bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Drug Screening for ALS Using Patient-Specific Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Egawa Naohiro , Kitaoka Shiho , Tsukita Kayoko , Naitoh Motoko , Takahashi Kazutoshi , Yamamoto Takuya , Adachi Fumihiko , Kondo Takayuki , Okita Keisuke , Asaka Isao , Aoi Takashi , Watanabe Akira , Yamada Yasuhiro , Morizane Asuka , Takahashi Jun , Ayaki Takashi , Ito Hidefumi , Yoshikawa Katsuhiro , Yamawaki Satoko , Suzuki Shigehiko , Watanabe Dai , Hioki Hiroyuki , Kaneko Takeshi , Makioka Kouki , Okamoto Koichi , Takuma Hiroshi , Tamaoka Akira , Hasegawa Kazuko , Nonaka Takashi , Hasegawa Masato , Kawata Akihiro , Yoshida Minoru , Nakahata Tatsutoshi , Takahashi Ryosuke , Marchetto Maria C. N. , Gage Fred H. , Yamanaka Shinya , Inoue Haruhisa
Published: August 2012

Anacardic acid attenuates mutant TDP-43–associated abnormalities in motor neurons derived from ALS patient–specific induced pluripotent stem cells.
Anti-CD25 Immunotherapy: Regulating the Regulators
Authors: Rose John W.
Published: August 2012

Innate immunity, adaptive immunity, and antigen presentation collaborate to effect monoclonal antibody therapy in multiple sclerosis.
β-Amyloid: Enemy or Remedy?
Authors: Hohlfeld Reinhard , Wekerle Hartmut
Published: August 2012

β-Amyloid can modulate the immune response in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis (Grant
et al
., this issue).
Antiviral Traps: HIV Avoids a Sticky Situation
Authors: Yipp Bryan G.
Published: August 2012

HIV is able to evade capture by neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) by inducing dendritic cells to produce a NET-suppressive factor.
Emergence of Fatal Avian Influenza in New England Harbor Seals
Authors: Anthony S. J. , St. Leger J. A. , Pugliares K. , Ip H. S. , Chan J. M. , Carpenter Z. W. , Navarrete-Macias I. , Sanchez-Leon M. , Saliki J. T. , Pedersen J. , Karesh W. , Daszak P. , Rabadan R. , Rowles T. , Lipkin W. I.
Published: August 2012

From September to December 2011, 162 New England harbor seals died in an outbreak of pneumonia. Sequence analysis of postmortem samples revealed the presence of an avian H3N8 influenza A virus, similar to a virus circulating in North American waterfowl since at least 2002 but with mutations that indicate recent adaption to mammalian hosts. These include a D701N mutation in the viral PB2 protein, previously reported in highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza viruses infecting people. Lectin staining and agglutination assays indicated the presence of the avian-preferred SAα-2,3 and mammalian SAα-2,6 receptors in seal respiratory tract, and the ability of the virus to agglutinate erythrocytes bearing either the SAα-2,3 or the SAα-2,6 receptor. The emergence of this A/harbor seal/Massachusetts/1/2011 virus may herald the appearance of an H3N8 influenza clade with potential for persistence and cross-species transmission.

IMPORTANCE
The emergence of new strains of influenza virus is always of great public concern, especially when the infection of a new mammalian host has the potential to result in a widespread outbreak of disease. Here we report the emergence of an avian influenza virus (H3N8) in New England harbor seals which caused an outbreak of pneumonia and contributed to a U.S. federally recognized unusual mortality event (UME). This outbreak is particularly significant, not only because of the disease it caused in seals but also because the virus has naturally acquired mutations that are known to increase transmissibility and virulence in mammals. Monitoring the spillover and adaptation of avian viruses in mammalian species is critically important if we are to understand the factors that lead to both epizootic and zoonotic emergence.
Acute small bowel obstruction due to intussusception of malignantamelonaticmelanoma of the small intestine
Authors: Patel Rajan B , Vasava Nitin C , Gandhi Minesh B
Published: August 2012

Malignant melanoma is a common malignancy and cutaneous melanoma showed an unusual prediction to metastasise into the small intestine. At autopsy metastatic deposits found in 50–60%, but less than 2–4% of melanoma patients diagnosed to have gastrointestinal (GI) metastasis during the disease course and 4–9% GI melanoma had unknown primary melanoma, which should be considered metastatic because primary lesion may be very small to diagnose or had regressed spontaneously. Few cases reported to have intussusception as a presenting feature. We report a case ofamelanoticmetastatic melanoma presented with intussusception and without known primary melanoma. The patient presented with abdominal pain, vomiting and distension. He was diagnosed as having acute intestinal obstruction as confirmed by erect abdominal x-ray. Ultrasonography showed small intestine intussusception. Emergency laparotomy revealed ilieo-ileal-type intussusception with intraluminal mass, which was resected and end-to-end anastomosis of bowel was performed. Histopathological and immunohistochemical examination of the resected specimen showed amelanotic melanoma.
Development of Graves’ disease after long-standing hypothyroidism on treatment, with acute toxicity to thionamides and lithium
Authors: Gupta Yashdeep , Singh Sandeep , Ammini Ariachery C
Published: August 2012

