bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nature-Inspired Toolbox to Design and Optimize Systems
Authors: Singh Satvir , Khosla Arun , Saini J. S.
Published: June 2013

Nature-Inspired (NI) Toolbox is a Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) based toolbox which is developed in the MATLAB environment. It has been released under General Public License and hosted at SourceForge.net (http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitool/). The purpose of this toolbox is to facilitate the users/designers in design and optimization of their systems. This chapter discusses the fundamental concepts of PSO algorithms in the initial sections, followed by discussions and illustrations of benchmark optimization functions. Various modules of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) of NI Toolbox are explained with necessary figures and snapshots. In the ending sections, simulations results present comparative performance of various PSO models with concluding remarks.
Benefits of CMM and CMMI-Based Software Process Improvement
Authors: Abdullah Maged , Ahmad Rodina , Peck Lee Sai , Kasirun Zarinah Mohd , Alshammari Fahad
Published: June 2013

Software Process Improvement (SPI) has become the survival key of numerous software development organizations who want to deliver their products cheaper, faster, and better. A software process ultimately describes the way that organizations develop their software products and supporting services; meanwhile, SPI on the other hand, is the act of changing the software process and maintenance activities. This chapter purposefully describes the benefits of software process improvement. The Capability Maturity Model (CMM) and the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) are briefly surveyed and extensively discussed. Prior literature on the benefits and impacts of CMM and CMMI-based software process improvement is also highlighted.
High-Level Modeling to Support Software Design Choices
Authors: Muller Gerrit
Published: June 2013

The IT industry is suffering from severe budget overruns and ill-performing IT services. Some of the problems that have caused IT project disasters could have been anticipated in the early project phases and mitigated in the project follow-up by modeling the system context and the software design. This chapter shows how to make models of varied views and at varied levels of abstraction to guide software design choices. Models of the enterprise provide understanding of the objectives. Models of the specification provide understanding of system performance and behavior. Models of the design provide understanding of design choices, such as the allocation of functions, resource usage, selection of mechanisms for communication, instantiation, synchronization, security, exception handling, and many more aspects. High-level models are simple models with the primary goal to support understanding, analysis, communication, and decision making. The models have various complementary representations and formats, e.g. visual diagrams, mathematical formulas, and quantitative information and graphs. Model-driven and model-based engineering approaches focus mostly on artifacts to analyze and synthesize software and hardware. High-level models complement model driven approaches by linking the system context to more detailed design decisions. High-level modeling as discussed in this chapter is based on research performed in industrial settings; the so-called industry-as-laboratory approach.
Website Performance Measurement
Authors: Alsmadi Izzat
Published: June 2013

Some tasks will be easier to implement and test, and others will either be un-applicable or difficult to test and implement in comparison with testing in traditional software development environments. For engineering management, product and process quality evaluation are important assessment tools by which managers can have significant indicators of the evaluated project or product. There are many ways and characteristics by which websites can be evaluated. Quality attributes can be external or internal. They can be measured based on the developed product (i.e. the website) or the developing process. In this chapter, the author describes in detail some of the product and process metrics by which websites can be evaluated. They are described based on the major classification: process and product metrics. In each one of those two major classes, the author describes possible measurements, how they can be evaluated, and examples of attributes and tools used in this measurement. Values of measurements can in combination provide useful information for project management and planning. Focusing on only one or two attributes can possibly be insufficient or misleading.
Application of a Multi-Criteria Decision Support Tool in Assessing the Feasibility of Implementing Treated Wastewater Reuse
Authors: Adewumi J.R. , Ilemobade A.A. , van Zyl J.E.
Published: June 2013

Wastewater reuse is increasingly becoming an important component of water resources management in many countries. Planning of a sustainable wastewater reuse project involves multi-criteria that incorporate technical, economic, environmental and social attributes. These attributes of sustainability is the framework upon which the decision support tool presented in this paper is developed. The developed tool employs a user friendly environment that guides the decision makers in assessing the feasibility of implementing wastewater reuse. The input data into the tool are easily obtainable while the output is comprehensive enough for a feasibility assessment of treated wastewater reuse. The output is expressed in terms of effluent quality, costs, quantitative treatment scores and perception evaluation. Testing of the developed multi-criteria decision support tool using Parow wastewater treatment works in Cape Town showed the tool to be versatile and capable of providing a good assessment of both qualitative and quantitative criteria in the selection of treatment trains to meet various non-potable reuses. The perception module provided a quick assessment of potential user’s concerns on reuse and service providers’ capacity.
Avatar and Dialog Turn-Yielding Phenomena
Authors: Kunc Ladislav , Míkovec Zdenek , Slavík Pavel
Published: June 2013

Turn-taking and turn-yielding phenomena in dialogs receive increasing attention nowadays. A growing number of spoken dialog systems inspire application designers to humanize people’s interaction experience with computers. The knowledge of psychology in discourse structure could be helpful in this effort. In this paper the authors explore effectiveness of selected visual and vocal turn-yielding cues in dialog systems using synthesized speech and an avatar. The aim of this work is to detect the role of visual and vocal cues on dialog turn-change judgment using a conversational agent. The authors compare and study the cues in two experiments. Findings of those experiments suggest that the selected visual turn-yielding cues are more effective than the vocal cues in increasing correct judgment of dialog turn-change. Vocal cues in the experiment show quite poor results and the conclusion discusses possible explanations of that.
Evolving Pharmacotherapies for the Treatment of Metastatic Melanoma
Authors: Salama April K.S.
Published: June 2013

