bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
mHealth
Authors: Ciaramitaro Barbara L. , Skrocki Marilyn
Published: November 2013

Mobile Healthcare, or mHealth, involves the use of mobile devices in healthcare. It is considered a revolutionary approach to delivering health care services such as diagnosis and treatment, research, and patient monitoring. Much of its revolutionary reach is due to the widespread adoption of mobile devices such as mobile smart phones and tablets such as the Apple Ipad. It is estimated that there are over five billion mobile devices in use throughout the world. In terms of demographics, in the United States, it is estimated that five out of seven Medicaid patients carry a mobile smart phone. One result of this mobile reach is the ability to provide healthcare services to people nonambulatory and isolated in their homes, and in underdeveloped and emerging countries, in ways that were previously cost prohibitive. mHealth is also seen as a way to emphasize prevention through mobile monitoring devices and thereby reduce the overall cost of healthcare. mHealth is viewed as changing the healthcare landscape by changing the relationship between the patient, healthcare provider, and between healthcare providers. “A new generation of eHealth products and services, based on wireless and mobile technology, is putting diagnosis and treatment management into the hands of the patient” (The Mobile Health Crowd, 2010). There is clearly a growing interest in, and emphasis on, mobile healthcare applications in the world today by vendors, physicians and patients. It is predicted that the mobile health application market alone will be worth over $84 million, and that by the year 2015, more than 500 million people will be actively using mobile health care applications (Merrill, 2011; Merrill, 2011b).
City Competitiveness and Infrastructure
Authors: Bulut Ahmet
Published: November 2013

This chapter introduces a new framework called “I3: Instrument, interconnect, and cultivate intelligence framework.” This framework can be used to drive the transformation of today’s not so smart cities into the smart cities of tomorrow. In i3, instrumentation is used to collect data, which is important, because data provides measurability, and measurement can lead to improvement. Interconnection in i3 is used to discover associations and relationships between seemingly independent subsystems in a city. In i3, controlled experiments are easily setup and run to test each individual policy. The intelligence bit in i3 comes from being able to test specific policy hypotheses and conduct rigorous analysis and synthesis of the integrated data. The i3 framework helps city officials and researchers discover valuable knowledge, make informed decisions based on the results of various policies that are put in place, and facilitates the culture of experimentation at every policy decision level. The overarching goal in i3 is to discover routine and well-structured patterns in city management operations, turn them into best practices, and finally automate the execution of such practices so that the framework itself can take a major responsibility over city management. In this chapter, a roadmap is provided as a guideline for policymakers to successfully deploy i3 in their jurisdiction. By using i3 continually, a regular city can be transformed into a smart city faster.
From Intelligent to Smart Cities
Authors: Deakin Mark
Published: November 2013

This chapter develops the notion of the intelligent city as the smart provider of electronically-enhanced services. Set within the ongoing debate about competitive cities, it identifies how the growing interest in the notion of intelligent cities has led universities to explore the possibilities of using ‘communities of practice’ (CoPs) as a way of drawing upon the work-based learning such knowledge-based organizations offer to be smart in developing integrated models of e-government (eGov) services. It reports on the attempts made by a consortium of leading European cities to use the intelligence of CoPs as the organizational means to be smart in developing models of eGov services capable of integrating the e-learning needs, knowledge transfer requirements, and capacity building commitments of their socially-inclusive and participatory urban regeneration programmes.
Urban Competitiveness, U-City Strategies and the Development of Technological Niches in Songdo, South Korea
Authors: Carvalho Luís
Published: November 2013

This chapter is concerned with the recursive conflation between the concept of city competitiveness in ICT and different versions of the “knowledge city” concept based on ICT and digitalization, often responsible for ambiguous political discourses and unclear local economic development strategies. To overcome this problem, the chapter distinguishes both concepts, indentifies links between them and illustrates a way through which national and local polices can support ICT-related city competitiveness and knowledge city strategies: the development of innovation arenas. The chapter illustrates these notions with the case of the on-going development of the Songdo district in Incheon (South Korea), its competences in ubiquitous computing and the connection between this technological prowess with the ambitions of creating one of the first and most advanced “u-cities” in the world.
Massive Gastrointestinal Hemorrhage as a Complication of the Flexi-Seal Fecal Management System
Authors: Mulhall Aaron M. , Jindal Shivani K.
Published: November 2013

Use of the Flexi-Seal fecal management system, a safe and effective means of fecal diversion in patients with fecal incontinence and diarrhea, can be associated with rare, life-threatening complications. For example, a critically ill patient had 2 episodes of massive rectal bleeding associated with use of the system that required transfusion of blood products. Hemorrhage was controlled during the first episode by angiography with selective coil embolization; the second required colonoscopy with suture ligation of the affected lesion. A literature review revealed 9 other cases that were managed endoscopically, surgically, or with angiography. Although none of the patients died, they experienced obvious complications that required transfusion of blood products, endoscopy, surgery, use of conscious sedation or general anesthesia, angiography, and exposure to intravenous contrast material. Patients receiving therapeutic doses of anticoagulation and antiplatelet drugs, which may precipitate or aggravate hemorrhaging, are particularly at risk for complications with the Flexi-Seal system.
Implementing case-based teaching strategies in a decentralised nursing management programme in South Africa
Authors: Nkosi Zethu , Pillay Padmini , Nokes Kathleen M.
Published: November 2013

