bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Absorption and metabolic fate of bioactive dietary benzoxazinoids in humans
Authors: Adhikari Khem B. , Laursen Bente B. , Gregersen Per L. , Schnoor Heidi J. , Witten Marianne , Poulsen Lars K. , Jensen Bettina M. , Fomsgaard Inge S.
Published: May 2013

Scope

Benzoxazinoids, which are natural compounds recently identified in mature whole grain cereals and bakery products, have been suggested to have a range of pharmacological properties and health‐protecting effects. There are no published reports concerned with the absorption and metabolism of bioactive benzoxazinoids in humans.

Methods and results

The absorption, metabolism, and excretion of ten different dietary benzoxazinoids were examined by LC‐MS/MS by analyzing plasma and urine from 20 healthy human volunteers after daily intake of 143 μmol of total benzoxazinoids from rye bread and rye buns. The results showed that 2‐β‐d‐glucopyranosyloxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one (HBOA‐Glc) and its oxidized analog, 2‐β‐d‐glucopyranosyloxy‐4‐hydroxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one (DIBOA‐Glc), were the major circulating benzoxazinoids. After consuming a benzoxazinoid diet for 1 week, morning urine contained eight benzoxazinoids with abundant HBOA‐Glc (219 nmol × μmol−1 of creatinine). The sulfate and glucuronide conjugates of 2‐hydroxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one (HBOA) and 2,4‐dihydroxy‐1,4‐benzoxazin‐3‐one (DIBOA) were detected in plasma and urine, indicating substantial phase II metabolism. Direct absorption of lactam glycosides, the reduction of hydroxamic acid glycosides, glucuronidation, and sulfation were the main mechanisms of the absorption and metabolism of benzoxazinoids.

Conclusion

These results indicate that following ingestion in healthy humans, a range of unmetabolized bioactive dietary benzoxazinoids and their sulfate and glucuronide conjugates appear in circulation and urine.
The effect of short‐term overfeeding on serum lipids in healthy humans
Authors: Heilbronn Leonie K. , Coster Adelle C.F. , Campbell Lesley V. , Greenfield Jerry R. , Lange Kylie , Christopher Michael J. , Meikle Peter J. , Samocha‐Bonet Dorit
Published: May 2013

Objectives

While chronic obesity is associated with alterations in circulating glycerolipids, sphingolipids and plasmalogens, the effects of short‐term overfeeding in humans are unclear.

Design and Methods

Healthy individuals (n = 40) were overfed by 1,250 kcal day−1 for 28 days. Insulin sensitivity (hyperinsulinemic‐euglycemic clamp), abdominal fat distribution and serum lipidomics (mass spectrometry) were assessed.

Results

Overfeeding increased liver fat, insulin resistance, serum C‐reactive protein and urinary F2‐isoprostanes. HDL increased (11% ± 2%, P < 0.001) while LDL, triglycerides and nonesterified fatty acids were unchanged. Three hundred and thirty three serum lipids were detected, of which 13% increased and 20% decreased with overfeeding. Total diacylglycerol and lysoalkylphosphatidylcholine (LPC(O)) concentrations decreased (P < 0.01), while total ceramide, Cer22:0 and Cer24:0 increased (P ≤ 0.01). The most notable increases were observed in the HDL‐associated phosphatidylethanolamine‐based plasmalogens and their precursors alkylhosphatidylethanolamine (18 ± 5% and 38 ± 8% respectively, P ≤ 0.01).

Conclusions

Overfeeding led to weight gain and changes in the serum lipid profile. Increases in ceramides were noted, which left unchecked may promote systemic insulin resistance. Uniform increases were observed in plasmalogens and their precursors. Because plasmalogens are powerful antioxidants, this may be an appropriate response against increased oxidative stress generated by over‐nutrition. The metabolic consequences of changes in concentrations of many circulating lipid species with overfeeding require further study. Copyright © 2013 The Obesity Society
Clinical Pharmacy Services in Heart Failure: An Opinion Paper from the Heart Failure Society of America and American College of Clinical Pharmacy Cardiology Practice and Research Network
Authors: Milfred‐LaForest Sherry K. , Chow Sheryl L. , DiDomenico Robert J. , Dracup Kathleen , Ensor Christopher R. , Gattis‐Stough Wendy , Heywood J. Thomas , Lindenfeld JoAnn , Page Robert L. , Patterson J. Herbert , Vardeny Orly , Massie Barry M.
Published: May 2013

Heart failure (HF) care takes place in multiple settings, with a variety of providers, and generally involves patients who have multiple comorbidities. This situation is a “perfect storm” of factors that predispose patients to medication errors. The goals of this paper are to outline potential roles for clinical pharmacists in a multidisciplinaryHFteam, to document outcomes associated with interventions by clinical pharmacists, to recommend minimum training for clinical pharmacists engaged inHFcare, and to suggest financial strategies to support clinical pharmacy services within a multidisciplinary team. As patients transition from inpatient to outpatient settings and between multiple caregivers, pharmacists can positively affect medication reconciliation and education, assure consistency in management that results in improvements in patient satisfaction and medication adherence, and reduce medication errors. For mechanical circulatory support and heart transplant teams, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services considers the participation of a transplant pharmacology expert (e.g., clinical pharmacist) to be a requirement for accreditation, given the highly specialized and complex drug regimens used. Although reports of outcomes from pharmacist interventions have been mixed owing to differences in study design, benefits such as increased use of evidence‐based therapies, decreases inHFhospitalizations and emergency department visits, and decreases in all‐cause readmissions have been demonstrated. Clinical pharmacists participating inHFor heart transplant teams should have completed specialized postdoctoral training in the form of residencies and/or fellowships in cardiovascular and/or transplant pharmacotherapy, and board certification is recommended. Financial mechanisms to support pharmacist participation in theHFteams are variable. Positive outcomes associated with clinical pharmacist activities support the value of making this resource available toHFteams.
Single‐electron transfer‐living radical copolymerization of butyl methacrylate and divinylbenzene for preparation of oil‐absorbing gel
Authors: Fan Lijun , Chen Hou , Lv Gaojian , Cao Jinli , Fu Yidong
Published: May 2013

