bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphometric patterns among diving beetles (Coleoptera: Noteridae, Hygrobiidae, and Dytiscidae)
Authors: Ribera I. , Nilsson A. N.
Published: July 2008

A study of shape and size in relation to swimming strategies among Hydradephaga, with an emphasis on Dytiscidae, was performed with nearly 1600 adult specimens belonging to the families Noteridae (2 species), Hygrobiidae (1 species), and Dytiscidae (74 species). The data were studied by means of bivariate correlations, scatter plots, and two multivariate statistical methods (factor and cluster analysis). The main morphometric groups found included (i) large to medium-sized, streamlined, wide species with the maximum width in the rear part of the body and the maximum height in the front part, with short tibiae and long tarsi; they are considered to be adapted to high-speed swimming in open waters; (ii) small to medium-sized species with a spherical body and long femora; they are considered to be adapted to manoeuvring in stagnant waters; (iii) small species with a discontinuous outline, a narrow body, and long, slender legs; they are considered to be poor swimmers in running waters; and (iv) small to medium-sized species having, in general, a streamlined, relatively high body with short, wide legs; they are considered to be adapted to crawling among dense vegetation or detritus. Despite the clear relationships between systematics and morphometry, most characters were found to be homoplastic a number of times within the families studied. This supports the adaptive interpretation of the morphometry of the species.
Early ideas about erratic boulders and glacial phenomena in The Netherlands
Authors: Van Veen Frederik R.
Published: August 2008

The development of ideas about the origin of erratic boulders in the northern Netherlands is reviewed for the period from 1770 to 1907. A Scandinavian origin of these rocks was recognized at an early stage, but the transport mechanism was not understood. Initially, the Biblical Flood was proposed as a geological agent by Horace de Saussure (1740–1799) in 1780. Charles Lyell (1797–1875) developed a theory of climate change and a ‘glacial drift theory’ to account for the movement of large boulders in the Alps, and he introduced the term ‘drift’ in 1840. Several prize contests of the two Dutch Scientific Societies, the Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen and the Teyler Genootschap, both at Haarlem, concerned erratics. The competitions of 1827 and 1828 were won by Johann Hausmann (1782–1849) from Göttingen University and Reinhard Bernhardi (1797–1849) from the Forstakademie Hitzacker, respectively. Hausmann assumed that a great freshwater flood, caused by the breakthrough of natural dams in the Scandinavian mountains, swept boulders to the plains of the northern Netherlands. Bernhardi vaguely suggested the possibility of transport by glaciers. The prize for the third contest (1861) was awarded in 1868 to the Swedish geologist Otto Torell (1828–1900). He invoked the land-ice theory, which, as regards The Netherlands, proposed that the boulders had been transported by glaciers descending from the Bothnian Gulf and extending into the northern Netherlands, amongst other areas. However, for reasons unknown, Torell's manuscript was never printed, and he never collected his gold medal and the prize money. At a historic meeting of the Deutsche Geologische Gesellschaft at Berlin in 1875, 7 years after winning the Haarlem contest, Torell managed to convince his audience of the land-ice theory after showing striated rock surfaces at a well-known outcrop at Rüdersdorf near Berlin. Thus, it took about a century from the first speculations in the late eighteenth century about the origin and transport of erratic rocks to about 1880 before the land-ice theory became generally accepted in continental NW Europe.
Griffith Taylor, Ernest Andrews
et al.
: early ideas on the development of the river systems of the Sydney region, eastern Australia, and subsequent ideas on the associated geomorphological problems
Authors: Oldroyd David R.
Published: August 2008

Thomas Griffith Taylor was one of Australia's leading geoscientists in the early twentieth century. He also developed ideas on race and environment at Sydney University, supposing that brachycephalic people had greater intellectual capacity than dolichocephalics, so that Chinese settlement in Australia was desirable. In consequence, Taylor's promotion at Sydney University was blocked. He therefore moved to a chair at Chicago, and thence to Toronto. He retired to Sydney in 1951 and in his old age published a classic study of the landforms of the region:
Sydneyside Scenery
(1958, published by Angus & Robertson, Sydney). This little book, although scientifically somewhat dated even at the time of its publication, summarized Taylor's earlier geomorphological ideas about Sydney and its hinterland. It applied Davisian ideas to the Sydney region, harking back to the work that Taylor and others had done in the early twentieth century. Taylor's ideas about the Sydney region's river patterns are described and their relationship to supposed Earth movements. In particular, Davisian ideas about river capture and antecedent drainage, and the topography of the Blue Mountains, are discussed in relation to the empirical information and theoretical ideas available in the early twentieth century. Taylor's ideas, as described in 1958, seem(ed) plausible, but they were subsequently thrown in doubt or invalidated by consideration of the form of diatremes in the Blue Mountains, by new geological theory, new data about the ages of rocks and minerals and estimates of the timing of Earth movements, closer mapping of structures, etc. The case exemplifies both the explanatory power, and the weaknesses, of Davisian geomorphology. E.C. Andrews preceded Taylor in introducing American geomorphological ideas into Australia and propounded the idea of Late Tertiary–Pleistocene uplift in eastern Australia, which was held responsible for many of the features that Taylor described. Other important contributors were W. G. Woolnough (1876–1958) and T. W. E. David (1858–1934), who taught Woolnough, Andrews and Taylor. A consensual view of the geomorphological and tectonic history of the Sydney region has still not been achieved.
Sir Charles Cotton (1885–1970): international geomorphologist
Authors: Grapes Rodney H.
Published: August 2008

