bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Pesin entropy formula for diffeomorphisms with dominated splitting
Authors: CATSIGERAS ELEONORA , CERMINARA MARCELO , ENRICH HEBER
Published: February 2014

For any$C^1$diffeomorphism with dominated splitting, we consider a non-empty set of invariant measures that describes the asymptotic statistics of Lebesgue-almost all orbits. They are the limits of convergent subsequences of averages of the Dirac delta measures supported on those orbits. We prove that the metric entropy of each of these measures is bounded from below by the sum of the Lyapunov exponents on the dominating sub-bundle. As a consequence, if those exponents are non-negative, and if the exponents on the dominated sub-bundle are non-positive, those measures satisfy the Pesin entropy formula.
Modeling potential as fiber entropy and pressure as entropy
Authors: DOWNAROWICZ TOMASZ , ZHANG GUO HUA
Published: February 2014

We first prove that topological fiber entropy potential in a relatively symbolic extension (topological joining with a subshift) of a topological dynamical system (which is a non-negative, non-decreasing, upper semicontinuous and subadditive potential$\mathfrak{H}$) yields topological pressure equal to the topological entropy of the extended system. The terms occurring on the other side of the variational principle for pressure are equal to the extension entropies of the invariant measures. Thus the variational principle for pressure reduces to the usual variational principle (for entropy) applied to the extended system. Next we prove our main theorem saying that every non-negative, upper semicontinuous and subadditive potential$\mathfrak{F}$(we drop the monotonicity assumption) is ‘nearly equal’ to the fiber entropy potentialHin some relatively symbolic extension of the system, in the sense that all terms occurring in the variational principle for pressure are the same for both potentials. This gives a new interpretation of all such potentials$\mathfrak{F}$as a kind of additional information function enhancing the natural information arising from the dynamical system, and provides a new proof of the variational principle for pressure. At the end of the paper we provide examples showing that both assumptions, continuity and additivity, under which so-called lower pressure (defined with the help of spanning sets) equals the pressure, are essential, already in the class of non-negative, upper semicontinuous, subadditive potentials.
On rationally ergodic and rationally weakly mixing rank-one transformations
Authors: DAI IRVING , GARCIA XAVIER , PĂDURARIU TUDOR , SILVA CESAR E.
Published: February 2014

We study the notions of weak rational ergodicity and rational weak mixing as defined by J. Aaronson [Rational ergodicity and a metric invariant for Markov shifts.Israel J. Math. 27(2) (1977), 93–123; Rational weak mixing in infinite measure spaces.Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.2012, to appear.http://arxiv.org/abs/1105.3541]. We prove that various families of infinite measure-preserving rank-one transformations possess or do not posses these properties, and consider their relation to other notions of mixing in infinite measure.
A Pilot Study to Investigate the Efficacy of Nicotine Oral Soluble Film, Lozenge and Gum in Relief of Acute Smoking Cue-provoked Craving for Cigarette in Low Dependence Smokers
Authors: Du Daniel , Borders James , Selmani Alex , Waverczak William
Published: February 2014

Introduction: A new nicotine film that releases nicotine quickly may lead to faster craving relief.

Aims: This study compares the efficacy of 2.5 mg nicotine film with 2 mg nicotine lozenge and 2 mg nicotine gum on relieving provoked craving in low dependence smokers.

Methods: A randomised, open-label, active comparators controlled study was conducted in 120 subjects. Subjects were abstinent from smoking for 4 hours prior to being provoked with smoking cues. After post-provocation craving assessment, subjects were administered one dose of the 3 treatments: nicotine film, lozenge, or gum. Craving intensity was then assessed at 50 seconds, 3, 5, 7, 15, 20, 25 and 30 minutes after administration.

Results/Findings: Three treatments reduced craving with similar maximum effects. The effect was maintained up to 30 minutes. Nicotine film significantly reduced more craving than lozenge at 50 seconds, 3 and 5 minutes. It also significantly reduced more craving than gum at 50 seconds and 3 minutes. There was no significant difference between lozenge and gum.

Conclusions: Nicotine film, lozenge and gum have similar maximum craving relief. Nicotine film significantly reduced more craving than lozenge and gum at early time points. Nicotine film may be particularly useful to provide acute craving relief.
Association between theNOTCH4gene rs3131296 polymorphism with schizophrenia risk in the Chinese Zhuang population and Chinese Han population
Authors: Su Li , Long Jianxiong , Liang Baoyun , Gu Lian , Pan Runde , Li Liushan , Zhou Yang , Tang Xianyan , Jiang Junjun , Chen Qiang , Wei Bo
Published: February 2014

Background

Schizophrenia (SZ) is a common severe psychiatric disorder and a complex polygenic inherited disease that has not yet been fully interpreted. Heredity was proven to play an important role in the development of SZ. The association between theNOTCH4gene rs3131296 polymorphism and SZ was reported to reach significance at the genome-wide level; therefore, it is necessary to replicate this association in other different populations.

Methods

To evaluate the association of theNOTCH4gene rs3131296 polymorphism with the risk for SZ, and to explore whether a significant association could be replicated in different ethnic groups of China, we conducted this case–control study on 282 SZ cases (188 Han and 94 Zhuang) and 282 controls (188 Han and 94 Zhuang) among the Chinese Zhuang and Han populations.

Results

The results showed no statistically significant difference in the genotype or allele frequencies of theNOTCH4gene variant rs3131296 between SZ patients and healthy controls in either the Zhuang or Han samples (p> 0.05). In addition, no significant difference was found in genotype or allele frequencies of theNOTCH4gene variant rs3131296 between cases and controls in the combined samples including Zhuang and Han samples.

