bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Envelope Dimension of Modules and the Simplified Radical Formula
Authors: Nikseresht A. , Azizi A.
Published: July 2012

We introduce and investigate the notion of envelope dimension of commutative rings and modules over them. In particular, we show that the envelope dimension of a ring, R, is equal to that of the R-module R(ℕ). We also prove that the Krull dimension of a ring is no more than its envelope dimension and characterize Noetherian rings for which these two dimensions are equal. Moreover, we generalize and study the concept of simplified radical formula for modules, which we defined in an earlier paper.
Response of halocarbons to ocean acidification in the Arctic
Authors: Hopkins F. E. , Kimmance S. A. , Stephens J. A. , Bellerby R. G. J. , Brussaard C. P. D. , Czerny J. , Schulz K. G. , Archer S. D.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. The potential effect of ocean acidification (OA) on seawater halocarbons in the Arctic was investigated during a mesocosm experiment in Spitsbergen in June–July 2010. Over a period of 5 weeks, natural phytoplankton communities in nine ~50 m3 mesocosms were studied under a range of pCO2 treatments from ~185 μatm to ~1420 μatm. In general, the response of halocarbons to pCO2 was subtle, or undetectable. A large number of significant correlations with a range of biological parameters (chlorophyll a, microbial plankton community, phytoplankton pigments) were identified, indicating a biological control on the concentrations of halocarbons within the mesocosms. The temporal dynamics of iodomethane (CH3I) alluded to active turnover of this halocarbon in the mesocosms and strong significant correlations with biological parameters suggested a biological source. However, despite a pCO2 effect on various components of the plankton community, and a strong association between CH3I and biological parameters, no effect of pCO2 was seen in CH3I. Diiodomethane (CH2I2) displayed a number of strong relationships with biological parameters. Furthermore, the concentrations, the rate of net production and the sea-to-air flux of CH2I2 showed a significant positive response to pCO2. There was no clear effect of pCO2 on bromocarbon concentrations or dynamics. However, periods of significant net loss of bromoform (CHBr3) were found to be concentration-dependent, and closely correlated with total bacteria, suggesting a degree of biological consumption of this halocarbon in Arctic waters. Although the effects of OA on halocarbon concentrations were marginal, this study provides invaluable information on the production and cycling of halocarbons in a region of the world's oceans likely to experience rapid environmental change in the coming decades.
Climate bifurcation during the last deglaciation?
Authors: Lenton T. M. , Livina V. N. , Dakos V. , Scheffer M.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. There were two abrupt warming events during the last deglaciation, at the start of the Bølling-Allerød and at the end of the Younger Dryas, but their underlying dynamics are unclear. Some abrupt climate changes may involve gradual forcing past a bifurcation point, in which a prevailing climate state loses its stability and the climate tips into an alternative state, providing an early warning signal in the form of slowing responses to perturbations, which may be accompanied by increasing variability. Alternatively, short-term stochastic variability in the climate system can trigger abrupt climate changes, without early warning. Previous work has found signals consistent with slowing down during the last deglaciation as a whole, and during the Younger Dryas, but with conflicting results in the run-up to the Bølling-Allerød. Based on this, we hypothesise that a bifurcation point was approached at the end of the Younger Dryas, in which the cold climate state, with weak Atlantic overturning circulation, lost its stability, and the climate tipped irreversibly into a warm interglacial state. To test the bifurcation hypothesis, we analysed two different climate proxies in three Greenland ice cores, from the Last Glacial Maximum to the end of the Younger Dryas. Prior to the Bølling warming, there was a robust increase in climate variability but no consistent slowing down signal, suggesting this abrupt change was probably triggered by a stochastic fluctuation. The transition to the warm Bølling-Allerød state was accompanied by a slowing down in climate dynamics and an increase in climate variability. We suggest that the Bølling warming excited an internal mode of variability in Atlantic meridional overturning circulation strength, causing multi-centennial climate fluctuations. However, the return to the Younger Dryas cold state increased climate stability. We find no consistent evidence for slowing down during the Younger Dryas, or in a longer spliced record of the cold climate state before and after the Bølling-Allerød. Therefore, the end of the Younger Dryas may also have been triggered by a stochastic perturbation.
An automated approach for annual layer counting in ice cores
Authors: Winstrup M. , Svensson A. M. , Rasmussen S. O. , Winther O. , Steig E. J. , Axelrod A. E.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. A novel method for automated annual layer counting in seasonally-resolved paleoclimate records has been developed. It relies on algorithms from the statistical framework of Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), which originally was developed for use in machine speech-recognition. The strength of the layer detection algorithm lies in the way it is able to imitate the manual procedures for annual layer counting, while being based on statistical criteria for annual layer identification. The most likely positions of multiple layer boundaries in a section of ice core data are determined simultaneously, and a probabilistic uncertainty estimate of the resulting layer count is provided, ensuring an objective treatment of ambiguous layers in the data. Furthermore, multiple data series can be incorporated and used simultaneously. In this study, the automated layer counting algorithm has been applied to an ice core record from Greenland. The algorithm shows high skill in reproducing the results from manual layer counts.
Reliability of water distribution networks due to pumps failure: comparison of VSP and SSP application
Authors: Mehzad N. , Tabesh M. , Hashemi S. S. , Ataee Kia B.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. Reliability is an important indicator to ensure the operation of Water Distribution Networks (WDNs). To optimize the operation of WDN, it is necessary to incorporate the reliability of active components (such as pumps and tanks) besides the reliability of pipes. In this research, a concept is suggested to calculate the reliability of WDNs' pumping stations. A computer code is provided in Visual Basic and is linked to EPANET2.0. To evaluate the proposed methodology a real WDN near the city of Tehran is considered. According to the obtained results, it is concluded that by increasing the demand of the WDN during a day, the reliability of pumps decrease. Therefore, it seems that decision-making is necessary if high demand hours are considered, in order to increase the reliability of the system. On the other hand, it is observed in this research that using variable speed pumps not only reduces the energy cost of the network, but also the reliability of the pumping stations with variable speed pumps is higher than single speed pumps. Therefore, using VSP is highly recommended in WDNs.
Influence of Ross Sea Bottom Water changes on the warming and freshening of the Antarctic Bottom Water in the Australian-Antarctic Basin
Authors: Shimada K. , Aoki S. , Ohshima K. I. , Rintoul S. R.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. Changes to the properties of Antarctic Bottom Water in the Australian-Antarctic Basin (AA-AABW) between the 1990s and 2000s are documented using data from the WOCE Hydrographic Program (WHP) and repeated hydrographic surveys. Strong cooling and freshening are observed on isopycnal layers denser than γn = 28.30 kg m−3. Changes in the average salinity and potential temperature below this isopycnal correspond to a basin-wide warming of 1300 ± 200 GW and freshening of 24 ± 3 Gt year−1. Recent changes to dense shelf water in the source regions in the Ross Sea and George V Land can explain the freshening of AA-AABW but not its extensive warming. An alternative mechanism for this warming is a decrease in the supply of AABW from the Ross Sea (RSBW). Hydrographic profiles between the western Ross Sea and George V Land (171–158° E) were analyzed with a simple advective-diffusive model to assess the causes of the observed changes. The model suggests that the warming of RSBW observed between the 1970s and 2000s can be explained by a 21 ± 23% reduction in RSBW transport and the enhancement of the vertical diffusion of heat resulting from a 30 ± 7% weakening of the abyssal stratification. The documented freshening of Ross Sea dense shelf water leads to a reduction in both salinity and density stratification. Therefore the direct freshening of RSBW at its source also produces an indirect warming of the RSBW. A simple box model suggests that the changes in RSBW properties and volume transport (a decrease of 6.7% is assumed between the year 1995 and 2005) can explain 51 ± 6% of the warming and 84 ± 10% of the freshening observed in AA-AABW.
A New Strategy for Diurnal Intraocular Pressure Curve
Authors: Borrone Roberto
Published: July 2012

