bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hershel
Authors: Shamsi Zain , Nandwani Ankur , Leonard Derek , Loguinov Dmitri
Published: July 2014

Traditional TCP/IP fingerprinting tools (e.g., nmap) are poorly suited for Internet-wide use due to the large amount of traffic and intrusive nature of the probes. This can be overcome by approaches that rely on a single SYN packet to elicit a vector of features from the remote server; however, these methods face difficult classification problems due to the high volatility of the features and severely limited amounts of information contained therein. Since these techniques have not been studied before, we first pioneer stochastic theory of single-packet OS fingerprinting, build a database of 116 OSes, design a classifier based on our models, evaluate its accuracy in simulations, and then perform OS classification of 37.8M hosts from an Internet-wide scan.
Understanding the impact of network dynamics on mobile video user engagement
Authors: Shafiq Muhammad Zubair , Erman Jeffrey , Ji Lusheng , Liu Alex X. , Pang Jeffrey , Wang Jia
Published: July 2014

Mobile network operators have a significant interest in the performance of streaming video on their networks because network dynamics directly influence the Quality of Experience (QoE). However, unlike video service providers, network operators are not privy to the client- or server-side logs typically used to measure key video performance metrics, such as user engagement. To address this limitation, this paper presents the first large-scale study characterizing the impact of cellular network performance on mobile video user engagement from the perspective of a network operator. Our study on a month-long anonymized data set from a major cellular network makes two main contributions. First, we quantify the effect that 31 different network factors have on user behavior in mobile video. Our results provide network operators direct guidance on how to improve user engagement --- for example, improving mean signal-to-interference ratio by 1 dB reduces the likelihood of video abandonment by 2%. Second, we model the complex relationships between these factors and video abandonment, enabling operators to monitor mobile video user engagement in real-time. Our model can predict whether a user completely downloads a video with more than 87% accuracy by observing only the initial 10 seconds of video streaming sessions. Moreover, our model achieves significantly better accuracy than prior models that require client- or server-side logs, yet we only use standard radio network statistics and/or TCP/IP headers available to network operators.
The multi-shop ski rental problem
Authors: Ai Lingqing , Wu Xian , Huang Lingxiao , Huang Longbo , Tang Pingzhong , Li Jian
Published: July 2014

We consider the
multi-shop ski rental
problem. This problem generalizes the classic ski rental problem to a multi-shop setting, in which each shop has different prices for renting and purchasing a pair of skis, and a
consumer
has to make decisions on when and where to buy. We are interested in the
optimal online (competitive-ratio minimizing) mixed strategy
from the consumer's perspective. For our problem in its basic form, we obtain exciting closed-form solutions and a linear time algorithm for computing them. We further demonstrate the generality of our approach by investigating three extensions of our basic problem, namely ones that consider costs incurred by entering a shop or switching to another shop. Our solutions to these problems suggest that the consumer must assign positive probability in
exactly one
shop at any buying time. Our results apply to many real-world applications, ranging from cost management in
IaaS
cloud to scheduling in distributed computing.
Concave switching in single and multihop networks
Authors: Walton Neil Stuart
Published: July 2014

Switched queueing networks model wireless networks, input queued switches and numerous other networked communications systems. For single-hop networks, we consider a (α,
g
)-switch policy} which combines the MaxWeight policies with bandwidth sharing networks -- a further well studied model of Internet congestion. We prove the maximum stability property for this class of randomized policies. Thus these policies have the same first order behavior as the MaxWeight policies. However, for multihop networks some of these generalized polices address a number of critical weakness of the MaxWeight/BackPressure policies.

For multihop networks with fixed routing, we consider the Proportional Scheduler (or (1,log)-policy). In this setting, the BackPressure policy is maximum stable, but must maintain a queue for every route-destination, which typically grows rapidly with a network's size. However, this proportionally fair policy only needs to maintain a queue for each outgoing link, which is typically bounded in number. As is common with Internet routing, by maintaining per-link queueing each node only needs to know the next hop for each packet and not its entire route. Further, in contrast to BackPressure, the Proportional Scheduler does not compare downstream queue lengths to determine weights, only local link information is required. This leads to greater potential for decomposed implementations of the policy. Through a reduction argument and an entropy argument, we demonstrate that, whilst maintaining substantially less queueing overhead, the Proportional Scheduler achieves maximum throughput stability.
The power of online learning in stochastic network optimization
Authors: Huang Longbo , Liu Xin , Hao Xiaohong
Published: July 2014

In this paper, we investigate the power of online learning in stochastic network optimization with unknown system statistics
a priori
. We are interested in understanding how information and learning can be efficiently incorporated into system control techniques, and what are the fundamental benefits of doing so. We propose two
Online Learning-Aided Control
techniques,
OLAC
and
OLAC2
, that explicitly utilize the past system information in current system control via a learning procedure called
dual learning
. We prove strong performance guarantees of the proposed algorithms:
OLAC
and
OLAC2
achieve the near-optimal [
O
(ε),
O
([log(1/ε)]
2
)] utility-delay tradeoff and
OLAC2
possesses an
O
(ε
-2/3
) convergence time. Simulation results also confirm the superior performance of the proposed algorithms in practice. To the best of our knowledge,
OLAC
and
OLAC2
are the first algorithms that simultaneously possess explicit near-optimal delay guarantee and sub-linear convergence time, and our attempt is the first to explicitly incorporate online learning into stochastic network optimization and to demonstrate its power in both theory and practice.
The efficacy of error mitigation techniques for DRAM retention failures
Authors: Khan Samira , Lee Donghyuk , Kim Yoongu , Alameldeen Alaa R. , Wilkerson Chris , Mutlu Onur
Published: July 2014

