bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Germany’s Agenda 2010 reforms: Passive revolution at the crossroads
Authors: Bruff Ian
Published: October 2010

This article examines Germany’s Agenda 2010 reforms, passed in 2003, with regard to Antonio Gramsci’s discussions of passive revolution. It does so via a consideration of the inherently expansionary nature of passive revolution as a concept, for in its genesis lie both comparative and international dimensions. Nevertheless, one consequence of the realisation of passive revolution’s conceptual potential is the need to redefine hegemony as the granting of active consent by the led to the leading—a move I view as untenable. Agenda 2010 is a useful test case, for it can be analysed successfully with regard to either passive revolution or hegemony, although I consider hegemony to be better placed for analysing this period in Germany’s contemporary history. I conclude with some suggestions for how to utilise more effectively the concept of passive revolution, and with some reflections on the impact of the current crisis on Germany.
Passive revolution, perestroika, and the emergence of the new Russia
Authors: Simon Rick
Published: October 2010

This article makes a distinction between a ‘type I’ passive revolution, which transforms the relations of production, and a ‘type II’ passive revolution, which modifies the existing production relations. It argues that Gorbachev’s aim through perestroika was a type II passive revolution designed to rejuvenate the Soviet economy through further integration into the global capitalist economy. The disruption produced by perestroika laid the foundations, however, for a type I passive revolution by opening the door to the influence of global capitalism, fragmenting the heterogeneous Soviet elite, and enabling an opposition linked to global neoliberalism to utilise the nascent Russian state as a mechanism for advancing systemic transformation. The transition to capitalism has not, however, been a smooth process, but has been characterised by ‘revolution/restoration’: a ruling bloc of pro-capitalist forces and elements of the former Soviet elite; and a combination of capitalist and Soviet-era production relations.
The Canadian passive revolution, 1840-1950
Authors: McKay Ian G.
Published: October 2010

‘Passive revolution’, understood here as a specific moment of global capitalism, provides an indispensable key to Canadian history, especially that unfolding from the 1840s (when seigneurs, Tories, agrarian radicals and democrats were forcibly unified through a top-down, British-orchestrated administrative revolution) to the 1940s (when plutocrats, Liberals and Conservatives, trade unionists and social democrats were forcibly unified through the imposition of a top-down, Ottawa-orchestrated Fordist compromise). The ‘long Confederation’ of Canada, from 1841 to 1949, was in Marxist terms a social revolution, entailing the subordination of non-capitalist and proto-capitalist formations, through which northern North America was liberalised; yet this ‘active’ achievement of a liberal order was also ‘passive’ insofar as it constituted a strengthening of Britain’s imperial power; subdued, transformed and incorporated subaltern movements; and culminated in a new socioeconomic order that integrated Canadian producers into continental and global circuits of capital while denying them any de facto sovereignty over ‘their’ state.
The uneven and combined development of the Meiji Restoration: A passive revolutionary road to capitalist modernity
Authors: Allinson Jamie C. , Anievas Alexander
Published: October 2010

In this article, we examine the utility of Antonio Gramsci’s concept of passive revolution and its relation to Leon Trotsky’s theory of uneven and combined development in analysing the transformational effects of world economy and international relations on ‘late-developing’ societies’ transition to capitalism. Although Gramsci never explicitly linked passive revolution to uneven and combined development, we argue that Trotsky’s theory helps make explicit assumptions present in the Prison Notebooks, but never fully thematised. In turn, we demonstrate that incorporating passive revolution into Trotsky’s theory further illuminates the ontology of class agencies that is often lacking in structuralist approaches to bourgeois revolutions. In illustrating these arguments, we examine the case of Japan’s modern state-formation process, demonstrating how the Meiji Restoration of 1868 can be conceptualised as a passive revolution emerging within the context of the uneven and combined process of social development activated and generalised through the rise of the capitalist world economy.
The Clinical and Genetic Features of Huntington Disease
Authors: Sturrock Aaron , Leavitt Blair R.
Published: October 2010

Huntington disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder that usually presents in adulthood with characteristic motor and cognitive features and with variable and diverse psychiatric disturbances. Following the discovery of the causative defect in the HTT gene in 1993, great advances in understanding the pathogenesis of HD have been made, yet no effective disease-modifying therapy has been identified. In this new era of HD research, we have seen the emergence of a number of large clinical trials, the systematic search for novel biomarkers and the recent initiation of the first pre-manifest HD clinical studies. In this review, we seek to provide an overview of the clinical and genetic features of HD together with a summary of clinical research at this time.
Reconfiguring the higher education value chain
Authors: Pathak Virendra , Pathak Kavita
Published: October 2010

Forces of demand and supply are changing the dynamics of the higher education market. Transformation of institutions of higher learning into competitive enterprise is underway. Higher education institutions are seemingly under intense pressure to create value and focus their efforts and scarce funds on activities that drive up value for their respective customers and other stakeholders. Porter’s generic ‘value chain’ model for creating value requires that the activities of an organization be segregated in to discrete components for value chain analysis to be performed. Recent trends in higher education make such segregation possible. Therefore, it is proposed that the academic process can be unbundled into discrete components which have well developed measures. A reconfigured value chain for higher education, with its own value drivers and critical internal linkages is also proposed in this paper.
School leaders’ perspectives on leadership learning: the case for informal and experiential learning
Authors: Wei Zhang  , Brundrett Mark
Published: October 2010

