bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eating‐related problems among 13‐15 year old Swedish adolescents: Frequency and stability over a one‐year period
Authors: VIBORG NJÖRDUR , WÅNGBY‐LUNDH MARGIT , LUNDH LARS‐GUNNAR , JOHNSSON PER
Published: July 2012

Viborg, N., Wångby‐Lundh, M., Lundh, L.‐G. & Johnsson P. (2012). Eating‐related problems among 13‐15 year old Swedish adolescents: Frequency and stability over a one‐year period. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 53, 401–406.

The frequency of eating‐related problems in young adolescents, and their stability over a one‐year period, was studied by the RiBED‐8 (Risk Behaviours related to Eating Disorders, 8 items) in a community sample of 13–15 year old adolescents who took part in a prospective study with a 2‐wave longitudinal design. The RiBED‐8 was found to have good reliability and construct validity among the girls, although it did not show equally convincing psychometric properties among boys. With a cut‐off of at least three critical answers on the RiBED‐8, 28.5–31.0% of the girls were seen as risk cases for the development of eating disorder. Of those girls who were risk cases at Time 1, a majority (68.8%) remained so at Time 2; of those girls who were not risk cases at Time 1, 16.1% became risk cases at Time 2. It is suggested that the RiBED‐8 is a brief, easily administered instrument that may be potentially useful in screening for eating‐related problems among girls.
BERTRAND VERSUS COURNOT COMPETITION IN A VERTICAL STRUCTURE: A NOTE*
Authors: MUKHERJEE ARIJIT , BROLL UDO , MUKHERJEE SOMA
Published: July 2012

In a vertical structure with a profit‐maximizing upstream firm, we show that whether the profits in the downstream market are higher under Bertrand competition or under Cournot competition depends on the technology differences among the downstream firms and on the pricing strategy (namely uniform pricing or price discrimination) of the upstream firm. The upstream firm's profit, the profit of the upstream and the downstream firms taken together, and social welfare are always higher under Bertrand competition than under Cournot competition.
THE ASSIMILATION ARGUMENT AND THE ROLLBACK ARGUMENT
Authors: FRANKLIN CHRISTOPHER EVAN
Published: July 2012

Seth Shabo has presented a new argument that attempts to codify familiar worries about indeterminism, luck, and control. His ‘Assimilation Argument’ contends that libertarians cannot distinguish overtly randomized outcomes from exercises of free will. Shabo claims that the argument possesses advantages over the Mind Argument and Rollback Argument, which also purport to establish that indeterminism is incompatible with free will. I argue first that the Assimilation Argument presents no new challenges over and above those presented by the Rollback Argument, and second that the Rollback Argument itself neither presents a deep challenge to, nor raises the cost of, accepting libertarianism.
THE ROLE OF TRANSPORTATION IN U.S. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: 1840–1860*
Authors: Herrendorf Berthold , Schmitz, Jr. James A. , Teixeira Arilton
Published: July 2012

We return to two questions concerning the 19th century U.S. transportation revolution. First, to what extent were transportation improvements responsible for the large changes in the regional distribution of population in the United States and, within regions, for the changes in industry structure? Second, how important were transportation improvements for welfare gains? We find that transport improvements were the key factor driving where people lived and what industry they worked in. We also find that transport improvements were important for welfare gains: Gains over 1840–1860 would have been only half as large if there had been no transportation improvements.
ON THE OPTIMALITY OF LINE CALL CHALLENGES IN PROFESSIONAL TENNIS*
Authors: Abramitzky Ran , Einav Liran , Kolkowitz Shimon , Mill Roy
Published: July 2012

We study professional tennis players’ decisions of whether to challenge umpires’ calls using data on over 2,000 challenges in 35 tennis tournaments. The decision to challenge, which is simple to characterize, trades off reversing the umpire’s call against losing subsequent challenge opportunities. Qualitatively, players are more likely to challenge when the stakes are greater and when the option value of challenging is lower, as theory predicts. Quantitatively, players’ actual behavior is close to an optimal challenging strategy prescribed by a simple dynamic model. Our findings illustrate that professional decision makers develop decision rules that can approximate optimal behavior quite well.
MONETARY VALUATION OF INSURANCE AGAINST FLOOD RISK UNDER CLIMATE CHANGE*
Authors: Wouter Botzen W. J. , Van Den Bergh Jeroen C. J. M.
Published: July 2012

Climate change is projected to increase the risk of natural disasters, such as floods and storms, in certain regions. This is likely to raise the demand for natural disaster insurance. We present a stated preference survey using choice modeling with mixed logit estimation methods in order to examine the effects of climate change and the availability of government compensation on the demand for flood insurance by Dutch homeowners. Currently, no private insurance against flood damage is offered in the Netherlands. The results indicate that there are opportunities for the development of a flood insurance market.
Relational Governance and the Formation of a New Economic Space: The Case of Teheran Valley, Seoul, Korea
Authors: Jung Namji
Published: July 2012