As DRAM cells continue to shrink, they become more susceptible to retention failures. DRAM cells that permanently exhibit short retention times are fairly easy to identify and repair through the use of memory tests and row and column redundancy. However, the retention time of many cells may vary over time due to a property called
Variable Retention Time (VRT)
. Since these cells intermittently transition between failing and non-failing states, they are particularly difficult to identify through memory tests alone. In addition, the high temperature packaging process may aggravate this problem as the susceptibility of cells to VRT increases after the assembly of DRAM chips. A promising alternative to manufacture-time testing is to detect and mitigate retention failures after the system has become operational. Such a system would require mechanisms to detect and mitigate retention failures in the field, but would be responsive to retention failures introduced after system assembly and could dramatically reduce the cost of testing, enabling much longer tests than are practical with manufacturer testing equipment.

In this paper, we analyze the efficacy of three common error mitigation techniques (memory tests, guardbands, and error correcting codes (ECC)) in real DRAM chips exhibiting both intermittent and permanent retention failures. Our analysis allows us to quantify the efficacy of recent system-level error mitigation mechanisms that build upon these techniques. We revisit prior works in the context of the experimental data we present, showing that our measured results significantly impact these works' conclusions. We find that mitigation techniques that rely on run-time testing alone [38, 27, 50, 26] are unable to ensure reliable operation even after many months of testing. Techniques that incorporate ECC[4, 52], however, can ensure reliable DRAM operation after only a few hours of testing. For example, VS-ECC[4], which couples testing with variable strength codes to allocate the strongest codes to the most error-prone memory regions, can ensure reliable operation for 10 years after only 19 minutes of testing. We conclude that the viability of these mitigation techniques depend on efficient online profiling of DRAM performed without disrupting system operation.
GDM
Authors: Wang Kaibo , Ding Xiaoning , Lee Rubao , Kato Shinpei , Zhang Xiaodong
Published: July 2014

GPGPUs are evolving from dedicated accelerators towards mainstream commodity computing resources. During the transition, the lack of system management of device memory space on GPGPUs has become a major hurdle. In existing GPGPU systems, device memory space is still managed explicitly by individual applications, which not only increases the burden of programmers but can also cause application crashes, hangs, or low performance.

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of GDM, a fully functional GPGPU device memory manager to address the above problems and unleash the computing power of GPGPUs in general-purpose environments. To effectively coordinate the device memory usage of different applications, GDM takes control over device memory allocations and data transfers to and from device memory, leveraging a buffer allocated in each application's virtual memory. GDM utilizes the unique features of GPGPU systems and relies on several effective optimization techniques to guarantee the efficient usage of device memory space and to achieve high performance.

We have evaluated GDM and compared it against state-of-the-art GPGPU system software on a range of workloads. The results show that GDM can prevent applications from crashes, including those induced by device memory leaks, and improve system performance by up to 43%.
Filter & follow
Authors: May Avner , Chaintreau Augustin , Korula Nitish , Lattanzi Silvio
Published: July 2014

The impact of blogs and microblogging on the consumption of news is dramatic, as every day users rely more on these sources to decide what content to pay attention to. In this work, we empirically and theoretically analyze the dynamics of bloggers serving as intermediaries between the mass media and the general public.

Our first contribution is to precisely describe the receiving and posting behaviors of today's social media users. For the first time, we study
jointly
the volume and popularity of URLs received and shared by users. We show that social media platforms exhibit a natural ``content curation'' process. Users and bloggers in particular obey two
filtering laws
: (1) a user who receives less content typically receives more popular content, and (2) a blogger who is less active typically posts disproportionately popular items. Our observations are remarkably consistent across 11 social media data sets. We find evidence of a variety of posting strategies, which motivates our second contribution: a theoretical understanding of the consequences of strategic posting on the stability of social media, and its ability to satisfy the interests of a diverse audience. We introduce a ``blog-positioning game'' and show that it can lead to ``efficient'' equilibria, in which users generally receive the content they are interested in. Interestingly, this model predicts that if users are overly ``picky'' when choosing who to follow, no pure strategy equilibria exists for the bloggers, and thus the game never converges. However, a bit of leniency by the readers in choosing which bloggers to follow is enough to guarantee convergence.
Exact analysis of TTL cache networks
Authors: Berger Daniel S. , Gland Philipp , Singla Sahil , Ciucu Florin
Published: July 2014

