bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Hydrolysis kinetics of 2‐cyanopyridine, 3‐cyanopyridine, and 4‐cyanopyridine in high‐temperature water
Authors: Fu Jie , Ren Haoming , Shi Chaojun , Lu Xiuyang
Published: March 2012

We report herein the kinetic studies on hydrolysis of three cyanopyridines in high‐temperature water. 3‐Cyanopyridine, 4‐cyanopyridine and 2‐cyanopyridine underwent consecutive hydrolysis to the corresponding pyridinecarboxamides and picolinic acids. Further decarboxylation to pyridine was observed for 2‐cyanopyridine hydrolysis. Experiments at different initial reactant concentrations revealed that these compounds exhibited the first‐order kinetics. Experiments at different temperatures showed that the first‐order rate constants displayed an Arrhenius behavior with activation energies of 74.3, 40.3, and 83.7 kJ mol−1 for 3‐cyanopyridine, 4‐cyanopyridine, 2‐cyanopyridine, respectively. The activation energies obtained for 3‐pyridinecarboxamide, 4‐pyridinecarboxamide and 2‐pyridinecarboxamide hydrolysis are 80.1, 32.7, and 70.5 kJ mol−1, respectively. The effect of substituent position on activation energies for cyanopyridine and pyridinecarboxamide hydrolysis is ortho ≈ meta > para. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 44: 641–648, 2012
Effects of mechanical indentation on diffuse reflectance spectra, light transmission, and intrinsic optical properties in ex vivo porcine skin
Authors: Vogt William C. , Izquierdo‐Román Alondra , Nichols Brandon , Lim Liang , Tunnell James W. , Rylander Christopher G.
Published: March 2012

Background and Objectives

Mechanical indentation has been shown to increase light transmission through turbid tissue. In this study, we investigated the effects of localized indentation on the optical properties of ex vivo porcine skin specimens by dynamically monitoring diffuse reflectance spectra, light transmission, and applied load while controlling tissue thickness.

Study Design/Methods

A custom‐built diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS) system was used to capture diffuse reflectance spectra from tissue specimens undergoing indentation. The DRS probe was designed to perform both optical sensing and tissue indentation. A mechanical load frame was used to dynamically control probe displacement and resultant specimen thickness change while recording applied load. Diffuse reflectance spectra, as well as light transmission at 630 nm, were recorded during stress relaxation tests where tissue specimens were displaced to and held at a final thickness. Tissue optical properties were extracted from reflectance spectra using a previously established look‐up table (LUT) approach.

Results

Indentation increased light transmission through tissue during linear displacement, and continued to increase transmission during subsequent stress relaxation at constant tissue thickness. The magnitude of relative transmission increases was shown to be a function of bulk tissue compressive strain (relative thickness change). Reduced scattering coefficients calculated from the LUT at 630 nm decreased during stress relaxation, with the relative decrease in scattering also depending strongly on tissue compressive strain. Reduced scattering coefficients decreased by 12.0 ± 4.7% at 0.44 ± 0.022 compressive strain, and reduced by 35.6 ± 1.3% at 0.71 ± 0.01 compressive strain.

Conclusion

DRS can be used to capture transient changes in intrinsic tissue optical properties during mechanical loading. Mechanical indentation modifies tissue optical properties and may be harnessed as a minimally‐invasive optical clearing technique to improve optical diagnostics and therapeutics. Lasers Surg. Med. 44:303–309, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Functional Carbon Materials From Ionic Liquid Precursors
Authors: Paraknowitsch Jens Peter , Thomas Arne
Published: March 2012

The use of ionic liquids (ILs) as precursors for functional carbon materials is reviewed, showing that they are highly promising starting compounds for this purpose: As liquids with negligible vapour pressure, simple processing and structural control of the resulting carbons can be achieved. The architecture of ILs allows for a wide combination of anions and cations, which can be used to tailor the amount of heteroatom‐doping in the resulting carbon materials. As ILs are well compatible with a variety of compounds, carbon composites can be simply prepared. Considerable progress in applications of these materials has been presented for example as electrodes in fuel cells, supercapacitors or Li‐ion batteries.
A POSS‐Based Supramolecular Amphiphile and Its Hierarchical Self‐Assembly Behaviors
Authors: Jiang Binbin , Tao Wei , Lu Xin , Liu Yong , Jin Haibao , Pang Yan , Sun Xiaoyi , Yan Deyue , Zhou Yongfeng
Published: March 2012

A polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS)‐based supramolecular amphiphile is prepared from the host–guest inclusion complexation between a mono adamantane‐functionalized POSS (AD‐POSS) and a β‐cyclodextrin oligomer (P(β‐CD)). Assisted by the interface of H2O/toluene, the obtained supramolecular hybrids self‐assemble into stable hollow nanospheres with thick walls. These hollow nanospheres aggregate together into a sphere layer through a spin coating technique, which then further transforms into a thin porous film containing nanometer‐scale holes. The hollow nanospheres have a low cytotoxicity. The in vitro cell culture indicates the nanoporous films promote adhesion and proliferation of cells. The self‐assembly morphologies and structures have been carefully characterized by SEM, TEM, AFM, DLS, XPS and water‐contact angle measurements, and the self‐assembly mechanism has also been discussed.
Statistical approach for forecasting road surface temperature
Authors: Kršmanc Rok , Slak Alenka Šajn , Demšar Janez
Published: March 2012

