bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance evaluation of a Chinese medium‐sized agricultural biogas plant at ambient temperature
Authors: Guo Jianbin , Clemens Joachim , Li Xiaoping , Xu Pan , Dong Renjie
Published: June 2012

Many Chinese biogas plants run at the lower range of mesophilic conditions. In this study, the performance of a representative agricultural biogas plant operating at ambient temperature was evaluated by mass balance and routine chemical analysis. Fluxes into and out of the biogas plant (organic dry matter [ODM], biogas production, CH4, and CO2 concentration) were analyzed for seven weeks. The biogas plant was operated with mixed substrate at an extremely low organic loading rate (0.4–0.8 kg ODM m−3 d−1), with a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 35 days. Between 68% and 73% of ODM fed to the plant was converted to biogas. The measured methane production on‐site was higher than the estimated methane production derived from ODM input/output data for the plant and methane production data from batch tests on the individual substrates at 37°C and 20°C. Suggested reasons were: (i) difficulties in precise determination of mass fluxes, (ii) sediment in the biogas plant contributing to biogas production, (iii) stimulation of biogas production by mixed substrate, and (iv) potential gas production of activated organic matters from the time before the monitoring program. A heating system and power unit are suggested to improve the overall performance of the digester.
Chip calorimetry and biomagnetic separation: Fast detection of bacterial contamination at low cell titers
Authors: Lerchner Johannes , Schulz Anne , Poeschel Theresa , Wolf Antje , Hartmann Tom , Mertens Florian , Boschke Elke
Published: June 2012

We present a new chip calorimeter for fast and quantitative measurement of metabolic heat rates of microorganisms attached to magnetic beads. In biomagnetic separation (BMS) experiments, Escherichia coli K12 immobilized on nonspecifically functionalized beads has a specific heat rate of around 1 pW per cell at 37°C. Therefore, at least 2 × 104 bacteria are required to exceed the calorimetric signal resolution of 20 nW. If the samples to be analyzed have the original volume of 4 mL, bacteria at less than 104 cells mL−1 should be detectable. In practice, we achieved the detection of approximately 2 × 104 cells mL−1. The method presented here might also find some applications in the investigation of biofilms and study of biomolecular interactions.
Granular flow experiments on the interaction with stationary runout path materials and comparison to rock avalanche events
Authors: Dufresne Anja
Published: June 2012

The central focus of this work is to study the processes acting well below the surface of a moving rock or debris avalanche during travel over stationary substrate material. Small‐scale physical models at a linear scale of 1:104used coal as avalanche analogue material and different granular material simulating sedimentary substrates varying in frictional resistance, thickness and relative basal boundary roughness, as well as inerodible, non‐deformable runout path conditions. Substrate materials with the least frictional resistance showed the greatest response to granular flow overriding, becoming entirely mobilized beneath and ahead of the moving mass and producing the longest runout observed with a unique deposit profile shape. With a smooth substrate basal contact, failure occurred along this plane and avalanche and substrate became coupled during runout. With a rough base, however, temporary force chains of grain contacts in the substrate prevailed longer, imparted their resistance to motion/shear into the granular flow, and the flow rear section consequently halted earlier than when moving over substrates with a weak base. Reducing substrate thickness diminished the effect of basal contact roughness on granular flow runout and deposit length. Inerodible, non‐deformable substrate conditions caused changes in granular flow behaviour from essentiallyen massesliding on low‐friction surfaces to increasing granular agitation over rougher paths. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Protein kinase C stimulates HuD‐mediated mRNA stability and protein expression of neurotrophic factors and enhances dendritic maturation of hippocampal neurons in culture
Authors: Lim Chol Seung , Alkon Daniel L.
Published: June 2012

HuD protein is an RNA‐binding protein involved in post‐transcriptional regulation of gene expression for synaptogenesis, neuronal differentiation, and learning and memory, and is up‐regulated and redistributed by a protein kinase C (PKC)‐dependent pathway in neurons. Here, we show a PKC‐regulated mechanism on HuD‐mediated mRNA stability and expression of several neurotrophic factors (NTFs) in cultured hippocampal neurons. HuD pull‐down assays showed that HuD is associated with brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), and neurotrophin (NT)‐3 mRNAs. Reduction of HuD expression with short hairpin RNAs decreased BDNF, NGF, and NT‐3 mRNAs and NTFs expression. Bryostatin, a PKC activator, treatment enhanced their association with HuD and increased these transcripts' stability. Bryostatin induced HuD phosphorylation, which was inhibited by Ro 32‐0432, a specific PKC inhibitor. Activated PKC specifically phosphorylated coactivator‐associated arginine methyltransferase 1 (CARM1), which methylates HuD and negatively modulates HuD‐mRNA interactions during neuronal differentiation, and inhibited its methyltransferase activity, resulting in decrease in CARM1‐mediated HuD methylation. Furthermore cotreatment of bryostatin and AMI‐1, a specific CARM1 inhibitor, potentiated PKC‐dependent HuD‐mRNA interactions and enhanced dendritic arborization. These results demonstrate that PKC may play an important role in neuronal differentiation and synaptogenesis via stimulating HuD‐mediated mRNA stability and inhibiting CARM1 in hippocampal neurons. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
THE ROLE OF TIME‐VARYING PRICE ELASTICITIES IN ACCOUNTING FOR VOLATILITY CHANGES IN THE CRUDE OIL MARKET
Authors: Baumeister Christiane , Peersman Gert
Published: June 2012

