bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eye symptoms in relatives of patients with primary adult‐onset dystonia
Authors: Defazio Giovanni , Abbruzzese Giovanni , Stella Aniello Maria , Di Fede Roberta , Esposito Marcello , Fabbrini Giovanni , Girlanda Paolo , Liguori Rocco , Marinelli Lucio , Martino Davide , Morgante Francesca , Santoro Lucio , Tinazzi Michele , Berardelli Alfredo
Published: December 2011

Methods:

Using a validated questionnaire, we screened eye symptoms (burning sensation, grittiness, dry eye) in 333 first‐degree relatives of 140 probands with different forms of primary adult‐onset dystonia, 208 healthy subjects, and 293 patients with primary blepharospasm.

Results:

The rate of eye symptoms was similar in the relatives of focal dystonia patients and in healthy subjects (adjusted HR, 1.1; 95% CI, 0.7–1.7; P = .69), thus suggesting a common origin of eye symptoms in both groups. A higher rate was observed in blepharospasm patients (adjusted HR, 2; 95% CI, 1.4–2.9; P < .0001). Relatives of focal dystonia patients who developed blepharospasm were more likely to have preceding eye symptoms than were relatives who developed focal dystonia other than blepharospasm (BSP) or relatives who did not develop dystonia.

Conclusions:

Eye symptoms reported by relatives of patients with focal dystonia probably result from eye diseases and are not part of the clinical spectrum of blepharospasm. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
Dissociating between sensory and perceptual deficits in PD: More than simply a motor deficit
Authors: Martens Kaylena A. Ehgoetz , Almeida Quincy J.
Published: December 2011

Although Parkinson's disease (PD) is traditionally considered a motor output disorder, recent evidence suggests that people with PD may have sensory and perceptual impairments that may underlie movement impairments. Yet there has not been any direct testing of perceptual judgments, especially when manipulating the sensory feedback on which these judgments are made. The present study investigated how perception might be influenced by sensory feedback to contribute to height estimations and obstacle stepping in PD relative to healthy age‐matched control participants. Perceptual judgment accuracy was evaluated by judging 3 typically encountered obstacle heights in 2 sensory feedback conditions: (1) vision of foot available and (2) without vision of foot (reliance on proprioceptive feedback to estimate height). Then participants proceeded to walk and step over the obstacle. Fifteen individuals with PD and 15 healthy control participants completed the task. As seen with toe elevation, toe elevation variability, and toe error measures, individuals with PD overestimated the obstacle height and were significantly more variable when relying solely on proprioception (in contrast to when vision was available) compared with healthy controls, although no differences between groups in obstacle crossing were found. These results support the notion that sensory deficits may contribute to inaccuracy of perceptual judgment and has the potential to contribute to gait behaviors such as tripping and falling, especially when vision is not available. Future studies should carefully consider the impact of sensory and perceptual deficits that might contribute to movement planning problems and consequentially movement impairments. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
A motor signature of REM sleep behavior disorder
Authors: Oudiette Delphine , Leu‐Semenescu Smaranda , Roze Emmanuel , Vidailhet Marie , De Cock Valérie Cochen , Golmard Jean‐Louis , Arnulf Isabelle
Published: December 2011

Background:

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a common pattern in movements during REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD).

Methods:

We blindly compared video‐monitored movements during RBD (n = 136 clips) and wakefulness/arousal (n = 53 clips) in patients with Parkinson's disease (n = 29) and without parkinsonism (idiopathic RBD, n = 31; narcolepsy, n = 5).

Results:

The scorers accurately guessed the sleep/wake stage of 94% of video clips. Compared with wake movements, RBD movements were faster and more often repeated, jerky, and pseudohallucinatory, not self‐centered, never associated with tremor, and rarely involved the environment in an appropriate manner. A specific posture of the hand (limp wrist with flexed digits) during grasping movements was evidenced during RBD in 48% of patients, reminiscent of hand‐babbling in babies.

Conclusions:

These characteristics of movements were found in the 3 conditions (Parkinson's disease, idiopathic RBD, and primary narcolepsy), delineating a common motor signature of RBD. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
A UWB bandpass filter with high performances using pair of multiple‐mode resonators
Authors: Cheng Wei , Wang XinHuai , Tuo Yong , Bai YanFu , Shi XiaoWei
Published: December 2011

A microstrip line ultra‐wideband (UWB) bandpass filter with high performances using a pair of multiple‐mode resonators (MMRs) is proposed in this letter. A pair of MMRs and aperture on background are adopted in the filter to tighten the coupling strength of inter‐digital capacitor, and good impedance match is implemented by stepped impedance feeders so as to achieve high performances. Based on the design above, a UWB filter with high performances is simulated, fabricated, and measured. Simulated results show that the proposed filter has good UWB passband performances with insertion loss lower than 0.5 dB from 3.11 to 9.52 GHz and return loss higher than 20 dB from 3.28 to 10.36 GHz as well as group delay variation less than 0.1 ns. Good agreements are obtained between its measured and simulated results. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett, 54:289–292, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26547
Quadrature VCO based on an LC‐ring in 0.18‐μm CMOS technology
Authors: Jang Sheng‐Lyang , Chang Chia‐Wei , Shih Chih‐Chieh , Hsue Ching‐Wen
Published: December 2011