Metastatic melanoma remains a difficult disease to treat, and long term survivors are rare. Over the past few years, however, breakthroughs in both immunotherapy as well as targeted agents have had a tremendous impact on patients diagnosed with this disease. This review summarizes recent advances in systemic therapies for melanoma, including immune modulators directed against cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen-4 (CTLA-4) and programmed death-1 (PD-1), as well as a number of targeted agents. These approaches hold great promise as the landscape of therapeutic options for advanced melanoma continues to evolve.
A comparison of methods for smoothing and gap filling time series of remote sensing observations – application to MODIS LAI products
Authors: Kandasamy S. , Baret F. , Verger A. , Neveux P. , Weiss M.
Published: June 2013

Abstract. Moderate resolution satellite sensors including MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) already provide more than 10 yr of observations well suited to describe and understand the dynamics of earth's surface. However, these time series are associated with significant uncertainties and incomplete because of cloud cover. This study compares eight methods designed to improve the continuity by filling gaps and consistency by smoothing the time course. It includes methods exploiting the time series as a whole (iterative caterpillar singular spectrum analysis (ICSSA), empirical mode decomposition (EMD), low pass filtering (LPF) and Whittaker smoother (Whit)) as well as methods working on limited temporal windows of a few weeks to few months (adaptive Savitzky–Golay filter (SGF), temporal smoothing and gap filling (TSGF), and asymmetric Gaussian function (AGF)), in addition to the simple climatological LAI yearly profile (Clim). Methods were applied to the MODIS leaf area index product for the period 2000–2008 and over 25 sites showed a large range of seasonal patterns. Performances were discussed with emphasis on the balance achieved by each method between accuracy and roughness depending on the fraction of missing observations and the length of the gaps. Results demonstrate that the EMD, LPF and AGF methods were failing because of a significant fraction of gaps (more than 20%), while ICSSA, Whit and SGF were always providing estimates for dates with missing data. TSGF (Clim) was able to fill more than 50% of the gaps for sites with more than 60% (80%) fraction of gaps. However, investigation of the accuracy of the reconstructed values shows that it degrades rapidly for sites with more than 20% missing data, particularly for ICSSA, Whit and SGF. In these conditions, TSGF provides the best performances that are significantly better than the simple Clim for gaps shorter than about 100 days. The roughness of the reconstructed temporal profiles shows large differences between the various methods, with a decrease of the roughness with the fraction of missing data, except for ICSSA. TSGF provides the smoothest temporal profiles for sites with a % gap > 30%. Conversely, ICSSA, LPF, Whit, AGF and Clim provide smoother profiles than TSGF for sites with a % gap < 30%. Impact of the accuracy and smoothness of the reconstructed time series were evaluated on the timing of phenological stages. The dates of start, maximum and end of the season are estimated with an accuracy of about 10 days for the sites with a % gap < 10% and increases rapidly with the % gap. TSGF provides more accurate estimates of phenological timing up to a % gap < 60%.
Occurrence of necrotrophic leaf pathogens in wheat and their relation to symptom development in Hungary (2000-2002)
Authors: Csosz Maria
Published: June 2013

1879-2720 leaf samples from 8-13 stations of Hungary were collected in March, April, May and June 2000-2002. Drechslera tritici-repentis, Septoria tritici, Stagonospora nodorum and Bipolaris sorokiniana were found in the leaf samples. The occurrence of necrotrophic pathogens was highest (10,79%) in 2001 and lowest (2,63%) in 2002. The occurrence and rate of the necrotrophic pathogens changed significantly among years and locations. The resistance of cultivars based on natural infection could not be properly evaluated, as the level of the epidemic was mostly low and contradictory among locations. Additionally forty four cultivars were tested in Szeged after winter wheat in protected and unprotected environment. Among the necrotrophic pathogens, the dominant pathogens were D. tritici-repentis (2001 and 2002) and S. nodorum (2001). The differences in variety resistance were significant. The biotrophic (leaf rust, yellow rust and powdery mildew) as well as the mentioned necrotrophic pathogens caused significant yield decrease in both years. According to values of correlation coefficients, the influence of biotrophic pathogens was greater on the yield.
Plant communities of the cultivated fields of the Podlaski Przełom Bugu mesoregion. Part 1. Cereal communities
Authors: Skrzyczyńska Janina , Rzymowska Zofia
Published: June 2013

