bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Simplified multi‐degree‐of‐freedom model for estimation of seismic response of regular wall‐frame structures
Authors: Kuang J. S. , Huang Kai
Published: August 2009

A simplified multi‐degree‐of‐freedom (MDOF) model is developed for estimation of seismic response of tall wall‐frame structures. By using the continuum technique for the structure and adopting the bilinear hysteretic model for material properties, procedure for the development of the simplified MDOF model is derived. The numerical study for a 20‐storey reinforced concrete (RC) wall‐frame structure is conducted to investigate the accuracy of seismic response predicted by the proposed model. Results from the nonlinear response history analyses based on the proposed MDOF model and the detailed structural model with member‐by‐member representation are compared and show very good agreement. The proposed simplified MDOF model is shown to provide a simple, efficient and accurate method for estimation of seismic performance of tall wall‐frame structures. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Three New Coordination Compounds with Push‐Pull Ligand p‐Aminobenzonitrile (4ABN)
Authors: Glees Alexandra , Ruschewitz Uwe
Published: August 2009

From ethanolic solutions containing p‐aminobenzonitrile (4ABN) and the respective metal salt three new coordination compounds were obtained and their crystal structures were solved and refined from X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction data: {}_\infty^2[Ag(4ABN)4/2]BF4 (P21/n, Z = 4) (1), {}_\infty^1[Cu(4ABN)4/2(H2O)2](NO3)2·2H2O (P\overline{1}, Z = 2) (2) and [Co(4ABN)2(H2O)2Cl2] (P21/n, Z = 2) (3). Compound 1 is a coordination polymer with a distorted tetrahedral AgN4 coordination and layered polymeric {}_\infty^2{[Ag(4ABN)4/2]+} cations, which are held together by van der Waals interactions. It represents the first homoleptic complex of 4ABN. Concerning 2, Jahn–Teller distorted CuN4O2 octahedra are connected to polymeric chain‐like {}_\infty^1{[Cu(4ABN)4/2(H2O)2]2+} cations, which are interconnected by hydrogen bonds including further water molecules and NO3– ions. 3 is a complex with an octahedral CoCl2N2O2 coordination. In the solid‐state structure, they are held together by N–H···Cl hydrogen bonds
Value of prophylactic abdominal drainage in 1269 consecutive cases of elective liver resection
Authors: Kyoden Yusuke , Imamura Hiroshi , Sano Keiji , Beck Yoshifumi , Sugawara Yasuhiko , Kokudo Norihiro , Makuuchi Masatoshi
Published: August 2009

Background

The value of prophylactic abdominal drainage in patients undergoing hepatectomy is controversial. We carried out a retrospective study to clarify the value of this procedure.

Methods

The study subjects were 1269 consecutive patients who underwent elective hepatectomy with drain insertion for malignant tumors without associated gastrointestinal procedures or bilio‐enteric anastomosis. Symptomatic abdominal fluid collections were treated by the drain salvage method, percutaneous puncture, and/or re‐operation, in that order of preference.

Results

One patient died (mortality rate, 0.07%) and 7 patients had postoperative bleeding (0.6%). Bile leakage, found in 111 (8.7%) patients, subsided with retention of the drain in 78 (70%) and use of the drain salvage technique in 8 (7.2%), whereas percutaneous puncture and re‐operation were required in 11 (9.9%) and 14 (12.6%). Symptomatic fluid collection, observed in 65 (5.1%) patients, was treated by the drain salvage technique in 20 (31%) patients, while puncture and re‐operation were required in 25 (38%) and 20 (31%).

Conclusions

Placement of drains was effective in a considerable proportion of patients undergoing hepatectomy, with regard to reducing the frequency of development of subphrenic fluid collections and biliary fistula/biloma formation.
Agency and Choice in Genetic Counseling: Acknowledging Patients’ Concerns
Authors: O'Doherty Kieran
Published: August 2009

This paper investigates to what degree patients can be said to effectively manifest agency during the process of genetic counseling for cancer risk. Rather than talk about agency on an abstract level, the discussion is grounded in examples from actual genetic counseling sessions. Past research in this area recognises three dimensions along which clients’ agency can be assessed: the availability of choice; potential prescriptiveness or framing biases in the presentation of options; and whether particular decisions are embedded within broader moral frameworks (in particular, perceived obligation to kin). In this paper it is argued that in addition to these three dimensions, an investigation of agency needs to explore the degree to which the concerns brought to counseling sessions by patients match up with the choices and management strategies offered by genetic counsellors. An analysis of four excerpts from actual counseling sessions is presented to illustrate the case.
Comparison of Seal Oil to Tuna Oil on Plasma Lipid Levels and Blood Pressure in Hypertriglyceridaemic Subjects
Authors: Meyer Barbara J. , Lane A. E. , Mann N. J.
Published: August 2009

