bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Common Knowledge in Email Exchanges
Authors: Sietsma Floor , Apt Krzysztof R.
Published: September 2013

We consider a framework in which a group of agents communicates by means of emails, with the possibility of replies, forwards and blind carbon copies (BCC). We study the epistemic consequences of such email exchanges by introducing an appropriate epistemic language and semantics. This allows us to find out what agents learn from the emails they receive and to determine when a group of agents acquires common knowledge of the fact that an email was sent. We also show that in our framework from the epistemic point of view the BCC feature of emails cannot be simulated using messages without BCC recipients.
Propositional Update Operators Based on Formula/Literal Dependence
Authors: Herzig Andreas , Lang Jerome , Marquis Pierre
Published: September 2013

We present and study a general family of belief update operators in a propositional setting. Its operators are based on formula/
literal
dependence, which is more fine-grained than the notion of formula/
variable
dependence that was proposed in the literature: formula/variable dependence is a particular case of formula/literal dependence. Our update operators are defined according to the “forget-then-conjoin” scheme: updating a belief base by an input formula consists in first forgetting in the base every literal on which the input formula has a negative influence, and then conjoining the resulting base with the input formula. The operators of our family differ by the underlying notion of formula/literal dependence, which may be defined syntactically or semantically, and which may or may not exploit further information like known persistent literals and pre-set dependencies. We argue that this allows to handle the frame problem and the ramification problem in a more appropriate way. We evaluate the update operators of our family w.r.t. two important dimensions: the logical dimension, by checking the status of the Katsuno-Mendelzon postulates for update, and the computational dimension, by identifying the complexity of a number of decision problems (including model checking, consistency and inference), both in the general case and in some restricted cases, as well as by studying compactability issues. It follows that several operators of our family are interesting alternatives to previous belief update operators.
SCMFS
Authors: Wu Xiaojian , Qiu Sheng , Narasimha Reddy A. L.
Published: September 2013

Modern computer systems have been built around the assumption that persistent storage is accessed via a slow, block-based interface. However, emerging nonvolatile memory technologies (sometimes referred to as storage class memory (SCM)), are poised to revolutionize storage systems. The SCM devices can be attached directly to the memory bus and offer fast, fine-grained access to persistent storage.

In this article, we propose a new file system---SCMFS, which is specially designed for Storage Class Memory. SCMFS is implemented on the virtual address space and utilizes the existing memory management module of the operating system to help mange the file system space. As a result, we largely simplified the file system operations of SCMFS, which allowed us a better exploration of performance gain from SCM. We have implemented a prototype in Linux and evaluated its performance through multiple benchmarks. The experimental results show that SCMFS outperforms other memory resident file systems, tmpfs, ramfs and ext2 on ramdisk, and achieves about 70% of memory bandwidth for file read/write operations.
Malware signing detection system
Authors: Jain Ajay , Chopra Kusha
Published: September 2013

Software malware not only creates financial damages to corporate and individual computer users, but also invades privacy, exploits their devices and induces other significant losses. While efficient tools and technologies that control and limit malware spread across devices in the public domain are being developed, the problem is far from being resolved. We worked on a methodology that uses techniques to detect malware during in-house development and prevents malware from being released in the field. This work helps determine and handle situations where a person, authorized to access an authentic signing certificate [1] signs malware (or set of file(s)) intended to perform harmful operations, such as spreading a virus on a computer using the said certificate, and releases the malicious code publically or to a community.
Report from the PhD symposium at XP2013
Authors: Hunt Johanna , Akerele Olumide , Juhola Tomi , Waterman Michael
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we describe the PhD Symposium organized as a part of the 14th International Conference on Agile Software Development (XP2013). The Symposium was run with an experimental adaptive structure and was divided into two workshops distributed across the conference as well as individual sessions during the conference. The activities of the second workshop were adapted based on the learning needs of the attendees. In this report we describe the structure of the two scheduled workshops, the activities conducted both during and between them, and evaluate the outcome of this Symposium format.
Asymmetric signature schemes for efficient exact edit similarity query processing
Authors: Qin Jianbin , Wang Wei , Xiao Chuan , Lu Yifei , Lin Xuemin , Wang Haixun
Published: September 2013

Given a query string
Q
, an edit similarity search finds all strings in a database whose edit distance with
Q
is no more than a given threshold τ. Most existing methods answering edit similarity queries employ schemes to generate string subsequences as signatures and generate candidates by set overlap queries on query and data signatures.