Sir Charles Cotton (1885–1970), a New Zealander by birth, was Professor of Geology at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, between 1921 and 1953. He produced a quartet of well-known textbooks, the most influential being
Geomorphology of New Zealand
first published in 1921, and a remarkable number of pioneering papers on a great variety of subjects in geomorphology. Essentially self-taught, much of Cotton's earlier work followed the ideas of W. M. Davis in terms of an explanatory description of landforms (structure, process, form), but he also emphasized the importance of climate change and tectonic movements in landscape-forming processes. His work was enhanced by the use of block diagrams to demonstrate progressive evolution of landscape features and his simple sketches, in particular, provided a clarity allowing people to see the land around them with new interest and understanding. His studies were never quantitative, and he remained sceptical about illusions of precision and accuracy in the new post-World War II trends and ideas in geomorphology. Cotton's range of interests was wide, but certain themes keep returning; in particular, shore processes and shoreline development and classification, the significance of faulting in all its forms, and the geomorphic history of the area of his Wellington home in New Zealand. Although Cotton's work became well known throughout the scientific world, he did not create a school of geomorphological thought. His international reputation came from his scientific papers and especially his books that captured the interest of generations of university students and citizens from all walks of life. Indeed, the honour of a knighthood in 1959 could well have come 30 years earlier when, at the age of 41, he had already gained such recognition. He made an outstanding contribution to our understanding of the evolution of New Zealand's landforms. Cotton's bibliography is included.
Edge-preserving decompositions for multi-scale tone and detail manipulation
Authors: Farbman Zeev , Fattal Raanan , Lischinski Dani , Szeliski Richard
Published: August 2008

Many recent computational photography techniques decompose an image into a piecewise smooth base layer, containing large scale variations in intensity, and a residual detail layer capturing the smaller scale details in the image. In many of these applications, it is important to control the spatial scale of the extracted details, and it is often desirable to manipulate details at multiple scales, while avoiding visual artifacts.

In this paper we introduce a new way to construct edge-preserving multi-scale image decompositions. We show that current basedetail decomposition techniques, based on the bilateral filter, are limited in their ability to extract detail at arbitrary scales. Instead, we advocate the use of an alternative edge-preserving smoothing operator, based on the weighted least squares optimization framework, which is particularly well suited for progressive coarsening of images and for multi-scale detail extraction. After describing this operator, we show how to use it to construct edge-preserving multi-scale decompositions, and compare it to the bilateral filter, as well as to other schemes. Finally, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our edge-preserving decompositions in the context of LDR and HDR tone mapping, detail enhancement, and other applications.
High-quality motion deblurring from a single image
Authors: Shan Qi , Jia Jiaya , Agarwala Aseem
Published: August 2008

We present a new algorithm for removing motion blur from a single image. Our method computes a deblurred image using a unified probabilistic model of
both
blur kernel estimation and unblurred image restoration. We present an analysis of the causes of common artifacts found in current deblurring methods, and then introduce several novel terms within this probabilistic model that are inspired by our analysis. These terms include a model of the spatial randomness of noise in the blurred image, as well a new local smoothness prior that reduces ringing artifacts by constraining contrast in the unblurred image wherever the blurred image exhibits low contrast. Finally, we describe an effficient optimization scheme that alternates between blur kernel estimation and unblurred image restoration until convergence. As a result of these steps, we are able to produce high quality deblurred results in low computation time. We are even able to produce results of comparable quality to techniques that require additional input images beyond a single blurry photograph, and to methods that require additional hardware.
4-points congruent sets for robust pairwise surface registration
Authors: Aiger Dror , Mitra Niloy J. , Cohen-Or Daniel
Published: August 2008

We introduce 4PCS, a fast and robust alignment scheme for 3D point sets that uses wide bases, which are known to be resilient to noise and outliers. The algorithm allows registering raw noisy data, possibly contaminated with outliers, without pre-filtering or denoising the data. Further, the method significantly reduces the number of trials required to establish a reliable registration between the underlying surfaces in the presence of noise, without any assumptions about starting alignment. Our method is based on a novel technique to extract all coplanar 4-points sets from a 3D point set that are approximately congruent, under rigid transformation, to a given set of coplanar 4-points. This extraction procedure runs in roughly

O(n
2
+ k)

time, where
n
is the number of candidate points and
k
is the number of reported 4-points sets. In practice, when noise level is low and there is sufficient overlap, using local descriptors the time complexity reduces to
O(n + k)
. We also propose an extension to handle similarity and affine transforms. Our technique achieves an order of magnitude asymptotic acceleration compared to common randomized alignment techniques. We demonstrate the robustness of our algorithm on several sets of multiple range scans with varying degree of noise, outliers, and extent of overlap.
Toward an understanding of flow in video games
Authors: Cowley Ben , Charles Darryl , Black Michaela , Hickey Ray
Published: August 2008

In the domain of computer games, research into the interaction between player and game has centred on 'enjoyment', often drawing in particular on optimal experience research and Csikszentmihalyi's 'Flow theory'.
Flow
is a well-established construct for examining experience in any setting and its application to game-play is intuitive. Nevertheless, it's not immediately obvious how to translate between the flow construct and an operative description of game-play. Previous research has attempted this translation through analogy. In this article we propose a practical, integrated approach for analysis of the mechanics and aesthetics of game-play, which helps develop deeper insights into the capacity for flow within games.

