bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The design and construction of a controlled-environment chamber
Authors: Marshall A. L.
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

The paper describes briefly the construction of and experience with a controlled-environment chamber of 56 m3 capacity built for less than £1000.
The effect of longitudinal gradients of compressive stress upon the failure of concrete
Authors: Uppal J. Y. , Kemp K. O.
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

The results of an experimental programme on the failure of concrete when subjected to longitudinal gradients of compressive stress are reported. The test specimens are point-loaded reinforced concrete beams. beams of tapering width under constant moment and tapering prisms under axial compression. The results confirm that the compressive strength of concrete is significantly increased in the presence of such non-uniform stress states. Existing theories of failure, which are usually derived from and tested under uniform stress states, do not appear to be capable of explaining this effect. The fracture mechanism observed involves a finite volume of material rather than a section as is usually implied, and appears to be due to the formation of a post-cracking macro-structure of longitudinal strips which fails owing to flexural instability. Such a fracture model could explain the observed increases in the compressive strength of concrete due to longitudinal stress gradients.
An apparatus for measuring the shrinkage characteristics of plastic mortars
Authors: Orr D. M. F. , Haigh G. F.
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

An apparatus designed primarily to measure shrinkage forces developed in a restrained specimen of cement paste or mortar is described. On the basis of tests carried out, it is concluded that the apparatus may be used to assess qualitatively the tendency for mortars to form plastic shrinkage cracks.
Prediction and assessment of concrete properties from pulse-velocity tests
Authors: Nwokoye Daniel N.
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

A study has been made of the feasibility of applying multi-phase theory to the interpretation of pulse-velocity tests. This included a general examination of certain non-destructive test parameters. It was found that the stiffness constant is a better index for the assessment of the dynamic modulus of elasticity than the pulse velocity and also that it reflects the elastic modulus of other materials. It was also found that the calculated propagation velocity through the cement-paste phase gave better correlation with crushing strength and modulus of rupture than the pulse velocity through the concrete. The relationship is influenced by the type of aggregate, but there is indication that aggregate groupings could be used since the results for some aggregates of different types were found to lie reasonably under one curve. It is suggested that multi-phase interpretation of pulse-velocity tests could be used to examine the property and behaviour of mortars and of cement-paste phases in concretes.
An examination of the effects of age at loading upon the creep of hardened cement paste
Authors: Parrott L. J.
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

Experiments on sealed specimens of hardened cement paste, initially conditioned to different moisture contents, have shown that measured reductions in creep with age at loading were not due solely to hydration changes. A 50% reduction in creep with age at load was measured on non-hydrating specimens. There was a correlation between elastic and creep strains of specimens with a wide range of porosities and moisture contents which was age-dependent. The experimental results for hardened cement paste compare well with published data for concrete.
Variation of concrete strength in existing buildings
Authors: Drysdale Robert G.
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

Ultrasonic-pulse-velocity measurements from 1145 concrete columns in 15 existing buildings were used as data to indicate variability of concrete strength. The factors considered were: differences between columns. location within column height. column size. storey location. and differences between buildings. Coefficients of variation of concrete strength are used to indicate control of quality: five buildings with values of less than 10% are regarded as having excellent control; five with from 10 to 15%. good control; three with from 15 to 20%. satisfactory control; and two with values of 26 and 30%, poor control. Isolated cases of very-low-strength concrete (below 7 N/mm2) were found and verified by coring. It is suggested that the information provided illustrates the value of such measurements for inspection purposes and that the distribution of concrete strength provides for the statistical evaluation of strength of concrete columns.
Polymer-impregnated concrete as a structural material
Authors: Chen Wai-Fah , Dahl-Jorgensen Einar
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

Polymer-impregnated concrete (PIC) impregnated with the most often used polymers, polymethyl methacrylate and polystyrene, shows little ductility. The ultimate strength is often three to four times higher than that of ordinary concrete, but failure comes without warning in a brittle, almost explosive manner. This paper reports an investigation designed to increase the ductility of PIC so that some plastic yielding can take place before and after the ultimate load is reached. Various percentages of monomer combinations of the methyl methacrylate were used with an elastomer, n-butyl-acrylate. The entire stress-strain relationship of the materials was determined by means of the splitting tensile and axial compression tests. The investigation shows that PIC can be modified to give either a material with high strength and little ductility or one with a somewhat lower strength and large ductility. Thus potentially material properties can be tailored to particular structural service requirements.
Nodal forces in the analysis of the ultimate torsional moment for rectangular beams
Authors: Elfgren Lennart , Karlsson Inge , Losberg Anders
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

Equilibrium and work (energy) methods are reviewed for analysis of the ultimate torsional moment of rectangular under-reinforced concrete beams. In analogy with the yield-line theory for slabs, it is shown that the equilibrium method can be brought to complete agreement with the work method if nodal forces are introduced. The nature of the nodal forces in torsional analysis is discussed.
The influence of fibres upon crack development in reinforced concrete subject to uniaxial tension
Authors: Samarrai Mufid A. , Elvery Robert H.
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