In this article, we show that for any such signature scheme, the lower bound of the minimum number of signatures is τ + 1, which is lower than what is achieved by existing methods. We then propose several asymmetric signature schemes, that is, extracting different numbers of signatures for the data and query strings, which achieve this lower bound. A basic asymmetric scheme is first established on the basis of matching
q
-chunks and
q
-grams between two strings. Two efficient query processing algorithms (IndexGram and IndexChunk) are developed on top of this scheme. We also propose novel candidate pruning methods to further improve the efficiency. We then generalize the basic scheme by incorporating novel ideas of floating
q
-chunks, optimal selection of
q
-chunks, and reducing the number of signatures using global ordering. As a result, the Super and Turbo families of schemes are developed together with their corresponding query processing algorithms. We have conducted a comprehensive experimental study using the six asymmetric algorithms and
nine
previous state-of-the-art algorithms. The experiment results clearly showcase the efficiency of our methods and demonstrate space and time characteristics of our proposed algorithms.
Game semantics for a polymorphic programming language
Authors: Laird J.
Published: September 2013

This article presents a game semantics for higher-rank polymorphism, leading to a new model of the calculus System F, and a programming language which extends it with mutable variables. In contrast to previous game models of polymorphism, it is quite concrete, extending existing categories of games by a simple development of the notion of
question/answer labelling
and the associated
bracketing condition
to represent “copycat links” between positive and negative occurrences of type variables. Some well-known System F encodings of type constructors correspond in our model to simple constructions on games, such as the lifted sum.

We characterize the
generic
types of our model (those for which instantiation reflects denotational equivalence), and show how to construct an interpretation in which all types are generic. We show how mutable variables (à la Scheme) may be interpreted in our model, allowing the definition of polymorphic objects with local state. By proving definability of finitary elements in this model using a decomposition argument, we establish a full abstraction result.
Online capacity provisioning for carbon-neutral data center with demand-responsive electricity prices
Authors: Mahmud A. Hasan , Ren Shaolei
Published: September 2013

Due to the huge electricity consumption and carbon emissions, data center operators have been increasingly pressured to reduce their net carbon footprints to zero, i.e., carbon neutrality. In this paper, we propose an efficient online algorithm, called CNDC (optimization for Carbon-Neutral Data Center), to control the number of active servers for minimizing the data center operational cost (defined as a weighted sum of electricity cost and delay cost) while satisfying carbon neutrality without requiring long-term future information. Unlike prior research on carbon neutrality, we explore demand-responsive electricity price enabled by the emerging smart grid technology and demonstrate that it can be incorporated in data center operation to reduce the operational cost. Leveraging the Lyapunov optimization technique, we prove that CNDC achieves a close-to-minimum operational cost compared to the optimal algorithm with future information, while bounding the potential violation of carbon neutrality, in an almost arbitrarily random environment. We also perform trace-based simulation as well as experiment studies to complement the analysis. The results show that CNDC reduces the cost by more than 20% (compared to state-of-the-art prediction-based algorithm) while resulting in a smaller carbon footprint. Moreover, by incorporating demand-response electricity prices, CNDC can further decrease the average cost by approximately 2.5%, translating into hundreds of thousands of dollars per year.
Parallel queueing networks with Markov-modulated service speeds in heavy traffic
Authors: Dorsman Jan-Pieter , Vlasiou Maria , Zwart Bert
Published: September 2013

We study a network of parallel single-server queues, where the service speeds are governed by a continuous-time Markov chain. This generic model finds applications in many areas such as communication systems, computer systems and manufacturing systems. We obtain heavy-traffic approximations for the joint workload, delay and queue length processes by combining a functional central limit theorem approach with matrix-analytic methods. In addition, we numerically compute the joint distributions by viewing the limit processes as semi-martingale reflected Brownian motions.
Corrected phase-type approximations for the workload of the MAP/G/1 queue with heavy-tailed service times
Authors: Vatamidou Eleni , Adan Ivo , Vlasiou Maria , Zwart Bert
Published: September 2013

In many applications, significant correlations between arrivals of load-generating events make the numerical evaluation of the load of a system a challenging problem. Here, we construct very accurate approximations of the workload distribution of the MAP/G/1 queue that capture the tail behavior of the exact workload distribution and provide a small relative error. Motivated by statistical analysis, we assume that the service times are a mixture of a phase-type and a heavy-tailed distribution. With the aid of perturbation analysis, we derive our approximations as a sum of the workload distribution of the MAP/PH/1 queue and a heavytailed component that depends on the perturbation parameter. We refer to our approximations as corrected phase-type approximations, and we exhibit their performance with a numerical study.
Method for handling collisions of broadcast packets due to hidden node problem
Authors: Sharma Rinki , Kadambi Govind R. , Mukundan K. N.
Published: September 2013

In this paper a method of collision detection and retransmission of broadcast packets is proposed. In multi-hop wireless networks, broadcasting is an elementary part of the routing process. However, due to the hidden node problem, broadcasting often leads to collisions. In the presence of broadcast collisions, a node cannot populate its neighbor table completely, leading to missing out on knowledge of potential neighbors. The proposed method uses Collision Detection Pulse (CDP) to make other nodes in the vicinity aware of a collision. If transmitter of the broadcast packet detects a CDP right after the completion of transmission, it retransmits the broadcast packet. The performance of the proposed method is compared with that of IEEE 802.11 DCF (Distributed Coordination Function) standard. Simulation studies show that the proposed method outperforms the existing IEEE 802.11 DCF in discovering the neighbors of a particular node. With the proposed method, every node can discover all its neighbors within a maximum delay of 161ms.
TEMPO
Authors: Henia Rafik , Rioux Laurent , Sordon Nicolas
Published: September 2013

