bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Folate deficiency in rat pups during weaning causes learning and memory deficits
Authors: Berrocal-Zaragoza Maria I. , Sequeira Jeffrey M. , Murphy Michelle M. , Fernandez-Ballart Joan D. , Abdel Baki Samah G. , Bergold Peter J. , Quadros Edward V.
Published: September 2014

Folate is essential for fetal development, and its deficiency during gestation causes behavioural deficits in the offspring. The present study investigated its influence during weaning on brain function in the pups of rats that were put on a folate-deficient (FD) diet on postnatal day (PND) 1. Systemic folate deficiency in pups on the FD diet (n15) was evident from the dramatically lower hepatic folate concentrations (median 23·7, range 8·1–48·4 ng/mg protein) and higher homocysteine concentrations (median 27·7, range 14·7–45·5 pmol/mg protein), respectively, compared with those of pups on the normal diet (ND;n9) (median 114·5, range 64·5–158·5 ng/mg protein and median 15·5, range 11·6–18·9 pmol/mg protein) on PND 23. Brain folate concentrations although low were similar in pups on the FD diet (median 10·5, range 5·5–24·5 ng/mg protein) and ND (median 11·1, range 7·1–24·2 ng/mg protein). There was a high accumulation of homocysteine in the brain of FD pups, mostly in the hippocampus (median 58·1, range 40·8–99·7 pmol/mg protein) and cerebellum (median 69·1, range 50·8–126·6 pmol/mg protein), indicating metabolic folate deficiency despite normal brain folate concentrations. Developmental deficits or autistic traits were more frequent in the FD group than in the ND group and repetitive self-grooming occurred, on average, three times (range 1–8)v.once (range 0–3) during 5 min, respectively. Long-term memory or spatial learning and set-shifting deficits affected 12 to 62 % of rats in the FD group compared with none in the ND group. Post-weaning folic acid supplementation did not correct these deficits. These observations indicate that folate deficiency during weaning affects postnatal development even when gestational folate supply is normal.
Feeding habits ofEucinostomus entomelasandMicropogonias megalopsin Las Guasimas lagoon Gulf of California
Authors: Arizmendi-Rodríguez Dana I. , López-Martínez J. , Herrera-Valdivia E.
Published: September 2014

The trophic spectrum of bothEucinostomus entomelasandMicropogonias megalops, the two most abundant fish species in Laguna Las Guásimas, Sonora, México is described in our study. A total of 21 types of prey were identified belonging to seven taxonomic groups (Crustacea, Mollusca, Annelida, Rhodophyta, Copepoda, Echinodermata and Chordata) to analyse the feeding spectra and diet breadth. The preferred prey items ofEucinostomus entomelas(Dark-spot mojarra) were Polichaeta (index of relative importance = 46.7%), followed by bivalves(36.6%), andLuidia columbia (5.6%), while those ofMicropogonias megalops(Bigeye croaker) were Portunidae (22.8%) followed by Gammaridae (20.55%) and Crustacea (18.37%). The trophic spectrum for maleE. entomelawas composed of Bivalvia and Polychaeta. Both predators showed low values in diet breadth (E. entomelas(Levin's indexBi = 0.14) andM. megalops(Levins's indexBi = 0.43)). The low trophic overlap (Cλ = 0.14) between predators suggests that both fish are not competing with each other for food resources in Laguna Las Guásimas.
Potential dietary influence on the stable isotopes and fatty
acid composition of migratory anchovy (Coilia mystus)
around the Changjiang Estuary
Authors: Cui Ying , Wu Ying , Xu Zhao Li , Zhang Jing
Published: September 2014

The stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes and fatty acid composition of
tapertail anchovy (Coilia mystus) at four migration stages
collected around the Changjiang Estuary were analysed to investigate the
variations in the trophic biomarkers during the fish migration.
δ13 C and δ15N values of C. mystus
ranged from −21.5 to −15.4‰ and from 6.9–15.8‰, respectively. Both
δ13C and δ15N were enriched during migration.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids were the dominant fatty acids and the major
fatty acids found in C. mystus were
C20:5n-3, C22:6n-3,
C20:4n-6, C16:0, C18:0, C16:1n-7,
C18:1(n-9, n-7) and C20:1 + C22:1.
Significant changes among C. mystus at different migration
stages were found both in the fatty acid composition and specific fatty acid
concentration. Though the enrichment of stable isotopes may due to multiple
factors (e.g. diet shift, environment and ontogeny), the dietary influence
can be determined by the variation in fatty acid composition. Changes in the
concentrations of benthic markers (C18:1n-7 and
C20:4n-6) and pelagic markers (C18:1n-9
and C20:1 + C22:1) in C. mystus during the migration may
suggest that benthic and pelagic food sources alternately dominated the
anchovies' diet during different migration stages. It seems that application
of multiple biomarkers in the trophic study of migratory fish will elevate
the reliability of the analysis.
Stability in symptoms of anxiety and depression as a function of genotype and environment: a longitudinal twin study from ages 3 to 63 years
Authors: Nivard M. G. , Dolan C. V. , Kendler K. S. , Kan K.-J. , Willemsen G. , van Beijsterveldt C. E. M. , Lindauer R. J. L. , van Beek J. H. D. A. , Geels L. M. , Bartels M. , Middeldorp C. M. , Boomsma D. I.
Published: September 2014

Background.