Recent years have seen a greatly enhanced focus on the learning needs of schools leaders. This paper examines the perceptions of such leaders about the best ways of enhancing leadership skills. Data were collected by semi-structured interviews with 34 headteacher respondents in 18 schools. Findings reveal that most respondents expressed a preference for forms of mentoring and experiential leadership development rather than formal courses. More specifically, results suggested that headteachers should be encouraged to take increased responsibilities for developing new and future leaders in the context of individual schools and through more informal and experiential learning. It is also suggested that future empirical investigation focus on headteachers’ contribution to the stimulation of school leaders’ professional learning.
The Role of the African Union in Continental Peace and Security Governance
Authors: Moolakkattu John S.
Published: October 2010

This article traces the evolution of the African Union as a successor organisation to the Organisation of African Unity in terms of its mandate for conflict prevention, peacekeeping, peacemaking and peace-building. The Union has established a continent-wide peace and security architecture through its Peace and Security Council. The paper looks at the different elements of this architecture with special focus on peacekeeping operations and institutions such as the Early Warning Mechanism, Peer Review Mechanism, Panel of the Wise and the Standby Force, which together constitute the support structure of the Council. The regional economic communities are the building blocks of this architecture creating something like a ‘multi-layered security community’. They function synergistically by acting as conduits of policy implementation of the Union. Finally, it also identifies some of the hurdles ahead of the organisation to realise a robust peace and security architecture on the continent.
India–Australia Strategic Partnership
Authors: Panda Rajaram , Baruah Pranamita
Published: October 2010

In recent years, the bilateral relationship between India and Australia has grown significantly encompassing political, economic, defence and strategic aspects. Despite periodic hiccups on specific matters, the contours and spirit of the relationship have never been diluted.

India has assumed prominence in the Australian strategic radar as a front rank player in its search for international partnership. Considering that a sizable portion of its maritime trade towards the West passes through the Indian Ocean, the area provides the primary basis for strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries. The bilateral relationship is estimated to grow stronger as Indian Navy will play an important role in safeguarding maritime commerce. The counterterrorism protocol 2003 between the two states has also been instrumental in expanding ‘strategic convergence’ on the bilateral front.

Despite the disagreements between India and Australia on issues of nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, both countries’ commitment towards nuclear disarmament has brought about yet another dimension to their strategic partnership. In the present era of climate change, clean coal technology and renewables too will probably emerge as great potential collaborators of India–Australia strategic relationship. Shared security concerns such as terrorism, Afghanistan, nuclear proliferation, Chinese military modernization, etc., will definitely provide additional incentives to the evolving strategic relationship.
Scribing Work Songs at an Archeological Dig in Egypt
Authors: Poppe Donna
Published: October 2010

This article reports research conducted in the northeastern corner of Egypt’s Nile Delta during an excavation at the Mendes archeological dig site in July—August, 2007. Donald Redford, Professor at Pennsylvania State University, accepted the author as the only nonarcheologist that year. In addition to duties of measuring, registering, and storing artifacts as they were unearthed, the author was the first (to her knowledge) to collect work songs at the Mendes site. The purpose of this research was to make digital recordings of regional work songs in the field. Many songs/chants were recorded, transcribed, and categorized as gender specific. Results also showed that cell phone ring tones were now used as pacesetters, which was of interest to area anthropologists.
Effects of Zofenopril and Ramipril on Cough Reflex Responses in Anesthetized and Awake Rabbits
Authors: Mutolo Donatella , Bongianni Fulvia , Evangelista Stefano , Cinelli Elenia , Pantaleo Tito
Published: October 2010

Cough is the most common symptom reported by patients in a primary care setting and is one of the most frequent secondary effects recorded during treatment with angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors. The aim of the current study was to analyze potential differences in cough induction between 2 structurally different ACE inhibitors, namely zofenopril, which has a sulphydryl moiety, and ramipril, which has a carboxyl moiety. The cough reflex was induced by chemical (citric acid) and/or mechanical stimulation of the tracheobronchial tree in awake and anesthetized rabbits. Intravenous injection of the active compounds of the 2 ACE inhibitors, zofenoprilat (288 nmol/kg) and ramiprilat (129 nmol/kg), caused similar hypotensive effects in anesthetized rabbits. None of the studied cough-related variables changed in response to ACE inhibitor administration, with the exception of the number of coughs. Ramiprilat, but not zofenoprilat, increased the cough response induced by both mechanical and chemical stimulation (1 mol/L citric acid aerosol) of the tracheobronchial tree. In awake animals, zofenoprilat- or vehicle-treated rabbits did not show any significant changes in the number of coughs induced by 1 mol/L citric acid aerosol compared to their respective basal values (from 15.2 ± 2.3 to 13.1 ± 1.3 and from 16.1 ± 4.9 to 15.8 ± 4.3, respectively). Conversely, ramiprilat resulted in a significant increase in the number of coughs (from 21.1 ± 2.6 to 34.9 ± 3.5; P < .01). These findings confirm that there are differences in the cough potentiation effect induced by different ACE inhibitors. The low rate of cough seen with zofenoprilat may be related to its ability to induce a lower accumulation of bradykinin and prostaglandins at the lung level.
Improvement in Left Ventricular Systolic and Diastolic Performance During Ranolazine Treatment in Patients With Stable Angina
Authors: Figueredo Vincent M. , Pressman Gregg S. , Romero-Corral Abel , Murdock Elmer , Holderbach Pat , Morris D. Lynn
Published: October 2010

