bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Characterization of the Jason Multiagent Platform on Multicore Processors
Authors: Pérez-Carro Pascual , Grimaldo Francisco , Lozano Miguel , Orduña Juan M.
Published: January 2015

Multiagent platforms need to be evaluated focusing on the underlying computer architecture in order to allow developers to exploit the parallelism available in multicore processors. This paper presents the characterization of Jason, a well-known Java-based multiagent platform, when executed on distributed shared memory architectures. Since this kind of architecture is already present in current multicore processors, this should be the first step for the characterization of this platform on distributed systems. To this end, we propose the execution of a set of benchmarks recently proposed for evaluating multiagent platforms. The results obtained show that Jason can be used to program CPU-intensive multiagent applications without loosing the Java scalability over multicore processors. Though, Jason's performance for communication-intensive applications depends on the traffic pattern generated by the agents, the layout of the cores and the selected execution mode (i.e. synchronous or asynchronous).
Building, Sharing and Exploiting Spatio-Temporal Aggregates in Vehicular Networks
Authors: Zekri Dorsaf , Defude Bruno , Delot Thierry
Published: January 2015

This article focuses on data aggregation in vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). In such networks, data produced by sensors or crowdsourcers are exchanged between vehicles in order to warn or inform drivers when an event occurs (e.g., an accident, a traffic congestion, a parking space released, a vehicle with non-functioning brake lights, etc.). In the following, we propose to generate spatio-temporal aggregates containing these data in order to keep a summary of past events. We therefore use Flajolet-Martin sketches. Our goal is then to exploit these aggregates to better assist the drivers. These aggregates may indeed produce additional knowledge that may be useful when no event has been recently transmitted by surrounding vehicles or when some knowledge about the global demand may improve the decision that need to be taken at the vehicle level. To prove the effectiveness of our approach, an extensive experimental evaluation has been performed considering vehicles looking for an available parking space, that proves the interest of our proposal. The experimentations indeed show that the use of our aggregation structure significantly reduces the time needed to actually find a parking space. It also increases the percentage of vehicles finding such a resource in a bounded time in congested situations.
The Science DMZ: A Network Design Pattern for Data-Intensive Science
Authors: Dart Eli , Rotman Lauren , Tierney Brian , Hester Mary , Zurawski Jason
Published: January 2015

The ever-increasing scale of scientific data has become a significant challenge for researchers that rely on networks to interact with remote computing systems and transfer results to collaborators worldwide. Despite the availability of high-capacity connections, scientists struggle with inadequate cyberinfrastructure that cripples data transfer performance, and impedes scientific progress. The ScienceDMZparadigm comprises a proven set of network design patterns that collectively address these problems for scientists. We explain the Science DMZ model, including network architecture, system configuration, cybersecurity, and performance tools, that creates an optimized network environment for science. We describe use cases from universities, supercomputing centers and research laboratories, highlighting the effectiveness of the Science DMZ model in diverse operational settings. In all, the Science DMZ model is a solid platform that supports any science workflow, and flexibly accommodates emerging network technologies. As a result, the Science DMZ vastly improves collaboration, accelerating scientific discovery.
Efficient Hierarchical Identity-Based Encryption for Mobile Ad Hoc Networks
Authors: He Kai , Chen Min-Rong , Mao Yijun , Zhang Xi , Zhan Yiju
Published: January 2015

A Mobile Ad-hoc Network (MANET) is a collection of wireless nodes that can dynamically form a network to exchange information without using any pre-existing fixed network infrastructure. Such networks are more vulnerable to security attacks than conventional wired networks, and hence cryptographic schemes are usually used to ensure security for them. It is worth noting that the nodes in MANETs are with low computational power and communicate over relatively bandwidth constrained wireless links, and thus the deployed cryptographic schemes should usually be highly efficient in term of both computational cost and communication overhead. To ensure the data confidentiality for MANETs, in this paper, we present a new hierarchical identity-based encryption (HIBE) scheme, which enjoys the advantages of low computational cost and light communication overhead. We further propose a new hierarchical identity-based key encapsulation mechanism (HIBKEM) based on our HIBE scheme. The proposed HIBKEM scheme is fully secure against adaptive chosen-ciphertext attack, and has a tight security reduction in the standard model.
Mobile Services Infrastructure for Frailty Diagnosis Support based on Gower’s Similarity Coefficient and Treemaps
Authors: Fontecha Jesús , Hervás Ramón , Bravo José
Published: January 2015

The early detection and diagnosis of frailty is important in improving the quality of elderly life. Physicians must take many factors into account to achieve an objective and standardised method of frailty assessment. In this work, we present a novel mobile service infrastructure to improve the accuracy of frailty diagnosis in a population of elders, focusing on the main frailty risk factors and applying similarity algorithms based on Gower's coefficient. In addition, we have developed a mobile application to obtain the assessment results from the implemented services. The results are displayed on the mobile device using hierarchical visualisation structures known as treemaps. The system has been evaluated as a frailty diagnosis tool in a group of elderly patients.
A Lifelog Browser for Visualization and Search of Mobile Everyday-Life
Authors: Hwang Keum-Sung , Cho Sung-Bae
Published: January 2015

