bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiparametric functional nuclear magnetic resonance imaging shows alterations associated with plasmid electrotransfer in mouse skeletal muscle
Authors: Baligand Celine , Jouvion Gregory , Schakman Olivier , Gilson Helene , Wary Claire , Thissen Jean‐Paul , Carlier Pierre G.
Published: October 2012

Background

In vivo gene electrotransfer is frequently used in preclinical gene therapy. Many studies have attempted to optimize protocols efficiency at the same time as reducing muscle damage. Most of them have reported histological evidence of muscle degeneration and completion of regeneration within 15 days. The functional consequences have rarely been addressed, which may reflect the lack of appropriate techniques. Yet, it is important to characterize the changes induced by the procedure itself because it may interfere with therapy. We used multiparametric functional (mpf)‐nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) imaging to evaluate mice hindlimb muscle after electrotransfer of an empty plasmid.

Methods

NMR experiments were performed in a 4T Bruker magnet. Arterial spin labeling imaging of perfusion and blood oxygenation level dependent contrast and 31P spectroscopy of phosphocreatine kinetics and pH were simultaneously acquired from the mice hindlimb during 2 min of electrically stimulated exercise and recovery.

Results

After 15 days, hindlimb cross‐sectional area decreased by 10% compared to control mice. Specific force‐time integral and end‐exercise pH were identical in both groups, whereas oxidative capacities increased. Perfusion values doubled, and oxygenation significantly decreased. Histology revealed: (i) degeneration/regeneration; (ii) a decrease in type IIb fibers and an increase in type I and IIa fibers; and (iii) increased capillary density.

Conclusions

In this model, loss in muscle mass was accompanied by important alterations of perfusion and bioenergetics. Fifteen days after electrotransfer, this was correlated with fiber type shift, capillary bed remodeling and degeneration/regeneration. mpf‐NMR provides new insights into the functional consequences of standard electrotransfer and represents a powerful tool for optimization and longitudinal assessment of preclinical gene therapy protocols. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling and design of magnetostrictive vibration‐powered generator using finite element method
Authors: Rezaeealam Behrooz , Ueno Toshiyuki , Yamada Sotoshi
Published: October 2012

This work investigates the design of a vibration‐powered generator with one rod (unimorph) of iron–gallium (galfenol) and compares it with its two‐rod (bimorph) counterpart. Galfenol is a promising magnetostrictive material that combines high magnetic susceptibility and desirable mechanical properties and therefore very suitable for harvesting the vibration energy that involves bending stresses. In this study, an energy‐based magnetoelastic model, so‐called Armstrong model, is employed to predict the behavior of galfenol under multiaxial stresses. The Armstrong model of galfenol is implemented into a static 3D finite element model of the energy harvester by which the performances of the devices are predicted and experimentally observed. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Geometric morphometric shape analysis in an ovine model confirms that the upper esophageal sphincter is not round
Authors: Cates Daniel , Plowman Emily K. , Mehdizadeh Omid , Yen Kaicheng , Domer Amanda , Gilden Michael , Belafsky Peter C.
Published: October 2012

Objectives/Hypothesis:

Dysfunction of the upper esophageal sphincter (UES) is a common cause of oral‐pharyngeal dysphagia (OPD). Dilation is a primary treatment, although current techniques are subject to a high rate of failure and recurrence. Devices available for UES dilation are cylindrical and were designed to distend the round lumen of the esophagus. Our objective was to determine the cross‐sectional dimension of the UES in an ovine model of OPD and compare it with that of the cervical esophagus.

Study Design:

Prospective cadaveric animal study.

Methods:

Three‐dimensional casts of the upper aerodigestive tract of 10 fresh cadaveric ewes were constructed using a platinum‐cured liquid silicone polymer. Cross‐sections at the level of the UES and cervical esophagus were digitized and mathematically compared using geometric morphometric shape analysis.

Results:

Consensus shape among all 10 animals revealed that the narrowest region of the maximally distended UES has a cross‐sectional shape that resembles a kidney, whereas the cervical esophagus approximates a circle. The shape of the UES and cervical esophagus were significantly different (P < .0001), and surface area calculations demonstrated that an inscribed circle significantly underestimated the area implied by the kidney‐shaped UES model.

Conclusions:

Current dilators used to treat UES dysfunction are cylindrical and based on the assumption that the UES is round. This is the first report to empirically analyze the cross‐sectional area of the UES utilizing an established ovine model. The data suggest that the cross‐sectional area of the UES is shaped like a kidney, and currently available cylindrical dilators are suboptimal for UES distention. Laryngoscope, 2013
Minimum maximum temperature gradient coil design
Authors: While Peter T. , Poole Michael S. , Forbes Larry K. , Crozier Stuart
Published: October 2012