In this letter, a new LC‐ring quadrature voltage‐controlled oscillator (QVCO) is proposed. The proposed 0.18‐μm CMOS QVCO uses a new composite LC resonator, and it occupies the die area of 0.61 × 0.95 mm2. At the supply voltage of 1.2 V, the total power consumption is 3.7 mW. The free‐running frequency of the QVCO is tunable from 3.86 to 4.22 GHz as the tuning voltage is varied from 0.0 to 1.2 V. The measured phase noise at 1 MHz frequency offset is −123.42 dBc/Hz at the oscillation frequency of 3.94 GHz and the figure of merit of the proposed QVCO is −190.38 dBc/Hz. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett, 54:474–477, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26549
Design of a microstrip bandpass filter with wide stopband
Authors: Tang Ching‐Wen , Lai Hsuan‐Yu
Published: December 2011

In this work, a novel microstrip bandpass filter with a wide stopband is proposed. With the assistance of an open stub, one modified open‐circuit coupled line with symmetrical feeding, a long transmission line, and a wide stopband with a sufficient rejection level can be achieved. Detailed design and synthesis procedures are provided. Good agreement between simulation and measurement demonstrates feasibility of the proposed filter. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:549–551, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26557
Small planar internal wireless wide area network tablet computer antenna
Authors: Wong Kin‐Lu , Wu Tsung‐Ju
Published: December 2011

A planar penta‐band wireless wide area network (WWAN) antenna with a small size of 12 × 35 mm2 for application in the tablet computer as an internal antenna is presented. The antenna is printed on a 0.8‐mm thick FR4 substrate on which a radiating portion and an antenna ground for accommodating a matching circuit are formed. The antenna is mounted at the top edge of the display ground which supports a 9.7‐inch display for the tablet computer. The antenna's radiating portion comprises a feeding strip, a parasitic strip short‐circuited to the antenna ground, and a printed distributed parallel resonant circuit. The latter two contribute a 0.25‐wavelength dual‐resonance mode at about 850 MHz for the GSM850/900 operation. The feeding strip generates a 0.25‐wavelength resonant mode at about 1800 MHz to combine with a higher‐order resonant mode at about 2200 MHz contributed by the shorted strip for the GSM1800/1900/UMTS operation. Additionally, the matching circuit on the antenna ground replacing the function of the matching circuit that is usually disposed on the system circuit board and provides a convenient means to adjust the impedance matching of the antenna to cover the desired operating bands. Owing to the new configuration of the antenna, the size of the proposed antenna is about the smallest among the internal WWAN antennas that have been reported for the tablet or laptop computer applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:426–431, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26559
Compact triple‐band antenna with rectangular ring for WLAN and WiMAX applications
Authors: Li Xin , Wang Ya‐Fang , Shi Xiao‐Wei , Hu Wei , Chen Lei
Published: December 2011

A novel compact triple‐band antenna with rectangular ring for wireless local area network and worldwide interoperability for microwave access applications is proposed.The antenna is simply composed of a rectangular ring, a pair of symmetrical L‐shaped strips, and a T‐shaped monopole. Dual‐band characteristic can be produced by the pair of L‐shaped strips and T‐shaped monopole. By extending the rectangular ring from the ground plane, a new resonant frequency is obtained. Based on this concept, a prototype of this triple‐band antenna has been designed, fabricated, and measured. The experimental results show that the antenna covers the frequency bands 2.34–2.74, 3.04–3.82, and 5.03–6.05 GHz with −10 dB return loss. Moreover, good omnidirectional radiation patterns and reasonable gains are also obtained. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:286–289, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26561
Effective permeability of an S‐shaped resonator
Authors: Khan M. F. , Mughal M.J. , Bilal M.
Published: December 2011

Left‐handed material (LHM) is a hot topic of research due to its astonishing characteristics. S‐shaped resonator (SSR) is one of the resonators, which can be used to fabricate LHM. In this article, a simple expression for the effective permeability of SSR is presented and is verified by the experimental results. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:282–286, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26562
A series peaked gm‐boosted 3.1–10.6 GHz CMOS CG UWB LNA for WiMedia
Authors: Khurram Muhammad , Rezaul Hasan S. M.
Published: December 2011

An improved low noise amplifier (LNA) architecture is presented for WiMedia ultrawideband radio frequency frontend.The LNA topology addresses the issue of noise reduction keeping the power consumption to a minimum by employing the transconductance “gm” boosted common gate (CG) LNA topology with series peaking, operating in the WiMedia spectrum. This CG LNA utilizes an active gm‐boosting stage where the bias current is shared between the gm‐boosting stage and the self‐biased CG amplifying stage. In conjunction with an LC T‐network to further reduce the noise figure (NF) of the CG stage with finite output conductance (gds), inductive series peaking is used to widen the operating pass‐band. The proposed LNA is designed using the 130 nm IBM CMOS process and achieved an input return loss (S11) and an output return loss (S22) of −10 dB and −14 dB, respectively. The LNA exhibits forward power gain (S21) of around 14 dB with a NF ranging between 3.5 and 4.1 dB. The complete chip dissipates 5 mW from a 1.0 V supply with an input referred third order intercept point (IIP3) and an input referred 1‐dB compression point (ICP1dB) of −4.8 dBm and −12.1 dBm, respectively. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:532–535, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26573
Simulation and experiment of radiating slot in a ground‐plane of microstrip junction
Authors: Pergol Mariusz , Marynowski Wojciech , Mazur Jerzy
Published: December 2011

