bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of overnight oximetry findings on cardiac autonomic modulation in women during second trimester of uncomplicated pregnancy
Authors: Watanabe Minako , Shinohara Hitomi , Kodama Hideya
Published: December 2014

Aim

Although sleep‐disordered breathing (SDB) might impose an underlying health threat upon some pregnant women, the influence of SDB on the health status of most pregnant women is not discernible. In order to find out which pregnant women should be evaluated for clinically meaningful SDB during the second trimester, the present study aimed to determine which overnight oximetry findings significantly affect maternal resting cardiac autonomic modulations.

Material and Methods

Overnight arterial oxygen saturation (SaO2) was monitored at home using pulse oximetry by 64 women with uncomplicated pregnancy between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. We then determined the impact of the findings on maternal resting heart rate variability (HRV) using 5‐min photoplethysmography.

Results

A relatively increased oxygen desaturation index (number of oxygen desaturation events where SaO2 fell >3% below the baseline saturation/h) of ≥3.0 in five women did not significantly impact HRV. On the other hand, events associated with profound oxygen desaturation (minimum SaO2 ≤ 90%) in three women were associated with decreased HRV, including high‐ and low‐frequency powers.

Conclusion

Parasympathetic activities of cardiac autonomic modulations might be attenuated in women who experience profound night‐time oxygen desaturation, even if the incidence of significant events is quite low. The oximetry finding of minimum SaO2 ≤ 90% might be a valuable criterion for clinically meaningful sleep‐disordered breathing among women with early uncomplicated pregnancy.
Mirror syndrome associated with fetal leukemia
Authors: Lee Ji Yeon , Hwang Jong Yun
Published: December 2014

Mirror syndrome describes the association of fetal and placental hydrops with maternal edema. This case is the first reported case of mirror syndrome relative to fetal leukemia. We suggest that fetal leukemia can have a major impact on mirror syndrome, and provide a brief review of the literature related to this syndrome.
Zofenopril attenuates injury induced by ischemia‐reperfusion on rat ovary
Authors: Keskin Kurt Raziye , Dogan Ayşe Citil , Dogan Murat , Albayrak Aynur , Kurt Sefika Nur , Eren Furkan , Silfeler Dilek Benk , Karateke Atilla , Fadillioglu Ersin , Delibasi Tuncay
Published: December 2014

Aim

The aim of the study was to investigate the effectiveness of zofenopril in an experimental model of ovarian torsion in rats with histologic and biochemical assessments.

Material and Methods

Experimental procedures were performed on 35 female rats (Wistar albino). Rats were randomly divided into five groups as: sham (sham operated, n = 7); vehicle group 1 (torsion–detorsion, n = 7) with 2 h ischemia and 2 h reperfusion; vehicle group 2 (torsion–detorsion, n = 7) with 2 h ischemia and 5 days' reperfusion; zofenopril group 1 (torsion–detorsion, n = 7) with 2 h ischemia, 2 h reperfusion and a signal dose of oral 15 mg/kg zofenopril; and zofenopril group 2 (torsion–detorsion, n = 7) with 2 h ischemia, 5 days' reperfusion and 5 days' oral 15 mg/kg zofenopril. A scoring of histopathologic evaluation was performed on the ovaries according to congestion, bleeding, edema, and cellular degeneration. Biochemical assessments included catalase, tissue malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl.

Results

Compared with the vehicle groups, histopathologic scores, tissue malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels, which reflect oxidative stress markers, were significantly lower in the zofenopril groups. Furthermore, catalase levels were significantly increased in the zofenopril group.

Conclusion

Our study results revealed that zofenopril attenuates injury induced by ischemia‐reperfusion on rat ovary.
Configurations of Capacity for Change in Entrepreneurial Threshold Firms: Imprinting and Strategic Choice Perspectives
Authors: Judge William Q. , Hu Helen W. , Gabrielsson Jonas , Talaulicar Till , Witt Michael A. , Zattoni Alessandro , López‐Iturriaga Félix , Chen Jean Jingham , Shukla Dhirendra , Quttainah Majdi , Adegbite Emmanuel , Luis Rivas José , Kibler Bruce
Published: December 2014

Imprinting theory suggests that founding conditions are ‘stamped’ on organizations, and these imprinted routines often resist change. In contrast, strategic choice theory suggests that the firm can overcome organizational inertia and deliberately choose its future. Both theories offer dramatically different explanations behind an organization's capacity for change. IPO firms provide a unique context for exploring how imprinting forces interact with strategic choice factors to address organizational capacity for change as a firm moves from private to public firm status. Juxtaposing imprinting and strategic choice perspectives, we employ fuzzy set analysis to examine the multi‐level determinants of organizational capacity for change. Our cross‐national data reveal three effective configurations of organizational capacity for change within IPOs, and two ineffective configurations. Our results suggest that the antecedents of organizational capacity for change in entrepreneurial threshold firms are non‐linear, interdependent, and equifinal.
Investigation of an anti-activated factor X (anti-Xa) assay for the quantification of enoxaparin in human plasma
Authors: Al-Sallami Hesham S , Medlicott Natalie J
Published: December 2014

Objectives

Enoxaparin is a low-molecular weight heparin (LMWH) widely used for the treatment of thrombosis and measured through a chromogenic assay (anti-Xa). The aim of this project was to investigate the impact of patient and sampling sources of variation on an anti-Xa assay for enoxaparin.

