bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intra-versus inter-site macroscale variation in biogeochemical properties along a paddy soil chronosequence
Authors: Mueller-Niggemann C. , Bannert A. , Schloter M. , Lehndorff E. , Schwark L.
Published: October 2011

Abstract. In order to assess the intrinsic heterogeneity of paddy soils, a set of biogeochemical soil parameters was investigated in five field replicates of seven paddy fields (50, 100, 300, 500, 700, 1000, and 2000 yr of wetland rice cultivation), one flooded paddy nursery, one tidal wetland (TW), and one freshwater site (FW) from a coastal area at Hangzhou Bay, Zhejiang Province, China. All soils evolved from a marine tidal flat substrate due to land reclamation. The biogeochemical parameters based on their properties were differentiated into (i) a group behaving conservatively (TC, TOC, TN, TS, magnetic susceptibility, soil lightness and colour parameters, δ13C, δ15N, lipids and n-alkanes) and (ii) one encompassing more labile properties or fast cycling components (Nmic, Cmic, nitrate, ammonium, DON and DOC). The macroscale heterogeneity in paddy soils was assessed by evaluating intra- versus inter-site spatial variability of biogeochemical properties using statistical data analysis (descriptive, explorative and non-parametric). Results show that the intrinsic heterogeneity of paddy soil organic and minerogenic components per field is smaller than between study sites. The coefficient of variation (CV) values of conservative parameters varied in a low range (10 % to 20 %), decreasing from younger towards older paddy soils. This indicates a declining variability of soil biogeochemical properties in longer used cropping sites according to progress in soil evolution. A generally higher variation of CV values (>20–40 %) observed for labile parameters implies a need for substantially higher sampling frequency when investigating these as compared to more conservative parameters. Since the representativeness of the sampling strategy could be sufficiently demonstrated, an investigation of long-term carbon accumulation/sequestration trends in topsoils of the 2000 year paddy chronosequence under wetland rice cultivation was conducted. The evolutionary trend showed that the biogeochemical signatures characteristic for paddy soils were fully developed in less than 300 yr since onset of wetland rice cultivation. A six-fold increase of topsoil TOC suggests a substantial gain in CO2 sequestration potential when marine tidal wetland substrate developed to 2000 year old paddy soil.
Recent wind driven high sea ice area export in the Fram Strait contributes to Arctic sea ice decline
Authors: Smedsrud L. H. , Sirevaag A. , Kloster K. , Sorteberg A. , Sandven S.
Published: October 2011

Abstract. Arctic sea ice area has been decreasing for the past two decades. Apart from melting, the southward drift through Fram Strait is the main ice loss mechanism. We present high resolution sea ice drift data across 79° N from 2004 to 2010. Ice drift has been derived from radar satellite data and corresponds well with variability in local geostrophic wind. The underlying East Greenland current contributes with a constant southward speed close to 5 cm s−1, and drives around a third of the ice export. We use geostrophic winds derived from reanalysis data to calculate the Fram Strait ice area export back to 1957, finding that the sea ice area export recently is about 25% larger than during the 1960's. The increase in ice export occurred mostly during winter and is directly connected to higher southward ice drift velocities, due to stronger geostrophic winds. The increase in ice drift is large enough to counteract a decrease in ice concentration of the exported sea ice. Using storm tracking we link changes in geostrophic winds to more intense Nordic Sea low pressure systems. Annual sea ice area export likely has a significant influence on the summer sea ice variability and we find low values in the 1960's, the late 1980's and 1990's, and particularly high values during 2005–2008. The study highlights the possible role of variability in ice export as an explanatory factor for understanding the dramatic loss of Arctic sea ice during the last decades.
Controlled Self‐Assembly of Organic Semiconductors for Solution‐Based Fabrication of Organic Field‐Effect Transistors
Authors: Minari Takeo , Liu Chuan , Kano Masataka , Tsukagoshi Kazuhito
Published: October 2011

The solubility and low processing temperatures of organic semiconductors enable fabrication of electronic devices using relatively simple printing technologies, and hold promise for realizing flexible plastic devices by environment‐friendly production methods at low cost. In particular, by effectively using the self‐assembling ability of molecules, production methods for organic semiconductor devices are expected to become more efficient in terms of energy and material consumption. We have developed two solution‐based methods for self‐organized formation of organic semiconductor crystals, including area selective nucleation of crystalline semiconductor films and direct formation of organic single crystals. These bottom‐up methods of device fabrication, wherein the intrinsic functionalities of molecules are utilized for spontaneous assembly, may become a core technology for future plastic electronics.
Phocomelia: A worldwide descriptive epidemiologic study in a large series of cases from the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research, and overview of the literature
Authors: Bermejo‐Sánchez Eva , Cuevas Lourdes , Amar Emmanuelle , Bianca Sebastiano , Bianchi Fabrizio , Botto Lorenzo D. , Canfield Mark A. , Castilla Eduardo E. , Clementi Maurizio , Cocchi Guido , Landau Danielle , Leoncini Emanuele , Li Zhu , Lowry R. Brian , Mastroiacovo Pierpaolo , Mutchinick Osvaldo M. , Rissmann Anke , Ritvanen Annukka , Scarano Gioacchino , Siffel Csaba , Szabova Elena , Martínez‐Frías María‐Luisa
Published: October 2011

