bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trisomy 11 as an Additional Chromosome Alteration in a Child with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia with Poor Prognosis
Authors: Bastos Elenice Ferreira , Silva Lidiane Alice , Ramos Marcelo Coelho , Pimenta Glicínia , Cortez Paulo Ivo , de Lucena Stella Beatriz Gonçalves , Fernandez Teresa de Souza
Published: July 2012

The prognostic significance of the additional abnormalities to the t(15; 17) remains controversial. We report a case of promyelocytic leukemia (APL) in a ten-year-old boy. Classical and molecular cytogenetic (FISH) studies of a bone marrow sample obtained at diagnosis revealed the presence of trisomy of chromosome 11 as an additional chromosomal abnormality to the t(15; 17). The presence of the translocation t(15; 17), the cytogenetic marker of APL, is usually associated with good response to treatment with ATRA. In this case, although the patient had risk factors associated with good prognosis, he evolved and died quickly. So it seems that the presence of the trisomy 11 may be associated with disease progression and the poor outcome. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of t(15; 17) associated with trisomy of chromosome 11 in a child with APL.
Wigner‐Ville Distribution Associated with the Linear Canonical Transform
Authors: Bai Rui-Feng , Li Bing-Zhao , Cheng Qi-Yuan
Published: July 2012

The linear canonical transform is shown to be one of the most powerful tools for nonstationary signal processing. Based on the properties of the linear canonical transform and the classical Wigner‐Ville transform, this paper investigates the Wigner‐Ville distribution in the linear canonical transform domain. Firstly, unlike the classical Wigner‐Ville transform, a new definition of Wigner‐Ville distribution associated with the linear canonical transform is given. Then, the main properties of the newly defined Wigner‐Ville transform are investigated in detail. Finally, the applications of the newly defined Wigner‐Ville transform in the linear‐frequency‐modulated signal detection are proposed, and the simulation results are also given to verify the derived
theory.
TB and HIV Therapeutics: Pharmacology Research Priorities
Authors: Dooley Kelly E. , Kim Peter S. , Williams Sharon D. , Hafner Richard
Published: July 2012

An unprecedented number of investigational drugs are in the development pipeline for the treatment of tuberculosis. Among patients with tuberculosis, co-infection with HIV is common, and concurrent treatment of tuberculosis and HIV is now the standard of care. To ensure that combinations of anti-tuberculosis drugs and antiretrovirals are safe and are tested at doses most likely to be effective, selected pharmacokinetic studies based on knowledge of their metabolic pathways and their capacity to induce or inhibit metabolizing enzymes of companion drugs must be conducted. Drug interaction studies should be followed up by evaluations in larger populations to evaluate safety and pharmacodynamics more fully. Involving patients with HIV in trials of TB drugs early in development enhances the knowledge gained from the trials and will ensure that promising new tuberculosis treatments are available to patients with HIV as early as possible. In this review, we summarize current and planned pharmacokinetic and drug interaction studies involving investigational and licensed tuberculosis drugs and antiretrovirals and suggest priorities for tuberculosis-HIV pharmacokinetic, pharmacodynamic, and drug-drug interaction studies for the future. Priority studies for children and pregnant women with HIV and tuberculosis co-infection are briefly discussed.
On Robust Hybrid Force/Motion Control Strategies Based on Actuator Dynamics for Nonholonomic Mobile Manipulators
Authors: Zhu Yongxin , Fan Liping
Published: July 2012

Robust force/motion control strategies are presented for mobile manipulators under both holonomic and nonholonomic constraints in the presence of uncertainties and disturbances. The controls are based on structural knowledge of the dynamics of the robot, and the actuator dynamics is also taken into account. The proposed control is robust not only to structured uncertainty such as mass variation but also to unstructured one such as disturbances. The system stability and the boundness of tracking errors are proved using Lyapunov stability theory. The proposed control strategies guarantee that the system motion converges to the desired manifold with prescribed performance. Simulation results validate that not only the states of the system asymptotically converge to the desired trajectory, but also the constraint force asymptotically converges to the desired force.
On the Distribution of Zeros and Poles of Rational Approximants on Intervals
Authors: Andrievskii V. V. , Blatt H.-P. , Kovacheva R. K.
Published: July 2012

The distribution of zeros and poles of best rational approximants is well understood for the functions f(x) = |x|α, α > 0. If f ∈ C[−1, 1] is not holomorphic on [−1, 1], the distribution of the zeros of best rational approximants is governed by the equilibrium measure of [−1, 1] under the additional assumption that the rational approximants are restricted to a bounded degree of the denominator. This phenomenon was discovered first for polynomial approximation. In this paper, we investigate the asymptotic distribution of zeros, respectively, a‐values, and poles of best real rational approximants of degree at most n
to a function f ∈ C[−1, 1] that is real‐valued, but not holomorphic on [−1, 1]. Generalizations to the lower half of the Walsh table are indicated.
Inference about Causation from Examination of Familial Confounding: Application to Longitudinal Twin Data on Mammographic Density Measures that Predict Breast Cancer Risk
Authors: Stone Jennifer , Dite Gillian S. , Giles Graham G. , Cawson Jennifer , English Dallas R. , Hopper John L.
Published: July 2012

Background: Mammographic density is a strong risk factor for breast cancer. It is unknown whether there are different causes of variation in mammographic density at different ages.