Methods

COATEST was used in accordance with manufacturer's instructions. A standard curve of LMWH concentration (0.1–1.0 IU/ml) was prepared. The shelf-life and freeze-thaw stability of Xa over a 6-month period were investigated. The effects of blood sample haemolysis and plasma antithrombin-III (AT) concentration were examined.

Key findings

The standard curve performed well with high accuracy (average bias of 8.1%) and precision (average CV of 2.8%). The shelf-life of Xa once reconstituted could be extended from 1 month to 4 months if aliquots were frozen at −20°C. Some loss of anti-Xa activity was observed on freeze-thawing (bias up to 25%). Haemolysis of 2.5% was found to interfere with the assay. AT level as low as 50% did not affect assay accuracy.

Conclusions

Xa standards when frozen immediately after reconstitution could be used for the following 4 months. Haemolysis interferes with the assay, but a 50% reduction in AT does not significantly affect the assay result.
Beauty in the eyes of the beholders: colour vision is tuned to mate preference in the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata)
Authors: Sandkam Benjamin , Young C. Megan , Breden Felix
Published: December 2014

A broad range of animals use visual signals to assess potential mates, and the theory of sensory exploitation suggests variation in visual systems drives mate preference variation due to sensory bias. Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata), a classic system for studies of the evolution of female mate choice, provide a unique opportunity to test this theory by looking for covariation in visual tuning, light environment and mate preferences. Female preference co‐evolves with male coloration, such that guppy females from ‘low‐predation’ environments have stronger preferences for males with more orange/red coloration than do females from ‘high‐predation’ environments. Here, we show that colour vision also varies across populations, with ‘low’‐predation guppies investing more of their colour vision to detect red/orange coloration. In independently colonized watersheds, guppies expressed higher levels of both LWS‐1 and LWS‐3 (the most abundant LWS opsins) in ‘low‐predation’ populations than ‘high‐predation’ populations at a time that corresponds to differences in cone cell abundance. We also observed that the frequency of a coding polymorphism differed between high‐ and low‐predation populations. Together, this shows that the variation underlying preference could be explained by simple changes in expression and coding of opsins, providing important candidate genes to investigate the genetic basis of female preference variation in this model system.
Feasibility study of colestipol as an oral phosphate binder in hemodialysis patients
Authors: Hood Christopher J , Wolley Martin J , Kam Angela L , Kendrik‐Jones Jamie C , Marshall Mark R
Published: December 2014

Background

Currently available calcium‐ and aluminium‐based phosphate binders are dose limited because of potential toxicity, and newer proprietary phosphate binders are expensive. We examined phosphate‐binding effects of the bile acid sequestrant colestipol, a non‐proprietary drug that is in the same class as sevelamer.

Methods

The trial was an 8 week prospective feasibility study in stable hemodialysis patients using colestipol as the only phosphate binder, preceded and followed by a washout phase of all other phosphate binders. The primary study endpoint was weekly measurements of serum phosphate. Secondary endpoints were serum calcium, lipids and coagulation status. Analyses used random effects mixed models.

Results

 Thirty patients were screened for participation of which 26 met criteria for treatment. At a mean dose of 8.8 g/24 h of colestipol by study end, serum phosphate dropped from 2.24 to 1.96 mmol/L (P < 0.001). Three patients required calcium supplementation. LDL cholesterol dropped from 1.75 to 1.2 mmol/L (P < 0.001). Three patients dropped out because of side effects or intolerance of the required dose.

Conclusion

The results support the feasibility of a larger trial to determine the efficacy of colestipol as a phosphate binder and that other non‐proprietary anion‐exchange resins may also warrant investigation.
Transpositional shuffling and quality control in male germ cells to enhance evolution of complex organisms
Authors: Werner Andreas , Piatek Monica J. , Mattick John S.
Published: December 2014

Complex organisms, particularly mammals, have long generation times and produce small numbers of progeny that undergo increasingly entangled developmental programs. This reduces the ability of such organisms to explore evolutionary space, and, consequently, strategies that mitigate this problem likely have a strategic advantage. Here, we suggest that animals exploit the controlled shuffling of transposons to enhance genomic variability in conjunction with a molecular screening mechanism to exclude deleterious events. Accordingly, the removal of repressive DNA‐methylation marks during male germ cell development is an evolved function that exploits the mutagenic potential of transposable elements. A wave of transcription during the meiotic phase of spermatogenesis produces the most complex transcriptome of all mammalian cells, including genic and noncoding sense–antisense RNA pairs that enable a genome‐wide quality‐control mechanism. Cells that fail the genomic quality test are excluded from further development, eventually resulting in a positively selected mature sperm population. We suggest that these processes, enhanced variability and stringent molecular quality control, compensate for the apparent reduced potential of complex animals to adapt and evolve.
The Impact of Trade Liberalization on Micro Enterprises: Do Banks Matter? Evidence from Indian Manufacturing
Authors: Sundaram Asha
Published: December 2014

