bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Saints and Slackers: Challenging Discourses about the Decline of Domestic Cooking
Authors: Meah Angela , Watson Matt
Published: June 2011

Amidst growing concern about both nutrition and food safety, anxiety about a loss of everyday cooking skills is a common part of public discourse. Within both the media and academia, it is widely perceived that there has been an erosion of the skills held by previous generations with the development of convenience foods and kitchen technologies cited as culpable in ‘deskilling’ current and future generations. These discourses are paralleled in policy concerns, where the incidence of indigenous food-borne disease in the UK has led to the emergence of an understanding of consumer behaviour, within the food industry and among food scientists, based on assumptions about consumer ‘ignorance’ and poor food hygiene knowledge and cooking skills. These assumptions are accompanied by perceptions of a loss of ‘common-sense’ understandings about the spoilage and storage characteristics of food, supposedly characteristic of earlier generations. The complexity of cooking skills immediately invites closer attention to discourses of their assumed decline. This paper draws upon early findings from a current qualitative research project which focuses on patterns of continuity and change in families’ domestic kitchen practices across three generations. Drawing mainly upon two family case studies, the data presented problematise assumptions that earlier generations were paragons of virtue in the context of both food hygiene and cooking. In taking a broader, life-course perspective, we highlight the absence of linearity in participants’ engagement with cooking as they move between different transitional points throughout the life-course.
Recent Methodological Opportunities in Online Hypermedia – a Case Study of Photojournalism in Singapore
Authors: Heng Terence
Published: June 2011

