bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
XXXV.—On the High-Level Shelly Deposits, and their Bearing on the Question of Submergence, with Special Reference to the Recent [Third] Edition of Dr. James Geikie's “Great Ice Age.”
Authors: Bell Dugald
Published: September 2014

D
r
. G
eikie
had intimated that he no longer believed in a “great submergence” of about 1400 feet during the Glacial period, which had been inferred from such high-level shelly “drifts” as those of Moel Tryfaen, in Wales. These, he admitted, were most probably transported to their present position by an ice-sheet. He still, however, believed in a submergence of from 500 to 600 feet, the evidence for which rests on one or two instances of high-level shelly clay in the west and north of Scotland. Indeed, it may be said to rest on only one instance; for the Aberdeenshire “beds,” it was tolerably clear, could not be accepted as proofs of submergence; and another and, till lately, leading instance was in this edition “conspicuous by its absence.” Chapelhall, near Airdrie, which had figured so largely in connection with this subject for forty years, and on which great stress was formerly laid by Dr. Geikie, is now entirely omitted from the “Great Ice Age” without a word of explanation! It seemed unusual to allow one's favourite facts thus to sink out of sight without some brief
In Memoriam
being inserted where they once figured so largely.

But Chapelhall being thus summarily discarded, Clava, near Inverness, which had become known since the previous edition, might be said to be the single instance on which Dr. Geikie had to rest his proof of a submergence of about 500 feet. It was, so to speak, the “a'e button” which had to bear a great
XXIV. The Bearing of Fossil Ichthyology on the Doctrine of Evolution
Authors: Traquair R. H.
Published: September 2014

T
he
lecturer pointed out that it had been urged against the doctrine of descent by Hugh Miller and others that the oldest fossil fishes we know are the remains of creatures of high organisation, and not of a low or primitive type. But we cannot accept the fishes of the Upper Silurian or of the Old Red Sandstone formation as the oldest fishes which ever lived, as the most primitive ancestors of the class of fishes could not have possessed any hard parts which were capable of preservation in a fossil state.

The palæontological record was also very imperfect from other causes, and therefore afforded us only very disjointed glimpses of the history of organic life on the globe. Many anti-evolutionists had not been able to differentiate the idea of highness and lowness of organisation from that of generalisation and specialisation of structure. The old sharks and ganoids of palæozoic times were doubtless more highly organised as animals than the mass of the fishes of the present day, but they were not so specialised as fishes. They were animals of “generalised” structure, having, as it were, the potentialities of higher development in them, and in all probability, the amphibia, and through them the higher vertebrata, had their origin from the palæozoic Crossopterygian ganoid fishes.

Thereafter as the higher vertebrata evolved, the class of fishes became more and more specialised in a direction of their own, while they tended to lose the characters which linked their ancestors and the few surviving
XXV. The Dolerite of Aberdour, with some Speculations on the Origin of Eruptive Rocks in general
Authors: Goodchild J. G.
Published: September 2014

I
n
the course of his remarks the author stated that the dolerite of Hawk Crag, Aberdour, forms a sill which is intrusive in beds belonging to the lower part of the Oil Shales of the Lothians. It shows ophitic structure in its central portions, but passes into basalt or taohylite, where it has been chilled by contact with the cooler rock into which the mass was erupted. Near the more carbonaceous bands the eruptive rock passes into “white trap”—the “white horse” of the miners of the West of Scotland—a phenomenon probably due to the partial reduction of the iron oxides present in the cooling rock effected by the carbonaceous matter. Certain parts of the dolerite interdigitate with strips of the associated rock of sedimentary origin in such a manner as to suggest that here, as in so many other cases, the eruptive rock has replaced portions of the mass.

Many instances in which similar phenomena are to be seen were passed in review in the course of the paper, and Mr. Clough's explanation of these, as due to slow assimilation of the sedimentary rock by the eruptive magma, was referred to at some length. In further explanation of the occurrences in question, it was suggested that the difficulties met with in attempting to account for the behaviour of many intrusive masses, and most especially those of deep-seated origin, might be met by assuming that water charged with alkaline solutions, operating under great pressure, and at temperatures such as that attained
XXXI. The Glacial Phenomena of Loch Ranza Glen, Arran
Authors: Cowie Charles R.
Published: September 2014

S
ome
interesting glacial features of this locality, which do not seem to have been hitherto described, are here noticed.

Loch Ranza Glen is a narrow valley in the N.-W. of Arran, about 1½ miles long, nearly half being occupied by the tidal loch, which opens out into Kilbrannan Sound. The hill of Tor-Nead-an-Eoin, about 1100 feet high, divides the upper part into two glens, Glen Easan Biorach, running S. through the granite, and Glen Chalmadale, E. through the slate. A ridge of rock-debris with angular fragments and boulders, half a mile long and 30 to 40 feet high, and evidently a glacial moraine, lies on the S. side of the glen, behind the farms of Millhill and Milland. At each end it abuts on the hillside, containing a small lochan, the stream from which has breached it. The remains of another moraine, which formerly covered the bottom of the glen, are seen in Glen Easan Biorach, where on both sides they form terraces about 60 feet above the waterfall, and cease a quarter of a mile beyond. They consist almost entirely of granite boulders and debris, the underlying rock being clay-slate, and the steep slope above the burn is locally known as “the landslip.” Another moraine stretches across the mouth of Glen Chalmadale from near the bridge to above Balarrie farmhouse, and covers a much greater surface than the last-mentioned one. A section is exposed in a gravel pit near the road, and another nearly opposite, where the burn has
XXXII. The Silurian Volcanic Rocks of the Southern Uplands of Scotland
Authors: Horne John
Published: September 2014

