bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Self Tuning Texture Optimization
Authors: Kaspar Alexandre , Neubert Boris , Lischinski Dani , Pauly Mark , Kopf Johannes
Published: June 2015

The goal of example‐based texture synthesis methods is to generate arbitrarily large textures from limited exemplars in order to fit the exact dimensions and resolution required for a specific modeling task. The challenge is to faithfully capture all of the visual characteristics of the exemplar texture, without introducing obvious repetitions or unnatural looking visual elements. While existing non‐parametric synthesis methods have made remarkable progress towards this goal, most such methods have been demonstrated only on relatively low‐resolution exemplars. Real‐world high resolution textures often contain texture details at multiple scales, which these methods have difficulty reproducing faithfully. In this work, we present a new general‐purpose and fully automatic self‐tuning non‐parametric texture synthesis method that extends Texture Optimization by introducing several key improvements that result in superior synthesis ability. Our method is able to self‐tune its various parameters and weights and focuses on addressing three challenging aspects of texture synthesis: (i) irregular large scale structures are faithfully reproduced through the use of automatically generated and weighted guidance channels; (ii) repetition and smoothing of texture patches is avoided by new spatial uniformity constraints; (iii) a smart initialization strategy is used in order to improve the synthesis of regular and near‐regular textures, without affecting textures that do not exhibit regularities. We demonstrate the versatility and robustness of our completely automatic approach on a variety of challenging high‐resolution texture exemplars.
Scalable Partitioning for Parallel Position Based Dynamics
Authors: Fratarcangeli M. , Pellacini F.
Published: June 2015

We introduce a practical partitioning technique designed for parallelizing Position Based Dynamics, and exploiting the ubiquitous multi‐core processors present in current commodity GPUs. The input is a set of particles whose dynamics is influenced by spatial constraints. In the initialization phase, we build a graph in which each node corresponds to a constraint and two constraints are connected by an edge if they influence at least one common particle. We introduce a novel greedy algorithm for inserting additional constraints (phantoms) in the graph such that the resulting topology is ‐colourable, where is an arbitrary number. We color the graph, and the constraints with the same color are assigned to the same partition. Then, the set of constraints belonging to each partition is solved in parallel during the animation phase. We demonstrate this by using our partitioning technique; the performance hit caused by the GPU kernel calls is significantly decreased, leaving unaffected the visual quality, robustness and speed of serial position based dynamics.
A Cut‐Cell Geometric Multigrid Poisson Solver for Fluid Simulation
Authors: Weber Daniel , Mueller‐Roemer Johannes , Stork André , Fellner Dieter
Published: June 2015

We present a novel multigrid scheme based on a cut‐cell formulation on regular staggered grids which generates compatible systems of linear equations on all levels of the multigrid hierarchy. This geometrically motivated formulation is derived from a finite volume approach and exhibits an improved rate of convergence compared to previous methods. Existing fluid solvers with voxelized domains can directly benefit from this approach by only modifying the representation of the non‐fluid domain. The necessary building blocks are fully parallelizable and can therefore benefit from multi‐ and many‐core architectures.
T‐SAH: Animation Optimized Bounding Volume Hierarchies
Authors: Bittner J. , Meister D.
Published: June 2015

We propose a method for creating a bounding volume hierarchy (BVH) that is optimized for all frames of a given animated scene. The method is based on a novel extension of surface area heuristic to temporal domain (T‐SAH). We perform iterative BVH optimization using T‐SAH and create a single BVH accounting for scene geometry distribution at different frames of the animation. Having a single optimized BVH for the whole animation makes our method extremely easy to integrate to any application using BVHs, limiting the per‐frame overhead only to refitting the bounding volumes. We evaluated the T‐SAH optimized BVHs in the scope of real‐time GPU ray tracing. We demonstrate, that our method can handle even highly complex inputs with large deformations and significant topology changes. The results show, that in a vast majority of tested scenes our method provides significantly better run‐time performance than traditional SAH and also better performance than GPU based per‐frame BVH rebuild.
Partitioned Shadow Volumes
Authors: Gerhards J. , Mora F. , Aveneau L. , Ghazanfarpour D.
Published: June 2015

Real‐time shadows remain a challenging problem in computer graphics. In this context, shadow algorithms generally rely either on shadow mapping or shadow volumes. This paper rediscovers an old class of algorithms that build a binary space partition over the shadow volumes. For almost 20 years, such methods have received little attention as they have been considered lacking of both robustness and efficiency. We show that these issues can be overcome, leading to a simple and robust shadow algorithm. Hence we demonstrate that this kind of approach can reach a high level of performance. Our algorithm uses a new partitioning strategy which avoids any polygon clipping. It relies on a Ternary Object Partitioning tree, a new data structure used to find if an image point is shadowed. Our method works on a triangle soup and its memory footprint is fixed. Our experiments show that it is efficient and robust, including for finely tessellated models.
General and Robust Error Estimation and Reconstruction for Monte Carlo Rendering
Authors: Bauszat Pablo , Eisemann Martin , Eisemann Elmar , Magnor Marcus
Published: June 2015

