bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Implications of copy number variation in people with chromosomal abnormalities: potential for greater variation in copy number state may contribute to variability of phenotype
Authors: de Smith Adam J. , Trewick Anne L. , Blakemore Alexandra I. F.
Published: August 2010

Copy number variation is common in the human genome with many regions, overlapping thousands of genes, now known to be deleted or amplified. Aneuploidies and other forms of chromosomal imbalance have a wide range of adverse phenotypes and are a common cause of birth defects resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. “Normal” copy number variants (CNVs) embedded within the regions of chromosome imbalance may affect the clinical outcomes by altering the local copy number of important genes or regulatory regions: this could alleviate or exacerbate certain phenotypes. In this way CNVs may contribute to the clinical variability seen in many disorders caused by chromosomal abnormalities, such as the congenital heart defects (CHD) seen in ~40% of Down’s syndrome (DS) patients. Investigation of CNVs may therefore help to pinpoint critical genes or regulatory elements, elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying these conditions, also shedding light on the aetiology of such phenotypes in people without major chromosome imbalances, and ultimately leading to their improved detection and treatment.
Time-dependent changes in the expression of lymphocyte and monocyte cell adhesion molecules after meals of different composition
Authors: Torrecilla Esther , González-Muñoz Miguel , Lahoz Carlos , Mostaza Jose
Published: August 2010

The objective of the present study was to compare the acute effect of meals of different composition on the expression of adhesion molecules that play a key role in leucocyte trafficking. A total of twenty apparently healthy subjects randomly consumed three isoenergetic meals 1 week apart: enriched in carbohydrates (CHO), enriched in monounsaturated fat and enriched in saturated fat. Blood samples were obtained before the meals and at 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 h after meal ingestion. Samples were analysed for LDL resistance to Cu-mediated oxidation and for the surface expression on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of CD62L, CD162, CD11a, CD11b, CD49d and CD54 by flow cytometry. The present results showed that there were no changes in LDL susceptibility to oxidation within and among the meals. After the CHO-enriched meal, there was a time-dependent increased expression of CD162, CD49d, CD11a and CD54 on PBMC that returned to basal values after 8–10 h. These changes were significantly greater than the ones observed after the consumption of the monounsaturated fat- and the saturated fat-enriched meals and were more evident in lymphocytes than in monocytes. In conclusion, acute ingestion of a CHO-enriched meal induces higher increases of lymphocyte activation markers than fat-enriched meals. These results suggest that long-term consumption of CHO-enriched diets may be associated with a sustained pro-inflammatory state.
Dietary calcium decreases but short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides increase colonic permeability in rats
Authors: Schepens Marloes A. A. , Rijnierse Anneke , Schonewille Arjan J. , Vink Carolien , Brummer Robert-Jan M. , Willemsen Linette E. M. , van der Meer Roelof , Bovee-Oudenhoven Ingeborg M. J.
Published: August 2010

An increased intestinal permeability is associated with several diseases. Nutrition can influence gut permeability. Previously, we showed that dietary Ca decreases whereas dietary short-chain fructo-oligosaccharides (scFOS) increase intestinal permeability in rats. However, it is unknown how and where in the gastrointestinal tract Ca and scFOS exert their effects. Rats were fed a Western low-Ca control diet, or a similar diet supplemented with either Ca or scFOS. Lactulose plus mannitol and Cr-EDTA were added to the diets to quantify small and total gastrointestinal permeability, respectively. Additionally, colonic tissue was mounted in Ussing chambers and exposed to faecal water of these rats. Dietary Ca immediately decreased urinary Cr-EDTA excretion by 24 % in Ca-fed rats compared with control rats. Dietary scFOS increased total Cr-EDTA permeability gradually with time, likely reflecting relatively slow gut microbiota adaptations, which finally resulted in a 30 % increase. The lactulose:mannitol ratio was 15 % higher for Ca-fed rats and 16 % lower for scFOS-fed rats compared with control rats. However, no dietary effect was present on individual urinary lactulose and mannitol excretion. The faecal waters did not influence colonic permeability in Ussing chambers. In conclusion, despite effects on the lactulose:mannitol ratio, individual lactulose values did not alter, indicating that diet did not influence small-intestinal permeability. Therefore, both nutrients affect permeability only in the colon: Ca decreases, while scFOS increase colonic permeability. As faecal water did not influence permeability in Ussing chambers, probably modulation of mucins and/or microbiota is important for the in vivo effects of dietary Ca and scFOS.
Socioeconomic resources and living arrangements of older adults in Lebanon: who chooses to live alone?
Authors: TOHME RANIA A. , YOUNT KATHRYN M. , YASSINE SARA , SHIDEED OLLA , SIBAI ABLA MEHIO
Published: August 2010

