bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Integrating stratigraphic modelling and seismic interpretation: two practical examples
Authors: Cacas M.-C. , Laigle J.-M. , Albouy E. , Sulzer C.
Published: October 2008

In the future, the oil industry will have to exploit more and more complex sedimentary basins regarding sedimentology and tectonics. Basin studies will have to integrate more and more advanced and interrelated concepts from different disciplines. Fully integrated basin studies are not yet common practice, but some elements of an integrated workflow are starting to be proposed to the industry. These involve new computer modelling capabilities, such as computer-assisted seismic stratigraphy, 4D kinematic restoration, stratigraphic modelling and petroleum system modelling. Integration of seismic interpretation and sedimentology modelling is one element of this workflow which remains particularly challenging. Stratigraphic modelling is proposed to facilitate this integration; it consists of computerized forward simulation of sedimentary processes at basin scale and geological time-scale. A new simplified stratigraphic modelling method, based on the approximation of the sedimentary history by a succession of sequences during which the sedimentation is supposed to be steady state, will help to invert these stratigraphic models more easily. In particular, the results of seismic interpretation in terms of time-line interpretation and sedimentary environment can now be used as input data to the stratigraphic modelling procedure. The use of seismic data as validation data of the sedimentological model can also be considered, but their relevance depends largely on seismic modelling methods as well as input acoustic parameters.
Improved hydrocarbon charge prediction by source-rock modelling
Authors: Tømmerås Are , Mann Ute
Published: October 2008

Predictions of initial source-rock distribution, thickness and quality are key input parameters to quantitative basin models. This article describes a workflow where process-based modelling of deposition and preservation of organic matter at basin scale is performed to provide the input to modelling of hydrocarbon generation and expulsion from source rocks. As the vertical resolution of the depositional- and source-rock models is significantly higher than for conventional basin models, a means of upscaling the source-rock properties is needed when providing these as input to hydrocarbon generation modelling.

To illustrate the modelling workflow, an example from the Triassic Kobbe Formation of the Norwegian Barents Sea was used. Two alternative source-rock models for the Kobbe Formation were constructed and discussed. During the modelling process preservation conditions were fine-tuned to better match local well data within the Nordkapp Basin. The second model provided a better calibration both for the source-rock model to the well data and for the secondary migration model to known hydrocarbon accumulations of the Nordkapp Basin.
Interpretation and mapping of a stratigraphic play using 3D seismic data and attributes in central Saudi Arabia
Authors: Al-Zahrani Abdallah A. , Neves Fernando
Published: October 2008

Interpretation of three-dimensional (3D) seismic data from the northern part of central Saudi Arabia allowed mapping of the Permo-Carboniferous Unayzah Formation's aeolian sand deposits and fluvial channels. These types of depositional environments have been associated frequently with better reservoir-quality sandstones within Saudi Arabia. The depositional setting of the Unayzah reservoirs can be highly variable and range from glacial, to lacustrine, to meandering fluvial, to aeolian, to braided stream. Seismic amplitude data were instrumental in mapping a truncation of the upper Unayzah reservoir against the overlying Pre-Khuff Unconformity. The use of seismic attributes, such as coherence and curvature, indicated the existence of faulting and a fluvial channel network at the top of the Unayzah Formation. The integration of well and seismic amplitude data, via acoustic impedance inversion, revealed the direction of potentially higher porosity fairways within the channel system. The structural and depositional architecture depicted in this study is being appraised through drilling of an exploration well.
Describing shapes by geometrical-topological properties of real functions
Authors: Biasotti S. , De Floriani L. , Falcidieno B. , Frosini P. , Giorgi D. , Landi C. , Papaleo L. , Spagnuolo M.
Published: October 2008

Differential topology, and specifically Morse theory, provide a suitable setting for formalizing and solving several problems related to shape analysis. The fundamental idea behind Morse theory is that of combining the topological exploration of a shape with quantitative measurement of geometrical properties provided by a real function defined on the shape. The added value of approaches based on Morse theory is in the possibility of adopting different functions as shape descriptors according to the properties and invariants that one wishes to analyze. In this sense, Morse theory allows one to construct ageneral frameworkfor shape characterization, parametrized with respect to the mapping function used, and possibly the space associated with the shape. The mapping function plays the role of alensthrough which we look at the properties of the shape, and different functions provide different insights.

In the last decade, an increasing number of methods that are rooted in Morse theory and make use of properties of real-valued functions for describing shapes have been proposed in the literature. The methods proposed range from approaches which use the configuration of contours for encoding topographic surfaces to more recent work on size theory and persistent homology. All these have been developed over the years with a specific target domain and it is not trivial to systematize this work and understand the links, similarities, and differences among the different methods. Moreover, different terms have been used to denote the same mathematical constructs, which often overwhelm the understanding of the underlying common framework.

