bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evolution of Pt Clusters on Graphene Induced by Electron Irradiation
Authors: Dong Cezhou , Zhu Wenpeng , Zhao Siyuan , Wang Peng , Wang Hongtao , Yang Wei
Published: July 2013

In situ low-voltage transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was performed to study the evolution of small Pt clusters on suspended graphene. Pt clusters, trapped by the edge of holes, generally take a stable shape of truncated octahedron for sizes ranging from sub-1 to ∼5 nm. The interaction to the graphene dots takes in charge when they form composite nanostructures embedded in graphene. The Pt clusters are slowly flattened due to hole enlargement under electron irradiation. The planar structure is maintained by the peripheral Pt-C bonds and instantly collapses into a three-dimensional (3D) cluster if one side is detached from the edge. Based on the heat transfer model, the thermal effect can be excluded under the experimental condition. Atomistic evolution can be attributed to the electron irradiation. Molecular dynamics simulations revealed that the evolution kinetics was found to be dominated by the surface diffusion (characterized by the migration barrier Em), the temperature (the thermal activation energy ∼5kBT), and the scattering from electrons (the maximum transferred energy Emax). The corresponding energies are comparable for the Pt cluster system, leading to similar evolution behaviors. A different scenario in graphene systems is due to the large difference in agitations, i.e., Emax ≫ Em ∼ 5kBT at 3000 K. This unique behavior comes from TEM observation, implying that electron beam irradiation can be utilized as a unique tool in shaping carbon nanostructures.
Advanced Methodologies for Developing Improved Potted Smart Munitions for High-G Applications
Authors: Chao Nien-Hua , Dispenza John A. , DeAngelis Mario
Published: July 2013

Potted electronics are becoming more common in precision-guided smart munitions designs due to the requirements for miniaturization and structural-robustness. In most of these applications, the potted electronics are inactive for most of their lifetime and may be stored without environmental (temperature and humidity) controls for up to 20 yr. The uncontrolled environment for smart munitions however makes the thermal management task especially difficult due to the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch that can exist between the potting material and the electronic components. In this paper, we will do the following: (1) present a methodology being developed for reducing the thermal stresses to the potted electronics used in uncontrolled environments by encapsulating the circuit board assembly (CBA) with a thin polymer layer which has been precisely formed to conform to the imprecisely shaped, as-populated, CBA. The protective polymer layer will be both flexible and soft enough to protect the CBA components from damage caused by thermal expansion mismatches, but not degrade the structural support that the potting provides during high-g force projectile launches, (2) discuss how the protective polymer layer methodology can also be used to lessen in-circuit board crosstalk, improve shielding from external RF interference, control tin-whisker growth, and enhance moisture barrier properties and thermal management for CBAs, and (3) demonstrate how to improve the smart munitions survivability under extreme high-g applications through the use of syntactic foams and material characterization before and after accelerated temperature-cycling and thermal-aging tests.
Heat Conduction in Mobile Electronic Equipment: Study on the Effects of Some Key Parameters on Heat Source Temperature Based on a Three-Layer Model
Authors: Nakayama Wataru
Published: July 2013

Heat conduction analysis is performed on a model system to survey the effects of geometric and thermal parameters on the temperature of an embedded heat source. A box model has the geometric characteristics of hand-held devices and has a laminar organization composed of a printed circuit board (PCB), air gap, and a system casing. Exploiting the laminar organization and thinness of the laminate an approximate solution is derived. The solution is used to produce a guide for thermal design analysts, which is concerned with the sensitivity of the heat source temperature to the effective thermal conductivity of the PCB. Numerical examples are shown for the models that have typical dimensions and material properties of actual equipment and PCB.
A Parallel Reanalysis Method Based on Approximate Inverse Matrix for Complex Engineering Problems
Authors: Wang Hu , Li Enying , Li Guangyao
Published: July 2013

The combined approximations (CA) method is an effective reanalysis approach providing high quality results. The CA method is suitable for a wide range of structural optimization problems including linear reanalysis, nonlinear reanalysis and eigenvalue reanalysis. However, with increasing complexity and scale of engineering problems, the efficiency of the CA method might not be guaranteed. A major bottleneck of the CA is how to obtain reduced basis vectors efficiently. Therefore, a modified CA method, based on approximation of the inverse matrix, is suggested. Based on the symmetric successive over-relaxation (SSOR) and compressed sparse row (CSR), the efficiency of CA method is shown to be much improved and corresponding storage space markedly reduced. In order to further improve the efficiency, the suggested strategy is implemented on a graphic processing unit (GPU) platform. To verify the performance of the suggested method, several case studies are undertaken. Compared with the popular serial CA method, the results demonstrate that the suggested GPU-based CA method is an order of magnitude faster for the same level of accuracy.
Investigation of the Behavior of Ventilated Supercavities in a Periodic Gust Flow
Authors: Lee Seung-Jae , Kawakami Ellison , Arndt Roger E. A.
Published: July 2013

