bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A new species of Caryodaphnopsis Airy Shaw (Lauraceae) from southeastern Yunnan, China
Authors: LIU BING , YANG YONG , MA KEPING
Published: July 2013

After four consecutive years of field investigations in tropical forests of SE Yunnan of China, we found a Caryodaphnopsis species (Lauraceae) which is similar to C. laotica in possessing pubescent leaves, petioles and twigs, but differs from the latter by the densely pubescent ovary. As a result, a new species Caryodaphnopsis malipoensis, is described. Conservation status of the species was considered as VU D2. Illustrations and a distribution map of the new species are provided.
The Role of Negative Buoyancy in Surface-Based Convection and Its Representation in Cumulus Parameterization Schemes
Authors: Ganeshan Manisha , Murtugudde Raghu , Strack John
Published: July 2013

Several warm season, late-afternoon precipitation events are simulated over the Chesapeake Bay watershed using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model at three different resolutions. The onset and peak of surface-based convection are predicted to occur prematurely when two popular cumulus parameterization schemes (Betts–Miller–Janjić and Kain–Fritsch) are used. Rainfall predictions are significantly improved with explicit convection. The early bias appears to be associated with the inadequacy in representing convective inhibition (CIN) or negative buoyancy in the trigger for moist convection. In particular, both schemes have weak constraints for the negative buoyancy above cloud base and below the level of free convection, leading to premature rainfall. Satellite-derived soundings suggest that, even with extremely favorable conditions, negative buoyancy in this layer may delay the onset of surface-based convection. Other factors, such as enhanced mixing due to overactive shallow convection, also appear to contribute to the early rainfall bias through the premature removal of CIN during the day.
An Initialization Scheme for Tropical Cyclone Numerical Prediction by Enhancing Humidity in Deep-Convection Region
Authors: Liu Jianyong , Yang Shunan , Ma Leiming , Bao Xuwei , Wang Dongliang , Xu Difeng
Published: July 2013

A nudging scheme for humidity fields is implemented in the Advanced Hurricane Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) for tropical cyclone (TC) initialization. The scheme improves TC simulation by enhancing the TC humidity profile in deep-convection regions, where it uses satelliteFengyun 2cloud-top brightness temperatures as a judging criterion. The impacts of the nudging on predicting TC intensity and structure are evaluated through the simulation of TC Khanun (2005) during its movement toward landfall at the coast of Zhejiang Province, China. During the nudging, the humidity distributions at the TC's inner core and along its outer spiral rainbands, where deep convections occur, are both enhanced. As a result, the intensity of the vortex is enhanced, being more consistent to the best-track data from the China Meteorological Administration. Specifically, the nudging modifies the simulated distribution of humidity according to convective activities captured by the satellite and therefore adjusts the development of deep convection in the model, which then influences the intensity and size of TC vortex through diabatic heating. During WRF simulation, the TC vortex initialized from the humidity nudging is dynamically and thermodynamically balanced with the background field, favoring a steady development of the vortex's intensity and structure. Because of the better simulation of TC inner core and outer spiral rainbands, the WRF simulation skills of TC intensity and track are improved.
The Interannual Variability of the Haines Index over North America
Authors: Yu Lejiang , Zhong Shiyuan , Bian Xindi , Heilman Warren E. , Charney Joseph J.
Published: July 2013

The Haines index (HI) is a fire-weather index that is widely used as an indicator of the potential for dry, low-static-stability air in the lower atmosphere to contribute to erratic fire behavior or large fire growth. This study examines the interannual variability of HI over North America and its relationship to indicators of large-scale circulation anomalies. The results show that the first three HI empirical orthogonal function modes are related respectively to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), the Arctic Oscillation (AO), and the interdecadal sea surface temperature variation over the tropical Pacific Ocean. During the negative ENSO phase, an anomalous ridge (trough) is evident over the western (eastern) United States, with warm/dry weather and more days with high HI values in the western and southeastern United States. During the negative phase of the AO, an anomalous trough is found over the western United States, with wet/cool weather and fewer days with high HI, while an anomalous ridge occurs over the southern United States–northern Mexico, with an increase in the number of days with high HI. After the early 1990s, the subtropical high over the eastern Pacific Ocean and the Bermuda high were strengthened by a wave train that was excited over the tropical western Pacific Ocean and resulted in warm/dry conditions over the southwestern United States and western Mexico and wet weather in the southeastern United States. The above conditions are reversed during the positive phase of ENSO and AO and before the early 1990s.
Subseasonal and Interannual Temperature Variability in Relation to Extreme Temperature Occurrence over East Asia
Authors: Ito Hiroyuki , Johnson Nathaniel C. , Xie Shang-Ping
Published: July 2013