Epidemiologic data on phocomelia are scarce. This study presents an epidemiologic analysis of the largest series of phocomelia cases known to date. Data were provided by 19 birth defect surveillance programs, all members of the International Clearinghouse for Birth Defects Surveillance and Research. Depending on the program, data corresponded to a period from 1968 through 2006. A total of 22,740,933 live births, stillbirths and, for some programs, elective terminations of pregnancy for fetal anomaly (ETOPFA) were monitored. After a detailed review of clinical data, only true phocomelia cases were included. Descriptive data are presented and additional analyses compared isolated cases with those with multiple congenital anomalies (MCA), excluding syndromes. We also briefly compared congenital anomalies associated with nonsyndromic phocomelia with those presented with amelia, another rare severe congenital limb defect. A total of 141 phocomelia cases registered gave an overall total prevalence of 0.62 per 100,000 births (95% confidence interval: 0.52–0.73). Three programs (Australia Victoria, South America ECLAMC, Italy North East) had significantly different prevalence estimates. Most cases (53.2%) had isolated phocomelia, while 9.9% had syndromes. Most nonsyndromic cases were monomelic (55.9%), with an excess of left (64.9%) and upper limb (64.9%) involvement. Most nonsyndromic cases (66.9%) were live births; most isolated cases (57.9%) weighed more than 2,499 g; most MCA (60.7%) weighed less than 2,500 g, and were more likely stillbirths (30.8%) or ETOPFA (15.4%) than isolated cases. The most common associated defects were musculoskeletal, cardiac, and intestinal. Epidemiological differences between phocomelia and amelia highlighted possible differences in their causes. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Optimization of a glycoengineered Pichia pastoris cultivation process for commercial antibody production
Authors: Ye Jianxin , Ly Jeffrey , Watts Kathryn , Hsu Amy , Walker Andre , McLaughlin Kathleen , Berdichevsky Marina , Prinz Bianka , Sean Kersey D. , d'Anjou Marc , Pollard David , Potgieter Thomas
Published: October 2011

Glycoengineering enabled the production of proteins with human N‐linked glycans by Pichia pastoris. This study used a glycoengineered P. pastoris strain which is capable of producing humanized glycoprotein with terminal galactose for monoclonal antibody production. A design of experiments approach was used to optimize the process parameters. Followed by further optimization of the specific methanol feed rate, induction duration, and the initial induction biomass, the resulting process yielded up to 1.6 g/L of monoclonal antibody. This process was also scaled‐up to 1,200‐L scale, and the process profiles, productivity, and product quality were comparable with 30‐L scale. The successful scale‐up demonstrated that this glycoengineered P. pastoris fermentation process is a robust and commercially viable process. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 2011
Heteronuclear NOE Spectroscopy of Ionic Liquids
Authors: Lingscheid Yves , Arenz Sven , Giernoth Ralf
Published: October 2011

19F,1H HOESY experiments with three ionic liquids ([bmim]BF4, [bmim]PF6 and [emim]BF4) were run in two different solvents and neat. The results give preferred probabilities of presence and enable us to systematically study interactions between the cations and the anions in the ionic liquid phase by NMR spectroscopy. The influence of different solvents and of the presence or absence of air (i.e. oxygen) is discussed. This enabled us to substantially speed up the NMR experiments and to develop a more precise method for the investigation of liquid‐phase structures in ionic liquids.
Diastereoselective Mannich Reaction of Chiral Enolates Formed by Enantioselective Conjugate Addition of Grignard Reagents
Authors: Galeštoková Zuzana , Šebesta Radovan
Published: October 2011

Cu–Taniaphos‐catalyzed enantioselective addition of Grignard reagents to cyclic enones leads to chiral magnesium enolates. These enolates add to N‐protected imines directly, or through in situ transformation to silyl enol ethers. Diastereoselectivity of the addition depends on the nitrogen protecting group of the imine. Diastereoisomers of the resulting β‐amino carbonyl compounds can be separated and are obtained in acceptable yields and in high enantiomeric purities (up to 99:1 er).
Expanding the Scope of the Direct Regiospecific Asymmetric Aldol Reaction to Enones and Dienones Catalyzed by a BINOL‐Derived Brønsted Acid
Authors: Das Joydeb , Le Cavelier Fabien , Rouden Jacques , Blanchet Jérôme
Published: October 2011

Chiral phosphoric acid (R)‐1a has been shown to be an efficient Brønsted acid catalyst for the useful asymmetric synthesis of various acyclic and endo‐ and exocyclic β‐hydroxyenones through a regiospecific aldol reaction between α,β‐unsaturated ketones and ethyl glyoxalate. Moreover, two unprecedented examples involving sensitive dienones are reported.
Cyclotrimerization of Corannulyne: Steric Hindrance Tunes the Inversion Barriers of Corannulene Bowls
Authors: Yanney Michael , Fronczek Frank R. , Henry William P. , Beard Debbie J. , Sygula Andrzej
Published: October 2011

