bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Are droughts becoming more frequent or severe in China based on the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index: 1951–2010?
Authors: Yu Meixiu , Li Qiongfang , Hayes Michael J. , Svoboda Mark D. , Heim Richard R.
Published: May 2013

The Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) was computed based on the monthly precipitation and air temperature values at 609 locations over China during the period 1951–2010.Various characteristics of drought across China were examined including: long‐term trends, percentage of area affected, intensity, duration, and drought frequency. The results revealed that severe and extreme droughts have become more serious since late 1990s for all of China (with dry area increasing by ∼3.72% per decade); and persistent multi‐year severe droughts were more frequent in North China, Northeast China, and western Northwest China; significant drying trends occurred over North China, the southwest region of Northeast China, central and eastern regions of Northwest China, the central and southwestern parts of Southwest China and southwestern and northeastern parts of western Northwest mainly due to a decrease in precipitation coupled with a general increase in temperature. In addition, North China, the western Northwest China, and the Southwest China had their longest drought durations during the 1990s and 2000s. Droughts also affected western Northwest, eastern Northwest, North, and Northeast regions of China more frequently during the recent three decades. The results of this article could provide certain references and triggers for establishing a drought early warning system in China. © 2013 Royal Meteorological Society
An analysis of the climate of Macaronesia, 1865–2012
Authors: Cropper T. E. , Hanna E.
Published: May 2013

New monthly, long‐running, continuous surface air temperature records for four island chains throughout the Macaronesian biogeographical zone in the North Atlantic Ocean are presented. The records run from 1865 for the Azores and Madeira, 1885 for the Canary Islands and 1895 for Cape Verde. Recent (1981–2010) warming across these islands is significant in summer (JJA) for the Canary Islands, Cape Verde and Madeira, ranging from 0.40 to 0.46 °C per decade. Annually, the temperature trends across this period range from 0.30 to 0.38 °C per decade across all four island chains (significant for all but the Canary Islands), which exceed the station‐based, average global temperature rise by up to 0.10 °C per decade. Precipitation records from multiple islands across Macaronesia are also presented in addition to sea‐level pressure records from the Azores and Cape Verde. Cape Verde wet season (ASO) precipitation is found to have significantly increased at two of our three sites from 1981 to 2010. The Azores, Canary Islands and Madeira precipitation trends display no significant changes, although the three Azores stations display a recent positive tendency. The extended Azores pressure record allows us to construct an entirely station‐based Azores‐Iceland North Atlantic Oscillation index (NAOI) from 1865 to 2012 and extend the daily station‐based index back to 1944, further than the longest previous daily NAOI by 6 years. In addition, we use the sea‐level pressure difference between the Azores and Cape Verde to create a novel method of characterizing trade wind strength across Macaronesia, the Trade Wind index (TWI), which points towards a recent, statistically significant increase (since 1973) throughout the region. Links between the winter and summer NAOI, TWI and Macaronesian temperature and precipitation are explored, as are the differences in warming trends between Macaronesia and analogous subtropical island chains, most of which are found to be warming at slower rates than the Macaronesia stations. © 2013 Royal Meteorological Society
Modulation of the diurnal cycle of rainfall over India by intraseasonal variations of Indian summer monsoon
Authors: Deshpande N. R. , Goswami B. N.
Published: May 2013

Changes in the amplitude and phase of the diurnal cycle of rainfall due to changes in the background circulation and thermodynamics associated with the intraseasonal variability of Indian summer monsoon have important implications for weather prediction over the region. Hourly rainfall data available at 91 Indian stations for 30 years of observations are examined to determine the role of intraseasonal variations of Indian summer monsoon in modulating the diurnal cycle of rainfall over four homogenous regions. Harmonic analysis of the diurnal cycle of rainfall shows predominance of principal harmonic during the break phase of monsoon. During an active phase first two harmonics contribute substantially to the total variance in central parts of the country. It is observed that peak rainfall occurs in the morning hours during both the active and break phases along the West Coast with small diurnal variation in rainfall. Two peaks in the diurnal cycle are observed during active phases over central India. This region shows delay in the occurrence of afternoon peak and rise in rainfall intensity during the break phase of recent years, while, increase in rainfall intensity at all hours during break phases is observed along the West Coast of India in recent years. Further analysis of meteorological parameters indicates that lower‐level convergence during late afternoon hours, reduction in geopotential height and increase in specific humidity (850 hPa) in central parts of India during morning and evening hours are in phase with the two maxima observed in the diurnal cycle of rainfall in this region. Therefore, spatial variations in daily rainfall pattern during active/break phases can be attributed to orographic effect and heterogeneous convective development in different parts of the country. © 2013 Royal Meteorological Society
Survival after resection of cutaneous adnexal carcinomas with eccrine differentiation: Risk factors and trends in outcomes
Authors: Avraham Jacob B. , Villines Dana , Maker Vijay K. , August Carey , Maker Ajay V.
Published: May 2013

Background

Current staging systems do not specifically address cutaneous adnexal carcinomas with eccrine differentiation. Due to their rarity, prognosis and management strategies are not well established. A population‐based study was performed to determine prognostic factors and survival.

