bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trauma‐Related Guilt: Conceptual Development and Relationship With Posttraumatic Stress and Depressive Symptoms
Authors: Browne Kendall C. , Trim Ryan S. , Myers Ursula S. , Norman Sonya B.
Published: April 2015

Despite high prevalence and concerning associated problems, little effort has been made to conceptualize the construct of posttraumatic guilt. This investigation examined the theoretical model of trauma‐related guilt proposed by Kubany and Watson (2003). This model hypothesizes that emotional and physical distress related to trauma memories partially mediates the relationship between guilt cognitions and posttraumatic guilt. Using path analysis, this investigation (a) empirically evaluated relationships hypothesized in Kubany and Watson's model, and (b) extended this conceptualization by evaluating models whereby guilt cognitions, distress, and posttraumatic guilt were related to posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms depression symptom severity. Participants were male U.S. Iraq and Afghanistan veterans (N = 149). Results yielded a significant indirect effect from guilt cognitions to posttraumatic guilt via distress, providing support for Kubany and Watson's model (β = .14). Findings suggested distress may be the strongest correlate of PTSD symptoms (β = .47) and depression symptoms (β = .40), and that guilt cognitions may serve to intensify the relationship between distress and posttraumatic psychopathology. Research is needed to evaluate whether distress specific to guilt cognitions operates differentially on posttraumatic guilt when compared to distress more broadly related to trauma memories.
On the role of marginal confounder prevalence – implications for the high‐dimensional propensity score algorithm
Authors: Schuster Tibor , Pang Menglan , Platt Robert W.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

The high‐dimensional propensity score algorithm attempts to improve control of confounding in typical treatment effect studies in pharmacoepidemiology and is increasingly being used for the analysis of large administrative databases. Within this multi‐step variable selection algorithm, the marginal prevalence of non‐zero covariate values is considered to be an indicator for a count variable's potential confounding impact. We investigate the role of the marginal prevalence of confounder variables on potentially caused bias magnitudes when estimating risk ratios in point exposure studies with binary outcomes.

Methods

We apply the law of total probability in conjunction with an established bias formula to derive and illustrate relative bias boundaries with respect to marginal confounder prevalence.

Results

We show that maximum possible bias magnitudes can occur at any marginal prevalence level of a binary confounder variable. In particular, we demonstrate that, in case of rare or very common exposures, low and high prevalent confounder variables can still have large confounding impact on estimated risk ratios.

Conclusions

Covariate pre‐selection by prevalence may lead to sub‐optimal confounder sampling within the high‐dimensional propensity score algorithm. While we believe that the high‐dimensional propensity score has important benefits in large‐scale pharmacoepidemiologic studies, we recommend omitting the prevalence‐based empirical identification of candidate covariates. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Diselenocarbamates, novel initiators in ATRP of styrene
Authors: Gao Feng , Pan Xiangqiang , Zhu Jian , Zhang Zhengbiao , Zhang Wei , Zhu Xiulin
Published: April 2015

The atom transfer radical polymerizations (ATRPs) of styrene initiated by diselenocarbamates were carried out for the first time. The polymerization showed first‐order kinetic with respect to the monomer concentration, and the molecular weights of the obtained polymers increased linearly with the monomer conversions with narrow molecular weight distributions (as low as 1.16). The results of chain extension, 1H NMR, UV–vis, and MALDI‐TOF MS confirmed that the resultant polystyrene possessed some degree of living diselenocarbamates terminal. However, significant amounts of dead polymers (about 53%) were also found. This work offered an alternative type of ATRP initiator, and the seleno‐terminated polymers may be useful in biotechnological and biomedical applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1927–1933
Water‐stable copolymers containing isocyanate moiety protected by hydrophobic styrene segment and their reaction with amines
Authors: Seto Ryota , Matsumoto Kozo , Endo Takeshi
Published: April 2015

Reactive isocyanate groups were protected and stabilized by the hydrophobic styrene segment and acquired high tolerance toward water. Copolymers containing isocyanate groups were synthesized by a radical copolymerization of 2‐propenyl isocyanate (2PI) and styrene (St). The stability of the obtained copolymers on water was examined to find that isocyanate groups were protected by the hydrophobic polystyrene segment and were stable on water and these isocyanates reacted with primary amines including amino acids to form urea selectively on water. Primary amines with a higher octanol‐water partition coefficient or smaller steric hindrance were more reactive to the isocyanate groups in the side chain of the copolymer. The protection of reactive isocyanate groups using the hydrophobic styrene segment did not give side products which are produced in the usual chemical protection/deprotection process. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 1934–1940
Demonstration of isospecific free radical polymerization of acrylate controlled by conformation and chirality of monomer
Authors: Tanaka Hitoshi , Matsubara Yoshitaka , Kusunoki Katsuhiko , Saito Naoki , Kibayashi Tatsuya
Published: April 2015

