bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Knowledge systems for financial advice
Authors: Mital V.
Published: July 2009

The financial domain has seen considerable knowledge Systems activity. Some of the efforts have resulted in deployable Systems, but many others have met with much less success. Commentators have attempted to discern broad, universal indicators which explain or predict success. More recently, however, it has become clearer that a principal cause of the difficultes encountered is the incongruence between the real world task and the System architecture employed by developers. Proceeding from the latter perspective, this paper concerns itself with knowledge Systems for the provision of investment related financial advice. The various tasks involved are differentiated and correlated to the System architectures employed by developers. It is seen that while simple rulebased Systems suffice for some tasks, others indicate the need for techniques such as Case-Based Design.
An overview of on-line assistance: from on-line documentation to intelligent help and training
Authors: Wasson Barbara , Akselsen Sigmund
Published: July 2009

An important aspect of any interactive computer system is its ease of use. On-line assistance is a major contributor to software usability. Conventional on-line assistance includes on-line documentation, or keyword access to textual help descriptions. More sophisticated on-line assistance includes intelligent help which provides immediate assistance for a specific problem, and intelligent training whose main goal is to support the user in learning about the system. These contemporary forms of intelligent assistance represent knowledge about the particular application, the user and the particular tasks the user is to perform. In addition, they possess inferencing capabilities to model the individual user's goals, plans, intentions and knowledge. This paper provides an overview of on-line assistance research, from empirical studies that attempt to determine the nature of effective assistance, to the design of intelligent on-line assistance systems capable of tailoring the assistance to the individual user. For readers interested in more details, recommendations for further reading in the related areas of advice-giving and intelligent help, intelligent user interfaces, critiquing, intelligent tutoring systems, and on-line documentation and hypertext are given.
Innovative design systems: where are we, and where do we go from here? Part II: Design by exploration
Authors: Chandra D. Navin
Published: July 2009

Designing is a skill central to many human tasks. Designers are constantly producing newer and better artifacts, generating innovative solutions to problems in our world. This article looks at innovation and research that is aimed at developing theories and methodologies for innovative design. We view design as a process ofassociationandexploration.These two approaches are fundamental to innovation. The aim of exploration is to generate a large variety of design alternatives by breaking away from the norms, by looking in unlikely places, and by relaxing binding constraints. Exploration exposes possibilities that would not normally have been considered, possibilities that may serendipitously lead to innovative solutions. Association, on the other hand, attempts to exploit previous design experiences in a new design context. This is done by recognizing useful analogies that can help in synthesizing parts of a design, recognizing unforeseen problems, and discovering opportunities. This article is the second part of a two-part paper that presents and discusses a variety of association and exploration methods. This part examines exploration techniques, some of which have been used in actual design systems, and others that point to the solution of some open questions in design research. We develop these ideas by examining connections between design research and other disciplines such as artificial intelligence, evolutionary epistemology, and the automated discovery literature.
Design Rationale Management Research
Authors: Lee Jintae
Published: July 2009

Many benefits potentially stem from a structured representation and use of “design rationales”, i.e. the deliberations underlying a software design process. Explicitly-represented rationales help us understand the design better so that we can produce a better design, maintain the resulting artifact better, and exploit the cumulated knowledge when we need to redesign it. Explicit representation of the rationales also provide a basis for reviewing or justifying the decisions that have been made, for communicating with other members of the design team more easily, and for defining computer services that support various design activities, such as keeping track of dependencies or managing multiple viewpoints. Technologies, that have recently become available, such as multi-media and distributed databases, provide the necessary ingredients for pursuing these potential benefits seriously. As a result, in the past few year we have seen growing interest in design rationale management.
Case-based reasoning
Authors: Leake David B.
Published: July 2009

Case-based reasoning (CBR) systems reason from experience: they solve new problems by retrieving relevant prior cases and adapting them to fit new situations. In 1988 the first case-based reasoning workshop, sponsored by DARPA, identified theoretical foundations and fundamental issues for case-based reasoning research. Since then, much investigation has examined the CBR process itself, the validity of CBR as a cognitive model, and the application of CBR technology. The results of that work include refinements in theories of the case-based reasoning process, psychological evidence for human case-based reasoning, and the fielding of over 100 CBR applications.
Explanation as a Primary Task in Problem Solving
Authors: Wick Michael R.
Published: July 2009

This article summarizes the author's perspective on the discussions that occurred at the Workshop on Explanation and Problem Solving held during the Thirteenth International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence*. Motivated by those discussions, the article argues for the promotion of expert system explanation from a secondary task, used mainly for communication, to a primary task that is tightly integrated with the domain problem solving of the expert system.
A comparison of languages which operationalize and formalize KADS models of expertise
Authors: Fensel Dieter , van Harmelen Frank
Published: July 2009

