bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Realism and construct validity of novel pelvic models of common gynecologic conditions
Authors: Edwards Sian , Cass Gemma , Lenguerrand Erik , Fox Robert , Crofts Joanna
Published: December 2013

Objective

To test a novel set of pelvic trainers for realism and construct validity.

Methods

Seven models of the female pelvis were studied. Participants performed speculum and bimanual examinations, documented their findings, and recorded opinions of the models in a structured questionnaire. Results were analyzed by participant grade (inexperienced and experienced).

Results

Twenty‐six inexperienced and 24 experienced gynecologists participated. Experienced doctors were more likely to correctly identify the uterus corresponding to 16 weeks of gestation (P < 0.001), the large fibroid uterus (P = 0.01), and uterine anteversion (P = 0.04). Identification of the uterus containing a small fibroid, the uterus corresponding to 10 weeks of gestation, and an adnexal cyst was low overall (< 35%) and not significantly different between the groups. Correct identification of cervical findings (ectropion and polyp) was high in both groups (65%–88%). Experienced doctors were more consistent—with 17 (71%) reporting the same correct finding on a repeated model, compared with 8 (31%) inexperienced doctors. Forty‐nine (98%) doctors completed the structured questionnaire, 36 (73%) of whom felt the models were realistic.

Conclusion

The models were found to be realistic and have construct validity. Senior participants were consistent at correctly identifying most abnormalities. The models may be useful for pelvic examination training; further testing is required regarding their ability to aid learning of clinical and communication skills.
Prophylactic ampicillin versus cefazolin for the prevention of post‐cesarean infectious morbidity in Rwanda
Authors: Mivumbi Victor N. , Little Sarah E. , Rulisa Stephen , Greenberg James A.
Published: December 2013

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of ampicillin versus cefazolin as prophylactic antibiotics prior to cesarean delivery in Rwanda.

Methods

In a prospective, randomized, open‐label, single‐site study conducted between March and May 2012, the effects of prophylactic ampicillin versus cefazolin were compared among women undergoing cesarean delivery at the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Kigali, Rwanda. Postoperatively, participants were evaluated daily for infectious morbidity while in the hospital. Follow‐up was done by phone and by appointment at the hospital within 2 weeks of delivery.

Results

During the study period, there were 578 total deliveries and 234 cesarean deliveries (40.4%). Overall, 132 women were enrolled in the study and randomized to receive either ampicillin (n = 66) or cefazolin (n = 66). No women were lost to follow‐up. The overall infection rate was 15.9% (21/132). The infection rate in the ampicillin group and the cefazolin group was 25.8% (17/66) and 6.1% (4/66), respectively.

Conclusion

Implementing a universal protocol in Rwanda of prophylactic cefazolin prior to cesarean delivery might reduce postoperative febrile morbidity, use of postoperative antibiotics, and number of postoperative days in hospital.
Output-Driven Phonology
Authors: Tesar Bruce
Published: December 2013

This book presents the theory of output-driven maps and provides a fresh perspective on the extent to which phonologies can be characterized in terms of restrictions on outputs. Closely related to traditional conceptions of process opacity, but differing in notable ways, the theory of output-driven maps applies equally to SPE-style ordered rules, Optimality Theory, and other phonological theories. It permits a formally rigorous analysis of the issues in Optimality Theory that is not possible with traditional process opacity. Also presented is a theory of phonological learning. Building on prior work on learning in Optimality Theory, the learning theory exploits the formal structure of output-driven maps to achieve learning that is far more computationally efficient than comparable prior approaches. In this book Bruce Tesar, one of the founders of the study of learnability in Optimality Theory, presents fresh perspectives in an accessible way for graduate students and academic researchers.
To Salamaua
Authors: Bradley Phillip
Published: December 2013

Following on from his acclaimed book, The Battle for Wau, Phillip Bradley turns his attention to the Salamaua campaign - the first of the New Guinea offensives by the Australian Army in the Second World War. Opening with the pivotal air-sea battle of the Bismarck Sea, this important title recounts the fierce land campaign that was fought for the ridges that guarded the Japanese base at Salamaua. From Mount Tambu to Old Vickers and across the Francisco River, the Australians and their American allies fought a desperate struggle to keep the Imperial Japanese Army diverted from the strategic prize of Lae. To Salamaua covers the entire campaign in one volume for the first time. From the strategic background of the campaign and the heated conflicts, to the mud and blood of the front lines, this is the extraordinary story.
The Bulldozer in the Countryside
Authors: Rome Adam
Published: December 2013

The concern today about suburban sprawl is not new. In the decades after World War II, the spread of tract-house construction changed the nature of millions of acres of land, and a variety of Americans began to protest against the environmental costs of suburban development. By the mid-1960s, indeed, many of the critics were attempting to institutionalize an urban land ethic. The Bulldozer in the Countryside was the first scholarly work to analyze the successes and failures of the varied efforts to address the environmental consequences of suburban growth from 1945 to 1970. For scholars and students of American history, the book offers a compelling insight into two of the great stories of modern times - the mass migration to the suburbs and the rise of the environmental movement. The book also offers a valuable historical perspective for participants in contemporary debates about the alternatives to sprawl.
Rights for Others
Authors: Oomen Barbara
Published: December 2013

