bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mixed Giardia duodenalis assemblage infections in children and adults in South India
Authors: LAISHRAM S. , KANNAN A. , RAJENDRAN P. , KANG G. , AJJAMPUR S. S. R.
Published: January 2012

The assemblages of Giardia duodenalis in 25 children with and 25 children without diarrhoea and 24 adults with gastrointestinal symptoms in South India were determined. Polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR–RFLP) targeting the glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh), β-giardin and triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) genes was used. The tpi PCR was the most sensitive and detected G. duodenalis in all 74 microscopy-positive samples, while gdh and β-giardin PCR were positive in 62·2% and 56·8% of the samples. Assemblage B was predominant in both children and adults (82·4%) followed by assemblage AII (9·4%); assemblage AI was not detected. Infections with both assemblages A and B (detected by tpi PCR–RFLP) were seen exclusively in children and the mixed assemblage BIII and BIV (detected by gdh PCR–RFLP) was more common in children than adults (P=0·058).
Laboratory-based surveillance ofCampylobacterandSalmonellainfection and the importance of denominator data
Authors: JANIEC J. , EVANS M. R. , THOMAS D. R. , DAVIES G. H. , LEWIS H.
Published: January 2012

Laboratory data are the cornerstone in surveillance of infectious disease. We investigated whether changes in reported incidence ofCampylobacterandSalmonellainfection might be explained by changes in stool sampling rates. Data were extracted from a national database on 585 843 patient stool samples tested by microbiology laboratories in Wales between 1998 and 2008.Salmonellaincidence fell from 43 to 19 episodes/100 000 population butCampylobacterincidence after declining from 111/100 000 in 1998 to 84/100 000 in 2003 rose to 119/100 000 in 2008. The proportion of the population sampled rose from 2·0% in 1998 to 2·8% in 2008, mostly due to increases in samples from hospital patients and older adults. The proportion of positive samples declined for bothSalmonellaandCampylobacterfrom 3·1% to 1·1% and from 8·9% to 7·5%, respectively. The decline inSalmonellaincidence is so substantial that it is not masked even by increased stool sampling, but the recent rise inCampylobacterincidence may be a surveillance artefact largely due to the increase in stool sampling in older people.
Is early intervention in psychosis effective?
Authors: Ricciardi Angelo , McAllister Victoria , Dazzan Paola
Published: January 2012

Aims– Psychosis is a traumatic experience for both sufferers and their families. The morbidity and mortality associated with psychosis may be improved by an assertive, specialised, multidisciplinary approach to care, provided at the earliest opportunity. Early Intervention in Psychosis (EIP) uses such approach to improve the individual's short and long-term symptomatic and functional outcome, as well as quality of life. However, there is still controversy about whether this type of intervention is effective enough to justify its associated costs.Methods– We reviewed evidence from the literature on EIP for schizophrenia spectrum and non-affective psychoses, with particular attention to evidence on its effectiveness in reducing the duration of untreated symptoms, preventing relapses and reducing admission rates, reducing suicide rates, and reducing treatment costs.Results– There is preliminary evidence that EIP may be effective in delaying transition to psychosis, reducing DUP, preventing relapses, reducing admission and suicidal rates, and reducing treatment costs.Discussion– EIP remains a stimulating multidisciplinary approach to psychosis and a demanding commitment for mental health professionals and service developers.

Declaration of Interest: None.
Family psychoeducational interventions for schizophrenia in routine settings: impact on patients' clinical status and social functioning and on relatives' burden and resources
Authors: Magliano Lorenza , Fiorillo Andrea , Malangone Claudio , de Rosa Corrado , Favata Grazia , Sasso Annarita , Prezioso Monica , Pezzenati Laura , Gentile Floralba , Casale Lucetta , Bondi Emi , Test Giuseppina Robustelli , Di Lella Michele , Discussi Elisabetta , Degl'Innocenti Francesco , Bellini Rossella , Di Nunzio Rita , Matrella Lucia , Salmeri Rosa , Cantone Rosario , Gargiulo Luisa , Esposito Aniello , Delcuratolo Vincenzo , Giannini Maria , Maresca Luisa , Cavaliere Giovanna , Scandone Barbara , Folla Matteo , Raffaeli Mauro , Innocente Paola , Dagianti Flavia , Lucania Stefania , Scorsino Angela , Bardicchia Francesco , Cerullo Gennaro , Curreli Riccardo , Miscali Silvana , Scordato Mario , Campo Graziella , Maj Mario ,   Gruppo Di Lavoro
Published: January 2012