Purpose.

To investigate whether there is agreement between intraocular pressure (IOP) readings in the supine position at 6 am upon awaking (before getting out of bed) and the IOP at 8 am, also measured in supine position after remaining 30 minutes in this position.

Methods.

In a sample of 50 eyes of 50 patients (normal, glaucoma suspect, and glaucoma patients), 6 am IOP was measured in the supine position upon awaking and before getting up, while 8 am IOP was measured on the same day, also in the supine position after 30 minutes in this position.

Results.

The IOP values at 6 am were mean 16.06±3 mmHg; median 15.5 mmHg (range 10-25.5 mmHg). For the 8 am readings, the average was 15.94±4 mmHg and the median 15 mmHg (range 10-25.5 mmHg). The difference between mean 6 and 8 am IOPs was 0.13±0.9 mmHg (confidence interval −0.14 to 0.40). Pearson correlation coefficient between the 6 and 8 am IOPs for the total sample was r=0.97 (p<0.05). There were no significant differences in behavior regarding eyes with high IOP as compared to normal IOP eyes (repeated-measure analysis of variance, p=0.72).

Conclusions.

The 8 am IOP readings obtained in the supine position and under the conditions described were equivalent to 6 am IOP readings (as the first measure of the diurnal pressure curve [DPC]). This new strategy for DPC will make it a widely used tool in daily practice since it spares the need for hospitalization or home measurements.
Les modèles traductifs dans « La traduction et le “champ des Écritures” » de Julien Green
Authors: Mihalache Iulia
Published: July 2012

« La traduction et le “champ des Écritures” » révèle plusieurs pratiques traductives et concepts théoriques, divergents ou complémentaires, qui ont fait l’objet de débats au cours de l’histoire de la traduction. Plutôt que de justifier l’efficacité de ces modèles traductifs, Green remet en question leur validité pour montrer que le discours sur la traduction et les paramètres d’évaluation des textes traduits sont variables ; ils dépendent du discours qu’une culture traduisante tient par rapport à l’acte d’écriture et à la culture qu’elle envisage de traduire.
Que reste-t-il du Treatise on Probability de Keynes?
Authors: Schmidt Christian
Published: July 2012