Ohmic heating is a serious problem in gradient coil operation. A method is presented for redesigning cylindrical gradient coils to operate at minimum peak temperature, while maintaining field homogeneity and coil performance. To generate these minimaxT coil windings, an existing analytic method for simulating the spatial temperature distribution of single layer gradient coils is combined with a minimax optimization routine based on sequential quadratic programming. Simulations are provided for symmetric and asymmetric gradient coils that show considerable improvements in reducing maximum temperature over existing methods. The winding patterns of the minimaxT coils were found to be heavily dependent on the assumed thermal material properties and generally display an interesting “fish‐eye” spreading of windings in the dense regions of the coil. Small prototype coils were constructed and tested for experimental validation and these demonstrate that with a reasonable estimate of material properties, thermal performance can be improved considerably with negligible change to the field error or standard figures of merit. Magn Reson Med 70:584–594, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fibre reinforced sands: from experiments to modelling and beyond
Authors: Diambra A. , Ibraim E. , Russell A. R. , Muir Wood D.
Published: October 2012

Based on hypotheses derived directly from experimental observations of the triaxial behaviour, a constitutive model for fibre reinforced sands is built in this paper. Both the sand matrix and the fibres obey their own constitutive law, whereas their contributions are superimposed using a volumetric homogenization procedure. The Severn‐Trent sand model, which combines well‐known concepts such as critical state theory, Mohr‐Coulomb like strength criterion, bounding surface plasticity and kinematic hardening, is adopted for the sand matrix. Although the fibres are treated as discrete forces with defined orientation, an equivalent continuum stress for the fibre phase is derived to allow the superposition of effects of sand and fibres. The fibres are considered as purely tensile elements following a linear elastic constitutive rule. The strain in the fibres is expressed as a fraction of the strain in the reinforced sample so that imperfect bonding is assumed at the sand‐fibre interface. Only those fibres oriented within the tensile strain domain of the sample can mobilize tensile stress—the orientation of fibres is one of the key ingredients to capture the anisotropic behaviour of fibre reinforced soil that is observed for triaxial compression and extension loading. A further mechanism of partition of the volume of voids between the fibres and the sand matrix is introduced and shown to be fundamental for the simulation of the volumetric behaviour of fibre‐reinforced soils. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Glucocorticoids and insulin resistance in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Chow Eric J. , Pihoker Catherine , Friedman Debra L. , Lee Stephanie J. , McCune Jeannine S. , Wharton Claire , Roth Christian L. , Baker K. Scott
Published: October 2012

Background

Children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) are more likely to become overweight. Prolonged exposure to high‐dose glucocorticoids may cause insulin resistance and facilitate development of this phenotype.

Procedure

Body mass indices (BMI) and insulin resistance (homeostatic model assessment [HOMA]‐IR) were prospectively measured among on‐ (n = 31) and off‐therapy participants (n = 29). On‐therapy participants were assessed prior to and while on glucocorticoids (5 days of prednisone 40 mg m−2 or dexamethasone 6 mg m−2) given as part of routine maintenance chemotherapy, with a subset (n = 10) receiving an intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) while on glucocorticoids.

Results

Baseline HOMA‐IR values among on‐ and off‐therapy participants were similar, but among on‐therapy participants, HOMA‐IR increased significantly with glucocorticoid exposure (median 3.39 vs. 1.26; P < 0.01) with 45.2% of participants having values >4.39 (upper 2.5th percentile among normal weight adolescents). Although baseline HOMA‐IR was significantly correlated with current BMI (r = 0.48, P < 0.01), change in HOMA‐IR following steroid exposure was not correlated with any demographic or treatment characteristic including current BMI. Among those with IVGTT data, HOMA estimates in general correlated with values derived from a minimal model analysis (r ∼ 0.7).

Conclusions

High‐dose glucocorticoids given as part of routine chemotherapy were associated with a significantly increased insulin resistant state. Given the amount and duration of glucocorticoids children with ALL experience, these physiologic changes could be an important contributor to the development of therapy‐related obesity. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 621–626. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effectiveness of school‐based universal social, emotional, and behavioral programs: Do they enhance students’ development in the area of skill, behavior, and adjustment?
Authors: SKLAD MARCIN , DIEKSTRA RENÉ , RITTER MONIQUE DE , BEN JEHONATHAN , GRAVESTEIJN CAROLIEN
Published: October 2012

To answer the question of whether teaching social and emotional skills to foster social–emotional development can help schools extend their role beyond the transfer of knowledge, the authors conducted a meta‐analytical review of 75 recently published studies that reported the effects of universal, school‐based social, emotional, and/or behavioral (SEB) programs. The analyzed interventions had a variety of intended outcomes, but the increase in social skills and decrease in antisocial behavior were most often reported. Although considerable differences in efficacy exist, the analysis demonstrated that overall beneficial effects on all seven major categories of outcomes occurred: social skills, antisocial behavior, substance abuse, positive self‐image, academic achievement, mental health, and prosocial behavior. Generally, immediate effects were stronger than delayed effects, with the exception of substance abuse, which showed a sleeper effect. Limitations of the analysis and moderators of the effectiveness of SEB programs in schools are discussed in the final section of the article.
Improving the lives of students, gay and straight alike: Gay‐straight alliances and the role of school psychologists
Authors: MURPHY HEATHER ELISE
Published: October 2012

