bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exploiting Prosody for Syntactic Analysis in Automatic Speech Understanding
Authors: Szaszák György , Beke András
Published: May 2014

The relation between syntax and prosody is evident, even if the prosodic structure cannot be directly mapped to the syntactic one and vice versa. Syntax-to-prosody mapping is widely used in text-tospeech applications, but prosody-to-syntax mapping is mostly missing from automatic speech recognition/understanding systems. This paper presents an experiment towards filling this gap and evaluating whether a HMM-based automatic prosodic segmentation tool can be used to support the reconstruction of the syntactic structure directly from speech. Results show that up to 85% of syntactic clause boundaries and up to about 70% of embedded syntactic phrase boundaries could be identified based on the detection of phonological phrases. Recall rates do not depend further on syntactic layering, in other words, whether the phrase is multiply embedded or not. Clause boundaries can be well assigned to intonational phrase level in read speech and can be well separated from lower level syntactic phrases based on the type of the aligned phonological phrase(s). These findings can be exploited in speech understanding systems, allowing for the recovery of the skeleton of the syntactic structure, based purely on the speech signal.
The Case for the Journal's Use of a CC-BY License
Authors: Shieber Stuart M.
Published: May 2014

Journal of Language Modelling provides its articles under a Creative Commons CC-BY license. We discuss why this is the appropriate choice for the journal.
Full-fledged temporal processing: bridging the gap between deep linguistic processing and temporal extraction
Authors: Costa Francisco , Branco António
Published: May 2014

The full-fledged processing of temporal information presents specific challenges. These difficulties largely stem from the fact that the temporal meaning conveyed by grammatical means interacts with many extra-linguistic factors (world knowledge, causality, calendar systems, reasoning). This article proposes a novel approach to this problem, based on a hybrid strategy that explores the complementarity of the symbolic and probabilistic methods. A specialized temporal extraction system is combined with a deep linguistic processing grammar. The temporal extraction system extracts eventualities, times and dates mentioned in text, and also temporal relations between them, in line with the tasks of the recent TempEval challenges; and uses machine learning techniques to draw from different sources of information (grammatical and extra-grammatical) even if it is not explicitly known how these combine to produce the final temporal meaning being expressed. In turn, the deep computational grammar delivers richer truth-conditional meaning representations of input sentences, which include a principled representation of temporal information, on which higher level tasks, including reasoning, can be based. These deep semantic representations are extended and improved according to the output of the aforementioned temporal extraction module. The prototype implemented shows performance results that increase the quality of the temporal meaning representations and are better than the performance of each of the two components in isolation.
Constructions with Lexical Integrity
Authors: Asudeh Ash , Dalrymple Mary , Toivonen Ida
Published: May 2014

Construction Grammar holds that unpredictable form-meaning combinations are not restricted in size. In particular, there may be phrases that have particular meanings that are not predictable from the words that they contain, but which are nonetheless not purely idiosyncratic. In addressing this observation, some construction grammarians have not only weakened the word/phrase distinction, but also denied the lexicon/grammar distinction. In this paper, we consider the word/phrase and lexicon/grammar distinction in light of Lexical-Functional Grammar and its Lexical Integrity Principle. We show that it is not necessary to remove the word/phrase distinction or the lexicon/grammar distinction to capture constructional effects, although we agree that there are important generalizations involving constructions of all sizes that must be captured at both syntactic and semantic levels. We use LFG’s templates, bundles of grammatical descriptions, to factor out grammatical information in such a way that it can be invoked either by words or by construction-specific phrase structure rules. Phrase structure rules that invoke specific templates are thus the equivalent of phrasal constructions in our approach, but Lexical Integrity and the separation of word and phrase are preserved. Constructional effects are captured by systematically allowing words and phrases to contribute comparable information to LFG’s level of functional structure; this is just a generalization of LFG’s usual assumption that “morphology competes with syntax” (Bresnan, 2001).
Syntax-driven semantic frame composition in Lexicalized Tree Adjoining Grammars
Authors: Kallmeyer Laura , Osswald Rainer
Published: May 2014

The grammar framework presented in this paper combines Lexicalized Tree Adjoining Grammar (LTAG) with a (de)compositional frame semantics. We introduce elementary constructions as pairs of elementary LTAG trees and decompositional frames. The linking between syntax and semantics can largely be captured by such constructions since in LTAG, elementary trees represent full argument projections. Substitution and adjunction in the syntax then trigger the unification of the associated semantic frames, which are formally defined as base-labelled feature structures. Moreover, the system of elementary constructions is specified in a metagrammar by means of tree and frame descriptions. This metagrammatical factorization gives rise to a fine-grained decomposition of the semantic contributions of syntactic building blocks, and it allows us to separate lexical from constructional contributions and to carve out generalizations across constructions. In the second half of the paper, we apply the framework to the analysis of directed motion expressions and of the dative alternation in English, two well-known examples of the interaction between lexical and constructional meaning.
Evaluation of automatic updates of Roget’s Thesaurus
Authors: Kennedy Alistair , Szpakowicz Stan
Published: May 2014

