bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
For which type of chronic pancreatitis is the “Hamburg procedure” indicated?
Authors: Kutup Asad , Vashist Yogesh , Kaifi Jussuf T. , Yekebas Emre F. , Izbicki Jakob R.
Published: September 2009

Background

A pancreatic duct diameter (PDD) ranging from 4 to 5 mm is regarded as “normal”. The “large duct” form of chronic pancreatitis (CP) with a PDD > 7 mm is considered a classical indication for drainage procedures. In contrast, in patients with so‐called “small duct pancreatitis” (SDP) with a PDD < 3 mm, extended resectional procedures are suggested including, as an “ultima ratio”, even total pancreatectomy.

Methods

Between 1992 and 2008, among a total of 978 patients who were treated for CP, 51 suffered from SDP and underwent longitudinal “V‐shaped excision” of the anterior aspect of the pancreas. The interval between symptoms and surgery varied from 12 to 123 months. Median follow‐up was 87 months (range 32–131 months). A pain score was used as well as a multidimensional psychometric quality‐of‐life questionnaire.

Results

Hospital mortality was 0%. The perioperative morbidity (30 days) was 19.1%. Median pain score decreased by 95.5%. Global quality of life index increased in median by 53.6% (range 37.5–80%). In 35 patients (75%), complete pain relief was achieved. The impairment of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function after surgery was statistically not significant.

Conclusions

Longitudinal “V‐shaped excision” of the ventral pancreas is a secure and effective approach for SDP, achieving significant improvement in quality of life and pain relief. While sparing patients from unnecessary, extended resectional procedures, it appears not to result in substantial deterioration of exocrine and endocrine pancreatic function.
Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Rheumatoid Arthritis: No Longer the Last Resort!
Authors: Efthimiou Petros , Kukar Manil , MacKenzie C. Ronald
Published: September 2009

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) has become popular with consumers worldwide and accounts for significant private and public health expenditures. According to earlier reports, the prevalence of CAM use by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients in the United States is anywhere between 28% and 90%. Extensive use among RA patients and the limited knowledge among physicians had confirmed the need to evaluate the increasing prevalence of various CAM modalities. The primary aim of this study was to identify the incidence of CAM usage among our RA patients. Additionally, we aimed to correlate patient demographics and disease characteristics with the use of specific CAM modalities. An analysis of data extracted from our institution's RA longitudinal registry was performed. The patients were asked to select from a list the modalities they were currently using and/or had used in the past. Of patients, 75.9% reported current or past use of CAM with >10% using 12 different modalities. Nutritional supplements and touch therapies were the most widely used overall, with mind–body therapies more prevalent among younger patients. CAM users were found to have more extra-articular manifestations and fewer comorbidities than non-CAM users. The use of CAM among RA patients is widespread with a broad spectrum of CAM modalities being used in early stages of the disease, frequently in conjunction with mainstream conventional treatments. Therefore, CAM may no longer be considered the rheumatoid patients’ last resort.
A Prospective Study on the Initial Results of a Low Profile Ulna Shortening Osteotomy System
Authors: Isaacs Jonathan , Howard Susan B. , Gulkin Daniel
Published: September 2009

Extra-articular ulna shortening osteotomy, in principle, is an accepted treatment option for symptomatic degenerative and traumatic triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) tears. Despite the benefits of this surgical approach, potential disadvantages include risk of nonunion, soft tissue irritation, and the need for future hardware removal. A recently introduced low profile ulna shortening system was designed to decrease these potential complications. A single-surgeon prospective study was performed to evaluate this system. Ten consecutive patients undergoing ulna shortening for ulnar-sided wrist pain compatible with TFCC pathology participated in the study. Subjective, objective, and radiographic assessments were performed preoperatively and up to 24 weeks postoperatively. Based on visual analog scale (VOS) ratings (0 to 10), pain scores significantly improved ( p<0.05) and average patient satisfaction was 8.7. DASH and PRWE scores improved at three month follow-up ( p<0.05). Osteotomy healing time averaged 10.3 weeks, and there were no nonunions. Average discomfort associated with palpation of the plate at final follow-up was 3.3 (using VOS), and one patient requested removal of the hardware. In this short-term follow-up study, the assessed ulna shortening system appears effective and, in general, well tolerated.
A scanning peptide array approach uncovers association sites within the JNK/βarrestin signalling complex
Authors: Li Xiang , MacLeod Ruth , Dunlop Allan J. , Edwards Helen V. , Advant Noopur , Gibson Lucien C.D. , Devine Nicola M. , Brown Kim M. , Adams David R. , Houslay Miles D. , Baillie George S.
Published: September 2009

MINT‐7263269: Arrestin beta‐1 (uniprotkb:P49407) binds (MI:0407) to MKK4 (uniprotkb:P45985) by peptide array (MI:0081)
Repeated restraint stress and corticosterone injections during late pregnancy alter GAP‐43 expression in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex of rat pups
Authors: Jutapakdeegul Nuanchan , Afadlal Szeifoul , Polaboon Nongnuch , Phansuwan‐Pujito Pansiri , Govitrapong Piyarat
Published: September 2009

