bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetic Resonance Imaging: Diffusion of Technology in an Ambulatory Setting
Authors: Bautz James B. , Schectman Joel M. , Elinsky Elaine G. , Pawlson L. Gregory
Published: October 2009

To better understand technology diffusion in an ambulatory care setting, we analyzed adult outpatients’ use of magnetic resonance (MR) and computed tomography (CT) imaging in a group-model HMO between 1986 and 1989. The use of MR, but not CT, Increased at a rapid pace with only a small proportion of the scans being accounted for by primary care physicians.
An Experimental Ward: Improving Care and Learning
Authors: Ronan Larry , Stoeckle John D.
Published: October 2009

The rapidly changing health care system is still largely organized according to old, and increasingly outdated models. The contemporary demands of patient care and residency training call for an experimental ward, which can develop and test new techniques in hospital organization and the delivery of care in a comprehensive way.
It's Time To Rethink Health Care Technology Assessment
Authors: Goodman Clifford
Published: October 2009

Health care technology assessment is broadly and ambiguously interpreted, diluting its role. It is time to recast the field. We must elucidate it in the contemporary context of health inquiry, explicitly relating it to such pursuits as quality assurance, health services research, effectiveness research, medical informatics, and technological innovation.
Introduction - Intensive Care: Where Are We?
Authors: Bloom Bernard S. , Lundberg Dag
Published: October 2009

If intensive care is defined as close observation of critically ill persons, then its use is ancient indeed, going back to the beginning of recorded history. But if intensive care is defined to include all the modern technology, techniques, knowledge, and skilled personnel that closely monitor patients with the intent to intervene when potentially dangerous changes in physiology occur, usually in acute, life-threatening circumstances, then real medical intensive care services are only slightly more than three decades old.
Problems in Assessing the Technology of Critical Care Medicine
Authors: Sibbald William J. , Inman Kevin J.
Published: October 2009

Technology assessment is becoming increasingly important in the area of critical care due both to the explosion of technology associated with this discipline and to the realization that future demand for these health care resources will undoubtedly exceed the ability to pay. Technology assessment remains both confusing and controversial to many physicians. This review tries to address some of the confusion by reviewing the basic strategies involved in this process. From there, problems and prospects for the evaluation of critical care as a program are presented, followed by the assessment of components within the area of critical care. Finally, recommendations are made on how technology assessment could proceed in the future to best achieve the efficient provision of this service.
Critically Examining Intensive Care
Authors: Miranda Dinis Reis
Published: October 2009

The economic recession of the last decade brought intensive care systems under the light of cost-effectiveness analysis, making use of several instruments available in medical practice, and others adapted from for-profit enterprises. The present concept of intensive care, particularly its functional and organizational interactions with traditional specialties, is at the brink of an important revaluation. Studies of the cost-effectiveness of therapeutic actions may be grossly biased if they do not consider the complete process of care (before, during, and after treatment), analyzing even its smallest elements.
Introduction: Vaccine Technologies and Public Health: Why a Critical Review Now?
Authors: Freeman Phyllis , Robbins Anthony
Published: October 2009

Since Jenner's time, there have always been enthusiasts and skeptics about the role of vaccines in the prevention of disease. This introduction explains why, at this time, it is crucial to assess the historical role vaccines have played in limiting damage caused by infectious diseases, the role they can play in the future, and the technologies that are best suited to achieving optimal gains for public health and development worldwide.
The Promise of New Technologies
Authors: La Montagne John R. , Rabinovich N. Regina
Published: October 2009

Efforts to provide the benefits of immunization to the world's children have reached an important crossroad. While remarkable progress has been achieved in successfully administering six important childhood vaccines (diphtheria, tetanus, polio, pertussis, measles, and tuberculosis), the benefits of new vaccines, such as hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type B glycoconjugate vaccines, have not been realized except in the most developed countries. The three reasons often cited to explain this problem include poor access to immunization services, the evolution of complex primary immunization schedules, and the additional expense associated with new vaccines, potentially depleting scarce resources. The establishment of the Children's Vaccine Initiative is an organized effort to improve immunization by both technological and organizational innovation. Simplification of the vaccination process can be achieved by developing new combination vaccines or reducing the number of immunizations with vaccines that stimulate protective immune responses. Improvements in the organization of efforts to immunize children will also enhance the prospects of protecting the world's children from infectious diseases. To achieve the goals articulated in the Declaration of New York, the issues of transition from the old to the new vaccines must be addressed. Research on vaccines and technological innovation at all levels will be required to achieve these goals.
The Contribution of Immunization to Economic Development
Authors: Parker David , Hill Terrel
Published: October 2009