Thesauri and similarly organised resources attract increasing interest of Natural Language Processing researchers. Thesauri age fast, so there is a constant need to update their vocabulary. Since a manual update cycle takes considerable time, automated methods are required. This work presents a tuneable method of measuring semantic relatedness, trained on Roget’s Thesaurus, which generates lists of terms related to words not yet in the Thesaurus. Using these lists of terms, we experiment with three methods of adding words to the Thesaurus. We add, with high confidence, over 5500 and 9600 new words and word senses to versions of Roget’s Thesaurus from 1911 and 1987 respectively. We evaluate our work both manually, and by applying the updated thesauri in three NLP tasks: selection of the best synonym from a set of candidates, pseudo-word-sense disambiguation, and SAT-style analogy problems. We find that the newly added words are of high quality. The additions significantly improve the performance of Roget’s-based methods in these NLP tasks. It compares favourably to the performance of WordNet-based methods. Our methods are general enough to work with different versions of Roget’s Thesaurus.
Physical activity diminishes aging-related decline of physical and cognitive performance
Authors: Apor Péter , Babai László
Published: May 2014

Aging-related decline of muscle force, walking speed, locomotor coordination, aerobic capacity and endurance exert prognostic impact on life expectancy. Proper use of training may diminish the aging process and it may improve the quality of life of elderly persons. This paper provides a brief summary on the impact of training on aging-related decline of physical and cognitive functions. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(21), 817–821.
Laboratory diagnosis of a rare congenital neurodegenerative disease: cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis
Authors: Varga Viktória Evelin , Katkó Mónika , Harangi János , Balogh István , Kapás István , Madar László , Seres Ildikó , Molnár Mária Judit , Paragh György , Kovács G. Gábor , Harangi Mariann
Published: May 2014

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis is a rare neurodegenerative disease characterized by the accumulation of cholesterol and cholestanol in the brain and the tendons caused by mutations of the gene encoding sterol 27-hydroxylase (CYP27A1), which is involved in bile acid synthesis. The diagnosis is often missed and delayed because of the variable clinical presentation of the disease. Blood testing for cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis is routinely performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry measurement of elevated cholestanol level, and the diagnosis is confirmed by molecular genetic analysis. Early recognition and initiation of chenodeoxycholic acid therapy with hydoxymethyl‑glutaryl‑Coenzyme-A reductase inhibitors is critical to prevent irreversible neurological damage and permanent disability. The authors summarize the current knowledge about the pathomechanism, laboratory diagnosis and therapeutic options of cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis. Orv. Hetil., 2014, 155(21), 811–816.
Influence of Aluminum Addition on Thermoelectric Performance of Mg2Si Compound under Air Exposure with Temperature Difference
Authors: Itoh Takashi , Tominaga Akira
Published: May 2014

Dimagnesium silicide (Mg2Si) is an eco-friendly material useful for thermoelectric generation using waste heat of temperature range of 600 to 900 K. To improve the thermoelectric performance of the Mg2Si compound, we made the Al-added compounds under magnesium-rich condition (with 67.0 at% of Mg) using a liquid-solid phase reaction and using a pulse discharge sintering. The thermoelectric performance of each sample containing Al of 0 to 2.0 at% was measured during 50 h air exposure with temperature difference. The temperature difference was given by contacting the hot side of a sample with a hot plate kept at 773 K and by contacting the cold side with a heat sink with cooling fan. The electrical resistivity of the Al-free sample increased with air exposure time by internal oxidation. All the Al-added samples kept the low resistivity during the air exposure test. We confirmed the resistance to deterioration in thermoelectric performance of the Al-added samples during air exposure with temperature difference.
Longitudinal Analysis of Parenting Stress in Mothers and Fathers of Infants with and without Single-Suture Craniosynostosis
Authors: Gray Kristen E. , Cradock Mary Michaeleen , Kapp-Simon Kathleen A. , Collett Brent R. , Pullmann Lynette D. , Speltz Matthew L.
Published: May 2014

Objective

To examine longitudinal differences in reported stress between parents of children with and without single-suture craniosynostosis and to compare the stress reports of mothers and fathers.

Design

Multi-site, nonrandomized prospective study.

Setting/Participants

Children with single-suture craniosynostosis (cases) were identified via referral of the treating surgeon or physician at the time of diagnosis, and those without single-suture craniosynostosis (controls) were recruited from pediatric practices, birthing centers, and announcements in print media. When children were aged 6, 18, and 36 months (on average), mothers and fathers of children with and without single-suture craniosynostosis completed the Parenting Stress Index. For cases, 247 mothers and 211 fathers completed the Parenting Stress Index at the first visit; corresponding numbers for controls were 254 and 220, respectively.

Main Outcome Measures

The Parenting Stress Index Parent and Child Domains and subscales scores.

Results

We found few differences between parents of infants with and without single-suture craniosynostosis, regardless of parent gender. Irrespective of case status, mothers consistently reported higher stress than fathers on the Parent Domain. Within the Parent Domain, mothers reported more stress than fathers on the Role Restriction and Spousal Support subscales.

