bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A puzzling misinterpretation of the Asch ‘conformity’ study
Authors: Friend Ronald , Rafferty Yvonne , Bramel Dana
Published: July 2012

In this article, we examine the interpretations by social psychologists of Asch's widely cited study of independence and conformity. Though it has become known as the ‘Asch Conformity Study’, Asch equally, if not more, intended and interpreted it as demonstrating the powers of independence.

The evidence for this analysis consists of 99 accounts in social psychology textbooks published between 1953, following the appearance of his study, and 1984. We asked whether these accounts were accurate, or whether, as we suspected, they minimized the role of independence and exaggerated that of conformity. We found that authors have often distorted Asch's findings, and that this trend has increased substantially with time: they have increasingly accentuated the role of conformity and underestimated that of independence.

We suggest several reasons for this distortion. For one, there has been insufficient care in reading the findings and drawing conclusions. Second, authors have generally limited themselves to reports of quantitative results. Although these were strong and beyond question, authors have usually neglected the intimately connected qualitative findings, which would have discouraged the misinterpretations. Third, the study of Asch was an integral part of his perspective on social psychology, which authors again ignored, thus encouraging a limited and out‐of‐context view of his study. We conclude with a thematic presentation of Asch's general theoretical framework, showing how it bears on independence and conformity.
Mastery pleasure versus mere ownership: A quasi‐experimental cross‐cultural and cross‐alphabetical test of the name letter effect
Authors: Hoorens Vera , Nuttin Jozef M. , Herman Ildikó Erdélyi , Pavakanun Ubolwanna
Published: July 2012

Four studies test both the alternative explanation advanced by Hoorens and Todorova (1988) for Nuttin's (1984, 1985, 1987) name letter effect (NLE), and two interpretations for an unexplained finding of the former authors. Flemish, Hungarian and Thai children show an increasing rather than a decreasing NLE over primary school grades (studies 1, 2 and 4). Thai university students and school children prefer own name letters in their ‘mother’ alphabet (Thai) but also in their second (Roman) alphabet (studies 3 and 4). All these results contradict the primacy of own name writing or mastery pleasure hypothesis. Independently of the time interval between the acquisition of both alphabets, a stronger NLE is found in the subjects ‘mother’ alphabet than in their second alphabet, contradicting a mitigated mastery pleasure explanation for the stronger NLE in one's ‘mother’ alphabet (Hoorens and Todorova, 1988). All the data are consistent with Nuttin's interpretation of the NLE in terms of the affective consequences of ‘mere ownership’. Finally, the striking generality of the NLE over languages, alphabets, and cultures is again demonstrated.
Effects of cognitive conflict, socio‐cognitive conflict and imitation on children's socio‐legal thinking
Authors: Roy Archie W. N. , Howe Christine J.
Published: July 2012

The paper reports a study concerned with the effects of cognitive conflict, socio‐cognitive conflict and imitation on children's socio‐legal thinking. Nine‐year‐old children whose socio‐legal thinking was lower level were paired with 9‐ and 11‐year‐old children whose socio‐legal thinking was intermediate between lower and higher level for interaction in same sex dyads on legal transgression items. In total, 54 9‐year‐old children and 18 11‐year olds participated in the study. An experimental board game was used for all dyadic interactions. The four investigative phases included a pre‐test interview, dyadic interaction, one immediate and one delayed post‐test interview. The results indicated no overall superiority of subjects who could engage in socio‐cognitive conflict over subjects who were limited to cognitive conflict alone. In addition, lower and intermediate level subjects in both conflict conditions advanced over both post‐tests compared to a control group, arguing against a straightforward imitation account. Elements of subjects' discourse during conflict were correlated with post‐test advancement. Marked differences emerged between lows and intermediates for socio‐cognitive conflict consonant with the constructivist view that social interactions and cognitive stages are interdependent. A complementary pattern of positive correlations emerged between discourse and cognitive conflict subjects' advancement.
Social identity and perceived group homogeneity: Evidence for the ingroup homogeneity effect
Authors: Simon Bernd , Pettigrew Thomas F.
Published: July 2012

On the basis of social identity theory, we argue that the search for a positive social identity is characterized by the accentuation of perceived ingroup homogeneity relative to perceived outgroup homogeneity (the ingroup homogeneity effect). To test our specific hypotheses, we conducted an experiment in which some subjects were provided with a well‐defined group membership and others were allocated to ill‐defined groups. We also manipulated the information about the relative sizes of the groups. Subsequently, several measures of perceived dimensional and general group homogeneity were administered. As predicted, members of well‐defined groups revealed the ingroup homogeneity effect for an attribute associated with the definition of their group. On the other hand, members of ill‐defined groups displayed social creativity and selected alternative attributes to accentuate the relative ingroup homogeneity. Moreover, when intergroup comparisons did not contribute positively to the self‐concept, subjects accentuated their positive personal identity and evinced the outgroup homogeneity effect. Consistent with previous research, subjects identified more strongly with a well‐defined group when it was a minority rather than a majority. Minority members also perceived more general homogeneity within the ingroup than within the outgroup, whereas the majority members showed the opposite effect. Finally, the interrelationship between personal and social identity is briefly discussed.
The ‘ultimate attribution error’? A review of the literature on intergroup causal attribution
Authors: Hewstone Miles
Published: July 2012