During recent decades, Lebanon has experienced demographic and social changes which, coupled with political instability, have led to waves of youth migration and a higher proportion of older adults living alone. This paper uses the 2004 data of the ‘Pan Arab Project for Family Health’ to assess the levels of various living arrangements and to examine the correlates of living alone, with a focus on economic resources. The findings reveal that 12 per cent of older adults in Lebanon lived alone (17.3 per cent of women and 6.2 per cent of men). Financially better-off older adults and those who reported being satisfied with their income were, respectively, 4.4 and 1.7 times significantly more likely to live alone than their counterparts. The incomes of Lebanese older adults were mainly provided by their children (74.8%) and a relatively small share derived from pension schemes. Contrary to findings from other Arab countries, variations in living arrangements among Lebanese older adults seem to follow the western model whereby wealthier older individuals are more likely to live alone and to be residentially independent. Further studies are warranted to examine to what extent this trend is the result of past migration of adult children who are now established elsewhere and sending remittances home.
The influence of weather on community gastroenteritis in Australia
Authors: HALL G. V. , HANIGAN I. C. , DEAR K. B. G. , VALLY H.
Published: August 2010

Infectious gastroenteritis is a common illness in Australia as elsewhere. Data from a year-long national gastroenteritis survey in 2001–2002 showed that gastroenteritis was more common in the northern and hotter part of Australia. These data were used to quantify associations between local weather variables and gastroenteritis in people aged >5 years while controlling for socioeconomic status. A distributed lag model was used to examine the influence of weather over a period of days prior to an event and the maximal effect was found at a lag of 2–5 days. The total effect over the preceding week indicated a relative increase from baseline in the probability of gastroenteritis of 2·48% (95% CI 1·01–3·97) for each degree rise (°C) over that period. Given the very high burden of gastroenteritis, this represents a substantial effect at the population level and has relevance for health predictions due to climate change.
THE LINK BETWEEN REGULARITY AND STRONG-PI-REGULARITY
Authors: PATRÍCIO PEDRO , HARTWIG R. E.
Published: August 2010

It is shown that if all powers of a ring element a are regular, then a is strongly pi-regular exactly when a suitable word in the powers of a and their inner inverses is a unit.
Organized crime and gang violence in national and international law
Authors: Hauck Pierre , Peterke Sven
Published: August 2010

Organized crime and gang violence are global phenomena that often emerge in urban areas. Although they are not new, states only recently began to perceive them as serious threats to public security. Laws specifically designed to combat them have consequently been enacted. This article outlines the difficulties of dealing adequately in legal terms with these phenomena and analyses the different approaches adopted so far at the national and international level.
Heliospheric evolution of solar wind small‐scale magnetic flux ropes
Authors: Cartwright M. L. , Moldwin M. B.
Published: August 2010

We present results from the first comprehensive small‐scale flux rope survey between 0.3 and 5.5 AU using the Helios 1, Helios 2, IMP 8, Wind, ACE, and Ulysses spacecrafts to examine their occurrence rate, properties, and evolution. Small‐scale flux ropes are similar to magnetic clouds and can be modeled as a constant‐alpha, force‐free, cylindrically symmetric flux rope. They differ from magnetic clouds in that they have durations on the order of tens of minutes up to a few hours, they lack an expansion signature at 1 AU, and they do not have a depressed proton temperature compared to the surrounding solar wind plasma. The occurrence rate of small‐scale flux ropes is slightly higher in the inner heliosphere than the outer heliosphere and has a weak dependence on the phase of the solar cycle. The duration of the events as a function of radial distance indicates there is a large, rapid expansion within 1 AU and it becomes constant in the outer heliosphere. This behavior implies small‐scale flux ropes are created and nearly complete their evolution within 1 AU.
El Niño–Southern Oscillation: Magnitudes and asymmetry
Authors: Douglass David H.
Published: August 2010

The alternating warm/cold phenomena in the Pacific, known as El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), is characterized by large perturbations to the worldwide climate. Indices have been defined to characterize this phenomenon. However, the commonly used indices contain an unwanted effect from the annual cycle that can be reduced by digital filtering. Using a filtered ENSO index NL on data from 1856 to the present allows more accurate calculations of various quantities to be made. New results are (1) the distribution of positive values of NL is Gaussian. Thus, large‐magnitude El Niño events come from the tail of this distribution and not from some rare external perturbation. (2) The probability of occurrence of an El Niño of any magnitude can be calculated. A 1997–1998 El Niño will occur once in approximately 70 ± 20 years, while an El Niño 25% larger will occur once in approximately 700 ± 200 years. (3) The distribution of negative values of NL deviates from Gaussian because of a deficiency of large La Niña events. (4) Examination of the 20 largest El Niño events since 1856 shows that there is no increase in the frequency of such events with time.
Strengthened tropical circulations in past three decades inferred from water vapor transport
Authors: Sohn B. J. , Park Seong‐Chan
Published: August 2010

