bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
O IMPACTO DA PANDEMIA DE COVID-19 NAS CONDIÇÕES DE SAÚDE BUCAL NA INFÂNCIA: UMA REVISÃO INTEGRATIVA
Authors: Silva Santana Barbosa Luciana , Barreto de Sousa Cabral Maria Beatriz , Teixeira Cangussu Maria Cristina , Frederico de Almeida Tatiana
Published: May 2024

Objetivo: O objetivo desse estudo foi realizar uma revisão da literatura integrativa para analisar o impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 sobre as condições bucais, comportamentos e práticas relacionadas à saúde bucal infantil. Métodos: Foi realizada pesquisa bibliográfica nas bases de dados National Library of Medicine (PubMed) e Scientific Electronic Library Online (SciELO). Foram utilizados como critérios de inclusão: estudos na língua inglesa, portuguesa e espanhola, artigos científicos on-line na íntegra, publicados de janeiro de 2020 a abril de 2023, utilizando como descritores: “Pandemia deCOVID-19” / (“COVID-19 pandemic”); “Saúde infantil” / (“Child health”); “Saúde bucal” / (“Oral health”). Resultados: Após a seleção dos artigos,10 estudos foram selecionados, quase metade deles foi realizada na Índia e em Israel (04), sendo o estudo epidemiológico de corte transversal predominante entre eles (10), assim como os estudos voltados para crianças acima de 06 anos de idade (8). A maioria dos estudos encontrou resultados negativos acerca do impacto da pandemia de COVID-19 sobre as condições bucais infantis, sendo que alguns deles revelaram mudanças de hábitos alimentares considerados prejudiciais à saúde bucal, como o aumento do consumo de alimentos açucarados; apenas alguns pais adotaram atitudes e práticas para uma melhor proteção da higiene bucal dos filhos, como aumentar a frequência de escovação. Considerações finais: A pandemia de COVID-19 resultou em consequências negativas para a saúde bucal infantil, agravando o perfil epidemiológico desse público, trazendo o medo e barreiras para o atendimento odontológico, além de alterar hábitos e comportamentos de higiene bucal e de alimentação.
Children's use of on‐package nutritional claim information
Authors: Miller Elizabeth G. , Seiders Kathleen , Kenny Maureen , Walsh Mary E.
Published: June 2011

Surprisingly little is known about how children respond to marketer‐provided information in retail environments and how such information might impact decisions. In this paper, we investigated children's responses to a particular type of marketer‐provided information—on‐package nutritional claim information. Using a 4 × 2 between‐subjects experiment, we examined whether 8‐ to 12‐year‐old children are aware of this information, whether it influences their choices, and whether this influence is moderated by the type of claim and/or exposure to an in‐school health curriculum. Our findings reveal that this information impacts choices in an intriguing way—it has a backlash effect, causing children to make unhealthier choices when on‐package claims are present in the choice set. This negative effect is most pronounced for general claims. Further, the negative impact of on‐package claims is reduced, but not eliminated, by health education. Implications for designing more effective ways to communicate nutritional information are discussed.

Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Soya protein- and casein-based nutritionally complete diets fed during gestation and lactation differ in effects on characteristics of the metabolic syndrome in male offspring of Wistar rats
Authors: Jahan-mihan Alireza , Szeto Ignatius M. Y. , Luhovyy Bohdan L. , Huot Pedro S. P. , Harvey Anderson G.
Published: June 2011

The AIN-93G diets based on soya protein or casein were fed to pregnant Wistar rats from day 3 of gestation and compared for their effects on characteristics of the metabolic syndrome in male offspring. Pregnant rats were randomised to either a casein (C) or soya protein (S) diet (n 12) during gestation only (Expt 1) or during gestation and lactation (Expt 2). Male offspring were weaned to either a C or S diet for 9 weeks (Expt 1) or 15 weeks (Expt 2). In Expt 1, pups born to S-fed dams had higher fasting blood glucose (BG), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) at week 4, higher blood glucose (BG) response to a glucose administration (P < 0·001) and higher body weight (BW) at week 8 (P < 0·05). In Expt 2, consumption of the S diet throughout gestation and lactation resulted in higher BW (P < 0·05), DBP (P < 0·005) and SBP (P < 0·005) in the offspring. They also had higher homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR; P < 0·05) and plasma homocysteine (P < 0·05) at weaning, higher fasting BG and glucose response to glucose administration (P < 0·005) at week 12 and higher HOMA-IR (P < 0·01) at week 15. Although composition of the weaning diets interacted with the diet of the dams, the latter was the dominant factor in determining metabolic outcomes in the offspring. In conclusion, the S diet, compared with the C diet, when consumed during gestation or throughout gestation and lactation increased the presence of characteristics of the metabolic syndrome in the offspring.
Indigenous Peoples and Neoliberal “Privatization” in Canada: Opportunities, Cautions and Constraints
Authors: MacDonald Fiona
Published: June 2011