Immunization received intensive support during the 1980s in light of its demonstrable value, relatively low cost, and established infrastructure. The goal of universal childhood immunization was achieved in 1990 on the basis of a strategy of expanding coverage, technological improvements, and social mobilization. Although its impact is difficult to quantify precisely, the Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI) has had significant positive effects on national and household economies as a result of the reduction of morbidity and mortality. It also has contributed to the development of the managerial and operational capacity of health systems and to the generation of widespread social and political support for health actions through a variety of different mechanisms. Priorities for the next decade include attention to policies to ensure the maintenance of high levels of coverage, continued technical development, and further strengthening of EPI planning and management.
The Role of Vaccine Research and Development in the Scientific Development of Middle-Income Countries
Authors: Martínez-Palomo Adolfo , López-Cervantes Malaquías , Freeman Phyllis
Published: October 2009

As a new global strategy for improving public health, the Children's Vaccine Initiative implicitly raises, once again, the question of the role of science in developing countries. If there are to be new and improved vaccines, better delivery systems, and simplified immunization schedules, there must be substantial analysis, laboratory activity, and fieldwork to ensure that the new products are ready for effective use. In the context of these requirements, this paper reviews the possibilities for vaccine research and development in middle-income countries and the benefits in terms of fostering socioeconomic development through integrated scientific health research.
Desirable Immunologic Characteristics for the Development of an Ideal Vaccine
Authors: Ada Gordon
Published: October 2009

The efficacy of vaccines for prophylactic use is a function of the immune response elicited by activated lymphocytes. Based on the current understanding of these responses, their induction, and the most effective ways to obtain long-lived immunity, a novel protocol for the vaccination of children against seven childhood diseases, involving only two visits for vaccine administration, is proposed.
Modern Concepts in Immune Recognition and Lymphocyte Activation: Relevance for the Development of Useful Vaccines
Authors: Germain Ronald N.
Published: October 2009

Adaptive immunity requires both specific recognition of an antigen and its translation into appropriate lymphocyte responses. This paper reviews the striking differences in B- and T-lymphocyte antigen recognition, details the pathways for conversion of protein antigens into peptide–major histocompatibility complex molecule ligands for T-cell receptors, and summarizes the roles of costimulatory signals in lymphocyte activation. This information is used to suggest new approaches for the rational design of vaccines.
Effective Mucosal Immunity: Current Concepts for Vaccine Delivery and Immune Response Analysis
Authors: McGhee Jerry R. , Kiyono Hiroshi
Published: October 2009

It is now established that the mucosal immune system is a separate entity and is regulated in a different fashion than that in peripheral lymphoid tissues (the systemic immune system). In this brief review, five selected areas within the field of mucosal immunity are discussed in the context of the goals for vaccines for the Children's Vaccine Initiative.
Glycoconjugate Vaccines: What Next?
Authors: Stein Kathryn E.
Published: October 2009

The principle that infants can be protected from invasive diseases caused by encapsulated organisms has been proved with the introduction ofHaemophilus influenzaetype b conjugate vaccines. The use of glycoconjugates to implement some of the goals of the Children's Vaccine Initiative requires a clear delineation of the chemical and immunological specifications for optimal vaccines.
The Thermostability of Vaccines: Technologies for Improving the Thermostability of the Oral Poliovirus Vaccine
Authors: Lemon Stanley M. , Milstien Julie B.
Published: October 2009

Technologies that promise to enhance the stability of vaccines are likely to be determined by the product-specific physical structure and biological functions of the specific vaccine immunogens. Research may define the extent to which the stability of oral poliovirus vaccine may be improved by the addition of certain antiviral components that bind to the poliovirus capsid or by the application of novel drying technologies.
Software-engineering challenges of building and deploying reusable problem solvers
Authors: O'Connor Martin J. , Nyulas Csongor , Tu Samson , Buckeridge David L. , Okhmatovskaia Anna , Musen Mark A.
Published: October 2009

Problem solving methods (PSMs) are software components that represent and encode reusable algorithms. They can be combined with representations of domain knowledge to produce intelligent application systems. A goal of research on PSMs is to provide principled methods and tools for composing and reusing algorithms in knowledge-based systems. The ultimate objective is to produce libraries of methods that can be easily adapted for use in these systems. Despite the intuitive appeal of PSMs as conceptual building blocks, in practice, these goals are largely unmet. There are no widely available tools for building applications using PSMs and no public libraries of PSMs available for reuse. This paper analyzes some of the reasons for the lack of widespread adoptions of PSM techniques and illustrate our analysis by describing our experiences developing a complex, high-throughput software system based on PSM principles. We conclude that many fundamental principles in PSM research are useful for building knowledge-based systems. In particular, the task–method decomposition process, which provides a means for structuring knowledge-based tasks, is a powerful abstraction for building systems of analytic methods. However, despite the power of PSMs in the conceptual modeling of knowledge-based systems, software engineering challenges have been seriously underestimated. The complexity of integrating control knowledge modeled by developers using PSMs with the domain knowledge that they model using ontologies creates a barrier to widespread use of PSM-based systems. Nevertheless, the surge of recent interest in ontologies has led to the production of comprehensive domain ontologies and of robust ontology-authoring tools. These developments present new opportunities to leverage the PSM approach.
Workflow agents versus expert systems: Problem solving methods in work systems design
Authors: Clancey William J. , Sierhuis Maarten , Seah Chin
Published: October 2009

