bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amorphous to crystalline transformation in Ta2O5 studied by Raman spectroscopy
Authors: Joseph C. , Bourson P. , Fontana M. D.
Published: June 2012

Many of the interesting properties that make Ta2O5 a strategic material for current and future applications in chemistry, microelectronics and optics, depend on its structural characteristics. In this work, we use Raman spectroscopy to probe structural modifications in amorphous Ta2O5 coatings submitted to thermal annealing. On the basis of previous knowledge on the crystalline material, we perform Raman spectrum simulations in disordered and partially ordered Ta2O5 from a phonon density of states. Calculated spectra are in good agreement with complex experimental spectra. Our original approach allows assignment of the vibrational features of the amorphous material, and quantitative interpretation of observed structural modifications in terms of ordering scales. In addition, it provides numerical indicators to analyse amorphous to crystalline phase transformation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effects of an exogenous xylanase gene expression on the growth of transgenic rice and the expression level of endogenous xylanase inhibitor gene RIXI
Authors: Weng Xiaoyan , Huang Yingying , Hou Chunxiao , Jiang Dean
Published: June 2012

BACKGROUND: Xylanases have attracted considerable interest in recent years owing to their various applications in industry and agriculture. The use of transgenic plants to produce xylanases is a less expensive alternative to biotechnological programmes. The aim of this study was to elucidate whether introducing a foreign xylanase gene ATX into rice had any adverse effect on plant growth and development.

RESULTS: A recombinant xylanase gene ATX was introduced into rice variety Zhonghua 11 through Agrobacterium‐mediated transformation. The T2 generation of transgenic rice was compared with the control (non‐transgenic plants). Exogenous xylanase gene ATX was expressed in rice, and all examined transgenic lines exhibited xylanase activity. The transgenic lines (T2, ‘X1‐3’ and ‘X2‐5’) appeared to grow and develop normally. There were no differences in net photosynthetic rate between transgenic rice lines (‘X1‐3’ and ‘X2‐5’) and wild type (WT) rice plants at the heading/flowering stage. Xylanases are key enzymes in the degradation of plant cell walls. Cell wall composition analysis showed that that there were no changes in cell wall polysaccharides in the root apex but some alterations in leaves in transgenic rice plants. The results also showed that the expression of exogenous xylanase gene ATX in rice would increase the expression of endogenous xylanase inhibitor gene RIXI, which could play a role in plant defence. Thus the stress resistance of transgenic rice plants might be improved.

CONCLUSION: Exogenous xylanase gene ATX could be successfully expressed in rice, and the exogenous protein had no apparent harmful effects on growth and development in transgenic rice plants. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Well‐posedness of the kinematic dynamo problem
Authors: Kaiser Ralf
Published: June 2012

In the framework of magnetohydrodynamics, the generation of magnetic fields by the prescribed motion of a liquid conductor in a bounded region is described by the induction equation, a linear system of parabolic equations for the magnetic field components. Outside G, the solution matches continuously to some harmonic field that vanishes at spatial infinity. The kinematic dynamo problem seeks to identify those motions, which lead to nondecaying (in time) solutions of this evolution problem. In this paper, the existence problem of classical (decaying or not) solutions of the evolution problem is considered for the case that G is a ball and for sufficiently regular data. The existence proof is based on the poloidal/toroidal representation of solenoidal fields in spherical domains and on the construction of appropriate basis functions for a Galerkin procedure. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clinical Outcomes Following Heart Transplantation
Authors: Murphy Laura , Pinney Sean P.
Published: June 2012

Since its first performance in 1967, cardiac transplantation has emerged from a medical curiosity to become the treatment of choice for advanced heart failure. Refinements in surgical technique, development of a standardized endomyocardial biopsy grading system, and the discovery of newer immunosuppressive medications have improved the outlook for today's heart‐transplant recipients. For the most recent era, median survival has increased to 10 years and median survival conditional upon surviving the first transplant year is now >14 years. Quality of life is excellent. This article will concisely review the major clinical outcomes following transplantation including survival, quality of life, immunosuppression, and short‐ and long‐term complications. Mt Sinai J Med 2012 DOI: 10.1002/msj.21311
Innovations in Organ Donation
Authors: Goldstein Michael J. , Lubezky Nir , Yushkov Yuriy , Bae Coney , Guarrera James V.
Published: June 2012

The growing disparity between organ availability for transplantation and the number of patients in need has challenged the donation and transplantation community of practice to develop innovative processes, ideas, and techniques to bridge the gaps. Advances in the sharing of best practices in the donation community have contributed greatly over the last 8 years. Broader sharing of updated guidelines for declaration of brain death in conjunction with improvements in deceased donor management have increased opportunities for organ donation. New techniques for organ preservation and organ resuscitation have allowed for better utilization of the potential donor pool. This review will highlight processes, ideas, and techniques in organ donation. Mt Sinai J Med 2012 DOI: 10.1002/msj.21312
Transplantation in Obese Patient
Authors: Killackey Mary T.
Published: June 2012