Abstract.This article addresses the impact of the current neoliberal political context for Indigenous governance in Canada. While some observers have argued correctly that the neoliberal context provides new opportunities or points of entry in the political opportunity structure for “self-government” initiatives (Helvin, 2006; Scott, 2006; Slowey, 2008), I examine to what extent recent decentralizing initiatives, generally viewed as “concessions” made by the state to meet the demands of Indigenous peoples, must be evaluated as part of a broader governmental strategy of neoliberalism. This strategy is not simply about meeting the demands of Indigenous peoples but also about meeting the requirements of the contemporary governmental shift towards “privatization” within liberal democratic states. As such, I argue that certain manifestations of Indigenous self-government are vulnerable to criticisms launched against practices of privatization, practices which include a variety of policies designed to promote a shifting of contentious issues out of the public sphere and thereby limiting public debate and collective—that is, state—responsibility.

Résumé.Le présent article analyse d'un oeil critique l'impact du contexte politique néolibéral actuel sur la gouvernance autochtone au Canada. Certains auteurs ont avancé avec raison que le contexte néolibéral donnait aux peuples autochtones de nouveaux points d'entrée pour leurs initiatives d'autogouvernance (Helvin, 2006; Scott, 2006; Slowey, 2008). Toutefois, j'examine ici dans quelle mesure les tentatives récentes de décentralisation, souvent comprises comme des «concessions» faites par l'État pour répondre aux revendications des peuples autochtones, doivent être évaluées dans le cadre plus vaste d'une stratégie de néolibéralisme du gouvernement. Cette stratégie ne vise pas uniquement à répondre aux besoins des peuples autochtones, mais aussi à permettre au gouvernement de s'orienter vers la «privatisation» qui distingue l'État libéral démocratique contemporain. À ce titre, je soutiens que certaines manifestations d'autogouvernance des Autochtones peuvent se prêter aux mêmes critiques que les pratiques de privatisation, qui comprennent diverses politiques visant à retirer de la place publique certains sujets controversés afin de limiter le débat public et la responsabilité collective, c'est-à-dire celle de l'État.
UK Monetary Policy Change During the Financial Crisis: Paradigms, Spillovers, and Goal Co-ordination
Authors: Kay Adrian
Published: June 2011

Policy responses to the tumult of the global financial crisis of 2007–9 prompt a consideration of the critical dimensions in specifying policy change. UK monetary policy between 2007 and 2009 is characterised by a remarkable degree of innovation yet counts as a ‘normal’ period of policy making under the Hall (1993) framework of policy change, the enduring workhorse of the comparative public policy field. This exposes its lack of conceptual refinement in describing significant but within paradigm policy change. This paper traces this failing to the notion of a policy paradigm, both its scale and the ideational mechanisms which bind policy change. The paper develops the UK monetary policy case to consider the potential of the recently-minted concept of a thermostatic policy institution for the development of Hall's framework; but finds analytical limitations in coping with significant policy spillovers. Suggestions are made to meet this important challenge for future research in policy studies on the specification of policy change.
RULES AND REASONS IN THE THEORY OF PRECEDENT
Authors: Horty John F.
Published: June 2011

The doctrine of precedent, as it has evolved within the common law, has at its heart a form of reasoning—broadly speaking, alogic—according to which the decisions of earlier courts in particular cases somehow generalize to constrain the decisions of later courts facing different cases, while still allowing these later courts a degree of freedom in responding to fresh circumstances. Although the techniques for arguing on the basis of precedent are taught early on in law schools, mastered with relative ease, and applied on a daily basis by legal practitioners, it has proved to be considerably more difficult to arrive at a theoretical understanding of the doctrine itself—a clear articulation of the underlying logic.
Astronomy and its role in ancient Mesoamerica
Authors: Šprajc Ivan
Published: June 2011

The observation of the sky had an important rôle among the Maya, Aztecs and other prehispanic peoples of Mesoamerica. Their familiarity with the regularities of the apparent motion of the Sun, the Moon and bright planets is attested in a large amount of astronomical data contained in codices and monumental hieroglyphic inscriptions, as well as in their sophisticated calendrical system. On the other hand, the study of architectural alignments has disclosed that civic and ceremonial buildings were largely oriented on astronomical grounds, mostly to sunrises and sunsets on certain dates, allowing the use of observational calendars that facilitated a proper scheduling of agricultural and the associated ritual activities in the yearly cycle. Both accurate knowledge and other astronomically-derived concepts reveal that the significance attributed to certain celestial events by the ancient Mesoamericans can be explained in terms of the relationship of these phenomena with specific environmental and cultural facts, such as seasonal climatic changes and subsistence strategies. It was particularly due to its practical utility that astronomy, intertwined with religious ideas and practices, had such an important place in the worldview and, consequently, in the cosmologically substantiated political ideology of Mesoamerican societies
The naming of minor planets: multicultural relationships
Authors: Merlin Jean-Claude
Published: June 2011