Thyroid hyperfunction in a patient with long-standing hypothyroidism is uncommon. Here, we describe and discuss the unusual scenario of development of severe skin rash to carbimazole, with subsequent acute toxicity to lithium in clinically indicated doses, in a patient who manifested hyperthyroidism after being on treatment for hypothyroidism for 7 years.
Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome complicating pregnancy
Authors: González-Mesa Ernesto , Blasco Marta , Andérica José , Herrera José
Published: August 2012

The Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome is a rare congenital disorder that affects one or more limbs. It is characterised by cutaneous vascular nevi, venous malformations and hypertrophy of soft tissues and bone. There are very few cases reported in pregnant women, so the level of uncertainty is high when it appears during gestation. It is a disease that increases obstetric risk and can exacerbate complications, mainly thromboembolic and haemorrhagic. We report below the case of a pregnant woman diagnosed with this syndrome and the multidisciplinary management held in our centre.
Fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus: Figure 1
Authors: Inokuchi Ryota , Matsumoto Akinori , Odajima Hajime , Shinohara Kazuaki
Published: August 2012

We present a fatal case of fulminant type 1 diabetes mellitus that was initially diagnosed as upper respiratory tract infection based on pharyngeal redness at a clinic. However, the patient then went into cardiopulmonary arrest, and was transferred to our hospital for treatment. Testing revealed very high levels of blood glucose (86.9 mmol/l), urinary glucose (2+) and ketones (4+). His glycosylated haemoglobin level was almost normal (6.2%; normal <6.2%). Autopsy revealed marked depletion and atrophy of the islets of Langerhans.
Prevalence of anal incontinence among Norwegian women: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Rømmen Kathrine , Schei Berit , Rydning Astrid , H Sultan Abdul , Mørkved Siv
Published: August 2012

Objective

Anal incontinence (AI) is a symptom associated with age, bowel symptoms and obstetric injuries. Primary aim of the study was to establish the prevalence of AI among women and secondarily to evaluate the impact on daily life and conditions associated with AI.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

Participants attended research stations located in different parts of Nord-Trøndelag county, Norway. Data were collected through interviews, questionnaires and clinical examinations.

Participants

In total, 40 955 community-dwelling women aged 30 years and older were invited. A total of 25 037 women participated, giving a participation rate of 61.1%.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Fecal incontinence and flatal incontinence was defined as involuntary loss of feces and flatus weekly or more, respectively. AI was defined as the involuntary loss of feces and/or flatus weekly or more. Urgency was defined as the inability to defer defecation for 15 min. Statistical methods included prevalence estimates and logistic regression analysis.

Results

Questions about AI were completed by 20 391 (82.4%) women. Among the 20 391 women, AI was reported by 19.1% (95% CI 18.6% to 19.7%) and fecal incontinence was reported by 3.0% (95% CI 2.8% to 3.2%). Urgency was experienced by 2586 women (12.7%, 95% CI 12.2 to 13.1). Impact on daily life was stated by 794 (26.0%, 95% CI 24.4 to 27.5) women with AI. In bivariate age-adjusted analysis of AI, OR and CI for urgency (OR 3.19, 95% CI 2.92 to 3.49) and diarrhoea (OR 3.81, 95% CI 3.32 to 4.38) revealed strongest associations with AI.

Conclusions

AI affects one in five women older than 30 years. Strongest associated symptoms are urgency and diarrhoea.

Trial registration number

The study was approved by the Regional Committee for Medical and Health Research Ethics (No. 2009/1214) and followed the Declaration of Helsinki.
Understanding spirituality: a synoptic view
Authors: Cobb Mark , Dowrick Christopher , Lloyd-Williams Mari
Published: August 2012

Background

Spirituality is an important component of palliative care that is incorporated into practice and the subject of research. A literature review by the authors indicated that many studies into the spiritual needs of palliative care patients operationalised highly reductive constructs of spirituality and relied upon unexamined assumptions and concepts.

Methods

We examine the use of models as a strategy to explain how spirituality functions in the lives of patients and critically review examples of descriptive modelling and mathematical modelling. The explanatory and predictive potential of these techniques is considered along with methodological limitations in representing complex aspects of human nature in models.

Proposal

We propose a realistic synoptic model to explain how spirituality is lived and experienced in the wider context of a mental, personal and social world. We describe the essential conceptual apparatus and mechanisms of lived spirituality including beliefs, behaviour and experience, and we suggest that spirituality is a feature and capacity of the system as a whole.

Conclusions

The synoptic model provides an explanation of how spirituality operates in the totality of patients' lives and aims to capture aspects of spirituality that remain neglected by researchers and practitioners. It is proposed as a corrective to reductionist approaches and supports the contribution of different disciplines and different ways of thinking about spirituality.
Infant abusive head trauma incidence in Queensland, Australia
Authors: Kaltner Melissa , Kenardy Justin , Le Brocque Robyne , Page Andrew
Published: August 2012

This study describes the incidence of head injuries caused by abuse in an Australian infant sample. The frequency of abusive head trauma established by the study is comparable with that reported both internationally and for age-incidence peaks of alternate forms of childhood injury, highlighting the need for investment in prevention initiatives.
Performance evaluation of the Sysmex haematology XN modular system
Authors: Briggs Carol , Longair Ian , Kumar Punamar , Singh Deepak , Machin Samuel J
Published: August 2012

Background

The Sysmex XN haematology instrument performs automatic reflex testing, depending on sample results. A nucleated red blood cell (NRBC) count is provided on all samples. The instrument has a smaller footprint (34%) than previous Sysmex XE analysers.

