bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Calcium sensitization involved in dexmedetomidine-induced contraction of isolated rat aorta
Authors: Kim Jae-Gak , Sung Hui-Jin , Ok Seong-Ho , Kwon Seong-Chun , Cheon Kwang Seong , Kim Hye Jung , Chang Ki Churl , Shin Il-Woo , Lee Heon-Keun , Chung Young-Kyun , Sohn Ju-Tae
Published: August 2011

Dexmedetomidine, a full agonist of the α2B-adrenoceptor that is mainly involved in vascular smooth muscle contraction, is primarily used for analgesia and sedation in intensive care units. High-dose dexmedetomidine produces hypertension in children and adults. The goal of this in vitro study was to investigate the role of the calcium (Ca2+) sensitization mechanism involving Rho-kinase, protein kinase C (PKC), and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K) in mediating contraction of isolated rat aortic smooth muscle in response to dexmedetomidine. The effect of dexmedetomidine on the intracellular Ca2+ level ([Ca2+]i) and tension was measured simultaneously. Dexmedetomidine concentration–response curves were generated in the presence or absence of the following antagonists: rauwolscine, Y 27632, LY 294002, GF 109203X, and verapamil. Dexmedetomidine-induced phosphorylation of PKC and membrane translocation of Rho-kinase were detected with Western blotting. Rauwolscine, Y 27632, GF 109203X, LY 294002, and verapamil attenuated dexmedetomidine-induced contraction. The slope of the [Ca2+]i–tension curve for dexmedetomidine was higher than that for KCl. Dexmedetomidine induced phosphorylation of PKC and membrane translocation of Rho-kinase. These results suggest that dexmedetomidine-induced contraction involves a Ca2+ sensitization mechanism mediated by Rho-kinase, PKC, and PI3-K that is secondary to α2-adrenoceptor stimulation in rat aortic smooth muscle.
MAGNETIZATION AND MAGNON EXCITATION ENERGIES OF THE MAGNETIC SEMICONDUCTOR EuTe
Authors: ACHLEITNER J.
Published: August 2011

We present analytic expressions for the temperature dependent magnetization and magnon dispersion relation of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) EuTe . This bulk semiconductor represent a concentrated spin system for which the interaction between magnons has to be taken into account. We do this using the renormalized spin wave theory. A higher order Green's function according to Tjablikov is used for their description. As a result, we obtain a modified Bloch-T3/2 law, for low temperatures and high magnetic fields. A full analytic expression is given for the sublattice magnetization of the AFM EuTe (B0 = 0), with a Néel temperature of TN = 9.81 K. In the case of EuTe , the magnon excitation energies exhibit a characteristic maximum. For q = 0, an energy gap Eg occurs in the spin wave spectrum, a consequence of the AFM exchange interaction J2(T). Such energy gaps exist in the spectrum of magnon excitation energies only in systems with AFM interactions.
Na+/H+ exchanger isoform 6 (NHE6/SLC9A6) is involved in clathrin-dependent endocytosis of transferrin
Authors: Xinhan Lou , Matsushita Masafumi , Numaza Manami , Taguchi Akira , Mitsui Keiji , Kanazawa Hiroshi
Published: September 2011

In mammalian cells, nine conserved isoforms of the Na+/H+ exchanger (NHE) are known to be important for pH regulation of the cytoplasm and organellar lumens. NHE1–5 are localized to the plasma membrane, whereas NHE6–9 are localized to distinct organelles. NHE6 is localized predominantly in endosomal compartments but is also found in the plasma membrane. To investigate the role of NHE6 in endocytosis, we established NHE6-knockdown HeLa cells and analyzed the effect of this knockdown on endocytotic events. The expression level of NHE6 in knockdown cells was decreased to ∼15% of the level seen in control cells. Uptake of transferrin was also decreased. No effect was found on the endocytosis of epidermal growth factor or on the cholera toxin B subunit. Moreover, in the NHE6-knockdown cells, transferrin uptake was found to be affected in the early stages of endocytosis. Microscopic analysis revealed that, at 2 min after the onset of endocytosis, colocalization of NHE6, clathrin, and transferrin was observed, which suggests that NHE6 was localized to endocytotic, clathrin-coated vesicles. In addition, in knockdown cells, transferrin-positive endosomes were acidified, but no effect was found on cytoplasmic pH. In cells overexpressing wild-type NHE6, increased transferrin uptake was observed, but no such increase was seen in cells overexpressing mutant NHE6 deficient in ion transport. The luminal pH in transferrin-positive endosomes was alkalized in cells overexpressing wild-type NHE6 but normal in cells overexpressing mutant NHE6. These observations suggest that NHE6 regulates clathrin-dependent endocytosis of transferrin via pH regulation.
Central angiotensin II has catabolic action at white and brown adipose tissue
Authors: de Kloet Annette D. , Krause Eric G. , Scott Karen A. , Foster Michelle T. , Herman James P. , Sakai Randall R. , Seeley Randy J. , Woods Stephen C.
Published: August 2011

