bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multidimensional CAT Item Selection Methods for Domain Scores and Composite Scores: Theory and Applications
Authors: Yao Lihua
Published: May 2012

Multidimensional computer adaptive testing (MCAT) can provide higher precision and reliability or reduce test length when compared with unidimensional CAT or with the paper-and-pencil test. This study compared five item selection procedures in the MCAT framework for both domain scores and overall scores through simulation by varying the structure of item pools, the population distribution of the simulees, the number of items selected, and the content area. The existing procedures such as Volume (Segall in Psychometrika, 61:331–354, 1996), Kullback–Leibler information (Veldkamp & van der Linden in Psychometrika 67:575–588, 2002), Minimize the error variance of the linear combination (van der Linden in J. Educ. Behav. Stat. 24:398–412, 1999), and Minimum Angle (Reckase in Multidimensional item response theory, Springer, New York, 2009) are compared to a new procedure, Minimize the error variance of the composite score with the optimized weight, proposed for the first time in this study. The intent is to find an item selection procedure that yields higher precisions for both the domain and composite abilities and a higher percentage of selected items from the item pool. The comparison is performed by examining the absolute bias, correlation, test reliability, time used, and item usage. Three sets of item pools are used with the item parameters estimated from real live CAT data. Results show that Volume and Minimum Angle performed similarly, balancing information for all content areas, while the other three procedures performed similarly, with a high precision for both domain and overall scores when selecting items with the required number of items for each domain. The new item selection procedure has the highest percentage of item usage. Moreover, for the overall score, it produces similar or even better results compared to those from the method that selects items favoring the general dimension using the general model (Segall in Psychometrika 66:79–97, 2001); the general dimension method has low precision for the domain scores. In addition to the simulation study, the mathematical theories for certain procedures are derived. The theories are confirmed by the simulation applications.
Magnified Endoscopy Combined with Narrow Band Imaging of Minimal Superficial Esophageal Neoplasia—Indicators to Differentiate Intraepithelial Neoplasias
Authors: Mochizuki Yosuke , Saito Yasuharu , Kobori Ayako , Ban Hiromitsu , Shioya Makoto , Nishimura Takashi , Inatomi Osamu , Bamba Shigeki , Tsujikawa Tomoyuki , Ishida Mitsuaki , Andoh Akira , Fujiyama Yoshihide
Published: May 2012

Purpose

Clinical application of narrow band imaging facilitates diagnosis of esophageal neoplasia. However, no previous investigation has been conducted on magnifying endoscopy combined with narrow band imaging in detection of minimal superficial esophageal neoplasia, which is defined as neoplasia <10 mm in diameter. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the usefulness of this combined technique in the differential diagnosis of minimal superficial esophageal neoplasia.

Methods

Between January 2005 and November 2011, 53 minimal superficial esophageal neoplasias in 40 patients were diagnosed by screening upper gastrointestinal endoscopy with narrow band imaging at our hospital. We investigated findings including brownish dots, brownish epithelium, and demarcation line of minimal superficial esophageal neoplasia diagnosed histopathologically as low-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia, and squamous cell carcinoma.

Results

Significantly more brownish dots (P < 0.05) and brownish epithelium (P < 0.005) were observed in intraepithelial papillary capillary loops in high-grade neoplasia compared with low-grade neoplasia. When minimal superficial esophageal neoplasia was diagnosed as high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia or squamous cell carcinoma, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 88.9, 42.9, 44.4, and 88.2 %, respectively, for brownish dots; 94.4, 51.4, 50.0, and 94.7 %, respectively, for brownish epithelium; and 66.7, 62.9, 48.0, and 78.6 %, respectively, for demarcation line.

Conclusions

The combined technique was useful in the differential diagnosis of minimal superficial esophageal neoplasia.
Prospective links between social anxiety and adolescent peer relations
Authors: Tillfors Maria , Persson Stefan , Willén Maria , Burk William J.
Published: May 2012

This study examines bi‐directional links between social anxiety and multiple aspects of peer relations (peer acceptance, peer victimization, and relationship quality) in a longitudinal sample of 1528 adolescents assessed twice with one year between (754 females and 774 males; M = 14.7 years of age). Lower levels of peer acceptance predicted increases in social anxiety. Social anxiety predicted decreases in relationship support for males and increases in peer victimization for females. Collectively our findings suggest that peers seem to play a significant role for adolescent mental health and social anxiety seems to interfere with healthy peer relations. Importantly, developmental pathways for social anxiety seem to differ for adolescent females and males.
Harm reduction, human rights, and access to information on safer abortion
Authors: Erdman Joanna N.
Published: May 2012

