bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Data driven output joint probability density function control for multivariate non‐linear non‐Gaussian systems
Authors: Yin Liping , Zhang Hongyan , Guo Lei
Published: September 2015

This study presents a novel data‐based joint probability density function (JPDF) control strategy for multivariate non‐linear non‐Gaussian stochastic systems so that the output JPDF of the system can be made to follow a desired JPDF. The output JPDF, which is usually immeasurable, is estimated according to the output sequence of the system. The multi‐step‐ahead cumulative performance index is constructed with respect to the control objective and is minimised based on an intelligent optimisation algorithm. By minimising this performance function, a new predictive controller design algorithm is established with more simple formulation and less computation load than existed results. Furthermore, a new approach is developed to guarantee ‘convergence in distribution’. Finally, simulations are given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed control algorithm and some desired results have been obtained.
Assessment of Mandibular Distraction Regenerate Using Ultrasonography and Cone Beam Computed Tomography: A Clinical Study
Authors: Dabas Jitender , Mohanty Sujata , Chaudhary Zainab , Rani Amita
Published: September 2015

Distraction osteogenesis (DO) is becoming a popular method of reconstruction for maxillofacial bony deformities or defects secondary to trauma or surgical tumor ablation. However, the technique is very sensitive in terms of the rate and rhythm of distraction. Because of this, there is a need for monitoring of the distraction regenerate during the distraction as well as the consolidation period. The present study was conducted to assess the regenerate using two imaging modalities, namely, ultrasonography (USG) and cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) to determine their relative efficacies and to weigh their clinical usefulness in assessment of DO regenerate. The study was conducted on 12 patients (18 sites) who underwent mandibular distraction for correction of facial deformities. The results showed that overall USG correlated better with the condition of regenerate ( r = 0.606) as compared with CBCT ( r = 0.476). However, USG was less effective as compared with CBCT in assessing the regenerate once corticomedullary differentiation occurred in the bone.
Postalische Befragung von Frauen mit türkischem Migrationshintergrund – Identifizierung, Stichprobenbereinigung und Response im Rahmen der InEMa-Studie
Authors: Berens E.-M. , Riedel J. , Reder M. , Razum O. , Kolip P. , Spallek J.
Published: September 2015

Ziel der Studie: Menschen mit türkischem Migrationshintergrund sind eine wichtige Zielgruppe, sie nehmen jedoch selten an schriftlichen Befragungen teil. Zur Planung von Befragungen sollen daher Kennzahlen zur Response für Frauen mit und ohne türkischen Migrationshintergrund dargestellt werden.

Methodik: Im Rahmen der Studie wurden 50-jährige Frauen aus Westfalen-Lippe postalisch zu 2 Zeitpunkten zum Mammografie-Screening befragt. Die Identifikation der türkischstämmigen Frauen in der Kontaktierungsdatenbank erfolgte mittels eines Namensalgorithmus und wurde bezüglich möglicher Unterschiede bei der Stichprobenbereinigung und dem Antwortverhalten im Vergleich zu nicht-türkischen Frauen untersucht.

Ergebnisse: Frauen mit türkischem Migrationshintergrund waren signifikant häufiger unbekannt verzogen (4,6 vs. 1,7%) und antworteten seltener auf die Befragung (erste Befragung: 14,3 vs. 35,9%; zweite Befragung: 70,7 vs. 85,6%).

Schlussfolgerung: Bei Einladungen zu Gesundheitsleistungen oder der Rekrutierung von türkischen Migrantinnen für Studien müssen Unterschiede in Adressaktualität und Antwortbereitschaft berücksichtigt werden.
Lagrangian variational framework for boundary value problems
Authors: Figotin Alexander , Reyes Guillermo
Published: September 2015

A boundary value problem is commonly associated with constraints imposed on a system at its boundary. We advance here an alternative point of view treating the system as interacting “boundary” and “interior” subsystems. This view is implemented through a Lagrangian framework that allows to account for (i) a variety of forces including dissipative acting at the boundary; (ii) a multitude of features of interactions between the boundary and the interior fields when the boundary fields may differ from the boundary limit of the interior fields; (iii) detailed pictures of the energy distribution and its flow; and (iv) linear and nonlinear effects. We provide a number of elucidating examples of the structured boundary and its interactions with the system interior. We also show that the proposed approach covers the well known boundary value problems.
Global well-posedness to the 3-D incompressible inhomogeneous Navier-Stokes equations with a class of large velocity
Authors: Zhai Cuili , Zhang Ting
Published: September 2015

In this article, we consider the global well-posedness to the 3-D incompressible inhomogeneous Navier-Stokes equations with a class of large velocity. More precisely, assuming a0∈Ḃq,13q(R3) and u0=(u0h,u03)∈Ḃp,1−1+3p(R3) for p, q ∈ (1, 6) with sup(1p,1q)≤13+inf(1p,1q), we prove that if Ca0Ḃq,13qα(u03Ḃp,1−1+3p/μ+1)≤1, Cμ(u0hḂp,1−1+3p+u03Ḃp,1−1+3p1−αu0hḂp,1−1+3pα)≤1, then the system has a unique global solution a∈C˜([0,∞);Ḃq,13q(R3)), u∈C˜([0,∞);Ḃp,1−1+3p(R3))∩L1(R+;Ḃp,11+3p(R3)). It improves the recent result of M. Paicu and P. Zhang [J. Funct. Anal. 262, 3556–3584 (2012)], where the exponent form of the initial smallness condition is replaced by a polynomial form.
Entanglement–breaking indices
Authors: Lami L. , Giovannetti V.
Published: September 2015

