bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Image‐guided navigation: the surgeon's perspective on performance consequences and human factors issues
Authors: Manzey Dietrich , Röttger Stefan , Bahner‐Heyne J. Elin , Schulze‐Kissing Dirk , Dietz Andreas , Meixensberger Jürgen , Strauss Gero
Published: May 2009

Background

Image‐guided navigation (IGN) represents a first step in the automation of surgical functions. The use of IGN can involve several human factors issues that must be taken into account when evaluating their impact on surgical performance and patient safety.

Methods

A nationwide survey was conducted among 213 surgeons from 112 German hospitals in order to assess the perceived performance consequences and human factors issues of IGN, including changes of situation awareness, performance and workload, as well as issues of overreliance, skill degradation and usability.

Results

Generally, surgeons report improved performance and patient safety related to the use of IGN. However, issues of increased time pressure and mental demands were reported by inexperienced users. Furthermore, overreliance on IGN represents a risk, albeit only in a minority of respondents.

Conclusions

IGN is evaluated as a helpful tool for surgeons. However, special care should be taken to provide surgeons with sufficient time and training during familiarization with an IGN system. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Syntheses and Crystal Structures of PbSbO2Br, PbSbO2I, and PbBiO2Br
Authors: Pfitzner Arno , Pohla Patrick
Published: May 2009

Transparent single crystals of PbSbO2Br (green), PbSbO2I, and PbBiO2Br (yellow) were obtained by solid state reactions of stoichiometric amounts of PbO, Pn2O3 (Pn = Sb, Bi) and PnX3 (X = Br, I). The crystal structures were determined from single‐crystal X‐ray data. The title compounds crystallize tetragonally in the space group I4/mmm (No. 139): Lattice constants and refinement values are: PbSbO2Br: a = 3.9463(3), c = 12.849(1) Å, V = 200.10(3) Å3, and Z = 2, R1 = 0.0236, and wR2 = 0.0513. PbSbO2I: a = 4.0074(3), c = 13.627(2) Å, V = 218.84(3) Å3, and Z = 2, R1 = 0.0244, and wR2 = 0.0538. PbBiO2Br: a = 3.9818(2), c = 12.766(2) Å, V = 202.39(4) Å3, and Z = 2, R1 = 0.0276, and wR2 = 0.0715. The compounds are isotypic and crystallize in the anti‐ThCr2Si2 structure type with lead and Pn statistically disordered on one common position. In case of Pn = Sb a slight separation of the positions of the cations becomes obvious. Optical bandgaps were determined by UV/Vis spectroscopy. They are 2.67 eV (PbSbO2Br), 2.48 eV (PbSbO2I), and 2.47 eV (PbBiO2Br).
The Shanxi merchants in Beijing in the Qing Dynasty: An analysis based on 136 samples of merchants and their activities
Authors: Songyi GUO
Published: May 2009

Based on 136 samples of merchants and their activities, this article analyzes the Shanxi merchants’ business activities in Beijing during the Qing Dynasty (1644–1911). The discussion focuses on the merchants’ native places, the type and scope of their business, how they managed their stores, successful and failed examples, and the governmental intervention to the merchants’ business. The Shanxi merchants in these samples include business owners, store managers, accountants, shop clerks, servants, and apprentices. Most stores discussed in this article are shops of medium and small sizes with limited amount of capital and few employees. In contrast to the studies of commerce and merchants that often focuses on famous merchants and large enterprises, this article attempts to provide supplemental information on stores of medium and small sizes.
The operation and modern development of Qiliu hospice during the Qing Dynasty in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces
Authors: Hongshan HUANG
Published: May 2009

Qiliu hospice in the Qing Dynasty were a sort of charitable organizations established for housing vagrants. According to the distinct functions they served, Qiliu hospice can be divided into different types. Those appeared in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces during the periods of Jiaqing and Daoguang were just a countermeasure to prevent the extortion of petty officials, which had very limited relief targets and measures. But in the modern times, with the quick development of society and great impact from the West, not only the sphere of Qiliu hospice’s relief targets expanded but also relief measures they adopted became more active, which show that Qiliu hospice have already started their course of modern transformation.
Thermodynamics and kinetics for base pair opening in the DNA decamer duplexes containing cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer
Authors: Bang Jongchul , Kang Young-Min , Park Chin-Ju , Lee Joon-Hwa , Choi Byong-Seok
Published: May 2009

The cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer (CPD) is one of the major classes of cytotoxic and carcinogenic DNA photoproducts induced by UV light. Hydrogen exchange rates of the imino protons were measured for various CPD‐containing DNA duplexes to better understand the mechanism for CPD recognition by XPC‐hHR23B. The results here revealed that double T·G mismatches in a CPD lesion significantly destabilized six consecutive base pairs compared to other DNA duplexes. This flexibility in a DNA duplex caused at the CPD lesions with double T·G mismatches might be the key factor for damage recognition by XPC‐hHR23B.
Apolipoprotein E limits oxidative stress‐induced cell dysfunctions in human adipocytes
Authors: Tarnus Evelyne , Wassef Hanny , Carmel Jean-François , Rondeau Philippe , Roche Marjolaine , Davignon Jean , Bernier Lise , Bourdon Emmanuel
Published: May 2009

