bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
History in Popular Magazines: Negotiating Masculinities, the Low of the Popular and the High of History
Authors: Axelsson Bodil
Published: May 2012

This article explores how the low of the popular and the high of history intersect to negotiate masculinities in the nexus of politics and war in a Swedish history magazine. It investigates the content of the magazine’s form and argues that it produces a kaleidoscopic take on the past which begs the reader to go along with the ads to buy another book, travel to one more historical site, buy a DVD or go to the movies, to turn the page, or to buy another issue of the magazine. Two articles, biographical in their outset, provide the basis for an analysis on how masculinities are negotiated by displaying political and military leaders in contradictory ways and enabling multiple entrance points for the contemporary reader and spectator. Articles on great men produce cultural imaginaries of warlords and political leaders by drawing on layers of historically contingent ways for men to act in public and private spheres and connecting late modern visual celebrity culture to the cults of fame in earlier centuries.
Ambiguous Imitations: DIY Hijacking the ’Danish Mother Seeking’ Stealth Marketing Campaign on YouTube
Authors: Stage Carsten , Esmann Andersen Sophie
Published: May 2012

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of imitation as a key dimension of online DIY and participatory cultures on YouTube. The empirical point of departure is the viral stealth marketing YouTube video entitled ’Danish Mother Seeking’, produced by the official national tourist organisation (Visit Denmark), and selected extracts of the online responses to this video. Framed by the notion of participatory culture (Jenkins 2006; Burgess & Green 2009) and the concept of imitation (Tarde 1895/1903), we analyse how marketing initiatives buy into and borrow energy from engaged networked produsers, but also how these produsers can criticise marketing initiatives by ’re-imitating’ them. Following this, we argue that the case represents an interesting and fascinating example of consumer re-sistance and bottom-up voices insisting on being heard, rather than a simple example of the breakdown of a brand strategy. Looking at the response videos they furthermore reveal that imitation can be a rather ambiguous social strategy as it is used both to transfer energy from the imitated object and to deconstruct it. As part of this argument we replace the classical concept of ’mimicry’ (Bhabha 1994) with the notion of ’ambiguous imitation’ to be able to describe online imitation as both an act of critical voicing and energy transmission.
Aqueous Fraction of Nephelium ramboutan-ake Rind Induces Mitochondrial-Mediated Apoptosis in HT-29 Human Colorectal Adenocarcinoma Cells
Authors: Chan Chim Kei , Goh Bey Hing , Kamarudin Muhamad Noor Alfarizal , Kadir Habsah Abdul
Published: May 2012

The aim of this study was to investigate the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of Nephelium ramboutan-ake (pulasan) rind in selected human cancer cell lines. The crude ethanol extract and fractions (ethyl acetate and aqueous) of N. ramboutan-ake inhibited the growth of HT-29, HCT-116, MDA-MB-231, Ca Ski cells according to MTT assays. The N. ramboutan-ake aqueous fraction (NRAF) was found to exert the greatest cytotoxic effect against HT-29 in a dose-dependent manner. Evidence of apoptotic cell death was revealed by features such as chromatin condensation, nuclear fragmentation and apoptotic body formation. The result from a TUNEL assay strongly suggested that NRAF brings about DNA fragmentation in HT-29 cells. Phosphatidylserine (PS) externalization on the outer leaflet of plasma membranes was detected with annexin V-FITC/PI binding, confirming the early stage of apoptosis. The mitochondrial permeability transition is an important step in the induction of cellular apoptosis, and the results clearly suggested that NRAF led to collapse of mitochondrial transmembrane potential in HT-29 cells. This attenuation of mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψm) was accompanied by increased production of ROS and depletion of GSH, an increase of Bax protein expression, and induced-activation of caspase-3/7 and caspase-9. These combined results suggest that NRAF induces mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis.
Edible Flowers—A New Promising Source of Mineral Elements in Human Nutrition
Authors: Rop Otakar , Mlcek Jiri , Jurikova Tunde , Neugebauerova Jarmila , Vabkova Jindriska
Published: May 2012

On a global scale, people are demanding more attractive and tasty food. Both the quality of foodstuffs and aesthetic aspects contribute to the appearance of consumed meals. The attraction and appeal of individual dishes could be enhanced by edible flowers. New information concerning the composition and nutritional value of edible flowers is also important and represents a sufficient reason for their consumption. The aim of this study is to contribute to the popularization of some selected edible flowers of ornamental plants involving altogether 12 species. The flowers were used to determine their antioxidant capacity, which fluctuated between 4.21 and 6.96 g of ascorbic acid equivalents (AAE)/kg of fresh mass (FM). Correlation coefficients between antioxidant capacity and the contents of total phenolics and flavonoids were r2 = 0.9705 and r2 = 0.7861, respectively. Moreover, the results were supplemented with new data about the mineral composition of edible flowers (mostly, not found in the available literature). The highest levels of mineral elements were observed in the flowers of species Chrysanthemum, Dianthus or Viola. The most abundant element was potassium, the content of which ranged from 1,842.61 to 3,964.84 mg/kg of FM.
Intelligent Emergency Stop Algorithm for a Manipulator Using a New Regression Method
Authors: Cheon Minkyu , Lee Jeisung , Lee Wonju , Hyun Chang-Ho , Park Mignon
Published: May 2012

