bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of non‐hydrostatic effects and trapped lee waves on mountain‐wave drag in directionally sheared flow
Authors: Yu C. L. , Teixeira M. A. C.
Published: September 2014

The orographic gravity‐wave drag produced in flow over an axisymmetric mountain when both vertical wind shear and non‐hydrostatic effects are important was calculated using a semi‐analytical two‐layer linear model, including unidirectional or directional constant wind shear in a layer near the surface, above which the wind is constant. The drag behaviour is determined by partial wave reflection at the shear discontinuity, wave absorption at critical levels (both of which exist in hydrostatic flow) and total wave reflection at levels where the waves become evanescent (an intrinsically non‐hydrostatic effect), which produces resonant trapped lee‐wave modes. As a result of constructive or destructive wave interference, the drag oscillates with the thickness of the constant‐shear layer and the Richardson number within it (Ri), generally decreasing at low Ri and when the flow is strongly non‐hydrostatic. Critical‐level absorption, which increases with the angle spanned by the wind velocity in the constant‐shear layer, shields the surface from reflected waves, keeping the drag closer to its hydrostatic limit. Although, for the parameter range considered here, the drag seldom exceeds this limit, a substantial drag fraction may be produced by trapped lee waves, particularly when the flow is strongly non‐hydrostatic, the lower layer is thick and Ri is relatively high. In directionally sheared flows with , the drag may be misaligned with the surface wind in a direction opposite to the shear, a behaviour that is due totally to non‐trapped waves. The trapped lee‐wave drag, the reaction force of which is felt on the atmosphere at low levels, may therefore have a distinctly different direction from the drag associated with vertically propagating waves, which acts on the atmosphere at higher levels.
Damage‐resistance matrix embedding framework: the contradiction between robustness and embedding efficiency
Authors: Liu Weiwei , Liu Guangjie , Dai Yuewei
Published: September 2014

Matrix embedding schemes based on linear codes have been widely used in the field of steganography, which is an important branch of covert communication. Nevertheless, they appear weak for some conditions of high reliability demand or “active attack” because of the poor robustness. In this paper, with robustness analysis of matrix embedding based on Tanner graph, a general framework of damage‐resistance matrix embedding (DR‐ME) is described to take account of both robustness and embedding efficiency, which has a fair chance to recover the secret message when stego object is partly damaged. The approximated robustness–efficiency bound is derived to reveal the contradiction between robustness and embedding efficiency. Then, based on the parity‐check concatenation of systematic convolutional codes and syndrome‐trellis codes (STCs), we propose the practical damage‐resistance STCs (DR‐STCs). Experimental results show that DR‐STCs are near‐optimal DR‐ME schemes, which can approach the derived upper bound. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
G‐SIMS analysis of organic solar cell materials
Authors: Franquet A. , Fleischmann C. , Conard T. , Voroshazi E. , Poleunis C. , Havelund R. , Delcorte A. , Vandervorst W.
Published: September 2014

Interpretation of time‐of‐flight (TOF)‐SIMS spectra of organic molecules could be difficult because of the presence of a high number of secondary ion peaks; this often requires the use of data analysis methods to simplify the TOF‐SIMS measurements. In this study, we will demonstrate that the gentle‐SIMS method could be applied to more easily interpret the TOF‐SIMS spectra of organic solar cell materials. Various conditions of the primary ion beam were used to generate the gentle‐SIMS spectra from pure layers of two materials, i.e. PC70BM and PCDTBT. It will be shown that by using specific conditions of the primary ion column, the corresponding molecular ion or characteristic peaks of the pure organic materials are highlighted. Results obtained on an organic layer prepared from a mixture of both materials will be also discussed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On including nonlinearity in multivariate analysis of imaging SIMS data
Authors: Gelb Lev D. , Milillo Tammy M. , Walker Amy V.
Published: September 2014

We present progress toward the use of nonlinear models in multivariate analysis of imaging mass spectrometry data. Specifically, we consider the ion intensity at each mass and position as a nonlinear function of the concentrations of all species present. By expanding this function in a Taylor series, we both recover the precise meaning of the mass spectrum in standard bilinear analyses and introduce new ‘correlation spectra’ that describe matrix effects. Some fundamental results concerning the behavior of the resulting model (to second order) are presented. A numerical demonstration consisting of the analysis of synthetic data sets with known nonlinearity is also performed, which shows that the application of these ideas is computationally tractable under reasonable conditions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Use of ionic liquids in SIMS depth profiling
Authors: Nakata Yoshihiko , Fujiyama Noriyuki , Sameshima Junichiro , Yoshikawa Masanobu
Published: September 2014

A room temperature ionic liquid (IL) is a molten salt with melting point below 100 °C and has extremely low vapor pressure, allowing use in a high vacuum chamber. In scanning electron microscopy, the ILs have been found to behave as electrically conductive materials and successfully applied for conductive coating of insulating specimens. It is well known that dynamic SIMS analysis of an insulator causes charge buildup and requires a conductive film coating and electron gun, which can distort depth profiling of metal elements. In this study, 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate was employed to test the applicability for charge neutralization in depth profiling of insulators. Mass spectra were successfully obtained from the IL droplets deposited onto a Si substrate without charge buildup. Deposition of the IL onto fiber pulp samples enabled us to acquire continuous secondary ions from the pulp samples. It implies the potential use of the IL as a conductive film for depth profiling of metal elements in insulators such as SiO2 and SiN. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantitative imaging of inositol distribution in yeast using multi‐isotope imaging mass spectrometry (MIMS)
Authors: Saiardi A. , Guillermier C. , Loss O. , Poczatek J. C. , Lechene C.
Published: September 2014

