bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Compact ACS‐fed UWB antenna for diversity applications
Authors: Liu Yuan‐Fu , Wang Peng , Qin Hao
Published: September 2014

A compact asymmetric coplanar strip (ACS)‐fed ultra‐wideband (UWB) antenna for diversity applications is presented. The proposed antenna is composed of two circular radiating elements and orthogonal ACS‐fed mechanisms to achieve diversity performance across the UWB from 2.66 to 11.08 GHz, and occupies a very compact size of 28.5 × 28.5 mm2. By introducing a rectangular stub diagonally between the two circular radiating elements, an interport isolation better than 15 dB is achieved. Furthermore, the proposed antenna shows nearly omnidirectional radiation patterns, stable gains and a low envelope correction coefficient. The simple feeding structure, compact size and uniplanar design make it easy to be integrated within the portable device for wireless communications with diversity operations.
Dual‐band bow‐tie slot antenna fed by coplanar waveguide
Authors: Liu H.W. , Zhan X. , Li S. , Lei J.H. , Qin F.
Published: September 2014

A dual‐band coplanar waveguide (CPW)‐fed bow‐tie slot antenna is proposed, which consists of a bow‐tie slot, a pair of sector parasitic patches and a modified grounded plane with a band‐notch property. The impedance matching, the resonant mode, the radiation patterns and the current distributions are studied. To generate dual‐band characteristics, a V‐shaped slot is etched on the radiating ground. Experimental and simulated results demonstrate that the antenna exhibits two separate impedance bandwidths of 1450 MHz (about 32.8% centred at 4.43 GHz) and 3500 MHz (about 37.8% centred at 9.25 GHz), which satisfy aircraft radar and X‐band applications.
Anti‐jamming scheme for GPS receiver with vector tracking loop and blind beamformer
Authors: Li Qiang , Xu Dingjie , Wang Wei , Wang Xianpeng , Han Zifa
Published: September 2014

A novel scheme with an antenna array and a vector delay lock loop (VDLL) is proposed for improving the anti‐jamming capability of the global positioning system (GPS) receiver. The VDLL is used to supply reference information relying on the unique structure of the coarse/acquisition code for blind beamformers. A spectral self‐coherent restoral with a sparse constraint algorithm is presented to suppress interference and preserve the satellite signal without the direction of arrival of the satellite signal. Simulation results show that the proposed method can not only successfully suppress interference but also ensure the reliability of the VDLL in the presence of interference.
High selectivity UWB bandpass filter with controllable bandwidth of dual notch bands
Authors: Mirzaee M. , Noghanian S. , Virdee B.S.
Published: September 2014

A technique to implement and control the bandwidth of notch bands in an ultra‐wideband (UWB) bandpass filter (BPF) based on signal superposition is described. The filter is realised by employing two wideband BPFs in a parallel configuration to establish two signal paths between input/output ports. The proposed technique can substantially increase the bandwidth of the notch band by ∼370% in comparison with the notch‐band filter designs based on transversal signal interaction. The proposed filter exhibits a quasi‐elliptical response over the span of the UWB spectrum defined by the Federal Communication Commission. The compact filter design has a size of 88.92 mm2.
Data envelopment analysis with slacks model for energy efficient multicast over coded packet wireless networks
Authors: Ajibesin Adeyemi Abel , Ventura Neco , Murgu Alexandru , Chan H. Anthony
Published: September 2014

Green communication has recorded much attention in industry, academia and government. It has been recorded that information communication and technology nodes consume roughly 3% of the world‐wide energy supply and are responsible for 2% of the global carbon dioxide (CO2) emission. As a result, researchers have devoted huge attention to prevent its growth. In order to address this problem we studied coded packet approach, which is the current method of minimising energy in wireless multicast networks. Then, we propose novel approaches that are based on data envelopment analysis (DEA) to further optimise energy consumption in wireless multicast networks. We found that existing approaches to energy efficient multicast are unsuitable for evaluating efficiency adequately. This paper takes the position that true efficiency evaluation is obtained when both inputs and outputs with multiple variables are considered in measuring performance using ratios of weighted outputs to weighted inputs. As a result, we developed the input‐oriented variable return to scale (VRS) envelopment with slacks models for energy efficiency in ad hoc wireless multicast networks. We explored the random linear network coding (RLNC) based on simulation approach and compared the results with the input‐oriented VRS DEA envelopment with slacks approach. The results show the DEA approach substantially saves energy compared to the RLNC. Furthermore, we show that DEA method has the capability to identify which ad hoc network is inefficient and projected them onto the efficient frontier.
Intermolecular symmetry-adapted perturbation theory study of large organic complexes
Authors: Heßelmann Andreas , Korona Tatiana
Published: September 2014

