusion

The four most powerful publications in the Cochrane review show substantial deficits. We suggest a more critical appraisal regarding the validity of single studies. However, after the exclusion of these four studies, the result of the meta-analysis did not change.
Effectiveness of a multifactorial intervention based on an application for smartphones, heart-healthy walks and a nutritional workshop in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in primary care (EMID): study protocol for a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Alonso-Domínguez Rosario , Gómez-Marcos Manuel A , Patino-Alonso Maria C , Sánchez-Aguadero Natalia , Agudo-Conde Cristina , Castaño-Sánchez Carmen , García-Ortiz Luis , Recio-Rodríguez José I
Published: September 2017

Introduction

New information and communication technologies (ICTs) may promote lifestyle changes, but no adequate evidence is available on their combined effect of ICTs with multifactorial interventions aimed at improving diet and increasing physical activity in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). The primary objective of this study is to assess the effect of a multifactorial intervention to increase physical activity and adherence to Mediterranean diet in DM2.

Methods and analysis

Study scope and population:The study will be conducted at ‘La Alamedilla’ primary care research unit in Salamanca (Spain). 200 patients with DM2 of both sexes, aged 25–70 years and who meet the inclusion criteria and sign the informed consent will be recruited. Each participant will attend the clinic at baseline and 3 and 12 months after intervention.

Intervention

Both groups will be given short advice on diet and physical activity. The intervention group will also take five heart-healthy walks and attend a group session on diet education and will be trained on use of an application for smartphone (EVIDENT II) for 3 months.

Variables and measurement instruments

The main study endpoints will be changes in physical activity, as assessed by a pedometer and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, as evaluated by an adherence questionnaire and the Diet Quality Index. Anthropometric parameters and laboratory values, lifestyles and quality of life will also be assessed.

Ethics and dissemination

It was approved by the Clinical Research Ethics Committee of Salamanca on 28/11/2016.

Trial registration

NCT02991079; Pre-results.
Frequency of low-value care in Alberta, Canada: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: McAlister Finlay A , Lin Meng , Bakal Jeff , Dean Stafford
Published: September 2017

Objective

To determine how frequently 10 low-value services highlighted by Choosing Wisely are done and what factors influence their provision.

Methods

This is a retrospective cohort study using routinely collected health data from five linked data sets from 2012 to 2015 in the Canadian province of Alberta to determine the frequency with which 10 low-value services were provided.

Results

Between 2012 and 2015, 162 143 people (4% of all 3 814 536 adult Albertans and 5% of the 3  423 135 who saw a physician at least once in that time frame) received at least one of the 10 low-value services, including 29.8% of Albertans older than 75 years (57 811 of 194 068). The proportion of adults receiving low-value services ranged from carotid artery imaging in 0.1% of asymptomatic adults without cerebrovascular disease, to prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing in 55.5% of men 75 years or older without a history of prostate cancer. Although age, Charlson scores and frequency of primary care visits were associated with low-value service provision, the directions of the association differed across services; however, higher socioeconomic status, increased frequency of specialist contact and higher ratio of specialists to primary care physicians in the patient’s region were associated with an increased risk of receiving all of the low-value services we examined. The low-value services which resulted in the greatest costs to the healthcare system were cervical cancer screening in women older than 65 without history of cervical dysplasia or genital cancer, PSA testing in men older than 75 without history of prostate cancer and preoperative stress testing/cardiac imaging before non-cardiac surgery.

Conclusions

Even within a universal coverage healthcare system, the proportion of patients receiving low-value services varied widely (from <0.1% to 56%). Increased use was associated with higher socioeconomic status, increased frequency of specialist contact and higher ratio of specialists to primary care physicians.
Adult Nursing
Authors: Noble Helen , Barrett David
Published: September 2017

EBN Perspectives bring together key issues from the commentaries in one of our nursing topic themes.
Associations between circulating macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) levels and rheumatoid arthritis, and betweenMIFgene polymorphisms and disease susceptibility: a meta-analysis
Authors: Bae Sang-Cheol , Lee Young Ho
Published: September 2017

Aim

To systematically review evidence regarding the relationship between circulating macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) levels and rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and the association between MIF gene polymorphisms and RA susceptibility.

