bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La politique environnementale de Vichy
Authors: Pearson Chris , Poncharal Bruno
Published: January 2012

Résumé Cet article examine l’histoire environnementale de la France de Vichy. Il constate que le régime de Vichy a traité l’environnement de façon contradictoire. S’efforçant de refaire la France en accord avec son projet politique réactionnaire et afin d’exploiter au maximum les ressources naturelles, le régime a mobilisé la forêt, la montagne et les champs. En même temps, il a déclenché une « guerre contre la friche », essayant de mettre en culture tout le territoire français, mais cette politique a échoué. De plus, et en accord avec la recherche historique selon laquelle le régime de Vichy n’était pas une parenthèse de l’histoire française, cet article montre que sa politique environnementale n’était pas exceptionnelle. Enfin, sa politique vis-à-vis de l’environnement rappelle celles d’autres gouvernements pendant la Seconde Guerre mondiale.
Reproducibility of Retinal Blood Flow Measurements Derived From Semi-Automated Doppler OCT Analysis
Authors: Konduru Ranjith K. , Tan Ou , Nittala Muneeswar G. , Huang David , Sadda Srinivas R.
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

To evaluate reproducibility and intergrader agreement of total retinal blood flow (TRBF) measurements obtained by semi-automated grading of Doppler Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (FD-OCT) scans.

PATIENTS AND METHODS:

Doppler FD-OCT scans were obtained from 20 eyes of 18 subjects (10 glaucomatous, 10 normal). Scans were obtained using a circumpapillary scan protocol and analyzed using the Doppler OCT of Retinal Circulation software (version 2). Two masked, independent human graders manually refined the scans, adding or deleting vessels, changing vessel boundaries, and classifying vessels as veins or arteries. TRBF was calculated automatically by software summing flow in all veins. Agreement between various vessel parameters and TRBF values generated by the graders was analyzed.

RESULTS:

Mean difference and mean absolute difference (± standard deviation, range) for TRBF were −0.55 (± 5.37, −8.53 to 13.6) and 3.84 (± 3.70, 0 to 13.6) μL/min, respectively, with an intraclass correlation (ICC) of 0.933 and limits of agreement (95% confidence interval [CI]) of −11.1 to +10.0. Venous area measurements showed similar levels of agreement with mean difference and mean absolute difference (± standard deviation, range) of −2.91 (± 4.29, −10.95 to 6.43) and 3.59 (± 3.70, 0 to 10.9) mm
2
with an ICC of 0.933 and limits of agreement (95% CI) were −11.3 and +05.5. The agreement for vessel identification between graders was almost perfect with a weighted kappa of 0.86.

CONCLUSION:

Reproducible measurements of TRBF can be obtained from Doppler OCT data using semi-automated software with manual refinement. These findings should be of value in future studies evaluating retinal blood flow in various diseases.
Implementation and evaluation of online gas-phase chemistry within a regional climate model (RegCM-CHEM4)
Authors: Shalaby A. K. , Zakey A. S. , Tawfik A. B. , Solmon F. , Giorgi F. , Stordal F. , Sillman S. , Zaveri R. A. , Steiner A. L.
Published: January 2012

Abstract. The RegCM-CHEM4 is a new online climate-chemistry model based on the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) regional climate model (RegCM4). Tropospheric gas-phase chemistry is integrated into the climate model using the condensed version of the Carbon Bond Mechanism (CBM-Z; Zaveri and Peters, 1999) with a fast solver based on radical balances. We evaluate the model over Continental Europe for two different time scales: (1) an event-based analysis of the ozone episode associated with the heat wave of August 2003 and (2) a climatological analysis of a six-year simulation (2000–2005). For the episode analysis, model simulations show good agreement with European Monitoring and Evaluation Program (EMEP) observations of hourly ozone over different regions in Europe and capture ozone concentrations during and after the August 2003 heat wave event. For long-term climate simulations, the model captures the seasonal cycle of ozone concentrations with some over prediction of ozone concentrations in non-heat wave summers. Overall, the ozone and ozone precursor evaluation shows the feasibility of using RegCM-CHEM4 for decadal-length simulations of chemistry-climate interactions.
Release property of microgels formed by electrostatic interaction between poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐methacrylic acid) and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate)
Authors: Kang Mi Kyoung , Hong Sung Kyeong , Kim Jin‐Chul
Published: January 2012

Microgels were prepared by taking advantage of electrostatic interaction between poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐methacrylic acid) and poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate). The maximum interaction, investigated by measuring the size of complex and the turbidity of the mixture, took place at pH = 6.5. The microgel prepared at pH = 6.5 using the copolymer ratio of 1/1 (w/w) was globular on scanning electron microscopy, and the size was a few to tens of micrometer. The phase transition of the microgel, observed by turbidometry and differential scanning calorimetry, occurred around 31°C. % Release, in 24 h at room temperature, of FITC‐dextran from the microgel was higher under an acidic (64% at pH = 4.0) and an alkali condition (69 % at pH = 9.0) than the % release at pH = 6.5 (41%). The disintegration of microgels would be responsible for the higher % release. The % releases, in 24 h at pH = 6.5, were lower at higher temperatures (53% at 35°C, 50% at 40°C) than at lower temperatures (71% at 25°C, 61% at 30°C). The suppressed release at higher temperatures is possibly due to the skin formation on the surface of microgel. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2012
Expression levels of the PiT‐2 receptor explain, in part, the gestational age‐dependent alterations in transduction efficiency after in utero retroviral‐mediated gene transfer
Authors: Ozturk Ferhat , Park Paul J. , Tellez Joseph , Colletti Evan , Eiden Maribeth V. , Almeida‐Porada Graça , Porada Christopher D.
Published: January 2012