Conclusions

Our study failed to replicate the significant association between theNOTCH4gene rs3131296 polymorphism and the risk for SZ.
Review of flanking structures in meso- and micro-scales
Authors: MUKHERJEE SOUMYAJIT
Published: February 2014

A variety of host-fabric elements (HE) cut by cross-cutting elements (CE) in rocks defines flanking structures (FS) on mesoscopic and microscopic scales. There has been renewed interest in studying and classifying the FS for their morphologies, useful as shear sense indicators and geneses. Existing non-genetic morphologic parameters for the FS are reviewed, and two new classification schemes are presented. One of these is based on the nature of the CE and whether HE penetrates it. The other scheme takes account of all the potential combinations of drag/no drag and slip/no slip of the HE. Deciphering the shear sense of the rock body from FS is complicated because the angular relationship between the CE and the primary shear planes might be opposite to what is found between S- and C- ductile shear fabrics. Further, single CEs can curve and several similar FS occur in reverse forms. As with mineral fish, the shape asymmetries of microscopic CEs indicate the shear sense. Conjugate FS (with non-parallel CEs) with interfering perturbation fields around the CEs are more reliable shear-sense indicators than FS with single CE. During low but increasing bulk strains, FS may evolve from one type to another, e.g. from a- to s-type. At high strain, FS can resemble intrafolial or sheath fold. Whether the drag is normal or reverse depends fundamentally on the initial angle between the HE and the CE and the relative magnitudes of throw and vertical separation.
Rohdella amazonica n. sp. (Aspidogastrea: Aspidogastridae) from the Amazoninan banded puffer fish Colomesus psittacus (Bloch & Schneider, 1801)
Authors: Giese E.G. , Silva M.V.O. , Videira M.N. , Furtado A.P. , Matos E.R. , Gonçalves E.C. , Melo F.T.V. , Santos J.N.
Published: February 2014

Aspidogastreans are commonly found infecting freshwater and marine molluscs, teleosts fishes and freshwater turtles. The subclass comprises four families – Rugogastridae Schell 1973, Stichocotylidae Faust & Tang 1936, Multicalycidae Gibson & Chinabut 1984 and Aspidogastridae Poche 1907 – and it is characterized by the presence of a ventral adhesive disc divided into rows of alveoli. In the current work, using light and scanning electron microscopy and molecular approaches, a new species of Aspidogastridae of the genus Rohdella Gibson & Chinabut, 1984, is described as a parasite of Colomesus psittacus in Brazil. The new taxon is distinguishable by the presence of oesophageal glands, teguments covered by ciliated papillae, and the position and shape of the hermaphroditic duct. The present work describes the third species of the genus Rohdella, thereby adding new morphological and molecular data regarding Aspidogastridae.
Phenotypic plasticity of maleSchistosoma mansonifrom the peritoneal cavity and hepatic portal system of laboratory mice and hamsters
Authors: Mati V.L.T , Freitas R.M. , Bicalho R.S. , Melo A.L.
Published: February 2014

Morphometric analysis ofSchistosoma mansonimale worms obtained from AKR/J and Swiss mice was carried out. Rodents infected by the intraperitoneal route with 80 cercariae of the schistosome (LE strain) were killed by cervical dislocation at 45 and 60 days post-infection and both peritoneal lavage and perfusion of the portal system were performed for the recovery of adult worms. Characteristics including total body length, the distance between oral and ventral suckers, extension of testicular mass and the number of testes were considered in the morphological analysis. Changes that occurred inS. mansonirecovered from the peritoneal cavity or from the portal system of AKR/J and Swiss mice included total body length and reproductive characteristics. Significant morphometric alterations were also observed when worms recovered from the portal system of both strains of mice were compared with the schistosomes obtained from hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus), the vertebrate host in which the LE strain had been adapted and maintained by successive passages for more than four decades. The present results reinforce the idea thatS. mansonihas high plastic potential and adaptive capacity.
Surgical management of paediatric chronic rhinosinusitis: review of 10 years' experience
Authors: Barakate M , Havas T
Published: February 2014

Objective:

To assess the outcome of children with chronic rhinosinusitis who were managed surgically, over a 10-year study period.

Method:

From January 1999 to December 2008 inclusive, 136 children diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis underwent surgery following unsuccessful medical treatment. The operations ranged from adenoidectomy to functional endoscopic sinus surgery.

Results:

The surgical procedures performed were: adenoidectomy (n = 69), antral washouts (n = 54), middle meatal antrostomy (n = 82), endoscopic ethmoidectomy (n = 66), nasal septal reconstruction (n = 10), and inferior turbinate outfracture (n = 23) or inferior turbinate reductions (n = 55). Follow-up duration ranged from 6 months to 9 years (average 3.2 years). Three patients required revision surgery: adenoidectomy in two patients and adenoidectomy with turbinate reductions in another.

