bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Young systemic lupus erythematosus patients with no hearing involvement: 10-year follow up
Authors: García-Berrocal J R , De Diego B , Roldán-Fidalgo A , Yebra-Bango M , Millán I , Trinidad A , Ramírez-Camacho R
Published: December 2012

Objective:

To evaluate patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and normal hearing over 10 years, compared with healthy controls.

Methods:

Thirty patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus were evaluated in a prospective, descriptive study. Eight patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria, i.e. normal otoscopy, normal hearing, normal imaging and disease duration of less than one year. Eleven healthy companions of ENT patients were recruited as controls.

Results:

At study commencement, the mean patient age was 32.75 years (range, 15–49 years) and there were no statistically significant audiometric differences between patients and controls. No statistically significant audiometric changes were found either within or between the patient and control groups at 10-year follow up.

Conclusion:

These results supply no evidence for progressive hearing loss in systemic lupus erythematosus patients with no hearing involvement at study commencement. Therefore, we recommend audiometric tests only for systemic lupus erythematosus patients complaining of hearing loss, or for other clinical purposes. It is conceivable that asymptomatic hearing loss could be observed over a more extended follow-up period (i.e. more than 10 years).
Extensive pneumocephalus extending into the lateral ventricles from a brain abscess: an intracranial complication of cholesteatoma
Authors: Tamura Y , Suzuki M , Yamamoto M , Yoshida T
Published: December 2012

Objective:

We report the case of a patient with extensive pneumocephalus extending into the lateral ventricles from a brain abscess arising from a cholesteatoma-induced defect in the skull base.

Case report:

A 70-year-old man with cholesteatoma presented with right-sided otalgia, otorrhoea and progressive headaches. Computed tomography showed a tegmental defect (approximately 2 × 2 cm) at the right mastoid antrum. A T1-weighted, gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging scan showed pneumocephalus in both lateral ventricles, which was directly connected to the mastoid cavity via a brain abscess and a bone defect in the skull base. Radical mastoidectomy was performed to remove the cholesteatoma. The roof of the mastoid cavity was covered extensively with fascia and a pedicled temporalis muscle flap. One week post-operatively, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed no pneumocephalus.

Conclusion:

Pneumocephalus arising from a cholesteatoma-induced brain abscess and extending into the lateral ventricles is an important entity, with an atypical appearance on computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.
Ordinary Farmers Living Anarchist Time: Arishima Cooperative Farm in Hokkaido, 1922–1935
Authors: KONISHI SHO
Published: December 2012

This paper offers a fresh anarchist history of modern rural experience at the heart of Japan's modernization project in Hokkaido. The rationalization of agricultural methods and the establishment of big farms in Hokkaido worked by tenant farmers served the dual purpose of both colonizing and modernizing Japan's northern frontier. Against the idea of progress imbued in that colonial project, the anarchist and celebrity writer, Arishima Takeo, liberated his tenant farmers by dissolving his tenant farm in Niseko in 1922. The farmers were made the new cooperative owners. Members of the farm, made famous during widespread tenant-farmer disputes, believed they stood at the heart of progress. ‘Sōgo fujō’ (mutual aid) was viewed as an ethic for social transformation, democracy and elimination of hierarchy that linked the farmers with the wider world. It was the farmers’ consciousness of working in a new era, better than ever before, that made them modern. Their community offers us a case study of the imagination and experience of modern temporality amongst the most unlikely subjects of the modern, ordinary agricultural laborers in rural Asia in the early twentieth century. This anarchist history challenges the conceptual framework that has categorized rural Japan as the seat of conservative politics, nativism and traditionalism, and the antithesis of modernity.
Nutrition and sustainability: an emerging food policy discourse
Authors: Lang Tim , Barling David
Published: December 2012

It is well known that food has a considerable environmental impact. Less attention has been given to mapping and analysing the emergence of policy responses. This paper contributes to that process. It summarises emerging policy development on nutrition and sustainability, and explores difficulties in their integration. The paper describes some policy thinking at national, European and international levels of governance. It points to the existence of particular policy hotspots such as meat and dairy, sustainable diets and waste. Understanding the environmental impact of food systems challenges nutrition science to draw upon traditions of thinking which have recently been fragmented. These perspectives (life sciences, social and environmental) are all required if policy engagement and clarification is to occur. Sustainability issues offer opportunities for nutrition science and scientists to play a more central role in the policy analysis of future food systems. The task of revising current nutrition policy advice to become sustainable diet advice needs to begin at national and international levels.
Comparing the robustness of Arctic and Antarctic governance through the continental shelf submission process
Authors: Weber Melissa
Published: December 2012