Background

A fundamental obstacle to using retroviral‐mediated gene transfer (GT) to treat human diseases is the relatively low transduction levels that have been achieved in clinically relevant human cells. We previously showed that performing GT in utero overcomes this obstacle and results in significant levels of transduction within multiple fetal organs, with different tissues exhibiting optimal transduction at different developmental stages. We undertook the present study aiming to elucidate the mechanism for this age‐dependent transduction, testing the two factors that we hypothesized could be responsible: (i) the proliferative status of the tissue at the time of GT and (ii) the expression level of the amphotropic PiT‐2 receptor.

Methods

Immunofluorescence was performed on tissues from sheep of varying developmental stages to assess the proliferative status of the predominant cells within each organ as a function of age. After developing an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a quantitative reverse transcription chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) assay, we then quantified PiT‐2 expression at the protein and mRNA levels, respectively.

Results

The results obtained indicate that the proliferative status of organs at the time of fetal GT is not the major determinant governing transduction efficiency. By contrast, our ELISA and qRT‐PCR analyses demonstrated that PiT‐2 mRNA and protein levels vary with gestational age, correlating with the observed differences in transduction efficiency.

Conclusions

The findings of the present study explain the age‐related differences that we previously observed in transduction efficiency after in utero GT. They also suggest it may be possible to achieve relatively selective GT to specific tissues by performing in utero GT when levels of PiT‐2 are maximal in the desired target organ. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Early experience of radio frequency coblation in the management of intranasal and sinus tumors
Authors: Syed Mohammed Iqbal , Mennie Joanna , Williams Alun T.
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the use of radiofrequency coblation for endoscopic resection of intranasal and sinus tumors. A review was conducted of 15 adult patients with intranasal and or sinus tumors endoscopically treated with radio frequency coblation between November 2008 and November 2010 at St. John's Hospital at Livingston, a tertiary referral center that covers otolaryngology services for the southeast of Scotland. Fifteen patients with intranasal and sinus tumors were treated with transnasal endoscopic resection using radiofrequency coblation. The tumors included inverted papilloma (seven), paraganglioma (one), glomangiopericytoma (one), capillary hemangioma (one), hemangiopericytoma (one), juvenile angiofibroma (one), juvenile ossifying fibroma (one), oncocytic adenoma (one), and transitional cell carcinoma (one). We found that radiofrequency coblation is a useful and safe tool associated with minimal blood loss (<200 mL to 600 mL) in the resection of these tumors, and the average operating time was 1.67 hours. Radio frequency is a rapidly evolving technique and in the future will have an increasing role to play in the endoscopic resection of intranasal and sinus tumors.
Wideband and compact erbium‐doped fiber amplifier using parallel double‐pass configuration
Authors: Hamida B. A. , Cheng X. S. , Harun S. W. , Naji A. W. , Arof H. , Khan S. , Alkhateeb W. , Ahmad H.
Published: January 2012

In this article, a wide‐band erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) that operates in both C‐ and L‐band wavelength regions is demonstrated. The amplifier employs two pieces of 1.5 m and 9 m‐long erbium doped fibers (EDFs) optimized for C‐band and L‐band operations, respectively, in double‐pass parallel configuration to achieve a wideband operation from 1530 to 1605 nm. The chirp fiber Bragg grating is used in both stages to allow a double propagation of signal and thus increases the attainable gain in both C‐ and L‐band regions. At an input signal power of −30 dBm, a measured gain varies from 23 to 36 dB within a wide wavelength region from 1530 to 1605 nm. The corresponding noise figure varies from 5.6 to 8.2 dB within this wavelength region. The gain and noise figure of the proposed parallel configuration is much better when compared to that of a serial amplifier. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:629–631, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26599
A compact coplanar waveguide‐fed monopole antenna with dual band‐notched functions for ultra‐wideband applications
Authors: Cai De‐Shui , Lei Zhen‐Ya , Ding Yang , Zhao Dan
Published: January 2012

A novel compact coplanar waveguide‐fed planar monopole ultra‐wideband (UWB) antenna with 3.5/5.4 GHz dual band‐notched functions is proposed in this article. To minimize the electromagnetic interferences between WiMAX/WLAN and UWB, a pair of inverted U‐shaped slots is etched in the center of the radiation element. The proposed UWB antenna achieves a wide band of 3–10.6 GHz for the VSWR less than 2, except the notched bands of 3.16–3.85 GHz and 4.96–5.82 GHz. Furthermore, a nearly omni‐directional radiation pattern and a stable gain ranging from 2.8 to 5.8 dBi are obtained except the rejected frequency bands. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:677–681, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26601
Quality estimation of the optical n‐quadrature amplitude modulation signals utilizing the eye opening penalty
Authors: Turkiewicz Jarosław Piotr , Kościelska Agata
Published: January 2012

