bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Abbaubare Polymere in der Medizin
Authors: Lendlein Andreas , Hofmann Dieter , Scharnagl Nico
Published: February 2011

Polymerbasierte, abbaubare Biomaterialien sind eine Schlüsseltechnik für die moderne Medizin. Sie kommen in verschiedenen Medizinprodukten und Wirkstofffreisetzungssystemen zum Einsatz. Es ist zu erwarten, dass multifunktionale Polymere wesentliche Beiträge zu kausalen (regenerative Medizin), schonenden (minimalinvasive Medizin) und gezielten (Nanomedizin) Therapien leisten werden.
Verdienen Sie genug?
Authors: Schmitz Karin
Published: February 2011

Die Gehaltsumfrage der GDCh startet wieder, diesmal mit früherem Einsendeschluss. In diesen Tagen gibt es die Fragebögen. Wie immer ist die Broschüre mit den Ergebnissen den Teilnehmern vorbehalten.
On the use of the extended finite element method with quadtree/octree meshes
Authors: Legrain G. , Allais R. , Cartraud P.
Published: February 2011

This paper describes the use of the extended finite element method in the context of quadtree/octree meshes. Particular attention is paid to the enrichment of hanging nodes that inevitably arise with these meshes. An approach for enforcing displacement continuity along hanging edges and faces is proposed and validated on various numerical examples (holes, material interfaces, and singularities) in both 2D and 3D. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An occupational therapy programme in a religious community in South Africa: A Historical Narrative
Authors: Birkhead Sylvia
Published: February 2011

The purpose of this paper was to describe an occupational therapy programme that addressed the needs of younger nuns as they faced the difficulties of caring for older nuns in a Dominican old‐age home in South Africa.

Weekly occupational therapy group sessions with the younger sisters over a 1‐year period enabled them to cope with an elderly population who were struggling to adapt to life in an old‐age home. Activity groups and individual sessions were run concurrently with the older sisters. Aspects addressed included: dealing with loss, exploring meaningful activity, communication, healthy lifestyles, community involvement and life review.

No formal outcome measures were used. Informal evidence of the effectiveness of the programme is the occupationally healthy community observed 20 years later. The younger enablers are now the care receivers and play an integral part in sustaining the programme.

Although the Dominican community has specific needs and practices, there is a parallel to other groups of older adults adjusting to a care setting. This programme can serve as a model to facilitate the quality of life of caregivers and residents. The programme outcomes support the principles of occupational science by demonstrating the importance of engaging in meaningful activities to maintain health and well‐being. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Computer modeling of the crystallization process of single‐chain ethylene/1‐hexene copolymers from dilute solutions
Authors: Ramos J. , Martínez‐Salazar J.
Published: February 2011

Langevin molecular dynamics (LMD) simulations have been performed to understand the role of the short chain branches (SCB) on the formation of ordered domains by cooling dilute solutions of ethylene/α‐olefins copolymer models. Three different long single‐chain models (C2000) with 0, 5, and 10 branches each 1000 carbons were selected. These models were equilibrated at high reduced temperature (T* = 13.3) and cooling in steps of 0.45 until the final temperature (T* = 6.2) by running a total of 35 × 106 LMD steps. During the cooling process, global order parameter, torsion distribution, position of the branches, and local‐bond order parameter were calculated and monitored. The peaks of crystallization for each model were calculated by differentiating the global order parameter with temperature. The Tc (crystallization temperature) decreases as the number of branches increases as has been experimentally reported. The formation of order in the copolymers is affected by the amount of the SCB in the backbone of the polymer chain. Initially, the SCB move to the folding surface. Once the SCB are located near the folding surface the order starts to grow. In all cases here shown, the C4 branches are excluded from the ordered domains. To take into account, the influence of the branch distribution, a different branch distribution model has been considered for the two‐branched systems. The crystallization fraction (α) and the density of the amorphous and ordered fractions was defined using the local‐bond order parameter. Both magnitudes decrease as the number of branches increases. These facts fairly agree with experimental literature data. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys, 2011
Simulation of the ultrafast nonlinear optical response of metal slabs
Authors: Wand Mathias , Schindlmayr Arno , Meier Torsten , Förstner Jens
Published: February 2011

We present a nonequilibrium ab initio method for calculating nonlinear and nonlocal optical effects in metallic slabs with a thickness of several nanometers. The numerical analysis is based on the full solution of the time‐dependent Kohn–Sham equations for a jellium system and allows to study the optical response of metal electrons subject to arbitrarily shaped intense light pulses. We find a strong localization of the generated second‐harmonic current in the surface regions of the slabs.
Field‐induced ion transfer for deposition on pointed tips and field emission
Authors: Kim Wal Jun , Lee Seung Min , Kim Yong Hyup
Published: February 2011