Binding energies for the complexes of the S12L database by Grimme [Chem. Eur. J. 18, 9955 (2012)] were calculated using intermolecular symmetry-adapted perturbation theory combined with a density-functional theory description of the interacting molecules. The individual interaction energy decompositions revealed no particular change in the stabilisation pattern as compared to smaller dimer systems at equilibrium structures. This demonstrates that, to some extent, the qualitative description of the interaction of small dimer systems may be extrapolated to larger systems, a method that is widely used in force-fields in which the total interaction energy is decomposed into atom-atom contributions. A comparison of the binding energies with accurate experimental reference values from Grimme, the latter including thermodynamic corrections from semiempirical calculations, has shown a fairly good agreement to within the error range of the reference binding energies.
Optical properties of metals: Infrared emissivity in the anomalous skin effect spectral region
Authors: Echániz T. , Pérez-Sáez R. B. , Tello M. J.
Published: September 2014

When the penetration depth of an electromagnetic wave in a metal is similar to the mean free path of the conduction electrons, the Drude classical theory is no longer satisfied and the skin effect becomes anomalous. Physical parameters of this theory for twelve metals were calculated and analyzed. The theory predicts an emissivity peak εpeak at room temperature in the mid-infrared for smooth surface metals that moves towards larger wavelengths as temperature decreases. Furthermore, the theory states that εpeak increases with the emission angle but its position, λpeak, is constant. Copper directional emissivity measurements as well as emissivity obtained using optical constants data confirm the predictions of the theory. Considering the relationship between the specularity parameter p and the sample roughness, it is concluded that p is not the simple parameter it is usually assumed to be. Quantitative comparison between experimental data and theoretical predictions shows that the specularity parameter can be equal to one for roughness values larger than those predicted. An exhaustive analysis of the experimental optical parameters shows signs of a reflectance broad peak in Cu, Al, Au, and Mo around the wavelength predicted by the theory for p = 1.
Multifractal detrended moving average analysis for texture representation
Authors: Wang Fang , Wang Lin , Zou Rui-Biao
Published: September 2014

Multifractal detrended moving average analysis (MF-DMA) is recently employed to detect long-range correlation and multifractal nature in stationary and non-stationary time series. In this paper, we propose a method to calculate the generalized Hurst exponent for each pixel of a surface based on MF-DMA, which we call the MF-DMA-based local generalized Hurst exponent. These exponents form a matrix, which we denote by LHq. These exponents are similar to the multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MF-DFA)-based local generalized Hurst exponent. The performance of the calculated LHq is tested for two synthetic multifractal surfaces and ten randomly chosen natural textures with analytical solutions under three cases, namely, backward (θ = 0), centered (θ = 0.5), and forward (θ = 1) with different q values and different sub-image sizes. Two sets of comparison segmentation experiments between the three cases of the MF-DMA-based LHq and the MF-DFA-based LHq show that the MF-DMA-based LHq is superior to the MF-DFA-based LHq. In addition, the backward MF-DMA algorithm is more efficient than the centered and forward algorithms. An interest finding is that the LHq with q < 0 outperforms the LHq with q > 0 in characterizing the image features of natural textures for both the MF-DMA and MF-DFA algorithms.
Growth and characterizations of GaN micro-rods on graphene films for flexible light emitting diodes
Authors: Chung Kunook , Beak Hyeonjun , Tchoe Youngbin , Oh Hongseok , Yoo Hyobin , Kim Miyoung , Yi Gyu-Chul
Published: September 2014

We report the growth of GaN micro-rods and coaxial quantum-well heterostructures on graphene films, together with structural and optical characterization, for applications in flexible optical devices. Graphene films were grown on Cu foil by means of chemical vapor deposition, and used as the substrates for the growth of the GaN micro-rods, which were subsequently transferred onto SiO2/Si substrates. Highly Si-doped, n-type GaN micro-rods were grown on the graphene films using metal–organic chemical vapor deposition. The growth and vertical alignment of the GaN micro-rods, which is a critical factor for the fabrication of high-performance light-emitting diodes (LEDs), were characterized using electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The GaN micro-rods exhibited promising photoluminescence characteristics for optoelectronic device applications, including room-temperature stimulated emission. To fabricate flexible LEDs, InxGa1–xN/GaN multiple quantum wells and a p-type GaN layer were deposited coaxially on the GaN micro-rods, and transferred onto Ag-coated polymer substrates using lift-off. Ti/Au and Ni/Au metal layers were formed to provide electrical contacts to the n-type and p-type GaN regions, respectively. The micro-rod LEDs exhibited intense emission of visible light, even after transfer onto the flexible polymer substrate, and reliable operation was achieved following numerous cycles of mechanical deformation.
Non uniform shrinkages of double-walled carbon nanotube as induced by electron beam irradiation
Authors: Zhu Xianfang , Gong Huimin , Yang Lan , Li Lunxiong , Sun Chenghua
Published: September 2014

Electron beam-induced nanoinstabilities of pristine double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) of two different configurations, one fixed at both ends and another fixed at only one end, were in-situ investigated in transmission electron microscope at room temperature. It was observed that the DWCNT fixed at both ends shrank in its diameter uniformly. Meanwhile, the DWCNT fixed at only one end intriguingly shrank preferentially from its free cap end along its axial direction whereas its diameter shrinkage was offset. A mechanism of “diffusion” along with “evaporation” at room temperature which is driven by the nanocurvature of the DWCNTs, and the athermal activation induced by the electron beam was proposed to elucidate the observed phenomena. The effect of the interlayer interaction of the DWCNTs was also discussed.
Analysis of polytype stability in PVT grown silicon carbide single crystal using competitive lattice model Monte Carlo simulations
Authors: Guo Hui-Jun , Huang Wei , Liu Xi , Gao Pan , Zhuo Shi-Yi , Xin Jun , Yan Cheng-Feng , Zheng Yan-Qing , Yang Jian-Hua , Shi Er-Wei
Published: September 2014