Conclusion:

This study demonstrates the benefits of focused surgical treatment for paediatric chronic rhinosinusitis. Surgical treatment can be an appropriate and effective option for children with chronic rhinosinusitis when medical management is unsuccessful.
B-vitamins and bone in health and disease: the current evidence
Authors: Clarke M. , Ward M. , Strain J. J. , Hoey L. , Dickey W. , McNulty H.
Published: February 2014

Osteoporosis, a metabolic skeletal disease characterised by decreased bone mass and increased fracture risk, is a growing public health problem. Among the various risk factors for osteoporosis, calcium and vitamin D have well-established protective roles, but it is likely that other nutritional factors are also implicated. This review will explore the emerging evidence supporting a role for certain B-vitamins, homocysteine and the 677C→T polymorphism in the gene encoding the folate-metabolising enzyme methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase, in bone health and disease. The evidence, however, is not entirely consistent and as yet no clear mechanism has been defined to explain the potential link between B-vitamins and bone health. Coeliac disease, a common condition of malabsorption, induced by gluten ingestion in genetically susceptible individuals, is associated with an increased risk both of osteoporosis and inadequate B-vitamin status. Given the growing body of evidence linking low bone mineral density and/or increased fracture risk with low B-vitamin status and elevated homocysteine, optimal B-vitamin status may play an important protective role against osteoporosis in coeliac disease; to date, no trial has addressed this possible link.
‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’: an fMRI study of adolescents with autism and their siblings
Authors: Holt R. J. , Chura L. R. , Lai M.-C. , Suckling J. , von dem Hagen E. , Calder A. J. , Bullmore E. T. , Baron-Cohen S. , Spencer M. D.
Published: February 2014

Background.

Mentalizing deficits are a hallmark of the autism spectrum condition (ASC) and a potential endophenotype for atypical social cognition in ASC. Differences in performance and neural activation on the ‘Reading the Mind in the Eyes’ task (the Eyes task) have been identified in individuals with ASC in previous studies.

Method.

Performance on the Eyes task along with the associated neural activation was examined in adolescents with ASC (n = 50), their unaffected siblings (n = 40) and typically developing controls (n = 40). Based on prior literature that males and females with ASC display different cognitive and associated neural characteristics, analyses were stratified by sex. Three strategies were applied to test for endophenotypes at the level of neural activation: (1) identifying and locating conjunctions of ASC–control and sibling–control differences; (2) examining whether the sibling group is comparable to the ASC or intermediate between the ASC and control groups; and (3) examining spatial overlaps between ASC–control and sibling–control differences across multiple thresholds.

Results.

Impaired behavioural performance on the Eyes task was observed in males with ASC compared to controls, but only at trend level in females; and no difference in performance was identified between sibling and same-sex control groups in both sexes. Neural activation showed a substantial endophenotype effect in the female groups but this was only modest in the male groups.

Conclusions.

Behavioural impairment on complex emotion recognition associated with mental state attribution is a phenotypic, rather than an endophenotypic, marker of ASC. However, the neural response during the Eyes task is a potential endophenotypic marker for ASC, particularly in females.
Reappraising the long-term course and outcome of psychotic disorders: the AESOP-10 study
Authors: Morgan C. , Lappin J. , Heslin M. , Donoghue K. , Lomas B. , Reininghaus U. , Onyejiaka A. , Croudace T. , Jones P. B. , Murray R. M. , Fearon P. , Doody G. A. , Dazzan P.
Published: February 2014

Background

Studies of the long-term course and outcome of psychoses tend to focus on cohorts of prevalent cases. Such studies bias samples towards those with poor outcomes, which may distort our understanding of prognosis. Long-term follow-up studies of epidemiologically robust first-episode samples are rare.

Method

AESOP-10 is a 10-year follow-up study of 557 individuals with a first episode of psychosis initially identified in two areas in the UK (South East London and Nottingham). Detailed information was collated on course and outcome in three domains (clinical, social and service use) from case records, informants and follow-up interviews.

Results

At follow-up, of 532 incident cases identified, at baseline 37 (7%) had died, 29 (6%) had emigrated and eight (2%) were excluded. Of the remaining 458, 412 (90%) were traced and some information on follow-up was collated for 387 (85%). Most cases (265, 77%) experienced at least one period of sustained remission; at follow-up, 141 (46%) had been symptom free for at least 2 years. A majority (208, 72%) of cases had been employed for less than 25% of the follow-up period. The median number of hospital admissions, including at first presentation, was 2 [interquartile range (IQR) 1–4]; a majority (299, 88%) were admitted a least once and a minority (21, 6%) had 10 or more admissions. Overall, outcomes were worse for those with a non-affective diagnosis, for men and for those from South East London.

Conclusions

Sustained periods of symptom remission are usual following first presentation to mental health services for psychosis, including for those with a non-affective disorder; almost half recover.
“Big data” needs an analysis of decision processes
Authors: Analytis Pantelis P. , Moussaïd Mehdi , Artinger Florian , Kämmer Juliane E. , Gigerenzer Gerd
Published: February 2014

We demonstrate by means of a simulation that the conceptual map presented by Bentley et al. is incomplete without taking into account people's decision processes. Within the same environment, two decision processes can generate strikingly different collective behavior; in two environments that fundamentally differ in transparency, a single process gives rise to virtually identical behavior.
Mapping collective behavior – beware of looping
Authors: Christen Markus , Brugger Peter
Published: February 2014

We discuss ambiguities of the two main dimensions of the map proposed by Bentley and colleagues that relate to the degree of self-reflection the observed agents have upon their behavior. This self-reflection is a variant of the “looping effect” which denotes that, in social research, the product of investigation influences the object of investigation. We outline how this can be understood as a dimension of “height” in the map of Bentley et al.
Missing emotions: The Z-axis of collective behavior
Authors: García Alejandro N. , Torralba José M. , González Ana Marta
Published: February 2014

