bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the application of Wentzel–Kramer–Brillouin theory for the simulation of the weakly nonlinear dynamics of gravity waves
Authors: Muraschko J. , Fruman M. D. , Achatz U. , Hickel S. , Toledo Y.
Published: April 2014

The dynamics of internal gravity waves is modelled using Wentzel–Kramer–Brillouin (WKB) theory in position–wave number phase space. A transport equation for the phase‐space wave‐action density is derived for describing one‐dimensional wave fields in a background with height‐dependent stratification and height‐ and time‐dependent horizontal‐mean horizontal wind, where the mean wind is coupled to the waves through the divergence of the mean vertical flux of horizontal momentum associated with the waves. The phase‐space approach bypasses the caustics problem that occurs in WKB ray‐tracing models when the wave number becomes a multivalued function of position, such as in the case of a wave packet encountering a reflecting jet or in the presence of a time‐dependent background flow. Two numerical models were developed to solve the coupled equations for the wave‐action density and horizontal mean wind: an Eulerian model using a finite‐volume method and a Lagrangian ‘phase‐space ray tracer’ that transports wave‐action density along phase‐space paths determined by the classical WKB ray equations for position and wave number. The models are used to simulate the upward propagation of a Gaussian wave packet through a variable stratification, a wind jet and the mean flow induced by the waves. Results from the WKB models are in good agreement with simulations using a weakly nonlinear wave‐resolving model, as well as with a fully nonlinear large‐eddy‐simulation model. The work is a step toward more realistic parametrizations of atmospheric gravity waves in weather and climate models.
Controllable Synthesis of Doped Graphene and Its Applications
Authors: Xue Yunzhou , Wu Bin , Bao Qiaoliang , Liu Yunqi
Published: April 2014

Graphene is a wonder material with the ultimate smallest thickness that is readily accessible to various approaches for engineering its excellent properties. Graphene doping is an efficient way to tailor its electric properties and expand its applications. This topic covers wide research fields and has been developing rapidly. This article presents a broad and comprehensive overview of the developments in the preparation and applications of doped graphene including doping methods, doping levels, doping effect and types of heteroatoms. Very recent advances are also presented. In addition, existing problems in terms of achieving greater control over and further developments of doped graphene are also discussed.
Oxidation of Water Atomized Metal Powders
Authors: Persson Fredrik , Eliasson Anders , Jönsson Pär G.
Published: April 2014

This study focuses on the oxidation of water atomized metal powders. Pilot plant experiments were performed using liquid iron alloyed with manganese and carbon. The powder particle shape and the oxides were determined using optical and scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X‐ray microanalysis. The oxygen in the atomized powders was mainly present as thin surface oxide layers, which were determined to increase from 10 to 40–60 nm, at increased particle sizes from 10 to 750 μm. In addition, manganese oxides were observed to be unevenly distributed at the surface of several particles for iron powders alloyed with 0.3 mass% Mn. Experimental data indicated that between 10 and 20% of the manganese was present as oxides in the powders. However, equilibrium calculations predicted a strong driving force for oxidation of manganese. More specifically, it was estimated that only 4% of the initial manganese content remained in the final atomized powders.
Is high fetal nuchal translucency associated with submicroscopic chromosomal abnormalities on array CGH?
Authors: Huang J. , Poon L. C. , Akolekar R. , Choy K. W. , Leung T. Y. , Nicolaides K. H.
Published: April 2014

Objective

To examine the possible association between high fetal nuchal translucency thickness (NT) and pathogenic chromosomal copy number variants (CNVs) detected by array comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) in pregnancies with normal fetal karyotype.

Methods

Array CGH was carried out in stored samples of chorionic villi from 215 singleton pregnancies resulting in live births in which chorionic villus sampling at 11–13 weeks' gestation for high fetal NT (≥ 3.5 mm) had demonstrated normal karyotype.

Results

Median fetal NT was 4.0 (range, 3.5–9.5) mm. Array CGH detected additional CNVs in 1.4% (95% CI, 0.5–4.0) of the cases, but none of these was a known pathogenic CNV.

Conclusion

High fetal NT in the absence of sonographically detectable defects may not be associated with pathogenic CNVs. Copyright © 2014 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
The roles of DAZL in RNA biology and development
Authors: Smorag Lukasz , Xu Xingbo , Engel Wolfgang , Pantakani D.V. Krishna
Published: April 2014

RNA‐binding proteins play an important role in the regulation of gene expression by modulating translation and localization of specific messenger RNAs (mRNAs) during early development and gametogenesis. The DAZ (Deleted in Azoospermia) family of proteins, which includes DAZ, DAZL, and BOULE, are germ cell‐specific RNA‐binding proteins that are implicated in translational regulation of several transcripts. Of particular importance is DAZL, which is present in vertebrates and arose from the duplication of the ancestral BOULE during evolution. Identification of DAZL target mRNAs and characterization of the RNA‐binding sequence through in vitro binding assays and crystallographic studies revealed that DAZL binds to GUU triplets in the 3′ untranslated region of target mRNAs. Although there is compelling evidence for the role of DAZL in translation stimulation of target mRNAs, recent studies indicate that DAZL can also function in translational repression and transport of specific mRNAs. Furthermore, apart from the well‐characterized function of DAZL in gametogenesis, recent data suggest its role in early embryonic development and differentiation of pluripotent stem cells toward functional gametes. In light of the mounting evidence for the role of DAZL in various cellular and developmental processes, we summarize the currently characterized biological functions of DAZL in RNA biology and development. WIREs RNA 2014, 5:527–535. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1228