Conclusions

The parents of children with single-suture craniosynostosis reported levels of stress similar to those reported by parents of same-aged, unaffected children. Mothers reported greater stress than fathers, and these differences remained remarkably stable over time. This may reflect widely held perceptions of gender differences in parenting roles.
Magnetic mixed matrix membranes in air separation
Authors: Rybak Aleksandra , Dudek Gabriela , Krasowska Monika , Strzelewicz Anna , Grzywna Zbigniew , Sysel Petr
Published: May 2014

Ethylcellulose (EC) or linear polyimide (LPI) and magnetic neodymium powder particles MQP-14-12 were used for the preparation of inorganic-organic hybrid membranes. For all the membranes, N2, O2 and air permeability were examined. Mass transport coefficients were determined using the Time Lag System based on dynamic experiments in a constant pressure system. The results showed that the membrane permeation properties were improved by the addition of magnetic neodymium particles to the polymer matrix. The magnetic ethylcellulose and polyimide membranes exhibited higher gas permeability and diffusivity, while their permeability selectivity and solubility were either unchanged or slightly increased. Polyimide mixed matrix membranes were characterised by a higher thermal and mechanical stability, larger filler loading, better magnetic properties and reasonable selectivity in the air separation.
Use of green fluorescent proteins for in vitro biosensing
Authors: Heger Zbynek , Zitka Ondrej , Fohlerova Zdenka , Merlos Rodrigo Miguel Angel , Hubalek Jaromir , Kizek Rene , Adam Vojtech
Published: May 2014

Due to the considerable stability of green fluorescent proteins and their capacity to be readily permutated or mutated, they may be exploited in multiple ways to enhance the functionality of in vitro biosensors. Many possibilities, such as the formation of chimeras with other proteins or antibodies, as well as Förster resonance emission transfer performance, may be used for the highly sensitive and specific detection of the target molecules. This review considers the great potential of green fluorescent proteins as the fluorescent probing or recognition biomolecule in various in vitro biosensors applications, as well as obstacles associated with their use.
Preparation and characterization of ultrasensitive and specific polyclonal antiserum against ciprofloxacin based on cationized bovine serum albumin
Authors: Deng Sheng-Liang , Li Ping , Liu Hong-Bin , Yang Shu-Ming
Published: May 2014

An ultrasensitive polyclonal antiserum against ciprofloxacin (CPFX) was developed by introducing cationized bovine serum albumin (BSA) as the carrier. Conjugates used as immunogens were synthesized using CPFX coupled to BSA cationized with ethylenediamine and hexamethylenediamine, namely CPFX-eBSA and CPFX-hBSA. The results showed that the antisera immunized with CPFX-hBSA exhibit an improved sensitivity and specificity compared with those immunized with CPFX-eBSA. Under the conditions of optimal heterologous enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, the optimal antiserum yielded an IC50 of 0.097 ng mL−1, which proves it to be more sensitive than any CPFX antibody. Cross-reactivities with norfloxacin, enrofloxacin, and ofloxacin were < 3.0 %. No cross-reactivities with penicillin and gentamicin were found. The limit of detection was 0.01 ng mL−1, which is far below the maximum residue level established by the EU regulation, suggesting the great potential of the presented antiserum for quantitative assays of CPFX in samples.
Enantioseparation of mandelic acid and α-cyclohexylmandelic acid using an alcohol/salt-based aqueous two-phase system
Authors: Li Fen-Fang , Tan Zhi-Jian , Guo Zhi-Feng
Published: May 2014

An alcohol/salt-based aqueous two-phase system (ATPS) was employed for enantioseparation of (R,S)-mandelic acid (MA) and (R,S)-α-cyclohexylmandelic acid (α-CHMA). Sulfonated β-cyclodextrin (Sf-β-CD) with different degrees of substitution (DS) was considered as the chiral selector. The ethanol/(NH4)2SO4 system showed the optimal chiral recognition ability for MA. To optimize the experimental conditions, Sf-β-CD concentration, ethanol and salt concentration, temperature, and pH were studied. The recognition ability of enantiomers was mainly dependent on the type of the chiral selector but the ethanol and (NH4)2SO4 concentrations also had significant influence on the enantiomeric recognition. The maximum values of α and ee up of 1.69 and 16.3 % were obtained, respectively, for MA under the optimal conditions. A potential application of this alcohol/salt ATPS is the scale-up of chiral separation of MA.
Influence of malfunctions of the maintenance activities on the urban buses fuel consumption
Authors: George Crişan , Nicolae Filip
Published: May 2014

