bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Surveillance during an era of rapidly changing poliovirus epidemiology in India: the role of one vs. two stool specimens in poliovirus detection, 2000–2010
Authors: CARDEMIL C. V. , RATHEE M. , GARY H. , WANNEMUEHLER K. , ANAND A. , MACH O. , BAHL S. , WASSILAK S. , CHU S.Y. , KHERA A. , JAFARI H. S. , PALLANSCH M. A.
Published: April 2013

Since 2004, efforts to improve poliovirus detection have significantly increased the volume of specimen testing from acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) patients in India. One option to decrease collection and testing burden would be collecting only a single stool specimen instead of two. We investigated stool specimen sensitivity for poliovirus detection in India to estimate the contribution of the second specimen. We reviewed poliovirus isolation data for 303984 children aged <15 years with AFP during 2000–2010. Using maximum-likelihood estimation, we determined specimen sensitivity of each stool specimen, combined sensitivity of both specimens, and sensitivity added by the second specimen. Of 5184 AFP patients with poliovirus isolates, 382 (7·4%) were identified only by the second specimen. Sensitivity was 91·4% for the first specimen and 84·5% for the second specimen; the second specimen added 7·3% sensitivity, giving a combined sensitivity of 98·7%. Combined sensitivity declined, and added sensitivity increased, as the time from paralysis onset to stool collection increased (P = 0·032). The sensitivity added by the second specimen is important to detect the last chains of poliovirus transmission and to achieve certification of polio eradication. For sensitive surveillance, two stool specimens should continue to be collected from each AFP patient in India.
Professor J. H. Burns (1921–2012)
Authors: ROSEN FREDERICK
Published: April 2013

James Henderson ‘Jimmy’ Burns was the founding editor of The Collected Works of Jeremy Bentham (1968–) and an outstanding historian of medieval and modern political thought. In this brief tribute I hope to emphasize, first, his contribution to the revival of interest in utilitarianism as a field of study, and, second, his reassessment of Bentham's ideas in the context of the British and French Enlightenment.
Classification of blow-up for Hele-Shaw flow solutions driven by suction
Authors: LIN YU-LIN
Published: April 2013

In this paper, we consider rational or multi-cut solutions to Hele-Shaw flow driven by suction. A lower bound of the distance between the moving boundary and the suction point is given and this lower bound enables us to find necessary conditions for rational or multi-cut solutions to blow up due to the boundary touching the sink.
Ruptured aneurysm of the right coronary sinus of Valsalva in a child with Down syndrome
Authors: Lahrouchi Najim , Rammeloo Lukas A. J. , Koolbergen David R. , Hruda Jaroslav
Published: April 2013

Aneurysms of one of the aortic sinuses of Valsalva are rare congenital or acquired lesions. Here we present the case of an adolescent with Down syndrome with ruptured aneurysm of the right coronary sinus into the right atrium. All sinuses of Valsalva were normal during cardiological screening owing to Down syndrome at the age of 2 weeks. Paediatricians should have a low threshold for referring patients with Down syndrome for cardiac re-evaluation because of the new onset of cardiac symptoms or cardiac physical findings, even in the situation in which there are normal echocardiographic findings in the past.
Milestoning with coarse memory
Authors: Hawk Alexander T.
Published: April 2013

Milestoning is a method used to calculate the kinetics of molecular processes occurring on timescales inaccessible to traditional molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. In the method, the phase space of the system is partitioned by milestones (hypersurfaces), trajectories are initialized on each milestone, and short MD simulations are performed to calculate transitions between neighboring milestones. Long trajectories of the system are then reconstructed with a semi-Markov process from the observed statistics of transition. The procedure is typically justified by the assumption that trajectories lose memory between crossing successive milestones. Here we present Milestoning with Coarse Memory (MCM), a generalization of Milestoning that relaxes the memory loss assumption of conventional Milestoning. In the method, milestones are defined and sample transitions are calculated in the standard Milestoning way. Then, after it is clear where trajectories sample milestones, the milestones are broken up into distinct neighborhoods (clusters), and each sample transition is associated with two clusters: the cluster containing the coordinates the trajectory was initialized in, and the cluster (on the terminal milestone) containing trajectory's final coordinates. Long trajectories of the system are then reconstructed with a semi-Markov process in an extended state space built from milestone and cluster indices. To test the method, we apply it to a process that is particularly ill suited for Milestoning: the dynamics of a polymer confined to a narrow cylinder. We show that Milestoning calculations of both the mean first passage time and the mean transit time of reversal—which occurs when the end-to-end vector reverses direction—are significantly improved when MCM is applied. Finally, we note the overhead of performing MCM on top of conventional Milestoning is negligible.
Transient photoresponse in amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin films under stretched exponential analysis
Authors: Luo Jiajun , Adler Alexander U. , Mason Thomas O. , Bruce Buchholz D. , Chang R. P. H. , Grayson M.
Published: April 2013