Snow and ice make road conditions and use difficult and represent a major challenge for the winter road maintenance service. Optimizing winter maintenance service and safety thus requires accurate short‐term forecasts of the meteorological state of the roads. The most common approach to forecasting road conditions is an energy balance model based on a one‐dimensional diffusion equation. Physical models can predict the road surface temperature, which is the most important parameter for determining the road surface condition (e.g. dry, wet, ice, snow). However, such models can show a large degree of error at sites where physical processes are too complex to be simulated correctly. To solve this problem, physical models are often combined with statistical approaches. This paper proposes a purely statistical method for forecasting road surface temperature based on stepwise linear regression analysis with appropriate selection of the input parameters and separate models for different time intervals. The method is tested on data from several Slovenian road weather stations. Its accuracy is comparable to or better than that of physical models.
Consensus Computational Ligand‐Based Design for the Identification of Novel Modulators of Human Estrogen Receptor Alpha
Authors: McKay Paul B. , Fayne Darren , Horn Hans W. , James Timothy , Peters Martin B. , Carta Giorgio , Caboni Laura , Nevin Daniel K. , Price Trevor , Bradley Geoff , Williams D. Clive , Rice Julia E. , Lloyd David G.
Published: March 2012

We describe the first targeted validation of fFLASH, a molecular similarity program from IBM that has been previously proposed as suitable for the virtual screening (VS) of compound libraries based on explicit 3D flexible superimpositions, as part of its deployment within a novel consensus ligand‐based virtual screening cascade. A virtual screening protocol using fFLASH for the human estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) was advanced and benchmarked against screens completed using established commercial screening softwares – Catalyst and ROCS. The optimised protocol was applied to a ∼6000 member physical screening collection and virtual ‘hits’ sourced and biologically assayed. The approach identified a novel, potent and highly selective partial antagonist of the ERα. This study firstly validates the clique detection algorithm utilised by fFLASH and secondly, emphasises the benefits of the consensus approach of employing more than one program in a VS protocol.
Towards a Realistic Representation in Surface‐Based Pseudoreceptor Modeling: a PDB‐Wide Analysis of Binding Pockets
Authors: Wilson Gregory L. , Lill Markus A.
Published: March 2012

Surface‐based pseudoreceptor methods are expansions of 3D‐QSAR techniques placing physico‐chemical information onto a 3D surface surrounding a set of aligned compounds that bind into the same binding site of a common protein target. With this mapping pseudoreceptor methods attempt to create models of the target protein binding site around the ligand ensemble. The surface points of the pseudoreceptor model are typically independent descriptors and property mapping onto the surface points is prone to overfitting. In this article, we developed surface descriptors based on 2D Gaussian functions that can model the physico‐chemical properties of binding sites of proteins. Binding pocket surfaces of a large set of experimentally determined protein‐ligand complex structures are analyzed and 2D Gaussian functions are used to fit the surface properties. The fitted property values differ from the original values on average by 15–25 %, and on average six Gaussian functions are necessary to model each surface property. These descriptors allow for a realistic representation of the binding site and will limit the number of descriptors used throughout the QSAR optimization phase.
Multinuclear magnetic resonance studies of 2‐aryl‐1,3,4‐selenadiazoles
Authors: Gierczyk Błażej , Ostrowski Wojciech , Kaźmierczak Marcin
Published: March 2012

2‐Aryl‐1,3,4‐selenadiazoles were studied by 1H, 13C, 15N and 77Se NMR spectroscopy. The results (chemical shifts and coupling constants) were correlated with Hammett substituent parameters as well as calculated chemical shifts and bond lengths. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
What are the causes and consequences of bladder overdistension?: ICI‐RS 2011
Authors: Madersbacher Helmut , Cardozo Linda , Chapple Christopher , Abrams Paul , Toozs‐Hobson Philip , Young John S. , Wyndaele Jean‐Jacques , De Wachter Stefan , Campeau Lysanne , Gajewski Jerzy B.
Published: March 2012

Aims

To report the outcome of the think tank on prolonged bladder overdistension from the 3rd ICI‐RS meeting.

Methods

Prolonged bladder overdistension was discussed after acute urinary retention, its terminology, its prevalence, pathophysiology, and consequences, as well as prophylactic and therapeutic aspects.

Results

Acute prolonged bladder overdistension (ApBO) is a consequence of undetected or inadequately treated acute retention, and is mostly due to regional anesthesia, prolonged childbirth, or extensive surgery. Currently, there is no agreed terminology. A primary, temporary neurogenic detrusor dysfunction causing retention is associated with decreased or absent bladder sensation therefore patients do not complain, and management is delayed. Therapeutically, the first intervention is to drain the bladder. Recovery depends on whether reversible or irreversible damage has occurred. There are no good data to support the use of drugs or sacral neuromodulation. Intravesical electrostimulation is the only treatment that has specifically addressed this problem with encouraging results. There are no recent reports on the effect of surgery for myogenic bladder damage.

