bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radiological outcome and gait function of SCFE patients after growth arrest
Authors: Westhoff Bettina , Schröder Katharina , Weimann-Stahlschmidt Kristina , Zilkens Christoph , Willers Reinhart , Krauspe Rüdiger
Published: October 2013

Purpose

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) represents the most common disorder of the hip in adolescents and a preliminary stage of degenerative joint disease. Up to now, functional outcome evaluation measured by objective instruments has been commonly neglected. The present study investigates whether the pathoanatomy of the hip joint after SCFE—analyzed on a standard X-ray—match functional results gained by three-dimensional gait analysis. A variation of functional outcome depending on the radiological findings after growth arrest is hypothesized.

Methods

Thirty-seven SCFE patients after growth arrest [mean age 18.5 years, standard deviation (SD) 4.61] with unilateral affection were included. The pathoanatomy of the hip joint was classified according to the radiological index of Heyman and Herndon and to aspherity. Three-dimensional gait analysis parameters were evaluated and subgroup analysis was performed according to the radiological results.

Results

The radiological findings revealed very good results in general (average comprehensive index of Heyman and Herndon 94 ± 9 %, aspherity grade <2). Significant deviations of gait parameters in relation to the radiological result were an increase in step width, sagittal range of motion (ROM) of the pelvis and foot progression for the worse subgroup.

Conclusions

Taken as a whole, the pathoanatomy of the hip joint after SCFE matched the functional results gained by gait analysis. Functional outcome varied slightly depending on the radiological findings after growth arrest. Differences were most pronounced for foot progression. Only with the help of gait analysis was it possible to describe deviations more precisely and objectively. Further studies are required in order to show which alterations are relevant for the development of secondary osteoarthritis.
Coping with the Challenges of Early Disaster Response: 24 Years of Field Hospital Experience After Earthquakes
Authors: Bar-On Elhanan , Abargel Avi , Peleg Kobi , Kreiss Yitshak
Published: October 2013

Objective

To propose strategies and recommendations for future planning and deployment of field hospitals after earthquakes by comparing the experience of 4 field hospitals deployed by The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Medical Corps in Armenia, Turkey, India and Haiti.

Methods

Quantitative data regarding the earthquakes were collected from published sources; data regarding hospital activity were collected from IDF records; and qualitative information was obtained from structured interviews with key figures involved in the missions.

Results

The hospitals started operating between 89 and 262 hours after the earthquakes. Their sizes ranged from 25 to 72 beds, and their personnel numbered between 34 and 100. The number of patients treated varied from 1111 to 2400. The proportion of earthquake-related diagnoses ranged from 28% to 67% (P < .001), with hospitalization rates between 3% and 66% (P < .001) and surgical rates from 1% to 24% (P < .001).

Conclusions

In spite of characteristic scenarios and injury patterns after earthquakes, patient caseload and treatment requirements varied widely. The variables affecting the patient profile most significantly were time until deployment, total number of injured, availability of adjacent medical facilities, and possibility of evacuation from the disaster area. When deploying a field hospital in the early phase after an earthquake, a wide variability in patient caseload should be anticipated. Customization is difficult due to the paucity of information. Therefore, early deployment necessitates full logistic self-sufficiency and operational versatility. Also, collaboration with local and international medical teams can greatly enhance treatment capabilities. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2013;0:1–8)
Indigenous Research Capability in Aotearoa
Authors: Ormond Adreanne , Williams Les R. Tumoana
Published: October 2013

This article begins by considering the general nature of capability, from some dictionary meanings, then extends to theoretical perspectives related to the capability approach. As a consequence, we arrive at an operational definition that emphasises the ability to solve problems in a systematic way that brings transformation. In these terms, capability is seen as an inherent feature of the life process. The second part of this article presents a model of knowledge generation and illustrates how the development of capability is also an inherent feature of the research process in the fundamental goal of transforming both theory and practice. In the final section, we review and update the activities, initiatives and outcomes of the Capability Building program of Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga, from its beginning in late 2002 to the present, and show that this multi-level and networked program continues to be successful in building research capability. We end by listing some key objectives that are necessary for continuing to strengthen our research culture and capabilities for the future.
Indigenising the Griffith School of Environment Curriculum: Where to From Here?
Authors: Howlett Catherine , Ferreira Jo-Anne , Seini Monica , Matthews Christopher
Published: October 2013

This article presents a discussion on a study undertaken by academics within the Griffith School of Environment, Brisbane, Australia that sought to explore the potential of an Indigenised curriculum to attract and retain Indigenous students, and thereby facilitate greater participation of Indigenous students in science. The article highlights the need for staff to be both reflective and reflexive about the limitations their particular knowledge systems may impose on Indigenous ways of knowing and knowledge systems. The article also acknowledges the need for professional development opportunities for staff prior to any attempts towards Indigenisation of the curriculum.
Les processus de néolithisation : socialiser la nature et naturaliser la société
Authors: Chorin Delphine , Holl Augustin F.C.
Published: October 2013