Methods: Mammograms and questionnaires were obtained on average 8 years apart from 327 Australian female twin pairs (204 monozygous and 123 dizygous). Mammographic dense area and percentage dense area were measured using a computer-assisted method. The correlational structure of the longitudinal twin data was estimated under a multivariate normal model using FISHER. Inference about causation from examination of familial confounding was made by regressing each twin's recent mammographic density measure against one or both of her and her co-twin's past measures.

Results: For square root dense area and percentage dense area (age- and body mass index–adjusted), the correlations over time within twins were 0.86 and 0.82, and the cross-twin correlations were 0.71 and 0.65 for monozygous pairs and 0.25 and 0.20 for dizygous pairs, respectively. As a predictor of a twin's recent dense area, the regression coefficient (SE) for the co-twin's past dense area reduced after adjusting for her own past measure from 0.84 (0.03) to 0.09 (0.03) for monozygous pairs and from 0.63 (0.04) to 0.04 (0.03) for dizygous pairs. Corresponding estimates for percentage dense area were 0.73 (0.04), 0.10 (0.03), 0.42 (0.05), and 0.03 (0.03).

Conclusion: Mammographic density measures are highly correlated over time and the familial/genetic components of their variation are established before mid-life.

Impact: Mammographic density of young women could provide a means for breast cancer control. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(7); 1149–55. ©2012 AACR.
Pathway Analyses Identify TGFBR2 as Potential Breast Cancer Susceptibility Gene: Results from a Consortium Study among Asians
Authors: Ma Xiangyu , Beeghly-Fadiel Alicia , Lu Wei , Shi Jiajun , Xiang Yong-Bing , Cai Qiuyin , Shen Hongbing , Shen Chen-Yang , Ren Zefang , Matsuo Keitaro , Khoo Ui Soon , Iwasaki Motoki , Long Jirong , Zhang Ben , Ji Bu-Tian , Zheng Ying , Wang Wenjing , Hu Zhibin , Liu Yao , Wu Pei-Ei , Shieh Ya-Lan , Wang Shenming , Xie Xiaoming , Ito Hidemi , Kasuga Yoshio , Chan Kelvin Y.K. , Iwata Hiroji , Tsugane Shoichiro , Gao Yu-Tang , Shu Xiao Ou , Moses Harold L. , Zheng Wei
Published: July 2012

Background: The TGF-β signaling pathway plays a significant role in the carcinogenic process of breast cancer.

Methods: We systematically evaluated associations of common variants in TGF-β signaling pathway genes with breast cancer risk using a multistage, case–control study among Asian women.

Results: In the first stage, 341 single-nucleotide polymorphisms with minor allele frequencies ≥ 0.05 across 11 genes were evaluated among 2,926 cases and 2,380 controls recruited as a part of the Shanghai Breast Cancer Genetics Study (SBCGS). In the second stage, 20 SNPs with promising associations were evaluated among an additional 1,890 cases and 2,000 controls from the SBCGS. One variant, TGFBR2 rs1078985, had highly consistent and significant associations with breast cancer risk among participants in both study stages, as well as promising results from in silico analysis. Additional genotyping was carried out among 2,475 cases and 2,343 controls from the SBCGS, as well as among 5,077 cases and 5,384 controls from six studies in the Asian Breast Cancer Consortium (stage III). Pooled analysis of all data indicated that minor allele homozygotes (GG) of TGFBR2 rs1078985 had a 24% reduced risk of breast cancer compared with major allele carriers (AG or AA; OR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.65–0.89; P = 8.42 × 10−4).

Conclusion: These findings support a role for common genetic variation in TGF-β signaling pathway genes, specifically in TGFBR2, in breast cancer susceptibility.

Impact: These findings may provide new insights into the etiology of breast cancer as well as future potential therapeutic targets. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(7); 1176–84. ©2012 AACR.
The Inconvenience of Convenience Cohorts: Rhabdomyosarcoma and the PAX-FOXO1 Biomarker
Authors: Rosenberg Abby R. , Skapek Stephen X. , Hawkins Douglas S.
Published: July 2012

“Convenience cohorts” comprise individuals thought to represent the general population, but chosen because they are readily available for evaluation, rather than at random. As such, these methods are subject to bias and may be misleading. Convenience cohorts have been used to investigate the prognostic significance of chromosomal translocations between the PAX3 or PAX7 and the FOXO1 genes in rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common pediatric sarcoma. However, retrospective studies assessing the role of PAX-FOXO1 translocations have yielded inconsistent results. This review highlights the findings from several clinical correlation studies of the PAX-FOXO1 biomarker and illustrates the challenges of using such methods to draw clinical conclusions. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 21(7); 1012–8. ©2012 AACR.
New Insight into the SDF-1/CXCR4 Axis in a Breast Carcinoma Model: Hypoxia-Induced Endothelial SDF-1 and Tumor Cell CXCR4 Are Required for Tumor Cell Intravasation
Authors: Jin Fengyan , Brockmeier Ulf , Otterbach Friedrich , Metzen Eric
Published: July 2012

