bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intrapartum sonographic imaging of fetal head asynclitism
Authors: Ghi T. , Youssef A. , Pilu G. , Malvasi A. , Ragusa A.
Published: April 2011

Anterior asynclitism was suspected on digital examination of a laboring woman with late arrest of dilatation and no evidence of fetal head progression. Clinical examination revealed a fixed non‐engaged fetal head (station − 1), with a transverse posterior sagittal suture. A static three‐dimensional volume was obtained by translabial ultrasound, offline analysis of which confirmed the clinical diagnosis of anterior asynclitism. Owing to the posterior twisting of the head towards the sacrum, the midline echo could only be obtained by cutting the volume with an oblique line, the direction of which was not perpendicular to the pubis as expected in cases of synclitic head. The sonographic appearance of the midline echo approaching the sacrum in a non‐engaged transverse fetal head strongly supports the clinical suspicion of anterior asynclitism. Copyright © 2012 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is Antarctica melting?
Authors: Rignot Eric
Published: April 2011

Until recently, the mass balance of the Antarctic ice sheet was not well known. Here, I review recent progress in determining its magnitude and temporal evolution, the physical processes that control the observed changes in ice sheet mass balance, and the important knowledge gaps that remain. The results highlight that the linkage between climate change and the Antarctic ice sheet is more complex than anticipated and that major observational and numerical modeling advances will be needed before we can reliably predict its evolution in a warming climate. At present, the Antarctic ice sheet is losing mass at a rate almost comparable to that of the Greenland ice sheet, about 250 ± 31 Gt/year or 0.7 mm/year sea level rise, and the mass loss is increasing with time, at a rate slightly below that observed in Greenland, at 14 ± 2 Gt/yr2. The Antarctic ice sheet is therefore a major contributor to sea level rise and its contribution is slowly increasing with time. WIREs Clim Change 2011 2 324–331 DOI: 10.1002/wcc.110

This article is categorized under:

Paleoclimates and Current Trends > Modern Climate Change
Polymer‐based therapeutics: nanoassemblies and nanoparticles for management of atherosclerosis
Authors: Lewis Daniel R. , Kamisoglu Kubra , York Adam W. , Moghe Prabhas V.
Published: April 2011

Coronary arterial disease, one of the leading causes of adult mortality, is triggered by atherosclerosis. A disease with complex etiology, atherosclerosis results from the progressive long‐term combination of atherogenesis, the accumulation of modified lipoproteins within blood vessel walls, along with vascular and systemic inflammatory processes. The management of atherosclerosis is challenged by the localized flare‐up of several multipronged signaling interactions between activated monocytes, atherogenic macrophages and inflamed or dysfunctional endothelial cells. A new generation of approaches is now emerging founded on multifocal, targeted therapies that seek to reverse or ameliorate the atheroinflammatory cascade within the vascular intima. This article reviews the various classes and primary examples of bioactive configurations of nanoscale assemblies. Of specific interest are polymer‐based or polymer‐lipid micellar assemblies designed as multimodal receptor‐targeted blockers or drug carriers whose activity can be tuned by variations in polymer hydrophobicity, charge, and architecture. Also reviewed are emerging reports on multifunctional nanoassemblies and nanoparticles for improved circulation and enhanced targeting to atheroinflammatory lesions and atherosclerotic plaques. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2011 3 400–420 DOI: 10.1002/wnan.145

This article is categorized under:

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanomaterials and Implants

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Cardiovascular Disease

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Integration of cardiovascular regulation by the blood/endothelium cell‐free layer
Authors: Makena Hightower C. , Salazar Vázquez Beatriz Y. , Woo Park Sung , Sriram Krishna , Martini Judith , Yalcin Ozlem , Tsai Amy G. , Cabrales Pedro , Tartakovsky Daniel M. , Johnson Paul C. , Intaglietta Marcos
Published: April 2011

The cell‐free layer (CFL) width separating red blood cells in flowing blood from the endothelial cell membrane is shown to be a regulator of the balance between nitric oxide (NO) production by the endothelium and NO scavenging by blood hemoglobin. The CFL width is determined by hematocrit (Hct) and the vessel wall flow velocity gradient. These factors and blood and plasma viscosity determine vessel wall shear stress which regulates the production of NO in the vascular wall. Mathematical modeling and experimental findings show that vessel wall NO concentration is a strong nonlinear function of Hct and that small Hct variations have comparatively large effects on blood pressure regulation. Furthermore, NO concentration is a regulator of inflammation and oxygen metabolism. Therefore, small, sustained perturbations of Hct may have long‐term effects that can promote pro‐hypertensive and pro‐inflammatory conditions. In this context, Hct and its variability are directly related to vascular tone, peripheral vascular resistance, oxygen transport and delivery, and inflammation. These effects are relevant to the analysis and understanding of blood pressure regulation, as NO bioavailability regulates the contractile state of blood vessels. Furthermore, regulation of the CFL is a direct function of blood composition therefore understanding of its physiology relates to the design and management of fluid resuscitation fluids. From a medical perspective, these studies propose that it should be of clinical interest to note small variations in patient's Hct levels given their importance in modulating the CFL width and therefore NO bioavailability. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2011 3 458–470 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.150