Adaptive filtering techniques have proven successful in handling non‐uniform noise in Monte‐Carlo rendering approaches. A recent trend is to choose an optimal filter per pixel from a selection of non spatially‐varying filters. Nonetheless, the best filter choice is difficult to predict in the absence of a reference rendering. Our approach relies on the observation that the reconstruction error is locally smooth for a given filter. Hence, we propose to construct a dense error prediction from a small set of sparse but robust estimates. The filter selection is then formulated as a non‐local optimization problem, which we solve via graph cuts, to avoid visual artifacts due to inconsistent filter choices. Our approach does not impose any restrictions on the used filters, outperforms previous state‐of‐the‐art techniques and provides an extensible framework for future reconstruction techniques.
Selective Degree Elevation for Multi‐Sided Bézier Patches
Authors: Smith J. , Schaefer S.
Published: June 2015

This paper presents a method to selectively elevate the degree of an S‐Patch of arbitrary dimension. We consider not only S‐Patches with 2D domains but 3D and higher‐dimensional domains as well, of which volumetric cage deformations are a subset. We show how to selectively insert control points of a higher degree patch into a lower degree patch while maintaining the polynomial reproduction order of the original patch. This process allows the user to elevate the degree of only one portion of the patch to add new degrees of freedom or maintain continuity with adjacent patches without elevating the degree of the entire patch, which could create far more degrees of freedom than necessary. Finally we show an application to cage‐based deformations where we increase the number of control points by elevating the degree of a subset of cage faces. The result is a cage deformation with higher degree triangular Bézier functions on a subset of cage faces but no interior control points.
Statics Aware Grid Shells
Authors: Pietroni Nico , Tonelli Davide , Puppo Enrico , Froli Maurizio , Scopigno Roberto , Cignoni Paolo
Published: June 2015

We introduce a framework for the generation of polygonal gridshell architectural structures, whose topology is designed in order to excel in static performances. We start from the analysis of stress on the input surface and we use the resulting tensor field to induce an anisotropic nonEuclidean metric over it. This metric is derived by studying the relation between the stress tensor over a continuous shell and the optimal shape of polygons in a corresponding gridshell. Polygonal meshes with uniform density and isotropic cells under this metric exhibit variable density and anisotropy in Euclidean space, thus achieving a better distribution of the strain energy over their elements. Meshes are further optimized taking into account symmetry and regularity of cells to improve aesthetics. We experiment with quad meshes and hexdominant meshes, demonstrating that our gridshells achieve better static performances than stateoftheart gridshells.
Recent Advances in Adaptive Sampling and Reconstruction for Monte Carlo Rendering
Authors: Zwicker M. , Jarosz W. , Lehtinen J. , Moon B. , Ramamoorthi R. , Rousselle F. , Sen P. , Soler C. , Yoon S.‐E.
Published: June 2015

Monte Carlo integration is firmly established as the basis for most practical realistic image synthesis algorithms because of its flexibility and generality. However, the visual quality of rendered images often suffers from estimator variance, which appears as visually distracting noise. Adaptive sampling and reconstruction algorithms reduce variance by controlling the sampling density and aggregating samples in a reconstruction step, possibly over large image regions. In this paper we survey recent advances in this area. We distinguish between “a priori” methods that analyze the light transport equations and derive sampling rates and reconstruction filters from this analysis, and “a posteriori” methods that apply statistical techniques to sets of samples to drive the adaptive sampling and reconstruction process. They typically estimate the errors of several reconstruction filters, and select the best filter locally to minimize error. We discuss advantages and disadvantages of recent state‐of‐the‐art techniques, and provide visual and quantitative comparisons. Some of these techniques are proving useful in real‐world applications, and we aim to provide an overview for practitioners and researchers to assess these approaches. In addition, we discuss directions for potential further improvements.
Electronic assessment of peri‐implant mucosal esthetics around three implant–abutment configurations: a randomized clinical trial
Authors: Barwacz Christopher A. , Stanford Clark M. , Diehl Ursula A. , Qian Fang , Cooper Lyndon F. , Feine Jocelyne , McGuire Michael
Published: June 2015

Objectives

To objectively assess the influence that three different implant–abutment interface designs had on peri‐implant mucosal esthetics at 1 year post‐implant placement via the pink esthetic score (PES). Additionally, to demonstrate the novel employment of a tablet‐based digital imaging format to reliably assess and score clinical images as part of a multicenter clinical trial according to PES criteria.

Materials and Methods

Adult subjects (n = 141) with healed tooth‐bound edentulous sites in the anterior maxilla as well as first premolar region were randomized to receive one of three different implant–abutment interface designs (conical interface = CI; flat‐to‐flat interface = FI; or platform switch interface = PS). Immediate provisionalization was performed with prefabricated titanium abutments, with definitive custom CAD/CAM zirconia abutments and all‐ceramic cement‐based crowns being delivered 12‐week post‐implant placement. Bilateral (anterior sites) or unilateral (premolar sites) digital clinical photographs were made at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months post‐implant placement. Five calibrated faculty evaluators of different clinical backgrounds scored images during a 4‐week timeframe on a standardized, tablet‐based, digital imaging format.

