bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age‐related hearing loss, vitamin B12, and folate in the elderly
Authors: Lasisi Akeem Olawale , Fehintola Fatai A. , Yusuf Oyindamola Bidemi
Published: October 2010

OBJECTIVE

Determine the correlation between the hearing threshold and the serum levels of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) and folic acid among elderly subjects (> 60 years) with age‐related hearing loss (ARHL).

STUDY DESIGN

Cross‐sectional.

SETTING

Community.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

Subjects included elderly who were found apparently healthy following repeated examination by physicians. The pure tone average (PTA) for the speech and high frequencies, and the serum folate and cobalamin were determined and the correlation found.

RESULTS

The mean ± SD values of serum folate among the subjects with normal PTA in the speech frequencies (0‐30 dB) was 412.3 nmol/L ± 17.6 nmol/L, while among those with hearing loss (HL), it was 279.1 nmol/L ± 17.2 nmol/L (P = 0.01). In the high frequencies, the mean ± SD values among the subjects with normal PTA was 426.3 nmol/L ± 17.6 nmol/L, while among those with HL, it was 279.14 nmol/L ± 171.2 nmol/L. The serum cobalamin among the subjects with normal PTA within the speech frequencies was 49.7 pmol/L ± 9.4 pmol/L, while among those with speech‐frequency HL, it was 42.6 pmol/L ± 10.2 pmol/L. However, for high frequencies, the mean ± SD values among the subjects with normal PTA was 47.4 pmol/L ± 7.3 pmol/L, while among those with HL, it was 41.3 pmol/L ± 9.2 pmol/L. Spearman's correlation revealed that low folate (correlation coefficient = −0.27, P = 0.01) and cyanocobalamin (correlation coefficient = −0.35, P = 0.02) were significantly associated with increasing hearing threshold in the high frequencies. After adjusting for age, serum folate (correlation coefficient = −0.01, P = 0.01) was significant, while vitamin B12 (correlation coefficient = −0.01, P = 0.74) was not.

CONCLUSION

Serum folate was significantly lower among elderly with ARHL. Trials on nutritional supplementation may substantiate the role of serum folate in ARHL.
Checkliste ,,Tabakpolitik an der Schule‘‘ – Entwicklung eines praxisorientierten, reliablen und validen Instruments
Authors: Bühler Anneke , Piontek Daniela , Herberich Esther
Published: October 2010

Einleitung

Die Schule ist eine bedeutende Lebenswelt aller Kinder und Jugendlichen und damit ein herausragendes Setting der Tabakprävention. Sowohl verhaltens- als auch verhältnisbezogene Ansätze sind umsetzbar. Eine praxisorientierte Checkliste zum Status der bisherigen tabakpräventiven Bemühungen einer Schule kann deren evidenzorientierte Optimierung unterstützen. Der Einsatz der hier vorgestellten reliablen und validen Checkliste in Studien zur schulbasierten Tabakprävention kann einen Beitrag zur Vereinheitlichung und damit Aussagekräftigkeit der Forschung in diesem Bereich leisten.
The legacies of labor recruitment: The guest worker and green card programs in the Federal Republic of Germany
Authors: Jurgens Jeffrey
Published: October 2010

Germany has repeatedly relied on temporary labor recruitment as a central means of negotiating the paradoxes of liberal industrial democracy. In order to examine the legacies of this practice, I place the Federal Republic's two most prominent recruitment measures, the 1955–1973 guest worker program and the 2000–2004 Green Card program, within a larger history of migration, policymaking, and public debate. In order to grasp the consequences of these recruitment initiatives, we need to understand the ways they both conditioned and were conditioned by shifting conceptions of German nationhood. The unintended effects of the guest worker program, I maintain, gave initial impetus to restrictionist policies that aligned with an ethnic definition of the German nation-state. The Green Card program, meanwhile, catalyzed a reassessment of immigration that eventually resulted in significant policy reform and a new articulation of German nationhood along civic and territorial lines.
Phytoliths infer locally dense and heterogeneous paleovegetation at FLK North and surrounding localities during upper Bed I time, Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania
Authors: Barboni Doris , Ashley Gail M. , Dominguez-Rodrigo Manuel , Bunn Henry T. , Mabulla Audax Z.P. , Baquedano Enrique
Published: October 2010

The phytolith content of 10 samples collected immediately under Tuff IF (~ 1.785 Ma) at FLK N and other surrounding localities (~ 2 km²) provides a direct botanical evidence for woody vegetation in the eastern margin of Olduvai Gorge during uppermost Bed I time. Observation and counting of 143 phytolith types (5 to >150 μ) reveal dense but heterogeneous woody cover (~ 40–90%) of unidentified trees and/or shrubs and palms associated to the freshwater springs surrounding FLK N, and more open formation (presumably ~ 25–70% woody cover) in the southeast at localities VEK, HWK W and HWK E. The paleovegetation is best described as groundwater palm forest/woodland or bushland, which current analogue may be found near Lake Manyara in similar hydrogeological context (freshwater springs near saline/alkaline lake). Re-evaluating the published pollen data based on this analogy shows that 70% of the pollen signal at FLK N may be attributed to thicket-woodland,Acaciagroundwater woodland, gallery and groundwater forests; while < 30% is attributed to swamp herbage and grasslands. Micro-botanical, isotopic, and taphonomical studies of faunal remains converge on the same conclusion that the area surrounding FLK N, which attracted both carnivores and hominins in the early Pleistocene, was densely wooded during uppermost Bed I time.
Assessment of psychotropic-like properties of a probiotic formulation (Lactobacillus helveticusR0052 andBifidobacterium longumR0175) in rats and human subjects
Authors: Messaoudi Michaël , Lalonde Robert , Violle Nicolas , Javelot Hervé , Desor Didier , Nejdi Amine , Bisson Jean-François , Rougeot Catherine , Pichelin Matthieu , Cazaubiel Murielle , Cazaubiel Jean-Marc
Published: October 2010