Bentley et al. bypass the relevance of emotions in decision-making, resulting in a possible over-simplification of behavioral types. We propose integrating emotions, both in the north–south axis (in relation to cognition) as well as in the west–east axis (in relation to social influence), by suggesting a Z-axis, in charge of registering emotional depth and involvement.
Alternative maps of the world of collective behaviors
Authors: MacCoun Robert J.
Published: February 2014

I compare the collective behavior map proposed by Bentley et al. (“BOB” for short) with a similar “balance of pressures” (BOP) map proposed by MacCoun (2012). The BOB and BOP maps have important points of convergence, but also some differences. The comparison suggests that they are analogous to different map “projections” for maps of Earth – different ways of simplifying a complex reality.
Bigger data for big data: From Twitter to brain–computer interfaces
Authors: Roesch Etienne B. , Stahl Frederic , Gaber Mohamed Medhat
Published: February 2014

We are sympathetic with Bentley et al.’s attempt to encompass the wisdom of crowds in a generative model, but posit that a successful attempt at using big data will include more sensitive measurements, more varied sources of information, and will also build from the indirect information available through technology, from ancillary technical features to data from brain–computer interfaces.
Understanding social networks requires more than two dimensions
Authors: Ruths Derek , Shultz Thomas
Published: February 2014

The proposed framework is insufficient to categorize and understand current evidence on decision making. There are some ambiguities in the questions asked that require additional distinctions between correctness and accuracy, decision making and learning, accuracy and confidence, and social influence and empowerment. Social learning techniques are not all the same: Behavior copying is quite different from theory passing. Sigmoidal acquisition curves are not unique to social learning and are often mistaken for other accelerating curves.
Mapping collective emotions to make sense of collective behavior
Authors: Taquet Maxime , Quoidbach Jordi , de Montjoye Yves-Alexandre , Desseilles Martin
Published: February 2014

While Bentley et al.’s model is very appealing, in this commentary we argue that researchers interested in big data and collective behavior, including the way humans make decisions, must account for the emotional factor. We investigate how daily choice of activities is influenced by emotions. Results indicate that mood significantly predicts people's decisions about what to do next, stressing the importance of emotional state on decision-making.
Differences in foraging times between two feeding guilds within Old World fruit bats (Pteropodidae) in southern Thailand
Authors: Stewart Alyssa B. , Makowsky Robert , Dudash Michele R.
Published: February 2014

Bats are important but understudied pollinators in the Palaeotropics, and much about their interactions with night-blooming, bat-pollinated plant species is still unknown. We compared visitation times to flowering and fruiting plant resources by nectarivorous bat species (obligate pollinators) and frugi-nectarivorous bat species (facultative pollinators) throughout the night to examine the temporal variability that occurs within Pteropodidae foraging. Timing of pollination is an important determinant of plant reproductive success and more temporally restrictive than fruit dispersal. We netted 179 nectarivorous bats and 209 frugi-nectarivorous bats across 367 total mist-net h at five plant species providing floral resources and six plant species providing fruit resources. We found that all three nectarivorous bat species in southern Thailand forage significantly earlier in the evening (20h30 versus 22h00), and over a significantly shorter time interval (1.73 h versus 3.33 h), than do the five most commonly netted frugi-nectarivorous species. These results indicate that the two feeding guilds may be imposing different selective pressures on bat-pollinated plant species and may comprise different functional groups. We propose that the observed differences in bat foraging times are due to temporal constraints imposed by the rewards of the plant species that they visit.
Norðvegr – Norway: From Sailing Route to Kingdom
Authors: Skre Dagfinn
Published: February 2014

Along the West-Scandinavian coast, agrarian settlements, which are found along fjords and in valleys, are separated from each other and from the lands to the east by high mountains. Thus, seafaring was the main mode of communication from the Stone Age onwards. Unlike the coasts of Britain, Ireland and continental Europe, this 1000 km long coastline is littered with thousands of islands, islets and reefs, which create a protected coastal sailing route – the Norðvegr – from which the kingdom took its name. The author discusses this sailing-route's significance for the creation of the kingdom as well as for the Viking incursions in Britain, Ireland and the Continent c. 790–1050.
The Role of the Ocean Carbon Cycle in Climate Change
Authors: Heinze Christoph
Published: February 2014

The ocean carbon cycle plays a twofold role in the context of climate change: (1) through carbon dioxide gas exchange with the atmosphere and carbon cycle climate feedbacks, the ocean regulates the carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere and hence has a strong influence on the heat budget of the Earth; (2) the paleo-climatic marine sediment core record is largely based on biogenic matter fluxes from the ocean surface to the sea floor, which are part of the marine carbon cycle. The ocean is important for global carbon cycling, primarily due to three factors: (1) the ocean is a huge carbon reservoir with a relatively short turnover time; (2) carbon dioxide in sea water is effectively dissociated inorganically into other substances; (3) marine plankton is keeping the surface ocean carbon dioxide concentration at a lower level than would a lifeless ocean. On intermediate to long time scales, the ocean provides the most important sink for anthropogenic carbon dioxide. The marine uptake kinetics for carbon dioxide work on a longer time scale than current and projected emissions by humans.
After Auerbach: Ancient Greek Literature as a Test Case of European Literary Historiography
Authors: de Jong Irene J.F.
Published: February 2014

