bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Potassium Abundances in Red Giants of Mildly to Very Metal-Poor Globular Clusters
Authors: Takeda Yoichi , Kaneko Hiroyuki , Matsumoto Naoko , Oshino Shoichi , Ito Hiroko , Shibuya Takatoshi
Published: March 2014

A non-LTE analysis of KI resonance lines at 7664.91 and 7698.97 $Å$ was carried out for 15 red giants belonging to three globular clusters of different metallicity (M 4, M 13, and M 15) along with two reference early-K giants ($\rho$ Boo and $\alpha$ Boo), in order to check whether the K abundances are uniform within a cluster, and to investigate the behavior of the [K$/$Fe] ratio at the relevant metallicity range of $-$2.5 $\lesssim$ [Fe$/$H] $\lesssim$$-$1. We confirmed that [K$/$H] (as well as [Fe$/$H]) is almost homogeneous within each cluster to a precision of $\lesssim$ 0.1 dex, though dubiously large deviations are exceptionally seen for two peculiar stars showing signs of considerably increased turbulence in the upper atmosphere. The resulting [K$/$Fe] ratios are mildly supersolar by a few tenths of dex for three clusters, tending to gradually increase from $\sim$ 0.1–0.2 at [Fe$/$H] $\sim$$-$1 to $\sim+$0.3 at [Fe$/$H] $\sim$$-$2.5. This result connects reasonably well with the [K$/$Fe] trend of disk stars ($-$1 $\lesssim$ [Fe$/$H]) and that of extremely metal-poor stars ($-$4 $\lesssim$ [Fe$/$H] $\lesssim$$-$2.5). That is, [K$/$Fe] appears to continue a gradual increase from [Fe$/$H] $\sim$ 0 toward a lower metallicity regime down to [Fe$/$H] $\sim$$-$3, where a broad maximum of [K$/$Fe] $\sim$$+$0.3$-$0.4 is attained, possibly followed by a slight downturn at [Fe$/$H] $\lesssim$$-$3.
High-Resolution Near-Infrared Images of the T Tauri Binary System XZ Tauri
Authors: Hioki Tomonori , Itoh Yoichi , Oasa Yumiko , Fukagawa Misato , Kudo Tomoyuki , Mayama Satoshi , Pyo Tae-Soo , Hayashi Masahiko , Hayashi Saeko S. , Ishii Miki , Tamura Motohide
Published: March 2014

We present a high-resolution ($\sim $0$.\prime\prime$1 $=$ 14 AU) $H$-band image of XZ Tau, a 0$.\prime\prime$ 3-separated classical T Tauri binary system, taken with the Coronagraphic Imager with Adaptive Optics (CIAO) on the Subaru Telescope. We found a scattered light nebula extending to $\sim $2$.\prime\prime$4 from the secondary, XZ Tau S, in the northeast region of the binary. Its surface brightness is $\sim $16.2 mag arcsec$^{-2}$ in the $H$-band, and decreases as $r^{-1.6 \pm 0.1}$. Combined with the HST/ACS polarimetric images and the [Fe ii] $\lambda$1.644 $\micron$ spectra taken with the Infrared Camera and Spectrograph (IRCS) on the Subaru Telescope, the elongated structure is identified as a wall of a cavity blown by the previously known blueshifted outflow. By a comparison with previous measurements, we estimated that the orbital period is 1010$ \pm $260 yr and the total mass of the binary is 0.62$ \pm $0.36$ M_{\odot}$. The observed $H$-band magnitudes of both the primary and the secondary varied by as much as 1 mag over this decade. These $H$-band inconstancies may arise from a variable accretion rate and changing extinction toward each component.
CO J = 3–2 Emission from the “Water Fountain” Sources IRAS 16342-3814 and IRAS 18286-0959
Authors: Imai Hiroshi , He Jin-Hua , Nakashima Jun-ichi , Ukita Nobuharu , Deguchi Shuji , Koning Nico
Published: March 2014

We observed CO $J$$=$ 3–2 emission from “water-fountain” sources, which exhibit high-velocity collimated stellar jets traced by H$_{2}$O maser emission, with the Atacama Submillimeter Telescope Experiment (ASTE) 10 m telescope. We detected CO emission from two sources: IRAS 16342$-$3814 and IRAS 18286$-$0959. The IRAS 16342$-$3814 CO emission exhibits a spectrum that could be well fit to a Gaussian profile, rather than to a parabolic profile, with a velocity width (FWHM) of 158$ \pm $6 km s$^{-1}$ and an intensity peak at $V_{\rm LSR}$$=$ 50$ \pm $2 km s$^{-1}$. The mass-loss rate of the star is estimated to be $\sim $2.9 $\times$ 10$^{-5} M_{ \odot} $yr$^{-1}$. Our morpho-kinematic models suggest that the CO emission is optically thin, and associated with a bipolar outflow rather than with a (cold and relatively small) torus. The IRAS 18286$-$0959 CO emission has a velocity width (FWHM) of 3.0$ \pm $0.2 kms$^{-1}$, smaller than typically seen in AGB envelopes. The narrow velocity width of the CO emission suggests that it originates from either an interstellar molecular cloud or a slowly-rotating circumstellar envelope that harbors the H$_{2}$O maser source.
Suzaku Observations of SGR1900$+$14 and SGR1806$-$20
Authors: Nakagawa Yujin E. , Mihara Tatehiro , Yoshida Atsumasa , Yamaoka Kazutaka , Sugita Satoshi , Murakami Toshio , Yonetoku Daisuke , Suzuki Motoko , Nakajima Motoki , Tashiro Makoto S. , Nakazawa Kazuhiro
Published: March 2014

