bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Generation green: understanding the motivations and mechanisms influencing young adults' environmental volunteering
Authors: McDougle Lindsey M. , Greenspan Itay , Handy Femida
Published: November 2011

Environmental issues are particularly salient for today's generation of young adults. Indeed, many have suggested that it will be this generation that will lead the environmental movement forward. Therefore, this study examines the motivations and mechanisms that influence proclivity and intensity of young adults' environmental volunteerism. Using a survey of environmental attitudes and behaviors of college students at a large urban Canadian university (n = 1 372), we assess why today's young adults volunteer for the environment and the factors that motivate their commitment. Our findings suggest that young adults who engage in pro‐environmental behaviors in general, as well as those who volunteer for other types of nonprofit organizations, are more likely to volunteer for environmental nonprofit organizations. Moreover, we find that social aspects of volunteering are the strongest positive predictor of the intensity of volunteerism in environmental groups. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dispersion of carbon nanotubes through amphiphilic block copolymers: Rheological and dielectrical characterizations of poly(ethylene oxide) composites
Authors: Semaan Chantal , Schappacher Michèle , Soum Alain
Published: November 2011

In this article, we report on some properties of polymer nanocomposites prepared from dispersions of multiwall carbon nanotubes (CNT) in aqueous solution prepared using amphiphilic block copolymers. These nanocomposites are made of polyethylene oxide as matrix and CNT wrapped with copolymers as fillers. We investigated the rheological and electrical behavior of such composites with the objectives of underlined the effect of wrapping. Two rheological and only one electrical percolation thresholds have been observed and related to polymer–CNT and CNT–CNT networks. The low values of these percolation thresholds agree with a homogeneous dispersion of CNT in the matrix. We also demonstrated that specific wrapping may induce an increase of electrical conductivity without affecting too much the viscosity of the melt. POLYM. COMPOS., 2012. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Zero‐valent bimetallic iron/copper catalyzed SET‐LRP: A dual activation by zero‐valent iron
Authors: Zhou Lili , Zhang Zhengbiao , Wang Wenxiang , Cheng Zhenping , Zhou Nianchen , Zhu Jian , Zhang Wei , Zhu Xiulin
Published: November 2011

In this work, bimetallic zero‐valent metal (Fe(0) powder and Cu(0) powder) was used to mediate the single electron transfer‐living radical polymerization (SET‐LRP) of methyl methacrylate at 25 °C in dimethyl sulfoxide. Different feed ratios of [Fe(0)]0/[Cu(0)]0 (0/1.5, 0.5/1, 0.75/0.75, 1/0.5, and 1.3/0.2) were explored. With the increase of Fe(0) feed, the polymerization rate was mildly depressed with a prolonged induction period. While, the control over the molecular weights was improved upon the increase of Fe(0). A best control (initiation efficiency = 91%) was achieved at [Fe(0)]0/[Cu(0)]0 = 1/0.5. A further increase of Fe(0) to the feed ratio of [Fe(0)]0:[Cu(0)]0 = 1.3: 0.2 led to a uncontrolled polymerization. Explorations of available solvents and ligands for this polymerization confirmed the SET‐LRP mechanism. It was suggested that Fe(0) might act as a dual role in this process: one was the activation agent for Cu(0), which favored a better control over the molecular weights; The other was an alternative catalyst for the activation of R‐X or Pn‐X to generate radicals, which assured a comparable polymerization rate as that of Cu(0). This work provided an alternative and economical catalyst for SET‐LRP, and would eventually reinforce the SET‐LRP technique. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Ultraviolet to near‐infrared downconversion in Yb3+‐doped Sr2CeO4
Authors: Zhou Ru , Wei Xiantao , Chen Yonghu , Duan Changkui , Yin Min
Published: November 2011

Efficient blue–green emission is observed for Sr2CeO4 under ultraviolet excitation ranging from 250 to 400 nm and this is ascribed to the emission of the O2−–Ce4+ charge transfer (CT) states. Under the excitation of ultraviolet light in the broad absorption band, an intense near‐infrared (NIR) emission of Yb3+: 2F5/2 → 2F7/2 around 1 µm is observed for Yb3+‐doped Sr2CeO4. The Yb3+ concentration‐dependent luminescence properties and the lifetimes of both the visible CT emission and the NIR Yb3+ emission are investigated under the excitation of a 266‐nm pulsed laser beam. The fast decline of the lifetimes of the CT emission with the increasing Yb3+ concentration suggests efficient energy transfer from the host to Yb3+ ions. A cooperative energy transfer (CET) mechanism is proposed to explain the NIR downconversion process. The Sr2CeO4:Yb3+ phosphors can convert ultraviolet photons into NIR photons around 1 µm with a twofold increase in the photon number via CET, which has potential application in enhancing the photovoltaic conversion efficiency of silicon‐based solar cells.
Stress Effects: A Study of Salivary Cortisol Levels in Third‐year Medical Students
Authors: Tseng Teresa , Iosif Ana‐Maria , Seritan Andreea L.
Published: November 2011