During the 1980s, a community of artificial intelligence researchers became interested in formalizing problem solving methods (PSMs) as part of an effort called “second-generation expert systems.” We provide an example of how we are applying second-generation expert systems concepts in an agent-based system for space flight operations, the orbital communications adapter mirroring system (OCAMS), which was developed in the Brahms multiagent framework. Brahms modeling language provides an ontology for simulating work practices, including groups, agents, activities, communications, movements, and geographic areas.Activitiesare a behavioral unit of analysis to be contrasted withtasks, a functional unit of analysis. Problem solving occurs in the context of activities in the service of tasks; appropriate PSMs depend on the context: which people/roles are participating, what tools are available, how the results will be evaluated, and so forth. A work practice simulation facilitates designing workflow tools that appropriately interact with the physical and organizational context in which work occurs. OCAMS was developed using a simulation-to-implementation methodology, in which a prototype workflow tool was embedded in a Brahms simulation of how people would use the tool. The reusable components in a workflow system like OCAMS include entire “problem solvers” (e.g., a planning subsystem), interoperability frameworks, and agents that inspect and change the world. Thus, a tool kit for building workflow tools requires more than a library of PSMs, which play a relatively small role in the overall multiagent, systems-integration architecture. Our research concern has shifted to situations that may arise that are outside the OCAMS' capability. In practical decision making, people must reflect on the validity of their models. As programs becoming actors in the workplace, we need to develop systems that help people to understand the limitations of the models that drive the automated operations, which means in part detecting when the formalizations in the system are inadequate.
Problem solving methods in a global networked age
Authors: Domingue John , Fensel Dieter
Published: October 2009

We believe that the future for problem solving method (PSM) derived work is very promising. In short, PSMs provide a solid foundation for creating a semantic layer supporting planetary-scale networks. Moreover, within a world-scale network where billions services are used and created by billions of parties inad hocdynamic fashion we believe that PSM-based mechanisms provide the only viable approach to dealing the sheer scale systematically. Our current experiments in this area are based upon a generic ontology for describing Web services derived from earlier work on PSMs. We outline how platforms based on our ontology can support large-scale networked interactivity in three main areas. Within a large European project we are able to map business level process descriptions to semantic Web service descriptions, to enable business experts to manage and use enterprise processes running in corporate information technology systems. Although highly successful, Web service-based applications predominately run behind corporate firewalls and are far less pervasive on the general Web. Within a second large European project we are extending our semantic service work using the principles underlying the Web and Web 2.0 to transform the Web from a Web of data to one where services are managed and used at large scale. Significant initiatives are now underway in North America, Asia, and Europe to design a new Internet using a “clean-slate” approach to fulfill the demands created by new modes of use and the additional 3 billion users linked to mobile phones. Our investigations within the European-based Future Internet program indicate that a significant opportunity exists for our PSM-derived work to address the key challenges currently identified: scalability, trust, interoperability, pervasive usability, and mobility. We outline one PSM-derived approach as an exemplar.
A functionalist perspective on social anxiety and avoidant personality disorder
Authors: LaFreniere Peter
Published: October 2009

A developmental–evolutionary perspective is used to synthesize basic research from the neurosciences, ethology, genetics, and developmental psychology into a unified framework for understanding the nature and origins of social anxiety and avoidant personality disorder. Evidence is presented that social anxiety disorder (social phobia) and avoidant personality disorder may be alternate conceptualizations of the same disorder because they have virtually the same symptoms and genetic basis, and respond to the same pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions. A functionalist perspective on social anxiety is formulated to (a) explain the origins of normative states of anxiety, (b) outline developmental pathways in the transition from normative anxiety to social anxiety and avoidant personality disorders, and (c) account for the processes leading to gender-differentiated patterns of anxiety-related disorders after puberty.
Developmental origins of early antisocial behavior
Authors: Calkins Susan D. , Keane Susan P.
Published: October 2009

