bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Quando não se falava em inclusão: a história de vida do primeiro advogado cego formado no Brasil
Authors: Selau Bento , Damiani Magda Floriana
Published: July 2014

http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1984686X9633 Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar os achados de uma investigação que buscou reconstruir a história de vida de Walkírio Ughini Bertoldo, considerado o primeiro cego brasileiro que concluiu a educação superior no país, no ano de 1957. Essa história será narrada enfatizando os obstáculos por ele enfrentados, ao longo da trajetória por essa etapa da sua escolarização, e analisando as estratégias por ele utilizadas para sua superação. O processo investigativo, que resultou na história de vida do sujeito, foi guiado pelos procedimentos relativos ao método biográfico. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas com três informantes que estiveram imersos na realidade de Bertoldo durante a realização de seu curso de graduação: dois colegas de faculdade, que depois passaram a ser, também, colegas de trabalho, e sua irmã. O corpus da investigação foi complementado com fontes documentais relativas à vida do sujeito. Os resultados evidenciaram que a trajetória de Bertoldo pela educação superior foi marcada por sua grande dedicação e empenho relativos a tal atividade; ainda, mostraram as resistências da instituição de ensino superior em aceitar o graduando cego e as estratégias utilizadas por ele para estudar, ainda que sem material adaptado.
Specific polar subpopulations of astral microtubules control spindle orientation and symmetric neural stem cell division
Authors: Mora-Bermúdez Felipe , Matsuzaki Fumio , Huttner Wieland B
Published: July 2014

Mitotic spindle orientation is crucial for symmetric vs asymmetric cell division and depends on astral microtubules. Here, we show that distinct subpopulations of astral microtubules exist, which have differential functions in regulating spindle orientation and division symmetry. Specifically, in polarized stem cells of developing mouse neocortex, astral microtubules reaching the apical and basal cell cortex, but not those reaching the central cell cortex, are more abundant in symmetrically than asymmetrically dividing cells and reduce spindle orientation variability. This promotes symmetric divisions by maintaining an apico-basal cleavage plane. The greater abundance of apical/basal astrals depends on a higher concentration, at the basal cell cortex, of LGN, a known spindle-cell cortex linker. Furthermore, newly developed specific microtubule perturbations that selectively decrease apical/basal astrals recapitulate the symmetric-to-asymmetric division switch and suffice to increase neurogenesis in vivo. Thus, our study identifies a novel link between cell polarity, astral microtubules, and spindle orientation in morphogenesis.
The Use of Intuition in the Sponsorship Decision-Making Process
Authors: Delaney Deborah , Guidling Chris , McManus Lisa
Published: July 2014

This study examines the use of intuition in sponsorship decision-making and seeks to identify factors affecting intuition’s use in the process. Findings support the view that intuition plays an important role in sponsorship decision-making. Support is also provided for the expectation that sponsorship decision-making in large organisations with more formalised decision-making processes is less intuitively based. Furthermore, organisations that place high importance on a trusting relationship when entering into a sponsorship arrangement use relatively high levels of intuition. An association was also found between three aspects of risk exposure and the use of intuition in sponsorship decision-making.
This study advances our understanding of the nature of the role of intuition in sponsorship decision-making. The importance of intuition in sponsorship decision-making has been examined in the investment decision-making literature but not the sponsorship literature, and with recent calls for greater use of formalised analytical procedures in sponsorship decision-making, it appears there is considerable potential for decision-makers in the sponsorship area to draw on points of focus raised in this study.

Keywords: Sponsorship Decision-Making, Intuition, Investment Decision-Making, Marketing Strategy, Trust, Risk

To cite this document: Deborah Delaney, Chris Guidling, and Lisa McManus, "The Use of Intuition in the Sponsorship Decision-Making Process", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.10, No.1, pp.33-58, 2014.

Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.10174
Learning of Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Local Tacit Business Knowledge
Authors: Wang Karen Y. , Kitvorametha Chanida , Wang Yue
Published: July 2014

The immigrant entrepreneurs’ capabilities to recognize and gain tacit business knowledge are critical for their success in the host country. However, little scholarly attention has been given to the issue of business learning of immigrant entrepreneurs in a host country. Through multiple theoretical lenses, our study fills the gap by examining the extent to which the human and social capital of immigrant entrepreneurs is associated with the local business tacit knowledge learning in terms of learning capacities and facilitation. Based on a sample of immigrant entrepreneurs in Australia, the findings of our study indicate that industry-specific training and cultural similarity of cognitive social capital are related to immigrant entrepreneurs’ tacit marketing knowledge learning. The formal education of context-generic human capital enables them with tacit financial knowledge learning. Moreover, trustworthiness of relational social capital plays a critical role in facilitating their learning in both tacit marketing and financial knowledge. This study contributes to the entrepreneurship literature by addressing issues of immigrant entrepreneurs’ business learning.

