bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Performance of cryotherapy devices using nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide
Authors: Winkler Jennifer L. , Jeronimo Jose , Singleton Jered , Janmohamed Amynah , Santos Carlos
Published: July 2010

Objective

To compare temperatures reached by 4 different cryotherapy devices commonly used to treat precancerous cervical lesions in low‐resource countries using nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) as well as with and without a gas conditioner.

Methods

Bench testing was conducted using 4 different cryotherapy devices and locally obtained N2O and medical‐ and industrial‐grade CO2 refrigerant with and without a gas conditioner. A thermocouple was used to continuously measure the temperature of the cryotherapy tip. Comparison across the cryotherapy devices was based on the mean and lowest temperatures.

Results

Without the gas conditioner, all of the devices tested reached mean temperatures colder than –50 °C with N2O, although 2 devices reached warmer temperatures in a proportion of N2O tests. Only 2 of the devices reached mean temperatures colder than –50 °C with CO2. One‐way analysis of variance identified the device as the dominant factor for the temperature differences, while the gas was not a determinant of temperature variation. The gas conditioner hindered the performance of 2 of the devices, and only improved the performance of 1 device.

Conclusion

Both N2O and CO2 reach appropriate freezing temperatures with some cryotherapy devices. Performance of some cryotherapy devices is suboptimal.
Molecular diversity in ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) and early invasive breast cancer
Authors: Muggerud Aslaug Aamodt , Hallett Michael , Johnsen Hilde , Kleivi Kristine , Zhou Wenjing , Tahmasebpoor Simin , Amini Rose-Marie , Botling Johan , Børresen-Dale Anne-Lise , Sørlie Therese , Wärnberg Fredrik
Published: July 2010

Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) is a non‐invasive form of breast cancer where cells restricted to the ducts exhibit an atypical phenotype. Some DCIS lesions are believed to rapidly transit to invasive ductal carcinomas (IDCs), while others remain unchanged. Existing classification systems for DCIS fail to identify those lesions that transit to IDC. We studied gene expression patterns of 31 pure DCIS, 36 pure invasive cancers and 42 cases of mixed diagnosis (invasive cancer with an in situ component) using Agilent Whole Human Genome Oligo Microarrays 44k. Six normal breast tissue samples were also included as controls. qRT‐PCR was used for validation. All DCIS and invasive samples could be classified into the “intrinsic” molecular subtypes defined for invasive breast cancer. Hierarchical clustering establishes that samples group by intrinsic subtype, and not by diagnosis. We observed heterogeneity in the transcriptomes among DCIS of high histological grade and identified a distinct subgroup containing seven of the 31 DCIS samples with gene expression characteristics more similar to advanced tumours. A set of genes independent of grade, ER‐status and HER2‐status was identified by logistic regression that univariately classified a sample as belonging to this distinct DCIS subgroup. qRT‐PCR of single markers clearly separated this DCIS subgroup from the other DCIS, and contains samples from several histopathological and intrinsic molecular subtypes. The genes that differentiate between these two types of DCIS suggest several processes related to the re‐organisation of the microenvironment. This raises interesting possibilities for identification of DCIS lesions both with and without invasive characteristics, which potentially could be used in clinical assessment of a woman's risk of progression, and lead to improved management that would avoid the current over‐ and under‐treatment of patients.
The role of rare rainstorms in the formation of calcic soil horizons on alluvial surfaces in extreme deserts
Authors: Amit Rivka , Enzel Yehouda , Grodek Tamir , Crouvi Onn , Porat Naomi , Ayalon Avner
Published: July 2010

Soils in similar geomorphic settings in hyperarid deserts (< 50 mm yr−1) should have similar characteristics because a negative moisture balance controls their development. However, Reg soils in the hyperarid southern Negev and Namib deserts are distinctly different. Soils developed on stable alluvial surfaces with only direct input of rainfall and dust depend heavily on rainfall characteristics. Annual rainfall amount can be similar (15–30 mm), but storm duration can drastically alter Reg soil properties in deserts. The cooler fall/winter and dry hot summers of the southern Negev Desert with a predominance brief (≤ 1 day) rainstorms result in gypsic-saline soils without any calcic soil horizon. Although the Namib Desert receives only 50–60% of the southern Negev annual rainfall, its rainstorm duration is commonly 2–4 days. This improves leaching of the top soil under even lower annual rainfall amount and results in weeks-long grass cover. The long-term cumulative effect of these rare rain-grass relationships produces a calcic-gypsic-saline soil. The development of these different kinds of desert soils highlights the importance of daily to seasonal rainfall characteristics in influencing soil-moisture regime in deserts, and has important implications for the use of key desert soil properties as proxies in paleoclimatology.
Management of physical health in patients with schizophrenia: international insights
Authors: Chaudhry I.B. , Jordan J. , Cousin F.-R. , Cavallaro R. , Mostaza J.M.
Published: July 2010