Early antisocial behavior has its origins in childhood behavior problems, particularly those characterized by aggressive and destructive behavior. Deficits in self-regulation across multiple domains of functioning, from the physiological to the cognitive, are associated with early behavior problems, and may place children at greater risk for the development of later antisocial behavior. Data are presented from a longitudinal study of early self-regulation and behavior problems, the RIGHT Track Research Project, demonstrating that children at greatest risk for early and persistent problem behavior display patterns of physiological and emotional regulation deficits early in life. Parenting behavior and functioning have also been examined as predictors of trajectories of early problem behavior, and some data support the interaction of parenting and self-regulation as significant predictors of patterns of problematic behavior and ongoing problems with the regulation of affect. Peer relationships also affect and are affected by early self-regulation skills, and both may play a role in academic performance and subsequent school success. These data provide evidence that the social contexts of early family and peer relationships are important moderators of the more proximal mechanism of self-regulation, and both types of processes, social and biobehavioral, are likely implicated in early antisocial tendencies. Implications of these findings on self-regulation and early behavior problems are discussed in terms of future research and treatment approaches.
The stability of psychopathy across adolescence
Authors: Lynam Donald R. , Charnigo Richard , Moffitt Terrie E. , Raine Adrian , Loeber Rolf , Stouthamer-Loeber Magda
Published: October 2009

The current diagnostic system suggests that personality disorder categories be applied to children and adolescents in rare circumstances because of expected changes in personality pathology across development. The present study examined the stability in personality pathology, specifically psychopathy, across childhood and adolescence. Using a short form of the CPS and mixed models incorporating fixed and random effects, we examined the reliability, individual stability, mean-level stability, and predictive utility of juvenile psychopathy as a function of age (i.e., from 7 to 17 years old) in over 1,500 boys from the three cohorts of the Pittsburgh Youth Study. If adolescent development contributes to instability in personality pathology, large age-related fluctuations in reliability, stability, and predictive utility should be observed, particularly in the latter part of adolescence when normative changes are hypothesized to influence levels of psychopathy. Such fluctuations were not observed. In general, juvenile psychopathy could be reliably assessed beginning in childhood, was fairly stable across short and long intervals, showed little mean-level fluctuation, and predicted delinquency across adolescence. These results suggest that concerns about large changes in personality pathology across childhood and adolescence may be overstated. Implications and future directions are discussed.
Exploring depressive personality traits in youth: Origins, correlates, and developmental consequences
Authors: Rudolph Karen D. , Klein Daniel N.
Published: October 2009

Research suggests that depressive personality (DP) disorder may represent a persistent, trait-based form of depression that lies along an affective spectrum ranging from personality traits to diagnosable clinical disorders. A significant gap in this area of research concerns the development of DP and its applicability to youth. The present research explored the construct of DP traits in youth. Specifically, this study examined the reliability, stability, and validity of the construct, potential origins of DP traits, and the developmental consequences of DP traits. A sample of 143 youth (mean age = 12.37 years,SD= 1.26) and their caregivers completed semistructured interviews and questionnaires on two occasions, separated by a 12-month interval. The measure of DP traits was reliable and moderately stable over time. Providing evidence of construct validity, DP traits were associated with a network of constructs, including a negative self-focus, high-negative and low-positive emotionality, and heightened stress reactivity. Moreover, several potential origins of DP traits were identified, including a history of family adversity, maternal DP traits, and maternal depression. Consistent with hypotheses regarding their developmental significance, DP traits predicted the generation of stress and the emergence of depression (but not nondepressive psychopathology) during the pubertal transition. Finally, depression predicted subsequent DP traits, suggesting a reciprocal process whereby DP traits heighten risk for depression, which then exacerbates these traits. These findings support the construct of DP traits in youth, and suggest that these traits may be a useful addition to developmental models of risk for youth depression.
Extending extant models of the pathogenesis of borderline personality disorder to childhood borderline personality symptoms: The roles of affective dysfunction, disinhibition, and self- and emotion-regulation deficits
Authors: Gratz Kim L. , Tull Matthew T. , Reynolds Elizabeth K. , Bagge Courtney L. , Latzman Robert D. , Daughters Stacey B. , Lejuez C. W.
Published: October 2009