Keywords: Tacit Marketing and Financial Knowledge, Relational and Cognitive Social Capital, Human Capital, Immigrant Entrepreneurs, Learning Capabilities and Facilitation

To cite this document: Karen Y. Wang, Chanida Kitvorametha, and Yue Wang, "Learning of Immigrant Entrepreneurs: Local Tacit Business Knowledge", Contemporary Management Research, Vol.10, No.1, pp.81-104, 2014.

Permanent link to this document:
http://dx.doi.org/10.7903/cmr.10595
Inversion of submesoscale patterns from a high‐resolution Solomon Sea model: Feasibility assessment
Authors: Gaultier Lucile , Djath Bughsin' , Verron Jacques , Brankart Jean‐Michel , Brasseur Pierre , Melet Angelique
Published: July 2014

A high‐resolution realistic numerical model of the Solomon Sea, which exhibits a high level of variability at mesoscales and submesoscales, is used to explore new avenues for data assimilation. Image data assimilation represents a powerful methodology to integrate information from high‐resolution observations such as satellite sea surface temperature or chlorophyll, or high‐resolution altimetric sea surface height that will be observed in the forthcoming SWOT mission. The present study investigates the feasibility and accuracy of the inversion of the dynamical submesoscale information contained in high‐resolution images of sea surface temperature (SST) or salinity (SSS) to improve the estimation of oceanic surface currents. The inversion method is tested in the context of twin experiments, with SST and SSS data provided by a model of the Solomon Sea. For that purpose, synthetic tracer images are built by binarizing the norm of the gradient of SST, SSS or spiciness. The binarized tracer images are compared to the dynamical image which is derived from the Finite‐Size Lyapunov Exponents. The adjustment of the dynamical image to the tracer image provides the optimal correction to be applied on the surface velocity field. The method is evaluated by comparing the result of the inversion to the reference model solution. The feasibility of the inversion of various images (SST, SSS, both SST and SSS or spiciness) is explored on two small areas of the Solomon Sea. We show that errors in the surface velocity field can be substantially reduced through the inversion of tracer images.
Normal faulting sequence in the Pumqu‐Xainza Rift constrained by InSAR and teleseismic body‐wave seismology
Authors: Wang Hua , Elliott John R. , Craig Timothy J. , Wright Tim J. , Liu‐Zeng Jing , Hooper Andrew
Published: July 2014

Normal faulting earthquakes play an important role in the deformation of continents, and pose significant seismic hazard, yet important questions remain about their mechanics. We use InSAR and body‐wave seismology to compute dislocation models and centroid moment solutions for four normal‐faulting earthquakes (Mw5.7–6.2) that occurred in the Pumqu‐Xainza Rift (PXR), southern Tibet, a region where low‐angle normal faulting has previously been inferred. We also use the fault locations and slip to investigate the correlation between earthquakes and surface topography, and to calculate stress interactions between the earthquakes. The InSAR and body‐wave models give consistent focal mechanisms except for the magnitude of the 1996 event, which may be overestimated due to postseismic deformation in the long‐interval interferograms. We calculate the static stress changes due to coseismic slip and find that the 1993 event was too distant to cause triggering of the later events, but that the 1998 event pair occurred in regions of increased Coulomb stress resulting from the 1996 event. All the fault planes found here dip at 40–60°, reinforcing the absence in observations for low‐angle normal faulting earthquakes (dip < 30°) whose focal planes can be determined unambiguously. The fault planes of the 1993 and 1996 events are not associated with any obvious surface geomorphology, suggesting that sometimes it is unreliable to resolve the focal plane ambiguity by geomorphology, even for Mw6.2 events. Furthermore, these events occurred outside the center of the rift, indicating that the active faulting is more distributed and over a length‐scale at least 25–50 km east‐west in extent, rather than confined to the 20 km width seen in the current mapped faulting and topography. These results suggest that seismic hazard in other extensional zones worldwide might also be more broadly distributed than suggested by geomorphology.
An analysis of aeolian dust in climate models
Authors: Evan Amato T. , Flamant Cyrille , Fiedler Stephanie , Doherty Owen
Published: July 2014

Aeolian dust is a key aspect of the climate system. Dust can modify the Earth's energy budget, provide long‐range transport of nutrients, and influence land surface processes via erosion. Consequently, effective modeling of the climate system, particularly at regional scales, requires a reasonably accurate representation of dust emission, transport, and deposition. Here we evaluate African dust in 23 state‐of‐the‐art global climate models used in the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. We find that all models fail to reproduce basic aspects of dust emission and transport over the second half of the twentieth century. The models systematically underestimate dust emission, transport, and optical depth, and year‐to‐year changes in these properties bear little resemblance to observations. These findings cast doubt on the ability of these models to simulate the regional climate and the response of African dust to future climate change.
Microwave assisted flow synthesis: Coupling of electromagnetic and hydrodynamic phenomena
Authors: Patil Narendra G. , Benaskar Faysal , Meuldijk Jan , Hulshof Lumbertus A. , Hessel Volker , Schouten Jaap C. , Esveld Erik D. C. , Rebrov Evgeny V.
Published: July 2014