Obesity is a worldwide epidemic leading to severe comorbidity that damages end‐organ function. Overall transplant outcomes in this population are inferior to those in nonobese patients. Large population studies show decreased patient and graft survival in obese kidney transplant patients. Despite the poorer outcomes, kidney transplantation is considered because of the survival benefit as compared with the wait‐listed dialysis patients. In liver transplantation, the benefit to transplantation as compared with remaining on the list is obvious, as there is no viable liver dialysis at this time. Obesity in potential organ donors impacts both medical and surgical issues. Obesity‐related kidney disease affects both the remaining and transplanted kidney. Pancreas donor organs are associated with decreased early graft survival. Liver donor organs with significant steatosis lead to an increased risk for delayed or nonfunction of the organ. Immunosuppressive drugs with variable lipophilicity and altered volume of distribution can greatly affect the therapeutic usefulness of these drugs. Transplant candidates benefit from a multidisciplinary team approach to their care. As the epidemic progresses and less‐invasive treatments for metabolic surgery evolve, we are likely to require more patients to lose weight prior to transplantation as we continue to strive for improved outcomes. Mt Sinai J Med 2012 DOI: 10.1002/msj.21315
Computed Tomography Dataset Postprocessing: From Data to Knowledge
Authors: Johnson Pamela T. , Fishman Elliot K.
Published: June 2012

The introduction of spiral computed tomography from the days of single‐slice spiral to today's 64‐row multidetector computed tomography and beyond creates datasets with unprecedented spatial and temporal resolution. The key to computed tomography imaging in the big picture is not in the acquisition of data, but in the use of the data acquired. By supplementing traditional axial interpretation with 3‐dimensional rendering of the computed tomography volume, the greatest amount of information available is extracted. The information provided by a comprehensive postprocessed study, which includes multiplanar reconstruction in the coronal, sagittal, and oblique plane, as well as 3‐dimensional maps of both the arterial and venous phase datasets using volume rendering and maximum intensity projection techniques, allows for key clinical decisions to be made with a high degree of accuracy. Postprocessing of computed tomography data is thus no longer an option, but a true requirement in this era of 64‐row multidetector computed tomography and beyond. Mt Sinai J Med 2012 DOI: 10.1002/msj.21316
Analytical integration of elasto‐plastic uniaxial constitutive laws over arbitrary sections.
Authors: Marmo Francesco , Rosati Luciano
Published: June 2012

We present the preliminary results of a novel approach to the state determination of polygonal sections of arbitrary shape endowed with elasto‐plastic uniaxial constitutive laws.

By means of a suitable application of Gauss theorem, we prove that the normal stress resultants can be computed analytically as sum of finite quantities evaluated solely at the vertices of the section. For this reason, the proposed approach has been termed fiber‐free to emphasize the fact that it does not require any subdivision of the section in fibers.

Numerical results show that the fiber approach is grossly inaccurate and that the number of fibers required to achieve a degree of accuracy comparable with that entailed by the fiber‐free approach is at least one order of magnitude greater than the one commonly suggested in commercial software for nonlinear frame analysis. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A stabilized Runge–Kutta, Taylor smoothed particle hydrodynamics algorithm for large deformation problems in dynamics
Authors: Blanc Thomas , Pastor Manuel
Published: June 2012

Numerical simulation of large deformation and failure problems present a series of difficulties when solved using mesh based methods. Meshless methods present an interesting alternative that has been explored in the past years by researchers. Here we propose a Runge–Kutta Taylor SPH model based on formulating the dynamic problem as a set of first‐order PDEs. Two sets of nodes are used for time steps n and n + 1 ∕ 2, resulting on avoiding the classical tensile instability of some other SPH formulations. To improve the accuracy and stability of the algorithm, the Taylor expansion in time of the advective terms is combined with a Runge–Kutta integration of the sources. Finally, as boundaries change during the process, a free surface detection algorithm is introduced. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiscale design optimization of lithium ion batteries using adjoint sensitivity analysis
Authors: Golmon Stephanie , Maute Kurt , Dunn Martin L.
Published: June 2012

The capacity of lithium ion batteries can be improved through the use of functionally graded electrodes. Here, we present a computational framework for optimizing the layout of electrodes using a multiscale lithium ion battery cell model. The model accounts for nonlinear transient transport processes and mechanical deformations at multiple scales. A key component of the optimization methodology is the formulation of the adjoint sensitivity equations of the multiscale battery model. The efficient solution of the adjoint equations relies on the decomposition of the multiscale problem into multiple, computationally small problems associated with the individual realizations of the microscale model. This decomposition method is shown to significantly reduce the computational time needed for sensitivity analysis versus numerical finite differencing. The potential of the proposed optimization framework is illustrated with numerical problems involving both macroscale and microscale performance criteria and design variables. The usable capacity of a lithium ion battery cell is maximized while limiting the stress level in the electrode particles through manipulation of the local porosities and particle radii. The optimization results suggest that optimal functionally graded electrodes improve the performance of a battery cell over using uniform porosity and particle radius distributions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Governance networks: Interlocking directorships of corporate and nonprofit boards
Authors: Vidovich Lesley , Currie Jan
Published: June 2012

