bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ON THE PROBLEM OF PLACING NAMES IN A GEOGRAPHIC MAP
Authors: FREEMAN HERBERT , AHN JOHN
Published: November 2004

The automatic placement of names on a geographic map, a seemingly straightforward computer task, is, in fact, remarkably complex. This paper describes the results of a research study which has led to the development of AUTONAP, an expert system for automatic name placement. The system attempts to emulate the manner in which an expert cartographer would place names. It utilizes heuristic knowledge about map placement and visual perception, embeds this in a set of explicit rules that form the knowledge base of the system, and draws on techniques from machine pattern analysis to achieve fully automatic placement of all the names in a map.
GENERATING CHINESE RESPONSES IN A MEDICAL QUESTION-ANSWERING SYSTEM
Authors: LI PING-YANG , EVENS MARTHA
Published: November 2004

We are building a question-answering system to assist physicians obtaining information from a patient knowledge base. We were motivated to build this system by evidence that physicians are much more willing to use systems that provide interactive responses. Sager’s Linguistic String Parser is being used to generate responses from information formats. These responses combine information retrieved from the knowledge base with inferences made from that information.
EFFICIENT SPEECH RECOGNITION TECHNIQUES FOR THE FINALS OF MANDARIN SYLLABLES
Authors: HWANG CHIA-HWA , HSU YEN-MING , WANG BIING-CHIN , TSENG CHIU-YU , LEE LIN-SHAN
Published: November 2004

A long-term research project toward Mandarin speech recognition techniques for very large vocabulary and unlimited text is considered. By carefully examining the special structures of Chinese language, the first-stage goal is set to be the design of efficient techniques to recognize the finals of Mandarin syllables. In this paper, three special approaches to do this are proposed. The Segmental Model Approach defines the final models by dividing the finals into several segments according to the acoustic structures of the speech signals. The Three-pass Approach uses three consecutive passes to classify the finals into small sets and improve the recognition efficiency. The Multi-section Vector Quantization (MSVQ) Approach, on the other hand, significantly reduces the necessary computation time by incorporating the branch-and-bound algorithm and common codebook concept with the MSVQ techniques. Extensive computer simulations are performed first to optimize each approach by choosing the best set of parameters then to compare the performance of the three approaches. It was found that all the three approaches are very efficient in terms of relatively high recognition rate and short computation time, and the MSVQ Approach provides the highest recognition rate at the shortest computation time, thus it is most attractive.
ON AUTOMATIC FEATURE SELECTION
Authors: SIEDLECKI WOJCIECH , SKLANSKY JACK
Published: November 2004

We review recent research on methods for selecting features for multidimensional pattern classification. These methods include nonmonotonicity-tolerant branch-and-bound search and beam search. We describe the potential benefits of Monte Carlo approaches such as simulated annealing and genetic algorithms. We compare these methods to facilitate the planning of future research on feature selection.
IMAGE SEQUENCES—TEN (OCTAL) YEARS—FROM PHENOMENOLOGY TOWARDS A THEORETICAL FOUNDATION
Authors: NAGEL HANS-HELLMUT
Published: November 2004

Many investigations of image sequences can be understood on the basis of a few concepts for which computational approaches become increasingly available. The estimation of optical flow fields is discussed, exhibiting a common foundation for feature-based and differential approaches. The interpretation of optical flow fields is mostly concerned so far with approaches which infer the 3-D structure of a rigid point configuration in 3-D space and its relative motion with respect to the image sensor from an image sequence. The combination of stereo and motion provides additional incentives to evaluate image sequences, especially for the control of robots and autonomous vehicles. Advances in all these areas lead to the desire to describe the spatio-temporal development recorded by an image sequence not only at the level of geometry, but also at higher conceptual levels, for example by natural language descriptions.
SEMANTIC INTERPRETATION OF 3-D STEREO DATA: FINDING THE MAIN STRUCTURES
Authors: THONNAT M.
Published: November 2004

We are interested in the semantic interpretation of 3-D data obtained by a stereovision algorithm, in the context of indoor scenes. This paper presents a high level process built to find the main plane structures of the scene and to label them with a semantic description. This process is made up of three stages: first, the sorting and enhancement of the input data (3-D segments), second, the generation of affine planes from the sorted 3-D segments and finally, the semantic description of these planes by a classification expert system using the interpreter CLASSIC. This process has been tested on various stereo images and the quality of the results, in robustness and accuracy, are quite good. The advantages of using a knowledge based system are discussed.
A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF DECISION MAKING ALGORITHMS IN IMAGES MODELED BY GAUSSIAN MARKOV RANDOM FIELDS
Authors: PALUBINSKAS GINTAUTAS
Published: November 2004

In this work the performance and computer time requirements of 15 classifiers are compared in images modeled by two-dimensional Gaussian Markov random fields which are represented by a causal autoregressive model of the second order. The per-pixel classifier and the object classifier directly or indirectly utilizing spectral-spatial characteristies of images are among them. The probability of misclassification (PMC) calculated analytically and experimentally on modeled data was used as a measure of a classifier performance. The influence of such factors as the object size and form, the inadequacy of a classifier and data models, the accuracy of spatial correlation estimation on the PMC is investigated.