Objective — This study explored the effectiveness of a psychoeducational family intervention for schizophrenia on patients' clinical status and disability and relatives' burden and perceived support. Methods — The study has been carried out in 17 mental health centres. In each of them, 2 professionals were trained in a psychoeducational intervention and applied it for six months with families of users with schizophrenia. At baseline and six months later, patients' clinical status and disability, and relatives' burden, social network and professional support were assessed by validated tools. Results — Of the seventy-one recruited families, 48 (68%) completed the intervention. At six months, a significant improvement was found in patients' clinical status and social functioning, as well as in relatives' burden and social and professional support. In particular, the percentage of patients with poor or very poor global social functioning dropped from 50% to 27% at six months. Forty percent of patients and 45% of relatives reported a significant improvement in their social contacts over the intervention period. Conclusions — The results of this study confirm the hypothesis that psychoeducational family interventions may have a significant effect on social outcome and family burden in schizophrenia when provided in routine conditions.

Declaration of Interest: none of the authors has had any interest or he/she has received any form of support, including that from drug companies and honoraria for lectures and consultancies, potentially in conflict with this scientific work. None of the authors has received any form of fee for his/her participation in this study. This study was supported by grants received from the “M. Lugli” Foundation (grant n. 2/18/8) and from the National Institute of Health, Italy (grant no. 1AL/F3).
OIL SHOCKS AND OPTIMAL MONETARY POLICY
Authors: Montoro Carlos
Published: January 2012

This paper studies how monetary policy should react to oil shocks in a microfounded model with staggered price-setting and oil as an input in a CES production function. In particular, we extend Benigno and Woodford [Journal of the European Economic Association 3 (6) (2005), 1–52] to obtain a second-order approximation to the expected utility of the representative household when the steady state is distorted and the economy is hit by oil price shocks. The main result is that oil price shocks generate an endogenous trade-off between inflation and output stabilization when oil has low substitutability in production. We also find, in contrast to Benigno and Woodford, that this trade-off is reduced, but not eliminated, when we get rid of the effects of monopolistic distortions in the steady state. Moreover, the size of the endogenous “cost-push” shock generated by fluctuations in the oil price increases when it is more difficult to substitute other factors for oil.
Is the Mediterranean diet adequate to satisfy zinc requirements during adolescence?
Authors: Mesías Marta , Seiquer Isabel , Navarro M Pilar
Published: January 2012

Objective

To evaluate Zn utilization and status among a sample of Spanish boys consuming a diet based on Mediterranean patterns.

Design

Dietary Zn balance was assessed by means of Zn intake in food and Zn output in faeces and urine as measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In addition, biomarkers of Zn status were analysed.

Setting

Province of Granada, Spain.

Subjects

Twenty healthy male adolescents aged 11–14 years, selected based on medical questionnaire, physical examination and nutritional survey of food habits and lifestyle.

Results

Mean Zn intake was 11·36 (se0·31) mg/d, 76% of the recommended value for Spanish adolescents. Zn absorption (2·53 (se0·55) mg/d) was close to the value of 3·0 mg/d required for the growth spurt. Zn status biomarkers and growth parameters were within the normal values for this age group.

