bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
High-Sensitivity C-Reactive Protein in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Iuhas Cristian-Ioan , Costin Nicolae , Mihu Dan
Published: February 2013

Objective: To assess the inflammation evaluated by high sensitivity C ReactiveProtein (hsCRP) in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) compared withhealthy women without PCOS. Methods: This was a retrospective, case control,observational study. The study group included 31 patients with PCOS and 29 healthypatients matched for age and body mass index (BMI) but without PCOS (controlgroup). PCOS was diagnosed using Rotterdam criteria. Results: Patients with PCOShad higher mean hsCRP levels compared with healthy controls: 3.89±2.75 mg/l inPCOS group and 2.61±1.81 mg/l in the control group, p=0.04. The difference was nolonger significant after adjustment for BMI. In the PCOS group hsCRP waspositively correlated with BMI, waist circumference, visceral fat area, body fat massand glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c). Conclusion: hsCRP levels are increased inpatients with PCOS and are correlated with obesity, fat accumulation and not withthe presence of PCOS per se.
On the Use of Crime Rates
Authors: Boivin Rémi
Published: February 2013

Crime rates provide a well-known and easy-to-understand standardized measure of the level of criminal activity of places. However, crime rates are based on several assumptions that are seldom discussed or even mentioned in most scientific analyses of crime. This article builds on a relatively simple observation: residential population is not always an appropriate measure of potential offenders and victims in an area. A typology of spatial relations between offender, victim, and criminal event is used to explore the circumstances under which residential population size is the appropriate denominator of crime rates. Spatial regression models suggest that residential population size is indicative of the number of both potential offenders and victims of domestic violence in a census tract, measures only potential targets of burglary, and was simply not representative of the population at risk of being involved in stranger assaults that took place in Montreal, Canada. This article challenges the traditional use of residential population-based crime rates in criminological research and demonstrates that conventional crime rates only offer accurate information about risk in a limited number of situations.
Graph and Analytical Models for Emergency Evacuation
Authors: Desmet Antoine , Gelenbe Erol
Published: February 2013

Cyber-Physical-Human Systems (CPHS) combine sensing, communication and control to obtain desirable outcomes in physical environments for human beings, such as buildings or vehicles. A particularly important application area is emergency management. While recent work on the design and optimisation of emergency management schemes has relied essentially on discrete event simulation, which is challenged by the substantial amount of programming or reprogramming of the simulation tools and by the scalability and the computing time needed to obtain useful performance estimates, this paper proposes an approach that offers fast estimates based on graph models and probability models. We show that graph models can offer insight into the critical areas in an emergency evacuation and that they can suggest locations where sensor systems are particularly important and may require hardening. On the other hand, we also show that analytical models based on queueing theory can provide useful estimates of evacuation times and for routing optimisation. The results are illustrated with regard to the evacuation of a real-life building.
Sonolytic and Silent Polymerization of Methacrlyic Acid Butyl Ester Catalyzed by a New Onium Salt with bis-Active Sites in a Biphasic System — A Comparative Investigation
Authors: Vivekanand Perumberkandgai , Wang Maw-Ling , Hsieh Yu-Ming
Published: February 2013

Currently, ingenious new analytical and process experimental techniques which are environmentally benign techniques, viz., ultrasound irradiation, have become immensely popular in promoting various reactions. In this work, a novel soluble multi-site phase transfer catalyst (PTC) viz., 1,4-bis-(propylmethyleneammounium chloride)benzene (BPMACB) was synthesized and its catalytic efficiency was assessed by observing the kinetics of sonolytic polymerization of methacrylic acid butyl ester (MABE) using potassium persulphate (PPS) as an initiator. The ultrasound–multi-site phase transfer catalysis (US-MPTC)-assisted polymerization reaction was compared with the silent (non-ultrasonic) polymerization reaction. The effects of the catalyst and various reaction parameters on the catalytic performance were in detail investigated by following the kinetics of polymerization of MABE in an ethyl acetate-water biphasic system. From the detailed kinetic investigation we propose a plausible mechanism. Further the kinetic results demonstrate clearly that ultrasound-assisted phase-transfer catalysis significantly increased the reaction rate when compared to silent reactions. Notably, this environmentally benign and cost-effective process has great potential to be applied in various polymer industries.
Community Matters for Children’s Health
Authors: Johnson Sheri , Dickinson Katherine , Mandic Carmen Gomez , Willis Earnestine
Published: February 2013

CME Educational Objectives

1.

Describe a cross-theoretical conceptualization of how community factors affect children’s health.

2.

Provide examples of how community conditions affect common health concerns often faced by health professionals in the clinical setting.

3.

Identify opportunities to leverage professional knowledge of community conditions and public policy to improve the health of children.

