bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of pentobarbital on upper airway patency during sleep
Authors: Eikermann M. , Eckert D.J. , Chamberlin N.L. , Jordan A.S. , Zaremba S. , Smith S. , Rosow C. , Malhotra A.
Published: December 2009

We hypothesised that pentobarbital would improve upper airway mechanics based on an increase in latency to arousal and amplitude of the phasic genioglossus electromyogram (EMG), and a decrease in the active upper airway critical closing pressure (Pcrit).

12 healthy subjects received pentobarbital (100 mg) or placebo in a double-blind, crossover protocol. During wakefulness, we measured the genioglossus reflex response to negative pressure pulses. During sleep, carbon dioxide was insufflated into the inspired air. Airway pressure was then decreased in a stepwise fashion until arousal from sleep.

With basal breathing during sleep: flow rate was lower in volunteers given pentobarbital; end-tidal CO2concentration and upper airway resistance were greater; andPcritwas unaffected (pentobarbital mean±sd-11.7±4.5versusplacebo -10.25±3.6 cmH2O; p = 0.11). Pentobarbital increased the time to arousal (297±63sversus232±67 s; p<0.05), at which time phasic genioglossus EMG was higher (6.2±4.8% maximalversus3.1±3%; p<0.05) as were CO2levels. The increase in genioglossus EMG after CO2administration was greater after pentobarbitalversusplacebo. Pentobarbital did not affect the genioglossus negative-pressure reflex.

Pentobarbital increases the time to arousal and stimulates genioglossus muscle activity, but it also increases upper airway resistance during sleep.
Different definitions in childhood asthma: how dependable is the dependent variable?
Authors: Van Wonderen K.E. , Van Der Mark L.B. , Mohrs J. , Bindels P.J.E. , Van Aalderen W.M.C. , Ter Riet G.
Published: December 2009

There is abundant literature on how to select and statistically deal with predictors in prediction models. Less attention has been paid to the choice of the outcome. We assessed the impact of different asthma definitions on prevalence estimates and on the prediction model's performances.

We searched PubMed and extracted data of definitions used to diagnose childhood asthma (between 6 and 18 yrs) in cohort studies. Next, using data from an ongoing cohort study (n = 186), we constructed and compared four prediction models which all predict asthma at age 6 yrs, using a fixed set of predictors and four different definitions in turn. We defined an area of clinical indecision (posterior probability between 25% and 60%) and calculated the number of children who remained inside this area.

122 papers yielded 60 different definitions. Prevalence estimates varied between 15.1% and 51.1% depending on the asthma definition used. The percentage of children whose posterior asthma probability was in the area of clinical indecision varied from 14.9% to 65.3%.

Variation in definitions and its effect on the performance of prediction models may be another source of otherwise inexplicable variation in daily clinical decision making. More uniformity of operational asthma definitions seems needed.
Inhibitor of Differentiation (Id) Genes Are Expressed in the Steroidogenic Cells of the Ovine Ovary and Are Differentially Regulated by Members of the Transforming Growth Factor-β Family
Authors: Hogg Kirsten , Etherington Sophie L. , Young Julia M. , McNeilly Alan S. , Duncan W. Colin
Published: December 2009

Inhibitor of differentiation (Id) proteins act during embryogenesis and development to repress gene transcription required for lineage commitment, while promoting cell growth. Growth factors belonging to the TGFβ superfamily of signaling molecules, notably the bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and activin, can regulate Id expression in these tissues. Id expression and function in adult physiology is less well determined, and we hypothesized a role for Id proteins in the adult mammalian ovary. Immunohistochemistry for Id1, Id2, Id3, and Id4 in the sheep ovary revealed consistent expression in granulosa and thecal cells of ovarian follicles throughout development. In atretic follicles, Id proteins were selectively down-regulated in thecal cells (P < 0.0001). Additionally, Id1 was universally up-regulated in the cumulus cells adjacent to the oocyte. Immunohistochemistry for phospho (p)-smad 1/5/8 signaling components (stimulated by BMPs) showed a punctate pattern of expression whereas p-smad 2/3 (stimulated by activin) was ubiquitously expressed in follicles. Neither pathway, however, displayed differential staining in line with Id1 cumulus-specific expression, suggesting a more complex relationship between Id1 expression and TGFβ signaling in these cells. Nevertheless, in vitro, stimulation of ovine granulosa cells with BMP6 or activin A led to a respective increase and decrease in Id1 (P < 0.0001), Id2 (P < 0.0001), Id3 (P < 0.0001), and Id4 (P < 0.05) transcripts, and Id1 gene expression was further manipulated by the oocyte-secreted factors BMP15 and growth differentiation factor 9 (P < 0.001). These data confirm that TGFβ signaling can regulate Id gene expression in the sheep ovarian follicle and suggest a functional role for the Id family in the mammalian ovary.
Minireview: The Play of Proteins on the Parathyroid Hormone Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Regulates Its Expression
Authors: Naveh-Many Tally
Published: December 2009