Palladium‐catalyzed cyclotrimerization of corannulyne generated from 2‐trimethylsilylcorannulenyl triflate produced a C60H24 hydrocarbon that prefers a highly nonplanar “twist” conformation of C1 symmetry, as demonstrated by X‐ray crystal structure determination and HDFT calculations. Its three corannulene subunits, identical in the idealized D3h symmetry, exhibit dramatically different inversion barriers (from 8.4 to 17.3 kcal mol–1), tuned by the steric congestion inside the highly dissymmetric structure. Bowl‐to‐bowl inversion of the corannulene unit with the lowest activation barrier results in pseudorotation of the molecule and gives rise to a 1H NMR spectrum exhibiting only 12 distinct proton signals. The line‐shape analysis of selected NMR signals gave an estimation of the barrier at 8.5–8.6 kcal mol–1.
Differential impact of continuous theta‐burst stimulation over left and right DLPFC on planning
Authors: Kaller Christoph P. , Heinze Katharina , Frenkel Annekathrein , Läppchen Claus H. , Unterrainer Josef M. , Weiller Cornelius , Lange Rüdiger , Rahm Benjamin
Published: October 2011

Most neuroimaging studies on planning report bilateral activations of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC). Recently, these concurrent activations of left and right dlPFC have been shown to double dissociate with different cognitive demands imposed by the planning task: Higher demands on the extraction of task‐relevant information led to stronger activation in left dlPFC, whereas higher demands on the integration of interdependent information into a coherent action sequence entailed stronger activation of right dlPFC. Here, we used continuous theta‐burst stimulation (cTBS) to investigate the supposed causal structure‐function mapping underlying this double dissociation. Two groups of healthy subjects (left‐lateralized stimulation, n = 26; right‐lateralized stimulation, n = 26) were tested within‐subject on a variant of the Tower of London task following either real cTBS over dlPFC or sham stimulation over posterior parietal cortex. Results revealed that, irrespective of specific task demands, cTBS over left and right dlPFC was associated with a global decrease and increase, respectively, in initial planning times compared to sham stimulation. Moreover, no interaction between task demands and stimulation type (real vs. sham) and/or stimulation side (left vs. right hemisphere) were found. Together, against expectations from previous neuroimaging data, lateralized cTBS did not lead to planning‐parameter specific changes in performance, but instead revealed a global asymmetric pattern of faster versus slower task processing after left versus right cTBS. This global asymmetry in the absence of any task‐parameter specific impact of cTBS suggests that different levels of information processing may span colocalized, but independent axes of functional lateralization in the dlPFC. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Use of saccadic latency for visual inspection system
Authors: Kotani Kentaro , Nakajima Akira , Asao Takafumi , Horii Ken
Published: October 2011

In some industrial inspection processes, multiprocess‐handling workers are required to enter the results of visual inspection tests without using their hands because of efficiency or hygiene reasons. We have developed a hands‐free visual inspection system by using saccadic latency, a temporal characteristic of saccadic eye movements. The proposed system is free from the Midas touch problem (i.e., the difficulty in developing an eye‐typing interface owing to the difficulty in differentiating between intentional blinks and gazes and natural ones). For verifying the system, an experiment was conducted in which ten subjects performed a visual inspection task. The average defect detection rates were 99.4%, and no Midas touch–related errors were observed. Results of the error analysis showed that redesigning the system interface would lead to a further enhancement of the system performance. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Studies on a New Concept of 3D Data Integration about Reaches and Forces of a Disabled Person on a Wheelchair (CAD Methods in Car and Market Ergonomics)
Authors: Branowski Bogdan , Pacholski Leszek , Rychlik Michał , Zabłocki Marek , Pohl Piotr
Published: October 2011

The article presents a new concept of combining the three dimensions (3D) of a person's manipulation space. The data concern information about the reach of the arms and biomechanical data about limiting the load of a disabled person sitting in a wheelchair. Measurement data were acquired empirically, on original measuring station. The data included, respectively, arms' reach (static and dynamic) or, alternatively, measurements of limiting forces. The obtained data were processed into virtual 3D surfaces of arms' reach and forces. These surfaces provide the required graphic model of anthropotechnical and biomechanical data. Developed model was utilized to perform a virtual analysis of the accessibility of a disabled person to technical means: in a market sale space and in the ergonomic analysis into the space of a personal car. The presented method of 3D graphic modeling of anthropometrical and biomechanical data can be universally applied in ergonomic designing of work stations not only for disabled persons. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A theoretical model to characterize the drug release behavior of drug‐eluting stents with durable polymer matrix coating
Authors: Zhao Hugh Q. , Jayasinghe Dudley , Hossainy Syed , Schwartz Lewis B.
Published: October 2011

