bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Bayesian adaptive survey protocols for resource management
Authors: Halstead Brian J. , Wylie Glenn D. , Coates Peter S. , Casazza Michael L.
Published: March 2011

Transparency in resource management decisions requires a proper accounting of uncertainty at multiple stages of the decision‐making process. As information becomes available, periodic review and updating of resource management protocols reduces uncertainty and improves management decisions. One of the most basic steps to mitigating anthropogenic effects on populations is determining if a population of a species occurs in an area that will be affected by human activity. Species are rarely detected with certainty, however, and falsely declaring a species absent can cause improper conservation decisions or even extirpation of populations. We propose a method to design survey protocols for imperfectly detected species that accounts for multiple sources of uncertainty in the detection process, is capable of quantitatively incorporating expert opinion into the decision‐making process, allows periodic updates to the protocol, and permits resource managers to weigh the severity of consequences if the species is falsely declared absent. We developed our method using the giant gartersnake (Thamnophis gigas), a threatened species precinctive to the Central Valley of California, as a case study. Survey date was negatively related to the probability of detecting the giant gartersnake, and water temperature was positively related to the probability of detecting the giant gartersnake at a sampled location. Reporting sampling effort, timing and duration of surveys, and water temperatures would allow resource managers to evaluate the probability that the giant gartersnake occurs at sampled sites where it is not detected. This information would also allow periodic updates and quantitative evaluation of changes to the giant gartersnake survey protocol. Because it naturally allows multiple sources of information and is predicated upon the idea of updating information, Bayesian analysis is well‐suited to solving the problem of developing efficient sampling protocols for species of conservation concern. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
Image‐guided endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea by the bath plug grafting technique
Authors: Saleh Hazem , Bahkaly Sameer Al
Published: March 2011

Objectives/Hypothesis:

Several techniques of endoscopic repair of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea were prescribed. Defect localization was mandatory for all.

Study Design:

Prospective study.

Methods:

A prospective study was conducted on nonaccidental CSF rhinorrhea. The sensitivity and specificity of image‐guided navigation in localizing the defect were studied. The feasibility and reliability of the bath plug technique in repairing the defect were assessed. Six cases were included.

Results:

CFS rhinorrhea was spontaneous in four and iatrogenic in two. Two defects were in the fovea ethmoidalis, two in the cribriform plate, and two in the sphenoid. The repairing graft was successfully positioned in five cases. In one case a sphenoid obliteration was done. Image‐guided navigation proved useful in localizing the defect with a sensitivity and specificity of 100%. All patients were available for follow‐up (mean = 19 months). The overall success rate was 83%, and the mean number of surgeries per patient was one.

Conclusions:

The bath plug was feasible for repairing the anterior skull base defects but not for all the sphenoid defects. It proved reliable as a single management in cases with normal intracranial pressure. The image‐guided navigation overrides, in sensitivity and specificity, other methods of localization of the anterior skull base defects.
Description of the nanostructured morphology of [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) by XRD, DSC and solid‐state NMR
Authors: Mens Raoul , Chambon Sylvain , Bertho Sabine , Reggers Guy , Ruttens Bart , D'Haen Jan , Manca Jean , Carleer Robert , Vanderzande Dirk , Adriaensens Peter
Published: March 2011

PCBM or [6,6]‐phenyl‐C61‐butyric acid methyl ester is nowadays still one of the most successful electron acceptors for plastic bulk heterojunction (BHJ) photovoltaic devices. In this study, a set of complementary techniques, i.e. solid‐state NMR, XRD and DSC, is proposed as a fast and sensitive tool to screen the morphology of PCBM specimens with different preparation histories. Based on proton NMR relaxation decay time values, an interval can be derived that situates the average crystal dimensions and which can further be refined on the basis of XRD patterns and DSC thermograms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bimodality Criterion for the Chemical Composition Distribution of Ethylene/1‐Olefin Copolymers: Theoretical Development and Experimental Validation
Authors: Narkchamnan Kanyanut , Anantawaraskul Siripon , Soares João B.P.
Published: March 2011

Ethylene/1‐olefin copolymers with controlled bimodal molecular weight distributions (MWDs) and chemical composition distributions (CCDs) have improved mechanical and rheological properties. In this work, the Stockmayer's distribution was used to develop a criterion for CCD bimodality. The proposed criterion was validated theoretically using simulation data and experimentally using crystallization analysis fractionation (CRYSTAF) and crystallization elution fractionation (CEF) of ethylene/1‐octene copolymer blends. The effect of mass fraction and number average molecular weight of copolymer produced with each metallocene catalyst on CCD bimodality was also examined. The proposed criterion was then used as a benchmark for describing cocrystallization effects in both CRYSTAF and CEF techniques.

magnified image
Synthesis and properties of oxetane‐based polysiloxanes used for cationic UV curing coatings
Authors: Zhan Fu , Cheng Xi‐e , Shi Wenfang
Published: March 2011

