bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TH‐E‐17A‐07: Improved Cine Four‐Dimensional Computed Tomography (4D CT) Acquisition and Processing Method
Authors: Castillo S , Castillo R , Castillo E , Pan T , Ibbott G , Balter P , Hobbs B , Dai J , Guerrero T
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

Artifacts arising from the 4D CT acquisition and post‐processing methods add systematic uncertainty to the treatment planning process. We propose an alternate cine 4D CT acquisition and post‐processing method to consistently reduce artifacts, and explore patient parameters indicative of image quality.

Methods:

In an IRB‐approved protocol, 18 patients with primary thoracic malignancies received a standard cine 4D CT acquisition followed by an oversampling 4D CT that doubled the number of images acquired. A second cohort of 10 patients received the clinical 4D CT plus 3 oversampling scans for intra‐fraction reproducibility. The clinical acquisitions were processed by the standard phase sorting method. The oversampling acquisitions were processed using Dijkstras algorithm to optimize an artifact metric over available image data. Image quality was evaluated with a one‐way mixed ANOVA model using a correlation‐based artifact metric calculated from the final 4D CT image sets. Spearman correlations and a linear mixed model tested the association between breathing parameters, patient characteristics, and image quality.

Results:

The oversampling 4D CT scans reduced artifact presence significantly by 27% and 28%, for the first cohort and second cohort respectively. From cohort 2, the inter‐replicate deviation for the oversampling method was within approximately 13% of the cross scan average at the 0.05 significance level. Artifact presence for both clinical and oversampling methods was significantly correlated with breathing period (ρ=0.407, p‐value<0.032 clinical, ρ=0.296, p‐value<0.041 oversampling). Artifact presence in the oversampling method was significantly correlated with amount of data acquired, (ρ=‐0.335, p‐value<0.02) indicating decreased artifact presence with increased breathing cycles per scan location.

Conclusion:

The 4D CT oversampling acquisition with optimized sorting reduced artifact presence significantly and reproducibly compared to the phase‐sorted clinical acquisition.
SU‐C‐16A‐02: A Beryllium Oxide (BeO) Fibre‐Coupled Luminescence Dosimeter for High Dose Rate Brachytherapy
Authors: Santos A , Mohammadi M , Afshar V. S
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

Beryllium oxide (BeO) ceramics have an effective atomic number, zeff ∼7.1, closely matched to water, zeff ∼7.4. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the use of a beryllium oxide (BeO) ceramic fibrecoupled luminescence dosimeter, named RL/OSL BeO FOD, for high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy dosimetry. In our dosimetry system the radioluminescence (RL) of BeO ceramics is utilized for dose‐rate measurements, and the optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) can be read post exposure for accumulated dose measurements.

Methods:

The RL/OSL BeO FOD consists of a 1 mm diameter × 1 mm long cylinder of BeO ceramic coupled to a 15 m long silica‐silica optical fibre. The optical fibre is connected to a custom developed portable RL and OSL reader, located outside of the treatment suite. The x‐ray energy response was evaluated using superficial x‐rays, an Ir‐192 source and high energy linear accelerators. The RL/OSL BeO FOD was then characterised for an Ir‐192 source, investigating the dose response and angular dependency. A depth dose curve for the Ir‐192 source was also measured.

Results:

The RL/OSL BeO FOD shows an under‐response at low energy x‐rays as expected. Though at higher x‐ray energies, the OSL response continued to increase, while the RL response remained relatively constant. The dose response for the RL is found to be linear up to doses of 15 Gy, while the OSL response becomes more supralinear to doses above 15 Gy. Little angular dependency is observed and the depth dose curve measured agreed within 4% of that calculated based on TG‐43.

Conclusion:

This works shows that the RL/OSL BeO FOD can be useful in HDR dosimetry. With the RL/OSL BeO FODs current size, it is capable of being inserted into intraluminal catheters and interstitial needles to verify HDR treatments.
SU‐C‐19A‐02: An Innovative Critical Organ Repositioner Device for Use During Radiotherapy Treatments
Authors: Parsai E , Elahinia M , Reddy K , Chen C
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

In most radiation oncology applications the use of shape memory alloy (SMA) actuation can be extremely beneficial in sparing normal structures by relocating them away from the path of the external beam, or placing distance between the structure and radiation source such as in Brachytherapy. Implementation of this organ repositioner device in conjunction with IMRT could open new possibilities for dose escalation and significant dose reduction to normal tissues. Similarly, in high dose rate brachytherapy applications, the ideal effective dose may not be delivered to the target volume due to toxicity concerns to adjacent critical structures. Here we present a dual functioning device manufactured from SMA materials to: 1) provide a desirable tool to reposition the organ at risk away from the radiation source, and 2) facilitate localization when imaging the area.

Methods:

A Nitinol based actuator with controlled force and displacement will be incorporated in the design of an organ repositioner (e.g., a rectal marker) with the ability to recall a pre‐defined shape at temperature T1 (body temp) and shift back to its original shape at temperature T2 (to facilitate removal). An open distal end permits the marker to function as a part of a barium delivery system.

Results:

An example of this SMA manufactured in our laboratory for atrial fibrillation radio frequency ablation is the esophagus SMA positioner, designed to position the esophagus away from the ablation area. This device shows the maximum strain in the deflected esophagus to be less than 3%. The prototype positioner deflected the organ at risk by 5 cm away from the site of ablation.

