bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploring approaches to child welfare in contexts of domestic violence and abuse: Family group conferences
Authors: Rogers Michaela , Parkinson Kate 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThis article sets out to explore service provision for families affected by domestic violence and abuse. For most families where there are child protection concerns, there are possibilities for intervention from child welfare agencies and domestic abuse services, but these have been criticised as having distinct and disconnected practice cultures and orientation. Recognising this divergence, in this paper, we advocate for safeguarding children affected by domestic violence and abuse using the family group conference (FGC) model. This offers possibilities for a coherent response that integrates both child‐ and women‐centred concerns in a holistic approach to family safety and well‐being. Furthermore, it is well documented that safeguarding work involves professionally‐led decision‐making that is pre‐occupied with the management of risk. FGCs, however, promote a partnership approach that engages families in a more democratic decision‐making process. As such, FGCs offer families the opportunity to develop their own safety and support plans for the protection and care of children recognising the family's inherent strengths.
Bi‐Layer textures: a Model for Synthesis and Deformation of Composite Textures
Authors: Guingo Geoffrey , Sauvage Basile , Dischler Jean‐Michel , Cani Marie‐Paule 
Published: July 2017

AbstractWe propose a bi‐layer representation for textures which is suitable for on‐the‐fly synthesis of unbounded textures from an input exemplar. The goal is to improve the variety of outputs while preserving plausible small‐scale details. The insight is that many natural textures can be decomposed into a series of fine scale Gaussian patterns which have to be faithfully reproduced, and some non‐homogeneous, larger scale structure which can be deformed to add variety. Our key contribution is a novel, bi‐layer representation for such textures. It includes a model for spatially‐varying Gaussian noise, together with a mechanism enabling synchronization with a structure layer. We propose an automatic method to instantiate our bi‐layer model from an input exemplar. At the synthesis stage, the two layers are generated independently, synchronized and added, preserving the consistency of details even when the structure layer has been deformed to increase variety. We show on a variety of complex, real textures, that our method reduces repetition artifacts while preserving a coherent appearance.
Bayesian Collaborative Denoising for Monte Carlo Rendering
Authors: Boughida Malik , Boubekeur Tamy 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe stochastic nature of Monte Carlo rendering algorithms inherently produces noisy images. Essentially, three approaches have been developed to solve this issue: improving the ray‐tracing strategies to reduce pixel variance, providing adaptive sampling by increasing the number of rays in regions needing so, and filtering the noisy image as a post‐process. Although the algorithms from the latter category introduce bias, they remain highly attractive as they quickly improve the visual quality of the images, are compatible with all sorts of rendering effects, have a low computational cost and, for some of them, avoid deep modifications of the rendering engine. In this paper, we build upon recent advances in both non‐local and collaborative filtering methods to propose a new efficient denoising operator for Monte Carlo rendering. Starting from the local statistics which emanate from the pixels sample distribution, we enrich the image with local covariance measures and introduce a nonlocal bayesian filter which is specifically designed to address the noise stemming from Monte Carlo rendering. The resulting algorithm only requires the rendering engine to provide for each pixel a histogram and a covariance matrix of its color samples. Compared to state‐of‐the‐art sample‐based methods, we obtain improved denoising results, especially in dark areas, with a large increase in speed and more robustness with respect to the main parameter of the algorithm. We provide a detailed mathematical exposition of our bayesian approach, discuss extensions to multiscale execution, adaptive sampling and animated scenes, and experimentally validate it on a collection of scenes.