The polysiloxanes end‐capped with oxetane group (PSiO‐H and PSiO‐L) were synthesized via hydrosilylation reaction based on α,ω‐dihydrogen‐terminated polydimethylsiloxanes with a higher (0.23%, PDSi‐H) and lower (0.12%, PDSi‐L) hydrogen amount. The molecular structures were characterized by FT‐IR and 1H NMR spectroscopy. The polysiloxanes were added into a commercial oxetane‐based resin, 3,3′‐(oxydi(methylene)) bis(3‐ethyloxetane) (DOX), as an additive to prepare a series of cationic UV curable formulations. The photo‐DSC results showed that the maximum photopolymerization rate decreased while the oxetane conversion increased with the polysiloxane content increasing. The surface hydrophobic property of cured films was improved having the water contact angles of 97° and 99° compared with 82° of the cured DOX film with only 1 wt% PSiOs, respectively. The dynamic mechanical thermal analysis results showed that both the storage modulus on the rubbery plateau region and the glass transition temperature decreased with increasing PSiO‐H loading. Moreover, the decrease became more obvious as PSiO‐L was added instead of PSiO‐H due to its lower concentration of oxetane group. The thermal stability of cured films was enhanced by the addition of PSiOs from the thermogravimetric analysis. And the DOX/PSiO‐H film possessed higher thermal degradation temperatures than DOX/PSiO‐L film. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An analysis of the number of multiple prescribers for opioids utilizing data from the California Prescription Monitoring Program
Authors: Wilsey Barth L. , Fishman Scott M. , Gilson Aaron M. , Casamalhuapa Carlos , Baxi Hassan , Lin Tzu‐Chun , Li Chin‐Shang
Published: March 2011

Background

Prescription monitoring programs scrutinize the prescribing of controlled substances to diminish the utilization of multiple prescribers (aka. “doctor shopping”). The use of multiple prescribers is not a problem per se and can be legitimate, as when the patient's regular physician is not available or a concurrent painful condition is being cared for by a different practitioner.

Purpose

The primary objective of this study was to determine if those patients who used a few prescribers (two to five) in a 1‐year period were distinguishable from those who used only one prescriber.

Methods

We performed a secondary data analysis of the California Prescription Monitoring Program, the Controlled Substance Utilization Review and Evaluation System, by using data collected during 1999–2007.

Results

The group who used a few providers (two to five) differed substantially from those who visited one provider over a 1‐year period. However, the dissimilarity did not suggest that these patients were more prone to the abuse of opioids.

Conclusions

The decision not to investigate patients who visit a low number of multiple prescribers (two to five) appears to be justifiable. If the number of providers in a given period of time is used to determine if a patient should be challenged as being a “doctor shopper,” cutoffs with high specificity (low false‐positive rates) should be chosen. Further epidemiologic research is needed to determine the association of the number of prescribers and misuse and/or abuse of opioids. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conduction behavior in ionic liquids assisted electrodeposited polypyrrole layers
Authors: Ahmad Shahzada , Deepa M. , Sen Vikram , Kazim Samrana , Agarwal S. K.
Published: March 2011

The electropolymerization of pyrrole in ionic liquid media was carried out to produce an adherent, uniform, and durable polypyrrole (PPy) films with enhanced electrical properties. A threefold increase in the conductivity value can be attained with the selective choice of polymerizing media and ambient temperature dc conductivity value of 43, 15, and 13 S cm−1 for films grown in 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium bis(perfluoroethanesulfonyl)imide, 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium triflate and in lithium triflate in acetonitrile respectively. The corresponding localization lengths were found to be 17, 33, and 48 nm indicate that carriers are strongly localized. At low temperature, all three types of PPy films show metallic type behavior. Though transition is observed above 200 K for all the three films, the charge transport mechanism remains unaltered at higher temperatures for the films grown in ionic liquids, while the film grown in lithium triflate in acetonitrile assumes a three‐dimensional variable range hopping conduction behavior. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
High‐throughput quantification of selenium in individual serum proteins from a healthy human population using HPLC on‐line with isotope dilution inductively coupled plasma‐MS
Authors: Letsiou Sophia , Lu Ying , Nomikos Tzortzis , Antonopoulou Smaragdi , Panagiotakos Demosthenes , Pitsavos Christos , Stefanadis Christodoulos , Pergantis Spiros A.
Published: March 2011

This article was originally published in Proteomics 2010, 10, 3447–3457, DOI 10.1002/pmic.200900677
A novel reactive ester derivative of biotin with reduced membrane permeability for in vivo biotinylation experiments
Authors: Strassberger Verena , Trüssel Sabrina , Fugmann Tim , Neri Dario , Roesli Christoph
Published: March 2011

This article was originally published in Proteomics 2010, 10, 3544–3548, DOI 10.1002/pmic.201000308
Finding new posttranslational modifications in salivary proline‐rich proteins
Authors: Vitorino Rui , Alves Renato , Barros António , Caseiro Armando , Ferreira Rita , Lobo Maria Calheiros , Bastos Ana , Duarte José , Carvalho Davide , Santos Lúcio Lara , L. Amado Francisco
Published: March 2011

This article was originally published in Proteomics 2010, 10, 3732–3742, DOI 10.1002/pmic.200900261
Mitochondrial comparative proteomics of human ovarian cancer cells and their platinum‐resistant sublines
Authors: Dai Zhiqin , Yin Jie , He Haojie , Li Wenrui , Hou Chunmei , Qian Xiaohong , Mao Ning , Pan Lingya
Published: March 2011

