bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A study on using uncertain time series matching algorithms for MapReduce applications
Authors: Rizvandi Nikzad Babaii , Taheri Javid , Moraveji Reza , Zomaya Albert Y.
Published: August 2012

In this paper, we study CPU utilization time patterns of several MapReduce applications. After extracting running patterns of several applications, the patterns along with their statistical information are saved in a reference database to be later used to tweak system parameters to efficiently execute future unknown applications. To achieve this goal, CPU utilization patterns of new applications along with its statistical information are compared with the already known ones in the reference database to find/predict their most probable execution patterns. Because of different pattern lengths, dynamic time warping (DTW) is utilized for such comparison; a statistical analysis is then applied to DTWs' outcomes to select the most suitable candidates. Furthermore, under a hypothesis, we also proposed another algorithm to classify applications under similar CPU utilization patterns. Finally, dependency between minimum distance/maximum similarity of applications and scalability (in both input size and number of virtual nodes) is studied. Here, we used widely used applications (WordCount, Distributed Grep, and Terasort) as well as an Exim MainLog parsing application to evaluate our hypothesis in automatic tweaking MapReduce configuration parameters in executing similar applications scalable on both size of input data and number of virtual nodes. Results are very promising and showed the effectiveness of our approach on a private cloud with up to 25 virtual nodes. Concurrency and Computation: Practice and Experience, 2012. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Frequency–amplitude relations for cross‐coupled voltage‐controlled oscillator
Authors: Eskandarian Abdollah
Published: July 2012

Dependence of frequency on amplitude and control bias is considered for the cross‐coupled voltage‐controlled oscillator. Closed form expressions are derived for frequency of oscillation as a function of amplitude, for positive and negative control bias voltages. Theory of nonlinear ordinary differential equations is utilized to show that the capacitance–voltage relation is the main cause of frequency shift with amplitude. Furthermore, the case of small amplitudes relative to control voltage is analyzed, and a closed form expression is derived for dependence of frequency on amplitude. This relation is then verified using the concept of effective capacitance. The effective capacitance approach is also used to extend the analysis to large voltage swings. Dependence of frequency on tuner control voltage is calculated for both bias polarities. Implications of the aforementioned equations for voltage‐controlled oscillator performance are discussed. Numerical calculations and simulations are used to compare and verify the closed form equations, showing good agreement. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metabolomics in food analysis: application to the control of forbidden substances
Authors: Dervilly‐Pinel Gaud , Courant Frédérique , Chéreau Sylvain , Royer Anne‐Lise , Boyard‐Kieken Fanny , Antignac Jean‐Philippe , Monteau Fabrice , Le Bizec Bruno
Published: July 2012

Metabolomics is a science of interest in food analysis to describe and predict properties of food products and processes. It includes the development of analytical methods with the ultimate goal being the identification of so‐called ‘quality markers’, (i.e. sets of metabolites that correlate with, for example, quality, safety, taste, or fragrance of foodstuffs). In turn, these metabolites are influenced by factors as genetic differences of the raw food ingredients (such as animal breed or crop species differences), growth conditions (such as climate, irrigation strategy, or feeding) or production conditions (such as temperature, acidity, or pressure). In cases where the routine‐based measurement of a food property faces some limitations such as the lack of knowledge regarding the target compounds to monitor, monitoring based on a limited set of crucial biomarkers is a good alternative, which is of great interest for food safety purposes regarding growth promoting practices. Such an approach may be more efficient than using a classic approach based on a limited set of known metabolites of anabolic compounds. In this context, screening strategies allowing detection of the physiological response resulting from anabolic compound administration are promising approaches to detect their misuse. The global metabolomics workflow implemented for such studies is presented and illustrated through various examples of biological matrices profiling (tissue, blood, urine) and for different classes of anabolic compounds (steroids, β‐agonists and somatotropin). © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards a Deep Desilication/Dealumination of NU‐10 Zeolite: Shape‐Selectivity Regulation
Authors: Sá Couto Clara , Matias Patrícia , Santos Edgar T. , Fernandes Auguste , Graça Inês , Lopes José M. , Ribeiro Maria F.
Published: July 2012

The present work was aimed at performing alkaline desilication of different severities, in order to generate a broad range of mesopore volumes within the framework of the intermediate pore size NU‐10 zeolite and to evaluate both physicochemical and catalytic consequences. The shape‐selective sensitive o‐xylene isomerisation reaction was used as a characterisation method of zeolite pore modification. Thus, several NU‐10 samples, with preserved crystallinity, were obtained by treatment of a microporous parent NU‐10 sample with sodium hydroxide solutions of different concentrations (0.4–0.6 M), at several contact times (15, 30, 45, 60 and 120 min) and at 353 K. The characterisation by nitrogen adsorption allowed the evaluation of the micropore volumes of the samples and the mesopore volumes generated by desilication, as well as the external surface area. Toluene adsorption experiments were also performed, an important increase in the toluene adsorption capacity for increasing desilication levels being observed, except for the most severely modified samples. The sample treated at 0.6 M for 60 min revealed lower toluene retention, probably due to a higher level of extra‐framework aluminium and silicon species remaining in the internal porosity. In the case of aluminium species, they were detected by 27Al NMR spectroscopy, which is also in agreement with the pronounced increase in the number of Lewis acid sites detected for the most severely treated samples. A slight decrease in the initial o‐xylene isomerisation activity, at 673 K, was generally noticed as a consequence of desilication, and this can be related to a slight decrease in the concentration of protonated sites. Nevertheless, for intermediate‐severity‐treated samples, the activity per acid site increased significantly when compared with the parent zeolite, suggesting easier reactant accessibility. Furthermore, the para/meta‐xylene product molar ratio decreased and, therefore, the zeolite shape selectivity, thus reinforcing the hypothesis of an extra space generation consequence on the catalytic properties.
Naphthyl Derivatives Functionalised with Electron Acceptor Units – Synthesis, Electronic Characterisation and DFT Calculations
Authors: Planells Miquel , Robertson Neil
Published: July 2012

