bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Analysis of energy consumption of elevator group supervisory control system based on genetic network programming
Authors: Yu Lu , Mabu Shingo , Hirasawa Kotaro , Ueno Tsuyoshi
Published: July 2011

Elevator Group Supervisory Control System (EGSCS) is a traffic system, which provides the transportation services for passengers in modern buildings. As the elevator systems include uncertainty due to the future arrival of the passengers, it difficult to model, analyze, and optimize the elevator group supervisory control system. Recently, artificial intelligence technology has been used in such complex systems. Genetic Network Programming(GNP), a graph‐based evolutionary method extended from genetic algorithm and genetic programming, has been already applied to EGSCS. On the other hand, since energy consumption is becoming one of the greatest challenges in the society, it should be taken as one of the criteria of the elevator operations. The elevators with maximum energy efficiency are therefore required. In this paper, the GNP is used to solve EGSCS with energy consumption (EC). Moreover, the idle car assignment has been embedded in the proposed method. Finally, the simulations show that some factors should be introduced into GNP in order to deal with the higher EC in the light traffic of the elevator systems. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Mechanical strengths of molten and solidified LLDPE/LDPE blends and wood/LDPE composites under tensile deformation
Authors: Harnnarongchai Wanlop , Sitticharoen Watcharin , Intawong Naret , Sombatsompop Narongrit
Published: July 2011

The mechanical strengths of neat low‐density polyethylene (LDPE), a blend of LDPE with linear low‐density polyethylene (LLDPE), and a composite of LDPE with wood flour (wood/LDPE) were investigated in molten and solidified states under tensile deformation. The results are discussed in terms of the effects of LLDPE and wood contents, roller speed, and volumetric flow rate. In LLDPE/LDPE blends, incorporating LLDPE from 0 to 30 wt% into LDPE caused a slight increase in drawdown force, a larger fluctuation in drawdown force, and a reduction of maximum roller speed to failure. The mechanical properties of the solidified LLDPE/LDPE corresponded to those of the molten LLDPE/LDPE with regard to the effect of LLDPE content. For wood/LDPE composites, increasing the wood flour content in molten LDPE caused considerable reductions in drawdown time and maximum roller speed to failure. The drawdown force increased with increasing wood flour up to 10 wt% before it decreased at the wood loading of 20 wt%. A number of voids and pores on the extrudate surfaces became obvious for the composites with 20 wt% of wood content. Increasing wood content enhanced the tensile modulus for the solidified LDPE but decreased its tensile strength. Unlike those of LLDPE/LDPE blends, the changes in tensile modulus and strength of solidified wood/LDPE composites with wood content did not correspond to those of the molten composites. In all cases, the drawdown force increased with increasing roller speed. The effect of volumetric flow rate from the extruder on the mechanical strengths of the solidified blends was more pronounced than on those of the molten ones. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
iMAC: improved Medium Access Control for multi‐channel multi‐hop wireless networks
Authors: Maiya Megha , Hamdaoui Bechir
Published: July 2011

Trends in wireless networks are increasingly pointing towards a future with multi‐hop networks deployed in multi‐channel environments. In this paper, we present the design for iMAC—a protocol targeted at Medium Access Control in such environments. iMAC uses control packets on a common control channel to facilitate a three‐way handshake between the sender and the receiver for every packet transmission. This handshake enables the sender and the receiver to come to a consensus on a channel to use for data transmission and also signals to neighboring nodes about the contention on that channel. iMAC then uses a mechanism similar to 802.11 for data communication. Our evaluation of iMAC shows that it provides significant gains in throughput in comparison with uninformed channel selection, especially when contention for channel bandwidth is neither too low nor too high; intelligent selection of channels by iMAC is necessary to harness available bandwidth resources in the presence of medium levels of contention. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Implicit translation
Authors: Marchette David
Published: July 2011

This article describes a joint embedding approach to matching documents in multiple languages. The approach is general, operating on dissimilarity matrices, and is thus applicable to any problem of fusing disparate information. We apply it to a problem of implicit translation, in which documents in two different languages are matched. WIREs Comp Stat 2012, 4:28–34. doi: 10.1002/wics.181

This article is categorized under:

Data: Types and Structure > Text Data

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Text Mining
Mechanistic modeling to investigate signaling by oncogenic Ras mutants
Authors: Stites Edward C. , Ravichandran Kodi S.
Published: July 2011

Mathematical models based on biochemical reaction mechanisms can be a powerful complement to experimental investigations of cell signaling networks. In principle, such models have the potential to find the behaviors that result from well‐understood component interactions and their measurable properties, such as concentrations and rate constants. As cancer results from the acquisition of mutations that alter the expression level and/or the biochemistry of proteins encoded by mutated genes, mathematical models of cell signaling networks would also seem to have the potential to predict how these changes alter cell signaling to produce a cancer phenotype. Ras is commonly found in cancer and has been extensively characterized at the level of detail needed to develop such models. Here, we consider how biochemical mechanism‐based models have been used to study mutant Ras signaling. These models demonstrate that it is clearly possible to use observable properties of individual reactions to predict how the entire system behaves to produce the high levels of signal that drive the cancer phenotype. These models also demonstrate differences in how models are developed and studied. Their evaluation suggests which approaches are most promising for future work. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2012, 4:117–127. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.156

This article is categorized under:

Biological Mechanisms > Cell Signaling
Improvement of lipid production in the marine strains Alexandrium minutum and Heterosigma akashiwo by utilizing abiotic parameters
Authors: Fuentes-Grünewald C , Garcés E , Alacid E , Sampedro N , Rossi S , Camp J
Published: July 2011

Two different strains of microalgae, one raphidophyte and one dinoflagellate, were tested under different abiotic conditions with the goal of enhancing lipid production. Whereas aeration was crucial for biomass production, nitrogen deficiency and temperature were found to be the main abiotic parameters inducing the high-level cellular accumulation of neutral lipids. Net neutral lipid production and especially triacylglycerol (TAG) per cell were higher in microalgae (>200% in Alexandrium minutum, and 30% in Heterosigma akashiwo) under treatment conditions (25°C; 330 μM NaNO3) than under control conditions (20°C; 880 μM NaNO3). For both algal species, oil production (free fatty acids plus TAG fraction) was also higher under treatment conditions (57 mg L−1 in A. minutum and 323 mg L−1 in H. akashiwo). Despite the increased production and accumulation of lipids in microalgae, the different conditions did not significantly change the fatty acids profiles of the species analyzed. These profiles consisted of saturated fatty acids (SAFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in significant proportions. However, during the stationary phase, the concentrations per cell of some PUFAs, especially arachidonic acid (C20:4n6), were higher in treated than in control algae. These results suggest that the adjustment of abiotic parameters is a suitable and one of the cheapest alternatives to obtain sufficient quantities of microalgal biomass, with high oil content and minimal changes in the fatty acid profile of the strains under consideration.
Suitability of the Clinical Dementia Rating‐Sum of Boxes as a single primary endpoint for Alzheimer's disease trials
Authors: Coley Nicola , Andrieu Sandrine , Jaros Mark , Weiner Michael , Cedarbaum Jesse , Vellas Bruno
Published: July 2011

Background

Clinical measures continue to be used as primary endpoints for disease‐modifying trials for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Currently, two co‐primary endpoints must be specified, which measure cognitive and functional impairments. Generally, the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale‐Cognitive Subscale (ADAS‐Cog) is one of the co‐primary endpoints, but high variability in this measure results in large sample sizes. We evaluated the psychometric properties of the Clinical Dementia Rating‐Sum of Boxes (CDR‐SB) to assess its suitability as a single primary endpoint as an alternative to the traditional co‐primary approach.

Methods

Internal consistency, structural and convergent validity, and 2‐year internal and external responsiveness of the CDR‐SB were assessed in 667 very mild to moderate (global Clinical Dementia Rating, 0.5–2) AD patients from the REAL.FR (Réseau sur la Maladie d'Alzheimer Français) study.

Results

The CDR‐SB showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.88), and acceptable structural (separate “cognitive” and “functional” factors) and convergent validity. Variability in mean changes over time was low, leading to excellent internal responsiveness (effect size = 1.2; standardized response mean = 1.17 at 2 years) and smaller sample sizes as compared with the ADAS‐Cog. External responsiveness was acceptable when compared with “clinically meaningful” changes on the Activities of Daily Living scale but only borderline acceptable when compared with the ADAS‐Cog and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Levels of missing data and floor/ceiling effects were low.

Conclusions

The CDR‐SB measures cognitive and functional impairment simultaneously, and has excellent 2‐year internal responsiveness. This makes it a promising candidate as a sole primary endpoint for AD trials, although more work is required to determine the clinical relevance of CDR‐SB changes, and its usefulness as an endpoint at other disease stages.
Effect of effort and deadlines on consumer product returns
Authors: Janakiraman Narayan , Ordóñez Lisa
Published: July 2011

While extant research has examined return policies as a combination of time and effort, we investigate both the independent and interactive impacts of time and effort on consumer decisions to return or retain products. We find that decreasing return deadlines can have the counterintuitive effect of increasing return rates under some conditions. Using construal level theory, we propose that perceived effort (both physical and cognitive) mediates the effect of return policy on return rates leading to suppressed returns. Further, when deadlines are framed as durations between store visits, overall product returns are exacerbated except when perceived effort is high.
Structural stability theory of two-dimensional fluid flow under stochastic forcing
Authors: BAKAS NIKOLAOS A. , IOANNOU PETROS J.
Published: July 2011

Large-scale mean flows often emerge in turbulent fluids. In this work, we formulate a stability theory, the stochastic structural stability theory (SSST), for the emergence of jets under external random excitation. We analytically investigate the structural stability of a two-dimensional homogeneous fluid enclosed in a channel and subjected to homogeneous random forcing. We show that two generic competing mechanisms control the instability that gives rise to the emergence of an infinitesimal jet: advection of the eddy vorticity by the mean flow that is shown to be jet forming and advection of the vorticity gradient of the jet by the eddies that is shown to hinder the formation of the mean flow. We show that stochastic forcing with small streamwise coherence and an amplitude larger than a certain threshold leads to the emergence of jets in the channel through a bifurcation of the non-linear SSST system.
Low fruit and vegetable consumption in Mozambique: results from a WHO STEPwise approach to chronic disease risk factor surveillance
Authors: Padrão Patrícia , Laszczyńska Olga , Silva-Matos Carla , Damasceno Albertino , Lunet Nuno
Published: July 2011