Multiple Axis‐Aligned Filters for Rendering of Combined Distribution Effects
Authors: Wu Lifan , Yan Ling‐Qi , Kuznetsov Alexandr , Ramamoorthi Ravi 
Published: July 2017

AbstractDistribution effects such as diffuse global illumination, soft shadows and depth of field, are most accurately rendered using Monte Carlo ray or path tracing. However, physically accurate algorithms can take hours to converge to a noise‐free image. A recent body of work has begun to bridge this gap, showing that both individual and multiple effects can be achieved accurately and efficiently. These methods use sparse sampling, GPU raytracers, and adaptive filtering for reconstruction. They are based on a Fourier analysis, which models distribution effects as a wedge in the frequency domain. The wedge can be approximated as a single large axis‐aligned filter, which is fast but retains a large area outside the wedge, and therefore requires a higher sampling rate; or a tighter sheared filter, which is slow to compute. The state‐of‐the‐art fast sheared filtering method combines low sampling rate and efficient filtering, but has been demonstrated for individual distribution effects only, and is limited by high‐dimensional data storage and processing.We present a novel filter for efficient rendering of combined effects, involving soft shadows and depth of field, with global (diffuse indirect) illumination. We approximate the wedge spectrum with multiple axis‐aligned filters, marrying the speed of axis‐aligned filtering with an even more accurate (compact and tighter) representation than sheared filtering. We demonstrate rendering of single effects at comparable sampling and frame‐rates to fast sheared filtering. Our main practical contribution is in rendering multiple distribution effects, which have not even been demonstrated accurately with sheared filtering. For this case, we present an average speedup of 6× compared with previous axis‐aligned filtering methods.
Fast Hardware Construction and Refitting of Quantized Bounding Volume Hierarchies
Authors: Viitanen T. , Koskela M. , Jääskeläinen P. , Immonen K. , Takala J. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThere is recent interest in GPU architectures designed to accelerate ray tracing, especially on mobile systems with limited memory bandwidth. A promising recent approach is to store and traverse Bounding Volume Hierarchies (BVHs), used to accelerate ray tracing, in low arithmetic precision. However, so far there is no research on refitting or construction of such compressed BVHs, which is necessary for any scenes with dynamic content. We find that in a hardware‐accelerated tree update, significant memory traffic and runtime savings are available from streaming, bottom‐up compression. Novel algorithmic techniques of modulo encoding and treelet‐based compression are proposed to reduce backtracking inherent in bottom‐up compression. Together, these techniques reduce backtracking to a small fraction. Compared to a separate top‐down compression pass, streaming bottom‐up compression with the proposed optimizations saves on average 42% of memory accesses for LBVH construction and 56% for refitting of compressed BVHs, over 16 test scenes. In architectural simulation, the proposed streaming compression reduces LBVH runtime by 20% compared to a single‐precision build, and 41% compared to a single‐precision build followed by top‐down compression. Since memory traffic dominates the energy cost of refitting and LBVH construction, energy consumption is expected to fall by a similar fraction.
Age‐related differences in subjective recollection: ERP studies of encoding and retrieval
Authors: Rollins Leslie , Riggins Tracy 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe ability to mentally re‐experience past events improves significantly from childhood to young adulthood; however, the mechanisms underlying this ability remain poorly understood, partially because different tasks are used across the lifespan. This study was designed to address this gap by assessing the development of event‐related potential (ERP) correlates associated with subjective indices of recollection. Children, adolescents, and adults performed Tulving's () remember/know paradigm while ERPs were recorded during memory encoding (Experiment 1) and retrieval (Experiment 2). Behaviorally, children recognized fewer items than adolescents and adults. All age groups reliably made subjective judgments of recollection, although the ability to make these judgments improved with age. At encoding, the ERP effect associated with recollection was present and comparable across age groups. In contrast, the ERP effect associated with recollection at retrieval differed as a function of age group; specifically, this effect was absent in children, topographically widespread in adolescents, and, consistent with previous literature, maximal over left centro‐parietal leads in adults. These findings suggest that encoding processes associated with the subsequent subjective experience of recollection may be similar among children, adolescents, and adults and that age‐related improvement in recollection may be primarily attributable to the development of processes that follow the initial encoding of stimuli (i.e., consolidation, storage, retrieval).
