bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proposal of composite photonic structure element for efficient terahertz generation
Authors: Oyamada Atsuyuki , Kitaguchi Hisanobu , Ebata Keiji , Ishihara Hajime
Published: November 2012

In this study, we propose new terahertz generation method. When we inject pump and signal wave into periodic multilayer structure obliquely (abstract figure), transmission resonant mode splits into two modes, i.e. p‐polarized mode and s‐polarized mode. By using two modes for difference frequency generation (DFG), THz wave can generate. As a result of theoretical calculation, composite photonic structure shows high performance, i.e. the conversion efficiency up to 10‐3% and wide tuneable frequency ranging from a few hundred of GHz to 3 THz. Further, the thickness of this element is order of a few micrometers that includes resonator mirror parts and total optical system can become compact size. This scheme has potential to achieve tuneable continuous wave (cw) THz source at room temperature. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Preparation of poly(vinylidene difluoride/trifluoroethylene/chlorotrifluoroethylene) terpolymer thin films for dielectric bolometer mode infrared sensors
Authors: Murakami Shuichi , Satoh Kazuo , Uno Mayumi , Sakurai Yoshiaki
Published: November 2012

Poly(vinylidene difluoride/trifluoroethylene/chloro‐trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF/TrFE/CTFE)) ferroelectric terpolymer films have been prepared by spin coating by using methyl ethyl ketone solution on Au/Cr/glass sub‐strates. The leakage current for these films is relatively low. Measurements of dielectric properties reveal that in the low frequency regime (<10 Hz) the real and imagi‐nary parts of the relative complex dielectric constant (ε ′‐iε ″) increase with decreasing frequency. This behavior seems to be due to electrode polarization. In the high fre‐quency regime (∼1 kHz), the dielectric loss factor is about 0.06, which is relatively low. The temperature co‐efficient of the dielectric constant (TCD) is as high as 1.3%/K at 25 °C for frequencies of 1, 10, and 100 kHz. The‐se results show that P(VDF/TrFE/CTFE) terpolymer films are promising materials for use in dielectric bolom‐eter mode infrared sensors, which are based on the temperature dependence of the dielectric constant. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
uGaN growth on laser patterned sapphire substrate: quality feature
Authors: Jelmakas Edgaras , Alsys Marius , Gečys Paulius , Dobrovolskas Darius , Kadys Arūnas , Račiukaitis Gediminas , Tomašiūnas Roland
Published: November 2012

Laser patterning technique as a flexible tool to grow high quality undoped gallium nitride (uGaN) on sapphire wafers is presented. A series of stripes were formed on sapphire wafer surface using Nd:YAG laser (100 kHz, 266 nm, 30 ps pulse) with variable pulse power (40‐670 mW), laser spot velocity over the wafer (1‐46 mm/s) and distance between the stripes (4‐15 μm). Stripes width was ∼2‐5 μm. After laser patterning sapphire wafers were cleaned using aqua regia and etched using sulphuric and phosphoric acid solution. SEM images after wet chemical etching show less surface roughness and open sapphire crystalline planes compared to surfaces treated with laser. Undoped GaN was grown by metal‐organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD). Used III/IV ratio: 2400, reactor pressure: 150 mBar, temperature: 1065 °C. SEM and AFM results show reduction of dislocation density in grown gallium nitride layer. The growing of this layer was performed using epitaxial lateral overgrowth (ELO) method on laser patterned sapphire substrates. Our observation revealed that the optimal laser power for sapphire substrate patterning for ELO GaN growth is 70‐300 mW. Moreover, we demonstrated intermediate GaN lateral growth states. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Operating voltage‐independent white electroluminescence from phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes embedded in poly(N‐vinylcarbazole)
Authors: Sakurai Yoshiaki , Yagi Shigeyuki , Ikawa Shigeru , Asuka Hotaka , Maeda Takeshi , Nakazumi Hiroyuki
Published: November 2012

We fabricated simple polymer light emitting devices (PLEDs) based on a single emitting layer containing a hole‐transporting host polymer, poly(N‐vinylcarbazole), and an electron‐transporting 1,3‐bis[(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazolyl]phenylene (OXD‐7), doped with iridium complexes. We obtained a white light emission, those Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage color coordinates are x = 0.36 and y = 0.40, by doping with phosphorescent bis‐cyclometalated iridium (III) complexes, Ir‐1 and Ir‐2. About this PLED, the maximum luminance, the maximum power luminous efficiency, and the maximum external quantum efficiency were 10600 cd m–2, 3.49 lm W–1, and 5.20%, respectively. The white emission from this PLED was stable even when the operating voltage was changed. Furthermore, all performance of PLED using OXD‐7 was good compared with PLED using PBD [2‐(4‐biphenylyl)‐5‐(4‐tert‐butylphenyl)‐1,3,4‐oxadiazole] by use of Ir‐1 and Ir‐2 (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Up‐conversion luminescence in the ultraviolet range excited by IR‐laser diodes in active medium BaY2F8:Yb3+, Pr3+, Ce3+
Authors: Kozlova N. , Kuznetsov S. , Pushkar A. , Uvarova A. , Uvarova T.
Published: November 2012

