bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Normal chest X-ray should not mislead
Authors: Bitar Zouheir Ibrahim , Ibrahim Mohammed , el-Emam Hesham Sabry , Bitar Mohammed Zouheir
Published: December 2013

A lung ultrasound (US) can be routinely performed at the bedside by a trained intensive care unit physician and may provide accurate information about a lung's status that has diagnostic and therapeutic relevance. Oesophageal perforations are rare, and due to the rarity of this type of perforation and its non-specific presentation, the diagnosis and treatment are delayed, leading to a high mortality rate. We present a 70-year-old woman with a postoesophagoscopy perforated oesophagus. Lung US detected pneumothorax and mild pleural effusion that were not present on the postoperative chest X-ray. The early detection of the perforation led to a good outcome.
Quetiapine-induced manic episode: a paradox for contemplation
Authors: Gnanavel Sundar
Published: December 2013

A 24-year-old man with bipolar disorder who was started on quetiapine as an adjunct to valproate (mood stabiliser) after a depressive episode switched to a manic episode while on the drug. The manic episode resolved following the withdrawal of quetiapine. This case illustrates the rare possibility of quetiapine emergent manic episode which a clinician needs to be aware of in the context of the management of bipolar disorders.
Bilateral sleeve fractures of the patella in a 12-year-old boy with hereditary spastic paraparesis and crouch gait
Authors: Malone Ailish , Kiernan Damien , O Brien Tim
Published: December 2013

This is the first reported case of bilateral sleeve fractures of the patellae in a child with crouch gait. A 12-year-old boy with hereditary spastic paraparesis (HSP), who was found to have mid-stance crouch of 20° on previous gait analysis, presented with pain of gradual onset and limited mobility. There was no history of trauma. Three-dimensional gait analysis showed that extensor mechanism function during loading response was intact, but knee flexion in swing was significantly reduced, indicating protective guarding by rectus femoris. X-rays showed bilateral minimally displaced sleeve fractures of the patellae. These were treated with immobilisation in cylinder casts in extension for 4 weeks. Follow-up X-rays showed that the fractures had successfully united and the patient progressed to full weight bearing and mobility as tolerated.
The impact of chronic kidney disease and cardiovascular comorbidity on mortality in a multiethnic population: a retrospective cohort study
Authors: Jesky Mark , Lambert Amanda , Burden A C Felix , Cockwell Paul
Published: December 2013

Objective

To assess the impact of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and cardiovascular comorbidity on mortality in a multiethnic primary care population.

Design

Retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Inner-city primary care trust in West Midlands, UK.

Participants

Individuals aged 40 years and older, of South Asian, black or white ethnicity, registered with a general practice and with their kidney function checked within the last 12 months (n=31 254).

Outcome measure

All-cause mortality.

Results

Reduced estimated glomerular filtration rate, higher albuminuria, older age, white ethnicity (vs South Asian or black ethnicity) and increasing cardiovascular comorbidities were independent determinants of a higher mortality risk. In the multivariate model including comorbidities and kidney function, the HR for mortality for South Asians was 0.697 (95% CI 0.56 to 0.868, p=0.001) and for blacks it was 0.533 (95% CI 0.403 to 0.704, p<0.001) compared to whites.

Conclusions

The HR for death is lower for South Asian and black individuals compared to white individuals. This is, in part, independent of age, gender, socioeconomic status, kidney function and comorbidities. Risk of death is higher in individuals with CKD and with a higher cumulative cardiovascular comorbidity.
Rationale, design and baseline data of a mixed methods study examining the clinical impact of a brief transition programme for young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: the DON'T RETARD project
Authors: Hilderson Deborah , Westhovens Rene , Wouters Carine , Van der Elst Kristien , Goossens Eva , Moons Philip
Published: December 2013

Objectives

To describe (1) the content of a transition programme for young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) designed as a brief intervention, (2) the rationale and design of a mixed-methods study evaluating the clinical impact of this transition programme and (3) to provide baseline data of the intervention group.

Design

An ‘embedded experimental’ design is used for the evaluation of the transition programme. A ‘one-group pretest-posttest, with a non-equivalent posttest-only comparison group design’ is used to quantitatively evaluate the impact of the transition programme, applying both longitudinal and comparative analyses. Subsequently, experiences of adolescents and their parents who participated in the experimental group will be analysed qualitatively using content analysis.

Setting

Participants in the intervention are recruited at a tertiary care centre in Belgium. The comparison group participants are recruited from one tertiary and three secondary care centres in Belgium.

Participants

The intervention group consists of 33 young people (25 females; 8 males) with a median age of 16 years. Main diagnoses are persistent or extended oligoarticular JIA (33%), polyarticular JIA (30%), enthesitis-related JIA (21%) or systemic arthritis (15%).

Intervention

The transition programme comprises eight key components: (1) transition coordinator; (2) providing information and education; (3) availability by telephone; (4) information about and contact with an adult care programme; (5) guidance of parents; (6) meeting with peers; (7) transfer plan; and (8) actual transfer to adult care.

Primary and secondary outcomes

The primary outcome is health status, as perceived by the adolescents. Secondary outcomes are health status, as perceived by the parents; medication adherence; illness-related knowledge; quality of life; fatigue; promotion of independence; support of autonomy; behavioural control and psychological control.