As meat is a rich source of the omega‐3 fatty acid docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) and Australians consume six times more meat than fish, investigation of the potential health benefit of DPA is warranted. The aims were to compare the effects of seal oil supplementation with fish oil, on measures of plasma lipids and blood pressure in hypertriglyceridaemic subjects. Forty‐eight volunteers were recruited from the Wollongong community and were randomly allocated to one of three groups either receiving 1 g/day of long‐chain omega‐3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC n‐3 PUFA) using one of three oils: seal oil capsules (340 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), 230 mg DPA, 450 mg DHA), fish oil capsules (210 mg EPA, 30 mg DPA, 810 mg DHA) or placebo capsules (containing sunola oil) for 6 weeks. Plasma triglycerides remained unchanged in the placebo group, whilst reductions of 7 and 14% (P < 0.05) were seen in the fish oil and seal oil groups respectively. Systolic blood pressure improved by 8 and 5 mmHg with seal oil and fish oil respectively (P < 0.05). The mean arterial pressure was significantly lower after seal oil supplementation (P < 0.005) compared with the placebo group. These results indicate that seal oil is as effective as fish oil in lowering plasma triglycerides and blood pressure.
Children’ s radial arm maze performance as a function of age and sex
Authors: Mandolesi L. , Petrosini L. , Menghini D. , Addona F. , Vicari S.
Published: August 2009

The present study analyzes the development of the spatial abilities in children aged 36–95 months and the sex‐related differences by means of the free‐choice and forced‐choice paradigms of the eight‐arm radial maze task. Clear age‐related improvements were evidenced. However, a temporal window with an abrupt acceleration of specific spatial competencies acquisition was detected. The females aged 51–58 months started the task performing about 2.5 errors and ended it performing no more than 0.5 errors. The same pattern of performance was exhibited by the males aged 59–66 months. Also in the final span the 4.5‐year‐old females behave as the 6‐year‐old males. The significant correlations between 45° angles and span values in the free‐choice paradigm indicated that all children tended to solve the task by employing low working memory load and by using mainly efficient procedural strategies. Furthermore, children's ability to retain earlier information was influenced by both age and sex factors as indicated by the forced‐choice paradigm findings. The present findings demonstrating the earlier acquisition of spatial competencies of the females in comparison to males, could reflect differences in foraging strategies between sexes, and/or differences in the anatomo‐physiological development of specific brain structures, and/or different modulating effects of sexual hormones.
Use of traditional Chinese medicine among pregnant women in Taiwan
Authors: Yeh Hsiao‐Yun , Chen Yu‐Chun , Chen Fang‐Pey , Chou Li‐Fang , Chen Tzeng‐Ji , Hwang Shinn‐Jang
Published: August 2009

Objective

To investigate the patterns of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) use among pregnant women in the National Health Insurance program in Taiwan.

Methods

Women who gave birth in Taiwan in 2006 were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database. Claims for reimbursement following TCM ambulatory visits by these women were analyzed.

Results

In total, 20.9% of women in the study who gave birth in 2006 used TCM during pregnancy, with older women more likely to utilize this form of care (23.9% of women > 35 years of age vs 16.2% of women < 20 years of age). There was an increase in the use of TCM for pregnancy‐related problems such as hypertension (194 women before pregnancy vs 2163 during) and nausea/vomiting (220 women before vs 1648 during). The predominant modality (88.4%) of TCM treatment during pregnancy was herbal preparation.

Conclusion

Traditional Chinese medicine, with the exception of acupuncture, is popular among pregnant women in Taiwan. In addition to its efficacy, the safety of TCM during pregnancy requires future investigation.
GIVING NEW SORGHUM VARIETY OPTIONS TO RESOURCE-POOR FARMERS IN NICARAGUA THROUGH PARTICIPATORY VARIETAL SELECTION
Authors: TROUCHE GILLES , VOM BROCKE KIRSTEN , AGUIRRE SILVIO , CHOW ZILDGHEAN
Published: August 2009

In the dry areas of Nicaragua, white-grain sorghum is an important subsistence crop for resource-poor farmers. From 2002 to 2007, participatory varietal selection (PVS) was implemented in three regions with the aim of identifying new varieties matching small farmers' needs. This paper describes the general approach, the partnership and the methods used to identify farmers' selection criteria (FSC), as well as the evaluation of new germplasm using the scoring method. Data analysis involved relating farmers' evaluation data to agronomic data and farmers' selection decisions (FSD), using Spearman correlations and the chi-square test. In the three regions, higher grain yield and good grain quality for making tortillas were identified as the two main FSCs for both the ‘tortillero’ and ‘millón’ sorghum types; the ranking of the other important FSC differed between the sites and the sorghum types. Our data shows that farmers' scores for earliness were highly correlated with breeder's observations while farmers' assessments of grain yield were correlated with measured yield in half the cases, depending on their knowledge of the crop. The study shows that in evaluating grain quality the farmers used several specific traits which were not considered by breeders. Overall appreciation, grain yield and grain quality were the key farmers' criteria that contributed to FSD. The PVS work enabled breeders to obtain a better understanding of farmers' criteria as well as identifying new progenitors, which should be useful for the sorghum breeding schemes in Central America in the future. Furthermore, by exploring wide genetic diversity, it was possible to release several farmer-preferred and high-performing varieties within a fairly short period.
Design and similarity evaluation on humanoid motion based on human motion capture
Authors: Huang Qiang , Yu Zhangguo , Zhang Weimin , Xu Wei , Chen Xuechao
Published: August 2009