To date, among the hundred or so minor planets we discovered with various instruments around the world, twenty of these objects have been definitively numbered and named. We have choosen the names according to our centers of interest. In honouring people in domains as varied as astronomy, astronautics, music, paleontology, comic strips, . . . we had the opportunity of establishing fruitful relationships with a large horizon of cultures. It was also a good opportunity for the diffusion of astronomy towards other communities.
A palace for astronomy in Buenos Aires
Authors: Gangui Alejandro
Published: June 2011

In no other epoch of Western history like in the Middle Ages, cosmology was so key an element of culture and, one way or another, the motion of the heavens ended up impregnating the literature of that time. Among the most noteworthy poets we find Dante Alighieri, who became famous for his Commedia, a monumental poem written roughly between 1307 and his death in 1321, and which the critics from 16th century onwards dubbed Divina. In this and other works, Dante pictures the cosmic image for the world, summing up the current trends of Neoplatonic and Islamic traditions. The Barolo Palace in the city of Buenos Aires is a singular combination of both astronomy and the worldview displayed in Dante's poetic masterpiece. Some links of the Palace's main architectural structure with the three realms of the Comedy have been studied in the past. In this note we consider its unique astronomical flavor, an issue which has not been sufficiently emphasized yet.
Astronomy in Brazilian music and poetry
Authors: de Freitas Mourão Ronaldo Rogério
Published: June 2011

The rôle of astronomy in the Brazilian cultural diversity –though little known world– has been enormous. Thus, the different forms of popular music and erudite, find musical compositions and lyrics inspired by the stars, the eclipses in rare phenomena such as the transit of Venus in front of the sun in 1882, the appearance of Halley's Comet in 1910, in the Big Bang theory. Even in the carnival parades of the blocks at the beginning of the century astronomy was present. More recently, the parade of 1997, the samba school Unidos do Viradouro, under the direction of Joãozinho Trinta, offered a new picture of the first moments of the creation of the universe to join in the white and dark in the components of their school, the idea of matter and anti-matter that reigned in the early moments of the creation of the universe in an explosion of joy. Examples in classical music include Dawn of Carlos Gomes and Carta Celeste by Almeida Prado. Unlike The Planets by Gustav Holst –who between 1914 and 1916 composed a symphonical tribute to the solar system based on astrology– Almeida Prado composed a symphony that is not limited to the world of planets, penetrating the deep cosmos of galaxies. Using various resources of the technique for the piano on the clusters and static movements, violent conflicts between the records of super acute and serious instrument, harpejos cross, etc . . .
Astronomy and astrology
Authors: Zarka Philippe
Published: June 2011

Astrology meets a large success in our societies, from the private to the political sphere as well as in the media, in spite of the demonstrated inaccuracy of its psychological as well as operational predictions. We analyse here the relations between astrology and astronomy, as well as the criticisms opposed by the latter to the former. We show that most of these criticisms are weak. Much stronger ones emerge from the analysis of the astrological practice compared to the scientific method, leading us to conclude to the non-scientificity of astrology. Then we return to the success of astrology, and from its analysis we propose a renewed (and prophylactic) rôle for astronomy in society.
Searching for a “black sky” in the Andes Mountains: A migratory process and identity formation of a Japanese astronomer in Peru
Authors: Kato-Nitta Naoko
Published: June 2011

This paper examines the transnational migratory process and identity formation of a Japanese astronomer, Mutsumi Ishitkuta (born 1930). He moved to Peru in 1957 to build a solar observatory in the Andes Mountains, and settled there to develop a foundation for basic sciences in Peru. Through life story interviews, I explore the transnational migratory process of this scientist focusing on his profession in relationship to certain people, events, and situations that contributed to his identity formation. Tracing Ishitsuka's story may enable us to deepen our thoughts of scientists' identity and their role for the society.
The Chevroches zodiacal cap and its Burgundy relations
Authors: Devevey Frédéric , Vernou Christian , Rousseau Aurélie
Published: June 2011

The excavation of an unexplored secondary agglomeration in Chevroches (France), from 2001 to 2002 has led to the discovery of a bronze dome of a type unknown in the Ancient world. It is inscribed with three lines in Greek transcribing Egyptian and Roman months, and the twelve signs of the Zodiac. This paper presents the first observations and some other finds from similar objects in Burgundy.
The rôle of the Kokino megalith in the life of the Bronze age agricultural community
Authors: Cenev Gjore
Published: June 2011