The influence of genetic factors on major depressive disorder is lower than on other psychiatric disorders. Heritability estimates mainly derive from cross-sectional studies, and knowledge on the longitudinal aetiology of symptoms of anxiety and depression (SxAnxDep) across the lifespan is limited. We aimed to assess phenotypic, genetic and environmental stability in SxAnxDep between ages 3 and 63 years.

Method.

We used a cohort-sequential design combining data from 49 524 twins followed from birth to age ⩾20 years, and from adolescence into adulthood. SxAnxDep were assessed repeatedly with a maximum of eight assessments over a 25-year period. Data were ordered in 30 age groups and analysed with longitudinal genetic models.

Results.

Over age, there was a significant increase during adolescence in mean scores with sex differences (women>men) emerging. Heritability was high in childhood and decreased to 30–40% during adulthood. This decrease in heritability was due to an increase in environmental variance. Phenotypic stability was moderate in children (correlations across ages ~0.5) and high in adolescents (r = 0.6), young adults (r = 0.7), and adults (r = 0.8). Longitudinal stability was mostly attributable to genetic factors. During childhood and adolescence there was also significant genetic innovation, which was absent in adults. Environmental effects contributed to short-term stability.

Conclusions.

The substantial stability in SxAnxDep is mainly due to genetic effects. The importance of environmental effects increases with age and explains the relatively low heritability of depression in adults. The environmental effects are transient, but the contribution to stability increases with age.
AUTOMATIC WRITING AND GRAMMELOT IN CLAUDE VIVIER'SLANGUE INVENTÉE
Authors: Christian Bryan
Published: September 2014

French-Canadian composer Claude Vivier (1948–1983) is one of the few composers, perhaps the only one, to use an invented language throughout his entire compositional career. Vivier's use of what he called hislangue inventée(‘invented language’) spanned the first vocal work in his catalogue –Ojikawa(1968) – to his final work,Glaubst du an die Unsterblichkeit der Seele(1983), completed only shortly before his murder in March 1983. Despite the pervasiveness of this technique – in fact, it is the only technique that remains a constant across all of Vivier's stylistic periods – relatively little attention has been given to thelangue inventéein scholarship. This article presents a description of Vivier'slangue inventéein three parts, beginning with a general introduction. The second part presents thelangue inventéeas a product of automatic writing and engages directly with Vivier's sketches to propose a method that Vivier likely used to write much of hislangue inventéetext. The final section of the article presents Vivier'slangue inventéeas a form of grammelot – a term revived by playwright, actor and director Dario Fo (1926–), which is associated with the dialect theatre of theCommedia dell'artetradition. This article aims to demonstrate that Vivier'slangue inventéeis not a just a string of unintelligible nonsense syllables, but rather a very purposeful grammelot, freely composed in a two-stage approach to automatic writing, that reaches beyond linguistic semantics.
LIGETI'S DODECAPHONIC REQUIEM
Authors: Iverson Jennifer
Published: September 2014

Ligeti has largely been understood as an opponent of serialism, though he was deeply entangled with the mid-century Darmstadt avant-garde in the late 1950s and 1960s. As such, appearances of twelve-tone techniques in his works are typically dismissed as borrowed, superficial or juvenile. This article synthesises previous research, original analysis and sketch materials to reassess Ligeti's engagement with dodecaphonic techniques. The Kyrie movement is steeped in Webernian dodecaphony, from the foundational plan to the surface expression of the vocal melodies. Ligeti's use of palindromes also harkens to Bartók's music. In this sense, the Kyrie movement of the Requiem can be understood as a eulogy for both Webern and Bartók, as well as for the dodecaphonic techniques that intrigued Ligeti even as his compositional technique moved far beyond them.
SOUND JUDGEMENT: PIERS HELLAWELL IN INTERVIEW
Authors: Hughes Bernard
Published: September 2014

Piers Hellawell is Professor of Composition at Queen's University, Belfast and one of the United Kingdom's most interesting and thoughtful composers. In this interview he speaks about his compositional interests and preoccupations through a discussion of his works and technical features such as his ‘escalator series’. He also speaks about his concerns for composition as a discipline in universities and schools.
FORMAL DESIGN AND MATERIAL IN MAURICIO KAGEL'S ANTITHESE FÜR ELEKTRONISCHE UND ÖFFENTLICHE KLÄNGE
Authors: Mikawa Makoto
Published: September 2014

Indifferent to the aesthetic dispute between the Parisian musique concrète and the Cologne elektronische Musik schools in the mid twentieth century, Mauricio Kagel took a synthetic approach to his second electroacoustic composition Antithese by combining these compositional principles. His aim was not to offer an eclectic solution to the controversy, but to express his musico-political and musico-social commentary. A close observation of Kagel's sketches, archived at the Paul Sacher Foundation, suggests that his choice of compositional materials and painstaking structural plan were shaped by his critical view of the politics of electroacoustic music.
‘Van der Aa: Here’, London Sinfonietta, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
Authors: Kilbey Paul
Published: September 2014

Clicks haunt much of Michel van der Aa's music, often embedded in thick referential networks. In One, the pervasive clicks, both live and pre-recorded, sometimes come from a flashlight and sometimes from twigs snapping; similarly, in Sunken Garden, a character in the film nervously flicks a business card against his hand, this minor gesture imbuing the score with one of its most distinctive sounds. But in both these compositions (and in many other van der Aa works) the clicks share another connotation: they are also the awkward, glitchy sound of recorded music, either gone wrong or mid-edit. It's an unmistakable reference for twenty-first-century ears – our experience with recordings has changed the way we hear the click.
Wittener Tage für neue Kammermusik 2014 Programming new music: Tradition and the challenge of perspective
Authors: Bernhardt Emil
Published: September 2014

