bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling production of migratory catfish larvae (Pimelodidae) on the basis of regional hydro‐ climatology features of the Madre de Dios Basin in southeastern Peru
Authors: Cañas Carlos M. , Waylen Peter R.
Published: June 2011

A simple stochastic model is presented to describe the influence of the natural flow regime of the Madre de Dios River (southeastern Peru) on the presence and downstream transportation of catfish larvae (Siluriformes: Pimelodidae), an important migratory species in commercial fisheries in the Peruvian Amazon region. One year of daily river stage records were related to weekly larval catches to determine the association between floods and spawning events, and based on the hydro‐climatologic characteristics of Andean‐Amazon regions, available long‐term historical rainfall records were used to determine the inter‐annual variability of floods within the Madre de Dios Basin. Major larval drift occurred during the high water season, specifically in association with stages of over 5 m, which served as an indicator triggering spawning responses of these species, termed a ‘biologically significant event’ (BSE). Timing of these BSEs, estimated from the historical rainfall records, described a uniform distribution during the wet season, and their inter‐arrival times were exponentially distributed. These observations provided the basis of the stochastic model describing the likelihood of larvae releases from this headwater region to the lowland Amazon. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Long‐term neuroprotection and neurorestoration by glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor microspheres for the treatment of Parkinson's disease
Authors: Garbayo Elisa , Ansorena Eduardo , Lanciego Jose Luis , Blanco‐Prieto María Jose , Aymerich María S.
Published: June 2011

Background:

Glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor is a survival factor for dopaminergic neurons and a promising candidate for the treatment of Parkinson's disease. However, the delivery issue of the protein to the brain still remains unsolved. Our aim was to investigate the effect of long‐term delivery of encapsulated glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor within microspheres.

Methods:

A single dose of microspheres containing 2.5 μg of glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor was implanted intrastriatally in animals 2 weeks after a 6‐hydroxydopamine lesion.

Results:

The amphetamine test showed a complete behavioral recovery after 16 weeks of treatment, which was maintained until the end of the study (week 30). This effect was accompanied by an increase in dopaminergic striatal terminals and neuroprotection of dopaminergic neurons.

Conclusions:

The main achievement was the long‐term neurorestoration in parkinsonian animals induced by encapsulated glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor, suggesting that microspheres may be considered as a means to deliver glial cell‐derived neurotrophic factor for Parkinson's disease treatment. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society
Cetacean sightings and strandings: evidence for spatial and temporal trends?
Authors: Pikesley Stephen K. , Witt Mathew J. , Hardy Tom , Loveridge Jan , Loveridge Jeff , Williams Ruth , Godley Brendan J.
Published: June 2011

Cetacean species and their habitats are under threat and effective marine management mitigation strategies require knowledge and understanding of cetacean ecology. This requires data that are challenging and expensive to obtain; incidental sightings/strandings data are potential underused resources. In this study, incidental cetacean sightings (N = 6631) and strandings (N = 1856) in coastal waters of Cornwall, south-west Britain (1991 to 2008) were analysed for evidence of spatial and temporal patterns or trends. Eighteen species were recorded sighted and/or stranded; key species were identified as bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), Risso's dolphin (Grampus griseus) and minke whale (Balaenoptera acutorostrata). There were significant decreases in bottlenose dolphin sightings and pod size but an increase in harbour porpoise and minke whale sightings. Cetacean strandings showed a recent decrease over time although there was a significant positive trend in harbour porpoise strandings that correlated with sightings. Incidence of sightings and strandings were both greater on the south coast than the north coast. When Marine Tour Operator data were analysed, distinct species-specific inshore and offshore habitat use was evident. With rigorous interrogation and editing, significant patterns and trends were gained from incidentally collected data, highlighting the importance of public engagement with such recording schemes and the potential of these underused resources.
Random Graphs with Few Disjoint Cycles
Authors: KURAUSKAS VALENTAS , McDIARMID COLIN
Published: June 2011

The classical Erdős–Pósa theorem states that for each positive integer k there is an f(k) such that, in each graph G which does not have k + 1 disjoint cycles, there is a blocker of size at most f(k); that is, a set B of at most f(k) vertices such that G−B has no cycles. We show that, amongst all such graphs on vertex set {1,. . .,n}, all but an exponentially small proportion have a blocker of size k. We also give further properties of a random graph sampled uniformly from this class, concerning uniqueness of the blocker, connectivity, chromatic number and clique number.

A key step in the proof of the main theorem is to show that there must be a blocker as in the Erdős–Pósa theorem with the extra ‘redundancy’ property that B–v is still a blocker for all but at most k vertices v ∈ B.
To realize the optimal probe pulse length for detection of pulsed terahertz signal with spectral-encoding technique
Authors: Peng Xiao-Yu , Zhang Xin-Hai , Teng Jing-Hua , Guo Hong-Cheng , Foo Yong-Lim
Published: June 2011