Methods

An evaluation comparing all results to the Sysmex XE-2100 and manual microscopic differential and morphology (n=390) was performed followed by a workflow study of 1000 samples to compare speed of operation and number of blood films reviews required from both systems.

Results

The new features on the instrument are: (1) white cell and NRBC channel, all samples include the NRBC count; (2) white cell precursor channel: false positive flags for blasts, abnormal lymphocytes and atypical lymphocytes are reduced significantly without a statistical increase of false negatives; (3) low white cell count mode: suggested setting of <0.5×109/l. An extended count is more precise and provides an accurate differential. Fluorescent platelet count is performed in a dedicated channel. If the red cell or platelet size histograms are abnormal or if the platelet count is low, then a fluorescent platelet count is automatically performed. Good correlation with the XE-2100 and manual differential was found and the improved results compared to the reference flow cytometric analysis for platelet counts, especially below 30×109/l (XE-2100, R2=0.500; XN, R2=0.875).

Conclusion

The XN showed reduced sample turnaround time of 10% and reduced number of blood films for examination, 49% less than the XE-2100 without loss of sensitivity with more precise and accurate results on low cell counts.
Gendered spaces, gendered pages: Union women in Civil War nurse narratives
Authors: Telford Jennifer Casavant , Long Thomas Lawrence
Published: August 2012

This interdisciplinary analysis joins literary and culture studies with history using Daphne Spain's theory of gendered spaces. Specifically, we examine the reconfiguration of the spaces of military medical work and of book publishing that produced popular literary representations of those medical spaces. As a social historian of nursing and a scholar of American literature and culture, we argue that the examination of Civil War narratives by or about Northern female nurses surveys a landscape in which women penetrated the masculine spaces of the military hospital and the literary spaces of the wartime narrative. In so doing, these women transformed these spaces into places acknowledging and even relying upon what had been traditionally considered male domains. Like many historiographical papers written about nurses and the impact of their practice over time, this work is relevant to those practicing nursing today, specifically those issues related to professional authority and professional autonomy.
Effects of variable canopy retention harvest on epixylic bryophytes in boreal black spruce – feathermoss forests1This article is one of a selection of papers from the International Symposium on Dynamics and Ecological Services of Deadwood in Forest Ecosystems.
Authors: Arseneault Julie , Fenton Nicole J. , Bergeron Yves
Published: August 2012

Modification of forest attributes and structural components like downed wood (DW) during forest harvest can lead to local species loss. Epixylic bryophytes have been proposed as good indicators of such changes. Unharvested control, variable canopy retention, and single pass harvest represent a gradient in forest harvest impact and can be used to test the response of epixylic bryophytes to different levels of environmental change. The objective of this study was to see if variable canopy retention attenuates environmental change associated with harvesting, consequently maintaining an epixylic community more similar to unharvested stands than single pass harvesting. Environmental conditions and DW characteristics were sampled on 225 DW pieces distributed in 45 permanent plots. Results showed that treatment affected epixylic richness through its impact on canopy openness and DW diameter and decomposition class. Fewer species were found in more open habitats and more species were found on bigger and more decomposed DW. Most epixylic species were more commonly found on the forest floor than on the DW. In conclusion, variable canopy retention harvest offered microclimatic conditions and DW availability and quality more suitable for epixylic species than single pass harvest, which was less suitable for epixylic species.
Interactions between deadwood and soil characteristics in a natural boreal trembling aspen – jack pine stand1This article is one of a selection of papers from the International Symposium on Dynamics and Ecological Services of Deadwood in Forest Ecosystems.
Authors: Brais Suzanne , Drouin Pascal
Published: August 2012

Decaying wood contribution to the heterogeneity of forest soils could depend on tree species and wood decay stage. The study was conducted in an 85-year-old trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.) – jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.) forest in northwestern Quebec, Canada. Trees, snags, logs, and forest floor originating from wood buried within the forest floor (lignic FF) and from fine litter (alignic FF) were inventoried in fifteen 400 m2 plots (nine jack pine and six trembling aspen). Chemical properties of alignic and lignic FF and logs were measured and relative nutrient availability in the mineral soil assessed under logs and under lignic and alignic FF using PRS probes. No significant differences between forest covers were found for the proportion of C and nutrients contained in deadwood (snags, logs, and lignic FF) relative to tree biomass plus necromass (deadwood plus alignic FF) content. Lignic FF was characterized by a higher C/N ratio and exchangeable acidity than alignic FF and its nutrient concentrations were between those of alignic FF and logs. Differences in wood characteristics may explain some of the differences in forest floor properties observed between trembling aspen and jack pine. Nutrient availability in the mineral soil was affected by the overlaying materials and could reflect differences in the dynamics of individual nutrients.
Effects of fuelwood harvesting on biodiversity — a review focused on the situation in Europe1This article is one of a selection of papers from the International Symposium on Dynamics and Ecological Services of Deadwood in Forest Ecosystems.
Authors: Bouget Christophe , Lassauce Aurore , Jonsell Mats
Published: August 2012

