bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genotype by environment interaction effects on fibre components in potato (Solanum tuberosum L.)
Authors: Bach Stephanie , Yada Rickey Y. , Bizimungu Benoit , Sullivan J. Alan
Published: June 2012

Increasing awareness of heart health and disease prevention has led consumers to more proactive grocery food choices. Fibre and its associated health benefits remains an important area of research given the current interest in food, nutrition, and health. To position the potato as a good source of fibre, breeding efforts have focused on developing cultivars and germplasm with high fibre content. The current study examined eight elite potato clones and four commercial cultivars (checks) across six environments (three locations over two years) for their total dietary fibre (TDF), neutral detergent fibre (NDF), and soluble fibre (SF) content. Genotype by environment interaction (GEI) and stability analysis were conducted with SAS and GGE Biplot software. Significant genotypic (G), environmental (E) and GEI effects were found. The six environments differed in temperature and moisture levels, which were linked to levels of NDF and TDF. Some genotypes had high levels of stability for fibre content. GGE biplot analysis found no significant mega-environments for fibre components. Two elite clones (CV96044-3 and F05081) were identified as high fibre sources (13.3 and 14.4 %, respectively) compared to the other elite clones and commercial cultivars (e.g., Russet Burbank: 11.7 %). These lines may also be suitable as parents with high fibre and stability to breed into backgrounds with other desirable qualities.
Oral Administration of Oleic or Linoleic Acids Modulates the Production of Inflammatory Mediators by Rat Macrophages
Authors: Magdalon Juliana , Vinolo Marco A. R. , Rodrigues Hosana G. , Paschoal Vivian A. , Torres Rosângela P. , Mancini‐Filho Jorge , Calder Philip C. , Hatanaka Elaine , Curi Rui
Published: June 2012

Oleic (OLA) and linoleic (LNA) acids are commonly consumed fatty acids and they can modulate the inflammatory response, in which macrophages play an important role. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of these two fatty acids on the production of inflammatory mediators by macrophages. Rats received oral administration of water (control), OLA or LNA (0.22 g/kg body weight) daily for 10 days and peritoneal resident macrophages were then isolated. Subsequently, they were seeded in culture plates and the production of various inflammatory mediators was assessed. Oral administration with OLA decreased the production of IL‐1β, IL‐6 and CINC‐2αβ by resident macrophages and LNA decreased the production of IL‐1β, IL‐6 and VEGF in the absence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS), although it accelerated IL‐1β release and decreased IL‐10 synthesis when cells were stimulated with LPS. Neither fatty acid affected the production of superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, nitrite, TNF‐α, PGE2, LTB4 or 15(S)‐HETE. Thus, OLA and LNA influence the production of several inflammatory mediators by macrophages.
Evaluating the In Vitro Metabolism of Docosahexaenoic Acid in Sheep Rumen Fluid
Authors: Aldai Noelia , Hervás Gonzalo , Belenguer Álvaro , Frutos Pilar , Mantecón Angel R. , Kramer John K. G.
Published: June 2012

Rumen metabolism (e.g., biohydrogenation) of dietary unsaturated fatty acids (FA) is one of the main reasons why ruminant fats tend to be highly saturated and contain many isomerized FA intermediates. The process by which long‐chain (20‐ to 24‐carbon FA) polyunsaturated FA (LC‐PUFA) are metabolized by rumen bacteria is not as well understood as that of linoleic or linolenic acids. In order to better understand the fate of LC‐PUFA in the rumen several concentrations of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) were evaluated in in vitro batch incubations ranging from 100 to 1,500 μg per 6 mL of incubation volume using rumen fluid from sheep and incubated for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 6 h. From the results, it was shown that DHA was extensively metabolized at low (100 to 300 μg/6 mL incubation volume), but not at high level of inclusion (800 μg). At 300 μg of DHA most of the depleted DHA was recovered as LC‐DHA metabolites within the first 6 h of incubation, and at the lowest levels (100 μg of incubation volume) further metabolism is apparent at 6 h. Using SP‐2560 GC columns several LC‐DHA metabolites were shown to elute after 24:0 and just past DHA, a region generally free of interfering FA. The present in vitro study would appear to be a useful method to evaluate the production of DHA metabolites in combination with its depletion.
The co‐occurrence of substance use and bullying behaviors among U.S. adolescents: Understanding demographic characteristics and social influences
Authors: Luk Jeremy W. , Wang Jing , Simons‐Morton Bruce G.
Published: June 2012

This study examined the co‐occurrence of subtypes of substance use and bullying behaviors using latent class analysis and evaluated latent class differences in demographic characteristics, peer and parental influences. Self‐reported questionnaire data were collected from a nationally representative sample (N = 7508) of 6–10th grade adolescents in the United States. Four latent classes were identified: the non‐involved (57.7%), substance users (19.4%), bullies (17.5%), and substance‐using bullies (5.4%). Older and Hispanic adolescents were more likely to be substance users and substance‐using bullies, whereas younger and African American adolescents were more likely to be bullies. Females were more likely to be substance users, whereas males were more likely to be bullies and substance‐using bullies. Spending more evenings with peers posed greater risks for substance use, bullying, and the co‐occurrence of both problem behaviors. Paternal knowledge exerted protective effects over‐and‐above the effects of maternal knowledge. Implications for prevention and intervention efforts are discussed.
The proline metabolism intermediate Δ1‐pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate directly inhibits the mitochondrial respiration in budding yeast
Authors: Nishimura Akira , Nasuno Ryo , Takagi Hiroshi
Published: June 2012