This investigation was designed to assess the possibility of incorporating steel fibres in reinforced concrete to retard the development of cracks and thus facilitate the use of steels of higher strength. To obtain this information, 75 × 75 × 500 mm concrete prisms were tested in uniaxial tension applied to the protruding ends of the concentrically placed reinforcing bars. Variables that were studied included type, size and quantity of fibre and type of main reinforcing bar. The inclusion of steel fibres in the concrete significantly increased the stress in the reinforcement corresponding to the development of the maximum allowable crack width in the concrete.
The conversion of high alumina cement
Authors: Midgley H. G. , Midgley Ann
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

High alumina cement (HAC) concrete suffers from a conversion reaction in which the metastable calcium aluminate hydrate compounds change to more stable compounds. This reaction takes place at a rate which depends upon a number offactors including temperature, water/cement ratio, stress and the presence of ‘releasable’ alkalis in the aggregate. As a result of the reaction, the concrete will lose strength and the strength will reach a minimum at various times depending upon conditions of storage; thereafter there may be a small increase in strength. The strength at this minimum, S, expressed as a percentage of the one-day strength depends upon the rate, R, at which the conversion reaction takes place, and upon the water/cement ratio. An empirical relationship for laboratory-prepared specimens is S = (− 37·8 logeR + 39·5) − 100(w/c − 0·4). However, this cannot be used for unknown concretes until a reliable method of determining the original water/cement ratio of HAC concrete is available. Rapidly converted HAC concretes will have increased porosity and become vulnerable to chemical attack, but porous unconverted HAC concrete will remain unattacked.
Long-term research into the characteristics of high alumina cement concrete
Authors: Teychenné D. C.
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

The paper describes a research programme started in 1964 to study the characteristics of high alumina cement (HAC) concrete up to an age of 20 years. Experimental details are given of the main and two suhsidiary programmes together with test results up to 8·5 years. Four test series were undertaken to establish: (1) the strength development of a wide range of concrete mixes stored continuously in water at 18°C and at 38°C for long periods; (2) the effect of changes in curing regime during the first 24 h upon the subsequent strengths up to 1 year; (3) the effectiveness of an immediate conversion curing regime to give minimum strengths at 5 days instead of 3 months; (4) the modulus of elasticity of HAC concrete, both unconverted and converted. This research includes the quantitative measurement of the degree of conversion, factors influencing it and its relation to the reduction in compressive strength. The results show that the strength after long periods of storage in water at 18°C is extremely sensitive to the water/cement ratio, and that the temperature conditions during the first 24 hare highly criticalfor strength at later ages. The modulus of elasticity of high alumina cement, converted or unconverted, is related to the compressive strength of the concrete.
A quantitative assessment of damage sustained in concrete during compressive loading
Authors: Spooner D. C. , Dougill J. W.
Published: July 2012

Synopsis

A new technique is described which gives a quantitative assessment of the damage that occurs during the loading of materials. The technique is based upon the behaviour of an ideal material in which energy is dissipated by two processes. The first is taken to correspond to damage and energy is dissipated only during the first loading over a given strain range. The second process is analogous to damping and energy is dissipated whenever straining occurs. It is shown that, in many respects, concrete behaves similarly to the ideal material. Acoustic emission measurements show, over a wide strain range, that concrete is damaged only during the first loading. The assessment of energy dissipated in damage correlates well with the change in initial elastic modulus which is used as another indicator of structural degradation. Measurements indicate that the process offracture in concrete in uniaxial compression is continuous and begins at very low applied strains. No evidence to support the existence of ‘critical’ or ‘discontinuity’ stress levels has been found.
Tree range expansion may be enhanced by escape from negative plant–soil feedbacks
Authors: McCarthy-Neumann Sarah , Ibáñez Inés
Published: July 2012

Many plant species are expected to shift their distributional ranges in response to global warming. As they arrive at new sites, migrant plant species may be released from their natural soil pathogens and/or deprived of key symbiotic organisms. Under such scenarios plant–soil feedbacks (PSF) will likely have an impact on plant species' ability to establish in new areas. In this study we evaluated the role that PSF may play on the migratory potential of dominant temperate tree species at the northern limit of their distributional range in the Great Lakes region of North America. To test their ability to expand their current range, we assessed seedling establishment, i.e., survival, of local and potential migrant tree species in a field transplant experiment. To test for the presence and strength of PSF, we also assessed seedling survival during establishment in a greenhouse experiment, where the potential migrant species were grown in soils collected within and beyond their distributional ranges. The combination of experiments provided us with a comprehensive understanding of the role of PSF in seedling establishment in new areas. In the field, we found that survival for most migrant species was similar to those of the local community, ensuring that these species could establish in areas beyond their current range. In the greenhouse, we found that the majority of species experienced strong negative conspecific feedbacks mediated by soil biota, but these responses occurred for most species only in low light conditions. Lastly, our combined results indicate that migrant tree species can colonize and may even have enhanced short‐term recruitment beyond their ranges due to a lack of conspecific adults (and the resulting negative PSF from these adults).
State and outlook of the Bulgarian animal production after the accession of Bulgaria to the EU
Authors: Kozelov L. , Toneva M. , Ignatova M. , Petkova M. , Nanev N. , Yossifov M.
Published: July 2012