Conclusions:

The organ repositioner device is feasible for use in clinics, provides patient comfort due to its gradual deflection, and has dual functionality in repositioning the organ at risk as well as serving as a localization device.
SU‐C‐BRE‐05: PTV Margin Determination Based On Tumor Radiobiological Characteristics and Geometric Uncertainties Derived From Daily Cone‐ Beam CT Images
Authors: Selvaraj J
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

To determine required PTV margins for ≤1% loss in mean population TCP using systematic (Σ) and random (σ) errors calculated from daily cone‐beam CT (CBCT) images of head and neck patients.

Methods:

Daily CBCT images were acquired for 50 head and neck patients. The CBCT image sets acquired at each fraction were registered with planning CT to obtain positional errors for each patient for each fraction. Systematic and random errors were calculated from data collected for 50 patients as described in IPEM On Target report. CTV delineation uncertainty of 2mm is added quadratically to systematic error. Assuming a spherical target volume, the dose in each voxel of target volume is summed for each fraction in the treatment by shifting the dose grid to calculate mean population TCP inclusive of geometric uncertainties using a Monte Carlo method. These simulations were repeated for the set of Σ & σ in each axis for different PTV margins and drop in TCP for each margin are obtained. In order to study the effect of dose‐response curve on PTV margins, two different σα of 0.048 Gy‐1 and 0.218 Gy‐1 representing steep and shallow dose‐response curves are studied. Σ were 2.5, 2.5, 2.1 mm and σ were 0.3, 0.3 0.2 mm respectively in x, y and z axis respectively.

Results:

PTV margins based on tumor radiobiological characteristics are 4.8, 4.8 and 4 mm in x, y and z axis assuming 25 treatment fractions for σα 0.048 Gy‐1 (steep) and 4.2,4.2 and 2.2 for σα of 0.218 Gy‐1 (shallow). While the TCP‐based margins did not differ much in x and y axis, it is considerably smaller in z axis for shallow DRC.

Conclusion:

TCP based margins are substantially smaller than physical dose‐based margin recipes. This study also demonstrates the importance of considering tumor radiobiological characteristics while deriving margins.
SU‐C‐17A‐04: Distortion Characterization and Correction of MR‐SIM Images
Authors: Price R , Hearshen D , Wen N , Chetty I , Glide‐Hurst C
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

Distortions in MRI compromise spatial fidelity, potentially impacting delineation and dose calculation. We characterized 2D and 3D large field of view (FOV), system‐level distortion to implement correction maps for MR‐SIM treatment planning.

Methods:

For 2D in‐plane distortion characterization, a 36×43×2 cm3 phantom with 255 known landmarks (∼1 mm3) was scanned using 1.0T high‐field open MR‐SIM in the transverse, sagittal, and coronal axes (TE/TR/α = 30/500 ms/90°, voxel size =1.4×1.4×5mm3). A binary template (reference) was generated from phantom schematic. An automated program converted MR‐SIM images to binary via masking, thresholding, and testing for connectivity to identify landmarks. Distortion maps were generated by centroid mapping. Images were corrected via warping with inverse distortion maps. Temporal stability was assessed. 3D distortion was characterized using a 40×40×40 cm3 phantom (3D T1‐FFE, TE/TR/α= 3.83/9 ms/10°, voxel size=1 mm3) and performing B‐spline‐based deformable image registration to CT‐SIM (reference). Displacement vector fields describing vector distortion magnitude and distortion histograms were generated.

Results:

Over 9 months, B0‐field distortions (mm) were 0.51 ± 0.84 (maximum = 5.5), 0.18 ± 0.84 (maximum = 5.5), and 1.03 ± 0.50 (maximum = 3.6) in transverse, sagittal, and coronal planes, respectively. Maximum distortions occurred 18–24 cm from isocenter for all planes. After implementing correction maps, distortions (mm) were reduced to 0.14 ± 0.19 (maximum = 2.12), 0.01 ± 0.21 (maximum = 1.68), and 0.17 ± 0.21 (maximum = 3.00) in transverse, sagittal, and coronal planes, respectively. 3D vector distortion was 0.59 ± 0.32 mm (maximum = 1.65) within 5 cm of isocenter. Distortions were non‐negligible (mean = 1.57 ± 1.06 mm, maximum = 6.26), 10‐15 cm from isocenter.

Conclusion:

Assessment of 2D distortion was conducted, revealing the need to further correct the periphery of MR‐SIM images. Future work includes generating 3D corrections and quantifying objectinduced distortions to improve planning accuracy with MR‐SIM.

Research supported in part by a grant from Philips HealthCare
TH‐C‐12A‐06: Feasibility of a MLC‐Based Inversely Optimized Multi‐Field Grid Therapy Technique
Authors: Jin J , Zhao B , Huang Y , Kim J , Qin Y , Wen N , Ryu S , Chetty I
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

Grid therapy (GT), which generates highly spatially modulated dose distributions, can deliver single‐ or hypo‐fractionated radiotherapy for large tumors without causing significant toxicities. GT may be applied in combination with immunotherapy, in light of recent preclinical data of synergetic interaction between radiotherapy and immunotherapy. However, conventional GT uses only one field, which does not have the advantage of multi‐fields in 3D conformal‐RT or IMRT. We have proposed a novel MLC‐based, inverse‐planned multi‐field 3D GT technique. This study aims to test its deliverability and dosimetric accuracy.

