bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spatial scale and specialization affect how biogeography and functional traits predict long‐term patterns of community turnover
Authors: Auffret Alistair G. , Aggemyr Elsa , Plue Jan , Cousins Sara A. O.
Published: July 2016

Immigration, extirpation and persistence of individual populations of species are key processes determining community responses to environmental change. However, they are difficult to study over long time periods without corresponding historical and modern‐day species occurrences.

We used historical and present‐day plant species occurrence data from two different spatial scales (resolutions) to investigate the plant community turnover during the 20th century in a Baltic Sea archipelago. Patterns of turnover were analysed in relation to plant functional traits relating to dispersal and competition/persistence, as well as biogeographical variables.

Turnover was largely driven by interactions between functional traits and measures of area, connectivity and distance to mainland. However, the combinations of traits and biogeographical variables that were most important for predicting immigration and extirpation differed between data sets, and between species associated with grassland management and the entire species pool.

Taller plants were more likely to persist regardless of scale and biogeography, reflecting the grazing abandonment that occurred in the study area. Interactions between dispersal traits and biogeography were related to immigrations when the entire species pool was considered. However, increased dispersal potential, a smaller island size and increasing distance to mainland combined to promote extirpations in management‐associated species. A perennial life span and seed banking contributed to species persistence. At the larger spatial scale, trait‐driven turnover was not mediated by the biogeographical context.

We showed that it is important to consider functional traits, biogeographical variables and their interactions when analysing community turnover over time. Furthermore, we found that the understanding of how combinations of traits and biogeography predict turnover depends on the source and spatial scale of the available data, and the species pool analysed.
Optimal Conservatism with Earnings Manipulation
Authors: Bertomeu Jeremy , Darrough Masako , Xue Wenjie
Published: July 2016

This paper examines the role of conservatism when an agent can manipulate upcoming earnings before all uncertainty is resolved. An increase in conservatism, by reducing the likelihood of favorable earnings, requires steeper performance pay to maintain the same level of incentives, which in turn increases the equilibrium earnings manipulation. Trade‐offs between inducing effort and curbing manipulation predict an interior level of conservatism as optimal. The optimal level of conservatism is positively associated with enforcement, economic profitability and earnings quality, and negatively associated with agency frictions. In particular, we show that more economically profitable firms choose to be more conservative. We also establish that the association between performance pay and manipulation identifies whether conservatism is optimally chosen or exogenously imposed. In an application to debt contracting, we show that optimal conservatism is negatively associated with borrowers’ bargaining power.
Concentration–Response Relationship of Hearing Impairment Caused by Quinine and Salicylate: Pharmacological Similarities but Different Molecular Mechanisms
Authors: Alvan Gunnar , Berninger Erik , Gustafsson Lars L. , Karlsson Kjell K. , Paintaud Gilles , Wakelkamp Monique
Published: July 2016

This review has the purpose to summarize concentration–effect studies made with quinine and to compare the effects on hearing between quinine and salicylate. Quinine and salicylate have roles in experimental hearing research and may induce pronounced and reversible hearing impairment when administered in sizeable doses. The quinine‐induced increase in hearing threshold and its recovery can be analysed according to ‘the psychophysical power function’. The power function is a special case of the Hill equation when the stimulus (e.g. a drug concentration) is exceedingly small compared with the concentration that would elicit a half‐maximum response. Quinine and salicylate induce sensorineural hearing impairment and tinnitus when given in higher dose ranges in man. The drugs influence the presence, magnitude, and quality of audiological responses, such as spontaneous and evoked otoacoustic emissions. Quinine reversibly reduces frequency selectivity and hearing sensitivity, whereas the self‐attained most comfortable speech level and the acoustic stapedius reflex are not affected, that is the dynamic range of hearing is reversibly reduced. This observation supports the view that quinine acts on the outer hair cell of the cochlea. Both drugs share a protective effect against the permanent hearing damages caused by gentamicin. This action is interpreted as a request for functioning mechanoelectric transducer (MET) channels to elicit the ill effect of aminoglycosides. Both drugs may interfere with the cochlear amplifier through blocking MET channels and the motor protein prestin. This review finds considerable overlap between type and extent of pharmacological actions of quinine and salicylate, supposedly caused by partly shared mechanisms of action but performed with different molecular mechanisms.
Tumor Dormancy and Frailty Models: A Novel Approach
Authors: Rancoita Paola M. V. , Valberg Morten , Demicheli Romano , Biganzoli Elia , Di Serio Clelia
Published: July 2016