Although research has been conducted on the course, consequences, and correlates of borderline personality disorder (BPD), little is known about its emergence in childhood, and no studies have examined the extent to which theoretical models of the pathogenesis of BPD in adults are applicable to the correlates of borderline personality symptoms in children. The goal of this study was to examine the interrelationships between two BPD-relevant personality traits (affective dysfunction and disinhibition), self- and emotion-regulation deficits, and childhood borderline personality symptoms among 263 children aged 9 to 13. We predicted that affective dysfunction, disinhibition, and their interaction would be associated with childhood borderline personality symptoms, and that self- and emotion-regulation deficits would mediate these relationships. Results provided support for the roles of both affective dysfunction and disinhibition (in the form of sensation seeking) in childhood borderline personality symptoms, as well as their hypothesized interaction. Further, both self- and emotion-regulation deficits partially mediated the relationship between affective dysfunction and childhood borderline personality symptoms. Finally, results provided evidence of different gender-based pathways to childhood borderline personality symptoms, suggesting that models of BPD among adults are more relevant to understanding the factors associated with borderline personality symptoms among girls than boys.
Emotional instability, poor emotional awareness, and the development of borderline personality
Authors: Cole Pamela M. , Llera Sandra J. , Pemberton Caroline K.
Published: October 2009

Emotional instability and poor emotional awareness are cardinal features of the emotional dysregulation associated with borderline personality disorder (BPD). Most models of the development of BPD include child negative emotional reactivity and grossly inadequate caregiving (e.g., abuse, emotional invalidation) as major contributing factors. However, early childhood emotional reactivity and exposure to adverse family situations are associated with a diverse range of long-term outcomes. We examine the known effects of these risk factors on early childhood emotional functioning and their potential links to the emergence of chronic emotional instability and poor emotional awareness. This examination leads us to advocate new research directions. First, we advocate for enriching the developmental assessment of children's emotional functioning to more closely capture clinically relevant aspects. Second, we advocate for conceptualizing children's early family experiences in terms of the proximal emotional environment to which young children may be or become sensitive. Such approaches should contribute to our ability to identify risk for BPD and guide preventive intervention.
Stone Tools and the Linguistic Capabilities of Earlier Hominids
Authors: Steele James , Quinlan Angus , Wenban-Smith Francis
Published: October 2009

The evolution of human manipulative abilities may be clearly linked to the evolution of speech motor control Both creativity and complexity in vocal and manipulative gestures may be closely linked to a single dimension of brain evolution — the evolution of absolute brain size. Inferring the linguistic capabilities of earlier hominids from their lithic artefacts, however, required us to take account of domain-specific constraints on manipulative skill In this article we report on a pilot flint-knapping experiment designed to identify such constraints ‘in action’.
What Meaning had Colour in Early Societies?
Authors: Gage John
Published: October 2009

Colour is one of the most prominent features of human experience, but has often been ignored or overlooked in archaeological research. All practising archaeologists are aware of the colour of the materials which they handle — be they stone artefacts, painted pots, prehistoric monuments (frontispiece) or historical buildings. Yet all too frequently these items are robbed of their colour when they are published as black and white photos, abstract plans or reductionist line drawings. Equally discouraging is the fact that original colours are frequently missing or faded, removed by the passage of centuries. We know, for example, that the famous marble Cycladic figurines were originally brightly painted, but few traces of colouring survive. Yet such traces are enough to alert us to the radical transformation which colour could bring to old and faded remains.

In this Viewpoint feature we have invited a range of specialists to consider the meaning of colour in early societies. The intention has been to focus on those societies where evidence of colour is not so readily apparent. Egyptian art and Palaeolithic caves have their place in this debate, but we are also interested in the selection of stones of particular colours for tools or structures, and for the use of colour in textiles; areas in which almost all early societies must have been engaged.

The meaning of colour may be approached at a variety of levels. In literate societies, or those with a rich and detailed iconographic tradition, it may be possible to explore the particular significance of different colours in myths or rituals. Such understanding is more difficult in the case of prehistoric societies, yet even here we can gain some insight into colour symbolism by careful consideration of context, or by cautious appeal to common human experience. Context may suggest that red ochre in burials equates with blood, common experience that yellow is associated with the sun, and blue with the sky or the sea. The value accorded to particular colours can also be indicated by the workmanship and finish which objects received, and the distances that materials travelled: polished jadeite from the Alps to Scotland, or lapis lazuli from Afghanistan to Mesopotamia.

As the following articles demonstrate, all societies are concerned about colour, and such concern can be traced back to at least the Upper Palaeolithic, if not before. To what extent particular colours, such as red or black, have cross-cultural significance, is an altogether more difficult question. Colour awareness and colour sensitivity must however be an integral part of any archaeological analysis concerned with the development and nature of human cognition.
Anti-perforin neutralizing antibody reduces myocardial injury in viral myocarditis
Authors: Chun-yan Guo , Bo Han , Hong Chang , Hong-lei Jiang , Xiu-zhen Han
Published: October 2009

Aim

To investigate the role of anti-perforin neutralizing antibody in viral myocarditis.