The proline metabolism intermediate Δ1‐pyrroline‐5‐carboxylate (P5C) induces cell death in animals, plants and yeasts. To elucidate how P5C triggers cell death, we analyzed P5C metabolism, mitochondrial respiration and superoxide anion generation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Gene disruption analysis revealed that P5C‐mediated cell death was not due to P5C metabolism. Interestingly, deficiency in mitochondrial respiration suppressed the sensitivity of yeast cells to P5C. In addition, we found that P5C inhibits the mitochondrial respiration and induces a burst of superoxide anions from the mitochondria. We propose that P5C regulates cell death via the inhibition of mitochondrial respiration.
Synthetic biology – the state of play
Authors: Kitney Richard , Freemont Paul
Published: June 2012

Just over two years ago there was an article in Nature entitled “Five Hard Truths for Synthetic Biology”. Since then, the field has moved on considerably. A number of economic commentators have shown that synthetic biology very significant industrial potential. This paper addresses key issues in relation to the state of play regarding synthetic biology. It first considers the current background to synthetic biology, whether it is a legitimate field and how it relates to foundational biological sciences. The fact that synthetic biology is a translational field is discussed and placed in the context of the industrial translation process. An important aspect of synthetic biology is platform technology, this topic is also discussed in some detail. Finally, examples of application areas are described.
Emergent clustering methods for empirical OM research
Authors: Brusco Michael J. , Steinley Douglas , Cradit J. Dennis , Singh Renu
Published: June 2012

To date, the vast majority of cluster analysis applications in OM research have relied on traditional hierarchical (e.g., Ward's algorithm) and nonhierarchical (e.g.,K‐means algorithms) methods. Although these venerable methods should continue to be employed effectively in the OM literature, we also believe there is a significant opportunity to expand the scope of clustering methods to emergent techniques. We provide an overview of some alternative clustering procedures (including advantages and disadvantages), identify software programs for implementing them, and discuss the circumstances where they might be employed gainfully in OM research. The implementation of emergent clustering methods in the OM literature should enable researchers to offer implications for practice that might not have been uncovered with traditional methods.
Feasibility of Using Active Video Gaming as a Means for Increasing Energy Expenditure in Three Nonambulatory Young Adults With Disabilities
Authors: Rowland Jennifer L. , Rimmer James H.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To examine the feasibility of adapting active video games (AVGs) for nonambulatory wheelchair users at functionally diverse levels and to examine these AVGs as a method for increasing energy expenditure (EE) for 3 young adults with severe (SEV), moderate (MOD), and no upper extremity limitation (NL).

Design

Case study.

Setting

Residential special education school for youth and young adults with physical disabilities.

Participants

Two young adults with spastic cerebral palsy (SEV, MOD) and one young adult with spina bifida (NL). All participants were nonambulatory wheelchair users.

Methods

Each participant performed Wii bowling and tennis and an adapted upper extremity version of a Dance Dance Revolution (DDR) game pad.

Main Outcome Measurements

EE was measured through indirect calorimetry (VO2). Heart rate data were collected with the use of a Polar Heart Rate Monitor.

Results

SEV and MOD participants showed a higher percentage increase in EE for the Wii games (SEV, 25.6%; MOD, 30.8%) compared with DDR (SEV, 10.8%; MOD, 29.1%), whereas the participant with NL had a greater EE increase for the DDR (173.5%) compared with Wii (59.5%).

Conclusions

AVGs showed clinically significant increases in EE for all 3 participants and can be performed by nonambulatory wheelchair users ranging from those with NL to those with SEV upper extremity limitation with the appropriate adaptations.
The Immediate Effect of Kinesiology Taping on Muscular Imbalance for Infants With Congenital Muscular Torticollis
Authors: Öhman Anna M.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To investigate the immediate effect of kinesiology taping (KT) on muscular imbalance in the lateral flexors of the neck.

Design

A retrospective study.

Participants

Twenty‐eight infants with congenital muscular torticollis and muscular imbalance in the lateral flexors of the neck were chosen consecutively.

Methods

Data regarding the Muscle Function Scale (MFS) score before and after the first taping session were obtained from the records.

Results

A significant decrease in the difference between the MFS scores was found after KT was applied (P < .001). Significantly greater scores were noted on the unaffected side after KT (P = .02) and significantly lower scores were noted on the affected side after KT (P = .003). Multiple regression demonstrated that the MFS score on the unaffected side (P < .001) and use of the muscle‐relaxing technique (P = .009) were significantly associated with a decrease in the difference between the MFS scores of the 2 sides.

Conclusions

KT has an immediate effect on muscular imbalance in infants with congenital muscular torticollis.
The Effect of a Prehabilitation Exercise Program on Quadriceps Strength for Patients Undergoing Total Knee Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Study
Authors: McKay Carly , Prapavessis Harry , Doherty Timothy
Published: June 2012

Objective

To examine the effect of a 6‐week prehabilitation exercise training program on presurgical quadriceps strength for patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA).

Design

Two‐arm, parallel, randomized, controlled pilot trial.

Setting

Private exercise space in a research facility.

Participants

Twenty‐two patients scheduled for primary TKA.

