bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Global Attractors in Abstract Parabolic Problems
Authors: Cholewa Jan W. , Dlotko Tomasz
Published: December 2009

The study of dissipative equations is an area that has attracted substantial attention over many years. Much progress has been achieved using a combination of both finite dimensional and infinite dimensional techniques, and in this book the authors exploit these same ideas to investigate the asymptotic behaviour of dynamical systems corresponding to parabolic equations. In particular the theory of global attractors is presented in detail. Extensive auxiliary material and rich references make this self-contained book suitable as an introduction for graduate students, and experts from other areas, who wish to enter this field.
Bargaining and Market Behavior
Authors: Smith Vernon L.
Published: December 2009

This second Cambridge University Press collection of papers by Vernon L. Smith, a creator of the field of experimental economics, includes many of his primary authored and coauthored contributions on bargaining and market behavior between 1990 and 1998. The essays explore the use of laboratory experiments to test propositions derived from economics and game theory. They also investigate the relationship between experimental economics and psychology, particularly the field of evolutionary psychology, using the latter to broaden the perspective in which experimental results are interpreted. The volume complements Professor Smith's earlier work by demonstrating the importance of institutional features of markets in understanding behavior and market performance. Specific themes investigated include rational choice, the notion of fairness, game theory and extensive form experimental interactions, institutions and market behavior, and the study of laboratory stock markets.
Traders, Planters and Slaves
Authors: Galenson David W.
Published: December 2009

The explosive growth of the Atlantic slave trade in the second half of the seventeenth century made the international trade in Africans one of the world's largest industries. This book explores the operation of that industry in the late seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, focusing on the market behaviour of the Royal African Company - the largest English company engaged in the slave trade - and the sugar planters of the Caribbean, who were the trade's principal customers in English America. A richly detailed portrayal of the slave trade to English America emerges, one that shows it to have been a highly competitive and efficient transatlantic market. In revealing the existence of sophisticated and complex market behaviour in this early period of black slavery in the New World, the book adds to our understanding of the development of large-scale competitive markets, as well as to our knowledge of the efficiency of resource allocation in early English America.
Foundations of Representative Government in Maryland, 1632–1715
Authors: Jordan David William
Published: December 2009

The earliest forms of representative government were to be found in Maryland from its founding in 1632. In this book, David W. Jordan traces the establishment of the legislative assembly, the development of that central institution through the seventeenth century, and changing opinions about its proper place in the governance of Maryland. Considerable discord initially existed in Maryland and other colonies over the appropriate powers and organization of any assembly of freemen. The colonial proprietors - the Calverts -never envisaged as active a body as many colonists desired, nor one so independent of proprietary dominance. Specific issues of contention varied, but throughout the century debates erupted over the role of the freemen and their representatives within the legislature. Ultimately, the resumption of proprietary authority in 1715 brought an important acknowledgment of substantial gains in representative government that became the foundation of the American political system.
A Partnership for Disorder
Authors: Liu Xiaoyuan
Published: December 2009

A Partnership for Disorder examines American-Chinese foreign policy planning in World War II for decolonising the Japanese Empire and controlling Japan after the war. This study unravels some of the complex origins of the postwar upheavals in Asia by demonstrating how the US and China's disagreements on many concrete issues prevented their governments from forging an effective partnership. The two powers' quest for long-term cooperation was further complicated by Moscow's eleventh-hour involvement in the Pacific War. By the war's end, a triangular relationship among Washington, Moscow, and Chongqing surfaced from secret negotiations at Yalta and Moscow. Yet the Yalta-Moscow system in Asia proved too ambiguous and fragile to be useful even for the purpose of defining a new balance of power among the Allies. The failure of the system was compounded by its obliviousness to Asia's dynamic nationalist forces.
Transport Properties of Fluids
Authors: Wakeham W. A
Published: December 2009

This book describes the most reliable methods available for evaluating the transport properties, such as viscosity, thermal conductivity and diffusion, of pure gases and fluid mixtures. Particular emphasis is placed on recent theoretical advances in our understanding of fluid transport properties in all the different regions of temperature and pressure. In addition to the important theoretical tools, the different methods of data representation are also covered, followed by a section which demonstrates the application of selected models in a range of circumstances. Case studies of transport property analysis for real fluids are then given, and the book concludes with a discussion of various international data banks and prediction packages. Advanced students of kinetic theory, as well as engineers and scientists involved with the design of process equipment or the interpretation of measurements of fluid transport properties, will find this book indispensable.
Mathematical Models for Elastic Structures
Authors: Villaggio Piero
Published: December 2009