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) students face many risk factors every day when they enter their school's door. These students often fear for their safety at school, are victimized, have academic difficulties, suffer from issues with their identity development, and are at risk for suicide. School‐based Gay‐Straight Alliances (GSAs) have been shown to reduce the risk for LGBT students in these areas. School psychologists are in a unique position to be instrumental in alleviating many of the problems LGBT students face every day by being a GSA advisor. This article reviews the literature on LGBT student risk in terms of the benefits of a GSA and guides school psychologists on how to start and advise a GSA in their schools.
Examining School‐Based Social Skills Program Needs and Barriers for Students with High‐Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders Using Participatory Action Research
Authors: Ostmeyer Katrina , Scarpa Angela
Published: October 2012

Participatory action research (PAR) is a method used to develop interventions with the direct input of stakeholders. Social skills are a core deficit of children with high‐functioning autism spectrum disorders (HFASD) that can affect academic performance and other areas of well‐being, yet empirically supported services are not always available. The current study examined data collected using PAR for the purpose of informing development of a school‐based social skills program for children with HFASD. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected during focus groups with school staff (n = 14) and parents (n = 2) of children with HFASD and observations of children with HFASD (n = 2) in a full‐inclusion elementary classroom. Results showed that both quantitative and qualitative data yielded helpful and unique forms of information as the first step of PAR, documenting the need for social skills interventions and barriers to implementation.
Physiotherapy Services Provided Outside of Business Hours in Australian Hospitals: A National Survey
Authors: Shaw Kathryn D. , Taylor Nicholas F. , Brusco Natasha K.
Published: October 2012

Background and Purpose

Physiotherapy services provided outside of business hours may improve patient and hospital outcomes, but there is limited understanding of what services are provided. This study described current services provided outside of business hours across Australian hospitals.

Methods

Design

Descriptive, cross‐sectional, Web‐based survey.

Participants

A random sample of Australian hospitals from the public or private sector located in either metropolitan or rural/regional areas.

Results

A total of 112 completed surveys were submitted. The most common service outside of business hours was a Saturday service, provided by 61% of participating hospitals with a median (interquartile range [IQR]) of 1.0 hour (0.0 and 3.4) of physiotherapy per 30 beds. Sunday services were provided by 43% of hospitals, and services provided outside of business hours from Monday to Friday were provided by 14% of hospitals. More private hospitals provided some form of physiotherapy service outside of business hours (91%) than public hospitals (48%). More metropolitan hospitals provided some form of physiotherapy service outside of business hours (90%) than rural/regional hospitals (28%). Few of the hospitals providing sub‐acute services had weekend physiotherapy (30%), but the majority of highly acute wards provided weekend physiotherapy (81%). Highly acute wards also provided more hours of service on a Saturday (median 8.1 hours per 30 beds, IQR 0.6–22.5) compared with acute wards (median 0.8 hours per 30 beds, IQR 0.0–2.8).

Conclusion

There is limited availability of physiotherapy services in Australian hospitals outside of business hours. There are inequalities in physiotherapy services provided outside of business hours, with public, rural/regional and sub‐acute facilities receiving fewer services outside of business hours than private, metropolitan and highly acute facilities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
“Go out and lead”: Process safety management
Authors: Snowball David , Travers Ian
Published: October 2012

This article shares the UK experience of risk control for major hazards and emphasizes the key role corporate governance and leadership play in the management of major hazard risks. The article outlines the joint work undertaken between industry and the Health and Safety Executive in promoting and developing both the concept and the practical application of process safety management and leadership for senior executives within major hazard industries. An accredited training course in process safety leadership and management has been launched which provides—for the first time—competence‐based training for senior executives in major hazard industries. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2012.
International comparison on the application of societal risk criteria
Authors: Pitblado Robin , Bardy Mariana , Nalpanis Philip , Crossthwaite Philip , Molazemi Koheila , Bekaert Maarten , Raghunathan Vijay
Published: October 2012

Quantitative risk assessment is now a common tool used for planning and approving high‐risk process facilities globally. The initial focus was toward individual risk contours as these were easier to apply and communicate, but a number of regulators and companies also wish to see societal risk (SR) results. This is particularly true for offsite risk predictions. There are quite significant differences in the global application and this article summarizes examples from Europe, North and South Americas, and the Middle East. The differences are not only to criteria lines on F‐N graphs but also to the definitions of what populations are included and excluded, and this can have a significant, but less obvious, impact on SR results. © 2012 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog, 2012.
The effect of post‐growth thermal annealing on the emission spectra of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots grown by droplet epitaxy
Authors: Moon Pilkyung , Lee J. D. , Ha S. K. , Lee E. H. , Choi W. J. , Song J. D. , Kim J. S. , Dang L. S.
Published: October 2012