The aim of this survey is to provide a clear vision of what has been developed so far, focusing on methods that make use of theoretical frameworks that are developed forclassesof real functions rather than for a single function, even if they are applied in a restricted manner. The termgeometrical-topologicalused in the title is meant to underline that both levels of information content are relevant for the applications of shape descriptions: geometrical, or metrical, properties and attributes are crucial for characterizing specific instances of features, while topological properties are necessary to abstract and classify shapes according to invariant aspects of their geometry. The approaches surveyed will be discussed in detail, with respect to theory, computation, and application. Several properties of the shape descriptors will be analyzed and compared. We believe this is a crucial step to exploit fully the potential of such approaches in many applications, as well as to identify important areas of future research.
Summarization system evaluation revisited
Authors: Giannakopoulos George , Karkaletsis Vangelis , Vouros George , Stamatopoulos Panagiotis
Published: October 2008

This article presents a novel automatic method (AutoSummENG) for the evaluation of summarization systems, based on comparing the character n-gram graphs representation of the extracted summaries and a number of model summaries. The presented approach is language neutral, due to its statistical nature, and appears to hold a level of evaluation performance that matches and even exceeds other contemporary evaluation methods. Within this study, we measure the effectiveness of different representation methods, namely, word and character n-gram graph and histogram, different n-gram neighborhood indication methods as well as different comparison methods between the supplied representations. A theory for the a priori determination of the methods' parameters along with supporting experiments concludes the study to provide a complete alternative to existing methods concerning the automatic summary system evaluation process.
Pycnogenol, an extract from French maritime pine, suppresses Toll-like receptor 4-mediated expression of adipose differentiation-related protein in macrophages
Authors: Gu Jian-Qiu , Ikuyama Shoichiro , Wei Ping , Fan Bin , Oyama Jun-ichi , Inoguchi Toyoshi , Nishimura Junji
Published: October 2008

Adipose differentiation-related protein (ADRP) is highly expressed in macrophages and human atherosclerotic lesions. We demonstrated that Toll-like receptor (TLR) 4-mediated signals, which are involved in atherosclerosis formation, enhanced the expression of ADRP in macrophages. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) enhanced the ADRP expression in RAW264.7 cells or peritoneal macrophages from wild-type mice, but not in macrophages from TLR4-deficient mice. Actinomycin D almost completely abolished the LPS effect, whereas cycloheximide decreased the expression at 12 h, indicating that the LPS-induced ADRP expression was stimulated at the transcriptional level and was also mediated by new protein synthesis. LPS enhanced the ADRP promoter activity, in part, by stimulating activator protein (AP)-1 binding to the Ets/AP-1 element. In addition, preceding the increase of the ADRP mRNA, LPS induced the expression of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1α, and interferon-β mRNAs, all of which stimulated the ADRP expression. Antibodies against these cytokines or inhibitors of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase and nuclear factor (NF)-κB suppressed the ADRP mRNA level. Thus TLR4 signals stimulate the ADRP expression both in direct and indirect manners. Pycnogenol (PYC), an extract of French maritime pine, suppressed the expression of ADRP and the above-mentioned cytokines. PYC suppressed the ADRP promoter activity and enhancer activity of AP-1 and NF-κB, whereas it did not affect the LPS-induced DNA binding of these factors. In conclusion, TLR4-mediated signals stimulate the ADRP expression in macrophages while PYC antagonizes this process. PYC, a widely used dietary supplement, might be useful for prevention of atherosclerosis.
Electrochemiluminescence Study of Europium (III) Complex with Coumarin3‐Carboxylic Acid
Authors: Lis Stefan , Staninski Krzysztof , Grzyb Tomasz
Published: October 2008

The europium (III) complex of coumarin‐3‐carboxylic acid (C3CA) has been prepared and characterized on the basis of elemental analysis, IR, and emission (photoluminescence and electrochemiluminescence) spectroscopy. The synthesised complex having a formula Eu(C3CA)2(NO3) was photophysically characterized in solution and in the solid state. Electrochemiluminescence, ECL, of the system containing the Eu(III)/C3CA complex was studied using an oxide‐covered aluminium electrode. The goal of these studies was to show the possibility of the use of electrochemical excitation of the Eu(III) ion in aqueous solution for emission generation. The generated ECL emission was very weak, and therefore its measurements and spectral analysis were carried out with the use of cut‐off filters method. The studies proved a predominate role of the ligand‐to‐metal energy transfer (LMET) in the generated ECL.
A Mathematical Framework for Interpreting Playing Environments as Media for Information Flow
Authors: Motoyoshi Tatsuo , Hattori Takashi , Kawakami Hiroshi , Shiose Takayuki , Katai Osamu
Published: October 2008

This paper proposes a novel strategy of designing play equipments. The strategy introduces two loose constraints as a guideline for designers. The first constraint is “describing unit of play action chain_ based on Barthes_ semiology, and the second is the infomorphism between designer, play equipment, and players based on channel theory. We provide detailed explanation of the strategy through an example of a designing process of playing environment where the players usage of the play equipment cannot be foreseen.
Solution Procedure for Transport Modeling in Effluent Recharge Based on Operator‐Splitting Techniques
Authors: Zhu Shutang , Zhao Gang , Ma Yuanle
Published: October 2008

