bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Digital image analysis of diverse Mexican rice cultivars
Authors: Camelo‐Méndez Gustavo Adolfo , Camacho‐Díaz Brenda Hildeliza , del Villar‐Martínez Alma Angélica , Arenas‐Ocampo Martha Lucia , Bello‐Pérez Luis Arturo , Jiménez‐Aparicio Antonio Ruperto
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND: Digital image analysis has an important role in geographical provenance of grains, as it can provide parameters of size, shape and color, which are important quality parameters for the design of engineering processes such as drying and milling of grains. In this study, digital image analysis was used to classify nine rice cultivars based on different morphometric parameters using the three sides of the grain (lateral, ventral and axial), Feret diameter, and 10 different form factors and color parameters (CIE L*, a* and b*).

RESULTS: Result of principal component analyisis was an equation with seven variables (area, perimeter, length, width, thickness, sphericity and color), which was useful for distinguishing between nine different cultivars. The morphometric and color parameters for the Mor A‐98 and Mor A‐92 varieties showed they had 88% similarity. The variability was expressed with a confidence of 95%.

CONCLUSION: Multivariate analysis indicated that the lateral side is the most sensitive for the classification of Mexican rice grains because of its color and morphometric characteristics. These results showed the application of image analysis for the future classifications of grains. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Alcohol versus brush PRK: Visual outcomes and adverse effects
Authors: Sia Rose K. , Ryan Denise S. , Stutzman Richard D. , Psolka Maximilian , Mines Michael J. , Wagner Melvin E. , Weber Eric D. , Wroblewski Keith J. , Bower Kraig S.
Published: June 2012

Background and Objective

A smooth corneal surface prior to laser ablation is important in order to achieve a favorable refractive outcome. In this study, we compare PRK outcomes following two commonly used methods of epithelial debridement: Amoils epithelial scrubber (brush) versus 20% ethanol (alcohol).

Study Design/Patients and Methods

We reviewed records of patients who underwent wavefront‐optimized PRK for myopia or myopic astigmatism between January 2008 and June 2010. Two treatment groups (brush vs. alcohol) were compared in terms of uncorrected distance visual acuity (UDVA), manifest refraction spherical equivalent (MRSE), corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), and complications at postoperative months 1, 3, 6, and 12.

Results

One thousand five hundred ninety‐three eyes of 804 patients underwent PRK during the study period: 828 brush‐treated eyes and 765 alcohol‐treated eyes. At 6 months postoperatively UDVA was ≥20/20 in 94.7% of brush‐treated eyes versus 94.4% of alcohol‐treated eyes (P = 0.907). At 1 month a higher percentage of brush‐treated eyes maintained or gained one or more lines CDVA compared to alcohol‐treated eyes (P = 0.007), but there were no other differences in UDVA, MRSE, or CDVA at any point postoperatively. At 1 month 75.4% of brush‐treated eyes versus 70.4% of alcohol‐treated eyes were free of complications (P = 0.032), and there were fewer brush‐treated eyes with corneal haze (4.0% vs. 6.9%, P = 0.012) and dry eye (8.9% vs. 14.4%, P = 0.001). Although corneal haze was slightly more frequent in the alcohol group, most was trace and not significant.

Conclusions

Although alcohol‐assisted PRK had more minor complications in the early postoperative period, including corneal haze and dry eye, results for both groups beyond 1 month were comparable. Lasers Surg. Med. 44: 475–481, 2012. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Treatment of burn scars with the 1,550 nm nonablative fractional Erbium Laser
Authors: Waibel Jill , Wulkan Adam J. , Lupo Mary , Beer Kenneth , Anderson R. Rox
Published: June 2012

Background

Scarring is a major source of morbidity in patients with burns. Burn scars are difficult to treat and are among the worst scars seen in clinical medicine. Fractional laser resurfacing is a promising treatment option because of its unique wound healing response and depth of penetration.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of nonablative fractional resurfacing as a therapeutic option for extensive cutaneous scarring in burn patients.

Methods

Prospective, single‐arm, pilot study. Ten subjects with second and third degree burn scars were treated with five nonablative fractional resurfacing treatments given at 4‐week intervals. Three independent investigators evaluated subject outcomes at 3 months post‐treatment (primary outcome); patients also provided subjective assessments of improvement (secondary outcome).

Results

Nonablative fractional resurfacing resulted in overall improvement in 90% of subjects, as determined by independent investigators; improvements were moderate to excellent in 60%. Ninety percent of subjects had improved skin texture, 80% had improved dyschromia, and 80% had improved hypertrophy/atrophy. Patients' self‐reports also revealed moderate to excellent improvements (on average) in burn scar area, and significant improvements in self‐esteem at 3 months post‐treatment (P = 0.03).

Limitations

Small sample size and lack of control group.

