bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Suggesting and Justifying Model Updates for Improved Troubleshooting
Authors: Bovey R. L. , Senalp E. T.
Published: February 2012

For the troubleshooting domain, machine learning is used to suggest model updates using in‐service troubleshooting and component testing records. One of the challenges of using these updates is how to justify each change to the system experts; a novel approach for the justification of updates to a Bayesian network troubleshooting model is presented. The results of experiments into the performance of the approach suggest that the changes suggested by maximum likelihood learning improve a model by fitting to the new records and a good justification for each change can be obtained from quantities already computed during the learning process. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integration of the OpenIGTLink Network Protocol for image‐guided therapy with the medical platform MeVisLab
Authors: Egger Jan , Tokuda Junichi , Chauvin Laurent , Freisleben Bernd , Nimsky Christopher , Kapur Tina , Wells William
Published: February 2012

Background

OpenIGTLink is a new, open, simple and extensible network communication protocol for image‐guided therapy (IGT). The protocol provides a standardized mechanism to connect hardware and software by the transfer of coordinate transforms, images, and status messages. MeVisLab is a framework for the development of image processing algorithms and visualization and interaction methods, with a focus on medical imaging.

Methods

The paper describes the integration of the OpenIGTLink network protocol for IGT with the medical prototyping platform MeVisLab. The integration of OpenIGTLink into MeVisLab has been realized by developing a software module using the C++ programming language.

Results

The integration was evaluated with tracker clients that are available online. Furthermore, the integration was used to connect MeVisLab to Slicer and a NDI tracking system over the network. The latency time during navigation with a real instrument was measured to show that the integration can be used clinically.

Conclusions

Researchers using MeVisLab can interface their software to hardware devices that already support the OpenIGTLink protocol, such as the NDI Aurora magnetic tracking system. In addition, the OpenIGTLink module can also be used to communicate directly with Slicer, a free, open source software package for visualization and image analysis. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of different reconstruction algorithms for three‐dimensional ultrasound imaging in a neurosurgical setting
Authors: Miller D. , Lippert C. , Vollmer F. , Bozinov O. , Benes L. , Schulte D.M. , Sure U.
Published: February 2012

Background

Freehand three‐dimensional ultrasound imaging (3D‐US) is increasingly used in image‐guided surgery. During image acquisition, a set of B‐scans is acquired that is distributed in a non‐parallel manner over the area of interest. Reconstructing these images into a regular array allows 3D visualization. However, the reconstruction process may introduce artefacts and may therefore reduce image quality. The aim of the study is to compare different algorithms with respect to image quality and diagnostic value for image guidance in neurosurgery.

Methods

3D‐US data sets were acquired during surgery of various intracerebral lesions using an integrated ultrasound‐navigation device. They were stored for post‐hoc evaluation. Five different reconstruction algorithms, a standard multiplanar reconstruction with interpolation (MPR), a pixel nearest neighbour method (PNN), a voxel nearest neighbour method (VNN) and two voxel based distance‐weighted algorithms (VNN2 and DW) were tested with respect to image quality and artefact formation. The capability of the algorithm to fill gaps within the sample volume was investigated and a clinical evaluation with respect to the diagnostic value of the reconstructed images was performed.

Results

MPR was significantly worse than the other algorithms in filling gaps. In an image subtraction test, VNN2 and DW reliably reconstructed images even if large amounts of data were missing. However, the quality of the reconstruction improved, if data acquisition was performed in a structured manner. When evaluating the diagnostic value of reconstructed axial, sagittal and coronal views, VNN2 and DW were judged to be significantly better than MPR and VNN.

Conclusion

VNN2 and DW could be identified as robust algorithms that generate reconstructed US images with a high diagnostic value. These algorithms improve the utility and reliability of 3D‐US imaging during intraoperative navigation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sharp kernel clustering algorithms and their associated Grothendieck inequalities
Authors: Khot Subhash , Naor Assaf
Published: February 2012

In the kernel clustering problem we are given a (large) n × n symmetric positive semidefinite matrix A = (aij) with
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}\sum_{i=1}^n\sum_{j=1}^n a_{ij}=0\end{align*}\end{document}
and a (small) k × k symmetric positive semidefinite matrix B = (bij). The goal is to find a partition {S1,…,Sk} of {1,…n} which maximizes \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}\sum_{i=1}^k\sum_{j=1}^k \left(\sum_{(p,q)\in S_i\times S_j}a_{pq}\right)b_{ij}\end{align*}\end{document}. We design a polynomial time approximation algorithm that achieves an approximation ratio of \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}\frac{R(B)^2}{C(B)}\end{align*}\end{document}, where R(B) and C(B) are geometric parameters that depend only on the matrix B, defined as follows: if bij = 〈vi,vj〉 is the Gram matrix representation of B for some \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}v_1,\ldots,v_k\in \mathbb{R}^k\end{align*}\end{document}
then R(B) is the minimum radius of a Euclidean ball containing the points {v1,…,vk}. The parameter C(B) is defined as the maximum over all measurable partitions {A1,…,Ak} of \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}\mathbb{R}^{k-1}\end{align*}\end{document}
of the quantity \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}\sum_{i=1}^k\sum_{j=1}^k b_{ij}\langle z_i,z_j\rangle\end{align*}\end{document}, where for i∈{1,…,k} the vector \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}z_i\in \mathbb{R}^{k-1}\end{align*}\end{document}
is the Gaussian moment of Ai, i.e., \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}z_i=\frac{1}{(2\pi)^{(k-1)/2}}\int_{A_i}xe^{-\|x\|_2^2/2}dx\end{align*}\end{document}. We also show that for every ε > 0, achieving an approximation guarantee of \documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs, amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}(1-\varepsilon)\frac{R(B)^2}{C(B)}\end{align*}\end{document}
is Unique Games hard. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2013
New approach to nonrepetitive sequences
Authors: Grytczuk Jarosław , Kozik Jakub , Micek Piotr
Published: February 2012