This methodological paper reviews the recent work done by photojournalists in Singapore who have leveraged on the use of multimedia to create meaning-rich narratives of the social situations they investigate. Using an online multimedia project recently launched by journalists and photojournalists in Singapore, I will show how photographers’/photojournalists’ expertise, knowledge and combination of text and photographs serve to exemplify the opportunities that hypermedia affords to sociologists, and argue that hypermedia presentations are particularly useful in extending auto/biographical narratives, encouraging collaborative research, as well as interrogating the everyday social lives of our informants.
Biological residues define the ice nucleation properties of soil dust
Authors: Conen F. , Morris C. E. , Leifeld J. , Yakutin M. V. , Alewell C.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. Soil dust is a major driver of ice nucleation in clouds leading to precipitation. It consists largely of mineral particles with a small fraction of organic matter constituted mainly of remains of micro-organisms that participated in degrading plant debris before their own decay. Some micro-organisms have been shown to be much better ice nuclei than the most efficient soil mineral. Yet, current aerosol schemes in global climate models do not consider a difference between soil dust and mineral dust in terms of ice nucleation activity. Here, we show that particles from the clay and silt size fraction of four different soils naturally associated with 0.7 to 11.8 % organic carbon (w/w) can have up to four orders of magnitude more ice nuclei per unit mass active in the immersion freezing mode at −12 °C than montmorillonite, the most efficient pure clay mineral. Most of this activity was lost after heat treatment. Removal of biological residues reduced ice nucleation activity to, or below that of montmorillonite. Desert soils, inherently low in organic content, are a large natural source of dust in the atmosphere. In contrast, agricultural land use is concentrated on fertile soils with much larger organic matter contents than found in deserts. It is currently estimated that the contribution of agricultural soils to the global dust burden is less than 20 %. Yet, these disturbed soils can contribute ice nuclei to the atmosphere of a very different and much more potent kind than mineral dusts.
ACE-FTS measurements of trace species in the characterization of biomass burning plumes
Authors: Tereszchuk K. A. , González Abad G. , Clerbaux C. , Hurtmans D. , Coheur P.-F. , Bernath P. F.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. To further our understanding of the effects of biomass burning emission on atmospheric composition, we report measurements of trace species from biomass burning plumes made by the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment Fourier Transform Spectrometer (ACE-FTS) instrument on the SCISAT-1 satellite. An extensive set of 15 molecules, C2H2, C2H6, CH3OH, CH4, CO, H2CO, HCN, HCOOH, HNO3, NO, NO2, N2O5, O3, OCS and SF6 are used in our analysis. Even though most biomass burning smoke is typically confined to the boundary layer, much of these emissions are injected directly into the free troposphere via fire-related convective processes and transported away from the emission region. Further knowledge of the aging of biomass burning emission in the free troposphere is needed. Tracer-tracer correlations are made between known pyrogenic species in these plumes in an effort to classify them and follow their chemical evolution. Criteria such as age and type of biomass material burned are considered. Emission factors are derived and compared to airborne measurements of biomass burning from numerous ecosystems to validate the ACE-FTS data.
The influence of land cover change in the Asian monsoon region on present-day and mid-Holocene climate
Authors: Dallmeyer A. , Claussen M.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. Using the general circulation model ECHAM5/JSBACH, we investigate the biogeophysical effect of large-scale afforestation and deforestation in the Asian monsoon domain on present-day and mid-Holocene climate. We demonstrate that the applied land cover change does not only modify the local climate but also change the climate in North Africa and the Middle East via teleconnections. Deforestation in the Asian monsoon domain enhances the rainfall in North Africa. In parts of the Sahara summer precipitation is more than doubled. In contrast, afforestation strongly decreases summer rainfall in the Middle East and even leads to the cessation of the rainfall-activity in some parts of this region. Regarding the local climate, deforestation results in a reduction of precipitation and a cooler climate as grass mostly has a higher albedo than forests. However, in the core region of the Asian monsoon the decrease in evaporative cooling in the monsoon season overcompensates this signal and results in a net warming. Afforestation has mainly the opposite effect, although the pattern of change is less clear. It leads to more precipitation in most parts of the Asian monsoon domain and a warmer climate except for the southern regions where a stronger evaporation decreases near-surface temperatures in the monsoon season. When prescribing mid-Holocene insolation, the pattern of local precipitation change differs. Afforestation particularly increases monsoon rainfall in the region along the Yellow River which was the settlement area of major prehistoric cultures. In this region, the effect of land cover change on precipitation is half as large as the orbitally-induced precipitation change. Thus, our model results reveal that mid- to late-Holocene land cover change could strongly have contributed to the decreasing Asian monsoon precipitation during the Holocene known from reconstructions.
WRF simulation of a precipitation event over the Tibetan Plateau, China – an assessment using remote sensing and ground observations
Authors: Maussion F. , Scherer D. , Finkelnburg R. , Richters J. , Yang W. , Yao T.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. Meteorological observations over the Tibetan Plateau (TiP) are scarce, and precipitation estimations over this remote region are difficult. The constantly improving capabilities of numerical weather prediction (NWP) models offer the opportunity to reduce this problem by providing precipitation fields and other meteorological variables of high spatial and temporal resolution. Longer time periods of years to decades can be simulated by NWP models by successive model runs of shorter periods, which can be described by the term "regional atmospheric reanalysis". In this paper, we assess the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) models capacity in retrieving rain- and snowfall on the TiP in such a configuration using a nested approach: the simulations are conducted with three nested domains at spatial resolutions of 30, 10, and 2 km. A validation study is carried out for a one-month period with a special focus on one-week (22–28 October 2008), during which strong rain- and snowfall was observed on the TiP. The output of the model in each resolution is compared to the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) data set for precipitation and to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data set for snow extent. TRMM and WRF data are then compared to weather-station measurements. Our results suggest an overall improvement from WRF over TRMM with respect to weather-station measurements. Various configurations of the model with different nesting and forcing strategies, as well as physical parameterisation schemes are compared to propose a suitable design for a regional atmospheric reanalysis over the TiP. The WRF model showed good accuracy in simulating snow- and rainfall on the TiP for a one-month simulation period. Our study reveals that there is nothing like an optimal model strategy applicable for the high-altitude TiP, its fringing high-mountain areas of extremely complex topography and the low-altitude land and sea regions from which much of the precipitation on the TiP is originating. The choice of the physical parameterisation scheme will thus be always a compromise depending on the specific purpose of a model simulation. Our study demonstrates the high importance of orographic precipitation, but the problem of the orographic bias remains unsolved since reliable observational data are still missing. The results are relevant for anyone interested in carrying out a regional atmospheric reanalysis. Many hydrological analyses and applications like rainfall-runoff modelling or the analysis of flood events require precipitation rates at daily or even hourly intervals. Thus, our study offers a process-oriented alternative for retrieving precipitation fields of high spatio-temporal resolution in regions like the TiP, where other data sources are limited.
Multivariate design via Copulas
Authors: Salvadori G. , De Michele C. , Durante F.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. Calculating return periods and design quantiles in a multivariate framework is a difficult problem: essentially, this is due to the lack of a natural total order in multi-dimensional Euclidean spaces. This paper tries to make the issue clear. First, we outline a possible way to introduce a coherent notion of multivariate total order, and discuss its consequences on the calculation of multivariate return period: in particular, the latter is based on Copulas and the Kendall's measure, which provides a consistent notion of multivariate quantile. Secondly, we introduce several approaches for the identification of critical design events: these latter quantities are of utmost importance in practical applications, but their calculation is yet limited, due to the lack of a suitable theoretical setting where to embed the problem. Throughout the paper, a case study involving the behavior of a dam is used to illustrate the new concepts outlined in this work.
Analgesic Control after Hip Arthroscopy: A Randomised, Double-Blinded Trial Comparing Portal with Intra-Articular Infiltration of Bupivacaine
Authors: Baker Joseph F. , Mcguire Ciara M. , Byrne Damien P. , Hunter Kim , Eustace Nick , Mulhall Kevin J.
Published: June 2011

The optimum anaesthetic and analgesic management following hip arthroscopy is yet to be determined. There is, in addition, some concern over the use of intraarticular local anaesthetic. We compared the analgesic efficacy of intra-articular infiltration compared with portal infiltration of bupivacaine following hip arthroscopy.

Patients were randomised to receive either 10ml of 0.25% bupivacaine either into the joint or around the portal sites following completion of surgery.

73 patients were recruited (40 intra-articular). The portal infiltration group required significantly more rescue analgesia immediately after surgery (2.33mg vs.0.57mg, p=0.036). Visual Analogue Scale pain scores were not significantly different at 1 and 2 hours following surgery, but at 6 hours the portal group had significantly lower VAS scores (p=0.0036).

We believe that the initial pain following surgery results from capsular injury and this explains the need for more rescue analgesia in the portal infiltration group. Further work is needed to establish the ideal regimen. A combination of portal and intra-articular infiltration may be the most efficacious.
Chylous hip Joint Effusion and Bone Absorption after Total Hip Arthroplasty in a Patient with Chylocolporrhoea: A Case of Gorham's Disease
Authors: Tan Cheng-Aun , Chen Perng-Jong , Liu Tan-Kue , Shen Po-Wen
Published: June 2011

Chyle is a sterile, milky fluid consisting of lymph and emulsified fats that is formed in the small intestines and taken up by lymph vessels. Chylous effusions usually occur after destruction or obstruction of lymphatic channels, and chylous joint effusions have been reported in association with rheumatoid and/or septic arthritis, and as the result of penetrating trauma to subsynovial fatty tissue and the intra-articular fat pad.