R
eference
was made at the outset to the great development of volcanic rocks of Arenig age in the Southern Uplands, where they are brought to the surface along the crests of anticlinal folds. The largest area of these rocks now exposed at the surface occurs in the neighbourhood of Ballantrae, Ayrshire, where they consist of a succession of diabase and diabase-porphyrite lavas, tuffs and agglomerates. The age of these volcanic materials is clearly defined by fossiliferous flinty mudstones interstratified with the lavas, and by black graptolitic mudstones in the tuffs and agglomerates near the top. The organisms obtained from these deposits comprise graptolites of Middle Arenig age, and hingeless brachiopods, together with a phyllopod crustacean. The lavas, tuffs and agglomerates of Arenig age, are overlain in Ayrshire and throughout the Uplands by an important zone of radiolarian chert belonging partly to Arenig, and partly to Lower Llandeilo time.

Thereafter the various intrusive igneous rocks associated with the volcanic series of Ballantrae were indicated, which include masses of serpentine, gabbro, epidiorite, dolerite and granite: their relations to each other in the field being in many places obscure. It was shown that towards the close of Llandeilo time the volcanic and plutonic rocks of the Ballantrae region, together with the overlying sediments, were elevated and exposed to denudation, the materials of the Kirkland and Benan conglomerates at the base of the Girvan series having been derived from these older rocks. Thereafter attention was directed to the numerous inliers of Arenig volcanic rocks
XXXIII. Extinct Birds
Authors: Traquair R. H.
Published: September 2014

T
he
lecturer observed that comparative anatomy showed that birds were more nearly allied to reptiles than to mammals, however striking the external differences between them might be. Hence the late Professor Huxley had included birds and reptiles in one common group—the Sauropsida. Evolutionists believed that birds had originated from reptiles, though it was not known from what order of reptiles they were descended. The resemblances between birds and the Pterodactyles, or winged reptiles of the Jurassic epoch, were merely adaptive, but some of the likewise extinct order of Dinosauria had certainly bird-like osteological peculiarities.

It was, however, interesting to know that the oldest known fossil bird—the Archæopteryx of the Upper Jurassic—was more reptile-like than any later bird, inasmuch as it had teeth in its jaws, a less specialised anterior extremity, and the caudal part of the vertebral column was elongated and tapering. The Archæopteryx formed one of the three great divisions into which birds were classed by Huxley—namely, the Saururae, or lizard-tailed; the other two being the Ratitæ, or ostrich-like birds, and the Carinatae, which included the overwhelming majority of living species.

The Ratitæ comprised the Ostrich, the Emu, &c, running birds with degenerate wings, and consequently incapable of flight. Remains referred to Ratitæ have been found in Tertiary strata, but the most complete were those from the more recent accumulations, such as the Æpiornis, or Giant Bird, of Madagascar, eggs of which have been found measuring 14 inches in length; and the huge Moas of New Zealand, some of
XLV. On the Occurrence of Fossil Trees imbedded in Trappean Ash in Arran
Authors: Wünsch Edward A.
Published: September 2014

T
he
Island of Arran must ever remain classical ground to geologists of all schools, and I am happy to be able to call the attention of students to a new feature in its already numerous attractions, by the discovery of many fossil trees on one of its most romantic stretches of sea-shore.

These fossils occur near the base of the Carboniferous series on the north-eastern shores of Arran, and the beds containing them have hitherto been classified by all geological authorities as trap dykes, or eruptive sheets of trap rock; only the facilities for investigation afforded by a long summer’s residence in the neighbourhood, have enabled me to discover their true character. The portion of these beds which I have as yet been able accurately to survey, extends only to about 400 feet along the shore, and in this limited space are comprised no fewer than eleven distinct beds of trappean ash, with numerous sub-divisions of alternate layers of coal, shale, and ash; beds of the same character also extend in both directions along the shore, to probably a thousand feet in thickness. The strata are exposed from a few feet above high-water mark, down to low-water mark (and extend, doubtless, to some distance under it), at an angle of about thirty-seven degrees, with the stems of trees imbedded in them at right angles—proving that the stems have retained the original position in which they once grew on a level plain, and that they have been since upheaved on the
LXVI. On the Silurian Scenery of the Enterkin
Authors: Dougall John
Published: September 2014

