bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Transient hypoxia improves matrix properties in tissue engineered cartilage
Authors: Yodmuang Supansa , Gadjanski Ivana , Chao Pen‐hsiu Grace , Vunjak‐Novakovic Gordana
Published: November 2012

Adult articular cartilage is a hypoxic tissue, with oxygen tension ranging from <10% at the cartilage surface to <1% in the deepest layers. In addition to spatial gradients, cartilage development is also associated with temporal changes in oxygen tension. However, a vast majority of cartilage tissue engineering protocols involves cultivation of chondrocytes or their progenitors under ambient oxygen concentration (21% O2), that is, significantly above physiological levels in either developing or adult cartilage. Our study was designed to test the hypothesis that transient hypoxia followed by normoxic conditions results in improved quality of engineered cartilaginous ECM. To this end, we systematically compared the effects of normoxia (21% O2 for 28 days), hypoxia (5% O2 for 28 days) and transient hypoxia—reoxygenation (5% O2 for 7 days and 21% O2 for 21 days) on the matrix composition and expression of the chondrogenic genes in cartilage constructs engineered in vitro. We demonstrated that reoxygenation had the most effect on the expression of cartilaginous genes including COL2A1, ACAN, and SOX9 and increased tissue concentrations of amounts of glycosaminoglycans and type II collagen. The equilibrium Young's moduli of tissues grown under transient hypoxia (510.01 ± 28.15 kPa) and under normoxic conditions (417.60 ± 68.46 kPa) were significantly higher than those measured under hypoxic conditions (279.61 ± 20.52 kPa). These data suggest that the cultivation protocols utilizing transient hypoxia with reoxygenation have high potential for efficient cartilage tissue engineering, but need further optimization in order to achieve higher mechanical functionality of engineered constructs. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31: 544–553, 2013
Pharmacophore Identification, Molecular Docking, Virtual Screening, and In Silico ADME Studies of Non‐Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Authors: Pirhadi Somayeh , Ghasemi Jahan B.
Published: November 2012

Non‐nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) have gained a definitive place due to their unique antiviral potency, high specificity and low toxicity in antiretroviral combination therapies used to treat HIV. In this study, chemical feature based pharmacophore models of different classes of NNRT inhibitors of HIV‐1 have been developed. The best HypoRefine pharmacophore model, Hypo 1, which has the best correlation coefficient (0.95) and the lowest RMS (0.97), contains two hydrogen bond acceptors, one hydrophobic and one ring aromatic feature, as well as four excluded volumes. Hypo 1 was further validated by test set and Fischer validation method. The best pharmacophore model was then utilized as a 3D search query to perform a virtual screening to retrieve potential inhibitors. The hit compounds were subsequently subjected to filtering by Lipinski’s rule of five and docking studies by Libdock and Gold methods to refine the retrieved hits. Finally, 7 top ranked compounds based on Gold score fitness function were subjected to in silico ADME studies to investigate for compliance with the standard ranges.
Prediction of hERG Potassium Channel Blocking Actions Using Combination of Classification and Regression Based Models: A Mixed Descriptors Approach
Authors: Kar Supratik , Roy Kunal
Published: November 2012

A set of 242 compounds with diverse molecular structures and having different mechanisms of therapeutic actions was used to develop classification and regression based QSAR models for the identification of potential hERG channel blockers. The developed in silico models made it possible to obtain a quantitative interpretation of the structural information and physicochemical properties of the molecules for their hERG binding affinity along with exploration of the discriminant functions differentiating between lower and higher hERG blocking potency compounds by the classification approach. The developed models were rigorously validated internally as well as externally with the application of the principles of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) for the validation purpose. The test for domain of applicability was also carried out for checking reliability of the predictions. Pharmacological distribution diagrams (PDDs) were employed as a visualizing technique for the classification approach. Important fragments relevant to hERG binding affinity were identified through critical analysis and interpretation of the developed models. Finally, the developed models were implemented to screen hERG channel blocking properties for a huge number compounds of the DrugBank database. In silico prediction for hERG channel blocking potential for each of the DrugBank compounds is possible from the developed models.
Re‐analysis of an original CMTX3 family using exome sequencing identifies a known BSCL2 mutation
Authors: Chaudhry Rabia , Kidambi Aditi , Brewer Megan Hwa , Antonellis Anthony , Mathews Katherine , Nicholson Garth , Kennerson Marina
Published: November 2012

Introduction

Charcot–Marie–Tooth (CMT) disease is a group of peripheral neuropathies affecting both motor and sensory nerves. CMTX3 is an X‐linked CMT locus, which maps to chromosome Xq26.3–q27.3. Initially, CMTX3 was mapped to a 31.2‐Mb region in 2 American families. We have reexamined 1 of the original families (US‐PED2) by next generation sequencing.

Methods

Three members of the family underwent exome sequencing. Candidate variants were validated by PCR and Sanger sequencing analysis.

