bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Automated global water mapping based on wide-swath orbital synthetic aperture radar
Authors: Westerhoff R. S. , Kleuskens M. P. H. , Winsemius H. C. , Huizinga H. J. , Brakenridge G. R.
Published: June 2012

Abstract. This paper presents an automated technique, embedded in an online service, which ingests orbital synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery and outputs surface water maps in near real time and on a global scale. The service anticipates future open data dissemination of water extent information using the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 data. The classification methods used are innovative but practical and different per 1 × 1 degree tile. For each tile, a probability distribution function of a pixel, being covered with water or being dry is established based on a long SAR training dataset. These probability distributions are conditional on the backscatter and the incidence angle. In classification mode the probability of water coverage is calculated, conditional on the current backscatter – incidence angle combination. The overlap between the probability distributions of a pixel being wet or dry is used as a proxy for the quality of our classification. The service has multiple uses, e.g. for water body dynamics in times of drought or for urgent inundation extent determination during floods. The service generates data systematically: it is not an on-demand service activated only for emergency response, but instead is always up-to-date and available. We demonstrate its use in flood situations using Envisat ASAR information during the 2011 Thailand floods. A first merge with a NASA near real time water product based on MODIS optical satellite imagery shows excellent agreement between these independent satellite-based water products.
“Is Prostate Cancer Screening Worthy in Southern European Male Populations? A Case Study in Eleusina, Greece: Prostate Cancer Screening in Eleusina
Authors: Stamatiou Konstantinos , Moschouris Hippocrates , Pierris Nikolaos , Theocharis Lambou T.
Published: June 2012

Objective

To investigate the frequency of PSA-detected prostate cancer among non-symptomatic Greek males.

Methods

A prospective study on prostate cancer (PC) screening was performed in a representative sample of asymptomatic Greek males aged 40–75 years in Eleusina, (Greece) between January and November 2001. Indication for prostate biopsy was a PSA value above 3.0 ng/mL on repeat examination. Patients found with PC at biopsy received the appropriate treatment. Ten years later, patients initially diagnosed with PC were surveyed between June and July 2011 by telephone interview, in order to evaluate PC screening effects. Outcomes examined included: overall survival, disease-free survival and cancer mortality.

Results

309 asymptomatic males were screened. The mean age of the study population was 62 years (median 62). The PSA median was 1.1 ng/mL with 90.2% presenting with <3.0 ng/mL. Seven out of 29 patients found with a serum PSA value above 3.0 ng/mL (9.8%) were finally diagnosed with PC at biopsy. During the survey time the two patients with prostate carcinoma of low differentiation died despite aggressive treatment. Of the remaining 5 patients diagnosed with PC, one died of causes other than PC, 2 are disease-free while 2 patients are alive with the disease.

Conclusions

The low PC detection rate questions the overall usefulness of PC screening in a geographical region where histological PC is not very common.
Cuba's Wild East
Authors: Hulme Peter
Published: June 2012

Cubas Wild East: A Literary Geography of Oriente recounts a literary history of modern Cuba that has four distinctive and interrelated characteristics. Oriented to the east of the island, it looks aslant at a Cuban national literature that has sometimes been indistinguishable from a history of Havana. Given the insurgent and revolutionary history of that eastern region, it recounts stories of rebellion, heroism, and sacrifice. Intimately related to places and sites which now belong to a national pantheon, its corpuswhile including fiction and poetryis frequently written as memoir and testimony. As a region of encounter, that corpus is itself resolutely mixed, featuring a significant proportion of writings by US journalists and novelists as well as by Cuban writers.
Structural Elements in Canadian Cuisine
Authors: Jacobs Hersch
Published: June 2012

Food is often an intrinsic element of national identity and pride, but articulating what constitutes a Canadian cuisine has proven elusive. The challenge lies in the absence of a coherent hegemony, an absence arising from a diverse immigrant population and a political tradition that respects its differences. Nonetheless, the notion of a Canadian cuisine finds expression in the country’s public and private institutions, in the way that recipes originating elsewhere have been interpreted, and in the use of native ingredients and practices.
État des systèmes de labellisation en Europe, au Vermont et au Québec
Authors: Lemasson Jean-Pierre , Trubek Amy
Published: June 2012

Cet article consiste en un bref examen de l’établissement des types de labellisation en Europe, au Vermont et au Québec, qui sont respectivement l’État et la Province les plus avancés aux États-Unis et au Canada en ce qui concerne la mise en application d’une telle législation. L’analyse de ces trois régions permet à la fois de dresser le bilan des différentes situations nationales et de mieux comprendre les divers motifs et sensibilités qui expliquent les choix des institutions gouvernementales.
Maple Syrup: Differences between Vermont and Quebec
Authors: Trubek Amy
Published: June 2012

This short essay explores the differences between the maple syrups of Vermont and Quebec in terms of production, processing, and quality control.
The Quebec Act Respecting Reserved Designations and Added-Value Claims: Innovative Regulations in North America for Terroir and Specificity Products
Authors: Niogret Baudouin
Published: June 2012