Radical polymerization of lactic acid‐based chiral and achiral methylene dioxolanones, a model for conformationally s‐cis locked acrylate, was carried out with AIBN to demonstrate an isospecific free radical polymerization controlled by chirality and conformation of monomer. Polymerization of the dioxolanones proceeded smoothly without ring opening to give a polymer with moderate molecular weight and 100% of maximum isotacticity. ESR spectrum indicated a twisted conformation of the growing poly(methylene dioxolanone) radical in contrast to an acyclic analogous radical, suggesting a restriction of the free rotation around main chain CαCβ bond of the growing radical center. Chirality as well as the polarity and bulkiness of monomer affected the polymer tacticity, and chiral alkyl substituent would afford a high isotactic polymer, in which higher the enantiomeric excess of the monomer was, higher the isotacticity of the polymer was. While, achiral or polar substituents including dibenzyl and trichloromethyl groups would afford an atactic polymer. In addition, glass transition temperature (Tg) of the resulting polymers was significantly high, ranging from 172.2 to 229.8 °C, and even for an isotactic polymer Tg was as high as 206.8 °C. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 2007–2016
Effect of irradiation by He+ and Ga+ ions on the 2D‐exciton susceptibility of InGaAs/GaAs quantum‐well structures
Authors: Kapitonov Yu. V. , Shapochkin P. Yu. , Petrov Yu. V. , Efimov Yu. P. , Eliseev S. A. , Dolgikh Yu. K. , Petrov V. V. , Ovsyankin V. V.
Published: April 2015

The effect of irradiation by 30‐keV Ga+ and 35‐keV He+ ions (in relatively small doses) on the excitonic reflectivity spectra of single InGaAs/GaAs quantum‐well structures is studied. It is found that the irradiation results in decreasing intensity and broadening of the excitonic resonances in the reflectivity spectra for all the doses. It is shown that these changes are not related to a decrease of the exciton transition oscillator strength and, therefore, to the irradiation‐induced destruction of the excitonic states, but can be rather ascribed to a common cause, namely, to inhomogeneous broadening of the excitonic resonances proportional to the exposure dose. A tentative model of the irradiation‐induced broadening is considered, with the mechanism of the process being a consequence of scattering of the 2D excitons by structural defects associated with Ga(In) and As vacancies arising upon collisions of the high‐energy ions with regular atoms of the crystal structure. The model is used to compare experimental dependence of efficiency of the Ga+‐ion‐induced broadening on distance of the quantum well from the irradiated surface with a similar dependence calculated using the Monte‐Carlo technique. A discrepancy between the results of simulation and experimental data is discussed.
Constructive setting for problems of density ratio estimation
Authors: Vapnik Vladimir , Braga Igor , Izmailov Rauf
Published: April 2015

We introduce a constructive setting for the problem of density ratio estimation through the solution of a multidimensional integral equation. In this equation, not only its right hand side is approximately known, but also the integral operator is approximately defined. We show that this ill‐posed problem has a rigorous solution and obtain the solution in a closed form. The key element of this solution is the novel V‐matrix, which captures the geometry of the observed samples. We compare our method with previously proposed ones, using both synthetic and real data. Our experimental results demonstrate the good potential of the new approach.
To catch a fake: Curbing deceptive Yelp ratings and venues
Authors: Rahman Mahmudur , Carbunar Bogdan , Ballesteros Jaime , Chau Duen Horng (Polo)
Published: April 2015

The popularity and influence of reviews, make sites like Yelp ideal targets for malicious behaviors. We present Marco, a novel system that exploits the unique combination of social, spatial and temporal signals gleaned from Yelp, to detect venues whose ratings are impacted by fraudulent reviews. Marco increases the cost and complexity of attacks, by imposing a tradeoff on fraudsters, between their ability to impact venue ratings and their ability to remain undetected. We contribute a new dataset to the community, which consists of both ground truth and gold standard data. We show that Marco significantly outperforms state‐of‐the‐art approaches, by achieving 94% accuracy in classifying reviews as fraudulent or genuine, and 95.8% accuracy in classifying venues as deceptive or legitimate. Marco successfully flagged 244 deceptive venues from our large dataset with 7,435 venues, 270,121 reviews and 195,417 users. Furthermore, we use Marco to evaluate the impact of Yelp events, organized for elite reviewers, on the hosting venues. We collect data from 149 Yelp elite events throughout the US. We show that two weeks after an event, twice as many hosting venues experience a significant rating boost rather than a negative impact.
Measuring Binding Kinetics of Antibody‐Conjugated Gold Nanoparticles with Intact Cells
Authors: Yin Linliang , Yang Yunze , Wang Shaopeng , Wang Wei , Zhang Shengtao , Tao Nongjian
Published: April 2015

Antibody‐conjugated nanomaterials have attracted much attention because of their applications in nanomedicine and nanotheranostics, and amplification of detection signals. For many of these applications, the nanoconjugates must bind with a cell membrane receptor (antigen) specifically before entering the cells and reaching the final target, which is thus important but not well understood. Here, a plasmonic imaging study of the binding kinetics of antibody‐conjugated gold nanoparticles with antigen‐expressing cells is presented, and the results are compared with that of the nanoparticle‐free antibody. It is found that the nanoconjugates can significantly affect the binding kinetics compared with free antibody molecules, depending on the density of the antibody conjugated on the nanoparticles, and expressing level of the antigen on the cell membrane. The results are analyzed in terms of a transition from monovalent binding model to a bivalent binding model when the conjugation density and expressing level increase. These findings help optimize the design of functional nanomaterials for drug delivery and correct interpretation of data obtained with nanoparticle signal amplification.
Web framework points: an effort estimation methodology for Web application development using a content management framework
Authors: Barabino Giulio , Concas Giulio , Corona Erika , Grechi Daniele , Marchesi Michele , Tigano Danilo
Published: April 2015

