bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cochrane Review: Care delivery and self‐management strategies for children with epilepsy
Authors: Lindsay Bruce , Bradley Peter M
Published: January 2012

Background

Epilepsy care for children has been criticised for its lack of impact. Various service models and strategies have been developed in response to perceived inadequacies in care provision for children and their families.

Objectives

We set out to compare the effectiveness of specialist or dedicated teams or individuals in the care of children with epilepsy with usual care services.

Search methods

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library February issue, 2010), MEDLINE (1950 to March 2010), EMBASE (1988 to May 2006*), PsycINFO (1806 to March 2010) and CINAHL (1982 to March 2010).

*Please note that as we currently do not have access to EMBASE, we have been unable to update this aspect of our searching.

Selection criteria

We included randomised controlled trials, controlled or matched trials, cohort studies or other prospective studies with a control group, or time series studies.

Data collection and analysis

Each review author independently selected studies, extracted data and assessed the quality of included studies.

Main results

Four trials and five reports are included in this review. They report on four different education and counselling programmes for children, children and parents, or teenagers and parents. Each programme showed some benefits for the well‐being of children with epilepsy, but each trial had methodological flaws and no single programme was evaluated by more than one study.

Authors' conclusions

While each of the programmes in this review showed some benefit to children with epilepsy their impacts were extremely variable. No programme showed benefits across the full range of outcomes. No study appears to have demonstrated any detrimental effects but the evidence in favour of any single programme is insufficient to make it possible to recommend one programme rather than another. More trials, carried out by independent research teams, are needed.

Plain Language Summary

Care delivery and self‐management strategies for children with epilepsy

Evidence for the best ways to care for children with epilepsy is still unclear.

This review compared four education‐ or counselling‐based interventions for children with epilepsy. One intervention was aimed solely at children, two were aimed at children and their parents, the final intervention was aimed at teenagers and their parents. Each of the interventions appeared to improve some of the outcomes studied, but no intervention improved all of the outcomes that were measured. The studies also had problems with their methods, which makes their results less reliable. While none of the interventions caused any harm, their impact was limited and we cannot recommend any single intervention as being the best one for children with epilepsy.
Summary of ‘Nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and perioperative bleeding in paediatric tonsillectomy’
Authors: Editorial Office Evidence‐Based Child Health
Published: January 2012

This is a summary of Cochrane review, published in this issue of EBCH, first published as: Cardwell ME, Siviter G, Smith AF. Nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and perioperative bleeding in paediatric tonsillectomy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 2. Art. No.: CD003591. DOI: 10.1002/14 651 858.CD003591.pub2. Copyright © 2011 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The Cochrane Collaboration
Asymptotic performance of amplify‐and‐forward cooperative diversity networks with the Nth best relay over Rician fading channels
Authors: Chu Shao‐I , Chang Hsin‐Chiu , Lee Hung‐Peng
Published: January 2012

This paper analyzes and derives the asymptotic symbol error rate expression of amplify‐and‐forward cooperative communications with the Nth best relay over independent and non‐identical Rician fading channels. Rician fading takes the line‐of‐sight effects into account and often exists in microcellular mobile and wireless mesh networks. In practice, the Nth best relay is selected when the best relay is unavailable because of fairness and load balancing issues. Performance analysis reveals that the diversity gain of the Nth best‐relay scheme equals R–N+2, while the best relay and all‐participate schemes achieve the diversity gain of R+1, where R is the number of relays. Simulation and numerical evaluation show the tightness of the asymptotic symbol error rate expression and the accuracy of our theoretical analysis. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Seeing touch and pain in a stranger modulates the cortical responses elicited by somatosensory but not auditory stimulation
Authors: Valentini Elia , Liang Meng , Aglioti Salvatore Maria , Iannetti Gian Domenico
Published: January 2012

Viewing other's pain inhibits the excitability of the motor cortex and also modulates the neural activity elicited by a concomitantly delivered nociceptive somatosensory stimulus. As the neural activity elicited by a transient nociceptive stimulus largely reflects non nociceptive‐specific, multimodal neural processes, here we tested, for the first time, whether the observation of other's pain preferentially affects the brain responses elicited by nociceptive stimulation, or instead similarly modulates those elicited by stimuli belonging to a different sensory modality. Using 58‐channel electroencephalography (EEG), we recorded the cortical responses elicited by laser and auditory stimulation during the observation of videoclips showing either noxious or non‐noxious stimulation of a stranger's hand. We found that the observation of other's pain modulated the cortical activity consisting in an event‐related desynchronization in the β band (β ERD), and elicited by nociceptive laser stimuli, but not by auditory stimuli. Using three different source analysis approaches, we provide converging evidence that such modulation affected neural activity in the contralateral primary sensorimotor cortex. The magnitude of this modulation correlated well with a subjective measure of similarity between the model's hand and the onlooker's representation of the hand. Altogether, these findings demonstrate that the observation of other's pain modulates, in a somatosensory‐specific fashion, the cortical responses elicited by nociceptive stimuli in the sensorimotor cortex contralateral to the stimulated hand. Hum Brain Mapp, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Three‐dimensional epithelial and mesenchymal cell co‐cultures form early tooth epithelium invagination‐like structures: Expression patterns of relevant molecules
Authors: Xiao Li , Tsutsui Takeki
Published: January 2012

