bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functional a posteriori error estimates for discontinuous Galerkin approximations of elliptic problems
Authors: Lazarov Raytcho , Repin Sergey , Tomar Satyendra K.
Published: August 2008

In this article, we develop functional a posteriori error estimates for discontinuous Galerkin (DG) approximations of elliptic boundary‐value problems. These estimates are based on a certain projection of DG approximations to the respective energy space and functional a posteriori estimates for conforming approximations developed by S. Repin (see e.g., Math Comp 69 (2000) 481–500). On these grounds, we derive two‐sided guaranteed and computable bounds for the errors in “broken” energy norms. A series of numerical examples presented confirm the efficiency of the estimates. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2009
An upwind finite volume element method based on quadrilateral meshes for nonlinear convection‐diffusion problems
Authors: Gao Fu‐Zheng , Yuan Yi‐Rang
Published: August 2008

Considering an upwind finite volume element method based on convex quadrilateral meshes for computing nonlinear convection‐diffusion problems, some techniques, such as calculus of variations, commutating operator, and the theory of prior error estimates and techniques, are adopted. Discrete maximum principle and optimal‐order error estimates in H1 norm for fully discrete method are derived to determine the errors in the approximate solution. Thus, the well‐known problem [(Li et al., Generalized difference methods for differential equations: numerical analysis of finite volume methods, Marcel Dekker, New York, 2000), p 365.] has been solved. Some numerical experiments show that the method is a very effective engineering computing method for avoiding numerical dispersion and nonphysical oscillations. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 2009
Mode I and Mode II delamination resistance and mechanical properties of woven glass/epoxy–PU IPN composites
Authors: Sampath P.S. , Murugesan V. , Sarojadevi M. , Thanigaiyarasu G.
Published: August 2008

The effect of polyurethane on the mechanical properties and Mode I and Mode II interlaminar fracture toughness of glass/epoxy composites were studied. Polyurethanes (PU) synthesized using polyols and toluene diisocyanate were employed as modifier for epoxy resin by forming interpenetrating polymer network. The PU/Epoxy IPN was used as matrix material for GFRP. PU modified epoxy composite laminates having varying PU contents were prepared. The effect of PU content on the mechanical properties like interlaminar fracture toughness (Mode I, G1c and Mode II, GIIc), tensile strength, flexural strength, and Izod impact strength were studied. The morphological studies were conducted on the fractured surface of the composite specimen by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact strength of PU‐modified epoxy composite laminates were found to increase inline with interlaminar fracture toughness (G1c and GIIc) with increasing PU content to a certain limit and then it was found to decrease with increase in PU content. It was observed that toughening of epoxy with PU increases the Mode I and Mode II delamination toughness up to 17 and 120% higher than that of untoughened composite specimen, respectively. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Nonisothermal crystallization behavior and crystals morphology of poly(trimethylene terephthalate)/nano‐calcium carbonate composites
Authors: Run Mingtao , Yao Chenguang , Wang Yingjin , Song Hongzan
Published: August 2008

Nonisothermal crystallization behavior and crystal morphology of poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) composites filled with modified nano‐calcium carbonate (CaCO3) had been investigated by using differential scanning calorimetry and polarized optical microscopy. The modified Avrami equation and Ozawa theory were used to investigate the nonisothermal crystallization, respectively. The particles of nano‐CaCO3, acting as a nucleation agent in composites, accelerated the crystallization rate by decreasing the half‐time of crystallization or increasing the parameters of Zc and K(T). Moreover, the nano‐composite with 2 wt% nano‐CaCO3 exhibited the highest crystallization rate. The Avrami and the Ozawa exponents, n and m of the nano‐composites, were higher than those of neat PTT, suggesting more complicated interaction between molecular chains and the nanoparticles that cause the changes of the nucleation mode and the crystal growth dimension. The effective activation energy calculated from the Friedman formula was reduced as nano‐CaCO3 content increased, suggesting that the nano‐CaCO3 made the molecular chains of PTT easier to crystallize during the nonisothermal crystallization process. The optical micrographs showed that much smaller or less perfect crystals were formed in composites because of the presence of the nano‐CaCO3 particles. POLYM. COMPOS., 2008. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Development of novel conducting composites of nanostructured poly(1‐naphthylamine) with poly(vinyl chloride)
Authors: Riaz Ufana , Ahmad Sharif , Ashraf S.M.
Published: August 2008

Investigations on the synthesis of nanoconducting polymers have gained much popularity during the past few decades. The processibility of the nanostructured conducting polymers is poor, which hinders their commercial application. Considering the drawbacks of nanostructured conducting polymers, this article reports for the first time the synthesis of processible composites of nanostructured poly(1‐naphthylamine) (PNA), a polyaniline derivative with poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC). The composites were prepared by loading different weight ratios of PNA (2–10 wt%) in PVC. The composites were characterized by spectral, thermal, morphological, and conductivity studies. The particle size of PNA/PVC composites was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and was found to be in the range of 5–20 nm. The highest conductivity of 2.5 × 10−2 S/cm was obtained in the composite with 4 wt% loading of PNA. The high conductivity of the composites was correlated to the agglomerate‐free uniform dispersion of self‐assembled nanofibrillar network of PNA particles in the PVC matrix. The PNA/PVC composites exhibited good mechanical properties, which holds potential for use in semiconductor nanodevices. POLYM. COMPOS., 2009. © 2008 Society of Plastics Engineers
Die Entdeckung der Langsamkeit. Dünenbildung auf dem Mars
Authors: Ribeiro Parteli Eric Josef , Herrmann Hans‐Jürgen
Published: August 2008