Studies that examine causal attributions for acts by ingroup and outgroup members are reviewed. The tendency for attributions to favour ingroup over outgroup members is found in three paradigms — explanations for positive and negative outcomes, success and failure, and group differences — and in most of the 19 studies reviewed, but the evidence provides only limited support for Pettigrew's (1979) ‘ultimate attribution error’. The evidence is limited to specific dimensions in a given study, but strongest for three general findings: (1) More internal attribution for positive acts, and less internal attribution for negative acts, by ingroup than outgroup members; (2) More attribution of outgroup than ingroup failure to lack of ability, and ‘explaining away’ outgroup success to good luck, high effort or an easy task; (3) A preference for ingroup‐serving versus outgroup‐serving attributions for group differences. Finally, theoretical issues and methodological shortcomings are discussed with reference to future research.
The effects of type of encoding and strength of discounting appeal on the success of ignoring an invalid testimony
Authors: Schul Yaacov , Manzury Frieda
Published: July 2012

Individuals appear to be more successful in discounting invalid evidence in studies which are set in courtroom settings than in studies done in the belief perseverance paradigm. Several differences between the two paradigms may explain this pattern. Most of these differences are ruled out by past research. We focused on differences in two domains, namely, encoding of the information and strength of the discounting appeals, and manipulated them experimentally. Even though the two manipulations were effective in influencing other judgments, they had no effect on success of discounting with guilt judgments. As in previous studies done within the courtroom paradigm, subjects were successful in discounting invalid evidence. Our interpretation for these findings involves the active process of discounting. Specifically, we assume that court settings activate a schema that leads people to deliberately correct for potential biases on the relevant guilt judgments. Since other judgments are less central within the court schema, they are not monitored actively and consequently are more susceptible to the effects of an invalid testimony.
Effect of social‐class belonging on the cognitive dissonance resulting from threat severity
Authors: Clémence Alain
Published: July 2012

Results of two experiments using a ‘forbidden toy’ paradigm partially confirm those of a former study which showed an interaction between social‐class level of the children and threat severity on the final rankings of the toy. Lower‐class children derogated the forbidden toy more than middle‐class children in the harsh threat condition. Opposed results were observed in the mild threat condition. Interpretation of such results seems difficult in terms of cognitive dissonance theory.
Toxic effects of acrylic acid on Clostridium propionicum and isolation of acrylic acid‐tolerant mutants for production of acrylic acid
Authors: Luo Wei , Cai Jin , Zhu Linqi , Zhu Xiangcheng , Huang Lei , Xu Zhinan , Cen Peilin
Published: July 2012

This work presents a systematic investigation of the toxic effects of acrylic acid on the growth of Clostridium propionicum and the isolation of acrylic acid‐tolerant mutants. The results suggest that addition of acrylic acid prolonged the lag phase of the fermentation and reduced the initial‐specific growth rate, as well as the final cell concentration. Moreover, the toxic effect of acrylic acid was sensitive to the pH value. The minimal inhibition concentration of acrylic acid increased from 1.11 to 31.25 mM when the pH value rose from 5.8 to 7.4. In addition, the molar concentration ratio of products (acetic acid:propionic acid) was enhanced with the supplementation of acrylic acid. The highest ratio was 0.7:1 when acrylic acid was 20.83 mM at pH 7.4. Two acrylic acid‐tolerant mutants were isolated, which could still grow at a high concentration (43.06 mM) of acrylic acid. These strains could be instrumental for improved bioproduction of acrylic acid.
Strategies for magnetizing speed‐sensorless induction machines
Authors: Hoffmann F. , Koch S. , Weidauer M.
Published: July 2012

Whenever possible, only easily measurable quantities like stator currents and DC link voltage are used to control inverter‐fed induction motors nowadays. Also for high‐performance AC drives speed‐sensorless control of induction motors has received increasing attention from the viewpoint of cost, trouble immunity and reliability. Different algorithms for speed identification are known. They allow good performance of torque or speed control in almost the whole operating area of an induction machine without using rotational transducers. One remaining problem is to start the machine when mechanical speed is not known. This paper now presents two new strategies for magnetizing a demagnetized speed‐sensorless induction machine also with non‐zero speed.
Detection of the rotor position of a permanent‐magnet synchronous motor at standstill
Authors: Stiebler M. , Li Y.
Published: July 2012