Design

We performed a meta-analysis on data of serum/plasma MIF levels in patients with RA and in controls, and on associations between the MIF−173 C/G and −794CATT5-8 polymorphisms and RA susceptibility.

Patients

Twelve studies, comprising a total of 362 RA cases and 531 controls evaluated for MIF levels, and 2367 RA cases and 2395 controls evaluated for MIF polymorphisms, were included.

Results

MIF levels were significantly higher in the RA group than in the control group (standardised mean difference (95% CI) 0.923 (0.766 to 1.080), p<0.001). Stratification by ethnicity revealed significantly higher MIF levels in the RA group in Caucasian, Asian and Latin American populations. MIF levels were significantly higher in patients with RA, regardless of adjustment, sample size or data type evaluated. RA was identified to be significantly associated with the MIF−173 C allele (OR (95% CI) 1.271 (1.141 to 1.416), p<0.001), as well as with the −794CATT7 allele (OR (95% CI) 1.229 (1.084 to 1.415), p=0.002) and the −794CATT7-MIF-173C haplotype RA (OR (95% CI) 1.433 (1.138 to 1.805), p=0.002).

Conclusions

Our meta-analyses revealed significantly higher circulating MIF levels in patients with RA, and found evidence of associations between the MIF−173 C/G and −794CATT5-8 polymorphisms and RA susceptibility.
Hierarchical Bayesian estimation of unobserved salmon passage through weirs
Authors: Jasper James R. , Short Margaret , Shelden Chris , Grant W. Stewart
Published: September 2017

We developed a hierarchical Bayesian model (HBM) to estimate missing counts of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha (Walbaum in Artedi, 1792)) at a weir on the Kogrukluk River, Alaska, between 1976 and 2015. The model assumed that fish passage during a breach of the weir was typical of passage during normal operations. Counts of fish passing the weir were missing for some days during the runs, or only partial counts for a given 24-hour period were available. The HBM approach provided more defensible estimates of missing data and total escapement than ad hoc or year-by-year model estimates, because estimates of passage for a given year were informed not only by counts for the current year, but also by counts for all previous years. The results of the HBM yielded less variable estimates of escapement than did ad hoc or year-by-year model estimates. The HBM represents a standardized approach to estimate missing counts and total escapement and eliminates the need for ad hoc estimates of missing counts. The model also provides managers with a measure of uncertainty around estimates of escapement and around estimates of hyper-parameters to define run curves in subsequent years with incomplete fish counts.
Barriers to enhanced and integrated climate change adaptation and mitigation in Canadian forest management
Authors: Williamson Tim B. , Nelson Harry W.
Published: September 2017

Forests are sensitive to the effects of climate change and play a significant role in carbon cycles. This duality has important implications for forest management in terms of requirements for enhanced and integrated adaptation and mitigation interventions. Two ideal conceptual level changes could provide the means for implementation. First, the incorporation of climate change considerations into definitions of sustainable forest management (SFM) would provide mandates for enhanced approaches. Second, the mainstreaming of enhanced SFM would facilitate implementation. There are, however, factors that may impede implementation. Identifying and evaluating these factors informs our understanding of requirements for adaptation and mitigation mainstreaming. This study reviews, organizes, and interprets the literature for the purposes of identifying and evaluating potential impediments. Harmonization barriers pertain to differences between adaptation and mitigation in pre-existing frames and beliefs. Enabling barriers are psychological and institutional in nature. Implementation barriers include capacity deficits (e.g., funding limits, science and knowledge deficits regarding benefits, trade-offs, and synergies between adaptation and mitigation) and governance issues. Barriers are interrelated, dynamic, and subjective. Addressing barriers requires a holistic approach that recognizes the complex and dynamic nature of forest management policy change processes.
AyigPmutant strain is a small colony variant ofE. coliand shows pleiotropic antibiotic resistance
Authors: Xia Hui , Tang Qiongwei , Song Jie , Ye Jiang , Wu Haizhen , Zhang Huizhan
Published: September 2017