In the offspring of prenatal stress animals, overactivity and impaired negative feedback regulation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis are consistent finding. However, little was known about how prenatal stress can permanently alter developmental trajectories of pup's brain. Growth‐associated protein‐43 (GAP‐43) is a presynaptic membrane phosphoprotein whose expression increases during developmental events such as axonal outgrowth or remodeling and synaptogenesis. Phosphorylation of GAP‐43 by protein kinase C was correlated with enhanced axonal growth and transmitter release. In adult animals, increase of GAP‐43 correlated with monoaminergic deficit in neuropsychiatric disorders. The present study examines the effects of repeated maternal restraint stress on the level of GAP‐43 in the brain of rat pups. The results showed that prenatal stress significantly increased GAP‐43 level in the PFC of rat pup during PND 7–14 as compared to control but not significant difference when observed at PND 21. Increased GAP‐43 expression was also observed in the pup's hippocampus during the same postnatal periods. However, when observed at PND 60, pups born from stressed mother showed a significant lower (p < 0.001) GAP‐43 expression as compare with control group. These changes indicate the direct effect of corticosteroid hormone, since repeated maternal injection with corticosterone (CORT, 40 mg/kg) during GD 14–21 also gave the same results. PND 7–14 is the peak period of synaptogenesis in these brain areas and abnormal axon sprouting and reorganization may lead to a defect in synaptic pruning at later stage of life. The results suggested that maternal stress is harmful to the developing brain and upregulation of GAP‐43 indicated a protective mechanism against the toxicity of maternal stress hormone. Prenatal stress alter the normal developmental trajectories in the pup's brain may underlies the mechanism link between early life stress and neuropsychopathology in later life.
Low-mode internal tide generation by topography: an experimental and numerical investigation
Authors: ECHEVERRI PAULA , FLYNN M. R. , WINTERS KRAIG B. , PEACOCK THOMAS
Published: September 2009

We analyse the low-mode structure of internal tides generated in laboratory experiments and numerical simulations by a two-dimensional ridge in a channel of finite depth. The height of the ridge is approximately half of the channel depth and the regimes considered span sub- to supercritical topography. For small tidal excursions, of the order of 1% of the topographic width, our results agree well with linear theory. For larger tidal excursions, up to 15% of the topographic width, we find that the scaled mode 1 conversion rate decreases by less than 15%, in spite of nonlinear phenomena that break down the familiar wave-beam structure and generate harmonics and inter-harmonics. Modes two and three, however, are more strongly affected. For this topographic configuration, most of the linear baroclinic energy flux is associated with the mode 1 tide, so our experiments reveal that nonlinear behaviour does not significantly affect the barotropic to baroclinic energy conversion in this regime, which is relevant to large-scale ocean ridges. This may not be the case, however, for smaller scale ridges that generate a response dominated by higher modes.
Turbulent natural convection along a vertical plate immersed in a stably stratified fluid
Authors: FEDOROVICH EVGENI , SHAPIRO ALAN
Published: September 2009

The paper considers the moderately turbulent natural convection flow of a stably stratified fluid along an infinite vertical plate (wall). Attention is restricted to statistically stationary flow driven by constant surface forcing (heating), with Prandtl number of unity. The flow is controlled by the surface energy production rateFs, molecular viscosity/diffusivity ν and ambient stratification in terms of the Brunt–Väisälä (buoyancy) frequencyN. Following the transition from a laminar to a turbulent regime, the simulated flow enters a quasi-stationary oscillatory phase. In this phase, turbulent fluctuations gradually fade out with distance from the wall, while periodic laminar oscillations persist over much larger distances before they fade out. The scaled mean velocity, scaled mean buoyancy and scaled second-order turbulence statistics display a universal behaviour as functions of distance from the wall for given value of dimensionless combinationFs/(νN2) that may be interpreted as an integral Reynolds number. In the conducted numerical experiments, this number varied in the range from 2000 to 5000.
Steady base states for Navier–Stokes granular hydrodynamics with boundary heating and shear
Authors: VEGA REYES FRANCISCO , URBACH JEFFREY S.
Published: September 2009

We study the Navier–Stokes steady states for a low density monodisperse hard sphere granular gas (i.e a hard sphere ideal monatomic gas with inelastic inter-particle collisions). We present a classification of the uniform steady states that can arise from shear and temperature (or energy input) applied at the boundaries (parallel walls). We consider both symmetric and asymmetric boundary conditions and find steady states not previously reported, including sheared states with linear temperature profiles. We provide explicit expressions for the hydrodynamic profiles for all these steady states. Our results are validated by the numerical solution of the Boltzmann kinetic equation for the granular gas obtained by the direct simulation Monte Carlo method, and by molecular dynamics simulations. We discuss the physical origin of the new steady states and derive conditions for the validity of Navier–Stokes hydrodynamics.
Multiple asymptotic solutions for axially travelling waves in porous channels
Authors: MAJDALANI JOSEPH
Published: September 2009