In the first chapter of his celebratedMimesis(1946) Auerbach discussed a specimen of Ancient Greek literature (Homer) both as the starting point of a European literary history of realism and as a comparandum to biblical storytelling. Both lines of approach have recently been given new impetuses. On the one hand there is Martin West'sThe East Face of Helicon,1which does not merely compare early Greek literature and Near Eastern literature but describes the former as largely a product of the latter. On the other hand there is the series Studies in ancient Greek narrative, edited by Irene J.F. de Jong, which describes the early development of – what will become quintessential – European storytelling devices in Ancient Greek literature. Both scholarly projects, independently, have put the same urgent question on the agenda: how exactly are we to evaluate resemblances between ancient Greek literature and contemporary Near Eastern literature and later European literature. Can we speak of some form of historical connection, i.e. one literature taking over devices and motifs from another literature, or should we rather think in terms of typological resemblances, i.e. of the same narrative universals being employed at different places and at different times? Or is there some middle way to be found in the recent cognitive turn of comparative literature? Despite the methodological problems involved, investigating the history of European literature is an extremely rewarding task. The project of Europe as an economical and political unity has at the moment reached a critical phase. Literary scholars can contribute to this issue by showing the cultural unity of Europe, a mission that is just as urgent as it was in 1946, when Auerbach published hisMimesis.
Social Innovation: a Novel Policy Stream or a Policy Compromise? An EU Perspective
Authors: Bonifacio Matteo
Published: February 2014

Spurred by the recent global economic crisis, Social Innovation (SI) has gained increasing attention in the European Commission (EC) agenda. However, it remains a heterogeneous and ill-defined concept, whose boundaries are unclear. Currently, within EC discussions, it encapsulates a variety of concepts from social enterprises to societal change. Adopting an ethnographic methodology, this analysis provides insight into the contrasting official ‘front-stage’ and ‘back-stage’ views, constraints and practices by which SI has been adopted and promoted by the EC. While the ‘front-stage’ perspective is more intentionally based on the official situations, documents, and statements, the ‘back-stage’ is informed by both the ethnographic analysis and its relationship with the ‘front-stage’ perspective. The main finding of the analysis is that SI might presumably be seen as the only way to align the Commission's conservative-liberal policy, which is rooted in the Lisbon Agenda, with the pressing social demands that stem from the 2008 financial crisis. However, this analysis also indicates that, rather than a novel policy stream, SI can also be seen as a policy compromise that can be used to detract from debates around the need to develop a fully-fledged EU Social Policy; more deeply, it can detract the policy debate from facing a thorough reflection on our society and development model. The analysis here will also provide an overview of the risks associated with current thinking viewed from the perspective of EU players operating in the socio-political domain.
Predictors of functional response and remission with desvenlafaxine 50 mg/d in patients with major depressive disorder
Authors: Soares Claudio N. , Endicott Jean , Boucher Matthieu , Fayyad Rana S. , Guico-Pabia Christine J.
Published: February 2014

Background

The predictive value of early functional improvement for treatment success at week 8 was assessed in a pooled analysis in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD).

Methods

Data were pooled from 7 double-blind studies in adult patients with MDD randomly assigned to desvenlafaxine 50 mg/d or placebo. Four levels of treatment success were determined at week 8 for patients with baseline Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS) score > 12 (N = 2156): functional response (SDS ≤12 and ≥50% improvement in SDS), functional/depression response (SDS ≤12 and ≥50% improvement in both SDS and 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression [HAM-D17] score), functional remission (SDS < 7), and functional/depression remission (SDS < 7 and HAM-D17 ≤7). Week 2 improvement in SDS was evaluated as a predictor of later functional response/remission using receiver operating characteristic analysis. Odds ratios (ORs) of the predictability of improvement thresholds were computed from a logistic regression model.

Results

The proportion of patients achieving each level of treatment success was significantly greater for patients treated with desvenlafaxine (40%, 32%, 23%, 15%, respectively) vs placebo (31%, 22%, 17%, 10%; all P ≤ 0.002). Early change in SDS was a highly significant predictor of functional response/remission (ORs, 0.958–0.970; all P < 0.0001).

Discussion

Patients’ early functional response to desvenlafaxine 50 mg/d is predictive of treatment success.
Neurobiological correlates of social anxiety disorder: an update
Authors: Marazziti Donatella , Abelli Marianna , Baroni Stefano , Carpita Barbara , Ramacciotti Carla E. , Dell'Osso Liliana
Published: February 2014

Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a condition characterized by pervasiveness and impairment in social functioning, with a prevalence in the general population between 1.9% and 12.1%. The most consistent findings on its neurobiological underpinnings involve a wide range of neurotransmitters (serotonin, norepinephrine, glutamate, and GABA) and neuropeptides (oxytocin), but no comprehensive hypothesis is yet available. In particular, oxytocin is becoming increasingly established as a “prosocial neuropeptide” and, as such, is a major focus of current research, with a great range of therapeutic applications including SAD treatment. Specifically, the amygdala plays a pivotal role in conditioning and processing of fear, and exaggerated amygdala responses in SAD patients have been observed during various social-emotional stimuli. In addition to the amygdala, other brain areas of interest in SAD-related circuitry are represented by the medial prefrontal cortex, dorsal raphe, striatum, locus coeruleus, prefrontal cortex, insular cortex, and anterior cingulate cortex. The aim of this review is to provide an update on neurobiological correlates of SAD, with a special focus on neurotransmitters and brain areas possibly involved, and suggestions for future research that could lead to more specific therapeutic interventions.
Positive orientation: explorations on what is common to life satisfaction, self-esteem, and optimism
Authors: Caprara Gian Vittorio , Steca Patrizia , Alessandri Guido , Abela John R. , McWhinnie Chad M.
Published: February 2014

Aim– Literature documents that the judgments people hold about themselves, their life, and their future are important ingredients of their psychological functioning and well-being, and are commonly related to each other.Methods– We used confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) under the classical test theory, regression analysis, and a cross national design.Results– This study provides new findings attesting to the hypothesis that evaluations about oneself, one's life, and one's future rest on a common mode of viewing experiences which we named “Positive Orientation”.Conclusions– Results from an Italian and a Canadian study are resented, attesting to a latent dimension that lies at the core of positive evaluations and that corroborates the utility of the new construct as a critical component of individuals’ well-functioning.

