bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Current status and actual need for pediatric liver transplantation in Southern Vietnam
Authors: Nguyen Tu Cam , Robert Annie , Nguyen Phuong Van Ngoc , Nguyen Ngoc Minh , Truong Dinh Quang , Goyens Philippe , Reding Raymond
Published: December 2015

Liver transplantation (LT) has considerably improved the outcome of patients with end‐stage liver disease, especially in children. The first pediatric LT in Vietnam was performed in 2004. To assess the current need for pediatric LT in Southern Vietnam, a total of 280 patients with chronic liver disease followed at Children's Hospital 2 (Ho Chi Minh City), the only pediatric LT center in this region, were evaluated from January 2009 to June 2014. Sixty‐seven patients satisfied criteria for LT but only one transplant surgery occurred since 2009. Parental consent for LT was obtained only in 28.4% of patients. The main reasons for the small number of LTs were financial costs, far distance from home, lifelong follow‐up and treatment, and shortage of organ donors. We conclude that the current need for pediatric LT in Southern Vietnam is high. Efforts should be made to develop the liver transplant program in this developing country.
Disruptive thinking: The virtue of challenging collective therapeutic intuition
Authors: Peters Matthew J.
Published: December 2015

See article, page 370
There is No Pill for Deliberation: Explaining Discourse Quality in Post‐conflict Communities
Authors: Ugarriza Juan E. , Nussio Enzo
Published: December 2015

Recent experimental research suggests that ordinary citizens are capable of behaving in a democratic and deliberative way in controversial political debates, when given the right instructions. In this study, we test the potential of such instructions in contexts where levels of polarization, conflict and social marginalization are high. Using a randomized controlled experimental design, we test the effect of encouraging members of marginalized and conflict‐affected communities in Colombia to live up to the deliberative ideal, including free participation, mutual respect, justification of arguments, and contributing to the common good. Results indicate that deliberative instructions have a positive effect on intervention levels, but fail to increase discourse quality. We also find that socio‐economic differences (especially education and gender), as well as inter‐group trust dynamics, explain much of the variation in discourse quality. Promoting deliberative democracy under unfavorable conditions might therefore require a combination of short‐term policy measures aimed at increasing communal trust, long‐term efforts to improve schooling levels, and ensuring constraint‐free participation. There is, however, no treatment yet that can ensure deliberation success.
Global investigation of the co‐evolution of MIRNA genes and microRNA targets during soybean domestication
Authors: Liu Tengfei , Fang Chao , Ma Yanming , Shen Yanting , Li Congcong , Li Qing , Wang Min , Liu Shulin , Zhang Jixiang , Zhou Zhengkui , Yang Rui , Wang Zheng , Tian Zhixi
Published: December 2015

Although the selection of coding genes during plant domestication has been well studied, the evolution of MIRNA genes (MIRs) and the interaction between microRNAs (miRNAs) and their targets in this process are poorly understood. Here, we present a genome‐wide survey of the selection of MIRs and miRNA targets during soybean domestication and improvement. Our results suggest that, overall, MIRs have higher evolutionary rates than miRNA targets. Nonetheless, they do demonstrate certain similar evolutionary patterns during soybean domestication: MIRs and miRNA targets with high expression and duplication status, and with greater numbers of partners, exhibit lower nucleotide divergence than their counterparts without these characteristics, suggesting that expression level, duplication status, and miRNA–target interaction are essential for evolution of MIRs and miRNA targets. Further investigation revealed that miRNA–target pairs that are subjected to strong purifying selection have greater similarities than those that exhibited genetic diversity. Moreover, mediated by domestication and improvement, the similarities of a large number of miRNA–target pairs in cultivated soybean populations were increased compared to those in wild soybeans, whereas a small number of miRNA–target pairs exhibited decreased similarity, which may be associated with the adoption of particular domestication traits. Taken together, our results shed light on the co‐evolution of MIRs and miRNA targets during soybean domestication.
3D Printing of Instantaneous Turbulent Flame Shapes, Experimentally Captured by 3D-Computer Tomography and Multi-Directional Schlieren Photography
Authors: Ishino Yojiro , Hayashi Naoki , Ishiko Yuta , Abd Razak Ili Fatimah Bt , Saiki Yu , Nagase Kimihiro , Kakimoto Kazuma
Published: December 2015

Non-scanning 3D-CT(Computer Tomography) technique employing a multi-directional quantitative schlieren photographic system(top-left picture) with flash light source, has been performed to obtain instantaneous density distributions of high-speed turbulent flames(for reference, the target flame of 8 m/s exit velocity is indicated in the right-top picture). For simultaneous schlieren photography, the custom-made 20-directional schlieren camera was constructed and used. The target turbulent flame is high-speed flames, anchored on the burner of a nozzle exit of 4.2 mm diameter. The image set of 20 directional schlieren images are processed by MLEM CT-algorithm to obtain the 3D reconstruction of instantaneous density distribution. The solid models(bottom picture) of threshold density level of 0.7 kg/m3 are 3D-printed as 4 times large size for detail observations. The average exit velocity of the propane-air mixture of equivalence ratio of 1.1 is set to be 10, 8, 6 and 4 m/s (models from left to right in the bottom picture). The solid models show the complicated shape of the high speed turbulent flames. The flame structure of higher speed flame has fine scale corrugations. This corresponds to the “corrugated flamelets regime” of the Borghi & Peters diagram well.
Call recognition and individual identification of fish vocalizations based on automatic speech recognition: An example with the Lusitanian toadfish
Authors: Vieira Manuel , Fonseca Paulo J. , Amorim M. Clara P. , Teixeira Carlos J. C.
Published: December 2015