This article was originally published in Proteomics 2010, 10, 3789–3799, DOI 10.1002/pmic.200900685
Alpha‐1 antitrypsin variants in plasma from HIV‐infected patients revealed by proteomic and glycoproteomic analysis
Authors: Zhang Lijun , Jia Xiaofang , Zhang Xiaojun , Cao Jing , Yang Pengyuan , Qiu Chao , Shen Yinzhong , Ma Fang , Liu Li , Sun Jianjun , Shen Fang , Yin Lin , Liu Liwen , Yao Yamin , Lu Hongzhou
Published: March 2011

This article was originally published in Electrophoresis 2010, 31, 3437–3445, DOI 10.1002/elps.201000153
Laser transfer doping for contacting n‐type crystalline Si solar cells
Authors: Ferré Rafel , Gogolin Ralf , Müller Jens , Harder Nils‐Peter , Brendel Rolf
Published: March 2011

We demonstrate laser transfer doping (LTD) for producing locally doped regions in surface passivated Silicon wafers. A pulsed laser transfers phosphorus‐doped amorphous silicon from a carrier glass to a surface passivated silicon wafer. We employ this process for producing local high‐low junctions for the formation of n+–n back surface field layers that are contacted with Al. The contact's surface recombination velocities and the contact resistances depend on the laser processing and annealing conditions. They range from Scont = 20 to 1500 cm s−1 and from Rcont = 1 to 1000 mΩ cm2, respectively. The combination of acceptable contact resistance and low recombination velocities makes the LTD technique suitable for the formation of the rear contacts of n‐type high‐efficiency solar cells. The simplicity of the process makes it a candidate for industrial production.
Calculations of quasi‐particle spectra of semiconductors under pressure
Authors: Christensen N. E. , Svane A. , Cardona M. , Chantis A. N. , Laskowski R. , van Schilfgaarde M. , Kotani T.
Published: March 2011

Different approximations in calculations of electronic quasi‐particle states in semiconductors are compared and evaluated with respect to their validity in predictions of optical properties. The quasi‐particle self‐consistent GW (QSGW) approach yields values of the band gaps which are close to experiments and represents a significant improvement over “single‐shot” GW calculations using local density approximation (LDA) start wavefunctions. The QSGW approximation is compared to LDA bands for a wide‐gap material (CuAlO2) and materials with very small gaps, PbX (X = S, Se, and Te). For wide‐gap materials QSGW overestimates the gaps by 0.3–0.8 eV, an error which is ascribed to the omission of “vertex corrections.” This is confirmed by calculations of excitonic effects, by solving the Bethe‐Salpeter equation. The LDA error in predicting the binding energy of the Cu‐3d states is examined and the QSGW and LDA + U approximations are compared. For PbX the spin‐orbit coupling is included, and it is shown that although LDA gives a reasonable magnitude of the gap at L, only QSGW predicts the correct order of the ${\rm L}_{6}^{ + } $ and ${\rm L}_{6}^{{-} } $ states and thus the correct sign (negative) of the gap pressure coefficient. The pressure‐induced gap closure leads to linear (Dirac‐type) band dispersions around the L point.
Hepatoprotective Activity of Scutellariae Radix Extract in Mice Fed a High Fat Diet with Chronic Alcohol Exposure
Authors: Lee In Seok , Park Soojin , Park Kyungho , Choue Ryowon
Published: March 2011

Scutellariae radix (SR) is an herbal medicine used for the treatment of inflammatory diseases. To investigate whether the SR water extract has a hepatoprotective effect in mice fed a high fat diet with chronic alcohol consumption, ICR mice were fed one of the following diets: a control diet (CD, 16% fat), a high fat diet (HFD, 40% fat), a high fat diet with either ethanol (HFDE, 25% v/v, ad libitum) alone or ethanol with SR extract (HFDESR, 100 mg/kg, p.o.) for 28 days, respectively. The combination of high fat diet with ethanol exposure induced hepatic damage that was manifested by a significant increase in the activities of functional enzymes, alanine transaminase (ALT), aspartate transaminase (AST) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in serum. Also, the liver and visceral fat weights were increased and the lipid profiles in serum and liver homogenate including triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL‐cholesterol were significantly deteriorated. The SR supplements significantly reversed these altered parameters to near the values of the CD mice. Specifically, the expression of 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl‐coenzymeA (HMG‐CoA) reductase in liver homogenate was significantly lowered in the HFDESR group compared with that of either the HFD or HFDE groups, which revealed that the SR extract could afford protection in the alleviation of high fat and alcoholic liver damage. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Blends of PP/PE co‐octene for modified atmosphere packaging applications
Authors: Acosta Mariela N. , Ercoli Daniel R. , Goizueta Graciela S. , Lozano Jorge E. , Capiati Numa J.
Published: March 2011

The aim of this work was to obtain films of polypropylene (PP)/polyethylene co‐octene (POE) blends and study the influence of their composition and mixing conditions on final morphology and ultimate properties (thermal, mechanical, oxygen and water vapour transmission rates).