This study investigates interannual variability in the frequency of occurrence of daily surface air temperature (SAT) extremes over East Asia in summer and winter between 1979 and 2009. In particular, this study examines the dominant seasonal SAT patterns, as obtained through empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis, and the associated variability in SAT extreme occurrence. Overall, the authors find that changes in extreme temperature occurrence associated with these dominant patterns are impacted by both shifts and narrowing/broadening of the subseasonal SAT probability distribution functions (PDFs). In summer, the leading pattern features large SAT anomalies in midlatitude East Asia centered over Mongolia. Over this center of action, positive SAT anomalies are accompanied by decreased precipitation and soil moisture, which increases the ratio of sensible to latent heat flux. Consequently, subseasonal SAT variance increases, resulting in an enhanced occurrence of positive SAT extremes relative to a simple SAT PDF shift. In winter, the leading pattern, which is highly correlated with the Arctic Oscillation, features large loadings in high-latitude Siberia that decay southward. In contrast with summer, large-scale dynamics play a larger role in the leading pattern: positive SAT anomalies are accompanied by a weakened and northward-shifted storm track, reduced subseasonal SAT variance, and a more pronounced decrease of cold extreme occurrence relative to a simple PDF shift. Finally, a brief look at the secular trends suggests that both shifts and narrowing/broadening of the PDF may also impact long-term trends in SAT extreme occurrence over some regions of East Asia.
Anomalous Temperature Regimes during the Cool Season: Long-Term Trends, Low-Frequency Mode Modulation, and Representation in CMIP5 Simulations
Authors: Westby Rebecca M. , Lee Yun-Young , Black Robert X.
Published: July 2013

During boreal winter, anomalous temperature regimes (ATRs), including cold air outbreaks (CAOs) and warm waves (WWs), provide important societal influences upon the United States. The current study analyzes reanalysis and model data for the period from 1949 to 2011 to assess (i) long-term variability in ATRs, (ii) interannual modulation of ATRs by low-frequency modes, and (iii) the representation of ATR behavior in models from phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5).

No significant trends in either WWs or CAOs are identified for the continental United States. On interannual time scales, CAOs are modulated by the (i) North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) over the U.S. Southeast and (ii) the Pacific–North American (PNA) pattern over the Northwest. WW frequency is modulated by (i) the NAO over the eastern United States and (ii) the combined influence of the PNA, Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and ENSO over the southern United States. In contrast to previous studies of seasonal-mean temperature, the influence of ENSO upon ATRs is found to be mainly limited to a modest modulation of WWs over the southern United States. Multiple linear regression analysis reveals that the regional collective influence of low-frequency modes accounts for as much as 50% of interannual ATR variability. Although similar behavior is observed in CMIP5 models, WW (CAO) frequency is typically overestimated (underestimated). All models considered are unable to replicate observed associations between ATRs and the PDO. Further, the collective influence of low-frequency modes upon ATRs is generally underestimated in CMIP5 models. The results indicate that predictions of future ATR behavior are limited by climate model ability to represent the evolving behavior of low-frequency modes of variability.
Propagating versus Nonpropagating Madden–Julian Oscillation Events
Authors: Kim Daehyun , Kug Jong-Seong , Sobel Adam H.
Published: July 2013

Basinwide convective anomalies over the Indian Ocean (IO) associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) sometimes propagate eastward and reach the west Pacific (WP), but sometimes do not. Long-term observations and reanalysis products are used to investigate the difference between the propagating and nonpropagating MJO events. IO convection onset events associated with the MJO are grouped into three categories based on the strengths of the simultaneous dry anomalies over the eastern Maritime Continent and WP. The IO convection anomaly preferentially makes eastward propagation and reaches the WP when the dry anomaly is stronger.

Analysis of the column-integrated moist static energy (MSE) budget shows that horizontal advection moistens the atmosphere to the east of the positive MSE anomaly associated with the active convection over the IO and is of sufficient magnitude to explain the eastward propagation of the positive MSE anomaly. Interpretation is complicated, however, by lack of closure in the MSE budget. A residual term, of smaller but comparable magnitude to the horizontal advection, also moistens the column to the east of the positive MSE anomaly. Nonetheless, the authors decompose the horizontal advection term into contributions from different scales and find that a dominant contribution is from free-tropospheric meridional advection by the intraseasonal time scale wind anomalies. The positive meridional advection in between the convective and dry anomalies is induced by the anomalous poleward flow, which is interpreted as part of the Rossby wave response to the dry anomaly. The poleward flow advects the climatological MSE, which peaks at the equator, and moistens to the east of IO convective anomaly.
Cloud Response to the Meandering Kuroshio Extension Front
Authors: Tomita Hiroyuki , Xie Shang-Ping , Tokinaga Hiroki , Kawai Yoshimi
Published: July 2013

A unique set of observations on board research vessel (R/V) Mirai in April 2010 captured a striking cloud hole over a cold meander of the Kuroshio Extension (KE) east of Japan as corroborated by atmospheric soundings, ceilometer, shipboard radiation data, and satellite cloud images. Distinct differences were also observed between the warm meander farther to the north and warm water south of the KE. The atmosphere is highly unstable over the warm meander, promoting a well-mixed marine atmospheric boundary layer (MABL) and a layer of solid stratocumulus clouds capped by a strong inversion. Over the warm water south of the KE, MABL deepens and is decoupled from the ocean surface. Scattered cumulus clouds develop as captured by rapid variations in ceilometer-derived cloud base. The results show that the meandering KE front affects the entire MABL and the clouds. Such atmospheric response can potentially intensify the baroclinicity in the lower atmosphere.
Winter Convection Transports Atlantic Water Heat to the Surface Layer in the Eastern Arctic Ocean*
Authors: Polyakov Igor V. , Pnyushkov Andrey V. , Rember Robert , Padman Laurie , Carmack Eddy C. , Jackson Jennifer M.
Published: July 2013

