bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Computational investigation of the adsorption and reactions of SiHx (x = 0–4) on TiO2 anatase (101) and rutile (110) surfaces
Authors: Huang Wen‐Fei , Chen Hsin‐Tsung , Lin M.C.
Published: January 2013

The adsorption and reactions of the SiHx (x = 0–4) on Titanium dioxide (TiO2) anatase (101) and rutile (110) surfaces have been studied by using periodic density functional theory in conjunction with the projected augmented wave approach. It is found that SiHx (x = 0–4) can form the monodentate, bidentate, or tridentate adsorbates, depending on the value of x. H coadsorption is found to reduce the stability of SiHx adsorption. Hydrogen migration on the TiO2 surfaces is also discussed for elucidation of the SiHx decomposition mechanism. Comparing adsorption energies, energy barriers, and potential energy profiles on the two TiO2 surfaces, the SiHx decomposition can occur more readily on the rutile (110) surface than on the anatase (101) surface. The results may be used for kinetic simulation of Si thin‐film deposition and quantum dot preparation on titania by chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced CVD, or catalytically enhanced CVD. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Considering dynamic parameters of damaged structure in MPA and YPS nonlinear static procedures for asymmetric buildings
Authors: Moslemi Mehdi , Chizari Hossein , Moghadam Abdolreza Sarvghad
Published: January 2013

The yield point spectra and modal pushover procedures have already been used in seismic design of new buildings and vulnerability evaluation of existing structures. This paper initially identifies the similarities and differences of the two procedures. Then, the modal characteristics of damaged structure are used to modify their methodologies. The applications of the procedures in estimating displacement, interstory drift index and plastic hinge rotation responses of asymmetric buildings are investigated for three 5‐story reinforced concrete moment‐resisting frame‐building models. The results show considerable improvement in estimating the responses of those asymmetric buildings. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Robust wind turbine gearbox fault detection
Authors: Sheldon Jeremy , Mott Genna , Lee Hyungdae , Watson Matthew
Published: January 2013

Impact Technologies' participation in the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Wind Turbine Gearbox Condition Monitoring Round Robin focused on applying multiple vibration diagnostic algorithms to the provided data set. These approaches have been developed and matured by the team in Department of Defense applications for more than 10 years. Generally, the methods employed by the team worked well, once the challenges and peculiarities of the data set were realized. The results of these automated algorithms were also corroborated with visual spectral analysis. Both the blind results, obtained without knowing details on actual gearbox condition, and the conclusions that were drawn after learning the actual damage are each discussed. The algorithms and results are summarized herein. Finally some conclusions and recommendations are provided that may help guide future tests and analysis efforts. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Catalytic transformation of carbohydrates and lignin in ionic liquids
Authors: Zhang Z. Conrad
Published: January 2013

Ionic liquids with anions of strong hydrogen‐bond basicity have been broadly reported in the literature as effective solvents for the dissolution of the components of lignocellulosic biomass. The key attributes of various ionic liquids are reviewed with a focus on their structural and functional properties related to biomass dissolution capacity. A number of the most studied ionic liquids with high solubility for cellulose and lignin have often been found not suited for catalytic conversions of these biomass components. Metal chlorides in chloride‐based ionic liquids are robust catalyst systems for efficient cellulose and lignin conversions. Emerging leads in the literature related to the use of ionic liquids for catalytic conversions of cellulose, cellulosic carbohydrates, and lignin are discussed.

This article is categorized under:

Bioenergy > Science and Materials
Implications from clean observables for the binned analysis of B → K ∗ μ + μ − at large recoil
Authors: Descotes-Genon Sébastien , Matias Joaquim , Ramon Marc , Virto Javier
Published: January 2013

Abstract

We perform a frequentist analysis ofq2-dependentB→K∗(→Kπ)ℓ+ℓ−angular observables at large recoil, aiming at bridging the gap between current theoretical analyses and the actual experimental measurements. We focus on the most appropriate set of observables to measure and on the role of theq2-binning. We highlight the importance of the observablesPiexhibiting a limited sensitivity to soft form factors for the search for New Physics contributions. We compute predictions for these binned observables in the Standard Model, and we compare them with their experimental determination extracted from recent LHCb data. Analysingb→sandb→sℓ+ℓ−transitions within four different New Physics scenarios, we identify several New Physics benchmark points which can be discriminated through the measurement ofPiobservables with a fineq2-binning. We emphasise the importance (and risks) of using observables with (un)suppressed dependence on soft form factors for the search of New Physics, which we illustrate by the different size of hadronic uncertainties attached to two related observables (P1andS3). We illustrate how theq2-dependent angular observables measured in several bins can help to unravel New Physics contributions toB→K∗(→Kπ)ℓ+ℓ−, and show the extraordinary constraining power that the clean observables will have in the near future. We provide semi-numerical expressions for these observables as functions of the relevant Wilson coefficients at the low scale.
Das Objekt der Bevölkerung – eine wissenschafts- und ideengeschichtliche Annäherung
Authors: Roskamm Nikolai
Published: January 2013