Conclusion

No pathogenic coding variants localizing to the CMTX3 region were identified. However, exome sequencing identified a known BSCL2 mutation (N88S). This study demonstrates the power of exome sequencing as a tool to identify gene mutations for a small family in the absence of statistically significant linkage data. Muscle Nerve 47: 922–924, 2013
Dynamics of electrospinning of poly(caprolactone) via a multi‐nozzle spinneret connected to a twin screw extruder and properties of electrospun fibers
Authors: Senturk‐Ozer Semra , Ward Daniel , Gevgilili Halil , Kalyon Dilhan M.
Published: November 2012

Conventional electrospinning is a simple process, suitable for the processing of solvated polymers at relatively low rates. It lacks the capabilities of conveying of solids, mixing of polymeric resins and devolatilization and has limited capabilities in melting and incorporation of fillers, including nanoparticles. The use of a twin screw extruder as the front end of the electrospinning process provides these capabilities but only becomes feasible at relatively high throughput rates. Such high rates of electrospinning can only be achieved by using multi‐nozzle spinnerets. However, the dynamics of electrospinning processes using multi‐nozzle spinnerets has not been well studied. Here a multi‐nozzle spinneret attached to a hybrid twin screw extrusion and electrospinning apparatus was employed for the characterization of the dynamics in terms of the electrospun mesh thickness distributions of poly(caprolactone), PCL, as a function of the principal parameters of the electrospinning process, i.e., applied voltage, distance of separation between the spinneret die, and the collector, i.e., a conductive mandrel, and its rotational speed. PCL fiber diameter and orientation distributions, as well as the thickness, crystallinity, and mechanical properties of the non‐woven meshes, were characterized to gain a basic understanding of how the electrospun mesh properties develop as a function of process parameters in the multi‐nozzle configuration. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
Stress‐assisted formation of surface gratings on polymer films
Authors: Lin Chiao‐Chi , Yang Fuqian , Chin Joannie W. , Sung Lipiin , Lee Sanboh
Published: November 2012

The effect of biaxial‐residual–compressive surface stress on the surface modulation of solid films is analyzed. The results show that the biaxial compressive stress can create surface modulation with the orientation being 45° (135°) to the principal directions of the stresses. Using uniaxial tension, a complementary set of nonsymmetrical polymer ripple gratings is formed on the fracture surface of a polymer film that is sandwiched between two relatively glass slides. The effect of geometrical shape and boundary confinement is examined on the surface modulation. The orientation of the polymer ripple gratings is found to be 45° to the longitudinal direction of the films for long‐rectangular polymer thin films in accord with the analysis. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
Nocturnal phenotypical features of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) in asthmatic children
Authors: Gutierrez Maria J. , Zhu Junjia , Rodriguez‐Martinez Carlos E. , Nino Cesar L. , Nino Gustavo
Published: November 2012

Background

Asthma and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) often coexists during childhood. To delineate this clinical association, we investigated the phenotypical features of OSA in asthmatic children. Specifically, we hypothesized that asthmatic children have a distinct OSA phenotype that involves a higher prevalence of Rapid‐Eye‐Movement (REM)‐related breathing abnormalities relative to children with OSA alone.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cross‐sectional analysis of 141 children aged 2–12 years with OSA diagnosed by polysomnography (PSG) in our sleep center. Outcomes included PSG parameters, maximal %SaO2 REM desaturations and prevalence of REM‐related OSA. Multivariate linear regression model or logistic regression model was built to study the joint effect of asthma and OSA parameters with control for potential confounders (significance level P < 0.05).

Results

Baseline respiratory parameters, obstructive apnea–hypopnea index (OAHI) severity, and oxygenation during NREM sleep were unaffected by the presence of asthma in children with OSA. In contrast, maximal %SaO2 REM desaturation, REM–OAHI and prevalence of REM‐related OSA in children with moderate–severe OSA were significantly increased in asthmatic children with OSA compared to subjects with OSA alone. Multivariate analysis revealed that the association between asthma and REM‐related OSA parameters is independent of asthma control, BMI, age, and gender. The presence of REM‐related OSA in asthmatics was unaffected by rhinitis or atopic status.

Conclusion

These results demonstrate that asthma is associated with REM‐related breathing abnormalities in children with moderate–severe OSA. The link between asthma and REM‐related OSA is independent of asthma control and obesity. Further research is needed to delineate the REM‐sleep biological mechanisms that modulate the phenotypical expression of OSA in asthmatic children. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2013; 48:592–600. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The role of extended defects on the performance of optoelectronic devices in nitride semiconductors
Authors: Moustakas Theodore D.
Published: November 2012

