bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immobilization of gold nanoparticles on poly(methyl methacrylate) electrospun fibers exhibiting solid‐state surface plasmon effect
Authors: Luong Nguyen Dang , Oh Joonsuk , Lee Youngkwan , Yeon Ji Hyun , Hur Jaehuyn , Park Jong Jin , Kim Jong Min , Nam Jae‐Do
Published: August 2011

In this study, the surface plasmon effect of Au nanoparticles was successfully realized in the solid state by embedding the Au nanoparticles on the surface of the transparent polymer fibers for the first time. Electrospinning a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and HAuCl4 mixture followed by a wet chemical reduction, the gold nanoparticles were formed on the PMMA nanocomposite electrospun fibers in a well‐distributed manner to give photostable purple color. The Au nanoparticles were all sphere shaped with an average diameter of 12 nm. Specifically, simply adjusting HAuCl4 salt concentration in the electrospinning solution, it is able to control the electrospun fiber diameter and gold nanoparticle content in the resulting PMMA/Au nanocomposite fibers. Therefore, the developed method described herein is simple and effective for the large volume production of PMMA/Au nanocomposite fibers. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dynamic and Static Softening of Sintered MgO‐PSZ / TRIP‐matrix Composites with up to 10 vol.‐% ZrO2
Authors: Yanina A. , Guk S. , Müller W. , Kawalla R. , Weigelt C.
Published: August 2011

A metal matrix composite (MMC) consisting of AISI 304 austenitic stainless steel with up to 10 vol.‐% MgO‐PSZ was produced by a powder metallurgic process through sintering at 1300 °C and 1390 °C. The hot working of sintered samples was conducted between 900 °C and 1100 °C. The behaviour of softening kinetics was investigated using flow curve recording methods (dynamic softening) and the double‐hit method (static softening). The influence of the deformation parameters such as temperature, strain rate, inter‐pass time and relative density of the samples was determined. The microstructure development of the sintered composite after hot forming was determined by optical microscopy and SEM and was interpreted with the help of qualitative microstructure analysis. The results show a general acceleration of softening processes with increasing temperature and strain rate, with the addition of ZrO2 particles and a decrease in the density of composite materials. A mathematical‐physical model was developed to predict the softening behaviour and optimize the forming processes of the composite in the light of these results.
Secretory Pattern of Inhibin During Estrous Cycle and Pregnancy in African (Loxodonta africana) and Asian (Elephas maximus) Elephants
Authors: Yamamoto Yuki , Yuto Natsuki , Yamamoto Tatsuya , Kaewmanee Saroch , Shiina Osamu , Mouri Yasushi , Narushima Etsuo , Katayanagi Masayuki , Sugimura Keisuke , Nagaoka Kentaro , Watanabe Gen , Taya Kazuyoshi
Published: August 2011

The ovary of female elephants has multiple corpora lutea (CL) during the estrous cycle and gestation. The previous reports clearly demonstrated that inhibin was secreted from lutein cells as well as granulosa cells of antral follicles in cyclic Asian elephants. The aim of this study is to investigate the inhibin secretion during the pregnancy in African and Asian elephants. Two African elephants and two Asian elephants were subjected to this study. Circulating levels of immunoreactive (ir‐) inhibin and progesterone were measured by radioimmunoassay. Four pregnant periods of an African elephant and three pregnant periods of an Asian elephant were analyzed in this study. Circulating levels of ir‐inhibin started to increase at 1 or 2 week before the ovulation and reached the peak level 3 or 4 weeks earlier than progesterone during the estrous cycle in both African and Asian elephants. After last luteal phase, the serum levels of ir‐inhibin remained low throughout pregnancy in both an African and an Asian elephant. The mean levels of ir‐inhibin during the pregnancy were lower than the luteal phase in the estrous cycle despite high progesterone levels were maintained throughout the pregnancy. These results strongly suggest that CL secrete a large amount of progesterone but not inhibin during the pregnancy in elephants. Zoo Biol 31:511‐522, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
HCOC: a cost optimization algorithm for workflow scheduling in hybrid clouds
Authors: Bittencourt Luiz Fernando , Madeira Edmundo Roberto Mauro
Published: August 2011

Workflows have been used to represent a variety of applications involving high processing and storage demands. As a solution to supply this necessity, the cloud computing paradigm has emerged as an on-demand resources provider. While public clouds charge users in a per-use basis, private clouds are owned by users and can be utilized with no charge. When a public cloud and a private cloud are merged, we have what we call a hybrid cloud. In a hybrid cloud, the user has elasticity provided by public cloud resources that can be aggregated to the private resources pool as necessary. One question faced by the users in such systems is: Which are the best resources to request from a public cloud based on the current demand and on resources costs? In this paper we deal with this problem, presenting HCOC: The Hybrid Cloud Optimized Cost scheduling algorithm. HCOC decides which resources should be leased from the public cloud and aggregated to the private cloud to provide sufficient processing power to execute a workflow within a given execution time. We present extensive experimental and simulation results which show that HCOC can reduce costs while achieving the established desired execution time.
A primer to common major gastrointestinal post-surgical anatomy on CT—a pictorial review
Authors: Terrone Donato Gerardo , Lepanto Luigi , Billiard Jean-Sébastien , Olivié Damien , Murphy-Lavallée Jessica , Vandenbroucke Franck , Tang An
Published: August 2011

