bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Pharmacoproteomic investigation into antidepressant response in two mouse inbred strains
Authors: Malki Karim , Campbell James , Davies Matthew , Keers Robert , Uher Rudolf , Ward Malcolm , Paya‐Cano Jose , Aitchinson Katherine J. , Binder Elke , Sluyter Frans , Kuhn Karsten , Selzer Stefan , Craig Ian , McGuffin Peter , Schalkwyk Leonard C.
Published: June 2012

In this study, we present a pharmacoproteomic investigation of response to antidepressants two inbred strains. Our aim was to uncover molecular mechanisms underlying antidepressant action and identify new biomarkers to determine therapeutic response to two antidepressants with proven efficacy in the treatment of depression but divergent mechanisms of action. Mice were treated with the pro‐noradrenergic drug nortriptyline, the pro‐serotonergic drug escitalopram or saline. Quantitative proteomic analyses were undertaken on hippocampal tissue from a study design that used two inbred mouse strains, two depressogenic protocols and a control condition, (maternal separation, chronic mild stress, control), two antidepressant drugs and two dosing protocols. The proteomic analysis was aimed at the identification of specific drug‐response markers. Complementary approaches, 2DE and isobaric tandem mass tagging (TMT), were applied to the selected experimental groups. To investigate the relationship between proteomic profiles, depressogenic protocols and drug response, 2DE and TMT data sets were analysed using multivariate methods. The results highlighted significant strain‐ and stress‐related differences across both 2DE and TMT data sets and identified the three gene products involved in serotonergic (PXBD5, YHWAB, SLC25A4) and one in noradrenergic antidepressant action (PXBD6).
Viewpoints in clinical proteomics: When will proteomics deliver clinically useful information?
Authors: Borrebaeck Carl A. K.
Published: June 2012

Despite massive efforts, proteomics has not delivered biomarkers of clinical value. However, the technologies that are emerging today have the power to reach deep into proteomes and identify the patterns associated with different diseases. Study design is then crucial and sample quality, bioinformatics approaches, prevalidation, using independent patient cohort need to attract increased attention before proteomics will contribute to the needs of personalized medicine.
Boron‐Based High Explosives
Authors: Koch Ernst‐Christian , Klapötke Thomas M.
Published: June 2012

The detonation velocity, detonation pressure, and cylinder expansion energy of a series of boron compounds including nitroalkylborates, and mixed amino‐nitrosusbtituted borazines, borazenes, iminoboranes, and azaboridines were calculated with Cheetah 2.0. The detonation velocity of the boron compounds is always superior to the all‐carbon analogues at the corresponding densities. Nitro‐substituted boron compounds bearing amino groups instead of hydrogen display even higher performance.
Homology, similarity, and identity in peptide epitope immunodefinition
Authors: Kanduc Darja
Published: June 2012

The tendency to use the terms homology, similarity, and identity interchangeably persists in comparative biology. When translated to immunology, overlapping the concepts of homology, similarity, and identity complicates the exact definition of the self–nonself dichotomy and, in particular, affects immunopeptidomics, an emerging field aimed at cataloging and distinguishing immunoreactive peptide epitopes from silent nonreactive amino acid sequences. The definition of similar/dissimilar peptides in immunology is discussed with special attention to the analysis of immunological (dis)similarity between two or more protein sequences that equates to measuring sequence similarity with the use of a proper measurement unit such as a length determinant. Copyright © 2012 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Electronic and spin transport properties of a benzene molecule connected to graphene leads
Authors: Simchi Hamidreza , Esmaeilzadeh Mahdi , Saani Mehdi Heidari
Published: June 2012

Electronic and spin transport properties of a benzene molecule connected to semi‐infinite armchair and zigzag graphene nano‐ribbon leads are calculated using non‐equilibrium Green function (NEGF) method at zero bias regime. It is shown that, the molecule is conductive in a specific range of energy for both armchair and zigzag leads. This behavior is similar for both kinds of leads. In presence of Rashba spin–orbit interaction, the molecule shows spin filtering properties for both kinds of leads but these properties are not similar for armchair and zigzag leads. Also, a spin‐polarized current is seen in the molecule connected to zigzag leads. The benzene molecule with Rashba spin–orbit interaction can be considered as an excellent candidate for molecular electronic and spintronic devices which can have very small dimensions relative to the conventional semiconductor devices.
The production of warm rain in shallow maritime cumulus clouds
Authors: Blyth Alan M. , Lowenstein Jason H. , Huang Yahui , Cui Zhiqiang , Davies Stewart , Carslaw Kenneth S.
Published: June 2012