Results

At baseline, the median score was 69.2 (Q1=60.0;Q3=92.9) on psychosocial health and 68.8 (Q1=56.3; Q3=89.1) on physical health. Rheumatic-specific health scores ranged from 62.5 to 100.

Conclusions

We present the rationale and design of a study intended to evaluate a transition programme for adolescents with JIA as a brief intervention.
Life expectancy estimation in small administrative areas with non-uniform population sizes: application to Australian New South Wales local government areas
Authors: Stephens Alexandre S , Purdie Stuart , Yang Baohui , Moore Helen
Published: December 2013

Objective

To determine a practical approach for deriving life expectancy estimates in Australian New South Wales local government areas which display a large diversity in population sizes.

Design

Population-based study utilising mortality and estimated residential population data.

Setting

153 local government areas in New South Wales, Australia.

Outcome measures

Key performance measures of Chiang II, Silcocks, adjusted Chiang II and Bayesian random effects model methodologies of life expectancy estimation including agreement analysis of life expectancy estimates and comparison of estimate SEs.

Results

Chiang II and Silcocks methods produced almost identical life expectancy estimates across a large range of population sizes but calculation failures and excessively large SEs limited their use in small populations. A population of 25 000 or greater was required to estimate life expectancy with SE of 1 year or less using adjusted Chiang II (a composite of Chiang II and Silcocks methods). Data aggregation offered some remedy for extending the use of adjusted Chiang II in small populations but reduced estimate currency. A recently developed Bayesian random effects model utilising the correlation in mortality rates between genders, age groups and geographical areas markedly improved the precision of life expectancy estimates in small populations.

Conclusions

We propose a hybrid approach for the calculation of life expectancy using the Bayesian random effects model in populations of 25 000 or lower permitting the precise derivation of life expectancy in small populations. In populations above 25 000, we propose the use of adjusted Chiang II to guard against violations of spatial correlation, to benefit from a widely accepted method that is simpler to communicate to local health authorities and where its slight inferior performance compared with the Bayesian approach is of minor practical significance.
Protocol for a prospective, controlled study of assertive and timely reperfusion for patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction in Tamil Nadu: the TN-STEMI programme
Authors: Alexander Thomas , Victor Suma M , Mullasari Ajit S , Veerasekar Ganesh , Subramaniam Kala , Nallamothu Brahmajee K ,   for the TN-STEMI Programme Investigators
Published: December 2013

Introduction

Over the past two decades, India has witnessed a staggering increase in the incidence and mortality of ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). Indians have higher rates of STEMI and younger populations that suffer from it when compared with developed countries. Yet, the recommended reperfusion therapy with fibrinolysis and percutaneous coronary intervention is available only to a minority of patients. This gap in care is a result of financial barriers, limited healthcare infrastructure and poor knowledge and accessibility of acute medical services for a majority of its population.

Methods and analysis

This is a prospective, multicentre, ‘pretest/post-test’ quasi-experimental, community-based study. This programme will use a ‘hub-and-spoke’ model of an integrated healthcare network based on clusters of primary-care health clinics, small hospitals and large tertiary-care facilities. It is an ‘all-comers’ study which will enrol consecutive patients presenting with STEMI to the participating hospitals. The primary objectives of the study is to improve the use of reperfusion therapy and reduce the time from first medical contact to device or drug in STEMI patients; and to increase the rates of early invasive risk stratification with coronary angiography within 3–24 h of fibrinolytic therapy in eligible patients through changes in process of care. Outcomes will be measured with statistical comparison made before and after implementing the TN-STEMI programme. The estimated sample size is based on the Kovai Erode Pilot study, which provided an initial work on establishing this type of programme in South India. It will be adequately powered at 80% with a superiority margin of 10% if 36 patients are enrolled per cluster or 108 patients in three clusters. Thus, the enrolment period of 9 months will result in a sample size of 1500 patients.

Ethics

This study will be conducted in accordance with the ethical principles that have their origin in the current Declaration of Helsinki and ‘ethical guidelines for biomedical research on human participants’ as laid down by the Indian Council for Medical Research. All participating hospitals will still obtain local ethics committee approval of the study protocol and written informed consent will be obtained from all participants.

Dissemination and results

Our findings will be reported through scientific publications, research conferences and public policy venues aimed at state and local governments in India. If successful, this model can be extended to other areas of India as well as serve as a model of STEMI systems of care for low-income and middle-income countries across the world.

Registration

Trial is registered with Clinical trial registry of India, No: CTRI/2012/09/003002.
The role of private care in the interval between diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer in Northern Ireland: an analysis of Registry data
Authors: Carney Patricia , Gavin Anna , O'Neill Ciaran
Published: December 2013

Objective

To examine the differences in the interval between diagnosis and initiation of treatment among women with breast cancer in Northern Ireland.

Design

A cross-sectional observational study.

Setting

All breast cancer care patients in the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry in 2006.

Participants

All women diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in Northern Ireland in 2006.

Main outcome measure

The number of days between diagnosis and initiation of treatment for breast cancer.

