bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Charged Ultrafiltration Membranes Increase the Selectivity of Whey Protein Separations
Authors: Bhushan S. , Etzel M.R.
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT:  Ultrafiltration is widely used to concentrate proteins, but fractionation of one protein from another is much less common. This study examined the use of positively charged membranes to increase the selectivity of ultrafiltration and allow the fractionation of proteins from cheese whey. By adding a positive charge to ultrafiltration membranes, and adjusting the solution pH, it was possible to permeate proteins having little or no charge, such as glycomacropeptide, and retain proteins having a positive charge. Placing a charge on the membrane increased the selectivity by over 600% compared to using an uncharged membrane. The data were fit using the stagnant film model that relates the observed sieving coefficient to membrane parameters such as the flux, mass transfer coefficient, and membrane Peclet number. The model was a useful tool for data analysis and for the scale up of membrane separations for whey protein fractionation.
Optimization of Gluten‐Free Formulations for French‐Style Breads
Authors: Mezaize S. , Chevallier S. , Le Bail A. , De Lamballerie M.
Published: March 2009

ABSTRACT: The formulation of gluten‐free bread, which will be suitable for patients with coeliac disease, was optimized to provide bread similar to French bread. The effects of the presence of hydrocolloids and the substitution of the flour basis by flour or proteins from different sources were studied. The added ingredients were (1) hydrocolloids (carboxymethylcellulose [CMC], guar gum, hydroxypropylmethylcellulose [HPMC], and xanthan gum), and (2) substitutes (buckwheat flour, whole egg powder, and whey proteins). The bread quality parameters measured were specific volume, dry matter of bread, crust color, crumb hardness, and gas cell size distribution. Specific volume was increased by guar gum and HPMC. Breads with guar gum had color characteristics similar to French bread. Hardness decreased with the addition of hydrocolloids, especially HPMC and guar. Breads with guar gum had the most heterogeneous cell size distribution, and guar gum was therefore selected for further formulations. Bread prepared with buckwheat flour had improved quality: an increased specific volume, a softer texture, color characteristics, and gas‐cell size distribution similar to French bread. Bread with 1.9% guar gum (w/w, total flour basis) and 5% buckwheat flour (of all flours and substitutes) mimicked French bread quality attributes.
Can Thromboelastography performed on kaolin‐activated citrated samples from critically ill patients provide stable and consistent parameters?
Authors: WHITE H. , ZOLLINGER C. , JONES M. , BIRD R.
Published: March 2009

Thromboelastography (TEG®) is a potentially useful tool but analysis within 4‐6 min of collection imposes limitations on its use and access. The use of citrate blood tubes potentially increases the time frame for processing specimens. There is, however, limited research on the stability of citrate specimens, timing of processing and the accuracy of TEG® results. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of early and delayed processing on TEG® parameters using kaolin‐activated citrated blood samples in the intensive care population. TEG® analysis was performed on 61 patients. Blood was collected into two 3.2% sodium citrate (0.105 m) tubes. Kaolin‐activated samples were analysed at 15, 30 and 120 min postcollection. TEG® parameters analysed included reaction time (R), clot formation time (K), alpha angle (α), maximum amplitude, LY30, the coagulation index, time to maximum rate of thrombus generation, maximum rate of thrombus generation and total thrombus generation. Sixty‐one critically ill patients were included. The results of the anova showed that time from collection was significantly associated with the TEG® results (P < 0.05). On comparison of individual outcome variables, this difference in most cases was due to changes over time from 30 to 120 min. Furthermore, progressive changes in TEG® parameters such as decreasing R were suggestive of a trend toward hypercoagulability of the specimens. Processing of kaolin‐activated citrate TEG® specimens can begin as early as 15 min postvenipuncture. However, delaying processing by more than 30 min leads to a significant change in results.
Suffering in Silence: A Qualitative Meta‐Data‐Analysis of Postpartum Depression
Authors: Knudson‐Martin Carmen , Silverstein Rachelle
Published: March 2009

In this article, we apply a relational lens to a grounded theory meta‐data‐analysis of qualitative studies on postpartum depression (PPD) conducted between 1999 and 2005. Women in all studies report feeling that they have failed to live up to cultural standards for a “good mother.” Central to this experience is a sense that these negative feelings could not be spoken. The analysis shows how constructions of motherhood and the reactions of others combine with feelings of incompetence to precipitate isolation from others. Women survive depression through support that validates their experience and promotes eventual reconnection with others. Conclusions emphasize the need for persons trained to facilitate relational connection to develop interventions that address the interpersonal contexts of PPD.
Antimycobacterial immune responses in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis
Authors: Hörster Robert , Kirsten Detlef , Gaede Karoline Iris , Jafari Claudia , Strassburg Alan , Greinert Ulf , Kalsdorf Barbara , Ernst Martin , Lange Christoph
Published: March 2009

Introduction:  Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease of unknown origin. Pathogenetic involvement of Mycobacterium tuberculosis has frequently been discussed in the aetiology of sarcoidosis; however, studies still remain contradictory.

Objective:  We addressed the question of mycobacterial involvement in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis by analysing cellular immune responses to mycobacterial antigens.