We report a case of bone absorption and lytic change in the femur associated with a chylous hip joint effusion after a total hip arthroplasty (THA) in a patient with chylocolporrhoea and a history of chylous ascites.
The Ligamentum Capitis Femoris: Anatomic, Magnetic Resonance and Computed Tomography Study
Authors: Perez-Carro Luis , Golano Pau , Vega Jordi , Escajadillo Natalia F. , Rubin Carlos G. , Cerezal Luis
Published: June 2011

The objective of the study was to describe the normal anatomy of the ligamentum capitis femoris and to determine the neurovascular structures potentially at risk during its reconstruction. Ten cadaveric specimens of the ligamentum capitis femoris (LCF) were dissected and photographed. Magnetic resonance (MR) and Computed tomography (CT) arthrography evaluation of the anatomy of the LCF in 30 hips were performed to measure length of the ligament and to study the proximity of neurovascular structures.

The anatomical study showed that the LCF has a pyramidal structure and a banded appearance. The thickness of the medial wall of the acetabulum 3mm superior to the inferior acetabular boundary was found to be 6.7mm (4–9mm) at point 1 (anterior), 4.1mm (3–7mm) at point 2 (central), and 6.5mm (49mm) at point 3 (posterior). Central anchors or screws were found to lie within 1.7cm (1.6–1.9cm) of the external iliac vein and artery. Angulation of anchors in the anterior and posterior columns in the axial plane with respect to acetabular fossa floor (the Optimal Angulation Angle or OAA), is safer (0 to 45° the safest optimal angles). The sagittal angulation created by the safe pathway in the anterior and posterior columns with respect to the plane of the facies lunata in this area was also measured and termed the Optimal Angle of Penetration (OAP) with normal values being: 110° (102–123°) for the posterior column and 90° (85–94°) for the anterior column.

Our results suggest that reconstruction of the LCF can be safely performed if these guidelines are followed.
Drop-In Group Medical Appointments for Patients with Asthma: A Four-Year Outcomes Study
Authors: Liebhaber Myron , Bannister Rob , Raffetto Wendy , Dyer Zeb
Published: June 2011

Our DIGMA program was established to allow patients time to interact with an allergist, a behaviorist and an asthma educator in a group setting. Weekly meetings targeted patients with chronic asthma. DIGMAs typically last for 90 minute s and include 10 patients per session. Outcome parameters were established to assess the effectiveness of the program over a 4 year time period. Sixty four adult asthmatic patients were enrolled and followed for 4 years. Patients were seen in a group setting in groups of ten. The AQLQ test was administered each year. Spirometry, an analog self assessment scale and the ACT were administered at each visit. Forty two of the 64 patients were followed for a minimum of 3 visits to DIGMA during four years. The average baseline FVC was 85% predicted and remained unchanged. FEV1 was 78% baseline and was 77% at the last determination. Baseline rescue inhaler use was 4 per week compared to 1.5 per week at last visit. ACT scores are 18 at baseline and 19 at last visit. ER claims are 5 at one year prior to enrollment and 2 at the last year of DIGMA. Patient satisfaction improved from 30 to 34 at the last visit. This was an effective, multidisciplinary asthma intervention that focused on behavior. It fulfilled the goals of asthma care as described by the 2007 NAEPP guidelines.
Jubilee Calendar Rescued From the Flood Narrative
Authors: Najm S. , Guillaume Ph.
Published: June 2011

The origin of the 364-day calendar attested in Dead Sea
scrolls and in the books of Jubilees and Enoch is disputed. While it is often
considered as a sectarian invention during the 3rd or 2nd centuries bce,
Jaubert, VanderKam and Gardner claim that it is already used in the Torah and
may be as old as Pg. Using the number seven and the notion that the actual Flood
period marks the interruption of time and calendar, this article shows that the
364-day calendar is used by the Priestly writer both in Genesis 1 and in the
Flood Narrative, thus suggesting that one of the aims of the Priestly writing
was to establish a new calendar to mark the end of the Babylonian rule.
Ostraca KhQ1 and KhQ2 from the Cemetery of Qumran: A New
Edition
Authors: Doudna Greg
Published: June 2011

The ostraca KhQ1 and KhQ2 found outside the east wall at
Qumran in 1996 represent the most extensive writing found at the actual site of
Qumran to date, as distinguished from the texts in the nearby caves. KhQ1 has
been controversial from the beginning. The editors, Frank Cross and Esther
Eshel, identified KhQ1 as a deed of gift of property from a new member to a
religious community at Qumran in a manner enjoined by the Community Rule (1QS).
It was claimed that KhQ1 provided the first direct evidence that the Community
Rule was practiced at Qumran . However a key reading of Cross/Eshel in line 8
claimed in support of this interpretation was in error. An improved edition of
KhQ1 was published by Ada Yardeni in 1997, giving the correct solution for line
8. This article undertakes new readings of KhQ1 and KhQ2 (including a slight
improvement in Yardeni’s reading of KhQ1 line 8) and takes up anew the question
of whether the community-gift interpretation of KhQ1 can be confirmed or
excluded on the basis of an accurate reading of the text.
Geminate Ballast and Clustering: An Unrecognized Literary
Feature in Ancient Semitic Poetry
Authors: Noegel Scott
Published: June 2011

