bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An observational study of an arctic front during he IPY‐THORPEX 2008 campaign
Authors: Mc Innes Harold , Kristjánsson Jón Egill , Rahm Stephan , Røsting Bjørn , Schyberg Harald
Published: January 2013

The fact that severe weather associated with polar lows and arctic fronts still comes unforeseen and puts human life at risk shows that an effort towards increased understanding of them is required. The observations of an arctic front by dropsondes and Doppler lidar carried onboard a research aircraft during the IPY‐THORPEX ﬁeld campaign offered a rare opportunity to investigate the mesoscale structure of the front and to validate the output from operational numerical weather prediction models. The observations revealed features similar to those of polar fronts such as a relatively steep frontal zone, the presence of a strong low‐level jet and an elevated dry slot, making the arctic front appear as a shallow cold front conﬁned to levels below 700 hPa. The dry slot indicated the presence of a downfolding of the tropopause, and together with the observations of an upper‐level jet this strongly supports the inclusion of an arctic tropopause fold connected to the arctic jet stream in a conceptual model of the tropopause. A comparison between data from operational numerical weather prediction models and observations obtained during the ﬂight shows that the models simulated the broad features of the frontal zone such as jets, dry slot and the depth of the front fairly well, although parts of the front were slightly misplaced. However, the models failed completely in their simulations of one of the three mesoscale cyclones associated with the front as they located it over the coast of northern Norway while the correct location was over the Greenland Sea according to the observations and analysis.
Human Reliability Analysis in Spaceflight Applications, Part 2: Modified CREAM for Spaceflight
Authors: Calhoun Jessica , Savoie Chris , Randolph‐Gips Mary , Bozkurt Ipek
Published: January 2013

Human reliability analysis is a crucial for manned spaceflight success. Cognitive Reliability Error Analysis Model (CREAM) has been developed and used by the nuclear industry in predicting human error. Previously, the authors have calculated the probability error for an International Space Station ingress procedure using performance shaping factors (PSF). In this paper, the procedural risk under both ideal and common conditions using the new spaceflight specific PSFs is calculated. The risk was found to vary from the risk calculated using standard PSFs and to vary greatly depending on the spacecraft specific conditions. Under ideal conditions, the risk was found to be 1 in 88, but under common conditions, the risk was 1 in 3. Then, the new PSFs were used to analyze the impact of the three styles of training used at NASA under common conditions. Of skill‐based training, task‐based training, and knowledge‐based training, the CREAM analysis using the new PSFs showed that skill‐based training resulted in the most significant improvement in the risk of human error, from 1 in 3 to 1 in 11. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Financial resource availability and corporate social responsibility expenditures in a sub‐Saharan economy: The institutional difference hypothesis
Authors: Julian Scott D. , Ofori‐dankwa Joseph C.
Published: January 2013

Studies done in developed economies have demonstrated a positive relationship between financial resource availability and CSR. Arguments that we term the Institutional Difference Hypothesis (IDH) drawn from the institutional literature, however, suggest that institutional differences between developed and developing economies are likely to result in different CSR implications. Integrating the logic of IDH with insights from slack resources theory, we argue that there exists a negative relationship between financial resource availability and CSR expenditures for firms in Ghana, a sub‐Saharan African emerging economy. We use lagged data from the Ghana Investment Promotion Centre and find that Return on Sales, Return on Equity, and Net Profitability were consistently associated with lower CSR expenditures. We highlight the implications of our findings for research and managers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Does bribery in the home country promote or dampen firm exports?
Authors: Lee Seung‐Hyun , Weng David H.
Published: January 2013

This study examines the impact of bribery within the home country on firm exports by developing two contrasting hypotheses. On the one hand, preferential treatment resulting from government officials in exchange for bribes may promote exports by enhancing efficiency and enabling bribing firms to better compete in foreign markets. On the other hand, preferential treatment resulting from bribes may decrease exports by providing firms with more established positions within the domestic market diminishing the incentive to explore foreign markets. Adopting the three‐stage least squares method, we test these competing arguments using a sample of firms operating within transition economies. We find that bribery within the home country decreases rather than increases firm exports. The implications of our findings are discussed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Polymeric Nanoparticles with Sequential and Multiple FRET Cascade Mechanisms for Multicolor and Multiplexed Imaging
Authors: Wagh Anil , Jyoti Faidat , Mallik Sanku , Qian Steven , Leclerc Estelle , Law Benedict
Published: January 2013