The physical, mental and emotional stresses experienced during the training and careers of physicians have been linked to increased rates of anxiety, depression and suicide. Increased stress leads to alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, which can determine multisystem modulations with acute and chronic consequences. This study investigated salivary cortisol patterns in third‐year medical students performing clinical work at a US medical school. Morning and evening salivary cortisol samples were collected from students during the last 2 weeks of each of three successive clinical rotations and while on vacation. Salivary cortisol levels were measured using Siemens radioimmunoassay kits (Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics, Los Angeles, CA, USA). Statistical analysis used mixed‐effects regression models. Eleven students submitted 64 salivary samples. Statistically significant blunting of the diurnal cortisol variation was observed in students on inpatient rotations. HPA axis changes occur in third‐year medical students performing inpatient clinical work. These findings can inform curriculum planning, rotation‐specific guidelines and the development of student wellness programmes. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Augmentation by escitalopram, but not citalopram or R‐citalopram, of the effects of low‐dose risperidone: Behavioral, biochemical, and electrophysiological evidence
Authors: Marcus Monica M. , Jardemark Kent , Malmerfelt Anna , Gertow Jens , Konradsson‐Geuken Åsa , Svensson Torgny H.
Published: November 2011

Antidepressant drugs are frequently used to treat affective symptoms in schizophrenia. We have recently shown that escitalopram, but not citalopram or R‐citalopram, increases firing rate and burst firing of midbrain dopamine neurons, potentiates cortical N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor‐mediated transmission and enhances cognition, effects that might influence the outcome of concomitant antipsychotic medication. Here, we studied, in rats, the behavioral and neurobiological effects of adding escitalopram, citalopram, or R‐citalopram to the second‐generation antipsychotic drug risperidone. We examined antipsychotic efficacy using the conditioned avoidance response (CAR) test, extrapyramidal side effect (EPS) liability using a catalepsy test, dopamine outflow in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) and nucleus accumbens using in vivo microdialysis in freely moving animals, and NMDA receptor‐mediated transmission in the mPFC using intracellular electrophysiological recording in vitro. Only escitalopram (5 mg/kg), but not citalopram (10 mg/kg), or R‐citalopram (10 mg/kg), dramatically enhanced the antipsychotic‐like effect of a low dose of risperidone (0.25 mg/kg), without increasing catalepsy. Given alone, escitalopram, but not citalopram or R‐citalopram, markedly enhanced both cortical dopamine output and NMDA receptor‐mediated transmission. Addition of escitalopram and to some extent R‐citalopram, but not citalopram, significantly enhanced both cortical dopamine output and cortical NMDA receptor‐mediated transmission induced by a suboptimal dose/concentration of risperidone. These results suggest that adjunct treatment with escitalopram, but not citalopram, may enhance the effect of a subtherapeutic dose of risperidone on positive, negative, cognitive, and depressive symptoms in schizophrenia, yet without increased EPS liability. Synapse, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Application of a CBPR Framework to Inform a Multi‐level Tobacco Cessation Intervention in Public Housing Neighborhoods
Authors: Andrews Jeannette O. , Tingen Martha S. , Jarriel Stacey Crawford , Caleb Maudesta , Simmons Alisha , Brunson Juanita , Mueller Martina , Ahluwalia Jasjit S. , Newman Susan D. , Cox Melissa J. , Magwood Gayenell , Hurman Christina
Published: November 2011

African American women in urban, high poverty neighborhoods have high rates of smoking, difficulties with quitting, and disproportionate tobacco‐related health disparities. Prior research utilizing conventional “outsider driven” interventions targeted to individuals has failed to show effective cessation outcomes. This paper describes the application of a community‐based participatory research (CBPR) framework to inform a culturally situated, ecological based, multi‐level tobacco cessation intervention in public housing neighborhoods. The CBPR framework encompasses problem identification, planning and feasibility/pilot testing, implementation, evaluation, and dissemination. There have been multiple partners in this process including public housing residents, housing authority administrators, community health workers, tenant associations, and academic investigators. The advisory process has evolved from an initial small steering group to our current institutional community advisory boards. Our decade‐long CBPR journey produced design innovations, promising preliminary outcomes, and a full‐scaled implementation study in two states. Challenges include sustaining engagement with evolving study partners, maintaining equity and power in the partnerships, and long‐term sustainability of the intervention. Implications include applicability of the framework with other CBPR partnerships, especially scaling up evolutionary grassroots involvement to multi‐regional partnerships.
Adolescent Sexual Assault Victims and the Legal System: Building Community Relationships to Improve Prosecution Rates
Authors: Campbell Rebecca , Greeson Megan R. , Bybee Deborah , Fehler-Cabral Giannina
Published: November 2011