Results

The mean (median) interval between diagnosis and initiation of treatment among public patients was 19 (15) compared with 14 (12) among those whose care involved private providers. The differences between individual public providers were as marked as those between the public and private sector—the mean (median) ranging between 14 (12) and 25 (22) days. Multivariate models revealed that the differences were evident when a range of patient characteristics were controlled for including cancer stage.

Conclusions

A relatively small number of women received care privately in Northern Ireland but experienced shorter intervals between diagnosis and initiation of treatment than those who received care wholly in the public system. The variation among public providers was as great as that between the public and private providers. The impact of such differences on survival and in light of waiting time targets introduced in Northern Ireland warrants investigation.
An evaluation of the potential use ofCryptosporidiumspecies as agents for deliberate release
Authors: Hagen Ralf Matthias , Loderstaedt U , Frickmann H
Published: December 2013

Introduction

We evaluated the potential ofCryptosporidiumspp. for intentional transmission as a terrorist tactic in asymmetric conflicts in terms of the recognised optimum conditions for biological warfare.

Methods

Published and widely accepted criteria regarding the optimum conditions for the success of biological warfare based on experience from passive biological warfare research were applied to hypothetical intentionalCryptosporidiumspp. transmission.

Result

The feasibility of the use ofCryptosporidiumspp. transmission for terrorist purposes was established. Particularly on tropical deployments with poor hygiene conditions, such attacks might have a good chance of remaining undetected as a deliberate terrorist attack.

Conclusions

Intentional transmission should be suspected in cases of sudden outbreaks of cryptosporidiosis, particularly where adequate food and drinking water hygiene precautions are being enforced. Appropriate diagnostic procedures should be available so that the diagnosis is not missed.
Ultrasound-guided botulinum toxin injection to treat a parotid fistula following gunshot injury
Authors: Gok Gulcan , Michl P , Williams M D , Howlett D C
Published: December 2013

Parotid fistula is a rare but very distressing sequelum of post-operative or traumatic injuries. The management of these injuries has been reported in the literature previously and techniques employed include pressure dressings, surgery and more recently botulinum toxin A (BTA) injections. We present a patient who developed a parotid fistula as a late complication of an extensive gunshot injury to the face with subsequent successful management with ultrasound-guided intraglandular injections of BTA. This case demonstrates that the BTA injection is an effective and safe method under ultrasound guidance and should considered as a first-line treatment option for the treatment of salivary fistulas.
Association of total adiposity and computed tomographic measures of regional adiposity with incident cancer risk: a prospective population-based study of older adults
Authors: Murphy Rachel A. , Bureyko Taylor F. , Miljkovic Iva , Cauley Jane A. , Satterfield Suzanne , Hue Trisha F. , Klepin Heidi D. , Cummings Steven R. , Newman Anne B. , Harris Tamara B.
Published: December 2013

Obesity is associated with increased risk of many types of cancer. Less is known regarding associations between adipose depots and cancer risk. We aimed to explore relationships between adipose depots, risk of cancer, and obesity-related cancer (per NCI definition) in participants initially aged 70–79 years without prevalent cancer (1179 men, 1340 women), and followed for incident cancer for 13 years. Measures included body mass index (BMI), total adipose tissue from dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry, and computed tomography measures of visceral adipose tissue (VAT), abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue, thigh intermuscular adipose tissue, and thigh muscle attenuation (Hounsfield unit, HU), where low HU indicates fatty infiltration. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated by Cox proportional hazards models adjusted for demographics, lifestyle variables, and medical conditions. During follow-up, 617 participants developed cancer of which 224 were obesity-related cancers. Total adipose tissue and VAT were positively associated with cancer risk among women (HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.01–1.30 per SD increase; HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.02–1.30 per SD increase). There were no associations with cancer risk among men. Total adipose tissue was positively associated with obesity-related cancer risk among women (HR 1.23, 95% CI 1.03–1.46 per SD increase). VAT was positively associated with obesity-related cancer risk among men (HR 1.30, 95% CI 1.06–1.60 per SD increase) and remained associated even with adjustment for BMI (HR 1.40, 95% CI 1.08–1.82 per SD increase). These findings provide insight into relationships between specific adipose depots and cancer risk and suggest differential relationships among men and women.
SYNTHESIS OF ALIGNED COPPER OXIDE NANOWIRES ON FLUORINE-DOPED TIN OXIDE GLASS SUBSTRATE
Authors: LI XUYANG , KISHI NAOKI , SOGA TETSUO
Published: December 2013

In this paper, the synthesis and characterization of uniform and dense CuO nanowires on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate are reported. The procedure simply involved the vapor–solid thermal oxidation growth process of CuO nanowires on FTO surface in the air flow. The sample was annealed in air within the temperature range 300–600°C for 1 h. The morphology and density of the CuO nanowires could be controlled by annealing temperature. The SEM image analysis indicates that the nanowires feature uniform size with aligned structures. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) result of individual CuO nanowires shows that the nanowires were single-crystalline, and the selected area diffraction pattern (SEAD) of the same sample shows that the nanowires grow along the (110) direction. The XRD analysis shows that CuO was the only product when the sample annealed at the temperature higher than 500°C.
THE CHANGES OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF WATER ARISING FROM THE MAGNETIC FIELD AND ITS MECHANISM
Authors: PANG XIAO-FENG , SHEN GUI-FA
Published: December 2013