Methods

Participants completed a series of baseline questionnaires (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index [WOMAC], Short Form 36, and Arthritis Self‐efficacy Scale) and functional testing (isometric quadriceps strength assessment, flat‐surface walk test, and stair ascent‐descent test). The participants were randomized to a lower‐body strength training program or to a nonspecific upper‐body strength training program. The participants exercised 3 times per week for 6 weeks before TKA. Postintervention assessment occurred immediately before TKA, with follow‐up assessments at 6 and 12 weeks after surgery.

Outcomes

The primary outcome was isometric quadriceps strength. Secondary outcomes were mobility, pain, self‐reported function, health‐related quality of life, and arthritis self‐efficacy.

Results

There was no significant treatment condition–by‐time effect on quadriceps strength, but the effect size was large (F3,18 = 0.89, P = .47, η2 = 0.13). Similar findings were shown for walking speed (F3,18 = 1.47, P = .26, η2 = 0.20). There was a significant treatment‐by‐time effect for the Short Form 36 mental component score (F3,18 = 0.41, P = .02, η2 = 0.41), with differences emerging before surgery but not at either postoperative assessment. For all other secondary outcome measures, the treatment‐by‐time effect was nonsignificant and small.

Conclusion

The intervention elicited clinically meaningful increases in quadriceps strength, walking speed, and mental health immediately before TKA. It did not impart lasting benefits to patients in the 12 weeks after surgery. Analysis of the results suggests that quadriceps strength may not drive functional improvements after surgery. These findings need to be replicated in larger trials before clinical recommendations are made about including strength training prehabilitation in everyday practice.
Amputation and Cardiac Comorbidity: Analysis of Severity of Cardiac Risk
Authors: Nallegowda Mallikarjuna , Lee Esther , Brandstater Murray , Kartono Alloysius B. , Kumar Guresh , Foster Gary P.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To evaluate population‐based cardiovascular risk scores and coronary artery calcification scores (CACS) in amputees.

Design

A retrospective cohort study of 1300 veterans in a cardiac computed tomography database.

Setting

1B Veterans Administration medical center.

Participants

A total of 76 amputees and similar number of age‐, gender‐, and Framingham Risk Scores (FRS)‐matched control subjects.

Methods

The amputee population was identified and compared for CACS and traditional cardiac risk factors. Two control groups were used: control group 1, with known risk factors including diabetes mellitus, and control group 2, with all risk factors without diabetes mellitus.

Main Outcome Measures

Statistical associations between amputee and control group FRS scores, CACS, and other cardiac risk factors were assessed.

Results

The study included 57 nontraumatic and 19 traumatic amputees with an average age of 62.4 years. Sixty‐six amputees were in the low‐to‐intermediate cardiac risk groups according to FRS. Despite this classification, the mean CACS were significantly higher in amputees (1285 ± 18) than in either of the control groups: control group 1 (540 ± 84) and control group 2 (481 ± 11), P < .001. CACS also were significantly higher in the nontraumatic subject group (1595 ± 12) compared with the traumatic group (356 ± 57; P < .001). Upon categorization of CACS based on probability of coronary artery disease (CAD), 76% of amputees had a CACS >100 and 38% of amputees had a CACS >1000. Interestingly, CACS were almost the same in finger/toe amputations compared with an above‐knee amputation, indicating an already ongoing CAD process irrespective of level of amputation. The predominant clinical significant cardiac risk factors in amputees are hypertension (89.5%), P < .005; chronic kidney disease (31.6%), P < .001; dyslipidemia (72.4%), P < .04; and insulin resistance. Total cholesterol, low‐density lipoprotein, and high‐density lipoprotein levels were nonsignificantly low in all amputees. Triglycerides were particularly higher in traumatic patients compared with nontraumatic patients, with the triglycerides/high‐density lipoprotein ratio >7.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates that amputees have a much greater burden of underlying atherosclerotic disease as detected by CACS than do control subjects matched by Framingham risk stratification. Early screening for CAD and aggressive targeted interventions may be an important part of management to reduce early mortality after amputation.
Vortex–wave interactions: long-wavelength streaks and spatial localization in natural convection
Authors: Hall Philip
Published: June 2012

The unidirectional shear flow driven by buoyancy effects in a vertical channel when a temperature difference is maintained between the walls of the channel is considered. The flow is unstable to waves which interact to reinforce the original flow and make it ‘streaky’. Such ‘vortex–wave’ interactions have been the subject of much recent research but little is yet known about what happens when the wavelength of the roll/streak flow becomes large. An asymptotic structure for long-wavelength interactions is derived and the tendency of the fluid to resist this state and the flow to become localized is revealed. Here the high-Grashof-number limit is considered and it is shown how a self-sustained process can occur with vortices interacting with a wave system in a manner similar to that discussed by Hall & Smith (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 227, 1991, pp. 641–666) and Hall & Sherwin (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 661, 2010, pp. 178–205). The work is closely related to numerical simulations of self-sustained processes in for example Couette flow but the fact that the basic flow here is generated by buoyancy effects enables us to make analytical progress. It is shown that the wave part of the interaction process has a flat critical layer and its wavelength is twice that of the streaky flow which supports it. Such subharmonic vortex–wave/self-sustained process interactions have not been previously identified.
The starting vortex in quiescent air induced by dielectric-barrier-discharge plasma
Authors: Whalley Richard D. , Choi Kwing-So
Published: June 2012