The growing complexity of applications, combined with constant quality and time-to-market constraints, creates new challenges for performance engineering practices in the area of real-time embedded systems. It is namely expected that delivered products implement more and more complex features, while respecting strict real-time requirements. When developing such real-time systems according to a traditional application of the "V"-cycle, performance verification and validation activities start only when development and integration are completed. As a consequence, performance issues are not detected until the validation and verification stage starts. At this time, they are more difficult and expensive to fix. Thus, a reliable performance prediction at early design stages is essential to guarantee that the designed system meets its timing requirements before time and resources are invested for the system implementation. However, this is not an easy task due the lack of methodologies allowing to directly apply performance engineering activities to design models.
Heterothread
Authors: Wang Chao , Li Xi , Zhou Xuehai
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we introduce middleware architecture to support hybrid thread level parallelism on heterogeneous multicore architectures, called Heterothread. Heterothread constructs a hierarchical level model for user programming and parallel task execution dataflow. Heterothread can provide unified programming interfaces which allow applications remain the same when the physical hardware (CPU, GPU, DSP and FPGA) is reconfigured or migrated. Consequently it can meet the real-time demands more efficiently than most state-of-the-art operating systems. A prototype has been built on FPGA to demonstrate Heterothread can achieve significant speedups against Linux kernels.
Autonomic computing architecture for real-time medical application running on virtual private cloud infrastructures
Authors: Ahn Yong Woon , Cheng Albert Mo Kim
Published: September 2013

Cloud computing with virtualization technologies has become a huge trend which attracts academia and information technology industries because of its cost-efficiency. It has changed paradigms of development, release, and maintenance of diverse types of software and service. However, this big movement has not been applied to real-time applications yet because deploying real-time applications on the cloud infrastructures arouses many controversies because of numerous uncertainties from sharing physical resources. It is not trivial to apply conventional scheduling techniques for real-time systems to cloud infrastructures without further considerations. All virtual machines (VMs) must be controlled by the Virtual Machine Monitor (VMM) which is centralized and has a primary role to share physical resources fairly with all VMs in the same physical machine (PM). For best-effort applications, this fair resource sharing policy works well and end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) is promised by the service level agreement (SLA) with reasonable delay windows. However, for real-time applications with aperiodic hard- and soft-real-time tasks, this mechanism has serious weaknesses. Although VMMs of most cloud infrastructures have auto-scaling and load-balancing mechanisms, these are unpredictably slow to accept urgent aperiodic-real-time tasks because of its fair resource sharing policy. Therefore, it is necessary to propose another approach to satisfy deadline constraints of real-time tasks transferred from remote locations. In this research, we focus on cloud medical applications processing sensitive patient data with deadline constraints. We propose feasible solutions to reserve computing and networking resources with an autonomic computing architecture in the virtual private cloud infrastructures.
Applying language-based static verification in an ARM operating system
Authors: Danish Matthew , Xi Hongwei , West Richard
Published: September 2013

In recent years, we have seen a proliferation of small, embedded, electronic devices controlled by computer processors as powerful as the ARM®. These devices are now responsible for tasks as varied as flying a plane, talking on a cellphone, or helping to perform surgery. Some of these tasks have severe consequences for a mistake caused by faulty programming or missed deadlines. The best defense against these mistakes is to prevent them from happening in the first place.
Improving schedulability and energy efficiency for real-time systems with (m,k)-guarantee
Authors: Niu Linwei , Xu Kuai
Published: September 2013

In this paper, we explore improving the schedulability and energy performance for real-time systems with (
m, k
)-constraints, which require that at least
m
out of any
k
consecutive jobs of a task meet their deadlines. The preliminary results demonstrated that our proposed approach is very promising in achieving these dual goals.
Reliability-aware energy minimization for real-time embedded systems with window-constraints
Authors: Niu Linwei , Medina Luis , Chen Yiran
Published: September 2013

In this work, we propose a reliability-aware energy minimization scheme that can satisfy the
window-constraints, i.e
., no more than
x

i

deadlines are missed in each nonoverlapped sequence of
y

i

jobs in real-time task τ

i

. The simulation reveals that our proposed techniques can outperform previous ones in energy reduction for real-time systems with reliability awareness under
window-constraints
.
Thermal-aware energy minimization for real-time scheduling on multi-core systems
Authors: Fan Ming , Chaturvedi Vivek , Sha Shi , Quan Gang
Published: September 2013

With exponentially increased transistor density on multi-core platforms, the power explosion and consequently soaring chip temperature have become critical challenges for system designers. Moreover, the increasing chip temperature results in higher leakage power, hence further aggravates the increment of the overall power consumption [1]. Thus, the dramatically growing power/energy consumption and chip temperature severely affect the cost, reliability and performance of the systems [4].
An evaluation of the RUN algorithm in LITMUS
RT
Authors: Chishiro Hiroyuki , Anderson James H. , Yamasaki Nobuyuki
Published: September 2013

Existing multiprocessor real-time scheduling algorithms follow partitioning/global scheduling approaches or some hybrid approaches of the two. Under partitioning, all tasks are assigned to specific processors. Under global scheduling, tasks may migrate among processors. Global scheduling has the advantage of better schedulability compared to partitioning. However, optimal algorithms based on global scheduling such as PD
2
[5] and LLREF [3] incur significant overhead.
ProtoDrive
Authors: Price William , Jain Harsh , Pant Yash , Mangharam Rahul
Published: September 2013

