bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multiple imputation of incomplete zero‐inflated count data
Authors: Kleinke Kristian , Reinecke Jost
Published: May 2013

Empirical count data are often zero‐inflated and overdispersed. Currently, there is no software package that allows adequate imputation of these data. We present multiple‐imputation routines for these kinds of count data based on a Bayesian regression approach or alternatively based on a bootstrap approach that work as add‐ons for the popular multiple imputation by chained equations (mice) software in R (van Buuren and Groothuis‐Oudshoorn, Journal of Statistical Software, vol. 45, 2011, p. 1). We demonstrate in a Monte Carlo simulation that our procedures are superior to currently available count data procedures. It is emphasized that thorough modeling is essential to obtain plausible imputations and that model mis‐specifications can bias parameter estimates and standard errors quite noticeably. Finally, the strengths and limitations of our procedures are discussed, and fruitful avenues for future theory and software development are outlined.
A novel HLA‐DQB1*04 allele, DQB1*04:10, identified in a Japanese individual
Authors: Oka S. , Furukawa H. , Kashiwase K. , Tsuchiya N. , Tohma S.
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we characterize a novel human leukocyte antigen (HLA) DQB1*04:10 allele.
Appreciative GIS and Strength‐Based Community Change
Authors: Hodza Paddington
Published: May 2013

Problem‐solving is embedded deeply in the digital DNA of GIS. Most projects involving GIS 1.0 and 2.0 raise community weaknesses, failures and other problems and use them to motivate change. The projects often create a future that does not differ greatly from the past or last long. Although looking into community problems is important and sometimes necessary, the steps of problem‐solving do not always leave people feeling happy. To inspire communities to create change based on their strengths and achievements, and to provide better participant experience, this article develops the concept of a new form of GIS called Appreciative GIS (AGIS). AGIS are grounded in the affirmative premise that every community, however challenged, is gifted with certain assets, potentials and strengths which, when effectively exploited, can take that community to a better and sustainable future. Based on Earth's internal structure, the article develops a useful layered community model where crust, mantle and core strata represent the community's body, life‐draining and life‐giving elements in that order. The model helps explain the different views of the community from current GIS and AGIS perspectives. A Total GIS (TGIS) cube is also developed and used to indicate that current GIS commonly focus on elements of the mantle or what we do not have, what we cannot do and what makes us weak. AGIS, on the other hand, dig up the core and cultivate what we have, what we can possibly do and what makes us strong. In a significant departure from the linear approach of problem‐solving, the article suggests implementing AGIS through a 7G cyclical method. The article contends that although AGIS may not be the whole enchilada, they can serve as a beacon of hope and a powerful source of inspiration especially for individuals and groups who are perceived or made to perceive themselves as dysfunctional, weak or poor.
Acute haemolytic reaction due to anti‐Wb: a case report
Authors: Wright T. , Brown P. , Marais I. , Hong F. S.
Published: May 2013

A 73‐year‐old Greek woman presented with symptomatic anaemia requiring red cell transfusion in the setting of progressive chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL). Based on a negative antibody screen, two units of red blood cells (RBCs) were provided for transfusion. During the transfusion, the patient developed an acute haemolytic transfusion reaction (HTR), but recovered with supportive measures. Subsequent antibody investigation confirmed that the patient had an anti‐Wb antibody and that the implicated RBC unit was Wb‐positive. This is the first report of an anti‐Wb causing a clinically significant acute HTR in the literature.
Measuring Transport Coefficients in Heterogeneous and Hierarchical Heat Transfer Devices
Authors: Geb David , Ge Michael , Chu Jonathan , Catton Ivan
Published: May 2013

Experimental determination of transport coefficients, in particular internal heat transfer coefficients, in heterogeneous and hierarchical heat transfer devices such as compact heat exchangers and high surface density heat sinks has posed a persistent challenge for designers. This study presents a unique treatment of the experimental determination of such design data. A new combined experimental and computational method for determining the internal heat transfer coefficient within a heterogeneous and hierarchical heat transfer medium is explored and results are obtained for the case of cross flow of air over staggered cylinders to provide validation of the method. Along with appropriate pressure drop measurements, these measurements allow for thermal-fluid modeling of a heat exchanger by closing the volume averaging theory (VAT)-based equations governing transport phenomena in porous media, which have been rigorously derived from the lower-scale Navier–Stokes and thermal energy equations. To experimentally obtain the internal heat transfer coefficient the solid phase is subjected to a step change in heat generation rate via induction heating, while the fluid flows through under steady flow conditions. The transient fluid phase temperature response is measured. The heat transfer coefficient is then determined by comparing the results of a numerical simulation based on the VAT model with the experimental results. The friction factor is determined through pressure drop measurements, as is usually done. With the lower-scale heat transfer coefficient and friction factor measured, the VAT-based equations governing the transport phenomena in the heat transfer device are closed and readily solved. Several configurations of staggered cylinders in cross flow were selected for this study. Results for the heat transfer coefficient and friction factor are compared to widely accepted correlations and agreement is observed, lending validation to this experimental method and analysis procedure. It is expected that a more convenient and accurate tool for experimental closure of the VAT-based equations modeling transport in heterogeneous and hierarchical media, which comes down to measuring the transport coefficients, will allow for easier modeling and subsequent optimization of high performance compact heat exchangers and heat sinks for which design data does not already exist.
Quantitative Assessment of the Overall Heat Transfer Coefficient U
Authors: Sparrow Eph , Gorman John , Abraham John
Published: May 2013