By relating the water vapor flow from both reanalysis data and satellite observations to the lower branches of the Hadley and Walker circulations, it was shown that the strength of both north‐south and east‐west tropical circulations has intensified since 1979. Consistent with the expected water vapor climatology under the strengthened north‐south Hadley circulation, satellite observations of upper tropospheric humidity and total water vapor show that the subsidence region has become drier because of the increased sinking motion. In the east‐west direction, also consistent with the strengthened Walker circulation drawn from water vapor flux, the difference of the sea level pressure between the east Pacific and west Pacific has become larger over the past three decades.
Galanin‐Like Immunoreactivity Is Increased in the Postmortem Cerebral Cortex from Patients with Alzheimer's Disease
Authors: Gabriel Steven M. , Bierer Linda M. , Davidson Michael , Purohit Dushyant P. , Perl Daniel P. , Harotunian Vahram
Published: August 2010

Abstract: Galanin is a peptide that is associated with cholinergic neurons of the basal forebrain and, thus, of interest for the neuropathology of Alzheimer's disease. In the present study, human galanin‐like immunoreactivity was measured in postmortem human cerebral cortical tissues by using a homologous radioimmunoassay. In an initial study, six cerebral cortical regions were evaluated from nine elderly controls, 13 neuropathologically verified Alzheimer's disease patients, and 19 elderly schizophrenics. A significant 65% increase in galanin was found in frontal cortex Brodmann area 8 of Alzheimer's disease patients compared with controls. In contrast, cerebral cortical tissues from elderly schizophrenics were not different from those from elderly controls in any region. In a second study, 10 cerebral cortical regions were evaluated from 50 neuropathologically verified Alzheimer's disease patients and nine elderly controls. Concentrations of galanin were increased significantly 26–61% in six of 10 cerebral cortical regions examined (Brodmann areas F8, F44, T20, T21, T36, and P22). Purification of brain extracts by size‐exclusion Sephadex G‐50 chromatography revealed that human galanin‐like immunoreactivity eluted in two peaks of different molecular weights. These studies reveal increased concentrations of galanin in the cerebral cortex of Alzheimer's disease, similar to previous findings in basal forebrain tissue. Because galanin inhibits cholinergic neurotransmission, these findings may have important implications in the understanding of Alzheimer's disease neuropathology and associated cognitive deficits.
Metal–dielectric interface toughening by molecular nanolayer decomposition
Authors: Garg Saurabh , Jain Ashutosh , Karthik C. , Singh Binay , Teki Ranganath , Smentkowski V. S. , Lane Michael W. , Ramanath Ganpati
Published: August 2010

Recent work has shown that copper–silica interfaces can be toughened several fold by combining interface functionalization with an organosilane molecular nanolayer (MNL) and thermal annealing. In order to understand the role of annealing-induced MNL instabilities on interface toughness, we studied the effects of interface chemical changes on the fracture toughness of copper–silica interfaces tailored with organosilane or organogermane MNLs. Our results indicate that MNL decomposition into its inorganic constituents and consequent intermixing can provide an interface toughening mechanism. Organogermane–tailored interfaces exhibit higher toughness values due to Ge-diffusion induced copper silicate formation, not observed at organosilane tailored interfaces. These findings show that organic nanolayer decomposition at a buried interface could be exploited to tailor interfacial properties through appropriate choice of MNL chemistry and processing treatments.
Effect of surface hydrophilicity on the nanofretting behavior of Si(100) in atmosphere and vacuum
Authors: Yu Jiaxin , Qian Linmao , Yu Bingjun , Zhou Zhongrong
Published: August 2010

With an atomic force microscopy, the effect of surface hydrophilicity on the nanofretting behavior of Si(100) against SiO2 microsphere was investigated under vacuum and atmosphere conditions, respectively. The surface hydrophilicity revealed a strong effect on the motion behavior, adhesion force, friction force, and nanofretting damage of Si(100)/SiO2 pairs. The increase in the hydrophilicity of Si(100) surface could expand the stick regime of Si(100)/SiO2 pairs into a higher value of displacement amplitude. While the nanofretting ran in atmosphere, both adhesion and friction forces in the initial cycle would be larger when the Si(100) surface was more hydrophilic. However, because of the in situ chemical modification of SiO2 tip in nanofretting, they might reveal a decrease with increasing nanofretting cycles. Either in vacuum or in atmosphere, the nanofretting damage was weaker when the Si(100) surface was more hydrophobic. Because of the lack of oxygen and vapor in vacuum, the nanofretting damage on the Si(100) surface was dominated by mechanical interaction. The damage was characterized as the depression of 0.1–0.2 nm in depth on hydrophilic Si and the hillocks of 0.8–0.9 nm in height on hydrophobic Si and original Si. However, the nanofretting damage in atmosphere was much more serious, which was identified as the grooves of 8–11 nm in depth on Si(100) surfaces. Analysis indicated that even if the nanofretting damage in atmosphere was the coupled results of mechanical interaction and tribochemical reaction, the tribochemical reaction played a dominated role. These results will help us to understand the effect of surface properties on nanofretting of silicon and optimize the surface treatment technology to minimize the potential nanofretting failure of microdevices in microelectromechanical system (MEMS).
Interaction of fluids with physically patterned solid surfaces
Authors: Wu Hongfei , Borhan Ali , Fichthorn Kristen A.
Published: August 2010