Monitoring food consumption and its determinants over time is essential for defining and implementing health promotion strategies, but surveillance is scarce in Africa. The present study aimed to describe fruit and vegetable consumption in Mozambique according to socio-demographic characteristics and place of residence (urban/rural). A national representative sample (n 3323) of subjects aged 25–64 years was evaluated in 2005 following the WHO Stepwise Approach to Chronic Disease Risk Factor Surveillance, which included an assessment of usual fruit and vegetable consumption (frequency and quantity). Crude prevalence and age-, education- and family income-adjusted prevalence ratios (PR) with 95 % CI were computed. Less than 5 % of the subjects reported an intake of five or more daily servings of fruits/vegetables. Both fruits and vegetables were more often consumed by women and in rural settings. In urban areas, the prevalence of fruit intake ( ≥ 2 servings/d) increased with education ( ≥ 6 years v. < 1 year: women, adjusted PR = 3·11, 95 % CI 1·27, 7·58; men, adjusted PR = 3·63, 95 % CI 1·22, 10·81), but not with income. Conversely, vegetable consumption ( ≥ 2 servings/d) was less frequent in more educated urban men ( ≥ 6 years v. < 1 year: adjusted PR = 0·30, 95 % CI 0·10, 0·94) and more affluent rural women ( ≥ $801 US dollars (USD) v. $0–64: adjusted PR = 0·32, 95 % CI 0·13, 0·81). The very low intake of these foods in this setting supports the need for fruit and vegetable promotion programmes that target the whole population, despite the different socio-demographic determinants of fruit and vegetable intake.
Effect of cocoa-enriched diets on lymphocytes involved in adjuvant arthritis in rats
Authors: Ramos-Romero Sara , Pérez-Cano Francisco J. , Castellote Cristina , Castell Margarida , Franch Àngels
Published: July 2011

Cocoa and its flavonoids have potential anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in acute inflammation models in vivo. The aim of the present study was to ascertain the effects of two cocoa-enriched diets on adjuvant arthritis (AA) in rats, considering not only clinical and biochemical inflammatory indices, but also antibody response and lymphocyte composition. Female Wistar rats were fed with a 5 or 10 % cocoa-enriched diet beginning 2 weeks before arthritis induction and until the end of the study. AA was induced by an intradermal injection of heat-killed Mycobacterium butyricum suspension. The hind-paw swelling (plethysmometry), serum anti-mycobacterial antibody concentration (ELISA), blood and inguinal lymph node lymphocyte subset percentage (flow cytometry), and IL-2, interferon γ and PGE2 released from splenocytes (ELISA) were assessed. Although the cocoa diets had no significant effect on hind-paw swelling, a tendency to reduce it was observed at the end of the study. Cocoa-enriched diets were able to decrease the serum anti-mycobacterial antibody concentration and the splenocyte PGE2 production, as well as the proportion of T-helper (Th) lymphocytes in blood and regional lymph nodes, which probably includes cells responsible for the arthritic process. The cocoa diets prevented a decrease in the proportion of regulatory T-cells in blood and a disequilibrium between inguinal lymph node natural killer (NK) CD8+ and NK CD8− subsets. In conclusion, the cocoa-enriched diets during AA were not able to significantly decrease joint inflammation but modified Th-cell proportions and prevented specific antibody synthesis.
A New Fragment of the Protevangelium Jacobi
Authors: Wayment Thomas , Ladenheim Alexander
Published: July 2011

This single, mutilated leaf from a papyrus codex consists of twelve lines of text written in a nearly upright biblical uncial. The practiced scribal hand has consistent spacing of letters and serifs adorning τ, χ, κ, and η. A dieresis is written above iota in line 4, and an apostrophe marks the end of Iωακειμ (line 7), which may indicate that the name lacked an ordinary Greek declension. Joseph van Haelst originally dated the hand to the beginning of the fourth century, and its similarities to P.Oxy. 1250 and 4804 confirm a fourth century dating.1
Armenian Canon Lists VII: The Poetic List of Aṙak‘el of Siwnik‘ (d. 1409)
Authors: Stone Michael E.
Published: July 2011

The present study constitutes the seventh member of a series of articles1in which I publish Armenian lists of biblical books. This article contains, principally, the poetic list attributed to Aṙak‘el of Siwnik‘, a well-known medieval Armenian poet, savant, and scholar who lived from the mid-fourteenth century until 1409. Aṙak‘el was the nephew of the famed theologian and systematician Grigor Tat‘ewac‘i (1344?–1409), whose own canon list was published earlier in this series.2I am basing my text of Aṙak‘el's list on that published in the work of Ter-Movsesian on the Armenian Bible, which I present in a somewhat emended form and with an English translation below. Ter-Movsesian apparently published Aṙak‘el's text from a manuscript that in his day was in the possession of the distinguished scholar Grigor Xalat‘eanc‘.3The fate of this manuscript is unknown; it is not to be identified with any of the copies published here. Ter-Movsesian was also aware of another copy then in Eǰmiacin bearing the number 599. ThisMiscellany, copied in 1660 in an unknown place, is now preserved as number 702 in the Maštoc‘ Matenadaran in Erevan. The text appears on 186r–189v.4
SON PREFERENCE AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE VICTIMIZATION IN INDIA: EXAMINING THE ROLE OF ACTUAL AND DESIRED FAMILY COMPOSITION
Authors: SABARWAL SHAGUN , McCORMICK MARIE C. , SUBRAMANIAN S. V. , SILVERMAN JAY G.
Published: July 2011