This article is categorized under:

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein–RNA Recognition

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > RNA–Protein Complexes

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein–RNA Interactions: Functional Implications
Inter‐Tissue Differences in Fatty Acid Incorporation as a Result of Dietary Oil Manipulation in Port Jackson Sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni)
Authors: Beckmann Crystal L. , Mitchell James G. , Stone David A. J. , Huveneers Charlie
Published: April 2014

Fatty acid profile analysis is a tool for dietary investigation that may complement traditional stomach contents analysis. While recent studies have shown that the liver of sharks fed different diets have differing fatty acid profiles, the degree to which diet is reflected in shark blood serum and muscle tissue is still poorly understood. An 18‐week controlled feeding experiment was undertaken using captive Port Jackson sharks (Heterodontus portusjacksoni). Sharks were fed exclusive diets of artificial pellets treated with fish or poultry oil and sampled every 6 weeks. The fatty acid profiles from liver, blood serum, and muscle were affected differently, with the period from which significant differences were observed varying by tissue and diet type. The total fatty acid profiles of fish oil and poultry oil fed sharks were significantly different from week 12 onwards in the liver and blood serum, but significant differences were only observed by week 18 in the muscle tissue of sharks fed different diets. The drivers of dissimilarity which aligned with dietary input were 14:0, 18:2n‐6, 20:5n‐3, 18:1n‐9 and 22:6n‐3 in the liver and blood serum. Dietary fatty acids accumulated more consistently in the liver than in the blood plasma or muscle, likely due to its role as the central organ for fat processing and storage. Blood serum and muscle fatty acid profiles were influenced by diet, but fluctuated over‐time. The low level of correlation between diet and muscle FA profiles is likely a result of low levels of fat (<1 %) in the muscle and the domination of structural, cell‐membrane phospholipids in shark muscle tissues. Our findings describe inter‐tissue differences in the incorporation of fatty acids from the diet to consumer, which should be taken into account when interpreting dietary patterns from fatty acid profiles.
Plasma Lipids, Lipoprotein Metabolism and HDL Lipid Transfers are Equally Altered in Metabolic Syndrome and in Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Silva Vanessa M. , Vinagre Carmen G. C. , Dallan Luis A. O. , Chacra Ana P. M. , Maranhão Raul C.
Published: April 2014

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) refers to states of insulin resistance that predispose to development of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes (T2DM). The aim was to investigate whether plasma lipids and lipid metabolism differ in MetS patients compared to those with T2DM with poor glycemic control (glycated hemoglobin > 7.0). Eighteen patients with T2DM, 18 with MetS and 14 controls, paired for age (40–70 years) and body mass index (BMI), were studied. Plasma lipids and the kinetics of a triacylglycerol‐rich emulsion labeled with [3H]‐triolein ([3H]‐TAG) and [14C]‐cholesteryl esters ([14C]‐CE) injected intravenously followed by one‐hour blood sampling were determined. Lipid transfers from an artificial nanoemulsion donor to high‐density lipoprotien (HDL) were assayed in vitro. Low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) and HDL cholesterol (mg/dl) were not different in T2DM (128 ± 7; 42 ± 7) and MetS (142 ± 6; 39 ± 3), but triacylglycerols were even higher in MetS (215 ± 13) than in T2DM (161 ±11, p < 0.05). Fractional clearance rate (FCR, in min1) of [3H]‐TAG and [14C]‐CE were equal in T2DM (0.008 ± 0.018; 0.005 ± 0.024) and MetS (0.010 ± 0.016; 0.006 ± 0.013), and both were reduced compared to controls. The transfer of non‐esterified cholesterol, phospholipids and triacylglycerols to HDL was higher in MetS and T2DM than in controls (p < 0.01). Cholesteryl ester transfer and HDL size were equal in all groups. Results imply that MetS is equal to poorly controlled T2DM concerning the disturbances of plasma lipid metabolism examined here, and suggest that there are different thresholds for the insulin action on glucose and lipids. These findings highlight the magnitude of the lipid disturbances in MetS, and may have implications in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases.
More Than One Million New American Indians in 2000: Who Are They?
Authors: Liebler Carolyn A. , Ortyl Timothy
Published: April 2014

More than one million people reported their race as American Indian/Alaska Native (AIAN) in the 2000 U.S. census but did not do so in the 1990 census. We ask three questions. First, which subgroups had the greatest numerical growth? Second, which subgroups had the greatest proportional increase? And third, are the 2000 single-race AIANs and the 1990 AIANs the same set of people? We use full-count and high-density decennial census data; adjust for birth, death, and immigration; decompose on age, gender, Latino origin, education, and birth state; and compare the observed subgroup sizes in 2000 with the sizes expected based on 1990 counts. The largest numerical increases were among adolescent and middle-aged non-Latinos, non-Latino women, and adults with no college degree. Latinos, women, highly educated adults, and people born in Eastern states had the largest proportionate gains. The ability to report multiple races in 2000 and the new federal definition of “American Indian” may have especially affected these groups, although personal-identity changes are probably also involved. We find that thousands of new Latino AIANs reported only one race in 2000, but many 1990 AIANs reported multiple races in 2000. Thus, the 1990 AIANs and 2000 single-race AIANs are not always the same individuals.
Exploring the Middle Classes in Nairobi: From Modes of Production to Modes of Sophistication
Authors: Spronk Rachel
Published: April 2014

