bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Determination of Experimental Conditions for Applying Hot Wire Method to Thermal Conductivity of Slag
Authors: Glaser Björn , Ma Luyao , Sichen Du
Published: January 2013

In order to apply the hot wire method for metallurgical slags at steelmaking temperatures, a numerical model was developed, cold model experiments were conducted and test measurements using a high temperature experimental setup were carried out. To minimize natural convection and obtain more reliable measurements, the crucible diameter, the hot‐wire diameter, the applied current, the position of the wire in the crucible, and the cooling on the upper surface of the crucible were studied. Investigations into the choice of sheathing material of the circuit exposed to the slag were also made. It was found that only certain materials were suitable for slag measurements depending on slag composition and temperature. The electrical resistivity of the hot wire was measured to make the thermal conductivity calculation more reliable. The wire diameter also played a major role, because of the heat generation per surface area. The thermal conductivity should be derived from the values measured during the first seconds. In this initial stage, the effect of the natural convection as a function of the wire position in the crucible, the cooling on the top surface, and the diameter of the crucible are negligible. A compromise has to be made in choosing the electrical current, since higher current results in higher sensitivity but at the same time in more natural convection.
Prevention of perinatal death and adverse perinatal outcome using low‐dose aspirin: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Roberge S. , Nicolaides K. H. , Demers S. , Villa P. , Bujold E.
Published: January 2013

Objective

To compare early vs late administration of low‐dose aspirin on the risk of perinatal death and adverse perinatal outcome.

Methods

Databases were searched for keywords related to aspirin and pregnancy. Only randomized controlled trials that evaluated the prophylactic use of low‐dose aspirin (50–150 mg/day) during pregnancy were included. The primary outcome combined fetal and neonatal death. Pooled relative risks (RR) with their 95% CIs were compared according to gestational age at initiation of low‐dose aspirin (≤ 16 vs > 16 weeks of gestation).

Results

Out of 8377 citations, 42 studies (27 222 women) were included. Inclusion criteria were risk factors for pre‐eclampsia, including: nulliparity, multiple pregnancy, chronic hypertension, cardiovascular or endocrine disease, prior gestational hypertension or fetal growth restriction, and/or abnormal uterine artery Doppler. When compared with controls, low‐dose aspirin started at ≤ 16 weeks' gestation compared with low‐dose aspirin started at >16 weeks' gestation was associated with a greater reduction of perinatal death (RR = 0.41 (95% CI, 0.19–0.92) vs 0.93 (95% CI, 0.73–1.19), P = 0.02), pre‐eclampsia (RR = 0.47 (95% CI, 0.36–0.62) vs 0.78 (95% CI, 0.61–0.99), P < 0.01), severe pre‐eclampsia (RR = 0.18 (95% CI, 0.08–0.41)
vs 0.65 (95% CI, 0.40–1.07), P < 0.01), fetal growth restriction (RR = 0.46 (95% CI, 0.33–0.64) vs 0.98 (95% CI, 0.88–1.08), P < 0.001) and preterm birth (RR = 0.35 (95% CI, 0.22–0.57) vs 0.90 (95% CI, 0.83–0.97), P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Low‐dose aspirin initiated at ≤ 16 weeks of gestation is associated with a greater reduction of perinatal death and other adverse perinatal outcomes than when initiated at >16 weeks. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Functional protein–organic/inorganic hybrid nanomaterials
Authors: Wang Rui , Zhang Yifei , Lu Diannan , Ge Jun , Liu Zheng , Zare Richard N.
Published: January 2013

Nanotechnology oﬀers immense opportunities for regulating and improving biological functions of proteins in vitro. Recent years have witnessed growing eﬀorts to develop protein‐incorporated hybrid nanostructured materials with potential applications in functional materials, enzymatic catalysis, drug delivery, and analytical sciences. In this review, recent advances in functional protein–organic/inorganic hybrid nanomaterials are discussed with an emphasis on the novel preparation methods, resulting nanostructures, and their potential applications in drug delivery and enzymatic catalysis. Future directions toward the rational design of these bionanomaterials are suggested. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2013, 5:320–328. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1210

This article is categorized under:

Diagnostic Tools > Biosensing

Diagnostic Tools > In Vitro Nanoparticle-Based Sensing

Diagnostic Tools > In Vivo Nanodiagnostics and Imaging

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Polarization Issues
Authors: Minty Michiko G. , Zimmermann Frank
Published: January 2013

The study of spin dynamics in synchrotrons has evolved over the years as has the desire for achieving polarized particle beams of the highest possible beam energies. A selection of reviews of the dynamics of polarized beams may be found in [1]–[9]. In this chapter, we focus on experimental data and describe spin transport in circular accelerators and transport lines. Except where explicitly mentioned, radiative effects in electron accelerators or very high energy proton accelerators are not treated here. We begin with a review of the Thomas-BMT equation for spin motion. This will be given in terms of the SU(2) spinor representation. Spinor algebra will be introduced and applied in the description of techniques used for preserving the beam polarization during acceleration through depolarizing resonances at moderate beam energies.
Transverse Optics Measurement and Correction
Authors: Minty Michiko G. , Zimmermann Frank
Published: January 2013