Marsdünen zeigen große Formenvielfalt. Sie reichen von charakteristischen Wanderdünen, den von der Erde bekannten Barchanen, bis zu exotischen Dünenformen. Die Marsmissionen warfen die Frage auf, ob diese Dünen in der heutigen Marsatmosphäre überhaupt noch entstehen oder wandern können. Computersimulationen zeigen nun, dass das möglich ist. Allerdings treten die zum Sandtransport erforderlichen Windgeschwindigkeiten sehr selten auf. Deshalb brauchen die Dünen für solche Prozesse je nach Form vermutlich Zehntausende bis mehrere Millionen Jahre. Auch die Entstehung exotischer Dünenformen konnte erfolgreich simuliert werden. Die Ursache ist Wind, der zwischen zwei festen Richtungen oszilliert.
Verschränkung von Spins in Diamant
Authors: Rempp Florian , Neumann Philipp , Wrachtrup Jörg
Published: August 2008

In den letzten Jahren ist es gelungen, freie Teilchen, wie Photonen oder Atome, miteinander zu verschränken. Unsere Gruppe an der Universität Stuttgart konnte jüngst einzelne Kernspins in Diamant verschränken. Da das Experiment bei Raumtemperatur funktioniert, könnte diese Technik für die zukünftige Entwicklung eines Quantencomputers von Bedeutung sein.
Licht auf die Spitze getrieben
Authors: Pettinger Bruno
Published: August 2008

Klassische optische Mikroskope unterscheiden Stoffe an Hand ihrer Farbspektren, können aber bisher einzelne Atome oder Moleküle nicht abbilden. Unsere Gruppe am Fritz‐Haber‐Institut der Max‐Planck‐Gesellschaft in Berlin hat nun ein optisches Mikroskop entwickelt, das einzelne Moleküle mit Hilfe ihres abgestrahlten Raman‐Lichtes abbildet. Seine Auflösung von 15 Nanometer ist mit der von Rasterkraftmikroskopen vergleichbar und liegt damit weit unter der Beugungsgrenze optischer Mikroskope.
Vom Experiment im Gartenlabor zum Nanoinstrument
Authors: Junk Andreas
Published: August 2008

Lange Zeit galt Röntgenstrahlung als nicht fokussierbar. Deswegen waren abbildende Instrumente wie Mikroskope oder Teleskope für diesen Bereich elektromagnetischer Strahlung nicht realisierbar. 1967 gelang mit dem holografischen Ansatz von Astronomen der Universitätssternwarte Göttingen der Durchbruch bei der Fertigung von Optiken für weiche Röntgenstrahlung. In den Folgejahren bauten sie das transmittierende Zonenplatten‐Röntgenmikroskop (TXM), das heute ein wertvolles Instrument in der Nanotechnologie ist.
Predictors of affect following treatment decision‐making for prostate cancer: conversations, cognitive processing, and coping
Authors: Christie Kysa M. , Meyerowitz Beth E. , Giedzinska‐Simons Antoinette , Gross Mitchell , Agus David B.
Published: August 2008

Objective: Research suggests that cancer patients who are more involved in treatment decision‐making (TDM) report better quality of life following treatment. This study examines the association and possible mechanisms between prostate cancer patient's discussions about TDM and affect following treatment. We predicted that the length of time patients spent discussing treatment options with social networks and physicians prior to treatment would predict emotional adjustment after treatment. We further predicted that cognitive processing, coping, and patient understanding of treatment options would mediate this association.

Methods: Fifty‐seven patients completed questionnaires prior to treatment and at 1 and 6 months following treatment completion.

Results: Findings from the present study suggest that discussing treatment options with others, prior to beginning treatment for prostate cancer, significantly contributed to improvements in affect 1 and 6 months following treatment. Residualized regression analyses indicated that discussing treatment options with patient's social networks predicted a decrease in negative affect 1 and 6 months following treatment, while discussions with physicians predicted an increase in positive affect 1 month following treatment. Patients who spent more time discussing treatment options with family and friends also reported greater pre‐treatment social support and emotional expression. Mediation analyses indicated that these coping strategies facilitated cognitive processing (as measured by a decrease in intrusive thoughts) and that cognitive processing predicted improvement in affect.

Conclusions: Greater time spent talking with family and friends about treatment options may provide opportunities for patients to cope with their cancer diagnosis and facilitate cognitive processing, which may improve patient distress over time. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Adjustment of caregivers of pediatric patients with brain tumors: a cross‐sectional analysis
Authors: Hutchinson Katherine C. , Willard Victoria W. , Hardy Kristina K. , Bonner Melanie J.
Published: August 2008

Objective: The purpose of the study was to compare the psychological adjustment of caregivers of children with brain tumors who are on‐treatment with caregivers of children who are off‐treatment.

Methods: Data were collected from 90 participants: 47 (52.2%) caregivers of children undergoing active treatment (on‐treatment) and 43 (47.8%) caregivers of children off‐treatment on measures of global psychological distress and illness and caregiving related distress.