Despite the widely recognized importance of the several species of inositol polyphosphates in cell biology, inositol has not been successfully imaged and quantified inside cells using traditional spectrophotometry. Multi‐isotope imaging mass spectrometry (MIMS) technology, however, has facilitated direct imaging and measurement of cellular inositol. After pulsing cells with inositol labeled with the stable isotope Carbon‐13 (13C), the label was detected in subcellular volumes by MIMS. The tridimensional localization of 13C within the cell illustrated cellular distribution and local accumulation of inositol. In parallel, we performed control experiments with 13C‐glucose to compare a different 13C distribution pattern. Because many functions recently attributed to inositol polyphosphates are localized in the nucleus, we analyzed its relative nuclear concentration. We engineered yeast with human thymidine permease and viral thymidine kinase then fed them with 15N‐thymidine. This permitted direct analysis of the nuclear DNA through the detection of the 15N isotopic signal. We found practically no co‐localization between inositol signal (13C‐isotope) and nuclear signal (15N‐isotope). The 13C‐tag (inositol) accumulation was highest at the plasma membrane and in cytoplasmic domains. In time‐course labeling experiments performed with wild‐type (WT) yeast or modified yeast unable to synthesize inositol from glucose (ino1Δ), the halftime of labeled inositol accumulation was ~1 h in WT and longer in ino1Δ. These studies should serve as a template to study metabolism and physiological role of inositol using genetically modified yeasts. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Development of characterization procedure of particulate matter pollution collected in immediate vicinity of urban residents
Authors: Konarski P. , Miśnik M. , Zawada A. , Olszewska‐Czopik K. , Iwanejko I. , Ścibor M. , Balcerzak B. , Hałuszka J.
Published: September 2014

Advantage of using individual dust meters over traditional stationary particulate matter (PM) air pollution monitoring is evaluated. Data of air pollution levels obtained from the three municipal stationary monitoring stations were compared with data of individual dust meters SidePak AM 510. Results of a few control series of this comparison have indicated important differences between the mentioned two types of synchronised measurements. Taking into account that vast majority of time people spend indoors, one may expect that individual samplers better characterise exposition of any human being on the PM urban pollution. As a result, a new sampling procedure is proposed. It allows the collection of particulate matter in the immediate vicinity of human being: As collectors of the PM, we propose mobile phones, accompanying people whatever is their everyday activity. Namely, dust deposited in the inner parts of the used mobile phones is extracted and analysed. The procedure consists of bulk analysis performed with spark source mass spectrometry (SSMS) and depth profile analysis made by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). Exemplary results are presented of the particulate material deposited on high purity indium foils. Ion erosion is done with 5 keV Ar+, 150‐µm diameter ion beam scanned over 2 × 2.5 mm area. The analyser is equipped with Physical Electronics ion gun and QMA‐410 Balzers quadrupole mass spectrometer. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Compressed bitmap indexes: beyond unions and intersections
Authors: Kaser Owen , Lemire Daniel
Published: September 2014

Compressed bitmap indexes are used to speed up simple aggregate queries in databases. Indeed, set operations like intersections, unions and complements can be represented as logical operations (AND, OR and NOT) that are ideally suited for bitmaps. However, it is less obvious how to apply bitmaps to more advanced queries. For example, we might seek products in a store that meet some, but maybe not all, criteria. Such threshold queries generalize intersections and unions; they are often used in information‐retrieval and data‐mining applications. We introduce new algorithms that are sometimes three orders of magnitude faster than a naïve approach. Our work shows that bitmap indexes are more broadly applicable than is commonly believed. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The hydraulic description of vegetated river channels: the weaknesses of existing formulations and emerging alternatives
Authors: Marjoribanks Timothy I. , Hardy Richard J. , Lane Stuart N.
Published: September 2014

Currently, many of the methods used to predict the effect of vegetation on river flow suffer from one or both of the following problems: (1) a strong dependence on parameters that have a poor physical basis and which are only readily determined using empirical means; and (2) a poor conceptual basis, in terms of the way they represent the effects of vegetation on the flow, especially in higher dimensionality numerical models. This limits their contribution to problems that extend beyond basic hydraulic prediction (e.g., of water levels) to ecosystem understanding. In this study, we show how use of coupled biomechanical–hydraulic models may lead to a much‐improved representation of a range of open‐channel flow processes. Preliminary experiments over hypothetical vegetation canopies are producing very encouraging results and may provide the means for an improved representation of vegetation in higher dimensionality numerical models that may result in a better justification and more reliable identification of the conveyance parameters needed for both flood identification and the characterization of habitat. WIREs Water 2014, 1:549–560. doi: 10.1002/wat2.1044

This article is categorized under:

Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

Science of Water > Hydrological Processes
Allee effects and population regulation: a test for biotic resistance against an invasive leafroller by resident parasitoids
Authors: Bürgi Linda P. , Roltsch William J. , Mills Nicholas J.
Published: September 2014