Spectral and timing studies of Suzaku ToO observations of two SGRs, 1900$+$14 and 1806$-$20, are presented. The X-ray quiescent emission spectra were well fitted by a two blackbody function, or a blackbody plus a power-law model. The non-thermal hard component discovered by INTEGRAL was detected by PIN diodes and its spectrum was reproduced by the power-law model reported by INTEGRAL. The XIS detected a periodicity of $P$$=$ 5.1998$\pm$0.0002 s for SGR1900$+$14 and $P$$=$ 7.6022$\pm$0.0007 s for SGR 1806$-$20. The pulsed fraction was related to the burst activity for SGR 1900$+$14.
Stars at the Tip of Peculiar Elephant Trunk-Like Clouds in IC 1848E: A Possible Third Mechanism of Triggered Star Formation
Authors: Chauhan Neelam , Ogura Katsuo , Pandey Anil K. , Samal Manash R. , Bhatt Bhuwan C.
Published: March 2014

The H II region IC 1848 harbors a lot of intricate elephant trunk-like structures that look morphologically different from usual bright-rimmed clouds (BRCs). Of particular interest is a concentration of thin and long elephant trunk-like structures in the southeastern part of IC 1848E. Some of them have an apparently associated star or two stars at their very tip. We conducted $VI_{\rm c}$ photometry of several of these stars. Their positions on the $V/(V$$-$$I_{\rm c}$) color–magnitude diagram as well as the physical parameters obtained by SED fittings indicate that they are low-mass pre–main-sequence stars having ages of mostly one Myr, or less. This strongly suggests that they formed from elongated, elephant trunk-like clouds. We presume that such elephant trunk-like structures are genetically different from BRCs, on the basis of the differences in morphology, size distributions, and the ages of the associated young stars. We suspect that those clouds have been caused by hydrodynamical instability of the ionization/shock front of the expanding H II region. Similar structures often show up in recent numerical simulations of the evolution of H II regions. We further hypothesize that this mechanism makes a third mode of triggered star formation associated with H II regions, in addition to the two known mechanisms, i.e., collect-and-collapse of the shell accumulated around an expanding H II region and radiation-driven implosion of BRCs originated from pre-existing cloud clumps.
We Can See No Naked Supercritical Accretion Disks
Authors: Fukue Jun
Published: March 2014

The structure and emission properties of supercritical accretion disks have been well-investigated both analytically and numerically. Due to the existence of an optically thick wind, however, we cannot see the surface of the naked supercritical disks without wind, but observe the apparent photosphere formed in the wind. Using a simple wind model, we examined the observational appearance and expected spectra of the wind-disk system. We confirmed that the apparent photosphere in the wind is certainly located high above the disk surface. We also found that the comoving spectra of the apparent photosphere resembles the characteristic flat spectral energy distribution of the supercirtical disks, as long as the radiative flux is conserved in the wind, although the observed spectra remarkably depends on the velocity distribution on the apparent photosphere. We further examined the inclination angle dependence, and calculated the apparent luminosity of the wind-disk system. We found that the apparent luminosity distribution well-reproduces the observational trend of the luminosity function of the observed ultra-luminous X-ray sources.
Global Structure of Optically Thin, Magnetically Supported, Two-Temperature, Black Hole Accretion Disks
Authors: Oda Hiroshi , Machida Mami , Nakamura Kenji E. , Matsumoto Ryoji , Narayan Ramesh
Published: March 2014

We present global solutions of optically thin, two-temperature black hole accretion disks incorporating magnetic fields. We assume that the $\varpi \varphi$-component of the Maxwell stress is proportional to the total pressure, and prescribe the radial dependence of the magnetic flux advection rate in order to complete the set of basic equations. We obtained magnetically supported (low-$\beta $) disk solutions, whose luminosity exceeds the maximum luminosity for an advection-dominated accretion flow (ADAF), $L$$\gtrsim$ 0.4${\alpha}^2\ L_{\rm Edd}$, where $L_{\rm Edd}$ is the Eddington luminosity. The accretion flow is composed of the outer ADAF, a luminous hot accretion flow (LHAF) inside the transition layer from the outer ADAF to the low-$\beta $ disk, the low-$\beta $ disk, and the inner ADAF. The low-$\beta $ disk region becomes wider as the mass-accretion rate increases further. In the low-$\beta $ disk, the magnetic heating balances the radiative cooling, and the electron temperature decreases from $\sim\ $10$^{9.5}\ $K to $\sim\ $10$^{8}\ $K as the luminosity increases. These results are consistent with the anti-correlation between the energy cutoff in X-ray spectra (hence the electron temperature) and the luminosity when $L$$\gtrsim$ 0.1$L_{\rm Edd}$, observed in the bright/hard state during the bright hard-to-soft transitions of transient outbursts in galactic black hole candidates.
Properties of the Intracluster Medium of Abell 3667 Observed with Suzaku XIS
Authors: Akamatsu Hiroki , de Plaa Jelle , Kaastra Jelle , Ishisaki Yoshitaka , Ohashi Takaya , Kawaharada Madoka , Nakazawa Kazuhiro
Published: March 2014