Rights for Others is an empirical study of what happens when international human rights are applied domestically in The Netherlands. It tracks recent debates in Dutch society on citizenship and the rights of immigrants, and analyses the shift from the perception of human rights as a 'foreign policy concern' to the slow processes of homecoming in what has traditionally been a left-wing society, but now includes many more right-wing political parties. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, Oomen combines insights from law, sociology and anthropology to explain how rights gain significance in framing social and political discussions. The book provides comprehensive coverage on relevant constitutional law, legal culture and rights realization as well as discussing case material on human rights education, polarization, socio-economic rights, domestic violence and the rights of minorities. This is an invaluable contribution to the global fields of human rights and socio-legal studies for scholars and researchers.
A Jacobean Company and its Playhouse
Authors: Griffith Eva
Published: December 2013

Eva Griffith's book fills a major gap concerning the world of Shakespearean drama. It tells the previously untold story of the Servants of Queen Anna of Denmark, a group of players parallel to Shakespeare's King's Men, and their London playhouse, The Red Bull. Built in vibrant Clerkenwell, The Red Bull lay within the northern suburbs of Jacobean London, with prostitution to the west and the Revels Office to the east. Griffith sets the playhouse in the historical context of the Seckford and Bedingfeld families and their connections to the site. Utilising a wealth of primary evidence including maps, plans and archival texts, she analyses the court patronage of figures such as Sir Robert Sidney, Queen Anna's chamberlain, alongside the company's members, function and repertoire. Plays performed included those by Webster, Dekker and Heywood - entertainments characterised by spectacle, battle sequence and courtroom drama, alongside London humour and song.
The Bible on Silent Film
Authors: Shepherd David J.
Published: December 2013

Between the advent of motion pictures in the 1890s and the close of the 'silent' era at the end of the 1920s, many of the longest, most expensive and most watched films on both sides of the Atlantic drew upon biblical traditions. David J. Shepherd traces the evolution of the biblical film through the silent era, asking why the Bible attracted early film makers, how biblical films were indebted to other interpretive traditions, and how these films were received. Drawing upon rarely seen archival footage and early landmark films of directors such as Louis Feuillade, D. W. Griffith, Michael Curtis and Cecil B. DeMille, this history treats well-known biblical subjects including Joseph, Moses, David and Jesus, along with lesser-known biblical stars such as Jael, Judith and Jephthah's daughter. This book will be of great interest to students of Biblical studies, Jewish studies and film studies.
Political Governance in Post-Genocide Rwanda
Authors: Reyntjens Filip
Published: December 2013

Filip Reyntjens's book analyzes political governance in post-genocide Rwanda and focuses on the rise of the authoritarian Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). In the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, the RPF has employed various means - rigged elections, elimination of opposition parties and civil society, legislation outlawing dissenting opinions, and terrorism - to consolidate power and perpetuate its position as the nation's ruling party. Although many international observers have hailed Rwanda as a 'success story' for its technocratic governance, societal reforms, and economic development, Reyntjens complicates this picture by casting light on the regime's human rights abuses, social engineering projects, information management schemes, and retributive justice system.
Bronze Age Bureaucracy
Authors: Postgate Nicholas
Published: December 2013

This book describes ten different government archives of cuneiform tablets from Assyria, using them to analyze the social and economic character of the Middle Assyrian state, as well as the roles and practices of writing. The tablets, many of which have not been edited or translated, were excavated at the capital, Assur, and in the provinces, and they give vivid details to illuminate issues such as offerings to the national shrine, the economy and political role of elite households, palace etiquette, and state-run agriculture. This book concentrates particularly on how the Assyrian use of written documentation affected the nature and ethos of government, and compares this to contemporary practices in other palatial administrations at Nuzi, Alalah, Ugarit, and in Greece.
The Rise of Heritage
Authors: Swenson Astrid
Published: December 2013

Where does our fascination for 'heritage' originate? This groundbreaking comparative study of preservation in France, Germany and England looks beyond national borders to reveal how the idea of heritage emerged from intense competition and collaboration in a global context. Astrid Swenson follows the 'heritage-makers' from the French Revolution to the First World War, revealing the importance of global networks driving developments in each country. Drawing on documentary, literary and visual sources, the book connects high politics and daily life and uncovers how, through travel, correspondence, world fairs and international congresses, the preservationists exchanged ideas, helped each other campaign and dreamed of establishing international institutions for the protection of heritage. Yet, these heritage-makers were also animated by fierce rivalry as international tension grew. This mixture of international collaboration and competition created the European culture of heritage, which defined preservation as integral to modernity, and still shapes current institutions and debates.
Climate and Human Migration
Authors: McLeman Robert A.
Published: December 2013