This international meeting discussed the management of physical health in patients with schizophrenia in several countries including France, Spain, Germany, the UK and Italy. Physical health parameters, including weight, blood pressure, blood glucose, lipids and standard biochemical assessments are measured in many patients at the first hospital consultation. These reveal physical disorders such as obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, the metabolic syndrome, substance abuse, cardiovascular disease, extrapyramidal symptoms, sexual dysfunction and diabetes in substantial proportions of patients. Psychiatrists consider switching antipsychotic therapy if excessive sedation, extrapyramidal symptoms, unacceptable weight gain, hyperglycaemia or dyslipidaemia occur. In general, switching is more likely to be considered for symptomatic adverse events than for laboratory abnormalities. Switching is discouraged by limited knowledge of protocols, the absence of guidelines and fears of relapse or reduced treatment adherence. The physical health of patients with schizophrenia receives much less attention in the community setting than in the hospital setting. Improved guidelines, protocols, resources and support are needed to improve the physical health of patients in the community.
Catholicism, Sexual Deviance, and Victorian Gothic Culture
Authors: O'Malley Patrick R.
Published: July 2010

It has long been recognised that the Gothic genre sensationalised beliefs and practices associated with Catholicism. Often, the rhetorical tropes and narrative structures of the Gothic, with its lurid and supernatural plots, were used to argue that both Catholicism and sexual difference were fundamentally alien and threatening to British Protestant culture. Ultimately, however, the Gothic also provided an imaginative space in which unconventional writers from John Henry Newman to Oscar Wilde could articulate an alternative vision of British culture. Patrick O'Malley charts these developments from the origins of the Gothic novel in the mid-eighteenth century, through the mid-nineteenth-century sensation novel, toward the end of the Victorian Gothic in Bram Stoker's Dracula and Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure. O'Malley foregrounds the continuing importance of Victorian Gothic as a genre through which British authors defined their culture and what was outside it.
Living with the Aftermath
Authors: Damousi Joy
Published: July 2010

This very moving book on the shifting patterns of mourning and grief focuses on the experiences of Australian women who lost their husbands during the Second World War and the wars in Korea and Vietnam. The book makes use of extensive oral testimonies to illustrate how widows internalised and absorbed the traumas of their husband's war experience. Joy Damousi is able to demonstrate that a significant shift in attitudes towards grieving and loss came about between the mid century and the later part of the twentieth century. In charting the memory of grief and its expression, she discerns a move away from the denial and silence which shaped attitudes in the 1950s towards a much fuller expression of grief and mourning and perhaps a new way of understanding death and loss at the beginning of the new century.
The Ocean of Truth
Authors: Hebblethwaite Brian
Published: July 2010

This short 1988 book offers an alternative reading of the impact of modernity on Christian faith to that advanced by Don Cupitt in the TV series and book The Sea of Faith. It is a spirited defence of belief in the objective reality of God and in life after death, as opposed to Cupitt's radically interiorised and expressivist conception of religion. As attractive as many may find a denial of the traditional doctrines of the Church in favour of an anti-metaphysical, non-dogmatic expressivist version of Christian faith, Hebblethwaite insists that of greater importance is the question of truth at stake here, and it is on the question of truth that he focusses his attention. After arguing against Cupitt's response to the modern situation, the author tries to show how belief in an objective God is not only possible despite the impact of modern science and historical criticism, but indeed highly plausible.
Psychologists on the March
Authors: Capshew James H.
Published: July 2010

Psychologists on the March argues that the Second World War had a profound impact on the modern psychological profession in America. Before the war, psychology was viewed largely as an academic discipline, drawing its ideology and personnel from the laboratory. Following the war, it was increasingly seen as a source of theory and practice to deal with mental health issues. With the support of the federal government, the field entered a prolonged period of exponential growth. With this growth came major changes in the institutional structure of the field that spread to include the epistemological foundations of psychology. This 1999 book is a sustained study of this important era in American psychology. Moving back and forth between collective and individual levels of analysis, it provides a narrative that weaves together the internal politics and demography of psychology in relation to the cultural environment.
Insider Lending
Authors: Lamoreaux Naomi R.
Published: July 2010

The term insider lending conveys an aura of abuse and corruption, of unethical, if not illegal, behaviour. In early nineteenth-century New England, however, insider lending was an integral aspect of the banking system. Not only was the practice an accepted fact of economic life, but, as Naomi R. Lamoreaux argues, it enabled banks (at least in this particular historical context) to play an important role in financing economic development. As the banking system evolved over the course of the century, however, lending practices became more impersonal and professional. Ironically, the information problems banks faced when they began to conduct more and more of their business at arm's length forced them to concentrate on providing short-term loans to commercial borrowers and to give up financing economic development. This book was first published in 1994.
Blacks and Jews in Literary Conversation
Authors: Budick Emily Miller
Published: July 2010