Optimization of activities with the aim to provide quality service in conditions of high profitability, is one of the main objectives chased by managers in transportation companies. As a consequence, directing the attention towards monitoring of maintenance activities of vehicles fleet, can achieve desired results. Two of the most important issues related to the maintenance activity, is the increase of reliability and reduction of fuel consumption of the vehicles fleet. Aforementioned actions represents a way forward for raising the quality and profitability of services offered. In this paper, the main ways of monitoring the fuel consumption, in order to reduce it and increase the reliability of transportation vehicles fleet, are presented. For the evaluation of the maintenance system and the degree of influence of malfunctions recorded on the fuel consumption, using the Pareto -ABC method, following case study on a fleet of buses for urban public transport has been conducted. Results obtained highlights the deficiencies of the maintenance process carried out and constitutes a solid base for the reorganization of the maintenance activity, involving preventive maintenance activities, in order to contribute decisively to the results targeted by the management of transport companies.
Dietary Intakes in the Nutritional Management Of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Morisset Anne-Sophie , Côté Julie Anne , Michaud Andréanne , Robitaille Julie , Dubé Marie-Christine , Veillette Johanne , Weisnagel S. John , Tchernof André
Published: May 2014

Purpose: Changes were examined in energy intakes and percentage of energy from macronutrients in response to nutritional intervention in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

Methods: The study included 17 women with GDM and 27 women with normal glucose tolerance (controls). Women with GDM were followed by a multidisciplinary team; they received dietary counselling by a registered dietitian, and were prescribed diets with 40% to 45% energy from carbohydrate (CHO), 20% to 25% from protein, and 30% to 35% from fat. Dietary intakes were assessed with food frequency questionnaires before the intervention (26.9 ± 3.8 weeks) and after the intervention (32.6 ± 0.6 weeks).

Results: After the intervention, women with GDM reduced their total energy intake to reach lower values than did controls (P value for time-group interaction ≤0.05). A concomitant reduction in total CHO and glucose intakes in women with GDM led to significantly lower values compared with intakes in controls (P values for time-group interaction ≤0.001 for all). The post-intervention rate of weight gain in women with GDM was within the Institute of Medicine (IOM)-recommended values, while the post-intervention rate of weight gain in controls was above IOM-recommended values (0.30 ± 0.27 versus 0.61 ± 0.50 kg/week, P≤0.05).

Conclusions: These results suggest that this multidisciplinary medical and nutritional intervention was effective in the achievement of prescribed macronutrient distribution and controlling gestational weight gain in Canadian women with GDM.
Market Efficiency, Roughness and Long Memory in PSI20 Index Returns: Wavelet and Entropy Analysis
Authors: Pascoal Rui , Monteiro Ana
Published: May 2014

In this study, features of the financial returns of the PSI20index, related to market efficiency, are captured using wavelet- and entropy-based techniques. This characterization includes the following points. First, the detection of long memory, associated with low frequencies, and a global measure of the time series: the Hurst exponent estimated by several methods, including wavelets. Second, the degree of roughness, or regularity variation, associated with the H¨older exponent, fractal dimension and estimation based on the multifractal spectrum. Finally, the degree of the unpredictability of the series, estimated by approximate entropy. These aspects may also be studied through the concepts of non-extensive entropy and distribution using, for instance, the Tsallis q-triplet. They allow one to study the existence of efficiency in the financial market. On the other hand, the study of local roughness is performed by considering wavelet leader-based entropy. In fact, the wavelet coefficients are computed from a multiresolution analysis, and the wavelet leaders are defined by the local suprema of these coefficients, near the point that we are considering. The resulting entropy is more accurate in that detection than the H¨older exponent. These procedures enhance the capacity to identify the occurrence of financial crashes.
Geographical Distribution Patterns of Iodine in Drinking-Water and Its Associations with Geological Factors in Shandong Province, China
Authors: Gao Jie , Zhang Zhijie , Hu Yi , Bian Jianchao , Jiang Wen , Wang Xiaoming , Sun Liqian , Jiang Qingwu
Published: May 2014

County-based spatial distribution characteristics and the related geological factors for iodine in drinking-water were studied in Shandong Province (China). Spatial autocorrelation analysis and spatial scan statistic were applied to analyze the spatial characteristics. Generalized linear models (GLMs) and geographically weighted regression (GWR) studies were conducted to explore the relationship between water iodine level and its related geological factors. The spatial distribution of iodine in drinking-water was significantly heterogeneous in Shandong Province (Moran’s I = 0.52, Z = 7.4, p < 0.001). Two clusters for high iodine in drinking-water were identified in the south-western and north-western parts of Shandong Province by the purely spatial scan statistic approach. Both GLMs and GWR indicated a significantly global association between iodine in drinking-water and geological factors. Furthermore, GWR showed obviously spatial variability across the study region. Soil type and distance to Yellow River were statistically significant at most areas of Shandong Province, confirming the hypothesis that the Yellow River causes iodine deposits in Shandong Province. Our results suggested that the more effective regional monitoring plan and water improvement strategies should be strengthened targeting at the cluster areas based on the characteristics of geological factors and the spatial variability of local relationships between iodine in drinking-water and geological factors.
Green Perspectives for Public Health: A Narrative Review on the Physiological Effects of Experiencing Outdoor Nature
Authors: Haluza Daniela , Schönbauer Regina , Cervinka Renate
Published: May 2014

