bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dosimetric evaluation of a newly designed low dose rate brachytherapy applicator for treatment of cervical cancer with extension into the lower vagina
Authors: Baker Curtis , Dini Sharifeh A. , Kudrimoti Mahesh , Awan Shahid B. , Meigooni Ali S.
Published: February 2017

Currently, patients having cervical cancer with extension into the lower vagina are being treated with a combination of the Fletcher–Suit applicator, which treats the cervix, and a vaginal cylinder, which treats the lower vagina. With this method, patients receive two separate implants—a procedure that creates greater uncertainty in the dose distribution and unnecessary patient inconvenience.

To reduce the uncertainty of the dose delivery and to eliminate patient inconvenience, a new applicator was designed and fabricated at the University of Kentucky for treatment of cervical cancer extending into the lower vagina. In addition, the geometric design of the new device allows for treatment of cervical cancer without extension into the lower vagina and simultaneously provides advantages relative to the commonly used Fletcher–Suit applicator.

The dosimetric characteristics of this new applicator (hereafter called Meigooni applicator) were determined using experimental procedures. The measurements were performed using tissue‐equivalent phantom material (Solid Water: Gammex RMI, Middleton, WI) that was machined to accommodate the applicator and LiF thermoluminescent dosimetry chips. The applicator was loaded with brachytherapy sources in a standard loading scheme. A similar experimental procedure was performed using the currently available Fletcher–Suit mini‐ovoid applicator. The results obtained with each applicator were compared with the values calculated by two commercially available treatment planning systems.

The experiments showed that the Meigooni applicator allows for safe single treatment of cervical cancer that has extended into the lower vagina, eliminating the need for two separate treatment techniques. Moreover, the Meigooni applicator can function as an alternative to the Fletcher–Suit applicator for the treatment of patients with cervical cancer.

PACS number: 87.53.Jw
Calculating percent depth dose with the electron pencil‐beam redefinition algorithm
Authors: Price Michael J. , Hogstrom Kenneth R. , Antolak John A. , White R. Allen , Bloch Charles D. , Boyd Robert A
Published: February 2017

In the present work, we investigated the accuracy of the electron pencil‐beam redefinition algorithm (PBRA) in calculating central‐axis percent depth dose in water for rectangular fields. The PBRA energy correction factor C(E) was determined so that PBRA‐calculated percent depth dose best matched the percent depth dose measured in water. The hypothesis tested was that a method can be implemented into the PBRA that will enable the algorithm to calculate central‐axis percent depth dose in water at a 100‐cm source‐to‐surface distance (SSD) with an accuracy of 2% or 1‐mm distance to agreement for rectangular field sizes cm. Preliminary investigations showed that C(E), determined using a single percent depth dose for a large field (that is, having side‐scatter equilibrium), was insufficient for the PBRA to accurately calculate percent depth dose for all square fields cm. Therefore, two alternative methods for determining C(E) were investigated. In Method 1, C(E), modeled as a polynomial in energy, was determined by fitting the PBRA calculations to individual rectangular‐field percent depth doses. In Method 2, C(E) for square fields, described by a polynomial in both energy and side of square W [that is, ], was determined by fitting the PBRA calculations to measured percent depth dose for a small number of square fields. Using the function C(E, W), C(E) for other square fields was determined, and C(E) for rectangular field sizes was determined using the geometric mean of C(E) for the two measured square fields of the dimension of the rectangle (square root method). Using both methods, PBRA calculations were evaluated by comparison with measured square‐field and derived rectangular‐field percent depth doses at 100‐cm SSD for the Siemens Primus radiotherapy accelerator equipped with a ‐cm applicator at 10 MeV and 15 MeV. To improve the fit of C(E) and C(E, W) to the electron component of percent depth dose, it was necessary to modify the PBRA's photon depth dose model to include dose buildup. Results showed that, using both methods, the PBRA was able to predict percent depth dose within criteria for all square and rectangular fields. Results showed that second‐ or third‐order polynomials in energy (Methods 1 and 2) and in field size (Method 2) were typically required. Although the time for dose calculation using Method 1 is approximately twice that using Method 2, we recommend that Method 1 be used for clinical implementation of the PBRA because it is more accurate (most measured depth doses predicted within approximately 1%) and simpler to implement.

PACS number: 87.53.Fs
Assessing localization accuracy in sound field synthesis
Authors: Wierstorf Hagen , Raake Alexander , Spors Sascha
Published: February 2017

Sound field synthesis methods like Wave Field Synthesis (WFS) and Near-Field Compensated Higher Order Ambisonics synthesize a sound field in an extended area surrounded by loudspeakers. Because of the limited number of applicable loudspeakers the synthesized sound field includes artifacts. This paper investigates the influence of these artifacts on the accuracy with which a listener can localize a synthesized source. This was performed with listening tests using dynamic binaural synthesis to simulate different sound field synthesis methods and incorporated several listening positions. The results show that WFS is able to provide good localization accuracy in the whole listening area even for a low number of loudspeakers. For Near-Field Compensated Higher Order Ambisonics the achievable localization accuracy of the listener depends highly on the Ambisonics order and shows large localization deviations for low orders, where splitting of the perceived sound source was sometimes reported.
Passive acoustic methods for fine-scale tracking of harbour porpoises in tidal rapids
Authors: Macaulay Jamie , Gordon Jonathan , Gillespie Douglas , Malinka Chloë , Northridge Simon
Published: February 2017