Son preference has been considered as a determinant of women's risk of intimate partner violence (IPV) experience in India, although quantitative evidence from large nationally representative studies testing this relationship is limited. This study examines the association between husband's son preference, sex composition of children and risk of physical and sexual IPV victimization among wives. Information was collected for 26,284 couples in the nationally representative 2005–2006 National Family Health Survey of India. The exposures were husband's son preference measured as husband's desire for one or more sons greater than the number of daughters and sex composition of the household: only sons, only daughters and mixed. Outcome included past year physical and/or sexual IPV. The results showed that husband's reported son preference (RR: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.98–1.13) and sex composition of children were not associated with risk for IPV victimization in the models adjusted for socio-demographic factors. The findings from this first population-based study of socio-cultural norms around son preference and married Indian women's risk for IPV victimization indicate that cultural preference for sons does not influence women's risk for IPV victimization.
Keeping the clock set under the midnight sun: diurnal periodicity and synchrony of avian Isospora parasites cycle in the High Arctic
Authors: DOLNIK OLGA V. , METZGER BENJAMIN J. , LOONEN MAARTEN J. J. E.
Published: July 2011

For Isospora (Protozoa: Eimeriidae) parasites of passerine birds, diurnal periodicity of oocyst output is a well-described phenomenon. From the temporal zone to the tropics, oocyst production is correlated with the light-dark cycle, peaking in the afternoon hours. However, nothing is known about the existence of diurnal periodicity of these parasites in the birds of High Arctic environments, under permanent light during summer. We sampled free-ranging Snow Bunting (Aves: Passeriformes), on Svalbard in summer and tested oocysts output of Isospora plectrophenaxia. Here we show that under the permanent light conditions of Arctic summer in the wild, Isospora plectrophenaxia, a parasite of the Snow Bunting, still keeps the 24-h rhythm of oocyst output with the peak in the post-meridiem hours, despite the absence of diurnal periodicity in host's activity. Our findings prove the ability of avian Isospora to invoke alternative cues for synchronizing the circadian rhythms. Possible cues and adaptive significance of diurnal periodicity of parasite output in High Arctic are discussed. The maintenance of synchronization and timing of the parasite life-cycle stages is under positive selection pressure even in permanent daylight in the Arctic.
I.—The Excavations at Vounous-Bellapais in Cyprus, 1931–2
Authors: Dikaios P.
Published: July 2011

Early in 1931 the District Police at Kyrenia sent to the Cyprus Museum a number of Red Polished vases collected on the site of Vounous, 1½ miles approximately east of the villages of Bellapais and Kazaphani. Soon afterwards I was able to proceed to the site and saw that extensive looting was being carried out. On my return to Nicosia I pointed out to the authorities of the Museum the necessity of saving the site which appeared to be promising. Although the funds available were very small I was authorized by the Museum Committee to start excavation on their behalf on a small scale. The first few tombs proved to be important, a fact which rendered the necessity of excavating the site systematically more urgent. Through donations collected by Mr. R. Gunnis, then A.D.C. to the Governor and Member of the Museum Committee, and myself our operations lasted for about three weeks. During this period tombs 1-20 were cleared. News was, however, coming regularly that the villagers had resumed looting, and in June of the same year I was able to spend about a fortnight excavating another 11 tombs and thus reached the figure of 31. The following year, thanks to a generous donation made by Mr. J. C. Gaffiero, of Nicosia, I was able to spend, in May, a third season and clear another group of 17 tombs, thus reaching the total figure of 48 tombs.
III. The Excavation of the Giants' Hills Long Barrow, Skendleby, Lincolnshire
Authors: Phillips C. W.
Published: July 2011

Before describing this excavation a few introductory remarks must be made on the circumstances which brought it about.

As early as 1924 Mr. O. G. S. Crawford was convinced from a study of the 6-inch maps that long barrows existed on the Lincolnshire Wolds, but the matter was not tested in the field until the writer began a general revision of the archaeological information on the Lincolnshire sheets in 1929. After a careful examination of the Wold area it became apparent that Mr. Crawford's belief was amply justified, and that an important group of long barrows existed between the Humber and the Wash. An account was given of these in the Archaeological Journal for 1932, and details of further discoveries were given in the Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society. Altogether eleven certain examples are known, two more have been destroyed, and there are two doubtful cases (fig. 1)
Differences among formulary submission guidelines: Implications for health technology assessment
Authors: Mauskopf Josephine , Walter Jeffrey , Birt Julie , Bowman Lee , Copley-Merriman Catherine , Drummond Michael
Published: July 2011

Objectives: This article provides a detailed understanding of the differences in selected formulary submission guidelines supplied by various health technology assessment (HTA) agencies and indicates how these differences can impact the evidence base used to populate the HTA.

Methods: Detailed summaries of the recommended methods for evidence generation, organized by topic areas relevant for clinical and economic data, for twelve countries in Europe, North America, and Australia where HTA processes are well developed were prepared. Using these summaries, we provide examples of the likely impact these differences in recommended methods could have on the evidence base used to evaluate new health technologies.

Results: Areas where recommendations differed included methodologies for systematic literature reviews (e.g., preferred databases and study designs for inclusion); selection of appropriate comparators; guidance on critical appraisal and synthesis of clinical evidence; appropriate sources for health value measures, resource use, and cost data; and approaches to uncertainty analyses. Performing literature searches that capture all relevant studies and then creating subsets of the literature based on a listing of country-specific requirements could allow for direct comparison of the evidence bases associated with the different guidelines.