In this paper, the influences of magnetic field on electromagnetic properties of water are experimentally investigated. The results clearly show that the magnetic field reduces the dielectric constant and resistance of water and increases its electric conductivity. In this study, we also find that the electric conductivity of magnetized water increases with increasing the frequency of externally applied electromagnetic field and magnetized time, but its dielectric constant and resistance are decreased with increasing the frequency of electromagnetic field and magnetized time of water. Then we can affirm that the magnetic field changes the electric properties of water. Finally, we discuss the mechanism of variation of electromagnetic properties in water, which are due to the changes of nature of charged ions and velocity of hydrogen ions as well as the changes of polarized features or dipole moments of free molecules and clusters including linear and ring hydrogen-bond chains of molecules in water under the influences of electromagnetic fields. Therefore, this study has important significance in science and can expand the applications of magnetized water in biomedicine and industry.
MICROSTRUCTURAL EVOLUTION OFSiCDURING MELTING PROCESS
Authors: YAN WANJUN , XIE QUAN , GAO TINGHONG , GUO XIAOTIAN
Published: December 2013

Microstructural evolution of SiC during melting process is simulated with Tersoff potential by using molecular dynamics. Microstructural characteristics are analyzed by radial distribution function, angle distribution function and Voronoi polyhedron index. The results show that the melting point of SiC with Tersoff potential is 3249 K. Tersoff potential can exactly describe the changes of bond length, bond angle and Voronoi clusters during the process of melting. Before melting, the length of the C – C bond, Si – Si bond and Si – C bond is 3.2, 3.2 and 1.9 Å, respectively. The bond angle distributes near the tetrahedral bond angle 109°, and the Voronoi clusters are all (4 0 0 0) tetrahedron structures. After melting, the C – C bond and Si – Si bond are reduced, while the Si – C bond is almost unchanged. The range of bond angle distribution is wider than before, and most of the (4 0 0 0) structures turn into three-fold coordinated structures, (2 3 0 0), (0 6 0 0) and (2 2 2 0) structures. The simulation results clearly present the microstructural evolution properties of SiC during the melting process.
HOW TO BENEFIT FROM CROSS-INDUSTRY INNOVATION? A BEST PRACTICE CASE
Authors: BADER KAROLINE
Published: December 2013

Cross-industry innovation is becoming more relevant for firms, as this approach often results in radical innovations. However, firms can only benefit from cross-industry innovation if they are open to external knowledge sources and understand how to explore, transform, and exploit cross-industry knowledge. Firms must establish certain structures and processes to facilitate and operationalise organisational learning across industry boundaries. Since Henkel, an international leader in industrial and consumer business, has systematically applied cross-industry innovation and created numerous radical innovations through this approach, I used this firm as a best practice case for analysis. I applied a mixed methods approach to learn more about Henkel's organisational learning process and its subsequent benefits. Based on quantitative data, I conducted a partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) analysis, including an importance–performance matrix analysis (IPMA), and combined these results with qualitative interview data and corporate reports. My results show how Henkel has successfully systemised its organisational learning process and reveal how exploratory, transformative, and exploitative learning can enhance a firm's outcome through cross-industry innovation.
DUAL ALLEGIANCE, KNOWLEDGE SHARING, AND KNOWLEDGE PROTECTION: AN EMPIRICAL EXAMINATION
Authors: HUSTED KENNETH , MICHAILOVA SNEJINA , OLANDER HEIDI
Published: December 2013

Earlier research has put forward the theoretical proposition that R&D employees exhibit different patterns of allegiance — they tend to either develop a unilateral allegiance (to their own firm or to the inter-firm collaboration), a dual low allegiance or a dual high allegiance. It has also been proposed that each particular allegiance type influences these employees' knowledge sharing behaviour. The present paper empirically tests these claims. Analysing original data collected through 50 interviews that took place in 2011 and 2012 in the R&D units of two global firms in Finland, the United States, and China, we confirm that these allegiance patterns exist and there is a relationship between allegiance and knowledge sharing behaviour. We also extend the previous theoretical framework on which the study is based and analyse not only knowledge sharing, but also knowledge protection behaviour.
The Impacts of Structural Difference and Temporality of Tweets on Retrieval Effectiveness
Authors: Jia Lifeng , Yu Clement , Meng Weiyi
Published: December 2013

To explore the information seeking behaviors in microblogosphere, the microblog track at TREC 2011 introduced a real-time ad-hoc retrieval task that aims at ranking relevant tweets in reverse-chronological order. We study this problem via a two-phase approach: 1) retrieving tweets in an ad-hoc way; 2) utilizing the temporal information of tweets to enhance the retrieval effectiveness of tweets. Tweets can be categorized into two types. One type consists of short messages not containing any URL of a Web page. The other type has at least one URL of a Web page in addition to a short message. These two types of tweets have different structures. In the first phase, to address the structural difference of tweets, we propose a method to rank tweets using the divide-and-conquer strategy. Specifically, we first rank the two types of tweets separately. This produces two rankings, one for each type. Then we merge these two rankings of tweets into one ranking. In the second phase, we first categorize queries into several types by exploring the temporal distributions of their top-retrieved tweets from the first phase; then we calculate the time-related relevance scores of tweets according to the classified types of queries; finally we combine the time scores with the IR scores from the first phase to produce a ranking of tweets. Experimental results achieved by using the TREC 2011 and TREC 2012 queries over the TREC Tweets2011 collection show that: (i) our way of ranking the two types of tweets separately and then merging them together yields better retrieval effectiveness than ranking them simultaneously; (ii) our way of incorporating temporal information into the retrieval process yields further improvements, and (iii) our method compares favorably with state-of-the-art methods in retrieval effectiveness.
Computing persistent homology within Coq/SSReflect
Authors: Heras Jónathan , Coquand Thierry , Mörtberg Anders , Siles Vincent
Published: December 2013