This paper looks at the impact of trade liberalization on micro enterprises with differential access to banks. I use Indian data on rural micro enterprises employing less than ten workers in the manufacturing sector to find that trade liberalization, measured by a fall in the tariff, is associated with a larger increase or a smaller decrease in output, capital–labour ratio and labour productivity in districts with a larger number of bank branches per capita. Evidence is consistent with strong complementarities between trade liberalization effects, and the economic dynamism and access to financial intermediation associated with greater bank presence in the enterprise's location. The study underscores that trade liberalization can be beneficial to micro entrepreneurs under certain conditions and emphasizes reallocation resulting from trade liberalization. The study hence highlights the role for development policy in exploiting gains from trade.
Institutions and Firms' Productivity: Evidence from Electricity Distribution in the EU
Authors: Borghi Elisa , Del Bo Chiara , Florio Massimo
Published: December 2014

Firms' productivity is influenced by internal and external institutions. Ownership is the core internal institutional feature of the firm, while the most important external institutional feature is the quality of government, which shapes the environment in which firms operate. We explore the relative role of these factors and their interaction in determining total factor productivity of electricity distribution firms in 16 EU countries. Using data from the Amadeus database of balance‐sheet information and from the Quality of Governance database, we find that when the quality of government is poor, public ownership is associated with lower productivity levels; however, public ownership is associated with higher productivity in countries characterized by higher quality of the institutional environment.
Disease severity in newly diagnosed glaucoma patients with visual field loss: trends from more than a decade of data
Authors: Boodhna Trishal , Crabb David P.
Published: December 2014

Purpose

Large archives of visual field (VF) records from automated perimetry are used to examine severity of vision loss at diagnosis in glaucoma patients over a 13 year period in England.

Methods

A total of 473 252 Humphrey VFs recorded at four regionally different glaucoma clinics in England were retrospectively examined. Patients were required to have a Humphrey mean deviation (MD) outside 95% normative limits in at least one eye and had at least two visits to the glaucoma clinic in a study period between the start of 1999 and the end of 2011. No other clinical data was considered. MD of the worse eye at the first hospital visit was used as an estimate of vision loss for a patient at diagnosis; proportion of patients categorised as having ‘early’ (better than −6 dB) or ‘advanced’ (worse than −12 dB) VF loss were also calculated. Simple linear regression of MD against the date of first visit was used to estimate changes in vision loss at diagnosis over time.

Results

Median age, at the time of diagnosis, of the 25 521 patients included in the analysis was 67 (interquartile range 55–76) years. Average level of glaucoma vision loss at diagnosis, in those patients presenting to secondary care with a VF defect, improved by an average 0.11 dB per year over the study period (95% confidence interval: 0.08–0.13 dB per year; p < 0.0001). Percentage of patients with ‘advanced’ VF loss in at least one eye at diagnosis changed from 30% (1999–2001) to 21% in (2009–2011) (p < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Severity of vision loss at the point of glaucoma detection, in those patients diagnosed with a VF defect, is improving over time in England. Nevertheless, the improvement is modest and large numbers of patients still present at glaucoma clinics with significant vision loss in at least one eye. Large scale digital VF data can be used to help monitor and audit health service delivery of glaucoma.
Comparison of pediatric perioperative risk assessment by ASA physical status and by NARCO‐SS (neurological, airway, respiratory, cardiovascular, other–surgical severity) scores
Authors: Udupa Ashwin N. , Ravindra Madhavi N. , Chandrika Y. R. , Chandrakala K. R. , Bindu N. , Watcha Mehernoor F.
Published: December 2014

Background

ASA‐PS is a widely used perioperative health assessment method, but with poor reproducibility. A novel objective, pediatric‐specific risk classification system based on Neurological, Airway, Respiratory, Cardiovascular, Other categories and Surgical Severity (NARCO‐SS) has been validated in only one US center.

Objective

Independent external validation of the NARCO‐SS and comparison with the ASA‐PS in predicting perioperative outcomes.

Methods

Preoperative ASA‐PS and NARCO‐SS scores were assigned to 387 children by pediatric anesthesia consultants at a tertiary care center in India and predefined perioperative adverse events and escalation of care recorded. Spearman's correlations determined the relationship between outcomes and scores and kappa statistics for interobserver reliability. The predictive performance of the ASA‐PS and NARCO‐SS was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristics curves (AUC‐ROC) for discrimination and Pearson's chi‐square for calibration.

Results

NARCO‐SS and ASA scores had significant Spearman's correlation coefficients with perioperative outcomes and moderate interobserver reliability. The NARCO‐SS showed greater discrimination than the ASA‐PS (AUC–ROC 0.778 vs 0.710 for escalation of care and 0.822 vs 0.724 for adverse events, P < 0.01). However, both scores had poor calibration (Pearson's chi‐square, P < 0.0001). Individual NARCO‐SS categories for neurological and airway lacked statistically significant Spearman's correlations.