This study offers a comprehensive treatment of the subject
of “word play” in the book of Qoheleth. After discussing the problematic nature
of the term “word play,” and explaining my preference for the word “punning,” I
examine six different types of punning found in Qoheleth. The first, focuses on
alliteration, or the repeated use of consonants. The second section collects
examples of assonance, or the repeated use of vowel patterns. The third section
focuses on illustrations of polysemy; cases in which words bear more than one
meaning in a single context. The fourth section, which is related to polysemy,
details cases of antanaclasis. Antanaclasis occurs when a word is used multiple
times, but with different meanings. In the fifth section, I provide examples of
allusive punning, i.e., the use of words or forms that imply by way of
similarity of sound another word that does not occur in the text. The sixth
section is devoted to instances of numerical punning. After providing the data
for each of these devices, I offer some general observations on punning in
Qoheleth.
Tracing the Origin of the Sabbatical Calendar in the Priestly
Narrative (Genesis 1 to Joshua 5)
Authors: Guillaume Philippe
Published: June 2011

This comprehensive study of the chronology of the Priestly
Document demonstrates that the Sabbatical calendar (364-day year) is not a
Qumran invention but was devised at the beginning of the Persian period (ca. 520
bce). The Priestly Document (Genesis 1 to Joshua 5) is divided into 7 eras:
creation, antediluvian, re-creation, exiles, Exodus, wandering, and rest in the
Promised Land. The large amount of chronological data contained in the narrative
describes each element of the Sabbatical calendar, the sacredness of which is
later upheld by the apocryphal books of Jubilees and Enoch and in Qumran texts.
In spite of subsequent additions of other calendars upon the original Priestly
Document, its narrative remains coherent enough to reveal the use of
intercalation.
Understanding the Crude Oil Price: How Important Is the China Factor?
Authors: Mu Xiaoyi , Ye Haichun
Published: June 2011

This paper employs monthly data on China’s net oil import from January 1997 to June 2010 to assess the role of China’s net import in the evolution of the crude oil price. Based on a vector autoregression (VAR) analysis, we find that the growth of China’s net oil import has no significant impact on monthly oil price changes and there is no Granger causality between the two variables. The historical decomposition indicates that shocks to China’s oil demand have only played a small role in the oil price run-up of 2002-2008. We also calculate the price changes implied by China’s net oil import growth from a longer-term supply and demand shift perspective. doi: 10.5547/ISSN0195-6574-EJ-Vol32-No4-4

“Surging Chinese demand is underpinning the recent spike in the price of oil, figures from the International Energy Agency (IEA) show. This ‘China factor’ has more bearing on oil prices than the ‘risk factor’ coming from global tensions, some experts say”

—CNN (2004)

“The price of crude oil could soar to $200 a barrel in as little as six months, as supply continues to struggle to meet demand . . . Soaring global demand for oil is being led by China’s
Ultrabright Fluorescent Silica Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles: Control of Particle Size and Dye Loading
Authors: Cho Eun‐Bum , Volkov Dmytro O. , Sokolov Igor
Published: June 2011

The synthesis of ultrabright fluorescent mesoporous silica nanoparticles (UFSNPs) of various sizes loaded with different amounts of fluorescent dye (Rhodamine 6G) is reported here. The dye is physically entrapped inside the nanochannels of the silica matrix created during templated sol–gel self assembly. Due to the specific nanoenvironment, the fluorescence of the encapsulated dye molecules remains unquenched up to very high concentrations, which results in relatively high fluorescence. The particle size (ranging from 20–50 nm) and dye loading (0.8–9.3 mg dye per g particles) are controlled by the timing of the synthesis and the concentration of several organotriethoxysilanes, which are coprecursors of silica. The quantum yields of the encapsulated dye range from 0.65 to 1.0. The relative brightness of a single particle is equivalent to the fluorescence of 30–770 free nondimerized R6G dye molecules in water, or to that of 1.5–39 CdSe/ZnS quantum dots. Despite the presence of some hydrophobic groups on the particles' surfaces, colloidal suspensions of the particles are relatively stable (as monitored for 120 days).
Prevalence of congenital myopathies in a representative pediatric united states population
Authors: Amburgey Kimberly , McNamara Nancy , Bennett Lindsey R. , McCormick M. Eileen , Acsadi Gyula , Dowling James J.
Published: June 2011

The prevalence of congenital myopathies in the United States has not been examined. To address this, we determined the point prevalence of congenital myopathies in a well‐defined pediatric population from Southeastern Michigan. The overall point prevalence was 1:26,000. Mutations in RYR1 were the most common cause of congenital myopathies at 1:90,000. Our data broadly agrees with estimates from previous European studies and provides the first estimate of the prevalence of congenital myopathies in the United States. Ann Neurol 2011;70:662–665
Dynamic Chirality Determines Critical Roles for Bioluminescence in Symplectin–Dehydrocoelenterazine System
Authors: Kongjinda Vorawan , Nakashima Yosuke , Tani Naoki , Kuse Masaki , Nishikawa Toshio , Yu Chin‐Hui , Harada Nobuyuki , Isobe Minoru
Published: June 2011