We study a set of new functionals (called entanglement–breaking indices) which characterize how many local iterations of a given (local) quantum channel are needed in order to completely destroy the entanglement between the system of interest over which the transformation is defined and an external ancilla. The possibility of contrasting the noisy effects introduced by the channel iterations via the action of intermediate (filtering) transformations is analyzed. We provide some examples in which our functionals can be exactly calculated. The differences between unitary and non-unitary filtering operations are analyzed showing that, at least for systems of dimension d larger than or equal to 3, the non-unitary choice is preferable (the gap between the performances of the two cases being divergent in some cases). For d = 2 (qubit case), on the contrary, no evidences of the presence of such gap is revealed: we conjecture that for this special case unitary filtering transformations are optimal. The scenario in which more general filtering protocols are allowed is also discussed in some detail. The case of a depolarizing noise acting on a two–qubit system is exactly solved in a general case.
Memory operation devices based on light-illumination ambipolar carbon-nanotube thin-film-transistors
Authors: Aïssa B. , Nedil M. , Kroeger J. , Haddad T. , Rosei F.
Published: September 2015

We report the memory operation behavior of a light illumination ambipolar single-walled carbon nanotube thin film field-effect transistors devices. In addition to the high electronic-performance, such an on/off transistor-switching ratio of 104 and an on-conductance of 18 μS, these memory devices have shown a high retention time of both hole and electron-trapping modes, reaching 2.8 × 104 s at room temperature. The memory characteristics confirm that light illumination and electrical field can act as an independent programming/erasing operation method. This could be a fundamental step toward achieving high performance and stable operating nanoelectronic memory devices.
Electron transport coefficients under super-Gaussian distribution and magnetic field
Authors: Huo Wen Yi , Zeng Qinghong
Published: September 2015

An electron thermal transport theory based on the super-Gaussian electron distribution function f0∝e−vm is investigated for magnetized laser plasmas in order to obtain accurate transport coefficients used in the radiation hydrodynamic codes. It is found that the super-Gaussian distribution suppresses the diffusive heat flow and the Righi-Leduc heat flow. The diffusive heat flow and Righi-Leduc heat flow can be suppressed by as much as 50% and 75% under the typical hohlraum plasma condition, respectively. The super-Gaussian distribution introduces isothermal heat flows associated with the gradients of electron density and the super-Gaussian exponential factor m. And the isothermal heat flows induce the anomalous Nernst effects. Moreover, the self-generated magnetic field in laser plasmas can be generated not only by the thermalelectric effect but also by the nonparallel gradients of electron temperature and the super-Gaussian exponential factor m, the nonparallel gradients of electron density, and the super-Gaussian exponential factor m.
Influence of humidity on the characteristics of negative corona discharge in air
Authors: Xu Pengfei , Zhang Bo , He Jinliang , Chen Shuiming
Published: September 2015

Detailed negative corona discharge characteristics, such as the pulse amplitude, repetition frequency, average corona current, rise time, and half-wave time, are systematically studied under various air humidities with a single artificial defect electrode. The experimental result reveals that the pulse amplitude increases with the increase of air humidity; meanwhile, the repetition frequency deceases as the air humidity increases. Empirical formulae are first established for the pulse amplitude and repetition frequency with the humidity factor taken into consideration. The effective ionization integral is calculated and a positive correlation is found between the integral and the pulse amplitude. Furthermore, a simplified negative-ion cloud model is built up to investigate the mechanism of the humidity's influence on negative corona discharge. Based on the theoretical analyses, the correlation between pulse amplitude, repetition frequency, and air humidity is well explained.
Bandwidth widening of vibration energy harvesters through a multi-stage design
Authors: Fernando Joseph S. , Sun Qiao
Published: September 2015

A vibration harvester is usually designed to work in resonance responding to source vibration. However, in many cases, this source vibration may occur at a wide range of frequencies. If the harvester has very narrow tuning range, it becomes ineffective when there is a mismatch in the frequencies between source excitation and device resonance. Increasing the bandwidth of vibration harvesters has been an important design objective. We propose a two-stage design to improve of a harvester's performance. In a previous work [J. S. Fernando and Q. Sun, Rev. Sci. Instrum. 84(11), 114704 (2013)], we have demonstrated that use of a two-stage design can increase the power production at a single frequency excitation. In this paper, we will show that a two-stage design can also increase the width of the usable frequency band of the harvester. An optimization routine was used to determine the optimal choice of harvester design parameters with respect to the maximization of an objective function. Experiments were used to verify the electromechanical model as well as the trends predicted by the optimization. Performance comparisons between single- and two-stage harvesters are made through numerical simulation and experiments.
Internal quantum efficiency enhancement of GaInN/GaN quantum-well structures using Ag nanoparticles
Authors: Iida Daisuke , Fadil Ahmed , Chen Yuntian , Ou Yiyu , Kopylov Oleksii , Iwaya Motoaki , Takeuchi Tetsuya , Kamiyama Satoshi , Akasaki Isamu , Ou Haiyan
Published: September 2015