Polytype stability is very important for high quality SiC single crystal growth. However, the growth conditions for the 4H, 6H and 15R polytypes are similar, and the mechanism of polytype stability is not clear. The kinetics aspects, such as surface-step nucleation, are important. The kinetic Monte Carlo method is a common tool to study surface kinetics in crystal growth. However, the present lattice models for kinetic Monte Carlo simulations cannot solve the problem of the competitive growth of two or more lattice structures. In this study, a competitive lattice model was developed for kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of the competition growth of the 4H and 6H polytypes of SiC. The site positions are fixed at the perfect crystal lattice positions without any adjustment of the site positions. Surface steps on seeds and large ratios of diffusion/deposition have positive effects on the 4H polytype stability. The 3D polytype distribution in a physical vapor transport method grown SiC ingot showed that the facet preserved the 4H polytype even if the 6H polytype dominated the growth surface. The theoretical and experimental results of polytype growth in SiC suggest that retaining the step growth mode is an important factor to maintain a stable single 4H polytype during SiC growth.
The SM protein Sly1 accelerates assembly of the ER–Golgi SNARE complex
Authors: Demircioglu F. Esra , Burkhardt Pawel , Fasshauer Dirk
Published: September 2014

Significance

Every vesicle fusion reaction is driven by soluble N-ethylmaleimide–sensitive factor attachment protein receptor (SNARE) proteins that zipper into tight complexes between membranes. Members of the Sec1/Munc18 (SM) family tightly regulate this process through interactions with a member of the syntaxin SNARE subfamily. However, seemingly different interaction modes have been found for different SM proteins and syntaxins. Here we show that the ER–Golgi SM protein Sly1 interacts not only with the N-peptide of the syntaxin Sed5, as previously thought, but also with its remainder. This corroborates the idea that SM proteins and syntaxins generally make use of two spatially separated binding sites. Remarkably, binding of Sly1 relaxes the autoinhibitory closed conformation of Sed5 and thereby accelerates SNARE complex formation.
A new passive form in Mandarin
Authors: Huang C.-T. James , Liu Na
Published: September 2014

This paper discusses the syntax, semantics and historical source of the new bèi XX construction in Mandarin from a cross-linguistic perspective. We argue that bèi XX is not a special construction that involves the passivization of intransitive verbs. What is passivized in it is not XX itself but a null light verb with the elementary semantics of a causative, putative or activity predicate that takes XX as its complement or adjunct. Such null light verb constructions are abundant in Old Chinese and English, though often not in passive form. Different from them, the bèi XX construction does not have a grammatical active form. We attribute this difference to the difference between synthetic and analytic languages, and account for it by a parameter in derivational timing. The appearance of the bèi XX construction marks Modern Chinese as being at the early stage of a new cycle of change. The analysis of the bèi XX construction as proposed capitalizes on the role of light verb syntax as being the real essence of grammar, and lends important support to the non-projectionist theories of syntax-lexicon mapping such as Distributed Morphology.
Casual speech elision and tone sandhi in Tianjin trisyllabic sequences
Authors: Wee Lian Hee
Published: September 2014

In the Tianjin dialect, casual utterance of familiar trisyllabic sequences often induces deletion of phonological segments so that for a trisyllabic string, the non-final syllables would merge into a single syllable. This elide-and-merge process interacts with the rich Tianjin tone sandhi system to produce rather complicated patterns. In this paper, casual speech elision is shown to fall out straightforwardly from a model that recognizes morae as associated with segments and also as tone-bearing units. Thus, elision of morae also removes tonal features. While this understanding provides a clear description of the patterns, it also reveals an ordering paradox: sandhi applies before elision in some cases, but after elision in others. The paradox is resolved by favoring the order that produces a contour tone for the merged syllable. An explanation for this can be found if one recognizes that Tianjin is prosodically iambic.
When cognitive grammar meets functional grammar
Authors: Liu Danqing
Published: September 2014

This paper points out that certain frequently used terms in linguistic literature, such as“prominent/salient” and “background/ground”, are in fact interpreted differently or even contrarily in Functional Grammar and Cognitive Grammar. The paper attributes their diversified interpretations to the fundamental differences between these two linguistic schools in terms of paradigm and methodology, i.e. to focus on communicative activities of speech and discourse rules or on cognitive abilities and rules. The paper claims that “prominence” as a concept in cognitive grammar mainly relates to the speaker’s concerns, and can be more specifically reworded as topicality or accessibility since it, while conflicting with the focus-stress pattern, mostly conforms to the syntactic hierarchy of syntactic functions and the accessibility hierarchy of NPs, with the case being that the higher position an element occupies in the syntactic hierarchy the more prominent it is cognitively; “prominence” in Functional Grammar, however, mainly relates to the communicative function and the information status of the relevant elements, which thus can be more specifically reworded as focus or focusing, and it mostly conforms to the focus-stress pattern but conflicts with the syntactic hierarchy, with the case being that the more deeply an element is syntactically embedded the more prominent it is functionally. Some controversial opinions about emphasized elements in certain Chinese constructions might arise from the diversified interpretations of the relevant terms. On this basis, the paper further discusses certain problems existing in the ‘figure-background’ theory in cognitive grammar.
Identifying Bengali Multiword Expressions using semantic clustering
Authors: Chakraborty Tanmoy , Das Dipankar , Bandyopadhyay Sivaji
Published: September 2014