Blacks and Jews in Literary Conversation explores the works of a range of black and Jewish writers, critics, and academics from the 1950s to the 1980s. By recording conversations both direct, such as essays and letters, and indirect, such as the fiction of Bernard Malamud, Philip Roth, Alice Walker, Cynthia Ozick, Toni Morrison, and James Baldwin, this book shows how dialogue can engender misperceptions and misunderstandings, and how blacks and Jews in America have both sought and resisted assimilation. By analyzing the history of this discourse, the author explores the ways in which ethnic fiction works in interethnic America, the effects of identity politics, and the tensions and bonds created as African and Jewish Americans continue to construct their ethnic and religious identities in the United States.
The State and Justice
Authors: Fisk Milton
Published: July 2010

This book offers a political theory combining elements from the Marxist and liberal traditions. It presents the reader with a disturbing view of the contemporary state as at war with itself. This internal conflict is no accident but stems from the state's having the double task of spurring on the economy and protecting the welfare and rights of all its citizens. Such conflict does not end at national boundaries but extends through the system of any imperial state. This perspective illuminates the fractures and instability within the imperial system. This book will be of particular interest to political scientists, political philosophers, and those engaged in policy studies.
The Medieval March of Wales
Authors: Lieberman Max
Published: July 2010

This book examines the making of the March of Wales and the crucial role its lords played in the politics of medieval Britain between the Norman conquest of England of 1066 and the English conquest of Wales in 1283. Max Lieberman argues that the Welsh borders of Shropshire, which were first, from c.1165, referred to as Marchia Wallie, provide a paradigm for the creation of the March. He reassesses the role of William the Conqueror's tenurial settlement in the making of the March and sheds new light on the ways in which seigneurial administrations worked in a cross-cultural context. Finally, he explains why, from c.1300, the March of Wales included the conquest territories in south Wales as well as the highly autonomous border lordships. This book makes a significant and original contribution to frontier studies, investigating both the creation and the changing perception of a medieval borderland.
Clement of Alexandria
Authors: Osborn Eric
Published: July 2010

Clement of Alexandria (150–215) lived and taught in the most lively intellectual centre of his day. This book offers a comprehensive account of how he joined the ideas of the New Testament to those of Plato and other classical thinkers. Clement taught that God was active from the beginning to the end of human history and that a Christian life should move on from simple faith to knowledge and love. He argued that a sequence of three elliptical relations governed the universe: Father and Son, God and humanity, humans and their neighbours. Faith as a fixed conviction which is also a growing mustard seed was joined to Plato's unwavering search for the best reason. The open heaven of prophecy became intelligible through Plato's ascending dialectic. This book will be invaluable in making this outstanding thinker of the early Church accessible to the students of today.
The Dignity of Resistance
Authors: Feldman Roberta M. , Stall Susan
Published: July 2010

The Dignity of Resistance chronicles the four decade history of Chicago's Wentworth Gardens public housing residents' grassroots activism. This comprehensive case study explores why and how these African-American women creatively and effectively engaged in organizing efforts to resist increasing government disinvestment in public housing and the threat of demolition. Roberta M. Feldman and Susan Stall, utilizing a multi-disciplinary lens, explore the complexity and resourcefulness of Wentworth women's grassroots, organizing the ways in which their identities as poor African-American women and mothers both circumscribe their lives and shape their resistance. Through the inspirational voices of the activists, Feldman and Stall challenge portrayals of public housing residents as passive, alienated victims of despair. We learn instead how women residents collectively have built a cohesive, vital community, cultivated outside technical assistance, organizational and institutional supports, and have attracted funding - all to support the local facilities, services and programs necessary for the everyday needs for survival, and ultimately to save their home from demolition.
Hilbert Transforms
Authors: King Frederick W.
Published: July 2010

The Hilbert transform has many uses, including solving problems in aerodynamics, condensed matter physics, optics, fluids, and engineering. Written in a style that will suit a wide audience (including the physical sciences), this book will become the reference of choice on the topic, whatever the subject background of the reader. It explains all the common Hilbert transforms, mathematical techniques for evaluating them, and has detailed discussions of their application. Especially useful for researchers are the tabulation of analytically evaluated Hilbert transforms, and an atlas that immediately illustrates how the Hilbert transform alters a function. A collection of exercises helps the reader to test their understanding of the material in each chapter. The bibliography is a wide-ranging collection of references both to the classical mathematical papers, and to a diverse array of applications.
Islamic Finance
Authors: El-Gamal Mahmoud A.
Published: July 2010