Mobile devices can now handle a great deal of information thanks to the convergence of diverse functionalities. Mobile environments have already shown great potential in terms of providing customized service to users because they can record meaningful and private information continually for long periods of time. The research for understanding, searching and summarizing the everyday-life of human has received increasing attention in recent years due to the digital convergence. In this paper, we propose a mobile life browser, which visualizes and searches human's mobile life based on the contents and context of lifelog data. The mobile life browser is for searching the personal information effectively collected on his/her mobile device and for supporting the concept-based searching method by using concept networks and Bayesian networks. In the experiments, we collected the real mobile log data from three users for a month and visualized the mobile lives of the users with the mobile life browser developed. Some tests on searching tasks confirmed that the result using the proposed concept-based searching method is promising.
From Single- to Multi-Objective Auto-Tuning of Programs: Advantages and Implications
Authors: Durillo Juan , Fahringer Thomas
Published: January 2015

Automatic tuning (auto-tuning) of software has emerged in recent years as a promising method that tries to automatically adapt the behaviour of a program to attain different performance objectives on a given computing system. This method is gaining momentum due to the increasing complexity of modern multicore-based hardware architectures. Many solutions to auto-tuning have been explored ranging from simple random search to more sophisticate methods like machine learning or evolutionary search. To this day, it is still unclear whether these approaches are general enough to encompass all the complexities of the problem (e.g. search space, parameters influencing the search space, input data sensitivity, etc.), or which approach is best suited for a given problem. Furthermore, the growing interest in auto-tuning a program for several objectives is increasing this confusion even further. The goal of this paper is to formally describe the problem addressed by auto-tuning programs and review existing solutions highlighting the advantages and drawbacks of different techniques for single-objective as well as multi-objective auto-tuning approaches.
Extending the Internet of Things to the Future Internet Through IPv6 Support
Authors: Jara Antonio J. , Varakliotis Socrates , Skarmeta Antonio F. , Kirstein Peter
Published: January 2015

Emerging Internet of Things (IoT)/Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems require a transparent access to information and services through a seamless integration into the Future Internet. This integration exploits infrastructure and services found on the Internet by the IoT. On the one hand, the so-called Web of Things aims for direct Web connectivity by pushing its technology down to devices and smart things. On the other hand, the current and Future Internet offer stable, scalable, extensive, and tested protocols for node and service discovery, mobility, security, and auto-configuration, which are also required for the IoT. In order to integrate the IoT into the Internet, this work adapts, extends, and bridges using IPv6 the existing IoT building blocks (such as solutions from IEEE 802.15.4, BT-LE, RFID) while maintaining backwards compatibility with legacy networked embedded systems from building and industrial automation. Specifically, this work presents an extended Internet stack with a set of adaptation layers from non-IP towards the IPv6-based network layer in order to enable homogeneous access for applications and services.
Optimal Power Efficient Management Scheme (OPEM): A New Power Efficient Approach for Mobile Stations in Two-Tier and Three-Tier Networks
Authors: Abkenar Forough Shirin , Rahbar Akbar Ghaffarpour
Published: January 2015

Establishing incoming calls plays an important role in multi-tier networks. In a multi-tier network, if a mobile station (MS) wants to move between different tiers, it has to register at its corresponding tier and deregister at current tier. The registration and deregistration procedures are implemented by network and radio signals. In addition, delivery of an incoming call to the corresponding tier, according to the type of call and the registration area (RA) of the mobile station, consumes power and energy. Many schemes like power efficient single registration (PSR), power efficient multiple registration (PMR) and efficient power management (EPM) have been introduced to reduce the power and energy consumptions of multi-tier networks. In this paper, we introduce a new approach to reduce the energy and power consumptions of multi-tier networks. This new approach is called the optimal power efficient management (OPEM) scheme that uses the advantages of both PMR and PSR in signaling concept. The OPEM scheme introduces a new, different and simple method to reduce the energy consumption of multi-tier networks, especially in two-tier and three-tier networks. The numerical results confirm the preference of the OPEM scheme.
Formula Translation in Blitz++, NumPy and Modern Fortran: A Case Study of the Language Choice Tradeoffs
Authors: Arabas Sylwester , Jarecka Dorota , Jaruga Anna , Fijałkowski Maciej
Published: January 2015

Three object-oriented implementations of a prototype solver of the advection equation are introduced. The presented programs are based on Blitz++ (C++), NumPy (Python) and Fortran's built-in array containers. The solvers constitute implementations of the Multidimensional Positive-Definite Advective Transport Algorithm (MPDATA). The introduced codes serve as examples for how the application of object-oriented programming (OOP) techniques and new language constructs from C++11 and Fortran 2008 allow to reproduce the mathematical notation used in the literature within the program code. A discussion on the tradeoffs of the programming language choice is presented. The main angles of comparison are code brevity and syntax clarity (and hence maintainability and auditability) as well as performance. All performance tests are carried out using free and open-source compilers. In the case of Python, a significant performance gain is observed when switching from the standard interpreter (CPython) to the PyPy implementation of Python. Entire source code of all three implementations is embedded in the text and is licensed under the terms of the GNU GPL license.
Book Review
Authors: Filippone Salvatore
Published: January 2015