What makes us healthy? Providing guidance to families regarding prevention and diagnosing and treating illness are the foundations of clinical practice. Yet medical care directed at improving and preserving the health of the individual patient accounts for only about 15% to 20% of what makes us healthy at a population level. Community factors, such as the quality of housing, safety of neighborhoods, and availability of livable-wage jobs for adults, frequently referred to as social determinants of health, account for a much larger proportion of what makes people healthy.
1
Action Detection by Fusing Hierarchically Filtered Motion with Spatiotemporal Interest Point Features
Authors: Tian YingLi , Cao Liangliang , Liu Zicheng , Zhang Zhengyou
Published: February 2013

This chapter addresses the problem of action detection from cluttered videos. In recent years, many feature extraction schemes have been designed to describe various aspects of actions. However, due to the difficulty of action detection, e.g., the cluttered background and potential occlusions, a single type of feature cannot effectively solve the action detection problems in cluttered videos. In this chapter, the authors propose a new type of feature, Hierarchically Filtered Motion (HFM), and further investigate the fusion of HFM with Spatiotemporal Interest Point (STIP) features for action detection from cluttered videos. In order to effectively and efficiently detect actions, they propose a new approach that combines Gaussian Mixture Models (GMMs) with Branch-and-Bound search to locate interested actions in cluttered videos. The proposed new HFM features and action detection method have been evaluated on the classical KTH dataset and the challenging MSR Action Dataset II, which consists of crowded videos with moving people or vehicles in the background. Experiment results demonstrate that the proposed method significantly outperforms existing techniques, especially for action detection in crowded videos.
Motion and Location-Based Online Human Daily Activity Recognition
Authors: Zhu Chun , Sheng Weihua
Published: February 2013

In this chapter, the authors propose an approach to indoor human daily activity recognition that combines motion data and location information. One inertial sensor is worn on the thigh of a human subject to provide motion data while a motion capture system is used to record the human location information. Such a combination has the advantage of significantly reducing the obtrusiveness to the human subject at a moderate cost of vision processing, while maintaining a high accuracy of recognition. The approach has two phases. First, a two-step algorithm is proposed to recognize the activity based on motion data only. In the coarse-grained classification, two neural networks are used to classify the basic activities. In the fine-grained classification, the sequence of activities is modeled by a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) to consider the sequential constraints. The modified short-time Viterbi algorithm is used for real-time daily activity recognition. Second, to fuse the motion data with the location information, Bayes’ theorem is used to refine the activities recognized from the motion data. The authors conduct experiments in a mock apartment, and the obtained results prove the effectiveness and accuracy of the algorithms.
Impact of Overweight and Obesity on Left Ventricular Diastolic Function and Value of Tissue Doppler Echocardiography
Authors: Kossaify Antoine , Nicolas Nayla
Published: February 2013

Background

Diastolic dysfunction is a common cause of heart failure with preserved systolic function in obese patients.

Objective

To assess diastolic function in a series of overweight and obese patients using conventional and tissue Doppler echocardiography.

Setting and Method

University hospital; left ventricular diastolic function was evaluated in 99 patients (mean age 61.59 ± 13.9 years); body mass index and waist circumference were assessed, and patients were subdivided into three groups according to their body mass index (kg/m2): [normal, (18.5-24.9); overweight, (25-29.9); obese, (> 29.9)]. Peak early (E) and late (A) transmural flow and peak early (E′) diastolic mitral annulus velocities were measured.

Results

Diastolic dysfunction was significantly higher in the overweight/obese groups compared to the normal body mass index group. The analysis was made with regard to waist circumference and other clinical characteristics, and multivariate regression analysis showed a direct and independent effect of body mass index on diastolic function [OR: 2.75; CI: 1.34-5.67; P = 0.006]. Discussion was made in view of the latest clinical data. Also, an insight into normal weight obesity is presented and discussed.