Adolescents are at high risk for sexual assault, but few of these crimes are reported to the police and prosecuted by the criminal justice system. To address this problem, communities throughout the United States have implemented multidisciplinary interventions to improve post‐assault care for victims and increase prosecution rates. The two most commonly implemented interventions are Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Programs and Sexual Assault Response Teams (SARTs). The purpose of this study was to determine whether community‐level context (i.e., stakeholder engagement and collaboration) was predictive of adolescent legal case outcomes, after accounting for “standard” factors that affect prosecution success (i.e., victim, assault, and evidence characteristics). Overall, 40% of the adolescent cases from these two SANE–SART programs (over a 10‐year period) were successfully prosecuted. Cases were more likely to be prosecuted for younger victims, those with disabilities, those who knew their offenders, and instances in which the rape evidence collection kit was submitted by police for analysis. After accounting for these influences, multi‐level modeling results revealed that in one site decreased allocation of community resources to adolescent sexual assault cases had a significant negative effect on prosecution case outcomes. Results are explained in terms of Wolff's (Am J Community Psychol 29:173–191, 2001) concept of “over‐coalitioned” communities and Kelly's (1968) ecological principles.
Quantitation of Multiple Sphingolipid Classes Using Normal and Reversed‐Phase LC–ESI–MS/MS: Comparative Profiling of Two Cell Lines
Authors: Masood M. Athar , Rao Raghavendra P. , Acharya Jairaj K. , Blonder Josip , Veenstra Timothy D.
Published: November 2011

Sphingolipids are an important class of compounds that regulate signal transduction and other vital cellular processes. Herein, we report sensitive normal and reversed phase LC–MS/MS methods for quantitation of multiple sphingolipid classes. In the normal‐phase ESI/MS/MS method, a high content of organic solvents was utilized, which, although it included hexane, ethyl acetate, acetonitrile containing 2% methanol, 1–2% acetic acid, and 5 mM ammonium acetate, resulted in a very efficient electrospray ionization of the ceramides (Cers) and hexosylceramides (MHCers). Three normal‐phase LC–MS/MS methods using segmented phases were developed to specifically target Cers, MHCers, or sphingomyelins (SMs). This segmentation scheme increases the number of data points acquired for a given analyte and enhances the sensitivity and specificity of the measurements. Nine separate reversed phase chromatography methods were developed for the three classes of compounds. These assays were used for comparing the levels of Cers, SMs, and MHCers from mouse embryonic fibroblast (pMEF) and human embryonic kidney (HEK293) cells. These findings were then compared with the reported data from RAW264.7 mouse macrophage cells, BHK21 hamster cells, and human plasma and serum samples. The analysis of cell lines, using both normal and reversed phase chromatography, revealed discrimination based on the type of chromatography chosen, while sphingolipid assays of samples containing different amounts of protein showed different results, even after normalizing for protein content. Also, LC/MS/MS profiles were provided for the classes and individual compounds so that they could be used as “molecular profiles” for class or individual sample analysis.
The mechanism of a splash on a dry solid surface
Authors: Mandre Shreyas , Brenner Michael P.
Published: November 2011

From rain storms to ink jet printing, it is ubiquitous that a high-speed liquid droplet creates a splash when it impacts on a dry solid surface. Yet, the fluid mechanical mechanism causing this splash is unknown. About fifty years ago it was discovered that corona splashes are preceded by the ejection of a thin fluid sheet very near the vicinity of the contact point. Here we present a first-principles description of the mechanism for sheet formation, the initial stages of which occur before the droplet physically contacts the surface. We predict precisely when sheet formation occurs on a smooth surface as a function of experimental parameters, along with conditions on the roughness and other parameters for the validity of the predictions. The process of sheet formation provides a semi-quantitative framework for studying the subsequent events and the influence of liquid viscosity, gas pressure and surface roughness. The conclusions derived from this framework are in quantitative agreement with previous measurements of the splash threshold as a function of impact parameters (the size and velocity of the droplet) and in qualitative agreement with the dependence on physical properties (liquid viscosity, surface tension, ambient gas pressure, etc.) Our analysis predicts an as yet unobserved series of events within micrometres of the impact point and microseconds of the splash.
THE EUROPEAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS’ APPROACH TO THE RESPONSIBILITY OF MEMBER STATES IN CONNECTION WITH ACTS OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Authors: Ryngaert Cedric
Published: November 2011