A novel method to estimate n‐quadrature amplitude modulation (n‐QAM) signal quality using the eye opening penalty is proposed and verified. Operation of the proposed method in the presence of most typical distortions like chromatic dispersion and accumulated noise is evaluated. Further, the proposed method is compared with other well‐established methods. The presented results indicate excellent applicability of the proposed method to estimate the n‐QAM signal quality and therefore, great potential in applications in the transmission system simulations and the production environment. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:564–569, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26621
Design a new elliptical ultrawideband antenna with dual band‐notched characteristics
Authors: Liu W. X. , Yin Y. Z. , Xu W. L.
Published: January 2012

A novel microstrip‐fed ultrawideband elliptical antenna with dual band‐notched characteristics is proposed and fabricated. Dual band‐notched characteristics are achieved by a defected ground structure and using a tuning stub embedded in the microstrip feed line. The operation bandwidth of the designed antenna is from 2.6 to 12 GHz for voltage standing wave ratio less than 2, except two frequency notched bands of 3.2–4.1 GHz for WiMAX and 4.9–6.0 GHz for wireless local area network. Moreover, the proposed antenna provides a good radiation pattern and a relatively flat gain over the entire frequency band excluding the rejected bands. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:780–783, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26625
Compact planar near‐field resonant parastic antenna for multiple‐input multiple‐output applications
Authors: Lin Chia‐Ching , Jin Peng , Ziolkowski Richard W.
Published: January 2012

A planar tri‐band near‐field resonant parasitic (NFRP) antenna for multiple‐input multiple‐output (MIMO) applications in the WLAN 2.4/5.2/5.8 GHz bands is presented. The tri‐band functionality is obtained by introducing three different resonant parasitic elements near a simple driven element. Good impedance matching, radiation efficiency, and antenna patterns are realized at each of the desired resonant frequencies. Experimental confirmation of the simulated performance is presented. It is demonstrated that an array of these tri‐band NFRP antennas obtains good isolation between elements even with small spacing between them. Calculated envelope correlation values are less than 0.12 within the bands of interest. The design methodologies of the tri‐band NFRP antenna and the corresponding MIMO array are detailed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:580–584, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26647
K‐band, low‐power CMOS injection‐locked divide‐by‐three circuit using shunt‐peaking and current‐bleeding techniques
Authors: Tsai Pei‐Kang , Liu Chih‐Yu , Huang Tzuen‐Hsi , Wu Janne‐Wha
Published: January 2012

A CMOS divide‐by‐three injection‐locked frequency divider having a wide input locking range of 23–27 GHz is proposed.The wide locking range is achieved by combining the shunt‐peaking and current‐bleeding techniques. The proposed circuit is fabricated using a 0.18‐μm RF CMOS process, and the measured operation range (i.e., total locking range) is 4.32 GHz (from 23.17 to 27.49 GHz) for an input injection power of +4 dBm. The power consumption is 4.28 mW at a supply voltage of 1.2 V. The second‐ and third‐order harmonic suppressions are 38.05 and 37.89 dBc, respectively, for a divided output frequency of 8.4 GHz. The output phase noise under lock at an offset of 1 MHz with an input injection power of +4 dBm is −139 dBc/Hz. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:577–579, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26648
10‐Gbit/s, reconfigurable time domain SPE‐OCDMA system with code shifting and pulse overlapping
Authors: Gao Zhensen , Dai Bo , Wang Xu , Kataoka Nobuyuki , Wada Naoya
Published: January 2012

A code shifting technique operated in the pulse overlapping regime using only highly dispersive element and phase modulator is proposed and applied for high speed, dynamic reconfigurable time domain spectral phase encoding (SPE) optical‐code‐division‐multiple‐access (OCDMA).Proof‐of‐principle experimental demonstration in a 10‐Gb/s, two‐user SPE‐OCDMA system with code‐length variable spectral phase pattern of up to 1024 is reported. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:808–810, 2012; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26661
Atmospheric effects of energetic particle precipitation in the Arctic winter 1978–1979 revisited
Authors: Holt L. A. , Randall C. E. , Harvey V. L. , Remsberg E. E. , Stiller G. P. , Funke B. , Bernath P. F. , Walker K. A.
Published: January 2012

