bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Combinational Effects of Prebiotics and Soybean against Azoxymethane-Induced Colon CancerIn Vivo
Authors: Gourineni V. P. , Verghese M. , Boateng J. , Shackelford L. , Bhat N. K. , Walker L. T.
Published: September 2011

Prebiotic fructans are nondigestible carbohydrates with numerous health benefits. Soybean is a rich source of phytonutrients such as isoflavones. The objective of this study was to evaluate the chemopreventive effects of prebiotics (Synergy1) and soybean meal (SM) at 5% and 10% levels alone and in combination on azoxymethane- (AOM-) induced colon carcinogenesis. After one wk of acclimatization, Fisher 344 male rats (N=90) were randomly assigned to 9 groups (n=10). Control rats (C) were fed AIN-93G/M. Two s/c injections of AOM were administered to rats at 7 and 8 wk of age at 16 mg/kg body weight. Rats were killed by CO2asphyxiation at 45 wk. Tumor incidence (%) in treatment groups ranged from 40 to 75 compared to 100 in C. Results indicate that feeding prebiotics and soybean in combination significantly reduced incidence of AOM-induced colon tumors with implications for food industry in the food-product development.
Testing the No-Hair Theorem with Sgr A*
Authors: Johannsen Tim
Published: September 2011

The no-hair theorem characterizes the fundamental nature of black holes in general relativity. This theorem can be tested observationally by measuring the mass and spin of a black hole as well as its quadrupole moment, which may deviate from the expected Kerr value. Sgr A*, the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way, is a prime candidate for such tests thanks to its large angular size, high brightness, and rich population of nearby stars. In this paper, I discuss a new theoretical framework for a test of the no-hair theorem that is ideal for imaging observations of Sgr A* with very long baseline interferometry (VLBI). The approach is formulated in terms of a Kerr-like spacetime that depends on a free parameter and is regular everywhere outside of the event horizon. Together with the results from astrometric and timing observations, VLBI imaging of Sgr A* may lead to a secure test of the no-hair theorem.
Generation of Optical Vortices by Linear Phase Ramps
Authors: Vyas Sunil
Published: September 2011

Generation of optical vortices using linear phase ramps is experimentally demonstrated. When two regions of a wavefront have opposite phase gradients then along the line of phase discontinuity vortices can be generated. It is shown that vortices can evolve during propagation even with the unequal magnitude of tilt in the two regions of the wavefront. The number of vortices and their location depend upon the magnitude of tilt. vortex generation is experimentally realized by encoding phase mask on spatial light modulator and their presence is detected interferometrically. Numerical simulation has been performed to calculate the diffracted intensity distribution from the phase mask, and presence of vortices in the diffracted field is detected by computational techniques.
Ebstein’s Anomaly of the Tricuspid Valve in Association with Tetralogy of Fallot and Absent Pulmonary Valve Syndrome
Authors: Abramian A. , Gembruch U. , Geipel A. , Müller A.M. , Baier B. , Berg C.
Published: September 2011

Ebstein’s anomaly and absent pulmonary valve syndrome belong to the rarest congenital heart defects. Their association has never been reported so far. We present the unusual case of a fetus at 23 weeks of gestation with Ebstein’s anomaly, tetralogy of Fallot, absent pulmonary valve and agenesis of the arterial duct. The main diagnostic features were apical displacement of the septal leaflet of the tricuspid valve with an offset from the mitral valve of 8 mm, a pronounced atrialization of the right ventricle, a large malalignment ventricular septal defect with overriding aorta in combination with absence of the pulmonary valve leaflets, to and fro flow pattern over the stenotic pulmonary valve annulus, turbulent flow in the pulmonary trunk, massive dilatation of the pulmonary trunk plus the pulmonary arteries and a right aortic arch with retroesophageal course of an aberrant left subclavian artery. The arterial duct and the thymus were absent. The remaining fetal anatomy was unremarkable. Amniocentesis revealed a normal male karyotype; 22q11 microdeletion was ruled out. After being counseled on the unfavorable prognosis, the parents opted for termination of pregnancy. The prenatal cardiac findings were confirmed at autopsy; however, a severely hypoplastic thymus was found instead of the suspected aplasia.
Sensory Systems in Sawfishes. 1. The Ampullae of Lorenzini
Authors: Wueringer B.E. , Peverell S.C. , Seymour J. , Squire, Jr. L. , Kajiura S.M. , Collin S.P.
Published: September 2011

