bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Low serum enterolactone concentration is associated with low colonicLactobacillus–Enterococcuscounts in men but is not affected by a synbiotic mixture in a randomised, placebo-controlled, double-blind, cross-over intervention study
Authors: Holma Reetta , Kekkonen Riina A. , Hatakka Katja , Poussa Tuija , Vapaatalo Heikki , Adlercreutz Herman , Korpela Riitta
Published: August 2013

The aims of the present study were to assess the possible differences in faecal microbiota between men with a low serum enterolactone concentration and those with a high concentration, and to investigate the impact of a synbiotic mixture on serum enterolactone concentration in men with a low concentration. We compared faecal microbiota between ten men with the lowest serum enterolactone concentration and ten men with the highest concentration at recruitment (n84). Furthermore, we carried out a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over intervention study (6-week intervention periods and 4-week washout period) to investigate the impact of a synbiotic mixture (twoLactobacillusstrains, oneBifidobacteriumstrain, onePropionibacteriumstrain and galacto-oligosaccharides (32 g/l)) on serum enterolactone concentration in fifty-two men who had a concentration < 20 nmol/l. Serum sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration was measured at the end of the first intervention period. Men with a low serum enterolactone concentration when compared with those with a high concentration had less faecal bacteria, especially those belonging to theLactobacillus–Enterococcusgroup (median 8·2 (interquartile range 7·8–8·4) log10colony-forming units/gv.median 8·8 (interquartile range 8·5–8·9) log10colony-forming units/g,P= 0·009). The synbiotic mixture that was used did not have a significant effect on serum enterolactone (synbioticv.placebo ratio 0·96 (95 % CI 0·76, 1·22),P= 0·724) or serum sensitive CRP (synbioticv.placebo ratio 0·99 (95 % CI 0·74, 1·33),P= 0·954) concentration. Men with a low serum enterolactone concentration harbour less colonic bacteria, especially those belonging to theLactobacillus–Enterococcusgroup. A synbiotic mixture does not increase serum enterolactone concentration.
The added value of18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography in patients with neck lymph node metastases from an unknown primary malignancy
Authors: Prowse S J B , Shaw R , Ganeshan D , Prowse P M , Hanlon R , Lewis-Jones H , Wieshmann H
Published: August 2013

Background:

The search for a primary malignancy in patients with a metastatic cervical lymph node is challenging yet ultimately of utmost clinical importance. This study evaluated the efficacy of positron emission tomography computed tomography in detecting the occult primary, within the context of a tertiary referral centre head and neck cancer multidisciplinary team tumour board meeting.

Methods:

Thirty-two patients (23 men and 9 women; mean and median age, 61 years) with a metastatic cervical lymph node of unknown primary origin, after clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging, underwent positron emission tomography computed tomography.

Results:

The primary tumour detection rate was 50 per cent (16/32). Positron emission tomography computed tomography had a sensitivity of 94 per cent (16/17) and a specificity of 67 per cent (10/15). Combining these results with those of 10 earlier studies of similar patients gave an overall detection rate of 37 per cent.

Conclusion:

Positron emission tomography computed tomography has become an important imaging modality. To date, it has the highest primary tumour detection rate, for head and neck cancer patients presenting with cervical lymph node metastases from an unknown primary.
Patient self-assessment in discriminating the more obstructed side in nasal breathing
Authors: Chin D , Malek J , Pratt E , Marcells G , Sacks R , Harvey R J
Published: August 2013

Background:

Correlating patient perception of nasal obstruction sidedness to causative anatomy is important in surgical planning. The accuracy of patient-perceived asymmetry of nasal obstruction, as regards objective measures, is described.

Methods:

Cross-sectional study of patients undergoing nasal airflow assessment. Unilateral obstruction was assessed using visual analogue scale scores and anterior rhinomanometry, without decongestion. Subjective obstruction asymmetry was defined using either the absolute score difference (rightvsleft) or the minimal clinically important difference, derived statistically. Correlation between subjective and objective obstruction measures was assessed.

Results:

In 145 patients (mean age ± standard deviation, 42.8 ± 16.6 years; 54.5 per cent female), objective obstruction was right-sided in 32.4 per cent, left-sided in 36.6 per cent and symmetrical in 31.0 per cent. Subjective perception of obstruction sidedness had a sensitivity and specificity of 86.9 and 41.1 per cent, respectively, using the minimal clinically important difference. Positive predictive value was 59.4 per cent using absolute score difference and 53.7 per cent using minimal clinically important difference. Receiver operator characteristic curve analysis indicated correlation between subjective and objective measures (p < 0.001).