Scanning electron microscopy showed segregation of POE domains in the PP matrix. Thermal analysis indicated that the addition of POE modified neither the melting temperature nor the crystallinity of PP in the pressed films. It was found that permeabilities of films were mainly related to POE content rather than morphological features. For the maximum POE concentration used (40%), the oxygen permeability increased up to ∼100% from that of neat PP. A similar trend was found for water vapour permeability. Rigidity of blends dropped significantly with the addition of POE although their ductility slightly increased when compared to pure PP. No significant effect of blend preparation conditions on these properties was found. Mechanical and permeability characteristics of films make them very attractive to be used for MAP of fresh produce such as apple, blueberry and mushroom. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimization of reaction conditions for potato starch sulphate and its chemical and structural characterization
Authors: Cui Dapeng , Liu Mingzhu , Zhang Bing , Gong Honghong , Bi Yinghui
Published: March 2011

Potato starch sulphate (PSS) was synthesized by the reaction between potato starch and sulphuric acid in ethanol. In order to obtain the products with high degree of substitution (DS), the reaction conditions which could influence the DS were optimized, including $m_{{\rm St}} /V_{{\rm H}_{2} {\rm SO}_{4} } $, $V_{{\rm EtOH}} /V_{{\rm H}_{{\rm 2}} {\rm SO}_{{\rm 4}} } $, water content in the reaction medium, the reaction temperature and reaction time in sulphation. In this process, the DS of each PSS sample was determined by barium sulphate‐glutin nephelometery method. By investigating the relationship between these conditions and DS, the optimal conditions could be obtained with the maximum DS. Besides, the physical properties and chemical structure of PSS were studied, containing solubility, swelling power, FTIR spectra, XRD patterns, gelatinization temperatures and enthalpy measurements.
Synthesis and Characterization of Glycoside‐Based Trisiloxane Surfactant
Authors: Han Fu , Chen Yan‐hong , Zhou Ya‐wen , Xu Bao‐cai
Published: March 2011

The synthesis of glycoside‐based trisiloxane surfactants of the general formula Me3SiOSiMeR1OSiMe3(R1= (CH2)3(OCH2CH2)2OR2, R2= glycosyl) is described, and the surface activity properties of the surfactant are studied. Diethylene glycol monoallyl ether glycoside is synthesized by reacting the diethylene glycol monoallyl ether with glucose. The glycoside‐based trisiloxane surfactant is prepared by hydrosilylation of the precursor glycoside with hydrogen‐containing trisiloxane. The product is structurally characterized by IR,1H NMR and MS. The surface tension of an aqueous solution is reduced to approximately 20 mN m−1at concentration level of 10−4mol L−1.
Growth Hormone Enhances Arachidonic Acid Metabolites in a Growth Hormone Transgenic Mouse
Authors: Oberbauer A. M. , German J. B. , Murray J. D.
Published: March 2011

In a transgenic growth hormone (GH) mouse model, highly elevated GH increases overall growth and decreases adipose depots while low or moderate circulating GH enhances adipose deposition with differential effects on body growth. Using this model, the effects of low, moderate, and high chronic GH on fatty acid composition were determined for adipose and hepatic tissue and the metabolites of 20:4n‐6 (arachidonic acid) were characterized to identify metabolic targets of action of elevated GH. The products of Δ‐9 desaturase in hepatic, but not adipose, tissue were reduced in response to elevated GH. Proportional to the level of circulating GH, the products of Δ‐5 and Δ‐6 were increased in both adipose and hepatic tissue for the omega‐6 lipids (e.g., 20:4n‐6), while only the hepatic tissues showed an increase for omega‐3 lipids (e.g., 22:6n‐3). The eicosanoids, PGE2 and 12‐HETE, were elevated with high GH but circulating thromboxane was not. Hepatic PTGS1 and 2 (COX1 and COX 2), SOD1, and FADS2 (Δ‐6 desaturase) mRNAs were increased with elevated GH while FAS mRNA was reduced; SCD1 (stearoyl‐coenzyme A desaturase) and SCD2 mRNA did not significantly differ. The present study showed that GH influences the net flux through various aspects of lipid metabolism and especially the desaturase metabolic processes. The combination of altered metabolism and tissue specificity suggest that the regulation of membrane composition and its effects on signaling pathways, including the production and actions of eicosanoids, can be mediated by the GH regulatory axis.
A Comprehensive GC–MS Sub‐Microscale Assay for Fatty Acids and its Applications
Authors: Bigelow Nicholas W. , Hardin William R. , Barker James P. , Ryken Scott A. , MacRae Alex C. , Cattolico Rose Ann
Published: March 2011

Fatty acid analysis is essential to a broad range of applications including those associated with the nascent algal biofuel and algal bioproduct industries. Current fatty acid profiling methods require lengthy, sequential extraction and transesterification steps necessitating significant quantities of analyte. We report the development of a rapid, microscale, single‐step, in situ protocol for GC–MS lipid analysis that requires only 250 μg dry mass per sample. We furthermore demonstrate the broad applications of this technique by profiling the fatty acids of several algal species, small aquatic organisms, insects and terrestrial plant material. When combined with fluorescent techniques utilizing the BODIPY dye family and flow cytometry, this micro‐assay serves as a powerful tool for analyzing fatty acids in laboratory and field collected samples, for high‐throughput screening, and for crop assessment. Additionally, the high sensitivity of the technique allows for population analyses across a wide variety of taxa.
Oxidative Evolution of Virgin and Flavored Olive Oils Under Thermo‐oxidation Processes
Authors: Issaoui Manel , Flamini Guido , Hajaij Myriem Ellouze , Cioni Pier Luigi , Hammami Mohamed
Published: March 2011