Theoretical debates in social and planning sciences (like urban planning, urban studies, urban sociology or social geography) are rarely focussing on the term “population” in an explicit way. But implicitly (and as an object) population is—as a complementary concept to “space”—in the centre of such spatial sciences quite often. The purpose of this paper is to take an epistemological glance at the history of the concept of population. Firstly I trace back to Michel Foucault’s history of governmentality and work out the meaning of population in this context. Secondly I go to the discourses of population sciences that take place in national economy in nineteenth century and recapitulate the large debates and their population conception (i.e. Malthus, Marx and Engels, Schmoller, Oppenheimer, Mombert). Thirdly I look at population policy especially in the 1920ies and 1930ies, which handles with concepts like “overpopulation” and “Bevölkerungsoptimum” and which are deeply embedded in the NS-state and its ideology. In my conclusion I bring forward the argument that population is a fundament of spatial planning and space science (“Raumforschung und Raumplanung”) and that therefore is a demand for a permanent controversy concerning the concept of population.
MicroRNA‐21 mediates the rapamycin‐induced suppression of endothelial proliferation and migration
Authors: Jin Chongying , Zhao Yanbo , Yu Lu , Xu Shengjie , Fu Guosheng
Published: January 2013

Rapamycin suppresses endothelial proliferation and migration, which leads to delayed re‐endothelialization in the rapamycin‐eluted stents that are used in coronary heart disease patients. Because microRNAs (miRs) play important roles in endothelial angiogenesis, we tested the hypothesis that rapamycin induces endothelial suppression, partly through pathways that involve miRs. Rapamycin treatment increased the expression of miR‐21 in HUVECs. The downregulation of miR‐21 by inhibitors abolished the negative effects of rapamycin on endothelial cell growth and mobility. RhoB was confirmed as a direct target gene of miR‐21. Knockdown of Raptor by siRNA mimicked the effects of rapamycin on miR‐21 expression. Our study provides a new explanation of the mechanism of rapamycin‐mediated inhibition of endothelial proliferation and migration.
Toward a wiki guide for obstetrics and gynecology trainees in Ireland
Authors: McVey Ruaidhrí M. , Clarke Eric , Joyce Pauline , Turner Michael , Gannon Michael J.
Published: January 2013

Background

The present paper describes the implementation of a novel, web‐based, comprehensive national information hub for trainees in obstetrics and gynecology in Ireland. This was a unique development in the context of an entire medical specialty and was aligned with the communication strategy of the governing professional body. To date, trainee doctors working in Ireland undergo an incoherent and inconsistent new‐staff induction and handover. In the healthcare setting, staff integration can have a major impact on the quality of patient care.

Methods

A free wiki software platform (PBworks) was used for the website, and freely available software (Google Analytics) was used to determine user interaction and level of engagement.

Results

In the first year, 442 user visits were recorded. The average duration of site visits was 4 minutes 39 seconds, which compared favorably with the 4‐minute duration for visits to Wikipedia.

Conclusion

The project was successful as a proof concept and in practice. Other medical faculties have expressed an interest in adopting the concept and developing it for their trainees. The concept is widely applicable to other countries, with the negligible cost relevant to resource‐poor areas.
The Loyal Genetic Doctor, Otmar Freiherr von Verschuer, and the Institut für Erbbiologie und Rassenhygiene: Origins, Controversy, and Racial Political Practice
Authors: Weiss Sheila Faith
Published: January 2013

Reporting on the results of the 1935 World Population Conference hosted in the capital of the “new Germany” for members of the nation's medical community, the renowned racial anthropologist and director of the prestigious Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institut für Anthropologie, menschliche Erblehre und Eugenik (KWIA), Eugen Fischer (1874–1967), commented on the significance of a new type of physician, one whose duties were intricately linked with the goals of the Nazi state. Just as the house doctor of old was able to prevent and recognize when an individual patient was in imminent medical danger by having carefully watched over his charge—intervening when necessary—so, too, must the Erbarzt (genetic doctor) do the same for the entire Volk by overseeing, and, if need be, managing, the hereditary lineages of all its composite members. This not merely entailed evaluating the trajectory of genetic diseases in different segments of the German population, but it also demanded something equally important. “As getreuer Ekkehardt [loyal Ekkehardt] with his hand on the pulse of the life of his Volk,” Fischer commented, the genetic doctor had to supervise its racial purity. This was to ensure that its racial essence—the presupposition of all cultural and mental attributes of the Volk—was inherited unchanged.
Role of surgery in the management of head and neck cancer: a contemporary view of the data in the era of organ preservation
Authors: Hörmann K , Sadick H
Published: January 2013

Objective:

Review of the literature on the role of surgery in the management of head and neck cancer in the era of organ preservation.

