bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Woodruff's plexus
Authors: Chiu T W , Shaw-Dunn J , McGarry G W
Published: February 2008

Objective:

To identify the nature of Woodruff's plexus, which has been frequently mentioned in the rhinological literature but has never been properly characterised.

Study design and setting:

A study using 21 cadaveric specimens, combining microdissection of the mucosa of the posterior part of the inferior meatus, Spalteholz ‘clearing’ of specimens injected with latex ink, and histological analysis of sections of the inferior meatal mucosa.

Results:

Microdissection revealed a superficial plexus of thin walled vessels in the inferior meatus, which were also seen in cleared, injected specimens. Histological sections showed these vessels to be large, thin walled veins with very little muscle or fibrous tissue, within a thin mucosa relatively devoid of other structures.

Conclusion:

Woodruff's plexus is a venous plexus in the posterior part of the inferior meatus.

Significance:

This is the first time Woodruff's plexus has been properly characterised. Whilst the significance of the plexus itself is uncertain, its long overdue identification as a venous plexus provides a platform for further study and discussion.
Extraosseous osteoblastoma of larynx presenting with acute airway obstruction
Authors: Mirbagheri N , Galloway S , Iseli T A , Lyons B M
Published: February 2008

Objective:

We report the case of an osteoblastoma of the larynx arising from the vocal fold, which presented with acute airway obstruction and cardiopulmonary arrest.

Method:

The histopathological findings, differential diagnoses and a novel method of treating laryngeal osteoblastoma, using transoral laser therapy, are discussed.

Results:

Benign osteoblastoma is a rare primary bone tumour usually presenting in young patients in the spine and sacrum. Its occurrence in the larynx is very rare, with only three similar case reports in the literature, none involving tumour arising from the vocal fold. Differential diagnoses must be considered and excluded using both histopathological and clinical features. Once the diagnosis is confirmed, successful treatment is achieved with surgical excision.

Conclusion:

Osteoblastoma of the larynx is rare, and the clinical features can vary with the anatomical site of the lesion. The recommended treatment is surgical excision which, if available, may be achieved by transoral laser microsurgery. Due to its potential rapid growth, careful follow up is essential in order to detect recurrence.
Deconstructing the Laws of Logic
Authors: R.L. Clark Stephen
Published: February 2008

I consider reasons for questioning ‘the laws of logic’ (identity, non-contradiction, excluded middle, and negation), and suggest that these laws do not accord with everyday reality. Either they are rhetorical tools rather than absolute truths, or else Plato and his successors were right to think that they identify a reality distinct from the ordinary world of experience, and also from the ultimate source of reality.
Performance on nonlinguistic visual tasks by children with language impairment
Authors: WINDSOR JENNIFER , KOHNERT KATHRYN , LOXTERCAMP AMANDA L. , KAN PUI-FONG
Published: February 2008

The performance of 8- to 13-year-old monolingual English-speaking children with language impairment (LI) on seven nonlinguistic tasks was compared with two groups of typically developing children, monolingual English-speaking children, and proficient Spanish–English sequential bilingual children. Group differences were apparent, with a key finding that the LI group was observably slower than both typical groups in mental rotation and arithmetic, and also slower than the typical monolingual group in odd man out, pattern matching, and form completion. Overall, the response time (RT) increased equivalently across groups as task difficulty increased. Chronological age and perceptual–motor speed contributed to task performance, especially for the shorter tasks. RT trajectories across the 6-year age span showed that task RT decreased with age, but with greater variability for longer tasks that may also be more vulnerable to the effect of experience.
Form: Messiaen’s ‘Downfall’?
Authors: HEALEY GARETH
Published: February 2008

Messiaen rarely commented on form. His posthumously published seven-volume Traité de rythme, de couleur, et d’ornithologie offers an important new perspective on many aspects of his music; yet despite the vast amount of information that the composer’s surveys of his works disclose – details that, in many cases, only he himself could have supplied – his analyses do have certain limitations, notably with regard to form. In a largely complimentary essay on Messiaen in La Musique depuis Debussy (1961), André Hodeir closes with a scathing assessment of Messiaen’s activity in the domain of form. In order to assess the validity of Hodeir’s comments, I have surveyed Messiaen’s analyses, proposed a hypothetical taxonomy of formal models in a range of the composer’s works, and attempted to place his thinking in the wider context of attitudes to form in the twentieth century.
Cranial structure in the Devonian lungfish Soederberghia groenlandica and its implications for the interrelationships of ‘rhynchodipterids’
Authors: Friedman Matt
Published: February 2008