Results

Six hundred and forty‐nine clinical photographs were evaluated resulting in a total of 3245 sum PES values and 22,715 individual PES values. Faculty evaluator intra‐ and inter‐rater reliability was found to be “strong” (ICC = 0.84) and “substantial” (ICC = 0.64), respectively, demonstrating repeatability of both the PES, evaluator calibration, and standardization of tablet‐based scoring. All implant–abutment interface groups demonstrated significant improvements in mean sum PESs up to 1 year, with the largest improvement between restoration delivery and 6 months. No significant differences were found between groups in mean sum PESs both for individual study visits as well as for changes between study visits.

Conclusions

No significant differences in mean sum PESs were found between subjects randomized to three different implant–abutment interfaces. However, significant differences were found as a function of time for all three groups, with the largest improvement in mean sum PESs occurring between definitive abutment and restoration delivery and 6 months. Use of electronic, tablet‐based digital imaging scoring formats represents a novel and repeatable methodology for scoring PES images in large, multicenter clinical trials.
Student perceptions of a spiral curriculum
Authors: Coelho C. S. , Moles D. R.
Published: June 2015

Aim

The aim of this study was evaluation of constructive alignment of student perceptions to a spiral curriculum, as a pre‐requisite to successful learning.

Method

A survey was undertaken to evaluate student thoughts and experiences of a spiral curriculum, by participation in an anonymous voluntary questionnaire. Students were asked to rate their thoughts on their understanding, perceived benefit of and confusion with their spiral curriculum at the current time and retrospectively during previous years, and to answer free‐text questions on the impact, effects on learning and future suggestions for their spiral curriculum.

Results

Sixty (86%) students completed the questionnaire. Understanding the spiral curriculum worked enhanced with time, with the benefit of the spiral curriculum being felt more conclusively in the latter years, and the majority of students not being confused by the spiral curriculum. Those students who were most confused by the spiral curriculum were the ones who were least likely to appreciate its benefits. The opportunity for consolidation of previously visited knowledge was a perceived predominant advantage, with re‐visitation of topics helping to deepen understanding and learning. Clarity on the depth of knowledge at each stage prevents information overload. A spiral curriculum must spiral and not be a repetition of previously delivered topics.

Conclusions

This study provided insights into students' perceptions of an integrated spiral curriculum, and whilst predominantly positive, there are challenges to enhance the student experience. The spiral curriculum provides an opportunity to revisit and consolidate learning to the apparent benefit of the student.
Land use intensification alters ecosystem multifunctionality via loss of biodiversity and changes to functional composition
Authors: Allan Eric , Manning Pete , Alt Fabian , Binkenstein Julia , Blaser Stefan , Blüthgen Nico , Böhm Stefan , Grassein Fabrice , Hölzel Norbert , Klaus Valentin H. , Kleinebecker Till , Morris E. Kathryn , Oelmann Yvonne , Prati Daniel , Renner Swen C. , Rillig Matthias C. , Schaefer Martin , Schloter Michael , Schmitt Barbara , Schöning Ingo , Schrumpf Marion , Solly Emily , Sorkau Elisabeth , Steckel Juliane , Steffen‐Dewenter Ingolf , Stempfhuber Barbara , Tschapka Marco , Weiner Christiane N. , Weisser Wolfgang W. , Werner Michael , Westphal Catrin , Wilcke Wolfgang , Fischer Markus
Published: June 2015

Global change, especially land‐use intensification, affects human well‐being by impacting the delivery of multiple ecosystem services (multifunctionality). However, whether biodiversity loss is a major component of global change effects on multifunctionality in real‐world ecosystems, as in experimental ones, remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed biodiversity, functional composition and 14 ecosystem services on 150 agricultural grasslands differing in land‐use intensity. We also introduce five multifunctionality measures in which ecosystem services were weighted according to realistic land‐use objectives. We found that indirect land‐use effects, i.e. those mediated by biodiversity loss and by changes to functional composition, were as strong as direct effects on average. Their strength varied with land‐use objectives and regional context. Biodiversity loss explained indirect effects in a region of intermediate productivity and was most damaging when land‐use objectives favoured supporting and cultural services. In contrast, functional composition shifts, towards fast‐growing plant species, strongly increased provisioning services in more inherently unproductive grasslands.
Shall we share? A repository for Open Research Data in agriculture and environmental sciences
Authors: Abbà S. , Birello G. , Vallino M. , Perin A. , Ghignone S. , Caciagli P.
Published: June 2015

Many initiatives actively encourage investigators to make their research data available, but the process of sharing data is perceived by most researchers more as a burden than as a chance to increase the visibility of their results and improve the value of their research. One of the main barriers to open research data (ORD) is the need for interoperable data e‐infrastructures that allow researchers to manage a whole scientific information life cycle and a variety of stakeholders from different sectors to retrieve and exploit these data. In the pilot project presented in this study an open access and open source repository was developed to store, preserve and make accessible heterogeneous agricultural ORD collected over decades of scientific research about plant‐microbe interactions, with a particular focus on plant virus disease symptoms. Additionally, a step‐by‐step installation guide to set up a repository and simple operating procedures for data stewardship were provided.
COMT polymorphism modulates the resting‐state EEG alpha oscillatory response to acute nicotine in male non‐smokers
Authors: Bowers H. , Smith D. , de la Salle S. , Choueiry J. , Impey D. , Philippe T. , Dort H. , Millar A. , Daigle M. , Albert P. R. , Beaudoin A. , Knott V.
Published: June 2015