This article is categorized under:

Physiology > Mammalian Physiology in Health and Disease
Solvothermal Synthesis and Crystal Structure of the Non‐Centrosymmetric Thioantimonate [Ni(tren)2]2[Ni(tren)(en)]2(Sb4S8)2·0.25H2O
Authors: Lühmann Henning , Näther Christian , Bensch Wolfgang
Published: April 2011

The new thioantimonate [Ni(tren)2]2[Ni(tren)(en)]2(Sb4S8)2·0.25H2O (tren = tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine; en = ethylenediamine) was obtained under solvothermal conditions. The compound crystallizes in the non‐centrosymmetric space group P1 with a = 9.424(2), b = 13.010(3), c = 18.883(4) Å, α = 102.46(3), β = 96.11(3), γ = 90.92(3), V = 2246.1(8) Å3, Z = 1. Two of the unique Ni2+ cations are octahedrally surrounded by two tridentate acting tren ligands (type 1) and the other two Ni2+ cations are in an octahedral environment of one tetradentate tren molecule and one bidentate en ligand (type 2). The antimony atoms are in a trigonal pyramidal environment of three sulfur atoms. The SbS3 pyramids are corner‐linked to form two individual [Sb4S8]4– chains running parallel to [010]. Along [001] the two different types of Ni2+‐centered complex cations and the thioantimonate chains alternate. The interchain separations between [Sb4S8]4– chains depend on the space requirements of the two different types of complex cations. Extended N–H···S hydrogen bonding interactions between the complex cations and the anionic chains generates a three‐dimensional network.
Optimal control of static plasticity with linear kinematic hardening
Authors: Herzog R. , Meyer C.
Published: April 2011

An optimal control problem for the static problem of infinitesimal elastoplasticity with linear kinematic hardening is considered. The variational inequality arising on the lower‐level is regularized using a Yosida‐type approach, and an optimal control problem for the so‐called viscoplastic model is obtained. Existence of a global optimizer is proved for both the regularized and original problems, and strong convergence of the solutions is established.
Time‐dependent MHD Couette flow in a rotating system with suction/injection
Authors: Jha B.K. , Apere C.A
Published: April 2011

The unsteady MHD Couette flow of a viscous incompressible electrically conducting fluid between two parallel porous plates in a rotating system when one of the plate is set into uniform accelerated motion is studied. A unified closed form analytical expressions for the velocity and the skin friction for the magnetic lines of force being fixed relative to either the fluid or the moving porous plate are derived using the Laplace transform technique. The effects of suction/injection parameter in the presence of magnetic field and rotation on both the primary and secondary velocities and the resultant skin friction are presented graphically. The analysis of the result shows that the primary velocity increases with increase in the suction/injection parameter while the secondary velocity increases in magnitude near the moving plate and decreases in magnitude near the fixed plate for the two cases. It is interesting to note that the Ekman number has an increasing effect on the primary velocity when the magnetic lines of force are fixed relative to the moving plate. On the other hand, the resultant skin friction decreases with increase in the suction/injection parameter at the porous plate where injection takes place and increases at the porous plate where the fluid is been sucked for the two cases considered.
Traffic flow with unobservant drivers
Authors: Herty M. , Schleper V.
Published: April 2011

We discuss mathematical properties of a coupled macroscopic second‐order traffic model with different pressure laws on the connected roads. Of particular interest is the zero pressure limit and the arising solutions to the coupled equations. This model can be used for prediction of traffic accidents on roads.
Modeling the influence of unbalances for ultra‐precision cutting processes
Authors: Brandt C. , Niebsch J. , Ramlau R. , Maass P.
Published: April 2011

In order to produce components in optical quality in ultra‐precision cutting processes it is very important to have a highly balanced system. Achieving the best possible balancing state is a time consuming process. Therefore, the prediction of the influence of the balancing state on the surface quality of the component is desirable. On the other hand, such a model should enable us to predict a necessary balancing state for a desired surface quality and thus save time in the balancing process. In this paper we present a model of an ultra‐precision cutting experimental platform that determines vibrations and displacements of the platform caused by unbalances and forces from the cutting process. The actual cutting parameters are described by a second model. Since they depend on the unbalance displacements, both models have to be coupled to an interaction model. To compute balancing weights from vibrational measurements, regularization techniques for the solution of inverse and ill‐posed problems are employed and presented.
Traveling wave solutions in temporally discrete reaction‐diffusion systems with delays
Authors: Xia J. , Yu Z.
Published: April 2011

An idea used by W. Li et al. (Nonlinearity 19, 1253–73, 2006) is extended to show existence of traveling wave solutions for a class of temporally discrete reaction‐diffusion systems with delays. The result is an generalization of an existing result for scalar equations to systems. As examples, the obtained abstract results will be applied to temporally discrete diffusion‐competition systems with delay. Our results suggest temporally discrete diffusion‐competition systems are dynamically consistent with the differential diffusion‐competition systems.
Surface modes in inviscid free surface shear flows
Authors: Kaffel A. , Renardy M.
Published: April 2011

