bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Human Rights Treaty Obligations of Peacekeepers
Authors: Larsen Kjetil Mujezinović
Published: August 2012

Do States, through their military forces, have legal obligations under human rights treaties towards the local civilian population during UN-mandated peace operations? It is frequently claimed that it is unrealistic to require compliance with human rights treaties in peace operations and this has led to an unwillingness to hold States accountable for human rights violations. In this book, Kjetil Larsen criticises this position by addressing the arguments against the applicability of human rights treaties and demonstrating that compliance with the treaties is unrealistic only if one takes an 'all or nothing' approach to them. He outlines a coherent and more flexible approach which distinguishes clearly between positive and negative obligations and makes treaty compliance more realistic. His proposals for the application of human rights treaties would also strengthen the legal framework for human rights protection in peace operations without posing any unrealistic obligations on the military forces.
Waveform Design for Active Sensing Systems
Authors: He Hao , Li Jian , Stoica Petre
Published: August 2012

With a focus on developing computational algorithms for examining waveform design in diverse active sensing applications, this guide is ideal for researchers and practitioners in the field. The three parts conveniently correspond to the three categories of desirable waveform properties: good aperiodic correlations, good periodic correlations and beampattern matching. The book features various application examples of using the newly designed waveforms, including radar imaging, channel estimation for communications, an ultrasound system for breast cancer treatment and covert underwater communications. In addition to numerical results, the authors present theoretical analyses describing lower bounds or limitations of performance. Focusing on formulating practical problems mathematically and solving the mathematical problems using efficient and effective optimization techniques, the text pays particular attention to developing easy-to-use computational approaches. Most algorithms are accompanied by a table clearly detailing iteration steps and corresponding MATLAB codes are available on the companion website.
Entrepreneurship in the Global Economy
Authors: Kressel Henry , Lento Thomas V.
Published: August 2012

Entrepreneurs have long been drivers of innovation in developed countries. They start companies and create new industries that keep economies strong and prosperous. Today, however, in developing nations such as China, state-controlled economies are building robust industries at stunning speed and siphoning off jobs from the West. How can entrepreneurs function in the face of this challenge? Can they continue to create economic value in a globalized business environment? This book addresses the crucial issue of state planning vs. free enterprise and examines specific problems surrounding entrepreneurship in the global economy through nine case histories of entrepreneurial companies. It also looks at how and why government gets involved in economic growth and how entrepreneurs contribute to economic value. Based on this analysis, the authors argue that companies can succeed, even in controlled economies, by understanding the customs and policies of countries where they do business.
Catastrophic Politics
Authors: Atkeson Lonna Rae , Maestas Cherie D.
Published: August 2012

Shocking moments in society create an extraordinary political environment that permits political and opinion changes that are unlikely during times of normal politics. Strong emotions felt by the public during catastrophes - even if experienced only vicariously through media coverage - are a powerful motivator of public opinion and activism. This is particularly true when emotional reactions coincide with attributing blame to governmental agencies or officials. By examining public opinion during one extraordinary event, the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Lonna Rae Atkeson and Cherie D. Maestas show how media information interacts with emotion in shaping a wide range of political opinions about government and political leaders. Catastrophic events bring citizens together, provide common experiences and information, and create opinions that transcend traditional political boundaries. These moments encourage citizens to re-examine their understanding of government, its leaders and its role in a society from a less partisan perspective.
Milton and the Art of Rhetoric
Authors: Shore Daniel
Published: August 2012

Challenging the conventional view of John Milton as an iconoclast who spoke only to a 'fit audience though few', Daniel Shore argues that Milton was a far more pragmatic writer than previous scholarship has recognized. Summoning evidence from nearly all of his works - poetry and prose alike - Shore asserts that Milton distanced himself from the prescriptions of classical rhetoric to develop new means of persuasion suited to an age distrustful of traditional eloquence. Shore demonstrates that Milton's renunciation of agency, audience, purpose and effect in the prose tracts leads not to quietism or withdrawal, but rather to a reasserted investment in public debate. Shore reveals a writer who is committed to persuasion and yet profoundly critical of his own persuasive strategies. An innovative contribution to the field, this text will appeal to scholars of Milton, seventeenth-century literature, Renaissance literature and the history and theory of rhetoric.
Congress as Public Enemy
Authors: Hibbing John R. , Theiss-Morse Elizabeth
Published: August 2012

This timely book describes and explains the American people's alleged hatred of their own branch of government, the US Congress. Intensive focus group sessions held across the country and a specially designed national survey indicate that much of the negativity is generated by popular perceptions of the processes of governing visible in Congress. John Hibbing and Elizabeth Theiss-Morse argue that, although the public is deeply disturbed by debate, compromise, delicate pace, the presence of interest groups, and the professionalization of politics, many of these traits are actually endemic to modern democratic government. Congress is an enemy of the public partially because it is so public. Calls for reform, such as term limitations, reflect the public's desire to attack these disliked features. But the authors conclude, the public's unwitting desire to reform democracy out of a democratic legislature is a cure more dangerous than the disease.
Understanding Probability
Authors: Tijms Henk
Published: August 2012