A ventilated supercavity consists of a large, gas-filled bubble enveloped around an underwater vehicle that allows for significant drag reduction and increases in vehicle speed. Previous studies at the Saint Anthony Falls Laboratory (SAFL) focused on the behavior of ventilated supercavities in steady horizontal flows. In open waters, vehicles can encounter unsteady flows, especially when traveling near the surface, under waves. In supercavitation technology, it is critical that the vehicle remains within the cavity while traveling through water to avoid unwanted planing forces. A study has been carried out in the high-speed water tunnel to investigate the effects of unsteady flow on axisymmetric supercavities. An attempt is made to duplicate sea states seen in open waters. In an effort to track cavity dimensions throughout a wave cycle, an automated cavity-tracking script has been developed. Using a high-speed camera and the proper software, it is possible to synchronize cavity dimensions with pressure measurements taken inside the cavity. Results regarding supercavity appearance, cavitation parameters, and their relation to sea state conditions are presented. It was found that flow unsteadiness caused a decrease in the overall length of the supercavity while having only a minimal effect on the maximum diameter. The supercavity volume varied with cavitation number, and a possible relationship between the two was explored.
An Improved Efficient Network Model for Determining the Effective Thermal Conductivity of Particulate Thermal Interface Materials
Authors: Dan B. , Sammakia B. G. , Subbarayan G. , Kanuparthi S.
Published: July 2013

Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are particulate composite materials widely used in the microelectronics industry to reduce the thermal resistance between the device and heat sink. Predictive modeling using fundamental physical principles is critical to developing new TIMs since it can be used to quantify the effect of particle volume fraction and arrangements on the effective thermal conductivity. The existing analytical descriptions of thermal transport in particulate systems do not accurately account for the effect of interparticle interactions, especially in the intermediate volume fractions of 30–80%. An efficient random network model (RNM) that captures the near-percolation transport in these particle-filled systems, taking into account the interparticle interactions and random size distributions, was previously developed by Kanuparthi et al. The RNM approach uses a cylindrical region to approximate the thermal transport within the filler particles and to capture the interparticle interactions. However, this approximation is less accurate when the polydispersivity of the particulate system increases. In addition, the accuracy of the RNM is dependent on the parameters inherent in an analytical description of thermal transport between two spherical particles and their numerical approximation into the network model. In the current paper, a novel semispherical approximation to the conductance of the fillers is presented as an alternative to the cylindrical region approximation used earlier. Compared with the cylindrical model, the thermal conductivities of the semispherical model are more closely to the finite element (FE) results. Based on the FE analysis, the network model is improved by developing an approximation of the critical cylindrical region between two spherical particles over which energy is transported. Comparing the RNM results with FE results and experimental data, a linear relationship of the critical parameter with the thermal conductivity ratio and the volume fraction was found that provides a more accurate prediction of the effective thermal conductivity of the particulate TIMs.
Multilocus Sequence Typing Reveals Evidence of Homologous Recombination Linked to Antibiotic Resistance in the Genus Salinispora
Authors: Freel Kelle C. , Millán-Aguiñaga Natalie , Jensen Paul R.
Published: July 2013

The three closely related species that currently comprise the genus
Salinispora
were analyzed using a multilocus sequence typing approach targeting 48 strains derived from four geographic locations. Phylogenetic congruence and a well-supported concatenated tree provide strong support for the delineation of the three species as currently described and the basal relationship of
Salinispora arenicola
to the more recently diverged sister taxa
S. tropica
and
S. pacifica
. The phylogeny of the initial region of the
rpoB
gene sequenced was atypical, placing the related genera
Micromonospora
and
Verrucosispora
within the
Salinispora
clade. This phylogenetic incongruence was subsequently ascribed to a homologous-recombination event in a portion of the gene associated with resistance to compounds in the rifamycin class, which target RpoB. All
S. arenicola
strains produced compounds in this class and possessed resistance-conferring amino acid changes in RpoB. The phylogeny of a region of the
rpoB
gene that is not associated with rifamycin resistance was congruent with the other housekeeping genes. The link between antibiotic resistance and homologous recombination suggests that incongruent phylogenies provide opportunities to identify the molecular targets of secondary metabolites, an observation with potential relevance for drug discovery efforts. Low ratios of interspecies recombination to mutation, even among cooccurring strains, coupled with high levels of within-species recombination suggest that the three species have been described in accordance with natural barriers to recombination.
Investigation of Malic Acid Production in Aspergillus oryzae under Nitrogen Starvation Conditions
Authors: Knuf Christoph , Nookaew Intawat , Brown Stephen H. , McCulloch Michael , Berry Alan , Nielsen Jens
Published: July 2013