Changes in the oxidative status of Chétoui olive oil were monitored to attest the efficiency of some bioactive compounds from aromatic plants to improve the stability of olive oils after a maceration process at different concentrations. Aromatized olive oils were prepared by addition of lemon and thyme extracts at four different concentrations (20–80 g kg−1 of oils) to virgin olive oils. The following parameters were monitored: free fatty acids, peroxide value, ultra violet absorption characteristics at 232 and 270 nm, fatty acid composition and aromatic profiles. After thermo‐oxidation processes, the oleic/linoleic acid ratio remained stable (4.5). Oxidative stability slightly decreased during thermo‐oxidation processes. The heating of the oils changed their volatile profile and led to the formation of new volatile compounds, such as the two isomers of 2,4‐heptadienal after heating at 100 °C or (E,Z)‐2,4‐decadienal and (E,E)‐2,4‐decadienal after thermo‐oxidation at 200 °C. The use of lemon and thyme extracts modified the aromatic and the nutritional value of the olive oil by the transfer of some bioactive compounds, such as limonene and carvacrol. In contrast, the oxidative stability of the product did not change. Furthermore, the aromatized oils may be employed in seasoning and cooking of some foods.
Impact of the North Dakota Growing Location on Canola Biodiesel Quality
Authors: Haagenson Darrin M. , Wiesenborn Dennis P.
Published: March 2011

Canola biodiesel (fatty acid methyl esters, FAME) may have superior cold flow properties when compared to other biodiesel feedstocks, which is attributed to canola's high unsaturated and low saturated fat content. The objective of this study was to evaluate canola biodiesel fatty acid composition, cloud point (CP) and oil stability index (OSI) among several ND locations and production years. In Experiment 1, bulked canola varieties from seven growing seasons (2003–2009) were analyzed and in Experiment 2 a single canola variety (Interstate Hyola 357RR) harvested at two locations (2003–2005, and 2007) were analyzed. FAME was produced directly from seed via in situ alkaline transesterification methods. CP ranged from −0.1 to −2.4 °C and was significantly impacted by year and location. FAME generally met the ASTM B100 specification for OSI (3 h), but increased seed storage decreased stability. No significant differences were detected in FAME composition, and iodine value ranged from 108 to 123 g I2/100 g. A significant relationship between fat saturation and location with CP and stability was not detected among the samples in this study. Variation in fatty acid composition was small; thus, the significant variability in CP and OSI suggests either differences in minor constituents (antioxidants, waxes) or environmental seed stress impacted biodiesel quality. Our study supports the value of examining biodiesel quality in a canola breeding program.
Vernonia Oil: Conversion to a Mixture of Tertiary Amines Including N,N‐Dimethyl‐(12S,13R)‐epoxy‐cis‐9‐octadecenyl Amine
Authors: Johnson Nikki S. , Ayorinde Folahan O.
Published: March 2011

Vernonia galamensis is a new potential industrial oilseed crop found in tropical Africa. It is the source of a naturally epoxidized oil called vernonia oil (VO) which is extracted from the seed of the plant. In this study VO was used as the starting material for the synthesis of a mixture of amines, with the major product amine being N,N‐dimethyl‐(12S,13R)‐epoxy‐cis‐9‐octadecenyl amine. VO was transesterified via a base catalyzed methanolysis using sodium methoxide to yield VO methyl esters (VOME). Aminolysis of the VOME with dimethylamine as reagent and solvent under reflux conditions afforded the tertiary amides, with N,N‐ dimethyl‐(12S,13R)‐epoxy‐cis‐9‐octadecenyl amide as the major product. The mixture was then subjected to metal hydride reduction with lithium aluminum hydride in diethylether under reflux conditions to obtain the desired amine mixture including N,N‐dimethyl‐(12S,13R)‐epoxy‐cis‐9‐octadecenyl amine. Electron impact mass spectrometry was used to characterize the mixture of amines. Additionally, proton NMR, 13C NMR, and FTIR were used for characterization of N,N‐dimethyl‐(12S,13R)‐epoxy‐cis‐9‐octadecenyl amine. To further confirm the conversion of VO to the amines, the quaternary ammonium salts were synthesized and characterized by matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry.
Turning Out to Vote: The Costs of Finding and Getting to the Polling Place
Authors: BRADY HENRY E. , MCNULTY JOHN E.
Published: March 2011

Could changing the locations of polling places affect the outcome of an election by increasing the costs of voting for some and decreasing them for others? The consolidation of voting precincts in Los Angeles County during California's 2003 gubernatorial recall election provides a natural experiment for studying how changing polling places influences voter turnout. Overall turnout decreased by a substantial 1.85 percentage points: A drop in polling place turnout of 3.03 percentage points was partially offset by an increase in absentee voting of 1.18 percentage points. Both transportation and search costs caused these changes. Although there is no evidence that the Los Angeles Registrar of Voters changed more polling locations for those registered with one party than for those registered with another, the changing of polling places still had a small partisan effect because those registered as Democrats were more sensitive to changes in costs than those registered as Republicans. The effects were small enough to allay worries about significant electoral consequences in this instance (e.g., the partisan effect might be decisive in only about one in two hundred contested House elections), but large enough to make it possible for someone to affect outcomes by more extensive manipulation of polling place locations.
Modulation of electrolyte homeostasis by dietary nitrogen intake in growing goats
Authors: Muscher Alexandra S. , Piechotta Marion , Breves Gerhard , Huber Korinna
Published: March 2011