Studies warn that global warming and sea level rise will create hundreds of millions of environmental refugees. While climate change will undoubtedly affect future migration patterns and behavior, the potential outcomes are more complex than the environmental refugee scenario suggests. This book provides a comprehensive review of how physical and human processes interact to shape migration, using simple diagrams and models to guide the researcher, policy maker and advanced student through the climate-migration process. The book applies standard concepts and theories used in climate and migration scholarship to explain how events such as Hurricane Katrina, the Dust Bowl, African droughts, and floods in Bangladesh and China have triggered migrations that haven't always fit the environmental refugee storyline. Lessons from past migrations are used to predict how future migration patterns will unfold in the face of sea level rise, food insecurity, political instability, and to review options for policy makers.
The Works of Francis Bacon
Authors: Bacon Francis
Published: December 2013

Francis Bacon (1561–1626), the English philosopher, statesman and jurist, is best known for developing the empiricist method which forms the basis of modern science. Bacon's writings concentrated on philosophy and judicial reform. His most significant work is the Instauratio Magna comprising two parts - The Advancement of Learning and the Novum Organum. The first part is noteworthy as the first major philosophical work published in English (1605). James Spedding (1808–81) and his co-editors arranged this fourteen-volume edition, published in London between 1857 and 1874, not in chronological order but by subject matter, so that different volumes would appeal to different audiences. The material is divided into three parts: philosophy and general literature; legal works; and letters, speeches and tracts relating to politics. Volume 7, published in 1859, continues Bacon's literary works including his writings on religion, and contains his professional works on the law.
Mental Health and Poverty
Authors: Poole Rob , Higgo Robert , Robinson Catherine A.
Published: December 2013

There is strong scientific evidence that poverty is a cause of mental illness. This book brings together a body of knowledge from biomedical and social science literature that is of importance to both academics and practitioners. It explores a broad range of issues, including stigma, the recovery model and substance misuse. The role of childhood adversity is examined, together with other potential causal mechanisms. The content is accessible and engaging, with numerous references pointing readers to the best resources for further information. Poverty is not inevitable, even in a difficult economic climate. The time is ripe for a scientific consensus to inform realistic, hopeful and optimistic campaigns to reduce inequality in the interests of public health and well being. This book provides an evidence-based resource for mental health professionals, social scientists and their students. It will be of interest far beyond those professionally involved in mental health services and research.
Bird Life and Bird Lore
Authors: Bosworth Smith Reginald
Published: December 2013

'Birds have been to me the solace, the recreation, the passion of a lifetime.' So wrote Reginald Bosworth Smith (1839–1908), former Classics master at Harrow School. As a young man, he published his first book on birds while teaching at Oxford, and he continued to combine his lifelong love of birds with classical and literary teaching and research. He retired to a country house in Dorset and in 1905 published this book, based on a series of articles written in his retirement. Recording his own observations, some of many years before, and peppered with scholarly references to birds in literature, the essays cover individual birds such as the owl, the raven and the magpie, as well as bird-watching in Dorset and beyond. Imparting a love and respect for wildlife that remains inspiring, this book will be of great interest to the bird-lover and scholar of today.
Mapping Irish Theatre
Authors: Morash Chris , Richards Shaun
Published: December 2013

Seamus Heaney once described the 'sense of place' generated by the early Abbey theatre as the 'imaginative protein' of later Irish writing. Drawing on theorists of space such as Henri Lefebvre and Yi-Fu Tuan, Mapping Irish Theatre argues that theatre is 'a machine for making place from space'. Concentrating on Irish theatre, the book investigates how this Irish 'sense of place' was both produced by, and produced, the remarkable work of the Irish Revival, before considering what happens when this spatial formation begins to fade. Exploring more recent site-specific and place-specific theatre alongside canonical works of Irish theatre by playwrights including J. M. Synge, Samuel Beckett and Brian Friel, the study proposes an original theory of theatrical space and theatrical identification, whose application extends beyond Irish theatre, and will be useful for all theatre scholars.
Trading Spaces
Authors: Pandya Sonal S.
Published: December 2013

This book is the first comprehensive study of foreign direct investment (FDI) liberalization. Political economy FDI research has long focused on how host-country politics influence the supply of FDI, or how firms choose to invest. By contrast, this book focuses on the politics of FDI demand: the sources of citizens' preferences for FDI inflows and countries' foreign ownership restrictions. Professor Sonal S. Pandya's theory of FDI regulation identifies how FDI redistributes income within host countries, raises local wages, and creates competition for local firms. Empirical tests also emphasize the central role of multinational cooperations' productive assets in shaping the politics of FDI. These tests feature an original dataset of annual country-industry foreign ownership regulations that spans more than one hundred countries during the period 1970–2000. This book highlights the economic and political foundations of global economic integration and supplies the tools to understand the growing economic conflicts between advanced economics and large emerging markets such as China and India.
The Transformation of American International Power in the 1970s
Authors: Zanchetta Barbara
Published: December 2013

Barbara Zanchetta analyzes the evolution of American-Soviet relations during the 1970s, from the rise of détente during the Nixon administration to the policy's crisis and fall during the final years of the Carter presidency. This study traces lines of continuity among the Nixon, Ford and Carter administrations and assesses its effects on the ongoing redefinition of America's international role in the post-Vietnam era. Against the background of superpower cooperation in arms control, Dr Zanchetta analyzes aspects of the global bipolar competition, including US-China relations, the turmoil in Iran and Afghanistan, and the crises in Angola and the Horn of Africa. In doing so, she unveils both the successful transformation of American international power during the 1970s and its long-term problematic legacy.
Locke, Science and Politics
Authors: Forde Steven
Published: December 2013