Frailty models are here proposed in the tumor dormancy framework, in order to account for possible unobservable dependence mechanisms in cancer studies where a non-negligible proportion of cancer patients relapses years or decades after surgical removal of the primary tumor. Relapses do not seem to follow a memory-less process, since their timing distribution leads to multimodal hazards. From a biomedical perspective, this behavior may be explained by tumor dormancy, i.e., for some patients microscopic tumor foci may remain asymptomatic for a prolonged time interval and, when they escape from dormancy, micrometastatic growth results in a clinical disease appearance. The activation of the growth phase at different metastatic states would explain the occurrence of metastatic recurrences and mortality at different times (multimodal hazard). We propose a new frailty model which includes in the risk function a random source of heterogeneity (frailty variable) affecting the components of the hazard function. Thus, the individual hazard rate results as the product of a random frailty variable and the sum of basic hazard rates. In tumor dormancy, the basic hazard rates correspond to micrometastatic developments starting from different initial states. The frailty variable represents the heterogeneity among patients with respect to relapse, which might be related to unknown mechanisms that regulate tumor dormancy. We use our model to estimate the overall survival in a large breast cancer dataset, showing how this improves the understanding of the underlying biological process.
Are migraine and non‐migrainous headache risk factors for stroke in the elderly? Findings from a 12‐year cohort follow‐up
Authors: Norton J. , Portet F. , Gabelle A. , Debette S. , Ritchie K. , Touchon J. , Berr C.
Published: July 2016

Background and purpose

There is evidence that migraine is a risk factor for stroke but little is known about this association in elderly people. Furthermore, non‐migrainous headache (NMH) has received little attention despite being the most frequently reported type of headache. Late‐life migraine and NMH were examined as candidate risk factors for stroke in a community‐dwelling elderly sample over a 12‐year follow‐up.

Methods

One thousand nine hundred and nineteen non‐institutionalized subjects aged 65+, without dementia (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, DSM‐IV criteria) and with no stroke history at baseline, were drawn from the Three‐City Montpellier cohort (recruitment 1999–2001) for longitudinal analysis. Ischaemic and haemorrhagic stroke was reported at baseline and at each of the five follow‐ups, with cases validated by a panel of experts, according to ICD‐10 criteria (International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision). Migraine and NMH were determined at baseline during a neurological interview and examination using 1988 International Headache Society criteria.

Results

A total of 110 (5.4%) cases of migraine and 179 (8.9%) cases of NMH were identified at baseline. During the median 8.8‐year follow‐up, incident stroke was observed in 1.9% of baseline migrainers, 6.2% of NMH and 3.6% of those with no lifetime history of headache. Cox proportional hazard models indicated that migraine was not a risk factor for stroke; however, NMH sufferers were twice as likely to have a stroke (hazard ratio 2.00, 95% confidence interval 1.00–3.93, P = 0.049).

Conclusions

This study is one of the first to suggest that late‐life NMH rather than migraine could be an independent risk factor for stroke and a warning sign. The incidence of stroke in elderly migrainers, seldom reported, is particularly low.
Rare Complications of Migraine With Aura
Authors: Plato Brian M.
Published: July 2016

Purpose

To provide a review of the diagnostic criteria, pathophysiology, and potential treatments of the complications of migraine as identified by the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3β, with the exception of status migrainosus.

Method

Migraine with aura may be associated with the onset of rare, but significantly disabling neurological symptoms. This review provides an overview of the associated complications that may arise from migraine with aura.

Conclusion

The complications of migraine that arise from migraine aura are infrequently encountered in clinical practice; however, they can be severely disabling for patients. As these conditions are encountered, thorough diagnostic evaluation is necessary. In some cases, it may be difficult to find a consistently reliable therapeutic option for these patients; however, as more cases enter the literature, a greater understanding of these conditions and how to treat them may arise.
Inconsistencies and time delays in site‐specific research approvals hinder collaborative clinical research in Australia
Authors: White V. M. , Bibby H. , Green M. , Anazodo A. , Nicholls W. , Pinkerton R. , Phillips M. , Harrup R. , Osborn M. , Orme L. M. , Conyers R. , Thompson K. , Coory M.
Published: July 2016

Background/Aim

The aim of this study was to describe the time and documentation needed to gain ethics and governance approvals in Australian states with and without a centralised ethical review system.

Methods

This is a prospective descriptive study undertaken between February 2012 and March 2015. Paediatric and adult hospitals (n = 67) in Australian states were approached to allow the review of their medical records. Participants included 15‐ to 24‐year‐olds diagnosed with cancer between 2008 and 2012. The main outcomes measures were time (weeks) to approval for ethics and governance and the number and type of documents submitted.

Results

Centralised ethics approval processes were used in five states, with approval taking between 2 and 18 weeks. One state did not use a centralised process, with ethics approval taking a median of 4.5 weeks (range: 0–15) per site. In four states using a centralised ethics process, 33 governance applications were submitted, with 20 requiring a site clinician listed as an investigator. Governance applications required the submission of 11 documents on average, including a Site‐Specific Assessment form. Thirty‐two governance applications required original signatures from a median of 3.5 (range: 1–10) non‐research persons, which took a median of 5 weeks (range: 0–15) to obtain. Governance approval took a median of 6 weeks (range: 1–45). Twelve research study agreements were needed, each taking a median of 7.5 weeks (range: 1–20) to finalise.

