bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A hierarchical mobile agent framework and its application to multimedia contents
Authors: Ishikawa Fuyuki , Yoshioka Nobukaza , Tahara Yasuyuki , Honiden Shinichi 
Published: December 2006

AbstractA hierarchical mobile agent is a model that extends the standard mobile agent. In this model it is possible for an agent to migrate inside another agent and parent–child relations can be constructed (the host agent being the parent). By means of such agent synthesis, it is possible to integrate different functionality and have agents interact with one another with no need for remote communications. Even when an agent migrates, it is possible to maintain the relations between parent and child stably over a long period of time. In this paper we focus on the task of controlling these parent–child relations and propose the MAFEH framework designed to simplify related tasks. This framework has two special characteristics. One consists of theparent–child agreementspecification that expresses the agreement regarding the behavior between parent and child. The other consists of theinteraction behavior descriptionspecification that facilitates the description of the processes by which individual interactive partners can be searched for, enter into combinations, and disassociate themselves from each other. In this paper we also present an application of the MAFEH framework demonstrating how an agent that encapsulates mobile contents can combine with other agents that provide different contents and services. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Comp Jpn, 38(1): 1–17, 2007; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/scj.20624
Covariate heterogeneity in meta‐analysis: Criteria for deciding between meta‐regression and individual patient data
Authors: Simmonds M. C. , Higgins J. P. T. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractMeta‐analyses of clinical trials are increasingly seeking to go beyond estimating the effect of a treatment and may also aim to investigate the effect of other covariates and how they alter treatment effectiveness. This requires the estimation of treatment‐covariate interactions. Meta‐regression can be used to estimate such interactions using published data, but it is known to lack statistical power, and is prone to bias.The use of individual patient data can improve estimation of such interactions, among other benefits, but it can be difficult and time‐consuming to collect and analyse. This paper derives, under certain conditions, the power of meta‐regression and IPD methods to detect treatment–covariate interactions. These power formulae are shown to depend on heterogeneity in the covariate distributions across studies. This allows the derivation of simple tests, based on heterogeneity statistics, for comparing the statistical power of the analysis methods. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modelling seasonal and weather dependency of cardiac arrests using the covariate order method
Authors: Kvaløy Jan Terje , Skogvoll Eirik 
Published: December 2006

AbstractA data set concerning cardiac arrests treated by the Emergency Medical Service in Trondheim during a nine year period is analysed. The relationship between the occurrence of cardiac arrest and covariates related to weather and season is examined. The covariate order method is used in the analysis of the data. It is explained how this method can be extended to recurrent event data, and the practical usefulness and flexibility of the method is demonstrated in these analyses.In the analyses a significant relationship between outdoor air temperature, or factors closely related to outdoor air temperature, and the occurrence of cardiac arrest is found. The incidence of cardiac arrest decreases with increasing temperature. Further a significant effect of snowfall is also found, with increased intensity of cardiac arrest on days with snowfall. A more borderline significant effect of precipitation is also identified. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Self‐efficacy, reasoning ability, and achievement in college biology
Authors: Lawson Anton E. , Banks Debra L. , Logvin Marshall 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThis study compared the relationships of self‐efficacy and reasoning ability to achievement in introductory college biology. Based on the hypothesis that developing formal and postformal reasoning ability is a primary factor influencing self‐efficacy, a significant positive correlation was predicted between reasoning ability and degree of self‐efficacy to complete biological tasks. Further, reasoning ability was predicted to be more highly correlated with course achievement than self‐efficacy. The study involved pre‐ and posttesting 459 introductory biology students. Both self‐efficacy and reasoning ability increased during the semester. As predicted, self‐efficacy and reasoning ability were positively correlated. Depending on the nature of the achievement measure, reasoning ability accounted for some 15 to 30 times