Web applications are among the most popular and relevant kinds of application. Most Web applications are developed using a content management framework (CMF). CMF helps to accelerate the publication of large amounts of information and the development of Web applications. However, developing Web applications through CMF is not exempt from cost and time overruns, as in traditional software projects. Currently, there is no estimation model able to adequately measure the effort of developing a Web application.

This work presents a new methodology, called web framework points, to estimate the effort of Web applications developed with CMF. Web framework points is a hybrid methodology, composed of a sizing phase, which follows specific guidelines, and an effort estimation phase, obtained by applying a cost model to the size model of the project to estimate. The sizing of the project takes into account not only usual functional requirements, as in function points analysis, but also elements specific for developing a Web application through CMF. We also present the experimental validation of the proposed methodology, performed on a dataset of 29 real‐world projects, of which 83% show an estimation error of less than 25%. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ambulatory respiratory rate trends identify patients at higher risk of worsening heart failure in implantable cardioverter defibrillator and biventricular device recipients: a novel ambulatory parameter to optimize heart failure management
Authors: Goetze Stephan , Zhang Yi , An Qi , Averina Viktoria , Lambiase Pier , Schilling Richard , Trappe Hans-Joachim , Winter Siegmund , Wold Nicholas , Manola Ljubomir , Kestens Dries
Published: April 2015

Purpose

Respiratory distress is the primary driver for heart failure (HF) hospitalization. Implantable pacemakers and defibrillators are capable of monitoring respiratory rate (RR) in ambulatory HF patients. We investigated changes in RR prior to HF hospitalizations and its near-term risk stratification power.

Methods

NOTICE-HF was an international multi-center study. Patients were implanted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator or cardiac resynchronization therapy defibrillator, capable of trending daily maximum, median, and minimum RR (maxRR, medRR, minRR). RR from 120 patients with 9 months of follow-up was analyzed. One-tailed Student’s t test was used to compare RR values prior to HF events to baseline defined as 4 weeks prior to the events. A Cox regression model was used to calculate the hazard ratios (HR) for the 30-day HF hospitalization risk based on RR values in the preceding month.

Results

Daily maxRR, medRR, and minRR were significantly elevated prior to HF events compared to baseline (ΔmaxRR 1.8 ± 3.0; p = 0.02; ΔmedRR, 2.1 ± 2.8; p = 0.007; ΔminRR, 1.5 ± 2.1, p = 0.008). Risk of experiencing HF events within 30-days was increased if the standard deviation of medRR over the preceding month was above 1.0 br/min (HR = 12.3, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 2.57–59, p = 0.002). The risk remained high after adjusting for clinical variables that differed at enrollment.

Conclusion

Ambulatory daily respiratory rate trends may be a valuable addition to standard management for HF patients.
West Africans in the Informal Economy of South Africa: The Case of Low Skilled Nigerian Migrants
Authors: Akintola Olubunmi O. , Akintola Olagoke
Published: April 2015

Economic issues are typically at the heart of migration decisions globally. Disparities in incomes between countries play a major role in motivating people with different levels of skills to migrate from Africa to countries with more developed economies in search of secure livelihoods and improved quality of life. South Africa, an upper middle income country, is the leading migration destination country in sub-Saharan Africa because of its buoyant economy. Research has focused on cross-border migration to South Africa while less attention has been on migration among low-skilled migrants from West Africa. We conducted an ethnographic study of 13 low-skilled Nigerian migrants working as street traders in a flea market in Durban. South Africa. Findings indicate that migrants were motivated to travel to South Africa because of misinformation from migrant returnees as well as friends and family resident in South Africa about their potential for considerable economic success abroad. Some were stuck while planning to use South Africa as a transit country to other countries in Europe and North America. Migrants encountered many challenges that prevented them from achieving their dreams of living a better life overseas and ended up as street traders in the flea market. There they endured a lesser quality of life than in their home country but were ashamed to return home preferring instead to eek out a living, and to request and receive financial support from their families at home. Findings have implications for migration policy highlighting the need for innovative ways of disseminating accurate information to potential migrants and assisting migrants to return home. Further research on migrant integration to host country and reverse remittances will be of great value.
The role of delinquency, proactive aggression, psychopathy and behavioral school engagement in reported youth gang membership
Authors: Ang Rebecca P. , Huan Vivien S. , Chan Wei Teng , Cheong Siew Ann , Leaw Jia Ning
Published: April 2015