In the field of knowledge engineering, dissatisfaction with therapid-prototypingapproach has led to a number of more principled methodologies for the contruction of knowledge-based systems. Instead of immediately implementing the gathered and interpreted knowledge in a given implementation formalism according to the rapid-prototyping approach, many such methodologies centre around the notion of a conceptual model: an abstract, implementation independent description of the relevant problem solving expertise. A conceptual model should describe the task which is solved by the system and the knowledge which is required by it. Although such conceptual models more precisely, and operationally as a means for model evaluation. In this paper, we study a number of such formal and operational languages for specifying conceptual models. To enable a meaningful comparison of such languages, we focus on languages which are all aimed at the same underlying conceptual model, namely that from the KADS method for building KBS. We describe eight formal languages for KADS models of expertise, and compare these languages with respect to their modelling primitives, their semantics, their implementations and their applications, Future research issues in the area of formal and operational specification languages for KBS are identified as the result of studying these languages. The paper also contains an extensive bibliography of research in this area.
Approaches to representing and reasoning with technical regulatory information
Authors: Chung Paul Wai Hing , Stone David
Published: July 2009

Regulatory information has a direct and significant effect on the safety, economics and quality of many industries' operations and end-products. However, standards documents are often voluminous and can be complex. Users of such standards need to invest considerable time and effort to become familiar with the structure and content of the documents. Therefore, it has long been recognized that computer handling of this information is a potentially useful application area. This paper provides an overview of the work that has been done to provide computer systems that will help both users and authors of regulations. The emphasis is on using advanced symbolic computing techniques that would help in accessing, interpreting and applying the information.
Intelligent information presentation systems
Authors: Murray Bryan S.
Published: July 2009

This paper discusses the development of Information Presentation Systems (IPS). It identifies that these systems have had two development paths; generic and application-specific. It discusses the main pieces of early work, and identifies the significant problems and shortcomings associated with them. The development of later systems is traced through to the present day, and outstanding research issues are identified.
Function based reasoning
Authors: Kumar Amruth N.
Published: July 2009

When a mechanic troubleshoots a car, a physician narrows down a diagnosis, a designer selects from among options, or a corporation conducts a post-mortem of a venture gone wrong, the nature knowledge used is more likely than not, the same. That knowledge is “function”, though in the above scenarios it may be variously referred to as “responsibility”, “causal factor” or “missing element”. Reasoning about function is an integral part of human reasoning. It is currently attracting a lot of attention in artificial intelligence.
Reasoning about structured objects: Knowledge representation meets databases
Authors: Baader Franz , Buchheit Martin , Jeusfeld Manfred A. , Nutt Werner
Published: July 2009

Structured objects are items with defined properties that are to be represented in a computer system. Research in Knowledge Representation (KR) and in Database Design (DB) has produced languages for describing structured objects. Although different in the particular means for defining properties, both areas share the goal of representing a part of the world in a structured way. Moreover, the rise of object-centred formalisms in the last decade has significantly influenced the convergence of languages.
Integration of Machine Learning and Knowledge Acquisition
Authors: Nédellec Claire
Published: July 2009

“Integration of Machine Learning and Knowledge Acquisition” may be a surprising title for an ECAI-94 workshop, since most machine learning (ML) systems are intended for knowledge acquisition (KA). So what seems problematic about integrating ML and KA? The answer lies in the difference between the approaches developed by what is referred to as ML and KA research. Apart from sonic major exceptions, such as learning apprentice tools (Mitchell et al., 1989), or libraries like the Machine Learning Toolbox (MLT Consortium, 1993), most ML algorithms have been described without any characterization in terms of real application needs, in terms of what they could be effectively useful for. Although ML methods have been applied to “real world” problems few general and reusable conclusions have been drawn from these knowledge acquisition experiments. As ML techniques become more and more sophisticated and able to produce various forms of knowledge, the number of possible applications grows. ML methods tend then to be more precisely specified in terms of the domain knowledge initially required, the control knowledge to be set and the nature of the system output (MLT Consortium, 1993; Kodratoff et al., 1994).
Report on the Workshop: Applications of Logic Programming in Software Engineering
Authors: Ciancarini P. , Sterling Leon
Published: July 2009

The Workshop on Applications of Logic Programming in Software Engineering was held at S. Margherita Ligure, Italy, on June 18 1994. This workshop was organized in conjunction with the International Conference of Logic Programming. We recognize that over the past decade, several sporadic research efforts have addressed the use of logic programming to improve the process of software development and the quality of its products. The workshop, we believed, would give an assessment on how effective logic programming has been and could be.
Evaluation of workbenches which support the CommonKADS methodology
Authors: Kingston John K. C. , Doheny Jim G. , Filby Ian M.
Published: July 2009

The KADS methodology and its successor, CommonKADS, have gained a reputation for being useful approaches to building knowledge-based systems in a manner which is both systematic and well documented. However, these methods require considerable effort to use them completely. It has been suggested that automated support for KADS or CommonKADS users, in the form of “knowledge engineering workbenches”, could be very useful. These tools would provide computerised assistance to knowledge engineers in organising and representing knowledge, in a similar fashion to the support which CASE tools provide for software engineers. To provide support for KADS or CommonKADS, the workbenches should provide specific support for the modelling techniques recommended by these methods, which are very detailed in the representation and analysis stages of knowledge engineering. A good knowledge engineering workbench should also be easy to use, should be robust and reliable, and should generate output in a presentable format.