This paper explores the design of humanoid complicated dynamic motion based on human motion capture. Captured human data must be adapted for the humanoid robot because its kinematics and dynamics mechanisms differ from those of the human actor. It is expected that humanoid movements are highly similar to those of the human actor. First, the kinematics constraints, including ground contact conditions, are formulated. Second, the similarity evaluation on the humanoid motion based on both the spatial and temporal factors compared with the human motion is proposed. Third, the method to obtain humanoid motion with high similarity is presented. Finally, the effectiveness of the proposed method is confirmed by simulations and experiments of our developed humanoid robot “sword” motion performance.
A Jacobian-based algorithm for planning the motion of an underactuated rigid body undergoing forward and reverse rotations
Authors: Koh Sung K.
Published: August 2009

A Jacobian-based algorithm that is useful for planning the motion of a floating rigid body operated using two input torques is addressed in this paper. The rigid body undergoes a four-rotation fully reversed (FR) sequence of rotations which consists of two initial rotations about the axes of a coordinate frame attached to the body and two subsequent rotations that undo the preceding rotations. Although a Jacobian-based algorithm has been useful in exploring the inverse kinematics of conventional robot manipulators, it is not apparent how a correct FR sequence for a desired orientation could be found because the Jacobian of FR sequences is singular as well as being a null matrix at the identity. To discover the FR sequences that can synthesize the desired orientation circumventing these difficulties, the Jacobian algorithm is reformulated and implemented from arbitrary orientations where the Jacobian is not singular. Due to the insufficient degrees-of-freedom of four-rotation FR sequences required to achieve all possible orientations, the rigid body cannot achieve certain orientations in the configuration space. To best approximate these infeasible orientations, the Jacobian-based algorithm is implemented in the sense of least squares. As some orientations can never be attained by a single four-rotation FR sequence, two different four-rotation FR sequences are exploited alternately to ensure the convergence of the proposed algorithm. Assuming the orientation is supposed to be manipulated using three input torques, the switching Jacobian algorithm proposed in this paper has significant practical importance in planning paths for aerospace and underwater vehicles which are maneuvered using only two input torques due to the failure of one of the torque-generation mechanisms.
Globally exponential continuous controller/observer for position tracking in robot manipulators with hysteretic joint friction
Authors: Malagari Srinivasulu , Driessen Brian J.
Published: August 2009

In this work, we present a continuous observer and continuous controller for a multiple degree of freedom robot manipulator with hysteretic joint friction. The fictitious hysteresis state is of course unknown to the controller and must be estimated. The joint velocities are assumed measured here. For this considered plant, we propose and present a continuous observer/controller that estimates or observes the hysteresis state and drives the position tracking error to zero. We prove that the combined tracking error and observer error converges to zero globally exponentially.
Playing Dead in Cuba: Coco Fusco's Stagings of Dissensus
Authors: AMICH CANDICE
Published: August 2009

This article examines how the Cuban-American artist and writer Coco Fusco reframes Cuban exile politics through her negation of the policing of movement within and across the island nation's borders. Fusco's rejection of the nationalist politics that have traditionally limited the discourse of the Cuban exile community enables her to explore previously disarticulated dimensions of the exile experience. Drawing on Jacques Rancière's notion of dissensus as the performance of a wrong, I discuss Fusco's stagings of the exclusions of exile in two clandestine performances, executed in Havana in 1997 and 2000, in which she examines the exile's impossible desire for repatriation. Employing an uncanny blurring of fantasy and reality in her re-enactment of a wake and staging of a burial, Fusco, in her site-specific performances, offers new possibilities for imagining Cuban identity and exilic mobility in the neoliberal era.
Pathos and Melancholy: Rethinking ‘Theatre’ in Times of Doubt
Authors: SCHRAMM HELMAR , MICHIELI BARBARA SUŠEC
Published: August 2009

In times of crises and existential disorientation, the arts often lean on gestures of radical doubt, the articulation of which demands the art of masquerade, deception, diversion and dissimulation, and simultaneously includes characteristic constellations of pathos and melancholy. The authors of this article analyse different artistic projects in Slovenia, Germany, Russia and elsewhere, which were created in the breakthrough period after the fall of the Berlin Wall and connect these projects to the wider social events of the previous two decades. In their treatment of the contemporary ‘art of doubt’ they focus especially on the perspective of the political and existential and in addition point out the fundamental historical concepts of doubt which have influenced the development of theatre and experimental knowledge in Europe from the beginnings of the early modern era until today.
Unstaging King Lear
Authors: CHUI JANE WONG YEANG
Published: August 2009

In 2008, Singapore audiences were treated to two large-scale King Lear productions: the internationally acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company's production, directed by Trevor Nunn, with Ian McKellen in the lead role, and Ho Tzu Nyen and Fran Borgia's The King Lear Project: A Trilogy. The two productions are drastically different in that the former is a production of King Lear proper, while the latter is an experimental project that uses Lear as a frame to explore, discover and critique the nature of stagecraft and audience perception through a series of notable Lear essays. The King Lear Project is not an adaptation of Lear, but a three-night performance about the play. Ho and Borgia's work questions if it is possible to stage Lear, and if there is in fact a ‘right’ and ‘proper’ way to do so. For local audiences, these questions are immensely provocative for several reasons, especially since the Nunn–McKellen Lear has since been declared – by way of critical reviews – the definitive King Lear. The metatheatricality of the Lear Project implicates audience members and demands an understanding from them through active engagement that is otherwise not required in conventional productions. Ho and Borgia's assumptions of audience perception are strikingly accurate and telling, and they consider the complex negotiations between literary and theatrical experiences, or what Ho calls ‘Word and Flesh’. By turning to the history and the processes of staging what is believed to be Shakespeare's most ‘unstageable’ tragedy, the Lear Project also questions the future of Shakespeare's modern theatre. This dossier, which includes an in-depth review of the play, a commentary by an actor in the play, and an interview with the author/director of the Lear Project, hopes to construct a critical and insightful understanding of the making and reception of this original and ambitious piece of work.
Dealing with the Normative Dimension in Clinical Ethics Consultation
Authors: REITER-THEIL STELLA
Published: August 2009