New cranial material of the ‘rhynchodipterid’ lungfishSoederberghia groenlandicafrom Upper Devonian (Famennian) strata in East Greenland is described. Previously unknown structures identified here include components of the hyoid arch (ceratohyal, hypohyal) and the lower jaw (prearticular, dentary). Earlier interpretations of the cheek and mandible ofSoederberghiaare reconsidered in the light of new fossil specimens. Some of the difficulties in assessing the homologies between cheek bones inSoederberghiaand those of other lungfishes stem from confusion over the arrangement inRhynchodipterus, and a revised interpretation of this genus is proposed. The single infraorbital bar found inSoederberghiaprobably originates, in part, from an expanded bone 10 (quadratojugal) of the kind found inGriphognathus. Hypotheses that posit ‘rhynchodipterid’ polyphyly seem unlikely in light of a set of derived cranial characters that define a coherent radiation of long-snouted, denticle-bearing lungfishes known from the Late Devonian. The hypothesis presented here places ‘rhynchodipterids’ as a paraphyletic grade with respect to fleurantiids.Rhynchodipterus,Soederberghia, and fleurantiids form a clade to the exclusion of the species ofGriphognathus.G. minutidensis the sister taxon to this apical group, whileG. sculptaandG. whiteiare more remote from it.
Influence of the intermediate principal stress on the strain localization mode in porous sandstone
Authors: Issen Kathleen A. , Challa Vennela
Published: February 2008

Compaction bands and dilation bands are zones of either pure compaction or pure dilation, characterized by decreased or increased porosity, respectively. In contrast with commonly observed shear bands, there are relatively few reports of compaction bands or dilation bands, particularly in field settings. This work explores one possible explanation for these isolated observations: unique stress conditions, which occur infrequently, are required to form these bands. In particular, the influence of the intermediate principal stress on localization conditions is examined. Theoretical results, using a bifurcation approach to localization, reveal that conditions for compaction band formation are least restrictive when the intermediate principal stress is equal to the minimum compressive stress, while dilation band conditions are least restrictive when the intermediate principal stress is equal to the maximum compressive stress. However, the occurrence of one of these favorable stress states does not guarantee formation of one of these deformation modes, since certain conditions on the inelastic material parameters (i.e., friction factor and dilation coefficient) must also be satisfied. These material parameters vary with mean stress; thus satisfaction of compaction band or dilation band conditions requires not only a specific relationship between the principal stresses but also a loading path resulting in a favorable mean stress, such that inelastic material parameters fall in the required range. In a laboratory environment, where principal stresses are controllable, these conditions should be readily achievable. However, if these specialized stress conditions are uncommon in field settings, theory suggests that compaction bands and dilation bands may form infrequently.
Analysis of terrestrial water storage changes from GRACE and GLDAS
Authors: Syed Tajdarul H. , Famiglietti James S. , Rodell Matthew , Chen Jianli , Wilson Clark R.
Published: February 2008

Since March 2002, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) has provided first estimates of land water storage variations by monitoring the time‐variable component of Earth's gravity field. Here we characterize spatial‐temporal variations in terrestrial water storage changes (TWSC) from GRACE and compare them to those simulated with the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). Additionally, we use GLDAS simulations to infer how TWSC is partitioned into snow, canopy water and soil water components, and to understand how variations in the hydrologic fluxes act to enhance or dissipate the stores. Results quantify the range of GRACE‐derived storage changes during the studied period and place them in the context of seasonal variations in global climate and hydrologic extremes including drought and flood, by impacting land memory processes. The role of the largest continental river basins as major locations for freshwater redistribution is highlighted. GRACE‐based storage changes are in good agreement with those obtained from GLDAS simulations. Analysis of GLDAS‐simulated TWSC illustrates several key characteristics of spatial and temporal land water storage variations. Global averages of TWSC were partitioned nearly equally between soil moisture and snow water equivalent, while zonal averages of TWSC revealed the importance of soil moisture storage at low latitudes and snow storage at high latitudes. Evapotranspiration plays a key role in dissipating globally averaged terrestrial water storage. Latitudinal averages showed how precipitation dominates TWSC variations in the tropics, evapotranspiration is most effective in the midlatitudes, and snowmelt runoff is a key dissipating flux at high latitudes. Results have implications for monitoring water storage response to climate variability and change, and for constraining land model hydrology simulations.
Middle Miocene ice sheet expansion in the Arctic: Views from the Barents Sea
Authors: Knies Jochen , Gaina Carmen
Published: February 2008

Revised core data from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP Leg 151, Hole 909C) and preglacial paleorelief and bathymetric reconstructions in the Barents Sea and the Arctic gateway region indicate that large‐scale glaciations were already developed in the northern Barents Sea during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT), ∼15–14 million years ago. Our findings show that subsequent to an ice‐free period during the Miocene Climate Optimum (MCO, ∼17–15 Ma), glacially eroded materials from the uplifted northern Barents Sea were transported by iceberg flotillas toward the Fram Strait. The simultaneous opening of the North Atlantic–Arctic gateway provided pathways for iceberg transport from the north. The expansive ice growth is probably induced by both large‐scale changes in ocean circulation due to enhanced flow of Atlantic water into the Arctic Ocean during opening of the gateway and concurrent global cooling during the MMCT.
Influence of plasma ions on source rates for the lunar exosphere during passage through the Earth's magnetosphere
Authors: Sarantos Menelaos , Killen Rosemary M. , Sharma A. Surjalal , Slavin James A.
Published: February 2008