In this groundbreaking book, Steven Forde argues that John Locke's devotion to modern science deeply shaped his moral and political philosophy. Beginning with an account of the classical approach to natural and moral philosophy, and of the medieval scholasticism that took these forward into early modernity, Forde explores why the modern scientific project of Francis Bacon, Pierre Gassendi, Robert Boyle and others required the rejection of the classical approach. Locke fully subscribed to this rejection, and took it upon himself to provide a foundation for a compatible morality and politics. Forde shows that Locke's theory of moral 'mixed modes' owes much to Pufendorf, and is tailored to accommodate science. The theory requires a divine legislator, which in turn makes natural law the foundation of morality, rather than individual natural right. Forde shows the ways that Locke's approach modified his individualism, and colored his philosophy of property, politics and education.
The Material Culture of the Jacobites
Authors: Guthrie Neil
Published: December 2013

The Jacobites, adherents of the exiled King James II of England and VII of Scotland and his descendants, continue to command attention long after the end of realistic Jacobite hopes down to the present. Extraordinarily, the promotion of the Jacobite cause and adherence to it were recorded in a rich and highly miscellaneous store of objects, including medals, portraits, pin-cushions, glassware and dice-boxes. Interdisciplinary and highly illustrated, this book combines legal and art history to survey the extensive material culture associated with Jacobites and Jacobitism. Neil Guthrie considers the attractions and the risks of making, distributing and possessing 'things of danger'; their imagery and inscriptions; and their place in a variety of contexts in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Finally, he explores the many complex reasons underlying the long-lasting fascination with the Jacobites.
Redefining Ancient Orphism
Authors: Edmonds III Radcliffe G.
Published: December 2013

This book examines the fragmentary and contradictory evidence for Orpheus as the author of rites and poems to redefine Orphism as a label applied polemically to extra-ordinary religious phenomena. Replacing older models of an Orphic religion, this richer and more complex model provides insight into the boundaries of normal and abnormal Greek religion. The study traces the construction of the category of 'Orphic' from its first appearances in the Classical period, through the centuries of philosophical and religious polemics, especially in the formation of early Christianity and again in the debates over the origins of Christianity in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A paradigm shift in the study of Greek religion, this study provides scholars of classics, early Christianity, ancient religion and philosophy with a new model for understanding the nature of ancient Orphism, including ideas of afterlife, cosmogony, sacred scriptures, rituals of purification and initiation, and exotic mythology.
Skin Penetration from Pickering Emulsions
Authors: Frelichowska J. , Bolzinger M.-A. , Pelletier J. , Valour J.-P. , Chevalier Y.
Published: December 2013

Pickering emulsions are especially attractive in pharmaceutical and cosmetic sciences because stabilisation of droplets by solid particles dramatically improves the stability of liquid droplets with respect to coalescence. Such remarkable behavior was originally identified by S.U. Pickering in 1907. The solid particles are adsorbed at the oil-water interface by means of partial wetting behaviour of the solid particles' surface by water and oil.
Membrane Solvent Penetration Measurements Using Contact Imaging
Authors: Xiao P. , Abdalghafor H. , Lane M. E.
Published: December 2013

Contact imaging using silicon fingerprint sensors, originally designed for biometric applications, has shown potential for skin hydration imaging and surface analysis. Previous studies have shown that such sensors are also sensitive to solvents with high dielectric constant values, ॉ, which may make them useful for solvent penetration measurements. This study presents recent investigations on solvent penetration through a silicone membrane and porcine tissue samples using contact imaging.
Synthesis of cyclic carbonates catalysed by aluminium heteroscorpionate complexes
Authors: Castro-Osma José A. , Alonso-Moreno Carlos , Lara-Sánchez Agustín , Martínez Javier , North Michael , Otero Antonio
Published: December 2013

A trimetallic aluminium complex catalyses the synthesis of cyclic carbonates from epoxides and CO2at room temperature and pressure.
A simple coumarin as a turn-on fluorescence sensor for Al(iii) ions
Authors: Li Tianrong , Fang Ran , Wang Baodui , Shao Yongliang , Liu Jian , Zhang Shouting , Yang Zhengyin
Published: December 2013

A simple non-Schiff's base type molecule serves as a selective chemosensor for Al3+ based on the chelation-enhanced fluorescence (CHEF) effect.
Glycerol based solvents: synthesis, properties and applications
Authors: García José I. , García-Marín Héctor , Pires Elísabet
Published: December 2013

This critical review covers advances in the field of glycerol-derived solvents, with a particular focus on hazardous solvents substitution issues.
Effects of surface functionality of carbon nanomaterials on short-term cytotoxicity and embryonic development in zebrafish
Authors: Vankayala Raviraj , Kalluru Poliraju , Tsai Hsin-Hui , Chiang Chi-Shiun , Hwang Kuo Chu
Published: December 2013