Travelling waves in confined enclosures, such as porous channels, develop boundary layers that evolve over varying spatial scales. The present analysis employs a technique that circumvents guessing of the inner coordinate transformations at the forefront of a multiple-scales expansion. The work extends a former study in which a two-dimensional oscillatory solution was derived for the rotational travelling wave in a porous channel. This asymptotic solution was based on a free coordinate that could be evaluated using Prandtl's principle of matching with supplementary expansions. Its derivation required matching the dominant term in the multiple-scales expansion to an available Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) solution. Presently, the principle of least singular behaviour is used. This approach leads to a multiple-scales approximation that can be obtained independently of supplementary expansions. Furthermore, a procedure that yields different types of WKB solutions is described and extended to arbitrary order in the viscous perturbation parameter. Among those, the WKB expansion of type I is shown to exhibit an alternating singularity at odd orders in the perturbation parameter. This singularity is identified and suppressed using matched asymptotic tools. In contrast, the WKB expansion of type II is found to be uniformly valid at any order. Additionally, matched asymptotic, WKB and multiple-scales expansions are developed for several test cases. These enable us to characterize the essential vortico-acoustic features of the axially travelling waves in a porous channel. All solutions are numerically verified, compared and discussed.
Osmotically driven pipe flows and their relation to sugar transport in plants
Authors: JENSEN KÅRE H. , RIO EMMANUELLE , HANSEN RASMUS , CLANET CHRISTOPHE , BOHR TOMAS
Published: September 2009

In plants, osmotically driven flows are believed to be responsible for translocation of sugar in the pipe-like phloem cell network, spanning the entire length of the plant – the so-called Münch mechanism. In this paper, we present an experimental and theoretical study of transient osmotically driven flows through pipes with semi-permeable walls. Our aim is to understand the dynamics and structure of a ‘sugar front’, i.e. the transport and decay of a sudden loading of sugar in a water-filled pipe which is closed in both ends. In the limit of low axial resistance (valid in our experiments as well as in many cases in plants) we show that the equations of motion for the sugar concentration and the water velocity can be solved exactly by the method of characteristics, yielding the entire flow and concentration profile along the tube. The concentration front decays exponentially in agreement with the results of Eschrich, Evert & Young (Planta (Berl.), vol. 107, 1972, p. 279). In the opposite case of very narrow channels, we obtain an asymptotic solution for intermediate times showing a decay of the front velocity as M−1/3t−2/3 with time t and dimensionless number M ~ ηκL2r−3 for tubes of length L, radius r, permeability κ and fluid viscosity η. The experiments (which are in the small M regime) are in good quantitative agreement with the theory. The applicability of our results to plants is discussed and it is shown that it is probable that the Münch mechanism can account only for the short distance transport of sugar in plants.
Hesitant Nature
Authors: VILLERMAUX E.
Published: September 2009

The addition of even minute amounts of a polymer to a liquid can modify some of its properties drastically, like the ways in which jets of the liquid break into droplets or the dynamics of dripping droplets at an orifice. The elasticity conferred by the polymers can delay the separation of the drops considerably, which hesitate between falling or running back to the orifice, ‘gobbling’ along their way the thread to which they are attached. Other free-surface flows are also of a hesitant nature.
Strong beliefs and coping in old age: a case-based comparison of atheism and religious faith
Authors: WILKINSON PETER J. , COLEMAN PETER G.
Published: September 2009

Although a variety of research projects have been conducted on the benefits of religious coping in older adults, no direct comparison between atheism and religious faith has been published. The study reported in this paper tackled this issue by interviewing two matched groups of people aged over 60 years living in southern England, one of 11 informants with strong atheistic beliefs, and the other of eight informants with strong religious beliefs. Five paired comparisons were undertaken to examine the role of the content of the belief system itself in coping with different negative stresses and losses commonly associated with ageing and old age. The pairs were matched for the nature of the loss or stress that the two people had experienced, but the two individuals had opposed atheistic and religious beliefs. The analyses showed that all the study participants – regardless of their beliefs – were coping well, and suggested that a strong atheistic belief system can fulfil the same role as a strong religious belief system in providing support, explanation, consolation and inspiration. It is postulated that the strength of people's beliefs and how those beliefs are used might have more influence on the efficacy of coping than the specific nature of the beliefs. Further research into the strength of belief systems, including atheism, is required to test and elaborate this hypothesis.
Working Women or Women Workers? The Women's Trade Union League and the Transformation of the American Constitutional Order
Authors: Martens Allison M.
Published: September 2009

Labor, gender and, class have each been identified as important reconstructive forces of the American constitutional order, but rarely has a single organization provided an opportunity to directly study the interrelationship of all these forces during a critical period of constitutional change. This article examines one such organization during the years leading up to the New Deal: The Women's Trade Union League. The WTUL, which uniquely mixed middle-class and working-class membership, was founded in 1903 to facilitate trade union organizing by women. Its labor approach, however, would ultimately fail, pushing the league to more fully embrace its connections to the middle-class leadership of the women's movement, thereby transforming its strategic approach and constitutional outlook away from the anti-statist voluntarism of the labor movement to the pragmatic and statist maternalism of the women's movement. The WTUL would subsequently become an important contributor to the legislative program of progressive reformers flourishing during this period under the gendered exception to free contract liberty won inMuller v. Oregonin 1908. This strategic organizational transformation would create tensions within the league and between the league and women workers, as well as invite constitutional consequences for women workers that would resonate for years, long past the constitutional revolution of 1937 and the apparent constitutional reintegration of male and female labor. This case study, therefore, provides a unique lens through which to view not only the constitutional tradeoffs of the adoption of the gendered Constitution as an alternative to the labor Constitution, but also the impact of the resource-conscious decision making of social-movement actors that is often overlooked by constitutional scholars preoccupied with judicial decision making.
Inequality, Collective Action, and Democratization
Authors: Keefer Philip
Published: September 2009