TTL caching models have recently regained significant research interest, largely due to their ability to fit popular caching policies such as LRU. In this extended abstract we briefly describe our recent work on two
exact
methods to analyze TTL cache networks. The first method generalizes existing results for line networks under renewal requests to the broad class of caching policies whereby evictions are driven by stopping times. The obtained results are further generalized, using the second method, to feedforward networks with Markov arrival processes (MAP) requests. MAPs are particularly suitable for non-line networks because they are closed not only under superposition and splitting, as known, but also under input-output caching operations as proven herein for phase-type TTL distributions. The crucial benefit of the two closure properties is that they jointly enable the first exact analysis of feedforward networks of TTL caches in great generality.
A comparison of product-based, feature-based, and family-based type checking
Authors: Kolesnikov Sergiy , von Rhein Alexander , Hunsen Claus , Apel Sven
Published: July 2014

Analyzing software product lines is difficult, due to their inherent variability. In the past, several strategies for product-line analysis have been proposed, in particular,
product-based
,
feature-based
, and
family-based
strategies. Despite recent attempts to conceptually and empirically compare different strategies, there is no work that empirically compares all of the three strategies in a controlled setting. We close this gap by extending a compiler for feature-oriented programming with support for product-based, feature-based, and family-based type checking. We present and discuss the results of a comparative performance evaluation that we conducted on a set of 12 feature-oriented,
Java
-based product lines. Most notably, we found that the family-based strategy is superior for all subject product lines: it is substantially faster, it detects all kinds of errors, and provides the most detailed information about them.
Using document-oriented GUIs in dynamic software product lines
Authors: Kramer Dean , Oussena Samia , Komisarczuk Peter , Clark Tony
Published: July 2014

Dynamic Software Product Line (DSPL) Engineering has gained interest through its promise of being able to unify software adaptation whereby software adaptation can be realised at compile time and runtime. While previous work has enabled program logic adaptation by the use of language extensions and platform support, little attention has been placed on Graphical User Interface (GUI) variability. Different design patterns including the Model View Controller are commonly used in GUI implementation, with GUI documents being used for declaring the GUI. To handle dynamic GUI variability currently, the developer needs to implement GUI refinements using multiple techniques. This paper proposes a solution for dealing with GUI document variability, statically and dynamically, in a unified way. In our approach, we currently use a compile time method for producing GUI variants, and code transformations to handle these variants within the application at runtime. To avoid GUI duplicates, only GUI variants that are unique, and related to a valid product configuration, are produced. To validate our approach, we implemented tool support to enable this for Android based applications.
Germ Cell Transport Across the Seminiferous Epithelium During Spermatogenesis
Authors: Xiao Xiang , Mruk Dolores D. , Wong Chris K. C. , Yan Cheng C.
Published: July 2014

Transport of germ cells across the seminiferous epithelium is crucial to spermatogenesis. Its disruption causes infertility. Signaling molecules, such as focal adhesion kinase, c-Yes, c-Src, and intercellular adhesion molecules 1 and 2, are involved in these events by regulating actin-based cytoskeleton via their action on actin-regulating proteins, endocytic vesicle-mediated protein trafficking, and adhesion protein complexes. We critically evaluate these findings and provide a hypothetical framework that regulates these events.
The Myoendothelial Junction: Connections That Deliver the Message
Authors: Straub Adam C. , Zeigler Angela C. , Isakson Brant E.
Published: July 2014

A vast amount of investigation has centered on how the endothelium and smooth muscle communicate. From this evidence, myoendothelial junctions have emerged as critical anatomical structures to regulate heterocellular cross talk. Indeed, there is now evidence that the myoendothelial junction serves as a signaling microdomain to organize proteins used to facilitate vascular heterocellular communication. This review highlights the evolving role of myoendothelial junctions in the context of vascular cell-cell communication.
We Have Contact: Endothelial Cell-Smooth Muscle Cell Interactions
Authors: Lilly Brenda
Published: July 2014

Blood vessels are composed of two primary cell types, endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells, each providing a unique contribution to vessel function. Signaling between these two cell types is essential for maintaining tone in mature vessels, and their communication is critical during development, and for repair and remodeling associated with blood vessel growth. This review will highlight the pathways that endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells utilize to communicate during vessel formation and discuss how disruptions in these pathways contribute to disease.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-B in Physiology and Disease
Authors: Bry Maija , Kivelä Riikka , Leppänen Veli-Matti , Alitalo Kari
Published: July 2014

Vascular endothelial growth factor-B (VEGF-B), discovered over 15 years ago, has long been seen as one of the more ambiguous members of the VEGF family. VEGF-B is produced as two isoforms: one that binds strongly to heparan sulfate in the pericellular matrix and a soluble form that can acquire binding via proteolytic processing. Both forms of VEGF-B bind to VEGF-receptor 1 (VEGFR-1) and the neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) coreceptor, which are expressed mainly in blood vascular endothelial cells. VEGF-B-deficient mice and rats are viable without any overt phenotype, and the ability of VEGF-B to induce angiogenesis in most tissues is weak. This has been a puzzle, as the related placenta growth factor (PlGF) binds to the same receptors and induces angiogenesis and arteriogenesis in a variety of tissues. However, it seems that VEGF-B is a vascular growth factor that is more tissue specific and can have trophic and metabolic effects, and its binding to VEGFR-1 shows subtle but important differences compared with that of PlGF. VEGF-B has the potential to induce coronary vessel growth and cardiac hypertrophy, which can protect the heart from ischemic damage as well as heart failure. In addition, VEGF-B is abundantly expressed in tissues with highly active energy metabolism, where it could support significant metabolic functions. VEGF-B also has a role in neuroprotection, but unlike other members of the VEGF family, it does not have a clear role in tumor progression. Here we review what is hitherto known about the functions of this growth factor in physiology and disease.
Selenoproteins: Molecular Pathways and Physiological Roles
Authors: Labunskyy Vyacheslav M. , Hatfield Dolph L. , Gladyshev Vadim N.
Published: July 2014