Conclusions

NARCO‐SS is a valid risk stratification tool that is better than the ASA‐PS in discriminating children with adverse perioperative outcomes. The poor calibration of both scores suggests neither can reliably predict perioperative outcomes in individual patients. Modification of neurological and airway categories may improve the predictive accuracy of the NARCO‐SS.
The Yugas: Their Importance in India and their Use by Western Intellectuals and Esoteric and New Age Writers
Authors: González‐Reimann Luis
Published: December 2014

The first part of this article addresses the origin and importance of the yuga theory in India. The second part deals with the discovery of the yuga system by the West, its use by modern Western esoteric writers, and its relevance to New Age ideas, including attempts to determine the date of the beginning of a new cosmic age. The second part will take up more space because it has been less explored.
GROSS AND HISTOPATHOLOGIC CORRELATION OF LOW‐FIELD MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING FINDINGS IN THE STIFLE OF ASYMPTOMATIC HORSES
Authors: Santos Marcos P. , Gutierrez‐Nibeyro Santiago D. , McKnight Alexia L. , Singh Kuldeep
Published: December 2014

With the recent introduction of a 0.25T rotating MRI system, clinical evaluation of the equine stifle joint is now possible in the average equine athlete. A recent publication described common abnormalities of horses with stifle lameness detected with a low‐field MRI system; however, postmortem corroboration of the lesions detected was not possible. Therefore, our objective was to compare postmortem findings with low‐field MRI findings in equine cadaver stifle joints. Ten fresh cadaver stifle joints from horses without clinical signs of stifle disease were evaluated using low‐field MRI, gross dissection, and histopathology. In eight stifles, either the lateral or medial cranial meniscotibial ligament had an irregular shape, fiber separation, or moderate abnormal signal intensity (SI) on all sequences. In five stifles, the medial femoral condyle had articular cartilage fibrillation with or without an osteochondral defect over the weight bearing surface of the medial femoral condyle. All stifles had abnormal SI on all sequences within the patellar ligaments that corresponded with adipose tissue infiltrating between the collagen bundles. Other abnormalities identified included articular cartilage fibrillation of the tibial condyles in three stifles, and articular cartilage fibrillation with chondral defects in the patella in three stifles. All abnormalities detected with low‐field MRI were corroborated by gross dissection. Findings from the current study supported the use of low‐field MRI for detection of stifle joint lesions in horses and demonstrated that some stifle joint pathologies may be subclinical in horses.
Hall polynomials and the Gabriel–Roiter submodules of simple homogeneous modules
Authors: Szántó Csaba , Szöllősi István
Published: December 2014

Let be an arbitrary field and be an acyclic quiver of tame type (that is, of type ). Consider the path algebra , the category of finite‐dimensional right modules , and the minimal positive imaginary root of , denoted by . In the first part of the paper, we deduce that the Gabriel–Roiter (GR) inclusions in preprojective indecomposables and homogeneous modules of dimension , as well as their GR measures are field independent (a similar result due to Ringel being true in general over Dynkin quivers). Using this result, we can prove in a more general setting a theorem by Bo Chen which states that the GR submodule of a homogeneous module of dimension is preprojective of defect and so the pair is a Kronecker pair. The generalization consists in considering the originally missing case and using arbitrary fields (instead of algebraically closed ones). Our proof is based on the idea of Ringel (used in the Dynkin quiver context) of comparing all possible Hall polynomials with the special form they take in case of a GR inclusion. For this purpose, we determine (with the help of a program written in GAP) a list of tame Hall polynomials which may have further interesting applications.
Stable, ruggedized, and nanometer-order size transfer mold field emitter array in harsh oxygen radical environment
Authors: Nakamoto Masayuki , Moon Jonghyun
Published: December 2014

Extremely sharp, uniform, stable, rugged, low operating voltage, and nanometer size molybdenum field emitter arrays (Mo FEAs) were developed by transfer mold fabrication. These can be used in stable and reliable vacuum nanoelectronic devices such as those used in electric propulsion engines and in environmentally demanding applications. Nanometer size transfer mold Mo FEAs were fabricated with base lengths of 36–370 nm. The 36 nm base length transfer mold Mo FEAs are the smallest FEA's ever reported. The tip radii were as sharp as 2.8–3.5 nm. The turn-on fields of the transfer mold Mo FEAs with a base length of 36–370 nm were found to be as low as 9.0–23.6 V/μm for the short anode-to-apex distance of less than 10 μm. These are lower than those of conventional FEA's such as carbon nanotube FEAs, Spindt-type FEAs, and Gray-type FEAs with approximate turn-on fields of 50–600 V/μm. They can thus be used in reliable vacuum nanoelectronic devices. The emission fluctuation of the 36 nm base length transfer mold Mo FEAs without a resistive layer were found to be as low as ±1.6% and this value is the lowest ever reported. Conventional FEAs with and without resistive layers have values of 5%–100% and higher than 100%, respectively. The field emission characteristics of the FEAs have been evaluated by in-situ oxygen radical treatment with a flux of 1015 atoms cm−2 s−1. This value is 107–108 times higher than that of typical low earth orbit fluxes. The environmental characteristics of the transfer mold Mo FEAs were compared with those of transfer mold Ni FEAs. The turn-on fields of the transfer mold Mo FEAs changed slightly from 10.8 to 22.5 V/μm at 1 min from the initiation time. It was almost saturated at 29.4 V/μm upon 5 min of in-situ oxygen radical treatment. A rapid increase in the turn-on field from 14.9 to 59.4 V/μm upon in-situ radical treatment for 3 min was observed for the Ni FEAs. The experimental work functions measured by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy and the work functions calculated by the slope of Fowler–Nordheim plots for the transfer mold Mo FEAs changed slightly from 4.3 to 5.2 eV and from 4.3 to 5.3 eV, respectively, after oxygen radical treatment for 5 min. The calculated work functions are similar to the experimental work functions because the transfer mold Mo FEAs have extremely uniform geometric factors and stable emission characteristics. The emission fluctuation rates determined without the radical treatment of the transfer mold Mo FEAs without a resistive layer were found to be as low as ±1.7%. Even with in-situ radical treatment for 30 min the transfer mold Mo FEAs exhibited remarkably stable emission without spike noise and with fluctuations as low as ±4.5%. Therefore, the extremely stable and nanometer size transfer mold Mo FEAs are expected to be useful in the production of vacuum nanoelectronic devices.
Optical modeling of plasma-deposited ZnO films: Electron scattering at different length scales
Authors: Knoops Harm C. M. , van de Loo Bas W. H. , Smit Sjoerd , Ponomarev Mikhail V. , Weber Jan-Willem , Sharma Kashish , Kessels Wilhelmus M. M. , Creatore Mariadriana
Published: December 2014