In this paper I am addressing the fundamental question as to why the performance of optoelectronic devices based on nitride semiconductors is insensitive to high concentration of extended defects, which is not the case for traditional III–V compounds. There are three important differences between these two families of semiconductors, which contribute to this finding: (a) the chemical bonds in nitrides are strongly ionic while are mostly covalent in III–V compounds. This leads to the bunching of the surface states as well as the states associated with dangling bonds in edge dislocations near the band edges, which prevents them from being non‐radiative recombination centers. Furthermore, the surface states have less effect on the surface Fermi level position; (b) the nitrides can exist in the wurtzite structure (equilibrium) and the cubic structure (metastable) and the enthalpy of formation of the two allotropic forms differs only by a few meV. Thus, conversions between the two phases occur easily by creation of stacking faults along the closed packed (0001) and (111) planes. As a result basal plane stacking faults are abundant in both compounds and alloys. This leads to strong band structure potential fluctuations; (c) additional band structure potential fluctuations exist in InGaN and AlGaN alloys, due to phase separation and alloy ordering. Both types of potential fluctuations contribute to exciton localization and thus efficient radiative recombination even at room temperature.
Topological insulators from the perspective of first‐principles calculations
Authors: Zhang Haijun , Zhang Shou‐Cheng
Published: November 2012

magnified image

Topological insulators are new quantum states with helical gapless edge or surface states inside the bulk band gap. These topological surface states are robust against weak time‐reversal invariant perturbations without closing the bulk band gap, such as lattice distortions and non‐magnetic impurities. Recently a variety of topological insulators have been predicted by theories, and observed by experiments. First‐principles calculations have been widely used to predict topological insulators with great success. In this review, we summarize the current progress in this field from the perspective of first‐principles calculations. First of all, the basic concepts of topological insulators and the frequently‐used techniques within first‐principles calculations are briefly introduced. Secondly, we summarize general methodologies to search for new topological insulators. In the last part, based on the band inversion picture first introduced in the context of HgTe, we classify topological insulators into three types with s–p, p–p and d–f, and discuss some representative examples for each type.

magnified image

Surface states of topological insulator Bi2Se3 consist of a single Dirac cone, as obtained from first‐principles calculations.

(© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Predicting simulation parameters of biological systems using a Gaussian process model
Authors: Zhu Xiangxin , Welling Max , Jin Fang , Lowengrub John
Published: November 2012

Finding optimal parameters for simulating biological systems is usually a very difficult and expensive task in systems biology. Brute force searching is infeasible in practice because of the huge (often infinite) search space. In this article, we propose predicting the parameters efficiently by learning the relationship between system outputs and parameters using regression. However, the conventional parametric regression models suffer from two issues, thus are not applicable to this problem. First, restricting the regression function as a certain fixed type (e.g. linear, polynomial, etc.) introduces too strong assumptions that reduce the model flexibility. Second, conventional regression models fail to take into account the fact that a fixed parameter value may correspond to multiple different outputs due to the stochastic nature of most biological simulations, and the existence of a potentially large number of other factors that affect the simulation outputs. We propose a novel approach based on a Gaussian process model that addresses the two issues jointly. We apply our approach to a tumor vessel growth model and the feedback Wright–Fisher model. The experimental results show that our method can predict the parameter values of both of the two models with high accuracy. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Statistical Analysis and Data Mining, 2012
Flexible, Planar‐Integrated, All‐Solid‐State Fiber Supercapacitors with an Enhanced Distributed‐Capacitance Effect
Authors: Liu Bin , Tan Dongsheng , Wang Xianfu , Chen Di , Shen Guozhen
Published: November 2012

Flexible and highly efficient energy storage units act as one of the key components in portable electronics. In this work, by planar‐integrated assembly of hierarchical ZnCo2O4 nanowire arrays/carbon fibers electrodes, a new class of flexible all‐solid‐state planar‐integrated fiber supercapacitors are designed and produced via a low‐cost and facile method. The as‐fabricated flexible devices exhibit high‐efficiency, enhanced capacity, long cycle life, and excellent electrical stability. An enhanced distributed‐capacitance effect is experimentally observed for the device. This strategy enables highly flexible new structured supercapacitors with maximum functionality and minimized size, thus making it possible to be readily applied in flexible/portable photoelectronic devices.
Synthesis and Structural Diversity of Four Coordination Polymers with the Ligand 1‐(3‐Aminopropyl)‐imidazole
Authors: Qi Zhao‐Peng , Li Pei‐Yu , Chen Long , Li Chang‐Jiang , Liu Wei‐Bing , Cheng Xing , Kang Zong‐Hui
Published: November 2012

Four new metal complexes {[Cu(api)2(H2O)]·(ClO4)2·CH3CN}n (1), [Cu(api)2(ClO4)2]n (2), [Cd(api)2(SCN)2]n (3) and [Ni(api)2(SCN)2]n (4) (api = 1‐(3‐Aminopropyl)‐imidazole) were synthesized by reactions of api and different metal salts under different conditions. Interestingly, complexes 1–3 exhibit various one dimensional (1D) double chain structures, while complex 4 shows a 2D layer structure. The results indicate that metal ions, anions, solvents, and the synthesis methods, have great influence on the formation and structure of the complexes.
On the trigonometric moment problem
Authors: ÁLVAREZ AMELIA , BRAVO JOSÉ LUIS , CHRISTOPHER COLIN
Published: November 2012