Conclusion:

Subjective perception of nasal obstruction asymmetry has limited accuracy. Corroboration with objective airway assessment may be helpful in patients whose symptoms are incongruous with clinical findings.
Population size, survival and reproductive rates of northern Norwegian killer whales (Orcinus orca) in 1986–2003
Authors: Kuningas Sanna , Similä Tiu , Hammond Philip S.
Published: August 2013

A long-term photo-identification study of killer whales (Orcinus orca) in northern Norway was initiated in 1986, when their prey the Norwegian spring-spawning herring (Clupea harengus) started to winter in a complex fjord system. The aim of this work was to estimate population size and apparent survival rates in this killer whale population using photo-identification and mark–recapture techniques with data collected during October–December 1986–2003. Total population size was estimated to be highest in 2003: 731 individuals (SE = 139, 95% CI = 505–1059) using a model taking heterogeneity of capture probabilities into account. Apparent survival of adult males and adult females was estimated using the Cormack–Jolly–Seber model as 0.971 (SE = 0.008) and 0.977 (SE = 0.009), respectively. Calving intervals ranged from 3 to 14 years (mean = 5.06, SE = 0.722). These are the first estimates of northern Norwegian killer whale population parameters, allowing their dynamics to be investigated and comparisons to be made with killer whale populations globally.
First record of the Indo-Pacific sponge genus Rhaphidhistia (Demospongiae, Hadromerida, Trachycladidae) from the Caribbean Sea, with description of a new species
Authors: Díaz Christian M. , Zea Sven
Published: August 2013

Exploration of continental shelves may produce unexpected faunal records. In shelf waters of La Guajira peninsula, Colombia, in the northern tip of South America, southern Caribbean Sea, we found a new species of Rhaphidhistia (Demospongiae, Hadromerida, Trachycladidae) a genus previously thought to be restricted to the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Rhaphidhistia guajiraensis sp. nov. is thickly encrusting, agglutinating bottom debris; it possesses asymmetric oxea as megascleres (465–757 μm by 6.3–17.5 μm) and spiraster-like spinispirae (15–37 μm by 2–5 μm). It is closely similar to the type species of the genus, R. spectabilis Carter, 1879, both standing apart from a third species, R. mirabilis (Dendy, 1924), thus conforming a natural group whose taxonomic placement needs to be reassessed. There are numerous cases of sponge genera with sister species in the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, possibly split since the Tethys Sea breakup; owing to their restricted or deep distribution, they are just starting to be discovered.
Differential rates of killer whale attacks on humpback whales in the North Atlantic as determined by scarification
Authors: McCordic Jessica A. , Todd Sean K. , Stevick Peter T.
Published: August 2013

As in other populations of killer whales, Orcinus orca, prey selectivity in the North Atlantic population may indicate behaviourally or ecologically distinct types of killer whales. Some killer whale ecotypes are known to prey on large whales, but the ecological impact of such predation events is unknown. Since killer whale attacks on humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, are rarely witnessed, resultant scars may be used to determine the frequency of non-fatal predatory interactions. Using images from the North Atlantic Humpback Whale Catalogue (NAHWC), we examined humpback whale flukes for the presence of rake marks from killer whales (N = 5040). Scarring frequencies range from 2.7 to 17.4% and differ significantly among five regions of the North Atlantic (Gulf of Maine, Canada, West Greenland, Iceland and Norway). The scarring rate in the Canada region is significantly higher than all other regions, and Norway has a significantly lower scarring rate than all other regions, despite more frequently reported killer whale sightings in that region. Within the western North Atlantic, Canada has a scarring rate nearly twice that of either the Gulf of Maine or West Greenland. These data may reflect differential prey choice among killer whale ecotypes and/or the distribution of specific ecotypes across the North Atlantic basin.
Media coverage of management of the black bearUrsus thibetanusin Japan
Authors: Sakurai Ryo , Jacobson Susan K. , Carlton J. Stuart
Published: August 2013

Asiatic black bearsUrsus thibetanusare threatened in Japan but are generally considered to be nuisance animals because of the damage they cause to agriculture and property, and because they cause human casualties. We analysed media coverage of black bears in Japan to understand social discourse and potential influences on public perceptions about conservation of bears. Content analysis of a total of 348 articles in a local and a national newspaper revealed that the number of articles regarding black bears and the proportion of negative articles that describe the risks posed by bears increased concomitant with a rise in sightings of bears. Local newspapers included more articles about the risks posed by bears than national newspapers. This potentially reflects and can amplify local residents' perceptions of risk. The proportion of thematic and episodic articles was unrelated to increases in bear appearances. More extensive communications with media representatives by biologists, government officials and police are needed to enhance public knowledge of bears and lead to broader perspectives on their management.
Facultative and obligate parasite communities exhibit different network properties
Authors: POISOT TIMOTHÉE , STANKO MICHAL , MIKLISOVÁ DANA , MORAND SERGE
Published: August 2013

Network theory is gaining momentum as a descriptive tool in community ecology. Because organisms with the same lifestyle can still exhibit ecological differences, it is crucial to determine the scale at which networks should be described. Here we show that networks of hosts (mammals) and parasites (ectoparasitic gamasid mites) differ when either facultative or obligatory parasites only are considered. More importantly, the structure of these networks is opposed, with obligatory parasites networks being more modular, and facultative parasites networks being more nested. Our results have consequences for the way we define which species to include in ecological networks, which we discuss in the light of community ecology and epidemiology.
Aetiological overlap between obsessive–compulsive and depressive symptoms: a longitudinal twin study in adolescents and adults
Authors: Bolhuis K. , McAdams T. A. , Monzani B. , Gregory A. M. , Mataix-Cols D. , Stringaris A. , Eley T. C.
Published: August 2013

Background

Depression is commonly co-morbid with obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD). However, it is unknown whether depression is a functional consequence of OCD or whether these disorders share a common genetic aetiology. This longitudinal twin study compared these two hypotheses.