The study of acoustic communication in animals often requires not only the recognition of species specific acoustic signals but also the identification of individual subjects, all in a complex acoustic background. Moreover, when very long recordings are to be analyzed, automatic recognition and identification processes are invaluable tools to extract the relevant biological information. A pattern recognition methodology based on hidden Markov models is presented inspired by successful results obtained in the most widely known and complex acoustical communication signal: human speech. This methodology was applied here for the first time to the detection and recognition of fish acoustic signals, specifically in a stream of round-the-clock recordings of Lusitanian toadfish (Halobatrachus didactylus) in their natural estuarine habitat. The results show that this methodology is able not only to detect the mating sounds (boatwhistles) but also to identify individual male toadfish, reaching an identification rate of ca. 95%. Moreover this method also proved to be a powerful tool to assess signal durations in large data sets. However, the system failed in recognizing other sound types.
Unsplit complex frequency shifted perfectly matched layer for second-order wave equation using auxiliary differential equations
Authors: Gao Yingjie , Zhang Jinhai , Yao Zhenxing
Published: December 2015

The complex frequency shifted perfectly matched layer (CFS-PML) can improve the absorbing performance of PML for nearly grazing incident waves. However, traditional PML and CFS-PML are based on first-order wave equations; thus, they are not suitable for second-order wave equation. In this paper, an implementation of CFS-PML for second-order wave equation is presented using auxiliary differential equations. This method is free of both convolution calculations and third-order temporal derivatives. As an unsplit CFS-PML, it can reduce the nearly grazing incidence. Numerical experiments show that it has better absorption than typical PML implementations based on second-order wave equation.
A Collaborative Approach to Self-Study Research in Physical Education Teacher Education
Authors: Andrew K. , Richards R. , Ressler James D.
Published: December 2015

Self-study is a self-focused, improvement-oriented approach to understanding one’s own professional practices while also forging recommendations for the larger community of learners within a discipline. Faculty in teacher education have been engaging in self-study research since the early 1990s, and the approach has recently been adopted by faculty working in physical education teacher education. The purpose of this research note is to advocate for the use of self-study as part of a larger research agenda focused on understanding faculty development and experiences within physical education teacher education. We connect the self-study of teacher education practices to occupational socialization theory and discuss the ways in which self-study can help faculty think more critically about their work as it relates to teaching, research, and service. We also discuss best practices for self-study and lessons learned as they relate to an ongoing research project. We close by discussing implications of self-study work and recommendations for future research.
Impact of National Physical Activity and Health Guidelines and Documents on Research on Teaching K-12 Physical Education in U.S.A.
Authors: Li Weidong , Gao Zan , Yin Zhihua , Xiang Ping , Shen Bo , Kong Qingtao
Published: December 2015

Purpose:

This study examined the impact of published national physical activity (PA) and health guidelines, documents, and initiatives on the evolution of research on teaching K-12 physical education (PE) in U.S.A. from 1996 to October 2013.

Methods:

A total of 262 peer-reviewed, data-based journal articles meeting our inclusion and exclusion criteria were identified through a comprehensive search. These articles were coded and the resulting data were analyzed.

Results and Discussions:

The findings showed that 41% (108 out of 262) of articles had cited these identified guidelines, documents and Centers for Disease Controls and Prevention (CDC) reports. In particular, the most frequently cited documents were Healthy People documents, the 1996 Report of Surgeon General, and CDC reports and studies. The citation of these guidelines, documents and CDC reports fluctuated over the years. Our findings also showed that among the research studies citing these national documents and reports, 56% of them focused on students’ PA/fitness, while only a few studies focused on students’ psycho-motor skills and game performance. The majority of the studies reviewed were nonexperimental quantitative studies while 10% using randomized control trials or randomized group control trials design.

Conclusion:

The results revealed a substantial proportion of articles cited national guidelines, initiatives and CDC study reports. These guidelines and documents have had some impact on the evolution of research on teaching K-12 PE.
The Effect of Load Uncertainty and Foreperiod Regularity on Anticipatory and Compensatory Neuromotor Control in Catching
Authors: Berg William P. , Hughes Michael R.
Published: December 2015

