bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
K+ dynamics in ischemic rat brain in vivo by 87Rb MRI at 7 T
Authors: Yushmanov Victor E. , Kharlamov Alexander , Ibrahim Tamer S. , Zhao Tiejun , Boada Fernando E. , Jones Stephen C.
Published: January 2011

The aims of the present study were as follows: (i) to perform the first 87Rb MRI in live rats with focal ischemic stroke; and (ii) to test the hypothesis that K+ egress from the brain in this model is quantifiable in individual animals by high‐field (7‐T) K/Rb substitution MRI. Rats preloaded with dietary Rb+ (resulting in Rb/(K + Rb) replacement ratios of 0.1–0.2 in the brain) were subjected to permanent occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, and 87Rb MRI was implemented with 13‐min temporal resolution using a dedicated RF coil and a spiral ultrashort‐TE sequence (TR/TE = 3/0.07 ms). The ischemic core was localized by apparent diffusion coefficient mapping, by microtubule‐associated protein‐2 immunohistochemistry and by changes in surface reflectivity. [K], [Na] and [Rb] were determined independently in the micropunched samples by post‐mortem flame photometry. Both techniques were generally in agreement in the nonischemic cortex; however, the MRI‐assessed [K+ + Rb+] drop in ischemic brain was less pronounced (average efflux rate of 4.8 ± 0.2 nEq/mm3/h versus 10 ± 1 nEq/mm3/h by flame photometry; p < 0.0001). The use of higher field gradients for better spatial resolution, and hence more accurate quantification, is suggested. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Jitter‐minimized reliability‐maximized management of networks
Authors: Sheikh Waseem , Ghafoor Arif
Published: January 2011

We propose a joint optimization network management framework for quality‐of‐service (QoS) routing with resource allocation. Our joint optimization framework provides a convenient way of maximizing the reliability or minimizing the jitter delay of paths. Data traffic is sensitive to droppage at buffers, while it can tolerate jitter delay. On the other hand, multimedia traffic can tolerate loss but it is very sensitive to jitter delay. Depending on the type of data, our scheme provides a convenient way of selecting the parameters which result in either reliability maximization or jitter minimization. We solve the optimization problem for a GPS network and provide the optimal solutions. We find the values of control parameters which control the type of optimization performed. We use our analytical results in a multi‐objective QoS routing algorithm. Finally, we provide insights into our optimization framework using simulations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A generalized model of non‐linear viscoelasticity: numerical issues and applications
Authors: Buhan M. de , Frey P.
Published: January 2011

In this paper, we consider a non‐linear viscoelastic model with internal variable, thoroughly analyzed by Le Tallecit et al. (Comput. Methods Appl. Mech. Engrg 1993; 109:233–258). Our aim is to study here the implementation in three dimensions of a generalized version of this model. Computational results will be analyzed to validate our model on toy problems without geometric complexity, for which pseudo‐analytical solutions are known. At the end, we present a three‐dimensional numerical simulation on a mechanical device. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inter‐ and intramolecular hydrogen bonds in polyamines: variable‐concentration1H‐NMR studies
Authors: Nudelman Norma Sbarbati , Alvaro Cecilia E. Silvana
Published: January 2011

Inter‐ and intramolecular hydrogen bonding play an important role in determining the arrangement, physical properties, and reactivity of a great diversity of structures in chemical and biological systems. Several aromatic nucleophilic substitutions (ANS) in nonpolar aprotic, (non‐HBD), solvents recently studied in our laboratory have demonstrated the importance of self‐association of amines by hydrogen‐bond interactions. In this paper, we describe1H‐NMR studies carried out at room temperature on bi‐ and polyfunctionalized amines, namely:N‐(3‐amino‐1‐propyl)morpholine (3‐APMo), histamine, 2‐guanidinobenzimidazole (2‐GB), 1,2‐diaminoethane (EDA), 3‐dimethylamino‐l‐propylamine (DMPA), and 1‐(2‐aminoethyl)piperidine (2‐AEPip). By1H‐NMR measurements of amine solutions at variable concentrations we have shown that 3‐APMo, histamine and 2‐GB are able to form a six‐membered ring byintramolecularhydrogen bonding, while EDA, DMPA, and 2‐AEPip form dimers byintermolecularhydrogen bonds. Likewise, variable concentration1H‐NMR studies allowed estimation of the corresponding equilibrium constants for the dimerization. These results are correlated with experimental kinetic results of ANS, confirming hereto the relevance of the “dimer mechanism” in reactions involving these amines. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Temperature effect on an N‐channel commercial VDMOSFET transistor
Authors: Abboud Nadine , Salame Chafic , Cuminal Yvan , Foucaran Alain , Hoffmann Alain
Published: January 2011