In working environments with large manipulators, accidental collisions can cause severe personal injuries and can seriously damage manipulators, necessitating the development of an emergency stop algorithm to prevent such occurrences. In this paper, we propose an emergency stop system for the efficient and safe operation of a manipulator by applying an intelligent emergency stop algorithm. Our proposed intelligent algorithm considers the direction of motion of the manipulator. In addition, using a new regression method, the algorithm includes a decision step that determines whether a detected object is a collision-causing obstacle or a part of the manipulator. We apply our emergency stop system to a two-link manipulator and assess the performance of our intelligent emergency stop algorithm as compared with other models.
‘Enlil and Namzitarra': The Emar and Ugarit Manuscripts and A New Understanding of the ‘Vanity Theme' Speech
Authors: Cohen Yoram
Published: May 2012

Résumé Cet article examine les manuscrits de ‘Enlil et Namzitarra’ provenant d’Émar et d’Ugarit. Il propose notamment une nouvelle interprétation du discours sur le ‘thème de la vanité’ contenu dans cette composition soutenant que, contrairement à ce qui est affirmé dans la littérature, le discours est prononcé par Namzitarra et non par Enlil.
Inference Algebra (IA)
Authors: Wang Yingxu
Published: May 2012

Inference as the basic mechanism of thought is abilities gifted to human beings, which is a cognitive process that creates rational causations between a pair of cause and effect based on empirical arguments, formal reasoning, and/or statistical norms. It’s recognized that a coherent theory and mathematical means are needed for dealing with formal causal inferences. Presented is a novel denotational mathematical means for formal inferences known as Inference Algebra (IA) and structured as a set of algebraic operators on a set of formal causations. The taxonomy and framework of formal causal inferences of IA are explored in three categories: a) Logical inferences; b) Analytic inferences; and c) Hybrid inferences. IA introduces the calculus of discrete causal differential and formal models of causations. IA enables artificial intelligence and computational intelligent systems to mimic human inference abilities by cognitive computing. A wide range of applications of IA are identified and demonstrated in cognitive informatics and computational intelligence towards novel theories and technologies for machine-enabled inferences and reasoning. This work is presented in two parts. The inference operators of IA as well as their extensions and applications will be presented in this paper; while the structure of formal inference, the framework of IA, and the mathematical models of formal causations has been published in the first part of the paper in IJCINI 5(4).
The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Modulates Acute and Late Mast Cell Responses
Authors: Sibilano Riccardo , Frossi Barbara , Calvaruso Marco , Danelli Luca , Betto Elena , Dall’Agnese Alessandra , Tripodo Claudio , Colombo Mario P. , Pucillo Carlo E. , Gri Giorgia
Published: May 2012

The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) is a ligand-dependent transcription factor whose activity is modulated by xenobiotics as well as physiological ligands. These compounds may modulate inflammatory responses and contribute to the rising prevalence of allergic diseases observed in industrialized countries. Mast cells (MCs), located within tissues at the boundary of the external environment, represent a potential target of AhR ligands. In this study, we report that murine and human MCs constitutively express AhR, and its activation by the high-affinity ligand 6-formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole (FICZ) determines a boost in degranulation. On the contrary, repeated exposure to FICZ inhibits MC degranulation. Accordingly, histamine release, in an in vivo passive systemic anaphylactic model, is exacerbated by a single dose and is attenuated by repetitive stimulation of AhR. FICZ-exposed MCs produce reactive oxygen species and IL-6 in response to cAMP-dependent signals. Moreover, AhR-activated MCs produce IL-17, a critical player in chronic inflammation and autoimmunity, suggesting a novel pathway for MC activation in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Indeed, histological analysis of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease revealed an enrichment in AhR/IL-6 and AhR/IL-17 double-positive MCs within bronchial lamina propria. Thus, tissue-resident MCs could translate external chemical challenges through AhR by modulating allergic responses and contributing to the generation of inflammation-related diseases.
The Endothelial Antigen ESAM Monitors Hematopoietic Stem Cell Status between Quiescence and Self-Renewal
Authors: Sudo Takao , Yokota Takafumi , Oritani Kenji , Satoh Yusuke , Sugiyama Tatsuki , Ishida Tatsuro , Shibayama Hirohiko , Ezoe Sachiko , Fujita Natsuko , Tanaka Hirokazu , Maeda Tetsuo , Nagasawa Takashi , Kanakura Yuzuru
Published: May 2012