This book provides an overview of the practice of Islamic finance and the historical roots that define its modes of operation. The focus of the book is analytical and forward-looking. It shows that Islamic finance exists mainly as a form of rent-seeking legal-arbitrage. In every aspect of finance - from personal loans to investment banking, and from market structure to corporate governance - Islamic finance aims to replicate in Islamic forms the substantive functions of contemporary financial instruments, markets, and institutions. By attempting to replicate the substance of contemporary financial practice using pre-modern contract forms, Islamic finance has arguably failed to serve the objectives of Islamic law. This book proposes refocusing Islamic finance on substance rather than form. This approach would entail abandoning the paradigm of 'Islamization' of every financial practice. It would also entail reorienting the brand-name of Islamic finance to emphasize issues of community banking, micro-finance, and socially responsible investment.
Quantitative Models in Marketing Research
Authors: Franses Philip Hans , Paap Richard
Published: July 2010

Advances in data collection and data storage techniques have enabled marketing researchers to study the individual characteristics of a large range of transactions and purchases, in particular the effects of household-specific characteristics. This 2001 book presents important and practically relevant quantitative models for marketing research. Each model is presented in detail with a self-contained discussion, which includes: a demonstration of the mechanics of the model, empirical analysis, real world examples, and interpretation of results and findings. The reader of the book will learn how to apply the techniques, as well as understand the methodological developments in the academic literature. Pathways are offered in the book for students and practitioners with differing numerical skill levels; a basic knowledge of elementary numerical techniques is assumed.
Optimization Methods in Finance
Authors: Cornuejols Gerard , Tütüncü Reha
Published: July 2010

Optimization models play an increasingly important role in financial decisions. This is the first textbook devoted to explaining how recent advances in optimization models, methods and software can be applied to solve problems in computational finance more efficiently and accurately. Chapters discussing the theory and efficient solution methods for all major classes of optimization problems alternate with chapters illustrating their use in modeling problems of mathematical finance. The reader is guided through topics such as volatility estimation, portfolio optimization problems and constructing an index fund, using techniques such as nonlinear optimization models, quadratic programming formulations and integer programming models respectively. The book is based on Master's courses in financial engineering and comes with worked examples, exercises and case studies. It will be welcomed by applied mathematicians, operational researchers and others who work in mathematical and computational finance and who are seeking a text for self-learning or for use with courses.
Natural Resources and Economic Development
Authors: Barbier Edward B.
Published: July 2010

Natural Resources and Economic Development, first published in 2005, explores a key paradox: why is natural resource exploitation not yielding greater benefits to the poor economies of Africa, Asia and Latin America? Part I examines this paradox both through a historical review of resource use and development and through examining current theories which explain the under-performance of today's resource-abundant economies, and proposes a frontier expansion hypothesis as an alternative explanation. Part II develops models to analyse the key economic factors underlying land expansion and water use in developing countries. Part III explores further the 'dualism within dualism' structure of resource dependency, rural poverty and resource degradation within developing countries, and through illustrative country case-studies, proposes policy and institutional reforms necessary for successful resource-based development.
India Working
Authors: Harriss-White Barbara
Published: July 2010

By drawing on her extensive fieldwork in India and on the adjacent theoretical literature, Barbara Harriss-White describes the working of the Indian economy through its most important social structures of accumulation. Successive chapters explore a range of topics including labour, capital, the state, gender, religious plurality, caste and space. Despite the complexity of the subject, the book is vivid and compelling. The author's intimate knowledge of the country enables the reader to experience the Indian local scene and to engage with the precariousness of daily life. Her conclusion challenges the prevailing notion that liberalisation releases the economy from political interference and leads to a postscript on the economic base for fascism in India. This is an intelligent book, first published in 2002, by a distinguished scholar, for students of economics, as well as for those studying the region.
The Future of the American Labor Movement
Authors: Wheeler Hoyt N.
Published: July 2010

Coming at a time of profound change in the global conditions under which American organized labor exists, The Future of the American Labor Movement, first published in 2002, describes and analyzes labor's strategic alternatives. The analysis is broadly cast, taking into account ideas that range from the current European Social Dialogue to the methods of the nineteenth-century American Knights of Labor. There are a number of intriguing strategies that have potential for reviving the labor movement in the United States, of which worker ownership and labor capital strategies are examples. This book demonstrates the necessity for a number of diverse strategies to be pursued simultaneously. For this to work, one has to think in terms of a broad movement of labor, consisting of diverse parts, held together by a clear idea of its purpose and a new structure.
Network Coding
Authors: Ho Tracey , Lun Desmond
Published: July 2010

Network coding promises to significantly impact the way communications networks are designed, operated, and understood. This book presents a unified and intuitive overview of the theory, applications, challenges, and future directions of this emerging field, and is a must-have resource for those working in wireline or wireless networking.
• Uses an engineering approach - explains the ideas and practical techniques
• Covers mathematical underpinnings, practical algorithms, code selection, security, and network management
• Discusses key topics of inter-session (non-multicast) network coding, lossy networks, lossless networks, and subgraph-selection algorithms
Starting with basic concepts, models, and theory, then covering a core subset of results with full proofs, Ho and Lun provide an authoritative introduction to network coding that supplies both the background to support research and the practical considerations for designing coded networks. This is an essential resource for graduate students and researchers in electronic and computer engineering and for practitioners in the communications industry.
Bird Song
Authors: Catchpole C. K. , Slater P. J. B.
Published: July 2010