The problem of the production of warm rain by collision and coalescence has been studied for over half a century and several processes have been suggested to explain the observed production, which is more rapid than generally possible with models. A straightforward scenario in relatively shallow maritime cumulus clouds is one where cloud drops simply grow by condensation and coalescence, with no appeal to enhancement due to entrainment or turbulence or indeed the presence of giant and ultragiant aerosols that may exist in the boundary layer. However, it is difficult in a field experiment to measure the concentrations of aerosols and the time evolution of the droplet size distribution or reflectivity in individual clouds. The Rain in Cumulus Over the Ocean (RICO) field experiment overcame some of these difficulties due to the abundance of clouds and the statistical sampling strategy at all significant altitudes. In this article, we present the results of the rate of increase in the radar reflectivity in a couple of cases. Comparisons with a cloud model strongly suggest that the development of warm rain can be explained using the observed aerosol distribution alone. Sensitivity studies suggested that giant and ultragiant aerosols were unimportant for the production of rain in these clouds. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
On the role of a Rossby wave train during the extratropical transition of hurricane Helene (2006)
Authors: Pantillon F. , Chaboureau J.‐P. , Lac C. , Mascart P.
Published: June 2012

Three successive interactions of hurricane Helene (2006) with a Rossby wave train during the extratropical transition of Helene over the North Atlantic were investigated. Numerical experiments were performed with different horizontal resolutions and configurations, over a domain that stretches from the eastern Pacific to the Western Mediterranean to encompass Helene and the whole Rossby wave train. In particular, a cloud‐resolving run offered an explicit representation of strong diabatic effects involved in the three successive interactions.

While the circulation and moisture anomaly of Helene were essential to its own reintensification, it is shown that the Rossby wave train played an important role in the track and intensity of Helene and in explosive cyclogenesis downstream. First, the Rossby wave train steered Helene in such a way that a small difference in phasing resulted in large errors in the track of Helene. Only a run at kilometre scale was able to correctly forecast the 5‐day track of Helene. Second, through the formation of three filaments, the Rossby wave train created a quasi‐diurnal cycle in the intensity of Helene. Helene responded with strong diabatic activity that prevented the superposition of an upstream trough and enhanced a downstream ridge. Finally, model errors in the outflow of Helene propagated downstream with the group speed of the Rossby wave train, leading to the loss of predictability of a tropical‐like cyclone over the Mediterranean. This study suggests that, in addition to the horizontal resolution, uncertainty from the model microphysics and from initial conditions need to be characterized to improve mid‐range forecast downstream from an extratropical transition. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society
First‐principles study of oxidized BC2N nanotubes
Authors: Rupp Caroline Jaskulski , Rossato Jussane , José Baierle Rogério
Published: June 2012

Spin‐polarized density functional theory and norm conserving fully separable pseudopotentials are used to study the structural and electronic properties of atomic oxygen defects (substitution and adsorbed) as well as the O2 adsorption in (3,3) and (5,0) BC2N nanotubes. For the adsorbed molecules, detailed calculations are performed by introducing the van der Waals interactions through the B97‐D functional proposed by Grimme. The most stable configuration for the adsorbed oxygen atom is in the interstitial site binding with boron and carbon atoms (BOCI configuration), and for the substitutional doping, the most stable configuration occurs when the oxygen substitutes the nitrogen atom (ON). For these two defects, the calculated formation energies are −1.67 and 0.62 eV, respectively. The calculated electronic band structures show that the ON defect leads the system to exhibit a p‐type semiconductor character, whereas the interstitial oxygen atom does not introduce any significant changes in the electronic states near the band gap region. The interaction between the nanotubes and the O2 molecule is investigated by the adsorption of the molecule in the inner and outer surfaces of the nanotubes. The calculated binding energies show that the molecule in the triplet state is physically adsorbed in the inner surface with the molecular axis perpendicular to the nanotube axis. For the molecule in the singlet state, the most stable configuration occurs when the molecule interact with the outer surface and bind (weakly) with a boron atom. We also observe spin transference between the molecule and the tube leading the boron carbonitrides (BCN) nanostructures as candidate to storage and detect the O2 molecules. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Expansion of a wave function in a Gaussian basis. I. Local versus global approximation
Authors: Kutzelnigg Werner
Published: June 2012

The expansion of the ground state wave function ψ(r) of hydrogen‐like ions in a Gaussian basis is derived from a discretization of a Gaussian integral transformation. This derivation involves an upper and a lower cut‐off of the integration variable and the evaluation of the truncated integral by means of the trapezoid approximation, after a variable transformation to an exponentially decaying bell‐shaped integrand. This automatically leads to an optimized even‐tempered basis. Two criteria are studied, (a) the best approximation of ψ(r) for r = 0, (b) the best approximation for the expectation value of the Hamiltonian. In either case, the rate of convergence obeys a square‐root exponential law with an error estimate
$\sim \exp (-a\sqrt{n})$, if n is the basis size. The value of the constant a depends on the considered property and on the criterion for the optimization of the basis. Simple analytic expressions for the basis parameters α and β of an even‐tempered Gaussian basis are derived. The comparison of the local and global criteria gives some new and even unexpected insight. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
High‐Speed Scanning of Critical Structures in Aviation Using Coordinate Measurement Machine and the Laser Ultrasonic
Authors: Swornowski Pawel J.
Published: June 2012