The relationship between player and game, characterized by learning and enjoyment, is central to our analysis. We begin by framing that relationship within Cowley's user-system-experience (USE) model, and expand this into an information systems framework, which enables a practical mapping of flow onto game-play. We believe this approach enhances our understanding of a player's interaction with a game and provides useful insights for games' researchers seeking to devise mechanisms to adapt game-play to individual players.
Multimedia retrieval at INEX 2007
Authors: Tsikrika Theodora , Westerveld Thijs
Published: August 2008

Structured document retrieval from XML documents allows for the retrieval of XML document fragments, i.e., XML elements or passages, that contain relevant information. The main INEX Ad Hoc task focuses on text-based XML retrieval. The INEX Multimedia track considers types of media other than text and its objective is to exploit the XML structure that provides a logical level at which multimedia objects are connected, in order to improve the retrieval performance of an XML-driven multimedia information retrieval system. To this end, it provides an evaluation platform for the retrieval of multimedia documents and document fragments. In addition, it creates a discussion forum where the participating groups can exchange their ideas on different aspects of the multimedia XML retrieval task.
Beyond bags of words
Authors: Metzler Donald
Published: August 2008

Current state of the art information retrieval models treat documents and queries as bags of words. There have been many attempts to go beyond this simple representation. Unfortunately, few have shown consistent improvements in retrieval effectiveness across a wide range of tasks and data sets. Here, we propose a new statistical model for information retrieval based on Markov random fields. The proposed model goes beyond the bag of words assumption by allowing dependencies between terms to be incorporated into the model. This allows for a variety of textual and non-textual features to be easily combined under the umbrella of a single model. Within this framework, we explore the theoretical issues involved, parameter estimation, feature selection, and query expansion. We give experimental results from a number of information retrieval tasks, such as ad hoc retrieval and web search.
Vocal control of a radio-controlled car
Authors: Sporka Adam J. , Slavík Pavel
Published: August 2008

Increasing participation of the community of computer users with special needs in computer entertainment brings about the need for understanding the benefits and drawbacks of different assistive input techniques and devices that can be used for controlling the entertainment experience. Especially challenging is the support of the control of the arcade games, such as
Tetris
[7] or
Breakout
[2], where while only a limited number of game commands is required, the users must issue these in a rapid response to the evolving gameplay -- and many assistive devices are unable to cope with this problem. A promising set of techniques is provided by employing the voice as an input device.
A closed-loop fuzzy traffic controller for fair bandwidth sharing
Authors: Pompili Dario , Priscoli Francesco Delli
Published: August 2008

This paper introduces an innovative closed-loop traffic controller to efficiently and fairly share a single common resource, e.g., the available bit rate in a wireless link, among a set of traffic flows characterized by different Quality of Service (QoS) requirements. The proposed traffic controller relies on a control-based approach that exploits a closed-loop feedback architecture including Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) controllers that are dynamically tuned using fuzzy logic. The traffic controller is able to react to different scenarios and traffic load conditions, while targeting the twofold objective of maximizing the resource utilization and respecting the flow QoS requirements. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed closed-loop traffic controller outperforms a well-known open-loop traffic controller (based on Dual Leaky Buckets (DLBs) and Earliest Deadline First (EDF) scheduling algorithm.
SP-NUCA
Authors: Merino Javier , Puente Valentín , Prieto Pablo , Gregorio José Ángel
Published: August 2008

This paper presents a simple but effective method to reduce on-chip access latency and improve core isolation in CMP Non-Uniform Cache Architectures (NUCA). The paper introduces a feasible way to allocate cache blocks according to the access pattern. Each L2 bank is dynamically partitioned at set level in private and shared content. Simply by adjusting the replacement algorithm, we can place private data closer to its owner processor. In contrast, independently of the accessing processor, shared data is always placed in the same position. This approach is capable of reducing on-chip latency without significantly sacrificing hit rates or increasing implementation cost of a conventional static NUCA. Additionally, most of the unnecessary interference between cores in private accesses is removed.

To support the architectural decisions adopted and provide a comparative study, a comprehensive evaluation framework is employed. The workbench is composed of a full system simulator, and a representative set of multithreaded and multiprogrammed workloads. With this infrastructure, different alternatives for the coherence protocol, replacement policies, and cache utilization are analyzed to find the optimal proposal. We conclude that the cost for a feasible implementation should be closer to a conventional static NUCA, and significantly less than a dynamic NUCA.