The following main results are obtained. The performance of object classifiers is much better than that of per-pixel classifiers. The PMC of object classifiers decreases rapidly with the increase of the size of an object. The performance of object classifiers indirectly incorporating spatial characteristics of an object (OCIND) and that of object classifiers directly incorporating spatial characteristics (OCDIR) is similar for the linear decision rule. The performance of OCDIR is much better than that of OCIND for the quadratic decision rule. Computationally, averaging object classifiers are fastest, next are OCIND and finally OCDIR. The cross-shaped object classifier is better and faster than the square-shaped object classifier for the same number of pixels.
NUMBER OF SOLUTIONS OF SATISFIABILITY INSTANCES—APPLICATIONS TO KNOWLEDGE BASES
Authors: SIMON J.C. , DUBOIS O.
Published: November 2004

In propositional logic (zero order) a system of logical rules may be put under the form of a conjunction of disjunction, i.e. a “satisfiability” or SAT-problem. SAT is central to NP-complete problems. Any result obtained on SAT would have consequences for a lot of problems important in artificial intelligence. We deal with the question of the number N of solutions of SAT. Firstly, any system of SAT clauses may be transformed in a system of independent clauses by an exponential process; N may be computed exactly. Secondly, by a statistical approach, results are obtained showing that for a given SAT-instance, it should be possible to find an estimate of N with a margin of confidence in polynomial time. Thirdly, we demonstrate the usefulness of these ideas on large knowledge bases.
RULE BASED EXPERT SYSTEM SHELLS—NEW SOFTWARE TOOLS FOR PATTERN RECOGNITION?
Authors: BUNKE H. , DVORAK J.
Published: November 2004

In this paper, we discuss how rule based expert system shells can be used in pattern recognition for the implementation of algorithms which are procedurally oriented in their nature rather than rule based, and have traditionally been implemented in procedural programming languages. Particular examples include finite state automata, context free parsing, string matching, graph matching and discrete relaxation.
CONTEXT-SENSITIVITY OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL REGULAR ARRAY GRAMMARS
Authors: YAMAMOTO YASUNORI , MORITA KENICHI , SUGATA KAZUHIRO
Published: November 2004

Regular array grammars (RAGs) are the lowest subclass in the Chomsky-like hierarchy of isometric array grammars. The left-hand side of each rewriting rule of RAGs has one nonterminal symbol and at most one "#" (a blank symbol). Therefore, the rewriting rules cannot sense contexts of non-# symbols. However, they can sense # as a kind of context. In this paper, we investigate this #-sensing ability. and study the language generating power of RAGs. Making good use of this ability, We show a method for RAGs to sense the contexts of local shapes of a host array in a derivation. Using this method, we give RAGs which generate the sets of all solid upright rectangles and all solid squares. On the other hand. it is proved that there is no context-free array grammar (and thus no RAG) which generates the set of all hollow upright rectangles.
REPRESENTATION OF ITERATIVE PATTERNS
Authors: ASO HIROMOTO , HONDA NAMIO
Published: November 2004

Iterative patterns can be described by the component pattern of iteration and their way of connection for iteration. It is shown that the shape of the component pattern can be a rectangle for any iterative pattern, which is called a tile. The tile is related to the basis of the parallel translation group of the iterative pattern. The component pattern itself is identified by a "tessera" which is defined by a non-degenerate colored tile. The tessera is a compact representation of iterative patterns. Some natures of tesseras and tiles are also discussed. The number of the kinds of distinct iterative patterns for each way of iteration is evaluated.
EMBEDDING LEARNING IN A GENERAL FRAME-BASED ARCHITECTURE
Authors: TANAKA TOSHIKAZU , MITCHELL TOM M.
Published: November 2004

This research seeks to .incorporate machine learning capabilities within a general-purpose frame-based architecture. We describe CHUNKER, an explanation-based chunking mechanism built on top of THEO, a software framework to support development of self-modifying problem solving systems. CHUNKER forms rules that improve problem solving efficiency, by generalizing and compressing the chains of inference which THEO produces during problem solving. After presenting the learning algorithm used by CHUNKER, we illustrate its application to learning search control knowledge, discuss its relationship to THEO’s other three learning mechanisms, and consider the relationship between architectural features of THEO and the effectiveness of CHUNKER.
AN INTELLIGENT IMAGE-BASED COMPUTER-AIDED EDUCATION SYSTEM: THE PROTOTYPE BIRDS
Authors: DAVID AMOS ABAYOMI , THIERY ODILE , CREHANGE MARION
Published: November 2004

The authors have studied how to integrate concepts from other fields such as psychology and imagery into Computer-Aided Education (CAE) using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

It is believed that images (graphic or real) may play an important role in learning. However, if images are not to be used only for illustration, it is necessary to employ concepts like those of AI. In this paper, the application of AI concepts in an image-based CAE system is developed and the prototype BIRDS is briefly presented.

