bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variabilité et fréquence des cycles de gel‐dégel dans la région de Québec, 1977–2006
Authors: FORTIN GUILLAUME
Published: January 2010

Les cycles de gel‐dégel surviennent généralement au début et à la fin de la saison hivernale. Les impacts de ces cycles sur les écosystèmes sont nombreux et ils affectent notamment les différentes composantes biotiques et abiotiques des environnements tempérés froids de l'est du Canada. En nous basant sur les données des températures (minima et maxima) provenant de quatre stations météorologiques de la région de Québec, nous avons déterminé la fréquence des cycles journaliers de gel‐dégel pour une période de près de trente ans. Les résultats indiquent que la fréquence des cycles n'a pas connu une augmentation marquée au cours des trois dernières décennies, malgré une légère augmentation des températures pour le secteur d'étude. Des équations polynomiales reliant les températures moyennes avec le nombre de cycles de gel‐dégel ont été calculées. En nous basant sur ces équations ainsi que sur un scénario climatique prévoyant une augmentation des températures de l'ordre de 5 °C d'ici 2100, nous avons estimé que le nombre de jours comptant des cycles de gel‐dégel pourrait augmenter jusqu'à 20 jours par hiver. L'augmentation du nombre de cycles se produira principalement durant les mois les plus froids (janvier et février).
‘Born in an atomic test tube’: landscapes of cyclonic development at Uranium City, Saskatchewan
Authors: KEELING ARN
Published: January 2010

Drawing together insights from neo‐Innisian geography and environmental history, this paper explores the landscape and environmental changes engendered by ‘cyclonic’ patterns of development associated with uranium production at Uranium City, Saskatchewan. Strong postwar demand for uranium led to the establishment and rapid expansion of Uranium City on the north shore of Lake Athabasca as a ‘yellowcake town’, dedicated to producing uranium oxide concentrate to supply federal government contracts with the US military. In spite of optimistic assessments for the region's industrial future, the new settlement remained inherently unstable, tied to shifting institutional arrangements and external markets, and haunted by the spectre of resource depletion. The planning and development of the townsite at Uranium City reflected both neocolonial desires to open the north to Euro‐Canadian settlement and efforts by the state to buffer the stormy effects of resource dependency. Ultimately, however, quixotic government efforts to implant an outpost of industrial modernity in the Athabasca Region failed to forestall the inevitable winds of change, which left in their wake destructive legacies of social dislocation and environmental degradation, already evident with the near‐collapse of the uranium export market by the early 1960s.
Personal and global economies: Male carpet manufacturers as entrepreneurs in the weaving neighborhoods of Konya, Turkey
Authors: ISIK DAMLA
Published: January 2010

Situating the Turkish carpet‐weaving industry within the historical and political context of small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs), this study concentrates on male carpet manufacturers in Konya, Turkey. It explores how their divergent and at times awkward articulations of successful entrepreneurship affect and are affected by local labor conditions and relationships. The efforts of carpet manufacturers to achieve entrepreneurial flexibility have both liberating and constraining effects, demonstrating that the meanings and practices some researchers ascribe to the market economy and flexibility cannot be understood if disengaged from the particulars of culture.
The cachet dilemma: Ritual and agency in new Dutch nationalism
Authors: VERKAAIK OSKAR
Published: January 2010

In 2006, the Dutch government introduced a naturalization ceremony for foreigners wishing to become Dutch citizens. Local bureaucrats who organize the ceremony initially disapproved of the measure as symbolic of the neonationalist approach to migration. I analyze how their criticism is undermined in the process of designing the ritual, the form of which continues to express a culturalist message of citizenship, despite organizers’ explicit criticism or ridicule. Using the concept of “cultural intimacy,” I show how nationalism builds on a shared embarrassment among local bureaucrats, from which the new citizens are excluded by way of the ceremony.
The commodification of fetishes: Telling the difference between natural and synthetic sapphires
Authors: WALSH ANDREW
Published: January 2010

On the basis of multisited research concerning the international sapphire trade, I discuss what stories told about natural sapphires can reveal about why and how people value these stones. Because the stuff of sapphires (corundum) can be cheaply synthesized in a laboratory, what is perhaps most distinctive and valuable about natural sapphires is their geological origins, a fact that people in the trade recognize and emphasize in their marketing of the gemstones. Demand for natural sapphires is attributable to more than just effective marketing, however. What the stories I cite in this article may reveal best of all are the irreproducible value‐adding qualities that are understood by many to be inherent to natural sapphires.
Who Comes Back? Characteristics and Predictors of Return to Emergency Department Services for Pediatric Mental Health Care
Authors: Newton Amanda S. , Ali Samina , Johnson David W. , Haines Christina , Rosychuk Rhonda J. , Keaschuk Rachel A. , Jacobs Philip , Cappelli Mario , Klassen Terry P.
Published: January 2010

Objectives:  The objective of this study was to investigate predictors of emergency department (ED) return visits for pediatric mental health care. The authors hypothesized that through the identification of clinical and health system variables that predict return ED visits, which children and adolescents would benefit from targeted interventions for persistent mental health needs could be determined.