Vehicles involved in urban commutes are subjected to highly variable loads as they traverse varying gradients and stop-and-go traffic. Electric Vehicles can achieve a high efficiency under these conditions due to their ability to recover energy during braking. However, the high current loads during both charging and discharging cause battery energy losses, making them less efficient and degrading their useful lifetime. Super capacitors work well under high power charge and discharge cycles, however, their high cost and low energy density prevent them from being a viable replacement for batteries. A hybrid system consisting of a battery and a super capacitor has the potential to offer the benefits of both devices, which may increase vehicle range and battery lifetime. Consequently, the goal of the project is to: (a) investigate the use of a hybrid battery/super capacitor system in response to real commuter drive cycles. (b) develop scheduling algorithms that optimize the flow of energy between the battery, super capacitor and motor.
MLE+
Authors: Bernal Willy , Behl Madhur , Nghiem Truong , Mangharam Rahul
Published: September 2013

Simulation engines for buildings can be realistic and accurate, but only provide basic control interfaces. Control engineers have developed robust and complex controls for energy-efficient building operation though such methods are often based on simplistic physical models. To address this issue, we developed MLE+, a tool for energy-efficient building automation design, co-simulation and analysis. This tool leverages the high-fidelity plant simulation capabilities of EnergyPlus building modeling software and the scientific computation and design capabilities of Matlab/Simulink for controller design. MLE+ facilitates integrated building simulation and controller formulation with integrated support for system identification, control design, optimization, simulation analysis and communication between software applications and building equipment. MLE+ has been successfully used to generate schedules for building HVAC control systems for peak power minimization.
Synthesis, Characterization, and Electrochemical Behaviour of Cobalt(II) and Nickel(II) Complexes with N2O2 Chelating Ligand 4,4′-(Biphenyl-4,4′-diyldinitrilo)dipentan-2-one
Authors: Sibous Lakhdar , Bentouhami Embarek , Khan Mustayeen Ahmed
Published: September 2013

4,4′-Diaminobiphenyl reacts with 2,4-pentanedione in absolute ethanol in a molar ratio 1 : 2 to form mainly the product of [1 + 2] condensation, 4,4′-(biphenyl-4,4′-diyldinitrilo)dipentan-2-one (H2L). The Schiff base was used as tetradentate chelating ligand to coordinate CoII and NiII chlorides leading to complexes where the ratio of metal ligand was found to be 2 : 1 or 2 : 2. All the synthesized products were characterized by elemental analysis, infrared, electronic, and mass spectroscopy, 1H NMR, and DSC. The electrochemical behaviour of the ligand and its complexes in DMF is also investigated.
Eosinophil as a Protective Cell inS. aureusVentilator-Associated Pneumonia
Authors: Rodriguez-Fernandez Ana , Andaluz-Ojeda David , Almansa Raquel , Justel Mar , Eiros Jose Maria , Ortiz de Lejarazu Raul
Published: September 2013

Cell counts of leukocytes subpopulations are demonstrating to have an important value in predicting outcome in severe infections. We evaluated here the render of leukogram counts to predict outcome in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) caused byStaphylococcus aureus. Data from patients admitted to the ICU of Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid from 2006 to 2011 with diagnosis of VAP caused byS. aureuswere retrospectively collected for the study (n=44). Leukocyte counts were collected at ICU admission and also at VAP diagnosis. Our results showed that nonsurvivors had significant lower eosinophil counts at VAP diagnosis. Multivariate Cox regression analysis performed by the Wald test for forward selection showed that eosinophil increments from ICU admission to VAP diagnosis and total eosinophil counts at VAP diagnosis were protective factors against mortality in the first 28 days following diagnosis: (HR [CI 95%],P): (0.996 [0.993–0.999], 0.010); (0.370 [0.180–0.750], 0.006). Patients with eosinophil counts <30 cells/mm3at diagnosis died earlier. Eosinophil counts identified survivors: (AUROC [CI 95%],P): (0.701 [0.519–0.882], 0.042). Eosinophil behaves as a protective cell in patients with VAP caused byS. aureus.
Polyethylene/Clay Nanocomposites Produced by In Situ Polymerization with Zirconocene/MAO Catalyst
Authors: Panupakorn Pimpatima , Chaichana Ekrachan , Praserthdam Piyasan , Jongsomjit Bunjerd
Published: September 2013

Two commercial nanoclays were used here as catalytic fillers for production of polyethylene (PE) and linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE) nanocomposites via in situ polymerization with zirconocene/MAO catalyst. It was found that both types of nanoclays designated as clay A and clay B can improve thermal stability to the host polymers as observed from a thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The distribution of the clays inside the polymer matrices appeared good due to the in situ polymerization system into which the clays were introduced during the polymer forming reaction. Upon investigating the clays by X‐ray diffractometer (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), it was observed that the crucial differences between the two clays are the crystallite sizes (A < B) and the amounts of amine group (A < B). The higher amount of amine group in clay B was supposed to be a major reason for the lower catalytic activity of the polymerization systems compared to clay A resulting from its deactivating effect on zirconocene catalyst. However, for both clays, increasing their contents in the polymerization systems reduced the catalytic activity due to the higher steric hindrance occurring.
Gastric Tuberculosis with Outlet Obstruction: A Case Report Presenting with a Mass Lesion
Authors: Ecka Ruth Shifa , Wani Zeeshn Ahamad , Sharma Malay
Published: September 2013