There has been a systematic increase in the volatility of the real price of crude oil since 1986, followed by a decline in the volatility of oil production since the early 1990s. We explore reasons for this evolution. We show that a likely explanation of this empirical fact is that both the short‐run price elasticities of oil demand and of oil supply have declined considerably since the second half of the 1980s. This implies that small disturbances on either side of the oil market can generate large price responses without large quantity movements, which helps explain the latest run‐up and subsequent collapse in the price of oil. Our analysis suggests that the variability of oil demand and supply shocks actually has decreased in the more recent past, preventing even larger oil price fluctuations than observed in the data. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SEMI‐NONPARAMETRIC ESTIMATION OF CONSUMER SEARCH COSTS
Authors: Moraga‐González José Luis , Sándor Zsolt , Wildenbeest Matthijs R.
Published: June 2012

This paper studies the estimation of the distribution of non‐sequential search costs. We show that the search cost distribution is identified by combining data from multiple markets with common search technology but varying consumer valuations, firms' costs, and numbers of competitors. To exploit such data optimally, we provide a new method based on semi‐nonparametric estimation. We apply our method to a dataset of online prices for memory chips and find that the search cost density is essentially bimodal, such that a large fraction of consumers searches very little, whereas a smaller fraction searches a relatively large number of stores. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced photoinactivation of Staphylococcus aureus with nanocomposites containing plasmonic particles and hematoporphyrin
Authors: Khlebtsov Boris N. , Tuchina Elena S. , Khanadeev Vitaly A. , Panfilova Elizaveta V. , Petrov Pavel O. , Tuchin Valery V. , Khlebtsov Nikolai G.
Published: June 2012

We fabricated composite nanoparticles consisting of a plasmonic core (gold nanorods or gold–silver nanocages) and a hematoporphyrin‐doped silica shell. The dual photodynamic and photothermal activities of such nanoparticles against Staphylococcus aureus 209 P were studied and compared with the activities of reference solutions (hematoporphyrin or silica‐coated plasmonic nanoparticles). Bacteria were incubated with nanocomposites or with the reference solutions for 15 min, which was followed by CW light irradiation with a few exposures of 5 to 30 min. To stimulate the photodynamic and photothermal activities of the nanocomposites, we used LEDs (405 and 625 nm) and a NIR laser (808 nm), respectively. We observed enhanced inactivation of S. aureus 209 P by nanocomposites in comparison with the reference solutions. By using fluorescence microscopy and spectroscopy, we explain the enhanced antimicrobial effect of hematoporphyrin‐doped nanocomposites by their selective accumulation in the vicinity of the bacteria. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Protective effects of taurine against oxidative stress in the heart of MsrA knockout mice
Authors: Chen G. , Nan C. , Tian Jie , Jean‐Charles P. , Li Y. , Weissbach H. , Huang X.P.
Published: June 2012

Taurine has been shown to have potent anti‐oxidant properties under various pathophysiological conditions. We reported previously a cellular dysfunction and mitochondrial damage in cardiac myocytes of methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) gene knockout mice (MsrA−/−). In the present study, we have explored the protective effects of taurine against oxidative stress in the heart of MsrA−/− mice with or without taurine treatment. Cardiac cell contractility and Ca2+ dynamics were measured using cell‐based assays and in vivo cardiac function was monitored using high‐resolution echocardiography in the tested animals. Our data have shown that MsrA−/− mice exhibited a progressive cardiac dysfunction with a significant decrease of ejection fraction (EF) and fraction shortening (FS) at age of 8 months compared to the wild type controls at the same age. However, the dysfunction was corrected in MsrA−/− mice treated with taurine supplement in the diet for 5 months. We further investigated the cellular mechanism underlying the protective effect of taurine in the heart. Our data indicated that cardiac myocytes from MsrA−/− mice treated with taurine exhibited an improved cell contraction and could tolerate oxidative stress better. Furthermore, taurine treatment reduced significantly the protein oxidation levels in mitochondria of MsrA−/− hearts, suggesting an anti‐oxidant effect of taurine in cardiac mitochondria. Our study demonstrates that long‐term treatment of taurine as a diet supplement is beneficial to a heart that is vulnerable to environmental oxidative stresses. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3559–3566, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Aromatic‐turmerone attenuates invasion and expression of MMP‐9 and COX‐2 through inhibition of NF‐κB activation in TPA‐induced breast cancer cells
Authors: Park Sun Young , Kim Young Hun , Kim YoungHee , Lee Sang‐Joon
Published: June 2012