One of the key issues in both natural language understanding and generation is the appropriate processing of Multiword Expressions (MWEs). MWEs pose a huge problem to the precise language processing due to their idiosyncratic nature and diversity in lexical, syntactical and semantic properties. The semantics of a MWE cannot be expressed after combining the semantics of its constituents. Therefore, the formalism of semantic clustering is often viewed as an instrument for extracting MWEs especially for resource constraint languages like Bengali. The present semantic clustering approach contributes to locate clusters of the synonymous noun tokens present in the document. These clusters in turn help measure the similarity between the constituent words of a potentially candidate phrase using a vector space model and judge the suitability of this phrase to be a MWE. In this experiment, we apply the semantic clustering approach for noun-noun bigram MWEs, though it can be extended to any types of MWEs. In parallel, the well known statistical models, namely Point-wise Mutual Information (PMI), Log Likelihood Ratio (LLR), Significance function are also employed to extract MWEs from the Bengali corpus. The comparative evaluation shows that the semantic clustering approach outperforms all other competing statistical models. As a byproduct of this experiment, we have started developing a standard lexicon in Bengali that serves as a productive Bengali linguistic thesaurus.
Aspect de dicto et structuration informationnelle dans les textes
Authors: Lenepveu Véronique
Published: September 2014

This paper follows a series of works concerning a semantic and pragmatic analysis of the french locution à première vue (lit. “at first sight”) when it is employed in contrast with expressions which signal an evolution of the judgment of the speaker (à y regarder de plus près, tout bien considéré, …) (Véronique Lenepveu, 2010, 2011, 2012; Véronique Lenepveu & Laurent Gosselin, 2013). At first, through the analysis of real examples and of their typical context, it is shown that all these locutions express a de dicto aspectual value, by selecting a phase of an enonciative process which consists in taking in consideration a situation in order to formulate a more or less settled judgment. Then, we show it is necessary to take into account de dicto aspectual value of these locutions in order to describe information structure of discourse patterns identified (Michel Charolles, 1997; William C. Mann & Sandy A. Thompson, 1988; Maité Taboada & William C. Mann, 2006).
Strategies used by English and Spanish teenagers to intensify language
Authors: Palacios Martínez Ignacio M. , Núñez Pertejo Paloma
Published: September 2014

The aim of the present paper is to investigate some of the strategies used by English and Spanish teenagers to intensify language. For this purpose, we have analysed data from three corpora of teenagers language. Our analysis shows the frequent use ofreallyandsoas intensifiers in English, yet a low frequency in Spanish of adverbs ending in -mente. Taboo words, such asbloodyandfuckingin English, andputoandjodidoin Spanish, are quite commonly attested as intensifiers, although the former seem to be more grammaticalised and are much more multifunctional than their Spanish counterparts. Expletives are also a frequent resource to intensify language but while in English they bear religious connotations, in Spanish they are associated with sexuality. Finally, some other devices were considered: prefixes in English (super-,mega-,uber-), suffixes in Spanish (-ón, -azo, -orro), and a series of expressions (e.g.coolin English anda topein Spanish). From all this, we conclude that there exist common tendencies regarding intensifying strategies used by teenagers although important differences have also been attested in each individual language
A congruence approach to the study of bilingual compound verbs in Northern Belize contact Spanish
Authors: Balam Osmer , de Prada Pérez Ana , Mayans Dámaris
Published: September 2014

Attested in a wide variety of contact situations, bilingual compound verbs (BCVs) have baffled linguists, as they are innovative hybrid constructions that appear superfluous. In the current study, we examine BCVs in Northern Belize, where Spanish/English language alternation occurs alongside the pervasive use of Belizean Kriol, Belize’s lingua franca. We analyze Northern Belize code-switchers’ acceptability judgments and use of BCVs in oral production to determine whether stativity and/or verb frequency constrain the incorporation of BCVs as previously contended. The quantitative analysis of acceptability judgments and 553 canonical BCVs from 25 adolescent and 18 post-adolescent speakers revealed that BCVs are not constrained by stativity or verb frequency. We contend that although there are syntactic constraints, bilinguals’/multilinguals’ use of their linguistic resources is largely dependent on social factors (Sebba 1998). In the case of Northern Belize, where speakers do not perceive code-switching as illegitimate but rather embrace it and associate it with their mixed, multiplex identity, positive attitudes to non-standard varieties may have paved the way for the ubiquitous use of BCVs. The availability of a native Spanish/Mayan BCV model may have also catalyzed the process. BCVs in Northern Belize merit further investigation as they are innovative structures with Creoloid features that reflect code-switchers’ creative ability to capitalize on structural parsimony.
Bandera: memorialization and commemoration
Authors: Liebich Andre , Myshlovska Oksana
Published: August 2014