A series of unsymmetrical dyes containing a naphthyl unit connected to an electron acceptor moiety was designed and synthesised. By modifying the electron acceptor unit, a shift of the LUMO energy level as well as its distribution through the molecule were achieved. These dyes were fully characterised by optical, computational and electrochemical techniques. In addition, crystal structures reveal different packing depending upon the nature of the acceptor. Their potential use as electron acceptor materials for organic photovoltaics (OPVs) was also investigated by photoluminescence studies of blends with the common OPV polymers P3HT and PCDTBT.
Experimental investigation on dynamic and quasi‐static behavior of low‐rise reinforced concrete walls
Authors: Carrillo Julian , Alcocer Sergio M.
Published: July 2012

Experimental evidence supporting the fact that results from quasi‐static (QS) test of low‐rise reinforced concrete walls may be safely assumed as a lower limit of strength and displacement, and energy dissipation capacities are still scarce. The aim of this paper is to compare the seismic performance of 12 reinforced concrete walls for low‐rise housing: six prototype walls tested under QS‐cyclic loading and six models tested under shaking table excitations. Variables studied were wall geometry, type of concrete, web steel ratio, type of web reinforcement and testing method. Comparison of results from dynamic and QS‐cyclic tests indicated that stiffness and strength properties were dependent on the loading rate, the strength mechanisms associated with the failure mode, the low‐cycle fatigue, and the cumulative parameters, such as displacement demand and energy dissipated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrative Analysis of Cancer Prognosis Data With Multiple Subtypes Using Regularized Gradient Descent
Authors: Ma Shuangge , Zhang Yawei , Huang Jian , Huang Yuan , Lan Qing , Rothman Nathaniel , Zheng Tongzhang
Published: August 2012

In cancer research, high‐throughput profiling studies have been extensively conducted, searching for genes/single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with prognosis. Despite seemingly significant differences, different subtypes of the same cancer (or different types of cancers) may share common susceptibility genes. In this study, we analyze prognosis data on multiple subtypes of the same cancer but note that the proposed approach is directly applicable to the analysis of data on multiple types of cancers. We describe the genetic basis of multiple subtypes using the heterogeneity model that allows overlapping but different sets of susceptibility genes/SNPs for different subtypes. An accelerated failure time (AFT) model is adopted to describe prognosis. We develop a regularized gradient descent approach that conducts gene‐level analysis and identifies genes that contain important SNPs associated with prognosis. The proposed approach belongs to the family of gradient descent approaches, is intuitively reasonable, and has affordable computational cost. Simulation study shows that when prognosis‐associated SNPs are clustered in a small number of genes, the proposed approach outperforms alternatives with significantly more true positives and fewer false positives. We analyze an NHL (non‐Hodgkin lymphoma) prognosis study with SNP measurements and identify genes associated with the three major subtypes of NHL, namely, DLBCL, FL, and CLL/SLL. The proposed approach identifies genes different from using alternative approaches and has the best prediction performance.
Overexpression of activated phospholipase Cγ1 is a risk factor for distant metastases in T1‐T2, N0 breast cancer patients undergoing adjuvant chemotherapy
Authors: Lattanzio Rossano , Marchisio Marco , La Sorda Rossana , Tinari Nicola , Falasca Marco , Alberti Saverio , Miscia Sebastiano , Ercolani Cristiana , Di Benedetto Anna , Perracchio Letizia , Melucci Elisa , Iacobelli Stefano , Mottolese Marcella , Natali Pier Giorgio , Piantelli Mauro ,   on behalf of CINBO (Consorzio Interuniversitario Nazionale per la Bio‐Oncologia)
Published: July 2012