Methods

Patients diagnosed with cutaneous adnexal carcinomas with eccrine differentiation were identified using the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results population‐based cancer registry. Associations between risk factors, treatment modalities, and survival were calculated using logistical regression, Kaplan–Meier estimates and log‐rank analysis.

Results

The incidence of distinct eccrine subtypes was determined within 1,045 patients with cutaneous adnexal tumors containing eccrine differentiation. All‐cause 5‐year survival (OS) was 82%, while age‐adjusted survival was 94%. Patients with microcystic adnexal carcinoma had improved OS (90%) compared to patients with hidradenocarcinoma (74%), spiradenocarcinoma (77%), porocarcinoma (79%), and eccrine adenocarcinoma (81%). The majority of patients were treated with surgical excision and a small subset with surgery plus radiation, with similar OS. Patients with well‐to‐moderately differentiated tumors demonstrated improved OS compared to those with poorly differentiated/anaplastic disease.

Conclusions

Histological subtype and grade were associated with survival, and should be specified in biopsies and excised specimens. Surgical excision is appropriate, and the addition of adjuvant radiation may not be associated with survival. These results highlight survival data and high‐risk prognostic factors that warrant prospective validation, and may augment current staging systems. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013 108:57–62. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Survival analysis of patients with chondrosarcomas of the pelvis
Authors: Mavrogenis Andreas F. , Angelini Andrea , Drago Gabriele , Merlino Biagio , Ruggieri Pietro
Published: May 2013

Background

Studies for patients with pelvic chondrosarcomas are limited. This study determines the outcome of patients with pelvic chondrosarcomas, and whether there is any association with tumors' grade, type, stage, margins and pelvic location.

Materials and Methods

We retrospectively studied 215 patients with pelvic chondrosarcomas. All patients had biopsy and histological diagnosis of their tumors followed by limb salvage or amputation. We staged patients using the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society system. We performed a univariate and multivariate analysis of the survival to death, local recurrence and metastasis with respect to grade, type (central vs. peripheral), stage, margins, and pelvic location, and the survival to death of patients with and without local recurrence.

Results

Grade was the most important univariate and multivariate predictor of the survival of the patients. Dedifferentiation was associated with significantly lower overall survival. Peripheral chondrosarcomas predicted survival only in the univariate analysis. Surgical margins predicted local recurrence only in the multivariate analysis. Periacetabular location was associated with lower survival to death and local recurrence. The occurrence of local recurrence compromises the overall survival.

Conclusion

Grade was the most important predictor of the overall survival of patients with chondrosarcomas of the pelvis. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013 108:19–27. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen as an outcome predictor in colon cancer
Authors: Amri Ramzi , Bordeianou Liliana G. , Sylla Patricia , Berger David L.
Published: May 2013

Objective

Several reports have shown that certain pre‐operative CEA intervals can be predictive of long‐term outcomes and have subsequently implied that preoperative CEA may be useful to assess the risk of recurrence or death as a continuous number for individual cases. This analysis assesses if this hypothesis is valid after correction for confounders.

Methods

All colon cancer patients operated on at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2004 through 2011 were considered for retrospective review. Association between outcomes and preoperative CEA was measured in intervals and as a linear relationship.

Results

Of the 1,071 patients operated for colon adenocarcinoma, 621 (57.9%) had a preoperative CEA drawn and were included in the analysis. In models using intervals, preoperative CEA did show association with (disease‐free) survival, but this was shown to be chiefly a surrogate for metastatic presentation. In linear approaches adjusted for metastatic presentation, CEA loses all correlations with metastatic disease (P = 0.84), survival (P = 0.11), survival duration (P = 0.42) and disease‐free interval (P = 0.94).

Conclusions

Extrapolating the predictive value of certain preoperative CEA intervals to a continuous approach for use in a case‐for‐case basis is unjustified. Preoperative CEA may be a useful risk estimator but has limited significance for predictions of long‐term outcomes in individual cases. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;108:14‐18. (c) 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Attempted Inversion of Semiconducting Features of Platinum Polyyne Polymers: A New Approach for All‐Polymer Solar Cells
Authors: Yuan Yuping , Michinobu Tsuyoshi , Oguma Jun , Kato Takehito , Miyake Kunihito
Published: May 2013

Platinum(II) polyyne polymers containing thiophene‐acceptor‐thiophene units are synthesized, and their main chain alkynes are functionalized by the formal cycloaddition–retro‐electrocyclization reaction with tetracyanoethylene (TCNE). The polymer energy levels are significantly decreased by the TCNE addition. Bulk‐heterojunction solar cells are fabricated using the TCNE‐adducted platinum(II) polyyne polymers. The use of these polymers as p‐type semiconductors in combination with n‐type fullerene derivatives indicates that the p‐type semiconducting ability decreases by approximately five to ten times after the TCNE addition. On the contrary, when the TCNE‐adducted polymers are employed as a substitute for the fullerene derivatives, the all‐polymer solar cells are initially fabricated.

magnified image
Relationship between proprioception at the knee joint and gait ataxia in HSAN III
Authors: Macefield Vaughan G. , Norcliffe‐Kaufmann Lucy J. , Axelrod Felicia B. , Kaufmann Horacio
Published: May 2013

Background

Hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type III features marked ataxic gait that progressively worsens over time. We assessed whether proprioceptive disturbances can explain the ataxia.