Epithelium invagination is the key feature of early tooth development. In this study, we built a three‐dimensional (3D) model to represent epithelium invagination‐like structure by tissue engineering. Human normal oral epithelial cells (OECs) and dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) were co‐cultivated for 2–7 weeks on matrigel or collagen gel to form epithelial and mesenchymal tissues. The histological change and gene expression were analyzed by HE staining, immunostaining, and quantitative real‐time RT‐PCR (qRT‐PCR). After 4 weeks of cultivation, OECs‐formed epithelium invaginated into DPSCs‐derived mesenchyme on both matrigel and collagen gel. OEC–DPSC co‐cultures on matrigel showed typical invagination of epithelial cells and condensation of the underlying mesenchymal cells. Epithelial invagination‐related molecules, CD44 and E‐cadherin, and mesenchymal condensation involved molecules, N‐cadherin and Msx1 expressed at a high level in the tissue model, suggesting the epithelial invagination is functional. However, when OECs and DPSCs were co‐cultivated on collagen gel; the invaginated epithelium was transformed to several epithelial colonies inside the mesenchyme after long culture period. When DPSCs were co‐cultivated with immortalized human OECs NDUSD‐1, all of the above‐mentioned features were not presented. Immunohistological staining and qRT‐PCR analysis showed that p75, BMP2, Shh, Wnt10b, E‐cadherin, N‐cadherin, Msx1, and Pax9 are involved in initiating epithelium invagination and epithelial–mesenchymal interaction in the 3D OEC–DPSC co‐cultures. Our results suggest that co‐cultivated OECs and DPSCs on matrigel under certain conditions can build an epithelium invagination‐like model. This model might be explored as a potential research tool for epithelial–mesenchymal interaction and tooth regeneration. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1875–1885, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of medium calcium, and agents affecting cytoskeletal function, on cellular volume and morphology in liver tissue in vitro
Authors: Russo Matteo A. , Morgante Emanuela , Tafani Marco , van Rossum George D.V.
Published: January 2012

The possible role of an exocytotic, vesicular mechanism in cellular volume regulation under iso‐osmotic conditions has been studied in slices of rat liver. The effects of incubation conditions and agents affecting the actin cytoskeleton were examined for changes of water, ionic composition, and ultrastructure. Slices were pre‐incubated at 1°C in an iso‐osmotic buffered medium to induce swelling. Upon restoration to 37°C in the same medium, tissue lost water. The Na+–K+ adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) inhibitor ouabain inhibited water extrusion of about 50%, an effect that was accompanied by the formation of characteristic vesicles in the cytoplasmic region between the Golgi apparatus and the bile canaliculi. Water extrusion in the presence of ouabain was partially inhibited by trifluoroperazine and completely inhibited when the medium was free of Ca2+. In the presence of ouabain, brefeldin A caused a small reduction of water extrusion, whereas phalloidin and cytochalasins A, D, or E caused a marked inhibition. In these conditions there was a marked increase in size and number of cytoplasmic vesicles and a more widespread distribution of them within the cells, lacking the more specific orientation to the Golgi and canalicular regions that was seen in the presence of ouabain alone. Water extrusion was inhibited by phalloidin and cytochalasins in the absence of ouabain. In conclusion, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that iso‐osmotic expulsion of water from hepatocytes can proceed partly through an accumulation of water in cytoplasmic vesicles, followed by exocytosis. This mechanism does not depend on Na+–K+ ATPase activity. J. Cell. Biochem. 113: 1915–1925, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Removal of oxytetracycline (OTC) in a synthetic pharmaceutical wastewater by sequential anaerobic multichamber bed reactor (AMCBR)/completely stirred tank reactor (CSTR) system: biodegradation and inhibition kinetics
Authors: Sponza Delia Teresa , Çelebi Hakan
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: The antibiotics in industrial and munipical wastewaters could not be removed effectively in conventional anaerobic and aerobic biological treatment plants. Few studies have been performed to investigate the biodegradation and inhibition kinetics of oxytetracycline (OTC) on methanogens and total volatile fatty acids (TVFA).

RESULTS: A high rate anaerobic multichamber bed reactor (AMCBR) was effective in removing the molasses‐chemical oxygen demand (COD), and the OTC antibiotic with yields as high as 96% at an influent OTC loading rate of 133.33 gOTC m−3 day−1 at a hydraulic retention time (HRT) of 2.25 days. Increasing the OTC loading rates from 22.22 gOTC m−3 day−1 to 133.33 gOTC m−3 day−1 improved both hydrolysis and specific utilization of molasses‐COD. The inhibition constants of TVFA (KI−TVFA−meth) and OTC (KI−OTC−meth) on methanogens decreased at OTC loadings > 133.33 gOTC m−3 day−1. The direct effect of OTC loadings > 133.3 gOTC m−3 day−1 on acidogens and methanogens was evaluated using the Haldane inhibition kinetic.