Elastic structures, conceived as slender bodies able to transmit loads, have been studied by scientists and engineers for centuries. By the seventeenth century several useful theories of elastic structures had emerged, with applications to civil and mechanical engineering problems. In recent years improved mathematical tools have extended applications into new areas such as geomechanics and biomechanics. This book, first published in 1998, offers a critically filtered collection of the most significant theories dealing with elastic slender bodies. It includes mathematical models involving elastic structures, which are used to solve practical problems with particular emphasis on nonlinear problems. This collection of interesting and important problems in elastic structures will appeal to a broad range of scientists, engineers and graduate students working in the area of structural mechanics.
Imaginal Discs
Authors: Held Jr Lewis I.
Published: December 2009

Many of the 14,000 genes of Drosophila are involved in the development of imaginal discs. These hollow sacs of cells make adult structures during metamorphosis, and their study is crucial to comprehending how a larva becomes a fully-functioning fly. This book examines the genetic circuitry of the well-known 'fruit fly', tackling questions of cell assemblage and pattern formation, of the hows and the whys behind the development of the fly. After an initial examination of the proximity versus pedigree imperatives, the book delves into bristle pattern formation and disc development, with entire chapters devoted to the leg, wing, and eye. Extensive appendices include a glossary of protein domains, catalogues of well-studied genes, and an outline of signaling pathways. More than 30 wiring diagrams among over 60 detailed schematics clarify the text. No student or practising scientist engaged in the study of Drosophila genetics should be without this comprehensive reference.
Benthic Suspension Feeders and Flow
Authors: Wildish David , Kristmanson David
Published: December 2009

This 1997 book is about those animals found on the sea floor that live by filtering microscopic particles carried to them by water currents. Its purpose is to review what is known about the biology of suspension feeders in relation to their flow environment. The book includes the larval biology, physiology, ethology and ecology of suspension feeders interacting with water flow. It will be of value to marine scientists beginning research in the interdisciplinary field of hydrodynamics and benthic biology, and it is the first attempt to provide a comprehensive overview of this synthesis from the biological viewpoint.
Modules and Rings
Authors: Dauns John
Published: December 2009

This book on modern and non-commutative ring theory is ideal for beginning graduate students. It starts at the foundations of the subject and progresses rapidly through the basic concepts to help the reader reach current research frontiers. Students will have the chance to develop proofs, solve problems, and to find interesting questions. The first half of the book is concerned with free, projective and injective modules, tensor algebras, simple modules and primitive rings, the Jacobson radical, and subdirect products. Later in the book, more advanced topics, such as hereditary rings, categories and functors, flat modules and purity are introduced. These later chapters will also prove a useful reference for researchers in non-commutative ring theory. Enough background material (including detailed proofs) is supplied to give the student a firm grounding in the subject.
The Phases of Quantum Chromodynamics
Authors: Kogut John B. , Stephanov Mikhail A.
Published: December 2009

This book discusses the physical phases of quantum chromodynamics (QCD) in ordinary environments, as well as in extreme environments of high temperatures and high baryon number. Under such extreme conditions, new phases are thought to exist: the quark-gluon plasma and colour superconductivity. After introducing lattice-gauge theory, beginning with fundamentals and reaching important developments, this book emphasises the application of QCD to the study of matter in extreme environments through a host of methods, including lattice-gauge theory, lower dimensional model field theories and effective Lagrangians. Suitable for graduate students and researchers entering the field of lattice-gauge theory, heavy ion collisions, nuclear theory or high energy phenomenology, as well as astrophysicists interested in the phases of nuclear matter and its impact on ideas of the interiors of dense stars. It is suitable for use as a textbook on lattice-gauge theory, effective Lagrangians and field theoretic modelling for nonperturbative phenomena in QCD.
Gravitational Solitons
Authors: Belinski V. , Verdaguer E.
Published: December 2009

This 2001 book gives a self-contained exposition of the theory of gravitational solitons and provides a comprehensive review of exact soliton solutions to Einstein's equations. The text begins with a detailed discussion of the extension of the Inverse Scattering Method to the theory of gravitation, starting with pure gravity and then extending it to the coupling of gravity with the electromagnetic field. There follows a systematic review of the gravitational soliton solutions based on their symmetries. These solutions include some of the most interesting in gravitational physics such as those describing inhomogeneous cosmological models, cylindrical waves, the collision of exact gravity waves, and the Schwarzschild and Kerr black holes. A valuable reference for researchers and graduate students in the fields of general relativity, string theory and cosmology, this book will also be of interest to mathematical physicists in general.
Quantum Physics
Authors: Rae Alastair I. M.
Published: December 2009