The concepts presented here include the pedagogical and psychological aspects of learning, and the importance of images in learning, both as pedagogical objects, and as means for obtaining psychological information about a learner. A student model, defined by the authors, is developed, and its components, construction and use are explained.
AN EXPERT SYSTEM FOR INTERPRETING MESOSCALE FEATURES IN OCEANOGRAPHIC SATELLITE IMAGES
Authors: KRISHNAKUMAR N. , IYENGAR S. SITHARAMA , HOLYER RON , LYBANON MATTHEW
Published: November 2004

Thermal infrared images of the ocean obtained from satellite sensors are widely used for the study of ocean dynamics. The derivation of mesoscale ocean information from satellite data depends to a large extent on the correct interpretation of infrared oceanographic images. The difficulty of the image analysis and understanding problem for oceanographic images is due in large part to the lack of precise mathematical descriptions of the ocean features, coupled with the time varying nature of these features and the complication that the view of the ocean surface is typically obscured by clouds, sometimes almost completely. Towards this objective, the present paper describes a hybrid technique that utilizes a nonlinear probabilistic relaxation method and an expert system for the oceanographic image interpretation problem. This paper highlights the advantages of using the contextual information in the feature labeling algorithm. The need for an expert system and its feedback in automatic interpretation of oceanic features is discussed. The paper presents some important results of the series of experiments conducted at the Remote Sensing Branch, of the Naval Oceanographic and Atmospheric Research Laboratory, on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) imagery data. The results clearly indicate the drastic improvement in labeling due to the oceanographic expert system.
Season's Greetings: Two 'Īd Poems by Ibn Quzmān
Authors: Farrin Raymond
Published: November 2004

In this article I analyze two of Ibn Quzmān's'Īd al-Adhā zajal s in terms of theme, structure, and import. I show that the poems are carefully constructed wholes, through which the poet subtly mocks his patron while obligating him to give up a ram. I furthermore demonstrate that these super ficially simple and lighthearted zajals have multiple layers of meaning, and that fundamentally they contain — of particular relevance to the ruling elites in twelfth-century al-Andalus — sharp social criticism about the practice of religion.
Engaging the Rhetoric of Spiritual Warfare: The Public Face of Aladura in Diaspora
Authors: Adogame Afe
Published: November 2004

One of the most striking examples of African indigenous religious creativity is the Aladura, a group of churches that emerged in Western Nigeria from the 1920s and 1930s. They are so called because of their penchant for prayer, healing, prophecy, exorcism, trances, visions and dreams. The Aladura made inroads into the European religious landscape in the late 1960s and have continued to grow in numbers. This paper examines their historical development, belief patterns and their appropriation of rituals in diaspora. Aladura's public image, particularly in the European media, has been somewhat controversial. Drawing insights from Great Britain, Italy and Germany, especially relating to the recent 'Thames Torso' ritual murder in Great Britain, the transnational sexual labour trafficking in Italy and Germany and their alleged connections with some Aladura churches, the paper shows how media sensationalizing of such allegations further serves to heighten public apprehension of Aladura. An insufficient grasp of Aladura religious worldview and their strong emphasis on ritual re-enactments may often continue to attract public misrepresentation and diabolization.
The Influence of Ocean Convection Patterns on High-Latitude Climate Projections
Authors: Schaeffer M. , Selten F. M. , Opsteegh J. D. , Goosse H.
Published: November 2004

The mean state and variability of deep convection in the ocean influence the North Atlantic climate. Using an ensemble experiment with a coupled atmosphere–ocean–sea ice model, it is shown that cooling and subdued warming areas can occur over the North Atlantic Ocean and adjacent landmasses under global warming. Different “present-day” convection patterns in the Greenland–Iceland–Norway (GIN) Sea result in different future surface-air temperature changes. At higher latitudes, the more effective positive sea ice feedback increases the likelihood of changes in convection causing a regional cooling that is larger than the warming brought about by the enhanced greenhouse effect. The modeled freshening of deep ocean layers in the North Atlantic in a time period preceding a reorganization of GIN Sea convection is consistent with recent observations. Low-frequency internal variability in the ocean model has relatively little impact on the response patterns.
The Signature of the Annular Modes in the Tropical Troposphere
Authors: Thompson David W. J. , Lorenz David J.
Published: November 2004

The extratropical annular modes are coupled with a distinct pattern of climate anomalies that spans the circulation of the tropical troposphere. The signature of the annular modes in the tropical troposphere exhibits a high degree of equatorial symmetry. It is associated with upper-tropospheric zonal wind anomalies centered about the equator, midtropospheric temperature anomalies located ∼20°N and 20°S, and opposing mean meridional circulation anomalies that span the subtropics of both hemispheres. The linkages between the annular modes and the tropical circulation are only evident during the cold season months, and are most robust in association with the Northern Hemisphere annular mode (NAM).