Methods:  We examined the interferon (IFN)‐γ production by enzyme‐linked immunospot in response to purified protein derivate (PPD) mycobacterial‐specific antigen early secretory antigenic target (ESAT)‐6 and culture filtrate protein (CFP)‐10 by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and bronchoalveolar‐lavage mononuclear cells (BALMCs) of patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis, smear‐negative tuberculosis and controls.

Results:  Release of IFN‐γ in response to ex vivo contact with PPD, ESAT‐6 or CFP‐10 by BALMC and PBMC were comparable among patients with sarcoidosis and controls (PBMC P = 0.2326; BALMC P = 0.1767) and were less frequently observed in both groups compared to patients with tuberculosis (BALMC P < 0.05; PBMC P < 0.0001). Within PBMC, the immunophenotype of sarcoidosis patients differed from that of patients with tuberculosis, as well as from that of controls, while within BALMC it resembled that of patients with tuberculosis.

Conclusion:  In contrast to patients with tuberculosis, the frequency of mycobacteria‐specific local and systemic immune responses is not elevated in patients with sarcoidosis when compared to controls. The immunophenotype represents the local resemblance of the granulomatous reaction underlying tuberculosis and sarcoidosis while showing systemical difference. These observations do not support a role of an infection with M. tuberculosis in the pathogenesis of sarcoidosis.

Please cite this paper as: Hörster R, Kirsten D, Gaede KI, Jafari C, Strassburg A, Greinert U, Kalsdorf B, Ernst M and Lange C. Antimycobacterial immune responses in patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2009; 3: 229–238.
Prevalence and predictors of undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a Norwegian adult general population
Authors: Hvidsten Sophie Charlotte , Storesund Lene , Wentzel‐Larsen Tore , Gulsvik Amund , Lehmann Sverre
Published: March 2009

Objectives:  To determine the prevalence and predictors of undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in Norway.

Methods:  An age and gender stratified random sample of all adults aged 47–48 and 71–73 years in Bergen, Norway, were invited. The 3506 participants filled in questionnaires including symptoms of COPD, smoking, socio‐economic status, self‐rated health and cardiac co‐morbidity. Spirometry was performed before and after inhalation of 400 µg of salbutamol. COPD was defined as post‐bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) / forced vital capacity (FVC) < 0.7 whereas diagnosed COPD was defined as having received treatment for obstructive lung disease the last year.

Results:  Three hundred‐three persons (9%) were classified as having COPD, and the undiagnosed fraction was 66%. In multiple logistic regression analysis, including multiple imputation, predictors of undiagnosed COPD were absence of COPD symptoms [odds ratio (OR) 6.92, P = 0.001], and self‐report of being in good/excellent health (OR 2.39, P = 0.005). When post‐bronchodilator FEV1 was added to the analysis, undiagnosed disease was predicted by pack years [OR 1.21 (1.01–1.47) per 10 pack‐year increase, P = 0.043], and close to normal lung function [OR 1.48 (1.22–1.80) per 10% increase in post‐bronchodilator FEV1 % predicted, P < 0.001]. Anthropometrical variables, socio‐economic status and cardiac co‐morbidity were not associated with having undiagnosed COPD.

Conclusion:  Two out of three COPD patients in Norway are undiagnosed. Risk factors for being undiagnosed are moderate reduction in lung function, absence of COPD symptoms and self‐report of being in good health.

Please cite this paper as: Hvidsten SC, Storesund L, Wentzel‐Larsen T, Gulsvik A and Lehmann S. Prevalence and predictors of undiagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in a Norwegian adult general population. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2009; DOI:10.1111/j.1752‐699X.2009.00137.x.
Screening, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – a population‐based database study
Authors: Madsen Hanne , Brixen Kim , Hallas Jesper
Published: March 2009

Introduction:  A common extrapulmonary effect to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is osteoporosis.

Objectives:  To characterise the diagnostic activity regarding osteoporosis [i.e. the use of dual‐energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DXA)] and the pattern of applied pharmacological intervention to prevent fractures in COPD patients in relation to the use of prednisolone.

Methods:  This study was a register study covering the residents of the Danish County of Funen linking data from Odense Pharmacoepidemiologic Database (OPED), a DXA‐database and Funen Patient Administrative System, a database with data on hospitals admissions. OPED has complete capture of fulfilled prescriptions. We identified 1909 COPD patients admitted with a main diagnosis of COPD. Using OPED we extracted prescriptions for prednisolone and antiresorptive medicine from these COPD patients for the year 2004.

Results:  COPD patients who had filled a prescription for prednisolone (P‐COPD) were DXA‐scanned more frequently (17%) than those who had not (non‐P‐COPD) (9%) and were prescribed antiresorptive medicine more often (27%) than non‐P‐COPD (16%). In both groups 94% were either osteopenic or osteoporotic. Logistic regression models predicted that DXA‐scans were offered to women, to the young, to the recipients of high systemic steroid doses and to those with frequent admission for COPD. Given an osteoporosis diagnosis, treatment was offered to those with high steroid doses and those with frequent admissions for COPD.

Conclusion:  DXA are underutilised compared with the high frequency of osteoporosis or osteopenia in DXA‐scanned hospitalised COPD patients, especially in elderly. Guidelines concerning screening, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in COPD patients with or without glucocorticoid treatment are needed.