The book by Arjen Markus is a veritable tour de force among the possibilities opened up by the latest incarnation of Fortran, the longest-lived programming language on the planet and still one of the favourites by scientific programmers. It is not an introduction to the syntax and semantics of the latest language standard: it is more of a gourmet cookbook showing off a wide range of examples of what the new features allow a daring programmer to do.
Enabling Fair Pricing on High Performance Computer Systems with Node Sharing
Authors: Breslow Alex D. , Tiwari Ananta , Schulz Martin , Carrington Laura , Tang Lingjia , Mars Jason
Published: January 2015

Co-location, where multiple jobs share compute nodes in large-scale HPC systems, has been shown to increase aggregate throughput and energy efficiency by 10–20%. However, system operators disallow co-location due to fair-pricing concerns, i.e., a pricing mechanism that considers performance interference from co-running jobs. In the current pricing model, application execution time determines the price, which results in unfair prices paid by the minority of users whose jobs suffer from co-location. This paper presents POPPA, a runtime system that enables fair pricing by delivering precise online interference detection and facilitates the adoption of supercomputers with co-locations. POPPA leverages a novel shutter mechanism – a cyclic, fine-grained interference sampling mechanism to accurately deduce the interference between co-runners – to provide unbiased pricing of jobs that share nodes. POPPA is able to quantify inter-application interference within 4% mean absolute error on a variety of co-located benchmark and real scientific workloads.
Special Issue: SC13 – The International Conference for High Performance Computing, Networking, Storage and Analysis
Authors: Gropp William , Matsuoka Satoshi
Published: January 2015

The technical papers program for SC13 received 449 submissions of which 90 where selected for the program giving an acceptance rate of 20%. A rigorous peer review process, including author rebuttals and a 1.5 day face-to-face program committee meeting ensured that selected papers were the very best in our field. One of the tasks at the face-to-face meeting was also to select finalists for the best paper award, from which one is selected by a committee during the conference. To further highlight their achievement of being selected as the very top tier of all the submitted papers to SC13, the authors of these finalist papers were offered the opportunity to publish extended versions of their papers in this special issue journal; all eight authors accepted.
Association between Obesity and Cancer: An Analysis Using the Competing Risk Regression Approach
Authors: Bimali Milan , He Jianghua
Published: January 2015

Cox model has been the commonly used method in past analyses of association between obesity and the risk estimates of cancer in situations where the subjects have also died (or could die) of noncancer events (competing events). The Cox model does not address the presence of competing events convincingly. The competing risk approach accommodates the fact that individuals who died of other causes (competing events) will never die of cancer and thus provides more realistic estimates. This study uses the competing risk approach to study the association of obesity and cancer mortality and compare the analysis results with those based on the traditional Cox model. It was seen that while the cause-specific hazard rate of cancer is significantly higher for obese population compared to normal weight population, the difference is not significant using competing risk approach. We demonstrated that higher cause-specific hazard rate does not necessarily imply higher incidence rate and in situations involving competing events we recommend using competing risk approach in addition to the Cox regression model.
Common Fixed Points of Locally Contractive Mappings in Multiplicative Metric Spaces with Application
Authors: Abbas Mujahid , Ali Bashir , Suleiman Yusuf I.
Published: January 2015

The aim of this paper is to present common fixed point results of quasi-weak commutative mappings on a closed ball in the framework of multiplicative metric spaces. Example is presented to support the result proved herein. We also study sufficient conditions for the existence of a common solution of multiplicative boundary value problem. Our results extend and improve various recent results in the existing literature.
Novel Starch-PVA Polymer for Microparticle Preparation and Optimization Using Factorial Design Study
Authors: Chattopadhyay Helen , De Amit Kumar , Datta Sriparna
Published: January 2015

The aim of our present work was to optimize the ratio of a very novel polymer, starch-polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), for controlled delivery of Ornidazole. Polymer-coated drug microparticles were prepared by emulsion method. Microscopic study, scanning electron microscopic study, and atomic force microscopic study revealed that the microparticles were within 10 micrometers of size with smooth spherical shape. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy showed absence of drug polymer interaction. A statistical 32 full factorial design was used to study the effect of different concentration of starch and PVA on the drug release profile. The three-dimensional plots gave us an idea about the contribution of each factor on the release kinetics. Hence this novel polymer of starch and polyvinyl alcohol can be utilized for control release of the drug from a targeted delivery device.
Positive Solutions for Class of State Dependent Boundary Value Problems with Fractional Order Differential Operators
Authors: Liu Dongyuan , Ouyang Zigen , Wang Huilan
Published: January 2015