The approach to realize the optimal chirped probe pulse length for an arbitrary pulsed terahertz (THz) signal measured with the spectral-encoding technique was investigated by simulation. It was found that either the maximum positive peak or the absolute value of the strongest negative peak of the normalized difference between the probe spectrum modulated by THz signal and the background probe spectrum tended to be maximized when the probe pulse duration approached to the optimal value. The probe pulse length can be adjusted continuously with a pair of triangular dispersive prisms. THz signals from high-voltage biased air plasmas induced by femtosecond laser pulse were measured with minimum distortion using our simple method.
Bias controlled electrostrictive longitudinal resonance in X-cut lithium niobate thin films resonator
Authors: Pijolat M. , Deguet C. , Billard C. , Mercier D. , Reinhardt A. , Aïd M. , Ballandras S. , Defay E.
Published: June 2011

In this letter, we show that a longitudinal acoustic wave can be generated in X-cut LiNbO3 (LNO) thin films when a voltage bias is superimposed to the radio frequency signal. Although there is normally no coupling of this wave in X-cut LNO, its electrostrictive behavior combined with bias reaching 3.9 MV/cm induces an electromechanical coupling around 11%. This experiment was performed without acoustic isolation with the LNO substrate (high overtone bulk acoustic resonator configuration).
The use of etomidate infusions during anaesthesia for cardiopulmonary bypass
Authors: ODURO A. , TOMLINSON A. A. , VOICE A. , DAVIES G. K.
Published: June 2011

The effects of cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermia were studied on the plasma concentration and metabolism of a continuous infusion of etomidate in six patients. Continuous etomidate infusions (20 μg/kg/minute) with analgesic cover may be a suitable anaesthetic for cardiac surgery. This rate of infusion provides adequate plasma concentrations, and it would appear unnecessary from the results to alter the rate of infusion during cardiopulmonary bypass and hypothermia.
Staphylococcus aureus regulates the expression and production of the staphylococcal superantigen‐like secreted proteins in a Rot‐dependent manner
Authors: Benson Meredith A. , Lilo Sarit , Wasserman Gregory A. , Thoendel Matthew , Smith Amanda , Horswill Alexander R. , Fraser John , Novick Richard P. , Shopsin Bo , Torres Victor J.
Published: June 2011

Staphylococcus aureus overproduces a subset of immunomodulatory proteins known as the staphylococcal superantigen‐like proteins (Ssls) under conditions of pore‐mediated membrane stress. In this study we demonstrate that overproduction of Ssls during membrane stress is due to the impaired activation of the two‐component module of the quorum‐sensing accessory gene regulator (Agr) system. Agr‐dependent repression of ssl expression is indirect and mediated by the transcription factor repressor of toxins (Rot). Surprisingly, we observed that Rot directly interacts with and activates the ssl promoters. The role of Agr and Rot as regulators of ssl expression was observed across several clinically relevant strains, suggesting that overproduction of immunomodulatory proteins benefits agr‐defective strains. In support of this notion, we demonstrate that Ssls contribute to the residual virulence of S. aureus lacking agr in a murine model of systemic infection. Altogether, these results suggest that S. aureus compensates for the inactivation of Agr by producing immunomodulatory exoproteins that could protect the bacterium from host‐mediated clearance.
Gastro‐oesophageal reflux, eosinophilic airway inflammation and chronic cough
Authors: PACHECO ADALBERTO , FARO VICENTA , COBETA IGNACIO , ROYUELA ANA , MOLYNEUX IAN , MORICE ALYN H.
Published: June 2011

Background and objective:  Patients with eosinophilic airway inflammation (EAI) often show a therapeutic response to corticosteroids. Non‐invasive methods of diagnosing EAI are potentially useful in guiding therapy, particularly in conditions such as chronic cough, for which corticosteroids may not be the first‐line treatment.

Methods:  The value of exhaled nitric oxide (ENO) in the diagnosis of EAI was prospectively investigated in a cohort of 116 patients with chronic cough of varying aetiology. An optimum cut‐off value was derived for differentiating between EAI and non‐EAI causes of chronic cough. As the diagnosis was gastro‐oesophageal reflux in 70 patients (60.3% of the total), the possible relationship between ENO and EAI in the presence or absence of reflux was subsequently investigated.

Results:  The optimum value of ENO for differentiating EAI (32% of patients) from non‐EAI causes of cough was 33 parts per billion (sensitivity 60.5%, specificity 84.6%). In the subgroup of patients with reflux, ENO was highly specific for the diagnosis of EAI (sensitivity 66%, specificity 100%). Conversely, in the patients without reflux, ENO did not discriminate between cough due to EAI or other causes (sensitivity 100%, specificity 28.9%).

Conclusions:  These results suggest that the presence or absence of reflux should be taken into consideration when interpreting ENO measurements in the diagnosis of chronic cough associated with EAI.
Say What? On Grice On What Is Said
Authors: Baptista Luca
Published: June 2011

Abstract: In this paper I argue that there is a very important, though often neglected, dissimilarity between the two Gricean conceptions of ‘what is said’: the one presented in his William James Lectures and the one sketched in the ‘Retrospective Epilogue’ to his book Studies in the Way of Words. The main problem lies with the idea of speakers' commitment to what they say and how this is to be related to the conventional, or standard, meaning of the sentences uttered in the act of saying. Since the later notion of ‘what is said’, or ‘dictiveness’, is claimed to be logically independent from ‘formality’ (roughly, conventional meaning), Grice seems to maintain that there are cases in which content that is not expressed by a sentence in a context may nevertheless count as what is said. I propose an account of what is said that brings together the two apparently irreconcilable approaches. The price to be paid for a Gricean, however, is to accept a duality of behaviour between (natural language counterparts of) logical constants and logical variables.
Histopathological diagnostics of malignant melanoma in accordance with the recent AJCC classification 2009: Review of the literature and recommendations for general practice
Authors: Garbe Claus , Eigentler Thomas K. , Bauer Jürgen , Blödorn‐Schlicht Norbert , Fend Falko , Hantschke Markus , Kurschat Peter , Kutzner Heinz , Metze Dieter , Preßler Harald , Reusch Michael , Röcken Martin , Stadler Rudolf , Tronnier Michael , Yazdi Amir , Metzler Gisela
Published: June 2011

Background: TNM classifications are the basis for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures in oncology. Histopathological reports have to enable a proper indexing of tumor specific findings into recent classifications.

