bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Adsorption of butanol from aqueous solution onto a new type of macroporous adsorption resin: Studies of adsorption isotherms and kinetics simulation
Authors: Lin Xiaoqing , Wu Jinglan , Fan Jiansheng , Qian Wenbin , Zhou Xiqun , Qian Chen , Jin Xiaohong , Wang Lili , Bai Jianxin , Ying Hanjie
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: Owing to the rapid depletion of petroleum fuel, the production of bio‐butanol has attracted much attention. However, low butanol productivity severely limits its potential industrial application. It is important to establish an approach for recovering low‐concentration butanol from fermentation broth. Experiments were conducted using batch adsorption mode under different conditions of initial butanol concentration and temperature. Batch adsorption data were fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and the macropore diffusion, pseudo‐first‐ and second‐order models for kinetic study.

RESULTS: The maximum adsorption capacity of butanol onto KA‐I resin increase with increasing temperature, ranged from 139.836 to 304.397 mg g−1. The equilibrium adsorption data were well fitted by the Langmuir isotherm. The adsorption kinetics was more accurately represented by the macropore diffusion model, which also clearly predicted the intraparticle distribution of the concentration. The effective pore diffusivity (Dp) was dependent upon temperature, but independent of initial butanol concentration, and was 0.251 × 10−10, 0.73 × 10−10, 1.32 × 10−10 and 4.31 × 10−10 m2 s−1 at 283.13, 293.13, 303.13 and 310.13 K, respectively.

CONCLUSION: This work demonstrates that KA‐I resin is an efficient adsorbent for the removal of butanol from aqueous solutions and available for practical applications for future in situ product recovery of butanol from ABE fermentation broth. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Enhancing separation of titanium and iron by three‐liquid‐phase extraction with 1,10‐phenanthroline as additive
Authors: Xie Keng , Huang Kun , Yang Liangrong , Liu Huizhou
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: A three‐liquid‐phase system (TLPS) composed of an organic solvent‐rich top phase, a polymer‐rich middle phase and a salt‐rich bottom phase is a newly emerging separation medium. Due to low affinity of the polymer‐rich phase for metals it is necessary and important to search for a suitable complexing agent that has a definite affinity for the polymer‐rich middle phase and a high selectivity for the metal ion of interest.

RESULTS: Addition of 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen) is effective in enhancing the separation of titanium and iron from magnesium in the TLPS consisting of trialkylphosphine oxide (TRPO)‐PEG 2000‐(NH4)2SO4. Hydrogen‐bonding interactions between PEG 2000 and phen molecules are the driving force for anchoring tri(phen)‐iron(II) sulfate complexes in the middle phase. Under the conditions (pH = 1.5, molar ratio of phen to iron(II) = 3.4:1), nearly 86% of titanium was extracted into the top phase while 100% of iron(II) was distributed in the middle phase, without any interference between the metal species. The separation factor of titanium and iron in the upper two phases was greater than 20 000.

CONCLUSIONS: A single step of extraction and separation of titanium and iron from magnesium was realized in the TRPO‐PEG 2000‐(NH4)2SO4 TLPS with phen as additive. It highlights the effectiveness of TLPS in dealing with multi‐metal solutions and suggests a potential use of TLPS in the separation of iron and other target metals. As iron is ubiquitous the separation of iron is often needed in both analytical processes and the hydrometallurgical industry. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Construction of microbial cell factories for industrial bioprocesses
Authors: Sauer Michael , Mattanovich Diethard
Published: January 2012

The development of industrial microbial processes is gaining unprecedented momentum. Increased concern for environmental issues and the prospect of declining petroleum resources has shifted the industrial focus increasingly to microorganisms as biocatalysts. At the same time systems biology and synthetic biology supply industry and academia with new tools to design optimal microbial cell factories.

Among the tools are systems biology approaches allowing the modelling of cellular networks for rational strain design, single cell analyses methods for gaining insight into population hetereogeneity, and an exciting combination of tools from structural biology and synthetic biology, permitting the catalysis of new (unnatural) enzymatic reactions or the production of new (unnatural) chemicals.

This perspective article outlines recent advances and new developments within the field of microbial cell factory design. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Sustainable ethanol fermentation from synthesis gas by Clostridium ljungdahlii in a continuous stirred tank bioreactor
Authors: Mohammadi Maedeh , Younesi Habibollah , Najafpour Ghasem , Mohamed Abdul Rahman
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: Ethanol production from synthesis gas (syngas) by Clostridium ljungdahlii was autotrophically carried out in a continuous flow stirred tank bioreactor (CSTR). A 2 L bioreactor was operated at 37 °C and constant agitation rate of 500 rpm. The experiments were conducted at various media flow rates and uncontrolled culture pH condition while the gas flow rate was kept constant at 14 mL min−1.

RESULTS: Continuous fermentation of the syngas containing 55% CO, 20% H2, 10% CO2 and 15% argon as internal standard resulted in cell dry weight of 2.34 g L−1 and CO conversion of 93%. Maximum concentration of ethanol and acetate was 6.50 g EthOH L−1 and 5.43 g Ac L−1.