Aviation is one of the know‐how spheres containing a great deal of responsible sub‐assemblies, in this case landing gear. The necessity for reducing production cycle times while achieving better quality compels metrologists to look for new and improved ways to perform inspection of critical structures. This article describes the ability to determine the shape deviation and location of defects in landing gear using coordinate measuring machines and laser ultrasonic with high‐speed scanning. A nondestructive test is the basis for monitoring microcrack and corrosion propagation in the context of a damage‐tolerant design approach. This article presents an overview of the basics and of the various metrological aspects of coordinate measurement and a nondestructive testing method in terms of high‐speed scanning. The new test method (laser ultrasonic) promises to produce the necessary increase in inspection quality, but this is limited by the wide range of materials, geometries, and structure aeronautic parts used. A technique combining laser ultrasonic and F‐SAFT (Fourier‐Synthetic Aperture Focusing Technique) processing has been proposed for the detection of small defects buried in landing gear. The experimental results of landing gear inspection are also presented. SCANNING 34: 387‐394, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparing Multidimensional and Continuum Models of Vocabulary Acquisition: An Empirical Examination of the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale
Authors: Stewart Jeffrey , Batty Aaron Olaf , Bovee Nicholas
Published: June 2012

Second language vocabulary acquisition has been modeled both as multidimensional in nature and as a continuum wherein the learner's knowledge of a word develops along a cline from recognition through production. In order to empirically examine and compare these models, the authors assess the degree to which the Vocabulary Knowledge Scale (VKS; Paribakht & Wesche, 1993), which implicitly assumes a cline model of acquisition, conforms to a linear trait model under the Rasch Partial Credit Model, and determine the dimensionality of the individual tasks contained on the scale (self‐report, first language [L1] equivalent, and sentence) using DETECT. The authors find that, although the VKS functions adequately overall as a measurement model, Stages 3 (can give an adequate L1 equivalent) and 4 (can use with semantic appropriateness) are psychometrically indistinct, suggesting they should be collapsed into a single category of definitional knowledge. Analysis under DIMTEST and DETECT indicates that other forms of vocabulary knowledge measured by the VKS are weakly multidimensional, which has implications for continuum models of vocabulary acquisition.
Transitions and Brain Injury: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Journey of People with Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Conneeley Anne Louise
Published: June 2012

This qualitative study aimed to explore transitions from hospital to the home over a period of one year.

Methods and procedures: A longitudinal, phenomenological approach was employed and 18 individuals with severe traumatic brain injury, their family members and rehabilitation professionals were interviewed using semistructured interviews, when the person with brain injury was discharged from the ward, after 6 months and again after one year.

Results: Themes identified within the data included returning home, getting back to normal, moving forward and the role of rehabilitation in the transitional period. Further subthemes were also identified including issues of life-course disruption, self-identity, status and reconstruction.

Conclusions: Data suggested that access to rehabilitation programs employing individualised, contextual interventions following discharge to the home were integral in enabling the transition through to autonomy and independence. Consideration of issues of identity and status can enable a different and potentially important perspective on the experience of transitions for those with brain injury. Reclaiming personal autonomy and control appeared to be central to the reconstruction of a coherent sense of self, enabling a meaningful life after brain injury.
Linked Lives: The Experiences of Family Caregivers During the Transition from Hospital to Home Following Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Nalder Emily , Fleming Jennifer , Cornwell Petrea , Foster Michele
Published: June 2012

The transition from hospital to home following traumatic brain injury (TBI) has been identified as the point where responsibility for care shifts from rehabilitation services to informal family caregivers. There has, however, been little research examining the experiences of family members during this important transition that involves adopting or, in some cases, resuming a caring role (e.g., a parent caring for an adult child). The aim of this qualitative investigation was to understand the experiences of family caregivers during the transition from hospital to home, defined as the first six months postdischarge. The sample included 10 family caregivers, of which all were female and either a mother, spouse or ex-partner of an individual with TBI. Semistructured interviews were conducted on average nine months following community reentry and data were analysed thematically using a framework approach. The overarching theme was that caregivers wished to move past the injury. This desire to move forward stemmed from a realisation of how their life had changed and the weight of the care responsibility. Caregivers were also aware of how the life of the individual with a TBI had changed and hoped for a return to normality (by regaining independence, engaging in meaningful occupation and having meaningful relationships). Implications of the findings for research and clinical practice are discussed. There is a need for services to support family caregivers during the transition from hospital to home.
Community-Based Rehabilitation Following Brain Injury: Comparison of a Transitional Living Program and a Home-Based Program
Authors: Hopman Kate , Tate Robyn L. , McCluskey Annie
Published: June 2012

Background and aims: Community-based rehabilitation programs for people with a brain injury are diverse. Comparative program evaluation is required to identify optimal type, intensity and duration of programs. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of two community-based rehabilitation programs using a set of standardised outcome measures.