Given the robust positive association between gangs and crime, a better understanding of factors related to reported youth gang membership is critical and especially since youth in gangs are a universal concern. The present study investigated the role of delinquency, proactive aggression, psychopathy and behavioral school engagement in reported youth gang membership using a large sample of 1027 Singapore adolescents. Results from logistic regression showed that delinquency, proactive aggression, and behavioral school engagement were statistically significant risk factors for reported youth gang membership, and that psychopathy was not related to reported gang membership. Implications for prevention and intervention work with respect to youth gang membership were discussed. In particular, strengthening students' engagement with school and meaningful school‐related activities and developing supportive teacher–student relationships are particularly important in working with young people with respect to prevention work. Additionally, the present study's theoretical and empirical contributions were also discussed.
Prevalence and pattern of rape among girls and women attending Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, southeast Nigeria
Authors: Ohayi Robsam S. , Ezugwu Euzebus C. , Chigbu Chibuike O. , Arinze‐Onyia Susan U. , Iyoke Chukwuemeka A.
Published: April 2015

Objective

To determine the prevalence and pattern of rape in Enugu, southeast Nigeria.

Methods

A prospective descriptive study was conducted among female survivors of rape who presented at the emergency gynecologic and/or forensic unit of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital between February 2012 and July 2013. Data were collected via a pretested interviewer‐administered questionnaire.

Results

Among 1374 gynecologic emergencies, there were 121 (8.8%) rape cases. The mean age of the rape survivors was 13.1 ± 8.1 years. Ninety (74.4%) survivors were younger than 18 years. At least 72 hours had passed since the rape for 74 (61.2%) cases. The perpetrator was known to 74 (82.2%) patients younger than 18 years and 18 (58.1%) aged at least 18 years (P = 0.013). The location of the rape was the bush or an uncompleted building for 36 (29.8%) and the perpetrator's residence for another 36 (29.8%). Four (3.3%) individuals became pregnant after the rape.

Conclusion

A considerable proportion of patients with gynecologic emergencies had been raped. Individuals should be encouraged to report to the hospital quickly to prevent unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.
Management and outcomes of pregnancies among women with HIV in Oxford, UK, in 2008–2012
Authors: Montgomery‐Taylor Sarah , Hemelaar Joris
Published: April 2015

Objective

To evaluate the management and outcomes of pregnancies among women with HIV infection.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study was undertaken of pregnant women with HIV who delivered at one center in the UK in 2008–2012. Case notes were reviewed and detailed information extracted regarding obstetric and virological management.

Results

Overall, 61 pregnancies were included; 43% (26/60) were unplanned and 39% (22/57) booked late. HIV infection was diagnosed during pregnancy for 32% (19/60); 71% (12/17) were diagnosed after the first trimester. At booking, 47% of women (28/60) were not on treatment, all but one of whom commenced treatment, either for maternal reasons (CD4 count < 350 cells per mm3; 48% [13/27]) or prevention of mother‐to‐child‐transmission (52% [14/27]). Viral load was high (> 50 copies per mL) at delivery for 13% of women (8/61). Delivery was by cesarean for 74% [45/61]. One neonate was diagnosed with HIV infection. There were 6 (10%) preterm births, 9 (15%) cases of low birth weight, 11 (18%) small‐for‐gestational‐age neonates, and 1 (2%) stillbirth.

Conclusion

Better pregnancy planning, earlier booking and HIV diagnosis, and optimal antiretroviral treatment should increase the proportion of women with a low viral load (< 50 copies per mL) at delivery, lead to more vaginal deliveries, and further reduce mother‐to‐child transmission of HIV.
A double‐blind randomized controlled trial of mifepristone or placebo before buccal misoprostol for abortion at 14–21 weeks of pregnancy
Authors: Dabash Rasha , Chelli Héla , Hajri Selma , Shochet Tara , Raghavan Sheila , Winikoff Beverly
Published: April 2015

Objective

To assess differences in outcomes of misoprostol with or without mifepristone for second‐trimester abortion.

Methods

A randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial of buccal misoprostol following placebo or 200 mg mifepristone was done in Tunisia among women presenting for abortions at 14–21 weeks of pregnancy between August 2009 and December 2011. Women with a live fetus, a closed cervical os, no cervical bleeding, and no contraindications to study drugs were eligible and underwent randomization (block size 10). Participants returned 24 hours later to receive 400 μg buccal misoprostol every 3 hours until complete fetal and placental expulsion (maximum 10 doses, five per 24‐hour period). The primary outcomes were rates of complete uterine evacuation at 48 hours and time to expulsion.

Results

A total of 120 women were evenly randomized to treatment. Complete uterine evacuation at 48 hours was recorded in 55 (91.7%) women in the combined group versus 43 (71.7%) in the misoprostol alone group (relative risk 1.28; 95% confidence interval 1.07–1.53). Mean time to complete abortion was 10.4 ± 6.6 hours in the group who received mifepristone versus 20.6 ± 9.7 hours in the misoprostol alone group (P < 0.001). Side effects were similar in both groups.

Conclusion

Adding mifepristone before misoprostol can improve the quality of second‐trimester abortion care by making the process faster.

ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT00969982.
Field Ultrasound Evaluation of Central Volume Status and Acute Mountain Sickness
Authors: Pitman Justin T. , Thapa Ghan B. , Stuart Harris N.
Published: April 2015

Objective

To investigate whether ultrasonography can be used for field volume status assessment and to determine whether a detectable difference in intravascular volume exists in individuals with acute mountain sickness (AMS) compared with those without.

Methods

Study was performed at the Himalayan Rescue Association Clinic in Manang, Nepal, located on the Annapurna trekking circuit at an altitude of 3519 m (11545 feet). A convenience sample was taken from individuals trekking over 5 to 8 days from 760 m (2490 feet) to 3519 m (11,545 feet), comparing asymptomatic trekkers vs those who experienced AMS. Subjects were evaluated for AMS based on the Lake Louise AMS Questionnaire (LLS ≥ 3 indicates AMS). After medical screening examination, both groups (control, n = 51; AMS, n = 18) underwent ultrasonography to obtain measurements of inferior vena cava collapsibility index (IVC CI) and left ventricular outflow tract velocity–time integral (LVOT VTI) before and after a passive leg raise (PLR) maneuver.

Results

There was no statistically significant difference between groups regarding change in heart rate before and after PLR, or IVC CI; however, there was a statistically significant greater increase in LVOT VTI after PLR maneuver in control group subjects compared with those with AMS (18.96% control vs 11.71% AMS; P < .01).

Conclusions

Ultrasonography is a useful tool in the assessment of intravascular volume at altitude. In this sample, we found ultrasonographic evidence that subjects with AMS have a higher intravascular volume than asymptomatic individuals. These data support the hypothesis that individuals with AMS have decreased altitude-related diuresis compared with asymptomatic individuals.
The Ecumenical Value of Comparative Church Law: Towards the Category of Christian Law
Authors: Doe Norman
Published: April 2015

This study explores juridical aspects of the ecclesiology presented in the World Council of Churches' Faith and Order Commission Paper,The Church: Towards a Common Vision(2013). It does so in the context of systems of church law, order and polity in eight church families worldwide: Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran, Methodist, Reformed, Presbyterian and Baptist.Common Visiondoes not explicitly consider church law, order and polity or its role in ecumenism. However, many themes treated inCommon Visionsurface in church regulatory systems. This study examines how these instruments articulate the ecclesiology found inCommon Vision(which as such, de facto, offers juridical as well as theological principles), translate these into norms of conduct and, in turn, generate unity in common action across the church families. Juridical similarities indicate that the churches share common principles and that their existence suggests the category ‘Christian law’. While dogmas may divide the churches of global Christianity, the profound similarities between their norms of conduct reveal that the laws of the faithful, whatever their various denominational affiliations, link Christians through common forms of action. For this reason, comparative church law should have a greater profile in ecumenism today.1
NaD excess objects and its implications on initial mass function
Authors: Yi Sukyoung K. , Jeong Hyunjin
Published: April 2015

van Dokkum and Conroy (2010) have heralded the possible implication of NaI 8200A lines on extra bottom-heavy IMF of bright elliptical galaxies. A flurry of papers have followed it and revisited the half a century old issue all over again from various angles. For a sanity check, we investigate on the issue this time using the better measured NaD 5900A line instead. We found from the SDSS database that a large (~ 10%) fraction of galaxies (both early and late types) exhibit strong NaD lines and that the same bottom-heavy models of van Dokkum and Conroy that reproduced the strong NaI 8200 lines of elliptical galaxies are not capable of reproducing NaD line strengths at all. The mystery prevails. This article is mainly a review of our recent paper (Jeong et al. 2013).
Applying galactic archeology to massive galaxies using deep imaging surveys
Authors: Duc Pierre-Alain
Published: April 2015

Various programs aimed at exploring the still largely unknown low surface brightness Universe with deep imaging optical surveys have recently started. They open a new window for studies of galaxy evolution, pushing the technique of galactic archeology outside the Local Group (LG). The method, based on the detection and analysis of the diffuse light emitted by collisional debris or extended stellar halos (rather than on stellar counts as done for LG systems), faces however a number of technical difficulties, like the contamination of the images by reflection halos and Galactic cirrus. I review here the on-going efforts to address them and highlight the preliminary promising results obtained with a systematic survey with MegaCam on the CFHT of nearby massive early-type galaxies done as part of the ATLAS3D, NGVS and MATLAS collaborations.
The evolution of the ages and metallicities of massive galaxies since z = 0.7
Authors: Gallazzi Anna , Bell Eric F. , Zibetti Stefano , Brinchmann Jarle , Kelson Daniel D.
Published: April 2015

We present results on the stellar population properties of massive galaxies at z = 0.7 based on deep, medium-resolution IMACS spectra for a sample of ~ 70 galaxies in the ECDFS with M* > 1010M⊙. The age–mass and stellar metallicity–mass relations for the population as a whole have a similar shape as the local relations over the probed mass range, but offset to ages younger by ~ 4 Gyr and metallicities lower by ~ 0.13 dex. Quiescent galaxies alone have stellar ages and metallicities consistent with passive evolution onto the local quiescent galaxies relations. The evolution in metallicity is driven by star-forming galaxies. However a significant fraction of massive star-forming galaxies have metallicities comparable to those of local quiescent galaxies. If quenched at z < 0.7 they can provide the necessary population to reproduce the scatter in age and metallicity of local quiescent galaxies.
What Skills and Abilities Are Essential for Counseling on Learning Difficulties and Learning Strategies?
Authors: Gerich Mara , Bruder Simone , Hertel Silke , Trittel Monika , Schmitz Bernhard
Published: April 2015