Conclusion

ApBO is an important, but often unrecognized medical complication. There is a need for defining the terminology, for studies to record the incidence of different types of bladder overdistension, and to establish management strategies. Apart from clean intermittent self catheterizaiton (CIC) there are no data justifying pharmacological or other therapies. Therefore, prevention is of paramount importance and there is a need to develop and test preventative strategies, which should then be incorporated in surgical registries. Neurourol. Urodynam. 31:317–321, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome: a systematic review of termination rates (1995–2011)
Authors: Natoli Jaime L. , Ackerman Deborah L. , McDermott Suzanne , Edwards Janice G.
Published: March 2012

Objective

The objective of this study was to review the published literature on pregnancy termination following a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome in the United States.

Method

A systematic search of US English‐language articles (1995–2011) was conducted to identify primary research studies that reported data for pregnancies with definitive prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome with subsequent pregnancy termination. Studies that provided indirect estimates of pregnancy termination, such as mathematical models, were excluded. The weighted mean termination rate was calculated across studies.

Results

Twenty‐four studies were accepted. The weighted mean termination rate was 67% (range: 61%–93%) among seven population‐based studies, 85% (range: 60%–90%) among nine hospital‐based studies, and 50% (range: 0%–100%) among eight anomaly‐based studies. Evidence suggests that termination rates have decreased in recent years. Termination rates also varied with maternal age, gestational age, and maternal race/ethnicity.

Conclusion

This systematic review presents the largest synthesis of United States data on termination rates following a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome. Evidence suggests that termination rates are lower than noted in a previous review that was based on less contemporary studies and had an international focus. Heterogeneity across studies suggests that a summary termination rate may not be applicable to the entire US population. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of parity and fetal sex on placental and luteal hormones during early first trimester
Authors: Järvelä Ilkka Y. , Žáčková Tamara , Laitinen Päivi , Ryynänen Markku , Tekay Aydin
Published: March 2012

Objective

Earlier studies have shown that maternal hormone secretion during late first or second trimester may be affected by gravidity. We examined the luteoplacental hormone secretion during 5–11 weeks of gestation in relation to gravidity.

Method

Forty‐one naturally conceived pregnancies underwent weekly assessment of serum human chorionic gonadotrophin, progesterone and 17‐OH progesterone, estradiol, testosterone, and pregnancy‐associated plasma protein A levels. In addition, the volume and the vasculature of the dominant ovary with corpus luteum were assessed with the use of a 3‐dimensional power Doppler ultrasonography. Areas under the curve for hormonal and ultrasonographic parameters were calculated.

Results

Twenty‐two out of the 41 women were pregnant for the first time. All the pregnancies were uncomplicated and resulted in term deliveries of appropriately grown newborns. During pregnancy weeks 5–11, the secretion (area under the curve) of human chorionic gonadotrophin (6.54 ± 0.03 vs 6.39 ± 0.05, p = 0.010), progesterone (3.49 ± 0.02 vs 3.36 ± 0.03, p = 0.003), and 17‐OH progesterone (2.73 ± 0.03 vs 2.62 ± 0.03, p = 0.013) were higher in primigravid than in multigravid women. No other differences were detected between primigravid and multigravid women.

Conclusion

The placental function already differs between primigravid and multigravid women during the first weeks of pregnancy, which reflects the corpus luteal function. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fetal heart disease and interruption of pregnancy: factors influencing the parental decision‐making process
Authors: Chenni N. , Lacroze V. , Pouet C. , Fraisse A. , Kreitmann B. , Gamerre M. , Boubli L. , D'Ercole C.
Published: March 2012

Objective

To identify factors influencing parental decision when a fetal cardiac disease is diagnosed.

Method

All pregnancies with fetal cardiac abnormalities diagnosed at three academic hospitals of Marseille, France, between 2004 and 2008, were retrospectively studied. The association between maternal and fetal variables (maternal age, parity, ethnicity, gestational age at diagnosis, nuchal translucency, fetal gender, chromosomal and extra cardiac abnormalities, and severity of the cardiopathy) and parental decision was tested using univariate and multivariate statistical methods

Results

One hundred eighty‐eight cases of fetal cardiac disease were analysed, of which 63 were interrupted pregnancies (IP) and 125 continued pregnancies (CP). Four factors were important in the parental decision‐making process: the severity of cardiac malformation, the ethnic origin of the parents, the gestational age at diagnosis and the chromosomal abnormalities.

Conclusion

Counselling of parents following the diagnosis of a congenital heart disease should take into account that, in addition of the severity of the congenital heart disease (CHD), ethnicity, gestational age at diagnosis and chromosomal abnormalities influence parental decision regarding pregnancy continuation or interruption. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Screening for pre‐eclampsia by using changes in uterine artery Doppler indices with advancing gestation
Authors: Napolitano Raffaele , Melchiorre Karen , Arcangeli Tiziana , Dias Tiran , Bhide Amar , Thilaganathan Basky
Published: March 2012

Objective

The aim of the study was to assess the relationship of changes in uterine artery (UtA) Doppler pulsatility indices (PI) between first and second trimesters and the subsequent development of pre‐eclampsia.

Methods

A retrospective study of singleton pregnancies undergoing both first and second trimesters UtA Doppler screening between 2002 and 2009 was conducted. Multiples of median of UtA Doppler PI were used for developing indices describing UtA changes between the two trimesters. Receiver‐operating characteristics curves (ROC) were calculated for multiple comparisons.