Muscle activation was measured using EMG in 28 males (n = 28) while participants caught visually identical balls of known and unknown weights (50, 1.32, 2.18, and 2.99 kg) under variable (1–10s) and constant (3s) foreperiods. EMG integrals were computed for three time intervals before the catch (anticipatory), and one after (compensatory). Load uncertainty caused the CNS to use an anticipatory strategy characterized by preparation to catch balls of an unknown weight by utilizing about 92% of the muscle activation used to catch the heaviest possible ball under the known weight condition. The CNS appeared to scale anticipatory muscle activation to afford an opportunity to catch a ball of an unknown weight between .50 and 2.99 kg. The constant 3s foreperiod, which permitted temporal anticipation, did not influence the anticipatory neuromotor strategy adopted by the CNS to cope with load uncertainty. Load uncertainty also altered compensatory neuromotor control in catching.
Divergent Requirement for a DNA Repair Enzyme during Enterovirus Infections
Authors: Maciejewski Sonia , Nguyen Joseph H. C. , Gómez-Herreros Fernando , Cortés-Ledesma Felipe , Caldecott Keith W. , Semler Bert L.
Published: December 2015

Viruses of the
Enterovirus
genus of picornaviruses, including poliovirus, coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), and human rhinovirus, commandeer the functions of host cell proteins to aid in the replication of their small viral genomic RNAs during infection. One of these host proteins is a cellular DNA repair enzyme known as 5′ tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 2 (TDP2). TDP2 was previously demonstrated to mediate the cleavage of a unique covalent linkage between a viral protein (VPg) and the 5′ end of picornavirus RNAs. Although VPg is absent from actively translating poliovirus mRNAs, the removal of VPg is not required for the
in vitro
translation and replication of the RNA. However, TDP2 appears to be excluded from replication and encapsidation sites during peak times of poliovirus infection of HeLa cells, suggesting a role for TDP2 during the viral replication cycle. Using a mouse embryonic fibroblast cell line lacking TDP2, we found that TDP2 is differentially required among enteroviruses. Our single-cycle viral growth analysis shows that CVB3 replication has a greater dependency on TDP2 than does poliovirus or human rhinovirus replication. During infection, CVB3 protein accumulation is undetectable (by Western blot analysis) in the absence of TDP2, whereas poliovirus protein accumulation is reduced but still detectable. Using an infectious CVB3 RNA with a reporter, CVB3 RNA could still be replicated in the absence of TDP2 following transfection, albeit at reduced levels. Overall, these results indicate that TDP2 potentiates viral replication during enterovirus infections of cultured cells, making TDP2 a potential target for antiviral development for picornavirus infections.

IMPORTANCE
Picornaviruses are one of the most prevalent groups of viruses that infect humans and livestock worldwide. These viruses include the human pathogens belonging to the
Enterovirus
genus, such as poliovirus, coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), and human rhinovirus. Diseases caused by enteroviruses pose a major problem for public health and have significant economic impact. Poliovirus can cause paralytic poliomyelitis. CVB3 can cause hand, foot, and mouth disease and myocarditis. Human rhinovirus is the causative agent of the common cold, which has a severe economic impact due to lost productivity and severe health consequences in individuals with respiratory dysfunction, such as asthma. By gaining a better understanding of the enterovirus replication cycle, antiviral drugs against enteroviruses may be developed. Here, we report that the absence of the cellular enzyme TDP2 can significantly decrease viral yields of poliovirus, CVB3, and human rhinovirus, making TDP2 a potential target for an antiviral against enterovirus infections.
Controversy and consent: achieving patient autonomy in thrombolysis for acute submassive pulmonary embolism
Authors: Pywell Sarah Rachel , Smith Christopher Daniel , Reynolds Piero
Published: December 2015

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) is associated with a wide variation in patient outcome ranging from completely asymptomatic to cardiac failure and death. This presents a challenge to clinicians in ensuring the correct treatment for individual patients is given and that adverse events secondary to treatment complications are minimised. The evidence for those with massive PEs and non-massive PEs is clear for and against the use of thrombolysis, respectively. However, in those with ‘sub-massive’ PE there is no clear consensus on whether there is a treatment benefit. We present the case of a patient who presented with a non-haemodynamically significant PE but with evidence of right ventricular dilatation, and discuss the difficulties in treatment decisions in such cases, including the ethical and legal principles of consent, and how clinicians might best allow their patients to make informed decisions when in clinical equipoise.
Reversible severe bilateral visual loss in an unusual case of bilateral lateral geniculate myelinolysis during acute pancreatitis
Authors: Viloria Alejandro , Jimenez Beatriz , Palacín Marta
Published: December 2015

A 40-year-old man was diagnosed with pancreatitis following cholecystectomy. During hospitalisation, he reported bilateral acute vision loss. His best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was counting fingers in the right eye and 20/200 in the left eye. Ocular fundus examination and optical coherence tomography revealed a slight alteration in the retinal nerve fibres in the nasal macular region. Automated perimetry revealed bilateral visual field defects affecting both temporal and nasal hemifields in a predominantly nasal distribution, and brain MRI confirmed symmetrical lesions within both lateral geniculate nuclei. BCVA was gradually recovered, reaching 20/20 within 6 weeks.
Caudate haemorrhage caused by pseudoaneurysm of accessory middle cerebral artery
Authors: Teramoto Shinichiro , Tokugawa Joji , Nakao Yasuaki , Yamamoto Takuji
Published: December 2015