The time‐dependent local drug delivery from drug‐eluting stents (DES) plays a critical role in reducing restenosis in intravascular stenting. To better understand the basic mechanism of drug release for certain polymer‐drug‐coated DES platforms, a cylindrical diffusion model was applied successfully to quantitatively describe the experimental drug release data of Dynalink‐E in vitro and in vivo. The results showed that the profiles of Dynalink‐E everolimus release could be controlled by such characteristic parameters as coating thickness and diffusion coefficient. The model could be used to quantitatively characterize the drug release profiles and IVIV correlations. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2012.
Informed choices for challenging specimens when choosing methacrylate resin systems for histology
Authors: Singhrao Sim K. , Nicholson Ken , Crean Stjohn
Published: October 2011

Functional restoration for orthopedic, systemic, or dental purposes uses a diverse range of biomaterials. Monitoring for any subsequent failures associated with pathology is vital. To this end, an alternative methodology beyond that of cutting sections by conventional microtome knife‐based histomethodologies was pioneered. The method was to saw a block of tissue followed by grinding the unsupported slice to the required thickness. The sawing and grinding of unsupported bones or teeth exposed not only the specimen fragility, but also the delicacy of the associated soft tissues. Although incomplete, the significance of the technique was recognized and improvements were incorporated which persist to the present day addressing the histopathology of challenging specimens. One major improvement for preserving cellular structure as well as reducing fracture incidence was achieved by impregnating tissue samples with cross‐linked resins prior to the cutting and grinding processes. Methyl and glycol methacrylate resins superseded all other choices because of the advantages of photo‐initiated curing. Further pioneering work led to the formulation of increasingly appropriate resin systems and the subsequent processing protocols evolved, as clinical needs for histology‐specific techniques became apparent. Over the decades, several key pioneers entered this scientific arena to develop the now established resin formulation, processing protocols, and allied applications. This has led to the commercialization of the various resin systems. The aim here is to discuss the commercially available glycol and methyl methacrylate resin systems and their practical application to a variety of important techniques used in the histological assessment of complex pathology specimens. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Kinetics of the ring‐opening polymerization of D,L‐lactide using zinc (II) octoate as catalyst
Authors: Mazarro Rosario , Gracia Ignacio , Rodríguez Juan F. , Storti Giuseppe , Morbidelli Massimo
Published: October 2011

The kinetics of ring‐opening polymerization of D,L‐lactide with 2‐ethylhexanoic acid zinc (II) salt as catalyst and methanol as co‐catalyst at different temperatures is investigated. A previously proposed kinetic model accounting for reactions such as activation, propagation, chain transfer, transesterification and thermal non‐radical random chain scission has been applied to simulate the experimental results of conversion and average molecular weights. The relevance of some side reactions, mainly transesterifications and chain scission, has been verified all over the studied temperature range and the corresponding rate constants have been estimated. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Tuning the shape and damage in ion‐beam induced ripples on silicon
Authors: Biermanns Andreas , Hanisch Antje , Grenzer Jörg , Metzger Till Hartmut , Pietsch Ullrich
Published: October 2011

We investigate the influence of ion beam parameters on the ripple formation on Si(001) surfaces after bombardment with Xe+ ions of 25 keV kinetic energy using a scanning ion beam system. By combining grazing incidence X‐ray diffraction, small angle scattering and X‐ray reflectivity, we show that during ion irradiation with 70° off‐normal angle of incidence, changing the size of the irradiated area leads to an increased number of defects at the interface towards crystalline material. At 65° angle of incidence, the ripple amplitude grows.
Competition between ordering, twinning, and segregation in binary magnetic 3d‐5d nanoparticles: A supercomputing perspective
Authors: Gruner Markus E. , Entel Peter
Published: October 2011

The benefit of massively parallel supercomputers for technologically relevant applications in the field of materials science is demonstrated at the example of first‐principles total energy calculations of magnetic binary transition metal nanoparticles containing up to 1415 3d and 5d transition metal atoms. The simulations, which take into account structural optimizations without symmetry constraints, reveal the size‐dependent evolution of the energetic order of single crystalline and multiply twinned Fe‐Pt nanoparticles up to 4 nm in diameter, which are discussed as promising building blocks for future ultra‐high density data recording media. Although at small diameters, multiply twinned morphologies are preferred, we can show that an energetic crossover to a single crystalline, ordered arrangement can be expected at diameters around four nanometers. The comparison with Co‐Pt indicates that the contributions of the interfaces in multiply twinned structures are of similar importance as the surface and cannot be neglected especially for small particle sizes. The results imply that for Co‐Pt particles segregation of Pt to the surface and the formation of a Pt‐depleted subsurface layer is also dominant for nanometer‐sized single crystalline particles and may help to stabilize particles with partial L10 order, whereas for Fe‐Pt multiple twinning is the most important equilibrium mechanism for small particle sizes. Hybrid combinations of the most favorable ordering motifs, that is, L10‐type ordering in the particle core in combination with segregation in the outer shells, may thus lead to highly stable morphologies, which could dominate the growth process. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012
Leader–follower type relative position keeping in satellite formation flying via robust exponential stabilization
Authors: Ahn Hyo‐Sung
Published: October 2011