Methods: The study used a quantitative, multicentre, longitudinal design. Persons with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI,n= 39) and acquired brain impairment (n= 2) were recruited from two residential, transitional living programs (TLU;n= 21) and two home-based community rehabilitation programs (CR;n= 20). Participants were assessed via interview at program entry, 2 months and 6 months later using a broad range of standardised measures. The quantity and types of intervention provided to study participants were recorded. Results: No significant differences were identified between the TLU and CR groups at baseline or 6-month follow-up. Two significant group-by-time interactions were identified on the Community Integration Questionnaire (CIQ). First, the CR group had significantly greater changes in productivity (p= .003;d= 1.0) compared to the TLU group over time; by contrast, the TLU group showed significantly greater improvements in social integration (p= .007;d= .86). The TLU participants received up to five times more intervention than the CR participants. This finding is significant considering the similar levels of improvement in function made by both TLU and CR participants.

Conclusions: Both TLU and CR groups improved on a range of measures. The TLU group however, received significantly more face-to-face interventions. Further examination of the relationship between participant contextual factors, such as coping style and self-esteem, and impairments such as challenging behaviour and decreased self-awareness, of people attending TLU and CR programs is required.
Participation After Stroke: Do We Understand All the Components and Relationships As Categorised in the ICF?
Authors: Hoyle Melanie , Gustafsson Louise , Meredith Pamela , Ownsworth Tamara
Published: June 2012

Although advances in stroke care have been shown to improve functional outcomes and survival, evidence suggests that stroke survivors continue to report restricted participation and dissatisfaction with life after returning home. There remains a need to identify ways to improve participation after stroke, considering the person within their context. The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides a valuable framework that can be useful for categorising key components associated with participation. The two parts of the ICF — (a) Functioning and Disability and (b) Contextual Factors — encourage consideration of the functions/body structures, activity and participation, and personal and environmental factors, respectively. Previous research has identified links between body functions, structures and activity, with increasing attention being given to the ways in which these link with participation. Although some of the components influencing participation poststroke are well defined, there is a need to further develop our understanding of how personal and environmental factors may affect participation. In this article, stroke literature is categorised using the ICF and a range of personal and environmental factors are investigated as potential contributors to levels of participation poststroke. This article concludes that research investigating contextual factors and their interactions with participation is warranted.
Geometric K-homology with coefficients I: ℤ/kℤ-cycles and Bockstein sequence
Authors: Deeley Robin J.
Published: June 2012

We construct a Baum-Douglas type model for K-homology with coefficients in ℤ/kℤ. The basic geometric object in a cycle is a spinc ℤ/kℤ-manifold. The relationship between these cycles and the topological side of the Freed-Melrose index theorem is discussed in detail. Finally, using inductive limits, we construct geometric models for K-homology with coefficients in any countable abelian group.
The Motivic Cohomology of Stiefel Varieties
Authors: Williams Ben
Published: June 2012

The main result of this paper is a computation of the motivic cohomology of varieties of n × m-matrices of of rank m, including both the ring structure and the action of the reduced power operations. The argument proceeds by a comparison of the general linear group-scheme with a Tate suspension of a space which is -equivalent to projective n — 1-space with a disjoint basepoint.
Equivariant K-theory, groupoids and proper actions
Authors: Cantarero Jose
Published: June 2012

In this paper we define complex equivariant K-theory for actions of Lie groupoids using finite-dimensional vector bundles. For a Bredon-compatible Lie groupoid , this defines a periodic cohomology theory on the category of finite -CW-complexes. We also establish an analogue of the completion theorem of Atiyah and Segal. Some examples are discussed.
Motivic zeta functions in additive monoidal categories
Authors: Kimura Kenichiro , Kimura Shun-ichi , Takahashi Nobuyoshi
Published: June 2012

Let C be a pseudo-abelian symmetric monoidal category, and X a Schur-finite object of C. We study the problem of rationality of the motivic zeta function ζx(t) of X. Since the coefficient ring is not a field, there are several variants of rationality — uniform, global, determinantal and pointwise rationality. We show that ζx(t) is determinantally rational, and we give an example of C and X for which the motivic zeta function is not uniformly rational.
K-theory for ring C*-algebras attached to function fields with only one infinite place
Authors: Li Xin
Published: June 2012

We study the K-theory of ring C*-algebras associated to rings of integers in global function fields with only a single infinite place. First, we compute the torsion-free part of the K-groups of these ring C*-algebras. Secondly, we show that, under a certain primeness condition, the torsion part of K-theory determines the inertia degrees at infinity of our function fields.
Flow topology in compressible turbulent boundary layer
Authors: Wang Li , Lu Xi-Yun
Published: June 2012

The flow topologies of compressible turbulent boundary layers at Mach 2 are investigated by means of direct numerical simulation (DNS) of the compressible Navier–Stokes equations, and statistical analysis of the invariants of the velocity gradient tensor. We identify a preference for an unstable focus/compressing topology in the inner layer and an unstable node/saddle/saddle (UN/S/S) topology in the outer layer. The dissipation and dissipation production originate mainly from this UN/S/S topology. The enstrophy depends mainly on an unstable focus/stretching (UFS) topology, and the enstrophy production relies on a UN/S/S topology in the inner layer and on a UFS topology in the outer layer. The compressibility effect on the statistical properties of the topologies is investigated in terms of the ‘incompressible’, compressed and expanding regions. It is found that the locally compressed region tends to be more stable and the locally expanding region tends to be more dissipative. The compressibility is mainly related to unstable focus/compressing and stable focus/stretching topologies. Moreover, the features of the average dissipation, enstrophy, dissipation production and enstrophy production of the various topologies are clarified in the locally compressed and expanding regions.
Anna Hazare and the Idea of Gandhi
Authors: Sengupta Mitu
Published: June 2012