A 68-year-old man experienced a right caudate haemorrhage with intraventricular haemorrhage. Although a subarachnoid haemorrhage was not shown clearly, our investigation demonstrated an aneurysm-like vascular pouch located in the anomalous vessel arising from the A2 segment of the right anterior cerebral artery. Rupture of the vascular pouch was considered to be the cause of the caudate haemorrhage. Neck clipping was performed. In intraoperative observation, the anomalous vessel was diagnosed as a right accessory middle cerebral artery. Histopathology of the saccular wall showed only an adventitia and a fibrin layer, indicating a pseudoaneurysm. We routinely perform detailed vascular evaluation for any cerebrovascular disease. A meticulous vascular survey makes it possible to obtain valuable clues in cases such as caudate haemorrhage due to pseudoaneurysm of the accessory middle cerebral artery, leading to prevention of rebleeding.
Effect of daily application of a 0.05% chlorhexidine solution on the incidence of (aspiration) pneumonia in care home residents: design of a multicentre cluster randomised controlled clinical trial
Authors: Hollaar Vanessa , Maarel-Wierink Claar van der , van der Putten Gert-Jan , Swart Bert de , Baat Cees de
Published: December 2015

Introduction

Pneumonia is an important cause of death in care home residents. Dysphagia and poor oral health are significant risk factors for developing aspiration pneumonia. Oral hygiene care reduces the number of oral bacteria and the risk of aspiration pneumonia. However, it is not clear yet which oral hygiene care intervention is most efficacious in reducing the risk of aspiration pneumonia. The aim of the study is to assess whether the application of a 0.05% chlorhexidine-containing solution in addition to the usual daily oral hygiene care reduces the incidence of pneumonia in physically disabled care home residents with dysphagia.

Methods and analysis

The study was designed as a multicentre cluster randomised controlled clinical trial, with care homes as units of randomisation. During 1 year, 500 physically disabled care home residents with dysphagia will be followed. The intervention consists of applying a 0.05% chlorhexidine-containing solution twice daily, immediately after the usual oral hygiene care, whereas the control group receives no application after the usual oral hygiene care. The primary outcome is the incidence of pneumonia diagnosed by a physician, using a set of strictly described criteria. The effect of the intervention on the incidence of pneumonia will be determined using a Cox regression analysis. The secondary outcomes are correlations between incidence of pneumonia, age, gender, diagnosed diseases, dysphagia severity, care dependency, actually used medication, number of teeth and implants present and the presence of removable dentures.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethical approval was obtained from the Medical Ethical Committee of Radboud university medical centre: NL.nr: 41990.091.12. Written and informed consent will be obtained from all participating care homes and residents. The study's findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals.

Trial registration number

The trial has been registered in the Netherlands in the National Trial Register: TC=3515.
Safety and efficacy of tiotropium in patients switching from HandiHaler to Respimat in the TIOSPIR trial
Authors: Dahl Ronald , Calverley Peter M A , Anzueto Antonio , Metzdorf Norbert , Fowler Andy , Mueller Achim , Wise Robert , Dusser Daniel
Published: December 2015

Objectives

This post hoc analysis of TIOtropium Safety and Performance In Respimat (TIOSPIR) evaluated safety and exacerbation efficacy in patients with stable (≥2 months) use of tiotropium HandiHaler 18 µg (HH18) prior to study entry, to evaluate whether there was a difference in risk for patients who switched from HH18 to tiotropium Respimat 2.5 µg (R2.5) or 5 µg (R5).

Setting

TIOSPIR (n=17 135) was an international, Phase IIIb/IV, randomised, double-blind, parallel-group, event-driven trial.

Participants

Patients from TIOSPIR with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and postbronchodilator ratio of forced expiratory volume in 1 s to forced vital capacity ≤0.70, receiving HH18 before study entry, were analysed (n=2784).

Interventions

Patients were randomised to once-daily tiotropium R2.5 (n=914), R5 (n=918) or HH18 (n=952) for 2–3 years.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Primary outcomes: time to death (safety) and time to first COPD exacerbation (efficacy). Secondary outcomes: number of exacerbations and time to first major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE).

Results

Baseline characteristics were similar in all groups. Respimat had a similar mortality risk versus HH18 (vital status follow-up, HR; 95% CI R2.5: 0.87; 0.64 to 1.17; R5: 0.79; 0.58 to 1.07) with no significant differences in the risk and rates of exacerbations and severe exacerbations across treatment groups. Risk of MACE and fatal MACE was similar for Respimat versus HH18 (HR; 95% CI MACE R2.5: 0.73; 0.47 to 1.15; R5: 0.69; 0.44 to 1.08; fatal MACE R2.5: 0.57; 0.27 to 1.19; R5: 0.67; 0.33 to 1.34). Overall risk of a fatal event (on treatment) was lower for R5 versus HH18 (HR; 95% CI R2.5: 0.78; 0.55 to 1.09; R5: 0.62; 0.43 to 0.89).

Conclusions

This analysis indicates that it is safe to switch patients from tiotropium HandiHaler to tiotropium Respimat, and that the efficacy is maintained over the switch.