Methods:  Data on 16,154 presentations by 12,589 pediatric patients (≤17 years old) were examined from 2002 to 2006, using the Ambulatory Care Classification System (ACCS), a provincewide database for Alberta, Canada. Multivariable logistic regressions identified predictors, while survival analyses estimated time to ED return.

Results:  In the multivariable analysis, there were four patient factors significantly associated with ED return. Male sex (odds ratio [OR] = 0.78; 99% confidence interval [CI] = 0.69 to 0.89) was associated with a lower rate of return, as was child age. The likelihood of ED return increased with age. Children ≤5 years (OR = 0.26; 99% CI = 0.14 to 0.46) and between ages 6 and 12 (OR = 0.64; 99% CI = 0.51 to 0.79) were less likely to return, compared to 13‐ to 17‐year‐olds. Patients with families receiving full assistance for covering government health care premiums were more likely to return compared to those with no assistance (OR = 1.59; 99% CI = 1.33 to 1.91). Patients were more likely to return if their initial presentation was for a mood disorder (OR = 1.72; 99% CI = 1.46 to 2.01) or psychotic‐related illness (OR = 2.53; 99% CI = 1.80 to 3.56). There were two modest health care system predictors in the model. The likelihood of return decreased for patients triaged as nonurgent (OR = 0.62; 99% CI = 0.45 to 0.87) versus those triaged as urgent (level 3 acuity) and increased for patients with visits to general (vs. pediatric) EDs (OR = 1.25; 99% CI = 1.03 to 1.52). ED region (urban vs. rural) did not predict return. Within 72 hours of discharge, 6.1 and 8.7% of patients diagnosed with a mood disorder and psychotic‐related illness, respectively, returned to the ED. Throughout the study period, 28.5 and 36.6% of these diagnostic populations, respectively, returned to the ED.

Conclusions:  Among children and adolescents who accessed the ED for mental health concerns, being female, older in age, in receipt of social assistance, and having an initial visit for a mood disorder or psychotic‐related illness were associated with return for further care. How patient presentations were triaged and whether visits were made to a pediatric or general ED also affected the likelihood of return.

ACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE 2010; 17:177–186 © 2010 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine
Evaluation of the genetic basis of phenotypic heterogeneity in north Indian patients with Thalassemia major
Authors: Sharma Nidhi , Das Reena , Kaur Jasbir , Ahluwalia Jasmina , Trehan Amita , Bansal Deepak , Panigrahi Inusha , Marwaha Ram Kumar
Published: January 2010

Objectives: To assess the molecular basis of phenotypic heterogeneity in north Indian patients with thalassemia major (TM). Methods: To determine the clinical severity, 130 patients of TM were studied for the age of first presentation and frequency of blood transfusion. The type of beta mutations, Xmn–1Gγ polymorphism and G6PD Mediterranean mutation was characterized. Analysis of the phenotypic presentation and the genotype was performed. Results: Majority (83.8%) presented before 1 year of age (mean 8.8 months). The caste distribution showed 41.6% were Aroras and 32.3% were migrants from Pakistan. IVS1‐5(G→C) was commonest (32.7%) and the common five Indian mutations comprised of 88.4% of alleles. The mean age of presentation with IVS1‐5(G→C), Fr 8/9, (+G) 619‐bp del and IVS1‐1(G→T) homozygosity was 4.3, 6, 3.4 and 9.1 months respectively. Xmn–1Gγ status showed −/− in 66.9%, +/− in 26.1% and +/+ in 6.9% patients. Xmn–1Gγ−/− presented before 1 year of age. The mean age of presentation with +/+ was 18.3 months. Six hemizygous boys and one heterozygous girl with G6PD Mediterranean were found (prevalence 5.3%). Eight patients could be reclassified as thalassemia intermedia on follow up. Conclusions: This study showed that majority of TM in north India present before 1 year of age and homozygous 619‐bp deletion presents the earliest. The presence of Xmn‐1Gγ polymorphism delays the presentation, is associated with the IVS 1‐1 (G→T) and shows variable improvement with hydroxyurea therapy. Based on the results of genotyping, reevaluation of patients can improve the outcome in a few patients.
Heart rate variability (HRV) in adolescent females with anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder
Authors: Henje Blom E , Olsson EM , Serlachius E , Ericson M , Ingvar M
Published: January 2010

Aim:  The aim of this study was to investigate heart rate variability (HRV) in a clinical sample of female adolescents with anxiety disorders (AD) and/or major depressive disorder (MDD) compared with healthy controls and to assess the effect of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) on HRV.

Methods:  Heart rate variability was measured in adolescent female psychiatric patients with AD and/or MDD (n = 69), mean age 16.8 years (range: 14.5–18.4), from 13 out‐patient clinics and in healthy controls (n = 65), mean age 16.5 years (range: 15.9–17.7). HRV was registered in the sitting position during 4 min with no interventions.