For this Norwegian music critic, visiting a German music festival always means excitement and great expectations for, given its long traditions and proud institutions, German musical life has a special attraction. However, the reality may sometimes be quite astonishing. So it was that after about an hour on the train from Düsseldorf Airport, climbing down the steps at Witten Hauptbahnhof, I couldn't help asking myself, ‘How can it be that this rather anonymous-looking little town will, for the coming couple of days, be the centre of the relatively narrow field of contemporary chamber music?’.
Claude Vivier Kopernikus, De Nationale Opera, Amsterdam
Authors: Gilmore Bob
Published: September 2014

I've known Claude Vivier's marvellous chamber opera Kopernikus for more than ten years, have seen several productions, have studied the music in detail, have written about it. But what, sacré nom de Dieu, is it actually about? There is something elusive, ungraspable, about this féerie mystique, as Vivier called it (a mystical enchantment). Ostensibly, Kopernikus tells of a woman's journey to the next world. But there is no real narrative as such, and a great many detours and off-ramps, such that an audience could be forgiven for not grasping this central fact. What the work is not about – appearances to the contrary – is the Renaissance astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus, who barely features in the opera, only appearing at the end to open the gates of heaven. Vivier explained that it was the mythic Copernicus that interested him, ‘the idea of the cosmic searcher’, and that he had made no attempt to research the life and thought of the real Nicolaus Copernicus. The principal character is Agni, the Hindu deity – a male god, but represented here in female form by an alto. Vivier made it clear that he identified strongly with the central character, so much so that we may regard Agni as one of the long list of ‘Vivier characters’ in his work. In a press release at the time of the work's premiere he noted: ‘Agni is the Hindu god of fire ... Fire is my astrological sign. I was born on April 14. I am Aries, the ram. Agni, c'est moi’.
Rapid collapse of a population of Dieffenbachia spp., plants used for tadpole-rearing by a poison-dart frog (Oophaga pumilio) in a Costa Rican rain forest
Authors: McKone Mark J. , Moore Jonathan W. , Harbison Christopher W. , Holmen Ian C. , Lyons Hillary C. , Nachbor Kristine M. , Michalak Julia L. , Neiman Maurine , Nicol Julia L. , Wheeler George R.
Published: September 2014

Amphibian populations have been declining worldwide, with multiple potential causes. At La Selva field station in north-eastern Costa Rica, previous work has shown that populations of many amphibians have decreased significantly since the 1970s, especially in primary forest. Starting in 1998, we investigated one of the most common frog species at La Selva, the poison-dart frog Oophaga pumilio (= Dendrobates pumilio). In a survey of 50 plots of 100 m2 in 1998, adult frogs were 4.6 times more abundant in secondary forest than in primary forest. Tadpoles were found only in secondary-forest plots. Almost all (89%) of the tadpoles were found in leaf axils of Dieffenbachia spp., which were much more abundant in secondary-forest than in primary-forest plots. The greater abundance of Dieffenbachia spp. in secondary forest was confirmed in a broad survey of ~11 km of trails within La Selva in 2002. When the same trails were resampled in 2012, Dieffenbachia spp. had been extirpated from 72% of the 50-m segments where plants were present in 2002; abundance was greatly reduced in the few trail segments where any Dieffenbachia spp. remained in 2012. The loss of Dieffenbachia spp., especially in secondary forest, removed the species most often used by O. pumilio for tadpole rearing. Based on counts of calling frogs in 2010, there was no difference in O. pumilio abundance in primary versus secondary forest, in striking contrast to multiple earlier surveys that found much greater frog abundance in secondary forest. We propose that the reason for the rapid decline in Dieffenbachia spp. is herbivory by the collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), which has increased in abundance at La Selva in recent years. A likely consequence is continued reduction in O. pumilio populations.
Termitaria as preferred browsing patches for black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) in Chipinge Safari Area, Zimbabwe
Authors: Muvengwi Justice , Ndagurwa Hilton G. T. , Nyenda Tatenda , Mlambo Innocent
Published: September 2014

This study tested the hypothesis that the black rhinoceros browses more on termitaria than off termitaria vegetation due to elevated soil and foliar nutrient levels on termitaria. We investigated the role of termitaria in providing nutrient-rich forage for the black rhinoceros, by comparing the preference (selection ratio) for vegetation occurring on and off termitaria, and then testing its relationship with foliar nutrient concentrations. Soil nutrients, bite intensity, tree species diversity, vegetation density, canopy cover and basal area were also surveyed on and off termitaria. We sampled 25 termite mounds together with their corresponding control plots in Chipinge Safari Area, Zimbabwe. Soil and foliar N, P, K, Ca and Na concentrations were greater on termitaria than off termitaria, with approximately twice the concentration of these nutrients. Browse preference followed the between-site differences in soil and foliar nutrient concentrations, with higher selection ratios and bite intensities for vegetation on termitaria than off termitaria. Diospyros quiloensis was the most preferred browse species whilst Combretum imberbe, Kigelia africana and Strychnos innocua were the least. In conclusion, the black rhino preferred vegetation on termitaria to that in the surrounding matrix, and utilization of vegetation can be influenced by the soil substrate on which tree species grow.
Who Are Atrocity's “Real” Perpetrators, Who Its “True” Victims and Beneficiaries?
Authors: Osiel Mark
Published: September 2014