This article articulates the relational capacity of the nation‐state, and its role in the growth of information and communication technology (ICT) entrepreneurs and industry cluster formation. In particular, it emphasizes the state's strategic coupling with the private sector and social groups as the main forces that facilitated the rise of ICT entrepreneurs and the high‐technology industry cluster in Teheran Valley (TV) in Seoul, Korea, during the post‐1997 financial‐crisis downturn. Historical analysis shows that the seemingly serendipitous rise of TV is an outcome of the dynamic interplay between the state, ICT entrepreneurs and other social forces in the post‐industrial restructuring process. Importantly, while the Korean state still maintained its role as a reformer of industry structure, it continuously and flexibly revised its mode of governing in response to technological change and social demands, forming a governance system that I term ‘relational governance’. During the industrial upgrading period from 1980 to the early 2000s, the governance system for the ICT sector shifted from centralized planning to selective deregulation through close partnership with ICT entrepreneurs, and then later to a more flexible mode of governance whereby the state re‐centralized ICT policymaking functions while devising indirect ways of supporting emerging small and medium ICT enterprises.

Cet article expose la capacité relationnelle de l'État‐nation, ainsi que son rôle dans le développement de pôles industriels et d'entreprises innovantes des technologies de l'information et de la communication (TIC). Il insiste notamment sur la combinaison stratégique de l'État avec le secteur privé et les groupes sociaux, principaux moteurs ayant facilité l'épanouissement des entreprises des TIC et du pôle de haute technologie de Teheran Valley, à Séoul, lors du ralentissement liéà la crise financière de 1997. Une analyse historique montre que l'essor apparemment providentiel de Teheran Valley résulte de l'interaction entre État, entreprises des TIC et forces sociales pendant la restructuration post‐industrielle. Il faut noter que, si l'État coréen a conservé son rôle de réformateur de l'architecture industrielle, il n'a cessé de corriger son mode de gouvernement face à l'évolution technologique et aux exigences sociales, aboutissant à un système qualifié ici de ‘gouvernance relationnelle’. Durant la phase de revalorisation de l'industrie, entre 1980 et le début des années 2000, le système de gouvernance du secteur des TIC est passé d'une planification centralisée à une déréglementation sélective grâce à un partenariat étroit avec les entreprises du secteur, puis à un assouplissement du mode de gouvernance qui a permis à l'État de recentraliser les décisions stratégiques en matière de TIC, tout en créant des moyens indirects de soutenir les petites et moyennes entreprises nouvelles du secteur.
How should flow‐mediated dilation be normalized to its stimulus?
Authors: Stoner Lee , Tarrant Michael A. , Fryer Simon , Faulkner James
Published: July 2012

The brachial artery flow‐mediated dilation test (FMD) is the non‐invasive gold‐standard used to assess endothelial function. Reduced FMD is an early event in the development of atherosclerosis and provides a marker for predicting future cardiovascular disease events. Despite its widespread popularity and proven validity, the FMD test is limited by poor reliability. There are three major limitations associated with the standard FMD methodology: (i) inappropriate expression of FMD, (ii) measurement variance associated with a short‐lived FMD response and (iii) most studies fail to account for the FMD stimulus. A series of relatively simple statistical practices can be adopted to account for these limitations. In particular, we suggest that endothelial function be estimated using shear rate–diameter dose–response curves, which can be statistically analysed using hierarchical linear modelling. The use of dose–response curves could potentially improve measurement reliability and validity.
EXPERIMENTAL EVALUATION OF SAMPLE‐EXTRACTION METHODS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR CONTAMINATION IN CERAMIC SPECIMENS*
Authors: BOULANGER M. T. , FEHRENBACH S. S. , GLASCOCK M. D.
Published: July 2012

Contamination of ceramic specimens resulting from sample‐preparation techniques has the ability to confound efforts of chemical characterization. Primary contamination, identified by significant concentrations of one or more elements, is easily identified. Secondary contamination, resulting from undetected elements influencing detected elements, is more difficult to identify. Evaluation of six powder‐extraction techniques identifies variable effects of contamination. Extraction by drilling carries the highest risk of contamination. The grinding of specimens with silicon‐carbide wheels may artificially deplete abundances by introducing Si and C. Grinding specimens in an agate mortar and pestle is found to be the technique least likely to result in contamination effects.
Drivers of Change in Hunter Offtake and Hunting Strategies in Sendje, Equatorial Guinea
Authors: Gill David J. C. , Fa Julia E. , Rowcliffe J. Marcus , Kümpel Noëlle F.
Published: July 2012

Economic development in Africa is expected to increase levels of bushmeat hunting through rising demand for meat and improved transport infrastructure. However, few studies have tracked long‐term changes in hunter behavior as a means of testing this prediction. We evaluated changes in hunter behavior in a rural community in Equatorial Guinea over a period of rapid national economic growth, during which time road access to the regional capital greatly improved. We conducted offtake surveys (Supporting Information) over 3 7‐week periods at the same time of year in 1998, 2003, and 2010 and conducted hunter and household interviews (Supporting Information) in 2003 and 2010. We tested whether relations existed among catch, hunting effort, hunting strategy, and income earned through hunting and other livelihoods in 2003 and 2010. Although village offtake increased from 1775 kg in 1998 to 4172 kg in 2003, it decreased in 2010 to 1361 kg. Aggregate catch per unit effort (i.e., number of carcasses caught per hunter and per trap) decreased from 2003 to 2010, and the majority of hunters reported a decrease in abundance of local fauna. Although these results are indicative of unsustainable hunting, cumulative changes in offtake and catch per unit effort were driven by a contraction in the total area hunted following an out‐migration of 29 of the village's hunters, most of whom left to gain employment in the construction industry, after 2003. Hunters operating in both 2003 and 2010 hunted closer to the village because an increased abundance of elephants posed a danger and because they desired to earn income through other activities. Our study provides an example of national economic development contributing to a reduction in the intensity and extent of hunting.