The growing interest in generating electrical power from tidal currents using tidal turbine generators raises a number of environmental concerns, including the risk that marine mammals might be injured or killed through collision with rotating turbine blades. To understand this risk, information on how marine mammals use tidal rapid habitats and in particular, their underwater movements and dive behaviour is required. Porpoises, which are the most abundant small cetacean at most European tidal sites, are difficult animals to tag, and the limited size of tidal habitats means that any telemetered animal would be likely to spend only a small proportion of time within them. Here, an alternative approach is explored, whereby passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) is used to obtain fine scale geo-referenced tracks of harbour porpoises in tidal rapid areas. Large aperture hydrophone arrays are required to obtain accurate locations of animals from PAM data and automated algorithms are necessary to process the large quantities of acoustic data collected on such systems during a typical survey. Methods to automate localisation, including a method to match porpoise detections on different hydrophones and separate different vocalising animals, and an assessment of the localisation accuracy of the large aperture hydrophone array are presented.
Compensating the distortion of micro-speakers in a closed box with consideration of nonlinear mechanical resistance
Authors: Hu Yuxiang , Wang Min , Lu Jing , Qiu Xiaojun
Published: February 2017

For micro-speakers in a closed box, commonly used nonlinear compensation methods only compensate the distortion caused by the force factor and the stiffness. In this letter, a method to compensate the distortion with consideration of the nonlinear mechanical resistance is proposed based on the feedback linearization criterion. The proposed method is further improved by minimizing the variation of the output power spectrum after compensation. The simulations and experiments show that the total harmonic distortion and the intermodulation distortion of the sound pressure can be reduced significantly with little influence on the sound pressure level.
Antithyroid arthritis syndrome
Authors: Modi Anar , Amin Hari , Morgan Farah
Published: February 2017

Antithyroid arthritis syndrome is a constellation of symptoms of myalgia, arthralgia, arthritis, fever and rash associated with the use of antithyroid medications. We report a case of a patient with severe hyperthyroidism likely secondary to Graves' disease who presented with the abovementioned symptoms after being treated with methimazole (antithyroid medication). Our aim is to increase awareness regarding this uncommon but disabilitating and life-threatening adverse effect of antithyroid medications among clinicians. We also discuss the proposed pathophysiology for this immunological reaction as well as management options in these patients.
Online Order Scheduling Problem with the Same Order Size on Two Identical Machines
Authors: Cao Qian , Li Yi , Wan Guohua
Published: February 2017

In this paper, we consider an online order scheduling problem with the same order size on two identical machines. The objective is to minimize the makespan. An order list [Formula: see text] is given, where [Formula: see text] is a positive integer. For the problem under study, we assume that [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]), that is to say, at least [Formula: see text] orders arrive. A lower bound [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] is obtained. Also, we design two optimal algorithms [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] for [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]), respectively.
A phenomenological study of hybrid stars in which the crossover transition from quark to hadron makes the EOS stiffer in contrast to the hybrid EOS based on Maxwell condition
Authors: Zhao Tong , Li Cheng-Ming , Zhao Ya-Peng , Yan Yan , Luo Xin-Lian , Zong Hong-Shi
Published: February 2017

In this paper, we make a phenomenological study of the mass–radii relationship of hybrid stars from the point of view of the smooth crossover phase transition. We find a way to construct stiff hybrid equations of state (EOSs) with soft EOSs of both the quark matter and the hadronic matter. For the hadron phase, we adopt the EOS softened by introducing hyperons that are considered to exist in the core of a neutron star. For the quark phase, we introduce a quark EOS based on the Dyson–Schwinger equation (DSE) that is calculated in our previous work, and it is also a soft EOS. In contrast to the hybrid EOS based on Maxwell condition, we find that the resulting EOS is stiff and the maximum mass of the hybrid stars is still about two times of solar mass. This result indicates the rich possibilities of the crossover model.
Design of EMB-Based Moore FSMs
Authors: Kołopieńczyk Małgorzata , Titarenko Larysa , Barkalov Alexander
Published: February 2017

The complexity of algorithms implemented in digital systems grows. Methods are developed for most effective use of both hardware resources and energy. For engineers the problem of hardware resources optimization in design of control units is still an important issue. The standard way of implementing the control unit as a finite-state machine (FSM) is not satisfactory as it consumes considerable amounts of field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) resources. This paper is devoted to the design of a Moore FSM in FPGA structure using look-up tables and embedded memory blocks (EMB) elements. The problem background is discussed. The method of the design of Moore FSM logic circuits with EMB based on splitting the set of logical conditions and the encoding of logical conditions is presented. Examples of design and research results are given.
Modeling and Analysis the Effect of PZT Area on Square Shaped Substrate for Power Enhancement in MEMS Piezoelectric Energy Harvester
Authors: Montazer Babak , Sarma Utpal
Published: February 2017