We fabricated GaAs/AlGaAs quantum dots by droplet epitaxy, and obtained the geometries of the dots by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Post‐growth thermal annealing is essential for the optical activation of quantum dots grown by droplet epitaxy. We measured the emission energy shifts of the dots and the underlying superlattice by post‐ growth thermal annealing, and specified the emission from dots by selectively etching the structure down to a low layer of quantum dots. We studied the influence of the degree of annealing on the optical properties of the dots from the peak shifts of the superlattice, since the superlattice has a uniform and well‐defined geometry. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Interactions Between Proteins and Carbon‐Based Nanoparticles: Exploring the Origin of Nanotoxicity at the Molecular Level
Authors: Zuo Guanghong , Kang Seung‐gu , Xiu Peng , Zhao Yuliang , Zhou Ruhong
Published: October 2012

The widespread application of nanomaterials has spurred an interest in the study of interactions between nanoparticles and proteins due to the biosafety concerns of these nanomaterials. In this review, a summary is presented of some of the recent studies on this important subject, especially on the interactions of proteins with carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and metallofullerenols. Two potential molecular mechanisms have been proposed for CNTs’ inhibition of protein functions. The driving forces of CNTs’ adsorption onto proteins are found to be mainly hydrophobic interactions and the so‐called π–π stacking between CNTs’ carbon rings and proteins’ aromatic residues. However, there is also recent evidence showing that endohedral metallofullerenol Gd@C82(OH)22 can be used to inhibit tumor growth, thus acting as a potential nanomedicine. These recent findings have provided a better understanding of nanotoxicity at the molecular level and also suggested therapeutic potential by using nanoparticles’ cytotoxicity against cancer cells.
Simulation and Application of Swirl‐Type Oxygen Lance in Vanadium Extraction Converter
Authors: Lv Ming , Zhu Rong , Wang Hui , Bai Ruiguo
Published: October 2012

Stirring effects and impacting characteristics of conventional and various swirl‐type oxygen lances (Swirl angles are 5°, 10°, and 13°, respectively) on the molten pool were studied. The mixing time, impacting depth and impacting diameter were measured by water model experiment. The flow field characteristics of gas–liquid two phase flow were simulated using Fluent software. It is found that 10° swirl‐type oxygen lance injection can get the shortest mixing time which is only 47.6 s. The area surrounded by isovelocity is larger in molten pool when injecting by the swirl‐type oxygen lance. When injecting by the 10° swirl‐type oxygen lance, the area is the largest and the flow velocity of liquid steel is the highest. On this basis, the 10° swirl‐type oxygen lance was experimented in 150 t vanadium extraction converter. The experiment shows that the swirl‐type oxygen lance can guarantee the normal smelting process. Compared with the conventional oxygen lance, the reduction ratio of vanadium content in semi‐steel is 17.8%, vanadium extraction rate is increased by 5.1%, V2O5 grade of vanadium slag is increased by 0.93% and iron loss is reduced. It provides a new technology to improve the recovery of vanadium resources in converter.
Large complex data: divide and recombine (D&R) with RHIPE
Authors: Guha Saptarshi , Hafen Ryan , Rounds Jeremiah , Xia Jin , Li Jianfu , Xi Bowei , Cleveland William S.
Published: October 2012

D&R is a new statistical approach to the analysis of large complex data. The data are divided into subsets. Computationally, each subset is a small dataset. Analytic methods are applied to each of the subsets, and the outputs of each method are recombined to form a result for the entire data. Computations can be run in parallel with no communication among them, making them embarrassingly parallel, the simplest possible parallel processing. Using D&R, a data analyst can apply almost any statistical or visualization method to large complex data. Direct application of most analytic methods to the entire data is either infeasible, or impractical. D&R enables deep analysis: comprehensive analysis, including visualization of the detailed data, that minimizes the risk of losing important information. One of our D&R research thrusts uses statistics to develop “best” division and recombination procedures for analytic methods. Another is a D&R computational environment that has two widely used components, R and Hadoop, and our RHIPE merger of them. Hadoop is a distributed database and parallel compute engine that executes the embarrassingly parallel D&R computations across a cluster. RHIPE allows analysis wholly from within R, making programming with the data very efficient. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Elevated Preoperative Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA) and Ki67 Is Predictor of Decreased Survival in IIA Stage Colon Cancer
Authors: Peng Yifan , Wang Lin , Gu Jin
Published: October 2012

Background

The present study was designed to investigate the prognostic factors of stage IIA (pT3N0M0) colon cancer.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed consecutive patients with stage IIA colon cancer treated with curative surgery alone from January 2004 to June 2008 in Peking University Cancer Hospital. Patient demographics, and clinical, histopathologic, and laboratory data were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to identify prognostic factors associated with 3‐year disease‐free survival (DFS).