This article examines the current heroization of Ukrainian nationalist leader, Stepan Bandera, as manifested in monuments and commemorative practices. It offers a topographic survey that reveals the extent and variety of modes of Bandera heroization. It examines the esthetic and historical controversies that surround Bandera memorialization. It enquires into the personal motivations and political strategies that underlie the effort to project the chosen image of Bandera upon the public space in highly visible terms. It suggests that the campaign in favor of memorializing Bandera can best be understood in performative terms. It is in depicting Bandera as a hero of Ukraine that Bandera becomes a hero of Ukraine.
A Group Therapy Program for Opioid-Dependent Adolescents and Their Parents
Authors: Pugatch Marianne , Knight John R. , McGuiness Patricia , Sherritt Lon , Levy Sharon
Published: August 2014

Background

Opioid dependence is a significant problem for adolescents in the United States. Psychosocial treatment for adolescents with opioid use disorders may be effective, although it has not been well studied.

Methods

This paper describes a 13-week psychoeducational group therapy program with parallel tracks for adolescents with opioid use disorders and their parents attending an outpatient substance use program in a children's hospital. In addition to group therapy, participating adolescents received medical care, including medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence, drug testing, medical follow-up, psychopharmacology, individual counseling, and parent guidance. Data were collected as part of a quality improvement project for the program. Forty-two adolescents and 72 parents attended the group program between 2006 and 2009. Frequencies were computed and a weighted kappa was used to assess agreement between adolescent and parent reports of use and driving risk.

Results

Of the 42 adolescents participating in the 13-week group program, 36 (86%) completed 3 or more group sessions, and 24 (57%) completed 10 or more sessions. Twenty-two (52%) adolescent participants reported abstinence from all substances on each of their weekly evaluations. Adolescent-parent agreement for substance use was good to very good: weighted kappa (95% confidence interval) .76 (.60, .87), but poor for driving risk, weighted kappa .11 (−.20, .40).

Conclusions

Completion rates and self-report of outcomes from this group program indicate promise and warrant further testing.
Single-tube hydroponics as a novel idea for small-scale production of crop seed in a plant incubator
Authors: Kuroda Masaharu , Ikenaga Sachiko
Published: August 2014

We present a novel protocol for small-scale production of crop seed in a plant incubator termed “Single-tube hydroponics.” Our protocol minimizes the materials and methods for cultivation whereby a large number of independent plants can be cultured in a limited space. This study may aid in the improvement of crop seed components, especially in the cultivation of transgenic plants.
Subtypes of Severely Mentally Ill Violent Offenders in a Spanish Forensic Psychiatric Hospital
Authors: Sánchez-SanSegundo Miriam , Ferrer-Cascales Rosario , Herranz-Bellido Jesús , Pastor-Bravo Mar , Hodgins Sheilagh
Published: August 2014

Conduct disorder (CD) prior to age 15 identifies a subgroup of men with severe mental illness (SMI) who present a high risk for violence that persists across the life span. The present study examined male violent offenders with SMI in a forensic hospital in Spain, comparing those with SMI+CD and those without SMI-CD on the HCR-20 and PCL:SV. Violent offenders with SMI+CD obtained higher HCR-20 and PCL: SV total scores, and much higher H and factor 2 scores as compared to those without prior CD. Men with SMI+CD present a challenge to forensic psychiatric services.
Psychopathy in Offenders with Intellectual Disabilities: A Comparison of the PCL-R and PCL:SV
Authors: Pouls Claudia , Jeandarme Inge
Published: August 2014

Psychopathy is one of the strongest predictors of future offending and is often included as an important item in structured risk assessment tools. Recent research recognizes the importance of psychopathy in offenders with intellectual disabilities (OIDs). This study presents data on the clinical utility of the Psychopathy Checklist–Revised (PCL–R) and the Psychopathy Checklist: Screening Version (PCL:SV) among OIDs. The psychometric properties of both instruments were similar, although the PCL:SV might have some minor advantages. First because of the absence of the PCL–R item marital relationships, which appeared difficult to score. Second, the PCL:SV is less time-consuming than its extended counterpart. Future research confirming these results with larger cohorts is recommended.
International Perspectives on the Practical Application of Violence Risk Assessment: A Global Survey of 44 Countries
Authors: Singh Jay P. , Desmarais Sarah L. , Hurducas Cristina , Arbach-Lucioni Karin , Condemarin Carolina , Dean Kimberlie , Doyle Michael , Folino Jorge O. , Godoy-Cervera Verónica , Grann Martin , Ho Robyn Mei Yee , Large Matthew M. , Nielsen Louise Hjort , Pham Thierry H. , Rebocho Maria Francisca , Reeves Kim A. , Rettenberger Martin , de Ruiter Corine , Seewald Katharina , Otto Randy K.
Published: August 2014