In goats, the combination of dietary N and Ca reduction caused hypocalcaemia and further changes in Ca homeostasis. The aim of the present study was to characterise the effects of dietary N reduction under normocalcaemia on mineral and bone metabolism in young goats. Young male goats of the Saanen breed were fed a diet reduced in N (8 %) for about 7 weeks (ten animals per group) and were compared with goats fed with an adequate N (14 %) diet. When N intake was reduced in young goats, plasma urea concentrations as well as renal elimination of urea were reduced. This was inversely related to creatinine in plasma and urine, which increased during a dietary N reduction as a function of reduced renal activity to save urea during N scarcity. During this decrease in renal function, associated with declined insulin-like growth factor 1 concentrations, a reduction in calcidiol and calcitriol concentrations could be observed. Meanwhile, carboxyterminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen values and activity of total alkaline phosphatase were both elevated, indicating some bone remodelling processes taking place during a reduced N diet in young goats. The concentrations of inorganic phosphate (Pi) and total Ca were changed in several body fluids, indicating that Piand Ca homeostasis was perturbed in goats fed a reduced N diet. Therefore, more research is needed to find the balance between reduction of environmental N pollution by reducing dietary N in ruminant feeding and maintaining the animal's health.
The Debts that Bind Us: A Comparison of Amazonian Debt-Peonage and U.S. Mortgage Practices
Authors: Killick Evan
Published: March 2011

Three years after the global financial crisis started academic and popular publications assessing its origins, consequences and wider implications are starting to emerge. The origins of the crisis are generally explained as stemming from the rapid increase in subprime mortgage lending in the United States and the credit default swaps banks and other financial institutions traded amongst themselves based on these loans. As homeowners found it increasingly difficult to make their repayments and housing prices in the United States started to drop, a downward spiral ensued. In this cycle ever-growing numbers of homeowners defaulted on their mortgages, unable to meet interest payments or to re-mortgage, and banks foreclosed on the houses even as their own assets and investments were exposed to the losses stemming from defaulted mortgages. With the foreclosures devaluing house prices further and the exposure of banks making them less willing and able to refinance mortgages, the situation quickly spiraled downwards. The complex global trade in credit default swaps and other derivatives meant that the problems were amplified and spread beyond the United States until ultimately many national governments decided to intervene with financial assistance mainly aimed at the financial institutions.
Liberation and Redistribution: Social Grants, Commercial Insurance, and Religious Riches in South Africa
Authors: Bähre Erik
Published: March 2011

South Africa's liberation, marked by the first democratic elections of 1994, ushered in an unprecedented expansion of large-scale redistributive arrangements. In the post-apartheid period, the collection of money into a central fund administered anonymously and bureaucratically has gained social and political importance, particularly for poor and lower-middle-class Africans. This is most evident in a rapid expansion of government social assistance—from 1997 to 2006 the number of beneficiaries of social grants increased from three to almost eleven million, and today at least a quarter of South African households receive welfare payments. Social assistance “has been the fastest-growing category of government expenditure since 2001, and now amounts to R70 billion [almost US$7 billion in 2006] a year, about 3.4 percent of gross domestic product.” The centrality of redistribution is clear in current debates over the establishment of a Basic Income Grant (BIG) for all South Africans. Political liberation has also brought an increase in redistribution through development projects such as the National Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) grants.
Estimating the Effects of Large Shareholders Using a Geographic Instrument
Authors: Becker Bo , Cronqvist Henrik , Fahlenbrach Rüdiger
Published: March 2011

Large shareholders may play an important role for firm performance and policies, but identifying this empirically presents a challenge due to the endogeneity of ownership structures. We develop and test an empirical framework that allows us to separate selection from treatment effects of large shareholders. Individual blockholders tend to hold blocks in public firms located close to where they reside. Using this empirical observation, we develop an instrument (the density of wealthy individuals near a firm’s headquarters) for the presence of large, nonmanagerial individual shareholders in firms. These shareholders have a large impact on firms, controlling for selection effects.
Critical balance in magnetohydrodynamic, rotating and stratified turbulence: towards a universal scaling conjecture
Authors: NAZARENKO SERGEI V. , SCHEKOCHIHIN ALEXANDER A.
Published: March 2011

It is proposed that critical balance – a scale-by-scale balance between the linear propagation and nonlinear interaction time scales – can be used as a universal scaling conjecture for determining the spectra of strong turbulence in anisotropic wave systems. Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD), rotating and stratified turbulence are considered under this assumption and, in particular, a novel and experimentally testable energy cascade scenario and a set of scalings of the spectra are proposed for low-Rossby-number rotating turbulence. It is argued that in neutral fluids the critically balanced anisotropic cascade provides a natural path from strong anisotropy at large scales to isotropic Kolmogorov turbulence at very small scales. It is also argued that the k−2⊥ spectra seen in recent numerical simulations of low-Rossby-number rotating turbulence may be analogous to the k−3/2⊥ spectra of the numerical MHD turbulence in the sense that they could be explained by assuming that fluctuations are polarised (aligned) approximately as inertial waves (Alfvén waves for MHD).
Quality of life improvement for bone-anchored hearing aid users and their partners
Authors: McNeil M L , Gulliver M , Morris D P , Bance M
Published: March 2011

Objectives:

Bone-anchored hearing aid recipients experience well documented improvements in their audiometric performance and quality of life. While hearing aid recipients may understate their functional improvement, their partners may be more aware of such improvement. We sought to investigate patients' partners' perceptions of functional improvement following bone-anchored hearing aid fitting.