The Conseil des appellations réservées et des termes valorisants (CARTV) is the governing body responsible for the management and protection of reserved designations in Quebec. This article explores the challenges faced by CARTV in the implementation of the Act Respecting Reserved Designations and Added Value Claims, an innovative regulation in North America. One major challenge is that the voluntary nature of the regulation makes it more difficult to enforce. Disseminating information about the regulations to the local industry actors most affected by them is crucial, as they effectively allow for its success or failure; it is also important to convince all participants to act in a spirit of collective interest. Further, it is necessary to adapt the principles of reserved designations to the specific conditions of the landscape. To follow the examples of regions where such regulations have been most successfully applied, going forward it would be highly beneficial for Quebec to use reserved designations as a means of favouring rural development and acknowledging the multifaceted function of agriculture.
Cognitive Models of Interaction
Authors: Sanders Robert E.
Published: June 2012

Cognitive models of interaction comprise ideas about the tacit knowledge or mental processing required to engage in social interaction. The knowledge and mental processing of interest is just what is required for two or more persons to alternately produce utterances and embodied actions that are interconnected with each other's, and thus are interactive. This does not include many of the diverse cognitions that persons also draw on when interacting, for example their knowledge about and attitudes toward the matter at hand; their knowledge about and attitudes toward each other; their identities and stereotypes; their roles, rights, and obligations; and their power relation and social status. These other cognitions may influence the content, outcome, and usefulness of an interaction, but are not essential to achieving interaction as such.
Language Ideology in the Discourse of Popular Culture
Authors: Moody Andrew
Published: June 2012

Although there are a number of different ways to define “popular culture,” Moody (2010) notes that there are three characteristics that appear to be common to most definitions: popular culture is usually associated with mass media (and especially “free” media like radio or television); popular culture is consumer‐oriented in nature and frequently encourages consumers to become “fans” of performers, products, or genres; and popular culture—like most expressions of consumer culture—is increasingly characterized by globalization.
Studying Plasticity in Hard and Soft Nb–Co Intermetallics
Authors: Korte Sandra , Clegg William J.
Published: June 2012

It is shown that micropillar compression can be used to study the plastic flow behavior of both a hard, brittle cubic Laves phase, NbCo2, and a related monoclinic compound, Nb2Co7, which is known to be softer, but is also brittle and has, so far, only been prepared in a fine‐grained form. Flow in the Laves phase occurs at a shear stress of 3.1 GPa on the $\left\langle {0{\bar {1}}{\bar {1}}} \right\rangle ${111} slip system, consistent with previous observations and estimates from hardness measurement. Micropillar compression and electron microscopy of single crystals of Nb2Co7 indicates that flow takes place parallel to the (001) plane, with $\left\langle {100} \right\rangle $ and $\left\langle {110} \right\rangle $ type Burgers vectors, at a critical resolved shear stress between 0.1 and 0.5 GPa. It is shown that this is much less than predicted by hardness measurements, consistent with the idea that the hardness of plastically anisotropic materials is determined by flow on the hardest operating slip system.
Optimal Structure for High‐Performance and Low‐Contact‐Resistance Organic Field‐Effect Transistors Using Contact‐Doped Coplanar and Pseudo‐Staggered Device Architectures
Authors: Darmawan Peter , Minari Takeo , Xu Yong , Li Song‐Lin , Song Haisheng , Chan Meiyin , Tsukagoshi Kazuhito
Published: June 2012

A low contact resistance achieved on top‐gated organic field‐effect transistors by using coplanar and pseudo‐staggered device architectures, as well as the introduction of a dopant layer, is reported. The top‐gated structure effectively minimizes the access resistance from the contact to the channel region and the charge‐injection barrier is suppressed by doping of iron(III)trichloride at the metal/organic semiconductor interface. Compared with conventional bottom‐gated staggered devices, a remarkably low contact resistance of 0.1–0.2 kΩ cm is extracted from the top‐gated devices by the modified transfer line method. The top‐gated devices using thienoacene compound as a semiconductor exhibit a high average field‐effect mobility of 5.5–5.7 cm2 V−1 s−1 and an acceptable subthreshold swing of 0.23–0.24 V dec−1 without degradation in the on/off ratio of ≈109. Based on these experimental achievements, an optimal device structure for a high‐performance organic transistor is proposed.
Public preferences for counseling regarding antidepressant use during pregnancy: A discrete choice experiment
Authors: Hancock‐Howard Rebecca L. , Ungar Wendy J. , Marshall Deborah , Einarson Adrienne , Koren Gideon
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND Counseling about medication safety during pregnancy is delivered inconsistently. The objectives were to determine public preferences and willingness to pay (WTP) for attributes of counseling regarding antidepressant use during pregnancy. Attributes reflected counseling via a telephone Teratology Information Service (TIS) or a visit to a general practitioner (GP). METHODS A discrete choice survey was conducted with volunteers recruited from the general public. Stated preferences and WTP for teratology counseling were described by six attributes: training of information provider (IP), method of contact, knowing the IP, confidence in the IP, helpfulness of information, and cost. Interactions of preferences with participant characteristics were examined. RESULTS Of 175 participants, 85% were women and 91% had some college or university education. All attributes had a significant effect on choice. The most important attribute was the helpfulness of information received (WTP C$59 for very helpful information). Counseling via telephone by a trained specialist was preferred, as in a TIS. It was preferred, however, to speak with a provider known to the user (WTP C$43) which is common in a GP setting. Maximum willingness to pay for very helpful information was less for respondents with less education. Respondents who stated that an antidepressant exposure would make them anxious about the pregnancy were willing to pay more for all attributes. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that TIS is the preferred model for counseling regarding to antidepressant use during pregnancy. The public valued information that was helpful and preferred receiving information in nontraditional formats; however, familiarity with the provider was important. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effects of the interaction between Na2Wo4‐6‐benzylaminopurine anionic chelate and rhodamine 6G on the resonance Rayleigh scattering and fluorescence spectra and their analytical applications
Authors: Li Xiao‐yan , Shang Zhou , Wei He , Yang Ji‐dong
Published: June 2012