Conclusions: If the formulary submission guidelines were followed as written, different (although overlapping) bodies of evidence likely would be generated for each country, which could contribute to disparate assessments and recommendations. This comparison of the formulary submission guidelines could contribute to an understanding of why clinical and reimbursement decisions vary across countries.
A transdisciplinary perspective of chronic stress in relation to psychopathology throughout life span development
Authors: Juster Robert-Paul , Bizik Gustav , Picard Martin , Arsenault-Lapierre Genevieve , Sindi Shireen , Trepanier Lyane , Marin Marie-France , Wan Nathalie , Sekerovic Zoran , Lord Catherine , Fiocco Alexandra J. , Plusquellec Pierrich , McEwen Bruce S. , Lupien Sonia J.
Published: July 2011

The allostatic load (AL) model represents an interdisciplinary approach to comprehensively conceptualize and quantify chronic stress in relation to pathologies throughout the life cycle. This article first reviews the AL model, followed by interactions among early adversity, genetics, environmental toxins, as well as distinctions among sex, gender, and sex hormones as integral antecedents of AL. We next explore perspectives on severe mental illness, dementia, and caregiving as unique human models of AL that merit future investigations in the field of developmental psychopathology. A complimenting transdisciplinary perspective is applied throughout, whereby we argue that the AL model goes beyond traditional stress–disease theories toward the advancement of person-centered research and practice that promote not only physical health but also mental health.
Interparental aggression and children's adrenocortical reactivity: Testing an evolutionary model of allostatic load
Authors: Davies Patrick T. , Sturge-Apple Melissa L. , Cicchetti Dante
Published: July 2011

Guided by an evolutionary model of allostatic load, this study examined the hypothesis that the association between interparental aggression and subsequent changes in children's cortisol reactivity to interparental conflict is moderated by their temperamental dispositions. Participants of the multimethod, longitudinal study included 201 2-year-old toddlers and their mothers. These children experienced elevated levels of aggression between parents. Consistent with the theory, the results indicated that interparental aggression predicted greater cortisol reactivity over a 1-year period for children who exhibited high levels of temperamental inhibition and vigilance. Conversely, for children with bold, aggressive temperamental characteristics, interparental aggression was marginally associated with diminished cortisol reactivity. Further underscoring its implications for allostatic load, increasing cortisol reactivity over the one year span was related to concomitant increases in internalizing symptoms but decreases in attention and hyperactivity difficulties. In supporting the evolutionary conceptualization, these results further supported the relative developmental advantages and costs associated with escalating and dampened cortisol reactivity to interparental conflict.
Marital conflict, respiratory sinus arrhythmia, and allostatic load: Interrelations and associations with the development of children's externalizing behavior
Authors: El-Sheikh Mona , Hinnant J. Benjamin
Published: July 2011

Allostatic load theory hypothesizes that stress and the body's responses to stressors contribute to longer term physiological changes in multiple systems over time (allostasis), and that shifts in how these systems function have implications for adjustment and health. We investigated these hypotheses with longitudinal data from two independent samples (n= 413; 219 girls, 194 boys) with repeated measures at ages 8, 9, 10, and 11. Initial parental marital conflict and its change over time indexed children's exposure to an important familial stressor, which was examined in interaction with children's respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) reactivity to laboratory tasks (stress response) to predict children's basal levels of RSA over time. We also investigated children's sex as an additional possible moderator. Our second research question focused on examining whether initial levels and changes in resting RSA over time predicted children's externalizing behavior. Boys with a strong RSA suppression response to a frustrating laboratory task who experienced higher initial marital conflict or increasing marital conflict over time showed decreases in their resting RSA over time. In addition, boys' initial resting RSA (but not changes in resting RSA over time) was negatively related to change over time in externalizing symptoms. Findings for girls were more mixed. Results are discussed in the context of developmental psychobiology, allostatic load, and implications for the development of psychopathology.
Temperament und soziale Reaktivität bei Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen und ADHS
Authors: Poustka Luise , Bender Frauke , Bock Marita , Bölte Sven , Möhler Eva , Banaschewski Tobias , Goth Kirstin
Published: July 2011

Fragestellung: Vorliegende Untersuchung beschäftigt sich mit der Frage, ob spezifische Temperaments- und Persönlichkeitskonstellationen bei Kindern mit Autismus-Spektrum-Störungen (ASD) im Vergleich zu Kindern mit einfacher Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-Hyperaktivitätsstörung (ADHS) bereits im Kindesalter zu finden sind und inwiefern diese Persönlichkeitsmerkmale soziale und kommunikative Schwierigkeiten beeinflussen. Methodik: Untersucht wurden insgesamt 68 Kinder mit ADHS (n = 32) oder ASD (n = 36); die Angaben über Persönlichkeit und Sozialverhalten der Kinder wurden mittels des Junior Temperament- und Charakterinventars (JTCI 7–11 R) sowie der sozialen Reaktivitätsskala (SRS) erfasst. Die Diagnose einer ASD wurde mittels standardisierter diagnostischer Verfahren erhoben (ADOS und ADI-R) Ergebnisse: Sowohl Kinder mit ASD als auch mit ADHS zeigten gegenüber Normstichproben deutlich erniedrigte Werte im Beharrungsvermögen, in der Selbstlenkungsfähigkeit und der Kooperativität. Darüber hinaus zeigten Kinder mit ASD extrem erniedrigte Werte in der Belohnungsabhängigkeit. Sie unterschieden sich signifikant von Kindern mit ADHS sowohl hinsichtlich der Temperamentsmerkmale Schadensvermeidung und Belohnungsabhängigkeit als auch in den Charakterdimensionen Selbstlenkungsfähigkeit und Kooperativität. Soziale Schwierigkeiten, erfasst mit dem SRS, waren bei beiden Gruppen deutlich durch Persönlichkeitsvariablen, vor allem der Temperamentsdimension Belohnungsabhängigkeit, beeinflusst. Schlussfolgerung: Die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Untersuchung lassen vermuten, dass spezifische Persönlichkeitskonstellationen bei Kindern mit ASD und ADHS bereits früh bestehen und auf deren soziale Fertigkeiten einwirken.
Verhaltens- und Entwicklungsauffälligkeiten im Vorschulalter
Authors: Schreyer Ina , Petermann Franz , Petermann Ulrike
Published: July 2011

