bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distributed Solution of Constrained Optimal Control Problems Using the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers
Authors: Hentzelt Sebastian , Maucher Robert , Käpernick Bartosz , Graichen Knut
Published: December 2014

Many control problems in science and engineering can be formulated as optimal control problems (OCP) such as load changes in process control or point‐to‐point motion of industrial robots in a time‐optimal or energy‐optimal way while accounting for physical or security constraints. Hence, an efficient way to handle constrained OCPs is an important topic of research. A promising approach to address this issue is a transformation technique allowing to reformulate an inequality constrained OCP into an equality constrained counterpart. The reformulated OCP reveals to possess a particular structure that is favorable for a decomposition and the application of distributed optimization methods. Motivated by the Augmented Lagrangian approach, the structure of the reformulated OCP can be exploited to derive a decomposition method for splitting up the entire OCP into smaller subproblems. In addition, an algorithm is presented that follows the ideas of the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers (ADMM) and solves the resulting subproblems in a distributed manner. The approach is applied to a mechatronic example system to demonstrate the performance of the presented method. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Optimization‐based subdivision algorithm for reachable sets
Authors: Riedl Wolfgang
Published: December 2014

This paper shows how an optimization‐based approach to calculate reachable sets can be improved by using a subdivision‐algorithm. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Platform‐independent Description of Imaging Algorithms
Authors: Köstler Harald
Published: December 2014

In the last years real‐time imaging and more complex models for the various imaging applications became feasible mostly because of the progress made in parallel computer architectures like found in GPUs and modern multi‐core CPUs. However, the implementation effort increases, if one wants to achieve good performance. A solution to this problem is to formulate the imaging algorithms in an abstract way in a domain‐specific language (DSL) and then automatically generate efficient C++ or CUDA code. A multi‐layered approach is sketched that allows users to describe applications in a natural way from the mathematical model down to the program specification. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Short Communication: Curvature Approximation in Images
Authors: Nagler Johannes
Published: December 2014

We consider discrete planar curves as they appear in segmented images. In the literature, the curvature of such curves is often estimated via B‐spline approximations or by interpolation schemes, while to the best of our knowledge current methods lack of a proof of convergence, see [2, 3]. We will not only proof the convergence of our method in the uniform norm for smooth curves, we will also show that our method is able to detect critical points (C2‐singularities) of our given discrete data, i.e., points where the curvature is undefined. The main idea is to approximate the curve such that the shape of the curve is preserved. Here, we use the Schoenberg splines because of the freedom to choose the knots arbitrarily and because of their variation‐diminishing property that leads to an approximation which preserves positivity, monotonicity and convexity. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
On Unconditionally Positivity Preserving and Conservative Methods for Systems of Advection‐Diffusion‐Reaction Equations
Authors: Gobbert Matthias K. , Meister Andreas , Wallbaum Sven
Published: December 2014

An unconditionally positivity preserving finite difference scheme (UPFD) for systems of advection‐diffusion‐reaction equations with non‐linear reaction terms is proposed. A modified Patankar approach is employed with respect to the reaction part in order to ensure both conservativity and positivity without any additional constraints on the time step size. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
A regular analogue of Smilansky model
Authors: Exner Pavel
Published: December 2014

In this note we review several recent results describing a two‐dimensional Schrödinger operator with a potential unbounded from below which can be understood as a regular version of Smilansky model. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Stability for Lie–Trotter products for some operator matrix semigroups
Authors: Bátkai András , Csomós Petra , Engel Klaus‐Jochen , Farkas Bálint
Published: December 2014

Coupled systems of linear differential equations in Banach spaces can be often handled by the theory of C0‐semigroups of operator matrices. We study the stability of Lie–Trotter products of such matrix semigroups, and present three classes of examples (abstract delay equations, abstract inhomogeneous equations, abstract dynamic boundary value problems) and some open problems. This survey is based on the papers [1], [2] and [5], to which we refer the interested reader for more details and extensive bibliographical information. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Dichotomy, bisectorial operators and unbounded spectral projections
Authors: Winklmeier Monika , Wyss Christian
Published: December 2014

For an operator having a uniformly bounded resolvent on a strip around the imaginary axis, the existence of—possibly unbounded—spectral projections corresponding to the left and right half‐plane is proved. The operator is dichotomous if these projections are bounded, and an abstract perturbation theorem for dichotomy is derived. All results apply, with certain simplifications, to bisectorial operators. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Crystalline and Isoperimetric Square Configurations
Authors: Mainini Edoardo , Piovano Paolo , Stefanelli Ulisse
Published: December 2014

We present crystallization results for planar atomic interactions governed by two‐ and three‐body terms with the resulting periodicity being that of the square lattice. The emergence of a (square) Wulff shape for ground states is established by showing the optimality of ground‐state configurations in terms of a discrete isoperimetric inequality. Furthermore, an n3/4 law for the deviation from the asymptotic Wulff shape is established with an explicit constant for the leading term. (© 2014 Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Utilisation of psychosocial and informational services in immigrant and non‐immigrant German cancer survivors
Authors: Zeissig Sylke Ruth , Singer Susanne , Koch Lena , Zeeb Hajo , Merbach Martin , Bertram Heike , Eberle Andrea , Schmid‐Höpfner Sieglinde , Holleczek Bernd , Waldmann Annika , Arndt Volker
Published: December 2014

Objective

We examined psychosocial and informational services used by long‐term survivors of breast, colon and prostate cancer in immigrants versus non‐immigrants.