A sequence is nonrepetitive if it does not contain two adjacent identical blocks. The remarkable construction of Thue asserts that three symbols are enough to build an arbitrarily long nonrepetitive sequence. It is still not settled whether the following extension holds: for every sequence of three‐element sets L1,…,Ln there exists a nonrepetitive sequence s1,…,sn with si∈Li. We propose a new non‐constructive way to build long nonrepetitive sequences and provide an elementary proof that sets of size 4 suffice confirming the best known bound. The simple double counting in the heart of the argument is inspired by the recent algorithmic proof of the Lovász local lemma due to Moser and Tardos. Furthermore we apply this approach and present game‐theoretic type results on nonrepetitive sequences. Nonrepetitive game is played by two players who pick, one by one, consecutive terms of a sequence over a given set of symbols. The first player tries to avoid repetitions, while the second player, in contrast, wants to create them. Of course, by simple imitation, the second player can force lots of repetitions of size 1. However, as proved by Pegden, there is a strategy for the first player to build an arbitrarily long sequence over 37 symbols with no repetitions of size greater than 1. Our techniques allow to reduce 37–6. Another game we consider is the erase‐repetition game. Here, whenever a repetition occurs, the repeated block is immediately erased and the next player to move continues the play. We prove that there is a strategy for the first player to build an arbitrarily long nonrepetitive sequence over 8 symbols. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2012
Improving bias and coverage in instrumental variable analysis with weak instruments for continuous and binary outcomes
Authors: Burgess Stephen , Thompson Simon G.
Published: February 2012

Causal estimates can be obtained by instrumental variable analysis using a two‐stage method. However, these can be biased when the instruments are weak. We introduce a Bayesian method, which adjusts for the first‐stage residuals in the second‐stage regression and has much improved bias and coverage properties. In the continuous outcome case, this adjustment reduces median bias from weak instruments to close to zero. In the binary outcome case, bias from weak instruments is reduced and the estimand is changed from a marginal population‐based effect to a conditional effect. The lack of distributional assumptions on the posterior distribution of the causal effect gives a better summary of uncertainty and more accurate coverage levels than methods that rely on the asymptotic distribution of the causal estimate. We discuss these properties in the context of Mendelian randomization. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Converting Graphene Oxide Monolayers into Boron Carbonitride Nanosheets by Substitutional Doping
Authors: Lin Tsung‐Wu , Su Ching‐Yuan , Zhang Xin‐Quan , Zhang Wenjing , Lee Yi‐Hsien , Chu Chih‐Wei , Lin Hsin‐Yu , Chang Mu‐Tung , Chen Fu‐Rong , Li Lain‐Jong
Published: February 2012

To realize graphene‐based electronics, bandgap opening of graphene has become one of the most important issues that urgently need to be addressed. Recent theoretical and experimental studies show that intentional doping of graphene with boron and nitrogen atoms is a promising route to open the bandgap, and the doped graphene might exhibit properties complementary to those of graphene and hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN), largely extending the applications of these materials in the areas of electronics and optics. This work demonstrates the conversion of graphene oxide nanosheets into boron carbonitride (BCN) nanosheets by reacting them with B2O3 and ammonia at 900 to 1100 °C, by which the boron and nitrogen atoms are incorporated into the graphene lattice in randomly distributed BN nanodomains. The content of BN in BN‐doped graphene nanosheets can be tuned by changing the reaction temperature, which in turn affects the optical bandgap of these nanosheets. Electrical measurements show that the BN‐doped graphene nanosheet exhibits an ambipolar semiconductor behavior and the electrical bandgap is estimated to be ≈25.8 meV. This study provides a novel and simple route to synthesize BN‐doped graphene nanosheets that may be useful for various optoelectronic applications.
Preparation of Continuous Gold Nanowires by Electrospinning of High‐Concentration Aqueous Dispersions of Gold Nanoparticles
Authors: Gries Katharina , Vieker Henning , Gölzhäuser Armin , Agarwal Seema , Greiner Andreas
Published: February 2012

