bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Novel Bacteriophage Targeting Cronobacter sakazakii Is a Potential Biocontrol Agent in Foods
Authors: Lee Ju-Hoon , Bai Jaewoo , Shin Hakdong , Kim Yeran , Park Bookyung , Heu Sunggi , Ryu Sangryeol
Published: October 2015

Cronobacter sakazakii
is an important pathogen that causes high mortality in infants. Due to its occasional antibiotic resistance, a bacteriophage approach might be an alternative effective method for the control of this pathogen. To develop a novel biocontrol agent using bacteriophages, the
C. sakazakii-
infecting phage CR5 was newly isolated and characterized. Interestingly, this phage exhibited efficient and relatively durable host lysis activity. In addition, a specific gene knockout study and subsequent complementation experiment revealed that this phage infected the host strain using the bacterial flagella. The complete genome sequence analysis of phage CR5 showed that its genome contains 223,989 bp of DNA, including 231 predicted open reading frames (ORFs), and it has a G+C content of 50.06%. The annotated ORFs were classified into six functional groups (structure, packaging, host lysis, DNA manipulation, transcription, and additional functions); no gene was found to be related to virulence or toxin or lysogen formation, but >80% of the predicted ORFs are unknown. In addition, a phage proteomic analysis using SDS-PAGE and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization–time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) revealed that seven phage structural proteins are indeed present, supporting the ORF predictions. To verify the potential of this phage as a biocontrol agent against
C. sakazakii
, it was added to infant formula milk contaminated with a
C. sakazakii
clinical isolate or food isolate, revealing complete growth inhibition of the isolates by the addition of phage CR5 when the multiplicity of infection (MOI) was 10
5
.
Anodes Stimulate Anaerobic Toluene Degradation via Sulfur Cycling in Marine Sediments
Authors: Daghio Matteo , Vaiopoulou Eleni , Patil Sunil A. , Suárez-Suárez Ana , Head Ian M. , Franzetti Andrea , Rabaey Korneel
Published: October 2015

Hydrocarbons released during oil spills are persistent in marine sediments due to the absence of suitable electron acceptors below the oxic zone. Here, we investigated an alternative bioremediation strategy to remove toluene, a model monoaromatic hydrocarbon, using a bioanode. Bioelectrochemical reactors were inoculated with sediment collected from a hydrocarbon-contaminated marine site, and anodes were polarized at 0 mV and +300 mV (versus an Ag/AgCl [3 M KCl] reference electrode). The degradation of toluene was directly linked to current generation of up to 301 mA m−2and 431 mA m−2for the bioanodes polarized at 0 mV and +300 mV, respectively. Peak currents decreased over time even after periodic spiking with toluene. The monitoring of sulfate concentrations during bioelectrochemical experiments suggested that sulfur metabolism was involved in toluene degradation at bioanodes. 16S rRNA gene-based Illumina sequencing of the bulk anolyte and anode samples revealed enrichment with electrocatalytically active microorganisms, toluene degraders, and sulfate-reducing microorganisms. Quantitative PCR targeting the α-subunit of the dissimilatory sulfite reductase (encoded bydsrA) and the α-subunit of the benzylsuccinate synthase (encoded bybssA) confirmed these findings. In particular, members of the familyDesulfobulbaceaewere enriched concomitantly with current production and toluene degradation. Based on these observations, we propose two mechanisms for bioelectrochemical toluene degradation: (i) direct electron transfer to the anode and/or (ii) sulfide-mediated electron transfer.
The Microbiota of Freshwater Fish and Freshwater Niches Contain Omega-3 Fatty Acid-Producing Shewanella Species
Authors: Dailey Frank E. , McGraw Joseph E. , Jensen Brittany J. , Bishop Sydney S. , Lokken James P. , Dorff Kellen J. , Ripley Michael P. , Munro James B.
Published: October 2015

Approximately 30 years ago, it was discovered that free-living bacteria isolated from cold ocean depths could produce polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (20:5n-3) or docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (22:6n-3), two PUFA essential for human health. Numerous laboratories have also discovered that EPA- and/or DHA-producing bacteria, many of them members of the
Shewanella
genus, could be isolated from the intestinal tracts of omega-3 fatty acid-rich marine fish. If bacteria contribute omega-3 fatty acids to the host fish in general or if they assist some bacterial species in adaptation to cold, then cold freshwater fish or habitats should also harbor these producers. Thus, we undertook a study to see if these niches also contained omega-3 fatty acid producers. We were successful in isolating and characterizing unique EPA-producing strains of
Shewanella
from three strictly freshwater native fish species, i.e., lake whitefish (
Coregonus clupeaformis
), lean lake trout (
Salvelinus namaycush
), and walleye (
Sander vitreus
), and from two other freshwater nonnative fish, i.e., coho salmon (
Oncorhynchus kisutch
) and seeforellen brown trout (
Salmo trutta
). We were also able to isolate four unique free-living strains of EPA-producing
Shewanella
from freshwater habitats. Phylogenetic and phenotypic analyses suggest that one producer is clearly a member of the
Shewanella
morhuae
species and another is sister to members of the marine PUFA-producing
Shewanella baltica
species. However, the remaining isolates have more ambiguous relationships, sharing a common ancestor with non-PUFA-producing
Shewanella putrefaciens
isolates rather than marine
S. baltica
isolates despite having a phenotype more consistent with
S. baltica
strains.
Changing Feeding Regimes To Demonstrate Flexible Biogas Production: Effects on Process Performance, Microbial Community Structure, and Methanogenesis Pathways
Authors: Mulat Daniel Girma , Jacobi H. Fabian , Feilberg Anders , Adamsen Anders Peter S. , Richnow Hans-Hermann , Nikolausz Marcell
Published: October 2015