The Limb Infrared Monitor of the Stratosphere (LIMS) measured polar stratospheric enhancements of NO2 mixing ratios due to energetic particle precipitation (EPP) in the Arctic winter of 1978–1979. Recently reprocessed LIMS data are compared to more recent measurements from the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding (MIPAS) and the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier transform spectrometer (ACE‐FTS) to place the LIMS measurements in the context of current observations. The amount of NOx (NO + NO2) entering the stratosphere that has been created by EPP in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (EPP‐NOx) has been quantified for the 1978–1979 and 2002–2003 through 2008–2009 Arctic winters. The NO2 enhancements in the LIMS data are similar to those in MIPAS and ACE‐FTS data in the Arctic winters of 2002–2003, 2004–2005, 2006–2007, and 2007–2008. The largest enhancement by far is in 2003–2004 (∼2.2 Gmol at 1500 K), which is attributed to a combination of elevated EPP and unusual dynamics that led to strong descent in the upper stratosphere/lower mesosphere in late winter. The enhancements in 2005–2006 and 2008–2009, during which large stratospheric NOx enhancements were caused by a dynamical situation similar to that in 2003–2004, are larger than in all the other years (except 2003–2004) at 3000 K. However, by 2000 K the enhancements in 2005–2006 (2008–2009) are on the same order of magnitude as (smaller than) all other years. These results highlight the importance of the timing of the descent in determining the potential of EPP‐NOx for reaching the middle stratosphere.
Inducing phase locking of multiple oscillators beyond the Adler’s condition
Authors: Song Wei , Sun Jun , Shao Hao , Xiao Ren-zhen , Chen Chang-hua , Liu Guo-zhi
Published: January 2012

To achieve phase locking of high power microwave oscillators on a relatively weak coupling strength, an inducing phase locking method is investigated. With an external signal injected from the end of relativistic backward wave oscillator, the frequency and phase of the output microwave is pulling in the starting oscillation process and remaining stable in the later stationary oscillation process. The simulation results indicate that injecting of inducing signal prior to the onset of natural oscillations is necessary, while the duration of injection, power of injection and locking bandwidth are not limited by classic Adler’s law.
Steady state discharge optimization in high-power impulse magnetron sputtering through the control of the magnetic field
Authors: Čapek J. , Hála M. , Zabeida O. , Klemberg-Sapieha J. E. , Martinu L.
Published: January 2012

High-power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) is a pulsed DC sputtering technique utilizing high power density peaks of typically more than 100 W cm−2. The discharge operation at such elevated powers can be hindered by the magnetron configuration (size and magnetic field) and/or the target conditions (e.g., material and thickness). In addition, target erosion is an important issue significantly affecting process reproducibility. In the present work, we propose a simple approach for the stabilization of the HiPIMS discharge by controlling the target magnetic field using paramagnetic spacers with different thicknesses in between the magnetron surface and the target. We demonstrate a straightforward discharge optimization, while using various target materials, such as Nb, Ta, Cr, Al, Ti, Si, and even C (graphite). The existence of a steady state high density discharge above the graphite target and the other targets in general is discussed in terms of the magnetic field configuration and the gas rarefaction effect.
On the entanglement of electrostriction and non-linear piezoelectricity in non-centrosymmetric materials
Authors: Pedesseau L. , Katan C. , Even J.
Published: January 2012

An extended and complete thermodynamical model of third-order electro-elastic coupling is proposed with symmetry analyses and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to evaluate consistently the various linear and non-linear coefficients. It is shown that in non-centrosymmetric materials, electrostrictive and non-linear piezoelectric phenomena are strongly coupled, except for materials crystallizing in a cubic lattice associated to the 432 point group. Thorough numerical results are given for GaN and AlN compounds in the Würtzite structure. Electrostriction dominates, but non-linear elasticity and non-linear piezoelectricity must be taken into account for strain evaluation whereas non-linear piezoelectricity yields a significant correction for electric field.
Cancer Targeted Nanoparticles Specifically Induce Apoptosis in Cancer Cells and Spare Normal Cells
Authors: Kanwar Jagat R. , Kanwar Rupinder K. , Mahidhara Ganesh , Cheung Chun Hei Antonio
Published: January 2012

Curing cancer is the greatest challenge for modern medicine and finding ways to minimize the adverse effects caused by chemotherapeutic agents is of importance in improving patient’s physical conditions. Traditionally, chemotherapy can induce various adverse effects, and these effects are mostly caused by the non-target specific properties of the chemotherapeutic compounds. Recently, the use of nanoparticles has been found to be capable of minimizing these drug-induced adverse effects in animals and in patients during cancer treatment. The use of nanoparticles allows various chemotherapeutic drugs to be targeted to cancer cells with lower dosages. In addition to this, the use of nanoparticles also allows various drugs to be administered to the subjects by an oral route. Here, locked nucleic acid (LNA)-modified epithelial cell adhesion molecules (EpCAM), aptamers (RNA nucleotide), and nucleolin (DNA nucleotide) aptamers have been developed and conjugated on anti-cancer drug-loaded nanocarriers for specific delivery to cancer cells and spare normal cells. Significant amounts of the drug loaded nanocarriers (92 ± 6 %) were found to distribute to the cancer cells at the tumour site and more interestingly, normal cells were unaffected in vitro and in vivo. In this review, the benefits of using nanoparticle-coated drugs in various cancer treatments are discussed. Various nanoparticles that have been tried in improving the target specificity and potency of chemotherapeutic compounds are also described.
Growth Is Good for the Poor, If Social Policy Passes It On
Authors: Kenworthy Lane
Published: January 2012

Economic growth has been good for the poor in the world’s rich nations since the 1970s. But not always. Some countries have experienced lengthy periods of economic growth with little or no rise in the incomes of low-end households. When growth has trickled down to the poor, government transfers have been the principal conduit. It is in countries that have increased transfers in concert with per capita GDP that the incomes of the poor have tended to rise.
The Politics of Helping the Poor
Authors: Kenworthy Lane
Published: January 2012