Malic acid has great potential for replacing petrochemical building blocks in the future. For this application, high yields, rates, and titers are essential in order to sustain a viable biotechnological production process. Natural high-capacity malic acid producers like the malic acid producerAspergillus flavushave so far been disqualified because of special growth requirements or the production of mycotoxins. AsA. oryzaeis a very close relative or even an ecotype ofA. flavus, it is likely that its high malic acid production capabilities with a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) status may be combined with already existing large-scale fermentation experience. In order to verify the malic acid production potential, two wild-type strains, NRRL3485 and NRRL3488, were compared in shake flasks. As NRRL3488 showed a volumetric production rate twice as high as that of NRRL3485, this strain was selected for further investigation of the influence of two different nitrogen sources on malic acid secretion. The cultivation in lab-scale fermentors resulted in a higher final titer, 30.27 ± 1.05 g liter−1, using peptone than the one of 22.27 ± 0.46 g liter−1obtained when ammonium was used. Through transcriptome analysis, a binding site similar to the one of theSaccharomyces cerevisiaeyeast transcription factor Msn2/4 was identified in the upstream regions of glycolytic genes and the cytosolic malic acid production pathway from pyruvate via oxaloacetate to malate, which suggests that malic acid production is a stress response. Furthermore, the pyruvate carboxylase reaction was identified as a target for metabolic engineering, after it was confirmed to be transcriptionally regulated through the correlation of intracellular fluxes and transcriptional changes.
Shared Metabolic Pathways in a Coevolved Insect-Bacterial Symbiosis
Authors: Russell Calum W. , Bouvaine Sophie , Newell Peter D. , Douglas Angela E.
Published: July 2013

The symbiotic bacterium
Buchnera aphidicola
lacks key genes in the biosynthesis of five essential amino acids (EAAs), and yet its animal hosts (aphids) depend on the symbiosis for the synthesis of these EAAs (isoleucine, leucine, methionine, phenylalanine, and valine). We tested the hypothesis, derived from genome annotation, that the missing
Buchnera
reactions are mediated by host enzymes, with the exchange of metabolic intermediates between the partners. The specialized host cells bearing
Buchnera
were separated into a
Buchnera
fraction and a
Buchnera
-free host cell fraction (HF). Addition of HF to isolated
Buchnera
preparations significantly increased the production of leucine and phenylalanine, and recombinant enzymes mediating the final reactions in branched-chain amino acid and phenylalanine synthesis rescued the production of these EAAs by
Buchnera
preparations without HF. The likely precursors for the missing proximal reactions in isoleucine and methionine synthesis were identified, and they differed from predictions based on genome annotations: synthesis of 2-oxobutanoate, the aphid-derived precursor of isoleucine synthesis, was stimulated by homoserine and not threonine via threonine dehydratase, and production of the homocysteine precursor of methionine was driven by cystathionine, not cysteine, via reversal of the transsulfuration pathway. The evolution of shared metabolic pathways in this symbiosis can be attributed to host compensation for genomic deterioration in the symbiont, involving changes in host gene expression networks to recruit specific enzymes to the host cell.
Construction of a Prophage-Free Variant of Corynebacterium glutamicum ATCC 13032 for Use as a Platform Strain for Basic Research and Industrial Biotechnology
Authors: Baumgart Meike , Unthan Simon , Rückert Christian , Sivalingam Jasintha , Grünberger Alexander , Kalinowski Jörn , Bott Michael , Noack Stephan , Frunzke Julia
Published: July 2013

The activity of bacteriophages and phage-related mobile elements is a major source for genome rearrangements and genetic instability of their bacterial hosts. The genome of the industrial amino acid producer
Corynebacterium glutamicum
ATCC 13032 contains three prophages (CGP1, CGP2, and CGP3) of so far unknown functionality. Several phage genes are regularly expressed, and the large prophage CGP3 (∼190 kbp) has recently been shown to be induced under certain stress conditions. Here, we present the construction of MB001, a prophage-free variant of
C. glutamicum
ATCC 13032 with a 6% reduced genome. This strain does not show any unfavorable properties during extensive phenotypic characterization under various standard and stress conditions. As expected, we observed improved growth and fitness of MB001 under SOS-response-inducing conditions that trigger CGP3 induction in the wild-type strain. Further studies revealed that MB001 has a significantly increased transformation efficiency and produced about 30% more of the heterologous model protein enhanced yellow fluorescent protein (eYFP), presumably as a consequence of an increased plasmid copy number. These effects were attributed to the loss of the restriction-modification system (cg1996-cg1998) located within CGP3. The deletion of the prophages without any negative effect results in a novel platform strain for metabolic engineering and represents a useful step toward the construction of a
C. glutamicum
chassis genome of strain ATCC 13032 for biotechnological applications and synthetic biology.
Comparative Proteome Analysis of Spontaneous Outer Membrane Vesicles and Purified Outer Membranes of Neisseria meningitidis
Authors: Lappann Martin , Otto Andreas , Becher Dörte , Vogel Ulrich
Published: July 2013

Outer membrane vesicles (OMVs) of Gram-negative bacteria receive increasing attention because of various biological functions and their use as vaccines. However, the mechanisms of OMV release and selective sorting of proteins into OMVs remain unclear. Comprehensive quantitative proteome comparisons between spontaneous OMVs (SOMVs) and the outer membrane (OM) have not been conducted so far. Here, we established a protocol for metabolic labeling of neisserial proteins with
15
N. SOMV and OM proteins labeled with
15
N were used as an internal standard for proteomic comparison of the SOMVs and OMs of two different strains. This labeling approach, coupled with high-sensitivity mass spectrometry, allowed us to comprehensively unravel the proteome of the SOMVs and OMs. We quantified the relative distribution of 155 proteins between SOMVs and the OM. Complement regulatory proteins, autotransporters, proteins involved in iron and zinc acquisition, and a two-partner secretion system were enriched in SOMVs. The highly abundant porins PorA and PorB and proteins connecting the OM with peptidoglycan or the inner membrane, such as RmpM, MtrE, and PilQ, were depleted in SOMVs. Furthermore, the three lytic transglycosylases MltA, MltB, and Slt were less abundant in SOMVs. In conclusion, SOMVs are likely to be released from surface areas with a low local abundance of membrane-anchoring proteins and lytic transglycosylases. The enrichment of complement regulatory proteins, autotransporters, and trace metal binding and transport proteins needs to be explored in the context of the pathogenesis of meningococcal disease.
Repeated familiarisation with hypohydration attenuates the performance decrement caused by hypohydration during treadmill running
Authors: Fleming Joseph , James Lewis J.
Published: July 2013

