bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ON THE NON-DETERMINISTIC COMMUNICATION COMPLEXITY OF REGULAR LANGUAGES
Authors: ADA ANIL
Published: August 2010

In this paper we study the non-deterministic communication complexity of regular languages. We show that a regular language has either constant or at least logarithmic non-deterministic communication complexity. We prove several linear lower bounds which we know cover a wide range of regular languages with linear complexity. Furthermore we find evidence that previous techniques (Tesson and Thérien 2005) for proving linear lower bounds, for instance in deterministic and probabilistic models, do not work in the non-deterministic setting.
NUMBER OF OCCURRENCES OF POWERS IN STRINGS
Authors: CROCHEMORE MAXIME , FAZEKAS SZILÁRD ZSOLT , ILIOPOULOS COSTAS S. , JAYASEKERA INUKA
Published: August 2010

We show a Θ(n log n) bound on the maximal number of occurrences of primitively-rooted k-th powers occurring in a string of length n for any integer k, k ≥ 2. We also show a Θ(n2) bound on the maximal number of primitively-rooted powers with fractional exponent e, 1 < e < 2, occurring in a string of length n. This result holds obviously for their maximal number of occurrences. The first result contrasts with the linear number of occurrences of maximal repetitions of exponent at least 2.
BALANCE PROPERTIES AND DISTRIBUTION OF SQUARES IN CIRCULAR WORDS
Authors: MANTACI ROBERTO , MANTACI SABRINA , RESTIVO ANTONIO
Published: August 2010

We study balance properties of circular words over alphabets of size greater than two. We give some new characterizations of balanced words connected to the Kawasaki-Ising model and to the notion of derivative of a word. Moreover we consider two different generalizations of the notion of balance, and we find some relations between them. Some of our results can be generalized to non periodic infinite words as well.
IMPROVEMENT OF THE PERFORMANCE OF TOHOKU MICROBEAM SYSTEM
Authors: MATSUYAMA S. , ISHII K. , TSUBOI S. , HASHIMOTO Y. , KAWAMURA Y. , YAMANAKA K. , WATANABE M. , OHKURA S. , FUJIKAWA M. , CATELLA G. , FUJIKI K. , HATORI Y. , HAMADA N. , FUJIWARA M. , KIKUCHI Y. , YAMAZAKI H.
Published: August 2010

A microbeam system was installed at Dynamitron laboratory at Tohoku University and is applicable to simultaneous in-air/in-vacuum PIXE, RBS, SE, and STIM analyses, and 3D µ-CT. Insufficient beam brightness of the source and field contamination of the microbeam line restricted spatial resolution. In order to improve the performance of Tohoku microbeam system, optimization and modification of the ion source and microbeam system were performed. By the modification of the system, the beam brightness of the system was increased to 1.0 pA ·µ m -2· mrad -2· MeV -1 at the half divergence of 0.2 mrad. Considering the brightness and the magnification, obtainable target current will be 200 and 900 pA for beam spot sizes of 1.0 × 1.0 and 2.0 × 2.0 µ m 2, respectively. The modification of the source meets both the lifetime and the performance. The parasitic field contamination of the system was reduced down to less than 0.5 % by replacing the beam scanner chamber and a part of beam duct. Both resolution and beam currents are sufficient for our applications of in-air/in-vacuum PIXE, RBS, SE, and STIM analyses and 3D PIXE-µ-CT.
EVALUATION OF PRESSED POWDERS AND THIN SECTION STANDARDS FOR MULTI-ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS BY CONVENTIONAL AND MICRO-PIXE ANALYSIS
Authors: HOMMA-TAKEDA SHINO , ISO HIROYUKI , ITO MASAKI , SUZUKI KYOKO , HARUMOTO KEIKO , YOSHITOMI TOMOYASU , ISHIKAWA TAKAHIRO , OIKAWA MASAKAZU , SUYA NORIYOSHI , KONISHI TERUAKI , IMASEKI HITOSHI
Published: August 2010

For muti-elemental analysis, various standards are used to quantify the elements consists of environmental and biological samples. In this paper two different configuration standards, pressed powders and thin section standards, were assessed for their purpose as standards by conventional and micro-PIXE analysis. Homogeneity of manganese, iron, zinc ( Zn ), copper and yttrium added to pressed powder standard materials were validated and the relative standard deviation (RSD) of the X-ray intensity of the standards was <10% within the range, 62.5–250 µg/g. We established linear relationships between the metal concentration and the specific X-ray intensity of standards containing up to 250 µg/g of these metals. A homogenous distribution of Zn added to thin section standard materials was also confirmed by 10-µm-step scanning of the standard within the range, 50–250 µg/g (RSD ~ 10%). The calibration line between the X-ray intensity obtained from a 10-µm2 area and the metal concentration was acceptable.
PIXE ANALYSIS OF INDIVIDUAL PARTICLES IN COAL FLY ASH
Authors: HATORI Y. , MATSUYAMA S. , ISHII K. , TERAKAWA A. , KIKUCHI Y. , FUJIWARA H. , KAWAMURA Y. , OKURA S. , FUJIKAWA M. , HAMADA N. , FUJIKI K. , INOUE C. , YAMAZAKI H. , HASHIMOTO Y.
Published: August 2010