Conclusions

Fractional resurfacing is a promising new treatment modality for burn scars. We should continue to identify novel approaches and management strategies for the spectrum of diverse burn scars so that we can better treat this patient population. Lasers Surg. Med. 44: 441–446, 2012. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Restoration of caveolin‐1 expression suppresses growth, membrane‐type‐4 metalloproteinase expression and metastasis‐associated activities in colon cancer cells
Authors: Nimri Lili , Barak Hossei , Graeve Lutz , Schwartz Betty
Published: June 2012

Caveolin‐1 (cav‐1) and flotillin‐1 are two major structural proteins associated with lipid rafts in mammalian cells. The membrane‐type matrix metalloproteinases (MT‐MMPs) are expressed at the cell surface, hydrolyze extracellular matrix, and play an important role in cancer cell migration and metastasis. Expression of cav‐1, flotillin‐1, and MT4‐MMP in lysates and lipid rafts of LS174T and HM‐7 colon cancer cells was determined. The impact of restoration of cav‐1 expression on proliferation, adhesion, motility in vitro, and growth of implanted tumors in vivo was characterized. Cav‐1 is not expressed in lipid rafts of the highly metastatic colon cancer cell line (HM‐7), but expressed in cytosolic fractions of the parental lower metastatic cell line (LS174T). In contrast, MT4‐MMP was expressed in lipid rafts of HM‐7 cells but not in LS174T cells. Overexpression of cav‐1 in HM‐7 cells down‐regulate proliferation, viability, wound closure, adhesion to laminin, invasion, and development of filopodial and lamellipodial structures in a dose‐dependent manner. Cav‐1 positive HM‐7 clones ceased to express MT4‐MMP in their lipid rafts. Comparative proteomic analyses of lipid rafts from cav‐1 positive and cav‐1 negative cells demonstrated de novo expression of flotillin‐1 only on the cells expressing cav‐1. Xenografting control cells devoid of cav‐1 in nude mice induced development of bigger tumors expressing higher levels of proliferating cell nuclear antigen as compared to mice injected with cells expressing the highest cav‐1 levels. We conclude that cav‐1 orchestrates and reorganize several proteins in lipid rafts, activities directly associated with reduced tumorigenic and metastatic ability of colon cancer cells. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Genetic variants at 4q23 and 12q24 are associated with head and neck cancer risk in China
Authors: Yuan Hua , Ma Hongxia , Lu Feng , Yuan Zhiyao , Wang Ruixia , Jiang Hongbing , Hu Zhibin , Shen Hongbing , Chen Ning
Published: June 2012

A recent genome‐wide association study (GWAS) reported significant associations of several novel genetic variants with risk of upper aerodigestive tract (UADT) cancers including head and neck cancer (HNC) in Europeans. However, these findings have not been confirmed in other populations including Chinese. According to the findings from the GWAS and other publications, we genotyped six genetic variants (rs1494961, rs1229984, rs1789924, rs971074, rs4767364, and rs671) in a case–control study with 397 HNC cases and 900 controls in China, by using the TaqMan allelic discrimination assay. We found that rs1229984 at 4q23 significantly increased the risk of HNC [dominant model: adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.34, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.05–1.71; additive model: adjusted OR = 1.24, 95% CI = 1.04–1.50], while rs671 at 12q24 significantly decreased the risk of HNC (recessive model: adjusted OR = 0.46, 95% CI = 0.25–0.85). Furthermore, when these two loci were evaluated together by the number (0–4) of putative risk alleles (rs1229984 G and rs671 G), a significant locus–dosage effect was found between the groups and risk of HNC (Ptrend = 0.016). Compared with the “0–1” group, groups with “2” risk alleles and “3–4” risk alleles significantly increased the risk of HNC with adjusted ORs of 1.17 (95% CI = 0.84–1.64) and 1.51 (95% CI = 1.06–2.15), respectively. However, no significant association was detected between other four variants (rs1494961, rs1789924, rs971074, and rs4767364) and HNC risk. These findings suggest that rs1229984 at 4q23 and rs671 at 12q24 may serve as candidate markers for susceptibility to HNC in Chinese population. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The Revenue Gains from Multi‐Tier Ticket Pricing: Evidence from Pop Music Concerts
Authors: Eckard E. Woodrow , Smith Marlene A.
Published: June 2012

We provide empirical estimates of the revenue benefits of multi‐tier pricing at a major US pop music venue. Our unique sample includes data on the number of tickets sold at every price. Mean revenue gain from multi‐tier pricing is estimated to be about $20,000 per show, a 4.2% increase over uniform pricing, although the gains were as high as 21.2% for one performer. We also provide evidence that customer segmentation by income is a likely motive of multi‐tier pricing and, for the first time, that the standard assumption of zero marginal cost of additional venue attendees is valid. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Psychosis in Parkinson's disease without dementia: Common and comorbid with other non‐motor symptoms
Authors: Lee Angela H. , Weintraub Daniel
Published: June 2012

