bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Estimation of recombination frequency in bi-parental genetic populations
Authors: SUN ZIQI , LI HUIHUI , ZHANG LUYAN , WANG JIANKANG 
Published: August 2012

SummaryLinkage analysis plays an important role in genetic studies. In linkage analysis, accurate estimation of recombination frequency is essential. Many bi-parental populations have been used, and determining an appropriate population is of great importance in precise recombination frequency. In this study, we investigated the estimation efficiency of recombination frequency in 12 bi-parental populations. The criteria that we used for comparison were LOD score in testing linkage relationship, deviation between estimated and real recombination frequency, standard error (SE) of estimates and the least theoretical population size (PS) required to observe at least one recombinant and to declare the statistically significant linkage relationship. Theoretical and simulation results indicated that larger PS and smaller recombination frequency resulted in higher LOD score and smaller deviation. Lower LOD score, higher deviation and higher SE for estimating the recombination frequency in the advanced backcrossing and selfing populations are larger than those in backcross and F2populations, respectively. For advanced backcrossing and selfing populations, larger populations were needed in order to observe at least one recombinant and to declare significant linkage. In comparison, in F2and F3populations higher LOD score, lower deviation and SE were observed for co-dominant markers. A much larger population was needed to observe at least one recombinant and to detect loose linkage for dominant and recessive markers. Therefore, advanced backcrossing and selfing populations had lower precision in estimating the recombination frequency. F2and F3populations together with co-dominant markers represent the ideal situation for linkage analysis and linkage map construction.
North China Famine Revisited: Unsung Native Relief in the Warlord Era, 1920–1921
Authors: FULLER PIERRE 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThis paper makes the case that in China's most severe food crisis of the first quarter of the twentieth century—the great north China famine of 1920–1921—considerable life-saving relief was generated by three largely-neglected segments of Chinese society: Buddhist and other native charity efforts working along parallel social channels to the better-publicized missionary and international relief groups; the Republic's much-maligned military establishment; and officials and residents of the stricken communities themselves who were operating largely ‘below the radar’ of the distant, mostly city-based chroniclers of the famine whose voices have been privileged in the later history-writing process. Despite the recent fall of the Qing and the beginnings of a fractured era of warring between provincial governors, this paper suggests that communities in the increasingly neglected periphery of 1920 north China were significantly more viable and attentive to social welfare needs than has been previously recognized.
A reconfigurable, tendon-based haptic interface for research into human-environment interactions
Authors: von Zitzewitz Joachim , Morger André , Rauter Georg , Marchal-Crespo Laura , Crivelli Francesco , Wyss Dario , Bruckmann Tobias , Riener Robert 
Published: August 2012

SUMMARYHuman reaction to external stimuli can be investigated in a comprehensive way by using a versatile virtual-reality setup involving multiple display technologies. It is apparent that versatility remains a main challenge when human reactions are examined through the use of haptic interfaces as the interfaces must be able to cope with the entire range of diverse movements and forces/torques a human subject produces. To address the versatility challenge, we have developed a large-scale reconfigurable tendon-based haptic interface which can be adapted to a large variety of task dynamics and is integrated into a Cave Automatic Virtual Environment (CAVE). To prove the versatility of the haptic interface, two tasks, incorporating once the force and once the velocity extrema of a human subject's extremities, were implemented: a simulator with 3-DOF highly dynamic force feedback and a 3-DOF setup optimized to perform dynamic movements. In addition, a 6-DOF platform capable of lifting a human subject off the ground was realized. For these three applications, a position controller was implemented, adapted to each task, and tested. In the controller tests with highly different, task-specific trajectories, the three robot configurations fulfilled the demands on the application-specific accuracy which illustrates and confirms the versatility of the developed haptic interface.
Sketch-based interfaces for modeling and users' needs: Redefining connections
Authors: Elsen Catherine , Demaret Jean-Noël , Yang Maria C. , Leclercq Pierre 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThe goal of this paper is to reexamine assumptions about sketch-based interfaces for modeling in the context of designers' needs and practices. Research questions examine (a) the type of sketch support and (b) the timing of support. Both concepts try to determine when, what, why and how to augment design processes in a way that is useful to designers. Two experiments (one in architecture and one in product design) based on ergonomics theory are conducted and intend to question some of these assumptions. The Port Zeeland experiment examines how 20 novices perceive and copy a blurred architectural sketch, which provides clues for a sketch interpretation system. The “Tragere” experiment studies how 12 professional product designers, some of whom are “idea generators” and others “idea pursuers,” perceive, recognize, and handle a design sketch. The results take a designer's point of view in assessing the timing and value of sketch assistance in product design. The quantitative data analysis provides rich clues about when, why and how product sketches should be supported. The paper explores the strategies developed by designers to perceive and recognize graphical content and discusses the generation of three-dimensional volumes, the univocity state between sketches and three-dimensional models, and the treatment of features in freehand sketches. The paper concludes with observations on the timing and value of support, as first integrated in NEMo, a tool for early stage architectural design, and then in PEPS3, an early stage framework for product design.
Computer-aided design versus sketching: An exploratory case study
Authors: Veisz David , Namouz Essam Z. , Joshi Shraddha , Summers Joshua D 
Published: August 2012