The SDF-1/CXCR4 axis has been implicated in breast cancer metastasis. In contrast to its well-established role in organ-specific homing and colonization of tumor cells, the involvement in intravasation, especially in a hypoxic environment, is still poorly understood. Initially, we detected both, the chemokine SDF-1 and its receptor CXCR4 in microvessels in invasive ductal cancer samples. To elucidate the role of the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis in vascular endothelium for tumor intravasation, we evaluated the effects of CXCR4 activation in human umbilical vein and dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HUVEC and HDMEC) and in cultured mammary carcinoma cells (MDA MB231, and MCF7). We observed an upregulation of SDF-1 and CXCR4 in HUVECs in hypoxia, which led to proliferation, migration, and tube formation. Hypoxia induced adhesion of tumor cells to endothelial cells and stimulated transendothelial migration. The effects of hypoxia were dependent on the activity of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor. Adhesion to and migration through a HUVEC monolayer were significantly reduced by lentiviral inhibition of CXCR4 in breast carcinoma cells or treatment of endothelial cells with an anti-SDF-1 neutralizing antibody. These data show that the interaction of SDF-1 secreted by ECs with tumor cell CXCR4 is sufficient to stimulate transendothelial migration of the tumor cells. Our results suggest that the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis is important in angiogenesis and tumor cell intravasation. Because both proteins were readily identifiable in a significant fraction of human breast cancer samples by immunohistochemistry, CXCR4 may constitute a molecular target for therapy when both, SDF-1, and CXCR4 are expressed. Mol Cancer Res; 10(8); 1021–31. ©2012 AACR.
Use of a Virtual Reality Simulator to Improve Percutaneous Renal Access Skills: A Prospective Study in Urology Trainees
Authors: Papatsoris A.G. , Shaikh T. , Patel D. , Bourdoumis A. , Bach C. , Buchholz N. , Masood J. , Junaid I.
Published: July 2012

Objectives: This study aims to assess the impact of a virtual reality trainer in improving percutaneous renal access skills of urological trainees. Methods: A total of 36 urology trainees participated in this prospective study. Initially, they were taken through the exercise of gaining access to the lower pole calyceal system and introducing a guidewire down the ureter. Trainees’ performance was then assessed by virtual reality-derived parameters of the simulator at baseline and after 2 h of training. Results: Participants who underwent training with the simulator demonstrated significant improvement in several parameters compared to their baseline performance. There was a statistically significant correlation between total time to perform the procedure and time of radiation exposure, radiation dose and correct calyx puncture (p < 0.01). Trainees needed a mean of 15.8 min from skin puncture to correct guidewire placement into the pelvicalyceal system before and 6.49 min following training. Conclusions: We found percutaneous renal access skills of trainees improve significantly on a number of parameters as a result of training on the PERC Mentor TM VR simulator. Such simulated training has the potential to decrease the risks and complications associated with the early stages of the learning curve when training for percutaneous renal access in patients.
Anti-Inflammatory Effect of the Endocannabinoid Anandamide in Experimental Periodontitis and Stress in the Rat
Authors: Rettori Elisa , De Laurentiis Andrea , Zorrilla Zubilete María , Rettori Valeria , Elverdin Juan Carlos
Published: July 2012

Objective: Periodontitis is an infectious disease leading to inflammation and destruction of tissue surrounding and supporting the tooth. The progress of the inflammatory response depends on the host’s immune system and risk factors such as stress. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of the endocannabinoid anandamide (AEA) in experimental periodontitis with restraint stress, since the endocannabinoid system is known to modulate the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis as well as immune functions and has been found in human gingival tissues. Methods: Experimental periodontitis was induced by ligature around first inferior molars and immobilization stress for 2 h twice daily for 7 days in a rat model. Results: Corticosterone plasma levels, locomotor activity, adrenal gland weight and bone loss were increased in periodontitis and stress groups, and there was also less weight gain. The inflammatory parameters such as prostaglandin E2 (radioimmunoassay), nitric oxide (radioconversion of 14C-arginine), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α (ELISA) and interleukin (IL)-1β (Western blot) measured in the gingival tissue were significantly increased in the periodontitis groups compared to the control group. Local injection of AEA (10–8M, 30 µl) decreased corticosterone plasma levels and the content of the cytokines TNF-α and IL-1β in gingival tissue in periodontitis-stress groups. These AEA-induced inhibitions were mediated by CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptors since the injection of both antagonists together, AM251 (10–6M) and AM630 (10–6M) in 30 µl, prevented these effects. Conclusion: The endocannabinoid AEA diminishes the inflammatory response in periodontitis even during a stressful situation.
Probiotics Modulate Host-Microbe Interaction in the Placenta and Fetal Gut: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Authors: Rautava Samuli , Collado Maria Carmen , Salminen Seppo , Isolauri Erika
Published: July 2012