This article describes the results of a modeling study performed to understand the microwave heating process in continuous‐flow reactors. It demonstrates the influence of liquid velocity profiles on temperature and microwave energy dissipation in a microwave integrated milli reactor‐heat exchanger. Horizontal cocurrent flow of a strong microwave absorbing reaction mixture (ethanol + acetic acid, molar ratio 5:1) and a microwave transparent coolant (toluene) was established in a Teflon supported quartz tube (i.d.: 3 × 10−3 m and o.d.: 4 × 10−3 m) and shell (i.d.: 7 × 10−3 m and o.d.: 9 × 10−3 m), respectively. Modeling showed that the temperature rise of the highly microwave absorbing reaction mixture was up to four times higher in the almost stagnant liquid at the reactor walls than in the bulk liquid. The coolant flow was ineffective in controlling the outlet reaction mixture temperature. However, at high flow rates it limits the overheating of the stagnant liquid film of the reaction mixture at the reactor walls. It was also found that the stagnant layer around a fiber optic temperature probe, when inserted from the direction of the flow, resulted in much higher temperatures than the bulk liquid. This was not the case when the probe was inserted from the opposite direction. The experimental validations of these modeling results proved that the temperature profiles depend more on the reaction mixture velocity profiles than on the microwave energy dissipation/electric field intensity. Thus, in flow synthesis, particularly where a focused microwave field is applied over a small tubular flow reactor, it is very important to understand the large (direct/indirect) influence of reactor internals on the microwave heating process. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 60: 3824–3832, 2014
The morphology and degradation behavior of electrospun poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)/Magnetite and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate)/Magnetite composites
Authors: Ho Mao‐Hsun , Li Si‐Yu , Ciou Chun‐Yu , Wu Tzong‐Ming
Published: July 2014

Electrospinning of biodegradable poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)/magnetite and poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐3‐hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)/magnetite composites in 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol (TFE) and chloroform are investigated to develop nonwoven nanofibrous structure. Ultrafine PHB/magnetite fibers are obtained and the resulting fiber diameters are in the range of 690–710 nm and 8.0–8.4 µm for the polymer dissolved in TFE and chloroform. The surface of PHB composites fiber fabricated in chloroform contains porous structures, which are not observed for the sample of PHB composites fiber dissolved in TFE. The fiber diameters for PHBV5/magnetite composites are in the range of 500–540 nm and 2.3–2.5 µm, depending on the use of TFE and chloroform. The average diameters of PHBV5/magnetite composite fibers are smaller than those of PHB/magnetite composites fiber. All electrospun PHB/magnetite and composite fibers are superparamagnetic. The degradation behaviors of PHB/magnetite and PHBV5/magnetite composite fibers were investigated using Caldimonas manganoxidans. For the fabricated composite fibers, it is found that the degradation rate increased with the increasing loading of magnetite nanoparticles. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41070.
The DOPA‐functionalized bioadhesive with properties of photocrosslinked and thermoresponsive
Authors: Ai Yufei , Nie Jun , Wu Gang , Yang Dongzhi
Published: July 2014

The unusual amino acid l‐3,4‐dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA), which was found in mussel adhesive protein, was recognized as crucial element for the adhesive of mussel. In this work, the synthesis of thermoresponsive and photocrosslinkable bioadhesive with ternary networks prepared by incorporating dopamine acrylamide (DAM) and N‐isopropylacrylamide (NIPAAm) into a crosslinked network based on poly(ethylene glycol)‐triacrylate (PEG‐TA) was reported. The effects of DAM and NIPAAm on polymerization kinetics, swelling kinetics, adhesion strength, thermomechanical properties, and cytotoxicity assays were systematically evaluated. The results showed that DAM could affect photopolymerization kinetics of terpolymer due to inhibitory effects of the catechol. The terpolymer has not only strong adhesion strength which was better than that of the commercial fibrin adhesives (0.05 MPa), but also the good humid‐resistant property. The thermoresponsive properties of the system were investigated by the measurement of swelling kinetics. The equilibrium swelling ratio of gels was obviously higher at 25°C than at 37°C. The thermomechanical properties of terpolymer indicated that the presence of the catechol moiety increased significantly the glass transition temperature (Tg) and crosslink density of ternary network. The results of cytotoxicity of gels indicated that terpolymer were biocompatible and less cytotoxicity towards the growth of mouse fibroblast cells (L929 cells). The obtained products could have the potential to serve as the bioadhesive in the future. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41102.
Surface modification of polyamide nanofiltration membrane by grafting zwitterionic polymers to improve the antifouling property
Authors: Li Xia , Cao Yiming , Kang Guodong , Yu Haijun , Jie Xingming , Yuan Quan
Published: July 2014