A fabrication technique is presented for depositing a metal film only on pointed tips by field‐induced ion transfer (FIIT) in ambient atmosphere. The technique involves transferring metal ions dissolved in electrolyte solution only onto the pointed tip with electric field and it does not require any photolithographic process. To demonstrate the usefulness of the technique, carbon nanotubes are synthesized on the nickel film formed on a tungsten tip. The field emitter thus fabricated exhibits excellent emission characteristics. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Interaction of Spherical Silica Nanoparticles with Neuronal Cells: Size‐Dependent Toxicity and Perturbation of Calcium Homeostasis
Authors: Ariano Paolo , Zamburlin Pollyanna , Gilardino Alessandra , Mortera Renato , Onida Barbara , Tomatis Maura , Ghiazza Mara , Fubini Bice , Lovisolo Davide
Published: February 2011

The effects of Stöber silica nanoparticles on neuronal survival, proliferation, and on the underlying perturbations in calcium homeostasis are investigated on the well‐differentiated neuronal cell line GT1‐7. The responses to nanoparticles 50 and 200 nm in diameter are compared. The 50‐nm silica affects neuronal survival/proliferation in a dose‐dependent way, by stimulating apoptotic processes. In contrast, the 200‐nm silica does not show any toxic effect even at relatively high concentrations (292 μg mL−1). To identify the mechanisms underlying these effects, the changes in intracellular calcium concentration elicited by acute and chronic administration of the two silica nanoparticles are analyzed. The 50‐nm silica at toxic concentrations generates huge and long‐lasting increases in intracellular calcium, whereas the 200‐nm silica only induces transient signals of much lower amplitude. These findings provide the first evidence that silica nanoparticles can induce toxic effects on neuronal cells in a size‐dependent way, and that these effects are related to the degree of perturbation of calcium homeostasis.
New measurements of the surface ionization for quantitative electron probe microanalysis
Authors: Merlet C. , Llovet X.
Published: February 2011

We report new measurements of the surface ionization Φ(0) for Ge Kα and Lα X‐rays on an Fe substrate, Ga Kα and Lα X‐rays on an Ni substrate, and Au Mα X‐rays on Si, W and Ta substrates. The measurements were performed using the tracer technique for electron incident energies ranging from the ionization threshold up to about 40 keV. Improvements in sample preparation and in the X‐ray measurement technique enabled surface ionization values to be obtained with uncertainties less than 2%. Simulations of Φ(0) for the studied cases were performed using the general‐purpose Monte Carlo (MC) code PENELOPE. Experimental measurements are compared with simulation results and with the results of several predictive formulae widely used in electron probe microanalysis and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The accuracy of the reported measurements makes it possible to assess the reliability of the different calculations for incident electron energies below 10 keV. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Comparison of Major Hepatectomy Performed Under Intermittent Pringle Maneuver Versus Continuous Pringle Maneuver Coupled with In Situ Hypothermic Perfusion
Authors: Wang Chih‐Chi , Yap Anthony Q. , Chen Chao‐Long , Concejero Allan M. , Lin Yu‐Hung
Published: February 2011

Background

The Pringle maneuver (hepatic inflow occlusion), applied intermittently or continuously, carries the risk of inducing ischemic and reperfusion injury. The risk of damage is higher in the latter procedure. Studies have shown that continuous Pringle maneuver coupled with in situ hypothermic perfusion (CPM‐HP) circumvents such adversity. However, reports comparing this technique with the intermittent Pringle maneuver (IPM) are lacking. We therefore report our experience with the use of CPM‐HP and compare its outcome with that of IPM.

Methods

We evaluated the outcome of similar sets of patients who had major hepatic resections performed under IPM and CPM‐HP. Variables including short‐term survival rate (>90 days), complications, operative time, transection time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative liver functions, and postoperative hospital stay were used to compare the two groups.

Results

Eighteen major hepatectomies were performed with CPM‐HP and 16 with IPM. CPM‐HP was safely performed in patients with chronic liver disease. Lowering the liver’s temperature extends the clamping period to 140 min. Perioperative outcomes including operative time (383.9 ± 89.4 vs. 351.9 ± 70.3 min, p = 0.252), blood loss (225.6 ± 48.4 vs. 351.9 ± 70.3 ml, p = 0.057), postoperative hospital stay, morbidity rate, and the rate of liver functions following resections were comparable for the CPM‐HP and IPM groups. There was no mortality. Parenchymal transection time was significantly longer in the CPM‐HP group (104.1 ± 20.2 vs. 85.0 ± 15.4 min, p = 0.004)

Conclusion

Our findings did not show there to be a significant advantage of CPM‐HP over IPM.
Clinical, Ultrasonographic, and Pathologic Characteristics of Patients with Chronic Right‐lower‐quadrant Abdominal Pain that May Benefit from Appendectomy
Authors: Chichom Mefire Alain , Tchounzou Robert , Kuwong Patrick M. , Atangana Jean P. A. , Lysinge Albert C. , Malonga Eimo E.
Published: February 2011

Background

Chronic pains of the right lower quadrant of the abdomen (RLQA) remain a challenging problem worldwide, especially in areas with limited technical background; chronic appendicitis is still a subject of controversy. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical and paraclinical data of patients with chronic pains of RLQA who had an appendectomy performed.

Methods

During a period of 4 years, all patients presenting with a chronic pain of the RLQA were selected for our study and underwent clinical assessment and systematic ultrasonography of the abdomen; these served as a basis of selecting candidates for appendectomy. The intraoperative findings, histology results, and outcome after appendectomy were analyzed.