The distribution and density of the ampullary electroreceptors in the skin of elasmobranchs are influenced by the phylogeny and ecology of a species. Sensory maps were created for 4 species of pristid sawfish. Their ampullary pores were separated into pore fields based on their innervation and cluster formation. Ventrally, ampullary pores are located in 6 areas (5 in Pristis microdon), covering the rostrum and head to the gills. Dorsally, pores are located in 4 areas (3 in P. microdon), which cover the rostrum, head and may extend slightly onto the pectoral fins. In all species, the highest number of pores is found on the dorsal and ventral sides of the rostrum. The high densities of pores along the rostrum combined with the low densities around the mouth could indicate that sawfish use their rostrum to stun their prey before ingesting it, but this hypothesis remains to be tested. The directions of ampullary canals on the ventral side of the rostrum are species specific. P. microdon possesses the highest number of ampullary pores, which indicates that amongst the study species this species is an electroreception specialist. As such, juvenile P. microdon inhabit low-visibility freshwater habitats.
Sensory Systems in Sawfishes. 2. The Lateral Line
Authors: Wueringer B.E. , Peverell S.C. , Seymour J. , Squire, Jr. L. , Collin S.P.
Published: September 2011

The lateral line system allows elasmobranchs to detect hydrodynamic movements in their close surroundings. We examined the distribution of pit organs and lateral line canals in 4 species of sawfish (Anoxypristis cuspidata, Pristis microdon, P. clavata and P. zijsron). Pit organs could only be located in A. cuspidata, which possesses elongated pits that are lined by dermal denticles. In all 4 pristid species, the lateral line canals are well developed and were separated into regions of pored and non-pored canals. In all species the tubules that extend from pored canals form extensive networks. In A. cuspidata, P. microdon and P. clavata, the lateral line canals on both the dorsal and ventral surfaces of the rostrum possess extensively branched and pored tubules. Based on this morphological observation, we hypothesized that these 3 species do not use their rostrum to search in the substrate for prey as previously assumed. Other batoids that possess lateral line canals adapted to perceive stimuli produced by infaunal prey possess non-pored lateral line canals, which also prevent the intrusion of substrate particles. However, this hypothesis remains to be tested behaviourally in pristids. Lateral line canals located between the mouth and the nostrils are non-pored in all 4 species of sawfish. Thus this region is hypothesized to perceive stimuli caused by direct contact with prey before ingestion. Lateral line canals that contain neuromasts are longest in P. microdon, but canals containing neuromasts along the rostrum are longest in A. cuspidata.
Lateral OFC Activity Predicts Decision Bias due to First Impressions during Ultimatum Games
Authors: Kim Hackjin , Choi Min-Jo , Jang In-Ji
Published: September 2011

Despite the prevalence and potentially harmful consequences of first impression bias during social decision-making, its precise neural underpinnings remain unclear. Here, on the basis of the fMRI study using ultimatum games, the authors show that the responders' decisions to accept or reject offers were significantly affected by facial trustworthiness of proposers. Analysis using a model-based fMRI method revealed that activity in the right lateral OFC (lOFC) of responders increased as a function of negative decision bias, indicating a greater likelihood of rejecting otherwise fair offers, possibly because of the facial trustworthiness of proposers. In addition, lOFC showed changes in functional connectivity strength with amygdala and insula as a function of decision bias, and individual differences in the strengths of connectivities between lOFC and bilateral insula were also found to predict the likelihood of responders to reject offers from untrustworthy-looking proposers. The present findings emphasize that the lOFC plays a pivotal role in integrating signals related to facial impression and creating signal biasing decisions during social interactions.
Spatial Interactions in the Superior Colliculus Predict Saccade Behavior in a Neural Field Model
Authors: Marino Robert A. , Trappenberg Thomas P. , Dorris Michael , Munoz Douglas P.
Published: September 2011

During natural vision, eye movements are dynamically controlled by the combinations of goal-related top–down (TD) and stimulus-related bottom–up (BU) neural signals that map onto objects or locations of interest in the visual world. In primates, both BU and TD signals converge in many areas of the brain, including the intermediate layers of the superior colliculus (SCi), a midbrain structure that contains a retinotopically coded map for saccades. How TD and BU signals combine or interact within the SCi map to influence saccades remains poorly understood and actively debated. It has been proposed that winner-take-all competition between these signals occurs dynamically within this map to determine the next location for gaze. Here, we examine how TD and BU signals interact spatially within an artificial two-dimensional dynamic winner-take-all neural field model of the SCi to influence saccadic RT (SRT). We measured point images (spatially organized population activity on the SC map) physiologically to inform the TD and BU model parameters. In this model, TD and BU signals interacted nonlinearly within the SCi map to influence SRT via changes to the (1) spatial size or extent of individual signals, (2) peak magnitude of individual signals, (3) total number of competing signals, and (4) the total spatial separation between signals in the visual field. This model reproduced previous behavioral studies of TD and BU influences on SRT and accounted for multiple inconsistencies between them. This is achieved by demonstrating how, under different experimental conditions, the spatial interactions of TD and BU signals can lead to either increases or decreases in SRT. Our results suggest that dynamic winner-take-all modeling with local excitation and distal inhibition in two dimensions accurately reflects both the physiological activity within the SCi map and the behavioral changes in SRT that result from BU and TD manipulations.
Delavalia Qingdaoensis Sp. Nov. (Harpacticoida, Miraciidae), a New Copepod Species from Jiaozhou Bay, Yellow Sea
Authors: Ma L. , Li X.-Z.
Published: September 2011

