bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of region on the composition of milk fatty acids in China
Authors: Yang Yongxin , Wang Jiaqi , Yuan Tingjie , Bu Dengpan , Yang Jinhui , Zhou Lingyun , Sun Peng , Zhang Juanxia
Published: November 2012

Background

Milk composition and its fatty acid profile have received much attention with respect to improving human health. However, limited work has been conducted to assess the composition of milk fat in China, which is the third largest producer of milk in the world. In this study the effects of geographical region and seasonal changes (spring and summer) on the fatty acid composition of milk samples collected from six Chinese farms were investigated.

Results

Milk fat and protein contents, as well as some individual fatty acids and five fatty acid groups, were found to be unaffected by season, but they did show significant differences by geographical region. Levels of milk cis‐9, trans‐11 conjugated linoleic acid decreased in summer and increased in spring, increased in north (Hohhot), northeast (Harbin), north centre (Beijing) and northwest (Xi'an) China and decreased in far northwest (Urumqi) and east (Chuzhou) China. Monounsaturated fatty acids increased in east and northwest China and decreased in northeast China, while polyunsaturated fatty acids increased in far northwest and north centre China and decreased in northeast China.

Conclusion

This study provides relevent information that contributes to the understanding of parameters affecting variability of milk fatty acid profiles. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Application of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy for the evaluation of yam (Dioscorea alata) germplasm and breeding lines
Authors: Lebot Vincent , Malapa Roger
Published: November 2012

BACKGROUND

Thousands of yam (Dioscorea spp.) accessions are maintained in germplasm collections. The physico‐chemical characteristics of the tubers are rarely characterised. Unless a simple, low cost, screening tool is available, it is difficult to evaluate the quality of varieties and breeding lines. We investigated the potential of near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) as an alternative method for predicting the major constituents of the yam tuber.

RESULTS

Two hundred and sixty‐five accessions, belonging to seven different Dioscorea spp., were analysed for starch, amylose, sugars, proteins, minerals and cellulose. The comparison of the NIR spectra and the chemical values allowed the establishment of equations of calibration for the prediction of starch, sugars and proteins (equivalent N). The r2pred values for starch, sugars and proteins (respectively 0.84, 0.86 and 0.88) are high enough to allow good estimates of their contents. Values for the ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) of 4.046 and 3.641 for the sugars and proteins models also allow good quantitative predictions to be made. Amylose, cellulose and minerals could not be predicted precisely. A second calibration conducted by adding the calibration and validation sets (260 accessions) revealed an improvement of the RPD values for starch, sugars and proteins, indicating that the models can be improved. Discriminant analysis conducted using 2151 wavelengths (in nanometres) as variables was applied to a set of 214 accessions of D. alata and the results were compared to the principal component analysis of chemical data. Accessions can be classified according to the amylaceous fraction of the chemotype.

CONCLUSION

NIRS could be used in yam breeding programmes to characterise rapidly and at low cost the numerous accessions and breeding lines. © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Modeling and Simulation of the Crystallization Behavior of Polymer Melts in the Hollow‐Profile Extrusion Process Using the Coexistence Model of Spherulite and Shish‐Kebab
Authors: Mu Yue , Zhao Guoqun , Chen Anbiao , Wu Xianghong
Published: November 2012

The thermally and flow induced crystallization behavior of polymer melts has been investigated by using penalty finite element‐finite difference simulation with a decoupled solving algorithm. The coexistence model of spherulite and shish‐kebab is proposed to describe the evolution of crystallization kinetics process. The Schneider equation and Eder equation are adopted to discriminate the relative roles of the thermal and the flow effect on the crystallization behavior. The proposed mathematical model and numerical method have been successfully applied to the investigation of crystallization behavior in the hollow‐profile extrusion process. Both the evolution of crystalline size within the extrusion die and the effects of processing conditions on the crystallization kinetics process are discussed.

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Analysis of 1D periodic slotted ground structure on microstrip
Authors: Jung Dongjin , Chang Kai
Published: November 2012

This article presents an analysis of 1D periodic slotted ground structure on the microstrip ground plane. A dumbbell‐shaped ground slot (DSGS) has been utilized as a unit cell of the periodic ground structure. The number of the slots is set to N = 7. The expressions for propagation and attenuation constants are derived from the unit cell of the DSGS. These expressions allow determining the passband and stopband of the proposed DSGS periodic structure. The calculated results are compared to simulated and measured results for the analysis validity. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:59–62, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27225
Compact slot antenna with band‐notch characterization for multifunctional communication systems
Authors: Shagar A. C. , Wahidabanu R. S. D.
Published: November 2012