The coupling between the annular modes and the circulation of the tropical troposphere is consistent with forcing by waves originating at extratropical latitudes. Both annular modes are characterized by anomalies in the eddy momentum flux convergence at tropical latitudes that act to reinforce the changes in the tropical wind and temperature fields. The most pronounced tropical anomalies lag indices of the annular modes by ∼2 weeks and are found over the eastern tropical Pacific, where climatological westerlies permit extratropical waves to propagate into the deep Tropics. The linkages between the NAM and the tropical tropospheric circulation are most pronounced during the cold phase of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation cycle.

The recent trend in the NAM is linearly congruent with a ∼0.1-K cooling of the tropical troposphere over the past two decades during the Northern Hemisphere winter season.
Controlling the Proportion of Falsely Rejected Hypotheses when Conducting Multiple Tests with Climatological Data
Authors: Ventura Valérie , Paciorek Christopher J. , Risbey James S.
Published: November 2004

The analysis of climatological data often involves statistical significance testing at many locations. While the field significance approach determines if a field as a whole is significant, a multiple testing procedure determines which particular tests are significant. Many such procedures are available, most of which control, for every test, the probability of detecting significance that does not really exist. The aim of this paper is to introduce the novel “false discovery rate” approach, which controls the false rejections in a more meaningful way. Specifically, it controls a priori the expected proportion of falsely rejected tests out of all rejected tests; additionally, the test results are more easily interpretable. The paper also investigates the best way to apply a false discovery rate (FDR) approach to spatially correlated data, which are common in climatology. The most straightforward method for controlling the FDR makes an assumption of independence between tests, while other FDR-controlling methods make less stringent assumptions. In a simulation study involving data with correlation structure similar to that of a real climatological dataset, the simple FDR method does control the proportion of falsely rejected hypotheses despite the violation of assumptions, while a more complicated method involves more computation with little gain in detecting alternative hypotheses. A very general method that makes no assumptions controls the proportion of falsely rejected hypotheses but at the cost of detecting few alternative hypotheses. Despite its unrealistic assumption, based on the simulation results, the authors suggest the use of the straightforward FDR-controlling method and provide a simple modification that increases the power to detect alternative hypotheses.
An Observed Trend in Central South American Precipitation
Authors: Liebmann Brant , Vera Carolina S. , Carvalho Leila M. V. , Camilloni Inés A. , Hoerling Martin P. , Allured Dave , Barros Vicente R. , Báez Julián , Bidegain Mario
Published: November 2004

Seasonal linear trends of precipitation from South American station data, which have been averaged onto grids, are examined, with emphasis on the central continent. In the period 1976–99, the largest trend south of 20°S occurs during the January–March season, is positive, and is centered over southern Brazil. From 1948 to 1975 the trend is also positive, but with less than half the slope. The trend is not due to a systematic change in the timing of the rainy season, which almost always starts before January and usually ends after March, but rather results from an increase in the percent of rainy days, and an increase in the rainy day average. The dynamic causes of the trend are not obvious. It does not appear to be accounted for by an increase in synoptic wave activity in the region. The precipitation trend is related to a positive sea surface temperature trend in the nearby Atlantic Ocean, but apparently not causally. The trend in the Atlantic seems to result from a decrease in mechanical stirring and coastal upwelling associated with a decrease in the strength of the western edge of the circulation associated with the South Atlantic high.
An Index of Interannual Precipitation Variability in the Core of the North American Monsoon Region
Authors: Gutzler David S.
Published: November 2004

Seasonal precipitation anomalies associated with the continental North American monsoon system are characterized using a land-based dataset derived from in situ observations across the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Coherent regions of interannual continental precipitation variability are derived from principal component analysis, after defining separate “early” and “late” summer monsoon seasons. The gravest mode of late-season interannual variability captures precipitation anomalies in the core of the continental monsoon domain. A simple spatial average is developed as an index of this core variability. The seasonal separation allows examination of persistence of precipitation anomalies as an indicator of practical late-season predictability. Possible influences of large-scale oceanic interannual fluctuations [ENSO and Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO)] on core index precipitation anomalies are also considered. The core precipitation index exhibits considerably more early-to-late-season persistence than an ocean-centered precipitation index. Implications of these results for monthly/seasonal predictability of warm-season precipitation are discussed.
Taking China's Temperature: Daily Range, Warming Trends, and Regional Variations, 1955–2000
Authors: Liu Binhui , Xu Ming , Henderson Mark , Qi Ye , Li Yiqing
Published: November 2004

In analyzing daily climate data from 305 weather stations in China for the period from 1955 to 2000, the authors found that surface air temperatures are increasing with an accelerating trend after 1990. They also found that the daily maximum (Tmax) and minimum (Tmin) air temperature increased at a rate of 1.27° and 3.23°C (100 yr)−1 between 1955 and 2000. Both temperature trends were faster than those reported for the Northern Hemisphere, where Tmax and Tmin increased by 0.87° and 1.84°C (100 yr)−1 between 1950 and 1993. The daily temperature range (DTR) decreased rapidly by −2.5°C (100 yr)−1 from 1960 to 1990; during that time, minimum temperature increased while maximum temperature decreased slightly. Since 1990, the decline in DTR has halted because Tmax and Tmin increased at a similar pace during the 1990s. Increased minimum and maximum temperatures were most pronounced in northeast China and were lowest in the southwest. Cloud cover and precipitation correlated poorly with the decreasing temperature range. It is argued that a decline in solar irradiance better explains the decreasing range of daily temperatures through its influence on maximum temperature. With declining solar irradiance even on clear days, and with decreases in cloud cover, it is posited that atmospheric aerosols may be contributing to the changing solar irradiance and trends of daily temperatures observed in China.
Moving cities: rethinking the materialities of urban geographies
Authors: Latham Alan , McCormack Derek P.
Published: November 2004