In a previous clinical study, a probiotic formulation (PF) consisting ofLactobacillus helveticusR0052 andBifidobacterium longumR0175 (PF) decreased stress-induced gastrointestinal discomfort. Emerging evidence of a role for gut microbiota on central nervous system functions therefore suggests that oral intake of probiotics may have beneficial consequences on mood and psychological distress. The aim of the present study was to investigate the anxiolytic-like activity of PF in rats, and its possible effects on anxiety, depression, stress and coping strategies in healthy human volunteers. In the preclinical study, rats were daily administered PF for 2 weeks and subsequently tested in the conditioned defensive burying test, a screening model for anti-anxiety agents. In the clinical trial, volunteers participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised parallel group study with PF administered for 30 d and assessed with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (HSCL-90), the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), the Perceived Stress Scale, the Coping Checklist (CCL) and 24 h urinary free cortisol (UFC). Daily subchronic administration of PF significantly reduced anxiety-like behaviour in rats (P < 0·05) and alleviated psychological distress in volunteers, as measured particularly by the HSCL-90 scale (global severity index,P < 0·05; somatisation,P < 0·05; depression,P < 0·05; and anger–hostility,P < 0·05), the HADS (HADS global score,P < 0·05; and HADS-anxiety,P < 0·06), and by the CCL (problem solving,P < 0·05) and the UFC level (P < 0·05).L. helveticusR0052 andB. longumR0175 taken in combination display anxiolytic-like activity in rats and beneficial psychological effects in healthy human volunteers.
Has the Propensity to Pay Out Declined?
Authors: Grullon Gustavo , Paye Bradley , Underwood Shane , Weston James P.
Published: October 2010

Recent studies document both a significant decline in firms’ propensity to pay dividends and a significant increase in firms’ propensity to repurchase shares and issue equity over the past 30 years. In this paper we test whether firms’ net cash disbursements to equity holders have declined in a pattern similar to firms’ propensity to pay dividends. Contrary to the evidence using dividends, we find no evidence that the conditional propensity to distribute net cash to equity holders has declined over the past 3 decades. Surprisingly, we find that, conditional on firm characteristics, net payout yields have been increasing over time.
Effects of a geometrical surface disturbance on flow past a circular cylinder: a large-scale spanwise wire
Authors: EKMEKCI A. , ROCKWELL D.
Published: October 2010

Flow control induced by a single wire that is attached on the outer surface and parallel to the span of a stationary circular cylinder is investigated experimentally. The Reynolds number has a value of 10 000 and the wire diameter is nearly two orders of magnitude smaller than the cylinder diameter, while being larger than the thickness of the unperturbed boundary layer forming around the cylinder. A technique of high-image-density particle image velocimetry is used to characterize mean and unsteady structures of the separating shear layer and the near wake. Only one of the shear layers is directly perturbed by the surface wire. This disturbance, however, has important global consequences over the entire near wake, provided that the wire is located within a certain range of angular positions with respect to the approach flow. Over this range, there are two angles that can be defined as critical on the basis of the streamwise extent of the near-wake structure. In a simplified sense, these critical angles are associated with significant extension and contraction of the near wake, relative to the wake in the absence of the effect of a surface disturbance. The critical angle of the wire that yields the most significant extension of the near wake is also found to lead to bistable oscillations of the separating shear layer at irregular time intervals, much longer than the time scale associated with the classical Kármán vortex shedding. The foregoing two critical states of extension and contraction of the near wake are, respectively, linked to attenuation or enhancement of the Kármán instability. Moreover, the onset of the shear-layer instability, Reynolds stress, Strouhal number and the transverse extent of shear-layer flapping are all shown to depend on the angular position of the wire within the defined range of angles.
Seroepidemiological studies indicate frequent and repeated exposure toCampylobacterspp. during childhood
Authors: ANG C. W. , TEUNIS P. F. M. , HERBRINK P. , KEIJSER J. , VAN DUYNHOVEN Y. H. T. P. , VISSER C. E. , VAN PELT W.
Published: October 2010