The ability to map multiple biomarkers at the same time has far‐reaching biomedical and diagnostic applications. Here, a series of biocompatible poly(d,l‐lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) and polyethylene glycol particles for multicolor and multiplexed imaging are reported. More than 30 particle formulations that exhibit distinct emission signatures (ranging from the visible to NIR wavelength region) are designed and synthesized. These particles are encapsulated with combinations of carbocyanine‐based fluorophores DiO, Dil, DiD, and DiR, and are characterized as <100 nm in size and brighter than commercial quantum dots. A particle formulation is identified that simultaneously emits fluorescence at three different wavelengths upon a single excitation at 485 nm via sequential and multiple FRET cascade events for multicolor imaging. Three other particles that display maximum fluorescence intensities at 570, 672, or 777 nm for multiplexed imaging are also identified. These particles are individually conjugated with specific (Herceptin or IgG2A11 antibody) or nonspecific (heptaarginine) ligands for targeting and, thus, could be applied to differentiate different cancer cells from a cell mixture according to the expressions of cell‐surface human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 and the receptor for advanced glycation endproducts. Using an animal model subcutaneously implanted with the particles, it is further demonstrated that the developed platform could be useful for in vivo multiplexed imaging.
Introduction
Authors: Minty Michiko G. , Zimmermann Frank
Published: January 2013

Particle accelerators were originally developed for research in nuclear and high-energy physics for probing the structure of matter. Over the years advances in technology have allowed higher and higher particle energies to be attained thus providing an ever more microscopic probe for understanding elementary particles and their interactions. To achieve maximum benefit from such accelerators, measuring and controlling the parameters of the accelerated particles is essential. This is the subject of this book.
Cooling
Authors: Minty Michiko G. , Zimmermann Frank
Published: January 2013

Many applications of particle accelerators require beam cooling, which refers to a reduction of the beam phase space volume or an increase in the beam density via dissipative forces. In electron and positron storage rings cooling naturally occurs due to synchrotron radiation, and special synchrotron-radiation damping rings for the production of low-emittance beams are an integral part of electron-positron linear colliders. For other types of particles different cooling techniques are available. Electron cooling and stochastic cooling of hadron beams are used to accumulate beams of rare particles (such as antiprotons), to combat emittance growth (e.g., due to scattering on an internal target), or to produce beams of high quality for certain experiments. Laser cooling is employed to cool ion beams down to extremely small temperatures. Here the laser is used to induce transitions between the ion electronic states and the cooling exploits the Dopper frequency shift. Electron beams of unprecedentedly small emittance may be obtained by a different type of laser cooling, where the laser beam acts like a wiggler magnet. Finally, designs of a future muon collider rely on the principle of ionization cooling. Reference [1] gives a brief review of the principal ideas and the history of beam cooling in storage rings; a theoretical dicussion and a few practical examples can be found in [2].
Collimation
Authors: Minty Michiko G. , Zimmermann Frank
Published: January 2013

Particles at large betatron amplitudes or with a large momentum error constitute what is generally referred to as a beam halo. Such particles are undesirable since they produce a background in the particle-physics detector. The background arises either when the halo particles are lost at aperture restrictions in the vicinity of the detector, producing electro-magentic shower or muons, or when they emit synchrotron radiation that is not shielded and may hit sensitive detector components. In superconducting hadron storage rings, a further concern is localized particle loss near one of the superconducting magnets, which may result in the quench of the magnet, i.e., in its transition to the normalconducting state.
Longitudinal Phase Space Manipulation
Authors: Minty Michiko G. , Zimmermann Frank
Published: January 2013

In this chapter we describe various techniques used to control the longitudinal properties of particle beams We concentrate on the manipulation of the second moments of the longitudinal distribution; that is, on the bunch length and energy spread. As will be shown, the bunch length can be varied using accelerating cavities to compress, coalesce, split, and lengthen stored bunches. The energy spread of the beam can also be adjusted (usually to be a minimum) by proper phasing of the rf, by invoking cancellations between the applied and beam-induced rf, and by more sophisticated techniques for the case of long bunch trains. A practical application of the use of rf systems to affect the beam’s transverse emittance is presented lastly.
Optimization of Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Sacha Inchi Oil using Conventional and Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Processes
Authors: Prado Glaucia H. C. , Saldaña Marleny D. A.
Published: January 2013

Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis) oil has high polyunsaturated fatty acids content. The hydrolysis of this oil is an efficient way to obtain desirable free fatty acids (FFA). The optimization of parameters was carried out according to the maximum production of FFA using two enzymatic hydrolysis processes. The effect of enzyme concentration (5–40 % based on weight of oil), temperature (40–60 °C), and oil:water molar ratio (1:5–1:70) were studied for the conventional enzymatic hydrolysis process, while pressure (10–30 MPa) and oil:water molar ratio (1:5–1:30) were studied for the enzymatic hydrolysis in supercritical carbon dioxide (SC‐CO2) media. The hydrolysis in SC‐CO2 media resulted in higher production of FFA (77.98 % w/w) at 30 MPa and an oil:water molar ratio equal to 1:5 compared to the conventional process (68.40 ± 0.98 % w/w) at 60 °C, oil:water molar ratio equal to 1:70, and 26.17 % w/w, enzyme/oil. The only significant parameter on the production of FFA for conventional enzymatic hydrolysis was enzyme concentration, while for the hydrolysis in SC‐CO2 media both pressure and the molar ratio of oil:water were significant. Lipid class analyses showed that with both methods, FFA, monoglycerides, and diglycerides content in the final product increased compared to pure oil, while triglycerides content decreased. Fatty acid composition analysis showed that the content of fatty acids in the FFA form were similar to their triglyceride form.
On the self-propulsion of an -sphere micro-robot
Authors: Vladimirov V. A.
Published: January 2013