The flow field around an asymmetric dielectric-barrier-discharge (DBD) plasma actuator in quiescent air is studied using particle image velocimetry (PIV) and smoke-flow visualization. On initiation of DBD plasma a starting vortex is created, which rolls up to form a coherent structure. The starting vortex becomes self-similar when the maximum velocity induced by the DBD plasma actuator reaches a steady state. Here, the plasma jet momentum increases linearly with time, suggesting that the DBD plasma actuator entrains and accelerates the surrounding fluid with a constant force. The wall-parallel and wall-normal distances of the vortex core are observed to scale with ${t}^{2/ 3} $ as it travels at $3{1}^{\circ } $ to the wall. The velocity of the starting vortex is found to scale with ${t}^{- 1/ 3} $, while the circulation induced by the plasma actuator scales with ${t}^{1/ 3} $.
Dynamical equations for the contact line of an evaporating or condensing sessile drop
Authors: Fried Eliot , Jabbour Michel
Published: June 2012

The equations that govern, away from equilibrium and accounting for dissipation, the evolution of the contact line of an evaporating or condensing sessile drop on a rigid, planar substrate are derived. Aside from the normal and tangential components of the standard (Newtonian) force balance, these include a configurational force balance. At equilibrium, the normal component of the standard force balance reduces to the modified Young’s equation first mentioned by Gibbs. The remaining balances are purely dissipative and hence are vacuous in equilibrium. A complete description of contact-line dynamics generally involves all three equations. The theory is embedded in a thermodynamic framework that ensures consistency of all constitutive relations with the second law. In the linearly dissipative case, these involve six contact-line viscosities. When viscous coupling is neglected, only three viscosities remain. One is associated with stretching of the fluid along the contact line. The remaining two are related to dissipation that accompanies mass transfer between liquid and vapour phases during evaporation or condensation.
Acute effects of ingestion of a novel whey-derived extract on vascular endothelial function in overweight, middle-aged men and women
Authors: Ballard Kevin D. , Kupchak Brian R. , Volk Brittanie M. , Mah Eunice , Shkreta Aida , Liptak Cary , Ptolemy Adam S. , Kellogg Mark S. , Bruno Richard S. , Seip Richard L. , Maresh Carl M. , Kraemer William J. , Volek Jeff S.
Published: June 2012

Whey protein intake reduces CVD risk, but little is known whether whey-derived bioactive peptides regulate vascular endothelial function (VEF). We determined the impact of a whey-derived extract (NOP-47) on VEF in individuals with an increased cardiovascular risk profile. Men and women with impaired brachial artery flow-mediated dilation (FMD) (n 21, age 55 (sem 1·3) years, BMI 27·8 (sem 0·6) kg/m2, FMD 3·7 (sem 0·4) %) completed a randomised, cross-over study to examine whether ingestion of NOP-47 (5 g) improves postprandial VEF. Brachial artery FMD, plasma amino acids, insulin, and endothelium-derived vasodilators and vasoconstrictors were measured for 2 h after ingestion of NOP-47 or placebo. Acute NOP-47 ingestion increased FMD at 30 min (4·6 (sem 0·5) %) and 120 min (5·1 (sem 0·5) %) post-ingestion (P< 0·05, time × trial interaction), and FMD responses at 120 min were significantly greater in the NOP-47 trial compared with placebo (4·3 (sem 0·5) %). Plasma amino acids increased at 30 min following NOP-47 ingestion (P< 0·05). Serum insulin increased at 15, 30 and 60 min (P< 0·001) following NOP-47 ingestion. No changes were observed between the trials for plasma NO∙ and prostacyclin metabolites or endothelin-1. Ingestion of a rapidly absorbed extract derived from whey protein improved endothelium-dependent dilation in older adults by a mechanism independent of changes in circulating vasoactive compounds. Future investigation is warranted in individuals at an increased CVD risk to further elucidate potential health benefits and the underlying mechanisms of extracts derived from whey.
Stratigraphy, facies and geodynamic settings of Jurassic formations in the Bükk Mountains, North Hungary: its relations with the other areas of the Neotethyan realm
Authors: HAAS JÁNOS , PELIKÁN PÁL , GÖRÖG ÁGNES , JÓZSA SÁNDOR , OZSVÁRT PÉTER
Published: June 2012

Jurassic mélange complexes related to the subduction of the Neotethys Ocean occur in the Bükk Mountains, North Hungary. This paper characterizes the sedimentary sequence of basin and slope facies that occur in the southwestern part of the Bükk Mountains, placing special emphasis on the redeposited sedimentary rocks (olistostromes, olistoliths: Mónosbél Group) in order to obtain information on the provenance of the clasts, and the mode and time of their redeposition. The series of formations studied shows a general coarsening-upwards trend. Based on radiolarians and foraminifera, the Mónosbél Group formed in Early to Late Bathonian time. The lower part of the complex is typified by a predominance of pelagic carbonates, shale and radiolarite with andesitic volcaniclastic intercalations. The higher part of the succession is characterized by polymictic olistostromes. Large olistoliths that are predominantly blocks of Bathonian shallow marine limestone (Bükkzsérc Limestone) appear in the upper part of the sequence. Based on the biostratigraphic and sedimentological data, results of analyses of the redeposited clasts and taking into consideration the concepts of the development of the western Neotethys domain, the evolutionary stages of the sedimentary basins were defined. The onset of the compressional stage led to initiation of nappe stacking that led to the formation of polymict olistostromes and then to the redeposition of large blocks derived from out-of-sequence nappes of the former platform foreland.
Herd-level and territorial-level factors influencing average herd somatic cell count in France in 2005 and 2006
Authors: Raboisson Didier , Dervillé Marie , Herman Nicolas , Cahuzac Eric , Sans Pierre , Allaire Gilles
Published: June 2012