Consumption of coal is increasing as an alternative for petroleum. During the process, coal fly ash particles are produced and are disposed as an industrial waste. Coal ash contains toxic heavy metals, which leads to a concern about the possibility of leakage into environment. The spatial distribution and chemical form as well as elemental concentration of the toxic elements in the particles are important factors in assessing the leakage into the environment. In this study, we analyzed individual coal fly ash particles with 1 µm spatial resolution by using the simultaneous micro-PIXE/RBS/off-axis STIM system at Tohoku University. Eighty fly ash particles were analyzed. The particles are mainly composed of O , Si and Al and estimated as dioxide. Hydrogen and carbon are not observed in these particles. V , Zn , Sr , Cu , Ni , Mn , Cr and As are contained in the particles. The content of each element is quite different in each particle. These elements are distributed homogeneously. As an exception, Al , Ca , Fe , Zn , As and Zr are distributed on the surface of the particle which might be related to the combustion process.
HOPF ALGEBRA STRUCTURE OF (2+1)-DIMENSIONAL QUANTUM SUPERSPACE, ITS DUAL AND ITS DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS
Authors: OZAVSAR MUTTALIP
Published: August 2010

We consider a (2+1)-dimensional quantum superspace which has noncommuting coordinates in Manin sense and it was shown that this space has a Hopf algebra structure, i.e. the quantum supergroup, when it is extended by the inverse of the bosonic variable. Differential structures on this space were given by constructing the differential calculus in the sense of Woronowicz. Thus, we deduce that the corresponding quantum Lie superalgebra which as a commutation superalgebra appears classical, and as Hopf structure is non-cocommutative q-deformed. Finally, dual Hopf superalgebra was given.
STABILITY OF THE DE SITTER SPACETIME IN HORAVA–LIFSHITZ THEORY
Authors: HUANG YONGQING , WANG ANZHONG , WU QIANG
Published: August 2010

The stability of de Sitter spacetime in Horava–Lifshitz theory of gravity with projectability but without detailed balance condition is studied. It is found that, in contrast to the case of the Minkowski background, the spin-0 graviton is now stable for any given ξ, and free of ghost for ξ ≤ 0 in the infrared limit, where ξ is the dynamical coupling constant.
NEUTRINO TRIBIMAXIMAL MIXING FROM A4 ALONE
Authors: MA ERNEST
Published: August 2010

Neutrino tribimaximal mixing is obtained from the breaking of A4 to Z3 in the charged-lepton sector and to Z2 in the neutrino sector. To enforce this conflicting pattern, extra particles and symmetries are usually invoked, often accompanied by nonrenormalizable interactions and even extra dimensions. It is shown here in a specific renormalizable model how A4 alone will accomplish this, with only the help of lepton number.
MC REALIZATION OF IR-IMPROVED DGLAP-CS PARTON SHOWERS: HERWIRI1.031
Authors: WARD B. F. L. , JOSEPH S. , MAJHI S. , YOST S. A.
Published: August 2010

We introduce the new IR-improved Dokshitzer–Gribov–Lipatov–Altarelli–Parisi–Callan–Symanzik (DGLAP-CS) kernels recently developed by one of us into the HERWIG6.5 to generate a new MC, HERWIRI1.0(31), for hadron–hadron scattering at high energies. We use MC data to compare the parton shower generated by the standard DGLAP-CS kernels and that generated by the new IR-improved DGLAP-CS kernels. The seamless interface to MC@NLO, MC@NLO/HERWIRI, is illustrated. We show comparisons with FNAL data and discuss some possible LHC phenomenology implications.
The Role of Kisspeptin Signaling in Reproduction
Authors: d'Anglemont de Tassigny Xavier , Colledge William Henry
Published: August 2010

Kisspeptins are a group of peptides that stimulate GnRH release and are required for puberty and maintenance of normal reproductive function. This review focuses on our understanding of the way in which kisspeptin signaling regulates mammalian fertility and how they act as central integrators of different hormonal and physiological signals.
TLR4 and Insulin Resistance
Authors: Kim Jane J. , Sears Dorothy D.
Published: August 2010

Chronic inflammation is a key feature of insulin resistance and obesity. Toll-Like Receptor 4 (TLR4), involved in modulating innate immunity, is an important mediator of insulin resistance and its comorbidities. TLR4 contributes to the development of insulin resistance and inflammation through its activation by elevated exogenous ligands (e.g., dietary fatty acids and enteric lipopolysaccharide) and endogenous ligands (e.g., free fatty acids) which are elevated in obese states. TLR4, expressed in insulin target tissues, activates proinflammatory kinases JNK, IKK, and p38 that impair insulin signal transduction directly through inhibitory phosphorylation of insulin receptor substrate (IRS) on serine residues. TLR4 activation also leads to increased transcription of pro-inflammatory genes, resulting in elevation of cytokine, chemokine, reactive oxygen species, and eicosanoid levels that promote further insulin-desensitization within the target cell itself and in other cells via paracrine and systemic effects. Increased understanding of cell type-specific TLR4-mediated effects on insulin action present the opportunity and challenge of developing related therapeutic approaches for improving insulin sensitivity while preserving innate immunity.
Approximate Solution of the Nonlinear Heat Conduction Equation in a Semi‐Infinite Domain
Authors: Yu Jun , Yang Yi , Campo Antonio
Published: August 2010