Methods: A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify reports dealing with the assessment of mitotic rate and the processing and evaluation of sentinel node biopsies in malignant melanoma. On the basis of this review an expert panel of dermatopathologists and general pathologists discussed and agreed recommendations for general practice.

Results: Following recommendations were agreed with a broad consensus (93–100 % agreement): The determination of the mitotic rate in primary melanoma is performed on HE slides. The evaluation of an area of 1 mm2 is sufficient. Only dermal mitoses are considered. The counted number of mitoses is provided as an integer value. The mitotic rate shall be determined in primary melanomas of ≤1.00 mm vertical tumor thickness according to the hot‐spot method and provided as an integer value in relation to an area of 1 mm2. The determination of the mitotic rate in the case of thicker primary melanomas is desirable. In general, for the evaluation of each sentinel lymph node, 4 slides should be prepared. For diagnostic purposes, immunohistochemistry (preferably with antibodies against S100ß, Melan A and HMB‐45) should be performed in addition to HE staining. The pathology report should provide information about micro‐metastases and their longest extension (one‐tenth of a millimeter).

Conclusions: These recommendations are suitable for standardizing the histopathological diagnosis of malignant melanoma and for providing a common basis for clinical decisions and scientific research.
Eugenia terpnophylla var. keralensis var. nov. (Myrtaceae) from Kerala, India
Authors: Shareef S. M. , Santhosh Kumar E. S. , Roy P. E.
Published: June 2011

The new variety Eugenia terpnophylla Thw. viz. var. keralensis S. M. Shareef, E. S. Santhosh Kumar et Roy is described and illustrated from Kerala, India. It differs from the typical variety by its narrowly or broadly elliptic leaves with more numerous lateral nerves, sub‐orbicular petals and ellipsoidal fruits.
Inhibitory Effect of a Nucleotide Analog on Infectious Salmon Anemia Virus Infection
Authors: Rivas-Aravena Andrea , Vallejos-Vidal Eva , Cortez-San Martin Marcelo , Reyes-Lopez Felipe , Tello Mario , Mora Patricia , Sandino Ana María , Spencer Eugenio
Published: June 2011

The infectious salmon anemia virus (ISAV), which belongs to the
Orthomyxoviridae
family, has been responsible for major losses in the salmon industry, with mortalities close to 100% in areas where Atlantic salmon (
Salmo salar
) is grown. This work studied the effect of ribavirin (1-β-
d
-ribofuranosyl-1,2,3-triazole-3-carbaxaide), a broad-spectrum antiviral compound with proven ability to inhibit the replicative cycle of the DNA and RNA viruses. The results show that ribavirin was able to inhibit the infectivity of ISAV in
in vitro
assays. In these assays, a significant inhibition of the replicative viral cycle was observed with a 50% inhibitory concentration (IC
50
) of 0.02 μg/ml and an IC
90
of 0.4 μg/ml of ribavirin. After ribavirin treatment, viral proteins were not detectable and a reduction of viral mRNA association with ribosomes was observed. Ribavirin does not affect the levels of EF1a, nor its association with polysomes, suggesting that the inhibition of RNA synthesis occurs specifically for the virus mRNAs and not for cellular mRNAs. Moreover, ribavirin caused a significant reduction in genomic and viral RNA messenger levels. The study of the inhibitory mechanism showed that it was not reversed by the addition of guanosine. Furthermore,
in vivo
assays showed a reduction in the mortality of
Salmo salar
by more than 90% in fish infected with ISAV and treated with ribavirin without adverse effects. In fact, these results show that ribavirin is an antiviral that could be used to prevent ISAV replication either
in vitro
or
in vivo
.
THE MOBILITY OF THE EDGE DISLOCATION IN METAL: A MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATION
Authors: YANG XIYUAN
Published: June 2011

In this paper, we use molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and a modified analytic embedded-atom method to investigate the edge dislocation movement without imposed strain at 0 K. The obtained results indicate that the straight lines of the partial dislocations always preserve their original shapes and are parallel to each other during the simulation process. According to the energy of each atom, the positions of both partial dislocation cores are determined. Then the velocities in the period of the relaxation process are investigated in detail. The MD simulations reveal that the MD relaxation time dependence of the edge dislocation mobility is divided into two parts. First, during the initial period ranging from 0 to 6 ps, the relative velocity of the dislocation movement lineally increases with the incremental relaxation time. Second, in the latter period from 6 ps to the end of the simulated process the velocity decreases exponentially as the MD simulation time evolves.
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF SODIUM CADMIUM PHOSPHATE GLASSES
Authors: ALTAF M. , CHAUDHRY M. A.
Published: June 2011