We report on observation of up‐converted ultraviolet (UV) luminescence due to 5d–4f transitions from Pr3+ and Ce3+ ions doped into Ba(Y,Yb)2F8single crystals under excitation by IR laser diodes. The dependence of population of crucial intermediate 3P0 level Pr3 + from absorbed energy is discussed. The point of view of adaptation of the active medium in structure and concentration of activators to developed up‐conversion scheme is considered (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Statistical analysis of mixed recurrent event data with application to cancer survivor study
Authors: Zhu Liang , Tong Xingwei , Zhao Hui , Sun Jianguo , Srivastava Deo Kumar , Leisenring Wendy , Robison Leslie L.
Published: November 2012

Event history studies occur in many fields including economics, medical studies, and social science. In such studies concerning some recurrent events, two types of data have been extensively discussed in the literature. One is recurrent event data that arise if study subjects are monitored or observed continuously. In this case, the observed information provides the times of all occurrences of the recurrent events of interest. The other is panel count data, which occur if the subjects are monitored or observed only periodically. This can happen if the continuous observation is too expensive or not practical, and in this case, only the numbers of occurrences of the events between subsequent observation times are available. In this paper, we discuss a third type of data, which is a mixture of recurrent event and panel count data and for which there exists little literature. For regression analysis of such data, we present a marginal mean model and propose an estimating equation‐based approach for estimation of regression parameters. We conduct a simulation study to assess the finite sample performance of the proposed methodology, and the results indicate that it works well for practical situations. Finally, we apply it to a motivating study on childhood cancer survivors. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High Yield, Reproducible and Quasi‐Automated Bilayer Formation in a Microfluidic Format
Authors: Stimberg Verena C. , Bomer Johan G. , van Uitert Iris , van den Berg Albert , Le Gac Séverine
Published: November 2012

A microfluidic platform is reported for various experimentation schemes on cell membrane models and membrane proteins using a combination of electrical and optical measurements, including confocal microscopy. Bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) are prepared in the device upon spontaneous and instantaneous thinning of the lipid solution in a 100‐μm dry‐etched aperture in a 12.5‐μm thick Teflon foil. Using this quasi‐automated approach, a remarkable 100% membrane formation yield is reached (including reflushing in 4% of the cases), and BLMs are stable for up to 36 h. Furthermore, the potential of this platform is demonstrated for (i) the in‐depth characterization of BLMs comprising both synthetic and natural lipids (1,2‐diphytanoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine (DPhPC) and L‐α‐phosphatidylcholine (L‐α‐PC)/cholesterol, respectively) in terms of seal resistance, capacitance, surface area, specific capacitance, and membrane hydrophobic thickness; (ii) confocal microscopy imaging of phase separation in sphingomyelin/L‐α‐PC/cholesterol ternary membranes; (iii) electrical measurements of individual nanopores (α‐hemolysin, gramicidin); and (iv) indirect assessment of the alteration of membrane properties upon exposure to chemical stimuli using the natural nanopore gramicidin as a sensor.
Investigating and Understanding the Cyclic Fatigue, Deformation, and Fracture Behavior of a Novel High Strength Alloy Steel: Influence of Orientation
Authors: Srivatsan Tirumalai S. , Manigandan Kannan , Freborg Andrew M. , Quick Thomas
Published: November 2012

In this paper, the results of a recent study aimed at understanding the influence of orientation on high cycle fatigue properties and final fracture behavior of alloy steel Pyrowear 53 is presented and discussed. This alloy steel has noticeably improved strength, ductility, and toughness properties compared to other competing high strength alloy steels having a near similar chemical composition and processing history. Test specimens of this alloy steel were precision machined and conformed to the specifications detailed in the ASTM standards for tension testing and stress‐controlled cyclic fatigue tests. Test specimens were prepared from both the longitudinal and transverse orientations of the as‐provided alloy steel bar stock. The machined test specimens were deformed in cyclic fatigue over a range of maximum stress and under conditions of fully reversed loading, i.e., at a load ratio of −1, and the number of cycles‐to‐failure recorded. The specific influence of orientation on cyclic fatigue life of this alloy steel is presented. The fatigue fracture surfaces were examined in a scanning electron microscope to establish the macroscopic fracture mode and to characterize the intrinsic features on the fatigue fracture surfaces. The conjoint influence of microstructure, orientation, nature of loading, and maximum stress on cyclic fatigue life is discussed.
Innovative seismic‐resistant steel frames (FUSEIS 1‐2) – experimental analysis
Authors: Dimakogianni Danai , Dougka Georgia , Vayas Ioannis , Karydakis Phaedon
Published: November 2012

Two innovative systems of seismic‐resistant steel frames with dissipative fuses were developed within the European Research Programme “FUSEIS”. The first, named FUSEIS 1, resembles a shear wall, whereas in the second system, named FUSEIS 2, the devices are made by introducing a discontinuity into the composite beams of a moment‐resisting frame. The main advantage of “FUSEIS” compared with conventional systems is that inelastic deformations are strictly concentrated and controlled in zones that constitute easily replaceable fuses. The dissipative elements can be positioned in small areas of the building and do not interrupt the architectural plan as braces do. Another advantage of the system is the possibility of easy installation and removal within the structure.