Methods:

A lattice of small spheres was created as the boost volume within a large target. A simultaneous boost IMRT plan with 8‐Gy to the target and 20‐Gy to the boost volume was generated in the Eclipse treatment planning system (AAA v10) with a HD120 MLC. Nine beams were used, and the gantry and couch angles were selected so that the spheres were perfectly aligned in every beams eye view. The plan was mapped to a phantom with dose scaled. EBT3 films were calibrated and used to measure the delivered dose.

Results:

The IMRT plan generated a highly spatially modulated dose distribution in the target. D95%, D50%, D5% for the spheres and the targets in Gy were 18.5, 20.0, 21.4 and 7.9, 9.8, 16.1, respectively. D50% for a 1cm ring 1cm outside the target was 2.9‐Gy. Film dosimetry showed good agreement between calculated and delivered dose, with an overall gamma passing rate of 99.6% (3%/1mm). The point dose differences for different spheres varied from 1–6%.

Conclusion:

We have demonstrated the deliverability and dose calculation accuracy of the MLC‐based inversely optimized multi‐field GT technique, which achieved a brachytherapy‐like dose distribution. Single‐fraction high dose can be delivered to the spheres in a large target with minimal dose to the surrounding normal tissue.
Physical Activity Patterns in Adults Who Are Blind as Assessed by Accelerometry
Authors: Marmeleira José , Laranjo Luis , Marques Olga , Pereira Catarina
Published: July 2014

The main purpose of our study was to quantify, by using accelerometry, daily physical activity (PA) in adults with visual impairments. Sixty-three adults (34.9% women) who are blind (18–65 years) wore an accelerometer for at least 3 days (minimum of 10 hr per day), including 1 weekend day. Nineteen participants (~30%) reached the recommendation of 30 min per day of PA, when counting every minute of moderate or greater intensity. No one achieved that goal when considering bouts of at least 10 min. No differences were found between genders in PA measures. Chronological age, age of blindness onset, and body mass index were not associated with PA. We conclude that adults who are blind have low levels of PA and are considerably less active compared with the general population. Health promotion strategies should be implemented to increase daily PA for people with visual impairments.
Practicum in Adapted Physical Activity: A Dewey-Inspired Action Research Project
Authors: Standal Øyvind , Rugseth Gro
Published: July 2014

The purpose of this study was to investigate what adapted physical activity (APA) students learn from their practicum experiences. One cohort of APA students participated, and data were generated from an action research project that included observations, reflective journals, and a focus group interview. The theoretical framework for the study was Dewey’s and Wackerhausen’s theories of reflections. The findings show the objects of students’ reflections, the kind of conceptual resources they draw on while reflecting, and their knowledge interests. In addition, two paradoxes are identified: the tension between reflecting from and on own values, and how practicum as a valued experience of reality can become too difficult to handle. In conclusion, we reflect on how practicum learning can be facilitated.
Weight Loss and Psychological-Related States in High-Level Judo Athletes
Authors: Escobar-Molina Raquel , Rodríguez-Ruiz Sonia , Gutiérrez-García Carlos , Franchini Emerson
Published: July 2014

Purpose:

This study aimed at comparing weight loss methods (WLM) performed near competition by elite judo athletes from different age and gender groups and relating WLM with the prevalence of eating disorders.

Methods:

144 athletes (66 females and 78 males) from the Spanish judo teams participated in this observational descriptive study grouped into cadets, juniors, and seniors. Data were collected during previous training meetings to international tournaments. The used tools are a basic data questionnaire, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-T), Food Craving Questionnaire-Trait (FCQ-T), Restraint Scale (RS), and Eating Attitude Test (EAT-40). Two-way ANOVAs and chi-square tests were used to compare groups.

Results:

Seniors presented higher use of WLM, especially one week before competition compared with juniors. Judoists were more involved in their diets and reduced more weight as they were older. Females were more concerned about their diets, presented higher anxiety, scored higher in the emotion scale, and more eating disorders symptoms, although weight loss was lower. Anxiety and eating disorders symptoms differences were more common in juniors and cadets, respectively, with higher scores in females.

Conclusions and Implications:

Seniors seem to develop more effective strategies to cope with weight loss. Cadet and junior females are more likely to suffer from the psychological-related states associated to weight loss. Implications: (1) Educational programs might help competitors and coaches to adopt and promote healthier weight loss processes, (2) special attention should be paid to female young judoists to detect eating disorders in its early stages, and (3) judo organizations should consider implementing new rules to sanction harmful weight loss practices.
Physical and Energy Requirements of Competitive Swimming Events
Authors: Pyne David B. , Sharp Rick L.
Published: July 2014