This paper reports on an evaluation of two commercially available workbenches for supporting the KADS approach: KADS Tool from ILOG and Open KADS Tool from Bull. This evaluation was carried out by AIAI as part of the CATALYST project, funded by the European Community's ESSI programme, which aimed to introduce CommonKADS to two technology-oriented companies. Information is also presented on two other workbenches: the CommonKADS workbench (which will soon become commercially available) and the VITAL workbench. The results show various strengths and weaknesses in each tool.
Issues on building software for hardware agents
Authors: Hexmoor Henry , Kortenkamp David
Published: July 2009

James Albus states that “an architecture is a description of how a system is constructed from basic components and how those components fit together to form the whole” (Albus, 1995). A software architecture for physical agents reflects the organising principles that its designers have learned from many prior experiences in building such agents. Architectures that have been proposed for physical agents have differed greatly—from subsumption (Brooks, 1986) to Soar (Laird et al., 1987). However, a surprising consensus about architectures is beginning to emerge within the small community of researchers applying artificial intelligence to robotics. The consensus is that a multi- layer, hierarchical architecture is necessary. In particular, the community is moving towards a three-layered architecture. The lowest layer is a reactive control system inspired by subsumption (Brooks, 1986). The top layer is a traditional symbolic planning and modelling system. The middle layer is the key; it serves as a “differential” between the short-range reaction and long-range reasoning.
Formal methods in knowledge engineering
Authors: van Harmelen Frank , Fensel Dieter
Published: July 2009

This paper presents a general discussion of the role of formal methods in knowledge engineering. We give an historical account of the development of the field of knowledge engineering towards the use of formal methods. Subsequently, we discuss the pros and cons of formal methods. We do this by summarising the proclaimed advantages, and by arguing against some of the commonly heard objections against formal methods. We briefly summarise the current state of the art and discuss the most important directions that future research in this field should take. This paper presents a general setting for the other contributions in this issue of the journal, which each deal with a specific issue in more detail.
Workshop Report: Constraint languages/systems and their use in problem modelling
Authors: Yap Roland H. C.
Published: July 2009

The workshop on Constraint Languages/Systems and their Use in Problem Modelling was one of the post-conference workshops organised in conjunction with the 1994 International Logic Programming Symposium and was held at Ithaca, New York, USA, on November 18,1994. This report is a summary of the papers which were presented at the workshop.
Automatic construction of reactive control systems using symbolic machine learning
Authors: Sammut Claude
Published: July 2009

This paper reviews a number of applications of machine learning to industrial control problems. We take the point of view of trying to automatically build rule-based reactive systems for tasks that, if performed by humans, would require a high degree of skill, yet are generally performed without thinking. Such skills are said to be sub-cognitive. While this might seem restrictive, most human skill is executed subconsciously and only becomes conscious when an unfamiliar circumstance is encountered. This kind of skill lends itself well to representation by a reactive system, that is, one that does not create a detailed model of the world, but rather, attempts to match percepts with actions in a very direct manner.
Research in machine scientific discovery and the domain sciences: Invited response to “Computer science research in scientific discovery”
Authors: Pericliev Vladimir
Published: July 2009

In his thought-provoking paper, Valdes-Perez (1996, this volume) carefully describes the methodology and future directions for research in Machine Scientific Discovery (MSD), as viewed predominantly from the standpoint of computer science. Here, I shall offer some remarks from the angle of domain sciences (despite the fact that my basic area of expertise is actually general and computational linguistics).
DOOD'95 Post-Conference Workshop on Temporal Reasoning in Deductive and Object-Oriented Databases
Authors: Conrad Stefan
Published: July 2009

For the first time, post-conference workshops were organised for the International Conference on Deductive and Object-Oriented Databases (DOOD). There were two workshops focusing on knowledge discovery and temporal reasoning. This report is dedicated to one dealing with temporal reasoning.
Summary of the KEML-96 workshop, Paris, January 15–16, 1996, CNRS, Gif sur Yvette (Paris)
Authors: Benjamins Richard , van Harmelen Frank , Wijngaards Niek
Published: July 2009