Results:  Logarithmically transformed high frequency HRV (HF), low frequency HRV (LF) and standard deviation of inter beat intervals (SDNN) were lower in the clinical sample compared with the controls (Cohen’s d for HF = 0.57, LF = 0.55, SDNN = 0.60). This was not explained by body mass index, blood pressure or physical activity. Medication with SSRI explained 15.5% of the total variance of HF, 3.0% of LF and 6.5% of SDNN.

Conclusions:  Adolescent female psychiatric patients with AD and/or MDD show reduced HRV compared with healthy controls. Medication with SSRI explained a part of this difference.
In‐label and off‐label use of respiratory drugs in the Italian paediatric population
Authors: Baiardi P , Ceci A , Felisi M , Cantarutti L , Girotto S , Sturkenboom M , Baraldi E
Published: January 2010

Aim:  To evaluate the prescription rate of respiratory drugs (ATC code R03) in an Italian community setting and to estimate the extent of off‐label use by both age and indication.

Methods:  A cohort study aimed at evaluating prescriptions of drugs with ATC code R03 was conducted for the period 2002–2006. Data source was the PEDIANET Database.

Results:  Ninety percent of R03 prescriptions are covered by 11 active substances or combinations, corresponding to 67 medicinal products. Inhaled corticosteroids are the most prescribed anti‐asthmatic agents, followed by short‐acting β2 mimetics. The mean off‐label rate is 19 and 56%, by age and indication respectively. The majority of off‐label uses is among children under the age of 2. Five active substances are used at dosages not supported by adequate dose‐finding studies.

Conclusion:  In Italy, many respiratory drugs are approved for the treatment of paediatric respiratory diseases, but a remarkable percentage of their prescriptions is off‐label. This pharmaco‐utilization study demonstrates that there is a need to perform clinical studies aimed at increasing the current knowledge on marketed paediatric drugs, and to revise and re‐label the existing regulatory documents to reduce their off‐label uses.
A biophysical view of the interplay between mechanical forces and signaling pathways during transendothelial cell migration
Authors: Stroka Kimberly M. , Aranda‐Espinoza Helim
Published: January 2010

The vascular endothelium is exposed to an array of physical forces, including shear stress via blood flow, contact with other cells such as neighboring endothelial cells and leukocytes, and contact with the basement membrane. Endothelial cell morphology, protein expression, stiffness and cytoskeletal arrangement are all influenced by these mechanochemical forces. There are many biophysical tools that are useful in studying how forces are transmitted in endothelial cells, and these tools are also beginning to be used to investigate biophysical aspects of leukocyte transmigration, which is a ubiquitous mechanosensitive process. In particular, the stiffness of the substrate has been shown to have a significant impact on cellular behavior, and this is true for both endothelial cells and leukocytes. Thus, the stiffness of the basement membrane as an endothelial substrate, as well as the stiffness of the endothelium as a leukocyte substrate, is relevant to the process of transmigration. In this review, we discuss recent work that has related the biophysical aspects of endothelial cell interactions and leukocyte transmigration to the biochemical pathways and molecular interactions that take place during this process. Further use of biophysical tools to investigate the biological process of leukocyte transmigration will have implications for tissue engineering, as well as atherosclerosis, stroke and immune system disease research.
Considerations for an Evidence-Based Definition of Premature Ejaculation in the DSM-V
Authors: Segraves Robert Taylor
Published: January 2010

Introduction

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Ed., text revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for premature ejaculation (PE) have been criticized on multiple grounds including that the criteria lack precision, that the requirement of marked distress is inappropriate, and that the specification of etiological subtypes should be deleted. Since these criteria were originally adopted, there has been a tremendous gain in knowledge concerning PE.

Aim

The goal of this manuscript is to review evidence relevant to diagnostic criteria for PE published since 1990.

Method

Medline searches from 1990 forward were conducted using the terms PE, rapid ejaculation, ejaculatory disorder, and intravaginal ejaculatory latency. Early drafts of proposed alterations in diagnostic criteria were submitted to advisors.

Main Outcome Measure

Expert opinion was based on review of evidence-based medical literature.

Results

The literature search indicated possible alterations in diagnostic criteria for PE.

Conclusions

It is recommended that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual committee adopt criteria similar to those adopted by the International Society of Sexual Medicine. It is proposed that lifelong PE in heterosexual men be defined as ejaculation occurring within approximately 1 minute of vaginal penetration on 75% of occasions for at least 6 months. Field trials will be necessary to determine if these criteria can be applied to acquired PE and whether analogous criteria can be applied to ejaculatory latencies in other sexual activities. Serious consideration should be given to changing the name from PE to rapid ejaculation. The subtypes indicating etiology should be eliminated.
REPORTS: Considerations for Diagnostic Criteria for Erectile Dysfunction in DSM V
Authors: Segraves Robert Taylor
Published: January 2010

Introduction

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Ed., text revision (DSM-IV-TR) criteria for erectile disorder have been criticized as multiple grounds including that the criteria lack precision, that the requirement of marked distress is inappropriate, and that the specification of etiological subtypes should be deleted.

Aim

The goal of this manuscript is to review evidence relevant to diagnostic criteria for erectile disorder published since 1990.