Resident natural enemies can impact invasive species by causing Allee effects, leading to a reduction in establishment success of small founder populations, or by regulating or merely suppressing the abundance of established populations.Epiphyas postvittana, the Light Brown Apple Moth, an invasive leafroller in California, has been found to be attacked by a large assemblage of resident parasitoids that cause relatively high rates of parasitism. Over a 4‐year period, we measured the abundance and per capita growth rates of fourE. postvittanapopulations in California and determined parasitism rates. We found that at two of the sites, parasitism caused a component Allee effect, a reduction in individual survivorship at lowerE. postvittanapopulation densities, although it did not translate into a demographic Allee effect, an impact on per capita population growth rates at low densities. Instead,E. postvittanapopulations at all four sites exhibited strong compensatory density feedback throughout the entire range of densities observed at each site. As we found no evidence for a negative relationship between per capita population growth rates and parasitism rates, we concluded that resident parasitoids were unable to regulateE. postvittanapopulations in California. Despite a lack of evidence for regulation or a demographic Allee effect, the impact of resident parasitoids onE. postvittanapopulations is substantial and demonstrates significant biotic resistance against this new invader.
Engineering of a CPC acylase using a facile pH indicator assay
Authors: Xiao Yingzhou , Huo Xiangdong , Qian Yu , Zhang Yan , Chen Guoqiang , Ouyang Pingkai , Lin Zhanglin
Published: September 2014

Cephalosporin C (CPC) acylase is important for the one-step production of 7-aminocephalosporanic acid (7-ACA), a key intermediate for cephalosporin antibiotics. However, its application is hampered by the low activity, substrate inhibition, and product inhibition. In this study, two rounds of combinatorial active-site saturation testing (CASTing) were carried out on the CPC acylase acyII from Pseudomonas SE83, and one mutant H57βA/H70βY with no substrate inhibition was obtained. For further engineering to reduce the product inhibition, a quick pH indicator assay was developed, allowing for real-time monitoring of the product inhibition in the presence of added 7-ACA. The utility of the assay was demonstrated by screening six libraries of site-directed saturation mutagenesis libraries of H57βA/H70βY. A new mutant H57βA/H70βY/I176βN was obtained, which showed a k  cat 3.26-fold and a K  IP 3.08-fold that of the wild type, respectively. Given the commercial value of the enzyme, both this pH indicator assay and the triple mutant should be useful for further engineering of the enzyme to increase the specific activity and to decrease the product inhibition.
Whole genome sequencing reveals a novel CRISPR system in industrial Clostridium acetobutylicum
Authors: Peng Lixin , Pei Jianxin , Pang Hao , Guo Yuan , Lin Lihua , Huang Ribo
Published: September 2014

Clostridium acetobutylicum is an important organism for biobutanol production. Due to frequent exposure to bacteriophages during fermentation, industrial C. acetobutylicum strains require a strong immune response against foreign genetic invaders. In the present study, a novel CRISPR system was reported in a C. acetobutylicum GXAS18-1 strain by whole genome sequencing, and several specific characteristics of the CRISPR system were revealed as follows: (1) multiple CRISPR loci were confirmed within the whole bacterial genome, while only one cluster of CRISPR-associated genes (Cas) was found in the current strain; (2) similar leader sequences at the 5’ end of the multiple CRISPR loci were identified as promoter elements by promoter prediction, suggesting that these CRISPR loci were under the control of the same transcriptional factor; (3) homology analysis indicated that the present Cas genes shared only low sequence similarity with the published Cas families; and (4) concerning gene similarity and gene cluster order, these Cas genes belonged to the csm family and originated from the euryarchaeota by horizontal gene transfer.
Thermal and Rheological Behavior of Peanut Protein Concentrate and Starch Composites
Authors: Colombo Andrés , Ribotta Pablo Daniel , León Alberto Edel
Published: September 2014

Vegetable derivatives like peanut protein concentrates constitute an alternative for incorporation in starch‐based systems. In order to assess the capacity of peanut protein concentrate (PPC) to be incorporated in starch systems, the thermo‐mechanical behavior of pastes made with starches from different botanical sources (between 4.6 and 6 % w/w of corn, cassava and wheat starch), PPC (5.2–12.1 % w/w, which contributed between ~3 and ~6 % of final protein content), and sucrose (12.4–15 % w/w) was analyzed. Peanut proteins modified thermal behavior of starches as measured by the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) technique. PPC increased the concentration of starch in the continuous phase and, consequently, the overall viscosity of the system during pasting. In addition, PPC increased the consistency of starch gels, although weaker structures were obtained. The syneresis of starch gels was reduced by PPC, which is advantageous for its incorporation in starch‐based systems.
Chemical Changes of Canola Oil During Frying Under Atmospheric Condition and Combination of Nitrogen and Carbon Dioxide Gases in the Presence of Air
Authors: Nazarbakhsh Venus , Ezzatpanah Hamid , Tarzi Babak Ghiassi , Givianrad Mohammad Hadi
Published: September 2014