Mental health professionals are routinely called upon to assess the risk of violence presented by their patients. Prior surveys of risk assessment methods have been largely circumscribed to individual countries and have not compared the practices of different professional disciplines. Therefore, a Web-based survey was developed to examine methods of violence risk assessment across six continents, and to compare the perceived utility of these methods by psychologists, psychiatrists, and nurses. The survey was translated into nine languages and distributed to members of 59 national and international organizations. Surveys were completed by 2135 respondents from 44 countries. Respondents in all six continents reported using instruments to assess, manage, and monitor violence risk, with over half of risk assessments in the past 12 months conducted using such an instrument. Respondents in Asia and South America reported conducting fewer structured assessments, and psychologists reported using instruments more than psychiatrists or nurses. Feedback regarding outcomes was not common: respondents who conducted structured risk assessments reported receiving feedback on accuracy in under 40% of cases, and those who used instruments to develop management plans reported feedback on whether plans were implemented in under 50% of cases. When information on the latter was obtained, risk management plans were not implemented in over a third of cases. Results suggest that violence risk assessment is a global phenomenon, as is the use of instruments to assist in this task. Improved feedback following risk assessments and the development of risk management plans could improve the efficacy of health services.
What Do Juvenile Probation Officers Think of Using the SAVRY and YLS/CMI for Case Management, and Do They Use the Instruments Properly?
Authors: Guy Laura S. , Nelson Rebecca J. , Fusco-Morin Samantha L. , Vincent Gina M.
Published: August 2014

Juvenile probation officers (JPOs; n = 71) in the United States were interviewed three and ten months after the SAVRY or YLS/CMI was implemented in their office. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to explore their experiences using the instruments and adherence to practice guidelines. JPOs typically perceived the instruments as being ‘somewhat’ or ‘very’ helpful for guiding their case planning decisions. A frequently cited barrier to using both instruments in practice related to the increased length of time it took to complete reports; yet, at the same time, some JPOs also acknowledged that use of the measures forced them to gather important information about the youth's background and current situation that proved useful. Most JPOs (77 %, n = 33 of 43) using the SAVRY expressed preference for a risk assessment model that emphasized use of appropriate professional discretion rather than a score-based approach. “Buy-in” for the instruments and the reported difficulties varied across sites. The present findings may inform recommendations specifically for delivering training on the SAVRY and YLS/CMI and, more broadly, strategies to promote their effective implementation in juvenile justice settings.
Violence Risk Assessment Tools: A Systematic Review of Surveys
Authors: Hurducas Claudia C. , Singh Jay P. , de Ruiter Corine , Petrila John
Published: August 2014

The present study is a systematic review exploring the methodological quality and consistency of findings for surveys on the use of violence risk assessment tools. A systematic search was conducted to identify surveys of violence risk assessment tool use published between January 1, 2000 and January 1, 2013 using PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and EBSCO Criminal Justice Abstracts. Characteristics of survey administration and more findings were extracted, and a checklist of 26 reporting quality markers in survey research was used for coding. Nine surveys were identified, fulfilling on average approximately half of the quality markers ( M = 15.5, SD = 1.6). An average of 104 respondents (SD = 93) participated, with a range of 10 to 300 respondents. Most surveys examined the practices of psychologists in the United Kingdom or the United States. The Psychopathy Checklist-Revised and the Historical, Clinical, Risk Management-20 were the most commonly used instruments by practitioners. No surveys investigated differences in assessment practices across professional disciplines or continents, and none examined the use or perceived usefulness of structured instruments in risk management or risk monitoring. There continues to be a need for transparent, high quality clinical surveys on the use and perceived utility of violence risk assessment tools in the forensic mental health field. Given the growing cross-jurisdictional use of risk assessment tools, comparisons of international practice are particularly important.
Mechanisms Regulating Endothelial Permeability
Authors: Sukriti Sukriti , Tauseef Mohammad , Yazbeck Pascal , Mehta Dolly
Published: September 2014

The endothelial monolayer partitioning underlying tissue from blood components in the vessel wall maintains tissue fluid balance and host defense through dynamically opening intercellular junctions. Edemagenic agonists disrupt endothelial barrier function by signaling the opening of the intercellular junctions leading to the formation of protein‐rich edema in the interstitial tissue, a hallmark of tissue inflammation that, if left untreated, causes fatal diseases, such as acute respiratory distress syndrome. In this review, we discuss how intercellular junctions are maintained under normal conditions and after stimulation of endothelium with edemagenic agonists. We have focused on reviewing the new concepts dealing with the alteration of adherens junctions after inflammatory stimulus.
The asymptotic behavior of Jenkins-Strebel rays
Authors: Amano Masanori
Published: September 2014

In this paper, we consider the asymptotic behavior of two Teichmüller geodesic rays determined by Jenkins-Strebel differentials, and we obtain a generalization of a theorem by the author in On behavior of pairs of Teichmüller geodesic rays, 2014 . We also consider the infimum of the asymptotic distance up to choice of base points of the rays along the geodesics. We show that the infimum is represented by two quantities. One is the detour metric between the end points of the rays on the Gardiner-Masur boundary of the Teichmüller space, and the other is the Teichmüller distance between the end points of the rays on the augmented Teichmüller space.
Amplicon identification using SparsE representation of multiplex PYROsequencing signal (AdvISER-M-PYRO): application to bacterial resistance genotyping
Authors: Ambroise Jérôme , Deccache Yann , Irenge Leonid , Savov Encho , Robert Annie , Gala Jean-Luc
Published: August 2014