The post-operative abdomen can be challenging and knowledge of normal post-operative anatomy is important for diagnosing complications. The aim of this pictorial essay is to describe a few selected common, major gastrointestinal surgeries, their clinical indications and depict their normal post-operative computed tomography (CT) appearance. This essay provides some clues to identify the surgeries, which can be helpful especially when surgical history is lacking: recognition of the organ(s) involved, determination of what was resected and familiarity with the type of anastomoses used.
AORN Ergonomic Tool 6: Lifting and Carrying Supplies and Equipment in the Perioperative Setting
Authors: Waters Thomas , Baptiste Andrea , Short Manon , Plante‐Mallon Lori , Nelson Audrey
Published: August 2011

Perioperative team members often are required to lift and carry heavy supplies and equipment into and around the OR; this includes lifting equipment such as hand tables, fluoroscopy boards, stirrups, Wilson frames, irrigation containers for lithotripsy, and heavy instrument pans. Lifting heavy objects creates considerable risk for musculoskeletal injuries to the back and shoulders. AORN Ergonomic Tool 6: Lifting and Carrying Supplies and Equipment in the Perioperative Setting can help caregivers evaluate lifting and carrying tasks and take measures to protect themselves from injury. Caregivers can use the revised National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health lifting equation to assess whether a specific lifting task can be performed safely.
Designing a Safer Process to Prevent Retained Surgical Sponges: A Healthcare Failure Mode and Effect Analysis
Authors: Steelman Victoria M. , Cullen Joseph J.
Published: August 2011

A retained surgical sponge is a sentinel event that can result in serious negative outcomes for the patient. Current standards rely on manual counting, the accuracy of which may be suspect, yet little is known about why counting fails to prevent retained sponges. The objectives of this project were to describe perioperative processes to prevent retained sponges after elective abdominal surgery; to identify potential failures; and to rate the causes, probability, and severity of these failures. A total of 57 potential failures were identified, associated with room preparation, the initial count, adding sponges, removing sponges, the first closing count, and the final closing count. The most frequently identified causes of failures included distraction, multitasking, not following procedure, and time pressure. Most of the failures are not likely to be affected by an educational intervention, so additional technological controls should be considered in efforts to improve safety.
Perfectly Able: How to Attract and Hire Talented People With Disabilities
Authors: Fugler Royceann B.
Published: August 2011

Perfectly Able: How to Attract and Hire Talented People With Disabilities Lighthouse International Jim Hasse 2010, AMACOM 272 pages, $27.95 hardcover
Aseptic Technique: Principles and Practices
Authors: Leopard Jackie
Published: August 2011

Aseptic Technique: Principles and Practices AORN, Inc 2010, Ciné‐Med, producer CD‐ROM, $135 members, $270 nonmembers
Measurements using 7.0 T post‐mortem magnetic resonance imaging of the scalar dimensions of the fetal brain between 12 and 20 weeks gestational age
Authors: Lin Xiangtao , Zhang Zhonghe , Teng Gaojun , Meng Haiwei , Yu Taifei , Hou Zhongyu , Fang Fang , Zang Fengchao , Liu Shuwei
Published: August 2011

In this study, scalar values for the fetal brain from 12 to 20 weeks gestational age were obtained. Fifty‐two fetal specimens of 12–20 weeks gestational age with an anatomically normal and developmentally appropriate central nervous system (CNS) were scanned using a 7.0 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. The linear biometric measurements of the brain were then determined. All the measurements (except for the interhemispheric distance) were found to increase linearly with gestational age, although each increased at a different growth rates. The 95% confidence interval for each value was obtained. These data may be considered to be a valuable reference for the assessment of normal fetal brain development in clinical settings and as a supplement to post‐mortem MRI or anatomical investigations.
Functional significance of the ATP‐binding cassette transporter B6 in hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Polireddy Kishore , Chavan Hemantkumar , Abdulkarim Bashar A. , Krishnamurthy Partha
Published: August 2011

ABCB6 is a mitochondrial transporter that regulates porphyrin biosynthesis. ABCB6 expression is upregulated in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) but the significance of this upregulation to HCC is not known. In the present study, we investigated: 1) ABCB6 expression in 18 resected human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and 3 human hepatoma cell lines; 2) pattern of ABCB6 expression during liver disease progression; and 3) functional significance of ABCB6 expression to HCC using the hepatoma cell line Huh7. ABCB6 expression was determined by real‐time quantitative reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction and western blotting. ABCB6 expression was upregulated in all the HCC specimens and the three‐hepatoma cell lines. Increased ABCB6 expression correlated with liver disease progression with the pattern of expression being HCC > cirrhosis > steatosis. Small hairpin RNA (shRNA)‐mediated knockdown of ABCB6 in Huh7 cells lead to decreased cellular proliferation and colony formation. Attenuation of ABCB6 expression did not affect Huh7 apoptosis but lead to a delay in G2/M phase of the cell cycle. In contrast, ABCB6 overexpression resulted in increased growth and proliferation of Huh7 cells. Since ABCB6 expression is induced in multiple tumor types we explored the role of ABCB6 in other cancer cells. ShRNA mediated knockdown of ABCB6 in HEK293 and K562 cells reduced cellular proliferation leading to a delay in G2/M phase, while ABCB6 overexpression promoted cell growth and proliferation. Collectively, these findings, obtained by loss of function and gain of function analysis, suggest that ABCB6 plays a role in cell growth and proliferation by targeting the cell cycle.
CERTAIN RESULTS OF REAL HYPERSURFACES IN A COMPLEX SPACE FORM
Authors: GHOSH AMALENDU
Published: August 2011