In this work, an optical modeling study on electron scattering mechanisms in plasma-deposited ZnO layers is presented. Because various applications of ZnO films pose a limit on the electron carrier density due to its effect on the film transmittance, higher electron mobility values are generally preferred instead. Hence, insights into the electron scattering contributions affecting the carrier mobility are required. In optical models, the Drude oscillator is adopted to represent the free-electron contribution and the obtained optical mobility can be then correlated with the macroscopic material properties. However, the influence of scattering phenomena on the optical mobility depends on the considered range of photon energy. For example, the grain-boundary scattering is generally not probed by means of optical measurements and the ionized-impurity scattering contribution decreases toward higher photon energies. To understand this frequency dependence and quantify contributions from different scattering phenomena to the mobility, several case studies were analyzed in this work by means of spectroscopic ellipsometry and Fourier transform infrared (IR) spectroscopy. The obtained electrical parameters were compared to the results inferred by Hall measurements. For intrinsic ZnO (i-ZnO), the in-grain mobility was obtained by fitting reflection data with a normal Drude model in the IR range. For Al-doped ZnO (Al:ZnO), besides a normal Drude fit in the IR range, an Extended Drude fit in the UV-vis range could be used to obtain the in-grain mobility. Scattering mechanisms for a thickness series of Al:ZnO films were discerned using the more intuitive parameter “scattering frequency” instead of the parameter “mobility”. The interaction distance concept was introduced to give a physical interpretation to the frequency dependence of the scattering frequency. This physical interpretation furthermore allows the prediction of which Drude models can be used in a specific frequency range.
Possible applications of scanning frequency comb microscopy for carrier profiling in semiconductors
Authors: Hagmann Mark J. , Andrei Petru , Pandey Shashank , Nahata Ajay
Published: December 2014

In scanning frequency comb microscopy, a mode-locked ultrafast laser is focused on the tunneling junction of a scanning tunneling microscope to generate a microwave frequency comb (MFC) with hundreds of measurable harmonics that is superimposed on the dc tunneling current when the sample is metallic. With semiconductor samples, each laser pulse creates a surface charge that may have a radius of less than 1 nm, and this charge is rapidly dispersed by intense electrostatic repulsion. Time or frequency-domain measurements of the resulting pulse train with semiconductors, or hyperspectral measurements of the MFC with metals, may be used to determine the properties near the surface of a sample with atomic resolution.
Single Crystal Perovskites Analyzed Using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy: 2. YAlO3(110)
Authors: Haasch Richard T. , Breckenfeld Eric , Martin Lane W.
Published: December 2014

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyze a commercially available YAlO3(110) bulk single crystal. XP spectra were obtained using incident monochromatic Al Kα radiation at 0.83401 nm. A survey spectrum together with O 1s, Y 2p, C 1s, Y 3d, Al 2p, Y 4p, and O 2s core level spectra and the valence band are presented. The spectra indicate the principle core level photoelectron and Auger electron signals and show only minor carbon contamination. Making use of the O 1s, Y 3d, Al 2p lines and neglecting the components related to surface contaminants, XPS quantitative analysis reveals an altered stoichiometry of the air-exposed crystal surface of YAl1.06O2.48.
Single Crystal Perovskites Analyzed Using X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy: 4. (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2TaAlO6)0.7(001)
Authors: Haasch Richard T. , Breckenfeld Eric , Martin Lane W.
Published: December 2014

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to analyze a commercially available (LaAlO3)0.3(Sr2TaAlO6)0.7 (001) bulk single crystal. XP spectra were obtained using incident monochromatic Al Kα radiation at 0.83401 nm. A survey spectrum together with La 3d, O 1s, C 1s, Sr 3p, Ta 4d, La 4p, Sr 3d, Al 2s, La 4d, Al 2p, Ta 5p, La 5s, Ta 4f, O 2s, Sr 4p and La 5p core level spectra and the valence band are presented. The spectra indicate the principle core level photoelectron and Auger electron signals and show only minor carbon contamination. Making use of the O 1s, Sr 3d, La 4d, Al 2p Ta 4f lines and neglecting the components related to surface contaminants, XPS quantitative analysis reveals an altered stoichiometry of the air-exposed crystal surface of La0.34Sr0.88Al0.82Ta0.43O3.
Why Chalk Breaks into Three Pieces When Dropped
Authors: Cross Rod
Published: December 2014