Method:

Literature search based on the essential practice guidelines set out by the US National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Results:

Despite the increasing popularity of non-surgical treatment options, the surgeon remains a key figure in the multidisciplinary head and neck cancer team, along with the radiation oncologist, the medical oncologist and the speech and swallowing therapist. Even when organ preservation is successful, early and late toxicity may cause serious complications, including laryngeal dysfunction with a ‘frozen larynx’. When organ preservation fails, salvage surgery is often associated with increased complications and reduced survival.

Conclusion:

There is a definite need to apply more rigorous standards to the use of organ preservation strategies, and to re-evaluate the role of surgery in head and neck cancer treatment.
Lichen community change over a 15-year time period: effects of climate and pollution
Authors: EVJU Marianne , BRUTEIG Inga E.
Published: January 2013

Over the last decades, levels of sulphur deposition from air pollution have been substantially reduced in Norway, whereas levels of nitrogen deposition have been stable or somewhat increased. In parallel, a clear trend of increasing annual temperatures, as well as precipitation, is evident. Human impact on natural ecosystems is predicted to reduce biodiversity at regional scales through facilitating a few generalist species at the expense of species with narrow habitat requirements. In this study, we investigate changes in community composition and the abundance of dominant lichen species on birch in subalpine forests over a 15-year period. The study is based on repeated measurements in five monitoring sites in Norway, representing regional gradients in temperature and precipitation as well as in deposition of nitrogen and sulphur compounds. Two dominant species are studied in particular; the generalist Hypogymnia physodes and the subalpine birch specialist Melanelia olivacea. The largest change in species composition was found in the site with the biggest reduction in sulphur deposition during the 15-year period, whereas the site with low precipitation and low pollution loads had small changes in species composition. The abundance of the generalist H. physodes increased in all sites and the specialist M. olivacea decreased in abundance, especially in sites with both high precipitation and heavy nitrogen deposition. Our study thus suggests that a warmer, humid climate is beneficial for the generalist H. physodes.
Pannaria minutiphylla and P. pulverulacea, two new and common, austral species, previously interpreted as Pannaria microphyllizans (Nyl.) P. M. Jørg.
Authors: ELVEBAKK Arve
Published: January 2013

Pannaria minutiphylla Elvebakk and P. pulverulacea Elvebakk are described here as new to science. Both species belong to the panaustral P. sphinctrina (Mont.) Tuck. ex Hue complex. Their spores, however, are more long-ellipsoid and much less verrucose than those of P. sphinctrina itself, and the species are therefore not considered to be phyllidiate and sorediate counterparts, respectively, of the latter. Pannaria minutiphylla disperses with phyllidia, which are distinctly smaller and not as erect as those of a similar Australian species, P. phyllidiata Elvebakk. Pannaria pulverulacea has the smallest vegetative propagules within this species group. They are referred to as soredia here, although they are partly corticated. This species also has the widest distribution, including wet forests of southern South America, south-eastern Australia, and from Northland to Campbell Island in New Zealand. Pannaria minutiphylla has the same distribution and often grows together with P. pulverulacea, except in southern South America, where some related material has still not been sufficiently studied. Both species are very common within their distribution areas, and previously have mostly been identified as P. microphyllizans. The latter is, however, a very different species, which instead will be studied in comparison with P. athroophylla (Stirt.) Elvebakk & D. J. Galloway.
The decline of the Vulnerable yeheb Cordeauxia edulis, an economically important dryland shrub of Ethiopia
Authors: Yusuf Mussa , Teklehaimanot Zewge , Gurmu Deribe
Published: January 2013

Cordeauxia edulis (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae), commonly called yeheb, is a small tree/shrub species endemic to Ethiopia and Somalia. The tree produces nuts that are consumed as a staple food by pastoralists and are sold in local markets. Recent reports indicate that C. edulis has vanished from many locations where it was noted by earlier travellers and, as a result, it is currently categorized as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. To assess the current status of the species we studied it around 10 villages in Boh district in the Somali Regional State of Ethiopia, where the only known remnant stands of C. edulis in Ethiopia are found. The results show that these populations of C. edulis are declining and natural regeneration is negligible. We recommend that yeheb should be categorized as Endangered on the IUCN Red List, based on criteria A1d, because we estimate that there has been at least a 70% reduction in population size from overexploitation. The major constraints to natural regeneration and imbalance in the population structure are over-harvesting of immature nuts, excessive browsing of shoots and leaves by livestock and excessive cutting of wood for fuel and construction. We recommend that conservation measures for the species focus on sustainable harvesting of mature nuts, raising awareness among local people, preservation and monitoring of remnant populations and introduction of the species in ecologically suitable sites.
Population status, distribution and conservation needs of the Endangered Mangshan pit viper Protobothrops mangshanensis of China
Authors: Gong Shi-ping , Yang Dao-de , Chen Yuan-hui , Lau Michael , Wang Fu-min
Published: January 2013