Considerable evidence implicates the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the regulation of energy balance. To evaluate the role of the RAS in the central nervous system regulation of energy balance, we used osmotic minipumps to chronically administer angiotensin II (Ang II; icv; 0.7 ng/min for 24 days) to adult male Long-Evans rats, resulting in reduced food intake, body weight gain, and adiposity. The decrease in body weight and adiposity occurred relative to both ad libitum- and pair-fed controls, implying that reduced food intake in and of itself does not underlie all of these effects. Consistent with this, rats administered Ang II had increased whole body heat production and oxygen consumption. Additionally, chronic icv Ang II increased uncoupling protein-1 and β3-adrenergic receptor expression in brown adipose tissue and β3-adrenergic receptor expression in white adipose tissue, which is suggestive of enhanced sympathetic activation and thermogenesis. Chronic icv Ang II also increased hypothalamic agouti-related peptide and decreased hypothalamic proopiomelanocortin expression, consistent with a state of energy deficit. Moreover, chronic icv Ang II increased the anorectic corticotrophin- and thyroid-releasing hormones within the hypothalamus. These results suggest that Ang II acts in the brain to promote negative energy balance and that contributing mechanisms include an alteration in the hypothalamic circuits regulating energy balance, a decrease in food intake, an increase in energy expenditure, and an increase in sympathetic activation of brown and white adipose tissue.
Synergistic Effects between Phosphorylation of Phospholamban and Troponin I Promote Relaxation at Higher Heart Rate
Authors: Zhang Lin , Yu Yuan , Song Zhen , Wang Yun-Ying , Yu Zhi-Bin
Published: August 2011

We hypothesized that the extent of frequency‐dependent acceleration of relaxation (FDAR) would be less than that of isoproterenol‐(ISO‐)dependent acceleration of relaxation (IDAR) at the same increment of heart rates, and ISO may improve FDAR. Cardiac function and phosphorylation of PLB and cTnI were compared in pacing, ISO treatment, and combined pacing and ISO treatment in isolated working heart. The increase in cardiac output and the degree of relaxation was less in pacing than in ISO treatment at the same increment of heart rates. The increasing stimulation frequency induced more significant relaxant effect in ISO perfusion than that in physiological salt perfusion. The pacing only phosphorylated PLB at Thr17, but ISO induced phosphorylation of cTnI and PLB at Ser16 and Thr17. Those results suggest that the synergistic effects of PLB and cTnI induce higher degree of relaxation which makes a sufficient diastolic filling of the ventricle at higher heart rate.
A Facile Method for Preparing Transparent, Conductive, and Paper-Like Silver Nanowire Films
Authors: Wang Yajie , Feng Tao , Wang Kai , Qian Min , Chen Yiwei , Sun Zhuo
Published: August 2011

Transparent, conductive, and flexible silver nanowire (AgNW) films have been fabricated by a facile two-step method. Firstly, the well-dispersed AgNW suspension is vacuum filtered using mixed esters of cellulose (MCE) membranes as filters. Then, the AgNW-MCE films are treated with acetone vapor. After the infiltration of acetone vapor, the white and porous MCE membranes change into transparent and pore-free, and AgNW-MCE films are obtained with extraordinary optical, conductive, and mechanical properties. An optimal result is obtained with transmittance of 85% at 550 nm and sheet resistance about 50 Ohm/sq. The flexibility of AgNW-MCE films is remarkable, which is comparable to that of the AgNW film on flexible polyethylene terephthalate (PET). More important, AgNW-MCE films show an excellent adhesion to the substrate, which causes a stable electrical conductivity even after scotch tape test and finger friction test. As a result of improved adhesion to the substrate, the sheet resistance of AgNW-MCE films is about 20% smaller than that of AgNW-PET films.
The Potential Utility of Curcumin in the Treatment of HER-2-Overexpressed Breast Cancer: AnIn VitroandIn VivoComparison Study with Herceptin
Authors: Lai Hung-Wen , Chien Su-Yu , Kuo Shou-Jen , Tseng Ling-Ming , Lin Hui-Yi , Chi Chin-Wen , Chen Dar-Ren
Published: August 2011

HER-2 is an important oncoprotein overexpressed in about 15–25% of breast cancers. We hypothesized that the ability of curcumin to downregulate HER-2 oncoprotein and inhibit the signal transduction pathway of PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and NF-κB activation may be important in the treatment of HER-2-overexpressed breast cancer. To examine the effect of curcumin on breast cancer cells, MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MCF-10A, BT-474, and SK-BR-3-hr (a herceptin resistant strain from SK-BR-3) cells were used forin vitroanalysis. Thein vivoeffect of curcumin on HER-2-overexpressed breast cancer was investigated with the HER-2-overexpressed BT-474 xenograft model. Cell growth, cell cycle change, the antimobility effect, signal transduction, and xenograft volume analysis between groups treated with herceptin and/or curcumin were tested. Curcumin decreased the cell growth of various breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-MB-231, MCF-10A, BT-474, and SK-BR-3-hr). In Western blot analysis, the phosphorylation of Akt, MAPK, and expression of NF-κB were reduced in BT-474 cells, but not in SK-BR-3-hr cells, after treatment with herceptin. When treated with curcumin, the HER-2 oncoprotein, phosphorylation of Akt, MAPK and expression of NF-κB were decreased in both BT-474 and SK-BR-3-hr cells. In the BT-474 xenograft model, though not as much as herceptin, curcumin did effectively decrease the tumor size. The combination of curcumin with herceptin was not better than herceptin alone; however, the combination of taxol and curcumin had an antitumor effect comparable with taxol and herceptin. The results suggested that curcumin has potential as a treatment for HER-2-overexpressed breast cancer.
Targeting Tumor-Initiating Cancer Cells with dCD133KDEL Shows Impressive Tumor Reductions in a Xenotransplant Model of Human Head and Neck Cancer
Authors: Waldron Nate N. , Kaufman Dan S. , Oh Seunguk , Inde Zintis , Hexum Melinda K. , Ohlfest John R. , Vallera Daniel A.
Published: August 2011