Recent evidence suggests that breast cancer is one of the most common forms of malignancy in females, and metastasis from the primary cancer site is the main cause of death. Aromatic (ar)‐turmerone is present in Curcuma longa and is a common remedy and food. In the present study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of ar‐turmerone on expression and enzymatic activity levels of 12‐O‐tetradecanoylphorbol‐13‐acetate (TPA)‐induced matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐9 and cyclooxygenaase‐2 (COX‐2) in breast cancer cells. Our data indicated that ar‐turmerone treatment significantly inhibited enzymatic activity and expression of MMP‐9 and COX‐2 at non‐cytotoxic concentrations. However, the expression of tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase (TIMP)‐1, TIMP‐2, MMP‐2, and COX‐1 did not change upon ar‐turmerone treatment. We found that ar‐turmerone inhibited the activation of NF‐κB, whereas it did not affect AP‐1 activation. Moreover, The ChIP assay revealed that in vivo binding activities of NF‐κB to the MMP‐9 and COX‐2 promoter were significantly inhibited by ar‐turmerone. Our data showed that ar‐turmerone reduced the phosphorylation of PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 signaling, whereas it did not affect phosphorylation of JNK or p38 MAPK. Thus, transfection of breast cancer cells with PI3K/Akt and ERK1/2 siRNAs significantly decreased TPA‐induced MMP‐9 and COX‐2 expression. These results suggest that ar‐turmerone suppressed the TPA‐induced up‐regulation of MMP‐9 and COX‐2 expression by blocking NF‐κB, PI3K/Akt, and ERK1/2 signaling in human breast cancer cells. Furthermore, ar‐turmerone significantly inhibited TPA‐induced invasion, migration, and colony formation in human breast cancer cells. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 3653–3662, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Interfacing the GROMOS (bio)molecular simulation software to quantum‐chemical program packages
Authors: Meier Katharina , Schmid Nathan , van Gunsteren Wilfred F.
Published: June 2012

The newly implemented quantum‐chemical/molecular‐mechanical (QM/MM) functionality of the Groningen molecular simulation (GROMOS) software for (bio)molecular simulation is described. The implementation scheme is based on direct coupling of the GROMOS C++ software to executables of the quantum‐chemical program packages MNDO and TURBOMOLE, allowing for an independent further development of these packages. The new functions are validated for different test systems using program and model testing techniques. The effect of truncating the QM/MM electrostatic interactions at various QM/MM cutoff radii is discussed and the application of semiempirical versus density‐functional Hamiltonians for a solute molecule in aqueous solution is compared. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Approximate expressions and the relationship between pyramidalization (out‐of‐plane deformation) characteristics of trigonal centers
Authors: Gavrish Sergey P.
Published: June 2012

Fairly accurate approximate expressions for commonly used characteristics of non‐planarity of trigonal sp2‐hybridized centers are reported. It is shown that the behavior of all these parameters as a function of bond angles (α, β, γ) is determined primarily by the square‐root of the difference [360° − (α + β + γ)]. This quantity is proposed as a new versatile measure of pyramidalization. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Improvement of anhydrous catalyst stability in acetylene dimerization by regulating acidity
Authors: Liu Jianguo , Zuo Yizan , Han Minghan , Wang Zhanwen
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND: Loss of the active CuCl component occurs during acetylene dimerisation to monovinylacetylene (MVA) catalysed by an anhydrous catalyst with the formation of a dark red precipitate. Acidic species can reduce the loss of CuCl but have an unfavorable influence on acetylene dimerisation. This study aims to determine the precipitate composition and regulate the acidity of the catalyst to find a balance between reaction rate, MVA selectivity and catalyst life.

RESULT: The precipitate composition was 2CuCl·3C2H2·1/3CH3CH2NH2·1/7C3H7NO, formed by the combination of DMF, CH3CH2NH2, C2H2 and the [Cu]‐acetylene π‐complex, which is an intermediate in the reaction. From an overall consideration of the loss of CuCl, conversion of acetylene, and selectivity of MVA, the reaction temperature and acetylene space velocity were optimized at 65 °C and 200 h−1, respectively. The introduction of HCl into the catalyst with a rate of 3.2 h−1 could reduce CuCl loss by 73.5%, whereas conversion of acetylene was only lowered by 9.0%.

CONCLUSION: Acidity regulation of the anhydrous catalyst by optimising the reaction temperature, acetylene space velocity, and rate of addition of HCl shows little negative effect on acetylene conversion and selectivity to MVA but can reduce CuCl loss significantly. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
In vivo oxygen tension in human septal cartilage increases with age
Authors: Reuther Marsha S. , Briggs Kristen K. , Schumacher Barbara L. , Masuda Koichi , Sah Robert L. , Watson Deborah
Published: June 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

Tissue‐engineered septal cartilage may provide a source of autologous cartilage for repair of nasal defects. Production of clinically useful neocartilage involves multiple steps that include manipulating the culture environment. Partial pressure of oxygen (ppO2) is a property that has been shown to influence cartilage development. Specifically, studies suggest low ppO2 augments in vitro growth of articular cartilage. Although in vivo measurements of articular cartilage ppO2 have demonstrated hypoxic conditions, measurements have not been performed in septal cartilage. The objective of this study was to determine the ppO2 of septal cartilage in vivo.

Study Design:

Prospective, basic science.

Methods:

The ppO2 was measured in 14 patients (mean ± standard deviation age, 35.9 ±14.5 years; range, 18–63 years) during routine septoplasty or septorhinoplasty using the OxyLab pO2 monitor (Oxford Optronix Ltd., Oxford, UK). Measurements were taken from the septum and inferior turbinate. Each patient's age and sex were recorded.

