bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Productivity losses in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a population-based survey
Authors: Erdal Marta , Johannessen Ane , Askildsen Jan Erik , Eagan Tomas , Gulsvik Amund , Grønseth Rune
Published: December 2014

Objectives

We aimed to estimate incremental productivity losses (sick leave and disability) of spirometry-defined chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in a population-based sample and in hospital-recruited patients with COPD. Furthermore, we examined predictors of productivity losses by multivariate analyses.

Methods

We performed four quarterly telephone interviews of 53 and 107 population-based patients with COPD and controls, as well as 102 hospital-recruited patients with COPD below retirement age. Information was gathered regarding annual productivity loss, exacerbations of respiratory symptoms and comorbidities. Incremental productivity losses were estimated by multivariate quantile median regression according to the human capital approach, adjusting for sex, age, smoking habits, education and lung function. Main effect variables were COPD/control status, number of comorbidities and exacerbations of respiratory symptoms.

Results

Altogether 55%, 87% and 31% of population-based COPD cases, controls and hospital patients, respectively, had a paid job at baseline. The annual incremental productivity losses were 5.8 (95% CI 1.4 to 10.1) and 330.6 (95% CI 327.8 to 333.3) days, comparing population-recruited and hospital-recruited patients with COPD to controls, respectively. There were significantly higher productivity losses associated with female sex and less education. Additional adjustments for comorbidities, exacerbations and FEV1% predicted explained all productivity losses in the population-based sample, as well as nearly 40% of the productivity losses in hospital-recruited patients.

Conclusions

Annual incremental productivity losses were more than 50 times higher in hospital-recruited patients with COPD than that of population-recruited patients with COPD. To ensure a precise estimation of societal burden, studies on patients with COPD should be population-based.
Advocacy for booster seat legislation in Florida: a lesson in politics and policy formation
Authors: Haring R Sterling , Frattaroli Shannon , Schneider Eric B , Holland M Becker , Vernick Jon S
Published: December 2014

MVCs are a major contributor to child injury and death. Infant restraint seats and child booster seats have been shown to reduce the odds of severe injury or death when used correctly. While all states have mandated the use of these restraint systems, the age at which a child can be legally restrained using an adult seat belt varies from state to state. Efforts to strengthen Florida's weak child restraint laws have failed for more than a decade; in the 2014 legislative session, advocates succeeded in raising the state's age requirement from 3 years to 5  years. While many factors contributed to this year's success, some key elements included efficient communication of supporting data, a strong and broad advocacy network and the leveraging of election year political rivalries. Efforts to further strengthen the law will continue into future legislative sessions.
Retirement? It's wasted on the elderly!
Authors: Bower John
Published: December 2014

Retiring from work may come as a shock to the system for some. Not so for John Bower, who recommends easing oneself into it gradually
Research training: RVC seeks exceptional candidates for Wellcome Trust Integrated Training Fellowships
Authors:   RVC
Published: December 2014

The Royal Veterinary College (RVC) is looking for exceptional individuals to sponsor for Wellcome Trust Integrated Training Fellowships, and has arranged for the Wellcome Trust to visit its Hawkshead campus on September 21 to give a presentation on the scheme.
Virtual graduates
Authors: Murray Jo‐Anne
Published: December 2014

The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies broke new ground during 2011, with one of the first set of students from its Masters in Equine Science course graduating virtually. Course director Jo‐Anne Murray explains
A practitioner with a taste for adventure
Authors: Gamble Luke
Published: December 2014

Luke Gamble set up Worldwide Veterinary Services and says that working with the charity is the thing that fires him up about being a vet: ‘There is nothing better than being immersed into situations full of adventure and challenge’
A world of opportunity
Authors: Gregory Martin
Published: December 2014

Martin Gregory has had a highly varied career. Here, he recalls how his veterinary training gave him the chance to work around the world
New graduate's diary
Authors: Hall Jen
Published: December 2014

Now more than six months' qualified, our diarist, Jen Hall, is feeling confident about working in large animal practice, but realises she still has much to learn.
Purification and photobiochemical profile of photosystem 1 from a high-salt tolerant, oleaginous Chlorella(Trebouxiophycaea, Chlorophyta)
Authors: McConnell Michael D. , Lowry David , Rowan Troy N. , van Dijk Karin , Redding Kevin E.
Published: December 2014

The eukaryotic green alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been studied extensively within the biofuel industry as a model organism, as researchers look towards algae to provide chemical feedstocks (i.e., lipids) for the production of liquid transportation fuels. C. reinhardtii, however, is unsuitable for high-level production of such precursors due to its relatively poor lipid accumulation and fresh-water demand. In this study we offer insight into the primary light harvesting and electron transfer reactions that occur during phototropic growth in a high-salt tolerant strain of Chlorella (a novel strain introduced here as NE1401), a single-celled eukaryotic algae also in the phylum Chlorophyta. Under nutrient starvation many eukaryotic algae increase dramatically the amount of lipids stored in lipid bodies within their cell interiors. Microscopy and lipid analyses indicate that Chlorella sp. NE1401 may become a superior candidate for algal biofuels production. We have purified highly active Photosystem 1 (PS1) complexes to study in vitro, so that we may understand further the photobiochemisty of this promising biofuel producer and how its characteristics compare and contrast with that of the better understood C. reinhardtii. Our findings suggest that the PS1 complex from Chlorella sp. NE1401 demonstrates similar characteristics to that of C. reinhardtii with respect to light-harvesting and electron transfer reactions. We also illustrate that the relative extent of the light state transition performed by Chlorella sp. NE1401 is smaller compared to C. reinhardtii, although they are triggered by the same dynamic light stresses.
Estimating Graph Edit Distance Using Lower and Upper Bounds of Bipartite Approximations
Authors: Riesen Kaspar , Fischer Andreas , Bunke Horst
Published: December 2014