Mastitis is a multifactorial disease and the most costly dairy production issue. In spite of extensive literature on udder-health risk factors, effects of metabolic diseases, farmers’ competencies and livestock farming system on somatic cells count (SCC) are sparsely described. Herd-level or territorial-level factors affecting monthly composite milk weighted mean cow SCC (CMSCC) were analysed with a linear mixed effect model. The average CMSCC was 266000 cells/ml. Half of the herds had CMSCC >300000 cells/ml for 2–6 months a year, and 15% of herds for more than 7 months a year. CMSCC was positively associated with the number of cows, having a beef or fattening herd in addition to the dairy herd, the monthly average days in milk, the yearly age at first calving, the yearly proportion of purchased cows and the yearly culling rate. Moreover, a positive association is reported between CMSCC and the monthly proportion of cows probably with subacute ruminal acidosis (fat percentage minus protein percentage ⩽0·30%, for Holstein) and negative energy balance (protein to fat ratio ⩽0·66, for Holstein), the yearly average calving interval, having at least one dead cow and the mean monthly temperature. The association was negative for a predominant breed other than Holstein, the monthly milk production, the yearly dry-off period length, the monthly first calving cow proportion, having an autumn calving peak, being a Good Breeding Practices member, the monthly number of days with rain, the altitude and the territorial cattle density. CMSCC varied widely among the 11 dairy production areas. In conclusion, this study showed the average CMSCC for the French dairy cows, compared with international results. Moreover, it quantified the contribution of several factors to CMSCC, in particular metabolic diseases and the farm environment.
Parasite assemblages in the Western whip snakeHierophis viridiflavus carbonarius(Colubridae) from southern Italy
Authors: Santoro M. , Aznar F.J. , Mattiucci S. , Kinsella J.M. , Pellegrino F. , Cipriani P. , Nascetti G.
Published: June 2012

Parasite assemblages of the Western whip snakeHierophis viridiflavus carbonariuswere investigated from the Calabria region in southern Italy. A total of 14 parasite taxa including 6 nematodes, 3 acanthocephalans, 2 cestodes, 2 digeneans and a single pentastomid was identified. Within the study area,H. v. carbonariusserves as the final host for seven species of helminths, of which only four (Hexametra quadricornis,Kalicephalus viperae,Paracapillaria sonsinoiandRenifer aniarum) can be considered as snake specialists, while one (Oswaldocruzia filiformis) is shared with other reptiles and amphibians, and two (Paradistomum mutabileandRhabdias fuscovenosa) with lizards. A large proportion of larval forms of six helminth taxa (about 95% of all helminths collected) was found, for whichH. v. carbonariusserves as an intermediate and/or paratenic host; however, adult stages of helminths were prevalent in snakes with snout-to-vent length greater than 70 cm. Our results suggest that ontogenetic and ecological factors should exert a strong influence upon the helminth assemblage of Western whip snakes. We concluded thatH. v. carbonariusplays an important role in southern Italy as an intermediate/paratenic host for species of helminths infecting vertebrate groups which may include this snake species within their feeding chain. Eleven taxa, including three potential agents of zoonosis, were added to the poorly known parasite fauna of this host.
Time-fractional study of electron acoustic solitary waves in plasma of cold electron and two isothermal ions
Authors: EL-WAKIL S. A. , ABULWAFA ESSAM M. , EL-SHEWY EMAD K. , MAHMOUD ABEER A.
Published: June 2012

In this paper, a homogeneous system of unmagnetized collisionless plasma consisting of a cold electron fluid, low-temperature ion obeying Boltzmann-type distribution and high-temperature ion obeying non-thermal distribution is considered. The perturbation method with two different forms of stretching will be considered to drive the KdV and modified KdV (mKdV) equations. The Agrawal's method is applied to formulate the time-fractional KdV and mKdV equations. A variational iteration method is used to solve these equations. The results show that the fractional order of the differential equations can be used to modify the shape of the solitary pulse instead of adding higher order dissipation terms to the equations. This study may be useful to construct the compressive and rarefactive electrostatic potential pulses associated with the broadband electrostatic noise type emissions.
Excitation of geodesic acoustic mode continuum by drift wave turbulence
Authors: YU JUN , DONG J. Q. , LI X. X. , DU D. , GONG X. Y.
Published: June 2012

Excitation of the geodesic acoustic mode continuum by drift wave turbulence is studied using the wave kinetic approach. For a model profile of weak non-uniform ion temperature, the forms of growth rate and radial structure of geodesic acoustic modes are obtained analytically. The growth rate is analyzed for several conditions for present-day tokamaks and compared with that for uniform ion temperature, as well as that given by the coherent mode approach for non-uniform ion temperature.
The causal role of smoking in anxiety and depression: a Mendelian randomization analysis of the HUNT study
Authors: Bjørngaard J. H. , Gunnell D. , Elvestad M. B. , Smith G. Davey , Skorpen F. , Krokan H. , Vatten L. , Romundstad P.
Published: June 2012

Background

Cigarette smoking is strongly associated with mental illness but the causal direction of the association is uncertain. We investigated the causal relationship between smoking and symptoms of anxiety and depression in the Norwegian HUNT study using the rs1051730 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) variant located in the nicotine acetylcholine receptor gene cluster on chromosome 15 as an instrumental variable for smoking phenotypes. Among smokers, this SNP is robustly associated with smoking quantity and nicotine dependence.