This study examined the effect of repeated familiarisation to hypohydration on hypohydrated exercise performance. After familiarisation with the exercise protocol, 10 recreationally active males completed a euhydrated (EU-pre) and hypohydrated (HYPO-pre) trial, which involved a 45-min steady state run at 75% peak oxygen uptake (45SS) followed by a 5-km time trial (TT). Euhydration and hypohydration were induced by manipulating fluid intake in the 24-h pre-exercise and during the 45SS. Subjects then completed 4 habituation sessions that involved replication of the HYPO-pre trial, except they completed 60 min of running at 75% peak oxygen uptake and no TT. Subjects then replicated the euhydrated (EU-post) and hypohydrated (HYPO-post) trials. Body mass loss pre-TT was 0.2 (0.2)% (EU-pre), 2.4 (0.3)% (HYPO-pre), 0.1 (0.1)% (EU-post), and 2.4 (0.3)% (HYPO-post). TT performance was 5.8 (2.4)% slower during the HYPO-pre trial (1459 (250) s) than during the EU-pre trial (1381 (237) s) (p < 0.01), but only 1.2 (1.6)% slower during the HYPO-post trial (1381 (200) s) than during the EU-post trial (1366 (211) s) (p = 0.064). TT performance was not different between EU-pre and EU-post trials, but was 5.1 (2.3)% faster during the HYPO-post trial than the HYPO-pre trial (p < 0.01). Heart rate was greater during HYPO trials than EU trials (p < 0.001), whilst rating of perceived exertion (RPE) response was similar to TT time and was lower in the HYPO-post trial than the HYPO-pre trial (p < 0.01). In conclusion, hypohydration impaired 5-km running performance in subjects unfamiliar with the hypohydration protocol, but 4 familiarisation sessions designed to habituate subjects with the hypohydration protocol attenuated the performance decrement, seemingly via an attenuation of RPE during hypohydrated exercise.
The decrease of cardiac chamber volumes and output during positive-pressure ventilation
Authors: Kyhl Kasper , Ahtarovski Kiril Aleksov , Iversen Kasper , Thomsen Carsten , Vejlstrup Niels , Engstrøm Thomas , Madsen Per Lav
Published: July 2013

Positive-pressure ventilation (PPV) is widely used for treatment of acute cardiorespiratory failure, occasionally at the expense of compromised cardiac function and arterial blood pressure. The explanation why has largely rested on interpretation of intracardiac pressure changes. We evaluated the effect of PPV on the central circulation by studying cardiac chamber volumes with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). We hypothesized that PPV lowers cardiac output (CO) mainly via the Frank-Starling relationship. In 18 healthy volunteers, cardiac chamber volumes and flow in aorta and the pulmonary artery were measured by CMR during PPV levels of 0, 10, and 20 cmH2O applied via a respirator and a face mask. All cardiac chamber volumes decreased in proportion to the level of PPV. Following 20-cmH2O PPV, the total diastolic and systolic cardiac volumes (±SE) decreased from 605 (±29) ml to 446 (±29) ml ( P < 0.001) and from 265 (±17) ml to 212 (±16) ml ( P < 0.001). Left ventricular stroke volume decreased by 27 (±4) ml/beat; heart rate increased by 7 (±2) beats/min; and CO decreased by 1.0 (±0.4) l/min ( P < 0.001). From 0 to 20 cmH2O, right and left ventricular peak filling rates decreased by −146 (±32) and −187 (±64) ml/s ( P < 0.05) but maximal emptying rates were unchanged. Cardiac filling and output decrease with increasing PPV in healthy volunteers. The decrease is seen even at low levels of PPV and should be taken into account when submitting patients to mechanical ventilation with positive pressures. The decrease in CO is fully explained by the Frank-Starling mechanism.
Focal myocardial infarction induces global remodeling of cardiac sympathetic innervation: neural remodeling in a spatial context
Authors: Ajijola Olujimi A. , Yagishita Daigo , Patel Krishan J. , Vaseghi Marmar , Zhou Wei , Yamakawa Kentaro , So Eileen , Lux Robert L. , Mahajan Aman , Shivkumar Kalyanam
Published: July 2013