PTH regulates serum calcium and phosphate levels and bone strength. The parathyroid is unique in that the trigger for PTH secretion is a low extracellular calcium rather than high calcium as for other hormones. The parathyroid senses small changes in serum calcium through the seven-trans-membrane G protein-coupled calcium receptor to alter PTH secretion. PTH then acts on bone and kidney to correct serum calcium. Parathyroid cells have few secretory granules as compared with other endocrine cells, and therefore PTH production is regulated largely at the levels of PTH gene expression and parathyroid cell proliferation. The regulation of PTH gene expression by changes in calcium and phosphate and in chronic kidney failure is posttranscriptional involving the binding of trans-acting proteins to a defined cis element in the PTH mRNA 3′-untranslated region. These protein-PTH mRNA interactions are orchestrated by the peptidyl-prolyl isomerase Pin1. This review discusses the mechanisms of regulation of PTH mRNA stability determining serum PTH levels and mineral metabolism.
Cell contamination and branching processes in a random environment with immigration
Authors: Bansaye Vincent
Published: December 2009

We consider a branching model for a population of dividing cells infected by parasites. Each cell receives parasites by inheritance from its mother cell and independent contamination from outside the cell population. Parasites multiply randomly inside the cell and are shared randomly between the two daughter cells when the cell divides. The law governing the number of parasites which contaminate a given cell depends only on whether the cell is already infected or not. We first determine the asymptotic behavior of branching processes in a random environment with state-dependent immigration, which gives the convergence in distribution of the number of parasites in a cell line. We then derive a law of large numbers for the asymptotic proportions of cells with a given number of parasites. The main tools are branching processes in a random environment and laws of large numbers for a Markov tree.
Tail Dependence for Heavy-Tailed Scale Mixtures of Multivariate Distributions
Authors: Li Haijun , Sun Yannan
Published: December 2009

The tail dependence of multivariate distributions is frequently studied via the tool of copulas. In this paper we develop a general method, which is based on multivariate regular variation, to evaluate the tail dependence of heavy-tailed scale mixtures of multivariate distributions, whose copulas are not explicitly accessible. Tractable formulae for tail dependence parameters are derived, and a sufficient condition under which the parameters are monotone with respect to the heavy tail index is obtained. The multivariate elliptical distributions are discussed to illustrate the results.
Estimation of a four‐parameter item response theory model
Authors: Loken Eric , Rulison Kelly L.
Published: December 2009

We explore the justification and formulation of a four‐parameter item response theory model (4PM) and employ a Bayesian approach to recover successfully parameter estimates for items and respondents. For data generated using a 4PM item response model, overall fit is improved when using the 4PM rather than the 3PM or the 2PM. Furthermore, although estimated trait scores under the various models correlate almost perfectly, inferences at the high and low ends of the trait continuum are compromised, with poorer coverage of the confidence intervals when the wrong model is used. We also show in an empirical example that the 4PM can yield new insights into the properties of a widely used delinquency scale. We discuss the implications for building appropriate measurement models in education and psychology to model more accurately the underlying response process.
Detecting a lack of association: An equivalence testing approach
Authors: Goertzen Jason R. , Cribbie Robert A.
Published: December 2009

Researchers often test for a lack of association between variables. A lack of association is usually established by demonstrating a non‐significant relationship with a traditional test (e.g., Pearson's r). However, for logical as well as statistical reasons, such conclusions are problematic. In this paper, we discuss and compare the empirical Type I error and power rates of three lack of association tests. The results indicate that large, sometimes very large, sample sizes are required for the test statistics to be appropriate. What is especially problematic is that the required sample sizes may exceed what is practically feasible for the conditions that are expected to be common among researchers in psychology. This paper highlights the importance of using available lack of association tests, instead of traditional tests of association, for demonstrating the independence of variables, and qualifies the conditions under which these tests are appropriate.
The association between regulatory focus and distress in patients with a chronic disease: The moderating role of partner support
Authors: Schokker Marike C. , Links Thera P. , Luttik Marie Louise , Hagedoorn Mariët
Published: December 2009

Objectives

To determine the association between two regulatory foci (i.e. promotion and prevention focus) and distress in patients with chronic disease requiring self‐management, and to determine whether these associations were moderated by partner support.

Design and method

Four hundred and seventy‐seven patients with diabetes, asthma, or heart disease completed a postal survey consisting of the Regulatory Focus Questionnaire, questionnaires measuring active engagement (i.e. supportive behaviour) and protective buffering and overprotection (i.e. unsupportive behaviour) by the partner as perceived by the patient, and the General Health Questionnaire‐12 to measure distress.

Results

A promotion focus was negatively associated with distress. This association was only found when patients reported that their partner engaged in relatively low levels of active engagement or relatively high levels of protective buffering and overprotection. The positive association between prevention focus and distress was not consistently found to be moderated by partner support.

Conclusion

Active engagement appears to buffer against high distress in patients with a weak promotion focus, while protective buffering and overprotection appear to aggravate distress in these patients.
Single Participant Studies in Positive Behaviour Support for Parents of Individuals With Brain Injuries
Authors: Arco Lucius , Bishop Jan
Published: December 2009

Three single participant studies examined effects of in-home parent-implemented Positive Behaviour Support (PBS) interventions on behaviour of individuals with brain injuries. Parental and independent observations of morning routine behaviour or problem behaviour (viz., noncompliance during meals or morning routines, yelling, kicking, swearing, and so on) were taken during baselines and PBS interventions, which consisted of person-centred functional assessments of behaviour, emphasis on changing behavioural antecedents, parent participation in assessing, treating, and evaluating behaviour change, and in-home parent coaching and support. Results show decreased problem behaviour or improved morning routine behaviour, which corroborate and add to the few studies that applied similar parent-implemented interventions. Future comparative studies between PBS and out-patient interventions are indicated.
Effects of synthesis conditions on dimensions, structure, and oxygen content of photocatalytically active titania nanotubes
Authors: Ranney Elizabeth , Mansfield John , Sun Kai , Schwank Johannes
Published: December 2009