Measuring misalignment: The location of US multinationals’ economic activity versus the location of their profits
Authors: Cobham Alex , Janský Petr 
Published: July 2017

AbstractA major international effort—the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development Base Erosion and Profit Shifting initiative—aims to reduce the extent of misalignment between the profits of multinational groups, and the location of their real economic activity. This article uses survey data on the international operations of US‐headquartered multinational groups to show major misalignments of profit. A small number of “profit‐haven” jurisdictions are seen to have captured a disproportionate share of total profits, resulting in serious disadvantages for most countries, regardless of income level.
Fungal interactions reduce carbon use efficiency
Authors: Maynard Daniel S. , Crowther Thomas W. , Bradford Mark A. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe efficiency by which fungi decompose organic matter contributes to the amount of carbon that is retained in biomass vs. lost to the atmosphere as respiration. This carbon use efficiency (CUE) is affected by various abiotic conditions, including temperature and nutrient availability. Theoretically, the physiological costs of interspecific interactions should likewise alter CUE, yet the magnitude of these costs is untested. Here we conduct a microcosm experiment to quantify how interactions among wood‐decay basidiomycete fungi alter growth, respiration and CUE across a temperature and nitrogen gradient. We show that species interactions induced consistent declines in CUE, regardless of abiotic conditions. Multispecies communities exhibited reductions in CUE of up to 25% relative to individual CUE, with this biotic effect being greater than the observed variation attributable to abiotic conditions. Our results suggest that the extent to which fungal‐mediated carbon fluxes respond to environmental change may be influenced strongly by species interactions.
Negative plant‐phyllosphere feedbacks in native Asteraceae hosts – a novel extension of the plant‐soil feedback framework
Authors: Whitaker Briana K. , Bauer Jonathan T. , Bever James D. , Clay Keith 
Published: July 2017

AbstractOver the past 25 years, the plant‐soil feedback (PSF) framework has catalyzed our understanding of how belowground microbiota impact plant fitness and species coexistence. Here, we apply a novel extension of this framework to microbiota associated with aboveground tissues, termed ‘plant‐phyllosphere feedback (PPFs)’. In parallel greenhouse experiments, rhizosphere and phyllosphere microbiota of con‐ and heterospecific hosts from four species were independently manipulated. In a third experiment, we tested the combined effects of soil and phyllosphere feedback under field conditions. We found that three of four species experienced weak negative PSF whereas, in contrast, all four species experienced strong negative PPFs. Field‐based feedback estimates were highly negative for all four species, though variable in magnitude. Our results suggest that phyllosphere microbiota, like rhizosphere microbiota, can potentially mediate plant species coexistence via negative feedbacks. Extension of the PSF framework to the phyllosphere is needed to more fully elucidate plant‐microbiota interactions.
Cwp2 from Clostridium difficile exhibits an extended three domain fold and cell adhesion in vitro
Authors: Bradshaw William J. , Kirby Jonathan M. , Roberts April K. , Shone Clifford C. , Acharya K. Ravi 
Published: July 2017

Colonization of the gut by Clostridium difficile requires the adhesion of the bacterium to host cells. A range of cell surface located factors have been linked to adhesion including the S‐layer protein LMW SLP and the related protein Cwp66. As well as these proteins, the S‐layer of C. difficile may contain many others. One such protein is Cwp2. Here, we demonstrate the production of a C. difficile strain 630 cwp2 knockout mutant and assess the effect on the bacterium. The mutant results in increased TcdA (toxin A) release and impaired cellular adherence in vitro. We also present the extended three domain structure of the ‘functional’ region of Cwp2, consisting of residues 29–318 at 1.9 Å, which is compared to that of LMW SLP and Cwp8. The adhesive properties of Cwp2 and LMW SLP, which are likely to be shared by Cwp8, are predicted to be mediated by the variable loop regions in domain 2.DatabasesStructural data are available in the PDB under the accession number 5NJL.