This paper introduces a method to detect the rotor position of a three‐phase permanent‐magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) at standstill. It applies a test voltage pulse between two terminals of the PMSM and measures the voltage response between the free and one of the two connected terminals, from which the initial rotor position is obtained. Being based on the measured voltage response, other than using a current response, this method is less affected by temperature and saturation. In addition, this method does not require the absolute values of Ld and Lq, but only the saliency factor, which can be determined by the maximum and minimum values of the voltage response in a period of 2π of the electrical rotor angle. Some experimental results are presented to verify the applicability of the method.
VSI‐based series compensation scheme for transmission lines
Authors: Kasztenny B. , Hatziadoniu C. , Funk A.
Published: July 2012

This paper addresses the loadability of long transmission lines. An advanced series compensation scheme is presented consisting of a series‐connected voltage‐sourced inverter and fixed series‐capacitors. This scheme provides substantial increase of the line loadability beyond that achievable with fixed capacitive compensation alone. In addition, it provides smooth power‐flow control. Results from simulation studies demonstrate its effectiveness in improving the loadability of long transmission lines and providing damping of interarea oscillations.
Advanced concepts of analysing static VAr compensators to damp inter‐area oscillation modes
Authors: Nayebzadeh M. , Messina A. R.
Published: July 2012

The analysis of low‐frequency inter‐area oscillations is of special concern in large weakly interconnected power systems. The ability of static VAr compensators (SVC) to contribute to damping depends strongly on the relative location of generation, load and the SVC. A comprehensive investigation of the use of static VAr compensators to aid damping of low‐frequency inter‐area oscillations in a real weakly interconnected large power system is presented. Based on modal analysis, efficient algorithms to compute voltage‐ and power‐oscillation flow for each mode of concern are developed. Controllability and observability measures are also used to assess the impact of dynamic voltage support on system damping as well as to identify optimal locations for SVC. The knowledge gained by these techniques allows to investigate the influence of existent SVC on overall system damping as well as to evaluate suitable alternatives to site new devices. Detailed time‐domain simulations are finally performed to check the validity of the knowledge gained and to assess the impact of dynamic voltage support on system transient behaviour.
New structural approach for distribution system reliability assessment
Authors: Özdemir A. , Mekiç F. , Çaǧlar R.
Published: July 2012

A new method is presented for distribution system reliability assessment. The method brings two distinct features. The first one is related to minimal path determination and is mainly derived from an existing method by slight modifications. The second one is related to simulation of active failures and provides a considerable time saving. The principle depends on the S and SS groups, established for the nodes existing in basic minimal cut sets. The proposed method is applied to a sample distribution network and the reported numerical values are attained with less effort.
New method for the determination of steady‐state signal characteristic values
Authors: Popescu I. , Zaharia I. , Petrescu C.
Published: July 2012

A new method for the determination of periodic and quasi‐periodic signal characteristic values is proposed. The method consists in determining the area bounded by the closed curves obtained in the real plane where one axis is the signal and the other one is the signal integral, or the signal derivative or the k‐th harmonic of the signal (for periodic signals). In this way the signal RMS value, mean value and maximum value, the harmonic frequencies and the distortion RMS values (for periodic signals) as well as the carrier RMS value and the modulation factor (for quasi‐periodic signals) may be determined.
Genetic algorithm‐based self‐learning fuzzy PI controller for buck converter
Authors: Liao T.‐L. , Huang N.‐S.
Published: July 2012

This paper presents a self‐learning fuzzy proportional‐integral (PI) controller design for a buck converter. Although a triangle type of membership functions is used, their parameters for fuzzy subsets are deemed unnecessary in the fuzzy control rules design. Knowledge of both the normalization factor in the fuzzification phase and feedback gain of the PI controller is also not required. In addition, a genetic algorithm (GA) optimization technique is proposed to tune the parameters of normalization factors, membership functions and the gain of PI‐like controller. The proposed GA‐based fuzzy controller is then applied to a buck converter. Simulation results indicate that the output voltage of the closed‐loop system can be regulated to a desired reference voltage regardless of the variations in input voltage and of changes in output load.
Quasi‐periodic route to chaos and its control in a power‐system model
Authors: Srivastava K. N. , Srivastava S. C.
Published: July 2012

Bifurcation and chaos arise in a power‐system network due to its complex non‐linear dynamics. This paper first demonstrates, through numerical simulation, the existence of various types of global bifurcation in a sample 19‐bus (reduced) Indian power system. Presence of torus and quasi‐periodic route to chaos have been observed for the first time in a power‐system model. Studies have been performed to damp out the Hopf bifurcation (HB) using flexible AC transmission system (FACTS) devices such as controllable series capacitors (CSC), controllable phase angle regulator (PAR) and static VAR compensator (SVC). The appropriate selection of input to these devices has been made based on the participation of state variables in the critical mode.
Power system steady‐state estimation M‐robust approach with measurement applications
Authors: Škokljev I. , Kovačević B. , Terzija V.
Published: July 2012