Results:

The average ppO2 measured at the septum and inferior turbinate was 10.5 ± 10.1 mm Hg (1.4 ± 1.3%) and 27.6 ± 12.4 mm Hg (3.6 ± 1.6%), respectively. The ppO2 of these locations was significantly different (P < .005). Advancing age was positively correlated with septal ppO2 (R2 = 0.42; P < .05). Septal ppO2 showed no significant sex variation.

Conclusions:

This is the first report of in vivo measurement of ppO2 in septal cartilage. The data demonstrate reduced oxygenation of septal cartilage relative to the inferior turbinate. This elucidates an important characteristic of the in vivo milieu that can be applied to septal cartilage tissue engineering.
The structures of some typical intrinsic mode functions
Authors: Yang Zhijing , Yang Lihua
Published: June 2012

The empirical mode decomposition is a powerful tool for analyzing nonlinear and nonstationary data. In this method, one of the main conceptual innovations is the introduction of intrinsic mode functions (IMFs), which arise as basic modes from the application of the empirical mode decomposition to signals. The beauty of this decomposition method is in its simplicity, adaptivity, and extraordinary effectiveness in many important and diverse settings. Because of its original algorithmic, recent works have contributed to its theoretical framework. Up to now, it is still challenging questions to establish the mathematical formulation for IMFs and answer whether the instantaneous frequency is always positive everywhere. In view of this, some developments have been made in recent years. Following these works, in this paper, we give the precise mathematical representation and characterization for the structures of some typical IMFs, the so‐called weak‐IMFs and those with constant amplitudes. Some necessary and sufficient conditions of IMFs are provided. Finally, it is answered that the instantaneous frequency of such an IMF is positive everywhere. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Measure transformation and efficient quadrature in reduced‐dimensional stochastic modeling of coupled problems
Authors: Arnst M. , Ghanem R. , Phipps E. , Red‐Horse J.
Published: June 2012

Coupled problems with various combinations of multiple physics, scales, and domains are found in numerous areas of science and engineering. A key challenge in the formulation and implementation of corresponding coupled numerical models is to facilitate the communication of information across physics, scale, and domain interfaces, as well as between the iterations of solvers used for response computations. In a probabilistic context, any information that is to be communicated between subproblems or iterations should be characterized by an appropriate probabilistic representation. Although the number of sources of uncertainty can be expected to be large in most coupled problems, our contention is that exchanged probabilistic information often resides in a considerably lower‐dimensional space than the sources themselves. In this work, we thus propose to use a dimension reduction technique for obtaining the representation of the exchanged information, and we propose a measure transformation technique that allows subproblem implementations to exploit this dimension reduction to achieve computational gains. The effectiveness of the proposed dimension reduction and measure transformation methodology is demonstrated through a multiphysics problem relevant to nuclear engineering. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Randomized controlled trial of CARE: An intervention to improve outcomes of hospitalized elders and family caregivers
Authors: Li Hong , Powers Bethel Ann , Melnyk Bernadette Mazurek , McCann Robert , Koulouglioti Christina , Anson Elizabeth , Smith Joyce A. , Xia Yinglin , Glose Susan , Tu Xin
Published: June 2012

In this randomized controlled trial we tested the efficacy of an intervention program (CARE: Creating Avenues for Relative Empowerment) for improving outcomes of hospitalized older adults and their family caregivers (FCGs). FCG–patient dyads (n = 407) were randomized into two groups. The CARE group received a two‐session empowerment‐educational program 1–2 days post‐admission and 1–3 days pre‐discharge. The attention control group received a generic information program during the same timeframe. Follow‐up was at 2 weeks and 2 months post‐discharge. There were no statistically significant differences in patient or FCG outcomes. However, inconsistent evidence of role outcome differences suggests that CARE may benefit certain FCG subgroups instead of being a one‐size‐fits‐all intervention strategy. Closer examination of CARE's mechanisms and effects is needed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 35:533–549, 2012
Effects of the implementation of a breastfeeding best practice guideline in a Canadian public health agency
Authors: Rempel Lynn A. , McCleary Lynn
Published: June 2012

Several strategies were used to implement a breastfeeding best practice guideline (BPG) in a Canadian public health agency. Nurses surveyed before and 1 year after implementation reported increased BPG‐related knowledge and stronger beliefs regarding breastfeeding duration beyond 1 year. Telephone surveys also were conducted with mothers; 90 before BPG implementation and another cohort of 141 mothers following implementation. Post‐implementation mothers were more knowledgeable about sources of breastfeeding help, obtained more help from public health nurses, and reported more breastfeeding‐related discussion with healthcare providers. Compared to the pre‐implementation cohort, mothers in the post‐implementation cohort who were still breastfeeding at 6 months intended to continue breastfeeding longer. Implementing a breastfeeding BPG can affect breastfeeding‐related experiences at a population level. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health 35:435–449, 2012
Preparation and properties of poly(urethane acrylate) (PUA) and tetrapod ZnO whisker (TZnO‐W) composite films
Authors: Kim Dowan , Lee Yunho , Seo Jongchul , Han Haksoo , Khan Sher Bahadar
Published: June 2012