We investigate the linear stability of inviscid plane Poiseuille flow between two parallel free surfaces. We show that there are short wave instabilities with eigenfunctions localized near the free surface and derive the asymptotics of these modes.
On modelling and non‐linear elasto‐plastic analysis of thin shells with deformable junctions
Authors: Chróścielewski J. , Konopińska V. , Pietraszkiewicz W.
Published: April 2011

The undeformed base surface of the irregular thin shell is modelled by the union of a finite number of regular smooth surface elements joined together along spatial curvilinear surface edges. The equilibrium conditions are formulated by postulating an appropriate form of the principle of virtual work, where also deformability of shell junctions is taken into account. The PVW is then discretised by C1 finite elements and the incremental‐iterative procedure is applied to solve the highly non‐linear BVP. As an example, the axisymmetric deformation state is calculated in the casing of devise measuring the external pressure and having two pairs of circular welded junctions. The problem is solved within the elasto‐plastic range of material behaviour with linear combination of isotropic and kinematic hardening, and deformability of the junctions is taken into account.
Selenium Deficiency a Factor in Endemic Goiter Persistence in Sub‐Saharan Africa
Authors: Kishosha P. A. , Galukande M. , Gakwaya A. M.
Published: April 2011

Background

Goiter is still common in Uganda, despite the present iodized salt coverage of at least 95%. Where there is endemic goiter after adequate iodine supplementation, selenium deficiency could be a factor for the continued occurrence of goiter. The objectives of the present study, therefore, were to determine the serum selenium levels among goitrous patients and nongoitrous controls and to determine the association between goiter and selenium levels among these patients.

Methods

The investigation was designed as a case control study in which 92 subjects were enrolled, 46 cases and 46 controls of similar age and sex distribution. Subjects were interviewed and examined. Blood samples were taken and selenium concentrations were determined by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry.

Results

The overall mean serum selenium levels were 77.25 μg/l (SD 16.78) for the goiter patients and 95.50 μg/l (24.47) for the nongoiter controls. The difference between goitrous and nongoitrous populations was statistically significant (p = 0.0001). Selenium levels above 102.8 μg/l had a statistically significant protective effect against goiter with adjusted odds ratio 0.3 (0.13–0.69); p = 0.005. Other factors, such as age, main food constituent, and use of iodized salt, had no association with goiter.

Conclusions

There were significant differences between selenium levels among goitrous patients and nongoitrous controls. High selenium levels seem to have a protective effect against goiter. Selenium supplementation as a preventive strategy is worth further exploration
NeoGemTax: Gemcitabine and Docetaxel as Neoadjuvant Treatment for Locally Advanced Nonmetastasized Pancreatic Cancer
Authors: Sahora Klaus , Kuehrer Irene , Schindl Martin , Koelblinger Claus , Goetzinger Peter , Gnant Michael
Published: April 2011

Background

About 30% of patients with pancreatic cancer suffer from locally advanced nonmetastatic carcinoma at the time of diagnosis. We conducted a prospective phase II clinical trial using neoadjuvant chemotherapy, consisting of gemcitabine and docetaxel, to assess the rate of complete radical resection and overall survival.

Methods

Gemcitabine (900 mg/m2) and docetaxel (35 mg/m2) were given on days 1, 8, and 15 of a 28‐day cycle. Two cycles were administered for a preoperative treatment duration of 8 weeks. Patients experiencing tumor regression or stable disease and improved performance status subsequently underwent surgical exploration and pancreatic resection, if feasible. All patients were followed postoperatively to assess long‐term survival.

Results

A total of 25 patients were eligible and included in the intent‐to‐treat and evaluable population. Thirteen patients had unresectable disease at inclusion and 12 patients had borderline resectable pancreatic cancer. Finally, 8 of 25 (32%) patients underwent resection after neoadjuvant chemotherapy; 7 (87%) of these patients had R0 resection. The median overall survival of patients who underwent resection was 16 months (95% confidence interval [CI], 8–24 months) compared to 12 months (95% CI, 8–16 months) for those without resection (p = 0.276). The median recurrence‐free survival rate after resection was 12 months (95% CI, 2–21 months).

Conclusions

NeoGemTax was safe and resection was feasible in a number of patients after systemic neoadjuvant treatment. Further randomized clinical trials are needed to identify novel multimodal regimens that would be able to increase the percentage of patients undergoing curative pancreatic cancer surgery despite advanced tumor stage at the time of diagnosis.
Thyroid Tuberculosis in Southeastern Turkey: Is This the Resurgence of a Stubborn Disease?
Authors: Akbulut Sami , Sogutcu Nilgun , Arikanoglu Zulfu , Bakir Sule , Ulku Abdullah , Yagmur Yusuf
Published: April 2011

Background

While tuberculosis (TB) has been found in many parts of the body, involvement of the thyroid gland is rare. In this study we describe the clinicopathological characteristics of seven patients with primary thyroid tuberculosis (TTB).