Bird song is one of the most remarkable and impressive sounds in the natural world, and has inspired not only students of natural history, but also great writers, poets and composers. Extensively updated from the first edition, the main thrust of this book is to suggest that the two main functions of song are attracting a mate and defending territory. It shows how this evolutionary pressure has led to the amazing variety and complexity we see in the songs of different species throughout the world. Writing primarily for students and researchers in animal behavior, the authors review over 1000 scientific papers and reveal how scientists are beginning to unravel and understand how and why birds communicate with the elaborate vocalizations we call song. Highly illustrated throughout and written in straightforward language, Bird Song also holds appeal for amateur ornithologists with some knowledge of biology.
Second Nature
Authors: Ofek Haim
Published: July 2010

Was exchange an early agent of human evolution or is it merely an artefact of modern civilisation? Spanning two million years of human evolution, this book explores the impact of economics on human evolution and natural history. The theory of evolution by natural selection has always relied in part on progress in areas of science outside biology. By applying economic principles at the borderlines of biology, Haim Ofek shows how some of the outstanding issues in human evolution, such as the increase in human brain size and the expansion of the environmental niche humans occupied, can be answered. He identifies distinct economic forces at work, beginning with the transition from the feed-as-you-go strategy of primates, through hunter-gathering and the domestication of fire to the development of agriculture. This highly readable book will inform and intrigue general readers and those in fields such as evolutionary biology and psychology, economics, and anthropology.
The Names of Plants
Authors: Gledhill David
Published: July 2010

The Names of Plants is a handy two-part reference for the botanist and amateur gardener. The book begins by documenting the historical problems associated with an ever-increasing number of common names of plants and the resolution of these problems through the introduction of International Codes for both botanical and horticultural nomenclature. It also outlines the rules to be followed when plant breeders name a new species or cultivar of plant. The second part of the book comprises an alphabetical glossary of generic and specific plant names, and components of these, from which the reader may interpret the existing names of plants and construct new names. For the third edition, the book has been updated to include explanations of the International Codes for both Botanical Nomenclature (2000) and Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (1995). The glossary has similarly been expanded to incorporate many more commemorative names.
Inequalities: A Journey into Linear Analysis
Authors: Garling D. J. H.
Published: July 2010

This book contains a wealth of inequalities used in linear analysis, and explains in detail how they are used. The book begins with Cauchy's inequality and ends with Grothendieck's inequality, in between one finds the Loomis-Whitney inequality, maximal inequalities, inequalities of Hardy and of Hilbert, hypercontractive and logarithmic Sobolev inequalities, Beckner's inequality, and many, many more. The inequalities are used to obtain properties of function spaces, linear operators between them, and of special classes of operators such as absolutely summing operators. This textbook complements and fills out standard treatments, providing many diverse applications: for example, the Lebesgue decomposition theorem and the Lebesgue density theorem, the Hilbert transform and other singular integral operators, the martingale convergence theorem, eigenvalue distributions, Lidskii's trace formula, Mercer's theorem and Littlewood's 4/3 theorem. It will broaden the knowledge of postgraduate and research students, and should also appeal to their teachers, and all who work in linear analysis.
Mathematical Tools for One-Dimensional Dynamics
Authors: de Faria Edson , de Melo Welington
Published: July 2010

Originating with the pioneering works of P. Fatou and G. Julia, the subject of complex dynamics has seen great advances in recent years. Complex dynamical systems often exhibit rich, chaotic behavior, which yields attractive computer generated pictures, for example the Mandelbrot and Julia sets, which have done much to renew interest in the subject. This self-contained book discusses the major mathematical tools necessary for the study of complex dynamics at an advanced level. Complete proofs of some of the major tools are presented; some, such as the Bers-Royden theorem on holomorphic motions, appear for the very first time in book format. An appendix considers Riemann surfaces and Teichmüller theory. Detailing the very latest research, the book will appeal to graduate students and researchers working in dynamical systems and related fields. Carefully chosen exercises aid understanding and provide a glimpse of further developments in real and complex one-dimensional dynamics.
Naive Decision Making
Authors: Körner T. W.
Published: July 2010

