bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Subacromial impingement syndrome—effectiveness of physiotherapy and manual therapy
Authors: Gebremariam Lukas , Hay Elaine M , van der Sande Renske , Rinkel Willem D , Koes Bart W , Huisstede Bionka M A
Published: November 2013

Background

The subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) includes the rotator cuff syndrome, tendonitis and bursitis of the shoulder. Treatment includes surgical and non-surgical modalities. Non-surgical treatment is used to reduce pain, to decrease the subacromial inflammation, to heal the compromised rotator cuff and to restore satisfactory function of the shoulder. To select the most appropriate non-surgical intervention and to identify gaps in scientific knowledge, we explored the effectiveness of the interventions used, concentrating on the effectiveness of physiotherapy and manual therapy.

Methods

The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, PEDro and CINAHL were searched for relevant systematic reviews and randomised clinical trials (RCTs). Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed the methodological quality. A best-evidence synthesis was used to summarise the results.

Results

Two reviews and 10 RCTs were included. One RCT studied manual therapy as an add-on therapy to self-training. All other studies studied the effect of physiotherapy: effectiveness of exercise therapy, mobilisation as an add-on therapy to exercises, ultrasound, laser and pulsed electromagnetic field. Moderate evidence was found for the effectiveness of hyperthermia compared to exercise therapy or ultrasound in the short term. Hyperthermia and exercise therapy were more effective in comparison to controls or placebo in the short term (moderate evidence). For the effectiveness of hyperthermia, no midterm or long-term results were studied. In the midterm, exercise therapy gave the best results (moderate evidence) compared to placebo or controls. For other interventions, conflicting, limited or no evidence was found.

Conclusions

Some physiotherapeutic treatments seem to be promising (moderate evidence) to treat SIS, but more research is needed before firm conclusions can be drawn.
Trends in serum lipids among 5th grade CARDIAC participants, 2002–2012
Authors: Lilly Christa L , Gebremariam Yohannes Daffo , Cottrell Lesley , John Collin , Neal William
Published: November 2013

Background

Studies have shown that serum low-density lipoprotein (LDL-C) and non-high-density lipoprotein (non-HDL-C) have recently declined in the USA among adult and child populations despite high obesity prevalence rates. The purpose of this study was to assess whether there was a significant linear decrease in LDL-C and non-HDL-C, but not Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile among a cross-sectional, large, homogenous cohort with consistent methodology over the past decade.

Methods

A total of 47 198 children, mostly between 10 and 11 years old, participating between 2002 and 2012 were examined to assess trends in serum lipid concentration and BMI percentile.

Results

For LDL-C, year of screening was significant (p<0.0001) even with the inclusion of gender, age and BMI (all p<0.0001). For non-HDL-C, year of screening was also significant (p<0.0001), even with the inclusion of gender (p=0.0445), age (p<0.0001), BMI (p<0.0001) and systolic blood pressure (p=0.0021). Although some non-linear trends were also significant (eg, a quartic trend, p<0.001), the linear trend provided the best fit for both cholesterol models. By comparison, we noted general maintenance of BMI percentile over time.

Conclusions

Between 2002 and 2012, among 5th grade Appalachian children, there was a consistent linear decrease in LDL-C and non-HDL-C despite continued high prevalence rates of obesity, diabetes and hypertension. The improvement in LDL-C and non-HDL-C could be due to multifactorial causes.
Propofol with ketamine following sedation with xylazine for routine induction of general anaesthesia in horses
Authors: Posner L. P. , Kasten J. I. , Kata C.
Published: November 2013

To document the suitability of intravenous propofol and ketamine following sedation with xylazine for routine anaesthetic induction in horses. Retrospective. 100 client‐owned horses. Anaesthetic records were evaluated to determine: signalment, anaesthetic drug and dosages, need for additional induction agents, notation of any adverse events, duration of anaesthesia and recovery characteristics (rough or smooth, and rapid or prolonged). Horses were sedated with xylazine 0.99±(0.2) mg/kg intravenous and 23 horses were also administered butorphanol 0.02±(0.001) mg/kg intravenous. Horses were anaesthetised with a combination of propofol 0.40±(0.1) mg/kg intravenous and ketamine 2.8±(0.3) mg/kg intravenous. Six horses required additional ketamine. None became apnoeic and no adverse events were noted. Anaesthesia was maintained with isoflurane in 66 horses and a combination of guaifenesin, ketamine and xylazine (GKX) in 34 horses. Total anaesthesia time was 125.4±(46) minutes. Fifty‐one horses were administered romifidine 0.016 (±0.008) mg/kg intravenous at recovery. Time from orotracheal extubation to standing was 27.6±(25) minutes. Of the 58 records with recovery characteristics, the number per category was: rapid n=6, prolonged n=3, smooth n=46, rough n=6. Intravenous propofol and ketamine following xylazine provided satisfactory anaesthetic inductions and recoveries in a varied population of horses without any clinically relevant adverse events.
Effects of the construction sequence of twin tunnels at different depths on an existing pile
Authors: Ng C.W.W. , Lu H.
Published: November 2013