Phospholipase Cγ1 (PLCγ1) is highly expressed in several tumors. We have previously reported that both stable and inducible PLCγ1 down‐regulation resulted in an almost complete inhibition of breast cancer‐derived experimental lung metastasis formation. The aim of our study is to evaluate the association between the expression of PLCγ1 and of PLCγ1 phosphorylated at Tyr1253 (PLCγ1‐pY1253) and at Tyr783 (PLCγ1‐pY783) with the clinical outcome of patients with node negative, T1/T2 breast cancers. The study groups consisted of 292 (training set) and 122 (validation set) patients presenting with primary unilateral breast carcinoma (T1‐T2), with no evidence of nodal involvement and distant metastases. PLCγ1, PLCγ1‐pY1253 and PLCγ1‐pY783 protein expression were assessed by immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays and the results correlated with the clinical data using Kaplan–Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression analysis. Tumor cells while expressing variable proportions of cytoplasmic PLCγ1, express PLCγ1‐pY1253 and PLCγ1‐pY783 predominantly in the nucleus. High expression of PLCγ1, and of its activated forms, is associated with a worse clinical outcome in terms of incidence of distant metastases, and not of local relapse in T1‐T2, N0 breast cancer patients undergone adjuvant chemotherapy. PLCγ1 over‐expression appears to be a reliable predictive surrogate marker of development of metastases. Thus, targeting PLCγ1 pathways might represent a potential therapeutic approach for the prevention of metastatic disease in breast cancer.
Noninvasive classification of hepatic fibrosis based on texture parameters from double contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance images
Authors: Bahl Gautam , Cruite Irene , Wolfson Tanya , Gamst Anthony C. , Collins Julie M. , Chavez Alyssa D. , Barakat Fatma , Hassanein Tarek , Sirlin Claude B.
Published: August 2012

Purpose:

To demonstrate a proof of concept that quantitative texture feature analysis of double contrast‐enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can classify fibrosis noninvasively, using histology as a reference standard.

Materials and Methods:

A Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)‐compliant Institutional Review Board (IRB)‐approved retrospective study of 68 patients with diffuse liver disease was performed at a tertiary liver center. All patients underwent double contrast‐enhanced MRI, with histopathology‐based staging of fibrosis obtained within 12 months of imaging. The MaZda software program was used to compute 279 texture parameters for each image. A statistical regularization technique, generalized linear model (GLM)‐path, was used to develop a model based on texture features for dichotomous classification of fibrosis category (F ≤2 vs. F ≥3) of the 68 patients, with histology as the reference standard. The model's performance was assessed and cross‐validated. There was no additional validation performed on an independent cohort.

Results:

Cross‐validated sensitivity, specificity, and total accuracy of the texture feature model in classifying fibrosis were 91.9%, 83.9%, and 88.2%, respectively.

Conclusion:

This study shows proof of concept that accurate, noninvasive classification of liver fibrosis is possible by applying quantitative texture analysis to double contrast‐enhanced MRI. Further studies are needed in independent cohorts of subjects. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2012;36:1154–1161. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
HCCRBP‐3 induces tumorigenesis through direct interaction with HCCR‐1 in human cancers
Authors: Ha Seon Ah , Kim Hyun Kee , Yoo Jin Ah , Kim Sanghee , Shin Seung Min , Gong Gi‐Hwan , Lee Yun Kyung , Kim Jin Woo
Published: July 2012

Human cervical cancer oncogene 1, HCCR‐1, is over‐expressed in various human tumors and appears to serve as a negative regulator of the p53 gene. HCCR‐1 transgenic mice developed breast cancers but it is unknown how HCCR‐1 contributes to tumorigenesis. We identified the HCCR‐1 binding protein 3 (HCCRBP‐3) as a binding partner for HCCR‐1. These two proteins co‐localized to the mitochondria. HCCRBP‐3 over‐expressed in various human tumors converted normal cells into tumor cells in vitro. Nude mice injected with NIH/3T3 cells stably transfected with HCCRBP‐3 also induced the tumor formation. In addition, p53 showed the functional impairment in HCCRBP‐3‐transfected cells as accompanied with defective induction of p21 and bax. In support of this, p21 promoter activities containing p53 responsive elements were inhibited by HCCRBP‐3 in a dose‐dependent manner. Therefore, our study suggests that HCCRBP‐3 contributes to the HCCR‐1 induced tumorigenesis by interrupting the p53 function. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Combined gradient‐stochastic optimization with negative circular masks for large deformation topologies
Authors: Saxena Anupam , Sauer Roger.A.
Published: July 2012

Topology optimization of large deformation two‐dimensional continua is presented using a combined gradient‐stochastic search with negative circular masks. The possibility of generating perfect black and white topologies is explored while attaining the efficiency of first‐order and second‐order search algorithms. The design region is modeled with honeycomb tessellation to thwart the known connectivity singularities such as the checkerboards and point flexures. Mask shrinkage is incorporated for ease in density transition between gradient and stochastic steps. Notches at continuum boundaries are moderated through multiple use of a simple boundary smoothing method. A neo‐Hookean elasticity model is employed to simulate the material nonlinearities in large displacement continua. With examples on stiff beams and large deformation compliant mechanisms, it is illustrated that perfectly binary, connected and smooth topologies can be obtained within a few hundred design evaluations.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Prognostic MicroRNAs in Cancer Tissue from Patients Operated for Pancreatic Cancer—Five MicroRNAs in a Prognostic Index
Authors: Schultz Nicolai A. , Andersen Klaus K. , Roslind Anne , Willenbrock Hanni , Wøjdemann Morten , Johansen Julia S.
Published: July 2012

Background

The aim of the present study was to identify a panel of microRNAs (miRNAs) that can predict overall survival (OS) in non micro‐dissected cancer tissues from patients operated for pancreatic cancer (PC).