Given its political institutions—a privatized system of campaign financing, a federal government structure, extensive separation of powers within the federal government, a bicameral parliament, the filibuster practice in the Senate, and the lack of a truly left political party, among others—it is not surprising that the United States is a laggard in social policy generosity among the rich countries. Yet the world of social policy is not a deterministic one. Structures and institutions constrain, but they do not dictate outcomes. Examples from America’s past and from recent developments in other rich countries suggest reason for guarded optimism about the potential for policy more conducive to progress for the poor.
7 Beer‐Drinking Nations: The Determinants of Global Beer Consumption
Authors: Colen Liesbeth , Swinnen Johan F. M.
Published: January 2012

This chapter analyzes the evolution of beer consumption between countries and over time. Historically, there have been major changes in beer consumption in the world. In recent times, per capita consumption has decreased in traditional ‘beer drinking nations’ and increased strongly in emerging economies. A quantitative empirical analysis shows that the relationship between income and beer consumption has an inverse U-shape. Beer consumption initially increases with rising incomes, but at higher levels of income beer consumption falls. Increased openness to trade and globalization has contributed to a convergence in alcohol consumption patterns across countries. In countries that were originally ‘beer drinking nations’, the share of beer in total alcohol consumption reduced while this is not the case in countries which traditionally drank mostly wine or spirits. Climatic conditions, religion, and relative prices also influence beer consumption.
Ideal Point Estimation with a Small Number of Votes: A Random-Effects Approach
Authors: Bailey Michael
Published: January 2012

Many conventional ideal point estimation techniques are inappropriate when only a limited number of votes are available. This paper presents a covariate-based random-effects Bayesian approach that allows scholars to estimate ideal points based on fewer votes than required for fixed-effects models. Using covariates brings more information to bear on the estimation; using a Bayesian random-effects approach avoids incidental parameter problems. Among other things, the method allows us to estimate directly the effect of covariates such as party on preferences and to estimate standard errors for ideal points. Monte Carlo results, an empirical application, and a discussion of further applications demonstrate the usefulness of the method.
Recognition of the iso-ADP-ribose moiety in poly(ADP-ribose) by WWE domains suggests a general mechanism for poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation-dependent ubiquitination
Authors: Wang Zhizhi , Michaud Gregory A. , Cheng Zhihong , Zhang Yue , Hinds Thomas R. , Fan Erkang , Cong Feng , Xu Wenqing
Published: January 2012

Protein poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and ubiquitination are two key post-translational modifications regulating many biological processes. Through crystallographic and biochemical analysis, we show that the RNF146 WWE domain recognizes poly(ADP-ribose) (PAR) by interacting with iso-ADP-ribose (iso-ADPR), the smallest internal PAR structural unit containing the characteristic ribose–ribose glycosidic bond formed during poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation. The key iso-ADPR-binding residues we identified are highly conserved among WWE domains. Binding assays further demonstrate that PAR binding is a common function for the WWE domain family. Since many WWE domain-containing proteins are known E3 ubiquitin ligases, our results suggest that protein poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation may be a general mechanism to target proteins for ubiquitination.
Long‐term changes in body composition after pancreaticoduodenectomy
Authors: Aslani Alireza , Roach Paul J. , Smith Ross C.
Published: January 2012

Background:  The Whipple's procedure (WP) is a major operation that adds a further demand on the body's nutritional reserves and therefore body composition after the effect of pancreatic cancer. The aim was to document changes in body composition changes that occur during the first six months after a WP for a pancreatic cancer malignancy.

Methods:  Twenty‐seven (14 males, 13 females) consecutive WP patients had body composition measured at baseline and then at 2, 5, 14 and 26 weeks after surgery. These included; anthropometric measure (weight, skin folds and arm muscle area (AMA)), total body measures of protein (TBP), potassium (TBK), water (TBW) and fat mass (FM). Changes were compared using repeated measures analysis of variance.

Results:  Hospital nutritional care maintained TBP and TBK but at 2 weeks there was a loss of FM (P= 0.037). The nadir of weight loss (P < 0.001) occurred at 5 weeks because of losses of protein (P= 0.007), fat (P < 0.001) and potassium (P= 0.045) but not water. Although weight and FM were still significantly less than baseline measures at 26 weeks weight, TBP, TBK and AMA were not significantly different to preoperative values.

Conclusions:  Although at 6 months, important measures of the metabolically functioning tissue, TBP and TBK, have returned to preoperative values significant losses occurred during the first 3 weeks after discharge from hospital and FM did not return to preoperative values. These results suggest the need to improve post‐discharge nutritional care.
Biological immunomodulators improve the healing rate in surgically treated perianal Crohn’s fistulas
Authors: El‐Gazzaz G. , Hull T. , Church J. M.
Published: January 2012

Aim  The role of biological therapy in perianal fistulas associated with Crohn’s disease (CD) is uncertain as available data are confused and conflicting. In order to provide some clarity to the issue we have examined a large cohort of patients with perianal fistulas and CD and stratified them according to use of biological agents.