Myocardial infarction (MI) induces neural and electrical remodeling at scar border zones. The impact of focal MI on global functional neural remodeling is not well understood. Sympathetic stimulation was performed in swine with anteroapical infarcts (MI; n = 9) and control swine ( n = 9). A 56-electrode sock was placed over both ventricles to record electrograms at baseline and during left, right, and bilateral stellate ganglion stimulation. Activation recovery intervals (ARIs) were measured from electrograms. Global and regional ARI shortening, dispersion of repolarization, and activation propagation were assessed before and during sympathetic stimulation. At baseline, mean ARI was shorter in MI hearts than control hearts (365 ± 8 vs. 436 ± 9 ms, P < 0.0001), dispersion of repolarization was greater in MI versus control hearts (734 ± 123 vs. 362 ± 32 ms2, P = 0.02), and the infarcted region in MI hearts showed longer ARIs than noninfarcted regions (406 ± 14 vs. 365 ± 8 ms, P = 0.027). In control animals, percent ARI shortening was greater on anterior than posterior walls during right stellate ganglion stimulation ( P = 0.0001), whereas left stellate ganglion stimulation showed the reverse ( P = 0.0003). In infarcted animals, this pattern was completely lost. In 50% of the animals studied, sympathetic stimulation, compared with baseline, significantly altered the direction of activation propagation emanating from the intramyocardial scar during pacing. In conclusion, focal distal anterior MI alters regional and global pattern of sympathetic innervation, resulting in shorter ARIs in infarcted hearts, greater repolarization dispersion, and altered activation propagation. These conditions may underlie the mechanisms by which arrhythmias are initiated when sympathetic tone is enhanced.
Bespoke Physics for Living Technology
Authors: Ackley David H.
Published: July 2013

In the physics of the natural world, basic tasks of life, such as homeostasis and reproduction, are extremely complex operations, requiring the coordination of billions of atoms even in simple cases. By contrast, artificial living organisms can be implemented in computers using relatively few bits, and copying a data structure is trivial. Of course, the physical overheads of the computers themselves are huge, but since their programmability allows digital “laws of physics” to be tailored like a custom suit, deploying living technology atop an engineered computational substrate might be as or more effective than building directly on the natural laws of physics, for a substantial range of desirable purposes. This article suggests basic criteria and metrics for bespoke physics computing architectures, describes one such architecture, and offers data and illustrations of custom living technology competing to reproduce while collaborating on an externally useful computation.
Readiness for Living Technology: A Comparative Study of the Uptake of Robot Technology in the Danish Health-Care Sector
Authors: Peronard Jean-Paul
Published: July 2013

This article is a comparative analysis between workers in health care with high and low degree of readiness for living technology such as robotics. To explore the differences among workers' readiness, statistical analysis was conducted in a data set obtained from 200 respondents. The results showed important differences between high- and low-readiness types on issues such as staff security, documentation, autonomy, and future challenges.
The Complexity of Learning in Optimality Theory and Its Implications for the Acquisition of Phonotactics
Authors: Magri Giorgio
Published: July 2013

The consistency problem models language learning as the problem of finding a grammar consistent with finite linguistic data. The subset problem refines that formulation, asking for a consistent grammar that generates a smallest language. This article reviews results concerning the tractability of the consistency problem within Optimality Theory (OT) and shows that the OT subset problem is instead intractable. The subset problem thus needs to be restricted to plausible typologies, and solution algorithms need to take advantage of the additional structure brought about by these typological restrictions. These implications are illustrated with a discussion of the choice between batch and errordriven models of the child’s acquisition of phonotactics.
A child’s right to enjoy benefits of scientific progress and its applications
Authors: Gran Brian , Waltz Margaret , Renzhofer Holly
Published: July 2013

The right to enjoy benefits of scientific progress and its applications (REBSPA) is under debate. The efforts of a U.N. Expert, the U.N. CESCR, an AAAS coalition, and scholars have shed light on and raised awareness of this right. Deserving more attention is children’s REBSPA. Young people stand to gain significantly from REBSPA, yet little is known about how this right may impact children’s interests. This article examines young people’s REBSPA in the context of international agreements and research on this right. Indicators reveal differences in this children’s right across and within countries, suggesting research is needed to explore young people’s experiences with REBSPA.
The Third Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child? – Challenges Arising Transforming the Rhetoric into Reality
Authors: Smith Rhona
Published: July 2013

A third Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child completes the raft of international mechanisms for ensuring children’s rights. However, it also raises unique problems particular to children as rights’ holders and putative rights’ enforcers. For example, children may not know of their rights, they may lack the necessary capacity to initiate enforcement actions and they may encounter problems should they perceive their rights as being contrary to parental wishes. Overcoming such problems is fraught with challenges but not impossible. Strong national mechanisms present a partial solution. Long advocated, they offer possibilities for awareness-raising, neutral representation of the child’s interest before courts, committees and tribunals and ensuring a balance is sought, even achieved, between the rights of the child and those of the parents and State.
Aquinas’s Natural Heart
Authors: O’Rourke Boyle Marjorie
Published: July 2013