High temperature effect on MOSFET devices was evaluated by exposing the silicon devices to a temperature value above the normal operating range in order to study the device behavior under extreme conditions. Measurements show an increasing in the saturation drain‐source current and the reverse drain‐source current with temperature while the transistor threshold voltage and the diffusion voltage of the integrated pn junction were decreased. The carrier's mobility shows an increasing with temperature while the drain‐source on‐resistance was decreased. Switching times are also investigated as function of temperature and important variations are obtained on the device turn‐on and turn‐off times. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Photo‐sensing devices using a‐Si based materials
Authors: Vieira Manuela , Fernandes Miguel , Louro Paula , Fantoni Alessandro , Vieira Manuel A. , Costa João , Barata Manuel
Published: January 2011

Amorphous Si/SiC stacked photodiodes working as photonic devices are reviewed. Several applications (imagers, wavelength division demultiplexing devices and optical amplifiers) are proposed. In the imagers scans speeds up to 10 K lines per second were achieved without degradation in resolution. In the Wavelength Division Demultiplexing devices transmission rates are of the order of 4 kbit/s. Optical amplification occurs under steady state irradiation where the polychromatic mixture of different colors is higher than the sum of the individual monochromatic contributions. Electrical models are present to support the sensing methodologies. Experimental and simulated results show that the tandem devices act as charge transfer systems. They filter, amplify, store and transport the photogenerated carriers, keeping its memory (colour, intensity and bit rate) without adding any optical pre‐amplifier or optical filter as in the standard p‐i‐n cells. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Structures responsible for radiative and non‐radiative recombination activity of dislocations in silicon
Authors: Mchedlidze Teimuraz , Arguirov Tzanimir , Kononchuk Oleg , Trushin Maxim , Kittler Martin
Published: January 2011

Regular dislocation networks (DN) formed by direct bonding of Si wafers actively participate in recombination of minority carriers. Besides nonradiative recombination (NRR), dislocation‐related luminescence (DRL), i.e. radiative recombination could be observed. We show that the type of recombination is defined by the type of the dislocations and the structure of the network. Screw dislocations are mostly DRL active, while NRR is mostly related to edge dislocations. Moreover, the DRL intensity strongly depends on the misalignment angle between the crystal orientations of both bonded wafers. There exists an optimal alignment between bonded Si wafers, for which the DRL intensity has a maximum. Such alignment could be used for dislocation based all‐Si light emitting devices in the future on‐chip optical communication components. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Temperature and directional dependences of the infrared dielectric function of free standing silicon nanowire
Authors: Kazan M. , Bruyant A. , Sedaghat Z. , Arnaud L. , Blaize S. , Royer P.
Published: January 2011

An approach to calculate the infrared dielectric function of semiconductor nanostructures is presented and applied to silicon (Si) nanowires (NW's). The phonon modes symmetries and frequencies are calculated by means of the elastic continuum medium theory. The modes strengths and damping are calculated from a model for lattice dynamics and perturbation theory. The data are used in anisotropic Lorentz oscillator model to generate the temperature and directional dependences of the infrared dielectric function of free standing Si NW's. Our results showed that in the direction perpendicular to the NW axis, the complex dielectric function is identical to that of bulk Si. However, along the NW axis, the infrared dielectric function is a strong function of the wavelength. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The spatial distribution of silicon NCs and erbium ion clusters by simultaneous high‐resolution energy filtered and Z‐contrast STEM and transmission electron tomography
Authors: Wang Xiongyao , Li Peng , Malac Marek , Lockwood Ross , Meldrum Al
Published: January 2011

Imaging the spatial distribution of silicon nanocrystals (Si‐NCs) and erbium ion clusters can assist in the development of light‐emitting erbium‐doped silicon nanocomposites. We applied simultaneous energy‐filtered and high‐angle annular dark field imaging in the scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) mode; the former method images the Si NCs and the latter is sensitive to the high atomic number of the Er3+ ions. Both methods were performed simultaneously so as to avoid relative image drift. In Er‐doped Si nano‐composites, we find that the Er ions are not uniformly distributed in the matrix: instead, they form clusters that appear in projection images to decorate the boundaries of the Si‐NCs. This structure may develop during sample annealing, due to the low solubility of Er in the forming Si clusters. Although multi‐detector simultaneous imaging is a good way to avoid nanometer‐scale image drift that could otherwise conceal the nanoscale spatial relationship between Si‐NCs and Er clusters, an additional difficulty relates to the projection imaging methods. Essentially, it is hard to obtain spatial information parallel to the electron beam direction, so where there is apparent overlap we cannot ascertain whether an Er cluster (for example) lies above, below, or inside a given Si‐NC. Therefore, we also report on initial electron beam tomography investigations whose goal is ultimately to generate methods for obtaining the Er and Si cluster distribution in 3D. The results can lead to improved understanding of the sensitization mechanism and optimization for Er‐doped silicon nanocomposites; the clustered nature of the Er ions near the Si NCs is certainly undesirable and may explain the typically short Er3+ photoluminescence (PL) lifetimes (compared to Er‐doped silica) and the difficulty in reliably observing stimulated emission phenomena (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Exciton in twisted single‐walled carbon nanotube
Authors: Lü Yan , Liu Hong , Gu Bing , Duan Wenhui , Luo Chenglin
Published: January 2011

We study the exciton effect of twisted single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) within the tight‐binding approximation and including the electron‐electron Coulomb interaction. We obtain an approximate relationship that can describe the variation of the band gap of SWNTs with the torsion angle. Based on this relationship, we can divide SWNTs into three kinds according to the different behaviors of band gap at the small torsion angle.