We derive coarse-grained potentials for the interaction of a fluid atom with a solid substrate patterned with cylindrical or rectangular pillars, as well as with rectangular grooves. These potentials rely on the assumption of pairwise Lennard-Jones (LJ) (12-6) interactions of a fluid atom with a surface that has a uniform density of solid atoms. In the limit of a flat, semi-infinite surface, this potential becomes the LJ 9-3 potential. Simplified forms of the potentials are presented that are valid for sufficiently large pillars or grooves. The potentials can be truncated for greater computational efficiency while retaining similar accuracy to the full form. Both the full and simplified potentials exhibit the same features as a full summation of LJ (12-6) interactions, and these may be used in simulation studies to resolve phenomena associated with the interaction of fluids with patterned surfaces.
Dynamic ellipsometry study on curved thin films at pendent droplet surfaces
Authors: Zhang Yi
Published: August 2010

This paper describes the construction of an apparatus that detects the dynamic thickness/reflective-index changes of the curved thin films on the pendent droplet surfaces. The apparatus was constructed by integrating two well-established techniques: null ellipsometry and the pendent drop shape analysis system. The shape analysis system is used to precisely control the height of the objective pendent droplets. This allows the laser beam of ellipsometry to be continually locked in the exact bottom position of the pendent droplets. Such an arrangement facilitates the dynamic investigation of the film thickness as well as the continual monitoring of the surface tension.
Communication: The influence of line tension on the formation of liquid bridges
Authors: Dutka F. , Napiórkowski M.
Published: August 2010

The formation of liquid bridges between planar and conical substrates is analyzed macroscopically taking into account the line tension. Depending on the value of the line tension coefficient τ and geometric parameters of the system one observes two different scenarios of liquid bridge formation upon changing the fluid state along the bulk liquid-vapor coexistence. For τ>τ∗ (τ∗<0) there is a first-order transition to a state with infinitely thick liquid bridge. For τ<τ∗ the scenario consists of two steps: First there is a first-order transition to a state with liquid bridge of finite thickness, which upon further increase of temperature is followed by continuous growth of the thickness of the bridge to infinity. In addition to constructing the relevant phase diagram we examine the dependence of the width of the bridge on thermodynamic and geometric parameters of the system.
Monte Carlo study of structural ordering of Lennard-Jones fluids confined in nanochannels
Authors: Abtahinia Hamideh , Ebrahimi Fatemeh
Published: August 2010

We investigate quantitatively the ordering of Lennard-Jones fluids confined in a thin and infinitely long nanochannel with square cross section. The most probable spatial configurations of the atoms were examined by Monte Carlo simulations, and the order parameter was calculated. The effect of the various parameters, such as the wall-fluid attractive interaction, the size of constriction, and the temperature, was studied. The results indicate that for strong wall-fluid interactions and small constrictions, the ordering of the fluid particles is almost perfect. Geometrical mismatch, as well as increasing the system’s temperature, deteriorates the ordering phenomenon, even for very small openings. We observe a nontrivial trend in the dependence of the order parameter on the size of the opening of the channel with a linear size smaller than five atomic layers. We also examined the rearrangements of the fluid’s atoms in more symmetrical pores—slitlike pores and cylindrical nanopores—and discuss their similarities and differences with the square channels.
Identification of a deuterated alkanethiol inserted in a hydrogenated alkanethiol self-assembled monolayer by mapping of an inelastic tunneling signal
Authors: Okabayashi Norio , Komeda Tadahiro
Published: August 2010

We show an experimental technique for visualizing distributions of vibrational modes of molecules through mapping of an inelastic tunneling signal with a scanning tunneling microscope. A topographic information and d2I/dV2 signal processed by a lock-in amplifier were simultaneously imaged, where the feedback loop for the tunneling gap was engaged and a modulation voltage was superimposed to the gap voltage. The current signal used for the tunneling gap control was tuned by the filtering in order to minimize the response of the feedback loop caused by the modulation voltage. The effectiveness of this technique was demonstrated for a self-assembled monolayer composed of a mixture of normal and deuterated hexanethiol molecules, where both molecules have the same molecular length and the former was embedded in the matrix of the latter. Two types of molecules were successfully discriminated by chemical properties.
Formation mechanisms of metallic Zn nanodots by using ZnO thin films deposited on n-Si substrates
Authors: Yuk J. M. , Lee J. Y. , Kim Y. , No Y. S. , Kim T. W. , Choi W. K.
Published: August 2010