Methods

Proprioception at the knee joint was assessed using passive joint angle matching in 18 patients and 14 age‐matched controls; 5 patients with cerebellar ataxia were also studied. Ataxia was quantified using the Brief Ataxia Rating Score, which ranged from 7 to 26 of 30.

Results

Neuropathy patients performed poorly in judging joint position: mean absolute error was 8.7° ± 1.0°, and the range was very wide (2.8°–18.1°); conversely, absolute error was only 2.7° ± 0.3° (1.6°–5.5°) in the controls and 3.0° ± 0.2° (2.1°–3.4°) in the cerebellar patients. This error was positively correlated to the degree of ataxia in the neuropathy patients but not the cerebellar patients.

Conclusions

These results suggest that poor proprioceptive acuity at the knee joint is a major contributor to the ataxic gait associated with hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type III. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society
Current controversies on the role of behavior therapy in Tourette syndrome
Authors: Scahill Lawrence , Woods Douglas W. , Himle Michael B. , Peterson Alan L. , Wilhelm Sabine , Piacentini John C. , McNaught Kevin , Walkup John T. , Mink Jonathan W.
Published: May 2013

Comprehensive behavioral intervention for tics (CBIT) is a safe and effective treatment for managing the tics of Tourette syndrome (TS). In contrast to most current medications used for the treatment of tics, the efficacy of CBIT has been demonstrated in 2 relatively large, multisite trials. It also shows durability of benefit over time. Similar to psychopharmacological intervention, skilled practitioners are required to implement the intervention. Despite concerns about the effort required to participate in CBIT, patients with TS and parents of children with TS appear willing to meet the requirements of the CBIT program. Efforts are under way to increase the number of trained CBIT providers in the United States. Based on available evidence, recent published guidelines suggest that CBIT can be considered a first‐line treatment for persons with tic disorders. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society
Dill seed extract improves abnormalities in lipid metabolism through peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐α (PPAR‐α) activation in diabetic obese mice
Authors: Takahashi Nobuyuki , Yao Lan , Kim Minji , Sasako Hiroshi , Aoyagi Morihiro , Shono Jinji , Tsuge Nobuaki , Goto Tsuyoshi , Kawada Teruo
Published: May 2013

Dill, a small annual herb, is widely used as a flavoring agent in dishes including salads. It has been demonstrated that dill extract and its essential oil show hypolipidemic effects in rats. However, the mechanism of these effects has not been elucidated yet. We found that dill seed extract (DSE) activated peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐α (PPAR‐α), an indispensable regulator for hepatic lipid metabolism, by luciferase assay. Thus, we performed DSE feeding experiments using diabetic obese model KK‐Ay mice to examine the effects of DSE on PPAR‐α activation in vivo. A 4‐week feeding of DSE contained in a high‐fat diet decreased plasma triacylglyceride and glucose levels and increased the mRNA expression levels of fatty acid oxidation‐related genes in the liver. In addition, the DSE feeding as well as bezafibrate (a PPAR‐α potent agonist) feeding increased oxygen consumption rate and rectal temperature. These results indicate that DSE suppresses high‐fat diet‐induced hyperlipidemia through hepatic PPAR‐α activation.
Hydroxylated phenylacetamides derived from bioactive benzoxazinoids are bioavailable in humans after habitual consumption of whole grain sourdough rye bread
Authors: Beckmann Manfred , Lloyd Amanda J. , Haldar Sumanto , Seal Chris , Brandt Kirsten , Draper John
Published: May 2013

Scope

Understanding relationships between dietary whole grain and health is hindered by incomplete knowledge of potentially bioactive metabolites derived from these foods. We aimed to discover compounds in urine correlated with changes in amounts of whole grain rye consumption.

Methods and results

After a wash‐out period, volunteers consumed 48‐g whole grain rye foods per day for 4 wk and then doubled their intake for a further 4 wk. Samples of 24‐h urines were analyzed by flow infusion electrospray MS followed by supervised multivariate data analysis. Urine samples from participants who reported high intakes of rye flakes, rye pasta, or total whole grain rye products could not be discriminated adequately from their wash‐out samples. However, discrimination was seen in urine samples from participants who reported high whole grain sourdough rye bread consumption. Accurate mass analysis of explanatory signals followed by fragmentation identified conjugates of the benzoxazinoid lactam 2‐hydroxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one and hydroxylated phenyl acetamide derivatives. Statistical validation showed sensitivities of 84–96% and specificities of 70–81% (p values < 0·05) for elevated concentrations of these signals after preferential whole grain sourdough rye bread consumption.