In this study, we report a method for the formation and characterization of aligned arrays of amorphous titania nanotubes by anodic oxidation in thin titanium films on SiO2 substrates using fluoride-containing electrolytes. Trends in titania nanotube geometries as a function of synthesis conditions were established. A titania nanotube array surface area of approximately 178 m2/g is reported. The titania nanotubes transitioned to the rutile crystal structure when heated in air at 530 °C–705 °C. The degradation of methylene blue under UV light showed that lower fluoride concentrations in the synthesis electrolyte result in higher photocatalytic activity of the titania nanotubes. These results indicate that the synthesis conditions affect the oxygen content of amorphous nanotubes, which determines their physical and chemical properties.
Morphology influence on photocatalytic activity of tungsten oxide loaded by platinum nanoparticles
Authors: Aminian Mohsen Khajeh , Ye Jinhua
Published: December 2009

Photocatalytic activity of different morphologies of tungsten oxide was investigated before and after platinum loading. Different shape particles of tungsten oxide were synthesized using peroxo tungstic acid solution as a basic precursor and different methods. The prepared materials were composed of nanoparticles, nanorods, and nanosheets that formed different morphologies. The results of photodegradation with isopropyl alcohol (IPA) under visible light showed that the samples composed of nanostructures with an average lateral thickness of 20 to 47 nm were more active than one composed of broad nanosheets with a thickness of 60 nm. The samples were loaded with a platinum cocatalyst. The results of photocatalytic evaluation of loaded samples showed that the photooxidation reaction of samples with a smaller feature was accelerated with a higher rate rather than one with broad nanosheets. We conclude that although loading of a cocatalyst promoted the photocatalytic activity, it is not capable of compensating for the morphology influence on the photocatalytic activity.
Transparency of modified vinyl-silsesquioxane films and its validation by computing energy-band structure
Authors: Chen Xiao-Dong , Wang Di , Lin De-Rong , Zhang Qun , Hu Li-Jiang
Published: December 2009

Using vinyl-silsesquioxane modified with various amounts of tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) and titanium tetrabutoxide (TTB), two kinds of hybrid films, film-vinyl-silsesquioxane-TEOS (f-VSTE) and film-vinyl-silsesquioxane-TTB (f-VSTT), were prepared. The average transparency (AT) of the modified films was measured in the ranges of the visible light region (400–750 nm) and in the near-infrared region (750–2500 nm). The AT values in these ranges are about 88% to 94%, indicating that these high-AT films can provide crops with growth energy and improvement of the photosynthetic process efficiency. The TEOS additions result in a hybrid structure (containing SiO2); an adequate addition can cause an increase in the AT radiation from sunlight. On the other hand, the TTB additions result in a hybrid structure (containing TiO2) that causes a decrease in the AT. These results were validated using molecular dynamic simulation and were calculated (with Materials Stutio software) using the density of states and the energy-band structure of the vinyl-SSO, SiO2, and TiO2 building blocks.
DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE LANTAU LINK BRIDGES.
Authors: LAU C K , WONG K Y
Published: December 2009

The development of Hong Kong's new international airport at Chek Lap Kok north of Lantau Island required construction of an expressway and highspeed rail link connecting the airport with the rest of Hong Kong. This involved making a physical connection for the first time between Lantau and the Kowloon peninsula, the principal part of which is the spectacular 4 km long Lantau Link. The Link consists of three major structures: the 1377 m span Tsing Ma suspension bridge, the 430 m span Kap Shui Mun cable-stayed bridge and the Ma Wan viaduct connecting the two bridges on Ma Wan Island. All structures carry a dual three-lane expressway on the top deck and, on the lower deck, two rail tracks and twin single-lane sheltered carriageways. On completion in May 1997, the Tsing Ma bridge and Kap Shui Mun bridge are, respectively, the world's longest suspension and longest cable-stayed bridges to carry both road and rail traffic.
Hypoglycemia Aggravates Critical Illness–Induced Neurocognitive Dysfunction
Authors: Duning Thomas , van den Heuvel Ingeborg , Dickmann Annabelle , Volkert Thomas , Wempe Carola , Reinholz Julia , Lohmann Hubertus , Freise Hendrik , Ellger Björn
Published: December 2009

OBJECTIVE

Tight glycemic control (TGC) in critically ill patients is associated with an increased risk of hypoglycemia. Whether those short episodes of hypoglycemia are associated with adverse morbidity and mortality is a matter of discussion. Using a case-control study design, we investigated whether hypoglycemia under TGC causes permanent neurocognitive dysfunction in patients surviving critical illness.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

From our patient data management system, we identified adult survivors treated for >72 h in our surgical intensive care unit (ICU) between 2004 and 2007 (n = 4,635) without a history of neurocognitive dysfunction or structural brain abnormalities who experienced at least one episode of hypoglycemia during treatment (hypo group) (n = 37). For each hypo group patient, one patient stringently matched for demographic- and disease-related data were identified as a control subject. We performed a battery of neuropsychological tests investigating five areas of cognitive functioning in both groups at least 1 year after ICU discharge. Test results were compared with data from healthy control subjects and between groups.

RESULTS

Critical illness caused neurocognitive dysfunction in all tested domains in both groups. The dysfunction was aggravated in hypo group patients in one domain, namely that of visuospatial skills (P < 0.01). Besides hypoglycemia, both hyperglycemia (r = −0.322; P = 0.005) and fluctuations of blood glucose (r = −0.309; P = 0.008) were associated with worse test results in this domain.