Modern law's response to mass atrocities vacillates equivocally in how it understands the dramatis personae to these expansive tragedies, at once extraordinary and ubiquitous. Is there any principled order to this? If not, should we care?
A Call for a Global Constitutional Convention Focused on Future Generations
Authors: Gardiner Stephen M.
Published: September 2014

The Carnegie Council's work “is rooted in the premise that the incorporation of ethical concerns into discussions of international affairs will yield more effective policies both in the United States and abroad.” In honor of the Council's centenary, we have been asked to (briefly) present our views on the ethical and policy issues posed by climate change, focusing on what people need to know that they probably do not already know, and what should be done. In that spirit, this essay argues that climate change poses a profound ethical challenge, that the ongoing evasion of this challenge produces ineffective policy, and, therefore, that a fundamental paradigm shift is needed. More specifically, I maintain that the climate problem is usually misdiagnosed as a traditional tragedy of the commons, that this obscures two deeper and distinctively ethical challenges (what I call the tyranny of the contemporary and the perfect moral storm), and that we should address these challenges head on, by calling for a global constitutional convention focused on future generations.
Moral Collapse in a Warming World
Authors: Hamilton Clive
Published: September 2014

In his definitive book A Perfect Moral Storm, ethicist Stephen Gardiner argues that the way forward in a climate-changed world is so difficult in part because we “do not yet have a good understanding of many of the ethical issues at stake in global-warming policy.” We remain confused about such vital questions as who should take responsibility for the current condition, how to preserve equity between generations, and how best to think about our responsibility toward nonhuman animals. The resistance of governments to taking action, attempts by various players to throw sand in the eyes of the public, and specious arguments used to justify an unwillingness to do what is necessary all add to our moral bafflement.
Drones, Risk, and Perpetual Force
Authors: Enemark Christian
Published: September 2014

This article contributes to the debate among just war theorists about the ethics of using armed drones in the war on terror. If violence of this kind is to be effectively restrained, it is necessary first to establish an understanding of its nature. Because it is difficult to conceptualize drone-based violence as war, there is concern that such violence is thus not captured by the traditional jus ad bellum (just resort to war) framework. Drone strikes probably do not constitute a law enforcement practice, so the peacetime ethics of criminal justice do not apply either. One possible solution is to develop and apply a legitimization framework of jus ad vim (just resort to force) in which vim is “force short of war,” although this depends upon a vim–bellum distinction being a sustainable one. Moving beyond discussion of these three alternative concepts of drone-based violence, the article suggests a fourth—vis perpetua (perpetual force)—and explores the ethical implications thereof. As a form of violence that presents no physical risk to individual users of force, a program of drone strikes poses a moral problem if it is intended to continue indefinitely, leading to the systematic endangerment of innocents without the eventual promise of peace.
First isolation of Leptospira noguchii serogroups Panama and Autumnalis from cattle
Authors: MARTINS G. , LOUREIRO A. P. , HAMOND C. , PINNA M. H. , BREMONT S. , BOURHY P. , LILENBAUM W.
Published: September 2014

Prevention and control of leptospirosis are based on the knowledge of locally circulating strains. Thus, efforts to obtain local isolates are paramount to the epidemiological understanding of leptospirosis. We report and discuss here the first isolation of members of serogroups Autumnalis and Panama from cattle, both belonging to Leptospira noguchii species. Urine samples (n = 167) were collected directly by puncture of the bladder from randomly selected cows from a slaughterhouse in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for bacteriological culture. Isolates were characterized by serogrouping and sequencing (rrs and secY genes). Overall, 10/167 positive urine samples (6%) were obtained. Sequencing of amplicons targeting for both rrs and secY genes identified two of them (2013_U73 and 2013_U232) as L. noguchii. Serogrouping of those strains indicated that 2013_U73 belonged to the Panama serogroup (titre 1600), and 2013_U232 to the Autumnalis serogroup (titre 12800). Both Panama and Autumnalis are known agents of incidental leptospirosis in cattle. This group of leptospires could be particularly important in tropical countries. This is the first report of members of serogroups Autumnalis and Panama belonging to L. noguchii species from cattle. Although related to previously reported strains, these isolates have been shown to be genetically diverse from them.
‘Some inhuman wretch’: Animal Maiming and the Ambivalent Relationship between Rural Workers and Animals
Authors: GRIFFIN CARL J.
Published: September 2014

The daily lives of many rural workers were intertwined with animals: those they kept, those in the wild, and those they were employed to work with and care for. And yet despite the importance of this connection, work in rural history has tended, with some notable exceptions, to conceive of animals as fleshy capital, game, or pest. In part this is because the archive does not tend to describe the relationships between workers and animals. This paper contends, however, that the archive of animal maiming offers important detail for beginning to understand the connection. While animal maiming was necessarily rooted in violence, with its various forms essentially involving the mutilation and violation of animals, nonetheless episodes of animal maiming can tell us much about the politics of giving care to animals. Examining episodes of animal maiming also allows us to understand how the non-human helped to constitute the relationships between humans, especially the uneven bond between employer and worker, as well as the complex, and often contradictory, attitudes of rural workers to animals.
Women Farmers of Snowdonia, 1750–1900
Authors: RICHARDSON FRANCES
Published: September 2014