The KEML (Knowledge Engineering Methods and Languages) workshop which took place in a suburb of Paris was the sixth in a series, and was preceded by workshops in Bonn (1991 and 1993), Karlsruhe (1992) and Amsterdam (1994 and 1995). Originally, the workshops were dedicated to formal specification languages for KADS models, but later the scope was widened to include methods and languages for Knowledge Engineering in general. However, the emphasis of the KEML workshops remains on formal languages and techniques, and this distinguishes it from the more general Knowledge Acquisition workshops such as KAW (Banff, Canada), EKAW (Europe) and JKAW (Japan).
Software agents: an overview
Authors: Nwana Hyacinth S.
Published: July 2009

Agent software is a rapidly developing area of research. However, the overuse of the word “agent” has tended to mask the fact that, in reality, there is a truly heterogeneous body of research being carried out under this banner. This overview paper presents a typology of agents. Next, it places agents in context, defines them and then goes on,inter alia, to overview critically the rationales, hypotheses, goals, challenges and state-of-the-art demonstrators of the various agent types in our typology. Hence, it attempts to make explicit much of what is usually implicit in the agents literature. It also proceeds to overview some other general issues which pertain to all the types of agents in the typology. This paper largely reviews software agents, and it also contains some strong opinions that are not necessarily widely accepted by the agent community.
Trends in temporal representation and reasoning
Authors: Chittaro Luca , Montanari Angelo
Published: July 2009

Time is one of the most relevant topics in AI. It plays a major role in several of AI research areas, ranging from logical foundations to applications of knowledge-based systems. Despite the ubiquity of time in AI, researchers tend to specialise and focus on time in particular contexts or applications, overlooking meaningful connections between different areas. In an attempt to promote crossfertilisation and reduce isolation, the Temporal Representation and Reasoning (TIME) workshop series was started in 1994. The third edition of the workshop was held on May 19–20 1996 in Key West, FL, with S. D. Goodwin and H. J. Hamilton as General Chairs, and L. Chittaro and A. Montanari as Program Chairs. A particular emphasis was given to the foundational aspects of temporal representation and reasoning through an investigation of the relationships between different approaches to temporal issues in AI, computer science and logic.
An overview of declarative process modelling using logic programming
Authors: Ciancarini Paolo
Published: July 2009

Software process modelling is the activity of formalising the production lifecycle of large software systems. Its aim is to formally describe a software development process, which is then effectively used and possibly enacted by an environment able to support the geographically distributed and coordinated activities involved in the process itself. I show that rule-based languages, especially logic programming languages, are an important technology for the specification, modelling, enactment and coordination of software processes. This is because most routine activities in any development process can be defined by rules. Some initial proposals aimed at simply simulating the software process by a Prolog-like program embedding some development rules. A further step toward the integration of rule-based languages in the software process has been taken using a dynamic knowledge base as project database, and a number of special primitives have been introduced to support process programs. Currently there is a trend toward more complex programming environments, calledprocess-centred development environments. I show how some rule-based coordination language have been used to build an environment of this kind.
Developing correct and efficient logic programs by transformation
Authors: Pettorossi Alberto , Proietti Maurizio
Published: July 2009

The complex process of deriving programs from specifications is often divided into the following three steps: (i) the derivation of formal specifications from the informal ones; (ii) the validation of the formal specifications; and (iii) the derivation of executable programs from the formal specifications.
Learning in autonomous robots
Authors: Hexmoor Henry , Meeden Lisa
Published: July 2009

The definitions above, separated by ten years, represent two very different conceptions of learning. For Simon learning depends on an internal change in representation, and for Kaelbling it is instead measured in terms of an external change in behaviour. Furthermore, Kaelbling's focus on the situatedness of the learning system being embedded in its environment reflects the recent experience gained by much direct experimentation with physical robots.
Intelligent data analysis: issues and challenges
Authors: Liu Xiaohui
Published: July 2009

Two phenomena have probably affected modern data analysts' lives more than anything else. First, the size of real-world data sets is getting increasingly large, especially during the last decade or so. Second, modern computational methods and tools are being developed which add further capability to traditional statistical analysis tools. These two developments have created a new range of problems and challenges for analysts, as well as new opportunities for intelligent systems in data analysis.
Intelligent agents: theory and practice
Authors: Wooldridge Michael , Jennings Nicholas R.
Published: July 2009

The concept of anagenthas become important in both artificial intelligence (AT) and mainstream computer science. Our aim in this paper is to point the reader at what we perceive to be the most important theoretical and practical issues associated with the design and construction of intelligent agents. For convenience, we divide these issues into three areas (though as the reader will see, the divisions are at times somewhat arbitrary).Agent theoryis concerned with the question of what an agent is, and the use of mathematical formalisms for representing and reasoning about the properties of agents.Agent architecturescan be thought of as software engineering models of agents; researchers in this area are primarily concerned with the problem of designing software or hardware systems that will satisfy the properties specified by agent theorists. Finally,agent languagesare software systems for programming and experimenting with agents; these languages may embody principles proposed by theorists. The paper isnotintended to serve as a tutorial introduction to all the issues mentioned; we hope instead simply to identify the most important issues, and point to work that elaborates on them. The article includes a short review of current and potential applications of agent technology.
Seasonal cycles and long-term trends in abundance and species composition of sharks associated with cage diving ecotourism activities in Hawaii
Authors: MEYER CARL G. , DALE JONATHAN J. , PAPASTAMATIOU YANNIS P. , WHITNEY NICHOLAS M. , HOLLAND KIM N.
Published: July 2009

