bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Continuous Nondestructive Monitoring Method Using the Reconstructed Three-Dimensional Conductivity Images via GREIT for Tissue Engineering
Authors: Ahn Sujin , Wi Hun , Oh Tong In , McEwan Alistair Lee , Jun Sung Chan , Woo Eung Je
Published: August 2014

A continuous Nondestructive monitoring method is required to apply proper feedback controls during tissue regeneration. Conductivity is one of valuable information to assess the physiological function and structural formation of regenerated tissues or cultured cells. However, conductivity imaging methods suffered from inherited ill-posed characteristics in image reconstruction, unknown boundary geometry, uncertainty in electrode position, and systematic artifacts. In order to overcome the limitation of microscopic electrical impedance tomography (micro-EIT), we applied a 3D-specific container with a fixed boundary geometry and electrode configuration to maximize the performance of Graz consensus reconstruction algorithm for EIT (GREIT). The separation of driving and sensing electrodes allows us to simplify the hardware complexity and obtain higher measurement accuracy from a large number of small sensing electrodes. We investigated the applicability of the GREIT to 3D micro-EIT images via numerical simulations and large-scale phantom experiments. We could reconstruct multiple objects regardless of the location. The resolution was 5 mm3with 30 dB SNR and the position error was less than 2.54 mm. This shows that the new micro-EIT system integrated with GREIT is robust with the intended resolution. With further refinement and scaling down to a microscale container, it may be a continuous nondestructive monitoring tool for tissue engineering applications.
Human AP Endonuclease 1: A Potential Marker for the Prediction of Environmental Carcinogenesis Risk
Authors: Park Jae Sung , Kim Hye Lim , Kim Yeo Jin , Weon Jong-Il , Sung Mi-Kyung , Chung Hai Won , Seo Young Rok
Published: August 2014

Human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) functions mainly in DNA repair as an enzyme removing AP sites and in redox signaling as a coactivator of various transcription factors. Based on these multifunctions of APE1 within cells, numerous studies have reported that the alteration of APE1 could be a crucial factor in development of human diseases such as cancer and neurodegeneration. In fact, the study on the combination of an individual’s genetic make-up with environmental factors (gene-environment interaction) is of great importance to understand the development of diseases, especially lethal diseases including cancer. Recent reports have suggested that the human carcinogenic risk following exposure to environmental toxicants is affected by APE1 alterations in terms of gene-environment interactions. In this review, we initially outline the critical APE1 functions in the various intracellular mechanisms including DNA repair and redox regulation and its roles in human diseases. Several findings demonstrate that the change in expression and activity as well as genetic variability of APE1 caused by environmental chemical (e.g., heavy metals and cigarette smoke) and physical carcinogens (ultraviolet and ionizing radiation) is likely associated with various cancers. These enable us to ultimately suggest APE1 as a vital marker for the prediction of environmental carcinogenesis risk.
Novel Cross-Type Network for Wide-Tuning-Range Reconfigurable Multiband Antennas
Authors: Lee Chieh-Sen , Tsai Chi-Lin , Yang Chin-Lung
Published: August 2014

This paper presents a cross-type network design with a novel reconfigurable functionality to realize a tunable multiband antenna. By attaching a reconfigurable network at the feeding port of a broadband antenna, multi-input impedance adjustment enables the production of multimatching operating bands. Each band can be independently controlled by a single component with a considerably wide tuning range and high selectivity. The experiments in this study involved using an ultra-wideband (UWB) antenna connected to the proposed cross-type network. The tunable antenna operates in a dual band offL(1.39 to 2.34 GHz) andfH(2.1 to 3.6 GHz) with tunable frequency ratios of 168% and 132%, respectively. The average bandwidths atfLandfHare approximately 50 MHz and 148 MHz, respectively, implying narrowband operation. The measured radiation pattern revealed that the tunable antenna exhibits a nearly omnidirectional radiation pattern at both 1.8 and 3.5 GHz. The network circuit architecture can be extended to the multiband function type by adopting this matching approach. The amount of shunt matches determines the number of operation bands.
Algorithms for Finding Inverse of Two Patterned Matrices overZp
Authors: Jiang Xiaoyu , Hong Kicheon
Published: August 2014

Circulant matrix families have become an important tool in network engineering. In this paper, two new patterned matrices overZpwhich include row skew first-plus-last right circulant matrix and row first-plus-last left circulant matrix are presented. Their basic properties are discussed. Based on Newton-Hensel lifting and Chinese remaindering, two different algorithms are obtained. Moreover, the cost in terms of bit operations for each algorithm is given.
A Genetic Algorithm Based Multilevel Association Rules Mining for Big Datasets
Authors: Xu Yang , Zeng Mingming , Liu Quanhui , Wang Xiaofeng
Published: August 2014

