bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
THEORY OF PIVOTAL CLAUSE AND CHINESE LANGUAGE PROCESSING
Authors: SHUANG-YUN YAO , YU-HONG WANG , WEI SHEN
Published: July 2013

This paper reports a study on the application of the theory of pivotal clause in chinese language processing. Three fundamental characteristics of Chinese grammar are briefly introduced: (i) grammatical simplification; (ii) grammatical compatibility; (iii) full exploitation of syntactic position. These characteristics may pose a great many difficulties for Chinese language processing. Based on these features, this paper argues that the theory of pivotal clause would be the best to study natural language processing taking into account the six influential theories in modern Chinese linguistics, for clause as the center of all grammatical units can both make up of sentence groups and discourse and closely relates to morphology as well as syntax. As an important theory to illustrate Chinese grammar, the theory of pivotal clause is not only in line with the characteristics of theme-oriented Chinese language but also in line with the international trend in linguistics, and it is of significance for the linguistic study of Chinese as well as for Chinese language processing. This paper also exhibits the specific application of the theory of pivotal clause in Chinese language processing based on two case studies, one of which is the segmentation and tagging of Chinese language, the other is automatic syntactic and semantic analysis of discourse coherence.
COGNITIVE LINGUISTIC PERSPECTIVES ON THE CHINESE LANGUAGE
Authors: WANG YINGXU
Published: July 2013

Chinese is one of the oldest and most widely used languages with an ideographic writing system. It is curious to analyze the advantages and disadvantages of Chinese in cognitive linguistics, cognitive informatics, and knowledge science. This paper presents a comparative study on the fundamental theories and formal models of Chinese and other languages. A number of interesting findings on the cognitive and social impacts of the widely used Chinese language are revealed. It is found that, although the idiographic languages are more efficient in language manipulation, the alphabetic languages contributed more to the development of the knowledge processing power of the brain. A set of fundamental properties of knowledge is elicited, which reveals that the knowledge space of an individual is proportional to both the number of concepts and the number of their relations developed in long-term memory of the brain. Toward a more powerful and efficient scientific language for rigorous inference, the expression means of the Chinese language may yet need to be extended in its abstraction mechanisms and a convergent approach to integrate and synergize observations and truths in order to form rigorous theories and a formal knowledge framework. The findings of this work provide a foundation for comparative studies on Chinese and other languages in particular, and for cognitive linguistics and knowledge science in general.
A NOVEL TECHNIQUE FOR MULTIPLE FAULTS AND THEIR LOCATIONS DETECTION AND START ELECTRODE SELECTION IN MICROFLUIDIC DIGITAL BIOCHIP
Authors: MAJUMDER MUKTA , DAS NILANJANA , SAHA SUJAN KUMAR
Published: July 2013

A device, that is used for biomedical operation or safety-critical applications like point-of-care health assessment, massive parallel DNA analysis, automated drug discovery, air-quality monitoring and food-safety testing, must have the attributes like reliability, dependability and correctness. As the biochips are used for these purposes; therefore, these devices must be fault free all the time. Naturally before using these chips, they must be well tested. We are proposing a novel technique that can detect multiple faults, locate the fault positions within the biochip, as well as calculate the traversal time if the biochip is fault free. The proposed technique also highlights a new idea how to select the appropriate base node or pseudo source (start electrode). The main idea of the proposed technique is to form multiple loops with the neighboring electrode arrays and then test each loop by traversing test droplet to check whether there is any fault. If a fault is detected then the proposed technique also locates it by backtracking the test droplet. In case, no fault is detected, the biochip is fault free then the proposed technique also calculates the time to traverse the chip. The result suggests that the proposed technique is efficient and shows significant improvement to calculate fault-free biochip traversal time over existing method.
Glaciomarine sedimentation dynamics of the Abbot glacial trough of the Amundsen Sea Embayment shelf, West Antarctica
Authors: Hochmuth Katharina , Gohl Karsten
Published: July 2013

Sedimentary sequences of the continental shelf of the eastern Amundsen Sea Embayment in West Antarctica represent records of past outlet glaciers and ice streams. The former flow of ice streams was channelled through glacial troughs, which now form large bathymetric depressions. We therefore selected one of the largest troughs, the Abbot glacial trough in the outer shelf, to analyse its glacial depositional and erosional history, based on horizon-stratigraphy derived from seismic data. Several basement highs channellized the delivery of sediment and controlled the grounded ice sheet in early glacial periods. Both pre-glacial and full glacial seismic facies were identified. Glacially transported and deposited sediments extended the shelf break by 75 km from the pre-glacial shelf-edge. The main Abbot glacial trough contains sediment from confluent ice flows of the Pine Island/Thwaites, Cosgrove and Abbot Glacier systems, as well as smaller contributions from local ice streams emanating from Thurston Island. Sherman Island of Peacock Sound played an important role in the dynamics of the Abbot Glacier by dividing the ice flow into two ice streams, which interfered with the main glacial sediment transport paths from the south. This study contributes to an understanding of the formation of the Amundsen Sea shelf and the extent of past ice sheet advances.
Improved multicriteria spanners for Ad-Hoc networks under energy and distance metrics
Authors: Shpungin Hanan , Segal Michael
Published: July 2013

We study the problem of spanner construction in wireless ad-hoc networks through power assignments under two spanner models—distance and energy. In particular, we are interested in asymmetric power assignments so that the induced communication graph holds good distance and energy stretch factors simultaneously. In addition, we consider the following optimization objectives: low total energy consumption, low interference level, low hopdiameter, and high network lifetime.