Symplectin is a photoprotein containing the dehydrocoelenterazine (DCL) chromophore, which links to a cysteine residue through a covalent bond with the emission of blue light. This study focuses on the stereochemical process of the emerging stereogenic centers. Two isomeric fluorinated DCL analogs (2,4‐diF‐ and 2,6‐diF‐DCL) were employed owing to their different bioluminescence activities, these being 200 % and 20 % compared to natural DCL, respectively. Each of these diF‐DCLs was found to exchange with the natural DCL in symplectin at pH 6.0. The emerging stereogenic carbons were racemic at the binding sites. Changing the pH of this storage form to the protein’s optimum solubility pH (pH 7.8) resulted in 2,4‐diF‐DCL‐bound symplectin luminescence, and the spent solutions were then analyzed and coelenteramide‐390‐CGLK‐peptide and coelenteramine were detected after a peptidase digestion. The same analysis of the 2,6‐diF‐DCL‐bound symplectin, on the other hand, afforded coelenteramine only but no coelenteramide. When the racemic storage diF‐DCLs moved to the active site at pH 7.8, a change in the chirality with the 390‐Cys residue resulted. Model experiments using L‐cysteine‐containing CGLK‐peptide supported two diastereoisomers from each diF‐DCL. The significant difference in the luminescence from these two chromophores is attributed to a plausible mechanism including the dynamically variable stereogenic center emerging at the storage and then the active site on the symplectin. It is concluded that such dynamic chirality plays a significant role in the symplectoteuthis bioluminescence.
Isoxazol‐5(4H)one Derivatives as PTP1B Inhibitors Showing an Anti‐Obesity Effect
Authors: Kafle Bhooshan , Aher Nilkanth G. , Khadka Deegendra , Park Hwangseo , Cho Hyeongjin
Published: June 2011

In developing inhibitors of therapeutic target enzymes, significant time and effort are committed to the preparation of large numbers of compounds. In an effort to develop a potent inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatase (PTP) 1B as an anti‐obesity and/or anti‐diabetic agent, we constructed an isoxazolone chemical library by using a simplified procedure that circumvents tedious workup and purification steps. The 10×7 isoxazolone derivatives were synthesized by coupling the two halves of the target compounds. When mixed and heated in test tubes, the precursors produced the reaction products as precipitates. After brief washing, the products were pure enough to be used for enzymatic experiments. With the precursors for the coupling reactions prepared, the 10×7 library compounds could be prepared in a day by using the present protocol. The library compounds thus obtained were examined for their inhibitory activities against PTP1B. Among them, compound C3 was the most potent inhibitor of PTP1B with an IC50 of 2.3 μM. The in vivo effect of C3 was also examined in an obesity‐prone mouse strain. Diet‐induced obese (DIO)/diabetic mice were divided into two groups and each group was fed a high‐fat diet (HFD) or HFD+C3 for four weeks. The group of C3‐fed mice gained significantly less weight relative to the HFD‐fed control group during the four weeks of the drug feeding period. In contrast to the anti‐obesity effect of C3, no difference was observed in the glycemic control of the HFD and HFD+C3 mice groups.
Dealing with Dynamic Decision Problems when Knowledge of the Environment Is Limited: An Approach Based on Goal Systems
Authors: Selten Reinhard , Pittnauer Sabine , Hohnisch Martin
Published: June 2011

We experimentally analyzed decision procedures for dealing with a dynamic decision‐making problem in which only qualitative information about the deterministic dynamics of the environment was available to participants. A participant's task was to maximize long‐term profit in a computer‐simulated monopoly market featuring delays and inertia. The design enabled a goal‐system‐based procedure, whereby a participant could select one or several short‐term variables to be controlled (goal variables) and chose target values (aspiration levels) for each of them over a total of 50 periods. We report results based on a sample of 63 participants on the formation of goal systems and the process of aspiration adaptation. Our main findings are, first, that more frequently selecting goal systems that adequately reflect the causal structure of the underlying model is positively correlated with long‐term profit; second, that goal persistence, a measure of a participant's tendency to stick to the current goal system, is positively correlated with long‐term profit; and third, that aspiration levels tend to be adapted in strong agreement with certain basic principles of a benchmark model of aspiration adaptation. Our study thus suggests and provides empirical foundation for an approach to dealing with complex dynamic decision problems based on neither optimization nor learning. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Microtia‐anotia: A global review of prevalence rates
Authors: Luquetti Daniela Varela , Leoncini Emanuele , Mastroiacovo Pierpaolo
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND

There are few published studies on microtia‐anotia frequency.

METHODS

Using data from birth defects surveillance programs around the world, we conducted a systematic review on the frequency of microtia‐anotia to further explore the differences in prevalence across countries. Ninety‐two birth defects surveillance programs were evaluated with a total of 8917 cases of microtia‐anotia. We computed the prevalence per 10,000 births for each surveillance program for total cases of microtia‐anotia (microtia types I to IV), microtia (types I to III), and anotia (type IV). Prevalence ratios were calculated by large geographic areas, race/ethnicity, and by surveillance methodologies.

RESULTS

The overall prevalences were: microtia‐anotia, 2.06 (confidence interval [CI], 2.02–2.10); microtia, 1.55 (CI, 1.50–1.60); and anotia 0.36 (CI, 0.34–0.38). Higher prevalences were observed for the Americas, Northern Europe and Asia, among Hispanics and Asians, and among active ascertainment and hospital‐based surveillance programs.