Any tunnelling process inevitably induces changes in stress in the ground and may adversely affect nearby pile foundations. The interaction between tunnelling and an existing pile has been investigated by researchers and a certain amount of fundamental understanding has been gained. However, the effects of different tunnel excavation sequences on an adjacent pile remain to be understood. In this paper, a series of three-dimensional centrifuge model tests and numerical back-analyses were carried out to investigate the effects of construction sequence of twin tunnels on an existing pile in dry sand. Two tunnelling sequences were investigated: (i) a sequence involving tunnelling near the pile toe followed by tunnelling near the mid-depth of the pile shaft (i.e., test TS); (ii) sequence involving tunnelling near the mid-depth of the pile shaft followed by tunnelling near the pile toe (i.e., test ST). The measured cumulative pile settlement was about 33% larger for tunnelling sequence ST than for tunnelling sequence TS. Due to different tunnelling sequences, the apparent losses of pile capacity were 40% and 29% for sequences ST and TS, respectively. Although the computed reductions in normal stress acting on the pile induced by twin tunnelling were almost the same in tests TS and ST, tunnelling near the pile toe induced a larger decrease in the end-bearing and shaft resistances at the lower part of the pile in test ST than in test TS. In contrast to the measured pile head settlements, different tunnelling sequences had a limited effect on measured ground surface settlements and additional bending moments in the pile.
Three-dimensional numerical analysis for rock slope stability using shear strength reduction method
Authors: Shen Jiayi , Karakus Murat
Published: November 2013

Existing numerical modeling of three-dimensional (3D) slopes is performed mainly by using the shear strength reduction (SSR) technique based on the linear Mohr–Coulomb (MC) criterion, whereas the nonlinear failure criterion for rock slope stability is seldom used in slope modeling. However, it is known that rock mass strength is a nonlinear stress function and that, therefore, the linear MC criterion does not agree with the rock mass failure envelope very well. In this research, a nonlinear SSR technique is proposed that can use the Hoek–Brown (HB) criterion to represent the nonlinear behavior of a rock mass in the FLAC3D program to analyze 3D slope stability. Extensive case studies are carried out to investigate the influence of the convergence criterion and boundary conditions on the 3D slope modeling. Results show that the convergence criterion used in the 3D model plays an important role, not only in terms of calculation of the factor of safety (FOS), but also in terms of the shape of the failure surface. The case studies also demonstrate that the value of the FOS for a given slope will be significantly influenced by the boundary condition when the slope angle is less than 50°.
CODE-SPECIFIC LEARNING RULES IMPROVE ACTION SELECTION BY POPULATIONS OF SPIKING NEURONS
Authors: FRIEDRICH JOHANNES , URBANCZIK ROBERT , SENN WALTER
Published: November 2013

Population coding is widely regarded as a key mechanism for achieving reliable behavioral decisions. We previously introduced reinforcement learning for population-based decision making by spiking neurons. Here we generalize population reinforcement learning to spike-based plasticity rules that take account of the postsynaptic neural code. We consider spike/no-spike, spike count and spike latency codes. The multi-valued and continuous-valued features in the postsynaptic code allow for a generalization of binary decision making to multi-valued decision making and continuous-valued action selection. We show that code-specific learning rules speed up learning both for the discrete classification and the continuous regression tasks. The suggested learning rules also speed up with increasing population size as opposed to standard reinforcement learning rules. Continuous action selection is further shown to explain realistic learning speeds in the Morris water maze. Finally, we introduce the concept of action perturbation as opposed to the classical weight- or node-perturbation as an exploration mechanism underlying reinforcement learning. Exploration in the action space greatly increases the speed of learning as compared to exploration in the neuron or weight space.
INEQUALITIES FOR CHARACTERISTIC NUMBERS OF FLAGS OF DISTRIBUTIONS AND FOLIATIONS
Authors: CORRÊA MAURÍCIO , SOARES MÁRCIO G.
Published: November 2013

We prove inequalities relating the degrees of holomorphic distributions and of holomorphic foliations forming a flag on [Formula: see text]. The search for such inequalities is motivated by the so-called Poincaré problem for foliations and also by a question raised by M. Brunella and A. Lins Neto.
A MODIFIED FULL-NEWTON STEP INFEASIBLE INTERIOR-POINT ALGORITHM FOR LINEAR OPTIMIZATION
Authors: KHEIRFAM B. , AHMADI K. , HASANI F.
Published: November 2013

We present a full-Newton step infeasible interior-point algorithm based on a new search direction. The algorithm decreases the duality gap and the feasibility residuals at the same rate. During this algorithm we construct strictly feasible iterates for a sequence of perturbations of the given problem and its dual problem. Each main iteration of the algorithm consists of a feasibility step and some centering steps. We show that the algorithm converges and finds an approximate solution in a polynomial time complexity. A numerical study is done for its numerical performance.
SPATIAL SCHEDULING AND WORKFORCE ASSIGNMENT PROBLEM IN BLOCK ASSEMBLY SHOP OF SHIPBUILDING
Authors: TAO NING-RONG , JIANG ZU-HUA , ZHEN LU
Published: November 2013