Purpose: Ranolazine is a novel antianginal medication that acts by ameliorating disturbed sodium and calcium homeostasis. By preventing myocyte sodium and calcium overload, ranolazine also have potential beneficial effects on myocardial function. Experimental models support this concept, as do 2 small studies in human participants receiving ranolazine intravenously. We evaluated changes in parameters of left ventricular function in stable angina patients treated with oral ranolazine. Methods: Twenty-two participants were enrolled with Doppler echocardiography performed at baseline and a mean of 2 months after initiation of treatment. Results: Global left ventricular function, as assessed by the myocardial performance index, was significantly improved on drug therapy (P < .0001). This was due to improvement in both diastolic and systolic parameters. Of 21 patients, 17 reported less angina and 8 patients reported an increase in activity level. Conclusions: We report improved parameters of left ventricular function in response to ranolazine as used in the clinical setting.
Impact of venous thromboembolism, venous stasis syndrome, venous outflow obstruction and venous valvular incompetence on quality of life and activities of daily living: A nested case-control study
Authors: Ashrani Aneel A , Silverstein Marc D , Rooke Thom W , Lahr Brian D , Petterson Tanya M , Bailey Kent R , Melton L Joseph , Heit John A
Published: October 2010

The role of venous stasis syndrome (VSS) mechanisms (i.e. venous outflow obstruction [VOO] and venous valvular incompetence [VVI]) on quality of life (QoL) and activities of daily living (ADL) is unknown. The objective of this study was to test the hypotheses that venous thromboembolism (VTE),VSS,VOO and VVI are associated with reduced QoL and ADL. This study is a follow-up of an incident VTE case-control study nested within a population-based inception cohort of residents from Olmsted County, MN, USA, between 1966 and 1990. The study comprised 232 Olmsted County residents with a first lifetime VTE and 133 residents without VTE. Methods included a questionnaire and physical examination for VSS; vascular laboratory testing for VOO and VVI; assessment of QoL by SF36 and of ADL by pertinent sections from the Older Americans Resources and Services (OARS) and Arthritis Impact Measurement Scales (AIMS2) questionnaires. Of the 365 study participants, 232 (64%), 161 (44%), 43 (12%) and 136 (37%) had VTE, VSS, VOO and VVI, respectively. Prior VTE was associated with reduced ADL and increased pain, VSS with reduced physical QoL and increased pain, and VOO with reduced physical QoL and ADL.VVI was not associated with QoL or ADL. In conclusion,VSS and VOO are associated with worse physical QoL and increased pain. VOO and VTE are associated with impaired ADL. We hypothesize that rapid clearance of venous outflow obstruction in individuals with acute VTE will improve their QoL and ADL.
Risk factors for autism and Asperger syndrome
Authors: Haglund Nils G.S. , Källén Karin B.M.
Published: October 2010

Using the Swedish Medical Birth Registry (MBR), obstetrical and demographic information was retrieved for 250 children with autism or Asperger syndrome who were born in Malmoe, Sweden, and enrolled at the local Child and Youth Habilitation Center. The reference group consisted of all children born in Malmoe during 1980—2005. Obstetric sub-optimality (prematurity, low Apgar scores, growth restriction, or macrosomia) was positively associated with autism but not with Asperger syndrome. Maternal birth outside the Nordic countries was positively associated with autism (adjusted OR: 2.2; 95%CI: 1.6—3.1) and negatively associated with Asperger syndrome (OR: 0.6; 95%CI: 0.3—0.97). The highest risk estimate for autism was found among children to women who were born in sub-Saharan Africa (OR: 7.3), or in East Asia (OR: 3.4).
Critical Conversations
Authors: Alva Kimberly A. , Gordon Errol , Killu Claude , Levy Ruth , Oropello John , Palestrant David , Wartenberg Katja E. , Hackner Dani
Published: October 2010

Case

The patient is a 20-year-old male who was a pedestrian struck by a moving motor vehicle at a speed of 40 to 50 miles per hour. He was brought in to the emergency department (ED) with a Glasgow Coma Scale score of 5 (V1, E2, M2). He was intubated in the ED. His vital signs were as follows: heart rate of 126 beats per minute, blood pressure of 130/78, spontaneous breathing but on the ventilator, and neurological examination consisting of flexor posturing in the upper extremities and slight withdrawal in the lower extremities. His pupils were 4 mm and reactive, there was no blink to threat, and he did not open his eyes to voice or deep stimuli. His initial CT head scan demonstrated a small left subdural hematoma, blood in the left lateral ventricle, a left orbital fracture, and a right occipital fracture. Subsequent imaging also showed pneumocephalus in the anterior horns of the lateral ventricles and small blood in the posterior pons.

