bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Resistive switching of crossbar memories with carbon nanotube electrodes
Authors: Shen Jun , Zhang Chaoying , Chen Qing
Published: May 2011

The carbon nanotube/oxide/metal/crossed carbon nanotube (COMC) structure was first fabricated and demonstrated to be capable of stable bipolar resistive switching. The linewidth of the crossbar is smaller than 20 nm, and can be further scaled down by using smaller carbon nanotubes (CNTs). The reset current is as small as 10 μA, which is of great advantage for low power applications. Electroforming‐free planar devices were also fabricated to be compared with COMC devices. The resistive switching with CNT electrodes could be extended to other one‐dimensional nanowires or nanotubes with cylindrical surface. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Influence of Rifampicin on the Pharmacokinetics of Salvianolic Acid B May Involve Inhibition of Organic Anion Transporting Polypeptide (Oatp) Mediated Influx
Authors: Zhao Di , Gao Zi‐dong , Han De‐en , Li Ning , Zhang Yong‐jie , Lu Yang , Li Ting‐ting , Chen Xi‐jing
Published: May 2011

This article studied the possible effect of rifampicin (RIF), an inhibitor of organic anion transporting polypeptide (Oatp), on the pharmacokinetics of salvianolic acid B (SAB) in rats. Rifampicin was administered intravenously 15 min prior to SAB (5 mg/kg) in rats at doses of 0, 5.0, 10.0 and 20.0 mg/kg, respectively. The concentrations of SAB in plasma and bile were determined using a Shimadzu HPLC system coupled to a LC‐MS‐2010EV mass spectrometer. Compared with the control group, the AUC0‐t and Cmax values of SAB were increased significantly, while the CLtotal and CLbile were decreased significantly. These results suggested that pretreatment with rifampicin prior to SAB administration could decrease significantly the total and bile elimination of SAB and alter its pharmacokinetic profiles. The influence of rifampicin on the pharmacokinetics of SAB may be attributed to the inhibition of Oatp‐mediated influx. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A 3D cloud‐construction algorithm for the EarthCARE satellite mission
Authors: Barker H. W. , Jerg M. P. , Wehr T. , Kato S. , Donovan D. P. , Hogan R. J.
Published: May 2011

This article presents and assesses an algorithm that constructs 3D distributions of cloud from passive satellite imagery and collocated 2D nadir profiles of cloud properties inferred synergistically from lidar, cloud radar and imager data. It effectively widens the active–passive retrieved cross‐section (RXS) of cloud properties, thereby enabling computation of radiative fluxes and radiances that can be compared with measured values in an attempt to perform radiative closure experiments that aim to assess the RXS. For this introductory study, A‐train data were used to verify the scene‐construction algorithm and only 1D radiative transfer calculations were performed.

The construction algorithm fills off‐RXS recipient pixels by computing sums of squared differences (a cost function F) between their spectral radiances and those of potential donor pixels/columns on the RXS. Of the RXS pixels with F lower than a certain value, the one with the smallest Euclidean distance to the recipient pixel is designated as the donor, and its retrieved cloud properties and other attributes such as 1D radiative heating rates are consigned to the recipient. It is shown that both the RXS itself and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery can be reconstructed extremely well using just visible and thermal infrared channels. Suitable donors usually lie within 10 km of the recipient. RXSs and their associated radiative heating profiles are reconstructed best for extensive planar clouds and less reliably for broken convective clouds.

Domain‐average 1D broadband radiative fluxes at the top of the atmosphere (TOA) for (21 km)2 domains constructed from MODIS, CloudSat and Cloud–Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSO) data agree well with coincidental values derived from Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES) radiances: differences between modelled and measured reflected shortwave fluxes are within ±10 W m−2 for ∼35% of the several hundred domains constructed for eight orbits. Correspondingly, for outgoing longwave radiation ∼65% are within ±10 W m−2. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society and Crown in the right of Canada
Frailty modelling for survival data from multi‐centre clinical trials
Authors: Ha Il Do , Sylvester Richard , Legrand Catherine , MacKenzie Gilbert
Published: May 2011

Despite the use of standardized protocols in, multi‐centre, randomized clinical trials, outcome may vary between centres. Such heterogeneity may alter the interpretation and reporting of the treatment effect. Below, we propose a general frailty modelling approach for investigating, inter alia, putative treatment‐by‐centre interactions in time‐to‐event data in multi‐centre clinical trials. A correlated random effects model is used to model the baseline risk and the treatment effect across centres. It may be based on shared, individual or correlated random effects. For inference we develop the hierarchical‐likelihood (or h‐likelihood) approach which facilitates computation of prediction intervals for the random effects with proper precision. We illustrate our methods using disease‐free time‐to‐event data on bladder cancer patients participating in an European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer trial, and a simulation study. We also demonstrate model selection using h‐likelihood criteria. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Walk on the Chemical Landscape: The Role of B33 along the B1–B2 Phase Transition in RbF and NaBr
Authors: Leoni Stefano , Eddine Boulfelfel Salah , Baburin Igor A.
Published: May 2011