A 1-yr (2009/10) record of temperature and salinity profiles from Ice-Tethered Profiler (ITP) buoys in the Eurasian Basin (EB) of the Arctic Ocean is used to quantify the flux of heat from the upper pycnocline to the surface mixed layer. The upper pycnocline in the central EB is fed by the upward flux of heat from the intermediate-depth (~150–900 m) Atlantic Water (AW) layer; this flux is estimated to be ~1 W m−2 averaged over one year. Release of heat from the upper pycnocline, through the cold halocline layer to the surface mixed layer is, however, seasonally intensified, occurring more strongly in winter. This seasonal heat loss averages ~3–4 W m−2 between January and April, reducing the rate of winter sea ice formation. This study hypothesizes that the winter heat loss is driven by mixing caused by a combination of brine-driven convection associated with sea ice formation and larger vertical velocity shear below the base of the surface mixed layer (SML), enhanced by atmospheric storms and the seasonal reduction in density difference between the SML and underlying pycnocline.
The Response of the Surface Circulation of the Arabian Sea to Monsoonal Forcing
Authors: Beal L. M. , Hormann V. , Lumpkin R. , Foltz G. R.
Published: July 2013

Two decades of drifter and satellite data allow the authors to describe the seasonal evolution of the surface circulation of the Arabian Sea, which reverses annually with the Indian monsoon winds. This study finds several features that advance current understanding. Most significantly, northward flow appears along the length of the western boundary, together with a weak anticyclone at 6°N (a precursor to the Great Whirl) as early as March or April, one or two months before the southwest monsoon winds. This circulation is driven by planetary waves, which are initiated by wind curl forcing during the previous southwest monsoon, leading the authors to speculate that there is an oceanic mechanism through which one monsoon may precondition the next. Second, the authors find that the eastward South Equatorial Counter Current (SECC) is present year-round, fed by the northward East African Coastal Current (EACC). During the southwest monsoon the EACC overshoots the equator and splits, feeding both northward into the Somali Current and eastward into the SECC by looping back across the equator. This retroflection of the EACC is what was previously known as the southern gyre. At the surface, this circulation is obscured by strong, locally wind-driven, cross-equatorial transport. The semiannual variability of the SECC is governed by Ekman pumping over the equatorial gyre. Finally, there is broad, strong eastward flow at the mouth of the Gulf of Aden throughout the southwest monsoon, coincident with alongshore winds and a switch in sign of the wind stress curl along the axis of the atmospheric monsoon jet.
Characteristics of the RAW-Filtered Leapfrog Time-Stepping Scheme in the Ocean General Circulation Model
Authors: Young Chih-Chieh , Liang Yu-Chiao , Tseng Yu-Heng , Chow Chun-Hoe
Published: July 2013

The Robert–Asselin–Williams (RAW) filtered leapfrog scheme is implemented and tested in the Taiwan multiscale community ocean model (TIMCOM). The characteristics of the RAW filter are carefully examined through two benchmark tests (the classical model problem-oscillation equation with further consideration of the dissipation effect, and the 1D linearized shallow-water equations). Particularly, the effect of the RAW filter upon the 2Δx wave instability due to spatial truncation errors is addressed. TIMCOM is then applied to simulate the coastally trapped internal Kelvin waves and global ocean circulations, showing the practical improvement over the Robert–Asselin (RA) filter in the short- and long-term model integrations. The large mean differences in some major current systems suggest the potential impacts on the oceanic instability where the numerical dissipation may interfere with the physical one. The characteristic analysis and model results here indicate the significant advantage of the RAW-filtered leapfrog time-stepping scheme for accurate ocean modeling.
A Regional GSI-Based Ensemble Kalman Filter Data Assimilation System for the Rapid Refresh Configuration: Testing at Reduced Resolution
Authors: Zhu Kefeng , Pan Yujie , Xue Ming , Wang Xuguang , Whitaker Jeffrey S. , Benjamin Stanley G. , Weygandt Stephen S. , Hu Ming
Published: July 2013