Counseling parents in supporting their children’s learning processes is increasingly emphasized in research on parental involvement and teacher professionalization as a central task of teachers. However, to date there have been few approaches of developing theoretical or psychometric models that describe the internal structure of teachers’ counseling competence in terms of specific skills and abilities as well as of explaining inter-individual differences. The purpose of the current study was to establish a model of teachers’ counseling competence in parent–teacher talks concerning students’ learning difficulties and learning strategies. In all, 357 teachers participated in the study, which was conducted by means of a scenario test. Structural equation modeling revealed the appropriateness of a second-order, four-dimensional model. Results provide numerous implications for teacher education and future research on teacher professionalization.
Additive Genetic Effects for Schizotypy Support a Fully-Dimensional Model of Psychosis-Proneness
Authors: Grant Phillip , Judith Leila Munk Aisha , Kuepper Yvonne , Wielpuetz Catrin , Hennig Juergen
Published: April 2015

Schizotypy is an organization of traits mirroring psychosis-like symptoms and conveying individual psychosis-proneness. Schizotypy and schizophrenia share a genetic basis, wherefore initial schizotypy definitions considered a schizophrenic genotype as a condicio sine qua non. Since the search for a monogenetic schizotypy marker has proven in vain, it is believed that schizotypy is (genetically) based on multiple alleles, each of small effect-size. Schizophrenia may be viewed as a qualitative entity at the extreme of the schizotypy dimension. To date, however, it has not been shown that effects of individual schizotypy-related alleles or genotypes are additive, which would be necessary for the proposition of latent genetic schizotypy factors. Based on previous findings of significant associations of candidate polymorphisms with schizotypy, we chose to examine if these genetic effects were, indeed, additive regarding positive schizotypy. Using a sample of 288 healthy participants we calculated allele-wise and genotype-wise risk indices and examined, whether levels of positive schizotypy would significantly increase with genetic risk. Our findings show significant additive genetic effects of select polymorphisms on positive schizotypy and, thus, support the notion of a fully-dimensional and partially genetically based model of schizotypy.
Individual Differences in Anxiety Influence Verbal Memory Accuracy and Confidence
Authors: Delleman Bethany , Fernandes Myra
Published: April 2015

We examined the influence of encoding duration in high- and low-anxious undergraduates on memory accuracy and confidence. Participants encoded words for 750 or 4,000 ms, and later made recognition and confidence judgments in their memory for targets and lures. The high-anxious had poorer memory accuracy than the low-anxious group, and endorsed lower confidence specifically for correct memory responses. There was no differential effect of encoding time across groups, though longer encoding time benefited both accuracy and confidence. As accuracy increased so did confidence in the low-anxious group, indicating higher resolution and Gamma correlations for meta-memory judgments, though this was not the case for high-anxious individuals. Results indicate that people with high levels of anxiety have unrealistically low confidence in their memories as their confidence was a poor predictor of accuracy and allowing additional encoding time does not alleviate this effect.
Under Pressure
Authors: Benny Benita , Banks Jonathan B.
Published: April 2015

Choking under pressure refers to situations in which an individual fails to perform at the level that would be expected given their skills. Individuals with higher working memory are more susceptible to choking under pressure than individuals with lower working memory, presumably due to increases in pressure related task-unrelated thoughts (Beilock & Carr, 2005). Increased susceptibility to choking in higher working memory individuals may be due to their use of more resource demanding problem-solving strategies. However, according to the executive attention view of working memory, higher working memory individuals should be less likely to experience task-unrelated thoughts during an effortful task than lower working memory individuals (McVay & Kane, 2009). The current study examined the role of working memory, task-unrelated thoughts, negative evaluative thoughts, state anxiety, and need for cognition on the likelihood to choking under pressure. Sixty undergraduates completed measures of working memory. Participants then completed a novel math task, a pressure manipulation consisting of a possible monetary reward for improved performance, and then a second novel math task. Results suggest higher working memory and higher need for cognition were related to lower likelihood to choke under pressure, while negative task evaluative thoughts and state anxiety were related to higher likelihood to choke.
Neish Receives 2014 Ronald Greeley Early Career Award in Planetary Science
Authors:   AGU
Published: April 2015

Catherine Neish received the 2014 Ronald Greeley Early Career Award in Planetary Science at the 2014 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, held 15–19 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes significant early career contributions to planetary science.
Soderblom Receives 2014 Whipple Award
Authors:   AGU
Published: April 2015

Laurence A. Soderblom received the 2014 Whipple Award at the 2014 American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, held 15–19 December in San Francisco, Calif. The award recognizes an individual who has made an outstanding contribution in the field of planetary science.
Modal and non-modal evolution of perturbations for parallel round jets
Authors: Jiménez-González J. I. , Brancher P. , Martínez-Bazán C.
Published: April 2015