Crosslinking copolymerization of butyl methacrylate with a small amount of divinylbenzene (DVB) was carried out using single‐electron transfer‐living radical polymerization initiated with carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) and catalyzed by Cu(0)/N‐ligand in N,N‐dimethylformamide to produce a highly oil‐absorbing gel. The polymerization, gelation process, and oil‐absorbing properties were studied in detail. Analysis of monomer conversion with reaction time showed that the polymerization followed first‐order kinetics for both linear and crosslinking polymerization before gelation. Higher levels of DVB led to earlier gelation and the influence of N‐ligand on gelation was also significant. Under optimal conditions, oil absorption of the prepared gel to chloroform could reach 42.1 g·g−1. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3233–3239
Neubau der ÖBB‐Brücke über die Ötztaler Ache, Österreich
Authors: Mosheimer Helmut , Margreiter Kurt , Cranach Daniel
Published: May 2013

Nach einer Bauzeit von nur acht Monaten wurde die dritte Ötztaler Achbrücke für den Zugverkehr freigegeben und damit eine seit langem bestehende Langsamfahrstrecke zwischen Innsbruck und Bludenz aufgehoben. Die neue Brücke ist eine dauerhafte und wartungsarme semiintegrale Verbundkonstruktion, die den steigenden Anforderungen des Eisenbahnverkehrs gerecht wird, eine erhebliche Verbesserung im Bereich des Lärmschutzes gegenüber den vorhergehenden Brücken bringt und zudem ein optischer Höhepunkt in einem belebten Bereich am Eingang des Ötztales ist.

New building of the ÖBB‐Bridge across the Ötztaler Ache, Austria. After a construction period of only eight months, the third Ötztal Valley Bridge was opened for use, relinquishing a long period of reduced‐speed commerce between Innsbruck and Bludenz. The new bridge is a durable and low‐maintenance steel and reinforced concrete composite construction, built under the strictest quality control and railway standards. An extensive improvement in noise control and aesthetics in such a prominent area of the Öztal Valley has been undertaken.
Analyse des dynamischen Verhaltens des Eisenbahnschotteroberbaues
Authors: Kirchhofer Johannes , Fink Josef
Published: May 2013

Der europaweite Aufbau eines interoperablen Eisenbahnhochgeschwindigkeitsnetzes stellt erhöhte Ansprüche an die bestehende Infrastruktur des Bahnbetriebes. Durch die zunehmende Reisegeschwindigkeit ergeben sich auch immer größere dynamische Anregungen der Brückentragwerke. Um diesem Umstand Folge zu leisten, wurden in den letzen Jahren am Institut für Tragkonstruktionen/Stahlbau der Technischen Universität Wien zahlreiche experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Thema des dynamischen Verhaltens von Eisenbahnbrücken mit Schotteroberbau unternommen, um aus den experimentellen Daten neue Erkenntnisse über das Schotterverhalten bei dynamischer Beanspruchung abzuleiten.

Analysis of the dynamic behaviour of the railway ballast bed – Influence of the oscillation amplitude and of other marginal conditions on the stiffness and the damping characterists. The pan‐European establishment of an interoperable high‐speed railway network places high demands on the existing railway infrastructure. Greater travelling speed results in increased dynamic excitations of the bridge structures. To investigate the dynamic interaction between the ballast superstructure and the structure of the bridge, experimental investigations were realised at the Institut für Tragkonstruktionen/Stahlbau der Technischen Universität Wien (Institute of Structural Engineering at the TU Vienna) during the last years.
Die Montage der Hängebrücke Puente Continental in Peru – Spannweiten 104 m–320 m–104 m
Authors: Lechner Martin , Cserno Tamas
Published: May 2013

Die Hängebrücke über den Fluss Madre de Dios in der peruanischen Stadt Puerto Maldonado wurde von der Firma Waagner‐Biro konstruiert und geliefert. Die Verschiffung erfolgte im Jahr 1981. Die Brücke ist ein Teilstück der Carretera Interoceánica, der Straßenverbindung zwischen Peru und Brasilien. Die Fertigstellung dieser Straßenverbindung und damit auch die Errichtung der Hängebrücke wurden aus politischen Gründen unterbrochen und erst im Jahr 2004 wieder in Angriff genommen. Der Bau der Hängebrücke erfolgte mit den letzten Teilstücken der Straßenverbindung in den Jahren 2009 bis 2011. Der Artikel behandelt die Inventur der Brückenteile sowie die Brückenmontage inklusive der hierfür nötigen umfangreichen Montagehilfseinrichtungen.