Furthermore, specially for metallic SWNTs, the exciton binding energies can rapidly increase to 0.2 eV under small torsion angle, like a switch on the control of generation of exciton in metallic SWNTs. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Active terahertz metamaterials: Nano‐slot antennas on VO2 thin films
Authors: Kyoung J. S. , Seo M. A. , Koo S. M. , Park H. R. , Kim H. S. , Kim B. J. , Kim H. T. , Park N. K. , Kim D. S. , Ahn K. J.
Published: January 2011

We demonstrate a broadband metamaterial based on nano‐slot antenna on a VO2 thin film, which transforms itself from transparent to completely extinct over a broad spectrum when the underlying VO2 thin film makes Mott‐insulator‐to‐metal phase transition. Our structure, long wavelength nano resonators inspired by log‐periodic antenna, has 2 terahertz (THz) wide spectral range with 10,000: 1 extinction ratio through thermal and photo excitation. Two of the most important demands for present metamaterials research, broadband operation and full transmission/extinction control, are met in our metamaterial. Our structure enables nano‐scale thin film technology to fully enter into long wavelength applications, and we foresee a wide range of applications in areas where perfect modulation, giant nonlinearity, switching, and filtering in broad THz bands are desired. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Dependence of the modulation response of quantum dot based nanocavity devices on the number of emitters
Authors: Lorke M. , Nielsen T. R. , Mørk J.
Published: January 2011

A microscopic theory is used to study the dynamical properties of semiconductor quantum dot based nanocavity laser systems. The carrier kinetics and photon populations are determined using a fully quantum mechanical treatment of the light‐matter coupling.

In this work, we investigate the dependency of the modulation response in such devices on the number of emitters coupled to the cavity mode. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Generation of coherent LO phonons in optically driven biased quantum wells
Authors: Papenkort Thomas , Kuhn Tilmann , Axt Vollrath Martin
Published: January 2011

We present a theoretical analysis and numerical simulations of the resonant generation of coherent LO phonons in an electrically biased quantum well. The system is driven by a laser pulse short enough to simultaneously excite two transitions, which leads to a quantum beat that can resonantly create coherent phonons. The generation of incoherent phonons is also calculated on a quantum kinetic level and found to be dominant in terms of the energy transferred to the lattice.

The simulations successfully reproduce the main features found in recent experiments [Mizoguchi et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 94, 171105 (2009)]. Depending on the excitation conditions different generation mechanisms can be discerned. We discuss their characteristics and their relative efficiency in the special case of the quantum well model under consideration. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Computational study toward understanding the photodissociation mechanism of sarin
Authors: Xu Cai‐Xia , Zuo Guo‐Min , Cheng Zhen‐Xing , Han Juan
Published: January 2011

The potential energy surface for sarin (C4H10FO2P) dissociation into (CH3)2CHO+PO(F)(CH3), CH3+(CH3)2CHOPO(F), and F+(CH3)2CHOPO(CH3) in the T1 and S1 states were investigated at the complete‐active‐space self‐consistent field (CASSCF) with the 6‐31G** and aug‐cc‐PVDZ basis sets. The different reaction pathways are characterized on the basis of the computed potential energy surface and surface crossing point, the time‐dependent density functional theory (TD‐DFT) was used to calculate the vertical energies based on the CAS(8,7)/6‐31G** optimized excited structures, which may provide some new insights into the mechanism of the ultraviolet photo‐degradation of sarin molecules. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Explanatory parent–child conversation predominates at an evolution exhibit
Authors: Tare Medha , French Jason , Frazier Brandy N. , Diamond Judy , Evans E. Margaret
Published: January 2011

To investigate how parents support children's learning at an exhibit on evolution, the conversations of 12 families were recorded, transcribed, and coded (6,263 utterances). Children (mean age 9.6 years) and parents visited Explore Evolution, which conveyed current research about the evolution of seven organisms. Families were engaged with the exhibit, staying an average of 44 minutes. Parents' and children's explanatory, nonexplanatory, and evolutionary conversation was coded. Overall, substantive explanatory conversation occurred in 65% of parent utterances, whereas nonexplanatory conversation occurred in 21% of the utterances. We found substantial use of exhibit text by parents (12.9% of utterances) who read it aloud and reframed the text for their children. Parents also used evolutionary terms and evolutionary concepts (10.2%), showing that such an exhibit is a valuable way to introduce this difficult topic to elementary‐school–aged children. Parents' use of explanatory conversation positively related to their children's use of explanatory and evolutionary conversation, indicating that a dialogic interchange was occurring. Parents' attitudes toward the exhibit content, particularly the issue of human evolution, related to the museum experience. Overall, this analysis shows that parents and children are having nuanced discussions and illustrates the potential of informal experiences in supporting children's learning of a complex topic. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 95:720–744, 2011
A two‐part model for reference curve estimation subject to a limit of detection
Authors: Zhang Z. , Addo O. Y. , Himes J. H. , Hediger M. L. , Albert P. S. , Gollenberg A. L. , Lee P. A. , Louis G. M. Buck
Published: January 2011