The present work investigates the local modal and non-modal stability of round jets for varying aspect ratios α = R/θ, where R is the jet radius and θ the shear layer momentum thickness, for Reynolds numbers ranging from 10 to 10 000. The competition between axisymmetric (azimuthal wavenumber m = 0) and helical (m = 1) perturbations depending on the aspect ratio, α, is quantified at different time horizons. Three different techniques have been used, namely, a classical temporal stability analysis in order to characterize the unstable modes of the jet; an optimal excitation analysis, based on the resolution of the adjoint problem, to quantify the potential for non-modal perturbation dynamics; and finally an optimal perturbation analysis, focused on the very short time transient dynamics, to complement the adjoint-based study. Besides providing with the determination of the critical aspect ratio below which the most unstable perturbations switch from m = 0 to m = 1 depending on the Reynolds number, the study shows that perturbations can undergo a rapid transient growth. It is found that helical perturbations always experience the highest transient growth, although for large values of aspect ratio, this transient domination can be overcome by the eventual emergence of axisymmetric perturbation when more exponentially unstable. Furthermore, the adjoint mode, which excites optimally the most unstable mode of the flow, is found to coincide with the optimal perturbation even for short time horizons, and to drive the transient dynamics for finite times. Therefore, the adjoint-based analysis is found to characterize adequately the transient dynamics of jets, showing that a mechanism equivalent to the Orr one takes place for moderate to small wavelengths. However, in the long wavelength limit, a specific mechanism is found to shift the jet as a whole in a way that resembles the classical lift-up effect active in wall shear flows.
Millimeter-wave optical double resonance schemes for rapid assignment of perturbed spectra, with applications to the C̃1B2 state of SO2
Authors: Park G. Barratt , Womack Caroline C. , Whitehill Andrew R. , Jiang Jun , Ono Shuhei , Field Robert W.
Published: April 2015

Millimeter-wave detected, millimeter-wave optical double resonance (mmODR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the analysis of dense, complicated regions in the optical spectra of small molecules. The availability of cavity-free microwave and millimeter wave spectrometers with frequency-agile generation and detection of radiation (required for chirped-pulse Fourier-transform spectroscopy) opens up new schemes for double resonance experiments. We demonstrate a multiplexed population labeling scheme for rapid acquisition of double resonance spectra, probing multiple rotational transitions simultaneously. We also demonstrate a millimeter-wave implementation of the coherence-converted population transfer scheme for background-free mmODR, which provides a ∼10-fold sensitivity improvement over the population labeling scheme. We analyze perturbations in the C̃ state of SO2, and we rotationally assign a b2 vibrational level at 45 328 cm−1 that borrows intensity via a c-axis Coriolis interaction. We also demonstrate the effectiveness of our multiplexed mmODR scheme for rapid acquisition and assignment of three predissociated vibrational levels of the C̃ state of SO2 between 46 800 and 47 650 cm−1.
Modeling the effect of codon translation rates on co-translational protein folding mechanisms of arbitrary complexity
Authors: Caniparoli Luca , O’Brien Edward P.
Published: April 2015

In a cell, the folding of a protein molecule into tertiary structure can begin while it is synthesized by the ribosome. The rate at which individual amino acids are incorporated into the elongating nascent chain has been shown to affect the likelihood that proteins will populate their folded state, indicating that co-translational protein folding is a far from equilibrium process. Developing a theoretical framework to accurately describe this process is, therefore, crucial for advancing our understanding of how proteins acquire their functional conformation in living cells. Current state-of-the-art computational approaches, such as molecular dynamics simulations, are very demanding in terms of the required computer resources, making the simulation of co-translational protein folding difficult. Here, we overcome this limitation by introducing an efficient approach that predicts the effects that variable codon translation rates have on co-translational folding pathways. Our approach is based on Markov chains. By using as an input a relatively small number of molecular dynamics simulations, it allows for the computation of the probability that a nascent protein is in any state as a function of the translation rate of individual codons along a mRNA’s open reading frame. Due to its computational efficiency and favorable scalability with the complexity of the folding mechanism, this approach could enable proteome-wide computational studies of the influence of translation dynamics on co-translational folding.
Tailoring the magnetic properties of new Fe-Ni-Co-Al-(Ta,Nb)-B superelastic rapidly quenched microwires
Authors: Borza F. , Lupu N. , Dobrea V. , Chiriac H.
Published: April 2015