The Endangered Mangshan pit viper Protobothrops mangshanensis is endemic to the Nanling Mountain Range of China. It has been targeted for exploitation to satisfy the international pet trade and zoological collections since it was described. Long-term intensive exploitation and habitat destruction have resulted in drastic reductions in wild populations, pushing this rare species towards extinction. Since 1990 only limited investigations have been conducted and the most optimistic estimation of the population size was 300–500 individuals, in 2000. Since then, however, there have been no updates on the population status of this snake in the wild. To provide baseline data for effective conservation of this species we conducted a study of its status and distribution, during 2007–2010. Only eight individuals were found during fieldwork and we documented the illegal harvesting of >30. The total population of the species was estimated to be 462, occupying c. 105 km2 in the Nanling Mountain Range. The black market price of a Mangshan pit viper is currently >USD 1,000 kg−1 and illegal trade has led to over-harvesting, which is the greatest threat to the species. Our study indicates that protected areas cannot effectively protect this pit viper if the trade in this species cannot be controlled. Based on the results of our study we present five recommendations for conservation of the species.
Benefits of wildlife-based land uses on private lands in Namibia and limitations affecting their development
Authors: Lindsey P. A. , Havemann C. P. , Lines R. M. , Price A. E. , Retief T. A. , Rhebergen T. , Van der Waal C. , Romañach S. S.
Published: January 2013

Legislative changes during the 1960s–1970s granted user rights over wildlife to landowners in southern Africa, resulting in a shift from livestock farming to wildlife-based land uses. Few comprehensive assessments of such land uses on private land in southern Africa have been conducted and the associated benefits are not always acknowledged by politicians. Nonetheless, wildlife-based land uses are growing in prevalence on private land. In Namibia wildlife-based land use occurs over c. 287,000 km2. Employment is positively related to income from ecotourism and negatively related to income from livestock. While 87% of meat from livestock is exported ≥ 95% of venison from wildlife-based land uses remains within the country, contributing to food security. Wildlife populations are increasing with expansion of wildlife-based land uses, and private farms contain 21–33 times more wildlife than in protected areas. Because of the popularity of wildlife-based land uses among younger farmers, increasing tourist arrivals and projected impacts of climate change on livestock production, the economic output of wildlife-based land uses will probably soon exceed that of livestock. However, existing policies favour livestock production and are prejudiced against wildlife-based land uses by prohibiting reintroductions of buffalo Syncerus caffer, a key species for tourism and safari hunting, and through subsidies that artificially inflate the profitability of livestock production. Returns from wildlife-based land uses are also limited by the failure to reintroduce other charismatic species, failure to develop fully-integrated conservancies and to integrate black farmers sufficiently.
Has biodiversity fallen off the development agenda? A case study of the UK Department for International Development
Authors: Roe Dilys
Published: January 2013

Since the early 2000s increasing attention has been paid to the relationship between biodiversity conservation and poverty reduction and a debate has ensued over various aspects of this relationship. One element of this debate has been concerned with an apparent lack of attention to biodiversity conservation on the international development agenda following the prioritization of poverty reduction. This paper explores whether this lack of attention is real or perceived by reviewing changes in biodiversity policy within the UK Department for International Development (DFID). It is clear that attention to biodiversity within DFID policy has changed significantly over time. There was strong support for wildlife conservation until the 1990s, including technical assistance, funding for integrated conservation and development projects (ICDPs), and community-based conservation. By the 2000s, however, the main focus had switched from funding wildlife conservation to mainstreaming biodiversity concerns into development policy. The degree to which the explicit focus on poverty reduction that emerged in the late 1990s drove this change is debatable. Changes in aid architecture, UK politics and clearer differentiations between the roles of DFID and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) in addressing biodiversity concerns have also shaped DFID's policy. Meanwhile, the political traction afforded to climate change demonstrates that it is possible for environmental issues to sit alongside poverty reduction in international development policy. However, communicating the societal implications of biodiversity loss has proved to be more challenging than for climate change. Better understanding of the mechanisms by which development assistance is disbursed would help the conservation community identify key opportunities for engagement.
Shifted inferior frontal laterality in women with major depressive disorder is related to emotion-processing deficits
Authors: Briceño E. M. , Weisenbach S. L. , Rapport L. J. , Hazlett K. E. , Bieliauskas L. A. , Haase B. D. , Ransom M. T. , Brinkman M. L. , Peciña M. , Schteingart D. E. , Starkman M. N. , Giordani B. , Welsh R. C. , Noll D. C. , Zubieta J.-K. , Langenecker S. A.
Published: January 2013

Background

Facial emotion perception (FEP) is a critical human skill for successful social interaction, and a substantial body of literature suggests that explicit FEP is disrupted in major depressive disorder (MDD). Prior research suggests that weakness in FEP may be an important phenomenon underlying patterns of emotion-processing challenges in MDD and the disproportionate frequency of MDD in women.

