bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Twelvth Order Theory of Transverse Bending of Transversely Isotropic Plates
Authors: Reissner E.
Published: June 2007

Motivated by the problem of the differences between stress and stress couple concentration factors for transverse bending of plates with small circular holes we use a variational method for the derivation of a twelfth order two‐dimensional theory of transversely isotropic plates, which includes the known sixth order theory of sheardeformable plates as a special case via constitutive‐coefficient specialization. It is further shown that the twelvth order system may be reduced in a non‐obvious way to two simultaneous second order and two simultaneous fourth order Laplace operator equations, with this then making it possible to obtain closed form solutions for polar coordinate boundary value problems.
Some Oscillation Theory
Authors: Leighton W.
Published: June 2007

In the first section of this paper we extend an interesting result due to Nehari and develop some related ideas. The remainder of the paper has principally to do with sufficient conditions for oscillation of solutions of differential equations of the form y'' + p(x) y = 0, where p(x) is at least piecewise continuous on I: (a, ∞) and changes sign infinitely often in I. In the last section, however, some earlier results of the author on focal and σ‐points are extended.
On Finite Element Upwinding and its Numerical Performance in Simulating Coupled Convective Transport Processes
Authors: Diersch H.‐J.
Published: June 2007

Verschiedene Finite‐Element‐Upwind‐Methoden werden beschrieben und hinsichtlich Stabilität und Genauigkeit für stationäre Transport probleme diskutiert. Die numerischen Eigenschaften von optimalen Upwind‐Formulierungen sowie Schemata höherer Ordnung und weiteren Modifikationen werden unter Verwendung von bilinearen und biquadratischen Elementen für gekoppelte, durch Auftriebskräfte hervorgerufene Rezirkulationsströmungen in porösen Medien untersucht. Im Gegensatz zur bilinearen Upwind‐Form offenbaren Upwind‐Schemata, beruhend auf biquadratischen Elementen, Störanfälligkeiten bei der nichtlinearen Aufgabenstellung und führen auf Genauigkeits‐ und Stabilitätsprobleme bei zunehmender Rayleigh‐Zahl. Die erhaltenen numerischen Ergebnisse werden mit bisherigen Lösungen verglichen.
Expansion von Polynomen und Polynommatrizen
Authors: Falk S.
Published: June 2007

Mit Hilfe der Lagrangeschen Polynome wird eine gegebene Polynommatrix expandiert mit dem Ziel, die etwa vorhandene Diagonaldominanz zu erhalten. Eine besondere Anwendung findet diese Methode in der Theorie der gedämpften linearen Schwingungen mit endlich vielen Freiheitsgraden.
On Difference and Shooting Methods for Boundary Value Problems in Differential‐Algebraic Equations
Authors: März R.
Published: June 2007

Isolatedly solvable boundary value problems are formulated for implicit nonlinear differential‐algebraic equations which can be partitioned into coupled non‐singular differential equations and finite‐dimensional equations. Then, for solving these problems by shooting methods, the behaviour of the shooting equations is investigated. The null‐space of the Jacobian of the shooting mapping is constant in a neighbourhood of the solution. Newton methods are applicable for shooting. Further, the convergence of some general difference methods for boundary problems in differential‐algebraic equations is proved. Especially, it is shown that the trapezoidal rule and the centered Euler method which are applied to the differential‐algebraic equation directly, become instable.
Natural Damped Frequencies of an Infinitely Long Column of Immiscible Viscous Liquids
Authors: Bauer H. F.
Published: June 2007

The determination of the damped natural frequencies of an infinitely long liquid column consisting of immiscible viscous liquids has been performed for various systems such as a single liquid column, two immiscible liquids in a rigid container, having an interfacial surface, a liquid around a rigid cylindrical center core, as well as two immiscible liquids with free liquid surface and interfacial surface. The frequency equation for the damped and coupled natural frequencies yields a complex determinant, from which the complex frequency has to be determined. It was noticed that besides the damped oscillatory root, which corresponds for vanishing viscosity to the undamped frequency of the frictionless liquid system, additional decayroots appear. Only the simple viscous infinite liquid column the frequency equation has been evaluated numerically. It could be shown that viscosity decreases the instability region for the axisymmetric (m = 0) case, and that this region depends upon the surface tension parameter.
Brief report: Coping among Austrian children and adolescents
Authors: Hampel Petra
Published: June 2007

The study investigated age and gender effects on coping with common stressors among 494 Austrian children and adolescents (age 8–14 years). Participants were subdivided into subgroups of late children comprising third and fourth graders, early adolescents consisting of fifth and sixth graders, and middle adolescents including seventh graders. Middle adolescents showed a maladaptive coping pattern with decreased problem and emotion‐focused coping strategies and increased passive avoidance and aggression. Females scored higher on social support and also on the maladaptive coping strategy rumination. Female middle adolescents reported higher resignation than their male contemporaries and female children. Results suggest the application of primary preventive stress management programs in late childhood and early adolescence.
Corruption and the Disparty in Levels of Political Support by Winners and Losers
Authors: Herreros Francisco , Criado Henar
Published: June 2007

Abstract.Recent analyses of the determinants of levels of political support have stressed the role of institutions in producing the disparity in support by the winners and losers of an election. The authors claim that it is not only the countries' institutional structures that matter in determining this disparity but also how the institutions work. Specifically, they claim that the disparity between winners and losers is greater in countries with a high level of political corruption. They test this hypothesis in a cross-national sample from the European Social Survey Database.