Oxidative stress in adipose tissue constitutes a pathological process involved in obesity‐linked metabolic disorders. Apolipoprotein E (apoE), which exhibits antioxidant properties in plasma and brain, is highly produced by adipose tissue and adipocytes. In this study, we investigated the role of apoE in the human adipocyte response to oxidative stress. We first demonstrated that apoE secretion by adipocytes was stimulated by oxidative stress. We also observed that apoE overexpression protected adipocytes from hydrogen peroxide‐induced damages, by mitigating intracellular oxidation and exerting extracellular antioxidant properties. Our findings clearly show a novel antioxidant role for apoE in adipose tissue.
Maize AKINβγ dimerizes through the KIS/CBM domain and assembles into SnRK1 complexes
Authors: López-Paz Cristina , Vilela Belmiro , Riera Marta , Pagès Montserrat , Lumbreras Victoria
Published: May 2009

MINT‐7039978: SnRK1 (uniprotkb:Q8H1L5) and AKIN (uniprotkb:B4FX20) physically interact (MI:0915) by bimolecular fluorescence complementation (MI:0809)
Characterization of olivetol synthase, a polyketide synthase putatively involved in cannabinoid biosynthetic pathway
Authors: Taura Futoshi , Tanaka Shinji , Taguchi Chiho , Fukamizu Tomohide , Tanaka Hiroyuki , Shoyama Yukihiro , Morimoto Satoshi
Published: May 2009

Alkylresorcinol moieties of cannabinoids are derived from olivetolic acid (OLA), a polyketide metabolite. However, the polyketide synthase (PKS) responsible for OLA biosynthesis has not been identified. In the present study, a cDNA encoding a novel PKS, olivetol synthase (OLS), was cloned from Cannabis sativa. Recombinant OLS did not produce OLA, but synthesized olivetol, the decarboxylated form of OLA, as the major reaction product. Interestingly, it was also confirmed that the crude enzyme extracts from flowers and rapidly expanding leaves, the cannabinoid‐producing tissues of C. sativa, also exhibited olivetol‐producing activity, suggesting that the native OLS is functionally expressed in these tissues. The possibility that OLS could be involved in OLA biosynthesis was discussed based on its catalytic properties and expression profile.
Huge Sphenoid Sinus Olfactory Neuroblastoma: A Case Report
Authors: Chan Leong‐Perng , Wang Ling‐Feng , Tai Chih‐Feng , Wu Chun‐Chieh , Kuo Wen‐Rei
Published: May 2009

Intranasal or paranasal sinus olfactory neuroblastoma is a rare malignant neoplasm of olfactory neuroepithelial origin, accounting for approximately 5% of paranasal sinus cancers. Most of the presenting symptoms include nasal obstruction, nasal bleeding, anosmia, rhinorrhea, and headache. In this present report, we describe a 79‐year‐old man who presented with bilateral nasal congestion for more than 1 year. Nasoendoscopy showed a huge, smooth, mucosal tumor in the nasopharynx with extension to the posterior nasal septum. The tumor was completely resected under endonasal endoscopy and the pathology revealed olfactory neuroblastoma. Olfactory neuroblastomas usually arise in the cribriform plate and superior turbinate. However, the origin and isolation of olfactory neuroblastomas to the sphenoid sinus is exceedingly rare. Only four cases of olfactory neuroblastoma isolated in the sphenoid sinus have been described in English literature and the frequency of presenting symptoms with cranial neuropathies and headache. We report a case of primary sphenoid sinus olfactory neuroblastoma with the greatest enlargement reported to date.
Successful Treatment of Severe Lactic Acidosis Caused by a Suicide Attempt with a Metformin Overdose
Authors: Yang Por‐Wen , Lin Kuan‐Hung , Lo Su‐Huey , Wang Lee‐Ming , Lin Hong‐Da
Published: May 2009

Metformin‐associated lactic acidosis is a very rare but critical condition. It is seen in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus who take metformin and attempt suicide with a metformin overdose. Here, we report a 43‐year‐old woman with type 2 diabetes mellitus and chronic renal insufficiency who developed hypoglycemia, hypothermia, tachycardia and lactic acidosis after a suicide attempt with a metformin overdose. She was successfully treated by continuous venovenous hemofiltration, and adequate hemodynamic and ventilatory support. Although metformin does not usually cause hypoglycemia when administered as monotherapy, hypoglycemia can occur in a condition coexistent with lactic acidosis secondary to metformin overdose. Metformin intoxication should be suspected when patients present with high anion gap metabolic acidosis after attempting suicide by ingesting drugs, particularly when comorbidities such as renal failure are present. Early diagnosis and rapid correction of the metabolic acidosis using hemodialysis or hemofiltration, together with concomitant cardiovascular support, and maintenance of blood glucose and core body temperature, provide the possibility of a positive outcome.
The two major capitals in the crypt of Saint-Bénigne at Dijon
Authors: Wood Rita
Published: May 2009