Results

Three thousand five hundred sixty women had UtA Doppler screening in the first and second trimesters. Eleven women were excluded because of termination of pregnancy before 24 weeks. Out of the 3549 women recruited, 126 developed Pre‐eclampsia (PE; 22 early PE delivered <34 weeks and 41 preterm PE delivered <37 weeks). The best index for predicting pre‐eclampsia was the difference between the mean second trimester and mean first trimester UtA PI (areas under the ROC for early PE and preterm PE of 0.851 and 0.786, respectively).

Conclusion

Changes of UtA resistance between the first and second trimesters can be calculated as the difference between UtA PI at these gestations. The data of this study demonstrate that the difference in mean PI is the best index in predicting early PE and preterm PE. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of annealing treatments on the essential work of fracture of biaxially drawn poly(ethylene terephthalate)
Authors: Vu Hong‐Nga , Gauthier Catherine , Lame Olivier , Cavaillé Jean‐Yves
Published: March 2012

The biaxial sequential stretching process of poly(ethylene terephthalate) produces films with a fibrillar microstructure in which fibrils are parallel to the transverse extrusion direction. The mechanical properties of such films are strongly anisotropic due to both the orientation of crystallites and the properties of the intrafibrillar and interfibrillar amorphous phases. The idea is to modulate the properties of the amorphous phase without altering the fibrillar structure by annealing treatments. The morphology (crystallinity and orientation of the crystalline phase) of the annealed films is characterized and their mechanical properties (tensile tests and essential work of fracture) are tested in the longitudinal direction (parallel to the micro fibrils) and in the transverse direction (perpendicular to the micro fibrils). The crystalline phase orientation is the key parameter governing modulus anisotropy. Concerning crack propagation, annealing treatments lead to opposite evolution of the specific essential work of fracture parameter (we) in the longitudinal and transverse directions. Thus, it is possible to erase fracture propagation anisotropy through an adequate annealing treatment. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Chemical modification of cellulose acetate by allylation and crosslinking with siloxane derivatives
Authors: Stiubianu George , Nicolescu Alina , Nistor Alexandra , Cazacu Maria , Varganici Cristian , Simionescu Bogdan C
Published: March 2012

A new pathway to cellulose–siloxane hybrid materials was investigated. Allylated cellulose was prepared by chemical modification of cellulose acetate using three different procedures and was crosslinked afterwards by hydrosilylation in the presence of Karstedt's catalyst. Poly[dimethyl(methyl‐H)siloxane] with 25 mol% SiH side groups and 1,1,3,3‐tetramethyldisiloxane were used as crosslinking agents in different ratios as regards the unsaturated component. The occurrence of the reaction was verified using Fourier transform infrared spectrometry following the reduction until disappearance of bands corresponding to SiH and CC bonds with the formation of new SiC bonds that led to the crosslinking of the cellulose derivative. The reaction products were processed as films that were insoluble in common solvents. Surface (static contact angle, water vapour sorption capacity and swelling in various solvents), mechanical and thermal properties of the networks processed as films were investigated and the results were correlated with the reactant ratios. The crosslinking density was determined based on differential scanning calorimetry data. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
The Effect of O2 in a Humid O2/N2/NOx Gas Mixture on NOx and N2O Remediation by an Atmospheric Pressure Dielectric Barrier Discharge
Authors: Teodoru Steluta , Kusano Yukihiro , Bogaerts Annemie
Published: March 2012

A numerical model for NxOy remediation in humid air plasma produced with a dielectric barrier discharge at atmospheric pressure is presented. Special emphasis is given to NO2 and N2O reduction with the decrease of O2 content in the feedstock gas. A detailed reaction mechanism including electronic and ionic processes, as well as the contribution of radicals and excited atomic/molecular species is proposed. The temporal evolution of the densities of NO, NO2 and N2O species, and some other by‐products, is analyzed, and the major pathways for the NxOy remediation are discussed for one pulse. Subsequently, simulations are presented for a multi‐pulses case, where three O2 contents are tested for optimization of the remediation process. It is found that when the gas mixture O2/N2/H2O/NOx has no initial O2 content, the best NOx and N2O remediation is achieved.

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The extension peptide of plant ferritin from sea lettuce contributes to shell stability and surface hydrophobicity
Authors: Masuda Taro , Morimoto Shin‐Ichiro , Mikami Bunzo , Toyohara Haruhiko
Published: March 2012

Plant ferritins have some unique structural and functional features. Most of these features can be related to the plant‐specific “extension peptide” (EP), which exists in the N‐terminus of the mature region of a plant ferritin. Recent crystallographic analysis of a plant ferritin revealed the structure of the EP, however, two points remain unclear: (i) whether the structures of well‐conserved EP of plant ferritins are common in all plants, and (ii) whether the EP truly contributes to the shell stability of the plant ferritin oligomer. To clarify these matters, we have cloned a green‐plant‐type ferritin cDNA from a green alga, Ulva pertusa, and investigated its crystal structure. Ulva pertusa ferritin (UpFER) has a plant‐ferritin‐specific extension peptide composed of 28 amino acid residues. In the crystal structure of UpFER, the EP lay on and interacted with the neighboring threefold symmetry‐related subunit. The amino acid residues involved in the interaction were very highly conserved among plant ferritins. The EPs masked the hydrophobic pockets on the ferritin shell surface by lying on them, and this made the ferritin oligomer more hydrophilic. Furthermore, differential scanning calorimetric analysis of the native and its EP‐deletion mutant suggested that the EP contributed to the thermal stability of the plant ferritin shell. Thus, the shell stability and surface hydrophobicity of plant ferritin were controlled by the presence or absence of the plant‐ferritin‐specific EP. This regulation can account for those processes such as shell stability, degradation, and association of plant ferritin, which are significantly related to iron utilization in plants.
Spectroscopic properties of Nd:Sr3Gd2(BO3)4
Authors: Zhang Yan , Wang Guofu
Published: March 2012