We report internal quantum efficiency enhancement of thin p-GaN green quantum-well structure using self-assembled Ag nanoparticles. Temperature dependent photoluminescence measurements are conducted to determine the internal quantum efficiency. The impact of excitation power density on the enhancement factor is investigated. We obtain an internal quantum efficiency enhancement by a factor of 2.3 at 756 W/cm2, and a factor of 8.1 at 1 W/cm2. A Purcell enhancement up to a factor of 26 is estimated by fitting the experimental results to a theoretical model for the efficiency enhancement factor.
Measurement of anchoring coefficient of homeotropically aligned nematic liquid crystal using a polarizing optical microscope in reflective mode
Authors: Baek Sang-In , Kim Sung-Jo , Kim Jong-Hyun
Published: September 2015

Although the homeotropic alignment of liquid crystals is widely used in LCD TVs, no easy method exists to measure its anchoring coefficient. In this study, we propose an easy and convenient measurement technique in which a polarizing optical microscope is used in the reflective mode with an objective lens having a low depth of focus. All measurements focus on the reflection of light near the interface between the liquid crystal and alignment layer. The change in the reflected light is measured by applying an electric field. We model the response of the director of the liquid crystal to the electric field and, thus, the change in reflectance. By adjusting the extrapolation length in the calculation, we match the experimental and calculated results and obtain the anchoring coefficient. In our experiment, the extrapolation lengths were 0.31 ± 0.04 μm, 0.32 ± 0.08 μm, and 0.23 ± 0.05 μm for lecithin, AL-64168, and SE-5662, respectively.
Analysis of thermoelectric properties of amorphous InGaZnO thin film by controlling carrier concentration
Authors: Fujimoto Yuta , Uenuma Mutsunori , Ishikawa Yasuaki , Uraoka Yukiharu
Published: September 2015

We have investigated the thermoelectric properties of amorphous InGaZnO (a-IGZO) thin films optimized by adjusting the carrier concentration. The a-IGZO films were produced under various oxygen flow ratios. The Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity were measured from 100 to 400 K. We found that the power factor (PF) at 300 K had a maximum value of 82 × 10−6 W/mK2, where the carrier density was 7.7 × 1019 cm−3. Moreover, the obtained data was analyzed by fitting the percolation model. Theoretical analysis revealed that the Fermi level was located approximately above the potential barrier when the PF became maximal. The thermoelectric properties were controlled by the relationship between the position of Fermi level and the height of potential energy barriers.
Method for estimating ionicities of oxides using O1s photoelectron spectra
Authors: Wu L. Q. , Li Y. C. , Li S. Q. , Li Z. Z. , Tang G. D. , Qi W. H. , Xue L. C. , Ge X. S. , Ding L. L.
Published: September 2015

The average valence, ValO, of the oxygen anions in the perovskite oxide BaTiO3, was found using O1s photoelectron spectra to be −1.55. This experimental result is close to the theoretical value for BaTiO3 (−1.63) calculated by Cohen [Nature 358, 136 (1992)] using density functional theory. Using the same approach, we obtained values of ValO for several monoxides, and investigated the dependence of ValO and the ionicity on the second ionization energy, V(M2+), of the metal cation. We found that the dependence of the ionicity on V(M2+) in this work is close to that reported by Phillips [Rev. Mod. Phys. 42, 317 (1970)]. We therefore suggest that O1s photoelectron spectrum measurements should be accepted as a general experimental method for estimating the ionicity and average valence of oxygen anions.
Genomic alterations in
BCL2L1
and
DLC1
contribute to drug sensitivity in gastric cancer
Authors: Park Hansoo , Cho Sung-Yup , Kim Hyerim , Na Deukchae , Han Jee Yun , Chae Jeesoo , Park Changho , Park Ok-Kyoung , Min Seoyeon , Kang Jinjoo , Choi Boram , Min Jimin , Kwon Jee Young , Suh Yun-Suhk , Kong Seong-Ho , Lee Hyuk-Joon , Liu Edison T. , Kim Jong-Il , Kim Sunghoon , Yang Han-Kwang , Lee Charles
Published: September 2015

Significance

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, but targeted therapy for GC is limited. Here, we identified two druggable targets from genomic alteration profiling of 103 patients with GC from Asia and validated the target suitability using patient-derived GC xenograft models, which recapitulate the tumor biology observed in patients. Combination therapy of irinotecan (standard treatment) with a
BCL2L1
(
BCL2
-like 1)-targeted drug was effective in size reduction of GC tumors having amplification of the
BCL2L1
gene, and genomic mutations of deleted in liver cancer 1 (
DLC1
) were associated with increased sensitivity to a ROCK inhibitor. Therefore, our study strongly suggests that
BCL2L1
and
DLC1
can serve as targets for novel GC therapies.
Recent developments in the study of cognitive processing of emotionally arousing words
Authors: Iza Mauricio , Ezquerro Jesús
Published: September 2015