The trigonometric moment problem arises from the study of one-parameter families of centers in polynomial vector fields. It seeks to classify the trigonometric polynomials $Q$ which are orthogonal to all powers of a trigonometric polynomial $P$. We show that this problem has a simple and natural solution under certain conditions on the monodromy group of the Laurent polynomial associated to $P$. In the case of real trigonometric polynomials, which is the primary motivation of the problem, our conditions are shown to hold for all trigonometric polynomials of degree 15 or less. In the complex case, we show that there are a small number of exceptional monodromy groups up to degree 30 where the conditions fail to hold and show how counterexamples can be constructed in several of these cases.
On conjugations of circle homeomorphisms with two break points
Authors: AKHADKULOV HABIBULLA , DZHALILOV AKHTAM , MAYER DIETER
Published: November 2012

Letfi∈C2+α(S1∖{ai,bi}),α>0,i=1,2, be circle homeomorphisms with two break pointsai,bi, that is, discontinuities in the derivativeDfi, with identical irrational rotation numberρandμ1([a1,b1])=μ2([a2,b2]), whereμiare the invariant measures offi,i=1,2. Suppose that the products of the jump ratios ofDf1andDf2do not coincide, that is,Df1(a1−0)/Df1(a1+0)⋅Df1(b1−0)/Df1(b1+0)≠Df2(a2−0)/Df2(a2+0)⋅Df2(b2−0)/Df2(b2+0) . Then the mapψconjugatingf1andf2is a singular function, that is, it is continuous onS1, butDψ(x)=0 almost everywhere with respect to Lebesgue measure.
Influence of fatty acid patterns on the intestinal absorption pathway of quercetin in thoracic lymph duct-cannulated rats
Authors: Murota Kaeko , Cermak Rainer , Terao Junji , Wolffram Siegfried
Published: November 2012

Since it is known that dietary fats improve the bioavailability of the flavonol quercetin, we purposed to investigate whether this effect is due to increased lymphatic transport of quercetin. In rats with implanted catheters in the thoracic lymph duct, we administered quercetin into the duodenum with TAG emulsions containing either long-chain fatty acids (LCT) or medium-chain fatty acids (MCT). Controls received quercetin together with a glucose solution. LCT administration increased the lymphatic output of quercetin (19·1 (sem1·2) nmol/8 h) as well as the lymph-independent bioavailability of the flavonol, determined as area under the plasma concentration curve (1091 (sem142) μm× min). Compared with glucose administration, MCT neither increased the lymphatic output (12·3 (sem1·5) nmol/8 h) nor the bioavailability of quercetin (772 (sem99) μm× min) significantly (glucose group: 9·8 (sem1·5) nmol/8 h and 513 (sem55) μm× min, respectively). Because LCT are released within chylomicrons into the intestinal lymph while MCT are mainly released into the portal blood, we conclude from the present results that dietary fats that are mainly composed of LCT improve quercetin bioavailability by increasing its transport via the lymph, thereby circumventing hepatic first-pass metabolism of the flavonol. In addition, LCT could enhance quercetin absorption by improving its solubility in the intestinal tract.
Corporate Insurers in Antebellum America
Authors: Wright Robert E. , Kingston Christopher
Published: November 2012

Over the last fifteen years, scholars have documented the rapid development of the U.S. financial system between the ratification of the Constitution in 1788 and the Civil War. To date, most of this work has concentrated on commercial banks and securities markets while neglecting the roles early marine, fire, life, and other insurers played in American financial and economic development. This article seeks to redress the balance by presenting new data on the number and authorized capitalizations of specially incorporated insurers in all states prior to 1861, by analyzing agency problems within the insurance industry, and by describing the economic roles fulfilled by those hitherto underappreciated corporate financial intermediaries.
Strategy and Structure in Large Italian and Spanish Firms, 1950–2002
Authors: Binda Veronica
Published: November 2012

Taking as its starting point Alfred D. Chandler's studies of big business, this investigation explores how the largest corporations in Italy and Spain transformed their strategies and structures during the second half of the twentieth century. Empirical evidence reveals that, in contrast to the more advanced nations of Europe, these two southern European countries did not adopt either product diversification or the multidivisional structure until later in the century and, even then, did so only partially. By forming business groups and focused companies, the two nations came up with their own viable alternatives to the dominant paradigm that originated in the United States and spread among the bigger European economies.
Wealth and/or Love: Class and Gender in the Cross-class Romance Films of the Great Depression
Authors: SHAROT STEPHEN
Published: November 2012

A combination of social and cultural changes account for the popularity of, and the narrative permutations of class and gender in, the cross-class romance films of the 1930s. The analysis is based on a sample of eighty-five cross-class romance films released in the 1929–39 period. The films deal with a dilemma evident in the choice of partners: between interests of wealth and social status and the value of romantic, disinterested love, an ideal which had spread throughout the class structure. Gender distinctions are reinforced by narratives in which the wealthy male is redeemed by the poor female so that he can perform the appropriate male gender roles. When the female is wealthy, the poor male insists on her economic dependence on him. Films with gold diggers reached a peak in the early 1930s and provided imaginary solutions to social anxieties about class and gender among both women and men.
SEX COMPOSITION OF THE WORKPLACE AND MORTALITY RISK
Authors: BARCLAY KIERON J.
Published: November 2012