Factores de Cambio en la Captura de Cazadores y Estrategias de Caza en Sendje, Guinea Ecuatorial
Heart Rate Variability Assessment of the Effect of Physical Training on Autonomic Cardiac Control
Authors: Grant Catharina C. , Viljoen Margaretha , Janse van Rensburg D.C. , Wood Paola S.
Published: July 2012

Background: The effect of exercise interventions on autonomic nervous system (ANS) control of the heart by heart rate variability (HRV) is often investigated in just one position. It was hypothesized that results of exercise‐induced changes on ANS are dependent on body position and that it is possible to distinguish between exercise induced changes in vagal and sympathetic influence by taking measurements in different body positions.

Methods: One hundred eighty‐three (male = 100, female = 83) healthy volunteers, between 18 and 22 years, participated in a prospective twelve week medium to high intensity exercise intervention study with a self‐control design. The influence of the exercise intervention was investigated on supine, rising, and standing as well as on the orthostatic response. Time domain, frequency domain and nonlinear (Poincaré) HRV analysis were performed.

Results: The exercise intervention lead to a significant increase (P < 0.05) in vagal influence during supine, rising, and standing. Sympathetic control in the supine position was decreased and increased during rising and standing. In the initial orthostatic response to rising from the supine position, the exercise intervention lead to increased (P < 0.05) vagal withdrawal as well as increased sympathetic control. The orthostatic response measured as the difference between standing and supine indicated only an exercise induced increase in sympathetic control.

Conclusions: Exercise‐induced changes in sympathetic and parasympathetic ANS control differ, depending on posture and period of measurement. Exercise induced changes in parasympathetic and sympathetic outflow, respectively, can be extracted from measurements from supine, through the orthostatic response, to standing, thereby detecting changes in ANS that are otherwise obscured.
T‐Wave Amplitude Is Related to Physical Fitness Status
Authors: Arbel Yaron , Birati Edo Y. , Shapira Itzhak , Topilsky Yan , Wirguin Michal , Canaani Jonathan
Published: July 2012

Background: Abnormalities in repolarization may reflect underlying myocardial pathology and play a prominent role in arrhythmogenesis The T‐wave amplitude has been associated with cardiovascular outcome in patients with acute myocardial infarction (MI) Additionally, T‐wave amplitude is considered a predictor of arrhythmias, as well as being related to an individual's inflammatory status. The combined influence of different variables, such as inflammation, cardiovascular risk factors and physical fitness status, on the T‐wave amplitude has not been evaluated to date. The aim of this study was to identify factors that affect the T‐wave amplitude.

Methods: Data from 255 consecutive apparently healthy individuals included in the Tel Aviv Medical Center Inflammation Survey (TAMCIS) were reviewed. All patients had undergone a physical examination and an exercise stress test, and different inflammatory and metabolic biomarkers (fibrinogen, potassium, and high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein) were measured.

Results: Multivariate stepwise analysis revealed that the body mass index and the resting heart rate were significantly associated with the T‐wave amplitude (β=−0.34, P < 0.001; β=−0.19, P = 0.03, respectively) in males, while the recovery rate and the usage of statins significantly affected the T‐wave amplitude in females (β= 0.36, P = 0.002; β= 0.35, P = 0.002, respectively). Inflammatory variables had no significant affect on the T‐wave amplitude of either gender.

Conclusions: In conclusion, the T‐wave amplitude is linked to an individual's physical fitness and not to his/her inflammatory status.
Vasospastic Angina with J‐Wave Pattern and Polymorphic Ventricular Tachycardia Effectively Treated with Quinidine
Authors: Sacha Jerzy , Barabach Szymon , Feusette Piotr , Kukla Piotr
Published: July 2012

Background: Myocardial ischemia during coronary spasm may generate malignant ventricular arrhythmias. The J‐wave pattern was suggested to be a marker of a disorder associated with life‐threatening arrhythmias.
Results: We report the case of a patient with vasospastic angina and J‐wave pattern in inferior and lateral leads associated with polymorphic ventricular tachycardia which was effectively treated only with quinidine—vasodilating drugs were not able to prevent the arrhythmia although they were effective in preventing ischemic events.
Conclusion: The J‐wave pattern in inferolateral leads may be a sign of electrical vulnerability to lethal ventricular arrhythmia in patients suffering from vasospastic angina—quinidine can effectively prevent such arrhythmias in these patients.
Wolff–Parkinson–White Syndrome and Acute Pulmonary Embolism: A Case Report
Authors: Gul Enes Elvin , Soylu Ahmet , Nikus Kjell C.
Published: July 2012