We use an approximation method to study the solution to a nonlinear
heat conduction equation in a semi‐infinite domain. By expanding an energy density
function (defined as the internal energy per unit volume) as a Taylor polynomial in
a spatial domain, we reduce the partial differential equation to a set of first‐order
ordinary differential equations in time. We describe a systematic approach to derive
approximate solutions using Taylor polynomials of a different degree. For a special case,
we derive an analytical solution and compare it with the result of a self‐similar analysis.
A comparison with the numerically integrated results demonstrates good accuracy of our
approximate solutions. We also show that our approximation method can be applied
to cases where boundary energy density and the corresponding effective conductivity
are more general than those that are suitable for the self‐similar method. Propagation
of nonlinear heat waves is studied for different boundary energy density and the
conductivity functions.
A Metabonomic Approach to Analyze the Dexamethasone‐Induced Cleft Palate in Mice
Authors: Zhou Jinglin , Xu Bin , Shi Bing , Huang Jing , He Wei , Lu Shengjun , Lu Junjun , Xiao Liying , Li Wei
Published: August 2010

Mice models are an important way to understand the relation between the fetus with cleft palate and changes of maternal biofluid. This paper aims to develop a metabonomics approach to analyze dexamethasone‐induced cleft palate in pregnant C57BL/6J mice and to study the relationship between the change of endogenous small molecular metabolites in maternal plasma and the incidence of cleft palate. To do so, pregnant mice were randomly divided into two groups. The one group was injected with dexamethasone. On E17.5th day, the incident rates of cleft palate from embryos in two groups were calculated. The  1H‐NMR spectra from the metabolites in plasma in two groups was collected at same time. Then the data were analyzed using metabonomics methods (PCA and SIMCA). The results showed that the data from the two groups displayed distinctive characters, and the incidence of cleft palate were significantly different (P < .005). To conclude, this study demonstrates that the metabonomics approach is a powerful and effective method in detecting the abnormal metabolites from mother in the earlier period of embryos, and supports the idea that a change from dexamethasone induced in maternal metabolites plays an important role in the incidence of cleft palate.
Role of 20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic and Epoxyeicosatrienoic Acids in the Regulation of Vascular Function in a Model of Hypertension and Endothelial Dysfunction
Authors: Yousif Mariam H.M. , Benter Ibrahim F.
Published: August 2010

The objective of this study was to determine if acute inhibition of 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) synthesis or reduced inactivation of epoxyeicosatrienoic acids (EETs) can correct L-NG-nitro-arginine-methyl-ester (L-NAME)-induced abnormal vascular reactivity in the perfused mesenteric bed and the carotid artery of spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Administration of L-NAME in drinking water (80 mg/l) to SHR for 3 weeks resulted in abnormal vascular reactivity to norepinephrine and carbachol in the perfused mesenteric vascular bed and carotid artery, and significantly elevated mean arterial blood pressure (244 ± 9 mm Hg) as compared to SHR controls drinking regular water (176 ± 3 mm Hg). In the perfused mesenteric vascular bed, the impaired vascular responsiveness to norepinephrine was corrected by acute treatment with N-hydroxy-N′-(4-butyl-2-methylphenyl)formamidine (HET0016), an inhibitor of 20-HETE formation, but not by 1-cyclohexyl-3-dodecyl urea (CDU), an inhibitor of soluble epoxide hydrolase. Treatment with either HET0016 or CDU did not improve impaired carbachol-induced vasodilation in the perfused mesenteric vascular bed. In the isolated carotid artery, treatment with HET0016 corrected the L-NAME-induced increase in norepinephrine-induced vasoconstriction, whereas only CDU treatment could improve impaired carbachol-induced vasodilation. Results of this study indicate that vascular function in a state of compromised nitric oxide formation is differentially modulated by 20-HETE and EETs, and that treatment with HET0016 or CDU may improve vascular function in a state of high blood pressure and endothelial dysfunction.
Formation of Caries-Like Lesions in vitro on the Root Surfaces of Human Teeth in Solutions Simulating Plaque Fluid
Authors: Shellis R.P.
Published: August 2010

Lesion formation on root surfaces of human posterior teeth was studied in acetate/lactate buffers with a background electrolyte composition based on plaque fluid analyses. Lesion depth after 28 days at 37°C was measured in relation to: the presence or absence of cementum; the concentration of undissociated buffer; the presence or absence of magnesium ions at plaque fluid concentration. Each factor was evaluated at several values of –log(ion activity product for hydroxyapatite): pIHA. Solutions were formulated to minimize variation in pH, which varied by ≤0.03 for a given comparison (individual pIHA) and by 0.42–0.82 over the range of pIHA within experiments. Lesions on surfaces from which cementum had been ground were significantly deeper than on intact surfaces, but this is considered to be due to subsurface mechanical damage and not to a solubility difference. Neither the concentration of undissociated buffer nor the presence of magnesium ions significantly affected lesion depth. Lesion depth was strongly influenced by the correlated variations in pIHA and pH. At pIHA 54 and 55, only extremely shallow lesions formed. From pIHA 56, lesion depth increased with increasing pIHA. The results confirm that the solubility of the mineral of root tissues is higher than that of hydroxyapatite, but indicate that it is probably lower than suggested by Hoppenbrouwers et al. [Arch Oral Biol 1987;32:319–322]. For calcium concentrations of 3–12 mM, the critical pH for root tissue mineral was calculated as 5.22–5.66 assuming solubility equivalent to pIHA 54 and 5.08–5.51 assuming pIHA 55.
Birth Weight Is a Significant Risk Factor for Incident Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Conen David , Tedrow Usha B. , Cook Nancy R. , Buring Julie E. , Albert Christine M.
Published: August 2010

Background—

Few if any studies have assessed the relationship between birth weight and incident atrial fibrillation (AF).