Epic redistributive struggles between the rich and poor lie at the heart of prominent theories of economic development and the emergence of democracy (e.g., Boix 2003; Acemoglu and Robinson 2006). The poor pursue democracy to secure credible redistribution away from wealthy elites; elites, fearing redistribution, but also the costs of revolution, decide whether to repress these efforts or to surrender to them. These theories, and the historical examples of working classes exacting redistributive or political concessions from elites, have been interpreted as suggesting that inequality and redistributive struggles should be central features of development and democratization. Where inequality is high, democracy should be unlikely to emerge, or to emerge and be unstable. Because elites in unequal societies are unwilling to adopt institutions that encourage growth and investment (such as institutions that protect non-elites from predation by elites), incomes should be lower as well.
Coalitions, Carrots, and Sticks: Economic Inequality and Authoritarian States
Authors: Gallagher Mary , Hanson Jonathan K.
Published: September 2009

As the other articles in this symposium demonstrate, a country's level of economic inequality is a function of a complex set of historical, geographic, economic, and political factors. Given this complexity, it is unsurprising that a country's regime type by itself does not tell us much about its level of economic inequality. The predictions of the linear tax model aside (Meltzer and Richard 1981), democracies and non-democracies do not differ greatly in terms of their level and variation in inequality. Research focusing on democracies has helped identify some the sources of this variation, but inequality in authoritarian states remains relatively understudied. The growing body of work on authoritarian politics, however, provides a foundation for research in this area.
Neoliberalism: A Useful Tool for Teaching Critical Topics in Political Science
Authors: Hartmann-Mahmud Lori
Published: September 2009

Neoliberalism is one of the most pervasive and contested concepts of our contemporary era. Thus, it is essential for students to gain an understanding of its history, meaning, assumptions, and policy prescriptions. In addition to recognizing the importance of neoliberalism in the current political discourse, I argue that the polarized responses to the concept provide opportunities for teaching about critical topics in political science. This article provides suggestions for teaching about six such topics through the lens of neoliberal policies such as free trade, structural adjustment, and privatization.
Wizarding in the Classroom: Teaching Harry Potter and Politics
Authors: Deets Stephen
Published: September 2009

This article describes teaching a course called Harry Potter and Politics. Focusing on aspects of political culture, the class tackled themes of identity, institutional behavior, and globalization. Teaching Harry Potter has several benefits. Students are both familiar with the wizarding world and yet have enough distance to examine it dispassionately. The book is driven by ethnic conflict, political power struggles, and dysfunctional bureaucracies. Finally, there is an academic literature on the books. Beyond Harry Potter, teaching politics through popular culture is not only natural for addressing political culture, but taps into the ways undergraduates are increasingly experiencing politics.
Comparing Judicial Institutions: Using an Inquisitorial Trial Simulation to Facilitate Student Understanding of International Legal Traditions
Authors: Weiden David L.
Published: September 2009

This article proposes a new role-playing exercise for public law courses: a mock-trial simulation using the European inquisitorial system of trial procedure. By exposing students to an alternative method of conducting a trial, numerous pedagogical benefits can be obtained, including stimulating critical thinking regarding the potential inefficiencies in the American trial system. The article provides an overview of the inquisitorial trial system, and also sets out the procedures for conducting the simulation and conducting assessment.
Comparative Reasoning in the Undergraduate Classroom
Authors: Gavrilis George , El-Ghobashy Mona
Published: September 2009

One of the greatest challenges we face as political scientists is to teach undergraduates how to think comparatively. This article proposes a number of practical, easily adaptable exercises that many of us can incorporate in our teaching to turn curious undergraduates into smart social scientists who think comparatively about the world.
Political Science Journals in Comparative Perspective: Evaluating Scholarly Journals in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom
Authors: Garand James C. , Giles Micheal W. , Blais André , McLean Iain
Published: September 2009

In this article we report the results from a new survey of political scientists regarding their evaluations of journals in the political science discipline. Unlike previous research that has focused on data from the United States, we conducted an Internet survey of political scientists in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. We present data on journal evaluations, journal familiarity, and journal impact, both for our entire sample (N = 1,695) and separately for respondents from each of the three countries. We document the overall hierarchy of scholarly journals among political scientists, though we find important similarities and differences in how political scientists from these three countries evaluate the scholarly journals in the discipline. Our results suggest that there is a strong basis for cross-national integration in scholarly journal communication, though methodological differences among the three countries may be an impediment.
TWILEY W. BARKER
Authors: Simpson Dick , Johnson Richard , Lyles Kevin
Published: September 2009