The annual number of episodes of clinical gastroenteritis caused byCampylobacterspp. in The Netherlands is estimated to be 75 000, i.e. once per 200 person life-years. This number is based on extrapolation of culture results from population-based studies. The number of culture-confirmed cases ofCampylobacterinfection peaks in the first 3 years of life and again between the ages of 20 and 25 years. The seroepidemiology ofCampylobacterdescribes the relationship between age and exposure toCampylobacterand reflects both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections. Using a validated ELISA system, antibodies toCampylobacterwere measured in an age-stratified sample (n=456) of the PIENTER serum collection of the Dutch general population. The seroprevalence ofCampylobacterIgG antibodies increased with age, reaching almost 100% at age 20 years. Antibody levels steadily increased with age until young adulthood, suggesting repeated exposure toCampylobacter. In conclusion, seroepidemiological data demonstrated repeated exposures toCampylobacterthroughout life, most of which do not lead to clinical symptoms. From young adulthood, >95% of the population in The Netherlands had serological evidence for exposure toCampylobacter.
Adult intensive-care patients with 2009 pandemic influenza A(H1N1) infection
Authors: FUHRMAN C. , BONMARIN I. , BITAR D. , CARDOSO T. , DUPORT N. , HERIDA M. , ISNARD H. , GUIDET B. , MIMOZ O. , RICHARD J. C. M. , BRUN-BUISSON C. , BROCHARD L. , MAILLES A. , PATY A. C. , SAURA C. , LÉVY-BRUHL D.
Published: October 2010

In France, the surveillance of hospitalized cases of pandemic influenza was implemented in July 2009 and restricted to intensive-care unit (ICU) patients in November. We described the characteristics of the 1065 adult patients admitted to ICUs and analysed risk factors for severe outcome (mechanical ventilation or death). Eighty-seven percent of cases were aged 15–64 years. The case-fatality ratio was 20%. The risk for severe outcome increased with age and obesity while this association was negative for chronic respiratory disease. Late antiviral therapy was associated with a severe outcome in ICU patients with risk factors (adjusted OR 2·0, 95% CI 1·4–3·0). This study confirms the considerable contribution of young adults to A(H1N1) 2009 mortality. It shows the role of obesity as an independent risk factor for severe disease, and of early antiviral therapy as a protective factor, at least in patients with risk factors.
A NOTE ON ECONOMIC GROWTH WITH SUBSISTENCE CONSUMPTION
Authors: Strulik Holger
Published: October 2010

It is well known that the performance of simple models of economic growth improves substantially through the introduction of subsistence consumption. How to compute subsistence needs, however, is a difficult and controversial issue. Here, I reconsider the linear (Ak) growth model with subsistence consumption and show that the evolution of savings rates and economic growth rates over time is independent of the size of subsistence needs. The model is thus more general and less subject to arbitrariness than might have been thought initially. Quantitatively, it is shown that, although there is no degree of freedom to manipulate transitional dynamics, the model approximates the historical evolution of savings rates and growth rates reasonably well.
Calculation of properties of carbon nanotube antennas
Authors: Lerer Alexander M. , Makhno Victoria V. , Makhno Pavel V.
Published: October 2010

The effective method of carbon nanotubes antennas' parameters calculation has been developed. The frequency dependencies of input impedance of CNT in dielectric medium have been investigated. It is shown that an increase in the length of a nanotube length does not lead to the appearance of resonances in the centimeter wavelength range.
Vacuum system of a Taiwan photon source-pulsed magnet
Authors: Chan C. K. , Chen C. L. , Chen C. S. , Wu L. H. , Liu Y. H. , Hsiung G. Y. , Chen J. R.
Published: October 2010

The 3 GeV Taiwan Photon Source (TPS) is designed to produce an electron beam with small emittance and to be maintained with top-up operation. The vacuum systems of the TPS-pulsed magnets in the storage ring include four kicker ceramic chambers for the stored beam and an injection chamber for the injected beam. The prototypical design, manufacturing process and some test results for these chambers are described.
FERMI@ELETTRA bunch compressor chicane mechanical design
Authors: La Civita D. , Lanfranco G. , Pangon G. , Zangrando D. , Belliero C. , Canetti M. , Gangini F.
Published: October 2010

The FERMI@ELETTRA Free-Electron-Laser (FEL) project at the ELETTRA Laboratory of Sincrotrone Trieste, currently under construction and commissioning, will comprise a linear accelerator and two FEL beamlines. Two identical magnetic chicanes for bunch length compression will be installed in the linear accelerator (LINAC) tunnel. The first bunch compressor, at 300 MeV, has been recently installed and commissioned while the production and installation plan of the second one (at 600 MeV) is being defined. The chicane mechanical design has been achieved in collaboration with the supplier, Rial Vacuum srl. In this paper, the chicane mechanical design and the movable vacuum chambers are presented.
Personnel safety system design for the photon beamlines at the Diamond Light Source
Authors: Wilson M.
Published: October 2010

Diamond Light Source (DLS) is undertaking a programme of developing additional photon beamlines to be added to the existing facility. Operating in the UK, DLS is subject to the Ionizing Radiation Regulations, (IRR99) and having been elected to follow the path of generic prior authorization, DLS is obliged to implement a personnel safety system that conforms to the Approved Code of Practice. In addition, DLS has strived to apply EN61508 to the management and design of the system. This presentation will explain the constraints, design elements and the process that we have undertaken to implement each new safety system and its incorporation into the existing system.
A double crystal monochromator with self-compensation mechanism for ELETTRA XRD2 beamline
Authors: Gambitta A.
Published: October 2010