T
he
author described the difference between the southern Silurian and Highland types of scenery as very striking. In the former there were no peaked and rugged mountains, like the Cobbler, but an assemblage of hills from 1500 to 2400 feet high, of various forms—oblong, conical, and dome-shaped—apparently isolated, but all connected, and covered with matted grass from base to summit. Another peculiarity was their uniform smoothness. For miles no tree or shrub appeared. The smooth uniformity of these hills leads to the supposition that they have been acted on by some powerful natural agency; for, smooth as they now appear, great irregularities must have formerly existed; because the strata are all greatly disturbed and nearly vertical. The form of the hills seem to indicate that the operating agent was not aqueous. The village of Wanlockhead is about two miles from the noted Leadhills, which is perched on the water shed of the Nith and Clyde valleys. Wanlockhead, or Grey Glen, lies at the top of a broad valley, and at the base of a high hill called “the Dod.” The Wanlock water flows down the valley and joins the Crank, and both flow into the Nith. The strata of this valley consist of Silurian shale very confused, and dipping at all angles and much changed by heat. It is characteristic of these valleys that they suddenly terminate in corries. In a section of shale dipping west at 25° the
graptolites
exhibited were found. For a space of three miles the
LXIX. On some Points in the Surface Geology of the Southern Highlands
Authors: Young John
Published: September 2014

A
fter
a brief recapitulation of the geological features of the great Lower Silurian tract known as the Southern Highlands, and of the relations of the younger palæozoic rocks to its northern border, that is along a line stretching from Girvan to St. Abb’s Head, and to its southern limit, that is a sinuous line from Eyemouth to the mouth of the river Nith, Dr. Young described the general aspect of the scenery between these two approximately parallel lines, and mentioned the local exceptions to its prevailing character.

The points discussed were, the probable periods at which this great Silurian tract had been subjected to denudation, and during which the two systems of drainage, which Mr. Geikie, in his work on the “Scenery and Geology of Scotland,” has termed “longitudinal” and “transverse.” The rock terraces, sometimes spoken of as old beaches, but which were in reality due to erosion by ice, were referred to. The deposits described were—1st, Boulder Clay—(
a
) unstratified, (
b
) stratified; 2nd, The glacier moraines in the Loch Skene and Loch Doon districts; 3rd, The surface wash of the Lammermuir and Peeblesshire hills; 4th, The sands and gravels bordering the district; 5th, The older and newer river alluvium; 6th, The peat mosses, with special reference to Mr. J. Geikie’s paper in the “Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.” A comparison was drawn between the heights to which the moraine-bearing glaciers in the Northern and Southern Highlands have descended, and the difficulty in explaining this difference was pointed out.
XXII. Notes on the Post-Tertiary Deposits of the Carse of Falkirk
Authors: Burns John
Published: September 2014

T
he
author described at considerable length the peculiar characteristics of the deposits of the Carse of Falkirk, giving in detail the variety and extent of these beds, as shown by the numerous bores put down in different parts of the trough or basin, from which it appeared that the depth of these deposits, about the centre of the trough is about 300 feet, and that they decrease very rapidly on either side, showing that at that part the trough is very narrow.

In some places the beds of clay are of immense thickness; in others they are divided by thin beds of gravel and sand.

The variety of these beds indicated the different conditions under which they were deposited, but he believed that in many instances these local changes were direct ocean currents, having set in and washed away the old deposits, leaving their own in the place of those removed.

He exhibited part of the vertebra of a whale, which was found in a bed of clay 9 feet from the surface, and 12 feet above present high water level. He also exhibited a number of shells from the same beds, mostly of a post-tertiary character, which had existed very abundantly towards the close of the glacial epoch. Many of the species are still living in the Forth,—such as
Cardium edule, C. echinatum, Littorina littorea, Ostrea edulis, Buccinum undatum,
&c., &c. Also a few representations of a more Arctic kind, including
Tellina proxima
and
Trophon scalariforme.
In the same
XIV. On some Recently-Exposed Sections in the Paisley Clay-beds, and their Relation to the Glacial Period
Authors: Fraser William
Published: September 2014

A
fter
alluding to the progress which had been made of late years in the study of the glacial deposits, and to several important papers on the subject which had appeared in the Transactions of this Society, Dr. Fraser said he was persuaded that observers in this department were in the way of collecting data which would yet be of the greatest service in discussions as to geological time. He believed that a useful paper in that direction might be given, based on facts that had already been ascertained and classified. At present, however, he avoided these more important general questions, and confined himself to the statement of a few recent observations. The Paisley clays presented the following general order:— (1) Underlying all was the old boulder clay or till, the conditions of which were altogether unfavourable to life. It represented a cold, bleak, and in part tumultuary period. (2) Immediately above this was a laminated clay, whose texture was in every way distinct from the preceding. It was generally shell-less and stone-less, and in many instances beautifully and delicately laminated, the structure being at times so regular as to resemble the edge of a closed book, and specimens kept for a year or two had shown a texture and taken a polish like jasper. (3) Above the laminated clay, which was also useful in brickmaking, there occured a thick bed in which shells of arctic and boreal types were found—
Tellina proxima, Panopæa Norvegica, Pecten islandicus, Cyprina islandica,
and others too
XXXII. Note on a Section of Boulder-clay containing a Bed of Peat
Authors: Dunlop Robert
Published: September 2014

A
bout
two miles east of the town of Airdrie, at Burnhead quarry, there has lately been exposed a section of clay, apparently Boulder-clay. I do not positively assert that it is so until I have made further investigations, and, therefore, I only wish now to make a statement of actual facts which can speak for themselves. Indeed I would not have brought the subject before your notice at all at this time unless I had thought that during the summer months there would be a good opportunity for some of the members to examine the section for themselves, and perhaps decide the question, especially as every one knows that when a section such as this is fresh, it is much better seen than after weathering influences have had an effect on it. I may, however, add that several geologists of note who have visited the quarry have expressed their opinion that the section is true Boulder-clay.