The total electron flux in the lunar exosphere, measured by the Electron Reflectometer onboard the Lunar Prospector during its passage through the Earth's magnetosphere (June 7–16, 1998), is strongly correlated with variations in the column abundance of equatorial sodium observed coincidentally with the McMath‐Pierce solar telescope at Kitt Peak. At the same time, the exospheric temperature increased from a minimum of 1200 K to a maximum of 3000 K at minimum phase angle. A comparison of different source mechanisms, using the measured electron flux as the proxy for the ion flux, provides strong evidence that ion impact enhances the photon‐stimulated desorption yield. At the Moon photon‐stimulated desorption is shown to be the dominant source of exospheric sodium outside the magnetosphere. Inside the magnetosphere, where the ion flux and the associated photon‐stimulated desorption yield decrease, the contributions from impact vaporization to the observed column abundance and temperature are found to be substantial.
Salmon‐driven bed load transport and bed morphology in mountain streams
Authors: Hassan Marwan A. , Gottesfeld Allen S. , Montgomery David R. , Tunnicliffe Jon F. , Clarke Garry K. C. , Wynn Graeme , Jones‐Cox Hale , Poirier Ronald , MacIsaac Erland , Herunter Herb , Macdonald Steve J.
Published: February 2008

Analyses of bed load transport data from four streams in British Columbia show that the activity of mass spawning salmon moved an average of almost half of the annual bed load yield. Spawning‐generated changes in bed surface topography persisted from August through May due to lack of floods during the winter season, defining the bed surface morphology for most of the year. Hence, salmon‐driven bed load transport can substantially influence total sediment transport rates, and alter typical alluvial reach morphology. The finding that mass‐spawning fish can dominate sediment transport in mountain drainage basins has fundamental implications for understanding controls on channel morphology and aquatic ecosystem dynamics, as well as stream responses to environmental change and designing river restoration programs for channels that have, or historically had large spawning runs.
Drift resonant generation of peaked relativistic electron distributions by Pc 5 ULF waves
Authors: Degeling A. W. , Ozeke L. G. , Rankin R. , Mann I. R. , Kabin K.
Published: February 2008

The adiabatic drift‐resonant interaction between relativistic, equatorially mirroring electrons and narrowband, Pc 5 ultra low frequency (ULF) waves in the magnetosphere is investigated using a time‐dependent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wave model. Attention is focused on the effect of a ULF wave packet with finite duration on the equatorially mirroring, relativistic electron phase space density (PSD) profile. It is demonstrated that a burst of narrow band ULF waves can give rise to the growth of strong localized peaks in PSD with L‐shell by nondiffusive radial transport. This contrasts with the diffusive “external source acceleration mechanism” described by Green and Kivelson (2004), a radial transport mechanism often attributed to ULF waves, which cannot produce peaks in PSD that increase with time. On the basis of this paradigm, observations of locally growing PSD peaks are usually attributed to very low frequency (VLF) wave acceleration by resonant interactions with lower‐band chorus (e.g., Horne et al., 2005). However, we show that in situations where large amplitude, narrow bandwidth ULF waves are also observed, these time‐limited coherent ULF waves can also generate growing PSD peaks and under such circumstances may offer an alternative explanation.
Multiscale/multifluid simulations of flux ropes at the magnetopause within a global magnetospheric model
Authors: Winglee R. M. , Harnett E. , Stickle A. , Porter J.
Published: February 2008

The magnetopause current sheet is known to have a thickness comparable to an ion gyroradius/skin depth where the magnetic and electric field can differ markedly from that assumed in MHD treatments. Multifluid/multiscale simulations are used to provide the first investigation of these processes in a global simulation that includes high‐resolution (200 km) gridding around the magnetopause. It is shown that the model is able to capture the quadrupole core magnetic field and the fast (tens of ion cyclotron periods) reconnection seen in idealized studies reconnection for a Harris current sheet. Within a global magnetosphere, multiple X‐line reconnection occurs for southward IMF due to localized pinching of the magnetopause current sheet via the convection of the magnetosheath plasma against a three‐dimensional magnetopause. Localized flux ropes with a thickness of a few hundred to a few thousand kilometers develop and can expand laterally due to current sheet acceleration of ions that have a gyroradius comparable to the current sheet thickness. These flux ropes are shown to have essentially the same properties as flux transfer events (FTEs), including being quasi‐periodic with a curvature greater on the magnetosheath side than on the magnetospheric side, a strong core magnetic field, and a mixture of magnetospheric and magnetosheath plasma. The speeds of the plasma flows associated with flux ropes are also similar to those observed with FTEs. The presence of multiple X‐line reconnection is shown to produce the rippling of the magnetopause and gives a nature explanation to the multiple magnetopause encounters that typically occur for slow moving spacecraft. These small‐scale processes are shown to have global effects with a reduction of the cross‐polar cap by as much as 20% seen between simulations with and without high resolution about the magnetopause.
Age characteristics of a shelf‐break eddy in the western Arctic and implications for shelf‐basin exchange
Authors: Kadko David , Pickart Robert S. , Mathis Jeremy
Published: February 2008