An analysis of the Bulgarian livestock development for the period 1990-2010
was made. The major conclusions were as follow: - Bulgarian animal
husbandry collapsed during the period 1990 - 2000. After the entry of
Bulgaria into the EU there was a trend towards revival. The way out of this
crisis depends on an active intervention of the country; - Grants in animal
husbandry are insufficient and do not create interest in the livestock
development; - It?s necessary to increase the national payments for farmers
breeding animals. In this direction may be sought other decisions as well;
- Bulgaria's perspectives in the field of animal husbandry are in the
following directions: sheep, goat and buffalo breeding, meat cattle and
organic farming; - Financial incentives for producers of animal products to
construct processing plants; It is imperative to initiate national
intervention about returning Bulgaria and its products to markets of Russia,
former USSR countries and Arab countries with its specific animal husbandry
products.
Changes in body condition of high-yielding dairy cows
Authors: Novakovic Z. , Sretenovic Lj. , Ostojic-Andric D. , Petrovic M.M. , Aleksic S. , Pantelic V. , Niksic D.
Published: July 2012

Objective of the research was to investigate the level, structure and
variability of realized differences between average values of body condition
scores in high-yielding cows during most critical phases of production cycle.
Realized differences were used as criterion for assessment of changes
occuring in the cows? energy status through the level of increase or decrease
of body condition. Realized average values of body condition scores, for
individual and all body regions, within all studied phases of production
cycle, deviated statistically very significantly (p?0,01) from target values.
Differences between average values of body condition scores according to
phases of production cycle, for individual and all body regions, were
statistically very significant (p?0,01). Optimum body condition in dry period
was realized by 48,76% cows, at calving 53,61%, in the lactation peak 24,41%
and in mid lactation 21,12%. Average value of body condition scores at
calving was higher by 0,18 (-0,01 to 0,72) units compared to beginning of dry
period, whereas at the lactation peak it was by -1,26 (-2,75 to - 0,41) units
lower compared to calving, and in mid lactation compared to lactation peak it
was higher by 0,18 (-0,94 to 0,85) units. Within the distribution of achieved
differences in body condition scores in the time from the beginning of dry
period to calving in 346 cows or 96,11% of total number of animals (n=360)
increase of body condition score was realized ranging from ? 0,25 units.
Distribution of differences in body condition scores between calving and
lactation peak showed that 243 cows or 71,48% of total 340 cows realized loss
of body condition score of >1,00 units. Within distribution of differences in
body condition scores between the lactation peak and mid lactation, 261 cows
or 81,06% of total number of scored animals (n=322) increased the body
condition score in value of ? 0,25 units. Study showed that, except in the
dry period, changes of the body condition during other phases of production
cycle weren?t within the limits of optimum values. Realized results clearly
showed the possibility of incidence of various production disorders, health
issues and reproduction problems. Consequences are reflected also on
longevity, life production and genetic progress. Realzied differences in
average values of body condition scoreswere important basis for anticipation
of potential problems. In that regard, there are significant reserves in
improvement of efficiency of management of body energy reserves in high
yielding cows.
Composition of carcass sides and quality of meat from Swallow-Belly Mangalitsa reared in two systems
Authors: Petrovic M. , Radovic C. , Parunovic N. , Radojkovic D. , Savic R.
Published: July 2012

Objective of this paper was to determine the composition of carcass sides and
quality of meat obtained from two groups of fatteners (male castrated pigs)
of Swallow-Belly Mangalitsa breed. First group was reared in an open system
(SO, n=13) and the other group in farm conditions with free ranges (SI,
n=10). Animals were slaughtered in the same slaughtering facility. Left
carcass sides were dissected and percentage of meat (Actual LMP) calculated
according to EU reference method (EC, No 1249/2008). Data obtained in the
study was analyzed using GLM procedure of the program package SAS 9.1.3 (SAS
Inst.Inc., 2002-2003).Average pre slaughter body weight of fatteners was
103.83 ? 10.13 kg. Housing and nutrition system in production of fatteners
had statistically highly significant effect (p<.0001) on pre-slaughter age of
fatteners. Statistically significant differences were obtained only in mean
values obtained for back fat measured on single location/position - lower
back (BFR I) between fatteners of groups SO and SI. Total weight of all
individual carcass side parts and weight of relevant muscle tissue, depended
on the weight of warm carcass sides (WHC) but not on the housing system
(SBF). Carcass sides of fatteners contained in average 35.64 ? 4.39% of
muscle tissue (Actual LMP). Meat content in carcass sides (Predicted LMP) was
determined according to Rulebook/Pravilnik (1985) for fatty pig breeds and it
was 29.67 ? 1.27%. In the musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD) of fatteners
reared in closed system, was recorded higher content of water (p=0.0069),
lower content of total fats/lipids (p=0.0081) and higher content of ash
(p=0.0392) compared to animals from the open system of housing. No
statistically significant differences in average protein content (p=0.5940)
and pH1 value (p=0.0659) were established between fatteners reared in open
and closed system of housing.
The effect of various factors on traits of performance tested gilts
Authors: Gogic M. , Petrovic M. , Zivkovic B. , Radovic C. , Radojkovic D. , Parunovic N. , Marinkov G.
Published: July 2012