Understanding Probability is a unique and stimulating approach to a first course in probability. The first part of the book demystifies probability and uses many wonderful probability applications from everyday life to help the reader develop a feel for probabilities. The second part, covering a wide range of topics, teaches clearly and simply the basics of probability. This fully revised third edition has been packed with even more exercises and examples and it includes new sections on Bayesian inference, Markov chain Monte-Carlo simulation, hitting probabilities in random walks and Brownian motion, and a new chapter on continuous-time Markov chains with applications. Here you will find all the material taught in an introductory probability course. The first part of the book, with its easy-going style, can be read by anybody with a reasonable background in high school mathematics. The second part of the book requires a basic course in calculus.
Lectures on Real Analysis
Authors: Lárusson Finnur
Published: August 2012

This is a rigorous introduction to real analysis for undergraduate students, starting from the axioms for a complete ordered field and a little set theory. The book avoids any preconceptions about the real numbers and takes them to be nothing but the elements of a complete ordered field. All of the standard topics are included, as well as a proper treatment of the trigonometric functions, which many authors take for granted. The final chapters of the book provide a gentle, example-based introduction to metric spaces with an application to differential equations on the real line. The author's exposition is concise and to the point, helping students focus on the essentials. Over 200 exercises of varying difficulty are included, many of them adding to the theory in the text. The book is perfect for second-year undergraduates and for more advanced students who need a foundation in real analysis.
Editorial
Authors: Sanders Rachael
Published: August 2012

I will begin this Editorial by sharing a conversation I had with my five-year-old daughter at the end of her first year of school. During a typical conversation about the day's events, she made a ‘factual’ remark about things that God had done. As she was previously not a believer in God, I asked her how she came to decide that He was real. She replied: ‘Because school said he was real and my school only tells me the truth.’
Elasto-Plastic Analysis of Thick Cylinders Subjected to Internal Electro-Magnetic Loading
Authors: Rajabi H. , Darvizeh A.
Published: August 2012

A study of elasto-plastic deformation of circular cylindrical shells subjected to internal electromagnetic forces is presented in this paper. The five governing equations in terms of resultant forces and resultant moments with respect to basic displacement vector components u, v and w are used. Theoretical formulations, based on the first-order shear deformation theory (FSDT), take into consideration transverse shear deformation and rotary inertia. The deformation theory of plasticity is employed for constitutive equations. The cylinders are composed of an elastic-plastic material with the von Mises yield criteria and non-linear plastic behaviour. Galerkin method is employed to convert the partial differential equations (PDEs) to ordinary differential equations (ODEs). The Newmark family of methods is used to numerically time integration of system of coupled second order ODEs. In order to prove the validity of the presented method and the solving process, the results obtained with the present analysis are compared with a set of available data. Good agreement observed between the results of the two approaches. Certainly, the aim of this paper is to create a more reliable and precise mathematical model of hollow-cylinders to avoid performing several experiments.
MHD Stability of Streaming Jet Using Artificial Intelligence Technique
Authors: Abdeen Mostafa A. M. , Hasan Alfaisal A.
Published: August 2012

Mathematical formulation for Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) stability of a streaming cylindrical model penetrated by varying transverse magnetic field is presented. Eigen value relation is derived and discussed analytically. In the current paper, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model, one of the artificial intelligence techniques, is developed to simulate the stability of streaming jet penetrated by magnetic field. The ANN results presented in the current study showed that ANN technique, with less effort and time, is very efficiently capable of simulating and predicting the effect of magnetic field variation and axial exterior field on the stability of the streaming jet. The influence of magnetic field has a stabilizing effect for all short and long wavelengths. However the streaming is strongly destabilizing.
Bending Analysis of Thin Plates with Variable Thickness Resting on Elastic Foundation by Element Free Galerkin Method
Authors: Rahbar-Ranji Ahmad , Bahmyari E.
Published: August 2012

Element Free Galerkin method was used to analyze bending of thin plates with variable thickness resting on one parameter elastic foundation. Thickness of plate is considered as linearly varying in one direction. Formulation could be applied to plates of any shape with general boundary conditions and loadings. Convergence of solution was examined for different number of nodes, thickness variation and foundation parameters. It was found that for deflection good results were achieved even with small number of nodes regardless of boundary condition, thickness variation and foundation parameters. Accuracy of method is checked against available results and good agreements were found. Applicability of method is demonstrated by solving numerical examples with different boundary conditions, thickness and foundation parameters, and loadings.
Experimental Study on the Nanoindentation of Thin Copper Films from Deep Submicron to Nano-Scale
Authors: Jeng Y.-R. , Tan C.-M. , Su C. C. , Cheng S.-C. , Cheng C.-Y.
Published: August 2012