AbstractThis paper presents a preliminary comparison between the role of computer-aided design (CAD) and sketching in engineering through a case study of a senior design project and interviews with industry and academia. The design team consisted of four senior level mechanical engineering students each with less than 1 year of professional experience are observed while completing an industry sponsored mechanical engineering capstone design project across a 17 week semester. Factors investigated include what CAD tools are used, when in the design process they are implemented, the justification for their use from the students' perspectives, the actual knowledge gained from their use, the impact on the final designed artifact, and the contributions of any sketches generated. At each design step, comparisons are made between CAD and sketching. The students implemented CAD tools at the onset of the project, generally failing to realize gains in design efficiency or effectiveness in the early conceptual phases of the design process. As the design became more concrete, the team was able to recognize clear gains in both efficiency and effectiveness through the use of computer assisted design programs. This study is augmented by interviews with novice and experienced industry users and academic instructors to align the trends observed in the case study with industry practice and educational emphasis. A disconnect in the perceived capability of CAD tools was found between novice and experienced user groups. Opinions on the importance of sketching skills differed between novice educators and novice industry professionals, suggesting that there is a change of opinion as to the importance of sketching formed when recent graduates transition from academia to industry. The results suggest that there is a need to emphasize the importance of sketching and a deeper understanding as to the true utility of CAD tools at each stage of the design process.
Expression of mRNA encoding leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) and its receptor (LIFRβ) in buffalo preimplantation embryos produced in vitro: markers of successful embryo implantation
Authors: Eswari S. , Sai Kumar G. , Sharma G. Taru 
Published: August 2012

SummaryThe objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of supplementation of recombinant leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in culture media on blastocyst development, total cell number and blastocyst hatching rates and the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction analysis of preimplantation buffalo embryos to determine whether they contain the LIF-encoding mRNA and its beta receptor (LIFRβ) genes in different stages of preimplantation buffalo embryos. Cumulus–oocyte complexes retrieved from slaughterhouse buffalo ovaries were matured in vitro and fertilized using frozen buffalo semen. After 18 h of co-incubation with sperm, the presumptive zygotes were cultured in modified synthetic oviductal fluid without (control) or with rhLIF (100 ng/ml). There was no significant difference in the overall cleavage rate up to morula stage however the development of blastocysts, hatching rate and total cell numbers were significantly higher in the LIF-treated group than control. Transcripts for LIFRβ were detected from immature, in vitro-matured oocytes and in the embryos up to blastocyst stage, while transcripts for the LIF were detected from 8–16-cell stage up to blastocyst, which indicated that embryo-derived LIF can act in an autocrine manner on differentiation process and blastocyst formation. This study indicated that the addition of LIF to the embryo culture medium improved development of blastocysts, functional (hatching) and morphological (number of cells) quality of the blastocysts produced in vitro. The stage-specific expression pattern of LIF and LIFRβ mRNA transcripts in buffalo embryos indicated that LIF might play an important role in the preimplantation development and subsequent implantation of buffalo embryos.
The Clinical Application of Mobile Technology to Disaster Medicine
Authors: Case Timothy , Morrison Cecily , Vuylsteke Alain 
Published: August 2012

AbstractMobile health care technology (mHealth) has the potential to improve communication and clinical information management in disasters. This study reviews the literature on health care and computing published in the past five years to determine the types and efficacy of mobile applications available to disaster medicine, along with lessons learned.Five types of applications are identified: (1) disaster scene management; (2) remote monitoring of casualties; (3) medical image transmission (teleradiology); (4) decision support applications; and (5) field hospital information technology (IT) systems. Most projects have not yet reached the deployment stage, but evaluation exercises show that mHealth should allow faster processing and transport of patients, improved accuracy of triage and better monitoring of unattended patients at a disaster scene. Deployments of teleradiology and field hospital IT systems to disaster zones suggest that mHealth can improve resource allocation and patient care. The key problems include suitability of equipment for use in disaster zones and providing sufficient training to ensure staff familiarity with complex equipment. Future research should focus on providing unbiased observations of the use of mHealth in disaster medicine.CaseT, MorrisonC, VuylstekeA. The clinical application of mobile technology to disaster medicine. Prehosp Disaster Med. 2012;27(5):1-9.
Multiyear lidar observations of the descending nature of tropical cirrus clouds
Authors: Nair Anish Kumar M. , Rajeev K. , Mishra Manoj Kumar , Thampi Bijoy V. , Parameswaran K. 
Published: August 2012