Thomas Aquinas significantly revised Aristotelian cardiocentrism on the origin and act of the passions of the soul. His Summa theologiae and other writings asserted the primacy of the soul over the body to argue for the cause of the passions as an alteration of the soul, which affected cardiac movements. Aquinas revised the Aristotelian tradition that the soul existed in the body as domiciled in the heart, the primary organ, as its vital principle. Aquinas argued that the soul informed the body and cohered with every organ. His decisive analysis in his late, neglected De motu cordis reinforced the movements of the heart as instantiating the soul as the form of the body. Aquinas maintained that the heart was indeed the natural mover of the body, even though the heart  was moved by the soul, yet insofar as the soul informed the body, not as resident in the heart.
Ship-Based Observations of the Diurnal Cycle of Southeast Pacific Marine Stratocumulus Clouds and Precipitation
Authors: Burleyson Casey D. , de Szoeke Simon P. , Yuter Sandra E. , Wilbanks Matt , Brewer W. Alan
Published: July 2013

The diurnal cycle of marine stratocumulus in cloud-topped boundary layers is examined using ship-based meteorological data obtained during the 2008 Variability of American Monsoon Systems (VAMOS) Ocean–Cloud–Atmosphere–Land Study Regional Experiment (VOCALS-REx). The high temporal and spatial continuity of the ship data, as well as the 31-day sample size, allows the diurnal transition in degree of coupling of the stratocumulus-topped boundary layer to be resolved. The amplitude of diurnal variation was comparable to the magnitude of longitudinal differences between regions east and west of 80°W for most of the cloud, surface, and precipitation variables examined. The diurnal cycle of precipitation is examined in terms of areal coverage, number of drizzle cells, and estimated rain rate. East of 80°W, the drizzle cell frequency and drizzle area peaks just prior to sunrise. West of 80°W, total drizzle area peaks at 0300 local solar time (LST), 2–3 h before sunrise. Peak drizzle cell frequency is 3 times higher west of 80°W compared to east of 80°W. The waning of drizzle several hours prior to the ramp up of shortwave fluxes may be related to the higher peak drizzle frequencies in the west. The ensemble effect of localized subcloud evaporation of precipitation may make drizzle a self-limiting process where the areal density of drizzle cells is sufficiently high. The daytime reduction in vertical velocity variance in a less coupled boundary layer is accompanied by enhanced stratification of potential temperature and a buildup of moisture near the surface.
Reexamination of the Aridity Conditions in Arid Northwestern China for the Last Decade
Authors: Wei Ke , Wang Lin
Published: July 2013

Water resources are an essential part of the ecosystem in the extremely arid northwestern part of China. Previous studies revealed a dry-to-wet climate change since the late 1980s in this region, which suggested a relief from the drought condition. However, the analysis in this study using the updated data shows that the arid situation has continued and even intensified in the past decade. This is reflected by the fact that the low-level air relative humidity and deep soil relative humidity have decreased in the past decade. Examination of the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and self-calibrating Palmer drought severity index (sc-PDSI) indicates that the severity and spatial extent of aridity and drought have increased substantially in northwestern China in the most recent decade. It is shown that the drought intensification in northwestern China is mainly caused by the increase of evaporation that results from the continuous rise in temperature, which will pose a continuous threat to the ecosystem and economic development in this region, especially under the background of global warming.
Impact of Offshore Winds on a Buoyant River Plume System
Authors: Jurisa Joseph T. , Chant Robert J.
Published: July 2013

Idealized numerical simulations utilizing the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) are carried out to examine the response of buoyant river plume systems to offshore-directed wind stresses. It is found that after a few inertial periods of wind forcing the plume becomes detached from the coast and reaches a steady state in terms of the plume’s offshore position, width, and plume-averaged depth, salinity, and velocity. The steady-state offshore position of the plume is a balance between the cross-shore advection driven by the estuarine outflow and the alongshore advection driven by the Ekman velocities, and is described using the ratio of the outflow Froude number and the plume Froude number. The steady-state salinity structure is maintained by a balance between the cross-shore advection of salt creating stratification, the turbulent vertical mixing, and the downstream transport of freshwater continually resetting the system. Plume mixing is also analyzed using a salinity coordinate system to track the changes in freshwater volume in salinity space and time. A dynamical plume region classification is developed with use of a Richardson number–based critical mixing salinity criterion in salinity space. This salinity class–based classification agrees well with a classification based on an alongshore analysis of the salt flux equation. For this classification the near field is dominated by large cross-shore fluxes and the midfield by a diminishing cross-shore salt flux, and in the far field there is a balance between the alongshore salt flux and turbulent mixing.
On the Intonation of German Intonation Questions: The Role of the Prenuclear Region
Authors: Petrone Caterina , Niebuhr Oliver
Published: July 2013

German questions and statements are distinguished not only by lexical and syntactic but also by intonational means. This study revisits, for Northern Standard German, how questions are signalled intonationally in utterances that have neither lexical nor syntactic cues. Starting from natural productions of such ‘intonation questions’, two perception experiments were run. Experiment I is based on a gating paradigm, which was applied to naturally produced questions and statements. Experiment II includes two indirect-identification tasks. Resynthesized stimuli were judged in relation to two context utterances, each of which was compatible with only one sentence mode interpretation. Results show that utterances with a finally falling nuclear pitch-accent contour can also trigger question perception. An utterance-final rise is not mandatory. Also, question and statement cues are not restricted to the intonational nucleus. Rather, listeners can refer to shape, slope, and alignment differences of the preceding prenuclear pitch accent to identify sentence mode. These findings are in line with studies suggesting that the utterance-final rise versus fall contrast is not directly related to sentence modality, but represents a separate attitudinal meaning dimension. Moreover, the findings support that both prenuclear and nuclear fundamental frequency (F0) patterns must be taken into account in the analysis of tune meaning.
Pediatric Intestinal Failure–Associated Liver Disease Is Reversed With 6 Months of Intravenous Fish Oil
Authors: Calkins Kara L. , Dunn James C. Y. , Shew Stephen B. , Reyen Laurie , Farmer Douglas G. , Devaskar Sherin U. , Venick Robert S.
Published: July 2013