CONCLUSION: OTC antibiotic was effectively removed in a sequential AMCBR/completely stirred tank reactor (CSTR). The Haldane inhibition constant (KID) decreased significantly at high OTC loads indicating the increase in toxicity. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Changes in the efficiency of fertiliser use in China
Authors: Jin Jiyun
Published: January 2012

Results of three nationwide fertiliser efficiency studies in recent history in China are reviewed. The results indicate that after a long history using organic recycling to maintain soil fertility in China, nitrogen (N) became the first yield‐limiting nutrient in the first national fertiliser efficiency study in 1935–1940. With N fertilisation being used, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) deficiencies were gradually revealed and developed in the following national fertiliser efficiency studies in 1958–1962 and 1981–1983. Research conducted through the International Plant Nutrition (IPNI) cooperative network in China in 2000–2006 indicates that agronomic efficiencies of N fertiliser (yield increase per kilogram from the application of 1 kg N) for rice, wheat and maize are 11.7 kg, 10.8 kg and 12.2 kg grain per kilogram of N, respectively, while crop recovery efficiency of N (percentage of N taken up by plant in total N applied) with rice, wheat and maize were 24.8%, 35.7% and 30.5%, respectively. Both agronomic efficiency and crop recovery efficiency of N are significantly lower than the average N use efficiency reported in international literature for other countries. Current agronomic efficiency of P and K are also discussed. Measures to improve fertiliser use in China are discussed. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Expression of three sHSP genes involved in heat pretreatment‐induced chilling tolerance in banana fruit
Authors: He Li‐hong , Chen Jian‐ye , Kuang Jian‐fei , Lu Wang‐jin
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: Banana fruit is highly susceptible to chilling injury. In previous research it was shown that heat pretreatment of banana fruit at 38 °C for 3 days before storage at a chilling temperature of 8 °C for 12 days prevented increases in visible chilling injury index, electrolyte leakage and malondialdehyde content and also decreases in lightness and chroma, indicating that heat pretreatment could effectively alleviate chilling injury of banana fruit. However, little is known about the role of small heat shock proteins (sHSPs) in postharvest chilling tolerance of banana fruit. In the present study, three cytosolic sHSP expression profiles in peel and pulp tissues of banana fruit during heat pretreatment and subsequent chilled storage (8 °C) were investigated in relation to heat pretreatment‐induced chilling tolerance.

RESULTS: Three full‐length cDNAs of cytosolic sHSP genes, including two class I sHSP (CI sHSP) and one class II sHSP (CII sHSP) cDNAs, named Ma‐CI sHSP1, Ma‐CI sHSP2 and Ma‐CII sHSP3 respectively, were isolated and characterised from harvested banana fruit. Accumulation of Ma‐CI sHSP1 mRNA transcripts in peel and pulp tissues and Ma‐CII sHSP3 mRNA transcripts in peel tissue increased during heat pretreatment. Expression of all three Ma‐sHSP genes in peel and pulp tissues was induced during subsequent chilled storage. Furthermore, Ma‐CI sHSP1 and Ma‐CII sHSP3 mRNA transcripts in pulp tissue and Ma‐CI sHSP2 mRNA transcripts in peel and pulp tissues were obviously enhanced by heat pretreatment at days 6 and 9 of subsequent chilled storage.

CONCLUSION: These results suggested that heat pretreatment enhanced the expression of Ma‐sHSPs, which might be involved in heat pretreatment‐induced chilling tolerance of banana fruit. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Completeness of dictated operative reports in breast cancer—the case for synoptic reporting
Authors: Donahoe Laura , Bennett Sean , Temple Walley , Hilchie‐Pye Andrea , Dabbs Kelly , MacIntosh Ethel , Porter Geoff
Published: January 2012

Background

Currently, the dictated operative report forms the cornerstone of documenting breast cancer surgery. Synoptic electronic reporting using a standardized template has been proposed for breast cancer operative notes to improve documentation. The goal of this study was to determine the current completeness of dictated operative reports for breast cancer surgery.

Methods

An iterative, consensus‐based approach to determining elements of a proposed synoptic surgical operative report identified critical elements. We then evaluated the dictated operative reports of 100 consecutive breast cancer patients for completeness of these elements.

Results

Details regarding presentation and diagnosis were frequently incomplete (84%). Among patients undergoing mastectomy, the potential for breast conservation was partially described in only 60%. Only 41% had data regarding intra‐operative margin assessment during breast conservation surgery. In axillary lymph node dissections, 92% of patients had complete data about preservation of nerves, yet only 14% of reports contained complete information regarding sentinel lymph node biopsy. Closure was partially described in 91%.

Conclusions

The dictated operative report for breast cancer surgery does not adequately capture important data. A synoptic reporting system, which requires documentation of important elements, is a potentially beneficial tool in breast cancer surgery. J. Surg. Oncol. 2012; 106:79–83. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Two‐step stacking by sweeping and micelle to solvent stacking using a long‐chain cationic ionic liquid surfactant
Authors: Wang Qing , Qiu Hongdeng , Han Haifeng , Liu Xia , Jiang Shengxiang
Published: January 2012