Delavalia qingdaoensis, a new species of harpacticoid copepod of the family Miraciidae is described based on specimens sorted from sediment samples collected in Jiaozhou Bay, Qingdao, Shandong Peninsula, Yellow Sea, in May 2008. The new species is easily distinguished from its congeners by the combined characters of the antennulary segments, an apomorphic setal formula of the swimming legs, and the shape of P5 in both sexes. It is remarkably similar to D. bocqueti (Soyer, 1971) and D. latioperculata (Itô, 1981), but it differs from D. bocqueti by features of the caudal rami, antennule, antennary endopod, mandibular exopod, maxillipedal basis, and P5 endopodal lobe; from D. latioperculata by the caudal rami, the inner setae of P1-P4 enp-1, P2 enp-2, and P4 exp-3, and the shape of P5 in both sexes.
Use of Null Models to Explain Crustacean Zooplankton Assemblages in Northern Patagonian Lakes (Chile) with and Without Mixotrophic Ciliates
Authors: Ríos-Escalante Patricio De Los , Woelfl Stefan
Published: September 2011

The zooplankton assemblages in deep, mostly oligotrophic northern Patagonian lakes are characterized by a low species number and a marked dominance of calanoid copepods, as well as often by the presence of large mixotrophic ciliates (Stentor). In the present study, data collected in field work on four northern Patagonian lakes were analysed using co-occurrence of null models, with the aim to determine potential regulating factors for the observed crustacean and mixotrophic ciliate assemblages, using a presence-absence matrix. The null model uses species co-occurrence, and the basis of this model is that the species associations observed are random. The results revealed the absence of regulating factors and indicate that the sites are relatively homogeneous, with low species numbers, and similar plankton assemblages at all study sites. This finding coincides with similar descriptions for zooplankton assemblages in other Chilean Patagonian lakes.
Artemia Biodiversity in Algerian Sebkhas
Authors: Ghomari Mohammed S. , Selselet Ghalem S. , Hontoria Francisco , Amat Francisco
Published: September 2011

This paper summarizes the results of a study that comprised a survey along with a morphological characterization of Artemia populations from seven sebkhas, one chott, and an inland salt lake in Algeria. Sebkhas and chotts are two different types of closed inland basins. Morphological characters together with a multivariate discriminant analysis applied to morphometric data obtained from adult specimens cultured under standard conditions, were used to differentiate the species and strains. The bisexual species A. salina (L., 1758) is present in seven of these saltmarshes, but frequently cooccurs with diploid and tetraploid parthenogenetic strains. The biodiversity pattern of the populations of Artemia in Algeria appears to be similar to that found in the rest of the western Mediterranean region.
Economic Performance and Economic Growth in the Early Islamic World
Authors: Shatzmiller Maya
Published: September 2011

The author argues that in the case of Islamic history, the growing interest in the economic theory of institutions and their role in economic growth has shifted the scholarly methodology from empirically based research, to theoretical models which favoured sweeping generalizations about the negative roles of the Islamic state and legal institution. Shatzmiller’s examinations of the role of Islamic institutions in periods of economic growth show that economic growth was visible in the key indicators of the Caliphate’s economy between ca. 750 and ca. 1100. The conclusion is that there was nothing intrinsic to Islamic institutions that impaired economic growth.
Law and the Question of the (Nonhuman) Animal
Authors: Otomo Yoriko
Published: September 2011

The turn of the millennium has witnessed an extraordinary paradox—one identified by Jacques Derrida as a simultaneous increase in violence against nonhuman animals and compassion toward them. This article turns to critical legal theory as well as to recent work by continental philosophers on the human/animal distinction in order to make sense of the ways the paradox manifests in law, arguing that so-called animal welfare laws that appear to be politically progressive are, in fact, iterations of the very violence they purport to redress. What legislation designates as “animal” has neither language nor a recognized image, which not only renders this singular object of law voiceless but also denies that object access to any experience of death, and thus, to life. Through a deconstruction of recently enacted Japanese “animal welfare” legislation, this article proposes that the inability of the legislator to think the animal as having a relation to death belies a deeper struggle at the heart of law itself, to constitute its subjects through language.
Culture and International Alliance Negotiations: A Sensemaking Perspective
Authors: Kumar Rajesh , Patriotta Gerardo
Published: September 2011

International alliance negotiations are now a pervasive feature of the contemporary global economy. As the alliancing firms cross national boundaries to forge cooperative partnerships they face the inevitable necessity of bridging the cultural divide to ensure successful negotiation. Existing research has focused primarily on the impact of national cultural differences in shaping negotiating strategies and ensuing outcomes. Less attention has been paid to how negotiators from different cultures understand and manage the ambiguity of international alliance negotiations. We employ the theoretical lens of sensemaking to understand how negotiators embedded in different cultures manage simultaneously the task and cultural related ambiguity that they are confronted with. This perspective suggests the critical role that ‘tertius iungens’ (the ‘third who joins’) plays in facilitating the negotiation process. The ‘tertius iungens’ represents a form of intermediation that acts as a catalyst in the negotiation process. We propose three alternative types of intermediation, namely, cognitive, affective, and holistic and provide illustrative examples of these types of intermediation. We conclude by highlighting the theoretical and managerial significance of our framework and by suggesting future directions for research.
Silvestr Braito (1898–1962): A Czech Story of the Corpus Mysticum Ecclesiology
Authors: Salvet Ondej
Published: September 2011