A series of sodium cadmium phosphate glasses was prepared in a platinum crucible by melt quench technique. These glasses contain a mole% composition of x% Na 2 O -(50-x)% CdO -50% P 2 O 5, where the quantity x lies in 0–40 mole%. In this work the physical properties of these glasses were studied, which are reported as mass density ρ, oxygen packing density, molar volume, sodium ion concentration, modulus of rigidity η, coefficient of linear expansion α, transition temperature Tg, and softening temperature Ts. The mass density, oxygen packing density, modulus rigidity, transition temperature and softening temperature show decreasing trend with increasing concentration of sodium ions in these glasses, whereas molar volume and coefficient of linear expansion indicate an increase with increasing concentration of sodium oxide.
GROUND-STATE ENERGY OF THE ELECTRON GAS WITH THE MODIFIED COULOMB POTENTIAL 1/rp
Authors: FU LIANGJIE , CHEN YUAN
Published: June 2011

In this paper, due to the effect of positively-charged screening holes, Coulomb potential energy 1/r is modified to be 1/rp, which is assumed to deviate slightly from the former. Using many-body perturbation theory, we obtain a simple analytic representation of the ground-state energy and correlation energy for a uniform electron gas. Our results agree with those obtained by the numerical and semi-analytic methods at low-density limit. Higher ground-state energies at high-density limit are calculated from our model. High order r expansion terms are found at high-density region. A curve of transition density versus p is drawn via the Misawa spin-scaling relation, which is in consistent with Perdew's study at low-density limit.
SPIN ACCUMULATION IN A QUANTUM WIRE WITH THE COEXISTENCE OF RASHBA AND DRESSELHAUSE SPIN–ORBIT COUPLING
Authors: FU XI , ZHOU GUANG-HUI
Published: June 2011

We investigate theoretically the spin accumulation of a quantum wire nonadiabatically connected to two normal leads in the presence of Rashba and Dresselhaus spin–orbit coupling (SOC). Using scattering matrix approach within the effective free-electron approximation, three components of spin polarization have been calculated. It is demonstrated that for the Dresselhaus SOC case the out-of-plane spin polarization does not form spin accumulation, and when the two SOC terms coexist the influence of Rashba SOC to the out-of-plane spin accumulation is dominant and symmetry of the spin accumulation is broken due to the existence of Dresselhaus SOC. Moreover, the formation of the out-of-plane spin accumulation is influenced by the ratio of Rashba and Dresselhaus strength, and when the ratio is very small the out-of-plane spin polarization does not show spin accumulation patterns. It is also shown that the spin accumulation for the system is an intrinsic one which can be distinguished from the extrinsic spin accumulation by changing the Rashba strength.
ELASTIC PROPERTIES OF GROUP IV SEMICONDUCTORS BY PSEUDOPOTENTIAL APPROACH
Authors: JIVANI A. R. , JANI A. R.
Published: June 2011

The higher-order perturbation theory based on pseudopotential approach is used to investigate few elastic and vibrational properties of Group IV semiconductors. The homogeneous deformation method is used to calculate elastic constants. To consider electron-ion interactions, our own proposed potential is employed to investigate such properties of Si , Ge and α- Sn . The potential contains only single parameter and its value is determined by fitting experimental value of bulk modulus. The calculated physical properties like elastic constants, pressure derivatives of the bulk modulus, pressure derivatives of elastic constants, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio etc., of Si , Ge and α- Sn are in good agreement with available experimental and other available theoretical results. The deviation of the present calculations using our potential with respect to experimental data is found to be less than 10% in most of the calculated physical properties. To consider the exchange and correlation effect, five different local-field correction functions are incorporated in the present investigations. From the present study, it can be observed that incorporation of local-field correction and the covalent-correction term are important in such type of investigations.
A BLASZAK–MARCINIAK LATTICE HIERARCHY WITH SELF-CONSISTENT SOURCES
Authors: YU FAJUN , LI LI
Published: June 2011

In this paper, we consider the discrete soliton hierarchy with self-consistent sources by using Lie algebra sl(3). Then a Blaszak–Marciniak equations hierarchy with self-consistent sources is obtained through the discrete zero curvature equation.
FORECASTING THE CRUDE OIL SPOT PRICE BY WAVELET NEURAL NETWORKS USING OECD PETROLEUM INVENTORY LEVELS
Authors: PANG YE , XU WEI , YU LEAN , MA JIAN , LAI KIN KEUNG , WANG SHOUYANG , XU SHANYING
Published: June 2011

In this study, a novel forecasting model based on the Wavelet Neural Network (WNN) is proposed to predict the monthly crude oil spot price. In the proposed model, the OECD industrial petroleum inventory level is used as an independent variable, and the Wavelet Neural Network (WNN) is used to explore the nonlinear relationship between inventories and the price. For verification purposes, the West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude oil spot price is used for the tested target. Experimental results reveal that the WNN can model the nonlinear relationship between inventories and the price very well. Furthermore, the in-sample and out-of-sample prediction performance also demonstrates that the WNN-based forecasting model can produce more accurate prediction results than other nonlinear and linear models, even when the lengths of the forecast horizon are relatively short or long.
Taking Emergence Seriously: The Centrality of Circular Causality for Dynamic Systems Approaches to Development
Authors: Witherington David C.
Published: June 2011