Method

Data were drawn from a longitudinal sample of adolescent twins and siblings (n = 2651; Genesis 12–19 study) and from a cross-sectional sample of adult twins (n = 4920). The longitudinal phenotypic associations between OCD symptoms (OCS) and depressive symptoms were examined using a cross-lag model. Multivariate twin analyses were performed to explore the genetic and environmental contributions to the cross-sectional and longitudinal relationship between OCS and depressive symptoms.

Results

In the longitudinal phenotypic analyses, OCS at time 1 (wave 2 of the Genesis 12–19 study) predicted depressive symptoms at time 2 (wave 3 of the Genesis 12–19 study) to a similar extent to which depressive symptoms at time 1 predicted OCS at time 2. Cross-sectional twin analyses in both samples indicated that common genetic factors explained 52–65% of the phenotypic correlation between OCS and depressive symptoms. The proportion of the phenotypic correlation due to common non-shared environmental factors was considerably smaller (35%). In the adolescent sample, the longitudinal association between OCS at time 1 and subsequent depressive symptoms was accounted for by the genetic association between OCS and depressive symptoms at time 1. There was no significant environmental association between OCS and later depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

The present findings show that OCS and depressive symptoms co-occur primarily due to shared genetic factors and suggest that genetic, rather than environmental, effects account for the longitudinal relationship between OCS and depressive symptoms.
Aquinas, the a priori/a posteriori distinction, and the Kantian dependency thesis
Authors: ARCHAMBAULT JACOB
Published: August 2013

This article re-examines the applicability of Kant's dependency thesis to Aquinas’ cosmological proofs for the existence of God. The first part of the article provides a summary of Kant's dependency thesis, followed by a review of a defence of Aquinas by J. William Forgie. The second part of the article explains some of the logical apparatus upon which Aquinas’ argument hinges – specifically his understanding of the a priori/a posteriori distinction. I conclude by calling attention to certain distinct metaphysical assumptions within Kant's and Aquinas’ respective logical apparatus that would have to be addressed prior to the more specific question of whether Kant's critique of the cosmological argument is applicable to Aquinas.
The freedom of Christ and explanatory priority
Authors: PAWL TIMOTHY
Published: August 2013

Call the claim, common to many in the Christian intellectual tradition, that Christ, in virtue of his created human intellect, had certain, infallible, exhaustive foreknowledgethe Foreknowledge Thesis. Now consider what I will callthe Conditional:if the Foreknowledge Thesis is true, then Christ's created human will was not free. In so far as many, perhaps all, of the people who affirm the Foreknowledge Thesis also wish to affirm the freedom of Christ's human will, the truth of the Conditional would be most unwelcome to them. I consider an argument in support of the Conditional; I argue that it is not successful.
Six-DOF parallel manipulators with maximal singularity-free joint space or workspace
Authors: Tsai K. Y. , Lin J. C. , Lo Yiting
Published: August 2013

Singularity-free workspace is a very important criterion for the design of manipulators, especially for parallel manipulators which are well known for their limited workspace and complex singularities. This paper studies geometric parameters and dexterity measures that affect the size of a singularity-free joint space and proposes methods for the development of 6-DOF Stewart–Gough parallel manipulators that have better singularity-free joint space. With a local dexterity measure as the objective function, a systematic method is employed to search for the design with a maximal singularity-free joint space. The related workspaces are also investigated. It is shown that the workspace is not proportional to the size of the joint space and that manipulators with a larger singularity-free workspace usually have relatively poor dexterity.
A novel approach for humanoid push recovery using stereopsis
Authors: Mahani Mohammad-Ali Nikouei , Jafari Shahram , Rahmatkhah Hadi
Published: August 2013

Push recovery is one of the most challenging problems for the current humanoid robots. The importance of push recovery can be well observed in the real environment. The critical issue for a humanoid is to maintain and recover its balance against any disturbances. In this research a new stereovision approach is proposed to estimate the robot deviation angle and consequently, the movement of center of mass of the robot is calculated. Then, two novel strategies have been devised to recover the balance of the humanoid which are called “knee strategy” and “knee-hip strategy.” Also, a mathematical model validates the efficiency of the proposed strategies as demonstrated in the paper. Experiments have been conducted on a humanoid robot and demonstrate that the predicted robot deviation angle, using stereovision technique, converges to the actual deviation angle. Stable regions of proposed strategies illustrate that the humanoid can recover its stability in a robust manner. Vision-based estimation also shows a higher correlation to actual deviation angle and a lower fluctuation compared with the output of the acceleration sensor.
GENERALIZED ADDITIVE PARTIAL LINEAR MODELS WITH HIGH-DIMENSIONAL COVARIATES
Authors: Lian Heng , Liang Hua
Published: August 2013