The advent of food-producing economies – agricultural and pastoral – is indeed an important step in the evolution of human societies. A number of explanatory models have been devised to explain and make sense of the processes involved in these transformations. The explanatory model offered by J. Cauvin in his last book is anchored on the “cultural reason”, a revolution of symbols that presided over the formations of the earliest villages communities and the onset of agricultural economies in the Levant. Alain Testart disagrees, launching an interesting debate and providing a rebuttal of the very logic – or lack thereof – underlying J. Cauvin's suggestions. In this paper, we outline the evolutionary models involved in this debate. Through two complementary case studies featuring prehistoric artworks, we offer a parsimonious non-deterministic co-evolutionary model that integrates all the major factors involved in the neolithisation processes.
The Couch as a Laboratory?
Authors: Krause Monika , Guggenheim Michael
Published: October 2013

The debate about knowledge-production in sociology has pitted “internalist” accounts, which pay close attention to the places, practices, and tools of knowledge, against “externalist” accounts of institutions and fields. Using psychoanalysis as a case, this paper develops an approach that integrates these traditions by comparing the differentiation of places, tools and practices of knowledge production. The paper shows that, in a context in which other areas of practice increasingly differentiate research, diagnosis and treatment in spaces, tools, and professional roles, psychoanalysis invokes that differentiation rhetorically but refuses to differentiate its practice. Psychoanalysts insist on a specific setting – the couch and the psychoanalytic relationship – as central to all aspects of their knowledge-production but they do not adapt this space to pursue any of these purposes in their own right. This analysis explains some of the problems psychoanalysis has with its environment and the specific form divisions take within psychoanalysis. As an unusual case of non-differentiation, psychoanalysis highlights the role differentiation plays in other areas of knowledge-production.
Unequal Welcome and Unequal Life Chances: How the State Shapes Integration Opportunities of Immigrants
Authors: Söhn Janina
Published: October 2013

This article contributes to the broader scientific debate on how the state generates and modifies life chances of individuals and social groups by highlighting a specific way of institutional (re-)production of social inequalities: it explores the nature and impact of immigrant-specific state intervention. Building on the concept of “modes of incorporation” by Portes and colleagues, a theoretical section explicates how specific contexts of reception by the host government may impact on integration outcomes. An empirical study applies this model to Germany – an example of moderate socio-economic immigrant selection, but extensive legal stratification. I demonstrate substantial effects of differential government reception and legal status on socio-economic outcomes among adult immigrants and their children. A concluding section outlines how the model presented here could help advance comparative studies of immigrant incorporation.
25-Hydroxyvitamin D and cognitive performance in mid-life
Authors: Maddock Jane , Geoffroy Marie-Claude , Power Chris , Hyppönen Elina
Published: October 2013

Hypovitaminosis D has been linked with poor cognitive function, particularly in older adults, but studies lack a lifespan approach; hence, the effects of reverse causality remain unknown. In the present study, we aimed to assess the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentrations and subsequent cognitive performance in mid-adulthood and the influence of earlier life factors, including childhood cognitive ability, on this association. Information for the present study was obtained from the members of the 1958 British birth cohort (n 6496). Serum 25(OH)D concentration, indicating vitamin D status, was measured at age 45 years. Verbal memory (immediate and delayed word recall), verbal fluency (animal naming) and speed of processing were tested at age 50 years. Information on childhood cognitive ability, educational attainment, vitamin D-related behaviours and other covariates was collected prospectively from participants throughout their life. Childhood cognitive ability and educational attainment by age 42 years were strongly correlated with cognitive performance at age 50 years and with several vitamin D-related behaviours in mid-adulthood, but not with 25(OH)D concentrations at age 45 years. Participants with both low ( < 25 nmol/l) and high ( ≥ 75 nmol/l) 25(OH)D concentrations at age 45 years performed significantly worse on immediate word recall. The associations attenuated after adjustment for childhood cognitive ability, education, and socio-economic position; however, for the immediate word recall test, there was a non-linear association with 25(OH)D after further adjustment for obesity, menopausal status, smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity and depressive symptoms at age 45 years (Pcurvature= 0·01). The present study demonstrated that 25(OH)D concentrations were non-linearly associated with immediate word recall in mid-life. A clarification of the level of 25(OH)D concentrations that is most beneficial for predicting better cognitive performance in mid-life is required.
Assessing reintroduction success in long-lived primates through population viability analysis: western lowland gorillas Gorilla gorilla gorilla in Central Africa
Authors: King Tony , Chamberlan Christelle , Courage Amos
Published: October 2013