This study uses Swedish occupational register data to examine whether the proportion of men in administrative workplaces in the Swedish public service affects all-cause mortality risks amongst both males and females of working age. Using piecewise constant survival models to analyse occupational data from the Swedish administrative registers from 1995 to 2007, it was found that for males, a 1% increase in the proportion of males was associated with a 1.3% increase in mortality risk (hazard ratio, HR 1.013, 95% CI 1.007–1.020, p<0.001), but no association was found for females (HR 1.004, 95% CI 0.996–1.012, p=0.297). Adjustments were made for age, family status, education, occupational status, occupational segregation by sex, the total number of individuals in the workplace, level of government, region, period and variables reflecting the workplace structure by age, age by sex, occupation and education. A higher proportion of males may be related to (i) an increased exposure to risky health behaviours such as alcohol consumption and unhealthy dietary patterns, (ii) a tendency towards sickness presenteeism, and (iii) an increase in the levels of several well-established emotional stressors in the workplace, leading to an increased level of psychosocial stress. The findings and potential extensions of this research are discussed.
The effects of quarter-individual milking in conventional milking parlours on the somatic cell count and udder health of dairy cows
Authors: Müller Anika B , Rose-Meierhöfer Sandra , Ammon Christian , Brunsch Reiner
Published: November 2012

The objective of this study was to examine the quarter health status of quarter-individually and conventionally milked cows. The MultiLactor®, a quarter-individual milking system (MULTI), has single guided tubes which provide milking on the quarter level with a low system vacuum level (37 kPa), sequential pulsation and periodic air inlet. The conventional milking system (CON) was equipped with a milking cluster where the system vacuum level was adjusted to 40 kPa. A total of 84 German Holstein cows, randomly divided into two groups, were included in the study. Over a period of 32 trial weeks, quarter foremilk samples were taken every week to determine somatic cell count (SCC). Bacteriological examinations and udder palpation were conducted at three different times. During the trial period, median SCC of quarter foremilk samples in both groups did not exceed the threshold value of 100 000 cells/ml. The results of theFtest showed that the milking system (P = 0·0587) and days in milk (DIM) (P = 0·8066) had no significant effects on the quarter health status. On the other hand, lactation (P = 0·0396), quarter health status in the previous week (P < 0·0001) and trial week (P = 0·0061) affected quarter health status significantly. The estimated probabilities of the occurrence of a suspicious quarter (SCC > 100 000 cells/ml) were 19·97% (CON) and 31·72% (MULTI). However, the test of differences in the Least Square Means (LSM) showed no significant differences (P = 0·0585) between CON and MULTI. The estimated probability of quarters becoming suspicious during the first lactation was 12·51% for both groups. With an increasing number of lactation, the probability of a quarter becoming suspicious clearly increased (2nd lactation: 32·73% and 3rd lactation: 36·19%). The results also showed that the percentage of quarters with bacteriological findings revealed a stronger increase over time for MULTI than for CON.
Artiguista, White, Cosmopolitan and Educated: Constructions of Nationhood in Uruguayan Textbooks and Related Narratives, 1868–1915
Authors: HENTSCHKE JENS R.
Published: November 2012

Uruguay's late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century economic modernisation and political institutionalisation were accompanied by the education reform led by José Pedro and Jacobo Varela, which was extended to the whole country during the administrations of José Batlle y Ordóñez. Schools were to insert future generations into the capitalist world market and a more liberal polity. This article explores how official manuals and related texts constructed the nation. They invented a foundation narrative that made José Artigas a protagonist of independence; converted Amerindians into extinct ancestors; represented European immigrants as dynamic elements who, rightly mixed, would form a new ethnic group and help the cosmopolitan lettered city to civilise the gaucho; and taught children that hard work and education held the key to prosperity.
Transnational Business and US Diplomacy in Late Nineteenth-Century South America: W. R. Grace & Co. and the Chilean Crises of 1891
Authors: RICE MARK
Published: November 2012

The final decades of the nineteenth century were marked by diplomatic confrontations between Chile and the United States. In 1891 the killing of US Navy sailors in a riot in Valparaíso threatened to provoke armed conflict, an event known as the Baltimore Crisis. This article investigates how William Russell Grace, the head of a merchant firm based in New York, played a central role in negotiating between Chile and the United States. By placing his activities in a transnational framework, Grace responded to the demands of multiple nation-states in the Americas. Observing changes in Grace's transnational economic infrastructure can help to identify larger long-term shifts in diplomacy and power on South America's Pacific coast in the late nineteenth century, especially Chile's emergence as a regional hegemon. The actions of Grace also raise larger questions regarding the power of business in the Americas in the late nineteenth century, especially with regard to growing US interests in the region.
Solitary and freak waves in superthermal plasma with ion jet
Authors: ABDELSALAM U. M.
Published: November 2012