Two node deployment scenarios are studied: random and deterministic. For
n
random nodes distributed uniformly and independently in a unit square, we present several power assignments with varying construction-time complexities. The results are based on various geometric properties of random points and shortest path tree constructions. Due to the probabilistic nature of this scenario, the probability of our results converges to one as the number of network nodes,
n
, increases. For the deterministic case, we present two power assignments with nontrivial bounds. These are established in addition to shortcut edges that satisfy desired threshold stretch. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first results for spanner construction in wireless ad-hoc networks with provable bounds for both energy and distance metrics simultaneously. Our power assignments, in addition, try optimizing additional network properties, such as network lifetime, interference, and hop diameter.
Results on finite wireless sensor networks
Authors: Eslami Ali , Nekoui Mohammad , Pishro-Nik Hossein , Fekri Faramarz
Published: July 2013

Many analytic results for the connectivity, coverage, and capacity of wireless networks have been reported for the case where the number of nodes,
n
, tends to infinity (large-scale networks). The majority of these results have not been extended for small or moderate values of
n
; whereas in many practical networks,
n
is not very large. In this article, we consider finite (small-scale) wireless sensor networks. We first show that previous asymptotic results provide poor approximations for such networks. We provide a set of differences between small-scale and large-scale analysis and propose a methodology for analysis of finite sensor networks. Furthermore, we consider two models for such networks: unreliable sensor grids and sensor networks with random node deployment. We provide easily computable expressions for bounds on the coverage and connectivity of these networks. With validation from simulations, we show that the derived analytic expressions give very good estimates of such quantities for finite sensor networks. Our investigation confirms the fact that small-scale networks possess unique characteristics different from their large-scale counterparts, necessitating the development of a new framework for their analysis and design.
Thermal-aware sensor scheduling for distributed estimation
Authors: Forte Domenic , Srivastava Ankur
Published: July 2013

A sensor network is a distributed system where sensor nodes autonomously collect local data and collaborate to solve global problems. Recent work has shown that sensor functionality varies with node temperature. Extreme temperatures can decrease node/network lifetime by leading to premature hardware failure and reducing battery capacity. Furthermore, high temperatures can increase sensor measurement noise and disrupt communication between overheated sensor nodes, thereby interfering with their ability to contribute valuable information to collaborative tasks.

In the past, sensor networks only consisted of low-end devices with limited power, computational capabilities, and available bandwidth. Such devices would only experience high temperatures in harsh environments. However, sensor networks are now envisioned for applications that require higher-end devices, such as smart cameras, smart phones, and laptops. The power dissipated by such devices is much larger than low-end sensors and can create thermal emergencies in sensor hardware even in calm environments. In this article, we present unique management opportunities for distributed estimation tasks in sensor networks consisting of high-end devices prone to thermal issues. We attempt to balance both thermal- and performance-related constraints by examining trade-offs between sensor sampling rate, number of sensors, node temperature, and state estimation error. Initially, we devise a scheduling algorithm which can achieve a desired real-time performance constraint while maintaining a thermal limit on temperature assuming identical nodes in the network. Then, we extend the concept to a network consisting of heterogeneous sensor nodes. Analytical results and simulation experiments are done for state estimation with a Kalman filter for simplicity, but our main contributions should easily extend to any form of estimation with measurable error. Results show that our policies can successfully balance the trade-offs between thermal- and performance-related constraints.

Note that our analyses, schemes, and results are less applicable to low-end sensors whose operation does not cause high node temperature. This work is most suited for high-performance sensors and upper-tier sensors which experience greater workloads.
Power-safe application of tdf patterns to flip-chip designs during wafer test
Authors: Zhao Wei , Ma Junxia , Tehranipoor Mohammad , Chakravarty Sreejit
Published: July 2013

Due to high switching activities in test mode, circuit power consumption is higher than its functional operation. Large switching in the circuit during launch-to-capture cycles not only negatively impacts circuit performance causing overkill, but could also burn tester probes during wafer test due to the excessive current they must drive. It is necessary to develop a quick and effective method for evaluating each pattern, identifing high-power patterns considering functional and tester probes' current limits and making the final pattern set power-safe. Compared with previous low-power methods that deal with scan structure modification or pattern filling techniques, the new proposed method takes into account layout information and resistance in the power distribution network and can identify peak current among C4 power bumps. Post-processing steps replace power-unsafe patterns with low-power ones. The final pattern set provides considerable peak current reduction while fault coverage is maintained.
A new approach to information storage
Authors: Greengard Samuel
Published: July 2013

Disk drives and solid-state drives have long served as the foundation for computer storage, but breakthroughs in molecular and DNA science could revolutionize the field.
Are we free to code the law?
Authors: Lauritsen Marc
Published: July 2013