Modeling and analysis of a MEMS piezoelectric (PZT-Lead Zirconate Titanate) unimorph cantilever with different substrates are presented in this paper. Stainless steel and Silicon [Formula: see text] are considered as substrate. The design is intended for energy harvesting from ambient vibrations. The cantilever model is based on Euler–Bernoulli beam theory. The generated voltage and power, the current density, resonance frequencies and tip displacement for different geometry (single layer and array structure) have been analyzed using finite element method. Variation of output power and resonant frequency for array structure with array elements connected in parallel have been studied. Strain distribution is studied for external vibrations with different frequencies. The geometry of the piezoelectric layer as well as the substrate has been optimized for maximum power output. The variation of generated power output with frequency and load has also been presented. Finally, several models are introduced and compared with traditional array MEMS energy harvester.
A Low-Power, High-Gain, and Low-Noise 802.11a Down-Conversion Mixer in 0.35-μm SiGe Bi-CMOS Technology
Authors: Chen Jun-Da , Wang Song-Hao
Published: February 2017

The paper presents a novel 5.15[Formula: see text]GHz–5.825[Formula: see text]GHz SiGe Bi-CMOS down-conversion mixer for WLAN 802.11a receiver. The architecture used is based on Gilbert cell mixer, the combination of MOS transistors and HBT BJT transistor device characteristics. The hetero-junction bipolar transistor (HBT) topology is adopted at the transconductance stage to improve power gain and reduce noise factor, and the LO series-parallel CMOS switch topology will be applied to reduce supply voltage and dc power at the switching stage. This mixer is implemented in TSMC 0.35-[Formula: see text]m SiGe Bi-CMOS process, and the chip size including the test pads is 1.175*0.843[Formula: see text]mm2. The main advantages for the proposed mixer are high conversion gain, a moderate linearity, low noise figure, and low power. The post-simulation results achieved are as follows: 14[Formula: see text]dB power conversion gain, [Formula: see text]6[Formula: see text]dBm input third-order intercept point (IIP3), 6.85[Formula: see text]dB double side band (DSB) noise figure. The total mixer current is about 1.54[Formula: see text]mA from 1.4[Formula: see text]V supply voltage including output buffer. The total dc power consumption is 2.15[Formula: see text]mW.
Neutral current coherent cross-sections — Implications on detecting SN and earth neutrinos with gaseous spherical TPC’s
Authors: Vergados J. D. , Giomataris Y.
Published: February 2017

The detection of galactic supernova (SN) neutrinos represents one of the future frontiers of low energy neutrino physics and astrophysics. The neutron coherence of neutral currents (NCs) allows quite large cross-sections in the case of neutron rich targets, which can be exploited in detecting earth and sky neutrinos by measuring nuclear recoils. They are relatively cheap and easy to maintain. These (NC) cross-sections are not dependent on flavor conversions and, thus, their measurement will provide useful information about the neutrino source. In particular, they will yield information about the primary neutrino fluxes and perhaps about the spectrum after flavor conversions in neutrino sphere. They might also provide some clues about the neutrino mass hierarchy. The advantages of large gaseous low threshold and high resolution time projection counters (TPC) detectors are discussed.
Event-Based Mobility Modeling and Analysis
Authors: Jiang Jian-Min , Zhu Huibiao , Li Qin , Zhao Yongxin , Zhao Lin , Zhang Shi , Gong Ping , Hong Zhong , Chen Donghuo
Published: February 2017

Mobility is a critical issue that must be considered during the modeling and analyzing of a mobile system. At a high abstract level, event-based models can directly specify a mobile system without the introduction of additional mechanisms. In this article, we first propose two types of special events, entering and exiting an ambient, as movement events. Next, based on the movement events, we introduce the notion of a movement path and propose a feasible movement criterion (deciding whether a given movement path of a mobile object (agent) is feasible or not in terms of spatiotemporal topological relationships of ambients). Then, we investigate how a message movement--based communication model represents synchronous communication, asynchronous communication, and broadcast communication in a unified way. Finally, we use movement event sequences to discuss the exclusivity of ambients (an ambient only allows one mobile object to occupy (enter) it at any moment) and show that a priority scheduling control policy can guarantee exclusivity. Accordingly, we propose a correct movement criterion—that is, a correct movement path is feasible and satisfies the exclusivity of ambients. Case studies demonstrate these results.
The path to the top
Authors: Mazzola Daniel J. , Louis Robert D. St. , Tanniru Mohan R.
Published: February 2017

Along the way, acquire technical expertise and a master's degree, even while changing positions and companies.
Implementing and Evaluating a Laughing Virtual Character
Authors: Mancini Maurizio , Biancardi Beatrice , Pecune Florian , Varni Giovanna , Ding Yu , Pelachaud Catherine , Volpe Gualtiero , Camurri Antonio
Published: February 2017

Laughter is a social signal capable of facilitating interaction in groups of people: it communicates interest, helps to improve creativity, and facilitates sociability. This article focuses on: endowing virtual characters with computational models of laughter synthesis, based on an expressivity-copying paradigm; evaluating how the physically co-presence of the laughing character impacts on the user’s perception of an audio stimulus and mood. We adopt music as a means to stimulate laughter. Results show that the character presence influences the user’s perception of music and mood. Expressivity-copying has an influence on the user’s perception of music, but does not have any significant impact on mood.
A Hoare Logic for GPU Kernels
Authors: Kojima Kensuke , Igarashi Atsushi
Published: February 2017