Flexible biogas production that adapts biogas output to energy demand can be regulated by changing feeding regimes. In this study, the effect of changes in feeding intervals on process performance, microbial community structure, and the methanogenesis pathway was investigated. Three different feeding regimes (once daily, every second day, and every 2 h) at the same organic loading rate were studied in continuously stirred tank reactors treating distiller's dried grains with solubles. A larger amount of biogas was produced after feeding in the reactors fed less frequently (once per day and every second day), whereas the amount remained constant in the reactor fed more frequently (every 2 h), indicating the suitability of the former for the flexible production of biogas. Compared to the conventional more frequent feeding regimes, a methane yield that was up to 14% higher and an improved stability of the process against organic overloading were achieved by employing less frequent feeding regimes. The community structures of bacteria and methanogenic archaea were monitored by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of 16S rRNA and
mcrA
genes, respectively. The results showed that the composition of the bacterial community varied under the different feeding regimes, and the observed T-RFLP patterns were best explained by the differences in the total ammonia nitrogen concentrations, H
2
levels, and pH values. However, the methanogenic community remained stable under all feeding regimes, with the dominance of the
Methanosarcina
genus followed by that of the
Methanobacterium
genus. Stable isotope analysis showed that the average amount of methane produced during each feeding event by acetoclastic and hydrogenotrophic methanogenesis was not influenced by the three different feeding regimes.
Abiotic Stress and Phyllosphere Bacteria Influence the Survival of Human Norovirus and Its Surrogates on Preharvest Leafy Greens
Authors: Esseili Malak A. , Gao Xiang , Tegtmeier Sarah , Saif Linda J. , Wang Qiuhong
Published: October 2015

Foodborne outbreaks of human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are frequently associated with leafy greens. Because there is no effective method to eliminate HuNoV from postharvest leafy greens, understanding virus survival under preharvest conditions is crucial. The objective of this study was to evaluate the survival of HuNoV and its surrogate viruses, murine norovirus (MNV), porcine sapovirus (SaV), and Tulane virus (TV), on preharvest lettuce and spinach that were subjected to abiotic stress (physical damage, heat, or flood). We also examined the bacteria culturable from the phyllosphere in response to abiotic stress and in relation to viral persistence. Mature plants were subjected to stressors 2 days prior to inoculation of the viruses on leaves. We quantified the viral RNA, determined the infectivity of the surrogates, and performed bacterial counts on postinoculation days (PIDs) 0, 1, 7, and 14. For both plant types, time exerted significant effects on HuNoV, MNV, SaV, and TV RNA titers, with greater effects being seen for the surrogates. Infectious surrogate viruses were undetectable on PID 14. Only physical damage on PID 14 significantly enhanced HuNoV RNA persistence on lettuce, while the three stressors differentially enhanced the persistence of MNV and TV RNA. Bacterial counts were significantly affected by time and plant type but not by the stressors. However, bacterial counts correlated significantly with HuNoV RNA titers on spinach and with the presence of surrogate viruses on both plant types under various conditions. In conclusion, abiotic stressors and phyllosphere bacterial density may differentially influence the survival of HuNoV and its surrogates on lettuce and spinach, emphasizing the need for the use of preventive measures at the preharvest stage.
Influence of Salmonella enterica Serovar Typhimurium
ssrB
on Colonization of Eastern Oysters (Crassostrea virginica) as Revealed by a Promoter Probe Screen
Authors: Cox Clayton E. , Wright Anita C. , McClelland Michael , Teplitski Max
Published: October 2015

Although
Salmonella
has been isolated from 7.4 to 8.6% of domestic raw oysters, representing a significant risk for food-borne illness, little is known about the factors that influence their initial colonization by
Salmonella
. This study tested the hypothesis that specific regulatory changes enable a portion of the invading
Salmonella
population to colonize oysters. An
in vivo
promoter probe library screen identified 19 unique regions as regulated during colonization. The mutants in the nearest corresponding downstream genes were tested for colonization defects in oysters. Only one mutation, in
ssrB
, resulted in a significantly reduced ability to colonize oysters compared to that of wild-type
Salmonella
. Because
ssrB
regulates
Salmonella
pathogenicity island 2 (SPI-2)-dependent infections in vertebrate macrophages, the possibility that
ssrB
mediated colonization of oyster hemocytes in a similar manner was examined. However, no difference in hemocyte colonization was observed. The complementary hypothesis that signal exchange between
Salmonella
and the oyster's native microbial community aids colonization was also tested. Signals that triggered responses in quorum sensing (QS) reporters were shown to be produced by oyster-associated bacteria and present in oyster tissue. However, no evidence for signal exchange was observed
in vivo
. The
sdiA
reporter responded to salinity, suggesting that SdiA may also have a role in environmental sensing. Overall, this study suggests the initial colonization of live oysters by
Salmonella
is controlled by a limited number of regulators, including
ssrB
.
Inhibitory Role of Greatwall-Like Protein Kinase Rim15p in Alcoholic Fermentation via Upregulating the UDP-Glucose Synthesis Pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Watanabe Daisuke , Zhou Yan , Hirata Aiko , Sugimoto Yukiko , Takagi Kenichi , Akao Takeshi , Ohya Yoshikazu , Takagi Hiroshi , Shimoi Hitoshi
Published: October 2015