This hospital has a designated specialized neuro-ICU, with 24/7 coverage, residents, and NPs. However, there were no beds available at this time. The patient was admitted to a medical-surgical ICU.
Pheochromocytoma Presenting as Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome and Lactic Acidosis
Authors: Radhi Saba , Nugent Kenneth , Alalawi Raed
Published: October 2010

Pheochromocytomas can secrete catecholamines, hormones, and cytokines, and the patterns of secretion strongly influence the complexity of the clinical presentation. We now report a patient who presented with abdominal pain, fever, leukocytosis, and tachycardia. In addition, he had lactic acidosis without shock. Our review of the literature indicates that this patient had systemic inflammatory response syndrome most likely secondary to high levels of IL-6 and that he had type B lactic acidosis secondary to high circulating levels of epinephrine. The combined presentation is unique and resolved with successful surgery. Pheochromocytoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of SIRS and of lactic acidosis.
Robust assignment of cancer subtypes from expression data using a uni-variate gene expression average as classifier
Authors: Lauss Martin , Frigyesi Attila , Ryden Tobias , Höglund Mattias
Published: October 2010

Background

Genome wide gene expression data is a rich source for the identification of gene signatures suitable for clinical purposes and a number of statistical algorithms have been described for both identification and evaluation of such signatures. Some employed algorithms are fairly complex and hence sensitive to over-fitting whereas others are more simple and straight forward. Here we present a new type of simple algorithm based on ROC analysis and the use of metagenes that we believe will be a good complement to existing algorithms.

Results

The basis for the proposed approach is the use of metagenes, instead of collections of individual genes, and a feature selection using AUC values obtained by ROC analysis. Each gene in a data set is assigned an AUC value relative to the tumor class under investigation and the genes are ranked according to these values. Metagenes are then formed by calculating the mean expression level for an increasing number of ranked genes, and the metagene expression value that optimally discriminates tumor classes in the training set is used for classification of new samples. The performance of the metagene is then evaluated using LOOCV and balanced accuracies.

Conclusions

We show that the simple uni-variate gene expression average algorithm performs as well as several alternative algorithms such as discriminant analysis and the more complex approaches such as SVM and neural networks. The R package rocc is freely available at http://cran.r-project.org/web/packages/rocc/index.html.
A randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective trial to evaluate the effect of vildagliptin in new-onset diabetes mellitus after kidney transplantation
Authors: Haidinger Michael , Werzowa Johannes , Voigt Hans-Christian , Pleiner Johannes , Stemer Gunar , Hecking Manfred , Döller Dominik , Hörl Walter H , Weichhart Thomas , Säemann Marcus D
Published: October 2010

Background

New-onset diabetes mellitus after transplantation (NODAT), a frequent and serious complication after transplantation, is associated with decreased graft and patient survival. Currently, it is diagnosed and treated primarily according to existing guidelines for type II diabetes. To date, only a few trials have studied antidiabetic drugs in patients with NODAT. Vildagliptin is a novel dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitor that improves pancreatic islet function by enhancing both α- and β-cell responsiveness to increased blood glucose. Experimental data show potential protective effects of DPP-4 inhibitors on islet function after exogenous stress stimuli including immunosuppressants. Therefore, the therapy of NODAT with this class of compounds seems attractive. At present, vildagliptin is used to treat type II diabetes as monotherapy or in combination with other antidiabetic drugs, since that it efficiently decreases glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) values. Additionally, vildagliptin has been shown to be safe in patients with moderately impaired kidney function. This study will evaluate the safety and efficacy of vildagliptin monotherapy in renal transplant recipients with recently diagnosed NODAT.

Methods/Design

This study is a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective phase II trial. Using the results of routinely performed oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) in stable renal transplant patients at our center, we will recruit patients without a history of diabetes and a 2 h glucose value surpassing 200 mg/dl (11.1 mmol/l). They are randomized to receive either 50 mg vildagliptin or placebo once daily. A total of 32 patients with newly diagnosed NODAT will be included. The primary endpoint is the difference in the 2 h glucose value between baseline and the repeated OGTT performed 3 months after treatment start, compared between the vildagliptin- and the placebo-group. Secondary endpoints include changes in HbA1c and fasting plasma glucose (FPG). The safety of vildagliptin in renal transplant patients will be assessed by the number of symptomatic hypoglycemic episodes (glucose <72 mg/dl or 4 mmol/l), the number of adverse events, and possible medication-associated side-effects.