Methods

MiRNAs were purified from formalin‐fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) cancer tissue from 225 patients operated for PC. Only a few of those patients received adjuvant chemotherapy. Expressions of miRNAs were determined with the TaqMan MicroRNA Array v2.0. Two statistical methods, univariate selection and the Lasso (Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator) method, were applied in conjunction with the Cox proportional hazard model to relate miRNAs to OS.

Results

High expression of miR‐212 and miR‐675 and low expression of miR‐148a*, miR‐187, and let‐7g* predicted short OS independent of age, gender, calendar year of operation, KRAS mutation status, tumor stage, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, localization (not miR‐148a*), and differentiation of tumor. A prognostic index (PI) based on these five miRNAs was calculated for each patient. The median survival was 1.09 years (Confidence Interval [CI] 0.98–1.43) for PI > median PI compared to 2.23 years (CI 1.84–4.36) for PI < median. MiR‐212, miR‐675, miR‐187, miR‐205, miR‐944, miR‐431, miR‐194*, miR‐148a*, and miR‐769‐5p showed the strongest prediction ability by the Lasso method. Thus miR‐212, miR‐675, miR‐187, and miR‐148a* were predictors for OS in both statistical methods.

Conclusions

The combination of five miRNAs expression in non micro‐dissected FFPE PC tissue can identify patients with short OS after radical surgery. The results are independent of chemotherapy treatment. Patients with a prognostic index > median had a very short median OS of only 1 year.
Mortality After Esophageal and Gastric Cancer Resection
Authors: Fedeli Ugo , Schievano Elena , Lisiero Manola
Published: July 2012

Background

Contrasting findings on trends and determinants of operative mortality after surgery for esophageal and gastric cancer have been reported from population‐based studies.

Methods

Discharge records of residents in the Veneto Region (northeastern Italy) with a diagnosis of esophageal or gastric cancer and intervention codes for esophagectomy or gastrectomy were extracted for the years 2000–2009. In‐hospital, 30‐day, 90‐day, and perioperative (30‐day + in‐hospital) mortality were computed. The influence of patient and hospital variables on in‐hospital mortality was assessed through multilevel models.

Results

Overall, 6,500 resections were performed in the period of 2000–2009, with a 10 % decline in the second half of the study period. In‐hospital mortality was 4.6 % (5.3 % in 2000–2004 and 3.8 % in 2005–2009) and was higher for extended total gastrectomy and total esophagectomy. In 2005–2009 mortality declined for all resection types except extended total gastrectomy (8.0 %). For esophageal procedures, 30‐day mortality was lower than in‐hospital or perioperative mortality. A protective effect of procedural volume was found for esophageal but not for gastric resections; among gastric procedures, mortality was higher in male patients and in extended total gastrectomy patients.

Conclusions

Analyses of discharge records allowed investigation at a population level of time trends (downward mainly for esophageal resections) and determinants of perioperative mortality (hospital volume, gender, and procedure type).
La Langue des sciences sociales dans Le Tableau historique de Condorcet
Authors: Schandeler Jean-Pierre
Published: July 2012

La réflexion de Condorcet sur les « sciences sociales » apparaît bien avant la Révolution, au cours des années 1770. Le projet de Tableau historique, mûri depuis cette période, mais réellement mis en oeuvre en 1793-1794, prend pour objet les conditions de possibilité de ces sciences et de leur langue. Condorcet y analyse les obstacles qui se dressent et propose, à partir de cas concrets, une réflexion sur la constitution d’une langue à la fois savante et accessible au citoyen éclairé.
Où en est La sociologie générale?
Authors: Brian Éric
Published: July 2012

Si l’histoire et les sciences sociales ont connu une sorte de fusion au cours des dernières décennies et si de multiples domaines d’études spécialisées se sont affirmés pendant la même période, le registre durkheimien de la « sociologie générale » paraît aujourd’hui comme en friche. Il s’agit dans un premier temps d’analyser les conditions de cette désaffection et dans un second temps d’indiquer comment, par la voie d’une réflexivité de longue durée, on peut reformuler un agenda pour la sociologie générale.
Relationship duration moderation of identity status differences in emerging adults' same‐sex friendship intimacy
Authors: Johnson H. Durell
Published: July 2012

Previous research has not yielded consistent identity and intimacy associations for female and male emerging adults. Intimacy varies with time spent in a relationship, and relationship duration may explain variations in the identity process association with intimacy. Data from 278 female and 156 male emerging adults revealed relationship duration moderated the identity commitment and exploration associations with intimacy. Findings indicated longer relationship duration was associated with lower intimacy levels for high identity commitment/high exploration females, and longer relationship duration was associated with higher intimacy levels for high commitment/low exploration females. Findings also indicated longer relationship duration was associated with higher intimacy levels for high commitment/high exploration males, and longer relationship duration was associated with lower intimacy levels for low commitment/high exploration males. Findings are discussed with regards to the empirical importance of considering relationship characteristics when examining emerging adult identity process associations with friendship intimacy.
Putative Chitin Synthases from Branchiostoma Floridae Show Extracellular Matrix-Related Domains and Mosaic Structures
Authors: Guerriero Gea
Published: July 2012