In this article, a novel configuration of the integrated slot antenna is presented.This structure is based on the principle of radiation of the longitudinal slot in rectangular waveguide acquired by the slotted substrate integrated waveguides and half‐mode substrate integrated waveguide. The antenna arrangement is designed by etching longitudinal slot in the ground plane of the microstrip circuit. Such circuit is designed on a single substrate in the form of a microstrip line open at the end, with a stub attached to its edge. The length of the open stub is selected to produce a short circuit near the edge of the microstrip. The field distribution appearing then in the junction is well suited for slot excitation. The proposed integrated antenna configuration is validated by full‐wave simulation and experimental measurements. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:525–529, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26576
A novel unequal‐power divider based on synthetic quasi‐tem transmission line design
Authors: Chen Chih‐Chiang , Sun Hai‐Tao , Chen Yu‐Ruei
Published: December 2011

This article well proposed a novel miniature unequal Wilkinson power divider using dual transmission line (DTL) design scheme with synthetic quasi‐TEM transmission line whose name is called complementary conducting strip (CCS). Our study technically and theoretically compared the miniaturized unequal Wilkinson power divider (UWPD) consisting of high‐impedance CCS and low‐impedance DTL with traditional microstrips. Under same conditions of process, simulation skill, and electrical performance, the analyses at operating frequency of 2.4 GHz result in that the area needed for CCS DTL UWPD with a power dividing ratio of 5 to 1 is merely 53% of traditional microstrips, input return loss is above 22 dB, isolation figure is over 21 dB, insertion loss of two output ports are 1.5 dB and 8.51 dB, respectively, and a fairly high output power ratio of 5 to 1 is exhibited. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett, 2012
A parallel‐injection injection locked frequency divider in 0.35‐μm SiGe HBT process
Authors: Jang Sheng‐Lyang , Huang Chong‐Wei , Chang Chia‐Wei , Hsue Ching‐Wen
Published: December 2011

A high operation frequency multimodulus injection locked frequency divider (ILFD) has been proposed and it is based on a cross‐coupled voltage‐controlled oscillator with the parallel‐injection heterojunction bipolar transistors (HBTs), and was fabricated in the 0.35 μm silicon‐germanium (SiGe) 3P3M BiCMOS technology. The die area is 0.82 × 0.748 mm2. The metal‐oxide‐semicondcutor (MOS) varactor is used to tune the frequency range and operation range. The ILFD has wide divide‐by‐3 locking range due to the parallel injection HBTs with an inductive boosted source voltage. When the supply voltage VCC is 1.2 V and the tuning voltage of the free‐running ILFD is tuned from 0 to 1.2 V, the divider's free‐running oscillation frequency is tunable from 6.21 to 7.379 GHz, and at the incident power of 0 dBm the divide‐by‐3 operation range is 2.7 GHz, continuously from the incident frequency 19.2 to 21.9 GHz. The divide‐by‐3 locking range is 0.8 GHz, from the incident frequency 20.9 to 21.7 GHz. The divide‐by‐2 locking range is 0.8 GHz, from the incident frequency 15.2 to 16.0 GHz. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:379–383, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26593
Distribution, crypticity, stability, and localization of α‐L‐fucosidase of mouse cauda epididymal sperm
Authors: Phopin Kamonrat , Nimlamool Wutigri , Bartlett Mackenzie J. , Bean Barry S.
Published: December 2011

Sperm‐associated and semen‐specific isoforms of α‐L‐fucosidase are thought to function in fertilization in numerous organisms. Here, we report the localization, distribution, crypticity, and stability of this enzyme in mouse cauda epididymal sperm and cauda fluid. Western analysis revealed that the sperm‐associated α‐L‐fucosidase is present as two isoforms (Mr ∼49 and 56 kDa), whereas the cauda fluid α‐L‐fucosidase shows a single band at 50 kDa. α‐L‐Fucosidase activity was detected using the fluorogenic substrate 4‐MU‐FUC. Of the total α‐L‐fucosidase activity recovered in the cauda epididymal contents, 74% was found in the cell‐free cauda fluid and about 7% was found in sperm cells. During capacitation or permeabilization, cryptic intracellular stores of soluble enzyme were released to the supernatant, while leaving bound enzyme concentrated within the small volume of sperm. Moreover, membrane‐associated enzyme activity was still detectable in acrosome‐reacted cells. Immunofluorescence studies support the presence of α‐L‐fucosidase (originally localizing at the acrosomal area) at the equatorial segment after the acrosome reaction. α‐L‐Fucosidase activity of both cauda fluid and sperm at 37°C, 5% CO2 was relatively stable and detectable up to 72 hr. The stability and appearance of mouse sperm‐associated α‐L‐fucosidase in the equatorial segment after the acrosome reaction suggest that α‐L‐fucosidase may be involved in sperm–egg interaction. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 79: 208–217, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A general approach to analyse preconditioners for two‐by‐two block matrices
Authors: Axelsson Owe , Neytcheva Maya
Published: December 2011