This investigation was performed in order to quantify the validity of the assumed constancy of the overall heat transfer coefficient U in heat exchanger design. The prototypical two-fluid heat exchanger, the double-pipe configuration, was selected for study. Heat transfer rates based on the U = constant model were compared with those from highly accurate numerical simulations for 60 different operating conditions. These conditions included: (a) parallel and counter flow, (b) turbulent flow in both the pipe and the annulus, (c) turbulent flow in the pipe and laminar flow in the annulus and the vice versa situation, (d) laminar flow in both the pipe and the annulus, and (e) different heat exchanger lengths. For increased generality, these categories were further broken down into matched and unmatched Reynolds numbers in the individual flow passages. The numerical simulations eschewed the unrealistic uniform-inlet-velocity-profile model by focusing on pressure-driven flows. The largest errors attributable to the U = constant model were encountered for laminar flow in both the pipe and the annulus and for laminar flow in one of these passages and turbulent flow in the other passage. This finding is relevant to microchannel flows and other low-speed flow scenarios. Errors as large as 50% occurred. The least impacted were cases in which the flow is turbulent in both the pipe and the annulus. The general level of the errors due to the U = constant model were on the order of 10% and less for those cases. This outcome is of great practical importance because heat-exchanger flows are more commonly turbulent than laminar. Another significant outcome of this investigation is the quantification of the axial variations of the temperature and heat flux along the wall separating the pipe and annulus flows. It is noteworthy that these distributions do not fit either the uniform wall temperature or uniform heat flux models.
Molecular Heat Transfer in Lipid Bilayers With Symmetric and Asymmetric Tail Chains
Authors: Nakano Takeo , Kikugawa Gota , Ohara Taku
Published: May 2013

Intramolecular energy transfer in polymer molecules plays a dominant role in heat conduction in polymer materials. In soft matter where polymer molecules form an ordered structure, the intramolecular energy transfer works in an anisotropic manner, which results in an anisotropic thermal conductivity. Based on this idea, thermal energy transfer in lipid bilayers, a typical example of soft matter, has been analyzed in the present study. Nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulations were carried out on single component lipid bilayers with ambient water. In the simulations, dipalmitoyl-phosphatidyl-choline (DPPC), dilauroyl-phosphatidyl-choline (DLPC), and stearoyl-myristoyl-phosphatidyl-choline (SMPC), which have two alkyl chains with 16 C atoms for each, 12 C atoms for each, and 18 and 14 C atoms, respectively, were used as lipid molecules. The thermal energy transfer has been decomposed to inter- and intramolecular energy transfer between individual molecules or molecular sites, and its characteristics were discussed. In the case of heat conduction in the direction across the membranes (cross-plane heat conduction), the highest thermal resistance exists at the center of the lipid bilayer, where lipid alkyl chains face each other. The asymmetric chain length of SMPC reduces this thermal resistance at the interface between lipid monolayers. The cross-plane thermal conductivities of lipid monolayers are 4.8–6.5 times as high as the ones in the direction parallel to the membranes (in-plane) for the cases of the tested lipids. The overall cross-plane thermal conductivities of the lipid bilayers are reduced to be approximately half of those of the monolayers, due to the thermal resistance at the interfaces between two monolayers. The lipid bilayer of SMPC with tail chains of asymmetric length exhibits the highest cross-plane thermal conductivity. These results provide detailed information about the transport characteristics of thermal energy in soft matter, which are new materials with design flexibility and biocompatibility. The results lead to their design to realize desired thermophysical properties and functions.
Enhanced Flow Boiling Over Open Microchannels With Uniform and Tapered Gap Manifolds
Authors: Kandlikar Satish G. , Widger Theodore , Kalani Ankit , Mejia Valentina
Published: May 2013

Flow boiling in microchannels has been extensively studied in the past decade. Instabilities, low critical heat flux (CHF) values, and low heat transfer coefficients have been identified as the major shortcomings preventing its implementation in practical high heat flux removal systems. A novel open microchannel design with uniform and tapered manifolds (OMM) is presented to provide stable and highly enhanced heat transfer performance. The effects of the gap height and flow rate on the heat transfer performance have been experimentally studied with water. The critical heat fluxes (CHFs) and heat transfer coefficients obtained with the OMM are significantly higher than the values reported by previous researchers for flow boiling with water in microchannels. A record heat flux of 506 W/cm2 with a wall superheat of 26.2 °C was obtained for a gap size of 0.127 mm. The CHF was not reached due to heater power limitation in the current design. A maximum effective heat transfer coefficient of 290,000 W/m2 °C was obtained at an intermediate heat flux of 319 W/cm2 with a gap of 0.254 mm at 225 mL/min. The flow boiling heat transfer was found to be insensitive to flow rates between 40–333 mL/min and gap sizes between 0.127–1.016 mm, indicating the dominance of nucleate boiling. The OMM geometry is promising to provide exceptional performance that is particularly attractive in meeting the challenges of high heat flux removal in electronics cooling applications.
Quantification of the thorax‐to‐abdomen breathing ratio for breathing motion modeling
Authors: White Benjamin M. , Zhao Tianyu , Lamb James , Bradley Jeffrey D. , Low Daniel A.
Published: May 2013

Purpose:

The purpose of this study was to develop a methodology to quantitatively measure the thorax‐to‐abdomen breathing ratio from a 4DCT dataset for breathing motion modeling and breathing motion studies.