A comparative atomistic study of the high‐pressure polymorphism in crystalline RbF and NaBr is presented. For RbF a pair potential is developed from coarse‐graining DFT‐LDA calculations. The results clearly indicate the intermediate role of structural motifs of B33 type. In RbF it appears as an interfacial motif, in NaBr B33 phase grows larger from an initial inset within the pristine B1 structure, highlighting the role of chemical reactivity and smooth reactivity trends in high‐pressure experiments.
Relationship between behavior, adrenal activity, and environment in zoo‐housed western lowland gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla)
Authors: Clark Fay E. , Fitzpatrick Malcolm , Hartley Andy , King Andrew J. , Lee Tracey , Routh Andrew , Walker Susan L. , George Katherine
Published: May 2011

Monitoring adrenal activity through noninvasive fecal hormone sampling is rapidly gaining popularity as a tool to assess zoo animal welfare. However, few studies have sought to investigate the interrelationships between behavior, adrenal activity, and environment, and ask whether both behavioral and adrenal monitoring strategies are required to assess welfare sufficiently. We present the findings of a 9‐month study of a small group (one male, two females) of Western lowland gorillas, Gorilla gorilla gorilla. First, we examined the effect of environmental variables on gorilla behavior. Second, we examined the effect of environmental variables on the concentration of fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGC) and the relationship between behavior and FGC. Environmental variables had similar effects on all three gorillas. Negative vigilance of visitors (NVV; staring, posturing, and charging at visitors) significantly increased in all subjects as environmental noise levels increased, and food‐related behavior significantly decreased in all subjects as crowd size increased. Exhibit modifications had a number of positive effects on behavior. Notably, when privacy screens were used, NVV significantly decreased in two subjects. We found no significant effects of environmental variables on FGC. However, we did find significant relationships between behavior and FGC in one female. Specifically, her NVV was significantly higher one day before, and on the same day as, raised FGC. Also, hair plucking significantly increased in the two days following raised FGC. Overall, this study demonstrates how concurrent noninvasive fecal and behavioral monitoring can be used for gorilla welfare assessment. Zoo Biol 31:306–321, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
In‐hospital Delay Increases the Risk of Perforation in Adults with Appendicitis
Authors: Busch Mirjam , Gutzwiller Florian S. , Aellig Sonja , Kuettel Rolf , Metzger Urs , Zingg Urs
Published: May 2011

Background

The influence of in‐hospital delay (time between admission and operation) on outcome after appendectomy is controversial.

Methods

A total of 1,827 adult patients underwent open or laparoscopic appendectomy for suspected appendicitis in eleven Swiss hospitals between 2003 and 2006. Of these, 1,675 patients with confirmed appendicitis were included in the study. Groups were defined according in‐hospital delay (≤12 vs. >12 h).

Results

Delay > 12 h was associated with a significantly higher frequency of perforated appendicitis (29.7 vs. 22.7%; P = 0.010) whereas a delay of 6 or 9 h was not. Size of institution, time of admission, and surgical technique (laparoscopic vs. open) were independent factors influencing in‐hospital delay. Admission during regular hours was associated with higher age, higher frequency of co‐morbidity, and higher perforation rate compared to admission after hours. The logistic regression identified four independent factors associated with an increased perforation rate: age (≤65 years vs. >65 years, odds ratio (OR) 4.5, P < 0.001); co‐morbidity (Charlson index > 0 vs. Charlson index = 0, OR 2.3, P < 0.001); time of admission (after hours vs. regular hours, OR 0.8, P = 0.040), in‐hospital delay (>12 vs. ≤12 h, OR 1.5, P = 0.005). Perforation was associated with an increased reintervention rate (13.4 vs. 1.6%; P < 0.001) and longer length of hospital stay (9.5 vs. 4.4 days; P < 0.001).

Conclusions

In‐hospital delay negatively influences outcome after appendectomy. In‐hospital delay of more than 12 h, age over 65 years, time of admission during regular hours, and the presence of co‐morbidity are all independent risk factors for perforation. Perforation was associated with a higher reintervention rate and increased length of hospital stay.
Interaction between the Surface Properties of the Textiles and the Deposition of Cationic Softener
Authors: Agarwal Gaurav , Perwuelz Anne , Koehl Ludovic , Lee Kenneth S.
Published: May 2011

In this study we categorised the surface properties of different knitted fabrics by their electro‐kinetic behaviour and liquid up‐take phenomena of the knitted textiles in order to understand the interaction of the surface properties of the textiles with cationic softener deposition. The electro‐kinetic and liquid uptake properties of textiles were measured by their zeta‐potential and liquid absorption ability. We also examined the influence of fabric softener on the surface characteristics of the textiles. We used solvent extraction followed by cationic titration to determine the cationic softener level present on the textiles. The major finding of this study was the different behaviour of individual loads and mixed loads in terms of cationic pick up from the rinse cycle softener. Fibre type plays the most critical role in determining the zeta potential of the fibre, filtration efficiency and water retaining capability of the fabrics, which in turn play the most important role in softener deposition on the textile. The charge on the textile surface is negative; this plays a key role in the deposition of the cationic softener in both kinds of loading conditions. Capillary diffusion could be a key parameter only in the individual load condition. It was found that there is a significant reduction in the liquid adsorption weight when fabrics are treated with levels of softener that are much higher than those associated with normal consumer use. As soon as the fabric comes into contact with the liquid, the fabric softener molecules transfer from the fabric to the liquid and reduce the surface energy of the liquid. This results in an increase in the wetting weight of the fabric.
Automated Transportation of Single Cells Using Robot-Tweezer Manipulation System
Authors: Hu Songyu , Sun Dong
Published: May 2011