Tetrapod zinc oxide whiskers (TZnO‐Ws) were successfully synthesized via a thermal oxidation method and confirmed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. A series of poly(urethane acrylate) (PUA)/TZnO‐W composite films with various TZnO‐W contents were prepared via a UV curing method and their physical properties were investigated to understand their possible use as packaging materials. The morphological, thermal, mechanical, antibacterial and barrier properties of the PUA/TZnO‐W composite films were interpreted as a function of TZnO‐W content. The thermal stability, barrier properties and antibacterial properties of the composite films, which were strongly dependent upon their chemical and morphological structure, were enhanced as the TZnO‐W content increased. The oxygen transmission rate and water vapor transmission rate decreased from 614 to 161 cm3 m−2 per day and 28.70 to 28.16 g m−2 per day, respectively. However, the mechanical strength of the films decreased due to the low interfacial interaction and poor dispersion with high TZnO‐W loading. The enhanced barrier properties and good antibacterial properties of the PUA/TZnO‐W composite films indicate that these materials are potentially suitable for many packaging applications. However, further studies are needed to increase the compatibility of polymer matrix and filler. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Nano‐texturing of Transparent Polymers with Plasma Etching: Tailoring Topography for a Low Reflectivity
Authors: Di Mundo Rosa , Troia Mariagrazia , Palumbo Fabio , Trotta Massimo , d'Agostino Riccardo
Published: June 2012

The reflectivity of transparent polymers can be reduced with a proper nanotextured layer on the surface according to the “moth eye” effect. Plasma etching has been proved to be a reliable method to generate self‐organized nanostructures on the surface of various polymers. In the present work this method, directly carried out in one step, has been tested on polycarbonate for application as low reflective transparent material. CF4 and O2 fed plasma processes have been compared at different treatment time. Chemical (X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy), morphological (scanning electron microscopy), and optical (diffuse and specular reflectance, normal and grazing incidence) features have been evaluated. Results indicate that the CF4‐to‐O2 feed ratio significantly affects shape and distribution of the generated structures. O2 plasma, in particular, leads to taller structures with wire‐like aspect and more homogeneous distribution, which are more effective in reducing reflectance with a broadband character (visible and near‐infrared). Treatment duration, which instead affect mainly the dimension scale of the structures, must be tailored in order to control diffuse component of reflectance.

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The Inhibitory Effect of 20(S)‐Protopanaxatriol (ppt) Towards UGT1A1 and UGT2B7
Authors: He Ya‐Jun , Fang Zhong‐Ze , Ge Guang‐Bo , Jiang Peng , Jin Hui‐Zi , Zhang Wei‐Dong , Yang Ling
Published: June 2012

Ginseng, a commonly used natural product, has been frequently reported to induce herb–drug interaction with many clinical drugs. The intestinal bacterial metabolites of ginsenosides have been widely regarded as the substance basis for ginseng–drug interactions. To date, little is known about the inhibitory effect of intestinal bacterial metabolites of ginsenosides towards UDP‐glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). In vitro investigation of the inhibition of 20(S)‐protopanaxatriol (ppt) towards UGT1A1 and UGT2B7 was carried out. The results showed that ppt exhibited strong noncompetitive inhibition towards UGT1A1 and competitive inhibition towards UGT2B7. The inhibition kinetic parameters (Ki) were calculated to be 8.8 and 2.2 μM for UGT1A1 and UGT2B7, respectively. Using the maximum plasma concentration of ppt, the alteration of area under the concentration–time curve was calculated to be 20% and 70% respectively for UGT1A1‐mediated and UGT2B7‐mediated metabolism. However, given that the varied contribution of these two UGT isoforms towards drug metabolism and the influence of herb complexity and individual difference, the explanation of these results should be paid more caution. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Safety Assessment of the Antimalarial Herb Artemisia annua During Pregnancy in Wistar Rats
Authors: Abolaji Amos O. , Eteng Mbeh U. , Ebong Patrick E. , Brisibe Ebiamadon Andi , Dar Ahsana , Kabir Nurul , Choudhary M. Iqbal
Published: June 2012

Artemisia annua is a Chinese antimalarial herb that has been used for more than 2000 years. The maternal and foetal safety of the ethanolic leaf extract of therapeutically active Artemisia annua (EAA), with previously determined artemisinin yield of 1.098% was evaluated in Wistar rats. Twenty pregnant rats, divided into four study groups of saline treated (control), and test groups administered orally with 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg body weights of EAA, respectively, from gestation days (GD) 8 to 19. Following overnight fast, animals were sacrificed on GD 20, and maternal blood was collected to evaluate biochemical and haematological markers. Foetuses were carefully removed, weighed, and observed for any possible malformation. Biochemical and haematological studies revealed that EAA did not result in maternal hepatotoxicity, haematotoxicity, and hyperlipidemia. While litter size significantly decreased (p < 0.05) at 100 mg/kg EAA, maternal estrogen levels decreased in all the EAA‐treated groups. Non‐viable (21%) and malformed (31%) foetuses were observed at the 300 mg/kg dose of EAA, which implies that although consumption of the leaf extract may not predispose users to hepatotoxicity, haematotoxicity, and hyperlipidemia, it should be taken with caution during pregnancy due to possible risk of embryotoxicity at concentrations higher than the therapeutic dose. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Field operation of a robotic small waterplane area twin hull boat for shallow‐water bathymetric characterization
Authors: Kitts Christopher , Mahacek Paul , Adamek Thomas , Rasal Ketan , Howard Vincent , Li Steve , Badaoui Alexi , Kirkwood William , Wheat Geoffrey , Hulme Sam
Published: June 2012