This study uses the nanoindentation technique to evaluate the mechanical properties of thin copper films at indentation depths measured in the order of nanometers. Copper films with various thicknesses are deposited on a single crystal silicon wafer with a (100) orientation and on a polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) substrate, respectively. The experimental results show that for soft thin films on a hard substrate, the substrate effect is negligible when the indentation depth is less than 20% of the film thickness. However, the results suggest that hard films on a soft substrate should be treated as a composite system in indentation because the substrate effect is significant. Finally, the results reveal that a significant indentation size effect exists for thin films with a thickness of less than 100nm. A number of possible reasons for the depth dependence of the hardness properties at ultra-shallow indentation depths are proposed and discussed.
Conformal Invariance and Conserved Quantity of the Higher-Order Holonomic Systems by Lie Point Transformation
Authors: Cai J.-L. , Mei F.-X.
Published: August 2012

In this paper, the conformal invariance and conserved quantities for higher-order holonomic systems are studied. Firstly, by establishing the differential equation of motion for the systems and introducing a one-parameter infinitesimal transformation group together with its infinitesimal generator vector, the determining equation of conformal invariance for the systems are provided, and the conformal factors expression are deduced. Secondly, the relation between conformal invariance and the Lie symmetry by the infinitesimal one-parameter point transformation group for the higher-order holonomic systems are deduced. Thirdly, the conserved quantities of the systems are derived using the structure equation satisfied by the gauge function. Lastly, an example of a higher-order holonomic mechanical system is discussed to illustrate these results.
Competing for Liberty: The Republican Critique of Democracy
Authors: URBINATI NADIA
Published: August 2012

Freedom as non-domination has acquired a leading status in political science. As a consequence of its success, neo-roman republicanism also has achieved great prominence as the political tradition that delivered it. Yet despite the fact that liberty in the Roman mode was forged not only in direct confrontation with monarchy but against democracy as well, the relationship of republicanism to democracy is the great absentee in the contemporary debate on non-domination. This article brings that relationship back into view in both historical and conceptual terms. It illustrates the misrepresentations of democracy in the Roman tradition and shows how these undergirded the theory of liberty as non-domination as a counter to political equality as a claim to taking part inimperium. In so doing it brings to the fore the “liberty side” of democratic citizenship as the equal rights of all citizens to exercise their political rights, in direct or indirect form.
Daily growth patterns of six species of young-of-the-year of Chilean intertidal fishes
Authors: Plaza Guido , Landaeta Mauricio F. , Espinoza C. Valeria , Ojeda F. Patricio
Published: August 2012

Otolith microstructure analysis was used to reveal daily growth patterns of young-of-the year (YOY) of six species of perciform fishes,Bovichtus chilensis(Bovichtidae),Girella laevifronsandGraus nigra(Kyphosidae),Helcogrammoides chilensis(Tripterygiidae) andHypsoblennius sordidusandScartichthys viridis(Blenniidae). YOY collected in intertidal pools from June to December 2008 in Central Chile, ranged from 24 to 76 mm total length and from 25 to 390 days of age. In the six species, sagittal otoliths showed a slightly oval shape, symmetrical and laterally compressed and showed micro-increments distinguishable after a two-side polishing. Increment width of sagittae showed two patterns irrespective of hatch month and species: (i) a parabolic growth with wider increment widths (during the first 150 of YOY life, e.g.B. chilensis,G. nigraandG. laevifrons); and (ii) a more irregular pattern with lower increment widths during most of the seasons inH. chilensisandH. sordidus. Further results were: (i) a unique central primordium enclosed by two checks after which distinctive increments were deposited; (ii) low instantaneous growth rates estimated through the slope of the length-at-age relationship (range 0.1–0.21 mm d−1); and (iii) a linear fish size–otolith size relationship.
Distribution related to temperature and salinity of the shrimps Acetes americanus and Peisos petrunkevitchi (Crustacea: Sergestoidea) in the south-eastern Brazilian littoral zone
Authors: Simões Sabrina Morilhas , Castilho Antonio Leão , Fransozo Adilson , Negreiros-Fransozo Maria Lúcia , da Costa Rogerio Caetano
Published: August 2012

The abundance and ecological distribution of Acetes americanus and Peisos petrunkevitchi were investigated from July 2006 to June 2007, in Ubatuba, Brazil. Eight transects were identified and sampled monthly: six of these transects were located in Ubatuba bay, with depths reaching 21 m, and the other two transects were in estuarine environments. A total of 33,888 A. americanus shrimp were captured, with the majority coming from the shallower transects (up to 10 m). Conversely, 6,173 of the P. petrunkevitchi shrimps were captured in deeper areas (from 9 to 21 m). No individuals from either species were found in the estuary. The highest abundances obtained for both species were sampled during the summer. Canonical correlation analysis resulted in a coefficient value of 0.68 (P = 0.00). The abundance of both species was strongly correlated with depth. Variations in temperature and salinity values were also informative in predicting the seasonal presence of P. petrunkevitchi in deeper areas and A. americanus in the shallower areas of the bay. It is conceivable that the shrimp adjust their ecological distribution according to their intrinsic physiological limitations.
Serving size guidance for consumers: is it effective?
Authors: Faulkner G. P. , Pourshahidi L. K. , Wallace J. M. W. , Kerr M. A. , McCrorie T. A. , Livingstone M. B. E.
Published: August 2012