Cationic surface functionalities of nanomaterials, such as imidazolium and trimethylammonium ethyl methacrylate, induce strong cytotoxicityin vitroand in zebrafish.
Proximal distributions from angular correlations: A measure of the onset of coarse-graining
Authors: Dyer Kippi M. , Pettitt B. Montgomery
Published: December 2013

In this work we examine and extend the theory of proximal radial distribution functions for molecules in solution. We point out two formal extensions, the first of which generalizes the proximal distribution function hierarchy approach to the complete, angularly dependent molecular pair distribution function. Second, we generalize from the traditional right-handed solute-solvent proximal distribution functions to the left-handed distributions. The resulting neighbor hierarchy convergence is shown to provide a measure of the coarse-graining of the internal solute sites with respect to the solvent. Simulation of the test case of a deca-alanine peptide shows that this coarse-graining measure converges at a length scale of approximately 5 amino acids for the system considered.
Determination of lattice parameters, strain state and composition in semipolar III-nitrides using high resolution X-ray diffraction
Authors: Frentrup Martin , Hatui Nirupam , Wernicke Tim , Stellmach Joachim , Bhattacharya Arnab , Kneissl Michael
Published: December 2013

In group-III-nitride heterostructures with semipolar or nonpolar crystal orientation, anisotropic lattice and thermal mismatch with the buffer or substrate lead to a complex distortion of the unit cells, e.g., by shearing of the lattice. This makes an accurate determination of lattice parameters, composition, and strain state under assumption of the hexagonal symmetry impossible. In this work, we present a procedure to accurately determine the lattice constants, strain state, and composition of semipolar heterostructures using high resolution X-ray diffraction. An analysis of the unit cell distortion shows that four independent lattice parameters are sufficient to describe this distortion. Assuming only small deviations from an ideal hexagonal structure, a linear expression for the interplanar distances dhkl is derived. It is used to determine the lattice parameters from high resolution X-ray diffraction 2ϑ-ω-scans of multiple on- and off-axis reflections via a weighted least-square fit. The strain and composition of ternary alloys are then evaluated by transforming the elastic parameters (using Hooke's law) from the natural crystal-fixed coordinate system to a layer-based system, given by the in-plane directions and the growth direction. We illustrate our procedure taking an example of (112¯2) AlκGa1−κN epilayers with Al-contents over the entire composition range. We separately identify the in-plane and out-of-plane strains and discuss origins for the observed anisotropy.
Discrete self similarity in filled type I strong explosions
Authors: Yalinewich Almog , Sari Re'em
Published: December 2013

We present new solutions to the strong explosion problem in a non power law density profile. The unperturbed self similar solutions developed by Sedov, Taylor, and Von Neumann describe strong Newtonian shocks propagating into a cold gas with a density profile falling off as r−ω, where \documentclass[12pt]{minimal}\begin{document}$\omega \le \frac{7-\gamma }{\gamma +1}$\end{document}ω≤7−γγ+1 (filled type I solutions), and γ is the adiabatic index of the gas. The perturbations we consider are spherically symmetric and log periodic with respect to the radius. While the unperturbed solutions are continuously self similar, the log periodicity of the density perturbations leads to a discrete self similarity of the perturbations, i.e., the solution repeats itself up to a scaling at discrete time intervals. We discuss these solutions and verify them against numerical integrations of the time dependent hydrodynamic equations. This is an extension of a previous investigation on type II solutions and helps clarifying boundary conditions for perturbations to type I self similar solutions.
Infrared spectra and tunneling dynamics of the N2–D2O and OC–D2O complexes in the v2 bend region of D2O
Authors: Zhu Yu , Zheng Rui , Li Song , Yang Yu , Duan Chuanxi
Published: December 2013

The rovibrational spectra of the N2–D2O and OC–D2O complexes in the v2 bend region of D2O have been measured in a supersonic slit jet expansion using a rapid-scan tunable diode laser spectrometer. Both a-type and b-type transitions were observed for these two complexes. All transitions are doubled, due to the heavy water tunneling within the complexes. Assuming the tunneling splittings are the same in Ka = 0 and Ka = 1, the band origins, all three rotational and several distortion constants of each tunneling state were determined for N2–D2O in the ground and excited vibrational states, and for OC–D2O in the excited vibrational state, respectively. The averaged band origin of OC–D2O is blueshifted by 2.241 cm−1 from that of the v2 band of the D2O monomer, compared with 1.247 cm−1 for N2–D2O. The tunneling splitting of N2–D2O in the ground state is 0.16359(28) cm−1, which is about five times that of OC–D2O. The tunneling splittings decrease by about 26% for N2–D2O and 23% for OC–D2O, respectively, upon excitation of the D2O bending vibration, indicating an increase of the tunneling barrier in the excited vibrational state. The tunneling splittings are found to have a strong dependence on intramolecular vibrational excitation as well as a weak dependence on quantum number Ka.
Investigation on collisions of filament pairs in dielectric barrier discharge
Authors: Dong Lifang , Zhang Chao , Li Ben , Zhang Xinpu , He Yafeng , Li Xuechen
Published: December 2013

