bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Storage Area Networks
Authors: DeCusatis Casimer
Published: January 2008

This chapter provides a tutorial on storage area networks (SANs), including a description of SAN networking protocols, topologies, and design considerations. Additional topics to be discussed include SAN management, virtualization, multiprotocol routing, fabrics and intra‐switch links. SAN's extension over long distances (hundreds or thousands of kilometers) will also be considered for applications such as disaster recovery or remote tape and disk vaulting. Both synchronous and asynchronous solutions will be described.
Web Intelligence (WI)
Authors: Zhong Ning , Liu Jiming , Yao Yiyu
Published: January 2008

Web intelligence (WI) has been recognized as a new direction for scientific research and development to explore the fundamental roles as well as practical impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced information technology (IT) on the next generation of Web‐empowered products, systems, services, and activites. This article gives an introduction to the WI research and development and investigates various ways to study WI and potential applications.
Active Database Systems
Authors: Scheuermann Peter , Trajcevski Goce
Published: January 2008

Active database systems extend traditional database systems with the capability to react to various events, which can be either generated internally or externally. We discuss the event‐condition‐action (ECA) paradigm to specify reactive behavior and its enabling tools and triggers which are available in commercial DBMS. We motivate the need for formal reasoning about active database behavior and present the desirable global properties of termination and confluence. Then we discuss the various semantic dimensions of triggers that relate to their instantiation, condition evaluation, scheduling, and execution and we discuss their coupling with the underlying transaction model. The main features of prototype active database systems and of commercially available DBMS are reviewed. We introduce some of the challenges that face active database systems in novel, highly heterogeneous, distributed, and dynamic driven application domains such as workflow systems, streaming database, and moving objects databases. Finally, we give a brief overview of a new paradigm, (ECA)'2, which is geared toward settings in which both the event detection and the condition evaluation are done in distributed fashion and are continuous in nature.
Multiagent Systems
Authors: Fan Xiaocong
Published: January 2008

Multiagent systems offer a new way of analyzing, designing, and implementing large‐scale, complex systems, and they have been applied in an increasing range of software applications. Here, we discussed the concept of shared mental models, multiagent architectures, coordination, communications, and helping behaviors, which are critical in developing team‐based multiagent systems. This article certainly is not an exhaustive summary of MAS research; it simply covers a limited view of the MAS research from teamwork perspective. Readers are encouraged to refer to the key conferences in MAS area (such as AAMAS, KIMAS, IAT), which have been attracting a growing number of researchers to present, demonstrate, and share their systems and ideas.
Service‐Oriented Architecture and Web Services
Authors: Moser Louise E. , Melliar‐Smith P. M.
Published: January 2008

This article describes how to implement service‐oriented architecture and Web services. Service‐oriented architecture promotes modularity of design and interoperability of software services interacting within a distributed system over the Internet. Web services allow clients to obtain information from, or have tasks performed by, service providers using XML data formats and standard Internet protocols.
Data Warehouse
Authors: Rizzi Stefano
Published: January 2008

A data warehousing system is a collection of methods, techniques, and tools that support the knowledge worker (manager, administrator, analyst) in decision making by transforming operational data, stored in corporate databases, into strategic information that can be accessed quickly, reliably, and flexibly. The core idea of data warehousing is to separate the analytical queries that extract strategic information, which are commonly called OLAP (On‐Line Analytical Processing) queries, from the operational ones, called OLTP (On‐Line Transactional Processing) queries, by building a new information repository (the data warehouse) that integrates the elemental data coming from different sources, organizes them into an appropriate structure, and makes them available for analyses and evaluations aimed at planning and decision making. In this article, after providing the basic definition of a data warehouse, we will describe the main architectures of data warehousing systems, define the multidimensional model used to store information in the data warehouse and its implementations, explain the main techniques for accessing information, survey the main issues related to data warehouse design, and mention the main topics of research in this field.
Software Verification and Validation
Authors: Kung David , Zhu Hong
Published: January 2008

Software verification and validation are important because software has been used in all sectors of our society. Today's software systems are extremely large, complex, and process billions of transactions a day in the financial, retailing, manufacturing, transportation, telecommunications, and many other sectors. Many software systems are embedded systems, real‐time systems, or mission‐critical systems. Failures of today's software systems are financially very costly, and politically not acceptable because the failures may incur recall of products, property damages, injury to human body, or even loss of human life. Therefore, software verification, validation, and testing have received increasing attention from academic research and industry.
Cybernetics
Authors: Andrew Alex M.
Published: January 2008

The topic, originally defined as the study of communication and control in the animal and the machine, is reviewed under headings including history, feedback and servomechanisms, neurophysiology and digital computing, Shannon's Information Theory, artificial intelligence, second‐order cybernetics, management, sociocybernetics and finally the Gaia hypothesis, which refers to the biologic regulation of global variables. Second‐order cybernetics, or cybernetics that includes the observer, provides insights into management and sociocybernetics.
Education and Training in Software Engineering
Authors: Bagert Donald J.
Published: January 2008

Although the term “software engineering” has been used widely since the late 1960s, the question of whether to treat it as a distinct academic discipline has only been addressed during the past 10 years. The fact that a steadily increasing number of software engineering degree programs in colleges and universities exist througnout the world indicates a greater acceptance of software engineering as a separate discipline of study.