A continually increasing demand for energy and concerns about climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and peak oil have prompted countries to develop policies that promote renewable energy including forest-based bioenergy. In Europe, fuelwood-driven changes in forestry are likely to impact habitat conditions for forest biodiversity. We conducted a systematic literature overview based on 88 papers to synthesize research findings and gaps in knowledge. At the stand scale, but also on a landscape scale, deadwood availability and profile are altered by several practices: whole-tree harvesting and postharvest recovery of logging residues and stumps, for instance. Large-scale fuelwood removal may, on a landscape scale, jeopardize the amounts and diversity of substrate that saproxylic organisms require as food and habitat. Besides, bioenergy-related forest practices also affect nonsaproxylic biodiversity through physical (e.g., soil compaction and disturbance) and chemical changes in soil properties associated with fuelwood removal and increased machine traffic. Moreover, the extended density of internal edges threatens interior forest species populations. Important effects differ substantially between boreal and nemoral forests because of contrasts in management systems, structure of forest ownership, and ecological properties. Developing relevant operational guidelines to partially mitigate ecological damage on biodiversity should be based on our compiled cautionary statements but require further large-scale and long-term research.
Seedling establishment and survival on decaying logs in boreal mixedwood stands following a mast year1This article is one of a selection of papers from the International Symposium on Dynamics and Ecological Services of Deadwood in Forest Ecosystems.
Authors: Robert Emilie , Brais Suzanne , Harvey Brian D. , Greene David
Published: August 2012

In the boreal forest, establishment of tree regeneration is tightly linked to both mast years and the availability of adequate germination beds for seedlings. We took advantage of a mast year (2006) in the eastern boreal mixedwood to compare seedling establishment in 2007 and seedling survival 2 and 4 years later on sections of fallen logs and equivalent areas of adjacent forest floor. Several factors that could explain establishment of seedlings on logs were measured, including wood resistance, density, moisture content, and C/N ratio. Our results show that small-seeded species, such as white birch ( Betula papyrifera Marsh.) and white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), establish preferentially on logs whereas balsam fir ( Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), a relatively large-seeded species, establishes more often on the forest floor. Using logistic regressions, we confirmed that the probability of seedling establishment on logs declines with wood resistance, while the survival probability is inversely proportional to stand deciduous basal area. Survival rate was similar for seedlings established on the forest floor and on logs. However, none of the white birch seedlings established on the forest floor in 2007 were alive by 2011. Even following an exceptional mast year, log occurrence in eastern mixedwood stands would not suffice to obtain adequate white spruce stocking levels.
Forest floor depths and fuel loads in upland Canadian forests
Authors: Letang D.L. , de Groot W.J.
Published: August 2012

Forest floor data are important for many forest resource management applications. In terms of fire and forest carbon dynamics, these data are critical for modeling direct carbon emissions from wildfire in Canadian forests because forest floor organic material is usually the greatest emissions source. However, there are very few data available to initialize wildfire emission models. Six data sets representing 41 534 forest stands across Canada were combined to provide summary statistics and to analyze factors controlling forest floor fuel loads and depths. The impacts of dominant tree species, ecozone, drainage-class, and age-class data on forest floor fuel loads and depth were examined using ANOVA and regression. All four parameters were significant factors affecting forest floor fuel load and depth, but only tree species and ecozone were substantially influential. Although forest floor depths summarized in this study are similar to those of previous studies, forest floor fuel loads are higher. Average forest floor fuel loads and depths are summarized by species and ecozone and can be used to initialize dynamic stand-level forest models.
Mountain pine beetle attack alters the chemistry and flammability of lodgepole pine foliage
Authors: Page Wesley G. , Jenkins Michael J. , Runyon Justin B.
Published: August 2012

During periods with epidemic mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) populations in lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) forests, large amounts of tree foliage are thought to undergo changes in moisture content and chemistry brought about by tree decline and death. However, many of the presumed changes have yet to be quantified. In this study, we quantified and compared fuel moisture, chemistry, and resulting flammability of bark beetle affected foliage in terms of ignitability, combustibility, consumability, and sustainability at a site in far eastern Idaho, USA. Results revealed substantial decreases in moisture content, the proportion of starches and sugars, and crude fat and increases in the proportions of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose in foliage of trees attacked in the previous year (yellow foliage) or more than two years previously (red foliage). Increases in emission rates of several terpenes that were correlated with flammability were also detected in yellow foliage. The flammability of fresh yellow and red foliage increased with regard to ignitability and sustainability, with shorter times to ignition, lower temperatures at ignition, and higher heat yields when compared with unattacked green foliage. Our results confirm the overwhelming importance of fuel moisture on flammability and suggest that fuel chemical composition also has significant effects on lodgepole pine foliage flammability.
Predicting litter and live herb fuel consumption during prescribed fires in native and old-field upland pine communities of the southeastern United States
Authors: Reid Angela M. , Robertson Kevin M. , Hmielowski Tracy L.
Published: August 2012