The high fermentation rate of
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
sake yeast strains is attributable to a loss-of-function mutation in the
RIM15
gene, which encodes a Greatwall-family protein kinase that is conserved among eukaryotes. In the present study, we performed intracellular metabolic profiling analysis and revealed that deletion of the
RIM15
gene in a laboratory strain impaired glucose-anabolic pathways through the synthesis of UDP-glucose (UDPG). Although Rim15p is required for the synthesis of trehalose and glycogen from UDPG upon entry of cells into the quiescent state, we found that Rim15p is also essential for the accumulation of cell wall β-glucans, which are also anabolic products of UDPG. Furthermore, the impairment of UDPG or 1,3-β-glucan synthesis contributed to an increase in the fermentation rate. Transcriptional induction of
PGM2
(phosphoglucomutase) and
UGP1
(UDPG pyrophosphorylase) was impaired in Rim15p-deficient cells in the early stage of fermentation. These findings demonstrate that the decreased anabolism of glucose into UDPG and 1,3-β-glucan triggered by a defect in the Rim15p-mediated upregulation of
PGM2
and
UGP1
redirects the glucose flux into glycolysis. Consistent with this, sake yeast strains with defective Rim15p exhibited impaired expression of
PGM2
and
UGP1
and decreased levels of β-glucans, trehalose, and glycogen during sake fermentation. We also identified a sake yeast-specific mutation in the glycogen synthesis-associated glycogenin gene
GLG2
, supporting the conclusion that the glucose-anabolic pathway is impaired in sake yeast. These findings demonstrate that downregulation of the UDPG synthesis pathway is a key mechanism accelerating alcoholic fermentation in industrially utilized
S. cerevisiae
sake strains.
The CreC Regulator of Escherichia coli, a New Target for Metabolic Manipulations
Authors: Godoy Manuel S. , Nikel Pablo I. , Cabrera Gomez José G. , Pettinari M. Julia
Published: October 2015

The CreBC (
c
arbon source-
re
sponsive) two-component regulation system of
Escherichia coli
affects a number of functions, including intermediary carbon catabolism. The impacts of different
creC
mutations (a Δ
creC
mutant and a mutant carrying the constitutive
creC510
allele) on bacterial physiology were analyzed in glucose cultures under three oxygen availability conditions. Differences in the amounts of extracellular metabolites produced were observed in the null mutant compared to the wild-type strain and the mutant carrying
creC510
and shown to be affected by oxygen availability. The Δ
creC
strain secreted more formate, succinate, and acetate but less lactate under low aeration. These metabolic changes were associated with differences in AckA and LdhA activities, both of which were affected by CreC. Measurement of the NAD(P)H/NAD(P)
+
ratios showed that the
creC510
strain had a more reduced intracellular redox state, while the opposite was observed for the Δ
creC
mutant, particularly under intermediate oxygen availability conditions, indicating that CreC affects redox balance. The null mutant formed more succinate than the wild-type strain under both low aeration and no aeration. Overexpression of the genes encoding phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase from
E. coli
and a NADH-forming formate dehydrogenase from
Candida boidinii
in the Δ
creC
mutant further increased the yield of succinate on glucose. Interestingly, the elimination of
ackA
and
adhE
did not significantly improve the production of succinate. The diverse metabolic effects of this regulator on the central biochemical network of
E. coli
make it a good candidate for metabolic-engineering manipulations to enhance the formation of bioproducts, such as succinate.
Leisure time physical activity and cancer risk: evaluation of the WHO's recommendation based on 126 high-quality epidemiological studies
Authors: Liu Li , Shi Yun , Li Tingting , Qin Qin , Yin Jieyun , Pang Shuo , Nie Shaofa , Wei Sheng
Published: October 2015

Background

The WHO has concluded that physical activity reduces the risk of numerous diseases. However, few systemic reviews have been performed to assess the role of leisure time physical activity (LTPA) in lowering the risk of cancer in a dose-dependent manner and furthermore the suitability of recommendation of physical activity by the WHO.

Methods

A systematic review and meta-analysis was designed to estimate cancer risk by LTPA in binary comparison and in a dose-dependent manner. MEDLINE and Web of Science were searched up to 30 December 2014 without language restrictions. Reference lists were reviewed for potential articles.

Results

A total of 126 studies were recruited into the meta-analysis. Overall, the total cancer risk was reduced by 10% in people who undertook the most LTPA as compared with those who did the least. Dose–response meta-analysis indicated that the current WHO recommendation (equal to an average of 10 metabolic equivalents of energy hours per week) induced a 7% (95% CI 5% to 9%) cancer reduction. Moreover, the protective role of LTPA against cancer becomes saturated at 20 metabolic equivalents of energy hours per week, with a relative risk of 0.91 (95% CI 0.88 to 0.93). Subanalyses results based on cancer types showed that LTPA only exhibited significant protection against breast cancer and colorectal cancer.