CONCLUSIONS

We observed marked variation in the prevalence of microtia‐anotia across surveillance programs and within countries. These results must be interpreted cautiously as this variability may be explained mainly by differences in surveillance methods. However, given the magnitude of some of the differences, other factors may also be involved. This study contributes to the knowledge of the prevalence of microtia‐anotia by providing a critical analysis of the existing data. In addition, it supports the need for a coding system that allows complete phenotype characterization of microtia‐anotia, including severity and laterality, as well as for further studies on the variation of its frequency related to race and ethnicity. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation
Authors: Gurvitch Ronen , Tay Edgar L. , Wijesinghe Namal , Ye J. , Nietlispach Fabian , Wood David A. , Lichtenstein Samuel , Cheung Anson , Webb John G.
Published: June 2011

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a rapidly evolving strategy for therapy of aortic stenosis. We describe the effect of the learning curve from the first 270 high‐risk patients in Vancouver, Canada. Methods: Patients underwent TAVI by transfemoral (63%) or transapical (37%) routes using balloon expandable valves. The experience was divided into the first half (FH, patients 1–135) and second half (SH, patients 136–270). Results: The mean age was 83.2 ± 8 years (FH 83 ± 12 vs. SH 81 ± 7 years, P = 0.12). The mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons Score (STS) was 9.5% ± 5.2%‐ FH 10.5 vs. SH 8.5% (P = 0.01). The overall procedural success rate in the FH was 92.6%, improving to 97.8% in the SH (P = 0.05). The transfemoral procedural success improved—FH 89.3% to SH 98.8% (P = 0.01). The transapical procedural success remained high—FH 98.0% to SH 96.1% (P = 0.53). The overall 30‐day mortality was 9.6%, improving from FH 13.3% to SH 5.9% (P = 0.04). In the transfemoral cases, 30‐day mortality decreased by 56% [10.7–4.7%, P = 0.14], and similarly in transapical cases [17.6–7.8%, P = 0.14]. In‐hospital stroke occurred in 3.3% (FH 3.7% vs. SH 2.9%, P = 0.74). The overall need for a new permanent pacemaker was 5.9% (FH 5.9% vs. SH 5.9%, P = 1). The overall major vascular injury rate was 6.7% (FH 8.1% vs. SH 5.2%, P = 0.33). The overall incidence of coronary vessel occlusion was 1.1% (FH 1.5 % vs. SH 0.7%, P = 0.56). Device embolization or failure to cross the valve was rare and largely seen in the FH only. Procedural experience (>135 procedures) was an independent predictor of 30‐day survival (HR: 6.7, 95% CI: 1.2–18.1, P = 0.03). Conclusion: TAVI outcomes improve with experience and device development. While overall complication rates are low, scope remains to further reduce procedural adverse events.© 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Drying Experiments in a Hydrophobic Model Porous Medium in the Presence of a Dissolved Salt
Authors: Eloukabi H. , Sghaier N. , Prat M. , Ben Nassrallah S.
Published: June 2011

The evaporation of an aqueous NaCl solution in a hydrophobic two‐dimensional model porous medium was studied experimentally. The process is characterized by the formation of efflorescence at the porous medium surface. It is shown that the onset of efflorescence formation and its growth depends on the initial solution concentration. The experiments show that the invasion patterns are little affected by the presence of salt, but that the efflorescence contributes to gradually increase of the evaporation rate as the initial concentration in salt is increased. Then, a second phase was identified where the efflorescence dries out and drying becomes very slow. Results suggest that there exists an initial concentration marking the transition between the regime with high impact of efflorescence and the regime with low impact of efflorescence.
Yolk‐Shell Gold Nanoparticles as Model Materials for Support‐Effect Studies in Heterogeneous Catalysis: Au, @C and Au, @ZrO2for CO Oxidation as an Example
Authors: Galeano Carolina , Güttel Robert , Paul Michael , Arnal Pablo , Lu An‐Hui , Schüth Ferdi
Published: June 2011

The use of nanostructured yolk‐shell materials offers a way to discriminate support and particle‐size effects for mechanistic studies in heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, gold yolk‐shell materials have been synthesized and used as model catalysts for the investigation of support effects in CO oxidation. Carbon has been selected as catalytically inert support to study the intrinsic activity of the gold nanoparticles, and for comparison, zirconia has been used as oxidic support. Au, @C materials have been synthesized through nanocasting using two different nonporous‐core@mesoporous‐shell exotemplates: Au@SiO2@ZrO2and Au@SiO2@m‐SiO2. The catalytic activity of Au, @C with a gold core of about 14 nm has been evaluated and compared with Au, @ZrO2of the same gold core size. The strong positive effect of metal oxide as support material on the activity of gold has been proved. Additionally, size effects were investigated using carbon as support to determine only the contribution of the nanoparticle size on the catalytic activity of gold. Therefore, Au, @C with a gold core of about 7 nm was studied showing a less pronounced positive effect on the activity than the metal oxide support effect.
Rational Design of Complex Borides – One‐Electron‐Step Evolution from Soft to Semi‐Hard Itinerant Ferromagnets in the New Boride Series Ti2FeRu5–nRhnB2(1 ≤n≤ 5)
Authors: Fokwa Boniface P. T. , Lueken Heiko , Dronskowski Richard
Published: June 2011