Radioisotope evaluation of a cold‐core, anticyclonic eddy surveyed in September 2004 on the Chukchi Sea continental slope was used to determine its age since formation over the shelf environment. Because the eddy can be shown to have been generated near the shelf break, initial conditions for several age‐dependent tracers could be relatively well constrained. A combination of 228Ra/226Ra, excess 224Ra, and 228Th/228Ra suggested an age on the order of months. This age is consistent with the presence of elevated concentrations of nutrients, organic carbon, suspended particles, and shelf‐derived neritic zooplankton within the eddy compared to ambient offshore water in the Canada Basin but comparable to values measured in the Chukchi shelf and shelf‐break environment. Hence this feature, at the edge of the deep basin, was poised to deliver biogeochemically significant shelf material to the central Arctic Ocean.
Trends, seasonal variability and dominant NOx source derived from a ten year record of NO2 measured from space
Authors: van der A R. J. , Eskes H. J. , Boersma K. F. , van Noije T. P. C. , Van Roozendael M. , De Smedt I. , Peters D. H. M. U. , Meijer E. W.
Published: February 2008

For the period 1996–2006, global distributions of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2) have been derived from radiances measured with the satellite instruments GOME (Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment) and SCIAMACHY (SCanning Imaging Absorption spectroMeter for Atmospheric CartograpHY). A statistical analysis is applied to derive trends and seasonal variability for this period on a global scale. The time series of the monthly NO2 columns for these ten years have been fitted with a linear function superposed on an annual seasonal cycle on a grid with a spatial resolution of 1° by 1°. We see significant reductions (up to 7% per year) in NO2 in Europe and parts of the eastern United States, and a strong increase in Asia, most particularly in China (up to 29% per year) but also in Iran and Russia. By comparing the data with the cloud information derived from the same satellite observations, the contribution of lightning to the total column of NO2 is estimated. The estimated NO2 from lightning is, especially in the tropics, in good agreement with lightning flash rate observations from space. The satellite observed seasonal variability of NO2 generally correlates well with independent observations and estimates of the seasonal cycle of specific NOx sources. Source categories considered are anthropogenic (fossil fuel and biofuel), biomass burning, soil emissions and lightning. Using the characteristics of the seasonal variability of these source categories, the dominant source of NOx emissions has been identified on a global scale and on a 1° by 1° grid.
Ten years of Southern Hemisphere polar mesospheric cloud observations from the Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement instruments
Authors: Lumpe J. D. , Alfred J. M. , Shettle E. P. , Bevilacqua R. M.
Published: February 2008

Polar mesospheric clouds (PMCs) were observed in the Southern Hemisphere by both the Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM) II and III instruments. POAM II operated from 1993 to 1996 and its three seasons of Southern Hemisphere PMC observations were previously reported by Debrestian et al. (1997a, 1997b). POAM III operated from 1998 to 2005 and thus observed PMCs during seven Southern Hemisphere seasons. The two POAM instruments are in identical orbits and are very similar in design and measurement capability. These similarities allow for the application of a common PMC detection algorithm to generate a consistent long‐term data record by combining the two POAM data sets. In this paper we present an analysis of this combined data set, which consists of approximately 670 PMC observations. The seasonally averaged PMC occurrence frequency, when adjusted for differences in detection sensitivity of the instruments, is found to be strongly anticorrelated with the solar Lyman‐α flux. The POAM PMC profiles were analyzed using a geometrical cloud model to determine cloud height, vertical thickness, and wavelength‐dependent extinction. Seasonally averaged cloud altitudes range from 82.6 to 83.5 km and the thickness varies between approximately 2 and 3 km. The multiwavelength capability of the POAM III instrument has been used to derive information on PMC particle sizes using the spectral dependence of the measured slant path optical depth. The results of this analysis indicate a mean value of 52 nm for the PMC optically effective radius, which is consistent with a variety of other observations.
Three‐dimensional field perspective on deformation, flow, and growth of the lower continental crust (Dharwar craton, India)
Authors: Chardon Dominique , Jayananda Mudlappa
Published: February 2008

The study of fabric development and juvenile batholith emplacement across the tilted crustal section of the Eastern Dharwar craton shows that horizontal, constrictional deformation affected large volumes of the midcrust and lower crust at the time of regional partial melting and magmatic accretion. Constriction is achieved by a combination of coeval shallow and steep planar fabrics sharing a common horizontal elongation direction, two sets of conjugate strike‐slip shears, and extensional shear zones. The Eastern Dharwar craton illustrates an end‐member deformation mode by which a particularly weakened lithosphere responds to shortening by developing distributed, horizontal plane strain on a crustal scale, resulting from the combination of crustal shortening and lateral gravity‐driven flow. Thinning accompanying constrictional deformation is interpreted as compensating for juvenile magmatic accretion and thickening of greenstone belts and as acting to maintain a stable crustal thickness. Such a midcrustal to lower crustal deformation process may provide a resolution of the batholithic room problem in a softened crust submitted to lateral shortening and may explain nearly isobaric retrograde pressure‐temperature‐time paths of high temperature–low pressure high‐grade terrains.
Determining the Waist Circumference in African Americans Which Best Predicts Insulin Resistance
Authors: Sumner Anne E. , Sen Sabyasachi , Ricks Madia , Frempong Barbara A. , Sebring Nancy G. , Kushner Harvey
Published: February 2008