Zusammenfassung. Um Präventions- und Interventionsmaßnahmen gezielt zu optimieren, gewinnt die Erfassung der kindlichen Lebensqualität zunehmend an Bedeutung. Für Vorschulkinder ist die Befundlage bislang jedoch eher spärlich. Die vorliegende Studie untersuchte an 243 Kindern im Vorschulalter deren Lebensqualität im Fremdurteil sowie die Lebensqualität der Mütter. Es wurden vier Gruppen von Kindern verglichen: Kinder mit Entwicklungsauffälligkeiten, Kinder mit Verhaltensauffälligkeiten, Kinder mit Entwicklungs- und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten sowie eine gesunde Kontrollgruppe. Ferner wurde die Lebensqualität der Mütter über die vier Gruppen betrachtet. In multivariaten Analysen zeigten sich für alle Skalen signifikante Gruppenunterschiede. Es wurde deutlich, dass für Kinder, die sowohl Entwicklungs- und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten aufwiesen, die niedrigsten Werte für die gesundheitsbezogene Lebensqualität über verschiedene Bereiche angegeben wurden. Auch für die Lebensqualität der Bezugspersonen ergab sich ein signifikanter Gruppeneffekt. Angeschlossene Kontrastprüfungen konnten zeigen, dass die Bezugspersonen der Kinder, die Entwicklungs- und Verhaltensauffälligkeiten zeigten, signifikant niedrigere Werte für ihre Lebensqualität angaben als die Bezugspersonen der gesunden Kontrollgruppe. Aufgrund der vorliegenden Ergebnisse erscheint es notwendig, Lebensqualitätsmaße stärker zu berücksichtigen.
Zur wahrgenommenen Förderlichkeit multipler Gesundheitsverhaltensweisen für die Gesundheitserhaltung
Authors: Wiesmann Ulrich , Klein Amelie , Hannich Hans-Joachim
Published: July 2011

Zusammenfassung. Ziel dieser Online-Studie war die Einschätzung der wahrgenommenen Förderlichkeit multipler Gesundheitsverhaltensweisen für die Gesundheitserhaltung in einer heterogenen Stichprobe von Gesundheitsexperten (Mediziner, Psychologen und andere Gesundheitsberufe) und Laien (Schüler/Studierende und gesundheitsferne Berufe). Fünfhundertundacht Personen (53% Frauen) im mittleren Alter von 34.4 Jahren schätzten ein, inwieweit sich 39 Verhaltensweisen förderlich oder hinderlich auf die Gesundheitserhaltung einer Person im Allgemeinen auswirken. Diese spezifischen Konsequenzerwartungen unterschieden sich deutlich, so dass sehr wirksame und weniger wirksame Verhaltensweisen identifiziert werden konnten. Eine Hauptkomponentenanalyse mit obliquer Rotation ergab eine Lösung mit fünf unabhängigen Komponenten, die 44.3% der Varianz erklärten und als abhängige Variablen in eine altersadjustierte 5 × 2 MANCOVA (Fachlichkeit × Geschlecht) eingingen. Der signifikante multivariate Haupteffekt für Fachlichkeit war auf Vorsorgeverhalten und Sicherheitsorientiertes Verhalten zurückzuführen, wobei insbesondere Mediziner die stärksten Gesundheitskontingenzen wahrnahmen. Der signifikante multivariate Haupteffekt für Geschlecht ging auf Psychosoziales Regulationsverhalten, Substanzenbezogene Abstinenz, Vorsorgeverhalten und Selbstpflegeverhalten zurück, wobei Frauen erwartungsgemäß stärkere Kontingenzen wahrnahmen als Männer. Auf Gesundheitserhaltung bezogene Konsequenzerwartungen sind das Ergebnis einer Berufs- und Geschlechtersozialisation und damit prinzipiell veränderbar. Als Voraussetzung für die Entwicklung von Kompetenzerwartungen sollten Konsequenzerwartungen im Rahmen von Interventionsmaßnahmen mehr Beachtung finden.
Quantifying regional scale ecosystem response to changes in precipitation: Not all rain is created equal
Authors: Brooks Paul D. , Troch Peter A. , Durcik Matej , Gallo Erika , Schlegel Melissa
Published: July 2011