The dynamic systems (DS) approach has emerged as an influential and potentially unifying metatheory for developmental science. Its central platform – the argument against design – suggests that structure spontaneously and without prescription emerges through self-organization. In one of the most prominent accounts of DS, Thelen and her colleagues [Spencer, Dineva, & Schöner, 2009a; Thelen & Smith, 1994, 2006] have extended the argument against design to a complete ontological rejection of structural explanation. I argue that this antistructuralist stance conceptually undermines the very principle of emergence through self-organization upon which the approach is built, jeopardizing its process focus. Taking emergence seriously entails a strong commitment to circular causality and the reciprocal nature of structure-function relations through the adoption of a pluralistic model of causality, one that recognizes both local-to-global processes of construction and global-to-local processes of constraint.
Proteomic Approaches in Understanding a Detected Relationship between Chemotherapy-Induced Nephrotoxicity and Cell Respiration in HK-2 Cells
Authors: Perez Juliana Dinéia , Colucci Juliana Almada , Sakata Maísa Mayumi , Cunha Tatiana Sousa , Arita Danielle Yuri , Casarini Dulce Elena
Published: June 2011

Background/Aims: Nephrotoxicity is a prominent component of the profile of chemotherapeutic agents and to date proteomics has represented the main technique to identify protein profiles in response to xenobiotic exposure. Methods: We made use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight analysis to evaluate chemotoxicity effects of cisplatin (CPT) and carboplatin (CB) on proteins from human renal proximal tubule epithelial cells (HK-2). Results: Tandem mass spectrometry analysis showed that ATP synthase subunit α and serine hydroxymethyltransferase were only expressed in HK-2 cells exposed to CPT. Since CPT causes damage in cellular respiration, we suggest that this might be a protective adaptation to CPT-induced nephrotoxicity. Thioredoxin-dependent peroxide reductase disappeared in the CPT group and was upregulated in the CB group, suggesting that CB exposure stimulates preventive apoptotic mechanisms. We suggest a relationship between chemotherapeutic agent-induced nephrotoxicity and cell respiration. The identification of proteins differentially expressed in HK-2 cells, when exposed to CPT and CB, not only supplies important information to understand the molecular action mechanisms, which are triggered by metal-based drugs in cell nephrotoxicity, but also can lead to the design of more effective anticancer drugs. Conclusion: These results provide important insights into the investigation of possible biomarker(s) of toxicity that could eventually reduce the side effects of chemotherapeutic agents.
Transcranial Sonography Reveals Cerebellar, Nigral, and Forebrain Abnormalities in Friedreich’s Ataxia
Authors: Synofzik Matthis , Godau Jana , Lindig Tobias , Schöls Ludger , Berg Daniela
Published: June 2011

Background: Friedreich’s ataxia (FA) is essentially characterized by degeneration of the dorsal root ganglia, the dorsal nuclei of Clarke, and the long spinal fiber tracts, yet there is accumulating evidence that neurodegeneration extends beyond these predilection sites. Transcranial sonography (TCS) has evolved as a valuable complementary neuroimaging tool in the assessment of neurodegenerative diseases due to its capacity to well depict structural changes and the accumulation of heavy metals. Its use for assessing cerebellar neurodegeneration, however, has not yet been investigated.Here we investigated whether TCS allows to assess particular features of cerebellar as well as midbrain and forebrain abnormalities in FA. Methods: Comprehensive TCS imaging of 34 FA patients and 34 age-matched healthy controls. Results: Hyperechogenicity of the dentate nucleus was very frequent in FA patients (85%) and could even be observed in patients with short disease duration, suggesting that dentate alterations are a common and probably early feature of FA. Substantia nigra was significantly hypoechogenic, possibly indicating regional changes in subcellular brain iron regulation. FA patients showed significantly enlarged 4th, 3rd, and lateral ventricles, thus corroborating earlier MRI and postmortem findings of substantial cerebellar and forebrain atrophy in FA. Conclusions: TCS provides a quick-to-apply and inexpensive in vivo assessment of both cerebellar and noncerebellar abnormalities in FA, in particular highlighting dentate hyperechogenicity as a core feature. It might serve as a promising tool for imaging aspects of cerebellar neurodegeneration also in other neurodegenerative disorders.
Nocturnal enuresis in patients taking clozapine, risperidone,
olanzapine and quetiapine: comparative cohort study
Authors: Harrison-Woolrych Mira , Skegg Keren , Ashton Janelle , Herbison Peter , Skegg David C. G.
Published: June 2011

Background

Nocturnal enuresis has been reported in patients taking clozapine, but
the incidence has not been accurately established. The incidence of
enuresis in patients taking risperidone, olanzapine or quetiapine is
unknown.

Aims

To compare nocturnal enuresis in patients taking clozapine with that in
patients taking risperidone, olanzapine or quetiapine.

Method

Observational cohort study using prescription event monitoring methods.
Patients prescribed atypical antipsychotic medicines were followed up by
questionnaires that were sent to their medical practitioner.
Practitioners were asked to directly ask their patients about
bed-wetting.

