bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimation of the dietary nutrient profile of free-roaming feral cats: possible implications for nutrition of domestic cats
Authors: Plantinga Esther A. , Bosch Guido , Hendriks Wouter H.
Published: October 2011

Cats are strict carnivores and in the wild rely on a diet solely based on animal tissues to meet their specific and unique nutritional requirements. Although the feeding ecology of cats in the wild has been well documented in the literature, there is no information on the precise nutrient profile to which the cat's metabolism has adapted. The present study aimed to derive the dietary nutrient profile of free-living cats. Studies reporting the feeding habits of cats in the wild were reviewed and data on the nutrient composition of the consumed prey items obtained from the literature. Fifty-five studies reported feeding strategy data of cats in the wild. After specific exclusion criteria, twenty-seven studies were used to derive thirty individual dietary nutrient profiles. The results show that feral cats are obligatory carnivores, with their daily energy intake from crude protein being 52 %, from crude fat 46 % and from N-free extract only 2 %. Minerals and trace elements are consumed in relatively high concentrations compared with recommended allowances determined using empirical methods. The calculated nutrient profile may be considered the nutrient intake to which the cat's metabolic system has adapted. The present study provides insight into the nutritive, as well as possible non-nutritive aspects of a natural diet of whole prey for cats and provides novel ways to further improve feline diets to increase health and longevity.
Factors that modify the effect of excess calcium on skeletal development in puppies
Authors: Dobenecker Britta
Published: October 2011

Developmental skeletal problems are often connected to mistakes in feeding, i.e. a deficiency or excess supply of nutrients, especially minerals. The energy consumption, the resulting growth intensity and the breed of animals are also known as factors that influence developmental orthopaedic diseases. In most clinical trials, excess Ca was connected to alterations in normal, healthy skeletal development, which led to severe clinical symptoms in some dogs, subclinical changes in the radiographic or histological examinations in other animals, or even no observable symptoms. These results correspond to practical experience in the field of clinical nutrition consultation, since excess Ca has been shown to have various impacts in growing dogs. The present review of results published in the literature and from my own trials led to the hypothesis that P is an important co-factor that can alleviate or aggravate the development of skeletal problems in growing dogs.
Whole-body amino acid composition of adult fancy ranchu goldfish (Carassius auratus)
Authors: Snellgrove Donna L. , Alexander Lucille G.
Published: October 2011

Aqua feeds should be formulated to provide complete and balanced nutrition to achieve optimal health and growth in fish, including adequate levels of essential amino acids (EAA). There are few or no data relating to the EAA requirements for ornamental fish species, with the majority of quantitative data for these nutrients being available for commercially farmed fish. The determination of EAA requirements is usually established through dose–response studies, which can be costly and time consuming, especially if determining the requirement for many amino acids (AA). An alternative method for predicting the EAA of fish, which is also relatively fast and inexpensive, is the assessment of whole-body AA composition. A total of eight goldfish with a mean wet weight of 34·2 (sem 1·4) g were obtained as a result of a routine cull by breeders. The fish were freeze-dried and AA was content analysed by hydrolysis or performic ‘acid’ oxidation. EAA values ranged between 0·97 (sem 0·02) for tryptophan and 7·9 (sem 0·14) for lysine (g/100 g AA). Compositional data were also used to estimate the essential amino acid ratios of these fish. The findings are in agreement with those for juvenile common goldfish, suggesting that there are no differences in whole-body AA composition between juvenile and adult, or fancy and common goldfish. However, these indices do not provide a quantitative total amount of each AA required by the fish, but can be used proportionally to provide guidelines to formulate diets for ornamental species.
Influence of different levels and sources of resistant starch on faecal quality of dogs of various body sizes
Authors: Goudez Raphaël , Weber Mickael , Biourge Vincent , Nguyen Patrick
Published: October 2011

In dry-extruded canine diets, starch ileal digestibility varies with the starch source, amount and processing parameters. Starch that escapes duodeno-ileal digestion can affect faecal quality by stimulating colonic bacterial fermentation. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of various resistant starch (RS) sources and levels on the faecal score of dogs of different breeds and sizes. A total of twenty-one healthy adult female dogs (body weight ranging 5·0–30·6 kg) were used. The maintenance diet for the dogs was supplemented with increasing amounts of RS from two sources: high-amylose starch from maize (to 2·5, 4·3 and 7·4 % RS) and raw potato starch (to 7·4 and 11·4 % RS). Each level of RS was tested over a 7 d period followed by a 7 d washout period. Faecal scores were evaluated by one person using a scale ranging from 1 (for hard and dry faeces) to 5 (for liquid stools). Faeces were considered ‘optimal’ at scores of 2·5–3·0, ‘acceptable’ at scores of 3·0–3·75 and ‘unacceptable’ at scores >3·75. Small dogs showed very little sensitivity to RS based on the faecal score, while large dogs were quite responsive to RS supplementation. These results suggest that small dogs are poor models for assessing the effect of starch sources on ileal digestibility. They also indicate that a low RS content (strongly affected by source and processing) is an important factor for ensuring an optimal faecal score in large breed dogs.
The WikiLeaks Arctic cables
Authors: Dodds Klaus J.
Published: October 2011