It has been the author's experience over many years, no doubt shared by others, that a stick of chalk usually breaks into three pieces when accidentally dropped onto the floor. I rarely gave it any thought, apart from noting that the fundamental mode of vibration of a freely supported, rigid rod has two nodes at an equal distance from each end. For example, a baseball bat has a node in the barrel (the sweet spot) about 15 cm from the end and another node in the handle. However, chalk is not expected to break at the node points, since maximum stress arises at the antinode in the middle of the chalk where bending is a maximum. Richard Feynman described a similar problem with long sticks of spaghetti.1 He found that they always break into three or more pieces when bent slowly beyond their breaking point, rather than simply breaking in half. He was unable to figure out why, although the problem was solved many years later2 and is nicely illustrated by Vollmer and Mollmann.3
Standing Waves and Inquiry Using Water Droplets
Authors: Sinclair Dina , Vondracek Mark
Published: December 2014

Most high school and introductory college physics classes study simple harmonic motion and various wave phenomena. With the majority of states adopting the Next Generation Science Standards1 and pushing students to explore the scientific process for themselves, there is a growing demand for hands-on inquiry activities that involve and develop more data analysis and computational thinking skills. This article outlines several options for using an engaging standing wave phenomenon, Faraday waves, in physics classes. These options include the instructor using Faraday waves as a class demonstration of interesting fluid and wave properties, students doing an inquiry lab to investigate several properties of Faraday waves on water droplets, and the possibility of smaller numbers of students using Faraday waves as an independent research topic.
Teaching the Factors Affecting Resistance Using Pencil Leads
Authors: Küçüközer Asuman
Published: December 2014

The aim of this paper is to provide a way of teaching the factors that affect resistance using mechanical pencil leads and the brightness of the light given out by a light bulb connected to an electrical circuit. The resistance of a conductor is directly proportional to its length (L) and inversely proportional to its cross-sectional area (A). Additionally, the resistance depends on the type of conductor. Resistance R can be thus be expressed as R = ρL/A, where ρ is the resistivity of the conductor.
A Nontoxic Barlow's Wheel
Authors: Daffron John A. , Greenslade Thomas B.
Published: December 2014

Barlow's wheel has been a favorite demonstration since its invention by Peter Barlow (1776–1862) in 1822.1 In the form shown in Fig. 1, it represents the first electric motor. The interaction between the electric current passing from the axle of the wheel to the rim and the magnetic field produced by the U-magnet produces a torque that turns the wheel. The original device used mercury to provide electrical contact to the rim, and the dangers involved with the use of this heavy metal have caused the apparatus to disappear from the lecture hall.
Infrared Radiography: Modeling X-ray Imaging Without Harmful Radiation
Authors: Zietz Otto , Mylott Elliot , Widenhorn Ralf
Published: December 2014

Planar x-ray imaging is a ubiquitous diagnostic tool and is routinely performed to diagnose conditions as varied as bone fractures and pneumonia. The underlying principle is that the varying attenuation coefficients of air, water, tissue, bone, or metal implants within the body result in non-uniform transmission of x-ray radiation. Through the detection of transmitted radiation, the spatial organization and composition of materials in the body can be ascertained. In this paper, we describe an original apparatus that teaches these concepts by utilizing near infrared radiation and an up-converting phosphorescent screen to safely probe the contents of an opaque enclosure.
Center of mass demonstration on the fly
Authors: Hazelrigg Conner , Baker Blane
Published: December 2014

Center of mass (CM) is an important concept in physics, especially when studying extended bodies.1 For example, general motion of an extended body can be considered as the sum of the translational motion of the CM plus other types of motion about that CM. CM also can be regarded as a “balance point” so that a system supported at its CM remains in static equilibrium. In the context of Newton's laws of motion, acceleration of CM is determined by the ratio of the net external force acting on a system to the system's total mass. Given the usefulness of CM in analyzing numerous motions, knowing concepts associated with CM is helpful for students of physics. Within the physics community, previous workers have discussed centers of mass of various toys2 and described experiments to determine centers of mass.3,4 Here we describe a quickly assembled demonstration to show static equilibrium of an object when it is supported along a line of action through its CM.
Hip Strengthening Compared With Quadriceps Strengthening in Conservative Treatment of Patients With Patellofemoral Pain: A Critically Appraised Topic
Authors: Regelski Chyrsten L. , Ford Brittany L. , Hoch Matthew C.
Published: December 2014

Clinical Scenario:

Patellofemoral pain is a common injury that affects both athletic and sedentary populations. Clinicians may treat patellofemoral pain more effectively through a comprehensive understanding of the most effective exercise protocols.

Clinical Question:

In patients with patellofemoral pain, are hip abductor and external rotator muscle strengthening exercises more effective in reducing pain and improving patient-reported function compared with isolated quadriceps strengthening?

Summary of Key Findings:

A comprehensive and systematic database search was conducted for studies of level 2 evidence or higher. The search yielded 253 studies; of these studies, four randomized control trials and one comparative control trial fit the inclusion and exclusion criteria. A combination of quadriceps and hip strengthening exercises or hip strengthening exercises alone reduced pain and improved patient-reported function compared with quadriceps strengthening alone.