Single crystals of Nd:Sr3Gd2(BO3)4 were grown by the Czochralski technique. The polarized absorption, polarized fluorescence spectra, and fluorescence decay curve of Nd:Sr3Gd2(BO3)4 crystals were measured at the room temperature. The intensity parameters Ωλ (λ = 2, 4, 6), spontaneous transition probabilities, the branching ratios, the radiative lifetime, and fluorescence quantum efficient were obtained by means of the Judd–Ofelt (J–O) theory. The stimulated emission cross‐sections of the important laser transitions have been calculated by the Fuchtbauer–Landenburg (F–L) method. The relation between crystal structure and optical properties is discussed. These results indicate that Nd:Sr3Gd2(BO3)4 crystal is a promising candidate for a solid‐state laser material.
A fourth polymorph in the family of BEDT‐TTF salts with thiocyanatocuprate(I) anions: (BEDT‐TTF)4Cu3(NCS)5
Authors: Schlueter John A. , Geiser Urs , Wang Hau H. , Manson Jamie L.
Published: March 2012

A new crystallographic modification was found in the family of BEDT‐TTF salts containing thiocyanatocuprate(I) anions. The cation radical salt crystallizes in the P${\bar {1}}$ space group with a = 8.2720(9) Å, b = 19.099(2) Å, c = 43.758(5) Å, α = 81.088(4)°, β = 87.253(4)°, γ = 83.790(4)°, V = 6786.2(13) Å3 at 150 K. The BEDT‐TTF radical cations pack in an α‐type motif, but every four columns, there is a slip in the layer. Where this slip occurs, the stacks are coupled in a β″ manner. The material exhibits semiconductive behavior with an activation energy of 0.13 eV above 250 K and 0.22 eV below.

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Packing motif of the (BEDT‐TTF)4Cu3(NCS)5 structure.
Prevalence of first‐order kinetics in thermoluminescence materials: An explanation based on multiple competition processes
Authors: Pagonis Vasilis , Kitis George
Published: March 2012

Typical materials used in thermoluminescence (TL) dosimetry exhibit the following common characteristics: (i) the temperature of glow peak maximum of individual glow peaks remains practically constant over a wide dose range, (ii) there are no systematic changes in the glow curve shapes with the irradiation dose, and (iii) higher order kinetics is rarely seen in dosimetric materials, while first‐order kinetics is a common occurrence in experimental TL work. Theoretical explanation of these experimental characteristics is an open topic of TL research. In the present work these three characteristics are studied by using several models of increasing complexity. The simplest model studied is based on the empirical analytical general order (GO) expressions, followed by two commonly used models, the well‐known one trap one recombination center models (OTOR) and the interactive multiple trap system (IMTS). Previous researchers have studied the behavior of these models using arbitrary values of the kinetic parameters in the models, and by varying these parameters within limited physically reasonable ranges. In this paper, a new method of analyzing the results from such models is presented, in which the average behavior of real dosimetric materials is simulated by allowing simultaneous random variations of the kinetic parameters, within several orders of magnitude. The simulation results lead to the conclusion that the presence of many competitive processes during the heating stage of TL, may be correlated to the remarkable stability of the glow curve shapes exhibited by most materials, and to the prevalence of first‐order kinetics. This correlation is demonstrated further by a series of simulations in which the number of competitor traps is increased systematically, by adding up to 12 competitor traps in the IMTS model. As the number of competitor traps increases, the average behavior of the TL glow curves tends progressively toward first‐order kinetics, and this in turn results in very small average variations in the shape of the TL glow peak. The simulation results in this paper provide a convincing demonstration and explanation of the stability of the shape of TL glow curves in dosimetric materials, and for the prevalence of first‐order kinetics in TL.
Ionization probabilities of sputtered indium atoms under atomic and polyatomic Aum− ion bombardment
Authors: Samartsev A. V. , Heuser C. , Wucher A.
Published: March 2012