The concept of graph edit distance (GED) is still one of the most flexible and powerful graph matching approaches available. Yet, exact computation of GED can be solved in exponential time complexity only. A previously introduced approximation framework reduces the computation of GED to an instance of a linear sum assignment problem. Major benefit of this reduction is that an optimal assignment of nodes (including local structures) can be computed in polynomial time. Given this assignment an approximate value of GED can be immediately derived. Yet, this approach considers local — rather than the global — structural properties of the graphs only, and thus GED derived from the optimal node assignment generally overestimates the true edit distance. Recently, it has been shown how the existing approximation framework can be exploited to additionally derive a lower bound of the exact edit distance without any additional computations. In this paper we make use of regression analysis in order to predict the exact GED using these two bounds. In an experimental evaluation on diverse graph data sets we empirically verify the gain of distance accuracy of the estimated GEDs compared to both bounds.
An Adaptive Invasive Weed Optimization Algorithm
Authors: Peng Shuo , Ouyang A.-J. , Zhang Jeff Jun
Published: December 2014

With regards to the low search accuracy of the basic invasive weed optimization algorithm which is easy to get into local extremum, this paper proposes an adaptive invasive weed optimization (AIWO) algorithm. The algorithm sets the initial step size and the final step size as the adaptive step size to guide the global search of the algorithm, and it is applied to 20 famous benchmark functions for a test, the results of which show that the AIWO algorithm owns better global optimization search capacity, faster convergence speed and higher computation accuracy compared with other advanced algorithms.
One-Step Construction of Antifogging and Frost-Resisting Coatings on Flexible Substrates
Authors: Zhang Xiaojie , He Junhui
Published: December 2014

We here report a facile one-step approach to construction of antifogging and frost-resisting coatings on flexible substrates from poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA). Excellent antifogging and frost-resisting properties were observed, and are derived from the hydrophilicity and hygroscopicity of coatings. The coatings are highly transparent, and the average transmittance of coatings increases with increase of the concentration of PVA aqueous solution.
A computational model of the effect of symplastic growth on cell mechanics in a linear leaf blade
Authors: Zubairova Ulyana , Golushko Sergey , Penenko Aleksey , Nikolaev Sergey
Published: December 2014

The epidermis of a linear leaf, as in Poaceae, is established by parallel files of cells originating from the leaf base. Their feature is symplastic growth where neighboring cell walls adhere and do not slide along each other. We developed a simple mechanical cell-based model for symplastic growth of linear leaf blade. The challenge is to determine what restrictions on cell size symplastic growth creates compared to the free growing cells. We assume an unidirectional growing cell ensemble starting from a meristem-like layer of generative cells and then generating parallel cell rows from every cell of the initial layer. Each cell is characterized by its growth function, and growth of the whole leaf blade is accompanied by mutual adjustment between all the cells. Cells divide once they have reached a threshold area. A mathematical model and its implementation are proposed for computational simulation of 1D symplastic growth of tissues. The question analyzed is how a cell grows in a plant tissue if there is a mechanism for regulating the growth of an isolated growing cell and the behavior of the cell wall matter is elastoplastic. The results of the simulation of linear leaf blade growth are compared to those for a free-growing cell population.
From integration to fusion: the challenges ahead
Authors: Sutherland J. , Townend I. H. , Harpham Q. K. , Pearce G. R.
Published: December 2014

The increasing complexity of numerical modelling systems in environmental sciences has led to the development of different supporting architectures. Integrated environmental modelling can be undertaken by building a ‘super model’ simulating many processes or by using a generic coupling framework to dynamically link distinct separate models during run-time. The application of systemic knowledge management to integrated environmental modelling indicates that we are at the onset of the norming stage, where gains will be made from consolidation in the range of standards and approaches that have proliferated in recent years. Consolidation is proposed in six topics: metadata for data and models; supporting information; Software-as-a-service; linking (or interface) technologies; diagnostic or reasoning tools; and the portrayal and understanding of integrated modelling. Consolidation in these topics will develop model fusion: the ability to link models, with easy access to information about the models, interface standards such as OpenMI and software tools to make integration easier. For this to happen, an open software architecture will be crucial, the use of open source software is likely to increase and a community must develop that values openness and the sharing of models and data as much as its publications and citation records.
Human-agent collectives
Authors: Jennings N. R. , Moreau L. , Nicholson D. , Ramchurn S. , Roberts S. , Rodden T. , Rogers A.
Published: December 2014

