bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tuberculosis presenting as deep vein thrombosis
Authors: Gogna A , Pradhan G R , Sinha R S K , Gupta B
Published: February 2015

We present two cases, women of 21 and 60 years old, who presented with deep vein thrombosis. Both cases had retroperitoneal para-aortic and iliac lymph node enlargement without any malignancy or other predisposing thrombophilic factors. Investigations revealed tubercular aetiology of the lymph nodes causing venae caval obstruction.
Surgical treatment of oesophageal obstruction after ingestion of a granular laxative
Authors: Brown D C , Doughty J C , George W D
Published: February 2015

A case of oesophageal obstruction after ingestion of a granular laxative in a 91-year-old man is presented. There was no predisposing oesophageal disease. The severity of obstruction prevented endoscopic clearance and the patient required gastrotomy and manual disimpaction of the lower oesophagus.
Non-invasive testing for Helicobacter pylori
Authors: Stone Margaret A
Published: February 2015

Confirmed and potential benefits of eradicating Helicobacter pylori have led to the development of a range of diagnostic tests. As well as techniques using biopsy tissue obtained during endoscopy, a number of non-invasive tests are now available. These may be appropriate for pre-endoscopy screening of younger dyspeptics, for use in research, particularly epidemiological surveys, to confirm successful eradication after treatment, and possibly in the future for screening in asymptomatic populations. Serology requiring laboratory analysis is likely to be the least expensive option, particularly suitable for testing large numbers, while urea breath tests should yield the most accurate results and are appropriate for confirming successful eradication since only current infection is detected. The performance of near-patient tests can lack consistency, but these may be useful for small numbers and where other non-invasive testing is unavailable. Tests should be used with an awareness of their potential limitations in terms of accuracy.
Dietary linoleic acid, immune inhibition and disease
Authors: Sammon Alastair M
Published: February 2015

Review of the evidence available in published literature supports a radical change in viewpoint with respect to disease in countries where maize is the predominant dietary component. In these countries, the pattern of disease is largely determined by a change in immune profile caused by metabolites of dietary linoleic acid. High intake of linoleic acid in a diet deficient in other polyunsaturated fatty acids and in riboflavin results in high tissue production of prostaglandin E2, which in turn causes inhibition of the proliferation and cytokine production of Th1 cells, mediators of cellular immunity. Tuberculosis, measles, hepatoma, secondary infection in HIV and kwashiorkor are all favoured by this reduction in cellular immunity. Diet-associated inhibition of the Th1 subset is a major contributor to the high prevalence of these diseases found in areas of sub-Saharan Africa where maize is the staple.
Experience with invasive Candida infections
Authors: Girishkumar Hanasoge , Yousuf Arshad M , Chivate Jayant , Geisler Edward
Published: February 2015

Between January and July 1995, 227 patients at the Bronx-Lebanon Hospital Center had positive fungal cultures.Candida spp were the most common fungi isolated. Forty-three patients with invasive disease, as indicated by fungus-positive blood cultures, became the focus of our study.C albicans caused fungaemia in 21 patients (49%). Twenty-eight patients (65%) were less than 50 years of age; three were neonates. The most common presenting symptoms were fever, chills, and weakness (20 patients, 47%). Thirty patients died, giving a mortality rate of 70%. The patients who died stayed in the hospital an average of 49 days.

The highest mortality occurred among patients who became bacteraemic before or at the same time they became candidaemic (24 of 26 patients) or who were receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics (20 of 26 patients). We also found high mortality rates from invasive fungal infection among patients with HIV infection, a central venous catheter, and liver, renal, or respiratory failure. We did not find any increase in the incidence of invasive fungal infection or mortality among leukopenic or diabetic patients.
Simultaneous onset of idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy in identical middle-aged twins
Authors: Sutton A G C , Somasundram U , Hall J A
Published: February 2015

Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy is a primary myocardial disease which is characterised by left ventricular, or biventricular, dilatation and impaired contractility. The precise aetiology is unknown and the relative contribution of genetic and environmental factors is debated. We report two identical male twins of Caucasian origin with idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy who presented within a few months of each other.
Internal iliac artery embolisation for intractable bladder haemorrhage in the peri-operative phase
Authors: Gujral Sandeep , Bell Richard , Kabala Julian , Persad Rajendra
Published: February 2015

Intractable haemorrhage from the bladder wall during transurethral resection of bladder tumour is uncommon but potentially catastrophic. Internal iliac artery embolisation is a minimally invasive technique, which is now widely practised to stop bleeding from branches of these arteries in situations including pelvic malignancy, obstetric and gynaecological emergencies and trauma. We report its successful use peri-operatively, in an unfit, elderly patient with uncontrolled bleeding.
Hypokalaemic paralysis
Authors: Ahlawat Sushil K , Sachdev Anita
Published: February 2015