The aim of this paper is to describe the self-propulsion of a micro-robot (or micro-swimmer) consisting of $N$ spheres moving along a fixed line. The spheres are linked to each other by arms with their lengths changing periodically. We use the asymptotic procedure containing the two-timing method and a distinguished limit. We show that self-propulsion velocity appears (in the main approximation) as a linear combination of velocities of all possible triplets of spheres. Velocities and efficiencies of three-, four- and five-sphere swimmers are calculated.
Co-rotating Taylor–Couette flow enclosed by stationary disks
Authors: Heise M. , Hoffmann Ch. , Will Ch. , Altmeyer S. , Abshagen J. , Pfister G.
Published: January 2013

We report results of a combined numerical and experimental study on axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric flow states in a finite-length, co-rotating Taylor–Couette system in the Taylor vortex regime but also in the Rayleigh stable regime for moderate Reynolds numbers (${\leq }1000$). We found the dominant boundary-driven axisymmetric circulation to play a crucial role in the mode selection and the bifurcation behaviour in this flow. A sequence of partially hysteretic transitions to other axisymmetric multi-cell flow states is observed. Furthermore, we observed spiral states bifurcating via a supercritical Hopf bifurcation out of these multi-cell states which strongly determine the shape of the spiral. Finally, an excellent agreement between experimental and numerical results of the full Navier–Stokes equations is found.
Experimental investigation of freely falling thin disks. Part 1. The flow structures and Reynolds number effects on the zigzag motion
Authors: Zhong Hongjie , Lee Cunbiao , Su Zhuang , Chen Shiyi , Zhou Mingde , Wu Jiezhi
Published: January 2013

This paper describes an experimental investigation of the dynamics of a freely falling thin circular disk in still water. The flow patterns of the disk zigzag motion are studied using dye visualization and particle image velocimetry. Time-resolved disk motions with six degrees of freedom are obtained with a stereoscopic vision method. The flow separation and vortex shedding are found to change with the Reynolds number, $\mathit{Re}$. At high Reynolds numbers a new dipole vortex is shed that is significantly different from Kármán-type vortices. The vortical structures are mainly composed of leading-edge vortices, a counter-rotating vortex pair and secondary trailing-edge vortices. The amplitude of the horizontal oscillation is also dependent on the Reynolds number with a critical Reynolds number ${\mathit{Re}}_{cr} \approx 2000$, where the oscillatory amplitude is proportional to $\mathit{Re}$ for $\mathit{Re}\lt {\mathit{Re}}_{cr} $, but becomes invariant for $\mathit{Re}\gt {\mathit{Re}}_{cr} $. Three-dimensional dipolar vortices were also observed experimentally.
Axisymmetric gravity currents of power-law fluids over a rigid horizontal surface
Authors: Sayag Roiy , Grae Worster M.
Published: January 2013

We analyse axisymmetric gravity currents of power-law fluids theoretically and experimentally. We use aqueous suspensions of Xanthan gum in laboratory experiments of constant-volume and constant-flux release to resolve the rheological parameters of the fluid, which we then compare with measurements made using a strain-controlled rheometer. We find that the constant-volume release of highly shear-thinning fluids involves an early-time evolution dominated by inertia, and non-convex free surfaces that make the application of similarity solutions of the late-time viscously dominated evolution inefficient at resolving material properties. In contrast, constant-flux release of the same fluids can be viscously dominated and consistent with the self-similar solution from early in the evolution, which makes it a more useful method for measuring rheological parameters.
Modes and instabilities in magnetized spherical Couette flow
Authors: Figueroa A. , Schaeffer N. , Nataf H.-C. , Schmitt D.
Published: January 2013

Several teams have reported peculiar frequency spectra for flows in a spherical shell. To address their origin, we perform numerical simulations of the spherical Couette flow in a dipolar magnetic field, in the configuration of the$DTS$experiment. The frequency spectra computed from time-series of the induced magnetic field display similar bumpy spectra, where each bump corresponds to a given azimuthal mode number$m$. The bumps appear at moderate Reynolds number (${\simeq }2600$) if the time-series are long enough (${\gt }300$rotations of the inner sphere). We present a new method that permits retrieval of the dominant frequencies for individual mode numbers$m$, and extraction of the modal structure of the full nonlinear flow. The maps of the energy of the fluctuations and the spatio-temporal evolution of the velocity field suggest that fluctuations originate in the outer boundary layer. The threshold of instability is found at${\mathit{Re}}_{c} = 1860$. The fluctuations result from two coupled instabilities: high-latitude Bödewadt-type boundary layer instability, and secondary non-axisymmetric instability of a centripetal jet forming at the equator of the outer sphere. We explore the variation of the magnetic and kinetic energies with the input parameters, and show that a modified Elsasser number controls their evolution. We can thus compare with experimental determinations of these energies and find a good agreement. Because of the dipolar nature of the imposed magnetic field, the energy of magnetic fluctuations is much larger near the inner sphere, but their origin lies in velocity fluctuations that are initiated in the outer boundary layer.
Note on the swimming of an elongated body in a non-uniform flow
Authors: Candelier Fabien , Porez Mathieu , Boyer Frederic
Published: January 2013