First, we classify a real hypersurface of a non-flat complex space form with (i) semi-parallel T(=£ξg), and (ii) recurrent T. Next, we characterise a real hypersurface admitting the generalised η-Ricci soliton in a non-flat complex space form.
CONSTANT MEAN CURVATURE HYPERSURFACES IN SPHERES
Authors: DENG QIN-TAO , GU HUI-LING , SU YAN-HUI
Published: August 2011

In this paper, we first summarise the progress for the famous Chern conjecture, and then we consider n-dimensional closed hypersurfaces with constant mean curvature H in the unit sphere n+1 with n ≤ 8 and generalise the result of Cheng et al. (Q. M. Cheng, Y. J. He and H. Z. Li, Scalar curvature of hypersurfaces with constant mean curvature in a sphere, Glasg. Math. J. 51(2) (2009), 413–423). In order to be precise, we prove that if |H| ≤ ϵ(n), then there exists a constant δ(n, H) > 0, which depends only on n and H, such that if S0 ≤ S ≤ S0 + δ(n, H), then S = S0 and M is isometric to the Clifford hypersurface, where ϵ(n) is a sufficiently small constant depending on n.
DERIVED SUBGROUPS OF FIXED POINTS IN PROFINITE GROUPS
Authors: ACCIARRI CRISTINA , DE SOUZA LIMA ALINE , SHUMYATSKY PAVEL
Published: August 2011

The main result of this paper is the following theorem. Letqbe a prime andAbe an elementary abelian group of orderq3. Suppose thatAacts as a coprime group of automorphisms on a profinite groupGin such a manner thatCG(a)′ is periodic for eacha∈A#. ThenG′ is locally finite.
Worm morphology of Schistosoma japonicum using confocal laser scanning microscopy
Authors: Zhang Wei-na , Zhang Peng , Liu Miao , Ren Cui-ping , Jia Xue-mei , Huang Da-ke , Gui Li , Shen Ji-jia
Published: August 2011

Male and female Schistosoma japonicum worms have dissimilar appearances in their final host. In this study, a morphometric and morphological assessment of whole worms derived from unisexual and mixed infections in mice was conducted using confocal laser scanning microscopy. Worms from mixed infections showed significant morphological changes between 15 and 25 days post-infection (PI). On the fifteenth day PI, 33% of males had formed the conspicuous gynecophoric canal, but only 8% of them had testicular lobes containing a few germinative cells; 13% of females had incipient ovaries with a few immature ovarian cells inside. On the twentieth day PI, the testicular lobes contained more germinative cells in all male worms, while female worms presented vitelline glands. On the twenty-fifth day PI, more germinative cells were observed in the male testicular lobes, and differentiated cells were present in the female ovaries. All worms had fully developed reproductive organs from 30 days PI onwards. Morphometric analysis showed significant differences between mixed and unisexual infections at 35 days PI. Ovaries of worms from unisexual infections contained cells in one stage of maturation and vitelline glands had undifferentiated cells. Our study of S. japonicum provides a detailed comparison of different morphological traits from worms of mixed and unisexual infections throughout development.
The potential for voluntary instruments to achieve conservation planning goals: the case of conservancies in South Africa
Authors: Downsborough Linda , Shackleton Charlie M. , Knight Andrew T.
Published: August 2011

Spatial prioritizations and gap analyses are increasingly undertaken to allocate conservation resources. Most spatial prioritizations are conducted without specifying the conservation instruments to be implemented and gap analyses typically assess formally protected areas but increasingly include private land conservation instruments. We examine conservancies to see if these voluntary instruments contribute towards achieving goals of South African conservation planning initiatives. We conducted a nationwide survey and interviews with conservancy members in Gauteng and the Eastern Cape. Conservancies have potential for assisting South Africa to achieve conservation planning goals at national and local scales but their inclusion in spatial prioritizations and gap analyses predicates improved protection for nature, operational refinement and increased support. We sound a warning to conservation planning initiatives that incorporate voluntary instruments on private land, and present recommendations for strengthening such instruments to make them more effective. Our findings may assist conservation planners elsewhere to design more effective conservation planning initiatives focused on private land.
Human livelihoods and protected areas in Gabon: a cross-sectional comparison of welfare and consumption patterns
Authors: Foerster Steffen , Wilkie David S. , Morelli Gilda A. , Demmer Josefien , Starkey Malcolm , Telfer Paul , Steil Matthew
Published: August 2011