The ability to predict fuel consumption during fires is essential for a wide range of applications, including estimation of fire effects and fire emissions. This project identified predictors of fuel consumption for the dominant fuel bed components (litter (<0.6-cm diameter dead material) and live herbs) during 217 prescribed fires in native longleaf pine ( Pinus palustris Mill.) and old-field loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) – shortleaf pine ( Pinus echinata Mill.) communities in the southeastern United States. Additionally, these data were used to validate the First Order Fire Effects Model (FOFEM) fuel consumption computer model using custom and default fuel loads. Regression models using empirical data suggested that litter and live herb fuel consumption can be predicted by prefire litter and live herb fuel loads, litter and live herb fuel moisture, litter fuel bed bulk density, season of burn, years since fire, days since last rain ≥0.64 cm, relative humidity, energy release component, community type, pine and hardwood basal areas, and the Keetch–Byram drought index. FOFEM’s prediction of fuel consumption for litter, live herbs, and duff combined using default fuel loads was 1.5 times the measured fuel consumption (where duff fuel load was zero). Refinement of FOFEM’s fuel load and consumption calculations in the studied community types using the newly collected data and suggestions for model improvement would provide more accurate air quality inventories and assist in guiding appropriate regulation of prescribed fire.
Morphological and physiological responses of beech and oak seedlings to canopy conditions: why does beech dominate the understory of unmanaged oak fuelwood stands?
Authors: Takahashi Koichi , Goto Aya
Published: August 2012

Secondary forest succession after abandonment of traditional agricultural and silvicultural lands is occurring in many parts of the world. Quercus crispula Blume– Quercus serrata Murray fuelwood stands have so far been artificially maintained in natural Fagus crenata Blume forests, central Japan, by resprouting after cutting. It is known that unmanaged fuelwood stands return to F. crenata dominated stands. This study aimed to examine why the two Quercus species are replaced by F. crenata by investigating seedling morphological and physiological responses of the three species to canopy conditions (forest edge and understory). The two Quercus species allocated more carbon to roots and stored more total nonstructural carbohydrates in roots as compared with F. crenata. Therefore, the two Quercus species allocate more photosynthetic production to roots than aboveground growth to maintain sprouting ability. On the contrary, F. crenata increased the light-harvesting efficiency (i.e., low leaf mass per area and high chlorophyll concentration) in the understory and increased height growth at the forest edge by greater allocation to stem. These traits would be beneficial for an increase in survival in the understory and height growth at the forest edge. Therefore, it is suggested that Quercus species in unmanaged stands will be replaced by F. crenata, a competitively superior species.
Effects of restoration thinning on spatial heterogeneity in mixed-conifer forest
Authors: Larson Andrew J. , Stover Kyle C. , Keyes Christopher R.
Published: August 2012

Spatial pattern is an essential attribute of forest ecosystems and influences many ecological processes and functions. We hypothesized that restoration thinning conducted in fire-excluded ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) – western larch ( Larix occidentalis Nutt.) – mixed-conifer forest would restore spatial patterns characteristic of active fire regime old-growth. We evaluated effects of thinning on spatial patterns and also compared post-treatment patterns with reconstructions of pre-suppression patterns at nearby old-growth reference sites that developed in the historical mixed-severity fire regime. Restoration thinning reduced spatial aggregation and resulted in globally random tree patterns comprised of local tree clumps, openings, and widely spaced single trees, similar to reference conditions. Post-treatment spatial patterns in the replicate treatment units spanned the range of variability bounded by the reference sites. Our analyses indicate that, under certain circumstances, restoration of spatial heterogeneity in unlogged, fire-excluded forests can be achieved by retaining live legacy pre-suppression trees during thinning treatments. However, success is not assured. Restoration of spatial heterogeneity in forests where few live pre-suppression trees remain due to past mortality or harvest, a common condition of candidate restoration sites, presents a greater silvicultural challenge. Thus, we recommend that, as a general rule, managers deliberately address spatial pattern when crafting forest restoration treatment objectives and prescriptions.
Sexual segregation in goitered gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa)
Authors: Blank David A. , Ruckstuhl Kathreen E. , Yang Weikang
Published: August 2012

Sexual segregation (by habitat or socially) is found in many species, and is especially well described for gregarious ruminants, particularly Cervinae and Caprinae, while less is known about Antilopinae. In this study, we investigated the degree of sexual segregation and social organization of goitered gazelles ( Gazella subgutturosa (Güldenstädt, 1780)), which have a quite distinctive (up to 30%) body size dimorphism between sexes. We used three indices for measuring the degree of sexual segregation: proportion of mixed-sex groups among all groups, proportion of adult females and males in mixed-sex compared with unisex groups, and Conradt’s segregation coefficient (SC). All these measures confirmed that goitered gazelles had very high levels of segregation all year: the proportion of mixed-sex groups was very low (4.6%) compared with unisex herds (95.4%); the proportion of adult males and females in mixed-sex groups was also low (<13%) compared with those in unisex groups; and the SC was very high (0.80–0.98), indicating that considerable segregation occurred. Although SC decreased to some extent during the rut (November–December), as expected, female groups stayed segregated from males (SC = 0.81–0.86) and formed mixed-sex herds only for very short time periods during mating. Surprisingly, the SC dropped to its lowest values during spring (April) and autumn (October) migration periods (0.71 and 0.67, respectively). Our results will contribute to better understanding the behavioural adaptations of goitered gazelle to the arid environment and help in the species conservation and management.
Timing of breeding, peak food availability, and effects of mismatch on chick growth in birds nesting in the High Arctic
Authors: McKinnon L. , Picotin M. , Bolduc E. , Juillet C. , Bêty J.
Published: August 2012