A simple two‐step surface modification method of polyamide nanofiltration membrane, involving the activation of amide groups by formaldehyde and the subsequent cerium [Ce (IV)]‐induced graft polymerization of zwitterionic 3‐(methacryloylamino) propyl‐dimethyl‐(3‐sulfopropyl) ammonium hydroxide) (MPDSAH) monomers, was employed to improve membrane antifouling property. The membranes before and after modification were characterized by attenuated total reflectance‐Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR‐FTIR), scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. The changes in both surface chemical composition and morphology of membranes confirmed the successful graft polymerizations of MPDSAH onto polyamide nanofiltration membrane. The static water contact angle measurements showed that surface hydrophilicity of the modified membranes was significantly enhanced. As the MPDSAH concentration increased, the water flux of grafted membrane decreased gradually, while salt rejection increased slightly. The fouling experiments with bovine serum albumin solution demonstrated that modified membranes exhibited better resistance to protein fouling. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41144.
Effect of polymer grinding aids on the grindability and strength of cement
Authors: Tao Hao , Huang Jianguo , Shi Jianlin
Published: July 2014

In this study, different polymer grinding aids (GA) were synthesized from maleic anhydride (MA), polyethylene glycol (PEG), and acroleic acid (AA) under different process conditions, and their effects on the grindability and strength enhancement of cement were compared. The results showed that esterification was preferably conducted at a MA : PEG ratio of 1.2 : 1 at 105°C for 3 h with 1.5% catalyst; and copolymerization was preferably conducted at a MA‐PEG : AA ratio of 1 : 1 at 85°C for 6 h. The number‐average molecular weight of the polymer GAs was 12,964, the weight‐average molecular weight was 18,156, and the polydispersity index was 1.40, respectively. The specific surface area of the samples obtained under the optimum condition increased by 32.87%, the flexural strength increased by 12.5% at 3 d and 16.67% at 28 d, and the comprehensive strength increased by 42.06% at 3 d and 22.19% at 28 d as compared with the control sample. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 41153.
Contrasting Madden–Julian Oscillation activity during various stages of EP and CP El Niños
Authors: Feng Juan , Liu Ping , Chen Wen , Wang Xiaocong
Published: July 2014

This study revisits the relations between Madden–Julian Oscillation (MJO) and El Niño that is classified as eastern Pacific (EP) and central Pacific (CP) types. During an EP‐type event that produces lasting dry conditions in the Maritime Continent and western Pacific, the MJO activity is weak especially in its 4th–6th phases as a strong response. In contrast during CP‐type episodes, the MJO exhibits notably enhanced and suppressed amplitudes in its different phases. The low‐level westerly wind anomalies of enhanced MJO impact the CP‐type El Niño more than vice versa.
Impact of monsoon‐associated deep‐penetrating clouds on the hydration of the tropical upper troposphere
Authors: Jain Shipra , Jain A. R. , Mandal T. K.
Published: July 2014

This paper examines the relationship between water vapor mixing ratio (WVMR) and cloud top height (CTH) in the tropical upper troposphere. The region of high WVMR and CTH is collocated and observed over the core convective region. WVMR over South Asia shows significant correlation with CTH. Increase in CTH is observed during the moist phase of water vapor followed by a decrease in CTH during the dry phase. Daily CTH data show that some convective turrets reach above 150 hPa. Present analysis shows that moistening of upper troposphere occurs during the monsoon period when CTH is greater than 7 km.
Method development and validation study for quantitative determination of nifedipine and related substances by ultra‐high‐performance liquid chromatography
Authors: Galan‐Rodriguez Cristobal , González‐Álvarez Jaime , Valls‐Remolí Màrius
Published: July 2014

A novel stability‐indicating reversed phase ultra‐high performance liquid chromatography (UPLC) coupled photodiode array gradient method was developed for determination of the nifedipine and related compounds. Furthermore, based on the chromatographic conditions and forced degradation studies performed through the development of the related substances method a UPLC isocratic method was validated for the determination of the assay of this active substance. An Acquity Shield RP18 (50 × 3.0 mm 1.7 µm) column was used for separation of nifedipine and its five potential impurities within 11 min, which is 5‐fold less than the official method. A mobile phase consisting of 10 mm ammonium formate (pH 4.5) and methanol, delivered at a flow rate 0.5 mL/min, was employed to achieve a minimum resolution of 2.0 for all consecutive pairs of compounds. The precision value expressed as percentage relative standard deviation for method repeatability and reproducibility was <5.0%. The recoveries for all the related compounds were in the range of 99–105.0%. Linearity was found to be acceptable over the concentration range of 0.25–1.5 µg/mL for nifedipine and its impurities. The limit of quantification for nifedipine was 0.05 µg/mL, which is much less than the European Pharmacopoeia method. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The in vivo absorbed constituents and metabolites of Danshen decoction in rats identified by HPLC with electrospray ionization tandem ion trap and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Zhao Xin , Yang Dong‐Hui , Xu Feng , Huang Shuai , Zhang Lei , Liu Guang‐Xue , Cai Shao‐Qing
Published: July 2014