Method

Women with (n = 24) and without (n = 22) MDD, equivalent in age and education, completed a FEP task during functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

The MDD group exhibited greater extents of frontal, parietal and subcortical activation compared with the control group during FEP. Activation in the inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) appeared shifted from a left >right pattern observed in healthy women to a bilateral pattern in MDD women. The ratio of left to right suprathreshold IFG voxels in healthy controls was nearly 3:1, whereas in the MDD group, there was a greater percentage of suprathreshold IFG voxels bilaterally, with no leftward bias. In MDD, relatively greater activation in right IFG compared with left IFG (ratio score) was present and predicted FEP accuracy (r = 0.56, p < 0.004), with an inverse relationship observed between FEP and subgenual cingulate activation (r = − 0.46, p = 0.02).

Conclusions

This study links, for the first time, disrupted IFG activation laterality and increased subgenual cingulate activation with deficient FEP in women with MDD, providing an avenue for imaging-to-assessment translational applications in MDD.
SEMIPARAMETRIC FUNCTIONAL COEFFICIENT MODELS WITH INTEGRATED COVARIATES
Authors: Sun Yiguo , Cai Zongwu , Li Qi
Published: January 2013

Cai, Li, and Park (Journal of Econometrics, 2009) and Xiao (Journal of Econometrics, 2009) developed asymptotic theories for estimators of semiparametric varying coefficient models when regressors are integrated processes but the smooth coefficients are functionals of stationary processes. Using a recent result from Phillips (Econometric Theory, 2009), we extend this line of research by allowing for both the regressors and the covariates entering the smooth functionals to be integrated variables. We derive the asymptotic distribution for the proposed semiparametric estimator. An empirical application is presented to examine the purchasing power parity hypothesis between U.S. and Canadian dollars.
Effects of social games on infant vocalizations*
Authors: HSU HUI-CHIN , IYER SUNEETI NATHANI , FOGEL ALAN
Published: January 2013

The aim of the present study was to examine the contextual effects of social games on prelinguistic vocalizations. The two main goals were to (1) investigate the functions of vocalizations as symptoms of affective arousal and symbols of social understanding, and (2) explore form–function (de)coupling relations between vocalization types and game contexts. Seventy-one six-month-olds and sixty-four twelve-month-olds played with their mothers in normal and perturbed tickle and peek-a-boo games. The effects of infant age, game, game climax, and game perturbation on the frequency and types of infant vocalizations were examined. Results showed twelve-month-olds vocalized more mature canonical syllables during peek-a-boo and more primitive quasi-resonant nuclei during tickle than six-month-olds. Six- and twelve-month-olds increased their vocalizations from the set-up to climax during peek-a-boo, but they did not show such an increase during tickle. Findings support the symptom function of prelinguistic vocalizations reflecting affective arousal and the prevalence of form–function decoupling during the first year of life.
Motor Contingency Learning and Infants with Spina Bifida
Authors: Taylor Heather B. , Barnes Marcia A. , Landry Susan H. , Swank Paul , Fletcher Jack M. , Huang Furong
Published: January 2013

Infants with Spina Bifida (SB) were compared to typically developing infants (TD) using a conjugate reinforcement paradigm at 6 months-of-age (n= 98) to evaluate learning, and retention of a sensory-motor contingency. Analyses evaluated infant arm-waving rates at baseline (wrist not tethered to mobile), during acquisition of the sensory-motor contingency (wrist tethered), and immediately after the acquisition phase and then after a delay (wrist not tethered), controlling for arm reaching ability, gestational age, and socioeconomic status. Although both groups responded to the contingency with increased arm-waving from baseline to acquisition, 15% to 29% fewer infants with SB than TD were found to learn the contingency depending on the criterion used to determine contingency learning. In addition, infants with SB who had learned the contingency had more difficulty retaining the contingency over time when sensory feedback was absent. The findings suggest that infants with SB do not learn motor contingencies as easily or at the same rate as TD infants, and are more likely to decrease motor responses when sensory feedback is absent. Results are discussed with reference to research on contingency learning in infants with and without neurodevelopmental disorders, and with reference to motor learning in school-age children with SB. (JINS, 2013,19, 1–10)
The Multilingual Naming Test in Alzheimer's Disease: Clues to the Origin of Naming Impairments
Authors: Ivanova Iva , Salmon David P. , Gollan Tamar H.
Published: January 2013

