bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Efficacy and Safety of Innovator versus Generic Drugs in Patients with Epilepsy: A Systematic Review
Authors: Talati Ripple , Scholle Jennifer M. , Phung Olivia P. , Baker Erika L. , Baker William L. , Ashaye Ajibade , Kluger Jeffrey , Coleman Craig I. , White C. Michael
Published: September 2012

Generic antiepileptic drugs achieve blood concentrations similar to those of innovator drugs in healthy volunteers, but their comparative effectiveness has not been well evaluated. Thus, we assessed the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of innovator versus generic antiepileptic drugs. We searched the MEDLINE database, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Web of Science for studies that evaluated innovator and generic antiepileptic drugs in patients with epilepsy and reported data on prespecified outcomes. We extracted data on study design, interventions, quality criteria, study population, baseline characteristics, and outcomes. Compared with initiation of innovator antiepileptic drugs, initiation of generic antiepileptic drugs did not significantly alter seizure occurrence (relative risk [RR] 0.87, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.64–1.18; strength of evidence: low) or frequency (standardized mean difference 0.03, 95% CI −0.08–0.14; strength of evidence: low), withdrawals due to lack of efficacy (RR 1.02, 95% CI 0.41–2.54; strength of evidence: low) or adverse events (RR 0.79, 95% CI 0.28–2.20; strength of evidence: low), pharmacokinetic concentrations (maximum, minimum, or area under the curve [strength of evidence: low]), or a myriad of adverse events (strength of evidence: low or insufficient) in clinical trials. In qualitatively evaluated observational studies, switching between forms of antiepileptic drug (innovator to generic, generic to generic) may increase the risk of hospitalization (strength of evidence: low), hospital stay duration (strength of evidence: low), and a composite end point of medical service utilization (strength of evidence: insufficient) but may not increase outpatient service utilization (strength of evidence: low). Data are limited predominantly to carbamazepine, phenytoin, and valproic acid. Clinical trials are limited by small sample size, short‐term nature, and lack of specification of A‐rated generic products (generics that the United States Food and Drug Administration has deemed bioequivalent to the innovator drug). Observational trials lack full accounting for confounders and have inherent limitations. With a low strength of evidence, it appears that initiating an innovator or generic antiepileptic drug will provide similar efficacy, tolerability, and safety but that switching from one form to the other may be associated with more hospitalizations and longer hospital stays.
Comparison of Prescription Drug Costs in the United States and the United Kingdom, Part 2: Proton Pump Inhibitors
Authors: Jick Hershel , Wilson Andrew , Wiggins Peter , Chamberlain Douglas P.
Published: September 2012

Study Objective

To compare the annual cost of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) in the United States and in the United Kingdom.

Design

Matched‐cohort cost analysis.

Data Sources

U.K. General Practice Research Database (GPRD) and MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounter Database, a large, U.S. self‐insured medical claims database.

Study Population

We initially identified more than 1 million people in the GPRD who were younger than 65 years of age and who were prescribed at least one prescription drug in 2005. Each of these people was then matched by year of birth and sex to one person in the U.S. database. From the matched pool, we estimated that 280,000 people were aged 55–64 years from each country. Of these, an estimated 27,230 (9.7%) in the U.S. were prescribed a PPI compared with 22,560 (8.1%) in the U.K. After excluding patients who did not receive the PPI continuously or who switched PPIs during the year, there remained 11,292 people in the U.S. and 9923 in the U.K. who were prescribed a single PPI preparation continuously during 2005 (annual PPI users).

Measurements and Main Results

Annual drug costs were determined by random sampling. The estimated annual cost/patient in the U.S. ranged from $901 for generic omeprazole to $1485 for lansoprazole. In the U.K., the annual costs were similar, approximately $400 for each PPI, irrespective of whether the agents were available in generic formulation. The total estimated annual cost of PPIs for 2005 in this study group was $14 million in the U.S. compared with $4.1 million in the U.K.

Conclusion

The cost of continuous use of PPIs covered by private insurance companies in the U.S. in 2005 was more than 3 times the cost covered by the U.K. government. This result is consistent with the findings of an earlier study on relative costs of statins between the countries.
Antimicrobial Stewardship in Pediatric Care: Strategies and Future Directions
Authors: Newland Jason G. , Banerjee Ritu , Gerber Jeffrey S. , Hersh Adam L. , Steinke Leah , Weissman Scott J.
Published: September 2012

Antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) are an effective strategy for improving the quality and safety of antimicrobial prescribing for hospitalized patients. Pediatric ASPs are in their early stages of development, and there are unique issues relevant to children. The imperative to ensure that antimicrobials are prescribed judiciously is highlighted by the ongoing epidemic increase in antimicrobial‐resistant infections and the simultaneous decline in the rate of new drug development. In this review we describe the process of ASP development for pediatrics, review existing data regarding the impact of pediatric ASPs, and describe the priorities and challenges for ASP research including study design and appropriate end points.
Temperature Effects on the Biomechanics of Prey Capture in the Frog Rana pipiens
Authors: Sandusky Paula E. , Deban Stephen M.
Published: September 2012