The coupling of groundwater movement and reactive transport during groundwater recharge with wastewater leads to a complicated mathematical model, involving terms to describe convection‐dispersion, adsorption/desorption and/or biodegradation, and so forth. It has been found very difficult to solve such a coupled model either analytically or numerically. The present study adopts operator‐splitting techniques to decompose the coupled model into two submodels with different intrinsic characteristics. By applying an upwind finite difference scheme to the finite volume integral of the convection flux term, an implicit solution procedure is derived to solve the convection‐dominant equation. The dispersion term is discretized in a standard central‐difference scheme while the dispersion‐dominant equation is solved using either the preconditioned Jacobi conjugate gradient (PJCG) method or Thomas method based on local‐one‐dimensional scheme. The solution method proposed in this study is applied to the demonstration project of groundwater recharge with secondary effluent at Gaobeidian sewage treatment plant (STP) successfully.
Guitarist Fingertip Tracking by Integrating a Bayesian Classifier into Particle Filters
Authors: Kerdvibulvech Chutisant , Saito Hideo
Published: October 2008

We propose a vision-based method for tracking guitar fingerings made by guitar players. We present it as a new framework for tracking colored finger markers by integrating a Bayesian classifier into particle filters. This adds the useful abilities of automatic track initialization and recovery from tracking failures in a dynamic background. Furthermore, by using the online adaptation of color probabilities, this method is able to cope with illumination changes. Augmented Reality Tag (ARTag) is then utilized to calculate the projection matrix as an online process which allows the guitar to be moved while being played. Representative experimental results are also included. The method presented can be used to develop the application of human-computer interaction (HCI) to guitar playing by recognizing the chord being played by a guitarist in virtual spaces. The aforementioned application would assist guitar learners by allowing them to automatically identify if they are using the correct chords required by the musical piece.
Sensing-Based Interaction for Information Navigation on Handheld Displays
Authors: Rohs Michael , Essl Georg
Published: October 2008

Information navigation on handheld displays is characterized by the small display dimensions and limited input capabilities of today’s mobile devices. Special strategies are required to help users navigate to off-screen content and develop awareness of spatial layouts despite the small display. Yet, handheld devices offer interaction possibilities that desktop computers do not. Handheld devices can easily be moved in space and used as a movable window into a large virtual workspace. We investigate different information navigation methods for small-scale handheld displays using a range of sensor technologies for spatial tracking. We compare user performance in an abstract map navigation task and discuss the tradeoffs of the different sensor and visualization techniques.
On the Symmetries of the q‐Bernoulli Polynomials
Authors: Kim Taekyun
Published: October 2008

Kupershmidt and Tuenter have introduced reflection symmetries
for the q‐Bernoulli numbers and the Bernoulli polynomials in (2005), (2001),
respectively. However, they have not dealt with congruence properties for these
numbers entirely. Kupershmidt gave a quantization of the reflection symmetry
for the classical Bernoulli polynomials. Tuenter derived a symmetry of power
sum polynomials and the classical Bernoulli numbers. In this paper, we study
the new symmetries of the q‐Bernoulli numbers and polynomials, which are
different from Kupershmidt′s and Tuenter′s results. By using our symmetries
for the q‐Bernoulli polynomials, we can obtain some interesting relationships
between q‐Bernoulli numbers and polynomials.
Cytotoxic Effect of the GenusSinulariaExtracts on Human SCC25 and HaCaT Cells
Authors: Wang Guey-Horng , Chou Tzung-Han , Lin Rong-Jyh , Sheu Jyh-Horng , Wang Shih-Hao , Liang Chia-Hua
Published: October 2008

Soft corals of the genusSinulariaare being increasingly adopted to treat a wide variety of disease processes. However, the mechanism underlying its activity against human oral cancer cells is poorly understood. This study evaluates the cyototoxicity effects of the genusSinulariaextracts (S. grandilobata, S. parva, S. triangula, S. scabra, S. nanolobataandS. gibberosa) by SCC25 and HaCaT cells. The cell adhesion assay indicates that extracts reduce the cell attachment. Extracts exhibit a dose-dependent cytotoxic effect using MTS assay.Treatment of extracts to observe the morphological alterations in cells, membrane blebbing, nuclear condensation, and apoptotic bodies is demonstrated. Flow cytometry shows that extracts sensitized the cells in theG0/G1andG2/Mphases with a concomitant significantly increased sub-G1fraction, suggesting cell death by apoptosis. Extracts of the genusSinulariathus apparently cause apoptosis of SCC25 and HaCaT cells, and warrant further research investigating the possible antioral cancer compounds in these soft corals.
Impact of Pretreatment With Clopidogrel on Initial Patency and Outcome in Patients Treated With Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention for ST-Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction
Authors: Vlaar Pieter J. , Svilaas Tone , Damman Kevin , de Smet Bart J.G.L. , Tijssen Jan G.P. , Hillege Hans L. , Zijlstra Felix
Published: October 2008

Background—

The main goal of the initial treatment of ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction is prompt reperfusion of the infarct-related artery. The value of pretreatment with clopidogrel before primary percutaneous coronary intervention is currently unclear.

