bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Understanding Severe Thunderstorms and Alberta Boundary Layers Experiment (UNSTABLE) 2008
Authors: Taylor Neil M. , Sills David M. L. , Hanesiak John M. , Milbrandt Jason A. , Smith Craig D. , Strong Geoff S. , Skone Susan H. , McCarthy Patrick J. , Brimelow Julian C.
Published: April 2011

Severe thunderstorms are a common occurrence in summer on the Canadian prairies, with a large number originating along the Alberta, Canada, foothills, just east of the Rocky Mountains. Most of these storms move eastward to affect the Edmonton–Calgary corridor, one of the most densely populated and fastest-growing regions in Canada. Previous studies in the United States, Europe, and Canada have stressed the importance of mesoscale features in thunderstorm development. However, such processes cannot be adequately resolved using operational observation networks in many parts of Canada. Current conceptual models for severe storm outbreaks in Alberta were developed almost 20 years ago and do not focus explicitly on mesoscale boundaries that are now known to be important for thunderstorm development.

The Understanding Severe Thunderstorms and Alber ta Boundary Layers Experiment (UNSTABLE) is a field and modeling study aiming to improve our understanding of the processes associated with the initiation of severe thunderstorms, to refine associated conceptual models, and to assess the ability of convectivescale NWP models to simulate relevant physical processes. As part of UNSTABLE in 2008, Environment Canada and university scientists conducted a pilot field experiment over the Alberta foothills to investigate mesoscale processes associated with the development of severe thunderstorms. Networks of fixed and mobile surface and upper-air instrumentation provided observations of the atmospheric boundary layer at a level of detail never before seen in this region. Preliminary results include the most complete documentation of a dryline in Canada and an analysis of variability in boundary layer evolution across adjacent forest and crop vegetation areas. Convective-scale NWP simulations suggest that although additional information on convective mode may be provided, there is limited benefit overall to downscaling to smaller grid spacing without assimilation of mesoscale observations.
Automatic classification of sentences to support Evidence Based Medicine
Authors: Kim Su Nam , Martinez David , Cavedon Lawrence , Yencken Lars
Published: April 2011

Aim

Given a set of pre-defined medical categories used in Evidence Based Medicine, we aim to automatically annotate sentences in medical abstracts with these labels.

Method

We constructed a corpus of 1,000 medical abstracts annotated by hand with specified medical categories (e.g.Intervention,Outcome). We explored the use of various features based on lexical, semantic, structural, and sequential information in the data, using Conditional Random Fields (CRF) for classification.

Results

For the classification tasks over all labels, our systems achieved micro-averaged f-scores of 80.9% and 66.9% over datasets of structured and unstructured abstracts respectively, using sequential features. In labeling only the key sentences, our systems produced f-scores of 89.3% and 74.0% over structured and unstructured abstracts respectively, using the same sequential features. The results over an external dataset were lower (f-scores of 63.1% for all labels, and 83.8% for key sentences).

Conclusions

Of the features we used, the best for classifying any given sentence in an abstract were based on unigrams, section headings, and sequential information from preceding sentences. These features resulted in improved performance over a simple bag-of-words approach, and outperformed feature sets used in previous work.
Low bone mineral density is a significant risk factor for low-energy distal radius fractures in middle-aged and elderly men: A case-control study
Authors: Øyen Jannike , Rohde Gudrun , Hochberg Marc , Johnsen Villy , Haugeberg Glenn
Published: April 2011

Background

In general there is a lack of data on osteoporosis and fracture in men; this also includes low-energy distal radius fractures. The objectives of this study were to examine BMD and identify factors associated with distal radius fractures in male patients compared with controls recruited from the background population.

Methods

In a 2-year period, 44 men 50 years or older were diagnosed with low-energy distal radius fractures, all recruited from one hospital. The 31 men who attended for osteoporosis assessment were age-matched with 35 controls. Demographic and clinical data were collected and BMD at femoral neck, total hip and spine L2-4 was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results

Apart from weight and living alone, no significant differences were found between patient and controls for demographic variables (e.g. height, smoking) and clinical variables (e.g. co-morbidity, use of glucocorticoids, osteoporosis treatment, falls and previous history of fracture). However, BMD expressed as T-score was significant lower in patients than in controls at all measurement sites (femoral neck: -2.24 vs. -1.15, p < 0.001; Total hip: -1.65 vs. -0.64, p < 0.001; Spine L2-4: -1.26 vs. 0.25, p = 0.002). Among the potential risk factors for fracture evaluated, only reduced BMD was found to be significantly associated with increased risk for low-energy distal radius fractures in men.

Conclusion

The results from our study indicate that reduced BMD is an important risk factor for low-energy distal radius fracture in men. This suggests that improvement of BMD by both pharmacological and non-pharmacological initiatives may be a strategy to reduce fracture risk in men.
GH10 xylanase D from Penicillium funiculosum: biochemical studies and xylooligosaccharide production
Authors: Lafond Mickael , Tauzin Alexandra , Desseaux Véronique , Bonnin Estelle , Ajandouz El-Hassan , Giardina Thierry
Published: April 2011

Background

The filamentous fungus Penicillium funiculosum produces a range of glycoside hydrolases (GH). The XynD gene, encoding the sole P. funiculosum GH10 xylanase described so far, was cloned into the pPICZαA vector and expressed in methylotrophe yeast Pichia pastoris, in order to compare the results obtained with the P. funiculosum GH11 xylanases data.