Please cite this paper as: Madsen H, Brixen K and Hallas J. Screening, prevention and treatment of osteoporosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – a population‐based database study. The Clinical Respiratory Journal 2009; DOI:10.1111/j.1752‐699X.2009.00138.x.
Mild and severe forms of tuberculosis in diabetic and non‐diabetic patients
Authors: OCAL Serpil , SAKA Dilek , OGRETENSOY Mihriban
Published: March 2009

Background:  The aim of the present study was to compare the frequency of pleural tuberculosis in patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods:  Three hundred consecutive patients who were smear positive for pulmonary tuberculosis or isolated pleural tuberculosis were enrolled in the study. Patients’ age and smoking status (pack‐years) were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups: those with and without DM.

Results:  All patients enrolled in the study were male. Mean (±SD) patient age was 42.4 ± 15.9 years. Of the 300 patients in the study, 48 had DM. There was no significant difference in the distribution of pulmonary tuberculosis and isolated pleural tuberculosis between patients with and without DM (P > 0.05). However, there was a significant difference in mean pack‐years of smoking between patients with pulmonary tuberculosis and those with isolated pleural tuberculosis for all patients; patients with isolated pleural tuberculosis had a significantly lower number of pack‐years of smoking (P < 0.05).

Conclusion:  Severe pulmonary involvement in DM patients may be due to smoking status.
Insulin secretory function in Type 2 diabetes: Does it matter how you measure it?
Authors: REAVEN Gerald M.
Published: March 2009

The following estimates of insulin secretory function have been used widely to evaluate the role of pancreatic β‐cells in the pathogenesis and treatment of patients with type 2 diabetes (2DM): (i) Homeostatic Model Assessment (HOMA)‐β, a calculation based on fasting plasma glucose and insulin concentrations; (ii) post‐glucose acute insulin response (AIRg), the increment in insulin concentration measured in the 5 min after intravenous glucose; and (iii) ΔI/ΔG, the ratio of the increment in plasma insulin concentration (I)/increment in plasma glucose concentration (G) 30 min after the oral administration of 75 g glucose. Experiments based on these approaches have led to a widely held point of view that that the natural history of 2DM is characterized by a progressive increase in the magnitude of hyperglycemia, secondary to an inexorable decline in pancreatic β‐cell function: the greater the increase in plasma glucose concentration, the greater the impairment of the ability of the pancreas to secrete insulin. In the present review, theoretical questions are raised as to the physiological validity of these estimates of insulin secretory function and experimental data are presented demonstrating that hourly measurements of plasma insulin and glucose concentrations in response to mixed meals throughout an 8‐h day lead to a very different point of view. Studies are also reviewed that question the ‘inexorability’ of the changes in insulin secretory function that have been reported. It is concluded that it may be time to challenge current conventional wisdom as to the role of the β‐cell in the natural history of 2DM.
Serum retinol‐binding protein 4 is associated with insulin secretion in Chinese people with normal glucose tolerance
Authors: LI Ling , WANG Chen , BAO Yuqian , WU Haiya , LU Junxi , XIANG Kunsan , JIA Weiping
Published: March 2009

Background:  Serum levels of retinol‐binding protein 4 (RBP4) are associated with insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and may impact on β‐cell function. Thus, the present study investigated the relationship between serum RBP4 and insulin secretion in Chinese people with and without T2DM.

Methods:  A 75 g oral glucose tolerance test was administered to all 867 subjects and serum RBP4 concentrations were determined. Insulin secretion was assessed by ΔI/ΔG (increment in plasma insulin concentration/plasma glucose concentration 30 min after the oral administration of 75 g glucose) and the total area under the curve for insulin over 180 min (AUC‐I). Magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure visceral fat area (VFA) at L4–L5; subjects with VFA ≥80 cm2 were considered to have visceral obesity (VO).

Results:  Serum RBP4 concentrations were significantly higher in subjects with VO than without, regardless of the presence of T2DM. In addition, in the entire group with normal glucose tolerance (NGT), serum RBP4 was positively correlated with ΔI/ΔG (r = 0.152; P < 0.01) and AUC‐I (r = 0.218; P < 0.01) after adjustment for gender. The correlation between RBP4 and ΔI/ΔG (r = 0.162; P < 0.05) and AUC‐I (r = 0.195; P < 0.01) remained in NGT non‐VO subjects. No correlation was found between serum RBP4 and ΔI/ΔG or AUC‐I in T2DM patients. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that serum RBP4 is an independent factor that contributes to ΔI/ΔG (β = 0.176) and AUC‐I (β = 0.204) in NGT non‐VO subjects.