Characteristic of plant communities developing in the cereal cultivations of the Podlaski Przełom Bugu mesoregion is presented in the paper. This agricultural region is partially situated in the borders of the ,,Podlaski Przełom Bugu" Landscape Park. Extensive agriculture as well as large soil and microclimatic diversity resulted in occurrence of rich, floristically differentiated agrocoenoses. Three associations from the alliance Aperion spicae-venti were noted in the studied area. Association Vicietum tetraspermae was the most common and inner differentiated. Four subassociations: Vicietum tetraspermae scleranthetosum, Vicietum tetraspermae myosotidetosum, Vicietum tetraspermae typicum, Vicietum tetraspermae consolidetosum and 18 lower syntaxonomic units were distinguished. Plots of Papaveretum argemones, differentiated into 3 subassociations: Papaveretum argemones scleranthetosum, Papaveretum argemones typicum and Papaveretum argemones consolidetosum were noted seldom in the studied area. In the central part of the Podlaski Przełom Bugu mesoregion occurrence of a single plots of Arnoserido-Scleranthetum was noted.
Weed communities of root crops in the Pamir Alai Mts, Tajikistan (Middle Asia)
Authors: Nowak Sylwia , Nowak Arkadiusz S.
Published: June 2013

The paper presents the results of investigations of weed vegetation conducted on root crops in Tajikistan (Middle Asia), one of the world cradles of weed flora. The main research was conducted in the Zeravshanian, southern Tajikistan and Hissar-Darvasian geobotanical regions in 2011. The study was based on 107 phytosociological relevés obtained in various geobotanical regions of the country. The collected material probably presents the majority of variations among the weed communities of root cultivations in the Middle Asia. As a result of numerical analyses, 7 associations were distinguished: Convolvulo arvensis-Cyperetum rotundi, Daturo stramonii-Hibiscetum trioni, Setario pumilae-Sorghetum halepensi, Galinsogo-Setarietum, Equiseto arvensi-Xanthietum italici, Portulacetum oleracei and Brassico campestris-Lamietum amplexicauli. The last mentioned is new to science. Additionally, one subassociation has been proposed (Convolvulo arvensis-Cyperetum rotundi kochietosum scopariae). The main discrimination factor for the data set is the floristic structure of the associations. The study shows that root-crop plantations with segetal vegetation may harbor a relatively rich flora. Almost 200 species were found in vegetation plots, including some, which are rare and have not been recorded until now in this part of Middle Asia. However, most of the recorded species are widespread weeds typical for the Mediterranean and Irano-Turanian geobotanical provinces.
More Benign Lymphoproliferative Disease after Liver Transplant in Infants
Authors: Khedmat Hossein , Ghamar-Chehreh Mohammad Ebrahim , Amini Mohsen , Taheri Saeed
Published: June 2013

Context

Despite the high frequency of liver transplants in infants, few data are available on the characteristics of posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorders in liver transplant patients (PTLD).

Objective

To analyze special features and behavior of PTLD arising after liver transplant in infants.

Methods

A comprehensive search of the literature was conducted for the available data on PTLD in infant liver transplant recipients through PubMed and Google scholar. An infant was defined as a liver recipient who was less than 2 years old at the time of transplant. Overall, 205 cases of PTLD were found in 24 reports, and the 100 infants with PTLD were compared with children and adults with PTLD.

Results

PTLD lesions in infants were more likely to be polymorphic whereas monomorphic lesions were more prevalent among older patients ( P= .05). Remission rates, metastasis frequency, and organ involvement did not differ significantly between the groups. Survival analysis showed that the infants had a significantly better outcome than did older patients ( P = .05).

Conclusion

PTLD is more benign and may have a better outcome in infant liver transplant recipients than in older recipients. A prospective multicenter approach is needed for future research studies.
Growth and Development of a New Subspecialty: Pediatric Hepatology
Authors: Balistreri William F.
Published: June 2013

Several major forces converged to catalyze the formal emergence of a body of knowledge and an organized focus on disorders of the liver in early life. Attendant to the development of a focused clinical subspecialty the pace of patient- and laboratory-based research in the field quickened in parallel to decipher the consequences of genetic or metabolic aberrations on immature liver structure and function. The key research observations that catalyzed the emergence and subsequent rapid growth of Pediatric Hepatology include: (1) an understanding of the dynamic events occurring during hepatobiliary development and the importance of these physiologic variables that occur during liver maturation; (2) the recognition of the unique nature of inherited and acquired liver diseases that affect infants and children—such as biliary atresia and Reye's syndrome; and (3) redefinition of the once obscure inherited intrahepatic cholestatic diseases of the liver, which, in turn, provided insight into normal and abnormal hepatobiliary physiology. The clinical advances were highlighted by the development of specific approaches to the diagnosis and management of liver disease in infants and children, including both liver transplantation and nontransplant treatment options. These seminal events led to the expansion of the workforce, creating a critical mass consisting of individuals with focused, specialized skills and techniques. In-depth expertise allowed more accurate diagnosis and highly effective treatment strategies for advanced hepatobiliary disease in children. The demand for pediatric clinicians with experience in advanced hepatology allowed sub-sub-specialization to flourish. Continued maturation of the field led to definition of hepatology-focused curricular elements and educational content for Pediatric Gastroenterology training programs, and subsequently the development of program requirements for those who wished to acquire additional training in Pediatric Hepatology. A significant rite of passage was marked by the election of pediatric hepatologists to leadership positions in the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). Further validation of the field occurred with approval of the petition for establishing a Certificate of Added Qualification in Transplant Hepatology by the American Board of Pediatrics. Here I relate my perspective on the history of the advances in our field and the contributions of many of the clinicians and scientists whose efforts led to the development of focused clinical, research, and training programs that improved the care of children with diseases of the liver. (Hepatology 2013;58:458-476)
Immune escape of cancer cells with beta2‐microglobulin loss over the course of metastatic melanoma
Authors: del Campo Ana B. , Kyte Jon Amund , Carretero Javier , Zinchencko Svitlana , Méndez Rosa , González‐Aseguinolaza Gloria , Ruiz‐Cabello Francisco , Aamdal Steinar , Gaudernack Gustav , Garrido Federico , Aptsiauri Natalia
Published: June 2013