The installation of the Puente Continental Suspension Bridge, Peru – Spans 104 m–320 m–104 m. The suspension bridge crossing the river Madre de Dios in the Peruvian city of Puerto Maldonado was designed and supplied by the company Waagner‐ Biro. Shipment took place in 1981. The bridge forms a part of the Interoceanic Highway, the road connection between Peru and Brazil. The completion of the project and consequently the installation of the suspension bridge were interrupted for political reasons and re‐started only in 2004. The construction of the suspension bridge was realized as a portion of the last road sections in the years 2009 to 2011. This article covers the inventory of the bridge components as well as the bridge installation including the necessary extensive auxiliary equipment.
Funktionell und spektakulär: Stahldach des Wiener Hauptbahnhofs im Rautenstil
Authors: Mühl Bernd
Published: May 2013

Dieses neue markante Stahlbau‐Projekt, eine technische und logistische Meisterleistung, prägt das moderne urbane Stadtbild Wiens auf eindrucksvolle Weise und fügt sich gleichzeitig harmonisch in die historische Umgebung und Architektur ein. 7000 t Stahl werden für das Stahldach im Rautenstil, das optische und funktionelle Highlight des neuen Wiener Hauptbahnhofs, verarbeitet. Für die aufwendige Dachkonstruktion mit 35300 m² Fläche zeichnet die international tätige Unger Steel Group aus Oberwart/Österreich verantwortlich.
Community‐wide validation of geospace model ground magnetic field perturbation predictions to support model transition to operations
Authors: Pulkkinen A. , Rastätter L. , Kuznetsova M. , Singer H. , Balch C. , Weimer D. , Toth G. , Ridley A. , Gombosi T. , Wiltberger M. , Raeder J. , Weigel R.
Published: May 2013

In this paper we continue the community‐wide rigorous modern space weather model validation efforts carried out within GEM, CEDAR and SHINE programs. In this particular effort, in coordination among the Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC), NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC), modelers, and science community, we focus on studying the models' capability to reproduce observed ground magnetic field fluctuations, which are closely related to geomagnetically induced current phenomenon. One of the primary motivations of the work is to support NOAA SWPC in their selection of the next numerical model that will be transitioned into operations. Six geomagnetic events and 12 geomagnetic observatories were selected for validation. While modeled and observed magnetic field time series are available for all 12 stations, the primary metrics analysis is based on six stations that were selected to represent the high‐latitude and mid‐latitude locations. Events‐based analysis and the corresponding contingency tables were built for each event and each station. The elements in the contingency table were then used to calculate Probability of Detection (POD), Probability of False Detection (POFD) and Heidke Skill Score (HSS) for rigorous quantification of the models' performance. In this paper the summary results of the metrics analyses are reported in terms of POD, POFD and HSS. More detailed analyses can be carried out using the event by event contingency tables provided as an online appendix. An online interface built at CCMC and described in the supporting information is also available for more detailed time series analyses.
On the gravity dual of strongly coupled charged plasma
Authors: Plewa Grzegorz , Spalinski Michal
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Locally asymptotically AdS solutions of Einstein equations coupled with a vector field with a weakly curved boundary metric are found within the fluid-gravity gradient expansion up to second order in gradients. This geometry is dual to 1 + 3 dimensional hydrodynamics with a conserved current in a weakly curved background. The causal structure of the bulk geometry is determined and it is shown that the black brane singularity is shielded by an event horizon.
Adherence Associated With Oral Medications in the Treatment of Spasticity
Authors: Halpern Rachel , Gillard Patrick , Graham Glenn D. , Varon Sepideh F. , Zorowitz Richard D.
Published: May 2013

Objective

To examine adherence to baclofen, tizanidine, and dantrolene (U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved oral spasticity medications), and identified determinants of adherence.

Design

A retrospective administrative claims data analysis that used medical and pharmacy claims data and enrollment information from a large, national U.S. health plan.

Subjects and Methods

The subjects were commercial health plan members who initiated treatment on baclofen, tizanidine, or dantrolene from January 1, 2004, through September 30, 2009, and who had stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, or multiple sclerosis. Descriptive and logistic regression statistical analyses were performed.

Main Outcome Measurements

Outcomes were adherence, measured as continuous medication possession ratio (MPR) and as a binary indicator (MPR ≥0.80, adherent; MPR <0.80, nonadherent), change in oral spasticity medication, and use of nonoral spasticity therapy.

Results

The study population included 2840 subjects. Adherence overall was poor: the range of mean unadjusted MPR values was 0.10‐0.50, which indicated that, at best, the subjects were adherent to their index spasticity medications for 50% of their treatment periods. Unadjusted overall MPRs for baclofen and tizanidine were 20.4% and 9.1%, respectively. Fewer than 5% of subjects changed oral spasticity medications. The results of logistic regression to identify determinants of adherence showed that subjects treated with tizanidine versus baclofen had 37.4% lower odds of adherence and that subjects with traumatic brain injury versus stroke had 77.5% lower odds of adherence. The odds of adherence increased with age and with preindex contracture or decubitus ulcer.

Conclusions

Adherence to oral spasticity medication was poor irrespective of index spasticity medication or condition. Results from this study indicated that physicians cannot assume that patients are adherent to prescribed oral spasticity medications. A more complete understanding of the reasons behind nonadherence is required.
On the widths of the Arnol’d tongues
Authors: BANERJEE KUNTAL
Published: May 2013