In 2002 in the region of North-East Macedonia a site was discovered, for which archaeoastronomical analyses have shown that it encompasses all elements of an ancient observatory dated 2000 BCE. In line with the analysis the existence of a central position, from where Sunrises and rises of Full Moon were observed, was confirmed, as well as that in the rocks on the east horizon a markers were crafted marking the places of the rise of the Sun and Moon in exactly determined days. From this central position, total 9 markers can be seen on the east horizon, 3 of which used to mark the places of the Sunrise in the course of the year, and remaining 6 marked the places of Full Moon rise. By continuous monitoring of the periodicity of the Full Moon rise, ancient sky observers could develop 19 years periodic lunar calendar. In addition, on the site there is a special observation place related to the cycles of solar and lunar eclipse. Only from there and toward the east horizon 4 markers can be seen, which were used for marking the positions of the Full Moon rise on the day of the beginning of the new periodic cycle of eclipse of 54 years and 34 days. The most outstanding content on the territory of the observatory are 4 stone seats called thrones. Also, on the east horizon there is one specially crafted marker that had ritual purpose. Archaeoastronomical analysis has shown that on the day when the harvest ends, rise of Sun could be seen exactly trough the aperture of this marker, enlightening by beam only one of the thrones where most probably a community headman was sitting. That was a ritual joining of the God Sun with the community headman and renewal of his energy as a guarantee for rich harvest in the coming year. This is just a fragment of information that Megalithic Observatory Kokino has to offer, linked with the culture and cosmological presentations of people of the early agricultural community in the Bronze Age.
Ten days of astronomy for 50 children
Authors: Godier Stéphanie , Mathias Katia
Published: June 2011

We present a 10 day-long astronomical discovery class for children from 10 up to 12 years old. “Classical” workshops dealing with constellations, sky maps, sundiala, rocket construction and launching, Sun and deep sky observations are proposed to children. In addition, we present our own workshops that can be achieved by children as research projects in a scientific, literary or in an artistic way. In this context, the rôle of astronomy is both educational and social for children. Scientific rudiments are passed on from scientific educators to pupils and from pupils to their families. Astronomy is an unifying science for everyone.
Opening the radio sky to all
Authors: Gilloire André
Published: June 2011

The purpose of our project is to convert a large 13 m parabolic antenna formerly used for satellite communications in the decimetric range into a radio telescope dedicated to pedagogy and scientific culture spreading. This project has been labeled within the framework of AMA 2009 with other similar projects in France. The paper explains the project and gives details about its collaborations and partnerships.
Between astronomy and particle physics: Outreach at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Authors: García Beatriz , Hojvat Carlos
Published: June 2011

The Pierre Auger Observatory, dedicated to the detection and study of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays, has as one of it fundamental missions outreach activities. With this in mind, a specially conceived Visitor Center was included in the design of the Pierre Auger campus in the city of Malargüe, Mendoza, Argentina. One of its main objectives is the contact with the community, through educational courses, talks, conferences and workshops for differen t levels. The permanent exchange between the Pierre Auger scientists and teachers, professionals and society, is important to the impact of the Observatory in the vision by the community of science in general, and scientists in particular. Activities in the outreach area during the last 10 years, resulted in changes to the curricula of study in the schools. Important topics are discussed, like astronomy, light pollution control, and modification of the behavior of the local society. In this presentation we will show how an extensive outreach program, organized by scientists in contact with the community and based on (or near) a research center, can be a factor of social transformation.
The first massive astronomical observation event in Mexico City
Authors: Espinosa Mariana , Hernandez Xavier
Published: June 2011

On the night of the 20th of February 2008 there was a total eclipse of the moon visible from Mexico City, with a total duration from 19:42 hrs to 23:09 hrs. At the Instituto de Astronomía, UNAM, we took this opportunity to organise a massive astronomical party on the central plaza of the city, the Zocalo. Over a period of about 6 hrs. we set up a huge astro-party, with free use of over 100 telescopes, where we estimate over 40,000 persons looked through an astronomical telescope at the moon and Saturn, most for the first time in their lives. Numerous stands including a children's games, an Astronomy conference room, and the free distribution of Astronomical material were organised. Here we describe some of the issues associated with the planning and implementation of the event. Coordination issues were complex, involving interaction with divers and numerous authorities, city, national, police, traffic, medical assistance in readiness, aide from other universities, and amateur astronomical societies, which supplied most of the telescopes. An extensive publicity campaign was launched with several weeks of anticipation, and although we had no way of estimating the public response, we were ready with over 800 volunteers at the Zócalo on the 20th of February. The public response was massive and overwhelmingly positive, thousands swarmed the square in a completely peaceful and well organised interaction between Astronomy and society at large, over many complementary levels
Understanding Why Older People Develop a Wish to Die
Authors: Rurup M. L. , Pasman H. R. W. , Goedhart J. , Deeg D. J. H. , Kerkhof A. J. F. M. , Onwuteaka-Philipsen B. D.
Published: June 2011

Background: Quantitative studies in several European countries showed that 10–20% of older people have or have had a wish to die. Aims: To improve our understanding of why some older people develop a wish to die. Methods: In-depth interviews with people with a wish to die (n = 31) were carried out. Through open coding and inductive analysis, we developed a conceptual framework to describe the development of death wishes. Respondents were selected from two cohort studies. Results: The wish to die had either been triggered suddenly after traumatic life events or had developed gradually after a life full of adversity, as a consequence of aging or illness, or after recurring depression. The respondents were in a situation they considered unacceptable, yet they felt they had no control to change their situation and thus progressively “gave up” trying. Recurring themes included being widowed, feeling lonely, being a victim, being dependent, and wanting to be useful. Developing thoughts about death as a positive thing or a release from problems seemed to them like a way to reclaim control. Conclusions: People who wish to die originally develop thoughts about death as a positive solution to life events or to an adverse situation, and eventually reach a balance of the wish to live and to die.
Multicentury tree ring reconstruction of annual streamflow for the Maule River watershed in south central Chile
Authors: Urrutia Rocío B. , Lara Antonio , Villalba Ricardo , Christie Duncan A. , Le Quesne Carlos , Cuq Augusto
Published: June 2011