Multilevel association rules mining is an important domain to discover interesting relations between data elements with multiple levels abstractions. Most of the existing algorithms toward this issue are based on exhausting search methods such as Apriori, and FP‐growth. However, when they are applied in the big data applications, those methods will suffer for extreme computational cost in searching association rules. To expedite multilevel association rules searching and avoid the excessive computation, in this paper, we proposed a novel genetic‐based method with three key innovations. First, we use the category tree to describe the multilevel application data sets as the domain knowledge. Then, we put forward a special tree encoding schema based on the category tree to build the heuristic multilevel association mining algorithm. As the last part of our design, we proposed the genetic algorithm based on the tree encoding schema that will greatly reduce the association rule search space. The method is especially useful in mining multilevel association rules in big data related applications. We test the proposed method with some big datasets, and the experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method in processing big data. Moreover, our results also manifest that the algorithm is fast convergent with a limited termination threshold.
Optimal Control of a Delayed HIV Infection Model via Fourier Series
Authors: Ghanbari Gh. , Farahi M. H.
Published: August 2014

We present a delayed optimal control which describes the interaction of the immune system with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and CD4+ T-cells. In order to improve the therapies, treatment and the intracellular delays are incorporated into the model. The optimal control in this model represents the efficiency of drug treatment in preventing viral production and new infections. The optimal pair of control and trajectories of this nonlinear delay system with quadratic cost functional is obtained by Fourier series approximation. The method is based on expanding time varying functions in the nonlinear delay system into their Fourier series with unknown coefficients. Using operational matrices for integration, product, and delay, the problem is reduced to a set of nonlinear algebraic equations.
Dynamics Behavior Research on Variable Linear Vibration Screen with Flexible Screen Face
Authors: Du Changlong , Gao Kuidong , Li Jianping , Jiang Hao
Published: August 2014

In order to enable the variable linear vibration screen with ideal movement behavior of screen surface and efficient screening capacity, five-freedom dynamic model and stability equations of the variable linear vibration screen were established based on power balance method and Hamilton principle. The motion behaviour of screen face was investigated, and − 0.10 m ≤ x f ≤ − 0.04 m was confirmed as the best range of exciting position. With analysis of stability equations, the stable requirement of vibration screen was obtained: the direction angle of exciting force should be 0 ≤ θ ≤ 45°. Screening processes of variable linear vibration screen with flexible screen face, variable linear vibration screen with fixed screen face and linear vibration screen were investigated and compared by numerical simulation method, the results show that variable linear vibration screen with flexible screen face have such characteristics as higher intensity of projection and efficient screening. The correctness of theoretical research and simulation research were verified through experiment, and all of the work would provide some guidance for designing and studying variable linear vibration screen with flexible screen face.
Safe Control for Spiral Recovery of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Authors: Ru Chang-Jian , Wei Rui-Xuan
Published: August 2014

With unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) widely used in both military and civilian fields, many events affecting their safe flying have emerged. That UAV’s entering into the spiral is such a typical safety issue. To solve this safety problem, a novel recovery control approach is proposed. First, the factors of spiral are analyzed. Then, based on control scheduling of state variables and nonlinear dynamic inversion control laws, the spiral recovery controller is designed to accomplish guidance and control of spiral recovery. Finally, the simulation results have illustrated that the proposed control method can ensure the UAV autonomous recovery from spiral effectively.
Colonic Mucosal Fatty Acid Synthase as an Early Biomarker for Colorectal Neoplasia: Modulation by Obesity and Gender
Authors: Cruz Mart Dela , Wali Ramesh K. , Bianchi Laura K. , Radosevich Andrew J. , Crawford Susan E. , Jepeal Lisa , Goldberg Michael J. , Weinstein Jaclyn , Momi Navneet , Roy Priya , Calderwood Audrey H. , Backman Vadim , Roy Hemant K.
Published: August 2014

Background: We have previously reported that colonic pericryptal microvascular blood flow is augmented in the premalignant colonic epithelium, highlighting the increased metabolic demand of the proliferative epithelium as a marker of field carcinogenesis. However, its molecular basis is unexplored. In this study, we assessed the expression of a regulator of the “lipogenic switch,” fatty acid synthase (FASN), in early colon carcinogenesis for its potential biomarker utility for concurrent neoplasia.

Methods: FASN expression (IHC) in the colonic epithelium from azoxymethane and polyposis in rat colon (Pirc) models of colorectal cancer was studied. FASN mRNA expression from endoscopically normal rectal mucosa was evaluated and correlated with colonoscopic findings (pathologic confirmation of neoplasia).

Results: FASN expression progressively increased from premalignant to malignant stage in the azoxymethane model (1.9- to 2.5-fold; P < 0.0001) and was also higher in the adenomas compared with adjacent uninvolved mucosa (1.8- to 3.4-fold; P < 0.001) in the Pirc model. Furthermore, FASN was significantly overexpressed in rectal biopsies from patients harboring adenomas compared with those with no adenomas. These effects were accentuated in male (∼2-fold) and obese patients (1.4-fold compared with those with body mass index < 30). Overall, the performance of rectal FASN was excellent (AUROC of 0.81).

Conclusions: FASN is altered in the premalignant colonic mucosa and may serve as a marker for colonic neoplasia present elsewhere. The enhanced effects in men and obesity may have implications for identifying patient subgroups at risk for early-onset neoplasia.