This article contains a history of software engineering in academia, the role of accreditation in various countries, various curriculum models that have been proposed, the gap between academic education and professional knowledge required, an overview of software engineering training issues and certificate programs, university /industry collaborations in software engineering education, distance learning and web‐based education in software engineering, the role of professional issues in software engineering education, and information on software engineering education conferences and publications.
Fixed‐Point Computer Arithmetic
Authors: Swartzlander Earl E.
Published: January 2008

The speed of a computer is determined to a first order by the speed of the arithmetic unit and the speed of the memory. Although the speed of both units depends directly on the implementation technology, arithmetic unit speed also depends strongly on the logic design. Even for an integer adder, speed can vary easily by an order of magnitude, whereas the complexity varies by less than 50%. Much arithmetic is performed with fixed‐point numbers, which have constant scaling (i.e., the position of the binary point is fixed). The numbers can be interpreted as fractions, integers, or mixed numbers, which depends on the application. Pairs of fixed‐point numbers are used to create floating‐point numbers, the subject of another article.
Grafting of maleic anhydride onto carbon black surface via ultrasonic irradiation
Authors: Zhou Xiaojun , Li Qiuying , Wu Chifei
Published: January 2008

The grafting of maleic anhydride onto carbon black surface based on the Diels–Alder addition via ultrasonic irradiation was investigated. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT‐IR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) were used to determine the chemical structure of the resulting products. The anhydride ring in the modified products can be opened into two carboxylic groups. Accordingly, the carboxylated carbon black was analyzed quantitatively through acid‐based titration to determine the concentration of anhydride ring on the modified carbon black's surface. The grafted molecules amount calculated from the concentration of the anhydride ring was consistent with the results of TGA data. Comparison of zeta potential measurement demonstrated that there were more negative charges attached to the surface of carbon black after ultrasonic modification. TEM observations showed that the conglomeration degree of modified carbon black decreased more than that of initial carbon black. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the distance to the Ophiuchus star‐forming region
Authors: Mamajek E.E.
Published: January 2008

The Ophiuchus molecular cloud complex has produced in Lynds 1688 the richest known embedded cluster within ∼300 pc of the Sun. Unfortunately, distance estimates to the Oph complex vary by nearly ∼40% (∼120–165 pc). Here I calculate a new independent distance estimate of 135±8 pc to this benchmark star‐forming region based on Hipparcos trigonometric parallaxes to stars illuminating reflection nebulosity in close proximity to Lynds 1688. Combining this value with recent distance estimates from reddening studies suggests a consensus distance of 139±6 pc (4% error), situating it within ∼11 pc of the centroid of the ∼5 Myr old Upper Sco OB subgroup of Sco OB2 (145 pc). The velocity vectors for Oph and Upper Sco are statistically indistinguishable within ∼1 km s–1 in each vector component. Both Oph and Upper Sco have negligible motion (<1 km s–1) in the Galactic vertical direction with respect to the Local Standard of Rest, which is inconsistent with the young stellar groups having formed via the high velocity cloud impact scenario. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Speckle observations with PISCO in Merate: IV. Astrometric measurements of visual binaries in 2005
Authors: Scardia M. , Prieur J.‐L. , Pansecchi L. , Argyle R.W. , Sala M. , Basso S. , Ghigo M. , Koechlin L. , Aristidi E.
Published: January 2008

We present relative astrometric measurements of visual binaries made during the second semester of 2005, with the speckle camera PISCO at the 102 cm Zeiss telescope of Brera Astronomical Observatory, in Merate. Our sample contains orbital couples as well as binaries whose motion is still uncertain. The purpose of this long term program is to improve the accuracy of the orbits and determine the masses of the components.

We performed 130 new observations of 120 objects, with most of the angular separations in the range 0″.1–4″, and with an average accuracy of 0″.01. Most of the position angles could be determined without the usual 180. ambiguity with the application of triple‐correlation techniques, and their mean error is 0°8. We have found a possible new triple system: ADS 11077.

The measurements of the closest binaries were made with a new data reduction procedure, based on model fitting of the background of the auto‐correlations. As this procedure proved to be very efficient, we have re‐processed the old observations of close binaries made with PISCO in Merate since 2004. We thus improved 20 measurements already published and obtained 7 new measurements for observations that were previously reported as “unresolved”.

We finally present revised orbits for ADS 684, MCA 55Aac (in the Beta 1 Cyg–Albireo multiple system) and ADS 14783 for which the previously published orbits led to large residuals with our measurements and for which the new observations made since their computation allowed a significant improvement of those old orbits. The sum of the masses that we derived for those systems are consistent with the spectral type of the stars and the dynamic parallaxes are in good agreement with the parallaxes measured by Hipparcos. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Validation of the Lower Gastrointestinal Electronic Referral Protocol
Authors: John S K P , George S , Howell R D , Primrose J N , Fozard J B J
Published: January 2008

Background

Recognition of people presenting to the general practitioner with symptoms suggestive of colorectal cancer varies considerably, as do the subsequent patterns of referral and treatment. The Lower Gastrointestinal Electronic Referral Protocol (e-RP) was developed to be used alongside the national Choose and Book programme. This paper addresses the validation of the e-RP.