Whereas most hematopoietic stem cells (HSC) are quiescent in homeostasis, they actively proliferate in response to bone marrow (BM) injury. Signals from the BM microenvironment are thought to promote entry of HSC into the cell cycle. However, it has been cumbersome to assess cycle status of viable HSC and thus explore unique features associated with division. In this study, we show that expression of endothelial cell-selective adhesion molecule (ESAM) can be a powerful indicator of HSC activation. ESAM levels clearly mirrored the shift of HSC between quiescence and activation, and it was prominent in comparison with other HSC-related Ags. ESAMhi HSC were actively dividing, but had surprisingly high long-term reconstituting capacity. Immunohistochemical analyses showed that most ESAMhi HSC were located near vascular endothelium in the BM after 5-fluorouracil treatment. To determine the importance of ESAM in the process of BM recovery, ESAM knockout mice were treated with 5-fluorouracil and their hematopoietic reconstruction was examined. The ESAM deficiency caused severe and prolonged BM suppression, suggesting that ESAM is functionally indispensable for HSC to re-establish homeostatic hematopoiesis. With respect to intracellular regulators, NF-κB and topoisomerase II levels correlated with the ESAM upregulation. Thus, our data demonstrate that the intensity of ESAM expression is useful to trace activated HSC and to understand molecular events involved in stem cell states.
CD8+ T Cells Suppress Viral Replication in the Cornea but Contribute to VEGF-C–Induced Lymphatic Vessel Genesis
Authors: Conrady Christopher D. , Zheng Min , Stone Donald U. , Carr Daniel J. J.
Published: May 2012

HSV-1 is the leading cause of infectious corneal blindness in the industrialized world. CD4+ T cells are thought to be the major leukocyte population mediating immunity to HSV-1 in the cornea as well as the likely source of immunopathology that reduces visual acuity. However, the role of CD8+ T cells in immune surveillance of the cornea is unclear. Thus, we sought to evaluate the role of CD8+ T cells in ocular immunity using transgenic mice in which >98% of CD8+ T cells are specific for the immunodominant HSV-1 epitope (gBT-I.1). We found a significant reduction in virus, elevation in HSV-specific CD8+ T cell influx, and more CD8+ T cells expressing CXCR3 in the cornea of transgenic mice compared with those in the cornea of wild-type controls yet similar acute corneal pathology. However, by day 30 postinfection, wild-type mice had drastically more blood and lymphatic vessel projections into the cornea compared with gBT-I.1 mice, in which only lymphatic vessel growth in response to VEGF-C could be appreciated. Taken together, these results show that CD8+ T cells are required to eliminate virus more efficiently from the cornea but play a minimal role in immunopathology as a source of VEGF-C.
Relative Contributions of Dectin-1 and Complement to Immune Responses to Particulate β-Glucans
Authors: Huang Haibin , Ostroff Gary R. , Lee Chrono K. , Agarwal Sarika , Ram Sanjay , Rice Peter A. , Specht Charles A. , Levitz Stuart M.
Published: May 2012

Glucan particles (GPs) are Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell walls chemically extracted so they are composed primarily of particulate β-1,3-d-glucans. GPs are recognized by Dectin-1 and are potent complement activators. Mice immunized with Ag-loaded GPs develop robust Ab and CD4+ T cell responses. In this study, we examined the relative contributions of Dectin-1 and complement to GP phagocytosis and Ag-specific responses to immunization with OVA encapsulated in GPs. The in vitro phagocytosis of GPs by bone marrow-derived dendritic cells was facilitated by heat-labile serum component(s) independently of Dectin-1. This enhanced uptake was not seen with serum from complement component 3 knockout (C3−/−) mice and was also inhibited by blocking Abs directed against complement receptor 3. After i.p. injection, percent phagocytosis of GPs by peritoneal macrophages was comparable in wild-type and Dectin-1−/− mice and was not inhibited by the soluble β-glucan antagonist laminarin. In contrast, a much lower percentage of peritoneal macrophages from C3−/− mice phagocytosed GPs, and this percentage was further reduced in the presence of laminarin. Subcutaneous immunization of wild-type, Dectin-1−/−, and C3−/− mice with GP-OVA resulted in similar Ag-specific IgG1 and IgG2c type Ab and CD4+ T cell lymphoproliferative responses. Moreover, while CD4+ Th1 and Th2 responses measured by ELISPOT assay were similar in the three mouse strains, Th17 responses were reduced in C3−/− mice. Thus, although Dectin-1 is necessary for optimal phagocytosis of GPs in the absence of complement, complement dominates when both an intact complement system and Dectin-1 are present. In addition, Th-skewing after GP-based immunization was altered in C3−/− mice.
To Whom God Speaks: Struggles for Authority through Religious Reflexivity and Performativity within a Gypsy Pentecostal Church
Authors: Voiculescu Cerasela
Published: May 2012

By limiting Gypsy Travellers’ mobility, the state has restricted their subjectivities and their mobile lifestyles. In this context, Pentecostalism, an egalitarian doctrine based on the privatization of relations with God, creates new spaces for Gypsy Travellers’ self-expression, and further premises for their ethnic and cultural revivalism. Through a symbolic interactionist approach, this paper argues that Gypsy Travellers obtain individual authority through religious reflexivity and performativity. It examines ethnographically the inter- and intra-personal religious conversations among believers in a Gypsy Pentecostal church in Edinburgh, UK. It shows the ways in which Gypsy Travellers use internal dialogues with God and symbolic interactions with significant others in the church as means of self-expression. God is the relational conversational partner and facilitates the believer's self-mediation. It is the symbolic interface and signifier who can delegate authority to believers or preachers. Through the process of self-mastery, the practitioners of religious reflexivity gain control over themselves and perform authority in front of others. Thus, internal dialogues and symbolic interactions become the important experiential domains of a complex dramaturgy of Gypsy believers’ struggles for individual and collective authority.
Qualitative Secondary Analysis and Social Explanation
Authors: Irwin Sarah , Winterton Mandy
Published: May 2012