A harm reduction and human rights approach, grounded in the principles of neutrality, humanism, and pragmatism, supports women's access to information on the safer self‐ use of misoprostol in diverse legal settings. Neutrality refers to a focus on the risks and harms of abortion rather than its legal or moral status. Humanism refers to the entitlement of all women to care and concern for their lives and health, to be treated with respect, worth, and dignity, and to the empowerment of women to participate in decision‐making and political action. Pragmatism accepts the historical reality that women will engage in unsafe abortion, including self‐induction, while addressing factors that render them vulnerable to this reality, and requires assessment of interventions to reduce abortion‐related harms on evidence of their real rather than intended effect. Criminal law reform is a necessary conclusion to a harm reduction and human rights approach.
Frozen mounds in Gorny Altai: geophysical and geochemical studies
Authors: Epov M.I. , Balkov E.V. , Chemyakina M.A. , Manshtein A.K. , Manshtein Yu.A. , Napreev D.V. , Kovbasov K.V.
Published: May 2012

The importance of pre-excavation permafrost detection within ancient burial mounds in the Altai by geophysical methods is hard to overestimate. There was no way of detecting small quantities of frozen ground or ice under stone mounds, and this is a topical issue in Russian archeology. Frozen mounds, which retain organic matter owing to natural processes, are an exceptional source of information about historical and cultural processes in the Early Iron Age. Pre-excavation geophysical prospecting is especially important in the context of global warming, which might destroy a whole layer of cultural and historical information.

The integrated geophysical studies conducted in recent years focused on a group of archeological sites of the Pazyryk culture whose burial constructions are very likely to contain frozen artifacts. As a rule, such burial mounds are located at a considerable altitude and contain permafrost, which creates unique conditions for the preservation of artifacts. Such localities include the Ukok high plateau (southern Altai) and the northwestern part of Mongolian Altay. Systematic field studies were conducted on the Ukok Plateau in 2003 and 2007 and in the adjacent territory of Mongolian Altay in 2005 and 2006. The following geophysical methods were used: vertical electrical sounding (VES), electrical tomography (ET), shallow frequency scanning, georadiolocation, magnetic susceptibility measurements, gamma-ray spectrometry, and chromatography. The field works were planned with a heavy reliance on the 3D mathematical simulation of electric and EM fields, which is meant for a realistic estimate of the possibilities of geoelectrics and the best ways of its application to burial-mound studies and data interpretation.

The excavations conducted in 2006 in northwestern Mongolia within the Altai Mts. confirmed the geophysical prediction of permafrost at all the sites identified by the geophysical studies in 2005. In one of the mounds, they yielded a unique intact tomb of a Scythian warrior.
Forward and inverse self-potential modeling: a new approach1
Authors: Dmitriev A.N.
Published: May 2012

Software has been designed for forward and inverse modeling of natural self-potential (SP) fields which allows simulating the geoelectric patterns simultaneously for up to 29 sheet-like and prismatic electrostatically polarized conductors. The cross sections for a number of ore fields obtained by inversion with the new SPI-SV code (self-potential inversion, Siberian version) have been corroborated by later drilling and are consistent with reference geologic sections used in algorithm testing. SPI-SV simulation can provide high-quality assessment of mineral deposits and, furthermore, allows approaching global-scale investigation into the natural self potential of crust and mantle.
Dietary methods and biomarkers of omega 3 fatty acids: a systematic review
Authors: Serra-Majem Lluis , Nissensohn Mariela , Øverby Nina C. , Fekete Katalin
Published: May 2012

The aims of the present study were to review the validity of dietary methods used to measure the usual long chain (LC) omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) intake of a population and to assess the usefulness of different biomarkers ofn-3 PUFA in healthy humans. Two systematic literature searches were conducted until May 2011 to update previous systematic reviews. The first literature search aimed to find studies validating the methodology used for measuring the dietary intake ofn-3 PUFA. The second search aimed to find human intervention studies in whichn-3 PUFA status changed after 2 weeks ofn-3 PUFA supplementation. Sixteen studies were identified for inclusion in the first review. Correlation coefficients between fatty acids in subcutaneous fat or blood lipids and dietary intake ofn-3 PUFA from different questionnaires were similar. Subcutaneous fat has been reported as the best reference method for some authors, and these studies showed moderate correlation coefficients with no dietary intake method being superior to any other. As for the evaluation of biomarkers of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22 : 6n-3) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20 : 5n-3) status in response to supplementation, the new search reaffirmed and reinforced the evidence supporting that plasma phospholipid DHA, erythrocyte DHA, and platelet DHA were all effective and robust biomarkers of DHA status. Our findings only confirmed earlier studies and did not provide evidence for reaching new conclusions.
Interactions between dietary n-3 fatty acids and genetic variants and risk of disease
Authors: Corella Dolores , Ordovás José M.
Published: May 2012