Résumé.Des analyses récentes des déterminants de l'appui politique ont souligné le rôle des institutions dans la dynamique de l'écart entre l'appui politique accordé aux vainqueurs et aux perdants d'une élection. Les auteurs avancent que la structure institutionelle du pays n'est pas l'unique variable d'importance pour expliquer l'écart entre vainqueurs et perdants, mais que le fonctionnement des institutions est aussi un facteur déterminant. Ils soutiennent plus précisément que l'écart entre vainqueurs et perdants sera plus grand dans les pays où la corruption est fortement ancrée dans les milieux politiques. Ils vérifient leur hypothèse à l'aide d'un échantillon de la base de données de l'enquête sociale européenne (European Social Survey).
Protecting Endangered Species in the US and Canada: The Role of Negative Lesson Drawing
Authors: Illical Mary , Harrison Kathryn
Published: June 2007

Abstract.Although the US and Canada share ecosystems, with many species ranging freely across the border, the two countries have taken very different approaches to protecting endangered species. The USEndangered Species Act, adopted in 1973, relies primarily on regulation, thus imposing the costs of protecting biodiversity on the private sector. In contrast, Canada'sSpecies at Risk Act, adopted in 2002, relies primarily on public expenditures to support stewardship programs. We argue that this difference is best explained by negative lesson drawing from the US experience. In particular, awareness of the costs of species protection in the US led Canadian business to present stronger opposition to regulation than had their American counterparts decades earlier. We use the case of the CanadianSpecies at Risk Actto theorize about conditions under which negative lesson drawing is likely to be most influential.

Résumé.Bien que les États-Unis et le Canada partagent les mêmes écosystèmes, les deux pays ont adopté des approches très différentes en matière de protection des espèces en péril. La Loi américaine sur les espèces en péril (US Endangered Species Act), adoptée en 1973, porte essentiellement sur la régulation, et de ce fait impose les coûts de la protection de la biodiversité au secteur privé. En revanche, la Loi canadienne sur les espèces en péril, adoptée en 2002, fait principalement retomber les coûts des programmes de gestion au secteur public. Nous démontrons que cette différence s'explique principalement par le rôle des leçons négatives apprises de l'expérience des États-Unis. La prise de conscience des coûts liés à la protection des espèces en péril aux États-Unis a notamment amené les milieux d'affaires canadiens à présenter une plus forte opposition à la régulation que leurs homologues américains l'avaient fait des années plus tôt. En s'appuyant sur le cas de la Loi canadienne sur les espèces en péril, nous visons à théoriser les conditions selon lesquelles l'acquisition de connaissance par leçons négatives (“ negative lesson drawing ”) est susceptible d'être le plus concluant.
Les pratiques sociales dans les régimes politiques africains en voie de démocratisation : hypothèses théoriques et empiriques sur la paraconstitution
Authors: Sindjoun Luc
Published: June 2007

Résumé.La mobilisation de différents courants du néo-institutionnalisme permet de comprendre la destinée politique et sociale des institutions étatiques en Afrique. Les institutionnalismes historique et du choix rationnel, placés sous les auspices de l'institutionnalisme sociologique rendent possible le dépassement des institutions formelles et des constitutions rigides au profit des normes et valeurs parallèles influençant effectivement le comportement des acteurs. C'est la “ paraconstitution ” tant ces normes et valeurs ont une centralité réelle dans le vécu socio-politique. En tant qu'elle est une donnée constante, la “ paraconstitution ” est une importante catégorie d'analyse des processus de démocratisation en Afrique.

Abstract.The mobilization of different currents of neo-institutionalism is helpful in understanding the social and political destiny of power institutions in Africa. When placed under the umbrella of sociological institutionalism, others institutionalisms such as rational choice institutionalism and historical institutionalism can go beyond formal institutions and rigid constitutions. The notion of “paraconstitution” is suggested hereby in a generic perspective for the understanding of concrete or parallel norms and values that effectively shape the behaviour of political actors. Sociological institutionalism permits the apprehension of dynamic interactions between political practises and culture in Africa without falling into the trap of culturalism.
Ruling Canada: Corporate Cohesion and Democracy
Authors: Albo Gregory
Published: June 2007

Ruling Canada: Corporate Cohesion and Democracy, Jamie
Brownlee, Halifax: Fernwood Books, 2005, pp. 168.

For a discipline explicitly engaged in the study of power,
particularly as exercised in liberal democracies, it is striking how
little Canadian political science has actually done to examine the
concentration of private economic power, the political organization of the
business classes and the extension of that power into the political realm.
Indeed, Canadian political science has been principally preoccupied with
power insofar as it pertains to the constitutional distribution of power
and the relative access to political power of the multinational and
multicultural constituent groups comprising Canada. The enormous
concentration of economic power—the top 25 firms accounting for over
40 per cent of business assets and the monopolies with over $100 million
in revenue accounting for 80 percent of business assets (p. 31)—has
largely been occluded from serious scrutiny. The mythologies of a
pluralist Canadian democracy are better preserved in the absence of
conceptual and empirical debate about the economic foundations of
political power.
State Feminism and Political Representation
Authors: Harder Lois
Published: June 2007

State Feminism and Political Representation, Joni Lovenduski,
ed., Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. xix, 315.