Sedimentation of ice particles from cirrus clouds is one of the main processes responsible for dehydration of the upper troposphere. Multiyear‐long‐duration lidar observations of tropical cirrus over Thiruvananthapuram (8.5°N, 77°E) show the descending nature of these clouds throughout the year, with a mean frequency of occurrence of ∼20%. Majority of these descending cirrus occur near the base of tropical tropopause layer (TTL), while their frequency of occurrence and vertical extent of descent near the cold point tropopause are considerably less. On average, vertical displacement of the top and base of cirrus is almost similar. The most probable vertical displacement of cirrus is 1.5 – 2.5 km with descent duration of 1–2 h. However, in >20% of the cases, the vertical displacement is >3 km and ∼40% of the descending cirrus layers last for 2–5 h. Around 95% of descending cirrus clouds have a settling speed <0.8 ms−1. On average, the percentage of clouds that are thickening or thinning by >300 m during descent are almost equal (∼23% each), while the thickening/thinning of the remaining 54% is <300 m. About 79% of these descending cirrus layers have cloud optical depth (COD) between 0.1 to 0.5. None of these clouds are of sub‐visual type (COD <0.03). For the typical range of vertical displacements and CODs observed in the present study, the descending of cirrus clouds are estimated to decrease the longwave cloud radiative forcing at top of the atmosphere by 1 to 12.9 Wm−2.
Magnetospheric line radiation event observed simultaneously on board Cluster 1, Cluster 2 and DEMETER spacecraft
Authors: Němec F. , Santolík O. , Parrot M. , Pickett J. S. 
Published: August 2012

We present a case study of a magnetospheric line radiation (MLR) event observed simultaneously by Cluster 1 and Cluster 2 during a perigee passage at a radial distance of about 4 REand, at the same time, by the low‐orbiting DEMETER satellite. This unique constellation enables us to analyze spatiotemporal variability of the phenomenon. Although the Cluster spacecraft are separated by as much as 0.7 L‐shells, the observed wave pattern is the same on both. The analysis of B to E ratios indicates a quasiparallel propagation, which suggests that the waves cross the geomagnetic equator over a significant range of L‐shells, at least 3.9–4.6. Simultaneous observations by the DEMETER satellite separated by about 1.8 hours in MLT from the Cluster spacecraft indicate a significant azimuthal extent of the source. The obtained results show that during the MLR event the same wave pattern is observed over a significant portion of the inner magnetosphere.
Modeling pathways of riverine nitrogen and phosphorus in the Baltic Sea
Authors: Radtke H. , Neumann T. , Voss M. , Fennel W. 
Published: August 2012

A better understanding of the fate of nutrients entering the Baltic Sea ecosystem is an important issue with implications for environmental management. There are two sources of nitrogen and phosphorus: riverine input and atmospheric deposition. In the case of nitrogen, the fixation of dinitrogen by diazotrophic bacteria represents a third source. From an analysis of stable nitrogen isotope ratios it was suggested that most of the riverine nitrogen is sequestered in the coastal rim, specifically along the southern Baltic Sea coast with its coarse sediments, whereas nitrogen from fixation dominates the central basins. However, pathways of nutrients and timescales between the input of the nutrients and their arrival in different basins are difficult to obtain from direct measurements. To elucidate this problem, we use a source attribution technique in a three‐dimensional ecosystem model, ERGOM, to track nutrients originating from various rivers. An “age” variable is attributed to the marked elements to indicate their propagation speeds and residence times. In this paper, we specifically investigate the spreading of nitrogen and phosphorus from the riverine discharges of the Oder, Vistula, Neman and Daugava. We demonstrate which regions they are transported to and for how long they remain in the ecosystem. The model results show good agreement with source estimations from observedδ15N values in sediments. The model results suggest that 95% of nitrogen is lost by denitrification in sediments, after an average time of 1.4 years for riverine nitrogen. The residence time of riverine phosphorus is much longer and exceeds our simulated period of 35 years.
Movement and Capture Efficiency of Radio-Tagged Salmonids Sampled by Electrofishing
Authors: Young Michael K. , Schmetterling David A. 
Published: August 2012