Collisions of filament pairs in a hexagonal superlattice pattern in dielectric barrier discharge are investigated on different timescales. In the evolution of the pattern, the space scale of each hexagon cell decreases with the increasing voltage. The duration of one collision is seven half voltage cycles at least. Two stable orientations of a pair are approximately perpendicular to each other and the orientational changes occurring during the entire colliding process should be a multiple of 30°. The time interval between two consecutive collisions decreases with the increasing voltage. The distance between the paired spots decreases nonmonotonically. Based on the discharge order of the pattern, it is inferred that the collision should be the interaction between a discharging filament and the surface charges deposited by another discharged filament, and the nonmonotonic decrease of distance D is explained.
A method to control magnetism in individual strain-mediated magnetoelectric islands
Authors: Cui Jizhai , Hockel Joshua L. , Nordeen Paul K. , Pisani David M. , Liang Cheng-yen , Carman Gregory P. , Lynch Christopher S.
Published: December 2013

Patterned electrodes on a piezoelectric substrate are demonstrated to produce a localized strain of sufficient magnitude to control the magnetic anisotropy of a Ni island. Strain-induced magnetic anisotropy was measured using the magneto-optical Kerr effect, and the measured shifts in magnetic anisotropy were consistent with strain predicted using linear finite element analysis. This approach overcomes the effect of the substrate clamping the in-plane strain and should be scalable to thin films. This approach represents a key step toward realizing the next generation of strain mediated magneto-electric magnetic random access memory devices with low writing energy and high writing speed.
Conduction of water molecules through graphene bilayer
Authors: Qiao Yu , Xu Xiang , Li Hui
Published: December 2013

Water conduction across a two-dimensional (2D) graphene bilayer was investigated through molecular dynamic simulations. Different from one-dimensional (1D) nanofluidics in carbon nanotubes (CNTs) where CNT chirality has only a secondary effect, when the bilayer structure is changed from the turbostratic state to the commensurate state, the water infiltration pressure decreases considerably, as energy valleys are formed. Compared with the 1D nanofludics in a CNT, the infiltration pressure of 2D nanofluidics in a graphene bilayer tends to be much lower, primarily because of the additional degree of freedom of water molecular motion.
Demonstration of the self-mixing effect in interband cascade lasers
Authors: Bertling K. , Lim Y. L. , Taimre T. , Indjin D. , Dean P. , Weih R. , Höfling S. , Kamp M. , von Edlinger M. , Koeth J. , Rakić A. D.
Published: December 2013

In this Letter, we demonstrate the self-mixing effect in an interband cascade laser. We show that a viable self-mixing signal can be acquired through the variation in voltage across the laser terminals, thereby removing the need for an external detector. Using this interferometric technique, we have measured the displacement of a remote target, and also demonstrated high resolution imaging of a target. The proposed scheme represents a highly sensitive, compact, and self-aligned sensing technique with potential for materials analysis in the mid-infrared.
GeSn-based p-i-n photodiodes with strained active layer on a Si wafer
Authors: Tseng H. H. , Li H. , Mashanov V. , Yang Y. J. , Cheng H. H. , Chang G. E. , Soref R. A. , Sun G.
Published: December 2013

We report an investigation of GeSn-based p-i-n photodiodes with an active GeSn layer that is almost fully strained. The results show that (a) the response of the Ge/GeSn/Ge heterojunction photodiodes is stronger than that of the reference Ge-based photodiodes at photon energies above the 0.8 eV direct bandgap of bulk Ge (<1.55 μm), and (b) the optical response extends to lower energy regions (1.55–1.80 μm wavelengths) as characterized by the strained GeSn bandgap. A cusp-like spectral characteristic is observed for samples with high Sn contents, which is attributed to the significant strain-induced energy splitting of heavy and light hole bands. This work represents a step forward in developing GeSn-based infrared photodetectors.
The screening effects of carbon nanotube arrays and its field emission optimum density
Authors: Cai Dan , Liu Lie
Published: December 2013

In order to investigate the field emission optimum density of carbon nanotube (CNT) array, the screening effects of CNT array have been studied. It has been shown that the electric field in the vicinity of an individual nanotube of array can be notable distorted due to the screening action of the surrounding neighbors. The optimum normalized spacing s/l(as referred to the length) for the maximum emission current is inversely proportional to aspect ratio l/r and electric field strength for CNT arrays with a fixed dimension.
An implicit logarithmic finite-difference technique for two dimensional coupled viscous Burgers’ equation
Authors: Srivastava Vineet K. , Awasthi Mukesh K. , Singh Sarita
Published: December 2013

This article describes a new implicit finite-difference method: an implicit logarithmic finite-difference method (I-LFDM), for the numerical solution of two dimensional time-dependent coupled viscous Burgers’ equation on the uniform grid points. As the Burgers’ equation is nonlinear, the proposed technique leads to a system of nonlinear systems, which is solved by Newton's iterative method at each time step. Computed solutions are compared with the analytical solutions and those already available in the literature and it is clearly shown that the results obtained using the method is precise and reliable for solving Burgers’ equation.
Embryotropic actions of follistatin: paracrine and autocrine mediators of oocyte competence and embryo developmental progression
Authors: Rajput Sandeep K. , Lee KyungBon , Zhenhua Guo , Di Liu , Folger Joseph K. , Smith George W.
Published: December 2013