Trial registration number

NCT01126437; Post-results.
‘Our Care through Our Eyes’: a mixed-methods, evaluative study of a service-user, co-produced education programme to improve inpatient care of children and young people admitted following self-harm
Authors: Manning Joseph C , Latif Asam , Carter Tim , Cooper Joanne , Horsley Angela , Armstrong Marie , Wharrad Heather
Published: December 2015

Introduction

Within Europe, the UK has one of the highest rates of self-harm, with a particularly high prevalence in children and young people (CYP). CYP who are admitted to paediatric hospital wards with self-harm are cared for by registered children's nurses who have been identified to lack specific training in caring for this patient group. This may impede the delivery of high quality care. Therefore, this study aims to co-produce, implement and evaluate an education programme for registered children's nurses to improve their knowledge, attitudes and confidence when caring for CYP admitted with self-harm.

Methods and analysis

This mixed-methods evaluative study will involve a three-stage design. Stage 1: A priority-setting workshop will be conducted with 19 registered children's nurses. A Delphi technique will be used to establish consensus of information needs. Stage 2: An online educational intervention will be co-produced with 25 CYP and 19 registered children's nurses based on the priorities identified in Stage 1. Stage 3: The intervention will be implemented and evaluated with 250 registered children's nurses at a single hospital. Online Likert scale questionnaires will be administered at baseline and postintervention to assess levels of knowledge, attitudes and confidence in caring for CYP who self-harm. Descriptive and inferential statistics will be used to analyse the data. Statistical significance will be assessed at the 5% (two-sided) level. One-to-one qualitative interviews will also be undertaken with approximately 25 participants to explore any perceived impact on clinical practice. An interpretive descriptive approach will guide qualitative data collection and analysis.

Ethics and dissemination

This study aims to develop, trial and evaluative a service-user, co-produced education programme for acute hospital registered children's nurses to improve the care of CYP admitted due to self-harm. The study has ethical approval from the National Health Services Research Ethics Committee and full governance clearance.
Injury incidence among middle school students aged 13–15 years in 47 low-income and middle-income countries
Authors: Street Erica J , Jacobsen Kathryn H
Published: December 2015

A total of 95 811 students aged 13–15 years participated in nationally representative Global School-based Student Health Surveys (GSHS) in 47 low-income and middle-income countries conducted between 2003 and 2012. On average, about 40% of the participants in each country reported at least one injury in the past year that was serious enough to cause the student to miss at least one full day of usual activities (such as school, sports and a job) or to require treatment by a healthcare professional. In 40 of the 47 countries, boys reported a significantly higher injury rate than girls. Based on these numbers, injuries likely cause approximately four million days of school absence by lower secondary school students annually. Most of these injuries are preventable.
Socioeconomic position in childhood and cancer in adulthood: a rapid-review
Authors: Vohra Jyotsna , Marmot Michael G , Bauld Linda , Hiatt Robert A
Published: December 2015

Background

The relationship of childhood socioeconomic position (SEP) to adult cancer has been inconsistent in the literature and there has been no review summarising the current evidence focused solely on cancer outcomes.

Methods and results

We performed a rapid review of the literature, which identified 22 publications from 13 studies, primarily in the UK and northern European countries that specifically analysed individual measures of SEP in childhood and cancer outcomes in adulthood. Most of these studies adjusted for adult SEP as a critical mediator of the relationship of interest.

Conclusions

Results confirm that childhood socioeconomic circumstances have a strong influence on stomach cancer and are likely to contribute, along with adult circumstances, to lung cancer through cumulative exposure to smoking. There was also some evidence of increased risk of colorectal, liver, cervical and pancreatic cancers with lower childhood SEP in large studies, but small numbers of cancer deaths made these estimates imprecise. Gaps in knowledge and potential policy implications are presented.
Development of a new welfare assessment protocol for practical application in long‐term dog shelters
Authors: Barnard S. , Pedernera C. , Candeloro L. , Ferri N. , Velarde A. , Dalla Villa P.
Published: December 2015

In many European shelters, dogs may spend many years confined. A poor environment and inappropriate management may lead to a low quality of life. The absence of harmonised European regulatory frameworks defining the minimum requirements for shelter facilities makes the definition of welfare standards for kennelled dogs challenging. Here, a new protocol was developed and tested to help identify the main welfare issues for shelter dogs. Twenty‐six indicators were identified including management, resource and animal based measures. Accuracy and interobserver reliability were checked between four assessors. The protocol was applied in 29 shelters (n=1308 dogs) in six European countries. Overall prevalence of poor health conditions was below 10%. Test‐retest reliability and validity of the protocol were investigated with encouraging results. A logistic regression was carried out to assess the potential of the protocol as a tool to identify welfare hazards in shelter environments. Inappropriate space allowance, for example, was found to be a risk factor potentially affecting the animal's cleanliness, skin condition and body condition. The protocol was designed to be concise and easy to implement. Systematic data collection could help identify welfare problems that are likely to arise in certain shelter designs and thus determine improvement in animal care standards.
Working in government service
Authors: Wade Claire , Burgess Kate
Published: December 2015

After qualifying and working in practice, Claire Wade and Kate Burgess decided they wanted a new challenge and joined the APHA's south east region. Here, they describe what their work involves and what they get out of it
A Performance Comparison of Sort and Scan Libraries for GPUs
Authors: Merry Bruce
Published: December 2015

Sorting and scanning are two fundamental primitives for constructing highly parallel algorithms. A number of libraries now provide implementations of these primitives for GPUs, but there is relatively little information about the performance of these implementations.