Conclusion

Overweight and obesity are found to have an independent negative impact on diastolic function as assessed by tissue Doppler imaging.
Estimates of aerosol radiative forcing from the MACC re-analysis
Authors: Bellouin N. , Quaas J. , Morcrette J.-J. , Boucher O.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. The European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) provides an aerosol re-analysis starting from year 2003 for the Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) project. The re-analysis assimilates total aerosol optical depth retrieved by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) to correct for model departures from observed aerosols. The re-analysis therefore combines satellite retrievals with the full spatial coverage of a numerical model. Re-analysed products are used here to estimate the shortwave direct and first indirect radiative forcing of anthropogenic aerosols over the period 2003–2010, using methods previously applied to satellite retrievals of aerosols and clouds. The best estimate of globally-averaged, all-sky direct radiative forcing is −0.7 ± 0.3 Wm−2. The standard deviation is obtained by a Monte-Carlo analysis of uncertainties, which accounts for uncertainties in the aerosol anthropogenic fraction, aerosol absorption, and cloudy-sky effects. Further accounting for differences between the present-day natural and pre-industrial aerosols provides a direct radiative forcing estimate of −0.4 ± 0.3 Wm−2. The best estimate of globally-averaged, all-sky first indirect radiative forcing is −0.6 ± 0.4 Wm−2. Its standard deviation accounts for uncertainties in the aerosol anthropogenic fraction, and in cloud albedo and cloud droplet number concentration susceptibilities to aerosol changes. The distribution of first indirect radiative forcing is asymmetric and is bounded by −0.1 and −2.0 Wm−2. In order to decrease uncertainty ranges, better observational constraints on aerosol absorption and sensitivity of cloud droplet number concentrations to aerosol changes are required.
Pre-industrial to end 21st century projections of tropospheric ozone from the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP)
Authors: Young P. J. , Archibald A. T. , Bowman K. W. , Lamarque J.-F. , Naik V. , Stevenson D. S. , Tilmes S. , Voulgarakis A. , Wild O. , Bergmann D. , Cameron-Smith P. , Cionni I. , Collins W. J. , Dalsøren S. B. , Doherty R. M. , Eyring V. , Faluvegi G. , Horowitz L. W. , Josse B. , Lee Y. H. , MacKenzie I. A. , Nagashima T. , Plummer D. A. , Righi M. , Rumbold S. T. , Skeie R. B. , Shindell D. T. , Strode S. A. , Sudo K. , Szopa S. , Zeng G.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Present day tropospheric ozone and its changes between 1850 and 2100 are considered, analysing 15 global models that participated in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP). The ensemble mean compares well against present day observations. The seasonal cycle correlates well, except for some locations in the tropical upper troposphere. Most (75 %) of the models are encompassed with a range of global mean tropospheric ozone column estimates from satellite data, but there is a suggestion of a high bias in the Northern Hemisphere and a low bias in the Southern Hemisphere, which could indicate deficiencies with the ozone precursor emissions. Compared to the present day ensemble mean tropospheric ozone burden of 337 ± 23 Tg, the ensemble mean burden for 1850 time slice is ~30% lower. Future changes were modelled using emissions and climate projections from four Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). Compared to 2000, the relative changes in the ensemble mean tropospheric ozone burden in 2030 (2100) for the different RCPs are: −4% (−16%) for RCP2.6, 2% (−7%) for RCP4.5, 1% (−9%) for RCP6.0, and 7% (18%) for RCP8.5. Model agreement on the magnitude of the change is greatest for larger changes. Reductions in most precursor emissions are common across the RCPs and drive ozone decreases in all but RCP8.5, where doubled methane and a 40–150% greater stratospheric influx (estimated from a subset of models) increase ozone. While models with a high ozone burden for the present day also have high ozone burdens for the other time slices, no model consistently predicts large or small ozone changes; i.e. the magnitudes of the burdens and burden changes do not appear to be related simply, and the models are sensitive to emissions and climate changes in different ways. Spatial patterns of ozone changes are well correlated across most models, but are notably different for models without time evolving stratospheric ozone concentrations. A unified approach to ozone budget specifications and a rigorous investigation of the factors that drive tropospheric ozone is recommended to help future studies attribute ozone changes and inter-model differences more clearly.
Enhanced SOA formation from mixed anthropogenic and biogenic emissions during the CARES campaign
Authors: Shilling J. E. , Zaveri R. A. , Fast J. D. , Kleinman L. , Alexander M. L. , Canagaratna M. R. , Fortner E. , Hubbe J. M. , Jayne J. T. , Sedlacek A. , Setyan A. , Springston S. , Worsnop D. R. , Zhang Q.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. The CARES campaign was conducted during June, 2010 in the vicinity of Sacramento, California to study aerosol formation and aging in a region where anthropogenic and biogenic emissions regularly mix. Here, we describe measurements from an Aerodyne High Resolution Aerosol Mass Spectrometer (AMS), an Ionicon Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (PTR-MS), and trace gas detectors (CO, NO, NOx) deployed on the G-1 research aircraft to investigate ambient gas- and particle-phase chemical composition. AMS measurements showed that the particle phase is dominated by organic aerosol (OA) (85% on average) with smaller concentrations of sulfate (5%), nitrate (6%) and ammonium (3%) observed. PTR-MS data showed that isoprene dominated the biogenic volatile organic compound concentrations (BVOCs), with monoterpene concentrations generally below the detection limit. Using two different metrics, median OA concentrations and the slope of plots of OA vs. CO concentrations (i.e., ΔOA/ΔCO), we contrast organic aerosol evolution on flight days with different prevailing meteorological conditions to elucidate the role of anthropogenic and biogenic emissions on OA formation. Airmasses influenced predominantly by biogenic emissions had median OA concentrations of 2.2 μg m−3 and near zero ΔOA/ΔCO. Those influenced predominantly by anthropogenic emissions had median OA concentrations of 4.7 μg m−3 and ΔOA/ΔCO ratios of 35–44 μg m−3 ppmv. But, when biogenic and anthropogenic emissions mixed, OA levels were enhanced, with median OA concentrations of 11.4 μg m−3 and ΔOA/ΔCO ratios of 77–157 μg m−3 ppmv. Taken together, our observations show that production of OA was enhanced when anthropogenic emissions from Sacramento mixed with isoprene-rich air from the foothills. After considering several anthropogenic/biogenic interaction mechanisms, we conclude that NOx concentrations play a strong role in enhancing SOA formation from isoprene, though the chemical mechanism for the enhancement remains unclear. If these observations are found to be robust in other seasons and in areas outside of Sacramento, regional and global aerosol modules will need to incorporate more complex representations of NOx-dependent SOA mechanisms and yields into their algorithms. Ultimately, accurately predicting OA mass concentrations and their effect on radiation balance will require a mechanistically-based treatment of the interactions of biogenic and anthropogenic emissions.
Aerosol physical and chemical properties retrieved from ground-based remote sensing measurements during heavy haze days in Beijing winter
Authors: Li Z. Q. , Gu X. , Wang L. , Li D. , Li K. , Dubovik O. , Schuster G. , Goloub P. , Zhang Y. , Li L. , Xie Y. , Ma Y. , Xu H.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. With the development of economy in the past thirty years, many large cities in the eastern and southwestern China are experiencing increased haze events and atmospheric pollution, causing significant impacts on the regional environment and even climate. However, knowledge on the aerosol physical and chemical properties in heavy haze conditions is still insufficient. In this study, two winter heavy haze events in Beijing occurred in 2011 and 2012 were selected and investigated by using the ground-based remote sensing measurements. We used CIMEL CE318 sun-sky radiometer to derive haze aerosol optical, physical and chemical properties, including aerosol optical depth (AOD), size distribution, complex refractive indices and fractions of chemical components like black carbon (BC), brown carbon (BrC), mineral dust (DU), ammonium sulfate-like (AS) components and aerosol water content (AW). The retrieval results from a total of five haze days showed that the aerosol loading and properties during the two winter haze events were relatively stable. Therefore, a parameterized heavy haze characterization was drawn to present a research case for future studies. The averaged AOD is 3.2 at 440 nm and Ångström exponent is 1.3 from 440–870 nm. The coarse particles occupied a considerable fraction of the bimodal size distribution in winter haze events, with the mean particle radius of 0.21 and 2.9 μm for the fine and coarse mode respectively. The real part of the refractive indices exhibited a relatively flat spectral behavior with an average value of 1.48 from 440 to 1020 nm. The imaginary part showed obviously spectral variation with the value at 440 nm (about 0.013) higher than other three wavelengths (e.g. about 0.008 at 675 nm). The chemical composition retrieval results showed that BC, BrC, DU, AS and AW occupied 1%, 2%, 49%, 15% and 33% respectively on average for the investigated haze events. The comparison of these remote sensing results with in situ BC and PM2.5 measurements were also presented in the paper.
Comment on "Non-inductive components of electromagnetic signals associated with L'Aquila earthquake sequences estimated by means of inter-station impulse response functions" by Di Lorenzo et al. (2011)
Authors: Masci F. , De Luca G.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. Di Lorenzo et al. (2011) document the observation of magnetic signals in the frequency range [0.3–3] Hz from few minutes before to about one hour after the 6 April 2009 L'Aquila earthquake. This coincidence induced the authors to think that the observed magnetic disturbances were related to the main phase of the seismic event. Here, we will discuss some unclear points of Di Lorenzo et al. (2011) which cast serious doubts on the seismogenic origin of the magnetic disturbances observed by the authors.
Automated classification of Persistent Scatterers Interferometry time-series
Authors: Berti M. , Corsini A. , Franceschini S. , Iannacone J. P.
Published: February 2013