Because of the reported decreasing trends in precipitation in south central Chile and the high priority of the Valdivian rain forest ecoregion conservation, it is essential to understand long‐term changes in water availability in this area. Thus, this study presents a 410 year annual streamflow reconstruction for the Maule River watershed located in a Mediterranean‐type climate in the northern part of the ecoregion (35°S–36°30′S). The annual streamflow reconstruction used Austrocedrus chilensis tree ring chronologies, and the adjusted R2 was 0.42. The reconstruction was characterized by interannual, interdecadal, and multidecadal oscillation modes, some of which might be explained by solar and lunar cycles and by ocean‐atmospheric forcings. Temporal correlations between the reconstruction and climatic indices, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation and the Antarctic Oscillation, demonstrate that water availability is influenced by tropical and high‐latitude forcings in this area. Extreme low and high streamflows are particularly related to ocean‐atmospheric conditions in the tropical Pacific. The Maule River watershed streamflow reconstruction reveals a higher proportion of streamflows below the mean in the last century compared to the previous three centuries.
Social influencing and associated random walk models: Asymptotic consensus times on the complete graph
Authors: Zhang W. , Lim C. , Sreenivasan S. , Xie J. , Szymanski B. K. , Korniss G.
Published: June 2011

We investigate consensus formation and the asymptotic consensus times in stylized individual- or agent-based models, in which global agreement is achieved through pairwise negotiations with or without a bias. Considering a class of individual-based models on finite complete graphs, we introduce a coarse-graining approach (lumping microscopic variables into macrostates) to analyze the ordering dynamics in an associated random-walk framework. Within this framework, yielding a linear system, we derive general equations for the expected consensus time and the expected time spent in each macro-state. Further, we present the asymptotic solutions of the 2-word naming game and separately discuss its behavior under the influence of an external field and with the introduction of committed agents.
Magnetocaloric effects in RNiIn (R = Gd-Er) intermetallic compounds
Authors: Zhang H. , Xu Z. Y. , Zheng X. Q. , Shen J. , Hu F. X. , Sun J. R. , Shen B. G.
Published: June 2011

Magnetic properties and magnetocaloric effects (MCEs) of the intermetallic RNiIn (R = Gd-Er) compounds have been investigated in detail. GdNiIn and ErNiIn compounds exhibit a ferromagnetic (FM) to paramagnetic (PM) transition around the respective Curie temperatures. However, it is found that RNiIn with R = Tb, Dy, and Ho undergo two successive magnetic phase transitions with increasing temperature. In addition, a field-induced metamagnetic transition from antiferromagnetic (AFM) to FM states is observed in RNiIn with R = Tb and Dy below their respective AFM-FM transition temperatures (Tt). The maximal values of magnetic entropy change (ΔSM) of HoNiIn are –9.5 J/kg K at Tt = 7 K and –21.7 J/kg K at TC = 20 K for a magnetic field change of 5 T, respectively. These two successive ΔSM peaks overlap partly, giving rise to a high value of refrigerant capacity (RC = 341 J/kg at 5 T) over a wide temperature span. It is noted that the RC value of GdNiIn is as high as 326 J/kg due to the relatively broad distribution of ΔSM peak. Consequently, this RNiIn system shows large reversible ΔSM and considerable RC values in the temperature range of 10–100 K.
Local and non-local magnetoresistance with spin precession in highly doped Si
Authors: Sasaki T. , Oikawa T. , Suzuki T. , Shiraishi M. , Suzuki Y. , Noguchi K.
Published: June 2011

We have demonstrated comparison of spin accumulation voltages in local and non-local (NL) magnetoresistance measurements without any spurious megnetoresistive signals. The spin transport length in a local measurement was larger than that in a NL measurement. An intensity of the local signals was explained by a conductivity mismatch theory. Depending on the relative magnetic configurations, Hanle-type spin precession signals in the local and the NL schemes showed a clear difference in signal shapes. The local transporting spins are accelerated in the direction of the electric field, and precess around the direction of the magnetic field under the detector electrode.
Chemical vapor deposition-assembled graphene field-effect transistor on hexagonal boron nitride
Authors: Kim Edwin , Yu Tianhua , Sang Song Eui , Yu Bin
Published: June 2011