Conclusion

The benefits of centralised ethics review systems have not been realised due to duplicative, inflexible governance processes. A system that allowed the recognition of prior ethical approval and low‐risk applications was more efficient than a central ethics and site‐specific governance process.
A qualitative national focus group study of the experience of living with lymphoedema and accessing local multiprofessional lymphoedema clinics
Authors: Watts Tessa E. , Davies Ruth E.
Published: July 2016

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore people's experiences of living with lymphoedema and to assess the impact of access to local lymphoedema clinics on their condition and thus their lives.

Background

A chronic condition caused by reduced lymphatic function, lymphoedema leads to swelling, pain and mobility problems and can adversely affect quality‐of‐life. It is of international concern as its prevalence is rising. Yet lymphoedema awareness is limited, diagnostic delay common and access to specialist treatment restricted. The concept of local lymphoedema clinics is gaining support and in 2011 the All Wales Lymphoedema Service was founded. However, empirical investigation of local lymphoedema services remains limited.

Design

A qualitative exploratory study consisting of focus group interviews in every Welsh lymphoedema clinic (n = 8).

Methods

A convenience sample of adults living with lymphoedema in Wales was recruited. Data were collected in digitally recorded focus groups during July and August 2013. Interviews were fully transcribed and analysed using a qualitative content approach.

Findings

Fifty‐nine people participated in eight focus groups. Analysis revealed three themes: Living with lymphoedema is a battle; delays in obtaining a correct diagnosis and the positive impact of lymphoedema clinics on participants’ lives. Locally accessible clinics made meaningful differences to peoples’ lymphoedema, engendered positive outcomes and improved engagement with and adherence to lymphoedema self‐management.

Conclusions

Local specialist lymphoedema clinics can make a positive difference. They may be cost‐effective and further investigation, including economic evaluation is necessary.
Finding needles in a genomic haystack: targeted capture identifies clear signatures of selection in a nonmodel plant species
Authors: Christmas Matthew J. , Biffin Ed , Breed Martin F. , Lowe Andrew J.
Published: July 2016

Teasing apart neutral and adaptive genomic processes and identifying loci that are targets of selection can be difficult, particularly for nonmodel species that lack a reference genome. However, identifying such loci and the factors driving selection have the potential to greatly assist conservation and restoration practices, especially for the management of species in the face of contemporary and future climate change. Here, we focus on assessing adaptive genomic variation within a nonmodel plant species, the narrow‐leaf hopbush (Dodonaea viscosa ssp. angustissima), commonly used for restoration in Australia. We used a hybrid‐capture target enrichment approach to selectively sequence 970 genes across 17 populations along a latitudinal gradient from 30°S to 36°S. We analysed 8462 single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) for FST outliers as well as associations with environmental variables. Using three different methods, we found 55 SNPs with significant correlations to temperature and water availability, and 38 SNPs to elevation. Genes containing SNPs identified as under environmental selection were diverse, including aquaporin and abscisic acid genes, as well as genes with ontologies relating to responses to environmental stressors such as water deprivation and salt stress. Redundancy analysis demonstrated that only a small proportion of the total genetic variance was explained by environmental variables. We demonstrate that selection has led to clines in allele frequencies in a number of functional genes, including those linked to leaf shape and stomatal variation, which have been previously observed to vary along the sampled environmental cline. Using our approach, gene regions subject to environmental selection can be readily identified for nonmodel organisms.
Do stomata of evolutionary distant species differ in sensitivity to environmental signals?
Authors: Roelfsema M. Rob G. , Hedrich Rainer
Published: July 2016

This article is a commentary on Franks & Britton‐Harper, 211: 819–827.
Infantile Hemangiomas of the Lip: Patterns, Outcomes, and Implications
Authors: Yanes Daniel A. , Pearson Gregory D. , Witman Patricia M.
Published: July 2016

Background

Infantile hemangiomas of the lip are potentially problematic because of high visibility and risk of disfigurement and ulceration. This study examined sizes, patterns, and locations of lip hemangiomas, their prognostic value, and their implications in hemangioma pathogenesis.

Methods

Records of 106 patients seen for lip hemangiomas from 2006 to 2013 at Nationwide Children's Hospital were reviewed. Localized hemangiomas were mapped to a location on the lip based on their focus. Size, location, and morphology were assessed with regard to outcome. Poor outcomes were considered to be marked anatomic deformity, scarring, functional complications, and ulceration.

Results

Of 72 untreated hemangiomas with discernible outcomes, 92% of segmental lip hemangiomas were associated with poor outcomes, as opposed to 32% of localized hemangiomas (p < 0.001). Localized lip hemangiomas originated from six distinct locations. Localized untreated hemangiomas with poor outcomes were, on average, approximately 2.36 cm2 larger (95% confidence interval 1.47, 3.25) than those that resolved favorably (p < 0.001); 52% of upper lip untreated hemangiomas and 6% of lower lip hemangiomas had poor outcomes (p = 0.001), and 61% of untreated localized hemangiomas involving the vermilion border and 25% of those that did not had poor outcomes (p = 0.01). Hemangiomas that received early medical or surgical intervention were less likely to have poor outcomes than untreated hemangiomas (p = 0.03).