In August 2011, India was in the headlines due to an anti-corruption hunger strike that played upon Gandhi's legacy of civil disobedience and mass protest. The strike was initiated by a short, bespectacled, 74-year-old man called Anna Hazare to protest the government's new anticorruption legislation, which Hazare said was too weak. Hazare's call for a strong anticorruption Lokpal (ombudsman) had slowly gained momentum in the first half of 2011, when the self-styled Gandhian had collected a sizeable following. But it was Hazare's unexpected arrest on the eve of the August hunger strike that pushed him into the limelight, sparking candlelit marches across the country. A shaken government ordered his release in less than twelve hours, but in stunning turnaround, Hazare refused to leave and began his “fast unto death” in Delhi's notorious Tihar Jail, South Asia's largest high-security prison.
Shareholders in the Boardroom: Wealth Effects of the SEC’s Proposal to Facilitate Director Nominations
Authors: Akyol Ali C. , Lim Wei Fen , Verwijmeren Patrick
Published: June 2012

Current attempts to reform financial markets presume that shareholder empowerment benefits shareholders. We investigate the wealth effects associated with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rule to facilitate director nominations by shareholders. Our results are not in line with shareholder empowerment creating value: The average daily abnormal returns surrounding events that increase (decrease) the probability of the proposal’s passage are significantly negative (positive). Furthermore, given an increase in the probability of the proposal’s passage, firms whose shareholders are more likely to use the rule to nominate directors experience more negative abnormal returns.
Charge effect in secondary electron emission from silicon surface induced by slow neon ions
Authors: Xu Zhongfeng , Zeng Lixia , Zhao Yongtao , Wang Jianguo , Wang Yuyu , Zhang Xiaoan , Xiao Guoqing , Li Fuli
Published: June 2012

Total electron emission yield for impact of slow Neq+(q = 2, 4, 6, 8) ions with various kinetic energy under normal incidence on n-type Si has been measured. It is shown that for the same charge state, the total electron yield γ increases linearly as the kinetic energy of projectile at impact increases, up to velocities corresponding to the “classical” threshold. Separation of kinetic electron yield γKE and potential electron yield γPE shows that γPE is proportional to the ion charge state and γKE increases linearly with projectile velocity. Finally, based on “single hole without hopping” hypothesis, the expression of the “CRF” F(q) is given, and the relation between γKE and q is obtained successfully for the first time, which is also a basis for judging whether the “trampoline effect” exists.
Pericardial effusion in an infant with severe respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis
Authors: Dabbah Husein , Glikman Daniel , Zonis Zeev
Published: June 2012

Respiratory syncytial virus is the most common pathogen causing lower respiratory tract infection in infants. Respiratory syncytial virus infection is also associated with a number of extrapulmonary manifestations, including the cardiac system. Pericardial effusion, however, is a very rare occurrence with respiratory syncytial virus infection. We report a very young infant with respiratory syncytial virus bronchiolitis whose clinical course was associated with pericardial effusion, treated conservatively.
BLAMEWORTHINESS AND TIME
Authors: Coleman Jules , Sarch Alexander
Published: June 2012

Reactive emotion accounts hold that blameworthiness should be analyzed in terms of the familiar reactive emotions. However, despite the attractions of such views, we are not persuaded that blameworthiness is ultimately a matter of correctly felt reactive emotion. In this paper, we draw attention to a range of little-discussed considerations involving the moral significance of the passage of time that drive a wedge between blameworthiness and the reactive emotions: the appropriateness of the reactive emotions is sensitive to the passage of time in ways that attributions of blameworthiness are not. There are a number of ways in which reactive emotion accounts might attempt to accommodate the moral significance of time, however. We consider the most important of these but ultimately find them wanting. Accordingly, we conclude that the prospects for the reactive emotion accounts are bleak. Our argument, if successful, has a range of implications for legal theory, most importantly in providing a novel moral basis for statutes of limitations and in shedding light on new avenues in the theory of criminal law generally.
Trends and determinants of undernutrition among young Kenyan children: Kenya Demographic and Health Survey; 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008–2009
Authors: Masibo Peninah K , Makoka Donald
Published: June 2012

Objective

To report on the trends and determinants of undernutrition among children <5 years old in Kenya.

Design

Data from four nationwide Kenya Demographic and Health Surveys, conducted in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2008–2009, were analysed. The Demographic and Health Survey utilizes a multistage stratified sampling technique.

Setting

Nationwide covering rural and urban areas in Kenya.

Subjects

The analysis included 4757, 4433, 4892 and 4958 Kenyan children aged <5 years in 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2009–2009, respectively.