Methods and Results—

From 1993 to 2009, we prospectively followed 27 982 women who were >45 years of age and free of cardiovascular disease and AF at baseline. Information on birth weight was categorized into 5 different categories: <2.5, 2.5 to 3.2, 3.2 to 3.9, 3.9 to 4.5, and >4.5 kg. The primary outcome was time to incident AF. During 14.5 years of follow-up, 735 AF events occurred. Age-adjusted incidence rates for incident AF from the lowest to the highest birth weight category were 1.45, 1.82, 1.88, 2.57, and 2.55 events per 1000 person-years of follow-up. After multivariable adjustment, hazard ratios for incident AF across increasing birth weight categories were 1.0, 1.30 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.96 to 1.75), 1.28 (95% CI, 0.96 to 1.69), 1.70 (95% CI, 1.23 to 2.37), and 1.71 (95% CI, 1.12 to 2.61) (
P
for linear trend=0.002). Adding body mass index, blood pressure, and diabetes mellitus at study entry did not have a large effect on these estimates (
P
for linear trend=0.004). In contrast, including height in the multivariable model substantially attenuated the relationship between birth weight and AF (
P
for linear trend=0.17), and additional adjustment for maximum weight in young adulthood further attenuated this association (multivariable-adjusted hazard ratio across birth weight categories, 1.0, 1.27 [95% CI, 0.94 to 1.71], 1.10 [95% CI, 0.83 to 1.46], 1.41 [95% CI, 1.01 to 1.96], and 1.29 [95% CI, 0.84 to 1.98];
P
for linear trend=0.23).

Conclusions—

Birth weight is significantly associated with incident AF among women, suggesting that early life determinants may play an important role in the pathogenesis of AF.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00000479.
Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Differentiation to an Osteogenic Phenotype Involves TRPM7 Modulation by Magnesium
Authors: Montezano Augusto C. , Zimmerman Deborah , Yusuf Hiba , Burger Dylan , Chignalia Andreia Z. , Wadhera Vishal , van Leeuwen Frank N. , Touyz Rhian M.
Published: August 2010

Arterial calcification, common in vascular diseases, involves vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) transformation to an osteoblast phenotype. Clinical studies suggest that magnesium may prevent this, but mechanisms are unclear. We assessed whether increasing magnesium levels reduce VSMC calcification and differentiation and questioned the role of the Mg
2+
transporter, transient receptor potential melastatin (TRPM)7 cation channels in this process. Rat VSMCs were exposed to calcification medium in the absence and presence of magnesium (2.0 to 3.0 mmol/L) or 2-aminoethoxy-diphenylborate (2-APB) (TRPM7 inhibitor). VSMCs from mice with genetically low (MgL) or high-normal (MgH) [Mg
2+
]
i
were also studied. Calcification was assessed by von Kossa staining. Expression of osteocalcin, osteopontin, bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2, BMP-4, BMP-7, and matrix Gla protein and activity of TRPM7 (cytosol:membrane translocation) were determined by immunoblotting. Calcification medium induced osteogenic differentiation, reduced matrix Gla protein content, and increased expression of the sodium-dependent cotransporter Pit-1. Magnesium prevented calcification and decreased osteocalcin expression and BMP-2 activity and increased expression of calcification inhibitors, osteopontin and matrix Gla protein. TRPM 7 activation was decreased by calcification medium, an effect reversed by magnesium. 2-APB recapitulated the VSMC osteoblastic phenotype in VSMCs. Osteocalcin was increased by calcification medium in VSMCs and intact vessels from MgL but not MgH, whereas osteopontin was increased in MgH, but not in MgL mice. Magnesium negatively regulates vascular calcification and osteogenic differentiation through increased/restored TRPM7 activity and increased expression of anticalcification proteins, including osteopontin, BMP-7, and matrix Gla protein. New molecular insights are provided whereby magnesium could protect against VSMC calcification.
Monitoring Adherence to Medication by Measuring Change in Blood Pressure
Authors: Hayen Andrew , Bell Katy , Glasziou Paul , Neal Bruce , Irwig Les
Published: August 2010

After starting antihypertensives, blood pressure is monitored for several reasons, including assessment of adherence. We aimed to estimate the accuracy of blood pressure monitoring for detecting early nonadherence. We conducted a secondary analysis of the Perindopril Protection Against Recurrent Stroke Study (PROGRESS), a large randomized trial of blood pressure lowering to reduce the risk of recurrent stroke. We compared change in blood pressure 3 months after randomization in people who had discontinued treatment (nonadherent) with those who stayed on treatment (adherent). We also used an indirect method, assessing whether change in blood pressure discriminated between active (adherent) and placebo (nonadherent) groups. Both methods gave similar results. For the 3433 subjects, the mean (SD) of the change in systolic blood pressure was −15.8 mm Hg (SD 18.7 mm Hg) in the adherent group and −4.2 mm Hg (SD 18.1 mm Hg) in the nonadherent group. After recalibration of the mean change in the nonadherent group to 0 mm Hg and in the adherent group to −11.6 mm Hg, the absence of a fall in systolic blood pressure at 3 months had a sensitivity of 50% and a specificity of 80% for detecting nonadherence (50% of nonadherent patients and 20% of adherent patients had a rise in blood pressure). Discriminatory power was modest over the range of cutoffs (area under the receiver–operator curve 0.67). Monitoring blood pressure is poor at detecting nonadherence to blood pressure–lowering treatment. Further research should look at other methods of assessing adherence.
Aldosterone, Plasma Renin Activity, and Aldosterone/Renin Ratio in a Normotensive Healthy Pediatric Population
Authors: Martinez-Aguayo Alejandro , Aglony Marlene , Campino Carmen , Garcia Hernan , Bancalari Rodrigo , Bolte Lillian , Avalos Carolina , Loureiro Carolina , Carvajal Cristian A. , Avila Alejandra , Perez Viviana , Inostroza Andrea , Fardella Carlos E.
Published: August 2010