Conclusion

Several potentially bioactive alkaloids have been identified in humans consuming fermented whole grain sourdough rye bread.
Min–max control problems via occupational measures
Authors: Goreac Dan , Serea Oana‐Silvia
Published: May 2013

We propose a linearized formulation for min–max control problems with separated dynamics. First, we investigate the existence of the value function and saddle points for semicontinuous costs. Second, we obtain dual formulations and dynamic programming principles. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Age independent first trimester screening for Down syndrome: improvement in test performance
Authors: Engels M. A. J. , Twisk J. W. R. , Blankenstein M. A. , van Vugt J. M. G.
Published: May 2013

Objective

The aim of this study was to compare screening performance for Down syndrome of the absolute risk (AR) method to the first trimester combined test (FCT) at different maternal ages.

Methods

There was a retrospective analysis of 32,448 FCT. AR was defined as final risk divided by maternal age risk.

Results

The likelihood of receiving a true prediction was comparable between both methods in all age groups. With the AR method, two extra Down syndrome cases were detected in women <30 years, three cases were missed in women ≥36 years, and the likelihood of receiving a false prediction decreased overall (OR 0.82, CI 0.77–0.87; P < 0.0001), in women aged 36–40 years (0.45, CI 0.41–0.51; P < 0.0001), in women aged 41–45 years (0.18, CI 0.13–0.26; P < 0.0001) and increased in women aged ≤25 years (2.12, CI 1.52–2.96; P < 0.004).

Conclusions

The AR method results in a significant decreased likelihood of receiving a false prediction with a comparable likelihood of receiving a true prediction. Thus, fewer invasive diagnostic tests will be performed. It will take away the misunderstanding about differences in screening performance for women of different ages. This might lead to a higher uptake of first trimester screening resulting in a more efficient screening policy. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perforated Bicontinuous Cubic Phases with pH‐Responsive Topological Channel Interconnectivity
Authors: Zabara Alexandru , Negrini Renata , Onaca‐Fischer Ozana , Mezzenga Raffaele
Published: May 2013

Lipidic lyotropic liquid crystals are at the frontline of current research for release of target therapeutic molecules due to their unique structural complexity and the possibility of engineering stimuli‐triggered release of both hydrophilic and hydrophobic molecules. One of the most suitable lipidic mesophases for the encapsulation and delivery of drugs is the reversed double diamond bicontinuous cubic phase, in which two distinct and parallel networks of ∼4 nm water channels percolate independently through the lipid bilayers, following a Pn3m space group symmetry. In the unperturbed Pn3m structure, the two sets of channels act as autonomous and non‐communicating 3D transport pathways. Here, a novel type of bicontinuous cubic phase is introduced, where the presence of OmpF membrane proteins at the bilayers provides unique topological interconnectivities among the two distinct sets of water channels, enabling molecular active gating among them. By a combination of small‐angle X‐ray scattering, release and ion conductivity experiments, it is shown that, without altering the Pn3m space group symmetry or the water channel diameter, the newly designed perforated bicontinuous cubic phase attains transport properties well beyond those of the standard mesophase, allowing faster, sustained release of bioactive target molecules. By further exploiting the pH‐mediated pore‐closing response mechanism of the double amino acid half‐ring architecture in the membrane protein, the pores of the perforated mesophase can be opened and closed with a pH trigger, enabling a fine modulation of the transport properties by only moderate changes in pH, which could open unexplored opportunities in the targeted delivery of bioactive compounds.
Staufen‐mediated mRNA decay
Authors: Park Eonyoung , Maquat Lynne E.
Published: May 2013

Staufen1 (STAU1)‐mediated mRNA decay (SMD) is an mRNA degradation process in mammalian cells that is mediated by the binding of STAU1 to a STAU1‐binding site (SBS) within the 3′‐untranslated region (3′‐UTR) of target mRNAs. During SMD, STAU1, a double‐stranded (ds) RNA‐binding protein, recognizes dsRNA structures formed either by intramolecular base pairing of 3′‐UTR sequences or by intermolecular base pairing of 3′‐UTR sequences with a long‐noncoding RNA (lncRNA) via partially complementary Alu elements. Recently, STAU2, a paralog of STAU1, has also been reported to mediate SMD. Both STAU1 and STAU2 interact directly with the ATP‐dependent RNA helicase UPF1, a key SMD factor, enhancing its helicase activity to promote effective SMD. Moreover, STAU1 and STAU2 form homodimeric and heterodimeric interactions via domain‐swapping. Because both SMD and the mechanistically related nonsense‐mediated mRNA decay (NMD) employ UPF1; SMD and NMD are competitive pathways. Competition contributes to cellular differentiation processes, such as myogenesis and adipogenesis, placing SMD at the heart of various physiologically important mechanisms. WIREs RNA 2013, 4:423–435. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1168

This article is categorized under:

RNA Turnover and Surveillance > Turnover/Surveillance Mechanisms
Mapping sage‐grouse fence‐collision risk: Spatially explicit models for targeting conservation implementation
Authors: Stevens Bryan S. , Naugle David E. , Dennis Brian , Connelly John W. , Griffiths Tim , Reese Kerry P.
Published: May 2013