Coupling of long‐chain ionic liquid (LCIL)‐based sweeping and micelle to solvent stacking (MSS) in CZE for anionic compounds was proposed. N‐Cetyl‐N‐methylpyrrolidinium bromide (C16MPYBr) was used as a novel cationic surfactant. The capillary column was conditioned with poly(1‐vinyl‐3‐butylimidazolium) bromide, a kind of polymeric ionic liquid, to obtain the anodic electroosmotic flow (EOF). There is a micellar solution (MS) zone which is prepared with C16MPYBr before the sample zone. The micelles penetrated into the sample zone, swept and transported the analytes toward the micelle to solvent boundary (MSSB). Meanwhile, a sufficient amount of methanol in the background solution (BGS) resulted in the reversal of effective electrophoretic mobility of analytes and completed the MSS. Under optimal conditions, good linearity (0.9988–0.9999) was obtained for model analytes in a wide linear range with limits of detection (LODs) from 0.025 to 0.25 mg/L. The intraday and interday repeatabilities (%RSD, n=5, 10) were acceptable in the range from 2.12 to 7.29%. 34 and 25 times increases in peak area sensitivity for benzoic acid (BA) and 2‐nitrophenol (2‐NP) and 60 times increase in peak height sensitivity for 4‐chlorophenol (4‐CP) were obtained. The proposed method is applied to analyze two spiked environmental water samples obtaining satisfactory recoveries.
Theoretical study on the mechanisms of Proline‐catalyzed Mannich reaction between acetaldehyde and N‐Boc imines
Authors: Chang Qing , Zhou Jin , Gan Li‐Hua
Published: January 2012

The mechanisms of the single and double Mannich reactions between acetaldehyde and N‐Boc imines are clarified by density functional theory calculations. For single addition of Mannich reaction, the energy difference between the transition states of different configurations correspond to an enantiomeric excess value of 90.58% (without solvent) and 98.46% (in acetonitrile) in favor of the (S)‐configuration product. For bis‐addition of Mannich reaction, the calculated enantiomeric excess value is 95.02% (without solvent) and 98.57% (in acetonitrile) in favor of the (S, S)‐configuration product. These calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental results. The calculations clearly demonstrate that the hydrogen‐bonding determine the stereochemistry of the reactions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Systematic review of meaning in life assessment instruments
Authors: Brandstätter Monika , Baumann Urs , Borasio Gian Domenico , Fegg Martin Johannes
Published: January 2012

Background

The construct of “meaning in life” (MiL) has raised the interest of clinicians working in psycho‐oncology and end‐of‐life care. It has become a topic of scientific investigation where diverse assessment approaches have been applied. Aims: We present a comprehensive systematic review of existing MiL assessment instruments.

Methods

Electronic searches of articles published in English peer‐reviewed journals were performed in Psycinfo, Medline, Embase and Cinahl. Instruments are appraised with regard to ten measurement properties.

Results

In total, 59 nomothetic and idiographic MiL instruments were identified. Most instruments were developed in North America and meet basic psychometric criteria. They assess presence of and search for MiL, crisis and sources of MiL, meaning making, meaningful activity, MiL in the context of illness, breadth, depth, and other structural indicators. These aspects are largely consistent with existing MiL definitions. Nine out of 59 instruments included cancer populations in test development.

Conclusions

This overview of available instruments underscores the complexity of the construct and might assist researchers to select an appropriate instrument for their research needs. Finally, it points to the need for more integrative theorizing and research on MiL. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fear of recurrence and disease progression in long‐term (≥5 years) cancer survivors—a systematic review of quantitative studies
Authors: Koch L. , Jansen L. , Brenner H. , Arndt V.
Published: January 2012

Background

Increasing proportions of patients diagnosed with cancer will become long‐term survivors (≥5 years post‐diagnosis). However, survivors may continue to experience negative effects of cancer and/or treatment, including fear of recurrence (FoR). This review aims to provide an overview of current knowledge on FoR, including determinants and consequences in long‐term cancer survivors, and to outline methodological and conceptual challenges that should be addressed in future research.

Methods

Multiple databases including PUBMED, EMBASE, and PsycINFO were searched to identify relevant articles. Seventeen articles were included. Data were extracted by two reviewers and summarized following a systematic scheme.

Results

Even years after initial diagnosis, cancer survivors suffer from FoR. Most studies report low or moderate mean FoR scores, suggesting that FoR is experienced in modest intensity by most survivors. Studies including long‐term and short‐term survivors indicate no significant change of FoR over time. Lower level of education, lower level of optimism, and being Hispanic or White/Caucasian were found to be associated with higher levels of FoR. Significant negative associations were reported between FoR and quality of life as well as psychosocial well‐being. All but three studies were conducted in the USA. General cut‐offs for severity/clinical significance have not been defined yet.