The three-storey rotunda at Dijon, built by William of Volpiano and consecrated in 1018, has been reduced to its crypt, but an impressive pair of capitals survive adjacent to the burial place of St Bénigne. In modern times these capitals have repeatedly been described as full of monsters, and their significance for Romanesque sculpture has consequently been neglected. Enough remains of their dense, three-dimensional sculpture for them to be identified as representing, in fact, a lesson commonly read in masses for the dead. Numerous saints and martyrs were marked by burials in the crypt or by altars in the rotunda. All Saints’ Day was celebrated on 1 November, so that the main feast day of St Bénigne was transferred to 2 November. About 998, the commemoration of All Souls, also on 2 November, had been introduced by Odilo, Abbot of Cluny, and is likely to have been adopted by Abbot William. The text from 1 Thessalonians suggests the imaginative use of the rotunda’s vertical dimension, at this particular season and others.
Resonant Weibel instability in counterstreaming plasmas with temperature anisotropies
Authors: LAZAR M. , DIECKMANN M. E. , POEDTS S.
Published: May 2009

The Weibel instability, driven by a plasma temperature anisotropy, is non-resonant with plasma particles: it is purely growing in time, and does not oscillate. The effect of a counterstreaming plasma is examined. In a counterstreaming plasma with an excess of transverse temperature, the Weibel instability arises along the streaming direction. Here it is proved that for large wave-numbers the instability becomes resonant with a finite real (oscillation) frequency, ωr ≠ 0. When the plasma flows faster, with a bulk velocity larger than the parallel thermal velocity, the instability becomes dominantly resonant. This new feature of the Weibel instability can be relevant for astrophysical sources of non-thermal emissions and the stability of counterflowing plasma experiments.
Stability of ion–acoustic solitary waves in a multi-species magnetized plasma consisting of non-thermal and isothermal electrons
Authors: ISLAM SK. ANARUL , BANDYOPADHYAY A. , DAS K. P.
Published: May 2009

A theoretical study of the first-order stability analysis of an ion–acoustic solitary wave, propagating obliquely to an external uniform static magnetic field, has been made in a plasma consisting of warm adiabatic ions and a superposition of two distinct populations of electrons, one due to Cairns et al. and the other being the well-known Maxwell–Boltzmann distributed electrons. The weakly nonlinear and the weakly dispersive ion–acoustic wave in this plasma system can be described by the Korteweg–de Vries–Zakharov–Kuznetsov (KdV-ZK) equation and different modified KdV-ZK equations depending on the values of different parameters of the system. The nonlinear term of the KdV-ZK equation and the different modified KdV-ZK equations is of the form [φ(1)]ν(∂φ(1)/∂ζ), where ν = 1, 2, 3, 4; φ(1) is the first-order perturbed quantity of the electrostatic potential φ. For ν = 1, we have the usual KdV-ZK equation. Three-dimensional stability analysis of the solitary wave solutions of the KdV-ZK and different modified KdV-ZK equations has been investigated by the small-k perturbation expansion method of Rowlands and Infeld. For ν = 1, 2, 3, the instability conditions and the growth rate of instabilities have been obtained correct to order k, where k is the wave number of a long-wavelength plane-wave perturbation. It is found that ion–acoustic solitary waves are stable at least at the lowest order of the wave number for ν = 4.
Actors as Signposts: a Model for Site-based and Ambulatory Performances
Authors: Smith Phil
Published: May 2009

In this paper Phil Smith examines the proposal of Simon Persighetti of Wrights & Sites for actors to behave ‘as signposts’. It describes the circumstances from which the proposal arose, a particular moment in the work of site-specific artists/performers Wrights & Sites, and argues for the wider application of the proposal to the making of site-based theatre and performance. The paper describes four main features of the proposal for ‘actors as signposts’ – pointing to specificity, movement from anti-character to collective subject, performance as trajectory, and the restoration of corporeality – illustrating these with reference to the work of Punchdrunk, Francis Alÿs, and geographer Michael Zinganel, among others. Phil Smith is a Senior Research Associate at the School of Art and Media, University of Plymouth and Visiting Lecturer at the University of Exeter and Dartington College of Arts. Author and co-deviser of over a hundred plays or performances for companies including St Petersburg State Comedy Theatre, Tams Theater (Munich), and New Perspectives (Nottingham), he is company dramaturg for TNT (Munich) and a core member of Wrights & Sites. His solo walking-based performances include The Crab Walks and Crab Steps Aside (texts published by Intellect, 2009).
Boys Should be Girls: Shakespeare's Female Roles and the Boy Players
Authors: Wells Stanley
Published: May 2009

Recent performances of female roles in Shakespeare's plays by adult males help to perpetuate the myth that this was the practice of Shakespeare's time. This article attempts to reinforce the view that all female roles were played by boys – i.e., young males with unbroken voices – by analyzing the demands made by the plays. Shakespeare regularly had available to him up to four boy actors, perhaps more. Yet some plays have as few as two female roles, and few have more than four. The conclusion is that Shakespeare would have been highly unlikely to waste the resources of his company by calling upon adult males to play parts that make use of the talents of his boys. Stanley Wells is Chairman of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Emeritus Professor of Shakespeare Studies at the University of Birmingham. A former editor of Shakespeare Survey and director of the Shakespeare Institute, he is author of numerous books on Shakespeare, general editor of the Penguin and Oxford editions of Shakespeare, and co-editor of The Oxford Companion to Shakespeare.
THE EVOLVING CONTEXT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE HYPOTHESIS
Authors: Bley-Vroman Robert
Published: May 2009

Foreign language learning contrasts with native language development in two key respects: It is unreliable and it is nonconvergent. At the same time, it is clear that foreign languages are languages. The fundamental difference hypothesis (FDH) was introduced as a way to account for the general characteristics of foreign language learning. The FDH was originally formulated in the context of the theory of rich Universal Grammar, and this theory has guided much foreign language acquisition research over the past two decades. However, advances in the understanding of language have undermined much of the supporting framework.