Psychosis in Parkinson's disease (PD) is common and associated with a range of negative outcomes. Dementia and psychosis are highly correlated in PD, but the frequency and correlates of psychosis in patients without cognitive impairment are not well understood. One hundred and ninety‐one non‐demented PD patients at two movement disorders centers participated in a study of neuropsychiatric complications in PD and completed a detailed neurological and neuropsychiatric assessment, including the rater‐administered Parkinson Psychosis Rating Scale for hallucinations, delusions, and minor symptoms of psychosis (illusions and misidentification of persons). Psychotic symptoms were present in 21.5% of the sample. Visual hallucinations were most common (13.6%), followed by auditory hallucinations (6.8%), illusions or misidentification of people (7.3%), and paranoid ideation (4.7%). Visual hallucinations and illusions or misidentification of people were the most common comorbid symptoms (3.1%). Depression (P = 0.01) and rapid eye movement behavior disorder symptoms (P = 0.03) were associated with psychosis in a multivariable model. The odds of experiencing psychotic symptoms were approximately five times higher in patients with comorbid disorders of depression and sleep‐wakefulness. Even in patients without global cognitive impairment, psychosis in PD is common and most highly correlated with other non‐motor symptoms. Screening for psychosis should occur at all stages of PD as part of a broad non‐motor assessment. In addition, these findings suggest a common neural substrate for disturbances of perception, mood, sleep‐wakefulness, and incipient cognitive decline in PD. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Metabolic markers or conditions preceding Parkinson's disease: A case‐control study
Authors: Savica Rodolfo , Grossardt Brandon R. , Ahlskog J. Eric , Rocca Walter A.
Published: June 2012

Several metabolic markers or conditions have been explored as possible risk or protective factors for Parkinson's disease (PD); however, results remain conflicting. We further investigated these associations using a case–control study design. We used the medical records–linkage system of the Rochester Epidemiology Project to identify 196 subjects who developed PD in Olmsted County, Minnesota, from 1976 through 1995. Each incident case was matched by age (±1 year) and sex to a general population control. We reviewed the complete medical records of cases and controls in the medical records–linkage system to abstract information about body mass index (BMI), cholesterol level, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus preceding the onset of PD (or the index year). There were no significant differences between cases and controls for the metabolic markers or conditions investigated. No significant associations were found using 2 cutoffs for BMI level (BMI ≥ 25 or BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2) and 3 cutoffs for cholesterol levels (>200, >250, or >300 mg/dL). Neither a diagnosis of hypertension or the documented use of antihypertensive medications was significantly associated with the subsequent risk of PD (odds ratio [OR], 1.00; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.65–1.54; P = .99) nor was a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or the use of glucose‐lowering medications (OR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.37–1.57; P = .47). Our study, based on historical information from a records‐linkage system, does not support an association between BMI, cholesterol level, hypertension, or diabetes mellitus with later development of PD. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
Clinical severity of Huntington's disease does not always correlate with neuropathologic stage
Authors: Pillai Jagan A. , Hansen Lawrence A. , Masliah Eliezer , Goldstein Jody L. , Edland Steven D. , Corey‐Bloom Jody
Published: June 2012

Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a triplet‐repeat, CAG expansion mutation. Although CAG repeat length is thought to correlate with pathologic burden and disease severity, considerable variability in clinical phenotype remains. This study examined whether neuropathologic burden at autopsy corresponded with severity of clinical phenotype in HD. The brains of 24 patients with a clinical and genetic diagnosis of HD were analyzed at autopsy. Subjects were stratified on the basis of Vonsattel staging as mild/moderate (stage 1–2; n = 7) or severe (stage 3–4; n = 17). Clinical severity was assessed on the basis of the Mini–Mental State Examination (MMSE; 0–30) and two Unified Huntington's Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) functional components: the Independence Scale (10–100) and the Total Functional Capacity (0–13). Mild/moderate subjects were significantly older, had lower CAG repeat lengths, and greater fixed brain weights than those classified as severe. Patients who were pathologically classified as severe at autopsy were, on average, younger at age of onset and death and less well educated. Despite obvious clinical and pathological differences between mild‐moderate and severe HD subjects at autopsy, mean MMSE scores of the two groups before death were surprisingly similar. Correlations between Vonsattel stage and functional assessment scores before death were low and not statistically significant. Our results suggest that the extent of striatal changes in HD may not always correlate with clinical disease severity as measured by UHDRS functional scales. © 2012 Movement Disorder Society
The Asian summer monsoon response to the La Niña event of 2010
Authors: Mujumdar Milind , Preethi B. , Sabin T. P. , Ashok Karumuri , Saeed Sajjad , Pai D. S. , Krishnan R.
Published: June 2012

The 2010 summer monsoon was marked by a series of flood events over Pakistan and Northwest India and an intriguing aspect during this season was the strong westward shift of West Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH) by nearly 15° longitude relative to the climatology. This period also witnessed the evolution of an intense La Niña in the Pacific Ocean. La Niña episodes are generally characterized by wetter‐than‐normal monsoons over South Asia, although the situation was rather different in 2010. Large areas covering east‐central India, the Bay of Bengal and extending eastward into the South China Sea and the Philippines received deficit monsoon rains during 2010, while rainfall activity was enhanced mostly over northern India and adjoining northwest Pakistan. By conducting a detailed diagnostic analysis of observed and reanalysis datasets, it is found that the anomalous westward shift of the WPSH and suppression of convection around the Bay of Bengal region were crucial in sustaining the rainfall activity over northwest India and Pakistan during 2010. The results suggest that the westward shift of the WPSH favoured the setting up of an anomalous trough extending over the sub‐tropical areas near India and Pakistan, so that the anomalous transport of moisture from the Arabian Sea sustained the local rainfall activity. An analysis of SST records during the last 60+ years, shows a long‐term background La Niña‐like warming trend in the tropical Pacific. Based on the present results, it is suggested that generation of La Niña events in the backdrop of the SST warming trend have significant potential in influencing the rainfall activity over the South Asian monsoon‐trough region. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Northeast monsoon over India: variability and prediction
Authors: Rajeevan M. , Unnikrishnan C. K. , Bhate Jyoti , Niranjan Kumar K. , Sreekala P. P.
Published: June 2012