We investigated transient photoresponse and Hall effect in amorphous In-Ga-Zn-O thin films and observed a stretched exponential response which allows characterization of the activation energy spectrum with only three fit parameters. Measurements of as-grown films and 350 K annealed films were conducted at room temperature by recording conductivity, carrier density, and mobility over day-long time scales, both under illumination and in the dark. Hall measurements verify approximately constant mobility, even as the photoinduced carrier density changes by orders of magnitude. The transient photoconductivity data fit well to a stretched exponential during both illumination and dark relaxation, but with slower response in the dark. The inverse Laplace transforms of these stretched exponentials yield the density of activation energies responsible for transient photoconductivity. An empirical equation is introduced, which determines the linewidth of the activation energy band from the stretched exponential parameter β. Dry annealing at 350 K is observed to slow the transient photoresponse.
Simulated vibrational sum frequency generation from a multilayer thin film system with two active interfaces
Authors: O'Brien Daniel B. , Massari Aaron M.
Published: April 2013

In the field of surface-specific vibrational sum frequency generation spectroscopy (VSFG) on organic thin films, optical interferences combined with the two-interface problem presents a challenge in terms of qualitative assessment of the data and quantitative modeling. The difficulty is amplified when considering systems comprised of more than a single material thin film layer. Recently, in our lab we have developed a generalized model that describes thin film interference in interface-specific nonlinear optical spectroscopies from arbitrary multilayer systems. Here, we apply the model to simulate VSFG spectra from the simplest multilayer: a system of two thin films, one of which is an organic small molecule and the other is a dielectric layer on a semiconductor substrate system where we idealize that the organic interfaces are equally VSFG active. Specifically, we consider the molecule N,N′-dioctyl-3,4,9,10-perylenedicarboximide (PTCDI-C8) deposited on a silicon wafer with a thermally grown oxide dielectric. We present results for the four polarization experiments that sample the nonzero nonlinear susceptibility elements of macroscopically centrosymmetric materials (ssp, sps, pss, and ppp) and in two mIR frequency windows (the imide carbonyl stretches around 1680 cm−1 and the alkyl stretches around 2900 cm−1) as a function of both thin film thicknesses with fixed input beam angles. We use frequency dependent refractive indices for all materials. The goal is to illustrate some of the intricacies contained in the intensity data of such systems. Of particular interest is the effect of the relative polar orientation of modes at the interfaces and the possibility of designing a system where the collected signal is exclusively attributable to a single interface. Our calculations indicate that in order to unambiguously identify the relative polar orientation one must experimentally vary an additional system parameter such as thin film thickness or input beam angle and for quantitative modeling one cannot ignore either interfacial contribution. The results show that proper modeling of thin film interference effects is essential for accurate data analysis and should include the frequency dependent refractive indices, especially for modes with larger mIR absorption cross sections, even when absorptive losses are small.
Lattice strain of hydrogen-implanted silicon: Correlation between X-ray scattering analysis and ab-initio simulations
Authors: Rieutord F. , Mazen F. , Reboh S. , Penot J. D. , Bilteanu L. , Crocombette J. P. , Vales V. , Holy V. , Capello L.
Published: April 2013

Hydrogen implanted silicon has been studied using high resolution X-ray scattering. Strain induced by implantation has been measured as a function of implantation dose. The dependence of strain with implanted dose shows different regimes starting from linear to quadratic and saturation. The observed strain is consistent with ab-initio and elasticity calculations. Strain rate changes can be associated to the predominant location of hydrogen in bond center location.
A continuum model for the static pull-in behavior of graphene nanoribbon electrostatic actuators with interlayer shear and surface energy effects
Authors: Rokni Hossein , Lu Wei
Published: April 2013

Based on multi-beam shear model theory, a continuum mechanics model is developed to investigate the pull-in instability of wedged/curved multilayer graphene nanoribbon (MLGNR) cantilever nanobeams subjected to electrostatic and Casimir forces. The first-order fringing-field correction, the interlayer shear between neighboring graphene nanoribbons (GNRs), surface elasticity, and residual surface tension are incorporated into the analytical model. An explicit closed-form analytical solution to the governing fourth-order nonlinear differential equation of variable coefficients is introduced for the static pull-in behavior of electrostatic nanoactuators using a Fredholm integral equation of the first kind. A comparison study for a [001] silver electrostatic nanoactuator indicates that the proposed analytical closed-form solution yields an improved accuracy over other analytical and numerical methods existing in literature. The results indicate that the interfacial slip between GNRs and the surface material parameters play a significant role in static pull-in behavior of MLGNR electrostatic nanoactuators. From the experimental data and atomistic simulations available in the literature, the value of interlayer shear modulus at the graphene/graphene interface is estimated to be in the order of magnitude of 10−1 GPa. The continuum model proposed in this study will be helpful for characterizing the mechanical properties of GNRs and the design of graphene-based nanoelectromechanical system devices.
Multistate reweighting and configuration mapping together accelerate the efficiency of thermodynamic calculations as a function of molecular geometry by orders of magnitude
Authors: Paliwal Himanshu , Shirts Michael R.
Published: April 2013