Results

For the 84 valid cases reviewed in this study, the 3‐year DFS was 88.1 %. That for a group with elevated CEA was 77.1 % and for a group with a normal CEA level, it was 95.9 %, with statistical difference (p = 0.007). Multivariate analysis demonstrated that CEA level (p = 0.012, OR = 8.013, 1.573–40.817), expression of Ki67 (p = 0.099, OR = 3.298, 0.799–3.610), male gender (p = 0.024, OR = 7.212, 1.293–40.237), and anemia (p = 0.011, OR = 6.461, 1.537–27.151) were the independent prognostic factors for 3‐year DFS. Stratified analysis revealed that an elevated CEA level combined with high expression of Ki67 was associated with poorer prognosis (3‐year DFS 70 %).

Conclusions

An elevated preoperative serum level of CEA and high expression of Ki67 in tumor tissue were predictors of poor prognosis for patients with stage IIA colon cancer. These patients should therefore be considered candidates for receiving intensive surveillance. Future clinical trials using multicenter patient cohorts should be prospectively performed to evaluate whether these high‐risk patients could benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy to improve prognosis.
Community‐based newborn resuscitation among frontline providers in a low‐resource country
Authors: Olson Kristian R. , Caldwell Aya , Sihombing Melva , Guarino Anthony J. , Nelson Brett D.
Published: October 2012

Objective

To evaluate a birth asphyxia management program among community midwives in a low‐resource rural setting.

Methods

Concise training with provision of positive‐pressure ventilation devices was implemented in Indonesia in 2005. The effectiveness of the intervention among community‐based midwives between October 2007 and September 2008 was evaluated. The intervention cohort was compared with a neighboring control cohort.

Results

Overall, 242 intervention and 106 control midwives were surveyed. In total, 3116 births were attended, 84.0% of deliveries occurred at home, and 97.4% of midwives had not previously owned a resuscitation device. When positive‐pressure ventilation was administered, newborn survival on day 1 was equivalent in the 2 cohorts (88.4% versus 84.4%; P = 0.66). However, significantly more newborns in the intervention group underwent ventilation (risk ratio 2.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.4–8.0). The intervention group had significantly greater scores on both knowledge (t[144.35] = 10.52; P < 0.001) and confidence (t[134.17] = 11.66; P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Focused community‐based resuscitation training and device delivery resulted in a significantly increased proportion of newborns receiving life‐saving positive‐pressure breaths, in addition to improved provider knowledge and confidence. Furthermore, the program demonstrated the establishment of an effective training infrastructure within a disrupted health system.
Frontotemporal degeneration, the next therapeutic frontier: Molecules and animal models for frontotemporal degeneration drug development
Authors: Boxer Adam L. , Gold Michael , Huey Edward , Gao Fen‐Biao , Burton Edward A. , Chow Tiffany , Kao Aimee , Leavitt Blair R. , Lamb Bruce , Grether Megan , Knopman David , Cairns Nigel J. , Mackenzie Ian R. , Mitic Laura , Roberson Erik D. , Van Kammen Daniel , Cantillon Marc , Zahs Kathleen , Salloway Stephen , Morris John , Tong Gary , Feldman Howard , Fillit Howard , Dickinson Susan , Khachaturian Zaven , Sutherland Margaret , Farese Robert , Miller Bruce L. , Cummings Jeffrey
Published: October 2012

Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is a common cause of dementia for which there are currently no approved therapies. Over the past decade, there has been an explosion of knowledge about the biology and clinical features of FTD that has identified a number of promising therapeutic targets as well as animal models in which to develop drugs. The close association of some forms of FTD with neuropathological accumulation of tau protein or increased neuroinflammation due to progranulin protein deficiency suggests that a drug's success in treating FTD may predict efficacy in more common diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. A variety of regulatory incentives, clinical features of FTD such as rapid disease progression, and relatively pure molecular pathology suggest that there are advantages to developing drugs for FTD as compared with other more common neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease. In March 2011, the Frontotemporal Degeneration Treatment Study Group sponsored a conference entitled “FTD, the Next Therapeutic Frontier,” which focused on preclinical aspects of FTD drug development. The goal of the meeting was to promote collaborations between academic researchers and biotechnology and pharmaceutical researchers to accelerate the development of new treatments for FTD. Here we report the key findings from the conference, including the rationale for FTD drug development; epidemiological, genetic, and neuropathological features of FTD; FTD animal models and how best to use them; and examples of successful drug development collaborations in other neurodegenerative diseases.
Progress in Printing and the Graphic Arts During the Victorian Era
Authors: Southward John
Published: October 2012

First published in 1897, this is one of many books written by the technical journalist John Southward (1840–1902), one of the most prolific writers on printing in the nineteenth century. As the title indicates, Southward is primarily concerned with the development and progress of printing. Here he takes a thoroughly practical approach, surveying the different methods of printing and considering the improvements made in printing advertisements, books and newspapers, as well as to the different stages of the printing process itself. Southward's prose is clear and precise, and his style changes seamlessly from a narrative account of printing history to more instructional descriptions of printing methods. The book contains numerous illustrations and diagrams, and the pages are all lavishly decorated. This is a beautiful book, a thoroughly comprehensive account of the history and processes of printing from one of the leading nineteenth-century authorities on the subject.
The Musical Sounds of Medieval French Cities
Authors: Peters Gretchen
Published: October 2012