South peninsular India experiences a large portion of the annual rainfall during the northeast monsoon season (October to December). In this study, the facets of diurnal, intra‐seasonal and inter‐annual variability of the northeast monsoon rainfall (the NEMR) over India have been examined. The analysis of satellite derived hourly rainfall reveals that there are distinct features of diurnal variation over the land and oceans during the season. Over the land, rainfall peaks during the late afternoon/evening, while over the oceans an early morning peak is observed. The harmonic analysis of hourly data reveals that the amplitude and variance are the largest over south peninsular India. The NEMR also exhibits significant intra‐seasonal variability on a 20–40 day time scale. Analysis also shows significant northward propagation of the maximum cloud zone from south of equator to the south peninsula during the season. The NEMR exhibits large inter‐annual variability with the co‐efficient of variation (CV) of 25%. The positive phases of ENSO and the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) are conducive for normal to above normal rainfall activity during the northeast monsoon. There are multi‐decadal variations in the statistical relationship between ENSO and the NEMR. During the period 2001–2010 the statistical relationship between ENSO and the NEMR has significantly weakened. The analysis of seasonal rainfall hindcasts for the period 1960–2005 produced by the state‐of‐the‐art coupled climate models, ENSEMBLES, reveals that the coupled models have very poor skill in predicting the inter‐annual variability of the NEMR. This is mainly due to the inability of the ENSEMBLES models to simulate the positive relationship between ENSO and the NEMR correctly. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Climate diagnostics of three major drought events in the Amazon and illustrations of their seasonal precipitation predictions
Authors: Coelho Caio A. S. , Cavalcanti Iracema A. F. , Costa Simone M. S. , Freitas Saulo R. , Ito Ester R. , Luz Giovana , Santos Ariane F. , Nobre Carlos A. , Marengo José A. , Pezza Alexandre B.
Published: June 2012

The Amazon has a well‐defined wet austral summer monsoon and dry winter monsoon precipitation regime and experienced a sequence of drought events in the last 13 years. This study performs a comparative assessment of observed and predicted climate conditions during the three most recent drought events in the Amazon, in 1997–1998, 2004–2005 and 2009–2010, with emphasis on how these events affected the regional monsoon‐like precipitation regime. A century long Negro River level time series at Manaus is investigated, applying extreme values theory for estimating return periods of these major drought events. Possible teleconnections of river levels at Manaus and sea surface temperature at remote regions are explored. Large scale oceanic and atmospheric conditions are investigated to highlight the mechanisms associated with the observed drought conditions, particularly during the dry monsoon season. Satellite estimates are used for diagnosing biomass burning aerosol and discuss possible contributions to the observed precipitation deficits in the 2005 and 2010 drought events during the dry monsoon season. The study is concluded with an analysis of the performance of seasonal precipitation predictions for the dry monsoon seasons of July to September 1998, 2005 and 2010 produced with the operational seasonal prediction system used at the Center for Weather Forecasts and Climate Studies (CPTEC) of the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research (INPE). This system was capable of producing 1 month in advance drought warning for the three investigated events, relevant for helping the government and local population make decisions for reducing drought impacts in the Amazon region. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Application of wind profiler data to rainstorm analyses in Aksu, Xinjiang
Authors: Minzhong Wang , Wenshou Wei , Qing He , Lianmei Yang , He Qin , Yunhui Zhang
Published: June 2012

The Urumqi Institute of Desert Meteorology of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) launched an atmospheric experiment on rainstorm weather with a wind profiler from 10 July to 10 August 2010 in Aksu, Xinjiang. This paper presents some outcomes of the analyses on the wind field characteristics of a rainstorm process that happened on 28–29 July 2010 in Aksu, using the wind profiler data collected from the experiment, and addresses some additional scientific issues. Findings show that because of their high temporal and vertical resolutions, the wind profiler data can be used to analyse the detailed vertical structure of rainstorm processes. In this case, before the occurrence of the rainstorm, a horizontal wind shear appeared in the lower atmosphere, which was the precursor of the weather system's arrival. When a southwesterly wind appeared in the 3000 m layer it presaged the invasion of an upper trough over Aksu. During the event, there were three airflows from different directions in the upper, mid and lower atmosphere, and a mesoscale wind shear line at the lower level, which apparently increased the atmospheric instability and updraft convergence. The temperature advections derived from the wind profiler data can represent the major characteristics of thermodynamic evolution in the lower atmosphere during a rainstorm process, based on which the variation of hydrostatic atmospheric instability can be judged. It was also found that during the rainstorm process the lower atmosphere was mostly subjected to warm advection which had accumulated enough energy to create atmospheric instability, a favourable condition for creating updrafts and rainfall. The ‘large‐value zone’ of the reflectivity factor Z was virtually consistent with the onset and end of the rainstorm, formation height of rain droplets, and rainfall intensity. The reflectivity factor varied in the 20–36 dBZ range. The cloud water content was approximately 0.5 g m−3 in the 3000–3450 m layer, and 0.1–0.4 g m−3 below 3000 m.
A European precipitation index for extreme rain‐storm and flash flood early warning
Authors: Alfieri L. , Thielen J.
Published: June 2012