This section of Boulder-clay, containing a bed of peat which was brought to light through a downthrow of the dolerite on the north side of the quarry, is about 12 feet thick, and the Boulder-clay appears to lie both above and below the peat, but as it dips to the north, the thickness cannot be at present ascertained. The peat is 17 inches thick in the section; when split up into layers, as it readily does, it is of a pale-brown colour, but turns of a darker shade when exposed for a few minutes
XIV. Journal of a Bore put down for Water at Thornliebank, Renfrewshire
Authors: Murdoch J. B.
Published: September 2014

M
r
. M
urdoch
said that the bore on which he now wished to make some remarks had recently been put down for water at the works of the Thornliebank Printing Company, Limited, Thornliebank, Renfrewshire, to a depth of 611 feet 6 inches. Through the usual alternation of blaes and fakes, thin beds of sandstone, limestone, and fireclay, the workmen struck first, at a depth of about 200 feet, a post of limestone nearly 7 feet thick, which he believed to be the Arden cement limestone, and, immediately below, a 17-feet bed of white sandstone. Then at 238 feet a heavy mass of sandstone in several posts was reached, its total thickness being above 50 feet, and probably representing the Giffnock sandstones. At a depth of 476 feet another bed of limestone, 7 feet 6 inches thick, was passed, probably the equivalent of the Cowglen, or Index limestone. No further strata of importance were afterwards met with, the coal seams passed through never reaching a thickness of more than a few inches. The object of the bore was not attained, no supply of water of any consequence having been met with, and the work was stopped at the depth above noted. Mr. Murdoch stated that as this bore was, so far as he could ascertain, the first which had been put down in this neighbourhood, he thought it was worthy of mention to the Society and of record in the
Transactions
for future reference.

At the close of the paper Mr. John
Novel Zirconia Surface Treatments for Enhanced Osseointegration: Laboratory Characterization
Authors: Ewais Ola H. , Al Abbassy Fayza , Ghoneim Mona M. , Aboushelib Moustafa N.
Published: September 2014

Purpose. The aim of this study was to evaluate three novel surface treatments intended to improve osseointegration of zirconia implants: selective infiltration etching treatment (SIE), fusion sputtering (FS), and low pressure particle abrasion (LPPA). The effects of surface treatments on roughness, topography, hardness, and porosity of implants were also assessed.Materials and Methods. 45 zirconia discs (19 mm in diameter × 3 mm in thickness) received 3 different surface treatments: selective infiltration etching, low pressure particle abrasion with 30 µm alumina, and fusion sputtering while nontreated surface served as control. Surface roughness was evaluated quantitatively using profilometery, porosity was evaluated using mercury prosimetry, and Vickers microhardness was used to assess surface hardness. Surface topography was analyzed using scanning and atomic force microscopy (α=0.05).Results. There were significant differences between all groups regarding surface roughness (F=1678,P<0.001), porosity (F=3278,P<0.001), and hardness (F=1106.158,P<0.001). Scanning and atomic force microscopy revealed a nanoporous surface characteristic of SIE, and FS resulted in the creation of surface microbeads, while LPPA resulted in limited abrasion of the surface.Conclusion. Within the limitations of the study, changes in surface characteristics and topography of zirconia implants have been observed after different surface treatment approaches. Thus possibilities for enhanced osseointegration could be additionally offered.
Obturator Nerve Injury: An Infrequent Complication of TOT Procedure
Authors: Aydogmus S. , Kelekci S. , Aydogmus H. , Ekmekci E. , Secil Y. , Ture S.
Published: September 2014

Transvaginal mid-urethral slings have become the most preferred surgical treatment option for female stress urinary incontinence. However, various complications have been reported for these operations occurring especially during penetration of the retropubic space. It can negatively affect patient’s quality of life. Early treatment increases the chance of complete normalization of the functions. In this case report we presented a case of obturator nerve damage that was diagnosed and treated at early stage after TOT operation.
Ectodermal Dysplasia Associated with Sickle Cell Disease
Authors: Volpato Luiz Evaristo Ricci , Volpato Maria Carmen Palma Faria , de Carvalhosa Artur Aburad , Palma Vinicius Canavarros , Borges Álvaro Henrique
Published: September 2014