Conclusions

Our meta-analysis indicates that the current WHO recommendation of physical activity can result in a 7% reduction in cancer risk, which is mainly attributed to its protective role against breast cancer and colorectal cancer. Furthermore, two-fold of current recommendation level is considered to give its saturated protection against cancer.
Improving handover of acute orthopaedic admissions
Authors: Karayiannis Paul , Warnock Jonathan
Published: October 2015

Handover is a crucial part of patient care and is a well recognized cause of patient harm if not performed well. The introduction of full shift working for doctors has placed even more emphasis on this area of patient care. We identified handover of orthopaedic admissions in our unit was substandard. A prospective audit over a one week period including the weekend was undertaken. The Royal College of Surgeons of England guidance on handovers was used as minimum criteria and we also included criteria essential for handover of orthopaedic patients. This initial audit revealed a poor standard of handover. 21 patients were included and in particular patient location (57%), responsible consultant (14%), and pending investigations (29%) were poorly performed. In addition two patient safety incidents were noted, including one admission that was not handed over. To improve the handover we created a trauma specific handover proforma. We then conducted a re-audit again over a one week period including the weekend with the proforma in use. There was a notable improvement, 17 patients were included and only 3 criteria fell below 80%. We presented our findings at the local audit meeting where the results were discussed with all members of the trauma team. We suggested that an electronic proforma, accessible from multiple computers within the hospital may improve handover further. This was created in conjunction with the IT department. Once again we reaudited handover over a one week period including the weekend with the electronic proforma in use. 23 patients were included and a further improvement was noted; only one criterion fell below 95%. In conclusion handover of acute fracture admissions within the unit has undoubtedly improved. The electronic proforma tool was a simple, cost effective, and accurate method of improving handover.
An evaluation study of a pilot group education programme for inflammatory bowel disease
Authors: Sephton Mark , Kemp Karen , Ridgway Victoria
Published: October 2015

Background and aims

The emphasis for healthcare clinicians to provide adequate disease-related education is increasing. Yet little is known about the effect of providing disease-related education within inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Previous studies have demonstrated increased levels of knowledge and satisfaction, but failed to capture any positive effects on the psychosocial elements of living with IBD. The aim of this qualitative study was to evaluate the impact of providing a group patient education programme on the psychosocial elements of living with IBD.

Methods

The data were obtained through eight semistructured qualitative interviews. Participants were recruited at the education programme using purposive sampling. All the interviews were digital recorded and transcribed. Thematic analysis was used by two independent researchers to analyse the transcripts and agreed emerging themes.

Results

A global theme of ‘mastery’ was evident within the transcripts. This was underpinned with two core themes of enablement and cooperative learning. The education programme ‘enabled’ the participants in a variety of ways: increased confidence, control, courage and power over their disease. An unexpected core theme of cooperative learning was also identified, with participants describing the overwhelming benefit of interaction with other people who also had IBD.

Conclusions

This is the first qualitative study to report on the effects of providing a group patient education within IBD. The results identify new and interesting psychosocial elements that existing quantitative studies have failed to identify.
Alcohol, drug and other prior crimes and risk of arrest in handgun purchasers: protocol for a controlled observational study
Authors: Wintemute Garen J , Kass Philip H , Stewart Susan L , Cerdá Magdalena , Gruenewald Paul J
Published: October 2015

Background and objective

Alcohol abuse is common in the USA and is a well-established risk factor for violence. Other drug use and criminal activity are risk factors as well and frequently occur together with alcohol abuse. Firearm ownership is also common; there are >50 million firearm owners in the USA. This study assesses the relationships between alcohol and drug abuse and future violence among firearm owners, which no prior research has done.

Design and study population

This records-based retrospective cohort study will involve all persons who legally purchased handguns in California in 2001—approximately 116 000 individuals—with follow-up through the end of 2013.

Methods

The principal exposures include prior convictions for alcohol-related and drug-related offenses. The primary outcome measure is an arrest following handgun purchase for a violent Crime Index offense: homicide, rape, robbery or aggravated assault. Subjects will be considered at risk for outcome events for only as long as their residence in California can be established independently of outcome events. Covariates include individual characteristics (eg, age, sex, criminal history, firearm purchase history) and community characteristics (eg, demographics, socioeconomic measures, firearm ownership and alcohol outlet density). We will employ survival analytic methods, expressing effects as HRs.