Abstract. We present a new method for the automatic classification of Persistent Scatters Interferometry (PSI) time series based on a conditional sequence of statistical tests. Time series are classified into distinctive predefined target trends (such as uncorrelated, linear, quadratic, bilinear and discontinuous) that describe different styles of ground deformation. Our automatic analysis overcomes limits related to the visual classification of PSI time series, which cannot be carried out systematically for large datasets. The method has been tested with reference to landslides using PSI datasets covering the northern Apennines of Italy. The clear distinction between the relative frequency of uncorrelated, linear and non-linear time series with respect to mean velocity distribution suggests that different target trends are related to different physical processes that are likely to control slope movements. The spatial distribution of classified time series is also consistent with respect the known distribution of flat areas, slopes and landslides in the tests area. Classified time series enhances the radar interpretation of slope movements at the site scale, pointing out significant advantages in comparison with the conventional analysis based solely on the mean velocity. The test application also warns against potentially misleading classification outputs in case of datasets affected by systematic errors. Although the method was developed and tested to investigate landslides, it should be also useful for the analysis of other ground deformation processes such as subsidence, swelling/shrinkage of soils, uplifts due to deep injections in reservoirs.
Preparation and Crystal Structure of a New Lithium Vanadium Fluoride Li2VF6 with Trirutile-type Structure
Authors: Nakhal Suliman , Weber Dominik , Lerch Martin
Published: February 2013

A new lithium vanadium fluoride Li2VF6 was prepared by reacting lithium fluoride LiF with vanadium tetrafluoride VF4 in a monel capsule at 500 °C. The crystal structure has been determined by means of powder X-ray diffraction. Trirutile-type dilithium hexafluorovanadate(IV) crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P42/mnmwith lattice parameters a=459.99(1), b=459:99(1), c=896.64(2) pm. The presence of a Jahn-Teller effect is discussed.
The Effect of Centrifugal Force on the Assembly and Crystallization of Binary Colloidal Systems: Towards Structural Gradients
Authors: Chen Mengdi , Cölfen Helmut , Polarz Sebastian
Published: February 2013

In this study, the effect of centrifugal force on the assembly and crystallization of binary colloidal mixtures is demonstrated. Monolithic pieces have been prepared which are characterized by a structural gradient along the direction of the centrifugal force. For a given number ratio of monodisperse 154 and 300 nm latex spheres, the absolute latex concentration was varied and with it the sedimentation velocity of the individual particle species. For three different concentrations it has been demonstrated that the structure of the binary colloidal assembly obtained after centrifugation is affected significantly. For the largest initial latex absolute concentrations, the structural variation along the packed latex column in the ultracentrifuge tube is minimal, while a decrease in the absolute concentrations leads to crystalline packing in defined regions of the column. The observation of the thermodynamically favored structure resembling NaCl, but also of the aluminum boride AlB2 analog as well as unordered, glass-like packing depending on the mutual latex concentration under unchanged particle number and size ratio, shows that by centrifugation kinetically favored states can be realized. This result implies that centrifugation of binary latex mixtures is a promising route for investigating the self-organization of binary colloidal systems since the sedimentation velocities of the two particle species are different, and thus the local concentrations and mixing ratios vary continuously also enabling rare packing motifs.
Pour relancer et maintenir la créativité pédagogique et artistique des futurs enseignants : la dynamique de création, un outil pertinent
Authors: Marceau Carole
Published: February 2013