The use of population modelling has become an increasingly common tool in reintroduction planning and assessment. Although initial reintroduction success is often measured by quantifying post-release survival and reproduction, longer-term success is best assessed through measurements of population viability. Here we develop a population model capable of providing useful results for influencing management of a reintroduction programme for a long-lived and slow-reproducing primate, the western lowland gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla. We used post-release monitoring data from two reintroduced populations in the Batéké Plateau region of Congo and Gabon, complemented with published data on wild and captive populations, to develop a population model using Vortex. Sensitivity testing illustrated that the model was highly sensitive to changes in the input parameters for annual birth rates, the number of lethal equivalents, and for female annual mortality rates, especially for adults. The results of the population viability analysis suggested that the reintroduced gorilla populations have a reasonable chance of persistence (> 90% over 200 years) but illustrated that reinforcement of the populations could significantly improve probabilities of population persistence and retention of genetic diversity. Equally, catastrophic events could have significant negative impacts. Continued monitoring of the populations should allow refinement of the model, improving confidence in its predictions and its relevance to decision-making.
Echinococcus multilocularis and Echinococcus canadensis in wolves from western Canada
Authors: SCHURER JANNA M. , GESY KAREN M. , ELKIN BRETT T. , JENKINS EMILY J.
Published: October 2013

Echinococcus species are important parasites of wildlife, domestic animals and people worldwide; however, little is known about the prevalence, intensity and genetic diversity of Echinococcus tapeworms in Canadian wildlife. Echinococcus tapeworms were harvested from the intestines of 42% of 93 wolves (Canis lupus) from five sampling regions in the Northwest Territories, Manitoba and Saskatchewan, and visually identified to genus level by microscopic examination. Genetic characterization was successful for tapeworms from 30 wolves, and identified both Echinococcus canadensis and Echinococcus multilocularis in all sampling locations. Mixed infections of E. canadensis/E. multilocularis, as well as the G8/G10 genotypes of E. canadensis were observed. These findings suggest that wolves may be an important definitive host for both parasite species in western Canada. This represents the first report of wolves naturally infected with E. multilocularis in North America, and of wolves harbouring mixed infections with multiple species and genotypes of Echinococcus. These observations provide important information regarding the distribution and diversity of zoonotic species of Echinococcus in western North America, and may be of interest from public health and wildlife conservation perspectives.
Employment Trajectories and Later Employment Outcomes for Mothers in the British Household Panel Survey: An Analysis by Skill Level
Authors: STEWART KITTY
Published: October 2013

This article explores the association between mothers’ involvement in paid employment when their children are young and their later employment prospects. Using 17 waves of the British Household Panel Survey (1997–2007), it examines the employment trajectories of 954 women for the decade after the birth of their youngest child, asking two main questions. Do mothers who enter or return to work tend to remain in employment? And do wages and job satisfaction further down the line (when the youngest child reaches ten years old) reflect the pathway taken? The article focuses in particular on differences between women with higher- and lower-level qualifications. Mothers are found to be following a variety of employment pathways, with instability relatively common: more than one in three move in and out of work over the period, and this movement is just as common among mothers with higher levels of qualifications as among those with only GCSE-level qualifications or none at all. A stable – and longer – work history is associated with increased wages later on, but the benefits are greater for women with higher levels of qualifications, as might be predicted by human capital theory. Women who were more highly qualified and who moved in and out of work over the decade had an hourly wage when their youngest child was ten which was 31 per cent lower than similar women with a stable work history; for women with few or no qualifications the corresponding figure was 10 per cent and statistically insignificant. For both groups, job satisfaction at the end of the decade was unrelated to the pathway taken.
Social Workers as Policy Actors
Authors: WEISS-GAL IDIT , GAL JOHN
Published: October 2013

This article offers an empirical analysis of the role of social workers as policy actors in parliamentary committees. Based on an initial finding that social workers participated in 14 per cent of all the deliberations of parliamentary committees in the Israeli parliament, the article examines the actual inputs of these social workers in the committee discussions. In order to examine the inputs of social workers in these committees and to identify the links between organisational affiliation and committee type and the inputs, the study provides a close analysis of the recorded minutes of three parliamentary committees. It reveals that social workers tended to facilitate and enrich the social policy formulation process. However social workers, particularly those employed by not-for-profit organisations, also challenged policy makers and placed matters on the agendas of committees. The findings of the study show that social workers are policy actors who offer diverse inputs into a complex policy formulation process.
National Planning and Local Technology Zones: Experimental Governance in China's Torch Programme
Authors: Heilmann Sebastian , Shih Lea , Hofem Andreas
Published: October 2013

Many studies raise doubts about the effectiveness of the institutions, programmes and instruments that shape the Chinese national innovation system. This article scrutinizes central–local interactions in the national Torch Programme that has governed a large group of high-technology zones since 1988. The Torch Programme's procedural practices challenge widely shared assumptions about the dirigiste character of Chinese innovation policy. It combines centralized definition of programme objectives with extensive local implementation experiments. As three case studies demonstrate, bottom-up policy innovations are effectively fed back into national programme adjustments and into horizontal policy diffusion. The array of organizational patterns and promotional instruments that emerges from competitive “experimentation under the shadow of hierarchy” (ESH) goes way beyond what could have been initiated from top down. We hypothesize that the procedural strengths displayed in the Torch Programme may provide better indicators of future innovative potential in China's high-technology zones than retrospective statistical indices and benchmarks that are derived from OECD experience.
Shoulder surgery in older patients: recommendations and techniques
Authors: Valencia M. , Calvo E.
Published: October 2013