A 48‐year‐old woman admitted to the emerhency departments due to sudden onset of dyspnea. The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) was made and thrombolytic therapy was started. Baseline ECG showed signs of right ventricular overload and after thrombolysis, short PR, wide QRS, and delta wave indicating Wolf‐Parkinson‐White (WPW) pattern were appeared. In this case report, we discuss ECG of patient with PE mimicknig WPW.
Complete Heart Block Following a Blow on the Chest by a Soccer Ball: A Rare Manifestation of Commotio Cordis
Authors: Thakar Saurabh , Chandra Preeti , Pednekar Manali , Kabalkin Chaim , Shani Jacob
Published: July 2012

Commotio cordis is a rare type of blunt cardiac injury in which low impact chest trauma causes sudden cardiac arrest, usually occurs from being struck by a projectile during sports. The most common arrhythmia during commotio cordis is ventricular fibrillation, although complete heart block and an idioventricular rhythm have also been reported. We describe a case of a young patient who presented with a persistent third‐degree atrioventricular block and a left bundle branch block, following blunt chest trauma, as a result of blow by soccer ball and subsequently needed a permanent pacemaker.
Immunohistochemical characterization of molecular subtypes of invasive breast cancer: a study from North India
Authors: Verma Sangeeta , Bal Amanjit , Joshi Kusum , Arora Sunil , Singh Gurpreet
Published: July 2012

In recent years breast cancer has been classified on the basis of its molecular characteristics by gene expression profiling. A similar classification using immunohistochemistry has been identified so that it has a wider application. This study was designed to define the precise prevalence of molecular subtypes of invasive breast carcinoma using immunohistochemistry in patients from north India and to correlate it with known clinical and histological prognostic factors. Based on ER/PR/Her2/neu expression, 100 cases of invasive breast cancer were categorized into: ER+ and ⁄ or PR+ and Her2/neu− (47%), ER+ and⁄or PR+ and Her2/neu+ (15%), ER− and ⁄ or PR− and Her2/neu+ (Her2/neu overexpressing, 21%), ER−, PR− and Her2/neu− (Triple negative, 17%). All cases demonstrated positivity for the luminal Cytokeratins 8/18. In addition, 10% of these tumours showed expression of the basal markers (CK4/14, CK5/6). Among the 17 triple negative cases, eight cases were positive for one of the basal markers and two cases with basal marker expression were Her2/neu overexpressing. The basal markers showed significant correlations only with histological grade and ER negative status. On the basis of hormone receptor, Her‐2/neu and cytokeratin expressions, distinct subclasses of breast cancer have been identified which show significant differences in relation to histological grade and ER status. Expression of basal markers is needed to define basal‐like breast cancer.
Melanocytic lesions with eczematous reaction (Meyerson's phenomenon) – a histopathologic analysis of 64 cases
Authors: Pižem Jože , Stojanovič Larisa , Luzar Boštjan
Published: July 2012

Background

Eczematous (spongiotic) reaction in melanocytic lesions (Meyerson's phenomenon) has not been systematically analyzed and has not been convincingly documented in melanoma.

Methods

We analyzed 64 consecutive melanocytic lesions with spongiotic reaction, occurring in 57 patients (age range 14–81 years; mean, 39 years; 30 females, 27 males) including 16 common acquired nevi, 3 nevi with congenital features, 2 Spitz nevi, 29 dysplastic nevi, 6 in situ and 8 invasive melanomas.

Results

The intensity of the spongiotic reaction was graded as mild in 24 (38%), moderate in 22 (34%) and marked in 18 (28%) lesions. It was moderate/marked in 6 of 14 (43%) in situ or invasive melanomas. Upward migration of melanocytes in the epidermis was noted in 7 (33%) non‐dysplastic and 10 (34%) dysplastic nevi but was generally limited to the lower half of the epidermis. Moderate/severe cytologic atypia was found in 14 (48%) dysplastic nevi and all melanomas but not in non‐dysplastic nevi.

Conclusions

Prominent spongiotic reaction with eosinophils in the inflammatory infiltrate can affect all types of melanocytic lesions. Upward migration involving the uppermost layers of the epidermis, especially when extensive and present in areas with a less pronounced spongiotic reaction, and moderate/severe cytologic atypia indicate a melanoma.
Discovery of the novel HLA‐DRB1*09:01:08 allele in a Taiwanese volunteer bone marrow donor and identification of the probable HLA‐A, HLA‐B and HLA‐DRB1 haplotype in association with DRB1*09:01:08
Authors: Yang K. L. , Lee S. K. , Yang S. Y. , Kao R. H. , Lin C. L. , Lin P. Y.
Published: July 2012

We report here the novel variant of HLA‐DRB1*09:01, DRB1*09:01:08, discovered in a Taiwanese volunteer bone marrow donor by a sequence‐based typing (SBT) method. The DNA sequence of DRB1*09:01:08 is identical to the sequence of DRB1*09:01:02 in exon 2 except a silent mutation at nucleotide position 261(C→T) (GCC→GCT at codon 58). We hypothesize DRB1*09:01:08 was probably derived from DRB1*09:01:02 via a nucleotide point mutation event. The plausible HLA‐A, HLA‐B and HLA‐DRB1 haplotype in association with DRB1*09:01:08 was deduced as A*02:07‐B*46:01‐DRB1*09:01:08.
Distribution of the related weevil species Sitophilus oryzae and S. zeamais in Brazil
Authors: Corrêa Alberto S. , Orlando de Oliveira Luiz , Braga Lucas S. , Guedes Raul Narciso C.
Published: July 2012