Extreme rain storms are known for triggering devastating flash floods in various regions of Europe and particularly along the Mediterranean coasts. Despite recent notable advances in weather forecasting, most operational early warning systems for extreme rainstorms and flash floods are still based on rainfall measurements from rain gauges and weather radars, rather than on forecasts. As a result, warning lead times are bounded to a few hours and warnings are usually issued when the event is already taking place.

This work proposes a novel early warning system for heavy precipitation events in Europe, aimed at identifying forecasts of extreme rainfall accumulations over short durations and within small‐size catchments prone to flash flooding. The system is based on the recently developed European Precipitation Index based on simulated Climatology (EPIC), which is calculated using COSMO‐LEPS ensemble weather forecasts and subsequently fitted with gamma distributions at each time step of the forecast horizon. Probabilistic exceedence of warning thresholds is calculated and alert points are generated where potentially extreme events are detected. Comparison of daily runs over 22 months with observed rainstorm events and flash floods in Europe denotes a probability of detection up to 90%, corresponding to 45 events correctly predicted, with average lead time of 32 h. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Assessment of 1 month forecasts of weak Indian monsoons based on the NCEP Climate Forecast System (CFS)
Authors: Samala Basanta Kumar , Krishnan R. , Roxy Mathew
Published: June 2012

This study focuses on analyses and validation of 1 month forecasts (OMFs) of weak Indian monsoons based on 10 member ensemble hindcasts (retrospective forecasts) of the NCEP Climate Forecast System (CFS) model for the period 1981–2008. The weak monsoon episodes chosen for the analysis correspond to summer monsoon months which were characterized by significant deficits in the All‐India monthly rainfall of − 20% of the climatological normal. Examination of the CFS‐OMFs shows poor skill of the model in capturing the observed rainfall and circulation anomalies during weak monsoons. The present analysis suggests that deficiencies in realistically capturing the ocean‐atmosphere coupling in the tropical Indian Ocean (IO) introduces biases in simulating sea surface temperature and rainfall anomalies in the equatorial region, which in turn affects the monsoon precipitation forecasts over the sub‐continent. In particular, the mean thermocline in the near‐equatorial IO is found to be practically flat in the CFS model, so that the near‐equatorial anomalies in the model are not strong enough to weaken the summer monsoon circulation and reduce the monsoon precipitation over India. By examining a 100 year free run of the CFS model, it is seen that moderate monsoon‐droughts simulated by the model have weak teleconnections with the equatorial IO dynamics. On the other hand, intense monsoon‐droughts in the CFS‐model are found be remarkably linked with the equatorial IO anomalies. It is suggested that improving the slope of the equatorial IO thermocline and allowing for more realistic IO‐monsoon coupling in the CFS‐model would be an important step for improving the skill of extended‐range monsoon forecasts. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Evaluation of upper tropospheric humidity from NCEP analysis and WRF Model Forecast with Kalpana observation during Indian summer monsoon 2010
Authors: Kumar Prashant , Shukla Munn V. , Thapliyal Pradeep K. , Bisht Jagat H. , Pal P. K.
Published: June 2012

This paper presents an evaluation of upper tropospheric humidity (UTH) fields from National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) analysis and Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) mesoscale model forecast with satellite derived UTH. For this purpose, UTH (weighted average of relative humidity in 200–500 hPa layer) obtained from Indian geostationary satellite Kalpana is compared with the UTH computed from NCEP analysis and WRF model forecast during the summer monsoon, 2010. Kaplana‐derived products are not included in the NCEP analysis: therefore, a comparison of the two independent datasets is promising. This study indicates that UTH derived from different sources (Kalpana UTH, NCEP Analysed and subsequent model forecasted UTH) matches very well over the Indian region. However, there are region‐specific small departures in UTH which increases the model predicted UTH. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Prediction of Indian summer monsoon rainfall (ISMR) using canonical correlation analysis of global circulation model products
Authors: Singh Ankita , Kulkarni Makarand A. , Mohanty U. C. , Kar S. C. , Robertson Andrew W. , Mishra G.
Published: June 2012

The Canonical Correlation Analysis (CCA) method has been used in this study for improving General Circulation Model (GCM) predicted rainfall over India during the southwest monsoon season. Hindcast runs for 27 years (1982–2008) from six GCM outputs are used. This statistical technique relates the pattern of multivariate predictor field (model rainfall) to the pattern of predictand fields (observed rainfall). It is found that the CCA method improves the skill of three of the GCMs at the all‐India level. A noticeable improvement is also observed in the composite prediction with CCA as compared to the simple mean of raw GCM products. The skill of the composite prediction after applying CCA is higher compared to the simple mean of raw model products in several homogeneous zones such as the hilly areas, west central area and over some parts of northwest India. The possible reason for the improvement in the skill of some of the GCMs may be the similarity between the loading patterns of model predictions and the observed rainfall. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
A collocation approach for solving linear complex differential equations in rectangular domains
Authors: Yüzbaşi Şuayip , Şahin Niyazi , Sezer Mehmet
Published: June 2012