Method

Medline searches from 1990 forward were conducted using the terms erectile disorder and impotence. Early drafts of proposed alterations in diagnostic criteria were submitted to advisors.

Main Outcome Measure

Evidence regarding modification of criteria for DSM V diagnostic criteria for erectile dysfunction was judged by whether existing data justified the adoption of precise criteria which would lead to homogenous groups for research. Another outcome measure was whether data exist to reliably differentiate fluctuations in normal function from pathological states.

Results

The literature review revealed a large literature concerning erectile disorder but minimal evidence concerning an operational definition for this disorder.

Conclusions

It is recommended that erectile disorder be precisely defined in order to clearly differentiate alterations in normal function from a condition requiring medial intervention and to facilitate clinical research. It is specifically proposed that erectile dysfunction be defined as failure to obtain and maintain an erection sufficient for sexual activity or decreased erectile turgidity on 75% of sexual occasions and lasting for at least 6 months. It is also recommended that erectile disorder be defined independently of distress.
Psoas abscess complicating Crohn's disease
Authors: Garkuwa Dahiru A , Green Barnabus R , Joypaul Baboo V
Published: January 2010

Psoas abscess complicating Crohn's disease is an established but relatively rare condition that can present a difficult management problem. A high index of suspicion is paramount in early diagnosis and advances in therapeutic imaging techniques may allow a non‐operative approach in the initial treatment plan. We also advocate consideration of definitive surgical management if suitable. We present one such case and a review of the literature.
Coronary heart disease knowledge tool for women
Authors: Thanavaro Joanne L. , Thanavaro Samer , Delicath Timothy
Published: January 2010

Purpose: To develop a tool that measures coronary heart disease (CHD) knowledge specifically for women.

Data sources: The new CHD knowledge tool, based on previous surveys of women's CHD knowledge, has 25 multiple‐choice questions. An expert panel evaluated content and face validity. The tool was pilot tested in women without CHD, who were admitted to a Chest Pain Center. The tool was subsequently administered to laywomen and female cardiovascular nurses to evaluate its validity and reliability. The sample included 49 women as the control group (Group 1), 23 cardiovascular nurses as a known group (Group 2), and 22 women with an educational program as the treatment group (Group 3). Knowledge of women in Group 1 was compared with Groups 2 and 3 in known group and predictive validity tests.

Conclusion: The new tool demonstrates good validity and reliability to measure CHD knowledge in women.

Implications for practice: Women continue to have low CHD knowledge, and nurse practitioners should provide education to improve women's CHD knowledge as a strategy to promote healthy lifestyle practices and CHD risk prevention. The new tool can be utilized in future research to measure women's CHD knowledge.
The human papillomavirus in women over 40: Implications for practice and recommendations for screening
Authors: Montgomery Kymberlee , Bloch Joan Rosen
Published: January 2010

Purpose: Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women worldwide. Human papillomavirus (HPV) has been shown to be the precursor of cervical cancer in over 99% of these cases. Although preventative measures have greatly reduced the burden of HPV‐induced cervical cancer, these measures cannot be utilized by women who are unaware of the existence of HPV and its relationship to their health. Women over the age of 40 are being newly diagnosed with HPV, profoundly impacting their lives and their sense of well‐being. This article highlights the necessity for clinicians to assess knowledge, health beliefs, and preventative measures regarding HPV and cervical cancer in women over the age of 40.

Data sources: Review of scientific literature of knowledge, health beliefs, and preventative measures in women regarding HPV and cervical cancer and clinical practice guidelines.

Conclusions: Although women aged 40 and above are not specifically considered high risk for HPV infection, many women are testing positive in this age group and are facing the impact of an HPV diagnosis that implicates a sexually transmitted disease and is known to be a precursor to cervical cancer.

Implications for practice: Suggested questions to use for all patients are presented as it is crucial for healthcare providers to understand the healthcare needs of this age group in order to appropriately direct resources and to save the lives of women from this preventable disease.
If pelvic inflammatory disease is suspected empiric treatment should be initiated
Authors: Abatangelo Lisa , Okereke Lilian , Parham‐Foster Cheryle , Parrish Colleen , Scaglione Leanne , Zotte Deborah , Taub Leslie‐Faith Morritt
Published: January 2010

Purpose: To assist the nurse practitioner (NP) to make a rapid diagnosis and develop a treatment plan for pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) in order to assist women to promote their health and reduce their risk of the unnecessary sequelae of infertility, tubal damage, and the possibility of a subsequent ectopic pregnancy.

Data sources: Centers for Disease Control guidelines and recent clinical practice literature were searched to provide guidance on how to diagnose, treat, and educate the patient with PID.

Conclusions: The incidence of PID is approximately 1 million women annually. PID is diagnosed in 1%–2% of sexually active women under the age of 25, with a higher incidence in African American women. Women with PID produce over 2 million emergency room and office visits and incur health care costs of over 4 billion dollars annually.