This paper presents an extension of Lighthill’s large-amplitude elongated-body theory of fish locomotion which enables the effects of an external weakly non-uniform potential flow to be taken into account. To do so, the body is modelled as a Kirchhoff beam, made up of elliptical cross-sections whose size may vary along the body, undergoing prescribed deformations consisting of yaw and pitch bending. The fluid velocity potential is decomposed into two parts corresponding to the unperturbed potential flow, which is assumed to be known, and to the perturbation flow. The Laplace equation and the corresponding Neumann’s boundary conditions governing the perturbation velocity potential are expressed in terms of curvilinear coordinates which follow the body during its motion, thus allowing the boundary of the body to be considered as a fixed surface. Equations are simplified according to the slenderness of the body and the weakness of the non-uniformity of the unperturbed flow. These simplifications allow the pressure acting on the body to be determined analytically using the classical Bernoulli equation, which is then integrated over the body. The model is finally used to investigate the passive and the active swimming of a fish in a Kármán vortex street.
On the interaction between a turbulent open channel flow and an axial-flow turbine
Authors: Chamorro L. P. , Hill C. , Morton S. , Ellis C. , Arndt R. E. A. , Sotiropoulos F.
Published: January 2013

A laboratory experiment was performed to study the dynamically rich interaction of a turbulent open channel flow with a bed-mounted axial-flow hydrokinetic turbine. An acoustic Doppler velocimeter and a torque transducer were used to simultaneously measure at high temporal resolution the three velocity components of the flow at various locations upstream of the turbine and in the wake region and turbine power, respectively. Results show that for sufficiently low frequencies the instantaneous power generated by the turbine is modulated by the turbulent structure of the approach flow. The critical frequency above which the response of the turbine is decoupled from the turbulent flow structure is shown to vary linearly with the angular frequency of the rotor. The measurements elucidate the structure of the turbulent turbine wake, which is shown to persist for at least fifteen rotor diameters downstream of the rotor, and a new approach is proposed to quantify the wake recovery, based on the growth of the largest scale motions in the flow. Spectral analysis is employed to demonstrate the dominant effect of the tip vortices in the energy distribution in the near-wake region and uncover meandering motions.
Spectrum of passive scalars of high molecular diffusivity in turbulent mixing
Authors: Yeung P. K. , Sreenivasan K. R.
Published: January 2013

We consider the mixing of passive scalars transported in turbulent flow, with a molecular diffusivity that is large compared to the kinematic viscosity of the fluid. This particular case of mixing has not received much attention in experiment or simulation even though the first putative theory, due to Batchelor, Howells & Townsend (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 5, 1959, pp. 134–139), is now more than 50 years old. We study the problem using direct numerical simulation of decaying scalar fields in steadily sustained homogeneous turbulence as the Schmidt number (the ratio of the kinematic viscosity of the fluid to the molecular diffusivity of the scalar) is allowed to vary from $1/ 8$ to $1/ 2048$ for two values of the microscale Reynolds number, ${R}_{\lambda } \approx 140$ and $\approx $240. The simulations show that the passive scalar spectrum assumes a slope of $- 17/ 3$ in a range of scales, as predicted by the theory, when the Schmidt number is small and the Reynolds number is simultaneously large. The observed agreement between theory and simulation in the prefactor in the spectrum is not perfect. We assess the reasons for this discrepancy by a careful examination of the scalar evolution equation in the light of the assumptions of the theory, and conclude that the finite range of scales resolved in simulations is the main reason. Numerical issues specific to the regime of very low Schmidt numbers are also addressed briefly.
Mixed Convection Radiative Flow of Maxwell Fluid Near a Stagnation Point with Convective Condition
Authors: Hayat T. , Waqas M. , Shehzad S. A. , Alsaedi A.
Published: January 2013

Effects of thermal radiation in mixed convection stagnation point flow over a moving surface subject to convective boundary conditions is addressed. Mathematical modeling is based upon constitutive equations of an incompressible Maxwell fluid. Nonlinear analysis is presented through implementation of homotopy analysis method. Numerical values of Local Nusselt number is computed and analyzed.
Unsteady Unidirectional Flow of Bingham Fluid Through the Parallel Microgap Plates with Wall Slip and Given Inlet Volume Flow Rate Variations
Authors: Lin Y.W. , Chen C.-I. , Chen C.-K.
Published: January 2013