Cet article est consacré à un réexamen du Traité sur la probabilité de Keynes. Il souligne d’abord les origines chez Leibniz de la démarche intellectuelle adoptée par Keynes. Il s’attache ensuite à dégager la nature véritable du projet qui sous-tend sa rédaction : rechercher le fondement logique de la probabilité caractérisée comme le degré de croyance rationnelle en la vérité d’une proposition. Il montre alors comment ce projet initial a été desservi par sa formulation dans les termes inadaptés de la logique propositionnelle de Russell. En assimilant ces degrés de croyances à une relation logique, Keynes s’est exposé aux critiques de Ramsey et le Traité a donné lieu à plusieurs incompréhensions. Cet article suggère enfin que certaines idées exposées dans le Traité, comme la notion de « pertinence », ont anticipé plusieurs concepts qui sont développés aujourd’hui dans les recherches d’inspiration cognitiviste sur les croyances.
La place du Treatise on Money dans l’oeuvre de Keynes : une théorie de l’instabilité
Authors: Hanin Frédéric
Published: July 2012

Alors que Keynes est souvent associé au concept d’équilibre de sous-emploi développé dans la Théorie générale, ce texte propose une relecture du Treatise on Money dans une perspective d’analyse de la dynamique des économies monétaires. Cette dernière se caractérise par l’existence d’instabilité endogène, caractéristique structurelle des économies modernes du fait de l’imparfaite coordination entre l’activité financière et l’activité industrielle. L’originalité théorique du Treatise réside dans l’adoption d’une perspective macroéconomique non walrassienne incorporant des interactions sociales et la présence d’équilibres multiples sur le marché financier. L’origine de l’instabilité se trouve être l’effet de la préférence pour la liquidité des investisseurs sur le bilan des banques et ses conséquences sur la monnaie disponible pour la circulation industrielle. L’analyse proposée par Keynes dans le Treatise préfigure les débats contemporains sur la capacité des autorités monétaires à stabiliser le niveau de l’activité dans un contexte d’arbitrage constant entre le niveau d’emploi des ressources et les conséquences macroéconomiques de la préférence pour la liquidité des investisseurs.
Quels fondements à l’incomplétude des contrats?
Authors: Fares M’hand
Published: July 2012

Se situant dans le droit fil de la récente controverse sur les fondements de la théorie des contrats incomplets (Maskin et Tirole, 1999 ; Hart et Moore, 1999 ; Tirole, 1999), cette revue de la littérature cherche à définir la notion d’incomplétude contractuelle et à en comprendre l’origine. Deux résultats importants sont dégagés : (i) les raisons traditionnellement avancées pour expliquer l’incomplétude contractuelle, telles que l’indescriptibilité des contingences futures ou l’asymétrie d’information entre les parties contractantes, ne sont pas forcément pertinentes ; (ii) la contrainte d’invérifiabilité, concept clé de la théorie des contrats incomplets, parvient à rendre compte d’un choix d’incomplétude lorsqu’elle est couplée à la contrainte de renégociation du contrat initial. Cette double contrainte permet à la théorie des contrats incomplets de générer un choix endogène d’incomplétude. Plus précisément, cette théorie montre que l’on peut définir un choix de contrat incomplet comme une forme limite du contrat complet.
La production domestique dans les modèles collectifs
Authors: Rapoport Benoît , Sofer Catherine , Solaz Anne
Published: July 2012

Nous présentons ici des résultats nouveaux dans le cadre des modèles collectifs avec production domestique. Nous montrons que les résultats d’identification de la règle de partage obtenus dans Chiappori, Fortin et Lacroix (2002), à partir d’un modèle standard d’offre de travail, peuvent être étendus à un modèle avec production domestique, ce qui permet une définition plus satisfaisante du loisir. La méthode issue du résultat théorique de l’article nécessite uniquement l’observation des temps de travail domestique et marchand des deux membres adultes du ménage. Les estimations comparatives des modèles avec et sans production domestique, réalisées à partir de données françaises (enquête INSEE « Emplois du temps »), montrent que l’on obtient des résultats un peu différents, et surtout, plus robustes, pour le modèle dans lequel le temps de travail domestique est pris en compte.
Une méta-analyse de l’évaluation économique des dommages sanitaires attribués à la pollution atmosphérique
Authors: Gastineau Pascal , Manière Dorothée , Rotillon Gilles
Published: July 2012

La monétarisation des externalités environnementales s’est considérablement développée ces dernières années. Dans le domaine de l’évaluation des dommages sanitaires attribués à la pollution atmosphérique, diverses méthodes ont été employées. À partir de l’ensemble des résultats, il est intéressant d’essayer d’établir une relation entre valeur obtenue et méthode utilisée.