This article presents the results of the experimental and analytical investigations of the innovative energy dissipation system FUSEIS 1. The system consists of two closely spaced strong columns connected by dissipative beams within each storey. In order to enhance the stiffness, strength and energy dissipation capacity of the system, several fuses are provided within each storey. During a strong seismic event, the dissipative zones are formed within the pins while the other parts of the structure remain elastic and protected.
Probabilistic safety analysis of loadbearing bar structures according to second‐order theory for the combination of time‐dependent loads
Authors: Biehounek Josef , Grolik Helmut , Herz Susanne
Published: November 2012

The article describes a method for the probabilistic risk assessment of loadbearing bar structures according to second‐order theory without having to indicate expressly the limit state equation. The load combination is also considered in the course of the calculation. Time‐dependent loads are modelled as pulse processes with a rectangular form. The sequence of load renewals has a Poisson distribution and the magnitude of the load is subjected to a Pearson distribution. The distribution of the maximum values of the safety‐relevant load reaction is obtained by means of the Monte Carlo simulation. The basis is a generalization of the deformation method. The probability of cross‐section failure is determined for an exemplary loadbearing structure. The probability is sensitive to the distribution parameters of the processes. For certain loading constellations, this analysis contradicts the safety concept of building practice.
Roofs and façades of United States Institute of Peace, Washington D. C.
Authors: Helbig Thorsten , Oppe Matthias
Published: November 2012

The Institute of Peace’s new facility, a modern conference and an interactive educational center dedicated to the theme of peacemaking, faces the National Mall in Washington, DC and is within sight of the Lincoln, World War II, Korean, and Vietnam Veterans memorials. The building is organized around two atria, one part facing the Potomac River, the other the Mall and the Lincoln Memorial. The north atrium serves as the centerpiece for the spaces devoted to the organization’s work and research, and the south‐facing atrium is focused on public programs and conferences. The roof of the building features a series of undulating, wing‐like elements constructed of steel frame and white translucent glass forming an image resembling the wings of a dove. The glass appears opaque and white during the day and glows gently from within at night.

The two roofs and four curtain wall façades have been designed, fabricated and installed by seele, being responsible for the realization. Optimisation of conceptual design, structural and detailed design for the free forms of the self‐supporting shell structures and the vertical facades was conducted by Knippers Helbig, Advanced Engineering.
Race and Interactions on Public Transportation: Social Cohesion and the Production of Common Norms and a Collective Black Identity
Authors: Raudenbush Danielle T.
Published: November 2012

In this article, I examine interactions on public transportation in order to assess social cohesion among members of the same race. Contrary to the prevailing view of social cohesion in urban places, I find that individuals in poor, black areas demonstrate more social cohesion than individuals in more affluent, white areas. This cohesion is meaningful as it plays a role in the production of common notions of a particular black reality and collective black identity, and that it serves a normative function in defining appropriate behaviors. I use Goffman's idea of civil inattention as a heuristic for studying social cohesion.
Drosophila melanogaster as a model to characterize fungal volatile organic compounds
Authors: Inamdar Arati A. , Zaman Taslim , Morath Shannon U. , Pu David C. , Bennett Joan W.
Published: November 2012

Fungi are implicated in poor indoor air quality and may pose a potential risk factor for building/mold related illnesses. Fungi emit numerous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) as alcohols, esters, ethers, ketones, aldehydes, terpenoids, thiols, and their derivatives. The toxicity profile of these VOCs has never been explored in a model organism, which could enable the performance of high throughput toxicological assays and lead to a better understanding of the mechanism of toxicity. We have established a reductionist Drosophila melanogaster model to evaluate the toxicity of fungal VOCs. In this report, we assessed the toxicity of fungal VOCs emitted from living cultures of species in the genera, Trichoderma, Aspergillus, and Penicillium and observed a detrimental effect on larval survival. We then used chemical standards of selected fungal VOCs to assess their toxicity on larval and adult Drosophila. We compared the survival of adult flies exposed to these fungal VOCs with known industrial toxic chemicals (formaldehyde [37%], xylene, benzene, and toluene). Among the tested fungal VOC standards, the compounds with eight carbons (C8) caused greater truncation of fly lifespan than tested non‐C8 fungal VOCs and industrial toxins. Our data validate the use of Drosophila melanogaster as a model with the potential to elucidate the mechanistic attributes of different toxic VOCs emitted by fungi and also to explore the potential link between reported human illnesses/symptoms and exposure to water damaged and mold contaminated buildings. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 29: 829–836, 2014.
Extraction and analysis of plant alkanes and long‐chain alcohols using accelerated solvent extraction (ASE)
Authors: Carnahan Anthony M. , Spalinger Donald E. , Kennish John M. , Collins William B.
Published: November 2012