Manipulation of biological cells becomes increasingly important in biomedical engineering to address challenge issues in cell—cell interaction, drug discovery, and tissue engineering. Significant demand for both accuracy and productivity in cell manipulation highlights the need for automated cell transportation with integrated robotics and micro/nano manipulation technologies. Optical tweezers, which use highly focused low-power laser beams to trap and manipulate particles at micro/nanoscale, have emerged as an essential tool for manipulating single cells. In this article, we propose to use a robot-tweezer manipulation system to solve the problem of automatic transportation of biological cells, where optical tweezers function as special robot end effectors. Dynamics equation of the cell in optical tweezers is analyzed. A closed-loop controller is designed for transporting and positioning cells. Experiments are performed on live cells to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach in effective cell positioning.
Interscapular hibernoma—Case report and literature review
Authors: Chen Cheng‐Lung , Chen Wei‐Chou , Chiang Jung‐Hwa , Ho Cheng‐Feng
Published: May 2011

Hibernoma is a rare benign tumor that arises from the vestiges of fetal brown fat. We present a case of interscapular hibernoma. Computed tomography scan showed a well‐circumscribed, hypodense mass with peripheral enhancement, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed intermediate high T1 and T2 signal intensities with incomplete fat suppression. Although it is rare, hibernoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of lipomatous soft‐tissue tumors. This is a benign tumor with no malignant potential. Complete excision is the treatment choice.
Serial serum VEGF‐A, angiopoietin‐2, and endostatin measurements in cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization
Authors: Hsieh Ming‐Yen , Lin Zu‐Yau , Chuang Wan‐Long
Published: May 2011

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), angiopoietin‐2, and endostatin have been reported to be related with angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The potential feasibility of serial serum VEGF‐A, angiopoietin‐2, and endostatin measurements in cirrhotic patients with HCC treated by transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) was investigated. VEGF‐A, angiopoietin‐2, and endostatin serum level were determined by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay 1 day before and 7 days after TACE in 40 patients. Then they were followed up for 3 months. The results showed that TACE could cause significant increase of VEGF‐A (p < 0.01) and angiopoietin‐2 (p = 0.01); whereas there was no significant change of endostatin (p > 0.1). Twenty‐five patients with rapid growth of HCC within 3 months after TACE had higher proportion of American Joint Committee on Cancer HCC staging >II and higher increase of VEGF‐A after TACE than 15 patients without rapid growth (all p < 0.05). Stepwise logistic regression analysis revealed that VEGF‐A >16.7 pg/mL 7 days after TACE selected by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis (p < 0.05) was the only independent predictor for rapid growth of HCC (odds ratio 6.33, 95% confidence interval: upper 26, lower 1.54, p < 0.05; sensitivity 76%, specificity 66.7%, accuracy 72.5%, positive predictive level 79.2%, negative predictive level 62.5%, p < 0.01). In conclusion, significant increases of serum level VEGF‐A and angiopoietin‐2 after TACE have been demonstrated from this study. Therefore, serial VEGF‐A level 1 day before and 7 days after TACE may be used to predict rapid HCC growth.
Localisation of convection in mushy layers by weak background flow
Authors: ROPER S. M. , DAVIS S. H. , VOORHEES P. W.
Published: May 2011

It is known that freckles form at the sidewalls of directionally solidified materials. We present a weakly nonlinear analysis of the effects of a weak and slowly varying background flow formed by non-axial thermal gradients on convection near onset in a mushy layer. We find that in the two-dimensional case, the onset of mush convection occurs away from the walls. However if three-dimensional disturbances are allowed, the onset occurs near the walls of the container confining the mush. We derive amplitude equations governing this behaviour and simulate their evolution numerically.
Subgrid-scale models and large-eddy simulation of oxygen stream disintegration and mixing with a hydrogen or helium stream at supercritical pressure
Authors: TAŞKINOĞLU EZGI S. , BELLAN JOSETTE
Published: May 2011

For flows at supercritical pressure, p, the large-eddy simulation (LES) equations consist of the differential conservation equations coupled with a real-gas equation of state, and the equations utilize transport properties depending on the thermodynamic variables. Compared to previous LES models, the differential equations contain not only the subgrid-scale (SGS) fluxes but also new SGS terms, each denoted as a ‘correction’. These additional terms, typically assumed null for atmospheric pressure flows, stem from filtering the differential governing equations and represent differences, other than contributed by the convection terms, between a filtered term and the same term computed as a function of the filtered flow field. In particular, the energy equation contains a heat-flux correction (q-correction) which is the difference between the filtered divergence of the molecular heat flux and the divergence of the molecular heat flux computed as a function of the filtered flow field. We revisit here a previous a priori study where we only had partial success in modelling the q-correction term and show that success can be achieved using a different modelling approach. This a priori analysis, based on a temporal mixing-layer direct numerical simulation database, shows that the focus in modelling the q-correction should be on reconstructing the primitive variable gradients rather than their coefficients, and proposes the approximate deconvolution model (ADM) as an effective means of flow field reconstruction for LES molecular heat-flux calculation. Furthermore, an a posteriori study is conducted for temporal mixing layers initially containing oxygen (O) in the lower stream and hydrogen (H) or helium (He) in the upper stream to examine the benefit of the new model. Results show that for any LES including SGS-flux models (constant-coefficient gradient or scale-similarity models; dynamic-coefficient Smagorinsky/Yoshizawa or mixed Smagorinsky/Yoshizawa/gradient models), the inclusion of the q-correction in LES leads to the theoretical maximum reduction of the SGS molecular heat-flux difference; the remaining error in modelling this new subgrid term is thus irreducible. The impact of the q-correction model first on the molecular heat flux and then on the mean, fluctuations, second-order correlations and spatial distribution of dependent variables is also demonstrated. Discussions on the utilization of the models in general LES are presented.
Length and time scales of a liquid drop impact and penetration into a granular layer
Authors: KATSURAGI HIROAKI
Published: May 2011