In pH 4.99‐6.06 Britton‐Robinson (BR) buffer medium, 6‐benzylaminopurine (6‐BA) reacted with Na2WO4 to form 1:1 anionic chelate (6‐BA·WO4)2‐, which further reacted with rhodamine 6G to form ternary ion complexes at room temperature. This resulted in a significant enhancement of resonance Rayleigh scattering (RRS) with a maximum RRS wavelength of 316 nm. Meanwhile, the fluorescence of the solution was quenched and excitation (λex) and emission (λem) wavelengths of the fluorescence were 290 and 559 nm, respectively. Intensities of RRS enhancing (ΔIRRS) and fluorescence quenching (ΔIF) were directly proportional to concentrations of 6‐BA. As a result, RRS and fluorescence quenching for determination of trace amounts of 6‐BA were developed. Under optimal conditions, linear ranges and detection limits of the two methods were 0.05‐15.00 µg/mL and 8.2 ng/mL (RRS), 0.50‐15.00 µg/mL and 17.0 ng/mL, respectively. It was found that the RRS method was superior to fluorescence quenching. The influence of these methods were investigated and results showed that RRS had good selectivity. RRS was applied to determine 6‐BA in vegetable samples with satisfactory results. Furthermore, the reaction mechanisms of the ternary ion‐association system are discussed. In addition, the polarization experiment revealed that the resonance light scattering (RLS) peak of Na2WO4‐6‐BA‐R6G consisted mainly of depolarized resonance fluorescence and resonance scattering. It was speculated that light emission fluorescence energy (EL) transformed into resonance light scattering energy (ERLS), which was a key reason for enhancement of RRS. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integrated continuous production of recombinant therapeutic proteins
Authors: Warikoo Veena , Godawat Rahul , Brower Kevin , Jain Sujit , Cummings Daniel , Simons Elizabeth , Johnson Timothy , Walther Jason , Yu Marcella , Wright Benjamin , McLarty Jean , Karey Kenneth P. , Hwang Chris , Zhou Weichang , Riske Frank , Konstantinov Konstantin
Published: June 2012

In the current environment of diverse product pipelines, rapidly fluctuating market demands and growing competition from biosimilars, biotechnology companies are increasingly driven to develop innovative solutions for highly flexible and cost‐effective manufacturing. To address these challenging demands, integrated continuous processing, comprised of high‐density perfusion cell culture and a directly coupled continuous capture step, can be used as a universal biomanufacturing platform. This study reports the first successful demonstration of the integration of a perfusion bioreactor and a four‐column periodic counter‐current chromatography (PCC) system for the continuous capture of candidate protein therapeutics. Two examples are presented: (1) a monoclonal antibody (model of a stable protein) and (2) a recombinant human enzyme (model of a highly complex, less stable protein). In both cases, high‐density perfusion CHO cell cultures were operated at a quasi‐steady state of 50–60 × 106 cells/mL for more than 60 days, achieving volumetric productivities much higher than current perfusion or fed‐batch processes. The directly integrated and automated PCC system ran uninterrupted for 30 days without indications of time‐based performance decline. The product quality observed for the continuous capture process was comparable to that for a batch‐column operation. Furthermore, the integration of perfusion cell culture and PCC led to a dramatic decrease in the equipment footprint and elimination of several non‐value‐added unit operations, such as clarification and intermediate hold steps. These findings demonstrate the potential of integrated continuous bioprocessing as a universal platform for the manufacture of various kinds of therapeutic proteins. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2012; 109: 3018–3029. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
SYBR green real time‐polymerase chain reaction as a rapid and alternative assay for the efficient identification of all existing Escherichia coli biotypes approved directly in wastewater samples
Authors: Chetta Massimiliano , Bafunno Valeria , Grillo Rosalba , Mele Antonio , Lo Perfido Pietro , Notarnicola Michele , Cellini Francesco , Cifarelli Rosa Anna
Published: June 2012