La méta-analyse s’est d’abord développée dans les sciences médicales et commence à connaître des applications en économie. Il s’agit d’une méthode utilisée pour résumer, évaluer et analyser les résultats de la littérature empirique existante qui peut se révéler un bon complément d’une revue de littérature traditionnelle. L’objectif de cet article est d’appliquer cette méthode à l’évaluation des dommages environnementaux et sanitaires attribués à la pollution atmosphérique afin de mieux comprendre l’influence des contraintes d’application et des caractéristiques d’évaluation sur les estimations obtenues.
Système financier dualiste et impacts des politiques financières : essai de modélisation
Authors: Tanimoune Nasser Ary
Published: July 2012

Cet article analyse l’impact d’une hausse du taux d’intérêt créditeur sur la distribution des crédits bancaires dans un environnement financier dualiste. Il s’inscrit dans le prolongement de la thèse développée par les néostructuralistes, notamment Van Wijnbergen (1983), selon laquelle dans les pays en développement une politique financière doit prendre en compte l’importance relative de toutes les structures de financement. Le principal résultat est la mise en évidence de l’activisme des banques dans le financement global d’une économie à système financier dualiste. Il permet d’expliquer l’excès de liquidité qui caractérise de nombreuses banques dans la Zone franc ouest africaine depuis le début des années quatre-vingt-dix.
Ouverture commerciale et migration
Authors: Bouzahzah Mohamed , Esmaeili Hamid , Ihadiyan Abid
Published: July 2012

Cet article étudie quantitativement l’impact macroéconomique de la constitution d’une zone de libre-échange entre le Maroc et l’Union européenne, tout en soulignant les effets en matière de flux migratoires. Le cadre d’analyse est un modèle d’équilibre général calculable statique avec des hypothèses de la nouvelle théorie du commerce international : rendements d’échelle croissants et différenciation des produits. Le modèle, comportant neuf secteurs économiques marocains, analyse les effets macroéconomiques en matière d’émigration et de constitution d’une zone de libre-échange entre le Maroc et l’Europe. Les résultats montrent que, dans les conditions actuelles de compétitivité de l’économie marocaine, le libre-échange induirait une forte dépression industrielle et un déficit extérieur croissant. Il s’ensuivrait une chute de l’emploi particulièrement dans l’industrie. Par conséquent, les flux migratoires marocains se maintiendront et s’amplifieront en direction de l’Europe.
Quand la psychanalyse entre dans la traduction
Authors: Boulanger Pier-Pascale
Published: July 2012

L’être humain est produit par le langage davantage qu’il ne le produit. Lorsque ce constat psychanalytique est posé sur le terrain de la traductologie, celle-ci est amenée à envisager des sujets habituellement considérés comme étant hors de son champ de compétence, tels que les lapsus. Dans le sillage des travaux de François Peraldi, nous montrons les affinités épistémologiques et conceptuelles de la psychanalyse et de la traduction et, plus encore, la nécessité pour la traduction d’incorporer certains vecteurs de réflexion psychanalytiques. Dans cette visée, nous relançons l’injonction que Peraldi a faite aux traducteurs et qui rejoint la poétique du traduire d’Henri Meschonnic : se mettre à l’écoute du corps de la parole et de la parole du corps dans le langage. Cette écoute doit passer par une sensibilisation du corps traduisant, par l’éveil de sa fonction érotique, qui se trouve à l’état latent.
Deictic Center Shifts in Literary Translation: the Spanish Translation of Nooteboom’s Het Volgende Verhaal
Authors: Goethals Patrick , De Wilde July
Published: July 2012

In this article, we explore the phenomenon of deictic center shifts in literary translation, concentrating on the Spanish translation (La historia siguiente, 1992) of the Dutch novelHet volgende verhaal(1991 [The Following Story, 1993]). The empirical description focuses on lexical spatiotemporal markers and verbal tenses. We compare the source text and the target text in order to identify the translational shifts: we consider these shifts as textual traces of the translator’s interpretive process of resetting the spatiotemporal coordinates of the discourse. We will argue that the deictic shifts between source and target text are related to occasional hesitations of the translator, who tends to emphasize the most salient deictic center. On a methodological level, we hope to show that a close reading of a translated text, taking into account its thematic and structural peculiarities, can contribute both to Translation and Literary Studies.
Translating “Under the Sign of Invention”: Gilberto Gil’s Song Lyric Translation
Authors: Cintrão Heloísa Pezza
Published: July 2012

The translation of song lyrics shares in the difficulties of constrained translation, as well as in the impossibilities of poetic translation. In Gilberto Gil’s adaptation of the song “I just called to say I love you” by Stevie Wonder, two translation procedures stand out: (1) to take broad semantic fields as translation units, and (2) to opt for cultural adaptation in terms of the translation’s poles of domesticating/foreignizing. The way Gil faces up to the challenges of the translation of the song is consistent with Haroldo de Campos ideas on transcreation.
Shakespeare’s Sonnets in Brazil: Striking a Balance Between Losses and Gains in the Translation Process
Authors: da Silva Gisele Dionísio
Published: July 2012

Traditional notions surrounding translation have for many centuries defined the translator’s idea of his own task as limited, mechanical, and devoid of any creativity, creativity being a characteristic of the author, not the translator. This issue is particularly at stake in the case of poetry translation, where the transporting of the combination of sound and meaning to another language becomes the one great challenge. In this article, an analysis is made of the way three Brazilian translators of Shakespeare’s Sonnets explain and deal with their own translation choices. These choices are often dictated by a negotiation process based on loss and compensation.
À la recherche des biens sous tutelle
Authors: Clément Valérie , Moureau Nathalie , Vidal Marion
Published: July 2012

La notion debiens sous tutelle(merit goods)introduite par Musgrave en 1957 définit des biens pour lesquels l’évaluation sociale ne provient pas uniquement des informations fournies par les préférences individuelles. L’utilisation d’un argument de typebiens sous tutellepour justifier l’intervention de l’État est très fréquente dans le domaine culturel, la santé, la protection de la biodiversité,etc.Pour autant, la légitimité économique de cet argument demeure controversée : qu’est-ce qui peut justifier que l’État s’érige en tuteur des préférences des individus?