Ferromagnetic Fe-Ni-Co-Al-(Ta,Nb)-B microwires with diameters from 170 μm to 50 μm, which possess both superelastic and good magnetic properties, have been prepared by rapid quenching from the melt using the in rotating water spinning technique followed by cold-drawing and ageing. The cold-drawing and annealing processes lead to the initialization of premartensitic phases as confirmed by the X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopic investigations, more significantly in the 50 μm cold-drawn microwires. An increase in the coercive field and in the saturation magnetization has been obtained by annealing, more importantly in the case of Nb-containing alloy. Ageing by thermal or current annealing led to the initialization of the superelastic effect. High values of strain of up to 1.8%, very good repeatability under successive loading, and values of superelastic effect of up to 1.2% have been achieved. The structural analysis coupled with the stress-strain data suggests that these materials annealed at 800 °C have superelastic potential at reduced ageing times. The magnetic behavior was found to be easily tailored through both thermal and thermomagnetic treatments with changes in the magnetic parameters which can be contactless detected. The results are important for future applications where both mechanical and magnetic properties matter, i.e., sensing/actuating systems.
Attempt to measure magnetic hyperfine fields in metallic thin wires under spin Hall conditions using synchrotron-radiation Mössbauer spectroscopy
Authors: Mibu K. , Mitsui T. , Tanaka M. A. , Masuda R. , Kitao S. , Kobayashi Y. , Yoda Y. , Seto M.
Published: April 2015

Measurement of the magnetic hyperfine fields in metallic thin wires under spin Hall conditions was attempted using the emerging technique, synchrotron-radiation Mössbauer spectroscopy. A Mössbauer probe layer of 57Fe (0.2 nm), 57Fe (0.6 nm), or 119Sn (0.6 nm) was embedded as an electron spin detector near the surfaces of V, Au, Pt, and 56Fe wires. The magnitudes of the magnetic hyperfine fields at the 57Fe and 119Sn nuclear sites that could be enhanced by non-equilibrium conduction-electron spin polarization were measured both without and with the application of an electric current along the wire. Changes in the Mössbauer spectra were not clearly observed, indicating that the magnetic hyperfine field induced by non-equilibrium spin polarization is smaller than the detection limit at least for the measured systems and conditions.
Habitat Use and Fishery Dynamics of a Heavily Exploited Coastal Migrant, Spanish Mackerel
Authors: Schrandt Meagan N. , Powers Sean P. , Mareska John F.
Published: April 2015

Spanish Mackerel Scomberomorus maculatus support important commercial and recreational fisheries in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). Although federally managed because of interstate migrations, harvest, essential fish habitat consideration, and management are largely state issues. Contrary to the accepted paradigm of a well-mixed stock from the GOM to the Atlantic, Spanish Mackerel have been suggested to exhibit reduced movement, and hence mixing, which could lead to areas of localized depletion within the larger stock. We addressed how local abundance patterns responded to changes in harvest pressure, evaluated migration patterns via examining temporal trends in abundance, and determined whether the spatial abundance patterns resembled habitat specialization or generalization. Abundance trends of Spanish Mackerel in Alabama have remained relatively constant from 2001 to 2011 despite a significant increase in commercial harvesting. Seasonal patterns of catch rates coincided with the proposed annual migration. We also observed adult Spanish Mackerel in low salinities (0–10‰) at the mouth of Mobile River during the fall when river discharge is relatively low. This extends the known range of estuarine habitat use by adult Spanish Mackerel. Because Mobile Bay includes various habitat types differing from surf zone and coastal ocean habitats typically inhabited by Spanish Mackerel, capturing Spanish Mackerel near the mouth of Mobile River provides evidence for a habitat generalist strategy. Based on a relatively constant abundance index and year-class strength, the stock seems to be relatively stable even after a drastic increase in commercial harvests in Alabama and heavy exploitation of age-1–3 Spanish Mackerel. The resilience of catch rate trends to changes in local harvest pressure as well as evidence of synchrony among areas in terms of migration suggest the Alabama fishery is influenced by population dynamics of a larger population.

Received July 3, 2014; accepted January 12, 2015
Conformational sampling and structure prediction of multiple interacting loops in soluble andβ-barrel membrane proteins using multi-loop distance-guided chain-growth Monte Carlo method
Authors: Tang Ke , Wong Samuel W.K. , Liu Jun S. , Zhang Jinfeng , Liang Jie
Published: April 2015

Motivation: Loops in proteins are often involved in biochemical functions. Their irregularity and flexibility make experimental structure determination and computational modeling challenging. Most current loop modeling methods focus on modeling single loops. In protein structure prediction, multiple loops often need to be modeled simultaneously. As interactions among loops in spatial proximity can be rather complex, sampling the conformations of multiple interacting loops is a challenging task.

Results: In this study, we report a new method called multi-loop Distance-guided Sequential chain-Growth Monte Carlo (M-DiSGro) for prediction of the conformations of multiple interacting loops in proteins. Our method achieves an average RMSD of 1.93 Å for lowest energy conformations of 36 pairs of interacting protein loops with the total length ranging from 12 to 24 residues. We further constructed a data set containing proteins with 2, 3 and 4 interacting loops. For the most challenging target proteins with four loops, the average RMSD of the lowest energy conformations is 2.35 Å. Our method is also tested for predicting multiple loops in β-barrel membrane proteins. For outer-membrane protein G, the lowest energy conformation has a RMSD of 2.62 Å for the three extracellular interacting loops with a total length of 34 residues (12, 12 and 10 residues in each loop).

Availability and implementation: The software is freely available at: tanto.bioe.uic.edu/m-DiSGro.

Contact:  jinfeng@stat.fsu.edu or jliang@uic.edu

Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.