Understanding the role that protected areas play in the livelihood security of local communities is essential to ensure that local people are not left shouldering the costs of what is a public good, and to help maintain robust local and national constituencies for biodiversity conservation. To provide baseline data for a longitudinal study on the effects of newly established national parks on human livelihoods in Gabon we conducted a cross-sectional study that compared livelihood indicators between communities that do, and do not, use natural resources within protected areas. We interviewed 2,035 households in 117 villages at four sites, recording income, consumption, education, health indicators and social capital, and village characteristics such as distance to markets, distance to park boundaries, and land cover within a 5-km radius. Our results indicated that closed rainforest coverage was greater around park than control villages and that this difference was associated with a greater reliance of park households on forest resources. However, we found no systematic differences in most livelihood measures between park and control households. Instead, the relationship between household livelihood measures and proximity to parks varied in idiosyncratic ways between sites, suggesting that determinants of human welfare are highly localized and cannot be generalized to larger spatial scales.
IUCN management categories fail to represent new, multiple-use protected areas in Madagascar
Authors: Gardner Charlie J.
Published: August 2011

The IUCN protected area management category system provides an internationally-recognized, unifying framework for the description and classification of the world’s diverse protected areas. It includes six main categories, of which category V has attracted debate because of its emphasis on the role of harmonious people–nature interactions in maintaining biodiversity within cultural landscapes. Madagascar’s new generation of protected areas comprises sites mainly proposed as category V, with the joint management objectives of biodiversity conservation and the promotion of natural resource use for rural development. Here, I use a categorization decision tool to investigate the categorization of 10 new protected areas proposed as category V, and find that these sites fail to meet the criteria for any management category. I argue that category V is inappropriate for these new protected areas because their associated people–nature interactions are largely negative for biodiversity. I further argue that management of these new protected areas differs fundamentally from management of category V protected areas in Europe, and recommend the modification of the management category system to account for such distinctions.
Misreading the conservation landscape
Authors: Redford Kent H.
Published: August 2011

The social sciences are often seen as being in opposition to conservation and the practice of conservationists. Yet social scientists have made important contributions to conservation and could make even more contributions if they are willing to use their perceptive, insightful tools as a means of both improving the practice of conservation and sharpening social science’s critique of conservation ideas and practices. I provide two lists: first, a list of the ways in which I think social science work has already improved conservation practice and, second, a set of generalizations made by some social scientists about the practice of conservation that are incorrect or incomplete. I argue that a more careful application of social science tools and approaches could begin an active and informed exploration of the diversity of values, histories, institutions, politics and approaches in conservation. This would facilitate the sharpening of social science’s critique of conservation ideas and practices and, through these, improve the practice of conservation.
Distribution and status of the Critically Endangered blond titi monkey Callicebus barbarabrownae of north-east Brazil
Authors: Printes Rodrigo C. , Rylands Anthony B. , Bicca-Marques Júlio César
Published: August 2011

The blond titi monkey Callicebus barbarabrownae lives in forest fragments in the caatinga (tropical thorn scrub and forest) of north-east Brazil. In 2004–2005 we carried out five surveys to determine its current distribution and conservation status; surveying forest fragments, interviewing local people, and recording vegetation types and patterns of land use. The blond titi monkey occurs mainly in Dense Arboreal Caatinga and Highland Coastal Rainforest in the state of Bahia, at elevations of 241–908 m. Its range extends over 291,438 km2, with an area of occupancy of 2,636 km2. Estimated minimum population was 260 individuals. It was not recorded in any protected area. Cattle ranching favours the persistence of forest fragments for this species, whereas agriculture, subsistence or commercial, does not. Our findings supported the IUCN Red List assessment of Critically Endangered for this species.
NULL RECURRENT UNIT ROOT PROCESSES
Authors: Myklebust Terje , Karlsen Hans Arnfinn , Tjøstheim Dag
Published: August 2011

The classical nonstationary autoregressive models are both linear and Markov. They include unit root and cointegration models. A possible nonlinear extension is to relax the linearity and at the same time keep general properties such as nonstationarity and the Markov property. A null recurrent Markov chain is nonstationary, andβ-null recurrence is of vital importance for statistical inference in nonstationary Markov models, such as, e.g., in nonparametric estimation in nonlinear cointegration within the Markov models. The standard random walk is an example of a null recurrent Markov chain.

In this paper we suggest that the concept of null recurrence is an appropriate nonlinear generalization of the linear unit root concept and as such it may be a starting point for a nonlinear cointegration concept within the Markov framework. In fact, we establish the link between null recurrent processes and autoregressive unit root models. It turns out that null recurrence is closely related to the location of the roots of the characteristic polynomial of the state space matrix and the associated eigenvectors. Roughly speaking the process isβ-null recurrent if one root is on the unit circle, null recurrent if two distinct roots are on the unit circle, whereas the others are inside the unit circle. It is transient if there are more than two roots on the unit circle. These results are closely connected to the random walk being null recurrent in one and two dimensions but transient in three dimensions. We also give an example of a process that by appropriate adjustments can be madeβ-null recurrent for anyβ∈ (0, 1) and can also be made null recurrent without beingβ-null recurrent.
UNIFORM BIAS STUDY AND BAHADUR REPRESENTATION FOR LOCAL POLYNOMIAL ESTIMATORS OF THE CONDITIONAL QUANTILE FUNCTION
Authors: Guerre Emmanuel , Sabbah Camille
Published: August 2011