Background: Case-based education has a long history in the disciplines of education, business, law and the health professions. Research suggests that students who learn via acase-based method have advanced critical thinking skills and a greater ability for application of knowledge in practice. In medical education, case-based methodology is widely used to facilitate knowledge transfer from theoretical knowledge to application in patient care. Nursing education has also adopted case-based methodology to enhance learner outcomes and critical thinking.Objectives: The objectives of the study was to describe a decentralised nursing management education programme located in Durban, South Africa and describe the perceptions of nursing faculty facilitators regarding implementation of this teaching method.Method: Data was collected through the use of one-on-one interviews and also focus groups amongst the fifteen facilitators who were using a case-based curriculum to teach the programme content. The average facilitator was female, between 41 and 50 years of age,working part-time, educated with a baccalaureate degree, working as a professional nurse for between 11 and 20 years; slightly more than half had worked as a facilitator for three or more years.Results: The facilitators identified themes related to the student learners, the learning environment, and strengths and challenges of using facilitation to teach the content through cases. Decentralised nursing management educational programmes can meet the needs of nurses who are located in remote areas which are characterised by poor transportation patterns and limited resources and have great need for quality healthcare services.Conclusion: Nursing faculty facilitators need knowledgeable and accessible contact with centrally based full-time nursing faculty in order to promote high quality educational programmes.
Of poverty prevention in the Pentateuch as a continuing contemporary challenge
Authors: Scheffler Eben
Published: November 2013

This article surveyed how the theme of poverty and caring for the poor functions in the Pentateuch in its legal as well as narrative sections. It included the discussion of a (hopefully) representative selection of texts where the various Hebrew terms (ani or anw, ebjon and dal) are employed, but also where they are absent but the issue is present. Attention is (amongst others) paid to the goodness of creation as counter-pole for poverty in Genesis 1�3, poverty prevention in the Joseph novella, the Exodus as liberation text, the survival of the Israelites during the desert journey (Dt 8) and the specific measures prescribed in the Covenant Code (Ex 20:22�23:33), the Deuteronomic Code (Dt 12�26) and the Holiness Code (Lv 17�26). It is contended that the various expressions regarding poverty originated and functioned contingently in their ancient contemporary contexts but that they can also be critically appropriated in present-day contemporary contexts � for which a great need exists. The article concluded with ten (preliminary) statements to the latter effect.
Whole-rock chemical and Nd isotopic composition of a Late Proterozoic metasedimentary sequence in Ganderia: Kellys Mountain, Bras d’Or terrane, Nova Scotia, Canada
Authors: Barr Sandra M. , Pin Christian , McMullin David , White Chris E
Published: November 2013