Methods

The e-RP was validated using three datasets: 100 consecutive patients with colorectal cancer, 100 2-week wait (TWW) suspected cancer referrals and 100 routine referrals. The actual destination of referred patients, their clinical diagnosis and referral urgency were compared with destination and referral urgency assigned by the e-RP.

Results

Some 43·0 per cent of patients with colorectal cancer were actually referred through the TWW system and the e-RP successfully upgraded 85·0 per cent of these patients as TWW referrals (Pearson χ2 = 9·76, 1 d.f., P = 0·002). The e-RP also redirected three of four patients with colorectal cancer in routine referrals to TWW clinics. Right-sided cancers were appropriately directed to colonoscopy as the first contact in secondary care or to outpatients for investigation of a palpable mass. Most patients with left-sided cancers were directed to flexible sigmoidoscopy clinics.

Conclusion

A dedicated referral protocol addressing all colorectal symptoms would significantly improve the overall yield of colorectal cancers through the TWW route and reduce delays in patient pathways with ‘straight to test’ in secondary care.
Surgical approaches to peritonitis (Br J Surg 2007; 94: 1317–1318)
Authors: Fujita T
Published: January 2008

The Editors welcome topical correspondence from readers relating to articles published in the Journal. Responses should be sent electronically via the BJS website (www.bjs.co.uk). All letters will be reviewed and, if approved,appear on the website. A selection of these will be edited and published in the Journal. Letters must be no more than 250 words in length.
Switchable C‐ and N‐Bound Isomers of Transition‐Metal Cyanocarbanions: Synthesis and Interconversions of Cyclopentadienyl Ruthenium Complexes of Phenylsulfonylacetonitrile Anions
Authors: Naota Takeshi , Tannna Akio , Kamuro Shigeaki , Hieda Masayuki , Ogata Kazuki , Murahashi Shun‐Ichi , Takaya Hikaru
Published: January 2008

The synthesis, structure, and dynamic behavior of bistable C‐ and N‐bound isomers of transition‐metal cyanocarbanions are described. A series of C‐bound cyclopentadienyl (Cp) ruthenium phosphane complexes, [Ru{CH(CN)SO2Ph}(Cp)L1L2] (3), and their N‐bound isomers, [Ru+(Cp)(NCCH−SO2Ph)L1L2] (4), were prepared by treating [RuCl(Cp)(PR3)2] with the sodium salt of phenylsulfonylacetonitrile and performing ligand‐exchange reactions with the resulting compounds. Structural characterization by X‐ray diffraction indicates that the cyanocarbanion moiety of 3 has an α‐metalated structure, whereas that of 4 has a zwitterionic, end‐on structure. Heating these complexes in aprotic solvents gives rise to irreversible linkage isomerization between C‐ and N‐bound isomers, in which the relative thermal stabilities vary greatly depending on the steric and electronic nature of the ligands. Mechanistic studies of N‐to‐C isomerization revealed that the reaction proceeds irreversibly in a unimolecular manner without the formation of coordinatively unsaturated species. A metal‐sliding process, which occurs over the CCN π‐conjugated surface of the cyanocarbanion moiety, was suggested by results from kinetic studies and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. C‐to‐N isomerizations proceed by the above‐mentioned intramolecular process, with a temperature‐dependent contribution from the formation and cleavage of μ2‐C,N coordination dimers [{Ru{CH(CN)SO2Ph}(Cp)(PPh3)}2] (15 and 16).
Organization of pERK‐immunoreactive cells in trigeminal spinal nucleus caudalis and upper cervical cord following capsaicin injection into oral and craniofacial regions in rats
Authors: Noma Noboru , Tsuboi Yoshiyuki , Kondo Masahiro , Matsumoto Mitsuhiko , Sessle Barry J. , Kitagawa Junichi , Saito Kimiko , Iwata Koichi
Published: January 2008