Shoulder disorders are very common in the older population. These can be traumatic injuries such as proximal humerus fractures, or degenerative pathology, with rotator cuff disease being the most frequently diagnosed. Lower functional demands along with the presence of co-morbidities means that conservative management is usual. However, surgery can provide pain relief and improve functional outcomes in selected patients. A thorough pre-operative assessment should be performed to avoid surgical or post-operative complications. Osteoporosis is the major concern when undertaking bone fixation in orthopaedic implants and should be routinely ruled out and treated in order to achieve better results.
RESOLUTION OF THE HIRAEA CEPHALOTES COMPLEX (MALPIGHIACEAE)
Authors: Anderson C. E.
Published: October 2013

The assemblage of specimens from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and western Venezuela that had been determined as a variable species, Hiraea cephalotes Triana & Planch. (Malpighiaceae), was found to comprise seven species in addition to H. cephalotes (Colombia, Ecuador). Six are newly described: Hiraea amazonica C.E.Anderson (Brazil), H. angustipetala C.E.Anderson (Ecuador), H. breteleri C.E.Anderson (Venezuela), H. ecuadorensis C.E.Anderson (Ecuador), H. escobariae C.E.Anderson (Colombia), and H. peruviana C.E.Anderson (Peru). Hiraea spruceana var. mortoniana J.F.Macbr. is elevated to the rank of species as H. mortoniana (J.F.Macbr.) C.E.Anderson (Peru). The name Hiraea spruceana Nied. is confirmed as a synonym of H. cephalotes. All eight species are characterised by having the flowers borne in axillary, multiflowered umbels. All but one have styles with a blunt apex; in Hiraea amazonica the apex of the styles is drawn out into a short spur. All species are illustrated.
THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE SPECIES HITHERTO ASSIGNED TO HENCKELIA (GESNERIACEAE)
Authors: Middleton D. J. , Weber A. , Yao T. L. , Sontag S. , Möller M.
Published: October 2013

Following recent molecular phylogenetic studies in Old World Gesneriaceae the nomenclatural implications for names in Henckelia are examined. New combinations are made in Codonoboea and Loxocarpus to account for species now excluded from Henckelia. A list is presented in which the current position of all species hitherto assigned to Henckelia is given, including the new combination Henckelia rotundata (Barnett) D.J.Middleton & Mich.Möller. A new combination in Oreocharis is made.
ROTALA KASARAGODENSIS (LYTHRACEAE), A NEW SPECIES FROM KERALA, INDIA
Authors: Prasad K. S. , Raveendran K.
Published: October 2013

A new species of Rotala (Lythraceae) from India, R. kasaragodensis K.S.Prasad & Raveendran, is described and illustrated.
A STUDY IN AN AREA OF TRANSITION BETWEEN SEASONALLY DRY TROPICAL FOREST AND MESOTROPHIC CERRADÃO, IN MATO GROSSO DO SUL, SOUTHWESTERN BRAZIL
Authors: Bueno M. L. , Neves D. R. , Oliveira Filho A. T. , Lehn C. R. , Ratter J. A.
Published: October 2013

This study describes the tree vegetation and soils occurring in a seasonally dry tropical forest (SDTF) and mesotrophic cerradão transition in southwestern Brazil. All trees ≥ 5 cm diameter were measured in 20 plots of 20 × 25 m, 10 in SDTF, and 10 in mesotrophic cerradão. Ten soil samples of 0−20 cm depth were made per plot and mixed in plot groups to produce two composite samples. A total of 71 species was recorded. Anadenanthera colubrina had the highest importance values in both formations. Differences in soil fertility were found between SDTFs (eutrophic soils) and mesotrophic cerradão (mesotrophic soils). A non-metric multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis confirmed the soil fertility segregation, and also showed an agreement between soil fertility and variance in species composition gradients. The mesotrophic cerradão showed higher species richness since it also includes many species typical of more dystrophic and open forms of Cerrado.
LECTOTYPIFICATION OF PHANERA MACROSTACHYA BENTH. (LEGUMINOSAE: CAESALPINIOIDEAE)
Authors: Bandyopadhyay S.
Published: October 2013

The name Phanera macrostachya (Leguminosae: Caesalpinioideae) is lectotypified here.
Locating the location of a South African location: the paradoxical pre-history of Soweto
Authors: PHILLIPS HOWARD
Published: October 2013

This article examines the decisive role of the pneumonic plague epidemic of 1904 in re-shaping the racial geography of Johannesburg after the South African War. The panic which this epidemic evoked swept away the obstacles which had blocked such a step since 1901 and saw the Indian and African inhabitants of the inner-city Coolie Location forcibly removed to Klipspruit Farm 12 miles outside of the city as a health emergency measure. There, the latter were compelled to remain, even after the epidemic had waned, making it henceforth the officially designated site for their residence. In 1963, now greatly expanded, it was named Soweto. From small germs do mighty townships grow.
Expression of INHβA and INHβB proteins in porcine oocytes cultured in vitro is dependent on the follicle size
Authors: Kempisty Bartosz , Piotrowska Hanna , Rybska Marta , Woźna Magdalena , Antosik Paweł , Bukowska Dorota , Zawierucha Piotr , Ciesiółka Sylwia , Jaśkowski Jędrzej M. , Nowicki Michał , Brüssow Klaus-Peter , Zabel Maciej
Published: October 2013

