bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fine mapping of a monoclonal antibody to the N‐Methyl D‐aspartate receptor reveals a short linear epitope
Authors: Amrutkar Surekha Dipak , Trier Nicole Hartwig , Hansen Paul Robert , Houen Gunnar
Published: October 2012

Anti‐N‐Methyl D‐aspartate receptor encephalitis is an autoimmune disease in which autoantibodies are produced against extracellular regions of the N‐Methyl D‐aspartate receptor (NMDAR). In this study, we used resin‐bound peptides equipped with a base labile linker to map the epitope of a monoclonal NMDAR antibody against the NMDAR NR1 subunit. The antigenicity of the synthesized resin‐bound peptides was determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Distinct reactivity was found to two extracellular overlapping peptides (amino acids, 658–687). Using N‐ and C‐terminally truncated resin‐bound peptides, the minimum functional epitope was identified as the NPSDK sequence. The peptide sequence RNPSDK (amino acids, 673–678) was identified as the complete epitope, which was found to be located in the extracellular S2 domain of the NR1 subunit. Especially, the N‐terminal arginine residue was found to be essential for reactivity, whereas the remaining amino acids could be replaced with amino acids of similar side‐chain functionality, indicating the importance of backbone interaction in antibody reactivity. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 98: 567–575, 2012.
Final follow-up of the Multicentre Aneurysm Screening Study (MASS) randomized trial of abdominal aortic aneurysm screening
Authors: Thompson S G , Ashton H A , Gao L , Buxton M J , Scott R A P
Published: October 2012

Background

The long-term effects of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) screening were investigated in extended follow-up from the UK Multicentre Aneurysm Screening Study (MASS) randomized trial.

Methods

A population-based sample of men aged 65–74 years were randomized individually to invitation to ultrasound screening (invited group) or to a control group not offered screening. Patients with an AAA (3·0 cm or larger) detected at screening underwent surveillance and were offered surgery after predefined criteria had been met. Cause-specific mortality data were analysed using Cox regression.

Results

Some 67 770 men were enrolled in the study. Over 13 years, there were 224 AAA-related deaths in the invited group and 381 in the control group, a 42 (95 per cent confidence interval 31 to 51) per cent reduction. There was no evidence of effect on other causes of death, but there was an overall reduction in all-cause mortality of 3 (1 to 5) per cent. The degree of benefit seen in earlier years of follow-up was slightly diminished by the occurrence of AAA ruptures in those with an aorta originally screened normal. About half of these ruptures had a baseline aortic diameter in the range 2·5–2·9 cm. It was estimated that 216 men need to be invited to screening to save one death over the next 13 years.

Conclusion

Screening resulted in a reduction in all-cause mortality, and the benefit in AAA-related mortality continued to accumulate throughout follow-up. Registration number: ISRCTN37381646 (http://www.controlled-trials.com).
Effect of balloon size and stepwise inflation technique on the acute results of inoue mitral commissurotomy
Authors: Feldman Ted , Carroll John D. , Herrmann Howard C. , Holmes David R. , Bashore Thomas M. , Isner Jeffrey M. , Dorros Gerald , Tobis Jonathan M.
Published: October 2012

Currently percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) is performed by most operators using stepwise inflation of the Inoue balloon beginning at a small diameter and increasing size by a sequence of inflations to nominal diameter. The effect of balloon size on procedure results using the Inoue balloon has not been evaluated. In 260 patients final balloon inflation was to nominal size in 42% of pts, larger than nominal size (overinflated) in 10%, and less than nominal size (underinflated) in 48% of pts. The average number of inflations was 3 (range 1–9). Pressure gradient and Doppler mitral regurgitation (MR) were assessed after each inflation. When MR increased, further inflations were not done.

Patients in whom the balloon was overinflated underwent more balloon inflations than those in whom it was inflated to nominal size (5·0 ± 2·1 vs. 2·9 ± 1·4, p < 0·01). Those with balloon underinflation had fewer balloon inflations (2·4 ± 1·2 vs. 2·9 ± 1·4, p < 0·01). The post PTMC valve area in patients with overinflation was slightly less than those with nominal inflations (1·6 ± 0·4 vs. 1·8 ± 0·7), and with underinflation the valve area was no different compared to nominal inflation. Using a stepwise procedure, if mitral regurgitation was noted to increase after a balloon inflation, the procedure would be stopped even if less than an ideal result was achieved. Fewer inflations were done in patients in whom the balloon was inflated to less than nominal size because of the appearance of mitral regurgitation. No statistical differences in the incidence of increased mitral regurgitation ≥ 2+ were noted when the balloon was overinflated (4%), inflated to nominal size (8%), or underinflated (8%).