A regional ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) system is established for potential Rapid Refresh (RAP) operational application. The system borrows data processing and observation operators from the gridpoint statistical interpolation (GSI), and precalculates observation priors using the GSI. The ensemble square root Kalman filter (EnSRF) algorithm is used, which updates both the state vector and observation priors. All conventional observations that are used in the operational RAP GSI are assimilated. To minimize computational costs, the EnKF is run at ⅓ of the operational RAP resolution or about 40-km grid spacing, and its performance is compared to the GSI using the same datasets and resolution. Short-range (up to 18 h, the RAP forecast length) forecasts are verified against soundings, surface observations, and precipitation data. Experiments are run with 3-hourly assimilation cycles over a 9-day convectively active retrospective period from spring 2010. The EnKF performance was improved by extensive tuning, including the use of height-dependent covariance localization scales and adaptive covariance inflation. When multiple physics parameterization schemes are employed by the EnKF, forecast errors are further reduced, especially for relative humidity and temperature at the upper levels and for surface variables. The best EnKF configuration produces lower forecast errors than the parallel GSI run. Gilbert skill scores of precipitation forecasts on the 13-km RAP grid initialized from the 3-hourly EnKF analyses are consistently better than those from GSI analyses.
Age-dependent elevations in plasma kisspeptin are observed in boys and girls when compared with adults
Authors: Jayasena Channa N , Nijher Gurjinder MK , Narayanaswamy Shakunthala , Silva Akila De , Abbara Ali , Ghatei Mohammad A , Bloom Stephen R , Bridges Nicola , Dhillo Waljit S
Published: July 2013

Background

Kisspeptin is a hypothalamic neuropeptide playing a physiological role in human reproduction. Genetic over-activation of kisspeptin causes precocious puberty in children. Concentrations of circulating kisspeptin are low in adults. The concentrations of plasma kisspeptin in boys and girls have not been studied previously.

Methods

Blood was obtained from 51 children and 63 adults. Plasma samples were analysed using radioimmunoassay. Children were aged 2–18 years, and attending hospital for a medically requested blood test unrelated to reproductive development. Data on pubertal status were not collected due to ethical reasons.

Results

Mean plasma kisspeptin was significantly higher in children when compared with adults (mean plasma kisspeptin in pmol/L: 12.3 ± 0.9, adults; 40.9 ± 3.3, children, P < 0.001 vs. adults). Overall mean concentrations of plasma kisspeptin were not significantly different between sexes (mean plasma kisspeptin in pmol/L: 39.5 ± 3.2, boys; 44.3 ± 6.3, girls, P = 0.48). In both sexes, concentrations of plasma kisspeptin increased with age to peak concentrations between 9 and 12 years of age, before decreasing beyond 12 years of age to adulthood. Plasma kisspeptin concentrations were highly significantly elevated in both girls and boys aged 9–12 when compared with adults (mean plasma kisspeptin in pmol/L: 59.5 ± 18.3, girls, P < 0.01 vs. adult women; 43.8 ± 6.2, boys, P < 0.001 vs. adult men).

Conclusions

We report that circulating kisspeptin is elevated in both boys and girls when compared with adults. Furthermore both boys and girls may have distinct, age-dependent concentrations of circulating kisspeptin. Further studies may determine if plasma kisspeptin could be used as a clinically useful biochemical marker of reproductive development in children.
Assessing gender and ethnic differences in developmental trajectories of offending
Authors: Ferrante Anna M
Published: July 2013

Research on diversity in offending patterns is crucial given ongoing polemical debates concerning the relationship between gender, ethnicity and crime. Competing theoretical perspectives, limited supporting evidence and inconclusive or contradictory findings from prior research point to the need for more empirically-grounded, generalizable research which compares and contrasts offending patterns across and within gender and ethnic groups. The current study applies a semi-parametric group-based modelling approach to a large, longitudinal dataset of offenders to determine if, and how, offending trajectories vary across gender and ethnic sub-groups. Findings suggest that some trajectory attributes (e.g. number and shape) are shared across gender/ethnic groups, while other trajectory attributes (height, peak age) are not. An exploratory investigation of the risk factors associated with trajectory group membership finds that few of the available factors discriminate between trajectories either within or across gender/ethnic offender groups. The findings fill a knowledge gap, particularly in relation to offending patterns in Australia. Invariance in trajectory risk factors present a challenge to taxonomic theories of offending.
Gingivae Contain Neural-crest- and Mesoderm-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Xu X. , Chen C. , Akiyama K. , Chai Y. , Le A.D. , Wang Z. , Shi S.
Published: July 2013

Gingivae represent a unique soft tissue that serves as a biological barrier to cover the oral cavity side of the maxilla and mandible. Recently, the gingivae were identified as containing mesenchymal stem cells (GMSCs). However, it is unknown whether the GMSCs are derived from cranial neural crest cells (CNCC) or the mesoderm. In this study, we show that around 90% of GMSCs are derived from CNCC and 10% from the mesoderm. In comparison with mesoderm MSCs (M-GMSCs), CNCC-derived GMSCs (N-GMSCs) show an elevated capacity to differentiate into neural cells and chondrocytes and induce activated T-cell apoptosis in vitro. When transplanted into mice with dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced colitis, N-GMSCs showed superior effects in ameliorating inflammatory-related disease phenotype in comparison with the M-GMSC treatment group. Mechanistically, the increased immunomodulatory effect of N-GMSCs is associated with up-regulated expression of FAS ligand (FASL), a transmembrane protein that plays an important role in MSC-based immunomodulation. In summary, our study indicates that the gingivae contain both neural-crest- and mesoderm-derived MSCs with distinctive stem cell properties.
Cohort Variations in the Membership of Voluntary Associations in Great Britain, 1991–2007
Authors: McCulloch Andrew
Published: July 2013