We consider the following state dependent boundary-value problemD0+αy(t)-pD0+βg(t,y(σ(t)))+f(t,y(τ(t)))=0,0<t<1;y(0)=0,ηy(σ(1))=y(1),whereDαis the standard Riemann-Liouville fractional derivative of order1<α<2,0<η<1,p≤0,0<β<1,β+1-α≥0the functiongis defined asg(t,u):[0,1]×[0,∞)→[0,∞), andg(0,0)=0the functionfis defined asf(t,u):[0,1]×[0,∞)→[0,∞)σ(t),τ(t)are continuous ontand0≤σ(t),τ(t)≤t. Using Banach contraction mapping principle and Leray-Schauder continuation principle, we obtain some sufficient conditions for the existence and uniqueness of the positive solutions for the above fractional order differential equations, which extend some references.
Identification of Intermediate- to High-Risk Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma Patients Who May Be Safely Managed without the Performance of Delayed Stimulated Thyroglobulin Measurements following Total Thyroidectomy and Radioactive Iodine Therapy
Authors: Kim Kyung-Hee , Kim Min-Hee , Lim Ye-Jee , Lee Ihn Suk , Bae Ja-Seong , Lim Dong-Jun , Baek Ki Hyun , Lee Jong Min , Kang Moo-Il , Cha Bong-Yun
Published: January 2015

Background. The measurement of stimulated thyroglobulin (sTg) after total thyroidectomy and remnant radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation is the gold standard for monitoring disease status in patients with papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTCs). The aim of this study was to determine whether sTg measurement during follow-up can be avoided in intermediate- and high-risk PTC patients.Methods. A total of 346 patients with PTCs with an intermediate or high risk of recurrence were analysed. All of the patients underwent total thyroidectomy as well as remnant RAI ablation and sTg measurements. Preoperative and postoperative parameters were included in the analysis.Results. Among the preoperative parameters, age below 45 years and preoperative Tg above 19.4 ng/mL were significant risk factors for predicting detectable sTg during follow-up. Among the postoperative parameters, thyroid capsular invasion, lymph node metastasis, and ablative Tg above 2.9 ng/mL were independently correlated with a detectable sTg range. The combination of ablative Tg less than 2.9 ng/mL with pre- and postoperative independent risk factors for detectable sTg increased the negative predictive value for detectable sTg up to 98.5%.Conclusions. Based on pre- and postoperative parameters, a substantial proportion of patients with PTCs in the intermediate- and high-risk classes could avoid aggressive follow-up measures.
Dose Response of Endotoxin on Hepatocyte and Muscle Mitochondrial Respiration In Vitro
Authors: Jeger Victor , Brandt Sebastian , Porta Francesca , Jakob Stephan M. , Takala Jukka , Djafarzadeh Siamak
Published: January 2015

Introduction.Results on mitochondrial dysfunction in sepsis are controversial. We aimed to assess effects of LPS at wide dose and time ranges on hepatocytes and isolated skeletal muscle mitochondria.Methods.Human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) were exposed to placebo or LPS (0.1, 1, and 10 μg/mL) for 4, 8, 16, and 24 hours and primary human hepatocytes to 1 μg/mL LPS or placebo (4, 8, and 16 hours). Mitochondria from porcine skeletal muscle samples were exposed to increasing doses of LPS (0.1–100 μg/mg) for 2 and 4 hours. Respiration rates of intact and permeabilized cells and isolated mitochondria were measured by high-resolution respirometry.Results.In HepG2 cells, LPS reduced mitochondrial membrane potential and cellular ATP content but did not modify basal respiration. Stimulated complex II respiration was reduced time-dependently using 1 μg/mL LPS. In primary human hepatocytes, stimulated mitochondrial complex II respiration was reduced time-dependently using 1 μg/mL LPS. In isolated porcine skeletal muscle mitochondria, stimulated respiration decreased at high doses (50 and 100 μg/mL LPS).Conclusion.LPS reduced cellular ATP content of HepG2 cells, most likely as a result of the induced decrease in membrane potential. LPS decreased cellular and isolated mitochondrial respiration in a time-dependent, dose-dependent and complex-dependent manner.
Luminance Conversion Property of Er and Yb Doped KZnF3Nanocrystal Synthesized by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Lai Weidong , Li Xinzheng , Han Lu , Liu Huiqing , Chen Yingjuan , Duan Pingguang , Li Xiaowei
Published: January 2015

In order to make full use of exposure energy, one feasible way is to modify the luminance of crystal by rare earth doping technique. KZnF3:Er3+and KZnF3:Er3+/Yb3+nanocrystals of uniform cuboid perovskite type morphology, with average diameter of 130 nm, has been synthesized by hydrothermal method. When Yb3+ions were codoped with Er3+, absorption peak at 970 nm has been heightened and widened, and the photon absorption cross section increased. The common xenon lamp exposure cannot initiate obvious nonlinear phenomenon of the doped Er3+and Yb3+, and exposing at 245 nm only excites the fluorescence around 395 nm. Contrarily, under high power IR exposure at 980 nm, obvious upconversion photoluminescence (PL) has been observed due to the two-photon process. The PL mechanism of the doped Er3+ion in KZnF3:Er3+/Yb3+nanocrystals is confirmed. Furthermore, Yb3+codoped as sensitizer has modified the PL intensity of Er3+from green light range to red range, and the primary channel is changed from4S3/2(Er3+) →4I15/2(Er3+) of only Er3+doped KZnF3nanocrystal to4F9/2(Er3+) →4I15/2(Er3+) of Er3+/Yb3+codoped sample. With exposure energy increasing, such primary transition channel after two-photon excitation is unchanged.
Stress Management in Cyst-Forming Free-Living Protists: Programmed Cell Death and/or Encystment
Authors: Khan Naveed Ahmed , Iqbal Junaid , Siddiqui Ruqaiyyah
Published: January 2015