In this article, a compact design and construction of a wide slot antenna with band‐notch characteristics of size 28 × 32 × 1.6 mm is proposed and developed for multifunctional communication systems. Detailed simulations and experimental investigations are performed to understand its behavior and to optimize for 2.4 GHz WLAN and ultrawideband operations. An FR4 substrate with a thickness of 1.6 mm and relative permittivity of 4.4 is used to design the antenna. The antenna has a modified rectangular stub with coplanar waveguide feed technique. The modified rectangular shaped stub excites similar shaped slot in the ground plane, which improves the impedance matching from 2.1 to 30 GHz for VSWR less than 2. In addition, notch band characteristics in the 5.1–5.9 GHz band are achieved by making a slot on the tuning stub. Numerical and experimental results are reported to access the performance of the antenna in terms of impedance matching and radiation characteristics. A good agreement is found between the simulation and experimental results. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:218–223, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27231
Effects of narrow slits on frequency response of a microstrip square loop resonator and dual‐mode filter applications
Authors: Karpuz Ceyhun , Gorur Ali Kursad
Published: November 2012

In this letter, the effect of narrow slits on resonance characteristics for a microstrip square loop resonator (SLR) with mitered bends is investigated and a new formula to calculate the resonance frequency of SLRs loaded inductively by means of slits is derived as a function of the number of slits.A novel dual‐mode SLR configuration performing a slow‐wave characteristic obtained by using narrow slits is proposed to use in design of microstrip dual‐mode bandpass filters. Also, a new perturbation technique based on the change of electrical lengths is presented for the excitation of two degenerated modes of these type resonators. Additional, two dual‐mode bandpass filters having linear phase and elliptical frequency characteristics have been designed, fabricated and tested to verify the proposed filter topology. Experimental results agree with simulated results. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:143–146, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27237
A K‐band current‐reuse differential armstrong voltage‐controlled oscillator in 90 nm CMOS technology
Authors: Nguyen Tai Nghia , Chang Ik‐Joon , Lee Jong‐Wook
Published: November 2012

We present a K‐band Armstrong voltage‐controlled oscillator (VCO) using the current‐reuse configuration.Although the current‐reuse configuration is suitable for low‐power VCO, its output power level and its phase at two differential outputs are not symmetric. This drawback in current‐reuse VCO is caused by its asymmetric structure, where the transconductance of the PMOS and NMOS transistors does not match. To achieve output waveform symmetry without consuming additional headroom, we embed a custom designed transformer between the input and output, realizing a new current‐reuse Armstrong VCO. The oscillator implemented in 90 nm CMOS process occupies a chip area of 0.75 × 0.5 mm2. And, it oscillates over the frequency range of 22.47–22.79 GHz with a good phase noise of −104 dBc/Hz at a 1 MHz offset. The VCO operates at a supply voltage of 1 V, and the power consumption of the VCO core is 4.5 mW. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:112–115, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27238
A novel sensor based on a dual‐wavelength multilongitudinal modes fiber ring laser
Authors: Xie Zhenhai , Xia Li , Li Lecheng , Liu Deming
Published: November 2012

A ring laser based on a transmission‐type fiber bragg grating (FBG)‐Fabry–Perot filter sensor probe is proposed, and ignoring the effect of multilongitudinal modes using a special demodulation method, the new scheme is suitable for long distance sensing. Such a sensing system has been demonstrated in the experiment, and the experimental result shows the minimal temperature sensitivity is about 1°C. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:15–16, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27254
A novel approach to suppress the DC modes in eigenvalue problems using the finite element method
Authors: Gonçalves Marcos S. , Arnold Francisco J. , Bravo‐Roger Leonardo L. , Santos Talia S.
Published: November 2012

A novel method to solve eigenvalue problems using the finite elements method without DC modes is presented.The constraint condition is imposed only on the regions of the matrices that are ill‐conditioned improving the system conditioning and shifting the spectrum of the DC modes out of the region of interest. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:210–212, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27256
60‐GHz amplitude shift‐keying transceiver LTCC system‐on‐package module
Authors: Lee Young Chul
Published: November 2012

A highly integrated amplitude shift‐keying (ASK) transceiver (TRx) system‐on‐package (SoP) module is presented for 60‐GHz wireless communications applications.The ASK TRx SoP module has been implemented with a six‐layer low‐temperature co‐fired ceramic (LTCC) substrate embedding eight GaAs RF integrated circuit chips, one low‐pass filter, a high‐isolation via fence, and DC bias components. The fabricated ASK TRx SoP is as small as 17.8 × 17.9 × 0.6 mm3. In the transmitter (Tx) part, an output power of 12.8 dBm is obtained at 62.24 GHz. The receiver (Rx) part reveals a conversion gain of 38 dB, intermediate frequency flatness of below −2 dBm, and good eye pattern of the 1.25 Gb/s data. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:48–51, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27264
A near interaction preconditioner for MLFMA using overlapped localizing modes
Authors: Adams R. J. , Xu Xin , Luo Chong , Davis B. A.
Published: November 2012

The overlapped localizing local global solution matrix factorization algorithm has been shown to provide a fast solution method for low frequency electromagnetic problems. This article shows that the method can be used to rapidly invert the near interaction matrix to produce effective preconditioners for high frequency computational electromagnetic simulations. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:156–160, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27267
All planar compact size microstrip CRLH arbitrary coupling directional coupler
Authors: Ibrahim Amr A. , Safwat Amr M. E. , El‐Hennawy Hadia
Published: November 2012