CONCLUSIONS

Hypoglycemia was found to aggravate critical illness–induced neurocognitive dysfunction to a limited, but significant, extent; however, an impact of hyperglycemia and fluctuations of blood glucose on neurocognitive function cannot be excluded.
Synthesis and characterisation of Schiff base macrocyclic Pb(II), Zn(II), Cd(II) and La(III) complexes by template reaction of (±)-trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane with metal nitrates and salicylaldehyde derivatives
Authors: Ilhan Salih
Published: December 2009

Eight macrocyclic complexes have been synthesised by template reaction of (±)- trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane with metal nitrates and 1,10-bis(2-formylphenyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraoxadecane or 1,7-bis(2-formylphenyl)-1,4,7-trioxaheptane, and their structures are proposed on the basis of elemental analysis, FT-IR, UV-Vis, molar conductivity measurements, 1H The complexes NMR and mass spectra. The metal-to-ligand molar ratios are 1:1 in the complexes, which are 1:2 electrolytes for Pb(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II) and 1:3 electrolytes for La(III)
Development and Initial Validation of a Radiographic Scoring System for the Hip in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis
Authors: BERTAMINO MARTA , ROSSI FEDERICA , PISTORIO ANGELA , LUCIGRAI GIORGIO , VALLE MAURA , VIOLA STEFANIA , MAGNI-MANZONI SILVIA , MALATTIA CLARA , MARTINI ALBERTO , RAVELLI ANGELO
Published: December 2009

Objective.

To develop and validate a radiographic scoring system for the assessment of radiographic damage in the hip joint in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Methods.

The Childhood Arthritis Radiographic Score of the Hip (CARSH) assesses and scores these radiographic abnormalities: joint space narrowing (JSN), erosion, growth abnormalities, subchondral cysts, malalignment, sclerosis of the acetabulum, and avascular necrosis of the femoral head. Score validation was accomplished by evaluating reliability and correlational, construct, and predictive validity in 148 JIA patients with hip disease who had a total of 381 hip radiographs available for study.

Results.

JSN was the most frequently observed radiographic abnormality, followed by erosion and sclerosis of the acetabulum. The least common abnormalities were avascular necrosis, growth abnormalities, and malalignment. Interobserver and intraobserver reliability on baseline and longitudinal score values and on score changes was good, with intraclass correlation coefficients ranging from 0.76 to 0.98. Early score changes, but not absolute baseline score values, were moderately correlated (rs> 0.4) with clinical indicators of disease damage at last followup observation, thereby demonstrating that the CARSH has good construct and predictive validity. The amount of structural damage in the hip radiograph at last followup observation was predicted better by baseline to 1-year score change (rs= 0.66; p < 0.0001) than by absolute baseline score values (rs= 0.40; p = 0.002).

Conclusion.

Our results show that the CARSH is reliable and valid for the assessment of radiographic hip damage and its progression in patients with JIA.
Pancreatitis in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus: Frequency and Associated Factors — A Review of the Hopkins Lupus Cohort
Authors: MAKOL ASHIMA , PETRI MICHELLE
Published: December 2009

Objective.

Pancreatitis is a rare but potentially life-threatening complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Vasculitis of the gastrointestinal tract is the most commonly proposed mechanism. We determined the frequency of SLE-related pancreatitis in the Hopkins Lupus Cohort.

Methods.

A large prospective cohort of 1811 patients with SLE was reviewed and clinical and laboratory measures of SLE patients who developed pancreatitis were compared to patients who did not develop pancreatitis.

Results.

Four percent of patients with SLE had pancreatitis due to SLE. The best multivariate model of clinical and laboratory associations included hypertriglyceridemia, psychosis, pleurisy, gastritis, and anemia.

Conclusion.

Hypertriglyceridemia appears to be a strong associate of pancreatitis in SLE, but antiphospholipid antibodies are not. SLE patients with psychosis and pleurisy are at increased risk for pancreatitis.
Rezensionen
Authors: Schneebeli H.R. , Szpiro George G. , Walser Hans , Hungerbühler Norbert
Published: December 2009

Rezensionen zu:
M. Akveld:
Knoten in der Mathematik. Ein Spiel mit Schnüren, Bildern und Formeln
. Themenheft Topologie, Deutschschweizerische Mathematikkommission. 72 Seiten, sFr 23.80. Orell Füssli, Zürich, 2007; ISBN 978-3280-04050-8,
von H.R. Schneebeli;
und zu:
R. Kippenhahn:
Eins, zwei, drei ... unendlich. Eine Reise an die Grenzen der Mathematik
. 243 Seiten, sFr 31.60. Piper-Verlag, München, 2007; ISBN 3-4920-4907-9,
von George Szpiro;
und zu:
G.L. Alexanderson, P. Ross (Hrsg.):
The Harmony of the World. 75 Years of Mathematics Magazine
. 304 Seiten, $ 55.95. Mathematical Association of America, 2007; ISBN 978-0-88385-560-7,
von Hans Walser;
und zu:
E. Specker:
Wie ein Dieb in der Nacht. 35 Kurzpredigten
. 96 Seiten, Hardcover, sFr. 25.–. Theologischer Verlag, Zürich, 2008; ISBN 978-3-290-17468-2,
von Norbert Hungerbühler.
Rezensionen
Authors: Szpiro George G. , Adler Joel
Published: December 2009