Finally, a comparison with static and dynamic NUCA is presented. The simulation results suggest that on average the mechanism proposed could improve system performance of a static NUCA and idealized dynamic NUCA by 16% and 6% respectively.
Enabling Sustainable Production-Consumption Systems
Authors: Lebel Louis , Lorek Sylvia
Published: July 2008

The pursuit of sustainability in particular places and sectors often unravels at the edges. Efforts to tackle environmental problems in one place shift them somewhere else or are overwhelmed by external changes in drivers. Gains in energy efficiency of appliances used in houses are offset by greater total numbers or compensating changes in patterns of use. Analytical perspectives and practical initiatives, which treat production and consumption jointly, are needed to complement experiences and efforts with sector-, place-, product- and consumer-oriented approaches.

There is now a growing body of scholarship exploring a diverse range of initiatives and experiments aimed at enabling sustainable production-consumption systems (PCSs). Different approaches make divergent assumptions about market institutions, government regulation, sociotechnical innovation, and actor partnerships. From this body of work flow useful insights for others who would engage, for example, in redesigning relationships around services rather than products or between third world producers and first world consumers in fair trade initiatives.
Disturbed cholesterol homeostasis in hormone-sensitive lipase-null mice
Authors: Fernandez Céline , Lindholm Marie , Krogh Morten , Lucas Stéphanie , Larsson Sara , Osmark Peter , Berger Karin , Borén Jan , Fielding Barbara , Frayn Keith , Holm Cecilia
Published: July 2008

Transcriptomics analysis revealed that genes involved in hepatic de novo cholesterol synthesis were downregulated in fed HSL-null mice that had been on a high-fat diet (HFD) for 6 mo. This finding prompted a further analysis of cholesterol metabolism in HSL-null mice, which was performed in fed and 16-h-fasted mice on a normal chow diet (ND) or HFD regimen. Plasma cholesterol was elevated in HSL-null mice, in all tested conditions, as a result of cholesterol enrichment of HDL and VLDL. Hepatic esterified cholesterol content and ATP-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) mRNA and protein levels were increased in HSL-null mice regardless of the dietary regimen. Unsaturated fatty acid composition of hepatic triglycerides was modified in fasted HSL-null mice on ND and HFD. The increased ABCA1 expression had no major effect on cholesterol efflux from HSL-null mouse hepatocytes. Taken together, the results of this study suggest that HSL plays a critical role in the hydrolysis of cytosolic cholesteryl esters and that increased levels of hepatic cholesteryl esters, due to lack of action of HSL in the liver, are the main mechanism underlying the imbalance in cholesterol metabolism in HSL-null mice.
Adiponectin secretion and response to pioglitazone is depot dependent in cultured human adipose tissue
Authors: Phillips Susan A. , Ciaraldi Theodore P. , Oh Deborah. K. , Savu Michelle K. , Henry Robert R.
Published: July 2008

The subcutaneous (S) and visceral (V) adipose tissue (AT) depots are increasingly recognized as distinct. To test the hypothesis that depot differences exist for adiponectin, fresh and cultured human VAT and SAT from obese type 2 diabetic (T2D) and obese nondiabetic (ND) subjects was examined to determine whether differences in adiponectin content and secretion occurred as a function of depot studied, diabetic status, and response to thiazolidinedione treatment. VAT and SAT were obtained by biopsy and AT explants cultured in defined media for 7 days. Protein expression was assessed by Western blot. Adiponectin content of conditioned medium was determined by radioimmunoassay. Diabetic status had no effect on adiponectin secretion over days 0–2 of culture. In ND SAT, secretion fell over days 2–4 but was sustained at greater levels vs. T2D SAT. In both ND and T2D VAT, adiponectin secretion was low, similar to T2D SAT. Over the 7-day culture period, cellular adiponectin increased in ND SAT and VAT; it remained unchanged in T2D SAT and VAT. Pioglitazone increased adiponectin secretion and content in all SAT. Pioglitazone failed to increase adiponectin secretion from either ND or T2D VAT and increased cellular content only in ND VAT. AT depot differences exist in the secretion of adiponectin and responsiveness to thiazolidinedione treatment. These data suggest that SAT, not VAT, appears to be the major contributor to increased circulating adipopnectin levels in response to pioglitazone treatment.
Leukocyte trafficking and pain behavioral responses to a hydrogen sulfide donor in acute monoarthritis
Authors: Andruski Benjamin , McCafferty Donna-Marie , Ignacy Teegan , Millen Brandie , McDougall Jason J.
Published: July 2008