Recent research suggested greater sage‐grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus; hereafter, sage‐grouse) fence collision may be widespread, and fence‐marking methods have been developed for reducing prairie‐grouse collision in sagebrush‐steppe habitats. However, research also suggested sage‐grouse collision was highly variable, and managers implementing mitigation desire targeting tools to prioritize mitigation efforts as a function of risk. We fit collision‐risk models using widely available covariates to a sage‐grouse fence‐collision data set from Idaho, USA, and developed spatially explicit versions of the top model for all known sage‐grouse breeding habitats (i.e., within 3 km of leks) in 10 of 11 western states where sage‐grouse are found. Our models prioritize breeding habitats for mitigation as a function of terrain ruggedness and distance to nearest lek, and suggest that a relatively small proportion of the total landscape (6–14%) in each state would result in >1 collision over a lekking season. Managers can use resulting models to prioritize fence‐marking by focusing efforts on high risk landscapes. Moreover, our models provide a spatially explicit tool to efficiently target conservation investments, and exemplify the way that researchers and managers can work together to turn scientific understanding into effective conservation solutions. © The Wildlife Society, 2013
Spillover benefits of wildlife management to support pheasant populations
Authors: Anderson Aaron , Gebhardt Karen , Cross Wylie T. , Shwiff Stephanie A.
Published: May 2013

Ring‐necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) and other upland game populations in Wyoming, USA, have been declining due to changes in agricultural practices, urban development, and predation. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) have been implicated as one of the main predators of pheasant nests. Management of raccoons to support pheasant populations has the direct benefit of increasing pheasant populations and additional spillover benefits to corn producers in the region may occur. We conducted a field study in southeastern Wyoming from July to October 2009 to estimate the increase in corn yield associated with raccoon trapping. Although the primary purpose of the raccoon trapping was the support of upland game bird populations, the added benefit of increased revenue for corn producers is an important consideration. We tracked corn damage in 10 study plots over 6 weeks and estimated that trapping raccoons yields a revenue increase of US$10.75/ha. This type of spillover benefit is rarely considered when raccoon management decisions are made but is significant and should be included in any explicit or implicit benefit–cost analysis of the management action. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
Movement, survival, and home range size of translocated american martens (Martes americana) in Wisconsin
Authors: Woodford James E. , MacFarland David M. , Worland Mike
Published: May 2013

We translocated and released a total of 90 (55 F and 35 M) wild American martens (Martes americana) from Minnesota to northern Wisconsin, USA, during 2008–2010. Our objective was to evaluate the short‐term results of this translocation project by comparing marten dispersal, time to residency, and survival by release method, sex, and age categories. On average, translocated martens took 18 days (range = 1–64 days) and traveled 4.6 km (range = 0.4–45.7 km) from release sites before establishing residency. Although survival probabilities for adults and males were 0.84 and 0.79 and juveniles and females were 0.66 and 0.71, respectively, they were not statistically different. Translocated adult and juvenile survival was similar to resident adult and juvenile survival reported in Wisconsin and elsewhere. Predation (primarily by other carnivores) was the main cause (85%) of observed mortality for translocated animals, but it did not appear to be a major limiting factor for adults or juveniles. Contrary to some studies, we found no significant difference between release methods for any analyzed parameter, but we observed increased injuries to slow‐released individuals. We concluded there was no benefit resulting from slow‐release or an acclimation period for translocation of American martens and that long‐term monitoring of the population is needed to evaluate species recovery in Wisconsin. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.
Merging H/W/Z + 0 and 1 jet at NLO with no merging scale: a path to parton shower + NNLO matching
Authors: Hamilton Keith , Nason Paolo , Oleari Carlo , Zanderighi Giulia
Published: May 2013

Abstract

We consider the POWHEG generator for a H/W/Z boson plus one jet, augmented with the recently proposed MiNLO method for the choice of scales and the inclusion of Sudakov form factors. Within this framework, the generator covers all the transverse- momentum region of the H/W/Z boson, i.e. no generation cuts are needed to obtain a finite result. By construction, the generator achieves NLO accuracy for distributions involving a finite (and relatively large) transverse momentum of the boson. We examine the conditions under which also the totally inclusive distributions (e.g. the boson rapidity distribution) achieve NLO accuracy. We find that a minimal modification of the MiNLO prescription is sufficient to achieve such accuracy. We thus construct a NLO generator for H/W/Z boson plus one jet production such that it smoothly merges into a NLO single boson production in the small transverse-momentum region. We notice that, by simply reweighting the boson rapidity distribution to NNLO predictions, we achieve a NNLO accurate generator matched to a shower. The approach applies to all production processes involving a colorless massive system plus one jet. We discuss how it may be extended to general processes.
Verifying traits: an incremental proof system for fine-grained reuse
Authors: Damiani Ferruccio , Dovland Johan , Johnsen Einar Broch , Schaefer Ina
Published: May 2013