Discussion

NODAT is a severe complication after kidney transplantation. Few trials have assessed the safety and efficacy of antidiabetic drugs for these patients. The purpose of this study is to assess the safety and efficacy of vildagliptin in renal transplant patients with NODAT.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00980356
General Electric Uses an Integrated Framework for Product Costing, Demand Forecasting, and Capacity Planning of New Photovoltaic Technology Products
Authors: Thomas Bex George , Bollapragada Srinivas
Published: October 2010

General Electric (GE) Energy's nascent solar business has revenues of over $100 million, expects those revenues to grow to over $1 billion in the next three years, and has plans to rapidly grow the business beyond this period. GE Global Research (GEGR), in partnership with GE Energy's solar platform team, is pursuing a number of technological alternatives to bring new low-cost solar products to the market. However, the GE solar business is facing a challenge—making optimal investment decisions to realize its growth objectives in the presence of major uncertainties in technology, costs, demands, and energy policy. We have developed analytical decision support tools with embedded mathematical models to estimate product costs and demands, and to support capacity planning decisions under cost and demand uncertainties. In this paper, we outline our algorithmic approach and system implementation, which help to support strategic decisions at GE.
Lapatinib and Capecitabine
Authors: De Freitas Erik Frank , Solimando Dominic A. , Waddell J. Aubrey
Published: October 2010

The complexity of cancer chemotherapy requires pharmacists be familiar with the complicated regimens and highly toxic agents used. This column reviews various issues related to preparation, dispensing, and administration of antineoplastic therapy, and the agents, both commercially available and investigational, used to treat malignant diseases.
New Drugs Approved by the FDA; New Dosage Forms and Indications Approved by the FDA; Agents Pending FDA Approval; Significant Labeling Changes or “Dear Health Professional” Letters Related to Safety
Authors: Baker Danial E.
Published: October 2010

This monthly feature will help readers keep current on new drugs, new indications, dosage forms, and safety-related changes in labeling or use. Efforts have been made to ensure the accuracy of this information; however, if there are any questions, please let us know at bakerdan@wsu.edu .
Treatment of Civilian and Combat-Related Posttraumatic Stress Disorder with Topiramate
Authors: Andrus Miranda R , Gilbert Elizabeth
Published: October 2010

Objective:

To evaluate the use of topiramate for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Data Sources:

Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to June week 4, 2010), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts (1970 to May 2010), ISI Web of Science (1945 to July 3, 2010), and Iowa Drug Information Service (searched July 6, 2010) were searched using the terms posttraumatic stress disorder and topiramate. Guidelines and other sources were identified from bibliography searches.

Study Selection and Data Extraction:

All English-language human studies and case reports that evaluated the use of topiramate for treatment of PTSD were evaluated.

Data Synthesis:

One case report, 1 case series, 2 open-label trials, and 1 placebo-controlled trial that used topiramate (monotherapy or adjunct) to treat civilian PTSD were identified and evaluated. The case report and case series reported subjective reduction of symptoms, and the open-label trials reported a significant reduction in PTSD Checklist–Civilian score. The placebo-controlled trial found no significant difference in Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS) score. One open-label trial and 2 placebo-controlled trials that used topiramate in combat-related PTSD were identified and evaluated. The open-label trial reported a significant reduction in CAPS score, and 1 placebo-controlled trial reported a statistically significant difference in CAPS score. However, the other placebo-controlled trial found no significant differences. In some of the trials evaluated, the clinical significance of outcomes reported is difficult to determine. Adverse effects were reported throughout the trials but generally were not considered serious.

Conclusions:

Based on the limited evidence available, topiramate is a possible alternative or adjunct option for patients with PTSD that is refractory to standard treatments.
The Use of Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Chemometrics for Determining the Shelf-Life of Products
Authors: Pedro Andre M. K. , Ferreira Marcia M. C.
Published: October 2010

In this work a procedure for determining the shelf-life of products by merging near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, multivariate techniques of data analysis, and kinetic theory is presented. This procedure allows information from several sources (sensory, physical chemical, and instrumental) to be merged via the multivariate accelerated shelf-life test (MASLT) algorithm. The MASLT is a multivariate approach that relies on soft modeling via an unfolding principal component analysis (u-PCA) and hard modeling, through the conventional kinetic theory, for determining the final shelf-life of products. The procedure was successfully applied to a consumer goods product (a body lotion), whose shelf-life was determined to be 3 years and 9 months, in accordance with results previously obtained using conventional analytical techniques and univariate methods of data analysis.
Rheo-Optical Study of Polymers by Using Time-Resolved Soft-Pulse Compression Attenuated Total Reflection Step-Scan Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Nishikawa Yuji , Nakano Tatsuhiko , Noda Isao
Published: October 2010