This paper considers an approach to the estimation of the amplitude of a stochastic signal, based on the maximum‐likelihood estimation, named M‐estimation. The proposed approach is further used to build a new bad data suppression‐type algorithm for estimating parameters or states in the linear regression static model of a system. The feasibility of the approach is demonstrated with both simulated and experimental data concerning the application in power measurements and power system steady‐state estimation.
Maximum power transfer and efficiency in non‐sinusoidal conditions
Authors: Castilla M. , Montaño J. C. , Cano R. , Moreno N.
Published: July 2012

In this paper the effects of harmonic distortion of the supply voltage and the power transmission efficiency η on the maximum power transferred to a linear load are examined. In order to quantify these effects, a power harmonic function ψ defined. It allows calculating the characteristics of the load and the maximum power transfer (where λ is a parameter that relates the efficiency with the power transfer). The power function, power losses and the power transfer are expressed in function of both λ and the total harmonic distortion of the supply voltage (UTHD) for the maximum power‐transfer conditions. Thus, the load is synthesized by a resistor in series with a set of L‐C branches, which permits to generalize the well‐known maximum power‐transfer theorem. Numerical simulation and example results are presented.
Magnetic relief of the yoke of AC electrical machines by the iron frame
Authors: Simitsis L. , Xypteras J.
Published: July 2012

In the bibliography of electrical machines, the influence of the iron frame on the calculation of their magnetic circuit is assumed negligible. This paper proves that in cases of high saturation at the stator yoke of an electrical machine, the cylindrical ferromagnetic frame, which is shrunk on the stator core, has a non‐negligible influence on its magnetic circuit and particularly on the stator yoke. The existence of the frame results in the magnetic relief of the machine. The magnetic field calculations by means of the Finite‐Element Method using different B‐H curves in the cores and in the cast‐iron frame, are effected for different values of the stator yoke height.
Analysis and evaluation of zero‐voltage‐transition converters applied to DC motor drives
Authors: Chen Y.‐T. , Chou J.‐H.
Published: July 2012

Zero‐voltage‐transition (ZVT) converters which combine pulse‐width modulation (PWM) with the soft‐switching characteristics have very low voltage and current stress and the soft switching of the rectifier diode. Therefore, ZVT‐PWM converters can increase the switching frequency and consequently reduce the ripple current. Although the ZVT‐PWM converter has the above advantages, the application of ZVT‐PWM converter to DC motor drive has not been discussed until now. This paper will analyse and discuss the characteristics of ZVT‐PWM technique applied to the separately‐excited and series DC motor drives. Effects of switching frequency and duty cycle on efficiency, speed characteristic and ripple current for the various DC motors are also investigated. The comparison of the ZVT‐PWM converter‐fed DC motor with the traditional hard‐switching PWM topology shows that the ZVT‐PWM converter‐fed DC motor can reduce switching loss and ripple current and improve the efficiency even if the load variation is very large. Furthermore, the performance improvement after the addition of an adequate filter is also appreciated in this paper.
Genetic algorithm solution to economic dispatch problems
Authors: Lei X. , Lerch E. , Povh D.
Published: July 2012

This paper presents an economic dispatch algorithm based on the genetic algorithm (GA) for the determination of the global or quasi‐global optimum dispatch solution under consideration of transmission losses. In practice, the efficiency of GA is sometimes hindered by a poor performance in a localized search or by the difficulty of finding and maintaining feasibility for a constrained problem. To deal with these problems, an advanced genetic algorithm is developed. With the help of a local improvement operator, combined with a conjugate gradient method, the performance of the GA is enhanced. By means of heuristic scaling of fitness functions and adaptation of penalty factors, the genetic search in the feasible region can be improved. The algorithm is implemented in the binary search space and tested with multi‐modal non‐linear functions. The application of the algorithm to a test system is also demonstrated, where transmission losses are represented by the B‐matrix loss formula.
Study about the physical processes leading to partial discharges in insulating fluids
Authors: Borsi H.
Published: July 2012

This paper deals with the partial‐discharge (PD) behaviour of some insulating fluids used in transformers. The PD are generated on a needle‐plate electrode configuration. At first the influence of different parameters such as needle‐tip radius and gap distance on the PD inception voltage and other relevant PD characteristics of mineral‐based transformer oil are discussed. It follows a comparison of the PD behaviour of a mineral‐based transformer oil and a synthetic fluid, used as insulating liquid in transformers. Based on the results it is shown that the initiation and the propagation of PD phenomena depends on different parameters.
On a certain disadvantageous mode of the arc between cup‐shaped contacts during high‐current interruption in vacuum
Authors: Janiszewski J. , Zalucki Z.
Published: July 2012