Results

High level expression of recombinant XynD was obtained with a secretion of around 60 mg.L-1. The protein was purified to homogeneity using one purification step. The apparent size on SDS-PAGE was around 64 kDa and was 46 kDa by mass spectrometry thus higher than the expected molecular mass of 41 kDa. The recombinant protein was N- and O-glycosylated, as demonstrated using glycoprotein staining and deglycosylation reactions, which explained the discrepancy in molecular mass. Enzyme-catalysed hydrolysis of low viscosity arabinoxylan (LVAX) was maximal at pH 5.0 with K m(app) and k

cat
/K m(app) of 3.7 ± 0.2 (mg.mL-1) and 132 (s-1mg-1.mL), respectively. The activity of XynD was optimal at 80°C and the recombinant enzyme has shown an interesting high thermal stability at 70°C for at least 180 min without loss of activity. The enzyme had an endo-mode of action on xylan forming mainly xylobiose and short-chain xylooligosaccharides (XOS). The initial rate data from the hydrolysis of short XOS indicated that the catalytic efficiency increased slightly with increasing their chain length with a small difference of the XynD catalytic efficiency against the different XOS.

Conclusion

Because of its attractive properties XynD might be considered for biotechnological applications. Moreover, XOS hydrolysis suggested that XynD possess four catalytic subsites with a high energy of interaction with the substrate and a fifth subsite with a small energy of interaction, according to the GH10 xylanase literature data.
Thermal conductivity and viscosity of self-assembled alcohol/polyalphaolefin nanoemulsion fluids
Authors: Xu Jiajun , Yang Bao , Hammouda Boualem
Published: April 2011

Very large thermal conductivity enhancement had been reported earlier in colloidal suspensions of solid nanoparticles (i.e., nanofluids) and more recently also in oil-in-water emulsions. In this study, nanoemulsions of alcohol and polyalphaolefin (PAO) are spontaneously generated by self-assembly, and their thermal conductivity and viscosity are investigated experimentally. Alcohol and PAO have similar thermal conductivity values, so that the abnormal effects, such as particle Brownian motion, on thermal transport could be deducted in these alcohol/PAO nanoemulsion fluids. Small angle neutron-scattering measurement shows that the alcohol droplets are spheres of 0.8-nm radius in these nanoemulsion fluids. Both thermal conductivity and dynamic viscosity of the fluids are found to increase with alcohol droplet loading, as expected from classical theories. However, the measured conductivity increase is very moderate, e.g., a 2.3% increase for 9 vol%, in these fluids. This suggests that no anomalous enhancement of thermal conductivity is observed in the alcohol/PAO nanoemulsion fluids tested in this study.
Fabrication and magnetic properties of granular Co/porous InP nanocomposite materials
Authors: Zhou Tao , Cheng Dandan , Zheng Maojun , Ma Li , Shen Wenzhong
Published: April 2011

A novel Co/InP magnetic semiconductor nanocomposite was fabricated by electrodeposition magnetic Co nanoparticles into n-type porous InP templates in ethanol solution of cobalt chloride. The content or particle size of Co particles embedded in porous InP increased with increasing deposition time. Co particles had uniform distribution over pore sidewall surface of InP template, which was different from that of ceramic template and may open up new branch of fabrication of nanocomposites. The magnetism of such Co/InP nanocomposites can be gradually tuned from diamagnetism to ferromagnetism by increasing the deposition time of Co. Magnetic anisotropy of this Co/InP nanocomposite with magnetization easy axis along the axis of InP square channel was well realized by the competition between shape anisotropy and magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Such Co/InP nanocomposites with adjustable magnetism may have potential applications in future in the field of spin electronics.

PACS: 61.46. +w · 72.80.Tm · 81.05.Rm · 75.75. +a · 82.45.Aa
Enhanced plasmonic behavior of bimetallic (Ag-Au) multilayered spheres
Authors: Peña-Rodríguez Ovidio , Pal Umapada
Published: April 2011

In this article we study the plasmonic behavior of some stable, highly biocompatible bimetallic metal-dielectric-metal (MDM) and double concentric nanoshell (DCN) structures. By simply switching the material of the inner structure from Au to Ag, the intensity of their surface plasmon resonance could be increased in the optical transparency region of the human tissues up to 20 and 60 percent for the MDM and DCN, respectively, while the biocompatibility is retained. The obtained results indicate that these novel structures could be highly suitable for surface enhanced Raman scattering and photothermal cancer therapy.
Measurement of local two-phase flow parameters of nanofluids using conductivity double-sensor probe
Authors: Park Yu Sun , Chang Soon Heung
Published: April 2011