Results

Three hundred nineteen patients presented with chronic pains of the RLQA of which 213 could be finally analyzed; their mean age was 15.3 years; 192 patients were females. They had pains for 2‐8 years. Echography showed a heterogeneous lesion in the RLQA in 87% of the cases. The operative findings displayed adhesions and other signs of chronic inflammation in 182 cases. Pathological analysis frequently revealed fibrosis and lymphoplasmocytic infiltration indicative of chronic inflammation. Eighty‐seven percent of the patients were cured by appendectomy.

Conclusions

There is a chronic process involving the appendix that occurs in the RLQA of patients with chronic pains, typically the adolescent female. Appendectomy usually solves the problem. The criteria for selection of candidates still need to be identified, but in the absence of laparoscopic facilities, we recommend appendectomy when no other cause for the pain has been identified.
Weevils and camellias in a Darwin's race: model system for the study of eco‐evolutionary interactions between species
Authors: Toju Hirokazu
Published: February 2011

Organisms are surrounded by their predators, parasites, hosts, and mutualists, being involved in reciprocal adaptation processes with such “biotic environment”. The concept of “coevolution”, therefore, provides a basis for the comprehensive understanding of evolutionary and ecological dynamics in biological communities and ecosystems. Recent studies have shown that coevolutionary processes are spatially heterogeneous and that traits mediating interspecific interactions can evolve rapidly in natural communities. Here, I discuss factors promoting the geographic differentiation of coevolutionary interactions, the spatial scales of the geographic structuring, and the pace of coevolutionary changes, reviewing findings in the arms race coevolution involving a long‐mouthed weevil and its host camellia plant. Evolutionary, ecological, and population genetic studies on the system illuminated that viewpoints from the aspect of “coevolving biosphere” were important for predicting how ongoing anthropogenic change in global environment alter the spatiotemporal dynamics of biological communities.
Impact of vitamin D metabolism on clinical epigenetics
Authors: Karlic Heidrun , Varga Franz
Published: February 2011

The bioactive vitamin D (VD) metabolite, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 regulates essential pathways of cellular metabolism and differentiation via its nuclear receptor (VDR). Molecular mechanisms which are known to play key roles in aging and cancer are mediated by complex processes involving epigenetic mechanisms contributing to efficiency of VD-activating CYP27A1 and CYP27B1 or inactivating CYP24 enzymes as well as VDR which binds to specific genomic sequences (VD response elements or VDREs). Activity of VDR can be modulated epigenetically by histone acetylation. It co-operates with other nuclear receptors which are influenced by histone acetyl transferases (HATs) as well as several types of histone deacetylases (HDACs). HDAC inhibitors (HDACi) and/or demethylating drugs may contribute to normalization of VD metabolism. Studies link VD signaling through the VDR directly to distinct molecular mechanisms of both HAT activity and the sirtuin class of HDACs (SIRT1) as well as the forkhead transcription factors thus contributing to elucidate complex epigenetic mechanisms for cancer preventive actions of VD.
The contingency effects of environmental uncertainty on the relationship between supply chain integration and operational performance
Authors: Wong Chee Yew , Boon‐itt Sakun , Wong Christina W.Y.
Published: February 2011

This paper extends prior supply chain research by building and empirically testing a theoretical model of the contingency effects of environmental uncertainty (EU) on the relationships between three dimensions of supply chain integration and four dimensions of operational performance. Based on the contingency and organizational information processing theories, we argue that under a high EU, the associations between supplier/customer integration, and delivery and flexibility performance, and those between internal integration, and product quality and production cost, will be strengthened. These theoretical propositions are largely confirmed by multi‐group and structural path analyses of survey responses collected from 151 of Thailand's automotive manufacturing plants. This paper contributes to operations management contingency research and provides theory‐driven and empirically proven explanations for managers to differentiate the effects of internal and external integration efforts under different environmental conditions.
Versorgung in ländlichen Regionen
Authors: Gerlinger Thomas
Published: February 2011

Einleitung

Abwanderung, demographischer Wandel, ein Versagen der kassenärztlichen Bedarfsplanung sowie eine zu geringe Zahl an nachrückenden Allgemeinmedizinern führen in einer wachsenden Zahl von ländlichen Regionen zu Mängeln in der medizinischen Versorgung. Trotz einer Vielzahl unterschiedlicher Initiativen ist eine Lösung dieses Problems nicht in Sicht.
INEQUALITIES IN TERMS OF THE GÂTEAUX DERIVATIVES FOR CONVEX FUNCTIONS ON LINEAR SPACES WITH APPLICATIONS
Authors: DRAGOMIR S. S.
Published: February 2011

Some inequalities in terms of the Gâteaux derivatives related to Jensen’s inequality for convex functions defined on linear spaces are given. Applications for norms, meanf-deviations andf-divergence measures are provided as well.
Performance and productivity of Nellore steers on rotationally stocked palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha) pastures in response to herbage allowance
Authors: HERLING V. R. , PEDREIRA C. G. S. , DE C. LUZ P. H. , BRAGA G. J. , MARCHESIN W. A. , MACEDO F. B. , DE LIMA C. G.
Published: February 2011