Lovenduski's edited volume is an 11-country (10 western European
countries and the US), analysis of the effects of women's policy
agencies on efforts to increase the representation of women in the
political process—in legislatures, on party lists and in public
administration. The book is the product of a 10-year collaboration among
scholars involved in the Research Network on Gender Politics and the State
and it exhibits the rich rewards that such a lengthy and involved
affiliation among like-minded scholars can produce.
Marginal Man: The Dark Vision of Harold Innis
Authors: Martin Geoff
Published: June 2007

Marginal Man: The Dark Vision of Harold Innis, Alexander John
Watson, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006, cloth, $65.00, pp. xi,
525.

In the study of Canadian political thought, a young doctoral student
wrote, and defended in 1981, an excellent PhD dissertation on Harold
Innis. Unlike many works, it was based as much on an exhaustive
examination of Harold Innis' papers as it was on Innis'
published works. Unfortunately, A. John Watson did not continue in
academia and his work was ultimately accessible only to the committed
Innis specialist, willing to visit the U of T's Robarts Library or
consult microfilm. After half a career as CEO of Care Canada, the
international relief organization, Alexander John Watson has revised and
published this work, making it accessible to a much broader audience.
Territory, Authority, Rights: From Medieval to Global
Assemblages
Authors: Policzer Pablo
Published: June 2007

Territory, Authority, Rights: From Medieval to Global
Assemblages, Saskia Sassen, Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press,
2006, pp. xiv, 493.

How to make sense of globalization? Saskia Sassen's attempt, in
Territory, Authority, Rights (TAR), is like globalization itself:
vast, sweeping and forceful, but maddeningly hard to grasp. At best, we
are dazzled and sure we're on to something important. At worst,
it's difficult to say what exactly this is. At times, we fear
we've been had.
Governance in Contemporary Germany: The Semisovereign State
Revisited
Authors: Stiller Sabina
Published: June 2007

Governance in Contemporary Germany: The Semisovereign State
Revisited, Simon Green and William E. Paterson, eds., Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press, 2005, pp. 338.

Nearly twenty years after Katzenstein's diagnosis of the German
polity as “semisovereign state,” this volume re-evaluates
unified Germany in the light of the original study. It starts with a
concise introduction by the editors to the original argument and to the
challenges of unification to semisovereign governance. Then, eleven
contributions cover Katzenstein's “policy nodes”
(political parties, federalism, and parapublic institutions), developments
in previously covered policy areas (economic and social policy, industrial
relations, immigration, administrative reform) and two additional ones:
the environment and EU integration. The volume is concluded by Katzenstein
himself, arguing that despite many political and socio-economic changes,
semisovereignty still reigns in Germany.
Leo Strauss and the Theologico-Political Problem
Authors: Lampert Laurence
Published: June 2007

Leo Strauss and the Theologico-Political Problem, Heinrich
Meier, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006, pp. xxii, 183.

One of the debates accompanying the reception of Leo Strauss's
lifework as it grows into an inescapable force in political philosophy has
been this: Where does Strauss really stand on the relation between reason
and revelation? Heinrich Meier's new book ends that debate.
The Size of the Simon Effect Depends on the Nature of the Relevant Task
Authors: Lammertyn Jan , Notebaert Wim , Gevers Wim , Fias Wim
Published: June 2007

Abstract. Four experiments were conducted to investigate contextual modulations of the Simon effect. The results showed that the Simon effect was quantitatively different depending on which kind of task needed to be performed. Importantly, this effect did not depend on the relative processing time of the relevant dimension, nor on a direct or indirect overlap between the relevant and irrelevant stimulus part. To account for the data, we refer to the neural overlap hypothesis, which extends the definition of dimensional overlap ( Kornblum, Hasbroucq, & Osman, 1990 ) with similarity of processing regions as the key factor for the interaction between relevant and irrelevant information processing.
Masked Priming Effects in Semantic Categorization Are Independent of Category Size
Authors: Van den Bussche Eva , Reynvoet Bert
Published: June 2007

Abstract. The question whether subliminal primes can activate their semantic meaning or not is still of interest today. Three different competing theories have tried to account for the often inconsistent research results: The semantic categorization hypothesis, the direct motor specification hypothesis, and the category search model. The present study aimed to shed light on these different points of view by examining the role of category size in response congruency effects when novel primes are used. Three experiments were conducted and a transparent pattern of results emerged: Significant priming effects were obtained across different tasks, irrespective of category size and irrespective of stimulus set size. The findings are discussed in terms of the three theoretical frameworks. It becomes clear that the present results provide strong evidence in favor of the semantic categorization hypothesis, which assumes semantic processing of subliminal primes.
Interannual and interdecadal variability of the summertime western North Pacific subtropical high
Authors: Sui Chung‐Hsiung , Chung Pei‐Hsuan , Li Tim
Published: June 2007