Danshen, the dried root and rhizome of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge, is widely used for the treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. This research focuses on the in vivo metabolism of Danshen decoction (DSD) in rats. After oral administration of DSD, the absorptive constituents and their metabolites in urine and plasma were analyzed by HPLC coupled with a photodiode array detector and electrospray ionization hybrid ion trap and time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry. Samples were separated on a C18 column by gradient elution using 0.1% (v/v) aqueous formic acid and acetonitrile. As a result, 93 compounds from urine and 38 compounds from plasma were identified. Among them, lipo‐soluble diterpenoids (24 in urine and 15 in plasma) were reported for the first time as in vivo metabolites of DSD. According to the quantities and contents of the identified compounds, tanshinone IIA, cryptotanshinone and tanshinone I were deduced to be the major absorptive diterpenoids of DSD. Moreover, nine water‐soluble phenolics (caffeic acid, ferulic acid, danshensu, etc.) were proved to be the major absorptive constituents as reported. Most of the absorbed constituents underwent sulfation, glucuronidation, hydrogenation and hydroxylation in vivo. This investigation provided scientific evidence to obtain a more comprehensive metabolic profile of DSD. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Measuring Enterprise Sustainability
Authors: Searcy Cory
Published: July 2014

The purpose of this paper is to identify the key requirements for measuring enterprise sustainability. The paper argues that measuring enterprise sustainability requires the explicit consideration of a focal firm, its supply chain and the sustainability context within which the firm operates. Building on this notion, original definitions of enterprise sustainability and enterprise sustainability performance measurement systems (ESPMSs) are proposed. The definitions provide the basis for the development of a novel conceptual framework. The framework is used to identify seven key requirements and 35 associated sub‐requirements for an ESPMS. Overall, the requirements highlight that sustainability performance measurement requires a systematic, structured and integrated approach that considers all aspects of enterprise sustainability. The framework presented in this paper is a conceptual model. In recognition of this point, the paper provides discussions on the potential application of the framework and guidance for further research. The academic, managerial and societal implications of the paper are also discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment
Impact of Adverse Left Ventricular Remodeling on Sudden Cardiac Death in Patients With Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy
Authors: Vriesendorp Pieter A. , Schinkel Arend F.L. , de Groot Natasja M. S. , van Domburg Ron T. , ten Cate Folkert J. , Michels Michelle
Published: July 2014

Background

Adverse left ventricular (LV) remodeling predicts heart failure symptoms and overt LV dysfunction in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), but its influence on the occurrence of sudden cardiac death (SCD) is unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of adverse LV remodeling on SCD risk in patients with HCM.

Hypothesis

Adverse LV remodeling increases SCD in HCM patients.

Methods

This study included 41 patients with HCM who experienced SCD; each case was matched with 3 controls based on age, gender, and time of first contact. In this population of 164 patients, predictors of SCD were identified using univariable and multivariable logistic regression and expressed as odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).

Results

Baseline characteristics, such as New York Heart Association (NYHA) class, systolic and diastolic left ventricular function, left ventricular wall thickness, left atrial size, atrial fibrillation, and established risk factors for SCD were similar in cases and controls. Independent predictors of SCD during follow‐up (median follow‐up, 7.7 ± 6.5 years) were: increase in NYHA class (OR: 8.7 [95% CI: 2.5‐30.5], P = 0.001), decrease of fractional shortening (per % decrease, OR: 1.09 [95% CI: 1.03‐1.14], P = 0.001), and decrease of diastolic function (OR: 3.5 [95% CI: 1.2‐10.2], P = 0.02).

Conclusions

This study shows that SCD risk in HCM increases when adverse remodeling occurs. Because cases and controls were similar at baseline, these findings emphasize the importance of vigilant follow‐up of HCM patients and could aid clinical decision making concerning implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator implantation, especially in patients with moderate risk for SCD.
Software‐based contention management for efficient compare‐and‐swap operations
Authors: Dice Dave , Hendler Danny , Mirsky Ilya
Published: July 2014

Many concurrent data‐structure implementations – both blocking and non‐blocking – use the well‐known compare‐and‐swap (CAS) operation, supported in hardware by most modern multiprocessor architectures, for inter‐thread synchronization. A key weakness of the CAS operation is its performance in the presence of memory contention. When multiple threads concurrently attempt to apply CAS operations to the same shared variable, at most a single thread will succeed in changing the shared variable's value and the CAS operations of all other threads will fail. Moreover, significant degradation in performance occurs when variables manipulated by CAS become contention ‘hot spots’, because failed CAS operations congest the interconnect and memory devices and slow down successful CAS operations. In this work, we study the following question: can software‐based contention management improve the efficiency of hardware‐provided CAS operations? In other words, can a software contention management layer, encapsulating invocations of hardware CAS instructions, improve the performance of CAS‐based concurrent data structures? To address this question, we conduct what is, to the best of our knowledge, the first study on the impact of contention management algorithms on the efficiency of the CAS operation. We implemented several Java classes, that extend Java's AtomicReference class, and encapsulate calls to the native CAS instruction with simple contention management mechanisms tuned for different hardware platforms. A key property of our algorithms is the support for an almost‐transparent interchange with Java's AtomicReference objects, used in implementations of concurrent data structures. We evaluate the impact of these algorithms on both a synthetic micro‐benchmark and on CAS‐based concurrent implementations of widely‐used data structures such as stacks and queues. Our performance evaluation establishes that lightweight software‐based contention management support can greatly improve performance under medium and high contention levels while typically incurring only small overhead under low contention. In some cases, applying efficient contention management for CAS operations used by a simpler data‐structure implementation yields better results than highly optimized implementations of the same data structure that use native CAS operations directly. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Design of an energy‐efficient and reliable data delivery mechanism for mobile ad hoc networks: a cross‐layer approach
Authors: Hassan Mohammad Mehedi , Kamruzzaman S. M. , Alamri Atif , Almogren Ahmad , Alelaiwi Abdulhameed , Alnuem Mohammed , Islam Md. Manowarul , Razzaque Md. Abdur
Published: July 2014