A new compact size microstrip arbitrary coupling directional coupler (DC) based on the coupled line composite right/left handed (CL‐CRLH) unit cell is proposed. The coupler is patterned on a single metal layer, does not use vias, and occupies 45 × 11 mm2 area. Its bandwidth is 400 MHz centered around 2.4 GHz and it provides −3 dB coupling coefficient. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55:115–119, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27270
Erratum: Compact wideband bandstop filter using embedded capacitor
Authors: Qian Kewei
Published: November 2012

Originally published Microwave Opt Technol Lett 54:1511‐1514, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 55: 230, 2013; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.27277 (Original article DOI 10.1002/mop.26848)
Spontaneous hemopneumothorax simulating acute abdominal affections
Authors: Chen Tai‐Heng , Tseng Yung‐Hao , Tseng Chien‐Ming , Chiang Hung‐Hsing , Lin Tzeng‐Jih
Published: November 2012

Spontaneous hemopneumothorax (SHP) is a rare potentially life‐threatening condition that occurs in predominantly young adolescents. The resultant massive hemorrhage leading to hypovolemic shock can be a surgical emergency. It constitutes 1–12% of all spontaneous pneumothoraces and presents with two cardinal features, chest pain and dyspnea. However, the pain of SHP may be confined to the abdomen secondary to the irritation of diaphragmatic pleura, which produces signs simulating an acute abdomen. SHP masquerading as an abdominal affection is apparently regarded as extremely rare. We present a case of a 16‐year‐old male with SHP presenting features simulating acute gallbladder disease. After prompt diagnosis with appropriate surgical intervention, he had an uneventful recovery. Our experience emphasizes the importance of careful and thorough chest examination for each child with atypical pictures for abdominal pain to exclude possible extra‐abdominal lesions, even rare as SHP. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:E1–E4. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Resolving cyclic dependencies between packages with enriched dependency structural matrix
Authors: Laval Jannik , Ducasse Stéphane
Published: November 2012

Dependency structural matrix (DSM) is an approach originally developed for process optimization. It has been successfully applied to identify software dependencies among packages and subsystems. A number of algorithms have been proposed to compute the matrix so that it highlights patterns and problematic dependencies between subsystems. However, existing DSM implementations often miss important information to fully support reengineering effort. For example, they do not clearly qualify and quantify problematic relationships, information that is crucial to support remediation tasks. We propose enriched DSM (eDSM), which provides small‐multiple views and micro–macro‐readings by adding fine‐grained information in each cell of the matrix. Each cell is enriched with contextual information about (i) the type of dependencies (inheritance, class reference, etc.), (ii) the proportion of referencing entities, and (iii) the proportion of referenced entities. We distinguish independent cycles and stress potentially simple fixes for cycles by using coloring information. This work is language independent and has been implemented on top of the Moose software analysis platform. In this paper, we expand our previous work. We improved the cell content information view on the basis of user feedback and performed multiple validations: two different case studies on Moose and Seaside software; one user study for validating eDSM as a usable approach for developers. Solutions to problems identified with eDSM have been performed and retrofitted in analyzed software. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Can the Eastern Partnership Work?
Authors: Kobzova Jana
Published: November 2012

The EU has been promoting its interests in Eastern Europe by exporting its values and building more political and business links with the region, but the strategy has thus far not worked to the EU's liking. This is mainly because most Eastern Partnership countries hope that the EU will eventually drop the values-based conditions and focus solely on interests such as trade and security. The EU's actions have sometimes encouraged such expectations. However, this is a false choice: in practice, there is not much difference between the interests and values the EU aims to promote in the region. To make the Eastern Partnership an initiative worthy of its name, the EU should continue to promote both its interests and values in its Eastern neighbourhood, but it also needs to invest much more in cultivating new partners in the region.
Decompositions of factor codes and embeddings between shift spaces with unequal entropies
Authors: HONG SOONJO , JUNG UIJIN , LEE IN-JE
Published: November 2012

Given a factor code between sofic shifts X and Y, there is a family of decompositions of the original code into factor codes such that the entropies of the intermediate subshifts arising from the decompositions are dense in the interval from the entropy of Y to that of X. Furthermore, if X is of finite type, we can choose those intermediate subshifts as shifts of finite type. In the second part of the paper, given an embedding from a shift space to an irreducible sofic shift, we characterize the set of the entropies of the intermediate subshifts arising from the decompositions of the given embedding into embeddings.
Liking more or hating less? A modest defence of intergroup contact theory
Authors: Brown Rupert
Published: November 2012

Here, I argue that Dixon et al. have overstated the prevalence of “benevolent” forms of prejudice; many stigmatised groups are currently the targets of overtly hostile evaluation and treatment by others (e.g., Muslims; immigrant groups). I also believe that the target article oversimplifies its presentation of prejudice researchers' primary theoretical and policy goals and that it overlooks important work in intergroup emotions.
A Window-Recursive Approach for GNSS Kinematic Navigation Using Pseudorange and Doppler Measurements
Authors: Zhou Zebo , Li Bofeng , Shen Yunzhong
Published: November 2012