Methods:

The thorax‐to‐abdomen breathing ratio was quantified by measuring the rate of cross‐sectional volume increase throughout the thorax and abdomen as a function of tidal volume. Twenty‐six 16‐slice 4DCT patient datasets were acquired during quiet respiration using a protocol that acquired 25 ciné scans at each couch position. Fifteen datasets included data from the neck through the pelvis. Tidal volume, measured using a spirometer and abdominal pneumatic bellows, was used as breathing‐cycle surrogates. The cross‐sectional volume encompassed by the skin contour when compared for each CT slice against the tidal volume exhibited a nearly linear relationship. A robust iteratively reweighted least squares regression analysis was used to determine η(i), defined as the amount of cross‐sectional volume expansion at each sliceiper unit tidal volume. The sum Ση(i) throughout all slices was predicted to be the ratio of the geometric expansion of the lung and the tidal volume; 1.11. The Xiphoid process was selected as the boundary between the thorax and abdomen. The Xiphoid process slice was identified in a scan acquired at mid‐inhalation. The imaging protocol had not originally been designed for purposes of measuring the thorax‐to‐abdomen breathing ratio so the scans did not extend to the anatomy with η(i) = 0. Extrapolation of η(i)–η(i) = 0 was used to include the entire breathing volume. The thorax and abdomen regions were individually analyzed to determine the thorax‐to‐abdomen breathing ratios. There were 11 image datasets that had been scanned only through the thorax. For these cases, the abdomen breathing component was equal to 1.11 − Ση(i) where the sum was taken throughout the thorax.

Results:

The average Ση(i) for thorax and abdomen image datasets was found to be 1.20 ± 0.17, close to the expected value of 1.11. The thorax‐to‐abdomen breathing ratio was 0.32 ± 0.24. The average Ση(i) was 0.26 ± 0.14 in the thorax and 0.93 ± 0.22 in the abdomen. In the scan datasets that encompassed only the thorax, the average Ση(i) was 0.21 ± 0.11.

Conclusions:

A method to quantify the relationship between abdomen and thoracic breathing was developed and characterized.
Sonic crystal acoustic switch device
Authors: Alagoz Serkan , Baykant Alagoz Baris
Published: May 2013

This study reports a wave-controlled sonic crystal switch device that exhibits a destructive interference-based wave to wave reverse switching effect. By applying control waves, this acoustic device, composed of a two-dimensional square lattice sonic crystal block, reduces acoustic wave transmission from input to output. The finite difference time domain simulation and experimental results confirm the wave-to-wave reverse switching effect at the peak frequencies of the second band. The proposed sonic crystal switch prototype provides a contrast rate of 86% at 11.3 kHz frequency. This wave-to-wave switching effect is useful for controlling wave propagation for smart structure applications.
Dynamic Topography Change of the Eastern United States Since 3 Million Years Ago
Authors: Rowley David B. , Forte Alessandro M. , Moucha Robert , Mitrovica Jerry X. , Simmons Nathan A. , Grand Stephen P.
Published: May 2013

By the Sea Side

The Atlantic coastal plain of North America has been thought of as a passive margin, responding mostly to the weight of deposited sediments. As a result, the fine-scale stratigraphy of the sediments has been used to infer changes in global sea level through the Cenozoic. However, recent work has shown that the coastal plain has deformed in response to flow in Earth's mantle.

Rowley
et al.

(p.
1560
, published online 16 May) used a model of flow in the mantle to show that the topography of the mid-Atlantic and Southern United States coast varied by 60 meters or more during the past 5 million years.
Massive Dirac Fermions and Hofstadter Butterfly in a van der Waals Heterostructure
Authors: Hunt B. , Sanchez-Yamagishi J. D. , Young A. F. , Yankowitz M. , LeRoy B. J. , Watanabe K. , Taniguchi T. , Moon P. , Koshino M. , Jarillo-Herrero P. , Ashoori R. C.
Published: May 2013

Graphene, Gapped and Butterflied

The remarkable transport properties of graphene, such as the high electron mobility, make it a promising material for electronics. However, unlike semiconductors such as silicon, graphene's electronic structure lacks a band gap, and a transistor made out of graphene would not have an “off” state.

Hunt
et al.