We study a Hoare Logic to reason about parallel programs executed on graphics processing units (GPUs), called GPU kernels. During the execution of GPU kernels, multiple threads execute in lockstep, that is, execute the same instruction simultaneously. When the control branches, the two branches are executed sequentially, but during the execution of each branch only those threads that take it are enabled; after the control converges, all the threads are enabled and again execute in lockstep. In this article, we first consider a semantics in which all threads execute in lockstep (this semantics simplifies the actual execution model of GPUs) and adapt Hoare Logic to this setting by augmenting the usual Hoare triples with an additional component representing the set of enabled threads. It is determined that the soundness and relative completeness of the logic do not hold for all programs; a difficulty arises from the fact that one thread can invalidate the loop termination condition of another thread through shared memory. We overcome this difficulty by identifying an appropriate class of programs for which the soundness and relative completeness hold. Additionally, we discuss thread interleaving, which is present in the actual execution of GPUs but not in the lockstep semantics mentioned above. We show that if a program is race free, then the lockstep and interleaving semantics produce the same result. This implies that our logic is sound and relatively complete for race-free programs, even if the thread interleaving is taken into account.
Adaptive Real-Time Communication for Wireless Cyber-Physical Systems
Authors: Zimmerling Marco , Mottola Luca , Kumar Pratyush , Ferrari Federico , Thiele Lothar
Published: February 2017

Low-power wireless technology promises greater flexibility and lower costs in cyber-physical systems. To reap these benefits, communication protocols must deliver packets
reliably
within
real-time deadlines
across
resource-constrained devices
, while
adapting
to changes in application requirements (e.g., traffic demands) and network state (e.g., link qualities). Existing protocols do not solve all these challenges simultaneously, because their operation is either localized or a function of network state, which changes unpredictably over time. By contrast, this article claims a
global
approach that does
not
use network state information as input can overcome these limitations. The Blink protocol proves this claim by providing hard guarantees on end-to-end deadlines of received packets in multi-hop low-power wireless networks, while seamlessly handling changes in application requirements and network state. We build Blink on the non-real-time Low-Power Wireless Bus (LWB) and design new scheduling algorithms based on the earliest-deadline-first policy. Using a dedicated priority queue data structure, we demonstrate a viable implementation of our algorithms on resource-constrained devices. Experiments show that Blink (i) meets all deadlines of received packets, (ii) delivers 99.97% of packets on a 94-node testbed, (iii) minimizes communication energy consumption within the limits of the underlying LWB, (iv) supports end-to-end deadlines of 100ms across four hops and nine sources, and (v) runs up to 4.1 × faster than a conventional scheduler implementation on popular microcontrollers.
'Back off, man. I'm a scientist.'
Authors: Golbeck Jennifer
Published: February 2017

HCI education reflects the continual evolution of HCI, embracing the changing landscapes of technology, infrastructure, and technology use. This forum aims to provide a platform for HCI educators, practitioners, researchers, and students to share their perspectives, reflections, and experiences related to HCI education.
--- Sukeshini Grandhi, Editor
The slow evolution of CS for all, the beauty of programs
Authors: Guzdial Mark , Hill Robin K.
Published: February 2017

The
Communications
Web site, http://cacm.acm.org, features more than a dozen bloggers in the BLOG@CACM community. In each issue of
Communications
, we'll publish selected posts or excerpts.

twitter

Follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/blogCACM

http://cacm.acm.org/blogs/blog-cacm

Mark Guzdial considers the steps needed to reach the goal of CS for All, while Robin K. Hill ponders the aesthetics of programming.
TECHNOLOGY THAT EDUCATORS OF COMPUTING HAIL (TECH)Using Cloud9, a powerful cloud-based IDE in the classroom
Authors: Solin Jeff
Published: February 2017

Welcome to the latest TECH column, a column that features a guest columnist, discussing technologies that educators find useful in their classrooms. The guest columnist is selected from those who have presented at a SIGCSE Technical Symposium session. This issue's guest columnist, Jeff Solin, offers his ideas on Cloud9.
Proof of a series solution for euler's trinomial equation
Authors: Wang Fei
Published: February 2017

In 1779, Leonhard Euler published a paper about Lambert's transcendental equation in the symmetric form
x

α

−
x

β

= (
α
−
β
)
vx

α
+
β

. In the paper, he studied the series solution of this equation and other results based on an assumption which was not proved in the paper. Euler's paper gave the first series expanion for the so-called Lambert W function. In this work, we briefly review Euler's results and give a proof to modern standards of rigor of the series solution of Lambert's transcendental equation.
Real limit points of quasi-componenets of regular chains
Authors: Alvandi Parisa , Maza Marc Moreno
Published: February 2017

The work reported here is motivated by problems arising in solving polynomial systems over the real numbers.
The bohemian eigenvalue project
Authors: Corless Robert M. , Thornton Steven E.
Published: February 2017