Reference curves are commonly used to identify individuals with extreme values of clinically relevant variables or stages of progression which depend naturally on age or maturation. Estimation of reference curves can be complicated by a technical limit of detection (LOD) that censors the measurement from the left, as is the case in our study of reproductive hormone levels in boys around the time of the onset of puberty. We discuss issues with common approaches to the LOD problem in the context of our pubertal hormone study, and propose a two‐part model that addresses these issues. One part of the proposed model specifies the probability of a measurement exceeding the LOD as a function of age. The other part of the model specifies the conditional distribution of a measurement given that it exceeds the LOD, again as a function of age. Information from the two parts can be combined to estimate the identifiable portion (i.e. above the LOD) of a reference curve and to calculate the relative standing of a given measurement above the LOD. Unlike some common approaches to LOD problems, the two‐part model is free of untestable assumptions involving unobservable quantities, flexible for modeling the observable data, and easy to implement with existing software. The method is illustrated with hormone data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Published in 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards evolvable software architectures based on systems theoretic stability
Authors: Mannaert Herwig , Verelst Jan , Ven Kris
Published: January 2011

In today's increasingly volatile environments, evolvability is quickly becoming the most desirable characteristic of information systems. Current information systems still struggle to provide these high levels of evolvability. Based on the concept of stability from systems theory, we require that information systems should be stable with respect to a set of anticipated changes in order to exhibit high evolvability. This requires that information systems should be free from so‐called combinatorial effects. Combinatorial effects occur when the impact of a change is dependent on the size of the information system. To eliminate these combinatorial effects, we propose four theorems that are constraints on the modular structure of software architectures. The theorems are prescriptive and ensure that stable information systems are built, thereby guaranteeing high evolvability. We further present five higher level modular structures called elements. These elements provide the core functionality of information systems and comply fully with the stringent constraints implied by the four theorems. The internal structure of these elements is described by design patterns which are eligible for automatic code generation. These design patterns offer a constructive proof that it is possible to build information systems in practice by applying this set of theorems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Satisfying quality requirements in the design of a partition‐based, distributed stock trading system
Authors: Yang Xiaohu , Zhao Liping , Wang Xinyu , Wang Ye , Sun Jie , Cristoforo Albert Jerry
Published: January 2011

Although quality requirements (QRs) have become a major drive in today's software development, there have been very few real‐world examples in the literature that demonstrate how to meet these requirements. This paper presents such an example. Specifically, the paper describes the design of a partition‐based distributed stock trading service system that satisfies a set of QRs related to resource utilization, performance, scalability and availability. The paper evaluates this design through detailed experiments and discusses some design alternatives and the lessons learned. Central to this design are a static load distribution strategy and a dynamic load balancing strategy. The first strategy is to achieve an initial balanced workload on the system's server cluster during the system initialization time, whereas the second strategy is to maintain this balanced workload throughout the system execution time. Together, these two strategies work in unison to ensure that the server resources are efficiently utilized; the user requests are processed with the required speed; the application is partitioned with sufficient room to scale; and the system is highly available. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Metaphor in action in an academic battlefield
Authors: Basten Florence M. R. C.
Published: January 2011

How to explain an academic community that theorises about knowledge intensive organizations whilst creating practical knowledge about living in this community that negates these theories? I constructed a learning history of an academic business school and found some answers. Confronting the collective narrative of the organization about itself with analyses and recommendations written for others, I found little correspondence between the two. To find out why, I deconstructed the organizational narrative and searched for dominant metaphors that guided everyday practice. I found that a battlefield metaphor was used to make sense of what happened since the start of the organization, which as a sense‐making device evolved from collective to individual survival. I will present the metaphor, demonstrate its evolution and outline what it meant for staff to be writing about ideal organizations while not being able to produce one themselves. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Methamphetamine‐mediated modulation of MOR expression in the SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cell line
Authors: Langsdorf Erik F. , Chang Sulie L.
Published: January 2011