For shipbuilding, spatial scheduling and workforce assignment are two important issues for the operation management in block assembly shops. Spatial scheduling is to decide where and when to assemble blocks, while workforce assignment is to assign working teams to the blocks. Traditionally, they are made separately at different levels in the production management framework. The combining of such decisions presents additional complexity and new problems. This paper proposes an approach that solves jointly the spatial scheduling problem and the workforce assignment problem. The objective is to improve the coordination among working teams and increase the productivity of assembly shops. A spatial layout strategy is designed according to extreme point and deep bottom left strategies. By using genetic algorithm, a solution method is developed based on the spatial layout strategy and several assignment and sequence rules. Some computational experiments are conducted to evaluate the performance of the presented algorithm and compare it with other commonly used methods. Computational results validate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed algorithm.
COUNTING FINE GRADINGS ON MATRIX ALGEBRAS AND ON CLASSICAL SIMPLE LIE ALGEBRAS
Authors: KOCHETOV MIKHAIL , PARSONS NICHOLAS , SADOV SERGEY
Published: November 2013

Known classification results allow us to find the number of (equivalence classes of) fine gradings on matrix algebras and on classical simple Lie algebras over an algebraically closed field 𝔽 (assuming char 𝔽 ≠ 2 in the Lie case). The computation is easy for matrix algebras and especially for simple Lie algebras of type Br(the answer is just r + 1), but involves counting orbits of certain finite groups in the case of Series A, C and D. For X ∈ {A, C, D}, we determine the exact number of fine gradings, NX(r), on the simple Lie algebras of type Xrwith r ≤ 100 as well as the asymptotic behavior of the average, [Formula: see text], for large r. In particular, we prove that there exist positive constants b and c such that [Formula: see text]. The analogous average for matrix algebras Mn(𝔽) is proved to be a ln n + O(1) where a is an explicit constant depending on char 𝔽.
THE SCALAR KELLER–SEGEL MODEL ON NETWORKS
Authors: BORSCHE R. , GÖTTLICH S. , KLAR A. , SCHILLEN P.
Published: November 2013

In this work, we extend the one-dimensional Keller–Segel model for chemotaxis to general network topologies. We define appropriate coupling conditions ensuring the conservation of mass and show the existence and uniqueness of the solution. For our computational studies, we use a positive preserving first-order scheme satisfying a network CFL condition. Finally, we numerically validate the Keller–Segel network model and present results regarding special network geometries.
PEDESTRIAN FLOW MODELS WITH SLOWDOWN INTERACTIONS
Authors: CHERTOCK ALINA , KURGANOV ALEXANDER , POLIZZI ANTHONY , TIMOFEYEV ILYA
Published: November 2013

In this paper, we introduce and study one-dimensional models for the behavior of pedestrians in a narrow street or corridor. We begin at the microscopic level by formulating a stochastic cellular automata model with explicit rules for pedestrians moving in two opposite directions. Coarse-grained mesoscopic and macroscopic analogs are derived leading to the coupled system of PDEs for the density of the pedestrian traffic. The obtained first-order system of conservation laws is only conditionally hyperbolic. We also derive higher-order nonlinear diffusive corrections resulting in a parabolic macroscopic PDE model. Numerical experiments comparing and contrasting the behavior of the microscopic stochastic model and the resulting coarse-grained PDEs for various parameter settings and initial conditions are performed. These numerical experiments demonstrate that the nonlinear diffusion is essential for reproducing the behavior of the stochastic system in the nonhyperbolic regime.
ON HOW ENERGY CONSERVATION MIGHT PREVENT BLACK HOLE EXPLOSIONS AND VIOLATIONS OF THE THIRD LAW
Authors: TORRES R. , FAYOS F.
Published: November 2013

We claim that imposing energy conservation to the emission of Hawking radiation and to the modeling of black hole (BH) evaporation might prevent BH explosions as well as violations of the third law of BH thermodynamics. This is specifically shown for the general class of spherically symmetric quantum BHs described by an effective quantum vacuum invariant under boosts in the radial direction. No assumptions are made with regard to the specific framework from which the quantum BHs are derived.
A UNIFIED DARK ENERGY MODEL FROM A VANISHING SPEED OF SOUND WITH EMERGENT COSMOLOGICAL CONSTANT
Authors: LUONGO ORLANDO , QUEVEDO HERNANDO
Published: November 2013

The problem of the cosmic acceleration is here revisited by using the fact that the adiabatic speed of sound can be assumed to be negligible small. Within the context of general relativity, the total energy budget is recovered under the hypothesis of a vanishing speed of sound by assuming the existence of one fluid only. We find a cosmological model which reproduces the main results of the ΛCDM paradigm at late-times, showing an emergent cosmological constant, which is not at all related with the vacuum energy term. As a consequence, the model presented here behaves as a unified dark energy (DE) model.
AN ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESSING STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING TRIBOLOGICAL PERFORMANCE OF AISI 316 STAINLESS STEEL UNDER GREASE LUBRICATION
Authors: ZOU JIAOJUAN , LI MAOLIN , LIN NAIMING , ZHANG XIANGYU , QIN LIN , TANG BIN
Published: November 2013