The western North Pacific Subtropical High (WNPSH) in summer exhibits significant 2–3 years and 3–5 years oscillations with interdecadal variability. The 2–3‐year oscillation is most evident after 1990. It is accompanied by anomalous meridional overturning circulation characterized by warm SST anomalies (SSTA) and ascending motion in the maritime continent and anomalous descending motion near the Philippine Sea, and by evolving warm to cold SSTA in the central‐eastern Pacific from the preceding winter to the summer. The 3–5‐year oscillation is most pronounced during the 1980s. It is accompanied by anomalous descending motion over the maritime continent and warm SSTA in the central‐eastern equatorial Pacific that persists from the preceding winter to the summer; the complementary cooling and descending motion in the western Pacific are related to anomalous east‐west circulation associated with ENSO.
A comparison of satellite tropospheric carbon monoxide measurements from AIRS and MOPITT during INTEX‐A
Authors: Warner Juying , Comer M. McCourt , Barnet C. D. , McMillan W. W. , Wolf W. , Maddy E. , Sachse G.
Published: June 2007

Satellite CO measurements from Measurements of Pollution in the Troposphere (MOPITT) and Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) were used in the Intercontinental Chemical Transport Experiment–North America (INTEX‐A) by the flight planning team to monitor local emissions and the transport of polluted air masses. Because simultaneous measurements of tropospheric CO from both AIRS and MOPITT were used by different investigators during this experiment, a cross reference and comparison are necessary to understand these two data sets and their impacts to the scientific conclusions developed from them. The global CO mixing ratios at 500 mbar, as well as the CO total column amount, are compared between the two instruments for both direct comparison and the comparison using the same a priori profile for the period from 15 June to 14 August 2004. Also presented are the comparisons of the remotely sensed profiles by AIRS, MOPITT, and the in situ profiles collected by the DACOM. In summary, both sensors agree very well on the horizontal distributions of CO represented by the high correlation coefficients (0.7–0.98), and they agree on the CO concentrations to within an average of 10–15 ppbv. Over land, the CO variability is higher, and the correlations between the two data sets are relatively lower than over ocean; however, there is no evidence of a systematic bias. Over the oceans where the CO concentration is smaller in the lower atmosphere, AIRS‐MOPITT show a positive bias of 15–20 ppbv and the details are presented.
Simultaneous detection/separation of mineral dust and cirrus clouds using MODIS thermal infrared window data
Authors: Hansell R. A. , Ou S. C. , Liou K. N. , Roskovensky J. K. , Tsay S. C. , Hsu C. , Ji Q.
Published: June 2007

An integrated method for the simultaneous detection/separation of mineral dust and clouds for both daytime and nighttime conditions using MODIS thermal infrared window brightness temperature data has been developed. Based on the spectral variability of dust emissivity at 3.75, 8.6, 11 and 12 μm wavelengths, we combine three heritage approaches to identify dust and cirrus. MODIS data for three dust‐laden scenes have been analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness of this detection/separation method. The detected daytime dust and cloud coverage for the Persian Gulf case compares reasonably well to those from the “Deep Blue” algorithm developed at NASA‐GSFC. Validation of the nighttime dust and cloud detection method has been carried out by using the cases surrounding Cape Verde and Niger, West Africa, on the basis of the coincident and collocated ground‐based micro‐pulse lidar measurements.
Observations of a Hurricane Katrina‐induced phytoplankton bloom in the Gulf of Mexico
Authors: Shi Wei , Wang Menghua
Published: June 2007

A combined dataset of ocean surface winds from the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), the sea surface temperature (SST) from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer EOS (AMSR‐E) on Aqua, and ocean color products from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on Aqua are used to analyze physical, optical, and biological processes after Hurricane Katrina in the August of 2005. The atmospheric correction algorithm using shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands is employed for the MODIS ocean color data processing. A notable phytoplankton bloom centered at (24.4°N, 84°W) in the Gulf of Mexico is observed four days after Katrina's passing. There was no evidence of sediment re‐suspension and transport from nearby locations into the bloom region. The phytoplankton bloom is attributed to the enhanced nutrient supply brought up by the wind‐driven upwelling and vertical mixing, and is identified as the only source of observed changes in ocean optical and bio‐optical properties.
Quorum sensing has an unexpected role in virulence in the model pathogen Citrobacter rodentium
Authors: Coulthurst Sarah J , Clare Simon , Evans Terry J , Foulds Ian J , Roberts Kevin J , Welch Martin , Dougan Gordon , Salmond George P C
Published: June 2007

The bacterial mouse pathogen Citrobacter rodentium causes attaching and effacing (AE) lesions in the same manner as pathogenic Escherichia coli, and is an important model for this mode of pathogenesis. Quorum sensing (QS) involves chemical signalling by bacteria to regulate gene expression in response to cell density. E. coli has never been reported to have N‐acylhomoserine lactone (AHL) QS, but it does utilize luxS‐dependent signalling. We found production of AHL QS signalling molecules by an AE pathogen, C. rodentium. AHL QS is directed by the croIR locus and a croI mutant is affected in its surface attachment, although not in Type III secretion. AHL QS has an important role in virulence in the mouse as, unexpectedly, the QS mutant is hypervirulent; by contrast, we detected no impact of luxS inactivation. Further study of QS in Citrobacter should provide new insights into AE pathogenesis. As the croIR locus might have been horizontally acquired, AHL QS might exist in some strains of pathogenic E. coli.
When Beauty Breaks Down: Investigation of the Effect of Spatial Quantisation on Aesthetic Evaluation of Facial Images
Authors: Bachmann Talis
Published: June 2007