Professeure au profil enseignement en art dramatique de l’Université du Québec à Montréal, l’auteure est à même de constater l’évolution de la formation et surtout l’impact que celle-ci peut avoir sur les enseignants de demain. Ses observations, effectuées lors de supervisions de stages, lui révèlent qu’en général les étudiants réussissent assez bien. Les résultats montrent que ces derniers ont atteint un niveau de développement adéquat ou supérieur leur permettant d’obtenir leur brevet d’enseignement. Cependant, l’atteinte des objectifs liés aux développements des compétences n’est pas garante d’une créativité pédagogique. Il apparaît donc intéressant de s’interroger sur la place de la créativité dans l’acte d’enseigner et plus particulièrement sur la possibilité de se référer à la dynamique de création proposée par Pierre Gosselin pour en saisir toute la complexité.
New Radar Interferometric Time Series Analysis Toolbox Released
Authors: Agram P. S. , Jolivet R. , Riel B. , Lin Y. N. , Simons M. , Hetland E. , Doin M.‐P. , Lasserre C.
Published: February 2013

Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has become an important geodetic tool for measuring deformation of Earth's surface due to various geophysical phenomena, including slip on earthquake faults, subsurface migration of magma, slow‐moving landslides, movement of shallow crustal fluids (e.g., water and oil), and glacier flow. Airborne and spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) instruments transmit microwaves toward Earth's surface and detect the returning reflected waves. The phase of the returned wave depends on the distance between the satellite and the surface, but it is also altered by atmospheric and other effects. InSAR provides measurements of surface deformation by combining amplitude and phase information from two SAR images of the same location taken at different times to create an interferogram. Several existing open‐source analysis tools [Rosen et al., 2004; Rosen et al., 2011; Kampes et al., 2003; Sandwell et al., 2011] enable scientists to exploit observations from radar satellites acquired at two different epochs to produce a surface displacement map.
Beyond Point Measurements: Sea Ice Floes Characterized in 3‐D
Authors: Williams Guy D. , Maksym Ted , Kunz Clayton , Kimball Peter , Singh Hanumant , Wilkinson Jeremy , Lachlan‐Cope Tom , Trujillo Ernesto , Steer Adam , Massom Rob , Meiners Klaus , Heil Petra , Lieser Jan , Leonard Katherine , Murphy Chris
Published: February 2013

A new methodology for coincident floe‐scale measurements of the surface elevation, snow depth, and ice draft (the thickness below the water line) of Antarctic sea ice has been demonstrated during two recent research voyages: the Australian‐led Sea Ice Physics and Ecosystem Experiment II (SIPEX II) to East Antarctica in September–November 2012 and the United Kingdom–led Ice Mass Balance in the Bellingshausen Sea (ICEBell) voyage to the Weddell and Bellingshausen Seas in November 2010 (Figure 1a).
Native Communities in the Arctic Face Climate Change Impacts
Authors: Showstack Randy
Published: February 2013

Warming temperatures, sea ice loss, permafrost melting, and other impacts of climate change are adding to the stresses indigenous communities already face in several Arctic countries, prompting some communities to consider relocating to safer areas. Native communities in Alaska, Russia, and Scandinavia are among those dealing with climate change impacts, according to researchers at a forum entitled “Arctic Indigenous Peoples, Displacement, and Climate Change” held at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D. C. on 30 January.
Forgotten Merits of the Analytic Viewpoint
Authors: Lewis K.C.
Published: February 2013

The early twentieth‐century German scientist Ludwig Prandtl solved a problem that at first sight seems impossible to solve without a computer: What are the shear forces exerted on the wing of an airplane during flight? The governing equations for this problem are the Navier‐Stokes equations, nonlinear partial differential equations for which it is not possible to obtain a general analytic solution. Prandtl solved the problem through strong physical insight, by realizing that frictional effects of the air on the wing are localized within a thin boundary layer, with airflow far from the wing behaving as if it were an ideal fluid, that is, one of zero viscosity. By separating the solution domain into a boundary layer and a far field, he was able to simplify the equations that describe the global domain enough to solve them for the case he needed. Even today, many difficult problems can be usefully approached this way, such as problems of buoyant convection adjacent to vertical walls. For a good review of these and other successes of boundary layer theory, see Bejan [2004].
Recommendations for Analysis of Dissolved Osmium in Seawater
Authors: Peucker‐Ehrenbrink Bernhard , Sharma Mukul , Reisberg Laurie
Published: February 2013

Osmium (Os) isotopes have emerged as a powerful tool in oceanographic and paleoceanographic research, as this highly redox‐sensitive element provides insights into ocean anoxic events, continental weathering processes, extraterrestrial impacts, and anthropogenic contamination. Direct analysis of Os isotopes dissolved in seawater is challenging because of very low (femtomolar) concentrations, a complex matrix, multiple oxidation states, and its likely propensity to bind to multiple ligands. Only a handful of laboratories have attempted such analyses.
AGU and American Geosciences Institute Webinar Series to Strengthen Departments
Authors: Asher Pranoti M. , Keane Christopher M.
Published: February 2013