Larger portion sizes (PS) may be inciting over-eating and contributing to obesity rates. Currently, there is a paucity of data on the effectiveness of serving size (SS) guidance. The aims of the present review are to evaluate SS guidance; the understanding, usability and acceptability of such guidance, its impact on consumers and potential barriers to its uptake. A sample of worldwide SS guidance schemes (n87) were identified using targeted and untargeted searches, overall these were found to communicate various inconsistent and often conflicting messages about PS selection. The available data suggest that consumers have difficulty in understanding terms such as ‘portion size’ and ‘serving size’, as these tend to be used interchangeably. In addition, discrepancies between recommended SS and those present on food labels add to the confusion. Consumers generally understand and visualise SS best when expressed in terms of household measures rather than actual weights. Only a limited number of studies have examined the direct impact of SS guidance on consumer behaviour with equivocal results. Although consumers recognise that guidance on selecting SS would be helpful, they are often unwilling to act on such guidance. The challenge of achieving consumer adherence to SS guidance is formidable due to several barriers including chronic exposure to larger PS, distorted consumption norms and perceptions, the habit of ‘cleaning one's plate’ and language barriers for ethnic minorities. In conclusion, the impact of SS guidance on consumers merits further investigation to ensure that future guidance resonates with consumers by being more understandable, usable and acceptable.
A population-based exposure assessment of risk factors associated with gastrointestinal pathogens: aCampylobacterstudy
Authors: MacRITCHIE L. A. , HUNTER C. J. , STRACHAN N. J. C.
Published: August 2012

A questionnaire survey was undertaken to determine the exposure of a study population to campylobacteriosis source risk factors (environmental, water, food) and results were stratified by age, population density and deprivation. Data were gathered using an exposure assessment carried out by telephone in the Grampian region of Scotland. Univariate analysis showed that children aged 5–14 years, living in low population density (0–44·4 persons/km2) and affluent areas had elevated exposure to environmental and water risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that younger age groups and lower population density were significant indicators for most environmental risk factors. The results compared to reported disease incidence in Grampian showed that greater exposure to risk factors does not necessarily coincide with greater disease incidence for age groups, particularly for the 0–4 years age group. Further research is required to explain the relationship between exposure and disease incidence.
The Role of Metacognition, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Negative Problem Orientation in Children's Worry
Authors: Kertz Sarah , Woodruff-Borden Janet
Published: August 2012

Background: Although worry is common in children, empirical models of worry remain largely untested in youth. A small number of studies have established preliminary links between cognitive variables and worry in children younger than 12 years old. These cognitive variables include positive and negative beliefs about worry, intolerance of uncertainty, and problem orientation. Aims: The current study examined these variables concurrently and their association with worry. We also examined the extent to which intolerance of uncertainty mediated the association between worry and beliefs about worry. Method: Eighty elementary school children aged 8 to 12 years completed a battery of self-report measures. Results: As a group, the cognitive variables significantly predicted worry scores; negative beliefs about worry was the only significant individual predictor. As a group, the four cognitive variables discriminated clinical from nonclinical levels of worry; positive beliefs about worry and intolerance of uncertainty were the only significant individual predictors. Finally, intolerance of uncertainty mediated the association between worry and both positive and negative beliefs about worry. Conclusions: Components of a cognitive model of worry are largely applicable to children. Negative beliefs about worry were associated with worry across the continuum, while intolerance of uncertainty and positive beliefs about worry were more strongly associated with clinical levels of worry. Intolerance of uncertainty accounted for a significant portion of the association between metacognition and worry and may be a particularly effective target for treatment. Further implications for conceptual models and treatment interventions are discussed.
State Identity Formation in Constructivist Security Studies: A Suggestive Essay
Authors: CHO YOUNG CHUL
Published: August 2012

Although any typology of constructivism might be arbitrary, there are, broadly speaking, two distinctive constructivist approaches in security studies as well as International Relations (IR) according to their different meta-theoretical stances: conventional constructivism, on the one hand, and critical constructivism on the other. Indeed, regarding how to understand state identity which is integral to national security, there has meta-theoretically been fierce contention between conventional and critical constructivist security studies. In not ignoring but slightly toning down this contention operating at the abstract level, this article aims to present a pragmatic application of the two different (or conflicting) constructivisms to capturing a more complete picture of state identity formation in substantive empirical research of constructivist security studies. The pragmatic approach is that, without being immersed heavily in the meta-theoretical strife between the two seemingly conflicting constructivist camps, both constructivisms should be treated as different analytical frameworks for examining different (internal and external) faces of state identity formation: the external construction of state identity can be well addressed by conventional constructivism, while the internal one by critical constructivism. In this sense, the relationship between conventional and critical constructivism can be understood as not conflicting but complementary in empirical research, as both constructivisms enrich and deepen our understanding of state identity formation in different ways.
Experimental assessment of the purity of α‐cellulose produced by variations of the Brendel method: Implications for stable isotope (δ13C, δ18O) dendroclimatology
Authors: Brookman Tom , Whittaker Thomas
Published: August 2012