Conclusions:  Serum RBP4 is correlated with glucose‐stimulated insulin secretion in NGT non‐VO subjects, but not in NGT VO subjects and T2DM patients.
A Fantastic Potpourri
Authors: Reilly John E.
Published: March 2009

Sam Moskowitz, editor. The Man Who Called Himself Poe. Garden City, New York: Doubleday and Company, 1969. 244 pp. $4.95.
Poe and Baudelaire: Translations
Authors: Haswell Richard H.
Published: March 2009

Edgar Allan Poe. Seven Tales, with a French Translation and Prefatory Essay by Charles Baudelaire. Ed. W. T. Bandy. Schocken Books: New York, 1971. 245 pages. $10.00.
Poe's Landscape Aesthetics
Authors: Nevius Blake
Published: March 2009

Kent Ljungquist. The Grand and the Fair: Poe's Landscape Aesthetics and Pictorial Techniques. Potomac, Maryland: Scripta Humanistica, 1984. 216 pages.
The Poe Editions of the Library of America
Authors: Pollin Burton R.
Published: March 2009

Patrick Quinn, ed., Edgar Allan Poe: Poetry and Tales. New York: Library of America, 1984. 1408 pp. $27.50.

G. R. Thompson, ed., Edgar Allan Poe: Essays and Reviews. New York: Library of America, 1984. 1544 pp. $27.50.
Vascularity and tendon pathology in the rotator cuff: a review of literature and implications for rehabilitation and surgery
Authors: Hegedus E J , Cook C , Brennan M , Wyland D , Garrison J C , Driesner D
Published: March 2009

Objective

To compile histological and imaging research detailing the microvascularity of the rotator cuff and determine the clinical application of these findings for clinicians.

Methods

A computer-assisted literature search of MEDLINE (1966 to September 2008) using keywords related to blood flow to the shoulder and limited to humans and English language. A hand search was also performed by three of the authors.

Results

Nineteen studies met inclusion and exclusion criteria.

Conclusions

The relationship between the variables of vascularity, age and degeneration remains unclear. Recent studies with stronger design and better technology support the fact that increased vascularity is a normal response to smaller tears, but that as tear size increases the healing response fails and decreased vascularity is observed. Also, impingement may cause hypovascularity. These studies support the possibility that people without symptoms may have normal blood flow even with ageing. Finally, exercise may increase blood flow to the rotator cuff. These findings have both surgical and rehabilitation implications.
Traffic exposure and subclinical cardiovascular disease: is the association modified by socioeconomic characteristics of individuals and neighbourhoods? Results from a multilevel study in an urban region
Authors: Dragano N , Hoffmann B , Moebus S , Möhlenkamp S , Stang A , Verde P E , Jöckel K-H , Erbel R , Siegrist J
Published: March 2009

Objectives:

Traffic-related pollution is associated with cardiovascular disease in general, but previous studies suggested that low socioeconomic status (SES) groups might be more susceptible towards a negative impact. We examined whether the association between long-term exposure to high traffic and early signs of coronary artery disease is modified by SES.

Methods:

Individual-level medical and social data from a population-based study were linked with census information on neighbourhood socioeconomic characteristics. Residential exposure to traffic was defined as proximity to major roads using a geographical information system. We studied associations between high traffic and coronary artery calcification (CAC) within strata of SES to examine effect modification. Data stem from an epidemiological study in Germany including 2264 women and 2037 men (45–75 years).

Results:

High traffic and low SES were both associated with higher amounts of calcification (⩾75th age-specific percentile). More participants with low SES lived close to major roads while stratified analyses did not indicate higher susceptibility in low SES groups. Participants with low SES and simultaneous exposure to high traffic had highest levels of CAC. For example, the prevalence of high calcification was 23.9% in better-educated men with low traffic exposure but 37.7% in lower-educated men with high traffic exposure (women: 22.0% vs 28.1%).

Conclusions:

High traffic exposure was associated with coronary calcification in all social groups, but as low SES individuals had higher calcification in general and were also more often exposed to traffic, existing inequalities could be further shaped by traffic exposure.
Process and discharge estimation in ephemeral channels, Canadian Rocky Mountains
Authors: Desloges Joseph R. , Gardner James S.
Published: March 2009

Process determinations and discharge estimates are made for 10 steep alpine channels in the Front and Main ranges of the southern Canadian Rocky Mountains. The catchments, which range in size from 0.17 to 1.13 km2, are sufficiently small that their runoff patterns are dominantly ephemeral and are characterized by processes that include water floods, debris flows, and snow avalanches.Longitudinal and cross-sectional channel profiles demonstrate the importance of bedrock control and the influence of one or more dominant processes. Debris flow channels have been partially scoured by water floods, and avalanche and debris flow sediments are noted in modified alluvial channels. The distribution and sorting of sediments support the multiple-process origin of specific channels or channel reaches.The discrimination of channel processes is essential for estimates of channel discharge. Slope/area and competence methods employed in fluvially dominated reaches of the 10 channels yield maximum instantaneous discharge estimates of between 1.1 and 12.2 m3 s−1. These discharges are generally not representative of the potential volumes of water and sediment released from the channels because of augmentation by both debris flow and avalanche processes. The design of roads and railways traversing these channels requires consideration of a range of processes of varying magnitudes.
Amphibole in a spinel lherzolite xenolith: evidence for volatiles and partial melting in the upper mantle beneath southern British Columbia
Authors: Brearley Mark , Scarfe Christopher M.
Published: March 2009