The purpose of this paper is to describe the lifelong work of the Czech Dominican monk and theologian Silvestr Braito (1898–1962). Braito ascribed significant importance to ecclesiology as a prerequisite for effective pastoral work, which he understood as a process of ongoing intellectual education of the faithful as well as their spiritual formation. Ecclesiology underwent a dramatic development in the twentieth century, particularly in Germany and France. Braito, while avoiding the more controversial issues, followed this discussion and presented its main themes to the Czech speaking Christian public. He considered a deep knowledge of the Church indispensable for a sound spiritual life. In this context, a dynamic comprehension of the relation between God and the human person, which Braito liked to express as 'sonship of God', presents his distinctive contribution to a practical pastoral-oriented application of ecclesiology.
Security Sector Reform in authoritarian regimes: The OSCE experience of police assistance programming in Central Asia
Authors: Lewis David
Published: September 2011

Security sector reform — including police reform — has been an important element in international programmes in many post-conflict and so-called 'fragile' states. In Central Asian states — mostly ruled by authoritarian regimes — the OSCE has been engaged in a variety of programmes to help reform the police, which have often been accused of abuses of human rights. There has been a significant police assistance programme in Kyrgyzstan, and smaller initiatives and activities have been implemented in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan. Most of these initiatives have failed to achieve their objectives; in certain cases they may have had a negative impact on the OSCE's credibility in the region as an organization that promotes a comprehensive view of security, including attention to human rights and civil liberties. The article suggests that external assistance to the security sector in authoritarian political systems poses particularly difficult challenges, if there is no parallel process of political democratisation. In addition, a complex relationship between state security forces and organised crime poses additional challenges to police reform programmes. The article suggests that the OSCE might usefully review its policies to improve its effectiveness in this area and to ensure that its approach remains consistent with its basic principles.
Revisiting the Past: History and Historical Memory during the Leningrad Blockade
Authors: Peri Alexis
Published: September 2011

This article examines the everyday practices of historical reflection, recollection, and reconstruction as revealed in diaries of the Leningrad Blockade. In particular, it focuses on how Leningraders who chose to keep diaries of their experiences worked to make sense of the siege by situating it historically and comparing it to two other historical moments, the blockade of Petrograd during the Civil War and the siege of Sevastopol' during the Crimean War. Their evaluations of these historical analogies were based on a combination of personal and collective memories as well as on their understandings of state-sanctioned accounts of these events. Ultimately, these historical refl ections alerted the diarists to what they came to see as the unique and incomparable aspects of Blockade.
Insight into Sight, Touch, Taste and Smell by Multiple Discriminations from Norm
Authors: Sharpe Oliver , Conner Mark T. , Freeman Richard P. J. , Booth David A.
Published: September 2011

The paper presents an innovative theory of perception of multiple features across and within modalities. Each step is illustrated by an aspect of data from diverse experiments. The theory is that a template or norm of previously configurated features is used to perceive an object in a situation, such as consuming an item of food or drink. A mouthful usually stimulates sight first and then touch, taste and smell, with thermal, irritative, kinaesthetic and auditory patterns often also involved. The visual information also typically includes meanings of words, numbers and pictures. Attended sensory and symbolic features of the situation are integrated by the individual into a multidimensional distance from the norm. Dimensions are calibrated in units of the response's discrimination between levels of each stimulus feature. This approach to perceptual performance is expounded for sensed and/or conceived visual features of drinks and foods, and their tasted or smelt constituents, or felt and heard cracking during a bite. In addition, the conceptual process that informs an analytical judgment can influence another judgment. Applying the concept to a stimulus forms a descriptive process. A concept may also be applied to another concept or to a description, giving greater depth of meaning to an integrative judgment. Furthermore, a description can be applied to an environmental source of stimulation, creating a percept that presumably is conscious, whereas unconceptualised stimulation may be subconscious.
A Climatology of 500-hPa Closed Lows and Associated Precipitation in the Northeastern United States
Authors: Nguyen Leon T. , DeGaetano Arthur T.
Published: September 2011