Discussion

The results of this large-scale study are likely to be generalisable and to have important implications for violence prevention policies and programmes.
Serine-arginine protein kinase 1 (SRPK1), a determinant of angiogenesis, is upregulated in prostate cancer and correlates with disease stage and invasion
Authors: Bullock Nicholas , Potts Jonathan , Simpkin Andrew J , Koupparis Anthony , Harper Steve J , Oxley Jon , Oltean Sebastian
Published: October 2015

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) undergoes alternative splicing to produce both proangiogenic and antiangiogenic isoforms. Preferential splicing of proangiogenic VEGF is determined by serine-arginine protein kinase 1 (SRPK1), which is upregulated in a number of cancers. In the present study, we aimed to investigate SRPK1 expression in prostate cancer (PCa) and its association with cancer progression. SRPK1 expression was assessed using immunohistochemistry of PCa tissue extracted from radical prostatectomy specimens of 110 patients. SRPK1 expression was significantly higher in tumour compared with benign tissue (p<0.00001) and correlated with higher pT stage (p=0.004), extracapsular extension (p=0.003) and extracapsular perineural invasion (p=0.008). Interestingly, the expression did not correlate with Gleason grade (p=0.21), suggesting that SRPK1 facilitates the development of a tumour microenvironment that favours growth and invasion (possibly through stimulating angiogenesis) while having little bearing on the morphology or function of the tumour cells themselves.
Comprehensive genomic profiling of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma reveals a long tail of therapeutic targets
Authors: Lee Hwajeong , Wang Kai , Johnson Adrienne , Jones David M , Ali Siraj M , Elvin Julia A , Yelensky Roman , Lipson Doron , Miller Vincent A , Stephens Philip J , Javle Milind , Ross Jeffrey S
Published: October 2015

Aim

We queried whether extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma featured clinically relevant genomic alterations that could lead to targeted therapy.

Methods

Comprehensive genomic profiling by hybridisation capture of up to 315 genes was performed on 99 clinically advanced extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma.

Results

There were 60 male and 39 female patients with a median age of 60.5 years. A total of 400 alterations were identified (mean 4.0; range 0–13) in 84 genes. Eighty-two (83%) of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma patients featured at least one clinically relevant genomic alterations includingKRAS(43%);ERBB2(9%),PTEN(7%);ATMandNF1(6%) andCCND1,FBXW7,GNAS,MDM2andNRAS(all at 5%).BRAF, BRCA2,CDK4,CDK6,FGFR1,FGFR3,PTCH1,RAF1and STK11were each altered in a single patient. NoIDH1/2mutations orFGFR2gene fusions were identified.

Conclusions

Comprehensive genomic profiling of extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma differs significantly from intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and reveals diverse opportunities for the use of targeted therapies.
Hidden in-game intelligence in NBA players' tweets
Authors: Xu Chenyan , Yu Yang , Hoi Chun-Keung
Published: October 2015

Sentiment analysis helps detect NBA players' pre-game moods from their tweets and predict their on-court performance.
Strutting Hero, Sneaking Villain
Authors: Kiiski Hanni , Hoyet Ludovic , Woods Andy T. , O’Sullivan Carol , Newell Fiona N.
Published: October 2015

A better understanding of how intentions and traits are perceived from body movements is required for the design of more effective virtual characters that behave in a socially realistic manner. For this purpose, realistic body motion, captured from human movements, is being used more frequently for creating characters with natural animations in games and entertainment. However, it is not always clear for programmers and designers which specific motion parameters best convey specific information such as certain emotions, intentions, or traits. We conducted two experiments to investigate whether the perceived traits of actors could be determined from their body motion, and whether these traits were associated with their perceived intentions. We first recorded body motions from 26 professional actors, who were instructed to move in a “hero”-like or a “villain”-like manner. In the first experiment, 190 participants viewed individual video recordings of these actors and were required to provide ratings to the body motion stimuli along a series of different cognitive dimensions (intentions, attractiveness, dominance, trustworthiness, and distinctiveness). The intersubject ratings across observers were highly consistent, suggesting that social traits are readily determined from body motion. Moreover, correlational analyses between these ratings revealed consistent associations across traits, for example, that perceived “good” intentions were associated with higher ratings of attractiveness and dominance. Experiment 2 was designed to elucidate the qualitative body motion cues that were critical for determining specific intentions and traits from the hero- and villain-like body movements. The results revealed distinct body motions that were readily associated with the perception of either “good” or “bad” intentions. Moreover, regression analyses revealed that these ratings accurately predicted the perception of the portrayed character type. These findings indicate that intentions and social traits are communicated effectively via specific sets of body motion features. Furthermore, these results have important implications for the design of the motion of virtual characters to convey desired social information.
Context-Aware Photography Learning for Smart Mobile Devices
Authors: Rawat Yogesh Singh , Kankanhalli Mohan S.
Published: October 2015

In this work we have developed a photography model based on machine learning which can assist a user in capturing high quality photographs. As scene composition and camera parameters play a vital role in aesthetics of a captured image, the proposed method addresses the problem of learning photographic composition and camera parameters. Further, we observe that context is an important factor from a photography perspective, we therefore augment the learning with associated contextual information. The proposed method utilizes publicly available photographs along with social media cues and associated metainformation in photography learning. We define context features based on factors such as time, geolocation, environmental conditions and type of image, which have an impact on photography. We also propose the idea of computing the photographic composition basis,
eigenrules
and
baserules
, to support our composition learning. The proposed system can be used to provide feedback to the user regarding scene composition and camera parameters while the scene is being captured. It can also recommend position in the frame where people should stand for better composition. Moreover, it also provides camera motion guidance for pan, tilt and zoom to the user for improving scene composition.
PSNController
Authors: Ma Sixuan , Yan Zheng
Published: October 2015