The relationship between low-grade metasedimentary and high-grade paragneissic Precambrian rock units in the Bras d’Or terrane of central Cape Breton Island is a long-standing geological problem. Whole-rock geochemical and Nd isotopic data from representative components of these units in the Kellys Mountain area, the Glen Tosh formation and Kellys Mountain Gneiss, show strong similarity. Major and trace element characteristics suggest that protolith sediments for both units were wackes derived from felsic igneous sources and deposited at an active continental margin. Neodymium isotopic data in combination with previously published detrital zircon ages show that the sediments contained an ancient (ca. 2 Ga) end-member of recycled continental crust mixed with a juvenile component of Late Neoproterozoic age.  The similarities suggest that the rocks represent the same sedimentary unit at different grades of metamorphism.
Quantifying the constraint of biospheric process parameters by CO2 concentration and flux measurement networks through a carbon cycle data assimilation system
Authors: Koffi E. N. , Rayner P. J. , Scholze M. , Chevallier F. , Kaminski T.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. The sensitivity of the process parameters of the Biosphere Energy Transfer HYdrology (BETHY) model to choices of atmospheric concentration network, high frequency terrestrial fluxes, and the choice of flux measurement network is investigated by using a carbon cycle data assimilation system. We use BETHY-generated fluxes as a proxy of flux measurements. Results show that monthly mean or low-frequency observations of CO2 concentration provide strong constraints on parameters relevant for net flux (NEP) but only weak constraints for parameters controlling gross fluxes. The use of high-frequency CO2 concentration observations, which has led to great refinement of spatial scales in inversions of net flux, adds little to the observing system in the Carbon Cycle Data Assimilation System (CCDAS) case. This unexpected result is explained by the fact that the stations of the CO2 concentration network we use are not well placed to measure such high frequency signals. Indeed, CO2 concentration sensitivities relevant for such high frequency fluxes are found to be largely confined in the vicinity of the corresponding fluxes, and are therefore not well observed by background monitoring stations. In contrast, our results clearly show the potential of flux measurements to better constrain the model parameters relevant for gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP). Given uncertainties in the spatial description of ecosystem functions, we recommend a combined observing strategy.
The 2013 severe haze over the southern Hebei, China: model evaluation, source apportionment, and policy implications
Authors: Wang L. T. , Wei Z. , Yang J. , Zhang Y. , Zhang F. F. , Su J. , Meng C. C. , Zhang Q.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Extremely severe and persistent haze occurred in January 2013 over the eastern and northern China. The record-breaking high concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) of more than 700 μg m−3 on hourly average and the persistence of the episodes have raised widespread, considerable public concerns. During that period, seven of the top ten polluted cities in China were within Hebei Province. The three cities in southern Hebei, Shijiazhuang, Xingtai, and Handan, have been listed as the top three polluted cities according to the statistics for the first half year of 2013. In this study, the Mesoscale Modeling System Generation 5 (MM5) and the Models-3/Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) modeling system are applied to simulate the 2013 severe winter regional hazes in East Asia and the northern China at horizontal grid resolutions of 36 and 12 km, respectively, using the Multi-resolution Emission Inventory of China (MEIC). The source contributions of major source regions and sectors to PM2.5 concentrations in the three most-polluted cities in southern Hebei are quantified aiming at the understanding of the sources of the severe haze pollution in this region, and the results are compared with December 2007, the haziest month in 2001–2010. Model evaluation against meteorological and air quality observations indicates an overall acceptable performance and the model tends to underpredict PM2.5 and coarse particulate matter (PM10) concentrations during the extremely severe polluted episodes. The MEIC inventory is proved to be a good estimation in terms of total emissions of cities but uncertainties exist in the spatial allocations of emissions into fine grid resolutions within cities. The source apportionment shows that emissions from the northern Hebei and the Beijing–Tianjin city cluster are two major regional contributors to the pollution in January 2013 in Shijiazhuang, comparing with those from Shanxi and the northern Hebei for December 2007. For Xingtai and Handan, the emissions from the northern Hebei and Henan are important. The industrial and domestic sources are the most significant local contributors, and the domestic and agricultural emissions from Shandong and Henan are unnegligible regional sources, especially for Xingtai and Handan. Even in the top two haziest months (i.e., January 2013 and December 2007), a large fraction of PM2.5 in the three cities may originate from quite different regional sources. These results indicate the importance of establishing a regional joint framework of policymaking and action system to effectively mitigate air pollution in this area, not only over Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei area, but also surrounding provinces such as Henan, Shandong, and Shanxi.
Observation and modelling of HOx radicals in a boreal forest
Authors: Hens K. , Novelli A. , Martinez M. , Auld J. , Axinte R. , Bohn B. , Fischer H. , Keronen P. , Kubistin D. , Nölscher A. C. , Oswald R. , Paasonen P. , Petäjä T. , Regelin E. , Sander R. , Sinha V. , Sipilä M. , Taraborrelli D. , Tatum Ernest C. , Williams J. , Lelieveld J. , Harder H.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Measurements of OH and HO2 radicals were conducted in a~pine dominated forest in Southern Finland during the HUMPPA-COPEC-2010 (Hyytiälä United Measurements of Photochemistry and Particles in Air – Comprehensive Organic Precursor Emission and Concentration study) field campaign in summer 2010. Simultaneous side-by-side measurements of hydroxyl radicals were conducted with two instruments using chemical ionization mass spectrometry (CIMS) and laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), indicating good agreement. Subsequently, the LIF instrument was moved to the top of a 20 m tower, just above the canopy, to investigate the radical chemistry at the ecosystem–atmosphere interface. Comprehensive measurements including observations of many VOCs and the total OH reactivity were conducted and analysed using steady-state calculations as well as an observationally constrained box model. Production rates of OH calculated from measured OH precursors are consistent with those derived from the steady state assumption and measured total OH loss under conditions of moderate OH reactivity. The primary photolytic sources of OH contribute up to one third to the total OH production. OH recycling, which occurs mainly by HO2 reacting with NO and O3, dominates the total hydroxyl radical production in this boreal forest. Box model simulations agree with measurements for hydroxyl radicals (OHmod./OHobs. = 1.04 ± 0.16), while HO2 mixing ratios are significantly underpredicted (HO2mod./HO2obs. = 0.3 ± 0.2) and simulated OH reactivity does not match the observed OH reactivity. The simultaneous underprediction of HO2 and OH reactivity in periods in which OH concentrations were simulated well, suggests that the missing OH reactivity is an unaccounted source of HO2. Detailed analysis of the HOx production, loss, and recycling pathways suggests that in periods of high total OH reactivity there are additional recycling processes forming OH directly, not via reaction of HO2 with NO or O3. Nevertheless, a major fraction of the OH recycling occurs via the reaction of HO2 with NO and O3 in this terpene dominated environment.
Effects of topography, soil type and forest age on the frequency and size distribution of canopy gap disturbances in a tropical forest
Authors: Lobo E. , Dalling J. W.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Treefall gaps are the major source of disturbance in most tropical forests. The frequency and size of these gaps have important implications for forest ecosystem processes as they can influence the functional trait distribution of tree communities, stand-level aboveground biomass and productivity. However, we still know little about the relative importance of environmental drivers of gap disturbance regimes because existing studies vary greatly in criteria used for defining gaps, in the spatial extent of the study area, and the spatial resolution of canopy height measurements. Here we use lidar (light detecting and ranging) to explore how forest age, topography and soil type affect canopy disturbance patterns across a 1500 ha tropical forest landscape in central Panama. We characterize disturbance based on the frequency distribution of gap sizes (the "gap size distribution"), and the area of the forest affected by gaps (the "gap area fraction"). We found that slope and forest age had significant effects on the gap size distribution, with a higher frequency of large gaps associated with old-growth forests and more gentle slopes. Slope and forest age had similar effects on the gap area fraction, however gap area fraction was also affected by soil type and by aspect. We conclude that variation in disturbance patterns across the landscape can be linked to factors that act at the fine scale (such as aspect or slope), and factors that show heterogeneity at coarser scales (such as forest age or soil type). Awareness of the role of different environmental factors influencing gap formation can help scale up the impacts of canopy disturbance on forest communities measured at the plot scale to landscape and regional scales.