Ectodermal dysplasia and sickle cell anaemia are inherited disorders that affect, respectively, the tissues derived from the embryonic ectoderm and the production of erythrocytes by the bone marrow. The simultaneous occurrence of both disorders is extremely rare. This is a case of both ectodermal dysplasia and sickle cell anaemia reported in a 6-year-old. The patient had been diagnosed with sickle cell anaemia for only six months when he sought treatment presenting with the following: hypotrichosis, dry skin, periocular hyperpigmentation, protruding lips, hypodontia, and morphologically altered teeth. The clinical features combined with his medical history led to the diagnosis of ectodermal dysplasia. Dentists should be prepared to recognise patterns that escape normality to aid in the diagnosis of systemic changes, even in patients with other previous diagnoses.
Optical Fiber-Based Steady State and Fluorescence Lifetime Spectroscopy for Rapid Identification and Classification of Bacterial Pathogens Directly from Colonies on Agar Plates
Authors: Awad Fathi , Ramprasath Chandrasekaran , Mathivanan Narayanasamy , Aruna Prakasa Rao , Ganesan Singaravelu
Published: September 2014

Fluorescence spectroscopy was examined as a potential technique for identification and classification of bacterial pathogens. Colonies of Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhi, and Klebsiella pneumoniae on agar plates were measured directly using a laboratory spectrofluorimeter coupled with optical fiber. Steady state fluorescence spectra were collected following excitation at 280 nm (tryptophan) and 380 nm (NADH). Results showed that fluorescence lifetime decays of tryptophan at 280 nm excitation from the four organisms were best described with triexponential fit and it reveals the existence of different protein conformation. The emission spectroscopy of the four bacteria at 380 nm excitation (NADH) provided better classification (100% of original grouped cases correctly classified and 98.1% of cross-validated grouped cases correctly classified) than that of 280 nm excitation (tryptophan). Our results demonstrated that optical fiber-based fluorescence identification and classification of bacteria is rapid, easy to perform, and of low cost compared to standard methods.
Dynamic Responses of Simply Supported Girder Bridges to Moving Vehicular Loads Based on Mathematical Methods
Authors: Gao Qingfei , Wang Zonglin , Guo Binqiang , Chen Chuang
Published: September 2014

For dynamic responses of highway bridges to moving vehicles, most of studies focused on single‐factor analysis or multifactor analysis based on full factorial design. The defect of the former one is that it has no consideration of interaction effects, while that of the latter one is that it has large calculation. To avoid these defects, simplified theoretical derivations are presented at first; then some numerical simulations based on the proposed method of the orthogonal experimental design in batches have been done by our own program VBCVA. According to simplified theoretical derivations, three factors (κ, γ, and α) are proved as the most important factors to determine dynamic responses. Based on the modal synthesis method, the program VBCVA has been introduced in detail. Then on the basis of the orthogonal experimental design, both main effects and interaction effects are studied. The results show that, for different indices of dynamic responses, the influences of each factor are not the same. Additionally, the interaction effects have proved to be so small that they can be neglected. In the end, this method provides a good way to obtain more rational empirical formulas of the DLA and other dynamic responses, which may be adopted in the revision of codes for design and evaluation.
Enhanced PID Controllers Design Based on Modified Smith Predictor Control for Unstable Process with Time Delay
Authors: Yin Chengqiang , Gao Jie , Sun Qun
Published: September 2014

A two‐degree‐of‐freedom control structure is proposed for a class of unstable processes with time delay based on modified Smith predictor control; the superior performance of disturbance rejection and good robust stability are gained for the system. The set‐point tracking controller is designed using the direct synthesis method; the IMC‐PID controller for disturbance rejection is designed based on the internal mode control design principle. The controller for set‐point response and the controller for disturbance rejection can be adjusted and optimized independently. Meanwhile, the two controllers are designed in the form of PID, which is convenient for engineering application. Finally, simulation examples demonstrate the validity of the proposed control scheme.
Postinduction Supportive Care of Pediatric Acute Myelocytic Leukemia: Should Patients be Kept in the Hospital?
Authors: Inoue Susumu , Khan Isra’a , Mushtaq Rao , Carson Dawn , Saah Elna , Onwuzurike Nkechi
Published: September 2014

Children with AML become profoundly neutropenic while they undergo remission induction chemotherapy. It is unknown whether these children should be kept in the hospital while they are severely neutropenic to prevent life-threatening complications associated with neutropenia and reduce fatality. We at our institution routinely discharge patients after completing remission induction chemotherapy in the presence of profound neutropenia, unless it is clinically contraindicated. We reviewed all AML patients who were consecutively treated at our hospital from 1989 to 2011. Thirteen patients were electively discharged after completion of induction I chemotherapy. Of the 13, 4 died due to relapse or complications of stem cell transplants (not due to neutropenia related complications). Another eight are long term survivors. In this very small series, discharge from the hospital even though patients were severely neutropenic did not adversely affect the survival.
Thermodynamic Properties of La1-xSmxCoO3
Authors: Thakur Rasna , Gaur N. K.
Published: September 2014

We have investigated the bulk modulus and thermal properties of La1-xSmxCoO3 (0≤x≤0.2) at temperatures 1 K≤T≤300 K probably for the first time by incorporating the effect of lattice distortions using the modified rigid ion model (MRIM). The calculated specific heat, thermal expansion, bulk modulus, and other thermal properties reproduce well with the available experimental data, implying that MRIM represents properly the nature of the pure and doped cobaltate. The specific heats are found to increase with temperature and decrease with concentration (x) for the present. The increase in Debye temperature (θD) indicates an anomalous softening of the lattice specific heat because increase in T3-term in the specific heat occurs with the decrease of concentration (x).
Localised Leishmaniasis of Oral Mucosa: Report of an Unusual Clinicopathological Entity
Authors: Passi Deepak , Sharma Sarang , Dutta Shubharanjan , Gupta Chandan
Published: September 2014