Conclusions

Although a diet based on Mediterranean patterns is associated with factors which can affect Zn absorption, such as high consumption of phytate, its consumption in adequate amounts allows Zn status to be maintained during adolescence. Due to the importance of Zn in preventing growth and behavioural disorders among adolescents, long-term intervention trials to investigate the suitability of the Mediterranean diet with respect to Zn requirements at this time of life are needed.
Uranium Microdistribution in Renal Cortex of Rats after Chronic Exposure: A Study by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Microscopy
Authors: Tessier Christine , Suhard David , Rebière François , Souidi Maâmar , Dublineau Isabelle , Agarande Michelle
Published: January 2012

For a few years, the biological effects on ecosystems and the public of the bioaccumulation of radionuclides in situations of chronic exposures have been studied. This work, in keeping with the ENVIRHOM French research program, presents the uranium microdistribution by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) technique in the renal cortex of rats following chronic exposure to this low level element in the drinking water (40 mg/L) as a function to exposure duration (6, 9, 12, and 18 months). The SIMS mass spectra and 238U+ ion images produced with a SIMS CAMECA 4F-E7 show the kinetic of uranium accumulation in the different structures of the kidney. For the rats contaminated up to 12 months, the radioelement is mainly fixed in the proximal tubules; then after 18 exposure months, uranium is detected in all the segments of the nephron. This work has also shown that ion microscopy is an analytical method to detect trace elements and give elemental cartography at the micrometer scale.
Review Editor's Introduction
Authors: Isaac Jeffrey C.
Published: January 2012

In an Introduction written this summer, I noted that the 2008 U.S. Presidential election process symbolized some fundamental questions about the relationship between race, gender, and class in American politics. The recent election of Barack Obama clearly represents a watershed. Commentators have noted that the incoming Obama administration offers the possibility of a new and more cooperative way of negotiating and regulating differences in our domestic politics and in world politics. Whether this comes to pass is of course an open question. As political scientists our job is to keep such questions open, to proffer our own hypothetical and revisable answers to them, to foster an academic and perhaps even a public culture where these questions can be seriously, freely, and constructively debated, and to place such contemporary questions in a broader historical and theoretical context. The books under review in this issue of Perspectives contribute substantially to these tasks.
Cultural Contestation in Ethnic Conflict. By Marc Howard Ross. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007. 384p. $91.00 cloth, $34.99 paper.
Authors: Sidel John T.
Published: January 2012

Amid the steady stream of quantitative and game-theoretical studies of conflict published in recent years, Marc Howard Ross's Cultural Contestation in Ethnic Conflict comes as a welcome reminder of the ineffably human dimensions of conflict and violence around the world. His panoramic account of ethnic conflict goes beyond the establishment of statistical correlations and the modeling of “iterated games” to trace the complex processes by which conflicts emerge, escalate, and unravel, as well as the role of culture and identity in these processes. Making sense of ethnic conflict, Ross shows, requires an understanding of meaning—of how symbols, rituals, places, and events evoke emotions, inspire narratives, and inform identities in diverse settings around the world. The research agenda he pursues and promotes is thus in no small measure ethnographic and interpretivist, focusing on the (inter)subjective (self-)understandings of participants in ethnic conflicts, rather than the ostensibly objective conditions under which conflicts unfold.
Riots, Pogroms, Jihad: Religious Violence in Indonesia. By John T. Sidel. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press. 304p. $57.95 cloth, $21.00 paper.
Authors: Ross Marc Howard
Published: January 2012

Indonesia is a country that seems to violate a number of widely held assumptions that comparative political scientists hold. For example, under Suharto's 30-year rule, corruption soared, but so did economic growth. In Riots, Pogroms, Jihad, John Sidel offers another false generalization for consideration, namely, that despite the rise of ethnic and religious violence in the world since 1990, the widespread religious violence experienced in Indonesia since the mid-1990s is not best understood as part of a global trend. Rather, he argues that “such broad-brush accounts offer little to illuminate the specific modalities of religious violence observed in Indonesia or to help examine the discernable but seemingly inexplicable shifts … in the forms, targets, processes of mobilization, and consequences of this violence in successive periods” (p. 11).
Response to Marc Howard Ross's review of Riots, Pogroms, Jihad: Religious Violence in Indonesia
Authors: Sidel John T.
Published: January 2012