Shark cage diving is both popular and controversial, with proponents citing educational value and non-extractive use of natural resources and opponents raising concerns about public safety and ecological impacts. Logbook data collected 2004–2008 from two Oahu (Hawaii) shark cage diving operations were analysed to determine whether such voluntary records provide useful insights into shark ecology or ecotourism impacts. Operators correctly identified common shark species and documented gross seasonal cycles and long-term trends in abundance of Galapagos (Carcharhinus galapagensis), sandbar (Carcharhinus plumbeus) and tiger sharks (Galeorcerdo cuvier). Annual cycles in shark abundance may indicate seasonal migrations, whereas long-term trends suggest gradual exclusion of smaller sandbar sharks from cage diving sites. Numerically dominant (> 98%) Galapagos and sandbar sharks are rarely implicated in attacks on humans. Negligible impact on public safety is supported by other factors such as: (1) remoteness of the sites, (2) conditioning stimuli that are specific to the tour operations and different from inshore recreational stimuli and (3) no increase in shark attacks on the north coast of Oahu since cage diving started. Tracking studies are required to validate logbook data and to determine whether sharks associated with offshore cage diving travel into inshore areas used for in-water recreation.
The randomized response technique as a tool for estimating non-compliance rates in fisheries: a case study of illegal red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) fishing in Northern California
Authors: BLANK SARA G. , GAVIN MICHAEL C.
Published: July 2009

Illegal fishing has detrimental environmental and social impacts, but these effects are difficult to mitigate without reliable estimates of fisher non-compliance. Methods used by fisheries managers to estimate illegal fishing often require indirect estimation of poaching using biological, economic or sociological indicators. This study presents a unique application of the randomized response technique (RRT) for direct estimation of non-compliance in fisheries to the Northern California recreational red abalone (Haliotis rufescens) fishery. An anonymous paper-based compliance and sociodemographic survey of recreational fishers in Sonoma and Mendocino Counties estimated 29% non-compliance with the daily take limit, 23% with the minimum size limit, 19% with licensing laws and 15% with the annual take limit. RRT results also indicated how different sociodemographic characteristics related to non-compliance. Visitors had higher non-compliance rates than local fishers for all regulations except daily take limits, which an estimated 72% of locals violated versus 18% of visitors. High fisher awareness of regulations, fisher age, income and fishing experience did not appear to influence illegal take. RRT is a powerful tool which can aid conservation managers in prioritizing action.
Initial high rate of misdiagnosis in Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever patients in an endemic region of Turkey
Authors: TASDELEN FISGIN N. , DOGANCI L. , TANYEL E. , TULEK N.
Published: July 2009

Crimean Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) has been an emerging tick-borne infection in some parts of Turkey since 2002, with a number of fatalities. Many of the initial non-specific symptoms of CCHF can mimic other common infections. Additionally, the seasonal pattern of the epidemic, and the waning attention of healthcare workers to the yearly index cases caused some delays in appropriate patient care and treatment. Between March 2004 and August 2008, 140 confirmed adult cases were evaluated retrospectively for initial diagnosis and treatment delays. This study clearly demonstrated that there are particular delays (4·8 days) in the referral system to initiate effective antiviral treatment in the tertiary-care centre which significantly affect fatality rates (P>0·05). A large number of patients (n=95, 68%) received an initial misdiagnosis of various infections other than CCHF. In conclusion, continuous medical education regarding CCHF in the epidemic area is essential in order to achieve a better survival rate from this deadly infection.
Evaluation of pertussis immunity status in schoolchildren immunized with whole-cell vaccine
Authors: DURANOGLU L. , SÖNMEZ C. , VURUCU S. , KURTOGLU D. , KESIK V. , COPLU N. , KOSEOGLU V. , ESEN B. , OZCAN O.
Published: July 2009