Conclusions

Localized lip hemangiomas occur in distinct locations on the lip that are not random and appear to reflect known models of facial development. Segmental morphology is associated with poor outcomes. In localized hemangiomas, the upper lip is associated with more problematic outcomes than the lower lip. Large size and involvement of the vermilion border are also valuable prognostic indicators associated with poor outcomes. Early intervention in lip hemangiomas is associated with better outcomes.
Clinical analysis of bronchoscopic cryotherapy in 156 pediatric patients
Authors: Ni Caiyun , Yu Huafeng , Han Xiaorong , Meng Chen , Zhang Yanqin
Published: July 2016

Background

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy and safety of bronchoscopic cryotherapy for pediatric poor ventilation.

Methods

A total of 156 pediatric patients with airway stenosis and obstruction as well as pulmonary atelectasis received bronchoscopic cryotherapy. Treatment efficacy was evaluated on bronchoscopy Before cryotherapy and after the last cryotherapy treatment. Pulmonary atelectasis was assessed according to range of atelectasis on chest computed tomography (CT), and tracheobronchial stenosis according to pulmonary function, tidal volume analysis and dyspnea index.

Results

The 154 patients with effective treatment had patent airway, smooth mucosa and resolved atelectasis. In the two patients with ineffective treatment, however, the airway was not smooth and the range of pulmonary atelectasis was reduced by <30%. Among the 156 patients, 136 had markedly effective treatment, with CT pulmonary atelectasis recovery >70%. The width of the main airway significantly increased approximately 50% and the tidal volume or capacity increased 100%. Effective treatment was identified in 18 patients (18/156), with CT pulmonary atelectasis area reduced 30–70%. Ineffective treatment was noted in two patients, with CT pulmonary atelectasis area reduced by <30%. No complications were noted in any patients during or after operation. No recurrence was noted on follow up of 2–24 months.

Conclusion

Bronchoscopic cryotherapy is effective and safe for dyspnea caused by airway obstruction, and wide application in clinic is recommended.
The spotted rose snapper (Lutjanus guttatus Steindachner 1869) farmed in marine cages: review of growth models
Authors: Castillo‐Vargasmachuca Sergio G. , Ponce‐Palafox Jesús T. , Arámbul‐Muñoz Eulalio , Rodríguez‐Domínguez Guillermo , Aragón‐Noriega Eugenio Alberto
Published: July 2016

The main purpose of this study was to review the growth models used in fish culture and demonstrate the benefit of using the most appropriate growth model for aquaculture studies. For this reason, another part of this study was to use a dataset from spotted rose snapper (Lutjanus guttatus Steindachner, 1869) cultured in floating cages to determine what growth models were applicable to this species. A total of 558 weight‐at‐age data points from a commercial farm located near Nayarit, Mexico were used. The fish were cultured for 270 days in three cages of 125 m3 capacity. The initial density was 25 fish m−3, with an average weight of 2.07 ± 0.52 g. Four asymptotic models (von Bertalanffy growth model, a logistic model, the Gompertz growth model and the Ratkowsky modified model), three nonasymptotic models (exponential, power extended and persistence models) and three versions of the generalized Schnute model were selected as candidate models. The best model was selected based on the Akaike information criterion. The maximum log‐likelihood algorithm was used to parameterize the models considering a multiplicative error structure. The survival was 90%, and the average final weight was 429.84 ± 31.53 g. We concluded that the best model for describing the growth of spotted rose snapper farmed in marine floating cages was the Schnute model.
Markov switching quantile autoregression
Authors: Liu Xiaochun
Published: July 2016

This paper considers the location‐scale quantile autoregression in which the location and scale parameters are subject to regime shifts. The regime changes in lower and upper tails are determined by the outcome of a latent, discrete‐state Markov process. The new method provides direct inference and estimate for different parts of a non‐stationary time series distribution. Bayesian inference for switching regimes within a quantile, via a three‐parameter asymmetric Laplace distribution, is adapted and designed for parameter estimation. Using the Bayesian output, the marginal likelihood is readily available for testing the presence and the number of regimes. The simulation study shows that the predictability of regimes and conditional quantiles by using asymmetric Laplace distribution as the likelihood is fairly comparable with the true model distributions. However, ignoring that autoregressive coefficients might be quantile dependent leads to substantial bias in both regime inference and quantile prediction. The potential of this new approach is illustrated in the empirical applications to the US inflation and real exchange rates for asymmetric dynamics and the S&P 500 index returns of different frequencies for financial market risk assessment.
A novel HLA‐B allele, HLA‐B*13:91, was identified by sequencing‐based typing in the CMDP
Authors: Feng Z.‐H. , Du B. , Ma W.‐H. , Pang S.‐T.
Published: July 2016

The new allele HLA‐B*13:91 was initially identified in a Chinese individual by sequence‐based typing.
Homomonument as Queer Micropublic: An Emotional Geography of Sexual Citizenship
Authors: Zebracki Martin
Published: July 2016