Nutritional genomics has undergone rapid development and the concept is now very popular with the general public. Therefore, there is increasing demand for knowledge on adapting dietary composition to the genome. Our aim has been to undertake a systematic review so as to find out the level of evidence existing on whether the effects of n-3 fatty acids on health can be modulated by genetic variation. A systematic literature search was conducted on studies that jointly analyse the effect of one or more genetic variants in candidate genes and n-3 fatty acids. Both observational and experimental studies were included. Results are classified in accordance with whether the study was undertaken on intermediate phenotypes (plasma lipid concentrations, glucose, inflammation markers, anthropometric measurements) or disease phenotypes (cancer, cardiovascular diseases, metabolic syndrome, etc) and whether it was experimental or observational. A wide diversity of genetic variants and little consistency in the publication of replication studies was found. Greater consistency was observed in studies that involved the FADS1 and FADS2 locus in the determination of n-3 fatty acid concentrations in biological samples. Most of the studies were designed to measure gene-diet interactions and not diet-gene interactions. Despite the fact that multiple studies have shown statistically significant interactions between n-3 fatty acids and certain genetic variants on intermediate and disease phenotypes, the individual level of evidence is very low and recommendations cannot be made on increasing or reducing the intake of n-3 fatty acids based on each individual's genotype.
Comparison of subjective olfaction ratings in patients with and without olfactory disorders
Authors: Haxel B R , Bertz-Duffy S , Fruth K , Letzel S , Mann W J , Muttray A
Published: May 2012

Objective:

Olfactory dysfunction is common. The reliability of self-assessment tools for smell testing is still controversial. This study aimed to provide new data about the accuracy of olfactory self-assessment compared with a standardised smell test.

Design:

Prospective, controlled, cohort study of patients with olfactory disorders and healthy controls.

Subjects:

Ninety-six patients with a smell deficit and 71 controls were asked to rate their sense of smell on a visual analogue scale. Their olfactory abilities were also evaluated with the Sniffin' Sticks tests.

Results:

The whole cohort showed a significant correlation between visual analogue scale smell scores and Sniffin' Sticks total scores. This correlation was also significant in the patient group, but not in the control group. These results were independent of olfactory deficit aetiology and subject age.

Conclusion:

Self-assessment of olfaction is only a reliable indicator in smell-impaired patients, not in healthy controls. For an accurate assessment of olfaction, reliable, standardised tests are needed.
Medicines, Travellers and the Introduction and Spread of ‘Modern’ Medicine in the Mt Everest Region of Nepal
Authors: Heydon Susan
Published: May 2012

The significant contribution of medicines in the introduction and spread of ‘modern’ medicine has, with the exception of vaccination, been neglected in historical studies, yet medicines have been a significant factor in people’s experiences of sickness and in their use and non-use of health services. Although medicines are implicitly acknowledged in the literature as important in the provision of healthcare, this article uses a case study of the Mt Everest region of Nepal during the second half of the twentieth century to argue that medicines have had an explicit and central role in the introduction and spread of modern medicine in this region. It also highlights the importance of travellers in the process. While this article focuses on biomedical products, modern medicine, as elsewhere in the wider Himalayan region, continued to be practised within a changing but plural medical environment. The first part of the article discusses medicines and travellers who, in the absence of biomedical services, were the main source of medicines prior to the mid-1960s, while the second part considers medicines and Khunde Hospital, which was built in 1966 by the area’s most famous overseas traveller and became not only the area’s main provider of modern health services but also the main source of medicines.
Patents, Priority Disputes and the Value of Credit: Towards a History (and Pre-History) of Intellectual Property in Medicine
Authors: Frampton Sally
Published: May 2012

In recent years, intellectual property in medicine has generated much debate, becoming one of the most significant issues in modern day medical ethics and linking in with wider discussions about the commercialisation of medicine and the commodification of the human body. Recent high-profile cases in the USA have centred on gene patenting, that having been enthusiastically practised by universities and biotechnology companies, is now having its legality questioned. The unexpected March 2010 ruling of a federal court against Myriad Genetics, which invalidated the company's patents on the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes, has highlighted the complexities that now govern the ethical and legal tenure of asserting property rights over biological material.
Re-imagining Bleeders: The Medical Leech in the Nineteenth Century Bloodletting Encounter
Authors: Kirk Robert G.W. , Pemberton Neil
Published: May 2012

While some historians have noted the absence of animals in medical history, few have made the animal the central object of their historical gaze. Twenty years ago W.F. Bynum urged medical historians to follow historians of science in paying attention to the role of non-human animals in the material practices of medicine. Yet few have responded to his call. In this paper we again ask the question: what work can the non-human animal achieve for the history of medicine? We do so in the light of the conceptual possibilities opened up by the rapidly emerging field of ‘animal studies’. This interdisciplinary and sophisticated body of work has, in various ways, revealed the value of the ‘animal’ as a tool for exploring the co-constitution of species identity. We asked ourselves, surely, in our present biomedical world, this must be an area that we as medical historians are best placed to comment on; and what better place to start than the well-known, yet surprisingly little-studied, medical leech?
Model Organisms and Model Environments: A Rodent Laboratory in Science, Medicine and Society
Authors: Ramsden Edmund
Published: May 2012