This note considers some of the WikiLeaks Arctic cables, and their possible implications for how we might understand the framing of the region. What matters is not so much the content of the leaked cables but rather the way in which their release stirred up debate about the underlying behaviour and motivation of interested parties, especially the Arctic Ocean coastal states. Their existence in the public domain usefully highlights the potential role for new knowledge networks and actors in the www era.
Three-dimensional information exchange over the semantic web for the domain of architecture, engineering, and construction
Authors: Pauwels Pieter , Van Deursen Davy , De Roo Jos , Van Ackere Tim , De Meyer Ronald , Van de Walle Rik , Van Campenhout Jan
Published: October 2011

Three-dimensional (3-D) geometry can be described in many ways, with both a varying syntax and a varying semantics. As a result, several very diverse schemas and file formats can be deployed to describe geometry, depending on the application domain in question. In a multidisciplinary domain such as the domain of architecture, engineering, and construction, this range of specialized schemas makes file format conversions inevitable. The approach adopted by current conversion tools, however, often results in a loss of information, most often due to a “mistranslation” between different syntaxes and/or semantics, leading to errors and limitations in the design conception stage and to inefficiency due to the required remodeling efforts. An approach based on semantic web technology may reduce the loss of information significantly, leading to an improved processing of 3-D information and hence to an improved design practice in the architecture, engineering, and construction domain. This paper documents our investigation of the nature of this 3-D information conversion problem and how it may be encompassed using semantic web technology. In an exploratory double test case, we show how the specific deployment of semantic rule languages and an appropriate inference engine are to be adopted to improve this 3-D information exchange. It shows how semantic web technology allows the coexistence of diverse descriptions of the same 3-D information, interlinked through explicit conversion rules. Although only a simple example is used to document the process, and a more in-depth investigation is needed, the initial results indicate the suggested approach to be a useful alternative approach to obtain an improved 3-D information exchange.
Self-generation Enhances Verbal Recall in Individuals Infected with HIV
Authors: Weber Erica , Woods Steven Paul , Kellogg Emily , Grant Igor , Basso Michael R. ,   The HIV Neurobehavioral Research Program (HNRP) Group
Published: October 2011

Despite the prevalence of HIV-associated episodic memory impairment and its adverse functional impact, there are no empirically validated cognitive rehabilitation strategies for HIV-infected persons. The present study examined the self-generation approach, which is theorized to enhance new learning by elaborating and deepening encoding. Participants included 54 HIV-infected and 46 seronegative individuals, who learned paired word associates in both self-generated and didactic encoding experimental conditions. Results revealed main effects of HIV serostatus and encoding condition, but no interaction. Planned comparisons showed that both groups recalled significantly more words learned in the self-generation condition, and that HIV+ individuals recalled fewer words overall compared to their seronegative counterparts at delayed recall. Importantly, HIV+ participants with clinical memory impairment evidenced similar benefits of self-generation compared to unimpaired HIV+ subjects. Self-generation strategies may improve verbal recall in individuals with HIV infection and may, therefore, be an appropriate and potentially effective cognitive rehabilitation tool in this population. (JINS, 2012, 18, 128–133)
The Effects of Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury on Verbal and Visual-Spatial Working Memory
Authors: Gorman Stephanie , Barnes Marcia A. , Swank Paul R. , Prasad Mary , Ewing-Cobbs Linda
Published: October 2011

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) on verbal and visual-spatial working memory (WM). WM tasks examined memory span through recall of the last item of a series of stimuli. Additionally, both verbal and visual-spatial tests had a dual-task condition assessing the effect of increasing demands on the central executive (CE). Inhibitory control processes in verbal WM were examined through intrusion errors. The TBI group (n= 73) performed more poorly on verbal and visual-spatial WM tasks than orthopedic-injured children (n= 30) and non-injured children (n= 40). All groups performed more poorly on the dual-task conditions, reflecting an effect of increasing CE load. This effect was not greater for the TBI group. There were no group differences in intrusion errors on the verbal WM task, suggesting that problems in WM experienced by children with TBI were not primarily due to difficulties in inhibitory control. Finally, injury-related characteristics, namely days to follow commands, accounted for significant variance in WM performance, after controlling for relevant demographic variables. Findings suggest that WM impairments in TBI are general rather than modality-specific and that severity indices measured over time are better predictors of WM performance than those taken at a single time point. (JINS, 2012,18, 29–38)
Reading Based IQ Estimates and Actual Premorbid Cognitive Performance: Discrepancies in a College Athlete Sample
Authors: Rabinowitz Amanda R. , Arnett Peter A.
Published: October 2011