This article explores the middle classes as cultural practice by focusing on the young professionals, or “yuppies,” of Nairobi. Young professionals are particularly interesting to study because they are the population that has reaped the benefits of a historical development of socioeconomic opportunities. They also occupy an interesting position in the context of local preoccupations with being modern or “sophisticated” in Kenya and in terms of the expectations and assumptions of previous generations. The article touches briefly on the history of class analysis in African studies and then, departing from Marx and following a Weberian analysis, shows how three factors are important in analyzing the middle classes and the forging of class identities in a globalizing world: access to education, resulting in salaried occupations; consumption patterns; and modern self-perceptions.
SPIRITUAL BORDER CROSSINGS: CHILDBIRTH, POSTPARTUM SECLUSION AND RELIGIOUS ALTERITY IN AMHARA, ETHIOPIA
Authors: Hannig Anita
Published: April 2014

This article examines the event of postpartum seclusion of mother and infant in the Amhara region of north-west Ethiopia. During the period between birth and baptism, the mother–child pair remains in private repose, is subject to a variety of ritual prohibitions, and is barred from entering a church. Despite the mother's Orthodox Christian identity, both she and the child are called ‘Muslims’ during this time. Why should this be the case? What happens during the birthing event and its aftermath that would bring about this temporary shift in their religious designation? By shedding light on the distinct models of maternal care, safety, and danger that are emphasized in ‘childbed’, this study seeks an answer to these questions. In doing so, it also contributes to a broader understanding of why most Amhara mothers do not, at present, avail themselves of institutional deliveries and biomedical births but prefer to give birth at home.
AssemblingFordizm: The Production of Automobiles, Americans, and Bolsheviks in Detroit and Early Soviet Russia
Authors: Greenstein David E.
Published: April 2014

The expansion of the Ford Motor Company into Soviet Russia has been understood as part of a unidirectional spread of American economic power and cultural forms abroad following the First World War. This essay looks beyond the automobiles and manufacturing methods sent from Ford facilities in Detroit to the emerging Soviet automobile industry to examine multidirectional migrations of workers between Russia and the United States that underlay but sometimes collided with Ford's system. Workers, managers, engineers, and cultural, technical, and disciplinary knowledge moved back and forth between factories in Soviet Russia and the United States. Efforts to define, track, and shape workers in both countries as Americans, Russians, or Bolsheviks were integral to the construction of the products and methods that Ford sold. But many workers fell in between and contested these classifications and they often defied company attempts to create an efficient and homogeneous American workforce. In Russia, too, more than Soviet and American automobiles were produced: people and ideas were created that crossed and blurred boundaries between “American” and “Soviet.” There, “Fordizm” became a popular watchword among Soviet commentators and workers as a near-synonym for industrialization, mass production, and efficiency. Many saw it as a potentially valuable component of a new socialist world. These multidirectional movements, recorded in Ford Motor Company archives and related documents, suggest that rather than separate and alternative projects, Ford's burgeoning system to transform manufacturing and workers' lives in Detroit was linked to the Soviet revolutionary project to recreate life and work.
Capitalism's Fellow Traveler: The Soviet Union, Bretton Woods, and the Cold War, 1944–1958
Authors: Sanchez-Sibony Oscar
Published: April 2014

This paper is a reinterpretation of the origins of the Cold War from a novel point of view: Soviet foreign economic policy. It questions two fundamental concepts that have formed the basis for our understanding of that conflict: Soviet autarky, and bipolarity. Soviet autarky has been the basis for an understanding of a “war” that, although never fought on military terms, needed two sides to be so conceptualized. Just as enemies in war can have no areas of meaningful cooperation, so did academics require of these Cold War rivals an all-encompassing enmity. To do so they came to consider the Soviet Union a camp apart, unconnected and hostile to the capitalist order. Scholars required a Soviet Union politically committed to autarky. Using archives from Moscow, however, the article argues that the Soviet Union was not autarkic by political choice and, at length, not autarkic at all. It followed a similar trajectory in international economic engagement as that of the countries in the so-called free world, and what's more, sought to do so. In other words, when one looks at the political economy of Soviet economic relations, the conceptual framework of bipolarity that sustains much of the work on the Cold War becomes difficult to maintain. Instead, I argue, an immensely powerful liberal world order acted on the Soviet Union in ways that should be familiar to scholars of global capitalism.
The Dialectal Tribe and the Doctrine of Continuity
Authors: Berson Josh
Published: April 2014