The FDH—indeed all of SLA research—must be rethought in light of these advances. It is proposed here that (a) foreign language grammars make central use of patches, which are also seen as peripheral phenomena in native languages; (b) non-domain-specific processes are used in foreign language acquisition, but that these are also employed—although more effectively because they are integrated into the language system—by native language development; and (c) foreign language online processing relies heavily on the use of shallow parses, but these are also available in native language processing, although less crucially.
TESTING THE FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE HYPOTHESIS
Authors: Song Hyang Suk , Schwartz Bonnie D.
Published: May 2009

The fundamental difference hypothesis (FDH; Bley-Vroman, 1989, 1990) contends that the nature of language in natives is fundamentally different from the nature of language in adult nonnatives. This study tests the FDH in two ways: (a) via second language (L2) poverty-of-the-stimulus (POS) problems (e.g., Schwartz & Sprouse, 2000) and (b) via a comparison between adult and child L2 learners, whose first language (L1) is the same, in terms of their developmental route (e.g., Schwartz, 1992, 2003). The phenomena under investigation are Korean wh-constructions with negative polarity items (NPIs). Korean has subject (S)-object (O)-verb (V) as its canonical word order and it is also a wh-in-situ language, but scrambling of the object to presubject position (i.e., movement that results in OSV word order) is generally optional; however, in the context of negative questions with a NPI subject (e.g., amwuto “anyone”), (a) object wh-phrases must scramble on the wh-question reading and (b) the nonscrambled order has a yes/no-question reading. These properties of Korean wh-constructions with NPIs constitute POS problems for nonnatives whose L1 is English (as well as for native Korean-acquiring children). L1-English adult L2 learners (n = 15) and L1-English child L2 learners (n = 10), independently assessed for Korean proficiency, as well as L1-Korean children (n = 23) and L1-Korean adults (n = 15) completed an elicited-production task, an acceptability-judgment task, and an interpretation-verification task. The results show that (a) high-proficiency (adult and child) L2 learners performed like the native adult controls on all three tasks, thereby demonstrating L2 POS effects; and (b) adult and child L2 learners follow the same (inferred) route to convergence, a route differing from—yet subsuming—the L1-child route. Both sets of results lead us to conclude that, contra the FDH, the nature of language is fundamentally similar in natives and (adult or child) nonnatives.
Automatic ontology creation using adaptation
Authors: Cross Valerie , Bathija Vishal
Published: May 2009

Ontologies are an emerging means of knowledge representation to improve information organization and management, and they are becoming more prevalent in the domain of engineering design. The task of creating new ontologies manually is not only tedious and cumbersome but also time consuming and expensive. Research aimed at addressing these problems in creating ontologies has investigated methods of automating ontology reuse mainly by extracting smaller application ontologies from larger, more general purpose ontologies. Motivated by the wide variety of existing learning algorithms, this paper describes a new approach focused on the reuse of domain-specific ontologies. The approach integrates existing software tools for natural language processing with new algorithms for pruning concepts not relevant to the new domain and extending the pruned ontology by adding relevant concepts. The approach is assessed experimentally by automatically adapting a design rationale ontology for the software engineering domain to a new one for the related domain of engineering design. The experiment produced an ontology that exhibits comparable quality to previous attempts to automate ontology creation as measured by standard content performance metrics such as coverage, accuracy, precision, and recall. However, further analysis of the ontology suggests that the automated approach should be augmented with recommendations presented to a domain expert who monitors the pruning and extending processes in order to improve the structure of the ontology.
Enterobius vermicularis infection in schoolchildren: a large-scale survey 6 years after a population-based control
Authors: WANG L.-C. , HWANG K.-P. , CHEN E.-R.
Published: May 2009

Pinworm infection remains prevalent in children in many parts of the world. This study was designed to determine the prevalence of this infection in schoolchildren in Taiwan after the termination of the 15-year population-based control project in 2001. Our results showed that 2·4% of 118 190 children in 385 primary schools were found to have enterobiasis by two-consecutive-day adhesive cellophane perianal swabs. The prevalences were significantly different in the 25 counties/cities surveyed (0·6–6·6%). A significantly higher prevalence was found in boys (2·6%) than in girls (2·2%) and the prevalence decreased by grade from 3·8% in grade 1 to 1·0% in grade 6. In the primary schools, 9·1% had positive rates ⩾10%. In addition, pinworm infection was found to be significantly associated with the socioeconomic status, personal hygiene and sanitary conditions of the children. The results indicate that the overall prevalence of enterobiasis remains at a low level after the control programme was transferred to the local governments.
Pulmonary diffuse arterial calcifications: a very rare complication in the recipient of a twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome
Authors: Bassil Eter Rania , Dulac Yves , Acar Philippe
Published: May 2009