This paper studies generalized additive partial linear models with high-dimensional covariates. We are interested in which components (including parametric and nonparametric components) are nonzero. The additive nonparametric functions are approximated by polynomial splines. We propose a doubly penalized procedure to obtain an initial estimate and then use the adaptive least absolute shrinkage and selection operator to identify nonzero components and to obtain the final selection and estimation results. We establish selection and estimation consistency of the estimator in addition to asymptotic normality for the estimator of the parametric components by employing a penalized quasi-likelihood. Thus our estimator is shown to have an asymptotic oracle property. Monte Carlo simulations show that the proposed procedure works well with moderate sample sizes.
MEMORY PARAMETER ESTIMATION IN THE PRESENCE OF LEVEL SHIFTS AND DETERMINISTIC TRENDS
Authors: Mccloskey Adam , Perron Pierre
Published: August 2013

We propose estimators of the memory parameter of a time series that are robust to a wide variety of random level shift processes, deterministic level shifts, and deterministic time trends. The estimators are simple trimmed versions of the popular log-periodogram regression estimator that employ certain sample-size-dependent and, in some cases, data-dependent trimmings that discard low-frequency components. We also show that a previously developed trimmed local Whittle estimator is robust to the same forms of data contamination. Regardless of whether the underlying long- or short-memory process is contaminated by level shifts or deterministic trends, the estimators are consistent and asymptotically normal with the same limiting variance as their standard untrimmed counterparts. Simulations show that the trimmed estimators perform their intended purpose quite well, substantially decreasing both finite-sample bias and root mean-squared error in the presence of these contaminating components. Furthermore, we assess the trade-offs involved with their use when such components are not present but the underlying process exhibits strong short-memory dynamics or is contaminated by noise. To balance the potential finite-sample biases involved in estimating the memory parameter, we recommend a particular adaptive version of the trimmed log-periodogram estimator that performs well in a wide variety of circumstances. We apply the estimators to stock market volatility data to find that various time series typically thought to be long-memory processes actually appear to be short- or very weak long-memory processes contaminated by level shifts or deterministic trends.
Leaf decomposition and fine fuels in floodplain forests of the Rio Negro in the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: dos Santos Aline Ramos , Nelson Bruce Walker
Published: August 2013

Despite being inundated for up to 9 mo of the year, black-water floodplain forests in the Brazilian Amazon are susceptible to fire. Post-fire tree mortality is higher and fire spreads further in the floodplain, compared with adjacent upland forest. To understand these differences between the two forest types, we compared how leaf decomposition and fine-fuel loads change with inundation and soil texture. Litterbags containing leaves of Clitoria fairchildiana were placed on upland forest floor and submerged at two depths in a backwater of the Rio Negro. We used 80 bags per treatment and retrieved subsets every ~16 d from which the contents were cleaned, dried, weighed and discarded. Over the 81-d experiment, upland leaves decomposed two to three times faster than submerged leaves. Fine-fuel biomass (litter + root mat) was measured at 28 upland forest sites and 29 floodplain forest sites of the middle Rio Negro. Floodplain forests held about twice the fine fuel (25.9 ± 10.6 Mg ha−1) of uplands (10.9 ± 2.3 Mg ha−1). Upland soils had more sand but a carpet of fine apogeotropic tree roots was more common and thicker in floodplains. We infer that slow decomposition of submerged leaves leads to high tree mortality from fire in black-water floodplains by (1) increasing fire intensity due to high fine-litter fuel load and (2) making tree roots more vulnerable to burning because they form a peat-like mat to absorb nutrients from the thick litter.
Visual reasoning with graph-based mechanisms: the good, the better and the best
Authors: Chein Michel , Mugnier Marie-Laure , Croitoru Madalina
Published: August 2013

This paper presents a graph-based knowledge representation and reasoning language. This language benefits from an important syntactic operation, which is called a graph homomorphism. This operation is sound and complete with respect to logical deduction. Hence, it is possible to do logical reasoning without using the language of logic but only graphical, thus visual, notions. This paper presents the main knowledge constructs of this language, elementary graph-based reasoning mechanisms, as well as the graph homomorphism, which encompasses all these elementary transformations in one global step. We put our work in context by presenting a concrete semantic annotation application example.
Resumptive elements aid comprehension of object relative clauses: evidence from Persian
Authors: RAHMANY RAMIN , MAREFAT HAMIDEH , KIDD EVAN
Published: August 2013

The current study investigated the role of resumption in the interpretation of object relative clauses (RCs) in Persian-speaking children. Sixty-four (N=64) children aged 3;2–6;0 (M=4;8) completed a referent selection task that tested their comprehension of subject RCs, gapped object RCs, and object RCs containing either a resumptive pronoun or an object clitic. The results showed that the presence of a resumptive element (pronoun or clitic) had a facilitative effect on children's processing of object RCs. In both cases object RCs with resumptive elements were interpreted more accurately than gapped subject and object RCs, suggesting that resumptive elements ease processing burden in syntactically complex contexts because they provide local cues to thematic role assignment.
How the Integral Operations in INS Algorithms Overshadow the Contributions of IMU Signal Denoising Using Low-Pass Filters
Authors: Ban Yalong , Zhang Quan , Niu Xiaoji , Guo Wenfei , Zhang Hongping , Liu Jingnan
Published: August 2013