In kinematic Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) navigation, the Kalman Filter (KF) solution relies, to a great extent, on the quality of the dynamic model that describes the moving object's motion behaviour. However, it is rather difficult to establish a precise dynamic model that only connects the previous state and the current state, since these high-order quantities are usually unavailable in GNSS navigation receivers. To overcome such limitations, the Window-Recursive Approach (WRA) that employs the previous multiple states to predict the current one was developed in Zhou et al., (2010). Its essence is to adaptively fit the moving object's motion behaviour using the multiple historical states in a short time span. Up to now, the WRA method has been performed only using GNSS pseudorange measurements. However, in GNSS navigation fields, the strength of pseudorange observation model is usually weak due to various reasons, e.g., multi-path delay, outliers, insufficient visible satellites. As an important complementary measurement, Doppler can be used to aid Position and Velocity (PV) estimation. In this contribution, implementation of WRA will be developed using the pseudorange and Doppler measurements. Its corresponding state transition matrix is constructed based on the Newton's Forward Difference Extrapolation (NFDE) and Definite Integral (DI) methods for the efficient computation. The new implementation of WRA is evaluated using the real kinematic vehicular GNSS data with two sampling rates. The results show that:

(i)

aided by GNSS Doppler measurement, the new implementation of WRA significantly improves the accuracy compared with the pseudorange-only WRA.

(ii)

In high sampling rate, the WRA works best in the case of 2 epochs in time window, while in the low sampling rate, it obtains better solutions if more epochs involved in time window.

(iii)

Compared with KF with constant velocity dynamic model, the WRA demonstrates better in the self-adaptation and validity.

(iv)

As a benefit of WRA itself, the NFDE/DI-based state transition matrix for WRA can be previously computed offline without increasing the computation burdens.
Behavioural and neuroplastic properties of chronic lurasidone treatment in serotonin transporter knockout rats
Authors: Luoni Alessia , Hulsken Sjoerd , Cazzaniga Greta , Racagni Giorgio , Homberg Judith R. , Riva Marco A.
Published: November 2012

Second-generation antipsychotics (SGA) are multi-target agents widely used for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder that also hold potential for the treatment of impaired emotional control, thanks to their diverse receptor profiles as well as their potential in modulating neuroadaptive changes in key brain regions. The aim of this study was thus to establish the ability of lurasidone, a novel SGA characterized by a multi-receptor signature, to modulate behavioural and molecular defects associated with a genetic model of impaired emotional control, namely serotonin transporter knockout (SERT KO) rats. At behavioural level, we found that chronic lurasidone treatment significantly increased fear extinction in SERT KO rats, but not in wild-type control animals. Moreover, at molecular level, lurasidone was able to normalize the reduced expression of the neurotrophin brain-derived neurotrophic factor in the prefrontal cortex of SERT KO rats, an effect that occurred through the regulation of specific neurotrophin transcripts (primarily exon VI). Furthermore, chronic lurasidone treatment was also able to restore the reduced expression of different GABAergic markers that is present in these animals. Our results show that lurasidone can improve emotional control in SERT KO rats, with a primary impact on the prefrontal cortex. The adaptive changes set in motion by repeated treatment with lurasidone may in fact contribute to the amelioration of functional capacities, closely associated with neuronal plasticity, which are deteriorated in patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disease and major depression.
A graphene composed of pentagons and octagons
Authors: Tang Chi-Pui , Xiong Shi-Jie
Published: November 2012

We report a possible stable structure of graphene on basis of the first principle calculation. This possible two-dimensional (2D) structure consists of pentagons and octagons (PO), and likely be formed from ordinary graphene by periodically inserting specific defects. Its density is 2.78 Atom/Å2 and the cohesive energy per atom is −8.96 eV, slightly higher than that of graphene. The calculation indicates that PO-graphene behaves like a 2D anisotropic metal. The dispersion relation of electrons near the Fermi surface shows a significant flat segment along a direction and linear behavior in different regions of the Brillouin zone. If the growth of samples is successful, the PO-graphene not only be used as anisotropy conductor and other practical application, but also can be served as a good sample for experiments which need 2D anisotropic materials.
Evidence for a midlife crisis in great apes consistent with the U-shape in human well-being
Authors: Weiss Alexander , King James E. , Inoue-Murayama Miho , Matsuzawa Tetsuro , Oswald Andrew J.
Published: November 2012

Recently, economists and behavioral scientists have studied the pattern of human well-being over the lifespan. In dozens of countries, and for a large range of well-being measures, including happiness and mental health, well-being is high in youth, falls to a nadir in midlife, and rises again in old age. The reasons for this U-shape are still unclear. Present theories emphasize sociological and economic forces. In this study we show that a similar U-shape exists in 508 great apes (two samples of chimpanzees and one sample of orangutans) whose well-being was assessed by raters familiar with the individual apes. This U-shaped pattern or “midlife crisis” emerges with or without use of parametric methods. Our results imply that human well-being’s curved shape is not uniquely human and that, although it may be partly explained by aspects of human life and society, its origins may lie partly in the biology we share with great apes. These findings have implications across scientific and social-scientific disciplines, and may help to identify ways of enhancing human and ape well-being.
Proprioception of the body politic: "Translation as phantom limb" revisited
Authors: Robinson Douglas
Published: November 2012