We observed the northwest region of the cluster of galaxies Abell 3667 with the Suzaku XIS instrument. The temperature and surface brightness of the intracluster medium were measured up to the virial radius ($r_{200}$$\sim$ 2.3 Mpc). The radial temperature profile is flatter than the average profile for other clusters until the radius reaches the northwest radio relic. The temperature drops sharply from 5 keV to about 2 keV at the northwest radio relic region. The sharp changes of the pressure can be interpreted as a shock with a Mach number of about 1.9. The entropy slope becomes flatter in the outer region and negative around the radio relic region. In this region, the relaxation timescale of electron-ion Coulomb collisions is longer than the time elapsed after shock heating, and the plasma may be out of equilibrium. Using differential emission measure (DEM) models, we also confirmed the multi-temperature structure around the radio relic region, characterized by two peaks at 0.9 keV and 4.0 keV. These features suggest that the gas is heated by a shock propagating from the center to the outer region.
A Multidimensional Radiation Magnetohydrodynamics Code Based on Flux-Limited Diffusion and HLLD
Authors: Yang Xiaohong , Yuan Feng
Published: March 2014

We present a multidimensional radiation magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) code based on the high-resolution shock capturing schemes (HRSC), the flux-limited diffusion (FLD) approximation, and the assumption of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE). The HRSC, employing a conservative algorithm that accurately ensures conservation of the total energy of MHD is implemented using a third-order Runge-Kutte scheme and the HLLD Riemann solver. In the FLD approximation, because the evolution equations of the radiation energy flux are neglected, this code is easily implemented, though the FLD approximation is less accurate when dealing with highly anisotropic radiation fields in an optically thin region. We carried out classical tests for the MHD and for the subcritical and supercritical radiating shocks. The results show that this code can achieve the necessary accuracy and efficiency to solve the radiation-dominated astrophysical processes with the FLD approximation.
X-Ray Observations of the Supernova Remnant W 28 with Suzaku. I. Spectral Study of the Recombining Plasma
Authors: Sawada Makoto , Koyama Katsuji
Published: March 2014

We present Suzaku results of the mixed-morphology supernova remnant W 28. The X-ray spectra of the central region of W 28 exhibit many bright emission lines from highly ionized atoms. An optically thin thermal plasma in collisional ionization equilibrium, either of single temperature or multi temperatures, failed to reproduce the data with line-like and bump-like residuals at the Si-Ly$ \alpha$ energy and at 2.4–5.0 keV, respectively. The bumps probably correspond to radiative recombination continua from He-like Si and S. A simple recombining plasma model nicely fit the bump structures, but failed to fit low-energy bands. The overall spectra can be fit with a multi–ionization-temperature plasma with a common electron temperature. The multi-ionization temperatures are interpreted as elemental differences of ionization and recombination timescales. These results prefer the rarefaction scenario for the origin of the recombining plasma.
Planetary Companions to Three Evolved Intermediate-Mass Stars: HD 2952, HD 120084, and ω Serpentis
Authors: Sato Bun’ei , Omiya Masashi , Harakawa Hiroki , Liu Yu-Juan , Izumiura Hideyuki , Kambe Eiji , Takeda Yoichi , Yoshida Michitoshi , Itoh Yoichi , Ando Hiroyasu , Kokubo Eiichiro , Ida Shigeru
Published: March 2014

We report on the detections of planetary companions orbiting around three evolved intermediate-mass stars based on precise radial velocity measurements at Okayama Astrophysical Observatory. HD 2952 (K0III, 2.5 $M_{\odot}$) and $\omega$ Ser (G8III, 2.2 $M_{\odot}$) host a relatively low-mass planet with minimum masses of $m_2$ sin$i =$ 1.6 $M_{\rm J}$ and 1.7 $M_{\rm J}$ in nearly circular orbits with periods of $P =$ 312 and 277 d, respectively. HD 120084 (G7 III, 2.4 $M_{\odot}$) hosts an eccentric planet with $m_2$ sin$i =$ 4.5 $M_{\rm J}$ in an orbit with $P =$ 2082 d and an eccentricity of $e =$ 0.66. The planet has one of the largest eccentricities among those ever discovered around evolved intermediate-mass stars, almost all of which have an eccentricity smaller than 0.4. We also show that the radial-velocity variations of stellar oscillations for G giants can be averaged out below a level of a few m s$^{-1}$, at least on a timescale of a week by high-cadence observations. This enables us to detect a super-Earth and a Neptune-mass planet in short-period orbits even around such giant stars.
Growth of a Protostar and a Young Circumstellar Disk with a High Mass-Accretion Rate onto the Disk
Authors: Ohtani Takuya , Tsuribe Toru
Published: March 2014