Primary aldosteronism is an important cause of secondary hypertension and is suspected in adults with an aldosterone/renin ratio ≥25. The normal aldosterone/renin ratio is unknown in children. The aim was to establish serum aldosterone, plasma renin activity, and aldosterone/renin ratio values in a healthy pediatric population. A cross-sectional study was performed in 211 healthy normotensive children (4 to 16 years old). Two subgroups of normotensive children were obtained: with hypertensive parents (NH) (n=113) and normotensive parents (n=98). Blood samples for measuring serum aldosterone, plasma renin activity, aldosterone/renin ratio, and DNA were collected. In subjects with aldosterone/renin ratio ≥25, the chimeric CYP11B1/CYP11B2 gene was investigated by long-extension PCR. Results are expressed as median [Q
1
–Q
3
]. NH and normotensive parents groups were similar in serum aldosterone (6.5 [3.6 to 9.0] ng/dL versus 6.5 [2.9 to 9.7] ng/dL;
P
=0.968) and plasma renin activity (2.3 [1.6 to 3.1] versus 2.4 [1.7 to 3.7] ng/mL per hour;
P
=0.129). The aldosterone/renin ratio was higher in the NH group, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (2.8 [1.9 to 4.1] versus 2.5 [1.4 to 4.0],
P
=0.104). In one subject of the NH group, the chimeric CYP11B1/CYP11B2 gene was detected. We demonstrated that normal aldosterone/renin ratio values in a healthy pediatric population without NH were lower than those reported for an adult normotensive population.
Numerical Modeling of Severe Local Storms
Authors: Wilhelmson Robert B. , Wicker Louis J.
Published: August 2010

No Abstract available.
Volume II: The Cases
Authors: Kocin Paul J. , Uccellini Louis W.
Published: August 2010

No Abstract available.
Ensemble Synoptic Analysis
Authors: Hakim Gregory J. , Torn Ryan D.
Published: August 2010

Synoptic and mesoscale meteorology underwent a revolution in the 1940s and 1950s with the widespread deployment of novel weather observations, such as the radiosonde network and the advent of weather radar. These observations provoked a rapid increase in our understanding of the structure and dynamics of the atmosphere by pioneering analysts such as Fred Sanders. The authors argue that we may be approaching an analogous revolution in our ability to study the structure and dynamics of atmospheric phenomena with the advent of probabilistic objective analyses. These probabilistic analyses provide not only best estimates of the state of the atmosphere (e.g., the expected value) and the uncertainty about this state (e.g., the variance), but also the relationships between all locations and all variables at that instant in time. Up until now, these relationships have been determined by sampling in time by, for example, case studies, composites, and time-series analysis. Here the authors propose a new approach, ensemble synoptic analysis, which exploits the information contained in probabilistic samples of analyses at one or more instants in time.

One source of probabilistic analyses is ensemble-based state-estimation methods, such as ensemble-based Kalman filters. Analyses from such a filter may be used to study atmospheric phenomena and the relationships between fields and locations at one or more instants in time. After a brief overview of a research-based ensemble Kalman filter, illustrative examples of ensemble synoptic analysis are given for an extratropical cyclone, including relationships between the cyclone minimum sea level pressure and other synoptic features, statistically determined operators for potential-vorticity inversion, and ensemble-based sensitivity analysis.
Surface Potential Temperature as an Analysis and Forecasting Tool
Authors: Hoffman Eric G.
Published: August 2010

In the last decade, Fred Sanders was often critical of current surface analysis techniques. This led to his promoting the use of surface potential temperatures to distinguish between fronts, baroclinic troughs, and non-frontal baroclinic zones, and to the development of a climatology of surface baroclinic zones. In this paper, criticisms of current surface analysis techniques and the usefulness of surface potential temperature analyses are discussed. Case examples are used to compare potential temperature analyses and current National Centers for Environmental Prediction analyses.