It has recently been reported that the worldwide increase in the number of pertussis cases is a result of the waning of whole-cell vaccine-induced immunity. Thus, in this study, we aimed to investigate the pertussis immunity status of primary and secondary school students in a district of Ankara, Turkey. A total of 997 healthy students, aged 9–17 years, who had been immunized with four doses of whole-cell pertussis vaccine were included in the study. The subjects were divided into two age groups: 9–14 and 15–17 years. To determine the immune status, serum levels of IgG anti-pertussis toxin (aPT) antibody were tested by in-house ELISA and arbitrarily evaluated as non-immune [<10 ELISA units (EU)/ml], immune (10–100 EU/ml), and recent infection (>100 EU/ml). Serum samples of 997 students (559 females, 438 males) aged between 9 and 17 years (mean 13·02±2·25, median 13 years) were tested. Non-immune, immune and recent infection levels of aPT were found in 27·3%, 59·3% and 13·4% of individuals, respectively. The immune group did not have statistically significant differences between males and females (P=0·68). In the 9–14 and 15–17 years age groups, serum aPT antibody levels ⩾10 EU/ml were 73·1% and 72·2%, respectively, which did not represent any statistical difference (P=0·81). Students aged 15–17 years had a higher immunity rate than the 9–14 years group, and the percentage of students with recent infection in the 9–14 years group was higher than the 15–17 years group (P<0·001). The peak age of non-immunized subjects was 9 years (47·0%), and decreased to a minimum at age 12–13 years, and began to increase again from age 13–14 years. In contrast, the ratio of recent infection was least at age 9–10 years, began to increase, and reached a peak at 12 years, and then decreased. On the other hand, it was observed that household size and monthly income were not associated with the immunity status (P=0·65,P=0·37, respectively). The results of the present study show that levels of antibody against pertussis decreased in the younger age groups and, as a result, there is an increase in the number of pertussis cases. Thus, in order to decrease the incidence of pertussis and protect infants, we recommend the application of booster doses at regular intervals.
Assessing the impact of climate change on vector-borne viruses in the EU through the elicitation of expert opinion
Authors: GALE P. , BROUWER A. , RAMNIAL V. , KELLY L. , KOSMIDER R. , FOOKS A. R. , SNARY E. L.
Published: July 2009

Expert opinion was elicited to undertake a qualitative risk assessment to estimate the current and future risks to the European Union (EU) from five vector-borne viruses listed by the World Organization for Animal Health. It was predicted that climate change will increase the risk of incursions of African horse sickness virus (AHSV), Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus (CCHFV) and Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) into the EU from other parts of the world, with African swine fever virus (ASFV) and West Nile virus (WNV) being less affected. Currently the predicted risks of incursion were lowest for RVFV and highest for ASFV. Risks of incursion were considered for six routes of entry (namely vectors, livestock, meat products, wildlife, pets and people). Climate change was predicted to increase the risk of incursion from entry of vectors for all five viruses to some degree, the strongest effects being predicted for AHSV, CCHFV and WNV. This work will facilitate identification of appropriate risk management options in relation to adaptations to climate change.
Origins and dispersal of the Antarctic fairy shrimp
Authors: Hawes T.C.
Published: July 2009

Passive dispersal has traditionally formed a fundamental component of biogeographical theories of the origin of the fauna that occupy the ice-free habitats of mainland Antarctica. But in the context of an emerging picture of endemism for many Antarctic terrestrial invertebrates, is there still a place for such stochastic processes in Antarctic biogeography? The case of the Antarctic fairy shrimp,Branchinecta gainiDaday 1910, may provide an answer - or, at least, an important exception to the rule. Although passive dispersal is certainly a stochastic and contingent phenomenon in Antarctica, the occurrence ofB. gainion the Antarctic Peninsula can only be explained satisfactorily by resort to this explanation. It is, at present, probably the best example of an Antarctic invertebrate with a biogeographic signature of passive - in particular, zoophoretic - dispersal.
Significance of the trace fossil Zoophycos in Pliocene deposits, Antarctic continental margin (ANDRILL 1B drill core)
Authors: Miller Molly F. , Cowan Ellen A. , Nielsen Simon H.H.
Published: July 2009

Zoophycos is a complex three dimensional trace fossil that is abundant in deep ocean sediments worldwide, but has not been described previously from Cenozoic continental margin deposits of Antarctica. In the ANDRILL 1B core drilled through the north-west McMurdo ice shelf, Zoophycos occurs in a 17 m thick unit of interglacial sediments bounded above and below by glacial surfaces of erosion. This unit was deposited during the transition from the relatively warm Early Pliocene characterized by productive open waters to the cooler Late Pliocene with fluctuating subpolar ice sheets. Globally, Late Cenozoic Zoophycos are most abundant at great depths (> 1000 m), and where sedimentation rates and TOC levels are low; the Zoophycos producer, probably a worm-like animal, was (is) a slow colonizer. Application of these preferences to the ANDRILL 1B core indicates that the Zoophycos-bearing unit was deposited episodically, with sufficient time between events to allow for the slow processes of colonization and construction. The foray of Zoophycos producer into the relatively shallow ANDRILL 1B depths (200–1000 m) during the Pliocene documents “emergence” of benthic animals, supporting suggestions that the unique modern Antarctic and Southern Ocean faunas result from both “emergence” and “submergence” during the Cenozoic.
The development of personality disorders: Perspectives from normal personality development in childhood and adolescence
Authors: Shiner Rebecca L.
Published: July 2009