Results

The prevalence of stunting decreased by 4·6 percentage points from 39·9 % in 1993 to 35·3 % in 2008–2009, while underweight decreased by 2·7 percentage points from 18·7 % in 1993 to 16·0 % in 2008–2009. The effects of household wealth, maternal education and current maternal nutritional status on child nutrition outcomes have changed dynamically in more recent years in Kenya. Inadequate hygiene facilities increased the likelihood of chronic undernutrition in at least three of the surveys. Small size of the child at birth, childhood diarrhoea and male gender increased the likelihood of undernutrition in at least three of the surveys. Childhood undernutrition occurred concurrently with maternal overnutrition in some households.

Conclusions

The analysis reveals a slow decline of undernutrition among young children in Kenya over the last three decades. However, stunting and underweight still remain of public health significance. There is evidence of an emerging trend of a malnutrition double burden demonstrated by stunted and underweight children whose mothers are overweight.
Behavioural and neurochemical changes induced by stress-related conditions are counteracted by the neurokinin-2 receptor antagonist saredutant
Authors: Tamburella Alessandra , Leggio Gian Marco , Micale Vincenzo , Navarria Andrea , Bucolo Claudio , Cicirata Valentina , Drago Filippo , Salomone Salvatore
Published: June 2012

These experiments were undertaken to assess the mechanisms underlying the antidepressant-like effects of the neurokinin-2 (NK2) receptor antagonist saredutant (SR48968) in rats tested in the forced swim test (FST), by analysing hippocampal brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and plasma corticosterone [as index of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis activity]. Male Wistar rats received three intraperitoneal injections over 24 h of vehicle, saredutant (5 mg/kg), citalopram (15 mg/kg), clomipramine (50 mg/kg). Rats were subjected to restraint stress (4 h) 24 h prior to the FST procedure. This stress procedure increased immobility and decreased swimming behaviour in the FST; furthermore, it lowered hippocampal BDNF protein expression and increased plasma corticosterone levels. Saredutant and clomipramine or citalopram, used here as positive controls, reduced the immobility time in the FST both under basal conditions and after stress exposure. This effect was not attributable to changes in locomotion, because locomotor activity was unchanged when assessed in the open field test. Pretreatment with para-cholorophenylalanine (150 mg/kg, 72 h and 48 h prior to FST) abolished the effect of citalopram and saredutant on immobility time. At neurochemical level, saredutant attenuated activation of HPA axis in stressed animals more than clomipramine or citalopram. The behavioural effects of saredutant support the hypothesis that NK2 receptor activity is involved in stress-related disorders. These effects of saredutant may be related to normalization of the HPA axis. Moreover, saredutant increases BDNF expression in the hippocampus, confirming the role of NK2 receptor blockade in BDNF activation following stressor application.
A European Perspective on Religion and Welfare: Contrasts and Commonalities
Authors: Davie Grace
Published: June 2012

This article places the British material on religion and social policy in a comparative perspective. In order to do so, it introduces a recently completed project on welfare and religion in eight European societies, entitled ‘Welfare and Religion in a European Perspective’. Theoretically it draws on the work of two key thinkers: Gøsta Esping-Andersen and David Martin. The third section elaborates the argument: all West European societies are faced with the same dilemmas regarding the provision of welfare and all of them are considering alternatives to the state for the effective delivery of services. These alternatives include the churches.
Long-term farming systems research in the central High Plains
Authors: Ghimire Rajan , Norton Jay B. , Norton Urszula , Ritten John P. , Stahl Peter D. , Krall James M.
Published: June 2012

In recent decades, there has been growing interest among farming and scientific communities toward integrated crop–range–livestock farming because of evidence of increased crop production, soil health, environmental services and resilience to increased climatic variability. This paper reviews studies on existing cropping systems and integrated crop–range–livestock systems across the USA which are relevant in the context of summarizing opportunities and challenges associated with implementing long-term crop–range–livestock systems research in the highly variable environment of the central High Plains. With precipitation ranging from 305 to 484mm and uncertain irrigation water supply, this region is especially vulnerable to changing moisture and temperature patterns. The results of our review indicate that diverse crop rotations, reduced soil disturbance and integrated crop–livestock systems could increase economic returns and agroecosystem resilience. Integrating agricultural system components to acquire unique benefits from small- to medium-sized operations, however, is a challenging task. This is because assessment and identification of suitable farming systems, selection of the most efficient integration scheme, and pinpointing the best management practices are crucial for successful integration of components. Effective integration requires development of evaluation criteria that incorporate the efficiency of approaches under consideration and their interactions. Therefore, establishing the basis for more sustainable farming systems in the central High Plains relies on both long-term agricultural systems research and evaluation of short-term dynamics of individual components.
Callous-unemotional Traits: Verhaltensprobleme und prosoziales Verhalten bei Kindergartenkindern
Authors: Koglin Ute , Petermann Franz
Published: June 2012