In Australia, applicants for native title—legal recognition of proprietary interest in land devolving from traditions predating colonization—must meet a stringent standard of continuity of social identity since before the advent of Crown sovereignty. As courts and the legislature have gravitated toward an increasingly strict application of the continuity doctrine, anthropologists involved in land claims cases have found themselves rehearsing an old debate in Australian anthropology over the degree to which post-contact patterns of subsistence, movement, and ritual enactment can support inferences about life in precontact Australia. In the 1960s, at the dawn of the land claims era, a handful of anthropologists shifted the debate to an ecological plane. Characterizing Australia on the cusp of colonization as a late Holocene climax human ecosystem, they argued that certain recently observed patterns in the distribution of marks of social cohesion (mutual intelligibility of language, systems of classificatory kinship) could not represent the outcome of such a climax ecosystem and must indicate disintegration of Aboriginal social structures since contact. Foremost among them was Joseph Birdsell, for whom linguistic boundaries, under climax conditions, would self-evidently be congruent with boundaries in breeding pools. Birdsell's intervention came just as the Northern Territory Supreme Court was hearing evidence on the value of dialect as a marker of membership in corporate landholding groups in Yolngu country, and offers an object lesson in how language, race, mode of subsistence, and law come together in efforts to answer the questions “Who was here first?” and “Are those people still here?”
Regulation of “Religion” and the “Religious”: The Politics of Judicialization and Bureaucratization in India and Indonesia
Authors: Sezgin Yüksel , Künkler Mirjam
Published: April 2014

This article compares the strategies through which Hindu-majority India and Muslim-majority Indonesia have regulated religion and addressed questions of what constitutes “the religious” in the post-independence period. We show that the dominant approach pursued by the Indian state has been one of judicialization—the delegation of religious questions to the high courts—while in Indonesia it has predominantly been one of bureaucratization—the regulation of religious issues by the Ministry of Religious Affairs. Contrary to the expectation that judicialization devitalizes normative conflicts while bureaucratization, more frequently associated with authoritarian politics, “locks” these conflicts “in,” we show that these expectations have not materialized, and at times, the effects have been reverse. Engaging the literatures on judicialization and on bureaucratization, we argue that what determines the consequences of the policy toward religion is less the choice of the implementing institution (i.e., the judiciary or bureaucracy) than the mode of delegation (vertical versus horizontal) which shapes the relationship between the policy-maker and the institution implementing it. Bureaucrats, judges, and elected politicians in multicultural societies around the world encounter questions of religious nature very similar to those that authorities in India and Indonesia have faced. How they address the challenge of religious heterogeneity has a profound impact on prospects of nation-building and democratization. It is therefore imperative that the consequences of the policy toward religion, and even more so the consequences of political delegation, be studied more systematically.
“The Duty to Act Fairly”: Ethics, Legal Anthropology, and Labor Justice in the Manual Workers Union of Botswana
Authors: Werbner Pnina
Published: April 2014

This paper analyses the significance of the Botswana High Court and Court of Appeal judgments of a case in which the Manual Worker Union, a blue-collar public sector union, challenged the Botswana Government to reinstate dismissed workers with all their past benefits. I examine the role of public ethics and morality in Botswana as reflected in key notions used by High Court judges, such as “the duty to act fairly” and “legitimate expectations,” and argue that legal anthropologists have neglected such ideas, despite their having become a bedrock of contemporary judicial reasoning. While anthropology has shown a renewed interest in ethics, issues of public ethics and morality remain relatively unexplored in contemporary legal anthropological debates. One has to go back to the work of Max Gluckman on reasonableness in judicial decision-making among the Barotse to find foundational anthropological insights into the morality and ethics of law in non-Western societies. In the legally plural context of Botswana, notions of equity and fairness, this paper argues, “permeate” the legal landscape.
SOCIO-CULTURAL DETERMINANTS OF INFANT MALNUTRITION IN CAMEROON
Authors: PEMUNTA NGAMBOUK VITALIS , FUBAH MATHIAS ALUBAFI
Published: April 2014

This study seeks to explore and explain the socio-cultural factors responsible for the incidence of infant malnutrition in Cameroon with particular emphasis on northern Cameroon where it is most accentuated. It combines quantitative data drawn from the 1991, 1998, 2004 and 2011 Cameroon Demographic and Health Surveys, as well as a literature review of publications by the WHO and UNICEF. This is further complemented with qualitative data from various regions of Cameroon, partly from a national ethnographic study on the ethno-medical causes of infertility in Cameroon conducted between 1999 and 2000. Whereas socio-cultural factors related to child feeding and maternal health (breast-feeding, food taboos and representations of the colostrum as dangerous for infants) are widespread throughout Cameroon, poverty-related factors (lack of education for mothers, natural disaster, unprecedented influx of refugees, inaccessibility and inequity in the distribution of health care services) are pervasive in northern Cameroon. This conjunction of factors accounts for the higher incidence of infant malnutrition and mortality in northern Cameroon. The study suggests the need for women's empowerment and for health care personnel in transcultural situations to understand local cultural beliefs, practices and sentiments before initiating change efforts in infant feeding practices and maternal health. Biomedical services should be tailored to the social and cultural needs of the target population – particularly women – since beliefs and practices underpin therapeutic recourse. Whereas infant diarrhoea might be believed to be the result of sexual contact, in reality, it is caused by unhygienic conditions. Similarly, weaning foods aimed at transmitting ethnic identity might not meet a child's age-specific food needs and might instead give rise to malnutrition.
Effect of q-non-extensive distribution of electrons on the plasma sheath floating potential
Authors: Sharifian M. , Sharifinejad H. R. , Zarandi M. Borhani , Niknam A. R.
Published: April 2014