Background: Studies have suggested that when intravenous (IV) soybean oil (SO) is replaced with fish oil (FO), direct hyperbilirubinemia is more likely to resolve. The necessary duration of FO has not been established. This study seeks to determine if 24 weeks of FO is an effective and safe therapy for intestinal failure–associated liver disease (IFALD). Materials and Methods: This is a clinical trial using patients with IFALD between the ages of 2 weeks and 18 years. SO was replaced with FO (1 g/kg/d) in 10 patients who were receiving most of their calories from parenteral nutrition (PN). Patients were compared with 20 historic controls receiving SO. SO for both groups was prescribed by the primary medical team at variable doses. The primary outcome was time to reversal of cholestasis. Secondary outcomes were death, transplant, and full enteral feeds. Safety measurements included growth, essential fatty acid deficiency, and laboratory markers to assess bleeding risk. Results: The Kaplan‐Meier method estimated that 75% in the FO group would experience resolution of cholestasis by 17 weeks vs 6% in the SO group (P < .0001). When compared with the SO group, the FO group had decreased serum direct bilirubin concentrations at weeks 8 (P = .03) and 12, 16, 20, and 24 weeks (P < .0001). Although length z score at the end of the study increased in the FO group compared with baseline (P = .03), there were no significant differences in other outcomes. Conclusions: A limited duration of FO appears to be safe and effective in reversing IFALD.
Incidence, Prevention, and Treatment of Parenteral Nutrition–Associated Cholestasis and Intestinal Failure–Associated Liver Disease in Infants and Children
Authors: Lauriti Giuseppe , Zani Augusto , Aufieri Roberto , Cananzi Mara , Chiesa Pierluigi Lelli , Eaton Simon , Pierro Agostino
Published: July 2013

Background: Cholestasis is a significant life‐threatening complication in children on parenteral nutrition (PN). Strategies to prevent/treat PN‐associated cholestasis (PNAC) and intestinal failure–associated liver disease (IFALD) have reached moderate success with little supporting evidence. Aims of this systematic review were (1) to determine the incidence of PNAC/IFALD in children receiving PN for ≥14 days and (2) to review the efficacy of measures to prevent/treat PNAC/IFALD. Methods: Of 4696 abstracts screened, 406 relevant articles were reviewed, and studies on children with PN ≥14 days and cholestasis (conjugated bilirubin ≥ 2 mg/dL) were included. Analyzed parameters were (1) PNAC/IFALD incidence by decade and by PN length and (2) PNAC/IFALD prevention and treatment (prospective studies). Results: Twenty‐three articles (3280 patients) showed an incidence of 28.2% and 49.8% of PNAC and IFALD, respectively, with no evident alteration over the last decades. The incidence of PNAC was directly proportional to the length of PN (from 15.7% for PN ≤1 month up to 60.9% for PN ≥2 months; P < .0001). Ten studies on PNAC met inclusion criteria. High or intermediate‐dose of oral erythromycin and aminoacid‐free PN with enteral whey protein gained significant benefits in preterm neonates (P < .05, P = .003, and P < .001, respectively). None of the studies reviewed met inclusion criteria for treatment. Conclusions: The incidence of PNAC/IFALD in children has no obvious decrease over time. PNAC is directly correlated to the length of PN. Erythromycin and aminoacid‐free PN with enteral whey protein have shown to prevent PNAC in preterm neonates. There is a lack of high‐quality prospective studies, especially on IFALD.
Effect of Intestinal Atrophy and Hepatic Impairment Induced by Parenteral Nutrition on Drug Absorption and Disposition in Rats
Authors: Fukushima Keizo , Miki Takahiro , Nakamoto Kazuo , Nishimura Asako , Koyama Hikaru , Ichikawa Hideki , Shibata Nobuhito , Tokuyama Shogo , Sugioka Nobuyuki
Published: July 2013