The developmental pathways leading to personality disorders are poorly understood, but clues to these pathways come from recent research on personality disorders and normal personality development in childhood and adolescence. The first section of this paper reviews recent work on personality disorders in childhood and adolescence, and concludes that personality disorders in adolescence are already prevalent, moderately stable, and impairing. The second section draws on McAdams and Pals' personality model to offer a taxonomy of personality differences that can account for the known patterns of emerging personality pathology. This taxonomy includes youths' temperament and personality traits, mental representations (including attachment), coping strategies, and narrative identities. Individual differences in all of these domains may play critical roles in the development, manifestation, and course of personality disorders. Existing knowledge of normal and abnormal personality development can inform future research on the developmental pathways leading to personality pathology, the diagnostic criteria for personality disorders, and the development of validated treatments for personality disorders in the first two decades of life.
Multifinality in the development of personality disorders: A Biology × Sex × Environment interaction model of antisocial and borderline traits
Authors: Beauchaine Theodore P. , Klein Daniel N. , Crowell Sheila E. , Derbidge Christina , Gatzke-Kopp Lisa
Published: July 2009

Although antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is more common among males and borderline PD (BPD) is more common among females, some authors have suggested that the two disorders reflect multifinal outcomes of a single etiology. This assertion is based on several overlapping symptoms and features, including trait impulsivity, emotional lability, high rates of depression and suicide, and a high likelihood of childhood abuse and/or neglect. Furthermore, rates of ASPD are elevated in the first degree relatives of those with BPD, and concurrent comorbidity rates for the two disorders are high. In this article, we present a common model of antisocial and borderline personality development. We begin by reviewing issues and problems with diagnosing and studying PDs in children and adolescents. Next, we discuss dopaminergic and serotonergic mechanisms of trait impulsivity as predisposing vulnerabilities to ASPD and BPD. Finally, we extend shared risk models for ASPD and BPD by specifying genetic loci that may confer differential vulnerability to impulsive aggression and mood dysregulation among males and impulsive self-injury and mood dysregulation among females. Although the precise mechanisms of these sex-moderated genetic vulnerabilities remain poorly understood, they appear to interact with environmental risk factors including adverse rearing environments to potentiate the development of ASPD and BPD.
Adolescent attachment and trajectories of hostile–impulsive behavior: Implications for the development of personality disorders
Authors: Kobak Roger , Zajac Kristyn , Smith Clare
Published: July 2009

Adolescents' trajectories of impulsive and hostile behaviors provide a dynamic index of risk for the emergence of Cluster B (antisocial and borderline) personality disorders in early adulthood. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that preoccupied states of mind in the Adult Attachment Interview would increase both the level and rate of growth in adolescents' trajectories of aggressive and sexual risk-taking behaviors measured at ages 13, 15, and 17. Overall, preoccupied states of mind predicted higher levels of sexual risk taking and aggressive behaviors across all three assessments as well as higher rates of growth in sexual-risk taking and caregiver-reported aggression over time. In addition, preoccupied females showed slower rates of decline in self-reported hostile emotions than did preoccupied males. The effects of gender as a moderator of the relations between preoccupied status and risk trajectories for personality disorders are discussed.
Conscientiousness and externalizing psychopathology: Overlap, developmental patterns, and etiology of two related constructs
Authors: Roberts Brent W. , Jackson Joshua J. , Burger Jessica , Trautwein Ulrich
Published: July 2009

The present paper focuses on the trait domain of conscientiousness, its development, and its relation to psychopathology. The definition of conscientiousness and its interface with specific forms of psychopathology, such as externalizing psychopathology, are discussed first. Then an overview of the known developmental changes in conscientiousness across the life course is provided, as well as the potential shared developmental etiology of conscientiousness and externalizing psychopathology. Given the lack of data, testing etiological factors that may contribute to the development of both conscientiousness and externalizing disorders, we report on three studies examining the childhood experiences associated with both conscientiousness and externalizing behaviors. Last, future directions are discussed.
Resting heart rate and the development of antisocial behavior from age 9 to 14: Genetic and environmental influences
Authors: Baker Laura A. , Tuvblad Catherine , Reynolds Chandra , Zheng Mo , Lozano Dora Isabel , Raine Adrian
Published: July 2009