Interannual variation in summer N2O concentration in the hypoxic region of the northern Gulf of Mexico, 1985–2007
Authors: Kim I.-N. , Lee K. , Bange H. W. , Macdonald A. M.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Microbial nitrous oxide (N2O) production in the ocean is enhanced under low-oxygen (O2) conditions. This is especially important in the context of increasing hypoxia (i.e., oceanic zones with extremely reduced O2 concentrations). Here, we present a study on the interannual variation in summertime nitrous oxide (N2O) concentrations in the bottom waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico (nGOM), which is well-known as the site of the second largest seasonally occurring hypoxic zone worldwide. To this end we developed a simple model that computes bottom-water N2O concentrations with a tri-linear ΔN2O/O2 relationship based on water-column O2 concentrations, derived from summer (July) Texas–Louisiana shelf-wide hydrographic data between 1985 and 2007. ΔN2O (i.e., excess N2O) was computed including nitrification and denitrification as the major microbial production and consumption pathways of N2O. The mean modeled bottom-water N2O concentration for July in the nGOM was 14.5 ± 2.3 nmol L−1 (min: 11.0 ± 4.5 nmol L−1 in 2000 and max: 20.6 ± 11.3 nmol L−1 in 2002). The mean bottom-water N2O concentrations were significantly correlated with the areal extent of hypoxia in the nGOM. Our modeling analysis indicates that the nGOM is a persistent summer source of N2O, and nitrification is dominating N2O production in this region. Based on the ongoing increase in the areal extent of hypoxia in the nGOM, we conclude that N2O production (and its subsequent emissions) from this environmentally stressed region will probably continue to increase into the future.
Photooxidation of dimethylsulfide (DMS) in the Canadian Arctic
Authors: Taalba A. , Xie H. , Scarratt M. G. , Bélanger S. , Levasseur M.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Photolysis of dimethylsulfide (DMS), a secondary photochemical process mediated by chromophoric dissolved organic matter (CDOM), has previously been demonstrated to be an important loss term of DMS in the surface layer of warm seas and the Southern Ocean. The role of photolysis in regulating the DMS dynamics in northern polar seas remains, however, less clear. This study for the first time determined the apparent quantum yield (AQY) spectra of DMS photooxidation in Canadian Arctic seas covering Baffin Bay, the Mackenzie estuary and shelf, and the Canada Basin. The DMS AQY was fairly invariant at salinities < 25 but rose rapidly with further increasing salinity in an exponential manner. Salinity can therefore be used as a quantitative indicator of the DMS AQY. The DMS AQY in the ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths was linearly and positively correlated with the spectral slope coefficient (275–295 nm) of the CDOM absorption spectrum, suggesting that marine CDOM photosensitizes the degradation of DMS more efficiently than does terrestrial CDOM or that coastal waters contain higher concentrations of substrates (most likely dissolved organic matter and redox metals) that compete for DMS-oxidizing radical intermediates. High concentrations of nitrate (~ 12 μmol L−1) in deep water samples boosted DMS photooxidation by 70–80%, due likely to radical chemistry of nitrate photolysis. Coupled optical-photochemical modeling, based on the obtained DMS AQY spectra, shows that UV-A (320–400 nm) accounted for 60–75% of the DMS photolysis in the sunlit surface layer and that photochemistry degraded DMS on an e-folding time from 9 to 100 d (mean: 29 d). The photooxidation term on average accounted for 21% of the DMS gross loss rate and was comparable to the atmospheric DMS ventilation rate estimated for the same geographic regions. The methodology adopted here to study the relationship between CDOM quality/origin and DMS AQYs, if applicable to other ocean areas, may bring results of global significance for DMS cycling and might have implications for probing other CDOM-driven photochemical processes.
Calcification responses of symbiotic and aposymbiotic corals to near-future levels of ocean acidification
Authors: Ohki S. , Irie T. , Inoue M. , Shinmen K. , Kawahata H. , Nakamura T. , Kato A. , Nojiri Y. , Suzuki A. , Sakai K. , van Woesik R.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Increasing the acidity of ocean waters will directly threaten calcifying marine organisms such as reef-building scleractinian corals, and the myriad of species that rely on corals for protection and sustenance. Ocean pH has already decreased by around 0.1 pH units since the beginning of the industrial revolution, and is expected to decrease by another 0.2–0.4 pH units by 2100. This study mimicked the pre-industrial, present, and near-future levels of pCO2 using a precise control system (± 5% pCO2), to assess the impact of ocean acidification on the calcification of recently settled primary polyps of Acropora digitifera, both with and without symbionts, and adult fragments with symbionts. The increase in pCO2 of ~100 μatm between the pre-industrial period and the present had more effect on the calcification rate of adult A. digitifera than the anticipated future increases of several hundreds of micro-atmospheres of pCO2. The primary polyps with symbionts showed higher calcification rates than primary polyps without symbionts, suggesting that: (i) primary polyps housing symbionts are more tolerant to near-future ocean acidification than organisms without symbionts, and (ii) corals acquiring symbionts from the environment (i.e., broadcasting species) will be more vulnerable to ocean acidification than corals that maternally acquire symbionts.
Integrating O3 influences on terrestrial processes: photosynthetic and stomatal response data available for regional and global modeling
Authors: Lombardozzi D. , Sparks J. P. , Bonan G.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. Plants have a strong influence on climate by controlling the transfer of carbon dioxide and water between the biosphere and atmosphere during the processes of photosynthesis and transpiration. Chronic exposure to surface ozone (O3) differentially affects photosynthesis and transpiration because it damages stomatal conductance, the common link that controls both processes, in addition to the leaf biochemistry that only affects photosynthesis. Because of the integral role of O3 in altering plant interactions with the atmosphere, there is a strong motivation to incorporate the influence of O3 into regional and global models. However, there are currently no analyses documenting both photosynthesis and stomatal conductance responses to O3 exposure through time using a standardized O3 parameter that can be easily incorporated into models. Therefore, models often rely on photosynthesis data derived from the responses of one or a few plant species that exhibit strong negative correlations with O3 exposure to drive both rates of photosynthesis and transpiration, neglecting potential divergence between the two fluxes. Using data from the peer-reviewed literature, we have compiled photosynthetic and stomatal responses to chronic O3 exposure for all plant types with data available in the peer-reviewed literature as a standardized function of cumulative uptake of O3 (CUO), which integrates O3 flux into leaves through time. These data suggest that stomatal conductance decreases ~11% after chronic O3 exposure, while photosynthesis independently decreases ~21%. Despite the overall decrease in both variables, high variance masked any correlations between the decline in photosynthesis or stomatal conductance with increases in CUO. Though correlations with CUO are not easily generalized, existing correlations demonstrate that photosynthesis tends to be weakly but negatively correlated with CUO while stomatal conductance is more often positively correlated with CUO. Results suggest that large-scale models using data with strong negative correlations that only affect photosynthesis need to reconsider the generality of their response. Data from this analysis are now available to the scientific community and can be incorporated into global models to improve estimates of photosynthesis, global land-carbon sinks, hydrology, and indirect radiative forcing that are influenced by chronic O3 exposure.
MEDSLIK-II, a Lagrangian marine surface oil spill model for short-term forecasting – Part 2: Numerical simulations and validations
Authors: De Dominicis M. , Pinardi N. , Zodiatis G. , Archetti R.
Published: November 2013