This paper investigates the bias and the weak Bahadur representation of a local polynomial estimator of the conditional quantile function and its derivatives. The bias and Bahadur remainder term are studied uniformly with respect to the quantile level, the covariates, and the smoothing parameter. The order of the local polynomial estimator can be higher than the differentiability order of the conditional quantile function. Applications of the results deal with global optimal consistency rates of the local polynomial quantile estimator, performance of random bandwidths, and estimation of the conditional quantile density function. The latter allows us to obtain a simple estimator of the conditional quantile function of the private values in a first-price sealed bids auction under the independent private values paradigm and risk neutrality.
ANOTHER NUMERICAL METHOD OF FINDING CRITICAL VALUES FOR THE ANDREWS STABILITY TEST
Authors: Anatolyev Stanislav , Kosenok Grigory
Published: August 2011

We propose a method, alternative to that of Estrella (2003, Econometric Theory 19, 1128–1143), of obtaining exact asymptotic p-values and critical values for the popular Andrews (1993, Econometrica 61, 821–856) test for structural stability. The method is based on inverting an integral equation that determines the intensity of crossing a boundary by the asymptotic process underlying the test statistic. Further integration of the crossing intensity yields a p-value. The proposed method can potentially be applied to other stability tests that employ the supremum functional.
Effect of population size, tree diameter and crown position on viable seed output per cone of the tropical conifer Widdringtonia whytei in Malawi
Authors: Chanyenga Tembo F. , Geldenhuys Coert J. , Sileshi Gudeta W.
Published: August 2011

The tropical montane conifer tree Widdringtonia whytei is found in small fragments on Mulanje Mountain in Malawi. A study was conducted with the objectives of determining the effect of population size, tree stem diameter and crown position on the proportion of viable seeds per cone produced by W. whytei at three sites (Sombani, Chambe and Lichenya) on Mulanje Mountain. Three population sizes, namely small (fragments with ≤10 cone-bearing trees), medium (fragments with 11–20 cone-bearing trees) and large (fragments with >20 cone-bearing trees) and isolated trees were sampled at each study site. In each fragment, four cone-bearing trees were randomly located, 20 mature cones were collected from each tree and the viability of seeds was tested. Only 23% of the seeds per cone were viable but seed viability per cone was highly variable among fragments. Large fragment populations produced the highest proportion of viable seeds per cone (30%), followed by similar proportions in small fragments (28.3%) and isolated trees (26.1%), with the lowest proportions in medium-sized fragments (18.7%), indicating a non-linear relationship between viable seed output per cone and population size. Tree stem diameter and crown position had no effect on the proportion of viable seeds per cone. Further studies are needed to identify the factors that lead to the low viable seed output per cone, and how this influences whole-tree seed production in W. whytei.
No evidence of interference competition among the invasive feral pig and two native peccary species in a Neotropical wetland
Authors: Oliveira-Santos Luiz G. R. , Dorazio Robert M. , Tomas Walfrido M. , Mourão Guilherme , Fernandez Fernando A. S.
Published: August 2011

In South America, the invasive feral pig (Sus scrofaLinnaeus) has become established in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and in a wide range within Brazil, along the southern half of the Atlantic Forest, in the cerrado (savanna) and in the Pantanal wetland. The geographical ranges of the two most common South American native peccary (Tayassu pecariLink andPecari tajacuLinnaeus) overlap almost entirely, and the feral pig now co-occurs with them in several areas. Because feral pig, white-lipped and collared peccary are considered ecological equivalents, there has been much speculation about possible competitive interactions among them (Desbiezet al. 2009, Sicuro & Oliveira 2002).
Environmental changes during secondary succession in a tropical dry forest in Mexico
Authors: Lebrija-Trejos Edwin , Pérez-García Eduardo A. , Meave Jorge A. , Poorter Lourens , Bongers Frans
Published: August 2011

Vegetation and environment change mutually during secondary succession, yet the idiosyncrasies of the vegetation effect on the understorey environment are poorly understood. To test whether the successional understorey environment changes predictably and is shaped by the structure and seasonality of tropical dry forests, we estimated basal area and vegetation cover, and measured understorey temperature, light and moisture conditions, in 17 plots forming a 60-y chronosequence and a mature forest. Light and air and soil temperature decreased with time (75−15% of open-sky radiation, 31.7−29.3 °C, and +2.5 °C to −0.5 °C relative to ambient, respectively), whereas relative humidity increased (67−74%). Soil water availability increased with early-successional development (−45 to −1 kPa) but decreased afterwards (to −18 kPa). The first axis of a PCA of the rainy-season environment explained 60% of the variation and was strongly related to air temperature and relative humidity. During tropical dry-forest succession, such factors may be more important than light, the reduction in which is not extreme compared with taller and more vertically stratified wet forests. Seasonality significantly affected the successional environmental gradients, which were marked mainly during the wet season. Environmental heterogeneity was higher in the wet than in the dry season, and larger for resources (light and water) than for conditions (temperature and humidity). The wet-season increase in environmental heterogeneity potentially creates differential growing scenarios; the environmental harshness of the dry season would mostly challenge seedling survival.
Investigating dietary acculturation and intake among US-born and Thailand/Laos-born Hmong-American children aged 9–18 years
Authors: Mulasi-Pokhriyal Urvashi , Smith Chery , Franzen-Castle Lisa
Published: August 2011