Escherichia coli has been recognized as the principal indicator of fecal contamination of water. Indeed, E. coli is the only species in the coliform group found in relationship with gastrointestinal tract of human and warm‐blooded animals and subsequently excreted in large numbers in the human feces. To obtain a complete picture of water quality and therefore, a better protection of public health, different techniques for water analysis have been proposed. In this article, we describe an alternative method that uses SYBR green real time‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) technology to identify and quantify all E. coli biotypes in a group of wastewater samples collected from a wastewater depurator located in South of Italy. This new RT‐PCR protocol is accurate in measuring the concentration of chromosomal E. coli DNA using the amplification of three new specific fragments of the following bacteria genes: CadC, HNS, and Allan whose sequence is specific for E. coli family and conserved in all E. coli subtypes. This method allowed us to detect the presence of all E. coli biotypes directly in wastewater samples and estimated the correspondence between colony forming units and bacterial DNA concentrations. The availability of a rapid and sensitive method may be useful to monitor the persistence of E. coli in water, to evaluate the efficiency of wastewater purification treatments and the possible recycle for agricultural use. Furthermore, the development of a simple and routine method to monitor water quality with RT‐PCR analysis can encourage the testing of a higher number of samples. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 28: 1106–1113, 2012
Early clinical experience with a modified amplatzer ductal occluder for transcatheter arterial duct occlusion in infants and small children
Authors: Kenny Damien , Morgan Gareth J. , Bentham James R. , Wilson Neil , Martin Robin , Tometzki Andrew , Oslizlok Paul , Walsh Kevin P.
Published: June 2012

Objectives

To describe early clinical experience with the amplatzer ductal occluder II additional sizes (ADO II AS) for percutaneous arterial duct occlusion in infants and small children.

Methods

Pre‐, intra‐ and postprocedural data analysis of all patients undergoing arterial duct occlusion with the ADO II AS from three tertiary referral centers.

Results

17 patients (10 female) with a median age of 6 months (range 1.0–48.1 months) and a median weight of 5.7 kg (range 1.7–17.4 kg) underwent attempted transcatheter ductal closure with the ADO II AS. Retrograde arterial approach was used in eight patients with transvenous femoral approach used in nine. The mean minimal ductal diameter was 2.2 ± 0.7 mm with mean ductal length of 6.8 ± 1.7 mm. Device sizes used were 5/6 (n = 5), 3/4 (n = 4), 4/4 (n = 3), 4/6 (n = 3), and 5/4 (n = 2) with four French delivery sheaths used in all cases. The median fluoroscopy time was 5.7 ± 1.8 min. Two patients underwent delivery under exclusive echocardiography guidance. Complete ductal occlusion was achieved by the end of the procedure in 13 patients. Device embolization to the left pulmonary artery occurred in one patient with successful surgical removal and ligation of the arterial duct. Three patients required device resizing following deployment of the initial device. Complete ductal occlusion without aortic arch or left pulmonary artery stenosis has been identified in all 16 remaining patients on transthoracic echocardiographic follow‐up at median of 4.2 months.

Conclusions

The new amplatzer ductal occluder II AS achieves excellent ductal closure rates through low profile delivery systems in small infants and children with variable ductal anatomy. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Substrate Specificity of Fluoroacetate Dehalogenase: An Insight from Crystallographic Analysis, Fluorescence Spectroscopy, and Theoretical Computations
Authors: Nakayama Tomonori , Kamachi Takashi , Jitsumori Keiji , Omi Rie , Hirotsu Ken , Esaki Nobuyoshi , Kurihara Tatsuo , Yoshizawa Kazunari
Published: June 2012

The high substrate specificity of fluoroacetate dehalogenase was explored by using crystallographic analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and theoretical computations. A crystal structure for the Asp104Ala mutant of the enzyme from Burkholderia sp. FA1 complexed with fluoroacetate was determined at 1.2 Å resolution. The orientation and conformation of bound fluoroacetate is different from those in the crystal structure of the corresponding Asp110Asn mutant of the enzyme from Rhodopseudomonas palustris CGA009 reported recently (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2011, 133, 7461). The fluorescence of the tryptophan residues of the wild‐type and Trp150Phe mutant enzymes from Burkholderia sp. FA1 incubated with fluoroacetate and chloroacetate was measured to gain information on the environment of the tryptophan residues. The environments of the tryptophan residues were found to be different between the fluoroacetate‐ and chloroacetate‐bound enzymes; this would come from different binding modes of these two substrates in the active site. Docking simulations and QM/MM optimizations were performed to predict favorable conformations and orientations of the substrates. The F atom of the substrate is oriented toward Arg108 in the most stable enzyme–fluoroacetate complex. This is a stable but unreactive conformation, in which the small OCF angle is not suitable for the SN2 displacement of the F− ion. The cleavage of the CF bond is initiated by the conformational change of the substrate to a near attack conformation (NAC) in the active site. The second lowest energy conformation is appropriate for NAC; the CO distance and the OCF angle are reasonable for the SN2 reaction. The activation energy is greatly reduced in this conformation because of three hydrogen bonds between the leaving F atom and surrounding amino acid residues. Chloroacetate cannot reach the reactive conformation, due to the longer CCl bond; this results in an increase of the activation energy despite the weaker CCl bond.
Bulk Gas‐Phase Acidity
Authors: Himmel Daniel , Goll Sascha K. , Leito Ivo , Krossing Ingo
Published: June 2012