Primary productivity and vegetation cover are strongly related to how precipitation is partitioned into surface discharge, storage, and evapotranspiration (ET). Thus, quantifying feedbacks between changes in precipitation and vegetation at regional scales is a critical step toward predicting both carbon balance and water resources as climate and land cover change. We used a catchment‐based approach to quantify partitioning of precipitation and compared these hydrologic fluxes to remotely sensed vegetation greenness (NDVI) in 86 U.S. catchments between 2000 and 2008. The fraction of precipitation potentially available to vegetation (catchment wetting; W) ranged from 0.64 to 0.99 demonstrating that up to 36% of precipitation was not available to vegetation. The ratio of ET:W (Horton Index (HI)), ranged from 0.07 to 1.0 demonstrating even greater variability in the fraction of catchment wetting used as ET. Negative slopes between annual Horton Index and maximum annual NDVI values indicated water limitation during dry years in most catchment ecosystems. Not surprisingly, grasslands were more sensitive to drying than forests. However, in nine of the wettest (HI < 0.66) catchment ecosystems, NDVI values increased as HI increased suggesting greater vegetation productivity under drier conditions. Our results demonstrate that catchment‐scale hydrologic partitioning provides information on both the fractions of precipitation available to and used by vegetation. Their ratio (HI) identifies shifts between water and energy limitation, and differential sensitivity to drying based on vegetation type within catchment ecosystems. Consequently, catchment‐scale partitioning provides useful information for scaling point observations and quantifying regional ecohydrological response to climate or vegetation change.
A new factor in the Aedes aegypti immune response: CLSP2 modulates melanization
Authors: Shin Sang Woon , Zou Zhen , Raikhel Alexander S
Published: July 2011

Microbial infections in the mosquito Aedes aegypti activate the newly identified CLSP1 and CLSP2 genes, which encode modular proteins composed of elastase‐like serine protease and C‐type lectin domains. These genes are predominantly regulated by the immune deficiency pathway, but also by the Toll pathway. Silencing of CLSP2, but not CLSP1, results in the activation of prophenoloxidase (PPO), the terminal enzyme in the melanization cascade, suggesting that CLSP2 is a negative modulator of this reaction. Haemolymph PPO activation is normally inhibited in the presence of Plasmodium parasites, but in CLSP2‐depleted mosquitoes, the Plasmodium‐induced block of melanization is reverted, and these mosquitoes are refractory to the parasite. Thus, CLSP2 is a new component of the mosquito immune response.
Nuclear visions enhanced: chromatin structure, organization and dynamics
Authors: Meshorer Eran , Herrmann Harald , Raška Ivan
Published: July 2011

The EMBO Workshop on ‘Chromatin Structure, Organization and Dynamics’ took place in April 2011 in Prague, Czech Republic. Participants presented data on the generation of models of the genome, working to correlate changes in the organization of chromatin with the functional state of the genome.
The role of the protein kinase A pathway in the response to alkaline pH stress in yeast
Authors: Casado Carlos , González Asier , Platara Maria , Ruiz Amparo , Ariño Joaquín
Published: July 2011

Exposure of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to alkaline pH provokes a stress condition that generates a compensatory reaction. In the present study we examined a possible role for the PKA (protein kinase A) pathway in this response. Phenotypic analysis revealed that mutations that activate the PKA pathway (ira1 ira2, bcy1) tend to cause sensitivity to alkaline pH, whereas its deactivation enhances tolerance to this stress. We observed that alkalinization causes a transient decrease in cAMP, the main regulator of the pathway. Alkaline pH causes rapid nuclear localization of the PKA-regulated Msn2 transcription factor which, together with Msn4, mediates a general stress response by binding with STRE (stress response element) sequences in many promoters. Consequently, a synthetic STRE–LacZ reporter shows a rapid induction in response to alkaline stress. A msn2 msn4 mutant is sensitive to alkaline pH, and transcriptomic analysis reveals that after 10 min of alkaline stress, the expression of many induced genes (47%) depends, at least in part, on the presence of Msn2 and Msn4. Taken together, these results demonstrate that inhibition of the PKA pathway by alkaline pH represents a substantial part of the adaptive response to this kind of stress and that this response involves Msn2/Msn4-mediated genome expression remodelling. However, the relevance of attenuation of PKA in high pH tolerance is probably not restricted to regulation of Msn2 function.
Tokamak equilibria with non field-aligned axisymmetric divergence-free rotational flows
Authors: Tsui K. H. , Navia C. E. , Serbeto A. , Shigueoka H.
Published: July 2011

Rotational ideal divergence-free magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations are expressed in terms of transformed variables w→*=(μρ)1/2v→ and μp* = (μp + w*2/2), where v→, p, and ρ are plasma velocity, pressure, and mass density, respectively. With divergence-free flows, ∇·v→=0, the plasma density ρ does not appear in the MHD equations written in terms of w→* and μp*. The non field-aligned rotational Grad-Shafranov equation is represented in spherical coordinates. Tokamak-like axisymmetric equilibria with v→ ⊥∇ρ are obtained analytically by solving for torus solutions under only three source functions.
Oseen vortex as a maximum entropy state of a two dimensional fluid
Authors: Montgomery D. C. , Matthaeus W. H.
Published: July 2011