The argument that religious identities are haunted by anxieties is firmly grounded in anthropology, psychology, and social theory. The evidence for such anxieties in Indonesia comes from close reading of Islamic publications in Indonesia and of ethnographic accounts of localities that subsequently experienced episodes of religious violence. There is abundant descriptive evidence of these anxieties in ethnographic accounts and discourse analysis, much more than what readers will find in my book.
Global cloud height fluctuations measured by MISR on Terra from 2000 to 2010
Authors: Davies Roger , Molloy Matthew
Published: January 2012

Self‐consistent stereo measurements by the Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) on the Terra satellite yield a decrease in global effective cloud height over the decade from March 2000 to February 2010. The linear trend is −44 ± 22 m/decade and the interannual annual difference is −31 ± 11 m between the first and last years of the decade. The annual mean height is measured with a sampling error of 8 m, which is less than the observed interannual fluctuation in global cloud height for most years. A maximum departure from the 10‐year mean, of −80 ± 8 m, is observed towards the end of 2007. These height anomalies correlate well with the changes in the Southern Oscillation Index, with the effective height increasing over Indonesia and decreasing over the Central Pacific during the La Niña phase of the oscillation. After examining the net influence of Central Pacific/Indonesia heights on the global mean anomaly, we conclude that the integrated effects from outside these regions dominate the global mean height anomalies, confirming the existence of significant teleconnections.
Compression of Fe88.1Ni9.1S2.8 alloy up to the pressure of Earth's inner core
Authors: Sakai Takeshi , Ohtani Eiji , Kamada Seiji , Terasaki Hidenori , Hirao Naohisa
Published: January 2012

Fe88.1Ni9.1S2.8 alloy was compressed up to 335 GPa, corresponding to the pressure at the Earth's inner core, and the hexagonal close‐packed structure was found to be stable. The axial (c/a) ratio gradually decreased with increasing pressure. A linear fit as a function of pressure gave c/a = 1.605(2)–6.1(9) × 10−5P for P in GPa. The compression curve of Fe88.1Ni9.1S2.8 alloy was expressed by the third‐order Birch‐Murnaghan equation of state, giving K0 = 167.0 ± 15.0 GPa, K0′ = 4.46 ± 0.14, and V0 = 22.93 ± 0.29 Å3. Our results indicate that the hcp Fe‐5 wt % Ni‐5.7 wt % S alloy can account for the density of the inner core at 328.9 GPa, assuming a linear relationship exists between the density and the nickel and sulfur content.
Interaction of ocean temperature advection, surface heat fluxes and sea ice in the marginal ice zone during the North Atlantic Oscillation in the 1990s: A modeling study
Authors: Ivanova Detelina P. , McClean Julie L. , Hunke Elizabeth C.
Published: January 2012

A moderately fine‐resolution (0.4°, 40 vertical levels), global, coupled ice‐ocean model was configured and run for 24 years (1979–2002), forced with high‐frequency National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) atmospheric fluxes. The model consists of the Los Alamos National Laboratory Parallel Ocean Program (POP) and sea ice model (CICE). The fidelity of the simulated mean climatological state and variability of key variables such as ice concentration, total ice area, ice thickness and drift were compared to observational data sets from satellite and ice drift buoy measurements. Basin‐scale changes in the lower atmosphere/surface ocean/sea‐ice in the simulated Arctic and Nordic Seas before and after the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) phase switch in 1995 were examined using winter composite analyses over the period 1990–1999. Ice cover changes between the two NAO phases were consistent with observations in that reduced concentrations were found in the Nordic and Barents Seas and increased values occurred in the Labrador Sea. Next we regionally evaluated the relative importance of winter anomalies of upper‐ocean mixed layer net heat fluxes and of ocean temperature advection on marginal ice zone variability in the Irminger, Greenland, and Barents Seas for this ten‐year period. We found that the net heat flux winter anomaly was at least four times more important than the winter anomaly of ocean temperature advection in the Greenland and Barents Seas, while it was twice as important in the Irminger Sea. The Ekman ocean temperature advection component generally dominated the geostrophic component in all three regions.
Boundary layer versus free tropospheric CO budget and variability over the United States during summertime
Authors: Boynard A. , Pfister Gabriele G. , Edwards David P.
Published: January 2012