How should one choose the best restaurant to eat in? Can one really make money at gambling? Or predict the future? Naive Decision Making presents the mathematical basis for making decisions where the outcome may be uncertain or the interests of others have to taken into consideration. Professor Körner takes the reader on an enjoyable journey through many aspects of mathematical decision making, with pithy observations, anecdotes and quotations. Topics include probability, statistics, Arrow's theorem, Game Theory and Nash equilibrium. Readers will also gain a great deal of insight into mathematics in general and the role it can play within society. Intended for those with elementary calculus, this book is ideal as a supplementary text for undergraduate courses in probability, game theory and decision making. Engaging and intriguing, it will also appeal to all those of a mathematical mind. To aid understanding, many exercises are included, with solutions available online.
Geometrical and Trigonometric Optics
Authors: Dereniak Eustace L. , Dereniak Teresa D.
Published: July 2010

Optics has recently evolved into one of the most flourishing fields in physics, with photonics finding increasing application in products such as optical thermometers, camera monitors and LED lighting, plus numerous military applications. This book covers the geometrical aspects of optics, the fundamental level of understanding the technology. Beginning with how light is generated and how fast it travels, the book discusses how materials interact with light, how various materials affect the velocity of light, and the ramifications of change in the speed of light. The concept of the index of refraction, and how it is used with Snell's law to produce image forming systems, is developed. An ideal textbook for advanced undergraduate level courses in geometrical optics, this book will also interest those wanting to learn the concepts and theory of geometrical optics. Each chapter contains worked examples, and there are exercises to reinforce the reader's understanding of material.
Quantum Gravity
Authors: Rovelli Carlo
Published: July 2010

Quantum gravity is perhaps the most important open problem in fundamental physics. It is the problem of merging quantum mechanics and general relativity, the two great conceptual revolutions in the physics of the twentieth century. The loop and spinfoam approach, presented in this 2004 book, is one of the leading research programs in the field. The first part of the book discusses the reformulation of the basis of classical and quantum Hamiltonian physics required by general relativity. The second part covers the basic technical research directions. Appendices include a detailed history of the subject of quantum gravity, hard-to-find mathematical material, and a discussion of some philosophical issues raised by the subject. This fascinating text is ideal for graduate students entering the field, as well as researchers already working in quantum gravity. It will also appeal to philosophers and other scholars interested in the nature of space and time.
The Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas
Authors: Woan Graham
Published: July 2010

The Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas is a quick-reference aid for students and professionals in the physical sciences and engineering. It contains more than 2000 of the most useful formulas and equations found in undergraduate physics courses, covering mathematics, dynamics and mechanics, quantum physics, thermodynamics, solid state physics, electromagnetism, optics and astrophysics. An exhaustive index allows the required formulas to be located swiftly and simply, and the unique tabular format crisply identifies all the variables involved. The Cambridge Handbook of Physics Formulas comprehensively covers the major topics explored in undergraduate physics courses. It is designed to be a compact, portable, reference book suitable for everyday work, problem solving or exam revision. All students and professionals in physics, applied mathematics, engineering and other physical sciences will want to have this essential reference book within easy reach.
Why Not Parties in Russia?
Authors: Hale Henry E.
Published: July 2010

Russia poses a major puzzle for theorists of party development. Whereas virtually every classic work takes political parties to be inevitable and essential to democracy, Russia has been dominated by non-partisan politicians ever since communism collapsed. This 2006 book mobilizes fresh public opinion surveys, interviews with leading Russian politicians, careful tracking of multiple campaigns, and analysis of national and regional voting patterns to show why Russia stands out. Russia's historically influenced combination of federalism and super-presidentialism, coupled with a post-communist redistribution of resources to regional political machines and oligarchic financial-industrial groups, produced and sustained powerful party-substitutes that have largely squeezed Russia's real parties out, damaging Russia's democratic development.
Computational Algebraic Geometry
Authors: Schenck Hal
Published: July 2010

The interplay between algebra and geometry is a beautiful (and fun!) area of mathematical investigation. Advances in computing and algorithms make it possible to tackle many classical problems in a down-to-earth and concrete fashion. This opens wonderful new vistas and allows us to pose, study and solve problems that were previously out of reach. Suitable for graduate students, the objective of this 2003 book is to bring advanced algebra to life with lots of examples. The first chapters provide an introduction to commutative algebra and connections to geometry. The rest of the book focuses on three active areas of contemporary algebra: Homological Algebra (the snake lemma, long exact sequence inhomology, functors and derived functors (Tor and Ext), and double complexes); Algebraic Combinatorics and Algebraic Topology (simplicial complexes and simplicial homology, Stanley-Reisner rings, upper bound theorem and polytopes); and Algebraic Geometry (points and curves in projective space, Riemann-Roch, Cech cohomology, regularity).
The Politics of Switzerland
Authors: Kriesi Hanspeter , Trechsel Alexander H.
Published: July 2010