We present an approach to calculate free energy and other thermodynamic property differences between molecules which have very little or no overlap in configuration space, but where a one-to-one mapping between the molecule geometries exists. The approach combines multistate reweighting with remapping of phase space between simulated states. We apply this method to calculate the free energy differences between non-overlapping, truncated harmonic oscillators, the free energy, enthalpy, and entropy differences between different parameterizations of rigid water, and differences in free energy of solvation between dipoles of different lengths. Previously difficult or impossible problems become either trivially easy or are improved in efficiency by two to five orders of magnitude.
Binary colloidal mixtures in a potential barrier: Demixing due to depletion
Authors: Kumar A. V. Anil
Published: April 2013

Depletion interaction between an infinite repulsive potential and larger species in a binary mixture is known to arise when the binary mixture is confined by hard or soft repulsive balls. We report that such depletion interactions can arise even if the binary mixture is subjected to a finite potential barrier. This leads to an increased number density of large particles in the region of potential barrier and subsequently to a microstructural domain formation. We investigate the effect of relative volume fraction of the components, height and width of the potential barrier, total volume fraction of the particles, and the size ratio of the particles on this microstructural transition.
Energy barrier versus switching field for patterned Co80Pt20 alloy and Co/Pt multilayer films
Authors: de Vries Jeroen , Bolhuis Thijs , Abelmann Leon
Published: April 2013

Two Co/Pt multilayer samples have been fabricated with a difference in the number of bilayers, leading to a total magnetic layer thickness of 3 nm and 20 nm. From these films, large arrays of magnetic islands have been patterned using laser interference lithography and ion beam etching. We have investigated the switching field distribution (SFD) of approximately 80 islands and thermal switching field distribution SFDT of individual islands of both samples using the anomalous Hall effect. We compare the results of these measurements with the (SFDT) of a previously investigated alloy with a magnetic layer thickness of 20 nm by comparing the results of over 1000 hysteresis loops of a single weak island and a single strong island. We found that that the energy barrier for the multilayer islands increases with increasing switching field, whereas it was previously found that the energy barrier for the alloy stays constant with varying switching fields. When comparing the two multilayer samples, we observe that the grain size, anisotropy, and switching field distribution are more or less independent on thickness, whereas the switching field at both 0 K and 300 K decreases with film thickness.
Metastable fcc-Fe film epitaxially grown on Cu(100) single-crystal underlayer
Authors: Ohtake Mitsuru , Shimamoto Kohei , Futamoto Masaaki
Published: April 2013

Fe film of 40 nm thickness is prepared on fcc-Cu(100) single-crystal underlayer at room temperature by ultra-high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The film growth and the detailed structure are investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, cross-sectional high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and x-ray diffraction (XRD). An Fe single-crystal with metastable fcc structure nucleates on the underlayer. The HR-TEM shows that fcc lattice is formed from the Fe/Cu interface up to the film surface. A large number of misfit dislocations are introduced around the Fe/Cu interface due to an accommodation of lattice mismatch. Dislocations exist up to the film near surface. The lattice constant is estimated by XRD to be a = 0.3607 nm. The film shows a ferromagnetic property, which reflects the property of fcc-Fe crystal with high-spin ferromagnetic state.
Large negative differential resistance and rectifying behaviors in isolated thiophene nanowire devices
Authors: Zu Feng-Xia , Liu Zu-Li , Yao Kai-Lun , Fu Hua-Hua , Gao Guo-Ying , Yao Wei
Published: April 2013

We design isolated molecular nanowires composed of thiophene oligomers sandwiched between two one-dimensional gold electrodes. Electronic transport through the molecular junctions with two interface geometries is studied by performing the first principles calculations based on density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's function. The current–voltage (I–V) curves of the molecular wires display an unexpected negative differential resistance and rectifying behaviors along with the oscillation effects, different from other theoretical and experimental studies about the analogous thiophene devices. The significant difference is attributed to the design of the one-dimensional gold electrodes with large enough vacuum layer in transverse direction in order to suppress the interaction between wires. Such transport behaviors indicate that the thiophene molecular device would be an important candidate in future molecular electronics.
The source-sample stage of the new two-dimensional angular correlation of annihilation radiation spectrometer at Technische Universität München
Authors: Ceeh Hubert , Weber Josef Andreas , Leitner Michael , Böni Peter , Hugenschmidt Christoph
Published: April 2013

Angular correlation of annihilation radiation (ACAR) is a well established technique for the investigation of the electronic structure. A major limitation of ACAR studies is the available positron flux at a small spot on the sample. For this reason, the focus of this work is put on the discussion of a newly developed source-sample stage of the new 2D-ACAR spectrometer at Technische Universität München which uses an optimized static magnetic field configuration to guide the positrons onto the sample. The achieved spot diameter is dFWHM = 5.4 mm, with a high efficiency over the whole energy spectrum of the 22Na positron source. The implications of the performance of the source-sample stage are discussed with regard to 2D-ACAR measurements of single crystalline α-quartz, which serves as a model system for the determination of the total resolution. A value of (1.53 × 1.64) mrad2 FWHM was achieved at room temperature.
Hierarchically structured surfaces for boiling critical heat flux enhancement
Authors: Chu Kuang-Han , Soo Joung Young , Enright Ryan , Buie Cullen R. , Wang Evelyn N.
Published: April 2013