A considerable amount of research has been undertaken on the decline in women's agricultural employment during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, but very little has been written about the position of women farmers. During this period, women farmers remained more common throughout Wales than in England. This study explores the part played by women farmers in the agricultural community of Nantconwy, a hundred in the eastern part of Snowdonia, Caernarvonshire, where women comprised up to twenty-two per cent of farmers during the period 1750 to 1900. It examines how and why women became farmers, and the role they played in running the farm. Four factors are suggested to account for the high proportion of women farmers in Snowdonia: a system of virtually hereditary tenancies, the inheritance of farm stock, the traditional nature of Welsh farming, and women's desire to continue farming.
Matt Harris and the Irish Land Question, 1876–1882
Authors: CASEY BRIAN
Published: September 2014

The land question concerned all classes in Ireland in the nineteenth century. A series of grassroots leaders played an important role in local politics that served as a major building block for future generations of politicians and nationalists. Yet the role of these regional personalities has generally been neglected in historiography as attention is paid to a ‘top-down’ approach to the Irish Land War. This article aims to address a lacuna in research by paying attention to one of the more significant regional personalities during the Irish Land War: Matt Harris. It will explore the ideas that he expressed on Land League platforms, pamphlets, newspapers and the Parnell Commission, as he sought a solution to the social malaise that was perpetuated thanks to an imbalance in land legislation that favoured stronger farmers while also giving a voice to the subaltern classes in the west of Ireland.
The Role of Social Networks in Agricultural Innovation: The Sutherland Reclamations and the Fowler Steam Plough, c.1855-c.1885
Authors: TINDLEY ANNIE , WODEHOUSE ANDREW
Published: September 2014

The nineteenth century saw an explosion in creativity and innovation, often applied to and motivated by an urge to improve, refine and make more efficient industrial and agricultural processes. There were many innovations in the field of agriculture, supported by the sponsorship of societies and associations and, in the 1850s and 1860s, by strong investment under High Farming. This article examines one of these innovations, the steam plough, with reference to its application in the Scottish Highlands in the 1870s and 1880s. In particular, it illuminates the social networks which lay behind the development and utilisation of the steam plough in the rural Highland context, delineating how aristocratic, religious and local networks combined to have a major impact on rural society in Scotland and beyond. It will examine how these networks interacted to promote the contemporary culture for agricultural and rural innovation through the development of the Fowler's steam plough. What makes this example of particular interest is the fact that agriculturally and financially, the Sutherland land reclamations were an unconditional failure. The environment was too challenging for the technology and despite vast financial resources, the landowner, the third Duke of Sutherland, was, after fifteen years, finally convinced by his advisors that further efforts were futile and irresponsible. This article will interrogate why, despite its essential unfeasibility, the project was pursued, and will argue that the momentum created by the dynamic between the three networks involved propelled it forward despite growing evidence of failure. This article therefore uses an inductive approach by examining a particular example of agricultural design innovation and analysing the pertinent social issues in what would have been termed by contemporaries ‘entrepreneurial spirit’.
Photography and the Rural Press, 1880–1939
Authors: BROWN JONATHAN
Published: September 2014

The 1880s saw the introduction of the half-tone as a means of reproducing photographs on the printed page in books and magazines. No editor could afford to ignore this technology and this article examines how it was introduced into magazines catering for a farming and rural readership. It considers the impact of new illustrated magazines and the demand for photographs for reproduction and gives some thought to how historians might profitably use these photographs as evidence.
Delay-dependent robust H∞ control for neutral time-delay systems
Authors: SUN MAN , YANG AIMIN
Published: September 2014

We derive a delay-dependent H∞ performance criterion with a decoupled structure for systems with neutral time delay. We then extend it to an H∞ controller synthesis for systems with polytopic uncertainty. All conditions are given in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs). In some previous descriptor system methods, the products of the controller and Lyapunov matrices are completely separated for the performance analysis, but not for controller synthesis - the method developed in the current paper eliminates this weakness. We present a numerical example to illustrate the effectiveness of the solution.
Robust stability analysis of a class of uncertain neutral T–S fuzzy systems with time delay
Authors: LI YANJIANG , TAN CHONG , LV JIANTING , ZHANG XIAN
Published: September 2014

We consider the problem of the robust stability of a class of uncertain T–S fuzzy neutral systems with time delay under time-varying parametric uncertainties using the Lyapunov–Krasovskii approach, where the parametric uncertainty is assumed to be norm bounded. By choosing a new Lyapunov–Krasovskii function, we are able to propose less conservative robust stability criteria in terms of linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) such that the uncertain T–S fuzzy neutral system under consideration remains asymptotically stable. The reduced conservatism of the proposed stability criterion compared with recently reported results is attributed to our using the Jensen inequality. The obtained results can also reduce the computational complexity.
Method of item recognition based on SIFT and SURF
Authors: CHEN WENYU , XIE WENZHI , ZENG RU
Published: September 2014

Item recognition has become a hotspot in the field of computer vision research. SIFT has the advantage of requiring a low amount of information, a fast running speed and high precision, but it requires large data calculations and thus takes a long time to perform the item recognition. In this paper we propose a method of item recognition based on SIFT and SURF that provides a new way to solve the problem of item recognition, and has both feasibility and availability. This technique currently ignores colour information when dealing with colour images, but the evaluation method is capable of taking colour quality characteristics into account so it should be possible to improve the algorithm in the future. Experimental results show that this system of item recognition based on the SURF algorithm gives better matching recognition, is faster and has greater robustness.
A hybrid WT-FBPNN optimisation algorithm to identify the investment risk of wind power projects
Authors: LIU ZHIBIN , REN AISHENG
Published: September 2014