The present study sought to evaluate the Wechsler Test of Adult Reading (WTAR) Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ) estimate as an index of premorbid ability in a sample 574 of healthy college athletes participating in a sports concussion management program. We compared baseline neuropsychological test performance with the WTAR FSIQ estimate obtained at baseline. Results revealed that the discrepancy between actual neuropsychological test scores and the WTAR FSIQ estimate was greatest for those with estimated FSIQs greater than 107. The clinical implication of this finding was evaluated in the 51 participants who went on to sustain a concussion. For individuals with higher IQ estimates, the WTAR estimate obtained post-concussion suggested greater post-concussion decline than that indicated by comparison with actual baseline neuropsychological performance. (JINS, 2012,18, 139–143)
Willingness to pay, borrow, and work for rural water service improvements in developing countries
Authors: Abramson Adam , Becker Nir , Garb Yaakov , Lazarovitch Naftali
Published: October 2011

In many least developed countries, inadequate user willingness to pay (WTP) to achieve cost recovery for improvements to substandard rural water services is a major barrier to reaching targets such as the Millennium Development Goals. A meta‐analysis of 21 contingent valuation studies conducted in least developed countries reveals that cost recovery from user demand is infeasible in most cases, and that rural areas are especially unwilling to pay enough to finance water service improvements. We argue that this is largely due to inability to pay cash rather than an absence of demand and propose two alternative financing approaches that may enable capital deficient communities to afford improvements. A discrete choice experiment, conducted in a rural catchment of Zambia, compares conventional cash‐based WTP for different water service attributes with two alternative measures. (1) Willingness to borrow: Monthly payments in cash, with a no‐interest loan given to the user. (2) Willingness to work: Instead of cash, payment in the form of contributing time devoted to unskilled labor. To different degrees, these alternatives elicit higher demand and enable cost recovery, providing evidence that demand‐driven, economically sustainable water development efforts, as described here for Simango, Zambia, may be implemented for rural, resource‐poor communities.
Cultured Astrocytes do not Release Adenosine during Hypoxic Conditions
Authors: Fujita Takumi , Williams Erika K , Jensen Tina K , Smith Nathan A , Takano Takahiro , Tieu Kim , Nedergaard Maiken
Published: October 2011

Recent reports based on a chemiluminescent enzymatic assay for detection of adenosine conclude that cultured astrocytes release adenosine during mildly hypoxic conditions. If so, astrocytes may suppress neural activity in early stages of hypoxia. The aim of this study was to reevaluate the observation using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The HPLC analysis showed that exposure to 20 or 120 minutes of mild hypoxia failed to increase release of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP), adenosine monophosphate (AMP), and adenosine from cultured astrocytes. Similar results were obtained using a chemiluminescent enzymatic assay. Moreover, since the chemiluminescent enzymatic assay relies on hydrogen peroxide generation, release of free-radical scavengers from hypoxic cells can interfere with the assay. Accordingly, adenosine added to samples collected from hypoxic cultures could not be detected using the chemiluminescent enzymatic assay. Furthermore, addition of free-radical scavengers sharply reduced the sensitivity of adenosine detection. Conversely, use of a singlestep assay inflated measured values due to the inability of the assay to distinguish adenosine and its metabolite inosine. These results show that cultured astrocytes do not release adenosine during mild hypoxia, an observation consistent with their high resistance to hypoxia.
ADP-ribose polymers localized on Ctcf–Parp1–Dnmt1 complex prevent methylation of Ctcf target sites
Authors: Zampieri Michele , Guastafierro Tiziana , Calabrese Roberta , Ciccarone Fabio , Bacalini Maria G. , Reale Anna , Perilli Mariagrazia , Passananti Claudio , Caiafa Paola
Published: October 2011

PARylation [poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation] is involved in the maintenance of genomic methylation patterns through its control of Dnmt1 [DNA (cytosine-5)-methyltransferase 1] activity. Our previous findings indicated that Ctcf (CCCTC-binding factor) may be an important player in key events whereby PARylation controls the unmethylated status of some CpG-rich regions. Ctcf is able to activate Parp1 [poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase 1], which ADP-ribosylates itself and, in turn, inhibits DNA methylation via non-covalent interaction between its ADP-ribose polymers and Dnmt1. By such a mechanism, Ctcf may preserve the epigenetic pattern at promoters of important housekeeping genes. The results of the present study showed Dnmt1 as a new protein partner of Ctcf. Moreover, we show that Ctcf forms a complex with Dnmt1 and PARylated Parp1 at specific Ctcf target sequences and that PARylation is responsible for the maintenance of the unmethylated status of some Ctcf-bound CpGs. We suggest a mechanism by which Parp1, tethered and activated at specific DNA target sites by Ctcf, preserves their methylation-free status.
Surface structure, morphology, and growth mechanism of Fe3O4/ZnO thin films
Authors: Paul M. , Kufer D. , Müller A. , Ruff A. , Kamp M. , Ingle N. J. C. , Sing M. , Claessen R.
Published: October 2011

We have investigated the growth mechanism and surface structure of magnetite (Fe3O4) films grown on semiconducting ZnO substrates. Growth proceeds in a wetting layer plus island-mode and a later coalescence of islands, as was verified by electron diffraction, topography measurements of the surface, and the investigation of the microstructure. The typical (111) surface diffraction pattern magnetite is observed already at the early island growth stage. Due to the island-like growth mode, domain boundaries form upon coalescence of the islands. Twin boundaries have been evidenced between neighboring domains. Island growth enables partial relaxation of the misfit strain.
Fourfold nanosystems for quaternary storage devices
Authors: Blachowicz T. , Ehrmann A.
Published: October 2011