Drawing upon hundreds of newly uncovered archival records, Gretchen Peters reconstructs the music of everyday life in over twenty cities in late medieval France. Through the comparative study of these cities' political and musical histories, the book establishes that the degree to which a city achieved civic authority and independence determined the nature and use of music within the urban setting. The world of urban minstrels beyond civic patronage is explored through the use of diverse records; their livelihood depended upon seeking out and securing a variety of engagements from confraternities to bathhouses. Minstrels engaged in complex professional relationships on a broad level, as with guilds and minstrel schools, and on an individual level, as with partnerships and apprenticeships. The study investigates how minstrels fared economically and socially, recognizing the diversity within this body of musicians in the Middle Ages from itinerant outcasts to wealthy and respected town musicians.
Foreign Investment and the Environment in International Law
Authors: Viñuales Jorge E.
Published: October 2012

Conflicts between foreign investment law and environmental law are becoming increasingly frequent. On the one hand, the rise of environmental regulation poses significant challenges to foreign investors in several industries. On the other, the surge in investment arbitration proceedings is making States aware of the important litigation risks that may result from the adoption of environmental regulation. This study of the relationship between these two areas of law adopts both a policy and a practical perspective. It identifies the major challenges facing States, foreign investors and their legal advisers as a result of the potential friction between investment law and environmental law and provides a detailed analysis of all the major legal issues on the basis of a comprehensive study of the jurisprudence from investment tribunals, human rights courts and bodies, the ICJ, the WTO, the ITLOS, the CJEU and other adjudication mechanisms.
Divergent streamlines and free vortices in Newtonian fluid flows in microfluidic flow-focusing devices
Authors: Oliveira M. S. N. , Pinho F. T. , Alves M. A.
Published: October 2012

The appearance of divergent streamlines and subsequent formation of free vortices in Newtonian fluid flows through microfluidic flow-focusing geometries is discussed in this work. The micro-geometries are shaped like a cross-slot but comprise three entrances and one exit. The divergent flow and subsequent symmetric vortical structures arising near the centreline of the main inlet channel are promoted even under creeping flow conditions, and are observed experimentally and predicted numerically above a critical value of the ratio of inlet velocities (VR). As VR is further increased these free vortices continue to grow until a maximum size is reached due to geometrical constraints. The numerical calculations are in good agreement with the experimental observations and we probe numerically the effects of the geometric parameters and of inertia on the flow patterns. In particular, we observe that the appearance of the central recirculations depends non-monotonically on the relative width of the entrance branches and we show that inertia enhances the appearance of the free vortices. On the contrary, the presence of the walls in three-dimensional geometries has a stabilizing effect for low Reynolds numbers, delaying the onset of these secondary flows to higher VR. The linearity of the governing equations for creeping flow of Newtonian fluids was invoked to determine the flow field for any VR as a linear combination of the results of three other independent solutions in the same geometry.
Information Content of Earnings Announcements: Evidence from After-Hours Trading
Authors: Jiang Christine X. , Likitapiwat Tanakorn , McInish Thomas H.
Published: October 2012

We study after-hours trading (AHT), price contributions, and price discovery following quarterly earnings announcements released outside of the normal trading hours. For Standard & Poor’s (S&P) 500 index stocks from 2004–2008, AHT is heightened on announcement days. A significant portion of the price change and price discovery occurs immediately after the earnings releases. Prices in AHT show a large degree of informational efficiency, further demonstrating the importance of price discovery in AHT. We also provide evidence suggesting that firms prefer after-hours earnings announcements, as trades are mainly from informed traders, and those trades are relied upon to convey information to the general public.
Simulating regime structures in weather and climate prediction models
Authors: Dawson A. , Palmer T. N. , Corti S.
Published: October 2012

It is shown that a global atmospheric model with horizontal resolution typical of that used in operational numerical weather prediction is able to simulate non‐gaussian probability distributions associated with the climatology of quasi‐persistent Euro‐Atlantic weather regimes. The spatial patterns of these simulated regimes are remarkably accurate. By contrast, the same model, integrated at a resolution more typical of current climate models, shows no statistically significant evidence of such non‐gaussian regime structures, and the spatial structure of the corresponding clusters are not accurate. Hence, whilst studies typically show incremental improvements in first and second moments of climatological distributions of the large‐scale flow with increasing model resolution, here a real step change in the higher‐order moments is found. It is argued that these results have profound implications for the ability of high resolution limited‐area models, forced by low resolution global models, to simulate reliably, regional climate change signals.
The influence of the SAL and lightning on tropospheric ozone variability over the Northern Tropical Atlantic: Results from Cape Verde during 2010
Authors: Jenkins Gregory S. , Robjhon Miliaritiana L. , Smith Jonathan W. , Clark Jonathan , Mendes Luis
Published: October 2012

