bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Environmental Objects for Authoring Procedural Scenes
Authors: Grosbellet Francois , Peytavie Adrien , Guérin Éric , Galin Éric , Mérillou Stéphane , Benes Bedrich 
Published: October 2015

AbstractWe propose a novel approach for authoring large scenes with automatic enhancement of objects to create geometric decoration details such as snow cover, icicles, fallen leaves, grass tufts or even trash. We introduce environmental objects that extend an input object geometry with a set of procedural effects that defines how the object reacts to the environment, and by a set of scalar fields that defines the influence of the object over of the environment. The user controls the scene by modifying environmental variables, such as temperature or humidity fields. The scene definition is hierarchical: objects can be grouped and their behaviours can be set at each level of the hierarchy. Our per object definition allows us to optimize and accelerate the effects computation, which also enables us to generate large scenes with many geometric details at a very high level of detail. In our implementation, a complex urban scene of 10 000 m2, represented with details of less than 1 cm, can be locally modified and entirely regenerated in a few seconds.
Coordinated Crowd Simulation With Topological Scene Analysis
Authors: Barnett Adam , Shum Hubert P. H. , Komura Taku 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThis paper proposes a new algorithm to produce globally coordinated crowds in an environment with multiple paths and obstacles. Simple greedy crowd control methods easily lead to congestion at bottlenecks within scenes, as the characters do not cooperate with one another. In computer animation, this problem degrades crowd quality especially when ordered behaviour is needed, such as soldiers marching towards a castle. Similarly, in applications such as real‐time strategy games, this often causes player frustration, as the crowd will not move as efficiently as it should. Also, planning of building would usually require visualization of ordered evacuation to maximize the flow. Planning such globally coordinated crowd movement is usually labour intensive. Here, we propose a simple solution that is easy to use and efficient in computation. First, we compute the harmonic field of the environment, taking into account the starting points, goals and obstacles. Based on the field, we represent the topology of the environment using a Reeb Graph, and calculate the maximum capacity for each path in the graph. With the harmonic field and the Reeb Graph, path planning of crowd can be performed using a lightweight algorithm, such that any blocking of one another's paths is minimized. Comparing to previous methods, our system can synthesize globally coordinated crowd with smooth and efficient movement. It also enables control of the crowd with high‐level parameters such as the degree of cooperation and congestion. Finally, the method is scalable to thousands of characters with minimal impact to computation time. It is best applied in interactive crowd synthesis systems such as animation designs and real‐time strategy games.
Comparison of heuristic approaches to the generalized tree alignment problem
Authors: Ford Eric , Wheeler Ward C. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractTwo commonly used heuristic approaches to the generalized tree alignment problem are compared in the context of phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data. These approaches, multiple sequence alignment + phylogenetic tree reconstruction (MSA+TR) and direct optimization (DO), are alternative heuristic procedures used to approach the nested NP‐Hard optimizations presented by the phylogenetic analysis of unaligned sequences under maximum parsimony. Multiple MSA+TR implementations and DO were compared in terms of optimality score (phylogenetic tree cost) over multiple empirical and simulated datasets with differing levels of heuristic intensity. In all cases examined, DO outperformed MSA+TR with average improvement in parsimony score of 14.78% (5.64–52.59%).
Predictors of low diabetes risk perception in a multi‐ethnic cohort of women with gestational diabetes mellitus
Authors: Mukerji G. , Kainth S. , Pendrith C. , Lowe J. , Feig D. S. , Banerjee A. T. , Wu W. , Lipscombe L. L. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractAimTo determine what proportion of women with gestational diabetes underestimate their diabetes risk and identify factors associated with low diabetes risk perception.MethodsParticipants included pregnant adult women with gestational diabetes between 2009 and 2012 across seven diabetes clinics in Ontario, Canada. Data were collected through chart review and a survey that included a diabetes risk perception question.ResultsOf the 614 of 902 women (68% response rate) with gestational diabetes, 89% correctly responded that gestational diabetes increases the risk for developing diabetes. However, 47.1% of women perceived themselves to be at low risk for developing diabetes within 10 years. On multivariable analysis, BMI < 25 kg/m2, absent previous gestational diabetes history, absent diabetes family history and absent insulin use were appropriately associated with low diabetes risk perception. However, compared with Caucasian ethnicity, high‐risk ethnicity (Aboriginal, Latin American, West Indian, South Asian, Middle Eastern, Filipino, Black, Pacific Islander) [odds ratio (OR) 2.07; 95% CI 1.30–3.31] and East and South East Asian ethnicity (OR 2.01; 1.10–3.67) were associated with low diabetes risk perception. After further adjustment for immigration, only high‐risk ethnicity remained a predictor of low diabetes risk perception (OR 1.86; 1.09–3.19), whereas East and South East Asian ethnicity did not (OR 1.67; 0.86–3.22).ConclusionsAlthough the majority of women recognized gestational diabetes as a risk factor for diabetes, almost half underestimated their personal high diabetes risk despite prenatal care. Furthermore, women from high‐risk ethnic groups were more likely to underestimate their risk, even after adjusting for immigration. Interventions tailored to these groups are necessary to enhance perceived diabetes risk.
Giant Hydatid Cyst of the Interventricular Septum
Authors: Parakh Neeraj , Jagia Priya , Hote Milind , Arava Sudhir 
Published: October 2015