High-resolution transmission electron microscopy and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy results showed that metallic Zn nanodots (NDs) were fabricated through transformation of ZnO thin films by deposition of SiOx on ZnO/n-Si (100) heterostructures. The Zn NDs with various sizes and densities were formed due to the occurrence of the mass diffusion of atoms along the grain boundaries in the ZnO thin films. The fabrication mechanisms of metallic Zn NDs through transformation of ZnO thin films deposited on n-Si substrates are described on the basis of the experimental results.
Stability of domain engineered lead zinc niobate–lead titanate single crystals for 32-mode sound projectors
Authors: Amin Ahmed , Okawara Chiaki , Cross Leslie
Published: August 2010

We investigated the stability of length extensional, transversely poled and driven (32-mode) single crystals fabricated from a morphotropic lead zinc niobate–lead titanate composition under mechanical compression and electric field. A surface that defines the thermal, mechanical, and electrical variables required for stable 32-mode operation is developed. The results are compared to 31-mode. Ferroelastoelectric state shifts in domain engineered single crystals are briefly discussed.
Transient interference implications on the subpicosecond laser damage of multidielectrics
Authors: Gallais Laurent , Mangote Benoît , Commandré Mireille , Melninkaitis Andrius , Mirauskas Julius , Jeskevic Maksim , Sirutkaitis Valdas
Published: August 2010

Laser-induced damage in optical thin films with subpicosecond pulses is investigated. A model dedicated to optical interference coatings and based on the rate equation for free electron generation is introduced. It takes into account the transient interference effects induced by changes in the dielectric function during the laser pulse and its feedback effect on the electron density distribution in the multilayer stack. Simulations are compared to experiments on HfO2 and Ta2O5 films with pulses ranging from 45 fs to 1 ps. It is shown that this approach can improve the interpretation of femtosecond and picosecond laser induced damage in thin films.
Tunable bilayered metasurface for frequency reconfigurable directive emissions
Authors: Burokur S. N. , Daniel J.-P. , Ratajczak P. , de Lustrac A.
Published: August 2010

The directive emission from a bilayered metamaterial surface is numerically and experimentally reported. The LC-resonant metasurface is composed of both a capacitive and an inductive grid constituted by copper strips printed on both sides of a dielectric board. By the incorporation of varactor diodes in the capacitive grid, resonance frequency and phase characteristics of the metamaterial can be tuned. The tunable phase metasurface is used as a partially reflecting surface in a Fabry–Perot resonance cavity. Far field radiation patterns obtained by direct measurements show the reconfigurability of emission frequency while maintaining an enhanced directivity.
Electrical transport study of magnetomechanical nanocontact in ultrahigh vacuum using carbon nanowalls
Authors: Zhang Chi , Wang Ying , Huang Leihua , Wu Yihong
Published: August 2010

We present the results of an experimental study on a magnetomechanical nanocontact in ultrahigh vacuum, which is formed between a Ni nanoprobe and carbon nanowalls. The latter are thin graphite sheets grown almost vertically on a SiO2/Si substrate which greatly facilitates the formation of nanocontacts with adjustable contact size. Very large magnetoresistance with well-defined hysteresis and reproducibility has been observed at room temperature, which is interpreted as being caused by the magnetomechanical effect. Instead of functioning merely as an on/off switch, the linear response to an external field within a finite range makes this kind of nanocontact potentially also useful for sensing applications.
High quality single-crystal germanium-on-insulator on bulk Si substrates based on multistep lateral over-growth with hydrogen annealing
Authors: Yu Hyun-Yong , Cheng Szu-lin , Park Jin-Hong , Okyay Ali K. , Onbaşlı M. Cengiz , Ercan Burcu , Nishi Yoshio , Saraswat Krishna C.
Published: August 2010

Germanium-on-insulator (GOI) is desired for high performance metal-oxide-semiconductor transistors and monolithically integrated optoelectronics. We demonstrate a promising approach to achieve single-crystal defect-free GOI by using lateral over-growth through SiO2 window. The dislocations due to the lattice mismatch are effectively terminated and reduced in SiO2 trench by selective area heteroepitaxy combined with hydrogen annealing. Low defect density of 4×106 cm−2 and low surface roughness of 0.7 nm (root-mean-square) on GOI are confirmed by plan-view transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy analysis. In addition, the excellent metal-semiconductor-metal diode electrical characteristics fabricated on this GOI confirm Ge crystal quality. The selectively grown GOI structure can provide the monolithic integration of SiGe based devices on a Si very large scale integration (VLSI) platform.
Corrigendum to: Palladium-Catalyzed Cyanation of Aryl Perfluorooctylsulfonates
Authors: Zhu Yi-Zhong , Cai Chun
Published: August 2010

Cyanation of aryl perfluorooctylsulfonates with potassium hexacyanoferrate(II) catalyzed by an efficient catalyst system comprising Pd(OAc)2, CuI and PPh3 or 1,12-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (dppf) is described.
Is the net new carbon increment of coppice forest stands of Quercus ilex ssp. ballota affected by post-fire thinning treatments and recurrent fires?
Authors: López-Serrano Francisco R. , Heras Jorge De Las , Moya Daniel , García-Morote Francisco A. , Rubio Eva
Published: August 2010