(p.
1427
, published online 16 May; see the Perspective by

Fuhrer

) modulated the electronic properties of graphene by building a heterostructure consisting of a graphene flake resting on hexagonal boron nitride (hBN), which has the same honeycomb structure as graphene, but consists of alternating boron and nitrogen atoms instead of carbons. The natural mismatch between the graphene and hBN lattices led to a moire pattern with a large wavelength, causing the opening of a band gap, the formation of an elusive fractional quantum Hall state, and, at high magnetic fields, a fractal phenomenon in the electronic structure called the Hofstadter butterfly.
B Cells Use Mechanical Energy to Discriminate Antigen Affinities
Authors: Natkanski Elizabeth , Lee Wing-Yiu , Mistry Bhakti , Casal Antonio , Molloy Justin E. , Tolar Pavel
Published: May 2013

B Cell Tug of War

High-affinity, protective antibodies made by B cells are critical for providing long-term protection against reinfection. In order to produce antibodies, B cells must first bind to and extract antigens from the surface of antigen-presenting cells. Using an in vitro system that allows B cells to bind to antigenladen, flexible membranes,

Natkanski
et al.

(p.
1587
, published online 16 May) show that antigen extraction relies on myosin IIA–mediated contractile forces that pull upon the antigen-presenting membrane. These forces break the antigen-receptor bonds if affinity is low, thus ensuring that B cells only extract, internalize, and presumably respond to, high-affinity antigens.
Patient Autonomy and Incidental Findings in Clinical Genomics
Authors: Wolf Susan M. , Annas George J. , Elias Sherman
Published: May 2013

Returning genetic incidental findings without patient consent is misguided.
Ethics and Genomic Incidental Findings
Authors: McGuire Amy L. , Joffe Steven , Koenig Barbara A. , Biesecker Barbara B. , McCullough Laurence B. , Blumenthal-Barby Jennifer S. , Caulfield Timothy , Terry Sharon F. , Green Robert C.
Published: May 2013

Laboratories have an obligation to report clinically beneficial incidental findings.
Full Genome Sequence of an Avian Influenza H5N1 Virus Isolated from the Environment in Hunan Province, China
Authors: Wang Ba , Zhang Hongbo , Chen Quanjiao , Chen Ze
Published: May 2013

We isolated an avian influenza virus A/environment/Hunan/3/2011(H5N1) from a body of water in Hunan, China. The nucleotide sequence of the virus shares 95% homology with H5N1 from the east Asia region. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that its HA gene belongs to clade 2.3.2.1 and that other internal genes present different recombination features.
Genome Sequence of Ex-Afghanistan Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus SCT Strain, from an Imported United Kingdom Case in October 2012
Authors: Chamberlain John , Atkinson Barry , Logue Christopher H. , Latham Jennie , Newman Edmund N. C. , Hewson Roger
Published: May 2013

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) virus is a serious human pathogen causing severe hemorrhagic disease with a fatality rate of up to approximately 30%. We have determined the viral genomic sequence from an isolate that caused a fatal case of imported CCHF in the United Kingdom in October 2012.
Draft Genome Sequence of the Steroid Degrader Rhodococcus ruber Strain Chol-4
Authors: Fernández de las Heras Laura , Alonso Sergio , de la Vega de León Antonio , Xavier Daniela , Perera Julián , Navarro Llorens Juana María
Published: May 2013

The whole-genome shotgun sequence of
Rhodococcus ruber
strain Chol-4 is presented here. This organism was shown to be able to grow using many steroids as the sole carbon and energy sources. These sequence data will help us to further explore the metabolic abilities of this versatile degrader.
Complete Nucleotide Sequence of Canine Distemper Virus CDV-PS, Isolated from Dogs in China
Authors: Yi Li , Xu Hongli , Wang Jianke , Cheng Yuening , Zhang Hailing , Yan Xijun , Cheng Shipeng
Published: May 2013

A new strain of canine distemper virus, CDV-PS, has been isolated from dogs in China, and its complete genome has been sequenced and analyzed. The phylogenetic analysis suggests that CDV-PS belongs to the Asia-1 cluster and has low identity to the vaccine strain.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Xanthomonas citri
subsp.
citri
Strain A
w
12879, a Restricted-Host-Range Citrus Canker-Causing Bacterium
Authors: Jalan Neha , Kumar Dibyendu , Yu Fahong , Jones Jeffrey B. , Graham James H. , Wang Nian
Published: May 2013

Xanthomonas citri
subsp.
citri
causes citrus canker. The Asiatic strain has a broad host range, whereas the Wellington variant has a restricted host range. Here, we present the complete genome of
X. citri
subsp.
citri
strain A
W
12879. This study lays the foundation to further characterize the mechanisms for virulence and host range of
X. citri
.
Complete Genome Sequence of
Marinobacter
sp. BSs20148
Authors: Song Lai , Ren Lufeng , Li Xingang , Yu Dan , Yu Yong , Wang Xumin , Liu Guiming
Published: May 2013