Conclusions

FoR at modest intensity is experienced by most long‐term cancer survivors. Future studies should address determinants and consequences of FoR in more detail. Validated instruments providing cut‐offs for severity/clinical significance of FoR should be developed and utilized. Efficient interventions should be implemented to reduce detrimental effects of FoR. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Efficiency droop suppression in InGaN‐based blue LEDs: Experiment and numerical modelling
Authors: Zakheim D. A. , Pavluchenko A. S. , Bauman D. A. , Bulashevich K. A. , Khokhlev O. V. , Karpov S. Yu.
Published: January 2012

In this paper, we report on the results of experimental and theoretical study of a promising way for suppression of the efficiency droop with current in InGaN‐based light emitting diodes. Simulations carried out using a drift‐diffusion approach with quantum‐mechanical corrections clearly show that non‐radiative Auger recombination is the principal mechanism limiting the device performance at high‐injection level. New design of LED heterostructure with short‐period superlattice in the active region is proposed and assessed theoretically. Experimentally, the implementation of the structure design in high‐power devices has resulted in substantial suppression of the efficiency droop compared to conventional multiquantum‐well InGaN LEDs.
Exact sample‐size determination in testing non‐inferiority under a simple crossover trial
Authors: Lui Kung‐Jong , Chang Kuang‐Chao
Published: January 2012

For testing the non‐inferiority (or equivalence) of an experimental treatment to a standard treatment, the odds ratio (OR) of patient response rates has been recommended to measure the relative treatment efficacy. On the basis of an exact test procedure proposed elsewhere for a simple crossover design, we develop an exact sample‐size calculation procedure with respect to the OR of patient response rates for a desired power of detecting non‐inferiority at a given nominal type I error. We note that the sample size calculated for a desired power based on an asymptotic test procedure can be much smaller than that based on the exact test procedure under a given situation. We further discuss the advantage and disadvantage of sample‐size calculation using the exact test and the asymptotic test procedures. We employ an example by studying two inhalation devices for asthmatics to illustrate the use of sample‐size calculation procedure developed here. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An examination of the relative impact of type I and type II error rates in phase II drug screening trial queues
Authors: Hutson Alan D. , Wilding Gregory E.
Published: January 2012

In this note, we highlight the fact that the choice of type I and type II error rates should not simply be set at traditional levels in the phase II clinical trial setting when considering the relative success rate of previous trials in a given disease setting. For diseases in which it is rare that a new compound is active, we argue that more stringent type I error rates in the phase II setting may be more important relative to relaxing the type II error rates. The paper itself is more of a ‘thought’ experiment on this topic such that specific clinical trial settings will require specific applications of this approach. This is due in part to the fact that the real‐world setting is more complex relative to overall decision process in terms of moving from phase II to phase III trials than our basic illustrative model. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The multi‐iterative closest point tracker: An online algorithm for tracking multiple interacting targets
Authors: Feldman Adam , Hybinette Maria , Balch Tucker
Published: January 2012

We describe and evaluate a greedy detection‐based algorithm for tracking a variable number of dynamic targets online. The algorithm leverages the well‐known iterative closest point (ICP) algorithm for aligning target models with target detections. The approach differs from trackers that seek globally optimal solutions because it treats the problem as a set of individual tracking problems. The method works for multiple targets by sequentially matching models to detections, and then removing detections from further consideration once models have been matched to them. This allows targets to pass close to one another with reduced risks of tracking failure due to “hijacking,'' or track merging. There has been significant previous work in this area, but we believe our approach addresses a number of tracking problems simultaneously that have only been addressed separately before. The algorithm is evaluated using four to eight laser range finders in three settings: quantitatively for a basketball game with 10 people and a 25‐person social behavior experiment, and qualitatively for a full‐scale soccer game. We also provide qualitative results using video to track ants in a captive habitat. During all the experiments, agents enter and leave the scene, so the number of targets to track varies with time. With eight laser range finders running, the system can locate and track targets at sensor frame rate 37.5 Hz on commodity computing hardware. Our evaluation shows that the tracking system correctly detects each track over 98% of the time. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
On the realization of fuzzy identity‐based identification scheme using fingerprint biometrics
Authors: Tan Syh‐Yuan , Jin Zhe , Teoh Andrew Beng Jin , Goi Bok‐Min , Heng Swee‐Huay
Published: January 2012

Fuzzy identity‐based identification (FIBI) scheme is a recently proposed cryptographic identification protocol. The scheme utilizes user biometric trait as public keys. The authentication is deemed success in the presence of the genuine query biometric together with the valid private key. Because of the fuzziness nature of biometrics, FIBI does not correct the errors on the query biometric with respect to the public key; instead, it tolerates the errors using Lagrange polynomial interpolation. Therefore, FIBI requires the biometric trait to be represented in a discrete (binary or integer) array that is fixed in length. In this paper, we report the first realization of FIBI scheme by means of fingerprint biometrics using minutia representation where our technique integrates the security features of both biometric and cryptography effectively. The simulation shows that the entire protocol can be completed within 1 s where false acceptance rate (FAR) = 0% and false reject rate (FRR) = 0.25% in FVC2002 DB1, and FAR = 0% and FRR = 0.125% in FVC2002 DB2. Our integration technique may also be applied on other fuzzy identity‐based cryptosystems. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Performance of a novel dot matrix fuel cell using an inorganic micro‐proton conductor
Authors: Nagata Akiyoshi , Nishikado Muneki
Published: January 2012