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) is an endogenous gaseous mediator with the ability to modulate tissue inflammation and pain. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of an H2S donor (Na2S) on leukocyte-endothelium interactions, blood flow, and pain sensation in acutely inflamed knee joints. Acute arthritis was induced in urethane anesthetized C57bl/6 mice by intra-articular injection of kaolin/carrageenan (24-h recovery), and the effect of local administration of Na2S on leukocyte trafficking was measured by intravital microscopy. Synovial blood flow was measured in inflamed knees by laser Doppler perfusion imaging. Finally, the effect of an intra-articular injection of Na2S on joint pain in control and inflamed rats was determined by hindlimb incapacitance and von Frey hair algesiometry. Local administration of an H2S donor to inflamed knees caused a dose-dependent reduction in leukocyte adherence and an increase in leukocyte velocity. These effects could be inhibited by coadministration of the ATP-sensitive K+ channel blocker glibenclamide. Local administration of Na2S to inflamed joints caused a pronounced vasoconstrictor response; however, there was no observable effect of Na2S on joint pain. These findings establish H2S as a novel signaling molecule in rodent knee joints. H2S exhibits potent anti-inflammatory properties, but with no detectable effect on joint pain.
The Influence of Visual Perturbations on the Neural Control of Limb Stiffness
Authors: Wong Jeremy , Wilson Elizabeth T. , Malfait Nicole , Gribble Paul L.
Published: July 2008

To adapt to novel unstable environments, the motor system modulates limb stiffness to produce selective increases in arm stability. The motor system receives information about the environment via somatosensory and proprioceptive signals related to the perturbing forces and visual signals indicating deviations from an expected hand trajectory. Here we investigated whether subjects modulate limb stiffness during adaptation to a purely visual perturbation. In a first experiment, measurements of limb stiffness were taken during adaptation to an elastic force field (EF). Observed changes in stiffness were consistent with previous reports: subjects increased limb stiffness and did so only in the direction of the environmental instability. In a second experiment, stiffness changes were measured during adaptation to a visual perturbing environment that magnified hand-path deviations in the lateral direction. In contrast to the first experiment, subjects trained in this visual task showed no accompanying change in stiffness, despite reliable improvements in movement accuracy. These findings suggest that this sort of visual information alone may not be sufficient to engage neural systems for stiffness control, which may depend on sensory signals more directly related to perturbing forces, such as those arising from proprioception and somatosensation.
Analysis of Polymorphic Nanocrystals of TiO2 by X‐Ray Rietveld Refinement and High‐Resolution Transmission Electron Microscopy: Acetaldehyde Decomposition
Authors: Carrera R. , Castillo N. , Arce E. , Vázquez A. L. , Moran-Pineda M. , Montoya J. A. , Del Ángel P. , Castillo S.
Published: August 2008

In this work, TiO2 nanocrystals were synthesized by the sol‐gel method. These materials were annealed at 200 and 500∘C; and characterized by the XRD‐Rietveld refinement; and by BET and TEM. As for the low‐temperature‐treated sample (200∘C), nanocrystals with small crystallite sizes (7 nm) and high abundance of anatase, coexisting with the brookite phase, were obtained. Meanwhile, the sample annealed at 500∘C showed an increased crystallite size (22 nm) and an important polymorphic increment. The sample annealed at 200∘C showed a high activity in the photocatalytic decomposition of acetaldehyde.
Role of C‐Peptide in the Regulation of Microvascular Blood Flow
Authors: Forst T. , Kunt T. , Wilhelm B. , Weber M. M. , Pfützner A.
Published: July 2008

During the recent years, the role of C‐peptide, released from the pancreatic beta cell, in regulating microvascular blood flow, has received increasing attention. In type 1 diabetic patients, intravenous application of C‐peptide in physiological concentrations was shown to increase microvascular blood flow, and to improve microvascular endothelial function and the endothelial release of NO. C‐peptide was shown to impact microvascular blood flow by several interactive pathways, like stimulating Na+K+ATPase or the endothelial release of NO. There is increasing evidence, that in patients with declining beta cell function, the lack of C‐peptide secretion might play a putative role in the development of microvascular blood flow abnormalities, which go beyond the effects of declining insulin secretion or increased blood glucose levels.
Antibiotic Prophylaxis for Children with Primary Vesicoureteral Reflux: Where Do We Stand Today?
Authors: Costers Michiel , Van Damme-Lombaerts Rita , Levtchenko Elena , Bogaert Guy
Published: July 2008

The main goal of the management of vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is prevention of recurrent urinary tract infections (UTIs), and thereby prevention of renal parenchymal damage possibly ensuing from these infections. Long-term antibiotic prophylaxis is common practice in the management of children with VUR, as recommended in 1997 in the guidelines of the American Urological Association. We performed a systematic review to ascertain whether antibiotics can be safely discontinued in children with VUR and whether prophylaxis is effective in the prevention of recurrent UTIs and renal damage in these patients. Several uncontrolled studies indicate that antibiotic prophylaxis can be discontinued in a subset of patients, that is, school-aged children with low-grade VUR, normal voiding patterns, kidneys without hydronephrosis or scars, and normal anatomy of the urogenital system. Furthermore, a few recent randomized controlled trials suggest that antibiotic prophylaxis offers no advantage over intermittent antibiotic therapy of UTIs in terms of prevention of recurrent UTIs or new renal damage.
On the Asymptotic Behavior of a Difference Equation with Maximum
Authors: Sun Fangkuan
Published: July 2008