Marinobacter
sp. BSs20148 was isolated from marine sediment collected from the Arctic Ocean at a water depth of 3,800 m. Here we report the complete genome sequence of
Marinobacter
sp. BSs20148. This genomic information will facilitate the study of the physiological metabolism, ecological roles, and evolution of the
Marinobacter
species.
Draft Genome Sequence of Cesiribacter andamanensis Strain AMV16
T
, Isolated from a Soil Sample from a Mud Volcano in the Andaman Islands, India
Authors: Shivaji Sisinthy , Ara Sreenivas , Begum Zareena , Srinivas T. N. R. , Singh Aditya , Kumar Pinnaka Anil
Published: May 2013

Here we report the 4.75-Mb genome of
Cesiribacter andamanensis
strain AMV16
T
, isolated from a soil sample from a mud volcano in the Andaman Islands, India.
Testing for boosting at the Paralympic games: policies, results and future directions
Authors: Blauwet Cheri A , Benjamin-Laing Harry , Stomphorst Jaap , Van de Vliet Peter , Pit-Grosheide Pia , Willick Stuart E
Published: May 2013

Background

‘Boosting’ is defined as the intentional induction of autonomic dysreflexia (AD) by athletes with a spinal cord injury (SCI) at or above the level of T6 for the purpose of improving sports performance. Boosting has been shown to confer up to a 9.7% improvement in race time. Additionally, to compete in a hazardous dysreflexic state, whether intentional or unintentional, would present an extreme health risk to the athlete. For these reasons, the International Paralympic Committee strictly bans the practice of boosting, and has developed a protocol to test for its presence.

Methods

Testing was performed at three major international Paralympic events. Education regarding the dangers of AD was provided to athletes and team staff. Testing was conducted on athletes from the relevant sport classes: Athletics (wheelchair racing classes T51/T52/T53) and Handcycling (H1). Key parameters included the athlete's demographics (gender, country of origin), classification and blood pressure measurements. An extremely elevated blood pressure was considered to be a proxy maker for AD, and a systolic blood pressure of ≥180 mm Hg was considered a positive test.

Results

A total of 78 tests for the presence of AD were performed during the three games combined. No athlete tested positive. The number of athletes tested, by classification, was: 6 in Athletics T51, 47 in Athletics T52, 9 in Athletics T53 and 16 in Handcycling H1. Of those tested, the average systolic and diastolic blood pressures were 135 mm Hg (range 98–178) and 82 mm Hg (range 44–112), respectively. All athletes were compliant with testing. No athletes were withdrawn from competition due to the presence of AD.

Discussion

Testing for the presence of AD in paralympic athletes with SCI prior to competition has been carried out for the first time at three major international paralympic competitions. There have been no positive tests thus far. Knowledge gained during these early testing experiences will be used to guide ongoing refinement of the testing protocol and the development of further educational initiatives.
Criminal prosecution of a male partner for sexual transmission of infectious diseases: the views of educated people living in Togo
Authors: Kpanake Lonzozou , Patassi Akouda , Mullet Étienne
Published: May 2013

Objective

To examine the views of educated people in Togo on the acceptability of criminal prosecution of a male partner for sexual transmission of infectious diseases (STIDs) to his female partner.

Methods

199 adults living in Kara, Togo judged acceptability of criminal prosecution for STID in 45 scenarios composed of combinations of five factors: (a) severity of disease; (b) awareness and communication of one's serological status; (c) partners’ marital status; (d) number of sexual partners the female partner has and (e) male partner's subsequent attitude (supportive or not).

Results

Acceptability was lower (a) when the male partner decided to take care of his female partner he had infected than when he decided to leave, (b) when both partners were informed but decided not to take precautions than when none of them was informed or when only the male partner was informed and (c) when the female partner has had several male sexual partners than when she has had only one. Two qualitatively different views were identified. For 66% of participants, when the male partner accepts to take care of his partner, he should not be sued, except when he did not disclose his serological status. For 34%, when both partners were informed, the male partner should not be sued, irrespective of other circumstances.

Conclusions

Regarding criminal prosecution for STID, most people in the sample endorsed the position of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS that urges governments not to apply criminal law to cases where sexual partners disclosed their status or were not informed of it.
‘The intention may not be cruel… but the impact may be’: understanding legislators’ motives and wider public attitudes to a draft HIV Bill in Malawi
Authors: Stackpool-Moore Lucy
Published: May 2013

Objectives

The law in relation to HIV has prominence in the formation and regulation of moral norms—in regard to human rights, and in regard to criminalisation, the policing of sexuality and intimate behaviours, and the production of stigma. The research focuses on the potential and impotence of the law to govern for, and enable, the human right to health in the context of HIV in Malawi.

Methods

This one-country qualitative case study (Malawi) action research involved data collection during a 6-month period (October 2010–March 2011). Datasets include interviews with law commissioners (n=10), opinion leaders (n=22), life story participants who were people living with and closely affected by HIV (n=20), reflections of the action research team (n=6), and a review of the proposed HIV and AIDS (Prevention and Management) Bill, legal and policy documents.