In seasonal environments, breeding events must be synchronized with resource peaks to ensure production and growth of offspring. As changes in climate may affect trophic levels differentially, we hypothesized that a lack of synchrony between chick hatch and resource peaks could decrease growth rates in chicks of shorebirds nesting in the High Arctic. To test this hypothesis, we compared growth curves of chicks hatching in synchrony with peak periods of food abundance to those hatching outside of these peak periods. We also tested for changes in lay dates of shorebirds in the Canadian Arctic using recent and historical data. Mean daily temperatures during the laying period increased since the 1950s by up to 1.5 °C, and changes in lay dates were apparent for three shorebird species, yet differences in median lay dates between 1954 and 2005–2008 were only significant for White-rumped Sandpiper ( Calidris fuscicollis (Viellot, 1819)). During 2005–2008, there was only 1 year of relatively high synchrony between hatch and resource peaks. Asynchrony between hatch and peaks in Tipulidae biomass reduced growth rates in chicks of Baird’s Sandpiper (Calidris bairdii (Coues, 1861)). As anticipated changes in climate may decouple phenological events, the effects of asynchrony on growth rates of arctic-nesting birds warrant further investigation.
Leaf litter of invasive Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) negatively affects hatching success of an aquatic breeding anuran, the Southern Leopard Frog (Lithobates sphenocephalus)
Authors: Adams C.K. , Saenz D.
Published: August 2012

Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) is an aggressive invasive tree species that can be abundant in parts of its non-native range. This tree species has the capability of producing monocultures, by outcompeting native trees, which can be in or near wetlands that are utilized by breeding amphibians. Existing research suggests that leaf litter from invasive Chinese tallow reduces survival in larval anurans. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of Chinese tallow leaf litter on anuran eggs. We exposed eggs of the Southern Leopard Frog ( Lithobates sphenocephalus (Cope, 1886)) at various stages of development to different concentrations of Chinese tallow leaf litter to determine survival. Eggs in the earliest stages of development that we exposed to tallow leaf litter died, regardless of concentration; however, some more-developed eggs exposed to tallow leaf litter did hatch. We determined that the greater the concentration of tallow leaf litter, the lower the dissolved oxygen and pH levels we observed. We suggest that changes in these water-quality parameters are the cause of the observed mortality of anuran eggs in our experiments. Eggs exposed to water containing tallow leaf litter with dissolved oxygen <1.59 mg/L and a pH <5.29 did not survive to hatching.
ON VACUUM-ENERGY DECAY FROM PARTICLE PRODUCTION
Authors: KLINKHAMER F. R.
Published: August 2012

A simplified (but consistent) description of particle-production back-reaction effects in de Sitter spacetime is given.
A FUNDAMENTAL SOLUTION-BASED FINITE ELEMENT MODEL FOR ANALYZING MULTI-LAYER SKIN BURN INJURY
Authors: WANG HUI , QIN QING-HUA
Published: August 2012

To understand the physiology of tissue burns for successful clinical treatment, it is important to investigate the thermal behavior of human skin tissue subjected to heat injury. In this paper, a fundamental solution-based hybrid finite element formulation is proposed for numerically simulating steady-state temperature distribution inside a multilayer human skin tissue during burning. In the present approach, since only element boundary integrals are involved, the computational dimension is reduced by one as the fundamental solutions used analytically satisfies the bioheat governing equation. Further, in multi-layer skin modeling, the burn is applied via a heating disk at constant temperature on a part of the epidermal surface of the skin tissue. Numerical results from the proposed approach are firstly verified by comparing them with exact solutions of a simple single-layered model or the results from conventional finite element method. Thereafter, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to reveal the effect of biological and environmental parameters on temperature distribution inside the skin tissue subjected to heat injury.
Protonation-deprotonation equilibria in tetrapyrroles Part 3: Mono- and diprotonations of the trimethyl esters of chlorin e6 and the 71-acetal of rhodin g7 in methanolic hydrochloric acid
Authors: Hynninen Paavo H.
Published: August 2012