We benchmark seven libraries for 32-bit integer scan and sort, and sorting 32-bit values by 32-bit integer keys. We show that there is a large variation in performance between the libraries, and that no one library has both optimal performance and portability.
Yang–Mills theory at 60: Milestones, landmarks and interesting questions
Authors: Chau Ling-Lie
Published: December 2015

On the auspicious occasion of celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Yang–Mills theory, and Professor Yang’s many other important contributions to physics and mathematics, I will highlight the impressive milestones and landmarks that have been established in the last 60 years, as well as some interesting questions that still lie before us. The paper is written (without equations) for the interest of non-scientists as well as of scientists.
2+1 flavors QCD equation of state at zero temperature within Dyson–Schwinger equations
Authors: Xu Shu-Sheng , Yan Yan , Cui Zhu-Fang , Zong Hong-Shi
Published: December 2015

Within the framework of Dyson–Schwinger equations (DSEs), we discuss the equation of state (EOS) and quark number densities of 2+1 flavors, that is to say, [Formula: see text], [Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text] quarks. The chemical equilibrium and electric charge neutrality conditions are used to constrain the chemical potential of different quarks. The EOS in the cases of 2 flavors and 2+1 flavors are discussed, and the quark number densities, the pressure, and energy density per baryon are also studied. The results show that there is a critical chemical potential for each flavor of quark, at which the quark number density turns to nonzero from 0; and furthermore, the system with 2+1 flavors of quarks is more stable than that with 2 flavors in the system. These discussions may provide some useful information to some research fields, such as the studies related to the QCD phase transitions or compact stars.
Casimir effect in Horava–Lifshitz-like theories
Authors: Ulion I. J. Morales , de Mello E. R. Bezerra , Yu. Petrov A.
Published: December 2015

In this paper, we consider a Lorentz-breaking scalar field theory within the Horava–Lifshtz approach. We investigate the changes that a space–time anisotropy produces in the Casimir effect. A massless real quantum scalar field is considered in two distinct situations: between two parallel plates and inside a rectangular two-dimensional box. In both cases, we have adopted specific boundary conditions on the field at the boundary. As we shall see, the energy and the Casimir force strongly depends on the parameter associated with the breaking of Lorentz symmetry and also on the boundary conditions.
Theoretical investigation of defect structure in B2 TrSc (Tr =Cd, Ru) alloys
Authors: Hidoussi Aissam , Belgacem-Bouzida Aissa , Braga Maria Helena , Righi Haroun
Published: December 2015

Point defect structure of B2 TrSc (Tr[Formula: see text]Cd, Ru) alloys was investigated using supercell and special quasi-random structure (SQS) approaches. According to our results, Tr and Sc anti-sites are the constitutional point defects in Tr-rich and Sc-rich B2 TrSc, respectively. To investigate the thermal defect concentrations at finite temperatures, we adopted the Wagner–Schottky model using point defect formation enthalpies obtained from supercell and SQS approaches. The present results suggest that the predominant thermal defects in B2 CdSc are of exchange type, and in B2 RuSc are of interbranch Sc type. The calculated results show an agreement with the available theoretical and experimental data.
Origin of the hardest c-axis and softest a-axis and lowest transition pressure of Mo2Ga2C from first principles
Authors: Yang Ze-Jin , Gao Qing-He , Guo Yun-Dong , Xu Zhi-Jun , Tang Ling
Published: December 2015

The structural properties of Mo2Ga2C are simulated by first-principles under pressure. At 40 GPa, the axial compressibilities of [Formula: see text]- and [Formula: see text]-axes are 0.9763 and 0.9264, respectively, which are the known largest and smallest values in the [Formula: see text] compounds. A phase transition at 48 GPa is observed with an abrupt increase of [Formula: see text]-axis and a rapid decrease of [Formula: see text]-axis. The elastic properties and phonon imaginary frequencies confirmed the structural transition at 48 GPa, which probably should be the lowest-pressure transition in the [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text], etc.) phases. The anti-expansion of Mo–Mo bond length is responsible for the [Formula: see text]-axis ultra-incompressibility as well as the structural transition at 48 GPa.
Criteria for the a Priori Shortest Path Generation in Uncertain Time-Varying Transportation Networks
Authors: Wang Li , Gao Ziyou , Yang Lixing
Published: December 2015

This paper proposes a new definition of uncertain time-varying network to capture the uncertain and dynamic characteristics of the network with discrete uncertain link travel times. To find the a priori non-dominated paths in this type of network, three comparison criteria based on the uncertain measure, namely, deterministic dominance rule, first-order uncertain dominance rule and uncertain expected value dominance rule, are proposed to generate non-dominated paths in a single time interval and a time period, as more than one path may exist between an origin and destination for a given departure time. The proposed comparison methods are then applied to solving a simple uncertain time-varying network. The computational results verify the efficiency of three dominance rules for finding non-dominated paths.
Analysis and Solution of CSS-Sprite Packing Problem
Authors: Marszałkowski Jakub , Mizgajski Jan , Mokwa Dariusz , Drozdowski Maciej
Published: December 2015