Results

The analysis of the perspectives of the law commissioners, who formed the Special Law Commission and drafted the Bill, revealed that stigma was consciously invoked to delineate social norms and guide governance of notions of personal responsibility. The analysis of the perspectives of the life story participants, whose lives would be most directly impacted if these provisions came into force, reveals the extent to which the stigma associating criminality and HIV is falling on fertile ground through its engagement and generation of internalised stigma; unearthing an uneasy link between stigma and the law in response to HIV in Malawi.

Discussion

The results indicated that the proposed HIV Bill in Malawi manifests a tension between intention and impact. By incorporating criminal sanctions as part of the proposed HIV Bill, the lawmakers actively seek to use stigma to shape social attitudes and attempt to guide normative behaviour.
TUNABLE BAND-STOP PLASMONIC FILTER BASED ON SYMMETRICAL TOOTH-SHAPED WAVEGUIDE COUPLES
Authors: CUI LUNA , SONG GANG , YU LI , LANG PEILING , XIAO JINGHUA
Published: May 2013

A simple plasmonic filter with symmetrical tooth-shaped waveguides is proposed and investigated by using finite element method. It is found that the structure with a single symmetrical tooth-shaped waveguide couple can realize a tunable band-stop filter. Attributed to cascaded symmetrical tooth-shaped waveguide couples, the structure can achieve a flat band-stop response with no intensity variation over the transmission spectrum. And the central wavelength of the stopband linearly increases with the simultaneous increasing of depths of waveguides. Moreover, reduced structure size can be achieved by controlling the dielectric constant of the medium.
EFFICIENT SYNTHESIS OF SILVER TELLURIDE USING SOLID-STATE MICROWAVE TECHNIQUE
Authors: RAN GUANGXU , SHI YUNFENG , ZHU HANMING , SUN PENG , YUE SONG
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we report an efficient preparation of silver telluride by rapid solid-state microwave heating. Single phase products have been obtained within as little as 30 min of irradiation time. The rate of the synthesis is significantly increased as compared to the solid state reaction method in a conventional furnace. The quality of the as-prepared samples are attested by structural, compositional and magnetoresistance characterizations.
SIMPLIFIED NUMERICAL FORM OF UNIVERSAL FINITE TYPE INVARIANT OF GAUSS WORDS
Authors: FUKUNAGA TOMONORI , YAMAGUCHI TAKAYUKI , YAMANOI TAKAAKI
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we study the finite type invariants of Gauss words. In the Polyak algebra techniques, we reduce the determination of the group structure to transformation of a matrix into its Smith normal form and we give the simplified form of a universal finite type invariant by means of the isomorphism of this transformation. The advantage of this process is that we can implement it as a computer program. We obtain the universal finite type invariant of degrees 4, 5 and 6 explicitly. Moreover, as an application, we give the complete classification of Gauss words of rank 4 and the partial classification of Gauss words of rank 5 where the distinction of only one pair remains.
WHICH IS THE PROTON-SHUTTLE IN ISOXANTHOPTERIN DEAMINASE? QM/MM MD UNDERSTANDING
Authors: ZHANG XIN , LEI MING
Published: May 2013

The deamination process of isoxanthopterin catalyzed by isoxanthopterin deaminase was determined using the combined QM(PM3)/MM molecular dynamics simulations. In this paper, the updated PM3 parameters were employed for zinc ions and the initial model was built up based on the crystal structure. Proton transfer and following steps have been investigated in two paths: Asp336 and His285 serve as the proton shuttle, respectively. Our simulations showed that His285 is more effective than Aap336 in proton transfer for deamination of isoxanthopterin. As hydrogen bonds between the substrate and surrounding residues play a key role in nucleophilic attack, we suggested mutating Thr195 to glutamic acid, which could enhance the hydrogen bonds and help isoxanthopterin get close to the active site. The simulations which change the substrate to pterin 6-carboxylate also performed for comparison. Our results provide reference for understanding of the mechanism of deaminase and for enhancing the deamination rate of isoxanthopterin deaminase.
SYNTHESIS, CHARACTERIZATION AND THE APPLICABILITY OF β-CYCLODEXTRINS FUNCTIONALIZED MESOPOROUS SBA-15 MOLECULAR SIEVES
Authors: GUAN MIN , BI HAI-PENG , WANG ZUYUAN , BU SHAOHUA , HUANG LING , YANG LI
Published: May 2013

Mesoporous silicas SBA-15 are modified with β-Cyclodextrins (β-CD) by simple grafting method. β-CD functionalized SBA-15 was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), nitrogen adsorption–desorption measurements, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Furthermore, the applicability of it is investigated through studying the adsorption properties of clenbuterol. It showed better adsorption capacities of clenbuterol than pure SBA-15. β-CD functionalized SBA-15 material has the potential applications in the treatment of clenbuterol contamination in food and environment science.
Integration of different sediment characteristics to discriminate between sources of coastal sediments
Authors: Guedes Alexandra , Murray Raymond C. , Ribeiro Helena , Rodrigues Andreia , Valentim Bruno , Sant’Ovaia Helena , Noronha Fernando
Published: May 2013

In order to investigate the effects of geological setting and the surrounding lithology on coastal sediment samples, four properties were analysed in a series of samples collected from different localities: colour determined by spectrophotometry; particle size distribution determined by laser granulometry; chemical composition determined by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry); and low-field magnetic susceptibility determined using a susceptibility meter. A hierarchical cluster analysis was applied to ascertain the capacity of the different properties for discrimination between samples from the different geological settings.