Declaration of Interest:This study was partially supported by Grants from the MIUR, 2002 and 2005, and by a Grant from the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, 2002 to Gian Vittorio Caprara. Authors declare “no potential conflict of interest”.
Can Micro-Gestural Inflections Be Used to Improve the Soniculatory Effectiveness of Parameter Mapping Sonifications?
Authors: Worrall David
Published: February 2014

Parameter mapping sonification is the most widely used technique for representing multi-dimensional data in sound. However, it is known to be unreliable when used for detecting information in some types of data. This is generally thought to be the result of the co-dependency of the psychoacoustic dimensions used in the mapping.

Positing its perceptual basis in a theory of embodied cognition, the most common approach to overcoming this limitation involves techniques that afford the interactive exploration of the data using gross body gestures. In some circumstances, such exploration is not possible and, even when it is, it may be neither necessary nor sufficient.

This article explores some other possible reasons for the unreliability of parameter mapping sonification and, drawing from the experience of expressive musical performance, suggests that the problem lies not in the parametric approachper se, nor in the lack of interactivity, but in the extent to which the parameters employed contribute to coherent gestalts. A method for how this might be achieved that relies on the use of micro-gestural information is proposed. While this is speculative, the use of such gestural inflections is well known in music performance, is supported by findings in neuroscience and lends itself to empirical testing.
Audification and Non-Standard Synthesis inConstruction in Self
Authors: Ikeshiro Ryo
Published: February 2014

The author'sConstruction in Self(2009) belongs to the interdisciplinary context of auditory display/music. Its use of data at audio rate could be described as both audification and non-standard synthesis. The possibilities of audio-rate data use and the relation between the above descriptions are explored, and then used to develop a conceptual and theoretical basis of the work.

Vickers and Hogg's term ‘indexicality’ is used to contrast audio with control rate. The conceptual implications of its use within the digital medium and the possibility for the formation of higher-order structures are discussed. Grond and Hermann's notion of ‘familiarity’ is used to illustrate the difference between audification and non-standard synthesis, and the contexts of auditory display and music respectively. Familiarity is given as being determined by Dombois and Eckel's categories of data. Kubisch'sElectrical Walks, Xenakis's GENDYN and the audification of seismograms are used as examples. Bogost's concept of the alien is introduced, and its relevance to the New Aesthetic and Algorave are discussed. Sound examples fromConstruction in Selfare used to demonstrate the varying levels of familiarity or noise possible and suggested as providing a way of bridging the divide between institutional and underground electronic music.
Financial literacy and financial sophistication in the older population
Authors: LUSARDI ANNAMARIA , MITCHELL OLIVIA S. , CURTO VILSA
Published: February 2014

Using a special-purpose module implemented in the Health and Retirement Study, we evaluate financial sophistication in the American population over the age of 50. We combine several financial literacy questions into an overall index to highlight which questions best capture financial sophistication and examine the sensitivity of financial literacy responses to framing effects. Results show that many older respondents are not financially sophisticated: they fail to grasp essential aspects of risk diversification, asset valuation, portfolio choice, and investment fees. Subgroups with notable deficits include women, the least educated, non-Whites, and those age 75+. In view of the fact that retirees increasingly must take on responsibility for their own retirement security, such meager levels of knowledge have potentially serious and negative implications.
Ursachen und Klinik der Mangelernährung
Authors: Löser Christian
Published: February 2014

Mangelernährung ist ein hochrelevanter unabhängiger klinischer Risiko- und signifikanter Kostenfaktor mit wissenschaftlich überzeugend belegten klinischen Folgen. Die Ursachen für das Auftreten einer Mangelernährung sind komplex und in der Regel multifaktoriell und beinhalten neben einer Vielzahl unterschiedlicher medizinischer Faktoren sehr häufig auch nicht medizinische Gründe, wie soziale Isolation, die Unfähigkeit, sich selbständig gesundes Essen zu beschaffen und zuzubereiten sowie Armut. Die Entwicklung einer klinisch relevanten Mangelernährung äußert sich neben einem Gewichtsverlust in einer Vielzahl unspezifischer und spezifischer körperlicher Symptome und Beschwerden und im Einzelfall durch konkrete Symptome/Erkrankungen bei spezifischem Mikronährstoffmangel. Bei Patienten mit Risiko für Mangelernährung sollte durch systematisches Nachfragen und eine gezielte körperliche Untersuchung eine relevante Mangelernährung frühzeitig diagnostiziert und die individuell zugrunde liegenden Ursachen evaluiert werden, damit möglichst zeitgerecht eine adäquate Ernährungsintervention eingeleitet werden kann.
Der Einsatz von Trinknahrung ist wirksam, zweckmäßig und wirtschaftlich
Authors: Uster Alexandra , Rühlin Maya , Ballmer Peter E.
Published: February 2014