We should be, for the sake of millions of people with pressing legal needs.
Evolution and Cell Physiology. 1. Cell signaling is all of biology
Authors: Torday John S.
Published: July 2013

I hypothesize that the First Principles of Physiology (FPPs) were co-opted during the vertebrate transition from water to land, beginning with the acquisition of cholesterol by eukaryotes, facilitating unicellular evolution over the course of the first 4.5 billion years of the Earth's history, in service to the reduction in intracellular entropy, far from equilibrium. That mechanism was perpetuated by the advent of cholesterol in the cell membrane of unicellular eukaryotes, ultimately giving rise to the metazoan homologs of the gut, lung, kidney, skin, bone, and brain. Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP), whose cognate receptor underwent a gene duplication during the transition from fish to amphibians, facilitated gas exchange for the water-to-land transition, since PTHrP is necessary for the formation of lung alveoli: deletion of the PTHrP gene in mice causes the offspring to die within a few minutes of birth due to the absence of alveoli. Moreover, PTHrP is central to the development and homeostasis of the kidney, skin, gut, bone, and brain. Therefore, duplication of the PTHrP receptor gene is predicted to have facilitated the molecular evolution of all the necessary traits for land habitation through a common cellular and molecular motif. Subsequent duplication of the β-adrenergic receptor gene permitted blood pressure control within the lung microvasculature, allowing further evolution of the lung by increasing its surface area. I propose that such gene duplications were the result of shear stress on the microvasculature, locally generating radical oxygen species that caused DNA mutations, giving rise to duplication of the PTHrP and β-adrenergic receptor genes. I propose that one can determine the FPPs by systematically tracing the molecular homologies between the lung, skin, kidney, gut, bone, and brain across development, phylogeny, and pathophysiology as a type of “reverse evolution.” By tracing such relationships back to unicellular organisms, one can use the underlying principles to predict homeostatic failure as disease, thereby also potentially forming the basis for maneuvers that can treat or even prevent such failure.
Increased tissue transglutaminase activity contributes to central vascular stiffness in eNOS knockout mice
Authors: Jung Sung Mee , Jandu Simran , Steppan Jochen , Belkin Alexey , An Steven S. , Pak Alina , Choi Eric Y. , Nyhan Daniel , Butlin Mark , Viegas Kayla , Avolio Alberto , Berkowitz Dan E. , Santhanam Lakshmi
Published: July 2013

Nitric oxide (NO) can modulate arterial stiffness by regulating both functional and structural changes in the arterial wall. Tissue transglutaminase (TG2) has been shown to contribute to increased central aortic stiffness by catalyzing the cross-linking of matrix proteins. NO S-nitrosylates and constrains TG2 to the cytosolic compartment and thereby holds its cross-linking function latent. In the present study, the role of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS)-derived NO in regulating TG2 function was studied using eNOS knockout mice. Matrix-associated TG2 and TG2 cross-linking function were higher, whereas TG2 S-nitrosylation was lower in the eNOS−/− compared with wild-type (WT) mice. Pulse-wave velocity (PWV) and blood pressure measured noninvasively were elevated in the eNOS−/− compared with WT mice. Intact aortas and decellularized aortic tissue scaffolds of eNOS−/− mice were significantly stiffer, as determined by tensile testing. The carotid arteries of the eNOS−/− mice were also stiffer, as determined by pressure-dimension analysis. Invasive methods to determine the PWV-mean arterial pressure relationship showed that PWV in eNOS−/− and WT diverge at higher mean arterial pressure. Thus eNOS-derived NO regulates TG2 localization and function and contributes to vascular stiffness.
The autonomic effects of cardiopulmonary decompression sickness in swine using principal dynamic mode analysis
Authors: Bai Yan , Selvaraj Nandakumar , Petersen Kyle , Mahon Richard , Cronin William A. , White Joseph , Brink Peter R. , Chon Ki H.
Published: July 2013

Methods to predict onset of cardiopulmonary (CP) decompression sickness (DCS) would be of great benefit to clinicians caring for stricken divers. Principal dynamic mode (PDM) analysis of the electrocardiogram has been shown to provide accurate separation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic tone dynamics. Nine swine (Sus scrofa) underwent a 15-h saturation dive at 184 kPa (60 ft. of saltwater) in a hyperbaric chamber followed by dropout decompression, whereas six swine, used as a control, underwent a 15-h saturation dive at 15 kPa (5 ft. of saltwater). Noninvasive electrocardiograms were recorded throughout the experiment and autonomic nervous system dynamics were evaluated by heart rate series analysis using power spectral density (PSD) and PDM methods. We observed a significant increase in the sympathetic and parasympathetic tones using the PDM method on average 20 min before DCS onset following a sudden induction of decompression. Parasympathetic activities remained elevated, but the sympathetic modulation was significantly reduced at onset of cutis and CP DCS signs, as reported by a trained observer. Similar nonsignificant observations occurred during PSD analysis. PDM observations contrast with previous work showing that neurological DCS resulted in a >50% reduction in both sympathetic and parasympathetic tone. Therefore, tracking dynamics of the parasympathetic tones via the PDM method may allow discrimination between CP DCS and neurological DCS, and this significant increase in parasympathetic tone has potential use as a marker for early diagnosis of CP DCS.
The emerging role of relaxin as a novel therapeutic pathway in the treatment of chronic kidney disease
Authors: Sasser Jennifer M.
Published: July 2013