Twiley W. Barker, 83, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, died July 13, 2009.
Leroy Hardy
Authors: Steiner Barry H.
Published: September 2009

Leroy C. Hardy, emeritus professor of political science at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), passed away on November 2, 2008, at the age of 81. He specialized in California government and politics and was best known as a long-term consultant to state legislators on the subject of the reapportionment of legislative districts.
William V. Moore
Authors: Jos Philip H.
Published: September 2009

On April 25, 2009, the College of Charleston and the Charleston community lost a beloved teacher, mentor, scholar, and colleague, William V. Moore, distinguished professor of political science.
Deil S. Wright
Authors: Dometrius Nelson C. , Bowling Cynthia J. , Brudney Jeffrey L. , Cho Chung-Lae , Ferguson Margaret R. , Light Alfred R. (Fred) , Ryu Jay Eungha
Published: September 2009

Deil Spencer Wright, Alumni Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, passed away on June 30 2009, at the age of 79. Born on June 18, 1930, in Three Rivers, Michigan, to working-class parents, Deil received his BA, MPA, and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He spent time on the faculties of Wayne State University, the University of Iowa, and the University of California at Berkeley before landing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for the bulk of his career.
PROFILE: Henry Brady, Big Scientist
Authors: Bartels Larry M. , Johnston Richard , Kaplan Cynthia S. , Meyers Marcia K.
Published: September 2009

Henry Brady's career is a testament to the virtues of big social science—big questions, big datasets, big toolkits, big institutions. While much of political science still functions as a cottage industry, he has played a leading role in the second generation of our discipline's post-war industrial revolution. Building on the varied contributions of such earlier stalwarts as Warren Miller, David Truman, Gabriel Almond, and Paul Lazarsfeld, Brady has contributed significantly to the theoretical, empirical, methodological, and institutional development of the field. With intelligence, energy, and good will, he has instigated and nurtured a remarkable variety of projects, partnerships, and programs to advance our understanding of important political phenomena.
Variations of Rorschach Variables in Therapeutic Follow-Up
Authors: Campo Vera
Published: September 2009

This paper studies some of the basic Rorschach styles and diagnostic indexes, most of which are considered to be stable over time in the Comprehensive System (EB and EBPer, EA, Lambda, Form Color Ratio, Afr, Mp > Ma, 3r + (2)/R, Reflections, Zd+–, X+%, SCZI, DEPI and CDI and AP). It compares the Rorschach protocols of 30 adult patients before and after 1 year of psychoanalytic therapy. The concept of style, a simple description of the patterns of changes observed (%’s), the descriptive group statistics together with a comparison of paired groups (Wilcoxon), a Pearson correlation, and a comparison with the Weiner and Exner (1990 ) study are described and discussed, with the aim of clarifying and briefly illustrating how these styles and indexes behave in follow-up research with the Rorschach, and how their stability is over time. Results showed that, with the exception of EA, EBPer, Afr, the directionality of the Form Color Ratio, high W and Dd, S responses, and a high Lambda – styles that appeared as most stable – no definite patterns could be observed in the remaining styles and indexes studied after only 1 year of treatment.
Assessing Changes in Psychoanalytic Psychodynamic Therapy with an Early Adolescent
Authors: di Riso Daniela , Salcuni Silvia , Laghezza Loredana , Marogna Cristina , Lis Adriana
Published: September 2009

This paper describes changes in personality functioning according to Exner’s Rorschach Comprehensive System (CS) in an early adolescent boy, Gabriele, referred for anxiety and obsessive compulsive symptoms. The DSM-IV diagnosis was General Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The therapy lasted about 2 years, and sessions were all audio-taped to create a more objective database. A total of 50 sessions were analyzed. The therapist employed a broadly defined, object-relations-focused, psychodynamic framework, with particular emphasis placed on balancing supportive versus insight-oriented modes of therapy ( Skean, 2005 ). After a brief introduction of Gabriele’s clinical history and anamnesis, the paper illustrates (a) changes in the symptoms from the beginning to the end of the supportive psychodynamic psychotherapy, which also included some cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions; (b) changes in the CS administered at the beginning and at the end of the psychotherapy; and (c) the relevance of therapeutic alliance measured by the Collaborative Interactive Scale (CIS; Colli & Lingiardi, 2007 ) as a fundamental intervening variable in the psychotherapy process.
The Great Chinese Famine Leads to Shorter and Overweight Females in Chongqing Chinese Population After 50 Years
Authors: Wang Yonghong , Wang Xiaolin , Kong Yuhan , Zhang John H. , Zeng Qing
Published: September 2009