Methods

Patients were sampled from population‐based cancer registries in Germany. They completed a questionnaire assessing immigration biography, service use and socio‐demographic characteristics.

Results

Data of 6143 cancer survivors were collected of whom 383 (6%) were immigrants. There was no evidence of an association between immigration status and service use. However, immigration biography played a role when patients' and their parents' birthplace were taken into account. When parents were born outside Europe, survivors less frequently used information from the Internet (ORadj 0.4, 95% CI 0.2; 0.8). Web‐based information (ORadj 0.7, 95% CI 0.5; 0.9) was less frequently used when the participant was born outside Germany.

Conclusion

The differences in the use of psychosocial and informational services between immigrants and non‐immigrants seem to be generally small. Acculturation may play a role in service uptake. In survey‐based health services research, investigators should not stratify by census‐defined immigration status, but rather by cultural background. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A realistic leverage point for one‐planet living: more compulsory vacation in the rich world
Authors: Randers Jorgen
Published: December 2014

The critical challenge in reaching global sustainability is limiting the human ecological footprint, pushing it below the carrying capacity of the planet. This task can only be achieved in two ways: by reducing the population or reducing the footprint per person. Since 1970 there has been rapid progress on the first front; fertility has dropped impressively as a result of more education, maternal health and contraception. There has also been some progress on the second front: technological advances and behavioral changes have been able to keep the footprint per person relatively stable in the rich world, in spite of a doubling of the GDP per person. But more is needed to achieve outright reduction of the footprint of those at high income levels. Sadly, measures to reduce those footprints are normally rejected by voters, because they involve costs, such as higher taxes, in the short term. Among the possible solutions, one stands out as a promising leverage point: reducing the length of the work year (the average number of hours worked for pay per person per year) over the coming decades. If the work year were shortened in an orderly manner, it would ultimately reduce annual production, consumption and the ecological footprint. Importantly, such gradual shortening of the work year could find majority support if it were introduced as a gradual increase in annual leave—for example, by adding two extra vacation days every year for several decades. It is rational to start this effort in the rich world, and system dynamicists have a role to play in getting voters to understand and adopt the leverage point of " more compulsory vacation in the rich world" . Copyright © 2014 System Dynamics Society
Design of a contention‐free parallel double‐flow MAP decoder
Authors: Chung Jae‐Hun , Park Heemin , Rim Chong S.
Published: December 2014

Parallel processing and double‐flow methods, which are used to increase the speed of turbo‐code decoding, cause memory contentions. Although memory contentions due to parallel processing can be resolved by adopting the quadratic polynomial permutation (QPP) interleaver, the double‐flow method still causes memory contentions because of its read/write sequences from both ends of the input packets. Thus, we propose a modified architecture to resolve memory contentions for the double‐flow method to fit the QPP interleaver. In our experiment, the proposed method has a shorter decoding time and smaller hardware size compared the conventional method. A bit‐accurate simulation was performed, and hardware implementation with field‐programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) led to a high throughput of 80 Mbps. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Voltage sag problems in large‐scale clustering wind farms
Authors: Lin Xiangning , Zhuo Yixin , Zhao Feng , Yang Dexian
Published: December 2014

Accompanied by the development of large‐scale wind energy and integration into grid in China, wind farm cascading trip‐off accidents resulting from voltage sag have occurred frequently in the past few years. Before proposing countermeasures, it is necessary to clarify the voltage sag problem of wind farms. First, three voltage sag risk indices are proposed. Second, the simplified equivalent circuit of double fed induction generator (DFIG) for short‐circuit calculation, stochastic model of wind speed and the fault model of buses/lines are presented in this paper. Third, assessment method of voltage sag in wind farm, implemented by Digsilent dynamic programming language (DPL), is proposed to analyze the severity and probability of voltage sag. Finally, a case study of wind farm connected to WSCC nine‐bus benchmark systems is analyzed in detail, and the validity of the proposed approach is confirmed. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Influence of oil aging on the space charge dynamics of oil‐immersed paper insulation under a DC electric field
Authors: Hao Jian , Tang Chao , Fu Jin , Chen George , Wu Gaolin , Wang Qian
Published: December 2014

The formation of space charge in oil/paper insulation system can lead to material degradation in the region of high electric field. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors that affect space charge formation in oil/paper insulation system. In this paper, the effect of oil aging on space charge dynamics in oil/paper insulation system is investigated using the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) technique under a DC electric field at room temperature. The ultraviolet/visible (UV/vis) spectrum of the oil shifts to longer wavelengths, and the oil acidity increases as the aging time increases. It has been found that the oil property has a significant effect on the space charge distribution in the oil/paper insulation sample. The more the deterioration of the oil, the larger amount of negative and positive charges accumulated in the bulk of the oil/paper insulation sample. The total amount of slow moving charges, the surface trap energy density, and the electric field distortion of the oil/paper insulation sample increased with the degree of deterioration due to oil aging. © 2014 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health, and Health Insurance
Authors: Stewart Rosalyn W. , Hardcastle Valerie G. , Zelinsky Aaron
Published: December 2014