In nano-magnetic coupled systems of wires, pronounced magnetization steps in the hysteresis loops have been found by micromagnetic simulations. The steps can be attributed to stable intermediate states, similar to flux-closed vortex states in ferromagnetic nano-rings. Due to the fourfold anisotropy of the system of four crossed nanowires, these states can be distinguished even by measuring the magnetization of the whole system, giving rise to four separated states without application of external magnetic field. Opposite to actual trials with nano-rings or layered structures, no additional method of symmetry breaking is necessary. Such an easily created system can be utilized, e.g., in quaternary (four states, i.e., two bits per magnetic nano-object) magnetic storage applications.
A compact P-band coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator with only three periods slow wave structure
Authors: Gao Liang , Qian Bao-Liang , Ge Xing-Jun
Published: October 2011

A compact P-band coaxial relativistic backward wave oscillator (BWO) with only three periods slow wave structure (SWS) is investigated both theoretically and numerically. The characteristics of the coaxial SWS are analyzed when the SWS is changed from the structure with only outer conductor ripple to the structure with both inner and outer conductor ripples. It is found that the existence of the inner conductor ripple can reduce the period length of coaxial SWS to maintain the same operating frequency of the BWO and can largely increase the temporal growth rate and the spatial growth rate of the device. Then, the effects of SWS period numbers on the generation of the microwave in the P-band relativistic BWO are studied by PIC simulations. The results show that three periods SWS cannot only make the device more compact but also has a wide region of single-frequency operation and relatively large efficiency and output power in a wide range of the diode voltage. Typical simulation results show that, with a 585 kV and 7.85 kA electron beam guided by a 0.8 T solenoidal field, the microwave of 1.65 GW is generated at the frequency of 900 MHz, and the interaction efficiency is about 36%. Compared with the conventional P-band coaxial relativistic BWO with five periods SWS, the axial length of the SWS is reduced by about one half, which is only 38.4 cm, and the saturation time of the microwave signal is reduced by about 10 ns.
Step-edge faceting and local metallization of a single-wall semiconducting carbon nanotube
Authors: Clair Sylvain , Kim Yousoo , Kawai Maki
Published: October 2011

The adsorption of a single-wall carbon nanotube on a well-defined metal surface produces substantial mutual interaction that can lead to strong effects both on the nanotube and on the substrate side. We report two kinds of step faceting on Au(111) and Cu(111). We observed local metallization of a semiconducting nanotube induced by the deformation pressure of crossing a step edge on Cu(111). The origin of this effect is discussed. Our results illustrate the complexity and the large number of situations encountered for the nanotube-on-metal system.
Effects of tapering structures on the characteristics of a coaxial-waveguide gyrotron backward-wave oscillator
Authors: Hung C. L. , Chang T. H. , Yeh Y. S.
Published: October 2011

This study analyzes the characteristics of a gyrotron backward-wave oscillator (gyro-BWO) with a longitudinally tapered coaxial-waveguide by using a single-mode, self-consistent nonlinear code. Simulation results indicate that although tapering the inner wall or the outer wall can significantly raise the start-oscillation current, the former is more suitable for mode selection than the latter because an increase of the start-oscillation current by a tapered inner wall heavily depends on the chosen C¯ value (i.e., the average ratio of the outer radius to the inner radius over the axial waveguide length). Selective suppression of the competing mode by tapering the inner wall is numerically demonstrated. Moreover, efficiency of the coaxial gyro-BWO is increased by tapering the outer wall. Properly down-tapering the outer wall ensures that the coaxial gyro-BWO can reach a maximum efficiency over twice that with a uniform one.
Defect detection in nano-scale transistors based on radio-frequency reflectometry
Authors: Villis B. J. , Orlov A. O. , Jehl X. , Snider G. L. , Fay P. , Sanquer M.
Published: October 2011

Radio-frequency reflectometry in silicon single-electron transistors (SETs) is presented. At low temperatures (<4 K), in addition to the expected Coulomb blockade features associated with charging of the SET dot, quasi-periodic oscillations are observed that persist in the fully depleted regime where the SET dot is completely empty. A model, confirmed by simulations, indicates that these oscillations originate from charging of an unintended floating gate located in the heavily doped polycrystalline silicon gate stack. The technique used in this experiment can be applied for detailed spectroscopy of various charge defects in nanoscale SETs and field effect transistors.
Narrow band defect luminescence from Al-doped ZnO probed by scanning tunneling cathodoluminescence
Authors: Likovich Edward M. , Jaramillo Rafael , Russell Kasey J. , Ramanathan Shriram , Narayanamurti Venkatesh
Published: October 2011