This study investigated a possible association between early nutritional status during the famine, and the risk of overweight and obesity in adulthood in Chongqing Chinese population. The body weight, height, and BMI data were obtained from records of population (17,023) that had annual physical evaluations in the Public Health Center (in our hospital). Subjects born during 1956–1964 were divided into three groups: toddler group, all subjects who were born 1–3 years before the famine (1956–1958); gestational group, who were born during the famine period (1959–1961), and control group, who were born after the famine (1962–1964). The body weight and BMI were significantly higher, but the body height was significantly lower in the toddler and gestational groups (P < 0.05) in the female population as compared to the control group. The odds ratio of being overweight in females is more pronounced in the toddler group (1.48 times, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.288–1.689) than in the gestational group (1.26 times, 95% CI: 1.089–1.457). The odds ratio of being obese in females is significantly higher in the toddler group (1.46 times, 95% CI: 1.288–1.689) than the control group. For males, the famine had no impact at all on the adulthood body weight in males. The Great Chinese Famine that affected the Chongqing population during 1959–1961 leads to shorter and overweight females, and the former is a risk factor for increased BMI in Chongqing. Second, the famine seems to be producing shorter but slimmer males in Chongqing. Furthermore, toddler's and maternal's malnutrition during the famine had important late consequences on the health status.
Spectroscopic properties and lattice dynamics of ferroelectric and related functional oxide ceramics
Authors: Petzelt Jan , Kamba Stanislav
Published: September 2009

Dielectric response as a function of frequency for high-permittivity dielectric and ferroelectric materials is discussed emphasizing the dynamic behaviour in the microwave and infrared range. After introducing the usual modelling of the polar phonon response and anharmonic hopping in locally dynamically disordered solids, including discussion of displacive and order-disorder ferroelectric phase transitions, we summarised the experimental data for selected ferroelectric, incipient ferroelectric and antiferroelectric perovskite ceramics (STO, BTO, BST, PZO), discussing the dielectric grain size effect due to a low-permittivity (dead) grain-boundary layer. Other important structural types of ferroelectrics (Aurivillius compounds SBT, pyrochlores CNO, PMN) are mentioned, as well. Attention is then paid to relaxor ferroelectrics (PLZT, PMN, PMT, PST, NBT of perovskite structure and SBN and a novel BLNTN solid solution system and SLTN of tungsten-bronze structure) and their extremely broad and complex dielectric dispersion. Then some new results on magnetoelectric multiferroics (BiFeO3, BiFe1/2Cr1/2O3, EuTiO3) are summarised and finally our results on microwave ceramics (used for microwave applications) are noted, discussing mainly the problem of extrapolating the microwave dielectric properties from the infrared and THz range. A glossary is added, briefly explaining the meaning of several concepts which might not be quite familiar for the reader.
Model core potentials for studies of scalar-relativistic effects and spin-orbit coupling at Douglas–Kroll level. I. Theory and applications to Pb and Bi
Authors: Zeng Tao , Fedorov Dmitri G. , Klobukowski Mariusz
Published: September 2009

A theory of model core potentials that can treat spin-orbit-coupling (SOC) effects at the level of Douglas–Kroll formalism has been developed. By storing the damping effect of kinematic operator in the Douglas–Kroll spin-orbit operator into an additional set of basis set contraction coefficients, the Breit–Pauli spin-orbit code in the GAMESS-US program was successfully used to perform Douglas–Kroll spin-orbit calculations. It was found that minute errors in the radial functions of valence orbitals lead to large errors in the spin-orbit energy levels and thus fitting the radial part of the spin-orbit matrix elements is necessary in model core potential parametrization. The first model core potentials that include the new formalism were developed for two 6p-block elements, Pb and Bi. The valence space of the 5p, 5d, 6s, and 6p orbitals was used because of the large SOC between the 5p and 6p orbitals. The model core potentials were validated in the calculations of atomic properties as well as spectroscopic constants of diatomic metal hydrides. The agreement between results of the model core potential and all-electron calculations was excellent, with energy errors of hundreds of cm−1 and hundredths of eV, re errors of thousandths of Å, and ωe errors under 20 cm−1. Two kinds of interplay between SOC effect and bonding process (antibonding and bonding SOC) were demonstrated using spin-free term potential curves of PbH and BiH. The present study is the first extension of the model core potential method beyond Breit–Pauli to Douglas–Kroll SOC calculations.
Correlation functions of integrable models: A description of the ABACUS algorithm
Authors: Caux Jean-Sébastien
Published: September 2009

Recent developments in the theory of integrable models have provided the means of calculating dynamical correlation functions of some important observables in systems such as Heisenberg spin chains and one-dimensional atomic gases. This article explicitly describes how such calculations are generally implemented in the ABACUS C++ library, emphasizing the universality in treatment of different cases coming as a consequence of unifying features within the Bethe ansatz.
Examination of laser-triggered discharge using a virtual gas model and the similarity of its Paschen curve with those of inert gases
Authors: Hoshi Y. , Yoshida H.
Published: September 2009

We examined laser-triggered discharge (LTD) under asymmetric electric fields in air. Upon introducing a virtual gas with npd (n=2.8–3) instead of pd in Paschen’s law [Ann. Phys. Chem. 37, 69 (1889)], the results of LTD in air coincided with the Paschen curve. A Paschen curve similar to those of inert gases, i.e., Ne and He, can be obtained even in air. This implies that in LTD, the number of gas molecules between electrodes appears to be n times higher than that in air. In LTD in air, the γ effect is presumed to be significant, similar to in inert gases.
Optical interferometric analysis of colliding laser produced air plasmas
Authors: Zhang Hongchao , Lu Jian , Ni Xiaowu
Published: September 2009