Selenium is an essential micronutrient with important functions in human health and relevance to several pathophysiological conditions. The biological effects of selenium are largely mediated by selenium-containing proteins (selenoproteins) that are present in all three domains of life. Although selenoproteins represent diverse molecular pathways and biological functions, all these proteins contain at least one selenocysteine (Sec), a selenium-containing amino acid, and most serve oxidoreductase functions. Sec is cotranslationally inserted into nascent polypeptide chains in response to the UGA codon, whose normal function is to terminate translation. To decode UGA as Sec, organisms evolved the Sec insertion machinery that allows incorporation of this amino acid at specific UGA codons in a process requiring a cis-acting Sec insertion sequence (SECIS) element. Although the basic mechanisms of Sec synthesis and insertion into proteins in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes have been studied in great detail, the identity and functions of many selenoproteins remain largely unknown. In the last decade, there has been significant progress in characterizing selenoproteins and selenoproteomes and understanding their physiological functions. We discuss current knowledge about how these unique proteins perform their functions at the molecular level and highlight new insights into the roles that selenoproteins play in human health.
Local Fractional Adomian Decomposition and Function Decomposition Methods for Laplace Equation within Local Fractional Operators
Authors: Yan Sheng-Ping , Jafari Hossein , Jassim Hassan Kamil
Published: July 2014

We perform a comparison between the local fractional Adomian decomposition and local fractional function decomposition methods applied to the Laplace equation. The operators are taken in the local sense. The results illustrate the significant features of the two methods which are both very effective and straightforward for solving the differential equations with local fractional derivative.
Cerebellar Dysfunction in a Patient with HIV
Authors: Gonzalez-Ibarra Fernando , Abdul Waheed , Eivaz-Mohammadi Sahar , Foscue Christopher , Gongireddy Srinivas , Syed Amer
Published: July 2014

A 50-year-old AIDS patient with a CD4 T-cell count of 114/mm3was admitted with cerebellar symptoms of left CN XI weakness, wide-based gait with left-sided dysmetria, abnormal heel-knee-shin test, and dysdiadochokinesia. MRI showed region of hyperintensity in the left inferior cerebellar hemisphere involving the cortex and underlying white matter. Serological tests for HSV1, HSV2, and syphilis were negative. Her CSF contained high protein content and a WBC of 71/mm3, predominantly lymphocytes. The CSF was also negative for cryptococcal antigen and VDRL. CSF culture did not grow microbes. CSF PCR assay was negative for HSV1 and HSV2 but was positive for JC virus (1,276 copies). The most likely diagnosis is granule cell neuronopathy (GCN), which can only be definitively confirmed with biopsy and immunohistochemistry.
Regularity Criterion for the Nematic Liquid Crystal Flows in Terms of Velocity
Authors: Wei Ruiying , Yao Zheng-an , Li Yin
Published: July 2014

We study the regularity criterion for the 3D nematic liquid crystal flows in the framework of anisotropic Lebesgue space. More precisely, we proved some sufficient conditions in terms of velocity or the fractional derivative of velocity in one direction.
Improvement of Porous GaAs (100) Structure through Electrochemical Etching Based on DMF Solution
Authors: Md Taib Muhamad Ikram , Zainal Norzaini , Hassan Zainuriah
Published: July 2014

We report on the fabrication of porous GaAs (100) using three different acids, H2SO4, HF, and HCl, diluted in DMF based solutions. The mixture of H2SO4 with DMF showed the best porous structures in comparison to other acids. The concentration of the DMF solution was then varied for a fixed concentration of H2SO4. It was apparent that the different concentration of the DMF solvent gave different types of morphology of the porous GaAs. Furthermore, a higher current density improved the uniformity of the pores distribution. The best porous GaAs exhibited well‐defined circular shaped pores with high uniformity. To the best of our knowledge, such structure produced in such manner has never been reported so far. Finally, the optimum etching conditions of the pores were proposed.
Whole Exome Sequencing Reveals Genetic Predisposition in a Large Family with Retinitis Pigmentosa
Authors: Wu Juan , Chen Lijia , Tam Oi Sin , Huang Xiu-Feng , Pang Chi-Pui , Jin Zi-Bing
Published: July 2014