Results

Nocturnal enuresis was reported by 17 of 82 (20.7%) patients taking
clozapine, 11 of 115 (9.6%) taking olanzapine, 7 of 105 (6.7%) taking
quetiapine and 12 of 195 (6.2%) taking risperidone. Compared with
clozapine, the risk of nocturnal enuresis was significantly lower in
patients taking olanzapine (odds ratio, OR = 0.43, 95% CI 0.19–0.96),
quetiapine (OR = 0.33, 95% CI 0.13–0.59) or risperidone (OR = 0.27,
0.12–0.59), with odds ratios adjusted for age, gender and duration of
treatment.

Conclusions

Approximately one in five patients prescribed clozapine experienced
bed-wetting. This was significantly higher than the rate of nocturnal
enuresis in patients taking olanzapine, quetiapine or risperidone.
Using Extended Cognitive Behavioral Treatment and Medication to Treat Dependent Smokers
Authors: Hall Sharon M. , Humfleet Gary L. , Muñoz Ricardo F. , Reus Victor I. , Prochaska Judith J. , Robbins Julie A.
Published: June 2011

Objectives. We evaluated smoking-cessation efficacy of an extended course of sustained-release bupropion (bupropion SR) and cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT).

Methods. Participants who smoked at least 10 cigarettes per day and who smoked within 30 minutes of arising (n = 406) completed a 12-week smoking-cessation treatment including group counseling, nicotine-replacement therapy, and bupropion SR. Participants were then randomly assigned to 1 of 5 conditions: (1) no further treatment, (2) active bupropion SR for 40 weeks, (3) placebo for 40 weeks, (4) active bupropion SR and 11 sessions of CBT for 40 weeks (A-CBT), or (5) placebo and 11 sessions of CBT for 40 weeks. Participants were assessed at baseline and at weeks 12, 24, 52, 64, and 104.

Results. A-CBT was not superior to the other 3 extended treatments. From weeks 12 through 104, all extended treatment conditions were superior to standard treatment. At weeks 64 and 104, the 2 CBT conditions produced significantly higher abstinence rates than did the other 3 conditions.

Conclusions. Brief contact with providers can increase abstinence during treatment. CBT may increase long-term abstinence after extended treatment is terminated.
The Ambiguous Concept of Product Defectiveness and the Business Risk: Different Approaches of European and U.S. Courts Comparing the Producer's and User's Behaviour
Authors: Rajneri Eleonora
Published: June 2011

The European directive on product liability defines as defective a product that “does not provide the safety which a person is entitled to expect.” In the last years, European national courts have given a number of diverse interpretations of such a broadly and ambiguous defined provision. For an analytical comparison among court decisions, I suggest to distinguish between (1) risk of damages that were foreseeable and avoidable at the time when the product was put into circulation, (2) risk of damages that were unforeseeable and unavoidable, and (3) risk of damages that were statistically foreseeable yet unavoidable.

As regards the first category, the Italian Corte di Cassazione has pointed out that the legal provision implies a comparison between the conduct of the victim and that of the producer in order to assess which one of two was in the best position to avoid this risk of damage. Therefore, the mechanism of apportionment of the risk is not different from the one implied by a fault liability rule. It is interesting to note that the third American Restatement on torts does not make any reference to the user’s behavior in its black letter on product defectiveness. The analysis shows how this different approach impacts on judicial decision-making.

With respect to the second category, the development risk defense clause (expressly provided for by the directive) produces the effect of leaving the victim uncompensated, despite the fact that the European lawmaker has declared his intention to place a liability without fault upon the producer.

The problem arises with the third category, because the directive has not envisaged a specific rule for those damages that were statistically foreseeable yet unavoidable, such as the manufacturing defects. On the contrary, Italian law makes explicit that a product “is defective if it does not provide the safety normally provided by other products in the same series.” Under this rule (that is one of the application of a more broad doctrine on business risk), the producer is deemed strictly liable for those damages that, even though unavoidable, were manageable as quantifiable in advance. The question is whether this doctrine could be applied also to those design defects actually foreseen by the producer. Following the business risk doctrine, the producer should be held strictly liable as he had accepted the risk in full awareness, having taken it into account in his cost/benefit analysis. However, according to those European courts that do apply the risk/utility test (such as the German courts), the producer is insulated from liability if the cost of an alternative design overweighed the foreseeable risk of damage.
Zinc Oxide — A Unique Material for Advanced Photovoltaic Solar Cells
Authors: Flickyngerová Soňa , Tvarožek Vladimír , Gašpierik Pavol
Published: June 2011

Zinc Oxide — A Unique Material for Advanced Photovoltaic Solar Cells

A novel approach to the preparation of thin films by using RF diode sputtering was developed. In one deposition run, thin films of doped ZnO:(Al, Ga) were obtained with different structural, optical and electrical properties. ZnO: Al films of low resistivities in order of 10-3Ωcm and high optical transmittances about 93% have appeared the most suitable for photovoltaic applications.
Pyrolyzed Photoresist Film Electrodes for Application in Electroanalysis
Authors: Řeháček Vlastimil , Hotový Ivan , Vojs Marian , Kotlár Mário , Kups Thomas , Spiess Lothar
Published: June 2011