Hypokalaemic paralysis is a relatively uncommon but potentially life-threatening clinical syndrome. If recognised and treated appropriately, patients recover without any clinical sequellae. The syndrome of hypokalaemic paralysis represents a heterogenous group of disorders characterised clinically by hypokalaemia and acute systemic weakness. Most cases are due to familial or primary hypokalaemic periodic paralysis; sporadic cases are associated with numerous other conditions including barium poisoning, hyperthyroidism, renal disorders, certain endocrinopathies and gastrointestinal potassium losses. The age of onset, race, family history, medications, and underlying disease states can help in identifying the cause of hypokalaemic paralysis. Initial therapy of the patient with hypokalaemic paralysis includes potassium replacement and search for underlying aetiology. Further management depends on the aetiology of hypokalaemia, severity of symptoms, and duration of disease. This review presents the differential diagnosis for hypokalaemic paralysis and discusses management of the syndrome.
ACE inhibitors and heart failure in hospital: any difference between cardiologists and general physicians?
Authors: Davie Andrew P , McMurray John J
Published: February 2015

Cardiologists and generalists have been reported to diverge in terms of their self-reported use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, but information on their actual use of ACE inhibitors has been lacking. In order to assess ACE inhibitor use in patients with heart failure in a teaching hospital and any differences between specialties we studied all patients in the Western Infirmary of Glasgow between 1 April and 1 October 1996 with an echocardiogram showing moderate or severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction (n=236). We found that most patients were on an ACE inhibitor (66%), 12% had been tried but found to be intolerant, 10% had not been tried because of a contraindication, but 12% had not been tried despite no contraindication. Of those on treatment, 58% were on a dose used in a major survival study (38% of all patients). Most patients were treated by a cardiologist (64%). Of these, more were on an ACE inhibitor (77% vs 53%, p<0.01), fewer had been tried but found intolerant (11%vs 18%), and fewer had never been tried (11% vs 29%, p<0.01), irrespective of whether they had a contraindication (5% vs 18%, p<0.01) or not (6% vs 12%). More were on a dose used in a major survival study (48%vs 31%, p<0.05). We conclude that, despite improvements over time, ACE inhibitors are still under-used, sometimes without good reason. There are also differences in the use of ACE inhibitors between cardiologists and generalists which may affect outcome, and could affect resource utilisation.
Warfarin-induced skin necrosis
Authors: Stewart Andrew J , Penman Ian D , Cook Margaret K , Ludlam Christopher A
Published: February 2015

Skin necrosis is a rare but serious side-effect of treatment with warfarin. At particular risk are those with various thrombophilic abnormalities, especially when warfarinisation is undertaken rapidly with large loading doses of warfarin. With the increasing number of patients anticoagulated as out-patients for thromboprophylaxis, we are concerned that the incidence of skin necrosis may increase. If skin necrosis does occur, prompt remedial action may be of benefit in preventing permanent tissue damage.
Calcium-channel blockade can mask the diagnosis of Conn's syndrome
Authors: Brown Morris J , Hopper Ruth V
Published: February 2015

A 30-year-old woman presented with hypertension and hypokalaemia, and was found to have primary aldosteronism due to a Conn's adenoma, whose removal cured the hypertension. Before surgery, the characteristic biochemical changes which enabled the diagnosis were completely masked by administration of a calcium-channel blocker, amlodipine. It is likely that widespread use of this class of drugs contributes to under-diagnosis of Conn's syndrome as a curable cause of hypertension.
Cogan's syndrome: an oculo-audiovestibular disease
Authors: Berrocal J R García , Vargas J A , Vaquero M , y Cajal S Ramón , Ramírez-Camacho R A
Published: February 2015

Typical Cogan's syndrome is a rare disease of young adults consisting of flares of interstitial keratitis and sudden onset of Ménière-like attacks (nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, vertigo and hearing loss). Life-threatening aortic insufficiency develops in 10% of reported cases. Atypical Cogan's syndrome (audiovestibular dysfunction with other types of inflammatory eye disease) is associated with vasculitis in 20% of cases and has a less favourable prognosis than typical Cogan's syndrome.
Efficacy and safety of intravenous amiodarone in recent-onset atrial fibrillation: experience in patients admitted to a general internal medicine department
Authors: Kreiss Yitshak , Sidi Yechezkel , Gur Hanan
Published: February 2015

We examined the efficacy and safety of intravenous amiodarone in 20 unselected patients with recent-onset atrial fibrillation who were admitted to a general internal medicine department during a 6-month period. The treatment protocol included a loading dose of 1200 mg intravenous amiodarone in 24 hours, after which amiodarone treatment was continued orally. Eleven of the 20 patients (55%) converted to sinus rhythm within 48 hours of intravenous amiodarone treatment and were discharged in sinus rhythm, while 9/20 (45%) patients failed to convert during hospitalisation. Six patients (30%) failed to convert to sinus rhythm even after one further month of oral treatment. There was one death and a high frequency (25%) of thrombophlebitis during hospitalisation. The in-hospital non-convertors had a significantly lower ejection fraction and initial low ventricular response rate than the convertors. In conclusion, the acute conversion rate by intravenous amiodarone was at best modest. It is suggested that intravenous amiodarone is probably more effective in patients with rapid recent-onset atrial fibrillation and good left ventricular function.
Diabetic ketoacidosis precipitated by thyrotoxicosis
Authors: Bhattacharyya A , Wiles P G
Published: February 2015