The aquatic sports competitions held during the summer Olympic Games include diving, open-water swimming, pool swimming, synchronized swimming, and water polo. Elite-level performance in each of these sports requires rigorous training and practice to develop the appropriate physiological, biomechanical, artistic, and strategic capabilities specific to each sport. Consequently, the daily training plans of these athletes are quite varied both between and within the sports. Common to all aquatic athletes, however, is that daily training and preparation consumes several hours and involves frequent periods of high-intensity exertion. Nutritional support for this high-level training is a critical element of the preparation of these athletes to ensure the energy and nutrient demands of the training and competition are met. In this article, we introduce the fundamental physical requirements of these sports and specifically explore the energetics of human locomotion in water. Subsequent articles in this issue explore the specific nutritional requirements of each aquatic sport. We hope that such exploration will provide a foundation for future investigation of the roles of optimal nutrition in optimizing performance in the aquatic sports.
Light-induced collective pseudospin precession resonating with Higgs mode in a superconductor
Authors: Matsunaga Ryusuke , Tsuji Naoto , Fujita Hiroyuki , Sugioka Arata , Makise Kazumasa , Uzawa Yoshinori , Terai Hirotaka , Wang Zhen , Aoki Hideo , Shimano Ryo
Published: July 2014

Optically manipulating superconductors

In superconductors, electrons of opposite momenta pair to form a highly correlated state that manages to flow without encountering any resistance. Matsunaga
et al.
manipulated the wavefunction of these pairs in the superconductor NbN with an electromagnetic pulse that they transmitted through a thin layer of the material (see the Perspective by Pashkin and Leitenstorfer). The superconducting gap, which is the energy needed to break the pairs apart, oscillated at twice the frequency of the pulse's electric field. When they matched this frequency to half the gap, the authors excited a collective mode in the superconductor called the Higgs mode, a relative of the Higgs boson in particle physics.

Science
, this issue p.
1145
; see also p.
1121
All-optical routing of single photons by a one-atom switch controlled by a single photon
Authors: Shomroni Itay , Rosenblum Serge , Lovsky Yulia , Bechler Orel , Guendelman Gabriel , Dayan Barak
Published: July 2014

Routing one photon with a few others

Single particles of light, photons, are ideal carriers of quantum information because they can travel far and fast and don't interact much with each other. However, this behavior has hampered attempts to control the propagation of single photons using all-optical setups. Shomroni
et al.
coupled a trapped atom to an optic fiber. That allowed them to control the polarization and propagation direction of a single photon in the fiber by controlling the atom's state (see the Perspective by Rempe). Because a faint pulse containing between 1.5 and 3 photons can switch the atom's state, the scheme provides a route to develop all-optical quantum networks.

Science
, this issue p.
903
; see also p.
871
Proliferation of cells with HIV integrated into cancer genes contributes to persistent infection
Authors: Wagner Thor A. , McLaughlin Sherry , Garg Kavita , Cheung Charles Y. K. , Larsen Brendan B. , Styrchak Sheila , Huang Hannah C. , Edlefsen Paul T. , Mullins James I. , Frenkel Lisa M.
Published: July 2014

A not-so-random integration for HIV

Even in the face of a cocktail of antiretroviral drugs, HIV manages to hang on. It does so by integrating its own genome into those of host cells, where it persists in a latent state. To better understand this process, Wagner
et al.
determined the sites where HIV integrated into three HIV-infected patients treated with antiretroviral drugs for more than a decade. They found an over-representation of sites where HIV integrated into genes associated with cancer and cell proliferation. Also, multiple cells in the same individual harbored the same integration sites. This suggests that integration into specific genes may drive cell proliferation and viral persistence.

Science
, this issue p.
570
First Whole-Genome Sequence of a Clinical Isolate of Multidrug-Resistant Mycobacterium bovis BCG
Authors: Renvoisé A. , Pang S. , Bernard C. , Brossier F. , Veziris N. , Capton E. , Jarlier V. , Sougakoff W.
Published: July 2014

The attenuated BCG strain of
Mycobacterium bovis
is widely used as a vaccine against tuberculosis. However, in rare cases, it can be pathogenic to humans. Here, we report the first draft of a whole-genome sequence of a multidrug-resistant clinical isolate of
M. bovis
BCG.
Draft Genome Sequence of Mycobacterium neoaurum Strain DSM 44074
T
Authors: Phelippeau Michael , Robert Catherine , Croce Olivier , Raoult Didier , Drancourt Michel
Published: July 2014

We report the draft genome sequence of
Mycobacterium neoaurum
strain DSM 44074
T
, a nontuberculosis species responsible for opportunistic infections in immunocompromised patients. The strain described here is composed of 5,536,033 bp, with a G+C content of 66.24%, and carries 5,274 protein-coding genes and 72 RNA genes.
Left main stem/LCA arising from right coronary sinus with an interarterial course
Authors: Waleed Mohammad , Raza Ali , Minhaj Tariq , Houghton Timothy
Published: July 2014

A 67-year-old woman presented to the accident and emergency department with central chest pain for the past 4 months. She described the pain as severe, retrosternal, intermittent, indigestion/burning type, with radiations to the left arm. She had used antacids with no relief. Her medical history included hypertension, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary fibrosis, left mastectomy for breast cancer, hypercholesterolaemia and osteoarthritis. Her medications included anastrazole, indapamide, perindopril, aspirin, clopidogrel, atorvastatin, salbutamol and atrovent inhalers. She was a non-smoker and vegetarian. Two brothers each had a myocardial infarction when in their early 40s.
Predictors of hospitalisations for heart failure and mortality in patients with pulmonary hypertension associated with left heart disease: a systematic review
Authors: Dzudie Anastase , Kengne Andre Pascal , Thienemann Friedrich , Sliwa Karen
Published: July 2014

Objectives

Left heart disease (LHD) is the main cause of pulmonary hypertension (PH), but little is known regarding the predictors of adverse outcome of PH associated with LHD (PH-LHD). We conducted a systematic review to investigate the predictors of hospitalisations for heart failure and mortality in patients with PH-LHD.