Emerging evidence supports a potential therapeutic role of relaxin in fibrotic diseases, including chronic kidney disease. Relaxin is a pleiotropic hormone, best characterized for its role in the reproductive system; however, recent studies have demonstrated a role of relaxin in the cardiorenal system. Both relaxin and its receptor, RXFP1, are expressed in the kidney, and relaxin has been shown to play a role in renal vasodilation, in sodium excretion, and as an antifibrotic agent. Together, these findings suggest that the kidney is a target organ of relaxin. Therefore, the purpose of this review is to describe the functional and structural impacts of relaxin treatment on the kidney and to discuss evidence that relaxin prevents disease progression in several experimental models of kidney disease. In addition, this review will present potential mechanisms that are involved in the therapeutic actions of relaxin.
Shortening behavior of the different components of muscle-tendon unit during isokinetic plantar flexions
Authors: Hauraix Hugo , Nordez Antoine , Dorel Sylvain
Published: July 2013

The torque-velocity relationship has been widely considered as reflecting the mechanical properties of the contractile apparatus, and the influence of tendinous tissues on this relationship obtained during in vivo experiments remains to be determined. This study describes the pattern of shortening of various muscle-tendon unit elements of the triceps surae at different constant angular velocities and quantifies the contributions of fascicles, tendon, and aponeurosis to the global muscle-tendon unit shortening. Ten subjects performed isokinetic plantar flexions at different preset angular velocities (i.e., 30, 90, 150, 210, 270, and 330°/s). Ultrafast ultrasound measurements were performed on the muscle belly and on the myotendinous junction of the medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles. The contributions of fascicles, tendon, and aponeurosis to global muscle-tendon unit shortening velocity were calculated for velocity conditions for four parts of the total range of motion. For both muscles, the fascicles' contribution decreased throughout the motion (73.5 ± 21.5% for 100–90° angular range to 33.7 ± 20.2% for 80–70°), whereas the tendon contribution increased (25.8 ± 15.4 to 55.6 ± 16.8%). In conclusion, the tendon contribution to the global muscle-tendon unit shortening is significant even during a concentric contraction. However, this contribution depends on the range of motion analyzed. The intersubject variability found in the maximal fascicle shortening velocity, for a given angular velocity, suggests that some subjects might possess a more efficient musculoarticular complex to produce the movement velocity. These findings are of great interest for understanding the ability of muscle-tendon shortening velocity.
Perception-action dissociations depend on the luminance contrast of the stimuli
Authors: Deplancke A. , Madelain L. , Gorea A. , Coello Y.
Published: July 2013

The observation that near-threshold low-contrast visual distractors can equally influence perceptual state and goal-directed motor responses was recently taken as an argument against a sharp separation between a conscious vision for perception and an unconscious vision for action. However, data supporting the dual visual system theory have principally involved high-contrast stimuli. In the present study, we assessed the effect of varying the contrast of a near-threshold visual distractor while keeping its visibility constant with backward noise masks. Eight participants performed fast manual reaching movements toward a highly visible target while subsequently reporting the presence/absence of a near-threshold distractor appearing at the opposite location with respect to the body midline. For all distractor contrasts, hand trajectory deviations toward the distractor were observed when the distractor was present and detected. When the distractor remained undetected deviations also occurred, but for higher contrasts. The subliminal motor effect traditionally observed in visual masking studies may therefore primarily depend on the luminance contrast of the interfering stimuli. These results suggest that dissociations between perceptual and motor responses can be explained by a single-signal model involving differential thresholds for perception and action that are specifically modulated as a function of both the requirements of the task and the contrast level of the stimuli. Such modulation is compatible with neurophysiological accounts of visual masking in which feedforward activation to—and feedback activation from—higher visual areas are correlated with the actual presence of the stimulation and its conscious perception, respectively.
Synthesis of N‐[{5‐Aryl‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole‐2‐yl}methyl]‐4‐methoxyaniline Derivatives and Their Anticonvulsant Activity
Authors: Prasanna Kumar B. N. , Mohana K. N. , Mallesha L.
Published: July 2013

A series of some new 2,5‐disubstituted‐1,3,4‐oxadiazoles 4(a–i) have been conveniently synthesized by intramolecular oxidative cyclization of (E)‐2‐(arylbenzylidene)‐2‐[(4‐methoxyphenyl)amino]acetohydrazides promoted by iodobenzene diacetate as an oxidant. The structures of the synthesized compounds have been confirmed by 1H and 13C NMR, IR, MS, and elemental analysis. All the newly synthesized compounds were screened for their anticonvulsant activity against maximal electroshock (MES) seizure method. Compounds 4g, 4d, and 4a were found to be the most potent of this series. The same compounds showed no neurotoxicity at the maximum dose administered.
The Protective Effects of Cobra Venom fromNaja naja atraon Acute and Chronic Nephropathy
Authors: Wang Shu-Zhi , He He , Han Rong , Zhu Jia-Li , Kou Jian-Qun , Ding Xiao-Lan , Qin Zheng-Hong
Published: July 2013