Gold nanowires are prepared by the electrospinning of highly concentrated aqueous dispersions of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) in the presence of poly(vinyl alcohol) and subsequent annealing at higher temperatures. Continuous wires of sintered AuNPs are obtained as a result of this process. The Au wires are characterized by transmission electron microscopy, helium ion microscopy, optical microscopy, and X‐ray diffractometry.
Emulsion stabilized by starch nanocrystals
Authors: Li Chen , Sun Peidong , Yang Cheng
Published: February 2012

The starch nanocrystals made use of in this study were prepared by sulfuric acid hydrolysis of wx maize starch. The stable oil‐in‐water emulsions of 50 vol% paraffin liquid were prepared by using starch nanocrystals as emulsifier when the weight percentage concentration of starch nanocrystal relative to water was above 0.02 wt%. The size of the droplets decreased with the raising of the concentration of starch nanocrystal. These emulsions were very stable to coalescence over months and the creaming of emulsions decreased with the increasing of starch nanocrystal concentration. The surface tension of starch nanocrystal dispersions was found decreased from 71.7 to 45.8 mN/m when the nanocrystal concentration grew from 0.05 to 3.0 wt%. This indicates that starch nanocrystals are surface active particles. Further tests on the emulsifying ability of supernatant of centrifuged starch nanocrystal dispersions and the emulsion stability at the melting temperature of starch nanocrystals confirmed that the emulsions were indeed stabilized by starch nanocrystals.
Seismic capacity of typical high‐rise buildings in Singapore
Authors: Balendra T. , Suyanthi S. , Tan K. H. , Ahmed A.
Published: February 2012

Pushover analysis is a simplified method to determine the lateral load capacity of buildings. However, recent studies have suggested that pushover analysis could underestimate the capacity by as much as 25%. Thus, this study uses dynamic collapse analysis to determine the overstrength of a 16‐storey and a 25‐storey building, which are typical in Singapore. The results are compared with previously performed pushover analyses to justify the adequacy of pushover analysis for determining the ultimate capacity of such buildings. It is found that the buildings in Singapore, which are not designed for earthquake loads, possess overstrength varying from 4 to 12 times the design strength depending on the type of building. Furthermore, the pushover analysis could underestimate the capacity of such buildings up to 14%. It is suggested that one may choose to adopt pushover analysis to evaluate the lateral load capacity of such high‐rise buildings to err on the conservative side. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Essential dynamics: foundation and applications
Authors: Daidone Isabella , Amadei Andrea
Published: February 2012

Collective coordinates, as obtained by a principal component analysis of atomic fluctuations, are commonly used to predict a low‐dimensional subspace in which essential protein motion is expected to take place. The definition of such an essential subspace allows to characterize protein functional, and folding, motion, to provide insight into the (free) energy landscape, and to enhance conformational sampling in molecular dynamics simulations. Here, we provide an overview on the topic, giving particular attention to some methodological aspects, such as the problem of convergence, and mentioning possible new developments. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

This article is categorized under:

Molecular and Statistical Mechanics > Molecular Dynamics and Monte-Carlo Methods
P‐positive definite matrices and stability of nonconservative systems
Authors: Lerbet J. , Aldowaji M. , Challamel N. , Nicot F. , Prunier F. , Darve F.
Published: February 2012

The bifurcation problem of constrained non‐conservative systems with non symmetric stiffness matrices is investigated. It leads to study the subset Dp,n of ℳ︁n(ℝ) of the so called p‐positive definite matrices (1 ≤ p ≤ n). The main result (D1,n ⊂ Dp,n) is proved, the reciprocal result is investigated and the consequences on the stability of elastic nonconservative systems are highlighted.
Synthesis of Structured Lipids Containing Pinolenic Acid at the sn‐2 Position via Lipase‐Catalyzed Acidolysis
Authors: Choi Jong‐Hun , Kim Byung Hee , Hong Seung In , Kim Yangha , Kim In‐Hwan
Published: February 2012

Lipase‐catalyzed acidolysis of a modified pine nut oil (MPNO)—the pine nut oil was obtained from Pinus koraiensis Siebold & Zucch.—with capric acid was studied in a continuous packed bed reactor (PBR) using Lipozyme RM IM from Rhizomucor miehei as a biocatalyst. The MPNO containing pinolenic acid (PLA) at the sn‐2 position of the triacylglycerol (TAG) backbone was prepared by lipase‐catalyzed redistribution of pine nut oil using Novozym 435 from Candida antarctica. The effects of the water content in the reaction mixture and the molar ratio of substrates on the extent of the acidolysis reaction as a function of residence time in a PBR were investigated. The water content of the reaction mixture significantly influenced both the rate of acidolysis and the degree of acyl migration, but the molar ratio of substrates affected only the rate of acidolysis. The optimum water content and molar ratio for synthesis of the structured lipid containing PLA at the sn‐2 position and capric acid at the sn‐1,3 positions of the TAG backbone were 0.04%, and 1:5 (MPNO to capric acid), respectively.
Soya isoflavone consumption in relation to carotid intima–media thickness in Chinese equol excretors aged 40–65 years
Authors: Cai Yun , Guo Kaiping , Chen Chaogang , Wang Ping , Zhang Bo , Zhou Quan , Mei Fang , Su Yixiang
Published: February 2012