Liquid drop impact and penetration into a granular layer are investigated with diverse liquids and granular materials. We use various sizes of SiC abrasives and glass beads as a target granular material. We also employ ethanol and glycerol aqueous solutions as well as distilled water to make a liquid drop. The liquid drop impacts the granular layer with a low speed (~ms−1). The drop deformation and penetration are captured by a high-speed camera. From the video data, characteristic time scales are measured. Using a laser profilometry system, resultant crater morphology and its characteristic length scales are measured. Static strength of the granular layer is also measured by the slow pillar penetration experiment to quantify the cohesive force effect. We find that the time scales are almost independent of impact speed, but they depend on liquid drop viscosity. In particular, the penetration time is proportional to the square root of the liquid drop viscosity. In contrast, the crater radius is independent of the liquid drop viscosity. The crater radius is scaled by the same form as the previous paper, Katsuragi (Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 104, 2010, art. 218001).
Compliance, tolerability and safety of two antioxidant-rich diets: a randomised controlled trial in male smokers
Authors: Karlsen Anette , Svendsen Mette , Seljeflot Ingebjørg , Sommernes Mary-Ann , Sexton Joseph , Brevik Asgeir , Erlund Iris , Serafini Mauro , Bastani Nasser , Fagertun Remberg Siv , Borge Grethe I. , Hauger Carlsen Monica , Kjølsrud Bøhn Siv , Myhrstad Mari C. , Dragsted Lars O. , Duttaroy Asim K. , Haffner Karin , Laake Petter , Drevon Christan A. , Arnesen Harald , Collins Andrew , Tonstad Serena , Blomhoff Rune
Published: May 2011

It has been suggested that antioxidants attenuate oxidative stress and prevent oxidative stress-related diseases. Paradoxically, randomised controlled trials (RCT) using pharmacological doses of antioxidant supplements have demonstrated harmful effects in smokers. The aim of the present study was to test the compliance, tolerability and safety of two food-based antioxidant-rich diets in smokers. One of the diets provided antioxidants at levels similar to that used in RCT using supplements which previously have generated harmful effects. The present study followed a randomised, parallel-arm dietary intervention for 8 weeks (n102) in male smokers (age ≥ 45 years). Participants were randomised to either antioxidant-rich diet, kiwi fruit or control groups. The antioxidant-rich foods provided about 300 mmol antioxidants/week from a wide range of plant-based food items. The kiwi fruit group consumed three kiwi fruits/d. Compliance to both diets was good. Only mild, undesirable events were reported by a minority of the participants. The safety of both diets was demonstrated as no potentially harmful or pro-oxidative effects were observed. In the antioxidant-rich diet group, the mean intake of antioxidants increased from 30 mmol/d at baseline to 62 mmol/d during the intervention. In conclusion, we have demonstrated that male smokers can comply with two food-based antioxidant-rich diets. Furthermore, the present study is the first to demonstrate the tolerability and safety of dietary antioxidants at levels similar to dosages provided in RCT using supplements. Such diets may be useful in future studies investigating whether dietary antioxidants may reduce oxidative stress and related diseases.
GOTHIC HISTORY AND CATHOLIC ENLIGHTENMENT IN THE WORKS OF CHARLES DODD (1672–1743)
Authors: GLICKMAN GABRIEL
Published: May 2011

The clergyman-scholar Charles Dodd used the study of the past to articulate a defence of the English Catholic community that enjoyed a rich legacy. His Church history proclaimed a vision of Catholic patriotism that appealed to the influence of medieval and Reformation history on contemporary religious debates, and informed the later push for civil emancipation. Dodd's work brought together two fashionable but seemingly contrary, historical sensibilities: grounded upon antiquarian recoveries of the gothic past, but shaped by a cosmopolitan spirit of ‘reason’ that drew upon continental reformist schools. Challenging the narratives forged through the Reformation, he pitched his works across a wide spectrum of English scholarly life, seeking dialogue with high-churchmen, constitutionalists, and supporters of religious toleration. But Dodd's later reputation as a herald of Catholic Enlightenment belied the controversies roused in his career. In delivering his view of history, Dodd was forced to suppress radical thoughts on the nature of English monarchy, stumbled into conflicts with fellow clergymen, and risked the taint of heresy with reflections upon the Holy See. Conceived to construct a new intellectual platform for his co-religionists within their national community, his works served inadvertently to reveal the complexity and fragility of English Catholic life.
‘TAME TORY HACKS’? THE ULSTER PARTY AT WESTMINSTER, 1922–1972
Authors: JACKSON ALVIN
Published: May 2011