This paper has made a comprehensive investigation of the contribution of inertial measurement unit (IMU) signal denoising in terms of navigation accuracy, through theoretical analysis, simulations and real tests. Analysis shows that the integral step in the inertial navigation system (INS) algorithm is essentially equivalent to a super low-pass filter (LPF), whose filtering strength is related to the integral time of the INS. Therefore the contribution of the IMU denoising filter is almost completely overshadowed by the effect of the integral step for normal navigation cases. The theoretical analysis result was further verified by the simulations with an example of inertial angle estimation and by real tests of INS and GPS/INS systems. Results showed that the IMU signal denoising cannot bring observable improvement to INS or GPS/INS systems. This conclusion is strictly valid in the condition that the equivalent cut-off frequency of the integral step (which equals the reciprocal of the INS working alone time) is lower than the cut-off frequency of the denoising filter, which is the usual case for INS applications (except for some static data processing such as the stationary alignment of INS).
Entre système et usage en discours: nouvelles perspectives sur la localisation de l'oppositionmassif/comptable. Le cas des noms de fruits et de légumes
Authors: VERMOTE TIMOTHEUS
Published: August 2013

Un sujet crucial concernant l'opposition massif/comptable est l'apparente flexibilité morphosyntaxique régulière de certaines classes sémantiques, comme celle des noms d'animaux (Kleiber, 1999; Nicolas, 2002 et références incluses), ou celle des noms de fruits et de légumes. C'est cette dernière que nous examinons ici, par le biais d'une vaste étude de corpus comprenant l'analyse quantitative (profils distributionnels) et qualitative (effets de sens) des acceptions massives et comptables de 18 items lexicaux. Nos observations nous amènent à postuler un modèle original de la localisation de l'opposition massif/comptable, rendant compte des phénomènes de flexibilité régulière sans recourir à la notion de polysémie, et basé sur un Principe de Double Héritage. Ainsi, nos données suggèrent que les noms de fruits et de légumes présentent de manière intrinsèque les deux acceptions, et hériteraient leur caractère comptable au niveau lexical (propriétés ontologiques) et leur caractère massif à un niveau supra-lexical, de par leur appartenance à une certaine classe sémantico-pragmatique (objets de consommation culinaire).
The registry of anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery of The Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society
Authors: Brothers Julie A. , Gaynor J. William , Jacobs Jeffrey P. , Caldarone Christopher , Jegatheeswaran Anusha , Jacobs Marshall L. ,   The Anomalous Coronary Artery Working Group
Published: August 2013

The anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery from the wrong sinus of Valsalva with interarterial, intramural, and/or intraconal course is a rare congenital anomaly that is associated with a high risk of sudden death in children. The Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society established the Registry of Anomalous Aortic Origin of the Coronary Artery to help determine the outcome of children and young adults managed with surgical intervention versus observation and to test the hypothesis that subsets of patients with anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery can be identified in whom the risk of intervention is less than the risk of observation. All institutional members of the Congenital Heart Surgeons’ Society were recruited for participation. The registry consists of a retrospective cohort of patients diagnosed between 1 January, 1998 and 20 January, 2009 and a prospective, population-based cohort of patients newly diagnosed from 21 January, 2009 onwards. Baseline demographics, diagnoses, and results of tests will be obtained through a review of the medical records. Annual follow-up data will be collected. Data will be analysed for different factors of risk at diagnosis, different strategies of treatment, and the impact of both on the outcomes of the patients. As of June 2010, 28 institutions had applied for approval from their institutional review board and 16 institutions had received approval from their institutional review board. Seventy-four patients have enrolled to date. We hope to use the established Pediatric Cardiomyopathy Registry as a guide to successful implementation, with a cooperative effort between institutions. The overall purpose of the Registry of Anomalous Aortic Origin of the Coronary Artery is to determine the outcome of surgical intervention versus observation in children and young adults with anomalous aortic origin of a coronary artery, and to describe the natural and “unnatural” history of these patients over the course of their lifetime. In this report, we describe the creation and design of the Registry of Anomalous Aortic Origin of the Coronary Artery. Data from the registry will be published at a later date.
Unwanted Sexual Experiences and Cognitive Appraisals That Evoke Mental Contamination
Authors: Ishikawa Ryotaro , Kobori Osamu , Shimizu Eiji
Published: August 2013