Methods

This report is a retrospective case study of seven patients with thyroid tuberculosis who were treated surgically in our clinic between 2004 and 2010. Data collected from the cases included age, sex, clinical presentation, concurrent medical illness, initial diagnosis, and history of pulmonary tuberculosis. Testing used to establish the diagnosis of TTB included thyroid function tests, histopathological examination, a tuberculin skin test, and FNAC (fine needle aspiration cytology). Surgical procedures, antitubercular therapy, and follow‐up data were also analyzed.

Results

All seven cases were females between the age of 30 and 60 years (mean = 44.1 ± 9.5 years). Four cases had neck swelling and three had additional complaints of dysphagia and dyspnea. While total thyroidectomy was performed in six patients with multinodular goiter, a lobectomy was performed in one patient in whom a solitary thyroid nodule was detected. Histopathologic changes consistent with thyroid tuberculosis were detected in all patients. Thoracic X‐ray, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) test, and tuberculin skin test (PPD) were performed and all patients were screened for other possible foci of infection. In conclusion, all seven cases were diagnosed with primary tuberculosis. While the lobectomy patient was administered a 6‐month antitubercular treatment, the total‐thyroidectomy patients did not receive any medical treatment postoperatively. During the postoperative follow‐up period, which lasted between 6 and 53 months (mean = 37.3 ± 18.6 months), none of the patients had a recurrence of disease.

Conclusion

Tuberculosis should be considered in the list of differential diagnoses for thyroid abscesses and nodular lesions in people living in geographic regions with a high tuberculosis prevalence.
Fatty Acid Alkyl Esters as Feedstocks for the Enzymatic Synthesis of Alkyl Methacrylates and Polystyrene‐co‐alkyl Methacrylates for use as Cold Flow Improvers in Diesel Fuels
Authors: Kim Young‐Wun , Eom Gyeong Tae , Hong Jin‐Sook , Chung Keun‐Wo
Published: April 2011

The enzymatic transesterifications of fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) with hydroxyethyl methacrylate (HEMA) were carried out using the Candida antarctica lipase B immobilized within a porous polymethacrylate resin. The enzymatic activity in the transesterification reaction of FAME with HEMA depended on the polarity of the solvent and the highest yield was obtained in toluene (non‐polar). The molar ratio of 1:4 (for methyl laurate:HEMA) and 1:2 (for methyl oleate:HEMA) was most favorable for the transesterification yield. The reaction condition (at 60 °C/24 h), and the enzyme concentration of 5% (w/w) for methyl laurate with HEMA, 2% (w/w) for methyl oleate with HEMA resulted in the highest final yield. Under these conditions, the maximum yields for the transesterification of methyl laurate with HEMA, methyl oleate with HEMA were 97 ± 5.4% and 91 ± 4.7%, respectively. After ten batches of transesterification of FAME with HEMA, enzyme activity was retained at the level of 88 ± 2.6% and 76 ± 2.3%, respectively, compared with their initial activity. Also, alkyl methacrylate/styrene copolymers were synthesized by radical polymerization of HEMA‐LMA (or HEMA‐OMA) and styrene. The prepared copolymers have average molecular weights from 2.6 × 104 to 5.5 × 104. Especially, the poly(styrene‐co‐alkyl methacrylate)s (PStmHAMAn) led to a reduction in the pour point in ultra low sulfur diesel (ULSD) treated with 200–1,000 ppm of poly(styrene‐co‐alkyl methacrylate). Diesel fuel containing 1,000 ppm of the copolymer (PSt2HLMA8) showed a 15 ± 1.25 °C reduction in its pour point.
Fusionless procedures for the management of early-onset spine deformities in 2011: What do we know?
Authors: Akbarnia Behrooz A. , Campbell Robert M. , Dimeglio Alain , Flynn Jack M. , Redding Gregory J. , Sponseller Paul D. , Vitale Michael G. , Yazici Muharrem
Published: April 2011

While attempts to understand them better and treat them more effectively, early-onset deformities have gained great pace in the past few years. Large patient series with long follow-ups that would provide high levels of evidence are still almost non-existent. That there is no safe treatment algorithm defined and agreed upon for this patient population continues to pose a challenge for pediatric spine surgeons. In this review, authors who are well known for their research and experience in the treatment of early-onset scoliosis (EOS) have come together in order to answer those questions which are most frequently asked by other surgeons. The most basic eight questions in this field have been answered succinctly by these authors and a current overview is provided.
Non-modal instability in plane Couette flow of a power-law fluid
Authors: LIU R. , LIU Q. S.
Published: April 2011

In this paper, we study the linear stability of a plane Couette flow of a power-law fluid. The influence of shear-thinning effect on the stability is investigated using the classical eigenvalue analysis, the energy method and the non-modal stability theory. For the plane Couette flow, there is no stratification of viscosity. Thus, for the stability problem the stress tensor is anisotropic aligned with the strain rate perturbation. The results of the eigenvalue analysis and the energy method show that the shear-thinning effect is destabilizing. We focus on the effect of non-Newtonian viscosity on the transition from laminar flow towards turbulence in the framework of non-modal stability theory. Response to external excitations and initial conditions has been studied by examining the ε-pseudospectrum and the transient energy growth. For both Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluids, it is found that there can be a rather large transient growth even though the linear operator of the Couette flow has no unstable eigenvalue. The results show that shear-thinning significantly increases the amplitude of response to external excitations and initial conditions.
New perspectives on the impulsive roughness-perturbation of a turbulent boundary layer
Authors: JACOBI I. , McKEON B. J.
Published: April 2011

The zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer over a flat plate was perturbed by a short strip of two-dimensional roughness elements, and the downstream response of the flow field was interrogated by hot-wire anemometry and particle image velocimetry. Two internal layers, marking the two transitions between rough and smooth boundary conditions, are shown to represent the edges of a ‘stress bore’ in the flow field. New scalings, based on the mean velocity gradient and the third moment of the streamwise fluctuating velocity component, are used to identify this ‘stress bore’ as the region of influence of the roughness impulse. Spectral composite maps reveal the redistribution of spectral energy by the impulsive perturbation – in particular, the region of the near-wall peak was reached by use of a single hot wire in order to identify the significant changes to the near-wall cycle. In addition, analysis of the distribution of vortex cores shows a distinct structural change in the flow associated with the perturbation. A short spatially impulsive patch of roughness is shown to provide a vehicle for modifying a large portion of the downstream flow field in a controlled and persistent way.
The Hidden Effects of Rules Not Broken: Career Paths, Institutional Rules and Anticipatory Exit in Legislatures
Authors: Kanthak Kristin
Published: April 2011

Institutional rules that create winners and losers can also compel those who anticipate losing to quit that institution. In legislatures, these anticipatory exits have implications both for representation and our understanding of how seniority systems work. The current project constructs a model of anticipatory exit in which legislators who are not favoured under the rules leave, thus making room in the seniority queue for their more favoured colleagues. Empirical analysis of the US House of Representatives supports the model: Legislators most distant from their party are about as likely to run for higher office as they are to receive institutional power, whereas those most proximate to the party virtually never run for higher office and almost certainly receive a subcommittee chair.
When corruption fights back: democracy and elite interest in Nigeria's anti-corruption war
Authors: Adebanwi Wale , Obadare Ebenezer
Published: April 2011

This essay analyses the construction of the anti-corruption war under the civilian government in Nigeria between 1999 and 2008. We consolidate existing insights in the literature in three key ways. First, we show that in democratising contexts like Nigeria, the gravest threats to anti-corruption campaigns often emanate from a combination of intra-elite rancour and political intrigue. Second, we provide an explanation of what happens when, literally, corruption fights back. Finally, we suggest that where anti-corruption efforts are not backed by other radical institutional reforms, they fall prey to the overall endemic (systemic) crisis, a part of which,ab initio, necessitated the anti-corruption war.
Paying ‘buckets of blood’ for the land: moral debates over economy, war and state in Southern Sudan
Authors: Leonardi Cherry
Published: April 2011

This paper challenges the prevailing focus on ethnic division and conflict in Southern Sudan in recent years, demonstrating that even within ethnically divisive debates over land, there are shared, transethnic levels of moral concern. These concerns centre on the commodification and monetisation of rural and kinship resources, including human life itself, epitomised in ideas of land being bought with blood, or blood being turned into money by the recent wartime economy. It argues that the enduring popular ambivalence towards money derives not only from its commonly observed individualising properties, but also from the historical association of money with government. Southern Sudanese perceive historical continuity in government consumption and corruption, and express concern at the expansion of its alternative value system into rural economies during and since the war. Whilst seeking to access money and government, they nevertheless continue to employ a discursive but powerful dichotomy between the moral worlds of state and kinship.
The social context of herding contracts in the Far North Region of Cameroon
Authors: Moritz Mark , Ritchey Kristen , Kari Saïdou
Published: April 2011

Droughts across Africa have led to a shift in livestock ownership from impoverished pastoralists to absentee owners who contract hired herders to manage their animals. The assumption has been that these contracts are exploitative and negatively affect herd and rangeland management. We conducted an ethnographic study of a mobile pastoral system in the Far North Region of Cameroon to examine whether herding contracts provide sustainable livelihoods and allow herders to rebuild their herds. We found considerable variation in contracts and livelihoods, and argue that the social organisation of herding contracts may explain why they have no negative impact on herd and rangeland management.
Low-frequency fluctuations in scrape-off layer of tokamak plasma with limiter biasing
Authors: BISAI N. , SINGH RAMESWAR , SINGH R.
Published: April 2011

The effects of limiter biasing on the equilibrium density and potential profiles of the scrape-off layer (SOL) in tokamak plasma are investigated by including ionization and cross-field mobility. It is shown that a broadening of SOL can take place by the inclusion of ionization for low negative biasing. Various microinstabilities relevant for SOL plasmas have been studied. Generalized low-frequency dispersion relation is derived. It is shown that limiter biasing significantly modifies the SOL fluctuations. It is also shown that growth rate of conductive wall instability is smaller for negative biasing than positive biasing case. New mode, the modified Simon–Hoh, and ion temperature gradient instabilities are found to contribute significantly to the growth of curvature- and electron temperature-gradient-driven conductive wall instabilities.
Fish hepatic glutathione-S-transferase activity is affected by the cestode parasitesSchistocephalus solidusandLigula intestinalis: evidence from field and laboratory studies
Authors: FRANK SABRINA NADINE , FAUST STEFFEN , KALBE MARTIN , TRUBIROHA ACHIM , KLOAS WERNER , SURES BERND
Published: April 2011