Objective of this research wasto determine the effect of sire breed, genotype
of the animal, farm and year on traits of performance tested gilts: age at
the end of test (AET), life daily gain (LDG), fat thickenss 1 and 2 (FTL1 and
FTL2) and depth of back muscle (MLD). Research included three farms during
four consecutive years, and total of 4274 gilts were tested which derivied
from 52 boar sires. Sires were pure breeds: Swedish landrace (SL, n=14),
Large Yorkshire (LY, n=29), Pietrain (P, n=6) and Durroc (D, n=3), and their
daughters belonged to following genotypes: Swedish landrace, large Yorkshire,
Pietrain, Duroc, F1 crosses LY?SL, SL?LY and D?SL. It was established that
sire breed, genotype of gilts and year had statistically significant (P<0,01
and P<0,001) effect on all traits, only the effect of the farm on depth of
MLD (P>0,05) wasn?t registered. Sires within the breed had no effect on depth
of MLD (P>0,05), where in case of sires within the Pietrain breed no effect
on traits AET, FTL1 and FTL2 were observed and in case of sires within Duroc
breed on AET, and for other traits the effect (P<0,05 and P<0,001) of sires
within the breed was determined. All traits of gilts depended statistically
highly significantly (P<0,001) on body mass at the end of the test, except
depth of back muscle.
Electrochemical and wetting behavior of as-cast Sn-Zn-Sb lead free solders alloys
Authors: Mladenovic Srba , Ivanic Ljubica , Rajcic-Vujasinovic Mirjana , Ivanov Svetlana , Guskovic Dragoslav
Published: July 2012

Ternary alloys SnZn12Sb8, SnZn10Sb10, SnZn8Sb12, SnZn6Sb14, and SnZn2Sb18
were prepared by induction melting. Electrochemical behavior and wetting
(contact angle) of prepared as-cast samples were investigated using open
circuit potential measurement and sessile drop technique. The results of
electrochemical investigation show that open-circuit potential, few seconds
after immersing of electrodes, shifts toward more negative values, indicating
a relatively smaller rate of dissolution during the spontaneous dissolution
process under the curentless conditions. After that period, the values of
potential tend to be constant with time. It was found that all investigated
alloys have poor wettability on copper substrate and the contact angle values
decrease with increasing superheat temperature.
Public health sector workforce in Serbia and world economic crisis
Authors: Gajic-Stevanovic Milena , Perisic-Rainicke Darinka , Dimitrijevic Snezana , Teodorovic Nevenka , Zivkovic Slavoljub
Published: July 2012

Introduction. Health care, as one of the most important and sensitive fields
of human endeavour, has a significant social impact; therefore changes in
this area have wide implications on society in general. The latest economic
crisis resulted in slow growth of gross domestic product (GDP), high
unemployment rates, low living standards, and increased poverty across the
globe. This includes decreased capacity of health system, and reduced quality
and supply of health services. The aim of the study was to explore possible
impact of the current world economic crisis on the public health sector
workforce in Serbia. Materials and Methods. The study was conducted as
retrospective analyses of the Public Health Institute (PHI) human resource
data, the Republic Statistical Office publications and database, the Republic
Development Bureau report, as well as the analysis of healthcare expenditures
obtained from the Chamber of Health Institutions reports. The comparative
analytical method was used for the assessment of socio-economic and human
resource indicators over the period of five years, 2006 to 2010. Results.
Results showed that the world economic crisis discontinued steady economic
growth in Serbia. Between 2006 and 2008, the real GDP growth rate has been
fluctuating between 3.6% and 5.4 %, while in 2009 it had negative growth rate
of -3.1 % and slight increase in 2010 of 1.0%. In 2006, the GDP per capita
was US$ 3,943, and by 2008 it almost doubled reaching US$ 6,498, while in
2009 it fell down to US$ 5,499, and continued decrease in 2010 to US$ 5,006.
In 2007, the overall inflation rate was 6.5%, and after fluctuaion between
11.7% in 2008 and 8.4% in 2009 it droped again to 6.5% in 2010. According to
the PHI, from 2006 to 2008 there was steady increase of full-time employees
in the public health care sector; from 108,975 in 2006 to 114,317 in 2008. In
2009, the number of full-time employees slightly declined to 114,175 and
114,432 in 2010. There was constant increase in total number of employees in
the public health care sector, from 125,081 in 2006 to 129,357 in 2008. In
2009, the total number of employees decreased to 128,694 and in 2010 to
122,695. At the same time, the total expenditure of human resources in the
health sector as the percentage of total health expenditure declined from
37.7% in 2006 to 34.7% in 2010. The public health sector salaries after
steady increase from 59.9% of total health expenditure in 2006 to 61.2% in
2007 and 2008, decreased to 56.2% in 2010. The unemployment rate for medical
doctors almost doubled in 2010 as compared to 2006. Conclusion. Preliminary
study results showed that the world economic crisis had negative impact not
only on GDP growth rate, the inflation and unemployment rate, but on the
public health sector workforce, their salaries and unemployment rate in
Serbia.
Rules-Based Accounting Standards and Litigation
Authors: Donelson Dain C. , McInnis John M. , Mergenthaler Richard D.
Published: July 2012

Some claim that rules-based accounting standards shield firms from litigation, while others argue that violations of detailed rules give plaintiffs a “roadmap” to successful litigation. We inform this debate by investigating whether rules-based standards are associated with the incidence and outcome of securities class action litigation. Overall, our results suggest that rules-based standards are associated with a lower incidence of litigation but are not associated with litigation outcomes. These results are of interest in the debate regarding the switch from a more rules-based U.S. GAAP to a more principles-based IFRS.