Methods and Results—

Studies were retrieved through MEDLINE and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register searches over the past 20 years. Two authors independently performed the study selection and data extraction. Randomized controlled studies were included when the research subjects were unselected patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention. Pilot trials, studies that enrolled patients undergoing rescue percutaneous coronary intervention, and studies with angiographic assessment not performed by a core laboratory or 2 blinded investigators were excluded. Thirty-eight treatment groups, including 8429 patients, were included. Initial patency was higher in treatment groups in which patients received pretreatment with clopidogrel (34.3%; 95% confidence interval, 32.9 to 35.8) compared with those in which patients did not receive clopidogrel before initial coronary angiography (25.8%; 95% confidence interval, 24.5 to 27.1). In multivariate-weighted logistic regression analysis, pretreatment with clopidogrel was an independent predictor of early reperfusion (odds ratio, 1.51; 95% confidence interval, 1.31 to 1.74;
P
<0.0001) and improved clinical outcome.

Conclusions—

Initial patency and clinical outcome were improved in treatment groups that received pretreatment with clopidogrel. These results in patients undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention are in line with the experience of pretreatment with clopidogrel in elective patients, non–ST-elevation coronary syndromes, and thrombolytic studies.
Morphological and Physiological Predictors of Fetal Aortic Coarctation
Authors: Matsui Hikoro , Mellander Mats , Roughton Michael , Jicinska Hana , Gardiner Helena M.
Published: October 2008

Background—

Prenatal diagnosis of aortic coarctation suffers from high false-negative rates at screening and poor specificity.

Methods and Results—

This retrospective study tested the applicability of published aortic arch and ductal Z scores (measured just before the descending aorta in the 3-vessel and tracheal view) and their ratio on 200 consecutive normal controls at a median of 22±0 gestational weeks (range, 15±4 to 38±4 weeks). Second, this study tested the ability of serial Z scores to distinguish fetuses with coarctation within a cohort with ventricular and/or great arterial disproportion detected at screening or fetal echocardiography. Third, it evaluated the diagnostic significance of associated cardiac lesions, coarctation shelf, and isthmal flow disturbance. We studied 44 fetuses with suspected coarctation at 24±0 weeks (range, 17±3 to 37±4 weeks). Receiver-operating characteristic curves were created. Logistic regression tested the association between
z
scores, additional cardiac diagnoses, and coarctation. Good separation was found of isthmal Z scores for cases requiring surgery from controls and false-positive cases, and receiver-operating characteristic curves showed an excellent area under the curve for isthmal Z score (0.963) and isthmal-to-ductal ratio (0.969). Serial isthmal Z scores improved to >−2 in suspected cases with normal outcomes; those requiring surveillance or surgery remained <−2. Minor lesions did not increase the diagnostic specificity of coarctation, but isthmal flow disturbance increased the odds ratio of true coarctation versus arch hypoplasia 16-fold.

Conclusions—

Isthmal Z scores and isthmal-to-ductal ratio are sensitive indicators of fetal coarctation. Serial measurements and abnormal isthmal flow patterns improve diagnostic specificity and may reduce false positives.
Metabolic Syndrome Affects Cardiovascular Risk Profile and Response to Treatment in Hypertensive Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Rossi Rosario , Nuzzo Annachiara , Origliani Giorgia , Modena Maria Grazia
Published: October 2008

Metabolic syndrome is increasingly recognized as an important cardiovascular risk factor in hypertension, but its influence on the cardiovascular risk profile in hypertensive postmenopausal women has not been studied. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of metabolic syndrome on the cardiovascular risk profile and the response to treatment. We enrolled 350 hypertensive postmenopausal women, 55±6 years of age (range 47 to 60 years of age). Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of metabolic syndrome. Compared with those without, women with metabolic syndrome had higher waist circumference, body mass index, and levels of glucose, triglycerides, and HDL cholesterol, as would be expected, based on definition. In addition, patients with metabolic syndrome had a cardiovascular risk profile less favorable, characterized by a significantly higher highly sensitive C-reactive protein (2.2±0.6 versus 1.7±0.7 ng/L;
P
<0.01), a more compromised endothelial function (flow-mediated vasodilation 2.4±2.2 versus 4.4±2.5%;
P
=0.01), and a significantly higher left ventricular mass (44±15 versus 41±16 g/m
2.7
). Also, antihypertensive treatment induced a more modest improvement of both endothelial dysfunction and subclinical inflammation in women with metabolic syndrome. The results of our study show that in postmenopausal women, there are 2 different forms of hypertension: that which is isolated, and that which is associated with metabolic syndrome. This last form is related to a more severe risk profile, and response to therapy is less favorable.
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Is Associated With Polymorphic Variation in P2X Receptor Genes
Authors: Palomino-Doza Julian , Rahman Thahira J. , Avery Peter J. , Mayosi Bongani M. , Farrall Martin , Watkins Hugh , Edwards Christopher R.W. , Keavney Bernard
Published: October 2008