A CSS-sprite packing problem is considered in this article. CSS-sprite is a technique of combining many pictures of a web page into one image for the purpose of reducing network transfer time. The CSS-sprite packing problem is formulated here as an optimization challenge. The significance of geometric packing, image compression and communication performance is discussed. A mathematical model for constructing multiple sprites and optimization of load time is proposed. The impact of PNG-sprite aspect ratio on file size is studied experimentally. Benchmarking of real user web browsers communication performance covers latency, bandwidth, number of concurrent channels as well as speedup from parallel download. Existing software for building CSS-sprites is reviewed. A novel method, called
Spritepack
, is proposed and evaluated. Spritepack outperforms current software.
Matching Real Fabrics with Micro-Appearance Models
Authors: Khungurn Pramook , Schroeder Daniel , Zhao Shuang , Bala Kavita , Marschner Steve
Published: December 2015

Micro-appearance models
explicitly model the interaction of light with microgeometry at the fiber scale to produce realistic appearance. To effectively match them to real fabrics, we introduce a new appearance matching framework to determine their parameters. Given a micro-appearance model and photographs of the fabric under many different lighting conditions, we optimize for parameters that best match the photographs using a method based on calculating derivatives during rendering. This highly applicable framework, we believe, is a useful research tool because it simplifies development and testing of new models.

Using the framework, we systematically compare several types of micro-appearance models. We acquired computed microtomography (micro CT) scans of several fabrics, photographed the fabrics under many viewing/illumination conditions, and matched several appearance models to this data. We compare a new fiber-based light scattering model to the previously used microflake model. We also compare representing cloth microgeometry using volumes derived directly from the micro CT data to using explicit fibers reconstructed from the volumes. From our comparisons, we make the following conclusions: (1) given a fiber-based scattering model, volume- and fiber-based microgeometry representations are capable of very similar quality, and (2) using a fiber-specific scattering model is crucial to good results as it achieves considerably higher accuracy than prior work.
Vector Regression Functions for Texture Compression
Authors: Song Ying , Wang Jiaping , Wei Li-Yi , Wang Wencheng
Published: December 2015

Raster images are the standard format for texture mapping, but they suffer from limited resolution. Vector graphics are resolution-independent but are less general and more difficult to implement on a GPU. We propose a hybrid representation called vector regression functions (VRFs), which compactly approximate any point-sampled image and support GPU texture mapping, including random access and filtering operations. Unlike standard GPU texture compression, (VRFs) provide a variable-rate encoding in which piecewise smooth regions compress to the square root of the original size. Our key idea is to represent images using the
multilayer perceptron
, allowing general encoding via regression and efficient decoding via a simple GPU pixel shader. We also propose a content-aware spatial partitioning scheme to reduce the complexity of the neural network model. We demonstrate benefits of our method including its quality, size, and runtime speed.
Interactive Acoustic Transfer Approximation for Modal Sound
Authors: Li Dingzeyu , Fei Yun , Zheng Changxi
Published: December 2015

Current linear modal sound models are tightly coupled with their frequency content. Both the modal vibration of object surfaces and the resulting sound radiation depend on the vibration frequency. Whenever the user tweaks modal parameters to adjust frequencies the modal sound model changes completely, necessitating expensive recomputation of modal vibration and sound radiation.

We propose a new method for interactive and continuous editing as well as exploration of modal sound parameters. We start by sampling a number of key points around a vibrating object, and then devise a compact, low-memory representation of frequency-varying acoustic transfer values at each key point using Prony series. We efficiently precompute these series using an adaptive frequency sweeping algorithm and volume-velocity-preserving mesh simplification. At runtime, we approximate acoustic transfer values using standard multipole expansions. Given user-specified modal frequencies, we solve a small least-squares system to estimate the expansion coefficients, and thereby quickly compute the resulting sound pressure value at arbitrary listening locations. We demonstrate the numerical accuracy, the runtime performance of our method on a set of comparisons and examples, and evaluate sound quality with user perception studies.
Nonsmooth Developable Geometry for Interactively Animating Paper Crumpling
Authors: Schreck Camille , Rohmer Damien , Hahmann Stefanie , Cani Marie-Paule , Jin Shuo , Wang Charlie C. L. , Bloch Jean-Francis
Published: December 2015

We present the first method to animate sheets of paper at interactive rates, while automatically generating a plausible set of sharp features when the sheet is crumpled. The key idea is to interleave standard physically based simulation steps with procedural generation of a piecewise continuous developable surface. The resulting hybrid surface model captures new singular points dynamically appearing during the crumpling process, mimicking the effect of paper fiber fracture. Although the model evolves over time to take these irreversible damages into account, the mesh used for simulation is kept coarse throughout the animation, leading to efficient computations. Meanwhile, the geometric layer ensures that the surface stays almost isometric to its original 2D pattern. We validate our model through measurements and visual comparison with real paper manipulation, and show results on a variety of crumpled paper configurations.
Designing a Million-Qubit Quantum Computer Using a Resource Performance Simulator
Authors: Ahsan Muhammad , Meter Rodney Van , Kim Jungsang
Published: December 2015