The growing process of both a young protostar and a circumstellar disk is investigated. The viscous evolution of a disk around a single star is considered with a model where a disk increases its mass by a dynamically accreting envelope, and simultaneously loses its mass via viscous accretion onto the central star. We focus on a circumstellar disk with a high mass-accretion rate onto the disk, $\dot{M} =$ 8.512 $c_{\rm s}^3/G$, as the result of a dynamical collapse of the rotating molecular cloud core. We consider the origin of the surface density distribution as well as that of the disk-to-star mass ratio by means of numerical calculations of an unsteady viscous accretion disk in a one-dimensional axisymmetric model. It is shown that the radial profiles of the surface density, $\Sigma$, azimuthal velocity, $v_{\phi}$, and mass-accretion rate, $\dot{M}$, in the inner region approach to the quasi-steady state. The profile of the surface density distribution in a quasi-steady state is determined as to be a result of angular momentum transport, rather than its original distribution of angular momentum in the cloud core. It is also shown that the disk mass becomes larger than the central star in the long-time limit as long as temporally constant mass flux onto the disk is assumed. After the mass infall rate onto the disk declines owing to a depletion of the parent cloud core, the disk-to-star mass ratio, $M_{\rm disk}/M_*$, decreases. The disk-to-star mass ratio becomes smaller than unity after $t \gt 10^{5}$ yr and $t \gt 10^{6}$ yr from the beginning of the accretion phase in the case with $\alpha_{0} =$ 1 and 0.1, respectively, where $\alpha_{0}$ is the constant part of the viscous parameter. In the case with $\alpha_{0} \leq 10^{-2}, M_{\rm disk}/M_*$ is still larger than unity at 2 Myr from the beginning of the accretion phase.
Suzaku Detection of Thermal X-Ray Emission Associated with the Western Radio Lobe of Fornax A
Authors: Seta Hiromi , Tashiro Makoto S. , Inoue Susumu
Published: March 2014

We present the results of X-ray mapping observations of the western radio lobe of the FornaxA galaxy, using the X-ray Imaging Spectrometer (XIS) onboard the Suzaku satellite with a total exposure time of 327 ks. The purpose of this study is to investigate the nature and spatial extent of the diffuse thermal emission around the lobe by exploiting the low and stable background of XIS. The diffuse thermal emission had been consistently reported in all previous studies of this region, but its physical nature and relation to the radio lobe had not been examined in detail. Using a data set covering the entire western lobe and the central galaxy NGC1316, as well as comparison sets in the vicinity, we find convincingly the presence of thermal plasma emission with a temperature of ∼1 keV in excess of conceivable background and contaminating emission (cosmic X-ray background, Galactic halo, intra-cluster gas of Fornax, interstellar gas of NGC1316, and the ensemble of point-like sources). Its surface brightness is consistent with having a spherical distribution peaking at the center of the western lobe with a projected radius of ∼12′. If the volume filling factor of the thermal gas is assumed to be unity, its estimated total mass amounts to ∼1010M⊙, which would be ∼102 times that of the central black hole, and comparable to that of the current gas mass of the host galaxy. Its energy density is comparable to or larger than those in the magnetic field and non-thermal electrons responsible for the observed radio and X-ray emission.
Auto-aggregation in zoospores of
Phytophthora infestans
: the cooperative roles of bioconvection and chemotaxis
Authors: Savory Andrew I. M. , Grenville-Briggs Laura J. , Wawra Stephan , van West Pieter , Davidson Fordyce A.
Published: March 2014

Phytophthora infestans
is a highly destructive plant pathogen. It was the cause of the infamous Irish potato famine in the nineteenth century and remains to this day a significant global problem with associated costs estimated at $3 billion annually. Key to the success of this pathogen is the dispersal of free-swimming cells called zoospores. A poorly understood aspect of zoospore behaviour is
auto-aggregation
—the spontaneous formation of large-scale patterns in cell density. Current competing hypotheses suggest that these patterns are formed by one of two distinct mechanisms: chemotaxis and bioconvection. In this paper, we present mathematical and experimental results that together provide strong evidence that auto-aggregation can only result from a combination of these mechanisms, each having a distinct, time-separated role. A better understanding of the underlying infection mechanisms of
P. infestans
and potentially other
Phytophthora
species will in the longer term lead to advances in preventative treatment and thus potentially significant savings in socio-economic costs.
Aspiration dynamics of multi-player games in finite populations
Authors: Du Jinming , Wu Bin , Altrock Philipp M. , Wang Long
Published: March 2014

On studying strategy update rules in the framework of evolutionary game theory, one can differentiate between imitation processes and aspiration-driven dynamics. In the former case, individuals imitate the strategy of a more successful peer. In the latter case, individuals adjust their strategies based on a comparison of their pay-offs from the evolutionary game to a value they aspire, called the level of aspiration. Unlike imitation processes of pairwise comparison, aspiration-driven updates do not require additional information about the strategic environment and can thus be interpreted as being more spontaneous. Recent work has mainly focused on understanding how aspiration dynamics alter the evolutionary outcome in structured populations. However, the baseline case for understanding strategy selection is the well-mixed population case, which is still lacking sufficient understanding. We explore how aspiration-driven strategy-update dynamics under imperfect rationality influence the average abundance of a strategy in multi-player evolutionary games with two strategies. We analytically derive a condition under which a strategy is more abundant than the other in the weak selection limiting case. This approach has a long-standing history in evolutionary games and is mostly applied for its mathematical approachability. Hence, we also explore strong selection numerically, which shows that our weak selection condition is a robust predictor of the average abundance of a strategy. The condition turns out to differ from that of a wide class of imitation dynamics, as long as the game is not dyadic. Therefore, a strategy favoured under imitation dynamics can be disfavoured under aspiration dynamics. This does not require any population structure, and thus highlights the intrinsic difference between imitation and aspiration dynamics.
Post-tsunami resettlement in Sri Lanka and India: site planning, infrastructure and services
Authors: Ahmed Iftekhar , McEvoy Darryn
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– After the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, major resettlement programmes were implemented in the affected countries including Sri Lanka and India. New settlements were built from scratch on vacant land, which consisted of building new houses and provision of infrastructure and services. Some of these programmes in Sri Lanka and India were reviewed in an Australian Research Council (ARC) funded research and this paper presents and analyses some of the findings of the research. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The research is based on interviews of residents and representatives of agencies involved in planning and implementing the resettlement programmes, and on-site observations. The investigation examined critical aspects of settlement development including site planning, transport, drainage, water supply, sanitation, waste management and security.