Design

Systematic review.

Data sources

PubMed MEDLINE and SCOPUS from inception to August 2013 were searched, and citations identified via the ISI Web of Science.

Study selection

Studies that reported on hospitalisation and/or mortality in patients with PH-LHD were included if the age of participants was greater than 18 years and PH was diagnosed using Doppler echocardiography and/or right heart catheterisation. Two reviewers independently selected studies, assessed their quality and extracted relevant data.

Results

In all, 45 studies (38 from Europe and USA) were included among which 71.1% were of high quality. 39 studies were published between 2003 and 2013. The number of participants across studies ranged from 46 to 2385; the proportion of men from 21% to 91%; mean/median age from 63 to 82 years; and prevalence of PH from 7% to 83.3%. PH was consistently associated with increased mortality risk in all forms of LHD, except for aortic valve disease where findings were inconsistent. Six of the nine studies with data available on hospitalisations reported a significant adverse effect of PH on hospitalisation risk. Other predictors of adverse outcome were very broad and heterogeneous including right ventricular dysfunction, functional class, left ventricular function and presence of kidney disease.

Conclusions

PH is almost invariably associated with increased mortality risk in patients with LHD. However, effects on hospitalisation risk are yet to be fully characterised; while available evidence on the adverse effects of PH have been derived essentially from Caucasians.
Unmasking health determinants and health outcomes for urban First Nations using respondent-driven sampling
Authors: Firestone M , Smylie J , Maracle S , Spiller M , O'Campo P
Published: July 2014

Objective

Population-based health information on urban Aboriginal populations in Canada is limited due to challenges with the identification of Aboriginal persons in existing health data sets. The main objective of the Our Health Counts (OHC) project was to work in partnership with Aboriginal stakeholders to generate a culturally relevant, representative baseline health data set for three urban Aboriginal communities in Ontario, Canada.

Design

Respondent-driven sampling (RDS).

Setting

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Participants

The OHC study, in partnership with the De dwa da dehs ney >s Aboriginal Health Access Centre (DAHC), recruited 554 First Nations adults living in Hamilton using RDS.

Results

Among First Nations adults living in Hamilton, 78% earned less than $20 000 per year and 70% lived in the lowest income quartile neighbourhoods. Mobility and crowded living conditions were also highly prevalent. Common chronic diseases included arthritis, hypertension, diabetes and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and rates of emergency room access were elevated.

Conclusions

RDS is an effective sampling method in urban Aboriginal contexts as it builds on existing social networks and successfully identified a population-based cohort. The findings illustrate striking disparities in health determinants and health outcomes between urban First Nations individuals and the general population which have important implications for health services delivery, programming and policy development.
Protocol of the Febuxostat versus Allopurinol Streamlined Trial (FAST): a large prospective, randomised, open, blinded endpoint study comparing the cardiovascular safety of allopurinol and febuxostat in the management of symptomatic hyperuricaemia
Authors: MacDonald Thomas M , Ford Ian , Nuki George , Mackenzie Isla S , De Caterina Raffaele , Findlay Evelyn , Hallas Jesper , Hawkey Christopher J , Ralston Stuart , Walters Matthew , Webster John , McMurray John , Perez Ruiz Fernando , Jennings Claudine G
Published: July 2014

Introduction

Gout affects 2.5% of the UK's adult population and is now the most common type of inflammatory arthritis. The long-term management of gout requires reduction of serum urate levels and this is most often achieved with use of xanthine oxidase inhibitors, such as allopurinol. Febuxostat is the first new xanthine oxidase inhibitor since allopurinol and was licensed for use in 2008. The European Medicines Agency requested a postlicensing cardiovascular safety study of febuxostat versus allopurinol, which has been named the Febuxostat versus Allopurinol Streamlined trial (FAST).

Methods and analysis

FAST is a cardiovascular safety study using the prospective, randomised, open, blinded endpoint design. FAST is recruiting in the UK and Denmark. Recruited patients are aged over 60 years, prescribed allopurinol for symptomatic hyperuricaemia and have at least one additional cardiovascular risk factor. After an allopurinol lead-in phase where the dose of allopurinol is optimised to achieve European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) urate targets (serum urate <357 µmol/L), patients are randomised to either continue optimal dose allopurinol or to use febuxostat. Patients are followed-up for an average of 3 years. The primary endpoint is first occurrence of the Anti-Platelet Trialists’ Collaboration (APTC) cardiovascular endpoint of non-fatal myocardial infarction, non-fatal stroke or cardiovascular death. Secondary endpoints are all cause mortality and hospitalisations for heart failure, unstable, new or worsening angina, coronary or cerebral revascularisation, transient ischaemic attack, non-fatal cardiac arrest, venous and peripheral arterial vascular thrombotic event and arrhythmia with no evidence of ischaemia. The primary analysis is a non-inferiority analysis with a non-inferiority upper limit for the HR for the primary outcome of 1.3.

Ethics and dissemination

FAST (ISRCTN72443728) has ethical approval in the UK and Denmark, and results will be published in a peer reviewed journal.