In this paper, Laplace transformation method is used to solve the velocity profile and pressure gradient of the unsteady unidirectional flow of Bingham fluid. Between the parallel microgap plates, the flow motion is induced by a prescribed arbitrary inlet volume flow rate which varies with time. Due to the rarefaction, the wall slip condition is existed; therefore, the complexity of solution is also increased. In order to understand the flow behavior of Bingham fluid, there are two basic flow situations are solved. One is a suddenly started flow and the other is constant acceleration flow. Furthermore, linear acceleration and oscillatory flow are also considered. The result indicates when the yield stress τ0 is zero; the solution of the problem reduces to Newtonian fluid.
Gut microbiota and metabolic disorders: how prebiotic can work?
Authors: Delzenne Nathalie M. , Neyrinck Audrey M. , Cani Patrice D.
Published: January 2013

Experimental data in animals, but also observational studies in obese patients, suggest that the composition of the gut microbiota differs in obese v. lean individuals, in diabetic v. non-diabetic patients or in patients presenting other diseases associated with obesity or nutritional dysbalance, such as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. In the present review, we will describe how changes in the gut microbiota composition and/or activity by dietary fibres with prebiotic properties, can modulate host gene expression and metabolism. We will evaluate their potential relevance in the management of obesity and related metabolic disturbances, in view of the experimental data and intervention studies published up to date.
Gut immune system and oral tolerance
Authors: Castro-Sánchez Patricia , Martín-Villa José M.
Published: January 2013

Gut mucosal surfaces separate the external environment from the internal sterile environment and so represent a first line of defence system. This barrier faces environments rich in pathogens that have developed effective mechanisms for colonisation of epithelial surfaces and invasion of mucosal tissues, but also harmless antigens such as food, airborne antigens or commensal bacterial flora. The latter represent the vast majority of the encountered antigens and require an appropriate response characterised by either ignorance or active suppression. However, for the former, a robust immune response is needed. Mucosae have developed a complex immune system that is capable of mounting an immune response against pathogenic antigens, while maintaining the required ignorance or active suppression against non-pathogenic antigens. Taking advantage of this knowledge, strategies have been devised to induce oral tolerance to antigens involved in experimental autoimmune disease or human conditions. It is now known that oral tolerance induces the up-regulation and activation of T cells with regulatory properties, a subtype of CD4+T cells whose function is to regulate functions of other T lymphocytes to avoid excessive immune activation. Amongst them, the Th3 cells (cells that express the latency-associated peptide on the surface and secrete transforming growth factor β, a cytokine with immunoregulatory properties) are especially relevant in the induction of oral tolerance. Orally fed antigens seek to generate these types of cells in the treatment of autoimmune diseases in experimental animals or human subjects.
Linking the gut microbiota to human health
Authors: Robles Alonso Virginia , Guarner Francisco
Published: January 2013

The human gut is the natural environment for a diverse and dynamic microbial ecosystem, whose structure and functions are presently a major target of research in biomedicine. Experimental studies in germ-free animals performed some decades ago revealed the importance of these microbial communities for normal growth and development and for the maintenance of health in adult life. The host provides habitat and nutrition to the microbial communities and derives many benefits from its symbionts that contribute to metabolic, defensive and trophic functions. Development of novel gene sequencing technologies as well as availability of powerful bioinformatic analysis tools provide new insights into the composition and structure of the human gut microbiota. There is no clear definition of the characteristics of a normal ‘healthy’ gut microbiota in human subjects, but several disease states have been associated with changes in the composition of faecal and intestinal mucosal communities, including inflammatory bowel diseases, obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Probiotics and prebiotics are used to improve symbiosis between enteric microbiota and the host or restore states of dysbiosis.
Influence of SNPs in nutrient-sensitive candidate genes and gene–diet interactions on blood lipids: the DiOGenes study
Authors: Brahe Lena K. , Ängquist Lars , Larsen Lesli H. , Vimaleswaran Karani S. , Hager Jörg , Viguerie Nathalie , Loos Ruth J. F. , Handjieva-Darlenska Teodora , Jebb Susan A. , Hlavaty Petr , Larsen Thomas M. , Martinez J. Alfredo , Papadaki Angeliki , Pfeiffer Andreas F. H. , van Baak Marleen A. , Sørensen Thorkild I. A. , Holst Claus , Langin Dominique , Astrup Arne , Saris Wim H. M.
Published: January 2013

Blood lipid response to a given dietary intervention could be determined by the effect of diet, gene variants or gene–diet interactions. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether variants in presumed nutrient-sensitive genes involved in lipid metabolism modified lipid profile after weight loss and in response to a given diet, among overweight European adults participating in the Diet Obesity and Genes study. By multiple linear regressions, 240 SNPs in twenty-four candidate genes were investigated for SNP main and SNP–diet interaction effects on total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and TAG after an 8-week low-energy diet (only main effect), and a 6-monthad libitumweight maintenance diet, with different contents of dietary protein or glycaemic index. After adjusting for multiple testing, a SNP–dietary protein interaction effect on TAG was identified for lipin 1 (LPIN1) rs4315495, with a decrease in TAG of − 0·26 mmol/l per A-allele/protein unit (95 % CI − 0·38, − 0·14,P= 0·000043). In conclusion, we investigated SNP–diet interactions for blood lipid profiles for 240 SNPs in twenty-four candidate genes, selected for their involvement in lipid metabolism pathways, and identified one significant interaction betweenLPIN1rs4315495 and dietary protein for TAG concentration.
High prevalence ofLeucocytozoonspp. in the endangered yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) in the sub-Antarctic regions of New Zealand
Authors: ARGILLA L. S. , HOWE L. , GARTRELL B. D. , ALLEY M. R.
Published: January 2013