We explored a one‐step method of extracting plant cuticular hydrocarbons for the analysis of diet composition, intake, and passage rate of herbivores. Alkanes (waxes produced by plants) and long‐chain alcohols (LCOHs) have traditionally been extracted via a sequence of saponification and esterification (S/E) separation techniques, which are labor‐ and time‐intensive. We improved upon the alkane method by extracting samples in hexane using Dionex's Accelerated Solvent Extractor (ASE®; Dionex Corporation, Bannockburn, IL) with simultaneous purification of long‐chain hydrocarbons using Florisil® (U. S. Silica, Berkeley Springs, WV) and Davisil® (W. R. Grace & Co.‐Conn., Columbia, MD) solid‐phase absorbents. This improvement allows for rapid preparation of samples for analysis of both alkanes and LCOHs for gas chromatography analysis. Recovery and quantification of plant alkanes was assessed using 5 forages that were phenologically and morphologically distinct and endemic to South‐central Alaska, USA, to ensure both methods were tested under conditions for which they would be used. We found that recovery of alkanes was 20% higher (P < 0.0001) for the ASE method compared with the S/E method. Correcting for recovery, we found that both methods provided equivalent estimates of alkane concentrations (r2 = 0.9987). Recovery of LCOHs was significantly higher by 7.8% (P = 0.03) for the ASE method compared with the S/E method. Both methods provided similarly clean extractions, with satisfactory baseline and peak separations. We found that the single‐step ASE process was effective in the extraction, purification, and quantification of both alkanes and LCOHs from plant materials, resulting in significant savings in time while using less corrosive solvents. Recoveries of both alkanes and LCOHs were higher for the ASE method. © 2012 The Wildlife Society.
Two Zinc(II) Coordination Polymers Based on the Ligand 1, 4‐Bis[(2‐methyl‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]benzene: Syntheses, Crystal Structures and Properties
Authors: Shi Jing‐Tao , Zhou Chun‐Sheng , Liu Yong‐Liang , Fang Zhi‐Guo , Zhao Rui‐Li , Xu Li‐Li , Yue Ke‐Fen
Published: November 2012

Two coordination polymers (CPs), {[Zn2(BMB)(5‐AIPA)2]·2H2O}n(1) and [Zn(BMB)(5‐NIPA)]n(2) {BMB = 1, 4‐bis[(2‐methyl‐imidazol‐1‐yl)methyl]benzene, 5‐AIPA = 5‐aminoisophthalic acid, 5‐NIPA = 5‐nitroisophthalic acid}, were synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Compound 1 displays a 2D double‐layer structure, which is packed into a 3D supramolecule by interlayer hydrogen bonds and π–π stacking interactions. Compound 2 displays a threefold interpenetrating 3D network, which is composed of left‐handed helical chains and two types of meso‐helical chains along different directions.
Pattern of Postoperative Recurrence and Hepatic and/or Pulmonary Resection for Liver and/or Lung Metastases From Esophageal Carcinoma
Authors: Ichida Hirofumi , Imamura Hiroshi , Yoshimoto Jiro , Sugo Hiroyuki , Kajiyama Yoshiaki , Tsurumaru Masahiko , Suzuki Kenji , Ishizaki Yoichi , Kawasaki Seiji
Published: November 2012

Background

We assessed the benefit of hepatic and pulmonary resections in patients with liver and lung recurrences, respectively, after resection of esophageal carcinoma.

Methods

The study population consisted of 138 consecutive patients with recurrent esophageal carcinoma after esophagectomy conducted between 2003 and 2005. The pattern, timing of appearance, and the prognosis of these recurrences were investigated, paying particular attention to those undergoing hepatic and pulmonary resections.

Results

In total, 55 and 92 patients developed locoregional and distant‐organ metastases 13 and 6 months (median) after surgery, respectively, including 9 patients with both types of recurrence. The distant‐organ metastases were found in the liver (n = 26), lung (n = 27), bone (n = 21), and other organs (n = 29). Patients with pulmonary recurrences had a better overall prognosis (median survival after recurrence detection 13 months) than those with hepatic metastases (5 months) or nonhepatic nonpulmonary metastases. (3 months) Hepatic and pulmonary resections were carried out in patients with oligonodular (n = ≤ 2) isolated liver and lung metastases (n = 5, respectively). Although the survivals of patients with lung metastases who were treated/not treated by pulmonary resection were different (median survival: 48 vs. 10 months, p < 0.01), the difference in the survivals between patients with hepatic metastases who were treated/not treated by hepatic resection reached only borderline statistical significance (13 vs. 5 months, p = 0.06).

Conclusions

Resection of pulmonary metastases yields a survival benefit in properly selected patients. The benefit of resection for hepatic metastases remains controversial.
Impairment and Disability: Renoir's Adaptive Coping Strategies against Rheumatoid Arthritis
Authors: Kowalski Evan , Chung Kevin C.
Published: November 2012

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was one of the most influential painters in art history, but few people know that he suffered from debilitating rheumatoid arthritis. Despite his arthritis, he was able to maintain an incredible level of precision and efficiency with his painting. More importantly, he remained positive and did not let his condition affect his passion for painting or take away from the beauty that he saw in the world around him. Renoir applied a wide variety of coping mechanisms and used his ingenuity to come up with different ways to continue painting even as his arthritis weakened him. Renoir's long battle with rheumatoid arthritis serves as an inspiration to patients who experience the pain and limited mobility associated with this disease, encouraging them to persevere and to develop coping mechanisms that prevent the effects of their impairment from disabling them.
The talar axis–first metatarsal base angle in CVT treatment: A comparison of idiopathic and non-idiopathic cases treated with the Dobbs method
Authors: Eberhardt Oliver , Fernandez Francisco Fernandez , Wirth Thomas
Published: November 2012

Purpose

Congenital vertical talus (CVT) appears as an idiopathic or non-idiopathic deformity. In this study, we analysed the talar axis–first metatarsal base angle (TAMBA) values of idiopathic and non-idiopathic CVT cases treated with the Dobbs method.