The processes undertaken by Arctic states and Antarctic claimant states to submit data to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) demonstrates the robustness of polar governance. The robustness of a governing system reflects its capacity to deal with emerging issues. For the purposes of this article, robustness comprises the effective protection of rights in the absence of prejudice and participant confidence. In the Arctic, unilateral assertion of continental shelf entitlement can proceed due to the nature of the CLCS process and recognition of sovereignty. Combined with the voluntary nature of Arctic governance, the process does not hamper cooperation in scientific research, boundary delimitation or engagement in initiatives such as the Arctic Council. In the Antarctic, a coordinated approach to continental shelf delimitation protected claimant states’ entitlement to a continental shelf and the right of other states not to recognise sovereignty. States demonstrated commitment to the Antarctic Treaty and acted according to accepted norms. Though different in structure, each polar governing system has its own characteristics of robustness. State authority drives participant confidence and regional cooperation in the Arctic. In the Antarctic, norms of behaviour foster system legitimacy and resilience is reinforced by the consequences of abandoning the system. With continued acceptance of the individual governing-system dynamics, emerging issues can be accommodated in both polar regions.
Common mental disorder diagnosis and need for treatment are not the same: findings from a population-based longitudinal survey
Authors: Sareen J. , Henriksen C. A. , Stein M. B. , Afifi T. O. , Lix L. M. , Enns M. W.
Published: December 2012

Background

Controversy exists regarding whether people in the community who meet criteria for a non-psychotic mental disorder diagnosis are necessarily in need of treatment. Some have argued that these individuals require treatment and that policy makers need to develop outreach programs for them, whereas others have argued that the current epidemiologic studies may be diagnosing symptoms of distress that in many cases are self-limiting and likely to remit without treatment. All prior studies that have addressed this issue have been cross-sectional. We examined the longitudinal outcomes of individuals with depressive, anxiety and substance use (DAS) disorder(s) who had not previously received any treatment.

Method

Data came from a nationally representative US sample. A total of 34 653 non-institutionalized adults (age ≥20 years) were interviewed at two time points, 3 years apart. DAS disorders, mental health service use and quality of life (QoL) were assessed at both time points.

Results

Individuals with a DAS disorder who had not previously received any treatment were significantly more likely than those who had been previously treated to have remission of their index disorder(s) without subsequent treatment, to be free of co-morbid disorder(s) and not to have attempted suicide during the 3-year follow-up period (50.7% v. 33.0% respectively, p < 0.05). At wave 2, multiple linear regression demonstrated that people with a remission of their baseline DAS disorder(s) had levels of functioning similar to those without a DAS disorder.

Conclusions

Individuals with an untreated DAS disorder at baseline have a substantial likelihood of remission without any subsequent intervention.
The emerging diversity of transpososome architectures
Authors: Dyda Fred , Chandler Michael , Hickman Alison Burgess
Published: December 2012

DNA transposases are enzymes that catalyze the movement of discrete pieces of DNA from one location in the genome to another. Transposition occurs through a series of controlled DNA strand cleavage and subsequent integration reactions that are carried out by nucleoprotein complexes known as transpososomes. Transpososomes are dynamic assemblies which must undergo conformational changes that control DNA breaks and ensure that, once started, the transposition reaction goes to completion. They provide a precise architecture within which the chemical reactions involved in transposon movement occur, but adopt different conformational states as transposition progresses. Their components also vary as they must, at some stage, include target DNA and sometimes even host-encoded proteins. A very limited number of transpososome states have been crystallographically captured, and here we provide an overview of the various structures determined to date. These structures include examples of DNA transposases that catalyze transposition by a cut-and-paste mechanism using an RNaseH-like nuclease catalytic domain, those that transpose using only single-stranded DNA substrates and targets, and the retroviral integrases that carry out an integration reaction very similar to DNA transposition. Given that there are a number of common functional requirements for transposition, it is remarkable how these are satisfied by complex assemblies that are so architecturally different.
Conceptualizing great meaning in life: Metz on the good, the true, and the beautiful
Authors: LANDAU IDDO
Published: December 2012

This article is a reply to Thaddeus Metz's ‘The good, the true, and the beautiful’ (2011). I suggest that Metz's theory is too broad since it entails that merely understanding Einstein's or Darwin's views can make a life highly meaningful. Furthermore, it is unclear whether ‘fundamental conditions’, toward which highly meaningful lives are oriented, may or may not be necessary conditions to ‘non-fundamental conditions’, how completely the former should explain the latter, and whether Metz's account is indeed non-consequentialist. While acknowledging the importance of Metz's contribution, I consider alternative directions that future research might take.
19.—On the GenusCordulegasterLeach, 1815 (Odonata) with special reference to the Sicilian species
Authors: Waterston A. Rodger
Published: December 2012

Synopsis

The genusCordulegasteris represented in Sicily by two species. From an examination of material recently collected there and from evidence in the literature it is concluded that one has previously been misidentified, here namedC. boltonii trinacriaessp. nov.: the other is the little-knownC. bidentatus sicilicusFraser, 1929. A key to males of the Old World species ofCordulegasteris provided and lectotypes forC. boltonii algiricusMorton,C. princepsMorton,C. insignis amasinusMorton,C. insignis nobilisMorton,C. coronatusMorton and a neotype forC. charpentieri(Kolenati) are designated.
Attachment and life history strategy
Authors: Figueredo Aurelio José , Sefcek Jon A. , Olderbak Sally G.
Published: December 2012