Clinical ethics consultation (CEC) not only interprets moral issues at the bedside and is not restricted to giving support for the “technical” handling of these moral issues, but it has to substantively address moral values, norms, and conflicts in the process of discussing cases and problems. We call this the normative dimension and use normative in the sense of embracing moral values and convictions of persons and groups, norms, and relevant professional and ethical guidelines as well as legal frameworks. The roles and activities of the consultant as a person and the quality of CEC as a process are discussed in the American Society of Bioethics and Humanities’ (ASBH) Core Competences for Healthcare Ethics Consultation.
Arguments against Respecting a Minor's Refusal of Efficacious Life-Saving Treatment Redux, Part II
Authors: ROSS LAINIE FRIEDMAN
Published: August 2009

This CQ department is dedicated to bringing noted bioethicsts together in order to debate some of the most perplexing contemporary bioethics issues. You are encouraged to contact “The Great Debates” department editor, D. Micah Hester (hesterdm@uams.ed), UAMS/Humanities, 4301 W. Markham St. #646, Little Rock, AR 72205, with any suggestions for debate topics and interlocutors you would like to see published herein.
Denoising seismic noise cross correlations
Authors: Baig A. M. , Campillo M. , Brenguier F.
Published: August 2009

Seismic noise cross correlations have become a novel way of probing the elastic structure of the Earth without relying on an often highly nonuniform and sporadic distribution of earthquakes. By circumventing this restriction, one can determine the elastic Green's function between any two points where instruments exist. For tomography, this will allow for a larger distribution of crossing paths and therefore better resolution in the inversions. One can also monitor the same station pair Green's functions for changes in the state of the Earth, an application that has been employed in volcanic monitoring. One limitation of this cross‐correlation technique is that the input time series are frequently very long to recover high‐fidelity signals. We present two time‐frequency stacking algorithms to denoise the correlated signals and to alleviate this problem; increasing signal‐to‐noise ratios allows for high‐fidelity Green's functions to be constructed from shorter time series. We demonstrate the increase in signal fidelity by applying these routines to seismic data, first to ambient noise across southern California and then to data from le Piton de la Fournaise volcano on La Réunion Island. In the former, we find that denoising the data allows for more traveltimes to be measured, particularly at longer station separations, across all passbands examined except for long‐period Love waves, where no data are recovered. In the latter, we apply a time‐frequency denoising algorithm to resolve subtle shifts in phase in cross correlations between seismic stations that occur before eruptions: we see a clear precursor to the June 2000 eruption.
Using GPS TEC measurements to detect geomagnetic Pc 3 pulsations
Authors: Skone S.
Published: August 2009

Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) is an application in which airborne magnetometers are used to detect small magnetic variations against the Earth's background magnetic field. This technique is used in aeromagnetic surveys, to detect mineral deposits and in applications such as antisubmarine warfare. The magnetic signals of interest typically have periods of 1–100 s and amplitudes of 0.001–1 nT. In order to isolate and detect such signals, all other sources of magnetic noise in this frequency band must be modeled, or measured, and mitigated. Despite reduction of many error sources for MAD, a limiting factor remains: the small‐amplitude variations caused by geomagnetic pulsations. In the frequency band of interest for MAD (0.01–1 Hz), Pc 3 pulsations represent a significant error source. These continuous pulsations are apparent as pulse trains in magnetic time series for intervals as long as several minutes. These pulsations arise from resonant oscillations in the dayside magnetosphere driven by the solar wind. Such fluctuations may be observed in GPS total electron content (TEC) observations. In this paper, analyses are conducted using 1 Hz data available from GPS reference stations and colocated magnetometers in Canada and Australia. Relative TEC variations are derived from the precise dual‐frequency GPS carrier phase observations and band‐pass‐filtered. Dominant TEC variations at Pc 3 frequencies are then correlated with local magnetic time series from the ground reference. Results are analyzed as a function of solar wind parameters, and the potential for exploiting standalone GPS to derive Pc 3 pulsation indices is investigated.
Substorm evolution as revealed by THEMIS satellites and a global MHD simulation
Authors: El‐Alaoui Mostafa , Ashour‐Abdalla Maha , Walker Raymond J. , Peroomian Vahé , Richard Robert L. , Angelopoulos Vassilis , Runov Andrei
Published: August 2009