Natural environments offer a high potential for human well-being, restoration and stress recovery in terms of allostatic load. A growing body of literature is investigating psychological and physiological health benefits of contact with Nature. So far, a synthesis of physiological health outcomes of direct outdoor nature experiences and its potential for improving Public Health is missing. We were interested in summarizing the outcomes of studies that investigated physiological outcomes of experiencing Nature measuring at least one physiological parameter during the last two decades. Studies on effects of indoor or simulated Nature exposure via videos or photos, animal contact, and wood as building material were excluded from further analysis. As an online literature research delivered heterogeneous data inappropriate for quantitative synthesis approaches, we descriptively summarized and narratively synthesized studies. The procedure started with 1,187 titles. Research articles in English language published in international peer-reviewed journals that investigated the effects of natural outdoor environments on humans by were included. We identified 17 relevant articles reporting on effects of Nature by measuring 20 different physiological parameters. We assigned these parameters to one of the four body systems brain activity, cardiovascular system, endocrine system, and immune function. These studies reported mainly direct and positive effects, however, our analyses revealed heterogeneous outcomes regarding significance of results. Most of the studies were conducted in Japan, based on quite small samples, predominantly with male students as participants in a cross-sectional design. In general, our narrative review provided an ambiguous illustration of the effects outdoor nature exerted on physiological parameters. However, the majority of studies reported significant positive effects. A harmonizing effect of Nature, especially on physiological stress reactions, was found across all body systems. From a Public Health perspective, interdisciplinary work on utilizing benefits of Nature regarding health promotion, disease prevention, and nature-based therapy should be optimized in order to eventually diminish given methodological limitations from mono-disciplinary studies.
Diabetes Prevention in the New York City Sikh Asian Indian Community: A Pilot Study
Authors: Islam Nadia , Zanowiak Jennifer , Wyatt Laura , Kavathe Rucha , Singh Hardayal , Kwon Simona , Trinh-Shevrin Chau
Published: May 2014

India has one of the highest burdens of diabetes worldwide, and rates of diabetes are also high among Asian Indian immigrants that have migrated into the United States (U.S.). Sikhs represent a significant portion of Asian Indians in the U.S. Diabetes prevention programs have shown the benefits of using lifestyle intervention to reduce diabetes risk, yet there have been no culturally-tailored programs for diabetes prevention in the Sikh community. Using a quasi-experimental two-arm design, 126 Sikh Asian Indians living in New York City were enrolled in a six-workshop intervention led by community health workers. A total of 108 participants completed baseline and 6-month follow-up surveys between March 2012 and October 2013. Main outcome measures included clinical variables (weight, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, and cholesterol) and health behaviors (changes in physical activity, food behaviors, and diabetes knowledge). Changes were significant for the treatment group in weight, BMI, waist circumference, blood pressure, glucose, physical activity, food behaviors, and diabetes knowledge, and between group differences were significant for glucose, diabetes knowledge, portion control, and physical activity social interaction. Retention rates were high. Findings demonstrate that a diabetes prevention program in the Sikh community is acceptable, feasible, and efficacious.
Antibody-Conjugated Paramagnetic Nanobeads: Kinetics of Bead-Cell Binding
Authors: Waseem Shahid , Allen Michael , Schreier Stefan , Udomsangpetch Rachanee , Bhakdi Sebastian
Published: May 2014

Specific labelling of target cell surfaces using antibody-conjugated paramagnetic nanobeads is essential for efficient magnetic cell separation. However, studies examining parameters determining the kinetics of bead-cell binding are scarce. The present study determines the binding rates for specific and unspecific binding of 150 nm paramagnetic nanobeads to highly purified target and non-target cells. Beads bound to cells were enumerated spectrophotometrically. Results show that the initial bead-cell binding rate and saturation levels depend on initial bead concentration and fit curves of the form A(1 − exp(−kt)). Unspecific binding within conventional experimental time-spans (up to 60 min) was not detectable photometrically. For CD3-positive cells, the probability of specific binding was found to be around 80 times larger than that of unspecific binding.
Molecular Characterization of α- and β-Thalassaemia among Malay Patients
Authors: Yatim Nur , Rahim Masitah , Menon Kavitha , Al-Hassan Faisal , Ahmad Rahimah , Manocha Anita , Saleem Mohamed , Yahaya Badrul
Published: May 2014

Both α- and β-thalassaemia syndromes are public health problems in the multi-ethnic population of Malaysia. To molecularly characterise the α- and β-thalassaemia deletions and mutations among Malays from Penang, Gap-PCR and multiplexed amplification refractory mutation systems were used to study 13 α-thalassaemia determinants and 20 β-thalassaemia mutations in 28 and 40 unrelated Malays, respectively. Four α-thalassaemia deletions and mutations were demonstrated. −−SEA deletion and αCSα accounted for more than 70% of the α-thalassaemia alleles. Out of the 20 β-thalassaemia alleles studied, nine different β-thalassaemia mutations were identified of which βE accounted for more than 40%. We concluded that the highest prevalence of (α- and β-thalassaemia alleles in the Malays from Penang are −−SEA deletion and βE mutation, respectively.
SU-8 Composite Based “Lube-tape” for a Wide Range of Tribological Applications
Authors: Saravanan Prabakaran , Satyanarayana Nalam , Sinha Sujeet
Published: May 2014