JEL Classifications: K22, K41, M41.
City-Level Auditor Industry Specialization, Economies of Scale, and Audit Pricing
Authors: Fung Simon Yu Kit , Gul Ferdinand A. , Krishnan Jagan
Published: July 2012

We examine the effects of city-level auditor industry specialization and scale economies on audit pricing in the United States. Using a sample of Big N clients for the 2000–2007 period, and a scale measure based on percentile rankings of the number of audit clients at the city-industry level, we document significant specialization premiums and scale discounts in both the pre- and post-Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) periods. However, the effects of industry specialization and scale economies on audit pricing are highly interactive. The negative effect of city-industry scale on audit fees obtains only for clients of specialist auditors. By contrast, clients of non-specialist auditors obtain scale discounts only when they enjoy strong bargaining power, suggesting that auditors are “forced” to pass on scale economies to clients with greater bargaining power.

Data Availability: Data are available from sources identified in the article.
The Role of Firm Status in Appointments of Accounting Financial Experts to Audit Committees
Authors: Erkens David H. , Bonner Sarah E.
Published: July 2012

Since 1999 regulators have attempted to improve the monitoring of financial reporting by exerting significant pressure on firms to appoint accounting financial experts (AFEs) to their audit committees. Yet, many firms have been reluctant to do so, which has made these firms more prone to financial reporting problems. We examine appointments of AFEs to the audit committees of S&P 1500 firms during the period 1999–2008 to explore whether concerns about the status of these experts discouraged firms from appointing them. We find that typical AFEs (CFOs and retired audit partners) have lower director status (board seats, trusteeships, social club memberships, and elite education) than other types of directors, and that this status gap is greater for higher status firms (larger, better connected, and more admired firms). Moreover, we find that higher status firms are less likely to appoint AFEs, suggesting that status-related concerns reduce the demand for accounting financial expertise on audit committees.

Data Availability: All data are publicly available from sources identified in the text.
The Effects of Cognitive Misfit on Students' Accounting Task Performance
Authors: Honn Darla D. , Ugrin Joseph C.
Published: July 2012

Accounting educators have long been interested in the effects of cognitive style on student performance. Research suggests that students' cognitive styles can moderate their success across a variety of assessment methods (i.e., multiple-choice versus written reports versus case study) (Au 1997) and instructional methodologies (Ott et al. 1990). Not clear, however, is the impact of cognitive style on a student's accounting task performance. Several studies have examined the relationship between accounting students' cognitive styles and their performance on accounting tasks, but the results have been mixed (Jones and Davidson 2007; Togo 1993; Arunachalam et al. 1997; Swanson et al. 2005). Using Chan's (1996) theory of cognitive misfit, this study proposes that diminished performance will occur when there is incongruence between a student's cognitive style and the cognitive demands of an accounting task. The Felder-Solomon Index of Learning Styles was used to classify students' cognitive styles as global or sequential. In an experiment involving 138 students, the effects of cognitive misfit negatively impacted performance on a managerial accounting task, and the effect was most pronounced for students with global styles. The current study improves our understanding of cognitive factors that impact students' accounting task performance.
Marine Reservoir Variation in the Bismarck Region: An Evaluation of Spatial and Temporal Change in ΔR andROver the Last 3000 Years
Authors: Petchey Fiona , Ulm Sean
Published: July 2012

Interactions between islands, ocean currents, and winds cause large-scale eddies and upwelling in the lee of islands that can result in spatial variation in the marine radiocarbon reservoir. For waters around New Ireland and the Bismarck Sea, ΔR values ranging from 365 to −32014C yr have been reported (Kirch 2001; Petchey et al. 2004). Petchey et al. (2004) proposed that some of this variation was caused by seasonal reversals in the South Equatorial Current and North Equatorial Counter Current system, combined with Ekman upwelling from the Equator. McGregor et al. (2008) suggested additional complexity within this region caused by a change in the reservoir value over time in response to changing climatic conditions. We present a series of 14 new and extant published ΔR andRvalues on historic shells, combined with 8 values from archaeological terrestrial/marine pairs and U-Th dated coral, that support observations of localized variability caused by a complex interplay between seasonal currents, riverine input, and ocean eddies. On the basis of these values and oceanographic data, we divide the Bismarck Sea surface marine14C reservoir into 6 tentative subregions. In particular, our results support significant variation within channels at the southwest and southeast ends of New Britain and towards the equatorial boundary of the sea. Our results indicate that within the Bismarck Sea geographical variation appears to be more extreme than temporal over the last 3000 yr.
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy for management of a functional adrenal tumor in a cat
Authors: Smith Rebecca R. , Mayhew Philipp D. , Berent Allyson C.
Published: July 2012

Case Description—A 9-year-old castrated male domestic shorthair cat was examined because of hypertension that persisted after resolution of the patient's hyperthyroidism. Bilateral hypertensive retinopathy, a systolic heart murmur, left ventricular hypertrophy, and tachycardia were present.