A two-phase flow experiment using air and water-based γ-Al2O3 nanofluid was conducted to observe the basic hydraulic phenomenon of nanofluids. The local two-phase flow parameters were measured with a conductivity double-sensor two-phase void meter. The void fraction, interfacial velocity, interfacial area concentration, and mean bubble diameter were evaluated, and all of those results using the nanofluid were compared with the corresponding results for pure water. The void fraction distribution was flattened in the nanofluid case more than it was in the pure water case. The higher interfacial area concentration resulted in a smaller mean bubble diameter in the case of the nanofluid. This was the first attempt to measure the local two-phase flow parameters of nanofluids using a conductivity double-sensor two-phase void meter. Throughout this experimental study, the differences in the internal two-phase flow structure of the nanofluid were identified. In addition, the heat transfer enhancement of the nanofluid can be resulted from the increase of the interfacial area concentration which means the available area of the heat and mass transfer.
Seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii infection in dairy goats in Shaanxi Province, Northwestern China
Authors: Zhao Guang-Hui , Zhang Miao-Tao , Lei Li-Hui , Shang Chuan-Chuan , Cao Duo-Yao , Tian Ting-Ting , Li Jie , Xu Jun-Yan , Yao Yun-liang , Chen De-Kun , Zhu Xing-Quan
Published: April 2011

Background

Toxoplasma gondii is an important zoonotic pathogen causing significant human and animal health problems. Infection in dairy goats not only results in significant reproductive losses, but also represents an important source of human infection due to consumption of infected meat and milk. In the present study we report for the first time seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in Guanzhong and Saanen dairy goats in Shaanxi province, Northwestern China.

Results

Sera from 751 dairy goats from 9 farms in 6 counties were examined for T. gondii antibodies with an indirect haemagglutination (IHA) test. Antibodies to T. gondii were detected in 106 (14.1%) serum samples, with antibody titres ranging from 1:64 to 1:1024. Seropositive goats were found in all 9 farms and seroprevalences in Guanzhong (16.3%, 75/461) and Saanen (10.7%, 31/290) dairy goats were not statistically significantly different. All the factors (sex, age and location) reported in the present study affected prevalence of infection, and seroprevalence increased with age, suggesting postnatal acquisition of T. gondii infection.

Conclusions

The results of the present survey indicate that infection by T. gondii is widely prevalent in dairy goats in Shaanxi province, Northwestern China, and this has implications for prevention and control of toxoplasmosis in this province.
Continuous and low-energy 125I seed irradiation changes DNA methyltransferases expression patterns and inhibits pancreatic cancer tumor growth
Authors: Ma Jian-xia , Jin Zhen-dong , Si Pei-ren , Liu Yan , Lu Zheng , Wu Hong-yu , Pan Xue , Wang Luo-wei , Gong Yan-fang , Gao Jun , Zhao-shen Li
Published: April 2011

Background

Iodine 125 (125I) seed irradiation is an effective treatment for unresectable pancreatic cancers. However, the radiobiological mechanisms underlying brachytherapy remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the influence of continuous and low-energy125I irradiation on apoptosis, expression of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and cell growth in pancreatic cancers.

Materials and methods

Forin vitro125I seed irradiation, SW-1990 cells were divided into three groups: control (0 Gy), 2 Gy, and 4 Gy. To create an animal model of pancreatic cancer, the SW 1990 cells were surgically implanted into the mouse pancreas. At 10 d post-implantation, the 30 mice with pancreatic cancer underwent125I seed implantation and were separated into three groups: 0 Gy, 2 Gy, and 4 Gy group. At 48 or 72 h after irradiation, apoptosis was detected by flow cytometry; changes in DNMTs mRNA and protein expression were assessed by real-time PCR and western blotting analysis, respectively. At 28 d after125I seed implantation,in vivoapoptosis was evaluated with TUNEL staining, while DNMTs protein expression was detected with immunohistochemical staining. The tumor volume was measured 0 and 28 d after125I seed implantation.

Results

125I seed irradiation induced significant apoptosis, especially at 4 Gy. DNMT1 and DNMT3b mRNA and protein expression were substantially higher in the 2 Gy group than in the control group. Conversely, the 4 Gy cell group exhibited significantly decreased DNMT3b mRNA and protein expression relative to the control group. There were substantially more TUNEL positive in the125I seed implantation treatment group than in the control group, especially at 4 Gy. The 4 Gy seed implantation group showed weaker staining for DNMT1 and DNMT3b protein relative to the control group. Consequently,125I seed implantation inhibited cancer growth and reduced cancer volume.

Conclusion

125I seed implantation kills pancreatic cancer cells, especially at 4 Gy.125I-induced apoptosis and changes in DNMT1 and DNMT3b expression suggest potential mechanisms underlying effective brachytherapy.
A HACCP-based approach to mastitis control in dairy herds. Part 1: Development
Authors: Beekhuis-Gibbon Lies , Whyte Paul , O'Grady Luke , More Simon J , Doherty Michael L
Published: April 2011

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) systems are a risk based preventive approach developed to increase levels of food safety assurance. This is part 1 of a pilot study on the development, implementation and evaluation of a HACCP-based approach for the control of good udder health in dairy cows. The paper describes the use of a novel approach based on a deconstruction of the infectious process in mastitis to identify Critical Control Points (CCPs) and develop a HACCP-based system to prevent and control mastitis in dairy herds. The approach involved the creation of an Infectious Process Flow Diagram, which was then cross-referenced to two production process flow diagrams of the milking process and cow management cycle. The HACCP plan developed, may be suitable for customisation and implementation on dairy farms. This is a logical, systematic approach to the development of a mastitis control programme that could be used as a template for the development of control programmes for other infectious diseases in the dairy herd.
CLU, CR1 and PICALM genes associate with Alzheimer's-related senile plaques
Authors: Kok Eloise H , Luoto Teemu , Haikonen Satu , Goebeler Sirkka , Haapasalo Hannu , Karhunen Pekka J
Published: April 2011

Introduction

APOE is the strongest risk gene for sporadic Alzheimer's disease (AD) so far. Recent genome wide association studies found links for sporadic AD with CLU and CR1 involved in Aβ clearance, and PICALM affecting intracellular trafficking.