Since an ideal method for selecting balloon size has not been determined the ability to increase inflated balloon diameter by stepwise dilatation may maximize the gain in area and limit the increase in MR during PTMC.
Urokinase infusion after unsuccessful angioplasty in patients with chronic total occlusion of native coronary arteries
Authors: Ceceña Felipe A.
Published: October 2012

Percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA) is often unsuccessful in patients with chronic total occlusion of coronary arteries. In this study, prolonged urokinase infusion (≤ 24 hr) was administered to 20 patients with chronic total coronary artery occlusion in whom previous PTCA had failed. An intracoronary bolus of urokinase, 120,000 IU, was followed by urokinase infusion, up to 200,000 IU/hr, if necessary, until angiography demonstrated reperfusion and a guiding wire could be advanced past the occlusion site. These results were achieved in 18 of the 20 cases. The two failures occurred early in the series, when the maximum urokinase infusion rate was 120,000 IU/hr. All but one patient with re‐established flow subsequently had successful PTCA. Urokinase infusion was well tolerated, with no evidence of intramyocardial hemorrhage. Pretreatment with prolonged urokinase infusion appears to increase the likelihood of successful PTCA in patients with chronic total occlusion of coronary arteries.
Radiation‐induced stenosis of the left main coronary artery
Authors: Wan Sun King , Babb Joseph D.
Published: October 2012

Isolated left main coronary artery stenosis induced by mediastinal radiation is a well‐documented but rare entity. Its clinical manifestations can be latent for many years, but its ominous sequela cannot be ignored. We report here such a patient presenting 16 yr postmediastinal radiation, the longest documented latency to date.
Partial congenital defect of the left pericardium: Angiographic diagnosis and treatment by thoracoscopic pericardiectomy: Case report
Authors: Rees Andrew P. , Risher William , McFadden P. Michael , Ramee Stephen R. , White Christopher J.
Published: October 2012

Congenital defects of the pericardium are extremely rare and frequently difficult to diagnose. We present a diagnosis of partial congenital defect of the left pericardium based on a characteristic chest X‐ray and left ventriculogram. Additionally, we report findings of a diastolic, migratory coronary stenosis on coronary arteriography which, to date, has not been reported. Confirmation of the diagnosis by mediastinoscopy was followed by thoracoscopic pericardiectomy.
Maximum Likelihood Pedigree Reconstruction Using Integer Linear Programming
Authors: Cussens James , Bartlett Mark , Jones Elinor M. , Sheehan Nuala A.
Published: October 2012

Large population biobanks of unrelated individuals have been highly successful in detecting common genetic variants affecting diseases of public health concern. However, they lack the statistical power to detect more modest gene‐gene and gene‐environment interaction effects or the effects of rare variants for which related individuals are ideally required. In reality, most large population studies will undoubtedly contain sets of undeclared relatives, or pedigrees. Although a crude measure of relatedness might sometimes suffice, having a good estimate of the true pedigree would be much more informative if this could be obtained efficiently. Relatives are more likely to share longer haplotypes around disease susceptibility loci and are hence biologically more informative for rare variants than unrelated cases and controls. Distant relatives are arguably more useful for detecting variants with small effects because they are less likely to share masking environmental effects. Moreover, the identification of relatives enables appropriate adjustments of statistical analyses that typically assume unrelatedness. We propose to exploit an integer linear programming optimisation approach to pedigree learning, which is adapted to find valid pedigrees by imposing appropriate constraints. Our method is not restricted to small pedigrees and is guaranteed to return a maximum likelihood pedigree. With additional constraints, we can also search for multiple high‐probability pedigrees and thus account for the inherent uncertainty in any particular pedigree reconstruction. The true pedigree is found very quickly by comparison with other methods when all individuals are observed. Extensions to more complex problems seem feasible.
Repeatability of ultrashort echo time‐based two‐component T2* measurements on cartilages in human knee at 3 T
Authors: Qian Yongxian , Williams Ashley A. , Chu Constance R. , Boada Fernando E.
Published: October 2012

Repeatability of in vivo measurement of multicomponent T2* relaxation in articular cartialges in human knee is important to clinical use. This study evaluated the repeatability of two‐component T2* relaxation on seven healthy human subjects. The left knee was scanned once a day in three consecutive days, on a clinical 3T MRI scanner with eight‐channel knee coil and ultrashort echo time pulse sequence at 11 echo times = 0.6–40 ms. The intrasubject and intersubject repeatability was evaluated via coefficient of variation (CV = standard deviation/mean) in four typical cartilage regions: patellar, anterior articular, femoral, and tibial regions. It was found that the intrasubject repeatability was good, with CV < 10% for the short‐ and long‐T2* relaxation time in the layered regions in the four cartilages (with one exception) and CV < 13% for the component intensity fraction (with two exceptions). The intersubject repeatability was also good, with CV ∼8% (range 1–15%) for the short‐ and long‐T2* relaxation time and CV ∼10% (range 2–20%) for the component intensity fraction. The long‐T2* component showed significantly better repeatability (CV ∼8%) than the short‐T2* component (CV∼12%) (P < 0.005). These CV values suggest that in vivo measurement of two‐component T2* relaxation in the knee cartilages is repeatable on clinical scanner at 3 T, with a signal‐to‐noise ratio of 90. Magn Reson Med, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Linking a learning progression for natural selection to teachers' enactment of formative assessment
Authors: Furtak Erin Marie
Published: October 2012