The 1-yr climatology of Sanders and Hoffman is reconstructed using a composite technique. Annual and seasonal mean potential temperature analyses over the continental United States, southern Canada, northern Mexico, and adjacent coastal waters are presented. In addition, gridpoint frequencies of moderate and strong potential temperature gradients are calculated. The results of the mean potential temperature analyses show that moderate and strong surface baroclinic zones are favored along the coastlines and the slopes of the North American cordillera. Additional subsynoptic details, not found in Sanders and Hoffman, are identified. The availability of the composite results allows for the calculation of potential temperature gradient anomalies. It is shown that these anomalies can be used to identify significant frontal baroclinic zones that are associated with weak potential temperature gradients. Together the results and reviews in this paper show that surface potential temperature analyses are a valuable forecasting and analysis tool allowing analysts to distinguish and identify fronts, baroclinic troughs, and nonfrontal baroclinic zones.
Must Surprise Snowstorms be a Surprise?
Authors: Tracton M. Steven
Published: August 2010

Today, even with state-of-the-art observational, data assimilation, and modeling systems run routinely on supercomputers, there are often surprises in the prediction of snowstorms, especially the “big ones,” affecting coastal regions of the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States. Little did the author know that lessons from Fred Sanders' synoptic meteorology class at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1967) would later (late 1980s) inspire him to pursue practical issues of predictability in the context of the development of ensemble prediction systems, strategies, and applications for providing information on the inevitable case-dependent uncertainties in forecasts. This paper is a brief qualitative and somewhat colloquial overview, based upon this author's personal involvement and experiences, intended to highlight some basic aspects of the source and nature of uncertainties in forecasts and to illustrate the sort of value added information ensembles can provide in dealing with uncertainties in predictions of East Coast snowstorms.
Strong Surface Fronts over Sloping Terrain and Coastal Plains
Authors: Bosart Lance F. , Wasula Alicia C. , Drag Walter H. , Meier Keith W.
Published: August 2010

This paper begins with a review of basic surface frontogenesis concepts with an emphasis on fronts located over sloping terrain adjacent to mountain barriers and fronts located in large-scale baroclinic zones close to coastlines. The impact of cold-air damming and differential diabatic heating and cooling on frontogenesis is considered through two detailed case studies of intense surface fronts. The first case, from 17 to 18 April 2002, featured the westward passage of a cold (side-door) front across coastal eastern New England in which 15°–20°C temperature decreases were observed in less than one hour. The second case, from 28 February to 4 March 1972, featured a long-lived front that affected most of the United States from the Rockies to the Atlantic coast and was noteworthy for a 50°C temperature contrast between Kansas and southern Manitoba, Canada.

In the April 2002 case most of New England was initially covered by an unusually warm, dry air mass. Dynamical anticyclogenesis over eastern Canada set the stage for a favorable pressure gradient to allow chilly marine air to approach coastal New England from the east. Diabatic cooling over the chilly (5°–8°C) waters of the Gulf of Maine allowed surface pressures to remain relatively high offshore while diabatic heating over the land (31°–33°C temperatures) enabled surface pressures to fall relative to over the ocean. The resulting higher pressures offshore resulted in an onshore cold push. Frontal intensity was likely enhanced prior to leaf out and grass green-up as virtually all of the available insolation went into sensible heating.

The large-scale environment in the February–March 1972 case favored the accumulation of bitterly cold arctic air in Canada. Frontal formation occurred over northern Montana and North Dakota as the arctic air moved slowly southward in conjunction with surface pressure rises east of the Canadian Rockies. The arctic air accelerated southward subsequent to lee cyclogenesis–induced pressure falls ahead of an upstream trough that crossed the Rockies. The southward acceleration of the arctic air was also facilitated by dynamic anticyclogenesis in southern Canada beneath a poleward jet-entrance region. Frontal intensity varied diurnally in response to differential diabatic heating. Three types of cyclogenesis events were observed over the lifetime of the event: 1) low-amplitude frontal waves with no upper-level support, 2) low-amplitude frontal waves that formed in a jet-entrance region, and 3) cyclones that formed ahead of advancing upper-level troughs. All cyclones were either nondeveloping or weak developments despite extreme baroclinicity, likely the result of large atmospheric static stability in the arctic frontal zone and unfavorable alongfront stretching deformation. Significant frontal–mountain interactions were observed over the Rockies and the Appalachians.
Factors Influencing Prostate Cancer Screening in African American Men
Authors: Lehto Rebecca H. , Song Lixin , Stein Karen F. , Coleman-Burns Patricia
Published: August 2010

African American men have the highest prostate cancer incidence and mortality rates worldwide, but have lower screening rates compared with Caucasian men. The purpose of the study was to identify social ecological factors that affect screening behaviors in African American men, knowledge that could be integral to the design of culturally appropriate interventions. The exploratory study included 60 African American males recruited from the greater Detroit metropolitan area. Social ecological variables examined included age, marital status, presence of health insurance, education, health values and behaviors, physician trust, and perceived stress coping (John Henryism). Analyses included descriptives, chi-square tests, one-way ANOVAs, and logistic regression. Findings concluded that a parsimonious model consisting of two variables (age and health values) was predictive. African American males, ≥50 years, with higher positive health values were more likely to obtain screening. Findings imply the importance of health values and targeted educational and screening interventions for younger African American men.
Mimetic isomorphism, market competition, perceived benefit and bribery of firms in transitional China
Authors: Yongqiang Gao
Published: August 2010

This paper examines the effect of mimetic isomorphism on bribery of firms in transitional China. In addition, we also consider whether or not market competition and perceived benefit moderate the effect of mimetic isomorphism. The results show that a given firm’s bribing behavior is significantly motivated by other firms’ bribing behavior, confirming the existence of mimetic isomorphism. Moreover, market competition and perceived benefit are also found to have a significant and positive effect on firms’ bribing behavior. Furthermore, market competition significantly and positively moderates the effect of mimetic isomorphism while perceived benefit does not.
Performance of long Canadian natural fibers as reinforcements in polymers
Authors: Qingping Guo  , Cheng Billy , Kortschot Mark , Sain Mohini , Knudson Robert , Deng James , Alemdar Ayse
Published: August 2010