The genus Sitophilus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) encompasses species of great economic importance as stored grain pests worldwide. Among these species, the maize and the rice weevils (Sitophilus zeamais and Sitophilus oryzae, respectively) are particularly important in warmer climates. These two weevils exhibit closely morphological and ecological resemblance making difficult their proper identification and recognition of their distribution in grain‐producing regions. Both species are recorded in South America and particularly in Brazil, but their respective distribution and prevalence were not yet assessed in the region. Therefore, several insect samples throughout Brazil were collected and subjected to morphological identification using male genitalia and also using molecular identification with species‐specific primers designed for clear recognition of both the species. The primers were designed for the specific amplification of a gene fragment of the cytochrome oxidase subunit I, which exhibited high specificity during our preliminary experiments with insects from six populations of known species (either S. zeamais or S. oryzae). Both identification strategies provided the same results indicating prevalence of the maize weevil S. zeamais throughout the country. Two hypotheses may explain such prevalence: (i) the likely host preference of S. zeamais for maize because this is the most cultivated cereal in Brazil, and (ii) the prevalence of S. zeamais in tropical regions as compared with S. oryzae, which is more disseminated in subtropical and temperate regions.
Canine idiopathic epilepsy: prevalence, risk factors and outcome associated with cluster seizures and status epilepticus
Authors: Monteiro R. , Adams V. , Keys D. , Platt S. R.
Published: July 2012

Objectives

To evaluate the prevalence of cluster seizures and status epilepticus in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy and determine risk factors for cluster seizure frequency, severity and patient outcome.

Methods

Retrospective review of medical records of 407 dogs with idiopathic epilepsy was made. Follow‐up questionnaires were evaluated in cases with cluster seizures.

Results

Mean age at diagnosis of idiopathic epilepsy was 4 years. Cluster seizures were documented in 169 (41%) dogs. German shepherds and boxers were significantly (P=0·04 and 0·01, respectively) more likely to suffer from cluster seizures compared to Labrador retrievers. There was no association between the occurrence of status epilepticus and cluster seizures and frequency and severity of cluster seizures and status epilepticus episodes with age or breed. Intact males were twice as likely (P=0·003) than neutered dogs to suffer from cluster seizures. Intact females had significantly (P=0·007) more frequent cluster seizures than neutered dogs. The median survival time for all dogs with cluster seizures was 95 months. Significantly (P=0·03) more dogs with frequent cluster seizures were euthanased because of the cluster seizures.

Clinical Significance

There was a high prevalence of cluster seizures in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy. Neutering status appears to influence cluster seizure occurrence with intact females more likely to experience more frequent episodes. Euthanasia is associated with frequency of cluster seizure episodes.
Effects of malnutrition on oxidative burst functions and infection episodes in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Cakir F. B. , Aydogan G. , Timur C. , Canpolat C. , Tulunay A. , Eksioglu Demiralp E. , Berrak S. G.
Published: July 2012

Introduction

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of malnutrition on oxidative burst functions (OBF) of neutrophils in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).

Materials and Methods

Twenty‐eight patients with ALL and thirty healthy controls were enrolled to the study. Thirteen patients with ALL were found to have malnutrition. While neutrophil OBF of ALL patients without malnutrition were studied both before induction chemotherapy and 3 months after, the same functions in ALL patients with malnutrition were studied both before induction chemotherapy and when the nutritional status improved. Control group were studied at admission and 3 months later.

Results

The OBF of ALL patients with and without malnutrition before induction chemotherapy were found to be significantly lower than the control group (P = 0.009), whereas the OBF were found to be similar in both patient groups with ALL (P = 0.27). The median infection episode rate and the duration of antibiotics therapy during the study period were similar in both patient groups with ALL. The repeated OBF of both patient groups with ALL were shown to increase to similar values with the control group in the third month of chemotherapy (P = 0.002). The median infection episode rate during the first month of chemotherapy was shown to decrease significantly during the third month of chemotherapy in both patient with ALL groups (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

We have not been able to demonstrate an overt effect of malnutrition on OBF. However, our results still need to be verified via further larger scaled studies of OBF in leukemic children with and without malnutrition.
A Unified Empirical Account of Responsibility Judgments*
Authors: BJöRNSSON GUNNAR , PERSSON KARL
Published: July 2012