The nonlinear solitary and freak waves in a plasma composed of positive and negative ions, superthermal electrons, ion beam, and stationary dust particles have been investigated. The reductive perturbation method is used to obtain the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation describing the system. The latter admits solitary wave solution, while the dynamics of the modulationally unstable wavepackets described by the KdV equation gives rise to the formation of freak/rogue excitation described by the nonlinear Schrödinger equation. In order to show that the characteristics of solitary and freak waves are influenced by plasma parameters, relevant numerical analysis of appropriate nonlinear solutions are presented. The results from this work predict nonlinear excitations that may associate with ion jet and superthermal electrons in Herbig–Haro objects.
Symptom-specific self-referential cognitive processes in bipolar disorder: a longitudinal analysis
Authors: Pavlickova H. , Varese F. , Turnbull O. , Scott J. , Morriss R. , Kinderman P. , Paykel E. , Bentall R. P.
Published: November 2012

Background

Although depression and mania are often assumed to be polar opposites, studies have shown that, in patients with bipolar disorder, they are weakly positively correlated and vary somewhat independently over time. Thus, when investigating relationships between specific psychological processes and specific symptoms (mania and depression), co-morbidity between the symptoms and changes over time must be taken into account.

Method

A total of 253 bipolar disorder patients were assessed every 24 weeks for 18 months using the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD), the Bech–Rafaelsen Mania Assessment Scale (MAS), the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Questionnaire (RSEQ), the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale (DAS), the Internal, Personal and Situational Attributions Questionnaire (IPSAQ) and the Personal Qualities Questionnaire (PQQ). We calculated multilevel models using thextregmodule of Stata 9.1, with psychological and clinical measures nested within each participant.

Results

Mania and depression were weakly, yet significantly, associated; each was related to distinct psychological processes. Cross-sectionally, self-esteem showed the most robust associations with depression and mania: depression was associated with low positive and high negative self-esteem, and mania with high positive self-esteem. Depression was significantly associated with most of the other self-referential measures, whereas mania was weakly associated only with the externalizing bias of the IPSAQ and the achievement scale of the DAS. Prospectively, low self-esteem predicted future depression.

Conclusions

The associations between different self-referential thinking processes and different phases of bipolar disorder, and the presence of the negative self-concept in both depression and mania, have implications for therapeutic management, and also for future directions of research.
‘Ontological’ arguments from experience: Daniel A. Dombrowski, Iris Murdoch, and the nature of divine reality
Authors: BURNS ELIZABETH D.
Published: November 2012

Dombrowski and Murdoch offer versions of the ontological argument which aim to avoid two types of objection – those concerned with the nature of the divine, and those concerned with the move from an abstract concept to a mind-independent reality. For both, the nature of the concept of God/Good entails its instantiation, and both supply a supporting argument from experience. It is only Murdoch who successfully negotiates the transition from an abstract concept to the instantiation of that concept, however, and this is achieved by means of an ontological argument from moral experience which, in a reversal of the Kantian doctrine, depends ultimately on a form of the cosmological argument.
Experiences of ageing and aged care in Australia of older survivors of genocide
Authors: TESHUVA KAREN , WELLS YVONNE
Published: November 2012

This qualitative study investigated the ageing and aged care experiences in Australia of two cohorts of older survivors of genocide: Jewish Holocaust survivors and older Cambodian genocide survivors. It was carried out in response to an identified need to better train aged care workers who are in contact with these groups. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 community-dwelling survivors aged 65 and over. Credibility was ensured by methodological triangulation and peer debriefing. The study highlighted the importance of understanding older survivors’ ageing and aged care experiences in the context of their entire lifecourse and in terms of both vulnerability and resilience. It showed that trauma history can heighten older survivors’ sensitivity to many aspects of the social and physical environments in residential, community and home-based aged care settings. The study also uncovered the potential for aged care services to help older survivors cope with the psycho-social and emotional effects of resurfacing post-traumatic stress symptoms. The implications of the study findings for care practice include the importance of recognising older survivors of genocide as a distinct group of clients and the need to distinguish staff training for caring for this client group from general cultural awareness training.
Who cares? A comparison of informal and formal care provision in Spain, England and the USA
Authors: SOLÉ-AURÓ AÏDA , CRIMMINS EILEEN M.
Published: November 2012