Clinical Findings—Biochemical analysis revealed mild hypokalemia, normonatremia, high serum creatine kinase activity, high serum aldosterone concentration, and low plasma renin activity consistent with hyperaldosteronism. Hypercalcemia with an associated high serum parathyroid hormone concentration and an exaggerated low-dose dexamethasone suppression test result were consistent with concurrent hyperparathyroidism and hyperadrenocorticism, respectively. Ultrasonographic examination revealed a markedly enlarged left adrenal gland, an abnormally small right adrenal gland, and 2 nodules in the right thyroid and parathyroid glands.

Treatment and Outcome—Laparoscopic left adrenalectomy was performed concurrently with right thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy. Histologic evaluation revealed an adrenal cortical adenoma, thyroid adenoma, and parathyroid adenoma. The cat recovered from surgery without complications. The hypercalcemia and hypertension resolved after surgery. Follow-up echocardiography revealed improvement in the left ventricular hypertrophy. Ultrasonographic examinations performed up to 26 months after adrenalectomy showed no evidence of regrowth of the adrenal mass. The patient survived for 44 months after adrenalectomy with no signs of recurrent hyperaldosteronism or hyperadrenocorticism.

Clinical Relevance—Laparoscopic adrenalectomy may be a plausible method for the treatment of unilateral functional adrenal neoplasia in feline patients when diagnostic imaging has ruled out intravascular invasion and metastatic disease. In addition, in a feline patient with hyperthyroidism and hypertension, other endocrine glands should be investigated.
Conduit roughness and dye-trace breakthrough curves: why slow velocity and high dispersivity may not reflect flow in distributed systems
Authors: Gulley J.D. , Walthard P. , Martin J. , Banwell A.F. , Benn D.I. , Catania G.
Published: July 2012

Dye-trace breakthrough curves (BTCs) that increase in velocity and decrease in dispersivity through a melt season have been interpreted as indicating a switch from a distributed to a conduit subglacial drainage system, but this interpretation has not been validated in glaciers where the drainage system configuration was independently known. To test if processes other than a change in the configuration of the subglacial drainage system could produce similar BTCs, we measured BTCs from a persistent, mapped subglacial conduit beneath Rieperbreen, Svalbard, which lacks a distributed system because it is frozen to its bed. This conduit produced slow and highly dispersed BTCs early in the melt season when meltwater delivery rates were low, and fast and sharply peaked BTCs after the snowpack had retreated past the injection moulin. At Rieperbreen, the seasonal evolution of BTCs was controlled by decreases in conduit roughness as increased rates of meltwater delivery increased the relative submergence depths of rocks on the conduit floor. Because seasonal changes in roughness can produce slow and highly dispersed BTCs, dye-tracing studies may not be capable of uniquely identifying subglacial drainage system configurations. As a result, conduits may form earlier in melt seasons than previously recognized.
Glacier variations in response to climate change from 1972 to 2007 in the western Lenglongling mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau
Authors: Pan Baotian , Cao Bo , Wang Jie , Zhang Guoliang , Zhang Chen , Hu Zhenbo , Huang Bo
Published: July 2012

Global warming is causing widespread glacier retreat, with small glaciers disappearing. We investigate changes in glaciers over the western Lenglongling mountains, located in the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. Glacier extent over the western Lenglongling mountains is estimated by comparing digitized glacier outlines obtained from aerial photographs and satellite imagery. These results suggest that all 179 glaciers in the western Lenglongling mountains shrunk between 1972 and 2007. The total area loss was ~24.4 km2, accounting for ~28.3% (0.81% a-1) of the glacierized area in 1972. The average area retreat rates differ over different time intervals: they are approximately 0.68, 0.90, 0.77 and 0.56 km2 a-1 over the periods 1972-95,1995-99,1999-2002 and 2002-07, respectively. Based on analysis of meteorological data, glacier shrinkage in the study area can probably be attributed to the increase in air temperature. Furthermore, the smaller glaciers display a higher shrinkage rate than larger glaciers, and glaciers on southwest-facing slopes appear to retreat faster than those on northeast- facing slopes.
Theoretical Studies on Phase Transitions in Quasi-One-Dimensional Molecular Conductors
Authors: Yoshioka Hideo , Otsuka Yuichi , Seo Hitoshi
Published: July 2012

A review is given for recent theoretical studies on phase transitions in quasi-one-dimensional molecular conductors with a quarter-filled band. By lowering temperature, charge transfer salts exhibit a variety of transitions accompanying symmetry breaking, such as charge ordering, lattice dimerization, antiferromagnetic transition, spin-Peierls distortion, and so on. Analyses on microscopic quasi-one-dimensional models provide their systematic understandings, by the complementary use of different analytical and numerical techniques; they can reproduce finite-temperature phase transitions, whose results can be directly compared with experiments and give feedbacks to material design.
Suicide among War Veterans
Authors: Rozanov Vsevolod , Carli Vladimir
Published: July 2012