In the face of harsh conditions and given a choice, a cell may (i) undergo programmed cell death, (ii) transform into a cancer cell, or (iii) enclose itself into a cyst form. In metazoans, the available evidence suggests that cellular machinery exists only to execute or avoid programmed cell death, while the ability to form a cyst was either lost or never developed. For cyst-forming free-living protists, here we pose the question whether the ability to encyst was gained at the expense of the programmed cell death or both functions coexist to counter unfavorable environmental conditions with mutually exclusive phenotypes.
Liver Damage Associated withPolygonum multiflorumThunb.: A Systematic Review of Case Reports and Case Series
Authors: Lei Xiang , Chen Jing , Ren Jingtian , Li Yan , Zhai Jingbo , Mu Wei , Zhang Li , Zheng Wenke , Tian Guihua , Shang Hongcai
Published: January 2015

Objective. To summarize the characteristics and analysis of relevant factors and to give references for prevention and further study of liver damage associated withPolygonum multiflorumThunb. (HSW), we provide a systematic review of case reports and case series about liver damage associated with HSW.Methods. An extensive search of 6 medical databases was performed up to June 2014. Case reports and case series involving liver damage associated with HSW were included.Results. This review covers a total of 450 cases in 76 articles. HSW types included raw and processed HSW decoction pieces and many Chinese patent medicines that contain HSW. Symptoms of liver damage occur mostly a month or so after taking the medicine, mainly including jaundice, fatigue, anorexia, and yellow or tawny urine. Of the 450 patients, two cases who received liver transplantation and seven who died, the remaining 441 cases recovered or had liver function improvement after discontinuing HSW products and conservative care.Conclusion. HSW causes liver toxicity and may cause liver damage in different degrees and even lead to death; most of them are much related to long-term and overdose of drugs. Liver damage associated with HSW is reversible, and, after active treatment, the majority can be cured. People should be alert to liver damage when taking HSW preparations.
Impact of the Surface Morphology on the Combustion of Simulated Solid Rocket Motor
Authors: Hegab Abdelkarim M. , Sait Hani Hussain , Hussain Ahmad
Published: January 2015

An advanced and intensive computational solution development is integrated with an asymptotic technique, to examine the impact of the combustion surface morphology on the generated rotational flow field in a solid rocket chamber with wide ranges of forcing frequencies. The simulated rectangular chamber is closed at one end and is open at the aft end. The upper and lower walls are permeable to allow steady and unsteady injected air to generate internal flow mimicking the flow field of the combustion gases in real rocket chamber. The frequencies of the unsteady injected flow are chosen to be very close or away from the resonance frequencies of the adapted chamber. The current study accounts for a wide range of wave numbers that reflect the complexity of real burning processes. Detailed derivation for Navier-Stokes equations at the four boundaries of the chamber is introduced in the current study. Qualitative comparison is performed with recent experimental work carried out on a two-inch hybrid rocket motor using a mixture of polyethylene and aluminum powder. The higher the percentage of aluminum powder in the mixture, the more the corrugations of the combustion surface. This trend is almost similar to the computational and analytical results of a simulated solid rocket chamber.
Intraradicular Splinting with Endodontic Instrument of Horizontal Root Fracture
Authors: Çiçek Ersan , Yılmaz Neslihan , Koçak Mustafa Murat
Published: January 2015

Introduction. Root fractures, defined as fractures involving dentine, cementum, and pulpal and supportive tissues, constitute only 0.5–7% of all dental injuries. Horizontal root fractures are commonly observed in the maxillary anterior region and 75% of these fractures occur in the maxillary central incisors.Methods. A 14-year-old female patient was referred to our clinic three days after a traffic accident. In radiographic examination, the right maxillary central incisor was fractured horizontally in apical thirds. Initially, following local infiltrative anesthetics, the coronal fragment was repositioned and this was radiographically confirmed. Then the stabilization splint was applied and remained for three months. After three weeks, according to the results of the vitality tests, the right and left central incisors were nonvital. For the right central incisor, both the coronal and apical fragments were involved in the endodontic preparation.Results. For the right central tooth, both the coronal and apical root fragments were endodontically treated and obturated at a single visit with white mineral trioxide aggregate whilst the fragments were stabilized internally by insertion of a size 40 Hedstrom stainless-steel endodontic file into the canal.Conclusion. Four-year follow-up examination revealed satisfactory clinical and radiographic findings with hard tissue repair of the fracture line.
Composition and Modifications of Dental Implant Surfaces
Authors: Bruschi Michela , Steinmüller-Nethl Doris , Goriwoda Walter , Rasse Michael
Published: January 2015