The capability of a gaseous Brønsted acid HB to deliver protons to a base is usually described by the gas‐phase acidity (GA) value of the acid. However, GA values are standard Gibbs energy differences and refer to individual gas pressures of 1 bar for acid HB, base B−, and proton H+. We show that the GA value is not suited to describe the bulk acidity of a gaseous acid. Here the pressure dependence of the activities of HB, H(HB)n+, and B(HB)m− that result from gaseous autoprotolysis have to be considered. In this work, the pressure‐dependent absolute chemical potential of the proton in the representative gaseous proton acids CH4, NH3, H2O, HF, and HCl was worked out and the general theory to describe bulk gas phase acidity—that can directly be compared with solution acidity—was developed.
“Click” on Tubes: a Versatile Approach towards Multimodal Functionalization of SWCNTs
Authors: Tuci Giulia , Vinattieri Claudia , Luconi Lapo , Ceppatelli Matteo , Cicchi Stefano , Brandi Alberto , Filippi Jonathan , Melucci Manuela , Giambastiani Giuliano
Published: June 2012

Organic functionalization of carbon nanotube sidewalls is a tool of primary importance in material science and nanotechnology, equally from a fundamental and an applicative point of view.1, 2 Here, an efficient and versatile approach for the organic/organometallic functionalization of single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) capable of imparting multimodality to these fundamental nanostructures, is described. Our strategy takes advantage of well‐established Cu‐mediated acetylene‐azide coupling (CuAAC) reactions applied to phenylazido‐functionalized SWCNTs for their convenient homo‐/heterodecoration with a number of organic/organometallic frameworks, or mixtures thereof, bearing terminal acetylene pendant arms. Phenylazido‐decorated SWCNTs were prepared by chemoselective arylation of the CNT sidewalls with diazonium salts under mild conditions, and subsequently used for the copper‐mediated cycloaddition protocol in the presence of terminal acetylenes. The latter reaction was performed in one step by using either single acetylene derivatives or equimolar mixtures of terminal alkynes bearing either similar functional groups (masked with orthogonally cleavable protecting groups) or easily distinguishable functionalities (on the basis of complementary analytical/spectroscopic techniques). All materials and intermediates were characterized with respect to their most relevant aspects/properties by TEM microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis coupled with MS analysis of volatiles (TG‐MS), elemental analysis, cyclic voltammetry (CV), Raman and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The functional loading and related chemical grafting of both primary amino‐ and ferrocene‐decorated SWCNTs were spectroscopically (UV/Vis, Kaiser test) and electrochemically (CV) determined, respectively.
Removal of Nitro Aromatic Compounds from 2,4,6‐Trinitrotoluene Red Water Using 1,2‐Ethanediamine Modified Macroporous Polystyrene Microspheres
Authors: Meng Qingqiang , Zhao Quanlin , Zhao Xu , Wu Tong , Ye Zhengfang
Published: June 2012

To remove nitro aromatic compounds (NACs) from 2,4,6‐trinitrotoluene (TNT) red water, large‐pore‐size (pore size = 200 nm) polystyrene (PSt) microspheres were activated with chloroacetyl chloride followed by reaction with 1,2‐ethanediamine (EDA). Fourier transform IR analyses showed that the amino group was introduced onto PSt microspheres. Determination of the total amino group and primary amino densities suggested that the imino group was the functional group of EDA–PSt. Scanning electron microscope images and mercury porosimetry measurements indicated that the pore structure was well maintained during the reaction. After adsorption with EDA–PSt, 98.5% chemical oxygen demand and 99% acute toxicity of TNT red water was removed. As shown by HPLC and GC–MS, all the neutral and acid NACs in TNT red water were removed by EDA–PSt, while the basic NACs were not. The results showed that hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attraction were involved in adsorption. The adsorbed neutral and acid NACs were eluted using methanol and 0.1 mol L−1 NaOH, respectively.
Electrochemical Characterisation of Copper Thin‐Film Formation on Polycrystalline Platinum
Authors: Berkes Balázs B. , Henry John B. , Huang Minghua , Bondarenko Alexander S.
Published: June 2012

Electrochemically formed thin films are vital for a broad range of applications in virtually every field of modern science and technology. Understanding the film formation process could provide a means to aid the characterisation and control of film properties. Herein, we present a fundamental approach that combines two well‐established analytical techniques (namely, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and electrogravimetry) with a theoretical approach to provide physico‐chemical information on the electrode/electrolyte interface during film formation. This approach allows the monitoring of local and overall surface kinetic parameters with time to enable an evaluation of the different modes of film formation. This monitoring is independent of surface area and surface concentrations of electroactive species and so may allow current computational methods to calculate these parameters and provide a deeper physical understanding of the electrodeposition of new bulk phases. The ability of this method to characterise 3D phase growth in situ in more detail than that obtained by conventional approaches is demonstrated through the study of a model system, namely, Cu bulk‐phase deposition on a Pt electrode covered with a Cu atomic layer (Cuad/Pt).
Ground and Electronically Excited Singlet‐State Structures of 5‐Fluoroindole Deduced from Rotationally Resolved Electronic Spectroscopy and ab Initio Theory
Authors: Brand Christian , Oeltermann Olivia , Wilke Martin , Tatchen Jörg , Schmitt Michael
Published: June 2012