In this paper, a collisionless unmagnetized plasma sheath consisting of electrons following non-extensive q-distribution, and cold mobile inertial ions is studied in the stationary state. In this type of plasma with non-Maxwellian electron distribution (Tsallis statistical mechanics), the effective electron temperature (Te, eff) and electron screening temperature (Te,*) are evaluated. The other plasma sheath phenomena such as the Bohm sheath criterion, Debye shielding, floating potential, and sheath length are investigated in the presence of q-non-extensive velocity-distributed electrons. It is observed that above-mentioned phenomena depend significantly on the non-extensive parameter q.
Generalized permittivity tensor for the description of waves in general relativistic plasma around a Schwarzschild black hole
Authors: Ramezani-Arani R. , Abdoli-Arani A. , Shokrgozar-Arani H.
Published: April 2014

The effects of gravitation on the permittivity tensor in the relativistic electron--positron or ions plasma in a frame of reformulated relativistic two-fluid equations by gravitational effects due to the event horizon using the 3 + 1 formalism of general relativity are investigated. The plasma is assumed to be freefalling in the radial direction toward the event horizon due to the strong gravitational field of a Schwarzschild black hole. The elements of the generalized permittivity tensor in this configuration are obtained. It is shown that the permittivity tensor could be written as a summation of two parts: Hermitian and non-Hermitian parts. Furthermore, the generalized dispersion relations are investigated for transverse and longitudinal modes. In the absence of gravitation effects, correctness of the obtained results is confirmed.
Non-extensive effects on the characteristics of dust-acoustic solitary waves in magnetized dusty plasma with two-temperature isothermal ions
Authors: Sabetkar Akbar , Dorranian Davoud
Published: April 2014

The nonlinear Zakharov–Kuznetsov and the modified Zakharov–Kuznetsov equations are derived for dust-acoustic solitary waves (DASWs) in a magnetized four-component dusty plasma system comprising negatively charged cold dust, non-extensive electrons, and two-temperature thermal ions using standard reductive perturbation method. The combined effects of electron non-extensivity, strength of magnetic field, and its obliqueness on the DASWs profile are analyzed. Different ranges of non-extensive q-parameter are considered. Our results show that solitary waves, that their amplitude and width of which depend sensitively on the q-non-extensive parameter, can exist. Due to electron non-extensivity, our dusty plasma model can admit positive potential as well as negative potential solitons. The strength of magnetic field has no effect on the amplitude of solitary waves, whereas its obliqueness affects both amplitude and width of the solitary waves structure. Results show that the amplitude of soliton increases with increasing the velocity of soltion. For any magnitude of q there is an extremum for the direction of the magnetic field at which the width of soliton is maximum.
Magnetized plasma photonic crystals band gap
Authors: Ataei Elahe , Sharifian Mehdi , Bidoki Najmeh Zare
Published: April 2014

In this paper, the effect of the magnetic field on one-dimensional plasma photonic crystal band gaps is studied. The one-dimensional fourfold plasma photonic crystal is applied that contains four periodic layers of different materials, namely plasma1–MgF2–plasma2–glass in one unit cell. Based on the principle of Kronig–Penney's model, dispersion relation for such a structure is obtained. The equations for effective dielectric functions of these two modes are theoretically deduced, and dispersion relations for transverse electric (TE) and transverse magnetic (TM) waves are calculated. At first, the main band gap width increases by applying the exterior magnetic field. Subsequently, the frequency region of this main band gap transfers completely toward higher frequencies. There is a particular upper limit for the magnitude of the magnetic field above which increasing the exterior magnetic field strength doesn't have any significant influence on the dispersion function behavior. (With an increase in incident angle up to θ1= 66°, the width of photonic band gap (PBG) changes for both TM/TE polarization.) With an increase in incident angle up to θ1= 66°, the width of PBG decreases for TM polarization and the width of PBG increases for TE polarization, but it increases with further increasing of the incident angle from θ1= 66° to 89° for both TE- and TM-polarizations. Also, it has been observed that the width of the photonic band gaps changes rapidly by relative difference of the two-plasma frequency. Results show the existence of several photonic band gaps that their frequency and dispersion magnitude can be controlled by the exterior magnetic field, incident angle, and two plasma frequencies. The result of this research would provide theoretical instructions for designing filters, microcavities, fibers, etc.
“Close but no Cigar”: the measurement of corruption
Authors: Heywood Paul M. , Rose Jonathan
Published: April 2014

The financial cost of corruption has recently been estimated at more than 5 per cent of global GDP. Yet, despite the widespread agreement that corruption is one of the most pressing policy challenges facing world leaders, it remains as widespread today, possibly even more so, as it was when concerted international attention began being devoted to the issue following the end of the Cold War. In reality, we still have a relatively weak understanding of how best to measure corruption and how to develop effective guides to action from such measurement. This paper provides a detailed review of existing approaches to measuring corruption, focusing in particular on perception-based and non-perceptual approaches. We highlight a gap between the conceptualisation of corruption and its measurement, and argue that there is a tension between the demands of policy-makers and anti-corruption activists on the one hand, and the motivations of academic researchers on the other. The search for actionable answers on the part of the former sits uncomfortably with the latter’s focus on the inherent complexity of corruption.
Vision-based topological mapping and localization by means of local invariant features and map refinement
Authors: Garcia-Fidalgo Emilio , Ortiz Alberto
Published: April 2014