A novel anticancer agent was constructed by fusing a gene encoding the scFV that targets both glycosylated and unglycosylated forms of CD133 to a gene fragment encoding deimmunized PE38KDEL. The resulting fusion protein, dCD133KDEL, was studied to determine its ability to bind and kill tumor-initiating cells in vitro and in vivo. The anti-CD133 scFV selectively bound HEK293 cells transfected with the CD133 receptor gene. Time course viability studies showed that dCD133KDEL selectively inhibited NA-SCC and UMSCC-11B, 2 head and neck squamous cell carcinomas that contain a CD133 expressing subpopulation. Importantly, the drug did not inhibit the viability of hematopoietic lineages measured by long-term culture-initiating cell and colony-forming assays from sorted human CD34+ progenitor cells. In addition to in vitro studies, in vivo tumor initiation experiments confirmed that CD133-sorted cells implanted into the flanks of nude mice grew faster and larger than unsorted cells. In contrast, cells that were pretreated with dCD133KDEL before implantation showed the slowest and lowest incidence of tumors. Furthermore, UMSCC-11B-luc tumors treated with multiple intratumoral injections of dCD133KDEL showed marked growth inhibition, leading to complete degradation of the tumors that was not observed with an irrelevant control-targeted toxin. Experiments in immunocompetent mice showed that toxin deimmunization resulted in a 90% reduction in circulating antitoxin levels. These studies show that dCD133KDEL is a novel anticancer agent effective at inhibiting cell proliferation, tumor initiation, and eliminating established tumors by targeting the CD133 subpopulation. This agent shows significant promise for potential development as a clinically useful therapy. Mol Cancer Ther; 10(10); 1829–38. ©2011 AACR.
Use of Hundreds of Electrocardiographic Biomarkers for Prediction of Mortality in Postmenopausal Women
Authors: Gorodeski Eiran Z. , Ishwaran Hemant , Kogalur Udaya B. , Blackstone Eugene H. , Hsich Eileen , Zhang Zhu-ming , Vitolins Mara Z. , Manson JoAnn E. , Curb J. David , Martin Lisa W. , Prineas Ronald J. , Lauer Michael S.
Published: August 2011

Background—

Simultaneous contribution of hundreds of electrocardiographic (ECG) biomarkers to prediction of long-term mortality in postmenopausal women with clinically normal resting ECGs is unknown.

Methods and Results—

We analyzed ECGs and all-cause mortality in 33 144 women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative trials who were without baseline cardiovascular disease or cancer and had normal ECGs by Minnesota and Novacode criteria. Four hundred and seventy-seven ECG biomarkers, encompassing global and individual ECG findings, were measured with computer algorithms. During a median follow-up of 8.1 years (range for survivors, 0.5 to 11.2 years), 1229 women died. For analyses, the cohort was randomly split into derivation (n=22 096; deaths, 819) and validation (n=11 048; deaths, 410) subsets. ECG biomarkers and demographic and clinical characteristics were simultaneously analyzed using both traditional Cox regression and random survival forest, a novel algorithmic machine-learning approach. Regression modeling failed to converge. Random survival forest variable selection yielded 20 variables that were independently predictive of long-term mortality, 14 of which were ECG biomarkers related to autonomic tone, atrial conduction, and ventricular depolarization and repolarization.

Conclusions—

We identified 14 ECG biomarkers from among hundreds that were associated with long-term prognosis using a novel random forest variable selection methodology. These biomarkers were related to autonomic tone, atrial conduction, ventricular depolarization, and ventricular repolarization. Quantitative ECG biomarkers have prognostic importance and may be markers of subclinical disease in apparently healthy postmenopausal women.
Virtual Reality and Programming by Demonstration: Teaching a Robot to Grasp a Dynamic Object by the Generalization of Human Demonstrations
Authors: Hamon Ludovic
Published: August 2011