During the last four decades, a considerable number of investigations has been carried out into the evolution of turbulence in two dimensional Navier-Stokes flows. Much of the information has come from numerical solution of the (otherwise insoluble) dynamical equations and thus has necessarily required some kind of boundary conditions: spatially periodic, no-slip, stress-free, or free-slip. The theoretical framework that has proved to be of the most predictive value has been one employing an entropy functional (sometimes called the Boltzmann entropy) whose maximization has been correlated well in several cases with the late-time configurations into which the computed turbulence has relaxed. More recently, flow in the unbounded domain has been addressed by Gallay and Wayne who have shown a late-time relaxation to the classical Oseen vortex (also sometimes called the Lamb-Oseen vortex) for situations involving a finite net circulation or non-zero total integrated vorticity. Their proof involves powerful but difficult mathematics that might be thought to be beyond the preparation of many practicing fluid dynamicists. The purpose of this present paper is to remark that relaxation to the Oseen vortex can also be predicted in the more intuitive framework that has previously proved useful in predicting computational results with boundary conditions: that of an appropriate entropy maximization. The results make no assumption about the size of the Reynolds numbers, as long as they are finite, and the viscosity is treated as finite throughout.
Memory effect and new polarized state in the incommensurate phase of TlGaSe2 ferroelectric – semiconductor
Authors: Seyidov MirHasan Yu. , Suleymanov Rauf A. , Yakar Emin , Şahin Yasin , Açikgöz Muhammed
Published: July 2011

The structural, electrical, and thermal properties of the ferroelectric-semiconductor TlGaSe2 have been investigated after the thermal annealing of crystals inside the incommensurate (INC) phase for a few hours at the annealing temperature (Tann). It is found that all outlined physical parameters of TlGaSe2 are significantly modified after the annealing process. Besides the well-known memory effect, thermal annealing within the INC phase leads to previously unknown anomalies of the different physical properties of TlGaSe2 crystals at temperatures quite far from the INC-phase. To explain the experimental results it is supposed that annealing leads to the formation of a new polarized state that influences most of the physical parameters of the crystals. This outstanding feature of the annealing effect in TlGaSe2 crystals allows us to reveal some new phase transitions that take place in TlGaSe2 crystals in the 140–180 K temperature range.
Ambipolar organic thin film transistors based on a soluble pentacene derivative
Authors: Işık Dilek , Shu Ying , Tarabella Giuseppe , Coppedè Nicola , Iannotta Salvatore , Lutterotti Luca , Cicoira Fabio , Anthony John Edward , Santato Clara
Published: July 2011

We report on ambipolar thin film transistors based on solution-deposited films of a pentacene derivative, 2,3-dicyano-6,13-bis-(triisopropylsilylethynyl)pentacene (2,3-CN2-TIPS-Pn). The ambipolar charge transport observed in this material is well balanced; the values of the hole and electron mobility are both about 2 × 10−3 cm2/Vs. The position of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) of 2,3-CN2-TIPS-Pn with respect to the work function of the Au charge-injecting electrode and the arrangement of the molecules in the film, as deduced by grazing incidence x-ray diffraction analysis, contributes to explain the charge transport properties of 2,3-CN2-TIPS-Pn films.
Photon-induced carrier transport in high efficiency midinfrared quantum cascade lasers
Authors: Mátyás Alpár , Lugli Paolo , Jirauschek Christian
Published: July 2011

A midinfrared quantum cascade laser with high wall-plug efficiency is analyzed by means of an ensemble Monte Carlo method. Both the carrier transport and the cavity field dynamics are included in the simulation, offering a self-consistent approach for analyzing and optimizing the laser operation. It is shown that at low temperatures, photon emission and absorption can govern the carrier transport in such devices. Furthermore, we find that photon-induced scattering can strongly affect the kinetic electron distributions within the subbands. Our results are validated against available experimental data.
Graphene p-n junction arrays as quantum-Hall resistance standards
Authors: Woszczyna M. , Friedemann M. , Dziomba T. , Weimann Th. , Ahlers F. J.
Published: July 2011

We demonstrate a device concept to fabricate resistance standards made of quantum Hall series arrays by using p-type and n-type graphene. The ambipolar nature of graphene allows fabricating series quantum Hall resistors without complex multi-layer metal interconnect technology, which is required when using conventional GaAs two-dimensional electron systems. As a prerequisite for a precise resistance standard we confirm the vanishing of longitudinal resistance across a p-n junction for metrological relevant current levels in the range of a few microamperes.
Spin Hall effect-driven spin torque in magnetic textures
Authors: Manchon A. , Lee K.-J.
Published: July 2011

Current-induced spin torque and magnetization dynamics in the presence of spin Hall effect in magnetic textures is studied theoretically. The local deviation of the charge current gives rise to a current-induced spin torque of the form (1-βM)×[(u0+αHu0×M)·∇]M, where u0 is the direction of the injected current, αH is the Hall angle and β is the non-adiabaticity parameter due to spin relaxation. Since αH and β can have a comparable order of magnitude, we show that this torque can significantly modify the current-induced dynamics of both transverse and vortex walls.
Artificial lateral line canal for hydrodynamic detection
Authors: Yang Yingchen , Klein Adrian , Bleckmann Horst , Liu Chang
Published: July 2011

Fish use their lateral line system to detect minute water motions. The lateral line consists of superficial neuromasts and canal neuromasts. The response properties of canal neuromasts differ from those of superficial ones. Here, we report the design, fabrication, and characterization of an artificial lateral line canal system. The characterization was done under various fluid conditions, including dipolar excitation and turbulent flow. The experimental results with dipole excitation match well with a mathematical model. Canal sensors also demonstrate significantly better noise immunity compared with superficial ones. Canal-type artificial lateral lines may become important for underwater flow sensing.