The current paper takes as a focus some issues relating to the possibility for, and effective conduct of, qualitative secondary data analysis. We consider some challenges for the re-use of qualitative research data, relating to researcher distance from the production of primary data, and related constraints on knowledge of the proximate contexts of data production. With others we argue that distance and partial knowledge of proximate contexts may constrain secondary analysis but that its success is contingent on its objectives. So long as data analysis is fit for purpose then secondary analysis is no poor relation to primary analysis. We argue that a set of middle range issues has been relatively neglected in debates about secondary analysis, and that there is much that can be gained from more critical reflection on how salient contexts are conceptualised, and how they are accessed, and assumed, within methodologies and extant data sets. We also argue for more critical reflection on how effective knowledge claims are built. We develop these arguments through a consideration of ESRC Timescapes qualitative data sets with reference to an illustrative analysis of gender, time pressure and work/family commitments. We work across disparate data sets and consider strategies for translating evidence, and engendering meaningful analytic conversation, between them.
Flesh and Stone Revisited: The Body Work Landscape of South Florida
Authors: Wolkowitz Carol
Published: May 2012

This article seeks to demonstrate the value of producing still photographs as a way of comprehending the growth of the ‘body work economy’. It documents the body work landscape of contemporary capitalism through exploring the ubiquity, appearance and scale of body work enterprises and employment in two localities of south Florida. It focuses on health, social care and other services for the ageing population of retirees in southeast Florida, as well as on tattooing and other body work services for younger, fashionable residents of and visitors to South Beach, Miami. The article sees the photographs of body work enterprises it deploys as a kind of ethnographic evidence, similar in status to quotations from a fieldwork diary or interviews, and suggests that they may help to pinpoint issues that require further analytical exploration, in this case the role of body work as a component of economic development and patterns of employment. The article goes on to explore the reasons for the growth of the body work economy in south Florida.
The Neoliberal Phoenix: The Big Society or Business as Usual
Authors: Bone John D.
Published: May 2012

At present something curious appears to be occurring in the UK in the aftermath of the ‘credit crunch’, with respect to the political, economic and social complexion of the policies currently being implemented by the Coalition government, and not least in terms of the manner in which they are being introduced. Specifically, as this paper argues, despite a degree of rhetoric to the contrary, asserting a movement towards a more socially ‘progressive’ and inclusive ‘Big Society’, the current policy framework appears quite clearly to have been framed from a radical neoliberal perspective, to the extent that much of what is being implemented and proposed bears more than a passing resemblance to the neoliberal Structural Adjustment Programmes imposed by the IMF and World Bank on developing economies since the 1970s.

This paper suggests that the implementation of the Big Society agenda - while seeming earnestly advocated by its presumed architect Philip Blond (whose Red Toryism has been cited as providing the intellectual foundation for the project, much as Giddens’ Third Way informed ‘Blairism’) - may have implications that are largely oppositional to its asserted aims. Such initiatives can be considered, in their application at least, as potentially legitimating discourses for the advancing of neoliberal policies against the background of an increasingly uneasy populace. In this vein, the Big Society, as the latest variant of such socio-economic visions, can easily be construed as being little more than a convenient vehicle, employed to rehabilitate and further entrench neoliberalism in the aftermath of its self induced crisis. This view is supported by the observation that a key feature of the Big Society agenda, in practice, appears to be the increasing marketisation of the public realm and, crucially, dismantling the ‘Big (Welfare) State’, where the latter, in almost Orwellian fashion, is now being indicted for many of the social and economic ills that the ‘free market’ era has delivered.
Fishmongers in a Global Economy: Craft and Social Relations on a London Market
Authors: Lyon Dawn , Back Les
Published: May 2012

This article is based on multi-sensory ethnographic research into fishmongers on a south London market, the setting for a specific topography of work. We contrast Charlie, a white Londoner whose family has been in the fish business for over 100 years, with Khalid, an immigrant from Kashmir, who, even without the tacit knowledge of generations at his fingertips, has successfully found a place for himself in the local and global economy of fish. The research pays attention to the everyday forms of work that take place when the fishmongers sell to the public. We use these two very different cases to explore what constitutes work and labour and the different sensibilities that these two men bring to their trade. Drawing on observations, photography and sound recordings, the paper also represents the fishmongers at work. We take the two cases in turn to discuss learning the trade and the craft of fishmongering, the social relations of the market, and the art of buying and selling fish. More generally, the article explores how global connections are threaded through the local economy within a landscape of increasing cultural and racial diversity. It also critically discusses the gain of the visual as well as the aural for generating insights into and representing the sensuous quality of labour as an embodied practice.
No Way to Make a Living.Net: Exploring the Possibilities of the Web for Visual and Sensory Sociologies of Work
Authors: Pettinger Lynne , Lyon Dawn
Published: May 2012