Humans possess the ability to perform complex manipulations without the need to consciously perceive detailed motion plans. When a large number of trials and tests are required for techniques such as learning by imitation and programming by demonstration, the virtual reality approach provides an effective method. Indeed, virtual environments can be built economically and quickly, and can be automatically reinitialized. In the fields of robotics and virtual reality, this has now become commonplace. Rather than imitating human actions, our focus is to develop an intuitive and interactive method based on user demonstrations to create humanlike, autonomous behavior for a virtual character or robot. Initially, a virtual character is built via real-time virtual simulation in which the user demonstrates the task by controlling the virtual agent. The necessary data (position, speed, etc.) to accomplish the task are acquired in a Cartesian space during the demonstration session. These data are then generalized off-line by using a neural network with a back-propagation algorithm. The objective is to model a function that represents the studied task, and by so doing, to adapt the agent to deal with new cases. In this study, the virtual agent is a 6-DOF arm manipulator, Kuka Kr6, and the task is to grasp a ball thrown into its workspace. Our approach is to find a minimum number of necessary demonstrations while maintaining adequate task efficiency. Moreover, the relationship between the number of dimensions of the estimated function and the number of human trials is studied, depending on the evolution of the learning system.
Does Model Parameter Error Cause a Significant “Spring Predictability Barrier” for El Niño Events in the Zebiak–Cane Model?
Authors: Yu Yanshan , Mu Mu , Duan Wansuo
Published: August 2011

Within the framework of the Zebiak–Cane model, the approach of conditional nonlinear optimal perturbation (CNOP) is used to study the effect of model parameter errors on El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) predictability. The optimal model parameter errors are obtained within a reasonable error bound (i.e., CNOP-P errors), which have the largest effect on the results of El Niño predictions. The resultant prediction errors were investigated in depth. The CNOP-P errors do not cause a noticeable prediction error of the sea surface temperature anomaly averaged over the Niño-3 region and do not show an obvious season-dependent evolution of the prediction errors. Consequently, the CNOP-P errors do not cause a significant spring predictability barrier (SPB) for El Niño events. In contrast, the initial errors that have the largest effect on the results of the predictions (i.e., the CNOP-I errors) show a season-dependent evolution, with the largest error increase in spring, and also cause a large prediction error, thereby generating a significant SPB. The initial errors play a more important role than the parameter errors in generating a significant SPB for El Niño events. To further validate this result, the authors investigated the situation in which CNOP-I and CNOP-P errors are simultaneously superimposed in the model, which may be a more credible approach because the initial errors and model parameter errors coexist under realistic predictions. The combined mode of CNOP-I and CNOP-P errors shows a similar season-dependent evolution to that of CNOP-I errors and yields a large prediction error, thereby inducing a significant SPB. The inference, therefore, is that initial errors play a more important role than model parameter errors in generating a significant SPB for El Niño predictions of the Zebiak–Cane model. This result helps to clarify the roles of the initial error and parameter error in the development of an SPB, and highlights the role of initial errors, which demonstrates that the SPB could be markedly reduced by improving the initial conditions. The results provide a theoretical basis for improving data assimilation in ENSO predictions.
Pathways for Communicating the Effects of Stratospheric Ozone to the Polar Vortex: Role of Zonally Asymmetric Ozone
Authors: Albers John R. , Nathan Terrence R.
Published: September 2011

A mechanistic model that couples quasigeostrophic dynamics, radiative transfer, ozone transport, and ozone photochemistry is used to study the effects of zonal asymmetries in ozone (ZAO) on the model’s polar vortex. The ZAO affect the vortex via two pathways. The first pathway (P1) hinges on modulation of the propagation and damping of a planetary wave by ZAO; the second pathway (P2) hinges on modulation of the wave–ozone flux convergences by ZAO. In the steady state, both P1 and P2 play important roles in modulating the zonal-mean circulation. The relative importance of wave propagation versus wave damping in P1 is diagnosed using an ozone-modified refractive index and an ozone-modified vertical energy flux. In the lower stratosphere, ZAO cause wave propagation and wave damping to oppose each other. The result is a small change in planetary wave drag but a large reduction in wave amplitude. Thus in the lower stratosphere, ZAO “precondition” the wave before it propagates into the upper stratosphere, where damping due to photochemically accelerated cooling dominates, causing a large reduction in planetary wave drag and thus a colder polar vortex. The ability of ZAO within the lower stratosphere to affect the upper stratosphere and lower mesosphere is discussed in light of secular and episodic changes in stratospheric ozone.
The CCSM4 Ocean Component
Authors: Danabasoglu Gokhan , Bates Susan C. , Briegleb Bruce P. , Jayne Steven R. , Jochum Markus , Large William G. , Peacock Synte , Yeager Steve G.
Published: August 2011

The ocean component of the Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4) is described, and its solutions from the twentieth-century (20C) simulations are documented in comparison with observations and those of CCSM3. The improvements to the ocean model physical processes include new parameterizations to represent previously missing physics and modifications of existing parameterizations to incorporate recent new developments. In comparison with CCSM3, the new solutions show some significant improvements that can be attributed to these model changes. These include a better equatorial current structure, a sharper thermocline, and elimination of the cold bias of the equatorial cold tongue all in the Pacific Ocean; reduced sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity biases along the North Atlantic Current path; and much smaller potential temperature and salinity biases in the near-surface Pacific Ocean. Other improvements include a global-mean SST that is more consistent with the present-day observations due to a different spinup procedure from that used in CCSM3. Despite these improvements, many of the biases present in CCSM3 still exist in CCSM4. A major concern continues to be the substantial heat content loss in the ocean during the preindustrial control simulation from which the 20C cases start. This heat loss largely reflects the top of the atmospheric model heat loss rate in the coupled system, and it essentially determines the abyssal ocean potential temperature biases in the 20C simulations. There is also a deep salty bias in all basins. As a result of this latter bias in the deep North Atlantic, the parameterized overflow waters cannot penetrate much deeper than in CCSM3.
Quantifying the Predictive Skill in Long-Range Forecasting. Part II: Model Error in Coarse-Grained Markov Models with Application to Ocean-Circulation Regimes
Authors: Giannakis Dimitrios , Majda Andrew J.
Published: August 2011