Movements of many animals are powered by a combination of active shortening of muscles and recoil of elastic structures. Movements that rely primarily on elastic recoil, such as the explosive locomotor and feeding movements of many ectotherms, have been shown to exhibit lower thermal dependence than muscle‐powered movements because elastically powered movements circumvent the effects of temperature on muscle contractile dynamics. To determine if elastic recoil contributes to the ballistic mouth opening and tongue projection of the frog Rana pipiens, we examined feeding kinematics and dynamics of tongue and jaw movements at three ambient temperatures (10, 15, and 25°C) using 6,000 Hz image sequences. We found that ballistic mouth opening exhibits high instantaneous power (up to 1,783 W kg−1 of muscle mass) and its dynamics have low thermal dependence (Q10 values of 1.02–1.37), indicating the contribution of elastic recoil. The dynamics of tongue projection are more thermally dependent (Q10 of 1.35–2.51) and likely involve muscle activity during the movement. Mouth opening during prey transport, as well as tongue retraction and mouth closing showed little evidence of elastic recoil and their dynamics show relatively high thermal dependence (Q10 of 1.38–1.89). R. pipiens shows lower thermal robustness and power of tongue projection than ballistic‐tongued Bufo terrestris which displays complete thermal independence, suggesting that in Rana tongue projection is not as tightly coupled to jaw depression as in toads. We propose that thermal experiments may be useful in probing for elastic mechanisms in other biomechanical systems. J. Exp. Zool. 317A:595–607, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Survival of patients operated for colorectal liver metastases and concomitant extra‐hepatic disease: External validation of a prognostic model
Authors: Mavros Michael N. , Hyder Omar , Pulitano Carlo , Aldrighetti Luca , Pawlik Timothy M.
Published: September 2012

Background

The presence of extra‐hepatic disease (EHD) is no longer an absolute contraindication to surgery in patients with colorectal liver metastases (CRLM). Recently, a novel prognostic model predicting overall survival in such patients was proposed using five risk factors (EHD other than isolated lung metastases, CEA ≥10 ng/ml, >5 liver metastases, right colon as the primary CRC location, and diagnosis of EHD concomitant to CRLM recurrence). A bi‐institutional database was used to perform an external validation of this model.

Methods

Ninety‐seven patients operated for CRLM and EHD between 1982 and 2011 in two institutions was analyzed. The proposed prognostic model was validated in this cohort using Cox proportional hazards models and the concordance index (c).

Results

Of the five proposed risk factors, only EHD other than isolated lung metastases was found to independently predict overall survival [Hazards Ratio (HR) = 2.10 (95% CI: 1.01–4.40)]. Although, the number of risk factors was marginally associated with overall survival in univariate analysis (P = 0.049), the performance of the proposed prognostic model was poor when applied to our cohort (c = 0.64).

Conclusion

The examined prognostic model of survival in patients with CRLM and EHD had poor performance. Further research is warranted to delineate the subset of patients who will benefit from surgery. J. Surg. Oncol. 2013;107:481–485. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A trial of drug‐induced sleep endoscopy in the surgical management of sleep‐disordered breathing
Authors: Gillespie M. Boyd , Reddy Ryan P. , White David R. , Discolo Christopher M. , Overdyk Frank J. , Nguyen Shaun A.
Published: September 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

To determine the reliability and validity of drug‐induced sleep endoscopy (DISE) for patients undergoing surgery for sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB).

Study Design:

Non‐randomized, prospective clinical trial.

Methods:

Patients with sleep‐disordered breathing were evaluated for multi‐level upper airway surgery by awake and drug‐induced sleep endoscopy to identify levels and degree of airway collapse. The reliability of a drug‐induced sleep endoscopy rating index was assessed by comparing scores of three blinded investigators. The validity was assessed by comparison of drug‐induced sleep endoscopy index scores from awake and drug‐induced sleep endoscopy; correlation between drug‐induced sleep endoscopy scores and Apnea‐Hypopnea Index; and determination whether drug‐induced sleep endoscopy affected the original surgical plan.

Results:

Thirty‐eight patients (22 M, 16 F) underwent preoperative assessment with awake and drug‐induced sleep endoscopy. Drug‐induced sleep endoscopy was successfully performed in all but one patient (97%) who became combative during propofol infusion. Using an internal airway grading scale, drug‐induced sleep endoscopy demonstrated more severity of collapse than awake endoscopy (P = 0.0001). The surgical plan was changed after drug‐induced sleep endoscopy in 23 (62%) cases and unchanged in 14 (38%). The majority (73%) had multi‐segmental airway collapse with fewer having single‐level palatal (16%) or tongue base (11%) collapse. Scoring of drug‐induced sleep endoscopy videos demonstrated good intrarater (κ 0.61) and interrater (κ 0.65) correlation.

Conclusions:

Drug‐induced sleep endoscopy provides more clinical information to assess airway function and collapse than awake endoscopy alone and assists in the surgical planning. Additional investigation is needed to standardize drug‐induced sleep endoscopy techniques, training, and interpretation. Laryngoscope, 2013
The role of myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion in maxillary swing approach nasopharyngectomy: Review of our 10‐year experience
Authors: Ho Ambrose Chung‐Wai , Chan Jimmy Yu‐Wai , Ng Raymond Wai‐Man , Ho Wai‐Kuen , Wei William Ignace
Published: September 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

The use of myringotomy with ventilation tube insertion after maxillary swing nasopharyngectomy was originally described to prevent the occurrence of otitis media with effusion. The outcome of this otologic procedure has never been reviewed and discussed. The purpose of this study is to examine the role of myringotomy with ventilation tube insertion in this group of patients.

Study Design:

Retrospective review.

Methods:

One hundred forty‐two patients with maxillary swing nasopharyngectomy were recruited from 1999 to 2008. The otologic status was evaluated using otoscopy, pure tone audiogram, and tympanogram at 3 months, 6 months, and then yearly after the operation. The results were reviewed periodically during that 10‐year period. During this period, there were three groups; the first group had myringotomy with ventilation tube inserted, the second group had myringotomy alone, and the third group had no myringotomy performed.

Results:

There were significantly (P < .0001) more patients in the myringotomy with ventilation tube insertion group who suffered from adverse otologic complications such as discharging grommet, discharging chronic suppurative otitis media, and perforated eardrum when compared with patients with myringotomy alone and patients without myringotomy at 3 months, 6 months, and 12 months. There were no differences in the incidence of acute otitis media among all three groups of patients.

Conclusions:

Patients who underwent maxillary swing nasopharyngectomy and myringotomy with ventilation tube insertions suffered from more otologic complications. The routine use of myringotomy with or without ventilation tube insertion for this group of patients is not recommended.
Mit Simulationen Nanokristallen und ‐kompositen auf der Spur
Authors: Milek Theodor , Duchstein Patrick , Zahn Dirk
Published: September 2012

Molekulardynamiksimulationen geben Aufschlüsse über die elementaren Schritte der Keimbildung und des Kristallwachstums. Langfristig soll dies der Steuerung von Keimbildungs‐ und Wachstumsprozessen dienen und neue Perspektiven zum Design nanokristalliner Systeme eröffnen.
E‐Learning als integraler Baustein von Laborpraktika
Authors: Daubenfeld Thorsten
Published: September 2012

Computergestützte Vorbereitung mit Videos und elektronischen Tests sowie die Arbeit im Labor verknüpfen Theorie und Praxis. Die experimentellen Fähigkeiten Lernender verbessern sich damit. Der nachhaltige Lernerfolg lässt die Studierenden weiter in die molekulare Welt vordringen.
Die Chemie übernimmt wieder
Authors: Schneider Bernd
Published: September 2012

Seit Beginn des Jahres steigen Anzahl und Wert der Deals pro Quartal. Asiaten sind immer häufiger als Käufer oder Verkäufer bei grenzüberschreitenden Transaktionen vertreten.
Ein Jahr Deutschlandstipendium
Authors: Graf Katharina
Published: September 2012

Seit dem Sommersemester 2011 vergeben drei Viertel der deutschen Hochschulen das Deutschlandstipendium; unter den Stipendiaten sind zirka fünf Prozent Chemiestudenten. Unternehmen der chemischen Industrie fördern das Stipendium.
Sustained Impact of Anticoagulant Control Achieved in an Anticoagulation Management Service After Transfer of Management to the Primary Care Physician
Authors: Bungard Tammy J. , Ritchie Bruce , Garg Sipi , Tsuyuki Ross T.
Published: September 2012

Study Objectives

To determine whether the impact of anticoagulant control achieved in an Anticoagulation Management Service (AMS) is sustained after transfer of anticoagulation management to the primary care physician (PCP), and to assess patient satisfaction with their anticoagulation management by both the AMS and PCP.

Design

Prospective, randomized trial.

Setting

Pharmacist‐directed ambulatory AMS located in a tertiary medical care facility and PCP practices in Canada.

Patients

Sixty‐two adults who had received at least 6 months of warfarin therapy managed by the AMS.

Intervention

Patients were randomly assigned to remain with AMS care (32 patients) or to transfer their anticoagulation management care to their PCP (30 patients). After 4.5 months of care, patients in both groups completed a validated survey instrument assessing their satisfaction with the management of their warfarin therapy.

Measurements and Main Results

Of 295 patients screened, most were excluded from the study for denying consent or for having previous bleeding or clotting complications while taking warfarin. Patients in the AMS and PCP groups who completed the study were similar in age (median 70 and 76 yrs, respectively), and most had atrial fibrillation as an indication for warfarin (75% and 83%, respectively). The primary outcome measure—mean percentage of time within the desired international normalized ratio (INR) range after 6 months—was compared between the two groups, using both the actual range (INR 2.5 ± 0.5) and an expanded range (INR 2.5 ± 0.7). No significant difference was noted in this outcome between the groups (73.5 ± 19.1% vs 76.9 ± 24.5% for the AMS vs PCP groups, p=0.54). Other outcome measures were rates of thrombotic and hemorrhagic events resulting in emergency department visits or hospitalizations, patients’ overall satisfaction with warfarin therapy, and patients’ preferred anticoagulation management strategy. Two hemorrhagic events and one thrombotic event occurred in each group. Patients were more satisfied with their anticoagulant management by the AMS relative to PCP care (p=0.01), and given the choice, patients preferred AMS care (p=0.001).

Conclusion

During this 6‐month trial, anticoagulation control did not significantly differ between patients who continued to receive anticoagulation management by the AMS and those who transferred to their PCP for anticoagulation management, indicating that the effects of AMS care were sustained. Although patients were more satisfied and preferred to stay with AMS care, this study shows that select patients could have their anticoagulation care transferred to their PCP without compromising anticoagulation control.
Microwave‐induced off‐resonance giant magnetoresistance in ultraclean two‐dimensional electron systems
Authors: Iñarrea J.
Published: September 2012

We report on theoretical studies of a recently discovered strong radiation‐induced magnetoresistance spike obtained in ultraclean two‐dimensional electron systems at low temperatures. The most striking feature of this strong spike is that it shows up on the second harmonic of the cyclotron resonance. We apply the radiation‐driven electron orbits model in the ultraclean scenario. We calculate the new average advanced distance by the electron in a scattering event which will define the unexpected resonance spike position. Calculated results are in good agreement with experiments. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Erucin and Benzyl Isothiocyanate Suppress Growth of Late Stage Primary Human Ovarian Carcinoma Cells and Telomerase Activity In Vitro
Authors: Lamy Evelyn , Oey Dewi , Eißmann Florian , Herz Corinna , Münstedt Karsten , Tinneberg Hans‐Rudolf , Mersch‐Sundermann Volker
Published: September 2012

In the present study we analysed the effects of isothiocyanates (ITCs) ‐ plant‐derived sulphur‐containing constituents known for their potential chemotherapeutic activity ‐ on growth inhibition and programmed death in primary ovarian carcinoma cells from ascites of human patients.

Twenty‐four hour exposure of carcinoma cells to 5–50 μM erucin or benzyl ITC led to a concentration‐dependent viability loss, as determined by erytrosin B cell staining. This concurred with an increase in internucleosomal DNA fragmentation, mitochondrial membrane depolarization and downregulation of Akt as indicator for apoptosis induction. Cell accumulation at the G2/M phase was evident after 48 h of erucin treatment. Telomerase, a selective target of cancer cells, was suppressed by erucin. Although pre‐treatment of cells with the thiol antioxidant N‐acetylcysteine could completely prevent initialization of the apoptotic process, it failed to abolish ITC‐mediated telomerase suppression. Taken together, in our study, ITC exerted comparable cytotoxic efficacy against primary ovarian cancer cells as reported for corresponding cell lines. The clinical significance of this observation should be addressed in future studies and the role of telomerase further investigated. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
GEOMORPHIC RESPONSES TO CHANGES IN INSTREAM FLOWS: THE FLOW‐CHANNEL FITNESS MODEL
Authors: Phillips J. D.
Published: September 2012

The flow‐channel fitness model is a conceptual and practical model for predicting the qualitative response of alluvial channels to modifications of flow regimes. ‘Fitness’ refers to the size of channels compared with the flows they convey, with the terminology derived from traditional geomorphic concepts of overfit and underfit streams. The qualitative predictions refer to whether channels experience aggradation, degradation or relative stability, and whether aggradation or degradation is dominated by width or depth. The model is based on transitions among seven possible fitness states, triggered by key thresholds of sediment supply versus transport capacity and shear stress versus shear strength, and requires that potential changes in sediment supply and water surface or energy‐grade slope also be accounted for. The fitness approach can be used where only relative values and changes are known, as is illustrated in three example applications from Texas. The flow‐channel fitness model synthesizes key elements from several existing approaches to predicting geomorphic responses to changes in flow and is intended to augment rather than replace quantitative approaches, providing a predictive tool where the data requirements and assumptions for quantitative models cannot be fully met. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Asymptotics of trees with a prescribed degree sequence and applications
Authors: Broutin Nicolas , Marckert Jean‐François
Published: September 2012

Lettbe a rooted tree andnbi(t) the number of nodes inthavingichildren. The degree sequenceoftsatisfies, wheredenotes the number of nodes int. In this paper, we consider trees sampled uniformly among all plane trees having the same degree sequence; we writefor the corresponding distribution. Letbe a list of degree sequences indexed by κ corresponding to trees with size. We show that under some simple and natural hypotheses onthe trees sampled underconverge to the Brownian continuum random tree after normalisation by. Some applications concerning Galton–Watson trees and coalescence processes are provided.Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 44, 290‐316, 2014
Multifunctional protein APPL2 contributes to survival of human glioma cells
Authors: Pyrzynska Beata , Banach-Orlowska Magdalena , Teperek-Tkacz Marta , Miekus Katarzyna , Drabik Grazyna , Majka Marcin , Miaczynska Marta
Published: September 2012

Some endocytic proteins have recently been shown to play a role in tumorigenesis. In this study, we demonstrate that APPL2, an adapter protein with known endocytic functions, is upregulated in 40% cases of glioblastoma multiforme, the most common and aggressive cancer of the central nervous system. The silencing of APPL2 expression by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) in glioma cells markedly reduces cell survival under conditions of low growth factor availability and enhances apoptosis (measured by executor caspase activity). Long‐term depletion of APPL2 by short hairpin RNAs (shRNAs), under regular growth factor availability, suppresses the cell transformation abilities, assessed by inhibited colony formation in soft agar and by reduced xenograft tumor growth in vivo. At the molecular level, the negative effect of APPL2 knockdown on cell survival is not due to the alterations in AKT or GSK3β activities which were reported to be modulated by APPL proteins. Instead, we attribute the reduced cell survival upon APPL2 depletion to the changes in gene expression, in particular to the upregulation of apoptosis‐related genes, such as UNC5B (a proapoptotic dependence receptor) and HRK (harakiri, an activator of apoptosis, which antagonizes anti‐apoptotic function of Bcl2). In support of this notion, the loss of glioma cell survival upon APPL2 knockdown can be rescued either by an excess of netrin‐1, the prosurvival ligand of UNC5B or by simultaneous silencing of HRK. Consistently, APPL2 overexpression reduces expression of HRK and caspase activation in cells treated with apoptosis inducers, resulting in the enhancement of cell viability. This prosurvival activity of APPL2 is independent of its endosomal localization. Cumulatively, our data indicate that a high level of APPL2 protein might enhance glioblastoma growth by maintaining low expression level of genes responsible for cell death induction.
Dietary sources of five nutrients in ethnic groups represented in the Multiethnic Cohort
Authors: Sharma Sangita , Wilkens Lynne R. , Shen Lucy , Kolonel Laurence N.
Published: September 2012

Data are limited on how dietary sources of energy and nutrient intakes differ among ethnic groups in the USA. The objective of the present study was to characterise dietary sources of energy, total fat, saturated fat, protein, dietary fibre and added sugar for five ethnic groups. A validated quantitative FFQ was used to collect dietary data from 186 916 men and women aged 45–75 years who were living in Hawaii and Los Angeles between 1993 and 1996. Participants represented five ethnic groups: African-American; Japanese-American; Native Hawaiian; Latino; Caucasian. The top ten dietary sources of energy contributed 36·2–49·6 % to total energy consumption, with rice and bread contributing the most (11·4–27·8 %) across all ethnic–sex groups. Major dietary sources of total fat were chicken/turkey dishes and butter among most groups. Ice cream, ice milk or frozen yogurt contributed 4·6–6·2 % to saturated fat intake across all ethnic–sex groups, except Latino-Mexico women. Chicken/turkey and bread were among the top dietary sources of protein (13·9–19·4 %). The top two sources of dietary fibre were bread and cereals (18·1–22 %) among all groups, except Latino-Mexico men. Regular sodas contributed the most to added sugar consumption. The present study provides, for the first time, data on the major dietary sources of energy, fat, saturated fat, protein, fibre and added sugar for these five ethnic groups in the USA. Such data are valuable for identifying target foods for nutritional intervention programmes and directing public health strategies aimed at reducing dietary risk factors for chronic disease.
Model checking with probabilistic tabled logic programming
Authors: GORLIN ANDREY , RAMAKRISHNAN C. R. , SMOLKA SCOTT A.
Published: September 2012

We present a formulation of the problem of probabilistic model checking as one of query evaluation over probabilistic logic programs. To the best of our knowledge, our formulation is the first of its kind, and it covers a rich class of probabilistic models and probabilistic temporal logics. The inference algorithms of existing probabilistic logic-programming systems are well defined only for queries with a finite number of explanations. This restriction prohibits the encoding of probabilistic model checkers, where explanations correspond to executions of the system being model checked. To overcome this restriction, we propose a more general inference algorithm that uses finite generative structures (similar to automata) to represent families of explanations. The inference algorithm computes the probability of a possibly infinite set of explanations directly from the finite generative structure. We have implemented our inference algorithm in XSB Prolog, and use this implementation to encode probabilistic model checkers for a variety of temporal logics, including PCTL and GPL (which subsumes PCTL*). Our experiment results show that, despite the highly declarative nature of their encodings, the model checkers constructed in this manner are competitive with their native implementations.
Typed answer set programming lambda calculus theories and correctness of inverse lambda algorithms with respect to them
Authors: BARAL CHITTA , DZIFCAK JURAJ , GONZALEZ MARCOS A. , GOTTESMAN AARON
Published: September 2012

Our broader goal is to automatically translate English sentences into formulas in appropriate knowledge representation languages as a step towards understanding and thus answering questions with respect to English text. Our focus in this paper is on the language of Answer Set Programming (ASP). Our approach to translate sentences to ASP rules is inspired by Montague's use of lambda calculus formulas as meaning of words and phrases. With ASP as the target language the meaning of words and phrases are ASP-lambda formulas. In an earlier work we illustrated our approach by manually developing a dictionary of words and their ASP-lambda formulas. However such an approach is not scalable. In this paper our focus is on two algorithms that allow one to construct ASP-lambda formulas in an inverse manner. In particular the two algorithms take as input two lambda-calculus expressions G and H and compute a lambda-calculus expression F such that F with input as G, denoted by F@G, is equal to H; and similarly G@F = H. We present correctness and complexity results about these algorithms. To do that we develop the notion of typed ASP-lambda calculus theories and their orders and use it in developing the completeness results.
Lightweight compilation of (C)LP to JavaScript
Authors: MORALES JOSE F. , HAEMMERLÉ RÉMY , CARRO MANUEL , HERMENEGILDO MANUEL V.
Published: September 2012