It is generally considered that an international organization (‘IO’) has an international legal personality which is distinct from that of its Member States, as a result of which the IO itself, rather than the Member States, is to be held responsible for the IO's internationally wrongful acts.1 It appears to be an accepted principle that Member States cannot generally be held liable for the acts of IOs by virtue of their membership of an IO alone. This view can be found in a 1996 resolution of the Institut de Droit International, which provides that ‘there is no general rule of international law whereby States members are, due solely to their membership, liable, concurrently or subsidiarily, for the obligations of an international organization of which they are members.’2 This is echoed in the International Law Commission's (‘ILC’) Commentary to article 62 of the Draft Articles on the Responsibility of International Organizations (‘ILC DARIO’): ‘It is clear that … membership does not as such entail for member States international responsibility when the organization commits an internationally wrongful act’.3 The ILC holds the view that only in the case of an intervening act by a Member State that influences the commission of a wrongful act by the IO (aid and assistance, direction and control, coercion, avoidance of compliance, acceptance) could the Member State be held responsible.4
SEQUENTIAL TESTING FOR THE STABILITY OF HIGH-FREQUENCY PORTFOLIO BETAS
Authors: Aue Alexander , Hörmann Siegfried , Horváth Lajos , Hušková Marie , Steinebach Josef G.
Published: November 2011

Despite substantial criticism, variants of the capital asset pricing model (CAPM) remain to this day the primary statistical tools for portfolio managers to assess the performance of financial assets. In the CAPM, the risk of an asset is expressed through its correlation with the market, widely known as the beta. There is now a general consensus among economists that these portfolio betas are time-varying and that, consequently, any appropriate analysis has to take this variability into account. Recent advances in data acquisition and processing techniques have led to an increased research output concerning high-frequency models. Within this framework, we introduce here a modified functional CAPM and sequential monitoring procedures to test for the constancy of the portfolio betas. As our main results we derive the large-sample properties of these monitoring procedures. In a simulation study and an application to S&P 100 data we show that our method performs well in finite samples.
Conservation of genetic diversity in regenerated landraces of Italian ryegrass
Authors: López J. E. , Oliveira J. A.
Published: November 2011

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of one cycle of seed regeneration on the conservation of genetic diversity in five Italian ryegrass landraces (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). Regeneration took place outdoors, in a sheltered site surrounded by tall Galician wheat, 20 m from the nearest source of alien pollen. A balanced mixture of seed (the same weight of seed per plant) was made from 90–100 plants harvested within each population. The conservation of allele frequencies was assessed by starch gel electrophoresis. Five enzyme systems from 78–153 plants per population were examined on slices of a single histidine–citrate starch gel. Each regenerated population differed from its original landrace in at least one of the five loci. The mean heterozygosity per locus was 0.45 for original and regenerated populations, and the mean number of alleles per locus was 3.7 and 3.6 for original and regenerated populations, respectively. There was no loss of common alleles (frequency >0.05) in the five regenerated populations compared with the original populations. Only three rare alleles (frequency < 0.05) were lost (e.g. alleles phosphoglucose isomerase (PGI)-2a, PGI-2c* and shikimate dehydrogenase (SDH)-1d in Padrón, Pravia and Luarca, respectively). No regeneration effect (P>0.05) was observed in the six agromorphological characters. However, a significant landrace effect was observed (P < 0.05) in the five agromorphological traits and the regenerated landraces deviated from the original landraces in 20% of direct comparisons. The results suggest that the method of regeneration used was not very suitable for maintaining the genetic integrity of the original landraces.
Efficient diffuse auroral electron scattering by electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic waves in the outer magnetosphere: A detailed case study
Authors: Ni Binbin , Liang Jun , Thorne Richard M. , Angelopoulos Vassilis , Horne Richard B. , Kubyshkina Marina , Spanswick Emma , Donovan Eric F. , Lummerzheim Dirk
Published: November 2011

This paper is a companion to a paper by Liang et al. (2011) which reports a causal connection between the intensification of electrostatic ECH waves and the postmidnight diffuse auroral activity in the absence of whistler mode chorus waves at L = 11.5 on the basis of simultaneous observations from THEMIS spacecraft and NORSTAR optical instruments during 8–9 UT on February 5, 2009. In this paper, we use the THEMIS particle and wave measurements together with the magnetically conjugate auroral observations for this event to illustrate an example where electrostatic electron cyclotron harmonic (ECH) waves are the main contributor to the diffuse auroral precipitation. We use the wave and particle data to perform a comprehensive theoretical and numerical analysis of ECH wave driven resonant scattering rates. We find that the observed ECH wave activity can cause intense pitch angle scattering of plasma sheet electrons between 100 eV and 5 keV at a rate of >10−4 s−1 for equatorial pitch angles αeq < 30°. The scattering approaches the strong diffusion limit in the realistic ambient magnetic field to produce efficient precipitation loss of <∼5 keV electrons on a timescale of a few hours or less. Using the electron differential energy flux inside the loss cone estimated based upon the energy‐dependent efficiency of ECH wave scattering for an 8‐s interval with high resolution wave data available, the auroral electron transport model developed by Lummerzheim (1987) produced an intensity of ∼2.3 kR for the green‐line diffuse aurora. Separately, Maxwellian fitting to the electron differential flux spectrum produced a green‐line auroral intensity of ∼2.6 kR. This is in good agreement with the ∼2.4 kR green‐line auroral intensity observed simultaneously at the magnetic foot point (as inferred using the event‐adaptive model of Kubyshkina et al. (2009, 2011)) of the location where the in situ observations were obtained. Our results support the scenario that enhanced ECH emissions in the central plasma sheet (CPS) can be an important or even dominant driver of diffuse auroral precipitation in the outer magnetosphere. This paper is an important compliment to recent work that has shown lower band and upper band chorus to be mainly responsible for the occurrences of diffuse aurora in the inner magnetosphere.
Basic Numeracy in Children With Specific Language Impairment: Heterogeneity and Connections to Language
Authors: Koponen Tuire , Mononen Riikka , Räsänen Pekka , Ahonen Timo
Published: November 2011