The study reveals that colour analysis only allowed discrimination between different geographical areas; particle size distribution allowed separation between dune and beach samples; chemical composition allowed discrimination between both different geological settings and also between dune and beach sands; and, finally, the combination of magnetic susceptibility with colour and particle size distribution allowed for clear discrimination between geological settings, and between beach and sand dunes.

The studied samples are part of a larger and growing collection of data, and a more extensive evaluation will continue to be made for a more definitive assessment of the use of different characteristics for discrimination. So far, the results give confidence that it is meaningful to use these characteristics, especially when examined in combination, to distinguish between different locations.
Forensic provenance investigations of soil and sediment samples
Authors: Bowen A. M. , Caven E. A.
Published: May 2013

In recent decades, the polarizing light microscope has been slowly phased out of the geology curricula of many universities in the United States. This is unfortunate, as the polarizing light microscope is an instrument that is particularly well suited to overcoming problems typically encountered in forensic scenarios. Its versatility makes it uniquely powerful in provenance investigations in which sample size is limited and sample history is unknown. The polarizing light microscope can be used to determine the source rock type(s) of a sample of unconsolidated grains, either based on the mineral assemblage present in the sample or on properties observed for individual mineral grains or lithic fragments. Biological particles including pollen, spores, diatoms and botanical macerals can be identified and used to constrain the possible source of a sample. In addition, individual particles observed in the sample (geological, biological or anthropogenic) can be isolated and re-mounted for subsequent analyses that are useful for provenance determination. The inferences made can be used to produce maps illustrating potential source regions by means of geographical information systems (GIS). Several examples are provided to illustrate the various capabilities of the polarizing light microscope and its contributions to forensic soil analysis, specifically in forensic provenance investigations.
Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) and forensic applications
Authors: Eby G. N.
Published: May 2013

Instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) is a non-destructive analytical technique that can be applied to a wide range of materials. The method requires no pretreatment of the sample, various geometries can be used and as many as 40 elements can be determined at the ppb–ppm level, depending on the characteristics of the specific sample. The method has been used in a number of forensic applications, such as identifying the source of ammunition, gunshot residue, arsenic in hair and the source of cigarettes. In this contribution, INAA is applied to characterizing ceramics, maple syrups and grasses, and based on the data it is possible to distinguish between various types of ceramics, sources of maple syrup and the geographical/geological locations of grass samples. As an example of an environmental forensic application, it is shown that a tree-ring record can be used to map the history of environmental pollution associated with a zinc smelter. Additional applications involve characterizing the products of nuclear detonations and the provenance of diamonds.
eHealth: Extending, Enhancing, and Evolving Health Care
Authors: Meier Carlos A. , Fitzgerald Maria C. , Smith Joseph M.
Published: May 2013

eHealth holds the promise of revolutionizing health care by improving its efficiency; extending and enhancing its reach; energizing and engaging its practitioners and their patients; and in the process, democratizing, decentralizing, and even partially demystifying the practice of medicine. In emerging and developing countries, the use of eHealth and smart health-care planning has the potential to expand access to necessary treatments and prevention services that can serve as underpinnings of rapid economic development. In developed countries, the application of eHealth promises to restructure the business model of health-care delivery, while at the same time improving and personalizing the quality of care received. This article reviews the past, present, and future of eHealth in an effort to illuminate the potential of its impact.
Nonparametric Identification in Structural Economic Models
Authors: Matzkin Rosa L.
Published: May 2013

Structural economic models allow one to analyze counterfactuals when economic systems change and to evaluate the well-being of economic agents. A key element in such analysis is the ability to identify the primitive functions and distributions of the economic models that are employed to describe the economic phenomena under study. Recent developments have provided ways to achieve identification of these primitive functions and distributions without imposing parametric restrictions. In this article, I consider a small set of stylized models and provide insight into some of the approaches that have been taken to develop nonparametric identification results in those models.
3′ Cap-Independent Translation Enhancers of Plant Viruses
Authors: Simon Anne E. , Miller W. Allen
Published: May 2013

In the absence of a 5′ cap, plant positive-strand RNA viruses have evolved a number of different elements in their 3′ untranslated region (UTR) to attract initiation factors and/or ribosomes to their templates. These 3′ cap-independent translational enhancers (3′ CITEs) take different forms, such as I-shaped, Y-shaped, T-shaped, or pseudoknotted structures, or radiate multiple helices from a central hub. Common features of most 3′ CITEs include the ability to bind a component of the translation initiation factor eIF4F complex and to engage in an RNA-RNA kissing-loop interaction with a hairpin loop located at the 5′ end of the RNA. The two T-shaped structures can bind to ribosomes and ribosomal subunits, with one structure also able to engage in a simultaneous long-distance RNA-RNA interaction. Several of these 3′ CITEs are interchangeable and there is evidence that natural recombination allows exchange of modular CITE units, which may overcome genetic resistance or extend the virus's host range.
Genetic Approaches to Neural Circuits in the Mouse
Authors: Josh Huang Z. , Zeng Hongkui
Published: May 2013