This study describes the interlocking networks of corporate directors serving on publicly listed corporate boards and those on the boards of nonprofit organizations in Western Australia in 2006. When this study was undertaken, the state was the beneficiary of a booming economy in resource development prior to the global financial crisis, yielding a substantial number of resource companies with their headquarters in Perth, the capital city of Western Australia. Through social network analysis using NetDraw, we trace the extent of interpersonal connections of prominent individuals who serve on these boards in this relatively isolated state in Australia. The network figures demonstrate the inner circle of companies and nonprofits with their interlocking directorships that suggest the growing interpenetration among the state, the market, and civil society. As a result of reduced government funding during the last two decades in Western Australia, nonprofit organizations have had to use market strategies to increase their revenues, which is one factor that has led to this greater interdependence between previously separate groups. Thus, market forces have blurred the boundaries that once separated private companies from nonprofit organizations, increasing the interlocking nature of their board directors.
Application of Chemometrics in Authentication of Herbal Medicines: A Review
Authors: Gad Haidy A. , El‐Ahmady Sherweit H. , Abou‐Shoer Mohamed I. , Al‐Azizi Mohamed M.
Published: June 2012

Introduction

Herbal medicines (HM) and their preparations have been widely used for hundreds of years all over the world. However, they have not been officially recognised due to a lack of adequate or accepted research methodology for their evaluation.

Objective

To present a concise overview of the recent applications of chemometrics in solving the ambiguity of herbal medicine authentication during the last two decades.

Methodology

Studies involving the applications of chemometric analysis in combination with different analytical methods were classified according to the method of analysis used including chromatographic (HPLC, GC and CE), spectroscopic (NMR, IR, UV and ICP) and genetic analysis (RAPD). The purpose of each of these studies was classified into one of three main categories: taxonomic discrimination, quality assessment or classification between plants of different geographic origins.

Results

This review comprises over 150 studies, covering the past two decades, emphasising the significance of chemometric methods in the discrimination of many herbs from closely related species and from adulterants, based on the principal bioactive components and phytochemical diversity. Furthermore, the differentiation between varieties and hybrids was achieved in addition to the prediction of the active components by quantitative methods of analysis. Discrimination according to geographical origin and localities, processing methods, DNA profiling and metabolomics were also efficiently investigated.

Conclusion

Chemometric methods have provided an efficient and powerful tool for the quality control and authentication of different herbs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perfectionism and Self–Conscious Emotions in British and Japanese Students: Predicting Pride and Embarrassment after Success and Failure
Authors: Stoeber Joachim , Kobori Osamu , Tanno Yoshihiko
Published: June 2012

Regarding self–conscious emotions, studies have shown that different forms of perfectionism show different relationships with pride, shame, and embarrassment depending on success and failure. What is unknown is whether these relationships also show cultural variations. Therefore, we conducted a study investigating how self–oriented and socially prescribed perfectionism predicted pride and embarrassment after success and failure by comparing 363 British and 352 Japanese students. Students were asked to respond to a set of scenarios where they imagined achieving either perfect (success) or flawed (failure) results. In both British and Japanese students, self–oriented perfectionism positively predicted pride after success and embarrassment after failure, whereas socially prescribed perfectionism predicted embarrassment after success and failure. Moreover, in Japanese students, socially prescribed perfectionism positively predicted pride after success and self–oriented perfectionism negatively predicted pride after failure. The findings have implications for our understanding of perfectionism, indicating that the perfectionism–pride relationship not only varies between perfectionism dimensions but may also show cultural variations. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Physicians' age and sex influence breaking bad news to elderly cancer patients. Beliefs and practices of 50 Italian oncologists: the G.I.O.Ger study
Authors: Locatelli C. , Piselli P. , Cicerchia M. , Repetto L.
Published: June 2012

Purpose

We attempt to shed light on the truth‐telling attitudes and practices of oncologists working with a geriatric population in Italy.

Participants and method

Physicians caring for cancer patients were asked to complete a specific survey centred on their beliefs, attitudes and practices towards truth telling to elderly cancer patients.

Results

Of 50 physicians surveyed, 68% were men. Physicians practising in the south of Italy were significantly older and more likely to be of male gender in comparison with physicians practising from the north and central areas. Eighty‐four per cent of physicians consider the family to be an obstacle to a direct communication with the elderly. Forty‐four per cent of male physicians who are faced with a family's request of nondisclosure talk with the patient, whereas 37.5% of female physicians talk with the family. For 60% of interviewed physicians, the reason underpinning the caregiver's choice of nondisclosure is to delay the emotional confrontation.