In this paper we offer a discussion of the ‘materiality’ of the urban. This discussion is offered in the context of recent calls in various areas of the discipline for the necessity of ‘rematerializing’ human geography. While we agree with the spirit of these calls, if human geography (and, within that, urban geography) is going to return to the material, let alone articulate some kind of rapprochement between the ‘material’ and ‘immaterial’, it needs to be clear about the terms it is employing. Therefore, and drawing on a range of work from contemporary cultural theory, sociology, urban studies, urban history, architectural theory and urban geography, we sketch out more precisely what a ‘rematerialized’ urban geography might involve. Crucially, we argue that, rather than ‘grounding’ urban geography in more ‘concrete’ realities, paying increased attention to the material actually requires a more expansive engagement with the immaterial. In developing this argument we outline some important conceptual vehicles with which to work up an understanding of the material as processually emergent, before offering two pathways along which the materialities of the urban might be usefully apprehended, pathways that avoid simple oppositions between the ‘material’ and ‘nonmaterial’ while also restating the importance of understanding the complex spatialities of the urban.
A New Hydrothermal Route to Prism-shaped CuSeO3·2H2O Single Crystals
Authors: Cui Jianhua , Guo Fan , Liu Xinzheng
Published: November 2004

Prism-shaped CuSeO3·2H2O single crystals, with sizes of 0.64–0.77 × 0.45–0.67 × 0.26–0.33 mm, were synthesized via a new hydrothermal reaction of CuCl2·2H2O and Se powder in aqueous ammonia at 180 °C. The double crystal X-ray diffraction rocking curve shows that the single crystals have high quality. And optimum conditions for the growth of CuSeO3·2H2O single crystals are discussed.
A Key Role of Orbital Interaction in the Main Group Element-containing π-Electron Systems
Authors: Yamaguchi Shigehiro , Tamao Kohei
Published: November 2004

Various types of main group element-containing π-electron systems have been synthesized using silole, dibenzoborole, or bis-silicon-bridged stilbene as the key building units. In these π-electron systems, the orbital interaction between the main group element moiety and the π-conjugated framework, such as pπ–π* and σ*–π* conjugation, plays a crucial role in determining their characteristic electronic structures and makes them promising materials for applications in organic electronics and optoelectronics.
Preparation of Fast Proton-Conducting Zinc Metaphosphate Hydrogel and Its Potential Application to Electric Double-layer Capacitors
Authors: Daiko Yusuke , Akamatsu Takafumi , Kasuga Toshihiro , Nogami Masayuki
Published: November 2004

A novel highly viscous hydrogel electrolyte with high proton conductivity was prepared via hydration of zinc metaphosphate glass powders. The hydrogel showed a high electrical conductivity of ≈5 mS cm−1 at room temperature due to proton hopping between P–OH groups and water molecules. The hydrogel exhibited a low self-discharge rate. Chronoamperometric measurements indicated that the hydrogel has fast charge-discharge capability.
Monooxygen-containing Analogue of BDH-TTP, DHOT-TTP [2-(1,3-Dithiolan-2-ylidene)-5-(1,3-oxathiolan-2-ylidene)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene], and Its Metallic AuI2 Salt
Authors: Yamada Jun-ichi , Kunigita Ken-ichi , Akutsu Hiroki , Nakatsuji Shin’ichi , Kikuchi Koichi
Published: November 2004

The synthesis of DHOT-TTP, in which one sulfur atom of BDH-TTP [2,5-bis(1,3-dithiolan-2-ylidene)-1,3,4,6-tetrathiapentalene] is substituted by oxygen, has been accomplished. The DHOT-TTP donor possesses a less planar molecular structure than BDH-TTP, and gives a metallic AuI2 salt stable down to 1.4 K, the crystal structure of which is elucidated.
Utilizing HIV transmission rates to assist in prioritizing HIV prevention services
Authors: Holtgrave D R , Anderson Terje
Published: November 2004

The overall, annual HIV transmission rate in the US has been about 4% since the early 1990s. In this paper, we find that the transmission rate for persons unaware of their HIV serostatus is approximately 10.79%, and for persons aware of their HIV seropositivity is about 1.73% overall. However, the latter statistic can be further disaggregated. For persons who receive HIV counselling and testing, and for whom these services are effective, the transmission rate is near 0%. For persons who do not receive counselling services as well as testing, or for whom counselling and testing is insufficient to induce behavioural change, the HIV transmission rate is between approximately 2% and 4%. These estimated transmission rates, as well as the raw number of transmissions and the specific population sizes examined here, suggest some clear recommendations (provided here) for prioritizing HIV prevention services for persons living with HIV.
Treatment of Chlamydia trachomatis in North Thames Region 2003
Authors: Sethi G , Forster G E , Brook M G , Jones K , Daniels D , Horner P J ,   North Thames GUM/HIV Audit Group
Published: November 2004