Background: Mental contamination is a psychological sense of contamination that involves an internal, emotional feeling of dirtiness that may be evoked by unwanted thoughts and images, such as sexual assaults. Aims: This study aimed to investigate which types of unwanted sexual experiences evoke the strongest mental contamination, and to test the hypothesis that cognitive appraisals of an unwanted sexual experience predict indices of mental contamination (i.e. feeling of dirtiness, urge to wash, internal negative emotions, and external negative emotions). Method: 148 female participants were asked to recall their most distressing unwanted sexual experiences. Indices of mental contamination and cognitive appraisals of the experience were then assessed. Results: Our findings indicated that individuals recalling experiences related to rape felt more intense feelings of dirtiness than individuals recalling other types of unwanted sexual experience, such as verbal sexual assault, visual sexual assault, and forcible touching/frottage. In addition, hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that a cognitive appraisal of perceived violation predicted all of the indices of mental contamination after controlling anxiety, depression, and fear of contact contamination. Conclusions: The present study demonstrated that an individual is at greatest risk of mental contamination if she has experienced rape/attempted rape, and if she makes a cognitive appraisal of violation regarding the incident.
Cancer survival extension from drug treatments
Authors: Oliver Nicola , Chung Helen
Published: August 2013

Cancer causes one in four of all deaths in the UK. Advances in biologic and pharmaceutical therapies over recent years have increased achievable survival gain in most life-limiting cancers, ranging from modest incremental improvements to step changes in life expectancy. The realised and anticipated impact of treatment advances on survival is of wide-ranging interest, from informing decisions about healthcare to understanding influences on mortality trends. This paper presents an overview of evidence for survival extension from a range of therapies that have become available in recent years for the treatment of lung, colorectal and breast cancer. The evidence considered includes short-term empirical evidence from clinical trials as well as longer-term estimates from models extrapolating over a lifetime horizon. The core data source is the evidence base supporting guidance published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), UK. This evidence has already been subject to appraisal by NICE; the aim of this paper is to collate the existing estimates submitted to NICE in order to appreciate the wide range in survival extension resulting from systematically identified cancer treatments.
The contribution of three components of nutrition knowledge to socio-economic differences in food purchasing choices
Authors: McKinnon Loretta , Giskes Katrina , Turrell Gavin
Published: August 2013

Objectives

To assess socio-economic differences in three components of nutrition knowledge, i.e. knowledge of (i) the relationship between diet and disease, (ii) the nutrient content of foods and (iii) dietary guideline recommendations; furthermore, to determine if socio-economic differences in nutrition knowledge contribute to inequalities in food purchasing choices.

Design

The cross-sectional study considered household food purchasing, nutrition knowledge, socio-economic and demographic information. Household food purchasing choices were summarised by three indices, based on self-reported purchasing of sixteen groceries, nineteen fruits and twenty-one vegetables. Socio-economic position (SEP) was measured by household income and education. Associations between SEP, nutrition knowledge and food purchasing were examined using general linear models adjusted for age, gender, household type and household size.

Setting

Brisbane, Australia in 2000.

Subjects

Main household food shoppers (n1003, response rate 66·4 %), located in fifty small areas (Census Collectors Districts).

Results

Shoppers in households of low SEP made food purchasing choices that were less consistent with dietary guideline recommendations: they were more likely to purchase grocery foods comparatively higher in salt, sugar and fat, and lower in fibre, and they purchased a narrower range of fruits and vegetables. Those of higher SEP had greater nutrition knowledge and this factor attenuated most associations between SEP and food purchasing choices. Among nutrition knowledge factors, knowledge of the relationship between diet and disease made the greatest and most consistent contribution to explaining socio-economic differences in food purchasing.

Conclusions

Addressing inequalities in nutrition knowledge is likely to reduce socio-economic differences in compliance with dietary guidelines. Improving knowledge of the relationship between diet and disease appears to be a particularly relevant focus for health promotion aimed to reduce socio-economic differences in diet and related health inequalities.
Rapid and Accurate Analysis of an X-Ray Fluorescence Microscopy Data Set through Gaussian Mixture-Based Soft Clustering Methods
Authors: Ward Jesse , Marvin Rebecca , O'Halloran Thomas , Jacobsen Chris , Vogt Stefan
Published: August 2013

X-ray fluorescence (XRF) microscopy is an important tool for studying trace metals in biology, enabling simultaneous detection of multiple elements of interest and allowing quantification of metals in organelles without the need for subcellular fractionation. Currently, analysis of XRF images is often done using manually defined regions of interest (ROIs). However, since advances in synchrotron instrumentation have enabled the collection of very large data sets encompassing hundreds of cells, manual approaches are becoming increasingly impractical. We describe here the use of soft clustering to identify cell ROIs based on elemental contents, using data collected over a sample of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum as a test case. Soft clustering was able to successfully classify regions in infected erythrocytes as “parasite,” “food vacuole,” “host,” or “background.” In contrast, hard clustering using the k-means algorithm was found to have difficulty in distinguishing cells from background. While initial tests showed convergence on two or three distinct solutions in 60% of the cells studied, subsequent modifications to the clustering routine improved results to yield 100% consistency in image segmentation. Data extracted using soft cluster ROIs were found to be as accurate as data extracted using manually defined ROIs, and analysis time was considerably improved.
A NOTE ON THE WEISS CONJECTURE
Authors: GILL NICK
Published: August 2013