Background: Long‐term parenteral nutrition (PN) has a high risk of hepatic dysfunction and intestinal atrophy. The present study investigated the effect of PN‐induced intestinal atrophy and hepatic impairment on drug pharmacokinetics by using 2 contrasting compounds: phenolsulfonphthalein (PSP) and cyclosporin A (CyA). Materials and Methods: PSP or CyA was administered to 7‐day PN‐fed Rats (PN rats) and sham operated rats (control rats) via intravenous (IV) or intraloop administration of the intestine. Pharmacokinetic parameters with 2‐compartment analysis including area under the concentration vs time curve (AUC) and the permeability after in situ intraloop administration (Ploop) were obtained from both concentration profiles after different administration routes. Results: After IV administration of PSP to control and PN rats, there was no notable difference in any of the pharmacokinetic parameters. In contrast, after intraloop administration, AUC and Ploop in PN rats were approximately 2.6‐ and 2.0‐fold higher than that in control rats, respectively. On the other hand, after IV administration of CyA, the terminal half‐life and total body clearance were prolonged and decreased in PN rats, respectively, resulting in 2.0‐fold increase in AUC. After intraloop administration, the AUC of PN rats was increased to approximately 1.3‐fold that of control rats, whereas no notable difference was observed in Ploop. Conclusion: The intestinal permeability of PSP was enhanced by intestinal atrophy induced by PN, while the metabolism of CyA was diminished by hepatic impairment by PN. These results revealed the physicochemical property‐based pharmacokinetic alterations during PN; for a more detailed understanding, however, further studies are needed.
Microvascular Reconstruction after Intra‐arterial Chemotherapy with Concomitant Radiation
Authors: Valentino Joseph , Helton W. Brian , Unnikrishnan Raman , Kudrimoti Mahesh , Arnold Susanne M. , Gal T. J.
Published: July 2013

Objective

While the success of microvascular reconstruction is well established, even in the setting of prior radiotherapy, the outcomes in the setting of prior chemoradiation are less well documented. We present our experience with microvascular reconstruction in a unique cohort of patients previously treated with concomitant hyperfractionated radiation and intra‐arterial chemotherapy (HYPERRADPLAT). Despite the observation in prior studies of minimal vessel damage in this setting, the hypothesis of this study is that in the late setting of most salvage surgical therapy, either for recurrence or osteoradionecrosis, a different, progressive level of vessel injury may be encountered.

Study Design

Case series with chart review.

Setting

Tertiary referral academic medical center practice.

Subjects and Methods

Eighty‐four patients received primary treatment for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma with HYPERRADPLAT. Of these, 8 patients (10%) underwent free tissue transfer reconstruction and a total of 11 free flaps.

Results

Wound breakdown, fistula, or both occurred postoperatively in 50% (4/8) of these patients. No complications of the venous anastomoses occurred. Fifty percent (4/8) of patients required return to surgery for arterial failure due to thrombosis of the anastomosis. Two cases of these flaps could not be salvaged.

Conclusion

Microvascular reconstruction following HYPERRADPLAT appears to result in a high number of arterial related complications. This experience implies an important delayed treatment effect of HYPERRADPLAT occurs upon recipient arteries. The manner in which this effect may occur in recipient arteries in the setting of more conventional chemoradiation requires further study.
Health Care Costs for State Transition Models in Prostate Cancer
Authors: Krahn Murray D. , Bremner Karen E. , Zagorski Brandon , Alibhai Shabbir M. H. , Chen Wendong , Tomlinson George , Mitsakakis Nicholas , Naglie Gary
Published: July 2013

Objective. To obtain estimates of direct health care costs for prostate cancer (PC) from diagnosis to death to inform state transition models. Methods. A stratified random sample of PC patients residing in 3 geographically diverse regions of Ontario, Canada, and diagnosed in 1993–1994, 1997–1998, and 2001–2002, was selected from the Ontario Cancer Registry. We retrieved patients’ pathology reports to identify referring physicians and contacted surviving patients and next of kin of deceased patients for informed consent. We reviewed clinic charts to obtain data required to allocate each patient’s observation time to 11 PC-specific health states. We linked these data to health care administrative databases to calculate resource use and costs (Canadian dollars, 2008) per health state. A multivariable mixed-effects model determined predictors of costs. Results. The final sample numbered 829 patients. In the regression model, total direct costs increased with age, comorbidity, and Gleason score (all P < 0.0001). Radical prostatectomy was the most costly primary treatment health state ($4676 per 100 days). Radical prostatectomy, hormone-refractory metastatic disease ($6398 per 100 days), and final (predeath) ($13,739 per 100 days) health states were significantly more costly ( P < 0.05) than nontreated nonmetastatic PC ($3440 per 100 days), whereas the postprostatectomy ($732 per 100 days) and postradiation ($1556 per 100 days) states cost significantly less ( P < 0.0001). Conclusions. This study used an innovative but labor-intensive approach linking chart and administrative data to estimate health care costs. Researchers should weigh the potential benefits of this method against what is involved in implementation. Modifications in methodology may achieve similar gains with less outlay in individual studies. However, we believe that this is a promising approach for researchers wishing to advance the quality of costing in state transition modeling.
Exploring Export Promotion Policy from a Justice Perspective
Authors: Miocevic Dario
Published: July 2013

Exporting presents one of the most viable ways to internationalize, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises. In order to enhance national exporting activity, nations strive to implement various export-oriented policies including export promotion (EP) programs. Unlike mainstream inquiry, this article takes a public policy perspective by analyzing EP program firm-level allocation through the lens of distributive justice. The study conducts exploratory research with the goal of discovering the properties of the resource allocation policy behind specific Croatian financial aid-related EP program. Based on the findings from ANOVA and regression analyses, it is evident that exporters with larger resource capacities receive significantly higher EP funding, but fail to improve their export performance in the following year. These findings question the plausibility of current EP practices, which are discussed in the theoretical and public policy implications. In the end, the limitations and directions for further research are provided.