In this paper, a collocation method is presented to find the approximate solution of high‐order linear complex differential equations in rectangular domain. By using collocation points defined in a rectangular domain and the Bessel polynomials, this method transforms the linear complex differential equations into a matrix equation. The matrix equation corresponds to a system of linear equations with the unknown Bessel coefficients. The proposed method gives the analytic solution when the exact solutions are polynomials. Numerical examples are included to demonstrate the validity and applicability of the technique and the comparisons are made with existing results. The results show the efficiency and accuracy of the present work. All of the numerical computations have been performed on a computer using a program written in MATLAB v7.6.0 (R2008a). Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Particle manifold method (PMM): A new continuum‐discontinuum numerical model for geomechanics
Authors: Sun L. , Zhao G.F. , Zhao J.
Published: June 2012

Particle manifold method (PMM) is a new extension of the numerical manifold method (NMM). PMM uses a mathematical cover system to describe the motion and deformation of a particle‐based physical domain. By introducing the concept of particle into NMM, PMM takes the advantages of easy topological and contact operations with particles. In this article, the methodology, formulations and implementation of the method are presented, together with modelling examples for validation. It is found that good solutions for both continuous and discontinuous problems are obtained by the new developed PMM. Due to the underlying coupled continuum‐discontinuum property of PMM, it has great potential for modelling of geomechanical problems. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Variable kinematic plate elements coupled via Arlequin method
Authors: Biscani F. , Giunta G. , Belouettar S. , Carrera E. , Hu H.
Published: June 2012

In this work, plate elements based on different kinematic assumptions and variational principles are combined through the Arlequin method. Computational costs are reduced assuming refined models only in those zones with a quasi‐three‐dimensional stress field, whereas computationally cheap, low‐order elements are used in the remaining parts of the plate. Plate elements are formulated on the basis of a unified formulation (UF). Via UF, higher‐order, layer‐wise and mixed theories can be easily formulated. Classical theories, such as Kirchhoff's and Reissner's models, can be obtained as particular cases. UF is extended to the Arlequin method to derive the matrices that account for the coupling between different theories. Multi‐layered composite plates are investigated. Variable kinematic multiple models solutions are assessed towards mono‐model results and three‐dimensional exact results. Numerical investigation has shown that Arlequin method in the context of UF effectively couples sub‐domains having finite elements based upon different theories, reducing the computational costs without loss of accuracy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analysis of photonic crystals using the hybrid finite‐element/finite‐difference time domain technique based on the discontinuous Galerkin method
Authors: Zhu Bao , Chen Jiefu , Zhong Wanxie , Liu Qing Huo
Published: June 2012

Two‐dimensional photonic crystal structures are analyzed by a recently developed hybrid technique combining the finite‐element time‐domain (FETD) method and the finite‐difference time‐domain (FDTD) method. This hybrid FETD/FDTD method uses the discontinuous Galerkin method as framework for domain decomposition. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first hybrid FETD/FDTD method that allows non‐conformal meshes between different FETD and FDTD subdomains. It is also highly parallelizable. These properties are very suitable for the computation of periodic structures with curved surfaces. Numerical examples for the computation of the scattering parameters of two‐dimensional photonic bandgap structures are presented as applications of the hybrid FETD/FDTD method. Numerical results demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed hybrid method. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The “hot hand” revisited: A nonstationarity argument
Authors: Sun Yanlong , Wang Hongbin
Published: June 2012

The “hot hand belief,” that a basketball player would experience elevated performance for a certain period of time, during which consecutive shots are made in streaks, has been suggested to be a “cognitive illusion,” because, from the basketball‐shooting data, no significant evidence has been found to reject the simple binomial model. The present study raises concerns about the statistical methods used to support this claim. It is argued that nonstationarity may manifest as a residual effect when the changes in shooting accuracy are interrupted by activities such as shot selection and defense effort. Reanalyses of the field goal data from the earlier study showed that the serial correlation varied substantially between positive (“hot hand shooting”) and negative (“over‐alternation shooting”). In addition, a nested model comparison revealed that when a player's shooting accuracy fluctuated substantially in a short period of time, it was unlikely to be detected by the binomial model. Our results suggest that paying special attention to streak patterns in the hot hand belief may be an adaptive strategy in detecting changes in the environment.
Filial piety and traditional Chinese values: A study of high and mass cultures
Authors: Ho David Y. F. , Xie Weizhen , Liang Xin , Zeng Li
Published: June 2012