The major substorm that occurred on 1 March 2008 had excellent spacecraft coverage by the THEMIS spacecraft in the magnetotail, GOES 11, and GOES 12 at geosynchronous orbit and Geotail in the dayside magnetosheath. A global magnetohydrodynamic simulation of this substorm, driven by Wind solar wind observations, accurately reproduced the magnetospheric observations. The simulation revealed the complexity of magnetotail dynamics during the substorm, in particular, in the near‐Earth plasma sheet. Reconnection began prior to the substorm on closed field lines and a flux rope formed there. Around substorm onset, the simulation exhibited flow vortices near the locations of THEMIS P3 and P4, in agreement with observations at P3 and P4. These vortices were associated with a duskside neutral line that formed early in the substorm. Six minutes later, another neutral line formed on the dawnside of the tail. These neutral lines then merged to form a single large reconnection region that extended across the tail and greatly expanded the flux rope. The least active part of the tail was the region around midnight. Strong flows were seen in the observations and in the simulation during the two intensifications of this substorm; in particular, tailward flows were seen at THEMIS P1 and P2. Reconnection on closed field lines, vortices in the near‐Earth region, a channel of strong tailward flow, and enhanced precipitation into the ionosphere all contributed to substorm development.
Size-induced metal-to-semiconductor transition and room temperature sequential resonant tunneling in La0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ quantum dots embedded in La0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ nanotubes
Authors: Liu Wei , Chen Yu , Quan Zuci , Guo Shishang , Li Meiya , Zhao Xing-Zhong
Published: August 2009

The sequential resonant tunneling in La0.5Sr0.5CoO3−δ (LSCO) semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) arrays were observed by current-voltage measurements under room temperature. A series of spikelike current peaks are found, which are resulted from the accumulation and depletion of electrons tunneling through the QDs embedded in insulated barriers. Temperature dependent onset-voltage blueshift and number variation in current peaks are also observed. These results confirm the size-induced metal-to-semiconductor transition in LSCO.
Practical B and P doping via SixSnyGe1−x−y−zMz quaternaries lattice matched to Ge: Structural, electrical, and strain behavior
Authors: Fang Y.-Y. , Tolle J. , Chizmeshya A. V. G. , Kouvetakis J. , D’Costa V. R. , Menendez J.
Published: August 2009

We describe the fabrication of B and P doped SiGeSn ternaries, lattice-matched to Ge, with compositions adjusted to independently tune the band gap. These are deposited at 320–350 °C with superior crystallinity and morphology via in situ reactions of diborane (p-type) and designer P(SiH3)3 and P(GeH3)3 precursors (n-type). Device-level carrier concentrations in the 1019–1020/cm3 range are produced yielding film resistivities and carrier mobilities comparable to those of Ge indicating negligible alloy scattering. High boron levels induce a significant and systematic contraction of the host lattice, which is compensated by an adjustment of the Sn/Si ratio in accord with a simple model based on Vegard’s law, the mismatch of covalent radii of the constituents, and the absolute hydrostatic deformation potentials for the band edges.
Comprehensive study of electroluminescence in multicrystalline silicon solar cells
Authors: Kitiyanan Athapol , Ogane Akiyoshi , Tani Ayumi , Hatayama Tomoaki , Yano Hiroshi , Uraoka Yukiharu , Fuyuki Takashi
Published: August 2009

The electroluminescence (EL) images obtained under forward and reverse biases in multicrystalline silicon solar cells have been investigated. Under reverse bias, Si solar cells emit EL mainly in the visible wavelength as clusters of bright spots. These clusters of bright spots are localized and their patterns have a good correlation with locations of intrinsic deficiency areas, which were obtained from a temperature subtracted image. The origin of visible wavelength EL emission under reverse bias has been illustrated to be emitted from the depletion region and mostly dominated by bremsstrahlung and indirect-interband mechanisms. In this study, the relationship between EL intensity and oxygen content was investigated. The mechanism of these phenomena was proposed.
A thermal memory cell
Authors: Dolinšek J. , Feuerbacher M. , Jagodič M. , Jagličić Z. , Heggen M. , Urban K.
Published: August 2009

We present a concept of a new kind of memory element, a thermal memory cell, where a byte of digital information can be stored into the storage medium by pure thermal manipulation. Thermal inscription of information employs a specific temperature-time profile that involves continuous cooling and isothermal waiting time periods in the absence of any external magnetic or electric field. Our storage media are magnetically frustrated solids. We succeeded to thermally write arbitrary American Standard Code for Information Interchange characters into the Taylor-phase T-Al3(Mn,Fe) complex intermetallic compound and the Cu–Mn canonical spin glass. Besides for data storage, the concept may be employed for secure data transfer and for retrieving cosmological information from extraterrestrial dust particles.
Influence of fiber orientation on the transverse permeability of fibrous media
Authors: Tahir M. A. , Vahedi Tafreshi H.
Published: August 2009

In this work, we study the influence of in-plane and through-plane fiber orientations on a fibrous medium’s transverse permeability. Three-dimensional virtual geometries resembling the microstructure of fibrous media with different fiber orientations are developed to be utilized in permeability calculations conducted by numerically solving the Stokes equations in the void space between fibers. Results of our simulations are compared to existing experimental and analytical studies from literature and excellent agreement is observed. We, in particular, demonstrate that the transverse permeability of a fibrous medium is independent of in-plane fiber orientation but increases with increasing deviation of the fibers’ through-plane angle from zero. Our findings somewhat disagree with some of the conclusions made by Stylianopoulos et al. [Phys. Fluids 20, 123601 (2008)].
Temperature and solvent dependence of CdSe/CdTe heterostructure nanorod spectra
Authors: Lo Shun S. , Khan Yaser , Jones Marcus , Scholes Gregory D.
Published: August 2009