This article reflects on the possibilities and pitfalls of a website, No Way to Make a Living at: http://nowaytomakealiving.net , as a sociological space for exploring what work (paid or unpaid) is like in today's world. The site includes research projects, short thoughts on everyday working lives, and different kinds of textual (fictional, autobiographical and analytical), aural, and visual representations of work. It emerged as a collaborative project from our frustrations with some dominant representations of work in contemporary photography, and the limitations in the forms of knowledge we can convey in academic publishing. We argue that the contemporary complexity of work exceeds the dominant forms of sociological representation available to us, and illustrate how a website provides multi-media opportunities to gain new insights into work. However, we also problematise the status of visual and sensory methodologies as a panacea for the shortcomings in more conventional sociological practices. We discuss the analytical and imaginative potential of absence as well as presence. And in the final section, we frame the site as a contribution towards a more ‘open sociology’, and one which engages with a readership we can only partially know.
Precise pointing knowledge for SCIAMACHY solar occultation measurements
Authors: Bramstedt K. , Noël S. , Bovensmann H. , Gottwald M. , Burrows J. P.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. We present a method to precisely determine the viewing direction for solar occultation instruments from scans over the solar disk . Basic idea is the fit of the maximum intensity during the scan, which corresponds to the center of the solar disk in the scanning direction. We apply this method to the solar occultation measurements of the satellite instrument SCIAMACHY, which scans the sun in elevation direction. The achieved precision is in most case below 0.6 mdeg, which corresponds to an tangent height error of about 34 m for individual occultation sequences. The deviation of the derived elevation angle from the geolocation information given along with the product has a seasonal cycle with an amplitude of 2.02 mdeg, which is in tangent height an amplitude of about 114 m. The mean elevation angle offset is −4.7 mdeg (266 m). SCIAMACHY's sun follower device controls the azimuth viewing direction during the occultation measurements. The mean azimuth direction has an error of about 1.5 mdeg, which is about 84 m in horizontal direction at the tangent point. We observe also a seasonal cycle of the azimuth mispointing with an amplitude of 2.4 mdeg, which is slightly increasing with time. The almost constant mean offset is 88 mdeg, which is about 5.0 km horizontal offset at the tangent point.
Thermal state of the active layer and permafrost along the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Railway from 2006 to 2010
Authors: Wu Q. , Zhang T. , Liu Y.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. In this study, we investigated changes in active layer thickness (ALT) and permafrost temperatures at different depths using data from the permafrost monitoring network along the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibet) Railway (QXR) since 2005. Among these sites, mean ALT is ~3.1 m, with a range of ~1.1 to 5.9 m. From 2006 through 2010, ALT has increased at a rate of ~6.3 cm a−1. The mean rate of permafrost temperature rise at the depth of 6.0 m is ~0.02 °C a−1, estimated by linear regression using 5 yr of data, and the mean rate of mean annual ground temperature (MAGT) rise at a depth of zero amplitude is ~0.012 °C a−1. Changes for colder permafrost (MAGT −1.0 °C). This is consistent with results observed in the Arctic and subarctic.
A method for sea ice thickness and concentration analysis based on SAR data and a thermodynamic model
Authors: Karvonen J. , Cheng B. , Vihma T. , Arkett M. , Carrieres T.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. An analysis of ice thickness distribution is a challenge, particularly in a seasonal sea ice zone with strongly dynamic ice motion field, such as the Gulf of St. Lawrence off Canada. We present a method for ice concentration and thickness analysis combining modelling of sea ice thermodynamics and detection of ice motion on the basis of space-borne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. Thermodynamic evolution of sea ice thickness in the Gulf of St. Lawrence was simulated for two winters, 2002–2003 and 2008–2009. The basin-scale ice thickness was controlled by atmospheric forcing, but the spatial distribution of ice thickness and concentration could not be explained by thermodynamics only. SAR data were applied to detect ice motion and ice surface structure during these two winters. The SAR analysis is based on estimation of ice motion between SAR image pairs and analysis of the local SAR texture statistics. Including SAR data analysis brought a significant added value to the results based on thermodynamics only. Our novel method combining the thermodynamic modelling and SAR yielded results that well match with the distribution of observations based on airborne Electromagnetic Induction (EM) method. Compared to the present operational method of producing ice charts for the Gulf of St. Lawrence, which is based on visual interpretation of SAR data, the new method reveals much more detailed and physically based information on spatial distribution of ice thickness.
Retrieval of snow Specific Surface Area (SSA) from MODIS data in mountainous regions
Authors: Mary A. , Dumont M. , Dedieu J.-P. , Durand Y. , Sirguey P. , Milhem H. , Mestre O. , Negi H. S. , Kokhanovsky A. A.
Published: May 2012