The effects of different frying methods; frying under atmospheric condition and frying in the presence of different ratios of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases; were investigated on chemical changes of canola oil. The tests were conducted four times per day during four consecutive days. The chemical changes of oil samples were determined by analyzing peroxide value (PV), p‐anisidine value (p‐AV), totox value (TV) and acid value (AV). Irrespective of the test methods, PV increase was observed on the first day followed by significant (p < 0.05) reduction in the subsequent days. On the first day, the highest p‐AV and TV was observed in oil fried under atmospheric condition and the lowest p‐AV and TV for those fried under gases. However, from the second day, the p‐AV and TV in frying under different ratios of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases were significantly (p < 0.05) higher than the frying under atmospheric condition. Additionally, hydrolysis and oxidation of oil during frying resulted in continuous AV increase that among them atmospheric frying had the highest AV. In conclusion, atmospheric frying accelerates the rate of oil deterioration and application of nitrogen and carbon dioxide gases in the fryer could reduce the rate of oil disintegration.
Clinical management of regorafenib in the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer
Authors: Sastre J. , Argilés G. , Benavides M. , Feliú J. , García-Alfonso P. , García-Carbonero R. , Grávalos C. , Guillén-Ponce C. , Martínez-Villacampa M. , Pericay C.
Published: September 2014

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common tumors worldwide and at least 50 % of patients with this disease develop metastases. In this setting, additional treatment options are needed for patients presenting disease progression after exhausting all standard therapies. Regorafenib is an orally administered multikinase inhibitor which has been shown to provide survival benefits to patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Although most adverse events (AEs) associated with regorafenib may resolve within the first 8 weeks of treatment, some of them may require dose reduction or treatment interruption. Overall, while remaining aware of the safety profile of regorafenib and how to manage the most common toxicities related to its use, this drug should be considered a new standard of care for patients with pretreated mCRC. This review addresses practical aspects of its use, such as dosing, patient monitoring, and management of the most common regorafenib-related AEs.
Reduced Kilovoltage in Computed Tomography–Guided Intervention in a Community Hospital: Effect on the Radiation Dose
Authors: Rezazadeh Saman , Co Steven J. , Bicknell Simon
Published: September 2014

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to determine whether low-kilovoltage (80 or 100 kV) computed tomography (CT)-guided interventions performed in a community-based hospital are feasible and to compare radiation exposure incurred with conventional 120 kV potential.

Materials and Methods

Effective doses (ED) received by patients who underwent CT-guided intervention were analysed before and after a low-dose kilovoltage protocol was instituted in our department. We performed CT-guided procedures of 93 consecutive patients by using conventional 120-kV tube voltage (50 patients) and a low voltage of 80 or 100 kV for the remainder of this cohort. Automatic tube current modulation was enabled to obtain the best image quality. Procedure details were prospectively recorded and included examination site and type, slice width, tube voltage and current, dose length product, volume CT dose index, and size-specific dose estimate. Dose length product was converted to ED to account for radiosensitivity of specific organs. Statistical comparisons with test differences in the ED, volume CT dose index, size-specific dose estimate, and effective diameter (patient size) were made by using the Student t test.

Results

All but 6 of the procedures performed at 80 kV were successful, for a success rate of 86%. At lower voltages, the ED was significantly ( P < .01) reduced, on average, by 57%, 73%, and 65% for the pelvic, chest, and abdomen procedures, respectively.

Conclusion

A low-dose radiation technique by using 80 or 100 kV results in a high technical success rate for pelvic, chest, and abdomen CT-guided interventional procedures, although dramatically decreasing radiation exposure. There was no significant difference in effective diameter (patient size) between the conventional and the low-dose groups, which would suggest that dose reduction was indeed a result of kVp change and not patient size.
Japan Implantable Devices in Coronary Artery Disease (JID‐CAD) study design
Authors: Shimizu Akihiko , Mitsuhashi Takeshi , Nitta Takashi , Mitamura Hideo , Kurita Takashi , Abe Haruhiko , Nakazato Yuji , Sumitomo Naokata , Kadota Kazushige , Kimura Kazuo , Okumura Ken ,   the Committee for Implantable Devices Enrollment and Assessment in the Japanese Heart Rhythm Society
Published: September 2014

Background

There is little information regarding appropriate therapies for coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with implantable devices – such as implantable cardioverter‐defibrillators (ICDs), cardiac resynchronization therapy devices (CRT‐Ds) and cardiac resynchronization therapy pacemaker (CRT‐P) devices – in Japan. To address this lack of information, we have launched the Japan Implantable Devices in Coronary Artery Disease (JID‐CAD) study.

Methods

This study has been designed as a prospective, multicenter, non‐randomized and observational investigation. All patients will be followed up every six months over a two‐year period. The primary endpoint will be the administration of appropriate device therapy. Secondary endpoints include administration of inappropriate therapy, death, hospitalization, or cardiovascular events.

Conclusion

In this report, we discuss the current clinical situation of appropriate therapy, and how it is influenced by catheter ablation and revascularization therapy in patients with CAD.
Are psychiatric team meetings patient centred? A cross-sectional survey on patient views regarding multi-disciplinary team meetings
Authors: Carey C. , Lally J. , Abba-Aji A.
Published: September 2014

Objectives

The system of weekly psychiatric ward rounds is being challenged and multi-disciplinary team meetings (MDTMs) involving inpatients have been developed. These aim to improve integration between medical and social services and increase patient involvement in their care. However, such large meetings are potentially threatening to the patient. This survey aimed to examine inpatient experience of MDTMs and identify factors that significantly alter this experience.

Methods

In this cross-sectional survey we assessed patient opinion regarding patient inclusive MDTMs in a psychiatric inpatient unit. A total of 27 participants (response rate 90%) were included. We utilised descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test for non-parametric data where appropriate.