Yellow-eyed penguins (YEPs) have suffered major population declines over the past 30 years, with no single cause established.Leucocytozoonwas first identified in yellow-eyed penguins in 2005. During the 2008/09 breeding season, a high mortality was seen in both mainland yellow-eyed penguins as well as those on Enderby Island of the Auckland Islands archipelago. A high overall prevalence ofLeucocytozoonspp. in association with a high incidence of chick mortality was observed during this period on Enderby Island. One chick had histological evidence of leucocytozoonosis with megaloschizonts in multiple organs throughout its body. In addition, a high prevalence (73·7%) ofLeucocytozoonwas observed by PCR in the blood of adult Enderby yellow-eyed penguins taken during the 2006/07 season. These findings were different from the low prevalence detected by PCR on the coast of the South Island (11%) during the 2008/2009 breeding session and earlier on Campbell Island (21%) during the 2006/2007 breeding session. TheLeucocytozoonspp. sequences detected lead us to conclude that theLeucocytozoonparasite is common in yellow-eyed penguins and has a higher prevalence in penguins from Enderby Island than those from Campbell Island and the mainland of New Zealand. The Enderby Island yellow-eyed penguins are infected with aLeucocytozoonspp. that is genetically distinct from that found in other yellow-eyed penguin populations. The role ofLeucocytozoonin the high levels of chick mortality in the yellow-eyed penguins remains unclear.
SPECTRES OF DARMSTADT
Authors: Iddon Martin
Published: January 2013

The word ‘Darmstadt’ has come to stand for a broad set of discursive tropes: whether positive or negative, the word is often used as a convenient shorthand for organising ways of thinking about music in the post-war era. I suggest that, after the many symbolic deaths of the avant-garde, the word Darmstadt has come to function, too, as a sort of Lacanian Name-of-the-Father, an idea which need have little to do with the father ‘proper’: rather it is a structuring principle, one which authorises and delimits the boundaries of the known, the prescribed and proscribed world. I argue, too, that the death of that symbolic father, however it becomes extended and perpetuated, surely presages rupture and collapse within the symbolic order. From this position, I examine the ways in which various spectres of Darmstadt – borrowing from Derrida's Marxian hauntologie – return, both within the world of New Music and beyond.
London, Proms 2012 (1): Turnage, Philips, Musgrave, Higgins, Bryars, Finnissy, Birtwistle, Elias
Authors: Conway Paul
Published: January 2013

Was it a reflection of the current economic squeeze or a deliberate retreat from the ways of Gargantua following the bold programming of Havergal Brian's mighty Gothic Symphony in 2011? Whatever the reason, brevity seemed to be the keynote of a good deal of new music featured in the 118th Proms season. In fact, few commissions and premières, including the majority of those considered below, lasted much longer than ten minutes.
Presteigne Festival 2012
Authors: Conway Paul
Published: January 2013

For six lively and exhilarating days at the end of August 2012, the Presteigne Festival's thirtieth anniversary was celebrated in 16 concerts featuring no fewer than nine new specially commissioned pieces, most of them from composers already closely associated with this much-anticipated annual event held in and around a modest borders town in Powys. Composer-in-residence Sally Beamish was well represented with a generous selection from her output for instrumental and chamber forces, including the premières of two new arrangements of her earlier works. Each concert was programmed with exemplary care by Artistic Director George Vass, resulting in a rich assortment of contemporary and rarely encountered twentieth-century music together with mainstream repertoire.
New Ethiopic witnesses to some Old Testament pseudepigrapha
Authors: Erho Ted
Published: January 2013

Despite noteworthy critical editions of each having appeared within the last twenty-five years, the textual states of Jubilees, the Testaments of the Three Patriarchs, and the Ascension of Isaiah remain in flux due to the continued discovery of previously unknown exemplars. Nowhere is this more evident than in their Ethiopic versions, as copies of a multitude of manuscripts attesting these pseudepigrapha have become readily accessible in recent years. Consequently, it is now possible to append twenty Ge‘ez manuscripts to the hitherto recognized evidence for Jubilees, and five and two further witnesses to the published lists for the Testaments of the Three Patriarchs and the Ascension of Isaiah respectively.
Pruritus in older people
Authors: Chen KS , Yesudian PD
Published: January 2013