The power generation properties of a novel dot matrix fuel cell using an inorganic micro‐proton conductor were evaluated in dry gas mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen during room‐temperature operation. The single dot matrix fuel cell was composed of aggregates of micro‐electrolyte dots filling pores arranged in a matrix form on a Teflon or polyimide substrate with Pt/C and Pt catalytic electrodes. Micro‐electrolyte dots were prepared by the sol–gel method using titanium phosphorus oxides as the proton conductive hybrid materials. The open‐circuit voltage of the single cell became higher when using a small dot diameter and achieved a maximum of 500 mV with an electrolyte dot density of 17 dots/cm2 in the dry gas mixtures during room‐temperature operation. This value corresponds to about one‐half of the theoretical electromotive force. Moreover, the current density of the single cell increased with the dot diameter such that it grew to 8 mA/cm2 at a dot diameter of 500 µm. As a result, dot matrix fuel cells connected in series and parallel were found to achieve the cell performance of high‐energy density such as used by high‐energy microchips. © 2012 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Timing of butterfly parasitization of a plant–ant–scale symbiosis
Authors: Ueda Shouhei , Okubo Tadahiro , Itioka Takao , Shimizu‐kaya Usun , Yago Masaya , Inui Yoko , Itino Takao
Published: January 2012

In the Southeast Asian tropics, Arhopala lycaenid butterflies feed on Macaranga ant‐plants inhabited by Crematogaster (subgenus Decacrema) ants tending Coccus‐scale insects. A recent phylogenetic study showed that (1) the plants and ants have been codiversifying for the past 20–16 million years (Myr), and that (2) the tripartite symbiosis was formed 9–7 Myr ago, when the scale insects became involved in the plant–ant mutualism. To determine when the lycaenids first parasitized the Macaranga tripartite symbiosis, we constructed a molecular phylogeny of the lycaenids that feed on Macaranga by using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence data and estimated their divergence times based on the cytochrome oxidase I molecular clock. The minimum age of the lycaenids was estimated by the time‐calibrated phylogeny to be 2.05 Myr, about one‐tenth the age of the plant–ant association, suggesting that the lycaenids are latecomers that associated themselves with the pre‐existing symbiosis of plant, ant, and scale insects.
Heat transfer by rapidly rotating Rayleigh–Bénard convection
Authors: King E. M. , Stellmach S. , Aurnou J. M.
Published: January 2012

Turbulent, rapidly rotating convection has been of interest for decades, yet there exists no generally accepted scaling law for heat transfer behaviour in this system. Here, we develop an exact scaling law for heat transfer by geostrophic convection, $\mathit{Nu}= \mathop{ (\mathit{Ra}/ {\mathit{Ra}}_{c} )}\nolimits ^{3} = 0. 0023\hspace{0.167em} {\mathit{Ra}}^{3} {E}^{4} $, by considering the stability of the thermal boundary layers, where $\mathit{Nu}$, $\mathit{Ra}$ and $E$ are the Nusselt, Rayleigh and Ekman numbers, respectively, and ${\mathit{Ra}}_{c} $ is the critical Rayleigh number for the onset of convection. Furthermore, we use the scaling behaviour of the thermal and Ekman boundary layer thicknesses to quantify the necessary conditions for geostrophic convection: $\mathit{Ra}\lesssim {E}^{\ensuremath{-} 3/ 2} $. Interestingly, the predictions of both heat flux and regime transition do not depend on the total height of the fluid layer. We test these scaling arguments with data from laboratory and numerical experiments. Adequate agreement is found between theory and experiment, although there is a paucity of convection data for low $\mathit{Ra}\hspace{0.167em} {E}^{3/ 2} $.
‘THE COLOR OF THE PUPILS’: SCHOOLING AND RACE IN SENEGAL'S CITIES, 1900–10
Authors: BRYANT KELLY DUKE
Published: January 2012

This article explores the politics of race and education in early twentieth-century urban Senegal, focusing on the exclusion of African students from certain schools and on the political controversy that grew out of a 1909 education reform. Based on letters from officials, politicians, and African residents, along with minutes from the General Council, it suggests that changes in urban society and colonial policy encouraged people to view access to schooling in terms of race. This article argues that in debating segregation and education quality, residents contributed to a discourse on race that reflected an increasing racial consciousness in the society at large.
Khôraas the condition of possibility of the ontologicalwithoutontology
Authors: ARFI BADREDINE
Published: January 2012

Is social theory possible without a positive ontology? Do we need ontology as the very first step toward/of theorisation? Is or isn't ontology a consequence of the theorisation process? Is a meta-theory/theory delineation nothing more than a rhetorical/discursive artifice? If that were the case, why should we give priority to one assumption/consequence (for example, ontology) over others? What are the conditions of possibility and/or limitations for giving priority to any ontological assumption? It is almost unthinkable among social scientists nowadays to envision a formulation of social theory that does not posit an ontological beginning point, that is, by making explicit/implicit assumptions on the most basic entities – subjects, objects, agents, structures, and/or processes – that one takes to be the foundations of the (world-) view being explored or posited. This is usually considered a theoretical necessity of, as much as a desire for, soundness driven by our conception of what theorising means, or should mean. The issue is even put at the heart of what politics is, or is about. ‘Politics is the terrain of competing ontologies’, says Wight. He, and, well before him, Walker, and Wendt, as well as most of today's social scientists, all assert that theories necessarily presuppose a basic positive ontology upon which all other considerations are built and that there isno social theory without ontology.
Serum ferritin levels associated with increased risk for developing CHD in a low-income urban population
Authors: Olesnevich Meghan E , Kuczmarski Marie Fanelli , Mason Marc , Fang Chengshun , Zonderman Alan B , Evans Michele K
Published: January 2012

Objective

The present study examined the association of serum ferritin with CHD risk using the Framingham Heart Study's 10-year risk algorithm.