Colliding air plasmas produced using 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser were analyzed using optical interferometry. For generating multiple air plasmas, the spherical aberrations of the focusing lens were used. The three-dimensional (3D) distributions of the electron density and the gas density behind shock wave front were investigated. The two-dimensional fast Fourier transform technique was used to extract the phase shift of the interferograms and a numerical inverse Abel transformation was applied to reconstruct the 3D distribution of the refractive index. Based on the Gladston–Dale relation, high resolution images of the 3D distributions of the electron density and the gas density were achieved. From the results, a stagnation layer was formed due to the collision of shock waves and the succeeding plasmas. The enhancements of electron density and gas density were observed in the collision zone. It shows that the collision region depends on the pulse energy. With smaller pulse energy, the thickness of the stagnation layer increased, while the enhancement of the gas density behind the shock wave front in the collision zone reduced.
Dynamic in situ observations of electrical and structural changes in thin thermoelectric (Bi0.15Sb0.85)2Te3 films
Authors: Bertram Katrin , Stordeur Matthias , Heyroth Frank , Leipner Hartmut S.
Published: September 2009

Thin films of (Bi0.15Sb0.85)2Te3 were prepared by dc magnetron sputter deposition on different substrates. It is well known that thermal treatment of as-deposited p-type (Bi0.15Sb0.85)2Te3 films leads to an enhancement of the power factor. Whereas up to now only the initial (as deposited) and the final (after annealing) film stages have been investigated, here, the dynamic changes of sputter-deposited film properties have been observed by in situ measurements. The enhancement of the power factor shows a significant dependence on thermal treatment. The best thermoelectric films have been prepared at a substrate temperature of 170 °C, with a power factor of 24.4 μW/(cm K2). The changes in the Seebeck and Hall coefficients are caused by the enhancement in the Hall mobility after annealing. In situ x-ray diffractometry shows the generation of additional Te in dependence of the temperature. This is also confirmed by energy-dispersive x-ray microanalysis and the corresponding mapping in a scanning electron microscope. It is supposed that the locally well-defined Te enrichment is the reason for the improvement in the integral film transport properties.
Analyses of response and recovery kinetics of zinc ferrite as hydrogen gas sensor
Authors: Mukherjee K. , Majumder S. B.
Published: September 2009

In the present work we have investigated the hydrogen sensing behavior of porous nanocrystalline zinc ferrite sensing elements. The response and recovery transients of conductance were modeled using Langmuir adsorption kinetics with two active adsorption sites in the sensing elements. Analyses of these transients revealed that the hydrogen gas adsorption and water molecule desorption are the two rate limiting processes controlling the response and recovery kinetics of gas sensing. Between the two adsorption sites, one of them with faster response as well as recovery time constants is argued to be the macroporous region of the sensing elements. On the other hand the mesoporous regions of the sensing elements are linked to comparatively slower response and recovery time constants. For these two sites the values of the activation energies for response and recovery behavior, estimated from the temperature dependence of respective time constants, were found to be different. The difference in respective activation energies for response as well as recovery is thought to be due to different chemiadsorbed oxygen species in these two sites.
High antimony content GaAs1−zNz–GaAs1−ySby type-II “W” structure for long wavelength emission
Authors: Rathi M. K. , Khandekar A. A. , Song Xueyan , Babcock S. E. , Mawst L. J. , Kuech T. F.
Published: September 2009

GaAs 1 − z N z – GaAs 1 − y Sb y type-II “W” structures were studied for long wavelength (1300–1600 nm) applications. These structures were grown on a GaAs substrate using metal-organic vapor phase epitaxy. The antimony and nitrogen compositions in the pseudomorphic GaAs1−ySby and GaAs1−zNz were estimated by separately growing GaAs1−ySby–GaAs and GaAs1−zNz–GaAs strained superlattices. X-ray studies indicate that a maximum of y=0.37 antimony can be incorporated in the pseudomorphic GaAs1−ySby film grown using triethyl gallium (TEGa), trimethyl antimony (TMSb) and arsine (AsH3) at the growth temperatures employed. A postgrowth anneal was used to improve the emission intensity but leads to shifts in the emission wavelength. An emission wavelength as long as 1.47 μm was realized using a GaAs1−zNz–GaAs1−ySby–GaAs1−zNz structure.
A superlens for the deep ultraviolet
Authors: Schilling Alina , Schilling Joerg , Reinhardt Carsten , Chichkov Boris
Published: September 2009

A superlens based on a single aluminum layer operating at deep ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths is investigated both, theoretically and experimentally. Using a wavelength of 157 nm double slits with a center-to-center separation of only 70 nm were experimentally resolved and simulations indicate a possible resolution down to 29 nm with experimentally feasible arrangements. The results demonstrate the significance of aluminum as plasmonic material for the deep UV.
Structures and physiological functions of silica bodies in the epidermis of rice plants
Authors: Yamanaka Shigeru , Takeda Hiroyuki , Komatsubara Satoshi , Ito Fuyu , Usami Hisanao , Togawa Eiji , Yoshino Katsumi
Published: September 2009