The optimal design of a fault-tolerant quantum computer involves finding an appropriate balance between the burden of large-scale integration of noisy components and the load of improving the reliability of hardware technology. This balance can be evaluated by quantitatively modeling the execution of quantum logic operations on a realistic quantum hardware containing limited computational resources. In this work, we report a complete performance simulation software tool capable of (1) searching the hardware design space by varying resource architecture and technology parameters, (2) synthesizing and scheduling a fault-tolerant quantum algorithm within the hardware constraints, (3) quantifying the performance metrics such as the execution time and the failure probability of the algorithm, and (4) analyzing the breakdown of these metrics to highlight the performance bottlenecks and visualizing resource utilization to evaluate the adequacy of the chosen design. Using this tool, we investigate a vast design space for implementing key building blocks of Shor’s algorithm to factor a 1,024-bit number with a baseline budget of 1.5 million qubits. We show that a trapped-ion quantum computer designed with twice as many qubits and one-tenth of the baseline infidelity of the communication channel can factor a 2,048-bit integer in less than 5 months.
Pushing the Limits of 3D Color Printing
Authors: Brunton Alan , Arikan Can Ates , Urban Philipp
Published: December 2015

Accurate color reproduction is important in many applications of 3D printing, from design prototypes to 3D color copies or portraits. Although full color is available via other technologies, multi-jet printers have greater potential for graphical 3D printing, in terms of reproducing complex appearance properties. However, to date these printers cannot produce full color, and doing so poses substantial technical challenges, from the shear amount of data to the translucency of the available color materials. In this article, we propose an error diffusion halftoning approach to achieve full color with multi-jet printers, which operates on multiple isosurfaces or layers within the object. We propose a novel traversal algorithm for voxel surfaces, which allows the transfer of existing error diffusion algorithms from 2D printing. The resulting prints faithfully reproduce colors, color gradients and fine-scale details.
Bridging communities
Authors: Penzenstadler Birgit , Raturi Ankita , Becker Christoph , Norton Juliet , Tomlinson Bill , Silberman Six , Richardson Debra
Published: December 2015

In this forum we highlight innovative thought, design, and research in the area of interaction design and sustainability, illustrating the diversity of approaches across HCI communities. ---
Lisa Nathan and Samuel Mann, Editors
From tracking to personal health
Authors: Boll Susanne , Heuten Wilko , Meyer Jochen
Published: December 2015

This forum is dedicated to personal health in all its many facets: decision-making, goal setting, celebration, discovery, reflection, and coordination, among others. We look at innovations in interactive technologies and how they help address current critical healthcare challenges. ---
Gillian R. Hayes, Editor
The Netflix Recommender System
Authors: Gomez-Uribe Carlos A. , Hunt Neil
Published: December 2015

This article discusses the various algorithms that make up the Netflix recommender system, and describes its business purpose. We also describe the role of search and related algorithms, which for us turns into a recommendations problem as well. We explain the motivations behind and review the approach that we use to improve the recommendation algorithms, combining A/B testing focused on improving member retention and medium term engagement, as well as offline experimentation using historical member engagement data. We discuss some of the issues in designing and interpreting A/B tests. Finally, we describe some current areas of focused innovation, which include making our recommender system global and language aware.
The rise of incompetence
Authors: Grudin Jonathan
Published: December 2015

The
Interactions
website (interactions.acm.org) hosts a stable of bloggers who share insights and observations on HCI, often challenging current practices. Each issue we'll publish selected posts from some of the leading voices in the field.
Toward Extensions to the Ravenscar Profile
Authors: Rogers P. , Ruiz J. , Gingold T.
Published: December 2015

We describe an on-going effort to identify a set of enhancements to the Ravenscar profile, intended primarily for applications in the real-time systems domain, but perhaps also applicable to the other domains supported by Ravenscar as currently defined. In addition to the technical issues we also include matters of cost, leading to the question of whether a new profile is appropriate.
Real-Time Fine-Grained Parallelism in Ada
Authors: Pinho Luís Miguel , Moore Brad , Michell Stephen , Taft S. Tucker
Published: December 2015

The approach for fine-grained parallelism in Ada presented at the last Real-Time Ada Workshop has been revised, both in terms of the language mechanisms to specify parallelism, as well as in terms of the underlying execution model. This paper summarizes the current state of the proposal, further detailing how programmers can control the behavior of the parallel execution, and discussing the issues which are still open.
Multiprocessor Ada platform based on MaRTE OS and GNAT
Authors: Rivas Mario Aldea , Tijero Héctor Pérez , Harbour Michael González
Published: December 2015

This paper presents the implementation of a multiprocessor Ada platform based on MaRTE OS and GNAT. The paper describes the modifications required to adapt MaRTE OS to a multiprocessor architecture, namely the protection of the internal data structures against concurrent access and the management of several ready queues. We also describe the adaptation of the GNAT run-time library in order to be used on top of the multiprocessor services provided by MaRTE OS. The developed MaRTE/GNAT platform provides full Ada tasking functionality and the multiprocessor support defined in the Ravenscar profile. Two multiprocessor architectures are supported: the multiprocessor version of the XtratuM hypervisor for Intel x86 architecture and the Linux operating system (with MaRTE taking the role of a Pthreads multiprocessor library).