Conclusions

We observed that variability of disclosure is related not only to the patient's age but also to the physicians' age and sex and to the geographic area where physicians work. The results also show that both caregivers and physicians are concerned by the emotional aspects related to clinical information. Italian oncologists have to learn and implement ‘comprehensive’ communication skills and have to promote an integration of the information needs of patient and caregivers, according to their socio‐cultural affiliation, within the communication techniques. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards the development of a robust model hierarchy: investigation of dynamical limitations at low resolution and possible solutions
Authors: Sanchez Claudio , Williams Keith D. , Shutts Glenn J. , McDonald Ruth E. , Hinton Tim J. , Senior Cath A. , Wood Nigel
Published: June 2012

In order to investigate questions concerning changes in the atmosphere and other components of the Earth system, it is desirable to have a seamless modelling system that operates across a wide range of time‐scales and horizontal resolutions. The development of a low‐resolution configuration of the model would greatly assist in addressing these scientific questions whose long time‐scales or complexity are computationally demanding—a cost that cannot be sustained by higher resolutions. However, in order to be confident that results remain robust to changes in resolution, it is essential that such models include the same underlying fundamental processes as those at higher resolution.

Some resolution‐dependent biases are found to grow (notably when horizontal resolution decreases below ∼150 km) as a result of the lack of transient eddy kinetic energy (TEKE). The advection scheme used by many of the current general circulation models follows the semi‐Lagrangian (SL) dynamics approach. Because of the need for interpolation to the departure point, the scheme is highly diffusive when low‐order interpolation schemes are used. We analyse how the impact of the high diffusivity of SL schemes leads to a lack of TEKE, which inhibits the development of mid‐latitude variability phenomena such as synoptic cyclones or blocking events. Conversely, some examples where the performance of the low resolution is acceptable are provided.

We investigate two different traceable solutions to partially offset the misrepresentation of dynamical features in the low‐resolution version: a change of the interpolation scheme from quasi‐cubic to quintic interpolation; and vorticity confinement: a parametrization designed to preserve vorticity features in dissipative numerical schemes. Both solutions are found to increase TEKE and improve many of the mid‐latitude metrics considered. Copyright © 2012 British Crown copyright, the Met Office. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Threshold amounts of organic carbon needed to initiate reductive dechlorination in groundwater systems
Authors: Chapelle Francis H. , Thomas Lashun K. , Bradley Paul M. , Rectanus Heather V. , Widdowson Mark A.
Published: June 2012

Aquifer sediment and groundwater chemistry data from 15 Department of Defense facilities located throughout the United States were collected and analyzed with the goal of estimating the amount of natural organic carbon needed to initiate reductive dechlorination in groundwater systems. Aquifer sediments were analyzed for hydroxylamine and NaOH‐extractable organic carbon, yielding a probable underestimate of potentially bioavailable organic carbon (PBOC). Aquifer sediments were also analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC) using an elemental combustion analyzer, yielding a probable overestimate of bioavailable carbon. Concentrations of PBOC correlated linearly with TOC with a slope near one. However, concentrations of PBOC were consistently five to ten times lower than TOC. When mean concentrations of dissolved oxygen observed at each site were plotted versus PBOC, it showed that anoxic conditions were initiated at approximately 200 mg/kg of PBOC. Similarly, the accumulation of reductive dechlorination daughter products relative to parent compounds increased at a PBOC concentration of approximately 200 mg/kg. Concentrations of total hydrolysable amino acids (THAA) in sediments also increased at approximately 200 mg/kg, and bioassays showed that sediment CO2 production correlated positively with THAA. The results of this study provide an estimate for threshold amounts of bioavailable carbon present in aquifer sediments (approximately 200 mg/kg of PBOC; approximately 1,000 to 2,000 mg/kg of TOC) needed to support reductive dechlorination in groundwater systems. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Iron‐mediated abiotic degradation of RDX in a contaminated aquifer
Authors: Thomas Tiffany , Caldwell Brian , Britto Ronnie , Arnseth Rick
Published: June 2012

The influence of aqueous‐ and mineral‐phase iron on royal demolition explosive (RDX) destruction has been previously investigated in theoretical settings and bench‐scale tests by various practitioners. The feasible use of in situ redox manipulation to create reactive Fe(II) is contingent upon the aquifer containing enough iron oxides and iron‐bearing clay minerals for the treated zone to remain effective. The following is a summary of a bench‐scale assessment of this relationship using aquifer material from an ongoing groundwater remediation effort at the Iowa Army Ammunition Plant (IAAP). A bench‐scale study was designed to determine the relative contributions of the biotic and iron‐mediated abiotic degradation processes to the net decrease in RDX observed at the site using saturated aquifer samples collected from within the RDX plume. Sterilized samples with a sufficient stoichiometric excess of both soluble and mineral‐phase iron reduced concentrations of RDX in both the soil and water fractions to the same extent as the samples containing native biota. These results indicate that in situ, abiotic degradation of RDX is feasible in areas unsuitable to biotic degradation processes, yielding an additional alternative for in situ RDX remediation. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
ERI evaluation of injectates used at a dry‐cleaning site
Authors: Halihan Todd , McDonald Stuart W. , Patey Phil , Stonecipher Marcy
Published: June 2012

A former dry‐cleaning site in Jackson, Tennessee, has undergone remediation to treat dense nonaqueous‐phase liquid (trichloroethene [TCE] and tetrachloroethene [PCE]) contamination in the subsurface. The dry cleaning operation closed in 1977. In 2002, a series of injections were made at the site consisting of corn syrup, vegetable oils, and Simple Green®. In 2004, approximately 200 cubic yards of contaminated soil were excavated, and the bottom of the excavation was covered with sodium lactate.