We characterized silica structures in the epidermis of rice plant leaves and investigated their physiological functions from optical and mechanical viewpoints. By treating the distribution of silica bodies as a triangular lattice in the xy plane, and performing a theoretical optical analysis on this lattice, we discovered that a reduction in the photonic density of states may inhibit leaves of rice plant from being heated markedly higher than 20 °C. Ladderlike structures in the epidermis were mechanically investigated. These structures are conjectured to inhibit flat leaves from undergoing twisting torsions, which may assist the leaf to absorb sunlight more effectively for photosynthesis.
Mach–Zehnder–Fano interferometer
Authors: Miroshnichenko Andrey E. , Kivshar Yuri S.
Published: September 2009

We introduce a concept of the Mach–Zehnder–Fano interferometer by inserting a cavity exhibiting Fano resonance into a conventional interferometer. By employing the scattering-matrix approach, we demonstrate that the transmission becomes sensitive to a position of the cavity such that an asymmetric structure exhibits a series of narrow resonances with almost perfect reflection. We discuss how to implement this novel geometry in two-dimensional photonic crystals and use direct numerical simulations to demonstrate novel regimes of the resonant transmission and reflection.
Manipulating electronic couplings and nonadiabatic nuclear dynamics with strong laser pulses
Authors: Gelin Maxim F. , Egorova Dassia , Domcke Wolfgang
Published: September 2009

We demonstrate the possibility of manipulating the coupling between two (optically bright and optically dark) excited electronic states and of controlling the ensuing nuclear wave packet dynamics via a strong laser pulse, which couples the ground and the bright electronic state. The control of the wave packet dynamics is implemented through the creation of a highly nonequilibrium distribution in the bright-dark vibronic manifold. The distribution is produced due to the combined effect of the external pulse (through Rabi cycling) and the system itself (through the electronic interstate coupling). The induced wave packet dynamics persists long after the pulse is over, both in the isolated and in the dissipative system. The effects are robust and are achieved by varying the strength and duration of a Gaussian pulse, that is, no careful tuning of the pulse shape is required. Possible applications of our results include the strong-pulse control of electron transfer as well as the enhancement and detection of intramolecular electronic coupling via strong-pulse spectroscopy.
Cross-Border Metropolitan Integration in Europe: The Case of Luxembourg, Basel, and Geneva
Authors: Sohn Christophe , Reitel Bernard , Walther Olivier
Published: September 2009

In this paper we question the integration processes in three small cross-border metropolitan areas: Luxembourg, Basel, and Geneva. By referring to an original analysis framework, we evaluate the nature and intensity of the functional and institutional integration and highlight the elements that structure the cooperation between the actors. The analysis shows that there is not necessarily a reciprocal link between the size of the functional area and the extent of the cooperation. Whilst no metropolitan-sized organisation is on the agenda in Luxembourg, the example of Basel and Geneva shows that the presence of a national border offers an opportunity to invent original forms of governance, to increase the autonomy of the local authorities by different types of cooperation which transcend the institutional and territorial divides, and to promote the international character of the metropolitan centre. In a context of global competition, these features represent an undeniable benefit.
Endothelial nitric oxide synthase negatively regulates hydrogen peroxide-stimulated AMP-activated protein kinase in endothelial cells
Authors: Jin Benjamin Y. , Sartoretto Juliano L. , Gladyshev Vadim N. , Michel Thomas
Published: September 2009

Hydrogen peroxide and other reactive oxygen species are intimately involved in endothelial cell signaling. In many cell types, the AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been implicated in the control of metabolic responses, but the role of endothelial cell redox signaling in the modulation of AMPK remains to be completely defined. We used RNA interference and pharmacological methods to establish that H
2
O
2
is a critical activator of AMPK in cultured bovine aortic endothelial cells (BAECs). H
2
O
2
treatment of BAECs rapidly and significantly increases the phosphorylation of AMPK. The EC
50
for H
2
O
2
-promoted phosphorylation of AMPK is 65 ± 15 μM, within the physiological range of cellular H
2
O
2
concentrations. The Ca
2+
/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase-β (CaMKKβ) inhibitor STO-609 abolishes H
2
O
2
-dependent AMPK activation, whereas eNOS inhibitors enhance AMPK activation. Similarly, siRNA-mediated knockdown of CaMKKβ abrogates AMPK activation, whereas siRNA-mediated knockdown of eNOS leads to a striking increase in AMPK phosphorylation. Cellular imaging studies using the H
2
O
2
biosensor HyPer show that siRNA-mediated eNOS knockdown leads to a marked increase in intracellular H
2
O
2
generation, which is blocked by PEG-catalase. eNOS
−/−
mice show a marked increase in AMPK phosphorylation in liver and lung compared to wild-type mice. Lung endothelial cells from eNOS
−/−
mice also show a significant increase in AMPK phosphorylation. Taken together, these results establish that CaMKKβ is critically involved in mediating the phosphorylation of AMPK promoted by H
2
O
2
in endothelial cells, and document that eNOS is an important negative regulator of AMPK phosphorylation and intracellular H
2
O
2
generation in endothelial cells.