Stable isotope dendroclimatology using α‐cellulose has unique potential to deliver multimillennial‐scale, sub‐annually resolved, terrestrial climate records. However, lengthy processing and analytical methods often preclude such reconstructions. Variants of the Brendel extraction method have reduced these limitations, providing fast, easy methods of isolating α‐cellulose in some species. Here, we investigate application of Standard Brendel (SBrendel) variants to resinous soft‐woods by treating samples of kauri (Agathis australis), ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and huon pine (Lagarastrobus franklinii), varying reaction vessel, temperature, boiling time and reagent volume. Numerous samples were visibly ‘under‐processed’ and Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopic (FTIR) investigation showed absorption peaks at 1520 cm−1 and ∼1600 cm−1 in those fibers suggesting residual lignin and retained resin respectively. Replicate analyses of all samples processed at high temperature yielded consistent δ13C and δ18O despite color and spectral variations. Spectra and isotopic data revealed that α‐cellulose δ13C can be altered during processing, most likely due to chemical contamination from insufficient acetone removal, but is not systematically affected by methodological variation. Reagent amount, temperature and extraction time all influence δ18O, however, and our results demonstrate that different species may require different processing methods. FTIR prior to isotopic analysis is a fast and cost effective way to determine α‐cellulose extract purity. Furthermore, a systematic isotopic test such as we present here can also determine sensitivity of isotopic values to methodological variables. Without these tests, isotopic variability introduced by the method could obscure or ‘create’ climatic signals within a data set.
Outward expansion of the lunar wake: ARTEMIS observations
Authors: Zhang H. , Khurana K. K. , Zong Q.‐G. , Kivelson M. G. , Hsu T.‐S. , Wan W. X. , Pu Z. Y. , Angelopoulos V. , Cao X. , Wang Y. F. , Shi Q. Q. , Liu W. L. , Tian A. M. , Tang C. L.
Published: August 2012

Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) predicts that lunar wake expands outward at magnetosonic velocities in all directions perpendicular to background solar wind; however, fluid theories emphasize that lunar wake expands outward at sound speeds mainly along the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF). Early observations supported the MHD predictions in the near‐moon region despite lack of solar wind and IMF observations. Thanks to the special orbit design of the ARTEMIS mission, the solar wind conditions are well determined at the time of concurrent observations in the lunar wake. 164 wake crossings made by ARTEMIS are statistically studied in this paper. Observations indicated that, in either distant or near‐Moon regions, the lunar wake expands outward at the fast MHD wave velocities. This simple model provides a powerful way to determine wake boundaries, particularly at large distances where the boundary signatures are indistinct, thus allowing further studies on the Moon‐solar wind/crustal field‐solar wind interactions.
Spatial structure of the electromagnetic field inside the ionospheric Alfvén resonator excited by atmospheric lightning activity
Authors: Plyasov A. A. , Surkov V. V. , Pilipenko V. A. , Fedorov E. N. , Ignatov V. N.
Published: August 2012

We have theoretically estimated ULF spectra on the ground and at ionospheric altitudes in the frequency range of the ionospheric Alfvén resonator (IAR). The IAR has been considered to be excited either by a separate lightning stroke or stochastic global thunderstorm activity. The spectra of both horizontal magnetic and electric components are shown to reveal the spectral resonant structure in the upper ionosphere. The IAR excitation for different ionospheric conditions has been compared. The IAR eigenfrequencies latitudinal inhomogeneity results in the smoothing and shift of the spectral resonance structure. The feasibility of the IAR signature detection by low‐orbiting satellites with magnetic or electric sensors is discussed.
Formation of substorm Pi2: A coherent response to auroral streamers and currents
Authors: Nishimura Y. , Lyons L. R. , Kikuchi T. , Angelopoulos V. , Donovan E. , Mende S. , Chi P. J. , Nagatsuma T.
Published: August 2012

Pi2 driving has been the subject of long standing debate involving magnetosphere‐ionosphere coupling. Using the THEMIS ground‐based all‐sky imager array, we have examined auroral disturbances evolving in the Pi2 frequency range to help identify where the Pi2 signal propagates from the magnetosphere toward the ionosphere. We demonstrate that expansion‐phase intensifications near the poleward edge of the auroral bulge occur quasiperiodically with one‐to‐one correspondence to Pi2 pulses, neither being strictly periodic. The expansion‐phase intensifications propagate toward the equatorward boundary of the auroral oval, and then often turn azimuthally. Based on the known relation between auroral streamers and plasma sheet flow bursts, the presence of the quasiperiodic streamers indicates that substorm Pi2s are driven by multiple plasma sheet flow bursts, each driving a Pi2 pulse. While it is difficult to tell precisely when auroral zone Pi2 starts because of the modest onset‐related negative bays, we found that midlatitude‐equatorial Pi2 tends to start a few minutes after initial substorm auroral onset, and that each Pi2 pulse starts to rise simultaneously over a wide latitude range from the auroral zone to the magnetic dip equator as well as over a wide longitudinal range. The observations furthermore show that auroral zone Pi2 near the streamer meridian is anti‐correlated with midlatitude‐equatorial Pi2. These features can be explained by an oscillating current wedge, whose upward field‐aligned current (FAC) corresponds to the auroral streamers. The midlatitude‐equatorial Pi2 is likely caused by the FACs of the current wedge, and the oscillating westward electrojet creates the auroral zone Pi2.
Aerosol optical depth increase in partly cloudy conditions
Authors: Chand Duli , Wood Robert , Ghan Steven J. , Wang Minghuai , Ovchinnikov Mikhail , Rasch Philip J. , Miller Steven , Schichtel Bret , Moore Tom
Published: August 2012