Rezensionen zu:
B. Vöcking et al. (Hrsg.):
Taschenbuch der Algorithmen
. 448 Seiten, sFr 31.–. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, 2008; ISBN 978-35407-6393-2,
von George Szpiro;
und zu:
J.J. Watkins:
Across the Board. The Mathematics of Chessboard Problems
. 272 Seiten, $ 20.95. Princeton University Press, Princeton and Oxford, 2007; ISBN 978-0-691-13062-0,
von Joel Adler;
und zu:
W. Blum:
Schnellkurs Mathematik
. 189 Seiten, sFr 27.30. DuMont-Verlag, Köln, 2007; ISBN 978-3-83217762-1,
von George Szpiro.
Rezensionen
Authors: Leuenberger Chr.
Published: December 2009

Rezension zu:
I. James:
Remarkable Mathematicians. From Euler to von Neumann
. xiv + 433 Seiten, $ 29.00. Cambridge UP, 2002; ISBN 0-521-52094-0 (pbk).
Rezensionen
Authors: Altwegg Nelly , Kilchoer François , Wüthrich S.
Published: December 2009

Rezensionen zu:
B. Gross, J. Harris:
The Magic of Numbers
. xiv + 287 Seiten, $ 56.00. Prentice Hall, 2004; ISBN 0-13177721-1,
von Nelly Altwegg;
und zu:
T. G. Feeman:
Portraits of the Earth. A Mathematician Looks at Maps
. xiii + 123 Pages, $ 26.00. American Mathematical Society, 2002; ISBN 0-821-83255-7,
von François Kilchoer;
und zu:
H.-W. Alten (Hrsg.):
4000 Jahre Algebra. Geschichte – Kulturen – Menschen
. xiv + 653 Seiten, SFr. 68.–. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg 2003; ISBN 3-540-43554-9,
von S. Wüthrich.
Rezensionen
Authors: Roos Malgorzata
Published: December 2009

Rezension zu:
J.A. Adam:
Mathematics in Nature: Modeling Patterns in the Natural World
. xxii + 360 Seiten, £ 26.95. Princeton University Press, Oxford, 2003; ISBN 0-691-11429-3.
Rezensionen
Authors: Schneebeli H.R. , Wegmann Daniel
Published: December 2009

Rezensionen zu:
K. Erikson, D. Estep, C. Johnson:
Applied Mathematics, Body and Soul
. Vol. 1–3, 1213 Seiten, ca. sFr.180.–, Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Heidelberg, New York 2004; ISBN 3-540-00890-X, 3-540-00889-6, 3-540-00891-8,
von H.R. Schneebeli;
und zu:
J. Hein, M.H. Schierup, C. Wiuf:
Gene Genealogies, Variation and Evolution. A Primer in Coalescent Theory
. 296 Seiten, £ 68.00. Oxford University Press, UK, 2005; ISBN 0-19-852995-3,
von Daniel Wegmann.
Rezensionen
Authors: Schnetzer Marc-Adrien , Schuler Jean–Roland , Fink Sabine
Published: December 2009

Rezensionen zu:
A. Beutelspacher, H.B. Neumann und T. Schwarzpaul:
Kryptografie in Theorie und Praxis
. Mathematische Grundlagen für elektronisches Geld, Internetsicherheit und Mobilfunk. xiii + 319 Seiten, sFr 43.70. Vieweg, Wiesbaden, 2005; ISBN 3-528-03168-9,
von Marc-Adrien Schnetzer;
und zu:
D.A. Grier:
When Computers Were Human
. 411 Seiten, $ 35.00. Princeton University Press, 2005; ISBN 0-691-09157-9,
von Jean–Roland Schuler;
und zu:
Olivier Gascuel (Hrsg.):
Mathematics of Evolution and Phylogeny
. 448 Seiten, £45.00. Oxford University Press, UK, 2005; ISBN 0-19-856610-7,
von Sabine Fink.
Rezensionen
Authors: Szpiro George G.
Published: December 2009

Rezension zu:
K. Sigmund, J. Dawson und K. Mühlberger:
Kurt Gödel. Das Album – The Album
. Mit einem Geleitwort von Hans Magnus Enzensberger. 225 Seiten mit 200 Abb., sFr. 52.20. Vieweg, Wiesbaden, 2006; ISBN 3-83480173-9.
Rezensionen
Authors: Schnetzer Marc-Adrien , Piot Michel , Lörch Daniel
Published: December 2009

Rezensionen zu:
J. Brinkhuis, V. Tikhomirov:
Optimization – Insights and Applications
. Princeton Series in Applied Mathematics. xxiv + 658 Seiten, ca. SFr 130.–. Princeton University Press, New Jersey, 2006; ISBN 0-6911-0287-2,
von Marc-Adrien Schnetzer;
und zu:
R. Taschner:
Der Zahlen gigantische Schatten
. 198 Seiten, EUR 39.90. Vieweg Verlag, Wiesbaden 2004; ISBN 3-528-03211-1,
von Michel Piot;
und zu:
Anthony C. Davison:
Statistical Models
. x+726 Seiten, $70.00. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2003; ISBN 0-521-77339-3,
von Daniel Lörch.
Rezensionen
Authors: Fässler Albert , Bapst Frédéric
Published: December 2009