In order to preserve the beam quality, accurate knowledge of the transverse optics and its correction is most often mandatory. For example, if the distribution of a beam injected into a storage ring is not matched to the ring optics, the emittance will grow due to filamentation. Or, if there is a significant optics error, e.g., induced by a strength error in a quadrupole magnet, the beam envelope may vary strongly. The resulting reduction in dynamic aperture may then lead to enhanced beam loss.
Transverse Beam Emittance Measurement and Control
Authors: Minty Michiko G. , Zimmermann Frank
Published: January 2013

The beam emittance ∈xyz represents the volume of the beam occupied in the six dimensional phase space (x, x′, y, y′, φ, δ), where x and y are the transverse positions, x′ and y′ are the transverse angles, φ is the time-like variable representing the relative phase of the beam, and δ is the relative beam momentum error. Using the notation of the beam matrix Σbeam introduced in Chap. 1, the 6-dimensional emittance is
$${\varepsilon _{xyz}} = \det \Sigma _{beam}^{xyz}.$$
Considering now only the horizontal plane, the corresponding 2-dimensional horizontal emittance is obtained from
$${\varepsilon _x} = \sqrt {\left\langle {{x^2}} \right\rangle \left\langle {{{x'}^2}} \right\rangle- {{\left\langle {xx'} \right\rangle }^2}} ,$$
where the first moments have been subtracted, and the average (〈…〉) is taken over the distribution function of the beam; recall also (1.27–1.29). An analoguous expression holds for the vertical plane. For a coupled system, the general form of (4.1) must be taken.
Longitudinal Optics Measurement and Correction
Authors: Minty Michiko G. , Zimmermann Frank
Published: January 2013

Longitudinal focusing for a bunched beam is provided by both the change in path length with particle energy and by the time-dependent accelerating voltage. Usually one employs a smooth approximation, i.e., one ignores the discrete locations of the rf cavities, in describing the particle motion. The longitudinal motion can then be modelled by second order differential equations. For small oscillation amplitudes these equations simplify to those of harmonic oscillators.
Injection and Extraction
Authors: Minty Michiko G. , Zimmermann Frank
Published: January 2013

In transferring the beam from one accelerator to another, preservation of the beam properties is essential. Injection should be accomplished with minimum beam loss and often minimal emittance dilution. Single-turn injection, in which a single bunch of particles is injected into a single empty rf bucket, is usually straightforward. In many cases, however, to attain higher bunch currents, one may also wish to accumulate beam in a storage ring by reinjecting different beam pulses into the same rf bucket. This is called multi-turn injection. In addition to conventional schemes, there are several new or more exotic injection techniques, devised to control and improve the properties of the stored beam.
Preoperative Risk Factors Influencing the Incidence of Postoperative Sepsis in Human Immunodeficiency Virus‐Infected Patients: A Retrospective Cohort Study
Authors: Su Jinsong , Tsun Andy , Zhang Lei , Xia Xianjun , Li Bin , Guo Ruizhang , Liu Baochi
Published: January 2013

Background

Compared to noninfected patients, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐infected patients undergoing surgery have an increased postoperative risk of developing sepsis. We aimed to investigate the preoperative risk factors that affect the incidence of sepsis after surgery in HIV‐infected patients.

Methods

Clinical parameters of 215 patients with HIV/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) who had undergone surgery between January 2011 and February 2012 were examined retrospectively for the effect of HIV/AIDS on the incidence of postoperative sepsis.

Results

Logistic regression analysis identified four independent risk factors of postoperative sepsis in HIV‐infected patients: CD4 counts [B = −0.007, odds ratio (OR) 0.993]; blood albumin levels (B = −0.077, OR 0.926); surgical infection (B = 1.887, OR 6.598); major surgery (B = 1.013, OR 2.754). The incidence of postoperative sepsis was high with CD4 counts ≤ 100 cells/μl, albumin levels <35 g/L, the presence of surgical infection, the patient had undergone major surgery—81.25%, 39/48; 76.47%, 26/34; 70.73%, 29/41; and 54.76%, 46/84, respectively, compared to that of the total cohort (40.93%, 88/215). When CD4 counts were >350 cells/μl, the incidence of postoperative sepsis was significantly lower (16.36%, 9/55).

Conclusions

Low CD4 cell counts, hypoalbuminemia, surgical infection, and major surgery are independent risk factors for the development of postoperative sepsis among HIV‐infected patients. CD4 cell numbers and albumin levels negatively correlated with the incidence of postoperative sepsis, whereas surgical infections and major surgical procedures positively correlated with the incidence of postoperative sepsis.
Large balloon dilation for the treatment of recurrent bile duct stones prevents short‐term recurrence in patients with previous endoscopic sphincterotomy
Authors: Harada Ryo , Maguchi Hiroyuki , Takahashi Kuniyuki , Katanuma Akio , Osanai Manabu , Yane Kei , Hashigo Syunpei , Kaneko Maki , Katoh Ryusuke , Katoh Shin
Published: January 2013

Background/purpose

Our previous study revealed the efficacy and safety of the large balloon dilation (LBD) technique. However, there is insufficient objective data about the recurrence rate. The aim of this study was to compare the recurrence rate of common bile duct (CBD) stones between patients treated with and without LBD.