Results: Results revealed that the two groups differed significantly in their reported symptoms of general psychological distress, with the off‐treatment caregivers reporting significantly lower levels of general distress. However, off‐treatment caregivers continued to experience elevated levels of uncertainty and caregiving burden related to their child's illness.

Conclusions: There is significant evidence suggesting that the burden of caring for a child with a brain tumor is ongoing, continuing well into the off‐treatment period. These results also suggest that the psychosocial functioning of these caregivers is best assessed using measures designed specifically to evaluate illness‐related psychosocial functioning (e.g. the Parent Experience of Child Illness, Impact on Family Scale). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crosscheck mechanism to identify malicious nodes in ad hoc networks
Authors: Su Xu , Boppana Rajendra V.
Published: August 2008

Route falsification attacks are easy to launch in mobile ad hoc networks with on demand routing protocols that employ network‐wide flooding of control packets for route discoveries. To mitigate such attacks, we propose ap‐hop crosscheck mechanism, which requires nodesp,p ≥ 2, hops apart to authenticate and verify route reply packets using pairwise shared keys. This mechanism can detect route falsification by non‐colluding malicious nodes on‐the‐fly; furthermore, it can identify a group of at mostp+1 nodes that contain the malicious nodes that caused the route falsification. Unlike intrusion detection techniques, which require extensive monitoring and sampling, the proposed crosscheck mechanism is light‐weight and fast and hence can be used to augment the existing secure routing protocols and improve intrusion detection capability. We implement a two‐hopcrosscheck for an on demand ad hoc network routing protocol. Using simulations, we show that the two‐hopcrosscheck mitigates attacks by multiple malicious nodes with negligible impact on performance. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Robust optimum design of tuned mass dampers for high‐rise buildings under moderate earthquakes
Authors: Marano Giuseppe Carlo , Greco Rita
Published: August 2008

In the present study the optimum design of tuned‐mass‐damper (TMD) devices used for the vibration control of high‐rise buildings subject to moderate earthquakes is developed. For these structures a large acceleration demand can produce damage in equipment and contents: therefore, the performance of TMD will be based on the capacity of reducing this structural response. In order to maximize the performance and the efficiency of the TMD strategy, the ratio between the absolute accelerations of the protected and of the unprotected systems is assumed as objective function in the optimum design.

The method is carried out in a stochastic way and a stationary‐filtered stochastic process is assumed to model the seismic action. Since the main disadvantage of using a single TMD is the mistuning related to errors in the evaluation of the natural frequency of the main structure, an uncertainty is introduced for this structural parameter, which is modelled as a random variable. Uncertainties in other structural mechanical properties and in TMD are neglected. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Earthquake analysis of reinorced concrete minarets using ambient vibration test results
Authors: Bayraktar Alemdar , Sevim Bariş , Altunişik Ahmet Can , Türker Temel
Published: August 2008

This paper describes a Turkish style reinforced concrete minaret, its finite element model, modal testing, finite element model updating and earthquake behaviour, before and after model updating. The minaret of a mosque located in Trabzon, Turkey is selected as an application. A three‐dimensional (3D) model of the minaret and its modal analysis is performed to obtain analytical frequencies and mode shapes using ANSYS finite element program. The ambient vibration tests are conducted on the minaret under natural excitations such as wind effects and human movement. The output‐only modal parameter identification is carried out by Enhanced Frequency Domain Decomposition and Stochastic Subspace Identification methods in Operational Modal Analysis software and in doing so, dynamic characteristics (natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios) are determined. A 3D finite element model of the minaret is updated to minimize the differences between analytical and experimental modal properties by changing some uncertain modelling parameters such as material properties and boundary conditions. The earthquake behaviour of the minaret is investigated using 1992 Erzincan earthquake before and after finite element model updating. Maximum differences in the natural frequencies are reduced from 21% to 8%, and good agreement is found between analytical and experimental natural frequencies. In addition to this, it is realized that finite element model updating is effective on the earthquake behaviour of the minaret. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Franz Kaspar Hesselbach (1759–1816): Anatomist and Surgeon
Authors: Tubbs R. Shane , Gribben Walter B. , Loukas Marios , Shoja Mohammadali M. , Tubbs Kevin O. , Oakes W. Jerry
Published: August 2008

Although the term Hesselbach’s triangle is used in everyday general surgical practice, little is written and known regarding the life of the early surgical pioneer for whom it is named. The present paper reviews the life of the German Franz Kaspar Hesselbach (1759–1816) and his contributions to the anatomical sciences and practice of surgery.
Thyrotropin Level and Thyroid Volume for Prediction of Hypothyroidism Following Hemithyroidectomy in an Asian Patient Cohort
Authors: Moon Hyeong‐Gon , Jung Eun‐Jung , Park Soon‐Tae , Jung Tae Sik , Jeong Chi‐Young , Ju Young‐Tae , Lee Young‐Joon , Hong Soon‐Chan , Choi Sang‐Kyung , Ha Woo‐Song
Published: August 2008

Background

As more patients undergo diagnostic thyroid surgery, the development of posthemithyroidectomy hypothyroidism is becoming a major concern. We hypothesized that the preoperative thyrotropin (thyroid‐stimulating hormone, TSH) level and ultrasonographically measured thyroid volume, both commonly available in thyroid nodule patients, may predict the development of posthemithyroidectomy hypothyroidism.