In a previous work, we have developed a perflouropolyether (PFPE) lubricant droplet-filled SU-8 composite which promotes bonding between the molecules of SU-8 and PFPE and provides excellent boundary lubrication. The SU-8 + PFPE composite has enhanced the wear durability of SU-8 by more than four orders of magnitude. In this work, the same SU-8 + PFPE composite was used to fabricate a stand-alone laminate film called “Lube-tape”. It has integrated two layers of approximately 90 microns thickness each; the top layer is made of SU-8 + PFPE composite and the bottom layer of pristine SU-8. Thus, a single tape can have drastically contrasting high friction and low friction properties on its two surfaces. The composite side has the initial coefficient of friction ~7 times lower and the wear life more than four orders of magnitude than those of the pristine SU-8 side. This lube tape can be used on any load bearing surface to improve the tribological performance by simply pasting the pristine SU-8 side onto the substrate.
60Co-γ Irradiation Affects the Enzymatic Antioxidant System of the Citrus Red Mite Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Zhang Ke , Li Zhibin , Zhu Shaowen , Weng Qunfang
Published: May 2014

Radio-(60Co), which emits γ rays, has been used worldwide in pest control. The aim of the present study was to analyze the effect of effective-low-power 60Co-γ irradiation on the enzymatic antioxidant system of the citrus red mite Panonychus citri. One day old female adults were exposed to 0.4 kGy 60Co-γ irradiation and on the, 6th h, 1st day, 2nd day, and 5th day post treatment, the mites were euthanized for biochemical analysis. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), phenoloxidase (PO) and acetylocholinesterase (AchE) were investigated. POD and CAT activities, as well as SOD were higher in the irradiated mites. We found that exposure to 60Co-γ radiation resulted in increased activities of SOD, CAT, POD and decreased AchE activity. When the recovery time lasted till the 5th day, the activities of POD and PO were significantly lower than the control, whereas the SOD, CAT and AchE activities returned to control levels. Cells possess protein repair pathways to rescue oxidized proteins and restore their functions, but if these repair processes fail, oxidized proteins may become cytotoxic. Our results confirm the hypothesis that low dosages of 60Co-γ irradiation increase the level of oxidative stress in P. citri adults in a short time, causing meanwhile damage and sterility. The results of this study also indicate that stress caused by exposure to irradiation could inhibit the cholinergic system in P. citri.
The role of Micro-RNAs in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: From Molecular Biology to Treatment
Authors: D'Anzeo Marco , Faloppi Luca , Scartozzi Mario , Giampieri Riccardo , Bianconi Maristella , Del Prete Michela , Silvestris Nicola , Cascinu Stefano
Published: May 2014

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fifth most common cancer worldwide and the third leading cause of cancer deaths. microRNAs (miRNAs) are evolutionary conserved small non-coding RNA that negatively regulate gene expression and protein translation. Recent evidences have shown that they are involved in many biological processes, from development and cell-cycle regulation to apoptosis. miRNAs can behave as tumor suppressor or promoter of oncogenesis depending on the cellular function of their targets. Moreover, they are frequently dysregulated in HCC. In this review we summarize the latest findings of miRNAs regulation in HCC and their role as potentially diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for HCC. We highlight development of miRNAs as potential therapeutic targets for HCC.
The Improved NRL Tropical Cyclone Monitoring System with a Unified Microwave Brightness Temperature Calibration Scheme
Authors: Yang Song , Hawkins Jeffrey , Richardson Kim
Published: May 2014

The near real-time NRL global tropical cyclone (TC) monitoring system based on multiple satellite passive microwave (PMW) sensors is improved with a new inter-sensor calibration scheme to correct the biases caused by differences in these sensor’s high frequency channels. Since the PMW sensor 89 GHz channel is used in multiple current and near future operational and research satellites, a unified scheme to calibrate all satellite PMW sensor’s ice scattering channels to a common 89 GHz is created so that their brightness temperatures (TBs) will be consistent and permit more accurate manual and automated analyses. In order to develop a physically consistent calibration scheme, cloud resolving model simulations of a squall line system over the west Pacific coast and hurricane Bonnie in the Atlantic Ocean are applied to simulate the views from different PMW sensors. To clarify the complicated TB biases due to the competing nature of scattering and emission effects, a four-cloud based calibration scheme is developed (rain, non-rain, light rain, and cloudy). This new physically consistent inter-sensor calibration scheme is then evaluated with the synthetic TBs of hurricane Bonnie and a squall line as well as observed TCs. Results demonstrate the large TB biases up to 13 K for heavy rain situations before calibration between TMI and AMSR-E are reduced to less than 3 K after calibration. The comparison stats show that the overall bias and RMSE are reduced by 74% and 66% for hurricane Bonnie, and 98% and 85% for squall lines, respectively. For the observed hurricane Igor, the bias and RMSE decrease 41% and 25% respectively. This study demonstrates the importance of TB calibrations between PMW sensors in order to systematically monitor the global TC life cycles in terms of intensity, inner core structure and convective organization. A physics-based calibration scheme on TC’s TB corrections developed in this study is able to significantly reduce the biases between different PMW sensors.
Functionality Enhancement of Industrialized Optical Fiber Sensors and System Developed for Full-Scale Pavement Monitoring
Authors: Wang Huaping , Liu Wanqiu , He Jianping , Xing Xiaoying , Cao Dandan , Gao Xipeng , Hao Xiaowei , Cheng Hongwei , Zhou Zhi
Published: May 2014