Bohemian eigenvalues are the eigenvalues of matrices with entries of bounded height, typically drawn from a discrete set. We will call this set
F
with cardinality
#F
. The name "Bohemian" is intended as a mnemonic and is derived from "bounded height integer matrices." These objects are surprisingly interesting to study, with many unsolved problems related to them, and with many applications. See the works of Tao and Vu [10] for universality results for larger dimension in the generic structured case, for instance. This project concentrates on explicit construction of high resolution pictures of the eigenvalues for modest dimensions and sizes of the entries; for instance, Figure 1a is a picture of the eigenvalues of all 5 × 5 matrices with entries in {−1, 0, 1} colored by density and plotted on the complex plane.
Representation of hypergeometric products in difference rings
Authors: Ocansey Evans Doe , Schneider Carsten
Published: February 2017

In his pioneering work [1, 2], Michael Karr introduced ΠΣ-fields which provide a rather general framework for symbolic summation. He worked out the first algorithmic steps to represent indefinite nested sums and products as transcendental extensions over a computable ground field K called the field of constants. Furthermore, he presented an algorithm that solves the parameterized telescoping problem, and as special cases the telescoping and creative telescoping problems [3] within a given ΠΣ-field.
Denominator bounds for higher order systems of linear recurrence equations
Authors: Middeke Johannes , Schneider Carsten
Published: February 2017

Let (
K
,
σ
) be a difference field. We define the set of constants by const
K
= {
c
∈
K
|
σ
(
c
) =
c
}. A ΠΣ*-
extension
of
K
is a field of rational functions
K
(
t
) over
K
together with an extension of
σ
to
K
(
t
) given by either
σ
(
t
) =
at
(Π case) or
σ
(
t
) =
t
+
b
(Σ* case) for some non-zero
a
or
b
∈
K
such that const
K
(
t
) = const
K
holds. See, for example, [8, 9] for more details on ΠΣ*-extensions.
Death of Marc Rybowicz, aged 52
Authors: Duval Dominique , Poteaux Adrien
Published: February 2017

It is with great sadness that we annonce you the death of our friend and colleague Marc Rybowicz. He passed away on November 11th after a long fight against cancer since June 2015.
Making Money Using Math
Authors: Meijer Erik
Published: February 2017

A big difference between human-written code and learned models is that the latter are usually not represented by text and hence are not understandable by human developers or manipulable by existing tools. The consequence is that none of the traditional software engineering techniques for conventional programs (such as code reviews, source control, and debugging) are applicable anymore. Since incomprehensibility is not unique to learned code, these aspects are not of concern here.
Editor's introduction
Authors: Fu Hu
Published: February 2017

This July I took over from Shaddin Dughmi as the editor of SIGecom Exchanges. My predecessors have laid a solid base for this newsletter as a playground for vivid communications on research activities in Economics and Computation. I will do my best to continue this great tradition, and welcome ideas on both the contents and innovations in the form or scope of the newsletter, in the hope for even more active engagement with the community.
Bounded and envy-free cake cutting
Authors: Aziz Haris , Mackenzie Simon
Published: February 2017

Although a finite envy-free cake-cutting protocol has been known for more than twenty years, it had been open whether a protocol exists in which the number of steps taken by the protocol is bounded by a function of the number of agents. In this letter, we report on our recent results on discrete, bounded, and envy-free cake-cutting protocols.
Settling the complexity of computing approximate two-player Nash equilibria
Authors: Rubinstein Aviad
Published: February 2017

In our recent paper [Rubinstein 2016] we rule out a PTAS for the 2-Player Nash Equilibrium Problem. More precisely, we prove that there exists a constant ϵ > 0 such that, assuming the Exponential Time Hypothesis for PPAD, computing an ϵ-approximate Nash equilibrium in a two-player
n
×
n
game requires time
n

log
1−o(1)
n

. This matches (up to the
o
(1) term) the algorithm of Lipton, Markakis, and Mehta [Lipton et al. 2003].
Effect of Illumination on Ocular Status Modifications Induced by Short-Term 3D TV Viewing
Authors: Chen Yuanyuan , Wang Yuwen , Yu Xinping , Xu Aiqin , Jiang Jian , Chen Hao
Published: February 2017

Objectives.This study aimed to compare changes in ocular status after 3D TV viewing under three modes of illumination and thereby identify optimal illumination for 3D TV viewing.Methods.The following measures of ocular status were assessed: the accommodative response, accommodative microfluctuation, accommodative facility, relative accommodation, gradient accommodative convergence/accommodation (AC/A) ratio, phoria, and fusional vergence. The observers watched 3D television for 90 minutes through 3D shutter glasses under three illumination modes: A, complete darkness; B, back illumination (50 lx); and C, front illumination (130 lx). The ocular status of the observers was assessed both before and after the viewing.Results.After 3D TV viewing, the accommodative response and accommodative microfluctuation were significantly changed under illumination Modes A and B. The near positive fusional vergence decreased significantly after the 90-minute 3D viewing session under each illumination mode, and this effect was not significantly different among the three modes.Conclusions.Short-term 3D viewing modified the ocular status of adults. The least amount of such change occurred with front illumination, suggesting that this type of illumination is an appropriate mode for 3D shutter TV viewing.
Gabapentin Does Not Appear to Improve Postoperative Pain and Sleep Patterns in Patients Who Concomitantly Receive Regional Anesthesia for Lower Extremity Orthopedic Surgery: A Randomized Control Trial
Authors: Eloy Jean Daniel , Anthony Christy , Amin Shawn , Caparó Moorice , Reilly Mark C. , Shulman Steven
Published: February 2017