An innovative robotic boat has been developed for performing bathymetric mapping of very shallow coastal, estuarine, and inland waters. The boat uses a small waterplane area twin hull design to provide natural platform stability for a multibeam sonar payload, and a navigation system automatically guides the boat in a “lawn‐mowing” pattern to map a region of interest. Developed in stages over five years as part of a low‐cost student design program, the boat is now operational and is being used to generate science‐quality maps for scientific and civil use; it is also being used as a testbed for evaluating the platform for other types of scientific missions and for demonstrating advanced control techniques. This paper reviews the student‐based development process, describes the design of the boat, presents results from field operations, and reviews plans for future extensions to the system. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Intelligent network security assessment with modeling and analysis of attack patterns
Authors: Kondakci Suleyman
Published: June 2012

This paper presents a new concept for information security assessments while promoting several areas of its application. Threat generation, attack pattern analysis, quantitative risk computation, and network security monitoring locally or remotely are the major application areas of this concept. Instead of testing assets one by one, by applying separate repetitive attacks and assessments, the presented system generates and executes attacks once on a sample group, composes assessment data, and uses the data for the assessment of an entire network. This unique approach can be used as a model to guide the development of tool‐based assessment systems, intelligent network security analysis, monitoring systems, and also as a complementary function in information security test and evaluation laboratories. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Using spline models to estimate the varying health risks from air pollution across Scotland
Authors: Lee Duncan
Published: June 2012

The health risks associated with long‐term exposure to air pollution are often estimated from small‐area data by regressing the numbers of disease cases in each small area against air pollution concentrations and other covariates. The majority of studies in this field only estimate a single health risk for the entire region, whereas in fact the risks in each small area may vary because of differences in the exposure level and the extent to which the population are vulnerable to disease. This paper proposes a natural cubic spline model for estimating these varying health risks, which allows the risks to depend (potentially) non‐linearly on additional risk factors. The methods are implemented within a Bayesian setting, with inference based on Markov chain Monte Carlo simulation. The approach is illustrated by presenting a study based in Scotland, which investigates the relationship between PM10concentrations and respiratory related hospital admissions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rare genetic variants and treatment response: sample size and analysis issues
Authors: Witte John S.
Published: June 2012

Incorporating information about common genetic variants may help improve the design and analysis of clinical trials. For example, if genes impact response to treatment, one can pregenotype potential participants to screen out genetically determined nonresponders and substantially reduce the sample size and duration of a trial. Genetic associations with response to treatment are generally much larger than those observed for development of common diseases, as highlighted here by findings from genome‐wide association studies. With the development and decreasing cost of next generation sequencing, more extensive genetic information — including rare variants — is becoming available on individuals treated with drugs and other therapies. We can use this information to evaluate whether rare variants impact treatment response. The sparseness of rare variants, however, raises issues of how the resulting data should be best analyzed. As shown here, simply evaluating the association between each rare variant and treatment response one‐at‐a‐time will require enormous sample sizes. Combining the rare variants together can substantially reduce the required sample sizes, but require a number of assumptions about the similarity among the rare variants’ effects on treatment response. We have developed an empirical approach for aggregating and analyzing rare variants that limit such assumptions and work well under a range of scenarios. Such analyses provide a valuable opportunity to more fully decipher the genomic basis of response to treatment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Numerical Simulation of Fluid Flow in Bath during Combined Top and Bottom Blowing VOD Refining Process of Stainless Steel
Authors: Wei Ji‐He , Zeng Lin
Published: June 2012

The fluid flow in a bath in combined top and bottom blowing vacuum‐oxygen decarburization (VOD) refining process of stainless steel has numerically been simulated. The three‐dimensional mathematical model used is essentially based on that proposed in our previous work for the flow in combined side and top blowing argon‐oxygen decarburization (AOD) process, but considering the influence of reduced ambient pressure. Applying it to the flow in the bath of a 120 t VOD vessel under the refining conditions, the results present that the model can fairly well simulate and estimate the flow phenomena. The flow pattern of molten steel in the bath with the combined blowing is a composite result under the common action of the jets from a three‐hole Laval top lance and gas bottom blowing streams. The jets have a leading role on it; the molten steel in the whole bath is in vigorous stirring and circulatory motion during the blowing process. The streams do not alter the basic features of the gas agitation and liquid flow, but can evidently change the local flow pattern of the liquid and increase its turbulent kinetic energy to a certain extent. The flow field and turbulent kinetic energy distribution in the combined blowing with three tuyeres are more uniform than those in the blowing with double tuyeres. Increasing properly the tuyere eccentricities is of advantage for improving the velocity and turbulent kinetic energy distributions, the stirring and mixing result in the practical VOD refining process.
Assessment of black carbon radiative effects in climate models
Authors: Feichter Johann , Stier Philip
Published: June 2012