Let $F: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R} $ be a real analytic increasing diffeomorphism with $F- \mathrm{Id} $ being 1-periodic. Consider the translated family of maps $\mathop{({F}_{t} : \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R} )}\nolimits_{t\in \mathbb{R} } $ defined as ${F}_{t} (x)= F(x)+ t$. Let $\mathrm{Trans} ({F}_{t} )$ be the translation number of ${F}_{t} $ defined by $$\mathrm{Trans} ({F}_{t} ): = \lim _{n\rightarrow + \infty }\frac{{ F}_{t}^{\circ n} - \mathrm{Id} }{n} .$$ Assume that there is a Herman ring of modulus $2\tau $ associated to $F$ and let ${p}_{n} / {q}_{n} $ be the $n$th convergent of $\mathrm{Trans} (F)= \alpha \in \mathbb{R} \setminus \mathbb{Q} $. Denoting by ${\ell }_{\theta } $ the length of the interval $\{ t\in \mathbb{R} ~\mid ~\mathrm{Trans} ({F}_{t} )= \theta \} $, we prove that the sequence $({\ell }_{{p}_{n} / {q}_{n} } )$ decreases exponentially fast with respect to ${q}_{n} $. More precisely, $$\mathop {\mathrm{lim\hphantom{,}sup} }\limits _{n\rightarrow + \infty } \frac{1}{{q}_{n} } \log {\ell }_{{p}_{n} / {q}_{n} } \leq - 2\pi \tau .$$ There is a relation between ${\ell }_{{p}_{n} / {q}_{n} } $ and the width of the Arnol’d tongue, which confirms that the widths of the tongues decrease exponentially fast under suitable conditions.
Melissa Bellanta, 'Larrikins: a history', St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, 2012, ISBN 9 7807 0223 9120, 296 pp., A$34.95
Authors: Megarrity Lyndon
Published: May 2013

Melissa Bellanta, Larrikins: a history, St Lucia: University of Queensland Press, 2012, ISBN 9 7807 0223 9120, 296 pp., A$34.95
Repositioning Resistance
Authors: Mason Robert
Published: May 2013

On 26 April 1937, German bombers attacked the civilian population in the Basque market town of Guernica. The event has become synonymous with the brutality of the Spanish Civil War, but its impact on the Basque diaspora has not been the subject of detailed investigation. Large numbers of Basques emigrated to live in north Queensland, and the overwhelming majority can be traced to the hills surrounding Guernica. Those living in Australia only became aware of the atrocity over time, but the symbolic importance of Guernica increased over the subsequent decades as hundreds more Basques arrived in Queensland's north. The bombing itself was traumatic, but it was understood in the context of an emigration and historical injustice wrought by Spain's Nationalist dictatorship.
Artistic Collaboration in Challenging Times
Authors: Roennfeldt Peter
Published: May 2013

The concept of sustainability is often connected with environmental and socio-economic debates, but it is just as central to cultural developments. Historical studies of music-making within a local context often reveal that any ‘good idea’ needs both initiators and supporters, and also patrons and advocates. For example, the story of chamber music in early Queensland is bound up with contextual factors such as organisational and physical infrastructure and, more importantly, the contributions of leaders whose long-term vision encouraged audiences to participate. While important beginnings appeared during the colonial decades, changing circumstances required new approaches to sustaining chamber music traditions in the post-Federation era.
Remaking an 'Old Tradition's Magic'
Authors: McKay Belinda , Buckridge Patrick
Published: May 2013

The themes of cultural dislocation and the struggle to feel ‘at home’ in a new land figure prominently in Australian literature, and considerable critical attention has been devoted to the distinctive articulations of these preoccupations by well-known writers of Irish birth or descent, such as Victor Daley, Bernard O'Dowd and John O'Brien. Queensland's Irish writers, however, have been largely forgotten or overlooked — both individually and as a group.
WRITING THE SELF IN RURAL MALI: DOMESTIC ARCHIVES AND GENRES OF PERSONAL WRITING
Authors: Mbodj-Pouye Aïssatou
Published: May 2013

In a comparative perspective, literacy has been closely associated with techniques of the self and with the emergence of modern subjectivities. But what happens when literacy is developed without genres such as diary keeping being widespread? Scrutinizing grassroots practices, this article demonstrates that even people who are not confronted with established forms of self-writing engage with literacy in ways that bear an imprint of their lives and subjectivities. Drawing on an ethnographic study in one village in southern Mali, it sets a socio-historical background where writing practices arise primarily as responses to the pressure of rural management. Yet the local discourses on the value of writing are suffused with notions of privacy. The article focuses on the unstable but shared practice of keeping a notebook for farming as well personal notations. Through a detailed analysis of two notebooks, it advocates for a set of distinctions between the individual, the private and the self that helps disentangle the issue of writing and self. This leads to a contrasted view of the local engagements with literacy. The question of the crystallization of notebook keeping as a genre remains open.
MYTHIC OIL: RESOURCES, BELONGING AND THE POLITICS OF CLAIM MAKING AMONG THE ÌLÀJẸ YORÙBÁ OF NIGERIA
Authors: Adunbi Ọmọlade
Published: May 2013

This article examines the genealogies of the Ìlàjẹ and the narrative of belonging that reinforces claims to ownership of land and natural resources such as oil. The article maps how oil flow stations, pipelines and platforms have come to represent an ancestral promise of wealth to many members of Ìlàjẹ communities. This claim making is embedded in a mythic origin that continuously reinforces a distinct identity that projects an imagined community connected to the Yorùbá of south-west Nigeria as well as the oil-rich Niger Delta region. While many scholars have studied the myth of origin of the Yorùbá, in most cases focusing on rituals and political imagination that intersect with linguistic evidence in determining Yorùbá identity, these scholars have often neglected the centrality of these myths to oil resources. Thus, I investigate how the Ìlàjẹ narrative of belonging creates its own specificity of ‘ownership’ of natural resources through ritual performances connected to migration and dispersal of subject populations. I examine how such narratives create spaces of opportunity for the organization of protests against multinational oil corporations and the Nigerian state.
THE ATTEMPTS TO TRANSFER THE GENEVAN ACADEMY TO IRELAND AND TO AMERICA, 1782–1795
Authors: MCNUTT JENNIFER POWELL , WHATMORE RICHARD
Published: May 2013