Two studies were conducted, using indigenous materials stemming from both high and mass culture to construct measures of filial piety and other traditional Chinese values. In Study 1, data were collected from a sample of 666 participants (334 men and 332 women) with a mean age of 31.2 years from Taiwan and Hong Kong. In Study 2, data were collected from university students at different times, based on two samples in Hong Kong and another two in mainland China. The major findings are: (a) Filial piety is rooted more firmly in the ideal values of high culture than in the folk values of mass culture; (b) traditional Chinese values tend to be negatively associated with socioeconomic status; (c) ideal values are held much more strongly than folk values; and (d) among university students, there has been a moderate decrease in folk values in Hong Kong; but a moderate increase in folk values and a fairly large increase in ideal values in mainland China.
Differential effects of acute amphetamine and phencyclidine treatment and withdrawal from repeated amphetamine or phencyclidine treatment on social interaction and social memory in rats
Authors: Li Ming , He Wei , Munro Rebecca
Published: June 2012

Although animal models based on amphetamine (AMPH) or phencyclidine (PCP) treatment have been used extensively to study the neurobiological and behavioral characteristics of schizophrenia, there are conflicting reports regarding their validity in modeling the negative symptoms and cognitive deficits of schizophrenia. The present study examined how acute AMPH or PCP treatment (Experiment 1) and withdrawal from repeated AMPH treatment (Experiment 2) or PCP treatment (Experiment 3) affects social behavior and social recognition memory in male Sprague‐Dawley rats. Each subject was tested on two consecutive days. On the first day, the rats were tested four times (5 min/each) at 10‐min intervals with the same partner rat (termed “AAAA” day). One day later, the rats were tested with the previous partner in the first three sessions and with a new partner rat in the final session (termed “AAAB” day). The results show that acute AMPH treatment (1.5 mg/kg, sc) significantly reduced the time spent on social interaction, but did not affect social recognition on the first day. Acute AMPH only disrupted social recognition on the second day of drug testing. In contrast, acute PCP treatment (2.0 mg/kg, sc) had no effect on time spent on social interaction, but did significantly disrupt social recognition on both days. Withdrawal from repeated AMPH (3.0 mg/kg/day for 7 days, ip) or PCP (5.0 mg/kg/twice daily for 7 days, ip) treatment did not affect social interaction or social recognition, indicating a lack of long‐term detrimental effect of repeated AMPH or PCP treatment. These results suggest that acute AMPH treatment at a low dose (1.5 mg/kg) may be useful in modeling social withdrawal symptoms of schizophrenia, whereas acute PCP treatment at a similar dose range (2.0 mg/kg) may be useful in modeling the social cognitive deficit of schizophrenia.
Intra‐nucleus‐accumbens SKF38393 improved the impaired acquisition of morphine‐conditioned place preference in depression‐like rats
Authors: Gao Jun , Zhu Ning , Feng Min , Meng Xiaolu , Sui Nan
Published: June 2012

Dopaminergic activity in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and the globus pallidus (GP) is important for the interaction between depression and addiction, with D1‐ and D2‐like receptors playing different roles. Here, we address the effect of depression on morphine reward and its underlying D1‐ and D2‐like effects in the NAc and/or the GP. Novelty‐seeking behaviors and the forced open‐space swimming test were used to assess a depression‐like state in rats that had undergone chronic mild restraint. Depression‐like rats were then trained with morphine‐induced conditioned place preference (CPP, 3 mg/kg, 4 days), and showed impaired acquisition of the CPP compared with controls. To examine the receptor‐specific dopaminergic mechanism underlying this phenomenon, we microinjected the D1‐like agonist SKF38393 (1 μg/side) or the D2‐like agonist quinpirole (1 μg/side) into the NAc or the GP. The impairment in acquisition of CPP was reversed only by injecting the D1‐ but not the D2‐like agonist in the NAc. These results suggest that enhancement of dopaminergic transmission in the NAc (via D1‐like receptors) may be effective in recovering impaired reward learning during a depression‐like state.
The value of daily fetal heart rate home monitoring in addition to serial ultrasound examinations in pregnancies complicated by fetal gastroschisis
Authors: Kuleva M. , Salomon L. J. , Benoist G. , Ville Y. , Dumez Y.
Published: June 2012

Objectives

To audit the practice of daily fetal heart rate home monitoring (FHM) in pregnancies complicated by fetal gastroschisis (GS).

Methods

Prenatal records and pregnancy outcome were reviewed of all cases with fetal GS between 1999 and 2010, managed with a consistent protocol, which included weekly fetal cardiotocography and ultrasound examinations after 30 weeks, and option of daily FHM. Data were collected including gestational age (GA) at FHM and the presence of fetal heart rate anomaly. Follow‐up included fetal growth, amniotic fluid volume, gastrointestinal appearance and cardiotocography findings.

Results

One hundred five cases of GS were identified. Stillbirth rate was 1.9% (2/105). FHM was performed in 97/105 (92.4%) cases. Abnormal FHM was recorded in 24 cases. Fetuses with abnormal versus normal FHM were more likely to have C‐section for fetal heart rate anomaly (50% vs 24%, p = 0.025) at an earlier gestational age (34.9 ± 1.7 vs 35.8 ± 1.4 weeks, p = 0.016). There was no difference in Apgar score or umbilical artery pH at birth.