In recent years there has been increasing interest in the role of animals in science and medicine. While historians have tended to focus on the processes of standardisation, increasing attention is being given to the surprising and unexpected elements of the model organism. Experimental organisms are, simultaneously, both artefacts and samples of nature. Rachel Ankeny and Sabina Leonelli put it clearly and succinctly: ‘they are systems that have been engineered and modified to enable the controlled investigation of specific phenomena, yet at the same time they remain largely mysterious products of millennia of evolution, whose behaviours, structures, and physiology are for the most part still relatively ill-understood by scientists.’ In continuously generating new questions, organisms provide novelty so essential to successful experimental systems. They are, as Hans-Jörg Rheinberger would argue, scientific objects or ‘epistemic things’, not merely predictable ‘technical objects’.
When Misery and Metaphysics Collide: William James on ‘the Problem of Evil’
Authors: Sutton Emma K.
Published: May 2012

William James is often described as one of America's foremost philosophers and the founder of American psychology. During the second half of the nineteenth century and the first decade of the twentieth century he published several key texts on a broad range of topics, including the psychology of religion, ethics, epistemology and metaphysics. Many are still in current use, and contemporary philosophers continue to pore over them. Biographers, meanwhile, happily speculate on everything from James's parental relationships to the state of his marriage. However, there has been relatively little detailed exploration of how James's published writings and his private life may have intersected. This article explores one such intersection: that between James's protracted experience of ill health and the elaboration of the notion of evil in his writings.
Perspectives from the History of Medicine Division of the United States National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
Authors: Reznick Jeffrey S.
Published: May 2012

2011 marks the 175th anniversary of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM) that traces its origins to 1836 and the commitment of the second US Army Surgeon General, Thomas Lawson (1789–1861), to purchase books and journals for active-duty medical officers. The occasion affords an opportunity to focus on the contributions of the NLM to the history of medicine and public health, and to look forward into the digital world of the twenty-first century as the NLM joins with like-minded institutions, scholars, educators, writers, students, and others to expand knowledge of medical and public health history for the advancement of scholarship across the disciplines and for the education of the general public. As more audiences become interested in medical and public health history, opportunities abound to broaden and deepen understanding of the past, present, and future of medicine and public health in order to help refine critical thinking about medicine and science, promote deeper understanding of medical and scientific concepts, and generally humanise medicine and public health by revealing the implications of disease and healthcare for individuals and communities in the United States and around the world.
Migration of children from northwest Russia to northern Norway in the 1990s and the beginning of the 2000s
Authors: Tevlina Victoria V.
Published: May 2012

The present article focuses on children from Russia, who immigrated to the northern part of Norway in the end of the 1990s and in the first decade of the 21st century. The Russian immigration to north Norway is particularly strong, and therefore it is an obvious choice to focus on this group if one wishes to study Russian immigration to Norway. By studying the immigrants in Sør-Varanger, will we discover some objective tendencies and peculiarities of adaption of Russian immigrants in Norway at large? Attention to children-immigrants’ life in school and outside school, their friendships, their contacts with their homeland and attitudes toward future work, allows us to understand their position, views and level of mutual understanding with those people who surround them in the new country. In the present article special attention is also paid to the parents, first and foremost the mothers, who brought the children to north Norway, and their opinions about the welfare of their children in the new country as well as their own well-being. In many ways these children and their mothers from northwest Russia make a shining example of a successful establishment of a new life style in a foreign country. One may ask, however, is it too successful?
Salixtaxonomy in Europe – problems, interpretations, observations
Authors: Rechinger K. H.
Published: May 2012

I want to give a brief resumé of the reasons why the taxonomic study ofSalixis so notoriously difficult. As long ago as 1737, Linné inFlora Lapponicawrote: “Hunclocum sibi postulat Salicum familia, qui si ulla in Botanicis obscura, haec sane maxima”. The phrase “crux et scandalum botanicorum” has been quoted time and again.

(1) All willows are dioecious, developing male and female flowers in different individuals.

(2) Flowers in many species are precocious, the flowers appearing before the leaves.

(3) There is a tendency for the current year's terminal and past year's lateral branches to differ in indumentum, leaf shape and leaf sequence.
The early fossil history of Salicaceae: a brief review
Authors: Collinson Margaret E.
Published: May 2012

Synopsis

Current evidence for early fossil Salicaceae is summarised. Most data come from Europe and North America where revisionary studies are in progress in several laboratories. The earliest records of the modern genera are from North America withPopulussectionAbasoin the Late Palaeocene andSalixsubgenusSalixin the early Eocene. This evidence is based mainly on leaves but the presence ofPopulusis confirmed by a leafy shoot with attached fruiting raceme. The two genera first occur later in Europe withPopulusin the uppermost Eocene andSalixin the Middle Oligocene. Members of both genera in both continents apparently occupied riparian habitats early in their history.
Cellularization of structures in stable homotopy categories
Authors: GUTIÉRREZ JAVIER J.
Published: May 2012