This study investigated the effects ofNaja naja atravenom (NNAV) on acute and chronic nephropathy in rats. Rats received 6 mg/kg adriamycin (ADR) once to evoke the chronic nephropathy or 8 ml/kg 50% v/v glycerol to produce acute renal failure (ARF). The NNAV was given orally once a day starting five days prior to ADR or glycerol injection and continued to the end of experiments. The animals were placed in metabolic cages for 24 h for urine collection for urinary protein determination. The kidney function-related biochemical changes and index of oxidative stress were determined with automatic biochemistry analyzer or colorimetric enzyme assay kits. The pathomorphological changes were observed using light and transmission electron microcopies. The levels of inflammatory cytokines and NF-κB activation were determined using ELISA kits, Western blot analysis, or immunofluorescence. The results showed that NNAV relieved ADR-induced chronic nephropathy and glycerol-triggered acute renal failure syndromes including proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia, hyperlipidemia, serum electrolyte unbalance, renal oxidative stress, and pathological damages. NNAV reduced kidney levels of TNF-αand IL-1β, but it increased the levels of IκB-αand inhibited NF-κB p65 nuclear localization. These findings suggest that NNAV may be a valuable therapeutic drug for acute and chronic kidney diseases.
Application of GO Management in Bistatic RCS Computation Using the Vector Parabolic Equation Method
Authors: Zhong X. J. , Cui T. J. , Zhang J. F. , Yu W. M.
Published: July 2013

The parabolic equation (PE) method is a good choice in solving large-scale problems, but the resultant matrix is usually ill conditioned. In this letter, we introduce the geometric optics (GO) management in the calculation of bistatic radar cross sections using three-dimensional vector PE method. This method manages the object surface by GO, and hence the ill-conditioned problem can be avoided. Examples are given using the presented method, original method, and the method of moments. Results show the validity and stability of the presented method.
Generalized Synchronization of Stochastic Discrete Chaotic System with Poisson Distribution Coefficient
Authors: Ma Shao-juan , Dong Duan , Zheng Jie
Published: July 2013

This paper addresses the generalized synchronization of stochastic discrete chaotic systems with Poisson distribution coefficient. Firstly, based on the orthogonal polynomial approximation theory of discrete random function in Hilbert spaces, the discrete chaotic system with random parameter is transformed into its equivalent deterministic system. Secondly, a general method for the generalized synchronization of discrete chaotic system with random parameter is presented by Lyapunov stability theory and contraction theorem. Finally, two synchronization examples numerically illustrated that the proposed control scheme is effective for any stochastic discrete system.
15-Deoxy-Δ12,14-Prostaglandin J2 Modulates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Chemokine Expression by Blocking Nuclear Factor-κB Activation via Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor-γ-Independent Mechanism in Renal Tubular Epithelial Cells
Authors: Lu Ying , Zhou Qiao , Zhong Fang , Guo Shanmai , Hao Xu , Li Cong , Wang Weiming , Chen Nan
Published: July 2013

Background/Aims: Inflammation is an unavoidable milieu for renal tubular cells during the development of renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis. It has been demonstrated that chemokines including monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and IL-8 are related to tubulointerstitial lesions. 15d-PGJ2 may modulate renal tubulointerstitial fibrosis progression via anti-inflammatory effects. However, no information is known about the effects of 15d-PGJ2 on chemokine expression in human proximal renal tubular cells (HPTECs) under inflammation. Methods: In the present study, HPTECs (HK-2 cells) were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) only, or preincubated with 15d-PGJ2. IL-8 and MCP-1 expressions were determined by real-time PCR and ELISA. Nuclear factor-γB (NF-γB) location was detected by immunofluorescence analysis. The p-IKK, p-IγBa and p65/p50 were analyzed by immunoblotting. To investigate the mechanism of inhibitory effects of 15d-PGJ2, the PPAR-γ gene was effectively silenced in HK-2 cells using specific siRNA. Results: The results showed that application of LPS significantly increased IL-8 and MCP-1 production. Phosphorylation of IγBa, IKK and nucleus translocation of NF-γB significantly increased in LPS-stimulated HK-2 cells. 15d-PGJ2 downregulated LPS-induced IL-8 and MCP-1 production. Interestingly, in PPAR-γ-deficient HK-2 cells, 15d-PGJ2 was still capable of inhibiting chemokines expression and attenuating phosphorylation of IγBa and nucleus translocation of NF-γB. Conclusion: Collectively, these results suggest that 15d-PGJ2 exerts anti-inflammatory actions on HK-2 cells by attenuating chemokines expression. 15d-PGJ2 inhibits chemokines expression via a PPAR-γ-independent way, which is related to block NF-γB pathway. Since NF-γB is an important regulator of the response of HPTECs to injury, PPAR-γ agonists may represent a key pharmacological target for ameliorating inflammation-associated tubulointerstitial fibrosis.
Transseptal Conduction as an Important Determinant for Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy, as Revealed by Extensive Electrical Mapping in the Dyssynchronous Canine Heart
Authors: Strik Marc , van Deursen Caroline J.M. , van Middendorp Lars B. , van Hunnik Arne , Kuiper Marion , Auricchio Angelo , Prinzen Frits W.
Published: July 2013

Background—

Simple conceptual ideas about cardiac resynchronization therapy assume that biventricular (BiV) pacing results in collision of right and left ventricular (LV) pacing–derived wavefronts. However, this concept is contradicted by the minor reduction in QRS duration usually observed. We investigated the electric mechanisms of cardiac resynchronization therapy by performing detailed electric mapping during extensive pacing protocols in dyssynchronous canine hearts.