Materials and methods

Between January 2007 and July 2012, 20 cases of CVT were treated, starting with a manipulation, casting and a minimally invasive surgical approach. We analysed retrospectively the TAMBA values in idiopathic and non-idiopathic CVT. As a new indicator for the mobility in the talonavicular complex, we used the difference of the TAMBA in neutral position and the TAMBA in plantarflexion. TAMBA measurements of CVT successfully treated with the Dobbs method were compared to TAMBA values of CVT unsuccessfully treated using a minimally invasive approach.

Results

Out of 20 CVT, 14 were successfully treated with the Dobbs method. Of these 14, five feet were non-idiopathic and nine feet were idiopathic. Six feet did not have complete correction following the Dobbs protocol, and were associated with arthrogryposis or caudal regression syndrome. The initial TAMBA in idiopathic feet ranged from 70 to 110° (mean 88°). The TAMBA in non-idiopathic feet ranged from 75 to 128° (mean 105). Feet successfully treated with the Dobbs method had an initial TAMBA between 74 and 110° (mean 87°). Feet unsuccessfully treated with the Dobbs method had an initial TAMBA between 95 and 128° (mean 118°).The measurement difference between the TAMBA in neutral and plantarflexion positions in cases unsuccessfully treated with the Dobbs method were smaller compared to values of feet successfully treated with the Dobbs method. These differences were statistically significant ( p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

In our series, the success of the Dobbs method in CVT treatment depended on the flexibility in the talonavicular complex. The TAMBA value and TAMBA difference (TAMBA neutral minus TAMBA plantarflexion) express the flexibility in the talonavicular joint and could be predictive for the success of a minimally invasive treatment. Only in a few cases is the success of the Dobbs method limited. These feet are associated with a TAMBA greater than 120° in neutral position and, particularly, a TAMBA difference smaller than 25°.
Evolution and Biogeography: Leading Students in Darwin’s and Wallace’s Footsteps
Authors: Rosenau Joshua
Published: November 2012

Exploring life’s diversity and geography’s effect on it was central to Darwin and Wallace’s parallel discoveries of evolution. Those discoveries required the two to overcome their own misconceptions about species and biology. By helping students to see the world through the eyes of explorers and placing life’s diversity into a geographic context, teachers can help students overcome those same barriers to the acceptance of evolution and deepen students’ appreciation of biodiversity.
Homogenization and correctors for monotone problems in cylinders of small diameter
Authors: Casado-Díaz Juan , Murat François , Sili Ali
Published: November 2012

In this paper we study the homogenization of monotone diffusion equations posed in an

N

-dimensional cylinder which converges to a (one-dimensional) segment line. In other terms, we pass to the limit in diffusion monotone equations posed in a cylinder whose diameter tends to zero, when simultaneously the coefficients of the equations (which are not necessarily periodic) are also varying. We obtain a limit system in both the macroscopic (one-dimensional) variable and the microscopic variable. This system is nonlocal. From this system we obtain by elimination an equation in the macroscopic variable which is local, but in contrast with usual results, the operator depends on the right-hand side of the equations. We also obtain a corrector result, i.e. an approximation of the gradients of the solutions in the strong topology of the space

L^{p}

in which the monotone operators are defined.

Dans cet article nous étudions lʼhomogénéisation dʼéquations de diffusion monotones posées dans un cylindre de dimension

N

qui converge vers un segment (qui est donc unidimensionnel). En dʼautres termes, nous passons à la limite dans des équations de diffusion monotones posées dans un cylindre dont le diamètre tend vers zéro, quand en même temps les coefficients des équations (qui ne sont pas nécessairement périodiques) varient eux aussi. Nous obtenons un système limite en la variable macroscopique (unidimensionnelle) et en la variable microscopique. Ce système est non local. A partir de ce système nous obtenons par élimination une équation en la variable macroscopique qui est locale, mais dans laquelle, à la difference des résultats usuels, lʼopérateur dépend du second membre des équations. Nous obtenons aussi un résultat de correcteur, cʼest à dire une approximation des gradients des solutions dans la topologie forte de lʼespace

L^{p}

dans lequel sont définis les opérateurs monotones.
Clinical and Endoscopic Significance of Bowel-Wall Thickening Reported on Abdominal Computed Tomographies in Symptomatic Patients with No History of Gastrointestinal Disease
Authors: Al-Khowaiter Saad S. , Brahmania Mayur , Kim Edward , Madden Mark , Harris Alison , Yoshida Eric M. , Gray James R.
Published: November 2012

Background

Bowel-wall thickening (BWT) is a commonly reported finding on diagnostic abdominal pelvic computed tomographies (CT) in patients with no history of gastroenterologic disease. The significance of this nonspecific finding is not clear.

Methods

Medical records from the Vancouver General Hospital were reviewed from October 27, 1999, to October 27, 2009. The initial search yielded 5696 cases, of which 76 cases met the inclusion criteria for review. Inclusion criteria were the following: age older than 18 years, symptoms without a diagnosis of gastrointestinal disease before CT, the reported finding of terminal ileal and/or colonic BWT, colonoscopy after CT, and/or microbiologic investigations. Exclusion criteria included known gastrointestinal disease before CT. The primary objective was to determine if BWT could be associated with a significant endoscopic pathology. The secondary objective was to determine whether the pattern of abnormality on the CT was associated with a specific endoscopic finding.