Pervasive social networking (PSN) supports online and instant social activities and communications in a universal and pervasive manner on the basis of heterogeneous networks. However, at the same time, when mobile users expect useful and valuable contents via PSN, they may also receive unwanted, unexpected, or even malicious contents. These contents may intrude user devices, occupy device memories, and irritate mobile users. Unwanted content control in PSN has become a crucial issue that impacts the success of PSN usage. Nowadays, the literature still lacks a robust and generic unwanted content control system that can be practically applied. In this article, we present the design and implementation of PSNController, an unwanted content control system in PSN based on trust management. We evaluate the system performance under a variety of intrusions and attacks. The result shows the system is effective with regard to accuracy, efficiency, and robustness. It can control unwanted contents in PSN according to trust evaluation. We further study user acceptance on PSNController prototype system based on a small-scale user study. We receive sound user feedback on PSNController with regard to perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness, interface design, playfulness, and acceptance attitude.
Automated Link Generation for Sensor-Enriched Smartphone Images
Authors: Venkatagiri Seshadri Padmanabha , Chan Mun Choon , Ooi Wei Tsang
Published: October 2015

The ubiquity of the smartphones makes them ideal platforms for generating in-situ content. In well-attended events, photos captured by attendees have diverse views that could be subjected to occlusion and abnormal lighting effects that could obscure the view. Such unstructured photo collections also have significant redundancy. Thus, a scene that is partially occluded or has bad contrast in one photo may be captured in another photo, possibly with higher details. We propose an application called Autolink that automatically establishes content-based links between sensor-annotated photos in unstructured photo collections captured using smartphones, such that users could navigate between high-context and high-detail images. This hierarchically structured image collection facilitates the design of applications for navigation and discovery, analytics about user photography patterns, user taste, and content/event popularity. Autolink includes a framework that constructs this hierarchy efficiently and with little content-specific training data by combining photo content processing with associated sensor logs obtained from multiple participants. We evaluated the performance of Autolink on two real-world sensor tagged photo datasets. The result shows that Autolink is able to efficiently cluster photos at 20 times faster than candidate algorithms, into the appropriate hierarchy with at least 70% precision and 37% better recall than candidate algorithms.
Visual Comfort for Stereoscopic 3D by Using Motion Sensors on 3D Mobile Devices
Authors: Chu Chung-Hua
Published: October 2015

Advanced 3D mobile devices attract a lot of attentions for 3D visualization nowadays. Stereoscopic images and video taken from the 3D mobile devices are uncomfortable for 3D viewing experiences due to the limited hardware for stereoscopic 3D stabilization. The existing stereoscopic 3D stabilization methods are computationally inefficient for the 3D mobile devices. In this article, we point out that this critical issue deteriorates the 3D viewing experiences on the 3D mobile devices. To improve visual comfort, we propose an efficient and effective algorithm to stabilize the stereoscopic images and video for the 3D mobile devices. To rectify the video jitter, we use the gyroscope and accelerometer embedded on the mobile devices to obtain the geometry information of the cameras. Using a different method than video-content-based motion estimation, our algorithm based on the gyroscope and acceleration data can achieve higher accuracy to effectively stabilize the video. Therefore, our approach is robust in video stabilization even under poor lighting and substantial foreground motion. Our algorithm outperforms previous approaches in not only smaller running time but also the better comfort of the stereoscopic 3D visualization for the 3D mobile devices.
Dynamic Sorted Neighborhood Indexing for Real-Time Entity Resolution
Authors: Ramadan Banda , Christen Peter , Liang Huizhi , Gayler Ross W.
Published: October 2015

Real-time Entity Resolution (ER) is the process of matching query records in subsecond time with records in a database that represent the same real-world entity. Indexing techniques are generally used to efficiently extract a set of candidate records from the database that are similar to a query record, and that are to be compared with the query record in more detail. The sorted neighborhood indexing method, which sorts a database and compares records within a sliding window, has been successfully used for ER of large static databases. However, because it is based on static sorted arrays and is designed for batch ER that resolves all records in a database rather than resolving those relating to a single query record, this technique is not suitable for real-time ER on dynamic databases that are constantly updated. We propose a tree-based technique that facilitates dynamic indexing based on the sorted neighborhood method, which can be used for real-time ER, and investigate both static and adaptive window approaches. We propose an approach to reduce query matching times by precalculating the similarities between attribute values stored in neighboring tree nodes. We also propose a multitree solution where different sorting keys are used to reduce the effects of errors and variations in attribute values on matching quality by building several distinct index trees. We experimentally evaluate our proposed techniques on large real datasets, as well as on synthetic data with different data quality characteristics. Our results show that as the index grows, no appreciable increase occurs in both record insertion and query times, and that using multiple trees gives noticeable improvements on matching quality with only a small increase in query time. Compared to earlier indexing techniques for real-time ER, our approach achieves significantly reduced indexing and query matching times while maintaining high matching accuracy.
Boosting the Quality of Approximate String Matching by Synonyms
Authors: Lu Jiaheng , Lin Chunbin , Wang Wei , Li Chen , Xiao Xiaokui
Published: October 2015

A string-similarity measure quantifies the similarity between two text strings for approximate string matching or comparison. For example, the strings “Sam” and “Samuel” can be considered to be similar. Most existing work that computes the similarity of two strings only considers syntactic similarities, for example, number of common words or
q
-grams. While this is indeed an indicator of similarity, there are many important cases where syntactically-different strings can represent the same real-world object. For example, “Bill” is a short form of “William,” and “Database Management Systems” can be abbreviated as “DBMS.” Given a collection of predefined synonyms, the purpose of this article is to explore such existing knowledge to effectively evaluate the similarity between two strings and efficiently perform similarity searches and joins, thereby boosting the quality of approximate string matching.