Herbage allowance (HA) impacts performance of grazing cattle as well as sward structure and herbage yield. The objective of the current study was to compare average daily gain (ADG) of Nellore steers on Marandu palisadegrass (Brachiaria brizantha (Hochst ex A. Rich.) Stapf. cv. Marandu) pastures in response to HA. Treatments were applied as 5, 10, 15 and 20 kg dry matter (DM) per 100 kg live weight (LW) per day HA5, HA10, HA15 and HA20), in rotationally stocked pastures under a 35-day grazing cycle (28 days of rest and 7 days of grazing). The trial was carried out in Pirassununga, Brazil, during two summer seasons in 2003 and 2004, each divided into four grazing cycles. Individual animal (250 kg yearling steers) gain increased with HA up to HA15 (mean=0·69 kg/head per day) during each of four grazing cycles per year. The 2-year gain per area was greater for HA5 and HA10 than for HA15 and HA20 and average stocking rate was 9·6, 6·7, 5·4 and 4·6 head/ha for HA5 to HA20, respectively. In addition to the effects of HA on ADG, changes in sward structure, especially sward height, help to explain variation in daily gain in both years. The HA10 treatment provides higher gain per area without excessively reducing individual animal performance, and thus may be the level of choice for optimizing animal output in pasture-only systems.
Deformation of a flexible polymer in a random flow with long correlation time
Authors: MUSACCHIO STEFANO , VINCENZI DARIO
Published: February 2011

The effects induced by long temporal correlations of the velocity gradients on the dynamics of a flexible polymer are investigated by means of theoretical and numerical analysis of the Hookean and finitely extensible nonlinear elastic (FENE) dumbbell models in a random renewing flow. For Hookean dumbbells, we show that long temporal correlations strongly suppress the Weissenberg-number dependence of the power-law tail characterising the probability density function (PDF) of the elongation. For the FENE model, the PDF becomes bimodal, and the coil–stretch transition occurs through the simultaneous drop and rise of the two peaks associated with the coiled and stretched configurations, respectively.
A modern description ofCrambionella stuhlmanni(Scyphozoa: Rhizostomeae) from St Lucia Estuary, South Africa
Authors: Neethling Simone , Channing Alan , Gershwin Lisa-Ann , Gibbons Mark J.
Published: February 2011

A new record ofCrambionella stuhlmanniis reported from the east coast of South Africa. The material is described using quantitative morphological data, and mitochondrial (CO1) and nuclear (ITS-1) sequence data. The species can be diagnosed by a combination of morphological features including the presence of conical projections on velar lappets, the absence of orbicular appendages among mouthlets and the short length of the terminal club on the oral arm. Mitochondrial sequence data unambiguously delineateC. stuhlmannias a separate species fromC. orsini, and phylogenetic analyses support its placement within the monophyletic genus,Crambionella.
Two new ectoparasitic ciliates, Sphenophrya solinis sp. nov. and Planeticovorticella paradoxa sp. nov. (Protozoa: Ciliophora), from marine molluscs
Authors: Xu Kuidong , Lei Yanli , Al-Rasheid Khaled A.S. , Song Weibo
Published: February 2011

Two new species of ciliates parasitizing marine molluscs in the Yellow Sea were described using live observation, protargol and wet silver impregnation: Sphenophrya solinis sp. nov. from the gills of Solen grandis and Planeticovorticella paradoxa sp. nov. from the gills as well as the mantle cavity of Meretrix meretrix. Sphenophrya solinis is elongate boat-shaped, and characterized by having the right system of 5–6 kineties more or less distinctly longer than the left system of 3–5 kineties and the bud formed on the dorsal left of body during budding. Planeticovorticella paradoxa is a second member of the genus Planeticovorticella, and characterized by the free-swimming, cylindroidal trophonts usually with no stalk or with a very short and non-contractile stalk, the C-shaped macronucleus longitudinally oriented in mid-body, and the apically located contractile vacuole. The morphology, infraciliature and morphometry of the two new species were studied in detail and compared with those of their most similar congeners.
The limitations of activation policies: unemployment at the end of working life
Authors: WUEBBEKE CHRISTINA
Published: February 2011

In several European countries, older unemployed people, after reaching a certain age, are entitled to unemployment benefit payments without having to seek new employment. The coexistence of this exemption clause and of reforms aimed at containing early retirement in the respective countries reflects a conflict of political aims – on the one hand, between an efficient labour-market policy at a time of high unemployment, and on the other hand, the goal of the comprehensive activation and labour-market integration of older workers as a response to demographic change. This paper deals with the reasons for the transfer of older long-term unemployed people on to ‘facilitated benefits’ for labour-market withdrawal in Germany. The empirical analysis shows that low or no propensity to work was rarely the motive for leaving the labour market; in particular, those anticipating a low retirement income actually wanted to be re-employed. The vast majority gave three reasons for the decision to retire: an inability to cope with requirements of available jobs; a lack of job opportunities; and an absence of proper support from the public employment agency. Thus the withdrawal of older long-term unemployed people into pre-retirement cannot be attributed to a utility-maximising decision in favour of leisure and against gainful employment, but is the primary result of the scarce re-employment prospects.
Exercise in later life: the older adults' perspective about resistance training
Authors: HENWOOD TIM , TUCKETT ANTHONY , EDELSTEIN OFFER , BARTLETT HELEN
Published: February 2011