Implications for practice: PID is associated with chronic pelvic pain, infertility, and ectopic pregnancy. Symptoms can range from subtle and indolent to acute and fulminant. Having a high index of suspicion for the diagnosis will assist the NP in treating patients with this disease. Empiric antibiotic therapy should be initiated in all women at risk who have uterine, adnexal, or cervical motion tenderness on a bimanual exam with no other explanation for these symptoms. Without response to treatment, if the diagnosis is unclear, or if a surgical emergency is being considered, prompt referral to a specialist is warranted. Secondary preventive measures are discussed.
A concept analysis of home and its meaning in the lives of three older adults
Authors: Gillsjö Catharina , Schwartz‐Barcott Donna
Published: January 2010

gillsjö c. & schwartz‐barcott d. (2010) A concept analysis of home and its meaning in the lives of three older adults. International Journal of Older People Nursing 6, 4–12 doi: 10.1111/j.1748‐3743.2010.00207.x

Aim.  To identify and define the concept of home and its meaning in the lives of three older women.

Background.  For many older adults home is the centre of daily life and increasingly important as a place where health care is delivered. Yet, as a concept, home remains theoretically and empirically underdeveloped.

Methods.  The Hybrid Model of Concept Development was used to interface theoretical analysis and empirical observation with a focus on definition. A comprehensive, interdisciplinary literature review, semi‐structured interviews with three older women and case and cross‐case analysis were completed.

Results.  Interviewees spoke of childhood, community, residential, church and heavenly homes. Feelings of comfort and security were associated with residential homes, peace and quiet with church homes, safety and pleasure with heavenly homes. The experience of home as being taken for granted, unselfconscious and unrecognized, became obvious when one woman tried to consciously establish a sense of being at home in her new residence.

Conclusion.  No single comprehensive and measurable definition was found. However, three major components were identified (place, relationship and experience) and used to define home as a place to which one is attached, feels comfortable and secure and has the experience of dwelling.

Relevance to clinical practice.  Every day assumptions about the meaning of home and home as just another place where health care is provided are called into question. Increased awareness and dialogue is needed among health‐care providers working with older adults in their homes. Future research needs to explore the impact of home care on the older adult’s meaning of home and its potential impact on recovery.
Combined Effects of Alkaline Electrolyzed Water and Citric Acid with Mild Heat to Control Microorganisms on Cabbage
Authors: Rahman S.M.E. , Jin Yong‐Guo , Oh Deog‐Hwan
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACT: Effects of alkaline electrolyzed water (AlEW), acidic electrolyzed water (AcEW), 100 ppm sodium hypochlorite (NaClO), deionized water (DIW), 1% citric acid (CA) alone, and combinations of AlEW with 1% CA (AlEW + CA), in reducing the populations of spoilage bacteria and foodborne pathogens on cabbage were investigated at various dipping times (3, 5, and 10 min) with different dipping temperatures (1, 20, 40, and 50 °C). Inhibitory effect of the selected optimal treatment against Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157 : H7 on cabbage were also evaluated. Compared to the untreated control, AlEW treatment most effectively reduced the numbers of total bacteria, yeast, and mold, followed by AcEW and 100‐ppm NaClO treatments. All treatments dip washed for 5 min significantly reduced the numbers of total bacteria, yeast, and mold on cabbage. With increasing dipping temperature from 1 to 50 °C, the reductions of total bacteria, yeast, and mold were significantly increased from 0.19 to 1.12 log CFU/g in the DIW wash treatment (P < 0.05). Combined 1% CA with AlEW treatment at 50 °C showed the reduction of around 3.98 and 3.45 log CFU/g on the total count, and yeast and mold, effective reduction of L. monocytogenes (3.99 log CFU/g), and E. coli O157 : H7 (4.19 log CFU/g) on cabbage. The results suggest that combining AlEW with CA could be a possible method to control foodborne pathogens and spoilage bacteria effectively on produce.
Synergistic Reduction of Salmonella in a Model Raw Chicken Media using a Combined Thermal and Acidified Organic Acid Salt Intervention Treatment
Authors: Milillo S.R. , Ricke S.C.
Published: January 2010

ABSTRACT:  Salmonella‐contaminated poultry products are considered major contributors to foodborne illness. The anti‐Salmonella activity of organic acid salts has been studied in food products and poultry feed but rarely in combination with nonchemical treatments. Here, we investigated the combination of acidified organic acid salt solutions with thermal treatment as an effective Salmonella intervention applicable in poultry carcass processing. A model raw chicken media was used to propagate Salmonella prior to the intervention treatment. Salmonella Typhimurium strains LT2 and ATCC nr 14028 grew similarly in the model raw chicken media at 37 and 42 °C, reaching stationary phase 24 h after inoculation. Four log10CFU of either Salmonella Typhimurium strain at stationary phase was exposed to 2.5% organic acid salt solutions (at pH 4) for 1 min at 55 °C. All organic acid salt treatments yielded significant Salmonella Typhimurium reductions, ranging from 1 log (sodium acetate) to almost 4 logs (sodium butyrate). Exposure to pH 4 water at 55 °C or the organic acid salt solutions at room temperature had no effect. The combined thermal and acidified organic acid salt intervention produced a significant, synergistic reduction of Salmonella Typhimurium and may represent an effective method for decontamination of poultry carcasses during processing.
Dependence of Photochemical Reactivity of the All‐trans Retinal Protonated Schiff Base on the Solvent and the Excitation Wavelength
Authors: Zgrablić Goran , Ricci Maria , Novello Anna Maria , Parmigiani Fulvio
Published: January 2010