Abstract. In this paper we use MEDSLIK-II, a Lagrangian marine surface oil spill model described in Part 1 (De Dominicis et al., 2013), to simulate oil slick transport and transformation processes for realistic oceanic cases, where satellite or drifting buoys data are available for verification. The model is coupled with operational oceanographic currents, atmospheric analyses winds and remote sensing data for initialization. The sensitivity of the oil spill simulations to several model parameterizations is analyzed and the results are validated using surface drifters, SAR (synthetic aperture radar) and optical satellite images in different regions of the Mediterranean Sea. It is found that the forecast skill of Lagrangian trajectories largely depends on the accuracy of the Eulerian ocean currents: the operational models give useful estimates of currents, but high-frequency (hourly) and high-spatial resolution is required, and the Stokes drift velocity has to be added, especially in coastal areas. From a numerical point of view, it is found that a realistic oil concentration reconstruction is obtained using an oil tracer grid resolution of about 100 m, with at least 100 000 Lagrangian particles. Moreover, sensitivity experiments to uncertain model parameters show that the knowledge of oil type and slick thickness are, among all the others, key model parameters affecting the simulation results. Considering acceptable for the simulated trajectories a maximum spatial error of the order of three times the horizontal resolution of the Eulerian ocean currents, the predictability skill for particle trajectories is from 1 to 2.5 days depending on the specific current regime. This suggests that re-initialization of the simulations is required every day.
Danbala/Ayida as Cosmic Prism
Authors: Bellegarde-Smith Patrick , Michel Claudine
Published: November 2013