HACs offer a new science for exploring the computational and human aspects of society.
Computationally modeling human emotion
Authors: Marsella Stacy , Gratch Jonathan
Published: December 2014

Computer models of emotion inform theories of human intelligence and advance human-centric applications.
The internet that Facebook built
Authors: Best Michael L.
Published: December 2014

The on-ramp might appear free but exiting takes a toll.
A new software engineering
Authors: Jacobson Ivar , Seidewitz Ed
Published: December 2014

What happened to the promise of rigorous, disciplined, professional practices for software development?
Safe zero-cost coercions for Haskell
Authors: Breitner Joachim , Eisenberg Richard A. , Peyton Jones Simon , Weirich Stephanie
Published: December 2014

Generative type abstractions -- present in Haskell, OCaml, and other languages -- are useful concepts to help prevent programmer errors. They serve to create new types that are distinct at compile time but share a run-time representation with some base type. We present a new mechanism that allows for zero-cost conversions between generative type abstractions and their representations, even when such types are deeply nested. We prove type safety in the presence of these conversions and have implemented our work in GHC.
Homotopical patch theory
Authors: Angiuli Carlo , Morehouse Edward , Licata Daniel R. , Harper Robert
Published: December 2014

Homotopy type theory is an extension of Martin-Löf type theory, based on a correspondence with homotopy theory and higher category theory. In homotopy type theory, the propositional equality type becomes proof-relevant, and corresponds to paths in a space. This allows for a new class of datatypes, called higher inductive types, which are specified by constructors not only for points but also for paths. In this paper, we consider a programming application of higher inductive types. Version control systems such as Darcs are based on the notion of patches - syntactic representations of edits to a repository. We show how patch theory can be developed in homotopy type theory. Our formulation separates formal theories of patches from their interpretation as edits to repositories. A patch theory is presented as a higher inductive type. Models of a patch theory are given by maps out of that type, which, being functors, automatically preserve the structure of patches. Several standard tools of homotopy theory come into play, demonstrating the use of these methods in a practical programming context.
Coeffects
Authors: Petricek Tomas , Orchard Dominic , Mycroft Alan
Published: December 2014

The notion of
context
in functional languages no longer refers just to variables in scope. Context can capture additional properties of variables (usage patterns in linear logics; caching requirements in dataflow languages) as well as additional resources or properties of the execution environment (rebindable resources; platform version in a cross-platform application). The recently introduced notion of coeffects captures the latter, whole-context properties, but it failed to capture fine-grained per-variable properties.

We remedy this by developing a generalized coeffect system with annotations indexed by a coeffect
shape
. By instantiating a concrete shape, our system captures previously studied
flat
(whole-context) coeffects, but also
structural
(per-variable) coeffects, making coeffect analyses more useful. We show that the structural system enjoys desirable syntactic properties and we give a categorical semantics using extended notions of
indexed comonad
.

The examples presented in this paper are based on analysis of established language features (liveness, linear logics, dataflow, dynamic scoping) and we argue that such context-aware properties will also be useful for future development of languages for increasingly heterogeneous and distributed platforms.
SML# in industry
Authors: Ohori Atsushi , Ueno Katsuhiro , Hoshi Kazunori , Nozaki Shinji , Sato Takashi , Makabe Tasuku , Ito Yuki
Published: December 2014

This paper reports on our industry-academia project of using a functional language in business software production. The general motivation behind the project is our ultimate goal of adopting an ML-style higher-order typed functional language in a wide range of ordinary software development in industry. To probe the feasibility and identify various practical problems and needs, we have conducted a 15 month pilot project for developing an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system in SML#. The project has successfully completed as we have planned, demonstrating the feasibility of SML#. In particular, seamless integration of SQL and direct C language interface are shown to be useful in reliable and efficient development of a data intensive business application. During the program development, we have found several useful functional programming patterns and a number of possible extensions of an ML-style language with records. This paper reports on the project details and the lessons learned from the project.
Designing and auto-tuning parallel 3-D FFT for computation-communication overlap
Authors: Song Sukhyun , Hollingsworth Jeffrey K.
Published: December 2014

This paper presents a method to design and auto-tune a new parallel 3-D FFT code using the non-blocking MPI all-to-all operation. We achieve high performance by optimizing computation-communication overlap. Our code performs fully asynchronous communication without any support from special hardware. We also improve cache performance through loop tiling. To cope with the complex trade-off regarding our optimization techniques, we parameterize our code and auto-tune the parameters efficiently in a large parameter space. Experimental results from two systems confirm that our code achieves a speedup of up to 1.76x over the FFTW library.
Revisiting loop fusion in the polyhedral framework
Authors: Mehta Sanyam , Lin Pei-Hung , Yew Pen-Chung
Published: December 2014