We report large enhancements in critical heat flux (CHF) on hierarchically structured surfaces, fabricated using electrophoretic deposition of silica nanoparticles on microstructured silicon and electroplated copper microstructures covered with copper oxide (CuO) nanostructures. A critical heat flux of ≈250 W/cm2 was achieved on a CuO hierarchical surface with a roughness factor of 13.3, and good agreement between the model proposed in our recent study and the current data was found. These results highlight the important role of roughness using structures at multiple length scales for CHF enhancement. This high heat removal capability promises an opportunity for high flux thermal management.
Langmuir probe analysis of highly electronegative plasmas
Authors: Bredin Jerome , Chabert Pascal , Aanesland Ane
Published: April 2013

A Langmuir probe analysis of highly electronegative plasmas is proposed. Analytical models are used to fit the IV-characteristics and their second derivatives above and below the plasma potential. Ion and electron densities are obtained for α (negative ion to electron density ratio) up to 3000, and the temperature of negative and positive ions is obtained for α ranging from 100 to 3000. The transport across a localized magnetic barrier is studied using this technique. It is shown that an ion-ion (electron free) plasma is formed downstream from the barrier at the highest magnetic field.
Surface states and carrier transport properties at semipolar (11–22) n-type GaN planes
Authors: Jung Sungmin , Lee Sung-Nam , Kim Hyunsoo
Published: April 2013

The surface states and carrier transport properties at semipolar (11–22) n-type GaN surfaces were investigated using Schottky diodes fabricated with various metals including Cu, Pd, and Pt. Thermionic field emission theory applied to the forward current-voltage curves yielded the relatively low S-parameter of 0.26, resulting in a density of surface states as high as 3.2 × 1013 states/cm2/eV and a large bare surface barrier height of 1.57 eV, which are associated with pinning of the Fermi level at the semipolar n-GaN surfaces.
Strongly localized magnetization modes in permalloy antidot lattices
Authors: Sklenar J. , Bhat V. S. , DeLong L. E. , Heinonen O. , Ketterson J. B.
Published: April 2013

Antidot lattices (ADLs) patterned into soft magnetic thin films exhibit rich ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectra corresponding to many different magnetization modes. One of the predicted modes is highly localized at the edges of the antidots; this mode is difficult to detect experimentally. Here we present FMR data for a permalloy thin film patterned into a square array of square antidots. Comparison of these data with micromagnetic simulations permits identification of several edge modes. Our simulations also reveal the effect of the antidot shape on the mode dispersion.
Adsorption of hydrogen atoms on graphene with TiO2 decoration
Authors: Liu Enzuo , Gao Yan , Zhao Naiqin , Li Jiajun , He Chunnian , Shi Chunsheng
Published: April 2013

Graphene-based nanocomposites are regarded as potential candidate for hydrogen storage. In this work, the energetics of the hydrogen adsorption on graphene with TiO2 decoration is systematically investigated based on first-principles total energy calculations. TiO2 cluster is chemisorbed on graphene via O–C bonds. The C atoms near TiO2 cluster act as the nucleation positions for the hydrogen atom adsorption, and the binding energy of hydrogen atoms on graphene is significantly enhanced due to the decoration of TiO2 clusters, which is larger than the binding energy of hydrogen atoms in hydrogen molecules. It can be deduced that the hydrogen storage capacity could reach 7.3 wt. %, provided that the content of TiO2 in graphene is 5 wt. %. The results give a comprehensive understanding on electrochemical hydrogen storage behavior of graphene-based nanocomposites.
Pressure effects on Tc in superconducting (Tl, Cs)1−xFe2−ySe2
Authors: Chen S. C. , Syu K. J. , Sung H. H. , Lee W. H. , Li C. C. , Chen Y. Y.
Published: April 2013

Hydrostatic-pressure (up to 0.96 GPa) dependence of Tc in a newly discovered Fe-based superconductor (Tl0.59Cs0.26)Fe1.9Se2 (Tc = 28 K, at ambient pressure) is reported. Static magnetization measurements under pressure indicate that the linear increase in Tc is initially rapid (dTc/dP ∼ 9.9 K · GPa−1) but slows down to dTc/dP ∼ 2.5 K · GPa−1 for P ≧ 0.18 GPa. The Tc of the superconducting phase is 32 K at pressure P = 0.96 GPa. The simple rigid band model or the Bardeen, Cooper, Schrieffer theory may not be sufficient to account for our observations, if one assumes that the lattice parameters would be linearly decreased with pressure.
Efficient triplet harvesting by fluorescent molecules through exciplexes for high efficiency organic light-emitting diodes
Authors: Park Young-Seo , Kim Kwon-Hyeon , Kim Jang-Joo
Published: April 2013