Next-generation sequencing has become more widely used to reveal genetic defect in monogenic disorders. Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the leading cause of hereditary blindness worldwide, has been attributed to more than 67 disease-causing genes. Due to the extreme genetic heterogeneity, using general molecular screening alone is inadequate for identifying genetic predispositions in susceptible individuals. In order to identify underlying mutation rapidly, we utilized next-generation sequencing in a four-generation Chinese family with RP. Two affected patients and an unaffected sibling were subjected to whole exome sequencing. Through bioinformatics analysis and direct sequencing confirmation, we identified p.R135W transition in the rhodopsin gene. The mutation was subsequently confirmed to cosegregate with the disease in the family. In this study, our results suggest that whole exome sequencing is a robust method in diagnosing familial hereditary disease.
A New Numerical Algorithm for Two-Point Boundary Value Problems
Authors: Guo Lihua , Wu Boying , Zhang Dazhi
Published: July 2014

We present a new numerical algorithm for two-point boundary value problems. We first present the exact solution in the form of series and then prove that then-term numerical solution converges uniformly to the exact solution. Furthermore, we establish the numerical stability and error analysis. The numerical results show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm.
A Rare Case of Metastatic Malignant Melanoma to the Colon from an Unknown Primary
Authors: Reddy Preethi , Walker Courtney , Afonso Bianca
Published: July 2014

Metastatic melanoma from an unknown primary (MUP) is rare; its occurrence in the gastrointestinal tract is of exceedingly low prevalence. We report a case of a 73-year-old man with metastatic malignant melanoma to the colon from an unknown primary. The rarity of MUP and importance of screening for gastrointestinal metastasis in patients with malignant melanoma are discussed along with the role of surgical resection in improving prognosis and overall survival.
Mates of Competitive Females: The Relationships between Female Aggression, Mate Quality, and Parental Care
Authors: Cain Kristal E.
Published: July 2014

Though rarely mate-limited, females in a wide variety of species express traits commonly associated with mate competition in males. Recent research has shown that these competitive traits (ornaments, armaments, and intense aggression) often function in the context of female-female competition for nonsexual reproductive resources and are often positively related to reproductive success. Increased success could occur because competitive females acquire limited ecological resources (nest sites, territories, etc.) or because they pair with high quality males, that is, older, more ornamented, or more parental males. Further, males paired with aggressive/low care females may compensate by increasing their paternal efforts. Here, I examined patterns of social pairing and parental care in free-living dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), a biparental songbird. I found no detectable relationship between female competitive behavior (aggression) and male quality (age, size, or ornamentation) or male provisioning. Thus, neither of the mate choice hypotheses (females compete for males or males prefer aggressive females) was supported. Instead, these results suggest that females compete for nonsexual resources and mate quality is a secondary consideration. I also found a negative relationship between male and female provisioning rates, suggesting that partners adjust their level of parental effort in response to their partner’s efforts.
A Peripheral Ameloblastic Fibro-Odontoma in a 3-Year-Old Girl: Case Report, Immunohistochemical Analysis, and Literature Review
Authors: Lin Yi-Chun , Hsu Hsiu-Ming , Liu Chiang-Shin , Yuan Kuo
Published: July 2014

Ameloblastic fibro-odontoma (AFO) predominantly occurs in the jaw bones of children and young adults. Extraosseous AFO is extremely rare. We describe a peripheral ameloblastic fibro-odontoma in the maxillary gingiva of a 3-year-old girl. The clinical appearance resembled fiery red reactive gingival lesions. The histopathological examination of the excised lesion showed small islands and cords of odontogenic epithelium with cellular myxoid stroma in the subepithelial tissue. The mass contained calcified material and an enamel-like deposit. Many small blood vessels appeared in the connective tissue surrounding the odontogenic epithelium. The immunohistochemical assays showed strong reactivity for amelogenin,β-catenin, CD44, and CD31 in the tissue sections. There was no recurrence after the 1-year follow-up. Because this lesion clinically resembles other nonneoplastic lesions and is very rare in gingiva, establishing a correct diagnosis is achieved only based on specific histological characteristics. Conservative excision of the tumor is the treatment of choice.
Morphological and Photosynthetic Response to High and Low Irradiance ofAeschynanthus longicaulis
Authors: Li Qiansheng , Deng Min , Xiong Yanshi , Coombes Allen , Zhao Wei
Published: July 2014

Aeschynanthus longicaulisplants are understory plants in the forest, adapting to low light conditions in their native habitats. To observe the effects of the high irradiance on growth and physiology, plants were grown under two different light levels, PPFD 650 μmol·m–2·s–1and 150 μmol·m–2·s–1for 6 months. Plants under high irradiance had significantly thicker leaves with smaller leaf area, length, width, and perimeter compared to the plants grown under low irradiance. Under high irradiance, the leaf color turned yellowish and the total chlorophyll decreased from 5.081 mg·dm−2to 3.367 mg·dm−2. The anthocyanin content of high irradiance leaves was double that of those under low irradiance. The plants under high irradiance had significantly lower Amax(5.69 μmol·m–2·s–1) and LSP (367 μmol·m–2·s–1) and higher LCP (21.9 μmol·m–2·s–1). The chlorophyll fluorescence parameterFv/Fmwas significantly lower and NPQ was significantly higher in high irradiance plants. RLCs showed significantly lowerETRmax⁡andEkin plants under high irradiance. It can be concluded that the maximum PPFD of 650 μmol·m–2·s–1led to significant light stress and photoinhibition ofA. longicaulis.
Biomechanical Assessment of a Patient-Specific Knee Implant Design Using Finite Element Method
Authors: Rong Qiguo , Bai Jianfeng , Huang Yongling , Lin Jianhao
Published: July 2014