CONCLUSION: High ethanol concentration was achieved in continuous fermentation using C. ljungdahlii. The ethanol producing ability of this acetogene and succesful switch of the metabolic pathway from acetogenesis to solventogenesis during the fermentation process was confirmed. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Impact of altitude and latitude on changes in temperature extremes over South Asia during 1971–2000
Authors: Revadekar J. V. , Hameed S. , Collins D. , Manton M. , Sheikh M. , Borgaonkar H. P. , Kothawale D. R. , Adnan M. , Ahmed A. U. , Ashraf J. , Baidya S. , Islam N. , Jayasinghearachchi D. , Manzoor N. , Premalal K. H. M. S. , Shreshta M. L.
Published: January 2012

South Asia covers more than 30° of latitude with weather observation stations situated from 6°N at Galle, Sri Lanka, to 36°N at Chitral in Pakistan. Moreover, the South Asian station network ranges in altitude from sea level to nearly 4000 m above sea level. This paper uses time series of 11 objectively defined indices of daily temperature extremes at 197 stations in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to examine the possible impacts of elevation and latitude on changes in temperature extremes over the period of 1971–2000. Trends in extreme indices are consistent with general warming only at low altitudes and latitudes. Stations at high altitudes and latitudes show both positive and negative trends in extreme temperature indices. As a notable example, the Diurnal Temperature Range (DTR), which has been known to decrease in most parts of the globe, has increasing trends over many high altitude stations in South Asia. Trends in extreme temperature indices at stations in South Asia higher than 2000 m above sea level are mostly in disagreement with those reported over the Tibetan Plateau. Observed trends at low altitude locations in South Asia suggest that these sites can generally expect future changes in temperature extremes that are consistent with broad‐scale warming. High‐elevation sites appear to be more influenced by local factors and, hence, future changes in temperature extremes may be less predictable for these locations. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
Production, purification and characterisation of polysaccharides from Pleurotus ostreatus with antitumour activity
Authors: Silva Sara , Martins Sónia , Karmali Amin , Rosa Eduardo
Published: January 2012

BACKGROUND: Mushroom polysaccharides play an important role in functional foods because they exhibit biological modulator properties such as antitumour, antiviral and antibacterial activities. The present study involved the production, purification and characterisation of intracellular and extracellular free and protein‐bound polysaccharides from Pleurotus ostreatus and the investigation of their growth‐inhibitory effect on human carcinoma cell lines.

RESULTS: Several fermentation parameters were obtained: batch polysaccharide productivities of 0.013 ± 8.12 × 10−5 and 0.037 ± 0.0005 g L−1 day−1 for intracellular and extracellular polysaccharides respectively, a maximum biomass concentration of 9.35 ± 0.18 g L−1, Pmax = 0.935 ± 0.018 g L−1 day−1, µmax = 0.218 ± 0.02 day−1, YEP/X = 0.040 ± 0.0015 g g−1 and YIP/X = 0.014 ± 0.0003 g g−1. Some polysaccharides exhibited superoxide dismutase (SOD)‐like activity of 50‐200 units. Fourier transform infrared analysis of the polysaccharides revealed absorption bands characteristic of such biological macromolecules. Cytotoxicity assays showed that both intracellular and extracellular polysaccharides exhibited antitumour activity towards several tested human carcinoma cell lines in a dose‐dependent manner.

CONCLUSION: The polysaccharides of P. ostreatus exhibited high SOD‐like activity, which strongly supports their biological effect on tumour cell lines. The extracellular polysaccharides presented the highest antitumour activity towards the RL95 carcinoma cell line and should be further investigated as an antitumour agent. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
Electrically assisted liquid‐phase microextraction for determination of β2‐receptor agonist drugs in wastewater
Authors: Rezazadeh Maryam , Yamini Yadollah , Seidi Shahram
Published: January 2012

Electromembrane extraction followed by high‐performance liquid chromatography coupled with ultraviolet detection was validated for the determination and quantification of salbutamol (SB) and terbutaline in aqueous samples. A 200‐V electrical field was applied to extract the analytes from 2.5 mL sample solution with pH 3.0, through an organic phase which consisted of 80% 2‐nitrophenyl octyl ether, 10% di‐(2‐ethylhexyl) phosphate and 10% tris‐(2‐ethylhexyl)phosphate as supported liquid membrane into an acidic acceptor solution with pH 1.0, located inside the lumen of a hollow fiber. To achieve the best extraction conditions, the organic membrane composition was optimized separately and other parameters, such as extraction time, applied voltage and pH in sample solution and acceptor phase were studied using experimental design. Under optimal conditions, extraction recoveries of 53 and 43% were obtained for SB and terbutaline, respectively, which corresponded to preconcentration factors of 89 for SB and 72 for terbutaline. The method offers acceptable linearity with correlation coefficient higher than 0.9947 and relative standard deviation less than 4.7%. Finally, it was applied for analysis of drugs in wastewater samples.
Weak type (p,q)‐inequalities for the Haar system and differentially subordinated martingales
Authors: Oseçkowski Adam
Published: January 2012