This essay decenters notions of centrality and periphery as we aim to delineate the metaphysical elements of Haitian Vodou, a Diasporic religion in the Americas, and the manner in which its metaphysics becomes a national ethos of sorts, rooted in time, both past and present. We aim to use Danbala and Ayida as motif to explore Vodou hierophanies and irruptions of the sacred; as motif of negotiated relationships with divine energies, of ritual lineage and human ancestry, of complex gender notions; and as meditations on the natural world. These themes reveal important notions of oneness of being, of equilibrium and balance, as well as konesans, the all-encompassing wisdom that merges with knowledge—all represented by the great cosmic egg of the rainbow-serpent entities Danbala and Ayida.
Playing Jane
Authors: Mueller Max Perry
Published: November 2013

By reenacting the “[auto]biography” of the celebrated nineteenth- century black Mormon woman Jane Manning James, twenty-first-century black Mormons hope to explain to their audiences and to themselves why they joined or choose to stay in a religious community that, for much of its history, excluded people of African descent from full church membership. With respect to this history of exclusion, I interpret the performance of reenacting James's autobiography as a means of creating a usable past for present-day black Mormons, one that connects them to the Mormon origin mythos. These reenactments also serve as implicit critiques of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' (LDS) hierarchy: the Mormon Church's official history and theology makers have yet to fully recognize black Mormons' contribution to early Mormon history, and likewise have yet to fully recognize the important role Mormons of African descent play in the modern LDS Church.
Heterogeneous Preferences for Winter Nature-Based Tours in Sub-Frigid Climate Zones: A Latent Class Approach
Authors: Shoji Yasushi , Tsuge Takahiro
Published: November 2013

This study investigates off-season tours by examining people's heterogeneous preferences for nature-based tours in sub-frigid climate zones. To explore heterogeneous preferences for winter nature-based tours in Shiretoko, Japan, the authors conducted a discrete choice experiment with a latent class model. Even though the visitors' preferences were different, it was possible to segment them into three groups based on the results. The first segment clearly preferred a wildlife observation tour and considered the possibility of finding rare eagles and detailed interpretation highly important. At the other extreme, the second segment preferred an adventure-based drift ice tour and were not interested in eagles or detailed interpretation. The final segment comprised those visitors whose preferences were between these two extremes. The findings show that, for satisfactory and profitable tours, tourist agents should provide specific recreation experiences to cater to these heterogeneous preferences rather than experiences thought to be acceptable to all visitors.
Measuring the oxidation–reduction potential of important oxidants in drinking water
Authors: Copeland Ari , Lytle Darren A.
Published: November 2013

Oxidation–reduction (redox) reactions can affect drinking water treatment and distribution in significant ways. Measurements of oxidation–reduction potential (ORP) in water reflect the tendency of major constituents in the water to accept or lose electrons. Although ORP measurements are valuable and can provide useful information toward protecting public health, they are not widely undertaken by the drinking water community for a variety of reasons. The objective of this research was to determine the effect of five oxidants commonly used in drinking water treatment as well as the effect of pH on measured ORP. Results showed that the ORP of each oxidant system increased with increasing oxidant concentration to a maximum. The ORP also decreased with increasing pH. Water treated with chlorine and chlorine dioxide had the greatest ORP followed by water containing monochloramine and permanganate and water containing only oxygen. Duplicate ORP measurements revealed some inconsistencies with redox electrode measurements.
Peter Ochs. Another Reformation: Postliberal Christianity and the Jews
Authors: Smerick Christina
Published: November 2013

No abstract is available.
Postmidnight bubbles and scintillations in the quiet‐time June solstice
Authors: Yizengaw E. , Retterer J. , Pacheco E. E. , Roddy P. , Groves K. , Caton R. , Baki P.
Published: November 2013

While the mechanism for producing plasma irregularities in the dusk sector is believed to be fairly well understood, the cause of the formation of irregularities and bubbles during the postmidnight sector is still unknown, especially for magnetically quiet periods. This paper presents a case study of the strong postmidnight bubbles that often occur during magnetically quiet periods primarily in June solstice, along with a 4 year (2009–2012) statistical study that shows strong occurrence peak during June solstice predominantly in the African sector. We also confirm, for the first time, the presence of Rayleigh‐Taylor (RT) instability during postmidnight hours by using the physics‐based model for plasma densities and RT growth rates. Finally, we consider several possible sources of the eastward electric fields that permit the RT instability to develop and form bubbles in the postmidnight local time sector.
Relative contributions of galactic cosmic rays and lunar proton “albedo” to dose and dose rates near the Moon
Authors: Spence Harlan E. , Golightly Michael J. , Joyce Colin J. , Looper Mark D. , Schwadron Nathan A. , Smith Sonya S. , Townsend Lawrence W. , Wilson Jody , Zeitlin Cary
Published: November 2013