Mini‐AbstractThis case illustrates one of the largest reported hydatid cyst of the interventricular septum that almost obliterated both ventricular cavities. Diagnosis of hydatid cyst was confirmed on echocardiography, cardiac MRI, CT chest, and postoperative histopathology.
Effects of reduced summer flows on the brook trout population and temperatures of a groundwater‐influenced stream
Authors: Nuhfer Andrew J. , Zorn Troy G. , Wills Todd C. 
Published: October 2015

AbstractWithdrawal of water from streams and groundwater is increasing in Midwestern North America and is a potential threat to coldwater fishes. We examined the effects of summer water withdrawals on brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis populations and water warming rates by diverting 50–90% of summer baseflow from a 602‐m treatment zone (TZ) in a groundwater‐influenced Michigan stream during 1991–1998. We compared density of brook trout in fall, and spring‐to‐fall growth and survival of brook trout, between the TZ and an adjacent reference zone (RZ) whose flows were not altered. Flow reductions had no significant effects on the density of brook trout in fall or spring‐to‐fall survival of brook trout. However, spring‐to‐fall growth of brook trout in the TZ declined significantly when 75% flow reductions occurred. Cold upstream temperatures and the relatively short study reach kept thermal habitat conditions excellent for brook trout in the TZ throughout the dewatering experiments. These findings suggest that brook trout can tolerate some seasonal loss of physical habitat if temperature conditions remain suitable. In summer 1999, we experimentally assessed the influence of flow reduction on the warming rate through the TZ by diverting from 0% to 90% of flow around the TZ in 3‐ or 4‐day trials on a randomised schedule. Average daily temperature increased exponentially as stream flows declined from normal summer levels. Our findings suggest the risk of trout habitat loss from dewatering is potentially large and proportional to the magnitude of withdrawal, especially as thermal conditions approach critical levels for trout.
Are lampreys homebodies? Studying ammocoetes with open population models
Authors: Evans Thomas M 
Published: October 2015

AbstractLarval lampreys (ammocoetes) are assumed to be sedentary and have restricted movements, but their movement is still poorly understood. Using elastomer implants, ammocoetes of two different species of lampreys (Lethenteron appendix and Petromyzon marinus) in two streams were tagged with permanent, unique marks (N = 1035) and resampled once a month from June 2014 until October 2014. Some individuals were recaptured during every sampling event (N = 3, 0.3%). However, most animals were never recaptured after being tagged (N = 700, 67%) or were captured only once (N = 213, 21%). The apparent survival (ϕ) varied in response to time and grouping variables at both sites (0.25–0.86), but the probability of capture (P) did not vary as much (0.41–0.85). Differences were detected between sites, with ϕ being higher for L. appendix at Dyke Creek, a Genesee River tributary. Whether differences were caused by site‐specific details or species differences is unclear. At Dyke Creek, where age could be partially established from length‐frequency histograms, ϕ was higher for 1 year old than for older animals. At Oquaga Creek (where P. marinus were captured), ϕ was highly variable (0.11–0.72) and was lowest in the fall sampling (September–October). The P was similar at both sites (0.5–0.6) and across times and groups, even when it was significant to the model. Understanding the movement of ammocoetes will help conserve and control lampreys.
Abundance and generalisation in mutualistic networks: solving the chicken‐and‐egg dilemma
Authors: Fort Hugo , Vázquez Diego P. , Lan Boon Leong 
Published: October 2015