The article presents research results of discharge development and arc modes of high‐current vacuum arc between cup contacts with slots to generate a transverse magnetic field (i. e. contrate contacts). The peak value of the applied AC arc current half‐wave ranged from a few kA to 27 kA. Photographs of the arc were taken with a high‐speed framing camera at 10 000 frames/s. It was found that the arc between cup‐shaped contacts behave in a similar way in the following two cases: if the electrodes are separated shortly after the onset of the main current, and if the arc is created at a fixed contact gap. It was shown that, for both cases, there is a tendency to locate the stationary anode spot inside the cup and the arising stationary constricted arc mode, which is disadvantageous in terms of arc extinction.
Power source and its new firing method for gas metal arc welding
Authors: Thamodharan M. , Vasile D. , Labudovic M.
Published: July 2012

The electronically controlled power sources for steady and pulsed Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW) consist of either converters or transistors. For steady direct current welding with a converter power source, a single fully‐controlled three‐phase bridge converter is widely used. As for pulsed DC welding, it is done with two parallel‐connected converters: a single‐phase converter for the production of pulsed direct current with different frequencies and width, and a three‐phase converter for the generation of the background current. Both these power sources are associated with a number of disadvantages. They produce harmonics in the AC mains. And in the case of the power source for pulsed welding, a low dynamic response is noticeable apart from unsymmetrical reactions in the mains caused by the single‐phase converter. In addition to these, it is complex to operate and maintain, large in size, less efficient and is relatively expensive. This paper presents a single fully‐controlled three‐phase bridge converter with a new firing method of the thyristors that can be used for both welding methods. The distortions produced in the mains as a result can be reduced with the help of two tuned resonant line filters, if needed, although they add weight, size and cost to the power source. This new method was verified by simulation and the results are presented. Through this means, the disadvantages associated especially with pulsed DC welding can be reduced to a minimum.
Komplexer ist einfacher
Authors: Brose Ulrich
Published: July 2012

Die sechste Welle des Artensterbens auf der Erde hat gerade erst begonnen. Doch die Forschung richtet ihren Blick schon weiter: Womit haben natürliche Ökosysteme künftig zu kämpfen? Analysen ausgedehnter Netzwerke führen zu überraschend klaren Vorhersagen.
Remote sensing of river stage using the cross‐sectional inundation area‐river stage relationship (IARSR) constructed from digital elevation model data
Authors: Pan Feifei , Nichols Jennifer
Published: July 2012

Remote sensing of discharge and river stage from space provides us with a promising alternative approach to monitor watersheds, no matter if they are ungauged, poorly gauged, or fully gauged. One approach is to estimate river stage from satellite measured inundation area based on the inundation area – river stage relationship (IARSR). However, this approach is not easy to implement because of a lack of data for constructing the IARSR. In this study, an innovative and robust approach to construct the IARSR from digital elevation model (DEM) data was developed and tested. It was shown that the constructed IARSR from DEM data could be used to retrieve water level or river stage from satellite‐measured inundation area. To reduce the uncertainty in the estimated inundation area, a dual‐thresholding method was proposed. The first threshold is the lower limit of pixel value for classifying water body pixels with a relatively high‐level certainty. The second threshold is the upper limit of pixel value for classifying potentially flooded pixels. All pixels with values between the first threshold and the second threshold and adjacent to the classified water body pixels may be partially flooded. A linear interpolation method was used to estimate the wetted area of each partially flooded pixel. In applying the constructed IARSR to the estimated inundation areas from 11 Landsat TM images, 11 water levels were obtained. The root mean square error (RMSE) of the estimated water levels compared with the observed water levels at the US Geological Survey (USGS) gauging station on the Trinity River at Liberty in Liberty County, Texas, is about 0.38 m. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characteristics of water stable isotopes and hydrograph separation in Baishui catchment during the wet season in Mt.Yulong region, south western China
Authors: Pu Tao , He Yuanqing , Zhu Guofeng , Zhang Ningning , Du Jiankuo , Wang Chunfeng
Published: July 2012

Glaciers are of crucial importance for the livelihood of the local populations, which depend on their meltwater for water and energy supplies. For this reason, seasonal variations of oxygen‐18 of glacial stream water and their sources within a small glacial catchment in south western China were investigated during the wet season. The results showed significant difference of oxygen‐18 existed among meltwater, rainwater, ground water and stream water, and significantly seasonal variation of precipitation occurred during the observed period. The streamflow of Baishui catchment was separated into components of ice‐snowmelt and precipitation using oxygen‐18. As shown by the result of the two‐component mixing model, on average, 53.4% of the runoff came from ice‐snowmelt during the wet season, whereas the remaining 46.6% were contributed by precipitation in the catchment. According to monthly hydrograph, the contribution of snow and glacier meltwater varied from 40.7% to 62.2%, and that of precipitation varied from 37.8% to 59.3% in wet season. Uncertainties for this separation were mainly caused by the variation of tracer concentrations. The roles of glacier and snow meltwater should be noticed in water resource management in those glacial regions in south western China. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Daily rainfall projections from general circulation models with a downscaling nonhomogeneous hidden Markov model (NHMM) for south‐eastern Australia
Authors: Fu Guobin , Charles Stephen P. , Kirshner Sergey
Published: July 2012