The syndrome of twin-to-twin transfusion is known potentially to be associated with the development of right ventricular obstruction, albeit rarely at supravalvar levels, in the recipient twin. We report the case of a recipient twin with diffuse hypoplasia and calcification of the pulmonary arterial tree, confirmed by postnatal thoracic angioscan. When aged 2 years, the child was moderately symptomatic with mild cyanosis, in spite of suprasystemic right ventricular systolic pressure as revealed by follow-up echocardiography.
Association of school performance indicators with implementation of the Healthy Kids, Smart Kids programme: case study
Authors: Nansel Tonja R , Huang Terry TK , Rovner Alisha J , Sanders-Butler Yvonne
Published: May 2009

Objective

The purpose of the present analysis was to examine secular trends in school performance indicators in relationship to the implementation of a programme targeting the school food and physical activity environment.

Design

Data on available school performance indicators were obtained; retrospective analyses were conducted to assess trends in indicators in association with programme implementation; each outcome was regressed v. year, beginning with the year prior to programme implementation.

Setting

The Healthy Kids, Smart Kids programme, a grass-roots effort to enhance the school food and physical activity environment in the Browns Mill Elementary School in Georgia.

Subjects

Data included publicly available school records from the years 1995 to 2006.

Results

The number of nurse, counselling and disciplinary referrals per 100 students demonstrated a downward trend, while standardized test scores demonstrated an upward trend beginning in the year of programme implementation. School year was a significant predictor of all indicators.

Conclusions

Promoting nutrition and physical activity within the school environment may be a promising approach for enhancing both student health and educational outcomes.
Chained to cannons or wearing targets on their T-shirts: human shields in international humanitarian law
Authors: de Belle Stéphanie Bouchié
Published: May 2009

This article examines the legal problems associated with human shields. The author begins by discussing the absolute nature of the prohibition on their use and goes on to consider the precautions to be observed by the party being attacked. A violation of the ban on use of human shields by the attacked party is not an act of perfidy and does not release the attacker from his obligations. Because human shields are civilians, they are not legitimate objects of attack, even where they are acting in a voluntary capacity, as they are not taking direct part in hostilities. Among the attacker's obligations to take precautions, the proportionality principle applies in the classic way, even in the case of voluntary human shields.
Mission impossible? Bringing charges for the crime of attacking civilians or civilian objects before international criminal tribunals
Authors: Wuerzner Carolin
Published: May 2009

Three main arguments may explain why few cases in international (and national) criminal law include charges for attacks against civilians or civilian objects. The law may be not sufficiently clear, there may be a lack of evidence or the selection of military targets may be based on mainly subjective considerations, which make it very hard to establish individual culpability. This article examines some legal and practical reasons for the difficulties the prosecutor faces when trying to charge individuals with such crimes. Although there are few examples, the ICTY has shown that it is generally possible to hold individuals responsible for such crimes.
Automating the 2G superconducting rock magnetometer for single‐solenoid alternating field demagnetization
Authors: Morris Eli R. , Schillinger Walter , Coe Robert S. , Pluhar Christopher J. , Jarboe Nicholas A.
Published: May 2009

We have automated a 2G Enterprises superconducting magnetometer to measure and demagnetize standard paleomagnetic samples. After loading a sample and setting the desired demagnetization steps, the operation is performed without further operator attention. Each of a sample's three axes is measured in both directions multiple times. A single solenoid performs three‐axis static demagnetization by rotating the specimen 120° about an oblique axis to each orthogonal position. This eliminates potential errors resulting from differences between the fields generated when using two orthogonal coils with different geometry. Each sample is handled only once, minimizing angular alignment errors. For initial sample moments 10–100 times the holder moment (i.e., natural remanent magnetizations greater than 10−3 A/m for standard size samples), very high quality AF demagnetization results can be obtained. The procedure for a complete, 10‐ to 20‐step alternating field (AF) demagnetization takes between 20 and 70 min, depending on the sample's moment. This automated system is complemented by a custom program that controls all system elements, including the magnetometer, AF demagnetizer, and sample handler that shuttles the sample between the two and also rotates the sample to the measurement positions. In addition, the controlling software includes tools for (1) sample parameter input and instant results recalculation upon parameter adjustment, (2) real‐time results visualization, (3) integrated Sun compass correction software, and (4) several demagnetization routines optimized for different magnitudes of magnetization. The software uses a very general and flexible, XML‐based file structure capable of storing an entire field study in one hierarchical file format, with levels for locality, site, sample, and demagnetization step. It serves as an electronic field notebook for recording many more parameters and comments than those strictly needed to measure the direction of the core.
Electron density dropout near Enceladus in the context of water‐vapor and water‐ice
Authors: Farrell W. M. , Kurth W. S. , Gurnett D. A. , Johnson R. E. , Kaiser M. L. , Wahlund J.‐E. , Waite J. H.
Published: May 2009