Revising the author's 1996 argument in "Translation as Phantom Limb," the article argues that the proprioceptive system, a proprioception of the body politic, which controls the phantom limb phenomenon, has a collective extension that organizes group behavior--and that translation is in essence an extremely complex social activity involving the alignment of two collective proprioceptive systems (source-cultural and target-cultural) in order to produce a single text. Through close readings of Viktor Shklovsky's essays on estrangement, the author shows that postcolonial translation theories from the early nineties, like those offered by Venuti, Niranjana, and Cheyfitz, are essentially talking about the enlivening effect temporal and cultural estrangement can have on the readers of a translation. A version of this article was delivered at the 2006 ATA Conference in New Orleans as the Marilyn Gaddis Rose Lecture.
Infection Prevention Considerations Related to New Delhi Metallo-β-Lactamase Enterobacteriaceae A Case Report
Authors: Gopinath Ramya , Savard Patrice , Carroll Karen C. , Wilson Lucy E. , Landrum B. Mark , Perl Trish M.
Published: November 2012

A 60-year-old American man who was hospitalized in India for 4 weeks after an intracranial bleed was transferred by air ambulance to a 249-bed community hospital in Maryland in January 2011. His clinical course is described elsewhere. Here, we describe the infection prevention considerations surrounding his care in the hospital. A sputum sample obtained from the patient grew a New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase-producing (NDM) Klebsiella pneumoniae (NDM-KP) strain and panresistant Acinetobacter species, among other pathogens. Two weeks later, a perirectal swab sample grew an NDM-1 Salmonella Senftenberg (NDM-SS) isolate, described elsewhere. Gut decolonization was attempted with rifaximin 300 mg every 12 hours for 12 days. The patient was discharged home 4.5 months later. He was readmitted to the hospital within 1 week and died shortly thereafter.

In recognition of his epidemiological risk factors, empiric contact isolation was instituted by the infectious disease physician who was consulted when the patient experienced a fever 24 hours after hospital admission. Once the NDM-KP strain was identified, a 1:1 nursing protocol was instituted for the patient; respiratory therapists, however, continued to care for other Patients. The patient's nurses were empowered to enforce strict contact isolation. Visitors were restricted to the patient's immediate family members. The hospital implemented an intensive education and communication program for the professional staff, nurses, respiratory therapists, ancillary personnel, and the patient's family.
Oral Administration of Polymer Hyaluronic Acid Alleviates Symptoms of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study over a 12-Month Period
Authors: Tashiro Toshiyuki , Seino Satoshi , Sato Toshihide , Matsuoka Ryosuke , Masuda Yasunobu , Fukui Naoshi
Published: November 2012

This study was conducted to investigate the efficacy of oral hyaluronic acid (HA) administration for osteoarthritis (OA) in knee joints. Sixty osteoarthritic subjects (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2 or 3) were randomly assigned to the HA or placebo group. The subjects in the HA group were given 200 mg of HA once a day everyday for 12 months, while the subjects in the placebo group were given placebo. The subjects in both groups were requested to conduct quadriceps strengthening exercise everyday as part of the treatment. The subjects’ symptoms were evaluated by the Japanese Knee Osteoarthritis Measure (JKOM) score. The symptoms of the subjects as determined by the JKOM score improved with time in both the HA and placebo groups. This improvement tended to be more obvious with the HA group, and this trend was more obvious with the subjects aged 70 years or less. For these relatively younger subjects, the JKOM score was significantly better than the one for the placebo group at the 2nd and 4th months after the initiation of administration. Oral administration of HA may improve the symptoms of knee OA in patients aged 70 years or younger when combined with the quadriceps strengthening exercise.
Neural correlates of the encoding of multimodal contextual features
Authors: Gottlieb Lauren J. , Wong Jenny , de Chastelaine Marianne , Rugg Michael D.
Published: November 2012

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was employed to identify neural regions engaged during the encoding of contextual features belonging to different modalities. Subjects studied objects that were presented to the left or right of fixation. Each object was paired with its name, spoken in either a male or a female voice. The test requirement was to discriminate studied from unstudied pictures and, for each picture judged old, to retrieve its study location and the gender of the voice that spoke its name. Study trials associated with accurate rather than inaccurate location memory demonstrated enhanced activity in the fusiform and parahippocampal cortex and the hippocampus and reduced activity (a negative subsequent memory effect) in the medial occipital cortex. Successful encoding of voice information was associated with enhanced study activity in the right middle superior temporal sulcus and activity reduction in the right superior frontal cortex. These findings support the proposal that encoding of a contextual feature is associated with enhanced activity in regions engaged during its online processing. In addition, they indicate that negative subsequent memory effects can also demonstrate feature-selectivity. Relative to other classes of study trials, trials for which both contextual features were later retrieved demonstrated enhanced activity in the lateral occipital complex and reduced activity in the temporo-parietal junction. These findings suggest that multifeatural encoding was facilitated when the study item was processed efficiently and study processing was not interrupted by redirection of attention toward extraneous events.
Modelling biofilm‐induced formation damage and biocide treatment in subsurface geosystems
Authors: Ezeuko C. C. , Sen A. , Gates I. D.
Published: November 2012