Performance improvements in cognitive tasks requiring executive functions are evident with nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) agonists, and activation of the underlying neural circuitry supporting these cognitive effects is thought to involve dopamine neurotransmission. As individual difference in response to nicotine may be related to a functional polymorphism in the gene encoding catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT), an enzyme that strongly influences cortical dopamine metabolism, this study examined the modulatory effects of the COMT Val158Met polymorphism on the neural response to acute nicotine as measured with resting‐state electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillations. In a sample of 62 healthy non‐smoking adult males, a single dose (6 mg) of nicotine gum administered in a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled design was shown to affect α oscillatory activity, increasing power of upper α oscillations in frontocentral regions of Met/Met homozygotes and in parietal/occipital regions of Val/Met heterozygotes. Peak α frequency was also found to be faster with nicotine (vs. placebo) treatment in Val/Met heterozygotes, who exhibited a slower α frequency compared to Val/Val homozygotes. The data tentatively suggest that interindividual differences in brain α oscillations and their response to nicotinic agonist treatment are influenced by genetic mechanisms involving COMT.
The Cost of a Calling? Clergywomen and Work in the Church of England
Authors: Greene Anne‐marie , Robbins Mandy
Published: June 2015

This article explores the work of clergywomen in the Church of England within an analysis of the Church as a gendered organization. We highlight the sex discrimination they often face, at the same time as satisfaction with their work and the need to follow their calling regardless of the difficulties. This is explained through an analysis of the significance of religious calling and the requirement for ‘sacrifice’ on their ability to endure their work and to challenge discriminatory treatment.
Oral malodour among adolescents and its association with health behaviour and oral health status
Authors: Rani H , Ueno M , Zaitsu T , Kawaguchi Y
Published: June 2015

Objective

To assess oral malodour level and its association with health behaviour, oral health behaviour and oral health status among adolescents.

Method

A questionnaire survey and clinical examination that included tongue coating and oral malodour status were conducted on 665 senior high school students in Saitama, Japan. Analyses of Pearson chi‐square, independent samplest‐test and logistic regression were conducted usingSPSS19.0 with the significance level set atP < 0.05.

Results

There were 173 (26.0%) subjects who had oral malodour and 54.7% of subjects reported they were conscious of their own oral malodour. Logistic regression analysis showed that subjects who skipped breakfast were 1.7 times more likely to have oral malodour than those who had breakfast. Subjects who did not have the habit of cleaning their tongue daily were also 1.7 times more likely to have oral malodour compared to those who had the habit. The odds of having oral malodour increased as the area of tongue coating widened.

Conclusion

Tongue coating, daily tongue cleaning and breakfast are significant factors for oral malodour among adolescents. Proper tongue coating management together with other healthy lifestyle behaviours, especially having breakfast, should be advocated in adolescents' health education.
Oxidative and proteolysis‐related parameters of skeletal muscle from hamsters with experimental pulmonary emphysema: a comparison between papain and elastase induction
Authors: Brunnquell Cláudia R. , Vieira Nichelle A. , Sábio Laís R. , Sczepanski Felipe , Cecchini Alessandra L. , Cecchini Rubens , Guarnier Flávia A.
Published: June 2015

The objective of this study was to investigate whether emphysema induced by elastase or papain triggers the same effects on skeletal muscle, related to oxidative stress and proteolysis, in hamsters. For this purpose, we evaluated pulmonary lesions, body weight, muscle loss, oxidative stress (thiobarbituric acid‐reactive substances, total and oxidized glutathiones, chemiluminescence stimulated by tert‐butyl hydroperoxide and carbonyl proteins), chymotrypsin‐like and calpain‐like proteolytic activities and muscle fibre cross‐sectional area in the gastrocnemius muscles of emphysemic hamsters. Two groups of animals received different intratracheal inductions of experimental emphysema: by 40 mg/ml papain (EP) or 5.2 IU/100 g animal (EE) elastase (n = 10 animals/group). The control group received intratracheal instillation of 300 μl sterile NaCl 0.9%. Compared with the control group, the EP group had reduced muscle weight (18.34%) and the EE group had increased muscle weight (8.37%). Additionally, tert‐butyl hydroperoxide‐initiated chemiluminescence, carbonylated proteins and chymotrypsin‐like proteolytic activity were all elevated in the EP group compared to the CS group, while total glutathione was decreased compared to the EE group. The EE group showed more fibres with increased cross‐sectional areas and increased calpain‐like activity. Together, these data show that elastase and papain, when used to induce experimental models of emphysema, lead to different speeds and types of adaptation. These findings provide more information on choosing a suitable experimental model for studying skeletal muscle adaptations in emphysema.
Analysis of CCR5 and SDF‐1 genetic variants and HIV infection in Indian population
Authors: Gupta A. , Padh Harish
Published: June 2015

