bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microscopic theory of energy dissipation and decoherence in solid‐state systems: A reformulation of the conventional Markov limit
Authors: Pepe Michele , Taj David , Iotti Rita Claudia , Rossi Fausto
Published: July 2012

In this article we provide a detailed comparison of two possible approaches to the study of the long time behavior of an electronic system, namely, the conventional Born–Markov approach and an alternative (symmetrized) Markov procedure recently proposed by our group. To this end, as prototypical device, we consider a quantum dot electronic transition weakly coupled to the lattice vibrations. Our results show highly unphysical behaviors of the conventional approach in the long time limit, under small perturbation of the equilibrium electronic distribution. The alternative procedure, on the contrary, provides the expected energy relaxation within a T1–T2 paradigm. Our findings are sharper than the somewhat more naive, and only transient, possible lack of positivity of the conventional Markov approach, already known in the literature. While only mentioning the important advantages of our symmetrized version with respect to already known secular approximation, and postponing further analysis to future works, we hereby stress how the commonly employed conventional strategy may seriously fail to model realistic nanostructures, whereas the new approach gives the expected physical behavior.
‘C8 phase’: Supercubane, tetrahedral, BC‐8 or carbon sodalite?
Authors: Pokropivny Alex , Volz Sebastian
Published: July 2012

With the use of ab initio density‐functional theory (DFT) and electron diffraction calculations, the crystal structures of a carbon ‘C8 phase’ are found. Total energies and electron diffraction patterns are calculated for all possible known to date candidates, namely supercubane, tetrahedral, BC‐8 and sodalite (SOD) structures as nearest neighbours in unit cell size. The results of calculation agree well with only one phase. The structure can be attributed to sp3‐hybridized carbon SOD zeolite with 12 atoms in a unit cell. Carbon sodalite belongs to space group no. 229, with a unit cell of a = 4.34 Å, and a calculated crystal density of 2.927 g/cm3. The existence of a tetrahedral phase (a = 3.86 Å) is discussed. A simple formula of relative structural stability is proposed for all sp3‐hybridized phases with unit cells of 3.5–5.0 Å.

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The ubiquitin‐proteasome system in positive‐strand RNA virus infection
Authors: Choi Alex GoEun , Wong Jerry , Marchant David , Luo Honglin
Published: July 2012

Positive‐stranded RNA viruses, like many other viruses, have evolved to exploit the host cellular machinery to their own advantage. In eukaryotic cells, the ubiquitin‐proteasome system (UPS) that serves as the major intracellular pathway for protein degradation and modification plays a crucial role in the regulation of many fundamental cellular functions. A growing amount of evidence has suggested that the UPS can be utilized by positive‐sense RNA viruses. The UPS eliminates excess viral proteins that prevent viral replication and modulates the function of viral proteins through post‐translational modification mediated by ubiquitin or ubiquitin‐like proteins. This review will discuss the current understanding of how positive RNA viruses have evolved various mechanisms to usurp the host UPS to modulate the function and stability of viral proteins. In addition to the pro‐viral function, UPS‐mediated viral protein degradation may also constitute a host defense process against some positive‐stranded RNA viral infections. This issue will also be discussed in the current review. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Sample size calculation for the proportional hazards cure model
Authors: Wang Songfeng , Zhang Jiajia , Lu Wenbin
Published: July 2012

In clinical trials with time‐to‐event endpoints, it is not uncommon to see a significant proportion of patients being cured (or long‐term survivors), such as trials for the non‐Hodgkins lymphoma disease. The popularly used sample size formula derived under the proportional hazards (PH) model may not be proper to design a survival trial with a cure fraction, because the PH model assumption may be violated. To account for a cure fraction, the PH cure model is widely used in practice, where a PH model is used for survival times of uncured patients and a logistic distribution is used for the probability of patients being cured. In this paper, we develop a sample size formula on the basis of the PH cure model by investigating the asymptotic distributions of the standard weighted log‐rank statistics under the null and local alternative hypotheses. The derived sample size formula under the PH cure model is more flexible because it can be used to test the differences in the short‐term survival and/or cure fraction. Furthermore, we also investigate as numerical examples the impacts of accrual methods and durations of accrual and follow‐up periods on sample size calculation. The results show that ignoring the cure rate in sample size calculation can lead to either underpowered or overpowered studies. We evaluate the performance of the proposed formula by simulation studies and provide an example to illustrate its application with the use of data from a melanoma trial. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Predictive mental workload modeling for semiautonomous system design: Implications for systems of systems
Authors: Colombi John M. , Miller Michael E. , Schneider Michael , McGrogan Major Jason , Long Colonel David S. , Plaga John
Published: July 2012

Predictive mental workload modeling is one established tool within the broad systems engineering activity of Human Systems Integration (HSI). Using system architecture as the foundation, this paper explores the use of Multiple Resource Theory to create representative workload models for evaluating operational system‐of‐systems (SoS) concepts. Through careful consideration of task demands, conflict generated between tasks, and workload mitigation strategies, informed design decision can improve overall human‐system performance. An example involving a single pilot controlling multiple remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) is presented to illustrate the use of workload modeling. Several observations are made that drive measurably excessive workload: multitasking, communications, continuously updating situational awareness and mission planning. In addition, three metrics are proposed for incorporating human workload analysis during system design. This technique has applicability across a wide range systems‐of‐systems and operational concepts involving complex human‐system interactions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 15
First steps in the development of a Program Organizational Architectural Framework (POAF)
Authors: Williams Jeffery L. , Stracener Jerrell T.
Published: July 2012

The target audiences for this paper are systems engineers and architects involved in the design of complex systems such as program organizations. This is the first in a series exploring how the design of program organizations developed for the purpose of designing and developing aerospace and defense systems can be optimized. The objective of this paper is to lay the groundwork for an architecture framework for the development of a program organization. The draft standard ISO/IEC 42010 is used to define the structural requirements of the architecture framework. In addition, we use the Zachman Architecture Framework™ to organize the framework and the Department of Defense Architecture Framework Version 2.0 (DoDAF 2.0) to create the model environment for the Program Organizational Architecture Framework (POAF). This approach to defining the POAF ensured that we would have the data needed to support our objective to optimize the design of the program organization and hopefully reduce the number of defects inherent in the design. We also believe that we have sufficiently defined the characteristics of a POAF to spur more research in this area. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
Institutional Differences in Endovascular Aneurysm Repair and Aneurysm Morphology
Authors: Tambyraja Andrew L. , Rodriguez‐Lopez Julio A. , Ramaiah Venkatesh , Diethrich Edward B. , Chalmers Roderick T.
Published: July 2012

Background

Variability exists between institutions in the application of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR). This study compares patient‐specific variables from a high‐volume North American institution with one from the UK.

Methods

One hundred consecutive patients from each institution were studied. All were treated for an intact, infrarenal aortic aneurysm. Patient characteristics and aneurysm‐related variables, measured from computed tomography according to Society for Vascular Surgery (USA) reporting standards, were examined.

Results

The median (range) age of the American patients was 74 (55–97) years and that of the British patients, 73 (49–89) years. There were 78 men in the American group and 79 men in the British group. All American patients were treated by EVAR compared to 11 % of the British group. Mean (SD) aneurysm diameter for the former was 55 (9) mm and for the latter 64 (11) mm (P < 0.001). While there was no difference in mean diameter of the infrarenal aortic neck (P = 0.918), the aneurysms of British patients (22 %) were more likely to be angulated >60° than those of the American patients (11 %) (P = 0.039). Furthermore, the mean (SD) length of infrarenal aortic neck was shorter in the British patients [21 (11) mm] compared to the American group [25 (12) mm] (P = 0.003). The mean diameter of the common iliac arteries was larger in the British patients than in the American group (P < 0.001). Mean external iliac artery diameter was no different between the groups (P = 0.507).

Conclusions

This group of British patients have a more advanced pattern of aneurysm morphology than American patients of similar age. This difference may, in part, explain variability in the application of EVAR.
Derivative-free optimization: a review of algorithms and comparison of software implementations
Authors: Rios Luis Miguel , Sahinidis Nikolaos V.
Published: July 2012

This paper addresses the solution of bound-constrained optimization problems using algorithms that require only the availability of objective function values but no derivative information. We refer to these algorithms as derivative-free algorithms. Fueled by a growing number of applications in science and engineering, the development of derivative-free optimization algorithms has long been studied, and it has found renewed interest in recent time. Along with many derivative-free algorithms, many software implementations have also appeared. The paper presents a review of derivative-free algorithms, followed by a systematic comparison of 22 related implementations using a test set of 502 problems. The test bed includes convex and nonconvex problems, smooth as well as nonsmooth problems. The algorithms were tested under the same conditions and ranked under several criteria, including their ability to find near-global solutions for nonconvex problems, improve a given starting point, and refine a near-optimal solution. A total of 112,448 problem instances were solved. We find that the ability of all these solvers to obtain good solutions diminishes with increasing problem size. For the problems used in this study, , , and are better, on average, than other derivative-free solvers in terms of solution quality within 2,500 function evaluations. These global solvers outperform local solvers even for convex problems. Finally, , , and show superior performance in terms of refining a near-optimal solution.
Reversible Changes in Cell Morphology due to Cytoskeletal Rearrangements Measured in Real-Time by QCM-D
Authors: Tymchenko Nina , Nilebäck Erik , Voinova Marina V. , Gold Julie , Kasemo Bengt , Svedhem Sofia
Published: July 2012

The mechanical properties and responses of cells to external stimuli (including drugs) are closely connected to important phenomena such as cell spreading, motility, activity, and potentially even differentiation. Here, reversible changes in the viscoelastic properties of surface-attached fibroblasts were induced by the cytoskeleton-perturbing agent cytochalasin D, and studied in real-time by the quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation (QCM-D) technique. QCM-D is a surface sensitive technique that measures changes in (dynamically coupled) mass and viscoelastic properties close to the sensor surface, within a distance into the cell that is usually only a fraction of its size. In this work, QCM-D was combined with light microscopy to study in situ cell attachment and spreading. Overtone-dependent changes of the QCM-D responses (frequency and dissipation shifts) were first recorded, as fibroblast cells attached to protein-coated sensors in a window equipped flow module. Then, as the cell layer had stabilised, morphological changes were induced in the cells by injecting cytochalasin D. This caused changes in the QCM-D signals that were reversible in the sense that they disappeared upon removal of cytochalasin D. These results are compared to other cell QCM-D studies. Our results stress the combination of QCM-D and light microscopy to help interpret QCM-D results obtained in cell assays and thus suggests a direction to develop the QCM-D technique as an even more useful tool for real-time cell studies.
Monitoring zone‐associated implantable cardioverter defibrillator shock: A case report
Authors: Matsuzaki Hisayasu , Nakano Yukiko , Okahara Shigeyuki , Miyamoto Satoshi , Takahashi Hidenobu , Imai Katsuhiko , Sueda Taijirou , Kihara Yasuki
Published: July 2012

A 41‐year‐old man with Brugada syndrome, who had been implanted with an ATLAS+DR V‐243 (St. Jude Medical, Inc., St. Paul, MN, USA) dual‐chamber implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) for secondary prevention of arrhythmia, received an inappropriate shock. The ventricular fibrillation (VF) zone was programmed to deliver maximum output shock therapy at a detection threshold of greater than 214 beats per min, and 12 consecutive instances of crossing the threshold constituted 1 VF. The monitoring zone was programmed to detect heart rates of greater than 160 beats per min with all supraventricular tachycardia (SVT) discriminators in the “ON” mode, and 12 consecutive instances of the heart rate exceeding 160 beats per min constituted 1 SVT. The ICD shock was delivered after an episode of sinus tachycardia that continued for 3 min 15 s. The monitoring zone is effective for detecting asymptomatic ventricular tachycardia or SVT, and therapy is not usually set up in this zone. Here, we report the possibility that in some patients implanted with certain types of ICD devices, the monitoring zone may become a factor in the delivery of an inappropriate shock.
Long‐term observation of fibrillation cycle length in patients under angiotensin II receptor blocker therapy for chronic atrial fibrillation
Authors: Kishihara Jun , Niwano Shinichi , Niwano Hiroe , Aoyama Yuya , Ishikawa Shoko , Oikawa Jun , Sato Akira , Murakami Masami , Kiryu Michiro , Izumi Tohru
Published: July 2012

Introduction

The long‐term effect of angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) on atrial fibrillation (AF) is unclear. In this study, we evaluated the change in the fibrillation cycle length (FCL) in patients under long‐term ARB therapy for chronic AF.

Methods and results

The study population consisted of 25 chronic AF patients who were prescribed the same medication for more than 6 years and in whom specific ECG recording for FCL evaluation could be performed before and after the 6‐year observation period. The patients were divided into 2 groups: those with and without ARB (ARB group and non‐ARB group and n=15 and 10, respectively). FCL was calculated by the spectral analysis of the fibrillation waves in the surface ECG. There was no significant difference in the clinical characteristics between the 2 groups. In the ARB group, the mean FCL was prolonged from 154±20 ms to 187±37 ms (p=0.005), whereas it remained unchanged in the non‐ARB group (150±12 ms vs. 149±10 ms). In the comparison between patients with and those without FCL prolongation (>30 ms; n=6 and 19, respectively), a significant difference was observed only in those prescribed ARBs.

Conclusion

In cases of chronic AF, FCL might be prolonged under long‐term ARB treatment.
The use of serum bepridil concentration as a safe rhythm control strategy in patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias
Authors: Miura Seiji , Sumiyoshi Masataka , Tsuchiya Hiroto , Maruyama Masaki , Seigen I , Okai Iwao , Masaki Yoshiyuki , Okazaki Shinya , Inoue Kenji , Fujiwara Yasumasa , Komatsu Kaoru , Hayashi Hidemori , Sekita Gaku , Tokano Takashi , Nakazato Yuji , Daida Hiroyuki
Published: July 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical significance of serum bepridil (Bep) concentration (SBC) for safely managing patients with atrial tachyarrhythmias (AT).

Methods and results

SBC was measured in 37 patients with AT, including atrial fribrillation (AF) (31 cases), AF+atrial flutter (AFL) (4 cases), AFL (1 case), and atrial tachycardia (1 case). The patients were administrated Bep for more than 4 weeks at the same dose. SBC was positively correlated with Bep dose per kilogram of body weight (p=0.015), QT interval (p=0.019), and QTc (p=0.034). The patients were divided into 2 groups according to their SBC: the high‐SBC (HSBC) group of 8 patients with an SBC≥500 ng/ml and a low‐SBC (LSBC) group of 29 patients with an SBC<500 ng/ml. There was no difference in maintenance of sinus rhythm between the groups. For clinical variables, QT and QTc were significantly longer in the HSBC than in the LSBC group (p=0.004 and p=0.016, respectively). Patients with QT>0.5 were more prominent in the HSBC group (37.5% vs. 3.4%, p=0.026), and torsade de points (TdP) occurred in only one patient in the HSBC group. However, there were several patients with normal QT/QTc despite having high SBC.

Conclusions

In patients treated with Bep, measurement of SBC is useful for preventing proarrhythmias.
Catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation: Past, present, and future directions
Authors: Yoshida Kentaro , Aonuma Kazutaka
Published: July 2012

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia encountered in clinical practice. Because of inadequate efficacy of pharmacological therapy, catheter ablation of AF has evolved dramatically over the last decade. Although the success rate of ablation has improved, the ablation strategy is still extensive, and the ablation procedure is technically challenging. In the past decade, electrophysiologists were eager to obtain high success rates with extensive ablation. In the present decade, further clarification of the complex mechanism of AF is required to make ablation of AF safer and much more efficient. Because the mechanism of AF is very complex, and even somewhat mysterious, it may not be easy to attain a better understanding of the mechanism involved or to discover better guidance for catheter ablation. However, it is important to note that research into AF leads to better understanding of other cardiac and non‐cardiac diseases because AF develops multifactorially in association with underlying systemic pathophysiologies.
“Heparin bridging” increases the risk of bleeding complications in patients undergoing anticoagulation therapy and device implantation
Authors: Fujiwara Ryudo , Yoshida Akihiro , Takei Asumi , Fukuzawa Koji , Takami Kaoru , Takami Mitsuru , Tanaka Satoko , Ito Mitsuaki , Imamura Kimitake , Hirata Ken‐ichi
Published: July 2012

Background

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the rate of perioperative bleeding complications following anticoagulation therapy in patients undergoing implantable electronic device implantation.

Methods and results

We retrospectively analyzed the data from 161 consecutive patients with new device implants or generator replacement performed between February 2008 and June 2009 in our hospital. Sixty‐five (40.3%) patients took warfarin, 55 (34.2%) took antiplatelet therapy, and 16 (9.9%) took dual antiplatelet therapy prior to implantation. Heparin bridging was performed in 7 of 65 patients taking warfarin. Pocket hematoma was observed in 10 (6.2%) patients and device infection was observed in 1 (0.6%) patient. No cases of thromboembolism were observed. There were no complications associated with warfarin (P=0.19) or antiplatelet therapy (P=0.69). However, the patients that had undergone heparin bridging were significantly more likely to have complications (3 of 10) (P=0.005). In multivariate analysis, heparin bridging was the only independent predictor of complications.

Conclusion

Our study suggests that heparin bridging increases the risk of perioperative bleeding complications in cardiac device implantation.
Prognosis of patients with coronary vasospasm after successful resuscitation from ventricular fibrillation
Authors: Ishihara Akiko , Tanaka Takahiro , Otsu MD, Yu , Yamada MD, Tomoyuki , Tamaki MD, Toru , Kosaka MD, Akihito , Kamoi MD, Yoshiro , Kira MD, Yuji
Published: July 2012

Ventricular fibrillation (VF) is an important cause of sudden cardiac death in patients with coronary vasospasm. Intensive medical treatment against coronary vasospasm is most important for prevention of VF recurrence, and the efficacy of implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) devices is controversial. We examined 19 consecutive patients with coronary spasm who had been successfully resuscitated from VF between 1993 and 2010, 13 of whom underwent ICD implantation. There were no apparent differences in the results of coronary angiography and acetylcholine provocation test or in medical therapy among them. Six patients underwent electrophysiological tests during the acetylcholine provocation test, and 3 of them showed ventricular arrhythmia. Three patients had recurrent VF under treatment with single calcium channel blocker (CCB), nitrates, and/or nicorandil. Two of them were without ICDs and were left in vegetative states, and the third was successfully resuscitated by an appropriate ICD discharge. The results of our study suggest that dual or multiple CCB treatment is preferable to prevent VF recurrence, and that combined treatment with ICD may be effective for some patients with coronary vasospasm who have been successfully resuscitated from VF. However, reasonable risk stratification for ICD implantation in these patients needs to be established in the future.
Current strategies of antiarrhythmic drug therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation
Authors: Komatsu Takashi
Published: July 2012

Atrial fibrillation is now recognized as a significant medical and social problem. Atrial fibrillation not only causes cardiovascular complications, including thromboembolism and heart failure, but also decreases the survival of patients with impaired left ventricular function; thus, it is considered an independent factor for cardiovascular death. The goal of antiarrhythmic drug therapy for atrial fibrillation is improvement of daily quality of life and cardiovascular prognosis in maintaining sinus rhythm, while ensuring the safety of antiarrhythmic drugs. Antiarrhythmic drugs are prescribed to prevent recurrence of atrial fibrillation; however, they demonstrate limited efficacy. Recently, catheter ablation has been established as a promising new therapy to prevent recurrence of atrial fibrillation, even though this procedure would be difficult to apply clinically because of its complications and the large number of patients requiring treatment. Since the antiarrhythmic drugs remain the first‐line, primary therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, clinicians should select appropriate antiarrhythmic drugs for treatment of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation based on individual patient characteristics.

Herein, I review the current strategies of antiarrhythmic drug therapy for paroxysmal atrial fibrillation from the point of view of pharmacological prevention of atrial fibrillation recurrence, improvement of patient quality of life, and cardiovascular prognosis.
REALISTIC OPINION AGGREGATION: LEHRER-WAGNER WITH A FINITE SET OF OPINION VALUES
Authors: Bradley R. , Wagner C.
Published: July 2012

An allocation problem is a type of aggregation problem in which the values of individuals' opinions on some set of variables (canonically a set of mutually exclusive and exhaustive possibilities) sum to a constant. This paper shows that for realistic allocation problems, namely ones in which the set of possible opinion values is finite, the only universal aggregation methods that satisfy two commonly invoked conditions are the dictatorial ones. The two conditions are, first, that the aggregate opinion on any variable depends only on the individuals' opinions on that variable and not on their opinions on any other variable and, secondly, that the aggregate opinion minimally preserves unanimous individual opinion. Connections between this result and similar ones in the literature on judgment aggregation are explored and their significance assessed.
WE OUGHT TO AGREE: A CONSEQUENCE OF REPAIRING GOLDMAN'S GROUP SCORING RULE
Authors: Kopec Matthew
Published: July 2012

InKnowledge in a Social World, Alvin Goldman presents a framework to quantify the epistemic effects that various policies, procedures, and behaviors can have on a group of agents. In this essay, I show that the framework requires some modifications when applied to agents with credences. The required modifications carry with them an interesting consequence, namely, that any group whose members disagree can become more accurate by forming a consensus through averaging their credences. I sketch a way that this result can be used to show that individual norms of rationality and group norms of rationality can dictate conflicting behaviors for the members of some groups. I conclude by discussing how some of the assumptions used to generate the consensus result might be loosened.
HOW CAN QUESTIONS BE INFORMATIVE BEFORE THEY ARE ANSWERED? STRATEGIC INFORMATION IN INTERROGATIVE GAMES
Authors: Genot Emmanuel J. , Jacot Justine
Published: July 2012

We examine a special case of inquiry games and give an account of the informational import of asking questions. We focus on yes-or-no questions, which always carry information about the questioner's strategy, but never about the state of Nature, and show how strategic information reduces uncertainty through inferences about other players' goals and strategies. This uncertainty cannot always be captured by information structures of classical game theory. We conclude by discussing the connection with Gricean pragmatics and contextual constraints on interpretation.
Jonathan Edwards and the Polemics ofTheosis
Authors: Strobel Kyle
Published: July 2012

One of the more intriguing developments in Protestant theology over the past several decades has been the increasing interest in recovering a doctrine oftheosis(or deification) for the contemporary church.1In nearly every branch of the Protestant tree, theologians are making a case fortheosisas integral to their theological tradition. There are proposed projects for Lutheran,2Wesleyan,3Reformed,4and distinctively Evangelical5accounts oftheosis, all of which attempt to groundtheosiswithin the overarching model of salvation that their given backgrounds affirm. In light of this, it is not surprising that Jonathan Edwards is touted as a key resource. More surprising is how little is written on Edwards’s doctrine oftheosisas such. Instead, the focal point has been on themes in Edwards’s thought that allow for ecumenical bridge-building.6
A Very Damning Truth: Walter Grundmann, Adolf Schlatter, and Susannah Heschel’sThe Aryan Jesus
Authors: McNutt James E.
Published: July 2012

Over the past several decades historians have turned a critical eye to the complicity of the German churches in fostering poisonous societal attitudes towards Jews on the eve of the Holocaust.1Emerging from this research has been the disputed relationship between Christian anti-Judaism and the intense race-based anti-Semitism of the Nazi era. Separating the content and motivation of these two forms of disparagement has allowed Christians to remove themselves from the genocidal equation linked to radical, racist attacks on Jews.2Susannah Heschel’sThe Aryan Jesustackles this issue by examining the historical backdrop and explicit content of racially motivated attacks on Jews by German Protestants in the years preceding and during the Holocaust. Targeting the Eisenach Institute for the Study and Eradication of Jewish Influence on German Church Life together with the Institute’s leader, Walter Grundmann, her findings may well render obsolete any theoretical dichotomy between religious anti-Judaism and racial anti-Semitism.3
The Hermeneutics and Genesis of the Red Cow Ritual
Authors: MacDonald Nathan
Published: July 2012

The difficulties with the red cow ritual have long exercised readers of the book of Numbers. The ritual in Num 19:1–22 describes how cleansing from corpse impurity is to be effected. A red cow is burned in a manner carefully prescribed in order to produce ash. Mixed with water, the ash is then sprinkled upon the corpse-impure individual on the third and seventh day of his or her impurity. To some of the rabbis and many subsequent interpreters, the automatic efficacy of the rite appears to be tantamount to pagan magic. In addition, it has long been observed that the red cow ritual has a number of anomalies when compared to other rituals in the Old Testament. The red cow is designated a “purification offering”1but is unlike the purification offerings described in Leviticus 4–5 or, indeed, any other sacrifice: the entire animal, including the blood, is burned outside the camp, and the goal of the ritual is the production of ash for the treatment of future and not past impurity.2Finally, there is what Jacob Milgrom describes as the “paradox of the red cow”: the red cow ritual makes the pure impure and the impure pure.3
Maternal separation in childhood and diurnal cortisol patterns in mid-life: findings from the Whitehall II study
Authors: Kumari M. , Head J. , Bartley M. , Stansfeld S. , Kivimaki M.
Published: July 2012

Background

Animal studies suggest that maternal separation is associated with alterations in the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis through effects that occur in a critical period following birth. Evidence for an association of the diurnal cortisol rhythm with maternal separation in humans is equivocal.

Method

We examined whether maternal separation in childhood is associated with diurnal cortisol pattern in 3712 middle-aged men and women. Two aspects of cortisol release were examined: the cortisol awakening response (CAR) and the diurnal slope in cortisol throughout the day.

Results

Maternal separation in childhood was reported by 12% of participants. Those participants who reported maternal separation had a larger CAR and flatter slopes in cortisol levels compared to those who did not report maternal separation [adjusted mean CAR in those reporting no separation versus separation: 7.1, 95% confidence interval (CI) 6.7–7.5 v. 8.4, 95% CI 7.3–9.5, p = 0.02, corresponding to adjusted mean diurnal slope: −0.129 (95% CI −0.130 to −0.128) v. −0.126 (95% CI −0.128 to −0.124), p = 0.01]. In participants who reported maternal separation, the age of separation was not associated with either cortisol measure (p = 0.11). The association between maternal separation and slope in cortisol secretion was largely explained by smoking behaviour and marital status at the time of sample collection whereas that of the CAR was explained by childhood psychosocial, material factors and adult health behaviours.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that maternal separation in childhood is associated with alterations in the diurnal cortisol pattern in middle age. These associations are predominantly accounted for by adult circumstances and behaviours.
The balanced care model for global mental health
Authors: Thornicroft G. , Tansella M.
Published: July 2012

Background

For too long there have been heated debates between those who believe that mental health care should be largely or solely provided from hospitals and those who adhere to the view that community care should fully replace hospitals. The aim of this study was to propose a conceptual model relevant for mental health service development in low-, medium- and high-resource settings worldwide.

Method

We conducted a review of the relevant peer-reviewed evidence and a series of surveys including more than 170 individual experts with direct experience of mental health system change worldwide. We integrated data from these multiple sources to develop the balanced care model (BCM), framed in three sequential steps relevant to different resource settings.

Results

Low-resource settings need to focus on improving the recognition and treatment of people with mental illnesses in primary care. Medium-resource settings in addition can develop ‘general adult mental health services’, namely (i) out-patient clinics, (ii) community mental health teams (CMHTs), (iii) acute in-patient services, (iv) community residential care and (v) work/occupation. High-resource settings, in addition to primary care and general adult mental health services, can also provide specialized services in these same five categories.

Conclusions

The BCM refers both to a balance between hospital and community care and to a balance between all of the service components (e.g. clinical teams) that are present in any system, whether this is in low-, medium- or high-resource settings. The BCM therefore indicates that a comprehensive mental health system includes both community- and hospital-based components of care.
Neuroticism, depressive symptoms and white-matter integrity in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936
Authors: McIntosh A. M. , Bastin M. E. , Luciano M. , Maniega S. Muñoz , del C.Valdés Hernández M. , Royle N. A. , Hall J. , Murray C. , Lawrie S. M. , Starr J. M. , Wardlaw J. M. , Deary I. J.
Published: July 2012

Background

Clinical depression is associated with reductions in white-matter integrity in several long tracts of the brain. The extent to which these findings are localized or related to depressive symptoms or personality traits linked to disease risk remains unclear.

Method

Members of the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 (LBC936) were assessed in two waves at mean ages of 70 and 73 years. At wave 1, they underwent assessments of depressive symptoms and the personality traits of neuroticism and extraversion. Brain diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data were obtained at the second wave and mood assessments were repeated. We tested whether depressive symptoms were related to reduced white-matter tract fractional anisotropy (FA), a measure of integrity, and then examined whether high neuroticism or low extraversion mediated this relationship.

Results

Six hundred and sixty-eight participants provided useable data. Bilateral uncinate fasciculus FA was significantly negatively associated with depressive symptoms at both waves (standardized β=0.12–0.16). Higher neuroticism and lower extraversion were also significantly associated with lower uncinate FA bilaterally (standardized β=0.09–0.15) and significantly mediated the relationship between FA and depressive symptoms.

Conclusions

Trait liability to depression and depressive symptoms are associated with reduced structural connectivity in tracts connecting the prefrontal cortex with the amygdala and anterior temporal cortex. These effects suggest that frontotemporal disconnection is linked to the etiology of depression, in part through personality trait differences.
Managing the Prospect of Famine: Cape Verdean Officials, Subsistence Emergencies, and the Change of Elite Attitudes During Portugal's Late Colonial Phase, 1939–1961
Authors: Keese Alexander
Published: July 2012

In early 1959, Luiz Rendall Silva, Cape Verdean administrator of the concelho (district) of Fogo, on the volcano island of that name in the Sotavento group (Leeward Islands), wrote a very energetic report to his Portuguese superiors. He complained to the Governor of Cape Verde about the lack of decisiveness in Portugal's colonial welfare policy, and about the absence of clear programmes for the future of the islands. In his words, he wished “for the improvement of the Cape Verdean land and for the benefit of its populations, and for a more visible advancement of the civilising mission.”
Pathways and processes of risk in associations among maternal antisocial personality symptoms, interparental aggression, and preschooler's psychopathology
Authors: Davies Patrick T. , Sturge-Apple Melissa L. , Cicchetti Dante , Manning Liviah G. , Vonhold Sara E.
Published: July 2012

Two studies examined the nature and processes underlying the joint role of interparental aggression and maternal antisocial personality as predictors of children's disruptive behavior problems. Participants for both studies included a high-risk sample of 201 mothers and their 2-year-old children in a longitudinal, multimethod design. Addressing the form of the interplay between interparental aggression and maternal antisocial personality as risk factors for concurrent and prospective levels of child disruptive problems, the Study 1 findings indicated that maternal antisocial personality was a predictor of the initial levels of preschooler's disruptive problems independent of the effects of interparental violence, comorbid forms of maternal psychopathology, and socioeconomic factors. In attesting to the salience of interparental aggression in the lives of young children, latent difference score analyses further revealed that interparental aggression mediated the link between maternal antisocial personality and subsequent changes in child disruptive problems over a 1-year period. To identify the family mechanisms that account for the two forms of intergenerational transmission of disruptive problems identified in Study 1, Study 2 explored the role of children's difficult temperament, emotional reactivity to interparental conflict, adrenocortical reactivity in a challenging parent–child task, and experiences with maternal parenting as mediating processes. Analyses identified child emotional reactivity to conflict and maternal unresponsiveness as mediators in pathways between interparental aggression and preschooler's disruptive problems. The findings further supported the role of blunted adrenocortical reactivity as an allostatic mediator of the associations between parental unresponsiveness and child disruptive problems.
Early predictors of boys' antisocial trajectories
Authors: Shaw Daniel S. , Hyde Luke W. , Brennan Lauretta M.
Published: July 2012

Despite the large number of studies tracing patterns of youth antisocial behavior (AB) during adolescence, few have prospective data on the developmental precursors of AB beginning during infancy. Using a cohort of 268 low-income boys first assessed at 18 months, the current study examined predictors of early- and late-starting trajectories of AB assessed during early childhood and early adolescence. Four trajectory groups were identified, including early- and late-starting groups, a low stable group, and a high decreasing group, characterized by multiple risk factors during early childhood and early adolescence. During early childhood, parenting and maternal depression discriminated two AB trajectory groups, an early-starting and a high decreasing group, who would go on to demonstrate a high preponderance of juvenile court involvement (60% to 79%) and elevated rates of clinical depression 13 to 15 years later. The results were discussed in reference to targeting malleable family risk factors during early childhood associated with patterns of AB and mental health disorders during adolescence.
Intergenerational influences on early alcohol use: Independence from the problem behavior pathway
Authors: Kerr David C. R. , Capaldi Deborah M. , Pears Katherine C. , Owen Lee D.
Published: July 2012

Conduct problems are a general risk factor for adolescent alcohol use. However, their role in relation to alcohol-specific risk pathways of intergenerational transmission of alcohol use is not well understood. Further, the roles of alcohol-specific contextual influences on children's early alcohol use have been little examined. In a 20-year prospective, multimethod study of 83 fathers and their 125 children, we considered the predictors of child alcohol use by age 13 years. The predictors included fathers' adolescent antisocial behavior and alcohol use, both parents' adult alcohol use, norms about and encouragement of child use, parental monitoring, child-reported exposure to intoxicated adults, and parent-reported child externalizing behaviors. Path models supported an association between fathers' adolescent alcohol use and children's use (β = 0.17) that was not better explained by concurrent indicators of fathers' and children's general problem behavior. Fathers' and mothers' adult alcohol use uniquely predicted child use, and exposure to intoxicated adults partially mediated the latter path. Other family risk mechanisms were not supported. However, parental alcohol use and child alcohol use were linked in expected ways with family contextual conditions known to set the stage for alcohol use problems later in adolescence.
Aggression as an equifinal outcome of distinct neurocognitive and neuroaffective processes
Authors: Gatzke-Kopp Lisa M. , Greenberg Mark T. , Fortunato Christine K. , Coccia Michael A.
Published: July 2012

Early onset aggression precipitates a cascade of risk factors, increasing the probability of a range of externalizing and internalizing psychopathological outcomes. Unfortunately, decades of research on the etiological contributions to the manifestation of aggression have failed to yield identification of any risk factors determined to be either necessary or sufficient, likely attributable to etiological heterogeneity within the construct of aggression. Differential pathways of etiological risk are not easily discerned at the behavioral or self-report level, particularly in young children, requiring multilevel analysis of risk pathways. This study focuses on three domains of risk to examine the heterogeneity in 207 urban kindergarten children with high levels of aggression: cognitive processing, socioemotional competence and emotion processing, and family context. The results indicate that 90% of children in the high aggression group could be characterized as either low in verbal ability or high in physiological arousal (resting skin conductance). Children characterized as low verbal, high arousal, or both differed in social and emotional competence, physiological reactivity to emotion, and aspects of family-based contextual risk. The implications of this etiologic heterogeneity of aggression are discussed in terms of assessment and treatment.
Emotion regulation in children with behavior problems: Linking behavioral and brain processes
Authors: Granic Isabela , Meusel Liesel-Ann , Lamm Connie , Woltering Steven , Lewis Marc D.
Published: July 2012

Past studies have shown that aggressive children exhibit rigid (rather than flexible) parent–child interactions; these rigid repertoires may provide the context through which children fail to acquire emotion-regulation skills. Difficulties in regulating emotion are associated with minimal activity in dorsal systems in the cerebral cortex, for example, the anterior cingulate cortex. The current study aimed to integrate parent–child and neurocognitive indices of emotion regulation and examine their associations for the first time. Sixty children (8–12 years old) referred for treatment for aggression underwent two assessments. Brain processes related to emotion regulation were assessed using dense-array EEG with a computerized go/no-go task. The N2 amplitudes thought to tap inhibitory control were recorded, and a source analysis was conducted. In the second assessment, parents and children were videotaped while trying to solve a conflict topic. State space grids were used to derive two dynamic flexibility parameters from the coded videotapes: (a) the number of transitions between emotional states and (b) the dispersion of emotional states, based on proportional durations in each state. The regression results showed that flexibility measures were not related to N2 amplitudes. However, flexibility measures were significantly associated with the ratio of dorsal to ventral source activation: for transitions, ΔR2= .27,F(1, 34) = 13.13,p= .001; for dispersion, ΔR2= .29,F(1, 35) = 14.76,p< .001. Thus, in support of our main hypothesis, greater dyadic flexibility was associated with a higher ratio of dorsomedial to ventral activation, suggesting that children with more flexible parent–child interactions are able to recruit relatively more dorsomedial activity in challenging situations.
Paranoid thinking, suspicion, and risk for aggression: A neurodevelopmental perspective
Authors: Tone Erin B. , Davis Jennifer S.
Published: July 2012

This article represents an effort to extend our understanding of paranoia or suspicion and its development by integrating findings across clinical, developmental, and neuroscience literatures. We first define “paranoia” or paranoid thought and examine its prevalence across typically and atypically developing individuals and theoretical perspectives regarding its development and maintenance. We then briefly summarize current ideas regarding the neural correlates of adaptive, appropriately trusting interpersonal perception, social cognition, and behavior across development. Our focus shifts subsequently to examining in normative and atypical developmental contexts the neural correlates of several component cognitive processes thought to contribute to paranoid thinking: (a) attention bias for threat, (b) jumping to conclusions biases, and (c) hostile intent attribution biases. Where possible, we also present data regarding independent links between these cognitive processes and aggressive behavior. By examining data regarding the behavioral and neural correlates of varied cognitive processes that are likely components of a paranoid thinking style, we hope to advance both theoretical and empirical research in this domain.
Reconceptualizing antisocial deviance in neurobehavioral terms
Authors: Patrick Christopher J. , Durbin C. Emily , Moser Jason S.
Published: July 2012

We propose that neuroscientific understanding of antisocial behavior can be advanced by focusing programmatic efforts onneurobehavioral traitconstructs, that is, individual difference constructs with direct referents in neurobiology as well as behavior. As specific examples, we highlight inhibitory control and defensive reactivity as two such constructs with clear relevance for understanding antisocial behavior in the context of development. Variations in inhibitory control are theorized to reflect individual differences in the functioning of brain systems that operate to guide and inhibit behavior and regulate emotional response in the service of nonimmediate goals. Variations in defensive reactivity are posited to reflect individual differences in the sensitivity of the brain's aversive motivational (fear) system. We describe how these constructs have been conceptualized in the adult and child literatures and review work pertaining to traditional psychometric (rating and behaviorally based) assessment of these constructs and their known physiological correlates at differing ages as well as evidence linking these constructs to antisocial behavior problems in children and adults. We outline apsychoneurometricapproach, which entails systematic development of neurobiological measures of target trait constructs through reference to psychological phenotypes, as a paradigm for linking clinical disorders to neurobiological systems. We provide a concrete illustration of this approach in the domain of externalizing proneness and discuss its broader implications for research on conduct disorder, antisocial personality, and psychopathy.