Cancer cells escape T‐cell‐mediated destruction by losing human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I expression via various mechanisms, including loss of beta2‐microglobulin (β2m). Our study illustrates the immune escape of HLA class I‐negative tumor cells and chronological sequence of appearance of tumor β2m gene mutation in successive lesions obtained from a patient with metastatic melanoma. We observed a gradual decrease in HLA expression in consecutive lesions with few HLA‐negative nodules in the primary tumor and the emergence of a totally negative lesion at later stages of the disease. We detected loss of β2m in β2m‐negative nests of the primary tumor caused by a combination of two alterations: (i) a mutation (G to T substitution) in codon 67 in exon 2 of β2m gene, producing a stop codon and (ii) loss of the second gene copy by loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in chromosome 15. The same β2m mutation was found in a homogeneously β2m‐negative metastasis 10 months later and in a cell line established from a biopsy of a postvaccination lymph node. Microsatellite analysis revealed the presence of LOH in chromosomes 6 and 15 in tumor samples, showing an accumulation of chromosomal loss at specific short tandem repeats in successive metastases during disease progression. HLA loss correlated with decreased tumor CD8+ T‐cell infiltration. Early incidence of β2m defects can cause an immune selection and expansion of highly aggressive melanoma clones with irreversible genetic defects causing total loss of HLA class I expression and should be taken into consideration as a therapeutic target in the development of cancer immunotherapy protocols.
A semigroup approach to functional differential evolution equations
Authors: Athanasiadou Evagelia S. , Dionysatos Vasileios F. , Koumantos Panagiotis N. , Pavlakos Panaiotis K.
Published: June 2013

We study functional differential evolution equations of the form , where − A is infinitesimal generator of an analytic semigroup in a Banach space E (with or without order) and the given right‐hand side modelling delay. In many cases, E is a Banach space of sections, such as vector field or differential forms of a (real or complex) vector bundle Ω (of possibly infinite dimension) over a locally convex manifold, for example, a Carathéodory–Finsler manifold. The operator A may in particular be generated by a Dirichlet form acting on an ordered Hilbert space. As an application, we consider a problem from thermo‐magnetohydrodynamics. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
1H NMR spectra of alkane‐1,3‐diols in benzene: GIAO/DFT shift calculations
Authors: Lomas John S.
Published: June 2013

The proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra of propane‐1,3‐diol, 2‐methylpropane‐1,3‐diol, 2,2‐dimethylpropane‐1,3‐diol, butane‐1,3‐diol, 3‐methylbutane‐1,3‐diol, pentane‐2,4‐diols (dl and meso), 2‐methylpentane‐2,4‐diol and cyclohexane‐1,3‐diols (cis and trans) in benzene have been analysed. The conformer distribution and the NMR shifts of these diols have been computed on the basis of density functional theory, the solvent being included by means of the integral equation formalism phase continuum model (IEFPCM) implemented in Gaussian 09. Relative Gibbs energies of all conformers are calculated at the Perdew, Burke and Ernzerhof (PBE)0/6‐311 + G(d,p) level, and NMR shifts by the gauge‐including atomic orbital method with the PBE0/6‐311 + G(d,p) geometry and the cc‐pVTZ basis set. Vicinal coupling constants for 1,2‐ and 1,3‐diols are rationalised in terms of relative conformer populations and geometries. The NMR shifts of hydrogen‐bonded protons in individual conformers of alkane‐1,n‐diols show a very rough correlation with the OH⋯OH distances. The computed overall NMR shifts for CH protons in 1,2‐ and 1,3‐diols are systematically high but correlate very well with the experimental values, with a gradient of 1.07 ± 0.01. Some values for nonequivalent methylene protons in 1,3‐diols are reversed, calculation giving enhanced values for the proton anti to the COH bonds. Errors in the NMR shifts computed for the OH protons of nonsymmetrical diols appear to be related to relative populations of conformers where one or other of the OH groups is the donor. Some results based on the second‐order Møller–Plesset approach, the Becke three‐parameter Lee‐Yang‐Parr method and on the IEFPCM solvation model implemented in Gaussian 03 are included. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improved three‐dimensional Look–Locker acquisition scheme and angle map filtering procedure for T1 estimation
Authors: Hui CheukKai , Esparza‐Coss Emilio , Narayana Ponnada A.
Published: June 2013