Small colony variants (SCVs) are a commonly observed subpopulation of bacteria that have a small colony size and distinctive biochemical characteristics. SCVs are more resistant than the wild type to some antibiotics and usually cause persistent infections in the clinic. SCV studies have been very active during the past 2 decades, especially Staphylococcus aureus SCVs. However, fewer studies on Escherichia coli SCVs exist, so we studied an E. coli SCV during an experiment involving the deletion of the yigP locus. PCR and DNA sequencing revealed that the SCV was attributable to a defect in the yigP function. Furthermore, we investigated the antibiotic resistance profile of the E. coli SCV and it showed increased erythromycin, kanamycin, and d-cycloserine resistance, but collateral sensitivity to ampicillin, polymyxin, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, rifampin, and nalidixic acid. We tried to determine the association between yigP and the pleiotropic antibiotic resistance of the SCV by analyzing biofilm formation, cellular morphology, and coenzyme Q (Q8) production. Our results indicated that impaired Q8biosynthesis was the primary factor that contributed to the increased resistance and collateral sensitivity of the SCV. This study offers a novel genetic basis for E. coli SCVs and an insight into the development of alternative antimicrobial strategies for clinical therapy.
Polynomial invariants for virtual marked graphs and virtual surface-link theory I
Authors: Lee Sang Youl
Published: September 2017

In this paper, we introduce a notion of virtual marked graphs and their equivalence and then define polynomial invariants for virtual marked graphs using invariants for virtual links. We also formulate a way how to define the ideal coset invariants for virtual surface-links using the polynomial invariants for virtual marked graphs. Examining this theory with the Kauffman bracket polynomial, we establish a natural extension of the Kauffman bracket polynomial to virtual marked graphs and found the ideal coset invariant for virtual surface-links using the extended Kauffman bracket polynomial.
The minimal coloring number of any non-splittable ℤ-colorable link is four
Authors: Zhang Meiqiao , Jin Xian'an , Deng Qingying
Published: September 2017

Ichihara and Matsudo introduced the notions of [Formula: see text]-colorable links and the minimal coloring number for [Formula: see text]-colorable links, which is one of invariants for links. They proved that the lower bound of minimal coloring number of a non-splittable [Formula: see text]-colorable link is 4. In this paper, we show the minimal coloring number of any non-splittable [Formula: see text]-colorable link is exactly 4.
A new approach to Lickorish–Millett type formulae
Authors: Zhou Xin , Zhu Shengmao
Published: September 2017

In this paper, we introduce a new method to prove the Lickorish-Millett type formulae for colored HOMFLY-PT polynomials of links.
Start-Up Cluster Development: A Multi-Case Analysis in the Brazilian Context
Authors: Dalcin Thais , Balestrin Alsones , Teixeira Eduardo Künzel
Published: September 2017

This paper aims to contribute to knowledge on start-up cluster development by describing the core resource configurations in the development trajectory of start-up clusters in an emergent country. This research involves two start-up clusters in the Brazilian context. The results provide a framework formed by four stages that indicates the trajectory of start-up cluster development from the basic level, in which the most evident resources are tangible and endogenous, to the more advanced level, which comprises intangible and exogenous resources. In the fourth stage, start-up clusters improve resources, such as quality of life, cultural diversity and political and economic conditions to foster entrepreneurship and innovation.
Quasiresiduals in Semigroups with Natural Partial Order
Authors: Mitsch Heinz
Published: September 2017

A semigroup (S, ·) is called right (left) quasiresiduated if for any a, b in S there exists x in S such that ax ≤S b (xa ≤S b) with respect to the natural partial order ≤S of S. This concept has its origin in the theory of residuated semigroups, but can also be seen as a generalization of the right (left) simplicity of semigroups. It is first studied for totally-, resp., trivially-ordered semigroups, and then for semigroups with idempotents. In particular, the cases when (S, ≤S) is directed downwards and when S contains a zero (with respect to a more restrictive definition) are dealt with. Throughout, examples are given; in total, 30 classes of (often well-known) semigroups of this kind are specified.
The Classification of Extensions ofLsl3(k, 0)
Authors: Ai Chunrui , Lin Xingjun
Published: September 2017

In this paper, rational extensions of affine vertex operator algebras Lsl3(k, 0) with [Formula: see text] are classified by modular invariants.
The non-abelian tensor square of p-groups of order p4
Authors: Ghorbanzadeh Taleea Jalaeeyan , Parvizi Mohsen , Niroomand Peyman
Published: September 2017