In particular, we first present an expansion-based framework to measure string similarities efficiently while considering synonyms. We then study efficient algorithms for similarity searches and joins by proposing two novel indexes, called SI-trees and QP-trees, which combine signature-filtering and length-filtering strategies. In order to improve the efficiency of our algorithms, we develop an estimator to estimate the size of candidates to enable an online selection of signature filters. This estimator provides strong low-error, high-confidence guarantees while requiring only logarithmic space and time costs, thus making our method attractive both in theory and in practice. Finally, the experimental results from a comprehensive study of the algorithms with three real datasets verify the effectiveness and efficiency of our approaches.
Workload-Driven Antijoin Cardinality Estimation
Authors: Rusu Florin , Zhuang Zixuan , Wu Mingxi , Jermaine Chris
Published: October 2015

Antijoin cardinality estimation is among a handful of problems that has eluded accurate efficient solutions amenable to implementation in relational query optimizers. Given the widespread use of antijoin and subset-based queries in analytical workloads and the extensive research targeted at join cardinality estimation—a seemingly related problem—the lack of adequate solutions for antijoin cardinality estimation is intriguing. In this article, we introduce a novel
sampling-based estimator
for antijoin cardinality that (unlike existent estimators) provides sufficient accuracy and efficiency to be implemented in a query optimizer. The proposed estimator incorporates three novel ideas. First, we use prior workload information when learning a
mixture superpopulation model
of the data offline. Second, we design a
Bayesian statistics framework
that updates the superpopulation model according to the live queries, thus allowing the estimator to adapt dynamically to the online workload. Third, we develop an efficient algorithm for sampling from a hypergeometric distribution in order to generate
Monte Carlo trials
, without explicitly instantiating either the population or the sample. When put together, these ideas form the basis of an efficient antijoin cardinality estimator satisfying the strict requirements of a query optimizer, as shown by the extensive experimental results over synthetically-generated as well as massive TPC-H data.
Software patents are falling down
Authors: Samuelson Pamela
Published: October 2015

Implications of the U.S. Supreme Court's new test for patentable subject matter.
Electronic health records and patient safety
Authors: Hydari Muhammad Zia , Telang Rahul , Marella William M.
Published: October 2015

Examining the effects of electronic health records on the safety of patients in medical facilities.
Programming in K-12 science classrooms
Authors: Sengupta Pratim , Dickes Amanda , Farris Amy Voss , Karan Ashlyn , Martin David , Wright Mason
Published: October 2015

Introducing students to visual programming as a pathway to text-based programming.
Software dataplane verification
Authors: Dobrescu Mihai , Argyraki Katerina
Published: October 2015

The industry is in the mood for programmable networks, where an operator can dynamically deploy network functions on network devices, akin to how one deploys virtual machines on physical machines in a cloud environment. Such flexibility brings along the threat of unpredictable behavior and performance. What are the minimum restrictions that we need to impose on network functionality such that we are able to verify that a network device behaves and performs as expected, for example, does not crash or enter an infinite loop? We present the result of working iteratively on two tasks: designing a domain-specific verification tool for packet-processing software, while trying to identify a minimal set of restrictions that packet-processing software must satisfy in order to be verification-friendly. Our main insight is that packet-processing software is a good candidate for domain-specific verification, for example, because it typically consists of distinct pieces of code that share limited mutable state; we can leverage this and other properties to sidestep fundamental verification challenges. We apply our ideas on Click packet-processing software; we perform complete and sound verification of an IP router and two simple middleboxes within tens of minutes, whereas a state-of-the-art general-purpose tool fails to complete the same task within several hours.
At high cardiac output, diesel exhaust exposure increases pulmonary vascular resistance and decreases distensibility of pulmonary resistive vessels
Authors: Wauters Aurélien , Vicenzi Marco , De Becker Benjamin , Riga Jean-Philippe , Esmaeilzadeh Fatemeh , Faoro Vitalie , Vachiéry Jean-Luc , van de Borne Philippe , Argacha Jean-François
Published: October 2015