Zahlreiche Studien haben gezeigt, dass die medizinisch indizierte Gabe von Trinknahrung eine kostengünstige und effektive Maßnahme ist, um die Nahrungszufuhr zu steigern. Insbesondere akut kranke, ältere polymorbide internistische und chirurgische Patienten profitieren in hohem Maße von Trinknahrung. Im Juli 2012 hat das Eidgenössische Departement des Innern (EDI) die Verabreichung von Trinknahrung als wirksam, zweckmäßig und wirtschaftlich anerkannt und die Kostenübernahme gesetzlich neu geregelt. Die Kosten werden von der Grundversicherung übernommen, falls eine definierte medizinische Indikation gemäß Richtlinie der GESKES (Gesellschaft für Klinische Ernährung Schweiz) und eine Mangelernährung oder ein hohes Risiko für eine Mangelernährung bestehen und vom Arzt ausgewiesen wird.
Parenterale Ernährungsstrategien
Authors: Adolph Michael
Published: February 2014

Die parenterale Ernährung ist elementarer Bestandteil der Therapie kritisch kranker Patienten. Dies gilt unvermindert auch vor dem Hintergrund der aktuellen Diskussion um diese Form der künstlichen Ernährung. Erst in jüngerer Zeit haben mehrere groß angelegte prospektiv randomisierte kontrollierte Studien Fragen nach der korrekten Indikation, dem optimalen Timing und der Zusammensetzung einer parenteralen Ernährung untersucht. Trotz einer zum Teil ausgesprochen kontrovers geführten Diskussion kristallisiert sich eine Strategie heraus, die die parenterale Ernährung als besonders wichtigen, ergänzenden Baustein einer möglichst früh begonnenen enteralen Ernährung sieht.
Deep ocean carbonate ion increase during mid Miocene CO2 decline
Authors: Kender Sev , Yu Jimin , Peck Victoria L.
Published: February 2014

Characterised by long term cooling and abrupt ice sheet expansion on Antarctica ~14 Ma ago, the mid Miocene marked the beginning of the modern ice-house world, yet there is still little consensus on its causes, in part because carbon cycle dynamics are not well constrained. In particular, changes in carbonate ion concentration ([CO32−]) in the ocean, the largest carbon reservoir of the ocean-land-atmosphere system, are poorly resolved. We use benthic foraminiferal B/Ca ratios to reconstruct relative changes in [CO32−] from the South Atlantic, East Pacific and Southern Oceans. Our results suggest an increase of perhaps ~40 μmol/kg may have occurred between ~15 and 14 Ma in intermediate to deep waters in each basin. This long-term increase suggests elevated alkalinity input, perhaps from the Himalaya, rather than other shorter-term mechanisms such as ocean circulation or ecological changes and may account for some of the proposed atmospheric CO2 decline before ~14 Ma.
Identification of pathogenic fungi with an optoelectronic nose
Authors: Zhang Yinan , Askim Jon R. , Zhong Wenxuan , Orlean Peter , Suslick Kenneth S.
Published: February 2014

A disposable colorimetric sensor array capable permits rapid differentiation and identification of 12 pathogenic fungi in 3 h with >98% accuracy, based on their metabolic profiles of emitted volatiles.
Marine-degradable polylactic acid
Authors: Martin Ryan T. , Camargo Ludmila P. , Miller Stephen A.
Published: February 2014

Incorporation of the acetal functional group into the main-chain of polylactic acid affords polyesteracetals that degrade readily in seawater.
DNA-templated nanowires: morphology and electrical conductivity
Authors: Watson Scott M. D. , Pike Andrew R. , Pate Jonathan , Houlton Andrew , Horrocks Benjamin R.
Published: February 2014

DNA-templating has been used to create nanowires from metals, compound semiconductors and conductive polymers.
Molecular resonant dissociation of surface-adsorbed molecules by plasmonic nanoscissors
Authors: Zhang Zhenglong , Sheng Shaoxiang , Zheng Hairong , Xu Hongxing , Sun Mengtao
Published: February 2014

The ability to break individual bonds or specific modes in chemical reactions is an ardently sought goal by chemists and physicists.
Discovery of 2′-hydroxychalcones as autophagy inducer in A549 lung cancer cells
Authors: Wang Fang-Wu , Wang Sheng-Qing , Zhao Bao-Xiang , Miao Jun-Ying
Published: February 2014

A series of 2′-hydroxychalcone derivatives was synthesized and the effects of all the compounds on growth of A549 lung cancer cell were investigated.
Facile hydrothermal synthesis and electrochemical properties of orthorhombic LiMnO2cathode materials for rechargeable lithium batteries
Authors: Chen Shulin , Cao Feifei , Liu Fan , Xiang Quanjun , Feng Xionghan , Liu Lihu , Qiu Guohong
Published: February 2014

Pure-phase and aluminum-doped orthorhombic LiMnO2(o-LiMnO2) samples of high discharge capacity and cyclic stability are prepared by a simple one-step hydrothermal reaction with low Li/Mn molar ratio. Mixing LiMn2O4and doping aluminum improve the electrochemical performance ofo-LiMnO2.
Time-resolved botulinum neurotoxin A activity monitored using peptide-functionalized Au nanoparticle energy transfer sensors
Authors: Wang Yi , Liu Xiaohu , Zhang Jinling , Aili Daniel , Liedberg Bo
Published: February 2014