Purpose

This study examined basic numerical skills in children with specific language impairment (SLI) and how well linguistic factors explain the variance in these children’s number skills.

Method

The performance of children with SLI (
n
= 29) was compared with that of typically developing children along a continuum ranging from preschool to 3rd grade (
n
= 20, 47, 40, and 33). This facilitated both linguistic and educational age comparisons. To study number skills within the SLI group more closely, this group was divided into subgroups on the basis of their performance in verbal and nonverbal numerical skills. The performance of the different SLI subgroups on the linguistic and nonverbal reasoning task was analyzed.

Results

As a single group, the children with SLI lagged behind their educational age controls in both verbal and nonverbal numerical skills. Subgroup analyses revealed that the ability to retrieve arithmetic facts from the memory was connected to naming fluency, whereas the differences in nonverbal numerical skills were not explained by the cognitive skills measured (nonverbal reasoning skill, verbal short-term memory, vocabulary, comprehension, and naming fluency).

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that children with SLI form a very heterogeneous group in their numerical skills, and thus specific hypotheses concerning the influence of linguistic deficits on developing numerical skills are required. The cognitive components of serial naming speed present a promising domain for further exploration.
Text Chat as a Tool for Referential Questioning in Asperger Syndrome
Authors: Rajendran Gnanathusharan , Mitchell Peter
Published: November 2011

Purpose

This article reports a study in which referential communication in 11 individuals with Asperger syndrome (AS) and 11 controls was compared between text chat and telephone, using a route-solving task.

Method

Participants deduced routes by asking closed questions, and the dependent variables were (a) accuracy in working out the route, (b) number of questions posed (turns taken), and (c) time taken to complete the task.

Results

Generally, individuals with AS were equally competent in solving the task in both media but less efficient than the typically developing comparison group. Individuals with AS who had higher measured executive ability adopted a similar approach to the comparison group, asking about landmarks on the map to deduce the route taken. In contrast, AS participants with lower executive ability used an inefficient left/right questioning strategy, which occupied more time, required more conversational turns, and was associated with a higher rate of error.

Conclusion

Individuals with AS, who also have problems of executive functioning, may have difficulty communicating with others to use a route-solving task.
The Distribution of Phonated Intervals in the Speech of Individuals Who Stutter
Authors: Godinho Tara , Ingham Roger J. , Davidow Jason , Cotton John
Published: November 2011

Purpose

Previous research has demonstrated the fluency-improving effect of reducing the occurrence of short-duration, phonated intervals (PIs; ∼30–150 ms) in individuals who stutter, prompting the hypothesis that PIs in these individuals' speech are not distributed normally, particularly in the short PI ranges. It has also been hypothesized that this nonnormal PI distribution will be present during the stutter-free speech of affected persons.

Method

A comparison was made between the distributions of PIs during oral reading by adolescent and adult speakers who stuttered (n= 13; 11 males) and by age- and gender-matched, normally fluent control participants.

Results

The results did not support these hypotheses. The results showed that although there were significantly fewer PIs in the speech of the speakers who stuttered (probably because of their slower speaking rate), there was no significant difference between the PI distributions of both speaker groups. This was also true for comparisons between the stutter-free speech of the affected speakers and matched periods of speech produced by the control participants. The PI distributions from both groups were highly correlated.

Conclusion

The null hypothesis findings are discussed in relation to speech–motor- and neurologic-systems explanations for the fluency-inducing effects of reducing short PIs in the speech of individuals who stutter.
Biomechanical Correlates of Surface Electromyography Signals Obtained During Swallowing by Healthy Adults
Authors: Crary Michael A. , Carnaby (Mann) Giselle D. , Groher Michael E.
Published: November 2011

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to describe biomechanical correlates of the surface electromyographic signal obtained during swallowing by healthy adult volunteers.

Method

Seventeen healthy adults were evaluated with simultaneous videofluoroscopy and surface electromyography (sEMG) while swallowing 5 mL of liquid barium sulfate. Three biomechanical swallowing events were analyzed: hyoid elevation, pharyngeal constriction, and opening–closing of the pharyngoesophageal segment. For each biomechanical event and from the sEMG signal, the authors identified onset, peak, and offset time points. From these points, duration measures were calculated. Means and 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each measure. Subsequently, correlations were evaluated between timing aspects of the sEMG traces and each biomechanical event.