Cooperative advertising to induce strategic customers for purchase at the full price
Authors: Farshbaf‐Geranmayeh Amir , Rabbani Masoud , Taleizadeh Ata Allah 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIn this paper, cooperative advertising in a manufacturer–retailer supply chain in the presence of the strategic customer is studied. It is assumed that a proportion of the customers strategically postpone their purchase in order to achieve a higher surplus. Advertising can enhance the willingness to pay (WTP) of the customers and, as a result, their surplus. In this paper, the effect of cooperative advertising in order to induce customers for early purchase is analyzed. While customer purchasing in the full price leads to higher income for the retailer, it requires spending more on advertising. This trade‐off between the benefits of inducing customers to early purchases and the advertising expenditure is a key to understanding the retailer's optimal advertising decision. On the other hand, it is interesting for the manufacturer to find out when supporting the retailer for its advertising expenditure is beneficial. Nash and Stackelberg (manufacturer as a leader) game‐theoretic models are established to investigate whether, in the channel, it is optimal to induce customers by increasing advertising expenditure or not. Results of the Stackelberg game show that the manufacturer participates in the retailer's advertising expenditure only if it leads to early purchasing of the strategic customers and the participation rate depends on the wholesale price. From the retailer's point of view, when the impact of advertising on the WTP of customers is not significant, the more the proportion of strategic customers, the more inducing customers for early purchase is beneficial. When advertising effectively increases WTP, regardless of the fraction of strategic customers, it is beneficial for the retailer to enhance its advertising in order to dissuade customers from postponing their purchase.
Knowledge mobilization in bridging patient–practitioner–researcher boundaries: A systematic integrative review protocol
Authors: Cowdell Fiona , Booth Andrew , Appleby Ben 
Published: July 2017

AbstractAimTo review published literature to identify when and how patients and healthcare practitioners have been involved in knowledge mobilization activity and the impact this may have had on their care.BackgroundImproving patient outcomes, satisfaction and quality of care is increasingly reliant on shared decision‐making between health professionals and patients. Knowledge mobilization, at its simplest: “moving knowledge to where it can be most useful” is a growing field of academic study. To date, it appears that much effort has focused on moving knowledge from researchers to healthcare practitioners. Knowledge mobilization to patients is currently under‐researched.DesignIntegrative review.Review MethodsMethods of integrative review will be used to address the review problem. PRISMA guidelines were used as a general framework to guide structuring and reporting the review. Elements of method‐specific reporting guidelines for specific streams of evidence will be used as required.DiscussionThis review will aim to provide a broad and deep understanding of patient–practitioner–researcher engagement in knowledge mobilization activity. This synthesis of the extant literature should offer insights into the optimum characteristics of methods for bridging patient–practitioner–researcher boundaries in knowledge mobilization action.
Inferior lead discordance in ventricular arrhythmias: A specific marker for certain arrhythmia locations
Authors: Enriquez Andres , Pathak Rajeev K. , Santangeli Pasquale , Liang Jackson J. , Al Rawahi Mohammed , Hayashi Tatsuya , Muser Daniele , Frankel David S. , Supple Gregory , Schaller Robert , Lin David , Nazarian Saman , Zado Erica , Marchlinski Francis E. , Garcia Fermin C. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractBackgroundMost idiopathic ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) originate from the outflow tracts and are characterized by an inferior axis on the 12‐lead ECG. A group of patients will exhibit inferior lead discordance (ILD), demonstrating a positive QRS in lead II with negative QRS in III or the opposite finding.Methods and resultsWe identified patients undergoing ablation of idiopathic premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) or ventricular tachycardia (VT) between 2013 and 2015. The site of earliest activation was determined using electroanatomic mapping and intracardiac echocardiography. Out of 281 patients, 25 (8.9%) exhibited ILD. In patients with positive/negative discordance (n = 18), the source was mapped to the parahisian region in 14 cases and to the right ventricular (RV) moderator band (MB) or papillary muscles (PMs) in 4, while all those with negative/positive discordance (n = 7) were mapped to the anterolateral PM (ALPM). In the group with positive/negative discordance, a later precordial transition (>V4), wider QRS duration, and the presence of notch in the inferior leads pointed toward a RV MB/PM origin. Complete PVC/VT suppression was achieved in 72%. In 2 patients with parahisian PVCs, ablation was not attempted due to risk of heart block.ConclusionsThe presence of ILD is associated with particular anatomical locations, namely, the parahisian region, RV MB/PM, and ALPM. The outcomes of ablation are more modest compared to other idiopathic VAs, reflecting the technical difficulties associated with these anatomical locations, such as the proximity to the conduction system in parahisian VAs or stability issues when ablating the PMs or MB.