Remote sensing observations of aerosol from surface and satellite instruments are extensively used for atmospheric and climate research. From passive sensors, the apparent cloud‐free atmosphere in the vicinity of clouds often appears to be brighter than further away from the clouds, leading to an increase in the retrieved aerosol optical depth (τ). Mechanisms contributing to this enhancement or increase, including contamination by undetected clouds, hygroscopic growth of aerosol particles, and meteorological conditions, have been debated in recent literature, but the extent to which each of these factors influence the observed enhancement (Δτ) is poorly known. Here we used 11 years of daily global observations at 10 × 10 km2 resolution from the MODIS on the NASA Terra satellite to quantify τ as a function of cloud fraction (CF). Our analysis reveals that, averaged over the globe, the clear sky τ is enhanced by Δτ = 0.05 in cloudy conditions (CF = 0.8–0.9). This enhancement in Δτ corresponds to relative enhancement of 25% in cloudy conditions (CF = 0.8–0.9) compared with relatively clear conditions (CF = 0.1–0.2). Unlike the absolute enhancement Δτ, the relative increase in τis rather consistent in all seasons and is 25–35% in the subtropics and 15–25% at mid and higher latitudes. Using a simple Gaussian probability density function model to connect cloud cover and the distribution of relative humidity, we argue that much of the enhancement is consistent with aerosol hygroscopic growth in the humid environment surrounding clouds. Consideration of these cloud‐dependentτeffects will facilitate understanding aerosol‐cloud interactions and reduce the uncertainty in estimates of aerosol radiative forcing by global climate models.
Methodology for reconstructing wind direction, wind speed and duration of wind events from aeolian cross‐strata
Authors: Eastwood Erin N. , Kocurek Gary , Mohrig David , Swanson Travis
Published: August 2012

A methodology for reconstructing wind direction, speed, and event duration from aeolian dune cross‐strata was developed from analysis of crescentic dunes at White Sands, New Mexico, during wind events. Dune lee faces were surveyed, lee‐face deposits mapped, deposition rates measured, grain size sampled by stratification type, and winds characterized from meteorological and field data. The spatial distribution of lee‐face stratification styles is a function of the incidence angle formed between the wind and the brinkline, with secondary controls by wind speed and dune sinuosity and height. Sets of wind‐ripple strata form at incidence angles of 25°–40°, grainfall/grainflow foresets over wind‐ripple bottomsets at 40°–70°, and grainflow/grainfall foresets at 70°–90°. Erosional reactivation surfaces form at incidence angles up to 15°; bypass surfaces up to 25°. The total sediment load is fractionated within lee‐face stratification types. Wind speed can be reconstructed from relationships between grain size, transport mode, shear velocity and grain‐settling velocity. Where the full range of grain transport modes occurs and grain size is limited by shear stress, the shear velocity and grain‐size range in each transport mode can be estimated by assuming the coarse fraction in grainflow strata traveled in creep, and the coarse fraction in grainfall traveled in saltation. The minimum duration of a wind event can be estimated using measures of shear velocity, dune height and dune forward migration. Method limitations arise with source‐area control on grain size, extremes in wind events, and severe truncation of sets of cross‐strata.
Evaluation of time domain electromagnetic fields radiated by constant velocity moving particles traveling along an arbitrarily shaped cross‐section waveguide using frequency domain Green's functions
Authors: Jiménez Nogales M. , Marini S. , Gimeno Martínez B. , Álvarez Melcón A. , Quesada Pereira F. D. , Boria Esbert V. E. , Soto P. , Cogollos S. , Raboso D.
Published: August 2012

A technique for the accurate computation of the time domain electromagnetic fields radiated by a charged distribution traveling along an arbitrarily shaped waveguide region is presented. Based on the transformation (by means of the standard Fourier analysis) of the time‐varying current density of the analyzed problem to the frequency domain, the resulting equivalent current is further convolved with the dyadic electric and magnetic Green's functions. Moreover, we show that only the evaluation of the transverse magnetic modes of the structure is required for the calculation of fields radiated by particles traveling in the axial direction. Finally, frequency domain electric and magnetic fields are transformed back to the time domain, just obtaining the total fields radiated by the charged distribution. Furthermore, we present a method for the computation of the wakefields of arbitrary cross‐section uniform waveguides from the resulting field expressions. Several examples of charged particles moving in the axial direction of such waveguides are included.
BIK (NBK) is a mediator of the sensitivity of Fanconi anaemia group C lymphoblastoid cell lines to interstrand DNA cross-linking agents
Authors: Prieto-Remón Inés , Sánchez-Carrera Dámaso , López-Duarte Mónica , Richard Carlos , Pipaón Carlos
Published: August 2012