Pargasitic amphibole has been observed for the first time in an ultramafic xenolith from British Columbia. The xenolith is a chrome diopside-bearing spinel lherzolite trapped within an alkali basaltic lava flow at Lightning Peak, near Vernon, British Columbia. Amphibole (<5%) occurs within the xenolith as small grains, interstitial between other xenolith mineral phases, and always shows evidence of melting. Microprobe analyses of the amphibole reveal that it is a pargasite rich in MgO (MgO = 17.1–17.7 wt.%; Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) = 0.89) and CaO (10.4–10.7 wt.%). Textural and chemical evidence suggests that the pargasite is in equilibrium with the other phases in spinel lherzolite. The pargasite probably crystallized within the spinel stability field of the upper mantle from a volatile-rich metasomatic fluid that was produced by dehydration of subducted material. Melting in the amphibole may have been caused by one of three processes: superheating by the host alkali basalt, decompression as the magma ascended, or by in situ partial melting within the upper mantle. The partial melting of amphibole-bearing spinel lherzolite provides a possible mechanism for the generation of late Cenozoic alkalic magmas of the Intermontane Belt of British Columbia.
Autumnal Habitat Shift of Juvenile Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) in a Small River
Authors: Rimmer D. M. , Paim U. , Saunders R. L.
Published: March 2009

Autumnal changes in behavior and distribution of three age-classes of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) were determined during 3 yr in the Little Sevogle River of northeastern New Brunswick. In summer, salmon were always observed above the streambed, each holding a station over a single, unshaded stone. About 84% of the entire population occurred in the run habitat-type, 12% in riffles and 5% in pools. Underwater visual censuses showed the salmon to be continuously numerous in summer, but, as soon as water temperature fell to or below 10 °C in autumn, they disappeared from their stations and their visible population decreased by 92–98%. Thereafter, the salmon were found almost exclusively in sheltered substrate chambers beneath surface streambed stones. However, salmon distribution among runs, riffles, and pools (77, 18, and 5%, respectively) did not differ significantly from that in summer. Trapping, marking, and absolute population estimates indicated neither dwindling nor egress of the resident population. Thus, instead of suddenly leaving the river area or moving to another habitat-type at low temperatures, the salmon merely moved from their unsheltered summer stations to sheltered winter stations within the streambed. The results indicate the importance of winter habitat management in managing juvenile Atlantic salmon populations.
An Energetics Model for Lake Trout, Salvelinus namaycush: Application to the Lake Michigan Population
Authors: Stewart Donald J. , Weininger David , Rottiers Donald V. , Edsall Thomas A.
Published: March 2009

An energetics model is implemented for lake trout, Salvelinus namaycush, and applied to the Lake Michigan population. It includes an egestion function allowing any proportional mix of fish and invertebrates in the diet, a growth model accounting for both ontogenetic and seasonal changes in energy-density of predator and prey, a model for typical in situ swimming speed, and reproductive energy losses due to gametes shed. Gross conversion efficiency of energy by lake trout over their life (21.8%) is about twice the efficiency of converting biomass to growth because they store large amounts of high-energy fats. Highest conversion efficiencies are obtained by relatively fast-growing individuals, and over half the annual energy assimilated by older age-classes may be shed as gametes. Sensitivity analysis indicates a general robustness of the model, especially for estimating consumption by fitting a known growth curve. Largest sensitivities were for the intercept and weight dependence coefficients of metabolism. Population biomass and associated predatory impact of a given cohort increase steadily for about 3.5 yr then decline steadily after fishing mortality becomes important in the fourth year in the lake. This slow response time precludes manipulation of lake trout stocking densities as a means to control short-term prey fluctuations. Predation by lake trout on alewife, Alosa pseudoharengus, has been increasing steadily since 1965 to about 8 400 t∙yr−1, and is projected to rise to almost 12 000 t∙yr−1 by 1990.
Mark–Recapture Estimates of Harp Seal Pup (Phoca groenlandica) Production in the Northwest Atlantic
Authors: Bowen W. D. , Sergeant D. E.
Published: March 2009

Pup production of the northwest Atlantic harp seal population (Phoca groenlandica) was estimated using a modified Petersen model corrected for tag loss and nonreporting of recovered tags. Variance estimates were corrected for the additional sources of variation due to tag loss, reporting rate, and the estimation of the number of seals examined for tags. Experiments were conducted in March of 1978, 1979, and 1980 with 9154, 4939, and 6246 pups being tagged in each year, respectively. Estimates from short-term recoveries (within the same year) were unreliable because of failure to satisfy the assumption of uniform mixing of marked and unmarked seals. Pooled estimates from long-term recoveries (1–3 yr) were considered more reliable, with the 1978 estimate of 506 000 ± 77 000 (1 SE) and the 1979 estimate of 489 000 ± 71 000 being most reliable. Based on the results of this study and on the trend in catches of pups and immatures in West Greenland, we conclude that harp seal pup production and hence population size has probably increased since the imposition of catch quotas in 1971.
Use of the Pisces IV Submersible for Zooplankton Studies in Coastal Waters of British Columbia
Authors: Mackie George O. , Mills Claudia E.
Published: March 2009