more variance in achievement than self‐efficacy. Also, as predicted, reasoning ability was a strong predictor of self‐efficacy, but self‐efficacy was not a strong predictor of reasoning ability. Self‐efficacy estimates and achievement were higher for the concrete tasks than for the formal tasks and higher for the formal tasks than for the postformal tasks. In general, students tended to overestimate their abilities to carry out the concrete, formal, and postformal tasks. Results support the study's working hypothesis that intellectual development continues for some students during the college years, that a postformal level of intellectual development exists, and that reasoning ability is a primary factor influencing both self‐efficacy and achievement. Student overestimation of their abilities may contribute to complacency, lack of effort, and to less than optimal achievement. Consequently, it may be advantageous early in the semester to provide students with particularly challenging tasks that “shock” them out of their complacency and perhaps increase their effort, their reasoning skills, and their achievement. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 44: 706–724, 2007
Exergetic view and thinking—for the development of environment‐conscious technologies
Authors: Shukuya Masanori 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThis article introduces the concept of ‘exergy’, which is a thermodynamic quantity, to show what resource is, and what consumption is. Exergy is the ability of energy and matter to disperse into their environmental space. The first part of this article briefly describes the essence of the exergy concept, and the second part describes a simple example of exergy calculation with respect to electric lighting and thereby reviews the importance of daylighting as one of the environment‐conscious technologies. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hierarchical decentralized autonomous control in super‐distributed energy systems
Authors: Yasuda Keiichiro , Ishii Tsunayoshi 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThis paper deals with a decentralized autonomous control strategy of a super‐distributed energy system with a hierarchical structure in order to reduce the complexity of control. In this paper, distribution systems are assumed to be composed of multiple small‐scale power systems in which many customers with dispersed generators exist. A small‐scale power system can be considered as a unit with a generator state and a load state, or as a customer with dispersed generators. Control components of small‐scale power systems are interconnected with each other and are used to operate distribution systems. An expanded decentralized autonomous control method for a super‐distributed energy system with a hierarchical structure is proposed on the basis of the Hopfield neural network. It is demonstrated that super‐distributed energy systems with a hierarchical structure can be controlled autonomously by applying the proposed method. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Evaluation of energy saving and CO2emission reduction technologies in energy supply and end‐use sectors using a global energy model
Authors: Oda Junichiro , Akimoto Keigo , Sano Fuminori , Homma Takashi , Tomoda Toshimasa 
Published: December 2006

AbstractAssessments of global warming mitigation technologies are important for achieving the Kyoto target and planning post‐Kyoto regimes. Regional differences in energy resources, growth in energy consumption, current technology diffusions, etc., should be considered in the assessments. A global energy systems model, DNE21+, with high regional resolution had treated the energy supply sectors in a bottom‐up fashion and the end‐use sectors in a top‐down fashion, which was expressed by using long‐term price elasticity. However, the assessments of technological options in the end‐use sectors are currently more important, particularly for the near and middle terms. In order to evaluate the technological options not only in the energy supply sectors but also in the end‐use sectors for energy savings and CO2emission reductions, DNE21+ has been modified for treating two energy‐intensive end‐use sectors, i.e. steel and cement sectors, in the bottom‐up fashion. The results reveal that the cost‐effective global CO2emission reductions in 2030 for stabilizing the atmospheric CO2concentration at 550 ppmv in comparison with that in the reference case would be approximately 68 MtC/yr and almost zero in the steel and cement sectors, respectively. The cost‐effective options include next‐generation coke ovens and coke dry quenching (CDQ) in the steel sector. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A nine‐switch inverter for driving two AC motors independently