Method  Patients with perianal Crohn’s fistulas treated between June 1999 and June 2009 were stratified according to use of biological agents and outcome was examined. Healing was defined as absence of fistula or drainage. Prior to surgery perianal sepsis was eradicated with drains or setons. Endpoints were defined as either complete healing, improvement (minimal symptoms and drainage) or unhealed, as noted at subsequent outpatient follow‐up. Variables assessed were age, body mass index, smoking, perineal involvement with Crohn’s granuloma and type of procedure. Fisher’s exact test and χ2 test were used for analysis.

Results  Two hundred and eighteen patients had anal fistulas and CD. Mean follow‐up was 3.2 ± 3 years with mean age 38.8 ± 12.2 years and body mass index of 25.3 ± 6. One hundred and seventeen patients (53.7%) underwent surgery alone (Group A) and 101 patients (46.3%) underwent surgery and biological immunomodulator treatments (Group B). Demographic data and CD history were similar between groups. Surgeries included seton drainge (n = 90), fistulotomy (n = 22), rectal advancement flap (n = 39), fistulotomy plus seton (n = 47) and others (n = 20). Overall improvement in Group A was in 42 patients (35.9%) vs 72 patients (71.3%) in Group B (P = 0.001). There was no significant difference in other studied variables between both groups.

Conclusions  There is a definite role for biological therapy as an adjuvant to surgery in patients with perianal fistulas and CD.
Should We be Utopophobes about Democracy in Particular?
Authors: Tomlin Patrick
Published: January 2012

In his book Democratic Authority, David Estlund puts forward a case for democracy, which he labels epistemic proceduralism, that relies on democracy's ability to produce good – that is, substantively just – results. Alongside this case for democracy Estlund attacks what he labels ‘utopophobia’, an aversion to idealistic political theory. In this article I make two points. The first is a general point about what the correct level of ‘idealisation’ is in political theory. Various debates are emerging on this question and, to the extent that they are focused on ‘political theory’ as a whole, I argue, they are flawed. This is because there are different kinds of political concept, and they require different kinds of ideal. My second point is about democracy in particular. If we understand democracy as Estlund does, then we should see it as a problem-solving concept – the problem being that we need coercive institutions and rules, but we do not know what justice requires. As democracy is a response to a problem, we should not allow our theories of it, even at the ideal level, to be too idealised – they must be embedded in the nature of the problem they are to solve, and the beings that have it.
Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group G patient with a novel homozygous missense mutation and no neurological abnormalities
Authors: Moriwaki Shinichi , Takigawa Masahiro , Igarashi Naoya , Nagai Yayoi , Amano Hiroo , Ishikawa Osamu , Khan Sikandar G. , Kraemer Kenneth H.
Published: January 2012

Abstract:  We describe an unusual xeroderma pigmentosum (XP) patient with a mutation in XP complementation group G, representing only the third reported Japanese XP‐G patient. A 40‐year‐old men (XP3HM), born from consanguineous parents experienced sun sensitivity and pigmentary changes of sun‐exposed skin since childhood. He developed a squamous cell carcinoma on his lower lip at the age of 40. He has neither neurological abnormalities nor Cockayne syndrome. The primary fibroblasts of the patient were hypersensitive to killing by UV (D0 = 0.6 J/m2) and the post‐UV unscheduled DNA synthesis was 8% of normal. Host cell reactivation complementation analysis implicated XP complementation group G. We identified a novel homozygous mutation (c.194T>C) in a conserved portion of the XPG(ERCC5) gene, resulting in a predicted amino acid change; p.L65P. We confirmed that this genetic change reduced DNA repair thus linking this mutation to increased skin cancer.
Relationship of serum and saliva calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase with dry mouth feeling in menopause
Authors: Agha‐Hosseini Farzaneh , Mirzaii‐Dizgah Iraj , Moosavi Mahdieh‐Sadat
Published: January 2012

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2012.00619.x

Relationship of serum and saliva calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase with dry mouth feeling in menopause

Objectives:  The aim of this study was to compare serum and saliva calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase of menopausal women with/without dry mouth (DM) feeling.

Background:  The composition of saliva in menopause women with/without DM feeling is different. Some of these differences are in hormones that are related to bone turnover.

Methods:  A case–control study was carried out on 60 selected menopausal women aged 45–79 years with or without DM feeling (30 as case, 30 as control), conducted at the Clinic of Oral Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences. The phosphorus concentration was measured by photometrical measurement of the blue colour formed after the addition of ammonium molybdate and stannous chloride; calcium was measured by Arsenazo reaction; and alkaline phosphatase by the pNPP‐AMP method. Statistical analysis of Student’s t‐test was used.

Results:  The mean serum phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase, stimulated and unstimulated saliva calcium and alkaline phosphatase levels were significantly higher in the menopausal women suffering from DM. There were no significant differences between groups regarding saliva phosphorus and serum calcium concentration.