Rezensionen zu:
U. Stammbach.
Die Zürcher Vorlesung von Issai Schurüber Darstellungstheorie
. 95 Seiten, SFr 30.00. ETHBibliothek, Zürich, 2004; ISBN 3-9093-8602-4. Erschienen im Rahmen der Schriftenreihe der ETH-Bibliothek zum Thema Wissenschaftsgeschichte,
von Albert Fässler;
und zu:
A.N. Langville, C.D. Meyer:
PageRank and Beyond – The Science of Search Engine Rankings
. 224 pages, sFr 68.50. Princeton University Press, 2006; ISBN 0-691-12202-4,
von Frédéric Bapst.
The feet of the altitudes of a simplex
Authors: Gut Arthur , Waldvogel Jörg
Published: December 2009

Im Unterricht in Elementargeometrie gehören die Höhen im Dreieck zum Standardstoff. Die Verallgemeinerung auf das Tetraeder im Raum liefert gelegentlich Material für Maturitätsaufgaben, etwa

Berechne den der Ecke

A

gegenüberliegenden Höhenfusspunkt

F_A

im Tetraeder

ABCD

aus den Koordinaten der Eckpunkte

. Es zeigt sich, dass es ein erstaunlich einfaches und kompaktes Verfahren für die simultane Berechnung
aller
Höhenfusspunkte eines

n

-dimensionalen Simplex gibt. Dieses funktioniert für alle Dimensionen

n\ge1

und beruht auf der Verwendung homogener Koordinaten und projektiver Räume. Nach einer kurzen Einführung dieser Begriffe werden zunächst alle Seitenflächen eines Simplex mit einer einzigen Matrixinversion berechnet.
On summing to arbitrary real numbers
Authors: Hančl Jaroslav , Šustek Jan , Nair Radhakrishnan , Rucki Pavel , Bodyagin Dmitry
Published: December 2009

Ein interessantes zahlentheoretisches Problem ist die Frage nach der Rationalität des Werts einer konvergenten Reihe reeller Zahlen. An diese Fragestellung anknüpfend nennen wir mit P. Erdős eine Folge

\{a_{n}\}_{n=1}^{\infty}

reeller Zahlen irrational, falls die Menge

E=\{\sum_{n=1}^{\infty}1/(a_{n}c_{n})\mid c_{n}\in \mathbb{N}\}

keine rationale Zahl enthält. In der vorliegenden Arbeit beweisen die Autoren für den Fall, dass die Reihe

\sum_ {n=1}^{\infty}1/a_{n}

bedingt konvergent ist, dass die Menge

E

jeweils die gesamte reelle Zahlengerade ausschöpft.
Rezensionen
Authors: Szpiro George G. , Kilchoer François
Published: December 2009

Rezensionen zu:
E. Behrends:
Fünf Minuten Mathematik
. 253 Seiten, sFr 40.10. Vieweg-Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2006; ISBN 3-8348-0082-1,
von George Szpiro;
und zu:
Feng-Hsiung Hsu:
Behind Deep Blue. Building the computer that defeated the world chess champion
. With an afterword by the author. xiii+300 pages, sFr 32.–. Princeton University Press, January 2005; ISBN 0-6911-1818-3,
von François Kilchoer.
Evaluation of ovotoxicity in female mice caused by organic extracts in tap water from Jialing River in Chongqing, China
Authors: Xu Chuan , Zhang Jian‐jiang , Chen Ji‐an , Cao Bo , Shu Wei‐qun , Cao Jia
Published: December 2009

BACKGROUND: Recently, toxic effects of widespread organic pollutants have received much attention due to the hazards they pose to female reproductive health. The aim of the present study was to determine the female reproductive toxicity of organic extracts (OE) in tap water from the Jialing River in Chongqing, China. METHODS: In our experiment, Kunming female mice that exhibited normal estrous cycles were randomly divided into 4 groups, which included a control group (OE 0 L/kg bw) as well as low‐ (OE 12.5 L/kg bw/day), mid‐ (OE 25 L/kg bw/day), and high‐dose (OE 50 L/kg bw/day) groups. Mice were continually administered intraperitoneal injections of OE at different doses for 5 consecutive days. On the 15th and 30th day after treatments, half of the mice were sacrificed separately. RESULTS: The results showed that OE decreased relative ovary weights and prolonged the duration of estrous cycle with concomitant increase in estrous phase. There was a significant decrease in the number of corpora lutea of OE‐treated mice, but no significant differences were found in healthy and atretic follicle populations compared to control. Ultrastructure observation regarding granulosa cells of the ovary revealed that OE treatment caused mitochondrial swelling together with endoplasmic reticulum expansion. CONCLUSIONS: All these data indicate that OE could exert adverse effects on the development of ovary and also a slight suppressive effect on reproductive functions. Birth Defects Res (Part B) 89:26–33, 2010. ©2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Certolizumab pegol: a new option for rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: HY Margaret , Choy Ernest HS
Published: December 2009

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) presents a significant burden to healthcare in the UK. New biological therapies have advanced treatment but at a high cost to the NHS. Certolizumab pegol is a new TNF inhibitor, providing an additional treatment option for RA. In this article Dr Ma and Dr Choy consider the efficacy of certolizumab pegol, and where it may fit into the RA armoury. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bluetooth Essentials for Programmers
Authors: Huang Albert S. , Rudolph Larry
Published: December 2009