Fiber morphology has a significant effect on the mechanical properties of fiber/polymer composites. The performance of nine types of long wood fibers (initial aspect ratio of >40), two long agricultural fibers (initial aspect ratio of >40), and one short fiber wood flour (initial aspect ratio of = 5—10) are compared. The fibers were compounded in polypropylene in a Brabender mixer and subsequently injection molded. The longer natural fibers (both wood fibers and agricultural fibers) did not provide significant additional reinforcement when compared to the wood flour. The fibers were extracted from the final specimens and measured using a Fiber Quality Analyzer. They were found to be severely degraded by processing, while the wood flour morphology was only slightly modified. The degree of length degradation was found to be dependent on fiber strength.
Relationship between fiber chemical treatment and properties of recycled pp/bamboo fiber composites
Authors: Nguyen Tri Phuong  , Sollogoub Cyrille , Guinault Alain
Published: August 2010

This article reports the preparation of recycled polypropylene (RPP)/bamboo fiber (BF) composite via direct melt blends using a twin screw extruder. The effects of the chemical treatment of BF surface (alkaline and acetylation) on fiber structure and composite mechanical, thermal, rheological properties have been investigated. We showed that alkali treatment increases the contact surface of BF within composites, resulting in a more homogenous dispersion of fibers in the polymer matrix. Alkali treatment improves mechanical properties such as tensile strength as well as the Charpy impact strength. Reinforced composites obtained with acetylated BF show better mechanical properties due to grafting of acetyl groups onto the cellulose fiber surface and thus improve compatibility between BF and matrix. The rheological properties of RPP/BF composites depending on the BF content and treatment methods are also analyzed. Predominant factors that influence the properties of relevant materials are identified. Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene is used as a compatibilizer to improve the adhesion between the cellulosic phase and the RPP matrix.
The effect of 3D weaving and consolidation on carbon fiber tows, fabrics, and composites
Authors: Archer E. , Buchanan S. , McIlhagger AT , Quinn JP
Published: August 2010

This article investigates the damage imparted on load-bearing carbon fibers during the 3D weaving process and the subsequent compaction behavior of 3D woven textile preforms. The 3D multi-layer reinforcements were manufactured on a textile loom with few mechanical modifications to produce preforms with fibers orientated in the warp, weft, and through-the-thickness directions. Tensile tests were conducted on three types of commercially available carbon fibers, 12k HTA, 6k HTS, and 3k HTS in an attempt to quantify the effect of fiber damage induced during the 3D weaving process on the mechanical and physical performance of the fiber tows in the woven composite. The tests were conducted on fiber tows sampled from different locations in the manufacturing process from the bobbin, through the creel and loom mechanism, to the final woven fabric. Mechanical and physical testing were then conducted to quantify the tow geometry, orientation and the effect of compaction during manufacture of two styles of 3D woven composite by vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VaRTM).
Hyper-Stability in an Age of Hyper-Innovation
Authors: Pollitt Christopher , op de Beeck Liesbeth
Published: August 2010

This article examines an unusual phenomenon — a basic British public service which has remained highly stable and ‘unreformed’ for the past thirty years. Civil registration (‘births, marriages and deaths’) touches all of us, but in 2006 was still operating very much along the lines laid down in the mid-19th century. It has thus been an exception to the more general turmoil in the British public sector, and one that demands further explanation. Analysis shows that this stability is related to a number of features, including the non-controversial nature of the service, its relatively low cost, lack of Parliamentary time for fresh legislation and a series of what can best be described as accidents. Paradoxically, perhaps, the lack of political interest has left civil registration as a perennially low priority for reform. Comparisons with developments in civil registration over the same period in Belgium and Finland help to eliminate some possible explanations and strengthen others. Both these countries have managed to create what are, technologically at least, more advanced systems. These comparative experiences indicate that it is not just the nature of the service itself, but also the details of the institutional context that facilitates or delays change. They also suggest the need considerably to refine academic approaches that use general classifications of countries as simply ‘fast’, ‘medium’ or ‘slow’ reformers.
The Legal Academic of Max Weber’s Tragic Modernity
Authors: Minkkinen Panu
Published: August 2010

The essay examines two ideal types of legal thinking that Max Weber develops in relation to continental and English law respectively. By focusing on the differences in the training of lawyers, two corresponding roles can be distinguished for the university jurist: the academic lawyer and the legal academic. The former is a thematic variation of the practitioner and defines the university jurist’s action in relation to the legal profession: her research mainly supports good lawyering or social reform, her educational functions centre on vocational preparation, etcetera. By contrast, the primary affiliations of the legal academic are not legal practitioners but her university colleagues in the humanities and the social sciences with whom she shares a common calling: in an immediate way, to contribute to a better understanding of the social and political world and to further the edification of future professionals. The non-instrumental ethos that the role of the legal academic represents marks the possibility of a radically critical position that is available to the discipline of law if it is understood as a human science.
A Rule-based System for the Automated Creation of VR Data for Virtual Plant Review
Authors: Choi SangSu , Jo HyunJei , Lee JuYeon , Sang Do Noh
Published: August 2010