Trial Registration number

FAST is registered in the EU Clinical Trials Register (EUDRACT No: 2011-001883-23) and International Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register (ISRCTN No:ISRCTN72443728).
The Canadian survey of health, lifestyle and ageing with multiple sclerosis: methodology and initial results
Authors: Ploughman Michelle , Beaulieu Serge , Harris Chelsea , Hogan Stephen , Manning Olivia J , Alderdice Penelope W , Fisk John D , Sadovnick A Dessa , O'Connor Paul , Morrow Sarah A , Metz Luanne M , Smyth Penelope , Mayo Nancy , Marrie Ruth Ann , Knox Katherine B , Stefanelli Mark , Godwin Marshall
Published: July 2014

Objective

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) are living longer so strategies to enhance long-term health are garnering more interest. We aimed to create a profile of ageing with MS in Canada by recruiting 1250 (5% of the Canadian population above 55 years with MS) participants and focusing data collection on health and lifestyle factors, disability, participation and quality of life to determine factors associated with healthy ageing.

Design

National multicentre postal survey.

Setting

Recruitment from Canadian MS clinics, MS Society of Canada chapters and newspaper advertisements.

Participants

People aged 55 years or older with MS symptoms more than 20 years.

Outcome measures

Validated outcome measures and custom-designed questions examining MS disease characteristics, living situation, disability, comorbid conditions, fatigue, health behaviours, mental health, social support, impact of MS and others.

Results

Of the 921 surveys, 743 were returned (80.7% response rate). Participants (mean age 64.6±6.2 years) reported living with MS symptoms for an average of 32.9±9.5 years and 28.6% were either wheelchair users or bedridden. There was only 5.4% missing data and 709 respondents provided optional qualitative information. According to data derived from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey of Canadians above 55 years of age, older people with MS from this survey sample are about eight times less likely to be employed full-time. Older people with MS were less likely to engage in regular physical activity (26.7%) compared with typical older Canadians (45.2%). However, they were more likely to abstain from alcohol and smoking.

Conclusions

Despite barriers to participation, we were able to recruit and gather detailed responses (with good data quality) from a large proportion of older Canadians with MS. The data suggest that this sample of older people with MS is less likely to be employed, are less active and more disabled than other older Canadians.
Influences of the neighbourhood food environment on adiposity of low-income preschool-aged children in Los Angeles County: a longitudinal study
Authors: Chaparro M Pia , Whaley Shannon E , Crespi Catherine M , Koleilat Maria , Nobari Tabashir Z , Seto Edmund , Wang May C
Published: July 2014

Background

Few studies have examined the association between the food environment and adiposity in early childhood, a critical time for obesity prevention. The objective of this study was to examine the longitudinal association between neighbourhood food environment and adiposity among low-income preschool-aged children in a major metropolitan region in the USA.

Methods

The study sample was 32 172 low-income preschool-aged children in Los Angeles County who had repeated weight and height measurements collected between ages 2 and 5 years through a federal nutrition assistance programme. We conducted multilevel longitudinal analyses to examine how spatial densities of healthy and unhealthy retail food outlets in the children's neighbourhoods were related to adiposity, as measured by weight-for-height z-score (WHZ), while controlling for neighbourhood-level income and education, family income, maternal education, and child's gender and race/ethnicity.

Results

Density of healthy food outlets was associated with mean WHZ at age 3 in a non-linear fashion, with mean WHZ being lowest for those exposed to approximately 0.7 healthy food outlets per square mile and higher for lesser and greater densities. Density of unhealthy food outlets was not associated with child WHZ.

Conclusions

We found a non-linear relationship between WHZ and density of healthy food outlets. Research aiming to understand the sociobehavioural mechanisms by which the retail food environment influences early childhood obesity development is complex and must consider contextual settings.
Evaluation of a culture‐based pathogen identification kit for bacterial causes of bovine mastitis
Authors: Viora L. , Graham E. M. , Mellor D. J. , Reynolds K. , Simoes P. B. A. , Geraghty T. E.
Published: July 2014

Accurate identification of mastitis‐causing bacteria supports effective management and can be used to implement selective use of antimicrobials for treatment. The objectives of this study were to compare the results from a culture‐based mastitis pathogen detection test kit (‘VetoRapid’, Vétoquinol) with standard laboratory culture and to evaluate the potential suitability of the test kit to inform a selective treatment programme. Overall 231 quarter milk samples from five UK dairy farms were collected. The sensitivity and specificity of the test kit for the identification of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, coagulase‐negative staphylococci, Streptococcus uberis and Enterococcus spp. ranged from 17 per cent to 84 per cent and 92 per cent to 98 per cent, respectively. In total, 23 of 68 clinical samples were assigned as meeting the requirement for antimicrobial treatment (Gram‐positive organism cultured) according to standard culture results, with the test kit results having sensitivity and specificity of 91 per cent and 78 per cent, respectively. Several occurrences of misidentification are reported, including S. aureus being misidentified as coagulase‐negative staphylococci and vice versa. The test kit provides rapid preliminary identification of five common causes of bovine mastitis under UK field conditions and is likely to be suitable for informing selective treatment of clinical mastitis caused by Gram‐positive organisms.
Impact of wetland disturbance on phosphorus loadings to lakes
Authors: Pinder Kieran C. , Eimers M. Catherine , Watmough Shaun A.
Published: July 2014