Charge separation is known to occur in heterostructure nanocrystals with type II alignment. Transfer rates have been inferred from ultrafast measurements, but other elements relevant to this process, such as the role of the solvent and the internal degrees of freedom, are still poorly understood. The present study investigates temperature and solvent effects on the optical properties of the charge-separated state in CdSe/CdTe collinear nanorods. The importance of the surrounding medium in the steady state photoluminescence is suggested both in the solvent and temperature studies. The latter also provides evidence that a charge-separated bound state is formed at the interface of the two materials, while states where electron and hole behave as free carriers are only accessible through an activated process in which the interfacial exciton is dissociated. Finally, using a dipole-dielectric continuum model, we found that the optical properties of the charge-separated state in these nanocrystals change as a function of solvent polarity.
Interplay between plastic deformations and optical properties of metal surfaces: A multiscale study
Authors: Glazoff Michael V. , Rashkeev Sergey N. , Pyt’ev Yuri P. , Yoon Jeong-Whan , Sheu Simon
Published: August 2009

Plastic deformations and instabilities may significantly change the surface geometry at macro-, meso-, and nanoscales. Here we investigate an interplay of different plastic instabilities emerging in the course of plastic deformation and optical properties of metal surface. It is demonstrated that optical reflectivity of aluminum surface could be significantly suppressed by a simple uniaxial stretching. On the other hand, embossing certain engineered features into the metal surface could make it significantly brighter. These results provide guidelines for the control of metal surface morphology in order to achieve desirable optical characteristics such as high reflectance and omnidirectional coloration.
Origin of photoactivity of oxygen-deficient TiO2 under visible light
Authors: Lo Hsin-Hsi , Gopal Neeruganti O. , Ke Shyue-Chu
Published: August 2009

As it is now well established that oxygen vacancies are spontaneously introduced during nitrogen doping of anatase TiO2, there is a lively debate on whether nitrogen dopant or oxygen vacancy contributes to the visible light photoactivity of the doped catalyst. We showed that the coordinately unsaturated Ti site is integral to the visible light photoactivity in anatase oxygen-deficient TiO2 catalyst. Accordingly, oxygen vacancies may contribute to the visible light photoactivities in N-doped TiO2 and other nonmetallic ion-doped TiO2 as well. A redox active visible light photocatalyst has been developed based on oxygen-deficient structure in anatase TiO2.
Remote spatial memory and the hippocampus: Effect of early and extensive training in the radial maze
Authors: Ramos Juan M.J.
Published: August 2009

In a previous study we showed a temporally graded retrograde amnesia after hippocampal lesions when rats learned a spatial reference memory task in which two types of signals simultaneously indicated the goal arm (shape of the experimental room and extramaze landmarks). To investigate the effect that the navigational demands of the task have on remote memory expression, the same task was used in the present study as in our previous report, but on this occasion the shape of the surroundings was not predictive, which resulted in a highly demanding spatial task. Additionally, animals received extensive training in an early phase to ensure that the task was well learned. Results indicated a profound retrograde amnesia when dorsal hippocampal lesions were made 1 or 70 d after the end of the training (experiments 1 and 2). Using a long period of retraining, however, lesioned animals in the 70-d groups showed progressively more spared memory than the lesioned rats of the 1-d group. Experiments 3 and 4 showed that rats did not learn the above spatial task through an S–R association. Specifically, when animals acquired the task using a single cue (intra- or extramaze), hippocampal lesions did not produce retrograde amnesia. These findings support the possibility that in a highly demanding spatial task, hippocampal lesions produce a performance/navigational impairment that could interfere with the expression of spared remote spatial memory. The long period of retraining, however, seems to partially compensate for this deficit, but only when a long learning-surgery interval is employed.
Phylogeny of the Ecnomidae (Insecta: Trichoptera)
Authors: Johanson Kjell A. , Espeland Marianne
Published: August 2009

Ecnomidae are a family of seven previously accepted extant genera having a typical Gondwanan distribution, except one genus (Ecnomus) being widely distributed also in the Oriental and Palearctic regions. We analysed a molecular data set of 3379 characters representing the sum of four different protein‐coding genes (COI, CAD, EF‐1a and POL‐II). Six equally most parsimonious trees were generated from the combined data set, distributed into two distinct islands. In all maximum parsimony (MP) trees the Ecnomidae is monophyletic when the genus Zelandoptila (Psychomyiidae) is included. The sister group to Ecnomidae including Zelandoptila is Pseudoneureclipsis, previously classified in the other families. This sister‐group relationship contradicts earlier findings that the Polycentropodidae are the sister group to Ecnomidae. A Bayesian analysis resulted in a monophyletic Ecnomidae when accepting inclusion of Pseudoneureclipsis, which contradicts the results from the MP analysis by leaving Zelandoptila as the sister group to Ecnomidae including Pseudoneureclipsis. In the majority rule tree from this analysis Polycentropodidae form the sister group to Ecnomidae. We were not able to obtain a monophyletic Ecnomus due to the inclusion of Psychomyillodes. We conclude that the genus Zelandoptila or Pseudoneureclipsis probably belongs to the Ecnomidae, and that Psychomyiellodes and Ecnomus are synonyms. Three additional, as yet undescribed monotypic genera from Australia and New Caledonia remain to be erected in Ecnomidae.