Research on the perception of facial attractiveness has been dominated by aspects of averageness, symmetry, and secondary sex characteristics of faces. Almost absent is systematic research on the spatial scale (coarseness) of detail sufficient to carry information about facial attractiveness. In the present study, subjects were asked to evaluate the attractiveness of faces while the coarseness of detail of the face images was systematically decreased. Subjects discriminated a set of attractive faces from the set of unattractive faces when the coarseness of spatial quantisation changed from 10 to 17 pixels per face. Some of the faces regarded as attractive had the steepest shift in the rating towards the more attractive end of the scale at different resolutions. Once perceived as attractive in the coarse scale of image resolution, the faces generally did not return to the unattractive group with a subsequent finer scale of description. No single critical scale of detail was revealed that would have dramatically changed the perception of facial attractiveness from uncertain to distinct.
Intrasensory Attention: Kinaesthetic versus Cutaneous Inputs
Authors: Symmons Mark A , Richardson Barry L , Wuillemin Dianne B
Published: June 2007

Blindfolded participants felt pairs of raised-line drawings simultaneously, one with each index finger. The stimuli presented at each fingertip were 180° rotations of each other (eg 6 and 9). One finger moved (either actively or passively), and this in turn caused movement of a matched raised line underneath the stationary finger on the other hand, in a yoked manner. Thus, a 6 at the moving finger would be felt as a 9 on the stationary finger. On all trials there was a raised line moving underneath the stationary fully passive finger. For the moving finger, a raised line was present on only half of the trials. When a raised line could be felt at the moving fingertip, the shape followed by this finger was more often reported than was the shape present at the other (stationary) fingertip. However, when no line was present under the moving finger (ie when movement became the major cue for shape), subjects reported experiencing the shape moved under the stationary fingertip. Results are interpreted as an indication that cutaneous information can be more ‘attention-getting’ than kinaesthetic information, and are considered to support the modality-appropriateness theory.
Regulatory small RNAs circumvent the conventional quorum sensing pathway in pandemic
Vibrio cholerae
Authors: Hammer Brian K. , Bassler Bonnie L.
Published: June 2007

Using a process called quorum sensing (QS), bacteria communicate with extracellular signal molecules called autoinducers (AIs). Response to AIs allows bacteria to coordinate gene expression on a population-wide scale and thereby carry out particular behaviors in unison, much like multicellular organisms. In
Vibrio cholerae
El Tor, the etiological agent of the current cholera pandemic, AI information is transduced internally through a phosphorelay circuit that impinges on the transcription of multiple small regulatory RNAs (sRNAs). These RNAs base-pair with, and repress the translation of, the mRNA encoding the master transcriptional regulator HapR. In
V. cholerae
, HapR controls virulence factor expression and biofilm formation. Here we identify a sRNA-dependent, HapR-independent QS pathway in which the sRNAs base-pair with a new target mRNA and activate translation by preventing formation of a translation-inhibiting stem-loop structure. We show that the classical
V. cholerae
strain, which caused previous pandemics and is reportedly incapable of QS because of a nonfunctional HapR, nonetheless exhibits QS-controlled gene expression through this new HapR-independent pathway.
Dynamics of equilibrium structural fluctuations of apomyoglobin measured by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy
Authors: Chen Huimin , Rhoades Elizabeth , Butler James S. , Loh Stewart N. , Webb Watt W.
Published: June 2007

The spectra of equilibrium chain conformation fluctuations of apomyoglobin (apoMb) as a function of folding, from the acid-denatured state at pH 2.6 through the stable molten globule state pH ≈ 4.1 to the folded state at pH 6.3, are reported, as measured by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy. The conformational fluctuations, which are detected by quenching of an N-terminal fluorescent label by contact with various amino acids, can be represented by superpositions of decaying exponentials with time scales ranging from ≈3 to ≈200 μs. Both the time scales and amplitudes of the fluctuations increase with the degree of acid denaturation, with principal shifts associated with the transition across the molten globule state. Measurements of the diffusion of apoMb confirm theoretical values showing a ≈40% increase in the hydrodynamic radius upon acid denaturation. This study uses the model protein apoMb to illustrate the complex scope of folding associated structural dynamics.
Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome in a Psychiatric Rehabilitation Service
Authors: Tirupati Srinivasan , Chua Ling-Ern
Published: June 2007

Objective: People with schizophrenia and bipolar disorders suffer from increased rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome. Metabolic disorders add to the burden of disease and affect treatment and rehabilitation outcomes. This study aimed to study the prevalence of obesity and metabolic syndrome in people with chronic psychotic disorders in a psychiatric rehabilitation setting.

Method: All patients in the psychiatry rehabilitation program were assessed for obesity and metabolic syndrome using the definition of International Diabetes Federation (2005) was conducted as part of clinical protocol recently introduced into practice.