In 2009, the site was characterized using proprietary electrical resistivity imaging (ERI; commercially available as Aestus GeoTrax SurveysTM). Follow‐up confirmation soil borings targeted anomalies detected via the geophysical work. The results indicate an extremely electrically conductive (less than 1 ohm‐m) vadose zone downgradient from the injection wells, and extremely electrically resistive areas (greater than 10,000 ohm‐m) in the phreatic zone near the injection area.

The sample data indicate that the electrically resistive anomalous zones contain moderate to high concentrations of undegraded dry‐cleaning compounds. Electrically conductive anomalous zones are interpreted to be areas of biological activity generated by the amendments injected into the subsurface based on the extreme conductivity values detected, the chemical composition (i.e., PCE degradates are present), and the dominant vadose‐zone location of the conductive zones. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
All the right moves: How entrepreneurial firms compete effectively
Authors: Katila Riitta , Chen Eric L. , Piezunka Henning
Published: June 2012

In this article, we examine competitive moves by which firms achieve superior performance. In contrast to prior work that has focused on moves and the related competitive advantages of large firms, we draw attention to entrepreneurial firms. Based on 32 runs of a multi‐round experiential simulation and in‐depth participant interviews, we find that entrepreneurial firms require competitive strategies that are different from those of a control group of comparable large firms. Entrepreneurial firms that stay below the radar in established markets and are quick to explore in new markets perform better. They succeed in established markets with a strategy that works around large firm competition but ultimately surprises them, and in new markets with a strategy that sets the standards of competition swiftly by continuously creating and destroying new strongholds ahead of large firms. Overall, successful entrepreneurs use a combination of selective, invisible, and asynchronous strategies that vary depending on whether the market is established or new. Our findings contribute to literatures on evolutionary learning, exploration and exploitation, and competitive dynamics. Copyright © 2012 Strategic Management Society.
Aspirations, innovation, and corporate venture capital: A behavioral perspective
Authors: Gaba Vibha , Bhattacharya Shantanu
Published: June 2012

This study takes an organizational decision‐making perspective to examine when firms are likely to utilize CVC units as a mechanism for externalizing R&D. We draw insights from the behavioral theory of the firm to argue that managerial aspirations for innovation‐related goals are an important driver of CVC initiatives within firms. We test our argument by examining both the adoption and termination of CVC units for a sample of information technology firms from 1992 to 2003. Results show that a firm is more likely to adopt and less likely to terminate a CVC unit when its innovation performance is closest to its social aspirations. Copyright © 2012 Strategic Management Society.
Technology entrepreneurship
Authors: Beckman Christine , Eisenhardt Kathy , Kotha Suresh , Meyer Alan , Rajagopalan Nandini
Published: June 2012

Copyright © 2012 Strategic Management Society.
Post‐treatment of dextromethorphan on methamphetamine‐induced drug‐seeking and behavioral sensitization in rats
Authors: Yang Pao‐Pao , Huang Eagle Yi‐Kung , Fu Yu‐Ying , Ho Tsai‐Shan , Tao Pao‐Luh
Published: June 2012

In our previous study, we first demonstrated a significant effect of dextromethorphan (DM) on morphine‐seeking behavior in morphine‐dependent rats, when DM was given during morphine withdrawal. Using the same conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm modified for measuring drug‐seeking‐related behavior, we further investigated the possible effect of DM on methamphetamine (MA)‐seeking in MA‐dependent rats. Our data showed that DM could also effectively suppress the drug‐seeking behavior for MA, when administered during MA withdrawal. This suggests that DM may possess a pharmacological property to prevent drug‐seeking behavior for addictive drugs in general. To examine the action sites of DM in the brain, DM was microinjected into the VTA or the NAc, and tested for its effect on MA‐seeking during withdrawal. Both intra‐VTA and intra‐NAc injections of DM were able to block the MA‐seeking, suggesting that DM has a dual action sites. In our neurochemical results, intra‐NAc injection of DM showed a clear reduction of DA turnover rate at the NAc and the mPFC in response to MA challenge during withdrawal, which matched with the behavioral results. However, intra‐VTA injection of DM reduced the DA turnover rate at the mPFC but did not have effect on the DA turnover rate at the NAc. Although further investigations may be needed to verify the connection between our neurochemical and behavioral results, the present study highlights the therapeutic potential of DM in antidrug‐seeking behavior of MA and that the mechanism could be related to its effect on the mesolimbic and mesocortical dopaminergic pathways. Synapse 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Early Postoperative Vocal Function Evaluation After Thyroidectomy Using Thyroidectomy Related Voice Questionnaire
Authors: Chun Byung‐Joon , Bae Ja‐Sung , Chae Byung‐Joo , Hwang Yeon‐Shin , Shim Mi‐Ran , Sun Dong‐Il
Published: June 2012

Background

The objectives of this study were to evaluate a screening method for detecting postoperative vocal cord palsy and lower‐pitched voice and to identify how a pre‐thyroidectomy laryngeal disorder affects post‐thyroidectomy voice change by using our subjective voice questionnaire.