Despite Switzerland's small size, its political system is one of the most complex and fascinating among contemporary democracies. The rich, complex mixture of centuries-old institutions and the refined political arrangements that exist today constitute a veritable laboratory for social scientists and their students. Often presented as the paradigmatic case of political integration, consensus democracy and multinational federalism, the Swiss model has become a benchmark case for analyses in comparative politics, political behaviour and other related fields. Written by two leading experts on Swiss politics, this book presents a definitive overview for scholars and students interested in Switzerland's political system at the beginning of the twenty-first century. By focusing on its intricacies but also taking in larger issues of general interest, the broad scope of this study will appeal to all those interested in contemporary European politics and democratic systems.
The Politics of Extremism in South Asia
Authors: Ollapally Deepa M.
Published: July 2010

South Asia is home to a range of extremist groups from the jihadists of Pakistan to the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka. In the popular mind, extremism and terrorism are invariably linked to ethnic and religious factors. Yet the dominant history of South Asia is notable for tolerance and co-existence, despite highly plural societies. Deepa Ollapally examines extremist groups in Kashmir, Afghanistan, Northeast India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka to offer a fresh perspective on the causes of extremism. What accounts for its rise in societies not historically predisposed to extremism? What determines the winners and losers in the identity struggles in South Asia? What tips the balance between more moderate versus extremist outcomes? The book argues that politics, inter-state and international relations often play a more important role in the rise of extremism in South Asia than religious identity, poverty, and state repression.
Avoidance of vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy in the United Kingdom: the case for a unified approach in National policy
Authors: Hyppönen Elina , Boucher Barbara J.
Published: July 2010

Prevalence of hypovitaminosis D in Western populations is high; pregnant women are identified as a high-risk group, especially if dark skinned. Consequences of severe clinical vitamin D deficiency in pregnancy can be life threatening to the newborn, while lesser degrees of hypovitaminosis D may have important long-term implications for offspring health. Past experiences with routine provision of 10 μg/d (400 IU/d) to all pregnant mothers suggest that this dose is sufficient to prevent overt neonatal complications of vitamin D deficiency. Recent data suggest that supplementation with dosages above 10 μg/d may be required for optimal health in the mother and child; however, further research is required for the assessment of the benefits and safety of supplementation with higher dosages. Lack of unified advice on vitamin D supplementation of pregnant mothers in the UK hinders the implementation of primary prevention strategies and is likely to leave some deficient mothers without supplementation.
Reference distribution of the bioelectrical impedance vector in healthy term newborns
Authors: Margutti Ana V. B. , Monteiro Jacqueline P. , Camelo José S.
Published: July 2010

Bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) is a new method that is used for the routine monitoring of the variation in body fluids and nutritional status with assumptions regarding body composition values. The aim of the present study was to determine bivariate tolerance intervals of the whole-body impedance vector and to describe phase angle (PA) values for healthy term newborns aged 7–28 d. This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted on healthy term neonates born at a low-risk public maternity. General and anthropometric neonatal data and bioelectrical impedance data (800 μA–50 kHz) were obtained. Bivariate vector analysis was conducted with the resistance–reactance (RXc) graph method. The BIVA software was used to construct the graphs. The study was conducted on 109 neonates (52·3 % females) who were born at term, adequate for gestational age, exclusively breast-fed and aged 13 (sd3·6) d. We constructed one standard, reference, RXc-score graph and RXc-tolerance ellipses (50, 75 and 95 %) that can be used with any analyser. Mean PA was 3·14 (sd0·43)° (3·12 (sd0·39)° for males and 3·17 (sd0·48)° for females). Considering the overlapping of ellipses of males and females with the general distribution, a graph for newborns aged 7–28 d with the same reference tolerance ellipse was defined for boys and girls. The results differ from those reported in the literature probably, in part, due to the ethnic differences in body composition. BIVA and PA permit an assessment without the need to know body weight and the prediction error of conventional impedance formulas.
Rational Cross-Sectional Differences in Market Efficiency: Evidence from Mutual Fund Returns
Authors: Schultz Paul
Published: July 2010

Markets should be inefficient enough to allow returns to security analysis to adequately compensate the marginal analyst for his efforts. Cross-sectional differences in the costs of analysis therefore imply cross-sectional differences in market efficiency and in before-cost returns to smart investors. Small growth stocks are difficult to analyze and costly to trade. I find that the abnormal returns of mutual fund investments in small growth stocks from 1980 to 2006 averaged 0.76% per month. Large value stocks are easier to analyze and cheaper to trade. Mutual funds earned average monthly abnormal returns of only 0.05% in large value stocks during the same period.
Cross-Sectional Return Dispersion and Time Variation in Value and Momentum Premiums
Authors: Stivers Chris , Sun Licheng
Published: July 2010