Methods

We investigated the associations of senile plaques (SP) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFT) with the proposed risk genes and APOE, in the Tampere Autopsy Study (TASTY) series (603 cases), a sample of the general population (0 to 97 yrs), who died out-of-hospital.

Results

Age and the APOEε4 allele associated strongly with all phenotypes of SP, as expected. In age and APOEε4 adjusted analyses, compared to the most common homozygous genotype, burnt out SP were more common among carriers of the C-allele of CLU, whereas the T-allele of PICALM and C-allele of CR1 were linked with lower SP coverage. We found no significant associations between any of the genetic variants and NFT.

Conclusions

Marginal effects from CLU, CR1 and PICALM suggest that these genes have minimal effects on the development of AD lesions.
Treatment of experimental adjuvant arthritis with a novel folate receptor-targeted folic acid-aminopterin conjugate
Authors: Lu Yingjuan , Stinnette Torian W , Westrick Elaine , Klein Patrick J , Gehrke Mark A , Cross Vicky A , Vlahov Iontcho R , Low Philip S , Leamon Christopher P
Published: April 2011

Introduction

Folate receptor (FR)-expressing macrophages have been shown to accumulate at sites of inflammation, where they promote development of inflammatory symptoms. To target such a macrophage population, we designed and evaluated the biologic activity of EC0746, a novel folic acid conjugate of the highly potent antifolate, aminopterin.

Methods

Using a FR-positive subclone of murine macrophage-derived RAW264.7 cells and rat thioglycollate-elicited macrophages, we studied the effect of EC0746 on dihydrofolate reductase activity, cell proliferation, and cellular response towards bacterial lipopolysaccharide as well as IFNγ activation. The EC0746 anti-inflammatory activity, pharmacokinetics, and toxicity were also evaluated in normal rats or in rats with adjuvant-induced arthritis; that is, a FR-positive macrophage model that closely resembles rheumatoid arthritis in humans.

Results

EC0746 suppresses the proliferation of RAW264.7 cells and prevents the ability of nonproliferating rat macrophages to respond to inflammatory stimuli. In the macrophage-rich rat arthritis model, brief treatment with subcutaneously administered EC0746 is shown to mediate an FR-specific anti-inflammatory response that is more potent than either orally administered methotrexate or subcutaneously delivered etanercept. More importantly, EC0746 therapy is also shown to be ~40-fold less toxic than unmodified aminopterin, with fewer bone marrow and gastrointestinal problems.

Conclusions

EC0746 is the first high FR-binding dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor that demonstrates FR-specific anti-inflammatory activities both in vitro and in vivo. Our data reveal that a relatively toxic anti-inflammatory drug, such as aminopterin, can be targeted with folic acid to inflammatory macrophages and thereby relieve inflammatory symptoms with greatly reduced toxicity.
Uterine Cysts in Female Mice Deficient for Caveolin-1 and Insulin-Like 3 Receptor RXFP2
Authors: Li Zhen , Feng Shu , Lopez Vanessa , Elhammady Gina , Anderson Matthew L. , Kaftanovskaya Elena M. , Agoulnik Alexander I.
Published: April 2011

Gene mutations of insulin-like 3 (INSL3) peptide or its G protein-coupled receptor RXFP2 (relaxin family peptide receptor 2) lead to cryptorchidism. The role of INSL3 in adult females is less known, although INSL3 expression has been described in female reproductive organs. Caveolin-1 (CAV1), the main component of caveoli cell membrane invaginations, has been shown to play an important role in epithelial organization and stromal-epithelial interactions. We created a null allele of Cav1 mice by deleting its second exon through embryonic stem cell targeting. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that CAV1 expression was primarily localized to endothelial blood vessel cells and the myometrium uterus, whereas the strongest expression of Rxfp2 was detected in the endometrial epithelium. By 12 months of age approximately 18% of Cav1−/− females developed single or multiple dilated endometrial cysts lined by a flattened, simple low epithelium. A deficiency for Rxfp2 on Cav1-deficient background led to more than a 2-fold increase in the incidence of uterine cysts (54–58%). Appearance of cysts led to a severe disorganization of uterine morphology. We have found that the cysts had an increased expression of β-catenin and estrogen receptor β in endometrial stromal and epithelial cells and increased epithelial proliferation. An analysis of simple dilated cysts in human patients for CAV1 expression did not show appreciable differences with control regardless of menstrual phase, suggesting an involvement of additional factors in human disease. The results of this study suggest a novel synergistic role of INSL3/RXFP2 and CAV1 in structural maintenance of the uterus.
The Return of the Native: Postcolonial Smoke Screen and the French Postcolonial Politics of Identity
Authors: Bertaux Sandrine
Published: April 2011