An all‐optical experimental technique aimed at measuring photoisomerization quantum yield (ϕ) of the all‐trans protonated Schiff base of retinal in solution has been implemented. Upon the increase in the excitation wavelength from 400 to 540 nm a slight increase in ϕ from 0.16 ± 0.03 to 0.20 ± 0.02 is observed in the chromophore dissolved in methanol, whereas the ϕ value of the one dissolved in acetonitrile varies only from 0.22 ± 0.03 (400 nm) to 0.23 ± 0.04 (540 nm). The results suggest that dissipation of the excited‐state vibrational energy excess, along with environment‐induced modifications of the potential energy surfaces are necessary for an efficient retinal photoisomerization in both solvent and protein environment.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: RET‐Y and RBC‐Y in the diagnosis of iron deficiency associated with anaemia of inflammation
Authors: JAYARANEE S. , STHANESHWAR P.
Published: January 2010

We evaluated the usefulness of RET‐Y and RBC‐Y in distinguishing functional iron deficiency from iron‐deficiency anaemia (IDA) in patients with anaemia of inflammation (AI). Sixty healthy blood donors constituted the control group. We studied RET‐Y and RBC‐Y in 115 patients with hypochromic/microcytic anaemia. Of these 42 patients had uncomplicated IDA and 73 had AI. The AI patients were further subdivided into AI with IDA and AI with functional IDA based on soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR) levels. The mean RBC‐Y and RET‐Y values in iron‐deficient patients were 122.4 and 119.8, respectively, which were significantly lower than the control (P < 0.001). The mean level of RET‐Y in patients with AI associated with IDA was 149.3 and this level in AI patients with functional iron deficiency was 147.4. RET‐Y levels in both subgroups of AI patients were significantly lower than control but no significant difference was observed between the two subgroups. Similar findings were observed for RBC‐Y. Receiver operating characteristic analysis also showed lower specificity for RBC‐Y and RET‐Y compared with that of sTfR and its log ferritin ratio (F‐index). RET‐Y and RBC‐Y are useful in the diagnosis of simple IDA but have limited utility in the diagnosis of IDA with AI.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Genetics, adaptation, and invasion in harsh environments
Authors: Gomulkiewicz Richard , Holt Robert D. , Barfield Michael , Nuismer Scott L.
Published: January 2010

We analyze mathematical models to examine how the genetic basis of fitness affects the persistence of a population suddenly encountering a harsh environment where it would go extinct without evolution. The results are relevant for novel introductions and for an established population whose existence is threatened by a sudden change in the environment. The models span a range of genetic assumptions, including identical loci that contribute to absolute fitness, a two‐locus quantitative genetic model with nonidentical loci, and a model with major and minor genes affecting a quantitative trait. We find as a general (though not universal) pattern that prospects for persistence narrow as more loci contribute to fitness, in effect because selection per locus is increasingly weakened with more loci, which can even overwhelm any initial enhancement of fitness that adding loci might provide. When loci contribute unequally to fitness, genes of small effect can significantly reduce extinction risk. Indeed, major and minor genes can interact synergistically to reduce the time needed to evolve growth. Such interactions can also increase vulnerability to extinction, depending not just on how genes interact but also on the initial genetic structure of the introduced, or newly invaded, population.
SYNTHESIS: The role of adaptive trans‐generational plasticity in biological invasions of plants
Authors: Dyer Andrew R. , Brown Cynthia S. , Espeland Erin K. , McKay John K. , Meimberg Harald , Rice Kevin J.
Published: January 2010

High‐impact biological invasions often involve establishment and spread in disturbed, high‐resource patches followed by establishment and spread in biotically or abiotically stressful areas. Evolutionary change may be required for the second phase of invasion (establishment and spread in stressful areas) to occur. When species have low genetic diversity and short selection history, within‐generation phenotypic plasticity is often cited as the mechanism through which spread across multiple habitat types can occur. We show that trans‐generational plasticity (TGP) can result in pre‐adapted progeny that exhibit traits associated with increased fitness both in high‐resource patches and in stressful conditions. In the invasive sedge,Cyperus esculentus, maternal plants growing in nutrient‐poor patches can place disproportional number of propagules into nutrient‐rich patches. Using the invasive annual grass,Aegilops triuncialis, we show that maternal response to soil conditions can confer greater stress tolerance in seedlings in the form of greater photosynthetic efficiency. We also show TGP for a phenological shift in a low resource environment that results in greater stress tolerance in progeny. These lines of evidence suggest that the maternal environment can have profound effects on offspring success and that TGP may play a significant role in some plant invasions.
Overcoming Global and Regional Collective Action Impediments
Authors: Sandler Todd
Published: January 2010

At the outset, the article traces the increased prevalence of transnational collective action to globalization, technological progress, population growth and enhanced surveillance. The article then identifies 15 factors that facilitate successful collective action at the global and regional level. Generally, collective action problems with more of these facilitators are easier to address and, in some instances, will require no explicit policy intervention. By identifying essential facilitators and inhibitors, the article indicates where collective action has either a good or bad prognosis. Thus, scarce policy resources can be directed toward those issues where the prognosis is unfavorable. Much of the article concentrates on spatial considerations, institutional engineering and aggregator technologies. For regional collective action concerns, spatial considerations are particularly important since propinquity and relative location of countries influence how actions of other countries affect social well‐being. Simple institutional designs – cost sharing, thresholds and refunds – can effectively overcome impediments to collective action by making contributors view their net benefits from the viewpoint of the collective. Throughout the article, contrasts are drawn between global and regional collective action. Myriad examples and policy recommendations are offered.