Del Giudice addresses a complex and pertinent theoretical issue: the evolutionary adaptiveness of sex differences in attachment styles in relation to life history strategy. Although we applaud Del Giudice for calling attention to the problem, we regret that he does not sufficiently specify how attachment styles serve as an integral part of a coordinate life history strategy for either sex.
Factors associated with lowercase alphabet naming in kindergarteners
Authors: HUANG FRANCIS L. , INVERNIZZI MARCIA A.
Published: December 2012

We investigated five hypotheses related to the successful naming of lowercase letters. Participants included 5,020 first-time kindergarteners from economically disadvantaged homes who previously attended publicly funded preschools. Results analyzed using three-level logistic regression showed that children have a higher probability of correctly identifying letters that appear in their own name and letters that appear frequently in print. In addition, lowercase letter shape similarity to its uppercase counterpart and letter order were also associated with the correct identification of the letter. Finally, if a lowercase letter had a visual and phonological resemblance to other letters, students had a lower probability of identifying the letter correctly. Implications for instruction are discussed.
X. Particulars relative to a Human Skeleton, and the Garments that were found thereon, when dug out of a Bog at the Foot of Drumkeragh, a Mountain in the County of Down, and Barony of Kinalearty, on Lord Moira's Estate, in the Autumn of 1780. In a Letter to the Hon. John Theophilus Rawdon, by the Countess of Moira; communicated by Mr. Barrington
Authors: Moira
Published: December 2012

In the spring of the year 1781 lord Moira; having ordered a survey to be made of a farm on his estate, his surveyor brought me a plait of hair, informing, me that it was, taken from the scull of a skeleton that had been long dug up by the tenant in the autumn of 1780. I lost no time in making an inquiry into the particulars of such a discovery, and the result of that inquiry was as follows:
ABORTION, AUTONOMY, AND CONTROL OVER ONE'S BODY
Authors: Fischer John Martin
Published: December 2012

It is often thought that if a developing human being is considered
a “person” from the beginning, then it would follow that
abortion (at any time) would be impermissible. For, after all, a person
has a stringent right to life, and because life is a prerequisite for
enjoying any other goods, it is plausible that the right to life is a
“basic” or “fundamental” one, not easily
overridden by other considerations. The right to life, it would seem,
could not be outweighed by another individual's preferences, even
preferences about what should happen in or to her body.
Having One's Porridge and Eating It Too: Wang Meng as Intellectual and Bureaucrat in Late 20th-Century China
Authors: Rahav Shakhar
Published: December 2012

This article examines the “porridge incident,” in which the renowned Chinese author, critic and former minister of culture Wang Meng sued a Communist Party literary journal for attacking him and his story “Hard Porridge” (“Jianying de xizhou”). The incident straddled the transitional period between 1989 and 1992 and illuminates the ramifications of structural changes in China's literary sphere. I frame the affair within two contexts: Wang Meng's tortuous career, which challenges dichotomies of bureaucrat vs. dissident, and the transition from a centralized literary sphere to a market-driven one. I argue that Wang's responses to the attack on him stemmed from a political and cultural standing that was the product of a Party-controlled cultural sphere, along with the opportunities offered by expanding reforms. The Deng-era reforms produced a divide between culture, markets and bureaucracy that would preclude cultural figures like Wang from holding such high bureaucratic positions anymore.
Supporting a Relative’s Move into Long-term Care: Starting Point Shapes Family Members’ Experiences
Authors: Sussman Tamara , Dupuis Sherry
Published: December 2012

Cette étude fondée sur la théorie a exploré les expériences des membres de la famille qui soutenaient leurs proches qui sont déplacés dans les foyers de soins de longue durée (FSLD). Chaque étape du processus de transition a été examinée, y compris le rôle du point de départ à façonner l’expérience. Dans les six semaines suivant le déménagement, une vingtaine de membres des familles qui avaient quitté un parent dans un FSLD ont été interviewés. Les résultats ont révelé que le point de départ a eu un effet profond sur les expériences des membres des familles en acceptant la nécessité et le moment où il faut faire le déplacement de leur parent en un FSLD (avant le déménagement), et à croire que le FSLD choisi est un environnement positif pour leur parent (après le déménagement). Les politiques et les processus des FSLD sont aussi importants. Cependant, quand l’acceptation du pré-déménagement a été compromise par des circonstances imputables au point de départ, ces politiques et procédures ont été moins efficaces dans la promotion de l’acceptation de l’après-déménagement. Nous discutons des conditions qui soutient les transitions positives avant, pendant et après le déménagement de chaque point de départ.
Making Care Decisions in Home-Based Dementia Care: Why Context Matters
Authors: St-Amant Oona , Ward-Griffin Catherine , DeForge Ryan T. , Oudshoorn Abe , McWilliam Carol , Forbes Dorothy , Kloseck Marita , Hall Jodi
Published: December 2012