Coppice forest stands of Quercus ilex have been one of the forest types most impacted by fire in Spain. After fire, their capability to resprout produces a high density of stems that requires thinning in order to avoid stagnation within the stands. In August 1993 and July 2001, two consecutive fires affected a Quercus ilex coppice stand in SE Spain. This study investigated the effects of different post‐fire thinning treatments and recurrent fires on stock and net new carbon increment (NNCI) in a 6‐year‐old coppice stand. Four degrees of thinning were applied: medium thinning (to a final density of 5000 trees ha–1), drastic thinning (to 1800 trees ha–1), full felling (all trees removed) and no thinning (control). Results showed NNCI was within the lower limit of the average global values reported for net primary productivity of terrestrial ecosystems. The best thinning treatment to maximise both current annual NNCI and mean annual NNCI stimulation, and keep new resprouting within reasonable levels was medium thinning. However, recurrent fires caused the observed net primary productivity to decrease, which allowed us to conclude that stump vitality is affected by successive fires, at least the first year after a new fire.
Ignition and fire spread thresholds in gorse (Ulex europaeus)
Authors: Anderson Stuart A. J. , Anderson Wendy R.
Published: August 2010

Field experiments were carried out in stands of gorse (Ulex europaeus L.) in New Zealand to determine the conditions under which fires would both ignite and spread. Research and operational experience in shrub fuels suggest that there is a clear difference between conditions that support ignition only (fuel ignites but does not spread beyond a single bush or clump) and conditions that are conducive to fire spread (fuel ignites and develops into a spreading fire). It is important for fire management agencies to be equipped with knowledge of these thresholds, because the different conditions require different levels of preparedness and response. Results indicate that the major variable influencing both fire ignition and fire spread development in gorse is the moisture content of the elevated dead fine fuel layer. Fires were observed to spread successfully in this elevated fuel layer only, independently of the surface fuels and the near-surface fuels. Elevated dead fuels failed to ignite at a moisture content of greater than 36%, and ignition only resulted in a spreading fire at moisture contents below 19%. The results correlate well with field observations and fire practitioners’ experience in these fuels, and provide reliable guidelines for fire management planning.
Does the post-fire organic layer compress beneath the snowpack?
Authors: Splawinski T. B. , Greene D. F. , Gauthier S. , Bergeron Y.
Published: August 2010

It is well known that post‐fire duff layers that are thin or of lower porosity greatly enhance juvenile survivorship of sexually recruiting boreal plant species. Nonetheless, there has been no study on duff compaction by snow following charring. We examined post‐fire duff depth for the first 3 years (two winters) after a 2006 wildfire in the boreal forest of north‐western Quebec. We found that (1) significant compression was common, with (2) a positive relationship between the initial thickness of the burned organic layer depth and the subsequent amount of compression. The proportional compression rate was, however, roughly constant: ∼14% after 2 years regardless of initial post‐fire duff depth. We conclude that this amount of compression is too little to significantly impact post‐fire seedling recruitment.
The cell biology of taste
Authors: Chaudhari Nirupa , Roper Stephen D.
Published: August 2010

Taste buds are aggregates of 50–100 polarized neuroepithelial cells that detect nutrients and other compounds. Combined analyses of gene expression and cellular function reveal an elegant cellular organization within the taste bud. This review discusses the functional classes of taste cells, their cell biology, and current thinking on how taste information is transmitted to the brain.
Flavobacterium banpakuense sp. nov., isolated from leaf-and-branch compost
Authors: Kim Joong-Jae , Jin Hyun Mi , Lee Hyo Jung , Jeon Che Ok , Kanaya Eiko , Koga Yuichi , Takano Kazufumi , Kanaya Shigenori
Published: August 2010

A strictly aerobic, Gram-stain-negative, yellow-pigmented, non-spore-forming, motile (by gliding), rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain 15F3T, was isolated from leaf-and-branch compost. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 15F3T was most closely related to Flavobacterium reichenbachii WB 3.2-61T and formed a distinct phyletic lineage within the genus Flavobacterium, the type genus of the family Flavobacteriaceae. Growth was observed at 10–34 °C (optimum, 30 °C) and pH 6.0–8.0 (optimum, pH 7.0). No growth occurred in the presence of ≥2 % (w/v) NaCl. Strain 15F3T reduced nitrate to nitrogen and showed catalase activity but no oxidase activity. The predominant cellular fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0 and summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 : 0 2-OH). The major isoprenoid quinone was menaquinone-6. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 31.1 mol%. On the basis of data from this polyphasic study, strain 15F3T may be classified as a representative of a novel species within the genus Flavobacterium, for which the name Flavobacterium banpakuense sp. nov. is proposed; the type strain is 15F3T ( = KACC 14225T  = JCM 16466T).
Making university libraries in Kenya the destination for the user population
Authors: Ondieki Makori Elisha
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of marketing of information products and services in university libraries in Kenya.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper utilises literature surveys of currently published articles and the researcher's professional experience.