The term leishmaniasis comprises of a group of diseases caused by different species of a protozoan called Leishmania. There are three main clinical forms of leishmaniasis: visceral leishmaniasis, cutaneous leishmaniasis, and mucocutaneous leishmaniasis. Exclusive involvement of the mucosa is very rare. We present a case of mucosal leishmaniasis located in the oral cavity. The only manifestation of leishmaniasis disease in the described case was the appearance of an oral lesion. Treatment was provided in the form of antimoniates (oral miltefosine and systemic sodium stibogluconate). A review of literature is made on the subject.
Coupled Fixed Point Theorems with Rational Type Contractive Condition in a Partially OrderedG-Metric Space
Authors: Chakrabarti K.
Published: September 2014

Coupled fixed point theorems for a map satisfying mixed monotone property and a nonlinear, rational type contractive condition are established in a partially orderedG-metric space. The conditions for uniqueness of the coupled fixed point are discussed. We also present results for the existence of coupled coincidence points of two maps.
On Perfect Nash Equilibria of Polymatrix Games
Authors: Belhaiza Slim
Published: September 2014

When confronted with multiple Nash equilibria, decision makers have to refine their choices. Among all known Nash equilibrium refinements, the perfectness concept is probably the most famous one. It is known that weakly dominated strategies of two-player games cannot be part of a perfect equilibrium. In general, this undominance property however does not extend to n-player games (E. E. C. van Damme, 1983). In this paper we show that polymatrix games, which form a particular class of n-player games, verify the undominance property. Consequently, we prove that every perfect equilibrium of a polymatrix game is undominated and that every undominated equilibrium of a polymatrix game is perfect. This result is used to set a new characterization of perfect Nash equilibria for polymatrix games. We also prove that the set of perfect Nash equilibria of a polymatrix game is a finite union of convex polytopes. In addition, we introduce a linear programming formulation to identify perfect equilibria for polymatrix games. These results are illustrated on two small game applications. Computational experiments on randomly generated polymatrix games with different size and density are provided.
Maternal Vitamin D Deficiency and Fetal Programming - Lessons Learned from Humans and Mice
Authors: Reichetzeder Christoph , Chen Hong , Föller Michael , Slowinski Torsten , Li Jian , Chen You-Peng , Lang Florian , Hocher Berthold
Published: September 2014

Background/Aims: Cardiovascular disease partially originates from poor environmental and nutritional conditions in early life. Lack of micronutrients like 25 hydroxy vitamin D3 (25OHD) during pregnancy may be an important treatable causal factor. The present study explored the effect of maternal 25OHD deficiency on the offspring. Methods: We performed a prospective observational study analyzing the association of maternal 25OHD deficiency during pregnancy with birth outcomes considering confounding. To show that vitamin D deficiency may be causally involved in the observed associations, mice were set on either 25OHD sufficient or insufficient diets before and during pregnancy. Growth, glucose tolerance and mortality was analyzed in the F1 generation. Results: The clinical study showed that severe 25OHD deficiency was associated with low birth weight and low gestational age. ANCOVA models indicated that established confounding factors such as offspring sex, smoking during pregnancy and maternal BMI did not influence the impact of 25OHD on birth weight. However, there was a significant interaction between 25OHD and gestational age. Maternal 25OHD deficiency was also independently associated with low APGAR scores 5 minutes postpartum. The offspring of 25OHD deficient mice grew slower after birth, had an impaired glucose tolerance shortly after birth and an increased mortality during follow-up. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates an association between maternal 25OHD and offspring birth weight. The effect of 25OHD on birth weight seems to be mediated by vitamin D controlling gestational age. Results from an animal experiment suggest that gestational 25OHD insufficiency is causally linked to adverse pregnancy outcomes. Since birth weight and prematurity are associated with an adverse cardiovascular outcome in later life, this study emphasizes the need for novel monitoring and treatment guidelines of vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy.
Cardiac and Renal Effects of Atrasentan in Combination with Enalapril and Paricalcitol in Uremic Rats
Authors: Ritter Cynthia , Zhang Sarah , Finch Jane L. , Liapis Helen , Suarez Edu , Ferder Leon , Delmez James , Slatopolsky Eduardo
Published: September 2014