A time-resolved soft-pulse dynamic compression attenuated total reflection (ATR) step-scan Fourier transform rheo-optical system has been developed. This system was used to observe different viscoelastic properties of polyethyleneterephthalate (PET) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (PHBHx). Resonance features were observed in the dynamic compression ATR spectrum of PHBHx with 625 Hz soft-pulse frequency. In contrast, the dynamic compression ATR spectrum of PET showed no resonance features. The resonance feature of PHBHx was found at 1723 cm−1, which corresponds to the structural or morphological reorganization of a less ordered (Type II) crystalline form under compressive perturbation. The time-resolved evolution of infrared (IR) spectra was effectively analyzed by conventional generalized two-dimensional (2D) correlation analysis. The 2D-IR results indicate that the dynamic response of the well-ordered Type I crystalline state (1289 and 1261 cm−1) is faster than that of the Type II (1723, 1277, and 1228 cm−1). The present method shows promise for characterizing a wide variety of viscoelastic materials, including polymer alloys, blends, composites, and copolymers, and semicrystalline polymers.
Quantitative Fourier Transform Infrared Diagnostics of the Gas-Phase Composition Using the HITRAN Database and the Equivalent Width of the Spectral Features
Authors: Sepman A. V. , den Blanken R. , Schepers R. , de Goey L. P. H.
Published: October 2010

This paper presents a strategy for quantification of medium resolution Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra. The approach is based on a comparison of the values of the equivalent width of spectral features determined from the measured FT-IR spectra with those calculated from corresponding molecular spectra simulated using spectroscopic parameters tabulated in the HITRAN database. Although the equivalent-width method is routinely applied in many high-resolution experiments, its potential is often ignored when the spectral resolution of the measurements is bigger than the width of the studied molecular transitions. Here with an eye on application of the method to the study of the biomass thermal decomposition products, we demonstrate the capability of the method for analysis of FT-IR spectra with moderate resolution. The method is validated for a number of molecules (NH3, CO, CH4, C2H2, C2H4, and NO) that are important products of biomass thermal decomposition. Namely, known amounts of gases were placed in a sample cell and their concentrations were determined using the method for different FT-IR settings. The agreement between the concentration values determined using the present method and those found in the sample cell was generally better than 10%. The paper also shows examples of application of the developed methodology for the analysis of FT-IR spectra from biomass pyrolysis.
Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy in a Hollow Bragg Waveguide: Electromagnetic Theory and Modeling
Authors: Mungas Greg S. , Dreyer Christopher B.
Published: October 2010

Cavity ringdown spectroscopy (CRDS) is a gas sensing technique in which an optical cavity is formed by two or more highly reflective mirrors. Herein we present an overview and historical perspective of CRDS implementations that seek to reduce or eliminate some of the disadvantages of conventional CRDS by modifications to the ringdown cavity (RDC). The hollow waveguide (HWG) CRDS concept that we introduce in this paper reduces some of the disadvantages of conventional CRDS by utilizing a hollow waveguide as the RDC. We develop the basic mathematical theory and model for the HWG-CRDS concept and provide an initial in-depth study of the Bragg waveguide for CRDS applications. We also discuss various aspects of design and performance characteristics of HWG-CRDS, including waveguide attenuation losses with and without gases in the waveguide core, transverse and longitudinal mode propagation behavior, and methods and analysis for the HWG-CRDS excitation.
The Use of Attenuated Total Reflection Infrared Spectroscopy to Study the Intercalation of Molten Polymer into Layered Silicates in Real Time
Authors: Cole Kenneth C.
Published: October 2010

The intercalation of molten polymer into layered silicates (nanoclays) is a critical step in the fabrication of commercial polymer nanocomposite products, so it is therefore very important to understand the process of intercalation and exfoliation, as well as to properly characterize the final state achieved. Following on our recent work demonstrating the potential of transmission infrared spectroscopy for this purpose, we show in this work how the attenuated total reflection technique can be used to study the intercalation process in real time. Although various aspects of the Si–O stretching bands near 1150–950 cm−1 are sensitive to the intercalation, the most sensitive parameter is the relative intensity of the out-of-plane band near 1077 cm−1. A method based on the second derivative of the spectrum has been developed to quantify this aspect. The application of this approach is described in detail and examples are given involving different polymers.
Molecular Spectral Imaging System for Quantitative Immunohistochemical Analysis of Early Diabetic Retinopathy
Authors: Li Qingli , Zhang Jingfa , Wang Yiting , Xu Guoteng
Published: October 2010

A molecular spectral imaging system has been developed based on microscopy and spectral imaging technology. The system is capable of acquiring molecular spectral images from 400 nm to 800 nm with 2 nm wavelength increments. The basic principles, instrumental systems, and system calibration method as well as its applications for the calculation of the stain-uptake by tissues are introduced. As a case study, the system is used for determining the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and evaluating the therapeutic effects of erythropoietin. Some molecular spectral images of retinal sections of normal, diabetic, and treated rats were collected and analyzed. The typical transmittance curves of positive spots stained for albumin and advanced glycation end products are retrieved from molecular spectral data with the spectral response calibration algorithm. To explore and evaluate the protective effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on retinal albumin leakage of streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, an algorithm based on Beer–Lambert's law is presented. The algorithm can assess the uptake by histologic retinal sections of stains used in quantitative pathology to label albumin leakage and advanced glycation end products formation. Experimental results show that the system is helpful for the ophthalmologist to reveal the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy and explore the protective effect of erythropoietin on retinal cells of diabetic rats. It also highlights the potential of molecular spectral imaging technology to provide more effective and reliable diagnostic criteria in pathology.
Procedure for Automated Background Correction in Flow Systems with Infrared Spectroscopic Detection and Changing Liquid-Phase Composition
Authors: Quintás Guillermo , Kuligowski Julia , Lendl Bernhard
Published: October 2010