A prototype of a new double crystal monochromator (DCM) has been designed and developed for the second crystallography beamline (XRD2) at ELETTRA. The new device has to cover the 8–35 keV X-ray range. Since the corresponding diffraction angles are quite small, the choice has been to design a DCM with a fixed distance between the two crystals. As a consequence, the output beam has a small vertical displacement during the scan. This movement is compensated by means of an upstream mask, vertically moving and cutting the input beam at different heights. The movement of the mask is driven by a mechanism linked to the primary rotation of crystals (self-compensation), without any additional motor and following the displacement law required for compensation. The principle, the mechanism and the general mechanical concept of the device will be described in this paper.
Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) observations of aerosol in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere from the Kasatochi volcanic eruption
Authors: Sioris C. E. , Boone C. D. , Bernath P. F. , Zou J. , McElroy C. T. , McLinden C. A.
Published: October 2010

Near‐infrared (NIR) atmospheric extinction profile observations from the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) Imager and from Measurements of Aerosol Extinction in the Stratosphere and Troposphere Retrieved by Occultation (MAESTRO) are presented, illustrating the impact of the Kasatochi volcanic eruption in August 2008 on the aerosol loading of the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere in the subsequent months. In September 2008, profiles of NIR extinction show a significant increase relative to each of the previous four Septembers (2004–2007). The aerosol enhancement is observable up to 18.5 km in Northern Hemisphere NIR extinction data, and peaks at 9.5 km in the extratropics, where the extinction is ∼8 times the normal September value. The particulate matter in the troposphere is quickly dispersed over the Northern Hemisphere during September 2008 and vanishes by the end of November 2008. An upper layer, initially in the extratropical lower stratosphere, persists through March 2009, descending with time into the troposphere where, by coagulation of sulphate aerosol, the size of the particles increases with time.
Extreme crustal thinning in the Bay of Biscay and the Western Pyrenees: From observations to modeling
Authors: Jammes Suzon , Lavier Luc , Manatschal Gianreto
Published: October 2010

Recent observations and models of continental rifting in magma‐poor environments have led to the concept of multiphase stages of lithospheric extension. In these concepts it is shown that extreme crustal thinning of the crust predates exhumation of lower crustal and subcontinental mantle rocks during final rifting. The Bay of Biscay is a V‐shaped ocean basin that opened in Aptian‐Albian time. In front of this propagating ocean, several rift basins formed that show evidence for extreme crustal thinning and locally also mantle exhumation (the Parentis, Arzacq‐Mauleon, and Cantabrian basins). In this paper we propose, based on geological and geophysical observations and using numerical modeling, a model that can explain the extreme crustal thinning observed in the Arzacq‐Mauléon and Parentis basins. Our results show that rifting in the Bay of Biscay was initiated by distributed oblique stretching (latest Jurassic to Early Aptian) before it underwent an more orthogonal asymmetric thinning and exhumation phase from Late Aptian to Albian time. These last two stages of deformation are similar to those observed in orthogonal rift systems. We show that thinning is accomplished by the formation of a semibrittle shear zone that allows for the transfer of middle to lower crustal material from the side of the rift collocated with the hanging wall to the side of the rift collocated with the footwall of the detachment system. The main difference with an orthogonal rift system appears to be generated by the formation of flower structures during the distributed oblique phase and the capacity of localizing the deformation in the subsequent stages. These oblique slip faults form very steep normal faults that induce the development of strongly localized, compartmentalized, and asymmetric rift basins. In the case of the Parentis and Arzacq‐Mauleon basins, these strike‐slip faults separate upper plate sag basins to the north from lower plate sag basins to the south. While the northern sag basins do not show any evidence for exhumation, the southern ones are more complex and floored by detachment faults, as indicated by the occurrence of syntectonic and posttectonic sediments onlapping directly onto exhumed lower crustal and mantle rocks.
Experiments on the heat discharge at the dynamic magma‐water‐interface
Authors: Schmid A. , Sonder I. , Seegelken R. , Zimanowski B. , Büttner R. , Gudmundsson M. T. , Oddsson B.
Published: October 2010

Compared to “dry” atmospheric eruption of magma or “dry” magma/rock contact, intensity and time scale of heat discharge from magma to the surroundings is strongly modified by an effective coolant: water or water‐sediment mixes. In the case of subaqueous or subglacial eruptions magma‐water contact must take place and can result in phreatomagmatic explosions. Even if no explosions occur, rapid cooling results in the formation of pyroclasts by thermal granulation. To study this process in detail, a short‐term calorimeter was built for the direct measurement of the heat‐flux from a magmatic melt to a coolant. Volcanic rocks from recent eruptions in Iceland were remelted and used to produce jets of melt poured into a coolant‐filled container. Particles could be produced in a non‐explosive process, that are practical identical to those from natural hyaloclastites. The process' fragmentation energy is about 10% of the total heat transferred from melt to coolant.
PD‐1 modulates regulatory T cells and suppresses T‐cell responses in HCV‐associated lymphoma
Authors: Ni Lei , Ma Cheng J , Zhang Ying , Nandakumar Subhadra , Zhang Chun L , Wu Xiao Y , Borthwick Thomas , Hamati Agnes , Chen Xin Y , Kumaraguru Uday , Moorman Jonathan P , Yao Zhi Q
Published: October 2010