Wind power projects face an uncertain external environment, they are complex projects in themselves and the capabilities of the designers, erectors and operators are limited. All this makes the identification of investment risks for wind power projects extremely complicated. In this paper, we propose a method for identifying the investment risk scientifically and accurately using a back propagation (BP) neural network. Specifically, we propose a hybrid wavelet transform fuzzy BP neural network (WT-FBPNN) optimisation model based on the construction of a risk evaluating index system. This improved model can not only exploit the time frequency localisation characteristic of wavelet transforms (WT), but also enhance the fit precision and algorithm convergence speed. The simulation results show that this model is reliable, and that this method of identifying the investment risk of wind power projects is feasible.
Robust optimisation of the spring actuator in a vacuum circuit breaker
Authors: CHEN GANG , SUN BO , LIU XIAOMING , WANG ERZHI
Published: September 2014

We present a concept of robust optimisation design for the spring actuator in a 10 kV/12.5 kA vacuum circuit breaker. We assume the breaking and closing velocity characteristics, which are derived form the technical data of the interrupter, as the specifications for the problem, and take the lengths of the connecting rods of the actuator and the stiffness coefficients of the breaking and closing springs as the optimisation variables. The variance between the specifications and the velocities calculated at each breaking and closing point and the maximal variation allowed by the design variables within acceptable tolerances make up the multiple objective function. The optimal parameters for the spring actuator are given by solving a non-linear programming problem with multiple targets and two-level optimisation.
Two kinds of persistent soil seed banks in an amphi-basicarpic cold-desert annual
Authors: Lu Juan J. , Tan Dun Y. , Baskin Jerry M. , Baskin Carol C.
Published: September 2014

Several studies have compared seed banks of the different morphs of heteromorphic species, but none of them was on an amphi-basicarpic species. Our primary aim was to compare the relative ability of aerial and basal diaspores of an amphi-basicarpic species to form a seed bank. We compared the seed-bank dynamics of basal and aerial diaspores of three populations of the cold-desert annualCeratocarpus arenariusgrowing in the Junggar Desert in north-western China. A 2.5-year experimental garden study compared germination phenology and retention of viability in basal (a) and aerial (c and f) morphs. Aerial morphs formed a modified Thompson and Grime type III seed bank (small proportion of seeds carried over to next year) and the basal morph a modified type IV seed bank (large proportion of seeds carried over to next year). Seeds germinated only in spring, and cumulative germination percentages were f>c>a (year 1), f = c>a (year 2) and f = c = a (year 3). The relationship between length of germination period, retention of viability during burial and relative ability to form a persistent seed bank was basal morph > aerial morphs. The results of this seed-bank study onC. arenariusare in full agreement with those published previously on seed dispersal and dormancy in this species. Thus, strong additional support is provided for a high risk–low risk germination strategy in this cold-desert annual.
Profiling of triterpenoid saponin content variation in different chemotypic accessions of Centella asiatica L.
Authors: Singh Jyoti , Singh Sangwan Rajender , Gupta Sanjeev , Saxena Sangeeta , Sangwan Neelam S.
Published: September 2014

Centella asiatica (L.) Urban is an important herbaceous medicinal plant with a worldwide distribution. The herb possesses a medicinal value and is used extensively in traditional systems of medicine. The medicinal properties of the herb are attributed to the presence of characteristic triterpenoids and their saponins in the leaves. The major triterpenoids are asiaticoside, madecassoside and their aglycones asiatic acid and madecassic acid, respectively, among others. The present study reports a remarkable qualitative and quantitative variability in secondary metabolites in different accessions of C. asiatica L. as determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The accessions analyzed in this study can be considered as the core set of discrete chemotypes of C. asiatica. Considerable and contrasting biochemical variations were observed in the terpenoid profiles of the chemotypes. From the basic and applied phytochemical utility, this chemotypic variability in the total content of triterpenoids is important and interesting.
No-till seeded spinach after winterkilled cover crops in an organic production system
Authors: Lounsbury Natalie P. , Weil Ray R.
Published: September 2014

Organic no-till (NT) management strategies generally employ high-residue cover crops that act as weed-suppressing mulch. In temperate, humid regions such as the mid-Atlantic USA, high-residue winter cover crops can hinder early spring field work and immobilize nutrients for cash crops. This makes the integration of cover crops into rotations difficult for farmers, who traditionally rely on tillage to prepare seedbeds for early spring vegetables. Our objectives were to address two separate but related goals of reducing tillage and integrating winter cover crops into early spring vegetable rotations by investigating the feasibility of NT seeding spinach (Spinacia oleraceaL.), an early spring vegetable, into winterkilled cover crops. We conducted a four site-year field study in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain regions of Maryland, USA, comparing seedbed conditions and spinach performance after forage radish (FR) (Raphanus sativusL.), a low-residue, winterkilled cover crop, spring oat (Avena sativaL.), the traditional winterkilled cover crop in the area, a mixture of radish and oat, and a no cover crop (NC) treatment. NT seeded spinach after FR had higher yields than all other cover crop and tillage treatments in one site year and was equal to the highest yielding treatments in two site years. Yield for NT spinach after FR was as high as 19 Mg ha−1fresh weight, whereas the highest yield for spinach seeded into a rototilled seedbed after NC was 10 Mg ha−1. NT seeding spring spinach after a winterkilled radish cover crop is feasible and provides an alternative to both high-residue cover crops and spring tillage.
Position zu Problemdimensionen und Präventionsstrategien der Bildschirmnutzung
Authors: Bleckmann Paula , Mößle Thomas
Published: September 2014