This book provides an introduction to Bluetooth programming, with a specific focus on developing real code. The authors discuss the major concepts and techniques involved in Bluetooth programming, with special emphasis on how they relate to other networking technologies. They provide specific descriptions and examples for creating applications in a number of programming languages and environments including Python, C, Java, GNU/Linux, Windows XP, Symbian Series 60, and Mac OS X. No previous experience with Bluetooth is assumed, and the material is suitable for anyone with some programming background. The authors place special emphasis on the essential concepts and techniques of Bluetooth programming, starting simply and allowing the reader to quickly master the basic concepts before addressing advanced features.
Testing IT
Authors: Watkins John
Published: December 2009

This pragmatic guide provides a testing framework that can be used by all members of staff involved in software development and testing within an organisation to improve the quality and to reduce timescales, effort, and cost. This book covers all aspects of testing, as well as software developed or modified in-house, the modification or extension of existing legacy software systems, as well as software developed on behalf of an organisation by a third party. This framework can be customised to match the particular testing requirements of any particular organisation, and a series of real-world case studies are provided to illustrate how this can be achieved. The book also provides a comprehensive set of standard testing document templates, proformas, and checklists for the reader to use in their testing projects. These items are provided electronically, which allows the reader to customised them to match the particular requirements of their business.
Calculated Bets
Authors: Skiena Steven S.
Published: December 2009

This is a book about a gambling system that works. It tells the story of how the author used computer simulations and mathematical modeling techniques to predict the outcome of jai-alai matches and bet on them successfully - increasing his initial stake by over 500% in one year! His results can work for anyone: at the end of the book he tells the best way to watch jai-alai, and how to bet on it. With humour and enthusiasm, Skiena details a life-long fascination with computer predictions and sporting events. Along the way, he discusses other gambling systems, both successful and unsuccessful, for such games as lotto, roulette, blackjack, and the stock market. Indeed, he shows how his jai-alai system functions just like a miniature stock trading system. Do you want to learn about program trading systems, the future of Internet gambling, and the real reason brokerage houses don't offer mutual funds that invest at racetracks and frontons? How mathematical models are used in political polling? The difference between correlation and causation? If you are curious about gambling and mathematics, odds are this book is for you!
How Migrant Labor is Changing Rural China
Authors: Murphy Rachel
Published: December 2009

One of the most dramatic and noticeable changes in China since the introduction of economic and social reforms in the early 1980s has been the mass migration of peasants from the countryside to urban areas across the country. Murphy's in-depth fieldwork in rural China offers a rich basis for her findings about the impact of migration on many aspects of rural life: inequality; the organization of agricultural production; land transfers; livelihood diversification; spending patterns; house-building; marriage; education; the position of women; social stability; and state-society relations. Her analysis focuses on the human experiences and strategies that precipitate shifts in national and local policies for economic development, and the responses of migrants, non-migrants, and officials to changing circumstances, obstacles and opportunities. This pioneering study is rich in original source materials and anecdotes, as well as useful, comparative examples from other developing countries.
Age Discrimination
Authors: Macnicol John
Published: December 2009

Age discrimination is a highly topical issue in all industrialised societies, against a background of concerns about shortening working lives and ageing populations in the future. Based upon detailed research, and adopting an interdisciplinary approach, this unique study traces the history of the age discrimination debate in Britain and the USA since the 1930s. It critically analyses the concepts of ageism in social relations and age discrimination in employment. Case-studies on generational equity and health care rationing by age are followed by an analysis of the British government's initiatives against age discrimination in employment. The book then traces the history of the debate on health status and old age, addressing the question of whether working capacity has improved sufficiently to justify calls to delay retirement and extend working lives. It concludes with a detailed examination of the origins and subsequent working of the USA's 1967 Age Discrimination in Employment Act.
Trade Imbalance
Authors: Aaronson Susan Ariel , Zimmerman Jamie M.
Published: December 2009

In many countries, citizens allege that trade policies undermine specific rights such as labor rights, the right to health, or the right to political participation. However, in some countries, policy makers use trade policies to promote human rights. Although scholars, policy makers and activists have long debated this relationship, in truth we know very little about it. This book enters this murky territory with three goals. First, it aims to provide readers with greater insights into the relationship between human rights and trade. Second, it includes the first study of how South Africa, Brazil, the United States, and the European Union coordinate trade and human rights objectives and resolve conflicts. It also looks at how human rights issues are seeping into the WTO. Finally, it provides suggestions to policy makers for making their trade and human rights policies more coherent.
The New Global Trading Order
Authors: Patterson Dennis , Afilalo Ari
Published: December 2009

The international institutions that have governed global trade since the end of World War II have lost their effectiveness, and global trade governance is fractured. The need for new institutions is obvious, and yet, few proposals seem to be on offer. The key to understanding the global trading order lies in uncovering the relationship between trade and the State, and how the inner constitution of Statecraft drives the architecture of the global order and requires structural changes as the State traverses successive cycles. The current trade order, focused on the liberalization of trade in goods and services and the management of related issues, is predicated on policies and practices that were the product of a global trading order of the 20th-century modern nation-states. Today, a new form of the State - the post-modern State - is evolving. In this book, the authors propose a new trade norm - the enablement of global economic opportunity - and a new institution - the Trade Council - to overhaul the global trading order.
Perception and Passion in Dante's Comedy
Authors: Boyde Patrick
Published: December 2009