Loop fusion is an important compiler optimization for improving memory hierarchy performance through enabling data reuse. Traditional compilers have approached loop fusion in a manner decoupled from other high-level loop optimizations, missing several interesting solutions. Recently, the polyhedral compiler framework with its ability to compose complex transformations, has proved to be promising in performing loop optimizations for small programs. However, our experiments with large programs using state-of-the-art polyhedral compiler frameworks reveal suboptimal fusion partitions in the transformed code. We trace the reason for this to be lack of an effective cost model to choose a good fusion partitioning among the possible choices, which increase exponentially with the number of program statements. In this paper, we propose a fusion algorithm to choose good fusion partitions with two objective functions - achieving good data reuse and preserving parallelism inherent in the source code. These objectives, although targeted by previous work in traditional compilers, pose new challenges within the polyhedral compiler framework and have thus not been addressed. In our algorithm, we propose several heuristics that work effectively within the polyhedral compiler framework and allow us to achieve the proposed objectives. Experimental results show that our fusion algorithm achieves performance comparable to the existing polyhedral compilers for small kernel programs, and significantly outperforms them for large benchmark programs such as those in the SPEC benchmark suite.
Concurrency testing using schedule bounding
Authors: Thomson Paul , Donaldson Alastair F. , Betts Adam
Published: December 2014

We present the first independent empirical study on schedule bounding techniques for systematic concurrency testing (SCT). We have gathered 52 buggy concurrent software benchmarks, drawn from public code bases, which we call SCTBench. We applied a modified version of an existing concurrency testing tool to SCTBench to attempt to answer several research questions, including: How effective are the two main schedule bounding techniques, preemption bounding and delay bounding, at bug finding? What challenges are associated with applying SCT to existing code? How effective is schedule bounding compared to a naive random scheduler at finding bugs? Our findings confirm that delay bounding is superior to preemption bounding and that schedule bounding is more effective at finding bugs than unbounded depth-first search. The majority of bugs in SCTBench can be exposed using a small bound (1-3), supporting previous claims, but there is at least one benchmark that requires 5 preemptions. Surprisingly, we found that a naive random scheduler is at least as effective as schedule bounding for finding bugs. We have made SCTBench and our tools publicly available for reproducibility and use in future work.
Efficient search for inputs causing high floating-point errors
Authors: Chiang Wei-Fan , Gopalakrishnan Ganesh , Rakamaric Zvonimir , Solovyev Alexey
Published: December 2014

Tools for floating-point error estimation are fundamental to program understanding and optimization. In this paper, we focus on tools for determining the input settings to a floating point routine that maximizes its result error. Such tools can help support activities such as precision allocation, performance optimization, and auto-tuning. We benchmark current abstraction-based precision analysis methods, and show that they often do not work at scale, or generate highly pessimistic error estimates, often caused by non-linear operators or complex input constraints that define the set of legal inputs. We show that while concrete-testing-based error estimation methods based on maintaining shadow values at higher precision can search out higher error-inducing inputs, suit able heuristic search guidance is key to finding higher errors. We develop a heuristic search algorithm called Binary Guided Random Testing (BGRT). In 45 of the 48 total benchmarks, including many real-world routines, BGRT returns higher guaranteed errors. We also evaluate BGRT against two other heuristic search methods called ILS and PSO, obtaining better results.
A general technique for non-blocking trees
Authors: Brown Trevor , Ellen Faith , Ruppert Eric
Published: December 2014

We describe a general technique for obtaining provably correct, non-blocking implementations of a large class of tree data structures where pointers are directed from parents to children. Updates are permitted to modify any contiguous portion of the tree atomically. Our non-blocking algorithms make use of the LLX, SCX and VLX primitives, which are multi-word generalizations of the standard LL, SC and VL primitives and have been implemented from single-word CAS. To illustrate our technique, we describe how it can be used in a fairly straightforward way to obtain a non-blocking implementation of a chromatic tree, which is a relaxed variant of a red-black tree. The height of the tree at any time is O(c + log n), where n is the number of keys and c is the number of updates in progress. We provide an experimental performance analysis which demonstrates that our Java implementation of a chromatic tree rivals, and often significantly outperforms, other leading concurrent dictionaries.
Practical concurrent binary search trees via logical ordering
Authors: Drachsler Dana , Vechev Martin , Yahav Eran
Published: December 2014

We present practical, concurrent binary search tree (BST) algorithms that explicitly maintain logical ordering information in the data structure, permitting clean separation from its physical tree layout. We capture logical ordering using intervals, with the property that an item belongs to the tree if and only if the item is an endpoint of some interval. We are thus able to construct efficient, synchronization-free and intuitive lookup operations. We present (i) a concurrent non-balanced BST with a lock-free lookup, and (ii) a concurrent AVL tree with a lock-free lookup that requires no synchronization with any mutating operations, including balancing operations. Our algorithms apply on-time deletion; that is, every request for removal of a node, results in its immediate removal from the tree. This new feature did not exist in previous concurrent internal tree algorithms.