Method

In total, 53 601 participants were genotyped for the rs1051730 SNP and provided information on smoking habits and symptoms of anxiety and depression using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS).

Results

Self-reported smoking was positively associated with the prevalence of both anxiety and depression, and the measured polymorphism was positively associated with being a current smoker and the number of cigarettes smoked in current smokers. In the sample as a whole, risk of anxiety increased with each affected T allele [odds ratio (OR) 1.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.02–1.09, p = 0.002] but there was no association with depression (p = 0.31). However, we found no clear association of the polymorphism with either anxiety (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.97–1.09, p = 0.34) or depression (OR 1.02, 95% CI 0.95–1.09, p = 0.62) among smokers.

Conclusions

As there was no association of the smoking-related rs1051730 SNP with anxiety and depression among smokers, the results suggest that smoking is not a cause of anxiety and depression.
An Illyrian helmet in the British Museum
Authors: Hockey Marilyn , Johnston Alan , La Niece Susan , Middleton Andrew , Swaddling Judith
Published: June 2012

Recent research on a helmet of Illyrian type, found in the River Alpheios and purchased by the British Museum in 1914, has yielded interesting historical, epigraphical, and technological information. The helmet was made between about 550 and 525 BC, and it was probably dedicated to Olympian Zeus in the latter years of the century; it was embellished with various types of silver decoration, notably appliqués of horsemen on the cheek-pieces. The inscription, incised in unusual herring-bone fashion, indicates that the helmet was dedicated by the Koroneans, and the event commemorated by the dedication is here considered.
Athletics, festivals and Greek identity in the Roman east
Authors: Van Nijf Onno
Published: June 2012

Ceremonial life (contests and festivals) was a major preoccupation of the inhabitants of the cities of the Roman East in general and of Roman Asia Minor in particular. Processions meandered through the streets every week, and perhaps even every day, carrying processional statues and driving along sacrificial animals. The air was frequently filled with the smells and sounds of sacrificial banquets. In public places benches were set up, on which people sat to drink and eat together. On some days flocks of people could be seen rushing towards the theatre or the stadium, eager to take up their places in the auditorium, from where they could watch traditional Greek athletic or artistic contests. It must have seemed as though at any given time some part or other of the population was involved in some public ritual. The Greek city in the Roman period was – to borrow a phrase of Walter Burkert – aFestgemeinschaft, a festive community. Greek festive life was not the last resort of traditionalists, however, trying to insulate themselves from new and unpleasant social and political realities. Traditional Greek festivals were very much part of the contemporary world. I shall argue here that Greek festivals played a central part in civic life under Roman rule. I also intend to discuss how they were reformed and adapted to fit into a world where the centre of power was located in Rome. And finally, I want to assess their importance for the self-identification of the local élites.
Composing the curriculum: Teacher identity
Authors: Lewis Rebecca
Published: June 2012

What is composing and how is it valued? What does a good education in composing look like; what constraints hinder it and is it possible to overcome such constraints? Can composing be a personal, creative and valuable activity for the school student? What role does the teacher play in all of this? These are questions that I discuss in this reflective study of composing in the classroom.
Teaching composing with an identity as a teacher-composer
Authors: Francis Jennie
Published: June 2012

I enjoy composing and feel able to write songs that I like and which feel significant to me. This has not always been the case and the change had nothing to do with my school education or my degree. Composing at secondary school did not move beyond Bach and Handel pastiche. I did not take any composing courses during my degree. What did influence the change in me was the fact that I made a friend of a songwriter.
Meteorological conditions and incidence of Legionnaires' disease in Glasgow, Scotland: application of statistical modelling
Authors: DUNN C. E. , ROWLINGSON B. , BHOPAL R. S. , DIGGLE P.
Published: June 2012

This study investigated the relationships between Legionnaires' disease (LD) incidence and weather in Glasgow, UK, by using advanced statistical methods. Using daily meteorological data and 78 LD cases with known exact date of onset, we fitted a series of Poisson log-linear regression models with explanatory variables for air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and year, and sine-cosine terms for within-year seasonal variation. Our initial model showed an association between LD incidence and 2-day lagged humidity (positive, P = 0·0236) and wind speed (negative, P = 0·033). However, after adjusting for year-by-year and seasonal variation in cases there were no significant associations with weather. We also used normal linear models to assess the importance of short-term, unseasonable weather values. The most significant association was between LD incidence and air temperature residual lagged by 1 day prior to onset (P = 0·0014). The contextual role of unseasonably high air temperatures is worthy of further investigation. Our methods and results have further advanced understanding of the role which weather plays in risk of LD infection.
Bartonellaspecies as a cause of infective endocarditis in the UK
Authors: CHALONER G. L. , HARRISON T. G. , BIRTLES R. J.
Published: June 2012