Learning progressions, or representations of how student ideas develop in a domain, hold promise as tools to support teachers' formative assessment practices. The ideas represented in a learning progression might help teachers to identify and make inferences about evidence collected of student thinking, necessary precursors to modifying instruction to help students advance in their learning. The study reported in this article took the novel approach of using a learning progression for natural selection to support teachers' enactment of formative assessment. Sources of data include interviews and videotapes of six high school biology teachers leading assessment conversations around the same formative assessment questions. Results indicate that while teachers picked out and made inferences about student ideas related to the learning progression during assessment conversations, they did not use all parts of the learning progression in the same way. Furthermore, several of the teachers seemed to use the learning progressions simply as catalogs of misconceptions to be “squashed” rather than drawing upon the developmental affordances offered by a learning progression. Results are framed in terms of the utility of learning progressions as supports for classroom practice. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 1181–1210, 2012
The Common Core: Insights Into the K–5 Standards
Authors: McLaughlin Maureen , Overturf Brenda J.
Published: October 2012

The role of the Common Core English Language Arts Standards in grades K – 5 literacy instruction is the focus of the article. The authors begin by raising four questions:

(1) What is the essential philosophy of the Common Core State Standards?

(2) What do educators need to know to use the College and Career Readiness Standards and Common Core State Standards effectively?

(3) What do classroom teachers need to do differently to help their students achieve?

(4)What is the role of professional development in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards?

In the article, the authors respond to these queries and discuss a variety of challenges that states, school districts, and teachers face as they implement the Common Core.
Designing robust routing protocols to protect base stations in wireless sensor networks
Authors: Chen Juan , Zhang Hongli , Du Xiaojiang , Fang Binxing , Yan Liu
Published: October 2012

A base station is the controller and the data‐receiving center of a wireless sensor network. Hence, a reliable and secure base station is critical to the network. Once an attacker locates the base station, he or she can do many damages to the network. In this paper, we examine the base station location privacy problem from both the attack and defense sides. First, we present a new attack on base station: parent‐based attack scheme (PAS). PAS can locate a base station within one radio (wireless transmission) range of sensors in high‐density sensor networks. Different from existing methods, PAS determines the base station location on the basis of parent–child relationship of sensor nodes. Existing base station protection schemes cannot defend against PAS. Second, on the basis of PAS, we propose a two‐phase parent‐based attack scheme (TP‐PAS). Our simulation results demonstrate that TP‐PAS is able to determine the base station successfully in both low‐density and high‐density sensor networks. Then, to defend against PAS and TP‐PAS, we design a child‐based routing protocol and a parent‐free routing protocol for sensor networks. Our theory analysis and experiment results show that the parent‐free routing protocol has more communication cost and less end‐to‐end latency compared with the child‐based routing protocol. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A quadratic large sieve inequality over number fields
Authors: GOLDMAKHER LEO , LOUVEL BENOÎT
Published: October 2012

We formulate and prove a large sieve inequality for quadratic characters over a number field. To do this, we introduce the notion of an n-th order Hecke family. We develop the basic theory of these Hecke families, including versions of the Poisson summation formula.
Turán and Ramsey Properties of Subcube Intersection Graphs
Authors: JOHNSON J. ROBERT , MARKSTRÖM KLAS
Published: October 2012

The discrete cube {0, 1}d is a fundamental combinatorial structure. A subcube of {0, 1}d is a subset of 2k of its points formed by fixing k coordinates and allowing the remaining d − k to vary freely. This paper is concerned with patterns of intersections among subcubes of the discrete cube. Two sample questions along these lines are as follows: given a family of subcubes in which no r + 1 of them have non-empty intersection, how many pairwise intersections can we have? How many subcubes can we have if among them there are no k which have non-empty intersection and no l which are pairwise disjoint?

These questions are naturally expressed using intersection graphs. The intersection graph of a family of sets has one vertex for each set in the family with two vertices being adjacent if the corresponding subsets intersect. Let $\I(n,d)$ be the set of all n vertex graphs which can be represented as the intersection graphs of subcubes in {0, 1}d. With this notation our first question above asks for the largest number of edges in a Kr+1-free graph in $\I(n,d)$. As such it is a Turán-type problem. We answer this question asymptotically for some ranges of r and d. More precisely we show that if $(k+1)2^{\lfloor\frac{d}{k+1}\rfloor}<n\leq k2^{\lfloor\frac{d}{k}\rfloor}$ for some integer k ≥ 2 then the maximum edge density is $\bigl(1-\frac{1}{k}-o(1)\bigr)$ provided that n is not too close to the lower limit of the range.

The second question can be thought of as a Ramsey-type problem. The maximum such n can be defined in the same way as the usual Ramsey number but only considering graphs which are in $\I(n,d)$. We give bounds for this maximum n mainly concentrating on the case that l is fixed, and make some comparisons with the usual Ramsey number.
Microstructural Analysis of Iberian Expanded Clay Aggregates
Authors: Bogas J. Alexandre , Mauricio António , Pereira M.F.C.
Published: October 2012