Satellite formation flying is an essential technology in both the current and the future aerospace industry. Conducting a fast and safe flying formation between satellites is always a key requirement for successful mission accomplishment. This paper addresses a leader–follower type relative position keeping in satellite formation flying via a novel robust exponential stabilization. This paper establishes an exponentially convergent relative position keeping taking account of various external disturbances that cannot be modeled into current formation dynamics, along with a set of time‐varying model parameters and measurement noises. The condition for an exponential convergence is established by decomposing the positive definite matrix used in Lyapunov function candidate into several element‐wise submatrices. Through numerical simulations, the effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Programmable Chemical Gradient Patterns by Soft Grayscale Lithography
Authors: Bowen Audrey M. , Ritchey Joshua A. , Moore Jeffrey S. , Nuzzo Ralph G.
Published: October 2011

A method for fabricating chemical gradients on planar and nonplanar substrates using grayscale lithography is reported. Compliant grayscale amplitude masks are fabricated using a vacuum‐assisted microfluidic filling protocol that employs dilutions of a carbon‐black‐containing polydimethylsiloxane emulsion (bPDMS) within traditional clear PDMS (cPDMS) to create planar, fully self‐supporting mask elements. The mask is then placed over a surface functionalized with a hydrophobic coumarin‐based photocleavable monolayer, which exposes a polar group upon irradiation. The mask serves to modulate the intensity of incident UV light, thereby controlling the density of molecules cleaved. The resulting molecular‐level grayscale patterns are characterized by condensation microscopy and imaging mode time‐of‐flight secondary‐ion mass spectrometry (ToF‐SIMS). Due to the inherent flexibility of this technique, the photofuse as well as the gradient patterns can be designed for a wide range of applications; in this paper two proof‐of‐concept demonstrations are shown. The first utilizes the ability to control the resulting contact angle of the surface for the fabrication of a passive pressure‐sensitive microfluidic gating system. The second is a model surface modification process that utilizes the functional groups deprotected during the photocleavage to pattern the deposition of moieties with complementary chemistry. The spatial layout, resolution, and concentration of these covalently linked molecules follow the gradient pattern created by the grayscale mask during exposure. The programmable chemical gradient fabrication scheme presented in this work allows explicit engineering of both surface properties that dictate nonspecific interactions (surface energy, charge, etc.) and functional chemistry necessary for covalent bonding.
The effect of chemically‐modified resistant starch, RS type‐4, on body weight and blood lipid profiles of high fat diet‐induced obese mice
Authors: Lee Kwang Yeon , Yoo Sang‐Ho , Lee Hyeon Gyu
Published: October 2011

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of feeding chemically‐modified resistant starch type‐4 (RS4) of normal (NCS) and high‐amylose corn starch (HACS) on weight gain and plasma and liver lipid profiles of mice fed a high‐fat diet (HFD). The experimental four groups were, respectively, fed following diets: A 40% HFD with NCS, HACS, NCS‐ and HACS‐RS4. A normal diet (ND) group of mice fed the standard diet was also used as control. In order to produce RS4 by chemical modification, corn starches were treated with STMP/STPP. Total RS (TRS) and total dietary fiber (TDF) levels of chemically‐modified NCS were 26.4 and 44.0%, respectively, while TRS and TDF levels in chemically‐modified HACS were 78.1 and 78.5%, respectively. Onset gelatinization temperatures of both modified corn starches clearly shifted to higher temperatures after STMP/STPP treatment. At the end of the diet trial, the mice on the HACS diet decreased body weight gain compared to the NCS‐fed mice. Adding NCS‐ and HACS‐RS4 to the diet significantly reduced the weight gain relative to NCS and HACS groups. Both RS4 diets were effective in improving the lipid profile compared to their respective controls. They significantly reduced the level of total lipid and total cholesterol.
Hearing in adults with Pompe disease
Authors: van der Beek Nadine A. M. E. , Verschuure Hans , Reuser Arnold J. J. , van der Ploeg Ans T. , van Doorn Pieter A. , Poublon René M. L.
Published: October 2011

Hearing loss has been recognized as an important cause of morbidity in infants with Pompe disease, a metabolic disorder caused by deficiency of acid α‐glucosidase. It is unknown whether hearing is also affected in adult Pompe patients. We have studied the prevalence, severity, and type of hearing loss in 58 adult patients using tympanometry and pure‐tone audiometry. Compared to normative data (International Organisation for Standardisation standard 7029), 72% of patients had impaired hearing thresholds at one or more frequencies in at least one ear. All measured frequencies were equally affected. All patients had a sensorineural type of hearing loss, pointing to cochlear or retrocochlear pathology. Categorised according to the standards of the World Health Organisation 21% of patients had a clinically relevant hearing loss (16% slight, 3% moderate, 2% profound). Though this suggests that hearing loss occurs in a considerable number of patients with Pompe disease, this prevalence is similar to that in the general population. Therefore, we conclude that hearing loss is not a specific feature of Pompe disease in adults.
ON A DIRICHLET PROBLEM WITH p-LAPLACIAN AND SET-VALUED NONLINEARITY
Authors: MARANO S. A.
Published: October 2011