An information-theoretic framework is developed to assess the predictive skill and model error in imperfect climate models for long-range forecasting. Here, of key importance is a climate equilibrium consistency test for detecting false predictive skill, as well as an analogous criterion describing model error during relaxation to equilibrium. Climate equilibrium consistency enforces the requirement that long-range forecasting models should reproduce the climatology of prediction observables with high fidelity. If a model meets both climate consistency and the analogous criterion describing model error during relaxation to equilibrium, then relative entropy can be used as an unbiased superensemble measure of the model’s skill in long-range coarse-grained forecasts. As an application, the authors investigate the error in modeling regime transitions in a 1.5-layer ocean model as a Markov process and identify models that are strongly persistent but their predictive skill is false. The general techniques developed here are also useful for estimating predictive skill with model error for Markov models of low-frequency atmospheric regimes.
Central-West Argentina Summer Precipitation Variability and Atmospheric Teleconnections
Authors: Agosta Eduardo A. , Compagnucci Rosa H.
Published: September 2011

The interannual-to-multidecadal variability of central-west Argentina (CWA) summer (October–March) precipitation and associated tropospheric circulation are studied in the period 1900–2010. Precipitation shows significant quasi cycles with periods of about 2, 4–5, 6–8, and 16–22 yr. The quasi-bidecadal oscillation is significant from the early 1910s until the mid-1970s and is present in pressure time series over the southwestern South Atlantic. According to the lower-frequency spectral variation, a prolonged wet spell is observed from 1973 to the early 2000s. The precipitation variability shows a reversal trend since then. In that wet epoch, the regionally averaged precipitation has been increased about 24%. The lower-frequency spectral variation is attributed to the climate shift of 1976/77.

From the early twentieth century until the mid-1970s, the precipitation variability is associated with barotropic quasi-stationary wave (QSW) propagation from the tropical southern Indian Ocean and the South Pacific, generating vertical motion and moisture anomalies at middle-to-subtropical latitudes east of the Andes over southern South America. The QSW propagation could be related to anomalous convection partly induced by tropical anomalous SSTs in the western Indian Ocean (WIO). It could also be linked to another midlatitude source along the storm tracks, to the east of New Zealand.

After 1976/77, the precipitation variability is associated with equatorial symmetric circulation anomalies linked to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO)-like warmer conditions. Positive moisture anomalies are consistently observed at lower latitudes in association with inflation of the western flank of the South Atlantic anticyclone. Outside of this, the precipitation variability is unrelated to ENSO.
An Assessment of the Climatology of Florida Hurricane-Induced Tornadoes (HITs): Technology versus Meteorology
Authors: Agee Ernest M. , Hendricks Alyssa
Published: August 2011

The placement of operational Doppler radar at National Weather Service offices in Florida in 1994 and 1995 has produced a distinct climatological discontinuity in archived records of hurricane-induced tornado (HIT) events. During the period of this study (1979–2010), Florida experienced 91 named tropical cyclones (omitting years 1994 and 1995) that produced a total of 300 HITs, as recorded in the NOAA Storm Data climatological publication. The 30 years of records examined for 1979–2010 consisted of 15 years as the pre-Doppler period (1979–93) and 15 years as the Doppler period (1996–2010) and produced an average of 1.92 HITs per tropical cyclone for the pre-Doppler period and 3.85 HITs per tropical cyclone for the Doppler period. Additionally, the HIT statistics were further compiled as the number of HITs per potential HIT day, which yielded values of 0.52 and 1.14, respectively, for the pre-Doppler and Doppler periods. Normalized statistics are based on the total accumulated number of potential HIT days for each period (96 for pre-Doppler and 219 for Doppler). Further, it has been determined that (a) no HITs were recorded in the pre-Doppler period for hurricanes greater than category-2 intensity, ostensibly because of the inability to separate hurricane wind damage from tornado damage, whereas (b) the Doppler period averaged 5.0 and 11.7 HITs per category-3 and category-4 storms, respectively. Finally, this study has clearly documented the magnitude (and effect) of Doppler technology on HITs reported in Florida Storm Data archives. The Doppler era is much more accurate, whereas the pre-Doppler era HIT occurrences are severely underestimated.
Wideband Waveform Design Principles for Solid-State Weather Radars
Authors: Bharadwaj Nitin , Chandrasekar V.
Published: August 2011