Results

Swallow onset in the sEMG signal preceded the onset of all biomechanical events. All biomechanical events demonstrated a strong correspondence to the sEMG signal. The strongest relationship was between hyoid elevation–anterior displacement and the sEMG signal.

Conclusions

These results suggest that the sEMG signal is a useful indicator of major biomechanical events in the swallow. Future studies should address the impact of age and disease processes, as well as bolus characteristics, on the biomechanical correlates of sEMG signals obtained during swallowing.
The Mental Number Line in Depth Revealed by Vection
Authors: Seno Takeharu , Taya Shuichiro , Ito Hiroyuki , Sunaga Shoji
Published: November 2011

To explore how numbers are represented in depth in our mental space, we asked participants to sequentially speak random numbers while they observed forward/backward vection. We found that participants tended to generate larger numbers when they perceived backward self-motion. The results suggest that numerical magnitudes were topographically mapped onto our mental space from front to rear in an ascending order.
An Advantage for Active versus Passive Aperture-Viewing in Visual Object Recognition
Authors: Craddock Matt , Martinovic Jasna , Lawson Rebecca
Published: November 2011

In aperture viewing the field-of-view is restricted, such that only a small part of an image is visible, enforcing serial exploration of different regions of an object in order to successfully recognise it. Previous studies have used either active control or passive observation of the viewing aperture, but have not contrasted the two modes. Active viewing has previously been shown to confer an advantage in visual object recognition. We displayed objects through a small moveable aperture and tested whether people's ability to identify the images as familiar or novel objects was influenced by how the window location was controlled. Participants recognised objects faster when they actively controlled the window using their finger on a touch-screen, as opposed to passively observing the moving window. There was no difference between passively viewing again one's own window movement as generated in a previous block of trials versus viewing window movements that had been generated by other participants. These results contrast with those from comparable studies of haptic object recognition, which have found a benefit for passive over active stimulus exploration, but accord with findings of an advantage of active viewing in visual object recognition.
The Missing Sense Modality: The Immune System
Authors: Bedford Felice L
Published: November 2011

The five senses were handed down by Aristotle. I argue that it has only taken two millennia to recognize that the immune system has been the hidden sensory modality. The immune system completes the range of operation allowing detection of meaningful entities at all distances, from very near to very far. It also withstands the often implicit criteria for being a sense modality. Finally, cross-modal interactions between the immune system and vision and other sense modalities should be possible, opening up new research directions.
Feeding habits of a large endangered skate from the south-west Atlantic: the spotback skate, Atlantoraja castelnaui
Authors: Barbini Santiago A. , Lucifora Luis O.
Published: November 2011

Elasmobranch predation has important effects on marine ecosystems. Identifying the main correlates of the feeding habits of skates is of paramount importance for determining their ecological role. We tested the hypotheses that the diet of the spotback skate, Atlantoraja castelnaui, off Uruguay and northern Argentina, changes with increasing body size, between seasons and regions and that prey size increased with predator’s size using a multiple-hypothesis modelling approach. A. castelnaui preyed mainly on teleosts, followed by cephalopods, elasmobranchs and decapods. Small individuals of A. castelnaui consumed decapods and large individuals ate elasmobranchs and cephalopods. The consumption of teleosts was constant along the ontogeny but differed between seasons; more demersal-benthic teleosts were consumed in the cold season, whereas more benthic teleosts were eaten in the warm season. Also, A. castelnaui consumed more cephalopods in the warm season than in the cold season. Benthic teleosts were consumed more in the south region, whereas decapods were eaten more in the north region. A. castelnaui is able to consume larger teleosts as it grows. We conclude that A. castelnaui is a versatile, mainly piscivorous, consumer that shifts its diet with increasing body size and in response to seasonal and regional changes in prey abundance or distribution.
Vann Bennett: How ankyrin holds it all together
Authors: Sedwick Caitlin
Published: November 2011

Since discovering ankyrin, Bennett has worked to understand its many functions at cell membranes.
Myosin concentration underlies cell size–dependent scalability of actomyosin ring constriction
Authors: Calvert Meredith E.K. , Wright Graham D. , Leong Fong Yew , Chiam Keng-Hwee , Chen Yinxiao , Jedd Gregory , Balasubramanian Mohan K.
Published: November 2011