Conclusion

Fetal heart rate abnormalities are frequent in fetuses with GS. FHM appears useful in detecting fetal distress necessitating expedited delivery. However, the impact of a daily FHM policy on neonatal outcome should be evaluated in a randomized study. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reference ranges for time‐related analysis of ductus venosus flow velocity waveforms in singleton pregnancies
Authors: Nakagawa Kayoko , Tachibana Daisuke , Nobeyama Hiroyuki , Fukui Mitsuru , Sumi Toshiyuki , Koyama Masayasu , Ishiko Osamu , Hecher Kurt
Published: June 2012

Objectives

To investigate time intervals of ductus venosus (DV) flow velocity waveforms (FVW) in correlation to fetal heart rate and gestational age and to construct reference ranges for the second and third trimester. Furthermore, we investigate time intervals of FVW through the tricuspid valve.

Methods

Flow velocity waveforms of the DV and through the tricuspid valve were recorded in 135 normal singleton fetuses between 17 and 38 weeks' gestation. Time intervals for systolic (S) and early diastolic (D) peaks were analyzed regarding acceleration time (acc‐S for S, acc‐D for D) and deceleration time (dec‐S for S, dec‐D for D), respectively. Similarly, time intervals for both peaks of right ventricular inflow were analyzed regarding acceleration time (acc‐E for E‐wave, acc‐A for A‐wave) and deceleration time (dec‐E for E‐wave, dec‐A for A‐wave), respectively.

Results

In the DV, acc‐D and dec‐D increased significantly with gestational age. In tricuspid valve, acc‐E and acc‐A showed a significant increase with gestational age. All parameters except acc‐S showed significant negative correlations with fetal heart rate.

Conclusion

With advancing gestational age, prolongation of the diastolic phase of DV‐FVW and of the E‐wave of tricuspid flow was observed, suggesting maturation of ventricular diastolic function. Time‐related analysis of Doppler signals of DV‐FVW may provide detailed insights into fetal cardiac function. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparing the cohort design and the nested case–control design in the presence of both time‐invariant and time‐dependent treatment and competing risks: bias and precision
Authors: Austin Peter C. , Anderson Geoffrey M. , Cigsar Candemir , Gruneir Andrea
Published: June 2012

Purpose

Observational studies using electronic administrative healthcare databases are often used to estimate the effects of treatments and exposures. Traditionally, a cohort design has been used to estimate these effects, but increasingly, studies are using a nested case–control (NCC) design. The relative statistical efficiency of these two designs has not been examined in detail.

Methods

We used Monte Carlo simulations to compare these two designs in terms of the bias and precision of effect estimates. We examined three different settings: (A) treatment occurred at baseline, and there was a single outcome of interest; (B) treatment was time varying, and there was a single outcome; and C treatment occurred at baseline, and there was a secondary event that competed with the primary event of interest. Comparisons were made of percentage bias, length of 95% confidence interval, and mean squared error (MSE) as a combined measure of bias and precision.

Results

In Setting A, bias was similar between designs, but the cohort design was more precise and had a lower MSE in all scenarios. In Settings B and C, the cohort design was more precise and had a lower MSE in all scenarios. In both Settings B and C, the NCC design tended to result in estimates with greater bias compared with the cohort design.

Conclusions

We conclude that in a range of settings and scenarios, the cohort design is superior in terms of precision and MSE. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and characterization of high molecular weight polyaniline for organic electronic applications
Authors: Ramamurthy Praveen C. , Mallya Ashwini N. , Joseph Alex , Harrell William R. , Gregory Richard V.
Published: June 2012

High molecular weight polyaniline (PANI) was synthesized by a combined procedure incorporating various synthesis methods. Temperature and open circuit potential of the reaction mixture were collected to monitor the reaction progress. The polymer is characterized by various techniques including gel permeation chromatography, dynamic light scattering, infrared spectroscopy, solid‐state nuclear magnetic resonance, and differential scanning calorimetry for elucidating the molecular architecture obtained by this method. As‐synthesized PANI was found to possess high molecular weight, reduced branching, reduced cross‐linking, and to predominantly consist of linear polymer chains. This polymer was also found to be more stable in solution form. J–V characteristics of as‐synthesized PANI films indicate a high current density which is due to increased free pathways and less traps for the charge transport to occur in PANI films. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
3D model for powder compact densification in rotational molding
Authors: Asgarpour Monir , Bakir Farid , Khelladi Sofiane , Khavandi Alireza , Tcharkhtchi Abbas
Published: June 2012

During rotational molding, a loosely packed, low‐density powder compact transforms into a fully densified polymer part. This transformation is a consequence of particles sintering. Powder compact density evolution of the polymer powder is measured experimentally. Obtained results show that the powder densification process consists of two stages, and its mechanism during these two stages is not the same. During the first stage, densification occurs by grains coalescence, and air between the grains escape by open pores between particles. These open pores close in time by particles coalescence progress, and remaining air entrapped in polymer melt becomes air bubbles. Surface tension, viscosity, grains size, and temperature are the controlling parameters during first stage. A three‐dimensional model is proposed for the densification of polymer powder during first stage. Second stage starts after bubble forming. Diffusion is the controlling phenomena during this stage. A diffusion‐based model is used for the second stage of densification. By comparing with the other models, proposed model exhibits several advantages: it is proposed in three‐dimensional and takes into account the nature of layer‐by‐layer powder densification. Model verification by experimental data obtained for densification of two different polymers shows a close agreement between model prediction and experiments. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 52:2033–2040, 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers