bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Probabilistic models of decreasing failure rate processes
Authors: Cozzolino John M. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe “infant mortality” effect observed in the statistical treatment of reliability consists of a decreasing with age of the conditional probability of equipment failure (failure rate). One widely applicable explanatory hypothesis is that of population heterogeneity. This is developed here as a basis for several specific models of decreasing failure rate processes. Since, in the case of repairable devices, decreasing failure rate is often observed after the occurrence of failure and repair, consideration is extended to include repair in an explicit way. This union of failure and repair models is a fruitful one in view of the interaction between the two processes and gives a complete picture of the life of the device in terms of a stochastic process, usually with non‐independent interfailure times. Four models, of particular significance due to their plausibility, mathematical tractability, and frugality of parameterization, are presented.
A complete importance ranking for components of binary coherent systems, with extensions to multi‐state systems
Authors: Butler David A. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractMeans of measuring and ranking a system's components relative to their importance to the system reliability have been developed by a number of authors. This paper investigates a new ranking that is based upon minimal cuts and compares it with existing definitions. The new ranking is shown to be easily calculated from readily obtainable information and to be most useful for systems composed of highly reliable components. The paper also discusses extensions of importance measures and rankings to systems in which both the system and its components may be in any of a finite number of states. Many of the results about importance measures and rankings for binary systems are shown to extend to the more sophisticated multi‐state systems. Also, the multi‐state importance measures and rankings are shown to be decomposable into a number of sub‐measures and rankings.
Pass the popcorn: “Obesogenic” behaviors and stigma in children's movies
Authors: Throop Elizabeth M. , Skinner Asheley Cockrell , Perrin Andrew J. , Steiner Michael J. , Odulana Adebowale , Perrin Eliana M. 
Published: October 2013

ObjectiveTo determine the prevalence of obesity‐related behaviors and attitudes in children's movies.MethodsA mixed‐methods study of the top‐grossing G‐ and PG‐rated movies, 2006‐2010 (4 per year) was performed. For each 10‐min movie segment, the following were assessed: 1) prevalence of key nutrition and physical activity behaviors corresponding to the American Academy of Pediatrics obesity prevention recommendations for families; 2) prevalence of weight stigma; 3) assessment as healthy, unhealthy, or neutral; 3) free‐text interpretations of stigma.ResultsAgreement between coders was >85% (Cohen's kappa = 0.7), good for binary responses. Segments with food depicted: exaggerated portion size (26%); unhealthy snacks (51%); sugar‐sweetened beverages (19%). Screen time was also prevalent (40% of movies showed television; 35% computer; 20% video games). Unhealthy segments outnumbered healthy segments 2:1. Most (70%) of the movies included weight‐related stigmatizing content (e.g., “That fat butt! Flabby arms! And this ridiculous belly!”).ConclusionsThese popular children's movies had significant “obesogenic” content, and most contained weight‐based stigma. They present a mixed message to children, promoting unhealthy behaviors while stigmatizing the behaviors' possible effects. Further research is needed to determine the effects of such messages on children.
Dynamic output feedback of networked control systems with partially known Markov chain packet dropouts
Authors: Mahmoud Magdi S. , Khan Gulam Dastagir 
Published: October 2013

SummaryIn this paper, a class of networked control systems with output feedback control and H ∞  performance is discussed. It considers packet dropouts in both measurement (S/C) and actuation (C/A) channels. Markovian chain principle is used in modeling the packet dropouts in S/C and C/A channels. The time scale adopted in these two independent homogeneous Markov chain is linear with the physical time. The model also takes into consideration the late arriving packets. The effect of interaction between packet dropouts in both channels on the stability of system, when the networks of both (S/C) and (C/A) channels overlap is also examined. Sufficient condition for the existence of H ∞  output feedback controller is presented and it is shown that it is dependent on the upper bounds of the number of consecutive packet dropouts. The developed stability analysis and control scheme is also investigated with partially known transition probability matrices. Finally, a numerical example has been given to show the effectiveness of developed method. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Aspect ratio effects of multi‐walled carbon nanotubes on electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of polycarbonate/MWCNT composites
Authors: Guo Jiaxi , Liu Yanjun , Prada‐Silvy Ricardo , Tan Yongqiang , Azad Samina , Krause Beate , Pötschke Petra , Grady Brian P. 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACTTwo multi‐walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) having relatively high aspect ratios of 313 and 474 with approximately the same diameter were melt mixed with polycarbonate (PC) in a twin‐screw conical micro compounder. The effects of aspect ratio on the electrical, mechanical, and thermal properties of the PC/MWCNT composites were investigated. Electrical conductivities and storage moduli of the filled samples are found to be independent of the starting aspect ratio for these high aspect ratio tubes; although the conductivities and storage moduli are still significantly higher than values of composites made with nanotubes having more commercially common aspect ratios of ∼100. Transmission electron microscopy results suggest that melt‐mixing reduces these longer nanotubes to the same length, but still approximately two times longer than the length of commercially common aspect ratio tubes after melt‐mixing. Molecular weight measurements show that during melt‐mixing the longer nanotubes significantly degrade the molecular weight of the polymer as compared to very similar nanotubes with aspect ratio ∼100. Because of the molecular weight reduction glass transition temperatures predictably show a large decrease with increasing nanotube concentration. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 73–83
Database of protein complexes with multivalent binding ability: Bival‐bind
Authors: Meyer Tim , Knapp Ernst‐Walter 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACTPhenomena of multivalent binding of ligands with receptors are ubiquitous in biology and of growing interest in material sciences. Multivalency can enhance binding affinity dramatically. To understand the mechanism of multivalent binding in more detail model systems of bi‐ and multivalent receptors are needed, but are difficult to find. Furthermore it is useful to know about multivalent receptors, which can serve as targets to design multivalent drugs. The present contribution tries to close this gap. The Bival‐Bind database (http://agknapp.chemie.fu‐berlin.de/bivalbind) provides a relatively complete list – 2073 protein complexes with less than 90% sequence identity – out of the protein database, which can serve as bi‐ or multivalent receptors. Steric clashes of molecular spacers – necessary to connect the monomeric ligand units – with the receptor surface can diminish binding affinity dramatically and, thus, abolish the expected enhancement of binding affinity due to the multivalency. The potential multivalent receptors in the Bival‐Bind database are characterized with respect to the receptor surface topography. A height profile between the receptor binding pockets is provided, which is an important information to estimate the influence of unfavorable spacer receptor interaction. Proteins 2014; 82:744–751. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A global machine learning based scoring function for protein structure prediction
Authors: Faraggi Eshel , Kloczkowski Andrzej 
Published: October 2013

ABSTRACTWe present a knowledge‐based function to score protein decoys based on their similarity to native structure. A set of features is constructed to describe the structure and sequence of the entire protein chain. Furthermore, a qualitative relationship is established between the calculated features and the underlying electromagnetic interaction that dominates this scale. The features we use are associated with residue–residue distances, residue–solvent distances, pairwise knowledge‐based potentials and a four‐body potential. In addition, we introduce a new target to be predicted, the fitness score, which measures the similarity of a model to the native structure. This new approach enables us to obtain information both from decoys and from native structures. It is also devoid of previous problems associated with knowledge‐based potentials. These features were obtained for a large set of native and decoy structures and a back‐propagating neural network was trained to predict the fitness score. Overall this new scoring potential proved to be superior to the knowledge‐based scoring functions used as its inputs. In particular, in the latest CASP (CASP10) experiment our method was ranked third for all targets, and second for freely modeled hard targets among about 200 groups for top model prediction. Ours was the only method ranked in the top three for all targets and for hard targets. This shows that initial results from the novel approach are able to capture details that were missed by a broad spectrum of protein structure prediction approaches. Source codes and executable from this work are freely available at http://mathmed.org/#Software and http://mamiris.com/. Proteins 2014; 82:752–759. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nitric Oxide Controls Fat Deposition in Dystrophic Skeletal Muscle by Regulating Fibro-Adipogenic Precursor Differentiation
Authors: Cordani Nicoletta , Pisa Viviana , Pozzi Laura , Sciorati Clara , Clementi Emilio 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an hereditary disease characterized by loss of muscle fibers and their progressive substitution by fat and fibrous tissue. Mesenchymal fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs) expressing the platelet-derived growth factor receptor alpha (PDGFRα) are an important source of fibrosis and adipogenesis in dystrophic skeletal muscle. Among the therapies suggested for dystrophy are those based on nitric oxide (NO) donating drugs, the administration of which slows disease progression. NO has been shown to act by enhancing the regenerative potential of the diseased muscle. Whether it acts also by inhibiting fibrosis and adipogenesis was not known. Here, we show in vitro that NO regulates FAP fate through inhibition of their differentiation into adipocytes. In mdx mice, an animal model of DMD, treatment with the NO donating drug molsidomine reduced the number of PDGFRα+ cells as well as the deposition of both skeletal muscle fat and connective tissues. Inhibition of adipogenesis was due to NO-induced increased expression of miR-27b leading to downregulation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors gamma (Pparγ1) expression in a pathway independent of cGMP generation. These findings reveal an additional effect of NO in dystrophic muscle that conceivably synergizes with its known effects on regeneration improvement and explain why NO-based therapies appear effective in the treatment of muscular dystrophy. Stem Cells 2014;32:874–885
Pten Loss in Olig2 Expressing Neural Progenitor Cells and Oligodendrocytes Leads to Interneuron Dysplasia and Leukodystrophy
Authors: Maire Cécile L. , Ramkissoon Shakti , Hayashi Marika , Haidar Sam , Ramkissoon Lori , DiTomaso Emmanuelle , Ligon Keith L. 
Published: October 2013

Abstract
Therapeutic modulation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/PTEN signaling is currently being explored for multiple neurological indications including brain tumors and seizure disorders associated with cortical malformations. The effects of PI3K/PTEN signaling are highly cell context dependent but the function of this pathway in specific subsets of neural stem/progenitor cells generating oligodendroglial lineage cells has not been fully studied. To address this, we created Olig2-cre:Ptenfl/fl mice that showed a unique pattern of Pten loss and PI3K activation in Olig2-lineage cells. Olig2-cre:Ptenfl/fl animals progressively developed central nervous system white matter hypermyelination by 3 weeks of age leading to later onset leukodystrophy, chronic neurodegeneration, and death by 9 months. In contrast, during immediate postnatal development, oligodendroglia were unaffected but abnormal and accelerated differentiation of lateral subventricular zone stem cells produced calretinin-positive interneuron dysplasia. Neural stem cells isolated from Olig2-cre:Ptenfl/fl mice also exhibited accelerated differentiation and proliferation into calretinin-positive interneurons and oligodendrocytes indicating such effects are cell autonomous. Opposition of the pathway by treatment of human primary neural progenitor cells (NPCs) with the PI3K inhibitor, NVP-BKM120, blocked in vitro differentiation of neurons and oligodendroglia indicating PI3K/PTEN effects on NPCs can be bidirectional. In summary, our results suggest Pten is a developmental rheostat regulating interneuron and oligodendroglial differentiation and support testing of PI3K modulating drugs as treatment for developmental and myelination disorders. However, such agents may need to be administered at ages that minimize potential effects on early stem/progenitor cell development. Stem Cells 2014;32:313–326
Laminar–turbulent transition induced by a discrete roughness element in a supersonic boundary layer
Authors: De Tullio N. , Paredes P. , Sandham N. D. , Theofilis V. 
Published: October 2013

AbstractThe linear instability and breakdown to turbulence induced by an isolated roughness element in a boundary layer at Mach $2. 5$, over an isothermal flat plate with laminar adiabatic wall temperature, have been analysed by means of direct numerical simulations, aided by spatial BiGlobal and three-dimensional parabolized (PSE-3D) stability analyses. It is important to understand transition in this flow regime since the process can be slower than in incompressible flow and is crucial to prediction of local heat loads on next-generation flight vehicles. The results show that the roughness element, with a height of the order of the boundary layer displacement thickness, generates a highly unstable wake, which is composed of a low-velocity streak surrounded by a three-dimensional high-shear layer and is able to sustain the rapid growth of a number of instability modes. The most unstable of these modes are associated with varicose or sinuous deformations of the low-velocity streak; they are a consequence of the instability developing in the three-dimensional shear layer as a whole (the varicose mode) or in the lateral shear layers (the sinuous mode). The most unstable wake mode is of the varicose type and grows on average ${\sim }17\hspace{0.167em} \% $ faster than the most unstable sinuous mode and ${\sim }30$ times faster than the most unstable boundary layer mode occurring in the absence of a roughness element. Due to the high growth-rates registered in the presence of the roughness element, an amplification factor of $N= 9$ is reached within ${\sim }50$ roughness heights from the roughness trailing edge. The independently performed Navier–Stokes, spatial BiGlobal and PSE-3D stability results are in excellent agreement with each other, validating the use of simplified theories for roughness-induced transition involving wake instabilities. Following the linear stages of the laminar–turbulent transition process, the roll-up of the three-dimensional shear layer leads to the formation of a wedge of turbulence, which spreads laterally at a rate similar to that observed in the case of compressible turbulent spots for the same Mach number.
Epidemiological review of toxoplasmosis in humans and animals in Romania
Authors: DUBEY J. P. , HOTEA I. , OLARIU T. R. , JONES J. L. , DĂRĂBUŞ G. 
Published: October 2013

SUMMARYInfections by the protozoan parasite Toxoplasma gondii are widely prevalent in humans and other animals worldwide. However, information from eastern European countries is sketchy. In many eastern European countries, including Romania, it has been assumed that chronic T. gondii infection is a common cause of infertility and abortion. For this reason, many women in Romania with these problems were needlessly tested for T. gondii infection. Most papers on toxoplasmosis in Romania were published in Romanian in local journals and often not available to scientists in other countries. Currently, the rate of congenital infection in Romania is largely unknown. In addition, there is little information on genetic characteristics of T. gondii or prevalence in animals and humans in Romania. In the present paper we review prevalence, clinical spectrum and epidemiology of T. gondii in humans and animals in Romania. This knowledge should be useful to biologists, public health workers, veterinarians and physicians.
Cognitive impairment in depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Rock P. L. , Roiser J. P. , Riedel W. J. , Blackwell A. D. 
Published: October 2013

BackgroundThis review aimed to address the question of whether cognitive impairment should be considered a core feature of depression that may be a valuable target for treatment.MethodWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of cognitive function, assessed with a single neuropsychological test battery, the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB), in patients with depression during symptomatic and remitted states. Inclusion of studies comparing patients remitted from depression and controls enabled us to investigate whether cognitive impairment persists beyond episodes of low mood in depression.ResultsOur meta-analysis revealed significant moderate cognitive deficits in executive function, memory and attention in patients with depression relative to controls (Cohen'sdeffect sizes ranging from −0.34 to −0.65). Significant moderate deficits in executive function and attention (Cohen'sdranging from −0.52 to −0.61) and non-significant small/moderate deficits in memory (Cohen'sdranging from −0.22 to −0.54) were found to persist in patients whose depressive symptoms had remitted, indicating that cognitive impairment occurs separately from episodes of low mood in depression.ConclusionsBoth low mood and cognitive impairment are associated with poor psychosocial functioning. Therefore, we argue that remediation of cognitive impairment and alleviation of depressive symptoms each play an important role in improving outcome for patients with depression. In conclusion, this systematic review and meta-analysis demonstrates that cognitive impairment represents a core feature of depression that cannot be considered an epiphenomenon that is entirely secondary to symptoms of low mood and that may be a valuable target for future interventions.
A Defence of the “Humanity” of the Pre-River Valley Implements of the Ipswich District
Authors: Moir J. Reid 
Published: October 2013

In the second part of our Proceedings, I was able to give an account of various experiments with flints under natural percussion and pressure, and to show wherein the fractures produced by these means differ from those resulting from human blows. This paper, which was an accumulation of concrete facts, was written with a view to dispelling in some measure the atmosphere of uncertainty which for so many years had surrounded the important subject of the greater antiquity of man.I now propose to supplement, as it were, the results obtained by my experiments by replying to the various objections which have been raised as to the “humanity” of the pre-Palæolithic implements I have discovered, and to show why in my opinion these objections are by no means insurmountable. I intend to confine myself to a defence of the implements found in my own particular district, because after several years' continual study of these specimens, and the beds in which they occur, I feel able to speak with some amount of confidence about them.
The Palaeolithic Implements of Nidderdale, Yorkshire
Authors: Collins E. R. 
Published: October 2013

The discovery of a large hand-axe of the Chelles period in the bed of the river Nidd at Goyden Pot Hole in 1922 has, after eight years careful work, established the fact by the results obtained, that Palæolithıc man lived in Yorkshire from the earliest times. This paper concerns only the upper part of Nidderdale, from Pateley Bridge to the source of the Nidd on Great Whernside. For the privilege of examining this large tract of country my thanks are due to the late Mr. T. E. Yorke, Col. C. J. Huskinson, Mr. H. A. Ramsden, Mr. W. Nicholson, and Mr. L. Mitchell.As the nature of the country in which the implements have been found is so different from all other sites where implements of the same periods exist in England, a short description of it will not be out of place.Nidderdale, like all the other Yorkshire dales, has been carved out by the glaciers of the Pleistocene period, and the course which the river follows is the same as that of the glaciers. The Nidd rises in Great Whernside at the height of over 2,000 ft., and by the time it reaches Pateley Bridge, some 15 miles from its source, it is only 383 ft. above sea. The fall of the hills corresponds more or less with this, the top of Great Whernside being 2,310 ft. O.D., and the moors at Pateley Bridge being 1,100-ft. to 1,050 ft. O.D. All down the dale on both sides many streams flow into the river: these have cut out deep narrow valleys, known locally as gills, and in doing so have exposed the lateral moraines which exist there.
The Presidential Address for 1932: The Culture of Pliocene Man
Authors: Moir J. Reid 
Published: October 2013

It is now close upon twenty-five years since the first flints from beneath the Red Crag of Suffolk—and claimed to have been flaked by man—were placed before the scientific world. During the period of time which has elapsed since 1907, a great deal of careful excavation, carried out by means of generous financial support given by the Royal Society, the Percy Sladen Fund, the Wellcome Historical Medical Museum, the Field Museum of Chicago and other Institutions, has been undertaken, and in consequence, a very considerable body of knowledge regarding the archaeological, and other contents of the Suffolk Bone Bed, has been accumulated.I propose, therefore, to take as the subject of my Presidential Address, “The Culture of Pliocene Man;” to place before you the evidence which makes it possible to use such a title in describing the sub-Red Crag artefacts, and to draw your attention to certain remarkable facts and conclusions relating to these specimens which must now be faced and considered. But it is necessary, first of all, to give a brief account of the Red Crag and the Suffolk Bone Bed (sometimes also called the Detritus Bed or the Nodule Bed) which underlies it, and in which the relics of man have been found.