We present an investigation of optically active near-surface defects in sputtered Al-doped ZnO films using scanning tunneling microscope cathodoluminescence (STM-CL). STM-CL maps suggest that the optically active sites are distributed randomly across the surface and do not correlate with the granular topography. In stark contrast to photoluminescence results, STM-CL spectra show a series of sharp, discrete emissions that characterize the dominant optically active defect, which we propose is an oxygen vacancy. Our results highlight the ability of STM-CL to spectrally fingerprint individual defects and contribute to understanding the optical properties of near-surface defects in an important transparent conductor.
The electronic structure of co-sputtered zinc indium tin oxide thin films
Authors: Carreras Paz , Gutmann Sebastian , Antony Aldrin , Bertomeu Joan , Schlaf Rudy
Published: October 2011

Zinc indium tin oxide (ZITO) transparent conductive oxide layers were deposited via radio frequency (RF) magnetron co-sputtering at room temperature. A series of samples with gradually varying zinc content was investigated. The samples were characterized with x-ray and ultraviolet photoemission spectroscopy (XPS, UPS) to determine the electronic structure of the surface. Valence and conduction bands maxima (VBM, CBM), and work function were determined. The experiments indicate that increasing Zn content results in films with a higher defect rate at the surface leading to the formation of a degenerately doped surface layer if the Zn content surpasses ∼50%. Furthermore, the experiments demonstrate that ZITO is susceptible to ultraviolet light induced work function reduction, similar to what was earlier observed on ITO and TiO2 films.
Hamiltonian field theory of ferrohydrodynamics
Authors: Felderhof B. U. , Sokolov V. V. , Éminov P. A.
Published: October 2011

A Hamiltonian field theory of ferrohydrodynamics is derived, with dissipation included by use of a Rayleigh dissipation function. It is shown that kinematic assumptions on the behavior of magnetization under displacements of a volume element of fluid leave a certain freedom in the construction of dynamical equations describing the time-dependence of mass density, flow velocity, entropy density, magnetization, and spin density. The convective behavior of magnetization may be characterized by two dimensionless coefficients.
Ion impact crater asymmetry determines surface ripple orientation
Authors: Hossain M. Z. , Das K. , Freund J. B. , Johnson H. T.
Published: October 2011

Ion bombardment causes surface instabilities on a range of materials including metals, semiconductors, and insulators. However, the proposed mechanisms for these instabilities have yet to explain the rich range of nanometer-scale patterns that are observed experimentally. Here we show that smoothing balanced by impact angle dependent mass redistribution explains the atomistic origin of ripple formation and orientation, particularly angle dependent transitions between different orientations. A competition between the mass accumulated on the surface and the hole created on the surface determines the orientation of ripples. Results are consistent with experimental observations for a range of ions, ion energies, and targets.
110 GHz measurement of large-area graphene integrated in low-loss microwave structures
Authors: Skulason H. S. , Nguyen H. V. , Guermoune A. , Sridharan V. , Siaj M. , Caloz C. , Szkopek T.
Published: October 2011

We report high-frequency scattering parameter measurement of large-area monolayer graphene integrated on low-loss quartz substrates. High-quality graphene was grown by chemical vapour deposition on copper, chemically hole doped, and transferred to quartz. Microwave measurements were performed from 0.01 to 110 GHz. Simple microwave models were used to extract graphene impedance parameters. We find that contact resistance is effectively shunted above 3 GHz. Atomically thin large area graphene behaves as a wideband resistor with negligible kinetic inductance and negligible skin effect.
Mn segregation in Ge/Mn5Ge3 heterostructures: The role of surface carbon adsorption
Authors: Dau Minh-Tuan , Thanh Vinh Le , Le Thi-Giang , Spiesser Aurélie , Petit Mathieu , Michez Lisa A. , Daineche Rachid
Published: October 2011

Mn5Ge3 compound, with its room-temperature ferromagnetism and possibility to epitaxially grow on Ge, acts as a potential spin injector into group-IV semiconductors. However, the realization of Ge/Mn5Ge3 multilayers is highly hampered by Mn segregation toward the Ge growing surface. Here, we show that adsorption of some monolayers of carbon on top of the Mn5Ge3 surface prior to Ge deposition allows to greatly reduce Mn segregation. In addition, a fraction of deposited carbon can diffuse down to the underneath Mn5Ge3 layers, resulting in an enhancement of the Curie temperature up to ∼360 K. The obtained results will be discussed in terms of the formation of a diffusion barrier by filling interstitial sites of Mn5Ge3 by carbon.
Soft-ferromagnetic bulk glassy alloys with large magnetostriction and high glass-forming ability
Authors: Li Jiawei , Men He , Shen Baolong
Published: October 2011

The effect of Dy addition on the glass-forming ability (GFA), magnetostriction as well as soft-magnetic properties and fracture strength in FeDyBSiNb glassy alloys was investigated. In addition to the increase of supercooled liquid region from 55 to 100 K, the addition of Dy is effective in approaching alloy to an eutectic point and increasing the saturation magnetostrction (λs). Accordingly, bulk glassy alloy (BGA) rods with diameters up to 4 mm were produced, which exhibit a large λs as high as 65×10-6. Besides, the BGA system exhibits superhigh fracture strength of 4000 MPa, combined with good soft-magnetic properties.
Dynamically controlled charge sensing of a few-electron silicon quantum dot
Authors: Yang C. H. , Lim W. H. , Zwanenburg F. A. , Dzurak A. S.
Published: October 2011