Policy Implications

 Global collective action can differ fundamentally from regional collective action. These differences must inform policy making in addressing collective action impediments.

 Spatial considerations can play an important role in the underlying incentives motivating regional collective action.

Scarce policy‐making resources should be directed at those collective action problems that face the greatest impediments and/or the fewest facilitators – e.g. global warming.

The manner in which individual contributions add to the overall amount of the collective action is an essential consideration when designing policies.

Simple institutional designs – cost sharing and refunds – can effectively overcome impediments to collective action by aligning countries’ incentives.
Nuclear Disarmament and the 2010 NPT Review Conference
Authors: Clarke Michael
Published: January 2010

The upcoming 2010 NPT RevCon, unlike its predecessor in 25, appears set to take place in an international climate characterised by a widespread hope that there will be practical movement toward nuclear disarmament. This hope has been expressed not only by long‐term arms control and disarmament advocates but also by such US ‘cold warriors’ as former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. Thus, this survey article will address two key questions: (1) why is progress on nuclear disarmament seen by many as vital for reinvigorating the international non‐proliferation regime? (2) What are the prospects for progress on nuclear disarmament at the 2010 NPT RevCon?
Museum as Soup Kitchen
Authors: Gurian Elaine Heumann
Published: January 2010

In this paper, I suggest that museums have not explored their potential opportunities enough when dealing with their communities under stressful conditions. Each reader, however, should decide when what I am talking about is no longer appropriate for museums in general or your museum in particular. While some museums have moved more in the direction of serving their communities, I am struck by how little philosophical change has actually taken place in most museums after a year into this universal economic downturn. I argue that incorporating a broader palette of social services may make institutions more useful, but at some point these institutions might cease to be traditional museums. My question would be: “Should you care?” I do not suggest that all museums become full‐service community centers, though some might explore that option. Perhaps the question might become: How do we expand our services so that we make museums’ important physical assets of safe civic space and objects useful for tangible three‐dimensional learning into more relevant programs that reach all levels of community, and are rated by many more as essential to their needs and their aspirations for their children?
From Knowing to Not Knowing: Moving Beyond “Outcomes”
Authors: Pekarik Andrew J.
Published: January 2010

The ways that museums measure the success of their exhibitions reveal their attitudes and values. Are they striving to control visitors so that people will experience what the museum wants? Or are they working to support visitors, who seek to find their own path? The type of approach known as “outcome‐based evaluation” weighs in on the side of control. These outcomes are sometimes codified and limited to some half‐dozen or so “learning objectives” or “impact categories.” In essence, those who follow this approach are committed to creating exhibitions that will tell visitors what they must experience. Yet people come to museums to construct something new and personally meaningful (and perhaps unexpected or unpredictable) for themselves. They come for their own reasons, see the world through their own frameworks, and may resist (and even resent) attempts to shape their experience. How can museums design and evaluate exhibitions that seek to support visitors rather than control them? How can museum professionals cultivate “not knowing” as a motivation for improving what they do?
Jet Engine Health Signal Denoising Using Optimally Weighted Recursive Median Filters
Authors: Uday Payuna , Ganguli Ranjan
Published: January 2010

The removal of noise and outliers from health signals is an important problem in jet engine health monitoring. Typically, health signals are time series of damage indicators, which can be sensor measurements or features derived from such measurements. Sharp or sudden changes in health signals can represent abrupt faults and long term deterioration in the system is typical of gradual faults. Simple linear filters tend to smooth out the sharp trend shifts in jet engine signals and are also not good for outlier removal. We propose new optimally designed nonlinear weighted recursive median filters for noise removal from typical health signals of jet engines. Signals for abrupt and gradual faults and with transient data are considered. Numerical results are obtained for a jet engine and show that preprocessing of health signals using the proposed filter significantly removes Gaussian noise and outliers and could therefore greatly improve the accuracy of diagnostic systems.
Maximization of the Profit of a Complex Combined-Cycle Cogeneration Plant Using a Professional Process Simulator
Authors: Vieira Leonardo S. , Matt Carlos F. , Guedes Vanessa G. , Cruz Manuel E. , Castellões Fernando V.
Published: January 2010