Results

A total of 76 patients met the inclusion criteria of our study. Of those, 76% had various identifiable pathologies on colonoscopy. Only 24% had normal colonoscopic findings. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and infectious colitis were the most common causes of BWT. A report of “skip lesions” on the CT (5%) was always associated with IBD. “Pancolitis” reported on the CT (11%) was associated with endoscopic findings of IBD in 25% of cases, infection in 50% of cases, and normal findings in 25% of cases. The report of “stranding” (36%) on CT in the presence of BWT was associated with many non-neoplastic endoscopic pathologic processes, including infectious colitis (22%), IBD (19%), and ischemia (15%), but also was associated with normal endoscopic findings in 26% of the cases. “Lymphadenopathy” was reported in 17% of the CTs and was associated with infectious colitis (30%), IBD (38%), or neoplastic processes (15%) but also normal endoscopic findings in 15%.

Conclusion

Symptomatic patients who are found to have nonspecific BWT on CT should undergo definitive endoscopic investigation because the majority will have significant gastroenterologic disease, and only a minority will have a normal colonoscopy.
Application of Resource Utilization in Dementia (RUD) instrument in a global setting
Authors: Wimo Anders , Gustavsson Anders , Jönsson Linus , Winblad Bengt , Hsu Ming‐Ann , Gannon Brenda
Published: November 2012

Background

The Resource Utilization in Dementia (RUD) questionnaire is the most widely used instrument for resource use data collection in dementia, enabling comparison of costs of care across countries with differing health care provisions. Recent feedback from payers questioned its face validity given that health care provisions have changed since the initial development of the RUD in 1998. The aim of this study was to update the RUD to improve its face validity in Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical research and its utility for health care resource allocation.

Methods

An extensive PubMed review was conducted of current relevant resource items in AD in 15 countries. The findings were complemented by interviews with local care providers and experts in dementia care and health economics. Their proposed revisions were discussed with five leading dementia experts in North and South America, northern and southern Europe, and Asia. A new version of the RUD was developed based on their recommendations.

Results

RUD users identified a need for more information relevant to coverage decisions. Proposed revisions included changes to existing questions (e.g., to capture more accurately the number and type of health care visits) and the addition of new questions (e.g., on informal caregiver hours and the primary caregiver's hours of sleep).

Conclusion

Several minor changes were made to the RUD instrument to improve the accuracy and precision of the data while maintaining comparability with the original version and reflecting current medical practice. The RUD Complete Version 4.0 is now available for use in future AD clinical trials.
The effect of carvedilol on serum and tissue oxidative stress parameters in partial ureteral obstruction induced rat model
Authors: Yasar Adem , Erdemir Fikret , Parlaktas Bekir Suha , Atilgan Dogan , Koseoglu Resit Dogan , Saylan Oguzhan , Firat Fatih
Published: November 2012

Although the pathological mechanism underlying kidney damage is not completely understood, it has been reported that reactive oxygen species (ROS) formed during ureteral obstruction may play an important role in this process. Carvedilol has been used in a limited number of studies examining oxidative injury. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of carvedilol on serum and tissue oxidative stress parameters in the partial unilateral ureteral obstruction (PUUO)‐induced rat model. To our knowledge, the protective effects of carvedilol in the PUUO‐induced rat model have not been reported. Twenty‐six male Wistar albino rats, age 5.5 to 6 months and weighing 250 to 300 g, were used in this study. The rats were randomly divided into three groups. In Group 1 (n = 9), the control group, a sham operation was performed. In Group 2 (n = 8), the PUUO group, the left ureter was embedded into the psoas muscle to create PUUO and maintained for 7 days. In Group 3 (n = 9), carvedilol was orally administered to the rats (2 mg/kg). After the establishment of PUUO, carvedilol was given for the following 7 days. After partial unilateral ureteral obstruction, a nephrectomy was performed to determine the blood and tissue levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyl (PC), and nitric oxide (NO). The median SOD, MDA, PC, and NO levels in the tissues were 0.006 U/mg protein, 5.11 nmol/g protein, 4.31 nmol/mg protein, and 0.337 μmol/g protein in the control group, respectively. There was a significant increase in tissue SOD (p = 0.014), MDA (p = 0.002), and NO (p = 0.004) levels in Group 2. However, a statistically significant difference was not observed in PC (p = 0.847) enzymatic activity in Group 2. When compared with Group 2, carvedilol treatment caused a reduction in NO (p = 0.003), and PC (p = 0.001) activities in Group 3. The serum SOD (p = 0.004), MDA (p = 0.043), PC (p = 0.043), and NO (p = 0.001) levels were significantly different in Group 3 compared with Group 2. Administration of carvedilol also reduced the detrimental histopathologic effects caused by PUUO. According to histopathological examination of the renal tissues, the inflammation rates were 22.2%, 87.5% and 33.3% in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p < 0.05). The results of the present study show that partial unilateral ureteral obstruction caused oxidative stress in the serum and kidney tissues of rats, and treatment with carvedilol reduced the harmful effects of ureteral obstruction.
CULTURAL POLITICS IN THE POST-COLONY: MUSIC, NATIONALISM AND STATISM IN MALI, 1964–75
Authors: Skinner Ryan Thomas
Published: November 2012