Following on from the survey of techniques used for testing chlamydia, a multi-centre re-audit of the treatment of C. trachomatis in genitourinary clinic attendees in the North Thames region from February to March 2003 was performed. This showed an improvement since our previous audit with a significant increase in the number of centres following national guidelines in antibiotic prescribing and offering test of cure in clinically indicated cases.
Criminalization of HIV transmission: can doctors be liable for the onward transmission of HIV?
Authors: Chalmers James
Published: November 2004

The English Court of Appeal has recently confirmed that the reckless transmission of HIV can amount to a criminal offence, following on from a similar development in Scotland in 2001. This development has led to some concern as to whether doctors could, in certain circumstances, themselves be liable for the onward transmission of HIV by a patient. This article reviews the current scope of the criminal law, before considering the law on liability for onward transmission in the UK. It concludes that civil liability (liability in damages) for onward transmission will be imposed only in unusual cases, and probably only where a doctor has failed to discharge his or her duty of care towards one of his or her own patients. Criminal liability is perhaps theoretically possible but exceptionally unlikely.
Screening of males for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae infections at STD clinics in three US cities — Indianapolis, New Orleans, Seattle
Authors: Kohl K S , Sternberg M R , Markowitz L E , Blythe M J , Kissinger P , Lafferty W E , Groseclose S L , Levine W C
Published: November 2004

We assessed prevalence and risk factor data for men routinely screened for Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae in STD clinics in four US cities from May 1995–March 1999. Data were analysed separately for 'test-visits' (self-reported symptoms, clinical signs or sexual contact to an STD) and 'screen-visits' (STD screen only) for 32,595 men with 45,390 visits. Among test-visits in Seattle, Indianapolis and New Orleans, 8.7% (807/9285), 15.3% (1305/8519), and 10.1% (1551/15,296) of men were positive for C. trachomatis, and 10.2% (773/7543), 24.9% (2108/8478), and 30.4% (4746/ 15,629) for N. gonorrhoeae. Among screen-visits, 2.1% (88/4103), 7.3% (130/1790), and 5.6% (292/5183) of men were positive for C. trachomatis, and 1.8% (46/2576), 1.7% (31/ 1786), and 5.2% (274/5235) for N. gonorrhoeae. Positivity for screen-visits was particularly high among young men (15-24 years), and those reporting > 1 sex partner in the past 60 days. Substantial variation among sites in positivity warrants local determination of prevalence and risk factors to inform screening strategies.
A case of Bowenoid papulosis of the penis successfully treated with topical imiquimod cream 5%
Authors: Goorney B P , Polori R
Published: November 2004

Bowenoid papulosis is a pre-malignant condition affecting the ano-genital area. Pathogenesis may be associated with high-risk human papillomavirus genotypes, and sexual transmission is the most likely mode of acquisition. Risk of progression to invasive disease is low. Treatment usually involves locally destructive or ablative therapies. We report well-tolerated, successful clearance of bowenoid papulosis of the penis in a 25-year-old male, using topical Aldara (imiquimod) cream 5%, once every other day for two months.
‘Kids are just cruel anyway’: Lesbian and gay parents' talk about homophobic bullying
Authors: Clarke Victoria , Kitzinger Celia , Potter Jonathan
Published: November 2004

Psychologists recognize homophobic bullying as a serious problem for young lesbians and gay men; however, when it comes to children in lesbian and gay households the issue is not so clear cut. Some psychologists sympathetic to lesbian and gay parenting regard it as a problem, but most do not. Despite this, the inevitability and severe psychological consequences of homophobic bullying is a prevalent theme in discussions of lesbian and gay parenting in contexts ranging from custody cases to television talk shows, and is used to implicate lesbians and gay men as unfit to parent. This is the broader context in which lesbian and gay parents discuss their children's experiences of bullying. In this study, we provide a discursive psychological analysis of six lesbian and gay parents' accounts of bullying. We argue that these accounts are discursively and rhetorically designed to deal with a heterosexist social/political context. Lesbian and gay parents face a dilemma of stake and accountability: reports of no bullying risk being heard as implausible given the prevalence of the bullying theme; at the same time, reports of bullying are equally if not more risky, raising the possibility of charges of bad parenting. We explore the detail of the parents' accounts of bullying to illustrate how they are designed to negotiate this web of accountability, and we argue for the importance for critical social psychology of analysing the talk of socially/ politically marginalized groups.
The psychology of casualization: Evidence for the mediating roles of security, status and social identification
Authors: Veenstra Kristine , Haslam S. Alexander , Reynolds Katherine J.
Published: November 2004