Efficient triplet harvesting from exciplexes by reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) is reported using a fluorescent molecular system composed of the 4,4′,4″-tris(N-carbazolyl)-triphenylamine and bis-4,6-(3,5-di-3-pyridylphenyl)-2-methylpyrimidine. The exciplex forming material system shows the efficient delayed fluorescence emission. As a result, almost 100% PL efficiency at 35 K and 10% external quantum efficiency at 195 K are achieved from the exciplex. The delayed fluorescence of the exciplex clearly demonstrates that a significant proportion of the triplet exciplexes is harvested through the RISC.
SeZnSb alloy and its nano tubes, graphene composites properties
Authors: Singh Abhay Kumar
Published: April 2013

Composite can alter the individual element physical property, could be useful to define the specific use of the material. Therefore, work demonstrates the synthesis of a new composition Se96-Zn2-Sb2 and its composites with 0.05%multi-walled carbon nano tubes and 0.05% bilayer graphene, in the glassy form. The diffused amorphous structure of the multi walled carbon nano tubes and bilayer gaphene in the Se96-Zn2-Sb2 alloy have been analyzed by using the Raman, X-ray photoluminescence spectroscopy, Furrier transmission infrared spectra,photoluminescence,UV/visible absorption spectroscopic measurements. The diffused prime Raman bands (G and D) have been appeared for the multi walled carbon nano tubes and graphenecomposites, while the X-ray photoluminescence core energy levels peak shifts have been observed for the composite materials. Subsequently the photoluminescenceproperty at room temperature and a drastic enhancement (upto 80%) in infrared transmission percentage has been obtained for the bilayer graphenecomposite, along with optical energy band gaps for these materials have been evaluated 1.37, 1.39 and 1.41 eV.
Regional Policy Spillovers: The National Impact of Demand-Side Policy in an Interregional Model of the UK Economy
Authors: Gilmartin Michelle , Learmouth David , Swales J Kim , McGregor Peter , Turner Karen
Published: April 2013

UK regional policy has been advocated as a means of reducing regional disparities and stimulating national growth. However, there is limited understanding of the interregional and national effects of such a policy. This paper uses an interregional computable general equilibrium model to identify the national impact of a policy-induced regional demand shock under alternative labour market closures. Our simulation results suggest that regional policy operating solely on the demand side has significant national impacts. Furthermore, the effects on the nontarget region are particularly sensitive to the treatment of the regional labour market.
Constructing ‘Public’ Water: The World Bank, Urban Water Supply, and the Biopolitics of Development
Authors: Bakker Karen
Published: April 2013

This paper presents a historical analysis of the evolution of the World Bank's policies on urban water supply networks, from 1960 to the late 1980s. The analysis frames urban water supply as an attempt (contested and incomplete) to extend the biopolitical power of developmental states. I argue that the World Bank's agenda was predicated on a set of contradictions (and an untenable public/private binary) that contributed to the emergence of ‘state failure’ arguments by the late 1980s. This perspective enables critical reflection on the historical origins of the concept of ‘state failure’, and on contemporary debates over urbanization, infrastructure, and development.
Differentiated Circuits: The Ecologies of Knowing and Securing Life
Authors: Hinchliffe Steve , Lavau Stephanie
Published: April 2013

The question of how to make life secure in a world of zoonotic disease threats is often answered in terms of an ever-tighter regulation of wild, domestic, and human life, as a means to control disease. Conversely, in both theoretical and practical engagements with the business of making life safe, there is recognition of the circulatory and excessive qualities of life, its ability to overflow grids of intelligibility, and a requirement for knowledge practices to be responsive to a mutable world. In this paper we use empirical work on the field and laboratory practices involved in knowing life, specifically within the UK's avian influenza wild bird survey, in order to argue strongly for a form of biosecurity that does not seek to integrate life or the practices that make it intelligible into grids and closed circuits. Extending work by Latour, we argue that the truth-value of life science not only stems from the circulation of references along a single chain of reference; it is also dependent upon the productive alliance of knowledge forms and practices that are loosely brought together in this process. By demonstrating the range of practices, materials, and movements involved in making life knowable, we claim that it is the spatial configurations of knowledge practices, organisms, and materials, their ongoing differentiation and not their integration, that make safe life a possibility.
Exogenous long-term treatment with 17?-oestradiol alters the innervation pattern in pig ovary
Authors: Koszykowska Marlena , Całka Jarosław , Nidzgorska Aleksandra , Jana Barbara
Published: April 2013