Despite several decades since the birth of the first test tube baby and the first calf derived from an in vitro-fertilised embryo, the efficiency of assisted reproductive technologies remains less than ideal. Poor oocyte competence is a major factor limiting the efficiency of in vitro embryo production. Developmental competence obtained during oocyte growth and maturation establishes the foundation for successful fertilisation and preimplantation embryonic development. Regulation of molecular and cellular events during fertilisation and embryo development is mediated, in part, by oocyte-derived factors acquired during oocyte growth and maturation and programmed by factors of follicular somatic cell origin. The available evidence supports an important intrinsic role for oocyte-derived follistatin and JY-1 proteins in mediating embryo developmental progression after fertilisation, and suggests that the paracrine and autocrine actions of oocyte-derived growth differentiation factor 9, bone morphogenetic protein 15 and follicular somatic cell-derived members of the fibroblast growth factor family impact oocyte competence and subsequent embryo developmental progression after fertilisation. An increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms mediating oocyte competence and stage-specific developmental events during early embryogenesis is crucial for further improvements in assisted reproductive technologies.
Directional freezing of spermatozoa and embryos
Authors: Arav Amir , Saragusty Joseph
Published: December 2013

Directional freezing is based on a simple thermodynamic principle whereby the sample is moved through a predetermined temperature gradient at a velocity that determines the cooling rate. Directional freezing permits a precise and uniform cooling rate in small- and large-volume samples. It avoids supercooling and reduces mechanical damage caused by crystallisation. Directional solidification was used to date for slow and rapid freezing, as well as for vitrification of oocytes and embryos by means of the minimum drop size technique: small drops are placed on a microscope slide that is moved at high velocity from the hot base to the cold base. Sperm samples from a wide range of domestic and wild animals were successfully cryopreserved using the directional freezing method. The bovine sexed semen industry may benefit from the increased survival of spermatozoa after directional freezing.
1 AUTOCRINE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BOVINE EMBRYOS CULTURED IN Primo Vision DISHES® OUTWEIGHS POSSIBLE NEGATIVE INFLUENCES OF BAD EMBRYOS
Authors: Wydooghe E. , Vandaele L. , Van Soom A.
Published: December 2013

Group culture is being used extensively for mammalian embryos, but has not been adopted so far in human embryo culture. Some doubts about its possible benefits remain because it has been hypothesised that bad quality embryos might have a negative effect on other embryos. New group culture devices have been designed allowing individual follow-up of embryos, such as Primo Vision dishes® (well of-the-well for 10 embryos in group culture; Cryo-Innovation, Budapest, Hungary). By using Primo Vision dishes®, we investigated the influence of the developmental stage of the neighbours and co-cultured embryos on the outcome at 192 h post-insemination (hpi) of a particular embryo compared with its individually cultured counterparts. Bovine presumed zygotes (n = 789; 4 replicates) produced in vitro were randomly allocated to Primo Vision dishes® or individual culture in SOF supplemented with 0.4% BSA and insulin, transferrin, selenium (Wydooghe et al. 2013 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. Epub). Cleavage rate was checked at 45 hpi: 5- to 8-cell embryos were classified as fast embryos and 2- to 4-cell embryos as slow embryos. Blastocyst development was evaluated at 192 hpi. Moreover, to evaluate which embryos benefited most from being in group (fast or slow embryos), we looked retrospectively at the influence of the developmental stage of the neighbours and the co-cultured embryos on blastocyst development. This was done separately for slow and fast embryos compared with their individually cultured counterparts. Statistical analysis was done using a binary logistic regression model, with group and replicate as fixed effects. Blastocyst development in Primo Vision dishes® was significantly better than individual culture (39.0% v. 28.5%). This beneficial outcome was mainly caused by a higher blastocyst development of slow embryos. A markedly higher percentage of slow embryos developed into a blastocyst at 192 hpi if they were surrounded by many embryos that also developed into a blastocyst, compared with individually cultured slow embryos (odds ratio: 3.0). In this study, we showed that embryos that were not cleaved at 45 hpi did not negatively affect the potential of their neighbours to become a blastocyst at 192 hpi, regardless of whether the embryo in question was a fast or a slow embryo. However, when fast embryos were in a less than favourable environment, meaning that less than 30% of their co-cultured embryos reached the blastocyst stage, blastocyst development was compromised compared with individual culture of fast embryos (odds ratio: 0.3). From our results, we clearly show that Primo Vision dishes® can combine the benefits of group culture (autocrine communication) and individual culture (individual follow-up). Taking fast embryos out of the Primo Vision dish® for further individual culture while slow embryos remain in group is a possible approach to increase total blastocyst rates.
101 RISK OF COXIELLA BURNETII TRANSMISSION BY EMBRYO TRANSFER USING IN VITRO EARLY BOVINE EMBRYOS
Authors: Alsaleh A. , Pellerin J. L. , M. Garcia D. , Tainturier D. , Fieni F.
Published: December 2013