D’ici à 2038, le nombre d’heures de soins non rémunérées aux aînés offert par les membres de la famille devraient tripler. Les membres des familles sont souvent suppliés d’aider dans le processus parce que vivre avec la démence peut inhiber la capacité pour prendre une décision. Cette étude ethnographique a soumis les relations au sein de soins de la démence à domicile à un examen critique par le biais des entrevues face-à-face et les observations des participants des clients, des aidants naturels et des prestataires de soins à domicile. Les résultats ont révélé comment les décisions sont imposées dans le contexte du système de soins à domicile formels, et ont mis en évidence trois thèmes: (1) L’accommodation de la compétence/incompétence, comme définie cliniquement; (2) La prise de décisions inopportunes; et (3) Le renforcement de l’exclusion des déments dans la prise de décision. Ces thèmes illuminent la façon dont les valeurs culturelles (la compétence), les croyances (l’immuabilité du système) et les pratiques (le réglage des décisions) dans le système de soins à domicile sont finalement déterministes dans la prise de décisions pour les déments et leurs aidants. Afin d’optimiser la santé des déments qui se font soignés à domicile, il faut accorder d’attention supplémentaire aux pratiques collaboratives et inclusives des membres des familles.
Taxonomy, Type Specimens, and the Making of Biological Property in Intellectual Property Rights Law
Authors: Parry Bronwyn
Published: December 2012

Despite remaining the most iconic and highly valorized metrical technology of the entire, now globally universalized, project of zoological and botanical taxonomy, very little attention has been given to highlighting the pivotal role that type specimens also play in constructing and disciplining contemporary relations to living property. Building on my earlier work on the relationship between biological classification and regulation,1this article provides an overdue analysis of this technology's significance in introducingdeposition,priority of publication, andauthorshipas the key conceptual and functional mechanisms not only of taxonomic classification, but also of the ascendant system for prosecuting rights to ownership of biologicalnoveltiesin the contemporary era: the Euro-American system of intellectual property law.
Sharp condition for blow-up and global existence in a two species chemotactic Keller–Segel system in 2
Authors: ESPEJO ELIO , VILCHES KARINA , CONCA CARLOS
Published: December 2012

For the parabolic–elliptic Keller–Segel system in 2 it has been proved that if the initial mass is less than 8π/χ, a global solution exists, and in case the initial mass is larger than 8π/χ, blow-up happens. The case of several chemotactic species introduces an additional question: What is the analog for the critical mass obtained for the single species system? We find a threshold curve in the two species case that allows us to determine if the system is a blow-up or a global in time solution. No radial symmetry is assumed.
Solutions of the porous medium equation with degenerate interfaces
Authors: IAIA J. , BETELU S.
Published: December 2012

We prove the existence of a one-parameter family of solutions of the porous medium equation in which the interface is a half line whose end point advances at a constant speed. Then we prove the stability of the solutions under a suitable class of perturbations. We discuss the relevance of these solutions to gravity-driven flows of thin films, and show that some solutions develop a very thin triangular plateau in the direction of propagation and that the angle of the plateau and its thickness are decreasing functions of the speed.
Improved Mixing Time Bounds for the Thorp Shuffle
Authors: MORRIS BEN
Published: December 2012

E. Thorp introduced the following card shuffling model. Suppose the number of cards is even. Cut the deck into two equal piles, then interleave them as follows. Choose the first card from the left pile or from the right pile according to the outcome of a fair coin flip. Then choose from the other pile. Continue this way, flipping an independent coin for each pair, until both piles are empty.

We prove an upper bound of O(d3) for the mixing time of the Thorp shuffle with 2d cards, improving on the best known bound of O(d4). As a consequence, we obtain an improved bound on the time required to encrypt a binary message of length d using the Thorp shuffle.
Applications of the Semi-Definite Method to the Turán Density Problem for 3-Graphs
Authors: FALGAS-RAVRY VICTOR , VAUGHAN EMIL R.
Published: December 2012

In this paper, we prove several new Turán density results for 3-graphs with independent neighbourhoods. We show:\begin{align*} \pi (K_4^-, C_5, F_{3,2})=12/49, \pi (K_4^-, F_{3,2})=5/18 \textrm {and} \pi (J_4, F_{3,2})=\pi (J_5, F_{3,2})=3/8, \end{align*}whereJtis the 3-graph consisting of a single vertexxtogether with a disjoint setAof sizetand all$\binom{|A|}{2}$3-edges containingx. We also prove two Turán density results where we forbid certain induced subgraphs:\begin{align*} \pi (F_{3,2}, \textrm { induced }K_4^-)=3/8 \textrm {and} \pi (K_5, 5\textrm {-set spanning exactly 8 edges})=3/4. \end{align*}The latter result is an analogue forK5of Razborov's result that\begin{align*} \pi (K_4, 4\textrm {-set spanning exactly 1 edge})=5/9. \end{align*}We give several new constructions, conjectures and bounds for Turán densities of 3-graphs which should be of interest to researchers in the area. Our main tool is ‘Flagmatic’, an implementation of Razborov's semi-definite method, which we are making publicly available. In a bid to make the power of Razborov's method more widely accessible, we have tried to make Flagmatic as user-friendly as possible, hoping to remove thereby the major hurdle that needs to be cleared before using the semi-definite method. Finally, we spend some time reflecting on the limitations of our approach, and in particular on which problems we may be unable to solve. Our discussion of the ‘complexity barrier’ for the semi-definite method may be of general interest.
Social-ecological systems as complex adaptive systems: modeling and policy implications
Authors: Levin Simon , Xepapadeas Tasos , Crépin Anne-Sophie , Norberg Jon , de Zeeuw Aart , Folke Carl , Hughes Terry , Arrow Kenneth , Barrett Scott , Daily Gretchen , Ehrlich Paul , Kautsky Nils , Mäler Karl-Göran , Polasky Steve , Troell Max , Vincent Jeffrey R. , Walker Brian
Published: December 2012