Design

Ordinal logistic regression modelling was used to interpret risk. Proportional odds modelling assessed four divisions of ranked CHD risk (4, high; 3, increased; 2, slight; 1, minimal), separately by sex.

Setting

Baltimore, MD, USA.

Subjects

African-American and white participants (n 1823) from baseline of the Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) study, aged 30–64 years.

Results

For men, there was a 0·5 % increase in risk for every 10-unit rise in serum ferritin (pmol/l). Other significant predictors included increased BMI, white race, unemployment and C-reactive protein ≥9·5 mg/l. For women, there was a 5·1 % increase in risk per 10-unit rise in serum ferritin (pmol/l). Other significant predictors included increased BMI, lower education, unemployment and C-reactive protein ≥9·5 mg/l.

Conclusions

Serum ferritin is a significant predictor of 10-year hard CHD risk for HANDLS study participants, a low-income, urban population. Serum ferritin, independent of elevated C-reactive protein, was associated with increased 10-year CHD risk for HANDLS participants. To our knowledge, these data provide the first evidence of the role of serum ferritin as a risk factor for hard CHD in African-American and white postmenopausal women in the USA. Future research on cardiovascular events from this prospective study may confirm the association.
Effect on risk of anencephaly of gene–nutrient interactions between methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T polymorphism and maternal folate, vitamin B12and homocysteine profile
Authors: Lacasaña Marina , Blanco-Muñoz Julia , Borja-Aburto Victor H , Aguilar-Garduño Clemente , Rodríguez-Barranco Miguel , Sierra-Ramirez José A , Galaviz-Hernandez Carlos , Gonzalez-Alzaga Beatriz , Garcia-Cavazos Ricardo
Published: January 2012

Objective

To evaluate the effects on anencephaly risk of the interaction between the maternal profile of folate, vitamin B12and homocysteine and the 677C→T polymorphism in the gene encoding methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR).

Design

Case–control study paired (1:1) on maternity clinic, date of birth and state of residence. Cases of anencephaly were identified using the Registry of the Mexican Neural Tube Defect Epidemiological Surveillance System. Case and control mothers were selected from the same maternity departments. All mothers completed a structured questionnaire and blood samples were obtained to determine theMTHFR677C→T polymorphism and biochemical profile.

Setting

Mexico, Puebla and Guerrero states, Mexico.

Subjects

A total of 151 mothers of cases and controls were enrolled from March 2000 to February 2001. We had complete information on biochemical profile andMTHFRC677T polymorphism for ninety-eight mothers of cases and ninety-one mothers of controls.

Results

The adjusted models show that the risk of anencephaly in mothers with 677TT genotype was reduced by 18 % (OR = 0·82; 95 % CI 0·72, 0·94) for each 1 ng/ml increment in serum folate. In terms of tertiles, mothers with 677TT genotype with serum folate levels in the upper tertile (>14·1 ng/ml) had a 95 % lower risk to have a child with anencephaly than mothers with serum folate levels in the first and second tertiles (Ptrend = 0·012).

Conclusions

Our data agree with the hypothesis of a gene–nutrient interaction betweenMTHFR677C→T polymorphism and folate status. We observed a protective effect on anencephaly risk only in mothers with 677TT genotype as serum folate levels increased.
Is maternal nutrition knowledge more strongly associated with the diets of mothers or their school-aged children?
Authors: Williams Lauren , Campbell Karen , Abbott Gavin , Crawford David , Ball Kylie
Published: January 2012

Objective

Maternal nutrition knowledge has frequently been identified as an important target for nutrition promotion interventions. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether maternal nutrition knowledge is more strongly associated with the mother's own diet or that of her child.

Design

Cross-sectional multivariate linear regression with interactions analyses of survey data.

Setting

Socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods in Victoria, Australia.

Subjects

Five hundred and twenty-three mothers and their children who participated in the Resilience for Eating and Physical Activity Despite Inequality (READI) study, a cross-sectional survey study conducted in 2009 among women and their children residing in socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods.

Results

In adjusted models, for three (vegetable, chocolate/lollies and soft drink consumption) out of the seven dietary outcomes assessed, there was a significant association between maternal nutrition knowledge and maternal diet, whereas for the children's diets none of the seven outcomes were associated with maternal nutrition knowledge. Statistical comparison of regression coefficients showed no difference between the maternal nutrition knowledge–maternal diet association and the maternal nutrition knowledge–child diet association.

Conclusions

Promoting maternal nutrition knowledge may represent an important avenue for improving diet in mothers from socio-economically disadvantaged neighbourhoods, but more information is needed on how and when this knowledge is translated to benefits for their children's diet.
Acceptance of health-promoting Brassica vegetables: the influence of taste perception, information and attitudes
Authors: Cox David N , Melo Lauro , Zabaras Dimitrios , Delahunty Conor M
Published: January 2012

Objective

To investigate the relative importance of specific health knowledge and taste on acceptance of Brassica vegetables (broccoli, red and green cabbages, broccolini, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts).