The existence of solutions to a homogeneous Dirichlet problem for a p-Laplacian differential inclusion is studied via a fixed-point type theorem concerning operator inclusions in Banach spaces. Some meaningful special cases are then worked out.
EARLY BREAKDOWN OF ISOLATION REVEALED BY MARRIAGE BEHAVIOUR IN A LADIN-SPEAKING COMMUNITY (GARDENA VALLEY, SOUTH TYROL, ITALY, 1825–1924)
Authors: GUERESI PAOLA
Published: October 2011

The aim of this study was to investigate marriage behaviour from 1825 to 1924 in an Alpine valley inhabited by Ladin speakers (Gardena Valley, South Tyrol, Italy), where the particular geographic, linguistic and economic characteristics may have influenced the level of reproductive isolation. A total of 2183 marriage acts from the two main parishes of Santa Cristina and Ortisei were examined. Birth and residence endogamy, inbreeding coefficients from dispensations and from isonymy, birth place distribution of the spouses and isonymic relationships were analysed in four 25-year sub-periods. All the indicators considered point to a lower level of reproductive isolation at Ortisei, a main centre for the woodcarving industry, which appeared to be experiencing an early and effective breakdown of isolation. Marriage behaviour in the Gardena Valley between 1825 and 1924 seems to have been mostly influenced by socioeconomic factors rather than linguistic and cultural ones.
Characterization of milk fatty acids based on genetic and herd parameters
Authors: Heck Jeroen ML , van Valenberg Heim JF , Bovenhuis Henk , Dijkstra Jan , van Hooijdonk Toon CM
Published: October 2011

The objective of this study was to characterize the fatty acids (FA) in milk based on genetic and herd parameters to investigate the origin of the different FA in milk. Milk samples of 1912 Dutch Holstein-Friesian cows were analysed for 39 different FA including odd and branched-chain fatty acids. The proportion of variation caused by genetic and herd effects was calculated. In addition, genetic and herd correlations among the fatty acids were estimated and a clustering technique was used to visualise these correlations. The results indicated that in Dutch milk C12:0 is not completely synthesised de novo but also partly blood derived. It was suggested that C20:0 in milk is formed from the action of elongase enzymes on C18:0 and that the odd-chain FA C5:0–C13:0 and a part of C15:0 and C17:0 are synthesised de novo while the other part of C15:0 and C17:0 is blood derived. Furthermore, this work gives an overview of the opportunities to change the concentration of individual FA both by breeding and feeding. It is clearly shown that the extent to which the individual FA can be changed varies greatly and is dependent on the origin of the different FA in milk.
Clone-specific immune reactions in a trematode-crustacean system
Authors: KOEHLER ANSON V. , POULIN ROBERT
Published: October 2011

Variability of immune responses is an essential aspect of ecological immunology, yet how much of this variability is due to differences among parasite genotypes remains unknown. Here, variation in immune response of the crab,Macrophthalmus hirtipes, is examined as a function of experimental exposure to 10 clonal cercarial lineages of the trematodeMaritrema novaezealandensis. Our goals were (1) to assess the variability of the host immune reaction elicited by 10 parasite clones, (2) to test if the heterozygosity–fitness correlation, whereby organisms with higher heterozygosities achieve a higher fitness than those with lower heterozygosities, applies to heterozygous parasites eliciting weak immune responses, and (3) to see how concomitant infections by other macroparasites influence the crab's immune response to cercariae. Parasite clones were distinguished and heterozygosities calculated using 20 microsatellite markers. We found that exposure to cercariae resulted in increased haemocyte counts, and that although interclonal differences in immune response elicited were detected, parasite heterozygosity did not correlate with host immune response. Additionally, the presence of other pre-existing parasites in hosts did not influence their immune response following experimental exposure to cercariae. Overall, the existence of variability in immune response elicited by different parasite clones is promising for future ecological immunology studies using this system.
Why rational norms are indispensable
Authors: Hahn Ulrike
Published: October 2011

Normative theories provide essential tools for understanding behaviour, not just for reasoning, judgement, and decision-making, but many other areas of cognition as well; and their utility extends to the development of process theories. Furthermore, the way these tools are used has nothing to do with the is-ought fallacy. There therefore seems no basis for the claim that research would be better off without them.
Towards a descriptivist psychology of reasoning and decision making
Authors: Evans Jonathan St. B. T. , Elqayam Shira
Published: October 2011