AbstractA frequent observation in plant–animal mutualistic networks is that abundant species tend to be more generalised, interacting with a broader range of interaction partners than rare species. Uncovering the causal relationship between abundance and generalisation has been hindered by a chicken‐and‐egg dilemma: is generalisation a by‐product of being abundant, or does high abundance result from generalisation? Here, we analyse a database of plant–pollinator and plant–seed disperser networks, and provide strong evidence that the causal link between abundance and generalisation is uni‐directional. Specifically, species appear to be generalists because they are more abundant, but the converse, that is that species become more abundant because they are generalists, is not supported by our analysis. Furthermore, null model analyses suggest that abundant species interact with many other species simply because they are more likely to encounter potential interaction partners.
Monitoring the John Cunningham virus throughout natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis patients
Authors: Domínguez‐Mozo M. I. , García‐Montojo M. , Arias‐Leal A. , García‐Martínez Á. , Santiago J. L. , Casanova I. , Galán V. , Arroyo R. , Fernández‐Arquero M. , Alvarez‐Lafuente R. 
Published: October 2015

Background and purposeProgressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) cases have arisen amongst multiple sclerosis patients treated with natalizumab. Our objective was to gain a better understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the John Cunningham virus (JCV) infection which causes PML.MethodsA study was made of (i) the quarterly JCV DNA levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), serum and urine samples in 100 multiple sclerosis patients during their natalizumab treatment (3–39 months), (ii) the association between human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II and the previous viral detection and (iii) the identification of the JCV variants in those patients suspected of having PML.Results(i) JCV DNA in PBMCs and/or serum was detected in 23% of our cohort. Patients with an intermittent JCV excretion in urine had a significant increase of the viral load and prevalence in this compartment during natalizumab treatment. (ii) The frequency of the DRB1*07/DQA1*02:01/DQB1*02:02 haplotype tended to be higher in patients with detectable versus undetectable JCV DNA in PBMCs (Pcorrected = 0.108). (iii) The variants in PBMCs and serum of the non‐PML patient matched the archetype. In the patient with non‐fatal PML, the archetype and the same neurotropic variant in PBMCs, serum and cerebrospinal fluid was identified at the time PML was diagnosed, whereas in the patient with a worse PML prognosis, four neurotropic variants in the three previous compartments were found by the PML diagnosis.ConclusionsThe detection of the neurotropic variant in blood during natalizumab treatment could be critical in the prevention of the development of severe PML, since this variant appears simultaneously with the clinical symptoms of PML and mutates quickly.
Relationship between ultrasonographic nerve morphology and severity of diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy
Authors: Arumugam T. , Razali S. N. O. , Vethakkan S. R. , Rozalli F. I. , Shahrizaila N. 
Published: October 2015