Let $G$ be a finite group acting vertex-transitively on a graph. We show that bounding the order of a vertex stabiliser is equivalent to bounding the second singular value of a particular bipartite graph. This yields an alternative formulation of the Weiss conjecture.
Chronic effects of antidepressants on serotonin release in rat raphe slice cultures: high potency of milnacipran in the augmentation of serotonin release
Authors: Nagayasu Kazuki , Kitaichi Maiko , Nishitani Naoya , Asaoka Nozomi , Shirakawa Hisashi , Nakagawa Takayuki , Kaneko Shuji
Published: August 2013

Most clinically-used antidepressants acutely increase monoamine levels in synaptic clefts, while their therapeutic effects often require several weeks of administration. Slow neuroadaptive changes in serotonergic neurons are considered to underlie this delayed onset of beneficial actions. Recently, we reported that sustained exposure of rat organotypic raphe slice cultures containing abundant serotonergic neurons to selective serotonin (5-HT) reuptake inhibitors (citalopram, fluoxetine and paroxetine) caused the augmentation of exocytotic serotonin release. However, the ability of other classes of antidepressants to evoke a similar outcome has not been clarified. In this study, we investigated the sustained actions of two tricyclic antidepressants (imipramine and desipramine), one tetracyclic antidepressant (mianserin), three 5-HT and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors (milnacipran, duloxetine and venlafaxine) and one noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressant (mirtazapine) on serotonin release in the slice cultures. For seven of nine antidepressants, sustained exposure to the agents at concentrations of 0.1–100 µm augmented the level of increase in extracellular serotonin. The rank order of their potency was as follows: milnacipran>duloxetine>citalopram>venlafaxine>imipramine>fluoxetine>desipramine. Neither mirtazapine nor mianserin caused any augmentation. The highest augmentation by sustained exposure to milnacipran was partially attenuated by an α1-adrenoceptor antagonist, benoxathian, while the duloxetine-, venlafaxine- and citalopram-mediated increases were not affected. These results suggest that inhibition of the 5-HT transporter is required for the enhancement of serotonin release. Furthermore, the potent augmentation by milnacipran is apparently due to the accompanied activation of the α1-adrenoceptor.
The rise and fall of semantic rule updates based onSE-models
Authors: SLOTA MARTIN , LEITE JOÃO
Published: August 2013

Logic programs under the stable model semantics, or answer-set programs, provide an expressive rule-based knowledge representation framework, featuring a formal, declarative and well-understood semantics. However, handling the evolution of rule bases is still a largely open problem. The Alchourrón, Gärdenfors and Makinson (AGM) framework for belief change was shown to give inappropriate results when directly applied to logic programs under a non-monotonic semantics such as the stable models. The approaches to address this issue, developed so far, proposed update semantics based on manipulating the syntactic structure of programs and rules.

More recently, AGM revision has been successfully applied to a significantly more expressive semantic characterisation of logic programs based onSE-models. This is an important step, as it changes the focus from the evolution of a syntactic representation of a rule base to the evolution of its semantic content.

In this paper, we borrow results from the area of belief update to tackle the problem of updating (instead of revising) answer-set programs. We prove a representation theorem which makes it possible to constructively define any operator satisfying a set of postulates derived from Katsuno and Mendelzon's postulates for belief update. We define a specific operator based on this theorem, examine its computational complexity and compare the behaviour of this operator with syntactic rule update semantics from the literature. Perhaps surprisingly, we uncover a serious drawback of all rule update operators based on Katsuno and Mendelzon's approach to update and onSE-models.
Profile and predictors of global distress: Can the DT guide nursing practice in prostate cancer?
Authors: Lotfi-Jam Kerryann , Gough Karla , Schofield Penelope , Aranda Sanchia
Published: August 2013

Objective:

This study examines the ability of the distress thermometer to accurately identify patients with higher symptoms, unmet needs and psychological morbidity.

Methods:

Baseline data collected as part of a randomized controlled trial evaluating a nurse-led supportive care intervention for men with prostate cancer commencing radiotherapy at a specialist cancer hospital in Melbourne, Australia. Measures assessed global distress (DT), anxious and depressive symptomatology (HADS), prostate-cancer specific quality of life (EPIC-26), unmet supportive care needs (SCNS-SF34R) and cancer treatment-related concerns (CATS). Following descriptive and correlational analysis, hierarchical multiple regression was employed to examine the contribution of variable sets to explaining variance in DT scores.

Results:

Less than 20% of men reported DT scores of 4 or higher, indicating overall low distress. The DT accurately identified almost all men reporting HADS score indicative of anxious or depressive symptomatology, suggesting it accurately identifies psychological morbidity. Importantly, the DT identified a further group of distressed men, not identified by HADS, whose distress related to unmet needs and prostate cancer-specific issues, indicating the DT is superior in identifying other forms of distress. While the hierarchical multiple regression confirmed anxious and depressive symptomatology as the best predictor of distress score, many other scales are also good predictors of DT scores, supporting the argument that distress is multi-determined.