We report two patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, previously well controlled with good compliance, presenting with unexplained diabetic ketoacidosis. Following initial correction of the metabolic disorder, persisting tachycardia lead to the diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis. In both cases, treatment with propranolol and carbimazole helped in the stabilization of their metabolic states. Although thyrotoxicosis is known to destabilise diabetes control, we can find no reports of it precipitating diabetic ketoacidosis.
Acne: a review of immunologic and microbiologic factors
Authors: Burkhart Craig G , Burkhart Craig N , Lehmann Paul F
Published: February 2015

Acne vulgaris is a self-limiting skin disorder seen primarily in adolescents, whose aetiology appears to be multifactorial. The four main aetiological factors are hypercornification of the pilosebaceous duct, increased sebum production, colonization withPropionibacterium acnes, and subsequently the production of inflammation. Considerable investigation has addressed the immunologic reaction to extracellular products produced by the acne-causing organism, P acnes. The immunologic response involves both humoral and cell-mediated pathways. Further research should clarify the role of complement, cytotoxins, and neutrophils in this acne-forming response.
The effect of passive smoking on pulmonary function during childhood
Authors: Bek Kenan , Tomaç Nazan , Delibas Ali , Tuna Fevzi , Teziç H Tahsin , Sungur Metin
Published: February 2015

Passive smoking, especially of maternal origin, is known to influence adversely the development of children's pulmonary function. In this study, the effect of parental smoking on the pulmonary function of 360 primary school children aged 9–13 (mean 10.8±0.7) years was investigated. Information on parental smoking history was collected using a questionnaire, and spirometric measurements were performed on the children.

All spirometric indices were lower in children who had been passively exposed to parental tobacco smoke than those not exposed. The percentage of households in which at least one parent smoked was 81.5%. This figure was significantly lower for mothers (27.5%) than for fathers (79%). Paternal smoking was associated with reduced levels of forced expiratory flow between 25–75% of vital capacity, peak expiratory flow, and flow rates after 50% and 75% of vital capacity expired (p<0.05). Maternal smoking did not have statistically significant adverse effects on children's pulmonary function. This result might be due to the low occurrence of either pre- or post-natal smoking among mothers and confirms that, in our population, the main target group for anti-tobacco campaigns should be fathers.
Postpericardiotomy syndrome following temporary and permanent transvenous pacing
Authors: Bajaj Balwinder P S , Evans Keith E , Thomas Philip
Published: February 2015

The postpericardiotomy syndrome may occur as a complication of temporary and permanent pacing. Physicians involved in procedures which may be complicated by this condition therefore need to be aware of its diagnosis and management.
Digoxin, hypercalcaemia, and cardiac conduction
Authors: Vella Adrian , Gerber Thomas C , Hayes David L , Reeder Guy S
Published: February 2015

The cardiac effects of hypercalcaemia are usually manifest as a shortening of the QT-interval. Hypercalcaemia is infrequently associated with a clinically manifest arrhythmia. However, concomitant therapy with digoxin or underlying cardiac disease can potentiate the arrhythmogenic effects of hypercalcaemia, leading to a symptomatic rhythm disorder. We describe a symptomatic arrhythmia, which developed in a patient with hypercalcaemia secondary to squamous cell carcinoma of the bronchus. The patient was on digoxin therapy at the time. The arrhythmia did not recur after discontinuation of digoxin therapy and correction of the hypercalcaemia. Because of its effect on cardiac conduction, hypercalcaemia should be considered in the evaluation of any patient with an unexplained bradyarrhythmia. Conversely, patients with hypercalcaemia should discontinue digoxin therapy and be evaluated for the presence of rhythm disorders while receiving appropriate treatment for hypercalcaemia.
The role of coronary angioplasty and stenting in acute myocardial infarction
Authors: Brodison Adrian , More Ranjit S , Chauhan Anoop
Published: February 2015

Despite the improvements in the pharmacological treatment of acute myocardial infarction, it is recognised that thrombolysis fails to reproduce reperfusion in a significant proportion of patients. Coronary interventional techniques have been shown to offer an alternative reperfusion strategy. There is increasing evidence that mechanical reperfusion may offer significant advantages over established thrombolytic therapy.
Assessment of glycaemic control in stable type 2 black South African diabetics attending a peri-urban clinic
Authors: Erasmus R T , Blanco E Blanco , Okesina A B , Gqweta Z , Matsha T
Published: February 2015