In order to improve the tribological performance of AISI 316 stainless steel (316 SS) under grease lubrication, electrochemical processing was conducted on it to obtain a rough (surface texturing-like) surface by making use of the high sensitivity of austenitic stainless steel to pitting corrosion in Cl --rich environment. Numerous corrosion pits or micro-ditches acted as micro-reservoirs on the obtained surface. While the grease could offer consistent lubrication, and then improve the tribological performance of 316 SS. Tribological behaviors of raw 316 SS and the treated sample were measured using a reciprocating type tribometer sliding against GCr 15 steel counterpart under dry and grease lubrication conditions. The results showed that the mass losses of the two samples were in the same order of magnitude, and the raw sample exhibited lower friction coefficient in dry sliding. When the tests were conducted under grease lubrication condition, the friction coefficients and mass losses of the treated sample were far lower than those of the raw 316 SS. The tribological performance of 316 SS under grease lubrication was drastically improved after electrochemical processing.
The Influence of Insiders and Institutional Investors on Firm Performance
Authors: Ting Hsiu-I
Published: November 2013

Guided by the evidence that insiders and institutional investors are better informed, I comprehensively investigate the trading behavior and ownership of insiders and institutional investors in Taiwan in an attempt to differentiate between the two types of investors. Insiders gain profits from their filing of selling shareholdings and institutional investors acquire abnormal returns from block trades. Insider and institutional ownership both show positive effects on performance. Firms with high institutional ownership have higher performance, but not lower volatility. The results remain by considering the endogeneity issue and alternative measures of performance. These findings provide evidence that the efficient monitoring effect is more significant than the convergence of interest effect.
AUTOMATED MODEL CONSTRUCTION FOR SEISMIC DISASTER ASSESSMENT OF PIPELINE NETWORK OF LIFELINE
Authors: HORI M. , LALITH W. , TANAKA S. , ICHIMURA T.
Published: November 2013

This paper seeks to develop a module for automated model construction of a pipeline network using geographical information system (GIS) of lifeline, for the sake of more rational seismic disaster assessment. The module is assigned a functionality which enables to generate two types of analysis models, a simple 2D model and a 3D model with high fidelity for pipe configuration. The module is coded in an objective oriented programming, so that it is easier to be extended to generate other types of analysis models. The module is applied to actual GIS, and the configuration of the generated model is verified. As an example, numerical analysis is made for the automatically constructed models by using a commercial finite element method package, and it is shown that these models are mechanically consistent and can be used for seismic disaster assessment.
METHOD FOR ENGINE WAVEFORM ANALYSIS AND FAULT DIAGNOSIS BASED ON SFB AND HHT
Authors: JIANG SHUXIA , LUO YIPING , LIU YUANYUAN
Published: November 2013

Traditional engine waveform analysis in time-domain fails to perform an accurate fault diagnosis when the fault waveform is very close to the normal waveform in time domain. A novel engine waveform analysis method is presented. In this paper, the aim is to perform fault diagnosis efficiently under such circumstances. This method is proposed by combining a new technique, called sensitive frequency band (SFB) selection, with the developed Hilbert–Huang transform (HHT). This can alleviate "mode mixing" by removing noise from the engine waveforms and reveal the time–frequency characteristics for a signal by deriving its time–frequency spectrum (TFS) distribution. The method is then applied to analyze the engine injector-pulse-width waveforms, and it works well for signal noise reduction and fault diagnosis.
DEPLETION OF TUMOR-ASSOCIATED MACROPHAGES WITH CLODRONATE-LOADED PLGA NANOPARTICLES
Authors: SHARMA GAURAV , KARMALI PRIYA P. , SUGAHARA KAZUKI N. , XIE HUI , KOTAMRAJU VENKATA R. , RUOSLAHTI ERKKI , SMITH JEFFREY W.
Published: November 2013

Tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) play an important role in tumor progression and metastasis. In this study, we developed a TAM-targeting poly lactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA) nanoparticle (NP) that encapsulates a bisphosphonate drug, clodronate. Clodronate-loaded NPs killed macrophages more efficiently than the drug alone in vitro. The NPs functionalized with a TAM-targeting tissue-penetrating peptide, LyP-1, selectively accumulated in CD11b-positive (macrophage-rich) regions in mouse 4T1 breast tumor xenografts. Furthermore, clodronate-loaded LyP-1-functionalized NPs reduced the number of macrophages selectively in the 4T1 tumors, and modestly inhibited tumor growth. Our results support the idea that LyP-1-functionalized clodronate-loaded PLGA NPs could be a promising anti-tumor agent.
Engineered Nanoparticles Induce DNA Damage in Primary Human Skin Cells, Even at Low Doses
Authors: Romoser Amelia A. , Criscitiello Michael F. , Sayes Christie M.
Published: November 2013