Zielsetzung: Dieses Positionspapier identifiziert, vergleicht und bewertet drei unterschiedliche Strategien zur Medienprävention für Kinder und Jugendliche im Hinblick auf ihr Potenzial zur Vorbeugung suchtartiger, aber auch bereits lediglich problematischer Bildschirmmediennutzung in drei, hier erstmals in dieser Form voneinander abgegrenzten Dimensionen (zeitlich, inhaltlich, funktional). Screen Time Reduction: Für die zeitliche und inhaltliche Problemdimension erscheint Bildschirmzeitenreduktion erfolgversprechend, dabei besonders die Stärkung elterlicher Medienerziehungskompetenzen zur Begrenzung von Geräteausstattung, Zeiten und Inhalten. Die Wirksamkeit solcher Interventionen wurde im Kontrollgruppendesign überprüft und kann als belegt gelten. Ressourcenorientierte Suchtprävention: Für jüngere Kinder erscheinen zur Medienprävention bzgl. aller drei Problemdimensionen Ansätze der klassischen ressourcenorientierten Suchtprävention, wie z. B. Life Skills Training, zielführend, welche für den Bereich Medien angepasst werden (Fokus auf bildschirmfreien Freizeitalternativen und unmittelbaren Sozialinteraktionen). Medienkompetenzförderung: Bei älteren Kindern könnten flankierend Medienkompetenzförderungsstrategien jenseits der rein technischen Anwendungsfertigkeiten eingesetzt werden, die jedoch vorwiegend für die Vermeidung inhaltlich problematischer Nutzung geeignet erscheinen.
Die medizinischen Kosten schädlichen Alkohol- und Tabakkonsums in Deutschland – eine Analyse mittels GKV-Routinedaten
Authors: Effertz Tobias , Verheyen Frank , Linder Roland
Published: September 2014

Fragestellung: Der gesundheitsschädliche Konsum von Alkohol und Tabak ist mit hohen Kosten für das Gesundheitswesen verbunden. Aus Sicht politischer Entscheidungsträger und Gesundheitsbehörden ist es interessant, die durch Alkohol- und Tabakkonsum verursachten Kosten im Gesundheitsbereich sowie deren Entstehungszusammenhang genau zu kennen, um eine notwendige Priorisierung der Versorgung und Prävention zu erreichen. Bisher wurden Kostenquantifizierungen jedoch mit in der Tendenz eher unterschätzenden Methoden durchgeführt. Methodik: Mithilfe eines Paneldatensatzes aus Routinedaten der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung wird das Ausmaß der durch Tabak- und Alkoholkonsum zusätzlich entstehenden Kosten im deutschen Gesundheitssektor mit statistischen Methoden geschätzt. Ergebnisse: Gemäß dem Prävalenzansatz belaufen sich die Kosten des schädlichen Tabakkonsums auf 400 – 500 € pro Quartal und des schädlichen Alkoholkonsums auf 660 – 800 € pro Quartal und gesetzlich Versichertem in Deutschland. Diese Ergebnisse sind robust gegenüber alternativen Modellspezifikationen und -annahmen. Schlussfolgerungen: Aufgrund der häufig gewählten Methoden der Krankheitskostenrechnung sind die Kosten durch Alkohol- und Tabakkonsum im deutschen Gesundheitswesen unterschätzt worden.
Barrieren und Ressourcen für einen Rauchstopp bei Auszubildenden
Authors: Haug Severin , Schaub Michael P. , Castro Raquel Paz , Schmid Holger
Published: September 2014

Zielsetzung: Identifizierung von Einflussfaktoren, die bei Auszubildenden einen Rauchstopp begünstigen oder erschweren. Methodik: Die Daten wurden innerhalb einer kontrollierten Studie zur Wirksamkeitsprüfung einer mobiltelefonbasierten Intervention zur Förderung des Rauchausstiegs bei 755 Auszubildenden erhoben. Innerhalb eines Telefoninterviews wurden 90 Ex-Rauchende nach deren Motiven für den Rauchstopp und 468 Rauchende nach deren Motiven, weiterhin zu Rauchen sowie nach möglichen Ressourcen, die beim Rauchstopp helfen könnten, befragt. Die Freitextantworten wurden kategorisiert und quantitativ ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Als häufigste Gründe für den Rauchstopp wurden von den 90 Ex-Rauchenden körperbezogene Aspekte, insbesondere Sorgen um die Gesundheit und die körperliche Fitness (n=44, 49 %) sowie die Kosten für Zigaretten (n=25, 28 %) genannt. Als häufigste Gründe fürs Weiterrauchen wurden von 468 Rauchenden Stress (n=136, 29 %), die instrumentelle Bedeutung des Rauchens (n=135, 29 %) sowie Abhängigkeit (n=128, 27 %) genannt. Als wichtigste Ressourcen, die beim Aufhören helfen könnten, nannten die Rauchenden Aspekte der sozialen Unterstützung (n=114, 24 %), die eigene Einstellung (n=98, 21 %) und Strategien zur Konsumkontrolle (n=66, 14 %). Schlussfolgerungen: Die Ergebnisse spezifizieren bereits bekannte Einflussfaktoren und weisen auf mögliche Faktoren, wie z. B. Stress, hin, die in der Forschung und bei Interventionen bislang nur unzureichend berücksichtigt wurden.
Disentangling rock record bias and common-cause from redundancy in the British fossil record
Authors: Dunhill Alexander M. , Hannisdal Bjarte , Benton Michael J.
Published: September 2014