Abstract. This study describes a method to retrieve snow specific surface area (SSA) from satellite radiance reasurements in mountainous terrain. It aims at comparing different retrieval methods and at addressing topographic corrections of reflectance, namely slope and aspect of terrain and multiple reflections on neighbouring slopes. We use an iterative algorithm to compute reflectance from radiance of the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) with a comprehensive correction of local illumination with regards to topography. The retrieved SSA is compared to the results of the snowpack model Crocus, fed by driving data from the SAFRAN meteorological analysis, over a large domain in the French Alps. We compared SSA retrievals with and without topographic or anisotropy correction, and with a spherical or non-spherical snow reflectance model. The topographic correction enables SSA to be retrieved in better agreement with those from SAFRAN-Crocus. The root mean square deviation is 10.0 m2 kg−1 and the bias is −0.6 m2 kg−1, over 3829 pixels representing seven different dates and snow conditions. The standard deviation of MODIS retrieved data, larger than the one of SAFRAN-Crocus estimates, is responsible for half this RMSD. It is due to the topographic classes used by SAFRAN-Crocus. In addition, MODIS retrieved data show SSA gradients with elevation and solar exposition, physically consistent and in good agreement with SAFRAN-Crocus.
Comparison of Long-Term Variability of Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Measurements Made with the RTVue OCT and Scanning Laser Polarimetry
Authors: Naghizadeh Farzaneh , Garas Anita , Vargha Péter , Holló Gábor
Published: May 2012

Purpose.

To compare long-term variability of retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) measurements made with the RTVue-100 Fourier-domain optical coherence tomograph (RTVue-OCT) and scanning laser polarimetry with variable (GDx-VCC) and enhanced (GDx-ECC) corneal compensation.

Methods.

One eye each of 110 Caucasian patients (17 healthy, 20 ocular hypertensive, 22 preperimetric, and 51 perimetric glaucoma eyes, of which 10 showed visual field progression) were imaged prospectively at 6-month intervals for 1.5 to 3 years.

Results.

Median change of Octopus visual field mean defect was −0.300 dB/y for the controls, −0.120 dB/y for perimetric glaucoma group, and 1.231 dB/y for the 10 functionally progressing perimetric glaucoma eyes. Relative (%) variance of all RNFLT parameters measured with RTVue-OCT was significantly (p<<0.001) smaller than that with both of the GDx methods. Relative RNFLT progression slopes (% change/y) did not differ significantly between the methods. Relative variance of the RNFLT parameters did not differ between the control and perimetric glaucoma group with RTVue-OCT, but for most parameters it was consistently higher for perimetric glaucoma with both GDx methods (p≤0.01). Relative RNFLT progression slopes, however, did not separate the control and perimetric glaucoma eyes with either method.

Conclusions.

Long-term RNFLT measurements are less variable with the RTVue-OCT than with GDx-VCC and GDx-ECC. Long-term measurement variability is higher in perimetric glaucoma than in healthy eyes with both GDx methods, but no similar between-group difference is seen with RTvue-OCT. None of the tested methods separated the rate of progression between healthy and well-controlled perimetric glaucoma eyes in 1.5 to 3 years follow-up.
A Systematic Approach for the Design, Fabrication, and Testing of Microstrip Antennas Using Inkjet Printing Technology
Authors: Al-Naiemy Yahiea , Elwi Taha A. , Khaleel Haider R. , Al-Rizzo Hussain
Published: May 2012

We present a systematic approach for producing microstrip antennas using the state-of-the-art-inkjet printing technique. An initial antenna design based on the conventional square patch geometry is adopted as a benchmark to characterize the entire approach; the procedure then could be generalized to different antenna geometries and feeding techniques. For validation purposes, the antenna is designed and simulated using two different 3D full-wave electromagnetic simulation tools: Ansoft’s High Frequency Structure Simulator (HFSS), which is based on the Finite Element Method (FEM), and CST Microwave Studio, which is based on the Finite Integration Technique (FIT). The systematic approach for the fabrication process includes the optimal number of printed layers, curing temperature, and curing time. These essential parameters need to be optimized to achieve the highest electrical conductivity, trace continuity, and structural robustness. The antenna is fabricated using Inkjet Printing Technology (IJPT) utilizing Sliver Nanoparticles (SNPs) conductive ink printed by DMP-2800 Dimatix FujiFilm materials printer.
The Effects of Multimodal Feedback and Gender on Task Performance of Stylus Pen Users
Authors: Park Eunil , Kim Ki Joon , del Pobil Angel P.
Published: May 2012

As various interactive input devices for computers have become available, the role of multimodal feedbacks generated by the devices has gained an increasing emphasis in recent years, with debates surrounding the relative efficiency of different feedback types of input devices. To address this and related issues, the present study conducted a 4 (types of feedback: visual vs. tactile vs. auditory vs. combined feedback) x 2 (gender: male vs. female) within-subject experiment to examine the effects of the type of feedbacks and gender on the efficiency and accuracy of a multimodal stylus pen. Results from the experiment showed that, regardless of the feedback type, males clicked the stylus faster than females while making more errors. A similar pattern was discovered when used the pen for dragging; males completed the dragging task faster than females while producing more errors. Interactions between the feedback type and gender as well as implications and limitations of the present study are discussed.
Alzheimer's Research U.K.: Defeating Dementia Through Research
Authors: Karran Eric
Published: May 2012