Persistent homology
is one of the most active branches of
computational algebraic topology
with applications in several contexts such as optical character recognition or analysis of point cloud data. In this article, we report on the formal development of certified programs to compute
persistent Betti numbers
, an instrumental tool of persistent homology, using the C
oq
proof assistant together with the SSR
eflect
extension. To this aim it has been necessary to formalize the underlying mathematical theory of these algorithms. This is another example showing that interactive theorem provers have reached a point where they are mature enough to tackle the formalization of nontrivial mathematical theories.
A unified semantic framework for fully structural propositional sequent systems
Authors: Lahav Ori , Avron Arnon
Published: December 2013

We identify a large family of fully structural propositional sequent systems, which we callbasic systems. We present a general uniform method for providing (potentially, nondeterministic) strongly sound and complete Kripke-style semantics, which is applicable for every system of this family. In addition, this method can also be applied when: (i) some formulas are not allowed to appear in derivations, (ii) some formulas are not allowed to serve as cut formulas, and (iii) some instances of the identity axiom are not allowed to be used. This naturally leads to new semantic characterizations of analyticity (global subformula property), cut admissibility and axiom expansion in basic systems. We provide a large variety of examples showing that many soundness and completeness theorems for different sequent systems, as well as analyticity, cut admissibility, and axiom expansion results, easily follow using the general method of this article.
Three syntactic theories for combinatory graph reduction
Authors: Danvy Olivier , Zerny Ian
Published: December 2013

We present a purely syntactic theory of graph reduction for the canonical combinators S, K, and I, where graph vertices are represented with evaluation contexts and let expressions. We express this first syntactic theory as a storeless reduction semantics of combinatory terms. We then factor out the introduction of let expressions to denote as many graph vertices as possible
upfront
instead of
on demand
. The factored terms can be interpreted as term graphs in the sense of Barendregt et al. We express this second syntactic theory, which we prove equivalent to the first, as a storeless reduction semantics of combinatory term graphs. We then recast let bindings as bindings in a global store, thus shifting, in Strachey's words, from denotable entities to storable entities. The store-based terms can still be interpreted as term graphs. We express this third syntactic theory, which we prove equivalent to the second, as a store-based reduction semantics of combinatory term graphs. We then refocus this store-based reduction semantics into a store-based abstract machine. The architecture of this store-based abstract machine
coincides with that of Turner's original reduction machine.
The three syntactic theories presented here therefore properly account for combinatory graph reduction As We Know It.

These three syntactic theories scale to handling the Y combinator. This article therefore illustrates the scientific consensus of theoreticians and implementors about graph reduction: it is the same combinatory elephant.
Constraint satisfaction tractability from semi-lattice operations on infinite sets
Authors: Bodirsky Manuel , Macpherson H. Dugald , Thapper Johan
Published: December 2013

A famous result by Jeavons, Cohen, and Gyssens shows that every Constraint Satisfaction Problem (CSP) where the constraints are preserved by a semi-lattice operation can be solved in polynomial time. This is one of the basic facts for the so-called universal algebraic approach to a systematic theory of tractability and hardness in finite domain constraint satisfaction. Not surprisingly, the theorem of Jeavons et al. fails for arbitrary infinite domain CSPs. Many CSPs of practical interest, though, and in particular those CSPs that are motivated by qualitative reasoning calculi from artificial intelligence, can be formulated with constraint languages that are rather well-behaved from a model-theoretic point of view. In particular, the automorphism group of these constraint languages tends to be
large
in the sense that the number of orbits of
n
-subsets of the automorphism group is bounded by some function in
n
.

In this article we present a generalization of the theorem by Jeavons et al. to infinite domain CSPs where the number of orbits of
n
-subsets grows subexponentially in
n
, and prove that preservation under a semi-lattice operation for such CSPs implies polynomial-time tractability. Unlike the result of Jeavons et al., this includes CSPs that cannot be solved by Datalog.
A Context-Based Approach to Reconciling Data Interpretation Conflicts in Web Services Composition
Authors: Li Xitong , Madnick Stuart E. , Zhu Hongwei
Published: December 2013

We present a comprehensive classification of data misinterpretation problems and develop an approach to automatic detection and reconciliation of data interpretation conflicts in Web services composition. The approach uses a lightweight ontology augmented with modifiers, contexts, and atomic conversions between the contexts. The WSDL descriptions of Web services are annotated to establish correspondences to the ontology. Given the naive Business Process Execution Language (BPEL) specification of the desired Web services composition with data interpretation conflicts, the approach can automatically detect the conflicts and produce the corresponding mediated BPEL. Finally, we develop a prototype to validate and evaluate the approach.
On Ideal Lattices and Learning with Errors over Rings
Authors: Lyubashevsky Vadim , Peikert Chris , Regev Oded
Published: December 2013

The “learning with errors” (LWE) problem is to distinguish random linear equations, which have been perturbed by a small amount of noise, from truly uniform ones. The problem has been shown to be as hard as worst-case lattice problems, and in recent years it has served as the foundation for a plethora of cryptographic applications. Unfortunately, these applications are rather inefficient due to an inherent quadratic overhead in the use of LWE. A main open question was whether LWE and its applications could be made truly efficient by exploiting extra algebraic structure, as was done for lattice-based hash functions (and related primitives).