This article examines the shifting experience of national belonging and state patronage at a crucial juncture in Mali's post-colonial history, the ten-year period that marked the end of the country's First Republic (1960–8) and the beginning of its Second Republic (1968–91). My focus is on the contested politics of culture that characterized this period, elucidated through the experiences and expressions of two popular dance bands, Las Maravillas de Mali and Les Ambassadeurs du Motel. By following the post-colonial careers of Las Maravillas and Les Ambassadeurs I explore social and musical encounters with national community and state authority from which broader questions of political sovereignty and accountability emerge.
HIP-HOP AND CULTURAL CITIZENSHIP ON KENYA'S ‘SWAHILI COAST’
Authors: Eisenberg Andrew J.
Published: November 2012

The Muslim-dominated ‘Swahili coast’ has always served as a conceptual as well as physical periphery for post-colonial Kenya. This article takes Kenyan youth music under the influence of global hip-hop as an ethnographic entry into the dynamics of identity and citizenship in this region. Kenyan youth music borrows from global hip-hop culture the idea that an artist must ‘represent the real’. The ways in which these regional artists construct their public personae thus provide rich data on ‘cultural citizenship’, in Aihwa Ong's (1996) sense of citizenship as subjectification. I focus here on youth music production in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa between 2004 and 2007. During this time, some local artists adopted a representational strategy that subtly reinscribed the symbolic violence to which members of the coast's Muslim-Swahili society have long been subjected. I examine the representational strategies that were adopted during this period by Mombasan artists who happened to be members of the Muslim-Swahili society (‘subjects of the Swahili coast’, as I name them), with an ethnographic eye and ear trained on what they say about the ways in which young subjects of the Swahili coast are objectified and subjectified as ‘Kenyan youth’ in the twenty-first century.
COERCION, FETISHES AND SUFFERING IN THE DAILY LIVES OF YOUNG NIGERIAN WOMEN IN ITALY
Authors: Taliani Simona
Published: November 2012

In the aftermath of social conflicts and urban violence between autochthons and migrants in Italy in recent years, the question of how to control the growing number of illegal immigrants is increasingly discussed in the language of zero-tolerance anti-crime campaigns. Traffic in women has been a ‘structural’ social reality in the Italian migration landscape over the last 15 years, and is a prominent aspect of illegal female migration. These women are qualified as ‘victims of human trafficking’ when they denounce their pimps. Most of their suffering – involving psychological or psychiatric symptoms and requiring psychosocial support – is expressed through an emic vocabulary that talks about fetishes, spirit possession, witchcraft, sacrifice, debts, and spiritual and moral deliverance. This study – based on extensive field research in Turin into an Ethno-Psychiatric Service (provided by the Frantz Fanon Centre) in which 50 Nigerian women participated – addresses the following anthropological issues: the relationship between emic vocabulary (so called ‘voodoo’ or ‘juju’), migration, and moral economies of violence; and the intersection between symbolic violence and coercion, as experienced through sexual abuse and/or ritual violence (occurring both in Nigeria and Italy, and also during the migration itself in different countries such as Benin, Mali and Libya). In the conclusion of this article, I underline the limits of psychiatric and psychological therapeutical methodsvis-à-visthe symptoms and traumatic experiences that ‘mark’ these female bodies; and I discuss in particular the emergence of new forms of post-colonial disorders affecting subjects who are at the mercy ofcompromiseddesires.
The Supreme Court's Many Median Justices
Authors: LAUDERDALE BENJAMIN E. , CLARK TOM S.
Published: November 2012

One-dimensional spatial models have come to inform much theorizing and research on the U.S. Supreme Court. However, we argue that judicial preferences vary considerably across areas of the law, and that limitations in our ability to measure those preferences have constrained the set of questions scholars pursue. We introduce a new approach, which makes use of information about substantive similarity among cases, to estimate judicial preferences that vary across substantive legal issues and over time. We show that a model allowing preferences to vary over substantive issues as well as over time is a significantly better predictor of judicial behavior than one that only allows preferences to vary over time. We find that judicial preferences are not reducible to simple left-right ideology and, as a consequence, there is substantial variation in the identity of the median justice across areas of the law during all periods of the modern court. These results suggest a need to reconsider empirical and theoretical research that hinges on the existence of a single pivotal median justice.
THE LEAST COMMON MULTIPLE OF CONSECUTIVE TERMS IN A QUADRATIC PROGRESSION
Authors: QIAN GUOYOU , TAN QIANRONG , HONG SHAOFANG
Published: November 2012

Let k be any given positive integer. We define the arithmetic function gk for any positive integer n by We first show that gk is periodic. Subsequently, we provide a detailed local analysis of the periodic function gk, and determine its smallest period. We also obtain an asymptotic formula for log lcm0≤i≤k
{(n+i)2+1}.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON THE DIOPHANTINE EQUATION y2=x!+A AND RELATED RESULTS
Authors: ULAS MACIEJ
Published: November 2012

We consider the Brocard–Ramanujan type Diophantine equation y2=x!+A and ask about values of A∈ℤ for which there are at least three solutions in the positive integers. In particular, we prove that the set 𝒜 consisting of integers with this property is infinite. In fact we construct a two-parameter family of integers contained in 𝒜. We also give some computational results related to this equation.
The Reception of a Science of Texts in England, 1658–1740
Authors: Reedy, S.J. Gerard
Published: November 2012

When Oliver Cromwell died on 3 September 1658, addresses of sympathy poured in from across the country. Formal ceremonies channeled sincere anxiety about what would happen to England now that the binding force of the Lord Protector was absent. Yet Gilbert Burnet tells us, in a piece of clerical gossip, that the scene taking place inside Whitehall Palace was, at times, comical.
Shared Worlds: Rabbinic and Monastic Literature
Authors: Siegal Michal Bar-Asher
Published: November 2012