What is at issue in the three essays is the reception of postcolonial studies in France, denoting for Jean-François Bayart an “academic carnival,” revealing for Ann Laura Stoler France's “colonial aphasia,” and representing for Achille Mbembe, the way out of its “imperial winter.” While all three authors agree on the view that postcolonial studies have eventually taken root in France, allusive or absent are references to anglophone postcolonial studies in French scholarship credited to carrying the postcolonial torch, and the boundaries of postcolonial studies remain elusive.
Highly Sensitive Troponin Assays and the Cardiology Community: A Love/Hate Relationship?
Authors: de Lemos James A , Morrow David A , deFilippi Christopher R
Published: April 2011

The development of highly sensitive assays for cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT)4 and cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) represents the latest technological advance in a field that has witnessed continual progression toward more sensitive and more precise tools for detecting cardiac injury. The hs-cTnT assay, for example, can detect cTnT concentrations 10-fold lower than the current fourth-generation assay, with high precision at the myocardial infarction (MI) detection limit. Despite the potential for such evolution to improve patient care, clinicians, including practicing cardiologists, often find themselves poorly prepared for the introduction of more-sensitive assays, because they fail to consider the implications of increasing sensitivity on the interpretation of the test results. We believe that highly sensitive troponin assays offer new opportunities to improve cardiovascular health, but they also present challenges in the areas in which troponin testing is most commonly used today.
Optimization of steam pretreatment conditions for enzymatic hydrolysis of poplar wood
Authors: Schütt Fokko , Puls Jürgen , Saake Bodo
Published: April 2011

Steam refining was investigated as a pretreatment for enzymatic hydrolysis of poplar wood from a short rotation plantation. The experiments were carried out without debarking to use an economically realistic raw material. Steam refining conditions were varied in the range of 3–30 min and 170–220°C, according to a factorial design created with the software JMP from SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA. Predicted steaming conditions for highest glucose and xylose yields after enzymatic hydrolysis were at 210°C and 15 min. Control tests under the optimized conditions verified the predicted results. Further pretreatments without bark showed that the enzymes were not significantly inhibited by the bark. The yield of glucose and xylose was 61.9% of theoretical for the experiments with the whole raw material, whereas the yield for the experiments without bark was 63.6%. Alkaline extraction of lignin from the fibers before enzymatic hydrolysis resulted in an increase of glucose yields from mild pretreated fibers and a decrease for severe pretreated fibers. The extracted lignin had a high content of xylose of up to 14% after very mild pretreatments. On the other hand, molecular weights of the extracted lignin increased substantially after pretreatments with a severity factor above 4. Hence, alkaline extraction of the lignin seems only attractive in a narrow range of steaming conditions.
The Relationship Between Relative Solvent Accessibility and Evolutionary Rate in Protein Evolution
Authors: Ramsey Duncan C , Scherrer Michael P , Zhou Tong , Wilke Claus O
Published: April 2011

Recent work with Saccharomyces cerevisiae shows a linear relationship between the evolutionary rate of sites and the relative solvent accessibility (RSA) of the corresponding residues in the folded protein. Here, we aim to develop a mathematical model that can reproduce this linear relationship. We first demonstrate that two models that both seem reasonable choices (a simple model in which selection strength correlates with RSA and a more complex model based on RSA-dependent amino acid distributions) fail to reproduce the observed relationship. We then develop a model on the basis of observed site-specific amino acid distributions and show that this model behaves appropriately. We conclude that evolutionary rates are directly linked to the distribution of amino acids at individual sites. Because of this link, any future insight into the biophysical mechanisms that determine amino acid distributions will improve our understanding of evolutionary rates.
Alternative bvar models for forecasting inflation
Authors: Heidari H.
Published: April 2011

This paper investigates the use of different priors to improve the inflation forecasting performance of BVAR models with Litterman’s prior. A Quasi-Bayesian method, with several different priors, is applied to a VAR model of simulated data as well as to the Australian economy from 1978:Q2 to 2006:Q4. A novel feature with this paper is the use of g-prior in the BVAR models to alleviate poor estimation of drift parameters of Traditional BVAR models. Some results are as follows: (1) In the Quasi-Bayesian framework, BVAR models with Normal-Wishart prior provide the most accurate forecasts of Australian inflation; (2) Generally in the parsimonious models, the BVAR with g-prior performs better than BVAR with Litterman’s prior; (3) In simulated data, the BVAR model with g-prior produces more accurate forecasts of driftless variable in the long-run horizons (first and second year forecast horizons).
Intraoperative echocardiography and surgical treatment of traumatic pericarditis in a pregnant cow
Authors: Bakos Zoltán , Vörös Károly
Published: April 2011

Traumatic pericarditis is one of the most significant bovine cardiac diseases. The authors describe the use of intraoperative echocardiography and successful surgical treatment of a case of traumatic pericarditis. A seven-year-old Hungarian Simmental dairy cow in late pregnancy showed severe oedema of the throat region and brisket, as well as jugular distension. Cardiac auscultation demonstrated tachycardia with a normal cardiac rhythm. The heart sounds were muffled, but no cardiac murmur or splashing sounds were heard. A large amount of echogenic fluid with some strands of fibrin was seen in the pericardial and right pleural cavities by ultrasonography. Ultrasound-guided pericardiocentesis demonstrated the presence of a thick, fetid and purulent exudate. Pericardiotomy was performed in standing position with sedation and local anaesthesia. After costal resection, intraoperative echocardiography was performed. It showed an echogenic tract between the caudal pericardium and diaphragm, but no foreign body was seen. Two weeks after the surgery, the cow delivered a healthy bull-calf. Intraoperative echocardiography — not reported earlier — can be applied to evaluate the entire bovine pericardial sac and heart. The report also demonstrates that surgical treatment of traumatic pericarditis can be successful in carefully selected cases.
Detection of Leishmania amastigotes in peripheral blood from four dogs — Short communication
Authors: Giudice Elisabetta , Passantino Annamaria
Published: April 2011