An ensemble of stochastic daily rainfall projections has been generated for 30 stations across south‐eastern Australia using the downscaling nonhomogeneous hidden Markov model, which was driven by atmospheric predictors from four climate models for three IPCC emissions scenarios (A1B, A2, and B1) and for two periods (2046–2065 and 2081–2100). The results indicate that the annual rainfall is projected to decrease for both periods for all scenarios and climate models, with the exception of a few scenarios of no statistically significant changes. However, there is a seasonal difference: two downscaled GCMs consistently project a decline of summer rainfall, and two an increase. In contrast, all four downscaled GCMs show a decrease of winter rainfall. Because winter rainfall accounts for two‐thirds of the annual rainfall and produces the majority of streamflow for this region, this decrease in winter rainfall would cause additional water availability concerns in the southern Murray–Darling basin, given that water shortage is already a critical problem in the region. In addition, the annual maximum daily rainfall is projected to intensify in the future, particularly by the end of the 21st century; the maximum length of consecutive dry days is projected to increase, and correspondingly, the maximum length of consecutive wet days is projected to decrease. These changes in daily sequencing, combined with fewer events of reduced amount, could lead to drier catchment soil profiles and further reduce runoff potential and, hence, also have streamflow and water availability implications. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Adherence to national guidelines for gastric cancer in the Netherlands: A retrospective population‐based audit
Authors: Ho Vincent K.Y. , Damhuis Ronald A.M. , Hartgrink Henk H.
Published: July 2012

In May 2009, a new clinical practice guideline for gastric cancer was released in the Netherlands. To determine the impact of this guideline, we evaluated trends in patterns of care, thereby focusing on the use of perioperative chemotherapy, the adequacy of lymphadenectomy and the proportion of non‐curative resections. For our evaluation, we retrospectively collected information from the Netherlands Cancer Registry on 2,511 patients diagnosed with primary adenocarcinoma of the stomach during the period July 2008–June 2010, excluding tumors of the cardia. After comparing clinical management for patients diagnosed from July 2008 to June 2009 with that for patients diagnosed from July 2009 to June 2010, we conclude that our indicators for guideline adherence did not show major change, except for the proportion of patients that received an adequate lymphadenectomy (examination of ≥10 lymph nodes), which increased from 49% to 58% (p = 0.005), this increase being more pronounced for high‐volume hospitals (p = 0.006). Preoperative chemotherapy was given in 45% of patients and 25% of resections was non‐curative. For the total study population, the resection rate was 41% and 30‐day mortality was 5.7%. However, this measure may underestimate the real operative risk for gastric cancer patients given supplementary information on postdischarge death and prolonged hospital stay.
Water Vapor Permeability of the Rigid‐Shelled Gecko Egg
Authors: ANDREWS ROBIN M.
Published: July 2012

The vast majority of squamate reptiles (lizards and snakes) produce parchment‐shelled eggs that absorb water during incubation, and thus increase in mass, volume, and surface area. In contrast, females from a single monophyletic lineage of gekkotan lizards produce rigid‐shelled eggs. These eggs are functionally comparable to those of birds, that is, at oviposition, eggs contain all the water needed for development, and their mass decreases during incubation via the diffusion of water vapor through the shell. I determined patterns of water loss and shell permeability to water vapor from oviposition to hatching for the rigid‐shelled eggs of the gekkonid Chrondrodactylus turneri and compared permeability of C. turneri eggs to those of birds and other squamates. Chrondrodactylus turneri eggs incubated at 28.5°C and 40% relative humidity (RH) decreased in mass by 14% over the course of a 68‐day incubation period. The rate of water loss varied during incubation; egg mass decreased rapidly during the first 8 days of incubation, declined at a low constant rate during the next 35 days, and then decreased rapidly during the final 25 days of incubation. Overall permeability was 0.17 mg/day/kPa/cm2. Percent water loss of rigid‐shelled gecko eggs during incubation is similar to that exhibited by birds, but water vapor permeability is about one‐third that of bird eggs and several orders of magnitude lower than that of parchment‐shelled squamate eggs. In general, the water economy of their eggs may be associated with the adaptive radiation of the rigid‐shelled sphaerodactylid, phyllodactylid, and gekkonid geckos. J. Exp. Zool. 317A:395–400, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Projections of climate change‐driven variations in the offshore wave climate off south eastern Australia
Authors: Hemer M. A. , McInnes K. L. , Ranasinghe R.
Published: July 2012