While the historiography on Ulster Unionism after partition has grown considerably in recent years, there has been no extended investigation of Unionism at Westminster (‘the Ulster Party’), its structures and effectiveness. This article uses new archival material to shed light upon the Party's membership, governance, coherence, and wider engagement. The later sections of the article review the nature of the ties binding the Party to Stormont and to Conservatism, unravelling some of their complexity, and placing a particular emphasis upon the relationship between Westminster Unionism and the fall of the devolved government in 1972. Here, new evidence is adduced from several underexploited or fresh sources to shed light upon the workings of the Party in the years immediately before this debacle. It is argued that the Westminster Unionists' (at best) highly ambiguous reaction to direct rule was a fitting culmination to fifty years of often jealous and defensive interaction with Stormont.
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE ASYLUM CLAIMS AND RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS LAW: A PROGRESS NARRATIVE?
Authors: Mullally Siobhán
Published: May 2011

Recent years have witnessed significant developments in international human rights law relating to domestic violence. No longer viewed as a matter ‘essentially within the domestic jurisdiction of the State’, domestic violence now frequently commands the attention of international human rights bodies. The obligations imposed on States include positive obligations of due diligence to prevent, investigate and to punish domestic violence, whenever and wherever it occurs.1 Judicial dialogue across the borders of human rights and refugee law has also expanded access to asylum for women fleeing domestic violence, bringing with it a gradual recognition of the positive obligations that international law now imposes on States. However, as recent cases such as Jessica Gonzalez v the United States2 and Opuz v Turkey3 reveal, significant gaps remain between the rhetoric of human rights law and the reality of everyday enforcement and implementation on the ground. These gaps are most keenly felt by refugee women. While State practice suggests greater gender inclusivity and sensitivity in the practice of refugee law, women fleeing domestic violence continue to face obstacles in making their claims heard.
POSTMODERN INTERNATIONAL FISHERIES LAW, OR WE ARE ALL COASTAL STATES NOW
Authors: Serdy Andrew
Published: May 2011

International fisheries law is no longer driven by the clash of interests between coastal and distant-water fishing States, but is increasingly about how States in existing international fisheries, mostly with some degree of responsibility for their depletion, are striving to exclude newcomers. The residual freedom of fishing on the high seas is an obstacle to regulation by international commissions since States outside are not bound by treaties to which they are not party—which in turn creates a disincentive for States inside to accept the necessary restraints. Rules to limit entry to international fisheries are therefore now needed, and articles 8 and 17 of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement come close to this, but their transformation into custom (or that of regulations adopted by fisheries commissions into objective regimes) so as to bind non-parties is being stunted by commissions' self-serving views on what cooperation with them by new entrants to the fisheries entails for the latter. The result is that the modern arguments for exclusion of newcomers bear an uncomfortable resemblance to the discredited 1950s abstention doctrine. This article suggests why those arguments are now meeting little resistance, despite being advanced by States collectively unwilling even to restore depleted stocks to the biomass corresponding to their maximum sustainable yield, as the doctrine would have required (and the current law also does).
SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS, MARITAL STATUS AND CHILDLESSNESS IN MEN AND WOMEN: AN ANALYSIS OF CENSUS DATA FROM SIX COUNTRIES
Authors: FIEDER MARTIN , HUBER SUSANNE , BOOKSTEIN FRED L.
Published: May 2011

This study compares the effects of two distinct forms of human capital – income and education – on marital status and childlessness separately by sex in six different countries. Nearly 10 million individual records on individuals aged 16 to 50 were used from censuses from Brazil, Mexico, Panama, South Africa, USA and Venezuela dating from 2000 or later, to analyse the relationship between education, income and marital status and childlessness in men and women. Regarding income, the findings for both outcome variables are strongly consistent across all six countries. Highest-income males and lower-income females have the highest proportion of ever-married and the lowest proportion of childlessness (using a proxy for childlessness: own children in the household or not). There is no corresponding consistency of findings as regards education either between the sexes or among the countries. To conclude, a lower percentage of low-income men are selected by females, because for women male status and resources provided by men are important criteria in mate selection. Therefore a higher proportion of low-income men remain unmarried and childless. Thus selection seems to play a role in modern societies.
Facial muscle contraction in response to mechanical stretch after severe facial nerve injury: Clapham's sign
Authors: Clapham L , Thomas S , Allen D , Arunachalam R , Cole J
Published: May 2011

Introduction:

Following the onset of facial palsy, physiotherapists routinely inspect the inside of the patient's mouth and cheek for complications such as ulceration or trauma. In several patients with complete facial nerve palsy, it was noticed that when the cheek was stretched there was subsequent spasm of the muscles of facial expression. This also occurred in patients whose facial nerve had been transected.

Case reports:

We present four patients in whom this response was demonstrated. We consider the mechanism of this response and its relevance in the management of patients with facial paralysis.