Rheumatoid arthritis is the leading cause of disability in young adults. Total knee arthroplasty has been successfully used to restore the joint function. Due to small bone size, osteoporosis, and severe soft tissue disease, standard knee implant sometimes cannot be directly applied clinically and patient-specific designs may be a more rational choice. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical behavior of a patient-specific knee implant. A three-dimensional finite element of total knee arthroplasty was developed. The mechanical strength and the wear damage of the articular surfaces were analyzed. The results show that there exist high risks of component fracture and wear damage; the proposed implant design should be abandoned. The presurgery analysis is helpful in avoiding the potential failure.
Customized Polymethyl Methacrylate Implants for the Reconstruction of Craniofacial Osseous Defects
Authors: Fernandes da Silva André Luis , Borba Alexandre Meireles , Simão Niverso Rodrigues , Pedro Fábio Luis Miranda , Borges Alvaro Henrique , Miloro Michael
Published: July 2014

Craniofacial defects represent alterations in the anatomy and morphology of the cranial vault and the facial bones that potentially affect an individual’s psychological and social well-being. Although a variety of techniques and restorative procedures have been described for the reconstruction of the affected area, polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), a biocompatible and nondegradable acrylic resin-based implant, is the most widely used alloplastic material for such craniomaxillofacial reconstruction. The aim of this study was to describe a technique for aesthetic and functional preoperative customized reconstruction of craniofacial bone defects from a small series of patients offered by the Brazilian public health system. Three adult male patients attended consultation with chief complaints directly related to their individual craniofacial bone defects. With the aid of multislice computed tomography scans and subsequent fabrication of the three-dimensional craniofacial prototype, custom-made PMMA implants were fabricated preoperatively. Under general anesthesia, with access to the craniofacial defects with a coronal approach, the PMMA implants were adapted and fixated to the facial skeleton with titanium plates and screws. Postoperative evaluation demonstrated uneventful recovery and an excellent aesthetic result. Customized prefabricated PMMA implants manufactured over the rapid prototyping models proved to be effective and feasible.
Synchronization of Coupled Different Chaotic FitzHugh-Nagumo Neurons with Unknown Parameters under Communication-Direction-Dependent Coupling
Authors: Iqbal Muhammad , Rehan Muhammad , Khaliq Abdul , Rehman Saeed-ur- , Hong Keum-Shik
Published: July 2014

This paper investigates the chaotic behavior and synchronization of two different coupled chaotic FitzHugh-Nagumo (FHN) neurons with unknown parameters under external electrical stimulation (EES). The coupled FHN neurons of different parameters admit unidirectional and bidirectional gap junctions in the medium between them. Dynamical properties, such as the increase in synchronization error as a consequence of the deviation of neuronal parameters for unlike neurons, the effect of difference in coupling strengths caused by the unidirectional gap junctions, and the impact of large time-delay due to separation of neurons, are studied in exploring the behavior of the coupled system. A novel integral-based nonlinear adaptive control scheme, to cope with the infeasibility of the recovery variable, for synchronization of two coupled delayed chaotic FHN neurons of different and unknown parameters under uncertain EES is derived. Further, to guarantee robust synchronization of different neurons against disturbances, the proposed control methodology is modified to achieve the uniformly ultimately bounded synchronization. The parametric estimation errors can be reduced by selecting suitable control parameters. The effectiveness of the proposed control scheme is illustrated via numerical simulations.
Effect of Health Education on Willingness to Undergo HIV Screening among Antenatal Attendees in a Teaching Hospital in North Central Nigeria
Authors: Sekoni O. O. , Aderibigbe S. A. , Akande T. M.
Published: July 2014

Background.Testing for HIV during pregnancy provides a useful opportunity to institute treatment for HIV as required as well as protect the unborn baby. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of health education on the willingness of antenatal attendees to be screened for HIV.Methods. This was a quasiexperimental study involving the sequential enrolment of 122 pregnant women attending antenatal care who were at a gestational age of between 13 and 28 weeks for the study group and subsequent enrolment of the same one month after for the control. Two-stage analysis was done with the use of descriptive statistics and bivariate analysis. Level of significance was set at 5%.Results. Mean age of the study respondents was 27.6 ± 4.6 years while that of the control was 27.5 ± 4.8 years. Majority of the respondents were married in both study, 88 (72.7%), and control groups 84 (72.4%), 76.1% of the study group and 79.3% of the control group had at least secondary education, and 39.7% of the study group and 37.9% of the control group were primigravidae. Before intervention, 88.4% of the study group and 88.8% of the control group were willing to undergo voluntary HIV screening. There was an increase in this number after intervention (P<0.05). Age, education, occupation, marital status, and parity were not significantly associated with a willingness to be screened for HIV before and after intervention among the study or control groups.Conclusion. Health education as a strategy to enhance voluntary counseling and testing uptake in antenatal settings is advocated.
Radiation Absorbed Dose to the Basal Ganglia from Dopamine Transporter Radioligand18F-FPCIT
Authors: Robeson William , Dhawan Vijay , Ma Yilong , Bjelke David , Margouleff Claude , Chaly Thomas , Eidelberg David
Published: July 2014