We are concerned that providing insurance for the previously uninsured will be seen as a panacea for resolving health disparities, for the social environment makes a tremendous difference in health outcomes. A careful examination of the factors involved in the social determinants of health shows that health insurance plays only a small role in alleviating health disparities. In this commentary, we highlight the complexity of the problem of the social determinants of health and health disparities in the United States by comparing two neighborhoods in Baltimore City and by examining hypertension and mental health disorders.
The Enforcement of India's Tobacco Control Legislation in the State of Haryana: A Case Study
Authors: Jain Dipika , Jadav Amit , Rhoten Kimberly , Bassi Abhinav
Published: December 2014

In 2003, the Parliament of India passed the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution) Act, 2003 (COTPA) to counter the growing societal and health burdens of tobacco in India. The major provisions (Sections 4–7) of COTPA mandate the display of pictorial health warnings on all tobacco product packets and strictly prohibit: smoking in public places, direct and indirect forms of tobacco advertisements, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products, sale of tobacco products to a minor, and sale within 100 yards of any educational institution. However, India continues to have a high prevalence of tobacco consumption and the provisions of COTPA are routinely flouted. The purpose of the study is to analyze the trends in and the prevalence of COTPA violations in a sample test site (Haryana) to develop informed and practical tobacco control policy recommendations. Violations in five districts of the State of Haryana were observed and recorded. The data overwhelmingly show that the most fundamental provisions (Sections 4–7) of COTPA were frequently violated in each of the five districts. All districts had a high rate of noncompliance, with Sites having at least one violation of Sections 4–7 of COTPA, with rates fluctuating between nearly 70 and 90 percent. Such violations however, were unequally distributed between Sections 4–7 within the five districts with some districts having a higher frequency of Section 4 violations (Panipat and Jhajjar) and other districts with higher violation frequency of Section 5 (Mewat and Kurukshetra). However, all five districts had relatively low numbers of Section 7 violations (i.e., the required display of pictorial health warnings on all tobacco products). The study highlights the challenges of the tobacco control policy in India including: engagement of state and district level enforcement officials for effective enforcement of existing legislation, encouragement for civil society to partner and complement governmental efforts in monitoring progress and reporting violations of COTPA, and the need for supply‐level controls on tobacco (e.g., pictorial health warnings and increased taxation) to reduce tobacco consumption.
Rigid 1D Coordination Polymers with Tunable Metal Cation and Chiral Pendant Moieties
Authors: Zavakhina Marina S. , Samsonenko Denis G. , Dybtsev Danil N. , Fedin Vladimir P.
Published: December 2014

A series of homochiral chain coordination polymers, based on structurally robust 4,4′‐bipyridyl (bpy) linker with tunable 3d metal cations (Co2+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+) and chiral auxiliary ligands (R‐3‐chloromandelate, S‐3‐phenyllactate, and S‐3,3‐dimethyllactate) were synthesized and characterized by X‐ray crystallography. Complexes with chloromandelate and dimethyllactate ligands are the first structurally characterized coordination compounds of such chiral molecules. All the compounds are based on robust chain motifs {M(bpy)}∞, decorated with chiral acid residues and other ligands. One structure represents a rare example of a triple‐chained ribbon (double ladder), while five others are nearly isostructural, featuring rigid metal‐organic chains, decorated by chiral pendant ligands.
A phase 1 dose escalation study of BI 831266, an inhibitor of Aurora kinase B, in patients with advanced solid tumors
Authors: Dittrich Christian , Fridrik Michael A. , Koenigsberg Robert , Lee Chooi , Goeldner Rainer-Georg , Hilbert James , Greil Richard
Published: December 2014

Purpose BI 831266 is a potent, selective, low-molecular-weight inhibitor of Aurora kinase B. This trial aimed to determine the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of BI 831266 in patients with advanced solid tumors (NCT00756223; EudraCT 2008-001631-36; 1257.1). Methods BI 831266 (4–130 mg) was administered over 24 h on days 1 and 15 of a 4-week schedule. A modified 3 + 3 dose-escalation design was utilized to evaluate the MTD. Safety, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, objective response rate, progression-free survival (PFS) and exploratory biomarkers were secondary endpoints. Results Twenty-five patients received BI 831266. The most frequent tumor type was colorectal cancer (48 %). One patient (130 mg) experienced a dose-limiting toxicity of grade 3 febrile neutropenia. The trial was prematurely terminated (sponsor decision) without further dose-escalation. The most frequent treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were fatigue (20 %), neutropenia, alopecia (16 % each), anemia, dry skin, and nausea (12 % each). Treatment-related grade ≥3 AEs were neutropenia (12 %), anemia (8 %), and febrile neutropenia (4 %); 15 patients experienced serious AEs. High variability in the pharmacokinetic profiles precluded definitive pharmacokinetic conclusions. Exploratory biomarker determination revealed consistency with the mode of action as an Aurora kinase B inhibitor. One patient (4 %; 32 mg) with cervical cancer demonstrated a confirmed partial response (duration 141 days, PFS 414 days). Four patients had stable disease. Conclusion The MTD of BI 831266 was not reached because of early trial termination. BI 831266 demonstrated a generally manageable safety profile and signs of antitumor activity in some patients’ solid tumors.
Oral sodium phosphate for bowel preparation in endoscopic submucosal dissection training in a pig model: A pilot study
Authors: Hung Chien‐Yuan , Chen Ming‐Jen , Chen Chih‐Jen , Liu Chia‐Yuan , Shih Shou‐Chuan , Hu Kuang‐Chun , Wang Horng‐Yuan
Published: December 2014