T regulatory (TR) cells suppress T‐cell responses that are critical in the development of chronic viral infection and associated malignancies. Programmed death‐1 (PD‐1) also has a pivotal role in regulation of T‐cell functions during chronic viral infection. To examine the role of PD‐1 pathway in regulating TR‐cell functions that inhibit T‐cell responses during virus‐associated malignancy, TR cells were investigated in the setting of hepatitis C virus‐associated lymphoma (HCV‐L), non‐HCV‐associated lymphoma (non‐HCV‐L), HCV infection alone and healthy subjects (HS). Relatively high numbers of CD4+CD25+ and CD8+CD25+ TR cells, as well as high levels of PD‐1 expressions on these TR cells were found in the peripheral blood of subjects with HCV‐L compared with those from non‐HCV‐L or HCV alone or HS. TR cells from the HCV‐L subjects were capable of suppressing the autogeneic lymphocyte response, and depletion of TR cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HCV‐L improved T‐cell proliferation. Additionally, the suppressed T‐cell activation and proliferation in HCV‐L was partially restored by blocking the PD‐1 pathway ex vivo, resulting in both a reduction in TR‐cell number and the ability of TR to suppress the activity of effector T cells. This study suggests that the PD‐1 pathway is involved in regulating TR cells that suppress T‐cell functions in the setting of HCV‐associated B‐cell lymphoma.
Determination of CO2 sensitivity of micro‐organisms in shaken bioreactors. II. Novel online monitoring method
Authors: Amoabediny Ghassem , Abbas Mahdi Pesaran Haji , Büchs Jochen
Published: October 2010

In the present study, a new online monitoring method for the determination of the CO2 sensitivity of micro‐organisms, based on the values of the respiration factors [OTR (oxygen transfer rate) and CTR (carbon dioxide transfer rate)], obtained by using the RAMOS (respiratory activity monitoring system) device considering a variety of aeration rates in the measuring flask, is investigated. Based on the data of the OTR, obtained by RAMOS under a variety of specific aeration rates, the proposed new method was developed as an online monitoring method for CO2 sensitivity of micro‐organisms in shaken bioreactors. A maximum accumulated CO2 concentration of 12% was derived in applied methods, provided that the cultivation system is carried out under optimal conditions. Additionally, to predict these conditions, an unsteady‐state gas transfer model in shaken bioreactors would be very advantageous. The data of OTR obtained using the RAMOS device were analysed and recalculated by a programme considering the calibration factor (Cf). The major advantage of the new method is the possibility to determine the metabolic activity, regardless of manual sampling.
The Cytokine Markers inStaphylococcus aureusMastitis of Bovine Mammary Gland
Authors: Alluwaimi A. M. , Leutenegger C. M. , Farver T. B. , Rossitto P. V. , Smith W. L. , Cullor J. S.
Published: October 2010

TaqMan®real time PCR was used to study the transcriptional activity of the bovine IL‐2, IL‐6, IL‐12p40, IFN‐γ, TNF‐αand granulocyte‐monocyte colony stimulating factor of whole milk cells in bovine mammary gland experimentally infected withStaphylococcus aureus. Cytokine transcriptional activity was monitored at 7, 24 and 32 h Post‐infection (Pi). IL‐12 and TNF‐αlevels were significantly elevated at 24 h Pi followed by sharp decrease at 32 h pi. IL‐2 level was decreased at 32 h pi. IL‐12 and IFN‐γshowed a significant interaction at 24 h pi. The significant elevations of the IL‐12 and TNF‐αtranscriptional level most likely indicate their important role in regulation of the immune responses of bovine mammary gland inS. aureusinfection. Depression of IL‐2 could reflect the suppressive nature of theS. aureusmastitis.
The Effect of Climate on the Presence of Culicoides imicola in Italy
Authors: Conte A. , Giovannini A. , Savini L. , Goffredo M. , Calistri P. , Meiswinkel R.
Published: October 2010

A model was developed to classify the Italian territories in relation to their suitability to harbour populations of Culicoides imicola and, as a consequence, also able to sustain a bluetongue (BT) epidemic. Italy was subdivided into 3507 10 × 10 km cells. In 546 cells at least one collection was made. The cell was considered the unit for all subsequent analyses. Culicoides were collected using Onderstepoort‐type blacklight traps. Some traps were operated weekly at chosen sites; the remainder were moved almost daily to new sites. Only the results obtained during the peak August–November period were used, to exclude bias caused by the seasonality of C. imicola. Climate data for the period 1999–2001 were obtained from 80 weather stations. Multiple logistic regression was performed using the presence or absence of C. imicola in a specific cell as the dependent variable. Annual means of daily values for minimum temperature and minimum relative humidity, and the mean altitude above sea level, were the independent variables. The probability of occurrence of C. imicola in each grid cell was used to create a prediction map for Italy. The model was able to correctly classify 77.5% of the 546 grid cells in which at least one collection had been made. Culicoides imicola was found frequently through much of Sardinia, in parts of southern Italy, and further north along the Tyrrhenian coast, but was absent from along most of the Adriatic coast, and the internal mainland, and from most of Sicily. Six detailed maps are provided. Also mapped are areas where the probability of the occurrence of C. imicola is lower than 5%. This identification of possible mountainous C. imicola‐free areas in central Italy could facilitate safer animal trade and transhumance, even if BT infections in traded animals or moving stock, were to go undetected. Needless to say this depends upon no cool‐adapted species of Culicoides being involved in the transmission of BT disease.
Consumer science: a science for sustainability
Authors: Sibbel Anne
Published: October 2010

Consumers are essentially decision‐makers, with a strong influence in the product chain. Establishing sustainable global resource systems, across developed and developing nations, is dependent on finding ways to encourage consumers to prioritise environmental issues as one of the key determinants of their consumption decisions. More than this, all stakeholders in the product chain must become aware of their impacts on the psychological, social, cultural, physical and economic environments that predispose consumers to certain approaches when making consumption decisions.