© The Willi Hennig Society 2009.
Motivation and patch treatment for HIV+ smokers: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Lloyd‐Richardson Elizabeth E. , Stanton Cassandra A. , Papandonatos George D. , Shadel William G. , Stein Michael , Tashima Karen , Flanigan Timothy , Morrow Kathleen , Neighbors Charles , Niaura Raymond
Published: August 2009

Aims  To test the efficacy of two smoking cessation interventions in a HIV positive (HIV+) sample: standard care (SC) treatment plus nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) versus more intensive motivationally enhanced (ME) treatment plus NRT.

Design  Randomized controlled trial.

Setting  HIV+ smoker referrals from eight immunology clinics in the northeastern United States.

Participants  A total of 444 participants enrolled in the study (mean age = 42.07 years; 63.28% male; 51.80% European American; mean cigarettes/day = 18.27).

Interventions  SC participants received two brief sessions with a health educator. Those setting a quit date received self‐help quitting materials and NRT. ME participants received four sessions of motivational counseling and a quit‐day counseling call. All ME intervention materials were tailored to the needs of HIV+ individuals.

Measurements  Biochemically verified 7‐day abstinence rates at 2‐month, 4‐month and 6‐month follow‐ups.

Findings  Intent‐to‐treat (ITT) abstinence rates at 2‐month, 4‐month and 6‐month follow‐ups were 12%, 9% and 9%, respectively, in the ME condition, and 13%, 10% and 10%, respectively, in the SC condition, indicating no between‐group differences. Among 412 participants with treatment utilization data, 6‐month ITT abstinence rates were associated positively with low nicotine dependence (P = 0.02), high motivation to quit (P = 0.04) and Hispanic American race/ethnicity (P = 0.02). Adjusting for these variables, each additional NRT contact improved the odds of smoking abstinence by a third (odds ratio = 1.32, 95% confidence interval = 0.99–1.75).

Conclusions  Motivationally enhanced treatment plus NRT did not improve cessation rates over and above standard care treatment plus NRT in this HIV+ sample of smokers. Providers offering brief support and encouraging use of nicotine replacement may be able to help HIV+ patients to quit smoking.
The frequency of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia in patients with pulmonary neuroendocrine tumours and non‐neuroendocrine cell carcinomas
Authors: Rizvi Selim M H , Goodwill Joseph , Lim Eric , Yap Yoong K , Wells Athol U , Hansell David M , Davis Peter , Abdel‐Ghani Syed , Goldstraw Peter , Nicholson Andrew G
Published: August 2009

Aims:  To evaluate the frequency of neuroendocrine cell hyperplasia (NEH) in resected neuroendocrine tumours and non‐neuroendocrine cell carcinomas and to study its relationship to selected clinical parameters.

Methods and results:  Random blocks without tumour from resected typical carcinoids (TCs, n = 46), atypical carcinoids (ACs, n = 14), large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas (LCNECs, n = 18), small cell carcinomas (SCLCs, n = 22), adenocarcinomas (ADENOs, n = 26) and squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs, n = 18) were stained for CD56 and evaluated for linear proliferations, cell aggregates (>4 CD56+ cells), and tumourlets (<5 mm with basement membrane invasion). There was a statistically significant difference between the frequency of NEH in all neuroendocrine tumours (TC/AC/LCNEC/SCLC, 35/100, 35%) (P = 0.009) when compared with non‐neuroendocrine carcinomas (ADENO/SCC, 6/44, 14%) and in the frequency of NEH in TC (21/46, 46%) versus all other tumours (AC/LCNEC/SCLC/SCC/ADENO, 20/98, 20%) (P = 0.001). There was increased frequency of NEH in peripheral TCs (8/13, 62%) compared with central TCs (14/33, 43%) (P = 0.33). There was no association between smoking history and NEH. Clinical and imaging data showed no evidence of an increased frequency of obliterative bronchiolitis in patients with NEH.

Conclusions:  NEH is significantly increased in the background lung of neuroendocrine tumours when compared with non‐neuroendocrine carcinomas, supportive data for NEH having neoplastic potential.
Immunoexpression of Bcl‐x in squamous cell carcinoma and keratoacanthoma: differences in pattern and correlation with pathobiology
Authors: Tan Kong‐Bing , Lee Yoke Sun
Published: August 2009

Aims:  Bcl‐x is an important anti‐apoptotic member of the Bcl‐2 family. The aim was to determine its immunoexpression in cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and keratoacanthoma (KA).

Methods and results:  Sixteen SCCs and 39 KAs were investigated by Bcl‐x immunohistochemistry. Bcl‐x immunoreactivity was mostly diffuse in SCC (75% of cases), whereas that in KA was typically confined to the mid‐to‐upper spinous keratinocytes (95%) (P < 0.0001). There was a trend for SCC to have a higher likelihood of immunopositivity (weighted staining score ≥6 of 12) compared with KA (88% versus 59%, P = 0.058). Twenty‐nine per cent of regressing KA had immunopositivity, whereas 47% and 82% of its stable and proliferating counterparts, respectively, had equivalent positivity (P = 0.024).