Findings

– Very little site planning guidelines were available specifically for resettlement programmes; in both the case study countries, general planning guidelines were applied. Provision and management of infrastructure and services presents great challenges in developing countries as high capital investment and good technical skills for design, implementation and maintenance are required. Some of the resettlement schemes had the advantage of being centrally located and hence had access to schools, health centres and other facilities. However, others were in isolated locations and beneficiaries faced problems in accessing basic facilities. Drainage was a problem – most schemes did not have any surface drainage plan; low areas had not been elevated, slopes not levelled, and land not compacted before construction. Electricity and water supply had been provided in all the programmes, but conditions and quality varied. In many of the schemes, sanitation presented a problem. However, in Chennai, the sewage system worked well and this was one achievement all interview respondents praised. Solid waste management and security posed additional problems.

Originality/value

– In the global context of increasing frequency and intensity of disasters due to climate change, adequate planning and implementation of reconstruction and resettlement programmes has become more important than ever. In this regard, the lessons gained in this paper should be of value and can provide guidance to post-disaster resettlement programmes in developing countries.
Integration of the Swedish Local Elite: The Role of Professional and Private Networks
Authors: Edling Christofer R. , Farkas Gergei M. , Rydgren Jens
Published: March 2014

This article uses social network data to study the integration of local elites in four Swedish municipalities. Four research questions are asked. First: How integrated are the elites? While the results modify the picture that there are two rather distinct elites in Sweden – that is, a political elite dominated by the labour movement and an economic elite dominated by business and the large business organizations – it is interesting to note that integration between elite spheres is lowest for the relation between politicians and business representatives. To a considerable degree, integration between political and economic elites is indirect, mediated through the administrative elite. The second question is: Are the inner elite circles dominated by the political, economic or administrative elite? The study indicates that local elites in Sweden are strongly dominated by political elites, and also by administrative elites. This is reassuring, since it would indicate a democratic deficit if the structural power of decision making in municipalities resided predominantly in economic actors and administrators. The third question is: What is the role of friendship relations in creating elite integration? The study indicates that private relations among elites both reinforce professional networks and extend them in important ways. The final question is: Is elite integration contingent on political stability and/or the structure of local business? The results are surprisingly stable across the four municipalities, even though the largest distinction was found between elite core and periphery in the politically most stable municipality, which was also the one with the lowest economic diversity.
Routine ultrasound examination at 41 weeks of gestation and risk of post‐term severe adverse fetal outcome: a retrospective evaluation of two units, within the same hospital, with different guidelines
Authors: Lindqvist PG , Pettersson K , Morén A , Kublickas M , Nordström L
Published: March 2014

Objective

To study whether a routine with a routine ultrasound examination (routine scan) at 41 gestational weeks as compared with ultrasound on clinical indication (indicated scan), lowered the risk of severe adverse fetal outcome in post‐term period.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.

Population

Eight years of deliveries, 2002–2009.

Method

One of the two delivery units at Karolinska University Hospital used a routine scan at 41 week of gestation and the other unit used an indicated scan. Severe adverse fetal outcome were defined: severe asphyxia, death or cerebral damage. The study was analysed using logistic regression with adjustment for potential confounders.

Main outcome measures

Differences in post‐term severe adverse fetal outcome.

Results

No increased risk of post‐term severe adverse fetal outcome was seen at the unit using a routine scan; conversely, a 48% significantly increased risk was seen at the unit using an indicated scan (OR 0.89, 95% confidence interval, CI, 0.5–1.5 and OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.06–2.1, respectively). Comparing post‐term periods, there was no significantly increased risk at the unit using indicated scans (OR 1.6, 95% CI 0.9–3.0). There was a 60% increased prevalence of small‐for‐gestational age (SGA) newborns in the post‐term period at the unit using indicated scans (OR 1.6, 95% CI 1.1–2.4), but no differences in operative delivery.

Conclusion

A policy to use routine scans at 41 weeks of gestation seems to normalise an increased post‐term risk of severe adverse fetal outcome, possible due to increased awareness of SGA and/or oligohydramniosis.
Fallopian tube recanalisation using dedicated radiographic tubal assessment set in angiography suite
Authors: Al‐Omari MH , Al‐mnayyis A , Obeidat N , Amarin Z , Zayed F , Rousan L , Al‐balas H , Alawneh K , El‐heis M , Omari Z , Hanania R
Published: March 2014

Introduction

Fallopian tube recanalisation (FTR) for proximal fallopian tube obstruction (PFTO) is considered a good treatment option for tubal infertility. The aim of this study was to assess the safety and the technical and clinical success rates of FTR using a dedicated radiographic tubal assessment set (FluoroSet®) in the angiography suite.