Organizational research from a social identity perspective has shown that people expend effort on behalf of a work unit to the extent that the unit contributes to their sense of social identity. Moreover, it has been suggested that identification is enhanced to the extent that group members anticipate future interaction with one other (Worchelet al., 1998). This study examined these ideas in relation to the phenomenon of workplace casualization, looking at whether assigning individuals to different employment roles impacts on their intentions to contribute to the functioning of an organization in both typical and non‐typical ways. In a scenario‐based study, public sector employees (N = 138) indicated their willingness to contribute positively to the organization after being assigned either casual, temporary or permanent roles in a team that had, or did not have, a future. Consistent with the social identity approach (e.g., Haslam, 2004), results indicated that assignment to a permanent role increased willingness to contribute to the organization and that this was mediated by social identification.
The influences of continuation intentions on execution of social behaviour within the theory of planned behaviour
Authors: Chatzisarantis Nikos L.D. , Hagger Martin S. , Smith Brett , Phoenix Cassie
Published: November 2004

This study explores the predictive accuracy of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) in relation to continuation of intentions. Three studies examined the hypothesis that continuation intentions of success and continuation intentions of failure would improve utility of the TPB in predicting and promoting social behaviour. As a new construct, continuation intentions of success and continuation intentions of failure aim to describe people's readiness to continue performance of an activity under conditions that signify successful and unsuccessful progress at behavioural outcomes. As predicted, Study 1 (N = 222, male = 107, female = 115, age = 14.62 yrs, SD = 1.45) and Study 2 (N = 200, male = 101, female = 98, age = 14.29 yrs, SD = .92) showed that continuation intentions of success and continuation intentions of failure contributed to the prediction of physical activity over and above components of the TPB, past behaviour and perceived progress. Study 3 (N = 93, male = 50, female = 42, age = 20.53 yrs, SD = 3.36), a study of food choice, manipulated continuation intentions and showed that participants who formed continuation intentions were more likely to eat five portions of fruit and/or vegetables than participants in a control group. Together, these findings underscore the theoretical as well as practical importance of distinguishing between intentions and continuation intentions, and the need for influence attempts to manipulate continuation intentions.
Mixed-Alkali Effect of Tracer Diffusion and Ionic Conduction in Na-Rb Borate Glasses as a Function of Total Alkali Content
Authors: Voss Stephan , Berkemeier Frank , Imre Árpád W. , Mehrer Helmut
Published: November 2004

The mixed-alkali effect is studied in Y [X Na2O · (1−X) Rb2O] · (1−Y) B2O3 glasses as a function of the total alkali content Y. To this aim the ionic transport in glasses with Y = 0.3 was investigated by impedance spectroscopy and by the radiotracer diffusion technique. The results are compared with data obtained earlier by our group on a glass system with Y = 0.2. In both systems the relative compositions X = Na/(Na + Rb) are varied from 0.0 to 1.0 in steps of 0.2. The dc electrical conductivity is higher in Y = 0.3 glasses than in Y = 0.2 glasses and exhibits a minimum in each system near X = 0.4. Also near X = 0.4 a pertaining maximum in activation enthalpy occurs being more pronounced for Y = 0.3 as compared to Y = 0.2. The glass-transition temperature T
g is almost identical for glasses with Y = 0.2 and 0.3 with a minimum near X = 0.2. The diffusivities of 22Na and 86Rb measured at a constant temperature (380 °C) show in both glass systems (Y = 0.3 and Y = 0.2) a similar dependence on the composition parameter X. The 86Rb diffusivity decreases exponentially with decreasing Rb content. The 22Na diffusivity decreases with decreasing Na content but reaches an almost constant plateau on the Rb-rich side. For each relative composition X the diffusivities of the two isotopes increase by nearly the same constant factor, when Y is increased from 0.2 to 0.3. In both systems 22Na- and 86Rb-diffusivities as functions of the composition parameter X intersect near X = 0.2 explaining the minimum in dc-conductivity. Composition dependent common Haven ratios were obtained by comparing the conductivity with the diffusion data.
The Advent of Solid-State Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Electrochemistry in the 20thCentury
Authors: Schmalzried Hermann
Published: November 2004

This paper summarizes some of the early history of physical chemistry of solids. It describes the consequences of the experimental and conceptual development. It illustrates the diversifications of the field, and it points out the enormous impact on modern technology and life.
The Gauss‐Seidel fast affine projection algorithm for multichannel active noise control and sound reproduction systems
Authors: Bouchard Martin , Albu Felix
Published: November 2004

In the field of adaptive filtering, the fast implementations of affine projection algorithms are known to provide a good tradeoff between convergence speed and computational complexity. Such algorithms have recently been published for multichannel active noise control systems. Previous work reported that these algorithms can outperform more complex recursive least‐squares algorithms when noisy plant models are used in active noise control systems. This paper proposes a new fast affine projection algorithm for multichannel active noise control or sound reproduction systems, based on the Gauss–Seidel solving scheme. The proposed algorithm has a lower complexity than the previously published algorithms, with the same convergence speed and the same good performance with noisy plant models, and a potential for better numerical stability. It provides the best performance/cost ratio. Details of the algorithm and its complexity are presented in the paper, with simulation results to validate its performance. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Small‐Molecule Screening and Profiling by Using Automated Microscopy
Authors: Mitchison Timothy J.
Published: November 2004