Previous studies have suggested that the daidzein metabolite equol rather than daidzein itself contributes to the beneficial effect of soya foods in the prevention of CVD. The aim of the present study is to examine the proportion of equol excretion in Chinese adults and compare plasma lipids and carotid artery intima–media thickness (IMT) between equol excretors and non-excretors, and to evaluate the effect of soya isoflavone intakes on serum lipids and IMT in either equol excretors or non-excretors. Subjects (n 572; women n 362, men n 210) were recruited for the present study. An overnight urine sample was provided by each subject on their usual diet to quantify urinary concentrations of daidzein and equol. Far-wall IMT was determined by B-mode ultrasound in the right carotid at two sites, carotid bulb (CB-IMT) and common carotid artery (CCA-IMT), and fasting serum lipids were measured. Habitual dietary intakes were estimated with a FFQ, and soya isoflavone intake derived from the FFQ was assessed. Of the 572 subjects, the proportion of equol excretors on their usual diet was 25·0 % (n 143). Compared with non-excretors, equol excretors showed significantly lower serum TAG ( − 38·2 (95 % CI − 70·4, − 5·9) %, P = 0·012) and CCA-IMT ( − 4·9 (95 % CI − 9·7, − 0·3) %, P = 0·033). Equol excretors with higher daily isoflavone intakes ( − 5·4 mg/d) had significantly lower IMT ( − 16·2 %, P = 0·035) and tended to have higher HDL-cholesterol (P = 0·055) than did those with lower daily isoflavone intakes (1·5 mg/d), while no association was observed between soya isoflavone intakes and serum lipids or IMT in non-excretors. In conclusion, the benefits of soya isoflavones in preventing CVD may be apparent among equol excretors only.
The Kashmir Crisis as a Political Platform for Jama'at-i Ahmadiyya's Entrance into South Asian Politics
Authors: KHAN ADIL HUSSAIN
Published: February 2012

This paper looks at Jama'at-i Ahmadiyya's political involvement in the Kashmir crisis of the 1930s under its second and most influentialkhalīfat al-masīh, Mirza Bashir al-Din Mahmud Ahmad, who took over the movement in 1914, six years after the death of his father, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad. Communal tensions springing from the Kashmir riots of 1931 provided Mirza Mahmud Ahmad with an opportunity to display the ability of his Jama'at to manage an international crisis and to lead the Muslim mainstream towards independence from Britain. Mahmud Ahmad's relations with influential Muslim community leaders, such as Iqbal, Fazl-i Husain, Zafrulla Khan, and Sheikh Abdullah (Sher-i Kashmīr), enabled him to further both his religious and political objectives in the subcontinent. This paper examines Jama'at-i Ahmadiyya's role in establishing a major political lobby, the All-India Kashmir Committee. It also shows how the political involvement of Jama'at-i Ahmadiyya in Kashmir during the 1930s left Ahmadis susceptible to criticism from opposition groups, like the Majlis-i Ahrar, amongst others, in later years. Ultimately, this paper will demonstrate how Mahmud Ahmad's skilful use of religion, publicity, and political activism during the Kashmir crisis instantly legitimized a political platform for Jama'at-i Ahmadiyya's entrance into the mainstream political framework of modern South Asia, which thereby has facilitated the development of the Ahmadi controversy since India's partition.
The Raj on Nanjing Road: Sikh Policemen in Treaty-Port Shanghai
Authors: JACKSON ISABELLA
Published: February 2012

Sikh policemen were an indelible part of the landscape of Shanghai in the first decades of the twentieth century, and have left their mark in the ways in which the city is remembered up to the present day. Yet their history has never been told and historians of the period have, at best, simply referred to them in passing. This paper redresses this gap in the literature by accounting for the presence of the Sikh branch of the Shanghai Municipal Police and exploring their role in the governance and policing of the International Settlement. This enriches our understanding of the nature of the British presence in China and the ways in which Indian sub-imperialism extended to China's treaty ports, for on the streets of Shanghai, and not Shanghai alone, British power had an Indian face.
China's Corporate Governance: Emerging Issues and Problems
Authors: SHAN YUAN GEORGE , ROUND DAVID K.
Published: February 2012

As China approaches economic superpower status, its need to achieve considerably higher standards of corporate governance is becoming paramount. Despite impressive recent advances in its capital and stock exchange markets, the on-going overhang of state ownership in its former state-owned enterprises, together with an unwieldy and ineffective dual board governance system, has left China facing major corporate governance problems that will deter the private investment necessary for its continued growth. This paper illustrates these problems, and suggests possible reforms that will provide the foundation for the efficient further development of China's capital markets that is needed to help China become a major economic superpower.
The sense of time in the north: a Sámi perspective
Authors: Mazzullo Nuccio
Published: February 2012