Method

Among the 132 patients who underwent hemithyroidectomy from January 2004 to January 2006, a total of 101 patients who were followed for more than a year were included in the analysis.

Results

Biochemical hypothyroidism developed in 37 patients (36.6%). Patients who developed postoperative hypothyroidism showed higher TSH levels (P < 0.001) and smaller remnant thyroid volumes (P = 0.014). Logistic regression analysis showed that the TSH level and remnant thyroid volume were independent predictors of posthemithyroidectomy hypothyroidism (P < 0.001 and P = 0.04, respectively). A risk scoring system using these two factors was created based on the results of logistic regression analyses. The incidences of hypothyroidism were 5.3%, 12.1%, 51.7%, and 85.0% according to the risk scores of 0, 1, 2, and 3, respectively.

Conclusions

Patients with a high preoperative TSH level and small thyroid volume are at high risk of developing hypothyroidism following hemithyroidectomy. Potential risk of postoperative hypothyroidism should be discussed with these patients when thyroid surgery is being considered for a diagnostic purpose.
Total Acid Number Determination of Biodiesel and Biodiesel Blends
Authors: Wang Huali , Tang Haiying , Wilson John , Salley Steven O. , Ng K. Y. Simon
Published: August 2008

The repeatability and accuracy of the total acid number (TAN) measurement for soy oil‐based biodiesel–diesel blends using the ASTM D664 method was studied. ASTM D664 is the standard reference method for measuring the acid number of both biodiesel and petroleum‐derived diesel, which specifies procedures for the determination of acidic components in biodiesel and diesel, and claims good repeatability and mediocre reproducibility during application, but cites no information on accuracy. However, the accuracy of this method is very important for setting the specifications for biodiesel blends, especially for B20 (a mixture composed of 20% biodiesel with 80% diesel) because of its wide commercial production. The accuracy of ASTM D664 was measured to be within 4.13% for B20 in the acid number range of 0.123–0.332 mg KOH/g. The maximum repeatability was approximately 5.21% at an acid number of 0.123 mg KOH/g. Within the ASTM D6751‐07b specification for TAN (0.5 mg KOH/g), good accuracy and repeatability were also obtained. Accuracy specification and electrode operation suggestions for ASTM D664 are also given.
Populationsgenetik des Y-Chromosoms
Authors: Roewer L.
Published: August 2008

Das Y-Chromosom ist der variabelste haploide Marker im menschlichen Genom. Es eignet sich daher besonders für Studien der Evolution und Demografie einer sehr jungen Spezies wie Homo sapiens sapiens. SNPs („single nucleotide polymorphisms“) und Mikrosatelliten (STR, „short tandem repeats“) des Y-Chromosoms spielen für die Rekonstruktion von Episoden der jüngeren Humanevolution eine herausragende Rolle. Die phylogeografische Analyse des Y-Chromosoms leistet heute einen wichtigen Beitrag zur genetischen Charakterisierung von Populationen, zur Interpretation forensischer Spuren sowie zum Verständnis prähistorischer Epochen, aus denen keine oder kaum Artefakte existieren.
Mechanismen und Auswirkungen natürlicher Selektion
Authors: Lao O. , Kayser M.
Published: August 2008

Natürliche Selektion bezeichnet das Phänomen der genotypabhängigen Reproduktivität. Selektion stellt somit einen evolutionären Mechanismus dar, bei dem die Variabilität funktioneller Regionen im Genom einer Spezies durch Wechselwirkungen einzelner Organismen mit ihrer Umwelt geprägt wird. Die Weitergabe genetischer Varianten von einer Generation an die nächste kann durch natürliche Selektion begünstigt (positive Selektion), erschwert (negative Selektion) oder, in Abhängigkeit davon, ob eine Mutation rein- oder mischerbig vorliegt, begünstigt oder erschwert (balancierende Selektion) werden. Positive und negative Selektion verringern die Diversität funktioneller Bereiche und damit assoziierter Abschnitte des Genoms, balancierende Selektion erhöht diese. Das Studium natürlicher Selektion dient hauptsächlich dem evolutionären Verständnis, es kann jedoch auch medizinisch relevante Informationen liefern.
The initiation of homeless youth into the street economy
Authors: Gwadz Marya Viorst , Gostnell Karla , Smolenski Carol , Willis Brian , Nish David , Nolan Theresa C. , Tharaken Maya , Ritchie Amanda S.
Published: August 2008

Homeless youth (HY) who lack employment in the formal economy typically turn to the street economy (e.g., prostitution, drug selling) for survival. Guided by the theory of social control, the present paper explores factors influencing HY's initiation into the street economy. Eighty HY (ages 15–23) were recruited from four community‐based organizations. All participated in structured interviews and 25% participated in qualitative interviews. Almost all HY had participated in the street (81%) and formal economies (69%). Five main factors simultaneously influenced initiation into the street economy: social control/bonds, barriers to the formal economy (e.g., homelessness, educational deficits, mental health problems, incarceration, stigma), tangible and social/emotional benefits of the street economy, severe economic need, and the active recruitment of HY into the street economy by others. Qualitative and quantitative data sources were congruent. Intervention efforts are needed at multiple levels of influence to promote HY's success in the formal economy.
Quality‐adjusted life year weights among elderly patients with heart failure
Authors: Alehagen Urban , Rahmqvist Mikael , Paulsson Thomas , Levin Lars‐Åke
Published: August 2008

Background:

When assessing health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in elderly patients with heart failure (HF), the process of obtaining quality‐adjusted life year (QALY) weights is generally complicated and time‐consuming.