Tuberculosis is a major health problem worldwide. In India, it is highly endemic. The most common manifestation is a pulmonary disease, but involvement of the gastrointestinal tract is not uncommon with the ileocecal region being the commonest site. Gastric tuberculosis is rare and usually associated with pulmonary tuberculosis or an immunodeficient state. Here, we report a case of gastric tuberculosis presenting as gastric outlet obstruction in an immunocompetent patient without evidence of pulmonary tuberculosis. Biopsy and PCR confirmed the diagnosis, and the patient responded well to standard antitubercular treatment. Though, gastric tuberculosis is rare, it should be considered as a possibility when patients present with gastric outlet obstruction, particularly in endemic areas with tuberculosis.
Modern Computational Techniques for the HMMER Sequence Analysis
Authors: Meng Xiandong , Ji Yanqing
Published: September 2013

This paper focuses on the latest research and critical reviews on modern computing architectures, software and hardware accelerated algorithms for bioinformatics data analysis with an emphasis on one of the most important sequence analysis applications—hidden Markov models (HMM). We show the detailed performance comparison of sequence analysis tools on various computing platforms recently developed in the bioinformatics society. The characteristics of the sequence analysis, such as data and compute-intensive natures, make it very attractive to optimize and parallelize by using both traditional software approach and innovated hardware acceleration technologies.
Generating Irregular Models for 3D Spherical-Particle-Based Numerical Methods
Authors: Huang Gang-Hai , Jiao Yu-Yong , Zhang Xiu-Li , Adoko Amoussou-Coffi , Li Shu-Cai
Published: September 2013

The realistic representation of an irregular geological body is essential to the construction of a particle simulation model. A three-dimensional (3D) sphere generator for an irregular model (SGIM), which is based on the platform of Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) in VC++, is developed to accurately simulate the inherent discontinuities in geological bodies. OpenGL is employed to visualize the modeling in the SGIM. Three key functions, namely, the basic-model-setup function, the excavating function, and the cutting function, are implemented. An open-pit slope is simulated using the proposed model. The results demonstrate that an extremely irregular 3D model of a geological body can be generated using the SGIM and that various types of discontinuities can be inserted to cut the model. The data structure of the model that is generated by the SGIM is versatile and can be easily modified to match various numerical calculation tools. This can be helpful in the application of particle simulation methods to large-scale geoengineering projects.
Early Correction of Malocclusion Using Planas Direct Tracks
Authors: Santos Renata Reis dos , Isper Garbin Artênio José , Saliba Garbin Cléa Adas
Published: September 2013

The correction of functional posterior crossbite through Planas Direct Tracks has many characteristics that can become advantages. The aim of this study was to present a clinical case showing how to use this procedure for early correction with resources available through public health services. The patient, a 4-year-old girl, arrived to receive treatment due to a functional unilateral crossbite. When the mandible was moved to the centric position, it was observed that the teeth had occlusal trauma. An occlusal adjustment was performed. The adjustment was not sufficient to promote functional equilibrium; thus, Planas Direct Tracks were made, resulting in functional equilibrium and correction of the malocclusion. As shown in the case report, the Planas Direct Tracks were effective for the correction of the posterior crossbite. If malocclusion is considered a public health problem, implementation of low-cost and easy-to-execute techniques is needed.
Models of Abnormal Scarring
Authors: Seo Bommie F. , Lee Jun Yong , Jung Sung-No
Published: September 2013

Keloids and hypertrophic scars are thick, raised dermal scars, caused by derailing of the normal scarring process. Extensive research on such abnormal scarring has been done; however, these being refractory disorders specific to humans, it has been difficult to establish a universal animal model. A wide variety of animal models have been used. These include the athymic mouse, rats, rabbits, and pigs. Although these models have provided valuable insight into abnormal scarring, there is currently still no ideal model. This paper reviews the models that have been developed.
Moving with Ease: Feldenkrais Method Classes for People with Osteoarthritis
Authors: Webb Robert , Cofré Lizama Luis Eduardo , Galea Mary P.
Published: September 2013