Biofilm growth in subsurface porous media, and its treatment with biocides (antimicrobial agents), involves a complex interaction of biogeochemical processes which provide non‐trivial mathematical modelling challenges. Although there are literature reports of mathematical models to evaluate biofilm tolerance to biocides, none of these models have investigated biocide treatment of biofilms growing in interconnected porous media with flow. In this paper, we present a numerical investigation using a pore network model of biofilm growth, formation damage and biocide treatment. The model includes three phases (aqueous, adsorbed biofilm, and solid matrix), a single growth‐limiting nutrient and a single biocide dissolved in the water. Biofilm is assumed to contain a single species of microbe, in which each cell can be a viable persister, a viable non‐persister, or non‐viable (dead). Persisters describe small subpopulation of cells which are tolerant to biocide treatment. Biofilm tolerance to biocide treatment is regulated by persister cells and includes ‘innate’ and ‘biocide‐induced’ factors. Simulations demonstrate that biofilm tolerance to biocides can increase with biofilm maturity, and that biocide treatment alone does not reverse biofilm‐induced formation damage. Also, a successful application of biological permeability conformance treatment involving geologic layers with flow communication is more complicated than simply engineering the attachment of biofilm‐forming cells at desired sites.
Contrast recognizability during brilliant blue G – and heavier‐than‐water brilliant blue G–assisted chromovitrectomy: a quantitative analysis
Authors: Henrich Paul B. , Valmaggia Christophe , Lang Corina , Priglinger Siegfried G. , Haritoglou Christos , Strauss Rupert W. , Cattin Philippe C.
Published: November 2012

Purpose:  To evaluate the potential of heavier‐than‐water brilliant blue G (BBG‐D20) to stain the internal limiting membrane (ILM) during chromovitrectomy.

Methods:  In a nonrandomized, prospective, clinical multicentre study, 71 consecutive chromovitrectomy interventions in 71 patients were analysed. During routine 23‐gauge vitrectomy, conventional 0.25 mg/ml BBG was employed in 21 and 0.25 mg/ml BBG‐D20 in 50 patients. All interventions were videotaped. Post‐operatively, video frames were viewed and dye performance assessed subjectively and objectively. Main outcome measure was the chromaticity difference between the stained ILM and the unstained underlying retina, measured by means of an objective and quantitative analysis method to describe colour contrast strengths as they are perceived by the human eye.

Results:  Removal of the ILM was possible in all interventions without additional vital dyes. BBG‐D20 readily sank to the retinal surface, while conventional BBG tended to swirl up throughout the vitreous cavity. Conventional BBG was removed either with active suction or with a flute needle. Brilliant blue G‐D20 needed to be whirled up from the retinal surface with a flute needle before aspiration. Objective chromaticity measurements yielded a mean chromaticity score of 7.98 for BBG‐D20 and 6.51 for BBG (p = 0.09).

Conclusions:  Brilliant blue G‐D20 readily sinks to the retinal surface after injection and can be conveniently removed with a flute needle or active suction during chromovitrectomy. Based on the premises of the chromaticity measurements in this study, BBG’s ILM staining capacity was not significantly improved through the recent revision its preparation, although a tendency towards slightly improved contrasts between the ILM and the underlying retina was observed.
Visual fatigue and discomfort after stereoscopic display viewing
Authors: Zhang Li , Zhang Ya‐Qin , Zhang Jing‐Shang , Xu Liang , Jonas Jost B.
Published: November 2012

Purpose:  Different types of stereoscopic video displays have recently been introduced. We measured and compared visual fatigue and visual discomfort induced by viewing two different stereoscopic displays that either used the pattern retarder‐spatial domain technology with linearly polarized three‐dimensional technology or the circularly polarized three‐dimensional technology using shutter glasses.

Methods:  During this observational cross‐over study performed at two subsequent days, a video was watched by 30 subjects (age: 20–30 years). Half of the participants watched the screen with a pattern retard three‐dimensional display at the first day and a shutter glasses three‐dimensional display at the second day, and reverse. The study participants underwent a standardized interview on visual discomfort and fatigue, and a series of functional examinations prior to, and shortly after viewing the movie. Additionally, a subjective score for visual fatigue was given.

Results:  Accommodative magnitude (right eye: p < 0.001; left eye: p = 0.01), accommodative facility (p = 0.008), near‐point convergence break‐up point (p = 0.007), near‐point convergence recover point (p = 0.001), negative (p = 0.03) and positive (p = 0.001) relative accommodation were significantly smaller, and the visual fatigue score was significantly higher (1.65 ± 1.18 versus 1.20 ± 1.03; p = 0.02) after viewing the shutter glasses three‐dimensional display than after viewing the pattern retard three‐dimensional display.