Our previous dosimetry studies have demonstrated that for dopaminergic radiotracers,18F-FDOPA and18F-FPCIT, the urinary bladder is the critical organ. As these tracers accumulate in the basal ganglia (BG) with high affinity and long residence times, radiation dose to the BG may become significant, especially in normal control subjects. We have performed dynamic PET measurements using18F-FPCIT in 16 normal adult subjects to determine if in fact the BG, although not a whole organ, but a well-defined substructure, receives the highest dose. Regions of interest were drawn over left and right BG structures. Resultant time-activity curves were generated and used to determine residence times for dosimetry calculations.S-factors were computed using the MIRDOSE3 nodule model for each caudate and putamen. For18F-FPCIT, BG dose ranged from 0.029 to 0.069 mGy/MBq. In half of all subjects, BG dose exceeded 85% of the published critical organ (bladder) dose, and in three of those, the BG dose exceeded that for the bladder. The BG can become the dose-limiting organ in studies using dopamine transporter ligands. For some normal subjects studied with F-18 or long half-life radionuclide, the BG may exceed bladder dose and become the critical structure.
Subclinical Mastitis in Dairy Animals: Incidence, Economics, and Predisposing Factors
Authors: Sinha Mukesh Kr. , Thombare N. N. , Mondal Biswajit
Published: July 2014

A study was conducted to assess the incidence and economics of subclinical form of bovine mastitis in Central Region of India. Daily milk records of 187 animals during three seasons were collected and subjected to analysis. The economic loss due to reduction in yield, clinical expenses, and additional resources used were quantified and aggregated. The losses due to mastitis in monetary terms were estimated to be INR1390 per lactation, among which around 49% was owing to loss of value from milk and 37% on account of veterinary expenses. Higher losses were observed in crossbred cows due to their high production potential that was affected during mastitis period. The cost of treating an animal was estimated to be INR509 which includes cost of medicine (31.10%) and services (5.47%). Inadequate sanitation, hygiene, and veterinary services were the main predisposing factors for incidence and spread of mastitis as perceived by the respondents.
A Novel Hybrid Model for Short-Term Forecasting in PV Power Generation
Authors: Wu Yuan-Kang , Chen Chao-Rong , Abdul Rahman Hasimah
Published: July 2014

The increasing use of solar power as a source of electricity has led to increased interest in forecasting its power output over short-time horizons. Short-term forecasts are needed for operational planning, switching sources, programming backup, reserve usage, and peak load matching. However, the output of a photovoltaic (PV) system is influenced by irradiation, cloud cover, and other weather conditions. These factors make it difficult to conduct short-term PV output forecasting. In this paper, an experimental database of solar power output, solar irradiance, air, and module temperature data has been utilized. It includes data from the Green Energy Office Building in Malaysia, the Taichung Thermal Plant of Taipower, and National Penghu University. Based on the historical PV power and weather data provided in the experiment, all factors that influence photovoltaic-generated energy are discussed. Moreover, five types of forecasting modules were developed and utilized to predict the one-hour-ahead PV output. They include the ARIMA, SVM, ANN, ANFIS, and the combination models using GA algorithm. Forecasting results show the high precision and efficiency of this combination model. Therefore, the proposed model is suitable for ensuring the stable operation of a photovoltaic generation system.
Response of Rice Genotypes to Weed Competition in Dry Direct-Seeded Rice in India
Authors: Mahajan Gulshan , Ramesha Mugalodi S. , Chauhan Bhagirath S.
Published: July 2014

The differential weed-competitive abilities of eight rice genotypes and the traits that may confer such attributes were investigated under partial weedy and weed-free conditions in naturally occurring weed flora in dry direct-seeded rice during the rainy seasons of 2011 and 2012 at Ludhiana, Punjab, India. The results showed genotypic differences in competitiveness against weeds. In weed-free plots, grain yield varied from 6.6 to 8.9 t ha−1across different genotypes; it was lowest for PR-115 and highest for the hybrid H-97158. In partial weedy plots, grain yield and weed biomass at flowering varied from 3.6 to 6.7 t ha−1and from 174 to 419 g m−2, respectively. In partial weedy plots, grain yield was lowest for PR-115 and highest for PR-120. Average yield loss due to weed competition ranged from 21 to 46% in different rice genotypes. The study showed that early canopy closure, high leaf area index at early stage, and high root biomass and volume correlated positively with competitiveness. This study suggests that some traits (root biomass, leaf area index, and shoot biomass at the early stage) could play an important role in conferring weed competitiveness and these traits can be explored for dry-seeded rice.
Diagnosis, Treatment, and Outcome in Patients with Bleeding Peptic Ulcers andHelicobacter pyloriInfections
Authors: Huang Ting-Chun , Lee Chia-Long
Published: July 2014