For any \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$1\leq p,\,q<\infty$\end{document}, we determine the optimal constant \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$C_{p,q}$\end{document} such that the following holds. If \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$(h_k)_{k\geq 0}$\end{document} is the Haar system on [0,1], then for any vectors ak from a separable Hilbert space \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$\mathcal{H}$\end{document} and \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$\varepsilon_k\in \{-1,1\}$\end{document}, \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$k=0,\,1,\,2,\ldots,$\end{document} we have

This is generalized to the sharp weak‐type inequality

where X, Y stand for \documentclass{article}\usepackage{amssymb}\begin{document}\pagestyle{empty}$\mathcal{H}$\end{document}‐valued martingales such that Y is differentially subordinate to X.
A projection method to solve linear systems in tensor format
Authors: Ballani Jonas , Grasedyck Lars
Published: January 2012

In this paper, we propose a method for the numerical solution of linear systems of equations in low rank tensor format. Such systems may arise from the discretisation of PDEs in high dimensions, but our method is not limited to this type of application. We present an iterative scheme, which is based on the projection of the residual to a low dimensional subspace. The subspace is spanned by vectors in low rank tensor format which—similarly to Krylov subspace methods—stem from the subsequent (approximate) application of the given matrix to the residual. All calculations are performed in hierarchical Tucker format, which allows for applications in high dimensions. The mode size dependency is treated by a multilevel method. We present numerical examples that include high‐dimensional convection–diffusion equations.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Parallel adaptive mesh refinement for first‐order system least squares
Authors: Brezina M. , Garcia J. , Manteuffel T. , McCormick S. , Ruge J. , Tang L.
Published: January 2012

This paper develops new adaptive mesh refinement strategies for first‐order system least squares (FOSLS) in conjunction with algebraic multigrid (AMG) methods in the context of nested iteration (NI). The goal is to reach a certain error tolerance with the least amount of computational cost and nearly uniform distribution of the error over all elements. To accomplish this, the refinement decisions at each refinement level are determined on the basis of minimizing the ‘accuracy‐per‐computational‐cost’ efficiency (ACE) measure that takes into account both error reduction and computational cost. The NI‐FOSLS‐AMG‐ACE approach produces a sequence of refinement levels in which the error is equally distributed across elements on a relatively coarse grid. Once the solution is numerically resolved, refinement becomes nearly uniform. Accommodations of the ACE approach to massively distributed memory architectures involve a geometric binning strategy to reduce communication cost. Load balancing begins at very coarse levels. Elements and nodes are redistributed using parallel quadtree structures and a space‐filling curve, which automatically ameliorates load balancing issues at finer levels. Numerical results show that the NI‐FOSLS‐AMG‐pACE approach is able to provide highly accurate approximations to rapidly varying solutions at relatively low cost. Excellent weak and strong scalability are demonstrated on 4096 processors for problems with 15 million biquadratic elements.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Experimental study on the reaction pathway of α‐haloacetophenones with nucleophiles: direct substitution or carbonyl addition?
Authors: Katayama Mika , Sasagawa Keita , Yamataka Hiroshi
Published: January 2012

The reaction of PhCOCH2Cl with OH– gave the expected α‐substituted alcohol (PhCOCH2OH) in addition to three dimer products. To clarify whether the substitution product is formed by direct SN2 or via carbonyl addition, the reaction of PhCOCH2Cl and OMe– was examined. The reaction gave two products, PhCOCH2OH as the major product after acid hydrolysis and PhCOCH2OMe as the minor product. An electron‐withdrawing substituent on the phenyl ring enhanced the overall reactivity and gave more alcohol than ether. It was concluded that the alcohol was formed via carbonyl addition‐epoxidation route, whereas the ether was formed by the direct substitution route. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Engineering anisotropic dielectric response through amorphous laminate structures
Authors: Cowell E. William , Knutson Christopher C. , Kuhta Nicholas A. , Stickle William , Keszler Douglas A. , Wager John F.
Published: January 2012

Nanolaminates built from ultra‐thin, ultra‐smooth films of amorphous metals, and solution‐processed oxides represent a new platform for dispersion engineering. Materials exhibiting anisotropic elliptical dispersion and hyperbolic dispersion with positive refraction are realized through choice of amorphous metal and laminate design. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), polarized reflectance measurements, and effective medium theory are combined to demonstrate the precision and predictability of the fabrication techniques and optical properties from ultra‐violet to infra‐red frequencies.

magnified image

Engineering anisotropic dielectric response through amorphous laminate structures.
Optical identification of silicon as a shallow donor in MOVPE grown homoepitaxial AlN
Authors: Neuschl Benjamin , Thonke Klaus , Feneberg Martin , Mita Seiji , Xie Jinqiao , Dalmau Rafael , Collazo Ramón , Sitar Zlatko
Published: January 2012