The fossil record documents the history of life, but the reliability of that record has often been questioned. Spatiotemporal variability in sedimentary rock volume, sampling and research effort especially frustrates global-scale diversity reconstructions. Various proposals have been made to rectify palaeodiversity estimates using proxy measures for the availability and sampling of the rock record, but the validity of these approaches remains controversial. Targeting the rich fossil record of Great Britain as a highly detailed regional exemplar, our statistical analysis shows that marine outcrop area contains a signal useful for predicting changes in diversity, collections and formations, whereas terrestrial outcrop area contains a signal useful for predicting formations. In contrast, collection and formation counts are information redundant with fossil richness, characterized by symmetric, bidirectional information flow. If this is true, the widespread use of collection and formation counts as sampling proxies to correct the raw palaeodiversity data may be unwarranted.
Anomalous altered expressions of downstream gene-targets in TP53-miRNA pathways in head and neck cancer
Authors: Mitra Sanga , Mukherjee Nupur , Das Smarajit , Das Pijush , Panda Chinmay Kumar , Chakrabarti Jayprokas
Published: September 2014

The prevalence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, HNSCC, continues to grow. Change in the expression of TP53 in HNSCC affects its downstream miRNAs and their gene targets, anomalously altering the expressions of the five genes, MEIS1, AGTR1, DTL, TYMS and BAK1. These expression alterations follow the repression of TP53 that upregulates miRNA-107, miRNA- 215, miRNA-34 b/c and miRNA-125b, but downregulates miRNA-155. The above five so far unreported genes are the targets of these miRNAs. Meta-analyses of microarray and RNA-Seq data followed by qRT-PCR validation unravel these new ones in HNSCC. The regulatory roles of TP53 on miRNA-155 and miRNA-125b differentiate the expressions of AGTR1 and BAK1in HNSCC vis-à-vis other carcinogenesis. Expression changes alter cell cycle regulation, angiogenic and blood cell formation and apoptotic modes in affliction. Pathway analyses establish the resulting systems-level functional and mechanistic insights into the etiology of HNSCC.
Abnormal Elastic and Vibrational Behaviors of Magnetite at High Pressures
Authors: Lin Jung-Fu , Wu Junjie , Zhu Jie , Mao Zhu , Said Ayman H. , Leu Bogdan M. , Cheng Jinguang , Uwatoko Yoshiya , Jin Changqing , Zhou Jianshi
Published: September 2014

Magnetite exhibits unique electronic, magnetic and structural properties in extreme conditions that are of great research interest. Previous studies have suggested a number of transitional models, although the nature of magnetite at high pressure remains elusive. We have studied a highly stoichiometric magnetite using inelastic X-ray scattering, X-ray diffraction and emission and Raman spectroscopies in diamond anvil cells up to ~20 GPa, while complementary electrical conductivity measurements were conducted in a cubic anvil cell up to 8.5 GPa. We have observed an elastic softening in the diagonal elastic constants (C11 and C44) and a hardening in the off-diagonal constant (C12) at ~8 GPa where significant elastic anisotropies in longitudinal and transverse acoustic waves occur, especially along the [110] direction. An additional vibrational Raman band between the A1g and T2g modes was also detected at the transition pressure. These abnormal elastic and vibrational behaviors of magnetite are attributed to the occurrence of the octahedrally-coordinated Fe2+-Fe3+-Fe2+ ions charge-ordering along the [110] direction in the inverse spinel structure. We propose a new phase diagram of magnetite in which the temperature for the metal-insulator and distorted structural transitions decreases with increasing pressure while the charge-ordering transition occurs at ~8 GPa and room temperature.
Direct determination of niobium at the low nanogram level in mineral waters and freshwaters
Authors: Filella Montserrat , Magnenat David-Julien , Bensimon Michaël
Published: September 2014

It is possible to obtain consistent niobium concentrations in a wide range of natural waters by ICP-SFMS without preconcentration.
The atomic structure of a bare buffer layer on SiC(0001) chemically resolved
Authors: de Lima Luis Henrique , Handschak Dominique , Schönbohm Frank , Landers Richard , Westphal Carsten , de Siervo Abner
Published: September 2014

A chemical-specific photoelectron diffraction structure determination of a carbon rich buffer layer on SiC is reported.
Visible light-induced intermolecular radical addition: facile access to γ-ketoesters from alkyl-bromocarboxylates and enamines
Authors: Hu Bei , Chen Haixia , Liu Yan , Dong Wuheng , Ren Kai , Xie Xiaomin , Xu Hao , Zhang Zhaoguo
Published: September 2014

A highly efficient addition of alkyl α-bromocarboxylates to enamines by visible light-induced photoredox catalysis is reported.
Nanostructured materials for applications in surface-enhanced Raman scattering
Authors: Chen Xiaochun , Jiang Changlong , Yu Shaoming
Published: September 2014

This highlight summarizes current advances in the design and the employment of nanostructured materials in SERS substrates especially from the dimensional point of view. We then talk about synthesis methods and the novel properties of these nanostructured materials with their potential applications in SERS.