It is well documented that various particulate matter — either incidental or engineered — are known to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in living cells. In circumstances where these reactive species are generated, antioxidant production is often increased. This balance in the biological reduction/oxidation (a.k.a. redox) state within the cell has not been thoroughly studied in exposures involving engineered nanoparticles. However, nanoparticle exposure has been postulated to induce a DNA damage cascade. In this study, we examined primary human dermal fibroblasts (HDF) exposed to three different, but commonly used engineered nanoparticles (i.e., cerium dioxide ( CeO 2), titanium dioxide ( TiO 2) and zinc oxide ( ZnO )) in an attempt to determine the potential DNA damaging effects through the analysis of ROS generation, relevant protein upregulation response and single and double DNA strand breaks. Cell death was most elevated with exposure to ZnO , followed by TiO 2 and CeO 2. ROS generation was measured at 1 h, 6 h and 24 h after exposure to particles via a cell-based DCFH-DA (2′, 7′-dichlorfluorescein-diacetate) assay and indicated that ZnO generated the most significant amount of ROS. ZnO also caused upregulation of oxidative stress protein, heme oxygenase-1 and phosphorylation of p38; whereas CeO 2 caused upregulation of superoxide dismutase. Results from the comet assay indicated that ZnO triggered significant DNA damage in cells at relatively low dosing concentrations (20 ppm). Immunocytochemistry with ZnO -treated cells revealed notable DNA double strand breaks evidenced by a marked increase in the presence of γ-H2AX foci. This finding was also indicated by western blot, as well as cell cycle arrest by the phosphorylation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1. These data suggest that the three particle-types induce different degrees of DNA damage. And, of the three particle-types tested, exposure to ZnO nanoparticles may cause the most significant DNA damage.
The study of stone for conservation purposes: Lecce stone (southern Italy)
Authors: Calia Angela , Laurenzi Tabasso Marisa , Maria Mecchi Anna , Quarta Giovanni
Published: November 2013

Lecce stone is a fine bio-calcarenite, widely used in the Salento region (southern Italy) as a constituent material of the large-scale built cultural heritage. This stone is affected by serious deterioration problems, such as alveolization and biological attack. The extensive conservation work carried out over the last few decades has promoted large-scale studies of various aspects related to the stone's characteristics, its resources, and associated decay and conservation problems.

The paper reviews the main features of ‘Lecce stone’, addressing the following points: distribution of the quarries, including quarrying and carving techniques; mineralogical–petrographical and physical–mechanical characteristics of the extracted materials; use of the stone from antiquity until modern times; morphology of decay and, most importantly, decay factors; conservation treatments (products, tools and techniques), with particular reference to case studies of Baroque monuments; and systematic monitoring of monuments treated in the last 20 years. Given the wide spectrum of activities conducted in connection with Lecce monuments, and the stone from which they are built, they may be regarded as a suitable model for the study and management of monumental heritage in terms of its preservation.
Health Mashups
Authors: Bentley Frank , Tollmar Konrad , Stephenson Peter , Levy Laura , Jones Brian , Robertson Scott , Price Ed , Catrambone Richard , Wilson Jeff
Published: November 2013

People now have access to many sources of data about their health and wellbeing. Yet, most people cannot wade through all of this data to answer basic questions about their long-term wellbeing: Do I gain weight when I have busy days? Do I walk more when I work in the city? Do I sleep better on nights after I work out?

We built the Health Mashups system to identify connections that are significant over time between weight, sleep, step count, calendar data, location, weather, pain, food intake, and mood. These significant observations are displayed in a mobile application using natural language, for example, “You are happier on days when you sleep more.” We performed a pilot study, made improvements to the system, and then conducted a 90-day trial with 60 diverse participants, learning that interactions between wellbeing and context are highly individual and that our system supported an increased self-understanding that lead to focused behavior changes.
Reviewing and Extending the Five-User Assumption
Authors: Borsci Simone , Macredie Robert D. , Barnett Julie , Martin Jennifer , Kuljis Jasna , Young Terry
Published: November 2013

The debate concerning how many participants represents a sufficient number for interaction testing is well-established and long-running, with prominent contributions arguing that five users provide a good benchmark when seeking to discover interaction problems. We argue that adoption of five users in this context is often done with little understanding of the basis for, or implications of, the decision. We present an analysis of relevant research to clarify the meaning of the five-user assumption and to examine the way in which the original research that suggested it has been applied. This includes its blind adoption and application in some studies, and complaints about its inadequacies in others. We argue that the five-user assumption is often misunderstood, not only in the field of Human-Computer Interaction, but also in fields such as medical device design, or in business and information applications. The analysis that we present allows us to define a systematic approach for monitoring the sample discovery likelihood, in formative and summative evaluations, and for gathering information in order to make critical decisions during the interaction testing, while respecting the aim of the evaluation and allotted budget. This approach -- which we call the
Grounded Procedure
-- is introduced and its value argued.
"TweetGenie: automatic age prediction from tweets" by D. Nguyen, R. Gravel, D. Trieschnigg, and T. Meder; with Ching-man Au Yeung as coordinator
Authors: Nguyen Dong , Gravel Rilana , Trieschnigg Dolf , Meder Theo
Published: November 2013

A person's language use reveals much about the person's social identity, which is based on the social categories a person belongs to including age and gender. We discuss the development of TweetGenie, a computer program that predicts the age of Twitter users based on their language use. We explore age prediction in three different ways: classifying users into age categories, by life stages, and predicting their exact age. An automatic system achieves better performance than humans on these tasks. Both humans and the automatic systems tend to underpredict the age of older people. We find that most linguistic changes occur when people are young, and that after around 30 years the studied variables show little change, making it difficult to predict the ages of older Twitter users.
Evaluating a Tool for Improving Accessibility to Charts and Graphs
Authors: Ferres Leo , Lindgaard Gitte , Sumegi Livia , Tsuji Bruce
Published: November 2013