We investigate key electrical properties of monolayer graphene assembled by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Graphene field-effect transistors (GFETs) were fabricated with carbon channel placing directly on hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) and SiO2. Small-signal transconductance (gm) and effective carrier mobility (μeff) are improved by 8.5 and 4 times on h-BN, respectively, as compared with that on SiO2. Compared with GFET with exfoliated graphene on SiO2, gm and μeff measured from device with CVD graphene on h-BN substrate exhibit comparable values. The experiment demonstrates the potential of employing h-BN as a platform material for large-area carbon electronics.
On the stability of “non-magic” endohedrally doped Si clusters: A first-principles sampling study of M${\rm Si}_{16}^+$Si16+ (M = Ti,V,Cr)
Authors: Palagin Dennis , Gramzow Matthias , Reuter Karsten
Published: June 2011

Density-functional theory is used to study the geometric and electronic structure of cationic \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}${\rm Si}_{16}^+$\end{document}Si16+ clusters with a Ti, V, or Cr dopant atom. Through unbiased global geometry optimization based on the basin-hopping approach, we confirm that a Frank-Kasper polyhedron, with the metal atom at the center, represents the ground-state isomer for all three systems. The endohedral cage geometry is thus stabilized even though only \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}${\rm VSi}_{16}^+$\end{document}VSi16+ achieves electronic shell closure within the prevalent spherical potential model. Our analysis of the electronic structure traces this diminished role of shell closure for the stabilization back to the adaptive capability of the metal-Si bonding, which is more the result of a complex hybridization than the originally proposed mere formal charge transfer. The resulting flexibility of the metal-Si bond can also help to stabilize “non-magic” cage-dopant combinations, which suggests that a wider range of materials may eventually be cast into this useful geometry for cluster-assembled materials.
Pattern solutions of the Klausmeier model for banded vegetation in semi-arid environments II: patterns with the largest possible propagation speeds
Authors: Sherratt Jonathan A.
Published: June 2011

Pattern formation at the ecosystem level is a rapidly growing area of spatial ecology. The best studied example is vegetation stripes running along contours in semi-arid regions. Theoretical models are a widely used tool for studying these banded vegetation patterns, and one important model is the system of advection–diffusion equations proposed by Klausmeier. The present study is part of a series of papers whose objective is a comprehensive understanding of patterned solutions of the Klausmeier model. The author focuses on the region of parameter space in which the propagation speed of the patterns is close to its maximum possible value. Exploiting the large value of one of the model parameters, a leading order approximation is obtained for the maximum propagation speed, and the author undertakes a detailed investigation of the parameter region in which there are patterns with speeds close to this maximum.
Variation in memory and the hippocampus across populations from different climates: a common garden approach
Authors: Roth Timothy C. , LaDage Lara D. , Freas Cody A. , Pravosudov Vladimir V.
Published: June 2011

Selection for enhanced cognitive traits is hypothesized to produce enhancements to brain structures that support those traits. Although numerous studies suggest that this pattern is robust, there are several mechanisms that may produce this association. First, cognitive traits and their neural underpinnings may be fixed as a result of differential selection on cognitive function within specific environments. Second, these relationships may be the product of the selection for plasticity, where differences are produced owing to an individual's experiences in the environment. Alternatively, the relationship may be a complex function of experience, genetics and/or epigenetic effects. Using a well-studied model species (black-capped chickadee,
Poecile atricapillus
), we have for the first time, to our knowledge, addressed these hypotheses. We found that differences in hippocampal (Hp) neuron number, neurogenesis and spatial memory previously observed in wild chickadees persisted in hand-raised birds from the same populations, even when birds were raised in an identical environment. These findings reject the hypothesis that variation in these traits is owing solely to differences in memory-based experiences in different environments. Moreover, neuron number and neurogenesis were strikingly similar between captive-raised and wild birds from the same populations, further supporting the genetic hypothesis. Hp volume, however, did not differ between the captive-raised populations, yet was very different in their wild counterparts, supporting the experience hypothesis. Our results indicate that the production of some Hp factors may be inherited and largely independent of environmental experiences in adult life, regardless of their magnitude, in animals under high selection pressure for memory, while traits such as volume may be more plastic and modified by the environment.
Marine necklace‐chain Fragilariaceae (Bacillariophyceae) from Guam, including descriptions of Koernerella and Perideraion, genera nova
Authors: Lobban Christopher S. , Ashworth Matt P. , Arai Yumi , Jordan Richard W. , Theriot Edward C.
Published: June 2011