Methods

We divided 45 Balb/c mice randomly into 3 groups, a normal control group, a control group inoculated with coxsackie virus B3,and a group inoculated with anti-perforin neutralizing antibody. The second group was inoculated with 0.15 milliliters coxsackie virus B3, and the third group additionally with 0.1milligrams/kilogram anti-perforin neutralizing antibody at time points of 6 hours and 3 days after infection. Histopathology was performed using haematoxylin and eosin, with apoptosis examined by the terminal transferase-mediated 2′-deoxyuridine 5′-triphosphate-biotin nick, end-labeling method, or Tunel. The expression of caspase-3 in myocardium was investigated by immunohistochemistry and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.

Results

The pathologic score, myocardial viral titers, average percentages of apoptotic cardiomyocytes, expression of active caspase-3 protein and messenger ribonucleic acid in the myocardium of the mice receiving anti-PFP neutralizing antibody therapy were all significantly reduced when compared to values from the group inoculated with coxsackie virus B3. The rates of expression of Caspase-3 and myocardial apoptosis were positively correlated with the scores for myocardial pathology.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that anti- perforin neutralizing antibody can reduce the myocardial damage by blocking the perforin/granzyme pathway, and downregulating the expression of messenger ribonucleic acid and protein of Caspase-3. These approaches may offer promising novel therapeutic strategies for the clinical treatment of viral myocarditis.
THE EXACT DISCRETE MODEL OF A THIRD-ORDER SYSTEM OF LINEAR STOCHASTIC DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS WITH OBSERVABLE STOCHASTIC TRENDS
Authors: Simos Theodore
Published: October 2009

The objective of this paper is to develop closed-form formulae for the exact discretization of a third-order system of stochastic differential equations, with fixed initial conditions, driven by observable stochastic trends and white noise innovations. The model provides a realistic alternative to first- and second-order differential equation specifications of the time lag distribution, forming the basis of a testing and estimation procedure. The exact discrete models, derived under two sampling schemes with either stock or flow variables, are put into a system error correction form that preserves the information of the underlying continuous time model regarding the order of integration and the dimension of cointegration space.
Fault model of the 1771 Yaeyama earthquake along the Ryukyu Trench estimated from the devastating tsunami
Authors: Nakamura Mamoru
Published: October 2009

The 24 April 1771 Yaeyama earthquake generated a large tsunami with a maximum runup of 30 m, causing significant damage in south Ryukyu, Japan, despite the weak ground shaking. Previously proposed mechanisms of the tsunami include intraplate faulting or submarine landslide in the forearc slope. In this study, I estimate the fault parameters of the 1771 earthquake by numerically computing the tsunami heights and comparing them with the recorded heights. The result indicates that the source fault of the tsunami is very close to the Ryukyu Trench. The results are consistent with a thrust‐faulting earthquake that had a fault‐width of less than 50 km. The 1771 Yaeyama tsunami was caused by a tsunami earthquake (Mw = 8.0) that occurred in the subducted sediments beneath the accretionary wedge.
Effective atmospheric boundary layer temperature from longwave radiation measurements
Authors: Gröbner J. , Wacker S. , Vuilleumier L. , Kämpfer N.
Published: October 2009

The atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) temperature is derived from concurrent measurements of two pyrgeometers, one standard pyrgeometer sensitive to the 3–50 μm wavelength range and one modified pyrgeometer sensitive only in the atmospheric window from 8–14 μm. By combining the measurements from the two instruments we retrieve the effective ABL temperature from the radiation emitted by the atmospheric water vapor contained in the atmospheric boundary layer. Measurements from five sites in Switzerland are analyzed, and salient features of the effective ABL temperature and its seasonal and diurnal variability are discussed. The measurements at Davos, Payerne, Zimmerwald, and Locarno‐Monti show a stable inversion layer during the night and the transition to a convective state during daylight, while at Jungfraujoch no systematic features of the effective ABL temperature are detected because of its locations on a high mountain ridge. The four lower‐altitude sites also show distinct diurnal and seasonal patterns of the ABL temperature with respect to 2 m air temperature. The largest inversion situations occur in winter at Davos, with ABL temperatures on average 5.6 K higher than the 2 m air temperatures. The amplitude of ABL variability is also largest at Davos in winter, with an average diurnal variation of 4.1 K between the early morning and the afternoon. Estimates of clear‐sky longwave downward emissions obtained by using a parametrization with the Brutsaert formula can be noticeably improved by using the effective ABL temperature instead of the 2 m air temperature.
Phosphodiesterase III Inhibition Promotes Differentiation and Survival of Oligodendrocyte Progenitors and Enhances Regeneration of Ischemic White Matter Lesions in the Adult Mammalian Brain
Authors: Miyamoto Nobukazu , Tanaka Ryota , Shimura Hideki , Watanabe Terubumi , Mori Hideo , Onodera Masafumi , Mochizuki Hideki , Hattori Nobutaka , Urabe Takao
Published: October 2009