Since Brånemark discovered the favorable effects of titanium in bone healing in 1965, titanium has emerged as the gold standard bulk material for present-time dental implantology. In the course of years researchers aimed for improvement of the implants performance in bone even at compromised implant sites and multiple factors were investigated influencing osseointegration. This review summarizes and clarifies the four factors that are currently recognized being relevant to influence the tissue-implant contact ratio: bulk materials and coatings, topography, surface energy, and biofunctionalization. The macrodesigns of bulk materials (e.g., titanium, zirconium, stainless steel, tantalum, and magnesium) provide the mechanical stability and their influence on bone cells can be additionally improved by surface treatment with various materials (calcium phosphates, strontium, bioglasses, diamond-like carbon, and diamond). Surface topography can be modified via different techniques to increase the bone-implant contact, for example, plasma-spraying, grit-blasting, acid-etching, and microarc oxidation. Surface energy (e.g., wettability and polarity) showed a strong effect on cell behavior and cell adhesion. Functionalization with bioactive molecules (via physisorption, covalent binding, or carrier systems) targets enhanced osseointegration. Despite the satisfying clinical results of presently used dental implant materials, further research on innovative implant surfaces is inevitable to pursuit perfection in soft and hard tissue performance.
Endometrial Stromal Sarcoma Arising in Colorectal Endometriosis: A Case Report and Review of the Literature
Authors: Wang Qiao , Zhao Xia , Han Ping
Published: January 2015

Extrauterine endometrial stromal sarcoma (ESS) arising in endometriosis is extremely rare, particularly in the colorectum. It should always be included in the differential diagnosis of primary tumors originating from gastrointestinal tract in females, given that preoperative endoscopical biopsy may reveal no specific changes. We reported a case of ESS arising in colorectal endometriosis and reviewed the previous 7 cases reported in the English literature. Our patient, who was unavailable for tumor resection and refused further adjuvant therapy, played a role in representing the natural history of low-grade extragenital ESS. This case was the only death from ESS arising in colorectal endometriosis.
A Qualitative Study of Communication between Young Women with Disorders of Sex Development and Health Professionals
Authors: Sanders Caroline , Carter Bernie
Published: January 2015

Background and Objectives. Health communication is a critical aspect of care for both providers and recipients having a direct influence on engagement and outcomes. Communicating which in this context includes talking and listening in order to share information or support young women to understand their DSD can be difficult especially since the topic area is sensitive. Methods. In this qualitative study thirteen young women (aged 14–19 years) with a disorder of sex development who engaged with health care professionals were purposively recruited between 2011 and 2012 from three specialist centres across the United Kingdom. The young women either were interviewed or completed a diary about their experiences of communication with a range of health care professionals. An interpretative phenomenological approach was used to analyse these data. Results. By analysis of data the young women were able to clearly articulate the qualities and skills health professional needed in relation to communication. Two main categories focused on the duty in which professionals have to share information and their role in supporting young women to manage this information. Discussion and Conclusion. The study results revealed that these young women with a DSD expected to meet skilled professionals who could recognise the emotional aspects of dialogues in the short and longer term.
Nitrogen Efficiency and Nutrient Absorption by a Sorghum-Oats Forage Succession
Authors: Restelatto Rasiel , Pavinato Paulo Sergio , Sartor Laércio Ricardo , Einsfeld Suelen Maria , Baldicera Fernanda Paula
Published: January 2015

Balance between nutrient uptake by the crop and the amount of applied fertilizer is desired in a production system, and this measurement can predict the nutrient use efficiency. The present study aimed to evaluate nitrogen- (N-) use and recovery efficiency and extraction of N, phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) by sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) and black oat (Avena strigosa) forages under nitrogen fertilization in three consecutive crop cultivation. The experiment was carried out at Federal Technological University of Paraná (UTFPR), Dois Vizinhos, Paraná, Brazil, in Rhodic Hapludox soil. Treatments included 0, 37.5, 75, 150, 225, 300, and 375 kg N ha−1applied to sorghum in the summer seasons of 2010/2011 and 2011/2012, intercalated by, respectively, 0, 40, 80, 120, 160, 200, and 240 kg N ha−1applied to black oat in the winter/2011. Forage production, N, P, and K extraction, and N recovery efficiency were determined through samplings during the crop cycle. The highest sorghum forage production and N and K extraction were under 230 to 300 kg N ha−1, which was around 190 kg N ha−1for black oat. The values of N recovery, efficiency, and N-use physiological efficiency were higher under lower N rates for both crops. Based on this, about 150 kg N ha−1is recommended to obtain good sorghum forage production with higher N efficiency levels, which is about 120 kg N ha−1for black oat.
Manual Medium Incision Cataract Surgery with Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty: A Novel Triple Procedure
Authors: Young Alvin L. , Chow Prudence P. C. , Jhanji Vishal
Published: January 2015

Purpose. To describe the surgical technique and outcomes of combined Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty and medium incision manual cataract surgery (MICS) in Chinese eyes. Methods. Surgery was performed in 8 eyes of 7 patients (5 females, 2 males). Primary outcomes included success of the surgery and final outcomes. Results. Surgery was performed in patients with Fuchs’ endothelial dystrophy and cataract (mean age 75.5±3.64 years). MICS tunnel was used to insert the donor lenticule into the anterior chamber. All surgeries were performed successfully. Graft dislocation was seen in 1 eye requiring repositioning with intracameral sulfur hexafluoride gas on the first postoperative day. Graft rejection was noted in one patient at the end of one year. The mean decimal best-corrected visual acuity improved from 0.1±0.07 to 0.3±0.15. Suboptimal visual acuity in 2 cases was due to radiotherapy-related optic neuropathy (n=1) and myopic maculopathy (n=1). The mean target spherical refraction was -1.11±0.17 diopters (myopic) and the mean achieved spherical refraction was 1.18 ± 0.87 diopters (hyperopic) resulting in a mean hyperopic shift of 2.2 diopters. Conclusions. The approach of combined Descemet’s stripping endothelial keratoplasty and MICS is a viable surgical technique for cases with endothelial dysfunction and cataract.
Hepatic Hemangioma in Celiac Patients: Data from a Large Consecutive Series
Authors: Massironi Sara , Branchi Federica , Rossi Roberta Elisa , Fraquelli Mirella , Elli Luca , Bardella Maria Teresa , Cavalcoli Federica , Conte Dario
Published: January 2015