This article reports a case study of the iterative design and evaluation of a natural language-driven assistive technology,
iGraph
-Lite, providing people who are blind access to line graphs. Two laboratory-based usability studies involving blind and sighted people are presented with a discussion of the ensuing implementation of changes. Blind participants were found to adopt different graph interrogation strategies than sighted participants. A small field study is then reported in which a blind user who works with graphs took part to determine the degree to which the
iGraph
-Lite commands would meet the needs of blind graph experts. The final study invited sighted graph experts and novices to visually inspect and explain a set of line graphs comparable to those used in the usability studies. It aimed to highlight the concepts and the range of words sighted people use, to ascertain the appropriateness of the
iGraph
-Lite lexicon. A set of preliminary guidelines is presented.
ACM HotMobile 2013 demo
Authors: Wee Tan Kiat , Okoshi Tadashi , Misra Archan , Balan Rajesh Krishna
Published: November 2013

In this demo, we present Focus , a system for effectively and efficiently reducing the power consumption of OLED displays. The key idea of Focus is that we can save display power by dimming the portions of the applications and games that are less important to the user using the notion of saliency. We explain the design considerations driving Focus followed by a description of the implementation and demo of Focus to support both Android applications and games. Focus can save, on average, between 23 and 35% of the OLED display power when applications are used.
ACM HotMobile 2013 demo
Authors: Al-Mutawa Mohammad , Mishra Shivakant
Published: November 2013

A key concern in utilizing external resources for mobile application execution is a potential loss of data privacy. User data needs to be shipped to possibly untrusted remote nodes for execution. We introduce the concept of data partitioning, where in the user can conveniently identify the sensitive parts of the data, which is then prevented from being shipped to untrusted remote servers.
ACM HotMobile 2013 poster
Authors: Terazono Kohei , Karasudani Akira , Iwata Satoshi , Matsumoto Tatsuro
Published: November 2013

Users employing smartphones typically combine multiple applications to perform their tasks. It would be possible to be recommended the appropriate applications by acquiring the contexts of users who perform such tasks. And the contexts are composed by the relationship of applications used in the tasks. We present an algorithm that extracts the relationship between applications that the user intentionally uses in combination. At the end of the paper, we report the results of verification tests conducted on this algorithm.
ACM HotMobile 2013 poster
Authors: Dey Sanorita , Roy Nirupam , Xu Wenyuan , Nelakuditi Srihari
Published: November 2013

Device fingerprinting, similar to that of humans, if done well, can provide a convenient form of identification. In this poster, we explore whether constituent hardware sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes of different smartphones can be exploited to fingerprint a smartphone. We observe that the readings of these sensors exhibit diverse features for different smartphones consistently when subjected to the same action.
ACM HotMobile 2013 poster
Authors: Zhang Ke , Pelechrinis Konstantinos , Krishnamurthy Prashant
Published: November 2013

The proliferation of location-based social networks (LBSNs) has offered many conveniences to their participants, such as place recommendation, tracking of friends, monetary rewards from venues visited and a cheap way of advertisement for local businesses. However, users can misuse the offered features and the major threat for the service providers is that of fake check-ins. Users can easily manipulate the localization module of the underlying application and declare their presence in a counterfeit location. The incentives for these behaviors can be both earning monetary rewards as well as virtual rewards. Therefore, while fake check-ins driven from the former motive can cause monetary losses, those aiming in virtual rewards are also harmful. In particular, they can significantly degrade the services offered from the LBSN providers or third parties that make use of these data. In this paper, we propose and analyze a honeypot venue-based solution to tag users who are generating fake spatial information.
Bugs and Bragging Rights
Authors: Neville-Neil George
Published: November 2013

Dear KV, I’ve been dealing with a large program written in Java that seems to spend most of its time asking me to restart it because it has run out of memory.
Assessment of a New E-Learning System on Thorax, Trachea, and Lung Ultrasound
Authors: Cuca Colleen , Scheiermann Patrick , Hempel Dorothea , Via Gabriele , Seibel Armin , Barth Magnus , Hirche Tim O. , Walcher Felix , Breitkreutz Raoul
Published: November 2013

Background. Lung ultrasound has become an emerging tool in acute and critical care medicine. Combined theoretical and hands-on training has been required to teach ultrasound diagnostics. Current computer technology allows for display, explanation, and animation of information in a remote-learning environment.Objective. Development and assessment of an e-learning program for lung ultrasound.Methods. An interactive online tutorial was created. A prospective learning success study was conducted with medical students using a multiple-choice test (Trial A). This e-learning program was used as preparation for a certified course followed by an evaluation of trained doctors (Trial B) by linear analogue scales. Pretests were compared with postcourse tests and sustainability tests as well as a posttest of a one-day custom classroom training.Results. In Trial A, during the learning success study (n=29), the increase of correct answers was 11.7 to 17/20 in the post-test and to 16.6/20 in the sustainability test (relative change 45.1%,P<0.0001). E-learning almost equalled scores of classroom-based training regarding gain and retention of factual knowledge. In Trial B, nineteen participating doctors found a 79.5% increase of knowledge (median, 95% CI: 69%; 88%).Conclusion. The basics of lung ultrasound can be taught in a highly effective manner using e-learning.
Symmetry Analysis and Exact Solutions to the Space-Dependent Coefficient PDEs in Finance
Authors: Liu Hanze
Published: November 2013

The variable-coefficients partial differential equations (vc-PDEs) in finance are investigated by Lie symmetry analysis and the generalized power series method. All of the geometric vector fields of the equations are obtained; the symmetry reductions and exact solutions to the equations are presented, including the exponentiated solutions and the similarity solutions. Furthermore, the exact analytic solutions are provided by the transformation technique and generalized power series method, which has shown that the combination of Lie symmetry analysis and the generalized power series method is a feasible approach to dealing with exact solutions to the variable-coefficients PDEs.
A Comparative Study between Optimization and Market-Based Approaches to Multi-Robot Task Allocation
Authors: Badreldin Mohamed , Hussein Ahmed , Khamis Alaa
Published: November 2013

This paper presents a comparative study between optimization-based and market-based approaches used for solving the Multirobot task allocation (MRTA) problem that arises in the context of multirobot systems (MRS). The two proposed approaches are used to find the optimal allocation of a number of heterogeneous robots to a number of heterogeneous tasks. The two approaches were extensively tested over a number of test scenarios in order to test their capability of handling complex heavily constrained MRS applications that include extended number of tasks and robots. Finally, a comparative study is implemented between the two approaches and the results show that the optimization-based approach outperforms the market-based approach in terms of optimal allocation and computational time.
Acoustic Response of a Sinusoidally Perturbed Hard-Walled Duct
Authors: Del Giudice Silvio , Bernasconi Giancarlo
Published: November 2013

Acoustic wave propagation in hard-walled ducts is of interest in many fields including vehicle design, musical instruments acoustics, and architectural and environmental noise-control. For the case of small sinusoidal perturbation of the cross-section, it is possible to derive simple though approximate analytical formulas of its plane wave acoustic reflection and transmission spectral response that resembles the optical situation of uniform Bragg gratings. The proof is given here, starting from the “horn equation” and then exploiting the coupled-modes theory. Examples of the results obtained with these analytical formulas are shown for some sinusoidally perturbed ducts and compared to results obtained through a numerical method, revealing a very good agreement.
Material Discrimination Based on K-edge Characteristics
Authors: He Peng , Wei Biao , Feng Peng , Chen Mianyi , Mi Deling
Published: November 2013

Spectral/multienergy CT employing the state-of-the-art energy-discriminative photon-counting detector can identify absorption features in the multiple ranges of photon energies and has the potential to distinguish different materials based on K-edge characteristics. K-edge characteristics involve the sudden attenuation increase in the attenuation profile of a relatively high atomic number material. Hence, spectral CT can utilize material K-edge characteristics (sudden attenuation increase) to capture images in available energy bins (levels/windows) to distinguish different material components. In this paper, we propose an imaging model based on K-edge characteristics for maximum material discrimination with spectral CT. The wider the energy bin width is, the lower the noise level is, but the poorer the reconstructed image contrast is. Here, we introduce the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) criterion to optimize the energy bin width after the K-edge jump for the maximum CNR. In the simulation, we analyze the reconstructed image quality in different energy bins and demonstrate that our proposed optimization approach can maximize CNR between target region and background region in reconstructed image.
Steviol Glycosides Modulate Glucose Transport in Different Cell Types
Authors: Rizzo Benedetta , Zambonin Laura , Angeloni Cristina , Leoncini Emanuela , Vieceli Dalla Sega Francesco , Prata Cecilia , Fiorentini Diana , Hrelia Silvana
Published: November 2013

Extracts fromStevia rebaudianaBertoni, a plant native to Central and South America, have been used as a sweetener since ancient times. Currently,Steviaextracts are largely used as a noncaloric high-potency biosweetener alternative to sugar, due to the growing incidence of type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and metabolic disorders worldwide. Despite the large number of studies onSteviaand steviol glycosidesin vivo, little is reported concerning the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning the beneficial effects on human health. The effect of four commercialSteviaextracts on glucose transport activity was evaluated in HL-60 human leukaemia and in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells. The extracts were able to enhance glucose uptake in both cellular lines, as efficiently as insulin. Our data suggest that steviol glycosides could act by modulating GLUT translocation through the PI3K/Akt pathway since treatments with both insulin andSteviaextracts increased the phosphorylation of PI3K and Akt. Furthermore,Steviaextracts were able to revert the effect of the reduction of glucose uptake caused by methylglyoxal, an inhibitor of the insulin receptor/PI3K/Akt pathway. These results corroborate the hypothesis thatSteviaextracts could mimic insulin effects modulating PI3K/Akt pathway.
In VitroAntioxidative Evaluation ofα- andβ-Carotene, Isolated from Crude Palm Oil
Authors: Sen Gupta Surashree , Ghosh Mahua
Published: November 2013