L’objet de cet article est de clarifier la place occupée par lesbiens sous tutelleen économie du bien-être. La première partie définit le concept et présente les problèmes qu’il pose à la théorie économique. Par la suite, nous montrons comment certaines extensions de la théorie, en particulier les avancées proposées par l’économie comportementale, contribuent à asseoir sa légitimité économique tant du point de vue des préférences individuelles que du choix social.
Écarts salariaux entre francophones et anglophones à Montréal au 19e siècle
Authors: Baker Michael , Hamilton Gillian
Published: July 2012

Notre étude fournit une perspective historique à la question des écarts de revenus entre francophones et anglophones en retournant loin en arrière, dans le Montréal du début du 19esiècle. Nous avons mis l’accent sur le marché des apprentis. Nous avons utilisé les détails présents dans les contrats signés entre maîtres et apprentis afin d’isoler les différences de rémunération entre ethnies. Nos résultats montrent des écarts ethniques considérables dans la composition et dans le niveau de rémunération. La plupart des résultats indiquent une prime « anglophone ». Nous constatons également un déclin de la pénalité subie par les francophones, mais cette tendance prend une direction opposée vers la fin des années 1830. Finalement, notre étude montre que la plupart des écarts sont associés au groupe ethnique du maître et non à celui de l’apprenti.
Unilingues ou bilingues? Les Montréalais sur le marché du travail en 1901
Authors: MacKinnon Mary
Published: July 2012

Cette étude utilise un échantillon du Recensement canadien de 1901 pour estimer le taux de rendement du bilinguisme pour les hommes de langue maternelle anglaise et française à Montréal. Le bilinguisme a profité aux anglophones et aux francophones; et la prime au bilinguisme pour les deux groupes semble quelque peu supérieure à celle des années 1960. En 1901, un francophone bilingue qui savait lire et écrire gagnait en moyenne à peu près le même revenu qu’un anglophone unilingue catholique. Les anglophones protestants bilingues obtenaient les revenus moyens les plus élevés.
Hydrogel‐Forming Microneedle Arrays for Enhanced Transdermal Drug Delivery
Authors: Donnelly Ryan F. , Singh Thakur Raghu Raj , Garland Martin J. , Migalska Katarzyna , Majithiya Rita , McCrudden Cian M. , Kole Prashant Laxman , Mahmood Tuan Mazlelaa Tuan , McCarthy Helen O. , Woolfson A. David
Published: July 2012

Unique microneedle arrays prepared from crosslinked polymers, which contain no drug themselves, are described. They rapidly take up skin interstitial fluid upon skin insertion to form continuous, unblockable, hydrogel conduits from attached patch‐type drug reservoirs to the dermal microcirculation. Importantly, such microneedles, which can be fabricated in a wide range of patch sizes and microneedle geometries, can be easily sterilized, resist hole closure while in place, and are removed completely intact from the skin. Delivery of macromolecules is no longer limited to what can be loaded into the microneedles themselves and transdermal drug delivery is now controlled by the crosslink density of the hydrogel system rather than the stratum corneum, while electrically modulated delivery is also a unique feature. This technology has the potential to overcome the limitations of conventional microneedle designs and greatly increase the range of the type of drug that is deliverable transdermally, with ensuing benefits for industry, healthcare providers and, ultimately, patients.
A phase 1/2 trial of HQK‐1001, an oral fetal globin inducer, in sickle cell disease
Authors: Kutlar Abdullah , Ataga Kenneth , Reid Marvin , Vichinsky Elliott P. , Neumayr Lynne , Blair‐Britt Loray , Labotka Richard , Glass Jonathan , Keefer Jeffrey R. , Wargin William A. , Berenson Ronald , Perrine Susan P.
Published: July 2012

Therapeutics which reduce the pathology in sickle cell syndromes are needed, particularly noncytotoxic therapeutics. Fetal hemoglobin (HbF, α2γ2) is established as a major regulator of disease severity; increased HbF levels correlate with milder clinical courses and improved survival. Accordingly, sodium dimethylbutyrate (HQK‐1001), an orally‐bioavailable, promoter‐targeted fetal globin gene‐inducing agent, was evaluated in a randomized, blinded, dose‐ranging Phase I/II trial in 24 adult patients with HbSS or S/β thalassemia, to determine safety and tolerability of three escalating dose levels. The study therapeutic was administered once daily for two 6‐week cycles, with a two‐week interim dose holiday. Twenty‐one patients completed the study. Five patients received study drug at 10 or 20 mg/kg doses, seven patients received study drug at 30 mg/kg/dose, and 4 patients received placebo. HQK‐1001 was well‐tolerated with no unexpected drug‐related adverse events; a dose‐limiting toxicity was not identified. Plasma drug levels were sustained above targeted levels for 24 hr. Increases in HbF above baseline were observed particularly with 30 mg/kg/day doses; in five of seven treated patients, a mean absolute increase in HbF of 0.2 g/dl and a mean increase in total hemoglobin (Hgb) of 0.83 g/dl above baseline were observed, whereas no increases occurred in placebo‐treated controls. These findings of favorable PK profiles, tolerability, early rises in HbF, and total Hgb indicate that trials of longer duration appear warranted to more definitively evaluate the therapeutic potential of HQK‐1001 in sickle cell disease. Am. J. Hematol., 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysing covariates with spike at zero: A modified FP procedure and conceptual issues
Authors: Becher Heiko , Lorenz Eva , Royston Patrick , Sauerbrei Willi
Published: July 2012