The use of solid-state transmitters is becoming increasingly viable for atmospheric radars and is a key part of the strategy to realize any dense network of low-powered radars. However, solid-state transmitters have low peak powers and this necessitates the use of pulse compression waveforms. In this paper frequency diversity in a wideband waveform design is proposed to mitigate the low sensitivity of solid-state transmitters. In addition, the waveforms mitigate the range-eclipsing problem associated with long pulse compression. An analysis of the performance of pulse compression using mismatched compression filters designed to minimize sidelobe levels is presented. The impact of the range sidelobe level on the retrieval of Doppler moments is discussed. Realistic simulations are performed based on both the Colorado State University–University of Chicago–Illinois State Water Survey (CSU–CHILL) and the Center for Collaborative Adaptive Sensing of the Atmosphere (CASA) Integrated Project I (IP1) radar data.
A Deterministic Rapid Intensification Aid
Authors: Sampson Charles R. , Kaplan John , Knaff John A. , DeMaria Mark , Sisko Chris A.
Published: August 2011

Rapid intensification (RI) is difficult to forecast, but some progress has been made in developing probabilistic guidance for predicting these events. One such method is the RI index. The RI index is a probabilistic text product available to National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecasters in real time. The RI index gives the probabilities of three intensification rates [25, 30, and 35 kt (24 h)−1; or 12.9, 15.4, and 18.0 m s−1 (24 h)−1] for the 24-h period commencing at the initial forecast time. In this study the authors attempt to develop a deterministic intensity forecast aid from the RI index and, then, implement it as part of a consensus intensity forecast (arithmetic mean of several deterministic intensity forecasts used in operations) that has been shown to generally have lower mean forecast errors than any of its members. The RI aid is constructed using the highest available RI index intensification rate available for probabilities at or above a given probability (i.e., a probability threshold). Results indicate that the higher the probability threshold is, the better the RI aid performs. The RI aid appears to outperform the consensus aids at about the 50% probability threshold. The RI aid also improves forecast errors of operational consensus aids starting with a probability threshold of 30% and reduces negative biases in the forecasts. The authors suggest a 40% threshold for producing the RI aid initially. The 40% threshold is available for approximately 8% of all verifying forecasts, produces approximately 4% reduction in mean forecast errors for the intensity consensus aids, and corrects the negative biases by approximately 15%–20%. In operations, the threshold could be moved up to maximize gains in skill (reducing availability) or moved down to maximize availability (reducing gains in skill).
Application of a Medium-Range Global Hydrologic Probabilistic Forecast Scheme to the Ohio River Basin
Authors: Voisin Nathalie , Pappenberger Florian , Lettenmaier Dennis P. , Buizza Roberto , Schaake John C.
Published: August 2011

A 10-day globally applicable flood prediction scheme was evaluated using the Ohio River basin as a test site for the period 2003–07. The Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrology model was initialized with the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) analysis temperatures and winds, and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis (TMPA) precipitation up to the day of forecast. In forecast mode, the VIC model was then forced with a calibrated and statistically downscaled ECMWF Ensemble Prediction System (EPS) 10-day ensemble forecast. A parallel setup was used where ECMWF EPS forecasts were interpolated to the spatial scale of the hydrology model. Each set of forecasts was extended by 5 days using monthly mean climatological variables and zero precipitation in order to account for the effects of the initial conditions. The 15-day spatially distributed ensemble runoff forecasts were then routed to four locations in the basin, each with different drainage areas. Surrogates for observed daily runoff and flow were provided by the reference run, specifically VIC simulation forced with ECMWF analysis fields and TMPA precipitation fields. The hydrologic prediction scheme using the calibrated and downscaled ECMWF EPS forecasts was shown to be more accurate and reliable than interpolated forecasts for both daily distributed runoff forecasts and daily flow forecasts. The initial and antecedent conditions dominated the flow forecasts for lead times shorter than the time of concentration depending on the flow forecast amounts and the drainage area sizes. The flood prediction scheme had useful skill for the 10 following days at all sites.
Three Waves of BITs
Authors: Jandhyala Srividya , Henisz Witold J. , Mansfield Edward D.
Published: August 2011

Bilateral investment treaties (BITs), agreements that provide extensive rights and protection to foreign investors, were first adopted in the 1960s, proliferated in the late 1980s and 1990s, especially among developing countries, and seemingly fell out of fashion after 2001. To explain this life cycle of diffusion across the international state system, we argue that BIT signing followed a traditional logic of diffusion for an innovation albeit here in the policy realm. In the first period, BITs provided a solution to the time inconsistency problem facing host governments and foreign investors. In the second period, these treaties became the global standard governing foreign investment. As the density of BITs among peer countries increased, more countries signed them in order to gain legitimacy and acceptance without a full understanding of their costs and competencies. More recently, as the potential legal liabilities involved in BIT signing have become more broadly understood, the pattern of adoption has reverted to a more competitive and rational logic. Our empirical tests of BIT signing over four decades provide evidence for such a three-stage model.
Emerging World Order? From Multipolarity to Multilateralism in the G20, the World Bank, and the IMF
Authors: Wade Robert H.
Published: September 2011

Many developing and transitional countries have grown faster than advanced countries in the past decade, resulting in a shift in the distribution of world income in their favor. China is now the second largest economy in the world, behind the United States and ahead of Japan. As the relative economic weight of China and several others has come to match or exceed that of the middle-ranking G7 economies, the world economy has shifted from “unipolar” toward “multipolar,” less dominated by the G7. How is this change being translated into changes in authority and influence within multilateral organizations like the G20, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund (IMF)? Alarm bells are ringing in G7 capitals about G7 loss of influence. According to a WikiLeaks cable from the senior U.S. official for the G20 process, from January 2010, “It is remarkable how closely coordinated the BASIC group of countries [Brazil, South Africa, India, China] have become in international fora, taking turns to impede US/EU initiatives and playing the US and EU off against each other.”