The activity of hepatic glutathione-S-transferase (GST) was analysed in 3 different fish species with respect to fish sex and infection with parasites. In both sexes of laboratory bred three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)experimentally infected withSchistocephalus solidus(Cestoda), a significantly lower GST-activity was found for infected fish compared to control. After field sampling of roach (Rutilus rutilus) from Lake Müggelsee (MS) and the Reservoir Listertalsperre (LTS), the GST-activity showed significantly lower values for males infected withLigula intestinalisfrom MS (25%) and for infected females from LTS (55%).L. intestinalis-infected female chub (Leuciscus cephalus) from LTS also appeared to have a lower GST-activity. Thus, it could be shown that the presence of parasites significantly affects GST-activity in different fish species resulting in a decreased GST-activity due to infection. Our results therefore emphasize the need for more integrative approaches in environmental pollution research to clearly identify the possible effects of parasites in an effort to develop biomarkers for evaluating environmental health.
Prevalence, diversity, and interaction patterns of avian haemosporidians in a four-year study of blackcaps in a migratory divide
Authors: SANTIAGO-ALARCON D. , BLOCH R. , ROLSHAUSEN G. , SCHAEFER H. M. , SEGELBACHER G.
Published: April 2011

Migratory birds contribute to the movement of avian parasites between distant locations, thereby influencing parasite distribution and ecology. Here we analyse the prevalence, diversity and interaction patterns of Haemosporida parasites infecting Blackcap (Sylvia atricapilla) populations in a recently established migratory divide of southwestern Germany across 4 years. We hypothesize that the temporal and spatial isolation provided by 2 sympatric Blackcap breeding populations (migratory divide) might modify ecological interactions and thus create differences in the structure of the parasite community according to migratory route. We used a fragment of the mitochondrial DNA cytochromebgene to determine haemosporidian haplotypes. We detected an overall infection prevalence of 70·3% (348 out of 495 blackcaps sampled from 2006 to 2009), and prevalence rates were significantly different among years and seasons. We observed a total of 27 parasite haplotypes infecting blackcaps, from them 6 new rareHaemoproteushaplotypes were found in 2 mixed infections.H. parabelopolskyihaplotypes SYAT01 (35·7%) and SYAT02 (20·8%) comprised most of the infections. An association analysis suggests that SYAT01 and SYAT02 are interacting negatively, implying that they are either competing directly for host resources, or indirectly by eliciting a cross-immune response. Molecular data show no clear difference between the parasite communities infecting blackcaps with different migratory routes, despite some temporal and spatial isolation between the two sympatric blackcap populations.
Immuno-enzymatic evaluation of the recombinant TSSA-II protein ofTrypanosoma cruziin dogs and human sera: a tool for epidemiological studies
Authors: CIMINO R. O. , RUMI M. MONJE , RAGONE P. , LAUTHIER J. , ALBERTI D'AMATO A. , QUIROGA I. R. LÓPEZ , GIL J. F. , CAJAL S. P. , ACOSTA N. , JUÁREZ M. , KROLEWIECKI A. , ORELLANA V. , ZACCA R. , MARCIPAR I. , DIOSQUE P. , NASSER J. R.
Published: April 2011

The rTSSA-II (recombinant Trypomastigote Small Surface II) antigen was evaluated by ELISA to detect anti-Trypanosoma cruziantibodies in sera from naturally infected dogs and humans. For this evaluation ELISA-rTSSA-II was standardized and groups were classified according to the results obtained through xenodiagnosis, ELISA and PCR. Sensitivity (Se), Specificity (Sp), Kappa index (KI) and area under curve (AUC) were determined. The Se was determined by using 14 sera from dogs infected withT. cruziVI (TcVI) whereas Sp was determined by using 95 non-chagasic sera by xenodiagnosis, ELISA-Homogenate and PCR. The performance of ELISA-rTSSA-II in dog sera was high (AUC=0·93 and KI=0·91). The Se was 92·85% (1 false negative) and Sp was 100%. Two sera from dogs infected with TcI and 1 with TcIII were negative. For patients infected withT. cruzi, reactivity was 87·8% (36/41), there was only 1 indeterminate, and Sp was 100%. Fifty-four sera from non-chagasic and 68 sera from patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis did not react with rTSS-II. ELISA-rTSSA-II showed a high performance when studying sera from naturally infected dogs and it also presented 100% Sp. This assay could be an important tool to carry out sero-epidemiological surveys on the prevalence ofT. cruzicirculating lineages in the region.
Taxonomic approaches to and interpretation of host specificity of trematodes of fishes: lessons from the Great Barrier Reef
Authors: MILLER T. L. , BRAY R. A. , CRIBB T. H.
Published: April 2011