Impact: These findings support the role of rectal FASN expression as a reliable biomarker of colonic neoplasia. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 23(11); 2413–21. ©2014 AACR.
β-Caryophyllene Ameliorates the Alzheimer-Like Phenotype in APP/PS1 Mice through CB2 Receptor Activation and the PPARγ Pathway
Authors: Cheng Yujie , Dong Zhi , Liu Sha
Published: August 2014

Background/Aims: The activation of cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) has the beneficial effect of reducing neuroinflammatory response in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is suggested to trigger the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPARγ) pathway; agonists of both receptors improve AD. Recently, the plant metabolite β-caryophyllene was shown to selectively bind to CB2 receptor and act as a full agonist. Methods: In this study, we examined the anti-inflammatory effect of β-caryophyllene in a transgenic APP/PS1 AD model and analyzed whether this effect was mediated by CB2 and PPARγ. Results: β-Caryophyllene, given orally, prevented cognitive impairment in APP/PS1 mice, and this positive cognitive effect was associated with reduced β-amyloid burden in both the hippocampus and the cerebral cortex. Moreover, β-caryophyllene reduced astrogliosis and microglial activation as well as the levels of COX-2 protein and the mRNA levels of the proinflammatory cytokines tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1β in the cerebral cortex. The use of the CB2 antagonist AM630 or the PPARγ antagonist GW9662 significantly reversed the protective effects of β-caryophyllene on APP/PS1 mice. Conclusion: These results demonstrate that the anti-inflammatory effect of the sesquiterpene β-caryophyllene involves CB2 receptor activation and the PPARγ pathway and suggest β-caryophyllene as an attractive molecule for the development of new drugs with therapeutic potential for the treatment of AD.
Do Stress Markers and Anesthetic Technique Predict Delirium in the Elderly?
Authors: Deiner Stacie , Lin Hung-Mo , Bodansky Daniella , Silverstein Jeffrey , Sano Mary
Published: August 2014

Background: Postoperative delirium (PD) is a prevalent complication of elderly surgical patients, which predisposes to worsened cognitive recovery and dementia. Risk of PD has been associated with increasing magnitude of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal stress response (serum cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine) to surgery. Anesthetics suppress this response; however, some (total intravenous anesthesia, TIVA) more than others (anesthetic gases). Prior comparisons of anesthetics have been equivocal but have not included stress markers. We hypothesized that TIVA would decrease serum stress markers and the incidence of PD. Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of 76 elderly major surgical patients. Patients received TIVA or sevoflurane gas, and blood was drawn for serum markers pre-, intra-, and postoperatively. PD was assessed with the Confusion Assessment Method. We compared stress markers and PD between patients who received TIVA versus sevoflurane, and then modeled PD including stress and anesthetic. Results: The group that received TIVA during surgery demonstrated lower levels of all stress markers compared to the gas group, but no difference in PD. However, across groups, the postoperative norepinephrine level was much higher in patients who developed PD. Other markers and other times had no effect. Conclusion: The development of PD depends more on postoperative stress than intraoperative stress or anesthetic.
Diphenyl Diselenide Modulates Gene Expression of Antioxidant Enzymes in the Cerebral Cortex, Hippocampus and Striatum of Female Hypothyroid Rats
Authors: Roseni Mundstock Dias Glaecir , Medeiros Golombieski Ronaldo , de Lima Portella Rafael , Pires do Amaral Guilherme , Antunes Soares Félix , Teixeira da Rocha João Batista , Wayne Nogueira Cristina , Vargas Barbosa Nilda
Published: August 2014

Introduction: Cellular antioxidant signaling can be altered either by thyroid disturbances or by selenium status. Aims: To investigate whether or not dietary diphenyl diselenide can modify the expression of genes of antioxidant enzymes and endpoint markers of oxidative stress under hypothyroid conditions. Methods: Female rats were rendered hypothyroid by continuous exposure to methimazole (MTZ; 20 mg/100 ml in the drinking water) for 3 months. Concomitantly, MTZ-treated rats were either fed or not with a diet containing diphenyl diselenide (5 ppm). mRNA levels of antioxidant enzymes and antioxidant/oxidant status were determined in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus and striatum. Results: Hypothyroidism caused a marked upregulation in mRNA expression of catalase, superoxide dismutase (SOD-1, SOD-3), glutathione peroxidase (GPx-1, GPx-4) and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR-1) in brain structures. SOD-2 was increased in the cortex and striatum, while TrxR-2 increased in the cerebral cortex. The increase in mRNA expression of antioxidant enzymes was positively correlated with the Nrf-2 transcription in the cortex and hippocampus. Hypothyroidism caused oxidative stress, namely an increase in lipid peroxidation and reactive oxygen species levels in the hippocampus and striatum, and a decrease in nonprotein thiols in the cerebral cortex. Diphenyl diselenide was effective in reducing brain oxidative stress and normalizing most of the changes observed in gene expression of antioxidant enzymes. Conclusion: The present work corroborates and extends that hypothyroidism disrupts antioxidant enzyme gene expression and causes oxidative stress in the brain. Furthermore, diphenyl diselenide may be considered a promising molecule to counteract these effects in a hypothyroidism state.
Rate, Triggers, Severity and Management of Anaphylaxis in Adults Treated in a Canadian Emergency Department
Authors: Asai Yuka , Yanishevsky Yarden , Clarke Ann , La Vieille Sebastian , Delaney J. Scott , Alizadehfar Reza , Joseph Lawrence , Mill Christopher , Morris Judy , Ben-Shoshan Moshe
Published: August 2014