Aluminum nitride (AlN) layers doped intentionally with different concentrations of silicon atoms acting as shallow donors were grown by MOVPE on bulk c‐plane AlN to minimize dislocations in the doped layers; typical values for the dislocation density in the bulk AlN substrates are less than 104 cm−2. The actual silicon concentration was confirmed by secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) analysis and ranging from 1017 to 1019 cm−3. In highly resolved low temperature photoluminescence (PL) investigations, we found dominating bandgap‐related sharp emission lines with linewidth lower than 500 µeV for undoped samples. We tentatively assign silicon as the shallow donor causing the bound exciton line with 28.5 meV exciton localization energy, for which we found an intensity ratio relative to the free exciton line being linearly dependent on the silicon concentration. For increasing Si content, the respective emission band also broadened asymmetrically and shifted to lower energies as expected from the analogy with other semiconductor systems.
Admissible two‐stage designs for phase II cancer clinical trials that incorporate the expected sample size under the alternative hypothesis
Authors: Mander Adrian P. , Wason James M.S. , Sweeting Michael J. , Thompson Simon G.
Published: January 2012

two‐stage studies may be chosen optimally by minimising a single characteristic like the maximum sample size. However, given that an investigator will initially select a null treatment eﬀect and the clinically relevant diﬀerence, it is better to choose a design that also considers the expected sample size for each of these values. The maximum sample size and the two expected sample sizes are here combined to produce an expected loss function to ﬁnd designs that are admissible. Given the prior odds of success and the importance of the total sample size, minimising the expected loss gives the optimal design for this situation. A novel triangular graph to represent the admissible designs helps guide the decision‐making process. The H 0‐optimal, H 1‐optimal, H 0‐minimax and H 1‐minimax designs are all particular cases of admissible designs. The commonly used H 0‐optimal design is rarely good when allowing stopping for eﬃcacy. Additionally, the δ‐minimax design, which minimises the maximum expected sample size, is sometimes admissible under the loss function. However, the results can be varied and each situation will require the evaluation of all the admissible designs. Software to do this is provided. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Multiple comparisons to both a negative and a positive control
Authors: Hasler Mario
Published: January 2012

This paper addresses multiple comparisons in the presence of both a negative and a positive control. The methodology of the three‐arm trial is extended to the case of many experimental treatment arms or different doses of a compound. In contrast to the classic three‐arm trial, the focus is on the family‐wise error type I. Normally distributed data with either homogeneous or heterogeneous group variances are considered. Explicit criteria for an optimal allocation are proposed. Depending on the pattern of heterogeneity, remarkably unbalanced designs are power‐optimal. As an example, the method will be applied to a toxicological experiment. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Spatiotemporal Method for the Monitoring of Image Data
Authors: Megahed Fadel M. , Wells Lee J. , Camelio Jaime A. , Woodall William H.
Published: January 2012

Machine vision systems are increasingly being used in industrial applications because of their ability to quickly provide information on product geometry, surface defects, surface finish, and other product and process characteristics. Previous research for monitoring these visual characteristics using image data has focused on either detecting changes within an image or between images. Extending these methods to include both the spatial and the temporal aspects of image data would provide more detailed diagnostic information, which would be of great value to industrial practitioners. Therefore, in this article, we show how image data can be monitored using a spatiotemporal framework that is based on an extension of a generalized likelihood ratio control chart. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated through computer simulations and experimental studies. The results show that our proposed spatiotemporal method is capable of quickly detecting the emergence of a fault. The computer simulations also show that our proposed generalized likelihood ratio control charting method provides a good estimate of the change point and the size/location of the fault, which are important fault diagnostic metrics that are not typically provided in the image monitoring literature. Finally, we highlight some research opportunities and provide some advice to practitioners. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Utility of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) after closed reduction of developmental dysplasia of the hip
Authors: Bachy Manon , Thevenin-Lemoine Camille , Rogier Amélie , Mary Pierre , Ducou Le Pointe Hubert , Vialle Raphaël
Published: January 2012

Purpose

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been successfully used in the determination of the adequacy of the surgical reduction of congenitally dislocated hips in children. We present the results of a prospective series of patients treated conservatively. MRI was performed in all hips after positioning was deemed adequate on radiographs after spica cast application. The goal of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of MRI in this indication.

Methods

After the study was approved by our local ethics committee, 31 patients for a total of 36 dislocated hips were included. After the traction period, hip testing was performed and a hip spica cast was applied under general anaesthesia. All children had MRI within 1 week of reduction, without the need for contention or general anaesthesia. Hip reduction was assessed on axial and coronal MRI images.

Results

The concentric reduction of the hip was confirmed in 30 cases out of 36. In three cases, the dislocation was retrospectively suspected on radiographs and then confirmed. In the three remaining cases, hip dislocation was only diagnosed on MRI.