In eukaryotes, cytokinesis is accomplished by an actomyosin-based contractile ring. Although in Caenorhabditis elegans embryos larger cells divide at a faster rate than smaller cells, it remains unknown whether a similar mode of scalability operates in other cells. We investigated cytokinesis in the filamentous fungus Neurospora crassa, which exhibits a wide range of hyphal circumferences. We found that N. crassa cells divide using an actomyosin ring and larger rings constricted faster than smaller rings. However, unlike in C. elegans, the total amount of myosin remained constant throughout constriction, and there was a size-dependent increase in the starting concentration of myosin in the ring. We predict that the increased number of ring-associated myosin motors in larger rings leads to the increased constriction rate. Accordingly, reduction or inhibition of ring-associated myosin slows down the rate of constriction. Because the mechanical characteristics of contractile rings are conserved, we predict that these findings will be relevant to actomyosin ring constriction in other cell types.
Simulations of density profiles, pellet fuelling and density control in ITER
Authors: Garzotti L. , Belo P. , Corrigan G. , Köchl F. , Lönnroth J. , Parail V. , Pereverzev G. , Saarelma S. , Tardini G. , Valovič M. , Voitsekhovitch I. , Wiesen S.
Published: November 2011

The paper presents the results of 1.5-dimensional simulations of density profiles and pellet fuelling for the ITER baseline scenario performed with the ASTRA and JETTO transport codes by the ITER Scenario Modelling working group within the European Task Force on Integrated Tokamak Modelling. The first part of the paper describes the physics of the problem and how it is implemented in the different codes available to the working group. The second part presents the results of the simulations. Results obtained with the GLF23 physics based transport model and a simplified description of the pellet particle source are described alongside results obtained with the simpler Bohm/gyro-Bohm semi-empirical transport model and a more sophisticated pellet ablation/deposition code providing a completely self-consistent description of the pellet source. A parametric study has been performed to assess the effect of varying parameters independently, the values of which in ITER are either uncertain or not easily controllable (such as particle diffusivity, edge stability, wall recycling and boundary conditions), on the target plasma density, temperature, Q and pellet frequency required to achieve a certain degree of density control. To this end the edge particle diffusivity was increased by a factor of three, the pedestal normalized critical pressure gradient for ballooning stability was decreased by 20%, the boundary conditions on density and temperature were modified by 30–40% and the wall recycling particle source was increased from zero to 20% of the particle outflux. The results show that variations in the order of 15% for density and temperature, 40% for Q and 100% for the pellet frequency can be expected. Open problems and modelling needs are also discussed in the paper.
Tomographic reconstruction of tokamak plasma light emission from single image using wavelet-vaguelette decomposition
Authors: Nguyen van yen R. , Fedorczak N. , Brochard F. , Bonhomme G. , Schneider K. , Farge M. , Monier-Garbet P.
Published: November 2011

Images acquired by cameras installed in tokamaks are difficult to interpret because the three-dimensional structure of the plasma is flattened in a non-trivial way. Nevertheless, taking advantage of the slow variation of the fluctuations along magnetic field lines, the optical transformation may be approximated by a generalized Abel transform, for which we propose an inversion technique based on the wavelet-vaguelette decomposition. After validation of the new method using an academic test case and numerical data obtained with the Tokam 2D code, we present an application to an experimental movie obtained in the tokamak Tore Supra. A comparison with a classical regularization technique for ill-posed inverse problems, the singular value decomposition, allows us to assess the efficiency. The superiority of the wavelet-vaguelette technique is reflected in preserving local features, such as blobs and fronts, in the denoised emissivity map.
Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii Produces an Endoglucanase That Is Required for Full Virulence in Sweet Corn
Authors: Mohammadi Mojtaba , Burbank Lindsey , Roper M. Caroline
Published: November 2011

Pantoea stewartii subsp. stewartii, a xylem-dwelling bacterium, is the causal agent of Stewart's wilt and blight of sweet corn. The goal of this study was to characterize the only gene in the P. stewartii subsp. stewartii genome predicted to encode an endoglucanase (EGase); this gene was designated engY. Culture supernatants from P. stewartii subsp. stewartii and Escherichia coli expressing recombinant EngY protein possessed both EGase and xylanase activities. Deletion of engY abolished EGase and xylanase activity, demonstrating that EngY appears to be the major EGase or xylanase produced by P. stewartii subsp. stewartii. Most importantly, our results show that EngY contributes to movement in the xylem and disease severity during the wilting phase of Stewart's wilt but is not required for water-soaked lesion formation.
Human-centric sensing
Authors: Srivastava Mani , Abdelzaher Tarek , Szymanski Boleslaw
Published: November 2011

The first decade of the century witnessed a proliferation of devices with sensing and communication capabilities in the possession of the average individual. Examples range from camera phones and wireless global positioning system units to sensor-equipped, networked fitness devices and entertainment platforms (such as Wii). Social networking platforms emerged, such as Twitter, that allow sharing information in real time. The unprecedented deployment scale of such sensors and connectivity options ushers in an era of novel data-driven applications that rely on inputs collected by networks of humans or measured by sensors acting on their behalf. These applications will impact domains as diverse as health, transportation, energy, disaster recovery, intelligence and warfare. This paper surveys the important opportunities in human-centric sensing, identifies challenges brought about by such opportunities and describes emerging solutions to these challenges.
Human mucosal CD4+ T cells but not blood CD4+ T cells respond vigorously towards CD28 engagement
Authors: Schröder-Braunstein J , Pavlov V , Giese T , Heidtmann A , Wentrup S , Lasitschka F , Winter J , Ulrich A , Engelke A , Al Saeedi M , Meuer S
Published: November 2011