Systems linking people and nature, known as social-ecological systems, are increasingly understood as complex adaptive systems. Essential features of these complex adaptive systems – such as nonlinear feedbacks, strategic interactions, individual and spatial heterogeneity, and varying time scales – pose substantial challenges for modeling. However, ignoring these characteristics can distort our picture of how these systems work, causing policies to be less effective or even counterproductive. In this paper we present recent developments in modeling social-ecological systems, illustrate some of these challenges with examples related to coral reefs and grasslands, and identify the implications for economic and policy analysis.
Application of choice experiments to quantify the existence value of an endemic moss: a case study in Chile
Authors: Cerda Claudia , Barkmann Jan , Marggraf Rainer
Published: December 2012

A choice experiment was applied to measure the existence value of an endemic moss. We assessed value separation, embedding or warm glow and ‘ethical’ motivations. We exemplify our application by valuing an inconspicuous moss endemic to Chile's sub-Antarctic region. The choice experiment was administered to a sample of local residents of Navarino Island (southern Chile). The design isolates the existence value by requiring respondents to make simultaneous tradeoffs between moss existence value, five other biodiversity-related values and income changes. Insensitivity to scope was addressed by using degrees of extinction risks. We predominantly use a willingness-to-accept design of the payment vehicle to avoid protest responses. A meaningful marginal value for the existence of an endemic species for Navarino island residents was documented. The design, based on varying degrees of extinction risk, avoided a strong effect of warm glow. No protest responses motivated by ethical concerns were encountered.
A content analysis of food advertisements appearing in parenting magazines
Authors: Manganello Jennifer A , Clegg Smith Katherine , Sudakow Katie , Summers Amber C
Published: December 2012

Objective

Childhood obesity is a growing problem in the USA. As parents play a major role in shaping a child's diet, the present study examines food advertisements (ads) directed towards parents in parenting and family magazines.

Design

Given the potential for magazines to influence attitudes and knowledge, we used content analysis to examine the food ads appearing in four issues each of six different parenting and family magazines from 2008 (n 24).

Setting

USA.

Subjects

Food ads in parenting and family magazines.

Results

We identified 476 food ads, which represented approximately 32 % of all ads in the magazine sample. Snack foods (13 %) were the most frequently observed food ads, followed by dairy products (7 %). The most frequently used sales theme was ‘taste’ (55 %). Some ads promoted foods as ‘healthy’ (14 %) and some made specific health claims (18 %), such as asserting the product would help lower cholesterol. In addition to taste and health and nutrition appeals, we found several themes used in ad messages to promote products, including the following: ‘convenience’, ‘economical’, ‘fun’ and ‘helping families spend time together’. We also found that over half (n 405, 55·9 %) of products (n 725) advertised were products of poor nutritional quality based on total fat, saturated fat, sodium, protein, sugar and fibre contents, and that ads for such products were slightly more likely to use certain sales themes like ‘fun’ (P = 0·04) and ‘no guilt’ (P = 0·03).

Conclusions

Interventions should be developed to help parents understand nutritional information seen in food ads and to learn how various foods contribute to providing a balanced family diet.
Psychiatric services in the community? The German public's opinion in 1990 and 2011
Authors: Angermeyer M. C. , Matschinger H. , Holzinger A. , Carta M. G. , Schomerus G.
Published: December 2012

Background.

During the last two decades, the change from custodial care provided by large institutions to community-focused services made considerable progress in Germany. However, nothing is known about how this is reflected in the public's acceptance of community psychiatry services.

Methods.

The study is based on data from two population surveys among German citizens aged 18 years and over, living in the ‘old’ German States. The first was conducted in 1990 (n = 3067), the second in 2011 (n = 2416). With the help of identical questions, respondents’ attitudes towards psychiatric units at general hospitals and group homes for mentally ill people were assessed.

Results.

While the proportion of the public that explicitly welcomed establishing psychiatric units at general hospitals and opening group homes for mentally ill people decreased, the proportion of those who reacted with indifference increased. The proportion of the German population that explicitly rejected the implementation of these services remained unchanged.

Conclusions.