In epidemiology and in clinical research, risk factors often have special distributions. A common situation is that a proportion of individuals have exposure zero, and among those exposed, we have some continuous distribution. We call this a ‘spike at zero’. Examples for this are smoking, duration of breastfeeding, or alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the empirical distribution of laboratory values and other measurements may have a semi‐continuous distribution as a result of the lower detection limit of the measurement. To model the dose–response function, an extension of the fractional polynomial approach was recently proposed. In this paper, we suggest a modification of the previously suggested FP procedure. We first give the theoretical justification of this modified procedure by investigating relevant distribution classes. Here, we systematically derive the theoretical shapes of dose–response curves under given distributional assumptions (normal, log normal, gamma) in the framework of a logistic regression model. Further, we check the performance of the procedure in a simulation study and compare it to the previously suggested method, and finally we illustrate the procedures with data from a case–control study on breast cancer.
Selection and design of lactic acid bacteria probiotic cultures
Authors: Giraffa Giorgio
Published: July 2012

Probiotics are defined as “live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.” Probiotic‐containing foods can be categorized as functional foods and, along with prebiotics, represent the largest segment of the functional food market around the world. Fermented foods are the main vehicle of administration of probiotic organisms and, among them, dairy products are by far the most widely used. Many probiotic strains, which most often belong to the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium, are already applied in commercial probiotic fermented milks throughout the world. Nonetheless, the market of biofunctional dairy products, including probiotics, is continuously asking for diversifying the range of available products. To this regard, there is a growing need to identify new biofunctional strains, new strategies to assure survival of these cultures, and different sources from which to isolate strains. Before a probiotic can benefit human health, it must fulfill several criteria. Because the range of target functions and technological applications is wide, the selection and evaluation of potential probiotic candidates require a multistep approach. This review will give a general overview of main criteria and methods that have to be taken into consideration in the selection process of probiotic strains.
Comparison of time‐domain and frequency‐domain control schemes for shunt active filters
Authors: Sonnenschein M. , Weinhold M.
Published: July 2012

The proliferation of power electronic loads with a non‐linear relationship between voltages and currents has led to increasing current and voltage distortion in distribution systems. With the development of active filters based on pulse‐width modulation (PWM) converters, an effective tool to improve voltage quality is available. In this paper the characteristics of two control algorithms for the control of shunt active filters and their practical implementation are compared. The first one is based on the so‐called Fryze‐Buchholz‐Depenbrock (FBD) method which calculates and compensates the non‐active load currents using time‐domain algorithms such that the supply network provides purely active currents. The other one identifies and compensates preselected harmonic components of the line currents using a frequency detection algorithm. This approach reduces the power rating of the compensator.
Influence of mineral content on the behaviour of electrical papers under high‐frequency partial discharges
Authors: Ciobanu R. , Pfeiffer W. , Plessow R.
Published: July 2012

This work describes the use of the broadband Partial‐Discharge (PD) measurement technique to account for the influence of mineral content of electrical papers, as an alternative technique in quality assessment of cellulose materials. Appreciable differences between the evolution versus frequency of the PD and breakdown processes were emphasized, suggesting that the breakdown analysis, if used as unique method in quality assessment, proves to have limits in accuracy and results interpretation. The PD occurrence is clearly influenced by the mineral purity and an optimum value of 0.42 % ash content was appointed, as leading to the best electrical behaviour of cellulose materials in the whole frequency range. This value is less restrictive and could bring notable potential benefits for paper producers.
Influence of transmission line tower grounding impedance to the line flashover rate
Authors: Stojković Z. , Savić M. S.
Published: July 2012

The paper presents a mathematical model for analysing impulse characteristics of complex grounding grids in uniform and two‐layer soil. The model is based on the grounding grid equivalent circuit with lumped parameters, described by a system of differential equations. The effect of the mutual couplings of the grounding grid elements can be comprised by the so‐formed model. The established model has been successfully checked experimentally for the square grounding grid. A grapho‐analytical approach to the evaluation of the transmission line tower impulse grounding impedance model is described. The proposed model is convenient for practical application. It is incorporated into the present lightning overvoltage computation program. The methodology of the line flashover rate estimation is illustrated at the example of 400‐kV overhead lines.
A Study of Value‐at‐Risk Based on M‐Estimators of the Conditional Heteroscedastic Models
Authors: Iqbal Farhat , Mukherjee Kanchan
Published: July 2012