Methods and Results—

Studies were performed in anesthetized dogs with acute left bundle-branch block (LBBB, n=10) and chronic LBBB with tachypacing-induced heart failure (LBBB+HF, n=6). Activation times (AT) were measured using LV endocardial contact and noncontact mapping and epicardial contact mapping. BiV pacing reduced QRS duration by 21±10% in LBBB but only by 5±12% in LBBB+HF hearts. Transseptal impulse conduction was significantly slower in LBBB+HF than in LBBB hearts (67±9 versus 44±16 ms, respectively), and in both groups significantly slower than transmural LV conduction (≈30 ms). In both groups QRS duration and vector and the epicardial AT vector amplitude and angle were significantly different between LV and BiV pacing, whereas the endocardial AT vector was similar. During variation of atrioventricular delay while LV pacing, and ventriculo-ventricular delay while BiV pacing, the optimal hemodynamic effect was achieved when epicardial AT and QRS vectors were minimal and endocardial AT vector indicated LV preexcitation.

Conclusions—

Due to slow transseptal conduction, the LV electric activation sequence is similar in LV and BiV pacing, especially in failing hearts. Optimal hemodynamic cardiac resynchronization therapy response coincides with minimal epicardial asynchrony and QRS vector and LV preexcitation.
Is There an Association Between Clinical Presentation and the Location and Extent of Myocardial Involvement of Cardiac Sarcoidosis as Assessed by
18
F- Fluorodoexyglucose Positron Emission Tomography?
Authors: Mc Ardle Brian A. , Birnie David H. , Klein Ran , de Kemp Rob A. , Leung Eugene , Renaud Jennifer , DaSilva Jean , Wells George A. , Beanlands Rob S. , Nery Pablo B.
Published: July 2013

Background—

Positron emission tomography using
18
F-Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) is an emerging modality for diagnosis of cardiac sarcoidosis (CS). We compared the location and degree of FDG uptake in CS patients presenting with either advanced atrioventricular block (AVB) or ventricular tachycardia (VT).

Methods and Results—

We included consecutive patients who presented with either AVB or VT with a diagnosis of CS. A cohort of patients with clinically silent CS was included as controls. FDG activity was quantified as standardized uptake values (SUV) and both the overall mean left ventricular (LV) SUV as well as the Maximum Mean Segmental SUV was recorded for each patient. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to identify cutoff SUV values that best identified patients with VT. A total of 27 patients with CS were included (13 females; mean age, 56±8 years; 8 VT, 12 AVB, and 7 controls). Both mean LV SUV and Max SUV in CS patients presenting with VT were significantly higher compared with those with AVB (mean SUV: VT median 5.33, range 4.7–9.35 versus AVB median 2.48, range 0.86–8.59,
P
=0.016; max SUV: VT median 11.07, range 9.24–14.4 versus AVB median 5.63, range 3.42–15.71,
P
=0.005) and compared with controls. There was no significant difference in SUV values between AVB patients and controls. ROC analysis for identification of patients with VT showed AUCs of 0.93 and 0.895 for a mean LV SUV of >3.42 and a max SUV >8.56, respectively (
P
<0.001).

Conclusions—

CS patients with VT displayed significantly higher FDG uptake when compared with those with AVB and asymptomatic controls. Further prospective studies are required to evaluate this finding.
Systematics of cryptic species of Lebinthus crickets in Mount Makiling (Grylloidea, Eneopterinae)
Authors: ROBILLARD TONY , YAP SHERYL , YNGENTE MARK V.
Published: July 2013

In the present study, we address Lebinthus cricket species from Luzon (Philippines) being sympatric in Mount Makiling. We describe Lebinthus puyos new species and redescribe the species Lebinthus sanchezi Bolívar, 1889 and select a neotype series. The species Lebinthus makilingus Otte, 2007 is synonymized under Lebinthus sanchezi. For each species we provide complete descriptions of morphology, including male and female genitalia and forewing venation and we describe calling song for L. sanchezi.
Ocean–Cloud–Atmosphere–Land Interactions in the Southeastern Pacific: The VOCALS Program
Authors: Mechoso C. R. , Wood R. , Weller R. , Bretherton C. S. , Clarke A. D. , Coe H. , Fairall C. , Farrar J. T. , Feingold G. , Garreaud R. , Grados C. , McWilliams J. , de Szoeke S. P. , Yuter S. E. , Zuidema P.
Published: July 2013