Background: Early host-microbe interaction provides important maturational stimuli for the developing immune system. The role of prenatal microbial contact remains elusive. Objectives: Our aim was to investigate whether microbes in placenta or amniotic fluid affect fetal innate immune gene expression during late pregnancy and whether innate immune gene expression profiles in the placenta and the fetal gut may be modulated by dietary supplementation with specific probiotics. Methods: Altogether 43 pregnant women were randomized to receive (1) Bifidobacterium lactis, (2) B. lactis in combination with Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) or (3) placebo for 14 days before elective cesarian section at full term in a double-blind clinical trial. Bacteria in amniotic fluid and placenta were detected by quantitative (q)PCR. The expression of Toll-like receptor (TLR)-related genes in the placenta and meconium samples was assessed by qPCR. Gene expression patterns in meconium were interpreted to reflect immune physiology in the fetal gut. Results: The study was completed by 29 mother-infant pairs. Bacterial DNA was detected in all placenta samples. Microbial DNA in amniotic fluid and placenta was associated with changes in TLR-related gene expression in the fetal intestine. Maternal probiotic supplementation significantly modulated the expression of TLR-related genes both in the placenta and in the fetal gut. Conclusions: Microbial contact in utero is associated with changes in fetal intestinal innate immune gene expression profile. Fetal and placental immune physiology may be modulated by maternal dietary intervention using specific probiotics.
The Evolution of Marsupial and Monotreme Chromosomes
Authors: Deakin J.E. , Graves J.A.M. , Rens W.
Published: July 2012

Marsupial and monotreme mammals fill an important gap in vertebrate phylogeny between reptile-mammal divergence 310 million years ago (mya) and the eutherian (placental) mammal radiation 105 mya. They possess many unique features including their distinctive chromosomes, which in marsupials are typically very large and well conserved between species. In contrast, monotreme genomes are divided into several large chromosomes and many smaller chromosomes, with a complicated sex chromosome system that forms a translocation chain in male meiosis. The application of molecular cytogenetic techniques has greatly advanced our understanding of the evolution of marsupial chromosomes and allowed the reconstruction of the ancestral marsupial karyotype. Chromosome painting and gene mapping have played a vital role in piecing together the puzzle of monotreme karyotypes, particularly their complicated sex chromosome system. Here, we discuss the significant insight into karyotype evolution afforded by the combination of recently sequenced marsupial and monotreme genomes with cytogenetic analysis, which has provided a greater understanding of the events that have shaped not only marsupial and monotreme genomes, but the genomes of all mammals.
Amlodipine Reduces Inflammation despite Promoting Albuminuria in the Streptozotocin-Induced Diabetic Rat
Authors: Flynn Elizabeth R. , Marbury David C. , Sawyer R. Taylor , Lee Jonathan , Teutsch Christine , Kauser Katalin , Maric-Bilkan Christine
Published: July 2012

Amlodipine reduces blood pressure; however, its effect in the diabetic kidney irrespective of its blood pressure-lowering effects is unclear. This study examined the effects of amlodipine (0, 5, 10 and 20 mg/kg; DA0, DA5, DA10 and DA20, respectively) for 12 weeks on renal functional and structural changes in the streptozotocin-induced diabetic rat, a nonhypertensive model of diabetes-associated hyperfiltration. Compared with nondiabetic rats, diabetes (D) was associated with increased urine albumin excretion (UAE, 12.6 ± 3.40 vs. 3.73 ± 1.14 mg/day), glomerular filtration rate (2.17 ± 0.09 vs. 1.64 ± 0.12 ml/min/g kidney weight), glomerulosclerosis (0.21 ± 0.03 vs. 0.05 ± 0.01 AU) and infiltration of inflammatory cells (18.5 ± 2.78 vs. 6.92 ± 0.70 cells/cm2), but did not affect mean arterial pressure (MAP, 110 ± 4.70 vs. 109 ± 5.33 mm Hg). While DA20 abolished glomerular hyperfiltration (1.49 ± 0.05 ml/min/g kidney weight) and inflammatory cell abundance (6.0 ± 0.79 cells/cm2), it exacerbated UAE (43.5 ± 8.49 mg/day) and increased MAP (132 ± 3.76 mm Hg), but had no effect on renal pathology. These data suggest that amlodipine reduces renal inflammation and abolished glomerular hyperfiltration, but increases blood pressure and exacerbates albuminuria in the rat model of normotensive diabetic kidney disease. We conclude that amlodipine may have limited renoprotective effects in the face of hyperfiltration and absence of elevated blood pressure.
An Enhanced Geostationary Satellite–Based Convective Initiation Algorithm for 0–2-h Nowcasting with Object Tracking
Authors: Walker John R. , MacKenzie Wayne M. , Mecikalski John R. , Jewett Christopher P.
Published: July 2012