Results

In all, 85% (n=23) of patients identified the consultant psychiatrist as a member that they would like to have present at the MDTM. The ward nurse was identified by 63% (n=17) of patients. In all, 48% (n=13) of patients reported feeling anxious/threatened at the MDTM. In all, 70% (n=19) of patients stated that they would have felt less threatened at the MDTM if there were fewer people in attendance. A significant number of voluntary patients (n=11) felt threatened/anxious at the MDTM compared with involuntary patients (n=2) (χ2=4.921, df=1, p=0.026).

Conclusion

The central findings of this study are that patients would prefer fewer people at the MDTM and would feel less threatened/anxious if they participated in selecting those in attendance. These findings suggest that greater patient involvement in preparation for the MDTM could result in a less anxiety filled experience for them.
Plasticity of lifespan: a reaction norm perspective
Authors: Flatt Thomas
Published: September 2014

It is a well-appreciated fact that in many organisms the process of ageing reacts highly plastically, so that lifespan increases or decreases when the environment changes. The perhaps best-known example of such lifespan plasticity is dietary restriction (DR), a phenomenon whereby reduced food intake without malnutrition extends lifespan (typically at the expense of reduced fecundity) and which has been documented in numerous species, from invertebrates to mammals. For the evolutionary biologist, DR and other cases of lifespan plasticity are examples of a more general phenomenon called phenotypic plasticity, the ability of a single genotype to produce different phenotypes (e.g. lifespan) in response to changes in the environment (e.g. changes in diet). To analyse phenotypic plasticity, evolutionary biologists (and epidemiologists) often use a conceptual and statistical framework based on reaction norms (genotype-specific response curves) and genotype × environment interactions (G × E; differences in the plastic response among genotypes), concepts that biologists who are working on molecular aspects of ageing are usually not familiar with. Here I briefly discuss what has been learned about lifespan plasticity or, more generally, about plasticity of somatic maintenance and survival ability. In particular, I argue that adopting the conceptual framework of reaction norms andG × Einteractions, as used by evolutionary biologists, is crucially important for our understanding of the mechanisms underlying DR and other forms of lifespan or survival plasticity.
Trial by Fire: A Natural Disaster's Impact on Support for the Authorities in Rural Russia
Authors: Lazarev Egor , Sobolev Anton , Soboleva Irina V. , Sokolov Boris
Published: September 2014

This article aims to explore the microfoundations of political support under a nondemocratic regime by investigating the impact of a natural disaster on attitudes toward the government. The research exploits the enormous wildfires that occurred in rural Russia during the summer of 2010 as a natural experiment. The authors test the effects of fires with a survey of almost eight hundred respondents in seventy randomly selected villages. The study finds that in the burned villages there is higher support for the government at all levels. Most counterintuitively, the rise of support for authorities cannot be fully explained by the generous governmental aid. The authors interpret the results by the demonstration effect of the government's performance.
Vowel development in an emergent Mandarin-English bilingual child: a longitudinal study
Authors: YANG JING , FOX ROBERT A. , JACEWICZ EWA
Published: September 2014

This longitudinal case study documents the emergence of bilingualism in a young monolingual Mandarin boy on the basis of an acoustic analysis of his vowel productions recorded via a picture-naming task over 20 months following his enrollment in an all-English (L2) preschool at the age of 3;7. The study examined (1) his initial L2 vowel space, (2) the process of L1-L2 separation, and (3) his L1 vowel system in relation to L2. The child initially utilized his L1 base in building the L2 vowel system. The L1-L2 separation started from a drastic restructuring of his working vowel space to create maximal contrast between the two languages. Meanwhile, L1 developmental processes and influence of L2 on L1 were also in effect. The developmental profile of this child uncovered strategies sequential bilingual children may use to restructure their phonetic space and construct a new system of contrasts in L2.
Templatic metathesis in Tigre imperatives
Authors: Faust Noam
Published: September 2014

In the paradigms of certain Tigre verbs, the final stem consonant and the vocalic suffix metathesise in some configurations. In this short paper, this is analysed as a hiatus-resolving strategy. The limits and consequences of this strategy are shown to follow from the representation of verbs, in an analysis conducted within CVCV phonology and Element Theory.
Intensive low-glycaemic-load dietary intervention for the management of glycaemia and serum lipids among women with gestational diabetes: a randomized control trial
Authors: Ma Wen-Jun , Huang Zhi-Hong , Huang Bi-Xia , Qi Ben-Hua , Zhang Yan-Jun , Xiao Ben-Xi , Li Yuan-Hong , Chen Li , Zhu Hui-Lian
Published: September 2014

Objective

The present study aimed to compare the effects of a general dietary intervention and an intervention with low glycaemic load (GL) on glycaemic control, blood lipid metabolism and pregnancy outcomes in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.

Design

Participants were randomly assigned to two groups, receiving either an individualized general dietary intervention (Control group) or an intensive low-GL intervention (Low-GL group) every two weeks, from 24–26 weeks of gestation to delivery.

Setting

The Center of Maternal Primary Care in Guangdong General Hospital, China.

Subjects

Ninety-five women with gestational diabetes mellitus were enrolled from June 2008 to July 2009.