The structure and electronic properties of the electronic ground state and the lowest excited singlet state (S1) of 5‐fluoroindole (5FI) were determined by using rotationally resolved spectroscopy of the vibration‐less electronic origin of 5FI. From the parameters of the axis reorientation Hamiltonian, the absolute orientation of the transition dipole moment in the molecular frame was determined and the character of the excited state was identified as Lb.
Recovery of Methane from Gas Hydrates Intercalated within Natural Sediments Using CO2 and a CO2/N2 Gas Mixture
Authors: Koh Dong‐Yeun , Kang Hyery , Kim Dae‐Ok , Park Juwoon , Cha Minjun , Lee Huen
Published: June 2012

The direct recovery of methane from massive methane hydrates (MHs), artificial MH‐bearing clays, and natural MH‐bearing sediments is demonstrated, using either CO2 or a CO2/N2 gas mixture (20 mol % of CO2 and 80 mol % of N2, reproducing flue gas from a power plant) for methane replacement in complex marine systems. Natural gas hydrates (NGHs) can be converted into CO2 hydrate by a swapping mechanism. The overall process serves a dual purpose: it is a means of sustainable energy‐source exploitation and greenhouse‐gas sequestration. In particular, scant attention has been paid to the natural sediment clay portion in deep‐sea gas hydrates, which is capable of storing a tremendous amount of NGH. The clay interlayer provides a unique chemical–physical environment for gas hydrates. Herein, for the first time, we pull out methane from intercalated methane hydrates in a clay interlayer using CO2 and a CO2/N2 gas mixture. The results of this study are expected to provide an essential physicochemical background required for large‐scale NGH production under the seabed.
Supporting multimedia applications through network redesign
Authors: Hussain Tahani H. , Marimuthu Paulvanna N. , Habib Sami J.
Published: June 2012

Recent evolutions in high‐performance computing and high speed broadband Internet access have paved a way to enterprise‐wide multimedia applications, which require stern QoS from the underlying networks. In this paper, we have explored threefold studies on existing enterprise network, whereby we proposed an analytical approach to evaluate the performance of the existing network; we have examined the feasibility of existing enterprise networks to accommodate voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) services with acceptable QoS, and we have redesigned the enterprise network to accommodate VoIP services to comply with the user defined QoS. The network performance is evaluated by number of VoIP calls sustained by the network, bandwidth utilization, loss rate and latency through Network Simulation (NS‐2) tool. We have derived a cost model to show the cost‐effectiveness of VoIP services over telephonic network. For a medium‐size enterprise network of 200 clients and 9 servers, our simulation results show that the redesign improves the network performance by increasing the number of VoIP calls by 57% and decreasing bandwidth utilization and packet loss rate by 20% and 7%, respectively. Moreover, the proposed network redesign demonstrates that the network can be scalable and it can handle up to 4% increased voice calls in the future maintaining QoS standards. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Two‐pilot channel estimation scheme for amplify‐and‐forward relay networks
Authors: Zhang Chao , Ren Pinyi
Published: June 2012

In amplify‐and‐forward relay networks, the equivalent channel to the destination node is not independent of equivalent noise and the equivalent noise does not follow a Gaussian distribution. Therefore, it is difficult to directly estimate the equivalent channel based on traditional optimal rules. In this paper, we propose a two‐pilot estimation (TPE) scheme that decomposes a non‐Gaussian noise channel estimation problem into two channel estimation problems in Gaussian noise. In TPE scheme, the relay‐destination channel is first estimated by one pilot and the other pilot is used to estimate the equivalent channel with the aid of the estimated relay‐destination channel. Simulation results show that the TPE scheme can achieve less estimation error and larger system throughput than other existing channel estimators in slow fading case. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preferred therapist characteristics in treatment of anorexia nervosa: The patient's perspective
Authors: Gulliksen Kjersti S. , Espeset Ester M.S. , Nordbø Ragnfrid H.S. , Skårderud Finn , Geller Josie , Holte Arne
Published: June 2012

Objective:

Previous research in eating disorders suggests that treatment satisfaction is closely related to the manner in which care is delivered. The present research is a systematic in depth study of health professional characteristics preferred by AN‐patients.

Method:

Thirty‐eight women with AN aged 18–51 were interviewed in depth using a phenomenological study design. Interviews were tape‐recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using the QSR‐NVivo7 software program.

Results:

Four factors associated with patients' satisfaction with their therapists were identified: “acceptance,” “vitality,” “challenge,” and “expertise.” Patients' responses suggested that treatment of AN requires therapists who are capable of using a complex set of behaviors when interacting with their patients.