Pavements always play a predominant role in transportation. Health monitoring of pavements is becoming more and more significant, as frequently suffering from cracks, rutting, and slippage renders them prematurely out of service. Effective and reliable sensing elements are thus in high demand to make prognosis on the mechanical properties and occurrence of damage to pavements. Therefore, in this paper, various types of functionality enhancement of industrialized optical fiber sensors for pavement monitoring are developed, with the corresponding operational principles clarified in theory and the performance double checked by basic experiments. Furthermore, a self-healing optical fiber sensing network system is adopted to accomplish full-scale monitoring of pavements. The application of optical fiber sensors assembly and self-healing network system in pavement has been carried out to validate the feasibility. It has been proved that the research in this article provides a valuable method and meaningful guidance for the integrity monitoring of civil structures, especially pavements.
A Benchmarking System for Domestic Water Use
Authors: Hunt Dexter , Rogers Christopher
Published: May 2014

The national demand for water in the UK is predicted to increase, exacerbated by a growing UK population, and home-grown demands for energy and food. When set against the context of overstretched existing supply sources vulnerable to droughts, particularly in increasingly dense city centres, the delicate balance of matching minimal demands with resource secure supplies becomes critical. When making changes to "internal" demands the role of technological efficiency and user behaviour cannot be ignored, yet existing benchmarking systems traditionally do not consider the latter. This paper investigates the practicalities of adopting a domestic benchmarking system (using a band rating) that allows individual users to assess their current water use performance against what is possible. The benchmarking system allows users to achieve higher benchmarks through any approach that reduces water consumption. The sensitivity of water use benchmarks are investigated by making changes to user behaviour and technology. The impact of adopting localised supplies (i.e., Rainwater harvesting—RWH and Grey water—GW) and including "external" gardening demands are investigated. This includes the impacts (in isolation and combination) of the following: occupancy rates (1 to 4); roof size (12.5 m2 to 100 m2); garden size (25 m2 to 100 m2) and geographical location (North West, Midlands and South East, UK) with yearly temporal effects (i.e., rainfall and temperature). Lessons learnt from analysis of the proposed benchmarking system are made throughout this paper, in particular its compatibility with the existing Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH) accreditation system. Conclusions are subsequently drawn for the robustness of the proposed system.
Universities as Potential Actors for Sustainable Development
Authors: Von Hauff Michael , Nguyen Thuan
Published: May 2014

Universities can contribute to the solutions of major challenges of the 21st century such as increasing environmental and socio-economic crises, inequalities of income and wealth and political instabilities by integrating the concept of sustainable development (SD) in research, organization, and by educating future decision makers. For instance, by integrating sustainability into the organization, universities can lead by example. Furthermore, through the curriculum, future decision makers can learn the competences needed to solve ecological, social, and economic problems in societies. However, despite their possible importance, universities in Germany fall behind internationally in implementing sustainable strategies. Therefore this paper presents/introduces an approach to how universities can implement the holistic concept of SD that considers all three dimensions (economic, ecological, and social) relating to their main functions of research and education in addition to their organization. Additionally this paper analyzes the current state of implementing sustainability strategies at universities, and how the success of these implementation efforts can be evaluated and be fostered further. We find that assessment systems enable universities to systematically use their potential for action for SD by initiating, evaluating, and accelerating the sustainability process. This also applies in the case of German universities, where the implementation of SD is still in the early stages.
Involving Corporate Functions: Who Contributes to Sustainable Development?
Authors: Schaltegger Stefan , Harms Dorli , Windolph Sarah , Hörisch Jacob
Published: May 2014

A large body of literature claims that corporate sustainable development is a cross-functional challenge, which requires all functional units to be involved. However, it remains uncertain to what extent and in which way different corporate functions are actually involved in corporate sustainability management. To bridge this research gap, our paper draws on a concept of involvement introduced in the field of consumer behavior. Based on this previous research, our paper distinguishes two components of involvement: first, a cognitive-affective component, incorporating being affected by sustainability issues and being supportive of corporate sustainability; and second, a behavioral component, represented by the application of sustainability management tools. We use this concept to empirically analyze the involvement of corporate functions in sustainability management and find considerable differences in large German companies. Whereas public relations and strategic management are heavily involved, finance, accounting and management control appear not to be involved. A multinomial logistic regression shows that the cognitive-affective component significantly influences the behavioral component, with a functional unit being affected influencing the application of tools the most. Building on the model proposed, the paper provides implications on how to increase a functional unit’s involvement in sustainability management.
In Vitro Toxic Effects of Puff Adder (Bitis arietans) Venom, and Their Neutralization by Antivenom
Authors: Fernandez Steven , Hodgson Wayne , Chaisakul Janeyuth , Kornhauser Rachelle , Konstantakopoulos Nicki , Smith Alexander , Kuruppu Sanjaya
Published: May 2014