We implemented our concurrent BST algorithms and evaluated them against several state-of-the-art concurrent tree algorithms. Our experimental results show that our algorithms with lock-free contains and on-time deletion are practical and often comparable to the state-of-the-art.
Optimistic transactional boosting
Authors: Hassan Ahmed , Palmieri Roberto , Ravindran Binoy
Published: December 2014

Herlihy and Koskinen's transactional boosting methodology addressed the challenge of converting concurrent data structures into transactional ones. We present an optimistic methodology for boosting concurrent collections. Optimistic boosting allows greater data structure-specific optimizations, easier integration with STM frameworks, and lower restrictions on the boosted operations than the original boosting methodology.
Theoretical analysis of classic algorithms on highly-threaded many-core GPUs
Authors: Ma Lin , Agrawal Kunal , Chamberlain Roger D.
Published: December 2014

The Threaded many-core memory (TMM) model provides a framework to analyze the performance of algorithms on GPUs. Here, we investigate the effectiveness of the TMM model by analyzing algorithms for 3 classic problems -- suffix tree/array for string matching, fast Fourier transform, and merge sort -- under this model. Our findings indicate that the TMM model can explain and predict previously unexplained trends and artifacts in experimental data.
mbeddr
Authors: Szabó Tamás , Voelter Markus , Kolb Bernd , Ratiu Daniel , Schaetz Bernhard
Published: December 2014

In this industrial presentation we will demonstrate mbeddr, an extensible set of integrated languages for embedded software development. After discussing the context of the talk, we will give details about the mbeddr architecture, which relies on the MPS language workbench. Then we will elaborate on the extension modules and show how they fit with safety-critical development processes. Finally we will point out how the existing languages can be extended by the user by giving some real-world examples, including a language construct that could have prevented the Apple 'goto fail' bug as well as mathematical notations.
Investigation of the Lower Resistance Meridian: Speculation on the Pathophysiological Functions of Acupuncture Meridians
Authors: Yang Weisheng
Published: December 2014

It was pointed out in the two earlier papers of the present author that the meridians are in fact zones in the loose connective tissue containing richer interstitial fluid and thus are lower‐resistance passages for diffusion of meridian‐signal carriers or mediators. Moreover, a hypothesis, which incorporates the wide variety of functions of the loose connective tissue, the circulatory system, and the nervous system into the meridian function, has been proposed and in the hypothesis the mast cell plays some key roles. In the present paper, considering also the latest knowledge on cell migration along with some existing experimental results, it is further pointed out that meridians ought to be lower‐resistance passages for chemotactic migration of cells and mast cells can indeed migrate longitudinally along meridians. Finally, the present paper points out that if we add the last two points to the hypothesis and keep in mind that mast cells have been known very recently to be versatile regulators of inflammation, tissue remodeling, host defense, and homeostasis, the rich pathophysiological functions of the meridian pointed out by the traditional Chinese medicine can be understood quite naturally.
Coordinated Collaboration between Heterogeneous Distributed Energy Resources
Authors: Abdollahy Shahin , Lavrova Olga , Mammoli Andrea
Published: December 2014

A power distribution feeder, where a heterogeneous set of distributed energy resources is deployed, is examined by simulation. The energy resources include PV, battery storage, natural gas GenSet, fuel cells, and active thermal storage for commercial buildings. The resource scenario considered is one that may exist in a not too distant future. Two cases of interaction between different resources are examined. One interaction involves a GenSet used to partially offset the duty cycle of a smoothing battery connected to a large PV system. The other example involves the coordination of twenty thermal storage devices, each associated with a commercial building. Storage devices are intended to provide maximum benefit to the building, but it is shown that this can have a deleterious effect on the overall system, unless the action of the individual storage devices is coordinated. A network based approach is also introduced to calculate some type of effectiveness metric to all available resources which take part in coordinated operation. The main finding is that it is possible to achieve synergy between DERs on a system; however this required a unified strategy to coordinate the action of all devices in a decentralized way.
Anti‐Inflammatory and Immunomodulatory Mechanism of Tanshinone IIA for Atherosclerosis
Authors: Chen Zhuo , Xu Hao
Published: December 2014

Tanshinone IIA (Tan II A) is widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases as an active component of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge. It has been demonstrated to have pleiotropic effects for atherosclerosis. From the anti‐inflammatory and immunomodulatory mechanism perspective, this paper reviewed major progresses of Tan IIA in antiatherosclerosis research, including immune cells, antigens, cytokines, and cell signaling pathways.
The Dilution Dependency of Multigroup Uncertainties
Authors: Ball M. R. , McEwan C. , Novog D. R. , Luxat J. C.
Published: December 2014

The propagation of nuclear data uncertainties through reactor physics calculation has received attention through the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development—Nuclear Energy Agency’s Uncertainty Analysis in Modelling (UAM) benchmark. A common strategy for performing lattice physics uncertainty analysis involves starting with nuclear data and covariance matrix which is typically available at infinite dilution. To describe the uncertainty of all multigroup physics parameters—including those at finite dilution—additional calculations must be performed that relate uncertainties in an infinite dilution cross-section to those at the problem dilution. Two potential methods for propagating dilution-related uncertainties were studied in this work. The first assumed a correlation between continuous-energy and multigroup cross-sectional data and uncertainties, which is convenient for direct implementation in lattice physics codes. The second is based on a more rigorous approach involving the Monte Carlo sampling of resonance parameters in evaluated nuclear data using the TALYS software. When applied to a light water fuel cell, the two approaches show significant differences, indicating that the assumption of the first method did not capture the complexity of physics parameter data uncertainties. It was found that the covariance of problem-dilution multigroup parameters for selected neutron cross-sections can vary significantly from their infinite-dilution counterparts.
Sociodemographic Correlates of Unipolar Major Depression among the Chinese Elderly in Klang Valley, Malaysia: An Epidemiological Study
Authors: Verma Rohit Kumar , Min Tan Hui , Chakravarthy Srikumar , Barua Ankur , Kar Nilamadhab
Published: December 2014