Discussion:

There is accumulating evidence that across treatment modality, the manner in which treatment is delivered is critical to therapeutic change. Our findings increase the understanding of factors that may be associated with treatment retention, further help seeking, and overall treatment outcome. These exploratory and informant‐centered results could guide clinicians in developing a strong therapeutic alliance with AN‐patients and promote increased knowledge about the mechanisms that engage this population. © 2012 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2012)
Recovery from anorexia nervosa includes neural compensation for negative body image
Authors: Pruis Trisha A. , Keel Pamela K. , Janowsky Jeri S.
Published: June 2012

Objective:

To examine whether frontal lobe mediated regulation of emotion permits women to recover from anorexia nervosa (AN).

Method:

Brain activity associated with the disruption of working memory by images of bodies was examined in women who had recovered from AN and in control women.

Results:

Negatively rated images were more disruptive to working memory than neutral or positively rated images in both groups; however, amygdala and fusiform activation were greater in women who had recovered from AN than in controls when viewing images of bodies during the working memory task. There were no group differences in lateral prefrontal activity. However, there was more suppression of medial prefrontal cortex activity in women who had recovered from AN in comparison to controls when negatively rated images were presented during the working memory task.

Discussion:

These results suggest that recovery from AN is not achieved by dampening an amygdala mediated emotional response to bodies, but instead by developing compensatory neural mechanisms that prevent emotional responses from disturbing cognition. © 2012 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2012)
Food for thought: Comparison of citations received from articles appearing in specialized eating disorder journals versus general psychiatry journals
Authors: Soh Nerissa , Walter Garry , Touyz Stephen , Russell Janice , Malhi Gin S. , Hunt Glenn E.
Published: June 2012

Objective:

To conduct a bibliometric analysis of eating disorder journals to guide journal readers and researchers when submitting their manuscripts.

Method:

Several indices were used to compare journal impact and citations of articles appearing between 1996 and 2010 in six eating disorders journals and six leading general psychiatry journals.

Results:

The International Journal of Eating Disorders (IJED) had the highest journal impact factor (JIF, 2.278) of the six eating disorders' journals. The general psychiatry journals had higher JIFs and received more citations per eating disorder article than the specialized journals. However, IJED published the highest number of eating disorder articles between 1996 and 2010, and 35 of these articles received at least 100 citations.

Discussion:

Using the JIF alone to decide where to submit a manuscript is a poor strategy, as this does not take into consideration the impact an article can have within the eating disorder's field over time. © 2012 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. (Int J Eat Disord 2012)
Microwave‐Assisted Formation of Peptide–Vitamin Conjugates
Authors: El‐Nachef Claudia , Bajaj Kiran , Koblick Jacqueline , Katritzky Alan R.
Published: June 2012

Amino acid and peptide conjugates with vitamin B3, H, E and D3 were synthesized by using microwave irradiation in good to satisfactory yields. In addition, a novel benzotriazole‐activated biotin intermediate has been introduced, which could serve as an alternative biotinylation agent.
Renewable Silver Amalgam Film Electrode for the Determination of Dinotefuran in Spiked Carrot Juice Samples Using SW Voltammetry
Authors: Smarzewska Sylwia , Skrzypek Slawomira , Ciesielski Witold
Published: June 2012

The electrochemical properties of dinotefuran (DNF) were studied by SW voltammetry over the pH range 2.0–8.0 using a silver amalgam film electrode Hg(Ag)FE. The mechanism of electroreduction was analyzed. The dependence of the peak current on pH, buffer concentration, the nature of the buffer, amplitude, frequency, step potential and scan rate were investigated. The repeatability, precision and recovery of the developed method were checked. The detection and quantification limits were found to be 2.01×10−7 and 6.71×10−7 mol L−1, respectively. The standard addition method was used to determine DNF in spiked carrot juice.
Development and validation of a capillary electrophoresis method with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE‐C4D) for the analysis of amikacin and its related substances
Authors: El‐Attug Mohamed Nouri , Adams Erwin , Van Schepdael Ann
Published: June 2012

Amikacin is a semisynthetic aminoglycoside antibiotic derived from kanamycin A that lacks a strong UV absorbing chromophore or fluorophore. Due to the physicochemical properties of amikacin and its related substances, CE in combination with capacitively coupled contactless conductivity detection (CE‐C4D) was chosen. The optimized separation method uses a BGE composed of 20 mM MES adjusted to pH 6.6 by l‐histidine and 0.3 mM CTAB that was added as flow modifier in a concentration below the CMC. Ammonium acetate 20 mg.L−1 was used as internal standard. 30 kV was applied in reverse polarity on a fused silica capillary (73/48 cm; 75 μm id). The optimized separation was obtained in less than 6 min with good linearity (R2 = 0.9996) for amikacin base. It shows a good precision expressed as RSD on relative peak areas equal to 0.1 and 0.7% for intraday and interday, respectively. The LOD and LOQ are 0.5 mg.L−1 and 1.7 mg.L−1, respectively.
Fluid mixing using AC electrothermal flow on meandering electrodes in a microchannel
Authors: Sasaki Naoki , Kitamori Takehiko , Kim Haeng‐Boo
Published: June 2012