Quantum physics is believed to be the fundamental theory underlying our understanding of the physical universe. However, it is based on concepts and principles that have always been difficult to understand and controversial in their interpretation. This book aims to explain these issues using a minimum of technical language and mathematics. After a brief introduction to the ideas of quantum physics, the problems of interpretation are identified and explained. The rest of the book surveys, describes and criticises a range of suggestions that have been made with the aim of resolving these problems; these include the traditional, or 'Copenhagen' interpretation, the possible role of the conscious mind in measurement, and the postulate of parallel universes. This new edition has been revised throughout to take into account developments in this field over the past fifteen years, including the idea of 'consistent histories' to which a completely new chapter is devoted.
Plants and the K-T Boundary
Authors: Nichols Douglas J. , Johnson Kirk R.
Published: December 2009

In this text, two of the world's leading experts in palynology and paleobotany provide a comprehensive account of the fate of land plants during the 'great extinction' about 65 million years ago. They describe how the time boundary between the Cretaceous and Paleogene Periods (the K–T boundary) is recognised in the geological record, and how fossil plants can be used to understand global events of that time. There are case studies from over 100 localities around the world, including North America, China, Russia and New Zealand. The book concludes with an evaluation of possible causes of the K–T boundary event and its effects on floras of the past and present. This book is written for researchers and students in paleontology, botany, geology and Earth history, and everyone who has been following the course of the extinction debate and the K–T boundary paradigm shift.
Mass Balance of the Cryosphere
Authors: Houghton John
Published: December 2009

The cryosphere comprises all the frozen water and soil on the surface of the Earth. Mass Balance of the Cryosphere focuses on two key components of this environment: land ice (in the form of ice sheets, caps and glaciers) and sea ice. These components have been identified as important indicators of both short and long term climate change. Early chapters cover the theory behind field-based and satellite observations, and modelling of mass balance, providing a thorough grounding in all the concepts and issues presented later in the book. Later chapters review our current understanding of the present and predicted future mass balance of the cryosphere. This is an important reference for all scientists working in the fields of climate change, environmental sciences and glaciology. It is written by leading authors in the field, and is fully integrated to provide a coherent, cross-referenced and consistent exposition on the subject.
The Arctic Climate System
Authors: Serreze Mark C. , Barry Roger G.
Published: December 2009

The Arctic can be viewed as an integrated system, characterised by intimate couplings between its atmosphere, ocean and land, linked in turn to the larger global system. This comprehensive, up-to-date assessment begins with an outline of early Arctic exploration and the growth of modern research. Using an integrated systems approach, subsequent chapters examine the atmospheric heat budget and circulation, the surface energy budget, the hydrologic cycle and interactions between the ocean, atmosphere and sea ice cover. Reviews of recent directions in numerical modelling and the characteristics of past Arctic climates set the stage for detailed discussion of recent climate variability and trends, and projected future states. Throughout, satellite remote sensing data and results from recent major field programs are used to illustrate key processes. The Arctic Climate System provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of the subject for researchers and advanced students in a wide range of disciplines.
Baroclinic Tides
Authors: Vlasenko Vasiliy , Stashchuk Nataliya , Hutter Kolumban
Published: December 2009

This book was first published in 2005. When an oceanic tidal wave that is primarily active on the water surface passes an ocean shelf or a region with a seamount, it is split into a less energetic surface wave and other internal modes with different wavelengths and propagation speeds. This cascading process, from the barotropic tides to the baroclinic components, leads to the transformation of tidal energy into turbulence and heat, an important process for the dynamics of the lower ocean. Baroclinic Tides demonstrates the analytical and numerical methods used to study the generation and evolution of baroclinic tides and, by comparison with experiments and observational data, shows how to distinguish and interpret internal waves. Strongly non-linear solitary internal waves, which are generated by internal tidal waves at the final stage of their evolution, are investigated in detail. This book is intended for researchers and graduate students of physical oceanography, geophysical fluid dynamics and hydroacoustics.
The Surface of Mars
Authors: Carr Michael H.
Published: December 2009

Our knowledge of Mars has grown enormously over the last decade as a result of the Mars Global Surveyor, Mars Odyssey, Mars Express, and the two Mars Rover missions. This book is a systematic summary of what we have learnt about the geological evolution of Mars as a result of these missions. It describes the diverse Martian surface features and summarizes current ideas as to how, when, and under what conditions they formed, and explores how Earth and Mars differ and why the two planets evolved so differently. The author also discusses possible implications of the geologic history for the origin and survival of indigenous Martian life. Up-to-date and highly illustrated, this book will be a principal reference for researchers and graduate students in planetary science. The comprehensive list of references will also assist readers in pursuing further information on the subject. Colour images can be found at www.cambridge.org/9780521872010.
Molecular Collisions in the Interstellar Medium
Authors: Flower David
Published: December 2009