Traits have been proposed as a more flexible mechanism than class inheritance for structuring code in object-oriented programming, to achieve fine-grained code reuse. A trait originally developed for one purpose can be adapted and reused in a completely different context. Formalizations of traits have been extensively studied, and implementations of traits have started to appear in programming languages. So far, work on formally establishing properties of trait-based programs has mostly concentrated on type systems. This paper presents the first deductive proof system for a trait-based object-oriented language. If a specification of a trait can be given a priori, covering all actual usage of that trait, our proof system is modular as each trait is analyzed only once. However, imposing such a restriction may in many cases unnecessarily limit traits as a mechanism for flexible code reuse. In order to reflect the flexible reuse potential of traits, our proof system additionally allows new specifications to be added to a trait in an
incremental
way which does not violate established proofs. We formalize and show the soundness of the proof system.
Birth‐year and current‐year influences on survival and recruitment rates of female Weddell seals
Authors: Stauffer Glenn E. , Rotella Jay J. , Garrott Robert A.
Published: May 2013

In long‐lived species, juvenile survival typically is lower and more variable than adult survival, and modeling such variation is important for understanding population dynamics. Variability in juvenile survival can be related to birth‐ or current‐year influences, and the birth‐year influences can be transient, persistent, or intermediate in duration. We used multi‐state models and data collected from 5,459 known‐aged prebreeder female Weddell seals (Leptonychotes weddellii Lesson) tagged in Erebus Bay, Antarctica from 1980–2007 to evaluate the duration of potential birth‐year influences on survival rates and the importance of birth‐ and current‐year influences on survival and recruitment rates. Survival rates differed for each birth cohort and were positively related to current‐year winter sea‐ice conditions. The estimated duration of birth‐cohort effects on survival was intermediate (6 years) rather than transient (2 years) or permanent. Estimated survivorship from birth to 6 years of age varied among cohorts from 0.13 (SE = 0.04) to 0.42 (SE = 0.06), and averaged 0.25 (SE = 0.02). Recruitment rates (probability of transitioning from prebreeder to breeder state) varied annually but apparently were not related to birth‐year conditions. Our results provide evidence that birth‐ and current‐year conditions act in combination to influence survival. Although for many long‐lived species the influences of either birth‐ or current‐year conditions on survival are well‐studied, we suggest that modeling survival rates as a function of birth‐ and current‐year influences simultaneously could lead to better understanding of survival and improved stochastic models to project population dynamics.
Exploring Culture‐Specific Differences in Beliefs about Causes, Kinship and the Heritability of Major Depressive Disorder: The Views of Anglo‐Celtic and Chinese‐Australians
Authors: Xu Mimi , Zou Lilian , Wilde Alex , Meiser Bettina , Barlow‐Stewart Kristine , Chan Bibiana , Mitchell Philip B. , Sousa Mariana S. , Schofield Peter R.
Published: May 2013

The aim of this study was to explore cultural differences in causal attributions and beliefs about heritability of major depressive disorder (MDD). Face‐to‐face interviews with Anglo‐Celtic‐ and Chinese‐Australians community members with a family history of MDD were conducted and subjected to a rigorous qualitative analysis, using the computer software NVivo. Sixteen Anglo‐Celtic‐Australians and 16 Chinese‐Australians were interviewed. Both groups believed that a combination of genetic and environmental factors contributed to MDD, that stress was an important cause of MDD, and that coping factors were significant moderators of the impact of stress on MDD. Both cultural groups believed that the causes of MDD affecting multiple family members included a shared family environment and a “contagion effect”, in addition to genetics. Unique to the Chinese‐Australian group was the beliefs that parental pressures to exceed academically contributed to MDD; this cultural group also reported beliefs that depression was due to God's will or alternatively fate, which in turn was related to attributions to feng shui and auspicious dates. This study documented key culture‐specific differences in beliefs about causes and inheritance of MDD; such differences have major implications for clinician‐patient communication about genetic risk associated with having a family history of MDD.
Does a Duty of Disclosure Foster Special Treatment of Genetic Research Participants?
Authors: Hayeems Robin Z. , Miller Fiona A. , Bytautas Jessica P. , Li Li
Published: May 2013

The principle that research participants not receive enhanced care compared to non‐participants may be challenged by a duty to disclose genetic research results, especially where care is otherwise inaccessible. Autism researchers’ attitudes toward providing enhanced care to study participants were analyzed quantitatively using descriptive and multivariate analyses of survey data and qualitatively through thematic analysis of interview data. Approximately half of survey respondents (n = 168, RR = 44 %) agreed they should provide additional knowledge (52 %) or services (48 %) to study participants that may not be available to non‐participants. Qualitatively (n = 23), respondents were motivated by the notion of reciprocity but highlighted tensions when research enables access to expertise and therapeutic resources that are otherwise difficult to obtain. For researchers, feeling obliged to report research results may be in conflict with the obligation to avoid special treatment of research participants; this may in turn threaten principles of voluntariness, autonomy, and justice.
Arf GTPase regulation through cascade mechanisms and positive feedback loops
Authors: Stalder Danièle , Antonny Bruno
Published: May 2013

Arf GTPases, together with Rab GTPases, are key regulators of intracellular membrane traffic. Their specific membrane targeting and activation are tightly regulated in time and space by guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs). GEFs are multidomain proteins, which are under tight regulation to ensure fully coordinated and accurate membrane traffic events. Recently, two Arf GEFs, Sec7 and Arno, have been shown to be part of Arf GEF cascades similar to the Rab GEF cascades. Both GEFs are autoinhibited in solution and require an active Arf molecule to be recruited to the membrane and to switch to an open conformation. As such, positive feedback loops, whereby the amount of Arf‐GTP on a given organelle increases not linearly with time, can be established.
A physiological role for the supramolecular organization of rhodopsin and transducin in rod photoreceptors
Authors: Dell‧Orco Daniele
Published: May 2013