We describe the formal framework for cellularization functors in triangulated categories and study the preservation of ring and module structures under these functors in stable homotopy categories in the sense of Hovey, Palmieri and Strickland, such as the homotopy category of spectra or the derived category of a commutative ring. We prove that cellularization functors preserve modules over connective rings but they do not preserve rings in general (even if the ring is connective or the cellularization functor is triangulated). As an application of these results, we describe the cellularizations of Eilenberg–Mac Lane spectra and compute all acyclizations in the sense of Bousfield of the integral Eilenberg–Mac Lane spectrum.
The estimated disease burden of norovirus in The Netherlands
Authors: VERHOEF L. , KOOPMANS M. , VAN PELT W. , DUIZER E. , HAAGSMA J. , WERBER D. , VAN ASTEN L. , HAVELAAR A.
Published: May 2012

Noroviruses are an important cause of acute gastroenteritis in humans. We incorporated new insights gained over the past decade in an updated estimate of the disease burden of (foodborne) norovirus illness in The Netherlands in 2009. The disease outcomes – non-consulting cases, visiting a general practitioner, hospitalization and mortality – and the foodborne proportion were derived from cohort studies, surveillance data and literature. Age-specific incidence estimates were applied to the population age distribution in The Netherlands in 2009. The general population incidence was 3800/100 000 (95% CI 2670–5460), including 0·4 fatal cases/100 000, resulting in 1622/100 000 (95% CI 966–2650) disability-adjusted life-years in a population of 16·5 million. The updated burden of norovirus is over twofold higher than previously estimated, due in particular to the new insights in case-fatality ratios. Results suggest that the burden of norovirus institutional outbreaks is relatively small compared to the burden of community-acquired norovirus infections.
Increased Situation Awareness in Major Incidents—Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) Technique: A Promising Tool
Authors: Jokela Jorma , Rådestad Monica , Gryth Dan , Nilsson Helené , Rüter Anders , Svensson Leif , Harkke Ville , Luoto Markku , Castrén Maaret
Published: May 2012

Introduction: In mass-casualty situations, communications and information management to improve situational awareness is a major challenge for responders. In this study, the feasibility of a prototype system that utilizes commercially available, low-cost components, including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and mobile phone technology, was tested in two simulated mass-casualty incidents.

Methods: The feasibility and the direct benefits of the system were evaluated in two simulated mass-casualty situations: one in Finland involving a passenger ship accident resulting in multiple drowning/hypothermia patients, and another at a major airport in Sweden using an aircraft crash scenario. Both simulations involved multiple agencies and functioned as test settings for comparing the disaster management’s situational awareness with and without using the RFID-based system. Triage documentation was done using both an RFID-based system, which automatically sent the data to the Medical Command, and a traditional method using paper triage tags. The situational awareness was measured by comparing the availability of up-to date information at different points in the care chain using both systems.

Results: Information regarding the numbers and status or triage classification of the casualties was available approximately one hour earlier using the RFID system compared to the data obtained using the traditional method.

Conclusions: The tested prototype system was quick, stable, and easy to use, and proved to work seamlessly even in harsh field conditions. It surpassed the paper-based system in all respects except simplicity of use. It also improved the general view of the mass-casualty situations, and enhanced medical emergency readiness in a multi-organizational medical setting. The tested technology is feasible in a mass-casualty incident; further development and testing should take place.
Extensions of differential representations ofSL2and tori
Authors: Minchenko Andrey , Ovchinnikov Alexey
Published: May 2012

Linear differential algebraic groups (LDAGs) measure differential algebraic dependencies among solutions of linear differential and difference equations with parameters, for which LDAGs are Galois groups. Differential representation theory is a key to developing algorithms computing these groups. In the rational representation theory of algebraic groups, one starts with${\mathbf{SL} }_{2} $and tori to develop the rest of the theory. In this paper, we give an explicit description of differential representations of tori and differential extensions of irreducible representation of${\mathbf{SL} }_{2} $. In these extensions, the two irreducible representations can be non-isomorphic. This is in contrast to differential representations of tori, which turn out to be direct sums of isotypic representations.
A SOLUTION TO THE SURPRISE EXAM PARADOX IN CONSTRUCTIVE MATHEMATICS
Authors: ARDESHIR MOHAMMAD , RAMEZANIAN RASOUL
Published: May 2012

We represent the well-known surprise exam paradox in constructive and computable mathematics and offer solutions. One solution is based on Brouwer’s continuity principle in constructive mathematics, and the other involves type 2 Turing computability in classical mathematics. We also discuss the backward induction paradox for extensive form games in constructive logic.
Distillation of essential oil and simulation of electromagnetic power distribution in a microwave oven
Authors: Gunes Mahit , Alma Mehmet Hakki
Published: May 2012