Authors: Oka Kazuo , Matsuse Kouki 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThis paper presents a nine‐switch inverter that can drive two AC motors independently.Recently, as an inverter that can drive them independently, a five‐leg inverter has been proposed. Ten switching devices are used for the five‐leg inverter, whereas only nine are used for the nine‐switch inverter. So, the nine‐switch inverter has the merit that one switching device can be reduced compared to the five‐leg inverter. Moreover, the maximum output voltage of the nine‐switch inverter equals that of the five‐leg inverter.In this work, we propose the structure of the nine‐switch inverter and a modulation method for the same, and validate the nine‐switch inverter by showing simulation results. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Visualization of electromagnetic waves emitted from partial discharge using the constrained interpolation profile (CIP) method
Authors: Kawada Masatake , Isaka Katsuo 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThe constrained interpolation profile method (CIP) is used in order to visualize the electromagnetic (EM) waves emitted from partial discharge (PD) for understanding the physical mechanisms. In this paper, the PD current is numerically obtained by the total amount of charge and the rise time. Numerical results show that the CIP is useful for visualizing the generation and the propagation of the EM waves emitted form the PD current. Copyright © 2007 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ten years of x‐ray holography
Authors: Faigel G. , Bortel G. , Fadley C. S. , Simionovici A. S. , Tegze M. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractWith the appearance of nano‐science the role of local methods has become more and more important. Hard x‐ray holography based on the inside reference point concept is a local probe of the atomic order in solids. It gives the 3D real space image of atoms without the phase ambiguity inherent to diffraction methods. In this paper a brief description of the basics of hard x‐ray holography is given. The last ten years' experimental and evaluation‐related developments are reviewed. We also introduce different variants of the method, such as bremsstrahlung and gamma ray holography (GRH). The power of the method is illustrated by examples. We outline new directions and future possibilities. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Relative efficacy of psychotherapy and combined therapy in the treatment of depression: A meta-analysis
Authors: de Maat Saskia M. , Dekker Jack , Schoevers Robert A. , de Jonghe Frans 
Published: December 2006

AbstractBackgroundReviews of the relative efficacy of psychotherapy and combined therapy (psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy) for depression have yielded contradicting conclusions. This may be explained by the clinical heterogeneity of the studies reviewed.AimsTo conduct a meta-analysis with an acceptable level of homogeneity in order to investigate the relative efficacy of psychotherapy and combined therapy in the acute treatment of depression.MethodA systematic search was performed for RCTs published between 1980 and 2005 comparing psychotherapy and combined therapy in adult psychiatric outpatients with non-psychotic unipolar major depressive disorder. The studies were classified according to the chronicity and severity of the depression. Data were pooled by means of meta-analysis and statistical tests were conducted to measure heterogeneity.ResultsThe meta-analysis included seven studies looking at a total of 903 patients. None of the heterogeneity tests established significance. This indicates a lack of evidence for the heterogeneity of the results. The dropout rates did not differ significantly between the two treatment modalities (25% in combined therapy and 24% in psychotherapy,p= 0.77). At treatment termination, the intention-to-treat remission rate for combined therapy (46%) was better than for psychotherapy (34%) (p= 0.0007); Relative Risk 1.32 (95% CI: 1.12–1.56), Odds Ratio 1.59 (95% CI: 1.22–2.09). In moderate depression, the difference between the remission rate for combined therapy and psychotherapy was statistically significant (47% compared to 34% respectively,p= 0.001). This was not the case in mild major depression (42% compared to 37% respectively,p= 0.29). The difference was also statistically significant in chronic major depression (48% compared to 32%,p< 0.001), but not in non-chronic major depression (43% compared to 37%,p= 0.22). On a more specific level, no differences were found in the remission rates for the treatment modalities in mild or moderate non-chronic depression. Combined therapy led to significantly better results than psychotherapy in moderate chronic depression only (48% compared to 32%,p< 0.001).ConclusionsIn the acute treatment of adult psychiatric outpatients with major depressive disorder, patient compliance with combined therapy matches compliance with psychotherapy alone. Combined therapy is more efficacious than psychotherapy alone. However, these results depend on severity and chronicity. Combined therapy outperformed psychotherapy in moderate chronic depression only. No differences were found in mild and moderate non-chronic depression. No data were found for mild chronic depression and for severe depression.