Total phosphorus (TP) concentrations have declined in many lakes and streams across south-central Ontario, Canada, over the past three decades, and changes have been most pronounced in wetland-dominated catchments. In this study, long-term (1980–2007) patterns in TP concentrations in streams were assessed at four wetland-dominated catchments that drain into Dickie Lake (DE) in south-central Ontario. Two of the subcatchments (DE5 and DE6) have particularly large wetland components (31%–34% of catchment area), and these wetlands are characterized by numerous standing dead trees and many young live trees (18–27 years old). These two streams exhibited large peaks in TP and potassium (K) export in the early 1980s. In contrast, TP and K export from DE8 and DE10 (wetland cover 19%–20%) were relatively flat over the entire record (1980–2007), and field surveys indicated negligible standing dead biomass in these wetlands and a relatively healthy, mixed-age tree community. The coincidence of high TP and K concentrations in the DE5 and DE6 streams as well as evidence of a disturbance event in their wetlands during the early 1980s suggest that disturbance events (e.g., flooding) that lead to wetland tree mortality may contribute to patterns in surface water TP observed in this region.
On the cyclic subgroup separability of the free product of two groups with commuting subgroups
Authors: Sokolov E. V.
Published: July 2014

Let G be the free product of groups A and B with commuting subgroups H ≤ A and K ≤ B, and let 𝒞 be the class of all finite groups or the class of all finite p-groups. We derive the description of all 𝒞-separable cyclic subgroups of G provided this group is residually a 𝒞-group. We prove, in particular, that if A, B are finitely generated nilpotent groups and H, K are p′-isolated in the free factors, then all p′-isolated cyclic subgroups of G are separable in the class of all finite p-groups. The same statement is true provided A, B are free and H, K are p′-isolated and cyclic.
Recent developments on LQCD studies of nuclear force
Authors: Nemura H. ,   (for HAL QCD Collaboration)
Published: July 2014

Recent studies of (hyperonic) nuclear forces based on lattice QCD are presented. An energy independent nonlocal potential can be obtained from Nambu–Bethe–Salpeter wave function which is measured from the lattice QCD calculation with a set of interpolating fields of baryons, where a time-dependent Schrödinger equation in imaginary time is employed so as to avoid the exact ground state saturation in the numerical computation. The central and the tensor potentials of ΛN and ΣN with isospin I = 2/3 channels are presented as specific numerical examples. We also present an attempt to study the four-nucleon bound state problem using the lattice nuclear potential with stochastic variational method.
A Survey of Big Data Technologies and How Semantic Computing Can Help
Authors: Kim Jennifer , Wang George , Bae Sang Tae
Published: July 2014

In this article, we survey different types of big data techniques such as Hadoop, NoSQL, and R and how semantic computing can be utilized to improve these methods. We explain the terms big data and semantic analysis. We discuss how big data analysis and semantic analysis are utilized in different domains such as healthcare and business.
Approximate Privacy
Authors: Feigenbaum Joan , Jaggard Aaron D. , Schapira Michael
Published: July 2014

The proliferation of online sensitive data about individuals and organizations makes concern about the
privacy
of these data a top priority. There have been many formulations of privacy and, unfortunately, many negative results about the feasibility of maintaining privacy of sensitive data in realistic networked environments. We formulate communication-complexity-based definitions, both worst case and average case, of a problem’s
privacy-approximation ratio
. We use our definitions to investigate the extent to which approximate privacy is achievable in a number of standard problems: the 2
nd
-price Vickrey auction, Yao’s millionaires problem, the public-good problem, and the set-theoretic disjointness and intersection problems.

For both the 2
nd
-price Vickrey auction and the millionaires problem, we show that not only is perfect privacy impossible or infeasibly costly to achieve, but even
close approximations
of perfect privacy suffer from the same lower bounds. By contrast, if the inputs are drawn uniformly at random from { 0,…, 2

k

-1}, then, for both problems, simple and natural communication protocols have privacy-approximation ratios that are linear in
k
(i.e., logarithmic in the size of the input space). We also demonstrate tradeoffs between privacy and communication in a family of auction protocols.

We show that the privacy-approximation ratio provided by any protocol for the disjointness and intersection problems is necessarily exponential (in
k
). We also use these ratios to argue that one protocol for each of these problems is significantly fairer than the others we consider (in the sense of relative effects on the privacy of the different players).
Atomicity Refinement for Verified Compilation
Authors: Jagannathan Suresh , Laporte Vincent , Petri Gustavo , Pichardie David , Vitek Jan
Published: July 2014

We consider the verified compilation of high-level managed languages like Java or C# whose intermediate representations provide support for shared-memory synchronization and automatic memory management. Our development is framed in the context of the Total Store Order relaxed memory model. Ensuring complier correctness is challenging because high-level actions are translated into sequences of nonatomic actions with compiler-injected snippets of racy code; the behavior of this code depends not only on the actions of other threads but also on out-of-order executions performed by the processor. A naïve proof of correctness would require reasoning over all possible thread interleavings. In this article, we propose a refinement-based proof methodology that precisely relates concurrent code expressed at different abstraction levels, cognizant throughout of the relaxed memory semantics of the underlying processor. Our technique allows the compiler writer to reason compositionally about the atomicity of low-level concurrent code used to implement managed services. We illustrate our approach with examples taken from the verification of a concurrent garbage collector.
A Formal Approach to Autonomic Systems Programming
Authors: Nicola Rocco De , Loreti Michele , Pugliese Rosario , Tiezzi Francesco
Published: July 2014