For older adults, exercise that challenges the muscular system, commonly referred to as resistance training, has significant physical, psychometrical and functional benefits. While well recognised by the scientific community, the translation of these benefits into practice has received little attention. Particularly neglected is an understanding of the personal experiences, motivation towards and adherence to resistance training recommendations among older adults. This paper investigated the benefits older individuals attribute to resistance training and the motivational tactics they employed to undertake it. Data were drawn from three focus groups where participants (⩾65 years; presently, previously or wanting to become involved in a resistance training intervention) were encouraged to openly discuss resistance training, physical activity and exercise. Findings revealed that participants were aware of the benefits of training on general and functional health, and that these benefits were employed in the motivation to train. In addition, presently or previously trained individuals stress the importance of environment and programme structure as a training motivator. The benefits to mental and social health, effect on ageing and body image were also raised. However, participants discussed these in a broad context. While it could be said that public knowledge reflects current evidence, it is also clear that individuals are still unaware of a number of specific benefits.
Service use barriers differentiating care-givers' service use patterns
Authors: HONG SONG-IEE , HASCHE LESLIE , LEE MI JIN
Published: February 2011

This study describes what types of service use barriers older adults' informal care-givers perceive and examines how these barriers differentiate care-giver service use patterns. Analysing the 2004 National Long-Term Care Survey and Informal Care-giver Data Set (N=1908) in the United States of America, this study reports the prevalence of service barriers for each type of service as well as for overall service use. Service barriers are measured in terms of availability, awareness, affordability, staff quality, privacy violation, complex bureaucracy, language barriers, qualification of each programme and no thought of service. Andersen's health behaviour model guides determinants related to care-giver service use patterns. As a main outcome, care-giver service use patterns (light service users, selective in-home users, and multiple service users) are examined in relation to service use barriers when other predisposing, enabling and need variables are controlled. Of the ten service use barriers defined in this study, awareness and no thought of service are the most prevalent barriers. Care-givers reporting service barriers of availability, awareness and affordability are more likely to be light service users compared to multiple service users and selective in-home service users. These findings highlight the significance of enhancing awareness of care-giver supportive services as well as increasing availability and financial support for service use.
The impact of socio-contextual, physical and lifestyle variables on measures of physical and psychological wellbeing among Māori and non-Māori: the New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement Study
Authors: DULIN PATRICK L. , STEPHENS CHRISTINE , ALPASS FIONA , HILL ROBERT D. , STEVENSON BRENDAN
Published: February 2011

This article provides an overview of the New Zealand Health, Work and Retirement Study (HWR), the focus of which is on determinants of cultural-contextual factors on physical and mental health among 6,662 New Zealand citizens, a nationally representative sample of adults between 55 and 70 years of age. The HWR was initiated in 2006 with two-year re-assessment intervals. The health and wellbeing of older Māori was a study priority as previous research has shown large health disparities between Māori and non-Māori in New Zealand. Persons of Māori origin were over-sampled to ensure adequate information for subsequent analyses. First-wave results indicated that socioeconomic status, social support and retirement status were associated with optimal ageing among older adults in New Zealand. Māori scored lower on markers of physical and mental health, which was partially explained by restrictive factors including reduced economic living standards and a propensity towards less physical activity. After controlling for multiple socio-contextual and biological variables, ethnicity continued to predict health, suggesting that there are other markers of health and wellbeing in ageing among Māori. Structural variables which restrict access to health care and predispose Māori to engage in maladaptive lifestyle behaviours combined with the distal effects of colonisation may contribute to the health disparities found between Māori and the majority population in New Zealand.
Residential complexes in Queensland, Australia: a space of segregation and ageism?
Authors: PETERSEN MAREE , WARBURTON JENI
Published: February 2011

In western countries, large residential complexes comprising retirement villages and care facilities have become synonymous with specialised housing for older people, but gerontology has tended to view retirement villages and care facilities as separate and different spaces. By researching these spaces separately, gerontology's examination of the development of residential complexes and older people's housing has been hindered. This paper explores the geographies of residential complexes in south-east Queensland, Australia, by employing data from a larger study that utilised Lefebvre's spatial framework,social space. Its specific focus is Lefebvre's concept ofrepresentations of space, part of the triad ofsocial space. The paper outlines how the professional knowledge of designers, planners and policy makers shape and frame the place of older people in contemporary society. The findings indicate that professional knowledge is characterised by contradictions, and that business interests sustain stereotypes of older people as either ageless or dependent. Furthermore, spaces designed for older people reinforce historical legacies of separation from the community. This form of built environment can thus be seen as both a cause and effect of ageism. Generally, the lack of attention by gerontology to these spaces has hampered discussion of alternatives for older people's housing in Australia and, importantly, the development of responsive urban and social planning.
From expert systems to context-based intelligent assistant systems: a testimony
Authors: Brézillon Patrick
Published: February 2011