This article presents a detailed study of the microstructure of Iberian expanded clay lightweight aggregates (LWA). Other than more commonly used mercury porosimetry (MP) and water absorption methods, the experimental study involves optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and microtomography (μ-CT). Pore connectivity and how it is deployed are shown to some degree, and the pore size spectrum is estimated. LWA are in general characterized by a dense outer shell up to 200 μm thick, encasing an inner cellular structure of 10–100 times bigger pore size. Aggregate pore sizes may span from some hundreds of nanometers up to over 1 mm, though the range of 1–25 μm is more typical. A noteworthy fraction of these pores is closed, and they are mainly up to 1 μm. It is also shown that macropore spatial arrangement is affected by the manufacturing process. A step forward is given to understanding how the outer shell and the inner pore network influence the mechanical and physical LWA properties, particularly the density and water absorption. The joint consideration of μ-CT and SEM seems to be the most appropriate methodology to study LWA microstructure. MP analysis is likely to distort LWA pore spectrum assessment.
Galactic exploration by directed self-replicating probes, and its implications for the Fermi paradox
Authors: Barlow Martin T.
Published: October 2012

This paper proposes a long-term scheme for robotic exploration of the galaxy, and then considers the implications in terms of the ‘Fermi paradox’ and our search for extraterrestrial intelligence (ETI). We discuss the ‘Galactic ecology’ of civilizations in terms of the parametersT(time between ET civilizations arising) andL, the lifetime of these civilizations. Six different regions are described.
Sovereignty as Decisional Independence over Domestic Affairs: The Dispute over Aviation in the EU Emissions Trading System
Authors: Hertogen An
Published: October 2012

A crucial question for international law is how to allocate regulatory jurisdiction over transboundary problems between sovereign states. Insufficient clarity can trigger disputes such as that regarding the legality of the EU Directive that extends its ETS to all flights taking off from or landing at an EU airport, including those by non-EU carriers. This article uses this dispute as the vehicle to examine sovereignty in an increasingly interdependent world. It argues that a state’s decisional inviolability is central to sovereignty. Decisional sovereignty allows a state to regulate actors or activities with a link to its territory when these affect the state’s domestic affairs, rather than leaving the state at the mercy of an actor’s home state or of other states from the territory of which the problem emerges. Moreover, allocation of regulatory jurisdiction in conformity with decisional sovereignty reduces the incentives to free-ride on other states’ regulatory efforts and incentivizes international cooperation.
Kompensatorische (Sprach-)Förderung
Authors: Kuger Susanne , Sechtig Jutta , Anders Yvonne
Published: October 2012

Zusammenfassung. Kompensatorische (Sprach-)Förderung erfährt in Deutschland seit einigen Jahren verstärkt Interesse. Dies schlägt sich nieder in einer Vielzahl von Initiativen wie Modellprojekten, Forschungsprogrammen und flächendeckenden Interventionen. Häufig werden Programme gezielt für Kinder aus benachteiligten Verhältnissen oder mit bestehenden Sprachproblemen initiiert mit der Intention, kompensatorische Wirkungen zu erzielen. Trotz einer Vielfalt von Maßnahmen ist über explizit kompensatorische Effekte bislang nur wenig bekannt. Vielfach beruft man sich auf erfolgreiche, zum Teil hochspezialisierte Interventionsprogramme für Kinder aus benachteiligten Verhältnissen im US-amerikanischen Raum. Vor dem Hintergrund einer Übersicht und Bewertung älterer und jüngerer Studien in den USA wird reflektiert, ob überhaupt und wenn ja, welche Effekte von kompensatorischen Programmen in Deutschland realistischer Weise zu erwarten sind. Bei allen Schwierigkeiten der Vergleichbarkeit der sehr unterschiedlichen Studien werden Gründe für einen vorsichtigen Optimismus für kleine oder wenig spezifische, mittel- und langfristige Erfolge diskutiert und herausgearbeitet, dass solche Effekte vor allem bei curricular breit angelegten und gleichzeitig intensiven Maßnahmen zu erwarten sind. Die Übertragbarkeit auf die deutsche Situation ist dabei nur bedingt möglich und muss diskutiert werden.
Reconciling geochemical and geophysical observations of magma supply and melt distribution at the 9°N overlapping spreading center, East Pacific Rise
Authors: Wanless V. D. , Perfit M. R. , Klein E. M. , White S. , Ridley W. I.
Published: October 2012

Early studies of mid‐ocean ridge discontinuities, such as transform faults and overlapping spreading centers, suggested a lower magma supply compared to ridge segment centers. This is reflected in bathymetrically deeper ridge axes, decreased hydrothermal activity, and the eruption of more evolved lava compositions. While many signatures of lower magma supply are observed at the 9°N overlapping spreading center on the East Pacific Rise, geophysical studies indicate extensive sub‐surface melt in the region, suggesting that the present magmatic system is not diminished. Here major and trace element concentrations of erupted lavas are used to better understand magma supply at a large second‐order ridge discontinuity. We show that the wide range of lava compositions erupted at the 9°N overlapping spreading center is generally consistent with early petrologic models of ridge propagation and require variable degrees of fractional crystallization, extensive magma mixing, and in some instances crustal assimilation. Moderately evolved ferrobasalts and FeTi basalts erupted at the OSC indicate that crustal residence times are long enough for significant crystallization of all magmas within the region, but the presence of dacitic lavas reflects periods of even lower magma supply, where melt replenishment is subordinate to cooling and crystallization. The geophysical observations of extensive melt within the shallow crust are reconciled with the geochemistry of the lavas, if melts are supplied intermittently to the propagating ridge over relatively short timescales.
Shallow magma‐mingling‐driven Strombolian eruptions at Mt. Yasur volcano, Vanuatu
Authors: Kremers Simon , Lavallée Yan , Hanson Jonathan , Hess Kai‐Uwe , Chevrel Magdalena Oryaëlle , Wassermann Joachim , Dingwell Donald B.
Published: October 2012