Studies aiming to identify if war veterans are at higher risk of suicide have often produced inconsistent results; this could be due to the complexity of comparisons and different methodological approaches. It should be noted that this contingent has many risk factors, such as stressful exposures, wounds, brain trauma and pain syndrome. Most recent observations confirm that veterans are really more likely to die of suicide as compared to the general population; they are also more likely to experience suicidal ideation and suffer from mental health problems. Suicides are more frequent in those who develop PTSD, depression and comorbid states due to war exposure. Combat stress and its’ frequency may be an important factor leading to suicide within the frame of the stress-vulnerability model. According to this model, the effects of stress may interact with social factors, interpersonal relations and psychological variables producing suicidal tendencies. Modern understanding of stress-vulnerability mechanisms based on genetic predispositions, early life development, level of exposure to stress and stress-reactivity together with interpersonal aspects may help to build more effective suicide prevention programs based on universal/selective/indicated prevention principles.
Homology Modeling and Analysis of Structure Predictions of the Bovine Rhinitis B Virus RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase (RdRp)
Authors: Rai Devendra K. , Rieder Elizabeth
Published: July 2012

Bovine Rhinitis B Virus (BRBV) is a picornavirus responsible for mild respiratory infection of cattle. It is probably the least characterized among the aphthoviruses. BRBV is the closest relative known to Foot and Mouth Disease virus (FMDV) with a ~43% identical polyprotein sequence and as much as 67% identical sequence for the RNA dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which is also known as 3D polymerase (3Dpol). In the present study we carried out phylogenetic analysis, structure based sequence alignment and prediction of three-dimensional structure of BRBV 3Dpol using a combination of different computational tools. Model structures of BRBV 3Dpol were verified for their stereochemical quality and accuracy. The BRBV 3Dpol structure predicted by SWISS-MODEL exhibited highest scores in terms of stereochemical quality and accuracy, which were in the range of 2Å resolution crystal structures. The active site, nucleic acid binding site and overall structure were observed to be in agreement with the crystal structure of unliganded as well as template/primer (T/P), nucleotide tri-phosphate (NTP) and pyrophosphate (PPi) bound FMDV 3Dpol (PDB, 1U09 and 2E9Z). The closest proximity of BRBV and FMDV 3Dpol as compared to human rhinovirus type 16 (HRV-16) and rabbit hemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV) 3Dpols is also substantiated by phylogeny analysis and root-mean square deviation (RMSD) between C-α traces of the polymerase structures. The absence of positively charged α-helix at C terminal, significant differences in non-covalent interactions especially salt bridges and CH-pi interactions around T/P channel of BRBV 3Dpol compared to FMDV 3Dpol, indicate that despite a very high homology to FMDV 3Dpol, BRBV 3Dpol may adopt a different mechanism for handling its substrates and adapting to physiological requirements. Our findings will be valuable in the design of structure-function interventions and identification of molecular targets for drug design applicable to Aphthovirus RdRps.
Sensitivity of a Label-Free Guided-Mode Resonant Optical Biosensor with Different Modes
Authors: Wang Qi , Zhang Dawei , Yang Huiyin , Tao Chunxian , Huang Yuanshen , Zhuang Songlin , Mei Ting
Published: July 2012

Sensitivity is a key factor in the performance of a sensor. To achieve maximum guided-mode resonant optical biosensor sensitivity, a comparison of biosensor sensitivity for Transverse Electric (TE) and Transverse Magnetic (TM) modes based on the distribution of electric fields is presented in this article. A label-free guided-mode resonant optical biosensor is designed using the quarter-wave anti-reflection method to reflect only a narrow band of wavelengths modulated by the adsorption of a biochemical material on the sensor surface at the reflected frequency. With the distribution of electric fields simulated according to the Rigorous Coupled Wave Analysis (RCWA) theory, it is found that the full width at half maximum of the TM mode is (~4 nm) narrower than that of the TE mode (~20 nm), and the surface sensitivity of the TE mode incident light is three times that of the TM mode. It is proposed in this article that the light mode plays an important role in the sensitivity of guided-mode resonant biosensors.
Anti-Peptidoglycan Antibodies and Fcγ Receptors Are the Key Mediators of Inflammation in Gram-Positive Sepsis
Authors: Sun Dawei , Raisley Brent , Langer Marybeth , Iyer Janaki K. , Vedham Vidya , Ballard Jimmy L. , James Judith A. , Metcalf Jordan , Coggeshall K. Mark
Published: July 2012