Objective

The Hmong are a growing population of South-East Asian immigrants with increasing rates of obesity and diabetes, yet little is known about their dietary consumption patterns. The present study aimed to investigate the dietary intake of Hmong children and whether acculturation and/or time lived in the USA influences dietary intake, BMI and nutritional status.

Design

Two 24 h dietary recalls were collected on non-consecutive days using the multiple-pass interviewing method and were averaged. Heights and weights were measured, from which BMI was calculated. An acculturation score was computed.

Setting

Schools, churches, Hmong organizations, and community centres.

Subjects

Three hundred and thirty-five Hmong children aged 9–18 years from Twin Cities, Minnesota, USA.

Results

Approximately half of our participants were either overweight or obese. US-born children were significantly heavier, taller, had a higher BMI, and in general consumed more energy, saturated fat and Na than those who were born in Thailand/Laos and were living in the USA for <5 years. Children who were more acculturated to US norms including language use, social connections and dietary habits had higher BMI-for-age and consumed significantly more saturated fat,transfatty acids, Na and Ca compared with their less acculturated counterparts.

Conclusions

Diets of most Hmong children appear below the recommendations for fibre, vitamins A, D and E, Ca, P, Mg and K, and are higher in fats, sugars and Na. Living in an obesogenic US environment is a probable reason for poor dietary quality of Hmong and may be a contributing factor to the rising rates of obesity and diabetes in this population.
Relative validity of the pre-coded food diary used in the Danish National Survey of Diet and Physical Activity
Authors: Knudsen Vibeke K , Gille Maj-Britt , Nielsen Trine H , Christensen Tue , Fagt Sisse , Biltoft-Jensen Anja
Published: August 2011

Objective

To determine the relative validity of the pre-coded food diary applied in the Danish National Survey of Dietary Habits and Physical Activity.

Design

A cross-over study among seventy-two adults (aged 20 to 69 years) recording diet by means of a pre-coded food diary over 4 d and a 4 d weighed food record. Intakes of foods and drinks were estimated, and nutrient intakes were calculated. Means and medians of intake were compared, and cross-classification of individuals according to intake was performed. To assess agreement between the two methods, Pearson and Spearman's correlation coefficients and weighted kappa coefficients were calculated.

Setting

Validation study of the pre-coded food diary against a 4 d weighed food record.

Subjects

Seventy-two volunteer, healthy free-living adults (thirty-five males, thirty-seven females).

Results

Intakes of cereals and vegetables were higher, and intakes of fruit, coffee and tea were lower, in the weighed food record compared with the food diary. Intakes of nutrients were grossly the same in the two methods, except for protein, where a higher intake was recorded in the weighed record. In general, moderate agreement between the two methods was found.

Conclusions

Participants were classified moderately correct according to food and nutrient intakes assessed in the pre-coded food diary; however values of absolute food intakes should be used and interpreted with caution. Improvement of the methods to estimate portion size may increase the accuracy of the dietary intake estimates.
Socio-economic differences in exposure to television food advertisements in the UK: a cross-sectional study of advertisements broadcast in one television region
Authors: Adams Jean , Tyrrell Rachel , Adamson Ashley J , White Martin
Published: August 2011

Objective

To document socio-economic differences in exposure to food advertising, including advertisements for foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS) as defined by the UK Food Standards Agency's Nutrient Profiling Model.

Design

A cross-sectional survey. Information (including product advertised and viewing figures) on all advertisements broadcast in one UK region over one week (6–12 July 2009) was obtained. Food advertisements were identified and linked to nutritional information on the content of advertised foods.

Setting

UK Tyne-Tees television region.

Subjects

Data were sourced from a UK-wide television viewing panel.

Results

Eleven per cent of advertising seen was for food and 63 % of food advertising seen was for HFSS foods. The proportion of all advertising seen that was for food was smaller among viewers in the leastv. most affluent social grade (OR = 0·98, 99 % CI 0·95, 1·00). There was no difference in the proportion of food advertising seen that was for HFSS food between viewers in the most and least affluent social grades. Total exposure to both all food advertising and HFSS food advertising was 2·1 times greater among the leastv. the most affluent viewers.

Conclusions

While the least affluent viewers saw relatively fewer food advertisements, their absolute exposure to all food and HFSS food advertisements was higher than that of the most affluent viewers. Current UK restrictions prohibit advertisements for HFSS foods during programmes with a high proportion of child viewers. Extending these to all programming may reduce socio-economic inequalities in exposure to these advertisements and in diet and obesity.
Fruit and vegetable consumption – the influence of aspects associated with trust in food and safety and quality of food
Authors: Taylor Anne W , Coveney John , Ward Paul R , Henderson Julie , Meyer Samantha B , Pilkington Rhiannon , Gill Tiffany K
Published: August 2011

Objective

To profile adults who eat less than the recommended servings of fruit and vegetables per day.