Pyrolyzed Photoresist Film Electrodes for Application in Electroanalysis

Pyrolyzed photoresist film (PPF) electrodes for application in electroanalysis were prepared on alumina substrates. These electrodes were characterized for their electrical, microstructural (by Raman spectroscopy) and electrochemical properties. As a support, the PPF electrodes were tested for simultaneous determination of Pb(II), Cd(II) and Zn(II) in an aqueous solution on in-situ formed bismuth film by square wave voltammetry (SWV). The dependence of the stripping responses on the concentration of target metals was linear in the range from 1 × 10-8 to 9 × 10-8 mol/L. The effect of activation of the PPF surface by argon plasma on analytical performance of bismuth film electrode (BiFE) on PPF support was also investigated.
The global economy and its influence on the Slovak construction sector
Authors: Jankovichová E.
Published: June 2011

The global economy and its influence on the Slovak construction sector

For the construction industry, globalization is a trend that means two things: many opportunities and many threats. In the conditions of globalization many management approaches, such as organization structure, strategy forming, planning, motivation and control procedures, communication channels, risk management, etc., must transform. The aim of the paper is to analyze the influence of globalization on the construction industry in Slovakia and identify the impact of globalization on construction companies in this area.
Status of Management of Cardiac Emergency Services at Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital & Research Institute: Service Providers' Perspective
Authors: Rashid Mohammad Abdur , Amin Md Nurul
Published: June 2011

This cross-sectional study was conducted on doctors, nurses and support staffs serving at the Emergency Department of Ibrahim Cardiac Hospital and Research Institute (ICHRI) to seek their opinion about the status of management services available at the Emergency Department (ED) of the Institute. Of the total respondents 20 were on duty physicians, 21 were on duty nurses and 18 were support staffs. Apart from the respondents, 34 check-lists were used by 3 (three) independent observers to monitor the daily ongoing activities of the Emergency Department during the period of data collection. This study analyzed the service providers' perspective about management of Emergency Department. As doctors' opinion was sought, 45% of them expressed their satisfaction at the services delivered at ED and 40% were more or less satisfied. Very few were either highly satisfied (5%) or grossly dissatisfied (10%). As regard to work-load, thirty percent opined that ED was overloaded. However, majority believed that ED was adequately equipped (75%) to deal with cardiac emergencies which bear consistency with the views expressed by patients/clients. Forty percent held the view that support staffs were not adequate to run the Emergency Department smoothly. The views expressed by the nurses shows that majority (62%) of them was satisfied working at ED and informed that they did not feel any problem in carrying out their assigned duties. They also were of the opinion that ED was adequately equipped but there was inadequacy of support staff (57.1%) keeping consistency with doctors' opinion. They, however, mentioned some other problems like inadequacy of nurses, porter and cleaners in every shift, security problem, lack of dress locker, dress changing room and dining space. Over 22% of the support staffs viewed ED as overloaded which correlates well with doctors' opinion. All other opinions were almost the same as those of doctors and nurses. One important issue they raised was the lack of rest room for them (22.2%). The findings of cardiac emergency services obtained through check-list were fairly comparable with the opinions expressed by the patients and service providers. However, the views expressed by the patients and service providers about wardboys/ayas did correlate with the data obtained through check-list and were inappreciably low (29.4%). According to service providers the Emergency Department is well-studded to manage all the cardiac emergencies. However, specific problems identified by different stakeholders need to be critically appraised by the authority to improve the services further. Ibrahim Card Med J 2011; 1(1):22-26
Synthesis of Brushite Particles in Reverse Microemulsions of the Biosurfactant Surfactin
Authors: Maity Jyoti Prakash , Lin Tz-Jiun , Cheng Henry Pai-Heng , Chen Chien-Yen , Reddy A. Satyanarayana , Atla Shashi B. , Chang Young-Fo , Chen Hau-Ren , Chen Chien-Cheng
Published: June 2011

In this study the “green chemistry” use of the biosurfactant surfactin for the synthesis of calcium phosphate using the reverse microemulsion technique was demonstrated. Calcium phosphates are bioactive materials that are a major constituent of human teeth and bone tissue. A reverse microemulsion technique with surfactin was used to produce nanocrystalline brushite particles. Structural diversity (analyzed by SEM and TEM) resulted from different water to surfactin ratios (W/S; 250, 500, 1000 and 40,000). The particle sizes were found to be in the 16–200 nm range. Morphological variety was observed in the as-synthesized microemulsions, which consisted of nanospheres (~16 nm in diameter) and needle-like (8–14 nm in diameter and 80–100 nm in length) noncalcinated particles. However, the calcinated products included nanospheres (50–200 nm in diameter), oval (~300 nm in diameter) and nanorod (200–400 nm in length) particles. FTIR and XRD analysis confirmed the formation of brushite nanoparticles in the as-synthesized products, while calcium pyrophosphate was produced after calcination. These results indicate that the reverse microemulsion technique using surfactin is a green process suitable for the synthesis of nanoparticles.
Impact of External Cue Validity on Driving Performance in Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Scally Karen , Charlton Judith L. , Iansek Robert , Bradshaw John L. , Moss Simon , Georgiou-Karistianis Nellie
Published: June 2011