In recent years, gabapentin has gained popularity as an adjuvant therapy for the treatment of postoperative pain. Numerous studies have shown a decrease in pain score, even with immediate postoperative activity, which is significant for early post-op ambulation and regaining functionality sooner. However, studies have been in conclusive in patients undergoing lower extremity orthopedic surgery. For this reason, we hoped to study the effect of gabapentin on postoperative pain in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, total hip arthroplasty, or a hip fracture repair. This was done in the setting of ensuring adequate postoperative analgesia with regional blocks and opioid PCA, as is protocol at our institution. Given the sedative effects of gabapentin and the potential for improving postoperative sleep patterns, we also studied the drug’s effect on this aspect of our patient’s postoperative course. We utilized the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index and Visual Analog Scale for pain to obtain a more objective standardized score amongst our study population. Our results indicate that gabapentin does not offer any additional relief in pain or improve sleep habits in patients who have received either a femoral or lumbar plexus block for lower extremity orthopedic surgery. This trial is registered withNCT01546857.
Efficient Thread Mapping for Heterogeneous Multicore IoT Systems
Authors: Birhanu Thomas Mezmur , Li Zhetao , Sekiya Hiroo , Komuro Nobuyoshi , Choi Young-June
Published: February 2017

This paper proposes a thread scheduling mechanism primed for heterogeneously configured multicore systems. Our approach considers CPU utilization for mapping running threads with the appropriate core that can potentially deliver the actual needed capacity. The paper also introduces a mapping algorithm that is able to map threads to cores in anO(N log M)time complexity, whereNis the number of cores andMis the number of types of cores. In addition to that we also introduced a method of profiling heterogeneous architectures based on the discrepancy between the performances of individual cores. Our heterogeneity aware scheduler was able to speed up processing by 52.62% and save power by 2.22% as compared to the CFS scheduler that is a default in Linux systems.
Tetramethylpyrazine Protects against Early Brain Injury after Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage by Affecting Mitochondrial‐Dependent Caspase‐3 Apoptotic Pathway
Authors: Li Shaoxue , Xiao Xiaolan , Ni Xiaojia , Ye Zhennan , Zhao Junjie , Hang Chunhua
Published: February 2017

This study was to test the hypothesis that tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) protected against early brain injury after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) by affecting the mitochondrial‐dependent caspase‐3 apoptotic pathway. TMP was administrated after the rats’ prechiasmatic SAH mode. Animal neurobehavioral functions were assessed and the mitochondrial morphology, mitochondrial and cytoplasmic calcium, and mitochondrial membrane potential changes (Δψm) of the brain tissues were measured. The expressions of cytoplasmic cytochrome c (cyt c), second mitochondria‐derived activator of caspases (Smac), and cleaved caspase‐3 B‐cell lymphoma 2 (bcl‐2) in cells were determined and cellular apoptosis was detected. The treatment of TMP resulted in less apoptotic cells and milder mitochondrial injury and potentially performed better in the neurobehavioral outcome compared to those with saline. Also, TMP ameliorated calcium overload in mitochondria and cytoplasm and alleviated the decrease of Δψm. In addition, TMP inhibited the expression of cytoplasmic cyt c, Smac, and cleaved caspase‐3, yet it upregulated the expression of bcl‐2. These findings suggest that TMP exerts an antiapoptosis property in the SAH rat model and this is probably mediated by the caspase‐3 apoptotic pathway triggered by mitochondrial calcium overload. The finding offers a new therapeutic candidate for early brain injury after SAH.
Active RFID Attached Object Clustering Method with New Evaluation Criterion for Finding Lost Objects
Authors: Tanbo Masaya , Nojiri Ryoma , Kawakita Yuusuke , Ichikawa Haruhisa
Published: February 2017

An active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that can communicate with smartphones using Bluetooth low energy technology has recently received widespread attention. We have studied a novel approach to finding lost objects using active RFID. We hypothesize that users can deduce the location of a lost object from information about surrounding objects in an environment where RFID tags are attached to all personal belongings. To help find lost objects from the proximity between RFID tags, the system calculates the proximity between pairs of RFID tags from the RSSI series and estimates the groups of objects in the neighborhood. We developed a method for calculating the proximity of the lost object to those around it using a distance function between RSSI series and estimating the group by hierarchical clustering. There is no method to evaluate whether a combination is suitable for application purposes directly. Presently, different combinations of distance functions and clustering algorithms yield different clustering results. Thus, we propose the number of nearest neighbor candidates (NNNC) as the criterion to evaluate the clustering results. The simulation results show that the NNNC is an appropriate evaluation criterion for our system because it is able to exhaustively evaluate the combination of distance functions and clustering algorithms.
A Conditioned Medium of Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cells Overexpressing Wnt7a Promotes Wound Repair and Regeneration of Hair Follicles in Mice
Authors: Dong Liang , Hao Haojie , Liu Jiejie , Ti Dongdong , Tong Chuan , Hou Qian , Li Meirong , Zheng Jingxi , Liu Gang , Fu Xiaobing , Han Weidong
Published: February 2017