In this paper, in the class of [Formula: see text]-groups of order [Formula: see text], we obtain the non-abelian exterior square, the exterior center, the non-abelian tensor square, the tensor center and the third homotopy group of suspension of an Eilenberg–MacLane space [Formula: see text] of such groups.
Fabrication of stable photoanode built from ZnO nanosheets in situ decorated with carbon film
Authors: Fan Weiqiang , Ge Yilin , Chen Biyi , Bai Hongye , Shi Weidong
Published: September 2017

In this work, we successfully fabricated a novel stable photoanode, which was built from ZnO nanosheets in situ decorated with carbon film (ZnO/carbon). The thin carbon film, as a passivation layer, can not only improve the photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance, but also significantly depress the photocorrosion of ZnO. Compared with bare ZnO photoanode, the photocurrent density of ZnO/carbon has been increased nearly five times, and its IPCE value can be up to 27% (0.5[Formula: see text]V versus Ag/AgCl). Moreover, the XRD, SEM and TEM data further demonstrate the crystal and microscopic structure of ZnO/carbon in detail.
Gamified and persuasive systems as behavior change agents for health and wellness
Authors: Kappen Dennis L. , Orji Rita
Published: September 2017

Gameful elements and persuasive strategies can motivate and encourage people to take charge of their health and achieve their ultimate wellness goal.
The ethics of gamification
Authors: Marczewski Andrzej
Published: September 2017

Gamification is manipulation; at least that is what many people think. Because gamification is a powerful tool for modifying behaviors, how we should consider ethics specifically for gamification?
When Communication Trumps Coding
Authors: Boyd Zach
Published: September 2017

Crucial skills for software engineers
How 1 million app calls can tell you a bit about malware
Authors: Mitropoulos Dimitris
Published: September 2017

The
XRDS
blog highlights a range of topics from conference coverage, to security and privacy, to CS theory. Selected blog posts, edited for print, are featured in every issue. Please visit xrds.acm.org/blog to read each post in its entirety. If you are interested in joining as a student blogger, please contact us.
OSEK-V: application-specific RTOS instantiation in hardware
Authors: Dietrich Christian , Lohmann Daniel
Published: September 2017

The employment of a real-time operating system (RTOS) in an embedded control systems is often an all-or-nothing decision: While the RTOS-abstractions provide for easier software composition and development, the price in terms of event latencies and memory costs are high. Especially in HW/SW codesign settings, system developers try to avoid the employment of a full-blown RTOS as far as possible. In OSEK-V, we mitigate this trade-off by a very aggressive tailoring of the concrete RTOS instance into the hardware. Instead of implementing generic OS components as custom hardware devices, we capture the actually possible application-kernel interactions as a finite-state machine and integrate the tailored RTOS semantics directly into the processor pipeline. In our experimental results with an OSEK-based implementation of a quadrotor flight controller into the Rocket/RISC-V softcore, we thereby can significantly reduce event latencies, interrupt lock times, and memory footprint at moderate costs in terms of FPGA resources.
Towards memory-efficient processing-in-memory architecture for convolutional neural networks
Authors: Wang Yi , Zhang Mingxu , Yang Jing
Published: September 2017

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) are widely adopted in artificial intelligent systems. In contrast to conventional computing centric applications, the computational and memory resources of CNN applications are mixed together in the network weights. This incurs a significant amount of data movement, especially for highdimensional convolutions. Although recent embedded 3D-stacked Processing-in-Memory (PIM) architecture alleviates this memory bottleneck to provide fast near-data processing, memory is still a limiting factor of the entire system. An unsolved key challenge is how to efficiently allocate convolutions to 3D-stacked PIM to combine the advantages of both neural and computational processing.