Conclusions

MRI screening of congenitally dislocated hips after reduction procedures is a safe and reliable procedure to assess the concentric reduction of the hip. Even in doubtful cases, MRI detected persistent hip dislocations and was conducive to iterative reduction and satisfactory outcome and result.
The costs of parental pressure to express emotions: Conditional regard and autonomy support as predictors of emotion regulation and intimacy⋆
Authors: Roth Guy , Assor Avi
Published: January 2012

This research focuses on offspring’s perceptions of their parents’ usage of conditional regard and autonomy‐supportive practices in response to the offspring’s experiences of negative emotion. Participants were 174 college students (60% were females). As predicted from self‐determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000), students’ perceptions of parents as hinging their regard on students’ expression or suppression of negative emotions predicted a maladaptive pattern of emotion regulation and intimacy capacity. In contrast, autonomy‐supportive parenting predicted more adaptive emotion regulation and intimacy patterns. Also as predicted, emotion‐regulation mode mediated the relations between parental practices and intimacy capacity. The innovative aspect of the study is the finding that parents who use conditional regard to encourage children’s expression (sharing) of negative emotions may actually undermine their children’s socioemotional capacities.
THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT AND WINE FARMERS AT THE CAPE: COLLECTIVE ACTION, RACIAL DISCOURSE, AND LEGISLATIVE REFORM, C. 1890–1965
Authors: NUGENT PAUL
Published: January 2012

This article addresses the struggle between the temperance and wine interests in South Africa during three phases: 1890–1920, 1920–48 and 1948–65. It argues that divergent outcomes were rooted in a combination of differential levels of internal cohesion and the configuration of the political arena within which the protagonists manoeuvred for advantage. Conflicting interests within the wine industry hindered collective action, whereas the temperance movement derived strength from its decentralized modes of operation and international connections. The latter pioneered mass action alongside the art of lobbying. After 1948, the wine industry turned the tables by cementing a special relationship with the National Party, while tapping into popular nationalism, youth culture, and emergent consumerism.
Aberrant anatomy of the hypoglossal nerve
Authors: Islam S , Walton G M , Howe D
Published: January 2012

Objective:

Variant anatomy of the hypoglossal nerve is very rare. We report an unusual intra-operative finding of an aberrant branch of the hypoglossal nerve, encountered during a facial reanimation procedure.

Case report:

A 50-year-old man was referred to the head and neck surgery department by the neurosurgeons for hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis to treat his facial paralysis, which had occurred following the removal of an intracranial neoplasm. During surgery, we identified an aberrant branch of the hypoglossal nerve, which took a more ventral and superior course in the carotid triangle, prior to entering the base of the tongue. Following further dissection, we found the main trunk of the ‘true’ hypoglossal nerve. Several interconnecting strands were seen in the proximal aspect of both the aberrant branch and the main trunk of the hypoglossal nerve. These interconnecting fibres appeared to have tethered the main trunk into an abnormal anatomical position.

Conclusion:

As far as we can ascertain, this is the first report of an aberrant branch of the hypoglossal nerve. Although this variant would appear to be extremely rare, surgeons must consider all variations of this nerve during head and neck procedures, in order to minimise iatrogenic complications.
Forward directed ion acceleration in a LWFA with ionization-induced injection
Authors: LEMOS N. , MARTINS J. L. , DIAS J. M. , MARSH K. A. , PAK A. , JOSHI C.
Published: January 2012

In this work we present an experimental study where energetic ions were produced in an underdense 2.5 × 1019 cm−3 plasma created by a 50 fs Ti:Sapphire laser with 5 TWs of power. The plasma comprises 95% He and 5% N2 gases. Ionization-induced trapping of nitrogen K-shell electrons in the laser-induced wakefield generates an electron beam with a mean energy of 40 MeV and ~1 nC of charge. Some of the helium ions at the wake–vacuum interface are accelerated with a measured minimum ion energy of He1+ ions of 1.2 MeV and He2+ ions of 4 MeV. The physics of the interaction is studied with 2D particle-in-cell simulations. These reveal the formation of an ion filament on the axis of the plasma due to space charge attraction of the wakefield-accelerated high-charge electron bunch. Some of these high-energy electrons escape the plasma to form a sheath at the plasma–vacuum boundary that accelerates some of the ions in the filament in the forward direction. Electrons with energy less than the sheath potential cannot escape and return to the plasma boundary in a vortex-like motion. This in turn produces a time-varying azimuthal magnetic field, which generates a longitudinal electric field at the interface that further accelerates and collimates the ions.
Introduction to the Forum
Authors: KESSLER OLIVER
Published: January 2012

In the last couple of years, Critical Realism has established itself as an alone-standing intellectual movement in International Relations (IR). It not only seeks to challenge the idea of the middle ground on which most of the more moderate versions of constructivist thought base their convictions, but it also seeks to provide own answers to basic scientific problems around the relationship between facts and values, causation and causality, or agents and structure. If one would want to characterise Critical Realist positions, one has to point to their attempted resurrection of ontology. Taking inspiration, in particular, from Bhaskar's Possibility of Naturalism and subsequent works, different strands of Critical Realism are tied together in their conviction that epistemology has had too much influence on scientific debates ever since Kant changed the structure of philosophical reasoning by asking how objects were determined by concepts rather than the other way round. The prevalent focus on epistemological questions is not only biased and asks the wrong questions, but it starts from false premises in the first place, as Wight and Patomäki once put it: every theory of knowledge must also logically presuppose a theory of what the world is like (ontology) for knowledge (epistemology) to be possible.
In Heidegger's shadow: a phenomenological critique of Critical Realism
Authors: MICHEL TORSTEN
Published: January 2012