This study sought to investigate the impact of external cue validity on simulated driving performance in 19 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and 19 healthy age-matched controls. Braking points and distance between deceleration point and braking point were analysed for red traffic signals preceded either by Valid Cues (correctly predicting signal), Invalid Cues (incorrectly predicting signal), and No Cues. Results showed that PD drivers braked significantly later and travelled significantly further between deceleration and braking points compared with controls for Invalid and No-Cue conditions. No significant group differences were observed for driving performance in response to Valid Cues. The benefit of Valid Cues relative to Invalid Cues and No Cues was significantly greater for PD drivers compared with controls. Trail Making Test (B-A) scores correlated with driving performance for PDs only. These results highlight the importance of external cues and higher cognitive functioning for driving performance in mild to moderate PD.
Innovative Energy‐Efficient Biomass Drying Based on Self‐Heat Recuperation Technology
Authors: Aziz M. , Fushimi C. , Kansha Y. , Mochidzuki K. , Kaneko S. , Tsutsumi A. , Matsumoto K. , Hashimoto T. , Kawamoto N. , Oura K. , Yokohama K. , Yamaguchi Y. , Kinoshita M.
Published: June 2011

A novel drying system based on self‐heat recuperation (SHR) technology, which recuperates both sensible and latent heat, was developed to reduce effectively the energy consumption for biomass drying. A fluidized bed dryer with internal heat exchangers was selected as the main dryer. Square wood chips of Pinus radiata with average dimensions of 10 mm were selected as biomass sample. The relation between the required energy input and fluidization velocity and a comparison with the available mechanical vapor recompression (MVR)‐based drying technology were evaluated. The results prove that the proposed SHR technology could reduce the required energy consumption for biomass drying significantly at all evaluated fluidization velocities to about 2/3 of that required for MVR‐based drying technology.
Effect of carbon source on polysaccharide production by alginate‐entrapped Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 cells
Authors: West Thomas P.
Published: June 2011

The production of the exopolysaccharide pullulan using entrapped cells of the fungus Aureobasidium pullulans ATCC 42023 was investigated relative to carbon source. Fungal cells grown on glucose or sucrose as a carbon source were entrapped in calcium alginate beads and found to be capable of synthesizing the polysaccharide for two production cycles. Using 2.5% glucose or sucrose as a carbon source, productivity was 18.3 or 21.9 mg polysaccharide/g cells × h, respectively after the initial production cycle and decreased to 9.6 or 8.5 mg polysaccharide/g cells × h, respectively, after the second production cycle. Independent of carbon source, the entrapped fungal cells exhibited a higher yield during the initial cycle than the second production cycle while the entrapped ATCC 42023 cells elaborated a polysaccharide with a higher pullulan content during the second production cycle compared to the initial production cycle. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ni/Au Schottky diodes on AlxGa1‐xN (0.7<x<1) grown on AlN single crystal substrates
Authors: Xie Jinqiao , Mia Seiji , Dalmau Rafael , Collazo Ramón , Rice Anthony , Tweedie James , Sitar Zlatko
Published: June 2011

With the advent of bulk single crystal AlN substrates, AlxGa1‐xN epilayers can be grown pseudomorphically, under a compressive strain, with Al composition greater than 70%. Temperature dependent Hall effect measurements showed that Si dopant in AlxGa1‐xN has an activation energy ranging from 10 to 25 meV for x < 0.8, while the activation energy increases rapidly for x ≥ 0.85. Planar Ni/Au Schottky diodes fabricated on AlxGa1‐xN exhibit good diode rectification. Based on current‐voltage (I‐V) and capacitance‐voltage (C‐V) measurement, the effective Schottky barrier height was observed to monotonously increase with the increase of Al%. For a film with an n‐type carrier concentration of 1x1018 cm‐3 and Al content of 81%, the effective barrier height reached 1.8 eV with an ideality factor of 1.46. However, C‐V consistently showed much higher barrier height than I‐V, suggesting surface oxides play an important role in Ni/Au Schottky diode on AlGaN. The reverse breakdown voltage was also measured in a vertical structure without edge termination. The obtained high breakdown voltage exceeds the theoretical limit of 4H‐SiC at a similar carrier concentration, suggesting great potentials for high power switching application of AlGaN on AlN. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Floc architecture of bioflocculation sediment by ESEM and CLSM
Authors: Huiming Zhao , Hongwei Fang , Minghong Chen
Published: June 2011

Sediment flocculation is a critical component for the understanding of cohesive sediment dynamics. Traditionally, the referred study has largely been devoted to forming mechanism, influencing factors and physicochemical sediment conditions of all kinds of organic‐flocculation and inorganic‐flocculation. However, during the last decade, the bioflocculation of sediment by biological activity has been given increasing attention. But most studies have focused on the interrelations between biological and sedimentological variables. With the assistance of a newly developed field kit and correlative microscopy (which includes environmental scanning electron microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy), this article begins to bridge the resolution gap between sediment particles and biological activities as well as its metabolic products biofilm, in order to better understand the role of polymeric material biofilm in floc ultrastructure and outward floc behavior of bioflocculation sediment. Results have demonstrated that bioflocculation sediment was observed to be composed of complex networks of biofilm and appeared to be of complicated physical floc structures. The biofilm was found to embed particles and permeate the void space, representing the dominant physical bridging mechanism of the flocs and contributed to the extensive surface area, architecture characteristics, and mechanical properties of bioflocculation sediment. SCANNING 33:437–445, 2011. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.