This essay suggests that the shift in power is much smaller than the headlines or private alarm bells suggest. The United States remains the dominant state, and the G7 states together continue to exercise primacy, but now more fearfully and defensively. China is split between asserting itself as “the wave of the future” and defending itself as too poor to take on global responsibilities (it is roughly 100th in the per capita income hierarchy). The combination of G7 defensiveness and emerging states’ jealous guarding of sovereignty produces a spirit of Westphalian assertion in international fora, or “every state for itself.” On the assumption that the world economy is in a transitional period, the article suggests reforms in the G20 and the World Bank that would boost their role and legitimacy as multilateral organizations in a more multipolar world.
The Caregiver–Provider Relationship Assessment
Authors: Moore Crystal Dea
Published: August 2011

This article summarizes the development of the caregiver–provider relationship assessment (CPRA) designed to measure family caregivers’ perceptions of relationship quality with health care providers. Using an online sample of family caregivers ( n = 156), the patient reactions assessment (PRA) was adapted for use with family caregivers and subjected to principal component and reliability analyses. Analyses indicate that the CPRA factor structure is analogous to the original PRA scale, and Cronbach’s α for the three CPRA subscales range from .85 to .91. The tool can be used by clinicians and researchers in efforts to help family caregivers become more effective communicators in health care contexts.
Being in “Bad” Company
Authors: Vargas Robert
Published: September 2011

Theories of susceptibility to peer influence have centered on the idea that lower status adolescents are likely to adopt the behaviors of high status adolescents. While status is important, social exchange theorists have shown the value of analyzing exchange relations between actors to understand differences in power. To build on status-based theories of peer influence, this study analyzes power dependence relations in three adolescent friendship groups. Analyzing adolescent interaction as social exchange showed how being in a group with balanced power relations insulated adolescents from peer influence, even when some peers were delinquent or low academic achievers. In contrast, adolescents in groups with unbalanced power relations were particularly susceptible to peer influence. This study presents an additional way to analyze the peer influence process and illustrates the importance of applying social psychological theory to cases of micro inequality, particularly in the context of small groups.
Corruption and Empire
Authors: Greene-May M. R.
Published: August 2011

We seek to elaborate the concept of corruption as formulated by Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri. By providing a brief history of the concept, we show that it reveals how the compositional and autonomous politics of class struggle and becoming are threatened by decompositional techniques of capture and exploitation. In order to thicken the historical-material specificity of this distinction, we provide a research note about organized labor’s effort to communicate an alternative to Governor Walker’s union busting legislation in Wisconsin. We are particularly critical of the effort to re-direct the class struggle into an electoral campaign of recall and referendum.
Bullying in German adolescents
Authors: Pinquart Martin , Pfeiffer Jens P.
Published: September 2011

The present study analysed bullying in German adolescents with and without visual impairment. Ninety-eight adolescents with vision loss from schools for students with visual impairment, of whom 31 were blind and 67 had low vision, were compared with 98 sighted peers using a matched-pair design. Students with low vision reported higher levels of peer-victimization and relational victimization in particular than sighted students. In addition, students with low vision reported higher levels of overall victimization and relational victimization by peers in particular than students who are blind, as well as higher levels of overt aggression towards their peers. Support from peers buffered the effects of victimization on psychological adjustment in adolescents with vision loss but not in their peers without vision loss. It is concluded that increasing support from peers may be an effective way of reducing negative effects of victimization of adolescents with visual impairment.
Issues in the educational, psychological assessment of visually impaired children
Authors: Tobin Michael J. , Hill Eileen W.
Published: September 2011

The article discusses some problems confronting teachers and psychologists when making decisions as to how to use the currently available test procedures. It reports data gathered on three separate occasions on the performance of a group of blind and partially sighted children on the Williams Intelligence Test which is the only specialist IQ test standardized in the UK. Correlation co-efficients indicate that the test achieves very satisfactory levels of test-retest reliability. Attention is drawn to changes, including improvements, in individual scores over time that have implications for educational advisers. Some of these improvements are attributed to the widening of experiences in the physical exploration of the environment, in language opportunities, and in socialization that are due to the effects of good pre-school and early-school placements. Despite the test’s good reliability as revealed by this longitudinal study, it is suggested that the time has now come for the design and standardization of a new test incorporating current developments and thinking.
Assessment of Moral Judgment and Empathy in Young Sex Offenders
Authors: van Vugt Eveline , Asscher Jessica , Hendriks Jan , Stams Geert Jan , Bijleveld Catrien , van der Laan Peter
Published: August 2011