This paper describes a partial least squares (PLS) based automatic procedure to correct for changes in the spectral contribution of the solvent or solvent mixtures from solute spectra recorded in these solvents. The procedure was developed for successful on-line Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) detection in gradient high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) separations. It requires a reference FT-IR data set containing all possible combinations of the expected variation in solvent composition. Furthermore, a spectral region ( A) in these spectra is required where the solvents show absorption but the analytes do not. This is the case for the system ACN:H2O, an often-applied solvent mixture in gradient HPLC, in the spectral region from 2300–2400 cm−1. By focusing on ( A) the developed numerical method selects an appropriate background spectrum from the reference data set, which is then subtracted from the analyte spectra. The method was programmed in Matlab and tested on different isocratic and gradient on-line reversed phase liquid chromatography–Fourier transform infrared spectrometry (LC-FT-IR) data sets. This work describes a successful method to perform eluent correction in on-line coupling of FT-IR spectrometry with gradient LC.
Model-Based Measurements of Diffusion of Sulfuric Acid into Water Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Sobron Pablo , Sobron Francisco , Eide Ulrich M. , Nielsen Claus J. , Rull Fernando
Published: October 2010

The diffusion of molecular species within a sulfuric acid–water system has been monitored by Raman spectroscopy, a thermodynamic-chemical model of the mass transport properties of the species has been established, and its parameters optimized. It has been shown that the non-ideality of this multicomponent system plays a crucial role in its mass transport properties, which have been explained in terms of a diffusion model for the molecular species. The individual effective diffusion coefficients are not constant (characteristic of ideal systems) but are a function of the concentration of the species in solution. The model has been conceived in such a way that it can be adapted to any multicomponent mixture when the equilibriums among the ions are known. Raman spectroscopy provides the means to derive the speciation and concentration of species in multicomponent systems, and we have shown that the model-based measurement of the diffusion properties using Raman is a robust and accurate technique that allows for measuring the individual diffusion coefficients of the species in the mentioned system.
Cavity Enhanced Spectroscopy of High-Temperature H2O in the Near-Infrared Using a Supercontinuum Light Source
Authors: Watt Rosalynne S. , Laurila Toni , Kaminski Clemens F. , Hult Johan
Published: October 2010

In this paper we demonstrate how broadband cavity enhanced absorption spectroscopy (CEAS) with supercontinuum (SC) radiation in the near-infrared spectral range can be used as a sensitive, multiplexed, and simple tool to probe gas-phase species in high-temperature environments. Near-infrared SC radiation is generated by pumping a standard single-mode fiber with a picosecond fiber laser. Standard low reflectivity mirrors are used for the cavity and an optical spectrum analyzer is used for the detection of gas-phase species in combustion. The method is demonstrated by measuring flame generated H2O in the 1500 to 1550 nm region and room-temperature CO2 between 1520 nm and 1660 nm. The broadband nature of the technique permits hundreds of rotational features to be recorded, giving good potential to unravel complex, convoluted spectra. We discuss practical issues concerning the implementation of the technique and present a straightforward method for calibration of the CEAS system via a cavity ringdown measurement. Despite the large spectral variation of SC radiation from pulse to pulse, it is shown that SC sources can offer good stability for CEAS where a large number of SC pulses are typically averaged.
The β-Spherulite Morphology of Isotactic Polypropylene Investigated by Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: Martin J. , Bourson P. , Dahoun A. , Hiver J. M.
Published: October 2010

Raman spectroscopy is used to investigate the α- and β-crystalline polymorphs of isotactic polypropylene. Raman spectra of the polymorphs show some minor differences, in particular the wavenumber shifting of certain scattering bands, which reflect the environment of an isolated macromolecular chain within the packing unit cell of the different crystal forms. For example, the shifting of the 842 cm−1 scattering band, which is the most susceptible band to cause intermolecular interactions, is used to generate a structural map of one β-spherulite among α-spherulites with a well-defined resolution. Anisotropy of the crystalline phase orientation within a β-spherulite is also investigated by performing polarized Raman spectroscopy measurements. Differences in the polarized spectra are then finely exploited to map the radial lamellae orientation distribution within one β-spherulite.
A Red-Emitting Phosphor and its Luminescent Properties
Authors: Cao Fa-Bin , Chen Yong-Jie , Tian Yan-Wen , Li Lang-Kai
Published: October 2010