Background and purposeIn the current study, the aim was to characterize the nerve ultrasound cross‐sectional areas (CSAs) of type 2 diabetic patients with diabetic sensorimotor polyneuropathy (DSP) of different severities.MethodsA hundred symptomatic DSP patients and 40 age‐matched healthy controls were prospectively recruited. DSP severity was ascertained through the Toronto Clinical Scoring System (TCCS). Nerve electrophysiology and ultrasound were performed on both lower limbs and the non‐dominant upper limb.ResultsThe sural nerve was inexcitable in 19.1% of mild, 40.0% of moderate and 69.0% of severe DSP groups. In contrast, CSAs were measurable in all nerves of DSP patients and were significantly larger compared to controls. Patients with severe DSP had significantly larger ulnar, peroneal, tibial and sural nerves compared to mild DSP patients. By receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the cut‐off value for the sural nerve at 2 mm2 was a good discriminator (area under the curve 0.88) between the presence and absence of DSP (sensitivity 0.90; specificity 0.74) but performed less well in discriminating between the severity of DSP (cut‐off 2.75 mm2; area under the curve 0.62; sensitivity 0.59; specificity 0.73). Significant correlations were demonstrated between TCSS scores, most neurophysiology parameters and CSAs of the ulnar, peroneal, tibial and sural nerves.ConclusionNerve ultrasound in DSP reveals enlarged CSAs and these changes worsen with increasing disease severity, thus serving as a useful diagnostic tool especially when neurophysiology is unrevealing.
Clinical dissection of childhood occipital epilepsy of Gastaut and prognostic implication
Authors: Verrotti A. , Laino D. , Rinaldi V. E. , Suppiej A. , Giordano L. , Toldo I. , Margari L. , Parisi P. , Rizzo R. , Matricardi S. , Cusmai R. , Grosso S. , Gaggero R. , Zamponi N. , Pavone P. , Capovilla G. , Rauchenzauner M. , Cerminara C. , Di Gennaro G. , Esposito M. , Striano P. , Savasta S. , Coppola G. , Siliquini S. , Operto F. , Belcastro V. , Ragona F. , Marseglia G. L. , Spalice A. 
Published: October 2015

Background and purposeOur aim was to describe the clinical and electrical features and the long‐term evolution of childhood occipital epilepsy of Gastaut (COE‐G) in a cohort of patients and to compare long‐term prognosis between patients with and without other epileptic syndromes.MethodsThis was a retrospective analysis of the long‐term outcome of epilepsy in 129 patients withCOE‐G who were referred to 23 Italian epilepsy centres and one in Austria between 1991 and 2004. Patients were evaluated clinically and with electroencephalograms for 10.1−23.0 years. The following clinical characteristics were evaluated: gender, patient age at seizure onset, history of febrile seizures and migraine, family history of epilepsy, duration and seizure manifestations, circadian distribution and frequency of seizures, history of medications including the number of drugs, therapeutic response and final outcome.ResultsVisual hallucinations were the first symptom in 62% and the only manifestation in 38.8% of patients. Patients were subdivided into two groups: group A with isolatedCOE‐G; group B with other epileptic syndromes associated withCOE‐G. The most significant (P< 0.05) difference concerned antiepileptic therapy: in group A, 45 children responded to monotherapy; in group B only 15 children responded to monotherapy. At the end of follow‐up, the percentage of seizure‐free patients was significantly higher in group A than in group B.ConclusionsChildhood occipital epilepsy of Gastaut has an overall favourable prognosis and a good response to antiepileptic therapy with resolution of seizures and of electroencephalogram abnormalities. The association of typicalCOE‐G symptoms with other types of seizure could be related to a poor epilepsy outcome.
Peripheral neuropathy associated with levodopa–carbidopa intestinal infusion: a long‐term prospective assessment
Authors: Merola A. , Romagnolo A. , Zibetti M. , Bernardini A. , Cocito D. , Lopiano L. 
Published: October 2015