Conclusion:

Following severe or complete denervation, contraction of the facial muscles following mechanical stretch provides evidence of preservation of activity in the facial muscle's excitation–contraction apparatus. Further research will investigate the clinical significance of this sign and whether it can be used as an early predicator of the development of synkinesis, as well as its relevance to facial nerve grafting and repair.
Bureaucratic migrants and the potential of prosperity in upland Laos
Authors: Singh Sarinda
Published: May 2011

This paper argues that Lao bureaucrats who migrate to the uplands offer possibilities for re-thinking the immutability of upland–lowland distinctions and the power of the modern state. The specific focus is on low-ranking government officials on the Nakai Plateau in central Laos who are positioned at the nexus of state authority, development schemes and the rural poor. Nakai is a site of nationally significant resource utilisation and practices that has provided a model for development across the country. Officials' experiences in Nakai suggest that the upland–lowland contrast can provide valuable understandings of power when combined with an awareness of social processes that reproduce and shift the meanings ascribed to these nominally distinct domains. Significantly, the experiences of mobile marginal officials highlight an idea of state power as the potential to grant prosperity.
Laotian textiles in between markets and the politics of culture
Authors: Vallard Annabel
Published: May 2011

The policies of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) related to heritage preservation and promotion have been spreading worldwide for the past few decades. This ethnographically focused paper examines two UNESCO devices, the Crafts Prize and the Awards of Excellence for Handicrafts, as they apply to the contemporary Laotian textiles scene. It questions in particular the uses and values locally assigned to these international certifications of excellence and their mobilisation in the commoditisation of fabrics. On a larger scale, it considers what those devices reveal and entail regarding a ‘traditional’ handicraft that is, from now on, entangled between trade and the ‘politics of culture’.
Adaptive impedance controller design for flexible-joint electrically-driven robots without computation of the regressor matrix
Authors: Chien Ming-Chih , Huang An-Chyau
Published: May 2011

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first paper focus on the adaptive impedance control of robot manipulators with consideration of joint flexibility and actuator dynamics. Controller design for this problem is difficult because each joint of the robot has to be described by a fifth-order cascade differential equation. In this paper, a backstepping-like procedure incorporating the model reference adaptive control strategy is employed to construct the impedance controller. The function approximation technique is applied to estimate time-varying uncertainties in the system dynamics. The proposed control law is free from the calculation of the tedious regressor matrix, which is a significant simplification in implementation. Closed-loop stability and boundedness of internal signals are proved by the Lyapunov-like analysis with consideration of the function approximation error. Computer simulation results are presented to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed scheme.
Shakespeare and the Three Bears
Authors: de Somogyi Nick
Published: May 2011

Recent researchers into the documentary evidence of Shakespeare's professional life as a writer–performer have understandably restricted themselves to his human fellows and rivals. But on Bankside in the 1590s bear-baiting vied for popularity with theatre, and in this article, Nick de Somogyi seeks to correct a long-standing error of naming among the celebrity fighting bears of Paris Garden – stabled some hundred yards west of the Globe. Scholars are agreed that the careers of George Stone, Harry Hunks, and the great Sackerson competed for attention with the dramatist's own. But while Sackerson's is the only contemporary name Shakespeare ever dropped in his plays, and while George Stone probably expired in the same season as witnessed the premiere of Macbeth, it is argued here that the only scholarly basis for the existence of ‘the famous Harry Hunks’ lies in the erratic contemporary punctuation of a single poem. A Contributing Editor to NTQ, Nick de Somogyi gained his PhD at Pembroke College, Cambridge, and is now an independent scholar and textual consultant. He was the founder editor of the Globe Quartos series for Nick Hern Books, and The Winter's Tale, the eighteenth play in his Shakespeare Folios series (with Simon Trussler) appeared in early 2011. He curated three successive exhibitions at Shakespeare's Globe (2003–5), contributed to the National Portrait Gallery's Searching for Shakespeare exhibition (2006), and is the author of Shakespeare's Theatre of War (1998) and Shakespeare on Theatre (2011). This is the first in a series of pieces on the relationship between playhouse and beargarden he is currently researching.
Adaptive organizational changes in agent-oriented methodologies
Authors: Cernuzzi Luca , Zambonelli Franco
Published: May 2011

We analyze the problem of modeling and developing multiagent systems (MASs) from the organizational theory point of view. In particular, we focus on the critical issue of adapting MASs organizations whenever changes in the structure of the MAS are required. We survey different relevant agent-oriented methodologies and discuss their suitability in dealing with adaptation in multiagent organizations. Finally, we present some critical considerations about the analyzed methodologies together with some open issues related to the process of modeling organizations for facilitating their adaptations.
Learning like a baby: a survey of artificial intelligence approaches
Authors: Guerin Frank
Published: May 2011

One of the major stumbling blocks for artificial intelligence remains the commonsense knowledge problem. It is not clear how we could go about building a program which has all the commonsense knowledge of the average human adult. This has led to growing interest in the ‘developmental’ approach, which takes its inspiration from nature (especially the human infant) and attempts to build a program which could develop its own knowledge and abilities through interaction with the world. The challenge here is to find a learning program which can continuously build on what it knows, to reach increasingly sophisticated levels of knowledge. This survey reviews work in this area, with the emphasis on those that focus on early learning, for example, sensorimotor learning. The concluding discussion assesses the progress thus far and outlines some key problems which have yet to be addressed, and whose solution is essential to achieve the goals of the developmental approach.
Pattern Center Determination in Electron Backscatter Diffraction Microscopy
Authors: Basinger Jay , Fullwood David , Kacher Josh , Adams Brent
Published: May 2011