Background and Aims. Hepatic hemangioma (HH) has a widely ranging prevalence. The etiology is unclear; however, associations with autoimmune disorders have been described. We aimed at evaluating the prevalence of HH in celiac disease.Methods. Ninety-seven consecutive patients with celiac disease (18 M, 79 F, median age 41, and range 17–84 years) underwent liver ultrasound between January 2011 and 2012. The findings were compared with those of 1352 nonceliac patients (581 M, 771 F, median age 50, and range 16–94 years), without liver disease or previously detected HH, who underwent US in the same period.Results. Ultrasonographic findings consistent with HH were observed in 14 celiac patients (14.4%), a prevalence significantly higher than in controls (69 cases, 5.1%) (P=0.0006). Subgroup analysis showed that, among women, the prevalence of HH was 16.4% in the celiac disease group (13/79) compared with 5.9% in controls (46/771) (P=0.002). In celiac setting, HH had a median diameter of 1.3 cm and presented as a single lesion in 12 cases (86%).Conclusions. Our findings are consistent with a significantly higher prevalence of HH in celiac patients. Although mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear, autoimmune and metabolic processes, as well as alterations of gut-liver axis equilibrium, could play a role.
Does Attempt at Hearing Preservation Microsurgery of Vestibular Schwannoma Affect Postoperative Tinnitus?
Authors: Chovanec Martin , Zvěřina Eduard , Profant Oliver , Balogová Zuzana , Kluh Jan , Syka Josef , Lisý Jiří , Merunka Ilja , Skřivan Jiří , Betka Jan
Published: January 2015

Background. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of vestibular schwannoma microsurgery via the retrosigmoid-transmeatal approach with special reference to the postoperative tinnitus outcome.Material and Methods. A prospective study was performed in 89 consecutive patients with unilateral vestibular schwannoma indicated for microsurgery. Patient and tumor related parameters, pre- and postoperative hearing level, intraoperative findings, and hearing and tinnitus handicap inventory scores were analyzed.Results. Cochlear nerve integrity was achieved in 44% corresponding to preservation of preoperatively serviceable hearing in 47% and useful hearing in 21%. Main prognostic factors of hearing preservation were grade/size of tumor, preoperative hearing level, intraoperative neuromonitoring, tumor consistency, and adhesion to neurovascular structures. Microsurgery led to elimination of tinnitus in 66% but also new-onset of the symptom in 14% of cases. Preservation of useful hearing and neurectomy of the eighth cranial nerve were main prognostic factors of tinnitus elimination. Preservation of cochlear nerve but loss of preoperative hearing emerged as the main factor for tinnitus persistence and new onset tinnitus. Decrease of THI scores was observed postoperatively.Conclusions. Our results underscore the importance of proper pre- and intraoperative decision making about attempt at hearing preservation versus potential for tinnitus elimination/risk of new onset of tinnitus.
Toy Models of Universe with an Effective VaryingΛ-Term in Lyra Manifold
Authors: Khurshudyan Martiros
Published: January 2015

Research on the accelerated expansion of our Universe captures a lot of attention. The dark energy (DE) is a way to explain it. In this paper we will consider scalar field quintessence DE withωDE>-1EoS, where the dynamics of the DE models related to the dynamics of the scalar field. We are interested in the study of the behavior of the Universe in the presence of interacting quintessence DE models in Lyra manifold with a varyingΛt. In a considered framework we also would like to propose a new form forΛt. We found that the models correspond to the transit Universe, which will enter the accelerated expansion phase and will remain there with a constant deceleration parameterq. We found also that theΛtis a decreasing function which takes a small positive value withΩm≠0andΩQ→constdominatingΩmin the old Universe. Observational constraints are applied and causality issue viaCS2is discussed as a possible way to either reject or accept the models.
Unstirred Water Layer Effects on Biodegradable Microspheres
Authors: D’Souza Susan , Faraj Jabar A. , DeLuca Patrick P.
Published: January 2015