Motivation : Pyrosequencing is a cost-effective DNA sequencing technology that has many applications, including rapid genotyping of a broad spectrum of bacteria. When molecular typing requires to genotype multiple DNA stretches, several pyrosequencing primers could be used simultaneously but this would create overlapping primer-specific signals, which are visually uninterpretable. Accordingly, the objective was to develop a new method for signal processing (AdvISER-M-PYRO) to automatically analyze and interpret multiplex pyrosequencing signals. In parallel, the nucleotide dispensation order was improved by developing the SENATOR (‘SElecting the Nucleotide dispensATion Order’) algorithm.

Results : In this proof-of-concept study, quintuplex pyrosequencing was applied on eight bacterial DNA and targeted genetic alterations underlying resistance to β -lactam antibiotics. Using SENATOR-driven dispensation order, all genetic variants (31 of 31; 100%) were correctly identified with AdvISER-M-PYRO. Among nine expected negative results, there was only one false positive that was tagged with an ‘unsafe’ label.

Availability and implementation : SENATOR and AdvISER-M-PYRO are implemented in the AdvISER-M-PYRO R package ( http://sites.uclouvain.be/md-ctma/index.php/softwares ) and can be used to improve the dispensation order and to analyze multiplex pyrosequencing signals generated in a broad range of typing applications.

Contact : jerome.ambroise@uclouvain.be
subSeq: Determining Appropriate Sequencing Depth Through Efficient Read Subsampling
Authors: Robinson David G. , Storey John D.
Published: September 2014

Motivation: Next-generation sequencing experiments, such as RNA-Seq, play an increasingly important role in biological research. One complication is that the power and accuracy of such experiments depend substantially on the number of reads sequenced, so it is important and challenging to determine the optimal read depth for an experiment or to verify whether one has adequate depth in an existing experiment.

Results: By randomly sampling lower depths from a sequencing experiment and determining where the saturation of power and accuracy occurs, one can determine what the most useful depth should be for future experiments, and furthermore, confirm whether an existing experiment had sufficient depth to justify its conclusions. We introduce the subSeq R package, which uses a novel efficient approach to perform this subsampling and to calculate informative metrics at each depth.

Availability and Implementation: The subSeq R package is available at http://github.com/StoreyLab/subSeq/.

Contact:  dgrtwo@princeton.edu or jstorey@princeton.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Gene regulatory networks by transcription factors and microRNAs in breast cancer
Authors: Qin Sheng , Ma Fei , Chen Liming
Published: September 2014

Motivation: Gene regulatory networks (GRNs) affect numerous cellular processes and every process of life, and abnormalities of GRN lead to breast cancer. Transcription factors (TFs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) are two of the best-studied gene regulatory mechanisms. However, the architecture and feature of GRNs by TFs and miRNAs in breast cancer and its subtypes were unknown. In this study, we investigated the GRNs by TFs and miRNAs with emphasis on breast cancer classifier genes at system level.

Contact:  feima1968@gmail.com or chenliming1981@gmail.com

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
High Proportion of Indeterminate Qua.jpegERON-TB Gold In-Tube Results in an Inpatient Population Is Related to Host Factors and Preanalytical Steps
Authors: Fabre Valeria , Shoham Shmuel , Page Kathleen R. , Shah Maunank
Published: September 2014

Background.  Qua.jpegERON-TB Gold In-Tube test (QFT-GIT) can be used as an alternative to tuberculin skin testing (TST) for the targeted testing of latent tuberculosis. Due to many shortcomings with TST, QFT-GIT usage is increasing. QFT-GIT implementation in the inpatient setting remains unclear.

Methods.  We retrospectively ide.jpegied patients admitted to a tertiary care academic center who received either a TST or a QFT-GIT in the 18 months prior to and after QFT-GIT implementation in March 2012. Risk factors associated with indeterminate results were evaluated.

Results.  The proportion of inpatients receiving a test for tuberculosis infection doubled following QFT-GIT implementation (1.4% vs 2.9%). After QFT-GIT became available, 75% of tested people received a QFT-GIT and 25% received a TST. We found indeterminate test results in 19.8%. Independent predictors of indeterminate results were female sex (adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.64), lymphopenia (AOR, 2.21), hypoalbuminemia (AOR, 6.81) and sample collection by nonphlebotomists (AOR, 3.0, vs phlebotomists). Of patients who had indeterminate results, 42% had a subsequent indeterminate result on repeat testing. All indeterminate results were due to a low mitogen response.