Research on the interaction between emotion, cognition and language in the field of Artificial Intelligence has become particularly active along the last years. Lots of computational models of emotion have been developed. There are accounts stressing the role of canonical and mirror neurons as underlying the use of nouns and verbs. At the same time, neuropsychology is developing new approaches for modeling language, emotion and cognition inspired on the insights gained from robotics. The current landscape is thus a promising collaboration between several approaches: Social Psychology, Neuropsychology, Artificial Intelligence (mainly embodied), and even Philosophy, so that each field provides useful cues for the common goal of understanding social interactions (including the interactions with machines).The aim of this paper is to analyze and asses the current trends in psychology and neuroscience for studying the mechanisms of the neurocomputational cognitive-affective architecture related to the conceptualization and use of language.
Locating affixes on the lexicon-grammar continuum
Authors: Berg Thomas
Published: September 2015

This study seeks to determine the relative position of derivational affixes on the lexicon-grammar continuum in English. Its major claim is that the set of prefixes is rather more lexical and the set of suffixes rather more grammatical in nature. This hypothesis is supported by a battery of ten tests (nine linguistic and one psycholinguistic). All tests converge to the point where we can raise the possibility of a unified explanation. A theoretical account is offered which is grounded in both language structure and processing. It is erected on a temporal asymmetry between prefixes and suffixes and a logical (relational) asymmetry between stems and affixes. In conjunction with the immediacy-of-processing assumption, these asymmetries lead to a temporal precedence of (more) lexical over (more) grammatical material, hence the higher lexicalness of prefixes and the higher grammaticalness of suffixes. An extended focus on inflectional morphology locates inflectional suffixes at the grammatical end of the spectrum. Inflectional prefixes in languages other than English may find a place either between derivational prefixes and derivational suffixes or between derivational and inflectional suffixes.
Development of formulae for estimating amylose content and resistant starch content based on the pasting properties measured by RVA of Japonica polished rice and starch
Authors: Nakamura Sumiko , Katsura Junji , Kato Kiyoko , Ohtsubo Ken’ichi
Published: September 2015

We searched for the easy and simple method to measure the novel indicators which reflect not only AAC, but also (RS) based on pasting properties using RVA. Novel indexes such as SB/Con and Max/Fin (Maximum viscosity/Minimum viscosity) ratios had a very high correlation with proportion of intermediate and long chains of amylopectin; Fb1+2+3 (DP ≧ 13). In Japonica polished rice, estimation formulae for AAC and RS content were developed using novel indexes based on pasting properties by RVA, and these equations showed determination coefficients of 0.89 and 0.80 for calibration and 0.71 and 0.75 for validation test. We developed the estimation formulae for AAC and RS content for Japonica starch samples. These equations showed determination coefficients of 0.86 and 1.00 for calibration and 0.76 and 0.83 for validation test, which showed that these equations can be applied to the unknown rice samples.
A bijective proof of the hook-length formula for standard immaculate tableaux
Authors: Gao Alice , Yang Arthur
Published: September 2015

In this paper, we present a direct bijective proof of the hook-length formula for standard immaculate tableaux, which arose in the study of non-commutative symmetric functions. Our proof is along the spirit of Novelli, Pak and Stoyanovskiĭ’s combinatorial proof of the hook-length formula for standard Young tableaux.
First occurrence indices of tempered representations of metaplectic groups
Authors: Matić Ivan
Published: September 2015

We explicitly determine the first occurrence indices of tempered representations of metaplectic groups over a non-archimedean local field of characteristic zero.
Pulling back the Gromoll-Meyer construction and models of exotic spheres
Authors: Sperança L.
Published: September 2015

The Gromoll-Meyer construction of an exotic 7-sphere is generalized by producing geometric models of exotic 8-, 10- and Kervaire spheres as quotients of principal bundles over spheres. Also, using the geometry of their geodesics, the group structure of homotopy 8-spheres is explicitly presented.
On mapping theorems for numerical range
Authors: Klaja Hubert , Mashreghi Javad , Ransford Thomas
Published: September 2015

Let

T
T

be an operator on a Hilbert space

H
H

with numerical radius

w
(
T
)
≤
1

w(T)\le 1

. According to a theorem of Berger and Stampfli, if

f
f

is a function in the disk algebra such that

f
(
0
)
=
0

f(0)=0

, then

w
(
f
(
T
)
)
≤
‖
f

‖
∞

w(f(T))\le \|f\|_\infty

. We give a new and elementary proof of this result using finite Blaschke products.

A well-known result relating numerical radius and norm says

‖
T
‖
≤
2
w
(
T
)

\|T\| \leq 2w(T)

. We obtain a local improvement of this estimate, namely, if

w
(
T
)
≤
1

w(T)\le 1

, then
\[
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="double-vertical-bar upper T x double-vertical-bar squared less-than-or-equal-to 2 plus 2 StartRoot 1 minus StartAbsoluteValue mathematical left-angle upper T x comma x mathematical right-angle EndAbsoluteValue squared EndRoot left-parenthesis x element-of upper H comma double-vertical-bar x double-vertical-bar less-than-or-equal-to 1 right-parenthesis period">

‖
T
x

‖
2

≤
2
+
2

1
−

|

⟨
T
x
,
x
⟩

|

2

(
x
∈
H
,
 
‖
x
‖
≤
1
)
.