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can affect the microenvironment of a wound and thereby accelerate wound healing. Wnt proteins act as key mediators of skin development and participate in the formation of skin appendages such as hair. The mechanisms of action of MSCs and Wnt proteins on skin wounds are largely unknown. Here, we prepared a Wnt7a-containing conditioned medium (Wnt-CM) from the supernatant of cultured human umbilical cord-MSCs (UC-MSCs) overexpressing Wnt7a in order to examine the effects of this CM on cutaneous healing. Our results revealed that Wnt-CM can accelerate wound closure and induce regeneration of hair follicles. Meanwhile, Wnt-CM enhanced expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) components and cell migration of fibroblasts but inhibited the migratory ability and expression of K6 and K16 in keratinocytes by enhancing expression of c-Myc. However, we found that the CM of fibroblasts treated with Wnt-CM (HFWnt-CM-CM) can also promote wound repair and keratinocyte migration; but there was no increase in the number of hair follicles of regeneration. These data indicate that Wnt7a and UC-MSCs have synergistic effects: they can accelerate wound repair and induce hair regeneration via cellular communication in the wound microenvironment. Thus, this study opens up new avenues of research on the mechanisms underlying wound repair.
Parameters Design for Logarithmic Quantizer Based on Zoom Strategy
Authors: Yan Jingjing
Published: February 2017

This paper is concerned with the problem of designing suitable parameters for logarithmic quantizer such that the closed-loop system is asymptotic convergent. Based on zoom strategy, we propose two methods for quantizer parameters design, under which it ensures that the state of the closed-loop system can load in the invariant sets after some certain moments. Then we obtain that the quantizer is unsaturated, and thus the quantization errors are bounded under the time-varying logarithm quantization strategy. On that basis, we obtain that the closed-loop system is asymptotic convergent. A benchmark example is given to show the usefulness of the proposed methods, and the comparison results are illustrated.
Mitochondrial Maturation in Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Derived Cardiomyocytes
Authors: Dai Dao-Fu , Danoviz Maria Elena , Wiczer Brian , Laflamme Michael A. , Tian Rong
Published: February 2017

Human pluripotent stem cells derived cardiomyocytes (PSC-CMs) have been widely used for disease modeling, drug safety screening, and preclinical cell therapy to regenerate myocardium. Most studies have utilized PSC-CM grown in vitro for a relatively short period after differentiation. These PSC-CMs demonstrated structural, electrophysiological, and mechanical features of primitive cardiomyocytes. A few studies have extended in vitro PSC-CM culture time and reported improved maturation of structural and electromechanical properties. The degree of mitochondrial maturation, however, remains unclear. This study characterized the development of mitochondria during prolonged in vitro culture. PSC-CM demonstrated an improved mitochondrial maturation with prolonged culture, in terms of increased mitochondrial relative abundance, enhanced membrane potential, and increased activity of several mitochondrial respiratory complexes. These are in parallel with the maturation of other cellular components. However, the maturation of mitochondria in PSC-CMs grown for extended in vitro culture exhibits suboptimal maturation when compared with the maturation of mitochondria observed in the human fetal heart during similar time interval.
DEPTOR-mTOR Signaling Is Critical for Lipid Metabolism and Inflammation Homeostasis of Lymphocytes in Human PBMC Culture
Authors: Xie Qi-bing , Liang Yan , Yang Min , Yang Yuan , Cen Xiao-min , Yin Geng
Published: February 2017

Abnormal immune response of the body against substances and tissues causes autoimmune diseases, such as polymyositis, dermatomyositis, and rheumatoid arthritis. Irregular lipid metabolism and inflammation may be a significant cause of autoimmune diseases. Although much progress has been made, mechanisms of initiation and proceeding of metabolic and inflammatory regulation in autoimmune disease have not been well-defined. And novel markers for the detection and therapy of autoimmune disease are urgent. mTOR signaling is a central regulator of extracellular metabolic and inflammatory processes, while DEP domain-containing mTOR-interacting protein (DEPTOR) is a natural inhibitor of mTOR. Here, we report that overexpression of DEPTOR reduces mTORC1 activity in lymphocytes of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Combination of DEPTOR overexpression and mTORC2/AKT inhibitors effectively inhibits lipogenesis and inflammation in lymphocytes of PBMC culture. Moreover, DEPTOR knockdown activates mTORC1 and increases lipogenesis and inflammations. Our findings provide a deep insight into the relationship between lipid metabolism and inflammations via DEPTOR-mTOR pathway and imply that DEPTOR-mTOR in lymphocytes of PBMC culture has the potential to be as biomarkers for the detection and therapies of autoimmune diseases.
Comparing the Quality of Iodine in Edible Salt in Iranian Households Living in the Southern Province of Khorasan-e-Razavi Using WHO Standards (Years 2010–2015)
Authors: Ramezani Awal Riabi Hamed , Ramezani Awal Riabi Hamid , Aalami Ali , Mohammadzadeh Moghadam Morteza , Mircheraghi Seyed Farzam
Published: February 2017