We present results for multiple Saharan Air Layer (SAL) events and their relationship to tropospheric ozone mixing ratios that were observed in the Eastern Atlantic during the summer of 2010 using ozonesondes. In particular, 5 SAL events are sampled during 2010 in Cape Verde indicting a reduction of ozone mixing ratios throughout much of the SAL layer, except near the base of the SAL. In this layer of enhanced ozone mixing ratio, we find increases of 20–30 ppb in some cases between non‐SAL and SAL conditions. In addition, ozone concentrations are enhanced above the SAL layer, with trajectories suggesting enhancements by lightning from the middle/upper troposphere with outflow from Africa. Additional aircraft measurements are required to examine the chemical and aerosol distributions from the Marine Boundary Layer (MBL) through the upper troposphere to determine the heterogeneous chemical processes related to reduced ozone mixing ratio, and further quantify elevated ozone mixing ratios at the base of the SAL and above the SAL.
A numerical investigation of the Mississippi and Atchafalaya freshwater transport, filling and flushing times on the Texas‐Louisiana Shelf
Authors: Zhang Xiaoqian , Hetland Robert D. , Marta‐Almeida Martinho , DiMarco Steven F.
Published: October 2012

A high‐resolution coastal model is used to investigate the transport, filling and flushing times of the freshwater introduced from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers on the Texas‐Louisiana Shelf. The model is forced with realistic forcing, and is nested within hindcasts from the HYCOM operational model. The Mississippi and Atchafalaya discharges are each tagged with dye so that they can be identified and treated separately. The seasonal patterns of freshwater transport are consistent with that expected for the prevailing seasonal winds, but with significant interannual variability. In non‐summer months, the major freshwater transport is downcoast and mainly occurs in a narrow band inside of 20‐m isobath. In summer, the transport decreases dramatically near the coast due to the competing effects of downcoast buoyancy driven flow and upcoast wind‐driven flow. The freshwater transport is upcoast over the mid shelf, in summer, with an offshore component consistent with Ekman transport. We define the shelf domain as the region enclosed by the 100‐m isobath, and the along‐shore limit of the entire model domain, approximately from the Louisiana‐Mississippi border to the Texas‐Mexico border. Filling times, based on the river discharge, range from ∼3 months (non‐summer) to ∼6 months (summer) for Mississippi, while for Atchafalaya from ∼3–4 months to ∼1 year. Flushing times, based on the fresh water flux out of the shelf domain, are more variable, ranging from several months to several years.
A new fractional snow‐covered area parameterization for the Community Land Model and its effect on the surface energy balance
Authors: Swenson S. C. , Lawrence D. M.
Published: October 2012

One function of the Community Land Model (CLM4) is the determination of surface albedo in the Community Earth System Model (CESM1). Because the typical spatial scales of CESM1 simulations are large compared to the scales of variability of surface properties such as snow cover and vegetation, unresolved surface heterogeneity is parameterized. Fractional snow‐covered area, or snow‐covered fraction (SCF), within a CLM4 grid cell is parameterized as a function of grid cell mean snow depth and snow density. This parameterization is based on an analysis of monthly averaged SCF and snow depth that showed a seasonal shift in the snow depth–SCF relationship. In this paper, we show that this shift is an artifact of the monthly sampling and that the current parameterization does not reflect the relationship observed between snow depth and SCF at the daily time scale. We demonstrate that the snow depth analysis used in the original study exhibits a bias toward early melt when compared to satellite‐observed SCF. This bias results in a tendency to overestimate SCF as a function of snow depth. Using a more consistent, higher spatial and temporal resolution snow depth analysis reveals a clear hysteresis between snow accumulation and melt seasons. Here, a new SCF parameterization based on snow water equivalent is developed to capture the observed seasonal snow depth–SCF evolution. The effects of the new SCF parameterization on the surface energy budget are described. In CLM4, surface energy fluxes are calculated assuming a uniform snow cover. To more realistically simulate environments having patchy snow cover, we modify the model by computing the surface fluxes separately for snow‐free and snow‐covered fractions of a grid cell. In this configuration, the form of the parameterized snow depth–SCF relationship is shown to greatly affect the surface energy budget. The direct exposure of the snow‐free surfaces to the atmosphere leads to greater heat loss from the ground during autumn and greater heat gain during spring. The net effect is to reduce annual mean soil temperatures by up to 3°C in snow‐affected regions.
A paleogeographic approach to aerosol prescription in simulations of deep time climate
Authors: Heavens N. G. , Shields C. A. , Mahowald N. M.
Published: October 2012

Aerosols have important effects on the Earth's radiative balance and are normally included in simulations of present day climate. For simulations of present day or recent past climates, observational information can be used to constrain spatiotemporal variability in aerosol loading. For the deep past, aerosol changes are generally ignored. Here we describe how to use the Community Climate System Model version 4 (CCSM4), standard boundary conditions for a deep time climate simulation, and pre‐industrial emissions information to generate a “paleogeographic” aerosol prescription. This prescription is then applied to a previously published simulation of the Late Permian (251 Ma) to evaluate the how the model climate is affected by the new aerosol prescription relative to the aerosol distribution originally imposed. The new aerosol prescription results in a broadly warmer and wetter climate with a somewhat stronger Pangaean monsoon. Using spatiotemporally varying and speciated aerosol is equivalent to reducing the optical depth of a uniform background aerosol with sulfate‐like properties by ∼30–50%.
Modeling river bed morphology, roughness, and surface sedimentology using high resolution terrestrial laser scanning
Authors: Brasington J. , Vericat D. , Rychkov I.
Published: October 2012