Results: A total of 221 patients were assessed. The prevalence of obesity was 59% and metabolic syndrome 68%. Metabolic syndrome was more frequent in patients receiving polypharmacy with multiple antipsychotics and mood stabilisers. Rates of nontreatment for metabolic disorders ranged from 30% to 88%.

Conclusions: The rates of obesity and metabolic syndrome in patients with chronic severe mental disorders on antipsychotic drug treatment were 2 to 3 times that in the general population. A majority of them were untreated. Detection, monitoring and appropriate treatment of obesity and metabolic disorders should be a component of an assertive care management program to reduce morbidity and mortality and improve rehabilitation outcomes.
Longitudinal Follow up of Primary Insomnia Patients in a Psychiatric Clinic
Authors: Fong Samson Yat-yuk , Wing Yun Kwok
Published: June 2007

Objective: Insomnia could be a symptom of underlying psychiatric or physical disorder, a risk factor for other psychiatric disorder, or a discrete psychiatric disorder per se. In order to determine the nosological status of primary insomnia, an outcome study was carried out to investigate its diagnostic stability and its relationship to subsequent psychiatric disorders.

Methods: Fifty-three primary insomnia patients in a university hospital psychiatric outpatient clinic were assessed by retrospective case note review, followed by a 6 month prospective follow up with Structured Clinical Interview Schedule for DSM-IV In-patient (SCID-I/P, version 2.0, and a sleep questionnaire.

Results: The majority of patients (n =44, 83%) did not develop other psychiatric disorders after 13.4±1.2 years from the onset of insomnia. Nine patients (17%) developed mood disorder (n =6), anxiety disorder (n =2) and somatoform disorder (n =1) at 6.3±2.3 years after the onset of insomnia. Subjective deterioration of insomnia and a shorter duration of sleep symptoms at the first consultation were associated with the development of secondary psychiatric disorders. Approximately one-third (n =17, 32%) reported symptoms improvement and six (13.2%) were free from medications. Better education was the only factor that predicted improvement in symptoms.

Conclusions: There existed a longitudinal diagnostic stability of primary insomnia in a majority of clinical patients. However, in a proportion of patients, it might either be a risk factor or a prodrome of mood or anxiety disorders.
A Rapid, High Throughput Micro Sugar‐Snap Cookie Quality Test Procedure Using Asymmetrical Centrifugal Mixing
Authors: Preston K. R. , Cordeiro H. , Sobering D. , Hatcher D. W.
Published: June 2007

A modified AACC 45‐g flour cookie procedure using asymmetrical centrifuge mixing as a replacement for conventional mixing has been developed. Ingredients are added to a pin cup in the same proportion as in the Approved Method 10‐50D (AACC 2000) sugar‐snap cookie test and mixed in a single step for 15 sec at 2,500 rpm. The dough is then processed and the resulting cookies are scored according to the AACC Approved Method 10–52 40‐g flour micro cookie test method. Cookies produced from a control cookie flour and four commercial soft wheat flours with the new mixing method did not show the characteristic surface cracking patterns normally obtained with conventional three‐stage mixing. However, with the exception of one spread value, no significant differences in spread, thickness, or the ratio of spread to thickness were evident when results were compared with those obtained with the AACC Approved Method 10‐50D 225‐g flour test method using a Hobart mixer equipped with a paddle. Cookies produced from two sets of advanced soft white spring wheat breeder lines, including control cultivars, using the asymmetrical centrifuge mixing procedure were also very comparable in spread, thickness, and ratio compared with those produced using 225 g of flour in the AACC Approved Method. Reproducibility of test results for all cookie parameters for both commercial and advanced plant breeder samples were comparable to the AACC Approved Method 10‐50D 225‐g flour test method. The very short mixing time and the ability to quickly clean or use multiple pin cups should allow very high throughput of flour samples relative to the use of conventional mixers for cookie testing.
Effect of Single‐Screw Extruder Die Temperature, Amount of Distillers' Dried Grains With Solubles (DDGS), and Initial Moisture Content on Extrudates
Authors: Shukla C. Y. , Muthukumarappan K. , Julson J. L.
Published: June 2007

Corn distillers' dried grains with solubles (DDGS) was extruded with corn meal in a pilot plant single‐screw extruder at different extruder die temperatures (100, 120, and 150°C), levels of DDGS (0, 10, 20, and 30%) and initial moisture contents (11, 15, and 20% wb). In general, there was a decrease in water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), radial expansion, and L* value with an increase in DDGS level, whereas a* value and bulk density increased. Increase in extruder die temperature resulted in an increase in WSI and WAI but a decrease in L* and bulk density. Peak load was highest at 30% DDGS as compared with 0, 10, and 20% DDGS extrudates. Die temperature of 120°C and initial moisture content of 20% resulted in least peak load. The a* value remained unaffected by changes in extruder die temperature. Radial expansion was highest at extruder die temperature of 120°C. Maximum WAI, WSI, radial expansion, and L* value were obtained at 15% initial moisture content. An increase in initial moisture content, in general, decreased L* value and bulk density but increased a* value of extrudates.
Effect of Surfactant Structure on the Pasting Properties of Wheat Flour and Starch Suspensions
Authors: Mira Isabel , Eliasson Ann‐Charlotte , Persson Karin
Published: June 2007