Results

After the intervention, both groups significantly decreased their dietary intakes of energy, fat and carbohydrate. The Low-GL group had significantly lower values for GL (122 v. 136) and glycaemic index (50 v. 54) but greater dietary fibre intake (33 v. 29 g/d) than did the Control group (all P<0·01). Significantly greater decreases in fasting plasma glucose (−0·33 v. −0·02 mmol/l, P<0·01) and 2 h postprandial glucose (−2·98 v. −2·51 mmol/l, P<0·01), significantly lower increases in total cholesterol (0·12 v. 0·23 mmol/l) and TAG (0·41 v. 0·56 mmol/l) and a significantly lower decrease in HDL cholesterol (−0·01 v. −0·11 mmol/l) were also observed in the Low-GL group compared with the Control group (all P<0·05). There were no significant differences in body weight gain, birth weight or other maternal–fetal perinatal outcomes between the two groups.

Conclusions

The low-GL targeted dietary intervention outperformed the general dietary intervention in glycaemic control and the improvement of blood lipid levels in women with gestational diabetes mellitus.
Das Primat des Lebendigen: Kurt Goldsteins Konzept des Organismus und seine Implikationen für die heutige Neuropsychologie
Authors: Frisch Stefan
Published: September 2014

Kurt Goldstein (1878 – 1965) gilt als zentrale Figur in der Entwicklung der modernen Neuropsychologie ( Luria, 1966 ). Nichtsdestotrotz sind seine Arbeiten heute weitgehend in Vergessenheit geraten, nicht zuletzt durch die aktive Demontage seines Rufes in Zeiten des Nationalsozialismus. Im folgenden Artikel sollen zentrale Konzepte aus Goldsteins Werk wie seine Ablehnung des Lokalisationismus von Funktionen, die „Katastrophenreaktion”, die Unterscheidung zwischen abstrakter und konkreter Einstellung, seine Wissenschaftsauffassung sowie sein Krankheits- und Therapiebegriff dargestellt werden. Goldsteins Ideen sind auch für die heutige klinische wie theoretische Neuropsychologie sowie die Neurowissenschaften insgesamt relevant. Insbesondere seine eher holistisch orientierte Grundauffassung des Gehirns, des Menschen sowie des Lebens insgesamt bietet eine alternative Perspektive auf mechanistische und reduktionistische Tendenzen in den heutigen Neurowissenschaften.
Gedächtnis- und Aufmerksamkeitsfunktionen bei Jugendlichen mit intensivem regelmäßigem Cannabiskonsum
Authors: Wartberg Lutz , Thomsen Monika , Thomasius Rainer
Published: September 2014

Weltweit liegen aktuell nur sehr wenige Studien zur kognitiven Leistungsfähigkeit bei Jugendlichen mit regelmäßigem Cannabiskonsum vor und die Befundlage dazu ist nicht eindeutig. Um potentielle Leistungsunterschiede zu erheben, wurden 20 Jugendliche mit regelmäßigem intensivem Cannabiskonsum und 20 Jugendliche ohne Konsum illegaler Drogen (jeweils 16 Jungen und vier Mädchen) neuropsychologisch untersucht. Dazu wurden etablierte Testverfahren zur Erfassung verbaler Lern- und Behaltensleistungen (VLMT), zum visuell-räumlichen Gedächtnis (Untertest „Blockspanne” aus dem WMS-R) und der selektiven Aufmerksamkeit (FAIR) eingesetzt sowie ergänzend ein Fragebogen zu subjektiv erlebten Aufmerksamkeitsdefiziten (FEDA). Die Cannabiskonsumenten zeigten eine signifikant niedrigere Reproduktionsleistung im Durchgang 1 („Supraspanne”) sowie in der Gesamtlernleistung des VLMT und berichteten mehr Probleme in allen FEDA-Skalen. Die Ergebnisse sind insbesondere für die Entwicklung und Umsetzung von Interventionsmaßnahmen relevant.
Mistakes and How to Avoid Mistakes in Using Intercoder Reliability Indices
Authors: Feng Guangchao Charles
Published: September 2014

Although intercoder reliability has been considered crucial to the validity of a content study, the choice among them has been controversial. This study analyzed all the content studies published in the two major communication journals that reported intercoder reliability, aiming to find how scholars conduct the intercoder reliability test. The results revealed that some intercoder reliability indices were misused persistently concerning the levels of measurement, the number of coders, and the means of reporting reliability over the past 30 years. Implications of misuse, disuse, and abuse were discussed, and suggestions regarding proper choice of indices in various situations were made at last.
Development of a sensitive and specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the determination of fludioxonil residues in fruit juices
Authors: Mercader Josep V. , Abad-Fuentes Antonio , Agulló Consuelo , Abad-Somovilla Antonio , Esteve-Turrillas Francesc A.
Published: September 2014

The generation and performance of the first-ever described monoclonal antibodies to fludioxonil are herein reported, and a competitive immunoassay was developed and validated for residue analysis in fruit juices by comparison with GC-MS using Deming regression and Bland–Altman analyses.
In vitro study of directly bioprinted perfusable vasculature conduits
Authors: Zhang Yahui , Yu Yin , Akkouch Adil , Dababneh Amer , Dolati Farzaneh , Ozbolat Ibrahim T.
Published: September 2014

This paper highlight characterization of directly bioprinted perfusable vascular conduits for tissue engineering applications.
Mitochondria-targeting phosphorescent iridium(iii) complexes for living cell imaging
Authors: Zhang Qingqing , Cao Rui , Fei Hao , Zhou Ming
Published: September 2014