The authors carried out microscopic examination of blood smears of 1438 dogs infected with Leishmania infantum. Unusual findings of leishmaniosis associated with circulating parasitised cells are described in four dogs. Most of the dogs presented severe illness, with lethargy, dysorexia, emaciation and alterations of the haematological pattern (anaemia, thrombocytopenia, neutrophilia and monocytosis). In three cases, leishmaniosis was associated with ehrlichiosis. On examination of peripheral blood smears, Leishmania sp. amastigotes were observed both in various circulating leukocytes (neutrophil, monocyte, macrophage) and free. In conclusion, parasites can rarely be detected in blood smears (in 0.28% of the animals examined); thus, the time-consuming microscopic search for amastigotes can make only a weak contribution to the conventional diagnosis of canine leishmaniosis.
Peritonitis in horses: 55 cases (2004–2007)
Authors: Nógrádi Nóra , Tóth Balázs , Macgillivray Katherine
Published: April 2011

Factors associated with the outcome of peritonitis in horses are seldom described. The objectives of this study were to determine the common clinical signs and clinicopathologic findings and to reveal prognostic factors associated with the outcome of peritonitis in equine patients. Data were examined in a retrospective manner in 55 horses diagnosed with and treated for peritonitis. The most common clinical and clinicopathologic findings were tachycardia (94%), increased amount of peritoneal fluid on ultrasound (84%), altered mucous membranes (82%), bacteria noted on the direct smear (67%), hyperfibrinogenaemia (58%) and left shift (40%). The most commonly isolated organism wasE. coli(37%). Survival rates were as follow: 78% in the whole study, 81% in the abdominal lavage group, 93% in the medically and 46% in the surgically managed groups. Complications were more common in the non-survivor group (P < 0.001). Initial haematocrit and surgical interventions were strongly associated with non-survival in the multivariate logistic regression model (P = 0.049, OR: 1.07 and P = 0.01, OR: 9.87, respectively). Prognosis of peritonitis without gastrointestinal rupture depends on the initial hydration status, surgical interventions and development of secondary complications, while other clinical and clinicopathologic findings do not appear to correlate with survival. Prospective evaluation of hydration and perfusion parameters and abdominal lavage warrants further investigation.
Lesser-known piezoelectric and pyroelectric applications of electroactive polymers
Authors: Lang Sidney B. , Muensit Supasarote
Published: April 2011

The piezoelectric effect was first observed in polyvinylidene fluoride polymer (PVDF) in 1969 and the pyroelectric effect was found several years later. A number of additional ferroelectric polymers have been discovered since that time including the copolymer PVDF with trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)), and the odd-numbered nylons. A large number of applications of piezoelectricity and pyroelectricity have been developed. The magnitudes of the effects in polymers are much lower than those of ferroelectric ceramics (an exception is the piezoelectric effect in porous polymers). However, other factors make these very desirable materials for applications. The polymers have low permittivities, low acoustic impedances and low thermal conductivities. They are available in large area sheets and they are flexible and relatively low in cost. Major applications include microphones and loudspeakers, ultrasonic devices, SAW transducers, actuators, infrared detectors and many others. This review will describe some of the lesser-known applications of these materials in the fields of tactile devices, energy conversion, porous polymers, property measurement, pyroelectric infrared sensors, shock sensors and space science.
Modeling the Chemo-mechanical Behavior of Reactive Polymer Gels
Authors: Yashin Victor V. , Balazs Anna C.
Published: April 2011

We consider a theoretical model of a reactive polymer gel in which the reaction can proceed in an oscillatory regime and generate traveling chemical waves accompanied by waves of local swelling-deswelling. This type of gel could be used for fabricating chemo-mechanical devices with self-sustained rhythmic action, and gel-based pumps. We assume that the Belousov-Zhabotinsky (BZ) reaction takes place in the reactive gel. The BZ reaction generates periodic reduction-oxidation (redox) changes of a metal catalyst covalently bonded to a hydrogel that is immersed in a solution containing the rest of the BZ reagents. The redox changes in the metal affect the polymer-solvent interactions, resulting in variations in the gel volume. The self-oscillation of the gel volume, and the traveling waves of local swelling in a hydrogel with the BZ reaction have been experimentally observed by Yoshida and co-workers. To describe the system theoretically, we employ the Oregonator model of the BZ reaction, and the two-fluid model of gel dynamics. Propagation of one-dimensional wave trains through the reactive gel is simulated. The structure of the traveling swelling-deswelling waves is studied.
Interfaces and Space Charge in Polymeric Insulating Materials
Authors: Chen George
Published: April 2011