In the present study, the essential oil from the leaves of River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnh) was distilled by microwave applied in situ hydrodistillation (MWHD) and the properties obtained were compared with hydrodistillation (HD) techniques. The chemical composition of essential oil obtained by the microwave method was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and GC–mass spectrometry (MS). The results showed that the essential oil from E. camaldulensis could successfully be distilled by using microwave irradiation power. Microwave power has been supplied from a cavity having a multimode microwave reactor 2455 MHz with a maximum power of 1000 W. Electromagnetic power distribution has been analyzed inside the cavity. The yield of essential oil increased with increasing microwave irradiation power. It was also found that the content of main compounds clearly varied according to methods applied. However, the yield of essential oil determined by MWHD was slightly lower than that of conventional HD method at conditions studied.
76.5 GHz millimeter-wave radar for foreign objects debris detection on airport runways
Authors: Mazouni Karim , Zeitler Armin , Lanteri Jérôme , Pichot Christian , Dauvignac Jean-Yves , Migliaccio Claire , Yonemoto Naruto , Kohmura Akiko , Futatsumori Shunichi
Published: May 2012

The paper is a joint work between the LEAT (France) and the ENRI (Japan) in the framework of a Sakura project supported by the JSPS and the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The purpose is the study of a FOD (Foreign Object Debris) detection system on airport runways. An FM-CW mm-wave radar working between 76.25 and 76.75 GHz is used together with a high directivity printed reflectarray. In addition, a second measurement campaign has been conducted with a 73.8–79.8 GHz (6 GHz band) radar. Measurement results show detection capabilities of a −20 dBsm cylinder up to 35 m that is 10 m less than the FAA recommendations. Antenna improvements are discussed for reaching the requirements and system performance as well as the use of calibration objects.
Internetbasierte Alkoholprävention bei Studierenden
Authors: Laging Marion
Published: May 2012

Hintergrund und Ziel: Aktuelle Studien zeigen einen Bedarf an spezifischen Programmen der Alkoholprävention für Studierende. Ziel dieser Übersichtsarbeit ist es, zu einer fundierten Beurteilung der Wirkungen internetbasierter Kurzinterventionen der Alkoholprävention für Studierende zu gelangen. Methoden: Durch eine systematische Datenbankrecherche und die Durchsicht relevanter Arbeiten wurden die Arbeiten identifiziert, die mit einem randomisierten, kontrollierten Design die Wirkungen elektronischer Interventionen der Alkoholprävention bei Studierenden untersuchen. Ergebnisse: 17 Studien, die 7803 Studierende untersuchten, wurden ausgewertet. Internetbasierte Programme der Alkoholprävention erzeugen kurzfristige Wirkungen mit großen und kleinen Effektstärken. Langfristige Wirkungen sind bis zu einem Jahr beobachtbar, jedoch ausschließlich mit kleinen Effektstärken. Schlussfolgerung: Die vorliegende Arbeit führt zu einer vorsichtigen Unterstützung einer Entwicklung und Evaluation von elektronischen Interventionen der Alkoholprävention für Studierende auch in Deutschland und gibt Hinweise für deren Ausgestaltung.
French Adaptation of the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI)
Authors: Catale Corinne , Lejeune Caroline , Merbah Sarah , Meulemans Thierry
Published: May 2012

Thorell and Nyberg (2008 ) recently developed the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI), a new rating instrument for executive functioning in day-to-day life which can be divided into four subscales: working memory, planning, inhibition, and regulation. Using an exploratory factor analysis on data from young Swedish children attending kindergarten, Thorell and Nyberg (2008 ) found a two-factor solution that taps working memory and inhibition. In the present study, we explored the psychometric characteristics of the French adaptation of the CHEXI. A group of 95 parents of 5- and 6-year-old children completed the CHEXI, 87 of whom were given clinical inhibition and working memory tasks. Confirmatory factor analyses confirmed the two-factor solution based on inhibition and working memory that was identified in the original study of Swedish children. Supplementary results indicated good internal and test-retest reliability for the entire scale, as well as for the two subscales identified. Correlation analyses showed no relationship between cognitive measures and the CHEXI subscales. Possible clinical applications for the CHEXI scales are discussed.
Soil hydraulic properties in one‐dimensional layered soil profile using layer‐specific soil moisture assimilation scheme
Authors: Shin Yongchul , Mohanty Binayak P. , Ines Amor V. M.
Published: May 2012