Mt. Yasur volcano (Vanuatu) has been increasingly recognized for its high‐frequency Strombolian eruptions. Strombolian activity is often regarded as a product of the rapid ascent of gas slugs originating from a deep magma, which mingle with a batch of shallow magma upon eruption. Heterogeneous crystal distribution as well as bimodal bubble‐size distributions, in the eruptive products, generally supports this view. Here, the Strombolian activity at Mt. Yasur is analyzed. A rheological investigation indicates that the basaltic‐andesitic eruptive products contain an apparently homogeneous glass phase and yet, exhibit evidence of a distinct range of glass transition temperatures with multiple peaks occurring in individual samples. Such anomalous behavior is proposed to result from the mingling of magmas with contrasting oxidation states. The unstable nature of the measured glass transition behavior leads us to the inference that mingling is located in the shallow parts of the eruptive conduits, partly driven by rejuvenation of material slumped from the crater walls into an open conduit system. The dynamics of this process may expose the periodicity of the eruptions themselves.
Effects of atmospheric conditions on surface diffuse degassing
Authors: Rinaldi A. P. , Vandemeulebrouck J. , Todesco M. , Viveiros F.
Published: October 2012

Diffuse degassing through the soil is commonly observed in volcanic areas and monitoring of carbon dioxide flux at the surface can provide a safe and effective way to infer the state of activity of the volcanic system. Continuous measurement stations are often installed on active volcanoes such as Furnas (Azores archipelago), which features low temperature fumaroles, hot and cold CO2 rich springs, and several diffuse degassing areas. As in other volcanoes, fluxes measured at Furnas are often correlated with environmental variables, such as air temperature or barometric pressure, with daily and seasonal cycles that become more evident when gas emission is low. In this work, we study how changes in air temperature and barometric pressure may affect the gas emission through the soil. The TOUGH2 geothermal simulator was used to simulate the gas propagation through the soil as a function of fluctuating atmospheric conditions. Then, a dual parameters study was performed to assess how the rock permeability and the gas source properties affect the resulting fluxes. Numerical results are in good agreement with the observed data at Furnas, and show that atmospheric variables may cause the observed daily cycles in CO2 fluxes. The observed changes depend on soil permeability and on the pressure driving the upward flux.
A numerical study on convergence of alongshore flows over the Texas‐Louisiana shelf
Authors: Zhang Zhaoru , Hetland Robert
Published: October 2012

A hydrodynamic model is used to investigate convergent alongshore flows over the Texas‐Louisiana shelf, characterized by down‐coast flows over the northern shelf encountering up‐coast flows over the southern shelf. The model's ability to reproduce realistic current, salinity, and surface elevation fields is demonstrated through positive model skill scores when comparing model simulations to observational data. The convergent flows are explored on both weather band and seasonal time scales. For weather band scales, this study focuses on wintertime convergent events. The model‐predicted locations of convergent flows are supported by current measurements. We find that the formation of convergent flows is primarily caused by along‐coast variation in the alongshore component of wind forcing, which in turn is due to the curvature of the Texas‐Louisiana coastline. In general, the alongshore currents are well correlated with alongshore winds. However, the convergence points of currents and winds are not colocated, but rather, convergence points in ocean currents typically occur down coast of convergence points in the wind. This offset is demonstrated to be mainly caused by buoyancy forcing that can drive the convergence location in the currents farther down coast. No specific temporal pattern is found for the weather band convergence locations, whereas at seasonal time scales, the monthly mean convergence exhibits a prominent seasonal pattern, with up‐coast migration of convergence locations in spring and summer and down‐coast migration in fall and winter.
Contribution of stratospheric warmings to temperature trends in the middle atmosphere from the lidar series obtained at Haute‐Provence Observatory (44°N)
Authors: Angot Guillaume , Keckhut Philippe , Hauchecorne Alain , Claud Chantal
Published: October 2012

This study describes a method to calculate long‐term temperature trends, as an alternative to the ones based on monthly mean temperatures, which are highly impacted by the high winter variability partially due to wave‐mean flow interactions like Sudden Stratospheric Warmings (SSW). This method avoids the strong influence of SSWs and provides “background” temperature trend estimates which are in better agreement with expected direct radiative effects. The data set used results from lidar measurements – performed above southern France continuously since late 1978 – combined with radiosonde profiles. With this new methodology, the long‐term trends during winter at 40 km shows a larger cooling per decade (−2 ± 0.4 K) than when the mean temperature is used (−0.4 ± 0.4 K). The background temperature trend is closer to the summer trend estimates which are similar whatever the temperature proxy used, due to the absence of SSWs (−2.9 ± 0.3 K per decade with the mean‐based method and −3.4 ± 0.3 K per decade with the background‐based calculation). Based on this background temperature, composite evolutions of winter anomalies for both vortex‐displacement and vortex‐splitting major SSWs have been displayed: in both cases the largest warming occurs at the time of the SSW in the upper stratosphere, with mean amplitudes of more than 10 K. A warm signal in the upper mesosphere could suggest a potential precursory role of gravity waves. Displacement‐type events present an 18‐day periodicity, which is a clear sign of the wave number one Rossby wave. Colder tropospheric temperatures are noticed before and during the SSW, and warmer ones after the event, with a stronger signal for split‐type events.
Quantifying nonisothermal subsurface soil water evaporation
Authors: Deol Pukhraj , Heitman Josh , Amoozegar Aziz , Ren Tusheng , Horton Robert
Published: October 2012