In this paper, we investigate the performance of a class of M‐estimators for both symmetric and asymmetric conditional heteroscedastic models in the prediction of value‐at‐risk. The class of estimators includes the least absolute deviation (LAD), Huber's, Cauchy and B‐estimator, as well as the well‐known quasi maximum likelihood estimator (QMLE). We use a wide range of summary statistics to compare both the in‐sample and out‐of‐sample VaR estimates of three well‐known stock indices. Our empirical study suggests that in general Cauchy, Huber and B‐estimator have better performance in predicting one‐step‐ahead VaR than the commonly used QMLE. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using 137Cs and 210Pbex measurements to investigate the sediment budget of a small forested catchment in southern Italy
Authors: Porto Paolo , Walling Desmond E. , Callegari Giovanni
Published: July 2012

Concern for the sustainability of the soil resource and for the detrimental impacts of fine sediment on downstream river systems and aquatic ecosystems has directed attention to the need for information on the suspended sediment loads of rivers. However, traditional measurement programmes focus primarily on quantifying the sediment load at a catchment outlet. Such information, although useful, may be of limited value in establishing rates of soil degradation, because much of the sediment mobilized within a catchment may be deposited before reaching the catchment outlet. Furthermore, it may also be of limited value in the design and implementation of sediment management and control programmes, because this requires an understanding of the key sources of mobilized sediment, the transport pathways involved and the importance of storage within the catchment. Information on the sediment budget of a catchment must be seen as an increasingly important requirement. However, such information is difficult to obtain using conventional traditional monitoring techniques. Fallout radionuclides, including caesium‐137 (137Cs) and unsupported or excess lead‐210 (210Pbex), have been shown to offer considerable potential for use as sediment tracers in sediment budget investigations. They are able to provide distributed information on rates of soil and sediment redistribution within the catchment, which represents a valuable complement to information on sediment output. This contribution reports the results of a study aimed at exploring the use of both 137Cs and 210Pbex measurements to establish the sediment budget for the small (1.39 km2) forested Bonis catchment, located in southern Italy. The results confirm that 137Cs and 210Pbex measurements can provide a valuable tool for quantifying both erosion and sediment redistribution within a catchment and therefore for establishing its sediment budget. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Embedding isochronous cells overland flow module into MODFLOW
Authors: Zhang Bo , Hong Mei , Zou Zuhao , Yeh Tian‐Chyi Jim , Cheng Pin
Published: July 2012

This study integrates a simple overland flow module (isochronous cells model) with the river module of MODFLOW such that temporal and spatial interactions between stream flow and groundwater can be simulated using net rainfall data of a watershed. The isochronous cells model is an efficient travel time runoff approach based on geographic information system (GIS) that considers both spatial and temporal variations of net rainfall through hill slope of the watershed. This overland module is easily coupled with MODFLOW river routing module. Specifically, the stream flow from the isochronous cells model is directly assigned to both sides of river cells of the MODFLOW model. Such an integration of MODFLOW and isochronous cells model is especially useful in watersheds where river flow data are limited. The feasibility of this integrated model was demonstrated using a case study in the middle and downstream regions of the Yitong River watershed, China. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simulated runoff responses to land use in the middle and upstream reaches of Taoerhe River basin, Northeast China, in wet, average and dry years
Authors: Li Lijuan , Jiang Dejuan , Hou Xiyong , Li Jiuyi
Published: July 2012

Study on runoff variations and responses can lay a foundation for flood control, water allocation and integrated river basin management. This study applied the Soil and Water Assessment Tool model to simulate the effects of land use on annual and monthly runoff in the Middle and Upstream Reaches of Taoerhe River basin, Northeast China, under the wet, average and dry climate conditions through scenario analysis. The results showed that from the early 1970s to 2000, land use change with an increase in farmland (17.0%) and decreases in forest (10.6%), grassland (4.6%) and water body (3.1%) caused increases in annual and monthly runoff. This effect was more distinct in the wet season or in the wet year, suggesting that land use change from the early 1970s to 2000 may increase the flood potential in the wet season. Increases in precipitation and air temperature from the average to wet year led to annual and monthly (March and from June to December) runoff increases, while a decrease in precipitation and an increase in air temperature from the average to dry year induced decreases in annual and monthly (all months except March) runoff, and moreover, these effects were more remarkable in the wet season than those in the dry season. Due to the integrated effects of changing land use and climate conditions, the annual runoff increased (decreased) by 70.1 mm (25.2 mm) or 197.4% (71.0%) from the average to wet (dry) year. In conclusion, climate conditions, especially precipitation, played an important role in runoff variations while land use change was secondary over the study area, and furthermore, the effects of changes in land use and/or climate conditions on monthly runoff were larger in the wet season. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Social Psychology of Black–White Interracial Interactions: Implications for Culturally Competent Clinical Practice
Authors: Jordan Alexander H. , Lovett Benjamin J. , Sweeton Jennifer L.
Published: July 2012

Social psychological research suggests that because of concerns about being perceived in stereotypical ways, people may experience negative affect and diminished attention and cognitive capacity during interracial interactions. The authors discuss this research in relation to therapy and assessment and also offer practical suggestions for ensuring culturally competent professional practice.