This paper describes an enhanced 0–2-h convective initiation (CI) nowcasting algorithm known as Satellite Convection Analysis and Tracking, version 2 (SATCASTv2). Tracking of developing cumulus cloud “objects” in advance of CI was developed as a means of reducing errors caused by tracking single satellite pixels of cumulus clouds, as identified in Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) output. The method rests on the idea that cloud objects at one time, when extrapolated forward in space and time using mesoscale atmospheric motion vectors, will overlap with the same actual cloud objects at a later time. Significant overlapping confirms that a coherent cumulus cloud is present and trackable in GOES data and that it is persistent enough that various infrared threshold–based tests may be performed to assess cloud growth. Validation of the new object-tracking approach to nowcasting CI was performed over four regions in the United States: 1) Melbourne, Florida; 2) Memphis, Tennessee; 3) the central United States/Great Plains; and 4) the northeastern United States as a means of evaluating algorithm performance in various convective environments. In this study, 9943 CI nowcasts and 804 CI events were analyzed. Optimal results occurred in the central U.S./Great Plains domain, where the probability of detection (POD) and false-alarm ratio (FAR) reached 85% and 55%, respectively, for tracked cloud objects. The FARs were partially attributed to difficulties inherent to the CI nowcasting problem. PODs were seen to decrease for CI events in Florida. Discussion is provided on how SATCASTv2 performed, as well as on how certain problems may be mitigated, especially in light of enhanced geostationary-satellite systems.
Stochastic Space–Time Disaggregation of Rainfall into DSD fields
Authors: Schleiss Marc , Berne Alexis
Published: July 2012

A stochastic method to disaggregate rain rate fields into drop size distribution (DSD) fields is proposed. It is based on a previously presented DSD simulator that has been modified to take into account prescribed block-averaged rain rate values at a coarser scale. The integral quantity used to drive the disaggregation process can be the rain rate, the radar reflectivity, or any variable directly related to the DSD. The proposed method is illustrated and qualitatively evaluated using radar rain rate data provided by MeteoSwiss for two rain events of very contrasted type (stratiform versus convective). The evaluation shows that both types of rainfall are correctly disaggregated, although the general agreement in terms of rain rate distributions, intermittency, and space–time structures is much better for the stratiform case. Possible extensions and generalizations of the technique (e.g., using radar reflectivities at two different frequencies or polarizations to drive the disaggregation process) are discussed at the end of the paper.
On the Width of the Equatorial Deep Jets
Authors: Greatbatch R. J. , Brandt P. , Claus M. , Didwischus S.-H. , Fu Y.
Published: July 2012

The equatorial deep jets (EDJ) are a striking feature of the equatorial ocean circulation. In the Atlantic Ocean, the EDJ are associated with a vertical scale of between 300 and 700 m, a time scale of roughly 4.5 years, and upward energy propagation to the surface. It has been found that the meridional width of the EDJ is roughly 1.5 times larger than expected based on their vertical scale. Here, the authors use a shallow-water model for a high-order baroclinic vertical normal mode to argue that mixing of momentum along isopycnals can explain the enhanced width. A lateral eddy viscosity of 300 m2 s−1 is found to be sufficient to account for the width implied by observations.
Carbon Dioxide Emission Pathways Avoiding Dangerous Ocean Impacts
Authors: Kvale K. , Zickfeld K. , Bruckner T. , Meissner K. J. , Tanaka K. , Weaver A. J.
Published: July 2012

Anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse gases could lead to undesirable effects on oceans in coming centuries. Drawing on recommendations published by the German Advisory Council on Global Change, levels of unacceptable global marine change (so-called guardrails) are defined in terms of global mean temperature, sea level rise, and ocean acidification. A global-mean climate model [the Aggregated Carbon Cycle, Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model (ACC2)] is coupled with an economic module [taken from the Dynamic Integrated Climate–Economy Model (DICE)] to conduct a cost-effectiveness analysis to derive CO2 emission pathways that both minimize abatement costs and are compatible with these guardrails. Additionally, the “tolerable windows approach” is used to calculate a range of CO2 emissions paths that obey the guardrails as well as a restriction on mitigation rate. Prospects of meeting the global mean temperature change guardrail (2° and 0.2°C decade−1 relative to preindustrial) depend strongly on assumed values for climate sensitivity: at climate sensitivities >3°C the guardrail cannot be attained under any CO2 emissions reduction strategy without mitigation of non-CO2 greenhouse gases. The ocean acidification guardrail (0.2 unit pH decline relative to preindustrial) is less restrictive than the absolute temperature guardrail at climate sensitivities >2.5°C but becomes more constraining at lower climate sensitivities. The sea level rise and rate of rise guardrails (1 m and 5 cm decade−1) are substantially less stringent for ice sheet sensitivities derived in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report, but they may already be committed to violation if ice sheet sensitivities consistent with semiempirical sea level rise projections are assumed.
On the role of cooling on fatigue failure of a woven glass/epoxy laminate
Authors: Kahirdeh A , Naderi M , Khonsari MM
Published: July 2012