This paper investigates the prevalence of incapacity in performing daily activities and the associations between household composition and availability of family members and receipt of care among older adults with functioning problems in Spain, England and the United States of America (USA). We examine how living arrangements, marital status, child availability, limitations in functioning ability, age and gender affect the probability of receiving formal care and informal care from household members and from others in three countries with different family structures, living arrangements and policies supporting care of the incapacitated. Data sources include the 2006 Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe for Spain, the third wave of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (2006), and the eighth wave of the USA Health and Retirement Study (2006). Logistic and multinomial logistic regressions are used to estimate the probability of receiving care and the sources of care among persons age 50 and older. The percentage of people with functional limitations receiving care is higher in Spain. More care comes from outside the household in the USA and England than in Spain. The use of formal care among the incapacitated is lowest in the USA and highest in Spain.
Application of statistical techniques in modeling and optimization of a snake robot
Authors: Kalani Hadi , Akbarzadeh Alireza , Bahrami Hossein
Published: November 2012

This paper provides a general framework based on statistical design and Simulated Annealing (SA) optimization techniques for the development, analysis, and performance evaluation of forthcoming snake robot designs. A planar wheeled snake robot is considered, and the effect of its key design parameters on its performance while moving in serpentine locomotion is investigated. The goal is to minimize energy consumption and maximize distance traveled. Key kinematic and dynamic parameters as well as their corresponding range of values are identified. Derived dynamic and kinematic equations of n-link snake robot are used to perform simulation. Experimental design methodology is used for design characterization. Data are collected as per full factorial design. For both energy consumption and distance traveled, logarithmic, linear, and curvilinear regression models are generated and the best models are selected. Using analysis of variance, ANOVA, effects of parameters on performance of robots are determined. Next, using SA, optimum parameter levels of robots with different number of links to minimize energy consumption and maximize distance traveled are determined. Both single and multi-criteria objectives are considered. Webots and Matlab SimMechanics software are used to validate theoretical results. For the mathematical model and the selected range of values considered, results indicate that the proposed approach is quite effective and efficient in optimization of robot performance. This research extends the present knowledge in this field by identifying additional parameters having significant effect on snake robot performance.
A force observation method for tracking control of flexible-link manipulators
Authors: Atashzar S. Farokh , Shahbazi M. , Talebi H. A. , Towhidkhah F.
Published: November 2012

In this paper, a composite controller is proposed for single-link flexible manipulators exposed to external tip force disturbances. In the proposed scheme, the extended Kalman filter is utilized to observe the environmental forces and the Lyapunov redesign robust controller is applied to control the destabilizing effect of the observation errors in noisy situations. The observed force can be utilized in different applications (such as tele-surgical robotics) in order to eliminate the necessity of additional force sensors. This fact is important for structural miniaturization and cost reduction. The main contributions of this paper are (1) proposing a disturbance observation technique for in-contact flexible link manipulators (note that the challenge of Jacobian singularity is studied as a possible diverging factor of the observation) and (2) proposing the composite robust controller to eliminate the destabilizing effect of estimation errors. The advantages of the proposed control scheme over the conventional techniques are analyzed. Simulation results are given for a single-link flexible manipulator to illustrate the effectiveness of the composite control technique and experimental results are given to validate the performance of the observation method.
Synthesis, structural and electrical characterizations of Er0.33Sr1.67Ni0.8Cu0.2O4−δ
Authors: Hamdi Salwa , Ouni Samia , Chaker Hanen , Ben Hassen Rached
Published: November 2012

A new compound Er0.33Sr1.67Ni0.8Cu0.2O4−δ (ErSr5Ni2.4Cu0.6O11) was prepared using the conventional solid state method and annealed at 1423 K in 1 atm of oxygen gas flow. The oxygen non-stoichiometry (δ = 0.47) was determined by iodometric titration. Rietveld refinement using powder X-ray diffraction data confirms that the sample adopts the K2NiF4-type structure (space group I4/mmm (Z = 2), a = 3.760 56(4) and c = 12.3889(1) Ǻ). The final reliability factors were: Rwp = 10.75%, χ2 = 2.51, Rp = 14.80%, RB = 4.77% and RF = 2.73%. Four probe electrical resistivity measurements were performed vs. temperature in the range of 320–540 K. A semiconducting behaviour over the whole range of temperature, with a maximum conductivity of 0.026 S cm−1 is observed at 439 K.
X-ray powder diffraction data for a PicoPtBr2, cis-amminedibromo(2-methylpyridine)platinum complex [Pt(NH3)(2-pic)Br2]
Authors: Maixner J. , Pažout R. , Hrdá M. , Kačer P.
Published: November 2012

X-ray powder diffraction data, unit-cell parameters, and space group for a novel platinum-based anticancer complex, Pt(C6H10N2)Br2, are presented [a = 10.049 (1) Å, b = 9.240 (2) Å, c = 11.497 (2) Å, β = 101.945 (3)°, unit-cell volume V = 1044.41 Å3, Z = 4, and space group P21/c]. All the measured lines were indexed and are consistent with the P21/c space group. No detectable impurities were observed.
A novel powder diagrams indexing, using classical geometry
Authors: Ettorche M.L. , Sebais M. , Hammoudi Z.
Published: November 2012