We study the asymptotic behavior of positive solutions to the difference equation , n = 0, 1, …,
where 0 < α,  β < 1,  A, B > 0. We prove that every positive solution to this equation converges to x∗ = max{A1/(α+1), B1/(β+1)}.
Role of Peroxisome Proliferator‐Activated Receptor Alpha in the Control of Cyclooxygenase 2 and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor: Involvement in Tumor Growth
Authors: Grau Raquel , Díaz-Muñoz Manuel D. , Cacheiro-Llaguno Cristina , Fresno Manuel , Iñiguez Miguel A.
Published: July 2008

A growing body of evidence indicates that PPAR (peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor)αagonists might have therapeutic usefulness in antitumoral therapy by decreasing abnormal cell growth, and reducing tumoral angiogenesis. Most of the anti‐inflammatory and antineoplastic properties of PPAR ligands are due to their inhibitory effects on transcription of a variety of genes involved in inflammation, cell growth and angiogenesis. Cyclooxygenase (COX)‐2 and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are crucial agents in inflammatory and angiogenic processes. They also have been significantly associated to cell proliferation, tumor growth, and metastasis, promoting tumor‐associated angiogenesis. Aberrant expression of VEGF and COX‐2 has been observed in a variety of tumors, pointing to these proteins as important therapeutic targets in the treatment of pathological angiogenesis and tumor growth. This review summarizes the current understanding of the role of PPARαand its ligands in the regulation of COX‐2 and VEGF gene expression in the context of tumor progression.
Kinetics and Mechanism of the Reaction between Chromium(III) and 3,4‐Dihydroxy‐Phenyl‐Propenoic Acid (Caffeic Acid) in Weak Acidic Aqueous Solutions
Authors: Thoma Vladimiros , Tampouris Konstantinos , Petrou Athinoula L.
Published: July 2008

Our study of the complexation of 3,4‐dihydroxy‐phenyl‐propenoic acid by chromium(III) could give information on the way that this metal ion is available to plants. The reaction between chromium(III) and 3,4‐dihydroxy‐phenyl‐propenoic acid in weak acidic aqueous solutions has been shown to take place by at least three stages. The first stage corresponds to substitution (Id mechanism) of water molecule from the Cr coordination sphere by a ligand molecule. A very rapid protonation equilibrium, which follows, favors the aqua species. The second and the third stages are chromium(III) and ligand concentration independent and are attributed to isomerisation and chelation processes. The corresponding activation parameters are = 28.6 ± 2.9 kJ mol−1, = −220  ± 10 J K−1mol−1, = 62.9 ± 6.7 kJ mol−1 and = −121  ± 22 J K−1mol−1. The kinetic results suggest associative mechanisms for the two steps. The associatively activated substitution processes are accompanied by proton release causing pH decrease.
Robotic-Assisted Laparoscopic Management of Vesicoureteral Reflux
Authors: Lendvay Thomas
Published: August 2008

Robotic-assisted laparoscopy (RAL) has become a promising means for performing correction of vesicoureteral reflux disease in children through both intravesical and extravesical techniques. We describe the importance of patient selection, intraoperative patient positioning, employing certain helpful techniques for exposure, and recognizing the limitations and potential complications of robotic reimplant surgery. As more clinicians embrace robotic surgery and more urology residents are trained in robotics, we anticipate an expansion of the applications of robotics in children. We believe that it is necessary to develop robotic surgery curricula for novice roboticists and residents so that patients may experience improved surgical outcomes.
The Finite Discrete KP Hierarchy and the Rational Functions
Authors: Felipe Raúl , López Nancy
Published: July 2008

The set of all rational functions with any fixed denominator that simultaneously nullify in the infinite point is parametrized by means of a
well‐known integrable system: a finite dimensional version of the discrete KP hierarchy. This type of study was originated in Y. Nakamura′s works who used others integrable systems. Our work proves that the finite discrete KP hierarchy completely parametrizes the space RatΛ(n) of rational functions of the form f(x) = q(x)/zn, where q(x) is a polynomial of order n − 1 with nonzero independent coefficent. More exactly, it is proved that there exists a bijection from RatΛ(n) to the moduli space of solutions of the finite discrete KP hierarchy and a compatible linear system.
Smoothelin-B Deficiency Results in Reduced Arterial Contractility, Hypertension, and Cardiac Hypertrophy in Mice
Authors: Rensen Sander S. , Niessen Petra M. , van Deursen Jan M. , Janssen Ben J. , Heijman Edwin , Hermeling Evelien , Meens Merlijn , Lie Natascha , Gijbels Marion J. , Strijkers Gustav J. , Doevendans Pieter A. , Hofker Marten H. , De Mey Jo G.R. , van Eys Guillaume J.
Published: August 2008

Background—

Smoothelins are actin-binding proteins that are abundantly expressed in healthy visceral (smoothelin-A) and vascular (smoothelin-B) smooth muscle. Their expression is strongly associated with the contractile phenotype of smooth muscle cells. Analysis of mice lacking both smoothelins (

Smtn-A/B
−/−

mice) previously revealed a critical role for smoothelin-A in intestinal smooth muscle contraction. Here, we report on the generation and cardiovascular phenotype of mice lacking only smoothelin-B (

Smtn-B
−/−

).