This article uses longitudinal data from the British Household Panel Study to examine trends in the level of membership in a range of voluntary associations from 1991 to 2007. It has been suggested that the membership of voluntary associations is in decline in western societies and the analysis examines the trajectory of the number of memberships with age for four 10-year age cohorts born between 1935 and 1975. The results for men show lower levels of membership over time for the 1955–1964 and 1965–1974 cohorts in comparison to those of earlier born cohorts. For women, levels of membership were only notably lower for the 1965–1974 cohort. The differences in the probability of belonging to an organisation between cohorts were similar in magnitude to those between categories of social class and education. Cohort differences in the membership of voluntary associations are interpreted to reflect primarily the impact of changing social and economic conditions on individual’s capacity for involvement.
Using Rational Action Theory and Bourdieu’s Habitus Theory Together to Account for Educational Decision-making in England and Germany
Authors: Glaesser Judith , Cooper Barry
Published: July 2013

Both Rational Action Theory (RAT) and Bourdieu’s habitus theory are employed to explain educational decision-making. RAT assumes that decision-making involves cost-benefit analysis, while habitus theory sees educational pathways as shaped by dispositions reflecting familial class of origin. These theories are often seen as conflicting, but we argue that they can fruitfully be used together.

Proponents of these theories often employ different methods. RAT advocates usually employ survey data, while those favouring habitus theory often use case studies. If cost-benefit reasoning does partly explain educational decision-making, then we should expect to find evidence of it at the micro-level. Drawing on interviews conducted in Germany and England, we show that young people do indeed talk about their educational choices in ways which fit RAT accounts. Their class-based habitus often, however, provides upper and lower boundaries for their aspirations, thus conditioning the nature of the cost-benefit analysis entering into decision-making.
The Dynamics of Gender Hegemony: Femininities, Masculinities and Social Change
Authors: Budgeon Shelley
Published: July 2013

In this article theories of gender hegemony are utilized to assess how changing norms impact upon the binary construction of gender. Transformed gender ideals have materialized in the figure of the ‘empowered’ and autonomous yet reassuringly feminine woman. Despite the assimilation of key attributes associated with masculinity this particular expression of idealized femininity does not necessarily rework dominant perceptions of gender difference and their organization into a relation of hierarchical complementarity. Through the review of key empirical studies which have examined identity work undertaken by young women and young men as they negotiate idealized gender norms, this article examines how hegemonic relations are reproduced alongside the production of plural femininities and masculinities. This analysis is discussed in relation to changes associated with a move from a private to a public gender regime, a perceived feminization of the public sphere, and the complication of contradictory gender ideals.
The Urban Political Ecology of Post-industrial Scottish Towns: Examining Greengairs and Ravenscraig
Authors: Ioris Antonio A. R.
Published: July 2013

Urban ecological politics is shaped by both moments of concerted action and more silent perceptions and responses. Instead of only being evident in situations of organised protest, the politics of urban ecology is also manifested, in material and symbolic terms, in the daily life of the residents. The fragmentation of urban political ecology turns out to be an important element in the affirmation of post-political forms of urban governance. Those issues were the object of fieldwork research carried out in Greengairs and Ravenscraig, two towns in North Lanarkshire, near Glasgow, with the goal of unravelling the understanding and the coping mechanisms of environmentally deprived residents. The towns are permeated by a widespread, often dissimulated, political ecology that is nonetheless always present. Empirical results demonstrate that a more comprehensive handling of the political ecology of the urban is crucial in order to halt the sources of marginalisation and ecological degradation.
Sense of Place
Authors: Campelo Adriana , Aitken Robert , Thyne Maree , Gnoth Juergen
Published: July 2013

Given that brand meanings are socially constructed and culturally dependent, we advocate that a destination branding strategy should begin by understanding what constitutes sense of place as experienced by local residents. The constructs of time, ancestry, landscape, and community were identified as determinants for the sense of place by inhabitants of the Chatham Islands of New Zealand. These constructs comprise meanings that influence the habitus and define sense of place. This article contributes to our understanding of place by providing a sense of place model to support scholarship in destination and place branding. Destination branding activity ought to be significantly influenced by an in-depth appreciation of the sense of place for those whose place it is. Our emergent model emphasizes the importance of understanding sense of place and positioning the people of the place at the centre of a branding strategy for the development of an effective destination brand.
The Ejército Popular Revolucionario
Authors: Figueroa-Ibarra Carlos , Martínez-Zavala Lorena
Published: July 2013

The stability of the Mexican state in comparison with the rest of the Latin American nations paradoxically contrasts with the recurrent emergence of guerrilla organizations. The activities of the Ejército Popular Revolucionario (Popular Revolutionary Army) are part of this paradox, representing what has been called a “recurrent guerrilla war” that takes advantage of the cracks in the hegemony of the state. What is new about this situation is that today the hegemonic crisis is not merely regional but nationwide.