Problem solving therapies for depression: A meta-analysis
Authors: Cuijpers Pim , van Straten Annemieke , Warmerdam Lisanne 
Published: December 2006

AbstractPurposeIn the past decades, the effects of problem-solving therapy (PST) for depression have been examined in several randomized controlled studies. However, until now no meta-analysis has tried to integrate the results of these studies.MethodsWe conducted a systematic literature search and identified 13 randomized studies examining the effects of PST, with a total of 1133 subjects. The quality of studies varied.ResultsThe mean standardized effect size was 0.34 in the fixed effects model and 0.83 in the random effects model, with very high heterogeneity. Subgroup analyses indicated significantly lower effects for individual interventions in studies with subjects who met criteria for major depression, studies in which intention-to-treat analyses were conducted instead of completers-only analyses, and studies with pill placebo and care-as-usual control groups. Heterogeneity was high, and the subgroup analyses did not result in clear indications of what caused this high heterogeneity. This indicates that PST has varying effects on depression, and that it is not known to date what determines whether PST has larger of smaller effects.ConclusionAlthough there is no doubt that PST can be an effective treatment for depression, more research is needed to ascertain the conditions and subjects in which these positive effects are realized.
Insulin‐like growth factor‐1 receptor immunoreactive cells are selectively maintained in the paraventricular hypothalamus of calorically restricted mice
Authors: Saeed O. , Yaghmaie F. , Garan S.A. , Gouw A.M. , Voelker M.A. , Sternberg H. , Timiras P.S. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractThe mammalian lifespan is dramatically extended by both caloric restriction (CR) and insulin‐like growth factor‐1 (IGF‐1) suppression. Both interventions involve neuroendocrine alterations directed by the hypothalamus. Yet, it remains unclear whether CR exerts its affects by altering central IGF‐1 sensitivity. With this question in mind, we investigated the influence of CR and normal aging on hypothalamic IGF‐1 sensitivity, by measuring the changes in IGF‐1 receptor (IGF‐1R) populations. Taking IGF‐1 receptor (IGF‐1R) immunoreactivity as an index of sensitivity to IGF‐1, we counted IGF‐1R immunoreactive and non‐immunoreactive cells in the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of Young‐ad libitum fed (Young‐Al, 6 weeks old), Old‐ad libitum fed (Old‐Al, 22 months old), and old calorically restricted (Old‐CR, 22 months old) female B6D2F1 mice. An automated imaging microscopy system (AIMS) was used to generate cell counts for each cross‐section of PVN hypothalamus. Ad libitum fed mice show a 37% reduction in IGF‐1R immunoreactive cells and a 12% reduction in the total cell population of the PVN with aging. In comparison, caloric‐restricted mice show a 33% reduction in IGF‐1R immunoreactive cells and a notable 24% decrease in the total cell population with aging. This selective maintenance of IGF‐1R expressing cells coupled with the simultaneous loss of non‐immunoreactive cells, results in a higher percentage of IGF‐1R immunoreactive cells in the PVNs of CR mice. Thus, the decline in the percentage of IGF‐1 sensitive cells in the PVN with age is attenuated by CR.
The Essential Nature of Sphingolipids in Plants as Revealed by the Functional Identification and Characterization of theArabidopsisLCB1 Subunit of Serine Palmitoyltransferase
Authors: Chen Ming , Han Gongshe , Dietrich Charles R. , Dunn Teresa M. , Cahoon Edgar B. 