The field of International Relations (IR) although in many quarters still immersed in the epistemological trenches surrounding the fourth debate between positivism and post-positivism saw the emergence of a renewed interest and debate about the state and rigour of ‘our’ ontological assumptions. One currently very prominent contribution to this emerging or re-emerging interest in ontological questions can be found in the Critical Realist (CR) approach.
Kinematic modelling of a 5-DOF hybrid parallel robot for laparoscopic surgery
Authors: Pisla Doina , Gherman Bogdan , Vaida Calin , Plitea Nicolae
Published: January 2012

Robotic-assisted surgery is a continuously developing field because robots have demonstrated clear benefits in operating rooms. Until now, vast majority of robots used in surgery had serial structures. This paper presents the kinematic modelling of a 5-degree of freedom hybrid parallel architecture in two slightly different variants. The kinematics of this structure is determined, and following the analysis of singularities, the best variant is chosen. The robot workspace is computed and finally the experimental model and some simulation results are presented.
LINKING THE EVIDENCE: INTERMEDIATE OUTCOMES IN MEDICAL TEST ASSESSMENTS
Authors: Staub Lukas P. , Dyer Suzanne , Lord Sarah J. , Simes R. John
Published: January 2012

Objectives:The aim of this study is to review how health technology assessments (HTA) of medical tests incorporate intermediate outcomes in conclusions about the effectiveness of tests on improving health outcomes.

Methods:Systematic review of English-language test assessments in the HTA database from January 2005 to February 2010, supplemented by a search of the Web sites of International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment (INAHTA) members.

Results:A total of 149 HTAs from eight countries were assessed. Half evaluated tests for screening or diagnosis, a third for disease classification (including staging, prognosis, monitoring), and a fifth for multiple purposes. In seventy-one HTAs (48 percent) only diagnostic accuracy was reported, while in seventeen (11 percent) evidence of health outcomes was reported in addition to accuracy. Intermediate outcomes, mainly the impact of test results on patient management, were considered in sixty-one HTAs (41 percent). Of these, forty-seven identified randomized trials or observational studies reporting intermediate outcomes. The validity of these intermediate outcomes as a surrogate for health outcomes was not consistently discussed; nor was the quality appraisal of this evidence. Clear conclusions about whether the test was effective were included in approximately 60 percent of HTAs.

Conclusions:Intermediate outcomes are frequently assessed in medical test HTAs, but interpretation of this evidence is inconsistently reported. We recommend that reviewers explain the rationale for using intermediate outcomes, identify the assumptions required to link intermediate outcomes and patient benefits and harms, and assess the quality of included studies.
The health and economic burden of chickenpox and herpes zoster in Belgium
Authors: BILCKE J. , OGUNJIMI B. , MARAIS C. , DE SMET F. , CALLENS M. , CALLAERT K. , VAN KERSCHAVER E. , RAMET J. , VAN DAMME P. , BEUTELS P.
Published: January 2012

Varicella-zoster virus causes chickenpox (CP) and after reactivation herpes zoster (HZ). Vaccines are available against both diseases warranting an assessment of the pre-vaccination burden of disease. We collected data from relevant Belgian databases and performed five surveys of CP and HZ patients. The rates at which a general practitioner is visited at least once for CP and HZ are 346 and 378/100 000 person-years, respectively. The average CP and HZ hospitalization rates are 5·3 and 14·2/100 000 person-years respectively. The direct medical cost for HZ is about twice as large as the direct medical cost for CP. The quality-adjusted life years lost for ambulatory CP patients consulting a physician is more than double that of those not consulting a physician (0·010vs. 0·004). In conclusion, both diseases cause a substantial burden in Belgium.
Free to move, forced to flee: the formation and dissolution of suburbs in colonial Bombay, 1750–1918
Authors: CHOPRA PREETI
Published: January 2012

This article shows the centrality of movement – the freedom to move, the inability to move and being forced to flee – to the suburban development of Bombay. The reason as well as the spatio-temporal rhythm of movement differed among population groups inhabiting the city. The early suburbs of colonial Bombay were predicated on the ability of a tiny European elite to move to different parts of the city according to the seasons. By the mid-nineteenth century, their movement would no longer be restricted to the several islands that constituted Bombay. Instead, tracing the governor's footsteps they would move many miles away, from Bombay to Poona during the monsoons, to Mahabaleshwar after the rains and back to Bombay for the cool winter season as the seat of governance shifted according to the season. In late nineteenth-century Bombay, the growth of the mill industry would force Europeans to retreat to other areas of the city from their former suburban homes, which were now transformed into mill districts. In contrast to the freedom of movement that underlay the early foundation of European suburban development in Bombay, Indian suburban development was based on the necessity to flee the crowded and insalubrious native city districts. The bubonic plague that first struck the city in 1896 was most virulent in the native districts of the city, long subject to municipal neglect. After 1896, large numbers of Bombay's native citizenry were forced to flee their homes each year during the plague season. Moving to different locations, often along the railway lines, they formed small communities that became the foundation of Bombay's future suburban development.
The 1910 Royal Institute of British Architects’ Conference: a focus for international town planning?
Authors: WHYTE WILLIAM
Published: January 2012