Pruritus in older people is caused by a wide range of dermatological, systemic, neurological and psychogenic diseases. It can also be attributed to various cutaneous drug reactions. The dermatological, neurological and immunological changes associated with ageing predispose older people to pruritus of a wide range of aetiologies. The most common cause of pruritus in older people is xerosis, or dry skin. Regular use of emollients is the mainstay of treatment for pruritus of any cause, with general measures aiming to ensure optimal skin hydration and to prevent the itch–scratch cycle. Topical treatments are generally better tolerated for localized pruritus. Anti-histamines are the predominant agents to treat pruritus, but can be inadequate in many cases. Numerous other systemic agents have been demonstrated to alleviate pruritus depending on the cause, but may be limited by their adverse effects. This article reviews the current published literature on pruritus in older people, with a practical approach to its evaluation and management in non-specialist settings.
A Mixed-Methods Evaluation of a Pilot Psychosocial Intervention Group for Older People with Schizophrenia
Authors: Berry Katherine , Purandare Nitin , Drake Richard , Elmsley Richard , Jones Lisa , Barrowclough Christine
Published: January 2013

Background: There is a strong evidence base for psychological treatments in younger adults with schizophrenia, but limited work has been done on adapting these interventions for older people. Aims: We describe a study of a pilot psychosocial intervention group specifically designed to meet the needs of older people with schizophrenia in NHS settings. Method: We used a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the group. We assessed feasibility and acceptability by monitoring uptake and retention in the study. We used a within groups design comparing participants on a range of potentially relevant outcomes at baseline and posttreatment. Treatment acceptability was also assessed by semi-structured interviews conducted at the end of treatment. Results: We recruited 11 participants to the study and 7 of these completed the majority of the group sessions. At a group level participants made improvements in self-esteem and negative symptoms that were statistically significant even in this small sample. Feedback interviews suggested that participants valued the social contact provided by the group and made actual changes in their day-to-day lives as a result of attending. Conclusion: The intervention could offer help with some of the secondary disability associated with the diagnosis of schizophrenia and is acceptable to older adults. Further evaluation is, however, warranted.
Conservation and employment creation: can privatizing natural resources benefit traditional users?
Authors: Baland Jean-Marie , Bjorvatn Kjetil
Published: January 2013

The establishment of a private property regime is often proposed as a solution to the degradation of natural resources. While arguably more efficient than open access, private property often comes at a distributional cost (Weitzman, M. (1974), ‘Free access vs private ownership as alternative systems for managing common property’, Journal of Economic Theory 8(2): 225–234) as traditional users of the resource lose income and employment in the process. The present paper demonstrates that, in the case of renewable resources, traditional users may gain from privatization even if they are denied ownership of the resource. Indeed, a private owner maximizing profits tends to preserve the resource, which results in long-term increases in employment. We derive the conditions under which these long-term gains more than compensate traditional users for the short-run fall in labor demand and resource rents.
Reduced phosphorylation of GluA1 subunits relates to anxiety-like behaviours in mice
Authors: Kiselycznyk Carly , Zhang Xiaoqun , Huganir Richard L. , Holmes Andrew , Svenningsson Per
Published: January 2013

Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent and frequently co-morbid conditions. The ionotropic glutamate receptors N-methyl-d-aspartate and α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA) mediate actions of monoaminergic antidepressants and have been directly targeted by novel fast-acting antidepressants. Less is known about the role of these receptors in anxiety-like states. Here we investigate how two distinct anxiolytic agents, buspirone, a partial 5-HT1A agonist, and diazepam, a benzodiazepine, influence phosphorylation of GluA1 subunits of AMPA receptors at the potentiating residue Ser845 and Ser831 in corticolimbic regions. To test the functional relevance of these changes, phosphomutant GluA1 mice lacking phosphorylatable Ser845 and Ser831 were examined in relevant behavioural paradigms. These mutant mice exhibited a reduced anxiety-like phenotype in the light/dark exploration task and elevated plus maze, but not in the novelty induced hypophagia paradigm. These data indicate that reduced potentiation of the AMPA receptor signalling, via decreased GluA1 phoshorylation, is specifically involved in approach–avoidance based paradigms relevant for anxiety-like behaviours.
Evaluation of animal models of obsessive-compulsive disorder: correlation with phasic dopamine neuron activity
Authors: Sesia Thibaut , Bizup Brandon , Grace Anthony A.
Published: January 2013

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) is a psychiatric condition defined by intrusive thoughts (obsessions) associated with compensatory and repetitive behaviour (compulsions). However, advancement in our understanding of this disorder has been hampered by the absence of effective animal models and correspondingly analysis of the physiological changes that may be present in these models. To address this, we have evaluated two current rodent models of OCD; repeated injection of dopamine D2 agonist quinpirole and repeated adolescent injection of the tricyclic agent clomipramine in combination with a behavioural paradigm designed to produce compulsive lever pressing. These results were then compared with their relative impact on the state of activity of the mesolimbic dopaminergic system using extracellular recoding of spontaneously active dopamine neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). The clomipramine model failed to exacerbate compulsive lever pressing and VTA dopamine neurons in clomipramine-treated rats had mildly diminished bursting activity. In contrast, quinpirole-treated animals showed significant increases in compulsive lever pressing, which was concurrent with a substantial diminution of bursting activity of VTA dopamine neurons. Therefore, VTA dopamine activity correlated with the behavioural response in these models. Taken together, these data support the view that compulsive behaviours likely reflect, at least in part, a disruption of the dopaminergic system, more specifically by a decrease in baseline phasic dopamine signalling mediated by burst firing of dopamine neurons.
Studying institutions in the context of natural selection: limits or opportunities?
Authors: BOYER PASCAL , PETERSEN MICHAEL BANG
Published: January 2013