The ionization probability of indium atoms sputtered from a polycrystalline indium surface under bombardment with 10‐keV Aum− cluster ions was measured by comparative secondary ion and neutral time‐of‐flight (ToF) mass spectrometry. The gold projectile ion beam for time‐of‐flight spectrum acquisition was interleaved with a 5‐keV Ar+ ion beam to maintain a dynamically sputter cleaned state of the surface, thereby avoiding contamination from both residual gas adsorption as well as accumulating gold from the cluster projectile beam. It is found that under these conditions the ionization probability does not significantly change as a function of cluster projectile nuclearity, a result which is in marked contrast with similar experiments where the interleaved rare gas ion beam was not used. The comparison of both experiments reveals that in the latter case the ionization probability is strongly influenced by surface contamination. Interestingly, the magnitude of this influence seems to depend on the projectile cluster size. This finding is interpreted in terms of the change in the ejection mechanism between atomic and polyatomic projectiles leading to different average escape depths of the sputtered atoms. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A surface‐ionization method of detection of a neutral component of indium sputtering under bombardment by cluster ions
Authors: Morozov S. N. , Rasulev U. Kh.
Published: March 2012

A surface‐ionization method of measuring the total sputtering yield has been developed. The indium sputtering by Bim+ (m = 1–7) cluster ions with energy 2–10 keV has been studied. A non‐additive increase in the total sputtering yield with the raise in the number of atoms in cluster projectiles has been found. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Marymount University: Inquiry‐guided learning as a catalyst for change
Authors: Oxenford Carolyn , Summerfield Liane , Schuchert Michael
Published: March 2012

This chapter describes the creation, implementation, and assessment of a systematic program of inquiry‐guided learning and discusses some of the challenges posed.
Climate model simulation visualization from a visual studies perspective
Authors: Schneider Birgit
Published: March 2012

The article gives an overview on the visualization of climate model data simulation from a visual studies perspective. On one hand the question is raised of what it means culturally when global images are used to communicate scenarios of a changing climate future beyond the field of climate research itself. The product of this process is one of the most widespread ‘icons’ of climate change, the image of the blue planet that has turned red. On the other hand insights into how these visualizations are designed in the studio of a computer designer are given. The focus here is on the way in which specific visualization software shapes images of a changing global climate. The article takes as its starting point the perspective of visual and media studies, because images have become so crucial in communicating research results of climate science and convincing policy agents and the public. What is special about scientific images depicting climate change is that they have implicitly also become political images. As today various actors and recipient groups are making use of pictures depicting climate change, the article concerns climate science, media studies, computer visualization, cultural studies, and politics alike. WIREs Clim Change 2012, 3:185–193. doi: 10.1002/wcc.162

This article is categorized under:

Climate Models and Modeling > Knowledge Generation with Models

Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Knowledge and Practice
Application of probabilistic wind power forecasting in electricity markets
Authors: Zhou Z. , Botterud A. , Wang J. , Bessa R.J. , Keko H. , Sumaili J. , Miranda V.
Published: March 2012

This paper discusses the potential use of probabilistic wind power forecasting in electricity markets, with focus on the scheduling and dispatch decisions of the system operator. We apply probabilistic kernel density forecasting with a quantile‐copula estimator to forecast the probability density function, from which forecasting quantiles and scenarios with temporal dependency of errors are derived. We show how the probabilistic forecasts can be used to schedule energy and operating reserves to accommodate the wind power forecast uncertainty. We simulate the operation of a two‐settlement electricity market with clearing of day‐ahead and real‐time markets for energy and operating reserves. At the day‐ahead stage, a deterministic point forecast is input to the commitment and dispatch procedure. Then a probabilistic forecast is used to adjust the commitment status of fast‐starting units closer to real time, on the basis of either dynamic operating reserves or stochastic unit commitment. Finally, the real‐time dispatch is based on the realized availability of wind power. To evaluate the model in a large‐scale real‐world setting, we take the power system in Illinois as a test case and compare different scheduling strategies. The results show better performance for dynamic compared with fixed operating reserve requirements. Furthermore, although there are differences in the detailed dispatch results, dynamic operating reserves and stochastic unit commitment give similar results in terms of cost. Overall, we find that probabilistic forecasts can contribute to improve the performance of the power system, both in terms of cost and reliability. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Validation of the Beddoes–Leishman dynamic stall model for horizontal axis wind turbines using MEXICO data
Authors: Pereira Ricardo , Schepers Gerard , Pavel Marilena D.
Published: March 2012

The aim of this study is to assess the load predicting capability of a classical Beddoes–Leishman dynamic stall model in a horizontal axis wind turbine environment, in the presence of yaw misalignment. The dynamic stall model was tailored to the horizontal axis wind turbine environment and validated against unsteady thick airfoil data. Subsequently, the dynamic stall model was implemented in a blade element‐momentum code for yawed flow, and the results were compared with aerodynamic measurements obtained in the MEXICO (Model Rotor Experiments under Controlled Conditions) project on a wind turbine rotor placed in a large scale wind tunnel. In general, reasonable to good agreement was found between the blade element‐momentum model and MEXICO data. When large yaw misalignments were imposed, poor agreement was found in the downstroke of the movement between the model and the experiment. Still, over a revolution, the maximum normal force coefficient predicted was always within 8% of experimental data at the inboard stations, which is encouraging especially when blade fatigue calculations are being considered. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Blood pressure-lowering effects of beetroot juice and novel beetroot-enriched bread products in normotensive male subjects
Authors: Hobbs Ditte A. , Kaffa Nedi , George Trevor W. , Methven Lisa , Lovegrove Julie A.
Published: March 2012