Systematic studies were performed on the effect of the surfactant alkyl chain length (10–16 carbon atoms) and the head group charge/structure (anionic, cationic, nonionic) on the pasting properties of wheat flour and starch aqueous suspensions by means of a Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA). An excellent agreement was observed between the effect of surfactants on the onset temperature of the pasting process (PT) and the time to reach peak viscosity (tpeak) of wheat flour and wheat starch suspensions. Moreover, a correlation was found between the effect of different surfactants on these two parameters. With the exception of the cationic surfactants (alkyl trimethyl ammonium bromides), the effect of surfactants (alkyl sulfates, maltosides, monoglycerides, and sucrose esters) was found to be strongly dependent on the surfactant chain length. Shorter chain surfactants (C10–C12) induced an earlier pasting, while longer chain surfactants (C14–C16) had the opposite effect. The effect of surfactants on PT and tpeak of flour suspensions was enlarged when the surfactant concentration was increased from ≈1% to 15% (w/w) on a dry starch basis.
Quality of Spaghetti Made from Full and Partial Waxy Durum Wheat
Authors: Vignaux Nathalie , Doehlert Douglas C. , Elias Elias M. , McMullen Michael S. , Grant Linda A. , Kianian Shahryar F.
Published: June 2007

The waxy character is achieved in durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. var. durum) when the granule‐bound starch synthase activity is eliminated. The result is a crop that produces kernels with no amylose in the starch. The presence of two Waxy loci in tetraploid wheat permits the production of two partial waxy wheat genotypes. Advanced full and partial waxy durum wheat genotypes were used to study the effect of waxy null alleles on pasta quality. Semolina from full and partial waxy durum wheats was processed into spaghetti with a semicommercial‐scale extruder, and pasta quality was evaluated. Cooked waxy pasta was softer and exhibited more cooking loss than pasta made from traditional durum cultivars. These features were attributed to lower setback of waxy starch as measured with the Rapid Visco Analyser. High cooking loss may be due to the lack of amylose‐protein interaction, preventing the formation of a strong protein network and permitting exudates to escape. Waxy pasta cooked faster but was less resistant to overcooking than normal pasta. Partial waxy pasta properties were similar to results obtained from wild‐type pasta. This indicates that the presence of a single pair of functional waxy genes in durum wheat was sufficient to generate durum grain with normal properties for pasta production. Waxy durum wheat is not suitable for pasta production because of its softening effect. However, this property may offer an advantage in other applications.
Contents of Indigestible Fraction, Water Solubility, and Color of Pyrodextrins Made from Waxy Sorghum Starch
Authors: Kwon Seung‐kyu , Chung Koo Min , Shin Sang Ick , Moon Tae Wha
Published: June 2007

To investigate the effect of prethinning of starch by acid before pyrolysis on the formation of indigestible fraction (IF) in pyrodextrins, native and prethinned (50°C for 1, 4, and 24 hr) waxy sorghum starches were heated at 120–160°C with 20–60 μL of 9% HCl/g of starch. Pyrodextrin containing 14.6% IF, measured as total dietary fiber by enzymatic‐gravimetric method, was produced at 120°C with 20 μL of HCl from native waxy sorghum starch. Prethinning before pyrolysis increased IF content by 0–68%, depending on the conditions for pyrolysis, compared with that of the native starch. Reduction in the molecular size of starch by prethinning might cause greater mobility during pyroconversion reaction and thus generate higher IF contents. Increasing temperature and acid concentration during pyroconversion also increased IF content of pyrodextrins. Pyrodextrin of 44.9% IF was produced at 160°C with 60 μL of HCl from prethinned starch (50°C for 24 hr). Solubility of pyrodextrins was inversely proportional to IF content (r = ‐0.87) and had a range of 62.7–98.3%. Color of pyrodextrins became brownish with more severe pyroconversion conditions.
Water‐Barrier Property of Starch Films Investigated by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Chung Yi‐Lin , Lai Hsi‐Mei
Published: June 2007

Water‐barrier property of a starch film was investigated using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique with a two‐gelatin gel model system. A film was placed between two gels, which contained different amounts of sorbitol leading to high water activity (H‐gel) and low water activity (L‐gel) gels. The assembled model systems were used to investigate the changes of water status of gels during storage. A multislice‐multiecho pulse sequence was applied to acquire a series of transverse relaxation decay images, then spin‐spin relaxation time (T2) of water protons of gelatin gels was calculated. The water migration from H‐gel to L‐gel and water redistribution within the gel during storage was evaluated based on the results of T2 maps and T2 profiles. The water transference rate was significantly influenced by the types of film used to separate the gels. The starch‐beeswax composite film had better water barrier ability than the starch fim. The combination of two‐gelatin gel model system and MRI techniques allowed the evaluation of the water‐barrier property of edible film prepared from biopolymers and also gave an insight into the physical structural change and chemical environmental conditions of gels due to water migration.
Physicochemical and Rheological Characterization of Wheat Flour Dough
Authors: Puppo M. C. , Calvelo A. , Añón M. C.
Published: June 2007