Total body size and central fat distribution are important determinants of insulin resistance. The BMI and waist circumference (WC) thresholds in African Americans that best predict insulin resistance are unknown. Our goal was to determine the BMI and WC values in African Americans, which optimally predict insulin resistance. The subjects were African Americans (68 men, 63 women), aged 35 ± 8 years (mean ± s.d.), with a BMI of 30.9 ± 7.5, in the range of 18.5–54.7 kg/m2, and with a WC of 98 ± 18, in the range of 69–173 cm. Insulin resistance was defined by the lowest tertile of the insulin sensitivity index (SI). The Youden index was calculated to determine the WC and BMI thresholds that predict insulin resistance with an optimal combination of sensitivity and specificity. In men the thresholds that optimally predicted insulin resistance were a BMI ≥30 kg/m2 or a WC ≥102 cm. For women, insulin resistance was best predicted by a BMI ≥32 kg/m2 or a WC ≥98 cm. In African Americans, insulin resistance (in men) was best predicted by a WC ≥102 cm, and in women by a WC ≥98 cm, or by a BMI value that fell in the obese category (men: ≥30 kg/m2, women: ≥32 kg/m2).
BMI Percentiles and Body Image Discrepancy in Black and White Adolescents
Authors: Banitt Angela A. , Kaur Harsohena , Pulvers Kim M. , Nollen Nicole L. , Ireland Marjorie , Fitzgibbon Marian L.
Published: February 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between body image discrepancy (BID) and weight status as measured by BMI percentiles (BMI%) among adolescents. A cross‐sectional survey was conducted among 265 adolescents at an urban clinic (females: 116 blacks and 63 whites; males: 62 blacks and 24 whites). BID was the difference between ideal and current body images selected from a 13‐figure rating scale, and BMI% were calculated from measured weight and height. Regression analyses were conducted separately for girls and boys. Over half of the female and one‐third of male adolescents wanted a thinner body. BID was positively related to BMI% with a one‐unit increase in BID associated with a 4.84‐unit increase in BMI% among females and a 3.88‐unit increase in BMI% in males. Both female and male adolescents reported BID beginning at a BMI% corresponding to a normal weight. At zero BID, white females had a BMI% of 62.6, statistically different from black females (BMI% 69.7). At zero BID, white males had a mean BMI% of 69 and black males at a BMI% of 75.8, not statistically different. While black and white differences exist in BID, black female adolescents like their white counterparts are reporting BID at a weight range that is within the “normal”. Our study portends the increase in BID with the increasing prevalence of obesity and highlights the need for interventions to help adolescents develop a healthy and realistic body image and healthy ways to manage their weight.
Inducible Toll‐like Receptor and NF‐κB Regulatory Pathway Expression in Human Adipose Tissue
Authors: Vitseva Olga I. , Tanriverdi Kahraman , Tchkonia Tamara T. , Kirkland James L. , McDonnell Marie E. , Apovian Caroline M. , Freedman Jane , Gokce Noyan
Published: February 2008

Objective: Inflammatory activity in fat tissue has recently been implicated in mechanisms of insulin resistance and obesity‐related metabolic dysfunction. Toll‐like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in innate immune responses and recent studies implicate the TLR pathway in mechanisms of inflammation and atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to examine differential TLR expression and function in human adipose tissue.

Methods and Procedures: We biopsied subcutaneous abdominal fat from 16 obese subjects (age 39 ± 11 years, BMI 49 ± 14 kg/m2) and characterized TLR expression using quantitative real‐time PCR and confocal immunofluorescence imaging. In tissue culture, we stimulated isolated human adipocytes with Pam3CSK4 and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) (TLR2 and TLR4 agonists, respectively) and quantified TLR activity, interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) and tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) production, and nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) p65 nuclear activation using real‐time PCR, enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and immunofluorescence.

Results: TLR1, 2, and 4 protein colocalized with adiponectin in human adipocytes with TLR4 exhibiting the highest immunohistochemical expression. Using real‐time PCR, we confirmed higher level of gene expression for TLR4 as compared to other members of the TLR family (TLR1, 2, 7, 8) in human adipose depots (P < 0.001). In tissue culture, adipocyte TLR2/TLR4 mRNA expression and protein increased significantly following Pam3CSK4 and LPS (P < 0.001). TLR2/TLR4 stimulation was associated with NF‐κB p65 nuclear translocation and proinflammatory cytokine production.

Discussion: The findings demonstrate that TLRs are inducible in adipose tissue and linked with downstream NF‐κB activation and cytokine release. Adipose stores may play a dynamic role in the regulation of inflammation and innate immunity in human subjects via modulation of the TLR/NF‐κB regulatory pathway.
Scalable and Interactive Visual Analysis of Financial Wire Transactions for Fraud Detection
Authors: Chang Remco , Lee Alvin , Ghoniem Mohammad , Kosara Robert , Ribarsky William , Yang Jing , Suma Evan , Ziemkiewicz Caroline , Kern Daniel , Sudjianto Agus
Published: February 2008

Large financial institutions such as Bank of America handle hundreds of thousands of wire transactions per day. Although most transactions are legitimate, these institutions have legal and financial obligations to discover those that are suspicious. With the methods of fraudulent activities ever changing, searching on predefined patterns is often insufficient in detecting previously undiscovered methods. In this paper, we present a set of coordinated visualizations based on identifying specific keywords within the wire transactions. The different views used in our system depict relationships among keywords and accounts over time. Furthermore, we introduce a search-by-example technique, which extracts accounts that show similar transaction patterns. Our system can be connected to a database to handle millions of transactions and still preserve high interactivity. In collaboration with the Anti-Money Laundering division at Bank of America, we demonstrate that using our tool, investigators are able to detect accounts and transactions that exhibit suspicious behaviors.
Effects of external magnetic filter on behaviors of fast primary electrons in a volume negative ion source
Authors: Mori Shigefumi , Fukumasa Osamu
Published: February 2008