The effect of the surface cooling on the fatigue life of a glass/epoxy laminate during fully reversed bending tests is investigated both experimentally and analytically. The experimental tests involve the use of acoustic emission and infrared thermography to monitor the structural integrity and evolution of damage. An analytical study is also performed to calculate the stress in the outermost layer of the laminate for both cases of cooled and uncooled specimens. The results show that the life of the laminate is highly dependent on the temperature and that surface cooling, if done appropriately, can significantly increase the fatigue life of the laminate.
Electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness, electrical resistivity and mechanical performance of carbonized medium density fiberboard
Authors: Kwon Jin Heon , Park Sang Bum , Ayrilmis Nadir , Kim Nam Hun , Kwon Sung Min
Published: July 2012

The effect of carbonization temperature on the electromagnetic interference shielding effectiveness, electrical resistivity, and mechanical performance of medium density fiberboards carbonized in a vacuum furnace under a gas flow of nitrogen (200 mL/min) between 400℃ and 1500℃ was investigated. The medium density fiberboards specimens carbonized below 700℃ showed stable and low electromagnetic interference values (1.3–7.6 dB) between 10 MHz and 1 GHz frequency. The electromagnetic interference (average 43.1 dB) of the MDF specimens carbonized at 800℃ were suitable for industrial applications. However, the MDF specimens carbonized above 900–1500℃ showed high electromagnetic interference values (66.8–84.6 dB). When the carbonization temperature increased from 600℃ to 700℃, the electrical resistivity of the specimens greatly decreased (180.9 × 103 to 137.5 Ω-cm). A further increment in the carbonization temperature (1200℃) had a small effect on the electrical resistivity (5.8 Ω-cm) of the specimens and no effect between 1300℃ (0.5 Ω-cm) and 1500℃ (0.5 Ω-cm). The carbonized specimens showed lower modulus of rupture and internal bond strength values than the untreated specimens but the differences between the strength values of the untreated specimens and the carbonized specimens decreased with increasing carbonization temperature. The modulus of elasticities of the specimens carbonized above 800℃ were higher than the untreated specimens.
The Relevance of Ideology to Contemporary Armed Conflicts
Authors: Ugarriza Juan E. , Craig Matthew J.
Published: July 2012

This article counterclaims that ideology lacks relevance to contemporary armed conflicts, especially when economic factors play an important role. Focusing on the case of Colombia, the authors utilize logistic regression analysis to test whether ideology allows one to distinguish between different armed groups and whether a combatant’s level of agreement with his or her armed group is related to affinity for that group’s ideology. The high degree of collinearity between three indicators of ideology—discourse, attitudes, and emotional responses—and their similar explanatory power support the article’s conceptual proposal of viewing them as different dimensions of the same phenomenon. The authors find that ideology continues to play a role in the internal dynamics of Colombian armed groups and that a combatant’s ideological development is influenced not only by pre-enlistment experiences but also by participation in a particular group. Future research should not ignore ideology as an important element of contemporary armed conflicts.
For Christ and Catalonia: Catholic Catalanism and Nationalist Revival in Late Francoism
Authors: Dowling Andrew
Published: July 2012

Princess of our noble Catalan land Oh Virgin of the mountain … pious Mother of this land that has always loved you, make it great and powerful 1

Over the course of Franco’s dictatorship in Spain (1939–1975), we can trace a remarkable transformation in the position of the Catholic Church in the historic territory of Catalonia. Subject to deep-rooted anti-clericalism, with the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War, the Church found itself the target of an unprecedented assault. The victory of Franco’s Nationalist forces in 1939 restored the Church, yet due to its Spanish Nationalist ideology, sought the ending of the Catalan Catholic tradition. However, over the course of the 1940s and 1950s, the Catalan Church was able to undertake a cautious reconstruction of the indigenous religious and cultural movement. This revival would begin to transform the Church’s position in Catalan society to the point where, by the mid-1960s, it was possible to assert that anti-clericalism was no more. The Church became a key element in the revival of Catalan nationalism and an important component to the opposition in late anti-Francoism.
Fear of World War III: Social Politics of Japan’s Rearmament and Peace Movements, 1950–3
Authors: Hajimu Masuda
Published: July 2012

This article traces the ways in which the Korean War inspired and stimulated diverse local discussions on Japan’s rearmament, which contributed to the reconstruction of memories of World War II and the shaping of a fear of World War III, which, in turn, had fundamental effects on the direction of postwar Japan. First, the article looks into immediate reactions to the outbreak of the Korean War, namely the establishment of the National Police Reserve, escalation of the red purge and intensification of pro-rearmament discussions. Second, it examines a set of responses to these aforementioned immediate reactions, namely student and peace movements that were anti-red purge, anti-rearmament and anti-war. Third, the article analyzes the conflicts and compromises between these two radically different reactions through investigating the adaptations of political figures and organizations in a series of heated public debates and electoral contestations in this period. The article argues that domestic pressures and social and historical contexts contributed significantly to the Janus-faced policy that Prime Minister Yoshida Shigeru crafted concerning the issue of Japan’s rearmament. Debates about rearmament were filtered through a variety of domestic social struggles over memories and legacies of World War II within an emerging ‘Cold War’ context.
Domesticating Modernity: The Turkish Magazine Yedigün, 1933–9
Authors: Nereid Camilla Trud
Published: July 2012