The present paper describes the Variability of the American Monsoon Systems (VAMOS) Ocean–Cloud–Atmosphere–Land Study (VOCALS), an international research program focused on the improved understanding and modeling of the southeastern Pacific (SEP) climate system on diurnal to interannual time scales. In the framework of the SEP climate, VOCALS has two fundamental objectives: 1) improved simulations by coupled atmosphere–ocean general circulation models (CGCMs), with an emphasis on reducing systematic errors in the region; and 2) improved estimates of the indirect effects of aerosols on low clouds and climate, with an emphasis on the more precise quantification of those effects. VOCALS major scientific activities are outlined, and selected achievements are highlighted. Activities described include monitoring in the region, a large international field campaign (the VOCALS Regional Experiment), and two model assessments. The program has already produced significant advances in the understanding of major issues in the SEP: the coastal circulation and the diurnal cycle, the ocean heat budget, factors controlling precipitation and formation of pockets of open cells in stratocumulus decks, aerosol impacts on clouds, and estimation of the first aerosol indirect effect. The paper concludes with a brief presentation on VOCALS contributions to community capacity building before a summary of scientific findings and remaining questions.
A New Wall Shear Stress Model for Atmospheric Boundary Layer Simulations
Authors: Hultmark Marcus , Calaf Marc , Parlange Marc B.
Published: July 2013

A new wall shear stress model to be used as a wall boundary condition for large-eddy simulations of the atmospheric boundary layer is proposed. The new model computes the wall shear stress and the vertical derivatives of the streamwise velocity component by means of a modified, instantaneous, and local law-of-the-wall formulation. By formulating a correction for the modeled shear stress, using experimental findings of a logarithmic region in the streamwise turbulent fluctuations, the need for a filter is eliminated. This allows one to model the wall shear stress locally, and at the same time accurately recover the correct average value. The proposed model has been applied to both unique high Reynolds number experimental data and a suite of large-eddy simulations, and compared to previous models. It is shown that the proposed model performs equally well or better than the previous filtered models. A nonfiltered model, such as the one proposed, is an essential first step in developing a universal wall shear stress model that can be used for flow over heterogeneous surfaces, studies of diurnal cycles, or analyses of flow over complex terrain.
Electoral Gender Quotas
Authors: Krook Mona Lena
Published: July 2013

Electoral gender quotas have become the subject of a growing literature in comparative politics, with the potential to affect how scholars study a wide range of electoral and representative processes. Yet, debates have emerged over how to define and categorize these policies, with implications for the ability to compare cases and draw broader conclusions about their impact in countries around the globe. Reviewing these perspectives, this article draws on work on concept formation to propose a pragmatic approach, focused on matching typologies to research questions. It emphasizes the advantages of this solution for promoting cumulative research and concludes with some thoughts for future research on gender quotas and comparative politics.
Relations of Delinquency to Direct and Indirect Violence Exposure Among Economically Disadvantaged, Ethnic-Minority Mid-Adolescents
Authors: Shukla Kathan , Wiesner Margit
Published: July 2013

Exposure to violence remains a pervasive public health problem for adolescents in the United States. This cross-sectional study examined relations between exposure to violence in three different contexts (home, school, community) and delinquent behavior, using data from 233 11th graders (predominantly economically disadvantaged Hispanic and African American students). Analyses examined the effects of victimization and witnessing violence in each context and those of cumulative violence exposure across contexts on the outcome, controlling for other risk factors. Victimization and witnessing violence at home significantly predicted delinquency. However, violence exposure in school and neighborhood was unrelated to delinquency. Victimization was marginally more predictive than witnessing violence. Mild support for a nonlinear desensitization effect of cumulative violence exposure was found for delinquency.
Analysis of buckling load of glass fiber/epoxy-reinforced plywood and its temperature dependence
Authors: Choi Sung Woong , Li Meixian , Lee Woo Il , Kim Han Sang
Published: July 2013

There has been an increase in the use of fiber-reinforced composite materials in many areas. In particular, glass-fiber-reinforced composites have gained in popularity owing to their low cost, high-strength properties, durability, ease of repair, and being simple to form. This paper analyzes the buckling load for the glass-fiber-reinforced plywood specifically used for the liquid natural gas cargo tank and carriers, especially the No 96 cargo containment system insulation box. The buckling load of the plywood reinforced with glass fiber composite on both outer surfaces was estimated with various composite thicknesses and compared with the buckling load of unreinforced plywood. The buckling load was also evaluated at various temperatures to verify the temperature dependence of the buckling load. A much higher buckling load for the glass fiber/epoxy-reinforced plywood was obtained as the number of glass fiber/epoxy prepreg composite was increased. However, the rate of increase in the buckling load decreased as the temperature decreased and as the number of glass fiber/epoxy prepreg composite increased.
Fabrication and thermal conductivity of short graphite fiber/Al composites by vacuum pressure infiltration
Authors: Liu Tingting , He Xinbo , Zhang Lin , Liu Qian , Qu Xuanhui
Published: July 2013