This study investigated the in vitro toxic effects of Bitis arietans venom and the ability of antivenom produced by the South African Institute of Medical Research (SAIMR) to neutralize these effects. The venom (50 µg/mL) reduced nerve-mediated twitches of the chick biventer muscle to 19% ± 2% of initial magnitude (n = 4) within 2 h. This inhibitory effect of the venom was significantly attenuated by prior incubation of tissues with SAIMR antivenom (0.864 µg/µL; 67% ± 4%; P < 0.05; n = 3–5, unpaired t-test). Addition of antivenom at t50 failed to prevent further inhibition or reverse the inhibition of twitches and responses to agonists. The myotoxic action of the venom (50 µg/mL) was evidenced by a decrease in direct twitches (30% ± 6% of the initial twitch magnitude) and increase in baseline tension (by 0.7 ± 0.3 g within 3 h) of the chick biventer. Antivenom failed to block these effects. Antivenom however prevented the venom induced cytotoxic effects on L6 skeletal muscle cells. Venom induced a marginal but significant reduction in plasma clotting times at concentrations above 7.8 µg/100 µL of plasma, indicating poor procoagulant effects. In addition, the results of western immunoblotting indicate strong immunoreactivity with venom proteins, thus warranting further detailed studies on the neutralization of the effects of individual venom toxins by antivenom.
Effects of the preparation method on the structure and the visible-light photocatalytic activity of Ag2CrO4
Authors: Xu Difa , Cao Shaowen , Zhang Jinfeng , Cheng Bei , Yu Jiaguo
Published: May 2014

Silver chromate (Ag2CrO4) photocatalysts are prepared by microemulsion, precipitation, and hydrothermal methods, in order to investigate the effect of preparation methods on the structure and the visible-light photocatalytic activity. It is found that the photocatalytic activity of the prepared Ag2CrO4was highly dependent on the preparation methods. The sample prepared by microemulsion method exhibits the highest photocatalytic efficiency on the degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible-light irradiation. The enhanced photocatalytic activity could be ascribed to the smaller particle size, higher surface area, relatively stronger light absorption, and blue-shift absorption edge, which result in the adsorption of more MB molecules, a shorter diffusion process of more photogenerated excitons, and a stronger oxidation ability of the photogenerated holes. Considering the universalities of microemulsion, precipitation, and hydrothermal methods, this work may also provide a prototype for the comparative study of semiconductor based photocatalysis for water purification and environmental remediation.
The First American Psychiatrists
Authors: Parres Ramón
Published: May 2014

Did the practice of psychiatry exist before the 19th century? In the following article Dr. Parres suggests that it did, in the advanced Indian civilizations of the Aztecs and their forebears (see box). He provides an overview of the society that produced these "psychiatrists" - the tlamatinimes - and describes the psychopathology they treated.

The author prepared this material as a part of a symposium honoring PSYCHIATRIC ANNALS' Editorial Director, Howard P. Rome, M.D., at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Dr. Parres' revised text appears here through the courtesy of Gerald J . Sarwer-Foner, M.D., and the Journal Management Committee of the Revue de Psychiatrie de l'Université d'Ottawa.
Adolescence in the Developmentally Disabled
Authors: Brier Norman M , Demb Howard B
Published: May 2014

Special feature
Issues in the Psychiatric Approach to Substance Abuse In the Adolescent
Authors: McCafferty Charles , Cline David , Jordan James
Published: May 2014

DOCUMENTATION
Illness and Healing in a Traditional Tanzania Tribe
Authors: Forssen Anja
Published: May 2014

Transcultural Perspective
Doing What We Do Best -And Then Some
Authors: Roash Richard N
Published: May 2014

A Message From the Publisher
ECT: Lessons Learned About an Old Treatment with New Technologies
Authors: Black John L
Published: May 2014

Despite misgivings, ECT is a highly effective treatment for refractory depression, severe mania, some acute psychotic illnesses, and catatonic conditions.
Medical Indications for Electroconvulsive Therapy
Authors: Rummans Teresa A
Published: May 2014

Among the nonpsychiatric conditions treated with ECT are catatonia, NMS, hypopituitarism, intractable seizure disorders, and Parkinson's disease.
Brain Imaging in Schizophrenia: A Review
Authors: Sharif Zafar , Gewirtz George , Iqbal Naveed
Published: May 2014

There has been an explosion of research in brain morphology, metabolic function, and receptor distribution and quantification in schizophrenic patients.
Clinical Features of Inpatient Suicide
Authors: Busch Katie A , Clark David C , Fawcett Jan , Kravitz Howard M
Published: May 2014

Of approximately 30,000 suicides per year in the United States, 5% to 6% occur in the hospital.