Callous-unemotional Traits (CU-Traits) stellen in der emotionalen Entwicklung Abweichungen dar, wie mangelnde Empathie oder ein oberflächlicher Affekt und gehören zu den Kernmerkmalen der Psychopathy. Aus einer entwicklungspsychopathologischen Sichtweise wird in der vorliegenden Studie untersucht, ob diese affektiven Merkmale bereits bei Kindern im Kindergartenalter zu identifizieren sind und sie mit Verhaltensproblemen, besonders mit externalisierenden Verhaltensproblemen, im Zusammenhang stehen. Anhand einer Stichprobe mit 311 Kindern (durchschnittlich 5;0 Jahre) wird die Anzahl der Kinder mit Callous-unemotional-Traits (CU-Traits), erfasst mit dem „Antisocial Process Screening Device“ (APSD), identifiziert. Es werden quer- und längsschnittliche Zusammenhange zwischen CU-Traits und Erlebens- und Verhaltensprobleme (SDQ) dargestellt. 23,3 % der Kinder weisen erhöhte Werte auf der Skala CU-Traits auf. Jüngere Kinder erreichen höhere Werte, so dass normative Entwicklungseinflüsse nahe gelegt werden. Es zeigen sich eindeutige Beziehungen zwischen CU-Traits und Verhaltensproblemen sowie negative Korrelationen zu prosozialem Verhalten. In der längsschnittlichen Analyse über ein Jahr erweisen sich CU-Traits als Prädiktor für Verhaltensprobleme. Ein spezifischer Zusammenhang zwischen aggressivem Verhalten und CU-Traits kann nicht aufgezeigt werden. CU-Traits stehen besonders mit einem Defizit prosozialen Verhaltens in Verbindung. Es wird diskutiert, ob CU-Traits bei jungen Kindern dazu geeignet sind, aggressive Kinder frühzeitig zu identifizieren.
Effektive Förderung rechenschwacher Kinder
Authors: Ise Elena , Dolle Kathrin , Pixner Silvia , Schulte-Körne Gerd
Published: June 2012

Kinder und Jugendliche mit schwachen Rechenfertigkeiten sind nicht nur in der Schule, sondern auch im täglichen Leben vielfältig beeinträchtigt. Eine effektive Förderung ist daher dringend notwendig. In der vorliegenden Metaanalyse wurden Studien, in denen die Wirksamkeit von Förderprogrammen bei deutschsprachigen Kindern mit schwachen Rechenleistungen untersucht wurde, systematisch zusammengefasst. Insgesamt zehn Experimental-Kontrollgruppen-Vergleiche aus acht Interventionsstudien mit 328 Kindern konnten in die Auswertung eingeschlossen werden. Die mittlere Effektstärke der Studien war mittelgroß (g’ = 0.50). Eine Subgruppenanalyse zeigte keine Wirksamkeitsunterschiede zwischen curricularen und nicht-curricularen Förderansätzen. Weitere Subgruppenanalysen zeigten, dass der Fördereffekt durch das Setting, den Interventionsleiter, sowie durch Dauer und Umfang der Förderung moderiert wird. Langfristige Effekte konnten nicht metaanalytisch ausgewertet werden. Es gibt jedoch empirische Evidenz für langfristige Transfereffekte bei nicht-curricularen Förderansätzen.
Groundwater levels and teleconnection patterns in the Canadian Prairies
Authors: Perez‐Valdivia Cesar , Sauchyn Dave , Vanstone Jessica
Published: June 2012

Thirty one hydrological time series of shallow groundwater levels, precipitation, and moisture‐sensitive tree ring chronologies were analyzed and related to two climate indices: Niño 3.4 and PDO. Spearman rank correlation and spectral analyses (multitaper method, continuous wavelet transform, and wavelet coherence) were used to document the influence of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) on shallow (depth < 20 m) groundwater level records from the Canadian Prairies. Modes of variability in the 2–7, 7–10, and 18–22 year bands were detected and reconstructed. Correlations and wavelet coherence between these oscillation modes and the climate indices suggest that variability in the 2–7 and 7–10 year bands is highly influenced by ENSO. The oscillation modes in the 18–22 year band reflect a negative correlation with the PDO index. When either of these teleconnections (ENSO/PDO) is in their respective positive phases, groundwater levels reflect the effect of associated warmer and drier winters experienced over much of interior Canada and the US, affecting important resource inputs to the hydrological cycle and groundwater recharge.
Record heavy mineral dust outbreaks over Korea in 2010: Two cases observed with multiwavelength aerosol/depolarization/Raman‐quartz lidar
Authors: Tatarov B. , Müller D. , Noh Y.‐M. , Lee K.‐H. , Shin D.‐H. , Shin S.‐K. , Sugimoto N. , Seifert P. , Kim Y.‐J.
Published: June 2012

We report on two strong events of transport of mineral dust from Central Asia across Korea. The events took place in March and November 2010. The November case is important as fall is not a typical time for strong dust outbreaks in East Asia. We observed the dust with a multiwavelength aerosol/depolarization/Raman quartz lidar. The record PM‐10 concentration of nearly 1600μg/m3 in March 2010 exceeds the record value of 1470 μg/m3 measured in Seoul in March 2002. The event in November was the strongest case of dust transport ever observed over Korea in fall. We find up to 360 μg/m3dust in heights above 250 m which is significantly different from the ground‐based PM‐10 observations.
Latitudinally asymmetric response of global surface temperature: Implications for regional climate change
Authors: Xu Yangyang , Ramanathan Veerabhadran
Published: June 2012