Emotions have remained under‐addressed in scholarship on public memorial art, particularly with sexuality content. This case study on the Amsterdam‐based Homomonument attends to this gap by differentiating emotions according to multi‐scalar, multi‐temporal and multi‐semiotic dimensions of everyday lived experiences of sexual citizenship. Based on discourse analysis of secondary materials and social media coverage, supplemented with auto‐ethnographic experience, the study explores how present‐day feelings of respect, agitation and celebration around Homomonument are mediated at intersecting levels of the body, local community, broader society and especially emergent virtual community spaces. Such understanding requires critical interfaces with reminiscences, contemporary values and normativities, and future imaginaries. Specifically, this paper puts in perspective how Homomonument operates as queer micropublic: a space for intercultural encounter and ‘queerying’ sexual difference. This appears to be a multifaceted meaningful process, too: Homomonument ambiguously holds contesting, reconciling, indifferent and empathic sentiments alongside belongings and sexual identity expressions in quotidian life.
A Gravity Model of Migration Between the ENC and the EU
Authors: Ramos Raul , Suriñach Jordi
Published: July 2016

Due to its ageing population and low birth rates, the European Union (EU) will need to import foreign labour in the next decades. In this context, the EU neighbouring countries (ENC) are the main countries of origin and transit of legal and irregular migration towards Europe. Their economic, cultural, and historical links also make them an important potential source of labour. The objective of this paper is to analyse past and future trends in ENC‐EU bilateral migration relationships. With this aim, we specify and estimate a gravity model for nearly 200 countries between 1960 and 2010. Next, we use the model to obtain medium‐run migration forecasts. Our results show a clear increase in migratory pressures from ENC to the EU in the near future, but probably lower than initially expected.
Video‐Assisted Thoracoscopic Resection of a Noninvasive Thymoma in a Cat with Myasthenia Gravis Using Low‐Pressure Carbon Dioxide Insufflation
Authors: Griffin Maureen A. , Sutton Jessie S. , Hunt Geraldine B. , Pypendop Bruno H. , Mayhew Philipp D.
Published: July 2016

Objective

To report the use of low‐pressure carbon dioxide insufflation during video‐assisted thoracoscopic surgery for resection of a noninvasive thymoma in a cat with secondary myasthenia gravis.

Study Design

Clinical case report.

Animal

Client‐owned cat.

Methods

An 11‐year‐old castrated male domestic shorthair cat was examined for generalized weakness, voice change, hypersalivation, hyporexia, vomiting, coughing, and gagging. Thoracic ultrasound revealed a cranial mediastinal mass for which cytology was consistent with a thymoma (or lymphoid tissue). Acetylcholine receptor antibody concentration was elevated at 3.16 mmol/L (reference interval < 0.3 mmol/L). Thoracic computed tomography showed two round, contrast‐enhancing structures in the cranioventral mediastinum identified as the sternal lymph node and a cranial mediastinal mass (11 × 17 × 24 mm). A presumptive diagnosis of thymoma with paraneoplastic myasthenia gravis was made and surgical resection of both mediastinal masses was recommended.

Results

Video‐assisted thoracoscopic resection of the cranial mediastinal mass and sternal lymph node were performed with low‐pressure carbon dioxide insufflation maintained at an intrathoracic pressure of 2–3 mmHg. The cat recovered from surgery without serious complications. Nineteen months after surgery, the cat developed hind limb stiffness. Thoracic radiographs ruled out a cranial mediastinal mass or megaesophagus. Acetylcholine receptor antibody concentration remained elevated at 2.72 mmol/L.

Conclusion

Low‐pressure thoracic insufflation facilitated video‐assisted thoracoscopic resection of cranial mediastinal masses in this cat.
A Three-Dimensional Numerical Investigation of Air Pumping Noise Generation in Tires
Authors: Gautam Prashanta , Chandy Abhilash J.
Published: July 2016

Tire noise reduction is an important aspect of overall vehicle noise reduction. However, due to the complex nature of tire noise generation and correlation between various generation mechanisms, it is difficult to isolate, predict, and control tire noise. Air-related noise generation mechanisms in tires are tough to predict experimentally, resulting in the need for an accurate numerical model. Computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) is used here to propose a numerical tool capable of predicting air-pumping noise generation. Slot deformations are prescribed by custom functions instead of using structural solvers and the rotation of tire is represented by using mesh motion and deformation techniques. Near-field and far-field acoustic characteristics are predicted using fluid dynamic equations and acoustic models. The use of various spectral analysis tools show that the proposed model is capable of predicting the high frequency air-pumping noise while also predicting other air-related mechanisms such as pipe resonance, Helmholtz resonance, and rotational turbulence. This study is intended to provide an understanding of the various air-related noise generation mechanisms so that numerical models can be used in the future to predict tire acoustics economically and effectively.
EEG Derived Brain Activity Reflects Treatment Response from Vagus Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Epilepsy
Authors: Wostyn Simon , Staljanssens Willeke , De Taeye Leen , Strobbe Gregor , Gadeyne Stefanie , Van Roost Dirk , Raedt Robrecht , Vonck Kristl , van Mierlo Pieter
Published: July 2016