Background: The Cross-Canada Anaphylaxis Registry (C-CARE) assesses the triggers and management of anaphylaxis and identifies predictors of the development of severe allergic reactions and of epinephrine use. Here, we present data from an urban adult tertiary care emergency department (ED) in Montreal, Canada. Methods: Potential anaphylaxis cases were identified using ICD-10 codes related to anaphylaxis or allergic reactions. Putative cases underwent chart review to ensure they met anaphylaxis diagnostic criteria. Demographic, clinical and management data were collected. Multivariate logistic regressions were conducted to assess the effect of demographic characteristics, triggers, and comorbidities on severity and management of reactions. Results: Among 37,730 ED visits, 0.26% (95% CI 0.21, 0.32) fulfilled the definition of anaphylaxis. Food was the suspected trigger in almost 60% of cases. Epinephrine was not administered in almost half of moderate-to-severe cases, and similar numbers of individuals with moderate-to-severe reactions were not prescribed an epinephrine autoinjector. Reaction to shellfish was associated with more severe reactions (OR 13.9; 95% CI 2.2, 89.4). Older individuals and those not receiving steroids were more likely managed without epinephrine (OR 1.04; 95% CI 1.01, 1.07 and OR 2.97; 95% CI 1.05, 8.39, respectively). Conclusions: Anaphylaxis accounted for a substantial number of ED visits in adults, and the most common trigger was food. There is non-adherence to guidelines recommending epinephrine use for all cases of anaphylaxis. We postulate that this may be related to concerns regarding the side effects of epinephrine in adults.
LincRNA-p21 Regulates Neointima Formation, Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation, Apoptosis, and Atherosclerosis by Enhancing p53 Activity
Authors: Wu Gengze , Cai Jin , Han Yu , Chen Jinghai , Huang Zhan-Peng , Chen Caiyu , Cai Yue , Huang Hefei , Yang Yujia , Liu Yukai , Xu Zaicheng , He Duofen , Zhang Xiaoqun , Hu Xiaoyun , Pinello Luca , Zhong Dan , He Fengtian , Yuan Guo-Cheng , Wang Da-Zhi , Zeng Chunyu
Published: August 2014

Background—

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) have recently been implicated in many biological processes and diseases. Atherosclerosis is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, the functional role of lncRNAs in atherosclerosis is largely unknown.

Methods and Results—

We identified lincRNA-p21 as a key regulator of cell proliferation and apoptosis during atherosclerosis. The expression of lincRNA-p21 was dramatically downregulated in atherosclerotic plaques of ApoE
−/−
mice, an animal model for atherosclerosis. Through loss- and gain-of-function approaches, we showed that lincRNA-p21 represses cell proliferation and induces apoptosis in vascular smooth muscle cells and mouse mononuclear macrophage cells in vitro. Moreover, we found that inhibition of lincRNA-p21 results in neointimal hyperplasia in vivo in a carotid artery injury model. Genome-wide analysis revealed that lincRNA-p21 inhibition dysregulated many p53 targets. Furthermore, lincRNA-p21, a transcriptional target of p53, feeds back to enhance p53 transcriptional activity, at least in part, via binding to mouse double minute 2 (MDM2), an E3 ubiquitin-protein ligase. The association of lincRNA-p21 and MDM2 releases MDM2 repression of p53, enabling p53 to interact with p300 and to bind to the promoters/enhancers of its target genes. Finally, we show that lincRNA-p21 expression is decreased in patients with coronary artery disease.

Conclusions—

Our studies identify lincRNA-p21 as a novel regulator of cell proliferation and apoptosis and suggest that this lncRNA could serve as a therapeutic target to treat atherosclerosis and related cardiovascular disorders.
Dominance of the Forward Compression Wave in Determining Pulsatile Components of Blood Pressure
Authors: Fok Henry , Guilcher Antoine , Brett Sally , Jiang Benyu , Li Ye , Epstein Sally , Alastruey Jordi , Clapp Brian , Chowienczyk Phil
Published: August 2014

Pulsatile components of blood pressure may arise from forward (ventricular generated) or backward wave travel in the arterial tree. The objective of this study was to determine the relative contributions of forward and backward waves to pulsatility. We used wave intensity and wave separation analysis to determine pulsatile components of blood pressure during inotropic and vasopressor stimulation by dobutamine and norepinephrine in normotensive subjects and compared pulse pressure components in hypertensive (mean±SD, 48.8±11.3 years; 165±26.6/99±14.2 mm Hg) and normotensive subjects (52.2±12.6 years; 120±14.2/71±8.2 mm Hg). Dobutamine (7.5 μg/kg per minute) increased the forward compression wave generated by the ventricle and increased pulse pressure from 36.8±3.7 to 59.0±3.4 mm Hg (mean±SE) but had no significant effect on mean arterial pressure or the midsystolic backward compression wave. By contrast, norepinephrine (50 ng/kg per minute) had no significant effect on the forward compression wave but increased the midsystolic backward compression wave. Despite this increase in the backward compression wave, and an increase in mean arterial pressure, norepinephrine increased central pulse pressure less than dobutamine (increases of 22.1±3.8 and 7.2±2.8 mm Hg for dobutamine and norepinephrine, respectively;
P
<0.02). An elevated forward wave component (mean±SE, 50.4±3.4 versus 35.2±1.8 mm Hg, in hypertensive and normotensive subjects, respectively;
P
<0.001) accounted for approximately two thirds of the total difference in central pulse pressures between hypertensive and normotensive subjects. Increased central pulse pressure during inotropic stimulation and in essential hypertension results primarily from the forward compression wave.
Home Blood Pressure and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients During Antihypertensive Therapy
Authors: Kario Kazuomi , Saito Ikuo , Kushiro Toshio , Teramukai Satoshi , Ishikawa Yusuke , Mori Yoshihiro , Kobayashi Fumiaki , Shimada Kazuyuki
Published: August 2014