On 12 March 2008, the Cassini spacecraft made a close encounter with the Saturnian moon Enceladus, passing within 52 km of the moon. The spacecraft trajectory was intentionally‐oriented in a southerly direction to create a close alignment with the intense water‐dominated plumes emitted from the south polar region. During the passage, the Cassini Radio and Plasma Wave System (RPWS) detected two distinct radio signatures: 1) Impulses associated with small water‐ice dust grain impacts and 2) an upper hybrid (UH) resonance emission that both intensified and displayed a sharp frequency decrease in the near‐vicinity of the moon. The frequency decrease of the UH emission is associated with an unexpectedly sharp decrease in electron density from ∼90 el/cm3 to below 20 el/cm3 that occurs on a time scale of a minute near the closest encounter with the moon. In this work, we consider a number of scenarios to explain this sharp electron dropout, but surmise that electron absorption by ice grains is the most likely process.
Vertical boil propagation from a submerged estuarine sill
Authors: Chickadel C. Chris , Horner‐Devine Alexander R. , Talke Stefan A. , Jessup Andrew T.
Published: May 2009

Surface disruptions by boils during strong tidal flows over a rocky sill were observed in thermal infrared imagery collected at the Snohomish River estuary in Washington State. Locations of boil disruptions and boil diameters at the surface were quantified and are used to test an idealized model of vertical boil propagation. The model is developed as a two‐dimensional approximation of a three‐dimensional vortex loop, and boil vorticity is derived from the flow shear over the sill. Predictions of boil disruption locations were determined from the modeled vertical velocity, the sill depth, and the over‐sill velocity. Predictions by the vertical velocity model agree well with measured locations (rms difference 3.0 m) and improve by using measured velocity and shear (rms difference 1.8 m). In comparison, a boil‐surfacing model derived from laboratory turbulent mixed‐layer wakes agrees with the measurements only when stratification is insignificant.
Bactericidal and membrane disruption activities of the eosinophil cationic protein are largely retained in an N-terminal fragment
Authors: Torrent Marc , de la Torre Beatriz G. , Nogués Victòria M. , Andreu David , Boix Ester
Published: May 2009

ECP (eosinophil cationic protein) is an eosinophil secretion protein with antipathogen activities involved in the host immune defence system. The bactericidal capacity of ECP relies on its action on both the plasma membrane and the bacterial wall. In a search for the structural determinants of ECP antimicrobial activity, we have identified an N-terminal domain (residues 1–45) that retains most of ECP's membrane-destabilizing and antimicrobial activities. Two sections of this domain, ECP-(1–19) and ECP-(24–45), have also been evaluated. All three peptides bind and partially insert into lipid bilayers, inducing aggregation of lipid vesicles and leakage of their aqueous content. In such an environment, the peptides undergo conformational change, significantly increasing their α-helix content. The bactericidal activity of the three peptides against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus has been assessed at both the cytoplasmic membrane and the bacterial envelope levels. ECP-(1–45) and ECP-(24–45) partially retain the native proteins ability to bind LPS (lipopolysaccharides), and electron microscopy reveals cell damage by both peptides. Interestingly, in the E. coli cells agglutination activity of ECP is only retained by the longest segment ECP-(1–45). Comparative results suggest a task distribution, whereby residues 1–19 would contribute to membrane association and destabilization, while the 24–45 region would be essential for bactericidal action. Results also indicate that ECP cytotoxicity is not uniquely dependant on its membrane disruption capacity, and that specific interactions at the bacteria wall are also involved.
C-type natriuretic peptide production by the human kidney is blunted in chronic heart failure
Authors: Kalra Paul R. , Clague Jonathan R. , Coats Andrew J. , Anker Stefan D. , Poole-Wilson Philip A. , Struthers Allan D.
Published: May 2009

CNP (C-type natriuretic peptide) is a vasodilatory peptide produced by vascular endothelium and the human heart with a short half-life. CNP has been identified within the human kidney; however, few results are available on whether the human kidney is a systemic source of CNP. The aim of the present study was to establish whether CNP is secreted by the human kidney and if synthesis is blunted in CHF (chronic heart failure). A total of 20 male subjects (age, 57±2 years; mean±S.E.M.) undergoing CHF assessment (n=13) or investigation of paroxysmal supraventricular arrhythmia (normal left ventricular function in sinus rhythm during procedure) (n=7) were recruited. Renal CNP production was determined from concomitant plasma concentrations in the aorta and renal vein. When considering all subjects, a significant step-up in plasma CNP was found from the aorta to renal vein (3.0±0.3 compared with 8.3±2.4 pg/ml respectively; P=0.0045). The mean increase in CNP was 5.3±2.4 pg/ml (range, −0.9 to +45.3 pg/ml). In patients with CHF, the aortic concentration was 3.3±0.4 pg/ml compared with a renal vein concentration of 4.3±0.6 pg/ml (P=0.11). In those with normal left ventricular function, the respective values were 2.5±0.5 and 15.7±6.0 pg/ml (P=0.01). In conclusion, CNP is synthesized and secreted into the circulation by the normal human kidney, where it may have paracrine actions. Net renal secretion of CNP appears to be blunted in patients with CHF.
X-ray elastography: Modification of x-ray phase contrast images using ultrasonic radiation pressure
Authors: Hamilton Theron J. , Bailat Claude , Gehring Stephan , Laperle Christopher M. , Wands Jack , Rose-Petruck Christoph , Diebold Gerald J.
Published: May 2009