The mechanism of action of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) is yet to be elucidated. To that end, the effects of VNS on the brain of epileptic patients were studied. Both when VNS was switched “On” and “Off”, the brain activity of responders (R, seizure frequency reduction of over 50%) was compared to the brain activity of nonresponders (NR, seizure frequency reduction of less than 50%). Using EEG recordings, a significant increase in P300 amplitude for R and a significant decrease in P300 amplitude for NR were found. We found biomarkers for checking the efficacy of VNS with accuracy up to 94%. The results show that P300 features recorded in nonmidline electrodes are better P300 biomarkers for VNS efficacy than P300 features recorded in midline electrodes. Using source localization and connectivity analyses, the activity of the limbic system, insula and orbitofrontal cortex was found to be dependent on VNS switched “On” versus “Off” or patient group (R versus NR). The results suggest an important role for these areas in the mechanism of action of VNS, although a larger patient study should be done to confirm the findings.
Selected topics on the topology of ideal fluid flows
Authors: Peralta-Salas Daniel
Published: July 2016

This is a survey of certain geometric aspects of inviscid and incompressible fluid flows, which are described by the solutions to the Euler equations. We will review Arnold’s theorem on the topological structure of stationary fluids in compact manifolds, and Moffatt’s theorem on the topological interpretation of helicity in terms of knot invariants. The recent realization theorem by Enciso and Peralta-Salas of vortex lines of arbitrarily complicated topology for stationary solutions to the Euler equations will also be introduced. The aim of this paper is not to provide detailed proofs of all the stated results but to introduce the main ideas and methods behind certain selected topics of the subject known as Topological Fluid Mechanics. This is the set of lecture notes, the author gave at the XXIV International Fall Workshop on Geometry and Physics held in Zaragoza (Spain) during September 2015.
Mapping virtual and physical reality
Authors: Sun Qi , Wei Li-Yi , Kaufman Arie
Published: July 2016

Real walking offers higher immersive presence for virtual reality (VR) applications than alternative locomotive means such as walking-in-place and external control gadgets, but needs to take into consideration different room sizes, wall shapes, and surrounding objects in the virtual and real worlds. Despite perceptual study of impossible spaces and redirected walking, there are no general methods to match a given pair of virtual and real scenes.

We propose a system to match a given pair of virtual and physical worlds for immersive VR navigation. We first compute a planar map between the virtual and physical floor plans that minimizes angular and distal distortions while conforming to the virtual environment goals and physical environment constraints. Our key idea is to design maps that are globally surjective to allow proper folding of large virtual scenes into smaller real scenes but locally injective to avoid locomotion ambiguity and intersecting virtual objects. From these maps we derive altered rendering to guide user navigation within the physical environment while retaining visual fidelity to the virtual environment. Our key idea is to properly warp the virtual world appearance into real world geometry with sufficient quality and performance. We evaluate our method through a formative user study, and demonstrate applications in gaming, architecture walkthrough, and medical imaging.
Designing structurally-sound ornamental curve networks
Authors: Zehnder Jonas , Coros Stelian , Thomaszewski Bernhard
Published: July 2016

We present a computational tool for designing ornamental curve networks---structurally-sound physical surfaces with user-controlled aesthetics. In contrast to approaches that leverage texture synthesis for creating decorative surface patterns, our method relies on user-defined spline curves as central design primitives. More specifically, we build on the physically-inspired metaphor of an embedded elastic curve that can move on a smooth surface, deform, and connect with other curves. We formalize this idea as a globally coupled energy-minimization problem, discretized with piece-wise linear curves that are optimized in the parametric space of a smooth surface. Building on this technical core, we propose a set of interactive design and editing tools that we demonstrate on manually-created layouts and semi-automated deformable packings. In order to prevent excessive compliance, we furthermore propose a structural analysis tool that uses eigenanalysis to identify potentially large deformations between geodesically-close curves and guide the user in strengthening the corresponding regions. We used our approach to create a variety of designs in simulation, validated with a set of 3D-printed physical prototypes.
Efficient dynamic skinning with low-rank helper bone controllers
Authors: Mukai Tomohiko , Kuriyama Shigeru
Published: July 2016

Dynamic skin deformation is vital for creating life-like characters, and its real-time computation is in great demand in interactive applications. We propose a practical method to synthesize plausible and dynamic skin deformation based on a helper bone rig. This method builds helper bone controllers for the deformations caused not only by skeleton poses but also secondary dynamics effects. We introduce a state-space model for a discrete time linear time-invariant system that efficiently maps the skeleton motion to the dynamic movement of the helper bones. Optimal transfer of nonlinear, complicated deformations, including the effect of soft-tissue dynamics, is obtained by learning the training sequence consisting of skeleton motions and corresponding skin deformations. Our approximation method for a dynamics model is highly accurate and efficient owing to its low-rank property obtained by a sparsity-oriented nuclear norm optimization. The resulting linear model is simple enough to easily implement in the existing workflows and graphics pipelines. We demonstrate the superior performance of our method compared to conventional dynamic skinning in terms of computational efficiency including LOD controls, stability in interactive controls, and flexible expression in deformations.
Accelerated quadratic proxy for geometric optimization
Authors: Kovalsky Shahar Z. , Galun Meirav , Lipman Yaron
Published: July 2016

We present the Accelerated Quadratic Proxy (AQP) - a simple first-order algorithm for the optimization of geometric energies defined over triangular and tetrahedral meshes.