The AGU Education and Public Outreach department in collaboration with the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) are continuing their partnership to support Earth and space science departments through AGU's Heads and Chairs Program. Through this partnership, AGI's Workforce Program and AGU's education staff continue to host monthly, hour‐long webinars and online discussions on various topics that hit at the heart of the health and success of Earth and space science departments. We invite department heads and chairs as well as faculty, administrators, and program directors to join in this unique free program.
High pore pressure in seafloor related to slow slip earthquakes
Authors: Schultz Colin
Published: February 2013

Lying within the seafloor off the southern coast of southwestern Japan, the Nankai Trough is the surface expression of the subduction of the Philippine tectonic plate beneath the Eurasian plate. In the past, this fault has been responsible for producing large, tsunami‐generating earthquakes—the most recent one, a magnitude 8.2 event in 1944. Similar events are expected in the future. One geologic feature that may predispose the region to such earthquakes is the presence of a low velocity zone previously identified that stretches shoreward from the Nankai Trough. The low velocity zone, a subsurface region through which primary seismic waves propagate with reduced velocity, may be related to increased seafloor uplift during an earthquake, a property that would tend to generate tsunamis.
Similarities between rivers and submarine channels
Authors: Balcerak Ernie
Published: February 2013

Scientists have long known that the width and depth of rivers follows a power law relationship with discharge. They have also noticed that submarine channels appear to be similar to terrestrial rivers, but there have not been many systematic comparisons of the relationships between submarine channel morphology and discharge. Konsoer et al. compared the width, depth, and slope of 177 submarine channels to those of 231 river cross sections. They found that submarine channels are up to an order of magnitude wider and deeper than the largest terrestrial rivers, but they exhibit a similar power law relationship between width and depth. For submarine channels that were similar in size to rivers, the authors found that submarine channels tend to be 1 to 2 orders of magnitude steeper than rivers. The authors also inferred values for sediment concentration in the turbidity currents in the channels and combined this with estimated mean flow velocities to look for a relationship between discharge and morphology in the channels. They found that like rivers, the width and depth of the submarine channels follow a power law scaling with discharge. (Journal of Geophysical Research‐Earth Surface, doi:10.1029/2012JF002422, 2013)
Synthesis and Optical Properties of Tetraaryl‐1,4‐dihydropyrrolo[3,2‐b]pyrroles
Authors: Janiga Anita , Glodkowska‐Mrowka Eliza , Stoklosa Tomasz , Gryko Daniel T.
Published: February 2013

A practical synthesis of nonfused 1,4‐dihydropyrrole[3,2‐b]pyrroles in a domino reaction of aldehydes, primary amines, and butane‐2,3‐dione has been discovered. Six bonds are formed in a tandem process, which gives rise to tetrasubstituted pyrrole[3,2‐b]pyrroles—the least studied among heteropentalenes. Unparalleled simplicity and versatility of this one‐pot reaction, no chromatography, as well as superb optical properties have the potential to make 1,4‐dihydropyrrole[3,2‐b]pyrroles the molecules of choice for various applications. As a proof of principle, cell uptake of selected dyes was demonstrated.
Solubility prediction of gases in polymers using fuzzy neural network based on particle swarm optimization algorithm and clustering method
Authors: Li Mengshan , Huang Xingyuan , Liu Hesheng , Liu Bingxiang , Wu Yan , Deng Xiaozhen
Published: February 2013

A four‐layer fuzzy neural network (FNN) model combining particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm and clustering method is proposed to predict the solubility of gases in polymers, hereafter called the CPSO‐FNN, which combined fuzzy theory's better adaptive ability, neural network's capability of nonlinear and PSO algorithm's global search ability. In this article, the CPSO‐FNN model has been employed to investigate solubility of CO2 in polystyrene, N2 in polystyrene, and CO2 in polypropylene, respectively. Results obtained in this work indicate that the proposed CPSO‐FNN is an effective method for the prediction of gases solubility in polymers. Meanwhile, compared with traditional FNN, this method shows a better performance on predicting gases solubility in polymers. The values of average relative deviation, squared correlation coefficient (R2) and standard deviation are 0.135, 0.9936, and 0.0302, respectively. The statistical data demonstrate that the CPSO‐FNN has an outstanding prediction accuracy and an excellent correlation between prediction values and experimental data. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Actinotetraoses I–K: Tetrasaccharide Metabolites Produced by an Insect‐Derived Actinobacteria, Amycolatopsis sp. HCa1
Authors: Guo Zhi‐Kai , Jiao Rui‐Hua , Dai Hao‐Fu , Mei Wen‐Li , Tan Ren‐Xiang , Ge Hui‐Ming
Published: February 2013

An isolate of rare actinobacteria strain Amycolatopsis sp. HCa1 obtained from the gut of grasshopper produced seven different metabolites in vitro. The metabolites isolated from its mycelia cakes were characterized by NMR and MS analyses. Actinotetraose hexatiglate (or tigloside; 1) with nonreducing glucotetraose skeleton was isolated as a major constituent; three new tetrasaccharide derivatives actinotetraoses I–K (2–4, resp.) and three known actinotetraoses A–C (5–7, resp.) were also isolated.
Experience using the new GORE® septal occluder at the margins
Authors: Lockhart C.J. , Johnston N.G. , Spence M.S.
Published: February 2013