Background. Depression, as one of the most disabling diseases around the world, had caught the global concern with its rising prevalence rate. There is a growing need of detecting depression, particularly in the old age population which is often left being overlooked.Methods. We conducted a cross-sectional community-based study which included 150 Chinese elderly aged 60 and above within Klang Valley area. We obtained the sociodemographic profiles and assessed the status of well-being, depression, and cognitive function of the participants with the help of instruments: WHO Five-Item Well-Being Index, Major (ICD-10) Depression Inventory, and 6-Item Cognitive Impairment Test.Results. We found that the prevalence of depression among the Chinese elderly within Klang Valley region was 10.7%. With multiple logistic regression, decision to consult doctor on depressed mood or memory problem and presence of cognitive impairment were shown to be significantly associated with unipolar major depression, whereas wellbeing status was also found to be statistically correlated with depression in univariate analysis.Conclusion. The prevalence of unipolar depression among Chinese elderly within Klang Valley, Malaysia presented that there was an increased trend compared to the previous studies.
Diacritical Seismic Signatures for Complex Geological Structures: Case Studies from Shushan Basin (Egypt) and Arkoma Basin (USA)
Authors: Abdel-Fattah Mohamed I. , Alrefaee Hamed A.
Published: December 2014

Seismic reflection techniques show an imperative role in imaging complex geological structures and are becoming more acceptable as data interpreting tools in 2D/3D view. These subsurface geological structures provide complex seismic signature due to their geometrical behavior. Consequently, it is extremely difficult to interpret these seismic sections in terms of subsurface configuration. The main goal of this paper is to introduce seismic attributes as a powerful tool to interpret complex geological structures in different geological settings. In order to image these complex geological features, multiple seismic attributes such as coherence and curvature have been applied to the seismic data generated over the Shushan Basin (Egypt) and Arkoma Basin (USA). Each type of geological structure event usually generates a unique seismic “signature” that we can recognize and identify by using these seismic attributes. In Shushan Basin (Egypt), they provide a framework and constraint during the interpretation and can help prevent mistakes during a 3D structural modeling. In Arkoma Basin (USA), the seismic attributes results provide useful information for broader analyses of the complex structural relations in the region where the Ouachita orogenic belt intersects with the southern Oklahoma aulacogen. Finally, complex geological structures provide dramatically diacritical seismic signatures that can be easily interpreted by collaborating conventional seismic interpretation techniques with multiple seismic attributes.
Hydroxyurea Increases Plasma Concentrations of Microparticles and Reduces Coagulation Activation and Fibrinolysis in Patients with Sickle Cell Anemia
Authors: Brunetta Denise Menezes , De Santis Gil Cunha , Silva-Pinto Ana Cristina , Oliveira de Oliveira Luciana Correa , Covas Dimas Tadeu
Published: December 2014

Microparticles (MPs) are present in healthy subjects and their concentration increases in patients at high risk of thrombosis. We evaluated 10 patients with sickle cell anemia (SCA) treated with hydroxyurea (HU) and 13 SCA patients without this treatment. MP concentrations were determined by flow cytometry. Coagulation was evaluated using the thrombin-antithrombin complex (TAT) and D-dimers. Total MP concentrations were increased in the HU-treated group (265 × 106/ml vs. 67.45 × 106/ml; p = 0.0026), as well as MPs derived from RBC (67.83 × 106/ml vs. 26.31 × 106/ml; p = 0.05), monocytes (51.31 × 106/ml vs. 9.03 × 106/ml; p = 0.0084), monocytes with tissue factor (TF) expression (2.27 × 106/ml vs. 0.27 × 106/ml; p = 0.0058), endothelium (49.42 × 106/ml vs. 7.23 × 106/ml; p = 0.007) and endothelium with TF (1.42 × 106/ml vs. 0.26 × 106/ml; p = 0.0043). Furthermore, the concentrations of TAT (7.56 vs. 10.98 µg/l; p = 0.014) and D-dimers (0.65 vs. 1.29 µg/ml; p = 0.007) were reduced with HU. The MP elevation may suggest a direct cytotoxic effect of HU. Another explanation is a cell surface increase secondary to a megaloblastic process, resulting in increased vesicle release. In our opinion, the known benefits of HU on SCA patients, along with the reduction in coagulation activation, surpass its potential detrimental effect on MPs. Future studies should elucidate the role of MPs and demonstrate their significance in different contexts. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Selection of Elderly Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients for Intensive Chemotherapy: Effectiveness of Intensive Chemotherapy and Subgroup Analysis
Authors: Kim Dae Sik , Kang Ka Won , Yu Eun Sang , Kim Hong Jun , Kim Jung Sun , Lee Se Ryeon , Park Yong , Sung Hwa Jung , Yoon Soo Young , Choi Chul Won , Kim Byung Soo
Published: December 2014