Objective. To investigate the effects of Feldenkrais Method classes on gait, balance, function, and pain in people with osteoarthritis.Design. Prospective study with pre-/postmeasures.Setting. Community.Participants. Convenience sample of 15 community-dwelling adults with osteoarthritis (mean age 67 years) attending Feldenkrais Method classes.Intervention. Series of Feldenkrais Method classes, two classes/week for 30 weeks. Main outcome measures: Western Ontario and McMaster Universities osteoarthritis scale, Human Activity Profile, stair climbing test, 6-minute walk test, timed up-and-go test, Four Square Step Test (4SST), gait analysis, and assessment of quality of life (AQoL).Results. Participants improved on the 4SST and on some gait parameters. They also reported a greater ease of movement.Conclusions. A 30-week series of Feldenkrais classes held twice per week was feasible in the community setting. The lessons led to improvements in performance of the four square step test and changes in gait.
Biomonitoring and Elimination of Perfluorinated Compounds and Polychlorinated Biphenyls through Perspiration: Blood, Urine, and Sweat Study
Authors: Genuis Stephen J. , Beesoon Sanjay , Birkholz Detlef
Published: September 2013

Perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) are man-made organofluorine chemicals manufactured and marketed for their stain-resistant properties. Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are anthropogenic organochlorine compounds previously used in various industrial and chemical applications prior to being banned in the Western world in the 1970s. Both PFCs and PCBs are persistent contaminants within the human organism and both have been linked to adverse health sequelae. Data is lacking on effective means to facilitate clearance of PFCs and PCBs from the body. Methods. Blood, urine, and sweat were collected from 20 individuals (10 healthy participants and 10 participants with assorted health problems) and analyzed for PFCs and PCBs using high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. Results. Some individual PCB congeners, but not all, were released into sweat at varying concentrations. None of the PFCs found in serum testing appeared to be excreted efficiently into perspiration. Conclusions. Induced perspiration may have some role in facilitating elimination of selected PCBs. Sweat analysis may be helpful in establishing the existence of some accrued PCBs in the human body. Sweating does not appear to facilitate clearance of accrued PFHxS (perfluorohexane sulfonate), PFOS (perfluorooctane sulfonate), or PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid), the most common PFCs found in the human body.
Dynamics of Stochastically Perturbed SIS Epidemic Model with Vaccination
Authors: Zhao Yanan , Jiang Daqing
Published: September 2013

We introduce stochasticity into an SIS epidemic model with vaccination. The stochasticity in the model is a standard technique in stochastic population modeling. In the deterministic models, the basic reproduction numberR0is a threshold which determines the persistence or extinction of the disease. When the perturbation and the disease-related death rate are small, we carry out a detailed analysis on the dynamical behavior of the stochastic model, also regarding of the value ofR0. IfR0≤1, the solution of the model is oscillating around a steady state, which is the disease-free equilibrium of the corresponding deterministic model, whereas, ifR0>1, there is a stationary distribution, which means that the disease will prevail. The results are illustrated by computer simulations.
Further Remarks on Fixed-Point Theorems in the Context of Partial Metric Spaces
Authors: Jleli Mohamed , Karapınar Erdal , Samet Bessem
Published: September 2013

New fixed-point theorems on metric spaces are established, and analogous results on partial metric spaces are deduced. This work can be considered as a continuation of the paper Samet et al. (2013).
Application of AdS/CFT in Quark-Gluon Plasma
Authors: Sadeghi J. , Pourhassan B. , Heshmatian S.
Published: September 2013

We review some important applications of AdS/CFT correspondence to gain insight into properties of the quark-gluon plasma. We study some important quantities such as drag force, screening length, and jet-quenching parameter of an external probe quark and also quark-antiquark configuration. In particular, we focus on the STU background and compare our results with other important backgrounds.
AGR2 Predicts Tamoxifen Resistance in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients
Authors: Hrstka Roman , Brychtova Veronika , Fabian Pavel , Vojtesek Borivoj , Svoboda Marek
Published: September 2013

Endocrine resistance is a significant problem in breast cancer treatment. Thus identification and validation of novel resistance determinants is important to improve treatment efficacy and patient outcome. In our work, AGR2 expression was determined by qRT-PCR in Tru-Cut needle biopsies from tamoxifen-treated postmenopausal breast cancer patients. Our results showed inversed association of AGR2 mRNA levels with primary treatment response (P=0.0011) and progression-free survival (P=0.0366) in 61 ER-positive breast carcinomas. As shown by our experimental and clinical evaluations, elevated AGR2 expression predicts decreased efficacy of tamoxifen treatment. From this perspective, AGR2 is a potential predictive biomarker enabling selection of an optimal algorithm for adjuvant hormonal therapy in postmenopausal ER-positive breast cancer patients.
Antimutagenic and Antiapoptotic Effects of Aqueous Root Extract of Inula racemosa Hook. f. on 4-NQO-Induced Genetic Damage in Mice
Authors: Arumugam P. , Murugan M.
Published: September 2013