This paper presents Memolution, a compiler-based memory efficient data allocation strategy for convolutional neural networks on PIM architecture. Memolution offers thread-level parallelism that can fully exploit the computational power of PIM architecture. The objective is to capture the characteristics of neural network applications and present a hardware-independent design to transparently allocate CNN applications onto the underlining hardware resources provided by PIM. We demonstrate the viability of the proposed technique using a variety of realistic convolutional neural network applications. Our extensive evaluations show that, Memolution significantly improves performance and the cache utilization compared to the baseline scheme.
Unified nvTCAM and sTCAM architecture for improving packet matching performance
Authors: Ding Xianzhong , Zhang Zhiyong , Jia Zhiping , Ju Lei , Zhao Mengying , Huang Huawei
Published: September 2017

Software-Defined Networking (SDN) allows controlling applications to install fine-grained forwarding policies in the underlying switches. Ternary Content Addressable Memory (TCAM) enables fast lookups in hardware switches with flexible wildcard rule patterns. However, the performance of packet processing is severely constrained by the capacity of TCAM, which aggravates the processing burden and latency issues. In this paper, we propose a hybrid TCAM architecture which consists of NVM-based TCAM (nvTCAM) and SRAM-based TCAM (sTCAM), utilizing nvTCAM to cache the most popular rules to improve cache-hit-ratio while relying on a very small-size sTCAM to handle cache-miss traffic to effectively decrease update latency. Considering the special rule dependency, we present an efficient Rule Migration Replacement (RMR) policy to make full utilization of both nvTCAM and sTCAM to obtain better performance. Experimental results show that the proposed architecture outperforms current TCAM architectures.
Optimal functional unit assignment and voltage selection for pipelined MPSoC with guaranteed probability on time performance
Authors: Jiang Weiwen , Sha Edwin H.-M. , Zhuge Qingfeng , Dong Hailiang , Chen Xianzhang
Published: September 2017

Pipelined heterogeneous multiprocessor system-on-chip (MPSoC) can provide high throughput for streaming applications. In the design of such systems, time performance and system cost are the most concerning issues. By analyzing runtime behaviors of benchmarks in real-world platforms, we find that execution times of tasks are not fixed but spread with probabilities. In terms of this feature, we model execution times of tasks as random variables. In this paper, we study how to design high-performance and low-cost MPSoC systems to execute a set of such tasks with data dependencies in a pipelined fashion. Our objective is to obtain the optimal functional unit assignment and voltage selection for the pipelined MPSoC systems, such that the system cost is minimized while timing constraints can be met with a given guaranteed probability. For each required probability, our proposed algorithm can efficiently obtain the optimal solution. Experiments show that other existing algorithms cannot find feasible solutions in most cases, but ours can. Even for those solutions that other algorithms can obtain, ours can reach 30% reductions in total cost compared with others.
Taming undefined behavior in LLVM
Authors: Lee Juneyoung , Kim Yoonseung , Song Youngju , Hur Chung-Kil , Das Sanjoy , Majnemer David , Regehr John , Lopes Nuno P.
Published: September 2017

A central concern for an optimizing compiler is the design of its intermediate representation (IR) for code. The IR should make it easy to perform transformations, and should also afford efficient and precise static analysis. In this paper we study an aspect of IR design that has received little attention: the role of undefined behavior. The IR for every optimizing compiler we have looked at, including GCC, LLVM, Intel's, and Microsoft's, supports one or more forms of undefined behavior (UB), not only to reflect the semantics of UB-heavy programming languages such as C and C++, but also to model inherently unsafe low-level operations such as memory stores and to avoid over-constraining IR semantics to the point that desirable transformations become illegal. The current semantics of LLVM's IR fails to justify some cases of loop unswitching, global value numbering, and other important "textbook" optimizations, causing long-standing bugs. We present solutions to the problems we have identified in LLVM's IR and show that most optimizations currently in LLVM remain sound, and that some desirable new transformations become permissible. Our solutions do not degrade compile time or performance of generated code.
BigFoot: static check placement for dynamic race detection
Authors: Rhodes Dustin , Flanagan Cormac , Freund Stephen N.
Published: September 2017

Precise dynamic data race detectors provide strong correctness guarantees but have high overheads because they generally keep analysis state in a separate shadow location for each heap memory location, and they check (and potentially update) the corresponding shadow location on each heap access. The BigFoot dynamic data race detector uses a combination of static and dynamic analysis techniques to coalesce checks and compress shadow locations. With BigFoot, multiple accesses to an object or array often induce a single coalesced check that manipulates a single compressed shadow location, resulting in a performance improvement over FastTrack of 61%.