We report charge sensing measurements of a silicon metal-oxide-semiconductor quantum dot using a single-electron transistor as a charge sensor with dynamic feedback control. Using digitally-controlled feedback, the sensor exhibits sensitive and robust detection of the charge state of the quantum dot, even in the presence of charge drifts and random charge upset events. The sensor enables the occupancy of the quantum dot to be probed down to the single electron level.
Quantitative characterization of acid concentration and temperature dependent self-ordering conditions of anodic porous alumina
Authors: Cheng Chuan , Ng K. Y. , Ngan A. H. W.
Published: October 2011

Acid concentration and temperature dependent self-ordering conditions of anodic porous alumina formed by anodization of aluminum in oxalic acid are quantitatively characterized by a new technique involving the distribution of the angular orientation of the triangles formed by neighboring pore centers, in order to detect the self-ordering domains in each porous pattern. This technique is found to be more sensitive in quantifying ordering of the patterns than the radial distribution function and angle distribution function. Using this technique, the optimal acid concentration which can result in the best self-ordering of the porous alumina under a given temperature is established. The optimal acid concentration is found to be approximately linearly increasing with temperature. The oxide growth rate increases approximately exponentially with acid concentration and also with temperature. The results suggest that anodization conducted at relatively higher temperatures at the corresponding optimal acid concentrations can enable fast production of self-ordered anodic porous alumina for industrial applications.
Blood mineral, trace-element and vitamin concentrations in Huacaya alpacas and Merino sheep grazing the same pasture
Authors: Judson G. J. , McGregor B. A. , Howse A. M.
Published: October 2011

We aimed to determine whether the concentration of minerals and trace constituents in blood of Merino sheep and Huacaya alpacas grazing the same pasture differed with species and time of sampling. Blood samples and pasture samples were collected at frequent intervals over a period of 2 years for mineral and trace-nutrient assay. The concentration of the minerals and trace nutrients in the grazed pasture usually met the dietary needs of sheep at maintenance, apart from potassium, sulfur, cobalt and Vitamin E in occasional samples. Restricted maximum likelihood mixed model analysis indicated a significant (P < 0.001) species by month by year interaction for all blood constituents assayed, a significant (P < 0.05) species by coat shade interaction for plasma Vitamin D, E and B12 and a significant (P < 0.001) species by month by Vitamin D interaction for plasma phosphorus concentrations. In general, plasma calcium concentrations were greater in sheep than in alpacas but plasma magnesium concentrations were greater in alpacas than in sheep. There was no consistent difference between the two species in plasma phosphorus concentrations although low values were recorded in individual sheep and alpacas. Plasma Vitamin D concentrations were more responsive to increasing hours of sunlight in alpacas than they were in sheep. Sheep had consistently higher concentrations of plasma copper, zinc and Vitamin B12 and higher concentrations of blood selenium but lower concentrations of plasma selenium and Vitamin A, than did alpacas. No consistent difference was observed between the two species in plasma Vitamin E concentrations.
The role of tillage, fertiliser and forage species in sustaining dairying based on crops in southern Queensland 2. Double-crop and summer sole-crop systems
Authors: Chataway R. G. , Cooper J. E. , Orr W. N. , Cowan R. T.
Published: October 2011

Dairy farms located in the subtropical cereal belt of Australia rely on winter and summer cereal crops, rather than pastures, for their forage base. Crops are mostly established in tilled seedbeds and the system is vulnerable to fertility decline and water erosion, particularly over summer fallows. Field studies were conducted over 5 years on contrasting soil types, a Vertosol and Sodosol, in the 650-mm annual-rainfall zone to evaluate the benefits of a modified cropping program on forage productivity and the soil-resource base. Growing forage sorghum as a double-crop with oats increased total mean annual production over that of winter sole-crop systems by 40% and 100% on the Vertosol and Sodosol sites respectively. However, mean annual winter crop yield was halved and overall forage quality was lower. Ninety per cent of the variation in winter crop yield was attributable to fallow and in-crop rainfall. Replacing forage sorghum with the annual legume lablab reduced fertiliser nitrogen (N) requirements and increased forage N concentration, but reduced overall annual yield. Compared with sole-cropped oats, double-cropping reduced the risk of erosion by extending the duration of soil water deficits and increasing the time ground was under plant cover. When grown as a sole-crop, well fertilised forage sorghum achieved a mean annual cumulative yield of 9.64 and 6.05 t DM/ha on the Vertosol and Sodosol, respectively, being about twice that of sole-cropped oats. Forage sorghum established using zero-tillage practices and fertilised at 175 kg N/ha.crop achieved a significantly higher yield and forage N concentration than did the industry-standard forage sorghum (conventional tillage and 55 kg N/ha.crop) on the Vertosol but not on the Sodosol. On the Vertosol, mean annual yield increased from 5.65 to 9.64 t DM/ha (33 kg DM/kg N fertiliser applied above the base rate); the difference in the response between the two sites was attributed to soil type and fertiliser history. Changing both tillage practices and N-fertiliser rate had no affect on fallow water-storage efficiency but did improve fallow ground cover. When forage sorghum, grown as a sole crop, was replaced with lablab in 3 of the 5 years, overall forage N concentration increased significantly, and on the Vertosol, yield and soil nitrate-N reserves also increased significantly relative to industry-standard sorghum. All forage systems maintained or increased the concentration of soil nitrate-N (0–1.2-m soil layer) over the course of the study. Relative to sole-crop oats, alternative forage systems were generally beneficial to the concentration of surface-soil (0–0.1 m) organic carbon and systems that included sorghum showed most promise for increasing soil organic carbon concentration. We conclude that an emphasis on double- or summer sole-cropping rather than winter sole-cropping will advantage both farm productivity and the soil-resource base.
Microscopic evidence for the uptake of orally given humic acids by the intestinal mucosa in piglets
Authors: Buesing K. , Harmeyer J. , Markuske K. D. , Zeyner A.
Published: October 2011