Design

Australia-wide population telephone survey on a random sample of the Australian population, with results analysed by univariate and multivariate models.

Setting

Australia.

Subjects

One thousand one hundred and eight interviews, respondents’ (49·3 % males) mean age was 45·12 (sd 17·63) years.

Results

Overall 54·8 % and 10·7 % were eating the recommended number of servings of fruit and vegetables. Variables included in the multivariate model indicating low fruit consumption included gender, age, employment, education and those who were less likely to consider the safety and quality of food as important. In regard to low vegetable consumption, people who were more likely to do the food shopping only ‘some of the time’ and have a high level of trust in groups of people such as immediate family, neighbours, doctors and different levels of government were included in the final model. They were also less likely to neither consider the safety and quality of food as important nor trust organisations/institutions such as the press, television and politicians. In the final model depicting both low fruit and low vegetable servings, sex, age and a low level of importance with regard to safety and quality of food were included.

Conclusion

To increase fruit and vegetable consumption, research into a broad range of determinants associated with behaviours should be coupled with a deeper understanding of the process associated with changing behaviours. While levels of trust are related to behaviour change, knowledge and attitudes about aspects associated with safety and quality of food are also of importance.
Productivity collapses in the Arabian Sea during glacial cold phases
Authors: Singh Arun Deo , Jung Simon J. A. , Darling Kate , Ganeshram Raja , Ivanochko Tara , Kroon Dick
Published: August 2011

Productivity in the Arabian Sea is one of the highest in the world. It is controlled by seasonally reversing monsoonal wind‐driven upwelling of nutrient‐rich deeper waters which fuel phytoplankton growth. The detailed history of upwelling‐induced productivity in the eastern Arabian Sea is unknown. Here we present paleoproductivity records from a composite sediment core at the millennial scale during the last 80 kyr B.P. These records are based on relative abundance counts of planktonic foraminifera and organic carbon contents, which are shown to mainly vary in concert. The eastern Arabian Sea upwelling‐induced productivity was higher in the glacial period than in the Holocene, but it fell repeatedly on millennial timescales. These productivity declines occurred during cold events in the North Atlantic region, with the most pronounced changes prevailing during the Heinrich events. Hence, seasonal monsoon winds that drive upwelling‐induced productivity in the east were weak when the North Atlantic was cold. These weak winds resulted in stratification of the water column, comparable to today's Arabian Sea stratification in the intermonsoonal period. Combining the new eastern with published western Arabian Sea results shows that the entire biological factory was severely diminished during the North Atlantic Heinrich events, and the seasonal productivity change in the Arabian Sea monsoon system was reduced with year‐round low productivity.
The exposed base of a collapsing wedge: The Nestos Shear Zone (Rhodope Metamorphic Province, Greece)
Authors: Nagel Thorsten J. , Schmidt Silke , Janák Marian , Froitzheim Nikolaus , Jahn‐Awe Silke , Georgiev Neven
Published: August 2011

The Nestos Shear Zone (NSZ) in the Rhodope Metamorphic Province is a major high‐strain zone between two metamorphic terranes. Microdiamond‐bearing ultrahigh‐pressure (UHP) rocks occur in the NSZ which was therefore interpreted as a suture zone where subduction and exhumation of these rocks and terrain accretion occurred during the Mesozoic. Our petrological study of samples from the lower part of the NSZ, together with monazite dating of a microdiamond‐bearing garnet schist, structural observations, already published results from the upper part, and other published timing constraints, results in a fundamentally different picture: the NSZ is the base of an Eocene age southwestward thrust wedge which included not only the structurally higher parts of the Rhodope Metamorphic Province but also the entire Internal Hellenides. The UHP rocks, for the peak pressure of which we derive an age of ∼200 Ma by monazite dating, are unrelated to the tectonic processes in the NSZ and probably represent slivers of a higher tectonic unit captured by thrusting along the NSZ. Pressure decrease in the footwall and regional extension and basin formation in the hanging wall during the activity of the NSZ show that the overlying thrust wedge was collapsing in late Eocene times. We hypothesize that the transition from subduction to continental collision may start with a pronounced accretion event when the first detachment horizon forms in the middle crust of the downgoing plate. Such an event could trigger slab retreat, an extensional collapse of the internal wedge, and subsequent magmatism.
Optimality conditions for a two‐stage reservoir operation problem
Authors: Zhao Jianshi , Cai Ximing , Wang Zhongjing
Published: August 2011