The transition from unicellular to multicellular life forms requires the development of a specialized structural component, the extracellular matrix (ECM). In Metazoans, there are two main supportive systems, which are based on chitin and collagen/hyaluronan, respectively. Chitin is the major constituent of fungal cell walls and arthropod exoskeleton. However, presence of chitin/chitooligosaccharides has been reported in lower chordates and during specific stages of vertebrate development. In this study, the occurrence of chitin synthases (CHSs) was investigated with a bioinformatics approach in the cephalochordate Branchiostoma floridae, in which the presence of chitin was initially reported in the skeletal rods of the pharyngeal gill basket. Twelve genes coding for proteins containing conserved amino acid residues of processive glycosyltransferases from GT2 family were found and 10 of them display mosaic structures with novel domains never reported previously in a chitin synthase. In particular, the presence of a discoidin (DS) and a sterile alpha motif (SAM) domain was found in nine identified proteins. Sequence analyses and homology modelling suggest that these domains might interact with the extracellular matrix and mediate protein–protein interaction. The multi-domain putative chitin synthases from B. floridae constitute an emblematic example of the explosion of domain innovation and shuffling which predate Metazoans.
The moderating role of emotional differentiation on satiation
Authors: Poor Morgan , Duhachek Adam , Krishnan Shanker
Published: August 2012

People tend to like experiences less the more they repeat them, a process commonly referred to as satiation. Despite an increasing interest in satiation among consumer researchers, we still know very little about the role that emotions play in the process. Through a series of three experiments, we show paradoxically that when individuals differentiate between the positive and negative emotions that arise during repeated consumption, they satiate at a slower rate. We show that a cognitive re‐appraisal process drives this emotional differentiation effect, whereby, when individuals focus on negative emotions they exhibit increased enjoyment of repeated consumption sequences. We demonstrate these effects for both trait and state emotional differentiation and across both continued and repeated consumption contexts. Theoretical implications of these findings for satiation, emotional differentiation, and emotion regulation literatures are then discussed.
AN ALGEBRAIC-METRIC EQUIVALENCE RELATION OVER p-ADIC FIELDS
Authors: VÂJÂITU MARIAN , ZAHARESCU ALEXANDRU
Published: July 2012

Let p be a prime number, Qp the field of p-adic numbers, K a finite field extension of Qp, K a fixed algebraic closure of K and Cp the completion of K with respect to the p-adic valuation. We introduce and investigate an equivalence relation on Cp, defined in terms of field extensions and metric properties of Galois orbits over K.
Influence of dry period length on reproductive performance and productivity of Lacaune dairy sheep under an intensive management system
Authors: Hernandez Fernando , Elvira Laura , Gonzalez-Martin Juan-Vicente , Astiz Susana
Published: August 2012

Intensive management is almost the only way to ensure dairy farm profitability. The dry period length (DPL) is a key factor in the productivity and health of dairy cows, but whether the same is true of dairy sheep is unclear. This study investigated the effects of DPL on the performance of Lacaune sheep under intensive management. We recorded 8136 lactations from 4220 ewes on one farm for the period 2005–2010, and data from a total of 6762 complete lactations 1–4 were included in the study. The length of the dry period following the current lactation was studied. The larger the total milk yield (MY) and daily milk yield (DMY), the shorter was the DPL before the next lactation. DPL correlated with MY (r=−0·384), DMY (r=−0·277) and the lambing-to-conception interval (LC; r=0·201, P<0·0001) in the global analysis of all lactations (lactations 1–4). The influence of previous-DPL (P-DPL), or the length of the period prior to the start of the next lactation, was studied for 4318 lactations. P-DPL was classified into five intervals: very short (P-DPL-XS), 1–30 d; short (P-DPL-S), 31–60 d; medium (P-DPL-M), 61–90 d; long (P-DPL-L), 91–120 d; and very long (P-DPL-XL), >120 d. P-DPL positively correlated with lambing-to-next conception interval (LNC; r=0·095, P<0·0001) for lactations 1–4. LNC was significantly shorter for P-DPLs that were very short, short, or long (P-PDL-XS, 144·2±67·8 d; P-PDL-S, 149·1±57·2 d; P-PDL-L, 152·0±53·7 d) than for groups with very long or medium P-PDLs (P-DPL-XL, 161·5±62·9 d; P-DPL-M, 169·0±74·8 d; P<0·0001). Moreover, P-DPLs that were very short, long, or very long were associated with the lowest milk yields (P-PDL-XS, 377±215 l; P-PDL-l, 370±168 l; P-PDL-XL, 396±196 l). These yields were significantly lower than the yields for short and medium P-DPLs (P-DPL-S, 432±187 l; P-DPL-M, 436±191 l; P<0·0001) when averages of lactations 1–4 were analysed. These results indicate that lactations with larger MY are followed by a shorter dry period, and that a dry period of 30–90 d leads to larger yields in the next lactation. The best LNC was associated with the shortest Previous-DPL. Hence, 30–60 d should be the optimal dry period length for Lacaune sheep under intensive conditions.
Susceptibility of the individual caseins in reconstituted skim milk to cross-linking by transglutaminase: influence of temperature, pH and mineral equilibria
Authors: Hinz Katharina , Huppertz Thom , Kelly Alan L.
Published: July 2012