La estabilidad del estado mexicano en comparación con el resto de las naciones latinoamericanas contrasta paradójicamente con la recurrente aparición de organizaciones guerrilleras. Las actividades del Ejército Popular Revolucionario forman parte de esta paradoja, representando lo que se ha llamado “una recurrente guerra de guerrilla” que se aprovecha de las grietas en la hegemonía del estado. Lo que hay de nuevo en esta situación es que la crisis hegemónica ha dejado de ser meramente regional, siendo ahora nacional.
Robust reliable control of uncertain 2D discrete switched systems with state delays
Authors: Huang Shipei , Xiang Zhengrong
Published: July 2013

This paper is concerned with the problem of robust reliable control for a class of uncertain 2D discrete switched systems with state delays and actuator faults represented by a model of Roesser type. The parameter uncertainties are assumed to be norm-bounded. Firstly, based on the average dwell time approach, a delay-dependent sufficient condition for the exponential stability of discrete 2D switched systems with state delays is established in terms of linear matrix inequalities. Then, a reliable state feedback controller is designed to guarantee the exponential stability and reliability for the underlying systems. Finally, a numerical example is given to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
An efficient robust adaptive sliding mode control approach with its application to secure communications in the presence of uncertainties, external disturbance and unknown parameters
Authors: Mazinan AH , Kazemi MF , Shirzad H
Published: July 2013

The present research attempts to extend the available literature in the area of secure communications to provide an efficient robust adaptive sliding mode control approach in the presence of uncertainties, external disturbances and unknown parameters. It is obvious that the proposed control approach aims to synchronize two hyper-chaotic systems through secure communication. In order to assure the security of signal sending and receiving, the technique of chaotic parameter modulation is taken into consideration. The stability performance of the present approach is accurately guaranteed via the Lyapunov theorem. Numerical simulation results are carried out to illustrate the proposed approach performance, which is easily able to follow the control objectives.
Enhanced AIMD-based decentralized residential charging of EVs
Authors: Liu Mingming , McLoone Seán
Published: July 2013

Moving from combustion engine to electric vehicle (EV)-based transport is recognized as having a major role to play in reducing pollution, combating climate change and improving energy security. However, the introduction of EVs poses major challenges for power system operation. With increasing penetration of EVs, uncontrolled coincident charging may overload the grid and substantially increase peak power requirements. Developing smart grid technologies and appropriate charging strategies to support the role out of EVs is therefore a high priority. In this paper, we investigate the effectiveness of distributed additive increase and multiplicative decrease (AIMD) charging algorithms, as proposed by Stüdli et al. in 2012, at mitigating the impact of domestic charging of EVs on low-voltage distribution networks. In particular, a number of enhancements to the basic AIMD implementation are introduced to enable local power system infrastructure and voltage level constraints to be taken into account and to reduce peak power requirements. The enhanced AIMD EV charging strategies are evaluated using power system simulations for a typical low-voltage residential feeder network in Ireland. Results show that by using the proposed AIMD-based smart charging algorithms, 50% EV penetration can be accommodated, compared with only 10% with uncontrolled charging, without exceeding network infrastructure constraints.
Infants’ behaviors as antecedents and consequents of mothers’ responsive and directive utterances
Authors: Masur Elise Frank , Flynn Valerie , Lloyd Carrie A.
Published: July 2013

To investigate possible influences on and consequences of mothers’ speech, specific infant behaviors preceding and following four pragmatic categories of mothers’ utterances – responsive utterances, supportive behavioral directives, intrusive behavioral directives, and intrusive attentional directives – were examined longitudinally during dyadic free play at ages 13, 17, and 21 months. Analyses revealed developmental increases in children’s positive social and object-directed behaviors before and after maternal speech. Responsive utterances were the most likely to be preceded by social and object initiatives and more likely than intrusive directives to occur following high toy interest. Although mothers’ intrusive behavioral and attentional directives were often preceded by infants’ disengagement from play and toys, they were followed by infants’ greater levels of toy interest. Infants’ rates of compliance were substantial following all directives. The findings reveal differential behavioral circumstances preceding and following mothers’ responsive versus directive speech and their supportive directive versus intrusive directive utterances.
Maternal reminiscing, elaborative talk, and children’s theory of mind: An intervention study
Authors: Taumoepeau Mele , Reese Elaine
Published: July 2013

This study examined the impact of training mothers to talk elaboratively about the past on children’s understanding of mind. The researchers randomly assigned 102 mothers of 19-month-old children to a training or no-training group. Mothers in the experimental group received training in an elaborative style of talking about the past when children were 21, 25, and 29 months of age. Children were assessed on a battery of theory-of-mind tasks at 44 months. Results showed that children with initially lower levels of expressive vocabulary in the trained group benefited from elaborative talk about the past in terms of their understanding of mind. The article discusses the role of elaborative reminiscing, and specifically the importance of elaborative questions about the past, in children’s growing representational skills.
Deliberation and interpretation
Authors: Warnke Georgia
Published: July 2013

Because citizens of diverse and pluralistic democracies possess different values and interests, deliberative democratic theory founds legitimate decision-making in non-coercive deliberations among free and equal citizens who appeal to public reasons or, in other words, to reasons that can be accepted by ‘all who are possibly affected’. Yet it is not clear that what stymies democratic justification is the failure to offer or accept public reasons. Can we not agree on them while understanding them in different but equally compelling ways? Indeed, might it not be that what stymies justification is our failure to acknowledge this possibility? The first part of this paper explores these questions as they relate both to the original formulations of deliberative theory and to certain revisions. The second part of the paper investigates a hermeneutic alternative that not only acknowledges but also value differences in the ways we can plausibly understand the public reasons to which we agree.
“It’s What’s Normal for Me”
Authors: Nixon Elizabeth , Greene Sheila , Hogan Diane
Published: July 2013