Glycaemic control was assessed in type 2 black diabetics attending the diabetic clinic at a peri-urban hospital. Baseline glycosylated haemoglobin levels were measured and a subsequent estimation was carried out in those patients who attended a follow-up consultation to see whether current recommended targets for glycosylated haemoglobin levels were being attained. Out of 708 patients, mean age 56.3 years, 14.7% were insulin treated and 85.3% were non-insulin-treated. Target values of HbA1c < 7% were achieved in only 20.1% (142) of patients. Although mean glycosylated haemoglobin levels were significantly higher in females (p= 0.03), the proportion of poorly controlled diabetics was similar in the two sexes. Patients whose HbA1c levels fell within the target values had diabetes of significantly shorter duration than those exhibiting poor control (5.0+0.2 vs 7.03+0.5 years). Obesity was present in 562 patients (79.4%). Target values were only achieved in 16.4% of non-obese and 21% of obese diabetics, with mean glycosylated haemoglobin levels being significantly higher (p<0.05) in the former group (10.3+0.4% vs 9.5+0.2%). Similar results were observed with respect to type of treatment, with only 14.4% of insulin-treated and 21% of non-insulin-treated diabetics achieving target values. The follow-up HbA1c estimation did not show any difference in the glycaemic control status of patients, with only 19.9% of them achieving the target values. Dietary advice (though minimal) seemed to have no impact on the metabolic control of our patients. These results suggest that glycaemic control was poor irrespective of sex, duration, BMI, educational status, dietary advice and type of treatment with recommended target values not being achieved in the majority of patients. Behavioural changes through health educational programmes need to be instituted with both patient and medical personnel being motivated to take this process forward.
Recurrent aseptic meningitis following non- steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs – a reminder
Authors: Seaton R A , France A J
Published: February 2015

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are rarely associated with side-effects affecting the central nervous system. A case of NSAID-induced recurrent aseptic meningitis is presented. Seven episodes of aseptic meningitis were documented in the patient's life-time (up to the age of 30). General practitioners' records available for the latest four episodes showed that a NSAID (naproxen, piroxicam or diclofenac) was prescribed in the month prior to admission on each occasion. The patient was symptom free for a 3-year period during which no NSAID was prescribed. Clinicians should always elicit a careful drug history (including over-the-counter medications) in patients with aseptic meningitis and be aware of this unusual side-effect of NSAIDs.
HEALTH2: A Holistic Environmental Assessment Lay Tool for Home Health
Authors: Hostland C. , Sadiq R. , Lovegrove G. , Roberts D.
Published: February 2015

Although the adverse health effects of poor indoor air quality on occupants from mold and dampness in indoor environments are well described, there is no reliable empirical tool to evaluate indoor mold and dampness levels in the home for use by the medical profession and health safety regulatory bodies. The economic impact to society approaches $40 billion a year in North America alone from the cost of health care and workplace lost productivity. Mobilizing corrective action necessitates an acceptable home environment evaluation method. This paper proposes a reliable empirical model and tool, the Holistic Environmental Assessment Lay Tool for Home Healthiness, and develops guidelines for its use as a tool to evaluate and rank mold and dampness related indoor environmental conditions associated with known respiratory health outcomes. HEALTH2 was calibrated using theoretical homes and then validated using data from 269 home evaluations where occupant health and the home environment factors were collected. Results suggest the model can be used as an early detection tool to assist in determining indoor environment risk factors associated with respiratory illness from mold and dampness. Empirical modeling and this tool can assist environmental professionals in determining improvement scenarios beyond general industry prescription and assist regulatory bodies in setting home health guidelines. The HEALTH2 model challenges the dominant view and suggests that damp and moldy environments are measurable and the impact to society is sufficient to necessitate prompt medical and regulatory action.
Determination of cast iron pipe wall decay coefficient for combined chlorine in a municipal water distribution system
Authors: Liu Megan J. , Craik Stephen , Zhu David Z.
Published: February 2015

Predicting disinfectant concentrations in water distribution systems using water quality models requires the input of the wall decay coefficient of the disinfectant. In this study, field water sampling data was integrated with network hydraulic and water quality model simulations of a section of the municipal water distribution system in the City of Edmonton, composed of predominantly cast iron piping, to determine a wall decay coefficient for combined chlorine (chloramine). Unique combined chlorine wall decay coefficients that provided the best fit of model-predicted chlorine concentrations to the field data were determined at two temperatures. Using the determined wall decay coefficients, the water quality model can be used to predict combined chlorine concentrations.
Small-world property evaluated by exchanging network topology
Authors: Suzuki Tomoya , Okazawa Masayuki , Ohkura Kuniaki
Published: February 2015

The present study quantified the degree of the small-world (SW) property defined by Watts, and evaluated its achievement level to characterize complex networks. However, because this process has a combinatorial optimization problem, we applied the chaos neural network (CNN) and the simulated annealing (SA), and confirmed their performance in terms of optimized values and numerical costs. Next, we visualized the original network and its optimized networks whose SW property was maximized or minimized by exchanging the original network topology. As a result, although CNN and SA require huge computational time, we confirmed that they can evaluate the SW property and even real SW networks still have plenty of room to enlarge their own SW property.
A 20-mV Input DC/DC Converter for Energy Harvesting Applications
Authors: Yang Zheng , Wang Jingmin , Li Yani , Yang Yintang
Published: February 2015