In the interstellar medium - the space between the stars in galaxies - new stars are born from material that is replenished by the debris ejected by stars when they die. This book, first published in 2007, is a comprehensive manual for studying the collisional and radiative processes observed in the interstellar medium. This second edition has been thoroughly updated and extended to cover related topics in radiation theory. It considers the chemistry of the interstellar medium both at the present epoch and in the early Universe, and discusses the physics and chemistry of shock waves. The methods of calculation of the rates of collisional excitation of interstellar molecules and atoms are explained, emphasising the quantum mechanical method. This book will be ideal for researchers involved in the interstellar medium and star formation, and physical chemists specialising in collision theory or in the measurement of the rates of collision processes.
Understanding Variable Stars
Authors: Percy John R.
Published: December 2009

This book was first published in 2007. Variable stars are those that change brightness. Their variability may be due to geometric processes such as rotation, or eclipse by a companion star, or physical processes such as vibration, flares, or cataclysmic explosions. In each case, variable stars provide unique information about the properties of stars, and the processes that go on within them. This book provides a concise overview of variable stars, including a historical perspective, an introduction to stars in general, the techniques for discovering and studying variable stars, and a description of the main types of variable stars. It ends with short reflections about the connection between the study of variable stars, and research, education, amateur astronomy, and public interest in astronomy. This book is intended for anyone with some background knowledge of astronomy, but is especially suitable for undergraduate students and experienced amateur astronomers who can contribute to our understanding of these important stars.
Essentials of Modern Spectrum Management
Authors: Cave Martin , Doyle Chris , Webb William
Published: December 2009

Are you fully up-to-speed on today's modern spectrum management tools? As regulators move away from traditional spectrum management methods, introduce spectrum trading and consider opening up more spectrum to commons, do you understand the implications of these developments for your own networks? This 2007 book was the first to describe and evaluate modern spectrum management tools. Expert authors offer insights into the technical, economic and management issues involved. Auctions, administrative pricing, trading, property rights and spectrum commons are all explained. A series of real-world case studies from around the world is used to highlight the strengths and weaknesses of the various approaches adopted by different regulators, and valuable lessons are drawn from these. This concise and authoritative resource is a must-have for telecom regulators, network planners, designers and technical managers at mobile and fixed operators and broadcasters, and academics involved in the technology and economics of radio spectrum.
Essentials of Radio Wave Propagation
Authors: Haslett Christopher
Published: December 2009

If you need to maximize efficiency in wireless network planning, an understanding of radio propagation issues is vital, and this 2007 reference guide is for you. Using real-world case studies, practical problems and minimum mathematics, the author explains simply and clearly how to predict signal strengths in a variety of situations. Fundamentals are explained in the context of their practical significance. Applications, including point-to-point radio links, broadcasting and earth-space communications, are thoroughly treated, and more sophisticated methods, which form the basis of software tools for both network planning and spectrum management, are also described. For a rapid understanding and insight into radio propagation, sufficient to enable you to undertake real-world engineering tasks, this concise book is invaluable for network planners, hardware designers, spectrum managers, senior technical managers and policy makers who are either new to radio propagation or who need a quick reference guide.
Low-Voltage CMOS RF Frequency Synthesizers
Authors: Luong Howard Cam , Leung Gerry Chi Tak
Published: December 2009

A frequency synthesizer is one of the most critical building blocks in any wireless transceiver system. Its design is getting more and more challenging as the demand for low-voltage low-power high-frequency wireless systems continuously grows. As the supply voltage is decreased, many existing design techniques are no longer applicable. This book provides the reader with architectures and design techniques to enable CMOS frequency synthesizers to operate at low supply voltage at high frequency with good phase noise and low power consumption. In addition to updating the reader on many of these techniques in depth, this book will also introduce useful guidelines and step-by-step procedure on behaviour simulations of frequency synthesizers. Finally, three successfully demonstrated CMOS synthesizer prototypes with detailed design consideration and description will be elaborated to illustrate potential applications of the architectures and design techniques described. For engineers, managers and researchers working in radio-frequency integrated-circuit design for wireless applications.
Product Innovation
Authors: Rainey David L.
Published: December 2009

Increasing pressures to produce new products faster and cheaper are resulting in huge efforts to streamline and restructure the traditional new product development (NPD) process. The purpose of the book is to describe, assess and apply the latest constructs, methods, techniques and processes to enable managers, professionals, and practitioners to be more effective in designing, developing and commercializing new products and services. It provides guidance and support in formulating and executing NPD programs for business practitioners and MBA students. The book is written from an Integrated Product Development (IPD) perspective, linking all aspects of marketing, costing and manufacturing into the development process even before the first prototype is built. It covers the advanced tools necessary to achieve this such as virtual prototyping and fully integrated business systems, and explains the changes needed to organizational structure and thinking.
Rubberlike Elasticity
Authors: Mark James E. , Erman Burak
Published: December 2009