This paper refers to some aspects of the theoretical anthropological debate on the perception of time and I shall argue, following Ingold (2000) that amongst the Sámi people time is understood as an unfolding of interrelated tasks, rather than as a linear succession of standardised and arbitrary units. I also argue that the Sámi perception of time is not opposed to the western perception, but rather entails a different approach to the significance of clock time. The results of my fieldwork, conducted among the Sámi people in Finnish Lapland, lend support to the idea that the basis for a people's shared understanding and subjective experience of time lies in the interaction of skilful agents in carrying out diverse but interrelated tasks. It is not sufficient to live in a place, to belong to a particular ethnic group or to be engaged in the same subsistence activity to perceive time in a certain fashion. No matter how much we change the combination of actors, the perception of time is generated in each case through situated activity within the landscape.
‘You Can’t Turn Back the Clock’: Conceptualizing Time after Institutionalization
Authors: Wiersma Elaine C.
Published: February 2012

Le temps est un phénomène que l’on considère comme acquis. En gérontologie, le temps est souvent assimilé au temps chronologique ou linéaire, ainsi causant que le temps devient défini comme âge chronologique. Le but de cet article est d’éclairer la compréhension supplémentaire du temps et comment le passage du temps est relié à la vieillesse, en particulier dans le contexte d’un déplacement personnel vers un établissement de soins de longue durée. Á cette fin, nous décrivons une étude de cas que nous avons mené avec un gentilhomme qui est venu vivre dans un établissement de soins de longue durée. Les dimensions spécifiques de la temporalité sont évidentes, y compris le temps biographique, le temps incarné, et le temps intégré (y compris les notions du temps institutionnel).
Guest Editorial
Authors: ÁRNASON VILHJÁLMUR
Published: February 2012

In recent years, the development in bioethics has increasingly been toward empirical research. Much less attention has been paid to the question about the theoretical frameworks on which bioethics should be based.
Responsibilities for Healthcare
Authors: WILLIAMS GARRATH , CHADWICK RUTH
Published: February 2012

Many have complained that Kant’s ethics provides little specific guidance as to how we should act. In contemporary healthcare, professionals act in large-scale organizational contexts, with complex reward structures, and in many cases belong to professional bodies that determine the ethical obligations associated with particular roles.
Don’t Lie! . . . Why Not?
Authors: REHBOCK THEDA
Published: February 2012

You have lied! You are a liar! This is one of the most serious moral offences one can be blamed for. Augustine even regards lying asthefundamental moral offence and identifies it with sin and evil in general. For Augustine and Kant, lying is in itself morally reprehensible and not justifiable at all.
Protecting Humanity
Authors: HÄYRY MATTI
Published: February 2012

In this article, I present what I believe to be the core of Jürgen Habermas’s views on the morality, ethics, and regulation of emerging genetic and reproductive technologies in his bookThe Future of Human Nature.
Medical Humanities, Ethics, and Disability
Authors: VERTREES STEPHANIE M.
Published: February 2012

In Confessions of a Knife, Richard Selzer gives a candid account of his life as a surgeon, divulging mistakes, regrets, impressions, and emotions in beautiful, metaphorical prose.
Anticipatory Anxiety as a Function of Panic Attacks and Panic-Related Self-Efficacy: An Ambulatory Assessment Study in Panic Disorder
Authors: Helbig-Lang Sylvia , Lang Thomas , Petermann Franz , Hoyer Jürgen
Published: February 2012

Background: Panic attacks and anticipatory anxiety are considered to be inter-correlated, yet distinctive, features of panic disorder, both contributing to its onset and maintenance as well as to the associated impairment. Given the difficulty to yield ecologically valid data on these fluctuating symptoms the natural course of anticipatory anxiety and its correlates have seldom been addressed with adequate methods. Aims: The current study aimed at further exploring the natural variance of anticipatory anxiety and its interdependence with panic-related variables. In addition, impact of anxiety sensitivity, and perceived ability to cope with panic on the relation between panic attacks and subsequent anxiety was inspected. Method: Based on an Ecological Momentary Assessment approach, 21 patients with panic disorder rated study variables continuously over one week; 549 question sets were completed. Results: Anticipatory anxiety followed a diurnal pattern and was associated with situational and internal variables typically linked to panic experiences. Preceding panic attacks intensified anticipatory anxiety and associated negative emotional states; however, perceived ability to cope attenuated these effects. Conclusion: Based on natural observation data, results largely support the importance of cognitive appraisals for anticipatory anxiety, and its interplay with panic attacks as it has been suggested by cognitive theory and recent findings in extinction learning research.
Person-centred mental health care: the challenge of implementation
Authors: Gask L. , Coventry P.
Published: February 2012

Within mental health care, ‘person-centredness’ has been generally interpreted to convey a holistic approach with an attitude of respect for the individual and his/her unique experience and needs. Although it has been possible to demonstrate that professionals can acquire such skills through training, the impact on clinical outcomes has been more difficult to demonstrate in randomized controlled trials. Indeed what is becoming increasingly apparent in the literature is the need to acknowledge and address the degree of complexity that exists within the health care system that militates against achieving satisfactory implementation and outcomes from person-centred mental health care. In addressing this, we must develop and work with more sophisticated and three-dimensional models of ‘patient-centredness’ that engage with not only what happens in the consulting room (the relationship between individual service users and healthcare professionals), but also addresses the problems involved in achieving person-centredness through modifying the way that services and organizations work, and finally by engaging families and communities in the delivery of health care. A truly meaningful concept of ‘people-centredness’ encompasses how the views of the population are taken into consideration not only in healthcare but also in health and social care policy, and wider society too.
The dependence of F‐region electron heating on HF radio pump power: Measurements at EISCAT Tromsø
Authors: Senior A. , Rietveld M. T. , Yeoman T. K. , Kosch M. J.
Published: February 2012