Clinical Bottom Line:

There is strong evidence to support the use of hip strengthening or hip strengthening combined with quadriceps strengthening in the treatment of patellofem-oral pain to decrease pain and improve patient reported function.

Strength of Recommendation:

The Strength of Recommendation Taxonomy recommends a grade of A for level 1 evidence with consistent patient-oriented findings.
Influence of Mulligan Ankle Taping on Functional Performance Tests in Healthy Athletes and Athletes With Chronic Ankle Instability
Authors: Someeh Marjan , Norasteh Ali Asghar , Daneshmandi Hassan , Asadi Abbas
Published: December 2014

Context:

Ankle sprains or chronic ankle instability (CAI) is common in athletes and a common method for decreasing the effects of ankle instable is using tape.

Objective:

To determine whether Mulligan ankle taping (MAT) influenced the functional performance (FP) tests in athletes with and without CAI.

Design:

A cross-sectional study using a within-subject experimental design between four ankle conditions (taped and untaped, athletes with and without CAI).

Setting:

Research laboratory.

Participants:

Sixteen professional athletes with unilateral CAI (10 men and 6 women; age 23.2 ± 3 years, height 175.4 ± 10.3 cm, weight 73 ± 14.5 kg, and body mass index 23.8 ± 3.6%) and 16 uninjured professional athletes (10 men and 6 women; age 22.8 ± 1.7 years, height 173.6 ± 12.2 cm, weight 66.4 ± 11.4 kg, and body mass index 22.2 ± 3.3%) volunteered to participant in this study.

Intervention:

Mulligan ankle taping.

Main Outcome Measures:

FP tests including single leg hopping course, Figure-of-8 hop and side hop were measured for both the groups in two conditions: taped and untaped.

Results:

There were significant differences between injured and uninjured athletes in all FP tests (P < .05). MAT significantly improved FP tests in both groups (P < .05).

Conclusion:

We found that MAT can improve FP tests in athletes with CAI and uninjured athletes. Therefore, it seems that MAT can be an effective method for enhancing athletes’ performance in sports that require lateral movements.
Does a healthy lifestyle behaviour influence the prognosis of low back pain among men and women in a general population? A population-based cohort study
Authors: Bohman Tony , Alfredsson Lars , Jensen Irene , Hallqvist Johan , Vingård Eva , Skillgate Eva
Published: December 2014

Objectives

To study the influence of healthy lifestyle behaviour on the prognosis of occasional low back pain among men and women in a general population.

Design

Cohort study with a 4-year follow-up.

Settings

General population in Stockholm County, Sweden.

Participants

The study sample comprised 3938 men and 5056 women aged 18–84 from the Stockholm Public Health Cohort reporting occasional low back pain in the baseline questionnaire 2006.

Measures

Lifestyle factors and potential confounders were assessed at baseline. The lifestyle factors smoking habits, alcohol consumption, leisure physical activity and consumption of fruit and vegetables were dichotomised using recommendations for a health-enhancing lifestyle and combined to form the exposure variable ‘healthy lifestyle behaviour’. The exposure was categorised into five levels according to the number of healthy lifestyle factors met. The follow-up questionnaire in 2010 gave information about the outcome, long duration troublesome low back pain. Crude and adjusted binomial regression models were applied to estimate the association between the exposure and the outcome analysing men and women separately.

Results

The risk of developing long duration troublesome low back pain among women with occasional low back pain decreased with increasing healthy lifestyle behaviour (trend test: p=0.006). 21% (28/131) among women with no healthy lifestyle factor (reference) experienced the outcome compared to 9% (36/420) among women with all four factors. Compared to the reference group, the risk was reduced by 35% (RR 0.65, 95% CI 0.44 to 0.96) for women with one healthy lifestyle factor and 52% (RR 0.48, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.77) for women with all four healthy lifestyle factors. There were no clear associations found among men.

Conclusions

Healthy lifestyle behaviour seems to decrease the risk of developing long duration troublesome low back pain among women with occasional low back pain and may be recommended to improve the prognosis.
Standardised method for reporting exercise programmes: protocol for a modified Delphi study
Authors: Slade Susan C , Dionne Clermont E , Underwood Martin , Buchbinder Rachelle
Published: December 2014

Introduction

Exercise is integral to health across the lifespan and important for people with chronic health conditions. A systematic review of exercise trials for chronic conditions reported suboptimal descriptions of the evaluated interventions and concluded that this hinders interpretation and replication. The aim of this project is to develop a standardised method for reporting essential exercise programme details being evaluated in clinical trials.

Methods and analysis

A modified Delphi technique will be used to gain consensus among international exercise experts. We will use three sequential rounds of anonymous online questionnaires to refine a standardised checklist. A draft checklist of potentially relevant items was developed based on the results of a systematic review of exercise systematic reviews. An international panel of experts was identified by exercise systematic review authorship, established international profile in exercise research and practice and by peer referral. In round 1, the international panel of experts will be asked to rate the importance of each draft item and provide additional suggestions for revisions or new items. Consensus will be considered reached if at least 70% of the panel strongly agree/disagree that an item should be included or excluded. Where agreement is not reached or there are suggestions for altered or new items, these will be taken to round 2 together with an aggregated summary of round 1 responses. Following the second round, a ranking of item importance will be made to rationalise the number of items. The final template will be distributed to panel members for approval.