Methods

Patients with recurrent CBD stones treated between April 2006 and August 2010, and who had a history of endoscopic sphincterotomy (ES), were enrolled. Patients were excluded if they had a CBD diameter of less than 10 mm or if the diameter of their largest CBD stone was <10 mm.

Results

A total of 62 consecutive patients were investigated. From April 2006 to November 2007, 32 patients were treated without LBD (non‐LBD group; historical control). From December 2007 to August 2010, 30 patients underwent LBD (LBD group). The median follow‐up times in the LBD and non‐LBD groups were 517 and 1034days (p < 0.001), respectively. Kaplan—Meier analysis revealed a significantly lower incidence of recurrent CBD stones in the LBD group than in the non‐LBD group (p = 0.048).

Conclusions

LBD reduces the short‐term recurrence of CBD stones in patients with previous ES.
Inhibition of Cast Iron Corrosion in Acid, Base, and Neutral Media Using Schiff Base Derivatives
Authors: Rajeswari Velayutham , Kesavan Devarayan , Gopiraman Mayakrishnan , Viswanathamurthi Periasamy
Published: January 2013

Three Schiff bases, 2‐acetylpyridine thiosemicarbazone (I1), 2‐acetylpyridine‐(4‐methylthiosemicarbazone) (I2), and 2‐acetylpyridine‐(4‐phenylthiosemicarbazone) (I3) were tested against corrosion of cast iron in aqueous solutions of HCl, NaOH, NH4Cl, and NaCl by means of a mass loss method and electrochemical measurements. The inhibition efficiency is directly proportional to inhibitor concentration, while it decreases with prolonged immersion time and at low temperatures. In order to study the effect of an additive, synergism of KI was also studied. The adsorption of Schiff bases in corrosive media obeys Langmuir's isotherm, both in the presence and absence of KI. The UV–Vis, FT‐IR, WAXD and SEM analyses were carried out to support the mechanism of corrosion inhibition. The ΔGads values reveal that the inhibition was mainly due to physisorption of the inhibitor molecules on the surface of cast iron. The electrochemical polarization results showed the predominantly cathodic nature of the inhibitors.
Hepatic Isoprenoid Metabolism in a Rat Model of Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz Syndrome
Authors: Keller R. Kennedy , Mitchell David A. , Goulah Christopher C. , Fliesler Steven J.
Published: January 2013

Elevated (4 to 7‐fold) levels of urinary dolichol and coenzyme Q and substantially longer chain lengths for urinary dolichols have been reported in Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz Syndrome (SLOS) patients, compared to normal subjects. We investigated the possibility of similar alterations in hepatic, nonsterol isoprenoids in a well‐established rat model of SLOS. In this model, the ratio of 7‐dehydrocholesterol (7DHC) to cholesterol (Chol) in serum approached 15:1; however, total sterol mass in serum decreased by >80 %. Livers from treated rats had 7DHC/Chol ratios of ~32:1, but the steady‐state levels of total sterols were >40 % those of livers from age‐matched (3‐month‐old) control animals. No significant differences in the levels of LDL receptor or HMG‐CoA reductase were observed. The levels of dolichol and coenzyme Q were elevated only modestly (by 64 and 31 %, respectively; p < 0.05, N = 6) in the livers of the SLOS rat model compared to controls; moreover, the chain lengths of these isoprenoids were not different in the two groups. We conclude that hepatic isoprenoid synthesis is marginally elevated in this animal model of SLOS, but without preferential shunting to the nonsterol branches (dolichol and coenzyme Q) of the pathway and without alteration of normal dolichol chain lengths.
Leaf conjugacies on the torus
Authors: HAMMERLINDL ANDY
Published: January 2013

If a partially hyperbolic diffeomorphism on a torus of dimension $d\geq 3$ has stable and unstable foliations which are quasi-isometric on the universal cover, and its centre direction is one-dimensional, then the diffeomorphism is leaf conjugate to a linear toral automorphism. In other words, the hyperbolic structure of the diffeomorphism is exactly that of a linear, and thus simple to understand, example. In particular, every partially hyperbolic diffeomorphism on the 3-torus is leaf conjugate to a linear toral automorphism.
On the logarithmic region in wall turbulence
Authors: Marusic Ivan , Monty Jason P. , Hultmark Marcus , Smits Alexander J.
Published: January 2013

Considerable discussion over the past few years has been devoted to the question of whether the logarithmic region in wall turbulence is indeed universal. Here, we analyse recent experimental data in the Reynolds number range of nominally$2\times 1{0}^{4} \lt {\mathit{Re}}_{\tau } \lt 6\times 1{0}^{5} $for boundary layers, pipe flow and the atmospheric surface layer, and show that, within experimental uncertainty, the data support the existence of a universal logarithmic region. The results support the theory of Townsend (The Structure of Turbulent Shear Flow, Vol. 2, 1976) where, in the interior part of the inertial region, both the mean velocities and streamwise turbulence intensities follow logarithmic functions of distance from the wall.
Turbulent two-phase plumes with bubble-size reduction owing to dissolution or chemical reaction
Authors: Domingos Mariana G. , Cardoso Silvana S. S.
Published: January 2013