In veterinary medicine, humic acids are sometimes used as oral supplements to protect and treat young animals from diarrhoea. With regard to their mode of action, it was generally believed that humic acids are unable to penetrate the intestinal mucosal surface and rather act from the intestinal lumen. In the past, some reports indicated, however, that prophylactic and therapeutic effects of orally administered humic acids might not be confined to the lumen of the digestive tract. The present study used piglets to examine whether orally administered humic acids would be able to cross the intestinal barrier and if so, whether the humic acids would also be transported from the intestine to other regions of the body. The study was carried out with three 64-day-old piglets, two of which were bottle fed daily with 1 g humic acids/kg bodyweight and day for 2 weeks. The third piglet served as an unsupplemented control. At the end of the study, the piglets were slaughtered and 10 tissue specimens were collected from each piglet. Examination by light microscopy of unstained sections revealed the presence of humic acid particles in each tissue sample from both humic acid-treated piglets whereby no such deposits were found in any tissue of the control piglet. This demonstrated that the humic acids had indeed passed the epithelial barrier of the intestinal mucosa and had been transported to other body tissues. In most tissue samples the humic acid particles showed a distinct clustered distribution pattern.
Habitat requirements of the endangered red-tailed phascogale, Phascogale calura
Authors: Short Jeff , Hide Andrew , Stone Megan
Published: October 2011

Context The red-tailed phascogale once occurred widely across semiarid and arid Australia, but is now confined to the southern wheatbelt of Western Australia. Its apparently extensive former range suggests a broad habitat tolerance, yet it is now reported primarily from remnant vegetation within farmland containing wandoo Eucalyptus wandoo and rock sheoak Allocasuarina huegeliana associations. Aims To establish the habitat requirements of phascogales with a view to understanding their current and likely future distribution and status. Methods We established presence or absence of phascogales at a number of sites within their current range, primarily by trapping, and then compared habitat attributes between the two classes of sites to establish those of apparent significance to species persistence. Key results Phascogales are widespread in suitable upland (wandoo–rock sheoak) and lowland habitat (riverine fringing vegetation of swamp sheoak Casuarina obesa, York gum E. loxophleba and wandoo). They occupy areas of remnant vegetation of varying sizes from very small to very large, many on private agricultural land. Large connected areas, such as riverine corridors and clusters of upland remnants appear important to their long-term persistence. Sites isolated by increasing distance from another occupied site tended to be unoccupied. Habitats occupied by phascogales typically had a greater canopy density and greater abundance of hollows than unoccupied sites. The presence of plants of the genus Gastrolobium, often cited as a key factor in the persistence of phascogales, did not appear to influence the presence or absence of phascogales. Conclusions Red-tailed phascogales currently occupy a broader range of habitats than identified in the literature and the role of some key aspects of habitat in protecting them from further decline may have been overstated. The presence of suitable hollows for nesting and shelter and a dense mid-storey canopy, perhaps to protect from predation by owls, are key features of suitable phascogale habitat. Implications Suitable habitat for phascogales appears widespread in the surveyed portion of the remaining range of the species, but is under threat over the longer term. Increasing salinity in lowland areas (which transforms woodland to samphire with a consequent long-term loss of nesting hollows), lack of fire in upland areas to maintain dense stands of rock sheoak and the increasing loss of corridors of vegetation along roadsides due to the widening of roads by local councils are all contributing to loss of habitat and habitat connectivity.
Monomeric and dimeric CXCL12 inhibit metastasis through distinct CXCR4 interactions and signaling pathways
Authors: Drury Luke J. , Ziarek Joshua J. , Gravel Stéphanie , Veldkamp Christopher T. , Takekoshi Tomonori , Hwang Samuel T. , Heveker Nikolaus , Volkman Brian F. , Dwinell Michael B.
Published: October 2011