Skeptical worries about moral responsibility seem to be widely appreciated and deeply felt. To address these worries—if nothing else to show that they are mistaken—theories of moral responsibility need to relate to whatever concept of responsibility underlies the worries. Unfortunately, the nature of that concept has proved hard to pin down. Not only do philosophers have conflicting intuitions; numerous recent empirical studies have suggested that both prosaic responsibility judgments and incompatibilist intuitions among the folk are influenced by a number of surprising factors, sometimes prompting apparently contradictory judgments. In this paper, we show how an independently motivated hypothesis about responsibility judgments provides a unified explanation of the more important results from these studies. According to this ‘Explanation Hypothesis’, to take an agent to be morally responsible for an event is to take a relevant motivational structure of the agent to be part of asignificant explanationof the event. We argue that because of how explanatory interests and perspectives affect what we take as significant explanations, this analysis accounts for the puzzling variety of empirical results. If this is correct, the Explanation Hypothesis also provides a new way of understanding debates about moral responsibility.
Two heads are better than one? How to effectively use two interviewers to elicit cues to deception
Authors: Mann Samantha , Vrij Aldert , Shaw Dominic J. , Leal Sharon , Ewens Sarah , Hillman Jackie , Granhag Par Anders , Fisher Ronald P.
Published: July 2012

Background. We examined the effect of a second interviewer's demeanour on cues to deception. We predicted that a supportive demeanour would be the most beneficial for eliciting verbal cues to deceit, as it would encourage truth tellers, but not liars, to say more. In addition, we examined the extent to which interviewees deliberately made eye contact with the interviewers. Liars take their credibility less for granted than truth tellers, and therefore have a greater drive to be convincing. Liars are thus more likely to monitor the interviewer to determine if the interviewer appears to believe them.

Method. Participants appeared before two interviewers: the first asked all the questions and the second remained silent. The second interviewer exhibited either a supportive, neutral, or a suspicious demeanour.

Results. Truth tellers provided significantly more detail than liars, but only in the supportive second interviewer condition. The effect of a second interviewer's demeanour on detail was perhaps remarkable given that the interviewees hardly looked at the second interviewer (less than 10% of the time). Liars displayed more deliberate eye contact (with the first interviewer) than truth tellers did.

Conclusions. A supportive second interviewer has a positive effect on interviewing. We discuss this finding in the wider contexts of investigative interviewing and interviewing to detect deception.
Incorporation of sliding mode control into a vibration and noise suppression scheme for a rigid rotor
Authors: Lewis Scott
Published: July 2012

This paper presents a sliding mode control algorithm to suppress the vibration of a rigid rotor supported by magnetic bearings. It is assumed that unbalance exists in the shaft and that the two planes of the shaft motion are coupled by gyroscopic forces. It is assumed that the angular rotation is small in both the normal and transverse directions and that the force and current are related linearly. The sliding mode control law is designed to be robust to rotor unbalance and transient disturbances. A boundary layer is introduced around each sliding hyperplane to eliminate the chattering phenomenon. The results from numerical simulations are presented, which not only corroborate the validity of the proposed controller, but also show the effects of various control parameters as a function of the angular speed of the rotor. Special attention is addressed to the orbital plots of the ends of the rotor. Experimental results are compared to those obtained analytically and demonstrate how the current required by the bearings is affected by the angular velocity of the rotor. [Work sponsored by ONR.]
Active control of rotating shafts using modal separation
Authors: Swanson D. C. , Kim B.
Published: July 2012

Modal filtering and separation is used to process error signals of the orbital displacement of a high-speed rotating shaft. The error signals are sampled as complex numbers at two shaft positions where the horizontal displacement is the real part and a vertical displacement is the imaginary part. Two complex error signals are then obtained from two separate positions along the rotating shaft. In the frequency domain, the modes of the rotating shaft can be separated as principal components of an ellipse, with spatial phase defined relative to a tachometer signal from the shaft. The active control system actuators (vertical and horizontal directions at two shaft positions) can then be independently driven to minimize each mode. [Work sponsored by ONR.]
Correlations in fuselage response and sound field in aircraft cabin during flight
Authors: Mathur Gopal P. , Tran Boi N. , Simpson Myles A.
Published: July 2012

The in-flight acoustic field in the aircraft cabin is of fundamental interest to the noise control engineer as it defines the sound quality of the cabin environment which the passenger experiences. Design of efficient noise control treatments is usually based on the spectral characteristics of the interior acoustic field to provide a comfortable environment with a minimum of added weight. In-flight noise diagnostics methods, such as sound intensity mapping, are sensitive to the reverberant nature of the cabin sound field. The performance of active noise control systems is crucially dependent on the statistical characteristics of the enclosed field. However, statistical modeling to characterize the aircraft cabin noise field, e.g., correlation modeling, has received little attention. Apparently, acoustic correlation models used in architectural acoustics have been presumed to represent the in-flight cabin noise field. The statistical description of the aircraft cabin acoustic field can help in understanding and describing the intricate nature of the noise field in greater detail. The main objective of this paper is to discuss correlation models between the exterior pressure field, the vibration response of fuselage panels, and the interior noise field. Test data from ground and flight tests conducted on an MD-90 aircraft are used to examine these correlations.
Low-frequency aircraft noise and its effects on residential land use
Authors: Harris Andrew
Published: July 2012