Background and purposeSubacute and chronic peripheral neuropathies (PNP) have been reported in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients treated with levodopa/carbidopa intestinal gel infusion (LCIG), although several aspects of their incidence and pathogenesis still remain to be clarified. This study main objective is to prospectively report the 2‐year incidence of PNP in patients treated with LCIG.Methods and resultsThe clinical, hematological, nutritional and electrophysiological assessments of 33 consecutive patients have been prospectively collected and evaluated. At baseline (before the start of LCIG therapy), 3/33 (9%) patients showed symptomatic PNP and 7/33 (21%) subclinical PNP. During a follow‐up of 24.36 ± 12.18 months, 2/23 patients with normal baseline clinical‐electrophysiological assessment developed a subacute PNP, 2/23 developed a chronic PNP and 7/23 developed a subclinical PNP. LCIG was immediately halted in the subacute cases, while the infusion therapy was not interrupted in chronic and subclinical forms. All PNP were supplemented with vitamin B1 and B12, showing a clinical improvement and/or substantial stability at the following evaluations. Higher levodopa‐equivalent daily dose (P: 0.024) and homocysteine levels (P: 0.041) were found in chronic PNP, while no correlations were observed with vitamin B12, folate and UPDRS values. A trend towards BMI reduction was observed in both PNP and unaffected subjects and one patient developed a symptomatic PNP associated with a relevant weight loss.ConclusionsSerial clinical‐electrophysiological evaluations are mandatory in patients treated with LCIG, given the possible risk of subacute and chronic PNP. No clear causative factors has been recognized in the subacute forms, whilst homocysteine‐mediated neurotoxicity seems to underlie the pathogenesis of chronic forms.
Geographies of Flexible Citizenship
Authors: Studemeyer Catherine Cottrell 
Published: October 2015

AbstractThis article provides an overview of the literature on “flexible citizenship,” a concept of the ways in which people seek out and use multiple citizenships to navigate transnational geographies for securing lifestyles and maximizing potential opportunities in a dynamic interconnected world. I argue that in order to deepen our understanding of the ways in which individuals perceive and use their citizenship(s) to “respond fluidly and opportunistically” to the constantly changing contemporary world, we need to broaden our approach to flexible citizenship, understanding it as both a “logic of capitalist accumulation” (Ong, , p. 6) as well as a logic of pursuing less tangible, less quantifiable life goals relating to lifestyle, identity, and everyday practices. First, I review the developments in theoretical approaches to citizenship in recent decades, exploring the importance of flexibility to understanding citizenship in contemporary contexts. I continue by highlighting selected studies that demonstrate how flexible understandings of citizenship are used to accumulate capital for the purpose of mitigating against economic and political uncertainty. I conclude by exploring newer research on the ways in which flexible citizenship can include other logics than those of financial and political security and how combining these two perspectives of flexible citizenship can advance our understandings of citizenship, transnationalism, and identity in a global and globalizing world.
Ex vivo construction of a novel model of bioengineered bladder mucosa: A preliminary study
Authors: Jaimes‐Parra Boris D , Valle‐Díaz de la Guardia Francisco , Arrabal‐Polo Miguel Á , Herrera‐Imbroda Bernardo , Lara María F , Machuca‐Santa‐Cruz Francisco‐Javier , Campos Antonio , Alaminos Miguel , Crespo Pascual V , Garzón Ingrid 
Published: October 2015

ObjectiveTo generate and to evaluate ex vivo a novel model of bioengineered human bladder mucosa based on fibrin‐agarose biomaterials.MethodsWe first established primary cultures of stromal and epithelial cells from small biopsies of the human bladder using enzymatic digestion and selective cell culture media. Then, a bioengineered substitute of the bladder lamina propria was generated using cultured stromal cells and fibrin‐agarose scaffolds, and the epithelial cells were then subcultured on top to generate a complete bladder mucosa substitute. Evaluation of this substitute was carried out by cell viability and histological analyses, immunohistochemistry for key epithelial markers and transmission electron microscopy.ResultsThe results show a well‐configured stroma substitute with a single‐layer epithelium on top. This substitute was equivalent to the control bladder mucosa. After 7 days of ex vivo development, the epithelial layer expressed pancytokeratin, and cytokeratins CK7, CK8 and CK13, as well as filaggrin and ZO‐2, with negative expression of CK4 and uroplakin III. A reduction of the expression of CK8, filaggrin and ZO‐2 was found at day 14 of development. An immature basement membrane was detected at the transition between the epithelium and the lamina propria, with the presence of epithelial hemidesmosomes, interdigitations and immature desmosomes.ConclusionsThe present results suggest that this model of bioengineered human bladder mucosa shared structural and functional similarities with the native bladder mucosa, although the epithelial cells were not fully differentiated ex vivo. We hypothesize that this bladder mucosa substitute could have potential clinical usefulness after in vivo implantation.