Black carbon (BC) from the burning of fossil fuel and biomass absorbs solar radiation and might intensify the greenhouse gas warming. Therefore, ideas to combat climate warming by reducing black carbon emissions emerged. However, black carbon emissions are generally accompanied by co‐emission of other aerosols that predominantly scatter and have a cooling effect, so that the net forcing is substantially smaller, reducing mitigation potentials. Moreover, indirect effects on clouds are likely to exert additional cooling. As in situ measurements do not sufficiently sample the global atmosphere and satellite data does not provide the necessary detail on aerosol absorption, our only tools to estimate the effect of mitigation are numerical climate models. A review of current model estimates of black carbon radiative effects gives an average estimate of the direct radiative forcing as +0.33 W/m2, indirect effects of −0.11 W/m2 and through BC deposition on snow/ice surfaces of about +0.05 W/m2. A key limitation of these estimates is that the numerical models required for their global quantification are insufficiently constrained by observations. In addition, the comparison of instantaneous forcings generally overestimates the relative importance of black carbon and policy makers should consider alternative metrics, incorporating time‐horizons. WIREs Clim Change 2012 doi: 10.1002/wcc.180

This article is categorized under:

Climate Models and Modeling > Model Components
The European Union challenge: integration of energy, climate, and economic policy
Authors: Lund Peter
Published: June 2012

The European Union (EU), the largest economy in the world, has binding sustainable energy and climate goals for the year 2020. The EU has recently presented a vision of a low‐carbon Europe in 2050, which requires the cutting of carbon emissions by over 80%. This will necessitate increased technology development and market deployment efforts in energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean energy. In addition, such plans need to pay attention to the uneven financial capabilities of the 27 EU member states to undertake such ambitious climate measures. To reach acceptable levels of carbon emissions on a global scale, compensating for economic asymmetries worldwide may require a considerably higher input from Europe as well. The co‐benefits of a proactive European climate policy may be considerable, in particular for economic growth. Achieving these benefits will require greater integration of energy and climate and economic policy, which could form the basis of a green economy in Europe.

This article is categorized under:

Energy and Climate > Economics and Policy

Energy Policy and Planning > Economics and Policy
The influence of sex, gestational age, birth weight, blood transfusion, and timing of the heel prick on the pancreatitis‐associated protein concentration in newborn screening for cystic fibrosis
Authors: Vernooij‐van Langen Annette M. M. , Loeber J. Gerard , Elvers Bert , Triepels Ralf H. , Roefs Jos , Gille Johan J. , Reijntjens Sandra , Dompeling Edward , Dankert‐Roelse Jeannette E.
Published: June 2012

Background

Pancreatitis‐associated protein (PAP) is currently discussed as a marker in newborn screening (NBS) for cystic fibrosis (CF). However, it is not known if PAP concentrations are influenced by sex, gestational age, birth weight, blood transfusion or time of collection and what this would mean for NBS for CF.

Methods

In 2008 all newborns in part of the Netherlands were screened for CF by an IRT/PAP protocol. PAP concentration was determined by the MucoPAP ELISA (DynaBio), which was modified to a Dissociation Enhanced Lanthanide Fluoroimmunoassay (DELFIA) method following a protocol of PerkinElmer.

Results

In healthy newborns, the median PAP concentration was 0.5 μg/l (Interquartile range (IQR 0.3‐0.8) whereas this was 3.2 μg/l (IQR 2.0‐12.5) in CF infants. PAP concentrations were lower in premature infants 0.94 and 0.91 times for 25 to 31 + 6 weeks GA and 32 to 36 + 6 weeks respectively. A higher PAP concentration was observed in low‐birth‐weight infants (<2500 gram)(p = 0.001), per 100 gram birth weight gained the PAP concentration decreased with 0.1 %. PAP levels were higher after a blood transfusion, the 95th percentile increased from 1.3 to 3.6 μg/l leading to a higher false‐positive rate. The PAP concentration increased when newborn screening was performed more than 168 hours (day 7) after birth (β = 1.63), the 95th percentile increased from 1.3‐1.6 μg/l to 4.0 μg/l after 168 hours (72,874 newborns were screened).

Conclusion

Sex, birth weight, and gestational age lead to small differences in PAP concentrations without consequences for the screening algorithm. However, blood transfusion as well as performance of the heel prick after 168 hours (7 days) lead to clinically significant higher PAP levels and to a higher risk on a false‐positive screening test result.
Genetic Counseling Supervisor Competencies: Results of a Delphi Study
Authors: Eubanks Higgins Sonja , Veach Patricia McCarthy , MacFarlane Ian M. , Borders L. DiAnne , LeRoy Bonnie , Callanan Nancy
Published: June 2012