We resolve this question in the affirmative by introducing an algebraic variant of LWE called
ring-LWE
, and proving that it too enjoys very strong hardness guarantees. Specifically, we show that the ring-LWE distribution is pseudorandom, assuming that worst-case problems on ideal lattices are hard for polynomial-time quantum algorithms. Applications include the first truly practical lattice-based public-key cryptosystem with an efficient security reduction; moreover, many of the other applications of LWE can be made much more efficient through the use of ring-LWE.
Persistence-Based Clustering in Riemannian Manifolds
Authors: Chazal Frédéric , Guibas Leonidas J. , Oudot Steve Y. , Skraba Primoz
Published: December 2013

We present a clustering scheme that combines a mode-seeking phase with a cluster merging phase in the corresponding density map. While mode detection is done by a standard graph-based hill-climbing scheme, the novelty of our approach resides in its use of
topological persistence
to guide the merging of clusters. Our algorithm provides additional feedback in the form of a set of points in the plane, called a
persistence diagram
(PD), which provably reflects the prominences of the modes of the density. In practice, this feedback enables the user to choose relevant parameter values, so that under mild sampling conditions the algorithm will output the
correct
number of clusters, a notion that can be made formally sound within persistence theory. In addition, the output clusters have the property that their spatial locations are bound to the ones of the basins of attraction of the peaks of the density.

The algorithm only requires rough estimates of the density at the data points, and knowledge of (approximate) pairwise distances between them. It is therefore applicable in any metric space. Meanwhile, its complexity remains practical: although the size of the input distance matrix may be up to quadratic in the number of data points, a careful implementation only uses a linear amount of memory and takes barely more time to run than to read through the input.
Weight cycling promotes fat gain and altered clock gene expression in adipose tissue in C57BL/6J mice
Authors: Dankel S. N. , Degerud E. M. , Borkowski K. , Fjære E. , Midtbø L. K. , Haugen C. , Solsvik M. H. , Lavigne A. M. , Liaset B. , Sagen J. V. , Kristiansen K. , Mellgren G. , Madsen L.
Published: December 2013

Repeated attempts to lose weight by temporary dieting may result in weight cycling, eventually further gain of body fat, and possible metabolic adaptation. We tested this with a controlled experiment in C57BL/6J mice subjected to four weight cycles (WC), continuous hypercaloric feeding (HF), or low-fat feeding (LF). To search for genes involved in an adaptive mechanism to former weight cycling and avoid acute effects of the last cycle, the last hypercaloric feeding period was prolonged by an additional 2 wk before euthanization. Total energy intake was identical in WC and HF. However, compared with HF, the WC mice gained significantly more total body mass and fat mass and showed increased levels of circulating leptin and lipids in liver. Both the HF and WC groups showed increased adipocyte size and insulin resistance. Despite these effects, we also observed an interesting maintenance of circulating adiponectin and free fatty acid levels after WC, whereas changes in these parameters were observed in HF mice. Global gene expression was analyzed by microarrays. Weight-cycled mice were characterized by a downregulation of several clock genes ( Dbp, Tef, Per1, Per2, Per3, and Nr1d2) in adipose tissues, which was confirmed by quantitative PCR. In 3T3-L1 cells, we found reduced expression of Dbp and Tef early in adipogenic differentiation, which was mediated via cAMP-dependent signaling. Our data suggest that clock genes in adipose tissue may play a role in metabolic adaptation to weight cycling.
Hyperglycemia abolishes meal-induced satiety by a dysregulation of ghrelin and peptide YY3–36 in healthy overweight/obese humans
Authors: Knudsen Sine H. , Karstoft Kristian , Solomon Thomas P. J.
Published: December 2013