Since its founding 20 years ago, Alzheimer's Research U.K. has focused on defeating dementia through research. It funds investigative studies, educational efforts, and a network of 15 centers of dementia research excellence. Dr. Eric Karran, director of research for the charity, shares the organization's accomplishments to date and future goals.
El Behemoth colombiano: teoría del Estado, violencia y paz
Authors: Hernández Jorge Andrés
Published: May 2012

The building of the modern state in Europe was part of an historic process that reacted to the violence of the Wars of Religion (16th to 17th centuries) and established the bases of peace and order for modern life in the West. This article reviews the theoretical bases of the theory of the state in terms of a Hobbesian dualism, symbolized by the figures of Leviathan (peace, order) and Behemoth (violence, anomie), in order to examine the historic failure in Colombia to construct a modern state. In effect, Colombia has been unable to construct an impersonal entity capable of subduing its multiple armed competitors and creating the conditions for peace and order.
Independencias no simultáneas, memorias coloniales encontradas: la crítica literaria “[…] de patria dudosa […]” de Rafael María Merchán (1844-1905)
Authors: Sedeño Guillén Kevin
Published: May 2012

This article contributes to the history of Cuban and Colombian literary criticism at the end of the 19th century. It analyzes Rafael María Merchán’s Estudios críticos (1886), written and published during the author’s exile in Colombia, and suggests that this kind of transnational Cuban-Colombian-Spanish American corpus is positioned within, and is the result of, the negotiations between coloniality and post-coloniality in the late 19th century. Its findings show that the important critical legacy of Merchan – trapped between the tangles of Cuba’s colonial situation and a post-colonial, post-independent Colombia – constitutes an unclaimed inheritance in the history of Spanish American (and especially Cuban and Colombian) literature.
Optical Absorption Enhancement in Freestanding GaAs Thin Film Nanopyramid Arrays
Authors: Liang Dong , Huo Yijie , Kang Yangsen , Wang Ken Xingze , Gu Anjia , Tan Meiyueh , Yu Zongfu , Li Shuang , Jia Jieyang , Bao Xinyu , Wang Shuang , Yao Yan , Wong H.‐S. Philip , Fan Shanhui , Cui Yi , Harris James S.
Published: May 2012

Although III–V compound semiconductor multi‐junction cells show the highest efficiency among all types of solar cells, their cost is quite high due to expensive substrates, long epitaxial growth and complex balance of system components. To reduce the cost, ultra‐thin films with advanced light management are desired. Here effective light trapping in freestanding thin film nanopyramid arrays is demonstrated and multiple‐times light path enhancement is realized, where only 160 nm thick GaAs with nanopyramid structures is equivalent to a 1 μm thick planar film. The GaAs nanopyramids are fabricated using a combination of nanosphere lithography, nanopyramid metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) growth, and gas‐phase substrate removal processes. Excellent optical absorption is demonstrated over a broad range of wavelengths, at various incident angles and at large‐curvature bending. Compared to an equally thick planar control film, the overall number of photons absorbed is increased by about 100% at various incident angles due to significant antireflection and light trapping effects. By implementing these nanopyramid structures, III–V material usage and deposition time can be significantly reduced to produce high‐efficiency, low‐cost thin film III–V solar cells.
Body stalk anomaly in Denmark during 20 years (1970–1989)
Authors: Bugge Merete
Published: May 2012

Body stalk anomaly is a severe defect of the abdominal wall with uncovered thoracic and/or abdominal organs. The umbilical cord is absent or very short. Here I present epidemiological and clinical data on 16 infants with body stalk anomaly. The 16 infants represent 3.4% of the 469 infants ascertained in an almost complete nationwide data set of live‐ and stillborn infants born with abdominal wall defects during the two decades 1970–1989 in Denmark. The prevalence was 0.12 per 10,000 live‐ and stillborn. Nine of the infants were stillbirths, seven were live births, and they all died shortly after birth. The gestational age at birth varied from 33 to 40 weeks. There was an excess of males M/F ratio: 2.2 (CI: 0.85–10.71). All infants had severe associated malformations. Among the most severe were: severe limb reduction defects (56%), absence of one kidney associated with malformations of genitalia and/or urinary bladder (62%), scoliosis (82%), and anal atresia (57%). A normal karyotype was found in all eight of the infants who were tested. There were two sets of twins; one discordant and one concordant. Mean maternal and paternal ages were 28.5 and 29.5 years, respectively, not significantly different from the mean parental ages of the Danish population during the same period. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Maternal genetic effect in DNA analysis: Egg on your traits
Authors: Wilson Golder N.
Published: May 2012