The main stumbling block of current optimization techniques used to minimize geometric energies over meshes is slow convergence due to ill-conditioning of the energies at their minima. We observe that this ill-conditioning is in large part due to a Laplacian-like term existing in these energies. Consequently, we suggest to locally use a quadratic polynomial proxy, whose Hessian is taken to be the Laplacian, in order to achieve a preconditioning effect. This already improves stability and convergence, but more importantly allows incorporating acceleration in an almost universal way, that is independent of mesh size and of the specific energy considered.

Experiments with AQP show it is rather insensitive to mesh resolution and requires a nearly constant number of iterations to converge; this is in strong contrast to other popular optimization techniques used today such as Accelerated Gradient Descent and Quasi-Newton methods,
e.g.
, L-BFGS. We have tested AQP for mesh deformation in 2D and 3D as well as for surface parameterization, and found it to provide a considerable speedup over common baseline techniques.
ZoeMatrope
Authors: Miyashita Leo , Ishihara Kota , Watanabe Yoshihiro , Ishikawa Masatoshi
Published: July 2016

Reality is the most realistic representation. We introduce a material display called ZoeMatrope that can reproduce a variety of materials with high resolution, dynamic range and light field reproducibility by using compositing and animation principles used in a zoetrope and a thaumatrope. With ZoeMatrope, the quality of the material is equivalent to that of real objects and the range of expressible materials is diversified by overlaying a set of base materials in a linear combination. ZoeMatrope is also able to express spatially-varying materials, and even augmented materials such as materials with an alpha channel. In this paper, we propose a method for selecting the optimal material set and determining the weights of the linear combination to reproduce a wide range of target materials properly. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach with the developed system and show the results for various materials.
Computational imaging with multi-camera time-of-flight systems
Authors: Shrestha Shikhar , Heide Felix , Heidrich Wolfgang , Wetzstein Gordon
Published: July 2016

Depth cameras are a ubiquitous technology used in a wide range of applications, including robotic and machine vision, human-computer interaction, autonomous vehicles as well as augmented and virtual reality. In this paper, we explore the design and applications of phased multi-camera time-of-flight (ToF) systems. We develop a reproducible hardware system that allows for the exposure times and waveforms of up to three cameras to be synchronized. Using this system, we analyze waveform interference between multiple light sources in ToF applications and propose simple solutions to this problem. Building on the concept of orthogonal frequency design, we demonstrate state-of-the-art results for instantaneous radial velocity capture via Doppler time-of-flight imaging and we explore new directions for optically probing global illumination, for example by de-scattering dynamic scenes and by non-line-of-sight motion detection via frequency gating.
Perspective-aware manipulation of portrait photos
Authors: Fried Ohad , Shechtman Eli , Goldman Dan B. , Finkelstein Adam
Published: July 2016

This paper introduces a method to modify the apparent relative pose and distance between camera and subject given a single portrait photo. Our approach fits a full perspective camera and a parametric 3D head model to the portrait, and then builds a 2D warp in the image plane to approximate the effect of a desired change in 3D. We show that this model is capable of correcting objectionable artifacts such as the large noses sometimes seen in "selfies," or to deliberately bring a distant camera closer to the subject. This framework can also be used to re-pose the subject, as well as to create stereo pairs from an input portrait. We show convincing results on both an existing dataset as well as a new dataset we captured to validate our method.
Practical multispectral lighting reproduction
Authors: LeGendre Chloe , Yu Xueming , Liu Dai , Busch Jay , Jones Andrew , Pattanaik Sumanta , Debevec Paul
Published: July 2016

We present a practical framework for reproducing omnidirectional incident illumination conditions with complex spectra using a light stage with multispectral LED lights. For lighting acquisition, we augment standard RGB panoramic photography with one or more observations of a color chart with numerous reflectance spectra. We then solve for how to drive the multispectral light sources so that they best reproduce the appearance of the color charts in the original lighting. Even when solving for non-negative intensities, we show that accurate lighting reproduction is achievable using just four or six distinct LED spectra for a wide range of incident illumination spectra. A significant benefit of our approach is that it does not require the use of specialized equipment (other than the light stage) such as monochromators, spectroradiometers, or explicit knowledge of the LED power spectra, camera spectral response functions, or color chart reflectance spectra. We describe two simple devices for multispectral lighting capture, one for slow measurements of detailed angular spectral detail, and one for fast measurements with coarse angular detail. We validate the approach by realistically compositing real subjects into acquired lighting environments, showing accurate matches to how the subject would actually look within the environments, even for those including complex multispectral illumination. We also demonstrate dynamic lighting capture and playback using the technique.
Adaptive polynomial rendering
Authors: Moon Bochang , McDonagh Steven , Mitchell Kenny , Gross Markus
Published: July 2016