Early in 1782, republican rebels in Geneva removed the city's magistrates and instituted a popular government, portraying themselves as defenders of liberty and Calvinism against the French threats of Catholicism and luxury. But on 1 July 1782, the republicans fled because of the arrival at the city gates of invading troops led by France. The failure of the Genevan revolution indicated that while new republics could be established beyond Europe, republics within Europe, and more especially Protestant republics in proximity to larger Catholic monarchies, were no longer independent states. Many Genevans sought asylum across Europe and in North America in consequence. Some of them looked to Britain and Ireland, attempting to move the industrious part of Geneva to Waterford. During the French Revolution, they sought to establish a republican community in the United States. In each case, a major goal was to transfer the Genevan Academy established in the aftermath of Calvin's Reformation. The anti-religious nature of the French Revolution made the attempt to move the Academy to North America distinctive. By contrast with the Irish case, where religious elements were played down, moving the Academy to North America was supported by religious rhetoric coupled with justifications of republican liberty.
FRENCH-ASIAN CONNECTIONS: THE COMPAGNIES DES INDES, FRANCE'S EASTERN TRADE, AND NEW DIRECTIONS IN HISTORICAL SCHOLARSHIP
Authors: GOTTMANN FELICIA
Published: May 2013

With the recent rise in global history as a discipline, early modern Europe's Asian trade has become a new focus of interest. In French historiography, however, this still remains marginalized. Some studies of the French East India Companies and the French presence in Asia exist, but the impact of this on metropolitan France remains woefully underexplored. This article outlines the history and historiography of the French East India Companies and their wider role and importance, outlining pathways of both existing, current, and possible future research.
The effect of anti-reflux treatment on subjective voice measurements of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux
Authors: Beech T J , Campbell G , McDermott A L , Batch A J
Published: May 2013

Objective:

To assess the impact of anti-reflux treatment and speech therapy on subjective voice measurements of patients with laryngopharyngeal reflux.

Methods:

This paper reports a prospective study of patients seen in a voice clinic over a three-year period who were being treated for laryngopharyngeal reflux. Patients were assessed at presentation using the reflux symptom index and voice symptom scale, and were reassessed at three months and six months post-treatment. Treatment entailed twice daily proton pump inhibitor therapy and speech therapy.

Results:

The study comprised 74 patients. The reflux symptom index and voice symptom scale scores significantly improved following treatment at both three and six months. There was a correlation between improved reflux symptom index scores and improved voice symptom scale scores.

Conclusion:

Treatment of laryngopharyngeal reflux with twice daily proton pump inhibitors and speech therapy resulted in improved subjective voice measurements for patients.
Modulational instability of an ultra-intense laser pulse in electron–positron plasmas
Authors: HU QIANG-LIN , XIAO GUI-LAN , YU XIAO-GUANG
Published: May 2013

This paper investigates the modulational instability of a linearly polarized ultra-intense laser pulse propagating in electron–positron plasmas. Based on the wave equation, which contains vacuum polarization and magnetization effects, the nonlinear dispersion relation and the growth rate of instability are obtained and the effects of plasma number density and laser intensity on the growth rate are analyzed. Numerical results show that if the laser intensity is high enough, the modulational instability growth rate induced by vacuum polarization and magnetization nonlinearity can dominate the modulational instability growth rate induced by the nonlinearity associated with a relativistic effect and ponderomotive force.
Spatial distribution of Alitta virens burrows in intertidal sediments studied by axial tomodensitometry
Authors: Salvo Flora , Dufour Suzanne C. , Archambault Philippe , Stora Georges , Desrosiers Gaston
Published: May 2013

Relationships between sediment characteristics and the spatial organization of biogenic structures remain poorly understood, albeit important for characterizing bioturbation impacts and small-scale ecological patterns. Using axial tomodensitometry (CT-scan) and core sectioning, we studied the spatial distribution of Alitta virens burrows in sediment cores from two mudflats with different degrees of exposure along the St Lawrence Estuary, Canada. A variety of burrow morphologies was observed at both sites, with most being I-shaped. Most values measured (organic matter content, mean tomographic intensity, the number and diameter of burrow shafts and the percentage of space they occupy per transverse section) covaried with depth. The more sheltered site had higher organic matter and mud contents, and lower average tomographic intensity values. The spatial distribution of burrow shafts also differed between sites, with the more sheltered site having a higher number of burrow shafts and percentage of biogenic space in the upper sediment column, as well as a greater volume of biogenic structures that were connected to the surface (although intra-site variability was great). Along the horizontal plane and at various depths within sediments, burrow shafts were more randomly distributed at the exposed site, compared to a more even, maximal spacing at the sheltered site. In addition to finding differences in burrow organization at two spatial scales, we found significant correlations between tomographic intensity and (1) the number of burrow shafts, (2) biogenic space and (3) organic matter content. CT-scan data, including tomographic intensity, are useful for examining and comparing biogenic structures in sediment cores.
Moral critique and defence of theodicy
Authors: SHEARN SAMUEL
Published: May 2013

In this essay, moral anti-theodicy is characterized as opposition to the trivialization of suffering, defined as the reinterpretation of horrendous evils in a way the sufferer cannot accept. Ambitious theodicy (which claim goods emerge from specific evils) is deemed always to trivialize horrendous evils and, because there is no specific theoretical context, also harm sufferers. Moral anti-theodicy is susceptible to two main criticisms. First, it is over-demanding as a moral position. Second, anti-theodicist opposition to least ambitious theodicies, which portray God's decision to create as an ‘all-or-nothing’ scenario, requires a moral commitment to philosophical pessimism. Thus anti-theodicists should not be quick to take the moral high ground. However, this should not encourage theodicists, since theodicies may well be self-defeating in so far as they attempt to provide comfort.
Design of a petawatt optical parametric chirped pulse amplification upgrade of the kilojoule iodine laser PALS
Authors: Novák Ondřej , Divoký Martin , Turčičová Hana , Straka Petr
Published: May 2013