Significance of results:

Nurses can be confident that the DT accurately identifies patients with psychological morbidity and importantly identifies other patients with distress who may require intervention. A distress score of 4 or higher identified participants with higher physical symptomatology, higher unmet needs, more concerns about treatment and poorer quality of life. The low prevalence of distress reaching cut off scores suggests nurses would not be overwhelmed by the outcomes of screening and could use the score to prioritise the patients who need greater attention at entry to radiotherapy services.
Establishment of the core collection of Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. from India
Authors: Sivalingam P. N. , Singh D. , Chauhan Sarita , Changal H. K. , Bhan Chander , Mohapatra T. , More T. A. , Sharma S. K.
Published: August 2013

Ziziphus mauritiana Lam. is an important fruit crop of the Thar Desert of India. About 330 accessions and cultivars collected from various parts of India are currently being maintained at a farm in the Central Institute for Arid Horticulture. Utilization of such a large collection of germplasm for breeding and crop improvement is difficult. Therefore, in the present study, using a heuristic approach based on phenotypic characters, we identified 52 accessions that represented a core collection, with a coverage of 100% and a coincidence rate of 98.1%. No significant difference was observed with respect to either the Shannon–Weaver or the Nei diversity index for qualitative traits, mean values and ranges for quantitative traits or clustering patterns between the core and whole collections. The core collection represents the entire range of diversity with minimum redundancy and should be useful for the conservation and utilization of Z. mauritiana germplasm.
A SIMPLE APPROACH TOWARDS RECAPTURING CONSISTENT THEORIES IN PARACONSISTENT SETTINGS
Authors: BEALL JC
Published: August 2013

I believe that, for reasons elaborated elsewhere (Beall, 2009; Priest, 2006a, 2006b), the logic LP (Asenjo, 1966; Asenjo & Tamburino, 1975; Priest, 1979) is roughly right as far as logic goes.1But logic cannot go everywhere; we need to provide nonlogical axioms to specify our (axiomatic) theories. This is uncontroversial, but it has also been the source of discomfort for LP-based theorists, particularly with respect to true mathematical theories which we take to be consistent. My example, throughout, is arithmetic; but the more general case is also considered.
Church-EU Dialogue under Article 17.3: Consensus-Seeking Instrument or Power Strategy?
Authors: Houston Kenneth
Published: August 2013

In 2005, the European Commission formally inaugurated a “structured dialogue” between European institutions and major faith traditions and non-confessional bodies in Europe. The provision for dialogue was envisaged ostensibly as a mechanism to include religious and non-confessional perspectives in the ongoing construction of the wider European project. The language of “dialogue,” consensus-seeking, and mutual learning dominates both religious and political justification for this formalized provision. Analysis considers emerging praxis in the intervening period (2005–2010) to determine the extent to which consensus-seeking has prevailed over the role of power and interests. Findings indicate that a number of elements relative to the configuration of dialogue praxis have severely inhibited the communicative potential of the provision enshrined in Article 17.
Design analysis and fabrication of novel coplanar waveguide -fed hybrid fractal-based Broadband antenna
Authors: Saluja Nitin , Khanna Rajesh
Published: August 2013

In this paper, a new compact hybrid fractal antenna with ultrawideband (UWB) behavior is proposed. Two merged fractals shapes, i.e. Sierpinski carpet and Sierpinski Gasket fed with coplanar waveguide (CPW) feed make patch as multiband and broadband antenna. The antenna is optimized using particle swarm optimization for side length of Sierpenski Gasket fractal and bandwidth. The overall width of the patch is taken as a parameter for optimizing bandwidth. The total size of presented antenna is 59 × 29 mm2. The antenna resonates at 2–5.2 GHz, so that wideband operation is observed. Antenna with this type of characteristics can be used when UWB response at lower frequencies is required. Sierpenski Gasket performs two functions in the proposed design, i.e. to radiate as well as impedance transformer to Sierpenski carpet. The proposed design presents novelty in design to achieve proper impedance matching to edge of Sierpenski carpet design with CPW feed by making Sierpenski Gasket as impedance transformer.
High Q-factor compact filters with wide-band spurious rejection
Authors: Gentili Fabrizio , Bianchi Giovanni , Pelliccia Luca , Sorrentino Roberto
Published: August 2013

A stepped-impedance configuration for coaxial resonators is employed to realize filters in the L-, S-, and C-bands exhibiting a wide spurious-free range. The geometry of a single rod resonator is optimized, by enlarging its top head, in order to maximize the ratio between the frequency of the first higher-order mode and that of the fundamental mode. This leads to the design of a very compact filter with high Q-factors and wide spurious-free bands, up to nearly 5 times the center frequency. To prove the effectiveness of the approach, a sixth-order filter has been designed and manufactured; the comparison between the full-wave simulations and the measurement show excellent agreement.
An institution standing the test of time? A review of 150 years of the history of the International Committee of the Red Cross
Authors: Palmieri Daniel
Published: August 2013

This article seeks to explain how the ICRC – the oldest international humanitarian organization still in activity – has managed to pass through 150 years of existence. By analysing some key moments in ICRC history and by examining both its inner workings and their interaction with the context within which the organization has functioned over time, this article finds two characteristics that may help explain the ICRC's continuity: its unique specificity and its innovative capacity.