This paper presents a personal interpretation of the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) systems during these last 25 years. This evolution is presented along five generations of AI systems, namely expert systems, joint cognitive systems, intelligent systems, intelligent assistant systems, and the coming generation of context-based intelligent assistant systems. Our testimony relies on different real-world applications in different domains, especially for the French national power company, the subway companies in Paris and in Rio de Janeiro, in medicine, a platform for e-maintenance, road safety, and open sources. Our main claim is to underline that the next generation of AI systems (context-based intelligent assistant systems) requires a radically different consideration on context and its relations with the users, the task at hand, the situation, and the environment in which the task is accomplish by the user; the observation of users through their behaviors and not a profile library; a robust conceptual framework for modeling and managing context; and a computational tool for representing in a uniform way pieces of knowledge, of reasoning, and of contexts.
On the evolving relation between Belief Revision and Argumentation
Authors: Falappa Marcelo A. , García Alejandro J. , Kern-Isberner Gabriele , Simari Guillermo R.
Published: February 2011

Research on the relation between Belief Revision and Argumentation has always been fruitful in both directions: some argumentation formalisms can be used to define belief change operators, and belief change techniques have also been used for modeling the dynamics of beliefs in argumentation formalisms. In this paper, we give a historical perspective on how belief revision has evolved in the last three decades, and how it has been combined with argumentation. First, we will recall the foundational works concerning the links between both areas. On the basis of such insights, we will present a conceptual view on this topic and some further developments. We offer a glimpse into the future of research in this area based on the understanding of argumentation and belief revision as complementary, mutually useful disciplines.
Interactive knowledge capture in the new millennium: how the Semantic Web changed everything
Authors: Gil Yolanda
Published: February 2011

The Semantic Web has radically changed the landscape of knowledge acquisition research. It used to be the case that a single user would edit a local knowledge base, that the user would have domain expertise to add to the system, and that the system would have a centralized knowledge base and reasoner. The world surrounding knowledge-rich systems changed drastically with the advent of the Web, and many of the original assumptions were no longer a given. Those assumptions had to be revisited and addressed in combination with new challenges that were put forward. Knowledge-rich systems today are distributed, have many users with different degrees of expertise, and integrate many shared knowledge sources of varying quality. Recent work in interactive knowledge capture includes new and exciting research on collaborative knowledge sharing, collecting knowledge from Web volunteers, and capturing knowledge provenance.
Towards a more explicit taxonomy of root possibility
Authors: DEPRAETERE ILSE , REED SUSAN
Published: February 2011

The aim of this article is to improve the description of root (or non-epistemic) possibility meanings. In previous accounts, the defining criteria are not applied systematically; there is a tendency towards definition by exemplification (especially when it comes to meanings that are ‘not permission’ and ‘not ability’) and certain categories (permission, for instance) tend to be defined in a circular way. We will argue that there are three criteria which are necessary and sufficient to distinguish five subclasses of root possibility meaning. The three criteria are: (a) the scope of the modal meaning, (b) the source of the modality and (c) the notion of potential barrier; the five meanings are: (a) ability, (b) opportunity, (c) permission, (d) general situation possibility (GSP) and (e) situation permissibility. The article offers an in-depth analysis of the three defining criteria and the root possibility meanings that their systematic application gives rise to. This approach clearly brings out the similarities and the dissimilarities between the different subcategories of root possibility meaning in English, and in this way it results in a more explicit taxonomy.
The right-headedness of morphology and the status and development of category-determining prefixes in English
Authors: NAGANO AKIKO
Published: February 2011

So-called category-determining prefixes in English (befool,delouse,disbar,encage,out- jockey,unsaddle) have been treated as exceptions to the Righthand Head Rule (Williams 1981). This article argues that so-called category-determining prefixation is a V (Verb)-to-V prefixation which takes denominal and deadjectival converted verbs as inputs, and thus special treatment is unwarranted. The hypothesis that conversion underlies N (Noun)/A (Adjective)-to-V prefixation is examined from both diachronic and synchronic perspectives. Diachronically, it is shown that the prefixes in question all started as non-category-determining V-to-V prefixes, and their N/A-to-V usage was established only in Modern English. With the constant productivity of conversion in the history of English, N/A-to-V usage can emerge from V-to-V usage. Synchronically, denominal/deadjectival prefixed verbs are shown to exhibit input and output properties that prove the above hypothesis: they have a converted counterpart; they are subject to the same morphological constraints as converted verbs; and their semantics is equivalent to the semantics of converted verbs modified by the semantics of V-to-V prefixation. It is concluded that there is no derivational prefix that determines the output category in English.
Factors related to household food insecurity in the Republic of Korea
Authors: Kim Kirang , Kim Mi Kyung , Shin Young-Jeon , Lee Sang Sun
Published: February 2011

Objective

To examine the prevalence of food insecurity and to identify factors that contribute to it in the Republic of Korea.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

Data were selected from a secondary data set, the third Korean Welfare Panel Study. Household food insecurity was measured with a six-item Korean version of the US Household Food Security Survey Module. The differences in proportions or means of household characteristics, householder's characteristics, economic status and social benefits by food insecurity status were tested with the χ2 or t test. The independent associations of food insecurity with each characteristic were assessed with multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Subjects

The sample size consisted of 6238 households.