Satiety and satiety-regulating gut hormone levels are abnormal in hyperglycemic individuals. We aimed to determine whether these abnormalities are secondary to hyperglycemia. Ten healthy overweight/obese subjects (age: 56 ± 3 yr; BMI: 30.3 ± 1.2 kg/m2) received three equicaloric meals at t = 0, 4, and 8 h in the absence (control trial) and presence of experimental hyperglycemia (hyperglycemia trial; 5.4 mM above basal). Circulating levels of glucose, insulin, ghrelin, and peptide YY (PYY)3–36 and visual analog scale ratings of satiety were measured throughout each trial. In the control trial, glucose, insulin, PYY3–36, and the feeling of fullness were increased in the postprandial periods, whereas ghrelin was decreased. In the hyperglycemia trial, in which plasma glucose was increased to 11.2 ± 0.1 mmol/l, postprandial meal responses (AUC: 0–2, 4–6, and 8–10 h) of PYY3–36 were lower ( meal 1, P < 0.0001; meal 2, P < 0.001; meal 3, P < 0.05), whereas insulin ( meal 1, P < 0.01; meal 2, P < 0.001; meal 3, P < 0.05) and ghrelin ( meal 1, P < 0.05; meal 2, P > 0.05; meal 3, P > 0.05) were higher compared with the control trial. Furthermore, the incremental (Δ0–0.5, 4–4.5, and 8–8.5 h) ghrelin response to the first and third meals was higher in the hyperglycemia trial in contrast to control (Δ: 2.3 ± 8.0, P = 0.05; Δ: 14.4 ± 2.5, P < 0.05). Also, meal-induced fullness was prevented ( meal 1, P = 0.06; meal 2, P = 0.01; meal 3, P = 0.08) by experimental hyperglycemia. Furthermore, trends in ghrelin, PYY3–36, and fullness were described by different polynomial functions between the trials. In conclusion, hyperglycemia abolishes meal-induced satiety and dysregulates postprandial responses of the gut hormones PYY3–36 and ghrelin in overweight/obese healthy humans.
Pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 contributes to the recirculation of gluconeogenic precursors during postexercise glycogen recovery
Authors: Herbst Eric A. F. , MacPherson Rebecca E. K. , LeBlanc Paul J. , Roy Brian D. , Jeoung Nam Ho , Harris Robert A. , Peters Sandra J.
Published: December 2013

During recovery from glycogen-depleting exercise, there is a shift from carbohydrate oxidation to glycogen resynthesis. The activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) complex may decrease to reduce oxidation of carbohydrates in favor of increasing gluconeogenic recycling of carbohydrate-derived substrates for this process. The precise mechanism behind this has yet to be elucidated; however, research examining mRNA content has suggested that the less-abundant pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase-4 (PDK4) may reduce PDH activation during exercise recovery. To investigate this, skeletal muscle and liver of wild-type (WT) and PDK4-knockout (PDK4-KO) mice were analyzed at rest (Rest), after exercise to exhaustion (Exh), and after 2 h of recovery with ad libitum feeding (Rec). Although there were no differences in exercise tolerance between genotypes, caloric consumption was doubled by PDK4-KO mice during Rec. Because of this, PDK4-KO mice at Rec supercompensated muscle glycogen to 120% of resting stores. Therefore, an extra group of PDK4-KO mice were pair-fed (PF) with WT mice during Rec for comparison. PF mice fully replenished muscle glycogen but recovered only 50% of liver glycogen stores. Concentrations of muscle lactate and alanine were also lower in PF than in WT mice, indicating that this decrease may lead to a potential reduction of recycled gluconeogenic substrates, due to oxidation of their carbohydrate precursors in skeletal muscle, leading to observed reductions in hepatic glucose and glycogen concentrations. Because of the impairments seen in PF PDK4-KO mice, these results suggest a role for PDK4 in regulating the PDH complex in muscle and promoting gluconeogenic precursor recirculation during recovery from exhaustive exercise.
Pharmacologically induced hypothermia via TRPV1 channel agonism provides neuroprotection following ischemic stroke when initiated 90 min after reperfusion
Authors: Cao Zhijuan , Balasubramanian Adithya , Marrelli Sean P.
Published: December 2013

Traditional methods of therapeutic hypothermia show promise for neuroprotection against cerebral ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), however, with limitations. We examined effectiveness and specificity of pharmacological hypothermia (PH) by transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channel agonism in the treatment of focal cerebral I/R. Core temperature (Tcore) was measured after subcutaneous infusion of TRPV1 agonist dihydrocapsaicin (DHC) in conscious C57BL/6 WT and TRPV1 knockout (KO) mice. Acute measurements of heart rate (HR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and cerebral perfusion were measured before and after DHC treatment. Focal cerebral I/R (1 h ischemia + 24 h reperfusion) was induced by distal middle cerebral artery occlusion. Hypothermia (>8 h) was initiated 90 min after start of reperfusion by DHC infusion (osmotic pump). Neurofunction (behavioral testing) and infarct volume (TTC staining) were measured at 24 h. DHC (1.25 mg/kg) produced a stable drop in Tcore (33°C) in naive and I/R mouse models but not in TRPV1 KO mice. DHC (1.25 mg/kg) had no measurable effect on HR and cerebral perfusion but produced a slight transient drop in MAP (<6 mmHg). In stroke mice, DHC infusion produced hypothermia, decreased infarct volume by 87%, and improved neurofunctional score. The hypothermic and neuroprotective effects of DHC were absent in TRPV1 KO mice or mice maintained normothermic with heat support. PH via TRPV1 agonist appears to be a well-tolerated and effective method for promoting mild hypothermia in the conscious mouse. Furthermore, TRPV1 agonism produces effective hypothermia in I/R mice and significantly improves outcome when initiated 90 min after start of reperfusion.
Extinction and Ergodic Property of Stochastic SIS Epidemic Model with Nonlinear Incidence Rate
Authors: Han Qixing , Jiang Daqing , Yuan Chengjun
Published: December 2013