Two‐by‐two block matrices arise in various applications, such as in domain decomposition methods or when solving boundary value problems discretised by finite elements from the separation of the node set of the mesh into ‘fine’ and ‘coarse’ nodes. Matrices with such a structure, in saddle point form arise also in mixed variable finite element methods and in constrained optimisation problems.

A general algebraic approach to construct, analyse and control the accuracy of preconditioners for matrices in two‐by‐two block form is presented. This includes both symmetric and nonsymmetric matrices, as well as indefinite matrices. The action of the preconditioners can involve element‐by‐element approximations and/or geometric or algebraic multigrid/multilevel methods. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Facile one‐pot/one‐step technique for preparation of side‐chain functionalized polymers: Combination of SET‐RAFT polymerization of azide vinyl monomer and click chemistry
Authors: Shen Qiong , Zhang Jian , Zhang Shuangshuang , Hao Yigang , Zhang Wei , Zhang Weidong , Chen Gaojian , Zhang Zhengbiao , Zhu Xiulin
Published: December 2011

An azido‐containing functional monomer, 11‐azido‐undecanoyl methacrylate, was successfully polymerized via ambient temperature single electron transfer initiation and propagation through the reversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (SET‐RAFT) method. The polymerization behavior possessed the characteristics of “living”/controlled radical polymerization. The kinetic plot was first order, and the molecular weight of the polymer increased linearly with the monomer conversion while keeping the relatively narrow molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn ≤ 1.22). The complete retention of azido group of the resulting polymer was confirmed by 1H NMR and FTIR analysis. Retention of chain functionality was confirmed by chain extension with methyl methacrylate to yield a diblock copolymer. Furthermore, the side‐chain functionalized polymer could be prepared by one‐pot/one‐step technique, which is combination of SET‐RAFT and “click chemistry” methods. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
Vacancies in fully hydrogenated boron nitride layer: implications for functional nanodevices
Authors: Zhou Y. G. , Wang Z. G. , Nie J. L. , Yang P. , Sun X. , Khaleel M. A. , Zu X. T. , Gao F.
Published: December 2011

Using density functional theory, a series of calculations of structural and electronic properties of hydrogen vacancies in a fully hydrogenated boron nitride (fH‐BN) layer were conducted. By dehydrogenating the fH‐BN structure, B‐terminated vacancies can be created which induce complete spin polarization around the Fermi level, irrespective of the vacancy size. On the contrary, the fH‐BN structure with N‐terminated vacancies can be a small‐gap semiconductor, a typical spin gapless semiconductor, or a metal depending on the vacancy size. Utilizing such vacancy‐induced band gap and magnetism changes, possible applications in spintronics are proposed, and a special fH‐BN based quantum dot device is designed. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Enhanced Antibacterial Activities of Leonuri Herba Extracts Containing Silver Nanoparticles
Authors: Im A‐Rang , Han Lina , Kim E Ray , Kim Jinwoong , Kim Yeong Shik , Park Youmie
Published: December 2011

We report an efficient and powerful green process to enhance the antibacterial activities of the Leonuri herba extract. Plant sources, especially leaves and herbs, are precious for the generation of gold and silver nanoparticles. Various kinds of polyphenols and hydroxyl groups are capable of processing a reduction reaction to generate metals from its corresponding salts. We have prepared gold and silver nanoparticles with 70% ethanol and water extracts. No other toxic chemicals were utilized and the extracts played dual roles as reducing and stabilizing agents. For the generation of nanoparticles, both oven incubation and autoclaving methods were applied and the reaction conditions were optimized. Surface plasmon resonance band indicated that the formation of nanoparticles was successful. Images of high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed mostly spherical nanoparticles ranging from 9.9 to 13.0 nm in size. A water extract containing silver nanoparticles exhibited remarkable (approximately 127‐fold) enhancement in antibacterial activities against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter cloacae when compared with the water extract alone. In addition, antibacterial activity towards Gram‐negative bacteria was greater than that against Gram‐positive bacteria. The process reported here has the potential to be a new approach to improve the antibacterial activities of plant extracts. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Static disturbance‐to‐output decoupling for nonlinear systems with arbitrary disturbance relative degree
Authors: Yang Jun , Chen Wen‐Hua , Li Shihua , Chen Xisong
Published: December 2011