Turbulent two-phase plumes consisting of a continuous phase of entrained fluid and a dispersed phase, in the form of buoyant droplets/bubbles, are investigated. Chemical reaction or dissolution causes both a decrease in the size of the droplets/bubbles and a change in the buoyancy of the plume. The behaviours of such a plume in environments with uniform and stratified density are considered. We show that the dynamics of the plume are determined by two dimensionless groups: $N/ T$ and $G/ T$. Here, $N$ is the buoyancy frequency of the environment, $G$ measures the ability of the reaction to change buoyancy and $T$ reflects the effect of reaction on the size of the droplets/bubbles. We identify four regimes of behaviour of a plume in a stratified environment depending on whether the dominant effect on buoyancy arises from reaction or stratification, and on the occurrence of either multiple or single zero-buoyancy levels. For a uniform environment, perturbation solutions for the fluxes of volume, momentum, buoyancy and chemical species as a function of ascent distance are obtained. We apply our findings to understand the dynamics of both of the cases of a release of methane and a release of carbon dioxide in the ocean. For a methane release in the Gulf of Mexico, the motion of the plume is shown to be controlled by external density stratification for a bubble diameter of methane above ${\sim }1$–2 mm. In the case of a carbon dioxide release in the Norwegian Sea, dissolution determines the motion of the plume when the bubble diameter is smaller than ${\sim }0. 5$–3.5 cm. In both scenarios, the plume releases seawater enriched with the chemical at multiple levels.
Multiscale dynamic wetting of a droplet on a lyophilic pillar-arrayed surface
Authors: Yuan Quanzi , Zhao Ya-Pu
Published: January 2013

Dynamic wetting of a droplet on lyophilic pillars was explored using a multiscale combination method of experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. The excess lyophilic area not only provided excess driving force, but also pinned the liquid around the pillars, which kept the moving contact line in a dynamic balance state every period of the pillars. The flow pattern and the flow field of the droplet on the pillar-arrayed surface, influenced by the concerted effect of the liquid–solid interactions and the surface roughness, were revealed from the continuum to the atomic level. Then, the scaling analysis was carried out employing molecular kinetic theory. Controlled by the droplet size, the density of roughness and the pillar height, two extreme regimes were distinguished, i.e. $R\sim {t}^{1/ 3} $ for the rough surface and $R\sim {t}^{1/ 7} $ for the smooth surface. The scaling laws were validated by both the experiments and the simulations. Our results may help in understanding the dynamic wetting of a droplet on a pillar-arrayed lyophilic substrate and assisting the future design of pillar-arrayed lyophilic surfaces in practical applications.
Receptivity coefficients at excitation of cross-flow waves by free-stream vortices in the presence of surface roughness
Authors: Borodulin V. I. , Ivanov A. V. , Kachanov Y. S. , Roschektaev A. P.
Published: January 2013

The present experimental study is devoted to examination of the vortex receptivity mechanism associated with excitation of unsteady cross-flow (CF) waves due to scattering of unsteady free-stream vortices on localized steady surface non-uniformities (roughness). The measurements are carried out in a low-turbulence wind tunnel by means of a hot-wire anemometer in a boundary layer developing over a $25\textdegree $ swept-wing model. The harmonic-in-time free-stream vortices were excited by a thin vibrating wire located upstream of the experimental-model leading edge and represented a kind of small-amplitude von Kármán vortex street with spanwise orientation of the generated instantaneous vorticity vectors. The controlled roughness elements (the so-called ‘phased roughness’) were placed on the model surface. This roughness had a special shape, which provided excitation of CF-waves having basically some predetermined (required) spanwise wavenumbers. The linearity of the stability and receptivity mechanisms under study was checked accurately by means of variation of both the free-stream-vortex amplitude and the surface roughness height. These experiments were directed to obtaining the amplitudes and phases of the vortex-roughness receptivity coefficients for a number of vortex disturbance frequencies. The vortex street position with respect to the model surface (the vortex offset parameter) was also varied. The receptivity characteristics obtained experimentally in Fourier space are independent of the particular roughness shape, and can be used for validation of receptivity theories.
Energetics of horizontal convection
Authors: Gayen Bishakhdatta , Griffiths Ross W. , Hughes Graham O. , Saenz Juan A.
Published: January 2013

Three-dimensional direct numerical simulation of horizontal convection is reported for a large Rayleigh number, $\mathit{Ra}\sim O(1{0}^{12} )$, and boundary conditions that allow comparison with previous laboratory experiments. The convection is forced by heating over half of the horizontal base of a long channel and cooling over the other half of the base. The solutions are consistent with the experiments, including small-scale streamwise roll instability developing into a convectively mixed layer within the bottom thermal boundary layer, and a turbulent endwall plume. The mechanical energy budget is shown to be dominated by conversions of available potential energy to kinetic energy by buoyancy flux in the plume and the reverse in the interior of the circulation. These local conversions are three orders of magnitude greater than the total rate of viscous dissipation. The total irreversible mixing is exactly equal to the generation of available potential energy by buoyancy forcing, and one order of magnitude larger than the viscous dissipation. This confirms that dissipation rate is not an indicator of the strength of the circulation and explains why horizontal convection is more energetic than might be expected.
Stability of surfactant-laden core–annular flow and rod–annular flow to non-axisymmetric modes
Authors: Blyth M. G. , Bassom Andrew P.
Published: January 2013