Bartonellaspp. are increasingly implicated in infectious endocarditis cases in the UK. Herein, we attempted to quantify their role in this syndrome and explored the epidemiology ofBartonella-associated endocarditis in the UK. Between November 2005 and October 2010, samples from 685 endocarditis patients were submitted to the Health Protection Agency forBartonellaserology. Serological evidence of infection was obtained for 57 (8·3%) patients. PCR-based evidence of infection was obtained from 13 out of 14 patients for whom heart valve tissue was available, withBartonella quintanaimplicated in 12 cases andB. henselaein one. Six patients withB. quintanaendocarditis were recent immigrants into the UK, of whom four lived in poor socioeconomic conditions. These results indicate thatBartonellais a not uncommon cause of endocarditis in the UK and should be considered particularly in patients raised in eastern Europe and/or with a history of homelessness or alcoholism.
Screening forCoxiella burnetiiseroprevalence in chronic Q fever high-risk groups reveals the magnitude of the Dutch Q fever outbreak
Authors: KAMPSCHREUR L. M. , HAGENAARS J. C. J. P. , WIELDERS C. C. H. , ELSMAN P. , LESTRADE P. J. , KONING O. H. J. , OOSTERHEERT J. J. , RENDERS N. H. M. , WEVER P. C.
Published: June 2012

The Netherlands experienced an unprecedented outbreak of Q fever between 2007 and 2010. The Jeroen Bosch Hospital (JBH) in 's-Hertogenbosch is located in the centre of the epidemic area. Based on Q fever screening programmes, seroprevalence of IgG phase II antibodies toCoxiella burnetiiin the JBH catchment area was 10·7% [785 tested, 84 seropositive, 95% confidence interval (CI) 8·5–12·9]. Seroprevalence appeared not to be influenced by age, gender or area of residence. Extrapolating these data, an estimated 40 600 persons (95% CI 32 200–48 900) in the JBH catchment area have been infected byC. burnetiiand are, therefore, potentially at risk for chronic Q fever. This figure by far exceeds the nationwide number of notified symptomatic acute Q fever patients and illustrates the magnitude of the Dutch Q fever outbreak. Clinicians in epidemic Q fever areas should be alert for chronic Q fever, even if no acute Q fever is reported.
A DIVINE WIND: THE ARTS OF DEATH AND MUSIC IN TERMINAL FORMATIVE OAXACA
Authors: Barber Sarah B. , Sánchez Mireya Olvera
Published: June 2012

This paper examines the social context of music and musical instruments in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica through the detailed analysis of a late Terminal Formative period (a.d.100–250) burial from the site of Yugüe in the lower Río Verde Valley of Oaxaca. The burial contained a sub-adult male interred with an incised bone flute and a plaster-backed iron-ore mirror. The Yugüe flute is the earliest reported bone flute from Mesoamerica and is incised and carved to create the bas relief image of a skeletal male figure. Based on the instrument's archaeological context and elaborate incising, we argue that the flute was categorized in pre-Columbian ontology as an animate object that actively participated in ceremonial action at Yugüe. While the nature of such ceremony remains unclear, the incising on the flute indicates that the instrument was capable of making manifest ancestral and divine forces affiliated with rain, wind, and agricultural fertility.
SACRED GEOGRAPHY IN THE NOCHIXTLAN VALLEY
Authors: Hamann Byron Ellsworth
Published: June 2012

The pages of the Mixtec screenfolds are painted with hundreds of place signs. Only a handful have been linked to specific locations on the ground. In this essay, I propose identifications for seven place signs which appear on pages 4 to 1 of theCodex Viennaand page 3 of theCodex Nuttall. I draw on five types of sources: testimonies from the 1544–1547 Yanhuitlan idolatry investigation, the pictorial records of the Mixtec screenfolds themselves, the findings from a FAMSI-funded study of colonial and independence-era land records, previous archaeological surveys, and on-the-ground reconnaissance. By considering the sequential relations of place signs painted in the Mixtec screenfolds, the spatial connections of geographic features visible today (features whose names and recent history are recorded in archival land records), and the sacred connections revealed by the actions of nobles and religious specialists in the Yanhuitlan idolatry investigation, strong proposals for the identification of particular place signs can be made. In turn, these identifications have broader implications for understanding colonial transformations of space. Over the course of the sixteenth century, sprawling pre-Hispanic polities were atomized. The land documents their leaders then created mapped out visions of political space that were far more circumscribed than those we see in pre-Hispanic books, and indeed in alphabetic documents—such as the Yanhuitlan idolatry investigation—that date to the first half of the sixteenth century. This suggests that different types of research methods are needed for studying landscape representations created before and after the middle of the sixteenth century.
GOVERNING SMALLER COMMUNITIES IN AZTEC MEXICO
Authors: Hicks Frederic
Published: June 2012

The Nahua-speaking area of Postclassic central Mexico was composed of many city-states, which consisted of a nucleated and urbanized central area where the major political and economic centers were located, and a predominantly rural area where most of the people lived. This outlying area and its small communities had to be governed, and this paper identifies, from ethnohistorical sources, the most likely tasks of local government and the local officials responsible for carrying them out. Special attention is given to the role of the local nobility, where present, and of their equivalent, when not; to overseers of labor, and to leaders of the all-important labor squads which built and maintained the urban centers. The custodians of wealth and those most likely to have been military or ritual leaders are identified.
CONTINUITIES IN MAYA POLITICAL RHETORIC:K'AWIILS, K'ATUNS, AND KENNINGS
Authors: Rice Prudence M.
Published: June 2012