Background: Despite the advances in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) treatment, the prognosis of elderly patients remains poor and no definitive treatment guideline has been established. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of intensive chemotherapy in elderly AML patients and to determine which subgroup of patients would be most responsive to the therapy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 84 elderly patients: 35, 19, and 30 patients were administered intensive chemotherapy, low-dose chemotherapy, and supportive care, respectively. Results: Among those who received intensive chemotherapy, there were 17 cases of remission after induction chemotherapy; treatment-related mortality was 22.9%. The median overall survival was 7.9 months. Multivariate analysis indicated that the significant prognostic factors for overall survival were performance status, fever before treatment, platelet count, blast count, cytogenetic risk category, and intensive chemotherapy. Subgroup analysis showed that intensive chemotherapy was markedly effective in the relatively younger patients (65-70 years) and those with de novo AML, better-to-intermediate cytogenetic risk, no fever before treatment, high albumin levels, and high lactate dehydrogenase levels. Conclusions: Elderly AML patients had better outcomes with intensive chemotherapy than with low-intensity chemotherapy. Thus, appropriate subgroup selection for intensive chemotherapy is likely to improve therapeutic outcome. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Pioglitazone Inhibits Advanced Glycation End Product-Induced TNF-E and MMP-13 Expression via the Antagonism of NF-TB Activation in Chondrocytes
Authors: Chen Cheng , Ma Chi , Zhang Ying , Zeng Yuelin , Li Yuqing , Wang Wanchun
Published: December 2014

Objective: Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) play a pivotal role in the initiation and progression of osteoarthritis (OA). Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-G (PPARG) has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and anticatabolic properties and to be protective in animal models of OA. This study was aimed to investigate the possible protective effect of the PPARG agonist pioglitazone on AGE-induced chondrocyte damage. Methods: Cultured chondrocytes were stimulated with AGEs in the presence or absence of an antibody against the receptor for AGEs (anti-RAGE), an inhibitor of NF-TB (pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate) and pioglitazone. The RNA expression levels of TNF-E, matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-13 and PPARG were detected by RT-PCR. The expression of nuclear p65 was determined by Western blot analysis. Results: Upregulation of TNF-E and MMP-13 as well as downregulation of PPARG were induced by AGEs in a time- and dose-dependent manner. The maximum effect was induced by 100 Vg/ml AGEs. This effect can be inhibited by anti-RAGE. Pioglitazone dose-dependently inhibited the expression of TNF-E and MMP-13 induced by AGEs, which was combined with the inhibition of nuclear p65 expression. Conclusion: The PPARG agonist pioglitazone modulates TNF-E and MMP-13 expression in cultured rabbit chondrocytes via NF-TB signaling. It indicates that pioglitazone may have therapeutic potential in OA. i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Aortic-Brachial Stiffness Mismatch and Mortality in Dialysis Population
Authors: Fortier Catherine , Mac-Way Fabrice , Desmeules Simon , Marquis Karine , De Serres Sacha A. , Lebel Marcel , Boutouyrie Pierre , Agharazii Mohsen
Published: December 2014

We hypothesized that increased aortic stiffness (central elastic artery) combined with a decrease in brachial stiffness (peripheral muscular artery) leads to the reversal of the physiological stiffness gradient (ie, mismatch), promoting end-organ damages through increased forward pressure wave transmission into the microcirculation. We, therefore, examined the effect of aortic-brachial stiffness mismatch on mortality in patients in need of dialysis. In a prospective observational study, aortic-brachial arterial stiffness mismatch (pulse wave velocity ratio) was assessed using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity divided by carotid-radial pulse wave velocity in 310 adult patients on dialysis. After a median follow-up of 29 months, 146 (47%) deaths occurred. The hazard ratio (HR) for mortality related to PWV ratio in a Cox regression analysis was 1.43 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24–1.64;
P
<0.001 per 1 SD) and was still significant after adjustments for confounding factors, such as age, dialysis vintage, sex, cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, smoking status, and weight (HR, 1.23; 95% CI: 1.02–1.49). The HRs for changes in 1 SD of augmentation index (HR, 1.35; 95% CI, 1.12–1.63), carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (HR, 1.29; 95% CI, 1.11–1.50), and carotid-radial pulse wave velocity (HR, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67–0.95) were statistically significant in univariate analysis, but were no longer statistically significant after adjustment for age. In conclusion, aortic-brachial arterial stiffness mismatch was strongly and independently associated with increased mortality in this dialysis population. Further studies are required to confirm these finding in lower-risk groups.
Accelerated Transition
Authors: Howlett Jonathan J.
Published: December 2014