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between on-treatment morning home blood pressure (HBP) and incidence of cardiovascular events using data from the Home Blood Pressure Measurement With Olmesartan Naive Patients to Establish Standard Target Blood Pressure (HONEST) study, a prospective observational study of 21 591 outpatients with essential hypertension (mean age, 64.9 years; women, 50.6%) enrolled between 2009 and 2010 at clinics and hospitals in Japan. They received olmesartan-based treatment throughout. The primary end point was major cardiovascular events. After a mean follow-up period of 2.02 years, cardiovascular events occurred in 280 patients (incidence, 6.46/1000 patient-years). The risk for the primary end point was significantly higher in patients with on-treatment morning HBP ≥145 to <155 mm Hg (hazard ratio [HR], 1.83; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.12–2.99) and ≥155 mm Hg (HR, 5.03; 95% CI, 3.05–8.31) than <125 mm Hg and with on-treatment clinic blood pressure ≥150 to <160 mm Hg (HR, 1.69; 95% CI, 1.10–2.60) and ≥160 mm Hg (HR, 4.38; 95% CI, 2.84–6.75) than <130 mm Hg. Morning HBP associated with minimum risk was 124 mm Hg by spline regression analysis. Cardiovascular risk was increased in patients with morning HBP ≥145 mm Hg and clinic blood pressure <130 mm Hg (HR, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.20–5.08) compared with morning HBP <125 mm Hg and clinic blood pressure <130 mm Hg. In conclusion, it is essential to control morning HBP to <145 mm Hg, even in patients with controlled clinic blood pressure.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/index.htm
. UMIN Clinical Trials Registry, trial No. UMIN000002567.
Michigan and Ohio K–12 Educational Financing Systems: Equality and Efficiency
Authors: Conlin Michael , Thompson Paul N.
Published: August 2014

We consider issues of equality and efficiency in two different school funding systems—a state-level system in Michigan and a foundation system in Ohio. Unlike Ohio, the Michigan system restricts districts from generating property or income tax revenue to fund operating expenditures. In both states, districts fund capital expenditures with local tax revenue. Our results indicate that although average revenue and expenditures per pupil in Michigan and Ohio are almost identical, the distributions of the various revenue sources are quite different. Ohio’s funding system has greater equality in terms of total revenue, largely due to Ohio redistributing state funds to the least wealthy districts while Michigan does not. We find relatively wealthy Michigan districts spend more on capital expenditures, whereas relatively wealthy Ohio districts spend more on labor and materials. This suggests that constraints on raising local revenue to fund operating expenditures in Michigan could create efficiency issues.
Soma: Live Musical Performance in Which Congruent Visual, Auditory and Proprioceptive Stimuli Fuse to Form a Combined Aesthetic Narrative
Authors: Bergstrom Ilias , Lotto R. Beau
Published: August 2014

Artists and scientists have long had an interest in the relationship between music and visual art, leading up to the present-day art form of correlated animation and music called visual music. Current live performance tools and paradigms for visual music, however, are subject to several limitations. The work reported here addresses these through a transdisciplinary integration of findings from several research areas, detailing the resulting ideas and their implementation in three interconnected software applications. This culminates in the art form of Soma, in which correlated auditory, visual and proprioceptive stimuli form a combined narrative.
The Semiotics of the Moon as Fantasy and Destination
Authors: Betancourt Michael
Published: August 2014

This essay surveys a 20-year period of the author’s studio-based research into “spatial montage” and windowing, elaborating on his use of space imagery in a symbolic system describing the critique of fantasy::reality through symbols that are still used in the contemporary world—how the mythic dimensions of interpreting the “heavens” collide and contradict contemporary scientific interpretations. “Visionary” art is the dynamic focus, with the Moon as the central icon, providing a direct means for the author to consider ambiguities and complexities of symbolic transformation: earlier descriptions of heavens and Earth provide a visionary subtext to scientific exploration. The author considers himself a “revisionary” artist whose work engages the implicit semiotics of visionary film/visual music to problematize the pseudoscientific theories found there.
The Seen and Unseen: Weaving as a Metaphor for Wave/Particle Duality
Authors: Glusica Katie
Published: August 2014

This research explores the descriptive and metaphorical relationships between weaving and wave/particle duality through a series of woven artworks. First, it provides an explanation of the weaving process and its historic use as a metaphor for the cosmos. The pieces discussed are visual metaphors wherein the structure of the fabric becomes the content. This connection is perhaps part of a contemporary cosmological construct, replacing the sacred with science and utilizing weaving as a constant in the continuum.
Electronic Media Art from China: New Visions Bring Messages from the Distant Past
Authors: Ippolito Jean M.
Published: August 2014