Low-frequency aircraft noise is most noticeable to the rear and side of aircraft that are taking off and are on or near to the ground. Recently concluded at Minneapolis–St. Paul International Airport (MSP), this study investigated levels and effects of low-frequency noise in residential areas. The study built on work conducted at other airports. It reached five significant findings: (1) the primary effect of low-frequency noise annoyance caused by noise-induced rattling of windows, doors and furnishings; (2) the best predictor of annoyance was the average of maximum levels in the 25–80-Hz bands (called the low-frequency sound level, LFSL); (3) the existing residential sound insulation program at MSP does not measurably change the low-frequency noise reduction (LFNR), but it reduces the annoyance as much as a 5-dB reduction in low-frequency noise level; (4) the maximum practical level of noise in new single-family residences is approximately 25 dB, about 10 dB higher than the LFNR found in the typical untreated residence, and (5) the maximum exterior LFSL compatible with residential use is 87 dB.
The noise produced by harbor infrastructures
Authors: Curcuruto Salvatore , de Leo Alberto , Fabozzi Concetta
Published: July 2012

The Italian legislation regarding acoustic pollution is slowly going to be completed with the issue of all decrees in application of the framework law of 26th October no. 447/95. One of these decrees refers to the noise pollution produced by harbor infrastructures. There is little national and international information regarding this argument, above all because such infrastructures are highly complex, characterized by many acoustically different variables, represented by the single activities that are present in the infrastructure during the daily work. For this study seven Italian harbors were chosen, six marine and one lacustrine. For the choice of the harbors several criteria were used based on importance, territorial characteristic (e.g., characteristic of the harbor area, distance from inhabited areas), and presence of other activities (commercial, tourist and industrial). The first step of the work was the location of adequate cartography of the different noise sources present in the harbors and of the mainly exposed receivers. In a second time some measurements of noise were executed outside the harbor, in correspondence to the perimeter and at different distances along a determined directrix, and near the receivers mainly exposed. The results are presented in the present document.
Modeling of ultrasound contrast agents
Authors: Allen John
Published: July 2012

Ultrasound contrast agents differ from free-gas bubbles such that a polymer, lipid, or fluid shell encapsulates them. Many modeling efforts have focused on the role of the shell on the overall dynamics. Early efforts used semiempirical approaches to incorporate the shell into a generalized Rayleigh–Plesset equation. Church [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 97(3) (1995)] developed a more rigorous approach modeling the albumin shell of Albunex as a linear elastic material. This work has provided the foundation for many subsequent theoretical and experimental efforts. Ye [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 100(3) (1996)] examined modal scattering solutions for an Albunex agent. Recent efforts to design a high-frequency contrast agent based on dipole scattering are discussed [Allen, Kruse, and Ferrara, IEEE-Trans. Ultrason. Ferroelectr. Freq. Control, in press]. The modeling of different types of shell materials remains an outstanding issue. The potential role of both viscous and viscoelastic shell materials is outlined. Furthermore, the limitations of linear elastic and viscoelastic material models are highlighted. The modeling of possible interaction effects among groups of contrast agents has received less attention. Also, outstanding issues exist with respect to a rigorous mathematical modeling of contrast agent destruction, drug delivery schemes, and potential bioeffects.
Wideband transmission noise reduction of smart panels featuring piezoelectric shunt circuits and sound absorbing material
Authors: Kim Jaehwan , Lee Joong-Kuen , Choi Jin-Young
Published: July 2012

The possibility of a wideband noise reduction of piezoelectric smart panels is experimentally studied. A piezoelectric smart panel is basically a plate structure on which piezoelectric devices with shunt electronics are mounted and sound absorbing material is bonded on the surface of the structure. Sound absorbing material can effectively absorb the sound transmitted at midfrequency, while the use of piezoelectric shunt circuits can reduce the transmission at resonance frequencies of the panel structure. Piezoelectric shunting circuits, composed of register and inductor, are determined based on maximizing the dissipated energy through the circuit. To be able to reduce the sound transmission at low panel resonances, multimode damping with one piezoelectric device is essential and it is achieved by using the measured electrical impedance model. The noise reduction performance of the panels is tested on an acoustic tunnel. The tunnel is made of a guided tunnel that has a square cross section and a loudspeaker is used as a sound source. Panels are mounted in the middle of the tunnel and the transmitted sound pressures across panels are measured. Several panels according to different absorbing material thickness, combination of double panels, and location of piezoelectric devices are tested.
The effect of syllabification and VOT on F2 onsets at the CV2 boundary
Authors: Ghavami Golnaz M. , Sussman Harvey M. , Lindblom Bjorn
Published: July 2012

The articulatory blending of vowels and consonants has long been described by a coproduction model of coarticulation [S. E. G. Ohman, J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 41, 310–319 (1967)]. Variation in intergestural timing of the C closure has been shown to produce instability in locus equation coefficients as place descriptors when simulated on the DRM vocal tract model [Chennoukh et al., J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 102, 2380–2389 (1997)]. This study attempted to achieve real-world variations in CV phasing by imposing a variety of temporal intervals separating vowel-to-vowel sequences. Variation in syllable shapes and degree of aspiration were used to alter the relative timing between V1 and V2. A coproduction account predicts little change in F2 onsets for V2 as a function of the temporal interval separating V1 and V2. In contrast, a segment-by-segment (‘‘deactivation’’) account would predict systematic changes in V2 locus frequencies, with coarticulation decreasing as the C-interval increases. Three syllable shapes (V♯CV, VC♯V, VC♯CV) were used with five vowel contexts /i,e,ae,u,ɔ/) surrounding the six stop consonants (/bdgptk/). Acoustic measures of both F2 offset frequencies for V1 as well as locus equations derived from the CV2 interface will be presented for three speakers of American English. [Work supported by NIH.]
A role of fundamental frequencies in the perception of emphasized words
Authors: Nagao Kyoko , Amano Shigeaki
Published: July 2012