The aim of the present study was to determine the effect of long-term 17β-oestradiol (E2) exposure, a simulation of pathological states that occur with oestrogen overproduction, on the innervation patterns of ovaries in adult gilts. The intraovarian distribution and density of nerve fibres immunoreactive (IR) to protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 and containing dopamine-β-hydroxylase (DBH), neuropeptide Y (NPY), somatostatin (SOM) and galanin (GAL) were determined. From Day 4 of the first oestrous cycle to Day 20 of the second cycle studied, experimental gilts were injected with E2 (1000 μg every 12 h) whereas control gilts were injected with corn oil. After E2 administration, there was an increase in the number of PGP9.5-, DBH-, NPY- and GAL-IR fibres. Numerous PGP9.5-IR terminals were observed within the ground plexus around secondary follicles and small or medium tertiary follicles. Long-term E2 treatment increased the density of DBH- and NPY-IR fibres in the cortical part of the ground plexus, DBH- and GAL-IR fibres in the medullary part of the ground plexus, DBH-IR fibres near small and medium tertiary follicles and NPY-IR fibres around medullary arteries. The data indicate that long-term exposure of gilts to E2 increases the total number of intraovarian fibres, including sympathetic fibres. These results suggest that elevated E2 levels that occur during pathological states may affect the innervation patterns of ovaries and their function(s).
Is elevated risk of child maltreatment in immigrant families associated with socioeconomic status? Evidence from three sources
Authors: Alink Lenneke R. A. , Euser Saskia , van IJzendoorn Marinus H. , Bakermans‐Kranenburg Marian J.
Published: April 2013

In this study we tested whether children from Dutch‐immigrant families are at increased risk for maltreatment, and if so, what factors could explain this risk. Three data sources from the second Netherlands Prevalence Study of Maltreatment of Youth (NPM‐2010) were used to answer these questions. First, 1127 professionals from various occupational branches (sentinels) were asked to report each child (including some background information on the child and family) for whom they suspected child maltreatment during a period of three months. Second, we included the 2010 data from the Dutch Child Protective Services and third, 1759 high school students aged 11–17 years filled out a questionnaire on their experiences of maltreatment in the past year. We found that children from traditional immigrant families with a relatively long migration history in the Netherlands (Turkish, Moroccan, Surinamese, and Antillean) and from nontraditional immigrant families (African [except Morocco], Eastern European, Central Asian, and South and Central American; often refugees) were at increased risk for child maltreatment compared to native Dutch families. However, in the professionals’ and CPS data this risk disappeared for the traditional immigrant families after correction for educational level of the parents and for step‐parenthood. Within the group of families with low education or step‐parents, the risk for child maltreatment was similar for traditional immigrant families as for native Dutch families. Nontraditional families remained at increased risk after correction for sociodemographic and family factors. In conclusion, we found that children from both traditional and nontraditional immigrant families are at increased risk for maltreatment as compared to children from native Dutch families. For the traditional immigrants this risk could partially be explained by socioeconomic status. This implies that socioeconomic factors should be taken into account when outlining policies to fight child maltreatment.
Surgical Site Infections, International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) Report, Data Summary of 30 Countries, 2005–2010
Authors: Rosenthal Victor D. , Richtmann Rosana , Singh Sanjeev , Apisarnthanarak Anucha , Kübler Andrzej , Viet-Hung Nguyen , Ramírez-Wong Fernando M. , Portillo-Gallo Jorge H. , Toscani Jessica , Gikas Achilleas , Dueñas Lourdes , El-Kholy Amani , Ghazal Sameeh , Fisher Dale , Mitrev Zan , Gamar-Elanbya May Osman , Kanj Souha S. , Arreza-Galapia Yolanda , Leblebicioglu Hakan , Hlinková Soňa , Memon Badaruddin A. , Guanche-Garcell Humberto , Gurskis Vaidotas , Álvarez-Moreno Carlos , Barkat Amina , Mejía Nepomuceno , Rojas-Bonilla Magda , Ristic Goran , Raka Lul , Yuet-Meng Cheong ,   on behalf of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium
Published: April 2013

Objective.

To report the results of a surveillance study on surgical site infections (SSIs) conducted by the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC).

Design.

Cohort prospective multinational multicenter surveillance study.

Setting.

Eighty-two hospitals of 66 cities in 30 countries (Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Egypt, Greece, India, Kosovo, Lebanon, Lithuania, Macedonia, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Sudan, Thailand, Turkey, Uruguay, and Vietnam) from 4 continents (America, Asia, Africa, and Europe).

Patients.

Patients undergoing surgical procedures (SPs) from January 2005 to December 2010.

Methods.

Data were gathered and recorded from patients hospitalized in INICC member hospitals by using the methods and definitions of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Healthcare Safety Network (CDC-NHSN) for SSI. SPs were classified into 31 types according toInternational Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, criteria.

Results.