Background

The technical complexity of endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) demands adequate training to lower the surgical risks. The diameter and mucosal structure of the porcine colon is similar to the human colon making the pig a good animal for colonoscopic procedure training. However, a standardized animal bowel preparation used in colonic ESD training has not been established.

Methods

Colonoscopic procedures were performed in 12 pigs, divided into four groups. The control group (Group 1) fasted and received no preprocedure preparation. Group 2 received a single dose of sodium phosphate 2 mL/kg; Group 3 and Group 4 received split doses of sodium phosphate (2 mL/kg and 4 mL/kg, respectively). An experienced endoscopist, blinded to the preparation method, assigned a score from excellent (4 points) to poor (1 point) at five regions of the colon. The final mean bowle cleansing score was calculated from five regions in each pig. Serum biochemistry and electrolyte levels were analyzed.

Results

The different doses of sodium phosphate preparations did not change the serum glucose, creatinine, sodium, potassium, calcium, or phosphorus levels. The colonic cleansing scores in Group 1 (1.3 ± 0.4; mean ± standard deviation) and Group 2 (1.5 ± 0.2) were lower than those of Group 3 (2.6 ± 0.6) and Group 4 (3 ± 0.2).

Conclusion

The use of oral sodium phosphate is easy and safe in porcine bowel preparation for ESD training. Bowel preparation using a split dose of 2 mL/kg or 4 mL/kg sodium phosphate produces an adequate bowel cleansing. The optimal dosage still needs to be established in a large‐scale study.
THE BREUIL–MÉZARD CONJECTURE FOR POTENTIALLY
BARSOTTI–TATE REPRESENTATIONS
Authors: GEE TOBY , KISIN MARK
Published: December 2014

We prove the Breuil–Mézard conjecture for two-dimensional potentially
Barsotti–Tate representations of the absolute Galois group

$G_{K}$

,

$K$

a finite extension of

$\mathbb{Q}_{p}$

, for any

$p>2$

(up to the question of determining precise values
for the multiplicities that occur). In the case that

$K/\mathbb{Q}_{p}$

is unramified, we also determine most of the
multiplicities. We then apply these results to the weight part of Serre’s
conjecture, proving a variety of results including the
Buzzard–Diamond–Jarvis conjecture.
Rebuilding the Nation: On Architecture and the Aesthetics of Constitutionalism in South African Literature
Authors: Anker Elizabeth S.
Published: December 2014

The South African Constitution is widely regarded as one of the world’s most progressive, and this essays looks to a series of novels concerned with the nation’s transition beyond apartheid in order to examine the challenges of transformative constitutionalism. Through readings of Nadine Gordimer’sNone to Accompany Me, Zakes Mda’sWays of Dying, and Ivan Vladislavic’sThe Folly,1it explores the prevalence of the language and imagery of architecture in describing national rebuilding and South African constitutional jurisprudence alike. The essay ultimately argues, however, that the architectural metaphor casts post-apartheid recovery as a success story that belies political and economic reality.
LINEAR AND PROJECTIVE BOUNDARY OF NILPOTENT GROUPS
Authors: KRÖN BERNHARD , LEHNERT JÖRG , SEIFTER NORBERT , TEUFL ELMAR
Published: December 2014

We define a pseudometric on the set of all unbounded subsets of a metric space. The Kolmogorov quotient of this pseudometric space is a complete metric space. The definition of the pseudometric is guided by the principle that two unbounded subsets have distance 0 whenever they stay sublinearly close. Based on this pseudometric we introduce and study a general concept of boundaries of metric spaces. Such a boundary is the closure of a subset in the Kolmogorov quotient determined by an arbitrarily chosen family of unbounded subsets. Our interest lies in those boundaries which we get by choosing unbounded cyclic sub(semi)groups of a finitely generated group (or more general of a compactly generated, locally compact Hausdorff group). We show that these boundaries are quasi-isometric invariants and determine them in the case of nilpotent groups as a disjoint union of certain spheres (or projective spaces). In addition we apply this concept to vertex-transitive graphs with polynomial growth and to random walks on nilpotent groups.
A rare case of subglottic embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma: managed with the aim of organ preservation
Authors: Jain A , Singh S N , Singhal P , Sharma M P
Published: December 2014

Background:

Rhabdomyosarcoma is a malignant mesenchymal neoplasm rarely diagnosed in the larynx. Traditionally, it has been treated by radical surgery (i.e. total laryngectomy), followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy. Recent advances suggest that it may be treated with combination therapy comprising high-dose radiation and pulse chemotherapy, with a high success rate.