The pattern center of an electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) image indicates the relative position of the image with reference to the interaction volume of the sample. As interest grows in high-resolution EBSD techniques, accurate knowledge of this position is essential for precise interpretation of the EBSD features. In a typical EBSD framework, Kikuchi bands are recorded on a phosphor screen. If the flat phosphor were instead shaped as a sphere, with its center at the specimen's electron interaction volume, then the incident backscattered electrons would form Kikuchi bands on that sphere with parallel band edges centered on great circles. In this article, the authors present a method of pattern center (PC) refinement that maps bands from the planar phosphor onto a virtual spherical screen and measures the deviation of bands from a great circle and from possessing parallel edges. Potential sources of noise and error, as well as methods for reducing these, are discussed. Finally, results are presented on the application of the PC algorithm to two types of simulated EBSD patterns and two experimental setups, and the resolution of the method is discussed.
Incompressibility of quadratic Weil transfer of generalized Severi–Brauer varieties
Authors: Karpenko Nikita A.
Published: May 2011

Let X be the variety obtained by the Weil transfer with respect to a quadratic separable field extension of a generalized Severi–Brauer variety. We study (and, in some cases, determine) the canonical dimension, incompressibility, and motivic indecomposability of X. We determine the canonical 2-dimension of X (in the general case).
Integrated crops and livestock in central North Dakota, USA: Agroecosystem management to buffer soil change
Authors: Liebig M.A. , Tanaka D.L. , Kronberg S.L. , Scholljegerdes E.J. , Karn J.F.
Published: May 2011

Integrated crop–livestock systems have been purported to have numerous agronomic and environmental benefits, yet information documenting their long-term impact on the soil resource is lacking. This study sought to quantify the effects of an integrated crop–livestock system on near-surface soil properties in central North Dakota, USA. Soil bulk density, electrical conductivity, soil pH, extractable N and P, potentially mineralizable N, soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) were measured 3, 6 and 9 years after treatment establishment to evaluate the effects of residue management (Grazed, Hayed and Control), the frequency of hoof traffic (High traffic, Low traffic and No traffic), season (Fall and Spring) and production system (integrated annual cropping versus perennial grass) on near-surface soil quality. Values for soil properties were incorporated into a soil quality index (SQI) using the Soil Management Assessment Framework to assess overall treatment effects on soil condition. Residue management and frequency of hoof traffic did not affect near-surface soil properties throughout the evaluation period. Aggregated SQI values did not differ between production systems 9 years after treatment establishment (integrated annual cropping=0.91, perennial grass=0.93; P=0.57), implying a near-identical capacity of each system to perform critical soil functions. Results from the study suggest that with careful management, agricultural producers can convert perennial grass pastures to winter-grazed annual cropping systems without adversely affecting near-surface soil quality. However, caution should be exercised in applying results to other regions or management systems. The consistent freeze/thaw and wet/dry cycles typical of the northern Great Plains, coupled with the use of no-till management, modest fertilizer application rates and winter grazing likely played an important role in the outcome of the results.
Balkenagenesie – Kognitive und neuropsychiatrische Symptome im Kindes- und Jugendalter
Authors: Wolf Jan F. , Milkovic Sabrina , Osswald Nicola , Rellum Thomas , Paschzella Nadine , Rohrschneider Wiltrud , Gehrmann Jochen
Published: May 2011

Die Agenesie des corpus callosum ist mit einer Vielzahl neuropsychiatrischer Symptome und Entwicklungsauffälligkeiten assoziiert. Das cranielle MRT sichert die Diagnose. Wir berichten hier über einen 13jährigen Jungen mit globaler Entwicklungsverzögerung, leichter Intelligenzminderung, neurologischen und psychiatrischen Symptomen bei schulischer Überforderung, nicht aber ADHS-Symptomen. Die Agenesie des corpus callosum ist eine relativ seltene, aber möglicherweise unterschätzte Differenzialdiagnose bei unklaren Entwicklungsverzögerungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter bzw. Verdacht auf ADHS.
Behandlung chronischer Schmerzen in der Schweiz: wissenschaftliche Evidenz
Authors: Benz  , Angst  , Aeschlimann
Published: May 2011

Chronische Schmerzen treten am häufigsten in der unteren Rückenpartie (lumbale Wirbelsäule) auf und beeinträchtigen in der Regel alle Aspekte der Gesundheit und des Wohlbefindens. Sie werden oft unzureichend behandelt und verursachen hohe volkswirtschaftliche Kosten. Verschiedene bio-psycho-soziale Faktoren beeinflussen die Schmerzen ebenso wie den Behandlungserfolg und haben zur Entwicklung von multidisziplinären Behandlungsansätzen geführt. Die wissenschaftliche Evaluation von interdisziplinären Behandlungen in stationären Schmerzprogrammen in der Schweiz konnte mittlere bis grosse Verbesserungen in verschiedenen Gesundheitsdimensionen bei Schmerzpatienten mit chronischen unspezifischen Rückenschmerzen, weichteilrheumatisch bedingten Schmerzen, generalisierten Schmerzsyndromen und Schmerzen nach kraniozervikalem Beschleunigungstrauma nachweisen. Diese kurz- und mittelfristigen Resultate bestätigen die internationalen Forschungsresultate und sind denjenigen von Standardrehabilitationsprogrammen überlegen. Die Behandlungsresultate könnten durch ergänzende, Untergruppen-spezifische Behandlungsansätze optimiert werden.
Thin oceanic crust and flood basalts: India‐Seychelles breakup
Authors: Armitage J. J. , Collier J. S. , Minshull T. A. , Henstock T. J.
Published: May 2011