We find that the market’s recent cross-sectional dispersion in stock returns is positively related to the subsequent value book-to-market premium and negatively related to the subsequent momentum premium. The partial relation between return dispersion (RD) and the subsequent value and momentum premiums remains strong when controlling for macroeconomic state variables suggested by the literature. Our findings are consistent with recent theoretical insights and empirical evidence that suggest that the market’s RD may serve as a leading countercyclical state variable, that the value premium is countercyclical, and that the momentum premium is procyclical.
New insights into the immunological effects of food bioactive peptides in animal models of intestinal inflammation
Authors: de Medina Fermín Sánchez , Daddaoua Abdelali , Requena Pilar , Capitán-Cañadas Fermín , Zarzuelo Antonio , Dolores Suárez María , Martínez-Augustin Olga
Published: July 2010

Bioactive peptides have proven to be active in several conditions, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This is a chronic and relapsing condition of unknown aetiology that comprises chiefly ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Although there are treatments for IBD, they have frequent side effects and they are not always effective; therefore there is a need for new therapies that could alleviate this condition. Two bioactive peptides present in milk (transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) and casein macropeptide, also named glycomacropeptide) have been shown to have intestinal anti-inflammatory activities. In fact, TGF-β is currently added to formulas intended for patients with IBD, and several studies indicate that these formulas could induce clinical remission. In this paper, evidence supporting the anti-inflammatory effect of TGF-β and bovine glycomacropeptide, as well as their mechanisms of action, is reviewed, focusing on the evidence obtained in animal models.
Automated early warning system for the surveillance of Salmonella isolated in the agro-food chain in France
Authors: DANAN C. , BAROUKH T. , MOURY F. , JOURDAN-DA SILVA N. , BRISABOIS A. , LE STRAT Y.
Published: July 2010

Non-typhic Salmonella is one of the major bacterial pathogens that cause foodborne infections as well as economic losses for the food production industry. There is therefore a need to improve early detection to prevent the emergence and spread of Salmonella within the agro-food chain. The passive laboratory-based surveillance system of the Salmonella network has been integrated into the French Food Safety Agency's working plan. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of this network to detect unusual Salmonella contamination as early as possible in the agro-food chain. Three statistical methods were used to detect unusual events from the time-series of counts. After an experimental period of more than 1 year, this approach detected several unusual events linked to contamination in the agro-food chain that were confirmed in a timely manner at national or regional levels. This evaluation also reinforced the position of the Salmonella network as an integral part of the national public health surveillance system.
Salmonella Typhimurium and Salmonella Enteritidis in England: costs to patients, their families, and primary and community health services of the NHS
Authors: SANTOS A. C. , ROBERTS J. A. , COOK A. J. C. , SIMONS R. , SHEEHAN R. , LANE C. , ADAK G. K. , CLIFTON-HADLEY F. A. , RODRIGUES L. C.
Published: July 2010

This is the first study comparing societal costs of acute illness with Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) and Salmonella Enteritidis (SE) in the UK. It included the cost and severity of the illness and explored the impact of each Salmonella serovar on the patients, their families, the NHS, and the wider economy. The study ascertained confirmed cases of ST and SE between July and November 2008. The mean costs per case were £1282 (ST) and £993 (SE). The indirect costs associated with the work-time lost by the case, parents, or carers were £409 (ST) and £228 (SE); this difference was statistically significant. The aggregate cost of ST and SE identified using laboratory test results for the UK as a whole was estimated as £6.5 million. Work-time lost and caring activities are cost categories that are not frequently investigated within the infectious intestinal disease literature, although they represent an important societal cost.
Impact of expected global warming on C mineralization in maritime Antarctic soils: results of laboratory experiments
Authors: de Souza Carvalho Juliana Vanir , de Sá Mendonça Eduardo , Barbosa Rui Tarcísio , Reis Efrain Lázaro , Seabra Paulo Negrais , Schaefer Carlos Ernesto G.R.
Published: July 2010

This study concerned the fragility of maritime Antarctic soils under increasing temperature, using the C dynamics and structural characteristics of humic substances as indicators. Working with four representative soils from King George Island (Lithic Thiomorphic Cryosol (LTC1 and LTC2), Ornithogenic Cryosol (OG) and Gelic Organosol (ORG)) we evaluated the total organic C and nitrogen contents, the oxidizable C and humic substances. Soil samples were incubated to assess the amount of C potentially mineralizable at temperatures typical of an Antarctic summer (5–14°C). Humic acids showed a higher aliphatic character and a smaller number of condensed aromatic groups, which suggests that these molecules from Antarctic soils are generally less resistant to microbial degradation than humic acids molecules from other regions. Based on13C NMR spectra of MAS and CP/MAS, samples of soil humic acids of mineral soils (LTC1 and LTC2) have a higher content of aliphatic C, and heteroatom C, with lower levels of carbonyl and aromatic C, when compared with organic matter-rich soils (OG and ORG). Increasing incubation temperature led to a higher rate of mineralizable C in all soils. A sequence of soil fragility was suggested - LTC1 and LTC2 > OG > ORG - which showed a correlation with the Q10 coefficient and the ratio of labile and recalcitrant C fractions of soil organic matter (R2= 0.83).