Vascular dementia is caused by blockage of blood supply to the brain, which causes ischemia and subsequent lesions primarily in the white matter, a key characteristic of the disease. In this study, we used a chronic cerebral hypoperfusion rat model to show that the regeneration of white matter damaged by hypoperfusion is enhanced by inhibiting phosphodiesterase III. A rat model of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion was prepared by bilateral common carotid artery ligation. Performance at the Morris water-maze task, immunohistochemistry for bromodeoxyuridine, as well as serial neuronal and glial markers were analyzed until 28 days after hypoperfusion. There was a significant increase in the number of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in the brains of patients with vascular dementia as well as in rats with cerebral hypoperfusion. The oligodendrocyte progenitor cells subsequently underwent cell death and the number of oligodendrocytes decreased. In the rat model, treatment with a phosphodiesterase III inhibitor prevented cell death, markedly increased the mature oligodendrocytes, and promoted restoration of white matter and recovery of cognitive decline. These effects were cancelled by using protein kinase A/C inhibitor in the phosphodiesterase III inhibitor group. The results of our study indicate that the mammalian brain white matter tissue has the capacity to regenerate after ischemic injury.
The kinematic convergent-beam electron diffraction method for nanocrystal structure determination
Authors: McKeown J. T. , Spence J. C. H.
Published: October 2009

Kinematic convergent-beam electron diffraction (KCBED) is a technique capable of probing and solving the atomic structure of isolated nanocrystals as small as a few nanometers in diameter. The method was evaluated by solving the structure of a spinel crystal from three-dimensional diffraction data. The charge-flipping algorithm was used for ab initio phasing and SHELX was used for structure refinement. We discuss the relative merits of the KCBED and precession methods for nanocrystallography.
Band gap tuning of Na1−xLaxTa1−xCrxO3 for H2 generation from water under visible light irradiation
Authors: Yi Z. G. , Ye J. H.
Published: October 2009

Semiconductors of Na1−xLaxTa1−xCrxO3 (x=0–1.00) were prepared with conventional solid state reactions method. The crystal structure changed from monoclinic (x≤0.60) to orthorhombic (x≥0.70) with the modulation of chemical composition. H2 generation under visible light irradiation (λ>420 nm) was successfully obtained with the tuning of band structures of Na1−xLaxTa1−xCrxO3. The highest performance for H2 generation (4.5 μmol/h) was observed at x=0.4 with apparent quantum yield of 0.5%. The visible light harvesting as well as the photocatalysis was further discussed based on the electronic structures thereof.
Nanoscale radiofrequency impedance sensors with unconditionally stable tuning
Authors: Requa M. V. , Fraikin J.-L. , Stanton M. A. , Cleland A. N.
Published: October 2009

Impedance sensors perform an important role in a number of biosensing applications, including particle counting, sizing, and velocimetry. Detection of nanoparticles, or changes in, e.g., the interfacial Debye–Hückel layer, can also be performed using nanoscale impedance sensors. One method for monitoring changes in the local impedance is to use radiofrequency reflectometry, which when combined with an impedance-matched sensor can afford very high sensitivity with very large detection bandwidth. Maintaining sensitivity and dynamic range, however, requires continuous tuning of the impedance matching network. Here we demonstrate a dual feedback tuning circuit, which allows us to maintain near-perfect impedance matching, even in the presence of long-term drifts in sensor impedance. We apply this tuning technique to a nanoscale interdigitated impedance sensor, designed to allow the direct detection of nanoparticles or real-time monitoring of molecular surface binding. We demonstrate optimal performance of the nanoscale sensor and tuned impedance network both when modulating the concentration of saline to which the sensor is exposed and when electronically switching between sensors configured in a two-element differential array, achieving a stabilization response time of <20 ms.
Replica exchange Monte Carlo applied to hard spheres
Authors: Odriozola Gerardo
Published: October 2009

In this work a replica exchange Monte Carlo scheme which considers an extended isobaric-isothermal ensemble with respect to pressure is applied to study hard spheres (HSs). The idea behind the proposal is expanding volume instead of increasing temperature to let crowded systems characterized by dominant repulsive interactions to unblock, and so, to produce sampling from disjoint configurations. The method produces, in a single parallel run, the complete HS equation of state. Thus, the first order fluid-solid transition is captured. The obtained results well agree with previous calculations. This approach seems particularly useful to treat purely entropy-driven systems such as hard body and nonadditive hard mixtures, where temperature plays a trivial role.
Giant room-temperature magnetocapacitance in Co2+ doped SnO2 dielectric films
Authors: Wan Jian-guo , Lu Qi , Chen Bo , Song Fengqi , Liu Jun-ming , Dong Jingbing , Wang Guanghou
Published: October 2009