A low input step-up DC/DC converter and power manager in 0.18-μm CMOS process is presented. The proposed converter can work with the input voltage as low as 20 mV. The extremely low input voltage makes it suitable for energy harvesting and power management. Four logic controlled outputs provide the best voltage for various applications to accommodate low power design requirements. A low current low dropout regulator (LDO) is utilized to provide a regulated 2.2 V output for powering low power processors or other low power integrated circuit (ICs). Reserve energy on the storage capacitor CSTORE provides power when the input voltage source is unavailable, thus prolongs the life of the system and expands the application range. Extremely low quiescent current (6 μA) and high efficiency design (64%@300 μA load current) ensure the fastest possible charge times of the output reservoir capacitor. This work provides a complete power management solution for wireless sensing and data acquisition.
Singular solutions of semilinear elliptic equations with fractional Laplacian in entire space
Authors: Du Zhuoran
Published: February 2015

We consider the existence of positive singular solutions of the problem [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text]. We obtain the existence of positive singular solutions [Formula: see text] of this problem in space dimensions [Formula: see text] for the case [Formula: see text] under the condition [Formula: see text]. By the well-known Caffarelli–Silvestre extension result, the trace of [Formula: see text] is a positive singular solution for the following equation with a supercritical exponent [Formula: see text] where [Formula: see text] denotes the fractional Laplacian.
Room temperature reduction and hydrolysis of FeCl3⋅6H2O on self-sacrifice microscale Cu2O octahedron template: A mild chemical synthesis of pseudocapacitor electrode materials
Authors: Zhang Mu , Peng Xiaoyang , Chen Xu , Chen Kunfeng , Sun Xudong , Xue Dongfeng
Published: February 2015

Fe ( OH )x (x = 2, 3) colloidal aggregations were synthesized at room temperature via a reduction and hydrolysis of FeCl 3⋅6 H 2 O on microscale Cu 2 O octahedron, which functions as a self-sacrifice template. We herein proposed the growth of Fe ( OH )x colloidal aggregation by redox etching Cu 2 O octahedron while two critical reactions of both redox and precipitation were well employed in this work. As-synthesized Fe ( OH )x samples exhibited high specific capacitance of 242.7 F/g, which was higher than those available data of iron oxides and hydroxides.
A Java Processor IP Design for Embedded SoC
Authors: Tsai Chun-Jen , Kuo Han-Wen , Lin Zigang , Guo Zi-Jing , Wang Jun-Fu
Published: February 2015

In this article, we present a reusable Java processor IP for application processors of embedded systems. For the Java microarchitecture, we propose a low-cost stack memory design that supports a two-fold instruction folding pipeline and a low-complexity Java exception handling hardware. We also propose a mapping between the Java dynamic class loading model and the SoC platform-based design principle so that the Java core can be encapsulated as a reusable IP. To achieve this goal, a two-level method area with two on-chip circular buffers is proposed as an interface between the RISC core and the Java core. The proposed architecture is implemented on a Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGA device. Experimental results show that its performance has some advantages over other Java processors and a Java VM with JIT acceleration on a PowerPC platform.
Heuristics on Reachability Trees for Bicriteria Scheduling of Stream Graphs on Heterogeneous Multiprocessor Architectures
Authors: Malik Avinash , Gregg David
Published: February 2015

In this article, we partition and schedule
Synchronous Dataflow
(SDF) graphs onto heterogeneous execution architectures in such a way as to minimize energy consumption and maximize throughput. Partitioning and scheduling SDF graphs onto homogeneous architectures is a well-known NP-hard problem. The heterogeneity of the execution architecture makes our problem exponentially challenging to solve. We model the problem as a weighted sum and solve it using novel state space exploration inspired from the theory of parallel automata. The resultant heuristic algorithm results in good scheduling when implemented in an existing stream framework.
Placement of Linked Dynamic Data Structures over Heterogeneous Memories in Embedded Systems
Authors: Peón-quirós Miguel , Bartzas Alexandros , Mamagkakis Stylianos , Catthoor Francky , Mendías José Manuel , Soudris Dimitrios
Published: February 2015

Software applications use dynamic memory (allocated and deallocated in the system's heap) to handle dynamism in their working conditions. Embedded systems tend to include complex memory organizations but most techniques for dynamic memory management do not deal with the placement of data objects in physical memory modules. Additionally, the performance of hardware-controlled cache memories may be severely hindered when used with linked data structures. We therefore present a methodology to map dynamic data on the multilevel memory subsystem of embedded systems, taking advantage of any available memories (e.g., on-chip SRAMs) and avoiding interference with the cache memories. The resulting data placement uses an exclusive memory model and is compatible with existing techniques for managing static data. Our methodology helps the designer achieve reductions in energy consumption and execution time that can be obtained by an expert in an automated way while keeping control over the process through multiple configuration knobs.
Technological and Organizational Adaptation of EMR Implementation in an Emergency Department
Authors: Park Sun Young , Chen Yunan , Rudkin Scott
Published: February 2015