The susceptibility of total casein and the individual caseins in reconstituted skim milk to transglutaminase (TGase)-induced cross-linking was studied as a function of incubation temperature (5–40 °C), pH (5·0–7·0) and mineral addition. Within the ranges studied, the level of total casein cross-linked increased with increasing temperature, pH and concentration of added trisodium citrate, whereas adding calcium chloride had the opposite effect. These effects can be largely related to the effects of these parameters on TGase activity. In addition, the parameters were also found to influence the susceptibility of κ-casein, and to a lesser extent β-casein, to cross-linking, whereas the susceptibility of αs1-casein was not affected. The susceptibility of κ-casein to cross-linking increased with increasing temperature and calcium chloride addition, but decreased with increasing pH and citrate content, whereas the susceptibility of β-casein to TGase-induced cross-linking decreased with increasing temperature, but was not affected by other parameters. These findings highlight the fact that selection of environmental conditions during cross-linking can be applied to tailor the surface, and hence possibly colloidal stability, of casein micelles in TGase-treated milk.
Reduced cortical call to arms differentiates psychopathy from antisocial personality disorder
Authors: Drislane L. E. , Vaidyanathan U. , Patrick C. J.
Published: July 2012

Background

Psychopathy and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) are both characterized by impulsive, externalizing behaviors. Researchers have argued, however, that psychopathy is distinguished from ASPD by the presence of interpersonal–affective features that reflect an underlying deficit in emotional sensitivity. No study to date has tested for differential relations of these disorders with the brain's natural orienting response to sudden aversive events.

Method

Electroencephalography was used to assess cortical reactivity to abrupt noise probes presented during the viewing of pleasant, neutral and unpleasant pictures in 140 incarcerated males diagnosed using the Psychopathy Checklist – Revised and DSM-IV criteria for ASPD. The primary dependent measure was the P3 event-related potential response to the noise probes.

Results

Psychopaths showed significantly smaller amplitude of P3 response to noise probes across trials of all types compared with non-psychopaths. Follow-up analyses revealed that this overall reduction was attributable specifically to the affective–interpersonal features of psychopathy. By contrast, no group difference in general amplitude of probe P3 was evident for ASPD versus non-ASPD participants.

Conclusions

The findings demonstrate a reduced cortical orienting response to abrupt aversive stimuli in participants exhibiting features of psychopathy that are distinct from ASPD. The specificity of the observed effect fits with the idea that these distinctive features of psychopathy reflect a deficit in defensive reactivity, or mobilization of the brain's defensive system, in the context of threat cues.
Threat bias in attention orienting: evidence of specificity in a large community-based study
Authors: Salum G. A. , Mogg K. , Bradley B. P. , Gadelha A. , Pan P. , Tamanaha A. C. , Moriyama T. , Graeff-Martins A. S. , Jarros R. B. , Polanczyk G. , do Rosário M. C. , Leibenluft E. , Rohde L. A. , Manfro G. G. , Pine D. S.
Published: July 2012

Background

Preliminary research implicates threat-related attention biases in paediatric anxiety disorders. However, major questions exist concerning diagnostic specificity, effects of symptom-severity levels, and threat-stimulus exposure durations in attention paradigms. This study examines these issues in a large, community school-based sample.

Method

A total of 2046 children (ages 6–12 years) were assessed using the Development and Well Being Assessment (DAWBA), Childhood Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and dot-probe tasks. Children were classified based on presence or absence of ‘fear-related’ disorders, ‘distress-related’ disorders, and behavioural disorders. Two dot-probe tasks, which differed in stimulus exposure, assessed attention biases for happy-face and threat-face cues. The main analysis included 1774 children.

Results

For attention bias scores, a three-way interaction emerged among face-cue emotional valence, diagnostic group, and internalizing symptom severity (F = 2.87, p < 0.05). This interaction reflected different associations between internalizing symptom severity and threat-related attention bias across diagnostic groups. In children with no diagnosis (n = 1411, mean difference = 11.03, s.e. = 3.47, df = 1, p < 0.001) and those with distress-related disorders (n = 66, mean difference = 10.63, s.e. = 5.24, df = 1, p < 0.05), high internalizing symptoms predicted vigilance towards threat. However, in children with fear-related disorders (n = 86, mean difference = −11.90, s.e. = 5.94, df = 1, p < 0.05), high internalizing symptoms predicted an opposite tendency, manifesting as greater bias away from threat. These associations did not emerge in the behaviour-disorder group (n = 211).