This paper discusses the optimality conditions for standard operation policy (SOP) and hedging rule (HR) for a two‐stage reservoir operation problem using a consistent theoretical framework. The effects of three typical constraints, i.e., mass balance, nonnegative release, and storage constraints under both certain and uncertain conditions are analyzed. When all nonnegative constraints and storage constraints are unbinding, HR results in optimal reservoir operation following the marginal benefit (MB) principle (the MB is equal over current and future stages. However, if any of those constraints are binding, SOP results in the optimal solution, except in some special cases which need to carry over water in the current stage to the future stage, when extreme drought is certain and a higher marginal utility exists for the second stage. Furthermore, uncertainty complicates the effects of the various constraints. A higher uncertainty level in the future makes HR more favorable as water needs to be reserved to defend against the risk caused by uncertainty. Using the derived optimality conditions, an algorithm for solving a numerical model is developed and tested with the Miyun Reservoir in China.
Evidence for the chaotic origin of Northern Annular Mode variability
Authors: Osprey S. M. , Ambaum M. H. P.
Published: August 2011

Exponential spectra are found to characterize variability of the Northern Annular Mode (NAM) for periods less than 36 days. This corresponds to the observed rounding of the autocorrelation function at lags of a few days. The characteristic persistence timescales during winter and summer is found to be ∼5 days for these high frequencies. Beyond periods of 36 days the characteristic decorrelation timescale is ∼20 days during winter and ∼6 days in summer. We conclude that the NAM cannot be described by autoregressive models for high frequencies; the spectra are more consistent with low‐order chaos. We also propose that the NAM exhibits regime behaviour, however the nature of this has yet to be identified.
Extended‐range ensemble forecasting of tropical cyclogenesis in the northern Indian Ocean: Modulation of Madden‐Julian Oscillation
Authors: Fu Xiouhua , Hsu Pang‐chi
Published: August 2011

A conventional atmosphere‐ocean coupled system initialized with NCEP FNL analysis has successfully predicted a tropical cyclogenesis event in the northern Indian Ocean with a lead time of two weeks. The coupled forecasting system reproduces the westerly wind bursts in the equatorial Indian Ocean associated with an eastward‐propagating Madden‐Julian Oscillation (MJO) event as well as the accompanying northward‐propagating westerly and convective disturbances. After reaching the Bay of Bengal, this northward‐propagating Intra‐Seasonal Variability (ISV) fosters the tropical cyclogenesis. The present finding demonstrates that a realistic MJO/ISV prediction will make the extended‐range forecasting of tropical cyclogenesis possible and also calls for improved representation of the MJO/ISV in contemporary weather and climate forecast models.
Human B cells differentiate into granzyme B‐secreting cytotoxic B lymphocytes upon incomplete T‐cell help
Authors: Hagn Magdalena , Sontheimer Kai , Dahlke Karen , Brueggemann Sabine , Kaltenmeier Christof , Beyer Thamara , Hofmann Stefanie , Lunov Oleg , Barth Thomas FE , Fabricius Dorit , Tron Kyrylo , Nienhaus Gerd Ulrich , Simmet Thomas , Schrezenmeier Hubert , Jahrsdörfer Bernd
Published: August 2011

Recently, CD4+ T helper cells were shown to induce differentiation of human B cells into plasma cells by expressing interleukin (IL‐)21 and CD40 ligand (CD40L). In the present study we show, that in the absence of CD40L, CD4+ T cell‐derived IL‐21 induces differentiation of B cells into granzyme B (GzmB)‐secreting cytotoxic cells. Using fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) analysis, ELISpot and confocal microscopy, we demonstrate that CD4+ T cells, activated via their T‐cell receptor without co‐stimulation, can produce IL‐21, but do not express CD40L and rapidly induce GzmB in co‐cultured B cells in an IL‐21 receptor‐dependent manner. Of note, we confirmed these results with recombinant reagents, highlighting that CD40L suppresses IL‐21‐induced GzmB induction in B cells in a dose‐dependent manner. Surprisingly, although GzmB‐secreting B cells did not express perforin, they were able to transfer active GzmB to tumor cell lines, thereby effectively inducing apoptosis. In contrast, no cytotoxic effects were found when effector B cells were activated with IL‐2 instead of IL‐21 or when target cells were cultured with IL‐21 alone. Our findings suggest GzmB+ cytotoxic B cells may have a role in early cellular immune responses including tumor immunosurveillance, before fully activated, antigen‐specific cytotoxic T cells are on the spot. CD40 ligand determines whether IL‐21 induces differentiation of B cells into plasma cells or into granzyme B‐secreting cytotoxic cells.
Genetically modified Cotton species detection by LISS-III satellite data
Authors: Singh Amit , Mukherjee Anita , Singh Bhoop , Mukherjee Saumitra , Shashtri Satyanarayan , Singh Chander Kumar , Kumari Bindu , Kumari Reena , Avatar Ram
Published: August 2011

It is possible to infer the genetically modified species by using remotely sensed data. Using ERDAS software the algorithm of BT (Bacillus thuringiensis) Cotton in Punjab, India was developed successfully. GPS enabled space technology has the potential to identify the exact location of Bt Cotton by generating Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for the calculation of total area covered by this species. It was possible to develop a correlation in between genetically modified Cotton crop and NDVI value. In parts of Bhatinda district of Punjab the yield of Bt Cotton and NDVI showed R2 value of more than 4.5 in regression analysis. A correlation matrix was also generated which shows that NDVI values of BT cotton also has reasonably acceptable correlation with Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) of soil and water.