The current study aimed to investigate differential expression of inhibin βA (INHβA) and inhibin βB (INHβB) in porcine oocytes before or after in vitro maturation (IVM) isolated from follicles of various sizes. Porcine oocytes isolated from large, medium and small follicles (40 from each) were used to study the INHβA and INHβB protein expression pattern using western blot analysis before or after 44 h of oocyte IVM. An increased expression of INHβA was found in oocytes collected from large and medium follicles compared with small follicles before or after IVM (P < 0.001, P < 0.05, respectively). Similarly, higher INHβB levels were observed in oocytes recovered from large follicles compared with small (P < 0.01). As INHβA and INHβB are expressed in both porcine follicular somatic cells and oocytes, it can be assumed that these transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) superfamily factors are involved in the regulation of molecular bi-directional pathways during follicle and oocyte development, and can be recognized as markers of follicle and oocyte maturation. Moreover, the current study clearly demonstrated that inhibin expression is substantially associated with porcine follicle growth and development.
Pre-school manager training: a cost-effective tool to promote nutrition- and health-related practice improvements in the Irish full-day-care pre-school setting
Authors: Johnston Molloy Charlotte , Kearney John , Hayes Nóirín , Glennon Slattery Corina , Corish Clare
Published: October 2013

Objective

To evaluate the impact on nutrition- and health-related practice of two methods of delivery of a nutrition and health intervention in Irish full-day-care pre-schools: training of pre-school managers only or training of managers and their staff.

Design

A simple randomised study with pre-schools divided into two training groups: ‘manager trained’ and ‘manager and staff trained’. Direct observational data – food and fluid provision, physical activity, outdoor time, staff practices and availability of nutrition and health resources – were recorded during one full day spent in each pre-school both pre- and post-intervention, using a specifically developed and validated Pre-school Health Promotion Activity Scored Evaluation Form. Post-intervention, self-assessment data were also collected using the same evaluation tool.

Setting

Pre-schools, Midlands of Ireland.

Subjects

A convenience sample of forty-two pre-schools registered with the Irish Health Service Executive.

Results

From pre- to post-intervention, significant improvement (P < 0·05) in nutrition- and health-related practice was observed within both intervention delivery groups in all areas evaluated: environment, food service, meals and snacks. No additional effect attributable to staff training was observed. Scores assigned by direct independent observation were lower than pre-school self-assessment scores.

Conclusions

The implementation of a training intervention in pre-schools significantly improved practice with no significant benefit of additional staff training. Direct independent observation is required to quantify practice accurately.
The role of chaplains in end-of-life decision making: Results of a pilot survey
Authors: Clemm Stephanie , Jox Ralf J. , Borasio Gian Domenico , Roser Traugott
Published: October 2013

Objective:

The overall aim of this study was to discover how chaplains assess their role within ethically complex end-of-life decisions.

Methods:

A questionnaire was sent to 256 chaplains working for German health care institutions. Questions about their role and satisfaction as well as demographic data were collected, which included information about the chaplains' integration within multi-professional teams.

Results:

The response rate was 59%, 141 questionnaires were analyzed. Respondents reported being confronted with decisions concerning the limitation of life-sustaining treatment on average two to three times per month. Nearly 74% were satisfied with the decisions made within these situations. However, only 48% were satisfied with the communication process. Whenever chaplains were integrated within a multi-professional team there was a significantly higher satisfaction with both: the decisions made (p = 0.000) and the communication process (p = 0.000).

Significance of the results:

Although the results of this study show a relatively high satisfaction among surveyed chaplains with regard to the outcome of decisions, one of the major problems seems to reside in the communication process. A clear integration of chaplains within multi-professional teams (such as palliative care teams) appears to increase the satisfaction with the communication in ethically critical situations.
Pollen‐induced antigen presentation by mesenchymal stem cells and T cells from allergic rhinitis
Authors: Desai Mauli B , Gavrilova Tatyana , Liu Jianjun , Patel Shyam A , Kartan Saritha , Greco Steven J , Capitle Eugenio , Rameshwar Pranela
Published: October 2013