HIV‐1 infection and progression exhibits interindividual variation. The polymorphism in the chemokine receptors CCR5 and CXCR4, the principal coreceptors for HIV‐1 and their ligands like SDF‐1 have a profound effect in altering the HIV‐1 disease progression rate. A single nucleotide polymorphism designated SDF1‐3′UTR‐801G‐A has been associated with resistance to HIV‐1 infection or delayed progression to AIDS. In this study, the SDF1‐3′A polymorphism, CCR5∆32 polymorphism and CCR5 promoter polymorphism at positions 58934 G/T, 59029 G/A, 59353 T/C, 59356 C/T, 59402 A/G and 59653 C/T were analysed in Indian population. The polymorphisms in HIV‐1 patients and healthy individuals were evaluated by conventional PCR, RFLP‐PCR and direct sequencing techniques. The CCR5∆32 mutant allele was found to be almost absent in Indian population. The analysis of the CCR5‐59356C/T polymorphism revealed a trend towards an association of the C allele with an increased risk of HIV‐1 infection. The frequency of allele CCR5‐59356C was higher in HIV‐1 patients (100%) as compared to healthy control subjects (89%, P = 0.003). The correlation of SDF1‐3′A and CCR5 promoter CCR5‐58934G/T, CCR5‐59029G/A, CCR5‐59353T/C, CCR5‐59402 A/G and CCR5‐59653C/T polymorphisms and protection to HIV‐1 infection and progression to AIDS was found to be nonsignificant. Nine haplotypes with more than 1% frequency were detected but were not significant in their protective role against HIV. Comparative analysis with global populations showed a noteworthy difference in CCR5 and SDF‐1 polymorphisms’ frequency distribution, indicating the ethnic variability of Indians. Although susceptibility to infections cannot be completely dependent on one or few genetic variants, it is important to remember that SDF‐1 and CCR5 variants have been correlated globally with HIV‐1 infection and disease progression. In the light of that, higher frequency of SDF‐1 variants in the Indian population is noteworthy.
Safety and performance evaluation of a next‐generation antimicrobial dressing in patients with chronic venous leg ulcers
Authors: Harding Keith G , Szczepkowski Marek , Mikosiński Jacek , Twardowska‐Saucha Krystyna , Blair Stephen , Ivins Nicola M , Saucha Wojciech , Cains Jane , Peters Kim , Parsons David , Bowler Philip
Published: June 2015

The objective of this study was to investigate the safety and performance of AQUACEL™ Ag+ dressing, a wound dressing containing a combination of anti‐biofilm and antimicrobial agents, in the management of chronic wounds. Patients (n = 42) with venous leg ulcers exhibiting signs of clinical infection were treated for 4 weeks with AQUACEL™ Ag+ dressing, followed by management with AQUACEL™ wound dressings for 4 weeks. Wound progression, wound size, ulcer pain and clinical evolution of the wound were assessed for up to 8 weeks. Adverse events were recorded throughout the study. AQUACEL™ Ag+ dressing had an acceptable safety profile, with only one patient discontinuing from the study, because of a non‐treatment‐related adverse event. After 8 weeks, substantial wound improvements were observed: 5 patients (11·9%) had healed ulcers and 32 patients (76·2%) showed improvement in ulcer condition. The mean ulcer size had reduced by 54·5%. Patients reported less pain as the study progressed. Notable improvements were observed in patients with ulcers that were considered to require treatment with systemic antibiotics or topical antimicrobials at baseline (n = 10), with a mean 70·2% reduction in wound area. These data indicate that AQUACEL™ Ag+ dressing has an acceptable safety profile in the management of venous leg ulcers that may be impeded by biofilm.
Comparison of two automatic cell‐counting solutions for fluorescent microscopic images
Authors: LOJK J. , ČIBEJ U. , KARLAŠ D. , ŠAJN L. , PAVLIN M.
Published: June 2015

Cell counting in microscopic images is one of the fundamental analysis tools in life sciences, but is usually tedious, time consuming and prone to human error. Several programs for automatic cell counting have been developed so far, but most of them demand additional training or data input from the user. Most of them do not allow the users to online monitor the counting results, either. Therefore, we designed two straightforward, simple‐to‐use cell‐counting programs that also allow users to correct the detection results. In this paper, we present the Cellcounter and Learn123 programs for automatic and semiautomatic counting of objects in fluorescent microscopic images (cells or cell nuclei) with a user‐friendly interface. Although Cellcounter is based on predefined and fine‐tuned set of filters optimized on sets of chosen experiments, Learn123 uses an evolutionary algorithm to determine the adapt filter parameters based on a learning set of images. Cellcounter also includes an extension for analysis of overlaying images. The efficiency of both programs was assessed on images of cells stained with different fluorescent dyes by comparing automatically obtained results with results that were manually annotated by an expert. With both programs, the correlation between automatic and manual counting was very high (R2 < 0.9), although Cellcounter had some difficulties processing images with no cells or weakly stained cells, where sometimes the background noise was recognized as an object of interest. Nevertheless, the differences between manual and automatic counting were small compared to variations between experimental repeats. Both programs significantly reduced the time required to process the acquired images from hours to minutes. The programs enable consistent, robust, fast and accurate detection of fluorescent objects and can therefore be applied to a range of different applications in different fields of life sciences where fluorescent labelling is used for quantification of various phenomena. Moreover, Cellcounter overlay extension also enables fast analysis of related images that would otherwise require image merging for accurate analysis, whereas Learn123's evolutionary algorithm can adapt counting parameters to specific sets of images of different experimental settings.
British‐Pakistani women's perspectives of diabetes self‐management: the role of identity
Authors: Majeed‐Ariss Rabiya , Jackson Cath , Knapp Peter , Cheater Francine M
Published: June 2015

Aims and objectives

To explore the effects of type 2 diabetes on British‐Pakistani women's identity and its relationship with self‐management.