The current study explored the picture naming performance of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). First, we evaluated the utility of the Multilingual Naming Test (MINT; Gollan et al., 2011), which was designed to assess naming skills in speakers of multiple languages, for detecting naming impairments in monolingual AD and amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI). If the MINT were sensitive to linguistic impairment in AD, using it in clinical practice might have advantages over using tests exclusively designed for English monolinguals. We found that the MINT can be used with both monolinguals and bilinguals: A 32-item subset of the MINT is best for distinguishing monolingual patients from controls, while the full MINT is best for assessing degree of bilingualism and language dominance in bilinguals. We then investigated the cognitive mechanisms underlying naming impairment in AD. To this end, we explored which MINT item characteristics best predicted performance differences between monolingual patients and controls. We found that contextual diversity and imageability, but not word frequency (nor words’ number of senses), contributed unique variance to explaining naming impairments in AD. These findings suggest a semantic component to the naming impairment in AD (modulated by names’ semantic richness and network size). (JINS, 2013,19, 1–12)
An Exploration of Diagnosis Threat and Group Identification Following Concussion Injury
Authors: Pavawalla Shital P. , Salazar Robert , Cimino Cynthia , Belanger Heather G. , Vanderploeg Rodney D.
Published: January 2013

Cognitive performance can be impacted by many non-neurological factors, including preexisting expectations. The phenomenon of stereotype threat, or reduced cognitive performance due to preexisting beliefs, can apply to individuals following neurological injury (i.e., “diagnosis threat”). We examined the effect of diagnosis threat on cognitive performance and symptom reporting following concussions while accounting for group identification (i.e., extent to which one's identity is tied to being concussed). We also examined gender stereotype threat (i.e., women and math ability) to understand how these two related threat effects compare. Participants with a history of concussion were randomly assigned to one of three instructional sets emphasizing concussion history or gender, or neutral instructions. Individuals without a history of concussion served as a comparison group. Results revealed an effect of diagnosis threat on cognitive performance after group identification was taken into account, but only in male participants. In contrast, an underlying gender stereotype threat was observed in females across conditions, which was counteracted in the gender stereotype condition (i.e., stereotype reactance effect) due to the type of threat cues used. Also, controls exhibited greater symptom reporting than individuals with a concussion. Our findings highlight the importance of considering non-neurological factors impacting cognitive performance. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–9)
Empiricism, Ideology and William Crotch's Specimens
Authors: Irving Howard
Published: January 2013

William Crotch's Specimens of Various Styles of Music Referred to in a Course of Lectures Read at Oxford and London was a remarkable new type of score anthology when it first appeared in three volumes published between 1807 and 1810. Many anthologies in this period effectively serve as memorials to an earlier classical tradition, but Crotch compiled the Specimens with an almost museum-like detachment and intended it only for the practical pedagogical purpose of tracing the evolution of music. Crotch's empirical, dispassionate, and one might say scientific approach in the Specimens mirrors a turn in British culture generally around the turn of the century toward empiricism, a shift that has been discussed at length in connection with the painter John Constable and his circle. Crotch himself was, not coincidentally, a significant landscape painter and a friend of Constable during the years in which the Specimens were published.

Crotch's relatively objective approach to criticism in the Specimens is most noticeable in his treatment of so-called “national” music. In this area his remarks are strikingly different from the criticism of contemporaries, especially Charles Burney. In connection with concert music, however, Crotch is less successful at pursuing a programme of value-free criticism. In some cases he clearly selects examples with the goal of influencing a composer's reception and stresses qualities that are in line with his developing conception of what might be called “classical music”.
Religion's Impact on the Divergent Political Attitudes of Evangelical Protestants in the United States and Brazil
Authors: McAdams Erin S. , Lance Justin Earl
Published: January 2013

In the United States, Evangelical Protestants' political attitudes have been attributed to their conservative theological beliefs. As this religion's membership has increased around the world, other Evangelicals would logically be expected to demonstrate a similar conservatism in their political views. And yet, this anticipated result does not hold. In Brazil, for example, Evangelicals maintain moderate-to-liberal attitudes on several issues. To address this anomaly, this article relies on the Pew Forum's Multi-Country Religion Survey to examine the impact of religion on Evangelicals' ideology as well as attitudes on moral and economic issues in the United States and Brazil. While doctrinal orthodoxy predicts Evangelicals' moral conservatism, neither religious component examined significantly predicts Brazilian Evangelicals' ideology or economic attitudes. Significant differences in Brazilian and American attitudes on these dimensions in general suggest that the political environment plays a much larger role in whether — and how — religion influences these political attitudes.
Arthur R. Jensen, 1923–2012
Authors: Loehlin John C.
Published: January 2013

Arthur R(obert) Jensen was born August 24, 1923, in San Diego, and died on October 22, 2012, in his home in Kelseyville in northern California at the age of 89. At the time of his death he was Professor Emeritus of the University of California (Berkeley), in whose Department of Educational Psychology he had served since his initial academic appointment in 1958.
The Chinese National Twin Registry: An Update
Authors: Li Liming , Gao Wenjing , Yu Canqing , Lv Jun , Cao Weihua , Zhan Siyan , Wang Shengfeng , Wu Chaoqun , Hu Yonghua
Published: January 2013

The Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), established in 2001, is the first and largest population-based twin registry in China. Based on the CNTR, a new twin cohort was recruited from 2011 to study the relationship between environmental risk factors and chronic diseases. So far, 33,874 twin pairs from nine provinces have been recruited, in which hundreds of disease-discordant twin pairs and even thousands of exposure-discordant twin pairs were found in this cohort. The updates of the CNTR will be introduced in detail in this article.
A single internal telomere tract ensures meiotic spindle formation
Authors: Tomita Kazunori , Bez Cécile , Fennell Alex , Cooper Julia Promisel
Published: January 2013

Contact between telomeres and the fission yeast spindle pole body during meiotic prophase is crucial for subsequent spindle assembly, but the feature of telomeres that confers their ability to promote spindle formation remains mysterious. Here we show that while strains harbouring circular chromosomes devoid of telomere repeat tracts undergo aberrant meiosis with defective spindles, the insertion of a single internal telomere repeat stretch rescues the spindle defects. Moreover, the telomeric overhang‐binding protein Pot1 is dispensable for rescue of spindle formation. Hence, an inherent feature of the double‐strand telomeric region endows telomeres with the capacity to promote spindle formation.
Deconvolving the roles of Wnt ligands and receptors in sensing and amplification
Authors: Tan Rui Zhen , Ji Ni , Mentink Remco A , Korswagen Hendrik C , van Oudenaarden Alexander
Published: January 2013

Establishment of cell polarity is crucial for many biological processes including cell migration and asymmetric cell division. The establishment of cell polarity consists of two sequential processes: an external gradient is first sensed and then the resulting signal is amplified and maintained by intracellular signaling networks usually using positive feedback regulation. Generally, these two processes are intertwined and it is challenging to determine which proteins contribute to the sensing or amplification process, particularly in multicellular organisms. Here, we integrated phenomenological modeling with quantitative single‐cell measurements to separate the sensing and amplification components of Wnt ligands and receptors during establishment of polarity of the Caenorhabditis elegans P cells. By systematically exploring how P‐cell polarity is altered in Wnt ligand and receptor mutants, we inferred that ligands predominantly affect the sensing process, whereas receptors are needed for both sensing and amplification. This integrated approach is generally applicable to other systems and will facilitate decoupling of the different layers of signal sensing and amplification.
gp130 activation is regulated by D2–D3 interdomain connectivity
Authors: Schütt Antje , Zacharias Martin , Schneider Nico , Horn Silke , Grötzinger Joachim , Rose-John Stefan , Schmidt-Arras Dirk
Published: January 2013

Activation of the IL-6 (interleukin 6) receptor subunit gp130 (glycoprotein 130) has been linked to the formation of complexes with IL-6 and the IL-6 receptor, as well as to gp130 dimerization. However, it has been shown that gp130 is present as a pre-formed dimer, indicating that its activation is not solely dependent on dimerization. Therefore the detailed mechanism of gp130 activation still remains to be deciphered. Recently, deletion mutations of gp130 have been found in inflammatory hepatocellular adenoma. The mutations clustered around one IL-6-binding epitope of gp130 and resulted in a ligand-independent constitutively active gp130. We therefore hypothesized that conformational changes of this particular IL-6-binding epitope precedes gp130 activation. Using a rational structure-based approach we identified for the first time amino acids critical for gp130 activation. We can show that gp130 D2–D3 interdomain connectivity by hydrophobic residues stabilizes inactive gp130 conformation. Conformational destabilization of the EF loop present in domain D2 and disruption of D2–D3 hydrophobic interactions resulted in ligand-independent gp130 activation. Furthermore we show that the N-terminal amino acid residues of domain D1 participate in the activation of the gp130 deletion mutants. Taken together we present novel insights into the molecular basis of the activation of a cytokine receptor signalling subunit.
On the physical role of exchange in the formation of an intramolecular bond path between two electronegative atoms
Authors: Tognetti Vincent , Joubert Laurent
Published: January 2013

In this paper, we present a detailed energetic decomposition of intramolecular O⋯X interactions (X being O, S, or a halogen atom) based on the interacting quantum atoms approach of Pendás and co-workers. The nature of these interactions (repulsive or attractive, more or less electrostatic) is discussed in the framework of Bader's atoms in molecules theory, a particular emphasis being put on delocalization (measured by delocalization indexes and in terms of the source function) and on the exchange contributions. Notably, the concept of exchange channels introduced by Pendás and collaborators provides means of rationalizing and predicting the presence of bond critical points, enhancing the physical meaning of bond paths.
The effect of divalent vs. monovalent ions on the swelling of Mucin-like polyelectrolyte gels: Governing equations and equilibrium analysis
Authors: Sircar S. , Keener J. P. , Fogelson A. L.
Published: January 2013