Methods

We examined 300 consecutive patients scheduled to undergo thyroidectomies between November 2010 and August 2011. Laryngoscopic examination, thyroidectomy‐related voice questionnaire (TVQ) administration, and acoustic and perceptual analyses were performed preoperatively and 2 weeks after thyroidectomy.

Results

Ninety‐eight (32.6 %) patients had a preoperative laryngeal disorder. Postoperatively, 31 (10.3 %) patients had vocal cord palsy and 54 (18 %) had a lower‐pitched voice 2 weeks after thyroidectomy. Postoperative TVQs classified 25 (8.4 %) patients as normal and 275 (91.6 %) patients as abnormal, including 79 (26.3 %) mild, 131 (43.6 %) moderate, and 65 (21.6 %) severe cases. Of the patients with vocal cord palsy, 80.6 % belonged to the severe group, and 92.6 % of patients with lower‐pitched voices belonged to the moderate and severe groups. Fundamental frequency and speaking fundamental frequency were decreased significantly in women. The most efficient TVQ cutoff values for detecting post‐thyroidectomy vocal cord palsy and postoperative lower‐pitched voice were 35 (87.1 % sensitivity, 79.9 % specificity) and 25 (75.9 % sensitivity, 56.5 % specificity), respectively. Total TVQ scores increased more in the nonlaryngeal than in the laryngeal disorder group.

Conclusions

During the early postoperative period, 28.3 % of patients had vocal cord palsy or lower‐pitched voices, which could be evaluated using a simple questionnaire. Therefore, early postoperative voice evaluation is important. Patients with nonlaryngeal disorders may be more sensitive than those with laryngeal disorders to laryngeal symptoms.
Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo): Past, Present, and Future
Authors: Hall Brian K.
Published: June 2012

Evolutionary developmental biology (evo–devo) is that part of biology concerned with how changes in embryonic development during single generations relate to the evolutionary changes that occur between generations. Charles Darwin argued for the importance of development (embryology) in understanding evolution. After the discovery in 1900 of Mendel’s research on genetics, however, any relationship between development and evolution was either regarded as unimportant for understanding the process(es) of evolution or as a black box into which it was hard to see. Research over the past two decades has opened that black box, revealing how studies in evo–devo highlight the mechanisms that link genes (the genotype) with structures (the phenotype). This is vitally important because genes do not make structures. Developmental processes make structures using road maps provided by genes, but using many other signals as well—physical forces such as mechanical stimulation, temperature of the environment, and interaction with chemical products produced by other species—often species in entirely different kingdoms as in interactions between bacteria and squid or between leaves and larvae (Greene Science 243:643–666, 1989). Not only do genes not make structures (the phenotype), but new properties and mechanisms emerge during embryonic development: genes are regulated differentially in different cells and places; aggregations of similar cells provide the cellular resources (modules) from which tissues and organs arise; modules and populations of differently differentiated cells interact to set development along particular tracks; and organisms interact with their environment and create their niche in that environment. Such interactions are often termed “epigenetic,” meaning that they direct gene activity using mechanisms that are not encoded in the DNA of the genes. This paper reviews the origins of evo–devo, how the field has changed over the past 30 years, evaluates the recognition of the importance for development and evolution of mechanisms that are not encoded in DNA, and evaluates what the future might bring for evo–devo. Although impossible to know, history tells us that we might expect more of the same; expansion of evo–devo into other areas of biology (ecology, physiology, behavior); absorption of evo–devo by evolution or a unification of biology in which evo–devo plays a major role.
Embeddedness and empathy: How the social network shapes adolescents' social understanding
Authors: Wölfer Ralf , Cortina Kai S. , Baumert Jürgen
Published: June 2012

Based on theories of social‐cognitive development, the present study investigated the yet unknown social structure that underlies the concept of empathy in adolescence. A total of 3.159 seventh graders (13.67 years, 56% girls) from 166 school classes participated by providing information on empathy, related psychosocial factors, and friendship patterns. Social network analyses were used to measure a comprehensive representation of adolescents' social environment by covering individual, group, class, and school characteristics. Multilevel models revealed that individual characteristics as well as contextual factors predict adolescents' level of empathy. Findings indicate that empathy is mirrored in the social structure of adolescents supporting the hypothesis that social demands, which continuously grow with the amount of embeddedness, shape their social understanding.
Basal expression of copper transporter 1 in intestinal epithelial cells is regulated by hypoxia‐inducible factor 2α
Authors: Pourvali Katayoun , Matak Pavle , Latunde-Dada Gladys O. , Solomou Solomis , Mastrogiannaki Maria , Peyssonnaux Carole , Sharp Paul A.
Published: June 2012