Background

Type 2 diabetes is more prevalent and has worse outcomes among some ethnic minority groups. This may be due to poorer self‐management and an inadequate match of health services to patient needs. The influence that type 2 diabetes has on British‐Pakistani women's identity and subsequent self‐management has received limited attention.

Design

An explorative qualitative study.

Methods

Face‐to‐face semi‐structured English and Urdu language interviews were conducted with a purposively selected heterogeneous sample of 15 British‐Pakistani women with type 2 diabetes. Transcripts were analysed thematically.

Results

Four themes emerged: Perceived change in self emphasised how British‐Pakistani women underwent a conscious adaptation of identity following diagnosis; Familiarity with ill health reflected women's adjustment to their changed identity over time; Diagnosis improves social support enabled women to accept changes within themselves and Supporting family is a barrier to self‐management demonstrated how family roles were an aspect of women's identities that was resilient to change. The over‐arching theme Role re‐alignment enables successful self‐management encapsulated how self‐management was a continuous process where achievements needed to be sustained. Inter‐generational differences were also noted: first generation women talked about challenges associated with ageing and co‐morbidities; second generation women talked about familial and work roles competing with self‐management.

Conclusions

The complex nature of British‐Pakistani women's self‐identification requires consideration when planning and delivering healthcare.

Relevance to clinical practice

Culturally competent practice should recognise how generational status influences self‐identity and diabetes self‐management in ethnically diverse women. Health professionals should remain mindful of effective self‐management occurring alongside, and being influenced by, other aspects of life.
Resolution of superimposed pre‐eclampsia, and improvement in umbilical artery flow in a surviving twin after intrauterine demise of its co‐twin
Authors: Narasimhulu Deepa M. , Karakash Scarlett , Rankin Linda , Minkoff Howard
Published: June 2015

Pre‐eclampsia has a progressive clinical course, and is only cured by delivery of the placenta. We report a 30‐year‐old G1P0 with dichorionic twins, discordant growth and chronic hypertension who developed superimposed pre‐eclampsia in her 21st week of gestation. After intrauterine demise of the severely growth‐restricted twin, the superimposed pre‐eclampsia resolved. The surviving twin initially had absent end diastolic flow, which resolved after the demise. A healthy 1935‐g neonate with Apgar 9/9 was delivered at 34 weeks. Antenatal resolution of pre‐eclampsia is extremely rare and resolution of superimposed pre‐eclampsia has not, to our knowledge, been reported.
Influence of carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum on the growth hormone–insulin‐like growth factor I axis in mid‐ and late‐pregnancy rats
Authors: Sun Bingchun , Fu Aizhen , Wang Rong , Zhang Ying
Published: June 2015

Aim

We investigated the influence of carbon dioxide (CO2) pneumoperitoneum on the growth hormone(GH)–insulin‐like growth factor I (IGF‐I) axis in mid‐ and late‐pregnancy Sprague–Dawley rats.

Methods

A total of 48 mid‐pregnancy rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups: anesthesia only (control group); 1‐h CO2 pneumoperitoneum; or 2‐h CO2 pneumoperitoneum. Blood samples were collected immediately after the procedure or in late pregnancy. Maternal concentration of serum GH and IGF‐I was measured on enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay and compared between different groups.

Results

Under the same CO2 pneumoperitoneum pressure, serum GH and IGF‐I concentration in the 2‐h pneumoperitoneum group were significantly lower than those of the 1‐h pneumoperitoneum group or the control group in both mid‐ and late pregnancy (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference between the 1‐h pneumoperitoneum group and the control group (P > 0.05). Serum GH and IGF‐I concentrations were positively correlated in pregnant rats (R2 = 0.3434, P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Under the same CO2 pneumoperitoneum pressure, exposure duration was correlated with effect on maternal GH–IGF‐I axis in mid‐ and late‐pregnancy rats. Two h of exposure inhibited the GH–IGF‐I axis in both mid‐ and late pregnancy, and therefore may restrict development of the placenta and fetus.
Trends in the Utilization of Penile Prostheses in the Treatment of Erectile Dysfunction in the United States
Authors: Lee Daniel J. , Najari Bobby B. , Davison Wesley L. , Al Awamlh Bashir Al Hussein , Zhao Fujun , Paduch Darius A. , Mulhall John P. , Chughtai Bilal , Lee Richard K.
Published: June 2015

Background

The utilization of penile prosthesis (PP) insertion in the general population for medically refractory erectile dysfunction (ED) has not been well-characterized. This study assessed the national temporal trends in the surgical management of ED utilizing PP.