Recent advances in technology have revolutionized the acquisition of topographic data, offering new perspectives on the structure and morphology of the Earth's surface. These developments have had a profound impact on the practice of river science, creating a step change in the dimensionality, resolution, and precision of fluvial terrain models. The emergence of “hyperscale” survey methods, including structure from motion photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning (TLS), now presents the opportunity to acquire 3‐D point cloud data that capture grain‐scale detail over reach‐scale extents. Translating these data into geomorphologically relevant products is, however, not straightforward. Unlike traditional survey methods, TLS acquires observations rapidly and automatically, but unselectively. This results in considerable “noise” associated with backscatter from vegetation and other artifacts. Moreover, the large data volumes are difficult to visualize; require very high capacity storage; and are not incorporated readily into GIS and simulation models. In this paper we analyze the geomorphological integrity of multiscale terrain models rendered from a TLS survey of the braided River Feshie, Scotland. These raster terrain models are generated using a new, computationally efficient geospatial toolkit: the topographic point cloud analysis toolkit (ToPCAT). This performs an intelligent decimation of point cloud data into a set of 2.5‐D terrain models that retain information on the high‐frequency subgrid topography, as the moments of the locally detrended elevation distribution. The results quantify the degree of terrain generalization inherent in conventional fluvial DEMs and illustrate how subgrid topographic statistics can be used to map the spatial pattern of particle size, grain roughness, and sedimentary facies at the reach scale.
Structure–function relationships in calpains
Authors: Campbell Robert L. , Davies Peter L.
Published: October 2012

Calpains are a family of complex multi-domain intracellular enzymes that share a calcium-dependent cysteine protease core. These are not degradative enzymes, but instead carry out limited cleavage of target proteins in response to calcium signalling. Selective cutting of cytoskeletal proteins to facilitate cell migration is one such function. The two most abundant and extensively studied members of this family in mammals, calpains 1 and 2, are heterodimers of an isoform-specific 80 kDa large subunit and a common 28 kDa small subunit. Structures of calpain-2, both Ca2+-free and bound to calpastatin in the activated Ca2+-bound state, have provided a wealth of information about the enzyme's structure–function relationships and activation. The main association between the subunits is the pairing of their C-terminal penta-EF-hand domains through extensive intimate hydrophobic contacts. A lesser contact is made between the N-terminal anchor helix of the large subunit and the penta-EF-hand domain of the small subunit. Up to ten Ca2+ ions are co-operatively bound during activation. The anchor helix is released and individual domains change their positions relative to each other to properly align the active site. Because calpains 1 and 2 require ~30 and ~350 μM Ca2+ ions for half-maximal activation respectively, it has long been argued that autoproteolysis, subunit dissociation, post-translational modifications or auxiliary proteins are needed to activate the enzymes in the cell, where Ca2+ levels are in the nanomolar range. In the absence of robust support for these mechanisms, it is possible that under normal conditions calpains are transiently activated by high Ca2+ concentrations in the microenvironment of a Ca2+ influx, and then return to an inactive state ready for reactivation.
X-ray induced Sm3+ to Sm2+ conversion in fluorophosphate and fluoroaluminate glasses for the monitoring of high-doses in microbeam radiation therapy
Authors: Vahedi Shahrzad , Okada Go , Morrell Brian , Muzar Edward , Koughia Cyril , Edgar Andy , Varoy Chris , Belev George , Wysokinski Tomasz , Chapman Dean , Kasap Safa
Published: October 2012

Fluorophosphate and fluoroaluminate glasses doped with trivalent samarium were evaluated as sensors of x-ray radiation for microbeam radiation therapy at the Canadian Light Source using the conversion of trivalent Sm3+ to the divalent form Sm2+. Both types of glasses show similar conversion rates and may be used as a linear sensor up to ∼150 Gy and as a nonlinear sensor up to ∼2400 Gy, where saturation is reached. Experiments with a multi-slit collimator show high spatial resolution of the conversion pattern; the pattern was acquired by a confocal fluorescence microscopy technique. The effects of previous x-ray exposure may be erased by annealing at temperatures exceeding the glass transition temperature Tg while annealing at TA < Tg enhances the Sm conversion. This enhancement is explained by a thermally stimulated relaxation of host glass ionic matrix surrounding x-ray induced Sm2+ ions. In addition, some of the Sm3+-doped glasses were codoped with Eu2+-ions but the results show that there is no marked improvement in the conversion efficiency by the introduction of Eu2+.