A number of vegetables have a high nitrate content which after ingestion can be reduced to nitrite by oral bacteria, and further to vasoprotective NO endogenously. In the present study, two separate randomly controlled, single-blind, cross-over, postprandial studies were performed in normotensive volunteers. Ambulatory blood pressure (BP) was measured over a 24 h period following consumption of either four doses of beetroot juice (BJ), 0, 100, 250 and 500 g (n18), or three bread products, control bread (0 g beetroot), red beetroot- and white beetroot-enriched breads (n14). Total urinary nitrate/nitrite (NOx) was measured at baseline, and at 2, 4 and 24 h post-ingestion. BJ consumption significantly, and in a near dose-dependent manner, lowered systolic BP (SBP,P < 0·01) and diastolic BP (DBP,P < 0·001) over a period of 24 h, compared with water control. Furthermore, bread products enriched with 100 g red or white beetroot lowered SBP and DBP over a period of 24 h (red beetroot-enriched bread,P <0·05), with no statistical differences between the varieties. Total urinary NOxsignificantly increased following the consumption of 100 g (P < 0·01), 250 g (P <0·001) and 500 g BJ (P <0·001) and after red beetroot-enriched bread ingestion (P <0·05), but did not reach significance for white beetroot-enriched bread compared with the no-beetroot condition. These studies demonstrated significant hypotensive effects of a low dose (100 g) of beetroot which was unaffected by processing or the presence of betacyanins. These data strengthen the evidence for cardioprotective BP-lowering effects of dietary nitrate-rich vegetables.
Effect of dietary fibre of barley variety ‘Rihane’ on azoxymethane-induced aberrant crypt foci development and on colonic microbiota diversity in rats
Authors: Lahouar Lamia , Pochart Philippe , Salem Hichem Ben , El Felah Mouledi , Mokni Moncef , Magne Fabien , Mangin Irène , Suau Antonia , Pereira Ester , Hammami Mohamed , Achour Lotfi
Published: March 2012

Many epidemiological and experimental studies have suggested an important role for dietary fibre (DF) of cereals in the prevention of colon cancer. The objective of the present study was to explain the effects of the DF of barley Rihane (BR) on azoxymethane (AOM)-induced aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and colonic bacterial diversity in rats. Following an acclimatisation period, rats were divided into four groups and fed a control (C) diet or experimental diet containing 30 % of BR. DF content in the experimental diet was twice that of the C diet (total DF was 8·69 % in the C diet and 15·24 % in the BR diet). At 7 and 8 weeks of age, rats received two successive subcutaneous injections of AOM at 20 mg/kg body weight. At 12 weeks after the first injection, ten animals from each group were killed. The BR diet decreased colonic pH (P < 0·05) compared with the C diet. The total number of ACF observed decreased considerably in the BR/AOM group compared with the C/AOM group (P < 0·05). Comparison of similarity coefficients showed variability of colonic microbiota species between the different groups. In addition, we showed inter-individual variability within the same group. This similarity was affected by BR and AOM. The present results show that bifidobacteria numbers were lower in rats fed the BR diet compared with those fed the C diet. However, the number of enterobacteria in colonic content was increased (P < 0·05) in the BR group compared with the C group. The results from the present study show that the DF of BR reduced the incidence of AOM-induced ACF and increased microbiota biodiversity.
Differential effects of low-dose resveratrol on adiposity and hepatic steatosis in diet-induced obese mice
Authors: Cho Su-Jung , Jung Un Ju , Choi Myung-Sook
Published: March 2012

Consumption of a high-fat diet (HFD) enriched in saturated fat induces excessive weight gain due to adiposity, which can lead to metabolic complications, as well as increased risk of fatty liver disease and CVD. The present study investigated the underlying mechanism and dose–response effects of resveratrol (RV) on obesity, hepatic steatosis and dyslipidaemia in mice fed a HFD. Male C57BL/6J mice were fed a normal diet or a HFD (20 % fat, w/w) combined with 0·005 or 0·02 % (w/w) RV for 10 weeks. As expected, mice fed a HFD developed obesity, as shown by increased body weight gain, visceral fat, hepatic fat and plasma cholesterol. RV significantly reduced visceral fat and plasma NEFA. In the liver of HFD-fed mice, RV significantly reduced TAG and cholesterol, as well as lipid droplet number and size. A low dose of RV (0·005 %) appeared to be more effective than a higher dose of RV (0·02 %) for suppressing adiposity and hepatic steatosis development with a significant decrease in body weight gain, plasma TAG and total cholesterol levels. These changes were seemingly attributable to a suppression of the fatty acid (FA) synthase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, and phosphatidate phosphohydrolase and/or an activation of FA oxidation in the liver and epididymal adipose tissue. In conclusion, daily consumption of a low dose of RV is effective for protecting against diet-induced obesity, hepatic steatosis and dyslipidaemia in HFD-fed mice.
Dogs and Concepts
Authors: Crary Alice
Published: March 2012

This article is a contribution to discussions about the prospects for a viableconceptualism, i.e., a viable view that represents our modes of awareness as conceptual all the way down. The article challenges the assumption, made by friends as well as foes of conceptualism, that a conceptualist stance necessarily commits us to denying animals minds. Its main argument starts from the conceptualist doctrine defended in the writings of John McDowell. Although critics are wrong to represent McDowell as implying that animals are mindless brutes, it is difficult to see what is wrong with this critical unless we depart from McDowell's technical terminology and introduce a notion of a concept flexible enough to apply to the lives of some non-rational animals. The article closes with a discussion of observations that speak for attributing concepts, flexibly understood, to dogs.
Hume on the Passions
Authors: Buckle Stephen
Published: March 2012