Many previous studies have shown the role of the fundamental frequency (F0) on focus structure in speech production. The current study examined the role of F0 on focus perception. Eleven subjects of Tokyo Japanese were asked to listen to 889 F0-manipulated sentences and to select the word that they thought the speaker emphasized. Each stimulus included a noun phrase such as ‘‘W1-no W2,’’ where both W1 and W2 are a noun with an accent on the first mora. The F0 contour of each stimulus was varied by changing values of F0 at the three points: the F0 minimum point (i.e., dip) in the noun phrase and the F0 maximum point (peak) in each word. The result showed that F0 functions as a phonetic cue for a listener to perceive the emphasis on the word. We found that the relative F0 differences between the two peaks largely determined the subject’s focus perception. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis suggests that the dip plays an important role. We will discuss the relationship between the dip and peaks for the focus perception.
Three-dimensional acoustic scattering models for elongated fluid-like zooplankton
Authors: Lavery Andone C. , Chu Dezhang , McGehee Duncan E. , Stanton Timothy K.
Published: July 2012

Accurate acoustic scattering models that correctly incorporate organism size, shape, material properties, and orientation are a critical component for the remote classification and detection of marine organisms, such as fish and zooplankton. Zooplankton that fall into the elongated fluid-like category are of particular importance, primarily due to their high natural abundances. In order to obtain a better understanding of the scattering properties of this class of organism, extensive laboratory measurements of the frequency (50 kHz to 1 MHz) and angular (all angles in two planes with 1-deg resolution) characteristics of the acoustic backscattering from live individual decapod shrimp (Palaemonetes vulgaris) have been performed. An acoustic scattering model based on the distorted wave Born approximation (DWBA) has been developed for these elongated fluid-like organisms. This model makes use of progressively more realistic and complex representations of the animal shape. The most sophisticated of these representations involves fully three-dimensional digitizations of the animal exterior, obtained using high-resolution computed tomography (CT). A primary focus of this study is to determine the practical conditions under which it is necessary to make use of such high-resolution, computer-intensive digitizations of animal shape.
Multistatic multifrequency scattering from zooplankton
Authors: Greenlaw Charles F. , Holliday D. Van , McGehee Duncan E.
Published: July 2012

Multifrequency backscattering measurements can be inverted to estimate size abundance of zooplankton if a suitable model for backscattering is known. Physics-based models generally include the physical properties (density and compressibility) as input parameters. Computer manipulations of one such zooplankton scattering model suggest that physical properties as well as size might be estimated from simultaneous multistatic and multifrequency scattering measurements. Preliminary results from laboratory measurements of silicone rubber targets will be presented and extraction of physical properties discussed. [Work supported by ONR Code 322 BC.]
Broadband echo spectra from euphausiids and copepods
Authors: Foote Kenneth G. , Knutsen Tor , Atkins Philip R. , Bongiovanni Claire , Francis David T. I. , Eriksen Peter K. , Larsen Mette Torp , Mortensen Tom
Published: July 2012

A seven-octave-bandwidth echo sounding system [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 105, 994 (1999)] was used to observe diverse zooplankton along the coast of western Norway during the period 28 April–9 May 1999. Echo spectra were obtained from freshly caught, swimming specimens of the euphausiid Meganyctiphanes norvegica and copepod Calanus finmarchicus ex situ in a tank mounted on the stern deck of R/V Johan Hjort. Echo spectra were also obtained from scatterers in situ at 15-m depth in the same sea areas where the experimental animals were caught. Pulse compression was used to reduce the risk of analyzing overlapping echoes. All echo spectra were absolute, as the system was calibrated by the standard-target method using a 10-mm-diameter sphere of tungsten carbide with 6% cobalt binder. Comparison of echo spectra over the nominal bandwidth 1600–2600 kHz supports the claim of acoustic classification. Additional evidence is provided by reference to modeling computations [J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 105, 1050 (1999); 105, 1111 (1999)] where the bodies were assumed to be weakly scattering and fluid-like, with representative morphometries and assumed or measured properties of mass density and longitudinal-wave sound speed. [Work supported by the EU through RTD Contract No. MAS3-CT95-0031 during the project.]
Product sound quality: From perception to design
Authors: Lyon Richard H.
Published: July 2012

This discussion of product sound quality is concerned with the relation between the work of product designers and the perceptions of consumers/users regarding the acceptability of the sound. Designers make choices regarding structure, materials, and components in a product. The tools they need should allow them to anticipate the effect of those choices on sound quality. This presentation recounts the role of psychoacoustics in product design and product acceptability and notes the results of that work in metrics for sound quality and consumer/user perceptions about the product. The successes and drawbacks of this activity are noted. Recent work on a new paradigm, using sensory profiles for sound as an intermediary between metrics and perception, is described along with results using this procedure. Future developments of the procedure are outlined. [Work supported in part by National Science Foundation Dynamic Systems and Controls Program and by RH Lyon Corp]