The P2X receptor gene family encodes a series of proteins that function as ATP-gated nonselective ion channels. P2X receptor channels are involved in transducing aldosterone-mediated signaling in the distal renal tubule and are potential candidate genes for blood pressure regulation. We performed a family based quantitative genetic association study in 248 families ascertained through a proband with hypertension to investigate the relationship between common genetic variation in the P2X4, P2X6, and P2X7 genes and ambulatory blood pressure. We genotyped 28 single nucleotide polymorphisms, which together captured the common genetic variability in the 3 genes. We corrected our results for multiple comparisons specifying a false discovery rate of 5%. We found significant evidence of association between the single nucleotide polymorphism rs591874 in the first intron of the P2X7 gene and blood pressure. The strongest association was found for nighttime diastolic blood pressure (
P
=0.0032), although association was present for both systolic and diastolic blood pressures measured by an observer during the day and at night. Genotypes were associated with a 0.2 SD (≈2.5 mm Hg) difference in night diastolic blood pressure per allele and accounted for ≈1% of the total variability in this measurement. Other suggestive associations were found, but these were nonsignificant after correction for multiple testing. These genetic data suggest that drugs affecting P2X receptor signaling may have promise as clinical antihypertensive agents.
Increased Aortic Pulse Wave Velocity Is Associated With Silent Cerebral Small-Vessel Disease in Hypertensive Patients
Authors: Henskens Léon H.G. , Kroon Abraham A. , van Oostenbrugge Robert J. , Gronenschild Ed H.B.M. , Fuss-Lejeune Monique M.J.J. , Hofman Paul A.M. , Lodder Jan , de Leeuw Peter W.
Published: October 2008

Aortic stiffness predicts an excess risk of stroke, supposedly via cerebral small-vessel disease. White matter hyperintensities, silent lacunar infarcts, and brain microbleeds, manifestations of cerebral small-vessel disease on neuroimaging, may precede overt cerebrovascular disease. Therefore, we assessed whether aortic stiffness is also related to such lesions. In 167 hypertensive patients (85 men) without a history of cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease, a mean age of 51.8±13.1 years, and untreated office blood pressure levels of 169±25/104±12 mm Hg, we determined aortic pulse wave velocity and office and ambulatory 24-hour pulse pressure (off medication), as well as the volume of white matter hyperintensities and the presence of lacunar infarcts and microbleeds using brain MRI. Linear and logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the relationships between the arterial stiffness measures and brain lesions. Aortic stiffness and pulse pressure were significantly related to each of the brain lesions in univariate analyses (
P
<0.05). Multivariate analyses, adjusted for age, sex, brain volume, mean arterial pressure, and heart rate, showed that a higher pulse wave velocity was significantly associated with a greater volume of white matter hyperintensities (unstandardized regression coefficient: 0.041; 95% CI: 0.005 to 0.078;
P
<0.05) and the presence of lacunar infarcts (odds ratio [per SD increase in pulse wave velocity]: 1.78; 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.99;
P
<0.05) but not with microbleeds. The models for pulse pressure failed to reach statistical significance in multivariate analyses. In conclusion, aortic stiffness is independently associated with manifestations of cerebral small-vessel disease in hypertensive patients, linking systemic large- to cerebral small-artery disease.
Endogenous Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors, Arterial Hemodynamics, and Subclinical Vascular Disease
Authors: Chirinos Julio A. , David Robert , Bralley J. Alexander , Zea-Díaz Humberto , Muñoz-Atahualpa Edgar , Corrales-Medina Fernando , Cuba-Bustinza Carolina , Chirinos-Pacheco Julio , Medina-Lezama Josefina
Published: October 2008

Endogenous NO synthase inhibitors (end-NOSIs) have been associated with cardiovascular risk factors and atherosclerosis. In addition, end-NOSIs may directly cause hypertension through hemodynamic effects. We aimed to examine the association between end-NOSI asymmetrical dimethylarginine (ADMA) and
N
-guanidino-monomethyl-arginine (NMMA), subclinical atherosclerosis, and arterial hemodynamics. We studied 922 adults participating in a population-based study (PREVENCION Study) and examined the correlation between end-NOSI/
l
-arginine and arterial hemodynamics, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, and carotid intima-media thickness using linear regression. ADMA, NMMA, and
l
-arginine were found to be differentially associated with various classic cardiovascular risk factors. ADMA and NMMA (but not
l
-arginine) were significant predictors of carotid intima-media thickness, even after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors, C-reactive protein, and renal function. In contrast, ADMA and NMMA did not predict carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity, blood pressure, or hemodynamic abnormalities. Higher
l
-arginine independently predicted systolic hypertension, higher central pulse pressure, incident wave amplitude, central augmented pressure, and lower total arterial compliance but not systemic vascular resistance or cardiac output. We conclude that ADMA and NMMA are differentially associated with cardiovascular risk factors, but both end-NOSIs are independent predictors of carotid atherosclerosis. In contrast, they are not associated with large artery stiffness, hypertension, or hemodynamic abnormalities. Our findings are consistent with a role for asymmetrical arginine methylation in atherosclerosis but not in large artery stiffening, hypertension, or long-term hemodynamic regulation.
l
-Arginine is independently associated with abnormal pulsatile (but not resistive) arterial hemodynamic indices, which may reflect abnormal
l
-arginine transport, leading to decreased intracellular bioavailability for NO synthesis.
The Organic Builder: A Public Experiment in Artificial Chemistries and Self-Replication
Authors: Hutton Tim J.
Published: October 2008