Human lamina propria T lymphocytes (LPT) possess functional properties profoundly different from those of peripheral blood T lymphocytes (PBT). While they are characterized by a low proliferative response to T cell receptor (TCR)/CD3 stimulation in vitro their responsiveness to activation through the ‘co-stimulatory’ CD2-receptor is enhanced when compared to PBT. In this study, we demonstrate that engagement of another co-stimulatory receptor on both LPT and PBT, namely CD28, by a single monoclonal antibody (mAb), respectively, strongly activates the former but not the latter through a PI3-kinase dependent signalling pathway leading to the production of inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin (IL)-2, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon (IFN)-γ and granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). In addition to the high sensitivity of LPT to CD2 stimulation, this finding supports the notion that ‘non-specific/innate’ mechanisms to activate T lymphocytes play a predominant role vis-à-vis ‘TCR driven/adaptive’ responses in the intestinal mucosa. Furthermore, it suggests that results from preclinical tests for therapeutic antibodies performed with human blood derived T cells are probably insufficient to predict reactivities of tissue-resident immune cells, which – given their quantitative predominance – may critically determine the in-vivo response to such compounds.
Is an advance care planning model feasible in community palliative care? A multi‐site action research approach
Authors: Blackford Jeanine , Street Annette
Published: November 2011

blackford j. & street a. (2012) Is an advance care planning model feasible in community palliative care? A multi‐site action research approach. Journal of Advanced Nursing68(9), 2021–2033.

Aim.  This article reports a study to determine the feasibility of an advance care planning model developed with Australian community palliative care services.

Background.  An effective advance care planning programme involves an organizational wide commitment and preparedness for health service reform to embed advance care planning into routine practice. Internationally, such programmes have been implemented predominantly in aged and acute care with more recent work in primary care.

Methods.  A multi‐site action research was conducted over a 16‐month period in 2007–2009 with three Victorian community palliative care services. Using mixed method data collection strategies to assess feasibility, we conducted a baseline audit of staff and clients; analysed relevant documents (client records, policies, procedures and quality improvement strategies) pre‐implementation and post‐implementation and conducted key informant interviews (n = 9).

Settings and participants.  Three community palliative care services: one regional and two metropolitan services in Victoria, Australia.

Results.  The services demonstrated that it was feasible to embed the Model into their organizational structures. Advance care planning conversations and involvement of family was an important outcome measure rather than completion rate of advance care planning documents in community settings. Services adapted and applied their own concept of community, which widened the impact of the Model. Changes to quality audit processes were essential to consolidate the Model into routine palliative care practice.

Conclusion.  An advance care planning model is feasible for community palliative care services. Quality audit processes are an essential component of the Model with documentation of advance care planning discussion established as an important outcome measure.
Improving the effectiveness of riparian management for aquatic invertebrates in a degraded agricultural landscape: stream size and land‐use legacies
Authors: Greenwood Michelle J. , Harding Jon S. , Niyogi Dev K. , McIntosh Angus R.
Published: November 2011

1. Riparian management has been embraced by water and land managers globally to offset the deleterious effects of intensive agricultural land use on aquatic ecosystems. However, the documented responses of stream communities to riparian management have been variable, particularly in highly degraded systems.

2. We used boosted regression trees and structural equation models to assess the effects of riparian condition and stream size on the invertebrate communities of 64 agricultural waterways on the Canterbury Plains, New Zealand. We hypothesized that small streams would be more degraded than larger waterways but would show a greater increase in the abundance of pollution‐sensitive aquatic invertebrates in response to riparian management. We also predicted that land‐use legacies of poor in‐stream habitat would reduce the effectiveness of current riparian management. The two strongest determinants of community structure were primarily in‐stream habitat, where sedimentation and low water velocity had negative impacts on stream communities, and stream size, with smaller waterways generally more impacted than large waterways. Not surprisingly, with >150 years of agriculture and patchy riparian management on the plains, current management has not greatly improved in‐stream habitat and thus had little effect on the abundance of sensitive aquatic insect (EPT) taxa.

3. Managed streams did, however, have more pollution‐sensitive communities in general. This was largely mediated by decreased stream temperature, narrower/deeper channels and greater organic matter resources in streams with riparian planting and restricted stock access. Thus, if water velocity and sedimentation issues can be mitigated, then riparian management should become more effective.

4. Synthesis and applications.Within the context of a degraded agricultural landscape, we identified factors limiting the effectiveness of riparian management for stream invertebrate communities. Riparian management should primarily target and protect small streams and those without degraded in‐stream habitat. Intensive management, such as in‐stream habitat or channel morphology modification, may be needed to address historical factors (e.g. low velocity and sedimentation), which otherwise may continue to limit community recovery.