Conclusions.  QFT-GIT testing in the inpatient setting is associated with a high proportion of indeterminate results that is associated with host factors and preanalytical errors. Careful selection of patients to be tested and training on sample processing for QFT-GIT testing should be considered to decrease indeterminate results.
Substance Involvement and Physical Health
Authors: Popova Svetlana , Rehm Jürgen
Published: September 2014

Substance use, mainly defined as the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and illegal drugs, is a major risk factor for disease, disability, and mortality. Alcohol consumption can cause a number of chronic diseases, including several types of cancer, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, various cardiovascular diseases, alcohol use disorders and infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis and pneumonia. Certain patterns of light moderate drinking, without heavy drinking occasions, may incur a protective effect on ischemic disease categories and diabetes. Finally, alcohol has been established as a causal factor for unintentional and intentional injury. Illegal drug use has been mainly linked to four health outcomes: overdose and other injury, noncommunicable diseases, certain mental disorders, and infectious diseases. In the final section, a comprehensive list of diseases attributable to tobacco smoking is provided, and the most important selected medical conditions are described. These include lung cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and ischemic heart disease.
An Integrative Common Liabilities Model for the Comorbidity of Substance Use Disorders with Externalizing and Internalizing Disorders
Authors: Tully Erin C. , Iacono William
Published: September 2014

This chapter presents an integrative research-derived model to explain comorbidity among substance use disorders (SUDs), externalizing disorders, and internalizing disorders. This hierarchical model is based on phenotypic covariance among the disorders and latent common genetic liability. At the highest level of the hierarchy, general genetically influenced biological dispositions to negative emotionality and behavioral disinhibition each give rise to spectra of related personality traits, cognitive processes, behavioral tendencies, and psychopathology that account for the pattern of co-occurrence among mental disorders. At the lowest level of the hierarchy, disorder-specific genetic and environmental effects explain the presence of some and not other disorders associated with a given general liability. Interplay between the general liabilities and both other genes and environmental factors throughout development affect the likelihood of developing specific mental disorders.
Individual Differences in Arithmetical Abilities
Authors: Dowker Ann
Published: September 2014

This chapter discusses individual differences in arithmetic. It deals relatively briefly with the findings about the general large extent of such differences in both children and adults. It then discusses findings that indicate that it is inadequate to speak of arithmetical ability as a single characteristic. Rather, it is made up of many components, which may correlate, but also show significant functional independence. Discrepancies between any two such components, in both directions, can be frequently observed. There is evidence for this from many sources, including studies of patients with acquired dyscalculia, brain imaging studies, cross-cultural studies, and studies of both typically developing children and those with mathematical difficulties. The chapter then discusses questions about when such between- and within-individual differences begin, and whether numerical ability is componential from infancy or starts as a single ability and then differentiates. There is certainly evidence that it is already componential in preschoolers. The need for more longitudinal and intervention studies is emphasized, if we are to understand whether differences in specific components are consistent over time, and whether specific components at an early age have specific predictive relationships to specific components found later on.
Introduction
Authors: Thatcher Adrian
Published: September 2014

This Introduction describes the nature, purpose, structure, and methodology of the Handbook. It explains the ‘method of correlation’ and how the method is used. Problems attaching to the theological study of, and the language of, sexuality and gender, are noted. The content of each of the eight parts is described, together with the uses of scripture, tradition, reason, and experience. The parts are ‘Methods’, ‘What Theologians Need to Know’, ‘Sexuality and Gender in the Biblical World’, ‘Sexuality and Gender in Christian Tradition’, ‘Controversies within the Churches’, ‘Conversations with Word Faiths’, ‘Concepts and Issues’, and ‘Sexual Theologies for All People’.
Employment, Unemployment, and Underemployment in Africa
Authors: Golub Stephen , Hayat Faraz
Published: September 2014

This chapter documents and analyzes the predominance of informal employment in Africa and shows that lack of demand for labor rather than worker characteristics is the main reason for pervasive underemployment. Integration into the global economy and exports of labor-intensive products are vital to boosting the demand for labor in Africa. Africa has some potential to become competitive in light manufacturing, but the most promising avenue for export-led growth of employment in many African countries is agriculture, including traditional cash crops such as cotton, coffee, cocoa, and groundnuts. Traditional cash crops, which are the source of livelihood for millions of Africans, have many of the features of manufacturing exports: high labor intensity, potential for quality improvements through technological transfer, and quality-sensitive markets in developed countries. Improvements in the business climate are the key to boosting investment and technology transfer in labor-intensive tradable industries, and thus raising labor demand and employment.
‘A Low Dishonest Decade’?
Authors: Adamthwaite Anthony
Published: September 2014

This analysis of the origins of the Second World War in Europe challenges several key ideas of the historiography: the ‘thirty years war’ thesis, the notion of a European civil war, and the stereotyping of the 1930s as a seemingly unstoppable rush to war after the internationalism of the 1920s. There was no sharp contrast between decades—the period only makes sense as a whole. Churchill’s ‘unnecessary war’ was preventable. Alternatives to appeasement existed. Though the study of war origins starts with Hitler, his policies were decisively shaped by the actions of others and the instability of an international system, heavily impacted by the Great Depression and ideology. Miscalculation rather than design explains the war of 1939. The outbreak of war should not obscure the significance of the 1930s as a laboratory for ideas and institutions that came to fruition after 1945 and which continue to shape international society.