Design

In a sample of adults all reporting medium–high physical activity (as a marker/control of health behaviour) and reporting either low (≤2 portions/d) or high (≥3 portions/d) vegetable intake, half of those with low vegetable consumption (Li group) and half of those with high vegetable consumption (Hi group) received cancer protection information, while the other half did not (Ln and Hn groups), before hedonic (9-point), perceived taste and flavour impact responses (100 mm scales) to samples of six Brassica vegetables were elicited. Additionally, attitudes towards foods for health, pleasure and reward, sociodemographics, intentions to consume the vegetables in the near future and recall of health information were also measured.

Subjects

Adult males and females (n 200) aged 18–55 years.

Setting

Central location testing, Adelaide, Australia.

Results

Information groups Li and Hi reported specific cancer protection information knowledge, in contrast to Ln and Hn groups (P < 0·000). Information independently influenced responses to (the least liked) Brussels sprouts only. Multivariate regression analysis found sensory perception tended to predict liking and intentions to consume Brassica vegetables. For example, broccoli hedonics (adjusted R2 = 0·37) were predicted (P < 0·05) by bitterness (β = −0·38), flavour (β = 0·31), sweetness (β = 0·17) and female gender (β = 0·19) and intentions to consume (adjusted R2 = 0·20) were predicted (P < 0·05) by bitterness (β = −0·38), flavour (β = 0·24), female gender (β = 0·20) and vegetable intake (β = 0·14).

Conclusions

Addressing taste dimensions (while retaining healthy compounds) may be more important than promoting health information in order to increase the popularity of Brassica vegetables.
Where to Grasp a Tool?
Authors: Herbort Oliver
Published: January 2012

Biomechanical and environmental constraints limit body movements and tool use actions. However, in the case of tool use, such constraints can often be overcome by adjusting a tool’s tool transformation to the requirements of the intended tool use action. The research presented here examined whether participants grasped a lever at different positions, thus modifying the lever’s tool transformation, to accommodate speed and accuracy requirements of different tasks. Participants were asked to quickly track a sequence of targets with the lever. If accuracy requirements were high, participants compensated for limits in the accuracy of hand movements by grasping the lever at a position that enabled precise control of the lever. If accuracy requirements were low, participants compensated for limits in hand speed by grasping the lever at a position that enabled fast lever movements with comparatively slow hand movements. This task-dependent grasp selection was only present after participants had practiced the tasks. The data show that in addition to adapting to fixed tool transformations, participants also actively controlled tool transformations to facilitate tool use actions.
Toward age determination of the termination of the Cretaceous Normal Superchron
Authors: He Huaiyu , Deng Chenglong , Wang Pujun , Pan Yongxin , Zhu Rixiang
Published: January 2012

We present an integrated chronology for the terrestrial Upper Cretaceous in East Asia based on high‐resolution magnetostratigraphic results and detailed SIMS U‐Pb zircon analyses of a continuous continental sedimentary sequence drilled from the Songliao Basin in northeast China. Correlation to the geomagnetic polarity timescale was achieved by combining magnetostratigraphic and SIMS U‐Pb zircon geochronologic data, which suggest that the south core of the CCSD‐SK‐I sedimentary sequence spans from upper chron C34n to lower chron C33r. The age of the termination of the Cretaceous Normal Superchron (CNS) was estimated to be ∼83.4 Ma. Intervals of reverse geomagnetic field polarity of early Santonian age could be present during the late CNS. Two black shale layers at the base of Member 1 of the Qingshankou Formation and Member 2 of the Nenjiang Formation, which were previously interpreted as the products of lake anoxic events LAE1 and LAE2, have been well dated at 91.4 Ma and 83.7 Ma, respectively, by SIMS U‐Pb zircon analyses of intercalated bentonite layers. However, the LAE1 and LAE2 identified here are not temporally correlated to the known oceanic anoxic events.
Field experiment provides ground truth for surface nuclear magnetic resonance measurement
Authors: Knight Rosemary , Grunewald Elliot , Irons Trevor , Dlubac Katherine , Song Yiqiao , Bachman Henry N. , Grau Ben , Walsh Dave , Abraham Jared D. , Cannia Jim
Published: January 2012

The need for sustainable management of fresh water resources is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. Since most of the planet's liquid fresh water exists as groundwater, it is essential to develop non‐invasive geophysical techniques to characterize groundwater aquifers. A field experiment was conducted in the High Plains Aquifer, central United States, to explore the mechanisms governing the non‐invasive Surface NMR (SNMR) technology. We acquired both SNMR data and logging NMR data at a field site, along with lithology information from drill cuttings. This allowed us to directly compare the NMR relaxation parameter measured during logging,T2, to the relaxation parameter T2* measured using the SNMR method. The latter can be affected by inhomogeneity in the magnetic field, thus obscuring the link between the NMR relaxation parameter and the hydraulic conductivity of the geologic material. When the logging T2data were transformed to pseudo‐T2* data, by accounting for inhomogeneity in the magnetic field and instrument dead time, we found good agreement with T2* obtained from the SNMR measurement. These results, combined with the additional information about lithology at the site, allowed us to delineate the physical mechanisms governing the SNMR measurement. Such understanding is a critical step in developing SNMR as a reliable geophysical method for the assessment of groundwater resources.