\|Tx\|^2\le 2+2\sqrt {1-|\langle Tx,x\rangle |^2} \qquad (x\in H,~\|x\|\le 1).

\]
Using this refinement, we give a simplified proof of Drury’s teardrop theorem, which extends the Berger–Stampfli theorem to the case

f
(
0
)
≠
0

f(0)\ne 0

.
2-cyclic permutations of lattice vertex operator algebras
Authors: Dong Chongying , Xu Feng , Yu Nina
Published: September 2015

The irreducible modules of the 2-cyclic permutation orbifold models of lattice vertex operator algebras of rank one are classified, and the quantum dimensions of irreducible modules and the fusion rules are determined.
Proteome-wide quantitative multiplexed profiling of protein expression: carbon-source dependency inSaccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Paulo Joao A. , O’Connell Jeremy D. , Gaun Aleksandr , Gygi Steven P.
Published: September 2015

The global proteomic alterations in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae due to differences in carbon sources can be comprehensively examined using mass spectrometry–based multiplexing strategies. In this study, we investigate changes in the S. cerevisiae proteome resulting from cultures grown in minimal media using galactose, glucose, or raffinose as the carbon source. We used a tandem mass tag 9-plex strategy to determine alterations in relative protein abundance due to a particular carbon source, in triplicate, thereby permitting subsequent statistical analyses. We quantified more than 4700 proteins across all nine samples; 1003 proteins demonstrated statistically significant differences in abundance in at least one condition. The majority of altered proteins were classified as functioning in metabolic processes and as having cellular origins of plasma membrane and mitochondria. In contrast, proteins remaining relatively unchanged in abundance included those having nucleic acid–related processes, such as transcription and RNA processing. In addition, the comprehensiveness of the data set enabled the analysis of subsets of functionally related proteins, such as phosphatases, kinases, and transcription factors. As a resource, these data can be mined further in efforts to understand better the roles of carbon source fermentation in yeast metabolic pathways and the alterations observed therein, potentially for industrial applications, such as biofuel feedstock production.
Classical plays
Authors: Wells Stanley
Published: September 2015

Shakespeare’s grammar school education gave him a thorough grounding in Latin, and possibly some Greek, and in the writings of classical authors. He drew on and developed this knowledge at every stage of his career, most conspicuously in the remarkably diverse tragedies and other plays in which he dramatized Greek and Roman history. ‘Classical plays’ first considers Titus Andronicus and then Julius Caesar, which he wrote seven or so years later. It also discusses Troilus and Cressida, Timon of Athens, and his last two classical plays Coriolanus and Antony and Cleopatra for which he drew far more extensively on Plutarch.
Second Baruch
Authors: Henze Matthias
Published: September 2015

The Syriac Apocalypse of Baruch is a Jewish work of the late first century ce. It is also called 2 Baruch to distinguish it from the apocryphal Book of Baruch, or the First Book of Baruch. Even though 2 Baruch is set during the aftermath of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in the sixth century bce, it was actually written following the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 ce. The book’s protagonist is Baruch, Jeremiah’s scribe and supporter. Scarcely developed as a figure in the Bible, Baruch is here transformed and has become a prophet in his own right, the successor to the biblical Jeremiah, who carries the message of Jeremiah further. Two Baruch presents itself as a sequel to the book of Jeremiah. Much of the language and theology that is distinctly Jeremianic reappears in 2 Baruch. The work is structured around a long dialogue between God and Baruch about the meaning of the destruction of Jerusalem. Embedded in the dialogue are a number of subgenres: laments and prayers, public declarations, two symbolic dream visions and their detailed interpretations, and an epistle to the exiles in the last ten chapters of the book. The actual author of 2 Baruch is unknown. Deeply affected by the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple, the author seeks to develop an apocalyptic program for post-70 ce Judaism. At the center of this program stands the promise of the imminent arrival of a new age. The damage inflicted by the Romans is so monumental that healing can come about only by means of divine intervention. God will soon break in and bring about a new reality. In the meantime, the author calls on the readers to be obedient to the Torah, much like Moses had called on Israel to follow the commandments, so that Israel gains entry into the promised world. Two Baruch thus combines the Deuteronomic call to choose life with the promise of life in the world to come.
Environmental Treaties
Authors: Ali Saleem , Pincus Rebecca
Published: September 2015