The relationship between enhancement of hydrogen negative ion H−, volume production, and behaviors of fast primary electrons is studied theoretically. Trajectories of fast primary electrons are calculated, including collisional effects with hydrogen molecules. Active region of fast electrons depends strongly on the field intensity of the magnetic filter (MF), BMF, and filament position. Therefore, spatial distributions of ionization and vibrational excitation collision points are also affected with changing BMF. Although number of vibrational excitation collision points is much smaller than that of ionization collision points due to different mean free path, the relative intensity is varied by changing energy of fast electrons. According to the results and discussions including transport of produced vibrationally excited molecules, for enhancement of H− production, it is desired that fast electrons should approach the MF position and move into the downstream region as deep as possible without destruction of H− ions. To realize these conditions, good combination between filament position and the intensity of the MF should be required.
Front-end simulation of injector for terawatt accumulator
Authors: Kropachev G. N. , Balabin A. I. , Kolomiets A. A. , Kulevoy T. V. , Pershin V. I. , Shumshurov A. V.
Published: February 2008

A terawatt accumulator (TWAC) accelerator/storage ring complex with the laser ion source is in progress at ITEP. The new injector I4 based on the radio frequency quadrupole (RFQ) and interdigital H-mode (IH) linear accelerator is under construction. The front end of the new TWAC injector consists of a laser ion source, an extraction system, and a low energy beam transport (LEBT). The KOBRA3-INP was used for the simulation and optimization of the ion source extraction system. The optimization parameter is the maximum brightness of the beam generated by the laser ion source. Also the KOBRA3-INP code was used for LEBT investigation. The LEBT based on electrostatic grid lenses is chosen for injector I4. The results of the extraction system and LEBT investigations for ion beam matching with RFQ are presented.
European research activities on charge state breeding related to radioactive ion beam facilities (invited)
Authors: Lamy T. , Angot J. , Thuillier T.
Published: February 2008

European effort on charge breeders is mainly dedicated to present and future Radioactive Ion Beam facilities. The main projects are High Intensity and Energy-ISOLDE at CERN, SPIRAL2 at GANIL, and EURISOL. Most of the experimental developments are funded by the European programs EURONS (European Nuclear Structure) and EURISOL (European Isotope Separation On-Line Radioactive Ion Beam Facility). Two ion source types (electron beam ion source and electron cyclotron resonance ion source) have been adapted to accept the injection and the capture of an ion beam, in order to increase its charge with the highest efficiency within the shortest time. Both charge breeders have advantages and disadvantages with regard to their use in a Radioactive Ion Beam facility. The most important parameters studied are acceptance (in emittance and intensity) of the charge breeder, efficiency, and charge breeding time of a specific n+ charge state, emittance of the extracted n+ beam. The charge breeder parameters are studied with different 1+ ion sources dedicated to 1+ radioactive ion beam production, and the tuning procedure of the charge breeder as a beam line section of a specific accelerator is established and measured too.
Application of cryotarget to laser ion source
Authors: Tamura Jun , Okamura Masahiro , Kanesue Takeshi
Published: February 2008

We examined laser-produced argon plasma as part of a future laser ion source. Rare gases, which are in gas state at room temperature, need to be cooled to solid targets for laser irradiation. We generated solid Ar targets in a similar way used for neon. By irradiating the solid Ar with a neodymium doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser, we could generate Ar ions with a charge stage up to 8+ with a good stability. The feature of generated Ar plasma using this method is similar to the Ne case. The ion current density reached about 1.6mA∕cm2 at 2.3m from the target. This method would be applicable for a laser ion source.
Establishment of the C2H5+O2 reaction mechanism: A combustion archetype
Authors: Wilke Jeremiah J. , Allen Wesley D. , Schaefer Henry F.
Published: February 2008

The celebrated C2H5+O2 reaction is an archetype for hydrocarbon combustion, and the critical step in the process is the concerted elimination of HO2 from the ethylperoxy intermediate (C2H5O2). Master equation kinetic models fitted to measured reaction rates place the concerted elimination barrier 3.0kcalmol−1 below the C2H5+O2 reactants, whereas the best previous electronic structure computations yield a barrier more than 2.0kcalmol−1 higher. We resolve this discrepancy here by means of the most rigorous computations to date, using focal point methods to converge on the ab initio limit. Explicit computations were executed with basis sets as large as cc-pV5Z and correlation treatments as extensive as coupled cluster through full triples with a perturbative inclusion of quadruple excitations [CCSDT(Q)]. The final predicted barrier is −3.0kcalmol−1, bringing the concerted elimination mechanism into precise agreement with experiment. This work demonstrates that higher correlation treatments such as CCSDT(Q) are not only feasible on systems of chemical interest but are necessary to supply accuracy beyond 0.5kcalmol−1, which is not obtained with the “gold standard” CCSD(T) method. Finally, we compute the enthalpy of formation of C2H5O2 to be ΔfH°(298K)=−5.3±0.5kcalmol−1 and ΔfH°(0K)=−1.5±0.5kcalmol−1.
KEKCB electron cyclotron resonance charge breeder at TRIAC
Authors: Imai N. , Jeong S. C. , Oyaizu M. , Arai S. , Fuchi Y. , Hirayama Y. , Ishiyama H. , Miyatake H. , Tanaka M. H. , Okada M. , Watanabe Y. X. , Ichikawa S. , Kabumoto H. , Osa A. , Otokawa Y. , Sato T. K.
Published: February 2008