Methamphetamine (METH) has been shown to induce oxidative stress in SH‐SY5Y cells, a neuroblastic, dopaminergic cell line model. In neuronal cells, oxidation of dopamine by auto‐oxidative or enzymatic mechanisms leads to the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Neuronal cells treated with METH accumulate dopamine, which can ultimately lead to increased levels of ROS. ROS has been shown to mediate the expression of the mu‐opioid receptor (MOR). The goal of this in vitro study was to examine the effects of METH on the accumulation of intracellular ROS in SH‐SY5Y cells, which could, in turn, modulate MOR expression. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) indicated that METH induced intracellular accumulation of ROS, detected as increased fluorescence of rhodamine 123, in a dose‐ and time‐dependent manner. Moreover, accumulation of ROS preceded METH‐induced expression of the MOR, which was attenuated by the free radical chelator, vitamin E. Additionally, increased MOR expression was noted following hydrogen peroxide treatment, indicating a role for ROS in mediating MOR expression. Taken together, our data show that METH's effect on MOR expression is dependent upon sublethal levels of intracellular ROS, which suggests a possible coupling of METH‐ and opiate‐mediated intracellular signaling. Synapse, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Changes in the Localization of Perforated Peptic Ulcer and its Relation to Gender and Age of the Patients throughout the Last 45 Years
Authors: Wysocki Andrzej , Budzyński Piotr , Kulawik Jan , Drożdż Włodzimierz
Published: January 2011

Background

Throughout recent decades there has been noticeable change in the incidence of peptic ulcer disease and its complications. The aim of the present study was to determine the character of changes over the last 45 years in the localization of perforation, in patient age, and in patient gender.

Methods

A group of 881 patients admitted to the Second Department of General Surgery in Krakow, Poland, from 1962 to 2006 were included in the study and constituted the material for the analysis. The study was divided into three time periods (1962–1976, 1977–1991, and 1992–2006) to allow statistical analysis of trends.

Results

The general incidence of perforations of peptic ulcer did not show changes; however, the percentage of women with perforated duodenal ulcer markedly increased. Patients with perforated stomach ulcer—regardless of gender—and females suffering from perforated duodenal ulcer were, on the average, about 10 years older than males with perforated duodenal ulcers. The mean age of male and female patients with perforated duodenal ulcer over the last 45 years showed an insignificant upward trend.

Conclusions

(1) The percentage of women with perforated duodenal ulcer continuously and statistically significantly rose. (2) Men with perforated duodenal ulcer were significantly younger than other patients. (3) The mean ages of male and female patients with perforated duodenal ulcer over the last 45 years showed an insignificant upward trend.
Mucosal Advancement Flap Anoplasty for Chronic Anal Fissure Resistant to Conservative Therapy
Authors: Ouaïssi M. , Giger U. , Sielezneff I. , Yawovi K. A. , Pamela A. , Pirro N. , Sastre B.
Published: January 2011

Background

Sphincter‐sparing procedures are increasingly advocated in the treatment of chronic anal fissures (CAF) resistant to conservative management. Herein, we report about our results with sphincter‐sparing transanal mucosal advancement flap anoplasty (MAAP) to treat CAF.

Patients and Methods

The present study was a retrospective single‐center analysis of patients in whom conservative management of CAF failed and who subsequently underwent MAAP between January 2003 and December 2008.

Results

A total of 26 patients with a median age of 46.5 years (range: 17–79 years) had undergone MAAP after suffering with CAF for a median period of 9 months (range: 4–36 months). Surgery was well tolerated in all patients. One patient developed a perianal abscess at the operative site 3 weeks after MAAP, which required excision. At 2, 12, and 24 months follow‐up, all patients were free of pain with no fissure recurrence or any worsening of incontinence.

Conclusions

Mucosal advancement flap anoplasty might be another sphincter‐sparing treatment option in patients suffering from CAF. To draw final conclusions about the value of MAAP in the treatment of CAF, more solid data are required.
On the construction of a RoboCup small size league team
Authors: Gurzoni José Angelo , Martins Murilo Fernandes , Tonidandel Flavio , Bianchi Reinaldo A. C.
Published: January 2011

The Robot Soccer domain has become an important artificial intelligence test bench and a widely studied research area. It is a domain with real, dynamic, and uncertain environment, where teams of robots cooperate and face adversarial competition. To build a RoboCup Small Size League (SSL) team able to compete in the world championship requires multidisciplinary research in fields like robotic hardware development, machine learning, multi-robot systems, computer vision, control theory, and mechanics, among others.

This paper intends to provide insights about the aspects involved on the development of the RoboFEI RoboCup SSL robot soccer team and to present the contributions produced over its course. Among these contributions, a computer vision system employing an artificial neural network (ANN) to recognize colors, a heuristic algorithm to recognize partially detected objects, an implementation of the known rapidly-exploring random trees (RRT) path planning algorithm with additional rules, enabling the angle of approach of the robot to be controlled, and a layered strategy software system.

Experimental results on real robots demonstrate the high performance of the vision system and the efficiency of the RRT algorithm implementation. Some strategy functions are also experimented, with empirical results showing their effectiveness.
Sex differences in sleep pattern of rats in an experimental model of osteoarthritis
Authors: Silva Andressa , Araujo Paula , Zager Adriano , Tufik Sergio , Andersenl Monica Levy
Published: January 2011

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a major healthcare burden with increasing incidence, and is characterised by the degeneration of articular cartilage. OA is associated with chronic pain and sleep disturbance.