The three‐dimensional (3D) Look–Locker (LL) acquisition is a widely used fast and efficient T1 mapping method. However, the multi‐shot approach of 3D LL acquisition can introduce reconstruction artifacts that result in intensity distortions. Traditional 3D LL acquisition generally utilizes a centric encoding scheme that is limited to a single phase‐encoding direction in k space. To optimize k‐space segmentation, an elliptical scheme with two phase‐encoding directions is implemented for the LL acquisition. This elliptical segmentation can reduce the intensity errors in the reconstructed images and improve the final T1 estimation. One of the major sources of error in LL‐based T1 estimation is a lack of accurate knowledge of the actual flip angle. A multi‐parameter curve‐fitting procedure can account for some of the variability in the flip angle. However, curve fitting can also introduce errors in the estimated flip angle that can result in incorrect T1 values. A filtering procedure based on goodness of fit (GOF) is proposed to reduce the effect of false flip angle estimates. Filtering based on GOF weighting can remove probable incorrect angles that result in bad curve fitting. Simulation, phantom and in vivo studies have demonstrated that these techniques can improve the accuracy of 3D LL T1 estimation. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Risk behaviors and externalizing behaviors in adolescents dealing with parental cancer—a controlled longitudinal study
Authors: Jantzer Vanessa , Groß Juliane , Stute Fridrike , Parzer Peter , Brunner Romuald , Willig Katrin , Schuller‐Roma Bärbel , Keller Monika , Herzog Wolfgang , Romer Georg , Resch Franz
Published: June 2013

Objective

The results of studies concerning levels of internalizing and externalizing behaviors in adolescent children with a parent suffering from cancer as compared with control groups or normative data are contradictory so far. Longitudinal designs using control groups are rare. No study explicitly exploring a broad range of risk behaviors in adolescent children with a parent suffering from cancer exists to date.

Methods

Therefore, 74 adolescents who have a parent with cancer (index group) were compared with 75 adolescents with healthy parents (control group) concerning several juvenile risk behaviors and externalizing behaviors. Participants were examined three times over the course of 12 months.

Results

No significant main effects for group or interactional effects of group with time could be found for any of the measured variables.

Conclusions

Results suggest that the somatic illness of the parent is not a developmental risk that is expressed in increased levels of juvenile risk behavior. Adolescents with a parent suffering from cancer adjusted generally quite well to the parental illness, although some individuals did show signs of severe strain. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multilevel modeling versus cross‐sectional analysis for assessing the longitudinal tracking of cardiovascular risk factors over time
Authors: Xanthakis Vanessa , Sullivan Lisa M. , Vasan Ramachandran S.
Published: June 2013

Correlated data are obtained in longitudinal epidemiological studies, where repeated measurements are taken on individuals or groups over time. Such longitudinal data are ideally analyzed using multilevel modeling approaches, which appropriately account for the correlations in repeated responses in the same individual. Commonly used regression models are inappropriate as they assume that measurements are independent. In this tutorial, we use multilevel modeling to demonstrate its use for analysis of correlated data obtained from serial examinations on individuals. We focus on cardiovascular epidemiological research where investigators are often interested in quantifying the relations between clinical risk factors and outcome measures (X and Y, respectively), where X and Y are measured repeatedly over time, for example, using serial observations on participants attending multiple examinations in a longitudinal cohort study. For instance, it may be of interest to evaluate the relations between serial measures of left ventricular mass (outcome) and of its potential determinants (i.e., body mass index and blood pressure), both of which are measured over time. In this tutorial, we describe the application of multilevel modeling to cardiovascular risk factors and outcome data (using serial echocardiographic data as an example of an outcome). We suggest an analytical approach that can be implemented to evaluate relations between any potential outcome of interest and risk factors, including assessment of random effects and nonlinear relations. We illustrate these steps using echocardiographic data from the Framingham Heart Study with SAS PROC MIXED. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The origins of enzyme kinetics
Authors: Cornish-Bowden Athel
Published: June 2013

The equation commonly called the Michaelis–Menten equation is sometimes attributed to other authors. However, although Victor Henri had derived the equation from the correct mechanism, and Adrian Brown before him had proposed the idea of enzyme saturation, it was Leonor Michaelis and Maud Menten who showed that this mechanism could also be deduced on the basis of an experimental approach that paid proper attention to pH and spontaneous changes in the product after formation in the enzyme‐catalysed reaction. By using initial rates of reaction they avoided the complications due to substrate depletion, product accumulation and progressive inactivation of the enzyme that had made attempts to analyse complete time courses very difficult. Their methodology has remained the standard approach to steady‐state enzyme kinetics ever since.
Structural evidence for native state stabilization of a conformationally labile amyloidogenic transthyretin variant by fibrillogenesis inhibitors
Authors: Zanotti Giuseppe , Cendron Laura , Folli Claudia , Florio Paola , Imbimbo Bruno Pietro , Berni Rodolfo
Published: June 2013

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Use of single-grain geochemistry of cryptic tuffs and volcaniclastic sandstones improves the tephrostratigraphic framework of Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
Authors: McHenry Lindsay J. , Stollhofen Harald , Stanistreet Ian G.
Published: June 2013