Measurements of ionospheric electron temperature enhanced by the action of a powerful high‐frequency radio wave on the F‐region at the EISCAT facility near Tromsø, Norway are analyzed to obtain the electron heat source due to the radio wave as a function of transmitter power. The absorption of the wave in the D‐region is accounted for and is found to have a significant influence on the F‐region heating, especially due to variations in the D‐region electron density during the experiment. It is found that the efficiency of F‐region heating expressed in terms of the electron heating rate as a function of radio wave power flux is higher at higher transmitter powers. This behavior seems to be consistent with the development of geomagnetic field‐aligned plasma density irregularities which are associated with the conversion of the radio wave to electrostatic upper‐hybrid waves. At the highest power fluxes, the efficiency appears to be close to 100%.
Impact of vegetation and soil moisture seasonal dynamics on dust emissions over the Sahel
Authors: Pierre C. , Bergametti G. , Marticorena B. , Mougin E. , Bouet C. , Schmechtig C.
Published: February 2012

To address the challenging issue of estimating mineral dust emissions from the semi‐arid Sahel, a modeling approach is developed by combining two specific models: one dedicated to the simulation of the seasonal herbaceous layer in the Sahel (STEP) and the other to the estimation of dust emissions (MB). The area of interest is the Sahelian belt (12°N–20°N, 20°W–35°E) and the simulations were performed at a 0.25° spatial resolution over a 4‐year period (2004–2007). The rainfall forcing is provided by a TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) satellite‐derived product; the other meteorological data are ECMWF products. An empirical parameterization is used to estimate the surface roughness and its temporal dynamics according to the characteristics of the simulated vegetation in terms of surface cover and height. Where no vegetation grows, the surface properties are considered as constant in time and are derived from the POLDER‐1 satellite measurements. Simulations are constrained step by step by comparisons with observations. Simulated annual dust fluxes emitted from the whole area range from approximately 100 Mt to 400 Mt depending on the year, in good agreement with previous works dealing with Saharan dust emissions. For the fringe where herbaceous vegetation can affect dust emissions, the annual dust emission fluxes range between 0.5 Mt and 20 Mt depending on the year. Inhibition of dust emissions due to the seasonal dynamics of vegetation and surface soil moisture over this fringe varies between 20% and 35%.
Temporal evolution of radar echoes associated with mesospheric dust clouds after turn‐on of radio wave heating
Authors: Mahmoudian A. , Scales W. A.
Published: February 2012

The initial perturbation of polar mesospheric summer echoes PMSEs during radio wave heating provides significant diagnostic information about the charged dust layer associated with the irregularity source region. Comparison between the results of computational models and the observation data can be used as a tool to estimate charged dust layer parameters. An analytical model is developed and compared to a more accurate computational model as a reference to investigate the possibilities for diagnostic information as well as insight into the physical processes after heater turn‐on. During radio wave heating of the mesosphere, which modifies the background electron temperature, various temporal evolution characteristics of irregularity amplitude may be observed which depend on the background plasma parameters and the characteristics of the dust layer. Turn‐on overshoot due to the dominant electron charging process and turn‐on undershoot resulting from the dominant ambipolar diffusion process, that can occur simultaneously at different radar frequencies, have been studied. The maximum and minimum of the electron density irregularity amplitude and the time at which this amplitude has been achieved as well as the decay time of irregularity amplitude after the maximum amplitude are unique observables that can shed light on the physical processes after the turn‐on of the pump heating and to diagnose the charged dust layer. The agreement between the computational and analytical results are good and indicate the simplified analytical model may be used to provide considerable insight into the heating process and serve as the basis for a diagnostic model after heater turn‐on. Moreover, the work proposes that conducting PMSE active experiments in the HF and VHF band simultaneously may allow estimation of the dust density altitude profile, dust charge state variation during pump heating, and ratio of electron temperature enhancement in the irregularity source region.
Prevalence of exponential bed thickness distributions in the stratigraphic record: Experiments and theory
Authors: Straub Kyle M. , Ganti Vamsi , Paola Chris , Foufoula‐Georgiou Efi
Published: February 2012