Abstract
Electrofishing-based estimates of fish abundance are common. Most population models assume that samples are drawn from a closed population, but population closure is sometimes difficult to achieve. Consequently, we individually electrofished 103 radio-tagged trout of two species, westslope cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi and brook trout Salvelinus fontinalis, in five streams in western Montana to quantify the influence of habitat and fish size on capture efficiency and movement related to electrofishing with unpulsed DC. First-pass capture efficiency was 46% and declined on subsequent passes. No variables were related to capture efficiency, and only the percentage of cobble or larger substrate was related to the probability that uncaptured fish would move during the first electrofishing pass. About 20% of the uncaptured fish did not move, and 95% traveled less than 18 m. We concluded that for these streams, the bias in abundance estimates from disregarding movement would be relatively minor.
Received January 18, 2011; accepted June 11, 2012
SLOW RISE AND PARTIAL ERUPTION OF A DOUBLE-DECKER FILAMENT. I. OBSERVATIONS AND INTERPRETATION
Authors: Liu Rui , Kliem Bernhard , Török Tibor , Liu Chang , Titov Viacheslav S. , Lionello Roberto , Linker Jon A. , Wang Haimin 
Published: August 2012

ABSTRACT
We study an active-region dextral filament that was composed of two branches separated in height by about 13 Mm, as inferred from three-dimensional reconstruction by combining SDO and STEREO-B observations. This “double-decker” configuration sustained for days before the upper branch erupted with a GOES-class M1.0 flare on 2010 August 7. Analyzing this evolution, we obtain the following main results. (1) During the hours before the eruption, filament threads within the lower branch were observed to intermittently brighten up, lift upward, and then merge with the upper branch. The merging process contributed magnetic flux and current to the upper branch, resulting in its quasi-static ascent. (2) This transfer might serve as the key mechanism for the upper branch to lose equilibrium by reaching the limiting flux that can be stably held down by the overlying field or by reaching the threshold of the torus instability. (3) The erupting branch first straightened from a reverse S shape that followed the polarity inversion line and then writhed into a forward S shape. This shows a transfer of left-handed helicity in a sequence of writhe–twist–writhe. The fact that the initial writhe is converted into the twist of the flux rope excludes the helical kink instability as the trigger process of the eruption, but supports the occurrence of the instability in the main phase, which is indeed indicated by the very strong writhing motion. (4) A hard X-ray sigmoid, likely of coronal origin, formed in the gap between the two original filament branches in the impulsive phase of the associated flare. This supports a model of transient sigmoids forming in the vertical flare current sheet. (5) Left-handed magnetic helicity is inferred for both branches of the dextral filament. (6) Two types of force-free magnetic configurations are compatible with the data, a double flux rope equilibrium and a single flux rope situated above a loop arcade.
Sheath and arc-column voltages in high-pressure arc discharges
Authors: Benilov M S , Benilova L G , Li He-Ping , Wu Gui-Qing 
Published: August 2012

Abstract
Electrical characteristics of a 1 cm-long free-burning atmospheric-pressure argon arc are calculated by means of a model taking into account the existence of a near-cathode space-charge sheath and the discrepancy between the electron and heavy-particle temperatures in the arc column. The computed arc voltage exhibits a variation with the arc current I similar to the one revealed by the experiment and exceeds experimental values by no more than approximately 2 V in the current range 20–175 A. The sheath contributes about two-thirds or more of the arc voltage. The LTE model predicts a different variation of the arc voltage with I and underestimates the experimental values appreciably for low currents but by no more than approximately 2 V for I ≳ 120 A. However, the latter can hardly be considered as a proof of unimportance of the space-charge sheath at high currents: the LTE model overestimates both the resistance of the bulk of the arc column and the resistance of the part of the column that is adjacent to the cathode, and this overestimation to a certain extent compensates for the neglect of the voltage drop in the sheath. Furthermore, if the latter resistance were evaluated in the framework of the LTE model in an accurate way, then the overestimation would be still much stronger and the obtained voltage would significantly exceed those observed in the experiment.
Reversibility in electric field-induced transitions and energy storage properties of bismuth-based perovskite ceramics
Authors: Viola G , Ning H , Reece M J , Wilson R , Correia T M , Weaver P , Cain M G , Yan H 
Published: August 2012

Abstract
The effects of temperature and electric field-induced structural modifications on the energy storage properties of 0.95[0.94Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–0.06BaTiO3]–0.05K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (BNT–BT–5KNN) ceramics were investigated. X-ray diffraction performed on unpoled and poled ceramics in the temperature range 25–500 °C suggested an increment in the rhombohedral phase intensity peaks and in the tetragonal distortion after electrical poling. The rhombohedral phase content reduced with increasing temperature in both unpoled and poled ceramics. In the unpoled ceramic, the rhombohedral phase eventually disappeared, while it survived in the poled specimen up to 500 °C. The stabilization of the rhombohedral ferroelectric phase by dc poling produced remarkable differences in the temperature dependence of permittivity, loss, current–polarization–electric field loops and energy density. As a consequence of a reversible transition induced by an alternating electric field, competitive energy densities (0.39–0.51 J cm−3 in the range 25–175 °C) with those of lead-based and lead-free bulk ceramics recently developed was obtained, indicating bismuth-based perovskites as potential lead-free systems for energy storage applications.