We investigate a stochastic SIS model with nonlinear incidence rate. We show that there exists a unique nonnegative solution to the system, and condition for the infectious individualsI(t)to be extinct is given. Moreover, we prove that the system has ergodic property. Finally, computer simulations are carried out to verify our results.
Parametric Study of High-Efficiency and Low-Emission Gas Burners
Authors: Hou Shuhn-Shyurng , Chou Ching-Hung
Published: December 2013

The objective of this study is to investigate the influence of three significant parameters, namely, swirl flow, loading height, and semi-confined combustion flame, on thermal efficiency andCOemissions of a swirl flow gas burner. We focus particularly on the effects of swirl angle and inclination angle on the performance of the swirl flow burner. The results showed that the swirl flow burner yields higher thermal efficiency and emits lowerCOconcentration than those of the conventional radial flow burner. A greater swirl angle results in higher thermal efficiency andCOemission. With increasing loading height, the thermal efficiency increases but theCOemission decreases. For a lower loading height (2 or 3 cm), the highest efficiency occurs at the inclination angle 15°. On the other hand, at a higher loading height, 4 cm, thermal efficiency increases with the inclination angle. Moreover, the addition of a shield can achieve a great increase in thermal efficiency, about 4-5%, and a decrease inCOemissions for the same burner (swirl flow or radial flow).
Interhypothalamic Adhesion in a 9-Month-Old Male with Cleft Palate
Authors: Whitehead Matthew T. , Angel Jacqueline D. S.
Published: December 2013

A 9-month-old male infant with multiple congenital anomalies including cleft lip and palate was referred to us for a brain MR to exclude additional intracranial abnormalities. Imaging revealed an interhypothalamic adhesion, which we present as a possible forme fruste of holoprosencephaly.
An Elevated Maternal Plasma Soluble fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase-1 to Placental Growth Factor Ratio at Midtrimester Is a Useful Predictor for Preeclampsia
Authors: Hassan Mahmoud Fathy , Rund Nancy Mohamed Ali , Salama Ahmed Husseiny
Published: December 2013

Background.To assess the ability of mid-trimester sFlt-1/PlGF ratio for prediction of preeclampsia in two different Arabic populations.Methods.This study measured levels of sFlt-1, PlGF, and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio at midtrimester in 83 patients who developed preeclampsia with contemporary 250 matched controls.Results.Women subsequently developed preeclampsia had significantly lower PlGF levels and higher sFlt-1 and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio levels than women with normal pregnancies (P<0.0001for all). Women who with preterm preeclampsia had significantly higher sFlt-1 and sFlt-1/PlGF ratio than term preeclamptic women (P=0.01, 0.003, resp.). A cutoff value of 3198 pg/mL for sFlt-1 was able to predict preeclampsia with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 88%, 83.6%, and 84.7%, respectively, with odds ratio (OR) 37.2 [95% confidence interval (CI) 17.7–78.1]. PIGF at cutoff value of 138 pg/mL was able to predict preeclampsia with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 85.5%, 77.2%, and 79.3%, respectively, with OR 20 [95% CI, 10.2–39.5]. The sFlt-1/PIGF ratio at cutoff value of 24.5 was able to predict preeclampsia with sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 91.6%, 86.4%, and 87.7%, respectively with OR 67 [95% CI, 29.3–162.1].Conclusion.Midtrimester sFlt-1/PlGF ratio displayed the highest sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and OR for prediction of preeclampsia, demonstrating that it may stipulate more effective prediction of preeclampsia development than individual factor assay.
Manifold Adaptive Kernel Semisupervised Discriminant Analysis for Gait Recognition
Authors: Wang Ziqiang , Sun Xia , Sun Lijun , Huang Yuchun
Published: December 2013

A manifold adaptive kernel semisupervised discriminant analysis algorithm for gait recognition is proposed in this paper. Motivated by the fact that the nonlinear structure captured by the data-independent kernels (such as Gaussian kernel, polynomial kernel, and Sigmoid kernel) may not be consistent with the discriminative information and the intrinsic manifold structure information of gait image, we construct two graph Laplacians by using the two nearest neighbor graphs (i.e., an intrinsic graph and a penalty graph) to model the discriminative manifold structure. We then incorporate these two graph Laplacians into the kernel deformation procedure, which leads to the discriminative manifold adaptive kernel space. Finally, the discrepancy-based semi-supervised discriminant analysis is performed in the manifold adaptive kernel space. Experimental results on the well-known USF HumanID gait database demonstrate the efficacy of our proposed algorithm.
Gastric Sarcoidosis: A Rare Clinical Presentation
Authors: Tokala Hemasri , Polsani Karthik , Kalavakunta Jagadeesh K.
Published: December 2013

Gastrointestinal (GI) sarcoidosis is a very rare disease, which clinically presents along with systemic disease or as an isolated finding. Gastric sarcoidosis is the most common form of GI sarcoidosis. Symptomatic gastric sarcoidosis is rare and only few case reports have been described in the literature with well-documented histological evidence of noncaseating granulomas. We present an interesting case of gastric sarcoidosis in a 39-year-old Caucasian man with symptoms of epigastric pain and profound weight loss. His endoscopic gastric mucosal biopsies revealed noncaseating granulomas consistent with gastric sarcoidosis. Treatment with oral steroids alleviated his symptoms with no recurrence in 2 years. Gastric sarcoidosis should be considered in patients with history of sarcoidosis and GI symptoms.