Ethics and dissemination

Ethics approval was received from The Cabrini Institute Ethics Committee, Melbourne, Australia (HREC 02-07-04-14). We plan to use a stepwise process to develop and refine a standardised and internationally agreed template for explicit reporting of exercise programmes. The template will be generalisable across all types of exercise interventions. The findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.
Solena amplexicaulis Induces Cell Cycle Arrest, Apoptosis and Inhibits Angiogenesis in Hepatocarcinoma Cells and HUVECs
Authors: Ren Jie , Xu Yuan Yuan , Jiang He Fei , Yang Meng , Huang Qian Hui , Yang Jie , Hu Kun , Wei Kun
Published: December 2014

Solena amplexicaulis (Lam.) Gandhi (SA) has been used as a traditional medicine for the treatment of dysentery, multiple abscess, gastralgia, urethritis, and eczema in the minority area of China. This study was aimed to examine the cell proliferation inhibitory activity of the SA extract (SACE) and its mechanism of action in human hepatoma cell line (HepG2) and evaluate its anti-angiogenesis activity in human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (HUVEC). SACE could inhibit the growth of HepG2 cells in a dose- and time-dependent manner. FCM analysis showed that SACE could induce G2/M phase arrest, cell apoptosis, the mitochondrial membrane potential loss (ΔΨm) and increase the production of intracellular ROS of HepG2 cells. After treatment with SACE, topical morphological changes of apoptotic body formation, obvious increase of apoptosis-related protein expressions, such as Bax, cytochrome c, caspase-3, PARP-1, and decrease of Bcl-2, procaspase-9 protein expressions were observed at the same time. Moreover, SACE caused the significant inhibition of endothelial cell migration and tube formation in HUVEC cells. The results suggested that SACE could act as an angiogenesis inhibitor and induce cell apoptosis via a caspase-dependent mitochondrial pathway. Therefore, SACE could be a potent candidate for the prevention and treatment of liver cancer.
Entanglement perturbation theory for infinite quasi-1D quantum systems
Authors: Wang Lihua , Chung Sung Gong
Published: December 2014

We develop entanglement perturbation theory (EPT) for infinite Quasi-1D quantum systems. The spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain with ferromagnetic nearest neighbor (NN) and antiferromagnetic next nearest neighbor (NNN) interactions with an easy-plane anisotropy is studied as a prototypical system. The obtained phase diagram is compared with a recent prediction [Phys. Rev. B 81, 094430 (2010)] that dimer and Néel orders appear alternately as the XXZ anisotropy Δ approaches the isotropic limit Δ = 1. The first and second transitions (across dimer, Néel and dimer phases) are detected with improved accuracy at Δ ≈ 0.722 and 0.930. The third transition (from dimer to Néel phases), previously predicted to be at Δ ≈ 0.98, is not detected at this Δ in our method, strongly indicating that the second Néel phase is absent.
A mesonic analog of the deuteron
Authors: Silbar Richard R. , Goldman T.
Published: December 2014

Using the LAMP model for nuclear quark structure, we calculate the binding energy and quark structure of a B meson merging with a D meson. Our variational calculation shows that a molecular, deuteron-like state structure changes rather abruptly, as the separation between the two mesons decreases, and at a separation of about 0.14 fm, the hadronic system transforms into a four-quark bound state, although one maintaining an internal structure rather than that of a four-quark "bag." Unlike the deuteron, pion exchange does not provide any contribution to the ≈ 150 MeV binding.
FRACTAL ANALYSIS OF STRESS SENSITIVITY OF PERMEABILITY IN POROUS MEDIA
Authors: TAN XIAO-HUA , LI XIAO-PING , LIU JIAN-YI , ZHANG LIE-HUI , CAI JIANCHAO
Published: December 2014

A permeability model for porous media considering the stress sensitivity is derived based on mechanics of materials and the fractal characteristics of solid cluster size distribution. The permeability of porous media considering the stress sensitivity is related to solid cluster fractal dimension, solid cluster fractal tortuosity dimension, solid cluster minimum diameter and solid cluster maximum diameter, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, as well as power index. Every parameter has clear physical meaning without the use of empirical constants. The model predictions of permeability show good agreement with those obtained by the available experimental expression. The proposed model may be conducible to a better understanding of the mechanism for flow in elastic porous media.
CHARACTERIZATION OF THE IRREGULARITY OF A TERRAIN USING FRACTAL DIMENSION OF LAKES' BOUNDARIES
Authors: KARLE NAKUL N. , KOLWANKAR KIRAN M.
Published: December 2014

Even though many objects and phenomena of importance in geophysics have been shown to have fractal character, there are still many of them which show self-similar character and yet to be studied. The objective of the present work is to demonstrate that the fractal dimension of the boundary of a natural water body can be used to shed light on irregularity as well as other properties of a region. Owing to easy availability of satellite images and image processing softwares, this turns out to be a handy tool. In this study, we have analyzed several lakes in India mostly around the Western Ghats region. We find that the fractal dimension of their boundaries for the length scales between around 40 m to 2 km, in general, has broad variation from 1.2 to 1.6. But when they are grouped into three categories, viz., lakes along the ridge of Western Ghats, lakes in the planes and lakes in the mountain region, we find the first two groups to have a narrower distribution of dimensions.