Hypoxia, via stabilization of HIF2α, regulates the expression of the intestinal iron transporters DMT1 and ferroportin. Here we investigated whether the intestinal copper importer Ctr1 was also regulated by hypoxia. Copper uptake and Ctr1 mRNA expression were significantly increased in Caco‐2 cells exposed to hypoxia. To determine whether HIF2α was involved in regulation of Ctr1 expression, we employed three models of HIF2α knockdown (chemical suppression of HIF2α translation in Caco‐2 cells; HIF2α‐siRNA‐treated HuTu80 cells; HIF2α‐intestinal knockout mice); Ctr1 mRNA expression was decreased in all three models under normoxic conditions. HIF2α translational inhibitor did not alter Ctr1 expression under hypoxic conditions. We conclude that basal expression of Ctr1 is regulated by HIF2α; however, the induction by hypoxia is a HIF2α‐independent event.
Invariants birationnels dans la suite spectrale de Bloch-Ogus
Authors: Pirutka Alena
Published: June 2012

For a fieldkof cohomological dimension d we prove that the groups, (l, car.k) = 1, are birational invariants of smooth projective geometrically integral varieties overkof dimensionn. Using the Kato conjecture, which has been recently established by Kerz and Saito [18], we obtain a similar result over a finite field for the groups. We relate one of these invariants with the cokernel of the l-adic cycle class map, which gives an analogue of a result of Colliot-Thélène and Voisin [5] 3.11 over ℂ for varieties over a finite field.
Reynolds-stress-constrained large-eddy simulation of wall-bounded turbulent flows
Authors: Chen Shiyi , Xia Zhenhua , Pei Suyang , Wang Jianchun , Yang Yantao , Xiao Zuoli , Shi Yipeng
Published: June 2012

In the traditional hybrid RANS/LES approaches for the simulation of wall-bounded fluid turbulence, such as detached-eddy simulation (DES), the whole flow domain is divided into an inner layer and an outer layer. Typically the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations are used for the inner layer, while large-eddy simulation (LES) is used for the outer layer. The transition from the inner-layer solution to the outer-layer solution is often problematic due to the lack of small-scale dynamics in the RANS region. In this paper, we propose to simulate the whole flow domain by large-eddy simulation while enforcing a Reynolds-stress constraint on the subgrid-scale (SGS) stress model in the inner layer. Both the algebraic eddy-viscosity model and the one-equation Spalart–Allmaras (SA) model have been used to constrain the Reynolds stress in the inner layer. In this way, we improve the LES methodology by allowing the mean flow of the inner layer to satisfy the RANS solution while small-scale dynamics is included. We validate the Reynolds-stress-constrained large-eddy simulation (RSC-LES) model by simulating three-dimensional turbulent channel flow and flow past a circular cylinder. Our model is able to predict mean velocity, turbulent stress and skin-friction coefficients more accurately in turbulent channel flow and to estimate the pressure coefficient after separation more precisely in flow past a circular cylinder compared with the pure dynamic Smagorinsky model (DSM) and DES using the same grid resolution. Furthermore, the computational cost of the RSC-LES is almost the same as that of DES.
Fostering a new industry in the Industrial Revolution: Boulton & Watt and gaslight 1800–1812
Authors: TOMORY LESLIE
Published: June 2012

Gaslight emerged as a new industry after 1800 in Britain, but not in other countries in Europe where the technology existed as well. Among the many groups trying, it was only the firm of Boulton & Watt that succeeded in commercializing the invention for two important reasons. The first was that they possessed skills and experience related to ironworking and to making scientific instruments, both of which they used as they developed gaslight apparatus. This development involved an extensive series of experiments that ultimately had its root in James Watt's own work with pneumatic chemistry. The second reason was that they possessed many resources such as access to capital, their existing network of industrial customers, and their abilities to publicize their work. As with the steam engine, the firm proved adept at advertising. Boulton & Watt did not give their full attention to gaslight except in two spurts between 1805 and 1809, and by around 1812 they had lost almost all interest in the technology. By this time, however, they had solved many problems associated with scaling up gaslight apparatus for industrial use, they had trained many people who would go on to do further important work in the early years of the industry, and they had drawn extensive public attention to the new invention. Finally, their advertising involved elevating the status of William Murdoch as an inventor while minimizing the role of the firm.
Crosstalk between endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative stress in apoptosis induced by α-tocopheryl succinate in human gastric carcinoma cells
Authors: Huang Xiaoli , Li Li , Zhang Linyou , Zhang Zhihong , Wang Xiaolin , Zhang Xuguang , Hou Liying , Wu Kun
Published: June 2012

α-Tocopheryl succinate (α-TOS) has been shown to be a potent apoptosis inducer and growth inhibitor in a variety of cancer cells. Our previous studies showed the important role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in the apoptosis induced by α-TOS. However, the relationship of oxidative stress with ER stress is still controversial. The objective of the present study was to investigate the interplay between the two stress responses induced by α-TOS in SGC-7901 human gastric cancer cells. In response to α-TOS, cytological changes typical of apoptosis, induction of glucose-regulated protein 78 (GRP78) and CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein (C/EBP) homologous protein transcription factor (CHOP), and activation of caspase-4 were observed. And the antioxidant N-acetyl-l-cysteine inhibited induction of both GRP78 and CHOP by α-TOS transcriptionally and translationally. Furthermore, knocking down CHOP by RNA interference decreased ROS generation, increased glutathione level and induced glutathione peroxidase mRNA expression in α-TOS-treated cells, whereas catalase and superoxide dismutases mRNA expression were not altered. The results imply that α-TOS induces ER stress response through ROS production, while CHOP perturbs the redox state of SGC-7901 cells treated with α-TOS.
EFFECTS OF AGE, ETHNICITY AND HEALTH BEHAVIOURS ON THE PREVALENCE OF ADVERSE BIRTH OUTCOMES IN TAIWAN
Authors: WANG SHU-CHUAN , LEE MUNG-CHIH
Published: June 2012