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are promising cellular suppressor of inflammation. This function of MSCs is partly due to their licensing by inflammatory mediators. In cases with reduced inflammation, MSCs could become immune‐enhancer cells. MSCs can suppress the inflammatory response of antigen‐challenged lymphocytes from allergic asthma. Although allergic rhinitis (AR) is also an inflammatory response, it is unclear if MSCs can exert similar suppression. This study investigated the immune effects (suppressor vs enhancer) of MSCs on allergen‐stimulated lymphocytes from AR subjects (grass or weed allergy). In contrast to subjects with allergic asthma, MSCs caused a significant (P<0.05) increase in the proliferation of antigen‐challenged lymphocytes from AR subjects. The increase in lymphocyte proliferation was caused by the MSCs presenting the allergens to CD4+ T cells (antigen‐presenting cells (APCs)). This correlated with increased production of inflammatory cytokines from T cells, and increased expressions of major histocompatibility complex (MHC)‐II and CD86 on MSCs. The specificity of APC function was demonstrated in APC assay using MSCs that were knocked down for the master regulator of MHC‐II transcription, CIITA. The difference in the effects of MSCs on allergic asthma and AR could not be explained by the sensitivity to the allergen, based on skin tests. Thus, we deduced that the contrasting immune effects of MSCs for antigen‐challenged lymphocytes on AR and allergic asthma could be disease specific. It is possible that the enhanced inflammation from asthma might be required to license the MSCs to become suppressor cells. This study underscores the need for robust preclinical studies to effectively translate MSCs for any inflammatory disorder.
Microwave-assisted interfacial hydrothermal fabrication of hydrophobic CdWO4 microspheres as a high-performance photocatalyst
Authors: Hou Linrui , Lian Lin , Zhang Longhai , Wu Tian , Yuan Changzhou
Published: October 2013

Facile yet efficient microwave-assisted interfacial hydrothermal strategy was successfully developed to fabricate CdWO4 microspheres as an advanced catalyst for photocatalytic degradation of Methyl Orange under UV light irradiation.
Proper and improper zero energy modes in Hartree-Fock theory and their relevance for symmetry breaking and restoration
Authors: Cui Yao , Bulik Ireneusz W. , Jiménez-Hoyos Carlos A. , Henderson Thomas M. , Scuseria Gustavo E.
Published: October 2013

We study the spectra of the molecular orbital Hessian (stability matrix) and random-phase approximation (RPA) Hamiltonian of broken-symmetry Hartree-Fock solutions, focusing on zero eigenvalue modes. After all negative eigenvalues are removed from the Hessian by following their eigenvectors downhill, one is left with only positive and zero eigenvalues. Zero modes correspond to orbital rotations with no restoring force. These rotations determine states in the Goldstone manifold, which originates from a spontaneously broken continuous symmetry in the wave function. Zero modes can be classified as improper or proper according to their different mathematical and physical properties. Improper modes arise from symmetry breaking and their restoration always lowers the energy. Proper modes, on the other hand, correspond to degeneracies of the wave function, and their symmetry restoration does not necessarily lower the energy. We discuss how the RPA Hamiltonian distinguishes between proper and improper modes by doubling the number of zero eigenvalues associated with the latter. Proper modes in the Hessian always appear in pairs which do not double in RPA. We present several pedagogical cases exemplifying the above statements. The relevance of these results for projected Hartree-Fock methods is also addressed.
Impact of proton transfer phenomena on the electronic structure of model Schiff bases: An AIM/NBO/ELF study
Authors: Panek Jarosław J. , Filarowski Aleksander , Jezierska-Mazzarello Aneta
Published: October 2013

Understanding of the electronic structure evolution due to a proton dynamics is a key issue in biochemistry and material science. This paper reports on density functional theory calculations of Schiff bases containing short, strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds where the bridged proton is located: (i) at the donor site, (ii) strongly delocalized, and (iii) at the acceptor site. The mobility of the bridged proton and its influence on the molecular structure and properties of the chosen Schiff base derivatives have been investigated on the basis of Atoms in Molecules, Natural Bond Orbitals, and Electron Localization Function theories. It has been observed that the extent of the bridged proton delocalization is strongly modified by the steric and inductive effects present in the studied compounds introduced by various substituents. It has been shown that: (i) potential energy profiles for the proton motion are extremely dependent on the substitution of the aromatic ring, (ii) the topology of the free electron pairs present at the donor/acceptor site, as well as their electron populations, are affected qualitatively by the bridged proton position, (iii) the distortion of the molecular structure due to the bridged proton dynamics includes the atomic charge fluctuations, which are in some cases non-monotonic, and (iv) topology of the ELF recognizes events of proton detachment from the donor and attachment to the acceptor. The quantitative and qualitative results shed light onto molecular consequences of the proton transfer phenomena.
Inertial effects at moderate Reynolds number in thin-film rimming flows driven by surface shear
Authors: Kay E. D. , Hibberd S. , Power H.
Published: October 2013