The linear stability of core–annular fluid arrangements are considered in which two concentric viscous fluid layers occupy the annular region within a straight pipe with a solid rod mounted on its axis when the interface between the fluids is coated with an insoluble surfactant. The linear stability of this arrangement is studied in two scenarios: one for core–annular flow in the absence of the rod and the second for rod–annular flow when the rod moves parallel to itself along the pipe axis at a prescribed velocity. In the latter case the effect of convective motion on a quiescent fluid configuration is also considered. For both flows the emphasis is placed on non-axisymmetric modes; in particular their impact on the recent stabilization to axisymmetric modes at zero Reynolds number discovered by Bassom, Blyth and Papageorgiou (J. Fluid. Mech., vol. 704, 2012, pp. 333–359) is assessed. It is found that in general non-axisymmetric disturbances do not undermine this stabilization, but under certain conditions the flow may be linearly stable to axisymmetric disturbances but linearly unstable to non-axisymmetric disturbances.
Dynamic Problem Concerning Mode I Semi-Infinite Crack Propagation
Authors: Lü N. C. , Cheng Y. H. , Li X. G. , Cheng J.
Published: January 2013

By the approaches of the theory of complex functions, dynamic problem concerning mode I semi-infinite crack propagation was studied. Analytical solutions are very easily obtained by application of the measures of self-similar functions. The problems researched can be changed into Riemann-Hilbert problems and analytical solutions to semi-infinite crack under the condition of impulse loads and increasing loads Pt located at the origin of the coordinates, respectively, are attained.
Stagnation Point Flow and Heat Transfer of a Magneto-Micropolar Fluid Towards a Shrinking Sheet with Mass Transfer and Chemical Reaction
Authors: Batool K. , Ashraf M.
Published: January 2013

A comprehensive study of MHD two dimensional stagnation point flow with heat and mass transfer characteristics towards a heated shrinking sheet immersed in an electrically conducting incompressible micropolar fluid in the presence of a transverse magnetic field is analyzed numerically. The governing continuity, momentum, angular momentum, mass concentration and heat equations together with the associated boundary conditions are first reduced to a set of self similar nonlinear ordinary differential equations using a similarity transformation and are then solved by a method based on finite difference discretization. Some important features of the flow, heat & mass transfer characteristics and chemical reaction for different values of the physical parameters are analyzed, discussed and presented through tables and graphs. The study may be beneficial in the flow and heat control of polymeric processing.
Unsteady Boundary Layer Flow of Nanofluid Past an Impulsively Stretching Sheet
Authors: Mustafa M. , Hayat T. , Alsaedi A.
Published: January 2013

The unsteady laminar boundary layer flow of nanofluid caused by a linearly stretching sheet is considered. Transport equations contain the simultaneous effects of Brownian motion and thermophoretic diffusion of nanoparticles. The relevant partial differential equations are non-dimensionalized and transformed into similar forms by using appropriate similarity transformations. The uniformly valid explicit expressions of velocity, temperature and nanoparticles volume fraction are derived. Convergence of the series solutions is carefully analyzed. It is observed that an increase in the strength of Brownian motion effect rises the temperature appreciably. However rate of heat transfer and nanoparticles concentration at the sheet is reduced when Brownian motion effect intensifies. It is also found that the temperature and nanoparticles concentration are increasing functions of the unsteady parameter.
Sources, isolation, characterisation and evaluation of probiotics
Authors: Fontana Luis , Bermudez-Brito Miriam , Plaza-Diaz Julio , Muñoz-Quezada Sergio , Gil Angel
Published: January 2013

Probiotics are live microorganisms that, when ingested in adequate amounts, provide health benefits to the host. The strains most frequently used as probiotics include lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, which are isolated from traditional fermented products and the gut, faeces and breast milk of human subjects. The identification of microorganisms is the first step in the selection of potential probiotics. The present techniques, including genetic fingerprinting, gene sequencing, oligonucleotide probes and specific primer selection, discriminate closely related bacteria with varying degrees of success. Additional molecular methods, such as denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis/temperature gradient gel electrophoresis and fluorescencein situhybridisation, are employed to identify and characterise probiotics. The ability to examine fully sequenced genomes has accelerated the application of genetic approaches to elucidate the functional roles of probiotics. One of the best-demonstrated clinical benefits of probiotics is the prevention and treatment of acute and antibiotic-associated diarrhoea; however, there is mounting evidence for a potential role for probiotics in the treatment of allergies and intestinal, liver and metabolic diseases. These positive effects are generally attributed to the ability of probiotics to regulate intestinal permeability, normalise host intestinal microbiota, improve gut immune barrier function and equilibrate the balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines. However, the positive effects of probiotics are not always substantiated by findings from properly conducted clinical trials. Notably, even when the results from randomised, placebo-controlled trials support the beneficial effects of a particular probiotic for a specific indication, the benefits are generally not translatable to other probiotic formulations.
In vitrocell and tissue models for studying host–microbe interactions: a review
Authors: Bermudez-Brito Miriam , Plaza-Díaz Julio , Fontana Luis , Muñoz-Quezada Sergio , Gil Angel
Published: January 2013