Elastomers and rubberlike materials form a critical component in diverse applications that range from tyres to biomimetics and are used in chemical, biomedical, mechanical and electrical engineering. This updated and expanded edition provides an elementary introduction to the physical and molecular concepts governing elastic behaviour, with a particular focus on elastomers. The coverage of fundamental principles has been greatly extended and fully revised, with analogies to more familiar systems such as gases, producing an engaging approach to these phenomena. Dedicated chapters on novel uses of elastomers, covering bioelastomers, filled elastomers and liquid crystalline elastomers, illustrate the established and emerging applications at the forefront of physical science. With a list of experiments and demonstrations, problem sets and solutions, this is a self-contained introduction to the topic for graduate students, researchers and industrialists working in the applied fields of physics and chemistry, polymer science and engineering.
Gating in Cerebral Networks
Authors: Steriade Mircea , Pare Denis
Published: December 2009

The correct functioning of the mammalian brain depends on the integrated activity of myriad neuronal and non-neuronal cells. Discrete areas serve discrete functions, and dispersed or distributed communities of cells serve others. Throughout, these networks of activity are under the control of neuromodulatory systems. One goal of current neuroscientific research is to elucidate the precise methods by which these systems operate, especially during normal conscious behaviours and processes. Mircea Steriade and Denis Paré describe the neuronal properties and networks that exist within and between the cortex and two important sub-cortical structures: the thalamus and amygdala. The authors explore the changes in these properties, covering topics including morphology, electrophysiology, architecture and gating; and comparing regions and systems in both normal and diseased states. Aimed at graduates and postdoctoral researchers in neuroscience.
Neurobiology of Peripheral Nerve Regeneration
Authors: Zochodne Douglas W.
Published: December 2009

Peripheral nerve disorders are among the most common neurological problems that clinicians face, yet few therapies and interventions are available to arrest or reverse the damage associated with them. Summarising this important, but neglected, area of neuroscience, Doug Zochodne addresses the peripheral nervous system and its unique neurobiology. He summarises current basic ideas about the molecular mechanisms involved in both nerve degeneration and regeneration and what approaches can be used to address it experimentally. Heavily illustrated throughout, and including a 32 page colour plate section, this book will serve as a valuable reference for academic researchers and graduate students.
Biology of Plagues
Authors: Scott Susan , Duncan Christopher J.
Published: December 2009

The threat of unstoppable plagues, such as AIDS and Ebola, is always with us. In Europe, the most devastating plagues were those from the Black Death pandemic in the 1300s to the Great Plague of London in 1665. For the last 100 years, it has been accepted that Yersinia pestis, the infective agent of bubonic plague, was responsible for these epidemics. This book combines modern concepts of epidemiology and molecular biology with computer-modelling. Applying these to the analysis of historical epidemics, the authors show that they were not, in fact, outbreaks of bubonic plague. Biology of Plagues offers a completely new interdisciplinary interpretation of the plagues of Europe and establishes them within a geographical, historical and demographic framework. This fascinating detective work will be of interest to readers in the social and biological sciences, and lessons learnt will underline the implications of historical plagues for modern-day epidemiology.
Forcing Idealized
Authors: Zapletal Jindrich
Published: December 2009

Descriptive set theory and definable proper forcing are two areas of set theory that developed quite independently of each other. This monograph unites them and explores the connections between them. Forcing is presented in terms of quotient algebras of various natural sigma-ideals on Polish spaces, and forcing properties in terms of Fubini-style properties or in terms of determined infinite games on Boolean algebras. Many examples of forcing notions appear, some newly isolated from measure theory, dynamical systems, and other fields. The descriptive set theoretic analysis of operations on forcings opens the door to applications of the theory: absoluteness theorems for certain classical forcing extensions, duality theorems, and preservation theorems for the countable support iteration. Containing original research, this text highlights the connections that forcing makes with other areas of mathematics, and is essential reading for academic researchers and graduate students in set theory, abstract analysis and measure theory.
Market-Valuation Methods in Life and Pension Insurance
Authors: Møller Thomas , Steffensen Mogens
Published: December 2009

In classical life insurance mathematics the obligations of the insurance company towards the policy holders were calculated on artificial conservative assumptions on mortality and interest rates. However, this approach is being superseded by developments in international accounting and solvency standards coupled with other advances enabling a market-based valuation of risk, i.e., its price if traded in a free market. The book describes these approaches, and is the first to explain them in conjunction with more traditional methods. The various chapters address specific aspects of market-based valuation. The exposition integrates methods and results from financial and insurance mathematics, and is based on the entries in a life insurance company's market accounting scheme. The book will be of great interest and use to students and practitioners who need an introduction to this area, and who seek a practical yet sound guide to life insurance accounting and product development.
Dicing with Death
Authors: Senn Stephen
Published: December 2009