The Earth's climate system was subject to two multi‐decadal warming trends in the beginning (1910–1940) and end (1975–2005) of the 20th century, having been interrupted only by a cooling trend in mid‐century (1940–1975). The spatio‐temporal distribution of surface temperature during this time, especially the land‐ocean warming contrast in recent decades, has been the subject of many climate change detection studies. The focus of this study is the south‐to‐north warming asymmetry and we observed a similar Latitudinal Asymmetry of Temperature Change (LATC) for the two warming sub‐periods and the cooling sub‐period. Basically, the temperature change was low in the Southern Hemisphere extra‐tropics (60°S) and increased monotonically to peak values (0.15°C/decade for warming trends) in the Northern Hemisphere extra‐tropics (60°N). We hypothesized that the LATC is a fundamental characteristic of the planet's transient response to global forcing. We tested this hypothesis using climate model simulations of CO2 and aerosol forcing, and the simulations revealed very similar LATC as seen in the observations. In the simulations, the LATC did not depend on the asymmetry of the forcing and furthermore weakened significantly in equilibrium simulations, leading to the deduction that the LATC was caused by a corresponding asymmetry in the land‐ocean fraction, i.e., the analyses of model simulations supported the hypothesis of LATC being a fundamental characteristic of the planet's transient response. If LATC is preserved as the planet warms beyond 2°C, precipitation patterns can be drastically disrupted in the tropics and sub‐tropics, with major implications for regional climate.
Directional influences on global temperature prediction
Authors: Wang Geli , Yang Peicai , Zhou Xiuji , Swanson Kyle L. , Tsonis Anastasios A.
Published: June 2012

There is growing evidence that major climate modes are involved in determining decadal variability in global mean temperature. These modes represent major oceanic and atmospheric signals and on decadal scales their collective interplay leads to climate shifts manifesting themselves as regime changes in global temperature trend. Here we investigate whether the collective role of these modes is extended within a regime, i.e. to shorter time scales. We apply nonlinear prediction in order to assess directional influences in the climate system. We show evidence that input from four major climate modes from the Atlantic and Pacific improves the prediction of global temperature and thus these modes Granger cause global temperature. Moreover, we find that this causality is not a result of a particular mode dominating but a result of the nonlinear collective behavior in the network of the four modes.
Simulation of leader speeds at gigantic jet altitudes
Authors: da Silva Caitano L. , Pasko Victor P.
Published: June 2012

Lightning leaders advance in space by creating a heating conversion zone in their tips (i.e., streamer‐to‐leader transition) in which Joule heating produced by currents of many non‐thermal corona streamers transforms into a hot and conducting leader channel. It is believed that the initial stages of transient luminous events termed gigantic jets (GJs) propagating toward the lower ionosphere are directly related to leaders initiated by conventional intra‐cloud lightning discharges and escaping upward from thundercloud tops. In the present work we provide quantitative description of speeds of these leaders as a function of leader current and ambient air density (altitude). The direct comparisons with available experimental data indicate that the initial speeds of GJs of ∼50 km/s are consistent with leaders possessing currents 2–8 A. The observed acceleration of GJs can be explained by growth of the leader current, and at high altitudes (low air densities) may be significantly affected by predominance of non‐thermal (i.e., streamer) discharge forms.
Paleoseismic interevent times interpreted for an unsegmented earthquake rupture forecast
Authors: Parsons Tom
Published: June 2012

Forecasters want to consider an increasingly rich variety of earthquake ruptures. Past occurrence is captured in part by paloeseismic observations, which necessarily see three‐dimensional ruptures only at a point. This has not been a problem before, because forecasts have assumed that faults are segmented, and that repeated ruptures occur uniformly along them. A technique is now required to calculate paleo‐earthquake rates at points that may be affected by multiple recurrence processes, and that is consistent with an all‐possible‐ruptures forecast. Dating uncertainties are addressed by bootstrapping across event time windows, and the resulting distributions are transformed into log space as f(ln(T)) where T is interevent time. This takes advantage of a property of time‐dependent recurrence distributions in which their logarithms are normally distributed. Paleoseismic series necessarily have a finite number of observations such that the true long‐term mean interevent time (μ) is hard to estimate. However the mode (most frequent value) is easier to identify. Since the mode is equal to the mean of a normal distribution, μ can thus be found at the mode (m) of f(ln(T)) as μ = em. The point μ − σ occurs where 32% of a folded (half) normal distribution is found in the interval between ln(T) = 0 and m. The μ + σ value is identified by symmetry, which overcomes the difficulty of absent long intervals in the record. Tests are conducted with complex synthetic interevent distributions, and applications to real data from the Hayward and Garlock faults in California are shown.