The mixing of fluids using AC electrothermal flow (AC‐ETF) is presented. A pair of coplanar electrodes with a sinusoidal interelectrode gap was used to enhance the mixing in a microchannel. To demonstrate the performance of the mixer, conventional dilution experiments were conducted using Texas Red‐labeled dextran. The dependence of mixing on the salt concentration (10−3 ∼ 10−1 mol dm−3) of the solutions and frequency (100 kHz ∼ 5 MHz) of the applied voltage were investigated. AC‐ETF was responsible for the mixing at salt concentrations >10−2 mol dm−3, whereas the effect of AC‐EOF was suggested to play a role at concentrations <10−2 mol dm−3 in the low‐frequency region. The fluorogenic reaction of human serum albumin (HSA) with SYPRO Red in the mixer was also examined, and results showed that enrichment of fluorescence intensity and an almost uniform distribution of stained HSA were achieved. The present mixer can be employed as a powerful tool to facilitate efficient chemical and biomedical analysis on microfluidic devices.
Effect of changes in fine‐grained matrix on bedload sediment transport in a gravel‐bed river
Authors: Barzilai Ronel , Laronne Jonathan B. , Reid Ian
Published: June 2012

While clay and silt matrices of gravel‐bed rivers have received attention from ecologists concerned variously with the deteriorating environments of benthic and hyporheic organisms, their impact on sediment entrainment and transport has been explored less. A recent increase of such a matrix in the bed of Nahal Eshtemoa, an ephemeral river of the northern Negev, has more than doubled the boundary shear stress needed to initiate bedload, from 7 N m‐2 (τ* = 0.027) during the flash floods of 1991–2001 to 15 N m‐2 (τ* = 0.059) during those of 2008–2009. The relation between bedload flux and boundary shear stress continues to be well‐defined, but it is displaced. The matrix now contains a significant amount of silt and clay size material. The reasons for the increased entrainment threshold of bedload are explored. Large‐scale laser scanning of the dry bed reveals a reduction in grain‐scale morphological roughness, while artificial in situ tests of matrix integrity indicate considerable cohesion. The implications for adopting bed material sampling strategies that account for matrix development are assessed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Multiphase, Flexible, and Accurate Lattice for Pricing Complex Derivatives with Multiple Market Variables
Authors: Dai Tian‐Shyr , Wang Chuan‐Ju , Lyuu Yuh‐Dauh
Published: June 2012

With the rapid growth and the deregulation of financial markets, many complex derivatives have been structured to meet specific financial goals. Unfortunately, most complex derivatives have no analytical formulas for their prices, particularly when there is more than one market variable. As a result, these derivatives must be priced by numerical methods such as lattice. However, the nonlinearity error of lattices due to the nonlinearity of the derivative's value function could lead to oscillating prices. To construct an accurate, multivariate lattice, this study proposes a multiphase method that alleviates the oscillating problem by making the lattice match the “critical locations,” locations where nonlinearity of the derivative's value function occurs. Moreover, our lattice has the ability to model the jumps in the market variables such as regular withdraws from an investment account, which is hard to deal with analytically. Numerical results for vulnerable options, insurance contracts guaranteed minimum withdrawal benefit (GMWB), and defaultable bonds show that our methodology can be applied to the pricing of a wide range of complex financial contracts.
The Asymmetric Commodity Inventory Effect on the Optimal Hedge Ratio
Authors: Carpantier Jean‐Francois , Samkharadze Besik
Published: June 2012

Hedging strategies for commodity prices largely rely on dynamic models to compute optimal hedge ratios. This study illustrates the importance of considering the commodity inventory effect (effect by which the commodity price volatility increases more after a positive shock than after a negative shock of the same magnitude) in modeling the variance–covariance dynamics. We show by in‐sample and out‐of‐sample forecasts that a commodity price index portfolio optimized by an asymmetric BEKK–GARCH model outperforms the symmetric BEKK, static (OLS), or naïve models. Robustness checks on a set of commodities and by an alternative mean‐variance optimization framework confirm the relevance of taking into account the inventory effect in commodity hedging strategies.
Market forces moving gas and electric industries toward consensus on convergence?
Authors: Reese Evan , Chesno Janna
Published: June 2012

The United States is becoming increasingly reliant on natural gas—fired generation to meet its electricity (power and reliability) needs.1 Perhaps once unthinkable, due in part to vast coal reserves and comparatively high natural gas prices, natural gas is now fueling more base‐load generation resources and is being used to support variable energy resources and meet the reliability needs of the electric system.2
Regulatory economics: US energy industry considered enormously vulnerable to cyber attack
Authors: Barclay Richard A.
Published: June 2012

President Obama identifies cyber security as one of the nation's most serious economic and national security challenges—one that we are not adequately prepared to counter.1 That is an understatement.
NERC matters: What is missing from your compliance program?
Authors: Carpentier Deborah
Published: June 2012

An effective compliance program is key to ensuring successful compliance with the North American Electric Reliability Corporation reliability standards.1 However, many violations of the standards continue to occur, and compliance program deficiencies may contribute to such violations, because, for example, problem areas are not being identified and corrected promptly. Accordingly, while there has been much discussion over the years about what makes a good compliance program, truly effective programs remain elusive to many registered entities.