Recovery of atrioventricular conduction in patients with heart block after transcatheter aortic valve replacement
Authors: Raelson Colin A. , Gabriels James , Ruan Jonathan , Ip James E. , Thomas George , Liu Christopher F. , Cheung Jim W. , Lerman Bruce B. , Patel Apoor , Markowitz Steven M. 
Published: July 2017

AbstractIntroductionRecovery of conduction has been demonstrated in >50% of patients who receive pacemakers (PPMs) for high‐degree atrioventricular block (HD‐AVB) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Little information is available about the time course of conduction recovery in these patients and if any features predict early recovery of conduction.MethodsA retrospective review was performed of patients who underwent TAVR with balloon and self‐expanding valves who required PPMs for HD‐AVB. Serial PPM interrogations were analyzed to detect recovery of AV conduction. Analysis was performed to identify predictors and timing of conduction recovery.ResultsOf a total population of 578 patients, 54 (9%) received PPMs for HD‐AVB. In multivariate analysis, predictors of HD‐AVB requiring a PPM included age (P = 0.014), right bundle branch block (OR 7.33 [3.64–14.8], P < 0.0001), atrial fibrillation (OR 2.16 [1.16–4.05], P = 0.016), and self‐expanding valves (OR 4.19 [2.20–7.97], P < 0.0001). Of the 54 patients who received PPMs, 38 had follow‐up sufficient to evaluate AV conduction recovery. Of these, 23 (61%) showed recovery of AV nodal conduction; 20 had already recovered by their first interrogation, a median of 22 days (IQR 14–31) post‐PPM placement. There were no statistically significant predictors of AV nodal conduction recovery, including type of valve implanted.ConclusionsA majority of patients who receive PPMs for HD‐AVB after TAVR recover AV conduction during follow­up, and in most patients conduction recovery occurs within weeks. These findings imply that programming to minimize ventricular pacing may be beneficial in a majority of these patients.
Update on intestinal microbiota in Crohn's disease 2017: Mechanisms, clinical application, adverse reactions, and outlook
Authors: Shen Zhaohua , Zhu Changxin , Quan Yongsheng , Yuan Wei , Wu Shuai , Yang Zhenyu , Luo Weiwei , Tan Bei , Wang Xiaoyan 
Published: July 2017

AbstractThe pathogenesis of Crohn's disease (CD) is complex, and it is thought to be associated with the environment, immune, hereditary, microbe, and other factors. If the balance between the host and the intestinal microbes in CD patients was broken, immune‐inflammatory response of susceptible individuals might be triggered. Probiotics could improve the intestinal microbial flora balance and treat human effectively. There are several new mechanisms that might explain the role of probiotics. Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is becoming more and more attractive in treating a large amount of digestive system diseases that are related to the dysbiosis of intestinal microbiota. FMT has been widely used in recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. More and more attention has been paid on the clinical application of FMT in CD, while the exact mechanism is still a mystery. So in this review, we explore the mechanism, clinical application, and adverse reactions of intestinal microbiota in CD so that we can use the tool to cure more diseases. Enteric microbiota leads to new therapeutic strategies for CD.