In this paper, the influence of interface between electrode and polymer or polymer and polymer on space charge dynamics has been studied. Planar samples of low density polyethylene (LDPE) were subjected to high dc electric stresses for extended periods of time and space charge measurements were taken using the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) technique. Common electrode materials used in either laboratory or power cable industry were selected (i.e. aluminium (Al), gold (Au) and carbon loaded XLPE (Sc)). Experimental results demonstrated that charge injection processes take place in all cases once the applied electric stress has exceeded a threshold value. However, the amount of charge and polarity of the dominant injected charges showed significant dependence on the electrode materials (under the same applied electric stress). Having establishing the influence of electrode materials on charge accumulation, our attention was then focused on the effect of polymer/polymer interface on charge dynamics. Unlike our previous approach where two different polymeric materials were used, this time the polymer/polymer interface was formed by using two layer of LDPE films cut from the same sheet. Sc and Al were used as electrodes to form different combinations. The results clearly indicated that the interface between two layers of LDPE acts as traps for electrons but not for positive charge carriers. The charge distribution in the bulk of the sample strongly depends on the electrode materials.
Phase Stability in heavy f-Electron Metals from First-Principles Theory
Authors: Söderlind Per
Published: April 2011

The structural phase stability of heavy f-electron metals is studied by means of density-functional theory (DFT). These include temperature-induced transitions in plutonium metal as well as pressure-induced transitions in the trans-plutonium metals Am, Cm, Bk, and Cf. The early actinides (Th-Np) display phases that could be rather well understood from the competition of a crystal-symmetry breaking mechanism (Peierls distortion) of the 5f states and electrostatic forces, while for the trans-plutonium metals (Am-Cf) the ground-state structures are governed by 6d bonding. We show in this paper that new physics is needed to understand the phases of the actinides in the volume range of about 15-30 Å3. At these volumes one would expect, from theoretical arguments made in the past, to encounter highly complex crystal phases due to a Peierls distortion. Here we argue that the symmetry reduction associated with spin polarization can make higher symmetry phases competitive. Taking this into account, DFT is shown to describe the well-known phase diagram of plutonium and also the recently discovered complex and intriguing high-pressure phase diagrams of Am and Cm. The theory is further applied to investigate the behaviors of Bk and Cf under compression.
A First-Principles Study of the (111), (001) and (110) Surfaces of delta -Pu
Authors: Gong Haoran , Ray Asok K
Published: April 2011

Full-potential linearized-augmented-plane-wave (FP-LAPW) calculations for δ-Pu films up to seven layers at the ground antiferromagnetic state including spin-orbit coupling effects reveal that surface energy rapidly converges and the semi-infinite surface energy is predicted to be 1.18, 1.21, and 1.42 J/m2 for δ-Pu (111), (001), and (110) films, respectively. Density of states show that the 5f electrons of the three surfaces tend to be localized with a sequence of (111)→(001)→(110). It is also predicted that the work function of δ-Pu (110) films exhibits a quantum size effect up to seven layers, while the work functions of δ-Pu (001) and (111) films show some oscillations when the number of layers is less than five, while it becomes relatively stable when the number of layers is greater than five. In addition, the work functions are predicted to be 3.41, 3.11, and 2.99 eV for δ-Pu (111), (001), and (110) films at the ground state, respectively. Comparisons with available experimental and theoretical results in the literature show good agreement.
Studies of Structural and Electronic Properties of Uranium Compounds, by XANES Spectroscopy
Authors: Fillaux Clara , Den Auwer Christophe , Guillaumont Dominique , Simoni Eric , Barré Nicole , Shuh David K. , Tyliszczak Tolek
Published: April 2011

X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) is a sensitive probe of the electronic structure, and can provide information about the valency, the unoccupied electronic states and the effective charge of the absorbing atom. In this paper, near edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectra are reported at the L3, M5 and N5 thresholds and used to determined structural and electronic properties of U(VI) within uranyl nitrate (UO2(NO3)2.6H2O) and perovskite (Ba2ZnUO6). Experimental data analysis by simulating the absorption edge allows to compare the coordination polyhedrons, identify the electronic transitions and calculate the density of states associated with the absorption spectra. Moreover, a coupling between simulations of the experimental spectra and quantum chemical calculations is performed, in order to improve the model describing the final states and better understand the bonding properties of the cation with the ligand.
The optical properties of a polished uranium surface and its epitaxial oxide, and the rate of oxide growth determined by spectrophotometry
Authors: Siekhaus Wigbert J , Nelson Art J
Published: April 2011

Wide-band reflectrometry and ellipsometry have been used to determine the optical properties n and k of freshly polished uranium and of the epitaxial oxide layer, and also the rate of oxide growth in air. Results for uranium metal as well as for epitaxial oxide are compared with single wavelength ellipsometry literature values.
Combinatorial Studies of Switching and Solid-Phase Crystallization in Amorphous Silicon
Authors: Stradins Paul , Branz Howard M. , Hu Jian , Ward Scott , Wang Qi
Published: April 2011