In this paper, we study two-dimensional thin-film flow inside a stationary circular cylinder driven by an imposed surface shear stress. Modelling is motivated by a need to understand the cooling and film dynamics provided by oil films in an aero-engine bearing chamber characterised by conditions of very high surface shear and additional film mass flux from oil droplets entering the film through the surface. In typical high-speed operation, film inertial effects can provide a significant leading-order mechanism neglected in existing lubrication theory models. Inertia at leading-order is included within a depth-averaged formulation where wall friction is evaluated similar to hydraulic models. This allows key nonlinear inertial effects to be included while retaining the ability to analyse the problem in a mathematically tractable formulation and compare with other approaches. In constructing this model, a set of simplified mass and momentum equations are integrated through the depth of the film yielding a spatially one-dimensional depth-averaged formulation of the problem. An a priori assumed form of velocity profile is needed to complete the system. In a local Stokes flow analysis, a quadratic profile is the exact solution for the velocity field though it must be modified when inertial effects become important. Extension of the velocity profile to a cubic profile is selected enabling specification of a wall friction model to include the roughness of the cylinder wall. A modelling advantage of including the inertia term, relevant to the applications considered, is that a smooth progression in solution can be obtained between cases of low Reynolds number corresponding to lubrication theory, and high Reynolds number corresponding to uniform rimming-flow. Importantly, we also investigate the effect of inertia on some typical solutions from other studies and present a greater insight to existing and new film solutions which arise from including inertia effects.
Swimming near deformable membranes at low Reynolds number
Authors: Dias Marcelo A. , Powers Thomas R.
Published: October 2013

Microorganisms are rarely found in nature swimming freely in an unbounded fluid. Instead, they typically encounter other organisms, hard walls, or deformable boundaries, such as free interfaces or membranes. Hydrodynamic interactions between the swimmer and nearby objects lead to many interesting phenomena, such as changes in swimming speed, tendencies to accumulate or turn, and coordinated flagellar beating. Inspired by this class of problems, we investigate locomotion of microorganisms near deformable boundaries. We calculate the speed of an infinitely long swimmer close to a flexible surface separating two fluids; we also calculate the deformation and swimming speed of the flexible surface. When the viscosities on either side of the flexible interface differ, we find that fluid is pumped along or against the swimming direction, depending on which viscosity is greater.
Physical and numerical investigation of cavitating flows around a pitching hydrofoil
Authors: Huang Biao , Ducoin Antoine , Young Yin Lu
Published: October 2013

The objective of this paper is to investigate cavitating flows around a pitching hydrofoil via combined physical and numerical studies. The aims are to (1) improve the understanding of the interplay between unsteady cavitating flow, hydrofoil motion, and hydrodynamic performance, (2) quantify the influence of pitching rate on subcavitating and cavitating responses, and (3) quantify the influence of cavitation on the hydrodynamic load coefficients and surrounding flow structures. Results are presented for a NACA66 hydrofoil undergoing controlled, slow $(\dot \alpha = 6^\circ /{\rm s})$(α̇=6∘/s) and fast $(\dot \alpha = 63^\circ /{\rm s})$(α̇=63∘/s) pitching motions from α = 0° to α = 15° and back to α = 0° for both subcavitating and cavitating conditions at a moderate Reynolds number of Re = 750 000. The experimental studies were conducted in a cavitation tunnel at the French Naval Academy, France. The numerical simulations are performed by solving the incompressible, multiphase Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes Equations via the commercial code CFX using a transport equation-based cavitation model; a modified k-ω SST turbulence model is used to account for the effect of local compressibility on the turbulent eddy viscosity. The results showed that increases in the pitching rate suppressed laminar to turbulent transition, delayed stall, and significantly modified post-stall behavior. Cavitation inception at the leading edge modified the pressure distribution, which in turn significantly changed the interaction between leading edge and trailing edge vortices, and hence the magnitude as well as the frequency of the load fluctuations. For a fixed cavitation number, increases in pitching rate lead to increase in cavitation volume, which in turn changed the cavity shedding frequencies and significantly modified the hydrodynamic loads. Inversely, the leading edge cavitation observed for the low pitching velocity case tends to stabilize the stall because of the decrease of the pressure gradient due to the formation of the cavity. The results showed strong correlation between the cavity and vorticity structures, which suggest that the inception, growth, collapse and shedding of sheet/cloud cavities are important mechanisms for vorticity production and modification.
Stagnation point properties for non-continuum gaseous jet impinging at a flat plate surface from a planar exit
Authors: Cai Chunpei
Published: October 2013

In this paper, we investigate highly rarefied gaseous jet flows out of a planar exit and impinging at a normally set flat plate. Especially, we concentrate on the plate center stagnation point pressure and heat flux coefficients. For a specular reflective plate, the stagnation point pressure coefficient can be represented using two non-dimensional factors: the characteristic gas exit speed ratio S0 and the geometry ratio of H/L, where H is the planar exit semi-height and L is the center-to-center distance from the exit to the plate. For a diffuse reflective plate, the stagnation point pressure and heat flux coefficients involve an extra factor of T0/Tw, i.e., the ratio of exit gas temperature to the plate wall temperature. These results allow us to develop four diagrams, from which we can conveniently obtain the pressure and heat flux coefficients for the stagnation impingement point, at the collisionless flow limit. After normalization with these maximum coefficients, the pressure and heat flux coefficient distributions along the surface essentially degenerate to almost identical curves. As a result, with known plate surface pressure coefficient distributions and these diagrams, we can conveniently construct the heat flux coefficient distributions along the plate surface, and vice versa.
Unified interatomic potential and energy barrier distributions for amorphous oxides
Authors: Trinastic J. P. , Hamdan R. , Wu Y. , Zhang L. , Cheng Hai-Ping
Published: October 2013