Materials and Methods

An analysis of the 5% Medicare Public Use Files from 2001 to 2010 was performed to assess the use of PP. Regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with PP placement, type of PP utilized, and factors associated with revisions.

Results

A total of 1,763,260 men were diagnosed with ED, 3% (53,180) of whom underwent PP insertion. The utilization of PP for ED decreased from 4.6% in 2002 to 2.3% in 2010 (P < 0.01). This temporal decline in utilization was significant across all demographic factors including age, ethnicity, and geographic location. Men aged 65–74, from the U.S. South and West, and those with Charlson comorbidity scores >1 were more likely to have a PP inserted for ED (P < 0.01). African American men were more likely to have a semirigid PP placed compared with a multicomponent inflatable PP, and were more likely to undergo a revision or removal of the PP compared with Caucasian men (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

The surgical management of ED with PP changed significantly between 2001 and 2010. The overall utilization of PP decreased, but its use in patients with significant medical comorbidities increased. Age >65, ethnicity, and geography influenced the likelihood of PP placement, prosthesis type, as well as the likelihood of prosthesis removal or revision.
Napping in older people ‘at risk’ of dementia: relationships with depression, cognition, medical burden and sleep quality
Authors: Cross Nathan , Terpening Zoe , Rogers Naomi L. , Duffy Shantel L. , Hickie Ian B. , Lewis Simon J.G. , Naismith Sharon L.
Published: June 2015

Sleep disturbance is prevalent in older adults, particularly so in those at a greater risk of dementia. However, so far the clinical, medical and neuropsychological correlates of daytime sleep have not been examined. The aims of this study were to investigate the characteristics and effects of napping using actigraphy in older people, particularly in those ‘at risk’ of dementia. The study used actigraphy and sleep diaries to measure napping habits in 133 older adults ‘at risk’ of dementia (mean age = 65.5 years, SD = 8.4 years), who also underwent comprehensive medical, psychiatric and neuropsychological assessment. When defined by actigraphy, napping was present in 83.5% (111/133) of participants; however, duration and timing varied significantly among subjects. Nappers had significantly greater medical burden and body mass index, and higher rates of mild cognitive impairment. Longer and more frequent naps were associated with poorer cognitive functioning, as well as higher levels of depressive symptoms, while the timing of naps was associated with poorer nocturnal sleep quality (i.e. sleep latency and wake after sleep onset). This study highlights that in older adults ‘at risk’ of dementia, napping is associated with underlying neurobiological changes such as depression and cognition. Napping characteristics should be more routinely monitored in older individuals to elucidate their relationship with psychological and cognitive outcomes.
Dynamic Shared‐Taxi Dispatch Algorithm with Hybrid‐Simulated Annealing
Authors: Jung Jaeyoung , Jayakrishnan R. , Park Ji Young
Published: June 2015

Taxi is certainly the most popular type of on‐demand transportation service in urban areas because taxi‐dispatching systems offer more and better services in terms of shorter wait times and passenger travel convenience. However, a shortage of taxicabs has always been critical in many urban contexts especially during peak hours, and taxi has great potential to maximize its efficiency by employing the shared‐ride concept. There are recent successes in dynamic ride‐sharing projects that are expected to bring substantial benefits arising from energy consumption and operation efficiency and thus, it is essential to develop advanced shared‐taxi‐dispatch algorithms and investigate the collective benefits of dynamic ride‐sharing by maximizing occupancy and minimizing travel times in real‐time. This article investigates how taxi services can be improved by proposing shared‐taxi algorithms and what type of objective functions and constraints could be employed to prevent excessive passenger detours. Hybrid‐simulated annealing (HSA) is applied to dynamically assign passenger requests efficiently. A series of simulations are conducted with two different taxi operation strategies. The simulation results reveal that allowing ride‐sharing for taxicabs increases productivity over the various demand levels and HSA can be considered as a suitable solution to maximize the system efficiency of dynamic ride‐sharing.
Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease manifesting with new‐onset epilepsy in the elderly
Authors: Toyota Tomoko , Huang Zhe , Nohara Souhei , Okada Kazumasa , Kakeda Shingo , Korogi Yukunori , Nakayama Toshiyuki , Sone Jun , Sobue Gen , Adachi Hiroaki
Published: June 2015

We report the case of a 72‐year‐old woman with a first epileptic seizure at the age of 70 years. Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease was subsequently diagnosed based on characteristic magnetic resonance imaging findings and intranuclear inclusions on skin biopsy histology. Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease is a rare neurodegenerative disease with a diverse range of clinical manifestations, including epilepsy. It is categorized into three categories: infantile, juvenile and adult forms. Epileptic seizure is the third most common neurological disorder in the elderly after stroke and dementia. To our knowledge, this is the first case of a patient presenting with epileptic seizures as a manifestation of the adult form of neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease. We further showed intranuclear inclusions in keratinocytes by skin biopsy histology. We report neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease as a cause of new‐onset epilepsy in the elderly.
On the distribution and subspecific variation of the Tunisian– Algerian endemic Delphinium sylvaticum (Ranunculaceae)
Authors: El Mokni Ridha , Domina Gianniantonio , Sebei Houcine , El Aouni Mohamed Hédi
Published: June 2015