There was a time when Turkey was foreign even to its own population: it had a new constitution, a new head of state, a new capital, a new place of religious worship, a new alphabet, new social laws, a new penal code, new dress codes, a new education system, new names, a new calendar, a new weekly holiday, all as a result of the top-down modernization process enforced by the Kemalist regime. Much like tourists travelling abroad, the citizens of the new Turkish republic were in need of guidance: what to do, how to act, what to wear and how to speak. Yedigün not only provided its readers with the necessary social coordinates to find their bearings in the new landscape of modern Turkey, but also positioned Turkey as a modern country on the European map. Transcending “mere” translation, Yedigün domesticated modernity into the Turkish household, through appropriation and conversion. Passing on the Ottoman intellectual legacy of liberalism and internationalism, editor Simavi and his journalists challenged not only the West’s monopoly on modernity, but also its Kemalist interpretation. As a challenge from within the modernizing elite, it could not be written off as either behind the times or reactionary.
Reinterpreting the Expulsion of Germans from Poland, 1945–9
Authors: Service Hugo
Published: July 2012

This article offers a reinterpretation of the causes and driving forces behind the expulsion of Germans from Poland at the end of the Second World War. Recent scholarship has taken us beyond the German victimhood consensus of West German writers and the sanitized accounts of Communist-era Polish historians. It has demonstrated that the postwar expulsion was not merely the product of international agreements or the impulse for revenge, but was principally the outcome of the Communist-led government’s nationalist campaign to turn Poland into an ethnically homogeneous nation-state between 1944 and 1949. Several recent studies have emphasized that the regime sought to achieve ethnic purity in Poland’s ‘recovered territories’ not only through deliberate forced migration of Germans but also through systematic repopulation with Polish settlers. But there has yet to appear a detailed examination of the practical connection between these mass migration processes. By taking a locally grounded approach to the subject, this article demonstrates that the massive influx of Polish settlers in fact helped to instigate, propel and set the pace of the forced migration of Germans from postwar Poland, and that the fates of Germans and Poles thereby became inseparably intertwined.
From Cold War to a System of Peacekeeping Operations: The Discussions on Peacekeeping Operations in the UN During the 1980s up to 1992
Authors: Kertcher Chen
Published: July 2012

This paper examines the discussions on peacekeeping in the United Nations during the 1980s and up to the disintegration of the Soviet Union. It demonstrates that the call for wider implementation of UN peacekeeping operations and for the broadening of their functions began in the final stages of the Cold War. This was not a result of a shift in the policies of the Western powers or the work of the UN Secretariat; rather, the major source of change was an alliance between Western states which were veterans in contributing to peacekeeping operations and Eastern European states led by the Soviet Union. These two groups of states identified a need for multifunctional United Nations peacekeeping operations as the appropriate instrument for dealing with conflicts in the new world order of the 1990s. Many UN member states supported the new ideas which suited their myriad interests, albeit with reservations on several new functions of the operations. Therefore, with the end of the Cold War the international community found in peacekeeping the most uncontested instrument available to maintain international peace and security.
Leave none to claim the land
Authors: Verpoorten Marijke
Published: July 2012

More than 200 years after its first publication, the Malthusian thesis is still much debated, albeit in a modified form. Rather than predicting a global catastrophe, most neo-Malthusians stress the local character of the relationship between population pressure, natural resource scarcity, and conflict as well as its dependency on the socio-political and economic context. This softened version of Malthus’s thesis has received little empirical support in cross-country studies. In contrast, a number of subnational analyses have provided some evidence for local conditional Malthusian catastrophes, although ‘catastrophe’ is a big word since these studies have largely focused on low-intensity violence. This article adds to the small body of subnational studies, but focuses on a high-intensity conflict – the Rwandan genocide. In particular, it provides a meso-level analysis of the relation between population pressure and the intensity of violence measured by the death toll among the Tutsi across 1,294 small administrative units. The results indicate that the death toll was significantly higher in localities with both high population density and little opportunity for young men to acquire land. This finding can be interpreted as support for the neo-Malthusian thesis. On the other hand, it is possible that another mechanism operated – in densely populated areas, it may have been relatively easy for the elite to mobilize the population, because of dependency relations through the land and labor market. Alternatively, in densely populated areas, there may have been more lootable assets, and the violence may have been opportunistic rather than driven by need or by fear.
Incumbents, successors, and crisis bargaining
Authors: Wolford Scott
Published: July 2012

Leadership turnover may produce significant foreign policy changes when leaders differ from their predecessors in their preferences over the resort to war and when they cannot commit to implement inherited policies. How, then, does the expected behavior of an incumbent leader's successor affect crisis bargaining in the present? I analyze a leader-centric model of crisis bargaining in which (a) the distributive outcomes of crises affect political survival, (b) leadership turnover implies the accession of a new leader with potentially different preferences, and (c) successors can renegotiate inherited settlements. In equilibrium, the sensitivity of an incumbent’s political survival to making concessions interacts with the resolve of the successor to affect both the terms of settlement and the occurrence of war. First, political survival incentives can lead an incumbent to demand more than her adversary is willing to concede, provoking war when the successor is of similar resolve. Second, when a politically sensitive incumbent will be followed by a resolute successor, her adversary may grant otherwise unnecessary concessions to bolster the relatively irresolute incumbent in office. Finally, when a politically sensitive incumbent will be followed by an irresolute successor, her adversary may attack in order to depose the incumbent, hastening her replacement to secure better bargains in the future. Predictions about the present balance of resolve and leaders’ survival incentives may thus be fundamentally altered in light of the future balance of resolve.
Partial Adjustment Analysis of Income and Jobs, and Growth Regimes in the Appalachian Region with Smooth Transition Spatial Process Models
Authors: Lambert Dayton M. , Xu Wan , Florax Raymond J. G. M.
Published: July 2012