We present and evaluate a compiler from Prolog (and extensions) to JavaScript which makes it possible to use (constraint) logic programming to develop the client side of web applications while being compliant with current industry standards. Targeting JavaScript makes (C)LP programs executable in virtually every modern computing device with no additional software requirements from the point of view of the user. In turn, the use of a very high-level language facilitates the development of high-quality, complex software. The compiler is a back end of the Ciao system and supports most of its features, including its module system and its rich language extension mechanism based onpackages. We present an overview of the compilation process and a detailed description of the run-time system, including the support for modular compilation into separate JavaScript code. We demonstrate the maturity of the compiler by testing it with complex code such as a CLP(FD) library written in Prolog with attributed variables. Finally, we validate our proposal by measuring the performance of some LP and CLP(FD) benchmarks running on top of major JavaScript engines.
Searching Legal Information in Multiple Asian Languages
Authors: Chung Philip , Mowbray Andrew , Greenleaf Graham
Published: September 2012

In this article Philip Chung, Andrew Mowbray, and Graham Greenleaf, the Co-Directors of the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII), explain the need for an open source search engine which can search simultaneously over legal materials in European languages and also in Asian languages, particularly those that require a ‘double byte’ representation, and the difficulties this task presents. A solution is proposed; the ‘u16a’ modifications to AustLII's open source search engine (Sino) which is used by many legal information institutes. Two implementations of the Sino u16A approach, on the Hong Kong Legal Information Institute (HKLII), for English and Chinese, and on the Asian Legal Information Institute (AsianLII), for multiple Asian languages, are described. The implementations have been successful, though many challenges (discussed briefly) remain before this approach will provide a full multi-lingual search facility.
Strategic Access
Authors: Gordon Gregory J.
Published: September 2012

There is a revolution afoot in scholarly communication and it is called, Open Access. Whilst Gregory J Gordon is a strong proponent of Open Access, he believes many people are missing the point as more does not mean better, it only means more. Open Access has had a major impact on scholarly communications by reducing the traditional barriers to research. Unfortunately, this has compounded the issues of discovery. Institutional repositories, disciplinary repositories and multi-disciplinary, multi-institutional repositories and metrics such as downloads, citations, and Eigenfactor™ Score are new tools in the scholarly researcher's kit. Familiarity and comprehension of these tools will help scholars make efficient use of the overabundance of scholarly communications. This strategic access approach will ultimately result in greater precision.
Clarifying Copyright
Authors: Speight Dunstan , Darroch Jennifer
Published: September 2012

Librarians have an important role to play in providing guidance and assistance to their organisation on copyright compliance. This task is becoming ever more challenging as licence conditions and copyright law are refined and library users want to re-use information in a wider variety of ways. In the following article Dunstan Speight and Jennifer Darroch of Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP discuss a recent pilot project to produce more readily accessible copyright guidance. Although the examples below relate to newspaper copyright issues and are in the context of a City law firm, it is hoped that the ideas will be of more general application.
Finding Information on Pending Appeal Cases: What the Commercial Publishers Offer
Authors: Fathers Nadine
Published: September 2012

In this, the second of two articles, Nadine Fathers looks at what information is available through the various legal online subscription databases in relation to pending appeal cases. Her first article was published in the Spring 2012 issue of LIM.1
Final Fates of Massive Stars
Authors: Nomoto Ken'ichi
Published: September 2012

Massive stars are thought to play important roles in the early evolution of the Universe. In this paper, we first classify the final fates of massive stars into 7 cases according to their mass ranges. These variations of the final fate may correspond to the observed large diversities of supernova properties, such as extremely faint and extremely luminous (superluminous) supernovae, and the extremely energetic hypernovae. We then focus on the properties of the peculiar superluminous Type Ic supernova 1999as. We examine radioactive decay models, magnetar models, and circumstellar interaction models for the light curve of SN 1999as. We find that these models are not quite successful, and thus it is crucially important to improve these models to clarify the final fates of massive stars.
Recent Observations of GRB-Supernovae
Authors: Cobb Bethany Elisa
Published: September 2012

The GRB-SNe connection has been strengthened since 2008 by the detection of 6 additional GRB-SNe at both local and cosmological redshifts. This review summarizes the recent observations of SNe associated with GRBs 081007, 090618, 091127, 100316D, 101219B and 111211A, as well as the observations of SN 2008D, which was associated with a bright X-ray flash (XRF 080109) and may represent a link between “plain” SN and GRB-SNe. It is now clear that most – if not all – long-duration GRBs are produced by the core collapse of massive stars.
GRB 101225A - a new class of GRBs?
Authors: Thöne C. C. , de Ugarte Postigo A. , Fryer C. , Page K. , Gorosabel J. , Perley D. , Aloy M. , Kouveliotou C. ,   the Christmas Burst collaboration
Published: September 2012