Aim:

To evaluate whether information regarding HRQoL and QALY weights can be derived directly from the established and widely used New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system.

Methods:

NYHA functional status was assessed independently both by the individual patients and by the examining cardiologist in 323 elderly patients with symptoms of HF recruited from primary care. HRQoL was evaluated using the SF‐36 questionnaire and a time trade‐off (TTO) scenario. The TTO technique generates direct QALY weights.

Results:

Both the TTO technique and SF‐36 values demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with NYHA functional status. The TTO values also correlated with all SF‐36 dimensions. Increasing impairment was associated with statistically significant drops in both SF‐36 values and TTO‐based QALY weights. For patients in NYHA classes I–IV the QALY weights were 0.77, 0.68, 0.61, and 0.50, respectively. Thus in elderly patients, symptoms of HF have a major impact on perceived quality of life.

Conclusion:

The results of the present study show that QALY weights, an important instrument in the health economic evaluation of treatment strategies, can be derived directly from NYHA classification in elderly HF patients.
Long term vagal stimulation in patients with advanced heart failure First experience in man
Authors: Schwartz Peter J. , De Ferrari Gaetano M. , Sanzo Antonio , Landolina Maurizio , Rordorf Roberto , Raineri Claudia , Campana Carlo , Revera Miriam , Ajmone‐Marsan Nina , Tavazzi Luigi , Odero Attilio
Published: August 2008

Background:

Experimentally, vagal stimulation (VS) is protective in chronic heart failure (HF). In man, VS is used in refractory epilepsy but has never been used in cardiovascular diseases. Increased sympathetic and reduced vagal activity predict increased mortality in HF.

Aims:

This pilot study assessed feasibility and safety and tested possible efficacy of chronic VS in HF patients.

Methods:

We studied 8 patients (mean age 54 years). CardioFit (BioControl Medical), a VS implantable system delivering pulses synchronous with heart beats through a multiple contact bipolar cuff electrode, was used. VS was started 2–4 weeks after implant, slowly raising intensity; patients were followed 1, 3 and 6 months thereafter.

Results:

All procedures were successful: as sole surgical side effect, one patient had transient hoarseness. VS was well tolerated, with onlymild side effects (cough and sensation of electrical stimulation). There was a significant improvement in NYHA class, Minnesota quality of life® (from 52±14 to 31±18, p<0.001), left ventricular end‐systolic volume (from 208±71 to 190±83 ml, p=0.03), and a favourable trend toward reduction in enddiastolic volume.

Conclusions:

This novel approach to the treatment of patients with HF is feasible, and appears safe and tolerable. The preliminary efficacy results appear promising. These findings suggest the opportunity to proceed with a larger multicentre study.
Decision‐analytic evaluation of the clinical effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of management programmes in chronic heart failure
Authors: Göhler Alexander , Conrads‐Frank Annette , Worrell Stewart S. , Geisler Benjamin P. , Halpern Elkan F. , Dietz Rainer , Anker Stefan D. , Gazelle G. Scott , Siebert Uwe
Published: August 2008

Background and aims:

While management programmes (MPs) for chronic heart failure (CHF) are clinically effective, their cost‐effectiveness remains uncertain. Thus, this study sought to determine the cost‐effectiveness of MPs.

Methods and results:

We developed a Markov model to estimate life expectancy, quality‐adjusted life expectancy, lifetime costs, and the incremental cost‐effectiveness of MPs as compared to standard care. Standard care was defined by the EuroHeart Failure Survey for Germany, MP efficacy was derived from our recent meta‐analysis and cost estimates were based on the German healthcare system. For a population with a mean age 67 years (35% female) at onset of CHF, our model predicted an average quality‐adjusted life expectancy of 2.64 years for standard care and 2.83 years for MP. MP yielded additional lifetime costs of €1700 resulting in an incremental cost‐utility ratio (ICUR) of €8900 (95% CI: dominant to 177,100) per quality‐adjusted life year (QALY) gained. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated that the ICUR was sensitive to age and sex.

Conclusion:

MPs increase life expectancy in patients with CHF by an average of 84 days and increase lifetime cost of care by approximately €1700. MPs improve outcomes in a cost‐effective manner, although they are not cost‐saving on a lifetime horizon.
Perception and use of complementary and alternative medicine among gynecologic oncology care providers
Authors: Rhode Jennifer M. , Patel Divya A. , Sen Ananda , Schimp Veronica L. , Johnston Carolyn M. , Liu J. Rebecca
Published: August 2008

Objective

To determine general attitudes and approaches to complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among physicians who care for gynecologic oncology patients.

Methods

Surveys were mailed to members of the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists and the Michigan Oncology Group. Physicians were asked to rate their general attitude toward CAM.

Results

Surveys were obtained from 462 physicians. Gynecologic oncologists and female physicians were more likely to have positive attitudes toward CAM, and to believe that clinical care should integrate conventional and CAM practices, compared with other oncologists and male physicians.