This study explores the mechanistic aspects of in vitro release from biodegradable microspheres with the objective of understanding the effect of the unstirred water layer on polymer degradation and drug release. In vitro drug release experiments on Leuprolide PLGA microspheres were performed under “static” and “continuous” agitation conditions using the “sample and separate” method. At specified time intervals, polymer degradation, mass loss, and drug release were assessed. While molecular weight and molecular number profiles for “static” and “continuous” samples were indistinct, mass loss occurred at a faster rate in “continuous” samples than under “static” conditions. In vitro results describe a fourfold difference in drug release rates between the “continuous” and “static” samples, ascribed to the acceleration of various processes governing release, including elimination of the boundary layer. The findings were confirmed by the fourfold increase in drug release rate when “static” samples were subjected to “continuous” agitation after 11 days. A schema was proposed to describe the complex in vitro release process from biodegradable polymer-drug dosage forms. These experiments highlight the manner in which the unstirred water layer influences drug release from biodegradable microspheres and stress the importance of selecting appropriate conditions for agitation during an in vitro release study.
Early Use of the NMDA Receptor Antagonist Ketamine in Refractory and Superrefractory Status Epilepticus
Authors: Zeiler F. A.
Published: January 2015

Refractory status epilepticus (RSE) and superrefractory status epilepticus (SRSE) pose a difficult clinical challenge. Multiple cerebral receptor and transporter changes occur with prolonged status epilepticus leading to pharmacoresistance patterns unfavorable for conventional antiepileptics. In particular, n-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor upregulation leads to glutamate mediated excitotoxicity. Targeting these NMDA receptors may provide a novel approach to otherwise refractory seizures. Ketamine has been utilized in RSE. Recent systematic review indicates 56.5% and 63.5% cessation in seizures in adults and pediatrics, respectively. No complications were described. We should consider earlier implementation of ketamine or other NMDA receptor antagonists, for RSE. Prospective study of early implementation of ketamine should shed light on the role of such medications in RSE.
Intraoperative Scintigraphy Using a Large Field-of-View Portable Gamma Camera for Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Initial Experience
Authors: Hall Nathan C. , Plews Robert L. , Agrawal Amit , Povoski Stephen P. , Wright Chadwick L. , Zhang Jun , Martin Edward W. , Phay John
Published: January 2015

Background.We investigated a novel technique, intraoperative99 mTc-Sestamibi (MIBI) imaging (neck and excised specimen (ES)), using a large field-of-view portable gamma camera (LFOVGC), for expediting confirmation of MIBI-avid parathyroid adenoma removal.Methods.Twenty patients with MIBI-avid parathyroid adenomas were preoperatively administered MIBI and intraoperatively imaged prior to incision (neck) and immediately following resection (neck and/or ES). Preoperative and intraoperative serum parathyroid hormone monitoring (IOPTH) and pathology (path) were also performed.Results.MIBI neck activity was absent and specimen activity was present in 13/20 with imaging after initial ES removal. In the remaining 7/20 cases, residual neck activity and/or absent ES activity prompted excision of additional tissue, ultimately leading to complete hyperfunctioning tissue excision. Postexcision LFOVGC ES imaging confirmed parathyroid adenoma resection 100% when postresection imaging qualitatively had activity (ES) and/or no activity (neck). The mean ± SEM time saving using intraoperative LFOVGC data to confirm resection versus first IOPTH or path result would have been 22.0 ± 2 minutes (specimen imaging) and 26.0 ± 3 minutes (neck imaging).Conclusion.Utilization of a novel real-time intraoperative LFOVGC imaging approach can provide confirmation of MIBI-avid parathyroid adenoma removal appreciably faster than IOPTH and/or path and may provide a valuable adjunct to parathyroid surgery.
Proactive Traffic Information Control in Emergency Evacuation Network
Authors: Huang Zhengfeng
Published: January 2015

Traffic demand in emergency evacuation is usually too large to be effectively managed with reactive traffic information control methods. These methods adapt to the road traffic passively by publishing real-time information without consideration of the routing behavior feedback produced by evacuees. Other remedy measures have to be prepared in case of nonrecurring congestion under these methods. To use the network capacity fully to mitigate near-future evacuation traffic congestion, we propose proactive traffic information control (PTIC) model. Based on the mechanism between information and routing behavior feedback, this model can change the route choice of evacuees in advance by dissipating strategic traffic information. Generally, the near-future traffic condition is difficult to accurately predict because it is uncertain in evacuation. Assume that the value of traffic information obeys certain distribution within a range, and then real-time traffic information may reflect the most-likely near-future traffic condition. Unlike the real-time information, the proactive traffic information is a selection within the range to achieve a desired level of the road network performance index (total system travel time). In the aspect of the solution algorithm, differential equilibrium decomposed optimization (D-EDO) is proposed to compare with other heuristic methods. A field study on a road network around a large stadium is used to validate the PTIC.
Extracting Information about the Rotator Cuff from Magnetic Resonance Images Using Deterministic and Random Techniques
Authors: De Los Ríos F. A. , Paluszny M.
Published: January 2015

We consider some methods to extract information about the rotator cuff based on magnetic resonance images; the study aims to define an alternative method of display that might facilitate the detection of partial tears in the supraspinatus tendon. Specifically, we are going to use families of ellipsoidal triangular patches to cover the humerus head near the affected area. These patches are going to be textured and displayed with the information of the magnetic resonance images using the trilinear interpolation technique. For the generation of points to texture each patch, we propose a new method that guarantees the uniform distribution of its points using a random statistical method. Its computational cost, defined as the average computing time to generate a fixed number of points, is significantly lower as compared with deterministic and other standard statistical techniques.