We gathered data from 7,523 SSIs associated with 260,973 SPs. SSI rates were significantly higher for most SPs in INICC hospitals compared with CDC-NHSN data, including the rates of SSI after hip prosthesis (2.6% vs 1.3%; relative risk [RR], 2.06 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.8–2.4];P<.001), coronary bypass with chest and donor incision (4.5% vs 2.9%; RR, 1.52 [95% CI, 1.4–1.6];P<.001); abdominal hysterectomy (2.7% vs 1.6%; RR, 1.66 [95% CI, 1.4–2.0];P<.001); exploratory abdominal surgery (4.1 % vs 2.0%; RR, 2.05 [95% CI, 1.6–2.6];P<.001); ventricular shunt, 12.9% vs 5.6% (RR, 2.3 [95% CI, 1.9–2.6];P<.001), and others.

Conclusions.

SSI rates were higher for most SPs in INICC hospitals compared with CDC-NHSN data.
A self-updating road map of The Cancer Genome Atlas
Authors: Robbins David E. , Grüneberg Alexander , Deus Helena F. , Tanik Murat M. , Almeida Jonas S.
Published: April 2013

Motivation: Since 2011, The Cancer Genome Atlas’ (TCGA) files have been accessible through HTTP from a public site, creating entirely new possibilities for cancer informatics by enhancing data discovery and retrieval. Significantly, these enhancements enable the reporting of analysis results that can be fully traced to and reproduced using their source data. However, to realize this possibility, a continually updated road map of files in the TCGA is required. Creation of such a road map represents a significant data modeling challenge, due to the size and fluidity of this resource: each of the 33 cancer types is instantiated in only partially overlapping sets of analytical platforms, while the number of data files available doubles approximately every 7 months.

Results: We developed an engine to index and annotate the TCGA files, relying exclusively on third-generation web technologies (Web 3.0). Specifically, this engine uses JavaScript in conjunction with the World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Resource Description Framework (RDF), and SPARQL, the query language for RDF, to capture metadata of files in the TCGA open-access HTTP directory. The resulting index may be queried using SPARQL, and enables file-level provenance annotations as well as discovery of arbitrary subsets of files, based on their metadata, using web standard languages. In turn, these abilities enhance the reproducibility and distribution of novel results delivered as elements of a web-based computational ecosystem. The development of the TCGA Roadmap engine was found to provide specific clues about how biomedical big data initiatives should be exposed as public resources for exploratory analysis, data mining and reproducible research. These specific design elements align with the concept of knowledge reengineering and represent a sharp departure from top-down approaches in grid initiatives such as CaBIG. They also present a much more interoperable and reproducible alternative to the still pervasive use of data portals.

Availability: A prepared dashboard, including links to source code and a SPARQL endpoint, is available at http://bit.ly/TCGARoadmap. A video tutorial is available at http://bit.ly/TCGARoadmapTutorial.

Contact:  robbinsd@uab.edu
Spatial and temporal distribution of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) along the northeast coast of the United States, 1985–1999
Authors: Radlinski Mary K. , Sundermeyer Miles A. , Bisagni James J. , Cadrin Steven X.
Published: April 2013

Radlinski, M. K., Sundermeyer, M. A., Bisagni, J. J., and Cadrin, S. X. 2013. Spatial and temporal distribution of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) along the northeast coast of the United States, 1985–1999. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 70: 1151–1161. The distribution of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) during their spring migration along the Mid-Atlantic Bight and into the Gulf of Maine has historically been associated with spring warming along the continental shelf. Variations in mackerel distributions based on National Marine Fisheries Service spring surveys were compared with variations in sea surface temperature (SST) from satellite remote sensing for the eastern US continental shelf for the period 1985–1999. The mackerel stock was first analysed as a unit, then separated into three size classes to assess differences in distribution among years and individuals of various lengths. Results showed an across-shelf correlation between catch and March SST in the Mid-Atlantic Bight for both the entire population and each size class. Along-shelf catch variations were correlated with SST for large mackerel, but not total stock or smaller size classes. Finally, the distribution of mackerel length in the Gulf of Maine was negatively correlated with March SST in the Great South Channel. Results suggest surface temperature along the northeast continental shelf may be used to predict certain, but not all, aspects of annual migration along the shelf, and that factors in addition to temperature are also important in controlling distributions of Atlantic mackerel.
On the hydrophobicity and hydrophilicity of the cathode gas diffusion layer in a polymer electrolyte fuel cell
Authors: Vynnycky M. , Gordon A.
Published: April 2013

An anomaly in the modelling of two-phase flow in the porous cathode gas diffusion layer (GDL) of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell is investigated asymptotically and numerically. Although not commented on previously in literature, the generalized Darcy model used most commonly leads to the surprising prediction that a hydrophilic GDL can lead to better cell performance, in terms of current density, than a hydrophobic one. By analysing a reduced one-dimensional steady-state model and identifying the capillary number as a small dimensionless parameter, we find a potential flaw in the original model, associated with the constitutive relation linking the capillary pressure and the pressures of the wetting and non-wetting phases. Correcting this, we find that, whereas a hydrophilic GDL can sustain a two-phase (gas/liquid) region near the water-producing catalytic layer and gas phase only region further away, a hydrophobic GDL cannot; furthermore, hydrophobic GDLs are found to lead to better cell performance than hydrophilic GDLs, as is indeed experimentally the case.
Spectral theory of some non-selfadjoint linear differential operators
Authors: Pelloni B. , Smith D. A.
Published: April 2013