This study presents an analysis of the wind‐wave climate on the south‐east Australian continental margin and its potential changes under the effects of projected climate change. The wind‐wave climate is modelled for three 20 year time‐slices (1981–2000, 2031–2051, and 2081–2100) using a dynamical wave modelling approach in which the WaveWatch III spectral wave model, with a nested domain SWAN model, is the region of interest. Surface wind forcing is obtained from an ensemble of three global climate model runs (CSIRO Mk3.5, GFDLcm2.0, and GFDLcm2.1) dynamically downscaled using CSIRO's Cubic conformal atmospheric model (CCAM), under two greenhouse gas emission scenarios (a high emission SRES A2 and low emission SRES B1 scenario). A third level of uncertainty associated with adjusting climate model derived winds for climate and variability bias is found to be the largest source of uncertainty among the limited range of sources considered in the twenty‐eight 20 year wave model simulations undertaken herein. The ensemble of wave model runs for the 2081–2100 time‐slice project a robust decrease in mean significant wave height along the south‐east Australian coast relative to present (1981–2000) conditions. The magnitude of projected change in mean annual significant wave height is less than 0.2 m, with larger values in the north of the region of interest, and is associated with a projected decrease in storm wave energy in the region. An anticlockwise rotation in mean wave direction of approximately 5° is also projected over the same period. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Middle ear myoclonus associated with forced eyelid closure in children: Diagnosis and treatment outcome
Authors: Lee Guen‐Ho , Bae Seong‐Cheon , Jin Sang‐Gyun , Park Kyoung‐Ho , Yeo Sang‐Won , Park Shi‐Nae
Published: July 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

Forceful eyelid closure syndrome (FECS) was first reported at the Proceedings of the Second International Tinnitus Seminar in 1983. The main symptom of this syndrome is a spontaneous muscular tinnitus related only to forced eye closure, specifically the voluntary contraction of the periorbital muscles. Although investigation of the syndrome was initiated >100 years ago, only four cases have been published in the past 20 years. We report six cases of middle ear myoclonus tinnitus diagnosed as FECS in children and discuss issues surrounding the diagnosis and treatment of this syndrome.

Study Design:

Retrospective case series.

Methods:

From 2009 to 2011, six children complaining of clicking or crackling sounds in their ears presented at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital. Endoscopic examination and recording of the tympanic membrane were performed while the patients were asked to close their eyes forcefully. Audiologic studies including acoustic reflex decay and static compliance were performed for documentation of the movement of the tympanic membrane. Triggering factors of FECS in the children were carefully evaluated.

Results:

Synchronous movement of the tympanic membrane in response to forced eye closure on endoscopic examination was the most reliable finding to diagnose FECS. Acoustic reflex decay and other impedance audiogram findings showed irregular perturbations during forced eye closure, which led to diagnosis of the tinnitus as middle ear myoclonus. Most of the patients had triggering factors for FECS. Reassurance and removal of the triggering or causal factors with or without medication improved clicking sounds coming from middle ear myoclonus.

Conclusions:

FECS is a rare clinical entity and can be easily missed in routine clinical examination. We suggest that patients, especially children, with clicking or crackling tinnitus should be evaluated for FECS using proper diagnostic tools. A possible mechanism of FECS in children postulated from our case review is suggested. Laryngoscope, 2012
Positron‐emission tomography pitfalls related to oral prosthesis
Authors: More Yogesh , Dusing Reginald , Counts Shaheen , Bond Justin , Tsue Terrance , Girod Douglas
Published: July 2012

This case report describes false‐positive positron‐emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) findings related to oral prostheses and its implications in cancer surveillance. In head and neck cancer management, F18‐flurodeoxyglucose (FDG) PET/CT is widely accepted for evaluating treatment response and detecting recurrence. Interpretation of FDG PET/CT images in this setting is often challenging due to various prostheses and reconstruction methods. Following surgery for squamous cell carcinoma of the maxillary alveolus, a 61‐year‐old female had a FDG PET/CT scan on a 7‐month follow‐up that showed high FDG uptake along the resection site. Clinical examination showed no signs of inflammation or recurrence. Repeat FDG PET/CT without the prosthesis was normal. The PET/CT attenuation‐corrected images demonstrated high FDG uptake (standardized uptake value: 11.6) along the resection site corresponding to contrast‐enhanced CT images of the lesion. PET/CT nonattenuation‐corrected images also confirmed increased activity. Repeat PET/CT without the prosthesis was normal. FDG is not tumor specific; it can accumulate in inflammation, infection, and post‐therapy settings. Metallic and high‐density prostheses show radial artifacts on CT and falsely elevated FDG uptake on PET/ CT in adjacent areas. Salivary pooling may concentrate FDG. The presence of oral prostheses has not been described as a cause of this high level of activity. PET/CT images that demonstrate intense activity corresponding to dense structures should be viewed with caution. A detailed history and physical exam as well as knowledge of artifacts are pertinent for the managing physician. Laryngoscope, 2012
Middle ear carcinoid with distant osseous metastasis
Authors: Fundakowski Christopher E. , Chapman Jennifer R. , Thomas Giovanna
Published: July 2012