Complex atrial anatomy continues to challenge transcatheter device closure of septal defects. Devices and technology continue to evolve. We report three cases from our institution where the new Gore® Septal Occluder was utilized for the closure of a lateral tunnel fenestration, a moderate‐sized secundum atrial septal defect and a long tunnel patent foramen ovale. Each case highlights the successful use of this new generation device in challenging circumstances. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tungsten Redox Waves in [XMW11O40]n– (X = P, Si, Al and M = W, Mo, V, Nb, Ti) Keggin Compounds – Effect of Localised/Delocalised Charges
Authors: Aparicio Pablo A. , Poblet Josep M. , López Xavier
Published: February 2013

In the 1960s, Pope and co‐workers found a linear dependence between the redox potentials of a family of isostructural α‐[XW12O40]n– Keggin anions and their molecular charge with a slope of –0.18 V per unit charge. That finding was restricted to variations in the internal atom or heteroatom of the molecule (X = PV, SiIV, AlIII, etc.). However, other ways to change the charge of Keggin anions are commonplace, such as previous reduction processes or chemical changes in the external positions of the W12O36 cage, and also lead to variations in their oxidising power. In the present theoretical work, we analyse the oxidising power, computed as reduction energies, for a family of differently charged α‐[XMW11O40]n– Keggin derivatives (X = P, Si, Al and M = W, Mo, V, Nb, Ti). The nature of the unitary charge increment affects the reduction energy differently; the mildest change occurs upon variations in the internal position (heteroatom substitution), and the strongest change (by a factor of ca. 1.85 per additional charge unit compared to the previous one) occurs in the presence of a delocalised (or “blue”) electron. The replacement of a metal atom (M) from an external position by another one with different oxidation state has an intermediate effect.
Filter membrane‐based automated therapeutic plasma exchange: A report of two cases from Nigeria
Authors: Arogundade Fatiu A. , Sanusi Abubakr A. , Akinbodewa Akinwunmi A. , Hassan Muzamil O. , Omotosho Bolanle O. , Balogun Rasheed A. , Akinsola Adewale
Published: February 2013

These case reports demonstrated the diagnostic dilemma encountered in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura particularly in settings with limited diagnostic facilities and laboratory support. The similarities in the diagnostic criteria for both conditions make clear distinction as well as management decisions difficult. We present the difficulties encountered with both the diagnosis and the management of these two patients that were managed in our facility. J. Clin. Apheresis 28:78–83, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Validation of a dual in vivo–in vitro assay for predicting the digestibility of nutrients in humans
Authors: Coles Leah T , Moughan Paul J , Awati Ajay , Darragh Alison J
Published: February 2013

Background

The validation of a dual in vivo–in vitro digestibility assay (‘dual digestibility assay’) for separately predicting the upper‐tract, hindgut and total tract digestibility of nutrients in humans, as estimated using organic matter digestibility (OMD), is described. Human upper‐tract OMD was predicted using an animal (rat) model with digesta from the terminal ileum collected from rats fed one of four complete human diets (wheat bran diet, pectin diet, mixed low‐fibre diet, mixed high‐fibre diet). Large intestinal OMD was predicted using an in vitro hindgut fermentation assay employing a human faecal inoculum and with the rat ileal digesta as the substrate.

Results

A comparison of total tract OMD of the four diets from a human balance study (OMDhuman) with that predicted using the dual digestibility assay (OMDdual) showed no significant differences (P > 0.05). OMDhuman and OMDdual were highly correlated (r = 0.953, P = 0.047).

Conclusion

The dual digestibility assay accurately predicts the uptake of dietary nutrients (as grams of organic matter) in humans over the total tract. The assay is able to separately quantify the digestibility of nutrients in the upper and lower digestive tracts. The validation of the dual digestibility assay needs to be extended to a wider range of human diets. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Co‐delivery of 10‐Hydroxycamptothecin with Doxorubicin Conjugated Prodrugs for Enhanced Anticancer Efficacy
Authors: Zhang Yu , Xiao Chunsheng , Li Mingqiang , Chen Jie , Ding Jianxun , He Chaoliang , Zhuang Xiuli , Chen Xuesi
Published: February 2013

Well‐defined amphiphilic linear‐dendritic prodrugs (MPEG‐b‐PAMAM‐DOX) are synthesized by conjugating doxorubicin (DOX), to MPEG‐b‐PAMAM through the acid‐labile hydrazone bond. The amphiphilic prodrugs form self‐assembled nanoparticles in deionized water and encapsulate the hydrophobic anticancer drug 10‐hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) with a high drug loading efficiency. Studies on drug release and cellular uptake of the co‐delivery system reveal that both drugs are released in a pH‐dependent manner and effectively taken up by MCF‐7 cells. In vitro methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) assays and drug‐induced apoptosis tests demonstrate the HCPT‐loaded nanoparticles suppress cancer cell growth more efficiently than the MPEG‐b‐PAMAM‐DOX prodrugs, free HCPT, and physical mixtures of MPEG‐b‐PAMAM‐DOX and HCPT at equivalent DOX or HCPT doses.