This study sampled 8432 singleton first live births from Taiwan's 2005 Birth Registration Database to determine if there were more pre-term or low birth weight deliveries among aboriginal women than there were among Han Chinese women, and if the ‘weathering’ hypothesis applied to aboriginal women in Taiwan. Although the aboriginal women were socially disadvantaged and engaged in more unhealthy behaviours, including smoking, drinking, chewing betel quid and exposure to second-hand smoke, the evidence did not support the hypothesis that these teenaged minority women would have better birth outcomes, as has been demonstrated among teenage African-American women in the United States. Behaviours and not ethnicity were risk factors for teenage aboriginal mothers, who started deleterious health behaviours earlier than did their older counterparts. Teenage mothers had more adverse outcomes regardless of ethnicity and aboriginal mothers had more risky behaviours in all age groups. The prevalence of detrimental health behaviour among teenage mothers in Taiwan is of concern, particularly for aboriginal teenage mothers.
Leverage Expectations and Bond Credit Spreads
Authors: Flannery Mark J. , Nikolova Stanislava (Stas) , Öztekin Özde
Published: June 2012

In an efficient market, spreads will reflect both the issuer’s current risk and investors’ expectations about how that risk might change over time. Collin-Dufresne and Goldstein (2001) show analytically that a firm’s expected future leverage importantly influences the spread on its bonds. We use capital structure theory to construct proxies for investors’ expectations about future leverage changes and find that these significantly affect bond yields, above and beyond the effect of contemporaneous leverage. Expectations under the trade-off, pecking order, and credit-rating theories of capital structure all receive empirical support, suggesting that investors view them as complementary when pricing corporate bonds.
On the Nature of Ancient Letter Collections
Authors: Gibson Roy
Published: June 2012

There exists a strong link in modern thinking between letter collections and biographical or historical narration. Many ancient letter collections have been rearranged by modern editors along chronological lines, apparently with the aim of realizing the biographical and historiographical potential of these ancient collections. In their original format, however, non-fictional Greco-Roman letter collections were arranged predominantly by addressee or by theme (often without the preservation of chronology within addressee or thematic groupings), or they might be arranged on the principle of artful variety and significant juxtaposition. Consequently, some purpose or purposes other than biographical or historical narration must be attributed to ancient letter collections. This paper asks what those purposes might be.
The Testament of Vibius Adiranus
Authors: McDonald Katherine
Published: June 2012

This article reconsiders one of the best-known examples of Oscan epigraphy — the inscription which commemorates the testament of Vibius Adiranus to thevereiia-of Pompeii. It has been widely accepted that this inscription is a first-centurya.d.copy of a second-centuryb.c.original, and is therefore the latest extant example of Oscan in a formal public inscription. This is challenged here with an analysis of both the linguistic detail and archaeological context, and it is shown that this inscription itself is more likely to be the original. The re-dating suggested here has implications for our understanding of language use at Pompeii; it also facilitates more accurate estimates of when the deaths of the Italic languages took place.
Parametrizations of sub-attractors in hyperbolic balance laws
Authors: Ehrt Julia
Published: June 2012

We investigate the properties of the global attractor of hyperbolic balance laws on the circle, given by

ut + f(u)x = g(u).

The new tool of sub-attractors is introduced. They contain all solutions on the global attractor up to a given number of zeros. The paper proves finite dimensionality of all sub-attractors, provides a full parametrization of all sub-attractors and derives a system of ordinary differential equations for the embedding parameters that describe the full partial differential equation dynamics on the sub-attractor.
Geometric Poisson brackets on Grassmannians and conformal spheres
Authors: Eastwood M. , Beffa G. Marí
Published: June 2012

We relate the geometric Poisson brackets on the 2-Grassmannian in ℝ4 and on the (2, 2) Möbius sphere. We show that, when written in terms of local moving frames, the geometric Poisson bracket on the Möbius sphere does not restrict to the space of differential invariants of Schwarzian type. But when the concept of conformal natural frame is transported from the conformal sphere into the Grassmannian, and the Poisson bracket is written in terms of the Grassmannian natural frame, it restricts and results in either a decoupled system or a complexly coupled system of Korteweg–de Vries (KdV) equations, depending on the character of the invariants. We also show that the bi-Hamiltonian Grassmannian geometric brackets are equivalent to the non-commutative KdV bi-Hamiltonian structure. Both integrable systems and Hamiltonian structure can be brought back to the conformal sphere.