Amorphous tantala, titania, and hafnia are important oxides for biomedical implants, optics, and gate insulators. Understanding the effects of oxide doping is crucial to optimize performance in these applications. However, no molecular dynamics potentials have been created to date that combine these and other oxides that would allow computational analyses of doping-dependent structural and mechanical properties. We report a novel set of computationally efficient, two-body potentials modeling van der Waals and covalent interactions that reproduce the structural and elastic properties of both pure and doped amorphous oxides. In addition, we demonstrate that the potential accurately produces energy barrier distributions for pure and doped samples. The distributions can be directly compared to experiment and used to calculate physical quantities such as internal friction to understand how doping affects material properties. Future analyses using these potentials will be of great value to determine optimal doping concentrations and material combinations for myriad material science applications.
Slit-based supersonic microplasma jets: Scalable sources for nanostructured thin film deposition
Authors: Koh T. , Chiles I. , Gordon M.
Published: October 2013

Slit-based, hollow cathode microplasma jets operating in under-expanded supersonic flow were investigated as spray deposition sources to realize nanostructured metal oxide thin films. Design of the slit cathode, its operation (e.g., IV characteristics, fluorescence imaging of supersonic flow shock structures, etc.), and companion CuO nanowire deposition experiments are discussed. Overall, this work demonstrates that slit-based, flow-through microplasmas are a promising way to scale up hollow cathode discharges for large area deposition of thin films at high pressures (>10 Torr).
A thermal route to synthesize photovoltaic grade CuInSe2 films from printed CuO/In2O3 nanoparticle-based inks under Se atmosphere
Authors: Pulgarín-Agudelo F. A. , López-Marino S. , Fairbrother A. , Placidi M. , Izquierdo-Roca V. , Sebastián P. J. , Ramos F. , Pina B. , Pérez-Rodríguez A. , Saucedo E.
Published: October 2013

In this work we present an alternative thermal route for the synthesis of CuInSe2 light absorber films for photovoltaic applications from printed CuO/In2O3 nanoparticle-based inks. We demonstrate the possibility of substituting highly toxic (H2Se) and explosive (H2) gases for the processing of this type of precursors, using more environmental friendly gases (elemental Se and Ar/H2 mixtures). We show that by using Ar/H2 mixtures with low H2 concentration, it is possible to reduce the oxide nanoparticles to their metallic form, thus priming the film for subsequent selenization. This reactive thermal process seems to be the critical step to obtain large CuInSe2 grains with photovoltaic activity. Optimizing the proposed thermal route, based on less toxic, safer, and more eco-friendly gases, we obtain a very promising 2.4% efficiency solar cell based on CuInSe2 films as the absorber layer.
Monitoring the Fermi-level position within the bandgap on a single nanowire: A tool for local investigations of doping
Authors: Fanetti M. , Ambrosini S. , Amati M. , Gregoratti L. , Abyaneh M. K. , Franciosi A. , Chia A. C. E. , LaPierre R. R. , Rubini S.
Published: October 2013

The control of the doping in nanowires (NWs) is of fundamental importance for the implementation of NW-based devices. A method is presented to obtain local information about doping by monitoring the Fermi-energy position within the bandgap at the surface along single NWs through spatially resolved x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The experimental results are complemented by theoretical simulations of the carrier profile, taking into account the presence of electronic surface states and quantifying the impact of carrier depletion at the NW surface. This combined approach allows to determine the effect of the incorporation of Si dopants in GaAs NWs following different growth protocols, such as vapor-liquid-solid axial growth or vapor-solid radial growth, and in the resulting core-shell structures and axial junctions. The method also revelaed the strong dependence of the resulting doping on the morphology of the single NW (orientation, shell thickness). This approach can be easily applied to other nanoscale objects, allowing the direct observation of how doping (or junctions, or adsorbates,…) may locally affect the position of the Fermi level at the surface, which is a crucial factor in several application fields, such as photovoltaic and photocatalysis.
Modelling interfacial coupling in thin film magnetic exchange springs at finite temperature
Authors: Saharan L. , Morrison C. , Miles J. J. , Thomson T. , Schrefl T. , Hrkac G.
Published: October 2013

We report a numerical study that demonstrates the interface layer between a soft and hard magnetic phase, the exchange transition layer, is the dominant factor that influences the magnetization reversal process at room temperature and long measurement times. It is found that the exchange transition layer thickness affects the magnetization reversal and the coupling of a bi-layer system by lowering the switching field and changing the angle dependent magnetization reversal. We show that the change in angle dependence of reversal is due to an increased incoherency in the lateral spin behavior. Changing the value of exchange coupling in the exchange transition layer affects only the angle dependent behavior and does not lower the switching field.