Temporal trends in precipitation associated with 500-hPa low pressure systems are assessed for consistency with overall precipitation trends in the northeastern United States. Increases in precipitation associated with closed upper lows can be attributed to an increase in the number of closed lows and/or an increase in the average precipitation occurring in association with closed lows. A climatological description of 500-hPa closed lows was developed, and precipitation was analyzed using data from the U.S. Cooperative Observer Program. Closed 500-hPa lows were identified within a rectangular geographic region bounded by 35° and 50°N and 65° and 90°W. Precipitation observations within 1.25° of latitude and 1.25° of longitude of the closed-low center were attributed to the closed low. Statistical testing procedures were conducted to evaluate whether a long-term trend existed in the closed-low frequency, the average precipitation occurring near closed lows, or the percentage of >2.54-cm precipitation observations associated with the lows. Regional trends (1948–2007) in the frequency of closed lows were evident, and a statistically significant increase in average precipitation near closed lows was found. Likewise, the percentage of precipitation totals in excess of 2.54 cm (and separately 5.08 cm) showed a statistically significant increase with time. In both cases, recent (2007) values were nearly 50% higher than the comparable value in 1948. Increases were particularly evident during the winter months. These trends are consistent with increases in tropospheric water vapor due to increased global mean temperature.
Simulated Tornadic Vortex Signatures of Tornado-Like Vortices Having One- and Two-Celled Structures
Authors: Wood Vincent T. , Brown Rodger A.
Published: September 2011

A tornadic vortex signature (TVS) is a degraded Doppler velocity signature that occurs when the tangential velocity core region of a tornado is smaller than the effective beamwidth of a sampling Doppler radar. Early Doppler radar simulations, which used a uniform reflectivity distribution across an idealized Rankine vortex, showed that the extreme Doppler velocity peaks of a TVS profile are separated by approximately one beamwidth. The simulations also indicated that neither the size nor the strength of the tornado is recoverable from a TVS. The current study was undertaken to investigate how the TVS might change if vortices having more realistic tangential velocity profiles were considered. The one-celled (axial updraft only) Burgers–Rott vortex model and the two-celled (annular updraft with axial downdraft) Sullivan vortex model were selected. Results of the simulations show that the TVS peaks still are separated by approximately one beamwidth—signifying that the TVS not only is unaffected by the size or strength of a tornado but also is unaffected by whether the tornado structure consists of one or two cells.
Urban Turbulence in Space and in Time
Authors: Hicks Bruce B. , Callahan William J. , Pendergrass William R. , Dobosy Ronald J. , Novakovskaia Elena
Published: September 2011

The utility of aggregating data from near-surface meteorological networks for initiating dispersion models is examined by using data from the “WeatherBug” network that is operated by Earth Networks, Inc. WeatherBug instruments are typically mounted 2–3 m above the eaves of buildings and thus are more representative of the immediate surroundings than of conditions over the broader area. This study focuses on subnetworks of WeatherBug sites that are within circles of varying radius about selected stations of the DCNet program. DCNet is a Washington, D.C., research program of the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory. The aggregation of data within varying-sized circles of 3–10-km radius yields average velocities and velocity-component standard deviations that are largely independent of the number of stations reporting—provided that number exceeds about 10. Given this finding, variances of wind components are aggregated from arrays of WeatherBug stations within a 5-km radius of selected central DCNet locations, with on average 11 WeatherBug stations per array. The total variance of wind components from the surface (WeatherBug) subnetworks is taken to be the sum of two parts: the temporal variance is the average of the conventional wind-component variances at each site and the spatial variance is based on the velocity-component averages of the individual sites. These two variances (and the standard deviations derived from them) are found to be similar. Moreover, the total wind-component variance is comparable to that observed at the DCNet reference stations. The near-surface rooftop wind velocities are about 35% of the magnitudes of the DCNet measurements. Limited additional data indicate that these results can be extended to New York City.
Monsoon Regimes and Processes in CCSM4. Part II: African and American Monsoon Systems
Authors: Cook Kerry H. , Meehl Gerald A. , Arblaster Julie M.
Published: September 2011

This is the second part of a two part series studying simulation characteristics of the Community Climate System Model, version 4 (CCSM4) for various monsoon regimes around the global tropics. Here, the West African, East African, North American, and South American monsoons are documented in CCSM4. Comparisons are made to an Atmospheric Model Intercomparison Project (AMIP) simulation of the atmospheric component in CCSM4 (CAM4), to deduce differences in the monsoon simulations run with observed SSTs and with ocean–atmosphere coupling. These simulations are also compared to a previous version of the coupled model (CCSM3) to evaluate progress. In most, but not all instances, monsoon rainfall is too heavy in the uncoupled AMIP run with the Community Atmosphere Model, version 4 (CAM4), and monsoon rainfall amounts are generally better simulated with ocean coupling in CCSM4. Some aspects of the monsoon simulations are improved in CCSM4 compared to CCSM3. Early-season rainfall in the West African monsoon is better simulated in CAM4 than in CCSM4 presumably because of the specification of SSTs in the Gulf of Guinea, but the Sahel rainfall season is captured better in CCSM4 as are the African easterly jet and the tropical easterly jet. Improvements in the simulation of the Sahel rainy season (July, August, and September) in CCSM4 compared with CCSM3 are significant, but problems remain in the simulation of the early season (May and June) in association with the misrepresentation of eastern Atlantic (Gulf of Guinea) SSTs. Precipitation distributions and the southwesterly low-level inflow in the North American monsoon are improved in CCSM4 compared to CCSM3. Both CAM4 and CCSM4 reproduce the seasonal evolution of rainfall over the South American monsoon region, but the location of maximum rainfall is misplaced to the northeast in both models.
Coupling the Town Energy Balance (TEB) Scheme to an Operational Limited-Area NWP Model: Evaluation for a Highly Urbanized Area in Belgium
Authors: Hamdi R. , Degrauwe Daan , Termonia P.
Published: September 2011