While community psychiatry services expanded considerably over the last few years, the public's attitude towards them has not changed substantially.
University of Washington Twin Registry: Poised for the Next Generation of Twin Research
Authors: Strachan Eric , Hunt Corinne , Afari Niloofar , Duncan Glen , Noonan Carolyn , Schur Ellen , Watson Nathaniel , Goldberg Jack , Buchwald Dedra
Published: December 2012

The University of Washington Twin Registry is a unique community-based registry of twin pairs who join specifically to participate in scientific research. It was founded in 2002 to serve as a resource for investigators throughout the scientific community. Current enrollment exceeds 7,200 pairs, and plans are in place to increase enrollment to 10,000 pairs by 2015. In addition to serving as a recruitment base for new research studies, the registry maintains extensive and continually expanding survey data on physical and mental health, as well as a biorepository that includes DNA from more than 8,800 individual twins. The registry is engaged in linking member data to birth records and to diagnostic and procedure variables for hospital-based care provided to members in Washington State. It also incorporates several innovative variables relevant to the built and social environments, which were created by geocoding twin addresses and linking the resulting coordinates to geospatial information systems databases. This combination of existing data and biospecimens, characterizing a group of twins who are willing to participate in research, is a valuable resource for the new wave of twin studies. These include ‘omics’, epigenetics, gene-by-environment interactions, and other novel methods to understand human health.
The Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry, Revisited
Authors: Lilley Emily C. H. , Silberg Judy L.
Published: December 2012

The Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry (MATR) is a population-based registry of more than 56,000 twins primarily born or living in Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina. The MATR employs several methods of ascertaining twins, and devotes considerable resources to tracking and maintaining communication with MATR participants. Researchers may utilize the MATR for administration of research services including study recruitment, collection of DNA, archival data set creation, as well as data collection through mailed, phone, or online surveys. In addition, the MATR houses the MATR Repository, with over 1,200 blood samples available for researchers interested in DNA genotyping. For over 35 years MATR twins have participated in research studies with investigators from diverse scientific disciplines and various institutions. These studies, which have resulted in numerous publications, have covered a range of topics, including the human microbiome, developmental psychopathology, depression, anxiety, substance use, epigenetics of aging, children of twins, pre-term birth, social attitudes, seizures, eating disorders, as well as sleep homeostasis. Researchers interested in utilizing twins are encouraged to contact the MATR to discuss potential research opportunities.
The Early Growth and Development Study: A Prospective Adoption Study From Birth Through Middle Childhood
Authors: Leve Leslie D. , Neiderhiser Jenae M. , Shaw Daniel S. , Ganiban Jody , Natsuaki Misaki N. , Reiss David
Published: December 2012

The Early Growth and Development Study is a prospective adoption study of birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted children recruited in two cohorts (N= 561 triads). The primary study aims are to examine how family, peer, and contextual processes affect children's adjustment, and to examine their interplay (mediation, moderation) with genetic influences. Participants were recruited through adoption agencies located throughout the United States following the birth of a child. Assessments are ongoing, in 9-month intervals until the child reaches 3 years of age and in 1-year intervals thereafter through age 9. Data collection includes the following primary constructs: child temperament, social behavior, school performance, mental health, and health; birth and adoptive parent personality characteristics, mental health, competence, stress, health, context, substance use, parenting, and marital relations; and pregnancy use of drugs and maternal stress during pregnancy. DNA and salivary cortisol samples have also been collected. Analyses have indicated evidence for genotype-environment interactions during early childhood. Study procedures, sample representativeness (including tests of potential confounds in the adoption design), and an overview of findings to date are summarized, and future plans are described.
The Healthy Twin Study, Korea Updates: Resources for Omics and Genome Epidemiology Studies
Authors: Gombojav Bayasgalan , Song Yun-Mi , Lee Kayoung , Yang Sarah , Kho Minjung , Hwang Yong-Chul , Ko Gwangpyo , Sung Joohon
Published: December 2012

The Healthy Twin Study, Korea (HT) is an ongoing multi-center cohort study that was initiated in 2005, based on a nation-wide twin and family database. Since its inception, the HT has recruited 815 pairs of adult twins and a total of 3,690 individual twins and their families as of July 2012. Here we summarize updates since the previous report in 2006. Besides the increase in size, the HT has been enriched in several aspects: a biobank was constructed for ongoing and future omics studies; and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphism markers (Affymetrix GeneChip version 6.0, 1 M probes) have been analyzed for 2,200 individuals, which enabled gene identification studies for measured phenotypes. In addition, longitudinal study protocols were established through the HT and a second wave survey was finished in 2010 with >70% follow-up rate. The parallel genome research projects were recently launched, which would expedite multi-omics studies maximizing the twin potentials such as metagenomics and epigenetics studies, and endow us with resources for recruiting more participants. We submit this report to share updates and research opportunities from the HT.
A quantitative model for integrating landscape evolution and soil formation
Authors: Vanwalleghem T. , Stockmann U. , Minasny B. , McBratney Alex B.
Published: December 2012