We describe some results submitted by users of the Organic Builder, a Java applet where the rules of an artificial chemistry can be chosen in order to achieve a desired behavior. Though it was initially intended as a set of challenges to be tackled as a game, the users experimented with the system far beyond this and discovered several novel forms of self-replicators. When searching for a system with certain properties such as self-replication, making the system accessible to the public through a Web site is an unusual but effective way of making scientific discoveries, credit for which must go to the users themselves for their tireless experimentation and innovation.
Shapes and Self-Movement in Protocell Systems
Authors: Suzuki Keisuke , Ikegami Takashi
Published: October 2008

The effect of shapes on self-movement has been studied with an extended model of autopoiesis. Autopoiesis is known as a theory of self-boundary maintenance. In this study, not only the autopoietic generation of the self-boundary, but also the emergence of self-motility, has been examined. As a result of computer simulations, it has been found that different membrane shapes cause different types of self-movement. A kind of chemotaxis has been observed for some shapes. The mechanism of chemotaxis is discussed by studying the internal chemical processes within the shape boundaries.
Investigating the Time Course of Spoken Word Recognition: Electrophysiological Evidence for the Influences of Phonological Similarity
Authors: Desroches Amy S. , Newman Randy Lynn , Joanisse Marc F.
Published: October 2008

Behavioral and modeling evidence suggests that words compete for recognition during auditory word identification, and that phonological similarity is a driving factor in this competition. The present study used event-related potentials (ERPs) to examine the temporal dynamics of different types of phonological competition (i.e., cohort and rhyme). ERPs were recorded during a novel picture–word matching task, where a target picture was followed by an auditory word that either matched the target (CONE–cone), or mismatched in one of three ways: rhyme (CONE–bone), cohort (CONE–comb), and unrelated (CONE–fox). Rhymes and cohorts differentially modulated two distinct ERP components, the phonological mismatch negativity and the N400, revealing the influences of prelexical and lexical processing components in speech recognition. Cohort mismatches resulted in late increased negativity in the N400, reflecting disambiguation of the later point of miscue and the combined influences of top–down expectations and misleading bottom–up phonological information on processing. In contrast, we observed a reduction in the N400 for rhyme mismatches, reflecting lexical activation of rhyme competitors. Moreover, the observed rhyme effects suggest that there is an interaction between phoneme-level and lexical-level information in the recognition of spoken words. The results support the theory that both levels of information are engaged in parallel during auditory word recognition in a way that permits both bottom–up and top–down competition effects.
Neural Discrimination of Nonprototypical Chords in Music Experts and Laymen: An MEG Study
Authors: Brattico Elvira , Pallesen Karen Johanne , Varyagina Olga , Bailey Christopher , Anourova Irina , Järvenpää Miika , Eerola Tuomas , Tervaniemi Mari
Published: October 2008

At the level of the auditory cortex, musicians discriminate pitch changes more accurately than nonmusicians. However, it is not agreed upon how sound familiarity and musical expertise interact in the formation of pitch-change discrimination skills, that is, whether musicians possess musical pitch discrimination abilities that are generally more accurate than in nonmusicians or, alternatively, whether they may be distinguished from nonmusicians particularly with respect to the discrimination of nonprototypical sounds that do not play a reference role in Western tonal music. To resolve this, we used magnetoencephalography (MEG) to measure the change-related magnetic mismatch response (MMNm) in musicians and nonmusicians to two nonprototypical chords, a “dissonant” chord containing a highly unpleasant interval and a “mistuned” chord including a mistuned pitch, and a minor chord, all inserted in a context of major chords. Major and minor are the most frequently used chords in Western tonal music which both musicians and nonmusicians are most familiar with, whereas the other chords are more rarely encountered in tonal music. The MMNm was stronger in musicians than in nonmusicians in response to the dissonant and mistuned chords, whereas no group difference was found in the MMNm strength to minor chords. Correspondingly, the length of musical training correlated with the MMNm strength for the dissonant and mistuned chords only. Our findings provide evidence for superior automatic discrimination of nonprototypical chords in musicians. Most likely, this results from a highly sophisticated auditory system in musicians allowing a more efficient discrimination of chords deviating from the conventional categories of tonal music.
The Role of the Parietal Lobe in Visual Extinction Studied with Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
Authors: Battelli Lorella , Alvarez George A. , Carlson Thomas , Pascual-Leone Alvaro
Published: October 2008