Accurate quantification of energy and mass transfer during soil water evaporation is critical for improving understanding of the hydrologic cycle and for many environmental, agricultural, and engineering applications. Drying of soil under radiation boundary conditions results in formation of a dry surface layer (DSL), which is accompanied by a shift in the position of the latent heat sink from the surface to the subsurface. Detailed investigation of evaporative dynamics within this active near‐surface zone has mostly been limited to modeling, with few measurements available to test models. Soil column studies were conducted to quantify nonisothermal subsurface evaporation profiles using a sensible heat balance (SHB) approach. Eleven‐needle heat pulse probes were used to measure soil temperature and thermal property distributions at the millimeter scale in the near‐surface soil. Depth‐integrated SHB evaporation rates were compared with mass balance evaporation estimates under controlled laboratory conditions. The results show that the SHB method effectively measured total subsurface evaporation rates with only 0.01–0.03 mm h−1difference from mass balance estimates. The SHB approach also quantified millimeter‐scale nonisothermal subsurface evaporation profiles over a drying event, which has not been previously possible. Thickness of the DSL was also examined using measured soil thermal conductivity distributions near the drying surface. Estimates of the DSL thickness were consistent with observed evaporation profile distributions from SHB. Estimated thickness of the DSL was further used to compute diffusive vapor flux. The diffusive vapor flux also closely matched both mass balance evaporation rates and subsurface evaporation rates estimated from SHB.
Sex Differences in Stroke
Authors: Haast Roy AM , Gustafson Deborah R , Kiliaan Amanda J
Published: October 2012

Sex differences in stroke are observed across epidemiologic studies, pathophysiology, treatments, and outcomes. These sex differences have profound implications for effective prevention and treatment and are the focus of this review. Epidemiologic studies reveal a clear age-by-sex interaction in stroke prevalence, incidence, and mortality. While premenopausal women experience fewer strokes than men of comparable age, stroke rates increase among postmenopausal women compared with age-matched men. This postmenopausal phenomenon, in combination with living longer, are reasons for women being older at stroke onset and suffering more severe strokes. Thus, a primary focus of stroke prevention has been based on sex steroid hormone-dependent mechanisms. Sex hormones affect different (patho)physiologic functions of the cerebral circulation. Clarifying the impact of sex hormones on cerebral vasculature using suitable animal models is essential to elucidate male–female differences in stroke pathophysiology and development of sex-specific treatments. Much remains to be learned about sex differences in stroke as anatomic and genetic factors may also contribute, revealing its multifactorial nature. In addition, the aftermath of stroke appears to be more adverse in women than in men, again based on older age at stroke onset, longer prehospital delays, and potentially, differences in treatment.
From Pediatric Covariate Model to Semiphysiological Function for Maturation: Part I–Extrapolation of a Covariate Model From Morphine to Zidovudine
Authors: Krekels EHJ , Neely M , Panoilia E , Tibboel D , Capparelli E , Danhof M , Mirochnick M , Knibbe CAJ
Published: October 2012

New approaches to expedite the development of safe and effective pediatric dosing regimens and first‐in‐child doses are urgently needed. Model‐based approaches require quantitative functions on the maturation of different metabolic pathways. In this study, we directly incorporated a pediatric covariate model for the glucuronidation of morphine into a pediatric population model for zidovudine glucuronidation. This model was compared with a reference model that gave the statistically best description of the data. Both models had adequate goodness‐of‐fit plots and normalized prediction distribution errors (NPDE), similar population clearance values for each individual, and a Δobjective function value of 13 points (Δ2df). This supports our hypothesis that pediatric pharmacokinetic covariate models contain system‐specific information that can be used as semiphysiological functions in pediatric population models. Further research should explore the validity of the semiphysiological function for other UDP‐glucuronosyltransferase 2B7 substrates and patient populations and reveal how this function can be used for pediatric physiologically based pharmacokinetic models.

CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (2012) 1, e9; doi:10.1038/psp.2012.11; advance online publication 3 October 2012
Electron cyclotron current drive modelling with parallel momentum correction for tokamaks and stellarators
Authors: Maaßberg H. , Beidler C. D. , Marushchenko N. B.
Published: October 2012

The electron cyclotron current drive (ECCD) is described by the solution of a drift-kinetic equation (DKE) with the quasi-linear heating term which is highly localised in phase space. Within the adjoint approach, an equivalent DKE must be solved without this highly localised source, and the ECCD is described by a straightforward convolution in phase space. The parallel momentum correction technique [Maaßberg et al., Phys. Plasmas 16, 072504 (2009)] reduces the problem to the solution of a simplified mono-energetic DKE. The mono-energetic distribution functions are calculated by the DKES code [W. I. van Rij and S. P. Hirshman, Phys. Fluids B 1, 563 (1989)]. Parallel momentum correction, requiring only an energy-dependent weighting factor, is applied to these distribution functions allowing for the direct estimation of the EC-driven current. For small yet finite collisionalities, a rather simple model for ECCD is presented. In this approach, the symmetric portion of the electron distribution function with respect to v∥ (the Ware pinch contribution) is neglected and an “off-set” only in the passing particle domain adds to the collisionless (anti-symmetric) distribution function. For this approximation, only the mono-energetic parallel conductivity coefficient as function of the collisionality is needed. The impact of small yet finite collisionalities on ECCD is shown for X2- and O2-scenarios at W7-X.
High energy-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy study on the near-infrared scattering mechanism of Cs0.33WO3 crystals and nanoparticles
Authors: Sato Yohei , Terauchi Masami , Adachi Kenji
Published: October 2012

The optical and dielectric properties of cesium-doped hexagonal tungsten trioxide (Cs0.33WO3) bulk crystal and nanoparticles, which are employed in solar heat-shielding filter, were investigated by high energy-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy (HR-EELS). The EELS spectrum of a Cs0.33WO3 crystal showed a prominent peak at 1.2 eV and a subpeak at 1.7 eV. On the basis of the dielectric function derived from the EELS spectrum, the peaks at 1.2 eV and 1.7 eV were assigned to the volume plasmon excitation of the carrier electrons and electronic excitation, respectively. The EELS spectra of the edge region of individual Cs0.33WO3 nanoparticles exhibited a surface dipole plasmon peak at 0.88 eV and a shoulder structure at 1.4 eV, which corresponded with the optical scattering spectrum. Therefore, it was confirmed that the optical scattering of the filter in the near-infrared region resulted from a surface dipole mode of the plasmon oscillation of the nanoparticles. The peak energies in the experimental spectra of the nanoparticle could not be reproduced by the derived dielectric function of the Cs0.33WO3 crystal. On the basis of the EELS and annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy observations, this inconsistent result was attributed to Cs atom deficiency in the surface region of the nanoparticles.
Recoupling of chemical shift anisotropy by R-symmetry sequences in magic angle spinning NMR spectroscopy
Authors: Hou Guangjin , Byeon In-Ja L. , Ahn Jinwoo , Gronenborn Angela M. , Polenova Tatyana
Published: October 2012

13C and 15N chemical shift (CS) interaction is a sensitive probe of structure and dynamics in a wide variety of biological and inorganic systems, and in the recent years several magic angle spinning NMR approaches have emerged for residue-specific measurements of chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) tensors in uniformly and sparsely enriched proteins. All of the currently existing methods are applicable to slow and moderate magic angle spinning (MAS) regime, i.e., MAS frequencies below 20 kHz. With the advent of fast and ultrafast MAS probes capable of spinning frequencies of 40–100 kHz, and with the superior resolution and sensitivity attained at such high frequencies, development of CSA recoupling techniques working under such conditions is necessary. In this work, we present a family of R-symmetry based pulse sequences for recoupling of 13C/15N CSA interactions that work well in both natural abundance and isotopically enriched systems. We demonstrate that efficient recoupling of either first-rank (σ1) or second-rank (σ2) spatial components of CSA interaction is attained with appropriately chosen γ-encoded RNnv symmetry sequences. The advantage of these γ-encoded RNnv-symmetry based CSA (RNCSA) recoupling schemes is that they are suitable for CSA recoupling under a wide range of MAS frequencies, including fast MAS regime. Comprehensive analysis of the recoupling properties of these RNnv symmetry sequences reveals that the σ1-CSA recoupling symmetry sequences exhibit large scaling factors; however, the partial homonuclear dipolar Hamiltonian components are symmetry allowed, which makes this family of sequences suitable for CSA measurements in systems with weak homonuclear dipolar interactions. On the other hand, the γ-encoded symmetry sequences for σ2-CSA recoupling have smaller scaling factors but they efficiently suppress the homonuclear dipole-dipole interactions. Therefore, the latter family of sequences is applicable for measurements of CSA parameters in systems with strong homonuclear dipolar couplings, such as uniformly-13C labeled biological solids. We demonstrate RNCSA NMR experiments and numerical simulations establishing the utility of this approach to the measurements of 13C and 15N CSA parameters in model compounds, [15N]-N-acetyl-valine (NAV), [U-13C, 15N]-alanine, [U-13C,15N]-histidine, and present the application of this approach to [U-13C/15N]-Tyr labeled C-terminal domain of HIV-1 CA protein.
Gardner's deformations of the graded Korteweg–de Vries equations revisited
Authors: Kiselev A. V. , Krutov A. O.
Published: October 2012