Conclusions:  Stereoscopic viewing using pattern retard (polarized) three‐dimensional displays as compared with stereoscopic viewing using shutter glasses three‐dimensional displays resulted in significantly less visual fatigue as assessed subjectively, parallel to significantly better values of accommodation and convergence as measured objectively.
Bifid choroid plexus: Always a normal fetal brain structure variant?
Authors: Centini Giovanni , Imperatore Alberto , Morelli Michele , Rosignoli Lucia , Passamonti Ubaldo , Caprioli Francesco , Lituania Mario
Published: November 2012

Choroid plexus, a fetal organ developing approximately from the sixth week of gestation, plays a fundamental role in developing fetal brain organization. As relatively little is known about the relationship between anomalies of choroid plexuses structure and their role in brain function, we examined cases of bifid choroid plexus (BCP) and discussed their potential association with lateral ventriculomegaly, other abnormal ultrasound findings, and their potential role as markers of fetal chromosomal abnormalities. In the present study, we described 23 cases of fetalBCPfound in 2145 routine second trimester ultrasounds. For each patient 2Dand 3Dultrasound volumes were acquired.BCPwas defined as a choroid plexus whose body was divided into two portions (arms) differently located and oriented on the three spatial axes in correspondence to the lateral ventricle, in one or both sides. The entity of the separation and reciprocal orientation of the two arms was examined. The presence ofBCPin a low‐risk population of pregnant women undergoing routine second trimester ultrasound was showed. Lateral ventricles significantly increased in the presence ofBCP. Malformations were found in four of 23 fetuses withBCP. Pregnancy outcome was favorable only in one of these four cases. We suggest that in the presence of mono or bilateralBCPwithout associated abnormal ultrasound findings, a closer look at fetal brain or extra‐cranial structures is recommended. If no related abnormalities are found, serial prenatal and postnatal sonographic follow‐up should be considered. In the presence of concomitant abnormal findings, genetic counseling, fetal karyotyping and magnetic resonance imaging, if possible by gestational age, are strongly advised.
Impact of Preserved Myocardial Contractile Function in the Segments Attached to the Papillary Muscles on Reduction in Functional Mitral Regurgitation
Authors: Tatsumi Kazuhiro , Tanaka Hidekazu , Kataoka Toshiya , Norisada Kazuko , Onishi Tetsuari , Kawai Hiroya , Hirata Ken‐ichi
Published: November 2012

Background: Effectiveness of functional mitral regurgitation (FMR) in heart failure patients is of growing importance for patient prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether regional myocardial contractile function as assessed by tissue Doppler strain rate imaging can predict reduction in FMR caused by dobutamine. Methods: Fifty‐one patients with depressed left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction (32 ± 9%) secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy and FMR underwent evaluation of effective regurgitant orifice (ERO) of FMR, mitral valve deformation, global LV remodeling, and regional myocardial contractile function assessed by longitudinal peak systolic strain rate (Ssr) in 6 mid‐LV segments from standard apical views. We also determined the average Ssr of segments attached to the papillary muscles, that is, the inferior, inferolateral, and anterolateral segments (PM segments Ssr). Low‐dose (10 μg/kg per minute) dobutamine‐induced reduction in ERO was compared with baseline variables. Results: Baseline valve tenting was associated with dobutamine‐induced reduction in ERO (r = −0.30, P < 0.05). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that baseline valve tenting, LV sphericity index, inferior Ssr, inferolateral Ssr, and PM segments Ssr were predictors of dobutamine‐induced ≥30% reduction in ERO. Importantly, only PM segments Ssr predicted dobutamine‐induced ≥20% reduction in valve tenting with area under the curve of 0.67 (P < 0.05). Conclusions: Preserved myocardial contractile function in the segments attached to the PMs was associated with dobutamine‐induced reduction in mitral valve tenting and FMR, suggesting that our findings are important for improvement in cardiac function and FMR with medical treatment.
Maternal Care and Infanticide by Males in Helvibis longicauda (Araneae: Theridiidae)
Authors: Gonzaga Marcelo O. , Leiner Natália O.
Published: November 2012

Maternal care in spiders varies from just the construction of a protective silken structure for the eggs and the selection of a safe site to place them, to a long period of association between the mother and spiderlings. Such extended care may involve the active protection from predators and parasitoids, food regurgitation, the production of trophic eggs and even matriphagy. In this study, we describe extended maternal care in Helvibis longicauda (Theridiidae) and evaluate the effectiveness of maternal protection against predators of eggs and spiderlings. We conducted experiments comparing the frequency of egg sac destruction and mortality of spiderlings in the presence and absence of mothers. We also observed the behaviour of the mother and spiderlings during prey capture events and interactions with possible predators. Helvibis longicauda females guard their egg sacs until the emergence of the young and guard the spiderlings for several instar stages, fighting possible predators, including conspecifics. We found that aggressive behaviour by females increased the survival of both eggs and spiderlings in our experiments. Intruder males were the main source of mortality in the absence of females. The benefits of maternal care for the young also include the acquisition of prey items that are captured, immobilized and pre‐digested by the mother. Effective maternal protection and the extended period of supplying food to juveniles probably contribute to the late dispersal of offspring in H. longicauda.
Choice architecture as a means to change eating behaviour in self‐service settings: a systematic review
Authors: Skov L. R. , Lourenço S. , Hansen G. L. , Mikkelsen B. E. , Schofield C.
Published: November 2012