A peptide mimicking SNAP-25 was immobilized on Au nanoparticles for the monitoring of botulinum neurotoxin light chain A activity.
Direct measurements of particle–surface interactions in aqueous solutions with total internal reflection microscopy
Authors: Gong Xiangjun , Wang Zhaohui , Ngai To
Published: February 2014

This feature article reviews the experimental studies of the interactions between designed colloidal surfaces in the presence or absence of macromolecules/nanoparticles including depletion attraction, steric repulsion, bridging flocculation, and specific interactions by using Total Internal Reflection Microscopy.
Desorption of hydrogen from light metal hydrides: concerted electronic rearrangement and role of H⋯H interactions
Authors: Wolstenholme David J. , Roy Matthew M. D. , Thomas Michael E. , McGrady G. Sean
Published: February 2014

The synergic interplay of H⋯H and M–H interactions in the evolution of H2from binary metal hydrides is revealed.
Exploring few-layer graphene and graphene oxide as fillers to enhance the oxygen-atom corrosion resistance of composites
Authors: Yi Min , Shen Zhigang , Zhao Xiaohu , Liu Lei , Liang Shuaishuai , Zhang Xiaojing
Published: February 2014

A composite reinforced by few-layer graphene (FLG) and graphene oxide exhibits enhanced oxygen-atom corrosion resistance due to bonding and barrier effects.
Low-temperature NO reduction with NH3 over Mn–CeOx/CNT catalysts prepared by a liquid-phase method
Authors: Wang Xie , Zheng Yuying , Xu Zhe , Liu Yi , Wang Xiaoli
Published: February 2014

Mn–CeOx/CNTs prepared by a liquid-phase method showed excellent low-temperature activity for NO reduction with NH3.
Lanthanoid containing phosphotungstates: the syntheses, crystal structure, electrochemistry, photoluminescence and magnetic properties
Authors: Gupta Rakesh , Saini Mukesh Kumar , Doungmene Floriant , de Oliveira Pedro , Hussain Firasat
Published: February 2014

A series of Peacock and Weakley type dimers was synthesized in a one pot reaction with high yield using ligand [P2W19O69(H2O)]14−. All nano clusters were structurally characterized by various analytical techniques.
Copper(ii) complexes supported by click generated mixed NN, NO, and NS 1,2,3-triazole based ligands and their catalytic activity in azide–alkyne cycloaddition
Authors: Mendoza-Espinosa Daniel , Negrón-Silva Guillermo Enrique , Ángeles-Beltrán Deyanira , Álvarez-Hernández Alejandro , Suárez-Castillo Oscar R. , Santillán Rosa
Published: February 2014

Four copper complexes supported by mixed NO, NN and NS-1,2,3-triazoles are reported. Their catalytic activity in the CuAAC process is demonstrated.
Small-sized and high-dispersed WN from [SiO4(W3O9)4]4− clusters loading on GO-derived graphene as promising carriers for methanol electro-oxidation
Authors: Yan Haijing , Tian Chungui , Sun Li , Wang Bo , Wang Lei , Yin Jie , Wu Aiping , Fu Honggang
Published: February 2014

WN nanoparticles of 2–3 nm are grown on graphene, which can be used as promising carriers for methanol electro-oxidation.
Reactions of enantiopure cyclic diols with sulfuryl chloride
Authors: Boyd Derek R. , Sharma Narain D. , Kaik Magdalena , McIntyre Peter B. A. , Malone John F. , Stevenson Paul J.
Published: February 2014

Monocyclic allyliccis-1,2-diols on reaction with sulfuryl chloride can either give thetrans-2-chloro-1-sulfochloridates or the cyclic sulfates depending on the reaction conditions. The former compounds can be hydrolysed totrans-1,2 chlorohydrins.
Nanothermodynamics of metal nanoparticles
Authors: Li Zhen Hua , Truhlar Donald G.
Published: February 2014

This article presents a perspective on thermodynamic characterization of metal nanoparticles by computational chemistry. Topics emphasized include structural stability, phases, phase changes, and free energy functions of aluminum nanoparticles.
Oxidative addition and C–H activation chemistry with a PNP pincer-ligated cobalt complex
Authors: Semproni Scott P. , Hojilla Atienza Crisita Carmen , Chirik Paul J.
Published: February 2014

The bis(phosphino)pyridine (PNP) cobalt(i) methyl complex, (iPrPNP)CoCH3is a rich platform for the oxidative addition of non-polar reagents such as H2, the C–H bonds of arenes and terminal alkynes.
Designing thermal and electrochemical oxidation processes for δ-MnO2 nanofibers for high-performance electrochemical capacitors
Authors: Lee Ji-Hoon , Yang Tae-Youl , Kang Ho-Young , Nam Dae-Hyun , Kim Na-Rae , Lee Yoo-Yong , Lee Se-Hee , Joo Young-Chang
Published: February 2014

δ-MnO2 nanofibers (NFs), fabricated by galvanostatic oxidation of low valence MnOx (x < 2) NFs, exhibited greatly improved specific capacitance.
Highly efficient field emission properties of a novel layered VS2/ZnO nanocomposite and flexible VS2 nanosheet
Authors: Song Changqing , Yu Ke , Yin Haihong , Fu Hao , Zhang Zhengli , Zhang Ning , Zhu Ziqiang
Published: February 2014

Multi-layered VS2 nanosheets were synthesized via a facile hydrothermal process. Due to the large quantities of sharp edges, VS2 nanosheets showed excellent field emission properties and their performance was further improved by ZnO nanoparticle coating.