In a mobile ad hoc network, the data packet may fail to be delivered for various reasons mostly for route failure, congestion, and battery energy drain. Hence, providing reliable and timely data delivery in this network in an energy‐efficient way is challenging. Although there exist several solutions to solve these problems, they can handle either route failure or congestion or energy‐efficient routing. Hence, to cope up with all the problems simultaneously, we propose a route failure and congestion‐aware energy‐efficient cross‐layer design that spans the transport and network layer. In the transport layer, we introduce the concept of local packet buffering during link failure and congestion. As a result, the packet dropping rate of the network and energy consumption decreases. In the network layer, a routing protocol is proposed for selecting the energy‐efficient path for data transmission. It uses the buffering mechanism in case of route maintenance. In addition, we employ a multilevel congestion detection and control mechanism at the source and intermediate nodes that can judiciously take the most appropriate decision for congestion control in the network proactively. The simulation results showed that the proposed cross‐layer design provided better performance as compared with the state‐of‐the‐art protocols. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Learning improves service discovery
Authors: Olson Andrew M. , Raje Rajeev R. , Devaraju Barun , Gallege Lahiru S.
Published: July 2014

A distributed system of services assembled according to a service‐oriented architecture requires an efficient mechanism to discover appropriate services deployed over a network. The recent emergence of many service marketplaces makes the case for the existence of such a discovery service. These marketplaces typically provide rudimentary techniques to publish service information and associated matching activities. Such simple matching techniques are typically not suitable to address complex user requirements. Therefore, it is a challenge to discover relevant services, with a high degree of accuracy, out of existing choices. This paper discusses experiments performed on a discovery service whose search techniques incorporate learning profiles to accomplish these complex tasks. The UniFrame Resource Discovery System, which searches for required services, provided an experimental test bed for these experiments. The article describes these techniques and explains their algorithms. Experimental results illustrate the gains in the quality of selected services and reduction in the discovery time using the proposed techniques. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On centripetal flows of entities in scale‐free networks with nodes of finite capability
Authors: Valenzuela Jesus Felix , Monterola Christopher , Legara Erika Fille , Fu Xiuju , Goh Rick Siow Mong
Published: July 2014

We examine the transmission of entities from the peripheries of scale‐free networks toward their centers when the nodes of the network have finite processing capabilities. We look at varying network utilization, U and find that clogging of the network sets in after a threshold value has been exceeded, and that the congestion sets in at the downstream nodes (those nearer to the collector) having large numbers of upstream neighbors. Investigation of the question of the degree of correlation of several characteristics of scale‐free networks (such as the average path length to the collector  and the average clustering coefficient
) with the dynamics of centripetal flow in them reveals a negative answer: any correlation is indirect and will manifest in the number of producer nodes (which dictate the effective heaviness of the flow) and the interconnectedness of the feeder nodes, those nodes which are immediate neighbors of the collector node. An examination of reinforcement strategies shows dramatic improvements in both the finishing rate,
and the average total transmission time,
when the more centrally‐placed nodes are reinforced first, showing that the entities spend a large amount of their lifetime waiting in line at those nodes (which constitute the bottlenecks in the network) compared to the nodes in the periphery. Our results reinforce the importance of a network's hubs and their immediate environs, and suggest strategies for prioritizing elements of a network for optimization. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity 21: 283–295, 2015
Controllable Supramolecular Architectures for Modulating Optical Properties on the Molecular Aggregation Level
Authors: Jiang Runsheng , Xue Zheng , Li Yongjun , Qin Zhihong , Li Yuliang , Zhu Daoben
Published: July 2014

Driven by the association of chemical weak forces and solvent effects, zero‐ to two‐dimensional nanostructures of thiophene‐substituted perylene bisimide such as spheres and blocky structures were obtained. Light‐controlled intramolecular charge transfer from the trithiophene unit to the perylene bisimide in the solid state can induce a hypochromatic shift and enhanced fluorescent emission.
Associating high intensity and modulated frequency of TENS delays analgesic tolerance in rats
Authors: Lima L.V. , Cruz K.M.L. , Abner T.S.S. , Mota C.M.D. , Agripino M.E.J. , Santana‐Filho V.J. , DeSantana J.M.
Published: July 2014

Background

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a non‐invasive analgesic resource extensively used in painful conditions. However, preclinical studies suggest that the prolonged use of TENS results in the development of tolerance to its analgesic effect. The present study investigated the analgesic effect and development of tolerance to TENS with four different stimulation protocols.