Conclusion

Discrepancies exist among oncologists regarding attitude and use of CAM in their practice. Education of physicians regarding the safety and efficacy of CAM modalities may ultimately improve patient care.
Patient satisfaction with outpatient hysteroscopy performed by nurse hysteroscopists
Authors: Bodle Julia F. , Duffy Sean R.G. , Binney David M.
Published: August 2008

Objective

To investigate the effect of the introduction of nurse hysteroscopists on patient satisfaction at an outpatient hysteroscopy clinic in the United Kingdom.

Methods

Satisfaction with outpatient hysteroscopy performed in a University Teaching Hospital was measured using an anonymous structured questionnaire in 2000 and 2005. The unpaired t test, Mann‐Whitney U test, or test was used depending on the level of measurement.

Results

A total of 102 women surveyed in 2005 were compared with 139 women surveyed in 2000. Age, ethnicity, perceived health status, previous satisfaction with outpatient appointments, and expectations of the appointment did not differ between the groups. Waiting time for an appointment and once at the clinic fell during the study period (P < 0.001); satisfaction increased with the former (P < 0.001), but not the latter (P = 0.25). Satisfaction with the professional skills of healthcare providers and overall satisfaction was 95% or greater in both years.

Conclusion

High levels of patient satisfaction with outpatient hysteroscopy were maintained after the introduction of nurse hysteroscopists.
Anti-carcinogenic soyabean Bowman–Birk inhibitors survive faecal fermentation in their active form and do not affect the microbiota composition in vitro
Authors: Marín-Manzano M. Carmen , Ruiz Raquel , Jiménez Elisabeth , Rubio Luis A. , Clemente Alfonso
Published: August 2008

Bowman–Birk inhibitor (BBI) from soyabeans is a naturally occurring protease inhibitor with potential anti-inflammatory and chemopreventive properties within the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In a previous paper, we reported that significant amounts of BBI-related proteins reach the terminal ileum functionally and biologically active. We have now investigated: (a) if soyabean BBI is biotransformed by faecal microbiota which would reduce its potential colorectal chemopreventive properties and (b) the potential influence of this protease inhibitor on the modulation of faecal microbiota. In vitro incubation studies of native soyabean BBI at a physiological level (93 μm) with mixed faecal samples of pigs for 24 h at 37°C demonstrated that BBI remains active and its intrinsic trypsin and chymotrypsin inhibitory activities were not significantly influenced by the enzymic or metabolic activity of faecal microbiota. Soyabean BBI did not affect the growth of the different bacterial groups studied (lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, bacteroides, coliforms, enterobacteria, clostridia and total anaerobes). It was concluded that protease inhibitory activities, intrinsically linked to the chemopreventive properties of soyabean BBI, were largely unaffected by faecal microbiota in vitro. BBI retains significance, therefore, as a bioactive compound in the human GIT.
The Origin and Characteristics of Evangelical Protestantism in Korea at the Turn of the Twentieth Century
Authors: Ryu Dae Young
Published: August 2008

One peculiar phenomenon in the Korean Protestant churches today is that most churches, regardless of their size and denomination, assert that they are “evangelical.” By claiming to be evangelical, they want to display not simply their conservative theological stance but also continuity with their tradition. Self-acclaimed evangelical churches generally believe that the early Korean church in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was also evangelical, and hence they are its true heirs. Moreover, in the mind of the self-consciously evangelical Korean Christians, “Puritanism” is something to be admired, a lost glory of which evangelicalism is the closest contemporary replica. A few progressive churches would distance themselves from this general tendency, but these churches are more often than not far smaller and less appealing to the average Christian. World-class megachurches and nearly all rank-and-file churches in Korea are “evangelical” churches. The matter in Korean Protestantism is more who is “really” evangelical rather than a competition between evangelicals and non-evangelicals.
“Sinne Unfoulded”: Time, Election, and Disbelief among the Godly in Late Sixteenth- and Early Seventeenth-Century England
Authors: Bruhn Karen
Published: August 2008

Richard Greenham, rector from 1570 to 1591 at Dry Dayton Church outside of Cambridge, England, once preached a sermon based on I Thessalonians 5:19 (“Quench not the spirit”). Not one to let the brevity of a biblical text limit his own exegesis, Greenham offered up a sermon of nearly seven thousand words that likely took the better part of an hour to deliver. At the heart of Greenham's message was the proposition, “Whether that man which hath once tasted of the spirite may loose it, and have it quenched in him.” Greenham was a leading light among “the godly,” a group of mostly Cambridge- and Oxford-educated Protestant clergy who, working within the boundaries of the institutional Church, sustained a significant evangelical effort in England during the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. These reformers embraced with some fervor a theology grounded in the veracity of election and reprobation, and worked to instill a like enthusiasm in the general population. In particular, the godly's message focused on how an individual might identify the marks of divine election and gain assurance of salvation.
“God is the Author of Both”: Science, Religion, and the Intellectualization of American Methodism
Authors: Farrelly Maura Jane
Published: August 2008

In the spring of 1831, Methodist minister John Price Durbin delivered an evangelical sermon that assumed his listeners were familiar with the basic rules of science. “Are planetary worlds seen revolving in their orbits harmoniously and steadily?” he asked his rural Kentucky audience. “Is a little microscopic insect seen in the dust, or in the down of a peach, or in a drop of water?” The answer, of course, was yes—though Durbin saw no need to say so. His questions were merely rhetorical; the Methodists listening to his sermon knew, after all, that planetary worlds and microscopic insects existed, even if not all of them had had the opportunity to see these natural phenomena firsthand. Scientists had proved that the phenomena existed, and in 1831, the authority of science was to be trusted.
Geometry and formation of gypsum veins in mudstones at Watchet, Somerset, SW England
Authors: PHILIPP SONJA L.
Published: August 2008