The Christmas burst, GRB 101225A, was one of the most controversial bursts in the last few years. Its exceptionally long duration but bright X-ray emission showing a thermal component followed by a strange afterglow with a thermal SED lead to two different interpretations. We present here our model ascribing this strange event to a new type of GRB progenitor consisting of a neutron star and an evolved main-sequence star in a very faint galaxy at redshift 0.33 while Campana et al. (2011) proposed a Galactic origin. New observations at several wavelengths might resolve the question between the two models in the near future.
Unveiling the fundamental properties of Gamma-Ray Burst host galaxies
Authors: Savaglio Sandra
Published: September 2012

The galaxies hosting the most energetic explosions in the universe, the gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), are generally found to be low-mass, metal-poor, blue and star forming. However, the majority of the targets investigated so far (less than 100) are at relatively low redshift, z < 2. We know that at low redshift, the cosmic star formation is predominantly in small galaxies. Therefore, at low redshift, long-duration GRBs, which are associated with massive stars, are expected to be in small galaxies. Preliminary investigations of the stellar mass function of z < 1.5 GRB hosts does not indicate that these galaxies are different from the general population of nearby star-forming galaxies. At high-z, it is still unclear whether GRB hosts are different. Recent results indicate that a fraction of them might be in dusty regions of massive galaxies. Remarkable is the a super-solar metallicity measured in the interstellar medium of a z = 3.57 GRB host.
Probing explosion geometry of core-collapse supernovae with light curves of the shock breakout
Authors: Suzuki Akihiro , Shigeyama Toshikazu
Published: September 2012

We consider supernova shock breakout in aspherical core-collapse supernovae. We perform hydrodynamical calculations to investigate the propagation of a strong shock wave in a compact star and the subsequent emergence from the surface. Using the results combined with a simple emission model based on blackbody radiation, we clarify how aspherical energy depositions affect shock breakout light curves.
Are short GRBs powered by magnetars?
Authors: O'Brien Paul T. , Rowlinson Antonia
Published: September 2012

The standard model for a short duration Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) involves the merger of a neutron star binary system, resulting in a black hole which accretes for a brief period of time. However, some of the short-duration GRBs observed by the Swift satellite show features in their light curves which are difficult to explain in this model. As an alternative, we examine the light curves of the Swift short GRB sample to see if they can be explained by the presence of a highly magnetised, rapidly rotating pulsar, or magnetar. We find that magnetars may be present in a large fraction of short bursts, and discuss briefly how this model can be tested using the next generation of gravity-wave observatories.
Concluding Remarks
Authors: Pian Elena , Kawai Nobuyuki , Roming Peter W. A.
Published: September 2012

At the end of IAU Symposium 279, Shri Kulkarni delivered the concluding remarks. This paper presents a summary of his comments as interpreted by the Chairs of the Science Organizing Committee.
Detecting TeV γ-rays from GRBs with km3 neutrino telescopes
Authors: Astraatmadja Tri L.
Published: September 2012

Observing TeV photons from GRBs can greatly enhance our understanding of their emission mechanisms. Under-sea/ice neutrino telescopes—such as ANTARES in the Mediterranean Sea or IceCube at the South Pole—can also operate as a γ-ray observatory by detecting downgoing muons from the electromagnetic cascade induced by the interaction of the photons with the Earth's atmosphere. Theoretical calculations of the number of detectable muons from single GRB events, located at different redshifts and zenith distances, have been performed. The attenuation by pair production of TeV photons with cosmic infrared background photons has also been included.
Neutron Star Kicks Affected by Standing Accretion Shock Instability for Core-Collapse Supernovae
Authors: Nakano Wakana Iwakami , Kotake Kei , Ohnishi Naofumi , Yamada Shoichi , Sawada Keisuke
Published: September 2012

We investigate a proto-neutron star kick velocity estimated from kinetic momentum of a flow around the proto-neutron star after the standing accretion shock instability grows. In this study, ten different types of random perturbations are imposed on the initial flow for each neutrino luminosity. We found that the kick velocities of proto-neutron star are widely distributed from 40 km s−1 to 180 km s−1 when the shock wave reaches 2000 km away from the center of the star. The average value of kick velocity is 115 km s−1, whose value is smaller than the observational ones. The kick velocities do not depend on the neutrino luminosity.
Progenitors of electron-capture supernovae
Authors: Jones Samuel , Hirschi Raphael , Herwig Falk , Paxton Bill , Timmes Francis X. , Nomoto Ken'ichi
Published: September 2012