Methods

Male Wistar rats induced with joint inflammation were divided into four groups: sensory intensity, low motor intensity, high motor intensity and sham groups. TENS was applied daily for 20 min with alternating frequency between 4 and 100 Hz until tolerance development was evidenced. Mechanical hyperalgesia was measured before and after each TENS daily application.

Results

After TENS, tolerance was evidenced There was a significant reduction in the mechanical withdrawal threshold in all groups 24 h after induction of inflammation (p  <  0.01). We observed a loss of analgesic efficacy of TENS around the 12th, 19th and 19th days in the groups treated with sensory intensity, low motor intensity and high motor intensity, respectively (p < 0.02) when analysed using paired measurements and compared with the control.

Conclusions

The association between frequency variation and intensity at motor level promotes a delay in the development of analgesic tolerance to TENS, optimizing and extending its therapeutic effectiveness.
Late radiation‐associated dysphagia with lower cranial neuropathy in long‐term oropharyngeal cancer survivors: Video case reports
Authors: Hutcheson Katherine A. , Yuk Margaret M. , Holsinger F. Christopher , Gunn G. Brandon , Lewin Jan S.
Published: July 2014

Background

Lower cranial neuropathies are a late effect of radiotherapy (RT), typically reported in nasopharyngeal cancer survivors. Limited data examine these neuropathies after oropharyngeal cancer, particularly as it relates to late radiation‐associated dysphagia (late‐RAD).

Methods

Two cases were examined over 4 to 6 years. Late‐RAD was assessed per MBS impairment profile (MBSImP™©), Penetration‐Aspiration Scale (PAS), Performance Status Scale for Head and Neck cancer (PSS‐HN), and MD Anderson Dysphagia Inventory (MDADI). Neuropathies were examined via clinical examination and laryngeal videostroboscopy, and compared with trajectories of late‐RAD.

Results

Media‐enriched case reports describe the course of late‐RAD and neuropathies in 2 cases after definitive RT ± epidermal growth factor receptor‐inhibitor for oropharyngeal cancer. Late‐RAD was characterized by severe physiologic impairments per MBSImP™© and decreased swallowing‐related quality of life (QOL) per MDADI. Trajectories of late‐RAD paralleled the progression or stability of neuropathies.

Conclusion

Late‐RAD with lower cranial neuropathies resulted in profound and persistent functional impairment. Rarely reported, late radiation‐associated lower cranial neuropathies may be a major contributor to new‐onset or progressive dysphagia in long‐term oropharyngeal cancer survivors. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 37: E56–E62, 2015
Earlier presentation and application of curative treatments in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Ulahannan Susanna V. , Duffy Austin G. , McNeel Timothy S. , Kish Jonathan K. , Dickie Lois A. , Rahma Osama E. , McGlynn Katherine A. , Greten Tim F. , Altekruse Sean F.
Published: July 2014

The purpose of the study was to assess the use of curative therapies for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the population. HCC treatment patterns were examined in Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) 18 registries (28% of U.S.). Joinpoint regression analyses were performed to assess 2000-2010 incidence trends by tumor size, count, and receipt of potentially curative treatments (transplantation, resection, and ablation). SEER-Medicare data enabled evaluation of treatment patterns including receipt of sorafenib or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) by HCC-associated comorbidities. Diagnoses of tumors ≤5.0 cm in diameter significantly increased during 2000-2010, surpassing diagnosis of larger tumors. Overall, 23% of cases received potentially curative treatment. Joinpoint models indicated incidence rates of treatment with curative intent increased 17.6% per year during 2000-2005, then declined by −2.9% per year during 2005-2010 (

P

< 0.001). Among HCC cases with a single tumor ≤5.0 cm and no extension beyond the liver, use of ablative therapy significantly increased during 2000-2010. Use of invasive surgery for single tumors, regardless of size, significantly increased during the initial years of the decade, then plateaued. The group most likely to receive curative treatment in the SEER-Medicare cases was patients with one, small tumor confined to the liver (657 of 1,597 cases, 41%), with no difference in treatment by hepatic comorbidity status (

P

= 0.24). A higher proportion of cases with reported liver-associated comorbidities were, however, diagnosed with tumors ≤5.0 cm in diameter (1,745 0f 2,464, 71%) compared to patients with no reported comorbidities (996 of 2,596, 38%,

P

< 0.001).