This article introduces a number of contemporary artists in China who use digital technologies for art production. The author explores how these artists embed ancient philosophical values into an international mix of content in these new technological forms.
Microbioenergy Theaters
Authors: Lorusso Mick
Published: August 2014

The author describes two recent sculptural projects with bacteria that produce electricity while decomposing organic matter, in a technology known as a microbial fuel cell. These works encourage a ludic relationship to microbes, allowing us to acknowledge their aptitude for building ordered societies that sustain many life systems in the environment and within us. Relationships between humans, technology and microbes emerge in these theatrical scenarios.
danceroom Spectroscopy: At the Frontiers of Physics, Performance, Interactive Art and Technology
Authors: Mitchell Thomas , Hyde Joseph , Tew Philip , Glowacki David R.
Published: August 2014

danceroom Spectroscopy is an interactive audiovisual art installation and performance system driven by rigorous algorithms commonly used to simulate and analyze nanoscale atomic dynamics. danceroom Spectroscopy interprets humans as “energy landscapes,” resulting in an interactive system in which human energy fields are embedded within a simulation of thousands of atoms. Users are able to sculpt the atomic dynamics using their movements and experience their interactions visually and sonically in real time. danceroom Spectroscopy has so far been deployed as both an interactive sci-art installation and as the platform for a dance performance called Hidden Fields.
Ombrophytum guayanensis, the first record of subfamily Lophophytoideae (Balanophoraceae) in the Guayana Shield
Authors: Delprete Piero G.
Published: August 2014

The family Balanophoraceae continues to be poorly known and rarely collected, mostly due to its partially or completely subterranean habit and its general aspect resembling a fungus. A recent collection from French Guiana was identified as a species of Ombrophytum unknown to science (O. guayanensis), which is here described and illustrated. This species also represents the first record of the subfamily Lophophytoideae for the Guayana Shield.
Three new species of Lepanthes (Orchidaceae)
Authors: Larsen Bruno
Published: August 2014

In this paper three new species of Lepanthes (Orchidaceae: Pleurothallidinae) from Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela are described. Each species is illustrated with a line drawing. For each of the new species information about distribution, habitat, and a comparison with similar taxa is given. The new species are named: Lepanthes dubbeldamii, Lepanthes liesiae and Lepanthes luerorum.
The Bees of the Genus Colletes (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Colletidae) from China
Authors: NIU ZE-QING , ZHU CHAO-DONG , KUHLMANN MICHAEL
Published: August 2014

Available information about the bees of the genus Colletes from China is summarized. Currently, 66 species are recorded from China, of which two species, Colletes linzhiensis sp. nov. and C. spinatus sp. nov., are described as new. Type specimens are deposited in the Insect Collection of the Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China. Thirteen species are recorded for China for the first time: C. edentuloides Kuhlmann, 2011, C. pauljohni Kuhlmann, 2002, C. tuberculatus Morawitz, 1894, C. annapurnensis Kuhlmann, 2002, C. laevigena Noskiewicz, 1936, C. annejohnae Kuhlmann, 2003, C. eous Morice, 1904, C. squamosus Morawitz, 1879, C. wollmanni Noskiewicz, 1936, C. bhutanicus Kuhlmann, 2003, C. kaszabi Kuhlmann, 2002, C. uralensis Noskiewicz, 1936, and C. dorni Kuhlmann, 2002. The male of C. edentuloides Kuhlmann, 2011 and the female of C. pseudolaevigena Kuhlmann, 2002 are described for the first time. Colletes dudgeonii Bingham, 1897 was erroneously recorded from China and is removed from the list of Chinese species.
Paramoguai kavieng, a new genus and species of camptandriid crab from Papua New Guinea (Crustacea: Brachyura)
Authors: AHYONG SHANE T.
Published: August 2014

Paramoguai kavieng is recognised as a new genus and species of camptandriid crab, recently discovered in Papua New Guinea. The new genus closely resembles Moguai Tan & Ng, 1999, from the western Pacific, sharing similar carapace and pereopod structure, but is distinguished chiefly by the fusion of the maxilliped 3 ischiomerus, features of the epistome and front, and position of the anterolateral margins of the carapace. The new genus is unique in the Camptandriidae Stimpson, 1858, in having an epistome with a bilobed buccal margin. Moguai pyriforme Naruse, 2005, from Japan, which differs from P. kavieng primarily in carapace ornamentation and gonopod morphology, is transferred to Paramoguai.
A New Look at Deformation as a Diagnostic for Large-Scale Flow
Authors: Spensberger Clemens , Spengler Thomas
Published: August 2014

Deformation plays a key role in atmospheric dynamics because it provides a dynamical measure of the interaction between different scales, such as in frontogenesis. A climatology of deformation constructed from Interim ECMWF Re-Analysis (ERA-Interim) data (1979–2013) reveals four main processes associated with deformation: 1) frontogenesis at lower levels, 2) movement and evolution of jet streams in the upper troposphere, 3) orographic blocking, and 4) Rossby wave breaking. The merits of deformation as an additional perspective are discussed for these processes on the basis of case studies and composite analyses in conjunction with analytic solutions.