To understand the organization and assembly of mammalian brain circuits, we need a comprehensive tool set that can address the challenges of cellular diversity, spatial complexity at synapse resolution, dynamic complexity of circuit operations, and multifaceted developmental processes rooted in the genome. Complementary to physics- and chemistry-based methods, genetic tools tap into intrinsic cellular and developmental mechanisms. Thus, they have the potential to achieve appropriate spatiotemporal resolution and the cellular-molecular specificity necessary for observing and probing the makings and inner workings of neurons and neuronal circuits. Furthermore, genetic analysis will be key to unraveling the intricate link from genes to circuits to systems, in part through systematic targeting and tracking of individual cellular components of neural circuits. Here we review recent progress in genetic tool development and advances in genetic analysis of neural circuits in the mouse. We also discuss future directions and implications for understanding brain disorders.
Impacts of Resistance Gene Genetics, Function, and Evolution on a Durable Future
Authors: Michelmore Richard W. , Christopoulou Marilena , Caldwell Katherine S.
Published: May 2013

Studies on resistance gene function and evolution lie at the confluence of structural and molecular biology, genetics, and plant breeding. However, knowledge from these disparate fields has yet to be extensively integrated. This review draws on ideas and information from these different fields to elucidate the influences driving the evolution of different types of resistance genes in plants and the concurrent evolution of virulence in pathogens. It provides an overview of the factors shaping the evolution of recognition, signaling, and response genes in the context of emerging functional information along with a consideration of the new opportunities for durable resistance enabled by high-throughput DNA sequencing technologies.
Multiculturalism and Immigration: A Contested Field in Cross-National Comparison
Authors: Koopmans Ruud
Published: May 2013

This article reviews cross-national research on multicultural policies in relation to immigrants in the main European and Anglo-Saxon immigrant-receiving countries. It compares the policies themselves and reviews studies that evaluate their outcomes. The size of immigrant populations as well as their composition in terms of countries of origin, religion, and human capital are key to understanding why multiculturalism has fallen further from grace in Europe than in the classical immigrant-receiving countries of the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. In addition, religious rights are identified as the main source of controversy regarding multicultural rights; that Muslims make up a larger proportion of immigrants to Europe explains in part the more critical evaluation that multicultural policies receive there. The reviewed studies reveal a mixed picture regarding outcomes of multicultural policies, with little effect on socioeconomic integration, some positive effects on political integration, and negative impacts on sociocultural integration.
LGBT Sexuality and Families at the Start of the Twenty-First Century
Authors: Moore Mignon R. , Stambolis-Ruhstorfer Michael
Published: May 2013

Since the start of the twenty-first century, the literature on same-sex couple relationships and families headed by single parents who identify as lesbian or gay has grown exponentially, and research published in the past 10 to 15 years tackles many new questions about sexual minority families. This review concentrates on four topics that have dominated the sociological arena: who counts as family and how/whether changing definitions of family incorporate households formed by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people; the biological, social, and legal obstacles that influence family formation for this population; the outcomes for youth raised with lesbian or gay parents; and family dynamics, relationship quality, and relationship dissolution in same-sex couple and transgender partner households. We conclude with future directions for the sociological study of LGBT sexuality and families.
Paradoxical regulation of ChAT and nNOS expression in animal models of Crohn's colitis and ulcerative colitis
Authors: Winston John H. , Li Qingjie , Sarna Sushil K.
Published: May 2013

Morphological and functional changes in the enteric nervous system (ENS) have been reported in inflammatory bowel disease. We examined the effects of inflammation on the expression of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and nNOS in the muscularis externae of two models of colonic inflammation, trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis, which models Crohn's disease-like inflammation, and DSS-induced colitis, which models ulcerative Colitis-like inflammation. In TNBS colitis, we observed significant decline in ChAT, nNOS, and protein gene product (PGP) 9.5 protein and mRNA levels. In DSS colitis, ChAT and PGP9.5 were significantly upregulated while nNOS levels did not change. The nNOS dimer-to-monomer ratio decreased significantly in DSS- but not in TNBS-induced colitis. No differences were observed in the percentage of either ChAT (31 vs. 33%)- or nNOS (37 vs. 41%)-immunopositive neurons per ganglia or the mean number of neurons per ganglia (55 ± 5 vs. 59 ± 5, P > 0.05). Incubation of the distal colon muscularis externae in vitro with different types of inflammatory mediators showed that cytokines decreased ChAT and nNOS expression, whereas H2O2, a component of oxidative stress, increased their expression. NF-κB inhibitor MG-132 did not prevent the IL-1β-induced decline in either ChAT or nNOS expression. These findings showed that TNBS- and DSS-induced inflammation differentially regulates the expression of two critical proteins expressed in the colonic myenteric neurons. These differences are likely due to the exposure of the myenteric plexus neurons to different combinations of Th1-type inflammatory mediators and H2O2 in each model.