Light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies of necklace‐chain forming colonial diatoms from benthic habitats in Guam revealed five species. Bleakeleya notata (Grunow in Van Heurck) Round is widespread and well‐known. Asterionella notata var. recticostata Körner has been reported only twice before; we describe the plastids for the first time. On phylogenetic grounds we assign A. notata var. recticostata to a new genus, Koernerella, and emend the description of Bleakeleya. Three new species belonging in a new genus, Perideraion, are described as P. montgomeryi, P. decipiens and P. elongatum. Cultures from single‐cell isolates yielded four gene sequences for three of these taxa. The genera are easy to identify in the LM and SEM. Perideraion differs from Bleakeleya and Koernerella in having two large H‐shaped plastids, as reported for Asterionellopsis and Asteroplanus, and is further distinguished from all these genera by the following character set: a distinct rim around the basal field of circular pores, an apical rimoportula laterally on the valve mantle, pores in the valves that are unlike those in the basal pore field, and absence of apical slits. Although the basal pole attachment and colony morphology seem synapomorphic, molecular evidence suggests that the Bleakeleya‐Koernerella‐Perideraion clade is separate from the Asterionellopsis‐Asteroplanus clade and these five genera do not form one monophyletic group. It remains to be seen whether they are part of a somewhat larger group at the base of the araphid grade or if the genera we studied are truly separate.
Applicability of the fluorescein diacetate assay for metabolic activity measurement of Microcystis aeruginosa (Chroococcales, Cyanobacteria)
Authors: Li Jie , Ou Danyun , Zheng Lingling , Gan Nanqin , Song Lirong
Published: June 2011

The fluorescein diacetate (FDA) assay has been widely used to measure metabolic activity in phytoplankton. It was found that FDA fluorescence values did not decrease in some stressed cells, demonstrating that the applicability of the method needs to be assessed further in the context of growth‐influencing conditions. In the present study, changes of FDA fluorescence values were studied in bloom‐forming cyanobacterial Microcystis aeruginosa Kütz cells under stress conditions such as nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) deficiency, or darkness and low temperature (10°C), respectively. The results demonstrated that esterase activity decreased immediately in dark‐stressed cells, which correlated with the decline of biomass and photosynthetic activity. Under the other three stress conditions, however, especially at low temperature, the cells lost photosynthetic activity but had the highest esterase activity, which was five times higher than the control group. These findings contrast with the assay criteria that the expression of a stain should reflect the change of photosynthetic activity and that stressed cells should have a lower staining intensity than the control cells. According to these results, the esterase activity response was dependent on environmental factors. Furthermore, higher fluorescence intensity did not mean higher metabolic activity, but a discrepant value indicated a severe stress.
PaperVis: Literature Review Made Easy
Authors: Chou J. ‐K. , Yang C. ‐K.
Published: June 2011

Reviewing literatures for a certain research field is always important for academics. One could use Google‐like information seeking tools, but oftentimes he/she would end up obtaining too many possibly related papers, as well as the papers in the associated citation network. During such a process, a user may easily get lost after following a few links for searching or cross‐referencing. It is also difficult for the user to identify relevant/important papers from the resulting huge collection of papers. Our work, called PaperVis, endeavors to provide a user‐friendly interface to help users quickly grasp the intrinsic complex citation‐reference structures among a specific group of papers. We modify the existing Radial Space Filling (RSF) and Bullseye View techniques to arrange involved papers as a node‐link graph that better depicts the relationships among them while saving the screen space at the same time. PaperVis applies visual cues to present node attributes and their transitions among interactions, and it categorizes papers into semantically meaningful hierarchies to facilitate ensuing literature exploration. We conduct experiments on the InfoVis 2004 Contest Dataset to demonstrate the effectiveness of PaperVis.
Efficient Parallel Vectors Feature Extraction from Higher‐Order Data
Authors: Pagot C. , Osmari D. , Sadlo F. , Weiskopf D. , Ertl T. , Comba J.
Published: June 2011

The parallel vectors (PV) operator is a feature extraction approach for defining line‐type features such as creases (ridges and valleys) in scalar fields, as well as separation, attachment, and vortex core lines in vector fields. In this work, we extend PV feature extraction to higher‐order data represented by piecewise analytical functions defined over grid cells. The extraction uses PV in two distinct stages. First, seed points on the feature lines are placed by evaluating the inclusion form of the PV criterion with reduced affine arithmetic. Second, a feature flow field is derived from the higher‐order PV expression where the features can be extracted as streamlines starting at the seeds. Our approach allows for guaranteed bounds regarding accuracy with respect to existence, position, and topology of the features obtained. The method is suitable for parallel implementation and we present results obtained with our GPU‐based prototype. We apply our method to higher‐order data obtained from discontinuous Galerkin fluid simulations.
Uncertainty‐Aware Exploration of Continuous Parameter Spaces Using Multivariate Prediction
Authors: Berger W. , Piringer H. , Filzmoser P. , Gröller E.
Published: June 2011

Systems projecting a continuous n‐dimensional parameter space to a continuous m‐dimensional target space play an important role in science and engineering. If evaluating the system is expensive, however, an analysis is often limited to a small number of sample points. The main contribution of this paper is an interactive approach to enable a continuous analysis of a sampled parameter space with respect to multiple target values. We employ methods from statistical learning to predict results in real‐time at any user‐defined point and its neighborhood. In particular, we describe techniques to guide the user to potentially interesting parameter regions, and we visualize the inherent uncertainty of predictions in 2D scatterplots and parallel coordinates. An evaluation describes a real‐world scenario in the application context of car engine design and reports feedback of domain experts. The results indicate that our approach is suitable to accelerate a local sensitivity analysis of multiple target dimensions, and to determine a sufficient local sampling density for interesting parameter regions.
Flowstrates: An Approach for Visual Exploration of Temporal Origin‐Destination Data
Authors: Boyandin Ilya , Bertini Enrico , Bak Peter , Lalanne Denis
Published: June 2011