Spectrophotometric protonation titrations were performed for the trimethyl esters (TME) of chlorin e6 (31,32-didehydrorhodochlorin-15-acetic acid) and the 71-acetal of rhodin g7 (31,32-didehydrorhodochlorin-71-oxo-15-acetic acid) using HCl as the acid and methanol as the solvent. For rhodin g7 TME, the 71-acetal formation could be clearly detected as the first step in the titration. Only two spectroscopically different protonated species were observed for each chlorin derivative in addition to the neutral forms. The two protonated species were assigned to the monocation and dication of each chlorin derivative. The following p K a values were obtained: p K3 = 4.63 and p K4 = 0.62 for chlorin e6 TME and p K3 = 4.40 and p K4 = 0.60 for the acetal of rhodin g7 TME. The protonation titration for chlorin e6 TME with HCl in acetic acid afforded UV-vis spectra similar to those obtained with HCl in methanol. The UV-vis spectrometric parameters are given for the neutral forms of chlorin e6 TME, rhodin g7 TME and its 71-acetal, as well as for the mono- and diprotonated species of chlorin e6 TME and rhodin g7 TME acetal. The protonation titration results of the chlorin e6 derivatives are compared with those previously obtained for phytyl/methyl pyropheophorbide a.
A soil geochemical background for northeastern Brazil
Authors: Matschullat Jörg , Höfle Silke , da Silva Juscimar , Mello Jaime , Melo Germano , Pleßow Alexander , Reimann Clemens
Published: August 2012

Very few area-representative soil geochemical data exist for the southern hemisphere. A sub-continental scale (1.7 × 10
6
km
2
) geochemical sampling expedition in northeastern Brazil delivered 101 representative composite soil samples (30–50 cm depth) for non-anthropogenically influenced areas (mainly pasture land). Major, minor, and selected trace elements, determined by WD-XRF, are discussed with respect to lithology, soil type, biome type, climate and land use. These element concentrations vary up to two orders of magnitude, except for Si (factor ≅ 2.6). Silicon is strongly enriched compared to global averages, whereas most other components show a considerable deficiency. Significant deviations occur compared to results obtained from southern Brazil and from Australia – examples for the few representative data from the southern hemisphere. Anthropogenic influences appear negligible. All environmental parameters, except for land use, play an active role in shaping the geochemical composition. Lithology appears to be partly decoupled from the soils due to their age. The soil composition reflects soil type, biome type, and weathering influences. Most plant nutrients, despite their absolute depletion, show the highest values in Caatinga soils, and the lowest in Atlantic Forest soils. The new data form a robust and valuable tool to support future land use management.
Exploration for Cretaceous stratigraphic traps in the Gulf of Guinea, West Africa and the discovery of the Jubilee Field: a play opening discovery in the Tano Basin, Offshore Ghana
Authors: Dailly Paul , Henderson Tracey , Hudgens Eric , Kanschat Kathy , Lowry Phil
Published: August 2012

The discovery of the Jubilee Oil Field in 2007 in the Tano Basin of Ghana is a primary example of the potential for Late Cretaceous deep-water stratigraphic traps in basins previously overlooked by the exploration industry. The Tano Basin forms the eastern extension of the Deep Ivorian Basin, which resulted from Aptian–Albian trans-tension associated with the opening of the Atlantic between the St Paul and Romanche fracture zones and the subsequent post-rift subsidence. The basin was the focus for deposition of a thick Upper Cretaceous, deep-water clastic sequence, which, in combination with a modest Tertiary section, provided sufficient thickness to mature a Cretaceous source rock in the central part of the Tano Basin. This well-defined reservoir and charge fairway forms the play, which, when draped over a large plunging nose (the South Tano high), resulted in the formation of a stratigraphic–structural combination trapping geometry that is characteristic of the Jubilee Field and subsequent discoveries in this play.
Directed test generation for validation of multicore architectures
Authors: Qin Xiaoke , Mishra Prabhat
Published: August 2012

Functional validation is widely acknowledged as a major challenge for multicore architectures. Directed tests are promising since a significantly smaller number of directed tests can achieve the same coverage goal compared to constrained-random tests. SAT-based bounded model checking is effective for automated generation of directed tests (counterexamples). While existing approaches focus on clause forwarding between different bounds to reduce the test generation time, this article proposes a novel technique that exploits temporal, structural, and spatial symmetry in multicore designs at the same time. Our proposed technique enables the reuse of the knowledge learned from one core to the remaining cores in multicore architectures (structural symmetry), from one bound to the next for a give property (temporal symmetry), as well as from one property to other properties (spatial symmetry). The experimental results demonstrate that our approach can significantly (3--10 times) reduce overall test generation time compared to existing approaches.
A3MAP
Authors: Jang Wooyoung , Pan David Z.
Published: August 2012

In this article, we propose novel and global Architecture-Aware Analytic MAPping (A3MAP) algorithms applied to Networks-on-Chip (NoCs) not only with homogeneous Processing Elements (PEs) on a regular mesh network as done by most previous application mapping algorithms but also with heterogeneous PEs on an irregular mesh or custom network. As the main contributions, we develop a simple yet efficient interconnection matrix that can easily model any core graph and network. Then, an application mapping problem is exactly formulated to Mixed Integer Quadratic Programming (MIQP). Since MIQP is NP-hard, we propose two effective heuristics, a successive relaxation algorithm achieving short runtime, called A3MAP-SR and a genetic algorithm achieving high mapping quality, called A3MAP-GA. We also propose a partition-based application mapping approach for large-scale NoCs, which provides better trade-off between performance and runtime. Experimental results show that A3MAP algorithms reduce total hop count, compared to the previous application mapping algorithms optimized for a regular mesh network, called NMAP [Murali and Micheli 2004] and for an irregular mesh and custom network, called CMAP [Tornero et al. 2008]. Furthermore, A3MAP algorithms make packets travel shorter distance than CMAP, which is related to energy consumption.
Formal verification of code motion techniques using data-flow-driven equivalence checking
Authors: Karfa Chandan , Mandal Chittaranjan , Sarkar Dipankar
Published: August 2012