The high resolution characteristic of in-line x-ray phase contrast imaging can be used in conjunction with directed ultrasound to detect small displacements in soft tissue generated by differential acoustic radiation pressure. The imaging method is based on subtraction of two x-ray images, the first image taken with, and the second taken without the presence of ultrasound. The subtraction enhances phase contrast features and, to a large extent, removes absorption contrast so that differential movement of tissues with different acoustic impedances or relative ultrasonic absorption is highlighted in the image. Interfacial features of objects with differing densities are delineated in the image as a result of both the displacement introduced by the ultrasound and the inherent sensitivity of x-ray phase contrast imaging to density variations. Experiments with ex vivo murine tumors and human tumor phantoms point out a diagnostic capability of the method for identifying tumors.
Refracting Röntgen’s rays: Propagation-based x-ray phase contrast for biomedical imaging
Authors: Gureyev T. E. , Mayo S. C. , Myers D. E. , Nesterets Ya. , Paganin D. M. , Pogany A. , Stevenson A. W. , Wilkins S. W.
Published: May 2009

Absorption-contrast x-ray imaging serves to visualize the variation in x-ray attenuation within the volume of a given sample, whereas phase contrast allows one to visualize variations in x-ray refractive index. The former imaging mechanism has been well known and widely utilized since the time of Röntgen’s Nobel prize winning work, whereas the latter mechanism—sought for, but not found, by Röntgen himself—has laid the foundation for a revolution in x-ray imaging which is the central topic of this review. We consider the physical imaging mechanisms underlying both absorption contrast and phase contrast, together with the associated inverse problem of how one may obtain quantitative two- or three-dimensional information regarding a sample, given one or more phase-contrast images of the same. Practical questions are considered, regarding optimized phase-contrast imaging geometries as a function of detector resolution, source size, x-ray spectrum, and dose. Experimental examples pertaining to biomedical applications are given, and prospects for the future outlined.
The past, present, and future of x-ray technology for in vivo imaging of function and form
Authors: Fouras A. , Kitchen M. J. , Dubsky S. , Lewis R. A. , Hooper S. B. , Hourigan K.
Published: May 2009

Scientists and clinicians have a keen interest in studying not just the structure of physiological systems, but their motion also, or more generally their form and function. This paper focuses on the technologies that underpin in vivo measurements of form and function of the human body for both research and medical treatment. A concise literature review of x-ray imaging, ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, radionuclide imaging, laser Doppler velocimetry, and particle image velocimetry is presented. Additionally, a more detailed review of in vivo x-ray imaging is presented. Finally, two techniques, which the authors believe are representative of the present and future of in vivo x-ray imaging techniques, are presented.
Electron and photon spread contributions to the radiological penumbra for small monoenergetic x-ray beam (≤2 MeV)
Authors: Pignol Jean-Philippe , Keller Brian M.
Published: May 2009

Our team has previously published that submegavoltage photons could significantly improve the radiological penumbra for small size radiation fields. The present work uses Monte Carlo simulation to evaluate the contributions of secondary electrons and photon scatter to the penumbra region for various field sizes (5, 10, 20, and 40 mm in diameters) and for various monoenergetic photon beams (200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, and 2000 keV, and a standard 6 MV beam), minimizing geometrical and transmission penumbra. For field sizes less than 2 cm in diameter, photon scatter is negligible such that the secondary electrons are the main contributor to the radiological penumbra. Reducing the photon beam energy to the submegavoltage range reduces the range of secondary electrons and eventually improves the beam boundary sharpness. Provided that the geometrical penumbra and patient immobilization system are optimized, submegavoltage photon beams with effective photon energies in the 300 to 600 keV range, present significant advantages for multiple beam stereotactic irradiations of tumors less than 2 cm in diameter.
Alkene epoxidation with a polystyrene immobilised metal salen catalyst in a continuous-flow microfluidic reactor
Authors: Cullen Christopher J. , Wootton Robert C. R. , de Mello Andrew J.
Published: May 2009

The epoxidation of styrene using a modularly constructed polymer immobilized Mn(III)-salen catalyst has been demonstrated within a continuous-flow glass fabricated microfluidic reactor.
Quantification of disease marker in undiluted serum using an actuating layer-embedded microcantilever
Authors: Hwang Kyo Seon , Jeon Hye Kyung , Lee Sang-Myung , Kim Sang Kyung , Kim Tae Song
Published: May 2009

In this study, we describe the application feasibility of a dynamic microcantilever with regard to the detection of a specific protein in human serum or real blood using an end-point analysis. The mechanical response (i.e., resonant frequency) of a functionalized dynamic microcantilever was shown to be altered by molecular interactions, which allowed for the detection of biomolecules present in small quantities without any additional signal enhancements, such as labeling. For the application of the microcantilever sensors to bioassays of serum samples, the mechanical response from the nonspecific adsorption of abundant proteins must be reduced, because it significantly influences the output signal deviation of the microcantilever sensor. We implemented a label-free prostate specific antigen (PSA) detection protocol in standard serum via our established process, which was designed to minimize nonspecific protein adsorption. PSA is a tumor marker for prostate cancer, with a threshold concentration of 2–4 ng/ml (7.2–14.4 pM) for the distinction between patients and normal individuals. The dynamic range of our dynamic microcantilever-based PSA assay on the background of standard serum ranged between 0.1 and 100 ng/ml (3.6 and 3600 pM). It was suggested that the dynamic microcantilever might allow for the sensitive label-free detection of disease markers in an actual human sample.
Hadamard transform microchip electrophoresis combined with laser-induced fluorescence detection using a compact neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser emitting at 532 nm
Authors: Hata Kazuki , Kaneta Takashi , Imasaka Totaro
Published: May 2009