Recently, much effort has been put into the application of information technology in all product manufacturing processes in order to introduce new products to the market more rapidly and efficiently and trim the cost for product development. Especially, digital production supports all the manufacturing activities based on a digital plant. The digital plant refers to the computer model that materializes the integrated modeling of the product, process, production equipment, and environment for an actual manufacturing plant. Virtual reality (VR) technologies also have been developing rapidly and are being implemented in the manufacturing field; they provide the conditions for evaluating products and plants in realistic virtual space. Many studies have already been undertaken about VR-based technologies such as computer graphics, 3D displays, human—computer interface, and virtual prototyping, which are being practically applied in the manufacturing industry. In order to create a prototype, earlier studies were focused on methods using product data but there is a technical requirement to review the plant that consists of products, processes, facilities, and labor. Furthermore, the quality of VR data depends on the worker (or designer) because this procedure converts only the geometry of computer-aided design data to VR data; everything else depends on the engineer’s ability and experience. Consequently, there is no consistent procedure that reflects engineering factors such as events and properties, which were included in the design stage. This article introduces a rule-based system that creates a virtual prototype through the data of product, process, plant, and resource for virtual plant review and suggests a new procedure for virtual plant review.
Community-Based Vocational Instruction Using Videotaped Modeling for Young Adults With Autism Spectrum Disorders Performing in Air-Inflated Mascots
Authors: Allen Keith D. , Wallace Dustin P. , Greene Diana J. , Bowen Scott L. , Burke Raymond V.
Published: August 2010

The authors examined the benefits of video modeling to teach a unique vocational skill set to an adolescent and two young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Video modeling was used to teach skills necessary to entertain customers and promote products in a retail setting while wearing a WalkAround® costume. The three participants were observed before and after watching a video model perform the skills in the costume in scripted and naturalistic scenes. Data can be interpreted to conclude that all participants learned to use the skills in combination or sequence after watching the video model. The skills generalized to an actual job opportunity. The participants reported they enjoyed the work, and comments from supervisors were positive. Implications are discussed.
Do Theories of Organizations Progress?
Authors: Davis Gerald F.
Published: August 2010

This article analyzes the prospects for cumulative theory development in organization theory. Organization theory generally takes organizations (business corporations, nonprofits, hospitals, universities, etc.) as discrete and meaningful units of analysis. The revolution in information and communication technologies (ICTs) over the past two decades has made comprehensive time-series data on millions of organizations widely available to scholars around the world. Yet, it is not obvious that organization theory has become more precise, more general, or more accurate as a result. The author argues that this is due to three difficulties that additional data cannot fully resolve: (a) researchers lack experimental control, limiting their ability to draw causal inferences, and are largely inattentive to the standards for valid quasi-experimental design; (b) organizations are more appropriately construed as tools rather than as natural objects susceptible to ‘‘laws;’’ and (c) the regularities underlying organizational dynamics change over time such that empirical generalizations that are true during one period may be false in a different period. I conclude by suggesting improvements to research practice that would enable organization theory to progress toward greater insights.
Posterior cruciate ligament injuries
Authors: Rigby JM , Porter KM
Published: August 2010

Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injuries occur following both high-velocity trauma (motor vehicle collisions) and low-velocity trauma (sporting injuries) with the most common cause being high-velocity trauma resulting in so-called ‘dash board injuries’. In majority of the cases, clinical examination will reveal the presence of a PCL tear; however, magnetic resonance imaging remains the imaging modality of choice if the diagnosis is in doubt. For the most part, isolated PCL tears are relatively benign and can be treated conservatively. PCL avulsion injuries or grade III ruptures may require operative intervention. Postoperative rehabilitation is also an important part of the healing process.
Reliability analysis and damage detection in high-speed naval craft based on structural health monitoring data
Authors: Okasha Nader M , Frangopol Dan M , Saydam Duygu , Salvino Liming W
Published: August 2010

Current and future trends in naval craft design are leaning toward the development of high-speed and high-performance vessels. Lack of information on wave-induced loads for these vessels presents a challenge in ensuring their safety that is best tackled with monitoring operational loads and detecting damage via structural health monitoring (SHM) systems. These monitoring systems, however, require efficient statistical and probabilistic procedures that are able to effectively treat the uncertainties inherent in the massive volumes of collected data and provide interpretable information regarding the reliability and condition of the craft structure. In this article, an approach for using SHM data in the reliability analysis and damage detection in high-speed naval craft (HSNC) under uncertainty is presented. This statistical damage detection technique makes use of vector autoregressive modeling for detection and localization of damage in the ship structure. The methodology is illustrated on an HSNC, HSV-2. Data obtained from seakeeping trials of HSV-2 were treated as the SHM data mentioned above.
Structural damage localization and quantification using static test data
Authors: Yang QW , Sun BX
Published: August 2010

A static-based detection method is proposed in this study to provide an insight to the location and extent of structural damage. The proposed method makes use of the new flexibility disassembly technique and approaches the damage location and extent problem in a decoupled fashion. First, a scheme is developed to determine the damage location by calculating a damage localization vector, which is derived from the static response equation. With location determined, the corresponding damage extent can be easily calculated only by simple arithmetic operations. For selecting the loading location, a simple approach is presented to determine the static load that can activate all parts of a structure to have deformations. The efficiency of the proposed method is demonstrated by three numerical examples. Results show that the method is simple and effective for structural damage detection.