Static disturbance‐to‐output decoupling problem for nonlinear systems with arbitrary disturbance relative degree is addressed in this paper without resorting to a high‐gain design. A systematic design method is developed for the design of the disturbance compensation gain in the control law. It is shown that the influence of the disturbance can be eliminated from the output channel in steady state with the proposed design method. More interesting, the exact disturbance decoupling methods turn out to be special cases of the proposed control law. The feasibility of extending the proposed method to unmeasurable disturbance case is also investigated by integrating a nonlinear disturbance observer. It is further discussed that the proposed method can be extended to multiple disturbance cases with almost no modification. Simulation example of a missile shows that the proposed method is effective in rejecting disturbance with arbitrary relative degree. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A hybrid procedure for detecting global treatment effects in multivariate clinical trials: theory and applications to fMRI studies
Authors: Minas Giorgos , Rigat Fabio , Nichols Thomas E. , Aston John A.D. , Stallard Nigel
Published: December 2011

In multivariate clinical trials, a key research endpoint is ascertaining whether a candidate treatment is more efficacious than an established alternative. This global endpoint is clearly of high practical value for studies, such as those arising from neuroimaging, where the outcome dimensions are not only numerous but they are also highly correlated and the available sample sizes are typically small. In this paper, we develop a two‐stage procedure testing the null hypothesis of global equivalence between treatments effects and demonstrate its application to analysing phase II neuroimaging trials. Prior information such as suitable statistics of historical data or suitably elicited expert clinical opinions are combined with data collected from the first stage of the trial to learn a set of optimal weights. We apply these weights to the outcome dimensions of the second‐stage responses to form the linear combination z and t tests statistics while controlling the test's false positive rate. We show that the proposed tests hold desirable asymptotic properties and characterise their power functions under wide conditions. In particular, by comparing the power of the proposed tests with that of Hotelling's T2, we demonstrate their advantages when sample sizes are close to the dimension of the multivariate outcome. We apply our methods to fMRI studies, where we find that, for sufficiently precise first stage estimates of the treatment effect, standard single‐stage testing procedures are outperformed. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Higher‐order likelihood inference in meta‐analysis and meta‐regression
Authors: Guolo Annamaria
Published: December 2011

This paper investigates the use of likelihood methods for meta‐analysis, within the random‐effects models framework. We show that likelihood inference relying on first‐order approximations, while improving common meta‐analysis techniques, can be prone to misleading results. This drawback is very evident in the case of small sample sizes, which are typical in meta‐analysis. We alleviate the problem by exploiting the theory of higher‐order asymptotics. In particular, we focus on a second‐order adjustment to the log‐likelihood ratio statistic. Simulation studies in meta‐analysis and meta‐regression show that higher‐order likelihood inference provides much more accurate results than its first‐order counterpart, while being of a computationally feasible form. We illustrate the application of the proposed approach on a real example. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantification of cervical elastography: a reproducibility study
Authors: Molina F. S. , Gómez L. F. , Florido J. , Padilla M. C. , Nicolaides K. H.
Published: December 2011

Objectives

To assess a new method for numerical quantification of cervical elastography during pregnancy and to evaluate the repeatability of the measurements.

Methods

Cervical elastography was carried out twice by a single operator in 112 singleton pregnancies at a median of 21 (range, 12–40) weeks' gestation. In 50 of the cases a second operator performed another elastography measurement. The intraobserver and interobserver repeatability of measurements in different parts of the cervix were assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients with 95% CI and by Bland–Altman analysis.

Results

There were no statistically significant differences in the elastography measurements made by the same and by two different observers in each area measured, except in the area that receives the force of the transducer directly. The distribution of elastographic measurements obtained in different regions of the cervix demonstrated that the external and superior parts were significantly softer than the internal and inferior parts.

Conclusion

It is possible to provide an objective quantification of elastographic colors in the cervix. The measurements obtained by elastography may be a mere reflection of the force being applied by the transducer to different parts of the cervix. It is too premature to suggest that the measurements of rate‐of‐change in tissue displacement reflect histological changes that could provide a measure of cervical ripening. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Past and recent changes in the North Atlantic oscillation
Authors: Pinto Joaquim G. , Raible Christoph C.
Published: December 2011

The North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) is under current climate conditions the leading mode of atmospheric circulation variability over the North Atlantic region. While the pattern is present during the entire year, it is most important during winter, explaining a large part of the variability of the large‐scale pressure field, being thus largely determinant for the weather conditions over the North Atlantic basin and over Western Europe. In this study, a review of recent literature on the basic understanding of the NAO, its variability on different time scales and driving physical mechanisms is presented. In particular, the observed NAO variations and long‐term trends are put into a long term perspective by considering paleo‐proxy evidence. A representative number of recently released NAO reconstructions are discussed. While the reconstructions agree reasonably well with observations during the instrumental overlapping period, there is a rather high uncertainty between the different reconstructions for the pre‐instrumental period, which leads to partially incoherent results, that is, periods where the NAO reconstructions do not agree even in sign. Finally, we highlight the future need of a broader definition of the NAO, the assessment of the stability of the teleconnection centers over time, the analysis of the relations to other relevant variables like temperature and precipitation, as well as on the relevant processes involved. WIREs Clim Change 2012, 3:79–90. doi: 10.1002/wcc.150

This article is categorized under:

Paleoclimates and Current Trends > Earth System Behavior
Starvation-free mutual exclusion with semaphores
Authors: Hesselink Wim H. , IJbema Mark
Published: December 2011

The standard implementation of mutual exclusion by means of a semaphore allows starvation of processes. Between 1979 and 1986, three algorithms were proposed that preclude starvation. These algorithms use a special kind of semaphore. We model this so-called buffered semaphore rigorously and provide mechanized proofs of the algorithms. We prove that the algorithms are three implementations of one abstract algorithm in which every competing process is overtaken not more than once by any other process. We also consider a so-called polite semaphore, which is weaker than the buffered one and is strong enough for one of the three algorithms. Refinement techniques are used to compare the algorithms and the semaphores.
On the radiality of constrained minimizers to the Schrödinger–Poisson–Slater energy
Authors: Georgiev Vladimir , Prinari Francesca , Visciglia Nicola
Published: December 2011

We study the radial symmetry of minimizers to the Schrödinger–Poisson–Slater (S–P–S) energy:

\inf\limits_{\scriptsize
\begin{array}{l}
u \in H^{1}(\mathbb{R}^{3}) \\
\|u\|_{L^{2}(\mathbb{R}^{3})} = \rho
\end{array}}
\frac{1}{2}\int \limits_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}|\mathrm{∇}u|^{2} + \frac{1}{4}\int \limits_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}\int \limits_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}\frac{|u(x)|^{2}|u(y)|^{2}}{|x−y|}\:dx\:dy−\frac{1}{p}\int \limits_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}|u|^{p}\:dx

provided that

2 < p < 3

and

ρ

is small. The main result shows that minimizers are radially symmetric modulo suitable translation.

On montre la radialité des minimiseurs de lʼénergie de Schrödinger–Poisson–Slater

\inf\limits_{\scriptsize
\begin{array}{l}
u \in H^{1}(\mathbb{R}^{3}) \\
\|u\|_{L^{2}(\mathbb{R}^{3})} = \rho
\end{array}}
\frac{1}{2}\int \limits_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}|\mathrm{∇}u|^{2} + \frac{1}{4}\int \limits_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}\int \limits_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}\frac{|u(x)|^{2}|u(y)|^{2}}{|x−y|}\:dx\:dy−\frac{1}{p}\int \limits_{\mathbb{R}^{3}}|u|^{p}\:dx

pourvu que

2 < p < 3

et

ρ

est petit.
Assessing the Validity of Brand Equity Constructs
Authors: Menictas Con , Wang Paul Z. , Louviere Jordan J.
Published: December 2011

This paper tests both the internal and external validity of the Erdem and Swait (1998) brand equity framework using two measurement modelling approaches, namely the relatively new Best-Worst scaling (BWS) method ( Finn and Louviere, 1992 ; Marley and Louviere, 2005 ) and the more traditional confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) method. Data were collected from the Australian banking and mobile services sectors. We find the measurement models derived from BWS outperformed the models based on CFA of the rating data in predicting both stated and real brand choices. The findings have implications for both academics and practitioners in brand equity measurement and management.
The Works of John Ruskin
Authors: Ruskin John
Published: December 2011

The influence of John Ruskin (1819–1900), both on his own time and on artistic and social developments in the twentieth century, cannot be over-stated. He changed Victorian perceptions of art, and was the main influence behind 'Gothic revival' architecture. As a social critic, he argued for the improvement of the condition of the poor, and against the increasing mechanisation of work in factories, which he believed was dull and soul-destroying. The thirty-nine volumes of the Library Edition of his works, published between 1903 and 1912, are themselves a remarkable achievement, in which his books and essays - almost all highly illustrated - are given a biographical and critical context in extended introductory essays and in the 'Minor Ruskiniana' - extracts from letters, articles and reminiscences both by and about Ruskin. This eighth volume contains The Seven Lamps of Architecture.
The University of Cambridge
Authors: Mullinger James Bass
Published: December 2011

James Bass Mullinger (1834–1917) was a University Lecturer in History and Librarian at St. John's College, Cambridge. His monumental three-volume history of the university was the standard one at the turn of the twentieth century. For most of his career Mullinger worked on the project alongside his academic duties and his writing for periodicals, the first volume appearing in 1873 and the last in 1911. His extraordinary range of knowledge and the sheer scale of the work make this ambitious project a landmark in the history of universities in Britain. Volume 1 covers the beginnings of the university and the foundation of the early colleges, up to the death of Erasmus. Mullinger compares medieval Cambridge with the universities of Bologna and Oxford, and always keeps in view the university's influence on the country as a whole through the education of its political and social elites.
The Collected Mathematical Papers
Authors: Cayley Arthur
Published: December 2011