To define the somatotopic arrangement of neurons in the trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis and upper cervical cord activated by acute noxious stimulation of various orofacial sites, pERK expression was analyzed in these neurons. After capsaicin injection into the tongue, lower gum, upper and lower lips, or mental region, pERK‐like immunoreactive (pERK‐LI) cells were distributed mainly in the dorsal half of the trigeminal spinal nucleus interporalis (Vi) and caudalis (Vc) transition zone (Vi/Vc zone), middle Vc, and Vc and upper cervical cord transition zone (Vc/C2 zone). pERK‐LI cells were distributed throughout the dorsal to ventral portion of the Vi/Vc zone, middle Vc, and Vc/C2 zone following capsaicin injection into the anterior hard palate, upper gum, buccal mucosa, or vibrissal pad and in the ventral portion of the Vi/Vc zone, middle Vc, and Vc/C2 zone following snout, ophthalmic, or ocular injection of capsaicin. The rostrocaudal distribution area of pERK‐LI cells was more extensive from the Vi/Vc zone to the Vc/C2 zone after intraoral injection than that after facial injection, and the rostrocaudal distribution of pERK‐LI cells from the Vi/Vc zone to the Vc/C2 zone had a somatotopic arrangement, with the snout being represented most rostrally and ophthalmic, ocular, or mental regions represented most caudally. These findings suggest that the pERK‐LI cells expressed from the Vi/Vc zone to the Vc/C2 zone following injection of capsaicin in facial and intraoral structures may be differentially involved in pain perception in facial and intraoral sites. J. Comp. Neurol. 507:1428–1440, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Expression of latent transforming growth factor beta binding proteins in the rat brain
Authors: Dobolyi Arpád , Palkovits Miklós
Published: January 2008

Transforming growth factor‐betas are expressed in the brain, have neuroprotective functions, and may be involved in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. Their intracellular processing, secretion, and extracellular activation requires latent transforming growth factor‐beta binding proteins (LTBPs) as demonstrated in peripheral organs. Here, we first report that the four types of LTBPs are expressed in the rat brain based on reverse‐transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) and that the subtypes have different topographical distributions based on in situ hybridization histochemistry. LTBP‐1 has a high expression level in several brain regions including choroid plexus, cerebral cortex, medial amygdaloid nucleus, anteromedial and midline thalamic nuclei, medial preoptic area, arcuate and dorsomedial hypothalamic nuclei, superior olive, and area postrema. LTBP‐3 and ‐4 are the most widely distributed LTBPs. Both are abundant in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, hypothalamus, amygdala, brainstem motor nuclei, and area postrema. In addition, LTBP‐3 mRNA is also abundant in the choroid plexus, globus pallidus, anterior and reticular thalamic nuclei, mamillary body, substantia nigra, red nucleus, pontine nuclei, some brainstem sensory nuclei, and reticular formation, while LTBP‐4 is more abundant in the hippocampus and the parabrachial nuclei. In contrast, the expression of LTBP‐2 is restricted to cerebral cortex, CA1 neurons of the hippocampus, and perifornical/lateral hypothalamic areas. The hypothalamic cells were identified by double in situ hybridization histochemistry as orexin‐synthesizing neurons, demonstrating that LTBP expression can be very specifically regulated. Our data demonstrate that each type of LTBPs have highly distinct distributional patterns suggesting that the expression of LTBPs are specifically regulated in the brain. J. Comp. Neurol. 507:1393–1408, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Distribution of glycine immunoreactivity in the brain of adult sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus). Comparison with γ‐aminobutyric acid
Authors: Villar‐Cerviño Verona , Barreiro‐Iglesias Antón , Anadón Ramón , Rodicio María Celina
Published: January 2008

The distribution of glycinergic cells in the brain of nonmammalian vertebrates is still unknown. Lampreys are the most primitive extant vertebrates, and they may provide important data on the phylogeny of this system. Here, we studied for the first time the distribution of glycine immunoreactivity in the sea lamprey brain and compared it with γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)‐ergic populations. Most glycine‐immunoreactive neurons were found at midbrain and hindbrain levels, and most of these cells did not exhibit GABA immunoreactivity. We describe glycine‐immunoreactive cell populations in the olfactory bulbs, the preoptic nucleus, and the thalamus of the sea lamprey, which is in striking contrast to their lack in the mammalian forebrain. We also observed glycine‐immunoreactive populations in the optic tectum, the torus semicircularis and the midbrain tegmentum, the isthmus, the octavolateral area, the dorsal column nucleus, the abducens nucleus, the trigeminal motor nucleus, the facial motor nucleus, and the rhombencephalic reticular formation. In these populations, colocalization with GABA was observed in only some cells of the tegmental M5 nucleus, ventral isthmus, medial octavolateral nucleus, dorsal column nucleus, and lateral reticular region. The present results allow us to conclude that the distribution of glycine‐immunoreactive cells changed notably from lamprey to mammals, with a decrease in glycinergic populations in the forebrain and a specialization of brainstem cell groups. Although knowledge of the glycinergic populations in lampreys is important for understanding the early evolution of this system, there is a notable gap of information regarding its organization in brains of other nonmammalian vertebrates. J. Comp. Neurol. 507:1441–1463, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Tapasin shapes immunodominance hierarchies according to the kinetic stability of peptide – MHC class I complexes
Authors: Thirdborough Stephen M. , Roddick Joanne S. , Radcliffe Joanna N. , Howarth Mark , Stevenson Freda K. , Elliott Tim
Published: January 2008