Two phosphorescent iridium(iii) complexes conjugated to a lipophilic triphenylphosphonium cation showed high mitochondria-specificity and excellent anti-photobleachability under continuous laser irradiation.
pH-induced Dy4 and Dy10 cluster-based 1D chains with different magnetic relaxation features
Authors: Wu Zhi-Lei , Dong Jie , Ni Wei-Yan , Zhang Bo-Wen , Cui Jian-Zhong , Zhao Bin
Published: September 2014

Two novel [Dy4] and [Dy10] cluster-based 1D chains (1 and 2) were structurally and magnetically characterized, exhibiting different magnetic relaxation behaviors. The results revealed that the different pH values induced large structural and magnetic changes of 1 and 2, and this has rarely been reported in polynuclear Dy-clusters.
The level of elements and antioxidant activity of commercial dietary supplement formulations based on edible mushrooms
Authors: Stilinović Nebojša , Škrbić Biljana , Živančev Jelena , Mrmoš Nataša , Pavlović Nebojša , Vukmirović Saša
Published: September 2014

Commercial preparations of Cordyceps sinensis, Ganoderma lucidum and Coprinus comatus mushroom marketed as healthy food supplements in Serbia were analyzed by atomic absorption spectrometry with a graphite furnace (GFAAS) for their element content.
3-Propionyl-thiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid ethyl esters: a family of antiproliferative thiazolidines
Authors: Önen-Bayram F. Esra , Buran Kerem , Durmaz Irem , Berk Barkin , Cetin-Atalay Rengul
Published: September 2014

Modification at the 2-position of the apoptosis-inducing compound ALC 67 enables tuning of its physicochemical properties.
Fabrication of thermoresponsive nanogels by thermo-nanoprecipitation and in situ encapsulation of bioactives
Authors: Giulbudagian Michael , Asadian-Birjand Mazdak , Steinhilber Dirk , Achazi Katharina , Molina Maria , Calderón Marcelo
Published: September 2014

Thermo-nanoprecipitation is presented as a versatile, surfactant-free, and mild synthetic method for the preparation of thermoresponsive nanogels and in situ encapsulation of bioactives.
Non-steady state migration of chloride ions in cement pastes at early age
Authors: Tang S. W. , Li Z. J. , Chen E. , Shao H. Y.
Published: September 2014

We have theoretically determined ion diffusion and migration coefficients in fractal porous media. These coefficients of fractal cement pastes have been experimentally determined by ERIM and NCIM. An innovative fractal network simulation for ion migration in fractal porous media has been established.
In situ synthesis of copper nanoparticles within ionic liquid-in-vegetable oil microemulsions and their direct use as high efficient nanolubricants
Authors: Wang Aili , Chen Li , Xu Fan , Yan Zongcheng
Published: September 2014

Copper nanoparticles werein situsynthesized within ionic liquid-in-vegetable oil microemulsions. The as-prepared systems could be used as nanolubricants directly.
Unified analysis of energy detectors with diversity reception in generalised fading channels
Authors: Adebola Eyidayo , Annamalai Annamalai
Published: September 2014

In this paper, the authors present a novel moment generating function‐based technique to unify the performance evaluation of an average energy detector for detecting unknown deterministic signals over generalised fading environments (including the η‐μ, κ‐μ, α‐μ, K, G and KG generalised fading distributions) with diversity reception. Specifically, the authors exploit a known exponential‐type integral representation for the generalised Marcum Q‐function Qv(a, b) that is valid for any ratio of a/b but for positive integer order v to greatly simplify the task of finding the statistical expectations over the fading signal‐to‐noise ratio random variables in the computation of the average detection probability metric. This new approach leads to a very compact and an elegant solution for many practical cases of interest including the independent but non‐identically distributed fading statistics and/or arbitrarily correlated diversity branches in maximal‐ratio combining, square‐law combining and square‐law selection diversity receivers. The authors’ numerical results also show that the performance of average energy detector is superior to the classical total energy detector with the increasing number of samples owing to the noise averaging effect. We have also demonstrated the versatility and utility of the proposed analytical framework to investigate the impact of dissimilar mean signal strengths, fading parameters, time‐bandwidth product, diversity order and signal combining techniques on the receiver operating characteristics of diversity energy detectors in a myriad of fading environments that had heretofore resisted simple solutions.
Application of chaotic pulse width modulation control for suppressing electromagnetic interference in a half‐bridge converter
Authors: Song Yuhong , Niu Junying
Published: September 2014

It was proposed in the former research that chaos control can be used to suppress electromagnetic interference (EMI) in DC–DC converters. Analysis on a half‐bridge converter is detailed in this study. Here, the practical example of the power supply of personal computers is given to show that, with an external chaotic signal to a pulse width modulation control circuit, the proposed approach can reduce EMI by reducing the amplitudes of power signals such as transformer current and output inductor currents at multiples of fundamental frequency.
Surfactant‐assisted fabrication of microsheets of organic radical: interesting magnetic property and strong emission
Authors: Feng Ya , Yong Guoping , Zhao Yumei
Published: September 2014