The morphology and biogeography of the Tunisian–Algerian endemic Delphinium sylvaticum Pomel has been studied in Tunisia. As presented here, this study resulted in an enlargement of the known distribution and in the description of two new subspecies: D. sylvaticum subsp. ichkeulianum El Mokni, Domina, Sebei & El Aouni and D. sylvaticum subsp. purpureum El Mokni, Domina, Sebei & El Aouni native to Tunisia in Mogods and in the northeast regions, respectively. Besides ecological features and clearly separated distribution, the two new subspecies show very well differentiated morphology. An updated distribution map and a diagnostic key of the studied taxa are provided.
Characterization of idiopathic esophagogastric junction outflow obstruction
Authors: van Hoeij F. B. , Smout A. J. P. M. , Bredenoord A. J.
Published: June 2015

Background

Esophagogastric junction (EGJ) outflow obstruction is a manometric diagnosis, characterized by an elevated relaxation pressure (IRP4) of the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) and intact or weak peristalsis. The etiology and preferred treatment remain unknown. We describe a large patient cohort in detail, for a better understanding of this rare disorder.

Methods

We included 47 patients, diagnosed with EGJ outflow obstruction on high‐resolution manometry (HRM) between 2012 and December 2014.

Key Results

Idiopathic EGJ outflow obstruction was diagnosed in 34 patients. The majority (91%) of patients presented with retrosternal pain or dysphagia. The median (IQR) for various HRM parameters was IRP4, 18.9 mmHg (18–23); intrabolus pressure (IBP), 8.3 mmHg (5–12) and basal LES pressure, 27.5 mmHg (22–33). Peristaltic breaks were seen in 88% and elevated IBPmax in 74% of patients. No patients had stasis, difficult LES passage or esophageal dilation on endoscopy. Only 7/25 patients (28%) had stasis on barium esophagography. In 26 patients (82%), no treatment was required: 18 had symptoms judged unrelated to outflow obstruction, 5 had spontaneous symptom relief, and 3 declined therapy. Eight patients were treated: five received botox injections with a good but short‐lived effect, three received pneumatic dilatation, of which one was successful. Three patients were diagnosed with achalasia on a subsequent manometry.

Conclusions & Inferences

Primary EGJ outflow obstruction has an unclear clinical significance. A substantial part of patients has unrelated symptoms, spontaneous symptom relief, or no stasis. Treated patients showed a beneficial response to botox injections. A small proportion develops achalasia at follow‐up.
Oxygen deficiency and salinity affect cell‐specific ion concentrations in adventitious roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare)
Authors: Kotula Lukasz , Clode Peta L. , Striker Gustavo G. , Pedersen Ole , Läuchli André , Shabala Sergey , Colmer Timothy D.
Published: June 2015

Oxygen deficiency associated with soil waterlogging adversely impacts root respiration and nutrient acquisition. We investigated the effects of O2deficiency and salinity (100 mM NaCl) on radial O2concentrations and cell‐specific ion distributions in adventitious roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare).

Microelectrode profiling measured O2concentrations across roots in aerated, aerated saline, stagnant or stagnant saline media. X‐ray microanalysis at two positions behind the apex determined the cell‐specific elemental concentrations of potassium (K), sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) across roots.

Severe O2deficiency occurred in the stele and apical regions of roots in stagnant solutions. O2deficiency in the stele reduced the concentrations of K, Na and Cl in the pericycle and xylem parenchyma cells at the subapical region. Near the root apex, Na declined across the cortex in roots from the aerated saline solution but was relatively high in all cell types in roots from the stagnant saline solution.

Oxygen deficiency has a substantial impact on cellular ion concentrations in roots. Both pericycle and xylem parenchyma cells are involved in energy‐dependent K loading into the xylem and in controlling radial Na and Cl transport. At root tips, accumulation of Na in the outer cell layers likely contributed to reduction of Na in inner cells of the tips.
Unconventional screening approaches for antibiotic discovery
Authors: Farha Maya A. , Brown Eric D.
Published: June 2015

The dramatic rise in microbial drug resistance in recent years has led to ongoing searches for novel drugs to add to the armory against infectious disease. Nevertheless, a paucity of new antibacterial drugs in discovery and development pipelines using traditional approaches has prompted a variety of unconventional and disruptive strategies for antibacterial drug discovery. Herein, we review recent nontraditional approaches that have been piloted for early drug discovery efforts. These unique methodologies open new avenues for finding the next generation of antimicrobials.
Immunomodulatory properties of the IL‐6 cytokine family in multiple sclerosis
Authors: Janssens Kris , Slaets Helena , Hellings Niels
Published: June 2015

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disabling autoimmune disease of the central nervous system. The interleukin (IL)‐6 cytokine family plays a crucial role in regulating the immune response in MS. All members of the IL‐6 family share the common signal‐transducing receptor protein, glycoprotein 130. Although the intracellular signaling of these cytokines seems to be largely overlapping, they have diverse and contrasting effects on the immune response. This review focuses on the effects of the family members IL‐6, leukemia inhibitory factor, oncostatin M, and IL‐11 on immune cell subsets and how these effects relate to the pathogenesis of MS. Finally, we propose possible avenues to modulate these family members for future MS therapy.