Conclusions

The association between internalizing symptoms and biased orienting varies with the nature of developmental psychopathology. Both the form and severity of psychopathology moderates threat-related attention biases in children.
Protecting Culture and Marine Ecosystems Under the Law in Micronesia
Authors: Edwards Sam
Published: July 2012

Traditional culture and marine ecosystems are two important resources that are disappearing at alarming rates worldwide. Islands are places where culture and the marine environment are intertwined and offer the best locales to address this threat. Disasters such as shipwrecks and oil spills damage both culture and the environment, yet the legal system does not permit full recovery. This research advances a new tort theory of cultural and ecosystem damage to compensate victims in marine damage cases. Specifically this research investigates theories of recovery in the Federated States of Micronesia since Micronesia is in an ideal position to recognize this new damage theory. Micronesia can help establish precedents that other jurisdictions can follow to help preserve the culture and the marine ecosystems upon which they rely.
The First Years of the Aberration-Corrected Electron Microscopy Century
Authors: Batson Philip E.
Published: July 2012

Aberration correction, after a 50 year incubation period of developing ideas and techniques while awaiting enabling technology, has transformed electron microscopy during the first dozen years of the 21st century. Some of the conditions that accompanied this transformation, the required complexity and its effect on the way microscopy is pursued, recent results that promise to change the field, and directions for the future are briefly described.
Ad Hoc Auto-Tuning of Aberrations Using High-Resolution STEM Images by Autocorrelation Function
Authors: Sawada Hidetaka , Watanabe Masashi , Chiyo Izuru
Published: July 2012

A method for measurement of the aberration status from high-resolution dark-field images is developed using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), called the Segmented Image Autocorrelation function Matrix (SIAM). The method employs an autocorrelation function from the segmented area in the defocused STEM images from an aligned crystalline specimen to measure the defocus and twofold astigmatism for the probe-forming system. The values measured using this method can be fed directly back to the instrument by changing the strength of the stigmator and the objective lens of the microscope. It is successfully demonstrated that the feedback system can automatically correct the defocus and twofold astigmatism of the microscope after several iterations using practical STEM images from an actual crystalline specimen.
Jammin' an Ending: Creativity, Knowledge, and Conduct among Jazz Musicians
Authors: DOFFMAN MARK
Published: July 2012

Research into musical creativity has hitherto involved highly disparate approaches and has taken place largely at the level of the individual. As a result, creativity has tended to be interpreted in terms of either expressive behaviour(s) in performance or ineffable innovation. In the meantime, however, a tranche of interdisciplinary research has moved towards a more collaborative understanding of creativity. With reference to that research, this article analyses the performance of a jazz standard played at a jam session in London. In exploring this unplanned moment of collaborative creativity, the study looks at the relationship between the mundane shaping of an ending and its occurrence within a cultural tradition that demands inventiveness on the part of performers. From an examination of the different sets of cultural knowledge on which musicians draw and an analysis of the momentary interactive conduct of the performers we obtain a view of creativity as an emergent amalgam – a shifting blend of knowledge and conduct that works to bring a song to a close.
Dying other, dying self: Creating culture and meaning in palliative healthcare
Authors: McCann Christopher J. , Adames Hector Y.
Published: August 2012

Dying is an act of creativity, and we each die as cultural beings. Culture helps us create the meaning death requests of us. However, the dominant culture of the healthcare system views death as a failure of modern medicine, an event of unspeakable terror and taboo. Palliative clinicians must honor each dying person's cultural identity (as well as the person's family), not subject it to the dominant discourse of Western medicine. This article offers practical guidelines for palliative clinicians to do so, as well as a case vignette.
A Nation-Wide Evidence-Based Data Analysis of Repeated Suicide Attempts
Authors: Chien Wu-Chien , Lai Ching-Huang , Chung Chi-Hsiang , Pai Lu , Chang Wei-Ting
Published: July 2012

Background: Taiwan is a high-risk area for suicide. Repeated suicide attempts are an important factor of suicide mortality. Yet there has been little research on the factors associated with repeated suicidal behavior in Taiwan. Aims: To explore the characteristics of repeated suicide attempts. Methods: Data were obtained from the National Health Insurance Research Database for 2005 to 2008. We then classified repeated suicide attempts into single method, two different methods, and three different methods. Results: A total of 1,004 inpatients were admitted to Taiwanese hospitals due to repeated suicide attempts, and the use of a single suicide method constituted the majority of the cases (71%). Risk factors related to repeated suicide attempts included being female, aged 30–39, suicide by poisoning using solid and/or liquid substances, the fall season, living in Northern Taiwan, more psychiatric nature of injury codes (N-codes), seeking medical attention from a psychiatrist, receiving more surgeries or procedures, a longer length of stay in a hospital, coming from a low-income background, and having a serious illness. Conclusions: Consultation and treatment are particularly crucial for patients with mental illnesses and other concomitant diseases, so that the psychiatric symptoms such as auditory and visual hallucinations can be controlled.
Inhibition Does Not Always Cause Emotional Devaluation
Authors: Janczyk Markus , Wühr Peter
Published: August 2012

Retrieval practice for some memory items from a given category can impair subsequent retrieval of unpracticed items from the same category (retrieval-induced forgetting, RIF). Inhibition of these items has been invoked as an explanation, and inhibition has also been proposed to cause stimulus devaluation. The present experiments investigated whether a similar devaluation effect can be observed in a RIF experiment for the unpracticed and presumably inhibited items. We report two experiments using the RIF paradigm, and both experiments yielded a RIF effect. At the same time, affective ratings of the very same items did not show signs of devaluation. These results run counter the idea that both RIF and devaluation effects are caused by a (similar) inhibitory mechanism, or at least they suggest differences between the mechanisms involved in external perceptual and internal memory selection.
AGU journals should ask authors to publish results
Authors: Agnew Duncan Carr
Published: July 2012