The new Ti2FeRu5–nRhnB2series (n= 1–5) was synthesized by arc melting of stoichiometric amounts of the elements. These phases were characterized by X‐ray diffraction methods as well as EDX measurements. All phases in the series are isostructural and crystallize with the Ti3Co5B2type structure (space groupP4/mbm, no. 127). Magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal that all phases order ferromagnetically below Curie temperatures found between 220 and 390 K. Furthermore, a strong dependence of the coercive field as a function of VEC (valence electron count) is observed in the series: An evolution from soft (in the Rh‐richer and VE‐richer region) to semi‐hard (in the Ru‐richer and VE‐poorer region) magnetic materials is found.
Efficient Intramolecular Hydroarylation Catalysed by BiIII Triflate
Authors: Cacciuttolo Bastien , Poulain‐Martini Sophie , Duñach Elisabet
Published: June 2011

Non‐activated aromatic compounds bearing unsaturated side‐chains afford tetralin and benzosuberan derivatives in good yields in an atom‐economic, environmentally friendly process catalysed by bismuth(III) trifluromethanesulfonate.
Preparation and characterization of bioactive mesoporous calcium silicate–silk fibroin composite films
Authors: Zhu Hailin , Wu Binwei , Feng Xinxing , Chen Jianyong
Published: June 2011

Composite films of bioactive mesoporous calcium silicate (MCS)/silk fibroin (SF) and conventional calcium silicate (CS)/SF were fabricated by the solvent casting method, and the structures and properties of the composite films were characterized. Results of field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) indicated that MCS or CS was uniformly dispersed in the SF films. The measurements of the water contact angles suggested that the incorporation of either MCS or CS into SF could improve the hydrophilicity of the composite films, and the former was more effective than the later. The bioactivity of the composite films was evaluated by soaking in a simulated body fluid (SBF), and the formation of a hydroxycarbonate apatite (HCA) layer was determined by XRD and FT‐IR. The results showed that the MCS/SF composite films have significantly enhanced apatite‐forming bioactivity compared with the CS/SF composite films owing to the highly specific surface area and pore volume of MCS.In vitrocell attachment and proliferation tests showed that the MCS/SF composite film was a good matrix for the growth of MG63 cells. Consequently, the MCS/SF composite film possessed excellent physicochemical and biological properties, indicating its potential application for bone tissue engineering by designing 3D scaffolds according to its corresponding composition. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2011.
Stabilization of a monoclonal antibody during purification and formulation by addition of basic amino acid excipients
Authors: Falconer Robert J , Chan Cherrine , Hughes Karen , Munro Trent P
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND: Protein stability of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies during processing and final storage is imperative for the commercial success of the product. Amino acid addition is one of the options for stabilization of proteins that can be employed during the manufacturing process and storage.

RESULTS: Use of arginine in the elution buffer during Protein A purification and subsequent neutralization doubled the yield of antibody compared with the original glycine‐based elution buffer. The role of amino acids in stabilizing monoclonal antibody liquid formulations was then studied using differential scanning calorimetry. Increase in the unfolding transition temperatures (Tm) of immunoglobulin G (IgG) was measured after supplementing a glycine buffer with a range of amino acids. The basic amino acids histidine, lysine, and arginine stabilized all three domains of IgG. The neutral amino acids serine and alanine provided less stabilization; glutamine, proline, and the acidic amino acids provided negligible stabilization.

CONCLUSION: The positive charge on the side‐chain of histidine, lysine, and arginine appears to be the most important factor affecting the IgG stabilization. It is probable that the mechanism for IgG stabilisation is the same for all of the basic amino acids and that it binds transiently to IgG side chains, altering water populations in the solvation shell, making unfolding and aggregation less energetically favourable. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Syntheses of new benzoxazole derivatives
Authors: Youssef Chiraz , Ammar Hamed Ben , Belhouchet Mohamed , Beydoun Kassem , Salem Ridha Ben , Doucet Henri , Dixneuf Pierre H.
Published: June 2011

2‐(Arylidene)cyanomethylbenzoxazoles have been prepared in water from benzoxazole‐2‐ylacetonitriles. Using multi‐component reactions, a variety of heterocycles containing benzoxazole and nitrile functionality has been prepared. J. Heterocyclic Chem., (2011).
Hedgehog signaling protein expression and its association with prognostic parameters in prostate cancer: A retrospective study from the view point of new 2010 anatomic stage/prognostic groups
Authors: Kim Tae‐Jung , Lee Ji Youl , Hwang Tae‐Kon , Kang Chang Suk , Choi Yeong‐Jin
Published: June 2011

Background

The expression of Hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway in prostate cancer is well‐known but its clinicopathologic role has not been elucidated well.

Methods

Prostatectomy cases of prostate cancer (n = 155) were prepared and assessed by clinicopathologic parameters including new 2010 anatomic stage/prognostic groups (ASPG) of prostate cancer. The expression of five Hh signaling proteins including Sonic hedgehog (Shh), Patched, Smoothened, and GLIoma‐associated oncogene, in addition with Suppressor of fused (Su(fu)) were analyzed immunohistochemically. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction was performed to assess the mRNA expression status.

Results

The expression of each Hh signaling protein was significantly correlated with poor prognostic parameters such as larger tumor size, high pretreatment prostate‐specific antigen (PSA), high Gleason score, perineural invasion and new ASPG. Among Hh signaling proteins, Sonic hedgehog and Smoothened expressions tend to have a significantly higher risk of PSA recurrence (P < 0.001 and P = 0.011, respectively). Multivariate analysis proved Shh expression as independent prognostic factors of PSA recurrence along with Gleason score, ASPG, tumor volume, and pretreatment PSA.