The genetic and environmental basis of a well-replicated association between antisocial behavior (ASB) and resting heart rate was investigated in a longitudinal twin study, based on two measurements between the ages of 9 and 14 years. ASB was defined as a broad continuum of externalizing behavior problems, assessed at each occasion through a composite measure based on parent ratings of trait aggression, delinquent behaviors, and psychopathic traits in their children. Parent ratings of ASB significantly decreased across age from childhood to early adolescence, although latent growth models indicated significant variation and twin similarity in the growth patterns, which were explained almost entirely by genetic influences. Resting heart rate at age 9–10 years old was inversely related to levels of ASB but not change patterns of ASB across age or occasions. Biometrical analyses indicated significant genetic influences on heart rate during childhood, as well as ASB throughout development from age 9 to 14. Both level and slope variation were significantly influenced by genetic factors. Of importance, the low resting heart rate and ASB association was significantly and entirely explained by their genetic covariation, although the heritable component of heart rate explained only a small portion (1–4%) of the substantial genetic variance in ASB. Although the effect size is small, children with low resting heart rate appear to be genetically predisposed toward externalizing behavior problems as early as age 9 years old.
Impact of Mindfulness on Cognition and Affect in Voice Hearing: Evidence from Two Case Studies
Authors: Newman Taylor Katherine , Harper Sean , Chadwick Paul
Published: July 2009

Background: There is a small body of research indicating that mindfulness training can be beneficial for people with distressing psychosis. What is not yet clear is whether mindfulness effects change in affect and cognition associated with voices specifically. This study examined the hypothesis that mindfulness training alone would lead to change in distress and cognition (belief conviction) in people with distressing voices. Method: Two case studies are presented. Participants experienced long-standing distressing voices. Belief conviction and distress were measured twice weekly through baseline and mindfulness intervention. Mindfulness in relation to voices was measured at the start of baseline and end of intervention. Results: Following a relatively stable baseline phase, after 2–3 weeks of mindfulness practice, belief conviction and distress fell for both participants. Both participants' mindfulness scores were higher post treatment. Conclusion: Findings show that mindfulness training has an impact on cognition and affect specifically associated with voices, and thereby beneficially alters relationship with voices.
The NoE TARGET – success by cooperation
Authors: Magerl Gottfried , Ivan Sue
Published: July 2009

This contribution gives an overview of background, design, working principles, and management issues of some scientific highlights, and of the benefits of the Network of Excellence TARGET (Top Amplifier Research Groups in a European Team).
Partial reduction of the physical optics surface integral to the modified edge representation line integral
Authors: Rodriguez L. , Katakai Y. , Oishi M. , Ando M.
Published: July 2009

In this article, an extended reduction formula is prepared for compensating modified edge representation (MER) imperfectness in the integral reduction, where a part of the surface integration is reduced to the line one while the remaining area is surface‐integrated. To this end, the local errors for the MER integral reduction are defined all over the integration surface. Then the criterion of the MER local errors is proposed in terms of the Fresnel zones as well as the normal vector of the scattering surface. Finally, the surface integration is partitioned into two regions according to this criterion so that the local errors are confined completely in one of them, which is surface‐integrated. The agreement of the field calculated here by the extended treatment of MER and the physical optics is confirmed. The discussion in this paper highlights the effects and the locations of higher‐order terms causing MER integral reduction errors. The study for minimizing the area of the surface integration, which leads us to the future goal of the perfect surface‐to‐line integral reduction, needs the improvement of MER and the analytical identification of the higher‐order terms, which is left for further study.
Simulating the effects of scintillation on transionospheric signals with a two‐way phase screen constructed from ALTAIR phase‐derived TEC
Authors: Caton R. G. , Carrano C. S. , Alcala C. M. , Groves K. M. , Beach T. , Sponseller D.
Published: July 2009

Severe scintillation on transionospheric radio signals caused by small‐scale plasma irregularities can greatly disrupt wideband communication, surveillance, and navigation systems. Development of techniques to mitigate the effects of scintillation requires accurate characterization of the ionospheric propagation channel. To achieve this goal, multiple campaigns were conducted as part of the joint U.S. ‐UK Wideband Ionospheric Distortion Experiment to obtain ionospheric signatures from various instruments located on Kwajalein Atoll. We use tracking data from the VHF/UHF Advanced Research Project Agency Long‐Range Tracking and Instrumentation Radar for overflights of passive calibration spheres in low‐Earth orbit to demonstrate the validity of a one‐dimensional (1‐D) phase screen model to represent the propagation channel through a disturbed ionosphere. The 1‐D phase screen is constructed from radar phase‐derived estimates of the total electron content. We present a detailed comparison of simulated radar cross section after propagation through the phase screen with observed radar returns under both disturbed and quiet ionospheric conditions. Successful reproduction of radar amplitude enhancements and fades adds to our understanding of small‐scale plasma irregularities and moves us toward our goal of providing precise predictions of radar system performance. Doing so will allow for the development of better mitigation/compensation algorithms for detrimental ionospheric effects. Result from this study also provide an assessment of the tools required for incorporating in situ density measurements along with phase screen theory into situational awareness products to offer an accurate nowcast/forecast of system impacts to users in the communication, navigation, and surveillance communities.