Iodine deficiency disorder among Iranians is a major health-related issue. The aim of this study was to determine iodine concentration in household salt. To sample the iodized salt products, the authors visited all wholesale warehouses of two cities of Bajestan and Gonabad in Khorasan-Razavi, Iran, and randomly purchased three packages of each brand of factory salt distributed through those centers. The sampling procedure was continued over the course of five years (2010–2015). In the 5-year study period, 82 samples of 23 different brands of factory salt were sampled. The most frequent samples were classified into three groups based on their iodine content (ppm = mg iodine per kg of salt): under standard limit (<20 ppm); allowable standard limit (20–50 ppm); over standard limit (>50 ppm). The tests showed that 67% of samples maintained a good level, 26.8% possessed an acceptable level, and 6% had unacceptable levels of iodine. Mean and standard deviation of the salt iodine content were 24.7 and 13.7, respectively. According to the results, the iodine content of samples showed significant differences with international standards (40 ppm), and this highlights the necessity of stricter monitoring of the salt production.
Cross-Shareholdings Structural Characteristic and Evolution Analysis Based on Complex Network
Authors: Chang Xiaohong , Wang Haiyun
Published: February 2017

This study depicts the network morphology of firms which establish ties through cross-shareholdings by the theory of complex network analysis method. It calculates some complex network properties of the cross-shareholdings network and analyzes the evolution law of network structure in nearly 7 years. The network clearly displays small world properties and scale-free properties. The cross-shareholdings network average path length and clustering coefficient is with a small amplitude fluctuation; the network structure is relatively stable. Such a study is of practical importance and could provide opportunities for policy makers to improve the performance of the cross-shareholdings network.
miR-373-3p Targets DKK1 to Promote EMT-Induced Metastasis via the Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway in Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Weng Junquan , Zhang Hui , Wang Cheng , Liang Jianfeng , Chen Guanhui , Li Wenqing , Tang Haikuo , Hou Jinsong
Published: February 2017

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) regulate gene expression and at the same time mediate tumorigenesis. miR-373-3p has diverse effects in tumors, but its role in tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine the function of miR-373-3p in the progression of TSCC. Our results brought to light that miR-373-3p is markedly upregulated in clinical TSCC tissues compared with paired adjacent normal tissues and has significant correlation with a more aggressive TSCC phenotype in patients. Gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies revealed that ectopic miR-373-3p overexpression promoted the metastasis of TSCC cells. Notably, Wnt/β-catenin signaling was hyperactivated in TSCC cells overexpressing miR-373-3p, and this pathway was responsible for the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) induced by miR-373-3p. Furthermore, miR-373-3p directly targeted and suppressed Dickkopf-1 (DKK1), a negative regulator of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling cascade. These results demonstrate that, by directly targeting DKK1, miR-373-3p constitutively activated Wnt/β-catenin signaling, thus promoting the EMT-induced metastasis of TSCC. Taken together, our findings reveal a new regulatory mechanism for miR-373-3p and suggest that miR-373-3p might be a potential target in TSCC therapy.
Comparison of the Protective Effects of Individual Components of Particulatedtrans-Sialidase (PTCTS), PTC and TS, against High Cholesterol Diet-Induced Atherosclerosis in Rabbits
Authors: Garavelo Shérrira M. , Higuchi Maria de Lourdes , Pereira Jaqueline J. , Reis Marcia M. , Kawakami Joyce T. , Ikegami Renata N. , Palomino Suely A. P. , Wadt Nilsa S. Y. , Agouni Abdelali
Published: February 2017

Previous studies showed the presence ofMycoplasma pneumoniae(M. pneumoniae) and membrane-shed microparticles (MPs) in vulnerable atherosclerotic plaques. H&S Science and Biotechnology developed PTCTS, composed by natural particles from medicinal plants (PTC) combined withtrans-Sialidase (TS), to combat MPs andMycoplasma pneumoniae. Our aim was to determine the effects of the different components of PTCTS in a rabbit model of atherosclerosis. Rabbits were fed with high cholesterol diet for 12 weeks and treated during the last 6 weeks with either vehicle, PTC, TS, or PTCTS. Lipid profile and quantification of MPs positive forMycoplasma pneumoniaeand oxidized LDL antigens were carried out. Aortas and organs were then histologically analyzed. PTCTS reduced circulating MPs positive forMycoplasma pneumoniaeand oxidized LDL antigens, reduced the plaque area in the abdominal aorta, and caused positive remodeling of the ascendant aorta. PTC caused positive remodeling and reduced plaque area in the abdominal aorta; however, TS had a lipid lowering effect. PTCTS components combined were more effective against atherosclerosis than individual components. Our data reinforce the infectious theory of atherosclerosis and underscore the potential role of circulating MPs. Therefore, the removal ofMycoplasma-derived MPs could be a new therapeutic approach in the treatment of atherosclerosis.
A High-Efficiency Compact Planar Antenna for ISM Wireless Systems
Authors: Zhou Tao , Cao Yazi , Cheng Zhiqun , Le Berre Martine , Calmon Francis
Published: February 2017

A novel high-efficiency compact planar antenna at 433 MHz with minimized size and low-cost and easy to integrate into the ISM wireless applications is designed, fabricated, and measured. Capacitive strips that are formed by cutting inter-digital slots and the meander lines on both sides are introduced to greatly reduce the antenna size yet maintain the high efficiency. The proposed antenna has a simple planar structure and occupies a small area (i.e., 45 × 30 mm2). This novel electrically small antenna can be operated well without any lumped elements for impedance matching. Details of the antenna design and experimental results are presented and discussed.