Environmental issues inherently transcend geopolitical boundaries, and the need for international mechanisms to address planetary problems has become increasingly salient. International environmental agreements have grown exponentially since the 1970s. According to a recent estimate from the United Nations Environment Programme, world leaders have signed up to over 500 internationally recognized agreements, including 61 atmosphere related; 155 biodiversity related; 179 related to chemicals, hazardous substances, and waste; 46 land conventions; and 196 conventions that are broadly related to issues dealing with water. Following trade, environment is now the most common area of global rule making. Global environmental agreements are formulated, ratified, and implemented through a highly complex set of circumstances that often defy systematic inquiry. The key protagonists in the environmental treaty-making system include governmental leaders and special-interest groups (such as environmental organizations, industry associations, and scientific organizations). Our aim in this article is to provide sources that cover this full panorama of stakeholders rather than particular legalistic treatises (which are better covered within the International Law category of Oxford Bibliographies in an entry by Ole Kristian Fauchald on Multilateral Environmental Agreements). The coverage provided here focuses on the process by which environmental science has been operationalized in the treaty-making process.
Television Audiences
Authors: Buzzard Karen
Published: September 2015

Three models have dominated the study of the television audience: the industry’s commodification of the television audience model, as well as two academic perspectives from the field of mass communication, the passive and the active audience models. The first of these, known as the currency audience, stems from attempts by early raters to count and commodify the television audience—an invisible mass of disparate listeners and viewers—in order to develop a form of currency that could be exchanged between broadcasters and advertisers and programmers. This currency was known as ratings, and each generation of raters added to a growing vocabulary to enhance the ability of advertisers to identify and understand their audiences. For ratings services that conduct empirical measurements of the television audience, the cornerstone of such research has been the scientific method, whereby information about television audiences is gathered largely through various survey techniques and their improvements over the years, together with a body of scientific theory known as sampling. The study of the television audience, in addition to the study of audiences commodified for exchange through the ratings industry, is also a specialized niche within the academic discipline of mass communication. In the field of mass communication, two key models have developed to understand the television audience. First is the view of the audience as a passive victim to larger economic and political forces, whereby media has the ability to brainwash and shape public opinion. Schools associated with the passive audience (and covered here) include the media economics perspective, what is known as the hypodermic needle theory, the Frankfurt School, screen theory, and the political economy approach. Similarly, a second and opposing view asserts that the audience is not simply passive but has the ability to resist and act, known as the active audience view of the TV audience. Critical research has grown since the 1940s to include a number of different schools or approaches including the Frankfurt School, screen theory, the Birmingham School, audience reception studies, and more recently, fan studies. Fan studies will not be covered in this article as there is a separate Oxford Bibliographies in Cinema and Media Studies article entitled “Fan Studies.” Problems are inherent in the extremes of each model. On one hand, one would appear to study masses as numerical figures, on another as manipulable masses through Freudian psychology and propaganda techniques, and lastly as active members of an audience where resistance is based on personal anecdotes and behaviors.
Doctor Who
Authors: Booth Paul
Published: September 2015

As a television program (and now multimedia experience) with sixty years of history, Doctor Who has reflected an ever-changing media culture. First aired by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on 23 November 1963, the British program is now seen in over ninety countries and held the record for the largest ever simulcast of a TV drama when the fiftieth anniversary special was shown in movie theaters across the world in 2013. Doctor Who depicts the adventures of a time-traveling alien known as “The Doctor” who travels across all of time and space with various companions in a blue Police Box (the TARDIS—Time and Relative Dimension in Space) that is bigger on the inside. The show has fostered a dedicated audience while also courting larger cultural acceptance. Following the program’s initial cancellation in 1989, an American TV movie co-produced with the BBC was broadcast in 1996. This movie was originally intended to be a pilot of a new series, but that series never saw the light of day. In 2005 the show came back to air with a bigger budget and a new production team based at BBC Wales. The new series linked to the stories from previous decades but took the program in fresh directions. Yet, there is a wealth of Doctor Who that goes beyond the small screen. From feature films and books to audio adventures and comics, from games and tourist destinations to fan fiction and conventions, Doctor Who is much more than just a television program. Doctor Who has also provided fodder for important scholarship in media studies, cultural studies, and fan studies, among many other disciplines. Authors have written about its cultural impact; its relationship to television history; its reflection of changing cultural norms; its representations of sex, gender, race, and class; and its larger place in media history. Doctor Who scholarship has appeared almost since the premiere of the show, but its volume has intensified since the new series premiered in 2005. Hundreds of articles, chapters, and books (not to mention websites and blogs) are currently written about the series. This article represents a cross-section of the most relevant scholarship on Doctor Who.
Israeli Economy
Authors: Rivlin Paul
Published: September 2015

The achievements of the Israeli economy since 1948 have been immense. The population has grown from 750,000 at independence to 9.3 million at end 2020, while gross domestic product (GDP) rose from $6.5 billion to $407 billion in 2020 (in 2020 prices and exchange rates). As a result, GDP per capita increased almost eightfold from $4,500 to $49,000. The Israeli economy has several outstanding features. The first is financial strength, manifest in the balance of payments, the government budget, and the banking system, and it reflects the cautious way that the economy has been managed since 1985. Behind this financial strength was the rapid development of high-technology exports and associated foreign direct investment. Allocations for defense as a share of GDP have fallen since 1975 but remain very large in absolute terms and account for a much-larger share of GDP than in most countries. On the beneficial side, the military has trained thousands of young people in high technology and has stimulated production in that sector. Israel is plagued by poverty and inequality in the distribution of income both before and after taxes and transfers. In Israel the poor are officially defined, by using a relative poverty measure, as those having an income below 50 percent of the median income; the rate of poverty is one of the highest in Western countries. The strengthening of the economy while the society has become weaker is a reversal or perceived reversal: for many years, Israelis felt that their society was strong but their economy was weak. This seems paradoxical given that between 1948 and 2010 Israel attracted just over three million immigrants. In 1948, two-thirds of the population was born abroad, whereas in 2020, 16 percent of the population were immigrants. The effects of immigration are central in Israel’s economic history, and economic policy has been dominated by the search for capital that would permit the growth of employment and output, given the increase in the supply of labor. Israel has also experienced a profound change from a state-led economy to a much more liberalized and globalized one. It has developed a consumer society in which the satisfaction of individual wants rather than collective needs is paramount.
Medieval Europe and Africa
Authors: Fromherz Allen
Published: September 2015