Peptide loading of MHC class I molecules involves multiple cofactors including tapasin. We showed previously in vitro that tapasin edits the peptide repertoire by favoring the binding of peptides with slow dissociation rates. Here, using tapasin‐deficient mice and a DNA vaccine that primes directly, we confirm that tapasin establishes hierarchical responses in vivo according to peptide‐MHC stability. In contrast, this hierarchy is lost when the peptides are cross‐presented via an alternative DNA vaccine. By regulating transgene expression, we found that the dominant response modifier was antigen persistence. Our findings reveal strategies for activating T cells against low‐affinity peptides, of potential importance for patients with repertoires narrowed by deletional tolerance.
Motivations underlying attitudes: regulatory focus and majority versus minority support
Authors: Falomir‐Pichastor Juan M. , Mugny Gabriel , Quiamzade Alain , Gabarrot Fabrice
Published: January 2008

Drawing on regulatory focus theory, the present work examined the motivations underlying intergroup attitudes expressed under conditions of majority versus minority support. In two studies, participants expressed their attitudes towards equality and non‐discrimination of foreigners and were informed that the equality and non‐discrimination principle was supported by either a majority or a minority. Regulatory focus was assessed as the extent to which participants felt promotion‐related and prevention‐related emotions when acting either inconsistently or consistently with the egalitarian principle. Results provided evidence supporting the hypothesis that attitudes are related to prevention emotions when supported by a majority, but to promotion emotions when supported by a minority. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A mimetic finite difference discretization for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations
Authors: Abbà A. , Bonaventura L.
Published: January 2008

The results of a mimetic finite difference discretization of the three‐dimensional, incompressible Navier–Stokes equations are compared with more traditional finite difference schemes. The proposed method handles both momentum advection and diffusion in a vorticity‐preserving manner and allows for simple treatment of rigid wall boundary conditions. The results obtained in various tests demonstrate the advantages of the proposed method. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Numerical coupling of 2.5D reservoir and 1.5D wellbore models in order to interpret thermometrics
Authors: Amara M. , Capatina D. , Lizaik L.
Published: January 2008

This paper deals with the numerical coupling of an axisymmetric reservoir model, governed by Darcy–Forchheimer's equation together with a nonstandard energy balance, and a quasi‐1D wellbore model described by the compressible Navier–Stokes equations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An examination of acute changes in serotonergic neurotransmission using the loudness dependence measure of auditory cortex evoked activity: effects of citalopram, escitalopram and sertraline
Authors: Guille Valérie , Croft Rodney J. , O'Neill Barry V. , Illic Susan , Phan K. Luan , Nathan Pradeep J.
Published: January 2008

Objective

The underlying effect of serotonergic neurotransmission has been implicated in several psychiatric disorders. The inability to routinely and non‐invasively determine the integrity of the serotonergic system in vivo has limited our understanding of disorders with a putative serotonergic abnormality. The loudness dependence of the auditory evoked potential (LDAEP) has been proposed as a reliable measure of central serotonin function in humans. While animal studies suggest that the LDAEP is sensitive to changes in central serotonin neurotransmission, evidence in humans has been indirect and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to assess the sensitivity of the LDAEP to acute augmentation in central serotonergic neurotransmission in humans.

Methods

The study used a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled cross‐over design, in which healthy subjects were tested under four acute treatment conditions, with pharmacologically equivalent single doses of placebo, escitalopram (10 mg), citalopram (20 mg) and sertraline (50 mg) to examine the direct effect of acute enhancement of synaptic serotonin on the LDAEP. Furthermore, the outcome of the serotonergic modulatory effects on the LDAEP was also examined using two methods (dipole source analysis (DSA) vs. scalp analysis).

Results

Escitalopram, citalopram and sertraline had no effects on the LDAEP and were independent of the analysis method used.

Conclusion

These findings question the sensitivity of the LDAEP to acute changes in serotonin neurotransmission and its validity as a reliable measure of central serotonin function in humans. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of chromatic induction in infancy
Authors: Okamura Hiromi , Kanazawa So , Yamaguchi Masami K.
Published: January 2008

The perception of colour in an embedded field is affected by the surround colour. This phenomenon is known as chromatic induction. In the present study we investigated whether the colour perception by infants aged 5–7 months could be affected by the surround colour. In Experiments 1 and 2 each stimulus was composed of an array of six squares in tandem. The colour appearance of the array in the familiarization stimulus was established by chromatic induction. In Experiment 1 we used familiarization stimuli that were perceived as two‐colour array with a two‐colour surround. In Experiment 2 we used a familiarization stimulus that was perceived as a uniform‐colour array with a two‐colour surround. In the test phase, the uniform‐colour array and the two‐colour array were presented on a white uniform‐colour surround in both experiments. The results showed that in Experiment 1 the 5‐ and 7‐month‐old infants had novelty preference for the uniform‐colour test array. This suggested that the infants' colour perception could be affected by surround colour. The results of Experiment 2 showed that the 7‐month‐olds showed a novelty preference for the two‐colour test array, but the 5‐month‐olds showed no novelty preference. This suggested that 7‐month‐olds' colour perception could be affected by surround colour, but that of 5‐month‐olds could not. We discuss the contradiction of the results between Experiments 1 and 2. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Shared challenges in object perception for robots and infants
Authors: Fitzpatrick Paul , Needham Amy , Natale Lorenzo , Metta Giorgio
Published: January 2008