We developed a layer‐specific soil‐moisture assimilation scheme using a simulation‐optimization framework, Soil‐Water‐Atmosphere‐Plant model with genetic algorithm (SWAP‐GA). Here, we explored the quantification of the soil hydraulic properties in a layered soil column under various combinations of soil types, vegetation covers, bottom boundary conditions and soil layering using idealized (synthetic) numerical studies and actual field experiments. We demonstrated that soil layers and vertical heterogeneity (layering arrangements) could impact to the uncertainty of quantifying soil hydraulic parameters. We also found that, under layered soil system, when the subsurface flows are dominated by upward fluxes, e.g., from a shallow water table, the solution to the inverse problem appears to be more elusive. However, when the soil profile is predominantly draining, the soil hydraulic parameters could be fairly estimated well across soil layers, corroborating the results of past studies on homogenous soil columns. In the field experiments, the layer‐specific assimilation scheme successfully matched soil moisture estimates with observations at the individual soil layers suggesting that this approach could be applied in real world conditions.
Numerical simulation of rock avalanches: Influence of a local dissipative contact model on the collective behavior of granular flows
Authors: Mollon Guilhem , Richefeu Vincent , Villard Pascal , Daudon Dominique
Published: May 2012

Rock avalanches are a significant concern in developing mountain areas. Thus a reliable prediction of depositional areas from avalanches is needed. In order to improve the numerical modeling of such events and to provide information concerning the physical phenomena underlying this type of granular flow, a discrete element model, which takes into account frictional and collisional dissipation at grain scale together with angular‐shaped elements, is used to investigate the collective behavior of granular masses propagating down a slope. The discrete element model (DEM) parameters are defined from drop tests involving the collision of an individual particle with a flat surface. The validity of the numerical model is estimated by comparison with the results of a laboratory experiment involving a dry granular flow on an inclined plane. The numerical model improves the understanding of rock avalanches by providing both valuable information about the way energy is dissipated either at the base or within the propagating granular mass and relevant information about the kinematics of the flow and the shape of the deposit. The influence of contact‐law parameters is investigated using a sensitivity study. It is shown that the flow is strongly influenced by basal friction, while inter‐particle friction and collisional dissipation phenomena intervene mostly in areas of flow perturbation (such as transition zones between two slopes). A macroscopic roughness of the slope surface induces an increased disorder in the particle motion which increases both frictional and collisional dissipation within the granular mass. Using a planar slope and increasing the frictional parameter can reproduce the apparent influence of this roughness.
Alternate bar response to sediment supply termination
Authors: Venditti J. G. , Nelson P. A. , Minear J. T. , Wooster J. , Dietrich W. E.
Published: May 2012

Sediment supply is widely held to be one of the primary controls on bar topography in alluvial channels, yet quantitative linkages between sediment supply and bar topography are not well developed. We explore the conditions under which alternate bars form and how they respond to the elimination of sediment supply in two linked laboratory experiments. The first set of experiments was conducted in a 28 m long, 0.86 m wide flume channel using a unimodal sand‐gravel mix. The second set of experiments was conducted at field scale in a 55 m long, 2.74 m wide channel using a unimodal gravel mixture. In both experiments, alternate bars and patchy surface grain‐size distributions developed under steady flow and sediment supply conditions. The cessation of the sediment supply induced a reduction in the surface grain‐size heterogeneity and the bars were eliminated. In both flumes, mean boundary shear stress had declined, but were capable of moving sediments after the bars disappeared, albeit at relatively small rates compared to when the bars were present. In the smaller flume, the previously stationary bars migrated out of the flume and were not replaced with new bars. A nearly featureless bed formed with limited surface grain‐size heterogeneity, a slightly coarsened surface and a slightly reduced slope. In the larger flume, the formation of alternate bars was induced by an imposed upstream flow constriction and as such, the bars did not migrate. Termination of sediment supply led to progressive erosion of bed topography and loss of the bars, coarsening of the bed surface, loss of bed texture patchiness and significant slope reduction. The original alternate bar topography redeveloped when the sediment supply was restored once sufficient deposition had occurred to reconstruct the original channel slope. This shows that the bar loss was reversible by establishing the previous conditions and highlights the importance of sediment supply for bar formation. The role of sediment supply in bar formation and stability is not often recognized in stream restoration. Our results suggest that the loss of sediment supply can significantly affect alternate bar topography and that considerable volumes of sediment may be needed restore channel bars.
A self‐consistent mechanism for slow dynamic deformation and tsunami generation for earthquakes in the shallow subduction zone
Authors: Ma Shuo
Published: May 2012

Dynamic pore pressure changes in the overriding wedge above a shallow‐dipping plate interface significantly affect the rupture dynamics of shallow subduction zone earthquakes and their tsunamigenesis. For a wedge on the verge of Coulomb failure everywhere including the basal fault, the dynamic pore pressure increase due to up‐dip rupture propagation leads to widespread yielding within the wedge, which is greatly enhanced by the shallow dip of the fault. The widespread yielding reduces the stress drop, slip velocity, slip, and rupture velocity, giving rise to prolonged rupture duration, thus explaining many anomalous features of shallow subduction zone earthquakes. Significant inelastic seafloor uplift occurs in the case of a shallow fault dip, with the largest uplift located landward from the trench. Integrating this physical mechanism with existing seismic, geodetic, and tsunami observations can provide new insights into earthquake dynamics and deformation processes in shallow subduction zones.
Observations of wind shear over the Southern Ocean
Authors: Hande L. B. , Siems S. T. , Manton M. J. , Belusic D.
Published: May 2012