Methods

This study is a retrospective analysis of data prospectively collected between February 2007 and June 2011 at King Abdullah University Hospital, Irbid, Jordan. During this period, 61 patients affected by PFTO underwent FTR using FluoroSet® at our institution. The mean age of patients was 34 years (range 20–45 years), and the mean duration of infertility was 4 years (range 2–14 years). The procedure was performed with conscious sedation under fluoroscopic guidance in the angiography suite. The obstructed tube was accessed with a 5‐Fr multipurpose catheter, and the obstruction was crossed with a 0.35‐Fr hydrophilic guide wire until the wire coiled freely into the peritoneal cavity. Patency of the tube was then confirmed by selective salpingiogram. Technical success rate was recorded, and patients were followed up for evidence of pregnancy over 12 months.

Results

The procedure was technically successful in all patients. Minor bleeding and postprocedural pain occurred in most patients; however, there were no major complications encountered. Twenty‐five patients (41%) became pregnant. Successful deliveries of full‐term infants were reported in 21 patients (84%). Miscarriage was reported in four patients (16%). No ectopic pregnancies were detected, and all deliveries were full‐term. The technical success rate was 100% and the clinical success rate was 41%.

Conclusion

Selective salpingography and FTR using FluoroSet® is a safe and effective method. FTR is recommended as the first intervention in patients with PFTO. In experienced hands with dedicated equipment and in an appropriate setting, the success rate is high, and this treatment should be offered to infertile women with PFTO before other, more complex techniques are attempted.
High throughput screening of rooting depth in rice using buried herbicide
Authors: Al‐Shugeairy Z. , Islam Md.S. , Shrestha R. , Al‐Ogaidi F. , Norton G.J. , Price A.H.
Published: March 2014

Root research requires high throughput phenotyping methods that provide meaningful information on root depth if the full potential of the genomic revolution is to be translated into strategies that maximise the capture of water deep in soils by crops. A very simple, low cost method of assessing root depth of seedlings using a layer of herbicide (TRIK or diuron) buried 25 or 30 cm deep in soil‐filled boxes of varying size is described that is suitable for screening hundreds or thousands of rice accessions in controlled environment conditions. Variation in cultivar sensitivity to the herbicide when injected into pots was detected but considered small in relation to the variation detected when the herbicide was buried. Using 32 rice cultivars previously characterised for root traits in rhizotron and hydroponic systems, 80% of variation in herbicide score at 35 days was explained by cultivar and herbicide score correlated strongly with rooting depth traits. Using 139 genotypes of the Bala × Azucena mapping population, heritability for herbicide symptoms reached 55% and quantitative trait loci were detected which match those previously reported in this population. In repeated experiments using different soils, the method did not always perform to its maximum potential (in terms of speed of symptom development or discrimination between cultivars). This was not due to degradation or reduced bio‐availability of the herbicide in the soil but is believed to be due to the soil water content and water release characteristics as it relates to plant water use. Therefore, when using this technique, thorough preliminary experiments to determine the best water application regime for the particular combination of soil and environmental conditions are required. The method should be applicable to seedling stage screening of rice and other crops.
Diversification, corporate governance and firm value in small markets: evidence from New Zealand
Authors: Al‐Maskati Nawaf , Bate André J. , Bhabra Gurmeet S.
Published: March 2014

We find that diversified firms in New Zealand are associated with a value discount of 19–42 per cent relative to single‐segment (undiversified) firms. Although several competing explanations have been offered in the literature, we find that the strength of corporate governance explains between 15–21 per cent of this discount. Specifically, board size, busyness of directors, CEO ownership and whether or not compensation of directors includes equity‐based components collectively explain a large part of the reported discount. Our results from companies trading in New Zealand complement recent findings in the US by not only confirming the existence of a diversification discount but also emphasizing the role of poor governance in destroying shareholder wealth by pursuing a value‐destroying corporate strategy. All our results hold after controlling for potential endogeneity in the decision to diversify and the choice of corporate governance structure by employing two‐way fixed‐effects and dynamic‐panel generalized method of moments regression techniques.
The Use of Fontaine Leads in the Diagnosis of Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia
Authors: Gottschalk Byron , Gysel Michael , Barbosa‐Barros Raimundo , De Sousa Rocha Ricardo Paulo , Pérez‐Riera Andrés Ricardo , Zhang Li , Fontaine Guy , Baranchuk Adrian
Published: March 2014

We report a case of a 68‐year‐old man admitted to the emergency department with syncope preceded by rapid palpitations. His admission ECG demonstrated a sustained ventricular tachycardia (VT) originating from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT). This report highlights the importance of distinguishing ventricular tachycardia caused by arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD) from the more benign idiopathic RVOT‐VT. Furthermore, we demonstrate the utility of the Fontaine leads placement in increasing the sensitivity for uncovering epsilon waves, a highly specific electrocardiographic feature that increases diagnostic accuracy in patients with ARVD.
Coagulation assays and plasma fibrinogen concentrations in real‐world patients with atrial fibrillation treated with dabigatran
Authors: Chin Paul K. L. , Patterson David M. , Zhang Mei , Jensen Berit P. , Wright Daniel F. B. , Barclay Murray L. , Begg Evan J.
Published: March 2014

Aims

In patients with atrial fibrillation prescribed dabigatran, the aim was to examine the correlation between plasma dabigatran concentrations and the three screening coagulation assays [international normalized ratio (INR), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and thrombin time (TT)] as well as the dilute thrombin time (dTT) and to examine the contribution of plasma fibrinogen concentrations to the variability in TT results.