Robots and humans receive partial, fragmentary hints about the world's state through their respective sensors. These hints—tiny patches of light intensity, frequency components of sound, etc.—are far removed from the world of objects which we feel and perceive so effortlessly around us. The study of infant development and the construction of robots are both deeply concerned with how this apparent gap between the world and our experience of it is bridged. In this paper, we focus on some fundamental problems in perception which have attracted the attention of researchers in both robotics and infant development. Our goal was to identify points of contact already existing between the two fields, and also important questions identified in one field that could fruitfully be addressed in the other. We start with the problem of object segregation: how do infants and robots determine visually where one object ends and another begins? For object segregation, both the fields have examined the idea of using ‘key events’ where perception is in some way simplified and the infant or robot acquires knowledge that can be exploited at other times. We propose that the identification of the key events themselves constitutes a point of contact between the fields. Although the specific algorithms used in robots do not necessarily map directly to infant strategies, the overall ‘algorithmic skeleton’ formed by the set of algorithms needed to identify and exploit key events may in fact form the basis for mutual dialogue. We then look more broadly at the role of embodiment in humans and robots, and see the opportunities it affords for development. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
International variation in rates of uptake of preventive options in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers
Authors: Metcalfe Kelly A. , Birenbaum‐Carmeli Daphna , Lubinski Jan , Gronwald Jacek , Lynch Henry , Moller Pal , Ghadirian Parviz , Foulkes William D. , Klijn Jan , Friedman Eitan , Kim‐Sing Charmaine , Ainsworth Peter , Rosen Barry , Domchek Susan , Wagner Teresa , Tung Nadine , Manoukian Siranoush , Couch Fergus , Sun Ping , Narod Steven A. ,   and the Hereditary Breast Cancer Clinical Study Group
Published: January 2008

Several options for cancer prevention are available for women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, including prophylactic surgery, chemoprevention and screening. The authors report on preventive practices in women with mutations from 9 countries and examine differences in uptake according to country. Women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation were contacted after receiving their genetic test result and were questioned regarding their preventive practices. Information was recorded on prophylactic mastectomy, prophylactic oophorectomy, use of tamoxifen and screening (MRI and mammography). Two thousand six hundred seventy‐seven women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation from 9 countries were included. The follow‐up questionnaire was completed a mean of 3.9 years (range 1.5–10.3 years) after genetic testing. One thousand five hundred thirty‐one women (57.2%) had a bilateral prophylactic oophorectomy. Of the 1,383 women without breast cancer, 248 (18.0%) had had a prophylactic bilateral mastectomy. Among those who did not have a prophylactic mastectomy, only 76 women (5.5%) took tamoxifen and 40 women (2.9%) took raloxifene for breast cancer prevention. Approximately one‐half of the women at risk for breast cancer had taken no preventive option, relying solely on screening. There were large differences in the uptake of the different preventive options by country of residence. Prophylactic oophorectomy is now generally accepted by women and their physicians as a cancer preventive measure. However, only the minority of women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation opt for prophylactic mastectomy or take tamoxifen for the prevention of hereditary breast cancer. Approximately one‐half of women at risk for breast cancer rely on screening alone. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Clinical multiphoton tomography
Authors: König Karsten
Published: January 2008

Clinical multiphoton tomography and two‐photon microendoscopy provide clinicians and researchers with high‐resolution in vivo optical biopsies based on two‐photon autofluorescence, second harmonic generation, and fluorescence lifetime imaging. This review reflects state of the art technology and reports on applications in the fields of early stage melanoma detection, skin aging, nanoparticle imaging, tissue engineering, and in situ screening of pharmaceutical and cosmetical products. So far, more than 500 patients and volunteers in Europe, Asia, and Australia have been investigated with these novel molecular imaging tools. (© 2008 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Structure and bonding in binuclear metal carbonyls from the analysis of domain averaged Fermi holes. I. Fe2(CO)9and Co2(CO)8
Authors: Ponec Robert , Lendvay György , Chaves Joaquin
Published: January 2008

The nature of the bonding in the above carbonyls was studied using the analysis of domain averaged Fermi holes (DAFH). The results straightforwardly confirm the conclusions of earlier theoretical studies in which the existence of direct metal–metal bond, anticipated for the above carbonyls on the basis of 18‐electron rule, was questioned. In addition to indicating the lack of direct metal–metal bond, the DAFH analysis also allowed to characterize the nature of the electron pairs involved in the bonding of the bridging ligands. The analysis has shown that because the number of available electron pairs is not sufficient for the formation of ordinary localized 2c‐2e bonds between terminal M(CO)3fragments and the bridging ligands, the bonding in both carbonyls exhibits typical features of electron deficiency and one bonding electron pair is effectively involved in multicenter 3c‐2e bonding. Because of the symmetry of the complexes the bridging ligands are not distinguishable and all M‐C‐M bridges have a partial 3c‐2e nature via resonance of the localized structures. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem, 2008
How stable is a collagen triple helix? An ab initio study on various collagen and β‐sheet forming sequences
Authors: Pálfi Villő K. , Perczel András
Published: January 2008