Upper gastrointestinal (UGI) bleeding is the most frequently encountered complication of peptic ulcer disease.Helicobacter pylori(Hp) infection and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) administration are two independent risk factors for UGI bleeding. Therefore, testing for and diagnosingHpinfection are essential for every patient with UGI hemorrhage. The presence of the infection is usually underestimated in cases of bleeding peptic ulcers. A rapid urease test (RUT), with or without histology, is usually the first test performed during endoscopy. If the initial diagnostic test is negative, a delayed13C-urea breath test (UBT) or serology should be performed. Once an infection is diagnosed, antibiotic treatment is advocated. Sufficient evidence supports the concept thatHpinfection eradication can heal the ulcer and reduce the likelihood of rebleeding. With increased awareness of the effects ofHpinfection, the etiologies of bleeding peptic ulcers have shifted to NSAID use, old age, and disease comorbidity.
The EH Interpolation Spline and Its Approximation
Authors: Xie Jin , Liu Xiaoyan
Published: July 2014

A new interpolation spline with two parameters, called EH interpolation spline, is presented in this paper, which is the extension of the standard cubic Hermite interpolation spline, and inherits the same properties of the standard cubic Hermite interpolation spline. Given the fixed interpolation conditions, the shape of the proposed splines can be adjusted by changing the values of the parameters. Also, the introduced spline could approximate to the interpolated function better than the standard cubic Hermite interpolation spline and the quartic Hermite interpolation splines with single parameter by a new algorithm.
A CT Reconstruction Algorithm Based on Non-Aliasing Contourlet Transform and Compressive Sensing
Authors: Deng Lu-zhen , Feng Peng , Chen Mian-yi , He Peng , Vo Quang-sang , Wei Biao
Published: July 2014

Compressive sensing (CS) theory has great potential for reconstructing CT images from sparse-views projection data. Currently, total variation (TV-) based CT reconstruction method is a hot research point in medical CT field, which uses the gradient operator as the sparse representation approach during the iteration process. However, the images reconstructed by this method often suffer the smoothing problem; to improve the quality of reconstructed images, this paper proposed a hybrid reconstruction method combining TV and non-aliasing Contourlet transform (NACT) and using the Split-Bregman method to solve the optimization problem. Finally, the simulation results show that the proposed algorithm can reconstruct high-quality CT images from few-views projection using less iteration numbers, which is more effective in suppressing noise and artefacts than algebraic reconstruction technique (ART) and TV-based reconstruction method.
Differing Tales of Two Patients after Receiving a Kidney Transplant from a Donor with Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation
Authors: Kadambi Pradeep V. , Gamilla-Crudo Ann K. , Almiani Mohammad , Josephson Michelle A. , Chon W. James
Published: July 2014

In order to decrease the time on the deceased donor kidney wait list and to have more organs available, criteria for acceptable organs for transplant could be made less stringent. There are reports of successful recipient outcomes using kidney donors presenting with disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). We report a unique circumstance where two patients received kidneys from the same deceased donor who had DIC; one patient developed thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) while the other did not. This difference in outcome may indicate that both donor and recipient factors contribute to the development of posttransplant TMA.
Bifurcated SEN with Fluid Flow Conditioners
Authors: Rivera-Perez F. , Real-Ramirez C. , Miranda-Tello R. , Hernandez-Santoyo R. , Cervantes-de la Torre F. , Gonzalez-Trejo J.
Published: July 2014

This work evaluates the performance of a novel design for a bifurcated submerged entry nozzle (SEN) used for the continuous casting of steel slabs. The proposed design incorporates fluid flow conditioners attached on SEN external wall. The fluid flow conditioners impose a pseudosymmetric pattern in the upper zone of the mold by inhibiting the fluid exchange between the zones created by conditioners. The performance of the SEN with fluid flow conditioners is analyzed through numerical simulations using the CFD technique. Numerical results were validated by means of physical simulations conducted on a scaled cold water model. Numerical and physical simulations confirmed that the performance of the proposed SEN is superior to a traditional one. Fluid flow conditioners reduce the liquid free surface fluctuations and minimize the occurrence of vortexes at the free surface.
Neuronal Differentiation of Adipose Derived Stem Cells: Progress So Far
Authors: Moore T. J. , Abrahamse Heidi
Published: July 2014

The nervous system is essential for normal physiological function of all systems within the human body. Unfortunately the nervous system has a limited capacity for self-repair and there are a plethora of disorders, diseases, and types of trauma that affect the central and peripheral nervous systems; however, current treatment modalities are unable to remedy them. Stem cell therapy using easily accessible mesenchymal stem cells, such as those found in the adipose stroma, has come to the fore in a number of biomedical disciplines as a potential therapeutic regime. In addition to substantial research already having been conducted on thein vitrodifferentiation of stem cells for the treatment of neurological repair, numerous strategies for the induction and culture of stem cells into terminal neural lineages have also been developed. However, none of these strategies have yet been able to produce a fully functional descendent suitable for use in stem cell therapy. Due to the positive effects that low level laser irradiation has shown in stem cell studies to date, we propose that it could enhance the processes involved in the differentiation of adipose derived stem cells into neuronal lineages.