Air pollution has recently been associated with the development of acute decompensated heart failure, but the underlying biological mechanisms remain unclear. A pulmonary vasoconstrictor effect of air pollution, combined with its systemic effects, may precipitate decompensated heart failure. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of acute exposure to diesel exhaust (DE) on pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) under resting and stress conditions but also to determine whether air pollution may potentiate acquired pulmonary hypertension. Eighteen healthy male volunteers were exposed to ambient air (AA) or dilute DE with a particulate matter of <2.5 μm concentration of 300 μg/m3for 2 h in a randomized, crossover study design. The effects of DE on PVR, on the coefficient of distensibilty of pulmonary vessels (α), and on right and left ventricular function were evaluated at rest ( n = 18), during dobutamine stress echocardiography ( n = 10), and during exercise stress echocardiography performed in hypoxia ( n = 8). Serum endothelin-1 and fractional exhaled nitric oxide were also measured. At rest, exposure to DE did not affect PVR. During dobutamine stress, the slope of the mean pulmonary artery pressure-cardiac output relationship increased from 2.8 ± 0.5 mmHg·min·l−1in AA to 3.9 ± 0.5 mmHg·min·l−1in DE ( P < 0.05) and the α coefficient decreased from 0.96 ± 0.15 to 0.64 ± 0.12%/mmHg ( P < 0.01). DE did not further enhance the hypoxia-related upper shift of the mean pulmonary artery pressure-cardiac output relationship. Exposure to DE did not affect serum endothelin-1 concentration or fractional exhaled nitric oxide. In conclusion, acute exposure to DE increased pulmonary vasomotor tone by decreasing the distensibility of pulmonary resistive vessels at high cardiac output.
The coiled-coil domain of MURC/cavin-4 is involved in membrane trafficking of caveolin-3 in cardiomyocytes
Authors: Naito Daisuke , Ogata Takehiro , Hamaoka Tetsuro , Nakanishi Naohiko , Miyagawa Kotaro , Maruyama Naoki , Kasahara Takeru , Taniguchi Takuya , Nishi Masahiro , Matoba Satoaki , Ueyama Tomomi
Published: October 2015

Muscle-restricted coiled-coil protein (MURC), also referred to as cavin-4, is a member of the cavin family that works cooperatively with caveolins in caveola formation and function. Cavins are cytoplasmic proteins with coiled-coil domains and form heteromeric complexes, which are recruited to caveolae in cells expressing caveolins. Among caveolins, caveolin-3 (Cav3) is exclusively expressed in muscle cells, similar to MURC/cavin-4. In the heart, Cav3 overexpression contributes to cardiac protection, and its deficiency leads to progressive cardiomyopathy. Mutations in the MURC/cavin-4 gene have been identified in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. In the present study, we show the role of MURC/cavin-4 as a caveolar component in the heart. In H9c2 cells, MURC/cavin-4 was localized at the plasma membrane, whereas a MURC/cavin-4 mutant lacking the coiled-coil domain (ΔCC) was primarily localized to the cytoplasm. ΔCC bound to Cav3 and impaired membrane localization of Cav3 in cardiomyocytes. Additionally, although ΔCC did not alter Cav3 mRNA expression, ΔCC decreased the Cav3 protein level. MURC/cavin-4 and ΔCC similarly induced cardiomyocyte hypertrophy; however, ΔCC showed higher hypertrophy-related fetal gene expression than MURC/cavin-4. ΔCC induced ERK activation in cardiomyocytes. Transgenic mice expressing ΔCC in the heart (ΔCC-Tg mice) showed impaired cardiac function accompanied by cardiomyocyte hypertrophy and marked interstitial fibrosis. Hearts from ΔCC-Tg mice showed a reduction of the Cav3 protein level and activation of ERK. These results suggest that MURC/cavin-4 requires its coiled-coil domain to target the plasma membrane and to stabilize Cav3 at the plasma membrane of cardiomyocytes and that MURC/cavin-4 functions as a crucial caveolar component to regulate cardiac function.
2-Deoxyadenosine triphosphate restores the contractile function of cardiac myofibril from adult dogs with naturally occurring dilated cardiomyopathy
Authors: Cheng Yuanhua , Hogarth Kaley A. , O'Sullivan M. Lynne , Regnier Michael , Pyle W. Glen
Published: October 2015

Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is a major type of heart failure resulting from loss of systolic function. Naturally occurring canine DCM is a widely accepted experimental paradigm for studying human DCM. 2-Deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP) can be used by myosin and is a superior energy substrate over ATP for cross-bridge formation and increased systolic function. The objective of this study was to evaluate the beneficial effect of dATP on contractile function of cardiac myofibrils from dogs with naturally occurring DCM. We measured actomyosin NTPase activity and contraction/relaxation properties of isolated myofibrils from nonfailing (NF) and DCM canine hearts. NTPase assays indicated replacement of ATP with dATP significantly increased myofilament activity in both NF and DCM samples. dATP significantly improved maximal tension of DCM myofibrils to the NF sample level. dATP also restored Ca2+ sensitivity of tension that was reduced in DCM samples. Similarly, dATP increased the kinetics of contractile activation (kACT), with no impact on the rate of cross-bridge tension redevelopment (kTR). Thus, the activation kinetics (kACT/kTR) that were reduced in DCM samples were restored for dATP to NF sample levels. dATP had little effect on relaxation. The rate of early slow-phase relaxation was slightly reduced with dATP, but its duration was not, nor was the fast-phase relaxation or times to 50 and 90% relaxation. Our findings suggest that myosin utilization of dATP improves cardiac myofibril contractile properties of naturally occurring DCM canine samples, restoring them to NF levels, without compromising relaxation. This suggests elevation of cardiac dATP is a promising approach for the treatment of DCM.