Ideally, cell models should resemble thein vivoconditions; however, in mostin vitroexperimental models, epithelial cells are cultivated as monolayers, in which the establishment of functional epithelial features is not achieved. To overcome this problem, co-culture experiments with probiotics, dendritic cells and intestinal epithelial cells and three-dimensional models attempt to reconcile the complex and dynamic interactions that existin vivobetween the intestinal epithelium and bacteria on the luminal side and between the epithelium and the underlying immune system on the basolateral side. Additional models include tissue explants, bioreactors and organoids. The present review details thein vitromodels used to study host–microbe interactions and explores the new tools that may help in understanding the molecular mechanisms of these interactions.
Clinical effects of probiotics: scientific evidence from a paediatric perspective
Authors: Hernell Olle , West Christina E.
Published: January 2013

Probiotics are live micro-organisms that when given in adequate amounts can cause health benefits. The safety and efficacy of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of various clinical conditions have been evaluated in randomised controlled clinical trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Generally, their safety has been documented. As a supplement to standard rehydration therapy, probiotics have been demonstrated to shorten the duration of diarrhoea resulting from acute viral gastroenteritis and in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in healthy children. Preliminary evidence suggests that probiotics might prevent necrotising enterocolitis in very-low-birth-weight infants, but further studies are needed before definite conclusions can be drawn. Probiotics have also been assessed in the treatment and prevention of allergic disease but the results, although promising, need further confirmation. Targeting a paediatric population, probiotics have been evaluated in the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis,Helicobacter pylorigastritis and infantile colic, but at this stage, there is no evidence to support their routine use for these indications. There is a great need for studies aiming at disentangling the mechanisms by which probiotics mediate their clinical effects and for comparative studies between various probiotic bacteria. We still need to know which probiotic(s) to use and for which indications. A clearer message on dosages, optimal timing and duration of administration is needed. For this purpose, more carefully designed and sufficiently powered, randomised controlled trials with predefined outcomes are needed.
Isolation, identification and characterisation of three novel probiotic strains (Lactobacillus paracaseiCNCM I-4034,Bifidobacterium breveCNCM I-4035 andLactobacillus rhamnosusCNCM I-4036) from the faeces of exclusively breast-fed infants
Authors: Muñoz-Quezada Sergio , Chenoll Empar , María Vieites José , Genovés Salvador , Maldonado José , Bermúdez-Brito Miriam , Gomez-Llorente Carolina , Matencio Esther , José Bernal María , Romero Fernando , Suárez Antonio , Ramón Daniel , Gil Angel
Published: January 2013

The aim of the present study was to isolate, identify and characterise novel strains of lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria with probiotic properties from the faeces of exclusively breast-fed infants. Of the 4680 isolated colonies, 758 exhibited resistance to low pH and tolerance to high concentrations of bile salts; of these, only forty-two exhibited a strong ability to adhere to enterocytesin vitro.The identities of the isolates were confirmed by 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) sequencing, which permitted the grouping of the forty-two bacteria into three different strains that showed more than 99 % sequence identity withLactobacillus paracasei,Lactobacillus rhamnosusandBifidobacterium breve, respectively. The strain identification was confirmed by sequencing the 16S–23S rRNA intergenic spacer regions. Strains were assayed for enzymatic activity and carbohydrate utilisation, and they were deposited in the Collection Nationale de Cultures de Microorganismes (CNCM) of the Institute Pasteur and namedL. paracaseiCNCM I-4034,B. breveCNCM I-4035 andL. rhamnosusCNCM I-4036. The strains were susceptible to antibiotics and did not produce undesirable metabolites, and their safety was assessed by acute ingestion in immunocompetent and immunosuppressed BALB/c mouse models. The three novel strains inhibitedin vitrothe meningitis aetiological agentListeria monocytogenesand human rotavirus infections.B. breveCNCM I-4035 led to a higher IgA concentration in faeces and plasma of mice. Overall, these results suggest thatL. paracaseiCNCM I-4034,B. breveCNCM I-4035 andL. rhamnosusCNCM I-4036 should be considered as probiotic strains, and their human health benefits should be further evaluated.
Host genotype, intestinal microbiota and inflammatory disorders
Authors: Olivares Marta , Laparra J. Moisés , Sanz Yolanda
Published: January 2013