La investigación en el campo de la psicología social sugiere que, debido a la preocupación por ser percibida de forma estereotipada, la gente puede experimentar sentimientos negativos y un nivel reducido de atención y capacidad cognitiva durante interacciones interraciales. Los autores discuten esta investigación en relación a la terapia y evaluación, y también ofrecen sugerencias prácticas para asegurar una práctica profesional culturalmente competente.
Interactive toxicity of usnic acid and lipopolysaccharides in human liver HepG2 cells
Authors: Sahu Saura C. , O'Donnell Michael W. , Sprando Robert L.
Published: July 2012

Usnic acid (UA), a natural botanical product, is a constituent of some dietary supplements used for weight loss. It has been associated with clinical hepatotoxicity leading to liver failure in humans. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the interactive toxicity, if any, of UA with lipopolysaccarides (LPS), a potential contaminant of food, at low non‐toxic concentrations. The human hepatoblastoma HepG2 cells were treated with the vehicle control and test agents, separately and in a binary mixture, for 24 h at 37 0C in 5% CO2. After the treatment period, the cells were evaluated by the traditional biochemical endpoints of toxicity in combination with the toxicogenomic endpoints that included cytotoxicity, oxidative stress, mitochondrial injury and changes in pathway‐focused gene expression profiles. Compared with the controls, low non‐toxic concentrations of UA and LPS separately showed no effect on the cells as determined by the biochemical endpoints. However, the simultaneous mixed exposure of the cells to their binary mixture resulted in increased cytotoxicity, oxidative stress and mitochondrial injury. The pathway‐focused gene expression analysis resulted in the altered expression of several genes out of 84 genes examined. Most altered gene expressions induced by the binary mixture of UA and LPS were different from those induced by the individual constituents. The genes affected by the mixture were not modulated by either UA or LPS. The results of the present study suggest that the interactions of low nontoxic concentrations of UA and LPS produce toxicity in HepG2 cells. Published 2012. This article is a US Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.
Bending and abrasion fatigue of common suture materials used in arthroscopic and open orthopedic surgery
Authors: Savage Earle , Hurren Christopher J. , Slader Simon , Khan Lukman A. K. , Sutti Alessandra , Page Richard S.
Published: July 2012

In orthopedic surgery, the reattachment of tendon to bone requires suture materials that have stable and durable properties to allow time for healing at the tendon–bone interface. The suture, not rigidly restrained within the anchor eyelet, is free to move during surgery and potentially after surgery with limb motion. During such movement, the suture is subjected to bending and frictional forces that can lead to fatigue‐induced failure. We investigated some common contemporary commercial number‐two‐grade suture materials and evaluated their resistance to bending abrasion fatigue and the consequent failure. Sutures were oscillated over a stainless steel wire at low frequency under load. Number of abrasion cycles to failure, changes in suture morphology, and fatigue‐failure method was recorded for each material. Suture structure had a significant effect on abrasion resistance, with braided sutures containing large numbers of fine high tenacity core filaments performing15–20 times better than other braided suture structures. Ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) core filaments resisted bending abrasion failure better than other core materials due to the load spreading and abrasion resistance of these filaments. Sutures with UHMWPE cores also had high resistance to tensile failure. Limited correlation was observed between tensile strength and abrasion resistance. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:132–138, 2012
A large‐scale study of the association between biopsy results and clinical manifestations in patients with suspicion of nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Hsieh Chung‐Chan , Wang Wen‐Hung , Lin Yen‐Chun , Weng Hsu‐Huei , Lee Kam‐Fai
Published: July 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

This study investigated the association between the results of nasopharyngeal (NPX) biopsies and clinical manifestations in patients with suspected nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Study Design:

Retrospective cohort study.

Methods:

Four hundred seventy‐three patients with 512 NPX biopsies were enrolled. The statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate clinical significance and screening performance for suspected NPC.

Results:

The negative rate of all NPX biopsies was 69.7% (345/495), and the majority of the noncancerous group revealed lymphoid hyperplasias (208/345, 60.3%). The three diagnostic capabilities of NPX mass, epistaxis (EPI), neck mass (NM), EPI‐NM, EPI‐NPX mass, NM‐NPX mass, and EPI‐NM‐NPX mass were 0.595, 0.557, 0.735, 0.609, 0.566, 0.748, and 0.600, respectively.

Conclusions:

Although NPX mass, EPI, and NM were significant to identify suspected NPC, the diagnostic capabilities of combining EPI, NM, and NPX were still low. A large number of noncancerous biopsy results were obtained due to lymphoid hyperplasias often being mistaken as NPC. Laryngoscope, 2012
Existence and regularity of weak solutions to a model for coarsening in molecular beam epitaxy
Authors: Zhang Jun , Zhu Peicheng
Published: July 2012

Taking into account the occurrence of a zero of the surface diffusion current and the requirement of the Ehrlich–Schwoebel effect, Siegert et al. formulated a model of Langevin type that describes the growth of pyramid‐like structures on a surface under conditions of molecular beam epitaxy and that the slope of these pyramids is selected by the crystalline symmetries of the growing film. In this article, the existence and uniqueness of weak solution to an initial boundary value problem for this model is proved, in the case that the noise is neglected. The regularity of the weak solution to models, with/without slope selection, is also investigated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.