Implementation of large Health Information Technology (HIT) systems is critical to healthcare organizations and has seen heavy investment. However, research has not fully explored the adaptation of HIT systems, particularly the tensions between individual flexibility and organizational needs in the adaptation process. This study analyzes how Emergency Department (ED) clinicians adapted to a new hospital-wide Electronic Medical Records (EMR) system. We present four adaptation cases revealing two interrelated types of adaptations—technical and organizational—as responses to the new system in use. First, individual clinicians respond to the immediate alteration in workflows caused by the EMR, while the organizational adaptations later mitigate the changes in healthcare quality control resulting from the clinicians’ initial adaptation. Our analysis reflects the critical nature and value of both adaptation types, with an emphasis on the triggers and process of organizational adaptation, for the successful implementation of a socio-technical-political system in a healthcare organization.
Mobile Computations with Surrounding Devices
Authors: Loke Seng W. , Napier Keegan , Alali Abdulaziz , Fernando Niroshinie , Rahayu Wenny
Published: February 2015

With the proliferation of mobile devices, and their increasingly powerful embedded processors and storage, vast resources increasingly surround users. We have been investigating the concept of on-demand ad hoc forming of groups of nearby mobile devices in the midst of crowds to cooperatively perform computationally intensive tasks as a service to local mobile users, or what we call mobile crowd computing. As devices can vary in processing power and some can leave a group unexpectedly or new devices join in, there is a need for algorithms that can distribute work in a flexible manner and still work with different arrangements of devices that can arise in an ad hoc fashion. In this article, we first argue for the feasibility of such use of crowd-embedded computations using theoretical justifications and reporting on our experiments on Bluetooth-based proximity sensing. We then present a multilayered work-stealing style algorithm for distributing work efficiently among mobile devices and compare speedups attainable for different topologies of devices networked with Bluetooth, justifying a topology-flexible opportunistic approach. While our experiments are with Bluetooth and mobile devices, the approach is applicable to ecosystems of various embedded devices with powerful processors, networking technologies, and storage that will increasingly surround users.
A Real-Time Multichannel Memory Controller and Optimal Mapping of Memory Clients to Memory Channels
Authors: Gomony Manil Dev , Akesson Benny , Goossens Kees
Published: February 2015

Ever-increasing demands for main memory bandwidth and memory speed/power tradeoff led to the introduction of memories with multiple memory channels, such as Wide IO DRAM. Efficient utilization of a multichannel memory as a shared resource in multiprocessor real-time systems depends on mapping of the memory clients to the memory channels according to their requirements on latency, bandwidth, communication, and memory capacity. However, there is currently no real-time memory controller for multichannel memories, and there is no methodology to optimally configure multichannel memories in real-time systems. As a first work toward this direction, we present two main contributions in this article: (1) a configurable real-time multichannel memory controller architecture with a novel method for logical-to-physical address translation and (2) two design-time methods to map memory clients to the memory channels, one an optimal algorithm based on an integer programming formulation of the mapping problem, and the other a fast heuristic algorithm. We demonstrate the real-time guarantees on bandwidth and latency provided by our multichannel memory controller architecture by experimental evaluation. Furthermore, we compare the performance of the mapping problem formulation in a solver and the heuristic algorithm against two existing mapping algorithms in terms of computation time and mapping success ratio. We show that an optimal solution can be found in 2 hours using the solver and in less than 1 second with less than 7% mapping failure using the heuristic for realistically sized problems. Finally, we demonstrate configuring a Wide IO DRAM in a high-definition (HD) video and graphics processing system to emphasize the practical applicability and effectiveness of this work.
Automatic Update of Indoor Location Fingerprints with Pedestrian Dead Reckoning
Authors: Taniuchi Daisuke , Maekawa Takuya
Published: February 2015

In this article, we propose a new method for automatically updating a Wi-Fi indoor positioning model on a cloud server by employing uploaded sensor data obtained from the smartphone sensors of a specific user who spends a lot of time in a given environment (e.g., a worker in the environment). In this work, we attempt to track the user with pedestrian dead reckoning techniques, and at the same time we obtain Wi-Fi scan data from a mobile device possessed by the user. With the scan data and the estimated coordinates uploaded to a cloud server, we can automatically create a pair consisting of a scan and its corresponding indoor coordinates during the user's daily life and update an indoor positioning model on the server by using the information. With this approach, we try to cope with the instability of Wi-Fi-based positioning methods caused by changing environmental dynamics, that is, layout changes and moving or removal of Wi-Fi access points. Therefore, ordinary users (e.g., customers) who do not have rich sensors can benefit from the continually updating positioning model.
A Comparative Analysis of Interleaving Methods for Aggregated Search
Authors: Chuklin Aleksandr , Schuth Anne , Zhou Ke , Rijke Maarten De
Published: February 2015