Patrick Boyde argues that the way in which Dante represents what he (or his fictional self) saw and felt was profoundly influenced by the thirteenth-century science of psychology. Professor Boyde offers an authoritative account of the way in which vision and the emotions were understood in Dante's lifetime, and rereads many of the most dramatic and moving episodes in the Comedy, throwing light on Dante's narrative technique. Seeing and feeling were known to be inextricably bound up with thinking and voluntary action, and were treated as special cases of motion and motive forces. Dante's treatment of perception and passion is set in the context of Aristotelian epistemology, ethics and physics. In these areas too a knowledge of Dante's philosophical ideas is shown to illuminate his poetic representation of mental processes and value judgements, and the meaning of his journey towards the source of goodness and truth.
Social Structure and Rural Development in the Third World
Authors: Berger Guy
Published: December 2009

Rural development is linked crucially with rural structure, though the latter is often difficult to analyse. This book analyses rural classes and the diverse relations between producers in order to understand the relationship between Third World farmers and the international economy, and the significance of this for development and underdevelopment. The author introduces a number of theoretical distinctions and devises a systematic framework which is applied to the analysis of a range of rural producers. The book assesses a number of strategies employed in planned development in the light of their implications for rural social structure, and thus for development in the Third World. This book provides an intensive and original conceptual and practical discussion of the possibilities for development under capitalism, and will be of interest to economists, political scientists and sociologists, as well as those working in development studies.
The Musical Dilettante
Authors: Daube Johann Friedrich
Published: December 2009

This is an English translation of Johann Friedrich Daube's Musical Dilettante: A Treatise on Composition (Vienna, 1773). Written as a practical, comprehensive guide for aristocratic dilettantes wishing to compose instrumental chamber music for their social entertainment, the treatise covers genres from duets to double fugues, and includes the earliest instruction in string quartets and idiomatic orchestration of symphonies. Daube's Musical Dilettante has long been overlooked due to his better-known Thorough-Bass in Three Chords (1756). Nevertheless, Musical Dilettante is the keystone of Daube's theoretical writing, and offers a most comprehensive view of galant composition available in a single volume. The signature of Musical Dilettante is its unique textural emphasis and Daube's examples sparkle with concertante interplay, conversational part-writing and idiomatic instrumentation. These features combine to create a volume which is not only a theoretical treatise but a record of the aesthetic and musical values of the day.
The Structure of Literary Understanding
Authors: Olsen Stein Haugom
Published: December 2009

How does a reader respond to a work of literature and how does he begin to evaluate it? Mr Olsen attempts to answer these and related questions. The book is in two parts. In the first three chapters, the author demolishes established theories that literature has a special language, provides a heightened insight into 'truth' and has emotion as its prime currency. In the remaining chapters Mr Olsen constructs and fully illustrates the theory that understanding of a work of literature comes in two complementary stages: first, judgements about the author's aesthetic intentions (interpretation); second, appreciation of the aesthetic qualities of the work (evaluation). At the end of his argument, attempting an answer to the question 'Why is literature important?', Mr Olsen characterizes literature as an institution and thus forges links with contemporary philosophy which sees all human action as ordered and defined by social institutions.
The Making of Victorian Drama
Authors: Jenkins Anthony
Published: December 2009

In this book Anthony Jenkins examines seven Victorian playwrights who, despite their own ideals and prejudices and the theatre's conservatism, tried to come to terms with such momentous subjects as womanliness, honour and money. The opening chapter briefly describes the social transformation of theatre during the century and the increasing respectability of actors and playhouses. Subsequent chapters deal with the drama of Edward Bulwer, Tom Robertson, W. S. Gilbert, H. A. Jones, Arthur Pinero, Oscar Wilde and Bernard Shaw. Each of these dramatists sought to create a theatre of ideas according to his own vision of art and society. The plays are examined within the social and political context of the Reform Bill, the Revolution of 1848, the Great Exhibition, royal patronage, censorship and copyright, and, above all, the 'Woman Question'. Jenkins combines politics and theatrical history with literary criticism to shed provocative light on the struggle to relate the London theatre to the realities of Victorian England.
Conditions on Phonological Government
Authors: Charette Monik
Published: December 2009

This 1991 book was the first extended study written within the framework of Government Phonology. Following the presentation of the main aspects of this theory, the process of vowel-zero alternations is addressed and analysed together with the idea that phonological processes are determined by principles of Universal Grammar along with parameters that distinguish languages. By using predominantly the alternation between schwa and zero in French, Monik Charette demonstrates that vowel-zero alternations are neither cases of insertion nor of deletion. Rather, they involve the interpretation of 'empty nuclei', i.e. nuclei with no segmental content, which must be licensed by proper government. It is when proper government fails to apply that a vowel is realized. Dr Charette also gives consideration to the constraints to which proper government is subject. She argues that these constraints result from phonological principles in conflict. This book represents a major development in the analysis of phonological processes. The extension of grammatical principles and parameters to phonological phenomena is well argued, and will interest theoretical phonologists and specialists of French alike.
Reported Miracles
Authors: Houston J.
Published: December 2009

Suppose that one is presented with a report of a miracle as an exception to nature's usual course. Should one believe the report and so come to favour the idea that a god has acted miraculously? Hume argued that no reasonable person should do anything of the kind. Many religiously sceptical philosophers agree with him, and have both defended and developed his reasoning. Some theologians concur or offer other reasons why those who are believers in God should also refuse to accept accounts of miracles as accurate reportage. This book argues to the contrary. For Houston, miracle stories may contribute towards the reasonableness of belief in God, and, appropriately attested, may be accepted by believers in God. To bolster his case he examines historically and intellectually significant writings about the miraculous. And having argued for the rejection of Hume, he explores the implications of this rejection for science, history and theology.