When the Chinese Communist Party seized power in 1949 it began a process of transforming China’s economy and society. Despite the Party initially advancing a programme of gradual change under ‘New Democracy’, the early 1950s can best be characterised as a period of accelerated transition. This paper uses the case study of the elimination of British business in Shanghai to show how radicalisation in the political sphere catalysed economic change. Drawing on recently disclosed documents from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Archives and materials from the Shanghai Municipal Archives, the paper demonstrates how policy-making and implementation evolved in practice. The elimination of foreign commercial enterprises was deemed a priority, but because they were closely tied into the Chinese economy the processes involved in their removal presented issues that were too difficult to resolve along simplistic ideological lines. While it may seem contradictory to argue that this period was characterised both by accelerated change and by enduring legacies of the old order, this paper demonstrates that behind a façade of cohesive action lay cadres struggling to manage a complex situation. The ccp’s own weaknesses determined their courses of action and the methods they deployed informed the way revolutionary transformation evolved.
Socialist Transformation and the Demise of Private Entrepreneurs
Authors: Chen Zhengqing
Published: December 2014

This paper examines the fate of Wu Yunchu, a major industrialist in the Republican period, and his Tian-brand companies after 1949. Although the ccp had proclaimed its desire to include the ‘national bourgeoisie’ in the new political system and to support private enterprise, it disavowed itself with the launching of the public–private joint management policy that de facto eliminated the private sector. The paper argues that the partly state-owned and fully private companies followed a different path, but eventually all came under the fold of the socialist state. Conceived in ideological terms and implemented hastily, the so-called ‘socialist transformation’ (shehuizhuyi gaizao) suppressed any hope the Chinese entrepreneurs may have entertained of playing a role in Chinese development and society. At the same time, the ill-conceived policy created numerous hurdles that actually hurt national industrial production.
The Three Rhotic Phonemes in Ṭyare Neo-Aramaic
Authors: Mutzafi Hezy
Published: December 2014

Whereas many North-Eastern Neo-Aramaic (nena) dialects exhibit two rhotic (R-) phonemes, mostly an alveolar /r/ as opposed to an emphatic alveolar /ṛ/, a striking feature related to rhotic differentiation, hitherto attested only in the Christian nena dialect of Bariṭle, is a threefold distinction of retroflex, alveolar and emphatic alveolar R-phonemes. This article demonstrates that such a distinction exists also in the Christian nena dialect-cluster of Ṭyare, discusses the nature and distribution of each of the three R-phonemes in Ṭyare, and suggests a diachronic account of the threefold split of r in this dialect-cluster.
Pauvreté, charité et traditions culinaires des soufis-saints d’après les sources hagiographiques maghrébines (vie/xiie–viiie/xive siècles)
Authors: El Hour Rachid
Published: December 2014

Cette étude, qui analyse trois aspects liés aux régimes alimentaires des soufi-saints maghrébins et quelques aspects de leurs comportements socioreligieux à l’époque médiévale, se base sur diverses sources hagiographiques composées du vie/xiie au viiie/xive siècle. D’une part, elle met l’accent sur le thème de la pauvreté et les pauvres dans les sources utilisées, notamment dans l’ouvrage d’al-Qashtālī, intitulée Tuḥfat al-mughtarib. Il est nécessaire bien entendu d’analyser quelques termes liés à ce sujet pour que nous puissions déterminer la nature de cette pauvreté et ces pauvres ( fuqarāʾ). D’autre part, on analyse le sujet de la charité et ses manifestations. Les œuvres de charité et leurs diverses manifestations et des références à la famine qui a souffert la population maghrébine, ainsi que le rôle joué par les saints sont bien présents dans nos sources. Finalement, cette contribution analyse également la tradition culinaire des soufi-saints dans l’Occident musulman. Je pense qu’il est indispensable d’aborder, par exemple, les différents aliments qui prédominent dans leurs menus, sans oublier bien sûr le cas des soufi-saints dont la diète représente un cas de frugalité extrême, comme chez al-Yuḥānisī et Abū Yaʿzā. Dans nos sources, on trouve très peu de références à des termes qui parlent de la pauvreté et qui reflètent un groupe de pauvres ou autres groupes de nécessiteux bénéficiaires des œuvres de charité privées ou institutionnelles. Le terme fuqarāʾ se réfère aux soufis ou disciples qui peuvent avoir ou pas besoin de charité. En ce qui concerne les régimes alimentaires des soufis-saints de l’Occident musulman, nous constatons que le panorama général suggère l’idée que les régimes alimentaires des soufis-saints étaient variés, même si en général, on observe plutôt une inclination vers la diète végétarienne. La nature de ces aliments répond clairement aux langues périodes de crises économiques et naturels (famines) qui ont subi l’occident islamique. La dureté des conditions géographiques et économiques a fait que les pauvres paysans, y compris les saints, soient des vrais connaisseurs de la compagne et des experts dans la distinction entre les plantes comestibles et autres impropre pour la consommation humaine, pressés par la loi de la survivance.
Solanum membranisepalum (Solanaceae): A new name for the Flora of China
Authors: Zhang Libing , Lu Ngan Thi
Published: December 2014

Solanum membranisepalum Li Bing Zhang & Ngan T. Lu is proposed as a replacement name for the later homonym S. griffithii (Prain) C.Y. Wu & S.C. Huang