Short graphite fiber/Al composites were fabricated by a modified two-step vacuum pressure infiltration technique. Copper-coated graphite fibers preform was infiltrated with liquid aluminum at 800℃ under infiltration pressure of 1 MPa and solidification pressure of 30 MPa for 30 min. The effects of surface modification and the processing parameters of vacuum pressure infiltration on relative density and thermal conductivity of the composites were systematically studied. The results show that short graphite fiber/Al composite with relatively high density of 99.1% and thermal conductivity of 208 W·m−1·K−1 was successfully fabricated. Through the application of copper coating onto the graphite fibers, the in-plane thermal conductivity of the composite was effectively enhanced from 117 W·m−1·K−1 to 208 W·m−1·K−1 as a result of improved interfacial bonding. The obtained short graphite fiber/Al composites are promising materials for electronic packing applications.
Involvement of gshAB in the Interspecies Competition within Oral Biofilm
Authors: Zheng X. , Zhang K. , Zhou X. , Liu C. , Li M. , Li Y. , Wang R. , Li Y. , Li J. , Shi W. , Xu X.
Published: July 2013

Although Streptococcus sanguinis has been reported to produce H2O2 to gain a competitive edge over Streptococcus mutans, the molecular mechanisms evolved by S. mutans to counter this “peer stress” are still to be identified. The current study was designed to investigate the ecological role of glutathione synthetase ( gshAB) in the interspecies interaction between S. mutans and S. sanguinis. A gshAB in-frame deletion strain of S. mutans was constructed, and its phenotypic traits were characterized. The spatio-temporal interaction of the gshAB mutant with S. sanguinis was further investigated in a dual-species biofilm model by fluorescence in situ hybridization. We found that, although less tolerant for H2O2, the gshAB mutant produced more extracellular polysaccharides by up-regulating gtfs expression, so as to cluster as condensed microcolonies. In addition, the mutant was more susceptible to the conditioned medium of S. sanguinis, and its competitiveness was significantly compromised. Taken together, we believe that gshAB is essential for the competitiveness and prevalence of S. mutans through detoxifying the H2O2 produced by S. sanguinis. Given the ecological importance of bacterial equilibrium within the oral biofilm, gshAB may represent a promising target to modulate the S. mutans/ S. sanguinis ratio under cariogenic conditions, thus contributing to the management of dental caries.
The dyeing dynamics and structure of modified cotton fabric with cationic chicken feather keratin agent
Authors: Wang Xue-yan , Liu Yuanjun
Published: July 2013

Woven cotton fabric was chemically modified by a self-made cationic modifying chicken feather keratin agent (named WLS-10). The dyeing dynamics property and the dyeing effectiveness of the modified cotton fabric dyed with reactive dyes in the absence of salt were explored and compared with that of the unmodified cotton fabric dyed with reactive dyes in the presence of salt. The structures of the WLS-10 agent and the modified cotton fabric were characterized with Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron micrographs. The results showed that the dyeing rate of the WLS-10 modified cotton was higher than that of unmodified cotton dyed with reactive dyes, despite the addition of large amounts of salt in the latter case. In addition, the chemical structure and the surface morphological structure of the modified cotton fabric were different from that of the unmodified cotton fabric.
Bringing the Military Back in Political Transition
Authors: Kim Insoo
Published: July 2013

In August 2012, Armed Forces & Society published an article by Insoo Kim, “Intra-military Divisions and Democratization in South Korea.” Uk Heo and Seongyi Yun refuted Kim's argument in their Disputatio Sine Fine response, “Another View on the Relationship between Democratization and Intra-Military Division in South Korea,“ published in April 2013. In the article, Heo and Yun argued that there was no clear sign of schism in the South Korea military and economic development substantially produced favorable condition for democratization in South Korea. Kim, by contrast, maintains that that the effect of intra-military division on political transition should be incorporated into the explanation of democratization in South Korea because Heo and Yun do not justify their claim that there was no clear evidence of schism in the South Korean military.
Unheeded Science
Authors: Hoffman Karen
Published: July 2013

In the early 1970s, the idea of precaution—of heeding rather than ignoring scientific evidence of harm when there is uncertainty, and taking action that errs on the side of safety—was so appealing that the US Congress used it as the basis of the toxics provisions of the Clean Water Act of 1972, the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) based its proposals for implementing those provisions on it, and the courts frequently tended toward it when resolving conflicts over the implementation of pollution control law. In other words, precaution was written into toxic water pollutant control law and was beginning to be written into policy and regulations. By 1976, the tables were completely turned. The EPA abandoned the safety-providing approach in the implementation of the law, even though the law required it, and adopted a risk-taking approach in the creation of standards for the vast majority of toxic water pollutants. The article examines how this change was brought about. It builds on recent work on undone science as an obstacle to regulation and contributes to the development of an account of the creation of the regulatory system, with both its achievements and its limitations.
Privacy and social interaction
Authors: Roessler Beate , Mokrosinska Dorota
Published: July 2013

This article joins in and extends the contemporary debate on the right to privacy. We bring together two strands of the contemporary discourse on privacy. While we endorse the prevailing claim that norms of informational privacy protect the autonomy of individual subjects, we supplement it with an argument demonstrating that privacy is an integral element of the dynamics of all social relationships. This latter claim is developed in terms of the social role theory and substantiated by an analysis of the role of privacy in intimate relationships, in professional relationships and in social interactions between strangers in public. We conclude by arguing that it is not always reasonable to assume a conflict between individual privacy on the one hand and society on the other. Legislators and participants in public debate also have to take into account the consequences of limiting privacy on social interaction and the integration of the society.