In the place where penitents stand even the wholly righteous cannot stand.(R. Abahu)1

I prefer a man who hath sinned and done wickedly and repented to the man who hath not sinned and hath not manifested repentance; for the former possesseth a humble mind and the latter esteemeth himself in his thoughts a just man. (Abba Poemen)2
Review Essay War without End: The Popes and the Jews between Polemic and History
Authors: Ventresca Robert A.
Published: November 2012

The Popes against the Jews. This declarative statement certainly makes for a scintillating title, as David Kertzer no doubt appreciated when he chose it for his book on the papacy's role in the emergence of modern anti-Semitism. Published in 2001, Kertzer's The Popes against the Jews: The Vatican's Role in the Rise of Modern Anti-Semitism quickly emerged as one of the most critically acclaimed and contentious books of its genre and generation. It took direct aim at a thesis being proffered at the time by the Vatican positing a fundamental distinction between the traditional “religious” anti-Judaism of Christian provenance, and the modern, politicized racial anti-Semitism of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, which constituted the catalytic element of a noxious brew of ideas and resentments that led to the Final Solution. The anti-Judaism / anti-Semitism distinction, Kertzer argues, “will simply not survive historical scrutiny.”1 While acknowledging that the Catholic church could not be held responsible per se for the Holocaust, even less for having approved the exterminatory policies of the Hitler regime and its collaborators, Kertzer imputes to the modern popes—especially those of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries—a significant degree of responsibility for having contributed to the social and cultural milieu in which the Final Solution was conceived and attempted. Although the Vatican never sanctioned the campaign to eliminate European Jews, Kertzer writes, “the teachings and actions of the Church, including those of the popes themselves, helped make it possible.” In fact, Kertzer maintains that the Vatican was one of the major “architects” of a new and distinctly modern form of anti-Semitism that drew inspiration and moral authority from traditional religious apologetics to buttress a radical secular politics of anti-Jewish repression and exclusion. The Holocaust, he concludes, “came at the end of a long road…. [I]t was a road that the Catholic Church did a great deal to help build.”2
PREDICTING CONTRACEPTIVE USE FROM AN EGALITARIAN MODEL OF WOMEN'S OVERALL HOUSEHOLD POWER VIS-À-VIS CONVENTIONAL POWER MODELS AND THIRD VARIABLES
Authors: LEÓN FEDERICO R.
Published: November 2012

Research on gender power in contraceptive use has focused on whether women have an active role in household decision-making (the participation model) or on the extent of their control of domestic decisions (the control model); it has also addressed the joint effects of power, age, education and work. Findings published in this journal (Woldemicael, 2009) suggest a third power model according to which wives make joint decisions with their husbands on important domestic areas and autonomous decisions on secondary matters (the egalitarian model). In analyses of Demographic and Health Survey data sets from 46 countries, the egalitarian model explained contraceptive use better than the control and participation models in 19 out of 20 countries outside sub-Saharan Africa; its superiority was less overwhelming in this sub-continent. Power effects on contraceptive use that depend on women's education, age and work for cash are larger in sub-Saharan Africa than in other world regions, whereas independent power effects differ little regionally, suggesting the action of a personality factor. Situational specification of decision importance and direct measurement of women's assertiveness are needed to improve the explanation of contraceptive behaviour.
Electrifying the base? Aid and incumbent advantage in Ghana
Authors: Briggs Ryan C.
Published: November 2012

In 1999, the year before Ghana's 2000 election, the country experienced a large, unexpected decline in aid. The incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) lost the election. Did the decline in aid hurt the NDC at the polls, or was it simply incidental? Using data from a national, World Bank-funded electrification project, this article shows that the NDC was able to allocate aid according to explicitly political criteria. The article also exploits a quasi-experiment in aid disbursements to show that electrification caused NDC voting to increase in the constituencies that received electrification. Pre-electoral aid fluctuations exert a modest but measurable force on voting patterns. These findings add weight to calls for donors to coordinate to reduce aid volatility. They also show that incumbent governments can allocate aid strategically to secure votes, even under the best-case scenario of strict donor monitoring in an established democracy.
Party factions and power blocs in Ghana: a case study of power politics in the National Democratic Congress
Authors: Bob-Milliar George M.
Published: November 2012

Competition for the executive leadership of a political party and the distribution of state patronage in Ghana is influenced by factional alignments and group interests. In December 2008 the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regained political power, and within months rifts appeared over the allocation of ministerial portfolios. The intra-party murmurings became public when two factions supported rival candidacies for the party's presidential nomination. The pro-Rawlings faction supported the candidacy of Nana Konadu Agyemang-Rawlings, and the anti-Rawlings bloc backed President John Evans Atta Mills. Drawing on Boucek's (2009) typology of factionalism, this article argues that factionalism within the NDC is a dynamic and complex process of informal groupings competing and jockeying for power to satisfy members' interests. It draws three conclusions: party factions are ad hoc groupings that are nurtured into a power bloc, and are constellated around particular individuals; factional conflicts are not rooted in ideology, but are based on differences in policy goals, interests and patronage; and, finally, factionalism fluctuates between cooperative and competitive phases.