Background/Aims: The search for new therapies providing cardiorenal protection in chronic kidney disease (CKD) has led to treatments that combine conventional renin-angiotensin-aldosterone-system inhibitors with other drugs that exhibit potential in disease management. Methods: In rats made uremic by renal ablation, we examined the effects of addition of the endothelin-A receptor antagonist atrasentan to a previously examined combination of enalapril (angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor) and paricalcitol (vitamin D receptor activator) on cardiac and renal parameters. The effects of the individual and combined drugs were examined after a 3-month treatment. Results: A decrease in systolic blood pressure, serum creatinine and proteinuria, and improvement of renal histology in uremic rats were attributed to enalapril and/or paricalcitol treatment; atrasentan alone had no effect. In heart tissue, individual treatment with the drugs blunted the increase in cardiomyocyte size, and combined treatment additively decreased cardiomyocyte size to normal levels. Perivascular fibrosis was blunted in uremic control rats with atrasentan or enalapril treatment. Conclusions: We found distinct cardiac and renal effects of atrasentan. Combination treatment with atrasentan, enalapril and paricalcitol provided positive effects on cardiac remodeling in uremic rats, whereas combination treatment did not offer further protective effects on blood pressure, proteinuria or renal histology.
Aquaporin-1 Antibody in Neuromyelitis Optica Patients
Authors: Tüzün Erdem , Tzartos John , Ekizoğlu Esme , Stergiou Christos , Zisimopoulou Paraskevi , Çoban Arzu , Shugaiv Erkingül , Türkoğlu Recai , Kürtüncü Murat , Baykan Betül , Tzartos Socrates
Published: September 2014

Background/Methods: To find out the prevalence of aquaporin-antibody (Aqp-Ab) and characterize Aqp-Ab associated clinical features in NMO, Aqp-1 and Aqp-4-Abs were examined using radioimmunoprecipitation and cell-based assays, respectively. Results: Aqp-4 and Aqp-1-Abs were detected in 20/30 and 8/30 NMO patients, respectively. One patient was Aqp-1-Ab single-positive, 13 patients were Aqp-4-Ab single-positive, 7 patients were Aqp-4/Aqp-1-Ab double-positive and 9 patients were seronegative. All double-positive patients had optic neuritis during the first attack. Only 2/29 MS patients and none of the control idiopathic intracranial hypertension patients were Aqp-1-Ab positive. Conclusion: Aqp-1-Ab is usually detected in Aqp-4-Ab positive NMO patients and might be involved in optic neuritis pathogenesis.
Endogenous Endophthalmitis Complicated by Pyogenic Liver Abscess: A Review of 17 Years' Experience at a Single Center
Authors: Lee Jae Young , Kim Kook Hyun
Published: September 2014

Background: Endogenous endophthalmitis is a rare complication of pyogenic liver abscess. It is a devastating intraocular infection which constitutes a vision-threatening emergency. Recently, a significant increase in the incidence of endogenous endophthalmitis associated with pyogenic liver abscess has been reported in East Asia. In this study, the authors investigated the incidence, risk factors, clinical features, and treatment outcomes of endogenous endophthalmitis arising as a complication of pyogenic liver abscess. Methods: The medical records of 8 cases of endogenous endophthalmitis associated with a pyogenic liver abscess treated from 1997 to 2013 at a single tertiary hospital in Korea were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Median patient age was 71.1 ± 9.8 years. The most common underlying disease was diabetes mellitus (4 patients, 50%). Klebsiella pneumoniae was isolated from all patients, and all were treated with intravenous antibiotics including ceftriaxone. Seven patients received an intravitreal injection. Four patients needed additional surgical interventions. Outcomes were generally poor; only 1 patient achieved a slight improvement in visual outcome. Conclusion: Old age, diabetes mellitus, and K. pneumoniae infection could predispose the development of endogenous endophthalmitis in patients with a pyogenic liver abscess. Physicians should pay attention to ocular symptoms as early diagnosis and intensive treatment are required to achieve improvements in visual outcome.
WRF–SBM Simulations of Melting-Layer Structure in Mixed-Phase Precipitation Events Observed during LPVEx
Authors: Iguchi Takamichi , Matsui Toshihisa , Tao Wei-Kuo , Khain Alexander P. , Phillips Vaughan T. J. , Kidd Chris , L’Ecuyer Tristan , Braun Scott A. , Hou Arthur
Published: September 2014

Two mixed-phase precipitation events were observed on 21 September and 20 October 2010 over the southern part of Finland during the Light Precipitation Validation Experiment (LPVEx). These events have been simulated using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model coupled with spectral bin microphysics (WRF–SBM). The detailed ice-melting scheme with prognosis of the liquid water fraction during melting enables explicit simulation of microphysical properties in the melting layer. First, the simulations have been compared with C-band 3D radar measurements for the purpose of evaluating the overall profiles of cloud and precipitation. The simulation has some artificial convective patterns and errors in the forecast displacement of the precipitation system. The overall overestimation of reflectivity is consistent with a bias toward the range characterized by large-diameter droplets in the surface drop size distribution. Second, the structure of the melting bands has been evaluated against vertically pointing K-band radar measurements. A peak in reflectivity and a gradual change in Doppler velocity are observed and similarly simulated in the common temperature range from approximately 0° to 3°C. The effectiveness of the time-dependent melting scheme has been justified by intercomparison with a corresponding simulation using an instantaneous melting scheme. A weakness of the new melting scheme is that melting particles having high liquid water fractions on the order of 80%–90% cannot be simulated. This situation may cause underestimation of radar reflectivity in the melting layer because of the assumptions of melting-particle structure used to calculate the scattering properties.
Quantifying the Effects of Long-Term Climate Change on Tropical Cyclone Rainfall Using a Cloud-Resolving Model: Examples of Two Landfall Typhoons in Taiwan
Authors: Wang Chung-Chieh , Lin Bo-Xun , Chen Cheng-Ta , Lo Shih-How
Published: September 2014

To quantify the effects of long-term climate change on typhoon rainfall near Taiwan, cloud-resolving simulations of Typhoon (TY) Sinlaku and TY Jangmi, both in September 2008, are performed and compared with sensitivity tests where these same typhoons are placed in the climate background of 1950–69, which is slightly cooler and drier compared to the modern climate of 1990–2009 computed using NCEP–NCAR reanalysis data.