Gypsum veins and faults were studied in red mudstones of the Upper Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group, in the Bristol Channel Basin, exposed in E–W-trending cliffs at Watchet on the Somerset Coast (SW England). In nodular gypsum horizons, individual gypsum nodules are connected by subhorizontal gypsum veins. In evaporite-free mudstone layers, however, dense anastomosing networks of gypsum veins occur. In a 300 m long profile dissected by 28 (mostly) normal faults with small displacements, 24 faults have veins following them, indicating palaeofluid transport along the fault planes. Ninety-seven cross-cutting relationships and mostly perpendicular vein fibres indicate that the veins are primarily extension fractures. The thickest veins in the vein network are subhorizontal (160 measurements), indicating a vertical orientation of the minimum principal compressive stress (horizontal basin compression). Such a stress state may have existed during basin inversion associated with Alpine compression (late Cretaceous to early Tertiary). I propose that the gypsum veins are the result of hydrofracturing. In the gypsum nodules, then presumably consisting of anhydrite, overpressure was generated related to the hydration of anhydrite to gypsum. Stress concentration around the nodules led to rupturing and injection of thin subhorizontal hydrofractures. Some of the calcium-sulphate saturated fluids were then transported upwards along the faults and gained access to evaporite-free mudstone layers where dense anastomosing vein networks developed. Most veins were arrested during their propagation by layers with contrasting mechanical properties (stress barriers). Some veins, however, propagated through the barriers along faults to shallower levels. The dense networks of mineral veins observed in Watchet indicate that hydrofractures can generate a very high temporary permeability in fluid reservoirs.
Age and composition of the Rushan intrusive complex in the northern Sulu orogen, eastern China: petrogenesis and lithospheric mantle evolution
Authors: TANG HUA-YUN , ZHENG JIAN-PING , YU CHUN-MEI
Published: August 2008

Zircon U–Pb age, whole-rock elemental and Sr–Nd isotopic data are presented for the Rushan intrusive complex from the northern Sulu orogen, China. The intrusion, emplaced at c. 111 Ma, consists mainly of biotite-bearing gabbro and pyroxene-bearing diorite. The rocks are high-K calc-alkaline in major elements, and enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE), depleted in high field strength elements (HFSE), and possess narrow ranges of initial 87Sr/86Sr (0.70746–0.70827) and ɛNd(t) (−12.37 to −8.26). The complex is interpreted to originate from decompression melting of spinel-facies cratonic mantle that was metasomatized by the subducted Yangtze crustal materials and the melts experienced fractionation of olivine, clinopyroxene, apatite and Fe–Ti oxides. The Rushan complex is similar in composition to other Early Cretaceous mafic-intermediate complexes from the southern margin of the North China Craton, such as the Fangcheng basalts and Yinan gabbros, implying the mantle source of the Rushan intrusion is tectonically affiliated to the southern wedge of the Craton. We infer that the Rushan complex formed in an extensional regime corresponding to the asthenosphere upwelling during gradual erosion and replacement of the cratonic mantle by the fertile lithosphere beneath the eastern North China Craton.
Analysis of branched nucleic acid structure using comparative gel electrophoresis
Authors: Lilley David M. J.
Published: August 2008

Electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels provides a simple yet powerful means of analyzing the relative disposition of helical arms in branched nucleic acids. The electrophoretic mobility of DNA or RNA with a central discontinuity is determined by the angle subtended between the arms radiating from the branchpoint. In a multi-helical branchpoint, comparative gel electrophoresis can provide a relative measure of all the inter-helical angles and thus the shape and symmetry of the molecule. Using the long–short arm approach, the electrophoretic mobility of all the species with two helical arms that are longer than all others is compared. This can be done as a function of conditions, allowing the analysis of ion-dependent folding of branched DNA and RNA species. Notable successes for the technique include the four-way (Holliday) junction in DNA and helical junctions in functionally significant RNA species such as ribozymes. Many of these structures have subsequently been proved correct by crystallography or other methods, up to 10 years later in the case of the Holliday junction. Just as important, the technique has not failed to date. Comparative gel electrophoresis can provide a window on both fast and slow conformational equilibria such as conformer exchange in four-way DNA junctions. But perhaps the biggest test of the approach has been to deduce the structures of complexes of four-way DNA junctions with proteins. Two recent crystallographic structures show that the global structures were correctly deduced by electrophoresis, proving the worth of the method even in these rather complex systems. Comparative gel electrophoresis is a robust method for the analysis of branched nucleic acids and their complexes.
DNA topoisomerases: harnessing and constraining energy to govern chromosome topology
Authors: Schoeffler Allyn J. , Berger James M.
Published: August 2008