Combinatorial approaches are successfully applied for the optimization of electric write-once, thin-film Si antifuse memory devices, as well as for studying the solid-phase epitaxy kinetics of amorphous silicon on c-Si. High forward, low reverse current thin film Si diode deposition recipes are selected using cross-strips of different combinations of amorphous and microcrystalline doped layers, as well as a thickness-wedged intrinsic a-Si:H buffer layer. By studying switching in thickness-wedged a-Si:H layers, it is found that switching requires both a critical field and a critical bias voltage across the metallic contacts. Solid-phase epitaxy speed has a non-linear dependence on the film thickness, which is easily observed by optical image monitoring and analysis in wedged a-Si:H films on c-Si wafers.
Evaluation of Mo-based Amorphous Alloy Thin Films Exhibiting High Crystallization Temperature
Authors: Sakurai Junpei , Hata Seiichi , Yamauchi Ryusuke , Shimokohbe Akira
Published: April 2011

This paper presents the characteristics of Mo-based (Mo-Zr based) amorphous alloys exhibiting a high crystallization temperature. In order to investigate the alloy composition showing an amorphous state in the Mo-Zr-X (X=Si and Al) alloy system, thin film libraries were prepared at first by combinatorial arc plasma deposition (CAPD). The composition region corresponding to the amorphous state was identified in the libraries with X-ray diffraction. On the basis of the alloy composition and phase distribution of the thin film libraries, additional amorphous Mo-Zr-Si and Mo-Zr-Al thin films were prepared by a carousel sputtering system. The crystallization temperature Tc of the amorphous Mo50Zr(50-x)Six thin films exceeded 1073 K. However, the Mo-Zr-Si thin films were so brittle that they could not be subjected to tensile testing. In the Mo-Zr-Al thin films, Tc of the Mo-rich MoxZr(90-x)Al10 and MoxZr(76-x)Al24 thin films exceeded 973 K. Although the toughness of Mo-based amorphous alloy thin films could be improved slightly by adding Al, the amorphous Mo-Zr-Al thin films were also brittle.
A novel method for the determination of optical properties of absorbing thin films with thickness variations
Authors: Baek Jonghoon , Kovar Desiderio , Keto John W. , Becker Michael F.
Published: April 2011

Non-uniformity in the thickness of thin films can severely distort their transmission spectra as compared to those of flat, smooth films. Methods that extract properties such as refractive index, thickness, and extinction coefficient of such films can suffer inaccuracies when applied to wedged or rough films. In order to accurately extract optical properties of non-uniform films, we have developed a novel numerical method and efficient constitutive relations that can determine film properties from just the transmission spectrum. The Optimum Parameter Extraction (OPE) method can accommodate transparent or absorbing films thickness variations that result in significant errors in the values of refractive index and film thickness if not considered. A packing-density model was proposed and used for refractive index to accelerate the fitting routine and to avoid finding local minima instead of the global minimum. In this model, refractive index has one fitting parameter, the packing density, p. Therefore, the OPE method takes a shorter time and produces more accurate results than many other methods. We show that for actual PLD (Pulsed Laser Deposition) AlN thin films, properties such as refractive index, extinction coefficient, and film thickness were very accurately determined using our OPE method. These results are compared with two previous techniques to determine properties of thin films, and the accuracy and applicable conditions for all of these methods are discussed.
The Investigation of the Effects of Polyelectrolyte Attributes on Complex Coacervate Properties using High-Throughput Formulation and Characterization Techniques
Authors: Lochhead Robert , Huisinga Lisa R. , Edwards Christina , Hill Anthony
Published: April 2011

Formulators of complex mixtures have long known that the characteristics of their final formulation and the position of “equilibrium” often depends critically upon the order of addition of ingredients and the precise processing conditions under which the formulation was made. The large variety of possible outcomes derive from the many eigenstates that are available to each composition of a complex mixture due to the fact that the bonds between the component molecules are weak physical bonds and therefore a potential multitude of nanostructures can be formed. This is especially true of systems comprising polyelectrolytes and oppositely charged surfactants in the semi-dilute regime, because both polyelectrolyte conformation and surfactant micellar association structures are strongly influenced by the ionic environment of the polymer and surfactant molecules. This is especially important for 2-in-1 shampoos that depend upon the spontaneous creation of a polyelectrolyte/surfactant coacervate to deposit active conditioning, styling or antidandruff ingredients during the shampoo process. The investigation of the effects of order of addition requires exanimation of a myriad of samples and it is virtually impossible by conventional techniques. This task is ideally suited to investigation by a combinatorial approach aimed at the generation of libraries of pseudo-phase diagrams. In this study we developed a high-throughput screening method to generate phase diagrams over a large range of concentrations for cationic polysaccharide interaction with anionic surfactant in the presence and absence of dissolved electrolyte. Using a liquid handling system for sample preparation, we are able to analyze nearly 1000 samples per day, making the above goals of understanding electrolyte effects and coacervate structure-property relationships attainable.
Automated Scanning Probe Microscopy for Combinatorial Polymer Research
Authors: Wouters Daan , Alexeev Alexander , Kozodaev Dmitri , Saunin Sergey , Schubert Ulrich
Published: April 2011

With the development of combinatorial materials research (CMR) methods and high throughput experimentation (HTE) workflows for polymer research applications, the demand for automated, high throughput characterization methods is evident. Solution-based characterization methods like NMR, GPC, viscosimetry, for example and UV-Vis as well as fluorescence plate readers are available. Here we report on the incorporation of automated scanning probe microscopy in the HTE-workflow by demonstrating the evaluation of surface properties and topographies for thin polymer film libraries.