Automated fluorescence microscopy provides a powerful tool for analyzing the physiological state of single cells with high throughput and high information content. Here I discuss two types of experiments in which this technology was used to discover and characterize bioactive small molecules. In phenotypic‐screening experiments, the goal is to find “hits” with specific effects on cells by screening large libraries of small molecules. An example is screening for small molecules that perturb mitosis by novel mechanisms. In cytological‐profiling experiments, the goal is to characterize the bioactivity of a limited number of small molecules in considerable depth, and thus understand their mechanism and toxicities at the cellular level. I discuss an example in which 100 small molecules with known bioactivity were profiled by using multiple fluorescent probes, and clustered into mechanistic classes by automated statistical analysis.
Development of a sustainable liquid fuels infrastructure based on biomass
Authors: Towler Gavin P. , Oroskar Anil R. , Smith Suzanne E.
Published: November 2004

Renewable energy sources are currently receiving much attention, both as a means of reducing the dependency of the United States on imported oil and as a long‐term substitute for fossil fuels. An important part of any renewable energy strategy is to find suitable transportation fuels to substitute for gasoline and diesel oil. Fuels derived from biomass can potentially meet this need; however, traditional routes to biomass fuels are inefficient, leading to low energy yields per acre and questionable sustainability.

In this paper, we present a systemwide analysis of biomass fuels and their production infrastructure. By analyzing the relative efficiency of different farming, harvesting, and processing approaches, fuel compositions, and engine technologies, we can identify technologies that substantially improve the overall energy efficiency and sustainability of biomass fuels. The analysis helps identify areas where additional research would yield the greatest benefits and set cost targets that must be achieved for biomass fuels to become competitive with conventional energy sources. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Environ Prog, 2004
Effective methods for scalable and continuous media streaming on peer‐to‐peer networks
Authors: Sasabe Masahiro , Wakamiya Naoki , Murata Masayuki , Miyahara Hideo
Published: November 2004

With the growth of computing power and the proliferation of broadband access to the internet, the use of media streaming has become widely diffused. By using the peer‐to‐peer (P2P) communication architecture, media streaming can be expected to smoothly react to changes in network conditions and user demands for media streams. In this paper, to achieve continuous and scalable media streaming, we introduce our scalable media search and in‐time retrieval methods. Through several simulation experiments, we show that our methods can accomplish continuous media play‐out for popular media streams without introducing extra load on the system. However, we also show that an LRU cache replacement algorithm cannot provide users with continuous media play‐out for unpopular media streams. To tackle this problem, we take inspiration from biological systems to propose a new cache replacement algorithm that considers the balance between supply and demand for media streams. We demonstrate that our proposed algorithm can improve the continuity of media play‐out compared with LRU. Furthermore, we find that the proposed algorithm can adapt to changes in the popularity of various media. Copyright © 2004 AEI
Efficient search in unstructured peer‐to‐peer networks
Authors: Cholvi Vicent , Felber Pascal , Biersack Ernst
Published: November 2004

The huge popularity of recent peer‐to‐peer (P2P) file sharing systems has been mainly driven by the scalability of their architectures and the flexibility of their search facilities. Such systems are usually designed as unstructured P2P networks, because they impose few constraints on topology and data placement and support highly versatile search mechanisms. A major limitation of unstructured P2P networks lies, however, in the inefficiency of their search algorithms, which are usually based on simple flooding schemes. In this paper, we propose novel mechanisms for improving search efficiency in unstructured P2P networks. Unlike other approaches, we do not rely on specialized search algorithms; instead, the peers perform local dynamic topology adaptations, based on the query traffic patterns, in order to spontaneously create communities of peers that share similar interests. The basic premise of such semantic communities is that file requests have a high probability of being fulfilled within the community they originate from, therefore increasing the search efficiency. We propose further extensions to balance the load among the peers and reduce the query traffic. Extensive simulations under realistic operating conditions substantiate that our techniques significantly improve the search efficiency and reduce the network load. Copyright © 2004 AEI
Characterization of soil moisture conditions at temporal scales from a few days to annual
Authors: Lauzon Nicolas , Anctil François , Petrinovic Juan
Published: November 2004

This work proposes the analysis of soil moisture conditions based on the use of two recently developed descriptive techniques: (1) wavelet analysis and (2) self‐organizing mapping through Kohonen neural networks. This analysis is applied to soil moisture profiles as well as supporting data, i.e. precipitation, temperature and flow observations, from an experimental site in the Orgeval watershed in France. With wavelet analysis and self‐organizing mapping, a comprehensive description of the structure of soil moisture profile, its evolution over time, and how it relates to observations of precipitation, temperature and flow can be obtained. Soil moisture conditions, particularly in the Orgeval watershed, are an important feature of the hydrologic cycle. There might be a significant advantage to consider soil moisture information in a variety of hydrologic models, such as streamflow models often employed in simulation and prediction modes for operational purposes, and the analysis performed here provides some avenues leading to the consideration of this information. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.