Conclusion:  Calcium, phosphorus and alkaline phosphatase appear associated with DM feeling in menopause.
The Relationship of Peripheral Arterial Disease and Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence in Asymptomatic US Adults 40 Years and Older: Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1999–2004)
Authors: Sumner Andrew D. , Khalil Yasser K. , Reed James F.
Published: January 2012

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012;14:144–148. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is a subclinical marker of coronary artery disease and identifies asymptomatic individuals at high risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD) events. The metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a constellation of clinical factors that increases the risk of developing diabetes and CVD. The authors’ objectives were to estimate the prevalence of MetS in patients with PAD and to determine the prevalence of PAD in the population of asymptomatic US adults 40 years and older with MetS. The authors analyzed data from 3 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES, 1999–2004). Prevalence of MetS as defined by the Third Report of the Adult Treatment Panel criteria and prevalence of associated cardiac risk factors were determined in 5376 asymptomatic participants 40 years and older. Presence of PAD was defined as ankle‐brachial index <0.9. Estimates were weighted with the sample weights accounting for the unequal selection probability of complex NHANES sampling and over sampling of selected population subgroups. Prevalence of PAD in asymptomatic US adults 40 years and older was 4.2%. PAD prevalence in persons with MetS was 7.0% compared with 3.3% in persons without MetS. A total of 38% of the population with PAD also had MetS. High rates of abdominal obesity, hypertension, hyperglycemia, and low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol are significant contributors to both MetS and PAD. Persons with MetS have twice the risk of having PAD. Of persons with PAD, almost 40% have MetS. The presence of either PAD or MetS should warrant screening for both conditions so that risk stratification and management of risk factors may be performed.
Regular Use of a Home Blood Pressure Monitor by Hypertensive Adults—HealthStyles, 2005 and 2008
Authors: Ayala Carma , Tong Xin , Keenan Nora L.
Published: January 2012

J Clin Hypertens (Greenwich). 2012;14:172–177. ©2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

The authors analyzed HealthStyles surveys 2005 and 2008 combined to assess the prevalence of regular home blood pressure monitor (HBPM) use among hypertensive adults. All data were self‐reported. The authors calculated odds ratios (ORs) of regular HBPM use and relative percent change (RPC) in the use of HBPM between the 2 survey years. There were 3739 (32.6%) hypertensives in the 2 survey years combined. Based on the self‐reported data, the proportion of hypertensives who regularly used an HBPM was 43.2%. Male sex, age, race/ethnicity, household income, and education were all associated with differences in the prevalence of regular HBPM use. Patients 65 years and older (OR, 2.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.49–3.81) were significantly more likely to be regular HBPM users than those 18 to 34 years. Non‐Hispanic blacks were significantly less likely (OR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.55–0.86) to be regular HBPM users than non‐Hispanic whites. From 2005 to 2008, the RPC in regular HBPM use was 14.2% (from 40.1% to 45.8%); the largest RPCs were for the 3 youngest age groups, men, non‐Hispanic blacks, and those with a household income of $40,000 to 59,900. Because HBPM has been demonstrated to aid in hypertension control, health care professionals should promote its use especially among hypertensives who are younger, non‐Hispanic blacks, Hispanics, or with a lower income.
Criterion Setting and the Dynamics of Recognition Memory
Authors: Cox Gregory E. , Shiffrin Richard M.
Published: January 2012

Models of recognition memory have traditionally struggled with the puzzle of criterion setting, a problem that is particularly acute in cases in which items for study and test are of widely varying types, with differing degrees of baseline familiarity and experience (e.g., words vs. random dot patterns). We present a dynamic model of the recognition process that addresses the criterion setting problem and produces joint predictions for choice and reaction time. In this model, recognition decisions are based not on the absolute value of familiarity, but on how familiarity changes over time as features are sampled from the test item. Decisions are the outcome of a race between two parallel accumulators: one that accumulates positive changes in familiarity (leading to an ‘‘old’’ decision) and another that accumulates negative changes (leading to a ‘‘new’’ decision). Simulations with this model make realistic predictions for recognition performance and latency regardless of the baseline familiarity of study and test items.
Psychometric characteristics of ideational retardation in depressives
Authors: Brébion G. , Smith M. J. , Allilaire J. F.
Published: January 2012

In two studies we tested the assumption that slowing of ideation (the ideational counterpart of psychomotor retardation) reflects a dimension distinct from severity of depression. Specifically, we hypothesized that an objective measure of ideational retardation would be correlated with a psychomotor retardation rating scale but not with a depression severity rating scale. There were 29 in‐patients in Study 1 and 30 out‐patients in Study 2; all satisfied DSM‐III criteria for major depressive episode. Measurements of ideational retardation, and notably latency of response, were derived from patient responses to the Rorschach plates (Study 1) and to simplified non‐figurative line drawings (Study 2). As expected, results showed that latencies of response were not significantly correlated with depression severity scores on the Montgomery and Asberg Depression Rating scale (r = .19 in Study 1, r = − .08 in Study 2), but were significantly correlated with the scores on the Salpétrière Retardation Rating scale (subscale for observable items, SRRSo) (r = .71, p < .0005 in Study 1; r = .55, p < .005, in Study 2).
Simplified Instrumentation and Field Checking of Hydraulic Turbine Governors
Authors: Wheeler B. E.
Published: January 2012