If you think that statistics has nothing to say about what you do or how you could do it better, then you are either wrong or in need of a more interesting job. Stephen Senn explains here how statistics determines many decisions about medical care, from allocating resources for health, to determining which drugs to license, to cause-and-effect in relation to disease. He tackles big themes: clinical trials and the development of medicines, life tables, vaccines and their risks or lack of them, smoking and lung cancer and even the power of prayer. He entertains with puzzles and paradoxes and covers the lives of famous statistical pioneers. By the end of the book the reader will see how reasoning with probability is essential to making rational decisions in medicine, and how and when it can guide us when faced with choices that impact on our health and even life.
Case Studies in Neurological Rehabilitation
Authors: Gaber Tarek A-Z. K.
Published: December 2009

Rehabilitation medicine is one of the fastest growing specialities in medicine. The largest sub-set of this field is neurological rehabilitation. This timely book, presented as a series of case studies, describes the wide range of clinical scenarios encountered by the rehabilitation medicine team and advises on management issues and options. Areas covered include ethical, medico-legal and social factors, touching on issues such as service organisation and patient reintegration. The book concludes with a set of multiple choice questions to test understanding and as the basis for preparation for professional examinations. This will be essential reading for all trainees in rehabilitation medicine, specialists from fields such as neurology where an understanding of the principles is important, and professionals from supportive allied health disciplines including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and nursing.
Acute Stroke Care
Authors: Uchino Ken , Pary Jennifer , Grotta James
Published: December 2009

You have just encountered a possible stroke patient. You ask yourself, what should I do first? How do I know it is a stroke? Is it too late to reverse the damage? How do I do the right things in the right order? This book will help you answer these critical questions. It provides practical advice on the care of stroke patients in a range of acute settings. As new and effective treatments become available, and designated stroke centers are created, this guidebook will help inform the healthcare professionals responsible for delivering care. The content is arranged in chronological order, covering the things to consider in assessing and treating the patient in the emergency department, the stroke unit, and then on transfer to a rehabilitation facility. All types of stroke are covered. A comprehensive set of appendices contain useful reference information including dosing algorithms, conversion factors and stroke scales.
Pharyngeal pouch surgery in north Glasgow: NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) practice or not?
Authors: Yeo J C L , MacKenzie K
Published: December 2009

Aim:

To evaluate endoscopic pharyngeal pouch surgery practice in north Glasgow by comparing it to National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations.

Methods:

We reviewed the case notes of patients who had undergone pharyngeal pouch surgery from 1998 to 2008. Data obtained included patient demographics, procedures performed, complications and outcomes.

Results:

One hundred patient case notes were reviewed. Surgical procedures performed included endoscopic stapling (n = 58), endoscopic laser surgery (26), external excision (one), cricopharyngeal myotomy (two) and pharyngoscopy with dilatation (three). Endoscopic stapling was abandoned in 10 patients (14.7 per cent), three of whom declined further surgery. There was a 2.2 per cent perforation rate for endoscopic procedures. Twenty-one per cent of patients required further surgery.

Conclusion:

Our practice was not in keeping with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence recommendations. Our complication rates were similar to other published series, although our rates for abandoned and revision procedures were higher. We suggest that pharyngeal pouch surgical procedures should be undertaken only by otolaryngologists with a primary head and neck interest.
The selection of experimental doses and their importance for parasite success in metacercarial infection studies
Authors: POULIN R.
Published: December 2009

Experimental studies of parasite transmission are essential for advances in basic and applied parasitology. A survey of the results of published experiments can identify the determinants of both variation among studies in experimental design and of parasite infection success. Here, analyses are conducted on data compiled from a total of 106 metacercarial infection experiments (35 on Echinostomatidae, 37 on Fasciolidae, 34 on other trematodes) obtained from 83 studies. All of these involved experimental oral infection of individual definitive hosts by a single known dose of metacercariae under controlled conditions. Across these studies, the metacercarial dose used (i) was typically about 10 times higher than the average natural dose that could be acquired by feeding on intermediate hosts (for taxa other than Fasciolidae), and (ii) showed a positive relationship with the body mass of the definitive host, although this relationship was only significant for Fasciolidae. Although the chosen dose was rarely justified, the larger the definitive host, the more metacercariae it received. Among Echinostomatidae and Fasciolidae, there was also a significant dose-dependent effect on infection success: the higher the dose used in an experiment, the smaller the proportion of metacercariae recovered from the host. This effect was mitigated by definitive host body mass, with infection success being generally lower in larger definitive hosts. For Echinostomatidae, the taxonomic identity of the definitive host also mattered, with metacercariae achieving higher infection success in mammals than in birds. The present findings suggest that the design of experimental infection studies requires greater consideration if their results are to yield useful biological insights.
The Ethics of Aggressive Discharge Planning
Authors: BROWNE ALISTER
Published: December 2009