A design for generation of two ultra-high power laser beams, 130 TW and 1.4 PW, using a chain of optical parametric chirped pulse amplifiers, first pumped by a 10 Hz frequency doubled Nd:YAG laser, and later by the frequency tripled single-shot kilojoule level iodine laser Prague Asterix Laser System is presented. Expected enhancement of the parameters in the upgrade, besides the output power, are up to 1022 W/cm2 from 1016 W/cm2 in target intensity, and about 20 fs from 0.5 ns in pulse duration. Owing to the limited dimensions of the Prague Asterix Laser System building, the lay-out of the new equipment had to use only the left-over space in the laser hall.
‘International Law is Part of the Law of the Land’: True or False?
Authors: KEITH KENNETH
Published: May 2013

This article addresses the question stated in its title by considering not only the role of national courts but also the roles of national legislatures and executives. That emphasis is called for because most of international law most of the time operates through national, rather than international, institutions and in particular through the executive and the legislature. Before I get to those national institutions, I consider two undisputed propositions of law, the varying characteristics of rules of international law and the impact of those characteristics on different national constitutional and legal systems.
The ICC and Complementarity in Practice
Authors: NSEREKO DANIEL
Published: May 2013

Since the start of its operations 10 years ago, the International Criminal Court has dealt with a number of challenges to the admissibility of cases before it. Some of the challenges were mounted by territorial states that had jurisdiction over the cases. Others were mounted by accused persons. The Court, acting on its own initiative, has, on a number of occasions, also considered issues of the admissibility of cases before it. It has done this, in the main, at the pre-trial stages of proceedings. Some of the cases arose out of state or Security Council referrals. Others arose out of the Prosecutor's initiated investigations. In the course of dealing with these matters the Court has endeavoured to strike a balance between the states’ right to exercise their sovereignty through national proceedings, on the one hand, and the interests of the international community to ensure that ‘the most serious crimes of concern to the international community as a whole must not go unpunished’, on the other. In the process of doing so the Court has also developed some practices and generated an impressive body of jurisprudence, the subject of this article. The jurisprudence evinces the Court's readiness to assume jurisdiction over a case in situations where there is clear inaction on the part of the national authorities. The article, which is a critical exposé of that jurisprudence, endorses this stance as a veritable antidote to impunity for atrocity crimes.
Surveillance, urban governance and legitimacy in late Ottoman Istanbul: spying on music and entertainment during the Hamidian regime (1876–1909)
Authors: EROL MERIH
Published: May 2013

The topic of this study is the control of urban space in late Ottoman Istanbul, particularly during the reign of Abdülhamid II (1876–1909). Issues of the control and surveillance of public gatherings and popular entertainment are investigated by focusing on the Greeks of Istanbul, the largest non-Muslim population in the city. The article is based on an investigation of petitions, the Ottoman Police Ministry records and spy reports on various planned and spontaneous, private and public activities, such as charity concerts, theatrical performances, and collective singing in private and public meetings.
Alarming predictions for obesity and non-communicable diseases in the Middle East
Authors: Kilpi Fanny , Webber Laura , Musaigner Abdulrahman , Aitsi-Selmi Amina , Marsh Tim , Rtveladze Ketevan , McPherson Klim , Brown Martin
Published: May 2013

Objective

The present study aimed to model obesity trends and future obesity-related disease for nine countries in the Middle East; in addition, to explore how hypothetical reductions in population obesity levels could ameliorate anticipated disease burdens.

Design

A regression analysis of cross-sectional data v. BMI showed age- and sex-specific BMI trends, which fed into a micro simulation with a million Monte Carlo trials for each country. We also examined two alternative scenarios where population BMI was reduced by 1 % and 5 %.

Setting

Statistical modelling of obesity trends was carried out in nine Middle East countries (Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Turkey).

Subjects

BMI data along with disease incidence, mortality and survival data from national and sub-national data sets were used for the modelling process.

Results

High rates of overweight and obesity increased in both men and women in most countries. The burden of incident type 2 diabetes, CHD and stroke would be moderated with even small reductions in obesity levels.

Conclusions

Obesity is a growing problem in the Middle East which requires government action on the primary prevention of obesity. The present results are important for policy makers to know the effectiveness of obesity interventions on future disease burden.
Maternal mental health is associated with child undernutrition and illness in Bangladesh, Vietnam and Ethiopia
Authors: Nguyen Phuong H , Saha Kuntal K , Ali Disha , Menon Purnima , Manohar Swetha , Mai Lan Tran , Rawat Rahul , Ruel Marie T
Published: May 2013

Objective

We assessed associations of maternal common mental disorders (CMD) with undernutrition and two common illnesses in children aged 0–5 years.

Design

Cross-sectional survey. Maternal CMD was measured using the WHO Self-Reporting Questionnaire-20. Child undernutrition was defined as stunting, underweight or wasting. Child illnesses included diarrhoea and acute respiratory infections (ARI). Multivariate logistic regression was used to test these associations adjusting for confounders at child, maternal and household levels.

Setting

Bangladesh, Vietnam and Ethiopia.

Subjects

Mothers with children aged 0–5 years from 4400 households in Bangladesh, 4029 households in Vietnam and 3000 households in Ethiopia.