Conclusions:  These results provide some insight into the pathobiology of SCC and KA. The generally diffuse and stronger Bcl‐x immunoreactivity in SCC suggests that the protein contributes to the survival advantage and aggressiveness of the tumour. In KA, the preferential reactivity of the mid‐to‐upper neoplastic keratinocytes can plausibly be explained by such differentiated cells attempting to prolong their existence under rapidly evolving circumstances, whereas the reduced reactivity in regressing KA is consistent with the end stage of the tumour.
Staffs' knowledge and perceptions of working with women with intellectual disabilities and mental health problems
Authors: Taggart L. , McMillan R. , Lawson A.
Published: August 2009

Aim  There is a growing evidence of the physical and mental health inequalities in people with intellectual disability (ID) although less has been written concerning the mental health of women with ID (International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities). This is compared with the substantive literature published within mainstream psychiatry on gender. The aim of this study was to explore a range of health and social care staffs' knowledge and perceptions of caring for women with ID who have mental health problems focusing upon risk and resilient/protective factors.

Method  A qualitative methodology was used. Eight focus groups were conducted with hospital, community and residential staff across one region of the UK. The focus groups were audiotaped and the transcriptions were subjected to a thematic content analysis using Newell & Burnard's framework.

Findings  Six inter‐related risk factors were identified by the participants as potential causes for the women with ID to develop a mental illness and these were: having an ID and being female, unmet expectations, dysfunctional family upbringing, unstable relationships/loss of children, domestic violence and negative life experiences. Few of the participants acknowledged hormonal issues as a risk factor. Resilient/protective factors included being proactive, greater community participation, early recognition and mental health maintenance.

Conclusion  These results are discussed in light of current developments and policy within mainstream psychiatric gender approaches. Greater recognition of a proactive health approach for both staff and women with an ID is recommended.
Detection of bacterial contamination of apheresis platelets in a Chinese Blood Center
Authors: Zhu L. , Xu J. , Yang X. , Shen Z. , Wang Y. , Zhu F. , Lv H. , Yan L.
Published: August 2009

summary.

Bacterial contamination of platelets is considered as the most frequent infectious risk of transfusion. The prevalence of bacterial contamination has been reported and varied considerably in different countries, but the data for bacterial contamination of platelets in China are rarely reported. Eight thousand apheresis platelet concentrates (PCs) were analysed by aerobic and anaerobic cultures. Ten millilitres of PCs were inoculated into aerobic and anaerobic bottles (5 mL each), followed by the incubation for a maximum of 7 days. A new sample was taken from the unit for reculturing in order to confirm the initial positive reaction. All positive culture bottles were referred for bacterial isolation and identification. Twenty one cultures (0.26%) were flagged as positive in initial culture. Five cultures (0.06%) were confirmed as true positive and nine cultures (0.11%) were confirmed as indeterminate in reculture. A bacterium from skin flora (Propionibacterium spp.) was the most prevalent contaminant. Mean time to initial positive culture from start of incubation was 22.1 h for confirmed positive units and 97.3 h for indeterminate units. Most PC units had already been issued by the time of initial positive culture with a ‘negative‐to‐date’ issued strategy. There is a risk of bacterial contamination of PCs in China. Implementing bacterial screening of platelets could reduce the risk of septic reaction and fatalities due to transfusion of bacterially contaminated platelets. However, bacterial contamination PCs can still be transfused due to the delay until a positive signal in the culture system.
Costing of severe pneumonia in hospitalized infants and children aged 2–36 months, at a secondary and tertiary level hospital of a not‐for‐profit organization
Authors: Madsen Helle Ostergaard , Hanehøj Malin , Das Ashima Rani , Moses Prabhakar D , Rose Winsley , Puliyel Mammen , Konradsen Flemming , John K. R. , Bose Anuradha
Published: August 2009

Objectives  To determine health care provider cost and household cost of the treatment of severe pneumonia in infants and young children admitted to secondary and tertiary level health care facilities.

Methods  The study was done in a private, not‐for‐profit medical college hospital, in Vellore, India, in mid‐2008. Children aged 2–36 months admitted with severe pneumonia with no underlying chronic disease were included in the study. The relatives were interviewed daily on matters relating to patients’ view point of the costs. These were direct medical costs, direct non‐medical costs which comprised travel, accommodation and special food during the period of illness, and indirect costs of productivity loss for family members. Patient specific resource consumption and related charges were recorded from charts, nursing records, pharmacy lists and hospital bills, and the providers view point of the costs was estimated. Unit cost estimates for bed days, treatment and investigation inputs were calculated.

Results  Total cost to health care provider for one episode of hospitalized childhood pneumonia treated at secondary level was US$ 83.89 (INR 3524) and US$ 146.59 (INR 6158) at tertiary level. At both levels the greatest single cost was the hospital stay itself, comprising 74% and 56% of the total cost, respectively. Diagnostic investigations were a large expense and supportive treatment with nebulization and oxygen therapy added to the costs. Mean household expenditure on secondary level was US$ 41.35 (INR 1737) and at tertiary level was US$ 134.62 (INR 5655), the largest single expense being medicines in the former and the hospitalization in the latter. (one US$=INR 42.1 at time of study)

Conclusions  A considerable cost difference exists between secondary and tertiary level treatment. Admission at lowest possible treatment level for appropriate patients could decrease the costs borne by the provider and the patient.