Intestinal microbiota may influence human physiology and disease risk due to the role it plays in mediating appropriate immune responses to harmful and innocuous antigens. Colonisation of the intestine in early life seems particularly important as it is the main environmental stimulus for immune system maturation. This is a dynamic process, which depends on both environmental and genetic factors. The pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn's disease, involves genetic polymorphisms (e.g. CARD15/nucleotide-binding oligomerisation domain 2) related to an excessive inflammatory response to commensal microbiota and to its unbalanced composition. Atopic diseases have also been linked to imbalances in microbiota and to related genetic factors (e.g. TLR4 and CD14 genes), although these associations are still controversial. Research into the relationship between the genetic risk of developing celiac disease (human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DQ2/DQ8) and the early colonisation process in infants at family risk of the disease has also reported that the HLA-DQ genotype could influence staphylococcal colonisation. Future observational studies considering both host genetics and microbiota could be critical in defining the complex host–microbe interactions and the respective role each plays in inflammatory disorders.
Impaired emotion regulation in schizophrenia: evidence from event-related potentials
Authors: Horan W. P. , Hajcak G. , Wynn J. K. , Green M. F.
Published: January 2013

Background

Although several aspects of emotion seem to be intact in schizophrenia, there is emerging evidence that patients show an impaired ability to adaptively regulate their emotions. This event-related potential (ERP) study examined whether schizophrenia is associated with impaired neural responses to appraisal frames, that is when negative stimuli are presented in a less negative context.

Method

Thirty-one schizophrenia out-patients and 27 healthy controls completed a validated picture-viewing task with three conditions: (1) neutral pictures preceded by neutral descriptions (‘Neutral’), (2) unpleasant pictures preceded by negative descriptions (‘Preappraised negative’), and (3) unpleasant pictures preceded by more neutral descriptions (‘Preappraised neutral’). Analyses focused on the late positive potential (LPP), an index of facilitated attention to emotional stimuli that is reduced following cognitive emotion regulation strategies, during four time windows from 300 to 2000 ms post-picture onset.

Results

Replicating prior studies, controls showed smaller LPP in Preappraised neutral and Neutral versus Preappraised negative conditions throughout the 300–2000-ms time period. By contrast, patients showed (a) larger LPP in Preappraised neutral and Preappraised negative versus Neutral conditions in the initial period (300–600 ms) and (b) an atypical pattern of larger LPP to Preappraised neutral versus Preappraised negative and Neutral conditions in the 600–1500-ms epochs.

Conclusions

Modulation of neural responses by a cognitive emotion regulation strategy seems to be impaired in schizophrenia during the first 2 s after exposure to unpleasant stimuli.
Both low birthweight and high birthweight are associated with cognitive impairment in persons with schizophrenia and their first-degree relatives
Authors: Torniainen M. , Wegelius A. , Tuulio-Henriksson A. , Lönnqvist J. , Suvisaari J.
Published: January 2013

Background

Both low birthweight and high birthweight have been associated with an increased risk for schizophrenia and cognitive impairments in the general population. We assessed the association between birthweight and cognitive performance in persons with schizophrenia and their unaffected first-degree relatives.

Method

We investigated a population-based family sample comprising persons with schizophrenia (n = 142) and their unaffected first-degree relatives (n = 277). Both patients and relatives were interviewed with the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis I Disorders, Clinician Version (SCID-CV) and a comprehensive neuropsychological test battery was administered. Information on birthweight was obtained from obstetric records. We used generalized estimating equation (GEE) models to investigate the effect of birthweight, as a continuous variable, on cognitive functioning, adjusting for within-family correlation and relevant covariates.

Results

Both low birthweight and high birthweight were associated with lower performance in visuospatial reasoning, processing speed, set-shifting and verbal and visual working memory among persons with schizophrenia and their unaffected first-degree relatives compared to individuals with birthweight in the intermediate range. The group × birthweight interactions were non-significant.

Conclusions

Both low birthweight and high birthweight are associated with deficits in cognition later in life. Schizophrenia does not seem to modify the relationship between birthweight and cognition in families with schizophrenia.
Liberal Art: Art and Education for Citizenship in Kant's Critique of Judgment
Authors: Donath Christian R.
Published: January 2013

While most political theorists focus on the role of reflective judgment in Kant's Critique of Judgment, the political dimensions of art itself have been overlooked. Kant's treatment of art suggests a consistent political message: art, as an analogy, can teach basic values for citizenship. I examine his hierarchy of the arts, as well as his treatment of genius and taste, arguing that each is informed by Kant's belief in the heuristic capacity of art.
From “Political Theology” to “Political Religion”: Eric Voegelin and Carl Schmitt
Authors: Gontier Thierry
Published: January 2013

In his workPolitics as Religion, Emilio Gentile credits Eric Voegelin with having invented, if not the expression itself, then at least the concept of “political religion” which the latter would use consistently throughout the 1960s to describe totalitarian regimes. In hisAutobiographical Reflections, drawn from an interview recorded in 1973, Voegelin revisits the use of this expression and gives an indication of the sources that inspired him to adopt it:

When I spoke of thepolitischen Religionen, I conformed to the usage of a literature that interpreted ideological movements as a variety of religions. Representative of this literature was Louis Rougier's successful volume onLes Mystiques politiques.