This study evaluates the usefulness of a small submersible for observations of the plankton. A method for calculating plankton densities from estimates of mean interanimal distances is described. Estimates made by this method were compared with estimates based on net sampling and were found to be in fair general agreement with them. Fragile gelatinous forms were better counted from the submersible, small organisms by netting. Some delicate species, known to be abundant from submersible observations, were never recognized in net samples. Submersible observations also gave important insights into vertical distribution of the plankton. Several species were found to exist within unexpectedly narrow and sharply defined layers, often at densities greatly surpassing density estimates based on net samples. In Saanich Inlet, B.C., plankton distribution was studied in relation to the seasonal formation and dispersion of the oxygen-deficient basin water. Other data deal with behavior, color change, bioluminescence, and vertical migration of planktonic organisms. We conclude that submersible observations are potentially valuable in plankton research, and we make recommendations regarding instrumentation and observer training as an aid in planning future dives.
Epilimnetic and Metalimnetic Primary Production in an Indiana Hardwater Lake
Authors: Konopka Allan
Published: March 2009

Primary productivity in an Indiana lake, which contained a metalimnetic layer of cyanobacteria, was calculated for the summers of 1979–81 by using a numerical model. Production estimates of 183 and 187 g C∙m−2 were obtained for 1979 and 1980; the estimate for 1981 was 50% higher. These values were two- to four-fold higher than estimates made in 1963 and 1964. Production in the metalimnion accounted for 29, 44, and 34% of the total during the three summers. Changes in the vertical distribution of biomass in the water column appeared to have had a greater effect upon metalimnetic production than differences in water transparency or incident solar radiation. The average values measured for the latter two variables were reasonably similar during the 3 yr, whereas the depth at which the metalimnetic layer of cyanobacteria stratified decreased from 9 m in 1979 to 5 m in 1981.
Eubothrium salvelini (Cestoda: Pseudophyllidea) Impairs Seawater Adaptation of Migrant Sockeye Salmon Yearlings (Oncorhynchus nerka) from Babine Lake, British Columbia
Authors: Boyce N. P. , Clarke W. Craig
Published: March 2009

Migrant sockeye salmon yearlings (Oncorhynchus nerka) were captured at the outlet of Babine Lake, British Columbia, in 1979 and 1980 and transported to the laboratory for evaluation of their seawater adaptability in a 24-h challenge test. Fish infected with the cestode Eubothrium salvelini had a reduced ability to adapt to salt water, as evidenced by greater mortality and elevated plasma sodium levels after challenge. The prevalence of infection was 60% in 1979 and 30% in 1980. In 1979, mortality during challenge was significantly higher among infected than among noninfected fish; the elevation of plasma sodium levels in the infected fish was not statistically significant. In 1980, both infected and noninfected fish had improved seawater adaptability compared with the previous year; infected fish did not suffer significantly higher mortality after challenge but their plasma sodium levels were elevated significantly compared with the noninfected fish. The reduced seawater adaptability of infected fish is likely to reduce their ocean survival considerably.
THE POINT PROCESSES OF THE GRW THEORY OF WAVE FUNCTION COLLAPSE
Authors: TUMULKA RODERICH
Published: March 2009

The Ghirardi–Rimini–Weber (GRW) theory is a physical theory that, when combined with a suitable ontology, provides an explanation of quantum mechanics. The so-called collapse of the wave function is problematic in conventional quantum theory but not in the GRW theory, in which it is governed by a stochastic law. A possible ontology is the flash ontology, according to which matter consists of random points in space-time, called flashes. The joint distribution of these points, a point process in space-time, is the topic of this work. The mathematical results concern mainly the existence and uniqueness of this distribution for several variants of the theory. Particular attention is paid to the relativistic version of the GRW theory that was developed in 2004.
ON MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR BOSE–EINSTEIN CONDENSATES IN OPTICAL LATTICES
Authors: AFTALION AMANDINE , HELFFER BERNARD
Published: March 2009

Our aim is to analyze the various energy functionals appearing in the physics literature and describing the behavior of a Bose–Einstein condensate in an optical lattice. We want to justify the use of some reduced models and control the error of approximation. For that purpose, we will use the semi-classical analysis developed for linear problems related to the Schrödinger operator with periodic potential or multiple wells potentials. We justify, in some asymptotic regimes, the reduction to low dimensional problems and analyze the reduced problems.
SECRET IMAGE SHARING: A BOOLEAN-OPERATIONS-BASED APPROACH COMBINING BENEFITS OF POLYNOMIAL-BASED AND FAST APPROACHES
Authors: CHAO KUN-YUAN , LIN JA-CHEN
Published: March 2009

In secret image sharing, a polynomial interpolation technique heavy experiences a computation load when the secret image is retrieved later. To the contrary, fast approaches often need larger storage space due to pixel expansion property. This paper proposes a missing-allowable (k, n) scheme which is fast and with a reasonable pixel expansion rate (per). The scheme generates n extremely-noisy shadow images for the given secret color image A, and any k out of these n shadows can recover A loss-freely. In average, to decode a color pixel of A, the retrieval uses only three exclusion-OR operations among 24-bit numbers. Hence, the new method has very fast decoding speed, and its pixel expansion rate is always acceptable (0 < per < 2).
FAST FEATURE SUBSET SELECTION IN BIOLOGICAL SEQUENCE ANALYSIS
Authors: PUDIMAT RAINER , BACKOFEN ROLF , SCHUKAT-TALAMAZZINI ERNST G.
Published: March 2009

Biological research produces a wealth of measured data. Neither it is easy for biologists to postulate hypotheses about the behavior or structure of the observed entity because the relevant properties measured are not seen in the ocean of measurements. Nor is it easy to design machine learning algorithms to classify or cluster the data items for the same reason. Algorithms for automatically selecting a highly predictive subset of the measured features can help to overcome these difficulties.