The Town Energy Balance (TEB) single-layer scheme is implemented in a numerical weather prediction model running operationally at ~4-km resolution. The primary question addressed is the ability of TEB to function at this relatively coarse resolution and, thus, assessing its potential use in an operational configuration to improve sensible weather performance over Belgium. For this effort, simulations with and without TEB are first evaluated against 2-m observations and wind above the urban canopy for two months (January and July 2010). The results show that promising improvements are achieved by introducing TEB. The 2-m temperature and 2-m relative humidity improve compared to measurements in urban areas. The comparison of wind speed and wind direction above the urban canopy indicates that the structure of the flow in urban areas is better reproduced with TEB. It was found that the implementation of TEB results in an increase in winter precipitation over urban areas and downwind from urban areas, but during the summer TEB tended to cause rainfall to be locally concentrated and the total accumulated precipitation decreased obviously. Results from a 36-h case study during a high heat day with inland sea-breeze penetration (8 July 2010) indicate that the model satisfactorily captured the penetration of the sea breeze. In particular during the day, the TEB run shows a delay in the sea-breeze evolution compared to the operational run. During the night the results indicate that even at this coarse resolution, TEB is able to correctly reproduce the intensity of the observed urban heat island (UHI) of Brussels.
Elihu's revelation
Authors: Seow Choon-Leong
Published: September 2011

Among modern scholars, the Elihu speeches are almost universally dismissed as secondary. By contrast, medieval Jewish commentators were unanimous in their affirmation of Elihu, indeed, finding in his theology the key to understanding the place of suffering in divine providence. A positive view of Elihu is evident as well in some early Christian interpreters. This essay seeks to demonstrate that there are compelling literary connections between these speeches and the surrounding materials. Furthermore, it argues that speeches of Elihu are integral to the book's structure and are meant to be read together with the YHWH discourses as two sets of revelation.
Road to Busan: Exploring the venue for the 10th WCC assembly
Authors: Tark Ji-il
Published: September 2011

The South Korean city of Busan will be the venue for the 10th assembly of the World Council of Churches in 2013. Busan is thought of as the land of Buddhism and the shelter for refugees during the Korean War. Many famous Buddhist temples in Korea are located in the Busan area and Busan was the only place that was not captured by the Communists during the Korean War. Many refugees fled to Busan to find a safe shelter. Busan is also called a symbolic place of the Presbyterian schisms. A major schism mainly took place in Busan right after the Korean War. This schism is related to the Shinto Shrine worship forced by Japanese imperialists. Another serious schism was in 1959, which took place when the Presbyterian churches divided into two denominations due to the issue of participating in the WCC. In short, the 10th WCC Assembly will take place in a land marked by Buddhism and Christian schism. The purpose of this paper is to examine the historical significance of the 10th WCC Assembly in Busan, from the perspective of a Korean Christian living in Busan, to find a way of successful assembly.
Benefits of Dietary Fiber in Clinical Nutrition
Authors: Klosterbuer Abby , Roughead Zamzam Fariba , Slavin Joanne
Published: September 2011

Dietary fiber is widely recognized as an important part of a healthy diet and is a common addition to enteral nutrition (EN) formulas. Fiber sources differ in characteristics such as solubility, fermentability, and viscosity, and it is now well known that different types of fiber exert varying physiological effects in the body. Clinical studies suggest fiber can exert a wide range of benefits in areas such as bowel function, gut health, immunity, blood glucose control, and serum lipid levels. Although early clinical nutrition products contained fiber from a single source, it is now thought that blends of fiber from multiple sources more closely resemble a regular diet and may provide a greater range of benefits for the patient. Current recommendations support the use of dietary fiber in clinical nutrition when no contraindications exist, but little information exists about which types and combinations of fibers provide the relevant benefit in certain patient populations. This article summarizes the different types of fiber commonly added to EN products and reviews the current literature on the use of fiber blends in clinical nutrition.
Mediterranean Diet and Metabolic Syndrome in an Urban Population
Authors: Gouveri Evanthia T. , Tzavara Chara , Drakopanagiotakis Fotios , Tsaoussoglou Marina , Marakomichelakis Georgios E. , Tountas Yannis , Diamantopoulos Emmanuel J.
Published: September 2011