Methods

Plasma from patients with atrial fibrillation on dabigatran were analysed for clotting times and concentrations of fibrinogen and dabigatran. Correlation plots (and associated r2 values) were generated using these data. The variability in TT results explained by fibrinogen concentrations was quantified using linear regression.

Results

Fifty‐two patients (38–94 years old) contributed 120 samples, with plasma dabigatran concentrations ranging from 9 to 408 μg l−1. The r2 values of INR, aPTT, TT and dTT against plasma dabigatran concentrations were 0.49, 0.54, 0.70 and 0.95, respectively. Plasma fibrinogen concentrations explained some of the residual variability in TT values after taking plasma dabigatran concentrations into account (r2 = 0.12, P = 0.02).

Conclusions

Of the screening coagulation assays, the TT correlated best with plasma dabigatran concentrations. Variability in fibrinogen concentrations accounts for some of the variability in the TT.
ENTRY AND QUALITY SIGNALLING WHEN ONLY SOME CONSUMERS ARE INFORMED OF THE ENTRANT'S QUALITY
Authors: Wu Fulan
Published: March 2014

This paper focuses on competition between an incumbent and an entrant when only the entrant's quality is unknown to (some) consumers. The incumbent may or may not know the entrant's quality. The model reveals a separating equilibrium where the entrant's high price signals its high quality when the proportion of informed consumers is at some intermediate value. The case in which the incumbent knows the entrant's quality generates two additional equilibria. When the proportion of informed consumers is large enough, firms choose their prices as in the complete information case. The entrant's high price in combination with the incumbent's low price signals the entrant's high quality. When the proportion of informed consumers is at some intermediate value, the incumbent's high price signals the entrant's low quality, while its low price signals the entrant's high quality. Interestingly, we find that entry may be facilitated with informational product differentiation.
Complex Deregulation and Expression of Cytokines and Mediators of the Immune Response in Parkinson's Disease Brain is Region Dependent
Authors: Garcia‐Esparcia Paula , Llorens Franc , Carmona Margarita , Ferrer Isidre
Published: March 2014

Neuroinflammation is common in neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson disease (PD). Expression of 25 mRNAs was assessed with TaqMan‐PCR including members of the complement system, colony stimulating factors, Toll family, cytokines IL‐8, IL‐6, IL‐6ST, IL‐1B, TNF‐α family, IL‐10, TGFβ family, cathepsins and integrin family, in the substantia nigra pars compacta, putamen, frontal cortex area 8 and angular gyrus area 39, in a total of 43 controls and 56 cases with PD‐related pathology covering stages 1–6 of Braak. Up‐regulation of IL‐6ST was the only change in the substantia nigra at stages 1–2. Down‐regulation of the majority of members examined occurred in the substantia nigra from stage 4 onwards. However, region‐dependent down‐ and up‐regulation of selected mRNAs occurred in the putamen and frontal cortex, whereas only mRNA up‐regulated mRNAs were identified in the angular cortex from stage 3 onwards in PD cases. Protein studies in frontal cortex revealed increased IL6 expression and reduced IL‐10 with ELISA, and increased IL‐6 with western blotting in PD. Immunohistochemistry revealed localization of IL‐5, IL‐6 and IL‐17 receptors in glial cells, mainly microglia; IL‐5, IL‐10 and M‐CSF in neurons; TNF‐α in neurons and microglia; and active NF‐κB in the nucleus of subpopulations of neurons and glial cells in PD. Distinct inflammatory responses, involving pro‐ and anti‐inflammatory cytokines, and variegated mediators of the immune response occur in different brain regions at the same time in particular individuals. Available information shows that altered α‐synuclein solubility and aggregation, Lewy body formation, oxidative damage and neuroinflammation converge in the pathogenesis of PD.
The cytogenetic architecture of the aphid genome
Authors: Manicardi Gian Carlo , Mandrioli Mauro , Blackman Roger L.
Published: March 2014

In recent years aphids, with their well‐defined polyphenism, have become favoured as model organisms for the study of epigenetic processes. The availability of the pea aphid (Acyrthosiphon pisum) genome sequence has engendered much research aimed at elucidating the mechanisms by which the phenotypic plasticity of aphids is inherited and controlled. Yet so far this research effort has paid little attention to the cytogenetic processes that play a vital part in the organisation, expression and inheritance of the aphid genome. Aphids have holocentric chromosomes, which have very different properties from the chromosomes with localised centromeres that are found in most other organisms. Here we review the diverse forms of aphid chromosome behaviour that occur during sex determination and male and female meiosis, often in response to environmental changes and mediated by endocrine factors. Remarkable differences occur, even between related species, that could have significant effects on the inheritance of all or parts of the genome. In relation to this, we review the particular features of the distribution of heterochromatin, rDNA genes and other repetitive DNA in aphid chromosomes, and discuss the part that these may play in the epigenetic modification of chromatin structure and function.
Markers of innate immune activity in patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus and the effect of the anti-oxidant coenzyme Q10 on inflammatory activity
Authors: Brauner H , Lüthje P , Grünler J , Ekberg N R , Dallner G , Brismar K , Brauner A
Published: March 2014