The 1910 International Town Planning Conference is rightly seen as a major moment in the development of modern urban design. It drew together more than 1,000 architects and planners from across the world. At first sight, the conference consequently appears to provide further evidence for the importance of transnational town planning networks in this period. This article, by contrast, highlights the domestic agendas which underwrote the event. It shows that the conference was considerably less successful and less international than has previously been argued. It thus stresses the limitations of the town planning movement: underscoring the continued importance of national differences and national debates.
Characterization of oocyte-expressedGDF9gene in buffalo and mapping of its TSS and putative regulatory elements
Authors: Roy B. , Rajput S. , Raghav S. , Kumar P. , Verma A. , Jain A. , Jain T. , Singh D. , De S. , Goswami S.L. , Datta T.K.
Published: January 2012

In spite of emerging evidence about the vital role of GDF9 in determination of oocyte competence, there is insufficient information about its regulation of oocyte-specific expression, particularly in livestock animals. Because of the distinct prominence of buffalo as a dairy animal, the present study was undertaken to isolate and characterize GDF9 cDNA using orthologous primers based on the bovine GDF9 sequence. GDF9 transcripts were found to be expressed in oocytes irrespective of their follicular origin, and shared a single transcription start site (TSS) at –57 base pairs (bp) upstream of ATG. Assignment of the TSS is consistent with the presence of a TATA element at –23 of the TSS mapped in this study. Localization of a buffalo-specific minimal promoter within 320 bp upstream of ATG was consolidated by identification of an E-box element at –113bp. Presence of putative transcription factor binding sites and othercisregulatory elements were analyzed at ~5 kb upstream of TSS. Various germ cell-specificcis-acting regulatory elements (BNCF, BRNF, NR2F, SORY, Foxh1, OCT1, LHXF etc.) have been identified in the 5′ flanking region of the buffaloGDF9gene, including NOBOX DNA binding elements and consensuses E-boxes (CANNTG). Presence of two conserved E-boxes found on buffalo sequence at –520 and –718 positions deserves attention in view of its sequence deviation from other species. Two NOBOX binding elements (NBE) were detected at the –3471 and –203 positions. The fall of the NBE within the putative minimal promoter territory of buffalo GDF9 and its unique non-core binding sequence could have a possible role in the control of the core promoter activity.
Embryo production by parthenogenetic activation and fertilization of in vitro matured oocytes from Cebus apella
Authors: Lima Julianne S. , Leão Danuza L. , Sampaio Rafael V. , Brito Adriel B. , Santos Regiane R. , Miranda Moysés S. , Ohashi Otávio M. , Domingues Sheyla F. S.
Published: January 2012

The efficiency of in vitro fertilization (IVF) depends on the viability of spermatozoa. For capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella), in vitro capacitation of spermatozoa is challenging because of their unique seminal coagulum. Motile spermatozoa can be obtained after liquefaction of the semen coagulum in coconut water-based solution. The objective of the present study was to establish an optimal in vitro maturation (IVM) protocol for capuchin monkeys and to observe the effect of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH) on IVF and parthenogenetic activation (PA) of oocytes collected from unstimulated females. We assessed spermatozoa quality after recovery from seminal coagulum using the solution ACP-118® as an extender. Oocytes were matured in vitro for 36 or 40 h and subjected to IVF or PA by applying ionomycin combined either with 6-dimethylaminopurine (6-DMAP) or roscovitine. In total, 87% of oocytes reached metaphase II (MII) after 40 IVM and 4-cell embryo production was obtained after IVF and parthenogenesis using ionomycin/6-DMAP. ACP-118® was used successfully to harvest viable spermatozoa from semen coagulum and in the preservation of spermatozoa, which were able to fertilize oocytes in vitro.
When the answer comes into question in question-answering: survey and open issues
Authors: MENDES ANA CRISTINA , COHEUR LUÍSA
Published: January 2012

The answer determines the success of a Question-Answering (QA) system. In redundancy-based QA systems, a common approach is to extract the candidate answers from the information sources and select the most frequent answers as the final answers. However, this strategy has some pitfalls. For instance, if a system is not able to detect equivalences between the candidate answers, their frequencies might be erroneously calculated. Moreover, the user who posed the question should also be taken into account when answering: different persons require different (correct) answers. This can involve the use of suitable vocabulary and/or information details. In these situations, the generation of a response can be a more suitable strategy, instead of the extraction and direct retrieval of the answer from the information sources. The present survey targets the state of the art in the answering task in QA under three different lines of research. First, we present several works that focus on relating candidate answers. Then, we recover the concept of cooperative answer – a correct, useful, and non-misleading answer – and we bring up attempts to address cooperative answering. Finally, we investigate the research community endeavors on response generation. We will also present our perspective on each of these three topics throughout this paper.
BMI and obesity in US blood donors: a potential public health role for the blood centre
Authors: Murphy Edward L , Schlumpf Karen , Wright David J , Cable Ritchard , Roback John , Sacher Ronald , Busch Michael P
Published: January 2012

Objective

According to the 2007–2008 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the prevalence of obesity in the US population was 33·8 %; 34·3 % and 38·2 %, respectively, in middle-aged men and women. We asked whether available blood donor data could be used for obesity surveillance.