FA (Fanconi anaemia) is a rare hereditary disorder characterized by congenital malformations, progressive bone marrow failure and an extraordinary predisposition to develop cancer. At present, 15 genes have been related to this condition and mutations of them have also been found in different types of cancer. Bone marrow failure threatens the life of FA patients during the first decade of their life, but the mechanisms underlying this process are not completely understood. In the present study we investigate a possible imbalance between the expression of pro- and anti-apoptotic proteins as a cause for the hypersensitivity of FANCC (FA, complementation group C)-deficient cells to genotoxic stress. We found a BIK (Bcl-2 interacting killer) over-expression in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from FA-C patients when compared with their phenotypically corrected counterparts. This overexpression has a transcriptional basis since the regulatory region of the gene shows higher activity in FANCC-deficient cells. We demonstrate the involvement of BIK in the sensitivity of FA-C lymphoblasts to interstrand DNA cross-linking agents as it is induced by these drugs and interference of its expression in these cells preserves their viability and reduces apoptosis. We investigate the mechanism of BIK overexpression in FANCC-deficient cells by analysing the activity of many different signalling pathways in these cells. Finally, we provide evidence of a previously undescribed indirect epigenetic regulation of BIK in FA-C lymphoblasts mediated by ΔNp73, an isoform of p73 lacking its transactivation domain that activates BIK through a proximal element in its promoter.
Using the WHO-ICF Framework to Describe Reading Activity Problems in High-Functioning Adults With Neurological Impairments
Authors: Griffiths Gina G.
Published: August 2012

Individuals with neurological injuries complain of problems during reading activities that can limit successful participation in community-level activities. In this article, the author describes the World Health Organization's International Classification of Functioning (WHO-ICF) model as a way to discuss problems with reading activities sometimes noted by individuals with mild neurological impairments. Ultimately, the author highlights the need to coordinate research and intervention efforts so that an intervention response can be provided within a cohesive framework for understanding the problem.
The Evolution of Methods for Imaging Vocal Fold Phonatory Function
Authors: Mehta Daryush D. , Hillman Robert E.
Published: August 2012

In this article, we provide a brief summary of the major technological advances that led to current methods for imaging vocal fold vibration during phonation including the development of indirect laryngoscopy, imaging of rapid motion, fiber optics, and digital image capture. We also provide a brief overview of new emerging technologies that could be used in the future for voice research and clinical voice assessment, including advances in laryngeal high-speed videoendoscopy, depth-kymography, and dynamic optical coherence tomography.
A vaccine directed to B cells and produced by cell-free protein synthesis generates potent antilymphoma immunity
Authors: Ng Patrick P. , Jia Ming , Patel Kedar G. , Brody Joshua D. , Swartz James R. , Levy Shoshana , Levy Ronald
Published: August 2012

Clinical studies of idiotype (Id) vaccination in patients with lymphoma have established a correlation between the induced anti-Id antibody responses and favorable clinical outcomes. To streamline the production of an Id vaccine, we engineered a small diabody (Db) molecule containing both a B-cell–targeting moiety (anti-CD19) and a lymphoma Id. This molecule (αCD19-Id) was designed to penetrate lymph nodes and bind to noncognate B cells to form an antigen presentation array. Indeed, the αCD19-Id molecule accumulated on B cells in vivo after s.c. administration. These noncognate B cells, decorated with the diabody, could then stimulate the more rare Id-specific B cells. Peptide epitopes present in the diabody linker augmented the response by activating CD4+helper T cells. Consequently, the αCD19-Id molecule induced a robust Id-specific antibody response and protected animals from tumor challenge. Such diabodies are produced in a cell-free protein expression system within hours of amplification of the specific Ig genes from the B-cell tumor. This customized product can now be available to vaccinate patients before they receive other, potentially immunosuppressive, therapies.
Fast and Slow Voltage Sensor Movements in HERG Potassium Channels
Authors: Smith Paula L. , Yellen Gary
Published: August 2012

HERG encodes an inwardly-rectifying potassium channel that plays an important role in repolarization of the cardiac action potential. Inward rectification of HERG channels results from rapid and voltage-dependent inactivation gating, combined with very slow activation gating. We asked whether the voltage sensor is implicated in the unusual properties of HERG gating: does the voltage sensor move slowly to account for slow activation and deactivation, or could the voltage sensor move rapidly to account for the rapid kinetics and intrinsic voltage dependence of inactivation? To probe voltage sensor movement, we used a fluorescence technique to examine conformational changes near the positively charged S4 region. Fluorescent probes attached to three different residues on the NH2-terminal end of the S4 region (E518C, E519C, and L520C) reported both fast and slow voltage-dependent changes in fluorescence. The slow changes in fluorescence correlated strongly with activation gating, suggesting that the slow activation gating of HERG results from slow voltage sensor movement. The fast changes in fluorescence showed voltage dependence and kinetics similar to inactivation gating, though these fluorescence signals were not affected by external tetraethylammonium blockade or mutations that alter inactivation. A working model with two types of voltage sensor movement is proposed as a framework for understanding HERG channel gating and the fluorescence signals.
Natural Bile Acids and Synthetic Analogues Modulate Large Conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) Channel Activity in Smooth Muscle Cells
Authors: Dopico Alejandro M. , Walsh John V. , Singer Joshua J.
Published: August 2012