Stratigraphy preserved in alluvial basins holds important information for reconstructing past environmental conditions via inversion methodologies. In this paper we explore, through the use of physical and numerical experiments, the forward problem, that is, we quantify how the probabilistic structure of the processes that govern the evolution of depositional systems relates to the probability distribution of the preserved bed thicknesses. We demonstrate that the extreme variability, as evidenced by heavy‐tailed distribution of the surface elevation increments, largely cancels itself out in the resulting stratigraphy. Specifically, we show that bed thickness is well described by an exponential distribution even when erosional and depositional increments characterizing the surface evolution exhibit heavy‐tailed statistics, i.e., large, infrequent events have a significant chance of occurrence. We attribute this finding to the symmetric nature of the distribution of elevation increments (both erosional and depositional events) and the additive nature of the stratigraphic filter. We also show that the variability of surface elevation increments, as measured by the interquartile range of their probability distribution, has a robust and well‐defined relationship with the preserved mean bed thickness.
Applying stochastic small‐scale damage functions to German winter storms
Authors: Prahl B. F. , Rybski D. , Kropp J. P. , Burghoff O. , Held H.
Published: February 2012

Analyzing insurance‐loss data we derive stochastic storm‐damage functions for residential buildings. On district level we fit power‐law relations between daily loss and maximum wind speed, typically spanning more than 4 orders of magnitude. The estimated exponents for 439 German districts roughly range from 8 to 12. In addition, we find correlations among the parameters and socio‐demographic data, which we employ in a simplified parametrization of the damage function with just 3 independent parameters for each district. A Monte Carlo method is used to generate loss estimates and confidence bounds of daily and annual storm damages in Germany. Our approach reproduces the annual progression of winter storm losses and enables to estimate daily losses over a wide range of magnitudes.
Effects of amplitude modulation on nonlinear interactions between electrons and chorus waves
Authors: Tao X. , Bortnik J. , Thorne R. M. , Albert J. M. , Li W.
Published: February 2012

The effects of amplitude modulation on nonlinear interactions between a parallel propagating chorus wave packet and electrons in a dipole field are investigated in this work using a test particle code. Previous research used a single wave to model a chorus wave element, leading to nonlinear processes such as phase trapping and bunching when the wave amplitude was large enough. However, high resolution observations of chorus wave packets show a modulation of the wave amplitude, forming the so‐called chorus subpackets or subelements. Here we first extend a previous method to model a realistic chorus packet. Using the modeled chorus packet, we demonstrate directly that including the realistic amplitude modulation could significantly affect the behavior of resonant electrons. Our results suggest that the amplitude modulation should be considered in the quantitative treatment of interactions between electrons and chorus waves.
Climate Change and Disease Simulation
Authors: Jha Somnath
Published: February 2012

Climate change has manifested differential impacts on various components of the earth system. The impact of climate change is not merely limited to the climatic variable. Climate change has resulted in complex, unforeseen consequences in the biosphere of earth. The silent but gradual changes arise out of varied responses of disease-causing organism to the combination of the disease-conducive environmental variables. The change is the same for both the target hosts plant as well as the animal kingdom. There is an urgent need to look into the changing disease dynamics and the disease pathogen genome sensitivity to the changes in climatic variables. The long memory of genetic makeup of disease pathogen to capture, inherit and evolve or mutate the changed or impacted gene due to climate change in generation after generation may invite a cascading effect on the next generation of biosphere. These silent but gradual changes in the genome of disease organism are rarely investigated or included in simulation models. This also enhances the risk of quantification of uncertainties of various disease simulation models. Thus, chances and lists of black swan events in life and food insecurity are on the rise.
The role of the Snf1 kinase in the adaptive response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to alkaline pH stress
Authors: Casamayor Antonio , Serrano Raquel , Platara María , Casado Carlos , Ruiz Amparo , Ariño Joaquín
Published: February 2012

Alkaline pH stress invokes a potent and fast transcriptional response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae that includes many genes repressed by glucose. Certain mutants in the glucose-sensing and -response pathways, such as those lacking the Snf1 kinase, are sensitive to alkalinization. In the present study we show that the addition of glucose to the medium improves the growth of wild-type cells at high pH, fully abolishes the snf1 alkali-sensitive phenotype and attenuates high pH-induced Snf1 phosphorylation at Thr210. Lack of Elm1, one of the three upstream Snf1 kinases (Tos3, Elm1 and Sak1), markedly increases alkali sensitivity, whereas the phenotype of the triple mutant tos3 elm1 sak1 is even more pronounced than that of snf1 cells and is poorly rescued by glucose supplementation. DNA microarray analysis reveals that about 75% of the genes induced in the short term by high pH are also induced by glucose scarcity. Snf1 mediates, in full or in part, the activation of a significant subset (38%) of short-term alkali-induced genes, including those encoding high-affinity hexose transporters and phosphorylating enzymes. The induction of genes encoding enzymes involved in glycogen, but not trehalose, metabolism is largely dependent of the presence of Snf1. Therefore the function of Snf1 in adaptation to glucose scarcity appears crucial for alkaline pH tolerance. Incorporation of micromolar amounts of iron and copper to a glucose-supplemented medium resulted in an additive effect and allows near-normal growth at high pH, thus indicating that these three nutrients are key limiting factors for growth in an alkaline environment.
Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors attenuate angiogenesis
Authors: Miyazaki Ryohei , Ichiki Toshihiro , Hashimoto Toru , Ikeda Jiro , Kamiharaguchi Aya , Narabayashi Eriko , Matsuura Hirohide , Takeda Kotaro , Sunagawa Kenji
Published: February 2012