Arthur Cayley (1821–1895) was a key figure in the creation of modern algebra. He studied mathematics at Cambridge, qualified as a lawyer, and published about 250 mathematical papers during his fourteen years at the Bar. In 1863 he took a significant salary cut to become the first Sadleirian Professor of Pure Mathematics at Cambridge, where he continued to publish at a phenomenal rate on nearly every aspect of the subject, his most important work being in matrices, geometry and abstract groups. In 1883 he became president of the British Association for the Advancement of Science. Publication of his Collected Papers - 967 papers in 13 volumes plus an index volume - began in 1889 and was completed after his death under the editorship of his successor in the Sadleirian Chair. This volume contains a complete listing of all the papers, and a thorough index of persons and topics from Abel to Zornow.
Zwei Jahre unter den Indianern
Authors: Koch-Grünberg Theodor
Published: December 2011

This two-volume work by Theodor Koch-Grünberg (1872–1924), director of the Ethnographical Museum in Berlin, tells the story of his major expedition to North-West Brazil and describes the indigenous tribes and the local geography. In contrast to Koch-Grünberg's many monographs and essays on the same subject (listed in his Foreword), this book is directed at a lay readership. Koch-Grünberg states his aim of correcting a false impression of the indigenous peoples drawn from 'novels about Indians read during one's youth' and the accounts of his explorations are permeated by a deeply-held respect for the humanity he encounters. Although its primary interest to scholars lies in its anthropological and ethnographical content, the text is full of botanical, geographical and linguistic detail, interspersed with photographs taken by the author. Volume 1, published in 1909, covers the author's travels from Pará to São Felippe.
Caucasian Battlefields
Authors: Allen William Edward David , Muratoff Paul
Published: December 2011

The Caucasus region, which forms a natural boundary between Asia and Europe, has always been of great strategic importance. Russia's expansion into the region in the late eighteenth century brought conflict with the Ottoman Empire, creating a new area of contention between these two states, and the borderlands remained in a state of intermittent conflict until the end of the First World War. This volume, first published in 1953, discusses the four major conflicts which took place in the region during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Focusing on military strategy, the book describes in great detail battles, skirmishes and logistical problems of warfare in a mountainous and remote region. Illustrated with thirty-nine maps, it provides a wealth of information for military historians and remains an authoritative account.
Byzantine Constantinople
Authors: Van Millingen Alexander
Published: December 2011

One of the most detailed works describing the walls of this renowned city, Alexander Van Milligen's Byzantine Constantinople: The Walls of the City and Adjoining Historical Sites (1899) is of use to anyone interested in Byzantine architecture, the Byzantine Empire, and medieval history more generally. Van Milligen uses his expertise as a historian who had lived and taught in Constantinople to provide a detailed account of the Byzantine capital before it fell in 1453. Complete with meticulous verbal descriptions, illustrations, maps and plans, Van Milligen combines historical accounts with physical surveys, tracing Constantinople's expansion. He describes how the city spread and how the walls adapted, pausing to outline the importance of certain structures within the city, and of the hierarchy of gates within the walls. He also includes a table of emperors to assist the general reader, while his painstaking detail makes the book useful to professional scholars as well.
The World's Cane Sugar Industry
Authors: Geerligs H. C. Prinsen
Published: December 2011

H. C. Prinsen Geerligs (b.1864) was a Dutch microbiologist and Director of the Sugar Experiment Station in Java, an important research centre at the heart of the sugar industry. A leading expert in the production of sugar and the workings of the international market, Geerligs presents a detailed and comprehensive history of the industry, from its ancient origins through to the early twentieth century. Developing into a global industry during a time of great turbulence, the story of sugar interweaves with the history of slavery and colonial expansion, and into an age where science revolutionised production methods. As well as detailing the survival and growth of the industry through wars, piracy, conquest and social change, this book includes detailed country-by-country studies of the state of the industry in 1912 when the book was first published. A fascinating portrait of industrial and commercial history from an expert eyewitness.
Singular Perturbations of Differential Operators
Authors: Albeverio S. , Kurasov P.
Published: December 2011

Differential (and more general self-adjoint) operators involving singular interactions arise naturally in a range of topics such as, classical and quantum physics, chemistry, and electronics. This book presents a systematic mathematical study of these operators, with particular emphasis on spectral and scattering problems. Suitable for researchers in analysis or mathematical physics, this book could also be used as a text for an advanced course on the applications of analysis.
The Doctrine of Salvation in the First Letter of Peter
Authors: Williams Martin
Published: December 2011

The prevalence of salvation language in the first letter of Peter has often been acknowledged though rarely investigated in depth. In this book Martin Williams presents an account exploring the concept of salvation in this theologically rich letter. He brings together the disciplines of hermeneutics, New Testament studies, and systematic and historical theology in order to explore the language of salvation which resonates within the text. The book also elaborates on a methodological level the segregation which has arisen between biblical studies and theological studies. In doing this, Williams identifies a basis for how there can be interaction between these two different viewpoints. This book will be a valuable resource for students and scholars interested in the exegesis and theology of 1 Peter, the doctrine of salvation and biblical interpretation.
Shi'a Islam in Colonial India
Authors: Jones Justin
Published: December 2011