Findings

Marketing is a basic and essential management process for promoting information products and services in university libraries in Kenya, but it is not given the attention it deserves and/or is poorly coordinated. Marketing avails university libraries the unique opportunity to provide quality, and demand‐based and user‐oriented information products and services.

Research limitations/implications

The paper used mainly literature surveys of currently published articles and the researcher's professional experience.

Practical implications

The paper offers reasons, strategies or initiatives and recommendations on how to make university libraries the destination for the user population. In this respect, university libraries should be proactively involved in marketing of information products and services to the user population.

Social implications

University libraries in Kenya should involve themselves actively in marketing and promotion of information products and services to the information audience. This helps to create awareness among the user population leading to increased use of information products and services in the libraries.

Originality/value

The paper highlights various marketing initiatives of making university libraries in Kenya the destination for the user population. Also, the paper explores recent innovative strategies for marketing information products and services. Marketing helps university libraries to: market and promote information products and services, provide innovative products and services, understand the needs and demands of the information audience or user population, plan service provision, and provide efficient and effective information products and services.
The antecedents of response strategies in strategic alliances
Authors: Tjemkes Brian , Furrer Olivier
Published: August 2010

Purpose

Strategic alliances involve uncertainty, interdependence, and vulnerability, which often create adverse situations. This paper seeks to understand how alliance managers respond to these adverse situations by examining the influence of four exchange variables on response strategies.

Design/methodology/approach

A scenario‐based experiment provides empirical support for a typology consisting of seven conceptually and empirically distinct response strategies: exit, opportunism, aggressive voice, creative voice, considerate voice, patience, and neglect.

Findings

The results indicate that economic satisfaction, social satisfaction, alliance‐specific investments, and the availability of attractive alternatives differentially and interactively affect response strategies.

Research limitations/implications

The study offers two main contributions to alliance literature. First, the seven response strategies accurately represent reactions that alliance managers use to deal with adverse situations. Second, the study findings validate and extend previous alliance research by highlighting that a comprehensive response strategy typology is necessary to disentangle the effects of the four exchange conditions on response strategy use, which fosters theory development and managers' ability to manage their alliances effectively.

Originality/value

The study contributes to the process perspective on strategic alliances by highlighting the various response strategies that alliance managers use to deal with adverse situations and their antecedents.
Analysis of internet access and use by academic staff in the University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
Authors: Ani Okon E. , Edem Margaret B. , Ottong Eno J.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the extent/level of internet access, and use by academic staff in the University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria, as a teaching/research tool.

Dsign/methodology/approach

A structured questionnaire was used as an instrument for data collection, with academic staff in the University of Calabar as respondents.

Findings

The findings of the survey show extensive internet use by the respondents, although with a low level of access to the internet (26.92 per cent), as most of the respondents have access to the internet through a commercial internet cybercafé off campus, while only 3.08 and 1.54 per cent could access the internet in their offices and university library, respectively. The basic reasons for internet access, and use by the respondents, are for communication through e‐mail (16.87 per cent), teaching (15.66 per cent), and research related activities (14.58 per cent). The findings also indicated that although there exists a high level of skills in internet access, and use by the respondents, there is a need to organize regular formal user training by the university library (university management), for all academic staff in the University of Calabar, as well as each Nigerian university.

Originality/value

The paper recommends the provision of equitable internet access not only in the University of Calabar, but all Nigerian universities. Most significantly the paper advocates a national policy of providing internet access for all academic staff in their offices in Nigerian universities, and effective electronic collection development to supplement traditional print resources in the university libraries towards enhanced electronic access, and use by academic staff.
Interview with Peter White
Authors: by Juliet Norton Interview
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to provide an interview with Peter White, P&G's Director for Global Sustainability, and chair of P&G's Global Sustainability Leadership Council which develops and co‐ordinates the company's sustainability strategy and goals.

Design/methodology/approach

This briefing is prepared by an independent interviewer.

Findings

It is absolutely essential for businesses to have a sustainability strategy in place. Organizations need a strategy to make sure that you are acting responsibly. That involves looking into all aspects of the businesses operations, including supply chains, to ensure both social and environmental responsibility.

Practical implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.

Social implications

The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that can have a broader social impact.