In this comment, we respond to comments raised by Eastwood (2012) in response to our article on the role of evolutionary psychology in understanding institutions (Boyer and Petersen, 2012). We discuss how evolutionary psychological models account for cultural variation and change in institutions, how sociological institutionalism and evolutionary models can inform each other, how evolutionary psychological models illuminate the role of power in institutional design and the possibility of a ‘general theory’ of institutions.
Infant Mortality Among Singletons and Twins in Japan During 1999–2008 on the Basis of Risk Factors
Authors: Imaizumi Yoko , Hayakawa Kazuo
Published: January 2013

The infant mortality rate (IMR) among single and twin births from 1999 to 2008 was analyzed using Japanese Vital Statistics. The IMR was 5.3-fold higher in twins than in singletons in 1999 and decreased to 3.9-fold in 2008. The reduced risk of infant mortality in twins relative to singletons may be related, partially, to survival rates, which improved after fetoscopic laser photocoagulation for twin — twin transfusion syndrome. The proportion of neonatal deaths among total infant deaths was 54% for singletons and 74% for twins. Thus, intensive care of single and twin births may be very important during the first month of life to reduce the IMR. The IMR decreased as gestational age (GA) rose in singletons, whereas the IMR in twins decreased as GA rose until 37 weeks and increased thereafter. The IMR was significantly higher in twins than in singletons from the shortest GA (<24 weeks) to 28 weeks as well as ≥38 weeks, whereas the IMR was significantly higher in singletons than in twins from 30 to 36 weeks. As for maternal age, the early neonatal and neonatal mortality rates as well as the IMR in singletons were significantly higher in the youngest maternal age group than in the oldest one, whereas the opposite result was obtained in twins. The lowest IMR in singletons was 1.1 per 1,000 live births for ≥38 weeks of gestation and heaviest birth weight (≥2,000 g), while the lowest IMR in twins was 1.8 at 37 weeks and ≥2,000 g.
The Bifactor Model of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire
Authors: Kóbor Andrea , Takács Ádám , Urbán Róbert
Published: January 2013

The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) is a frequently used instrument developed for screening childhood mental health problems. The aim of this study is to clarify the structure of the Hungarian version of SDQ, to test previous measurement models, and to propose an alternative bifactor model. Data were collected from a community sample of 8–13-year-old children. We conducted a series of confirmatory factor analyses on parent (n = 383) and teacher ratings (n = 391). The classic five-factor, an alternative three-factor, and a bifactor model were estimated. In the bifactor model, specific components refer to the five SDQ-traits, and the General Problems factor refers to an impression about the problem severity of the child. For both informants, the bifactor model yielded the best fit to the data compared to other models. Childhood behavioral problems can be best described as a multidimensional construct, which has implications regarding the screening procedure in various samples.
Serum microRNA expression profile: miR-1246 as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker for oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Takeshita Nobuyoshi , Hoshino Isamu , Mori Mikito , Akutsu Yasunori , Hanari Naoyuki , Yoneyama Yasuo , Ikeda Norimasa , Isozaki Yuka , Maruyama Tetsuro , Akanuma Naoki , Komatsu Aki , Jitsukawa Mari , Matsubara Hisahiro
Published: January 2013

Background:

Recent studies have demonstrated that microRNAs (miRNAs) are stably detectable in blood and can serve as useful biomarkers for cancer.

Methods:

We performed an miRNA array using serum samples obtained from oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) patients or healthy controls. MiR-1246 was the most markedly elevated in ESCC patients. Therefore, miR-1246 was selected as a candidate for further analysis. The serum miR-1246 level in 46 healthy controls and 101 ESCC patients was evaluated and compared among various clinicopathological characteristics. MiR-1246 expressions in tissue, exosomal, and cellular samples were also examined.

Results:

Serum miR-1246 alone yielded an receiver-operating characteristic curve area of 0.754, with 71.3% sensitivity and 73.9% specificity for distinguishing ESCC patients from healthy controls. Serum miR-1246 was significantly correlated with the TNM stage and showed to be the strongest independent risk factor for poor survival (HR, 4.032; P=0.017). Unlike the tendency shown in previous reports, miR-1246 was not upregulated in ESCC tissue samples. Furthermore, exosomal miR-1246 did not reflect the abundance in the cell of origin.

Conclusion:

These data support our contention that serum miR-1246 has strong potential as a novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in ESCC, and its releasing mechanism is selective and independent of tissue miRNA abundance.