The taxonomy of trematodes of Great Barrier Reef (GBR) fishes has been studied in some detail for over 20 years. Understanding of the fauna has been informed iteratively by approaches to sampling, understanding of morphology, the advent of molecular methodology and a feed-back loop from the emergent understanding of host specificity. Here we analyse 658 host-parasite combinations for 290 trematode species, 152 genera and 28 families from GBR fishes. These are reported from 8 orders, 38 families, 117 genera and 243 species of fishes. Of the 290 species, only 4 (1·4%) have been reported from more than one order of fishes and just 23 (7·9%) infect more than one family; 77·9% of species are known from only one genus, and 60% from only one species of fish. Molecular studies have revealed several complexes of cryptic species and others are suspected; we conclude that no euryxenous host distribution should be accepted on the basis of morphology only. The occurrence of individual trematode species in potential hosts is patchy and difficult to predict reliablya priorior explain convincinglya posteriori. These observations point to the need for a vigorous iterative interaction between the accretion of host specificity data and its interpretation.
Abigaille II: toward the development of a spider-inspired climbing robot
Authors: Li Yasong , Ahmed Ausama , Sameoto Dan , Menon Carlo
Published: April 2011

This paper presents a novel robotic platform, Abigaille II, designed to climb vertical surfaces using dry adhesion. Abigaille II is a lightweight hexapod prototype actuated by 18 miniaturized motors. The robot's feet consist of adhesive patches, which have microhairs with mushroom-shaped caps fixed on the top of millimeter-scale flexible posts. A pentapedal gait is used to climb flat vertical surfaces as this gait maximizes the number of legs in contact to the surface. Abigaille can however also walk by using other gaits, including the tripod gait.
Teleoperation of a mobile robot with time-varying delay and force feedback
Authors: Slawiñski Emanuel , Mut Vicente , Salinas Lucio , García Sebastian
Published: April 2011

This paper proposes a prediction system and a command fusion to help the human operator in a teleoperation system of a mobile robot with time-varying delay and force feedback. The command fusion is used to join a remote controller and the delayed user's commands. Besides, a predictor is proposed since the future trajectory of the mobile robot is not known a priori being it decided online by the user. The command fusion and predictor are designed based on the time delay and the current context measured through the crash probability. Finally, the proposed scheme is tested from teleoperation experiments considering time-varying delay as well as force feedback.
Type synthesis of 4-DOF nonoverconstrained parallel mechanisms based on screw theory
Authors: Guo Sheng , Fang Yuefa , Qu Haibo
Published: April 2011

A systematic method is developed for the type synthesis of 4-DOF nonoverconstrained parallel mechanisms with three translations and one rotation inspired by the design of H-4. First, the motion requirements of primary platform and secondary platform of the 4-DOF nonoverconstrained parallel mechanisms are analyzed, and the conflict between the number of actuators and the constraint system for nonoverconstrained parallel mechanism is solved. Then, the research topic of type synthesis of 4-DOF nonoverconstrained parallel mechanisms is transformed into the type synthesis of the secondary platform with three translational DOF linked by two chains. On the basis of the screw and reciprocal theory, all possible secondary limbs with 3-DOF, 4-DOF, and 5-DOF are synthesized, respectively. Finally, the configurations and spatial assembly conditions of all possible secondary limbs are provided and some typical mechanisms are sketched as examples.
Interdisciplinary analysis of the environment: insights from tropical forest research
Authors: LELE SHARACHCHANDRA , KURIEN AMIT
Published: April 2011

Tropical forest management is a quintessential interdisciplinary (ID) problem straddling the social-natural divide, and has attracted scholars from many disciplines. This paper is a review of the ID research on tropical forests with a view to understanding the challenges involved in doing ID environmental research in general and the manner in which they might be addressed. Research on two core interdisciplinary questions in tropical forest research, namely causes of tropical forest loss and degradation and its impacts on society, is analysed to illuminate issues facing ID researchers. The challenges stem from differences in implicit values, theories and epistemologies across disciplines, as well as the relationship between individual disciplines, the ID space and the wider applied research audience. Understanding the value-laden nature of terms such as forest loss and degradation leads to a multidimensional and multidisciplinary characterization of the impact of forest change on human well-being. The analysis of causes of change has been enriched by ID research in which forest outcomes are characterized explicitly in terms of their values, measured in terms relevant to these values and linked to chains of socioeconomic variables at the appropriate scale. Explanations from different disciplines may be reconciled to some extent by seeing each as partial and perhaps having context-specific validity, although some core tensions, especially between economists and anthropologists, remain. Insights from ID research have been unevenly internalized in the literature, pointing to the absence of a broadly shared ID space as a consequence of individual social science disciplines appropriating environment as a subject of study. Shifting from theory-driven to problem-driven research and re-engaging self-consciously in this applied ID space will be required to generate more rigorous and relevant ID research on forests.
General principles in motion vision: Color blindness of object motion depends on pattern velocity in honeybee and goldfish
Authors: STOJCEV MAJA , RADTKE NILS , D’AMARO DANIELE , DYER ADRIAN G. , NEUMEYER CHRISTA
Published: April 2011