Case report:

We report the first documented case of subglottic embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma in an adolescent female treated with chemoradiation alone, and review the literature reflecting a move towards organ preservation.

Conclusion:

While surgery has been successfully used to treat this neoplasm, combination therapy, as described in our study, also seems effective and has the added advantage of preserving laryngeal function.
Critical Discourse Analysis in Applied Linguistics: A Methodological Review
Authors: Lin Angel
Published: December 2014

The critical turn arrived in the field of applied linguistics in the late 1990s and early 2000s, and the field has since witnessed a burgeoning body of literature drawing on a variety of analytical frameworks and methodological approaches that are loosely labeled as critical discourse analysis (CDA). A methodological review of the role of CDA in the field is thus timely both to provide signposts for researchers wishing to draw on CDA methods in applied linguistics research and to provide some theoretical and methodological resources to evaluate the rapidly growing body of CDA-oriented applied linguistics research. Unlike some methodological tools, such as corpus analytic tools that can be inserted into a diverse range of theoretical frameworks (e.g., positivist studies, interpretive studies, critical studies), CDA cannot be applied divorced from its paradigmatic theories, as it is closely related to a specific set of social theories about the nature of language, literacy, identity, social practice, and the social world. CDA methods thus cannot be applied without also a concomitant commitment to CDA's theoretical orientations. In this review, the theoretical commitments as well as the classic methods of CDA will first be discussed and then the major areas in which CDA researchers typically conduct their studies are outlined together with a review of the variety of methodological approaches used in these different areas. The strengths as well as the limitations of these approaches will be discussed with examples of recent studies using CDA in the field of applied linguistics. The article will conclude with some suggestions for future directions of CDA methodological development.
Quantitative Approaches for Analyzing Longitudinal Data in Second Language Research
Authors: Barkaoui Khaled
Published: December 2014

This article discusses methods used in second language (L2) research to analyze quantitative longitudinal data. Longitudinal studies are experimental and nonexperimental studies that collect repeated measures of the same variable(s) from the same participant(s) at two or more time points. Three challenging areas in longitudinal L2 research are first discussed: study design, measurement, and data analysis and modeling. Next, various traditional and recent quantitative approaches for analyzing longitudinal data are discussed, including difference or gain scores, repeated measures univariate and multivariate analysis of variance (RM ANOVA, MANOVA), multilevel modeling (MLM), autoregressive models and latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) within the structural equation modeling (SEM) framework, item response theory (IRT), single-case research designs and time series analysis (TSA), and event history analysis (EHA). Longitudinal L2 studies published in the last 10 years are reviewed to identify trends and patterns in the use of different quantitative approaches for analyzing longitudinal L2 data, describe best data analysis practices in such research, and provide recommendations for future longitudinal L2 studies. It is argued that, when feasible and appropriate, recent approaches (e.g., MLM, LGCM) have several conceptual, methodological, and practical advantages and can stimulate the development and empirical examination of more complex questions and models concerning L2 development over time than is possible with traditional techniques.
Brucella suis infection in domestic pigs in Sardinia (Italy)
Authors: PILO C. , TEDDE M. T. , ORRÙ G. , ADDIS G. , LICIARDI M.
Published: December 2014

During a 4-year (2007–2010) survey, the presence of Brucella suis infection in domestic pigs in Sardinia was investigated. Serum samples were collected from breeding pigs located on 108 commercial farms with documented reproductive problems and analysed using the Rose Bengal (RBT) and complement fixation (CFT) tests for screening and confirmation of Brucella, respectively. Of the 1251 serum samples analysed by RBT, 406 sera, originating from 36 farms, were positive for B. suis. CFT was positive in 292/748 sera analysed, confirming positivity in all 36 pig herds. Pigs with international complement fixation test units per ml (ICFTU/ml) values ⩾160 were slaughtered, and their organs collected for bacteriological examination and testing by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Brucella spp. strains were isolated in culture from 13/502 organs analysed, and subsequently identified as B. suis biovar 2. PCR detected positivity to Brucella spp. in 19/285 organs analysed. These results confirm the presence and emergence of B. suis infection in domestic pigs in Sardinia.
Spatio-temporal organization in a morphochemical electrodeposition model: Hopf and Turing instabilities and their interplay
Authors: LACITIGNOLA DEBORAH , BOZZINI BENEDETTO , SGURA IVONNE
Published: December 2014

In this paper, we investigate from a theoretical point of view the 2D reaction-diffusion system for electrodeposition coupling morphology and surface chemistry, presented and experimentally validated in Bozziniet al.(2013J. Solid State Electr.17, 467–479). We analyse the mechanisms responsible for spatio-temporal organization. As a first step, spatially uniform dynamics is discussed and the occurrence of a supercritical Hopf bifurcation for the local kinetics is proved. In the spatial case, initiation of morphological patterns induced by diffusion is shown to occur in a suitable region of the parameter space. The intriguing interplay between Hopf and Turing instability is also considered, by investigating the spatio-temporal behaviour of the system in the neighbourhood of the codimension-two Turing--Hopf bifurcation point. An ADI (Alternating Direction Implicit) scheme based on high-order finite differences in space is applied to obtain numerical approximations of Turing patterns at the steady state and for the simulation of the oscillating Turing–Hopf dynamics.
Computer-mediated communication (CMC) in L2 oral proficiency development: A meta-analysis
Authors: Lin Huifen
Published: December 2014