Landscape evolution is closely related to soil formation. Quantitative modeling of the dynamics of soils and landscapes should therefore be integrated. This paper presents a model, named Model for Integrated Landscape Evolution and Soil Development (MILESD), which describes the interaction between pedogenetic and geomorphic processes. This mechanistic model includes the most significant soil formation processes, ranging from weathering to clay translocation, and combines these with the lateral redistribution of soil particles through erosion and deposition. The model is spatially explicit and simulates the vertical variation in soil horizon depth as well as basic soil properties such as texture and organic matter content. In addition, sediment export and its properties are recorded. This model is applied to a 6.25 km2 area in the Werrikimbe National Park, Australia, simulating soil development over a period of 60,000 years. Comparison with field observations shows how the model accurately predicts trends in total soil thickness along a catena. Soil texture and bulk density are predicted reasonably well, with errors of the order of 10%, however, field observations show a much higher organic carbon content than predicted. At the landscape scale, different scenarios with varying erosion intensity result only in small changes of landscape‐averaged soil thickness, while the response of the total organic carbon stored in the system is higher. Rates of sediment export show a highly nonlinear response to soil development stage and the presence of a threshold, corresponding to the depletion of the soil reservoir, beyond which sediment export drops significantly.
Deformation at depth associated with the 12 May 2008 MW 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake from seismic ambient noise monitoring
Authors: Froment B. , Campillo M. , Chen J.H. , Liu Q.Y.
Published: December 2012

We track the temporal evolution of seismic wave speed to detect changes in material properties at depth, driven by deformation associated with the 2008 Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake. We analyze ambient noise correlation functions to monitor seismic wave speed variations. The data were continuously recorded during 2 years by 114 broadband stations in a region that covers the southern two thirds of the ruptured fault. We perform the analysis in the 12‐to‐20‐s period band. By comparison with measurements in the band 1‐to‐3  s, we show that the seismic velocity changes cannot be explained by a shallow perturbation but are related to deformation at depth in the crust. The spatial and temporal characteristics of these variations can thus be viewed as reflecting the middle crust behavior. In particular, the results suggest that the deformation in the middle crust is different beneath Tibet and the Sichuan basin.
Constant dimensionality of fault roughness from the scale of micro‐fractures to the scale of continents
Authors: Renard François , Candela Thibault , Bouchaud Elisabeth
Published: December 2012

Many faults and fractures in various natural and man‐made materials share a remarkable common fractal property in their morphology. We report on the roughness of faults in rocks by analyzing the out‐of‐plane fluctuations of slip surfaces. They display a statistical power‐law relationship with a nearly constant fractal exponent from millimeter scale micro‐fractures in fault zones to coastlines measuring thousands of kilometers that have recorded continental breakup. A possible origin of this striking fractal relationship over 11 orders of magnitude of length scales is that all faulting processes in rocks share common characteristics that play a crucial role in the shaping of fault surfaces, such as the effects of elastic long‐range stress interactions and stress screening by mechanical heterogeneities during quasi‐static fracture growth.
Compositional effects in Titan's thermospheric gravity waves
Authors: Cui J. , Lian Y. , Müller‐Wodarg I. C. F.
Published: December 2012

In Titan's upper atmosphere, the density profiles of several constituents (N2, CH4, H2, and 29N2) as measured by the Cassini Ion Neutral Mass Spectrometer show periodical structures which we interpret as internal gravity waves. Compositional effects are frequently seen in the data, in which the wave structures in different constituents show different amplitudes and phase angles. We use a simple linearized wave perturbation theory to explain the observations, emphasizing their role as a useful diagnostic of the basic wave parameters. For the T39 flyby, the data‐model comparison constrains typical wavelength to be ~150–500 km, typical wave period from the Brunt‐Väisälä period of ~62 min up to ~6 h. Our calculations also illustrate that wave‐induced diffusion is important for CH4 and H2.
The lunar wake current systems
Authors: Fatemi S. , Holmström M. , Futaana Y. , Barabash S. , Lue C.
Published: December 2012

We present the lunar wake current systems when the Moon is assumed to be a non‐conductive body, absorbing the solar wind plasma. We show that in the transition regions between the plasma void, the expanding rarefaction region, and the interplanetary plasma, there are three main currents flowing around these regions in the lunar wake. The generated currents induce magnetic fields within these regions and perturb the field lines there. We use a three‐dimensional, self‐consistent hybrid model of plasma (particle ions and fluid electrons) to show the flow of these three currents. First, we identify the different plasma regions, separated by the currents, and then we show how the currents depend on the interplanetary magnetic field direction. Finally, we discuss the current closures in the lunar wake.
Magnetic signatures of Kelvin‐Helmholtz vortices on Saturn's magnetopause: Global survey
Authors: Delamere P. A. , Wilson R. J. , Eriksson S. , Bagenal F.
Published: December 2012