Clinical supervision is a critical component of genetic counseling student preparation, yet empirically‐determined competencies for genetic counseling supervisors are lacking. In this study a modified, two‐round Delphi method was used to gain consensus about important genetic counseling supervisor knowledge, characteristics, and skills. Program directors and assistant directors of American Board of Genetic Counseling accredited genetic counseling programs in North America (N = 33) were invited to participate and to recruit three experienced supervisors. Seventy‐four individuals completed Round 1 and, of these, 61 completed Round 2. Approximately two‐thirds were clinical supervisors from prenatal, pediatrics, cancer, and adult clinics; one‐third were program directors. Participants rated the importance for genetic counseling supervisors of 158 items derived from supervision literature in allied health professions. They rated 142 items (89.9 %) as highly important. Content analysis of these items yielded six supervisor competency domains: Personal traits and characteristics; relationship building and maintenance; student evaluation; student centered supervision; guidance and monitoring of patient care; and ethical and legal aspects of supervision. The results provide a basis for training genetic counseling supervisors and for further research to refine and validate supervisor competencies.
Geometry of expanding absolutely continuous invariant measures and the liftability problem
Authors: Alves José F. , Dias Carla L. , Luzzatto Stefano
Published: June 2012

We show that for a large class of maps on manifolds of arbitrary finite dimension, the existence of a Gibbs–Markov–Young structure (with Lebesgue as the reference measure) is a necessary as well as sufficient condition for the existence of an invariant probability measure which is absolutely continuous measure (with respect to Lebesgue) and for which all Lyapunov exponents are positive.
True Markowitz or assumptions we break and why it matters
Authors: Wilford D. Sykes
Published: June 2012

Markowitz (1952, 1959) underlies modern corporate finance literature, from modern portfolio theory, option theory, to risk management (especially value at risk type methodologies). From it, Diversify has entered all languages, such is its power. Terms such as “the only free lunch” have become a way to give praise to Markowitz work. And, just as with all fundamental breakthroughs in the literature it has been extended many directions, sometimes not necessarily to the benefit of the original work, which often gets blamed when one rendition or another breaks down. With almost every MBA graduated believing they know what Markowitz optimization or portfolio theory means, it behooves us to step back and look at some of the basics, the assumptions that are made, the costs of breaking assumptions, and the potential disasters that can occur when those basics behind all of the theories dependent upon Markowitz' original work are ignored.

This paper lays out many of the basic underlying assumptions behind creation of Markowitz type portfolios, why they matter, and where those assumptions are ignored and/or broken. Breaking model assumptions is common in actual application of theory. Not understanding the implications of broken assumptions is almost a guarantee of failure for a money manager; it is just a matter of time. As one often hears, “Wall Street (or the City if in Europe) is littered with great ideas that do not work in practice.” Some people throw Markowitz and portfolio optimization into that litter bin. We discuss several basic assumptions of modern portfolio theory, when and why they are commonly broken by the best of us in academia and in practice, and discuss the implications for breaking them under trying circumstances.
In Search of Soft Power: Does Foreign Public Opinion Matter for US Foreign Policy?
Authors: Goldsmith Benjamin E. , Horiuchi Yusaku
Published: June 2012

Does “soft power” matter in international relations? Specifically, when the United States seeks cooperation from countries around the world, do the views of their publics about US foreign policy affect the actual foreign policy behavior of these countries? The authors examine this question using multinational surveys covering fifty-eight countries, combined with information about their foreign policy decisions in 2003, a critical year for the US. They draw their basic conceptual framework from Joseph Nye, who uses various indicators of opinion about the US to assess US soft power. But the authors argue that his theory lacks the specificity needed for falsifiable testing. They refine it by focusing on foreign public opinion about US foreign policy, an underemphasized element of Nye's approach. Their regression analysis shows that foreign public opinion has a significant and large effect on troop commitments to the war in Iraq, even after controlling for various hard power factors. It also has significant, albeit small, effects on policies toward the International Criminal Court and on voting decisions in the UN General Assembly. These results support the authors' refined theoretical argument about soft power: public opinion about US foreign policy in foreign countries does affect their policies toward the US, but this effect is conditional on the salience of an issue for mass publics.
Straightforward reconstruction of 3D surfaces and topography with a camera: Accuracy and geoscience application
Authors: James M. R. , Robson S.
Published: June 2012

Topographic measurements for detailed studies of processes such as erosion or mass movement are usually acquired by expensive laser scanners or rigorous photogrammetry. Here, we test and use an alternative technique based on freely available computer vision software which allows general geoscientists to easily create accurate 3D models from field photographs taken with a consumer‐grade camera. The approach integrates structure‐from‐motion (SfM) and multiview‐stereo (MVS) algorithms and, in contrast to traditional photogrammetry techniques, it requires little expertise and few control measurements, and processing is automated. To assess the precision of the results, we compare SfM‐MVS models spanning spatial scales of centimeters (a hand sample) to kilometers (the summit craters of Piton de la Fournaise volcano) with data acquired from laser scanning and formal close‐range photogrammetry. The relative precision ratio achieved by SfM‐MVS (measurement precision: observation distance) is limited by the straightforward camera calibration model used in the software, but generally exceeds 1:1000 (i.e., centimeter‐level precision over measurement distances of 10 s of meters). We apply SfM‐MVS at an intermediate scale, to determine erosion rates along a ∼50‐m‐long coastal cliff. Seven surveys carried out over a year indicate an average retreat rate of 0.70 ± 0.05 m a−1. Sequential erosion maps (at ∼0.05 m grid resolution) highlight the spatiotemporal variability in the retreat, with semivariogram analysis indicating a correlation between volume loss and length scale. Compared with a laser scanner survey of the same site, SfM‐MVS produced comparable data and reduced data collection time by ∼80%.