We introduce a comprehensive model of a mucin-like polyelectrolyte gel swelling-deswelling which includes the ion-mediated crosslinking of polymer strands and the exchange of divalent and monovalent ions in the gel. The gel is modeled as a multi-phase mixture which accounts for the polymer and solvent volume fractions and velocities as well as ionic species concentrations. Motion is determined by force balances involving viscous, drag, and chemical forces. The chemical forces are derived from a free energy which includes entropic contributions as well as the chemical and electrostatic interactions among the crosslinked polymer, uncrosslinked polymer, and the ionic solvent. The unified derivation produces all the classical effects (van't Hoff osmotic pressure, Donnan equilibrium potential, Nernst-Planck motion of ions) as well as expressions for Flory interaction parameter and the standard free energy parameters that explicitly depend on the gel chemistry and crosslink structure. For this model, we show how the interplay between ionic bath concentrations, ionic binding, and transient divalent crosslinking leads to a variety of swelled and deswelled phases/phase transitions. In particular, we show how the absorption of divalent ions can lead to a massive deswelling of the gel. We conclude that the unique properties of mucin-like gels can be explained by their ionic binding affinities and transient divalent crosslinking.
Effects of relative density on microwave heating of various carbon powder compacts microwave-metallic multi-particle coupling using spatially separated magnetic fields
Authors: Kashimura K. , Hasegawa N. , Suzuki S. , Hayashi M. , Mitani T. , Shinohara N. , Nagata K.
Published: January 2013

We have investigated the microwave heating characteristics of non-magnetic conductive multi-particle systems using spatially separated electric and magnetic fields (Emax and Hmax, respectively) to determine the effects of the multi-particle structure on microwave heating. Pure carbon, carbon black, and artificial graphite multi-particle systems exhibited peak microwave absorption at specific relative densities only under Hmax. These absorptions can be categorized into two types: one originates from coupling between metal spheres, while the other originates from a heterogeneous distribution of particles.
A multilayer MCTDH study on the full dimensional vibronic dynamics of naphthalene and anthracene cations
Authors: Meng Qingyong , Meyer Hans-Dieter
Published: January 2013

Employing the multilayer multiconfiguration time-dependent Hartree (ML-MCTDH) method in conjunction with the multistate multimode vibronic coupling Hamiltonian model, we perform a full dimensional quantum dynamical study on the naphthalene (48D) and anthracene (66D) radical cations in their six lowest-lying doublet electronic states. For easily comparing results of full and reduced dimensionalities, MCTDH simulations based on larger sizes of primitive basis functions and single-particle functions than the previous ones [S. Ghanta, V. S. Reddy, and S. Mahapatra, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 13, 14531 (2011)]10.1039/c1cp21084j, are also performed. Extensive ML-MCTDH test calculations are performed to find appropriate ML separations of the wave functions (so-called ML-trees), and the convergence of the dynamical calculations are carefully checked. The ML-MCTDH method was developed for efficiently simulating quantum dynamics of large systems, and in fact the full dimensional ML-MCTDH calculations save a considerable amount of CPU-time in comparison with corresponding reduced dimensional MCTDH simulations. On basis of the present full and reduced dimensional simulations, the photoelectron (PE) spectra of these two cations are simulated and compared with corresponding experimental spectra. The agreement between theoretical and experimental PE spectra is good. Both full and reduced dimensional simulations give all main bands in the PE spectra. The vibronic energy-level positions from both ML-MCTDH and MCTDH calculations agree with corresponding experimental results. These quantum dynamical studies also complement the observations on diffuse interstellar bands with the wavelength of ∼7088, ∼6707, ∼6490, ∼6120, and ∼5959 Å measured by astronomers as well as laboratory experimentalists.
Convoluted effect of laser fluence and pulse duration on the property of a nanosecond laser-induced plasma into an argon ambient gas at the atmospheric pressure
Authors: Bai Xueshi , Ma Qianli , Motto-Ros Vincent , Yu Jin , Sabourdy David , Nguyen Luc , Jalocha Alain
Published: January 2013

We studied the behavior of the plasma induced by a nanosecond infrared (1064 nm) laser pulse on a metallic target (Al) during its propagation into argon ambient gas at the atmospheric pressure and especially over the delay interval ranging from several hundred nanoseconds to several microseconds. In such interval, the plasma is particularly interesting as a spectroscopic emission source for laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIBS). We show a convoluted effect between laser fluence and pulse duration on the structure and the emission property of the plasma. With a relatively high fluence of about 160 J/cm2 where a strong plasma shielding effect is observed, a short pulse of about 4 ns duration is shown to be significantly more efficient to excite the optical emission from the ablation vapor than a long pulse of about 25 ns duration. While with a lower fluence of about 65 J/cm2, a significantly more efficient excitation is observed with the long pulse. We interpret our observations by considering the post-ablation interaction between the generated plume and the tailing part of the laser pulse. We demonstrate that the ionization of the layer of ambient gas surrounding the ablation vapor plays an important role in plasma shielding. Such ionization is the consequence of laser-supported absorption wave and directly dependent on the laser fluence and the pulse duration. Further observations of the structure of the generated plume in its early stage of expansion support our explanations.