The present study was performed as part of an attempt to authenticate the use of Inula racemosa root extract as traditional medicine in India by experimentally investigating their protective effects on 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4-NQO) induced DNA damage and apoptosis in mice bone marrow cells. Aqueous root extract (ARE) of Inula racemosa (100, 200 and 400 mg/kg bw) with and without 4-NQO along with vehicle control (H2O) were administered orally for five consecutive days. 4-NQO (7.5 mg/kg bw) was injected intraperitoneally to the mice on the sixth day. After 24 h, the animals were sacrificed and extracted bone marrow cells were used for micronuclei and apoptotic analysis. Antiapoptotic effect of ARE (400 mg/kg bw) was measured by the use of Annexin V-FITC assay kit. 4-NQO generated the frequency of micronucleated polychromatic erythrocytes (MnPCEs) by about 4.7 times the control value, 14.29 MnPCEs/2500 PCEs. Pretreatment with ARE significantly reduced the MnPCEs frequency (39–72%) with respect to their doses, and increased PCEs/NCEs ratio was observed over the 4-NQO alone. 4-NQO-induced total apoptotic cells were about 12% over the control which was significantly brought down to 3.5% by pretreatment with 400 mg/kg bw of ARE. This was the first report that recorded the protective effects of I. racemosa on 4-NQO-induced DNA damage and apoptosis in mice bone marrow cells.
Evaluation of Normal and Nanolayer Composite Thermal Barrier Coatings in Fused Vanadate-Sulfate Salts at 1000°C
Authors: Daroonparvar Mohammadreza , Azizi Mat Yajid Muhamad , Yusof Noordin Mohd. , Bakhsheshi-Rad Hamid Reza , Sakhawat Hussain Mohammad , Hamzah Esah
Published: September 2013

Hot corrosion behavior of yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ), YSZ/normal Al2O3, and YSZ/nano-Al2O3coatings was investigated in the presence of molten mixture of Na2SO4 + V2O5at 1000°C. Microstructural characterization showed that the creation of hot corrosion products containing YVO4crystals and monoclinic ZrO2is primarily related to the reaction between NaVO3and Y2O3during hot corrosion. The lowest amount of hot corrosion products was observed in YSZ as an inner layer of YSZ/nano-Al2O3coating. Hence, it can be concluded that the presence of nanostructured Al2O3layer over the conventional YSZ coating can considerably reduce the infiltration of molten corrosive salts into the YSZ layer during hot corrosion which is mainly related to the compactness of nanostructured alumina layer (including nanoregions) in comparison with normal alumina layer.
Delayed Onset and Prolonged ECT-Related Delirium
Authors: Hassamal Sameer , Pandurangi Ananda , Venkatachalam Vasu , Levenson James
Published: September 2013

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is effective in the treatment of depression. Delayed post-ECT delirium is rare but can occur in a small subset of patients with risk factors and in most cases resolves with the use of psychotropic medications. We report a unique presentation of a patient who developed a delayed post-ECT delirium with fecal incontinence that commenced 24 hours after the administration of ECT. The condition resolved spontaneously after 48 hours without the use of psychotropic medications.
Association of nNOS Gene Polymorphism with Ischemic Stroke in Han Chinese of North China
Authors: Dai Yingjie , He Zhiyi , Sui Rubo , Jiang Zhilin , Ma Shanshan
Published: September 2013

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important messenger molecule and effector molecule. This study aimed to investigate the relation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) gene polymorphism with ischemic stroke in Han Chinese of North China. This was a case‐control study. A total of 413 patients with ischemic stroke were recruited from Han Chinese of North China. There were 201 males and 212 females. In addition, 477 healthy subjects served as controls including 224 males and 253 females. Multiplex SNaPshot was employed to detect nNOS gene polymorphism (rs2293050, rs2139733, rs7308402, and rs1483757). Results showed that the rs1483757, rs2139733, and rs2293050 genotypes and allele frequencies were comparable between patients and controls. However, ischemic stroke patients had significantly reduced AG genotype and A allele frequency when compared with controls (P = 0.037, P = 0.041). After adjusting confounding factors (gender, age, smoking, history of drinking, hypertension, and diabetes), AG genotype and A allele were still related to ischemic stroke (OR = 0.572, 95% CI: 0.335–0.978, P = 0.041; OR = 0.611, 95% C: 0.378–0.985, and P = 0.041) and both were found to be protective factors. Our results showed that rs7308402 gene polymorphism of nNOS is related to ischemic stroke in Han Chinese of North China.
Parameters Affecting the Performance of Immobilized Enzyme
Authors: Zhang Dong-Hao , Yuwen Li-Xia , Peng Li-Juan
Published: September 2013

Enzyme immobilization has been investigated to improve lipase properties over the past few decades. Different methods and various carriers have been employed to immobilize enzyme. However, the application of enzymatic technology in large scale is rarely seen during the industrial process. The main obstacles are a high cost of the immobilization and the poor performance of immobilized lipase. This review focuses on the current status of enzyme immobilization, which aims to summarize the latest research on the parameters affecting the performance of immobilized enzyme. Particularly, the effect of immobilization methods, immobilization carriers, and enzyme loading has been discussed.
Efficacy of EMG- and EEG-Biofeedback in Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Meta-Analysis and a Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials
Authors: Glombiewski Julia Anna , Bernardy Kathrin , Häuser Winfried
Published: September 2013