A formal verification method for checking correctness of code motion techniques is presented in this article. Finite State Machine with Datapath (FSMD) models have been used to represent the input and the output behaviors of each synthesis step. The method introduces cutpoints in one FSMD, visualizes its computations as concatenation of paths from cutpoints to cutpoints, and then identifies equivalent finite path segments in the other FSMD; the process is then repeated with the FSMDs interchanged. Unlike many other reported techniques, the method is capable of verifying both uniform and nonuniform code motion techniques. It has been underlined in this work that for nonuniform code motions, identifying equivalent path segments involves model checking of some data-flow properties. Our method automatically identifies the situations where such properties are needed to be checked during equivalence checking, generates the appropriate properties, and invokes the model checking tool NuSMV to verify them. The correctness and the complexity of the method have been dealt with. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the method.
Load-balanced clock tree synthesis with adjustable delay buffer insertion for clock skew reduction in multiple dynamic supply voltage designs
Authors: Lin Kuan-Yu , Lin Hong-Ting , Ho Tsung-Yi , Tsai Chia-Chun
Published: August 2012

Power consumption is known to be a crucial issue in current IC designs. To tackle this problem, Multiple Dynamic Supply Voltage (MDSV) designs are proposed as an efficient solution for power savings. However, the increasing variability of clock skew during the switching of power modes leads to an increase in the complication of clock skew reduction in MDSV designs. In this article, we propose a load-balanced clock tree synthesizer with Adjustable Delay Buffer (ADB) insertion for clock skew reduction in MDSV designs. The clock tree synthesizer adopts the Minimum Spanning Tree (MST) metric to estimate the interconnect capacitance and execute the graph-theoretic clustering. The power-mode-guided optimization is also embedded into the clock tree synthesizer for improving additional area overhead in the step of ADB insertion. After constructing the initial buffered clock tree, we insert the ADBs with delay value assignments to reduce clock skew in MDSV designs. The ADBs can be used to produce additional delays, hence the clock latencies and skew become tunable in a clock tree. An efficient algorithm of ADB insertion for the minimization of clock skew, area, and runtime in MDSV designs has been presented. Comparing with the state-of-the-art algorithm of ADB insertion, experimental results show maximum 42.40% area overhead improvement. With the power-mode-guided optimization, the maximum improvement of area overhead can increase to 47.87%.
Introduction to UML and Formal Methods
Authors: Gibson J. Paul , Perseil Isabelle
Published: August 2012

It is with great pleasure that we introduce the 5th IEEE Interna-tional Workshop on UML and Formal Methods. Already, in its short 5 year history, the workshop has been located across the globe: Japan, Brazil, China, Ireland, and this year in Paris, France. For its first 3 years it was co-located with the International Conference on Formal Engineering Methods, whilst in the last 2 years it has been part of the International Symposium on Formal Methods. The workshop has a strong tradition of publishing the highest quality accepted papers in either: the NASA journal of Innovations in Systems and Software Engineering, or the ACM journal Software Engineering Notes (to whom we have returned this year).

The main objective of the workshop has not changed during its lifetime, namely: the building of bridges between informal, semi-formal and formal notations. This objective can be seen in each of the 4 main themes that make up the four sessions of this year's workshop: I. UML diagram formalization, II. Dynamic and real-time modeling, III. Transformations, and IV. Patterns and blocks. Across all sessions a wide range of formalisms and tools are presented Extended Hierarchical State Transition Matrices and CSP, the SMT solver Yice, MADES UML and metric temporal logic, UML-MARTE and Time Transition Systems, Colored Petri Nets, Behavioural types and Coq, QVT-R and XSLT, EMF Model-ing Operations, ASTD and SysML illustrating the breadth and depth of the research being done by our community.

We hope that you enjoy reading these papers as much as we have: the bridges are being built and we invite you to cross them.
Towards Practical Identification of HF RFID Devices
Authors: Danev Boris , Capkun Srdjan , Jayaram Masti Ramya , Benjamin Thomas S.
Published: August 2012

The deployment of RFID poses a number of security and privacy threats such as cloning, unauthorized tracking, etc. Although the literature contains many investigations of these issues on the logical level, few works have explored the security implications of the physical communication layer. Recently, related studies have shown the feasibility of identifying RFID-enabled devices based on physical-layer fingerprints. In this work, we leverage on these findings and demonstrate that physical-layer identification of HF RFID devices is also practical, that is, can achieve high accuracy and stability. We propose an improved hardware setup and enhanced techniques for fingerprint extraction and matching. Our new system enables device identification with an Equal Error Rate as low as 0.005 (0.5%) on a set 50 HF RFID smart cards of the same manufacturer and type. We further investigate the fingerprint stability over an extended period of time and across different acquisition setups. In the latter case, we propose a solution based on channel equalization that preserves the fingerprint quality across setups. Our results strengthen the practical use of physical-layer identification of RFID devices in product and document anti-counterfeiting solutions.