This study shows that deformation can be used to unambiguously detect orographic blocking through the local strength of the flow diversion around orography. Moreover, the deformation signature for orographic blocking observed in case studies and composites closely resembles the analytic solution for two-dimensional flow around an obstacle.

The climatology also reveals that Rossby wave breaking is associated with a characteristic γ-shaped deformation maximum. A composite analysis of this process confirms previous findings that suggested a dynamic link between Rossby wave breaking and dynamic blocking. It is shown that the deformation associated with Rossby wave breaking is aligned with the observed mean deformation upstream and downstream of a blocking high. Therefore, the presented composites illustrate a potential mechanism pinpointing how Rossby wave breaking can act to reinforce the flow diversion around the block.
Evidence and interest in social theory
Authors: Heiskala Risto
Published: August 2014

What is social theory? This paper opens with a conception of social theory as an ontological approach explicating the nature of the worldview that we should adopt provided that the results of the most advanced empirical social science are true. After loosening the limitations of such a realist conception by introducing normative standards and dialogue with other provinces of meaning than science, it raises another question: How can we choose between various alternative conceptions in social theory? It seems that although the element of voluntaristic choice cannot be completely avoided, there are still many ways to limit the number of conceptions that can be taken seriously. In the final part of the paper, the ontologically oriented approach is put into dialogue with an understanding of social theory as a form of practical reason in the service of our ideas about a better society, and a synthetic view is outlined.
The effects of social origins and cognitive ability on educational attainment
Authors: Bukodi Erzsébet , Erikson Robert , Goldthorpe John H
Published: August 2014

In previous work we have shown that in Britain and Sweden alike parental class, parental status and parental education have independent effects on individuals’ educational attainment. In this paper we extend our analyses, first by also including measures of individuals’ early-life cognitive ability, and second by bringing our results for Britain and Sweden into direct comparative form. On the basis of extensive birth-cohort data for both countries, we find that when cognitive ability is introduced into our analyses, parental class, status and education continue to have significant, and in fact only moderately reduced and largely persisting, effects on the educational attainment of members of successive cohorts. There is some limited evidence for Britain, but not for Sweden, that cognitive ability has a declining effect on educational attainment, and a further cross-national difference is that in Britain, but not in Sweden, some positive interaction effects occur between advantaged social origins and high cognitive ability in relation to educational success. Overall, though, cross-national similarities are most apparent, and especially in the extent to which parental class, status and education, when taken together, create wide disparities in the eventual educational attainment of individuals who in early life were placed at similar levels of cognitive ability. Some wider implications of these findings are considered.
Coached for the Classroom
Authors: Calarco Jessica McCrory
Published: August 2014

Scholars typically view class socialization as an implicit process. This study instead shows how parents actively transmit class-based cultures to children and how these lessons reproduce inequalities. Through observations and interviews with children, parents, and teachers, I found that middle- and working-class parents expressed contrasting beliefs about appropriate classroom behavior, beliefs that shaped parents’ cultural coaching efforts. These efforts led children to activate class-based problem-solving strategies, which generated stratified profits at school. By showing how these processes vary along social class lines, this study reveals a key source of children’s class-based behaviors and highlights the efforts by which parents and children together reproduce inequalities.
Association of 5 Well-Defined Polymorphisms in the Gene Encoding Transforming Growth Factor-β1 With Coronary Artery Disease Among Chinese Patients With Hypertension
Authors: Xu Junxia , Yu Xiaohong , Huang Changfu , Qin Ruiqiang , Peng Feng , Lin Jinxiu , Niu Wenquan
Published: August 2014

We assessed the association between 5 well-defined polymorphisms of the transforming growth factor-β1 (TGFB1) gene and coronary artery disease (CAD) among patients with hypertension from northeast China. All study participants were classified into patients with CAD (n = 679) and controls (n = 686) according to angiographic results. Genotyping was carried out with the ligase detection reaction method. In single-locus analysis, only genotypes of rs1800469 differed significantly between patients with CAD and controls ( P = .001); patients carrying the mutant allele of rs1800469 exhibited a 73% increased risk of CAD ( P < .001). Haplotype analysis indicated that haplotype A-T-T-C-C (alleles in the order of rs1800468, rs1800469, rs1800470, rs1800471, and rs1800472) was associated with a 1.49-fold increased risk ( P = .003). Interaction analysis identified an overall best 3-locus model including rs1800469, rs1800468, and rs1800471 ( P = .003). Taken together, we identified a synergistic interaction between TGFB1 gene multiple polymorphisms that entailed greater risk of CAD in Chinese patients.
Effects of Enamel Fluorosis and Dental Caries on Quality of Life
Authors: Onoriobe U. , Rozier R.G. , Cantrell J. , King R.S.
Published: August 2014