We give a characterization of the spectral properties of linear differential operators with constant coefficients, acting on functions defined on a bounded interval, and determined by general linear boundary conditions. The boundary conditions may be such that the resulting operator is not selfadjoint. We associate the spectral properties of such an operator
S
with the properties of the solution of a corresponding boundary value problem for the partial differential equation ∂

t

q
±i
Sq
=0. Namely, we are able to establish an explicit correspondence between the properties of the family of eigenfunctions of the operator, and in particular, whether this family is a basis, and the existence and properties of the unique solution of the associated boundary value problem. When such a unique solution exists, we consider its representation as a complex contour integral that is obtained using a transform method recently proposed by Fokas and one of the authors. The analyticity properties of the integrand in this representation are crucial for studying the spectral theory of the associated operator.
High global diversity of cycloviruses amongst dragonflies
Authors: Dayaram Anisha , Potter Kristen A. , Moline Angela B. , Rosenstein Dana Drake , Marinov Milen , Thomas John E. , Breitbart Mya , Rosario Karyna , Argüello-Astorga Gerardo R. , Varsani Arvind
Published: April 2013

Members of the family Circoviridae, specifically the genus Circovirus, were thought to infect only vertebrates; however, members of a sister group under the same family, the proposed genus Cyclovirus, have been detected recently in insects. In an effort to explore the diversity of cycloviruses and better understand the evolution of these novel ssDNA viruses, here we present five cycloviruses isolated from three dragonfly species (Orthetrum sabina, Xanthocnemis zealandica and Rhionaeschna multicolor) collected in Australia, New Zealand and the USA, respectively. The genomes of these five viruses share similar genome structure to other cycloviruses, with a circular ~1.7 kb genome and two major bidirectionally transcribed ORFs. The genomic sequence data gathered during this study were combined with all cyclovirus genomes available in public databases to identify conserved motifs and regulatory elements in the intergenic regions, as well as determine diversity and recombinant regions within their genomes. The genomes reported here represent four different cyclovirus species, three of which are novel. Our results confirm that cycloviruses circulate widely in winged-insect populations; in eight different cyclovirus species identified in dragonflies to date, some of these exhibit a broad geographical distribution. Recombination analysis revealed both intra- and inter-species recombination events amongst cycloviruses, including genomes recovered from disparate sources (e.g. goat meat and human faeces). Similar to other well-characterized circular ssDNA viruses, recombination may play an important role in cyclovirus evolution.
The effect of extreme pressure added vegetable based cutting fluids on cutting performance in milling
Authors: Kuram Emel , Ozcelik Babur , Tolga Simsek Bilgin , Demirbas Erhan
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the performances of vegetable based cutting fluids by comparing tool life, surface roughness and cutting force during end milling of AISI 304 stainless steel. In the experiments, three different vegetable based cutting fluids developed from sunflower and canola oils (SCF‐II with 8% extreme pressure (EP), CCF‐II without EP and CCF‐II with 8% EP) and a commercial type of semi‐synthetic cutting fluid were used. Cutting fluid was applied to the cutting zone via two nozzles.

Design/methodology/approach

Effects of different cutting speeds (100, 150 and 200 m/min) and different feed rates (0.2, 0.25 and 0.3 mm/rev) on tool life, surface roughness and cutting force in milling of AISI 304 stainless steel were investigated. Depth of cut and step over were kept constant as 0.3 mm and 10 mm at both conditions, respectively.

Findings

Results indicated that CCF‐II with 8% EP cutting fluid showed better performance than the others.

Originality/value

In this study, effect of extreme pressure additive on milling performance was investigated.
IS curriculum career tracks: a UK study
Authors: Stefanidis Angelos , Fitzgerald Guy , Counsell Steve
Published: April 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present the results of a comprehensive study on the specialisations or career tracks supported by the Information Systems (IS) curriculum in the UK.

Design/methodology/approach

The study utilises the recently published IS curriculum guidelines (IS 2010) to develop a method for ranking the career tracks of undergraduate IS courses in the UK.

Findings

The research presents a prioritised list of graduate IS careers by taking into account the entire IS course provision in the UK. At the same time, it offers data about the size of the IS curriculum in terms of universities in the UK and the number/type courses they offer.

Research limitations/implications

The study relies on a previously undeveloped method for measuring career specialisations for UK IS graduates. Additional work is needed to validate the results through comparisons with alternative methods of measuring the careers supported by IS degree courses.

Practical implications

By having concrete data about the state of the IS curriculum in relation to its employability opportunities, the IS academy can make more informed decisions about future curriculum development. Further comparative research can be undertaken to support arguments about the relevance of the IS curriculum to industry needs.

Originality/value

There has been no similar UK study on this scale which examines the state of the IS curriculum in relation to the career opportunities it offers. The development of the method for this study also offers insights into the structure and recommendations presented by IS 2010.