Relative to research that has explored outcomes for children associated with living in a single parent family, less attention has been paid to how children interpret and make sense of their family situation. Drawing on qualitative interviews with 38 children and adolescents, aged 7 to 17 years in Ireland, this study explores children’s experiences of growing up in a continuously single-parent family, without experiencing separation and transitions usually associated with single-parent families. Children drew on societal discourses and comparisons with their peer group to evaluate their own family situation. Continuity and a sense of normality represented a salient aspect of their experiences since living in a one-parent family was all they had ever known. Children’s agency emerged in how they negotiated family between two homes and how they weighed up the costs and benefits of potential new parental partnerships.
Relationships Between Fathers and Adult Children
Authors: Kalmijn Matthijs
Published: July 2013

New data from a national Dutch survey are used to examine the effects of divorce and repartnering on the relationships that fathers have with their adult children. Compared with divorced fathers who live alone, repartnered fathers have less frequent contact with their children, they exchange less support with them, and the quality of the relationship is poorer. Divorce and repartnering thus have cumulative negative effects. These findings primarily apply when the divorce occurred when the child was young. Interpretations are given in terms of the reduced need for support that fathers have when they have a new spouse, the problems children may have with a stepmother, and the tendency of fathers to shift their investments to a new family after divorce (“swapping families”). Indirect evidence especially supports the “swapping families” hypothesis although the principle of need plays a role as well.
African American Couples’ Coparenting Satisfaction and Marital Characteristics in the First Two Decades of Marriage
Authors: Riina Elizabeth M. , McHale Susan M.
Published: July 2013

This study charted the trajectory of coparenting satisfaction during the first and second decades of marriage and examined links between marital characteristics and coparenting satisfaction. Data came from a 3-year study of 145 African American mother–father dyads with pre- to late-adolescent-age offspring. Multilevel growth curves revealed an inverted U-shaped pattern of change in coparenting satisfaction; this effect was qualified by youth age such that the quadratic pattern was evident in families with older but not younger offspring. Controlling for cross-time averages of marital characteristics, changes in marital love were positively related, and changes in marital conflict were negatively related to changes in coparenting satisfaction, with stronger links for fathers than mothers. Interparental incongruence in childrearing attitudes moderated the effects of love, such that parents with more incongruent attitudes and lower levels of love reported the lowest levels of coparenting satisfaction.
N,N-Dimethyl-p-toluidine, a Component in Dental Materials, Causes Hematologic Toxic and Carcinogenic Responses in Rodent Model Systems
Authors: Dunnick June K. , Brix A. , Sanders J. M. , Travlos G. S.
Published: July 2013

Because of the potential for exposure to N, N-dimethyl- p-toluidine (DMPT) in medical devices and the lack of toxicity and carcinogenicity information available in the literature, the National Toxicology Program conducted toxicity and carcinogenicity studies of DMPT in male and female F344/N rats and B6C3F1/N mice. In these studies, a treatment-related macrocytic regenerative anemia characterized by increased levels of methemoglobin and Heinz body formation developed within a few weeks of DMPT exposure in rats and mice. DMPT induced nasal cavity, splenic, and liver toxicity in rats and mice at 3 months and 2 years. DMPT carcinogenic effects were seen in the liver of male and female rats and mice, the nasal cavity of male and female rats, and the lung and forestomach of female mice. In rodents, DMPT is distributed to many of the sites where toxic and carcinogenic effects occurred. DMPT-induced oxidative damage at these target sites may be one mechanism for the treatment-related lesions. Methemoglobinemia, as seen in these DMPT studies, is caused by oxidation of the heme moiety, and this end point served as an early alert for other target organ toxicities and carcinogenic responses that followed with longer term exposure.
Devolution and difference: The politics of Sex and Relationships Education in Wales
Authors: Oerton Sarah , Pilgrim Anita Naoko
Published: July 2013

Drawing upon analysis of policy documents and interviews with key policy makers and professionals co-ordinating Sex and Relationships Education (SRE) in various settings, this paper interrogates the socio-political drivers underpinning SRE policy and practice with reference to the contemporary Welsh context. In media output in the UK context and beyond, there have been widespread public concerns about the over-sexualization of young girls, sexual grooming and the increasing commercialization of sex. These issues are also significant in Wales, but a different socio-political culture has led to different public pronouncements and a distinctive SRE approach. In this paper, we outline relatively new Welsh Assembly Government guidance on SRE (March 2010) in the context of a devolved education system. We argue that the characteristics of the Welsh approach to SRE include an emphasis on children’s rights and citizenship values, together with efforts to make SRE delivery more multidisciplinary and integrated. We also identify a different political rhetoric around sexual morality and family values, compared with that of England. This more progressive approach to SRE policy making, implementation and delivery in Wales is contrasted with the more heated pronouncements on the subject emanating from Westminster, particularly in recent years.
Symbolic adoption of ISO 9000 in small and medium-sized enterprises: The role of internal contingencies
Authors: Heras-Saizarbitoria Iñaki , Boiral Olivier
Published: July 2013

This article explores the decoupling between the rhetoric and practice of ISO 9000, an internationally disseminated standard in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Extensive fieldwork based on 65 in-depth interviews of general managers, middle managers and employees was undertaken in eight Spanish SMEs which adopted the standard over a long period of time. Contrary to common belief and the dominant neo-institutional approach to ISO certification, the findings indicate that firms tend to adopt ISO 9000 symbolically in response to various internal organisational contingencies, rather than as part of their adaptation to external pressures. ISO 9000 certification in SMEs can be compared to the acquisition of an organisational degree whose optimistic rhetoric and similar institutional pressures mask the considerable heterogeneity of certified organisations and elasticity of the standard when integrated into daily activities.
Increased expression of sex determining region Y-box 11 (SOX11) in cutaneous malignant melanoma
Authors: Jian Jiao , Guoying Wang , Jing Zhao
Published: July 2013

Objectives:

To observe sex determining region Y-box 11 ( SOX11) gene expression in cutaneous malignant melanoma and its effect on tumour cell proliferation.

Methods:

Clinicopathological data and tissue samples from patients with cutaneous malignant melanoma, together with tissue samples from healthy volunteers (controls), were retrospectively reviewed. Protein levels of SOX11 and the antigen identified by monoclonal antibody Ki-67 (Ki-67) in skin lesions were analysed using immunohistochemistry. The correlation between protein levels and clinipathological parameters was investigated.

Results:

Out of 40 patient samples, 25 (62.5%) were positive for SOX11 protein in malignant melanoma tissue. This was significantly higher than in 40 control tissue samples, in which no SOX11 protein was detected. Presence of SOX11 protein was positively related to the proliferation index of cutaneous malignant melanoma tumour cells. Presence of SOX11 protein in cutaneous malignant melanoma was related to tumour type, tumour location, lymph node metastasis and 5-year survival rate.

Conclusion:

Human cutaneous malignant melanoma tissues expressed high levels of SOX11 compared with healthy controls, suggesting that SOX11 may be a new prognostic marker for malignant melanoma.
Association between reversal of multidrug resistance by methyl jasmonate and P-glycoprotein ATPase activity in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Wang Chang-Fa , Wang Ya-Qin , Huang Fei-Zhou , Nie Wan-Pin , Liu Xun-Yang , Jiang Xian-Zhen
Published: July 2013

Objective

To study the effects of methyl jasmonate on multidrug resistance in a mouse model of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Methods

Multidrug resistant H22 (H22/FAP) hepatocellular carcinoma cells were produced in vitro by continuous exposure to increasing doses of doxorubicin, cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (FAP regimen). Cell toxicity was measured using the 3 -(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolum bromide (MTT) assay. Survival time was calculated for BALB/c mice that received intraperitoneal injections of H22/FAP cells followed by treatment with methyl jasmonate or verapamil in combination with FAP for 7 days. Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) hydrolysis was used to measure the activity of permeability-glycoprotein (P-gp) ATPase activity in plasma membranes.

Results

The MTT assay showed that methyl jasmonate significantly enhanced the cytotoxicity of the FAP regimen in multidrug resistant H22/FAP cells. Methyl jasmonate (10 mg/kg and 5 mg/kg) combined with FAP significantly increased survival time in BALB/c mice by 44.25% and 48.01%, respectively, compared with FAP. Methyl jasmonate increased P-gp ATPase activity.

Conclusion

The combined use of methyl jasmonate and the FAP regimen might be a novel strategy for overcoming the multidrug resistance often observed in hepatocellular carcinoma.
J wave is associated with increased risk of sudden cardiac arrest in patients with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
Authors: Li Yanbing , Mao Jun , Yan Qian , Qi Shuyuan , Liu Xiaoyan , Tan Chen , Zhang Ying , Shi Liang , Tian Ying , Wu Yongquan , Zeng Yujie , Wang Jiyun , Chu Jianmin , Ma Changsheng , Liu Xingpeng , Yang Xinchun
Published: July 2013

Aims

A retrospective, case–control study to investigate the J wave, a J-point elevation on resting 12-lead electrocardiograms, as a risk factor for sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in patients diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Methods

Patients with HCM and age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects were recruited, and 12-lead electrocardiograms were performed. The prevalence and related characteristics of J waves were assessed. Patients were followed-up for a mean of 47.9 months.

Results

Patients with HCM ( n = 345) had significantly higher prevalence of J waves than healthy controls ( n = 690; 11.6% and 7.1%, respectively). During follow-up, 14 patients with HCM experienced SCA (SCA subgroup). The prevalence of J waves was significantly higher in the SCA subgroup than in the non-SCA subgroup (42.9% and 10.3%, respectively). There were no significant differences between the SCA and non-SCA subgroups in J wave morphology.

Conclusion

The J wave may be a risk factor for SCA in patients with HCM.