Interest in Shi'a Islam has increased greatly in recent years, although Shi'ism in the Indian subcontinent has remained largely underexplored. Focusing on the influential Shi'a minority of Lucknow and the United Provinces, a region that was largely under Shi'a rule until 1856, this book traces the history of Indian Shi'ism through the colonial period toward independence in 1947. Drawing on a range of new sources, including religious writing, polemical literature and clerical biography, it assesses seminal developments including the growth of Shi'a religious activism, madrasa education, missionary activity, ritual innovation and the politicization of the Shi'a community. As a consequence of these significant religious and social transformations, a Shi'a sectarian identity developed that existed in separation from rather than in interaction with its Sunni counterparts. In this way the painful birth of modern sectarianism was initiated, the consequences of which are very much alive in South Asia today.
An Inquiry into the Nature and Form of the Books of the Ancients
Authors: Hannett John
Published: December 2011

John Andrews Annett was the pseudonym of John Hannett, a printer and a pioneer in the study of modern and historical bookbinding methods. An Inquiry into the Nature and Form of the Books of the Ancients was published in 1837, following the success of Bibliopegia, his manual of bookbinding techniques. Having outlined the various ways in which written records were kept, and the development of the codex and of printing, Hannett devotes most of the book to the history of bookbinding. The book is well researched and illustrated, with many quotations from earlier works to support his clearly written narrative. Wills and accounts often describe books in terms of their binding, providing a way of following changing fashions in book coverings. He examines continental and oriental bindings as well as English, before discussing modern binding practice and practitioners.
Immigration Detention
Authors: Wilsher Daniel
Published: December 2011

The liberal legal ideal of protection of the individual against administrative detention without trial is embodied in the habeas corpus tradition. However, the use of detention to control immigration has gone from a wartime exception to normal practice, thus calling into question modern states' adherence to the rule of law. Daniel Wilsher traces how modern states have come to use long-term detention of immigrants without judicial control. He examines the wider emerging international human rights challenge presented by detention based upon protecting 'national sovereignty' in an age of global migration. He explores the vulnerable political status of immigrants and shows how attempts to close liberal societies can create 'unwanted persons' who are denied fundamental rights. To conclude, he proposes a set of standards to ensure that efforts to control migration, including the use of detention, conform to principles of law and uphold basic rights regardless of immigration status.
Information Systems Development and Data Modeling
Authors: Hirschheim Rudy , Klein Heinz K. , Lyytinen Kalle
Published: December 2011

Information systems development is not merely a technical intervention but involves social and ethical dilemmas that affect the human, social and organizational domains. To demonstrate this point, the authors conduct a thorough and substantive description and analysis of the conceptual and philosophical underpinnings of systems development. In particular they analyse a number of systems development methodologies including structured methods, prototyping, ETHICS and Soft Systems Methodology to reveal the underlying conceptual and philosophical foundations. The book provides an in-depth analysis of data modelling theory and its links with theories of language and cognition. It offers a framework to describe and analyse different systems development approaches and to explain their strengths and weaknesses. The book is aimed at graduate students taking courses in information systems and data modelling, but will also appeal to information systems managers and professionals for whom the summary of methodologies will be useful.
Death and the Metropolis
Authors: Landers John
Published: December 2011

Death and the Metropolis offers a powerful analysis of demographic patterns in London over the 'long eighteenth century', concentrating on mortality but also including data on marital fertility, population structure and migration. The study is based on a variety of sources including weekly and annual Bills of Mortality, parish registers and Quaker vital registers, and employs the techniques of family reconstitution and aggregative analysis. The data are analysed within the framework of a structural model of mortality change comprising the proximate determinants of exposure to, and resistance against, infectious agents on the the part of populations. Within this framework a model is established describing the specific demographic and epidemiological characteristics of early modern metropolitan centres. The evidence indicates that mortality in London was much higher than in other settlements in England for most of the period, but declined steeply in the later eighteenth century. This apparently reflected changes in exposure to infections.
The Interacting Boson Model
Authors: Iachello F. , Arima A.
Published: December 2011

The interacting boson model was introduced in 1974 as an attempt to describe collective properties of nuclei in a unified way. Since 1974, the model has been the subject of many investigations and it has been extended to cover most aspects of nuclear structure. This book gives an account of the properties of the interacting boson model. In particular, this book presents the mathematical techniques used to analyze the structure of the model. It also collects in a single, easily accessible reference all the formulas that have been developed throughout the years to account for collective properties of nuclei. Suitable for both theorists and experimentalists.
Plays of Persuasion
Authors: Walker Greg
Published: December 2011

A detailed study of the interaction between drama and politics in the reign of Henry VIII. The subject is addressed both in general terms and through a series of case-studies of individual early Tudor plays. Through its innovative use of dramatic texts as historical source material, the book provides illuminating insights into the political and cultural history of the Henrician period, and into the perceived character of the King himself. It focuses on the troubled religious and political history of the reign, the culture of the Court, and the personality and governmental style of its head. In doing so the book argues for a reassessment of the reign, which places the King once more at the centre of affairs, and acknowledges the determining effect which this egotistical, charismatic but, above all, pragmatic monarch exercised on the artistic culture, as much as on the politics, of the Court. The book also demonstrates the close and specific links between the drama and the politics of the reign, through a detailed study of a number of key works, links which have hitherto been viewed only as general or peripheral.