Interhemispheric competition between homologous areas in the human brain is believed to be involved in a wide variety of human behaviors from motor activity to visual perception and particularly attention. For example, patients with lesions in the posterior parietal cortex are unable to selectively track objects in the contralesional side of visual space when targets are simultaneously present in the ipsilesional visual field, a form of visual extinction. Visual extinction may arise due to an imbalance in the normal interhemispheric competition. To directly assess the issue of reciprocal inhibition, we used fMRI to localize those brain regions active during attention-based visual tracking and then applied low-frequency repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation over identified areas in the left and right intraparietal sulcus to asses the behavioral effects on visual tracking. We induced a severe impairment in visual tracking that was selective for conditions of simultaneous tracking in both visual fields. Our data show that the parietal lobe is essential for visual tracking and that the two hemispheres compete for attentional resources during tracking. Our results provide a neuronal basis for visual extinction in patients with parietal lobe damage.
Event-related Brain Potentials Suggest a Late Interaction of Meter and Syntax in the P600
Authors: Schmidt-Kassow Maren , Kotz Sonja A.
Published: October 2008

Many studies refer to the relevance of metric cues in speech segmentation during language acquisition and adult language processing. However, the on-line use (i.e., time-locking the unfolding of a sentence to EEG) of metric stress patterns that are manifested by the succession of stressed and unstressed syllables during auditory syntactic processing has not been investigated. This is surprising as both processes rely on abstract rules that allow the building up of expectancies of which element will occur next and at which point in time. Participants listened to metrically regular sentences that could either be correct, syntactically incorrect, metrically incorrect, or doubly incorrect. They either judged syntactic correctness or metric homogeneity in two different sessions. We provide first event-related potential evidence that the metric structure of a given language is processed in two stages as evidenced in a biphasic pattern of an early frontal negativity and a late posterior positivity. This pattern is comparable to the biphasic pattern reported in syntactic processing. However, metric cues are processed earlier than syntactic cues during the first stage (LAN), whereas both processes seem to interact at a later integrational stage (P600). The present results substantiate the important impact of metric cues during auditory syntactic language processing.
From the Kinesphere to the Kinesfield: Three Choreographic Interactive Artworks
Authors: Schiller Gretchen
Published: October 2008

This article describes the characteristics of three of the author's movement-based interactive installation projects: Shifting Ground, trajets and Raumspielpuzzle, completed between 1998 and 2003, and the kinesfield, a term developed by the author in the course of her doctoral research in interactive and choreographic art. The concept of the kinesfield is employed to describe the relational dynamic of movement interactions that traverse the body and material forms in unbounded space.
Artistic Research on Life Forms: Exploring the Intersections of Science, Art and Life in the Context of Globalization
Authors: Puncer Mojca
Published: October 2008

Contemporary art practices are characterized by the transformation of completed or finalized objects into open works, fluid spatial situations and relations in the social field. Art processes raise the question: Can the complex structure of artworks provide an analogy and methodology that art researchers can use to co-design our culture from anthropological, philosophical, aesthetic and sociopolitical perspectives? This paper addresses this question through an examination of the artistic use of, and critical commentary on, media and available technologies, and of the artistic treatment of life forms found in the work of the younger generation of Slovenian artists (Tratnik, Berlot, Peljhan, Lovšin and others). The strategies these artists employ in their projects significantly strengthen the case for a re-articulation of the aesthetic, the ethical and the political, through a transition in various territories: art, (biotechnological) science, technology, new media and everyday reality.
When Is Information Visualization Art? Determining the Critical Criteria
Authors: Ramirez Gaviria Andres
Published: October 2008

This paper initially examines the differences between functional and aesthetic forms of visualization for information visualization. The author then shows such a dual categorization to be ineffective as a critical scheme for evaluating artwork that utilizes comparable visualization techniques. Adopting Joline Blais and Jon Ippolito's classification of artistic production, the author argues for the use of “genre art” and “research art” as more suitable criteria for the analysis and assessment of such artwork.
Resurrecting Leonardo's Great Lady: A Collaboration
Authors: Oliver Marilène , Wells Francis
Published: October 2008

Sculptor Marilène Oliver and cardiothoracic surgeon Francis Wells collaborated to deconstruct Leonardo da Vinci's drawing The Great Lady in order to reconstruct it as a three-dimensional sculpture. Employing lessons learned from contemporary radiology, they simulated cross sections of The Great Lady that were drawn in pen and ink onto a stack of acrylic sheets. Here Oliver and Wells give independent accounts of the project, not only sharing how their relationship with Leonardo's drawing evolved over the course of the project but also exposing the differences in approach by the scientist and the artist to a science-art project.
Sky, Scale and Technology in Art
Authors: Piene Otto , Russett Robert
Published: October 2008