In this paper, we propose a new adaptive rendering method to improve the performance of Monte Carlo ray tracing, by reducing noise contained in rendered images while preserving high-frequency edges. Our method locally approximates an image with polynomial functions and the optimal order of each polynomial function is estimated so that our reconstruction error can be minimized. To robustly estimate the optimal order, we propose a multi-stage error estimation process that iteratively estimates our reconstruction error. In addition, we present an energy-preserving outlier removal technique to remove spike noise without causing noticeable energy loss in our reconstruction result. Also, we adaptively allocate additional ray samples to high error regions guided by our error estimation. We demonstrate that our approach outperforms state-of-the-art methods by controlling the tradeoff between reconstruction bias and variance through locally defining our polynomial order, even without need for filtering bandwidth optimization, the common approach of other recent methods.
Acoustic voxels
Authors: Li Dingzeyu , Levin David I. W. , Matusik Wojciech , Zheng Changxi
Published: July 2016

Acoustic filters have a wide range of applications, yet customizing them with desired properties is difficult. Motivated by recent progress in additive manufacturing that allows for fast prototyping of complex shapes, we present a computational approach that automates the design of acoustic filters with complex geometries. In our approach, we construct an acoustic filter comprised of a set of parameterized shape primitives, whose transmission matrices can be precomputed. Using an efficient method of simulating the transmission matrix of an assembly built from these underlying primitives, our method is able to optimize both the arrangement and the parameters of the acoustic shape primitives in order to satisfy target acoustic properties of the filter. We validate our results against industrial laboratory measurements and high-quality off-line simulations. We demonstrate that our method enables a wide range of applications including muffler design, musical wind instrument prototyping, and encoding imperceptible acoustic information into everyday objects.
SketchiMo
Authors: Choi Byungkuk , i Ribera Roger Blanco , Lewis J. P. , Seol Yeongho , Hong Seokpyo , Eom Haegwang , Jung Sunjin , Noh Junyong
Published: July 2016

We present SketchiMo, a novel approach for the expressive editing of articulated character motion. SketchiMo solves for the motion given a set of projective constraints that relate the sketch inputs to the unknown 3
D
poses. We introduce the concept of sketch space, a contextual geometric representation of sketch targets---motion properties that are editable via sketch input---that enhances, right on the viewport, different aspects of the motion. The combination of the proposed sketch targets and space allows for seamless editing of a wide range of properties, from simple joint trajectories to local parent-child spatiotemporal relationships and more abstract properties such as coordinated motions. This is made possible by interpreting the user's input through a new sketch-based optimization engine in a uniform way. In addition, our view-dependent sketch space also serves the purpose of disambiguating the user inputs by visualizing their range of effect and transparently defining the necessary constraints to set the temporal boundaries for the optimization.
Example-based plastic deformation of rigid bodies
Authors: Jones Ben , Thuerey Nils , Shinar Tamar , Bargteil Adam W.
Published: July 2016

Physics-based animation is often used to animate scenes containing destruction of near-rigid, man-made materials. For these applications, the most important visual features are plastic deformation and fracture. Methods based on continuum mechanics model these materials as elastoplastic, and must perform expensive elasticity computations even though elastic deformations are imperceptibly small for rigid materials. We introduce an example-based plasticity model based on linear blend skinning that allows artists to author simulation objects using familiar tools. Dynamics are computed using an unmodified rigid body simulator, making our method computationally efficient and easy to integrate into existing pipelines. We introduce a flexible technique for mapping impulses computed by the rigid body solver to local, example-based deformations. For completeness, our method also supports prescoring based fracture. We demonstrate the practicality of our method by animating a variety of destructive scenes.
BeiDou Satellites Assistant Determination by Receiving Other GNSS Downlink Signals
Authors: Chen Lei , Zhang Ke , Zhu Xiangwei , Huang Yangbo , Ou Gang , Liu Huicui
Published: July 2016

GNSS’s orbit determinations always rely on ground station or intersatellite links (ISL). In the emergency of satellite-to-ground links and ISL break-off, BeiDou navigation satellite system (BDS) satellites cannot determine their orbits. In this paper, we propose to add a spaceborne annular beam antenna for receiving the global positioning system (GPS) and global navigation satellite system (GLONASS) signals; therefore, the BDS satellites may be capable of determining their orbits by GPS/GLONASS signals. Firstly, the spectrum selection, the power isolation, the range of Doppler frequency shift, and changing rate are taken into account for the feasibility. Specifically, the L2 band signals are chosen for receiving and processing in order to prevent the overlapping of the receiving and transmitting signals. Secondly, the minimum number of visible satellites (MNVS), carrier-to-noise ratio (C/N0), dilution of precision (GDOP), and geometric distance root-mean-square (gdrms) are evaluated for acquiring the effective receiving antennas’ coverage ranges. Finally, the scheme of deploying 3 receiving antennas is proved to be optimal by analysis and simulations over the middle earth orbit (MEO), geostationary earth orbit (GEO), and the inclined geosynchronous satellite orbit (IGSO). The antennas’ structures and patterns are designed to draw a conclusion that installing GPS and GLONASS receivers on BDS satellites for emergent orbits determination is cost-effective.