Background: Previous studies demonstrated the beneficial impact of the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) on metabolic syndrome (MetS). The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate the association between MedDiet and MetS in a representative sample of the Athenian population in the early 1980s, when MetS had not been established as an entity yet. Methods: In a cross‐sectional epidemiologic survey of cardiovascular disease (CVD), 2,074 randomly selected adults were examined: 900 men and 1,174 women (age, 46.9 ± 14.9 years). MetS was defined according to criteria of the National Cholesterol Education Program–Adult Treatment Panel III. A validated questionnaire concerning nutrition habits was administered, and MedDiet was assessed according to guidelines of the Division of Nutrition/Epidemiology, Athens University Medical School. Results: Overall, 1,023 participants (49.3%) followed MedDiet (47.3% men, 52.0% women, P = .033) with similar rates across age groups (P = .337). MetS was diagnosed in 24.0% of those following MedDiet, compared with 27.9% of those not following it (P = .041). Participants with CVD or diabetes mellitus were less likely to follow MedDiet (43% vs 50%, P = .009). Multivariate analysis revealed that MedDiet is associated with a 20% reduction in MetS (odds ratio = 0.80, 95% confidence interval = 0.65–0.98), after adjustment for age, gender, smoking, light physical activity, serum levels of low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and γ‐glutamyl transferase, diabetes mellitus, CVD, family history of hypertension, and/or hyperlipidemia. Conclusions: Results indicate that adherence to MedDiet may attenuate the prevalence of MetS and, consequently, the increasing burden of diabetes mellitus and CVD, especially in urban populations.
Nutraceutical Supplements for Weight Loss
Authors: Poddar Kavita , Kolge Sanjivani , Bezman Lena , Mullin Gerard E. , Cheskin Lawrence J.
Published: September 2011

Obesity is a global public health issue. Although the etiology of this global epidemic is multifactorial, most sufferers would be delighted to find a relatively effortless way to lose weight. Herbal “weight loss pills” can fit the bill. The authors systematically review the scientific evidence concerning various weight loss agents that are available over the counter or in food stores. The review provides a starting point to make informed choices among nutraceutical agents promoted for weight loss, as well as advice for incorporating healthy alternatives in the diet.
Clearing the cervical spine in children
Authors: Hutchings Lynn
Published: September 2011

Increasing evidence from adult trauma patients has allowed the formation of some international consensus on clearance protocols. The evidence for paediatric trauma remains more fragmented, making the creation of definitive protocols difficult. Spinal injury in children differs from that in adults by injury distribution and prevalence, as well as anatomical and radiological differences. This complicates the process of clearance of the cervical spine in children. The evidence for clearance can be considered in terms of three groups of patients – the alert and asymptomatic child, the conscious child with high-risk criteria and the unconscious or obtunded child. This systematic review summarises the available evidence to clarify the current best practice for each group of patients.
Brain and facial trauma: A neuroradiology perspective
Authors: Varnamkhasti Mohammed , Thomas Allan
Published: September 2011

Traumatic head and facial injuries are common causes of emergency department admissions. Head trauma, in particular, is the commonest reason for emergency out of hours computed tomography (CT) performed. Most patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) have mild head injuries, but up to 20% require hospitalisation or further management. The fixed size of the bony cranial cavity means that only small increases in volume within the intracranial compartment can be tolerated before pressure within the cavity increases dramatically leading to secondary brain injury, with potentially catastrophic consequences. Head and brain injuries are commonly associated with facial trauma, particularly of the upper face, and it is important to be aware of this because the treatment of the former injuries may need to take precedence over the facial injuries. This review aims to summarise the epidemiology of blunt trauma to the head and face and the various patterns of TBI. The role of CT, both in the acute setting and in follow-up these patients, is described.
Thyroid cancer: pathogenesis and targeted therapy
Authors: Liebner David A. , Shah Manisha H.
Published: September 2011

Therapeutic options for advanced, unresectable radioiodine-resistant thyroid cancers have historically been limited. Recent progress in understanding the pathogenesis of the various subtypes of thyroid cancer has led to increased interest in the development of targeted therapies, with potential strategies including angiogenesis inhibition, inhibition of aberrant intracellular signaling in the MAPK and PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathways, radioimmunotherapy, and redifferentiation agents. On the basis of a recent positive phase III clinical trial, the RET, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitor vandetanib has received FDA approval as of April 2011 for use in the treatment of advanced medullary thyroid cancer. Several other recent phase II clinical trials in advanced thyroid cancer have demonstrated significant activity, and multiple other promising therapeutic strategies are in earlier phases of clinical development. The recent progress in targeted therapy is already revolutionizing management paradigms for advanced thyroid cancer, and will likely continue to dramatically expand treatment options in the coming years.
An unusual occurrence of palygorskite from Montestrutto, Sesia-Lanzo zone, internal Western Alps (Italy)
Authors: Giustetto R. , Compagnoni R.
Published: September 2011