A dilemma of penetrance parallels the uncertainty principle as array analyses uncover a disturbing continuity of human molecular variation. Among mechanisms for altered penetrance is maternal genetic effect, hypothesized to explain mother‐offspring discordance from 12/13 translocation [Wilson et al., 1991] and important to consider when confronting identical genetic changes in normal mothers and their abnormal children. A boy with developmental delays, autistic features, minimal dysmorphology, and maternally inherited 17p13.3 microduplication could exemplify maternal genetic effect, as could a boy with altered brain pattern and maternally inherited Sonic Hedgehog mutation reported by Schell‐Apacik et al. [2009]. Maternal genetic effects, characterized in fly, fish, and mouse, are important to consider in human DNA analysis so that identical findings in mother and child are not routinely dismissed as benign variations. Suspect families can define relevant maternal‐zygote transition (MZT) genes, provide assays for oocyte function and disruption, and shift anomaly emphasis from pattern recognition to pattern restoration. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Effect of fiber structure on the properties of the electrospun hybrid membranes composed of poly(ε‐caprolactone) and gelatin
Authors: Chen Zhengjian , Cao Lihua , Wang Liqun , Zhu Huiyong , Jiang Hongliang
Published: May 2012

To elucidate the effect of fiber structure on the properties of the electrospun gelatin/PCL hybrid membranes, three types of fibers with different structures, i.e., core‐shell, blend, and mixed fibers were fabricated. The crystallinity, wettability, swelling degree, and mechanical properties of the hybrid membranes were compared. It was found that the crystalline characteristics of PCL in the core‐shell fibers were different from the fibers fabricated by the other two methods. That is, the orientation degree of the PCL chains in the core‐shell fibers was higher than that in both blend and mixed fibers. The wettability of the hybrid membrane was dependent on both the composition and structure of the electrospun fibers. Blended fibers exhibited the highest hydrophobicity because of the enrichment of PCL at the fiber surface. Contrarily, the mixed fibers possessed the highest mechanical strength of 3–5.18 MPa. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Influence of nanoclays on electrical and morphological properties of thermoplastic polyurethane/multiwalled carbon nanotube/clay nanocomposites
Authors: Lee Minho , Kim Wantae , Ku Jahun , Kim Young Doo , Min Byong Hun , Kim Jeong Ho
Published: May 2012

Nanocomposites of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs), multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and clays were prepared via melt processing using polyether‐ and polyester‐based TPUs, MWCNTs, and organically modified nanoclays (Cloisite C30B and C25A). Coaddition of clays and MWCNTs to TPU nanocomposites increased their electrical conductivities above those without any clay. Nanoclay alone is shown to produce no effect on electrical conductivity. TEM results show that the coaddition of nanoclay affects the nanocomposite morphology by changing the MWCNT distribution. Clay C25A and MWCNTs were observed to form network structures in the nanocomposites, resulting in improved electrical conduction. Interaction between MWCNTs and clays as well as an increase in nanocomposite viscosity caused by the coaddition of clays may influence the morphology change. Most of the nanocomposites containing both MWCNTs and clay exhibited higher dielectric constants, indicating higher electrical conductivities. Tensile properties investigations confirmed the reinforcing effects of the MWCNTs and clays. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Comparison study of a chiral stationary phase based on cellulose derivatives prepared by “grafting from” and “grafting to” methods
Authors: Yang Ji‐Hoon , Choi Seong‐Ho
Published: May 2012

Chiral stationary phase (CSP) with cellulose derivatives was synthesized using the “grafting from” and “grafting to” methods. The “grafting to” method involves the bonding of a preformed end‐functionalized polymer to reactive surface amine groups on the silica gel. The “grafting from” involves the immobilization of initiator onto the aminated silica gel followed by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) to generate the chiral polymer chains. The successful preparation of the CSP with cellulose derivatives prepared by ATRP was confirmed by FE‐SEM, XPS, EA, and thermal analysis. The chiral resolution of the CSP with cellulose derivatives was evaluated by high‐performance liquid chromatography using 10 racemates with various mobile phases that consisted of hexane/alcohol, hexane/THF, and hexane/chloroform. Furthermore, the CSP with cellulose derivatives prepared by “grafting from” and “grafting to” were compared and discussed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Laser scanning confocal microscopy versus scanning electron microscopy for characterization of polymer morphology: Sample preparation drastically distorts morphologies of poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate)‐based hydrogels
Authors: Paterson Stefan M. , Casadio Ylenia S. , Brown David H. , Shaw Jeremy A. , Chirila Traian V. , Baker Murray V.
Published: May 2012

The internal morphologies for a series of heterogeneous PHEMA and P[HEMA‐co‐MeO‐PEGMA] [PHEMA = poly(2‐hydroxyethyl methacrylate), MeO‐PEGMA = poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate] hydrogels were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in conjunction with a sample drying procedure, and by laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM) without prior drying. Compared to SEM, LSCM was far simpler and more rapid technique for imaging hydrogels. LSCM also allowed the native hydrated morphology of the hydrogels to be characterized, whereas SEM could only characterize the morphology of samples in their dehydrated state. No dehydration method used in this study preserved the true native morphology, but plunge freezing/freeze drying was the most suitable method that best preserved the native morphology for all hydrogel compositions. Refrigerated freezing/freeze‐drying and critical point drying introduced significant morphological artifacts, the severity of the artifacts being dependant on the sample's composition and Tg. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013