We use validated radiation transport models of the Cosmic Ray Telescope for the Effects of Radiation instrument and its response to both primary galactic cosmic rays (GCR) and secondary radiation, including lunar protons released through nuclear evaporation, to estimate their relative contributions to total dose rate in silicon (372 μGy/d) and dose equivalent rate at the skin (2.88 mSv/d). Near the Moon, we show that GCR accounts for ~91.4% of the total absorbed dose, with GCR protons accounting for ~42.8%, GCR alpha particles for ~18.5%, and GCR heavy ions for ~30.1%. The remaining ~8.6% of the dose at Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter altitudes (~50 km) arises from secondary lunar species, primarily “albedo” protons (3.1%) and electrons (2.2%). Other lunar nuclear evaporation species contributing to the dose rate are positrons (1.5%), gammas (1.1%), and neutrons (0.7%). Relative contributions of these same species to the total dose equivalent rate in skin, a quantity of more direct biological relevance, favor those with comparatively high quality factors. Consequently, the primary GCR heavy ion components dominate the estimated effective skin dose. Finally, we note that when considering the lunar radiation environment, although the Moon blocks approximately half of the sky, thus essentially halving the absorbed dose rate near the Moon relative to deep space, the secondary radiation created by the presence of the Moon adds back a small, but measurable, absorbed dose (~8%) that can and should be now accounted for quantitatively in radiation risk assessments at the Moon and other similar exploration targets.
Injectable Hydrogels from Triblock Copolymers of Vitamin E‐Functionalized Polycarbonate and Poly(ethylene glycol) for Subcutaneous Delivery of Antibodies for Cancer Therapy
Authors: Lee Ashlynn L. Z. , Ng Victor W. L. , Gao Shujun , Hedrick James L. , Yang Yi Yan
Published: October 2013

In this study, ‘ABA’‐type triblock copolymers of vitamin E‐functionalized polycarbonate and poly(ethylene glycol), i.e., VitEm‐PEG‐VitEm, with extremely short hydrophobic block VitEm, are synthesized and employed to form physically cross‐linked injectable hydrogels for local and sustained delivery of Herceptin. The hydrogels are formed at low concentrations (4–8 wt%). By varying polymer composition and concentration, the rheological behavior, porosity, and drug release properties of hydrogels are readily tunable. The in vitro antitumor specificity and efficacy of Herceptin in hydrogel and solution are investigated by MTT assay against normal and human breast cancer cell lines with different HER2 expression levels. The results demonstrate that the Herceptin‐loaded hydrogel is specific towards HER2‐overexpressing cancer cells and cytotoxic action is comparable to that of the Herceptin solution. The biocompatibility and biodegradability of hydrogel are evaluated in mice with subcutaneous injection by histological examination. It is observed that the hydrogel does not evoke a chronic inflammatory response and degrades within 6 weeks post administration. Biodistribution and anti‐tumor efficacy studies performed in BT474 tumor‐bearing mice show that single subcutaneous injection of Herceptin‐loaded hydrogel at a site close to the tumor enhances the retention of the antibody within the tumor. This leads to superior anti‐tumor efficacy as compared to intravenous (i.v.) and subcutaneous (s.c.) delivery of Herceptin in solution. The tumor size shrank by 77% at Day 28. When the hydrogel is injected at a distal location away from the tumor site, anti‐tumor efficacy is similar to that of weekly i.v. injections of Herceptin solution over 4 weeks, with the number of injections reduced from 4 to 1. These findings suggest that this hydrogel has great potential for use in subcutaneous and sustained delivery of antibodies to increase therapeutic efficacy and/or improve patient compliance.
Asymmetric Catalytic Sulfoxidation with H2O2 using Chiral Copper Metal–Organic Framework Crystals
Authors: Tanaka Koichi , Kubo Kaori , Iida Kazuhiro , Otani Ken‐ichi , Murase Takanori , Yanamoto Daisuke , Shiro Motoo
Published: October 2013

The asymmetric oxidation of sulfides to sulfoxides with hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant that uses chiral copper metal–organic framework crystals as a heterogeneous catalyst has been investigated. Optically active sulfoxides have been obtained with moderate to good enantioselectivities up to 82 % ee without the formation of sulfones. The catalyst can be recovered by simple filtration and reused.
Familial aggregation of chronic diarrhea disease (CDD) in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta)
Authors: Kanthaswamy Sree , Elfenbein Hanie A. , Ardeshir Amir , Ng Jillian , Hyde Dallas , Smith David Glenn , Lerche Nicholas
Published: November 2013

Chronic diarrheal disease (CDD) is a critical problem for breeders of captive rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), as it results in significant levels of morbidity and death annually. As with other inflammatory disorders, CDD is thought to be caused by environmental and/or genetic factors. Although correspondence between the characters defined as Mendelian by pedigree or segregation analysis and functional genes is difficult to establish, such analyses provide essential entry points into understanding CDD in captive bred rhesus macaques. To investigate the familial aggregation of CDD in captive rhesus macaque, we performed pedigree, segregation and heritability analyses on genealogical data from 55 severely affected individuals (probands) through whom relatives with a history of CDD were ascertained from routine computerized colony records comprising vital and demographic statistics of 10,814 rhesus macaques. We identified 175 rhesus macaques with CDD and estimated its incidence as approximately 2% in the colony. The disease strongly clustered in eight multi‐generation pedigrees. Inspection of the pedigrees, segregation analysis and heritability estimate of CDD suggest that susceptibility to the disease is under strong genetic control. Identification of the locations of susceptibility genes in the rhesus macaque genome could facilitate the reduction of their frequency in captive breeding facilities. Am. J. Primatol. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of SiO2on rheology, morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties of high thermal stable epoxy foam
Authors: Chen Keping , Tian Chunrong , Lu Ai , Zhou Qiuming , Jia Xiaorong , Wang Jianhua
Published: October 2013