Results

The prevalence of maternal CMD was high, ranging from 31 % in Vietnam to 49 % in Bangladesh. Child undernutrition was more prevalent in Bangladesh and Ethiopia than in Vietnam. Symptoms of ARI and diarrhoea were also prevalent. In multivariate analysis, maternal CMD was associated with child stunting in Bangladesh (OR = 1·21; 95 % CI 1·03, 1·41) and with child underweight in Vietnam (OR = 1·27; 95 % CI 1·01, 1·61); no association was found with wasting. Maternal CMD was strongly associated with diarrhoea and ARI in all three countries.

Conclusions

Maternal CMD, which affected nearly half of women in Bangladesh and one-third in Vietnam, was an important determinant of child stunting and underweight, respectively. No such association was found in Ethiopia, although CMD affected 39 % of women. Maternal CMD was strongly associated with childhood illnesses in all three countries. Interventions to support maternal mental health are important for women's own well-being and could make important contributions to improving child health and nutrition.
The Potential of Materials Analysis by Electron Rutherford Backscattering as Illustrated by a Case Study of Mouse Bones and Related Compounds
Authors: Vos Maarten , Tökési Károly , Benkö Ilona
Published: May 2013

Electron Rutherford backscattering (ERBS) is a new technique that could be developed into a tool for materials analysis. Here we try to establish a methodology for the use of ERBS for materials analysis of more complex samples using bone minerals as a test case. For this purpose, we also studied several reference samples containing Ca: calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and hydroxyapatite and mouse bone powder. A very good understanding of the spectra of CaCO3 and hydroxyapatite was obtained. Quantitative interpretation of the bone spectrum is more challenging. A good fit of these spectra is only obtained with the same peak widths as used for the hydroxyapatite sample, if one allows for the presence of impurity atoms with a mass close to that of Na and Mg. Our conclusion is that a meaningful interpretation of spectra of more complex samples in terms of composition is indeed possible, but only if widths of the peaks contributing to the spectra are known. Knowledge of the peak widths can either be developed by the study of reference samples (as was done here) or potentially be derived from theory.
Der Zusammenhang zwischen Sucht und Schlaf: „Illegale“ Drogen
Authors: Jähne Andreas , Unbehaun Thomas , Riemann Dieter
Published: May 2013

Fragestellung: Ziel ist die Darstellung des Einflusses von Drogen als stimulierende oder sedierende psychotrope Substanzen auf Änderungen im allgemeinen Wachheitszustand des Gehirns und auf die Schlaf-Wachregulation. Ergebnisse: Stimulanzien wie Kokain und Ecstasy (MDMA) führten zu einem gestörten Schlaf, während Cannabis und Benzodiazepine eher schlaffördernde Effekte hatten aber bereits bei mittelfristiger Gabe zu qualitativen Schlafveränderungen von funktioneller Relevanz führten. Obwohl keine illegalen Drogen im klassischen Sinne, weisen auch Benzodiazepine ein hohes Abhängigkeitspotenial auf, werden häufig missbräuchlich konsumiert, weshalb deren Effeke auf den Schlaf an dieser Stelle berichtet werden. Opioide wiederum hatten deutliche Schlafstörungen und eine Zunahme schlafbezogener Atmungsstörungen zur Folge. Einen gemeinsamen Effekt stellt die Suppression des REM-Schlafs dar. Als Entzugsphänomene traten häufig insomnische Beschwerden (Kokain, Cannabis, Benzodiazepine, Opioide), teilweise begleitet von einem REM-Rebound (Kokain, zumindest teilweise bei MDMA und Cannabis) auf. LSD beeinflusste die Schlafeffizienz wenig, führte aber auch zu Veränderungen des REM-Schlafs. MDMA-Opioid- und Benzodiazepin-Konsumenten zeigten oft Hangover-Effekte am nächsten Tag mit Tagesmüdigkeit, Konzentrations- und Leistungsdefiziten, vermehrten Stürzen und Verkehrsunfällen. Schlussfolgerungen: Die klinischen und therapeutischen Implikationen der beschriebenen Schlafveränderungen bleiben noch ungeklärt. Insbesondere mit dem Zusammenhang zwischen Insomnie, psychiatrischer und somatischer Komorbidität, Drogenkonsum und Rückfälligkeit werden methodisch belastbare Untersuchungen benötigt.
SURE: Substitutionsgestützte Rehabilitation in abstinenzorientierter Therapie
Authors: Schönthal Johannes , Wollinger Anette , Rosenau Eva , Vonderschmitt Julia , Rapp Alexander , Batra Anil , Bader Thomas
Published: May 2013

Hintergrund: Das auf drei Jahre geplante Projekt SURE (Substitutionsgestützte Rehabilitation) wurde unter dem Eindruck initiiert, dass immer weniger opiatabhängige Menschen eine Abstinenz voraussetzende Rehabilitation wahrnehmen und stattdessen dauerhaft in Substitution verbleiben. Fragestellung: Gelingt es, langjährig Substituierte in einer abstinenzorientierten Fachklinik abzudosieren und erfolgreich zu behandeln? Zugangskriterien und die bisherigen Ergebnisse der aufgenommenen Patienten werden berichtet, außerdem ein aussagekräftiges Fallbeispiel gegeben. Die Ergebnisse sind auf den ersten Blick schlechter als bei nicht substituierten Patienten und zeigen Einschränkungen auf. Die Verläufe im zweiten Jahr von SURE sind etwas besser und geben Anlass und Hinweise zur weiteren Entwicklung und Implementierung Erfolg versprechender Konzepte. Es geht darum, Bedarf und rehabilitative Möglichkeiten bei Substituierten gut zu erfassen und dafür passende, alle Beteiligten zufrieden stellende Angebote bereit zu stellen. Das Projekt ist auch Ausdruck einer veränderten, fachlich unaufgeregten Herangehensweise an die komplexen Fragestellungen im Umgang mit Substanzabhängigen.
Ressourcenorientierte Diagnostik mit Hilfe des Kompetenz- analyseverfahrens (KANN)
Authors: Suing Martina , Petermann Franz , Schmidt Martin H. , Jäger Jan , Sinzig Judith
Published: May 2013