Classic hieroglyphic texts do not describe Maya political organization, nor do colonial documents, forcing archaeologists to look elsewhere for clues. I propose that continuities in calendrically-based geopolitical rhetoric are recognizable in imagery and literary devices that can be traced from Preclassic/Formative times into the Colonial period. Imagery revolves around God K,k'awiil, and manikin scepters. The Classic manikin scepter materializes God K/K'awiil as a symbol of legitimate rulership, particularly at accession; the Postclassic analogue in the Dresden and Paris Codices is a God K effigy head, God K also symbolizingk'atuns. Related literary devices are kennings, specifically thetook'-pakalor “flint-and-shield,” which appear in Classic texts and in theChilam B'alambooks in the context of defeat in warfare, the latter particularly referring tok'atunwars. Interrelated concepts, including obsidian, mirrors, serpents, and one-legged deities in thePopol Vuhand in Mexico (Tezcatlipoca), amplify these proposed continuities.
POLYDACTYLY AND THE MAYA: A REVIEW AND A CASE FROM THE SITE OF PELIGROSO, UPPER MACAL RIVER VALLEY, BELIZE
Authors: Wrobel Gabriel D. , Helmke Christophe , Nash Lenna , Awe Jaime J.
Published: June 2012

A single right fifth metatarsal found in Tomb 1 at Peligroso, Belize exhibited a small deformity in the form of a small (7 mm) accessory digit emanating from the plantar surface at mid-shaft. This Type A postaxial polydactyly is the first archaeological example of polydactyly reported for Mesoamerica. Polydactyly is one of the more commonly reported morphological anomalies and thus its appearance in Maya populations would have been prevalent enough to demand explanation. A review of related terminology in pertinent Amerindian languages is presented as a means of exploring the manners in which digits and the human body are conceptualized. Maya iconographic representations of polydactyly at Palenque have parallels to other Mesoamerican renderings of supernumerary digits used to identify divinities and deified ancestors. However, the Peligroso mortuary context comprised disarticulated and commingled bones, suggesting that the individual did not have a distinctive social role related to the presence of an extra digit.
THE GROWTH AND DECLINE OF THE ANCIENT MAYA CITY OF LA MILPA, BELIZE: NEW DATA AND NEW PERSPECTIVES FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAZAS
Authors: Zaro Gregory , Houk Brett A.
Published: June 2012

Construction histories of ancient Maya monumental centers have long been used to interpret the growth and decline of Lowland Maya polities. Changes in the built environment at monumental centers reflect labor appropriation by ruling elites and may indirectly serve to gauge changes in political clout over time. Consequently, the precision and accuracy with which archaeologists measure these changes take on increased importance when assessing the ancient Maya political landscape. Recent excavations in the monumental core of La Milpa, Belize, have generated new data that call for a re-assessment of the center's historical trajectory. Our data indicate that La Milpa had a larger Late Preclassic foundation, likely grew much more incrementally through the Classic period, and persisted centuries longer than previously understood. The apparent persistence of occupation into the tenth centurya.d.challenges the traditionally accepted dates for La Milpa's abandonment, and, the ceramic sequence upon which it is often based.
The Namba mountains: new hope for Afromontane forest birds in Angola
Authors: MILLS MICHAEL S. L. , MELO MARTIM , VAZ ALEXANDRE
Published: June 2012

Afromontane forest is the most localised and threatened habitat type in Angola. For the past 40 years the estimate of the area covered by this habitat in Angola has been c.200 ha. At present, 85 ha remain at Mt Moco, the most important known site to date. This habitat holds 20 bird taxa of conservation significance but some are now rare or absent at Mt Moco. Given the small extent of forest, its high conservation value and the severe human impacts on it, finding new areas of Afromontane forest is a high conservation priority. With this objective, we visited the Namba mountains in July 2010, where c.100 ha was thought to remain in the 1970s, to establish the extent and condition of forest there and to conduct bird surveys. We found closed-canopy Afromontane forest with an abundance ofPodocarpus latifoliusand little human disturbance. We recorded 89 bird species, 56 in or adjacent to forest and including all 20 priority taxa and a significant population of the Endangered Swierstra’s FrancolinPternistis swierstrai. On-screen digitising of forest patches using Google Earth indicates that the larger patches are an order of magnitude larger than at Mt Moco and that there is currently > 590 ha of forest in the Namba mountains, more than trebling the previous national estimate. The site qualifies as a new Important Bird Area and is a high priority for inclusion in Angola’s protected area network.
The Debate about a European Institutional Order among International Legal Scholars in the 1920s and its Legacy
Authors: GUIEU JEAN-MICHEL
Published: June 2012

The inter-war period is a forgotten moment in the debate about a European institutional order amongst legal scholars. Although the European Communities established in the 1950s did not derive directly from the institutional schemes of the 1920s, the earlier period played an important role in the building of a specifically European legal doctrine. The failure of the universalist League of Nations led a certain number of international jurists, particularly French ones, to support regional solutions as an alternative. A European legal framework was thus seen as a possible way of adapting international law to meet the goals of peace and stability.