We solve the Gardner deformation problem for the N = 2 supersymmetric a = 4 Korteweg–de Vries equation [P. Mathieu, “Supersymmetric extension of the Korteweg–de Vries equation,” J. Math. Phys. 29(11), 2499–2506 (1988)]. We show that a known zero-curvature representation for this super-equation yields the system of new nonlocal variables such that their derivatives contain the Gardner deformation for the classical KdV equation.
Study of asymmetries of Cd(Zn)Te devices investigated using photo-induced current transient spectroscopy, Rutherford backscattering, surface photo-voltage spectroscopy, and gamma ray spectroscopies
Authors: Crocco J. , Bensalah H. , Zheng Q. , Corregidor V. , Avles E. , Castaldini A. , Fraboni B. , Cavalcoli D. , Cavallini A. , Vela O. , Dieguez E.
Published: October 2012

Despite these recent advancements in preparing the surface of Cd(Zn)Te devices for detector applications, large asymmetries in the electronic properties of planar Cd(Zn)Te detectors are common. Furthermore, for the development of patterned electrode geometries, selection of each electrode surface is crucial for minimizing dark current in the device. This investigation presented here has been carried out with three objectives. Each objective is oriented towards establishing reliable methods for the selection of the anode and cathode surfaces independent of the crystallographic orientation. The objectives of this study are (i) investigate how the asymmetry in I-V characteristics of Cd(Zn)Te devices may be associated with the TeO2 interfacial layer using Rutherford backscattering to study the structure at the Au-Cd(Zn)Te interface, (ii) develop an understanding of how the concentration of the active traps in Cd(Zn)Te varies with the external bias, and (iii) propose non-destructive methods for selection of the anode and cathode which are independent of crystallographic orientation. The spectroscopic methods employed in this investigation include Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy, photo-induced current transient spectroscopy, and surface photo-voltage spectroscopy, as well as gamma ray spectroscopy to demonstrate the influence on detector properties.
Semiclassical evaluation of kinetic isotope effects in 13-atomic system
Authors: Kryvohuz M. , Marcus R. A.
Published: October 2012

The semiclassical instanton approach discussed by Kryvohuz [J. Chem. Phys. 134, 114103 (2011)10.1063/1.3565425] is applied to calculate kinetic H/D isotope effect (KIE) of intramolecular hydrogen transfer in cis-1,3-pentadiene. All 33 vibrational degrees of freedom are treated quantum mechanically with semiclassical approximation. Nuclear quantum effects such as tunneling under the barrier and zero-point energy are automatically incorporated in the theory, and are shown to be responsible for the observed appreciable kinetic isotope effect in cis-1,3-pentadiene. Over the barrier passage is also automatically included. Numerical calculations are performed on an empirical valence bond potential energy surface and compared with the previous experimental and theoretical studies. An estimation of heavy-atom 12C/13C KIE in the same system is also provided and the factors contributing to it are discussed.
Modeling the effect of top gate voltage on the threshold of a double gate organic field effect transistor
Authors: Karimi-Alavijeh Hamidreza , Katebi-Jahromi Alireza , Gharavi Alireza
Published: October 2012

In this paper we have investigated theoretically the effect of top gate voltage on the threshold voltage of a double gate organic field effect transistor. We have solved the 1-D Poisson's equation in organic semiconductor active layer of this structure. Using the calculated local potential profile in the active layer, the total surface charge density was obtained. By considering the linear variation of this charge quantity with bottom gate voltage, the modulation of threshold voltage was studied as a function of different top gate voltages. It appears that the shielding effect of the top gate charges attenuates the effect of top gate voltage on the threshold voltage. In situations where shielding charges do not exist, the top gate voltage drastically affects the threshold voltage.
The influence of potassium on the growth of ultra-thin films of para-hexaphenyl on muscovite mica(001)
Authors: Putsche Bernhard , Tumbek Levent , Winkler Adolf
Published: October 2012

The interaction of potassium with mica(001) and its influence on the subsequent film growth of para-hexaphenyl (6P) was studied by Auger electron spectroscopy, thermal desorption spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Freshly cleaved mica is covered with 0.5 monolayer (ML) of potassium. By intentional potassium deposition in ultra-high vacuum a saturation of 1 ML can be achieved, which is stable up to 1000 K. Additional potassium desorbs at around 350 K. The film morphology of 6P on mica(001) is significantly influenced by the potassium monolayer. On the freshly cleaved mica surface, which contains 1/2 ML of K, 6P forms needle-like islands which are composed of lying molecules. On the fully potassium covered mica surface 6P grows in form of dendritic islands, composed of standing molecules. The reason for this change is attributed to the removal of lateral electric fields which exist on the freshly cleaved mica surface, due to the specific arrangements of the atoms in the surface near region of mica.
Implications for the electron distribution from the stationary hydrodynamic model of a one-dimensional plasma expansion into vacuum
Authors: Kiefer Thomas , Schlegel Theodor
Published: October 2012

It is shown that the hydrodynamic model of a one-dimensional collisionless plasma expansion is contained in the kinetic description as a special case. This belongs to a specific choice for the electron distribution function. Moreover, the consequences of the use of the hydrodynamic approach regarding the temporal evolution of the electron phase space density are investigated. It turns out that only the case of a hydrodynamic description with the adiabatic constant κ=3 is physically self-consistent. Numerical simulations confirm this argumentation. The analysis for the case κ=3 is extended to the kinetics of a relativistic electron gas.