bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
MULTISCALE TEST OF CAPM FOR THREE CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPEAN STOCK MARKETS
Authors: Dajčman Silvo , Festić Mejra , Kavkler Alenka
Published: February 2013

This paper examines the systematic risk and validity of the basic capital asset pricing model of Sharpe (1964), Lintner (1965) and Mossin (1966) in three Central and Eastern European stock markets (i.e. Slovenia, Hungary and Czech Republic). The CAPM is tested on a multiscale basis, building on the Fama and MacBeth (1973) methodology and applying two modern econometric techniques – wavelet analysis and generalized method of moments estimation. Empirical results indicate that the systematic risk and validity of CAPM implications are multiscale phenomena. Empirical evidence in support of CAPM implications in the investigated Central and Eastern European stock markets is found to be weak. The most commonly violated CAPM hypotheses are the zero Jensen's alpha condition, positive market premium, and the non-systematic influence of non-observable variables on the excess returns of stocks in these stock markets.
Evaluation of Fuzzy Linear Programming Application in Energy Models
Authors: Sadeghi Mehdi , Hosseini Hossein Mirshojaeian
Published: February 2013

Fuzzy Linear Programming (FLP) approach is an effective approach that has not been attended extensively by research and academic centers in energy planning field up to now. It seems that this inattention roots in some unknown and uninvestigated grounds about this approach that should be researched before any sectoral, regional, national or international applications. In this paper the authors tried to investigate different factors influence FLP modeling. Some factors challenge FLP application in energy modeling field. Other factors strengthen it as a serious competitor for other strategies under uncertainty like Stochastic Programming and Minimax Regret Strategy. Unfamiliarity of energy modelers and planners with this method, no favor of academic circles, confusion of modelers and planners stemmed from plurality of fuzzification and defuzzification methods and the lack of effective and comprehensive softwares for solving FLP problems are some of the obstacles against FLP application in energy planning field. In contrast, variant methods for different problems simplicity, flexibility, and possibility of FLP application in current supply energy models are strong points that propound FLP as an effective approach. Some remedies had been proposed to overcome these obstacles. Designing a software is a vital step. GAMS environment help us for this designation. Fuzzy GAMS is an idea to expand GAMS capabilities to fuzzy optimization models.
Improving Enterprise Architecture Evaluation Based on Concepts from the Normalized Systems Theory
Authors: Huysmans Philip , Verelst Jan
Published: February 2013

In this paper, the authors present the results of a design science research project to develop a method for the evaluation of enterprise architecture projects. The methodology is based on the SAAM methodology, and applies concepts from the Normalized Systems theory to provide a more systematic way of performing architectural evaluations. They first discuss the problem statement, the objectives of our solution and the design of the method. The authors then demonstrate how the method has been applied in a real-life organization. Finally, they evaluate the proposed method using the criteria formulated in our problem statement.
Wheat grain Cd concentration and uptake as affected by timing of fertilizer N application
Authors: Li Xianglan , Ziadi Noura , Bélanger Gilles , Yuan Wenping , Liang Shunlin , Xu Hua , Cai Zucong
Published: February 2013

Li, X., Ziadi, N., Bélanger, G., Yuan, W., Liang, S., Xu, H. and Cai, Z. 2013. Wheat grain Cd concentration and uptake as affected by timing of fertilizer N application. Can. J. Soil Sci. 93: 219–222. The effect of a single N application (120 kg ha−1) at seeding on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain Cd concentration and uptake was compared with an equally split N application (seeding and the stem elongation stage) in a field experiment at 12 site-years. Averaged across all site-years, the single N application tended to reduce wheat grain Cd concentration (58 vs. 68 µg kg−1DM) and uptake (151 vs. 191 mg ha−1) compared with the split application. The Cd concentrations, however, never exceeded the maximum acceptable level for Cd in wheat grain. A single N application at seeding might reduce the risk of high grain Cd concentration in spring wheat.
The importance of low-deformation vorticity in tropical cyclone formation
Authors: Tory K. J. , Dare R. A. , Davidson N. E. , McBride J. L. , Chand S. S.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Studies of tropical cyclone (TC) formation from tropical waves have shown that TC formation requires a wave-relative quasi-closed circulation: the "marsupial pouch" concept. This results in a layerwise nearly contained region of atmosphere in which the modification of moisture, temperature and vorticity profiles by convective and boundary layer processes occurs undisturbed. The pouch concept is further developed in this paper. TCs develop near the centre of the pouch where the flow is in near solid body rotation. A reference-frame independent parameter is introduced that effectively measures the level of solid-body rotation in the lower troposphere. The parameter is the product of a normalized Okubo-Weiss parameter and absolute vorticity (OWZ). Using 20 yr of ERA-interim reanalysis data and the IBTrACS global TC database, it is shown 95% of TCs including, but not limited to, those forming in tropical waves are associated with enhanced levels of OWZ on both the 850 and 500 hPa pressure levels at the time of TC declaration, while 90% show enhanced OWZ for at least 24 h prior to declaration. This result prompts the question of whether the pouch concept extends beyond wave-type formation to all TC formations world-wide. Combining the OWZ with a low vertical shear requirement and lower troposphere relative humidity thresholds, an imminent genesis parameter is defined. The parameter includes only relatively large-scale fluid properties that are resolved by coarse grid model data (>150 km), which means it can be used as a TC detector for climate model applications. It is also useful as a cyclogenesis diagnostic in higher resolution models such as real-time global forecast models.
Microhabitat and shrimp abundance within a Norwegian cold-water coral ecosystem
Authors: Purser A. , Ontrup J. , Schoening T. , Thomsen L. , Tong R. , Unnithan V. , Nattkemper T. W.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Cold-water coral reefs are highly heterogeneous ecosystems comprising of a range of diverse microhabitats. In a typical European cold-water coral reef various biogenic habitats (live colonies of locally common coral species such as Lophelia pertusa, Paragorgia arborea and Primnoa resedaeformis, dead coral structure, coral rubble) may be surrounded and intermixed with non-biogenic habitats (soft sediment, hardground, gravel/pebbles, steep walls). To date, studies of distribution of sessile fauna across these microhabitats have been more numerous than those investigating mobile fauna distribution. In this study we quantified shrimp densities associated with key CWC habitat categories at the Røst reef, Norway, by analysing image data collected by towed video sled. We also investigated shrimp distribution patterns on the local scale (<40 cm) and how these may vary with habitat. We found shrimp abundances at the Røst reef to be on average an order of magnitude greater in biogenic reef habitats than in non-biogenic habitats. Greatest shrimp densities were observed in association with live Paragorgia arborea habitats (43 shrimp m−2, SD = 35.5), live Primnoa resedaeformis habitats (41.6 shrimp m−2, SD = 26.1) and live Lophelia pertusa habitats (24.4 shrimp m−2, SD = 18.6). In non-biogenic habitats shrimp densities were <2 shrimp m−2. We conclude that CWC reef habitats clearly support greater shrimp densities than the surrounding non-biogenic habitats on the Norwegian margin.
Parallel algorithms for planar and spherical Delaunay construction with an application to centroidal Voronoi tessellations
Authors: Jacobsen D. W. , Gunzburger M. , Ringler T. , Burkardt J. , Peterson J.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. A new algorithm, featuring overlapping domain decompositions, for the parallel construction of Delaunay and Voronoi tessellations is developed. Overlapping allows for the seamless stitching of the partial Delaunay tessellations constructed by individual processors. The algorithm is then modified, by the addition of stereographic projections, to handle the parallel construction of spherical Delaunay and Voronoi tessellations. The algorithms are then embedded into algorithms for the parallel construction of planar and spherical centroidal Voronoi tessellations that require multiple constructions of Delaunay tessellations. Computational tests are used to demonstrate the efficiency and scalability of the algorithms for spherical Delaunay and centroidal Voronoi tessellations. Compared to serial versions of the algorithm and to the STRIPACK-based approaches, the new parallel algorithm results in significant speedups for the construction of spherical centroidal Voronoi tessellations.
Sea surface freshening inferred from SMOS and ARGO salinity: impact of rain
Authors: Boutin J. , Martin N. , Reverdin G. , Yin X. , Gaillard F.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. The sea surface salinity (SSS) measured from space by the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission has recently been revisited by the European Space Agency first campaign reprocessing. We show that, with respect to the previous version, biases close to land and ice greatly decrease. The accuracy of SMOS SSS averaged over 10 days, 100 × 100 km2 in the open ocean and estimated by comparison to ARGO (Array for Real-Time Geostrophic Oceanography) SSS is on the order of 0.3–0.4 in tropical and subtropical regions and 0.5 in a cold region. The averaged negative SSS bias (−0.1) observed in the tropical Pacific Ocean between 5° N and 15° N, relatively to other regions, is suppressed when SMOS observations concomitant with rain events, as detected from SSM/Is (Special Sensor Microwave Imager) rain rates, are removed from the SMOS–ARGO comparisons. The SMOS freshening is linearly correlated to SSM/Is rain rate with a slope estimated to −0.14 mm−1 h, after correction for rain atmospheric contribution. This tendency is the signature of the temporal SSS variability between the time of SMOS and ARGO measurements linked to rain variability and of the vertical salinity stratification between the first centimeter of the sea surface layer sampled by SMOS and the 5 m depth sampled by ARGO. However, given that the whole set of collocations includes situations with ARGO measurements concomitant with rain events collocated with SMOS measurements under no rain, the mean −0.1 bias and the negative skewness of the statistical distribution of SMOS minus ARGO SSS difference are very likely the mean signature of the vertical salinity stratification. In the future, the analysis of ongoing in situ salinity measurements in the top 50 cm of the sea surface and of Aquarius satellite SSS are expected to provide complementary information about the sea surface salinity stratification.
Management of Induction (Asynchronous) Motors Using PLC
Authors: Zajmović Mahir , Salkić Hadzib , Stanić Saša
Published: February 2013

This paper describes the management of an induction (asynchronous) motor using PLC and VSD. For the realization of the practical part of this paper Schneider Electric equipment was used, which makes a complete system that is used in Natron Hayat d.o.o Maglaj, where this experiment was done. For this paper, a Schneider Zelio PLC was used, which with the aid of a 5.5 kW Schneider Altivar ATV312HU55N4 modulator (frequency transformer), managed the work of a 5.5 kW induction motor at speed of 1500 RPM. Managing controls were given for HP mobile working stations, where Windows XP operating system with SCADA software from DAQFactory was installed. The link used between the working stations and the PLC was Ethernet (Modbus TCP/IP).
Surgical publishing
Authors: Madoff R D
Published: February 2013

Who pays?
Very high density of Chinese hamster ovary cells in perfusion by alternating tangential flow or tangential flow filtration in WAVE bioreactor™—part II: Applications for antibody production and cryopreservation
Authors: Clincke Marie‐Françoise , Mölleryd Carin , Samani Puneeth K , Lindskog Eva , Fäldt Eric , Walsh Kieron , Chotteau Véronique
Published: February 2013

A high cell density perfusion process of monoclonal antibody (MAb) producing Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was developed in disposable WAVE Bioreactor™ using external hollow fiber (HF) filter as cell separation device. Tangential flow filtration (TFF) and alternating tangential flow (ATF) systems were compared and process applications of high cell density perfusion were studied here: MAb production and cryopreservation. Operations by perfusion using microfiltration (MF) or ultrafiltration (UF) with ATF or TFF and by fed‐batch were compared. Cell densities higher than 108 cells/mL were obtained using UF TFF or UF ATF. The cells produced comparable amounts of MAb in perfusion by ATF or TFF, MF or UF. MAbs were partially retained by the MF using ATF or TFF but more severely using TFF. Consequently, MAbs were lost when cell broth was discarded from the bioreactor in the daily bleeds. The MAb cell‐specific productivity was comparable at cell densities up to 1.3 × 108 cells/mL in perfusion and was comparable or lower in fed‐batch. After 12 days, six times more MAbs were harvested using perfusion by ATF or TFF with MF or UF, compared to fed‐batch and 28× more in a 1‐month perfusion at 108 cells/mL density. Pumping at a recirculation rate up to 2.75 L/min did not damage the cells with the present TFF settings with HF short circuited. Cell cryopreservation at 0.5 × 108 and 108 cells/mL was performed using cells from a perfusion run at 108 cells/mL density. Cell resuscitation was very successful, showing that this system was a reliable process for cell bank manufacturing. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 29:768–777, 2013
Dynamic combination of authentication factors based on quantified risk and benefit
Authors: Han Weili , Sun Chen , Shen Chenguang , Lei Chang , Shen Sean
Published: February 2013

By combining multiple factors during authentication, a service can provide better assurance of security. However, the users are likely to feel inconvenient, or even discard the service. This paper, therefore, addresses this issue and introduces a novel method, referred to as the Quantified riSk and Benefit adaptive Authentication Factors combination (QSBAF). QSBAF balances the requirements for both security and usability in the authentication of an information system and improves the system's ability to respond quickly to emerging risky events. In QSBAF, the authentication factors can be dynamically combined on the basis of quantified risk, benefit measurements, and combination policies. Furthermore, QSBAF provides an adaptive mechanism, which is driven by history data to justify the measurements of risk and benefit. In this paper, we use the online banking system as a typical scenario to demonstrate the usage of QSBAF. We also implement a prototype of QSBAF to evaluate the performance of its feasibility in real application scenarios. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electrostatic solitary waves and double layers in a non-extensive dusty plasma with arbitrarily charged dust
Authors: ALINEJAD H. , TRIBECHE M.
Published: February 2013

The nonlinear propagation of dust ion-acoustic (DIA) solitary waves (SWs) as well as double layers (DLs) in a dusty plasma containing warm adiabatic ions, non-extensive electrons, and arbitrarily (positively or negatively) charged immobile dust are studied. Based on the energy-like integral equation, a new relationship between the localized electrostatic disturbances and dust polarity in the non-extensive dusty plasma is derived. It is shown that the effect of electron non-extensivity, in contrast to the influence of extensive electrons, is destructive for the formation of the SWs and DLs. It is also found that the negative (positive) dust number density raises (reduces) the possibility for the formation of these localized states.
Aquaculture Methods for a Genetically Managed Population of Endangered Delta Smelt
Authors: Lindberg Joan C , Tigan Galen , Ellison Luke , Rettinghouse Theresa , Nagel Meredith M , Fisch Kathleen M
Published: February 2013

In response to Federal listing of the Delta Smelt Hypomesus transpacificus as a threatened species in 1993, intensive fish culture techniques were developed to provide a supply of fish for research activities. The Delta Smelt was listed as endangered by the state of California in 2009, and several agencies worked quickly to develop a captive refuge population under genetic management. Captive 2-year-old wild-origin Delta Smelt served as the founding population in 2008. Each year, 250 genetically selected, single pair crosses are made in vitro, and the resultant full-sibling families are combined to rear in multifamily groups. Typically, eight families are reared together from egg to adult stage, with 80% or more of the initial families represented at the adult stage. Multifamily rearing provides an efficient way of achieving a breeding population of 500 in a smaller facility. Juvenile survival increased from 18% in 2009 to 39% in 2010, as facilities and methodologies improved. Growth rate also increased significantly from 2009 to 2010 (from 0.19 to 0.25 mm/d). Subdermal alphanumeric tags identified individuals and allowed spawning of select individuals to preserve genetic diversity in the refuge population. Group marking, by adipose fin clip, provided efficiencies in time and space. Tagging and genetic analyses enabled in vitro spawning of recommended pair crosses each year. At present, we recommend completing the majority of spawning from February to mid-May and continuing to augment the refuge population with wild fish each year. The refuge population provides one type of safeguard against species extinction and provides an example for endangered fish culture.
Male ornamental coloration improves courtship success in a jumping spider, but only in the sun
Authors: Taylor Lisa A. , McGraw Kevin J.
Published: February 2013

In many animals, males display colorful ornaments to females during courtship, the effectiveness of which depends on the ambient lighting environment. While a variety of hypotheses exist to explain both presence of and variation in such traits, many propose that they function as signals and that their presence is required for or improves successful mating. In Habronattus pyrrithrix jumping spiders, males display brilliant, condition-dependent red faces and green legs to drab gray/brown females during courtship. We designed 2 experiments to first test if coloration is required for successful mating and then whether the role of color changes under varying light conditions. In Experiment 1, we paired individual males with virgin females under laboratory lighting and found that blocking either their red or green coloration, or both, had no effect on success (likelihood of copulation, copulation duration, latency to copulation, female aggression, or cannibalism) when compared with sham-treated males. In Experiment 2, we gave virgin females the choice between 2 simultaneously courting males, one with his red coloration blocked and the other that received a sham treatment, and ran trials outdoors in both the sun and the shade. Blocking red facial coloration reduced a male’s ability to approach a female, but only when courting in the sun. These results suggest that ornamental coloration is not required for mating in H. pyrrithrix, but that red coloration improves success in certain contexts. We discuss implications for the evolution of elaborate, multimodal courtship displays by animals that interact in variable environments.
Comprehensive synchrotron grazing-incidence X-ray scattering analysis of nanostructures in porous polymethylsilsesquioxane dielectric thin films
Authors: Rho Yecheol , Ahn Byungcheol , Yoon Jinhwan , Ree Moonhor
Published: February 2013

A complete grazing-incidence X-ray scattering (GIXS) formula has been derived for nanopores buried in a polymer dielectric thin film supported by a substrate. Using the full power of the scattering formula, GIXS data from nanoporous polymethylsilsesquioxane dielectric thin films, a model nanoporous system, have successfully been analysed. The nanopores were found to be spherical and to have a certain degree of size distribution but were randomly dispersed in the film. In the film, GIXS was confirmed to arise predominantlyviathe first scattering process in which the incident X-ray beam scatters without reflection; the other scattering processes and their contributions were significantly dependent on the grazing angle. This study also confirmed that GIXS scattering can be analysed using only independent scattering terms, but this simple approach can only provide structural parameters. The cross terms were found to make a relatively small contribution to the intensity of the overall scattering but were required for the complete characterization of the measured two-dimensional scattering data, in particular the extracted out-of-plane scattering data, and their inclusion in the analysis enabled film properties such as film thickness, critical angle (i.e.electron density), refractive index and the absorption term to be determined.
Indexing of multi-particle diffraction data in a high-pressure single-crystal diffraction experiment
Authors: Li Hui , Li Xiaodong , He Meng , Li Yanchun , Liu Jing , Shen Guoyin , Zhang Ze
Published: February 2013

High-pressure single-crystal diffraction experiments often suffer from the crushing of single crystals due to the application of high pressure. Consequently, only diffraction data resulting from several particles in random orientations is available, which cannot be routinely indexed by commonly used methods designed for single-crystal data. A protocol is proposed to index such diffraction data. The techniques of powder pattern indexing are first used to propose the possible lattice parameters, and then a genetic algorithm is applied to determine the orientation of the reciprocal lattice for each of the particles. This protocol has been verified experimentally.
Current Near‐to‐Nature Forest Management Effects on Functional Trait Composition of Saproxylic Beetles in Beech Forests
Authors: GOSSNER MARTIN M. , LACHAT THIBAULT , BRUNET JÖRG , ISACSSON GUNNAR , BOUGET CHRISTOPHE , BRUSTEL HERVÉ , BRANDL ROLAND , WEISSER WOLFGANG W. , MÜLLER JÖRG
Published: February 2013

With the aim of wood production with negligible negative effects on biodiversity and ecosystem processes, a silvicultural practice of selective logging with natural regeneration has been implemented in European beech forests (Fagus sylvatica) during the last decades. Despite this near‐to‐nature strategy, species richness of various taxa is lower in these forests than in unmanaged forests. To develop guidelines to minimize the fundamental weaknesses in the current practice, we linked functional traits of saproxylic beetle species to ecosystem characteristics. We used continental‐scale data from 8 European countries and regional‐scale data from a large forest in southern Germany and forest‐stand variables that represented a gradient of intensity of forest use to evaluate the effect of current near‐to‐nature management strategies on the functional diversity of saproxylic beetles. Forest‐stand variables did not have a statistically significant effect on overall functional diversity, but they did significantly affect community mean and diversity of single functional traits. As the amount of dead wood increased the composition of assemblages shifted toward dominance of larger species and species preferring dead wood of large diameter and in advanced stages of decay. The mean amount of dead wood across plots in which most species occurred was from 20 to 60 m3/ha. Species occurring in plots with mean dead wood >60 m3/ha were consistently those inhabiting dead wood of large diameter and in advanced stages of decay. On the basis of our results, to make current wood‐production practices in beech forests throughout Europe more conservation oriented (i.e., promoting biodiversity and ecosystem functioning), we recommend increasing the amount of dead wood to >20 m3/ha; not removing dead wood of large diameter (50 cm) and allowing more dead wood in advanced stages of decomposition to develop; and designating strict forest reserves, with their exceptionally high amounts of dead wood, that would serve as refuges for and sources of saproxylic habitat specialists.

Efectos Actuales del Manejo Casi Natural de Bosques sobre la Composición de Atributos Funcionales de Escarabajos Saproxílicos en Bosques de Haya
The Relationship Between Depressive/Anxiety Symptoms During Pregnancy/Postpartum and Sexual Life Decline After Delivery
Authors: Faisal-Cury Alexandre , Huang Hsiang , Chan Ya-Fen , Menezes Paulo Rossi
Published: February 2013

Introduction

Several factors have been found to be independently associated with decline in sexual activity after delivery. However, the association between depression in pregnancy/postpartum and sexual problems is less clear.

Aim

To prospectively evaluate the relationship between depressive/anxiety symptoms (DAS) during the perinatal period and sexual life in the postpartum period.

Methods

A prospective cohort study conducted between May 2005 and March 2007 included 831 pregnant women recruited from primary care clinics of the public sector in São Paulo, Brazil. Four groups with DAS during antenatal and postpartum periods were identified using the Self Report Questionnaire (SRQ-20): absence of both antenatal and postpartum DAS; presence of antenatal DAS only; presence of postpartum DAS only; and presence of both antenatal and postpartum DAS. The primary outcome was perception of sexual life decline (SLD) before and after pregnancy/delivery. Crude and adjusted risk ratios (RR), with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI), were calculated using Poisson regression to examine the associations between DAS and SLD.

Main Outcome Measure

The main outcome measure of this study is the perception of SLD before and after pregnancy/delivery.

Results

SLD occurred in 21.1% of the cohort. In the multivariable analysis, the following variables were independently associated with SLD: DAS during both pregnancy and postpartum (RR: 3.17 [95% CI: 2.18–4.59]); DAS during only the postpartum period (RR: 3.45 [95% CI: 2.39–4.98]); a previous miscarriage (RR: 1.54 [95% CI: 1.06–2.23]); and maternal age (RR: 2.11 [95% CI: 1.22–3.65]).

Conclusions

Postpartum women with DAS have an increased likelihood for SLD up to 18 months after delivery. Efforts to improve the rates of recognition and treatment of perinatal depression/anxiety in primary care settings have the potential to preserve sexual functioning for low-income mothers.
The Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center questionnaire on health problems: a new approach to prospective monitoring of illness and injury in elite athletes
Authors: Clarsen Benjamin , Rønsen Ola , Myklebust Grethe , Flørenes Tonje Wåle , Bahr Roald
Published: February 2013

Background

Little information exists on the illness and injury patterns of athletes preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Among the possible explanations for the current lack of knowledge are the methodological challenges faced in conducting prospective studies of large, heterogeneous groups of athletes, particularly when overuse injuries and illnesses are of concern.

Objective

To describe a new surveillance method that is capable of recording all types of health problems and to use it to study the illness and injury patterns of Norwegian athletes preparing for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Methods

A total of 142 athletes were monitored over a 40-week period using a weekly online questionnaire on health problems. Team medical personnel were used to classify and diagnose all reported complaints.

Results

A total of 617 health problems were registered during the project, including 329 illnesses and 288 injuries. At any given time, 36% of athletes had health problems (95% CI 34% to 38%) and 15% of athletes (95% CI 14% to 16%) had substantial problems, defined as those leading to moderate or severe reductions in sports performance or participation, or time loss. Overuse injuries represented 49% of the total burden of health problems, measured as the cumulative severity score, compared to illness (36%) and acute injuries (13%).

Conclusions

The new method was sensitive and valid in documenting the pattern of acute injuries, overuse injuries and illnesses in a large, heterogeneous group of athletes preparing for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Variants of Mersenne Twister Suitable for Graphic Processors
Authors: Saito Mutsuo , Matsumoto Makoto
Published: February 2013

This article proposes a type of pseudorandom number generator,
Mersenne Twister for Graphic Processor
(MTGP), for efficient generation on graphic processessing units (GPUs). MTGP supports large state sizes such as 11213 bits, and uses the high parallelism of GPUs in computing many steps of the recursion in parallel. The second proposal is a parameter-set generator for MTGP, named
MTGP Dynamic Creator
(MTGPDC). MTGPDC creates up to 2
32
distinct parameter sets which generate sequences with high-dimensional uniformity. This facility is suitable for a large grid of GPUs where each GPU requires separate random number streams. MTGP is based on linear recursion over the two-element field, and has better high-dimensional equidistribution than the Mersenne Twister pseudorandom number generator.
Elemental
Authors: Poulson Jack , Marker Bryan , van de Geijn Robert A. , Hammond Jeff R. , Romero Nichols A.
Published: February 2013

Parallelizing dense matrix computations to distributed memory architectures is a well-studied subject and generally considered to be among the best understood domains of parallel computing. Two packages, developed in the mid 1990s, still enjoy regular use: ScaLAPACK and PLAPACK. With the advent of many-core architectures, which may very well take the shape of distributed memory architectures within a single processor, these packages must be revisited since the traditional MPI-based approaches will likely need to be extended. Thus, this is a good time to review lessons learned since the introduction of these two packages and to propose a simple yet effective alternative. Preliminary performance results show the new solution achieves competitive, if not superior, performance on large clusters.
Algorithm 927
Authors: Cash J. R. , Hollevoet D. , Mazzia F. , Nagy A. M.
Published: February 2013

In this article we describe the code bvptwp.m, a MATLAB code for the solution of two point boundary value problems. This code is based on the well-known Fortran codes, twpbvp.f, twpbvpl.f and acdc.f, that employ a mesh selection strategy based on the estimation of the local error, and on revisions of these codes, called twpbvpc.f, twpbvplc.f and acdcc.f, that employ a mesh selection strategy based on the estimation of the local error and the estimation of two parameters which characterize the conditioning of the problem. The codes twpbvp.f/tpbvpc.f use a deferred correction scheme based on Mono-Implicit Runge-Kutta methods (MIRK); the other codes use a deferred correction scheme based on Lobatto formulas. The acdc.f/acdcc.f codes implement an automatic continuation strategy. The performance and features of the new solver are checked by performing some numerical tests to show that the new code is robust and able to solve very difficult singularly perturbed problems. The results obtained show that bvptwp.m is often able to solve problems requiring stringent accuracies and problems with very sharp changes in the solution. This code, coupled with the existing boundary value codes such as bvp4c.m, makes the MATLAB BVP section an extremely powerful one for a very wide range of problems.
Aggressive Datacenter Power Provisioning with Batteries
Authors: Govindan Sriram , Wang Di , Sivasubramaniam Anand , Urgaonkar Bhuvan
Published: February 2013

Datacenters spend $10--25 per watt in provisioning their power infrastructure, regardless of the watts actually consumed. Since peak power needs arise rarely, provisioning power infrastructure for them can be expensive. One can, thus, aggressively underprovision infrastructure assuming that simultaneous peak draw across all equipment will happen rarely. The resulting nonzero probability of emergency events where power needs exceed provisioned capacity, however small, mandates graceful reaction mechanisms to cap the power draw instead of leaving it to disruptive circuit breakers/fuses. Existing strategies for power capping use temporal knobs local to a server that throttle the rate of execution (using power modes), and/or spatial knobs that redirect/migrate excess load to regions of the datacenter with more power headroom. We show these mechanisms to have performance degrading ramifications, and propose an entirely orthogonal solution that leverages existing UPS batteries to temporarily augment the utility supply during emergencies. We build an experimental prototype to demonstrate such power capping on a cluster of 8 servers, each with an individual battery, and implement several online heuristics in the context of different datacenter workloads to evaluate their effectiveness in handling power emergencies. We show that our battery-based solution can: (i) handle emergencies of short durations on its own, (ii) supplement existing reaction mechanisms to enhance their efficacy for longer emergencies, and (iii) create more slack for shifting applications temporarily to nonpeak durations.
Preparation of magnetic polyvinyl alcohol composite nanofibers with homogenously dispersed nanoparticles and high water resistance
Authors: Liu Fan , Ni Qing-Qing , Murakami Yasushi
Published: February 2013

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs)/polymer composite nanofibers were prepared via electrospinning of polyacrylic acid (PAA)/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) aqueous solutions with homogenously dispersed magnetite Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs). Experiment results showed that the diameters of Fe3O4 NPs were in a range of 10 nm to 40 nm under all of our synthesis conditions; and Fe3O4 NPs can homogenously disperse in PVA composite nanofibers when they were stabilized by PAA; the crystallinity of PAA/PVA nanofibers increased along with the increase in Fe3O4 NPs content. The magnetic property of Fe3O4 NPs/PAA/PVA composite nanofibers was also investigated and the results showed that the composite nanofibers show a soft ferromagnetic behavior which is the same as Fe3O4 at room temperature. In addition, the water resistance of Fe3O4 NPs/PAA/PVA composite nanofibers was dramatically enhanced by heat treatment. Therefore, in our process to preparing magnetic Fe3O4 NPs/PVA composite nanofibers, PAA acts not only as a dispersant but also as a cross-linking agent.
High-performance transparent solvent-free silicone resins with stable storage and low viscosity based on new hyperbranched polysiloxanes
Authors: Zhu M. , Gu A. , Liang G. , Yuan L.
Published: February 2013

Five new hyperbranched polysiloxanes, for example, methylhydrogen siloxanes (MHSis), with varying concentrations of silicon–methyl (Si-Me) groups were synthesized and characterized, and then a series of MHSi/poly(methylphenylvinylsilicone) (PSi) resins were prepared to investigate the influence of the structures and concentrations of MHSi on the integrated properties of both uncured and cured MHSi/PSi resins. The results show that the compatibility between MHSi and PSi is closely related to the concentration of Si-Me groups in the MHSi as well as the molar ratio of MHSi and PSi. If MHSi has a suitable concentration of Si-Me groups, and the molar ratios of MHSi to PSi are appropriate, transparent MHSi/PSi resins with stable compatibility can be obtained. In addition, these compatible resins show good thermal stability with dynamic mechanical and dielectric properties. They exhibit a great potential for use as high-performance solvent-free silicone resins in either vacuum pressure impregnating process or liquid-molding techniques.
Serum Non-High-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol Levels and the Incidence of Ischemic Stroke in a Japanese Population
Authors: Kakehi Eiichi , Kotani Kazuhiko , Ishikawa Shizukiyo , Gotoh Tadao , Kayaba Kazunori , Nakamura Yosikazu , Kajii Eiji
Published: February 2013

The predictive value of serum non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (non-HDL-C) levels for the incidence of ischemic stroke and its subtypes has not yet been established. The present cohort study investigated their relationships in a Japanese population. The first incidence of ischemic stroke and its subtypes was documented as the primary outcome. A total of 249 ischemic stroke patients (men/women = 145/104) were identified during a follow-up period of 10.7 years among 10 760 community-dwelling subjects (men/women = 4212/6548). Cox proportional hazard model analyses revealed that when compared with the lowest tertile of non-HDL-C, multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios for the highest tertile were 0.55 (95% confidence interval = 0.32-0.95, P = .03) on ischemic stroke and 0.29 (95% confidence interval = 0.08-1.05, P = .06) on cardioembolic infarction in women. Men did not show such significant relationships. Low serum non-HDL-C levels may be a predictive marker associated with an increase in the incidence of ischemic stroke and possibly of cardioembolic infarction in Japanese women.
Induction of scratching behaviour in cats: efficacy of synthetic feline interdigital semiochemical
Authors: Cozzi Alessandro , Lecuelle Céline Lafont , Monneret Philippe , Articlaux Florence , Bougrat Laurent , Mengoli Manuel , Pageat Patrick
Published: February 2013

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effects of synthetic feline interdigital semiochemical (FIS) on the induction of scratching behaviour in cats during a standardised behavioural test. The trial was a randomised blinded study on a single group of subjects, following a crossover design. The scratching behaviour of 19 cats was evaluated during a standardised test in which cats were introduced to an area with one scratching post. Each cat acted as its own control (receiving, at random, FIS then placebo or vice versa). The test lasted for 5 mins, after which the cat was left alone in the test area. Duration, frequency of scratching and latency of first scratching behaviour were noted. Two independent observers analysed the videos. Thirty-eight tests were recorded with a different scratching post each time (two tests per cat). The scratching post with the semiochemical was more scratched in duration and frequency by the cats involved in the study (intention to treat analysis). The same conclusion was found using per-protocol analysis, which included only cats that scratched during the test. Regarding latency, no significant difference was found between treatment and placebo. The results seem of interest in explaining the role of a FIS in inducing scratching behaviour on a scratching post. The semiochemical approach can modify the choice of areas selected spontaneously by cats, and could be used either as a preventive measure for a cat arriving at home or to control or change an inappropriate scratching behaviour.
Corrigendum
Authors: Palsdottir Aslaug , Asgeirsdottir Bryndis Bjork , Dora Inga
Published: February 2013

Gender difference in wellbeing during school lessons among 10−12-year-old children: The importance of school subjects and student−teacher relationships. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 2012; 40(7): 605–613. (Original doi: 10.1177/1403494812458846 )
Ferdinand Tönnies’ appraisal of Karl Marx: Debts and distance
Authors: Bond Niall
Published: February 2013

Ferdinand Tönnies determined the future course of German sociology with his Marxist analysis of capitalist society in Gemeinschaft und Gesellschaft. He published a biographical introduction to Marx in 1920 and produced discourses influenced by Marxism throughout his life. Notwithstanding his admiration for Marx and his interest in remedying inequities in distribution, he differs with Marx inter alia over the contribution of production factors to wealth, the qualification of the proletariat to rule and the place for ethics in analysis. Tönnies, whose cautious temperament kept him clear of revolutionary movements in Germany and abroad, supported Ethical Culture and the cooperative movement. The denunciation of commercialism by Marx and Tönnies and the teleologies of Tönnies and Marx are compared and contrasted. Tönnies’ pessimistic narrative of rationalization and alienation, based upon nineteenth-century assumptions related to the human sciences’ vocation to project societal developments, may today appear more founded than Marxist conjectures as to a socialist future.
The long-term effect of ambulatory oxygen in normoxaemic COPD patients
Authors: Ringbaek Thomas , Martinez Gerd , Lange Peter
Published: February 2013

Aim: To study the long-term benefits of ambulatory oxygen (AO) in combination with pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients experiencing exertional desaturation. Patients and methods: Normoxaemic COPD who participated in outpatient PR and desaturated >4% and <90% during endurance shuttle walk test (ESWT) were randomised to control ( n = 23) or AO 2 L/min from a portable oxygen concentrator ( n = 22) to be used during exercise. PR consisted of supervised training for 20 weeks combined with unsupervised daily training at home followed by 13 weeks without supervised training. Results: Only 45 of 165 eligible patients wanted to participate. Mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s = 32% ( SD 13.8) and Medical Research Council (MRC) = 4.5 (3–5). Supplemental oxygen improved oxygen saturation during ESWT by 2.3% (95% CI: 1.2%–3.5%; p < 0.001). In the study period of 33 weeks, 10 and 6 patients withdrew from the AO group and control group, respectively. Patients spent an average of 7.9 h/week on oxygen. PR improved ESWT by 18,076 s (95% CI: 101–258 s; p < 0.001) and St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score by 2.6 units (95% CI: 0.1–5.1 s; p = 0.04) after 7 weeks, and these gains remained at 33 weeks of evaluation. There were no differences between the AO group and control group at 33 weeks of evaluation with regard to change in ESWT (223 vs. 241 s; p = 0.32), change in SGRQ (−3.6 vs. −4.5 units, 0.91), and number of patients with acute exacerbation in COPD (AECOPD), hospital admission or dropout (17 of 22 vs. 20 of 23, p = 0.59). Conclusions: AO seems not to provide additional beneficial effects in patients with COPD participating in pulmonary rehabilitation and experiencing exertional desaturation without severe resting hypoxaemia.
The construction of race and crime in Canadian print media: A 30-year analysis
Authors: Collins Rachael E
Published: February 2013

To address whether there is a systematic racial bias in the language used to describe offenders and victims in Canadian print media, content analysis was conducted in four Canadian local newspapers. Using 12 sub-themes relating to fear and marginalization, the results of the 1190 sampled crime articles indicate that white offenders were disproportionately criminalized and dehumanized. In addition, articles describe crimes against white victims with significantly more fearful language, while visible minority victims were blamed for their own victimization. The results reflect a bias mainly through explanations for crime rather than in what newspapers report about crime and offenders. The racialization of offender and victims creates a powerful hierarchal treatment between those who are and are not ‘meant’ to have their lives impacted by crime and for whom being a victim of crime is tragic.
Common fixed point theorems for multimaps in locally convex spaces and some applications
Authors: Goudarzi HR , Azadi Kenary Hassan , Park Choonkil
Published: February 2013

In this paper some fixed point theorems for multimaps on locally convex spaces have been introduced. As their applications, some well-known fixed point theorems will be deduced. Also, we see a notable result in differential equations.

AMS Subject Classification:46A55, 46B99.
Les Discours de La Terreur à L’époque Révolutionnaire (1776–1798): Etude Comparative Sur Une Notion Ambiguë
Authors: Jourdan Annie
Published: February 2013

Cet article propose une interprétation nouvelle du discours terroriste de la Révolution française et, comme telle, s’inscrit dans un débat majeur. Des interprétations récentes ont en effet mis en doute la proclamation par la Convention de la « Terreur à l’ordre du jour » du 5 septembre 1793. Pourtant l’expression a été utilisée maintes fois dans les mois suivants, si bien qu’elle est passée à la postérité comme marquant la période entière. Il s’agira donc ici de s’interroger sur l’usage de la notion de terreur avant et durant cette période, sur ces significations diverses et variées, non seulement en France, mais aussi aux Etats-Unis et en Hollande, dans l’espoir de mieux comprendre la dynamique propre aux révolutions.

This article offers a new interpretation of the discourse of terror during the French Revolution and as such takes part in the major debate on this topic. Recent interpretations have called into question the proclamation by the Convention of “terror as the order of the day” of September 5, 1793. However, the expression was used many times afterward, so that it has been passed down to posterity as characterizing the entire Jacobin period. The aim here is to explore the deployment of the notion of terror before and during this period, together with the varied meanings given this term, not only in France but also in the United States and in Holland, in the hope of a better understanding of the revolutionary process.
Confocal microscopy-based goniometry of barnacle cyprid permanent adhesive
Authors: Aldred Nick , Gohad Neeraj V. , Petrone Luigi , Orihuela Beatriz , Liedberg Bo , Ederth Thomas , Mount Andrew , Rittschof Daniel , Clare Tony
Published: February 2013

Biological adhesives are materials of particular interest in the fields of bio-inspired technology and antifouling research. The adhesive of adult barnacles has received much attention over the years, however the permanent adhesive of the cyprid - the colonisation stage of barnacles - is a material about which very little is presently known. We apply confocal laser-scanning microscopy to the measurement of contact angles between the permanent adhesive of barnacle cypris larvae and self-assembled monolayers of OH- and CH3-terminated thiols. Measurement of contact angles between actual bioadhesives and surfaces has never previously been achieved and the data may provide insight into the physicochemical properties and mechanism of action of these functional materials. The adhesive is a dual-phase system post-secretion, with the behaviour of the components governed separately by the surface chemistry. The findings imply that the cyprid permanent adhesion process is more complex than previously thought, necessitating broad re-evaluation of the system. Improved understanding will have significant implications for the production of barnacle-resistant coatings as well as development of bio-inspired glues for niche applications.
Analyse von reaktiven Verhaltensmodellen mit Constraintprogrammierung und Petrinetztechniken
Authors: Krause Jan , Diedrich Christian
Published: February 2013

Für einen erfolgreichen Einsatz modellbasierter Methoden muss die semantische Korrektheit der jeweiligen Modelle bzgl. der spezifizierten Anforderungen gewährleistet sein. Die Qualität auf Modellen basierender, automatisierter Methoden hängt wesentlich von der Qualität und Korrektheit dieser Modelle ab. In diesem Beitrag wird eine Methode zur Modellanalyse vorgestellt. Dabei werden etablierte Methoden der constraintbasierten Programmierung und Petrinetztechniken kombiniert, wodurch offene, reaktive und ereignisbasierte Systemmodelle analysiert werden können.