Published: December 2006

AbstractSerine palmitoyltransferase (SPT) catalyzes the first step of sphingolipid biosynthesis. In yeast and mammalian cells, SPT is a heterodimer that consists of LCB1 and LCB2 subunits, which together form the active site of this enzyme. We show that the predicted gene for Arabidopsis thaliana LCB1 encodes a genuine subunit of SPT that rescues the sphingolipid long-chain base auxotrophy of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SPT mutants when coexpressed with Arabidopsis LCB2. In addition, homozygous T-DNA insertion mutants for At LCB1 were not recoverable, but viability was restored by complementation with the wild-type At LCB1 gene. Furthermore, partial RNA interference (RNAi) suppression of At LCB1 expression was accompanied by a marked reduction in plant size that resulted primarily from reduced cell expansion. Sphingolipid content on a weight basis was not changed significantly in the RNAi suppression plants, suggesting that plants compensate for the downregulation of sphingolipid synthesis by reduced growth. At LCB1 RNAi suppression plants also displayed altered leaf morphology and increases in relative amounts of saturated sphingolipid long-chain bases. These results demonstrate that plant SPT is a heteromeric enzyme and that sphingolipids are essential components of plant cells and contribute to growth and development.
A phosphate‐binding subsite in bovine pancreatic ribonuclease A can be converted into a very efficient catalytic site
Authors: Moussaoui Mohammed , Cuchillo Claudi M. , Nogués M. Victòria 
Published: December 2006

AbstractA general acid–base catalytic mechanism is responsible for the cleavage of the phosphodiester bonds of the RNA by ribonuclease A (RNase A). The main active site is formed by the amino acid residues His12, His119, and Lys41, and the process follows an endonucleolytic pattern that depends on the existence of a noncatalytic phosphate‐binding subsite adjacent, on the 3′‐side, to the active site; in this region the phosphate group of the substrate establishes electrostatic interactions through the side chains of Lys7 and Arg10. We have obtained, by means of site‐directed mutagenesis, RNase A variants with His residues both at positions 7 and 10. These mutations have been introduced with the aim of transforming a noncatalytic binding subsite into a putative new catalytic active site. The RNase activity of these variants was determined by the zymogram technique and steady‐state kinetic parameters were obtained by spectrophotometric methods. The variants showed a catalytic efficiency in the same order of magnitude as the wild‐type enzyme. However, we have demonstrated in these variants important effects on the substrate's cleavage pattern. The quadruple mutant K7H/R10H/H12K/H119Q shows a clear increase of the exonucleolytic activity; in this case the original native active site has been suppressed, and, as consequence, its activity can only be associated to the new active site. In addition, the mutant K7H/R10H, with two putative active sites, also shows an increase in the exonucleolytic preference with respect to the wild type, a fact that may be correlated with the contribution of the new active site.
A complete algorithm to resolve ambiguity for intersubunit NOE assignment in structure determination of symmetric homo‐oligomers
Authors: Potluri Shobha , Yan Anthony K. , Donald Bruce R. , Bailey‐Kellogg Chris 
Published: December 2006

AbstractAssignment of nuclear Overhauser effect (NOE) data is a key bottleneck in structure determination by NMR. NOE assignment resolves the ambiguity as to which pair of protons generated the observed NOE peaks, and thus should be restrained in structure determination. In the case of intersubunit NOEs in symmetric homo‐oligomers, the ambiguity includes both the identities of the protons within a subunit, and the identities of the subunits to which they belong. This paper develops an algorithm for simultanous intersubunit NOE assignment and Cn symmetric homo‐oligomeric structure determinations, given the subunit structure. By using a configuration space framework, our algorithm guarantees completeness, in that it identifies structures representing, to within a user‐defined similarity level, every structure consistent with the available data (ambiguous or not). However, while our approach is complete in considering all conformations and assignments, it avoids explicit enumeration of the exponential number of combinations of possible assignments. Our algorithm can draw two types of conclusions not possible under previous methods: (1) that different assignments for an NOE would lead to different structural classes, or (2) that it is not necessary to uniquely assign an NOE, since it would have little impact on structural precision. We demonstrate on two test proteins that our method reduces the average number of possible assignments per NOE by a factor of 2.6 for MinE and 4.2 for CCMP. It results in high structural precision, reducing the average variance in atomic positions by factors of 1.5 and 3.6, respectively.