Middle ear carcinoid is a rare entity with an indolent clinical course. Numerous reports have described local recurrence and metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes, although only one report of distant visceral metastasis exists in the literature. We describe the potential for osseous metastasis. A 52‐year‐old male with previous middle ear carcinoid (resected 10 years prior) presented with a neck mass. Subsequent workup revealed a suspicious lytic lesion of the iliac crest. Selective neck dissection and core biopsy of the iliac lesion were performed, which revealed concurrent histologically identical metastasis to both the cervical lymph nodes and iliac crest, morphologically indistinguishable from the previous middle ear carcinoid. This case presents the novel description of distant osseous metastasis of middle ear carcinoid. Laryngoscope, 2013
Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus sinusitis in nonhospitalized patients: A systematic review of prevalence and treatment outcomes
Authors: McCoul Edward D. , Jourdy Deya N. , Schaberg Madeleine R. , Anand Vijay K.
Published: July 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) has been isolated from patients with acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), although the exact prevalence is unknown. Similarly, the optimal treatment regimen for MRSA sinusitis has not been determined. The aim of this study was to summarize the existing data on prevalence and treatment outcomes for MRSA sinusitis in nonhospitalized patients.

Study Design:

A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines.

Methods:

MEDLINE, Embase, and Cochrane databases were queried for English‐language studies published between 1942 and 2012. Studies were excluded that did not provide quantitative data on the prevalence or treatment of ARS or CRS with MRSA‐positive cultures. An itemized assessment of the risk of bias was conducted for each included study.

Results:

Of 409 studies identified during systematic review, 12 studies met the criteria for analysis. The level of evidence and freedom from bias of these studies were generally low. The prevalence of MRSA among all culture isolates ranged from 0% to 15.9% for ARS and 1.8% to 20.7% for CRS. Six studies reported quantitative treatment outcomes using variable measures, in which resolution of infection ranged from 58.3% to 100%. The treatment regimens were heterogeneous and included single‐ and multiple‐agent therapy with oral, topical, and parental antibiotics.

Conclusions:

MRSA‐positive cultures are found in a small but significant number of cases of ARS and CRS. Treatment of MRSA sinusitis may be effective, although treatment regimens and outcome measures are variable. Prospective studies utilizing standardized parameters are warranted. Laryngoscope, 2012
A Combined Computational and Experimental Study on the Free‐Radical Copolymerization of Styrene and Hydroxyethyl Acrylate
Authors: Mavroudakis Evangelos , Liang Kun , Moscatelli Davide , Hutchinson Robin A.
Published: July 2012

Bulk free‐radical copolymerization of styrene and 2‐hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA) is investigated experimentally at 50 °C using pulsed‐laser polymerization and computationally using ab initio simulations. Arrhenius parameters for HEA chain‐end homopropagation are A = 1.72 × 107 L mol−1 s−1 and Ea = 16.8 kJ mol−1, based on experiments between 20 and 60 °C. Copolymer composition data are well fitted by the terminal model with reactivity ratios rST = 0.44 ± 0.03 and rHEA = 0.18 ± 0.04, but the variation in the propagation rate coefficient with monomer composition is underpredicted. Results are compared with computational predictions assuming the terminal as well as the penultimate unit effect (PUE) model. Intramolecular H‐bonding is shown to have a significant influence on PUE calculations. Discrepancies between computational predictions and experiment are attributed to the influence of intermolecular H‐bonding.
Infinite dimensional attractors for porous medium equations in heterogeneous medium
Authors: Efendiev Messoud
Published: July 2012

In this paper, we give a detailed study of the global attractors for porous medium equations in a heterogeneous medium. Not only the existence but also the infinite dimensionality of the global attractors is obtained by showing that their ϵ‐Kolmogorov entropy behaves as a polynomial of the variable 1 ∕ ϵ as ϵ tends to zero, which is not observed for non‐degenerate parabolic equations. The upper and lower bounds for the Kolmogorov ϵ‐entropy of infinite‐dimensional attractors are also obtained. We believe that the method developed in this paper has a general nature and can be applied to other classes of degenerate evolution equations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The forkhead transcription factor FoxY regulates Nanos
Authors: Song Jia L. , Wessel Gary M.
Published: July 2012

FoxY is a member of the forkhead transcription factor family that appeared enriched in the presumptive germ line of sea urchins (Ransick et al. Dev Biol 2002;246:132). Here, we test the hypothesis that FoxY is involved in germ line determination in this animal. We found two splice forms of FoxY that share the same DNA‐binding domain, but vary in the carboxy‐terminal trans‐activation/repression domain. Both forms of the FoxY protein are present in the egg and in the early embryo, and their mRNAs accumulate to their highest levels in the small micromeres and adjacent non‐skeletogenic mesoderm. Knockdown of FoxY resulted in a dramatic decrease in Nanos mRNA and protein levels as well as a loss of coelomic pouches in 2‐week‐old larvae. Our results indicate that FoxY positively regulates Nanos at the transcriptional level and is essential for reproductive potential in this organism. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 79: 680–688, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.