The autonomic computing paradigm has been proposed to cope with size, complexity, and dynamism of contemporary software-intensive systems. The challenge for language designers is to devise appropriate abstractions and linguistic primitives to deal with the large dimension of systems and with their need to adapt to the changes of the working environment and to the evolving requirements. We propose a set of programming abstractions that permit us to represent behaviors, knowledge, and aggregations according to specific policies and to support programming context-awareness, self-awareness, and adaptation. Based on these abstractions, we define SCEL (Software Component Ensemble Language), a kernel language whose solid semantic foundations lay also the basis for formal reasoning on autonomic systems behavior. To show expressiveness and effectiveness of SCEL;’s design, we present a Java implementation of the proposed abstractions and show how it can be exploited for programming a robotics scenario that is used as a running example for describing the features and potential of our approach.
Transactional Auto Scaler
Authors: Didona Diego , Romano Paolo , Peluso Sebastiano , Quaglia Francesco
Published: July 2014

In this article, we introduce TAS (Transactional Auto Scaler), a system for automating the elastic scaling of replicated in-memory transactional data grids, such as NoSQL data stores or Distributed Transactional Memories. Applications of TAS range from online self-optimization of in-production applications to the automatic generation of QoS/cost-driven elastic scaling policies, as well as to support for what-if analysis on the scalability of transactional applications.

In this article, we present the key innovation at the core of TAS, namely, a novel performance forecasting methodology that relies on the joint usage of analytical modeling and machine learning. By exploiting these two classically competing approaches in a synergic fashion, TAS achieves the best of the two worlds, namely, high extrapolation power and good accuracy, even when faced with complex workloads deployed over public cloud infrastructures.

We demonstrate the accuracy and feasibility of TAS’s performance forecasting methodology via an extensive experimental study based on a fully fledged prototype implementation integrated with a popular open-source in-memory transactional data grid (Red Hat’s Infinispan) and industry-standard benchmarks generating a breadth of heterogeneous workloads.
A polynomial time algorithm for computing all minimal decompositions of a polynomial
Authors: Blankertz Raoul
Published: July 2014

The composition of two polynomials
g
(
h
) =
g
o
h
is a polynomial. For a given polynomial
f
we are interested in finding a functional decomposition
f
=
g
o
h
. In this paper an algorithm is described, which computes all minimal decompositions in polynomial time. In contrast to many previous decomposition algorithms this algorithm works without restrictions on the degree of the polynomial and the characteristic of the ground field. The algorithm can be iteratively applied to compute all decompositions. It is based on ideas of Landau & Miller (1985) and Zippel (1991). Additionally, an upper bound on the number of minimal decompositions is given.
Abstracts of recent doctoral dissertations in computer algebra
Authors: CCA editors
Published: July 2014

Each month we are pleased to present abstracts of recent doctoral dissertations in Computer Algebra and Symbolic Computation. We encourage all recent Ph.D. graduates (and their supervisors), who have defended in the past two years, to submit their abstracts for publication in CCA. Please send abstracts to the CCA editors editors_SIGSAM@acm.org for consideration.
Communicating complexity in transdisciplinary science teams for policy
Authors: Shea Marybeth , Mozafari Cameron
Published: July 2014

This paper presents an application of stasis theory for the purpose of consulting with interdisciplinary teams of scientists working in the early stages of composing a science policy advisory document. By showing that stasis theory can be used as an organizing conceptual tool, we demonstrate how cooperative and organized question-asking practices calm complex interdisciplinary scientific disputations in order to propel productive science policy work. We believe that the conceptual structure of stasis theory motivates scientists to shift their viewpoints from solitary expert specialists toward that of allied policy guides for their advisory document's reader. We further argue that, through the use of stasis theory, technical writers can aid interdisciplinary scientists in policy writing processes, thus fostering transdisciplinary collaboration.
A comparative approach to enhance information interaction design of visual analytics systems
Authors: Qian Zhenyu Cheryl , Chen Yingjie Victor , Peng Yinghuan Patty
Published: July 2014

This paper introduces a novel comparative strategy to access, synthesize, and redesign a mobile visual analytics (VA) system. Designing, evaluating, and improving VA tools are challenging because of the exploratory and unpredicted nature of their users' analysis activities in a real context. Often the system development approach is running rounds of iteration based on one or a few design ideas and related references. Inspired by ideation and design selection from design-thinking literature, we start to redesign systems from comparison and filtering based on a broad range of design ideas. This approach focuses on the information interaction design of systems; integrates design principles from information design, sensorial design, and interaction design as guidelines; compares VA systems at the component level; and seeks unique and adaptive design solutions. The Visual Analytics Benchmark Repository provides a rich collection of the Visual Analytics Science and Technology (VAST) challenges submission reports and videos. For each challenge design problem, there are multiple creative and mature design solutions. Based on this resource, we conducted a series of empirical user studies to understand the user experience by comparing different design solutions, enhanced one visual analytics system design MobileAnalymator by synthesizing new features and removing redundant functions, and accessed the redesign outcomes with the same comparative approach.