Conclusion

: Although more HCC patients were diagnosed with early disease over time, the use of curative treatments in this patient group has recently plateaued. Efforts to identify and treat more eligible candidates for curative therapy could be beneficial. (Hepatology 2014;60:1637–1644)
Cost-effectiveness of noninvasive liver fibrosis tests for treatment decisions in patients with chronic hepatitis C
Authors: Tsochatzis Emmanuel A. , Crossan Catriona , Longworth Louise , Gurusamy Kurinchi , Rodriguez-Peralvarez Manolo , Mantzoukis Konstantinos , O'Brien Julia , Thalassinos Evangelos , Papastergiou Vassilios , Noel-Storr Anna , Davidson Brian , Burroughs Andrew K.
Published: July 2014

The cost-effectiveness of noninvasive tests (NITs) as alternatives to liver biopsy is unknown. We compared the cost-effectiveness of using NITs to inform treatment decisions in adult patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to calculate the diagnostic accuracy of various NITs using a bivariate random-effects model. We constructed a probabilistic decision analytical model to estimate health care costs and outcomes (quality-adjusted life-years; QALYs) using data from the meta-analysis, literature, and national UK data. We compared the cost-effectiveness of four treatment strategies: testing with NITs and treating patients with fibrosis stage ≥F2; testing with liver biopsy and treating patients with ≥F2; treat none; and treat all irrespective of fibrosis. We compared all NITs and tested the cost-effectiveness using current triple therapy with boceprevir or telaprevir, but also modeled new, more-potent antivirals. Treating all patients without any previous NIT was the most effective strategy and had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of £9,204 per additional QALY gained. The exploratory analysis of currently licensed sofosbuvir treatment regimens found that treat all was cost-effective, compared to using an NIT to decide on treatment, with an ICER of £16,028 per QALY gained. The exploratory analysis to assess the possible effect on results of new treatments, found that if SVR rates increased to >90% for genotypes 1-4, the incremental treatment cost threshold for the “treat all” strategy to remain the most cost-effective strategy would be £37,500. Above this threshold, the most cost-effective option would be noninvasive testing with magnetic resonance elastography (ICER = £9,189). Conclusions: Treating all adult patients with CHC, irrespective of fibrosis stage, is the most cost-effective strategy with currently available drugs in developed countries. (Hepatology 2014;60:832–843)
The transrepressive activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha is necessary and sufficient to prevent liver fibrosis in mice
Authors: Pawlak Michal , Baugé Eric , Bourguet William , De Bosscher Karolien , Lalloyer Fanny , Tailleux Anne , Lebherz Corinna , Lefebvre Philippe , Staels Bart
Published: July 2014

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is increasingly prevalent and strongly associated with central obesity, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance. According to the multiple-hit model of NAFLD pathogenesis, lipid accumulation drives nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) initiation by triggering oxidative stress, lipotoxicity, and subsequent activation of hepatic inflammatory responses that may progress, in predisposed individuals, to fibrosis and cirrhosis. While there is an unmet therapeutical need for NASH and fibrosis, recent preclinical studies showed that peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-α agonism can efficiently oppose these symptoms. To dissect the relative contribution of antisteatotic versus anti-inflammatory PPAR-α activities in counteracting dietary-induced liver fibrosis, we used a PPAR-α mutant lacking its DNA-binding-dependent activity on fatty acid metabolism. Liver-specific expression of wild-type or a DNA-binding-deficient PPAR-α in acute and chronic models of inflammation were used to study PPAR-α's anti-inflammatory versus metabolic activities in NASH and fibrosis. Pharmacologically activated PPAR-α inhibited hepatic inflammatory responses and the transition from steatosis toward NASH and fibrosis through a direct, anti-inflammatory mechanism independent of its lipid handling properties.

Conclusion

: The transrepression activity of PPAR-α on chronic liver inflammation is sufficient to prevent progression of NASH to liver fibrosis. Dissociated PPAR-α agonists, selectively modulating PPAR-α transrepression activity, could thus be an option to prevent NASH and fibrosis progression. (Hepatology 2014;60:1593–1606)
PCASSO: A fast and efficient Cα‐based method for accurately assigning protein secondary structure elements
Authors: Law Sean M. , Frank Aaron T. , Brooks Charles L.
Published: July 2014

Proteins are often characterized in terms of their primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary structure. Algorithms such as define secondary structure of proteins (DSSP) can automatically assign protein secondary structure based on the backbone hydrogen‐bonding pattern. However, the assignment of secondary structure elements (SSEs) becomes a challenge when only the Cα coordinates are available. In this work, we present protein C‐alpha secondary structure output (PCASSO), a fast and accurate program for assigning protein SSEs using only the Cα positions. PCASSO achieves ∼95% accuracy with respect to DSSP and takes ∼0.1 s using a single processor to analyze a 1000 residue system with multiple chains. Our approach was compared with current state‐of‐the‐art Cα‐based methods and was found to outperform all of them in both speed and accuracy. A practical application is also presented and discussed. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spectrally dispersed femtosecond CARS investigation of vibrational characteristics in ethanol
Authors: Zhao Yang , Zhang Sheng , Zhou Boyang , Dong Zhiwei , Chen Deying , Zhang Zhonghua , Xia Yuanqin
Published: July 2014

Spectrally dispersed femtosecond time‐resolved coherent anti‐Stokes Raman spectroscopy is applied to study the ultrafast vibrational dynamics in ethanol at room temperature. The anti‐Stokes intensities were monitored as a function of delay time and wavenumber. By simply changing the timing of the laser pulses, the vibrational dynamics between the excited Raman transitions in ethanol molecules can be tracked and detected. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.