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Non‐commutative ‐divergence functional
Authors: Moslehian Mohammad Sal , Kian Mohsen
Published: February 2013

We introduce the non‐commutative f‐divergence functional

urn:x-wiley:dummy:mana201200194:equation:mana201200194-math-0002for an operator convex function f, where and are continuous fields of Hilbert space operators and study its properties. We establish some relations between the perspective of an operator convex function f and the non‐commutative f‐divergence functional. In particular, an operator extension of Csiszár's result regarding f‐divergence functional is presented. As some applications, we establish a refinement of the Choi–Davis–Jensen operator inequality, obtain some unitarily invariant norm inequalities and give some results related to the Kullback–Leibler distance.
PS/TiO2 (polystyrene/titanium dioxide) composite nanofibers with higher surface‐to‐volume ratio prepared by electrospinning: Morphology and thermal properties
Authors: Madani Mohammad , Sharifi‐Sanjani Naser , Hasan‐Kaviar Ahmad , Choghazardi Mossayeb , Faridi‐Majidi Reza , Hamouda Abdelmajid Salem
Published: February 2013

Polystyrene (PS)/Titanium dioxide (TiO2) composite nanofibers were prepared by electrospinning of PS/TiO2 solution in N,N‐dimethylformamide (DMF). The effect of PS and TiO2 concentration on the morphology and thermal properties of the fibers was investigated. The resultant fibers were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The morphology and thermal properties of PS nanofibers with and without TiO2 were compared. The composite fibers had a size range of about 400–1200 nanometer in diameter with jaggy morphology which increases its surface‐to‐volume ratio. Different aspects of thermal properties including thermal decomposition temperatures, glass transition temperature, and residue in PS/TiO2 composite fibers at different TiO2 loading of electrospun fibers are evaluated. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 53:2407–2412, 2013. ©2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Mechanical properties of vinylester resins exposed to marine environments
Authors: Figliolini Alexander M. , Carlsson Leif A.
Published: February 2013

An experimental investigation was undertaken to determine the effects of moisture on the mechanical properties of vinylester resins (510A and 8084). The resins were exposed to seawater at 40°C and humid air at 50°C until the moisture content equilibrated. Both resins absorbed small amounts of moisture. Mechanical testing of both resins at dry and saturated conditions revealed very brittle behavior under tension and shear loading. The 8084 resin is more ductile than 510A at dry and saturated conditions. Moisture absorption was found to only slightly influence the mechanical response of these resins. Dry shear test specimens failed at quite low shear stresses in a resolved tensile mode and displayed sensitivity to the stress concentration in the Iosipescu shear specimen. Moisture absorption slightly enhanced ductility and reduced notch sensitivity which resulted in increased shear strength. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 53:2413–2421, 2013. ©2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Kurzzeit‐Tomosynthese — Dreidimensionale Röntgenabbildung
Authors: Weiss H. , Linde R. , Klotz E.
Published: February 2013

Im Gegensatz zu tomographischen Verfahren, bei denen eine einzige Röntgenröhre kontinuierlich um ein Objekt herumgeführt wird, liegt den Tomosynthese‐Verfahren das Prinzip zugrunde, ein Objekt mit vielen Röntgenröhren in festen Positionen aufzunehmen und auf diese Weise ein kodiertes Bild zu erzeugen. In einem zweiten Schritt, der Dekodierung, lassen sich dann Bilder von beliebig wählbaren Schichten des Objekts rekonstruieren.
Möglichkeiten und Probleme der Nutzung von Sonnenenergie
Authors: Lehner G.
Published: February 2013

Der vorliegende Aufsatz ist die stark gekürzte Fassung eines Vortrages, den der Autor im Rahmen einer öffentlichen Ringvorlesung der Universität Erlangen‐Nürnberg mit dem Thema “Auf der Suche nach neuen Energiequellen” im Sommersemester 1981 gehalten hat. Die gesamte Vortragsreihe wird in Buchform in der Reihe “Erlanger Forschungen” im Verlag des Universitätsbundes Erlangen‐Nürnberg erscheinen.
Elektroneneinfang in Stößen zwischen hochgeladenen Ionen und Atomen
Authors: Salzborn Erhard
Published: February 2013

Der Einfang von Elektronen gehört zu den grundlegenden Elementarprozessen in Ion‐Atom‐Stößen. Der Elektroneneinfang hochgeladener Ionen hat insbesondere im Zusammenhang mit heißen Plasmen in der Kernfusionsforschung und in der Astrophysik große Bedeutung. Der Aufsatz gibt einen Überblick über die Physik von Ladungstransferprozessen in Stößen zwischen hochgeladenen Ionen und Atomen.
Neutrinoastrophysik und Neutrinoruhmasse: II. Sonnenneutrinos und Sternkollapsneutrinos
Authors: Kirsten Till
Published: February 2013

Im Juli‐Heft wurde im ersten Teil dieses Artikels die enge und wechselseitige Verknüpfung zwischen Astrophysik, Kosmologie, Elementarteilchenphysik und der physikalischen Natur des Neutrinos behandelt. Dabei kam insbesondere der Frage nach der Ruhmasse der Neutrinos große Bedeutung zu. Der vorliegende zweite Teil des Artikels konzentriert sich auf Experimente zum Nachweis der solaren Neutrinos. Nur die bei der Fusion erzeugten Neutrinos erlauben aufgrund ihrer geringen Wechselwirkung mit Materie einen Blick in das anderweitig unzugängliche Sonneninnere und damit die Überprüfung unserer Vorstellungen vom Sternaufbau. Auch hier ist die Neutrinoruhmasse wichtig, weil dadurch ermöglichte Neutrino‐Oszillationen den im Detektor auf der Erde nachweisbaren Fluß solarer Neutrinos reduzieren können. Selbst bei Ruhmassen noch unterhalb 10−3 eV kann das in Arbeit befindliche Gallium‐Solarneutrino‐Experiment darüber eine Entscheidung herbeiführen. Am Schluß werden Neutrinopulse aus dem Kollaps sterbender Sterne behandelt.