Objective: The current study examined and compared the long‐term effects of chronic articular pain on sleep patterns between female and male rats in an experimental model of OA.

Methods: Rats were implanted with electrodes for electrocorticography and electromyography and assigned to control, sham or OA groups. OA was induced by the intra‐articular administration of (2 mg) monosodium iodoacetate into the left knee joint in male and female rats (at estrus and diestrus phases).

Results: Sleep was monitored at days 1, 10, 15, 20 and 28 after iodoacetate injection during light and dark periods. The results showed that the overall sleep architecture changed in both sexes. These alterations occurred during the light and dark periods, began on D1 and persisted until the end of the study. OA rats, regardless of sex, showed a fragmented sleep pattern with reduced sleep efficiency, slow‐wave sleep and paradoxical sleep, and fewer paradoxical sleep bouts. However, the males showed lower sleep efficiency and reduced slow‐wave sleep compared to females during the dark period. Additionally, OA affected the hormonal levels in male rats, as testosterone levels were reduced in comparison to the control and sham groups. In females, progesterone and estradiol remained unchanged throughout the study.

Conclusions: Our results suggest that the chronic model of OA influenced the sleep patterns in both sexes. However, males appeared to be more affected.
Unfavorable attitudes toward receiving methadone maintenance therapy and associated factors among the inmates using intravenous heroin
Authors: Yen Cheng‐Fang , Tsai Jih‐Jin , Wang Peng‐Wei , Yeh Yi‐Chun , Liu Shu‐Chun , Wang Shu‐Hui , Wang Chao‐Ching
Published: January 2011

The aims of this study were to examine unfavorable attitudes toward receiving methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) and associated factors among inmates using intravenous heroin in Taiwan. A total of 315 inmates using intravenous heroin were recruited. Their unfavorable attitudes toward receiving MMT after discharge from prison were evaluated using the Client Attitudes Toward Methadone Programs Scale. The associations of unfavorable attitudes toward receiving MMT with sociodemographic and drug‐using characteristics, human immunodeficiency virus serostatus, perceived family support, and depression were examined using multiple regression analysis. The results of this study showed that the mean score of unfavorable attitudes toward receiving MMT, determined on the Client Attitudes Toward Methadone Programs Scale, was 9.918 (standard deviation = 2.277, range = 5–20). Heroin‐using inmates who were young, started using heroin earlier, perceived many advantages and few disadvantages of heroin use, had never received MMT, and had severe depression, had unfavorable attitudes toward receiving MMT. Based on the results of this study, we suggest that inmates who have the factors associated with unfavorable attitudes toward receiving MMT should receive intervention and motivational interviewing to improve their attitudes toward MMT and to increase their opportunity to receive MMT after discharge from prison.
Dietary nicotinic acid supplementation improves hepatic zinc uptake and offers hepatoprotection against oxidative damage
Authors: Tupe Rashmi S. , Tupe Santosh G. , Agte Vaishali V.
Published: January 2011

We examined the effect of dietary nicotinic acid (NA) variations before and after oxidative stress (OS) treatment on the antioxidant defence system, function and morphology of the liver along with Zn status in rats. OS was generated by three intraperitoneal injections oftert-butyl hydroperoxide in the first week for the pre-exposure group and in the third week for the post-exposure group, respectively. These groups were further divided into subgroups and fed on a diet with marginally deficient Zn (10 mg Zn/kg diet) and NA variations as NA deficient, normal and excess with 10, 30 and 1000 mg NA/kg diet, respectively. Aspartate aminotransferase and alanine aminotransferase levels were elevated in rats with OS coupled with the Zn- and NA-deficient diet, which decreased towards normal with excess dietary NA. Excess NA supplementation in the OS pre-exposure group resulted in nearly preserved hepatic architecture with normal hepatocytes, whereas maximum tissue destruction was evident in the post-exposure group with NA deficiency. Dose-dependent improvement in the antioxidant defence system, enhanced reduced glutathione levels, lowered lipid peroxidation and higher hepatic Zn levels were observed with NA supplementation. The effect was more prominent in the pre-exposure group. In conclusion, dietary NA supplementation improves hepatic Zn uptake and results in hepatoprotection against OS-induced damage in rats.
I. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW REGARDING NUCLEAR WEAPONS
Authors: Joyner Daniel H
Published: January 2011

This article examines a number of major developments in international law and State policy regarding nuclear weapons which have occurred over the past two years.

However, in order to understand the context and significance of these developments, I must first very briefly address what has gone on previously in this area of international relations.