Fragestellung: Das Kompetenzanalyseverfahren (KANN) ist ein Fremdbeurteilungsverfahren zur Einschätzung beobachtbarer personaler Ressourcen (= Kompetenzen) von Kindern und Jugendlichen. Das Ziel der vorliegenden Arbeit ist, die Aussagekraft des KANN durch parallel erhobene Daten zu Verhaltensauffälligkeiten – gemessen mittels der Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL/4–18) – zu prüfen. Hierzu wird untersucht, ob die KANN-Skalen in der Lage sind, zwischen internalisierend vs. externalisierend verhaltensauffälligen und -unauffälligen Kindern und Jugendlichen zu differenzieren. Methodik: Die Stichprobe umfasst n = 450 junge Menschen im Alter von 6 bis 22 Jahren aus dem Bereich der Kinder- und Jugendhilfe, die von ihren Erziehern mittels des KANN und der CBCL im Rahmen des fortlaufenden Qualitätsentwicklungsverfahrens «moses» in den Jahren 2010 bis 2012 eingeschätzt wurden. Ergebnisse: Die Ergebnisse der Diskriminanzanalysen zeigen, dass insbesondere die KANN-Skala «Empathie & Fairness» gut zwischen jungen Menschen mit und ohne Verhaltensauffälligkeiten trennen kann – v. a. bzgl. externalisierender Symptome. Die KANN-Skala «Freizeitverhalten & Gleichaltrige» trägt den höchsten Erklärungswert bezüglich der Differenzierung internalisierender Verhaltensauffälligkeiten bei. Insgesamt trennen die kombinierten KANN-Skalen besser bzgl. externalisierender als bzgl. internalisierender Verhaltensauffälligkeiten. Die in den Diskriminanzanalysen ermittelten Trefferquoten erreichen Werte von bis zu 76.2 %. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Differenzierungsfähigkeit der KANN-Skalen in Bezug auf Verhaltensauffälligkeiten unterstützt die Aussagekraft des KANN.
Critical field of two-dimensional superconducting Sn1−x/Six bimetallic composite cluster assembled films with energetic cluster impact deposition
Authors: Kurokawa Yuichiro , Hihara Takehiko , Ichinose Ikuo
Published: May 2013

Sn1−x/Six cluster assembled films have been prepared by an energetic cluster impact deposition using a plasma-gas-condensation cluster beam deposition apparatus. Transmission electron microscope images indicated that individual clusters have composite morphologies, where Sn and Si were separated from each other. The superconducting critical magnetic fields, Hc, of Sn1−x/Six cluster assembled films were measured and found to be much higher than the critical magnetic field of the bulk Sn. We estimated the Hc values by using a theory of the superconducting thin film. The estimated values are in good agreement with the experiments, indicating that the Sn1−x/Six cluster assembled films can be regarded as a two-dimensional system although thickness, t, of Sn1−x/Six cluster assembled films (t ≈ 1000 nm) is thicker than conventional superconducting thin film (t < 100 nm).
Free energy barriers for homogeneous crystal nucleation in a eutectic system of binary hard spheres
Authors: Ganagalla Srinivasa Rao , Punnathanam Sudeep N.
Published: May 2013

In this study, the free energy barriers for homogeneous crystal nucleation in a system that exhibits a eutectic point are computed using Monte Carlo simulations. The system studied is a binary hard sphere mixture with a diameter ratio of 0.85 between the smaller and larger hard spheres. The simulations of crystal nucleation are performed for the entire range of fluid compositions. The free energy barrier is found to be the highest near the eutectic point and is nearly five times that for the pure fluid, which slows down the nucleation rate by a factor of 10−31. These free energy barriers are some of highest ever computed using simulations. For most of the conditions studied, the composition of the critical nucleus corresponds to either one of the two thermodynamically stable solid phases. However, near the eutectic point, the nucleation barrier is lowest for the formation of the metastable random hexagonal closed packed (rhcp) solid phase with composition lying in the two-phase region of the phase diagram. The fluid to solid phase transition is hypothesized to proceed via formation of a metastable rhcp phase followed by a phase separation into respective stable fcc solid phases.
Mathematical structure of unit systems
Authors: Kitano Masao
Published: May 2013

We investigate the mathematical structure of unit systems and the relations between them. Looking over the entire set of unit systems, we can find a mathematical structure that is called preorder(or quasi-order). For some pair of unit systems, there exists a relation of preorder such that one unit system is transferable to the other unit system. The transfer (or conversion) is possible only when all of the quantities distinguishable in the latter system are always distinguishable in the former system. By utilizing this structure, we can systematically compare the representations in different unit systems. Especially, the equivalence class of unit systems (EUS) plays an important role because the representations of physical quantities and equations are of the same form in unit systems belonging to an EUS. The dimension of quantities is uniquely defined in each EUS. The EUS’s form a partially ordered set. Using these mathematical structures, unit systems and EUS’s are systematically classified and organized as a hierarchical tree.