Results

The prevalence of food insecurity was 5·3 % among all households and 25·7 % among low-income households. Risk factors that were associated with a higher risk of food insecurity included living alone, unemployment, no job, low household income and living in a leased or rented home. For low-income households, living in a leased or rented home increased the risk of food insecurity. Among food-insecure households, 26·1 % of the full sample of households and 34·3 % of low-income households were participating in food assistance programmes.

Conclusions

Food insecurity among the Korean population was related to household type, income, job status and housing. Food assistance programmes were not enough to completely alleviate food insecurity.
Development of a diet quality index assessing adherence to the Swedish nutrition recommendations and dietary guidelines in the Malmö Diet and Cancer cohort
Authors: Drake Isabel , Gullberg Bo , Ericson Ulrika , Sonestedt Emily , Nilsson Jan , Wallström Peter , Hedblad Bo , Wirfält Elisabet
Published: February 2011

Objective

To develop a diet quality index (DQI) that assesses adherence to the Swedish nutrition recommendations (SNR) and the Swedish dietary guidelines (SDG).

Design

A cross-sectional study within the Malmö Diet and Cancer (MDC) cohort. A diet history method collected dietary data, a structured questionnaire lifestyle and socio-economic information, and anthropometric data were collected by direct measurements. The index (DQI-SNR) included six components: SFA, PUFA, fish and shellfish, dietary fibre, fruit and vegetables, and sucrose.

Setting

Malmö, Sweden.

Subjects

Men (n 4525) and women (n 8491) of the MDC cohort enrolled from September 1994 to October 1996.

Results

For participants with high DQI-SNR scores, nutrient and food intakes were close to recommendations. However, most of the study population exceeded the recommended intake for SFA (98 %) and few reached recommended intakes for dietary fibre (24 %), fruit and vegetables (32 %), vitamin D (18 %) and folate (2 %). A high DQI-SNR score was positively associated with age, physical activity, not smoking, past food habit change, education and socio-economic status. Individuals with high scores were more likely to have a diabetes diagnosis or experienced a cardiovascular event.

Conclusions

Results suggest that the DQI-SNR is a useful tool for assessing adherence to the SNR 2005 and the SDG in the MDC cohort. No index has previously been developed with the aim of evaluating adherence to the current dietary recommendations in Sweden. Further validation of the DQI-SNR, and evaluation of its utility, is needed.
Radius correction formula for capacitances and effective length vectors of monopole and dipole antenna systems
Authors: Macher W. , Oswald T. H.
Published: February 2011

In the investigation of antenna systems which consist of one or several monopoles, a realistic modeling of the monopole radii is not always feasible. In particular, physical scale models for electrolytic tank measurements of effective length vectors (rheometry) of spaceborne monopoles are so small that a correct scaling of monopole radii often results in very thin, flexible antenna wires which bend too much under their own weight. So one has to use monopoles in the model which are thicker than the correct scale diameters. The opposite case, where the monopole radius has to be modeled too thin, appears with certain numerical antenna programs based on wire grid modeling. This problem arises if the underlying algorithm assumes that the wire segments are much longer than their diameters. In such a case it is eventually not possible to use wires of correct thickness to model the monopoles. In order that these numerical and experimental techniques can be applied nonetheless to determine the capacitances and effective length vectors of such monopoles (with an inaccurate modeling of monopole diameters), an analytical correction method is devised. It enables one to calculate the quantities for the real antenna system from those obtained for the model antenna system with wrong monopole radii. Since a typical application of the presented formalism is the analysis of spaceborne antenna systems, an illustration for the monopoles of the WAVES experiment on board the STEREO‐A spacecraft is given.
Highly selective one-pot synthesis of H-bonded pentagon-shaped circular aromatic pentamers
Authors: Qin Bo , Ong Wei Qiang , Ye Ruijuan , Du Zhiyun , Chen Xiuying , Yan Yan , Zhang Kun , Su Haibin , Zeng Huaqiang
Published: February 2011

One-pot, multi-molecular macrocyclization allows the highly selective preparation of pentagon-shaped circular aromatic pentamers mediated by an inward-pointing continuous hydrogen-bonding network.
Modeling spinal muscular atrophy in Drosophila links Smn to FGF signaling
Authors: Sen Anindya , Yokokura Takakazu , Kankel Mark W. , Dimlich Douglas N. , Manent Jan , Sanyal Subhabrata , Artavanis-Tsakonas Spyros
Published: February 2011