The primary objective of this review was to investigate the current evidence base for the use of choice architecture as a means to change eating behaviour in self‐service eating settings, hence potentially reduce calorie intake. Twelve databases were searched systematically for experimental studies with predefined choice architecture interventions in the period of June 2011–March 2012. The 12 included studies were grouped according to type of interventions and underwent a narrative synthesis. The evidence indicates that (i) health labelling at point of purchase is associated with healthier food choice, while (ii) manipulating the plate and cutlery size has an inconclusive effect on consumption volume. Finally, (iii) assortment manipulation and (iv) payment option manipulation was associated with healthier food choices. The majority of studies were of very weak quality and future research should emphasize a real‐life setting and compare their results with the effect of other more well‐established interventions on food behaviour in self‐service eating settings.
Cutaneous tumor cell load correlates with survival in patients with Sézary syndrome
Authors: Booken Nina , Nicolay Jan Peter , Weiss Christel , Klemke Claus‐Detlev
Published: November 2012

Background: Sézary syndrome (SS) is defined by the triad of erythroderma, generalized lymphadenopathy and more than 1 000 circulating Sézary cells/μl in the peripheral blood.

Patients and Methods: We screened the cutaneous lymphoma registry of our department for SS patients to identify clinical features of SS besides the defining criteria and to correlate them with disease survival.

Results: 24 SS patients were analyzed retrospectively. The mean age was 65 years with 62 % male patients. The median follow‐up time was 32.5 months with an estimated 5‐year overall survival rate of 76 %. All patients complained about itching and presented with palmoplantar keratoderma. 62.5 % had nail involvement, 21 % alopecia, 12.5 % ectropion, 4 % prurigo nodularis, 8 % localized and 8 % generalized skin tumors, including leonine facies. In addition, 33 % had infections and also 33 % had venous thromboembolism. We identified cutaneous tumor cell load as a significant prognostic marker for SS. None of the other parameters were associated with disease specific survival.

Conclusions: Clinically SS is characterized by various presentations beyond erythroderma. The cutaneous tumor cell load in SS is strongly associated with outcome and survival. We demonstrate a high risk for venous thromboembolism in SS patients who might benefit from anti‐coagulation therapies.
Workplace industrial relations in a developing environment: barriers to renewal within unions in Malaysia
Authors: Kumar Naresh , Martinez Lucio Miguel , Rose Raduan Che
Published: November 2012

In this paper we examine the views of employees from unionized companies and trade union leaders on the barriers to trade union activities in Malaysia through reference to survey data. These barriers are political, social and economic. The system of Malaysian industrial relations is not necessarily anti‐union – in theory – but the article points to a range of structural barriers and challenges facing unions. However, the evidence presented also shows that there are major gaps and barriers within trade unions in terms of strategic renewal and organizational change. There are also major issues of union visibility within the workplace and the community. These are partly explained by the lack of systematic support offered by the legal system and employer; yet, there is a real perception gap as far as workers are concerned. Notably, the trade unions have little influence in decision‐making processes across a range of human resource management practices and workplace issues. In addition, there are indications that trade unions have not really thought about or developed direct and more imaginative forms of communication in relation to the changing nature of the workforce and the economic context. As a result, internal barriers to change have been shaped by external ones, and this must be considered in any debate on Malaysian industrial relations.
Liquidity Crises and Corporate Cash Holdings in Chile
Authors: Álvarez Roberto , Sagner Andrés , Valdivia Carla
Published: November 2012

This paper addresses the heterogonous effects of adverse liquidity shocks on corporate cash holdings in an emerging market. We use a large panel dataset with quarterly financial information for Chilean firms during the period 1996–2009. We find three main results. First, liquidity crises have had a negative and economically significant effect on cash holdings, but mainly for small firms; medium‐sized and large firms have not been affected by liquidity crises. Second, liquidity crises reduce the ability of firms to adjust to optimal cash holdings. Finally, medium‐sized firms are less able to adjust cash holdings compared to small and large firms.
Epilepsy in Bolivian Black‐capped squirrel monkeys Saimiri boliviensis at ZSL London Zoo: management and implications for captive‐breeding programme
Authors: Feltrer Y. , Strike T. , Flach E. , Routh A.
Published: November 2012

Squirrel monkeys (genus Saimiri) are species commonly kept in captivity in zoological collections. Fainting related to hypoglycaemia has been reported, and fits/seizures have also been observed relatively frequently in captive squirrel monkeys. However, as far as the authors are aware, there are no published reports of epilepsy in squirrel monkeys. Here we describe several cases of idiopathic epilepsy affecting related ♂ Bolivian Black‐capped squirrel monkeys Saimiri boliviensis at ZSL London Zoo, the management of the cases and the possible implications for the captive‐breeding programme.