Professional decision making in forensic clinical practice may have lifelong consequences for offenders. Although information on moral development is important for prediction of reoffending and referral to adequate treatment, conclusions regarding moral development are still largely based on unstructured clinical judgment instead of assessment instruments. For this study, the authors examined to what extent unstructured clinical judgment of both moral judgment and victim empathy concurred with test results in a group of young sex offenders. Moral judgment was measured with the Sociomoral Reflection Measure–Short Form (SRM-SF), whereas victim empathy was measured with an extended version of the Basic Empathy Scale (BES). No significant associations were found between clinical judgment of moral judgment and the mean scores on the SRM-SF. However, clinical judgment of victim empathy was significantly associated with victim empathy on the Victim Empathy Scale but not consistently in the expected direction. Juvenile sex offenders, who were judged by clinicians to show little victim empathy, displayed lower mean scores on the Victim Empathy Scale than juvenile sex offenders who were evaluated to lack victim empathy or to have intact victim empathy. This study showed unstructured clinical judgment of moral development not to concur with test results. To improve decision-making processes regarding moral development, clinicians are advised to rely on instruments that assess moral development to inform clinical judgment. Further research is needed to examine which predictions are more accurate and to establish the predictive validity of moral development evaluations.
Development and Validation of a Gender Expression Measure Among Sexual Minority Women
Authors: Lehavot Keren , King Kevin M. , Simoni Jane M.
Published: September 2011

Gender expression varies considerably among lesbian and bisexual women and may be related to various stressors and health outcomes. However, no current measure adequately assesses gender expression in this community. Thus, the authors conducted three studies to develop and validate the Gender Expression Measure among Sexual Minority Women (GEM-SMW). First, an initial item pool was evaluated in 3 focus groups with 23 women identifying as butch, femme, or neither. Second, responses from 459 lesbian and bisexual women who completed the revised items as part of an online survey were subject to confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), validating 15 items comprising 3 distinct factors assessing appearance, gender roles, and emotional expression. Third, the final model was replicated with a separate online sample of 1,381 lesbian and bisexual women, and measurement invariance (MI) testing demonstrated the stability of the GEM-SMW’s factor structure. The GEM-SMW allows researchers to investigate gender expression without requiring participants to specify a gender identity (e.g., butch/femme). It is one of the first gender expression instruments developed specifically for lesbian and bisexual women, yet items may also be applicable for heterosexual women. Finally, the GEM-SMW provides opportunities to investigate the relation of gender expression with other constructs of interest such as identity development, stress, coping, and health.
Entering the anthropocene: ‘Geonauts’ or sorcerer’s apprentices?
Authors: Sachs Ignacy
Published: September 2011

The Second Earth Summit to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2012 will coincide with the ratification by the International Commission on Stratigraphy of the concept of a new geological era, the anthropocene. This term emphasizes the acknowledgement of the increasing impact of human intervention on the future of the Spaceship Earth. Humanity is thus at a crossroads and we need, more than ever, to abide by the principle of responsibility. We must mobilize ourselves to learn how to speedily mitigate deleterious climate change without losing sight of the urgent need to reduce the abyssal social disparities. The immediate imperative is to propose long-term development strategies to go hand in hand with an aggiornamento of long-term democratic planning. Such strategies must rely on two pillars: food security and energy security. Last but not least, the United Nations ought to take advantage of the forthcoming Earth Summit to set in motion a global transition towards a socially inclusionary and environmentally sustainable path.
L’économie morale des anthropologies-monde du 21ème siècle
Authors: Copans Jean
Published: September 2011

This paper reviews the history of anthropology through the three globalization processes it has undergone since its origin in the 18th century. The discovery of the Other, and then that of the social change and of the historicity (especially of the colonial period) of its societies and cultures, settles all anthropologies at the same level today. This phenomenon calls into question the so-called natural hierarchy that has favoured the Western tradition, though today many new traditions are being elaborated and activated in anthropology by the countries and even the indigenous populations of the South. Elaboration of a common sociology of knowledge should enable all anthropologists to compare and evaluate themselves and their various backgrounds and traditions. Such a detour allows us to have a more egalitarian view of both the theoretical and the field experience of all anthropologies qualified today as world anthropologies or anthropologies without boundaries.
The Cessation of Continuous Spike Wave in Slow-Wave Sleep Following a Temporal Lobectomy
Authors: Moseley Brian D. , Dhamija Radhika , Wirrell Elaine C.
Published: August 2011

The role of surgery in continuous spike wave in slow-wave sleep has not been robustly explored. The authors present a case of an 11-year-old boy with refractory partial seizures and continuous spike wave in slow-wave sleep who was treated with an anterior temporal lobectomy. His presurgical brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed right basal ganglia and thalamic infarcts and right mesial temporal sclerosis. Following surgery, he achieved seizure freedom, cessation of continuous spike wave in slow-wave sleep, and improved cognition. This case provides further evidence that epilepsy syndromes with generalized electrographic discharges can be secondary to focal pathology and potentially cured with resective surgery. The normalization of his sleep electroencephalogram following the anterior temporal lobectomy suggests that temporal lobe structures may be involved in the seizure network needed to generate continuous spike wave in slow-wave sleep.