Vertebrate vision in rod photoreceptors begins when a photon hits the visual pigment rhodopsin (Rh) and triggers the phototransduction cascade. Although the fine biochemical and biophysical details of this paradigmatic signalling pathway have been studied for decades, phototransduction still presents unclear mechanistic aspects. Increasing lines of evidence suggest that the visual pigment rhodopsin (Rh) is natively organized in dimers on the surface of disc membranes, and may form higher order “paracrystalline” assemblies, which are not easy to reconcile with the classical collision‐coupling mechanistic scenario evoked to explain the extremely fast molecular processes required in phototransduction. The questioned and criticized existence of paracrystalline Rh rafts can be fully accepted only if it can be explained in functional terms by a solid mechanistic picture. Here we discuss how recent data suggest a physiological role for supramolecular assemblies of Rh and its cognate G protein transducin (Gt), which by forming transient complexes in the dark may ensure rapid activation of the cascade even in a crowded environment that, according to the classical picture, would otherwise stop the cascade.
Regulation of lipid synthesis in oil crops
Authors: Harwood John L. , Guschina Irina A.
Published: May 2013

Oil crops are in increasing demand both for food and as renewable sources of chemicals. It is therefore vital to understand how oil accumulation is regulated. Different ways of obtaining such information are discussed with an emphasis on metabolic control analysis. The usefulness of the latter has been well‐illustrated by its application to help raise yields in oilseed rape.
Criminalization at Tyendinaga: Securing Canada’s Colonial Property Regime through Specific Land Claims
Authors: Pasternak Shiri , Collis Sue , Dafnos Tia
Published: May 2013

Drawing on unpublished material on the history of the Culbertson Tract, records obtained through access to information requests, and firsthand knowledge from the community, we trace Mohawk legal and extralegal strategies aimed at reclaiming the Tract to show how Canada legitimizes and manages the continued dispossession of land from the Mohawks of Tyendinaga. Through the criminalization of community members opposing settlement terms under the land claims policy, we conclude that the policy of extinguishment contained in the land claims policy is furthered by policing resistance with the use of security forces on the ground.
Patent Alchemy: The Market for Technology in US History
Authors: Lamoreaux Naomi R. , Sokoloff Kenneth L. , Sutthiphisal Dhanoos
Published: May 2013

The literature on inventors has traditionally focused on entrepreneurs who exploited their ideas in their own businesses and on researchers who worked in large firms' R&D laboratories. For most of US history, however, it was as common for inventors to profit from their ideas by selling off or licensing the patent rights. This article traces the different ways in which inventors resolved the information problems involved in marketing their patents. We focus in particular on the patent attorneys who emerged during the last third of the nineteenth century to help inventors find buyers for their intellectual property.
The German Market for Patents during the “Second Industrialization,” 1884–1913: A Gravity Approach
Authors: Burhop Carsten , Wolf Nikolaus
Published: May 2013

Using newly collected patent assignment data for late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Germany and a standard econometric approach from the international trade literature—the gravity model—we demonstrate the existence of border effects on a historical technology market. We show that the geographic distance between assignor and assignee negatively affected the probability of patent assignments, as well as the fact that a state or international border separated the two contracting parties. Surprisingly, we show that the effect of a state border within Germany was nearly as large as the effect of an international border.
Inventors, Patents, and Inventive Activities in the English Brewing Industry, 1634–1850
Authors: Nuvolari Alessandro , Sumner James
Published: May 2013

This article examines the relationship between patents, appropriability strategies, and market for technology in the English brewing industry before 1850. Previous research has pointed to the apparent paradox that large-scale brewing in this period showed both a self-aware culture of rapid technological innovation and a remarkably low propensity to patent. Our study records how brewery innovators pursued a wide variety of highly distinct appropriability strategies, including secrecy, selective revealing, open innovation and knowledge-sharing for reputational reasons, and patenting. All these strategies could co-exist, although some brewery insiders maintained a suspicion of the promoters of patent technologies, which faded only in the nineteenth century. Furthermore, we find evidence that sophisticated strategies of selective revealing could support trade in inventions even without the use of the patent system.
Intermediary Functions and the Market for Innovation in Meiji and Taishō Japan
Authors: Nicholas Tom , Shimizu Hiroshi
Published: May 2013

Japan experienced a transformational phase of technological development during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. We argue that an important, but so far neglected, factor was a developing market for innovation and a patent-attorney system that was conducive to rapid technical change. We support our hypothesis using patent data and we also present a detailed case study on Tomogorō Ono, a key developer of salt-production technology who used attorneys in connection with his patenting work at a time when Japan was still in the process of formally institutionalizing its patent-attorney system. In accordance with Lamoreaux and Sokoloff's 1999 influential study of trade in invention in the United States, our quantitative and qualitative evidence highlights how inventors and intermediaries in Japan interacted to create a market for new ideas.
Tandem antioxidant enzymes confer synergistic protective responses in experimental filariasis
Authors: Prince P.R. , Madhumathi J. , Anugraha G. , Jeyaprita P.J. , Reddy M.V.R. , Kaliraj P.
Published: May 2013