Under 616 nm monitoring, excitation peaks at 395, 465, and 535 nm were observed for the red-emitting phosphor Li0.3Y0.82Mo0.1W0.9O4+δ:0.08Eu3+ (LYMW), which was synthesized using the solid-state method. Particularly in the range of 250 to 420 nm, excited peaks can be assigned to the transitions of O2−→Mo6+/W6+/Eu3+ and four sharp peaks can be assigned to the 4f–4f transition of Eu3+ (∼360 nm from the 7F0→5D4 transition, ∼380 nm from the 7F0→5L7 transition, ∼395 nm from the 7F0→5L6 transition, and ∼415 nm from the 7F0→5D3 transition).
Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy of Steel: A Comparison of Univariate and Multivariate Calibration Methods
Authors: Stipe Christopher B. , Hensley Brian D. , Boersema Jeffrey L. , Buckley Steven G.
Published: October 2010

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was carried out on twenty-three low to high alloy steel samples to quantify their concentrations of chromium, nickel, and manganese. LIBS spectral data were correlated to known concentrations of the samples and three calibration methods were compared. A standard LIBS calibration technique using peak area integration normalized by an internal standard was compared to peak area integration normalized by total light and the multivariate statistical technique of partial least squares. For the partial least squares analysis, the PLS-1 algorithm was used, where a predictive model is generated for each element separately. Partial least squares regression coefficients show that the algorithm correctly identifies the atomic emission peaks of interest for each of the elements. Predictive capabilities of each calibration approach were quantified by calculating the standard and relative errors of prediction. The performance of partial least squares is on par with using iron as an internal standard but has the key advantage that it can be applied to samples where the concentrations of all elements are unknown.
In Situ Infrared Emission Spectroscopy for Quantitative Gas-Phase Measurement under High Temperature Reaction Conditions: An Analytical Method for Methane by Means of an Innovative Small-Volume Flowing Cell
Authors: Usseglio Sandro , Thorshaug Knut , Karlsson Arne , Dahl Ivar M. , Nielsen Claus J. , Jens Klaus-J. , Tangstad Elisabeth
Published: October 2010

We have used infrared emission spectroscopy (IRES) in order to perform in situ studies under flowing gas-phase conditions. When the small-volume cell developed herein is used, we can (1) observe emission spectra from a hot gas-phase sample having an effective volume much less than one milliliter, (2) observe spectra of typical molecular species present, and (3) observe spectra of the more important molecular species down to below 10% and in some cases even as low as 1%. In addition, an analytical method has been derived in order to conduct quantitative studies under typical reaction conditions. We show that simplifications can be made in the data acquisition and handling for a direct linear correlation between band intensity and concentration with only simple background correction. The practical lower limit for methane in the present setup is approximately 0.5–1% v/v depending on the selected temperature. Our data were collected at 500, 600, and 700 °C, respectively. The major features of the present cell design are fairly simple and basically formed by a quartz tube (outer diameter=6 mm, inner diameter=4 mm) inside a metal pipe and two tubular ceramic heaters. This simple setup has advantages and attractive features that have extended the application of IRES to new fields and, in particular, for in situ studies of hydrocarbon reactions at different residence times at high temperature.
An Intermolecular Single-Quantum Coherence Detection Scheme for High-Resolution Two-Dimensional J-resolved Spectroscopy in Inhomogeneous Fields
Authors: Huang Yuqing , Cai Shuhui , Lin Yanqin , Chen Zhong
Published: October 2010

A new pulse sequence based on intermolecular single-quantum coherences (iSQCs) is proposed to achieve high-resolution two-dimensional (2D) J-resolved spectra in inhomogeneous fields via three-dimensional (3D) acquisition. Since the iSQC evolution period and spin echo evolution period in this sequence are intrinsically insensitive to magnetic field inhomogeneities, high-resolution 2D J-resolved spectra can be recovered from nuclei in inhomogeneous fields by projecting the 3D data onto the 2D plane. Analytical expressions of the resulting signals were derived assuming the secular dipole–dipole interaction. Analyses of a solution sample placed in a deliberately unshimmed magnetic field and of a biological sample with intrinsic field inhomogeneities were performed. The results show that this sequence provides an attractive and efficient way to eliminate the influence of field inhomogeneities on 2D J-resolved spectra, which is potentially useful for characterizing complex chemical materials and studying biological metabolites in inhomogeneous fields.
A Methodology to Estimate Concentration Profiles from Two-Dimensional Covariance Spectroscopy Applied to Kinetic Data
Authors: Spegazzini Nicolás , Ruisánchez Itziar , Serra Angels , Mantecón Ana , Larrechi María S.
Published: October 2010

Two-dimensional (2D) covariance analyses applied to spectroscopy data obtained while monitoring chemical processes allow exploring the chemical reactions involved. Some slices of the sample–sample covariance map are an approach to the concentration profiles of the reactive species and we present a novel methodology to identify them. The method overcomes problems habitually referenced in the application of this technique and it is based on the selection of spectral zones with similar standard deviation of the variables and row centering the spectra data in each zone. The slices are identified according to the correlation coefficient value. The method is illustrated using simulated spectra data set representatives of two model reactions A → B and A → I → B. It has been applied to analyze the effect of rare earth metal triflate initiators in the cationic curing process of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A with γ-valerolactone. The number of significant slices found is equal to the number of reactive species. This is interesting information that can be used as an initial estimation to find profile concentrations using other methods such as multivariate curve resolution–alternating least squares (MCR-ALS).