The KEKCB is an electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) ion source for converting singly charged ions to multicharged ones at Tokai Radioactive Ion Accelerator Complex. By using the KEKCB, singly charged gaseous and nongaseous ions were converted to multicharged ones of A∕q≃7 with efficiencies of 7% and 2%, respectively. The conversion efficiency was found to be independent of the lifetime of the radioactive nuclei having lifetimes of the order of one second. Three collimators located at the entrance and the exit of the KEKCB defined the beam axis and facilitated beam injection. Grinding and washing the surfaces of aluminum electrode and plasma chamber dramatically reduced impurities originating from the ECR plasma of the KEKCB.
On the convergence of Z-averaged perturbation theory
Authors: Wheeler Steven E. , Allen Wesley D. , Schaefer Henry F.
Published: February 2008

Very high order open-shell Z-averaged perturbation theory (ZAPT) energies, equilibrium bond lengths, and harmonic vibrational frequencies have been computed for a suite of small molecules using a determinantal algorithm. The convergence of ZAPTn energies is compared to alternative Møller–Plesset (MP) perturbation theories built on restricted open-shell Hartree–Fock (ROMP, RMP, OPT1, and OPT2) and unrestricted Hartree–Fock (UMP) reference wave functions for NH2 at three N–H bond lengths and for CN. The ZAPTn energy series closely parallel those of RMPn and ROMPn theories for these systems. Further, we examine the convergence of ZAPTn energies, equilibrium bond lengths (re), and harmonic vibrational frequencies (ωe) for X∑g+2 CN, X∑g−4C2+, and bΔg2C2+, tracking oscillations in the energy series for the challenging latter system to order 1000. Finally, we obtain re and ωe values from explicit ZAPT2 and ZAPT4 computations with a triple-ζ plus double polarization basis set. The ensuing results are very close to those from second- and fourth-order RMP and ROMP for the NO and CN molecules but are significantly closer to experiment in the case of ∑g−3O2. The ZAPTn series exhibit all the fascinating diversity of behavior previously observed for closed-shell MPn theory. Particularly encouraging is the ability of Feenberg transformations to remove erratic, strongly oscillatory, and divergent behavior that may occur in ZAPTn series and provide systematic improvements toward the full configuration interaction limit. In light of the appealing mathematical properties of ZAPT and similarity of results to those from the oft-applied RMP theory, coupled with the reductions in computational cost inherent in the ZAPT method relative to theories requiring different orbitals for different spins, we recommend low-order ZAPT for general applications to open-shell systems, particularly in cases where spin contamination is of concern.
Control of magnetic anisotropy in (111)SmAl2 films
Authors: Avisou A. , Dufour C. , Dumesnil K.
Published: February 2008

This study enlightens how the magnetic anisotropy might be tailored in magnetic films by the proper choice of the substrate. Single crystalline (111)SmAl2 films have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on two substrates: (112¯0)Al2O3 and (111)CaF2. Hysteresis loops measured along the different crystallographic directions are the signature of the following: (i) a uniaxial anisotropy with an easy direction perpendicular to the (111) growth plane when the film is grown on Al2O3; (ii) a [111] hard magnetic direction when the film is grown on CaF2. This effect can be understood if we consider the influence of the thermal strains on the various energy terms which govern the easy magnetization direction. The relevant parameters to determine the easy magnetization direction are the relative sign and absolute values of the strains and of the magnetoelastic constants.
Fragmentation of α- and β-alanine molecules by ions at Bragg-peak energies
Authors: Bari S. , Sobocinski P. , Postma J. , Alvarado F. , Hoekstra R. , Bernigaud V. , Manil B. , Rangama J. , Huber B. , Schlathölter T.
Published: February 2008

The interaction of keV He+, He2+, and O5+ ions with isolated α and β isomers of the amino acid alanine was studied by means of high resolution coincidence time-of-flight mass spectrometry. We observed a strong isomer dependence of characteristic fragmentation channels which manifests in strongly altered branching ratios. Despite the ultrashort initial perturbation by the incoming ion, evidence for molecular rearrangement leading to the formation of H3+ was found. The measured kinetic energies of ionic alanine fragments can be sufficient to induce secondary damage to DNA in a biological environment.
Inner-valence photoionization of O(D1): Experimental evidence for the 2s22p4(D1)→2s12p5(P1) transition
Authors: Flesch R. , Wirsing A. , Barthel M. , Plenge J. , Rühl E.
Published: February 2008