The objectives of this study were to determine the impact of enamel fluorosis and dental caries on oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) in North Carolina schoolchildren and their families. Students ( n = 7,686) enrolled in 398 classrooms in grades K-12 were recruited for a onetime survey. Parents of students in grades K-3 and 4-12 completed the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS) and Family Impact Scale (FIS), respectively. Students in grades 4-12 completed the Child Perceptions Questionnaire (CPQ8-10 in grades 4-5; CPQ11-14 in grades 6-12). All students were examined for fluorosis (Dean’s index) and caries experience (d2-3fs or D2-3MFS indices). OHRQoL scores (sum response codes) were analyzed for their association with fluorosis categories and sum of d2-3fs and D2-3MFS according to ordinary least squares regression with SAS procedures for multiple imputation and analysis of complex survey data. Differences in OHRQoL scores were evaluated against statistical and minimal important difference (MID) thresholds. Of 5,484 examined students, 71.8% had no fluorosis; 24.4%, questionable to very mild fluorosis; and 3.7%, mild, moderate, or severe fluorosis. Caries categories were as follows: none (43.1%), low (28.6%), and moderate to high (28.2%). No associations between fluorosis and any OHRQoL scales met statistical or MID thresholds. The difference (5.8 points) in unadjusted mean ECOHIS scores for the no-caries and moderate-to-high caries groups exceeded the MID estimate (2.7 points) for that scale. The difference in mean FIS scores (1.5 points) for the no-caries and moderate-to-high groups exceeded the MID value (1.2 points). The sum of d2-3fs and D2-3MFS scores was positively associated with CPQ11-14 ( B = 0.240, p < .001), ECOHIS ( B = 0.252, p ≤ .001), and FIS ( B = 0.096, p ≤ .01) scores in ordinary least squares regression models. A child’s caries experience negatively affects OHRQoL, while fluorosis has little impact.
Motivations and Goals of Slow Tourism
Authors: Oh Haemoon , Assaf A. George , Baloglu Seyhmus
Published: August 2014

The concept of slow tourism is gaining attention, and this study provides new insights into the phenomenon from the perspective of a goal-driven consumption process. The authors conduct primary qualitative research to define slow tourism, build a conceptual model, and develop measurement scales. Based on the data collected from four popular U.S. tourist destinations, the authors find that goal-driven consumption theory exhibits compelling explanatory power for the slow behavioral process in the tourism context. The slow tourism process also appears to coexist with fast modes of travel and they contribute differently to general tourism experience outcomes. Discussion includes approaches to understanding the slow tourism phenomenon, issues around slowness in human behavior, and future directions for research on slow tourism.
A Geometrical Framework for Covariance Matrices of Continuous and Categorical Variables
Authors: Vernizzi Graziano , Nakai Miki
Published: August 2014

It is well known that a categorical random variable can be represented geometrically by a simplex. Accordingly, several measures of association between categorical variables have been proposed and discussed in the literature. Moreover, the standard definitions of covariance and correlation coefficient for continuous random variables have been extended to categorical variables. In this article, we present a geometrical framework where both continuous and categorical data are represented by simplices and lines in a high-dimensional space, respectively. We introduce a function whose direct minimization leads to a single definition of covariance between categorical–categorical, categorical–continuous, and continuous–continuous data. The novelty of this general approach is that a single space and a single distance function can be used for describing both continuous and categorical data. It thus provides a unified geometrical description of the measure of association, in particular between categorical and continuous data. We discuss virtues and limitations of such a geometrical framework and provide examples with possible applications to sociological surveys.
The Efficacy of Vestibular Rehabilitation in Patients with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo: A Rapid Review
Authors: van der Scheer‐Horst Ellis S. , van Benthem Peter Paul G. , Bruintjes Tjasse D. , van Leeuwen Roeland B. , van der Zaag‐Loonen Hester J.
Published: August 2014

Objective

To systematically review the evidence on the effectiveness of vestibular rehabilitation in addition to a canalith repositioning maneuver in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Data Sources

A literature search was performed in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), PubMed, and EMBASE databases.

Review Methods

A comprehensive search was performed up to July 2013. Two authors independently scanned the search results to identify randomized controlled trials of vestibular rehabilitation in addition to a canalith repositioning maneuver in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. We included trials that were available in the English language and did not apply publication year or publication status restrictions. Studies were methodologically assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias tool. Primary outcome was the effect on vertigo attacks and balance.

Results

Of 76 identified trials, only 2 trials fulfilled our inclusion criteria and were included in this review, involving 106 patients. One study was methodologically weak, the other strong. The studies differed in type of intervention, type of outcome, and follow‐up time. Both studies reported no significant difference in the vertigo intensity between groups. A small effect was found on balance.

Conclusion

Two level II studies in benign paroxysmal positional vertigo showed no effect of vestibular rehabilitation in addition to a canalith repositioning maneuver on vertigo intensity and a small, beneficial effect on balance. We therefore conclude that there is no evidence for an effect of vestibular rehabilitation in addition to a canalith repositioning maneuver in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.
Slovak political debates: Functional theory in a multi-party system
Authors: Hrbková Lenka , Zagrapan Jozef
Published: August 2014

This article examines a content analysis of the televised political debates prior to the 2012 elections in Slovakia. The analysis is based on the functional theory of campaign discourse by William L. Benoit. The goal of the work is to test the theory and its applicability in contexts other than the political system of the United States. In order to achieve this goal, we also make use of the findings of previous studies from the non-American environment. We have found that if Benoit’s methods were strictly observed, more than 30% of the content of debates would not be included in the analysis. Therefore, its original categories of content analysis should be expanded. The Slovak debates differ markedly from the American model, but at the same time differ from the kind of debates found in a consensual political system. The area of the greatest difference is the use of various models of discursive functions in the debates.