Gram-positive bacteria are an important public health problem, but it is unclear how they cause systemic inflammation in sepsis. Our previous work showed that peptidoglycan (PGN) induced proinflammatory cytokines in human cells by binding to an unknown extracellular receptor, followed by phagocytosis leading to the generation of NOD ligands. In this study, we used flow cytometry to identify host factors that supported PGN binding to immune cells. PGN binding required plasma, and plasma from all tested healthy donors contained IgG recognizing PGN. Plasma depleted of IgG or of anti-PGN Abs did not support PGN binding or PGN-triggered cytokine production. Adding back intact but not F(ab′)2 IgG restored binding and cytokine production. Transfection of HEK293 cells with FcγRIIA enabled PGN binding and phagocytosis. These data establish a key role for anti-PGN IgG and FcγRs in supporting inflammation to a major structural element of Gram-positive bacteria and suggest that anti-PGN IgG contributes to human pathology in Gram-positive sepsis.
Mean Platelet Volume in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Kodiatte Thomas Alex , Manikyam Udaya Kumar , Rao Suraksha Bellur , Jagadish Thej Mothakapalli , Reddy Madhavi , Lingaiah Harendra Kumar Malligere , Lakshmaiah Venkataswamy
Published: July 2012

Context: diabetes mellitus is a global pandemic. The increased platelet activity may play a role in the development of vascular complications of this metabolic disorder. The mean platelet volume (MPV) is an indicator of the average size and activity of platelets. Larger platelets are younger and exhibit more activity.

Aims: to determine the MPV in diabetics compared to nondiabetics, to see if there is a difference in MPV between diabetics with and without vascular complications, and to determine the correlation of MPV with fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), body-mass index, and duration of diabetes in the diabetic patients.

Materials and Methods: platelet counts and MPV were measured in 300 Type 2 diabetic patients and 300 nondiabetic subjects using an automated blood cell counter. The blood glucose levels and HbA1c levels were also measured. Statistical evaluation was performed by SPSS using Student’s t test and Pearson correlation tests.

Results: the mean platelet counts and MPV were higher in diabetics compared to the nondiabetic subjects [277.46 ± 81 X 109/l vs. 269.79 ± 78 X 109/l (P= 0.256)], 8.29 ± 0.74 fl versus 7.47 ± 0.73 fl (P= 0.001), respectively. MPV showed a strong positive correlation with fasting blood glucose, postprandial glucose and HbA1C levels (P=0.001).

Conclusions: our results showed significantly higher MPV in diabetic patients than in the nondiabetic subjects. This indicates that elevated MPV could be either the cause for or due to the effect of the vascular complications. Hence, platelets may play a role and MPV can be used as a simple parameter to assess the vascular events in diabetes.
Rapid Identification of Yeast Isolates from Clinical Specimens in Critically Ill Trauma ICU Patients
Authors: Jain Neetu , Mathur Purva , Misra Mahesh Chandra , Behera Bijayini , Xess Immaculata , Sharma Satya Priya
Published: July 2012

Purpose: The purpose was to evaluate the performance of a commercially available chromogenic Candida speciation media and the Vitek 2 ID system for the identification of medically important yeasts and yeast-like organisms in a routine clinical microbiology laboratory.

Materials and Methods: A total of 429 non duplicate, consecutive yeast strains were included during the 3.5-year study period. The performance of the Vitek 2 ID system and a chromogenic agar medium was evaluated against the gold standard conventional phenotypic and biochemical identification method for speciation of yeast isolates from trauma patients.

Results: Candida tropicalis (64%) was the most common Candida species, followed by Candida albicans (14%), Candida rugosa (7%), and Candida parapsilosis (6.5%). Of the 429 isolates, 183 could be identified to species level by all the three methods. Agreement between the chromogenic agar method and conventional methods was 80% for Candida tropicalis, 100% for Candida rugosa, 89% for Candida albicans, and 77% for Candida parapsilosis. Vitek 2 had lower sensitivity, with agreement of 49% for Candida tropicalis, 100% for Candida rugosa, 39% for Candida albicans, and 31% for Candida parapsilosis.

Conclusion: Thus, in long-term ICU patients, an increasing trend of isolating nonalbicans Candida spp. continues. The chromogenic agar medium is a convenient and economic method to identify commonly isolated species in busy clinical microbiology laboratories.
18 F-FDG Positron Emission Tomography in Multifocal Pyomyositis
Authors: Harisankar C. N. B. , Mittal B. , Kashyap R. , Bhattacharya A. , Singhi S.
Published: July 2012

18 F-Fluoro-deoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/computed tomography findings in a case presenting with pyomyositis are presented in this report.
Isolated intramedullary spinal cord cysticercosis
Authors: Agale Shubhangi , Bhavsar Shweta , Choudhury Barnik , Manohar Vidhya
Published: July 2012

We report a case of intradural, intramedullary, spinal cord neurocysticercosis at dorsal 10-11 (D10-11) level in a mentally retarded male. A 38-year-old, mentally retarded male presented with weakness and stiffness in both the lower limbs and waist since one year. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed a D10-D11 intradural space occupying lesion with cord compression. Intraoperatively, the tumor was grayish white, soft, cystic, and intramedullary with a well-defined plane with surrounding cord tissue. Gross examination revealed a cystic lesion of 1.5×1×0.8 cm, with a whitish nodule of 0.3 cm in diameter. The cyst wall was thin, shiny, and translucent. Microscopic examination revealed cysticercous cyst. Spinal neurocysticercosis should be considered in differential diagnosis of spinal mass lesion in patients residing in endemic area such as India.