Single-grain geochemical composition of volcaniclastic sandstones can be a potential tool to improve correlations of mixed pyroclastic/epiclastic deposits. To test this, trachytic tuffs of the paleoanthropologically important FLK, FLK N, and FLK NN sites of Pleistocene Olduvai Gorge Bed I (Tanzania) are used as an established tephrostratigraphic framework against which to test volcaniclastic sandstone correlations. Fluvio-lacustrine sandstones and tuff samples were collected from eight archeological trenches between Tuffs IB and ID across a 500-m transect, including Leakey's famousZinjanthropus(FLK) and OH 7/OH 8 (FLK NN) sites. A previously Tephrostratigraphy unknown, thin, fine, mineralogically unique, black trachyandesitic fallout ash was discovered below Tuff IC. Compositions of individual augite, feldspar and titanomagnetite grains from sandstones between Tuffs IB and IC reveal some IB-equivalent material, and a new compositional assemblage distinct from the sandwiching marker tuffs. Mineral compositions of the “tripartite” volcaniclastic sandstone between Tuffs IC and ID are similar to ID. Volcaniclastic sandstone grain fingerprints further refine correlations between fluvio-lacustrine sections within the area, providing support for proposed high-resolution stratigraphic reconstruction of theZinjanthropusand OH 7/OH 8 land surfaces. This method might be applied to other sections where pyroclastic particles are admixed but distinct tuffs are not preserved.
Drawing Sexual Violence in Wartime China: Anti-Japanese Propaganda Cartoons
Authors: Edwards Louise
Published: June 2013

During the War of Resistance against Japan (1937–45), China's leading cartoon artists formed patriotic associations aimed at repelling the Japanese military. Their stated propaganda goals were to boost morale among the troops and the civilian population by circulating artwork that would ignite the spirit of resistance among Chinese audiences. In keeping with the genre, racialized and sexualized imagery abounded. The artists created myriad disturbing visions of how militarized violence impacted men's and women's bodies differently. By analyzing the two major professional journals, National Salvation Cartoons and War of Resistance Cartoons, this article shows that depictions of sexual violence inflicted on Chinese women were integral to the artists' attempts to arouse the spirit of resistance. By comparing their depictions of different types of bodies (Chinese and Japanese, male and female, soldiers' and civilians') the article argues that the cartoonists believed that the depiction of sexually mutilated Chinese women would build resistance and spur patriotism while equivalent depictions of mutilated male soldiers would sap morale and hamper the war effort. The article concludes with a discussion about the dubious efficacy of propaganda that invokes a hypersexualized, masculine enemy other.
Grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations of vapor-liquid equilibria using a bias potential from an analytic equation of state
Authors: Sanchez Juan Manuel Castillo , Danner Timo , Gross Joachim
Published: June 2013

This article introduces an efficient technique for the calculation of vapor-liquid equilibria of fluids. Umbrella Sampling Monte Carlo simulations in the grand canonical ensemble were conducted for various types of molecules. In Umbrella Sampling, a weight function is used for allowing the simulation to reach unlikely states in the phase space. In the present case this weight function, that allows the system to overcome the energetic barrier between a vapor and liquid phase, was determined by a trivialized Density Functional Theory (DFT) using the PC-SAFT equation of state. The implementation presented here makes use of a multicanonical ensemble approach to divide the space of fluctuating particle number N into various subsystems. The a priori estimate of the weight function from the analytic DFT allows the parallelization of the calculation, which significantly reduces the computation time. In addition, it is shown that the analytic equation of state can be used to substitute sampling the dense liquid phase, where the sampling of insertion and deletion moves become demanding.
Dissociative electron attachment to hexafluoroacetylacetone and its bidentate metal complexes M(hfac)2; M = Cu, Pd
Authors: Engmann Sarah , Ómarsson Benedikt , Lacko Michal , Stano Michal , Matejčík Štefan , Ingólfsson Oddur
Published: June 2013

Beta-diketones are a versatile class of compounds that can complex almost any metal in the periodic table of elements. Their metal complexes are found to be fairly stable and generally have sufficient vapor pressure for deposition techniques requiring volatile metal sources. Motivated by the potential role of low energy electrons in focused electron beam induced deposition, we have carried out a crossed electron/molecular beam study on the dissociative electron attachment and non-dissociative electron attachment (NDEA) to hexafluoroacetylacetone (HFAc) and its bidentate metal complexes: bis-hexafluoroacetylacetonate copper(II), Cu(hfac)2 and bis-hexafluoroacetylacetonate palladium(II), Pd(hfac)2. The relative ion yield curves for the native precursor to the ligand as well as its stable, 16 valence electron Pd(II) complex and open shell, 17 valence electron Cu(II) complex, are presented and compared. For HFAc, the loss of HF leads to the dominant anion observed, and while NDEA is only weakly pronounced for Pd(hfac)2 and loss of hfac− is the main dissociation channel, [Cu(hfac)2]− formation from Cu(hfac)2 dominates. A comparison of the ion yield curves and the associated resonances gives insight into the role of the ligand in the attachment process and highlights the influence of the central metal atom.
Irreversibility, remanence, and Griffiths phase in Sm0.1Ca0.9MnO3 nanoparticles
Authors: Markovich V. , Puzniak R. , Fita I. , Wisniewski A. , Mogilyansky D. , Dolgin B. , Gorodetsky G. , Jung G.
Published: June 2013