The giant room-temperature magnetocapacitance is reported in the Co2+ substitutionally doped SnO2 film in which the ferromagnetism coexists with the dielectric state. The maximum magnetocapacitance is observed in the Sn0.98Co0.02O2 film in which the magnetocapacitance is as large as 0.45 at frequency of 1.0 kHz and saturated magnetic field of ∼6.0 kOe. We experimentally demonstrate that such magnetocapacitance effect correlates with the Co dopant concentration and the existence of oxygen vacancy. The electric polarization response of the oxygen vacancy–Co ion complexes to the magnetic field is attributed to the origin of the magnetocapacitance.
Self-oscillations in a superconducting stripline resonator integrated with a dc superconducting quantum interference device
Authors: Segev Eran , Suchoi Oren , Shtempluck Oleg , Buks Eyal
Published: October 2009

We study self-sustained oscillations in a Nb superconducting stripline resonator integrated with a dc superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). We find that both the power threshold where these oscillations start and the oscillation frequency are periodic in the applied magnetic flux threading the SQUID loop. A theoretical model which attributes the self-sustained oscillations to a thermal instability in the dc-SQUID yields a good agreement with the experimental results. This flux dependant nonlinearity may be used for quantum state reading of a qubit-superconducting resonator integrated device.
Behaviors of gate induced drain leakage stress in lightly doped drain n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors
Authors: Ma X. H. , Cao Y. R. , Gao H. X. , Chen H. F. , Hao Y.
Published: October 2009

The behaviors of the gate induced drain leakage (GIDL) stress during the single and alternating stresses were investigated. A combination of threshold voltage Vth and GIDL current Igidl has been applied to investigate n-channel metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors with different gate oxide thicknesses. The recovery and enhancement of Vth depending on the gate oxide thickness, are found to result from the GIDL stress in the two processes. This study reveals that different behaviors of GIDL stress for different gate oxide thicknesses are attributed to the rivalship between the hole-induced carrier mobility increase and the interface states-induced increase in lightly doped drain resistance.
Effects of climate scenarios on simulated intake of sheep grazing native pastures in northern New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Lodge G. M. , Johnson I. R. , Cullen B. R.
Published: October 2009

Interpolated climate data were used as inputs for simulations in a biophysical model to predict the proportion of the total intake provided by native pasture for wethers and ewes for three climate scenarios on the North-West Slopes of New South Wales (NSW), Australia. These climate scenarios compared the 1961–90 historical baseline climate with two climate projections for 2030 based on (i) the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change A1B scenario in 2030 for a site near Barraba, and (ii) a report to the NSW Government indicating that the climate of Tamworth (~85 km south-east of Barraba) could become similar to that of Warialda (~95 km north-west of Barraba). A third scenario compared historical data for the Barraba location for 30-year ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ periods, in the first and second halves of the 1900s, respectively.
Model simulations indicated that the largest differences in the predicted proportion of wether and ewe intake provided by the pasture occurred for the historical ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ periods. For the reference climate normal (1961–90) v. 2030 A1B scenario and the Tamworth–Warialda comparison, there were few substantial differences in the predicted proportion of pasture intake. Additionally, there was only a small effect of a variation (up to 20%) in rainfall distribution and inter-annual variability on pasture intake by sheep. Since the largest predicted differences in sheep intake of pasture occurred for historical ‘wet’ and ‘dry’ periods, it was apparent that climate variability would continue to have a major influence on grazed native pastures on the North-West Slopes of NSW.
A new method for calculating the volume of primary tissue types in live sheep using computed tomography scanning
Authors: Alston C. L. , Mengersen K. L. , Gardner G. E.
Published: October 2009

Interest in the use of computed tomography (CT) scanning in animal experimentation has increased markedly over the last decade due to the benefits of studying tissue in live subjects over time. In these experiments, the non-carcass components of the scan are removed from the collected data, allowing scientists to study the carcass of a live animal without the need to slaughter the individual. However, there is not yet a consensus regarding the most appropriate manner in which to convert the CT numbers into a meaningful estimate of area, volume or proportion of tissue present in a carcass at the time of scanning. In this paper we use a Bayesian mixture model to estimate the area of each of three tissue types of interest, fat, muscle and bone present in individual CT scan slices. We then use the Cavalieri principle to estimate the volume and proportion of the carcass attributable to each of these tissues. The approach is validated by analysis of experimental sheep carcasses.