Chemokines and chemokine receptors are extensively and broadly involved in cancer metastasis. Previously, we demonstrated that epigenetic silencing of the chemokine CXCL12 sensitizes breast and colon cancer cells to endocrine signaling and metastasis to distant tissues. Yet, the precise mechanism whereby CXCL12 production by tumor cells regulates dissemination remains unclear. Here, we show that administration of CXCL12 extended survival of tumor-bearing mice by potently limiting metastasis of colorectal carcinoma or murine melanoma. Because secreted CXCL12 is a mixture of monomeric and dimeric species in equilibrium, oligomeric variants that either promote (monomer) or halt (dimer) chemotaxis were used to dissect the mechanisms interrupting carcinoma metastasis. Monomeric CXCL12 mobilized intracellular calcium, inhibited cAMP signaling, recruited β-arrestin-2, and stimulated filamentous-actin accumulation and cell migration. Dimeric CXCL12 activated G-protein-dependent calcium flux, adenylyl cyclase inhibition, and the rapid activation of ERK1/2, but only weakly, if at all, recruited arrestin, stimulated actin polymerization, or promoted chemotaxis. NMR analyses illustrated that CXCL12 monomers made specific contacts with CXCR4 that were lost following dimerization. Our results establish the potential for inhibiting CXCR4-mediated metastasis by administration of CXCL12. Chemokine-mediated migration and β-arrestin responses did not dictate the antitumor effect of CXCL12. We conclude that cellular migration is tightly regulated by selective CXCR4 signaling evoked by unique interactions with distinct ligand quaternary structures.
Path count asymptotics and Stirling numbers
Authors: Petersen K. , Varchenko A.
Published: October 2011

We obtain formulas for the growth rate of the numbers of certain paths in a multi-dimensional analogue of the Eulerian graph. Corollaries are new identities relating Stirling numbers of the first and second kinds.
Zeta determinant for double sequences of spectral type
Authors: Spreafico M.
Published: October 2011

We study the spectral functions, and in particular the zeta function, associated to a class of sequences of complex numbers, called of spectral type. We investigate the decomposability of the zeta function associated to a double sequence with respect to some simple sequence, and we provide a technique for obtaining the first terms in the Laurent expansion at zero of the zeta function associated to a double sequence.
Primary Care for Asylum Seekers
Authors: Nicholson Brian D. , Reid Carol , Albuerne Carolina
Published: October 2011

Reducing health inequalities and improving access to primary care for the socially excluded is a Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) area of clinical priority for 2011–13. Asylum seekers are a key socially excluded group but primary health care professionals are under-resourced and lack confidence in managing this population because the UK asylum process is complex, asylum seekers present with an uncommon set of health care needs and cultural and communication barriers may exist. This article provides an overview of providing primary care for asylum seekers, an introduction to the legal process that asylum seekers must travel through and aims to equip readers with knowledge, skills and attitudes that may be helpful when providing care for this group.
Harmful Drinking and Alcohol Dependence
Authors: Robinson Angela
Published: October 2011

Consumption of alcohol has been an integral part of society since Neolithic times. Harmful alcohol use accounts for 4% of the total global disease burden. The annual estimated cost to the National Health Service (NHS) alone is £2.7 billion. Around 24% of the adult population in UK consumes alcohol to levels that are associated with potential or actual harm to their health and well-being, while 9% of men and 4% of women aged 16–74 years are alcohol dependent. This article seeks to address the identification, assessment and evidence-based management of harmful and dependent drinkers in the adult primary care population.
Pattern formation in stromatolites: insights from mathematical modelling
Authors: Cuerno R. , Escudero C. , García-Ruiz J. M. , Herrero M. A.
Published: October 2011

To this day, computer models for stromatolite formation have made substantial use of the Kardar–Parisi–Zhang (KPZ) equation. Oddly enough, these studies yielded mutually exclusive conclusions about the biotic or abiotic origin of such structures. We show in this paper that, at our current state of knowledge, a purely biotic origin for stromatolites can neither be proved nor disproved by means of a KPZ-based model. What can be shown, however, is that whatever their (biotic or abiotic) origin might be, some morphologies found in actual stromatolite structures (e.g. overhangs) cannot be formed as a consequence of a process modelled exclusively in terms of the KPZ equation and acting over sufficiently large times. This suggests the need to search for alternative mathematical approaches to model these structures, some of which are discussed in this paper.
Geostatistics of extremes
Authors: Davison A. C. , Gholamrezaee M. M.
Published: October 2011

We describe a prototype approach to flexible modelling for maxima observed at sites in a spatial domain, based on fitting of max-stable processes derived from underlying Gaussian random fields. The models we propose have generalized extreme-value marginal distributions throughout the spatial domain, consistent with statistical theory for maxima in simpler cases, and can incorporate both geostatistical correlation functions and random set components. Parameter estimation and fitting are performed through composite likelihood inference applied to observations from pairs of sites, with occurrence times of maxima taken into account if desired, and competing models are compared using appropriate information criteria. Diagnostics for lack of model fit are based on maxima from groups of sites. The approach is illustrated using annual maximum temperatures in Switzerland, with risk analysis proposed using simulations from the fitted max-stable model. Drawbacks and possible developments of the approach are discussed.