We propose an appearance-based approach for topological visual mapping and localization using local invariant features. To optimize running times, matchings between the current image and previously visited places are determined using an index based on a set of randomized kd-trees. We use a discrete Bayes filter for predicting loop candidates, whose observation model is a novel approach based on an efficient matching scheme between features. In order to avoid redundant information in the resulting maps, we also present a map refinement framework, which takes into account the visual information stored in the map for refining the final topology of the environment. These refined maps save storage space and improve the execution times of localizations tasks. The approach is validated using image sequences from several environments and compared with the state-of-the-art FAB-MAP 2.0 algorithm.
Speeding up probabilistic roadmap planners with locality-sensitive hashing
Authors: Rantanen Mika T. , Juhola Martti
Published: April 2014

A crucial part of probabilistic roadmap planners is the nearest neighbor search, which is typically done by exact methods. Unfortunately, searching the neighbors can become a major bottleneck for the performance. This can occur when the roadmap size grows especially in high-dimensional spaces. In this paper, we investigate how well the approximate nearest neighbor searching works with probabilistic roadmap planners. We propose a method that is based on the locality-sensitive hashing and show that it can speed up the construction of the roadmap considerably without reducing the quality of the produced roadmap.
Hamiltonian suspension of perturbed Poincaré sections and an application
Authors: BESSA MÁRIO , DIAS JOÁO LOPES
Published: April 2014

We construct a Hamiltonian suspension for a given symplectomorphism which is the perturbation of a Poincaré map. This is especially useful for the conversion of perturbative results between symplectomorphisms and Hamiltonian flows in any dimension 2d. As an application, using known properties of area-preserving maps, we prove that for any Hamiltonian defined on a symplectic 4-manifold M and any point p ∈ M, there exists a C2-close Hamiltonian whose regular energy surface through p is either Anosov or contains a homoclinic tangency.
A New Approach to Calculate the Vertical Protection Level in A-RAIM
Authors: Jiang Yiping , Wang Jinling
Published: April 2014

Four methods to calculate the Vertical Protection Level (VPL) can be used in Advanced Receiver Autonomous Integrity Monitoring (A-RAIM), among which the ideal method is the strictest one. To obtain the ideal VPL satisfying the exact required integrity risk, the worst case bias with the maximum integrity risk is searched for. This investigation has found that the correct worst case highly depends on the choice of the input VPL. To gain the correct result, the computation becomes complex and the accuracy of the result is compromised. Therefore, a new procedure is designed with a new search: the maximum VPL is searched to encompass all possible bias sizes. Since VPL is calculated with a given integrity risk for each bias size, the uncertainty of the arbitrary VPL input in the ideal method is avoided. Also, an optimisation algorithm is adopted to improve computational efficiency. It is shown that the new method is more reliable and efficient than the current best method. Simulation results worldwide also show that the new approach has improved A-RAIM availability from 32%–38% to 74% with GPS and from 44%–43% to 85% with Galileo.
Synthesis and X-ray diffraction data of 1-N-(3-pyridylmethyl)aminonaphthalene hydrochloride
Authors: Morantes L.R. , Medina C.F. , Henao J.A. , Kouznetsov V.V. , Camargo H.A.
Published: April 2014

The title compound 1-N-(3-pyridylmethyl)aminonaphthalene hydrochloride (C16H15N2Cl) was obtained by a reaction of α-naphthylamine (1) and N-pyridincarboxaldehyde (2) in anhydrous ethanol in the first step. The formed imine (3) was reduced with sodium borohydride in anhydrous methanol to give the product 1-N-(3-pyridylmethyl)aminonaphthalene (4). Finally, the hydrochloride was prepared by addition of a hydrochloric acid–ethyl acetate solution (ratio 1:3) with constant stirring and maintaining the temperature between 0 and 5 °C, obtaining a yellow polycrystalline solid corresponding to the respective derivative (5). The X-ray powder diffraction pattern for the new compound (5) was obtained. The compound (5) crystallizes in a monoclinic system with the space group P21/m (No. 11) and refined unit-cell parameters: a = 16.257 (8) Å, b = 9.236 (7) Å, c = 13.221 (6) Å, β = 94.87° (5), Z = 6, and V = 1978 (1) Å3.
Ca2+influx-linked protein kinase C activity regulates the β-catenin localization, micromere induction signalling and the oral–aboral axis formation in early sea urchin embryos
Authors: Yazaki Ikuko , Tsurugaya Toko , Santella Luigia , Chun Jong Tai , Amore Gabriele , Kusunoki Shinichiro , Asada Akiko , Togo Tatsuru , Akasaka Koji
Published: April 2014