Rheological and structural behavior of dough prepared with two Argentinean flours (FI and FII) of different dough extensibilities were studied. Flours were analyzed by composition and rheological assays. Structural properties of dough prepared at different mixing times were analyzed by scanning electron microscopy, free sulfhydryls quantification, and yield of different protein fractions, as well as their protein surface hydrophobicity. Size of high molecular weight glutelin soluble aggregates was analyzed through multistacking gel electrophoresis. Dynamic viscoelasticity of dough was also studied. Flours FI and FII presented similar physicochemical properties but different rheological properties. Structural properties of both flour components were different. Starch from FI flour generated a more viscous paste than that of FII. FI presented a higher glutenin‐to‐gliadin ratio and a higher content of free sulfhydryls than FII. The resulting dough of FI showed a high development time and was more stable than FII. FI contained a high proportion of soluble HMW glutenins and formed dough with a more depolymerized insoluble protein residue containing a lower amount of gliadin in its matrix than FII. FI also formed a more elastic and stable dough with higher development time than FII. The specific structural characteristic of FI turns this flour into suitable raw material for the preparation of different bakery products in which elasticity of dough would be an important functional property.
Comparison of Modified Dry‐Grind Corn Processes for Fermentation Characteristics and DDGS Composition
Authors: Singh Vijay , Johnston David B. , Naidu Kalpana , Rausch Kent D. , Belyea Ronald L. , Tumbleson M. E.
Published: June 2007

Three different modified dry‐grind corn processes, quick germ (QG), quick germ and quick fiber (QGQF), and enzymatic milling (E‐Mill) were compared with the conventional dry‐grind corn process for fermentation characteristics and distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) composition. Significant effects were observed on fermentation characteristics and DDGS composition with these modified dry‐grind processes. The QG, QGQF, and E‐Mill processes increased ethanol concentration by 8–27% relative to the conventional dry‐grind process. These process modifications reduced the fiber content of DDGS from 11 to 2% and increased the protein content of DDGS from 28 to 58%.
Effects of Genotype and Environment on the Starch Properties and End‐Product Quality of Oats
Authors: Rhymer C. , Ames N. , Malcolmson L. , Brown D. , Duguid S.
Published: June 2007

Five Canadian oat genotypes were grown at six environments in Manitoba to assess the effects of genotype, environment, and genotype‐by‐environment interaction on oat starch properties and end‐product quality. Genotypic variation was significant for total starch, amylose content, starch swelling volume (SSV), Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) pasting viscosities, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) thermal properties, and starch gel texture as well as the quality of flakes and cooked oatmeal made by laboratory‐scale methodologies. Environment was the dominant factor contributing to the total variation of starch content, RVA pasting viscosities, SSV, and DSC thermal properties. Most measurements of starch gel and oatmeal texture were not affected by growing environment. Cross‐over analysis revealed that changes in the ranking of genotypes across environments occurred for starch RVA hot paste, breakdown and shear thinning viscosities, work of gel compression, flake hydration capacity, and the proportion of large flakes, indicating that breeding for these traits would require multiple testing sites. Trends were observed between oatmeal texture and several flake and starch gel properties, warranting further study. Results of this study indicated that there is a potential to breed Canadian oat cultivars with improved functional end‐product quality for use in the milling and food manufacturing industries.
Functionality Behavior of Raw and Extruded Corn Starch Mixtures
Authors: Ozcan Serap , Jackson David S.
Published: June 2007

Relationships between the structural properties of raw and extruded corn starches and their functionalities were investigated using mixtures of these starch types. Extruded starch had higher water absorption and water solubility indices, and produced lower RVA viscosity profiles when compared with raw starch. It also had no differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) endotherm. Gel cohesiveness and adhesiveness of both starch types were similar, while extruded starch gels were softer. Extruded starch produced lower Rapid Visco Analyser (RVA) viscosity profiles than raw starch due to starch degradation during extrusion. The raw and extruded starch components had negative interaction coefficients, thus RVA viscosity parameters were lowered as the fraction of extruded starch in the mixture increased. Starch degradation in the extruded starch was a likely significant factor associated with low viscosity profiles. Mixtures of raw and extruded starches could be commercially prepared to obtain finished starch products with a range of functional attributes.
A Rapid Microassay for Determination of Peroxidase in Wheat and Flour
Authors: Hatcher D. W. , Barker W.
Published: June 2007

A rapid sensitive microplate assay for the determination of peroxidase activity in wheat, flour, or individual wheat kernels has been developed using a commercially prepared 2,2′‐azinobis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline‐6‐sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS) solution. The assay derives a six‐point calibration curve based on commercially available horseradish peroxidase (r2 > 0.990), while simultaneously analyzing eight extracts in triplicate. The coefficients of variation (CV) of triplicate assays of a single extract from any of the three sources investigated were generally <2.0%. Multiple extracts (n = 5) of either whole meal or flour yielded assays with an average CV < 5.0%. Preparation of the calibration standards with commercially available peroxidase stabilizing buffer allowed the standards to be used for five days without any deterioration in the assay's reproducibility. This assay is ideally suited for high‐throughput operations such as millstream analysis or plant breeder screening evaluations.