Conclusions

Hh signaling activity is significantly associated with worse prognostic parameters. Shh can be regarded as a poor prognostic factor for PSA recurrence. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011; 104:472–479. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Hepatitis B immunoglobulin and/or nucleos(t)ide analogues for prophylaxis against hepatitis b virus recurrence after liver transplantation: A systematic review
Authors: Cholongitas Evangelos , Goulis John , Akriviadis Evangelos , Papatheodoridis Geore V.
Published: June 2011

A combination of hepatitis B immunoglobulin (HBIG) and nucleos(t)ide analogues (NUCs) is currently recommended as prophylaxis against the recurrence of hepatitis B virus (HBV) after liver transplantation (LT), but the optimal protocol is a matter of controversy. The aim of this study was the identification of factors associated with post-LT HBV recurrence in patients receiving HBIG and NUCs. We searched MEDLINE and PubMed for studies in English about the effectiveness of HBIG and NUCs [lamivudine (LAM) and/or adefovir dipivoxil (ADV)] against post-LT HBV recurrence (January 1998 to June 2010). Forty-six studies, which included 2162 HBV LT recipients, met the selection criteria. Patients receiving HBIG and LAM experienced HBV recurrence more frequently than patients receiving HBIG and ADV with or without LAM [6.1% (115/1889) versus 2.0% (3/152), P = 0.024], although they also were more frequently treated with indefinite HBIG prophylaxis (90% versus 57%, P < 0.001). For patients receiving HBIG and LAM, a lower frequency of HBV recurrence was associated with a high HBIG dosage (≥10,000 IU/day) versus a low HBIG dosage (<10,000 IU/day) during the first week after LT [3.2% (14/440) versus 6.5% (80/1233), P = 0.016], but the HBIG protocol had no impact on HBV recurrence in patients receiving HBIG and ADV. In conclusion, in comparison with the combination of HBIG and LAM, the combination of HBIG and ADV is associated with a lower rate of HBV recurrence after LT. Patients receiving HBIG and LAM should be given a high dosage of HBIG during the first week after LT, but a lower dosage can be used safely in patients receiving HBIG and ADV. Further studies with newer and more potent anti-HBV agents are definitely required. Liver Transpl 17:1176–1190, 2011. © 2011 AASLD.
Effects of MDM2 promoter polymorphisms and p53 codon 72 polymorphism on risk and age at onset of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
Authors: Yu Hongping , Huang Yu‐jing , Liu Zhensheng , Wang Li‐E , Li Guojun , Sturgis Erich M. , Johnson David G. , Wei Qingyi
Published: June 2011

Both p53 tumor suppressor and murine double minute 2 (MDM2) oncoprotein are crucial in carcinogenesis. We hypothesized that MDM2 promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) SNP309 T > G, A2164G, and p53 codon 72 are associated with risk and age at onset of squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck (SCCHN). We genotyped these SNPs in a study of 1,083 Caucasian SCCHN cases and 1,090 cancer‐free controls. Although none of these SNPs individually had a significant effect on risk of SCCHN, nor did their combined putative risk genotypes (i.e., MDM2 SNP309 GT + GG, 2164 AA, and p53 codon 72 CC), we found that individuals with two to three risk genotypes had significantly increased risk of non‐oropharyngeal cancer (OR = 1.42; 95% CI = 1.07–1.88). This increased risk was more pronounced among young subjects, men, smokers, and drinkers. In addition, female patients carrying the MDM2 SNP309 GT and GG genotypes showed a 3‐yr (56.7 yr) and 9‐yr (51.2 yr) earlier age at onset of non‐oropharyngeal cancer (Ptrend = 0.007), respectively, compared with those carrying the TT genotype (60.1 yr). The youngest age (42.5 yr) at onset of non‐oropharyngeal cancer was observed in female patients with the combined MDM2 SNP309 GG and p53 codon 72 CC genotypes. The findings suggest that MDM2 SNP309, A2164G, and p53 codon 72 SNPs may collectively contribute to non‐oropharyngeal cancer risk and that MDM2 SNP309 individually or in combination with p53 codon 72 may accelerate the development of non‐oropharyngeal cancer in women. Further studies with large sample sizes are warranted to validate these results. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
DC and RF performance of an In0.1Ga0.9N/InN high electron mobility transistor
Authors: Muhtadi Sakib M. , Sajjad Hossain S. M. , Bhuiyan Ashraful G. , Sugita K. , Hashimoto A. , Yamamoto A. , Mofazzal Hossain M.
Published: June 2011

This paper reports on a theoretical analysis of DC and RF performances of a novel In0.1Ga0.9N/InN HEMT. A very high cut‐off frequency and attractive DC characteristics have been predicted. A simple analytical model is used to explain the DC characteristics. The cut‐off frequency which has been found more than 0.6 THz for a gate length of 0.1 µm is explained with low‐field mobility. The maximum drain current and transconductance have been found around 1000 mA/mm and 625 mS/mm, respectively. Similar analysis have been performed for the conventional AlGaN/GaN HEMT and compared with the proposed InGaN/InN HEMT. The predicted results are found to be in good agreement with previously published results. The calculated results show that InN‐based HEMT has very high cut‐off frequency and transconductance when compared with the conventional GaN‐based HEMT for the same gate length. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)