Recent seismic experiments showed that separation of India from the Seychelles occurred in two phases of rifting. The first brief phase of rifting between India and the Laxmi Ridge formed the Gop Rift, which is characterized by thick oceanic crust and underplating of the adjacent continental margins. The age of the Gop Rift is uncertain, initiation of seafloor spreading being some time between 71 and 66 Ma. This was then followed by rifting and seafloor spreading between the Laxmi Ridge and the Seychelles, the onset of which is well dated by magnetic anomalies at 63.4 Ma and characterized by thin oceanic crust. Both of these rift events occurred within 1000 km of the center of the Deccan flood basalts, which formed at 65 ± 1 Ma. To constrain the age of the Gop Rift and to explore the reasons for the change in crustal structure between the Gop Rift and Seychelles‐Laxmi Ridge margins, we employ a geodynamic model of rift evolution in which melt volumes, seismic velocity, and rare earth element (REE) chemistry of the melt are estimated. We explore the consequences of different thermal structures, hydration, and depletion on the melt production during the India‐Seychelles breakup to understand the reasons behind the thin oceanic crust observed. Magmatism at the Gop Rift is consistent with a model in which the seafloor spreading began at 71 Ma, ca. 6 Myr prior to the Deccan. The opening occurred above a hot mantle layer (temperature of 200°C, thickness of 50 km) that we interpret as incubated Deccan material, which had spread laterally beneath the lithosphere. This scenario is consistent with observed lower crustal seismic velocities of 7.4 km s−1 and 12 km igneous crustal thickness. The model indicates that when the seafloor spreading migrated to the Seychelles‐Laxmi Ridge at 63 Ma, the thermal anomaly was reduced significantly but not sufficient to explain the observed reduction in breakup magmatism. From observations here of 5.2 km oceanic crust, lower crustal seismic velocities of 6.9 km s−1 and a flat REE profile, we infer that breakup occurred in a region of mantle that became depleted by prior extension related to the Gop Rift.
Improved Coastal Altimetry Could Contribute to the Monitoring of Regional Sea Level Trends
Authors: Fernandes M. Joana , Benveniste Jérôme , Vignudelli Stefano
Published: May 2011

Fourth Coastal Altimetry Workshop; Porto, Portugal, 14–15 October 2010; Satellite altimetry is now a mature Earth observation technique with great impact in many areas of study, including ocean circulation, marine geoid, bathymetry, and assimilation into models, as well as sea level trends and their impacts on the understanding of global climate change. Until recently, the centimeter‐level accuracy achieved by this technique had been limited to open ocean about 50 kilometers off the coast. Aiming to develop products for coastal zones with an accuracy similar to that achieved in the open ocean, several research projects in the past few years, such as Prototype Innovant de Système de Traitement pour les Applications Côtières et l'Hydrologie (PISTACH), Development of Radar Altimetry Data Processing in the Coastal Zone (COASTALT), Centre de Topographie des Océans et de l'Hydrosphère (CTOH), and more recently the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative (ESA CCI), have been supported by various agencies. In parallel, a set of Coastal Altimetry Workshops was initiated (Silver Spring, Md., 2008; Pisa, Italy, 2008; Frascati, Italy, 2009). The Fourth Coastal Altimetry Workshop followed on this successful series of workshops and was hosted by the University of Porto, with support mainly from ESA and 10 other institutions and space agencies.
Trench parallel anisotropy and large delay times: Elasticity and anisotropy of antigorite at high pressures
Authors: Mookherjee Mainak , Capitani Gian Carlo
Published: May 2011

Using theoretical methods, we calculate the full elastic constant tensor and equation of state of antigorite up to 10 GPa, a pressure range that encompasses its experimentally observed stability field. At ambient conditions, the elastic constant tensor reveals significantly large acoustic anisotropy (38% in VP; 35% in VS) compared to the dominant mantle phase olivine. The shear anisotropy is enhanced upon compression. Upon compression, the full elastic constant tensor reveals anomaly at ρ ∼ 2.69 gm cm−3. At ρ < 2.69 gm cm−3, we find that the pressure‐volume results for antigorite are well represented by a third order Birch‐Murnaghan formulation, with K0 = 52 GPa, K0′ = 8.5 and V0 = 3037 Å3 (ρ0 ∼ 2.48 gm cm−3). Our results on elasticity and anisotropy at conditions relevant to the mantle wedge indicates that a 10–20 km layer of antigorite might account for the observed shear polarization anisotropy with fast polarization parallel to the trench and associated large delay times of 1–2 sec observed in some subduction zone settings.