We present an efficient feature selection strategy which can be applied to arbitrary feature selection problems. The core technique is a new method for estimating the quality of subsets from previously calculated qualities for smaller subsets by minimizing the mean standard error of estimated values with an approach common to support vector machines. This method can be integrated in many feature subset search algorithms. We have applied it with sequential search algorithms and have been able to reduce the number of quality calculations for finding accurate feature subsets by about 70%. We show these improvements by applying our approach to the problem of finding highly predictive feature subsets for transcription factor binding sites.
USING DATA-DRIVEN SUBWORD UNITS IN LANGUAGE MODEL OF HIGHLY INFLECTIVE SLOVENIAN LANGUAGE
Authors: MAUČEC MIRJAM SEPESY , ROTOVNIK TOMAŽ , KAČIČ ZDRAVKO , BREST JANEZ
Published: March 2009

This paper presents the results of a study on modeling the highly inflective Slovenian language. We focus on creating a language model for a large vocabulary speech recognition system. A new data-driven method is proposed for the induction of inflectional morphology into language modeling. The research focus is on data sparsity, which results from the complex morphology of the language. The idea of using subword units is examined. An attempt is made to figure out the segmentation of words into two subword units: stems and endings. No prior knowledge of the language is used. The subword units should fit into the frameworks of the probabilistic language models. A morphologically correct decomposition of words is not being sought, but searching for a decomposition which yields the minimum entropy of the training corpus. This entropy is approximated by using N-gram models. Despite some seemingly over-simplified assumption, the subword models improve the applicability of the language models for a sparse training corpus.

The experiments were performed using the VEČER newswire text corpus as a training corpus. The test set was taken from the SNABI speech database, because the final models were evaluated in speech recognition experiments on SNABI speech database. Two different subword-based models are proposed and examined experimentally. The experiments demonstrate that subword-based models, which considerably reduce OOV rate, improve speech recognition WER when compared with standard word-based models, even though they increase test set perplexity. Subword-based models with improved perplexity, but which reduce the OOV rate much less than the previous ones, do not improve speech recognition results.
MATCHING PARAMETERIZED SHAPES BY NONPARAMETRIC BELIEF PROPAGATION
Authors: DONG XIAO , ZHENG GUOYAN
Published: March 2009

In this paper we generalize the belief propagation based rigid shape matching algorithm to a nonparametric belief propagation based on parameterized shape matching. We construct a local-global shape descriptor based cost function to compare the distances among landmarks in each data set, which is equivalent to the Hamiltonian of a spin glass. The constructed cost function is immune to rigid transformations, therefore the parameterized shape matching can be achieved by searching for the optimal shape parameter and the correspondence assignment that minimize the cost function. The optimization procedure is then approximated by a Monte Carlo simulation based MAP estimation on a graphical model, i.e. the nonparametric belief propagation. Experiments on a principal component analysis (PCA) based point distribution model (PDM) of the proximal femur illustrate the effects of two key factors, the topology of the graphical model and the renormalization of the shape parameters of the parameterized shape. Other factors that can influence its performance and its computational complexity are also discussed.
NONLOCAL FIELD THEORY DRIVEN BY A DEFORMED PRODUCT: GENERALIZATION OF KALB–RAMOND DUALITY
Authors: DI GREZIA ELISABETTA , ESPOSITO GIAMPIERO , MIELE GENNARO
Published: March 2009

A modification of the standard product used in local field theory by means of an associative deformed product is proposed. We present a class of deformed products, one for every spin S = 0, 1/2, 1, that induces a nonlocal theory, displaying different form for different fields. This type of deformed product is naturally supersymmetric and it has an intriguing duality.
Cuvier's attitude toward creation and the biblical Flood
Authors: Taquet Philippe
Published: March 2009

Georges Cuvier was born in Montbeliard in eastern France, which at that time was part of the dukedom of Württemberg. He received a Lutheran religious education and was deeply anchored to his Protestant faith until the death of his daughter Clementine in 1827. This faith, along with his writings, and especially his well-known
Discours sur les Révolutions de la surface du globe
, gave him the reputation of being convinced of the existence of the biblical Flood, the last catastrophe to have swept the surface of the Earth. However, Cuvier's ideas on creation and the Flood, borrowed and distorted by some British followers of natural theology, are not so clear-cut. A thorough reading of Cuvier's works and an analysis of his (unpublished) written exchange with Henry de la Fite, the translator of de Luc's
Elementary Treatise on Geology
, show that the French naturalist always took great care to separate all that referred to facts linked to natural history, palaeontology and geology from references to geotheories, metaphysical ideas and theological interpretations.
Jesuits' studies of earthquakes and seismological stations
Authors: Udías Agustín
Published: March 2009