DNA topoisomerases are a diverse set of essential enzymes responsible for maintaining chromosomes in an appropriate topological state. Although they vary considerably in structure and mechanism, the partnership between topoisomerases and DNA has engendered commonalities in how these enzymes engage nucleic acid substrates and control DNA strand manipulations. All topoisomerases can harness the free energy stored in supercoiled DNA to drive their reactions; some further use the energy of ATP to alter the topology of DNA away from an enzyme-free equilibrium ground state. In the cell, topoisomerases regulate DNA supercoiling and unlink tangled nucleic acid strands to actively maintain chromosomes in a topological state commensurate with particular replicative and transcriptional needs. To carry out these reactions, topoisomerases rely on dynamic macromolecular contacts that alternate between associated and dissociated states throughout the catalytic cycle. In this review, we describe how structural and biochemical studies have furthered our understanding of DNA topoisomerases, with an emphasis on how these complex molecular machines use interfacial interactions to harness and constrain the energy required to manage DNA topology.
The balancing act: Framing gendered parental identities at dinnertime
Authors: KENDALL SHARI
Published: August 2008

A framing analysis of family interaction during dinnertime demonstrates that the mother and father linguistically create gendered identities through the number and types of discursive positions they take up within the frames they create and maintain. The mother accomplishes numerous tasks and activities by taking up multiple discursive positions within several interactional frames, whereas the father takes up fewer positions within fewer frames. Furthermore, the positions they take up are gendered, reflecting a sex-based division of labor, even though both parents work full-time outside the home. Through these gendered patterns of participation, the parents create gendered parental identities and negotiate their parental authority with their daughter and with each other. The attention to speech acts, footings, positioning, and framing reveals the intricate and dynamic details of interaction. Furthermore, this discourse model captures and explicates the process through which individuals create gendered identities as they enact and constitute other social identities.
Stochastic resonance aided tactile sensing
Authors: Ohka Masahiro , Kondo Shingo
Published: August 2008

Stochastic resonance (SR) is one of the basic principles intrinsically possessed by any living thing to highly adapt to complicated environments including various disturbances. Although a noise is inevitably mixed by contact with an object and a sensor's movement on it in tactile sensing, a human being can evaluate the several micrometers of unevenness on the object surface by means of SR. We intend to apply SR to tactile sensing and to develop a tactile sensing system capable of measuring an object surface with high precision in not only a controlled environment like a precision measurement room but also in a living environment. First, we investigate the SR characteristic possessed by a Hodgkin–Huxley model capable of emulating squid's neuron activities. According to the simulation results, we develop a new electronic circuit capable of generating the SR. We perform the object surface scan using a linear stage equipped with a tactile sensor and the circuit. A series of object surface scanning tests is repeated while changing the intensity of applied noise, and the signal to noise ratio (SNR, hereafter) is calculated from the obtained measurement data to check the effect of the SR. In the experiment, striped textures with a height of δ = 5 ~ 30 μm are used as specimens. The SNR changes depending on the noise intensity, and the local maximum appears under a proper noise. It is found that the sensing accuracy is improved according to the aforementioned SR theory. Therefore, SR, which is usually applied to noisy environments, is effective for a tactile sensing system.
Intersecting Families are Essentially Contained in Juntas
Authors: DINUR IRIT , FRIEDGUT EHUD
Published: August 2008

A family$\J$of subsets of {1, . . .,n} is called aj-junta if there existsJ⊆ {1, . . .,n}, with |J| =j, such that the membership of a setSin$\J$depends only onS∩J.

In this paper we provide a simple description of intersecting families of sets. Letnandkbe positive integers withk<n/2, and let$\A$be a family of pairwise intersecting subsets of {1, . . .,n}, all of sizek. We show that such a family is essentially contained in aj-junta$\J$, wherejdoes not depend onnbut only on the ratiok/nand on the interpretation of ‘essentially’.

Whenk=o(n) we prove that every intersecting family ofk-sets is almost contained in a dictatorship, a 1-junta (which by the Erdős–Ko–Rado theorem is a maximal intersecting family): for any such intersecting family$\A$there exists an elementi∈ {1, . . .,n} such that the number of sets in$\A$that do not containiis of order$\C {n-2}{k-2}$(which is approximately$\frac {k}{n-k}$times the size of a maximal intersecting family).

Our methods combine traditional combinatorics with results stemming from the theory of Boolean functions and discrete Fourier analysis.
A Semantic Scattering model for the automatic interpretation of English genitives
Authors: BADULESCU ADRIANA , MOLDOVAN DAN
Published: August 2008

An important problem in knowledge discovery from text is the automatic extraction of semantic relations. This paper addresses the automatic classification of thesemantic relationsexpressed by English genitives. A learning model is introduced based on the statistical analysis of the distribution of genitives' semantic relations in a corpus. The semantic and contextual features of the genitive's noun phrase constituents play a key role in the identification of the semantic relation. The algorithm was trained and tested on a corpus of approximately 20,000 sentences and achieved an f-measure of 79.80 per cent for of-genitives, far better than the 40.60 per cent obtained using a Decision Trees algorithm, the 50.55 per cent obtained using a Naive Bayes algorithm, or the 72.13 per cent obtained using a Support Vector Machines algorithm on the same corpus using the same features. The results were similar for s-genitives: 78.45 per cent using Semantic Scattering, 47.00 per cent using Decision Trees, 43.70 per cent using Naive Bayes, and 70.32 per cent using a Support Vector Machines algorithm. The results demonstrate the importance of word sense disambiguation and semantic generalization/specialization for this task. They also demonstrate that different patterns (in our case the two types of genitive constructions) encode different semantic information and should be treated differently in the sense that different models should be built for different patterns.