Microstructured materials assembled from organic small molecules through non‐covalent interactions have been relatively less explored but are a very fascinating field. A surfactant‐assisted self‐assembly process was applied to fabricate two‐dimensional (2D) sheet‐like microstructures of (E)‐3‐(3‐oxo‐3‐phenylprop‐1‐enyl)‐2,3′‐biimidazo[1,2‐a]pyridin‐2′(3′H)‐one (OPBIPO) radicals. The obtained results indicate that compared to the bulk OPBIPO counterpart, the coercive force of a 2D OPBIPO microsheet sample is enhanced, which can be attributed to the morphology anisotropy of microsheet structures. In addition, the photoluminescence spectra show that the emission intensity of the microsheet sample is higher than that of the bulk material. This surfactant‐assisted self‐assembly technology will provide useful information on the fabrication of organic radical microstructures with novel morphology‐dependent magnetic behaviours.
Exploring the mechanism for mycobiosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from Aspergillus spp. and optimisation of synthesis parameters
Authors: Manjunath Sangappa , Thiagarajan Padma
Published: September 2014

The biosynthesis of silver nanoparticles from Aspergillus flavus (A. flavus) was observed by the brown colour formation of fungal filtrate because of the reduction of silver ions to nano form. The UV scan of the filtrate revealed absorption peaks at 430 and 360 nm, which correspond to silver nanoparticles and inorganic phosphate, respectively. The simultaneous increase in the absorption of both peaks, at each successive recording revealed that the synthesis of nanoparticles is accompanied with the release of inorganic phosphate. The mechanism could possibly involve inactive phosphorylated nitrate reductase, which converts into the active dephosphorylated form during its contact with silver ions by releasing inorganic phosphate. The enzyme may then reduce Ag+ ions to silver nanoparticles (Ag0). Inorganic phosphate production was noticed only in A. flavus, A. niger and A. terreus as no peak at 360 nm was observed in filtrates of Fusarium oxysporum and Trichoderma reesei. Powder‐X‐ray diffractometry analysis revealed four peaks for 2θ values which correspond to a face‐centred cubic crystal structure. The Fourier transform infrared spectrum indicated the presence of various functional groups. Transmission electron microscope analysis showed nanoparticle sizes of between 3 and 25 nm. Atomic force microscope images showed different shapes of nanoparticles at various concentrations of substrate. Optimum conditions for the biogenesis of silver nanoparticles were found to be a temperature of 30°C, pH 5.0, 0.5% NaCl and 1.5 mM AgNO3.
Synthesis and electrochemical performance of Ce0.05SnS2/graphene nanocomposites as anode materials for lithium‐ion batteries
Authors: Wang Qiufen , Huang Ying , Miao Juan , Xu Wenjing
Published: September 2014

Ce0.05SnS2/graphene (GNS) nanocomposites were synthesised via the hydrothermal method and sintering. The structure and electrochemical performance of the materials were characterised using X‐ray diffraction, field emission transmission electron microscopy and electrochemical measurements. The flower‐like Ce0.05SnS2 particles with a petal size of 50–100 nm were distributed on graphene sheets. The Ce0.05SnS2/GNS‐2 composites exhibited an initial discharge capacity of 1638.3 mAh g−1 at 0.5 C, a retention capacity of 707 mAh g−1 after 50 cycles, and an improved rate capability because of the support of the nanographene. After their sintering, the Ce0.05SnS2/GNS nanocomposites displayed better electrochemical performance than before sintering.
Non-restrained measurement of Young's modulus for soft tissue using a photoacoustic technique
Authors: Wadamori Naoki
Published: September 2014

A miniaturized sensor was developed to determine the Young's modulus of tumors based on photoacoustic spectroscopy. The sensor had a chamber height of 5.3 mm and diameter of 5.8 mm; thus, this device is smaller than conventional endoscopes, the outer diameters of which are typically about 10 mm. A non-restrained methodology for determining the Young's modulus of tumors was proposed based on the resonance frequency of the photoacoustic signal. The proposed approach was applied to silicone rubbers with six different Young's moduli (30, 64, 123, 224, 396, and 574 kPa) and showed good resolution (±2 kPa) and high reproducibility. These results show that the photoacoustic technique can be applied to mechanically characterize soft tissue by diagnostic endoscopy.
Characterisation of deuterium spectra from laser driven multi-species sources by employing differentially filtered image plate detectors in Thomson spectrometers
Authors: Alejo A. , Kar S. , Ahmed H. , Krygier A. G. , Doria D. , Clarke R. , Fernandez J. , Freeman R. R. , Fuchs J. , Green A. , Green J. S. , Jung D. , Kleinschmidt A. , Lewis C. L. S. , Morrison J. T. , Najmudin Z. , Nakamura H. , Nersisyan G. , Norreys P. , Notley M. , Oliver M. , Roth M. , Ruiz J. A. , Vassura L. , Zepf M. , Borghesi M.
Published: September 2014

A novel method for characterising the full spectrum of deuteron ions emitted by laser driven multi-species ion sources is discussed. The procedure is based on using differential filtering over the detector of a Thompson parabola ion spectrometer, which enables discrimination of deuterium ions from heavier ion species with the same charge-to-mass ratio (such as C6 +, O8 +, etc.). Commonly used Fuji Image plates were used as detectors in the spectrometer, whose absolute response to deuterium ions over a wide range of energies was calibrated by using slotted CR-39 nuclear track detectors. A typical deuterium ion spectrum diagnosed in a recent experimental campaign is presented, which was produced from a thin deuterated plastic foil target irradiated by a high power laser.