Our target article identifiednormativismas the view that rationality should be evaluated against unconditional normative standards. We believe this to be entrenched in the psychological study of reasoning and decision making and argued that it is damaging to this empirical area of study, calling instead for a descriptivist psychology of reasoning and decision making. The views of 29 commentators (from philosophy and cognitive science as well as psychology) were mixed, including some staunch defences of normativism, but also a number that were broadly supportive of our position, although critical of various details. In particular, many defended a position that we call “soft normativism,” which sees a role for normative evaluation within boundaries alongside more descriptive research goals. In this response, we clarify our use of the term “instrumental rationality” and add discussion of “epistemic rationality,” defining both as descriptive and non-normative concepts. We consider the debate with reference to dual-process theory, the “new paradigm” psychology of reasoning, and empirical research strategy in these fields. We also discuss cognitive variation by age, intelligence, and culture, and the issue of relative versus absolute definitions of norms. In conclusion, we hope at least to have raised consciousness about the important boundaries between norm and description in the psychology of thinking.
Towards a semi-local study of parabolic invariant curves for fibered holomorphic maps
Authors: PONCE MARIO
Published: October 2011

We introduce the study of the local dynamics around a parabolic indifferent invariant curve for fibered holomorphic maps. As in the classical non-fibered case, we show that petals are the main ingredient. Nevertheless, one expects that the properties of the base rotation number should play an important role in the arrangement of the petals. We exhibit examples where the existence and the number of petals depend not just on the complex coordinate of the map, but on the base rotation number. Furthermore, under additional hypotheses on the arithmetic and smoothness of the map, we present a theorem that allows a characterization of the local dynamics around a parabolic invariant curve.
An Analysis of the Structure and Variation of the Tropopause over China with GPS Radio Occultation Data
Authors: Xu Xiaohua , Luo Jia , Zhang Kefei
Published: October 2011

The status of the tropopause has impact on weather phenomena and climate change occurring in the atmosphere of the Earth. The investigation of structure and variation of the tropopause plays a significant role in an in-depth understanding of water vapour exchange, mass and chemical materials across the tropopause, and their impacts on climate change and ecological environment. With the advantages of high vertical resolution, global coverage, unbiased instrumentation, and long-term stability, GPS Radio Occultation (RO) data is ideal for the monitoring of tropopause structure. In this research, GPS RO data from the two missions, CHAMP and COSMIC, were used to assess and analyse the temporal and spatial variations in tropopause heights and temperature over China. The consistency of the precision of the GPS temperature profiles derived from the two missions were also statistically validated. The two types of tropopause, i.e. the Lapse Rate Tropopause (LRT) and the Cold Point Tropopause (CPT), were determined from the GPS RO temperature profiles, and the trend of the variations in tropopause heights and temperatures of the two types of tropopause were compared and analysed.
An Innovative Approach for Atmospheric Error Mitigation Using New GNSS Signals
Authors: Yang Lei , Elmas Zeynep , Hill Chris , Aquino Marcio , Moore Terry
Published: October 2011

New signals from the modernised satellite navigation systems (GPS and GLONASS) and the ones that are being developed (COMPASS and GALILEO) will present opportunities for more accurate and reliable positioning solutions. Successful exploitation of these new signals will also enable the development of new markets and applications for difficult environments where the current Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) cannot provide satisfying solutions. This research is aiming to exploit the improvement in monitoring, modelling and mitigating the atmospheric effects using the increased number of signals from the future satellite systems. Preliminary investigations were conducted on the numerical weather parameter based horizontal tropospheric delay modelling, as well as the ionospheric higher order and scintillation effects. Results from this research are expected to provide a potential supplement to high accuracy positioning techniques.
A New Algorithm for Onboard Autonomous Orbit Determination of Navigation Satellites
Authors: Wang Haihong , Chen Zhonggui , Zheng Jinjun , Chu Haibin
Published: October 2011

Autonomous orbit determination of a navigation constellation is the process by which the orbit parameters of navigation satellites are autonomously calibrated onboard the satellites without the need for external aids. It commonly uses a satellite onboard data processing unit and a filtering method to process the measurements of inter-satellite ranges. The onboard data processing unit is the main module of autonomous navigation systems. In this paper, the two main factors that affect the accuracy of autonomous orbit determination for a navigation constellation are discussed first, and then a distributed onboard algorithm for autonomous orbit determination of navigation satellites is proposed. This method is based on a long-term ephemeris prediction and is suitable for the satellite hardware capability. The main feature of this method is that both the distributed computing method and an onboard analytical state transition matrix are used to process inter-satellite range measurements. One of the main advantages of this approach is high-speed computing since the amount of calculations needed is significantly less than that of the centralised computing method and those distributed methods that need to use an onboard numerical integrator. Another advantage of this approach is that the use of the onboard analytical state transition matrix algorithm can save a great amount of resources for both ground-to-satellite data transmissions and data storage units in satellites’ hardware. This could result in substantial cost reduction for space missions. Finally, a simulation method used for testing the proposed algorithm is presented. Results of tests over a period of 90 days show that the user range error of autonomous orbit determination derived from the proposed method is less than three metres.
Implementation and Performance Assessment of a Vector Tracking Method Based on a Software GPS Receiver
Authors: Zhao Sihao , Lu Mingquan , Feng Zhenming
Published: October 2011