Preventive maintenance in regard to governor equipment is one of the more important and, in most instances, one of the least understood phases of present-day power plant maintenance. This paper will outline the converting of a standard test instrument of minimum cost and complexity to a test unit that will permit periodic field checking of governor equipment. It will also discuss the ways and means of using this instrument to determine the condition of a governor unit and pin point areas of trouble.
German Development in Acid Cleaning of High-Pressure Boilers
Authors: Heitmann H. G.
Published: January 2012

A new chemical cleaning method for power plants, especially for plants with once-through boilers, is described. In this method chemical cleaning of the loop is accomplished by utilizing temperatures of over 100 C and pH values down to about 4.0. The acid dosing—HCl or H2SO4—takes place in the feedwater discharge piping after the boiler feed pump. Before the latter, hydrazine is added to raise the pH value to over five in order to protect the pump. This serves simultaneously as a “transport medium” for the acid through the loop. In addition, hydrofluoric acid can be added to the cleaning solution for the removal of silica, and citric acid for complexing of the dissolved iron. The latter measure will prevent the reprecipitation of dissolved iron. At the time of writing 14 Benson boilers, two Sulzer monotube boilers, and one drum boiler with the associated power-station equipment have been chemically cleaned by the method developed. The cleanings actually carried out are described in part and the information derived from them explained in more detail.
The Application of the Deviation Concept of Turbine Cycle Monitoring
Authors: Hoffman H. T. , Welch C. P.
Published: January 2012

In a companion paper, J. K. Salisbury has presented the theoretical aspects of a new approach to analyzing the steam turbine cycle. This paper presents the results of efforts at applying this new approach to the monitoring of the economics of turbine cycle operation. Means are presented for identifying cycle faults and determining the change in heat rate resulting from these faults. Very little in the way of precision measurement and calculation is required. These techniques are, therefore, amenable to use by plant personnel with the tools already at hand. By the same token they also provide advantages when employing data-processing equipment.
Theoretical Design of a High-Head Axial-Flow Reversible Pump-Turbine
Authors: Baldur R.
Published: January 2012

A reversible axial-flow pump-turbine should have symmetrical airfoil sections on runner blades and diffuser vanes. A theoretical method is given which leads to an efficient use of such sections under all operating conditions. Some general charts have been prepared and these can be used for initial design considerations.
The Idealized Limited-Pressure Compression-Ignition Cycle: An Empirical Treatment of Its Response to Varying Operating Parameters
Authors: Van Der Werf P.
Published: January 2012

A computation of the idealized compression-ignition cycle with the aid of thermodynamic charts does not produce speedy and accurate results because (a) the procedure involves laborious trial-and-error methods, and (b) the charts available do not cover the whole range of mixture strengths at which this type of internal combustion engine may operate. It is shown in this paper that existing thermodynamic charts may be used to develop empirical equations for efficiency, work output, and mean effective pressure of the cycle for a range of mixture strengths and, in general, with improved accuracy. The equations are presented in the form of nomographs enabling performance to be estimated for compression-ignition or “Diesel” engines of unsupercharged design and operating on the mixed cycle.
Adjustment of Hydro-Governor Characteristics Using Separate Drive for the Speed-Sensing Element
Authors: Hovey L. M.
Published: January 2012

This paper describes the application of a variable-speed drive for the speed-sensing element of a conventional hydro-governor which makes it possible to measure accurately the deflection of the speeder rod for a given speed change from normal. When this characteristic is determined in the field, changes can be made to the control springs if necessary, to make all machines consistent. The device may also be applied to measure directly both the permanent and temporary speed droops of the governor and allow these quantities to be readjusted to the desired values. The advantage of this method of adjustment is that it permits all the work to be carried out with the main machine shutdown. The variable-speed drive consists of a small motor-generator set which supplies direct-current power to a rotary converter, which in turn delivers low-frequency alternating-current power to the speed-sensing motor on the governor. The rotary converter and the motor-generator set are controlled by a system which gives precise control over the speed which is measured by an accurate tachometer.
Corrosion of Feedwater Heater Tubing Alloys in Peaking Service
Authors: Wiedersum G. C. , Tice E. A.
Published: January 2012

A pilot-sized heat exchanger, containing a variety of alloy tubes, has been operated under peaking conditions for almost three years in parallel with a feedwater heater in a generating station. This test had three objectives: (1) To produce “exfoliation” scaling on commercial 70-30 copper-nickel tubes such as had occurred in commercial feedwater heaters at this and other stations under peaking conditions, (2) to evaluate modifications of the 70-30 copper-nickel alloy, and (3) to evaluate a number of other alloys. Under the test conditions, the formation of exfoliation scaling was characteristic of and limited to the 70-30 copper-nickel alloy. Exfoliation scaling was not prevented by the addition of 1.5 percent aluminum to the alloy but the addition of 5 percent iron prevented it. Other resistant alloys are 90-10, 80-20, and 60-40 copper nickels, MONEL1 alloy 400, Nickel 200, INCONEL1 alloy 600, stainless steels, and titanium. Carbon steel and a low-alloy steel developed adherent iron oxide coatings with only minor pitting attack. Condensate side surfaces (inside of tubes) also were examined after testing and their condition is described.