Hadamard transform electrophoresis combined with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection on a microchip was demonstrated. A compact, diode-pumped neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser was employed as the light source for LIF detection. The analytical conditions were optimized using rhodamine B as the analyte. Under optimal conditions, the signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of the analyte was improved by a factor of 7.5 by means of Hadamard transformation based on a 255-order cyclic S matrix. Additionally, the relationship between fluorescence intensity and analyte concentration was linear with a correlation coefficient of 0.993 in the inverse Hadamard transformed data at the concentration range from 25 to 100 pM. The results indicate that the present method is applicable to quantitative analysis at the concentration lower than the concentration limit of detection in a conventional method. The concentration limit of detection was ∼25 pM (the relative standard deviation of the peak height was 5.2%). The present technique was successfully applied to the separation of a mixture containing 1.9 nM phenylalanine and 1.9 nM glutamic acid labeled with rhodamine B isothiocyanate. The S/Ns of the analyte peaks were improved up to ∼10 in the inverse Hadamard transformed data derived from a 127-order cyclic S matrix, while neither peak was lower than the limit of detection (S/N<3) in conventional microchip electrophoresis by a single injection.
Interstitial point radiance spectroscopy of turbid media
Authors: Chin Lee C. L. , Lloyd Brendan , Whelan William M. , Vitkin I. Alex
Published: May 2009

We present an optical technique, point radiance spectroscopy, to directly recover chromophore concentrations and the reduced optical scattering coefficient spectrum from continuous wave interstitial point radiance measurements at a single-source-detector separation in turbid, tissuelike media. The method employs a spectral algorithm to fit the relative radiance data, using the P3 approximation, at only two detection angles (0° and 90°). The spectral fitting algorithm is applied to simulated data of relative point fluence and relative point radiance data with added 1% noise and shows that even under realistic experimental conditions, only point radiance information is able to provide quantitative information regarding chromophore concentrations and scattering power at distances greater than two to three mean free paths from the source. Furthermore, experimental measurements in tissue-simulating phantoms demonstrate that dye concentrations and scattering parameters can be recovered to within ∼10%. The developed point radiance technique bridges a technological gap between local surface reflectance and spatially resolved interstitial fluence methods in optical assessment of random media such as biological tissue.
Characterization of integrating ultrasound detectors for photoacoustic tomography
Authors: Paltauf G. , Nuster R. , Burgholzer P.
Published: May 2009

Photoacoustic tomography is based on generation of sound waves in a semitransparent medium by illumination with short light pulses. In standard methods, measurements of the acoustic waves around the sample with point like ultrasound detectors are used for reconstruction of the distribution of absorbed energy, which contains information on light-absorbing structures such as blood vessels in tissue. Integrating ultrasound detectors are planes or lines larger than the imaged object and measure temporal signals that are given by spatial integrals over the sound field. It can be shown that such integrated signals give exact reconstructions with constant, high resolution throughout the imaging zone. The goal of the present study was to investigate with the help of simulations and experiments how far real implementations of integrating detectors based on piezoelectric films or optical interferometry have characteristics approximating those of ideal planes or lines. It is shown that the directive sensitivity of piezoelectric films tends to distort signals, mainly in the case of large area detectors. This distortion can, on the other hand, be used to directly measure a part of the directivity that is caused by distribution of stress components in the detector. Optical beams as part of an interferometer have omnidirectional response, but need focusing in order to achieve high temporal and spatial resolution. For example, with a beam focused to a diameter of 38 μm a spatial image resolution of 52 μm could be observed. Because of the beam waist, this resolution can only be achieved for acoustic sources lying within a range corresponding to the focal depth of the beam. It is concluded that line detectors made of piezoelectric thin films yield almost ideal performance for acoustic waves at normal incidence. Even better suited for photoacoustic tomography are focused optical beams as line detectors due to their omnidirectional response and higher signal to noise ratio, but only for objects with a size smaller than the focal depth.
Midinfrared surface-plasmon resonance: A novel biophysical tool for studying living cells
Authors: Golosovsky M. , Lirtsman V. , Yashunsky V. , Davidov D. , Aroeti B.
Published: May 2009

We discuss the surface-plasmon resonance (SPR) technique based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry. We explore the potential of the infrared surface plasmon technique for biological studies in aqueous solutions and compare it with the conventional surface plasmon technique operating in the visible range. We demonstrate that the sensitivity of the SPR technique in the infrared range is not lower and in fact is even higher. We show several examples of applying FTIR-SPR for biological studies: (i) monitoring D-glucose concentration in solution and (ii) measuring D-glucose uptake by erythrocytes in suspension. We emphasize the advantages of infrared SPR for studying living cell cultures and show how this technique can be used for characterization of (i) cholesterol penetration into plasma membrane and (ii) transferrin-induced clathrin-mediated endocytosis.