Many origin‐destination datasets have become available in the recent years, e.g. flows of people, animals, money, material, or network traffic between pairs of locations, but appropriate techniques for their exploration still have to be developed. Especially, supporting the analysis of datasets with a temporal dimension remains a significant challenge. Many techniques for the exploration of spatio‐temporal data have been developed, but they prove to be only of limited use when applied to temporal origin‐destination datasets. We present Flowstrates, a new interactive visualization approach in which the origins and the destinations of the flows are displayed in two separate maps, and the changes over time of the flow magnitudes are represented in a separate heatmap view in the middle. This allows the users to perform spatial visual queries, focusing on different regions of interest for the origins and destinations, and to analyze the changes over time provided with the means of flow ordering, filtering and aggregation in the heatmap. In this paper, we discuss the challenges associated with the visualization of temporal origin‐destination data, introduce our solution, and present several usage scenarios showing how the tool we have developed supports them.
Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for liver tumors: Is it safer and more effective in low‐risk areas than in high‐risk areas?
Authors: Tang Zhe , Fang Heqing , Kang Muxing , Zhang Bo , Dong Xin , Chen Xiangming , Xu Jun , Chen Jianke , Wu Yulian
Published: June 2011

Aim:  To evaluate the feasibility and safety of ultrasound‐guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) of hepatic tumors in high‐risk areas (in caudate lobe, adjacent to the hilum, capsular surface, gallbladder or diaphragm) in comparison with those in low‐risk areas.

Methods:  A total of 526 patients with hepatic tumor treated with ultrasound‐guided cool‐tip RFA between October 2001 and October 2008 were included. The patients were divided into two groups according to the tumor location: group I (high‐risk areas, 163 patients); group II (low‐risk areas, 363 patients). The two groups had similar baseline characteristics. Repeated RFA was adopted if complete ablation (CA) was not achieved.

Results:  In group I, 20 cases had tumors close to the hilum, 11 in the caudate, 79 adjacent to the capsule, 24 near the gallbladder and 29 cases against the diaphragm. The percentage of patients with primary hepatic tumors in group I was higher than that in group 2 (80.4% vs 56.2%, P < 0.01). More patients in group I felt pain (61.3%, 100/163) than in group II (33.1%, 120/363) (P < 0.01). There was no mortality or major complications in either group. No significant differences were found in the CA rate and the minor complications between the two groups.

Conclusion:  Results for RFA using cool‐tip electrodes for liver tumors in high‐risk areas are comparable to those in low‐risk areas in the aspects of CA, complications and mortality.
Influence of silt size and content on liquefaction behavior of sands
Authors: Monkul Mehmet Murat , Yamamuro Jerry A.
Published: June 2011

This study investigates the fines content influence on liquefaction potential of a single base sand mixed with three different essentially nonplastic silts through strain-controlled monotonic undrained triaxial compression tests. Confining stress (30 kPa) and deposition method (dry funnel deposition) were kept the same, while fines content was varied, to solely focus on how different silts and their contents influence the undrained response of the sand under comparable conditions. It was found that if the mean grain diameter ratio (D50-sand/d50-silt) of the sand grains to silt grains is sufficiently small, the liquefaction potential of the sand increases steadily with increasing fines content for the studied range (0%–20%). As D50-sand/d50-silt increases, the liquefaction potential of the silty sand might actually be less than the liquefaction potential of the clean sand. Test results also revealed that commonly used comparison bases (i.e., void ratio, intergranular void ratio, relative density) are not sufficient for assessing the influence of fines on liquefaction potential of silty sands. Finally, relative size of the silt grains should also be considered in geotechnical engineering practice in addition to content and plasticity of fines to characterize the influence of silt on liquefaction potential of sands.
Failure, instability, and the second work increment in loose silty sand
Authors: Monkul Mehmet Murat , Yamamuro Jerry A. , Lade Poul V.
Published: June 2011

Triaxial tests have been performed to demonstrate the conditions for stability and instability in loose silty sand. Drucker (1951) and Hill (1958) stability conditions in terms of the sign of the second work increment were employed in the design of the stress paths used in the triaxial compression and extension tests performed with quasi-constant shear stress while the mean normal stress was reduced until failure occurred. It is shown that the sand is completely stable under drained conditions for any stress path and irrespective of the sign of the second work increment. This is demonstrated by completely stopping the change in stresses and observing the stable behavior in the range of stresses where the sand contracts and where it dilates. Once the effective stress failure surface is passed, the sand becomes unstable, and the sign of the second work increment is always negative. Run-away instability can occur inside the failure surface for loose silty sand under undrained conditions for which the sand tends to contract, pore pressures continue to develop, and the second work increment is negative. Liquefaction may follow if the loose silty sand is sufficiently loose.