I have argued elsewhere that over the course of the decade ending in 2008 the original balance of principles underlying the 1968 Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT), which comprises the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation legal regime, has been distorted, particularly by nuclear-weapon-possessing governments, led by the United States, in favor of a disproportionate prioritization of non-proliferation principles, and an unwarranted under-prioritization of peaceful use and disarmament principles.1 I also argue that this distortion of principled balance by nuclear weapon states has resulted in a number of erroneous legal interpretations of the NPT's provisions.
SEX DIFFERENCES IN LIFE EXPECTANCY IN CANADA: IMMIGRANT AND NATIVE-BORN POPULATIONS
Authors: TROVATO FRANK , ODYNAK DAVID
Published: January 2011

A growing body of research often indicates that immigrant populations in Western countries enjoy a lower level of mortality in relation to their native-born host populations. In this literature, sex differences in mortality are often reported but substantive analyses of the differences are generally lacking. The present investigation looks at sex differences in life expectancy with specific reference to immigrant and Canadian-born populations in Canada during 1971 and 2001. For these two populations, sex differences in expectation of life at birth are decomposed into cause-of-death components. Immigrants in Canada have a higher life expectancy than their Canadian-born counterparts. In absolute terms, immigrant females enjoy the highest life expectancy. Inrelativeterms, however, immigrant men show a larger longevity advantage, as their expectation of life at birth exceeds that of Canadian-born men by a wider margin than do foreign-born females in relation to Canadian-born females. It is also found that immigrants have a smaller sex differential in life expectancy as compared with the Canadian born. Decomposition analysis shows this is a function of immigrants having smaller sex differences in death rates from heart disease and cancer. Factors thought to underlie these differentials between immigrants and the Canadian born are discussed and suggestions for further research are given.
Takens–Bogdanov bifurcation of travelling-wave solutions in pipe flow
Authors: MELLIBOVSKY F. , ECKHARDT B.
Published: January 2011

The appearance of travelling-wave-type solutions in pipe Poiseuille flow that are disconnected from the basic parabolic profile is numerically studied in detail. We focus on solutions in the twofold azimuthally-periodic subspace because of their special stability properties, but relate our findings to other solutions as well. Using time-stepping, an adapted Krylov–Newton method and Arnoldi iteration for the computation and stability analysis of relative equilibria, and a robust pseudo-arclength continuation scheme, we unfold a double-zero (Takens–Bogdanov) bifurcating scenario as a function of Reynolds number (Re) and wavenumber (κ). This scenario is extended, by the inclusion of higher-order terms in the normal form, to account for the appearance of supercritical modulated waves emanating from the upper branch of solutions at a degenerate Hopf bifurcation. We provide evidence that these modulated waves undergo a fold-of-cycles and compute some solutions on the unstable branch. These waves are shown to disappear in saddle-loop bifurcations upon collision with lower-branch solutions, in accordance with the bifurcation scenario proposed. The travelling-wave upper-branch solutions are stable within the subspace of twofold periodic flows, and their subsequent secondary bifurcations could contribute to the formation of the phase space structures that are required for turbulent dynamics at higher Re.
Endoscopic resection of intracranial dermoid cysts
Authors: Schuster D , Riley K O , Cure J K , Woodworth B A
Published: January 2011

Introduction:

Nasal dermoid cysts are congenital lesions which are often diagnosed in infancy or childhood. However, a small number present in adulthood, and some extend intracranially. Traditional treatment for the intracranial portion of these cysts includes frontal craniotomy.

Case reports:

Two intracranial dermoid cysts were resected via a transnasal endoscopic approach, using 70° nasal endoscopy for complete visualisation and intracranial tumour removal. We describe our technique for the procedure itself and for reconstruction of the skull base defect.

Discussion and conclusion:

The endoscopic transnasal skull base approach is an excellent alternative to a traditional frontal craniotomy, to achieve complete resection of intracranial dermoid cysts.
Nutrition communication: consumer perceptions and predicting intentions
Authors: Dean Moira , Lähteenmäki Liisa , Shepherd Richard
Published: January 2011

Health claims on food products, which aim at informing the public about the health benefits of the product, represent one type of nutrition communication; the use of these is regulated by the European Union. This paper provides an overview of the research on health claims, including consumers’ perceptions of such claims and their intention to buy products that carry health-related claims. This is followed by a discussion on the results from some recent studies investigating public perceptions and willingness to use products with health claims. In these studies, claims are presented in the form of messages of different lengths, types, framing, with and without qualifying words and symbols. They also investigate how perceptions and intentions are affected by individual needs and product characteristics. Results show that adding health claims to products does increase their perceived healthiness. Claim structure was found to make a difference to perceptions, but its influence depended on the level of relevance, familiarity and individuals’ need for information. Further, the type of health benefit proposed and the base product used also affected perceptions of healthiness. The paper concludes that while healthiness perceptions relating to products with health claims may vary between men and women, old and young and between countries, the main factor influencing perceived healthiness and intention to buy a product with health claim is personal relevance.
To be Waterproof or to be soaked: importance of packing in British textile exports to distant markets: The cases of Chile and the River Plate,c.1810-1859
Authors: Llorca-Jaña Manuel
Published: January 2011