Besides the work by Louis Rougier, it is highly likely that Voegelin is thinking of the French Catholic “personalist” philosophers, such as Jacques Maritain, Henri de Lubac, and Joseph Vialatoux, who also interpreted the emerging totalitarian movements less in terms of social and political phenomena than as a profound spiritual disorder. These readings are also enriched by Bergson's work (which proved decisive for Voegelin)The Two Sources of Morality and Religion. It may appear surprising that Voegelin does not refer to the emblematic work by Carl Schmitt, thePolitical Theologyof 1922. Schmitt had also invented, if not a term, then at least a concept destined for a productive career. Moreover,Political Theologyand Voegelin'sPolitical Religions(1938) have similar objectives, namely, to show that all political doctrines involve a relationship between mankind and the sacred in one form or another—even (and perhaps especially) those that claim to have eliminated the religious element entirely.
Between Logic and Psychology: The Links between Value Pluralism and Liberal Theory
Authors: Galston William
Published: January 2013

Although I welcome the opportunity to discuss Alex Zakaras's fine essay, I fear that my response will disappoint him (and perhaps others as well). I find his arguments cogent and plausible, if not altogether persuasive, but many of them are directed against claims that I do not think I made. Two examples will suffice.
Justification and Psychology in Liberal Pluralism: A Reply to Zakaras
Authors: Crowder George
Published: January 2013

It is a great pleasure to have the opportunity to respond to Alex Zakaras's thoughtful and stimulating article. Although Zakaras takes my work (together with that of William Galston) as a critical target, much of what he says is common ground between us. That includes his basic understanding of value pluralism, his evident support for that idea, and his broadly liberal approach to politics. Moreover, I think that he makes a significant contribution by drawing attention to the relation between pluralism and fallibility, and by focusing on Isaiah Berlin's treatment of Mill in that connection. Zakaras is right that Berlin's essay on Mill has not until now been carefully examined as a resource for the debate about the way pluralism relates to liberalism, and his suggestions about what the essay may tell us in that regard are valuable.
Reply to Galston and Crowder
Authors: Zakaras Alex
Published: January 2013

I am grateful to both William Galston and George Crowder for their thoughtful responses. In writing the original essay, I had two goals in mind. First, I wanted to give an accurate reading of Isaiah Berlin's philosophy and to challenge certain misconceptions about it. Second, I hoped to use some of Berlin's insights to contribute to the contemporary discussion of value pluralism and its relationship to liberalism. Neither Galston nor Crowder disputes my reading of Berlin. Galston writes that he “never set out to write as an interpreter of Berlin”; Crowder, too, simply brackets the question of interpretation (see his footnote 1). So I will focus these comments strictly on the problem of value pluralism's relationship to political liberalism.
A Liberal Pluralism: Isaiah Berlin and John Stuart Mill
Authors: Zakaras Alex
Published: January 2013

The essay explores the relationship between value pluralism, as Isaiah Berlin understood it, and liberalism. It consists of two main parts. In the first part, I argue that value pluralism does not entail liberalism, and I criticize two philosophers—William Galston and George Crowder—who believe that it does. In the second, I reconstruct and defend Isaiah Berlin's own understanding of this relationship, drawing on an essay that is often neglected by Berlin's interpreters: “John Stuart Mill and the Ends of Life.” Berlin thought that the relationship between value pluralism and liberalism was largely psychological. He believed that those who embraced value pluralism would be more likely to affirm liberal institutions, because they would be more likely to exhibit certain virtues—notably empathy, imagination, and openness to other ways of life—that typically motivate tolerance.
London, Spitalfields Summer Festival: Beckett's ‘Old Earth’
Authors: Barlow Jill
Published: January 2013

Samuel Beckett, famed for his strikingly negative approach in his stage play Waiting for Godot (1953), also has a string of prose and poetry in similar vein to his credit over the years. So it was that Spitalfields Festival came to commission Alec Roth to write music to accompany a performance of Beckett's ‘Old Earth’ from his prose work Fizzles written 1972–75. This received its world première at Spitalfields Summer Festival 2012, suitably housed in the stark dark space of The Village Underground, a disused warehouse resembling an abandoned railway tunnel in London's East End. Trying to find my seat in the dark, when I attended the first night, 15 June 2012, shadowy figures were already chanting what turned out to be verses from James Joyce's Ulysses as a fittingly mysterious, if unheralded, informal prologue. This was followed by drama directed by Jonathan Holmes, founder of Jericho House, with music by The Sixteen under their founder-conductor Harry Christophers.
Gender inferences: Grammatical features and their impact on the representation of gender in bilinguals
Authors: SATO SAYAKA , GYGAX PASCAL M. , GABRIEL UTE
Published: January 2013

We investigated the effects of grammatical and stereotypical gender information on the comprehension of human referent role nouns among bilinguals of a grammatical (French) and a natural gender language (English). In a sentence evaluation paradigm, participants judged the acceptability of a gender-specific sentence referring to either a group ofwomenormenfollowing a sentence containing the plural form of a role noun female (e.g., social workers), male (e.g., surgeons) or neutral (e.g., musicians) in stereotypicality. L1 French and L1 English bilinguals were tested both in French and English. The results showed that bilinguals construct mental representations of gender associated with the language of the task they are engaged in, shifting representations as they switch languages. Specifically, in French, representations were male-dominant (i.e., induced by the masculine form), whereas in English, they were stereotype-based. Furthermore, the results showed that the extent to which representations shifted was modulated by participants’ proficiency in their L2, with highly proficient L2 participants resembling native speakers of the L2 and less proficient L2 participants being influenced more by their native language.