A result page of a modern search engine often goes beyond a simple list of “10 blue links.” Many specific user needs (e.g., News, Image, Video) are addressed by so-called aggregated or vertical search solutions: specially presented documents, often retrieved from specific sources, that stand out from the regular organic Web search results. When it comes to evaluating ranking systems, such complex result layouts raise their own challenges. This is especially true for so-called interleaving methods that have arisen as an important type of online evaluation: by mixing results from two different result pages, interleaving can easily break the desired Web layout in which vertical documents are grouped together, and hence hurt the user experience.

We conduct an analysis of different interleaving methods as applied to aggregated search engine result pages. Apart from conventional interleaving methods, we propose two vertical-aware methods: one derived from the widely used Team-Draft Interleaving method by adjusting it in such a way that it respects vertical document groupings, and another based on the recently introduced Optimized Interleaving framework. We show that our proposed methods are better at preserving the user experience than existing interleaving methods while still performing well as a tool for comparing ranking systems. For evaluating our proposed vertical-aware interleaving methods, we use real-world click data as well as simulated clicks and simulated ranking systems.
Paxos Made Moderately Complex
Authors: Van Renesse Robbert , Altinbuken Deniz
Published: February 2015

This article explains the full reconfigurable multidecree Paxos (or multi-Paxos) protocol. Paxos is by no means a simple protocol, even though it is based on relatively simple invariants. We provide pseudocode and explain it guided by invariants. We initially avoid optimizations that complicate comprehension. Next we discuss liveness, list various optimizations that make the protocol practical, and present variants of the protocol.
Interaction with Large Displays
Authors: Ardito Carmelo , Buono Paolo , Costabile Maria Francesca , Desolda Giuseppe
Published: February 2015

Large interactive displays are increasingly placed in public (or semipublic) locations, including museums, shops, various city settings, and offices. This article discusses the evolution of such displays by looking at their use and analyzing how they are changing the concept of human-computer interaction through new modalities. By surveying the literature on systems using these displays, relevant features were identified and used as classification dimensions. The analysis provided may inform the design and development of future installations. A discussion on research challenges concludes the article.
A Taxonomy of Domain-Specific Aspect Languages
Authors: Fabry Johan , Dinkelaker Tom , Noyé Jacques , Tanter Éric
Published: February 2015

Domain-Specific Aspect Languages (DSALs) are Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) designed to express crosscutting concerns. Compared to DSLs, their aspectual nature greatly amplifies the language design space. We structure this space in order to shed light on and compare the different domain-specific approaches to deal with crosscutting concerns. We report on a corpus of 36 DSALs covering the space, discuss a set of design considerations, and provide a taxonomy of DSAL implementation approaches. This work serves as a frame of reference to DSAL and DSL researchers, enabling further advances in the field, and to developers as a guide for DSAL implementations.
A Qualitative Review on 3D Coarse Registration Methods
Authors: Díez Yago , Roure Ferran , Lladó Xavier , Salvi Joaquim
Published: February 2015

3D registration or matching is a crucial step in 3D model reconstruction. Registration applications span along a variety of research fields, including computational geometry, computer vision, and geometric modeling. This variety of applications produces many diverse approaches to the problem but at the same time yields divergent notations and a lack of standardized algorithms and guidelines to classify existing methods. In this article, we review the state of the art of the 3D rigid registration topic (focused on Coarse Matching) and offer qualitative comparison between the most relevant approaches. Furthermore, we propose a pipeline to classify the existing methods and define a standard formal notation, offering a global point of view of the literature.

Our discussion, based on the results presented in the analyzed papers, shows how, although certain aspects of the registration process still need to be tested further in real application situations, the registration pipeline as a whole has progressed steadily. As a result of this progress in all registration aspects, it is now possible to put together algorithms that are able to tackle new and challenging problems with unprecedented data sizes and meeting strict precision criteria.
3D Mesh Compression
Authors: Maglo Adrien , Lavoué Guillaume , Dupont Florent , Hudelot Céline
Published: February 2015

3D meshes are commonly used to represent virtual surface and volumes. However, their raw data representations take a large amount of space. Hence, 3D mesh compression has been an active research topic since the mid 1990s. In 2005, two very good review articles describing the pioneering works were published. Yet, new technologies have emerged since then. In this article, we summarize the early works and put the focus on these novel approaches. We classify and describe the algorithms, evaluate their performance, and provide synthetic comparisons. We also outline the emerging trends for future research.
Sharing Domestic Life through Long-Term Video Connections
Authors: Neustaedter Carman , Pang Carolyn , Forghani Azadeh , Oduor Erick , Hillman Serena , Judge Tejinder K. , Massimi Michael , Greenberg Saul
Published: February 2015