Conventional science has not provided the solutions for several reasons. Pure science and technology have developed according to different agendas and interests. Science has generally not been communicated in ways that allow consumers to make day‐to‐day decisions, fully informed of the implications. The barriers to genuine interdisciplinary research required to generate socially relevant solutions to the complex problems associated with traditional consumption patterns are only now being slowly overcome.

Due to its interdisciplinary and integrated nature, consumer science provides a theoretical platform from which to formulate the core questions, articulated within a framework in which all stakeholders can contribute in synergistic ways to reverse the escalating rates of resource depletion, disparities of resources between groups, loss of species and pervasive pollution. There is no other discipline which offers an encompassing and integrated framework for the responsible communication of science necessary to describe the problems. Most importantly, consumer science has the capacity to research and interpret individual and social behaviour in ways which lead to innovative and effective controls to improve and sustain new standards for living on this vulnerable plant.
The golden age of protein: initial teacher trainee's perception of food and eating
Authors: Lakin Liz
Published: October 2010

We make use of proteins in all aspects of our daily lives from soft‐centred sweets to biological washing powders, yet we often misunderstand their fundamental role in our diet.

This paper will draw on the findings of a three‐phase research project into initial teacher trainee's perception of food and eating. Trainees demonstrated several similar misconceptions about the food they eat and in particular, the role of proteins. Examples included the role of proteins as an energy source, the relationship between proteins, amino acids and nitrogen and the role of DNA in synthesising proteins. These misconceptions were often translated into practice in the diet the trainees consumed and the messages they passed on, with confidence, to their pupils. In addition to the misconceptions, teaching approaches used by the trainees were highly mechanistic, with little reference being given to the relationship between food and the circumstances in which it is eaten.

The relationship between dietary intake and exercise/circumstance is explored in secondary schools within food technology lessons. Often, however, it is too late to rectify the deeply entrenched misconceptions, attitudes and eating habits that school children have developed in their primary years. This paper makes the firm recommendation that we should reconsider the dietary messages we are sending out either directly or indirectly, to children. It emphasises the need to relate teaching and learning to everyday experiences. The paper concludes by suggesting possible strategies by which this may be achieved, with the protein featuring centre‐stage.
Endometriosis, an unknown entity: the consumer's perspective
Authors: Cox Helen , Ski Chantal F. , Wood Ros , Sheahan Margo
Published: October 2010

This paper reports the findings of a consumer‐driven investigation conducted by the Centre for Clinical Nursing Research at Epworth Hospital in conjunction with the Endometriosis Association (Victoria, Australia) aimed at identifying the information and support needs of women experiencing endometriosis. Women's experiences of endometriosis and laparoscopy were examined. A questionnaire was designed to explore women's experiences of, and informational need for, the four categories of: diagnosis of endometriosis, endometriosis, laparoscopy and managing at home. A total of 465 women who had a positive diagnosis of endometriosis, including patients at the Epworth Endometriosis Centre and members of the Endometriosis Association, were included. The data were analysed in terms of frequency of responses and themes that arose from the research. Five main themes consistently emerged from the overall analysis of the questionnaire; these included: lack of communication, no‐one listens, the emotional turmoil, expressions of gratitude to the Endometriosis Association and being young and helpless. Also identified was a lack of understanding of endometriosis and laparoscopy, on behalf of both the patient and the practitioner, which has led to communication of misinformation, extended physical pain and emotional distress. Based on these findings, recommendations were made for education strategies to be focused towards increasing awareness of endometriosis and for information to be disseminated using the preferred printed format and to be made available from gynaecologists, hospitals and schools. Through consumer participation, the information obtained in this study is of benefit to all women who come in contact with endometriosis by (a) validating women's experiences of endometriosis and (b) identifying women's needs in relation to the disease.
High Frequency Plant Regeneration from Nodal Explants of Paulownia elongata
Authors: Ipekci Z. , Altinkut A. , Kazan K. , Bajrovic K. , Gozukirmizi N.
Published: October 2010

Abstract: High frequency of plant regeneration from Paulownia elongata was obtained on Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium and Woody Plant Medium (WPM), with appropriate supplements of growth regulators. Leaves, leaves with petioles, internodes and nodes excised from 3‐month‐old non‐aseptically grown P. elongata were used as explants. The highest shoot regeneration efficiency (93.7 %) was obtained from the nodes of P. elongata on MS medium supplemented with 0.1 mg/ml naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA) and 1 mg/ml 6‐benzylaminopurine (BAP). The highest root formation efficiency (100 %) from the regenerated shoots was obtained on WPM supplemented with 1 mg/ml indolebutyric acid (IBA). Rooted plantlets were transplanted to soil with a survival efficiency of almost 100 %. The regeneration system reported here could be useful for rapid multiplication of elite genotypes of P. elongata in a short period of time.
Effect of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonization on terpene emission and content of Artemisia annua L.
Authors: Rapparini F. , Llusià J. , Peñuelas J.
Published: October 2010