The literature on Anglo-South American trade during the first half of the 19thcentury has taken British exports for granted. There are no specific considerations of textile exports, which were the backbone of British trade to the continent. Accordingly, when explaining the growth of British exports, historians have paid tribute solely to economic developments in South America. Important developments taking place in Britain have long been neglected. This paper provides the first account of the impact that improvements in the packing of textiles to protect against seawater damages had on British exports to distant markets, focusing on the particular markets of Chile and the River Platec.1810-1859.
The ‘world’ before globalisation: Moroccan elements in The Incredible String Band's music
Authors: Lovesey Oliver
Published: January 2011

Before the advent of ‘world’ music in the culture of globalisation, The Incredible String Band in the 1960s added elements of Moroccan and other international music into their work. In the context of an exploration of the band's journey to the east, this article argues that the ISB's ‘exotic’ sounds became the aural signifier of the psychedelic, and that the ISB's aesthetic of appropriation veered from fetishisation, and also homage and parody, to ritualised adaptation. The ISB's pre-‘world’ use of international music was self-consciously naive, but it may have enabled later modes of cultural appropriation.
A corpus analysis of rock harmony
Authors: de Clercq Trevor , Temperley David
Published: January 2011

In this study, we report a corpus analysis of rock harmony. As a corpus, we usedRolling Stonemagazine's list of the ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’; we took the 20 top-ranked songs from each decade (the 1950s through the 1990s), creating a set of 100 songs. Both authors analysed all 100 songs by hand, using conventional Roman numeral symbols. Agreement between the two sets of analyses was over 90 per cent. The analyses were encoded using a recursive notation, similar to a context-free grammar, allowing repeating sections to be encoded succinctly. The aggregate data was then subjected to a variety of statistical analyses. We examined the frequency of different chords and chord transitions. The results showed that IV is the most common chord after I and is especially common preceding the tonic. Other results concern the frequency of different root motions, patterns of co-occurrence between chords, and changes in harmonic practice across time.
(Un)originality, hypertextuality and identity in Tiga's ‘Sunglasses at Night’
Authors: Girard Stéphane
Published: January 2011

In 2001, Montreal disc jockey Tiga, with the help of Finnish producer Jori ‘Zyntherius’ Hulkkonen, recorded and released a techno cover version of ‘Sunglasses at Night’, a song popularised in 1983 by fellow Canadian Corey Hart. This paper examines how a so-called ‘unoriginal’ musical practice such as the cover version, when re-contextualised into a brand new musical genre (a process called ‘trans-stylisation’), can engender new meaning, especially when it comes to the generic identity purveyed by the song's enunciator. The analysis of this new ‘original’ utterance relies on the theory of hypertextuality and describes, on the musical, lyrical and visual levels, the transformative processes from the hypotext (Hart's version) to the hypertext (Tiga's), thereby shedding new light on the poetics of the cover version and on the representational modalities of the postmodern subject.
Home language: Refuge, resistance, resource?
Authors: McGroarty Mary
Published: January 2011

This presentation builds on the concept of orientations to languages other than English in the US first suggested by Ruíz (1984). Using examples from recent ethnographic, sociolinguistic, and policy-related investigations undertaken principally in North America, the discussion explores possible connections between individual and group language identities. It demonstrates that orientations to languages are dynamic inside and outside speech communities, varying across time and according to multiple contextual factors, including the history and size of local bilingual groups along with the impact of contemporary economic and political conditions. Often the conceptions of multiple languages reflected in policy and pedagogy oversimplify the complexity documented by research and raise questions for teaching practice.
International survey on attitudes toward ethics in health technology assessment: An exploratory study
Authors: Arellano Luis E. , Willett Jeffrey M. , Borry Pascal
Published: January 2011

Objectives: The objective of this exploratory study was to survey international health technology assessment (HTA) professionals to determine attitudes toward ethics in HTA.

Methods: An exploratory, quantitative, cross-sectional study design was developed. The sample population (n = 636) was selected from authors of the 206 articles published in the International Journal of Technology Assessment in Health Care between 2005 and 2007. A survey instrument was piloted and e-mailed.

Results: The response rate was low (n = 104; 16.4 percent). Respondents were primarily middle-aged (46 ± 11 years) male (62 percent) health professionals from Western countries (n = 92; 88.5 percent), with a mean of 10 (± 6 years) years of HTA experience. Although at least 90 percent of respondents agreed that healthcare decisions involved value judgments and that ethical analysis was important to HTA, respondents were divided as to whether normative (n = 45; 44.6 percent) or descriptive (n = 38; 37.6 percent) ethical recommendations were necessary. Most respondents (n = 83; 81.4 percent) believed that HTA should include citizen participation, but two thirds (n = 67; 67.0 percent) agreed that the final decision should be restricted to decision makers. A majority of respondents thought that ethical analysis could be discussed anywhere within the HTA process, either by an expert trained in ethics (n = 62; 60.8 percent) or by an external consultant (n = 80; 78.4 percent).

Conclusions: This study showed that ethical discourse in HTA is constrained by practical considerations, which serves to limit moral inquiry. To increase ethical analysis, a positive attitude toward ethics needs to be fostered within the HTA community.