The ever growing interest in the development of foreign or second (L2) oral proficiency in a computer-mediated communication (CMC) classroom has resulted in a large body of studies looking at both the direct and indirect effects of CMC interventions on the acquisition of oral competences. The present study employed a quantitative meta-analytic approach to investigate such effects by synthesizing (quasi)experimental studies that provide empirical quantitative data for effect size calculation. A literature search located 25 relevant studies for the final analysis. Each study was independently coded for learner, design and publication characteristics. The averaged effect size was estimated from the included studies. The results of the meta-analysis reveal that communication mediated by computer/technologies produced a moderate positive effect on L2 learners’ oral proficiency compared to face-to-face (F2F) communication or no interaction. Furthermore, CMC has roughly similar effect on pronunciation, lexical and syntactic level of oral production; however, it might have a negative impact on fluency and accuracy. This meta-analysis also found that the effect of CMC on oral proficiency depends on several methodological factors such as task type, outcome measurement, treatment length, and assessment task. Major findings of the current meta-analysis include: (1) studies relying on elicited data are superior to those utilizing naturalistic data; (2) reading aloud seems to be the task that could elicit the best oral performance from students; (3) surprisingly, CMC appeared to be harmful for accuracy and fluency; (4) studies that employed decision-making generated the largest effect size, followed by studies that used more than one task type; (5) among the four tasks, jigsaw actually generated a negative effect on oral performance; and (6) as the most popular task employed by primary researchers, opinion-exchange studies produced the smallest effect size. These findings need to be interpreted as exploratory rather than confirmatory since each of them became less trustworthy after taking into consideration numerous other factors such as CMC task and the particular CMC tool used, etc. Future research suggestions are provided and the limitations of this meta-analysis are addressed.
A Short Proof of the Random Ramsey Theorem
Authors: NENADOV RAJKO , STEGER ANGELIKA
Published: December 2014

In this paper we give a short proof of the Random Ramsey Theorem of Rödl and Ruciński: for any graph F which contains a cycle and r ≥ 2, there exist constants c, C > 0 such that
$$
\begin{equation*}
\Pr[G_{n,p} \rightarrow (F)_r^e] =
\begin{cases}
1-o(1) &p\ge Cn^{-1/m_2(F)},\\
o(1) &p\le cn^{-1/m_2(F)},
\end{cases}
\end{equation*}
$$
where
$$
\begin{equation*}
m_2(F) = \max_{J\subseteq F, v_J\ge 2} \frac{e_J-1}{v_J-2}.
\end{equation*}
$$
The proof of the 1-statement is based on the recent beautiful hypergraph container theorems by Saxton and Thomason, and Balogh, Morris and Samotij. The proof of the 0-statement is elementary.
The impact of front-of-pack nutrition labels on consumer product evaluation and choice: an experimental study
Authors: Hamlin Robert P , McNeill Lisa S , Moore Vanessa
Published: December 2014

Objective

The present research was an experimental test that aimed to quantify the impact of two dominant front-of-pack (FOP) nutritional label formats on consumer evaluations of food products that carried them. The two FOP label types tested were the traffic light label and the Percentage Daily Intake.

Design

A 4×5 partially replicated Latin square design was used that allowed the impact of the FOP labels to be isolated from the effects of the product and the consumers who were performing the evaluations.

Setting

The experiment was conducted on campus at the University of Otago, New Zealand.

Subjects

The participants were 250 university students selected at random who met qualifying criteria of independent living and regular purchase of the products used in the research. They were not aware of the purpose of the research.

Results

The presence of FOP labels led to significant and positive changes in consumer purchase intentions towards the products that carried them. These changes were not affected by the nature of FOP labels used, their size or the product nutritional status (good/bad) that they were reporting.

Conclusions

The result is consistent with the participants paying attention to the FOP label and then using it as an adimensional cue indicating product desirability. As such, it represents a complete functional failure of both of these FOP label types in this specific instance. This result supports calls for further research on the performance of these FOP labels before any move to compulsory deployment is made.
Scorched Earth: Environmental War Crimes and International Justice
Authors: Leebaw Bronwyn
Published: December 2014

Environmental devastation is not only a byproduct of war, but has also been a military strategy since ancient times. How have the norms and laws of war addressed the damage that war inflicts on the environment? How should “environmental war crimes” be defined and addressed? I address these questions by critically examining the way that distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate wartime environmental destruction have been drawn in debates on just war theory and the laws of war. I identify four distinctive formulations for framing the wartime significance of nature that appear in such debates and analyze how each is associated with distinctive claims regarding what constitutes “humaneness” in times of war: nature as property; nature as combatant; nature as Pandora's Box; and nature as victim. I argue that efforts to investigate and judge the environmental impact of war destabilize and expose the limitations of core distinctions that animate humanitarian norms, but also offer an important and neglected source of guidance in addressing those limitations.
Transforming Subjects into Citizens: Insights from Brazil’s Bolsa Família
Authors: Hunter Wendy , Sugiyama Natasha Borges
Published: December 2014