Major long-term complications in patients with diabetes are related to oxidative stress, caused by the hyperglycaemia characteristic for diabetes mellitus. The anti-oxidant coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) has therefore been proposed as a beneficial supplement to diabetes treatment. Apart from its anti-oxidative function, CoQ10 appears to modulate immune functions by largely unknown mechanisms. The aim of this study was therefore to investigate the effect of CoQ10 on antimicrobial peptides and natural killer (NK) cells, both innate immune components implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes and diabetes-associated long-term complications such as cardiovascular disease. We determined serum levels of antimicrobial peptides and the phenotype of NK cells isolated from peripheral blood of patients with type 1 (T1DM) or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and from healthy controls. In addition, the same parameters were determined in diabetic patients after a 12-week period of CoQ10 supplementation. Two antimicrobial peptides, the human cathelicidin antimicrobial peptide (CAMP) and the human beta defensin 1 (hBD1), were reduced in serum from patients with T1DM. This defect was not reversible by CoQ10 supplementation. In contrast, CoQ10 reduced the levels of circulating hBD2 in these patients and induced changes in subset distribution and activation markers in peripheral NK cells. The results of the present study open up novel approaches in the prevention of long-term complications associated to T1DM, although further investigations are needed.
Skeletal site‐specific response to ovariectomy in a rat model: change in bone density and microarchitecture
Authors: Liu Xi Ling , Li Chun Lei , Lu Weijia William , Cai Wei Xin , Zheng Li Wu
Published: March 2014

Objectives

Ovariectomized (OVX) rat model has been widely used in osteoporosis‐related studies. However, the discrepancies in age and skeletal sites being investigated make it difficult to compare the results from different studies. The purpose of this study was to provide information of systemic skeletal site‐specific changes in a stable OVX rat model.

Material and methods

Thirty‐three 6‐month Spraque‐Dawley female rats were used. Fifteen rats underwent ovariectomy, and fifteen received sham surgery. Three animals without any surgery were sacrificed at week 0 to serve as baseline. Three animals in the OVX and sham group, respectively, were euthanized at week 2, 4, 12, 24 and 36 post‐surgery. Ten bone sites, including parietal bone, interparietal bone, maxilla, mandible, humerus, ulna, femur, tibia, lumber vertebra, and ilium, were subjected to micro‐CT.

Results

Overall, long bones, lumber vertebra, and ilium showed similar trend of bone loss post‐OVX, with tibia and femur suffered the most bone loss and spine the least (decreased by 75.0%, 70.4% and 36.6% in bone mineral density BMD at week 36 from base line, respectively). Upon OVX, jaw bones and cranial bones only showed a minor reduction in BMD (decreased by 1~3% from baseline) at week 36. Significant deterioration of trabecular structure was detected in long bones, lumber vertebra, and ilium post‐OVX, while jaw bones remained relatively stable.

Conclusions

This study for the first time assessed the systemic site‐specific bone loss and microarchitecture changes in OVX rat model. It provided valuable information for selecting bone site and observation time in osteoporosis‐related study.
Impact of socio‐economic status on breast cancer screening in women with diabetes: a population‐based study
Authors: Chan W. , Yun L. , Austin P. C. , Jaakkimainen R. L. , Booth G. L. , Hux J. , Rochon P. A. , Lipscombe L. L.
Published: March 2014

Aims

There is evidence to suggest that mammography rates are decreased in women with diabetes and in women of lower socio‐economic status. Given the strong association between low socio‐economic status and diabetes, we explored the extent to which differences in socio‐economic status explain lower mammography rates in women with diabetes.

Methods

A population‐based retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada, of women aged 50 to 69 years with diabetes between 1999 and 2010 age matched 1:2 to women without diabetes. Main outcome measure is the likelihood of at least one screening mammogram in women with diabetes within a 36‐month period, starting as of either 1 January 1999, their 50th birthday, or 2 years after diabetes diagnosis – whichever came last. Outcomes were compared with those in women without diabetes during the same period as their matched counterparts, adjusting for socio‐economic status based on neighbourhood income and other demographic and clinical variables.

Results

Of 504 288 women studied (188 759 with diabetes, 315 529 with no diabetes), 63.8% had a screening mammogram. Women with diabetes were significantly less likely to have a mammogram after adjustment for socio‐economic status and other factors (odds ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.78–0.80). Diabetes was associated with lower mammogram use even in women from the highest socio‐economic status quintile (odds ratio 0.79, 95% CI 0.75–0.83).

Conclusions

The presence of diabetes was an independent barrier to breast cancer screening, which was not explained by differences in socio‐economic status. Interventions that target patient, provider, and health system factors are needed to improve cancer screening in this population.