In this application, income and job growth in the eastern United States are explained using a partial adjustment model with regime switching potential and spatial spillover, or “Smooth Transition” spatial process models (STAR). This relatively new class of spatial regression models provides a parametric approach to testing hypotheses about the influence external economies have on “core-periphery” structures characterizing the Dixit-Stiglitz-Krugman type models describing regional economies. Growth is endogenized as a locally contagious process and specific to regimes, which are also endogenously determined by access to urban economies. The estimation approach relaxes distributional assumptions, using instruments to estimate the STAR process models with special attention given to instrument selection and definitions of spatial neighbors. In the empirical analysis, the authors focus on the specification of partial adjustment models by employing a common factor test to discern serial correlation from partial adjustment processes. Finally, an ex post qualitative analysis is conducted using phase diagrams to study convergence and stability properties of the regime-specific equilibrium solutions. A sensitivity analysis suggests that steady state employment levels in counties with Appalachian development highway networks is higher than counties without this infrastructure, but income levels are not different.
Self-Esteem and Self-Concept Examination Among Gifted Students With ADHD
Authors: Foley-Nicpon Megan , Rickels Heather , Assouline Susan G. , Richards Allison
Published: July 2012

Intellectually gifted students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) face unique academic and social challenges, yet little research has been conducted with this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the self-esteem and self-concept of intellectually gifted children with and without a coexisting diagnosis of ADHD. Data were gathered from 112 children, aged 6 to 18, identified as having high cognitive ability (IQ of 120, 91st percentile, or above); 54 participants also met diagnostic criteria for ADHD. Despite having similar IQs, gifted students with ADHD had lower scores on measures of self-esteem, behavioral self-concept, and overall happiness than gifted students without a comorbid diagnosis. Among all participants, children had higher reported overall happiness than adolescents. Professionals working with gifted students with ADHD should be aware of the potential for coexisting self-esteem difficulties and, if warranted, address these issues in educational and clinical environments.
The Malleability of Spatial Ability Under Treatment of a FIRST LEGO League-Based Robotics Simulation
Authors: Coxon Steve V.
Published: July 2012

A stratified random sample of volunteer participants ( N = 75) aged 9 to 14 was drawn from 16 public school districts’ gifted programs, including as many females ( n = 28) and children from groups traditionally underrepresented in gifted programs ( n = 18) as available. Participants were randomly divided into an experimental ( n = 38) and a control group ( n = 37) for an intervention study. All participants took the Cognitive Abilities Test (Form 6) Verbal Battery and the Project TALENT Spatial Ability Assessments. The experimental group participated in a simulation of the FIRST LEGO League (FLL) competition for 20 hr total over five consecutive days. All participants took the spatial measure again. Experimental males evidenced significant and meaningful gains in measured spatial ability (Cohen’s d = .87). Females did not evidence significant gains in measured spatial ability. This may be due to sampling error, gender differences in prior experience with LEGO, or differences in facets of spatial ability in the treatment or measurements.
Functional neuroanatomy of emotion processing in major depressive disorder is altered after successful antidepressant therapy
Authors: Rosenblau Gabriela , Sterzer Philipp , Stoy Meline , Park Soyoung , Friedel Eva , Heinz Andreas , Pilhatsch Maximilian , Bauer Michael , Ströhle Andreas
Published: July 2012

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with impaired processing and regulation of emotions. A vast body of research has elucidated the altered neural processes that occur in response to emotional stimuli, while little is known about anticipatory processes. Here we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate neural activation during the presentation and anticipation of negative stimuli. Furthermore, we examined the effects of an 8-week antidepressant treatment with escitalopram. We matched 12 unmedicated MDD patients and 12 healthy control participants to perform a task involving affective pictures. The design of our event-related task consisted of presenting positive, negative, and neutral pictures from the International Affective Picture System (IAPS) across two runs and under opposite conditions. For the ‘expected’ condition, the pictures were cued by a word indicating their emotional valence; whereas the ‘unexpected’ condition had a combination of random letters precede the emotion picture. MDD patients displayed greater amygdala activation when anticipating negative pictures and greater prefrontal activation when confronted with them without the anticipatory cues. After antidepressant treatment, both amygdala and prefrontal activation decreased significantly in the treated MDD patients relative to controls. These findings show that the neural mechanisms of emotion anticipation and processing are altered in patients with MDD and that these alterations are able to normalize after treatment with an antidepressant.