Welfare programs distribute benefits to citizens. Perhaps even more importantly, by conveying powerful messages about how the state views poor people, welfare programs shape people’s views about themselves as subjects or citizens. Theoretical debates on how public policies can enhance democratic citizenship inspire our study of Brazil’s Bolsa Família (Family Grant). Has this conditional cash transfer program, which forms a major point of contact between the state and millions of poor Brazilians, elevated feelings of social inclusion and agency? A prominent perspective in the welfare-state literature would not expect a positive outcome given the strict means testing and behavioral requirements entailed. Yet our focus group research with Bolsa Família recipients suggests that the program does foster a sense of belonging and efficacy. Policy design and government discourse matter. This innovative welfare program yields rich insights on alternative paths to citizenship development for middle- and low-income countries in the third wave of democracy.
A discussion of John S. Ahlquist and Margaret Levi's In the Interest of Others: Organizations and Social Activism
Authors: Ackerly Brooke
Published: December 2014

John S. Alquist and Margaret Levi’s In the Interest of Others: Organizations and Social Activism develops a new theory of organizations through a comparative analysis of two activist labor unions (the International Longshore and Warehouse Union in the United States and the Waterside Workers Federation in Australia) and two unions that focus only on pursuing member benefits (the Teamsters and the International Longshoremen’s Association in the United States). Integrating the study of labor politics, social movements, social capital, and the political economy of group organization and mobilization, the book addresses a wide range of political science concerns. We have thus invited a range of political scientists to comment on the book as an account of labor politics and as a broader account of the logic of collective action.— Jeffrey C. Isaac, Editor
Word Association Norms in Mexican Spanish
Authors: Barrón-Martínez Julia B. , Arias-Trejo Natalia
Published: December 2014

The aim of this research is to present a Spanish Word Association Norms (WAN) database of concrete nouns. The database includes 234 stimulus words (SWs) and 67,622 response words (RWs) provided by 478 young Mexican adults. Eight different measures were calculated to quantitatively analyze word-word relationships: 1) Associative strength of the first associate, 2) Associative strength of the second associate, 3) Sum of associative strength of first two associates, 4) Difference in associative strength between first two associates, 5) Number of different associates, 6) Blank responses, 7) Idiosyncratic responses, and 8) Cue validity of the first associate. The resulting database is an important contribution given that there are no published word association norms for Mexican Spanish. The results of this study are an important resource for future research regarding lexical networks, priming effects, semantic memory, among others.
Multivariate Modeling of Body Mass Index, Pulse Pressure, Systolic and Diastolic Blood Pressure in Chinese Twins
Authors: Wu Yili , Zhang Dongfeng , Pang Zengchang , Jiang Wenjie , Wang Shaojie , Li Shuxia , von Bornemann Hjelmborg Jacob , Tan Qihua
Published: December 2014

Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, pulse pressure (PP), and body mass index (BMI) are heritable traits in human metabolic health but their common genetic and environmental backgrounds are not well investigated. The aim of this article was to explore the phenotypic and genetic associations among PP, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), and BMI. The studied sample contained 615 twin pairs (17–84 years) collected in the Qingdao municipality. Univariate and multivariate structural equation models were fitted for assessing the genetic and environmental contributions. The AE model combining additive genetic (A) and unique environmental (E) factors produced the best fit for each four phenotypes. Heritability estimated in univariate analysis ranged from 0.42 to 0.74 with the highest for BMI (95% CI 0.70–0.78), and the lowest for PP (95% CI 0.34–0.49). The multivariate model estimated (1) high genetic correlations for DBP with SBP (0.87), PP with SBP (0.75); (2) low–moderate genetic correlations between PP and DBP (0.32), each BP component and BMI (0.24–0.37); (3) moderate unique environmental correlation for PP with SBP (0.68) and SBP with DBP (0.63); (4) there was no significant unique environmental correlation between PP and BMI. Overall, our multivariate analyses revealed common genetic and environmental backgrounds for PP, BP, and BMI in Chinese twins.
A reanalysis dataset of the South China Sea
Authors: Zeng Xuezhi , Peng Shiqiu , Li Zhijin , Qi Yiquan , Chen Rongyu
Published: December 2014

Ocean reanalysis provides a temporally continuous and spatially gridded four-dimensional estimate of the ocean state for a better understanding of the ocean dynamics and its spatial/temporal variability. Here we present a 19-year (1992–2010) high-resolution ocean reanalysis dataset of the upper ocean in the South China Sea (SCS) produced from an ocean data assimilation system. A wide variety of observations, including in-situ temperature/salinity profiles, ship-measured and satellite-derived sea surface temperatures, and sea surface height anomalies from satellite altimetry, are assimilated into the outputs of an ocean general circulation model using a multi-scale incremental three-dimensional variational data assimilation scheme, yielding a daily high-resolution reanalysis dataset of the SCS. Comparisons between the reanalysis and independent observations support the reliability of the dataset. The presented dataset provides the research community of the SCS an important data source for studying the thermodynamic processes of the ocean circulation and meso-scale features in the SCS, including their spatial and temporal variability.
Atomic scale dynamics of a solid state chemical reaction directly determined by annular dark-field electron microscopy
Authors: Pennycook Timothy J. , Jones Lewys , Pettersson Henrik , Coelho João , Canavan Megan , Mendoza-Sanchez Beatriz , Nicolosi Valeria , Nellist Peter D.
Published: December 2014