Objectives. Biofeedback (BFB) is an established intervention in the rehabilitation of headache and other pain disorders. Little is known about this treatment option for fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS). The aim of the present review is to integrate and critically evaluate the evidence regarding the efficacy of biofeedback for FMS.Methods. We conducted a literature search using Pubmed, clinicaltrials.gov (National Institute of Health), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, SCOPUS, and manual searches. The effect size estimates were calculated using a random-effects model.Results. The literature search produced 123 unique citations. One hundred sixteen records were excluded. The meta-analysis included seven studies (321 patients) on EEG-Biofeedback and EMG-Biofeedback. In comparison to control groups, biofeedback (BFB) significantly reduced pain intensity with a large effect size (; 95% CI: 0.22–1.36). Subgroup analyses revealed that only EMG-BFB and not EEG-BFB significantly reduced pain intensity in comparison to control groups (; 95% CI: 0.11–1.62). BFB did not reduce sleep problems, depression, fatigue, or health-related quality of life in comparison to a control group.Discussion. The interpretation of the results is limited because of a lack of studies on the long-term effects of EMG-BFB in FMS. Further research should focus on the long-term efficacy of BFB in fibromyalgia and on the identification of predictors of treatment response.
Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase Phosphorylation at Threonine 495 and Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species Formation in Response to a High H2O2 Concentration
Authors: Guterbaum T.J. , Braunstein T.H. , Fossum A. , Holstein-Rathlou N.-H. , Torp-Pedersen C.T. , Domínguez H.
Published: September 2013

Background: Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is produced in vessels during ischemia/reperfusion and during inflammation, both leading to vascular dysfunction. We investigated cellular pathways involved in endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) phosphorylation at Threonine 495 (Thr495) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to H2O2. Methods: HUVECs were exposed to 400 μM H2O2 for 30 min. Phosphorylation at Thr495 was assessed by Western blotting and reactive oxygen species (ROS) monitored by flow cytometry. Protein kinase C (PKC) pathways were investigated by pretreatment with PKC-β inhibitor ruboxistaurin or pan-PKC inhibitor GF109203X. In addition, we investigated ROCK and ERK pathways by MEKK1/2 inhibitor U0126 and ROCK inhibitor Y27632. Results: H2O2 increased eNOS phosphorylation at Thr495 (to 176% vs. control (100%), p < 0.001) along with increased mitochondrial ROS formation (from 19.7 to 45.3%, p < 0.01). This rise in phosphorylation could be prevented by U0126 and Y27632 in a dose-dependent manner, but did not result in lowered mitochondrial ROS formation. Conversely, addition of the antioxidant N-acetyl-L-cysteine only prevented mitochondrial ROS formation but did not prevent phosphorylation of eNOS Thr495. Conclusion: H2O2-mediated phosphorylation of eNOS Thr495 is mediated by ROCK and ERK activity, but not by PKC, and is uncoupled from mitochondrial ROS signaling. Furthermore, ERK inhibition increased mitochondrial ROS formation.
Dynamic Adjustments of Cognitive Control: Oscillatory Correlates of the Conflict Adaptation Effect
Authors: Pastötter Bernhard , Dreisbach Gesine , Bäuml Karl-Heinz T.
Published: September 2013

It is a prominent idea that cognitive control mediates conflict adaptation, in that response conflict in a previous trial triggers control adjustments that reduce conflict in a current trial. In the present EEG study, we investigated the dynamics of cognitive control in a response-priming task by examining the effects of previous trial conflict on intertrial and current trial oscillatory brain activities, both on the electrode and the source level. Behavioral results showed conflict adaptation effects for RTs and response accuracy. Physiological results showed sustained intertrial effects in left parietal theta power, originating in the left inferior parietal cortex, and midcentral beta power, originating in the left and right (pre)motor cortex. Moreover, physiological analysis revealed a current trial conflict adaptation effect in midfrontal theta power, originating in the ACC. Correlational analyses showed that intertrial effects predicted conflict-induced midfrontal theta power in currently incongruent trials. In addition, conflict adaptation effects in midfrontal theta power and RTs were positively related. Together, these findings point to a dynamic cognitive control system that, as a function of previous trial type, up- and down-regulates attention and preparatory motor activities in anticipation of the next trial.
The Formative Period of American Capitalism: A Materialist Interpretation, Daniel Gaido, London: Routledge, 2006
Authors: Post Charles
Published: September 2013

Abstract

Daniel Gaido’s The Formative Period of American Capitalism provides a thorough accounting of classical Marxist writing on the history of US capitalism. He combines insights from the classical Marxist and US Trotskyist traditions with an engagement with a selection of recent historical research to produce a provocative interpretation of the origins and rise of capitalism in the US. However, his failure to critically interrogate the classical Marxist and US Trotskyist traditions on the US or engage with the growing historical research on the origins and trajectory of US capitalism weakens his contribution.
Collembola Poduromorpha from Guelma Province (Northeastern Algeria), with description of a new Superodontella species (Collembola: Odontellidae)
Authors: ARBEA JAVIER I. , BRAHIM-BOUNAB HAYETTE , KROUA SALAH HAMRA
Published: September 2013

Ten Poduromorpha species have been found in the Taya Region, three of which are new for Algeria: Hypogastrura vernalis (Carl, 1901), Xenylla brevisimilis mediterranea Gama, 1964 and Superodontella tayaensis sp. nov. The new species is morphologically closest to S. subalpina Arbea, 1990, with three subequal dental chaetae. They differ in the number of tibiotarsal chaetae and the sensilar chaetotaxy of Ant IV.