A number of methods have been developed to enhance the robustness of Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers when there are a limited number of visible satellites. Vector tracking is one of them. It utilizes information from all channels to aid the processing of individual channels to generate receiver positions and velocities. This paper analyzes relationships among code phase, carrier frequency, and receiver position and velocity, and presents a vector loop-tracking algorithm using an Extended Kalman filter implemented in a Matlab-based GPS software receiver. Simulated GPS signals are generated to test the proposed vector tracking method. The results show that when some of the satellites are blocked, the vector tracking loop provides better carrier frequency tracking results for the blocked signals and produces more accurate navigation solutions compared with traditional scalar tracking loops.
The Politics of Social Security Expansion: Social Security Disability Insurance, 1935–1986
Authors: Berkowitz Edward , Fox Daniel M.
Published: October 2011

In 1956 President Eisenhower signed an amendment to the social security program that created disability insurance. His action marked the end of a sharp debate over disability insurance and the beginning of two decades of consensus concerning the program. Thirty years later, however, major issues have arisen in the disability insurance program that closely resemble the disputes that preceded its passage. Consensus no longer prevails about the goals and administration of the program. In this paper, we describe the history of the social security disability program in terms of an illusive search for a political consensus.2 We first examine the U.S. Senate's 1956 debate over disability insurance. This debate provides a convenient summary of the ingredients of the compromise that sustained the consensus of the next two decades. Then, in an effort to explain what was at stake in 1956, we review discussions about disability that had taken place previously in bureaucratic and professional circles. We next examine the post- 1956 expansion of disability insurance, and we conclude with the dissolution of the compromise.
Race, History, and Policy: African Americans and Civil Rights Since 1964
Authors: Graham Hugh Davis
Published: October 2011

Dwarfing all debates over civil rights policy and race relations during the three decades since 1964 has been the storm over affirmative action. Critics have argued that affirmative action in practice has meant requiring racial quotas, and hence practicing “reverse discrimination” against innocent (usually white male) third parties. This has been done, critics contend, in the name of a law, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, that explicitly prohibited racial preferences. Proponents have countered that racism is so deeply rooted in American culture and institutions that mere nondiscrimination will perpetuate the injustice of the past. There is abundant evidence to support both contentions. The purpose of this essay is not to weigh the evidence and determine which side is correct. Ultimately such profound disagreements are not resolvable by logic and evidence alone, because they hinge on divergent assumptions about human nature and the purpose and limits of government. My more modest goal in this essay is to use the insights of history to understand why civil rights policy evolved in this dual fashion following the breakthrough legislation of 1964–68, and to try to assess the consequences.
The Brownlow–Brookings Feud: The Politics of Dissent Within the Academic Community
Authors: Roberts Alasdair
Published: October 2011

In January 1937, President Franklin Roosevelt submitted an ambitious plan for administrative reform of the national government to Congress. Roosevelt's reorganization bill was based on a report produced by the President's Committee on Administrative Management–a panel of three “specialists in public administration” appointed by Roosevelt in March 1936 and led by Louis Brownlow, who was perhaps the best-known expert in the field. The Brownlow recommendations produced intense debate in Congress; and the reorganization proposals were ultimately defeated in March 1938 in what historian William Leuchtenburg has described as “the worst rebuff Roosevelt was ever to suffer” in his twelve years as president. The public aspects of the battle over the Brownlow proposals have already received extensive scholarly attention. Some of the most important skirmishes in this battle, however, were not fought in public, and even after half a century they remain largely obscured from public view. One such skirmish was the contest within the academic community about the recommendations on administrative reform that were to be put before Congress.
Birth Control, Population Control, and Family Planning: An Overview
Authors: Critchlow Donald T.
Published: October 2011

The cultural fission created by the controversy over birth control and abortion, as Juvenal's satiric comment above indicates, has a long and bitter history. The emergence of the modern state, however, transformed cultural differences into political acrimony as reproduction rights became public policy. In the United States, reproductive rights in the post-World War II period became a matter of political controversy when the federal government began to fund family planning programs domestically and abroad in the 1960s.
The Autonomous State and Economic Development: Industrial Administration in Russia, 1880–1920
Authors: Rowney Don K.
Published: October 2011

The broad objective of this study is to ask whether there have been basic continuities in Russian state industrial administration across the Revolutionary divide. The question takes as generally agreed that the state's role in the national economy after 1917 was larger than previously. Given the expanding state role in economic operations during World War I, the period of War Communism and the Five-Year-Plan (Stalin) era, the main question addressed by this study necessarily focuses on the state and its organizations as initiators and controllers of industrial development before 1917. Did the war, the Revolution of 1917, and the political programs that followed establish a new trajectory for the role of the state or were they characteristic of and predictable from the behavior of state organizations before 1917?
Investing in Universities: Genesis of the National Science Foundation's Institutional Programs, 1958–1963
Authors: England J. Merton
Published: October 2011

Alan T. Waterman, the first director of the National Science Foundation (NSF), often said that a sound federal policy for basic scientific research should have three elements: a research-projects system, fellowship and other education programs, and support for the development of research institutions. Reflecting on the independent federal agency's first decade of operations, Waterman thought it had done well in providing the first two elements but not the third: “.… the inadequacy of the resources available to our educational institutions is a national problem,” he wrote, “and one which the federal government must help to meet.”