Photoionization and autoionization of electronically excited atomic oxygen O(D1) are investigated in the energy range between 12 and 26eV using tunable laser-produced plasma radiation in combination with time-of-flight mass spectrometry. A broad, asymmetric, and intense feature is observed that is peaking at 20.53±0.05eV. It is assigned to the 2s22p4(D1)→2s12p5(P1) transition, which subsequently autoionizes by a Coster-Kronig transition, as predicted by the previous theoretical work [K. L. Bell et al., J. Phys. B 22, 3197 (1989)]. Specifically, the energy of the unperturbed transition occurs at 20.35±0.07eV. Its shape is described by a Fano profile revealing a q parameter of 4.25±0.8 and a width of γ=2.2±0.15eV. Absolute photoionization cross section σ is derived, yielding σ=22.5±2.3Mb at the maximum of the resonance. In addition, weak contributions to the O(D1) yield from dissociative ionization originating from molecular singlet oxygen [O2(Δg1)] are identified as well. Possible applications of the 2s22p4(D1)→2s12p5(P1) transition as a state-selective and sensitive probe of excited oxygen in combination with photoionization mass spectrometry are briefly discussed.
Pretransitional anomalies in the orientational dynamics induced by temperature gradient in nematic hybrid-oriented cells
Authors: Zakharov A. V. , Vakulenko A. A. , Romano Silvano
Published: February 2008

We have carried out a numerical study of the system of hydrodynamic equations including director reorientation, fluid flow, and temperature redistribution across a hybrid-oriented liquid crystal cell (HOLCC), where the nematic sample is confined by two parallel horizontal surfaces, a temperature gradient is applied and directed normal to the boundaries, and the temperature on the lower cooler boundary is reduced towards TNA. Calculations show that the temperature gradient causes the investigated system to settle down to a stationary flow regime in the horizontal direction. Presmectic anomalies in the vicinity of the lower boundary have been investigated as well, taking into account the fluctuations of the local smectic order parameter above TNA. It has been shown that these fluctuations influence both magnitude and direction of the hydrodynamic flow, produced by the temperature gradient. We have also investigated the role of hydrodynamic flow in the resulting relaxation processes, for a number of dynamic regimes in a HOLCC containing 4-cyano-4′-octylbiphenyl.
Melting temperature of Pb nanostructural materials from free energy calculation
Authors: Luo Wenhua , Hu Wangyu , Xiao Shifang
Published: February 2008

The thermodynamic properties of lead, including the entropy, heat capacity, Gibbs free energy, and surface free energy have been studied. Based on bulk thermodynamic properties of lead, Gibbs free energy for nanostructural materials is obtained and used to calculate the size-dependent melting point depression for lead nanostructural materials. The studies indicate that the surface free energy difference between solid phase and liquid phase is a decisive factor for the size-dependent melting of nanostructural materials. The calculated results are in agreement with recent experimental values and the available molecular dynamics simulation data.
Self-assembling of hydrophobic-hydrophilic copolymers in hydrophobic nanocylindrical tubes: Formation of channels
Authors: Feng Jie , Ruckenstein Eli
Published: February 2008

By employing Monte Carlo simulations, the phase behavior of hydrophobic-hydrophilic copolymers confined in hydrophobic nanocylindrical tubes has been investigated by changing the hydrophobic-hydrophilic distribution, the ratio of the hydrophobic to hydrophilic segments, the hydrophobicity of the tube surface, and the tube diameter. The ratio of hydrophobic to hydrophilic segments, the number of blocks in a chain, and the number of segments in a block affected the generation of channels in the central region. Such channels were formed when the hydrophobicity of the tube surface was sufficiently strong for its attraction for the hydrophobic segments to overcome the attraction between the hydrophobic segments. When the numbers of hydrophobic and hydrophilic beads in a chain are constant, the number of blocks has opposite effects in small and large tubes. In the former, the formation of channels is stimulated by a larger number of blocks, while in the latter, it is stimulated by a smaller number of blocks.
Localized basis sets for unbound electrons in nanoelectronics
Authors: Soriano D. , Jacob D. , Palacios J. J.
Published: February 2008

It is shown how unbound electron wave functions can be expanded in a suitably chosen localized basis sets for any desired range of energies. In particular, we focus on the use of Gaussian basis sets, commonly used in first-principles codes. The possible usefulness of these basis sets in a first-principles description of field emission or scanning tunneling microscopy at large bias is illustrated by studying a simpler related phenomenon: The lifetime of an electron in a H atom subjected to a strong electric field.
Fabrication, characterization, and application in surface-enhanced Raman spectrum of assembled type-I collagen-silver nanoparticle multilayered films
Authors: Sun Yujing , Wang Li , Sun Lanlan , Guo Cunlan , Yang Tao , Liu Zhelin , Xu Fugang , Li Zhuang
Published: February 2008

In this paper, we report a facile method for the fabrication of type-I collagen-silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) multilayered films by utilizing type-I collagen as a medium. These samples were characterized by UV-vis spectra photometer, atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and Fourier transform IR spectrum. Experimental results show that collagen molecules serve as effective templates to assemble Ag NPs into multilayer films. These samples exhibit high surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) enhancement abilities. For example, EF(νcc) (EF means enhancement factor) at 1592cm−1 in the SERS spectrum of 4-aminothiophenol on seven-layered substrates was calculated to be 1.81×105, which is larger than that reported in several literatures. The EFs increased as the layer number of multilayer films increases.