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor neuron loss and muscle atrophy, has been linked to mutations in the Survival Motor Neuron (SMN) gene. Based on an SMA model we developed in Drosophila, which displays features that are analogous to the human pathology and vertebrate SMA models, we functionally linked the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) signaling pathway to the Drosophila homologue of SMN, Smn. Here, we characterize this relationship and demonstrate that Smn activity regulates the expression of FGF signaling components and thus FGF signaling. Furthermore, we show that alterations in FGF signaling activity are able to modify the neuromuscular junction defects caused by loss of Smn function and that muscle-specific activation of FGF is sufficient to rescue Smn-associated abnormalities.
Full characterization of GPCR monomer–dimer dynamic equilibrium by single molecule imaging
Authors: Kasai Rinshi S. , Suzuki Kenichi G. N. , Prossnitz Eric R. , Koyama-Honda Ikuko , Nakada Chieko , Fujiwara Takahiro K. , Kusumi Akihiro
Published: February 2011

Receptor dimerization is important for many signaling pathways. However, the monomer–dimer equilibrium has never been fully characterized for any receptor with a 2D equilibrium constant as well as association/dissociation rate constants (termed super-quantification). Here, we determined the dynamic equilibrium for the N-formyl peptide receptor (FPR), a chemoattractant G protein–coupled receptor (GPCR), in live cells at 37°C by developing a single fluorescent-molecule imaging method. Both before and after liganding, the dimer–monomer 2D equilibrium is unchanged, giving an equilibrium constant of 3.6 copies/µm2, with a dissociation and 2D association rate constant of 11.0 s−1 and 3.1 copies/µm2s−1, respectively. At physiological expression levels of ∼2.1 receptor copies/µm2 (∼6,000 copies/cell), monomers continually convert into dimers every 150 ms, dimers dissociate into monomers in 91 ms, and at any moment, 2,500 and 3,500 receptor molecules participate in transient dimers and monomers, respectively. Not only do FPR dimers fall apart rapidly, but FPR monomers also convert into dimers very quickly.
Cell behaviors regulated by guidance cues in collective migration of border cells
Authors: Poukkula Minna , Cliffe Adam , Changede Rishita , Rørth Pernille
Published: February 2011

Border cells perform a collective, invasive, and directed migration during Drosophila melanogaster oogenesis. Two receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), the platelet-derived growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor–related receptor (PVR) and the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), are important for reading guidance cues, but how these cues steer migration is not well understood. During collective migration, front, back, and side extensions dynamically project from individual cells within the group. We find that guidance input from both RTKs affects the presence and size of these extensions, primarily by favoring the persistence of front extensions. Guidance cues also control the productivity of extensions, specifically rendering back extensions nonproductive. Early and late phases of border cell migration differ in efficiency of forward cluster movement, although motility of individual cells appears constant. This is caused by differences in behavioral effects of the RTKs: PVR dominantly induces large persistent front extensions and efficient streamlined group movement, whereas EGFR does not. Thus, guidance receptors steer movement of this cell group by differentially affecting multiple migration-related features.
Circulating tumor cells: approaches to isolation and characterization
Authors: Yu Min , Stott Shannon , Toner Mehmet , Maheswaran Shyamala , Haber Daniel A.
Published: February 2011

Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) shed from primary and metastatic cancers are admixed with blood components and are thus rare, making their isolation and characterization a major technological challenge. CTCs hold the key to understanding the biology of metastasis and provide a biomarker to noninvasively measure the evolution of tumor genotypes during treatment and disease progression. Improvements in technologies to yield purer CTC populations amenable to better cellular and molecular characterization will enable a broad range of clinical applications, including early detection of disease and the discovery of biomarkers to predict treatment responses and disease progression.
On the Fourier inversion formula for the full modular group
Authors: Ouellette Keith
Published: February 2011

We offer a new proof of the Fourier inversion and Plancherel formulae for Maass-Eisenstein wave packets. The proof uses truncation, basic analysis, and classical Fourier theory. Brief sketches of the proofs due to Langlands, Lapid, and Casselman are then presented for comparison.
Optimum Timing of Preplant Applications of Glyphosate to Manage Rhizoctonia Root Rot in Barley
Authors: Babiker E. M. , Hulbert S. H. , Schroeder K. L. , Paulitz T. C.
Published: February 2011

Rhizoctonia root rot, caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-8 and R. oryzae, is considered one of the main deterrents for farmers to adopt reduced-tillage systems in the Pacific Northwest. Because of the wide host range of Rhizoctonia spp., herbicide application before planting to control weeds and volunteer plants is the main management strategy for this disease. To determine the effect of timing of glyphosate applications on the severity of Rhizoctonia root rot of barley, field experiments were conducted in 2007, 2008, and 2009 in a field naturally infested with a high level of both R. solani and R. oryzae. Crop volunteer plants and weeds were allowed to grow over the winter and plots were sprayed with glyphosate at 42, 28, 14, 7, and 2 days prior to planting. As the herbicide application interval increased, there were significant increases in shoot length, length of the first true leaf, and number of healthy seminal roots and a decrease in disease severity. Yield and the number of seminal roots did not show a response to herbicide application interval in most years. The activity of R. solani, as measured by toothpick bioassay and real-time polymerase chain reaction, declined over time in all treatments after planting barley. The herbicide application interval required to meet 80 and 90% of the maximum response (asymptote) for all plant and disease measurements ranged from 11 to 27 days and 13 to 37 days, respectively. These times are the minimum herbicide application intervals required to reduce disease severity in the following crop.