Plant roots interact with a wide variety of rhizospheric microorganisms, including bacteria and the symbiontic arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The mycorrhizal symbiosis represents a series of complex feedbacks between plant and fungus regulated by their physiology and nutrition. Despite the widespread distribution and ecological significance of AM symbiosis, little is known about the potential of AM fungi to affect plant VOC metabolism. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether colonization of plant roots by AM fungi and associated soil microorganisms affects VOC emission and content of Artemisia annua L. plants (Asteraceae). Two inoculum types were evaluated: one consisted of only an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus species (Glomus spp.), and the other was a mixture of different Glomus species and associated soil bacteria. Inoculated plants were compared with non‐inoculated plants and with plants supplemented with extra phosphorus (P) to obtain plants of the same size as mycorrhizal plants, thus excluding potentially‐confounding mycorrhizal effects on shoot growth. VOC emissions of Artemisia annua plants were analyzed by leaf cuvette sampling followed by off‐line measurements with pre‐concentration and gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC‐MS). Measurements of CO2 and H2O exchanges were conducted simultaneously. Several volatile monoterpenes were identified and characterized from leaf emissions of Artemisia annua L. by GC‐MS analysis. The main components identified belong to different monoterpene structures: α‐pinene, β‐pinene, camphor, 1,8‐cineole, limonene, and artemisia ketone. A good correlation between monoterpene leaf concentration and leaf emission was found. Leaf extracts included also several sesquiterpenes. Total terpene content and emission was not affected by AM inoculation with or without bacteria, while emission of limonene and artemisia ketone was stimulated by this treatment. No differences were found among treatments for single monoterpene content, while accumulation of specific sesquiterpenes in leaves was altered in mycorrhizal plants compared to control plants. Growth conditions seemed to have mainly contributed to the outcome of the symbiosis and influenced the magnitude of the plant response. These results highlight the importance of considering the below‐ground interaction between plant and soil for estimating VOC emission rates and their ecological role at multitrophic levels.
Development and characterization of sub-100 ps photomultiplier tubes
Authors: Horsfield C. J. , Rubery M. S. , Mack J. M. , Young C. S. , Herrmann H. W. , Caldwell S. E. , Evans S. C. , Sedilleo T. J. , Kim Y. H. , McEvoy A. , Milnes J. S. , Howorth J. , Davis B. , O’Gara P. M. , Garza I. , Miller E. K. , Stoeffl W. , Ali Z.
Published: October 2010

We describe the evaluation of a microchannel plate (MCP) photomultiplier tube (PMT), incorporating a 3 μm pore MCP and constant voltage anode and cathode gaps. The use of the small pore size results in PMTs with response functions of the order of 85 ps full-width-half-maximum, while the constant electric field across the anode and cathode gaps produces a uniform response function over the entire operating range of the device. The PMT was characterized on a number of facilities and employed on gas Cherenkov detectors fielded on various deuterium tritium fuel (DT) implosions on the Omega Laser Facility at the University of Rochester. The Cherenkov detectors are part of diagnostic development to measure Gamma ray reaction history for DT implosions on the National Ignition Facility.
Fast-ion Dα measurements of the fast-ion distribution (invited)
Authors: Heidbrink W. W.
Published: October 2010

The fast-ion Dα (FIDA) diagnostic is an application of charge-exchange recombination spectroscopy. Fast ions that neutralize in an injected neutral beam emit Balmer-α light with a large Doppler shift. The spectral shift is exploited to distinguish the FIDA emission from other bright sources of Dα light. Background subtraction is the main technical challenge. A spectroscopic diagnostic typically achieves temporal, energy, and transverse spatial resolution of ∼1 ms, ∼10 keV, and ∼2 cm, respectively. Installations that use narrow-band filters achieve high spatial and temporal resolution at the expense of spectral information. For high temporal resolution, the bandpass-filtered light goes directly to a photomultiplier, allowing detection of ∼50 kHz oscillations in FIDA signal. For two-dimensional spatial profiles, the bandpass-filtered light goes to a charge-coupled device camera; detailed images of fast-ion redistribution at instabilities are obtained. Qualitative and quantitative models relate the measured FIDA signals to the fast-ion distribution function. The first quantitative comparisons between theory and experiment found excellent agreement in beam-heated magnetohydrodynamics (MHD)-quiescent plasmas. FIDA diagnostics are now in operation at magnetic-fusion facilities worldwide. They are used to study fast-ion acceleration by ion cyclotron heating, to detect fast-ion transport by MHD modes and microturbulence, and to study fast-ion driven instabilities.
Measuring symmetry of implosions in cryogenic Hohlraums at the NIF using gated x-ray detectors (invited)
Authors: Kyrala G. A. , Dixit S. , Glenzer S. , Kalantar D. , Bradley D. , Izumi N. , Meezan N. , Landen O. L. , Callahan D. , Weber S. V. , Holder J. P. , Glenn S. , Edwards M. J. , Bell P. , Kimbrough J. , Koch J. , Prasad R. , Suter L. , Kline J. L. , Kilkenny J.
Published: October 2010