Magnetic properties of compacted Sm0.1Ca0.9MnO3 particles with 25 and 60 nm average sizes have been investigated. Particular attention has been paid to Griffiths-like features at temperatures above magnetic transition temperature TC and to the system glassiness at low temperatures. Griffiths-like features in inverse magnetic susceptibility of Sm0.1Ca0.9MnO3 nanoparticles have been linked to the presence of short range ferromagnetically correlated spin clusters above TC. Glassy behavior has been revealed in temperature and frequency dependence of ac-susceptibility, temperature and field dependence of thermoremanent and isothermoremanent magnetization, and time decay of the remanent magnetization. Experiments revealed the major impact of the glassy component on magnetic properties of investigated nanoparticles. The magnetic relaxation associated with glassy features was found to be much more pronounced in smaller particles, where a formation of collective state in an ensemble of phase separated nanoparticles may take place. Thermomagnetic irreversibility found in Sm0.1Ca0.9MnO3 nanoparticles has been linked to martensitic strain effects.
Microstructural variations in Cu/Nb and Al/Nb nanometallic multilayers
Authors: Polyakov M. N. , Courtois-Manara E. , Wang D. , Chakravadhanula K. , Kübel C. , Hodge A. M.
Published: June 2013

Miscible (Al/Nb) and immiscible (Cu/Nb) nanometallic multilayer systems were characterized by means of transmission electron microscopy techniques, primarily by automated crystallographic orientation mapping, which allows for the resolution of crystal structures and orientations at the nanoscale. By using this technique, distinctive Nb orientations in relation to the crystallographic state of the Al and Cu layer structures can be observed. Specifically, the Al and Cu layers were found to consist of amorphous, semi-amorphous, and crystalline regions, which affect the overall multilayer microstructure.
Pyroelectric response mechanism of barium strontium titanate ceramics in dielectric bolometer mode: The underlying essence of the enhancing effect of direct current bias field
Authors: Mao Chaoliang , Cao Sheng , Yan Shiguang , Yao Chunhua , Cao Fei , Wang Genshui , Dong Xianlin , Hu Xu , Yang Chunli
Published: June 2013

Pyroelectric response mechanism of Ba0.70Sr0.30TiO3 ceramics under dielectric bolometer (DB) mode was investigated by dielectric and pyroelectric properties measurement. The variations of total, intrinsic, and induced pyroelectric coefficients (ptot, pint, pind) with temperatures and bias fields were analyzed. pint plays the dominant role to ptot through most of the temperature range and pind will be slightly higher than pint above T0. The essence of the enhancing effect of DC bias field on pyroelectric coefficient can be attributed to the high value of pint. This mechanism is useful for the pyroelectric materials (DB mode) applications.
Potential structure of discharge plasma inside liquid directly measured by an electrostatic probe
Authors: Chen Qiang , Kaneko Toshiro , Matsuda Naoki , Hatakeyama Rikizo
Published: June 2013

Potential structures of a discharge plasma inside a liquid are investigated by an electrostatic probe measurement. The time evolution of radial profiles of the floating potential for the plasma inside liquid reveals that the dominant negative charges in the plasma are the negative ion species such as OH− and O2− rather than electrons. In addition, a positive potential gradient exists at the plasma-liquid interface due to the presence of an electrical double layer which is caused by the separation of low-mass positive ion of H+ and high-mass negative ions of OH− and O2− near the plasma-liquid interface.
Robust wedge demonstration to optical negative index metamaterials
Authors: Shen Nian-Hai , Koschny Thomas , Kafesaki Maria , Soukoulis Costas M.
Published: June 2013

A robust wedge setup is proposed to unambiguously demonstrate negative refraction for negative index metamaterials. We applied our setup to several optical metamaterials from the literature and distinctly observed the phenomena of negative refraction. This further consolidates the reported negative-index property. It is found that there generally exists a lateral shift for the outgoing beam through the wedge. We derived a simple expression for calculating this beam shift and interestingly, it provides us a strategy to quantitatively estimate the loss of the wedge material (Im[n]). Additionally, we offered a design of metamaterials, compatible with nano-imprinting-lithography, showing negative refractive index in the visible regime (around yellow-light wavelengths). The multi-layer-system retrieval was utilized to extract the effective refractive index of the metamaterial. It was also intuitively characterized through our wedge setup to demonstrate corresponding phenomena of refraction.
Amyloid-β oligomers induce tau-independent disruption of BDNF axonal transport via calcineurin activation in cultured hippocampal neurons
Authors: Ramser Elisa M. , Gan Kathlyn J. , Decker Helena , Fan Emily Y. , Suzuki Matthew M. , Ferreira Sergio T. , Silverman Michael A.
Published: June 2013