Hume's account of the passions is largely neglected because the author's purposes tend to be missed. The passions were accepted by early modern philosophers, of whatever persuasion, as the mental effects of bodily processes. The dualist and the materialist differed over whether reason is a higher power able to judge and control them: thus Descartes affirms, whereas Hobbes denies, this possibility. Hume's account lines up firmly behind Hobbes. Although he shies away from Hobbes's dogmatic physiological claims, he affirms all the key elements of the psychology Hobbes based on them: the nature of the will, the compatibility of freedom and necessity, the subservience of reason to passion, and the motivating power of pleasure and pain. Hume's account is thus best regarded as implicitly materialist. It is not, however, merely disinterested analysis: it aims at criticism of orthodox religious values. The passions are not threats to morality, but virtuous or vicious according to their pleasurable or painful nature. Thus the status of pride and humility is reversed. Hume's account of the passions underpins a rejection of orthodox religious morals, and endorses the values of antiquity – of pagan virtue.
Linguistic skills and speaking fluency in a second language
Authors: DE JONG NIVJA H. , STEINEL MARGARITA P. , FLORIJN ARJEN , SCHOONEN ROB , HULSTIJN JAN H.
Published: March 2012

This study investigated how individual differences in linguistic knowledge and processing skills relate to individual differences in speaking fluency. Speakers of Dutch as a second language (N = 179) performed eight speaking tasks, from which several measures of fluency were derived such as measures for pausing, repairing, and speed (mean syllable duration). In addition, participants performed separate tasks, designed to gauge individuals’ second language linguistic knowledge and linguistic processing speed. The results showed that the linguistic skills were most strongly related to average syllable duration, of which 50% of individual variance was explained; in contrast, average pausing duration was only weakly related to linguistic knowledge and processing skills.
Phonological short-term and working memory in bilinguals' native and second language
Authors: KAUSHANSKAYA MARGARITA , YOO JEEWON
Published: March 2012

The goal of the current study was to examine bilinguals' phonological short-term and working memory performance in their native/first (L1) and second (L2) languages. Korean–English bilinguals were tested in both Korean (L1) and English (L2). Short-term memory (STM) was measured via a nonword repetition task, where participants repeated nonwords that increased in length. Working memory (WM) was measured via a complex task, where the nonword repetition task was combined with an animacy judgment task. In general, bilinguals performed better on the STM task than on the WM task, and with shorter nonwords than with longer nonwords. Results also revealed that L1 STM performance was superior to L2 STM performance, but only for the longest nonwords, whereas L1 WM performance was superior to L2 WM performance across all length levels. In addition, correlation analyses between bilinguals' L1 and L2 performance revealed stronger cross-linguistic associations for the WM task than for the STM task. Together, the findings suggest that WM tasks may engage domain-general central executive processes in bilinguals, whereas STM skills may depend on language-specific knowledge in the L1 and the L2.
Spiritual perspectives of Black Caribbean and White British older adults: development of a spiritual typology in later life
Authors: SADLER EUAN , BIGGS SIMON , GLASER KAREN
Published: March 2012

Spirituality is positively linked to health and well-being in later life, particularly among older adults of black ethnic groups. However, definitions of spirituality in the literature have largely been theoretically informed, rather than based on the views of older people themselves. We examined the spiritual perspectives of Black Caribbean and White British older adults based on in-depth interviews with 34 individuals aged between 60 and 95 years. Our aim was to develop a spiritual typology to add to an understanding of the process of spirituality in later life. Findings showed that Black Caribbean older individuals mostly defined spirituality in relation to their belief in a transcendent God, whereas White British older individuals tended to draw upon a wider range of spiritual, religious or secular notions. A spirituality typology in later life captured four categories of relationship, between ‘God to self’, ‘self to God’, ‘self to universe’ and ‘self to life’. The typology highlights the central role of ethnicity in shaping spiritual perspectives in later life, and identifies the multidimensional nature of spirituality among older adults, reflecting in part a developmental process, although a process which is socially and culturally constructed.
In the Streets and Bazaars of Harbin: Marketers, Small Traders, and Peddlers in a Changing Multicultural City
Authors: Grüner Frank
Published: March 2012

The Zelenyi [Green] Bazaar is like a self-contained village, where each house is a small shop. The Chinese traded and lived here. They represented ninety percent [of the bazaar population]; the rest of the territory was inhabited by the poorer Russian emigrants, who were only able to buy small, cheap houses and only lived in these, without trading in them. At the other ends of the city these people were referred to as the Zelenobazarskie [the people from Zelenyi Bazaar], which was not exactly a compliment. The small house-shops were closely packed together—God forbid a fire was to break out—when this happened, the flames were carried from house to house with unbelievable speed and destroyed the wooden constructions. And when it had rained, the ground was thick with mud. The bazaar itself was abundant with all possible products, with meat and fish as well as many kinds of textiles. There were two or three photographic studios and even several small tailors. The bazaar was generally seen as the place where it was practical to have a look at all possible goods.