Otto Piene discusses his projects with new media as well as the history and tradition of techological art. Topics range from archaic megalithic structures to large-scale, outdoor contemporary works articulated and enhanced by electronic forms of expression. Piene discusses his concept of ‘sky art’ and examines his attempts to expand the physical proportions of art and to communicate publicly with a large audience. Other issues raised include the beneficial effects of integrating art and science, the need to reevaluate and update art education and the importance of developing new forms of technological art that will improve communication and more effectively express human concerns.
A Cross-Cultural Examination of the Psychometric Properties of Responses to the Achievement Goal Questionnaire
Authors: Murayama Kou , Zhou Mingming , Nesbit John C.
Published: October 2008

The psychometric properties of scores from the Achievement Goal Questionnaire were examined in samples of Japanese (N = 326) and Canadian (N = 307) postsecondary students. Previous research found evidence of a four-factor structure of achievement goals in U.S. samples. Using confirmatory factor-analytic techniques, the authors found strong evidence for the four-factor structure of achievement goals in both the Canadian and Japanese populations. Subsequent multigroup structural equation modeling indicated the metric invariance of this four-factor structure across the two populations.
Gender and Ethnicity Differences on the Abridged Big Five Circumplex (AB5C) of Personality Traits
Authors: Mitchelson Jacqueline K. , Wicher Eliza W. , LeBreton James M. , Craig S. Bartholomew
Published: October 2008

The current study evaluates the measurement precision of the Abridged Big Five Circumplex (AB5C) of personality traits by identifying those items that demonstrate differential item functioning by gender and ethnicity. Differential item functioning is found in 33 of 45 (73%) of the AB5C scales, across gender and ethnic groups (Caucasian vs. African American). More differential item functioning is found by ethnic groups compared with gender groups. The amount of differential item functioning found in these personality measures suggests the need to consider differential item functioning in the construction of measures. The authors encourage those using the AB5C measure to discard or reword these problematic items.
Houses of Healing
Authors: Ferszt Ginette G. , Salgado Dawn , DeFedele Susanne , Leveillee Mary
Published: October 2008

This study examines the impact of female inmate participation in a facilitator-led group on psychosocial (anxiety, depression, self-esteem) and spiritual well-being. A convenience sample of 36 women (21 intervention, 15 comparison) was recruited from a women's prison in the Northeast. Participants in the groups described positive outcomes in the interviews and in the quantitative measurements of anxiety, depression, and self-esteem. Trends in the data, however, indicated an additional differential effect related to program involvement for depression and anxiety scores. The spirituality scores were high at all times for both groups, with slight increases over the period of the study.
UWSim: A Simulator for Underwater Sensor Networks
Authors: Dhurandher Sanjay K. , Misra Sudip , Obaidat Mohammad S. , Khairwal Sushil
Published: October 2008

We present a new simulator for Underwater Sensor Networks (UWSN), named UWSim. Most of the currently available simulators focus greatly on ground-based sensor and ad hoc networks; they do not consider the factors that affect the underwater communication. UWSim, on the other hand, has its focus on handling scenarios specific to UWSN environments. For example, communication between nodes in UWSN must take place at very low frequencies, which a UWSN simulator can achieve. The actual software development was carried out in a purely object-oriented fashion using C# capabilities. The development was highly modularized and was based on object-oriented design methodologies. An illustrative example is provided to show how this simulator can be used to generate useful data characteristic of UWSN environments. Currently, UWSim has support for limited number of functionalities and it calls for further extensions to support a wide range of UWSN simulation exercises.
Hierarchical Federation Community and Time Management
Authors: Chunpeng Chen  , Yiping Yao  , Huaimin Wang
Published: October 2008

It has been stated that the current definitions of High Level Architecture and implementations of Runtime Infrastructure do not deal with all the current issues of interoperability. Hierarchical Federation Community (HFC), in which federations are organized into hierarchies, offers a means of enhancing interoperability of federation for large-scale distributed simulation. Previous emphasis in Time Management (TM) services has been based on time stamp ordering, which is both computation and communication intensive. We present a TM mechanism based on causal ordering for Federate Proxy enabled HFC using divide-and-conquer approach. The TM mechanism can avoid causal anomaly between messages, which is proven. Moreover, some advantages are listed, e.g. potential of performance improvement and supporting interoperability among heterogeneous federations utilizing different internal TM mechanisms. Finally, experiments have been conducted to benchmark the performance of the new TM mechanism with respect to the existing TM mechanism.
Dating in the fast lane: How communication predicts speed-dating success
Authors: Houser Marian L. , Horan Sean M. , Furler Lisa A.
Published: October 2008

Speed-dating has become a popular way to initiate relationships; however, little scholarly research has focused on these events. This research is designed to investigate positive and negative predictors of possible relationships by focusing on decisions to engage in future dates. Interpersonal attraction, homophily, and nonverbal immediacy have been linked to the predicted outcome value (POV) of relationships during initial encounters. This study investigates how these variables influence date decisions in a six minute speed-dating experience. Results indicate interpersonal attraction and nonverbal immediacy significantly predict POV but not future date decisions. Moreover, men reported higher levels of homophily and interpersonal attraction than women. Differential elements of speed-dating as an initial interaction context and the relevance of demographics are discussed.