The present work describes the isolation ofα- andβ-carotene from crude palm oil and their antioxidant potential in anin vitromodel. Pure product was isolated by the method adopted. Antioxidant activities of the isolatedα- andβ-carotene were analyzed in five different concentrations of 0.001, 0.005, 0.01, 0.05, and 0.1% (w/v). From the several assays conducted, an observation was made that the antioxidant activity of the product shifted between antioxidant and prooxidant effects depending on the concentration and the system analyzed. The metal chelation, DPPH radical scavenging, and superoxide scavenging activities showed almost similar results in terms of high activity at lowest concentrations. ABTS-scavenging activity was displayed only by a particular antioxidant concentration of 0.1%. Lipid peroxidation assay pronounced the activity of 0.1% antioxidant in inhibiting oxidation of sensitive bioactive lipids.In vitroantidenaturation test again specified the efficacy of low concentrations in preventing protein denaturation. Through this study a definite dosage formulation for consumption of carotenoids is being proposed which will enhance health promotion and prevent chronic diseases when taken as fortified foods or dietary supplements.
Synthesis and Characterization of Drug‐Loaded Poly(ε‐caprolactone)/Silica Hybrid Nanofibrous Scaffolds
Authors: Shin Kwan-Ha , Koh Young-Hag , Kim Hyoun-Ee
Published: November 2013

We produced drug‐loaded poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)/silica hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds with various silica sol contents (0 vol%, 10 vol%, 15 vol%, and 20 vol%) using electrospinning and examined their physicochemical properties, mechanical properties, drug release behavior, and in vitro biocompatibility to evaluate their potential application for guided bone regeneration (GBR). The loading efficiency of tetracycline hydrochloride (TCH) drug was remarkably enhanced by hybridizing the PCL solution with the silica sol. All produced hybrid scaffolds had a highly nanofibrous structure, in which the silica phase was homogeneously hybridized with the PCL polymer, while preserving their intrinsic characteristics. This led to considerable increases in hydrophilicity and mechanical properties (e.g., ultimate tensile strength and elastic modulus). In addition, the release rate and cumulative maximum amounts of the TCH from the hybrid scaffolds significantly increased with increasing the silica content, while all produced hybrid nanofibrous scaffolds showed good biocompatibility assessed by in vitro cell tests.
The Strong Fuzzy Henstock Integrals and Discontinuous Fuzzy Differential Equations
Authors: Shao Yabin , Zhang Huanhuan
Published: November 2013

We generalized the existence theorems and the continuous dependence of a solution on parameters for initial problems of fuzzy discontinuous differential equation by the strong fuzzy Henstock integral and its controlled convergence theorem.
Characterization and Stability Evaluation of Thymoquinone Nanoemulsions Prepared by High‐Pressure Homogenization
Authors: Tubesha Zaki , Abu Bakar Zuki , Ismail Maznah
Published: November 2013

Despite the pharmacological properties of thymoquinone (TQ), its administration in vivo remains problematic partly due to its poor water solubility, leading to low absorptivity and bioavailability. Hence, the objective of this study is to prepare, characterize, and evaluate the stability of TQ nanoemulsion (TQNE). Conventional emulsion from TQ (TQCE) and empty nano‐ and conventional emulsions from Triolein (TRNE and TRCE) are also produced for comparison purposes. The oil‐in‐water nanoemulsions of TQ and Triolein were produced by high‐pressure homogenization. Emulsions were characterized physically by droplet size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and refractive index. The changes of these parameters in TQNE samples stored for 6 months at 4 and 25°C were not statistically significant (P < 0.05). In addition, the initial particle sizes of TQNE and TRNE were 119.6 and 119.5 nm, respectively. Stability studies were also performed for the period of 6 months. At the end of the experiment, the percent of remaining TQ in TQNE at 4, 25, and 40°C was 90.6, 89.1, and 87.4 % respectively. Slower degradation of TQ indicated the chemical stability of TQ in TQNE samples. These results indicated that TQNE is stable over a period of 6 months.
Printed Persian Subword Recognition Using Wavelet Packet Descriptors
Authors: Nasrollahi Samira , Ebrahimi Afshin
Published: November 2013

In this paper, we present a new approach to offline OCR (optical character recognition) for printed Persian subwords using wavelet packet transform. The proposed algorithm is used to extract font invariant and size invariant features from 87804 subwords of 4 fonts and 3 sizes. The feature vectors are compressed using PCA. The obtained feature vectors yield a pictorial dictionary for which an entry is the mean of each group that consists of the same subword with 4 fonts in 3 sizes. The sets of these features are congregated by combining them with the dot features for the recognition of printed Persian subwords. To evaluate the feature extraction results, this algorithm was tested on a set of 2000 subwords in printed Persian text documents. An encouraging recognition rate of 97.9% is got at subword level recognition.
On the Inverse Problem of the Fractional Heat-Like Partial Differential Equations: Determination of the Source Function
Authors: Özkum Gülcan , Demir Ali , Erman Sertaç , Korkmaz Esra , Özgür Berrak
Published: November 2013

The study in this paper mainly concerns the inverse problem of determining an unknown source function in the linear fractional differential equation with variable coefficient using Adomian decomposition method (ADM). We apply ADM to determine the continuous right hand side functionsfxandftin the heat-like diffusion equationsDtαux,t=hxuxxx,t+fxandDtαux,t=hxuxxx,t+ft, respectively. The results reveal that ADM is very effective and simple for the inverse problem of determining the source function.