Video chat systems such as Skype, Google+ Hangouts, and FaceTime have been widely adopted by family members and friends to connect with one another over distance. We have conducted a corpus of studies that explore how various demographics make use of such video chat systems in which this usage moves beyond the paradigm of conversational support to one in which aspects of everyday life are shared over long periods of time, sometimes in an almost passive manner. We describe and reflect on studies of long-distance couples, teenagers, and major life events, along with design research focused on new video communication systems—the Family Window, Family Portals, and Perch—that explicitly support “always-on video” for awareness and communication. Overall, our findings show that people highly value long-term video connections and have appropriated them in a number of different ways. Designers of future video communication systems need to consider: ways of supporting the sharing of everyday life rather than just conversation, providing different design solutions for different locations and situations, providing appropriate audio control and feedback, and supporting expressions of intimacy over distance.
Towards Write-Activity-Aware Page Table Management for Non-volatile Main Memories
Authors: Wang Tianzheng , Liu Duo , Wang Yi , Shao Zili
Published: February 2015

Non-volatile memories such as phase change memory (PCM) and memristor are being actively studied as an alternative to DRAM-based main memory in embedded systems because of their properties, which include low power consumption and high density. Though PCM is one of the most promising candidates with commercial products available, its adoption has been greatly compromised by limited write endurance. As main memory is one of the most heavily accessed components, it is critical to prolong the lifetime of PCM.

In this article, we present

w
rite-
a
ctivity-aware

p
age
t
able
m
anagement (WAPTM), a simple yet effective page table management scheme for reducing unnecessary writes, by redesigning system software and exploiting write-activity-aware features provided by the hardware. We implemented WAPTM in Google Android based on the ARM architecture and evaluated it with real Android applications. Experimental results show that WAPTM can significantly reduce writes in page tables, proving the feasibility and potential of prolonging the lifetime of PCM-based main memory through reducing writes at the OS level.
Eye Height Manipulations
Authors: Leyrer Markus , Linkenauger Sally A. , Bülthoff Heinrich H. , Mohler Betty J.
Published: February 2015

Virtual reality technology can be considered a multipurpose tool for diverse applications in various domains, for example, training, prototyping, design, entertainment, and research investigating human perception. However, for many of these applications, it is necessary that the designed and computer-generated virtual environments are perceived as a replica of the real world. Many research studies have shown that this is not necessarily the case. Specifically, egocentric distances are underestimated compared to real-world estimates regardless of whether the virtual environment is displayed in a head-mounted display or on an immersive large-screen display. While the main reason for this observed distance underestimation is still unknown, we investigate a potential approach to reduce or even eliminate this distance underestimation. Building up on the angle of declination below the horizon relationship for perceiving egocentric distances, we describe how eye height manipulations in virtual reality should affect perceived distances. In addition, we describe how this relationship could be exploited to reduce distance underestimation for individual users. In a first experiment, we investigate the influence of a manipulated eye height on an action-based measure of egocentric distance perception. We found that eye height manipulations have similar predictable effects on an action-based measure of egocentric distance as we previously observed for a cognitive measure. This might make this approach more useful than other proposed solutions across different scenarios in various domains, for example, for collaborative tasks. In three additional experiments, we investigate the influence of an individualized manipulation of eye height to reduce distance underestimation in a sparse-cue and a rich-cue environment. In these experiments, we demonstrate that a simple eye height manipulation can be used to selectively alter perceived distances on an individual basis, which could be helpful to enable every user to have an experience close to what was intended by the content designer.
TASC
Authors: Tian Yonghong , Qian Mengren , Huang Tiejun
Published: February 2015

How to precisely and efficiently detect near-duplicate copies with complicated audiovisual transformations from a large-scale video database is a challenging task. To cope with this challenge, this article proposes a transformation-aware soft cascading (TASC) approach for multimodal video copy detection. Basically, our approach divides query videos into some categories and then for each category designs a
transformation-aware
chain to organize several detectors in a cascade structure. In each chain, efficient but simple detectors are placed in the forepart, whereas effective but complex detectors are located in the rear. To judge whether two videos are near-duplicates, a Detection-on-Copy-Units mechanism is introduced in the TASC, which makes the decision of copy detection depending on the similarity between their most similar fractions, called
copy units
(CUs), rather than the video-level similarity. Following this, we propose a CU search algorithm to find a pair of CUs from two videos and a CU-based localization algorithm to find the precise locations of their copy segments that are with the asserted CUs as the center. Moreover, to address the problem that the copies and noncopies are possibly linearly inseparable in the feature space, the TASC also introduces a flexible strategy, called
soft decision boundary
, to replace the single threshold strategy for each detector. Its basic idea is to automatically learn two thresholds for each detector to examine the easy-to-judge copies and noncopies, respectively, and meanwhile to train a nonlinear classifier to further check those hard-to-judge ones. Extensive experiments on three benchmark datasets showed that the TASC can achieve excellent copy detection accuracy and localization precision with a very high processing efficiency.