Studies of the relationship between Western North Africa (the Maghreb) and Europe have been marked by two paradoxes. First, despite geographic proximity, economic exchange, and even periods of political unity, across both the Straits of Sicily and the Straits of Gibraltar, modern and medieval scholars often conceive of North Africa and Europe in separate terms. Second, studies of the Maghreb and Western Europe are lopsided. There are far more studies of the European side than of the Maghrebi side, despite the existence of plentiful sources for both regions. European studies of the Maghreb are often tainted by their association with colonial goals of conquest and by claims of the European characteristics of the Berbers (the “native peoples” of North Africa encountered by the Arab conquerors but converted to Islam). Thus emerges a complex picture of relations, memories, symbols, and approaches as interactions between two dominant faiths, Christianity and Islam, must be juxtaposed with two dominant ethnic and linguistic groups (Berbers and Arabs) within Islam that have simultaneously divided and united the distinctive culture of the Maghreb and Europe.
Forecasting
Authors: Fildes Robert , Allen P. Geoffrey
Published: September 2015

The history of forecasting goes back at least as far as the Oracle at Delphi in Greece. Stripped of its mystique, this was what we now refer to as “unaided judgment,” the only forecasting method available for centuries. As a formal area of study, the earliest examples are from the weather forecasters of the nineteenth century. The early years of the twentieth century saw increasing interest in business and economic forecasting, which is the focus of this article. Novel methods were applied to agricultural yields and prices as well as analysis of the business cycle. Researchers became interested in both methods and in producers of forecasts who may or may not use formal methods. Construction of macroeconomic models occurred in the 1940s associated with the work of the Cowles Commission. As the first computers became available, these models were estimated and used for forecasting. The 1960s and 1970s marked the era of univariate forecasting; ARIMA modeling and exponential smoothing both date from this time and are widely used today in business forecasting. The 1980s saw a further institutionalization of the subject and increasing exchange between the different groups of researchers, economists, statisticians, engineers, and, later, psychologists and data scientists. The Journal of Forecasting and subsequently the International Journal of Forecasting were founded; both aimed to integrate the disparate aspects of forecasting. It was also the era of some major forecasting developments: unit-root testing, vector autoregression, cointegration, state-space modeling, and ARCH modeling. Questions about the best forecasting method were tested in “competitions” between methods, but clear answers were not forthcoming. As computing power has continued to increase, more sophisticated and complex forecasting methods have emerged, based on neural networks and decision trees. The 2020s has seen computing power used to handle more data, more nonlinear methods, more emphasis on forecast distributions, and perhaps more stress on the limitations of business and economic forecasting and the strategies that should be followed. After introducing books and papers that examine the breadth of forecasting, this bibliography’s structure recognizes that the fundamental methods of business and economic forecasting—judgment, extrapolative time series methods, and econometrics—still have distinct development paths. The newer area of computationally intensive methods, artificial intelligence and machine learning, was initially applied to predicting individual behavior and events, such as bankruptcy but now used extensively in a wide range of applications, is included separately. Forecasting software is also surveyed briefly, as its dissemination has been critical both to research innovation and to changes in forecasting practice. Finally, the bibliography covers various important areas of application.
Chiang Kai-shek
Authors: Taylor Jeremy E.
Published: September 2015

Chiang Kai-shek (Jiang Jieshi 蔣介石)—also referred to as Chiang Chung-cheng (Jiang Zhongzheng 蔣中正)—is one of the most controversial figures in modern Chinese history. He is also one of the most studied. He has been the focus of a vast array of historiography, biography, hagiography, and demonization. For early critics, Chiang was seen, from his purging of the Communists in 1927, as a “betrayer” of the Chinese Revolution. This assessment is now a point of considerable contention among historians. His creation of a unified yet authoritarian Chinese state during the Nanjing Decade (1927–1937) is also a prominent focus of scholarship, as is his role as China’s leader during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945). Earlier assessments often ended their study of Chiang with his defeat by the Communists in the Chinese Civil War and his subsequent flight to Taiwan in 1949. However, more-recent scholarship has explored both the controversies and achievements of the quarter of a century that Chiang spent on Taiwan, and his legacy on that island in the period since 1975. There remain major differences in approaches to the study of Chiang along political, methodological, and national lines, but the deposition of Chiang’s diaries at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, in 2004 has ensured that a steady flow of scholarly reassessments has been published since then. This article focuses almost exclusively on studies of Chiang himself, rather than on studies dealing with immediate members of his family (such as Soong May-ling and Chiang Ching-kuo)—many of which would justify separate entries of their own.
OP‐2 THE DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF RADIOLOGICAL COLONIC TRANSIT STUDY COMPARED WITH HIGH‐RESOLUTION COLONIC MANOMETRY.
Authors: Sintusek Palittiya , Mutalib Mohamed , Thapar Nikhil , Lindley Keith
Published: September 2015