Saturn's rapid rotation combined with relatively weak magnetic fields in the outer magnetosphere and sheath lead to conditions that are favorable for the Kelvin‐Helmholtz (KH) instability. A Kelvin‐Helmholtz unstable magnetopause boundary has important consequences for Saturn's interaction with the solar wind due to mass, momentum, and energy transport that can occur at the magnetopause boundary. Previous attempts to identify vortices have been hampered by limited plasma data to unambiguously reveal vortical flow. The magnetic field data, on the other hand, may be able to identify the KH instability due to intense magnetic fluctuations that are associated with KH vortices. We have conducted two‐dimensional hybrid code simulations of Saturn's magnetopause boundary to illustrate the expected magnetic field signatures of KH. Specifically, our simulations show strong field‐aligned current sheet filaments or strong bipolar fluctuations of the in‐plane magnetic field components, bounding the KH vortices. A global search for these characteristic magnetic field signatures near the magnetopause boundary was made of the Cassini mission data from 2004 to 2009. We find that most of the potential KH activity is found on the dusk flank, contrary to expectations. We suggest that KH growth is supported in the prenoon and subsolar regions and that these vortices are transported through coupling to the rotating planet, past noon and tailward on the dusk flank. In addition, we find many instances in the subsolar magnetosphere of possible plasmoid formation (Bz northward) in conjunction with these intense magnetic field fluctuations.
Alfvénic tornadoes in a magnetized plasma
Authors: Shukla P. K.
Published: December 2012

It is shown that three‐dimensional (3D) modified‐kinetic Alfvén waves (m‐KAWs) in a magnetized plasma can propagate in the form of Alfvénic tornadoes characterized by plasma density whirls or magnetic flux ropes carrying orbital angular momentum. By using the two‐fluid model, together with Ampère's law, we derive the wave equation for 3D m‐KAWs in a magnetoplasma with me/mi ≪  β ≪  1, where me (mi) is the electron (ion) mass, , n0 the unperturbed plasma number density, kB the Boltzmann constant, Te(Te) the electron (ion) temperature, and B0 the strength of the ambient magnetic field. The 3D m‐KAW equation admits solutions in the form of a Laguerre‐Gauss Alfvénic vortex beam or a twisted kinetic Alfvénic wave with plasma density whirls that support the dynamics of shear Alfvénic magnetic flux ropes in plasmas.
Global observation of vertical‐CLVD earthquakes at active volcanoes
Authors: Shuler Ashley , Nettles Meredith , Ekström Göran
Published: December 2012

Some of the largest and most anomalous volcanic earthquakes have non‐double‐couple focal mechanisms. Here, we investigate the link between volcanic unrest and the occurrence of non‐double‐couple earthquakes with dominant vertical tension or pressure axes, known as vertical compensated‐linear‐vector‐dipole (vertical‐CLVD) earthquakes. We determine focal mechanisms for 313 target earthquakes from the standard and surface wave catalogs of the Global Centroid Moment Tensor Project and identify 86 shallow 4.3 ≤ MW ≤ 5.8 vertical‐CLVD earthquakes located near volcanoes that have erupted in the last ~100 years. The majority of vertical‐CLVD earthquakes occur in subduction zones in association with basaltic‐to‐andesitic stratovolcanoes or submarine volcanoes, although vertical‐CLVD earthquakes are also located in continental rifts and in regions of hot spot volcanism. Vertical‐CLVD earthquakes are associated with many types of confirmed or suspected eruptive activity at nearby volcanoes, including volcanic earthquake swarms as well as effusive and explosive eruptions and caldera collapse. Approximately 70% of all vertical‐CLVD earthquakes studied occur during episodes of documented volcanic unrest at a nearby volcano. Given that volcanic unrest is underreported, most shallow vertical‐CLVD earthquakes near active volcanoes are likely related to magma migration or eruption processes. Vertical‐CLVD earthquakes with dominant vertical pressure axes generally occur after volcanic eruptions, whereas vertical‐CLVD earthquakes with dominant vertical tension axes generally occur before the start of volcanic unrest. The occurrence of these events may be useful for identifying volcanoes that have recently erupted and those that are likely to erupt in the future.
Displacement characteristics of coarse fluvial bed sediment
Authors: Hassan Marwan A. , Voepel Hal , Schumer Rina , Parker Gary , Fraccarollo Luigi
Published: December 2012

Previous work highlights the need for data collection to identify appropriate models for temporal evolution of tracer dispersal in rivers. Results of 64 gravel‐bed field tracer experiments covering a wide range of flow and sediment supply regimes are compiled here to determine the probabilistic character of gravel transport. We focus on whether particle travel distances and waits are thin‐ or heavy‐tailed. While heavy‐tailed travel distance distributions are observed between successive monitoring events in different hydrological and sediment supply regimes, heavy‐tailedness does not persist through total travel distance over multiple monitoring events, suggesting that individual monitoring events occur before particle travel distance exceeds the characteristic correlation length for the channel (such that particles that start in fast paths remain in fast paths and particles in slow paths remain in slow paths). After a large number of transport events, super‐diffusive spreading was not observed at any of the gravel bed streams. Continuous‐time tracking of x, y, z coordinates of tracers in natural streams is necessary to capture exact step and waiting time distributions.