Methods and Results—

Myograph studies revealed that the contractile capacity of the saphenous and femoral arteries was strongly reduced in

Smtn-B
−/−

mice, regardless of the contractile agonist used to trigger contraction. Arteries from

Smtn-A/B
−/−

compound mutant mice exhibited a similar contractile deficit.

Smtn-B
−/−

arteries had a normal architecture and expressed normal levels of other smooth muscle cell–specific genes, including smooth muscle myosin heavy chain, α-smooth muscle actin, and smooth muscle-calponin. Decreased contractility of

Smtn-B
−/−

arteries was paradoxically accompanied by increased mean arterial pressure (20 mm Hg) and concomitant cardiac hypertrophy despite normal parasympathetic and sympathetic tone in

Smtn-B
−/−

mice. Magnetic resonance imaging experiments revealed that cardiac function was not changed, whereas distension of the proximal aorta during the cardiac cycle was increased in

Smtn-B
−/−

mice. However, isobaric pulse wave velocity and pulse pressure measurements indicated normal aortic distensibility.

Conclusions—

Collectively, our results identify smoothelins as key determinants of arterial smooth muscle contractility and cardiovascular performance. Studies on mutations in the
Smtn
gene or alterations in smoothelin levels in connection to hypertension in humans are warranted.
Physical Activity and Incidence of Atrial Fibrillation in Older Adults
Authors: Mozaffarian Dariush , Furberg Curt D. , Psaty Bruce M. , Siscovick David
Published: August 2008

Background—

Vigorous exertion and endurance training have been reported to increase atrial fibrillation (AF). Associations of habitual light or moderate activity with AF incidence have not been evaluated.

Methods and Results—

We prospectively investigated associations of leisure-time activity, exercise intensity, and walking habits, assessed at baseline and updated during follow-up visits, with incident AF, diagnosed by annual 12-lead ECGs and hospital discharge records, from 1989 to 2001 among 5446 adults ≥65 years of age in the Cardiovascular Health Study. During 47 280 person-years of follow-up, 1061 new AF cases occurred (incidence 22.4/1000 person-years). In multivariable-adjusted analyses, leisure-time activity was associated with lower AF incidence in a graded manner, with 25% (hazard ratio [HR] 0.75, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.61 to 0.90), 22% (HR 0.78, 95% CI 0.65 to 0.95), and 36% (HR 0.64, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.79) lower risk in quintiles 3, 4, and 5 versus quintile 1 (
P
for trend <0.001). Exercise intensity had a U-shaped relationship with AF (quadratic
P
=0.02): Versus no exercise, AF incidence was lower with moderate-intensity exercise (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.58 to 0.89) but not with high-intensity exercise (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.64 to 1.19). Walking distance and pace were each associated with lower AF risk in a graded manner (
P
for trend <0.001); when we assessed the combined effects of distance and pace, individuals in quartiles 2, 3, and 4 had 25% (HR 0.75, 95% CI 0.56 to 0.99), 32% (HR 0.68, 95% CI 0.50 to 0.92), and 44% (HR 0.56, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.82) lower AF incidence than individuals in quartile 1. Findings appeared unrelated to confounding by comorbidity or indication. After evaluation of cut points of moderate leisure-time activity (≈600 kcal/week), walking distance (12 blocks per week), and pace (2 mph), 26% of all new AF cases (95% CI 7% to 43%) appeared attributable to absence of these activities.

Conclusions—

Light to moderate physical activities, particularly leisure-time activity and walking, are associated with significantly lower AF incidence in older adults.
Offenbach in Arabien
Authors: Flores Alexander
Published: July 2008

Twice, the theatre of Jacques Offenbach exerted a marked influence on musical theatre in Egypt. The first occasion was a number of performances of his most popular opéra-bouffes, in French and by French artists, around 1870. The ruler, Ismā'īl, tried to introduce European culture in Egypt and gave Offenbach's work a central role in that endeavour. With Ismā'īl's decline, that attempt was discontinued. The second appearance occurred in 1920/21. Then, two of the most popular musical comedies of the famous Egyptian composer Sayyid Darwīš had Offenbach's works as their sources. These works were translated into Egyptian Arabic, given an oriental setting and an Egyptian colour, e.g. by having the lyrics written by popular Egyptian poets. The main message of the original pieces—attacking the military and the authorities in general by ridiculing them—was changed by introducing a clear anti-Turkish thrust, thus castigating the aristocracy ruling Egypt at the time of the adaptation and, by implication, the British occupation. Whereas the text of the Egyptian pieces was quite closely inspired by the French originals, the music shows no signs of direct influence by Offenbach—it is vintage Sayyid Darwīš. The article also sheds some light on the musical theatre of the brothers Rahbānī in Lebanon that has not been directly inspired by Offenbach but exhibits a spirit quite close to his and thus lends itself to a comparison.
Environmentally Friendly Behavior
Authors: Dolnicar Sara , Grün Bettina
Published: August 2008