Dynamic processes, such as solid-state chemical reactions and phase changes, are ubiquitous in materials science and developing a capability to observe the mechanisms of such processes on the atomic scale can offer new insights across a wide range of materials systems. Aberration correction in scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) has enabled atomic resolution imaging at significantly reduced beam energies and electron doses. It has also made possible the quantitative determination of the composition and occupancy of atomic columns using the atomic number (Z)-contrast annular dark-field (ADF) imaging available in STEM. Here we combine these benefits to record the motions and quantitative changes in the occupancy of individual atomic columns during a solid-state chemical reaction in manganese oxides. These oxides are of great interest for energy-storage applications such as for electrode materials in pseudocapacitors. We employ rapid scanning in STEM to both drive and directly observe the atomic scale dynamics behind the transformation of Mn3O4 into MnO. The results demonstrate we now have the experimental capability to understand the complex atomic mechanisms involved in phase changes and solid state chemical reactions.
Counting quantum dot aggregates for the detection of biotinylated proteins
Authors: Shi Xingbo , Dong Suli , Li Minmin , Liu Xiaojun , Zhang Qingquan , Zhao Wenfeng , Zong Chenghua , Zhang Yewang , Gai Hongwei
Published: December 2014

The method of quantifying the degree of aggregation of QDs in solution is realized by spectral imaging of the aggregate.
Enantioselective gold catalyzed dearomative [2+2]-cycloaddition between indoles and allenamides
Authors: Jia Minqiang , Monari Magda , Yang Qing-Qing , Bandini Marco
Published: December 2014

The missing l(r)ink(g): a series of densely substituted 2,3-cyclobutane-fused indolines is obtained in a highly stereocontrolled manner via enantioselective [Au(i)]-catalyzed formal [2+2]-cycloaddition reactions between indoles and allenamides.
Rh(iii)-catalyzed C–H activation/cyclization of benzamides and diazo compounds to form isocoumarins and α-pyrones
Authors: Li Xing Guang , Sun Min , Liu Kai , Jin Qiao , Liu Pei Nian
Published: December 2014

Rhodium-catalyzed intermolecular cyclization of benzamides and diazo compounds via C–H activation has been achieved to construct C–C/C–O bonds for the first time.
p-Phosphonic acid calix[8]arene assisted dispersion and stabilisation of pea-pod C60@multi-walled carbon nanotubes in water
Authors: Chen Xianjue , Gibson Christopher T. , Britton Joshua , Eggers Paul K. , Wahid M. Haniff , Raston Colin L.
Published: December 2014

Pristine C60 and MWCNTs are non-covalently stabilised in water by p-phosphonic acid calix[8]arene, additionally with ‘pea-pod’ encapsulation of C60 inside the MWCNTs.
A smart pH-switchable luminescent hydrogel
Authors: Zhang Chunqiu , Li Yiwei , Xue Xiangdong , Chu Pengfei , Liu Chang , Yang Keni , Jiang Yonggang , Chen Wei-Qiang , Zou Guozhang , Liang Xing-Jie
Published: December 2014

Here we report a novel example of a luminescent hydrogel, which is formed from silent individual molecules simply by altering the pH of the system.
Ligation driven 19F relaxation enhancement in self-assembled Ln(iii) complexes
Authors: Davies Gemma-Louise , Brown Asha , Blackburn Octavia , Tropiano Manuel , Faulkner Stephen , Beer Paul D. , Davis Jason J.
Published: December 2014

Strong bidentate ligation of a fluorinated isophthalate with a binuclear lanthanide chelate results in the paramagnetic relaxation enhancement of 19F, providing a promising route to a generation of self-assembled 19F contrast agents.
Host-sensitized luminescence in LaNbO4:Ln3+ (Ln3+ = Eu3+/Tb3+/Dy3+) with different emission colors
Authors: Li Kai , Zhang Yang , Li Xuejiao , Shang Mengmeng , Lian Hongzhou , Lin Jun
Published: December 2014

A series of Eu3+, Tb3+, and Dy3+ doped LaNbO4 (LNO) phosphors could be potentially applied in solid-state lighting and display fields.
Classical nucleation theory of homogeneous freezing of water: thermodynamic and kinetic parameters
Authors: Ickes Luisa , Welti André , Hoose Corinna , Lohmann Ulrike
Published: December 2014

Different formulations of the kinetic and thermodynamic parameters of CNT are evaluated against measured nucleation rates.
Kinetically stabilized aliovalent europium-doped magnesium oxide as a UV sensitized phosphor
Authors: Rastogi Chandresh Kumar , Saha Sulay , Sivakumar Sri , Pala Raj Ganesh S. , Kumar Jitendra
Published: December 2014

Doping of size mismatched aliovalent ions is challenging due to the associated elastic and electronic stress making the thermodynamics unfavorable.