In any healthcare system in which demand exceeds supply—which means any typical public healthcare system—patients cannot always get the care they want or need when they want or need it. It is also unrealistic to suppose that it will ever be otherwise. There have been such advances in medicine and growth in the population that even if we forgot about all other goods such as education, roads, social services, and so forth and put the entire budget into healthcare, there would still be a gap between supply and demand. Moreover, even if we could by that expedient make them match and had eyes only for health, we still should not. For it is now understood that healthcare is the least important determinant of health, lining up well behind poverty and social status. But if suboptimal care is to be our destiny, we must plan how it is to be delivered.
When Is My Genetic Information Your Business? Biological, Emotional, and Financial Claims to Knowledge
Authors: WILKINSON RUTH
Published: December 2009

Deciding to undergo a predictive genetic test is difficult. The patient has no symptoms that might tip the balance in favor of the test, and knowledge of the information might have significant implications for her physical and mental health, her family, and her financial position. Furthermore, although the decision to undergo many medical tests might reasonably be said to be the patient's own business, it could be argued that predictive genetic tests are different. Dean Bell and Belinda Bennett argue that genetic information has a “shared” or “familial” character due to the likelihood of it affecting others. If others might be affected by the results of your test, then it is certainly plausible to suggest that they have an interest in knowing the information. If that is the case, then it could also be argued that they are entitled to be considered when you are deciding whether to undergo a test.
Human Rights and Genetic Technologies
Authors: HESTER D. MICAH , SWOTA ALISSA
Published: December 2009

This CQ department is dedicated to bringing noted bioethicsts together in order to debate some of the most perplexing contemporary bioethics issues. You are encouraged to contact “The Great Debates” department editor, D. Micah Hester (hesterdm@uams.ed), UAMS/Humanities, 4301 W. Markham St. #646, Little Rock, AR 72205, with any suggestions for debate topics and interlocutors you would like to see published herein.
Wrong Again—Rejoinder to Annas
Authors: FENTON ELIZABETH , ARRAS JOHN D.
Published: December 2009

It is clear from George Annas's response to our arguments that he has misunderstood and misrepresented our positions on several key points. We suspect that this may be due in part to significant differences between our respective agendas and points of view, so we begin this exchange with an exploration of these differences.
Lifestyle risk factors for overweight in Japanese male college students
Authors: Goto Masashi , Kiyohara Kohsuke , Kawamura Takashi
Published: December 2009

Objective

To identify lifestyle and sociodemographic risk factors of overweight among male college students.

Design

A retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Annual health checkup in a single university in Japan.

Participants

Male students who underwent two successive health checkups from their third school year between 2000 and 2007 and whose BMI at baseline of this study was 22·0 kg/m2or more (n4634).

Results

During the 1-year follow-up, 598 students (12·9 %) reached the study endpoint, i.e. more than a 5 % increase in BMI. Independent risk factors for substantial BMI increase included infrequent exercise (OR = 1·33; 95 % CI 1·11, 1·60), no or infrequent alcohol drinking (OR = 1·30; 95 % CI 1·08, 1·57), frequently skipping breakfast (OR = 1·34; 95 % CI 1·12, 1·61), preference for fatty food (OR 1·36; 95 % CI 1·04, 1·78) and living alone (OR = 1·23; 95 % CI 0·99, 1·52). Students were readily stratified according to risk for substantial BMI gain by counting the number of their risk factors. OR (95 % CI) for the risk between the no risk factor group and students with two, three, four and five risk factors were 1·61 (0·96, 2·70), 2·24 (1·34, 3·75), 2·42 (1·39, 4·23) and 6·22 (2·58, 15·0), respectively.