Originality/value

There are five planks to P&G's sustainability strategy which cover all of the important parts of P&G's operations: products; operations; social responsibility programs; employee engagement and stakeholders. This interview provides valuable insight and guidance for businesses that are trying to make sustainability a part of their business strategy.
Practical wisdom, an attempt for a Protestant re‐formulation
Authors: Weber‐Berg Christoph
Published: August 2010

Purpose

This paper seeks to explore the role of virtues in the context of management from a religious perspective. Its objective is to shed some light on the significance of Martin Luther's anthropology and theology of justification for a modern understanding of practical wisdom.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper reviews some passages of source literature by Martin Luther and – with side glances to Georg Simmel – reflects on basic structures of personal failure, as implied by Luther's metaphor of the self‐inclined man (homo incurvatus in se ipsum). By developing two theses, the paper proceeds to the question whether a protestant re‐formulation of practical wisdom could be useful to overcome self‐reference, not only on a personal, but also on an organisational level.

Findings

Faith and love, reformulated as virtues of practical wisdom for modern management from a protestant perspective can be understood as a receptive attitude and the ability to establish non‐instrumentalised and respectful relationships to humans. Lived by managers, they could help preventing companies and economy at large, to get caught in self‐referential, and inherently instable feedback cycles.

Originality/value

The change of perspective, inspired by Luther's theology of justification, enriches the notion of practical wisdom with new connotations and makes them accessible to the discourse over virtues in management.
Spiritual capital and practical wisdom
Authors: Roosevelt Malloch Theodore
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to show the connection between spiritual capital and practical wisdom with moral virtue as the link of both concepts.

Design/methodology/approach

The concept of spiritual capital will be explained using the well known concept of social capital and practical examples for virtues.

Findings

Spiritual capital has an impact on business like other forms of capital.

Originality/value

The paper discusses the development of the concept of spiritual capital.
Marketing's “Oscars”: a citation analysis of award‐winning articles
Authors: Hubbard Raymond , Norman Andrew T. , Parsa Rahul A.
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to see whether it is possible to reliably detect, prospectively, superior intellectual contributions to marketing's literature.

Design/methodology/approach

Citation data accessed on the Institute of Scientific Information Web of Science were used to examine the impact of award‐winning marketing articles with those of lead articles and non‐lead articles in the same journal issues.

Findings

Award‐winners gathered more citations than those for the two comparison groups. It is shown, however, that this finding should not be taken for granted. The peer review system frequently fails to identify high quality, innovative research.

Research limitations/implications

The paper only considers US marketing journals.

Originality/value

This is the only in‐depth study of the impact of award‐winning research in the marketing community.
The cybernetics of organising: management and leadership
Authors: Rowe James
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to argue that in a strategic context organising is a cybernetic process that corresponds leadership and management. The paper reflects on the obverse condition where the lack of correspondence may facilitate failure.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper applies Stafford Beer's viable systems model to consider management and leadership's relationship in the organisational context and draws on the practice of leadership and management to support the theoretical assertions.

Findings

That management and leadership are key processes in organising that need to be in mutual correspondence in order to sustain the viability of the organisation.

Research limitations/implications

The paper explores management and leadership from a systems perspective and so further practical work could be initiated to consider both successful organising and failure.

Practical implications

The paper is attempting to demonstrate that organisations may need to develop leadership and management contiguously as control and viability drivers; and that the duopoly of management and leadership is at the heart of the cybernetics of organising.

Originality/value

The paper attempts to consider the seminal cybernetic process of organising.
Multi‐directional search to optimize neural network error function
Authors: Ahmed Shamsuddin
Published: August 2010

Purpose

The proposed algorithm successfully optimizes complex error functions, which are difficult to differentiate, ill conditioned or discontinuous. It is a benchmark to identify initial solutions in artificial neural network (ANN) training.

Design/methodology/approach

A multi‐directional ANN training algorithm that needs no derivative information is introduced as constrained one‐dimensional problem. A directional search vector examines the ANN error function in weight parameter space. The search vector moves in all possible directions to find minimum function value. The network weights are increased or decreased depending on the shape of the error function hyper surface such that the search vector finds descent directions. The minimum function value is thus determined. To accelerate the convergence of the algorithm a momentum search is designed. It avoids overshooting the local minimum.

Findings

The training algorithm is insensitive to the initial starting weights in comparison with the gradient‐based methods. Therefore, it can locate a relative local minimum from anywhere of the error surface. It is an important property of this training method. The algorithm is suitable for error functions that are discontinuous, ill conditioned or the derivative of the error function is not readily available. It improves over the standard back propagation method in convergence and avoids premature termination near pseudo local minimum.

Research limitations/implications

Classifications problems are efficiently classified when using this method but the complex time series in some instances slows convergence due to complexity of the error surface. Different ANN network structure can further be investigated to find the performance of the algorithm.

Practical implications

The search scheme moves along the valleys and ridges of the error function to trace minimum neighborhood. The algorithm only evaluates the error function. As soon as the algorithm detects flat surface of the error function, care is taken to avoid slow convergence.

Originality/value

The algorithm is efficient due to incorporation of three important methodologies. The first mechanism is the momentum search. The second methodology is the implementation of directional search vector in coordinate directions. The third procedure is the one‐dimensional search in constrained region to identify the self‐adaptive learning rates, to improve convergence.