The thermodynamic structure of the lower troposphere over the Southern Ocean is analyzed by employing over 16 years of high resolution upper air soundings from Macquarie Island (54.62°S, 158.85°E). The soundings are analyzed to develop an understanding of the structure of the boundary layer and wind shear occurring through the lower levels over this region, and to compare this to European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) model level reanalysis data for the Year of Tropical Convection (YOTC). A multiple layered structure is commonly observed in the high resolution soundings, and is also observed in YOTC, but with a lower frequency. The climatological mean and variability of a number of variables are calculated for both data sets, which reveals that YOTC performs well, but has weaknesses in modeling the observed moisture and wind fields, particularly evident in wind shear profiles. A distinction between a number of boundary layer types is made, and the frequency with which they occur is quantified for both data sets. This highlights important differences between the observations in the Macquarie Island soundings and the reanalysis product. Proxy cloud fields are constructed for the two data sets, and these suggest that clouds are commonly observed in a region between the top of the boundary layer and a secondary temperature inversion, i.e., a “buffer layer” in the words of Russell et al. (1998). The peak relative frequency of observing these clouds lies roughly around 912.5 hPa for both data sets. An examination of the wind shear across the cloud boundaries finds wind shear over cloud base occurs more frequently than cloud top, suggesting that the cloud fields are not embedded in a well‐mixed boundary layer.
Identifying weekly cycles in meteorological variables: The importance of an appropriate statistical analysis
Authors: Daniel J. S. , Portmann R. W. , Solomon S. , Murphy D. M.
Published: May 2012

Weekly cycles in several meteorological parameters have been previously reported. Yet the extent to which these cycles are caused by anthropogenic activity remains unclear. Some of the complications associated with establishing this link are discussed here. Specifically, we highlight and quantify some common errors that have been made in the application of statistical techniques to this problem. Some errors, including the inappropriate use of the Studentttest, have been significant enough to affect the conclusions of previous studies. A resampling technique that can properly account for both temporal and spatial correlation is evaluated and is shown to be accurate for determining the statistical significance of weekly cycles at the station level and for evaluating total field significance. We demonstrate that this resampling approach performs comparably to a Fourier analysis that evaluates the significance of the power at a seven‐day period. Regardless of the analysis technique used, an understanding of the behavior of and uncertainties associated with the statistical analysis is critical to arriving at a justifiable conclusion regarding a human influence on weekly cycles and for putting results in context with other studies. We also discuss some general errors that can be made in weekly cycle analysis. These include selection of an analysis region after identifying where weekly cycles are significant, acceptance of a physical explanation for the hypothesized link that has not been properly tested given its large number of degrees of freedom, and ignoring the correlation among meteorological parameters.
Haze particles over a coal‐burning region in the China Loess Plateau in winter: Three flight missions in December 2010
Authors: Li Weijun , Shi Zongbo , Zhang Daizhou , Zhang Xiaoye , Li Peiren , Feng Qiujuan , Yuan Qi , Wang Wenxing
Published: May 2012

Heavy haze frequently occurs in winter over a coal‐burning region, the Taiyuan Basin, in the eastern China Loess Plateau, which is the upstream area of the North China Plain. We participated in three research flights to collect aerosol particles and to monitor SO2concentration in hazes from the ground (780 m asl) up to ∼4000 m during 17–18 December, 2010. Meteorological records reveal that the whole haze column (ground to 4000 m) was stable and could be further divided into three sub‐layers depending on the sampling altitude, which are characterized by two shifts of the lapse rate of virtual potential temperature and water vapor mixing ratio: Layer‐1, surface to 1500 m; Layer‐2, 1500 ∼ 3000 m on 17 December, and 1500 ∼ 2500 m on 18 December; Layer‐3, above 3000 m on 17 December and above 2500 m on 18 December. SO2concentration was 16–116 ppb with an average of 58 ppb in the Layer‐1, 2–45 ppb with an average of 10 ppb in the Layer‐2, and 1–10 ppb with an average of 4 ppb in the Layer‐3. The accumulation of SO2in the Layer‐1 was due to the stable meteorological conditions and the strong anthropogenic emissions in addition to the possible valley topography. Analyses of the collected particles using a transmission electron microscope revealed the dominance of organic particles and fly ash in the Layer‐1 and Layer‐2 and sulfate particles in the Layer‐3. The organic aerosols frequently contained certain amounts of Si and Cl. Fly ash particles consisted of O and Si with minor Fe, Mn, Zn, Ti, Pb, As, Co, and Cr. These two types of aerosol particles are typically emitted from coal burning. These results indicate that the haze particles were characterized in principle by aerosols from primary emissions of coal burning, which are different from those over the North China Plain where secondary sulfate particles are the dominant component.