The title of this Forum is meant to sound paradoxical: Isn't the publication of results what AGU journals are for? I argue that in some ways they aren't, and suggest how to fix this. Explaining this apparent paradox requires that we look at the structure of a published paper and of the research project that produced it. Any project involves many steps; for those using data to examine some problem the first step (step A) is for researchers to collect the relevant raw data. Next (step B), they analyze these data to learn about some phenomenon of interest; this analysis is very often purely computational. Then (step C), the researchers (we can now call them “the authors”) arrange the results of this analysis in a way that shows the reader the evidence for the conclusions of the paper. Sometimes these results appear as a table, but more often they are shown pictorially, as, for example, a plot of a time series, a map, a correlation plot, or a cross‐section. Finally (step D), the authors state the conclusions to be drawn from the results presented.
Lower hybrid to whistler mode conversion on a density striation
Authors: Camporeale E. , Delzanno G. L. , Colestock P.
Published: July 2012

When a wave packet composed of short wavelength lower hybrid modes traveling in an homogeneous plasma region encounters an inhomogeneity, it can resonantly excite long wavelength whistler waves via a linear mechanism known as mode conversion. An enhancement of lower hybrid/whistler activity has been often observed by sounding rockets and satellites in the presence of density depletions (striations) in the upper ionosphere. We address here the process of linear mode conversion of lower hybrid to whistler waves, mediated by a density striation, using a scalar‐field formalism (in the limit of cold plasma linear theory) which we solve numerically. We show that the mode conversion can effectively transfer a large amount of energy from the short to the long wavelength modes. We also study how the efficiency scales by changing the properties (width and amplitude) of the density striation. We present a general criterion for the width of the striation that, if fulfilled, maximizes the conversion efficiency. Such a criterion could provide an interpretation of recent laboratory experiments carried out on the Large Plasma Device at UCLA.
Using repeated sources to quantitatively determine temporal change of medium properties: Theory and an example
Authors: Long Hui , Wen Lianxing
Published: August 2012

We develop a theory of using difference wavefields of repeated sources to locate and quantify temporal medium change and apply the theory to locate temporal change of seismic properties beneath the Japan subduction zone using repeated earthquakes. Our theory states the difference wavefields of two repeated sources in a temporally changed medium can be equivalently treated as wavefields propagating from conceptual sources, with their location at the place of temporal change and their strengths equal to the product of magnitude of medium property change and magnitude of the initial wavefields from the repeated sources. When the medium change extends to a finite region, the conceptual sources become volumetric sources distributed over the region of the medium change and propagating in the direction of the initial wave. The conceptualization establishes a theoretical framework for possible applications of using difference wavefields to locate and quantify temporal medium changes in geological sciences, ultrasonic experiments, civil engineering and medical imaging. We search repeating earthquakes occurring in the Japan subduction zone, formulate an empirical procedure to extract the difference wavefields between repeating earthquakes and determine temporal change of seismic properties using a back‐projection method. We locate the temporal change of seismic properties beneath the Japan subduction zone to be at (37.2°N, 142°E), and estimate the magnitude of the conceptual body force associated with the temporal change to be 1.15 × 1010N, or as a reference, a 0.87% density change for an assumed volume of temporal change of 103 km3.
Residence time distributions in sinuosity‐driven hyporheic zones and their biogeochemical effects
Authors: Gomez Jesus D. , Wilson John L. , Cardenas M. Bayani
Published: August 2012

Hyporheic exchange plays a key role in the biogeochemical evolution of water and in ecosystem functioning at the local, reach, and watershed scales. Residence time is a fundamental metric to describe the possible transformation taking place in this exchange zone. With this in mind, we use a simple conceptual model to explore the residence time distributions (RTDs) of sinuosity‐driven hyporheic zones (HZs) and to discriminate the individual effect of sinuosity (σ), valley slope (Jx), hydraulic conductivity (K), aquifer dispersivity (αL), and the biogeochemical timescales (BTSs) that characterize the degradation of dissolved organic carbon in these hydrologic systems. We find that RTDs are characterized by one early mode and a late time power law behavior. For a given aquifer dispersivity, the shape of these distributions is stretched or compressed by changes in Jx, K, and σ, having a strong influence on the net biogeochemical transformations within the HZ. Using BTSs proposed in previous studies and sensitivity analyses, we show the potential of σ, Jx, and K to classify meander HZs as net sinks of nitrates or only modulators of the residence times in the subsurface where nitrate reduction is negligible. These findings can be used as predictive tools to quantify the potential of meanders as biogeochemical reactors at the watershed scale with the aid of remote sensing data and GIS processing techniques. These tools can guide experimental design, suggesting important locations to visit, sample, and/or instrument. Also, hyporheic restoration projects can use them for initial site selection and design of channel modifications.