The study of behavior with environmental consequences (recycling, water conservation, etc.) has received significant attention from social scientists over the past few decades. However, few studies have closely examined the systematic heterogeneity of behavior with environmental consequences. This study tests two specific hypotheses about such heterogeneity: that individuals differ systematically in their patterns of behavior with environmental consequences and that behavioral patterns systematically differ between context/environments. Both hypotheses are investigated empirically in the home and vacation environment. Results support the assumption that systematic differences in behavioral patterns exist across individuals. With respect to context/environment dependence, some groups of individuals do not change their behavior much between contexts/environments. The majority, however, tend to engage in fewer proenvironmental behaviors in the vacation context. These findings have significant implications for environmentally sustainable management, both for local councils and tourism destinations.
Economic Interests and Congressional Voting on Security Issues
Authors: Fordham Benjamin O.
Published: July 2008

Most research on congressional consideration of foreign and defense policy concludes that ideology is the most important influence on roll-call voting and that constituent economic interests are not very important. This article challenges this conclusion on two grounds. First, most previous research conceives of constituent economic interests on these issues very narrowly, examining only the benefits constituents obtain from providing military goods and services rather than their economic stakes in the broader goals of national security policy. Second, the effect of ideology on congressional voting has changed enormously over time, a fact that poses difficulties for research that has stressed this consideration. The effects of broader economic interests and the changing implications of ideology are tested using a sample of key Senate votes on military resource allocation, intervention, and foreign aid from 1947 through 2000.
Good Times, Bad Times: How Personal Disadvantage Moderates the Relationship Between Social Dominance and Efforts to Win
Authors: Cozzolino Philip J. , Snyder Mark
Published: July 2008

Recent work has linked social dominance orientation (SDO) to ruthless, uncaring individuals who see the world as a competitive jungle. This need to “rule the jungle,” then, should become activated when high SDOs are in positions that threaten their chances of victory. In Study 1, the authors manipulated advantage and disadvantage in the form of resources; in an ensuing task, they observed higher levels of greed only among disadvantaged high SDOs. In Study 2, high SDOs with less opportunity to compete relative to others evidenced significantly more extra-effort to win, even though their effort broke the rules. In Study 3, the authors replicated this effect and demonstrated that extra-effort predicted increased beliefs in actual performance, which in turn predicted decisions to argue for a higher score. In sum, the results provide support for the notion of SDO reflecting underlying needs to compete and win at all costs.
Art Therapy With Serious Juvenile Offenders
Authors: Persons Roy W.
Published: August 2008

Forty-six seriously delinquent, incarcerated boys received individual and group therapy for 32 months. The study examined how art therapy addressed the boys' psychological needs via analysis of the boys' self-selected art productions. In descending order of frequency, the eight most frequent need themes were identity issues; need for security and tranquility; need for freedom, adventure, and fun; need for ideal parental relationships; need for affiliation and affection; erotic and sexual needs; expression of depression, childhood trauma, and other psychological problems; and religious or spiritual needs. The boys' perceptions of what was most helpful about art therapy in descending order were stress relief and relaxation, reduction of boredom, pride and self-confidence, positive recognition, working through frustration, enjoyment and fun, improvement of ability to concentrate, and the way they were treated. Three brief case histories and a description of the art therapy procedures are given. Possible implications for cognitive restructuring are discussed.
Nutrition Screening Tools for Hospitalized Patients
Authors: Anthony Patricia S.
Published: August 2008

There is agreement among international nutrition organizations and healthcare accrediting organizations that nutrition screening is essential to identify patients needing further nutrition assessment to determine appropriate nutrition intervention. Numerous nutrition screening tools are used in hospitals, but many, if not most, have never been validated for the care setting, patient population, or outcome they strive to identify. Thus, it is unclear if they appropriately identify patients who truly need further nutrition assessment and, potentially, intervention. Several nutrition screening tools reported in the literature have been validated in a variety of care settings and patient populations and have been shown to achieve the desired outcome. These tools include the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002, Mini Nutritional Assessment®, Short Nutritional Assessment Questionnaire©, Malnutrition Screening Tool, and the Subjective Global Assessment. It is important for clinicians to understand how the tools were validated and for which population and care setting they were developed, and to determine if the tool might be appropriate for use in their institution.
Influence of Intestinal Stoma on Spiritual Quality of Life of U.S. Veterans
Authors: Baldwin Carol M. , Grant Marcia , Wendel Christopher , Rawl Susan , Schmidt C. Max , Ko Clifford , Krouse Robert S.
Published: July 2008

Purpose: To examine spiritual quality of life (QOL) of veterans with intestinal ostomies. Design: Mixed-method cross-sectional. Methods: Male veterans with total scores in the upper ( n = 59) and lower ( n = 61) quartiles of the City of Hope Quality-of-Life–Ostomy survey provided spiritual QOL data. Analyses included chi-square and analysis of variance with significance set at p < .05. Content analysis was used to explicate narratives and focus groups. Results: The high spiritual QOL group was more likely to be married, older, and report more years since surgery (each p < .0001). Upper quartile participants had more favorable scores for several spiritual QOL domains (all p < .0001). Qualitative comments reflected high or low total QOL scores. Conclusions: Spiritual QOL is influenced by an intestinal stoma. Qualitative comments lend insight into the meaning of spirituality items. Findings can assist in the provision of holistic care in this population.