We investigate the lowest mass stars that produce Type-II supernovae, motivated by recent results showing that a large fraction of type-II supernova progenitors for which there are direct detections display unexpectedly low luminosity (for a review see e.g. Smartt 2009). There are three potential evolutionary channels leading to this fate. Alongside the standard ‘massive star’ Fe-core collapse scenario we investigate the likelihood of electron capture supernovae (EC-SNe) from super-AGB (S-AGB) stars in their thermal pulse phase, from failed massive stars for which neon burning and other advanced burning stages fail to prevent the star from contracting to the critical densities required to initiate rapid electron-capture reactions and thus the star's collapse. We find it indeed possible that both of these relatively exotic evolutionary channels may be realised but it is currently unclear for what proportion of stars. Ultimately, the supernova light curves, explosion energies, remnant properties (see e.g. Knigge et al. 2011) and ejecta composition are the quantities desired to establish the role that these stars at the lower edge of the massive star mass range play.
Influence of stellar oscillations on pulsar and magnetar magnetospheres
Authors: Morozova Viktoriya , Ahmedov Bobomurat , Zanotti Olindo
Published: September 2012

We investigated influence of stellar oscillations on the electrodynamics of pulsars as well as magnetars magnetosphere. Besides finding noticeable modification of electromagnetic field and charge density in the polar cap vicinity of oscillating neutron stars we proposed qualitative hypotheses explaining phenomena of part time pulsars as well as sporadic radio emission from generally radio-quiet magnetars with the help of stellar oscillations.
The Fast Evolution of SN 2010bh associated with GRB 100316D
Authors: Olivares E. Felipe , Greiner Jochen , Schady Patricia , Rau Arne , Klose Sylvio , Krühler Thomas ,   for the GROND team
Published: September 2012

We report on the type-Ic SN 2010bh associated with XRF 100316D at z = 0.059, which is among the latest spectroscopically confirmed GRB-SNe (Bufano et al. 2012). This supernova proves to be the most rapidly evolving GRB-SN to date.
The Red Supergiant Problem: Circumstellar dust as a solution
Authors: Walmswell Joe , Eldridge John
Published: September 2012

We investigate the red supergiant problem: the apparent dearth of Type IIP supernova progenitors with masses between 16 and 30 M⊙. Although red supergiants with masses in this range have been observed, none have been identified as progenitors in pre–explosion images. We show that, by failing to take into account the additional extinction resulting from the dust produced in the red supergiant winds, the luminosity of the most massive red supergiants at the end of their lives is underestimated. We re–estimate the initial masses of all Type IIP progenitors for which observations exist and analyse the resulting population. We find that the most likely maximum mass for a Type IIP progenitor is 21+2−1 M⊙. This is in closer agreement with the limit predicted from single star evolution models.
Rapid post‐mortem maturation of diatom silica oxygen isotope values
Authors: Dodd Justin P. , Sharp Zachary D. , Fawcett Peter J. , Brearley Adrian J. , McCubbin Francis M.
Published: September 2012

Oxygen isotope values of diatom silica (δ18Odiatom) are increasingly used as paleoclimate proxies; however, the magnitude and timing of post‐mortem alteration of δ18Odiatom values has been unclear. In freshwater diatom silica from a human‐made pond in northern New Mexico, post‐mortem alteration of δ18Odiatom values occurs within one year of sediment burial. Diatom silica collected antemortem has an average δ18Odiatom value of 21.5‰ (VSMOW, σ = 1.3, n = 23), whereas diatom silica from two sediment cores from the same freshwater environment records significantly higher δ18Odiatom values (28.9‰, σ = 0.8, n = 13). The difference in ante‐ and post‐mortem δ18Odiatom values indicate post‐mortem alteration of diatom silica oxygen that results in a >7‰ increase in δ18O values. This study demonstrates that δ18Odiatom values reach mature values within 0.5 years of frustule death. Initial diatom δ18O values that record growing conditions are rapidly overwritten during silica maturation, and the mature diatom δ18O values approach isotopic equilibrium for quartz‐water. The rapid post‐mortem alteration of diatom δ18O values explains much of the disparate data regarding silica‐water fractionation for diatom silica and has a profound effect on the use of diatom silica δ18O values as a paleoclimate proxy in lacustrine and marine environments.
Deformation microstructures reveal a complex mantle history for polycrystalline diamond
Authors: Rubanova Ekaterina V. , Piazolo Sandra , Griffin William L. , O'Reilly Suzanne Y.
Published: September 2012

Detailed, quantitative electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) analysis of polycrystalline diamond rocks (diamondites) provides insights into their formation and significance. The fine grain size of diamondites is usually attributed to rapid crystallization. However, EBSD reveals significant intragrain bending, distinct low‐angle boundaries and straight to highly irregular high‐angle grain boundaries. Highly deformed grains may be in contact with others showing little or no deformation. These features are typical for crystal plastic deformation, in which differential stress generates dislocations according to the dominant slip systems in diamond. Dislocations accumulate to form subgrain boundaries, with grain‐size reduction by rotation of subgrains, nucleation and growth of new grains, and migration of grain boundaries. Such features are seen in other polygranular materials such as deformed metals, and quartzite deformed at high temperatures. During this process, interaction with fluids produced interstitial garnets with compositions different from those of the primary inclusions. Oscillatory CL zoning in diamonds developed through diffusion along subgrain boundaries, rather than being a primary growth feature. Diamondites are thus not simply products of primary crystallization, but may be strongly deformed, recrystallized and modified. Integrated EBSD, CL and in situ chemical and isotopic analysis provide the spatial control and new insights into mantle processes.