The Jesuits' dedication to seismology forms one of their most important scientific contributions. Its history can be divided into two periods. In the first, from the 16th to the 18th century, they studied single earthquakes, some in the newly discovered lands of America, and speculated on the causes of these phenomena. In the second period, beginning in the 19th century, Jesuits established a large number of seismographic stations throughout the world. In North America they founded in 1909 the Jesuit Seismological Association, which ran the first seismographic network of continental scale with uniform instrumentation. Jesuit seismographic stations in Africa, Asia and South America were, in many instances, the first installed and, in some cases, were for years the only ones there. Jesuit seismologists have made important contributions to a variety of aspects of this science. Among them J. B. Macelwane is widely recognized as an important figure in the history of seismology.
‘Red and expert’: Chinese glaciology during the Mao Tse-tung period (1958–1976)
Authors: Zhang Jiuchen , Oldroyd David R.
Published: March 2009

This paper gives a brief account of some of the political and social events that occurred in China during the period of the ‘Great Leap Forward’, when the slogan of ‘red and expert’ was first enunciated, and the subsequent ‘Cultural Revolution’. These two movements exerted considerable influence on Chinese science and technology. As an example, we consider the establishment of glaciology in China and the (largely unsuccessful) attempts to increase water supplies in arid regions by means of melting glaciers. The question is then raised as to whether the ‘Maoism’ that motivated the Great Leap Forward and the Cultural Revolution had features in common with organized religions in other countries. The conclusion is reached that it did in some respects, although it was more in the nature of a civil and nationalistic form of religion than a spiritual movement and was atheistic.
Geological observations by the Reverend Charles P. N. Wilton (1795–1859) in New South Wales and his views on the relationship between religion and science
Authors: Mayer W.
Published: March 2009

The Reverend Charles Wilton arrived in the colony of New South Wales, Australia, in 1827 to take up an appointment as chaplain in an outer Sydney parish. His interest in the natural sciences, particularly in geology, led him to undertake many excursions to study and describe the largely unknown natural features of his adopted country. A transfer to the then small town of Newcastle to the north of Sydney gave him the opportunity to carry out more detailed and scientifically well-reasoned studies of such geological curiosities as the ‘Burning Mountain’, initially thought to be a volcano, the giant concretions along the Hunter River, and also of the coal measure sequence cropping out along the nearby coast. Wilton felt a strong need to communicate his discoveries, both for the benefit of science and the enlightenment of the general public. He achieved this by contributing to a short-lived journal he had founded and through many scientific publications and newspaper articles. His main purpose, however, was to demonstrate that there was agreement between science and religion. This conviction led him to criticize other naturalists who explained natural features and processes by accepting some latitude in the literal interpretation of the biblical account of the creation and of Noah's Flood. Some of his actions and behaviour, following his arrival in the colony, met with disapproval and censure from his superiors. However, he atoned for his early errors by the subsequent conscientious fulfilment of his clerical duties and by the communication of his work in the natural sciences.
Natural theology in the eighteenth century, as exemplified in the writings of Élie Bertrand (1713–1797), a Swiss naturalist and Protestant pastor
Authors: Bork Kennard B.
Published: March 2009

For Élie Bertrand (1713–1797) and his like-minded contemporaries, God's design and providence set the stage for understanding the workings of the Earth. Bertrand used various methods, including field observations, to accumulate considerable geological knowledge, which he published in his
Dictionnaire universel des fossiles
(1763) and
Recueil de divers traités sur l'histoire naturelle
(1766). By examining Bertrand's life and writings, we may come to appreciate the strengths and shortcomings of his visions of the natural world. His focus on collecting, cataloguing, and classifying natural objects and phenomena fitted the classic concept of natural history in his era. On the basis of his observations, he dared to systematize and theorize. His work provides a window on his time and on attempts of natural theologians then to understand the products and operation of the world. Once a counsellor to the King of Poland, a correspondent of Voltaire, and a contributor to the
Encyclopédie
, Bertrand's name has largely vanished from view. His hope to observe the world of nature so as to comprehend the word of God yielded constructive results but did not succeed in fulfilling natural theology's boldest aspirations.
The reception of geology in the Dutch Reformed tradition: the case of Herman Bavinck (1854–1921)
Authors: Young D. A.
Published: March 2009

The favourable reception of the great antiquity of Earth by nineteenth-century Presbyterian theologians in Scotland and the USA has been well documented. Less clear is how their conservative Dutch Calvinist counterparts responded to discoveries about Earth history. Here I initiate an examination of attitudes toward geology among Dutch Reformed theologians of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with a case study of Herman Bavinck (1854–1921). Bavinck was arguably the premier Dutch Calvinist theologian of his generation. In his four-volume
Gereformeerde Dogmatiek
, he discussed geology in relation to biblical teaching about the creation of the Earth. He expressed great appreciation for geology. On several points of textual interpretation, he adopted positions consistent with acceptance of an old Earth. However, working with out-of-date information, and not understanding fundamental geological principles, Bavinck concluded that the concept of an ancient Earth was unacceptable. Bavinck's ideas about geology negatively influenced subsequent Dutch Reformed theologians. Dutch Calvinists, both in the Netherlands and the USA, may have been less open to the discoveries of geology than Scottish and US Calvinists because of the nature of Dutch geology, lack of contact between Dutch theologians and geologists, and Dutch Reformed persuasion that worldviews powerfully shape the content of science.