Donepezil {(RS)-2-[(1-benzyl-4-piperidyl)methyl]-5,6-dimethoxy-2,3-dihydroinden-1-one} is a reversible acetylcholinesterase inhibitor and used for treatment of patients with AD (Alzheimer's disease). Recent studies showed that treatment with donepezil reduced production of inflammatory cytokines in PBMCs (peripheral blood mononuclear cells). It was also reported that muscle-derived inflammatory cytokines play a critical role in neovascularization in a hindlimb ischaemia model. We sought to determine whether donepezil affects angiogenesis. A hindlimb ischaemia model was created by unilateral femoral artery ligation. Blood flow recovery examined by laser Doppler perfusion imaging and capillary density by immunohistochemical staining of CD31-positive cells in the ischaemic hindlimb were significantly decreased in donepezil- and physostigmine-treated mice compared with control mice after 2 weeks. Donepezil reduced expression of IL (interleukin)-1β and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) in the ischaemic hindlimb. Intramuscular injections of IL-1β to the ischaemic hindlimb reversed the donepezil-induced VEGF down-regulation and the anti-angiogenic effect. Hypoxia induced IL-1β expression in C2C12 myoblast cells, which was inhibited by pre-incubation with ACh (acetylcholine) or LY294002, a PI3K (phosphoinositide 3-kinase) inhibitor. Donepezil inhibited phosphorylation of Akt [also known as PKB (protein kinase B)], a downstream kinase of PI3K, in the ischaemic hindlimb. These findings suggest that cholinergic stimulation by acetylcholinesterase inhibitors suppresses angiogenesis through inhibition of PI3K-mediated IL-1β induction, which is followed by reduction of VEGF expression. Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor may be a novel anti-angiogenic therapy.
The Sense of Memory
Authors: Ali Suki
Published: February 2012

In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the role of collective memory in ethno-national projects. In addition, there has been an expansion of research utilising memory work and auto/biographical methods, which have been particularly effective in the writing of feminists of colour. The paper is prompted by a return to Avtar Brah's ‘The Scent of Memory’ that it uses as a starting point to explore the relationships between competing accounts of ‘private’ memories of racialisation that come from mixed-race siblings growing up in a mainly white town. Drawing on interviews, the paper uses familial narratives and their individual telling, to show how sense is made of divergent experiences and memories of childhood and teenage in 1960s and 1970s Britain. The paper shows how narrative accounts are often negotiated through multiple senses, revealing them as both imagined and recalled, contested and negotiated. The paper considers the strengths and limitations of narrative analysis in understanding the relationship between individual and collective memories at both national and familial levels. It argues that the ways in which the social and personal memories are connected in the processes of subjectivation are unstable and opaque, and can only ever be partially known through the process of narrativisation.
Approaches for prioritising the nutritional needs of refugee communities
Authors: Palermo Claire , Robinson Clare , Robertson Kate , Hii Shireen
Published: February 2012

An important part of health promotion planning is identifying priority areas for programs. A typical approach includes a needs assessment where a deficit-oriented approach captures problems within a community. Approaches that focus on strengths have emerged as potentially more appropriate and effective methods for program planning. This report describes the outcomes and learning from using both a deficit-oriented and strength-based approach for identifying and describing nutrition priorities of refugee communities. Focus groups (n = 11) were conducted using both methods with a total of 69 community members from Afghan, Burmese and Sudanese backgrounds. Analysis of the focus group transcripts using a content analysis approach identified key influences on food choice and determinants of health and nutrition. There were differences in the type of information obtained from the deficit-oriented and strength-based approach. Although the strength-based approach was unfamiliar to participants and offered several challenges, it identified unique aspects of the communities that were not identified by the deficit-oriented approach, and could be used as the basis for planning community health promotion strategies. Elements of each method should be considered when designing community program planning strategies.
Native forb response to sulfometuron methyl on medusahead-invaded rangeland in Eastern Oregon
Authors: Louhaichi Mounir , Carpinelli Michael F. , Richman Lesley M. , Johnson Douglas E.
Published: February 2012

Medusahead [Taeniatherum caput-medusae (L.) Nevski], a non-native, winter-annual grass (Poaceae), has invaded rangelands throughout the western USA. Medusahead is an aggressive competitor that crowds out native plants and reduces forage for wildlife and livestock. Sulfometuron methyl is a sulfonylurea herbicide used to control medusahead, but its effect on non-target native forbs is largely unknown. We assessed the impact of an autumn application of sulfometuron methyl on native forbs on the sagebrush/bunchgrass steppe of eastern Oregon over 3 years. We applied 70 g a.i./ha (1.0 oz. a.i./acre) of sulfometuron methyl to randomly selected locations on three sites in a split-plot-in-time (repeated-measures) experimental design. Three years after treatment, 6 of the 11 forb species studied had a significant reduction in density (P < 0.05), with densities ranging from 3 to 60% of the pre-treatment levels. The results of this study suggest that the benefit of medusahead control by sulfometuron methyl should be weighed against the damage to non-target species.