Using this strategy, largely consistent responses are found in the model although only two cases are studied. In control experiments, both modern-day typhoons yield more rainfall than their counterpart in the sensitivity test using past climate, by about 5%–6% at 200–500 km from the center for Sinlaku and roughly 4%–7% within 300 km of Jangmi, throughout much of the periods simulated. In both cases, the frequency of more-intense rainfall (20 to >50 mm h−1) also increases by about 5%–25% and the increase tends to be larger toward higher rain rates. Results from the water budget analysis, again quite consistent between the two cases, indicate that the increased rainfall from the typhoons in the modern climate is attributable to both a moister environment (by 2.5%–4%) as well as, on average, a more active secondary circulation of the storm. Thus, a changing climate may already have had a discernible impact on TC rainfall near Taiwan. While an overall increase in TC rainfall of roughly 5% may not seem large, it is certainly not insignificant considering that the long-term trend observed in the past 40–50 yr, whatever the causes might be, may continue for many decades in the foreseeable future.
Ensemble Simulations and Pullback Attractors of a Periodically Forced Double-Gyre System
Authors: Pierini Stefano
Published: September 2014

A primitive equation ocean model has recently reproduced with reasonable realism the synchronization between the North Pacific Oscillation and the last two Kuroshio Extension decadal cycles observed from altimetry. However, the timing of the cycles is imperfect: could a different model initialization improve this fundamental aspect of the phenomenon? Ensemble simulations stemming from many initial conditions should be carried out to answer this question, but doing that with a primitive equation model is highly computationally expensive. A preliminary analysis is therefore performed here with a nonlinear low-order ocean model, which identifies a significant paradigm of intrinsic oceanic double-gyre low-frequency variability. The chaotic pullback attractors of the periodically forced model are first recognized to be periodic and cycloergodic. Two parameters are then introduced to analyze the topological structure of the pullback attractors as a function of the forcing period; their joint use allows one to identify four forms of sensitivity to initialization corresponding to different system behaviors. The model response under periodic forcing turns out to be, in most cases, very sensitive to initialization. Implications concerning the primitive equation model are finally discussed.
The Vertical Vorticity Structure within a Squall Line Observed during BAMEX: Banded Vorticity Features and the Evolution of a Bowing Segment
Authors: Wakimoto Roger M. , Stauffer Phillip , Lee Wen-Chau
Published: September 2014

A quasi-linear convective line with a trailing stratiform region developed during the Bow Echo and Mesoscale Convective Vortex Experiment (BAMEX) while being sampled by two airborne Doppler radars. The finescale reflectivity and Doppler velocities recorded by the radars documented the evolution of the convective line. Bands of positive and negative vertical vorticity oriented parallel to the convective line were resolved in the analysis. This type of structure has rarely been reported in the literature and appears to be a result of the tilting and subsequent stretching of ambient horizontal vorticity produced by the low-level wind shear vector with a significant along-line component. The radar analysis also documented the evolution of an embedded bow echo within the convective line. Embedded bow echoes have been documented for a number of years; however, a detailed analysis of their kinematic structure has not been previously reported in the literature. The counterrotating circulation patterns that are characteristic of bow echoes appeared to be a result of tilting and stretching of the horizontal vorticity produced in the cold pool. The analysis suggests that the location along the convective line where embedded bow echoes form depends on the local depth of the cold pool. The rear-inflow jet is largely driven by the combined effects of the counterrotating vortices and the upshear-tilted updraft.
Kashmir: the forgotten conflict
Authors: Geelani Gowhar
Published: September 2014

The author, a Kashmiri journalist, contemplates how Kashmir is being publicly portrayed. Though atrocities like the Holocaust are quite rightly memorialised for their horror, the world ignores the Kashmir conflict despite its 80,000 dead, 6,000 mass and unmarked graves, and thousands of disappeared youth – post resistance of 1989. And while provocations like the execution of Mohammad Afzal Guru and other oppressive tactics by India are still radicalising new sections of Kashmiri youth, India publicly promotes the notion of a Kashmir at peace whilst never accepting its role in human rights abuses. Who, asks the author, will tell Kashmir’s story? Who will memorialise the atrocities it has suffered?
Asylum seekers’ Occupy movement in Hong Kong
Authors: Vecchio Francesco , Beatson Cosmo
Published: September 2014

This piece offers preliminary reflections on the theoretical justification of a highly organised protest staged against the non-profit organisation contracted by the Hong Kong Government to provide asylum seekers with humanitarian assistance. In so doing, it reveals the central role played by asylum seekers reacting to border policies and practices that cause their immiseration.