Disruption of fast axonal transport (FAT) is an early pathological event in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Soluble amyloid-β oligomers (AβOs), increasingly recognized as proximal neurotoxins in AD, impair organelle transport in cultured neurons and transgenic mouse models. AβOs also stimulate hyperphosphorylation of the axonal microtubule-associated protein, tau. However, the role of tau in FAT disruption is controversial. Here we show that AβOs reduce vesicular transport of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in hippocampal neurons from both wild-type and tau-knockout mice, indicating that tau is not required for transport disruption. FAT inhibition is not accompanied by microtubule destabilization or neuronal death. Significantly, inhibition of calcineurin (CaN), a calcium-dependent phosphatase implicated in AD pathogenesis, rescues BDNF transport. Moreover, inhibition of protein phosphatase 1 and glycogen synthase kinase 3β, downstream targets of CaN, prevents BDNF transport defects induced by AβOs. We further show that AβOs induce CaN activation through nonexcitotoxic calcium signaling. Results implicate CaN in FAT regulation and demonstrate that tau is not required for AβO-induced BDNF transport disruption.
Degradation of rRNA in BM-N cells from the silkworm Bombyx mori during abortive infection with heterologous nucleopolyhedroviruses
Authors: Hamajima Rina , Ito Yuya , Ichikawa Haruka , Mitsutake Hiroshi , Kobayashi Jun , Kobayashi Michihiro , Ikeda Motoko
Published: June 2013

Cell lines derived from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, are only permissive for B. mori nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV), with other NPVs generally resulting in abortive infection. Here, we demonstrate that rRNA of B. mori BM-N cells undergoes rapid degradation through site-specific cleavage upon infection with NPVs from Autographa californica (AcMNPV), Hyphantria cunea (HycuMNPV), Spodoptera exigua (SeMNPV) and Spodoptera litura (SpltMNPV). No significant decreases in cellular RNA were observed in Ld652Y, Se301, Sf9, SpIm and S2 cells infected with AcMNPV or HycuMNPV, indicating the response is unique to BM-N cells. A transient expression assay using a cosmid library of the HycuMNPV genome demonstrated that HycuMNPV P143 is responsible for rRNA degradation, which was also detected in BM-N cells transfected with plasmids expressing the P143 proteins from AcMNPV, SeMNPV and SpltMNPV. These results indicate that B. mori evolved to acquire a unique antiviral immune mechanism that is activated by P143 proteins from heterologous NPVs.
The incidental pore: CaV1.2 and stem cell activation in quiescent hair follicles
Authors: Coulombe Pierre A. , Caterina Michael J.
Published: June 2013

The hair follicle undergoes a lifelong developmental cycle that depends on the integration between activating and inhibitory signals acting to regulate and guide the proliferation and differentiation of pluripotent epithelial stem cells. The effectors and mechanisms responsible for re-entry of quiescent telogen hair follicles into the hair-producing anagen stage in mature skin remain incompletely understood. In the June 1, 2013, issue of Genes & Development, Yucel and colleagues (pp. 1217–1222) reported the unexpected finding that CaV1.2, the pore-forming subunit in a well-characterized voltage-gated, L-type calcium channel, is expressed in hair follicle stem cells and contributes to anagen re-entry but does so in a calcium flux-independent fashion.
The current and future role of business schools
Authors: Rayment John , Smith Jonathan
Published: June 2013

Purpose

Considerable debate since the global financial crisis has been evident concerning the role of business schools. This article aims to outline the authors’ research on their role.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper begins with an overview of the significant literature highlighting the current debates impacting on business schools and their leaders. From this the authors argue that the most significant challenge is the role business schools should play in the resolution of urgent global issues. The paper then details and analyses the research and provides recommendations.

Findings

The authors argue that the most significant challenge is the role business schools should play in the resolution of urgent global issues. The main finding from the research was that the leaders of participating business schools did not convey the impression that steering business toward helping humanity achieve a sustainable future and tackling urgent global issues was seen by them as one of their main current or future roles.

Research limitations/implications

Funding constraints and the desire to make a timely contribution to the debate mean that this research is limited in scale. It is therefore viewed as a scoping study, paving the way for more detailed investigation and analysis, and recommendations for further research are provided.

Originality/value

The authors argue that, rather than make the same mistakes as the West, BRIC economies and related business school leaders should be looking for an alternative strategy that would lead to a just, sustainable and fulfilling human presence on the planet. The authors also suggest that Type 1 European business schools are well advised to focus their limited resources locally but should be aware of global issues and bear them in mind in their actions.
Salesperson coachability: what it is and why it matters
Authors: Shannahan Kirby L.J. , Shannahan Rachelle J. , Bush Alan J.
Published: June 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of salesperson coachability and to propose potential relationships between it and sales coaching and sales performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This conceptual paper reviews the sales coaching and sales performance literature to highlight how the knowledge of each may be enhanced by the coachability construct. The concept of athletic coachability is then introduced to explain why it should be adapted and applied to salespeople in a personal selling context.

Findings

Adapting and applying the concept of athlete coachability to salespeople in a personal selling context may provide sales management practitioners and academics a better understanding of how certain salesperson personality traits combine and interact with certain situational influences to impact sales performance.

Research limitations/implications

Future studies need to test the propositions advanced.

Practical implications

Salesperson coachability may be used by sales managers as a screening criterion for sales force recruiting and retention.

Social implications

Salesperson coachability assessments for recruiting and training may result in lowering job turnover.

Originality/value

This paper introduces the concept of athletic coachability to the sales literature, argues why the concept should be adapted and applied to salespeople in a personal selling context, and advances testable propositions with respect to its expected relationship with sales coaching and sales performance.