Ignition of imploding inertial confinement capsules requires, among other things, controlling the symmetry with high accuracy and fidelity. We have used gated x-ray imaging, with 10 μm and 70 ps resolution, to detect the x-ray emission from the imploded core of symmetry capsules at the National Ignition Facility. The measurements are used to characterize the time dependent symmetry and the x-ray bang time of the implosion from two orthogonal directions. These measurements were one of the primary diagnostics used to tune the parameters of the laser and Hohlraum to vary the symmetry and x-ray bang time of the implosion of cryogenically cooled ignition scale deuterium/helium filled plastic capsules. Here, we will report on the successful measurements performed with up to 1.2 MJ of laser energy in a fully integrated cryogenics gas-filled ignition-scale Hohlraum and capsule illuminated with 192 smoothed laser beams. We will describe the technique, the accuracy of the technique, and the results of the variation in symmetry with tuning parameters, and explain how that set was used to predictably tune the implosion symmetry as the laser energy, the laser cone wavelength separation, and the Hohlraum size were increased to ignition scales. We will also describe how to apply that technique to cryogenically layered tritium-hydrogen-deuterium capsules.
Fatigue responses of lead zirconate titanate stacks under semibipolar electric cycling with mechanical preload
Authors: Wang Hong , Cooper Thomas A. , Lin Hua-Tay , Wereszczak Andrew A.
Published: October 2010

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) stacks that had an interdigital internal electrode configuration were tested to more than 108 cycles. A 100 Hz semibipolar sine wave with a field range of +4.5/−0.9 kV/mm was used in cycling with a concurrently-applied 20 MPa preload. Significant reductions in piezoelectric and dielectric responses were observed during the cycling depending on the measuring condition. Extensive partial discharges were also observed. These surface events resulted in the erosion of external electrode and the exposure of internal electrodes. Sections prepared by sequential polishing technique revealed a variety of damage mechanisms including delaminations, pores, and etch grooves. The scale of damage was correlated with the degree of fatigue-induced reduction in piezoelectric and dielectric responses. The results from this study demonstrate the feasibility of using a semibipolar mode to drive a PZT stack under a mechanical preload and illustrate the potential fatigue and damages of the stack in service.
Hydroelastic analysis of an axially loaded compliant fiber wetted with a droplet
Authors: Wu Xiang-Fa , Bedarkar Amol , Akhatov Iskander S.
Published: October 2010

Liquid droplets wetting on thin fibers induce appreciable capillary forces that may further modulate the mechanical behavior of the fibers, especially for those ultrathin compliant fibers made of polymeric materials (e.g., biopolymers, hydrogels, etc.). This paper aims to study the capillary effect in the mechanical response of an axially loaded compliant fiber wetted with droplets. First, the fiber is considered as a linearly elastic column and the critical condition of Euler-buckling due to a droplet wetting fiber, denoted as capillary buckling, is derived. Furthermore, a nonlinear continuum hydroelasticity model is formulated to examine the capillary effect in the mechanical response of an axially loaded compliant fiber wetted with a droplet. The fiber material is modeled as an incompressible, isotropic, hyperelastic Mooney–Rivlin solid. Barrel-shaped morphology of the droplet sitting on the fiber is assumed. Explicit hydroelastic solution to such a droplet-on-fiber system with large deformation is derived, which shows the dependency of mechanical response upon fiber diameter, droplet size, and surface wetting property of the system. Results show that in the case of hydrophilic fibers, capillary effect can enhance the load-carrying capacity of the thin fibers. The concepts and results presented in this study can be used to analyze the mechanical behavior of thin compliant fibers structured in wet and vapor-related environments (e.g., biological, colloid, and catalytic systems).
Comparison of noise floor and sensitivity for different magnetoelectric laminates
Authors: Gao Junqi , Das Jaydip , Xing Zengping , Li Jiefang , Viehland D.
Published: October 2010

We present a comparison of the magnetoelectric (ME) response and magnetic-field sensitivities of engineered laminate sensors comprised of magnetostrictive and piezoelectric phases. The ME voltage coefficients for Metglas and single crystal fibers of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) or Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–PbTiO3 (PZN-PT) are about 2.8 times larger than those with Metglas-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) ceramic ones. This results in a 1.7 times enhancement in the magnetic-field sensitivity for the structures with single crystals. Accordingly, the noise floors are about three to four times lower for composites with PMN-PT or PZN-PT fibers than those with PZT.
The development of enabling technologies for producing active interrogation beams
Authors: Kwan Thomas J. T. , Morgado Richard E. , Wang Tai-Sen F. , Vodolaga B. , Terekhin V , Onischenko L. M. , Vorozhtsov S. B. , Samsonov E. V. , Vorozhtsov A. S. , Alenitsky Yu. G. , Perpelkin E. E. , Glazov A. A. , Novikov D. L. , Parkhomchuk V. , Reva V. , Vostrikov V. , Mashinin V. A. , Fedotov S. N. , Minayev S. A.
Published: October 2010

A U.S./Russian collaboration of accelerator scientists was directed to the development of high averaged-current (∼1 mA) and high-quality (emittance ∼15 πmm mrad; energy spread ∼0.1%) 1.75 MeV proton beams to produce active interrogation beams that could be applied to counterterrorism. Several accelerator technologies were investigated. These included an electrostatic tandem accelerator of novel design, a compact cyclotron, and a storage ring with energy compensation and electron cooling. Production targets capable of withstanding the beam power levels were designed, fabricated, and tested. The cyclotron/storage-ring system was theoretically studied and computationally designed, and the electrostatic vacuum tandem accelerator at BINP was demonstrated for its potential in active interrogation of explosives and special nuclear materials.