Bile acids have been reported to produce relaxation of smooth muscle both in vitro and in vivo. The cellular mechanisms underlying bile acid–induced relaxation are largely unknown. Here we demonstrate, using patch-clamp techniques, that natural bile acids and synthetic analogues reversibly increase BKCa channel activity in rabbit mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells. In excised inside-out patches bile acid–induced increases in channel activity are characterized by a parallel leftward shift in the activity-voltage relationship. This increase in BKCa channel activity is not due to Ca2+-dependent mechanism(s) or changes in freely diffusible messengers, but to a direct action of the bile acid on the channel protein itself or some closely associated component in the cell membrane. For naturally occurring bile acids, the magnitude of bile acid–induced increase in BKCa channel activity is inversely related to the number of hydroxyl groups in the bile acid molecule. By using synthetic analogues, we demonstrate that such increase in activity is not affected by several chemical modifications in the lateral chain of the molecule, but is markedly favored by polar groups in the side of the steroid rings opposite to the side where the methyl groups are located, which stresses the importance of the planar polarity of the molecule. Bile acid–induced increases in BKCa channel activity are also observed in smooth muscle cells freshly dissociated from rabbit main pulmonary artery and gallbladder, raising the possibility that a direct activation of BKCa channels by these planar steroids is a widespread phenomenon in many smooth muscle cell types. Bile acid concentrations that increase BKCa channel activity in mesenteric artery smooth muscle cells are found in the systemic circulation under a variety of human pathophysiological conditions, and their ability to enhance BKCa channel activity may explain their relaxing effect on smooth muscle.
Moduli space theory for the Allen-Cahn equation in the plane
Authors: del Pino Manuel , Kowalczyk Michał , Pacard Frank
Published: August 2012

In this paper we study entire solutions of the Allen-Cahn equation

Δ
u
−

F

′

(
u
)
=
0

\Delta u-F^{\prime }(u)=0

, where

F
F

is an even, bistable function. We are particularly interested in the description of the moduli space of solutions which have some special structure at infinity. The solutions we are interested in have their zero set asymptotic to

2
k

2k

,

k
≥
2

k\geq 2

oriented affine half-lines at infinity and, along each of these affine half-lines, the solutions are asymptotic to the one-dimensional heteroclinic solution: such solutions are called multiple-end solutions, and their set is denoted by

M

2
k

\mathcal M_{2k}

. The main result of our paper states that if

u
∈

M

2
k

u \in \mathcal M_{2k}

is nondegenerate, then locally near

u
u

the set of solutions is a smooth manifold of dimension

2
k

2k

. This paper is part of a program whose aim is to classify all

2
k

2k

-ended solutions of the Allen-Cahn equation in dimension

2
2

, for

k
≥
2

k \geq 2

.
Positivity and vanishing theorems for ample vector bundles
Authors: Liu Kefeng , Sun Xiaofeng , Yang Xiaokui
Published: August 2012

In this paper, we study the Nakano-positivity and dual-Nakano- positivity of certain adjoint vector bundles associated to ample vector bundles. As applications, we get new vanishing theorems about ample vector bundles. For example, we prove that if

E
E

is an ample vector bundle over a compact Kähler manifold

X
X

,

S
k

E
⊗
det
E

S^kE\otimes \det E

is both Nakano-positive and dual-Nakano-positive for any

k
≥
0

k\geq 0

. Moreover,
<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" alttext="upper H Superscript n comma q Baseline left-parenthesis upper X comma upper S Superscript k Baseline upper E circled-times det upper E right-parenthesis equals upper H Superscript q comma n Baseline left-parenthesis upper X comma upper S Superscript k Baseline upper E circled-times det upper E right-parenthesis equals 0">

H

n
,
q

(
X
,

S
k

E
⊗
det
E
)
=

H

q
,
n

(
X
,

S
k

E
⊗
det
E
)
=
0

H^{n,q}(X,S^kE\otimes \det E)=H^{q,n}(X,S^kE\otimes \det E)=0

for any

q
≥
1

q\geq 1

. In particular, if

(
E
,
h
)

(E,h)

is a Griffiths-positive vector bundle, the naturally induced Hermitian vector bundle

(

S
k

E
⊗
det
E
,

S
k

h
⊗
det
h
)

(S^kE\otimes \det E, S^kh\otimes \det h)

is both Nakano-positive and dual-Nakano-positive for any

k
≥
0

k\geq 0

.