Sea urchin embryos initiate cell specifications at the 16-cell stage by forming the mesomeres, macromeres and micromeres according to the relative position of the cells in the animal–vegetal axis. The most vegetal cells, micromeres, autonomously differentiate into skeletons and induce the neighbouring macromere cells to become mesoendoderm in the β-catenin-dependent Wnt8 signalling pathway. Although the underlying molecular mechanism for this progression is largely unknown, we have previously reported that the initial events might be triggered by the Ca2+influxes through the egg-originated L-type Ca2+channels distributed asymmetrically along the animal–vegetal axis and through the stretch-dependent Ca2+channels expressed specifically in the micromere at the 4th cleavage. In this communication, we have examined whether one of the earliest Ca2+targets, protein kinase C (PKC), plays a role in cell specification upstream of β-catenin. To this end, we surveyed the expression pattern of β-catenin in early embryos in the presence or absence of the specific peptide inhibitor ofHemicentrotus pulcherrimusPKC (HpPKC-I). Unlike previous knowledge, we have found that the initial nuclear entrance of β-catenin does not take place in the micromeres, but in the macromeres at the 16-cell stage. Using the HpPKC-I, we have demonstrated further that PKC not only determines cell-specific nucleation of β-catenin, but also regulates a variety of cell specification events in the early sea urchin embryos by modulating the cell adhesion structures, actin dynamics, intracellular Ca2+signalling, and the expression of key transcription factors.
Propranolol as a treatment for multiple coronary artery micro-fistulas
Authors: Hernández María , Carretero Juan M. , Prada Fredy
Published: April 2014

We present a case of congenital multiple coronary artery–left ventricle micro-fistulas, which were treated with propranolol disappearing within 6 months. She had a malformative syndrome associated with a chromosomal abnormality. The treatment for coronary artery fistula includes surgical ligation and transcatheter closure, but they are not indicated in congenital micro-fistulas. We propose propranolol as a treatment in this type of diffuse fistula.
Unsaturated fat intakes and mental health outcomes in young women from the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Heath
Authors: Daley Clare , Patterson Amanda , Sibbritt David , MacDonald-Wicks Lesley
Published: April 2014

Objective

To determine if associations exist between a range of unsaturated fatty acid intakes and mental health outcomes.

Design

Cross-sectional data analysis of the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health (ALSWH) Young Cohort Survey 3 that included the validated seventy-four-item Dietary Questionnaire for Epidemiological Studies FFQ, validated mental health scales and self-report questions on depression and anxiety.

Setting

Australia, 2003.

Subjects

A nationally representative sample of young Australian women (25–30 years) from ALSWH. The 7635 women with plausible energy intakes (>4·5 but <20·0 MJ/d) were included in the analyses.

Results

Adjusted logistic regression analyses found statistically significant associations between higher intakes of α-linolenic acid and decreased likelihood of depressive symptoms indicated by the ten-item Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD-10; OR=0·77; 95 % CI 0·60, 0·99;P=0·040) and the Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) mental health subscale (OR=0·73 95 % CI 0·56, 0·96;P=0·024). Furthermore, higher intakes ofn-6 fatty acids (OR=0·96, 95 % CI 0·93, 0·99;P=0·019) and linoleic acid (OR=0·96, 95 % CI 0·93, 0·99;P=0·020) were associated with decreased likelihood of self-reported diagnosed anxiety and higher intakes ofn-9 fatty acids (OR=1·02, 95 % CI 1·00, 1·04;P=0·041) and oleic acid (OR=1·02, 95 % CI 1·00, 1·05;P=0·046) were associated with increased likelihood of self-reported diagnosed anxiety.

Conclusions:

Increased intakes of α-linolenic acid were associated with a reduced likelihood of depressive symptoms, increased intakes ofn-6 fatty acids and linoleic acid were associated with a reduced likelihood of self-reported anxiety, and increased intakes ofn-9 fatty acids and oleic acid were associated with an increased likelihood of anxiety. Additional studies are needed to further elucidate associations between unsaturated fatty acids and depression and anxiety.
Monolithic Chip System with a Microfluidic Channel for In Situ Electron Microscopy of Liquids
Authors: Jensen Eric , Burrows Andrew , Mølhave Kristian
Published: April 2014

Electron microscopy of enclosed liquid samples requires the thinnest possible membranes as enclosing windows as well as nanoscale liquid sample thickness to achieve the best possible resolution. Today liquid sample systems for transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are typically made from two sandwiched microchips with thin membranes. We report on a new microfabricated chip system based on a monolithic design that enables membrane geometry on the scale of a few micrometers. The design is intended to reduce membrane deflection when the system is under pressure, a microfluidic channel for improved flow geometry, and a better space angle for auxiliary detectors such as energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. We explain the system design and fabrication and show the first successful TEM images of liquid samples in the chips.
A palliative care intervention for pain refractory to a percutaneous cordotomy
Authors: de la Cruz Maxine , Reddy Akhila , Bruera Eduardo
Published: April 2014

Background:

Intrathecal analgesia and radiofrequency techniques for tumor ablation are employed for palliation of symptoms. These interventions are efficacious in a select number of patients for controlling pain and improving quality of life. Careful selection of an appropriate candidate must be performed to prevent needless, invasive, and costly interventions, as interventional pain management alone will not treat total pain in cancer patients. We describe here a patient who experienced intractable pain and unsuccessfully underwent cordotomy but responded to the interdisciplinary (IDT) palliative care approach in an acute palliative care unit (APCU).