Design

Cross-sectional study of BMI and obesity, defined as BMI ≥ 30·0 kg/m2. Adjusted odds ratios (aOR) were calculated with logistic regression.

Setting

A network of six US blood centres.

Subjects

Existing data on self-reported height and weight from blood donors, excluding persons deferred for very low body weight.

Results

Among 1 042 817 donors between January 2007 and December 2008, the prevalence of obesity was 25·1 %; 25·7 % in men and 24·4 % in women. Obesity was associated with middle age (age 50–59 years v. <20 years: aOR = 1·92 for men and 1·81 for women), black (aOR = 1·57 for men and 2·35 for women) and Hispanic (aOR = 1·47 for men and 1·49 for women) race/ethnicity compared with white race/ethnicity, and inversely associated with higher educational attainment (college degree v. high school or lower: aOR = 0·56 for men and 0·48 for women) and double red cell donation and platelet donation.

Conclusions

Obesity is common among US blood donors, although of modestly lower prevalence than in the general population, and is associated with recognized demographic factors. Blood donors with higher BMI are specifically recruited for certain blood collection procedures. Blood centres can play a public health role in obesity surveillance and interventions.
Crosstalk Between Proximal and Distal Action Effects During Tool Use
Authors: Ladwig Stefan , Sutter Christine , Müsseler Jochen
Published: January 2012

When using a tool, proximal action effects (e.g., the hand movement on a digitizer tablet) and distal action effects (e.g., the cursor movement on a display) often do not correspond to or are even in conflict with each other. In the experiments reported here, we examined the role of proximal and distal action effects in a closed loop task of sensorimotor control. Different gain factors perturbed the relation between hand movements on the digitizer tablet and cursor movements on a display. In the experiments, the covert hand movement was held constant, while the cursor amplitude on the display was shorter, equal, or longer, and vice versa in the other condition. When participants were asked to replicate the hand movement without visual feedback, hand amplitudes varied in accordance with the displayed amplitudes. Adding a second transformation (Experiment 1: 90°-rotation of visual feedback, Experiment 2: 180°-rotation of visual feedback) reduced these aftereffects only when the discrepancy between hand movement and displayed movement was obvious. In conclusion, distal action effects assimilated proximal action effects when the proprioceptive/tactile feedback showed a feature overlap with the visual feedback on the display.
On the Persistence of Tool-Based Compatibility Effects
Authors: Janczyk Markus , Pfister Roland , Kunde Wilfried
Published: January 2012

Using tools, such as simple levers, makes specific demands on the motor system. Two related performance decrements have been reported: The costs that arise when required tool movements and movements of the operating hand are spatially incompatible (hand-tool compatibility), and the costs that arise when relevant stimuli and tool movements are spatially incompatible (stimulus-tool compatibility). We performed two experiments to test the boundary conditions of both effects. Experiment 1 revealed a strong hand-tool compatibility effect despite visual occlusion of the hand and instructions to ignore hand movements. Experiment 2 revealed influences of stimulus-tool compatibility despite instructions to ignore the tool and to pay attention to the operating hand alone. These results suggest that lever movements of the type studied here become automatically represented and constrain motor performance.
What eddy‐covariance measurements tell us about prior land flux errors in CO2‐flux inversion schemes
Authors: Chevallier Frédéric , Wang Tao , Ciais Philippe , Maignan Fabienne , Bocquet Marc , Altaf Arain M. , Cescatti Alessandro , Chen Jiquan , Dolman A. Johannes , Law Beverly E. , Margolis Hank A. , Montagnani Leonardo , Moors Eddy J.
Published: January 2012

To guide the future development of CO2‐atmospheric inversion modeling systems, we analyzed the errors arising from prior information about terrestrial ecosystem fluxes. We compared the surface fluxes calculated by a process‐based terrestrial ecosystem model with daily averages of CO2flux measurements at 156 sites across the world in the FLUXNET network. At the daily scale, the standard deviation of the model‐data fit was 2.5 gC·m−2·d−1; temporal autocorrelations were significant at the weekly scale (>0.3 for lags less than four weeks), while spatial correlations were confined to within the first few hundred kilometers (<0.2 after 200 km). Separating out the plant functional types did not increase the spatial correlations, except for the deciduous broad‐leaved forests. Using the statistics of the flux measurements as a proxy for the statistics of the prior flux errors was shown not to be a viable approach. A statistical model allowed us to upscale the site‐level flux error statistics to the coarser spatial and temporal resolutions used in regional or global models. This approach allowed us to quantify how aggregation reduces error variances, while increasing correlations. As an example, for a typical inversion of grid point (300 km × 300 km) monthly fluxes, we found that the prior flux error follows an approximate e‐folding correlation length of 500 km only, with correlations from one month to the next as large as 0.6.