Background:

Chronic constipation is one of the most common chronic disease in children. Most of cases are functional, however some has problem of organic myopathic or neuropathic colon. Colonic transit study with oro‐anal transit markers is the basic diagnostic tool for colonic dysmotility in clinical practice, colonic manometry is the recommended investigation in the next step. Nevertheless, the colonic manometry is considered more invasive, expensive and also unavailable in many countries. The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic value of conventional method as colonic transit study compared with the novel high‐resolution colonic manometry in diagnose colonic abnormalities.

Methods:

Fifty constipated children in Great Ormond Street hospital were retrospectively reviewed in demographic data and investigation result. The diagnosis of constipation was based on history and physical examination which followed Rome III criteria. All of enrolled patients received colonic manometry investigation before colonic transit study in order to reduce the bias. For colonic transit protocol, patients had to ingest a 10‐markers capsule on 3 consecutive days and an abdominal x‐ray was obtained on day 4. The cut‐off values for abnormal segmental and total colonic transit time(CTT) were based on Arhan et al publication.

Results:

Fifty constipated children with the mean age of 9.77 years (1.15–17.32) were included. Of all, 39(78%) patients had colonic abnormality detected by colonic manometry while 38(76%) patients had abnormal CTT.

The sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value(PPV) of colonic transit study for abnormal total CTT were 46.2%, 72.7% and 85.7%, respectively. In aspect of abnormal segmental CTT, the sensitivity, specificity and PPV of right colon are 66.7%, 63.6% and 20%; left colon are 16.7%, 72.7% and 7.69%; and rectosigmoid colon are 29.4%, 68.8% and 66.7%, respectively.

Conclusions:

Colonic transit study seemed to have satisfied posttest probability to diagnose total colonic abnormality. However, for segmental CTT, this test might be invalid and the consideration to use as predictor of segmental abnormality was not recommended.
OP‐5 INTEROBSERVER VALIDITY OF THE REFLUX FINDING SCORE FOR INFANTS (RFS‐I) IN FLEXIBLE VERSUS RIGID LARYNGOSCOPY.
Authors: Singendonk MMJ , Pullens B , van Heteren JAA , de Gier HHW , Hoeve HJ , König‐Jung AM , van der Schroeff MP , Hoekstra CEL , Veder LL , van der Pol RJ , Benninga MA , van Wijk MP
Published: September 2015

Background:

The Reflux Finding Score for Infants (RFS‐I) was developed to objectively assess signs of laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR). Based on review of flexible laryngoscopic videos, only moderate inter‐ and highly variable intraobserver reliability was found. We hypothesized that examination of the infant larynx with rigid laryngoscopy would provide better agreement. AIM: to assess the validity of the RFS‐I in the detection of LPR‐related findings using flexible versus rigid laryngoscopy.

Methods:

Thirty consecutive infants underwent flexible and rigid laryngoscopy. Based on the recorded videos, RFS‐I was scored by 4 otorhinolaryngologists, 2 otorhinolaryngology fellows, and 2 inexperienced observers. Videos were presented in a randomized order, blinded for clinical profile and findings during initial examination. Observers were provided an instruction sheet prior to evaluation. For categorical data, agreement was calculated using Cohen's kappa (2 observers) and Fleiss’ kappa (>2 observers). For ordinal data the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used.

Results:

Of 30 included patients (17 M; median age 7.5 (0–19.8) months), main reasons for referral were: stridor (n = 15,50%), ALTE/apneas (n = 7,23.3%), follow‐up of laryngeal abnormalities (n = 6,20%), aspiration (n = 5,16.7%), and other indications (n = 7,23.3%). Overall interobserver agreement of the RFS‐I was moderate for both flexible (ICC = 0.60, [95%CI 0.44–0.76]) and rigid (ICC = 0.42, [95%CI 0.26–0.62] laryngoscopy. There were no significant differences in agreement on overall RFS‐I scores and individual RFS‐I items for flexible versus rigid laryngoscopy. We did observe higher overall agreement amongst the 2 inexperienced observers for rigid (ICC = 0.40, [95%CI 0.03–0.67]), compared to flexible (ICC = 0.11, [95%CI 0.17–0.41]) laryngoscopy, albeit not significant. Comparing RFS‐I results for flexible versus rigid laryngoscopy per observer, agreement ranged from no to substantial agreement (k = ‐0.16–0.63, mean k = 0.22) and the observed agreement (not adjusted for chance) was 0.08–0.35%.

Conclusions:

Interobserver agreement of the RFS‐I was only moderate and did not differ between flexible and rigid laryngoscopy. This indicates that the RFS‐I should not be used with flexible, nor rigid laryngoscopy to detect signs of LPR.