Case:

A middle-aged female with ovarian cancer metastatic to the left psoas muscle and the supraclavicular and retroperitoneal lymph nodes was admitted with severe left thigh and flank pain. She had been unsuccessfully treated with different opioid regimens, hypogastric nerve block, epidural steroid injection, and cordotomy. The palliative care team was consulted while awaiting placement of an intrathecal pump. The patient was subsequently transferred to the APCU for symptom management and transition to hospice. On admission, her morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) was 660 mg. Our IDT—composed of a physician, fellow, nurse practitioner, counselor, chaplain, social worker, and physical and occupational therapists—was able to identify several sources of distress that likely contributed to her expression of pain. Our IDT focused on frequent counseling, improving her function, provided medication education, discussed goals of care, and educated about hospice. She was discharged to hospice care with good pain control and an 85% reduction in her MEDD.

Conclusion:

An APCU approach involving an IDT alleviated the need for invasive interventions by diagnosing and treating the psychosocial, emotional, and spiritual distress contributing to the patient's total pain expression. Successful management must be reflective of rigorous assessment of the physical, psychological, spiritual, social, and practical aspects before consideration of more invasive treatments.
Repeated Multiple Maternities in Triplet Families
Authors: Fellman Johan , Eriksson Aldur W.
Published: April 2014

In earlier studies, scientists have attempted to identify genetic and environmental factors affecting the rate of multiple maternities among humans. We contribute to these studies by analysing the frequencies of multiple maternities in sibships containing triplets. Use of the Hellin transformation is included in evaluation of the triplet rate. Our results indicate greater frequencies of repeated multiple maternities in the sibships than expected, based on population frequencies. The excesses obtained are more marked in triplet maternities than in twin maternities. The transformed triplet rate shows results similar to the twinning rate. The findings also indicate that in families, the influence of maternal factors on the frequencies of multiple maternities is stronger than the influence of paternal factors.
Das akute Knietrauma: Praxisrelevante Aspekte
Authors: Bouaicha Samy
Published: April 2014

Das akute Knietrauma gehört zu den häufigsten Gründen, eine Arztpraxis oder Notfallstation aufzusuchen. Die initiale Beurteilung bzw. Diagnosestellung wird häufig durch eine starke Schwellung, ausgeprägte Schmerzen und eine eingeschränkte Beweglichkeit erschwert. Konventionelle Röntgenbilder in drei Ebenen können hilfreiche Zusatzinformationen liefern und die Anzahl der infrage kommenden Differenzialdiagnosen eingrenzen. Eine klinische Reevaluation fünf bis zehn Tage posttraumatisch erlaubt in der Regel eine gründliche funktionelle Untersuchung und damit häufig bereits die definitive Diagnosestellung. In begründeten Verdachtsfällen kann die Magnetresonanztomographie zur Beurteilung von ligamentären Strukturen, Menisci und der Knorpelbeschaffenheit herangezogen werden. Die relativ seltene femorotibiale Kniegelenksluxation gilt als gefährlichste Variante der akuten Knieverletzung und sollte bei geringstem Verdacht in einer geeigneten Institution abgeklärt bzw. behandelt werden. Im Vordergrund steht dabei die rasche Gefässdiagnostik mittels (CT)-Angiographie. Hinter einer multiligamentären Knieverletzung kann sich eine spontan reponierte Luxation verbergen und bedarf deshalb immer einer dezidierten neurovaskulären Untersuchung. Können bei der Erstbeurteilung Frakturen, Blockaden und grobe Instabilitäten ausgeschlossen werden, besteht keine Indikation zur akut-interventionellen Therapie und die Behandlung kann zunächst mit konservativen Mitteln ambulant erfolgen. Die chirurgische Behandlungsdringlichkeit wird durch die vorliegende Pathologie definiert und kann eine gezielte prähabilitative Phase beinhalten.
Diagnostik, Therapie und Prophylaxe von respiratorischen Viren bei lungentransplantierten Patienten
Authors: Huber Lars C. , Isenring Bruno D. , Schuurmans Macé M.
Published: April 2014

Lungentransplantierte sind lebenslang stark immunsupprimiert und daher anfällig für respiratorische Infektionen, insbesondere für virale Infektionen in der kalten Jahreszeit. Da die respiratorischen Infektionen schwerwiegende gesundheitliche Folgen haben können, aber häufig zu Beginn nur geringe Symptome verursachen, ist eine Frühdiagnostik und Frühbehandlung enorm wichtig. Neben der Diagnostik mit Nasen- oder Rachenabstrichen für virologische und bakteriologische Untersuchungen, ist die zeitnahe Behandlung mit Virostatika, Breitband-Antibiotika und oft auch Immunglobulinen empfohlen. Die Behandlungsdauer ist oftmals länger als bei Immunkompetenten. Als vorbeugende Massnahmen sind die Grippeimpfung und präventivhygienische Massnahmen im Alltag empfohlen.
Interaction Between Working Memory and Long-Term Memory
Authors: Marton Klara , Eichorn Naomi
Published: April 2014

Individual differences in working memory have been related to interactions between working memory and long-term memory (LTM). The present study examined this interaction in children with and without language impairment. We used two listening span tasks and two nonword repetition tasks. The results suggest a strong interaction among age, language status, and task complexity. Children with specific language impairment showed consistently poor performance across tasks and indicated a weakness in using long-term knowledge to support working memory performance. The findings show that these children do not benefit from various manipulations designed to enhance working memory performance via LTM support due to a combination of inefficiencies in maintaining and updating items in working memory and retrieving information from LTM, in part because of their poor resistance to interference.