Visual systems can undergo striking adaptations to specific visual environments during evolution, but they can also be very “conservative.” This seems to be the case in motion vision, which is surprisingly similar in species as distant as honeybee and goldfish. In both visual systems, motion vision measured with the optomotor response is color blind and mediated by one photoreceptor type only. Here, we ask whether this is also the case if the moving stimulus is restricted to a small part of the visual field, and test what influence velocity may have on chromatic motion perception. Honeybees were trained to discriminate between clockwise- and counterclockwise-rotating sector disks. Six types of disk stimuli differing in green receptor contrast were tested using three different rotational velocities. When green receptor contrast was at a minimum, bees were able to discriminate rotation directions with all colored disks at slow velocities of 6 and 12 Hz contrast frequency but not with a relatively high velocity of 24 Hz. In the goldfish experiment, the animals were trained to detect a moving red or blue disk presented in a green surround. Discrimination ability between this stimulus and a homogenous green background was poor when the M-cone type was not or only slightly modulated considering high stimulus velocity (7 cm/s). However, discrimination was improved with slower stimulus velocities (4 and 2 cm/s). These behavioral results indicate that there is potentially an object motion system in both honeybee and goldfish, which is able to incorporate color information at relatively low velocities but is color blind with higher speed. We thus propose that both honeybees and goldfish have multiple subsystems of object motion, which include achromatic as well as chromatic processing.
Establishing Sincerity in Religion and Belief Claims: A Question of Consistency
Authors: Hambler Andrew
Published: April 2011

In this article it is argued that individual sincerity has become the most significant determinant of whether or not a religious or philosophical belief is to be recognised as such for the purposes of accessing putative legal protections for individuals. However, a clear test of individual sincerity has not been fully articulated by the courts in the UK or indeed elsewhere. In this context, the possibility of developing a test based in large part on consistency of individual behaviour is considered in this article, and some objections noted. The article concludes that such a test is both useful and desirable in principle, and should be developed; however, it must be applied with great care in order to remain inclusive of those who may be driven to apparent inconsistency by fear or as a result of other factors.
The Right to Discriminate
Authors: Sandberg Russell
Published: April 2011

The first decade of the 21st century has witnessed a number of controversies surrounding the interaction between law and religion in the United Kingdom. In particular, tensions have emerged between laws protecting religious freedom and those which prohibit discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. In particular, Parliament has repeatedly examined the scope and ambit of exceptions afforded to religious groups which allow them to discriminate on grounds of sexual orientation when specific conditions are met. And these exceptions have reportedly led to tensions within both the Blair and Brown cabinets and rebukes from the Vatican and the European Commission, criticising the exceptions for being too narrow and too broad respectively. The exceptions have also been challenged by way of judicial review, have been applied or commented upon in a number of high-profile cases and have attracted comment in the print and broadcast media. A number of employees have brought claims asserting that new legal requirements promoting equality on grounds of sexual orientation are incompatible with their religious beliefs. This article seeks to explore the legal changes that have occurred in the first decade of the 21st century affecting religion and sexual orientation with particular reference to how courts and tribunals have dealt with clashes between the two. It discusses the extent to which English law allows religious groups and individuals to follow their own beliefs regarding human sexuality.
Religious Offences in Italy: Recent Laws Concerning Blasphemy and Sport
Authors: Gianfreda Anna
Published: April 2011

Religious offences in Italy, as in many European countries, have a long and complex history that is intertwined with the events in the history of the relationship between church and state and the institutional and constitutional framework of a nation.

This article is divided into three parts. The first part aims to offer some historical remarks concerning the rules on the contempt of religion and blasphemy in Italian criminal law from the end of the 19th century to the present day. The second part focuses on changes to the law on vilification introduced in 2006 and the third part deals with the recent developments in blasphemy law in the context of sport.

The article shows that, on the one hand, reforms of the offences grouped under vilification of religion are anachronistic and do not stand up against the religious freedom of individuals, yet on the other, despite the traditional rules for the protection of religion being considered obsolete, they are applied in new areas of law, for example sport, and are used to curb bad manners and bad behaviour. The relationship between the new functions of these criminal rules and the traditional ones, however, remains uncertain and fluctuating, and reveals a moralistic approach to religious offences.
Employment Rights and Church Discipline: Obst and Schüth
Authors: Cranmer Frank
Published: April 2011

The Equal Treatment Directive ‘respects and does not prejudice the status under national law of churches and religious associations or communities in the member states and … of philosophical and non-confessional organisations’ and empowers member states to make ‘specific provisions on genuine, legitimate and justified occupational requirements which might be required for carrying out an occupational activity’. Specifically, Article 4 permits member states to make such provision taking account of their ‘constitutional provisions and principles, as well as the general principles of Community law’. Crucially, Article 4 concludes as follows:

… this Directive shall thus not prejudice the right of churches and other public or private organisations, the ethos of which is based on religion or belief, acting in conformity with national constitutions and laws, to require individuals working for them to act in good faith and with loyalty to the organisation's ethos.
Parliamentary Report
Authors: Cranmer Frank
Published: April 2011

How liberal democracies can accommodate tenaciously-held religious views within the wider framework of human rights legislation and balance the resulting conflicts is a conundrum that confronts governments throughout Europe and was the theme of three major speeches delivered at the end of the period under review.