A series of highly thermostable epoxy foams with diglycidyl ether of bisphenol‐A and bisphenol‐S epoxy resin (DGEBA/DGEBS), 4,4′‐diaminodiphenyl sulfone (DDS) as curing agent have been successfully prepared through a two‐step process. Dynamic and steady shear rheological measurements of the DGEBA/DGEBS/DDS reacting mixture are performed. The results indicate all samples present an extremely rapid increase in viscosities after a critical time. The gel time measured by the crossover of tan δ is independent of frequency. The influence of SiO2content on morphology, thermal, and mechanical properties of epoxy foams has also been investigated. Due to the heterogeneous nucleation of SiO2, the pore morphology with a bimodal size distribution is observed when the content of SiO2is above 5 wt %. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) reveals that pure epoxy foam possesses a high glass transition temperature (206°C). The maximum of specific compressive strength can be up to 0.0253 MPa m3kg−1at around 1.0 wt % SiO2. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci.2014,131, 40068.
Influence of titanium dioxide pigments on the optical properties of polycarbonate and polypropylene for diode laser wavelengths
Authors: Aden Mirko , Mamuschkin Viktor , Olowinsky Alexander , Glaser Sibylle
Published: November 2013

In laser transmission welding of polymers, additives and colorants could influence the welding result. In this work, polypropylene and polycarbonate probes colored with titanium dioxide (TiO2) pigments of various concentrations are investigated. The probes are produced using an extrusion process to obtain a homogeneous distribution of colorants. The TiO2 pigments change the optical properties of the polymers considerably. The measured reflectance increases with increasing pigment load while the transmittance decreases. From the measured data of transmittance, reflectance, and collimated transmittance, the scattering, the absorption coefficient, and the anisotropy factors are calculated. It is shown that the scattering coefficient at 1530 nm (laser) wavelength is smaller than for 968 nm, while the absorption coefficient is negligible for both wavelengths. Scattering coefficient and anisotropy factor are used to simulate the propagation of the laser radiation in the polymers. The influence of the scattering process on the beam propagation is represented by the change of the power density distribution. It is shown that the maximum intensity of the distribution is reduced more than the transmittance with increasing pigment concentration. The effect is higher for 968 than for 1530 nm wavelength making the larger wavelength more favorable for transmission welding. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40073.
Brief Report: The Value of a Patient Global Assessment of Disease Activity in Granulomatosis With Polyangiitis (Wegener's)
Authors: Tomasson Gunnar , Davis John C. , Hoffman Gary S. , McCune W. Joseph , Specks Ulrich , Spiera Robert , St.Clair E. William , Stone John H. , Merkel Peter A.
Published: October 2013

Objective

To 1) describe the distribution of patient global assessment (PtGA) scores of disease activity in patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA; Wegener's), 2) explore the discordance between PtGA scores and physician global assessment (PhGA) scores of disease activity, and 3) explore whether PtGA scores during disease remission are associated with future disease relapse.

Methods

Data from the Wegener's Granulomatosis Etanercept Trial (WGET) were used. PtGA and PhGA scores were assessed on 100‐mm visual analog scales (VAS). Presence of active disease was determined using the Birmingham Vasculitis Activity Score for WG (BVAS/WG), and remission was defined as a BVAS/WG score of 0. Disease relapse was defined as a BVAS/WG score of >0 after remission had been achieved. Discordance between PtGA and PhGA scores was defined as a difference of ≥20 points between the two measures. Mixed linear models were used in longitudinal analysis of PtGA scores.

Results

Data were obtained from 180 patients in the WGET cohort, seen at a total of 1,719 study visits. The mean ± SD PtGA and PhGA disease activity scores (on 100‐mm VAS) at baseline were 64.2 ± 27.4 and 55.5 ± 23.4, respectively. PtGA–PhGA discordance occurred in 53% of patients at baseline, and this was inversely associated with newly diagnosed disease (as opposed to relapsing disease) at baseline (odds ratio 0.37, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.20–0.68) but not with age, sex, or presence of renal or pulmonary disease. Patients were in disease remission during 62% of the study visits. The mean PtGA score during visits immediately prior to relapse was 4.52 points higher (95% CI 0.66–8.4) than that at other remission visits (P = 0.03).

Conclusion

PtGA–PhGA discordance is common in GPA. A rise in the PtGA disease activity score during times defined by physicians as periods of remission is associated with subsequent occurrence of disease relapse. These findings support the addition of PtGA as an outcome measure for GPA.