Coxiella burnetii, an obligate intracellular bacterium of worldwide distribution, is responsible for Q fever. Domestic ruminants are the main sources of infection for humans. In cattle, infection is frequently asymptomatic, but it may cause abortion, reproductive failure (metritis, placentitis, and infertility), and economic losses. A previous study in goats showed that Coxiella burnetii had a strong tendency to cling to the zona pellucida (ZP) after in vitro infection and the washing procedure recommended by IETS for bovine embryos failed to remove it (Alsaleh et al. 2013 Theriogenology). The aims of this study were to determine (1) whether Coxiella burnetii would adhere to the intact ZP (ZP-intact) of early in vitro-produced bovine embryos, (2) whether the bacteria would adhere to or infect the embryo cells (ZP-free) after in vitro infection, and (3) the efficiency of the washing protocol recommended by the IETS. One hundred and sixty 8- to 16-cell bovine embryos produced in vitro were randomly divided into 16 batches of 10 embryos each. Twelve batches (8 ZP-intact and 4 ZP-free) were incubated in medium containing C. burnetii CbB1 (IASP, INRA Tours, France). After 18 h of incubation at 37°C and 5% CO2 in air, the embryos were washed in 10 successive baths of a phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and 5% FCS solution in accordance with the IETS guidelines. In parallel, 4 batches (2 ZP-intact and 2 ZP-free) were subjected to similar procedures but without exposure to C. burnetii to act as controls. The 10 washing fluids for all batches were collected and centrifuged for 1 h at 13 000 × g. Embryo and pellet washing were tested by C-PCR. Coxiella burnetii DNA was found in all ZP-intact and ZP-free embryo batches after 10 successive washes. It was also detected in the first 4 washing fluids for ZP-intact embryos and in the 10th washing fluid for 2 of the 4 batches of ZP-free embryos. In contrast, none of the embryos or their washing fluids in the control batches were DNA positive. These results demonstrate that C. burnetii adhere and (or) penetrate the early embryonic cells as well as the ZP of in vitro bovine embryos after in vitro infection and the standard washing protocol recommended by the IETS for bovine embryos failed to remove it. The persistence of these bacteria after washing makes the embryo a potential means of transmission of the bacterium during embryo transfer from infected donor cows to healthy recipients or their offspring, or both. Further studies are needed to investigate whether enzymatic or antibiotic treatment of bovine embryos infected by C. burnetii would eliminate the bacteria from the ZP.
103 ESHERICHIA COLI LIPOPOLYSACCHARIDE STIMULATES PROLIFERATION OF BOVINE UTERINE EPITHELIAL CELLS
Authors: Guo Y. , Chanrot M. , Reinaud P. , Charpigny G. , Sandra O. , Valarcher J.-F. , Humblot P.
Published: December 2013

Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is a component of the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria involved in the pathogenic processes leading to postpartum metritis and endometritis in dairy cows. It also causes inflammation of the endometrium and implantation failures in many animal species. An increase in cell proliferation by LPS has been reported in human epithelial and immune cells (Martin et al. 2000 J. Immunol. 165, 139–147) but not in endometrial cells. The aim of this study was to characterise the proliferative response of bovine endometrial cells following exposure to Escherichia coli LPS. In vitro cultures of bovine endometrial epithelial cells (EEC) and fibroblasts were performed following collection of bovine endometrium at the slaughterhouse. Endometrial epithelial cells and fibroblasts were separated before primary culture (Charpigny et al. 1999 J. Reprod. Fertil. 117, 315–324). On passages 4 to 6, EEC issued from 5 cows (total 25 replicates) were challenged with 2, 4, 8, 12, 16, or 24 μg mL–1 of LPS. At the time of challenge and 72 h later, the numbers of attached cells were counted for control and LPS-treated groups. The variation in cell numbers after the challenge was calculated as the ratio of the number of LPS-treated cells minus the number of untreated control cells to the number of untreated control cells. The variation in cell numbers over time was analysed by ANOVA (SAS 9.1, PROC GLM; SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC, USA) following arcsin transformation of percentages. The effect of passage number, initial number of cells at the time of challenge, treatment group, and corresponding interactions were included in the model. A significant increase in cell numbers was observed for cells treated with 2, 4, 8, and 12 μg mL–1 of LPS (+21 ± 5%, +30 ± 5%, +41 ± 4%, and +14 ± 5% over the control, respectively; P ≤ 0.001), whereas a nonsignificant effect was observed for 16 and 24 μg mL–1 of LPS (+4 ± 5%, and –5 ± 14%, respectively). Effects of passage number and initial number of cells at the time of challenge were nonsignificant and no interactions of those factors with treatment effects were observed. For fibroblasts, preliminary results (2 replicates from 2 cows) suggest that the response to LPS is much less important than for EEC (+3.6 and +1.3% for 2 μg mL–1 of LPS; +5.8 and +4% for 8 μg mL–1 of LPS). These findings indicate that E. coli LPS stimulates proliferation of bovine endometrial epithelial cells, and that the effect of LPS is dose dependent but not linear under the range of concentrations tested.