Methods:

Surveys were sent to 153 patients who had received a bone-anchored hearing aid through the Nova Scotia bone-anchored hearing aid programme. The validated survey asked patients' partners to give their subjective impression of the bone-anchored hearing aid recipient's functional status.

Results and conclusions:

Surveys were completed by 90 patients (58.8 per cent), of whom 72 reported having a partner. Partners reported a significant improvement in hearing (p ≤ 0.0001). Partners reported improvement in 87.0 per cent of functional scenarios, no change in 12.6 per cent, and a decline in 0.4 per cent. These findings demonstrate a significant improvement in the emotional and social effects of hearing impairment, as perceived by bone-anchored hearing aid recipients' partners.
DARMSTADT SCHOOLS: DARMSTADT AS A PLURAL PHENOMENON
Authors: Iddon Martin
Published: March 2011

The notion of the Darmstadt School lies at the very heart of any conception of what the Darmstadt New Music courses were, how they functioned and what their purpose was. Arguably, the notion is important, too, in understanding what the Darmstadt New Music Courses still are, even now, a half-century on from the original coining of the term itself.
Reasoning is for thinking, not just for arguing
Authors: Evans Jonathan St. B. T.
Published: March 2011

There is indeed extensive evidence that people perform fairly poorly in reasoning tasks and that they often construct arguments for intuitively cued responses. Mercier & Sperber (M&S) may also be right to claim that reasoning evolved primarily as argumentation. However, if it did, the facility became exapted to the function of supporting uniquely human abilities for reflective thinking and consequential decision making.
Spontaneous inferences provide intuitive beliefs on which reasoning proper depends
Authors: Uleman James S. , Kressel Laura M. , Rim SoYon
Published: March 2011

Spontaneous inferences are unconscious, automatic, and apparently ubiquitous. Research has documented their variety (particularly in the social domain) and impact on memory and judgment. They are good candidates for Mercier and Sperber's (M&S's) “intuitive beliefs.” Forming spontaneous inferences is highly context sensitive, varying with the perceiver's conscious and unconscious goals, and implicit and explicit theories about the domain in question.
The world looks small when you only look through a telescope: The need for a broad and developmental study of reasoning
Authors: Narvaez Darcia
Published: March 2011

If the target article represents the summary findings of the field, reasoning research is deeply flawed. The vision is too narrow and seems to fall into biological determinism. Humans use reasoning in effective ways apparently not studied by researchers, such as reasoning for action. Moreover, as the brain develops through adulthood and from experience so do reasoning capabilities.
On the design and function of rational arguments
Authors: Opfer John E. , Sloutsky Vladimir
Published: March 2011

It is unclear how an argumentative environment would select for better reasoning given three general findings. First, argument rationality typically fails to persuade poor reasoners. Second, reasoned argumentation competes with more persuasive and less rational arguments for limited cognitive resources. Third, those poor at reasoning fail to distinguish between valid and invalid arguments. Reasoning, therefore, is poorly designed for argument.
Women's Reform Organizations and Wartime Mobilization in World War I-Era Los Angeles
Authors: Dumenil Lynn
Published: March 2011

During World War I, the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense served as an intermediary between the federal government and women's voluntary associations. This study of white middle- and upper-middle-class clubwomen in Los Angeles, California reveals ways in which local women pursued twin goals of aiding the war effort while pursuing their own, pre-existing agendas. Women in a wide variety of groups, including organizations associated with the General Federation of Women's Clubs, the Young Women's Christian Association, the Women's Christian Temperance Union, and the Red Cross, had different goals, but most women activists agreed on the need to promote women's suffrage and citizenship rights and to continue the maternalist reform programs begun in the Progressive Era. At the center of their war voluntarism was the conviction that women citizens must play a crucial role in protecting the family amidst the crisis of war.
Diffusion imaging studies of white matter integrity in bipolar disorder
Authors: Bellani M. , Brambilla P.
Published: March 2011

Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a neuroimaging technique with a potential to elucidate white matter integrity. Recently, it has been used in the field of psychiatry to further understand the pathophysiology of major diseases, including bipolar disorder (BD). This review sought to focus on existing DTI findings on white matter organization in BD.
Adaptation to Frequent Conflict in the Eriksen Flanker Task
Authors: Purmann Sascha , Badde Stephanie , Luna-Rodriguez Aquiles , Wendt Mike
Published: March 2011