Helminth parasites use antioxidant defence strategies for survival during oxidative stress due to free radicals in the host. Accordingly, tissue-dwelling filarial parasites counteract host responses by releasing a number of antioxidants. Targeting these redox regulation proteins together, would facilitate effective parasite clearance. Here, we report the combined effect of protective immune responses trigged by recombinant Wuchereria bancrofti thioredoxin (WbTRX) and thioredoxin peroxidase (WbTPX) in an experimental filarial model. The expression of WbTRX and WbTPX in different stages of the parasite and their cross-reactivity were analysed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The immunogenicity of recombinant proteins and their protective efficacy were studied in animal models when immunized in single or cocktail mode. The antigens showed cross-reactive epitopes and induced high humoral and cellular immune responses in mice. Further, parasite challenge against Brugia malayi L3 larvae in Mastomyscoucha conferred significant protection of 57% and 62% against WbTRX and WbTPX respectively. The efficacy of L3 clearance was significantly higher (71%) (P <  0.001) when the antigens were immunized together, showing a synergistic effect in multiple-mode vaccination. Hence, the study suggests WbTRX and WbTPX to be attractive vaccine candidates when immunized together and provides a tandem block for parasite elimination in the control of lymphatic filariasis.
Alfvén waves in shear flows: Driven wave formalism
Authors: KAGHASHVILI EDISHER KH.
Published: May 2013

The driven wave formalism, as it was later applied to the solar coronal plasma processes, was first developed in our earlier work (Kaghashvili, E. Kh. 2007 Alfvén wave-driven compressional fluctuations in shear flows. Phys. Plasmas14, 44502) that presented the analytical solutions for the plasma density fluctuations. In the driven-wave formalism, we look for the short-term changes in the initial waveform due to the linear interaction of the initial natural mode of the system and the flow inhomogeneity. This formalism allows us to obtain the analytical solutions for the driven waves that are excited in the system. While a full set of driven wave solutions for magnetohydrodynamic variables in the cold plasma case were presented earlier (Kaghashvili, E. 2012c Driven wave-generated electric field in the solar corona. J. Geophys. Res. 117, A10103, doi:10.1029/2012JA018120), the purpose of this paper is to remove the cold-plasma restriction and to present the formal solutions for the initial linearly polarized Alfvén wave-driven fluctuations.
Exploring Ritual Deposits in a Well at Rothwell Haigh, Leeds
Authors: Cool H.E.M , Richardson J.E.
Published: May 2013

During the summer of 1977, rescue excavations of a square, ditched enclosure were undertaken at Rothwell Haigh Colliery, Leeds. Relatively few discrete features were identified, but a 12.3 m-deep well situated within the enclosure was fully excavated. Pottery from the well, which was waterlogged fromc. 7 m, indicates rapid infilling most likely in the early to mid-fourth century. Waterlogged wooden objects include a yew bucket, ash spade with iron shoe and ash drinking vessels, while the disposal of complete pottery vessels, a quern disc rough-out, articulated animal parts and a human skull highlight the potential for symbolic deposition. An exploration of the apparently more mundane items shows that they deviate from the normal domestic patterns seen on local sites, suggesting that selection for ritual deposition may have covered areas of material culture not normally associated with such activity.
The Amuletic Design of the Mithraic Bull-Wounding Scene
Authors: Faraone Christopher A.
Published: May 2013

Recent research reveals that in the so-called Mithraic tauroctony, the god is, in fact, wounding a bull, not killing it. I argue that the scene combines the overall design of evil-eye amulets with the pose of the goddess Nike performing a militarysphagionand I suggest that the scene must have been understood by its creator and by some viewers, at least, to offer protective power in this world, as well as salvific assurance about the next, a dual focus that seems to have been especially strong in Mithraism.
The Lex riui Hiberiensis
Authors: Crawford M. H. , Lloris F. Beltrán
Published: May 2013

A number of emendations are suggested to the text of the Lex rivi Hiberiensis first published in JRS 2006.
Morphological awareness and vocabulary acquisition: A longitudinal examination of their relationship in English-speaking children
Authors: SPARKS ERIN , DEACON S. HÉLÈNE
Published: May 2013

Although a relationship between morphological awareness and vocabulary has been widely observed, questions remain about the direction of that relationship. This longitudinal study explores the temporal relationship between morphological awareness and vocabulary among monolingual English-speaking children. Participants were 100 children tested in Grades 2 and 3. We evaluated morphological awareness and vocabulary in both grades, along with phonological awareness, word reading, pseudoword reading, and nonverbal reasoning. Cross-lagged regression analyses with autoregressive controls assessed the temporal relationship between morphological awareness and vocabulary; morphological awareness at Grade 2 predicted change in vocabulary between Grades 2 and 3, but vocabulary did not predict change in morphological awareness. The results add to our understanding of the relationship between these two developing skills.