Conclusion

These data suggest that avoidance of certain risk factors in college life is associated with a decrease in incidence of overweight among male students.
Trend estimation from frequently observed data
Authors: Morton Richard
Published: December 2009

This paper concerns the analysis of data collected at a much higher frequency than is of interest for trend estimation. With particular reference to water quality data, the trend is represented by a smooth curve in a generalized additive model (GAM) which includes terms for flow and seasonal effects. The residuals in the GAM form a stationary process consisting of an unobserved highly correlated stochastic process and a measurement error. It is shown how standard GAM software can be applied to prewhitened data and the trend obtained by back transformation. The main conclusion is that the data should be reduced to seasonal (e.g., monthly) means. In particular, adjustment for flow effects to assess long‐term trends should depend on the relationship derived from monthly rather than short‐term fluctuations in flow. There is very limited benefit from recording data at high frequency. An application to daily electrical conductivity data over a period of 34 years is given. Flow adjustment for the trend is discussed in this context.
Nanochargers: Energetic materials for energy storage
Authors: Pantoya Michelle L. , Hunt Emily M.
Published: December 2009

Nanochargers are energetic materials consisting of fuel metal particles and metallic oxide particles that absorb and store energy up to an ignition threshold. Once ignited a controlled exothermic reaction ensues producing energy. Nanotechnology has spurred the understanding of unique nanoparticle combustion behaviors that enable creation of nanochargers with optimized heat capacity for storing energy. Although in the initial stages, these experiments demonstrate evidence of the nanocharger’s potential for energy storage and transfer.
Effective viscosity of nanoscale colloidal suspensions
Authors: Ganguly Suvankar , Chakraborty Suman
Published: December 2009

A comprehensive model for predicting the effective viscosity of dilute suspensions of nanoscale colloidal particles is presented in this work. The physics of complex interparticle interaction mechanisms is considered in details to characterize the rheological features of the suspension (nanofluid), expressed in terms of the effective viscosity variations as functions of the particle fraction. This is accomplished by addressing the details of the agglomeration-deagglomeration kinetics in a spatio-temporally evolving manner, in tune with the pertinent variations in the effective particulate dimensions, volume fractions, as well as the aggregate structure of the particulate system. Detailed analysis of the results reveals a profound influence of the combined particle agglomeration and breakup features as well as the interparticle interaction potentials on the rheological characteristics of the nanofluid. Predictions from the model agree well with the experimental results reported in the literature.
High pressure behavior of ZrGeO4: A Raman spectroscopic and photoluminescence study
Authors: Rao Rekha , Sakuntala T. , Achary S. N. , Tyagi A. K.
Published: December 2009

High pressure behavior of ZrGeO4 has been investigated using Raman and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopies up to 25 GPa in a diamond anvil cell. Under the application of pressure, the GeO4 librational mode exhibits softening, suggesting dynamical instability of the scheelite structure. Qualitative changes are noted in the Raman spectrum above 12 GPa, suggesting a possible transition around this pressure. High pressure PL behavior of Eu3+-related crystal field transitions indicates a clear change in the site symmetry of Eu3+ around 12 GPa, strongly supporting structural transition to a lower symmetry phase at this pressure.
Topological considerations on microporous adsorption processes in simple models for pillared interlayered clays
Authors: Almarza N. G. , Gallardo A. , Martín C. , Guil J. M. , Lomba E.
Published: December 2009

The microporous structure of pillared interlayered clays is determined by their interlayer separation and the distribution of the pillars that separate their layers. The pillars provide stability to these quasi-two-dimensional high surface area materials. In this work we present a topological analysis of available and accessible volumes within various simple models of pillared interlayered clays. Each model is characterized by a distribution of pillars. Both fully ordered structures and disordered pillar distributions with either attractive or repulsive interpillar correlations are considered. Particular attention is paid to the problem of accessibility. In systems with similar degrees of porosity, even when cavities within each model might be able to host the same adsorbate molecules, their accessibility will strongly depend on the pillar distribution. The theoretical analysis presented in this work may facilitate the interpretation of experimental results, pointing out those quantities that are key to describe the texture of the porous material.
The form factor of H-comb polymers
Authors: Zweier Steven , Bishop Marvin
Published: December 2009

A Monte Carlo pivot algorithm is employed to investigate the form factor of continuum, tangent hard sphere H-comb polymers in both the ideal and excluded volume regimes. The simulated form factors for 241 and 931 “bead” ideal H-combs are essentially the same. The results for these polymers are in excellent agreement with the theoretical prediction. There is only a slight difference in the form factor between the ideal and excluded volume regimes at larger values of distance.
Improved performance of blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes with a mixed host system
Authors: Lee Jonghee , Lee Jeong-Ik , Lee Jun Yeob , Chu Hye Yong
Published: December 2009

We have investigated a relationship between device performances and host properties in the emissive layer (EML) of iridium(III) bis(4′,6′-difluorophenylpyridinato)tetrakis(1-pyrazolyl)borate doped blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs). We found that the recombination zone as well as charge carrier injection properties of the EML could be systematically engineered through a mixed host system. Therefore, light-emitting performances of blue PHOLEDs were greatly improved with external quantum and power efficiencies of 20.5% and 43.5 lm/W at a luminance of 56 cd/m2, respectively.