Based only on a geometrical approach, we present a technique to index powder diffraction diagrams. This would allow us to find the cell parameters from the experimental data. It is well known that methods proposed in the literature make a direct use of the experimental data to build the cell, whereas our approach exploits them to calculate theoretical values, which could be multiples of two of the three vectors' lengths of the unit cell,and then uses them along with the experimental values. To show the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm, several examples, requiring only minor limitations in linear dimensions (<35 Å) and volume (<4500 Å3), are treated. For all considered cases, except the triclinic symmetry that is time consuming, the corresponding FORTRAN routine is executed in a reasonable time (<3 min with a 3 GHz processor).
Becoming a State-in-the-World: Lessons Learned from the American Occupation of Germany
Authors: Madsen Grant
Published: November 2012

For students of American Political Development, the emergence of globalization and Americanization as themes of inquiry has spurred a growing interest in explaining America's rise as “a legal-economic and geopolitical hegemon.” An important episode in this rise came during the American occupation of Germany after World War II. In postwar Germany, America's military government realized that the American public remained unwilling to support (over the long term) the global projection of what Michael Mann has called “despotic power.” To achieve its fundamental goal of reorienting Germany toward a peaceful coexistence with the Unites States, military government turned instead to what Mann has called “infrastructural power” (power projected “through” society by state institutions). In pivoting from despotic to infrastructural power, three important consequences followed for the occupation. (1) Because it relied on the development of new infrastructures within a new German state, the occupation saw institutional “genesis” in which the Germans themselves influenced the pathway and timing of military government policy. (2) In creating new state institutions, military government performed “policybricolage,” creatively reconstructing institutions “from” the ruins of war-torn Europe (as opposed to “on” its ruins). (3) Financial policy took a central place in military government's focus because it allowed for “increasing returns” in advancing military government's interests. Collectively, military government's experience provided lessons for an American state in the world.
Existence results for diffuse interface models describing phase separation and damage
Authors: HEINEMANN CHRISTIAN , KRAUS CHRISTIANE
Published: November 2012

In this paper, we analytically investigate multi-component Cahn–Hilliard and Allen–Cahn systems which are coupled with elasticity and uni-directional damage processes. The free energy of the system is of the form ∫Ω½Γ∇c : ∇c + ½|∇z|2+Wch(c)+Wel(e,c,z)dx with a polynomial or logarithmic chemical energy density Wch, an inhomogeneous elastic energy density Wel and a quadratic structure of the gradient of damage variable z. For the corresponding elastic Cahn–Hilliard and Allen–Cahn systems coupled with uni-directional damage processes, we present an appropriate notion of weak solutions and prove existence results based on certain regularization methods and a higher integrability result for strain e.
A review of the use of complex systems applied to risk appetite and emerging risks in ERM practice
Authors: Allan Neil , Cantle Neil , Godfrey Patrick , Yin Yun
Published: November 2012

The Management Board of the UK Actuarial Profession has identified enterprise risk management (ERM) as an area of growth, particularly within the financial sector. It is an area which offers opportunities for actuaries, working with other disciplines, to move out of their traditional sectors of employment, with the skill set required fitting well with an actuary's training and practical focus.

Members of the Profession also highlighted ERM as one of the two main areas where they wanted the Profession to focus their research efforts in the membership survey in 2009. Consequentially the Management Board allocated funds to support research projects in ERM in 2010–2011 and has worked with the ERM Practice Area Committee to identify the topics that they feel most suited to external research where the outputs will have a broad strategic value to the financial services sector.
Meeting recommended dietary intakes in meal plans with ≥4 servings of grain-based foods daily
Authors: Probst Yasmine , Tapsell Linda
Published: November 2012

Objective

To develop meal plans using grain-based foods demonstrating how to incorporate wholegrain foods into a balanced diet for weight maintenance for different cuisines. The present study examines the ability of meal plans with ≥4 grain-based servings daily to meet nutrient recommendations using lacto-ovo vegetarian and rice-based cuisines.

Design

Eighteen plans from each cuisine for three age brackets for both genders were developed. Plans aimed for ≥4 servings of grain-based foods daily, with separate plans for all wholegrain, all refined-grain and half wholegrain–half refined-grain foods. Meal plans followed an isoenergetic approach and were designed to meet specific Australian nutrient reference values and serving sizes.

Results

All plans met the Recommended Dietary Intake or Adequate Intake for targeted nutrients except for Fe in the rice-based meal plan for females aged ≥19 years (17 mg). In the plans for 14–18 year and ≥19 year age groups, four servings of grain-based foods could be accommodated. In the plans for 9–13 years, increasing the number of grain-based food servings to four reduced micronutrients levels delivered by the total diet. Specific food choices were made to ensure nutrient targets were met across each category for wholegrain and refined-grain plans. The major difference in nutrients between wholegrain and refined-grain foods was found in the vegetarian cuisine, where the meal plans containing whole grains produced on average 30 % higher fibre (38–53 g) levels than those with refined grains (27–40 g).

Conclusions

With careful food selection, meal plans with ≥4 servings of grain-based foods daily can meet nutrient reference values for lacto-ovo vegetarian and rice-based cuisines.