Collagen forms the well characterized triple helical secondary structure, stabilized by interchain H‐bonds. Here we have investigated the stability of fully optimized collagen triple helices and β‐pleated sheets by using first principles (ab initio and DFT) calculations so as to determine the secondary structure preference depending on the amino acid composition. Models composed of a total of 18 amino acid residues were studied at six different amino acid compositions: (i) L‐alanine only, (ii) glycine only, (iii) L‐alanines and glycine, (iv) L‐alanines and D‐alanine, (v) L‐prolines with glycine, (vi) L‐proline, L‐hydroxyproline, and glycine. The last two, v and vi, were designed to mimic the core part of collagen. Furthermore, ii, iii, and iv model the binding and/or recognition sites of collagen. Finally, i models the G→A replacement, rare in collagen. All calculated structures show great resemblance to those determined by X‐ray crystallography. Calculated triple helix formation affinities correlate well with experimentally determined stabilities derived from melting point (Tm) data of different collagen models. The stabilization energy of a collagen triple helical structure over that of a β‐pleated sheet is 2.1 kcal mol−1 per triplet for the [(‐Pro‐Hyp‐Gly‐)2]3 collagen peptide. This changes to 4.8 kcal mol−1 per triplet of destabilization energy for the [(‐Ala‐Ala‐Gly‐)2]3 sequence, known to be disfavored in collagen. The present study proves that by using first principles methods for calculating stabilities of supramolecular complexes, such as collagen and β‐pleated sheets, one can obtain stability data in full agreement with experimental observations, which envisage the applicability of QM in molecular design. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.J Comput Chem, 2008
Sonographic diagnosis of spontaneous intramural small bowel hematoma in a case of warfarin overdose
Authors: Hou Sheng‐Wen , Chen Chien‐Chih , Chen Kuo‐Chih , Ko Shih‐Yu , Wong Chung‐Shun , Chong Chee‐Fah
Published: January 2008

A 38‐year‐old man who had been treated with warfarin since mitral valve replacement 10 years earlier presented with acute onset of epigastralgia and melena. Coagulation tests were abnormal with a prolonged prothrombin time of >60 seconds and a prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time of >120 seconds. Abdominal sonographic examination revealed duodenal intramural hematoma that was confirmed on CT. Warfarin therapy was stopped and the patient was treated conservatively with vitamin K and fresh frozen plasma. Recovery was uneventful, and the patient was re‐warfarinized 2 weeks later. Duodenal hematoma can be readily diagnosed with bedside sonography. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2008.
The origins of the psychological ‘interior’—Evidence from imperial roman literary practices and related issues
Authors: Mahon Ciarán Mc
Published: January 2008

The pervasiveness in psychological literature of the assumption that mental events and psychology in general occur within the person—henceforth the psychological ‘interior’— is introduced and the received view of its historical origin is presented. This account is challenged and classical historical source material from the period 100 to 400 CE is interpreted in relation to factors of literary practice and related issues (mode of reading, authority and format of text, mode of writing, and author's motivation). It is concluded that the ‘interior’ that emerges in the reflexive discourse of Imperial Rome develops in tandem with changes in literary practices and that there is consequently substantial evidence for positing an intimate relationship between these practices, subjective experience, and reflexive discourse. © 2008Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis of the perdeuterated cellulose solvents N‐methylmorpholine N‐oxide (NMMO‐d11) and N,N‐dimethylacetamide (DMAc‐d9)
Authors: Adelwöhrer Christian , Yoneda Yuko , Nakatsubo Fumiaki , Rosenau Thomas
Published: January 2008

The synthesis of the perdeuterated cellulose solvents NMMO‐d11 (9) and N,N‐dimethylacetamide‐d9 (14) is described. NMMO‐d11 was obtained according to a five‐step approach from non‐labeled diglycolic acid (1) via diethylene glycole‐d8 (4) and its bis‐tosylate (5), which underwent cyclization with benzylamine to N‐benzylmorpholine (6). The removal of the benzyl protecting group, methylation and N‐oxidation completed the synthesis. DMAc‐d9 (14) was obtained from deuterated acetic acid (10) and dimethylamine–carbon dioxide complex (17) with acidic alumina as the catalyst according to a solvent‐free gas–solid reaction. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of [14C]‐, [13C4]‐, and [13C4, 15N2]‐ 5‐amino‐4‐iodopyrimidine
Authors: Latli Bachir , Jones Paul‐James , Krishnamurthy Dhileepkumar , Senanayake Chris H.
Published: January 2008

5‐Amino‐4‐iodopyrimidine labeled with either carbon‐14 or with the stable isotopes carbon‐13 and nitrogen‐15 was prepared starting from commercially available labeled diethylmalonate and formamide. This compound is a useful intermediate for carbon–nitrogen and carbon–carbon bond formations. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Synthesis of deuterium‐labeled zaleplon‐d5 as an internal standard
Authors: Shaikh Ajam C. , Chen Chinpiao
Published: January 2008