An unusual occurrence of palygorskite was found near Montestrutto, lower Val d'Aosta (Italy), within an eclogite-facies leucogneiss of the Sesia-Lanzo zone. Under the optical microscope the mineral appears as a felt of fibres hundreds of μm long and a few μm thick. SEM observation proved each filament to be a bundle of smaller but remarkably long fibres (length mostly 15–20 μm and thickness <1 μm). EDS and TGA showed a water content [zeolitic H2O ( ≅ 6%) + structural OH2(≅8%) + framework OH (≅2%) ≅l6 wt.%] lower than average (≅20 wt.%). Structure refinement by the Rietveld method confirmed the clay dioctahedral character and coexistence of two polymorphs, monoclinic [77.4(4)%] and orthorhombic [22.6(6)%], the latter showing anomalous variations of some cell parameters [cshortens to 5.138(3) andalengthens to 12.903(7) Å]. The high crystallinity of this palygorskite suggests that it formed under low-T hydrothermal conditions due to interaction between Mg-rich hydrous fluids, derived from mantle ultramafics, and Al-rich continental rocks. Predominance of unusually long fibres (>5 μm) causes the Montestrutto palygorskite to be potentially carcinogenic.
Termination of swelling capacity of smectites by Cutrien exchange
Authors: Kaufhold S. , Dohrmann R. , Ufer K. , Kleeberg R. , Stanjek H.
Published: September 2011

The Cu-triethylenetetramine-complex (Cutrien) is one of the commonly used index cations for CEC determination in clay science. Cutrien-exchanged smectites show basal spacings between 13.0 and 13.5 Å after correction for the Lorentz and polarization factors. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the d001 reflection is today related to the percentage of tetrahedral charge (beidellitic character) and/or to the Fe content of the smectites. The structural Fe content and the tetrahedral charge correlate, so their individual influence on d001 cannot be resolved. Nevertheless, the FWHM of Cutrien smectites should depend on the charge distribution rather than the Fe content.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) and water uptake capacity measurements showed that the interlayer of Cutrien-exchanged smectites does not swell any more, but can take up a few water molecules. Accordingly, the water uptake capacity of the external surface area can be determined independently from the interlayer water uptake capacity. Adjusting the pH of Cutrien-bentonite dispersion to different values allows for the determination of the variable charge.

In conclusion, Cutrien exchange of smectites appears to be suitable for the study of external surfaces area related phenomena (e.g. edge adsorption processes) without any influence of the interlayer region.
Compaction and swelling characteristics of sand-bentonite and pumice-bentonite mixtures
Authors: Gökalp Z. , Başaran M. , Uzun O.
Published: September 2011

Bentonite mixed with varying quantities of sand is currently of widespread interest as engineering liners for water containment and waste disposal. However, the alternative use of pumice, widespread in many volcanic regions, has been less studied and requires further characterization of geotechnical properties and performance prior to its extensive use. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the compaction and swelling characteristics of sandbentonite and pumice-bentonite mixtures using available geo-materials from Turkey. Standard Proctor compaction tests and constant volume swell tests were carried out using mixtures with four different bentonite contents (15, 20, 25, 30%) and three different sand and pumice grain size ranges (2.00–1.00; 1.00–0.50; 0.50–0.25 mm). The results indicate that pumice-bentonite mixtures have lower maximum dry unit weights, higher optimum moisture contents and greater swelling potentials than equivalent sand-bentonite mixtures. Important differences occur in the swelling potentials of the sand and pumice mixtures with respect to grain size whereby sand-bentonite mixtures show increased swelling with coarsening grain size, in contrast to the pumice–bentonite mixtures which showed a decrease. These differences are attributed to the amount of grain-size-dependent connected pore space that can be filled during bentonite expansion and the presence of dissolvable salts in the pumice. It is concluded that locally available pumice material could be used to replace sand in engineering bentonite seals, despite some differences in their geotechnical properties.
The adsorption of methylene blue on montmorillonite from acid solutions
Authors: Klika Z. , Pustková P. , Dudová M. , Čapková P. , Kliková Ch. , Grygar T. M.
Published: September 2011

The adsorption of methylene blue (MB) on montmorillonite from acid solutions has not yet been studied in detail. In this paper the adsorption of this dye on Ca/SAz montmorillonite from 0.32, 0.80 and 1.60 M HCl solutions at ambient temperature and after 2 hours leaching was carefully studied and evaluated. Under the above conditions the MB/SAz intercalates formed are practically insoluble. In contrast to the adsorption of methylene blue on montmorillonite from aqueous solutions, the adsorption from acid solutions consists of two adsorption waves. The intercalated samples from the first and second waves were studied using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), FTIR, Vis spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) equipped with a microprobe system. The adsorption of MB in the first wave is attributed to ion exchange of the dye cationic species (MB+, MB22+, H-aggregates, MBH2+ and H+) for the original interlayer cations of montmorillonite. The percentages of MBH2+ and H+ based on total adsorbed MB were estimated for varying HCl concentrations. The second adsorption wave is linked to the precipitation of MB species on the outer MB/SAz surface.