We examined adaptation to frequent conflict in a flanker task using event-related potentials (ERPs). A prominent model of cognitive control suggests the fronto-central N2 as an indicator of conflict monitoring. Based on this model we predicted (1) an increased N2 amplitude for incompatible compared to compatible stimuli and (2) that this difference in N2 amplitude would be less pronounced under conditions of frequent conflict (high cognitive control). In this model, adaptation to frequent conflict is implemented as modulation of early visual processing. Traditionally, variations in processing selectivity in the flanker task have been related to a zoom lens model of visual attention. Therefore, we further predicted (3) effects of conflict frequency on early visual ERP components of the event-related potential, and (4) generalization of conflict adaptation due to increased conflict frequency in the flanker task to other visuospatial tasks, intermixed within flanker task trials. Frequent conflict was associated with reduced flanker interference in response times (RTs) and error rate. Consistent with the literature, amplitude of the fronto-central N2 was larger and latency of the central P3 longer for incompatible stimuli. Both effects were smaller when conflict was frequent, supporting the notion of fronto-central N2 as indicator of conflict monitoring. Neither amplitude nor latency of the posterior P1, as index of early visual processing, was modulated by conflict frequency. Additionally, conflict frequency in the flanker task did not affect the pattern of RTs in a probe task. In sum, our results suggest that conflict adaptation operates in a task-specific manner and does not necessarily alter early information processing, that is, the spatial focus of visual attention.
Relevance of Attention in Auditory Sensory Gating Paradigms in Schizophrenia
Authors: Gjini Klevest , Burroughs Scott , Boutros Nash N.
Published: March 2011

The paired-click paradigm (PCP) is widely used to study sensory habituation or gating in a number of psychiatric and neurological conditions. The classic paradigm does not control for attentional factors. In order to assess the influences of incorporating attentional control measures we administered the auditory PCP (S1-S2) in three different attention (passive, auditory attention to S2, visual attention to a concurrent continuous performance task, CPT) conditions to a group of chronic, medicated schizophrenia patients (N = 12) and a group of healthy subjects (N = 15) to evaluate the effects of attention on sensory gating measures. A significant effect of attention on S1 amplitudes was shown for P50 in both groups, and N100 or P200 in schizophrenia patients. Attention status had a significant effect on S2 amplitudes for N100 and P200, and N100 and P200 gating ratios. Despite the effect of attention on S1 P50 amplitudes there was no effect on the gating ratio. In terms of group differences, visual attention to the concurrent CPT during the paired-click sensory gating task significantly enhanced the detection of deficient gating of the N100 and P200 components in schizophrenia patients. The data support the continued utilization of the passive gating paradigm for examining P50 gating but strongly suggest that for studies examining gating of the N100 or P200 components, a visual distraction paradigm may enhance the detection of abnormal gating in schizophrenia patients.
Light driven asymmetric polymerization: an approach for tele-control reaction
Authors: Goto Hiromasa , Kawabata Kohsuke
Published: March 2011

Chiroptical activity tuning polymerization in liquid crystal (LC) electrolyte solution under irradiation of UV or Vis light was performed.
Pediatric Craniofacial Trauma: Challenging Pediatric Cases—Craniofacial Trauma
Authors: Dufresne Craig R. , Manson Paul N.
Published: March 2011

The pediatric population, as well as the adult population, is subject to similar injuries and traumatic events involving the craniofacial skeleton. Although less frequent than adult injuries, the craniofacial injuries sustained by children are considered separately in textbooks and the literature because of the special unique problems associated with their treatment and the effects they might have on growth and development that can arise as a result of their management. Some of the more challenging cases that I have seen involve the very young with cranial bone fractures and cranial base fractures and those that involve the nasal and/or orbital-ethmoidal areas in young children and their secondary reconstruction. Some of these types of cases are not always clearly and thoroughly addressed in textbooks or articles because of their infrequent occurrence. Often, surgeons differ in approaches to treatment because of certain anatomic or physiological factors specifically related to childhood, facial growth, and the timing of treatment. Some of the cranial and facial developmental malformations seen in older children or adults can be attributed to trauma sustained in early childhood. This is because trauma may have a deleterious effect on the growth and development of facial structures in the postnatal life similar to that seen resulting from a genetic mutation.
Tuning of magnetic properties in Co–Zn ferrite nanocrystals synthesized by a size controlled co-precipitation method
Authors: Urcia-Romero S. , Perales-Pérez O. , Uwakweh O. N. C. , Osorio C. , Radovan H. A.
Published: March 2011

CoxZn1−xFe2O4 (0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1.0) nanocrystals have been synthesized by conventional and a modified size-controlled coprecipitation method and characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The control of the oversaturation conditions in the reacting solution, favored by the control of the flow rate at which the reactants were contacted, promoted heterogeneous nucleation and hence crystal growth, as evidenced by XRD measurements. The size-controlled synthesis route also allowed the tuning of the maximum magnetization and the coercivity, which increased by a factor of five. The demagnetization temperature was found to be strongly dependent on the Co-content and crystal size and varied between 106 °C and 540 °C. Mössbauer spectroscopy confirmed the strong influence of the synthesis conditions on the superparamagnetic fraction in the samples.
Anisotropy measurements of FePt thin films
Authors: Richter H. J. , Hellwig O. , Florez S. , Brombacher C. , Albrecht M.
Published: March 2011

We report on anisotropy measurements of FePt thin films prepared at different temperatures and find that the anisotropy increases with increasing chemical ordering. Within measurement accuracy, we conclude that the second-order anisotropy constant K2 is negligibly small compared to the first-order anisotropy constant K1. We assert that the presence of a small hard-axis hysteresis causes spatial fluctuations of the field direction within the sample, which changes the shape of the hard-axis loop, such that it is misinterpreted as a K2 in the Sucksmith–Thompson formalism.