Zaleplon is licensed for the short‐term treatment of insomnia. Excessive usage causes side effects; hence, the drug is controlled. Identifying zaleplon in a drug abuser requires an isotope‐labeled internal standard. This work presents a synthesis of stable isotope‐labeled internal standard for zaleplon, zaleplon‐d5, by a five‐step synthetic sequence. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Work‐life benefits and positive organizational behavior: is there a connection?
Authors: Muse Lori , Harris Stanley G. , Giles William F. , Feild Hubert S.
Published: January 2008

Focusing on the employee well‐being component of positive organizational behavior (POB), this study explores the relationship between organization provided benefit programs and POB. Specifically, we ask the question: are employees' use and perceived value of a work‐life benefit package associated with their positive attitudes and behaviors in the workplace? Grounded in social exchange theory and the norm of reciprocity, we develop and estimate a model identifying differential relationships of benefit use and perceived benefit value with employee attitudinal and performance outcomes. Employing the multigroup method, the hypothesized model was fit to the data of two dissimilar organizations. Results support our hypothesis that providing work‐life benefits employees use and/or value is part of a positive exchange between the employee and employer. This exchange is positively related to employees' feelings of perceived organizational support and affective commitment to the organization and reciprocation in the form of higher levels of task and contextual performance behaviors. Results also revealed that employees' perceptions of benefit program value play a critical role regardless of actual program use in influencing attitudes and behavior. Our findings emphasize the importance of valuing employees and investing in their well‐being inside as well as outside the workplace. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Linking service employees' emotional competence to customer satisfaction: a multilevel approach
Authors: Giardini Angelo , Frese Michael
Published: January 2008

This study investigates the role of the positive organizational behavior (POB) concept of emotional competence for the effective management of participants' affect in service encounters and customers' assessments about the encounter. We developed and tested a two‐level model in which service employees' emotional competence is related to both service employees' and customers' state positive affect. Customers' positive affect, in turn, is related to customers' specific and general evaluations of the service rendered. A total of 394 service encounters involving 53 financial consultants of a bank were assessed. Data were analyzed by a combination of path analysis and hierarchical linear modeling (HLM), and the results support large parts of the model. More specifically, employees' emotional competence was related to customer evaluations through their own positive affective state during the encounter as well as through a direct link to the customer evaluations of the encounter. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The comparison of solid phase microextraction‐GC and static headspace‐GC for determination of solvent residues in vegetable oils
Authors: Ligor Magdalena , Buszewski Bogusław
Published: January 2008

The objective of these investigations has been the determination of volatile organic compounds including residue solvents present in vegetable oil samples. Some olive oil, rape oil, sunflower oil, soy‐bean oil, pumpkin oil, grape oil, rice oil as well as hazel‐nut oil samples were analysed. Among residue solvents the following compounds have been mentioned: acetone, n‐hexane, benzene, and toluene. Some experiments for the solid phase microextraction (SPME)–GC‐flame ionisation detection (FID) were performed to examine extraction conditions such as fiber exposure time, temperature of extraction, and temperature of desorption. Various SPME fibers such as polydimethylsiloxane, Carboxen/polydimethylsiloxane and polydimethylsiloxane/divinylbenzene coatings were used for the isolation of tested compounds from vegetable oil samples. After optimisation of SPME, real vegetable oil samples were examined using SPME‐GC/MS. Based on preliminary experiments the qualitative and quantitative analyses for the determination of acetone, n‐hexane, benzene and toluene were performed by SPME‐GC‐FID and static head‐space (SHS)‐GC‐FID methods. The regression coefficients for calibration curves for the examined compounds were R2 ⪈ 0.992. This shows that the used method is linear in the examined concentration range (0.005–0.119 mg/kg for SPME‐GC‐FID and 0.003–0.728 mg/kg for SHS‐GC‐FID). Chemical properties of analysed vegetable oils have been characterised by chemometric procedure (cluster analysis).
Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection with the 13C‐urea breath test by means of GC‐MS analysis
Authors: Jordaan Maraliese , Laurens Johannes B.
Published: January 2008

The diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection by GC‐MS detection of the 13CO2 enrichment in 13C‐urea breath test (13C‐UBT) samples is reported. This study aimed to optimize the 13C‐UBT with regards to the diagnostic cut‐off value, sampling time, and frequency. The H. pylori status of 103 dyspeptic patients was obtained by histological examination, the rapid urease test as well as with the GC‐MS 13C‐UBT. Analytical and diagnostic accuracies were determined by comparison of the GC‐MS 13C‐UBT results with that of the analytical and diagnostic gold standards, namely GC‐isotope ratio MS (IRMS) and histology. The 13CO2 enrichment values obtained with GC‐MS analysis, correlated favorably (r2 = 0.993) with those obtained by GC‐IRMS analysis. When compared to histology, the GC‐MS 13C‐UBT had a diagnostic sensitivity of 92% and a specificity of 93%. The positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy were 95, 89, and 92%, respectively. It was concluded that SIM GC‐MS is capable of analyzing nonradioactive 13C‐UBT samples, with a precision and accuracy sufficient to distinguish between H. pylori positive and negative patients.