The high cost of energy resources has driven a strong and continued quest for their optimal utilization. In this context, modern thermoeconomic optimization techniques have been developed to analyze and design improved energy systems, leading to a better compromise between energetic efficiency and cost. Thermoeconomic optimization can be parametric (plant configuration is fixed), applicable both at the design phase or operation phase of a system, or structural (plant configuration may vary). In practice, mathematical thermoeconomic optimization may be accomplished in two ways: (i) the conventional way, which manipulates all pertinent equations simultaneously or (ii) integrated with a professional process simulator, such that the equations are manipulated separately. In the latter case, the simulator deals with the thermodynamic property and balance equations, while an external optimization routine, linked to the simulator, deals with the economic equations and objective function. In this work, a previous implementation of an integrated approach for parametric mathematical thermoeconomic optimization of complex thermal systems is applied to an actual combined-cycle cogeneration plant located in the outskirts of the city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. The plant contains more than 60 thermal components, including two gas turbines, one steam turbine, and two heat recovery steam generators. Several hundred variables are required to simulate the plant at one operational steady-state. The plant produces 380 MW of power nominally, and exports a mass flow rate between 200 tons/h and 400 tons/h of superheated process steam, at 45 bars and 404°C, to a neighboring refinery. The simulator is the THERMOFLEX software, which interfaces with the Microsoft Excel program. The optimization routine is written in the Visual Basic for Applications language and is based on Powell’s method. The cogeneration plant operates subjected to time-changing economic scenarios, because of varying fuel, electricity, and steam prices. Thus, to manage the plant, it is necessary to vary the operational state appropriately as the economic parameters change. For a prescribed economic scenario, previous work determined the minimum operational cost, when a fixed contracted hourly-rate of process steam was to be exported, while a variable amount of electrical power was produced. In this paper, a broader optimization problem is formulated and solved, for which the objective is to maximize the plant profit under different economic scenarios. It is shown that the optimal operating conditions depend on the economic parameters, and do not necessarily imply maximum efficiency. The integrated optimization approach proves effective, robust, and helpful for optimal plant management.
A Fault Diagnosis Method for Industrial Gas Turbines Using Bayesian Data Analysis
Authors: Lee Young K. , Mavris Dimitri N. , Volovoi Vitali V. , Yuan Ming , Fisher Ted
Published: January 2010

This paper presents an offline fault diagnosis method for industrial gas turbines in a steady-state. Fault diagnosis plays an important role in the efforts for gas turbine owners to shift from preventive maintenance to predictive maintenance, and consequently to reduce the maintenance cost. Ever since its birth, numerous techniques have been researched in this field, yet none of them is completely better than the others and perfectly solves the problem. Fault diagnosis is a challenging problem because there are numerous fault situations that can possibly happen to a gas turbine, and multiple faults may occur in multiple components of the gas turbine simultaneously. An algorithm tailored to one fault situation may not perform well in other fault situations. A general algorithm that performs well in overall fault situations tends to compromise its accuracy in the individual fault situation. In addition to the issue of generality versus accuracy, another challenging aspect of fault diagnosis is that, data used in diagnosis contain errors. The data is comprised of measurements obtained from gas turbines. Measurements contain random errors and often systematic errors like sensor biases as well. In this paper, to maintain the generality and the accuracy together, multiple Bayesian models tailored to various fault situations are implemented in one hierarchical model. The fault situations include single faults occurring in a component, and multiple faults occurring in more than one component. In addition to faults occurring in the components of a gas turbine, sensor biases are explicitly included in the multiple models so that the magnitude of a bias, if any, can be estimated as well. Results from these multiple Bayesian models are averaged according to how much each model is supported by data. Gibbs sampling is used for the calculation of the Bayesian models. The presented method is applied to fault diagnosis of a gas turbine that is equipped with a faulty compressor and a biased fuel flow sensor. The presented method successfully diagnoses the magnitudes of the compressor fault and the fuel flow sensor bias with limited amount of data. It is also shown that averaging multiple models gives rise to more accurate and less uncertain results than using a single general model. By averaging multiple models, based on various fault situations, fault diagnosis can be general yet accurate.
The Analysis of Heat Transfer in Automotive Turbochargers
Authors: Baines Nick , Wygant Karl D. , Dris Antonis
Published: January 2010

Heat transfers in an automotive turbocharger comprise significant energy flows, but are rarely measured or accounted for in any turbocharger performance assessment. Existing measurements suggest that the difference in turbine efficiency calculated in the conventional way, by means of the fluid temperature change, under adiabatic conditions differs considerably from the usual diabatic test conditions, particularly at low turbine pressure ratio. In the work described in this paper, three commercial turbochargers were extensively instrumented with thermocouples on all accessible external and internal surfaces in order to make comprehensive temperature surveys. The turbochargers were run at ranges of turbine inlet temperature and external ventilation. Adiabatic tests were also carried out to serve as a reference condition. Based on the temperature measurements, the internal heat fluxes from the turbine gas to the turbocharger structure and from there to the lubricating oil and the compressor, and the external heat fluxes to the environment were calculated. A one-dimensional heat transfer network model of the turbocharger was demonstrated to be able to simulate the heat fluxes to good accuracy, and the heat transfer coefficients required were ultimately found to be mostly independent of the turbochargers tested.