The regional Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF‐Chem) version 3.2 is used to analyze the carbon monoxide (CO) budget and spatiotemporal variability over the United States in summer 2008. CO tracers for different emission sources are used to separate the modeled CO fields into the contributions from individual sources (pollution inflow to the model domain, chemical production within the model domain, and local emissions by type). The implementation of tagged CO tracers into WRF‐Chem constitutes an innovative aspect of this work. We evaluate WRF‐Chem CO concentrations using aircraft, satellite, and surface observations. The model reproduces fairly well the observed CO concentrations for the entire altitude range but tends to underestimate fire emissions and overestimate anthropogenic sources and CO from pollution inflow. Evaluation results also show that the model gives a good representation of background CO mixing ratios with mean biases better than ∼15 ppbv in the free troposphere (FT) and less than 20 ppbv toward the surface. The analysis of the CO budget over the contiguous United States shows that at the surface, CO from inflow is the dominant source, with a mean relative contribution of 63 ± 19%. Anthropogenic and photochemically produced CO contribute to surface CO to a lesser extent (18 ± 14% and 14 ± 8%, respectively). The average contribution from fire emissions to surface CO during the period examined is small (2 ± 5%) but can have a large impact in certain regions and times. Similar trends are found in the planetary boundary layer (PBL). In the FT, the average CO relative contributions are estimated as 84 ± 12% for CO from inflow, 5 ± 4% for anthropogenic CO, 9 ± 7% for photochemically produced CO, and 1 ± 5% for CO from fires. Using WRF‐Chem simulations, we also examine the representation of surface and PBL CO concentration variability that would be captured by current near infrared (NIR) and thermal infrared (TIR) satellite observations. We find that CO total columns are impacted by variability in the lowermost troposphere (LMT) at the ∼10% level, indicating limited sensitivity for air quality applications. The same is generally true for the FT CO column obtained from TIR measurements, although this does provide a good measure for capturing the pollution inflow variability and is therefore valuable in providing initial and boundary conditions to constrain regional models. We further analyze the situations under which the LMT concentrations obtained from recently demonstrated multispectral (NIR + TIR) observations capture the surface CO variability.
Possible evidence of paleomarsquakes from fallen boulder populations, Cerberus Fossae, Mars
Authors: Roberts Gerald P. , Matthews Brian , Bristow Chris , Guerrieri Luca , Vetterlein Joyce
Published: January 2012

In order to differentiate between boulder avalanche deposits triggered by temperature/climate controlled melting of ice or triggered by ground shaking produced by paleomarsquakes, spatial variation in boulder size populations has been measured from High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) images along Cerberus Fossae, one of the youngest fracture/graben systems on the Martian surface. The boulders have fallen from less than ∼500 m high fault‐controlled cliffs and rolled and bounced across relatively coarse‐grained sediment, forming colluvial fans. The boulders have left trails in the dust in some cases, coming to rest on relatively fine‐grained Aeolian sediment. The boulder size distribution varies along the graben contrary to what would be expected if boulder falls had been liberated by temperature/climate controlled melting of ice. Boulder size and boulder trail data peak close to the center of the fault system, decreasing along strike. Furthermore, evidence for relatively recent surface faulting of colluvial slopes along the fault‐controlled cliffs is confined to the area with anomalously large boulder/trail size data. We interpret the above as consistent with observations of terrestrial earthquake‐triggered boulder avalanches where boulder sizes decrease away from the epicenter and surface faulting. We discuss the implications of possible marsquakes along Cerberus Fossae in terms of active faulting associated with dike emplacement that is subradial to the Elysium Mons volcano.
Hepatic Steatosis and Low Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Youth With Type 2 Diabetes
Authors: Wittmeier Kristy D.M. , Wicklow Brandy A. , MacIntosh Andrea C. , Sellers Elizabeth A.C. , Ryner Lawrence N. , Serrai Hacene , Gardiner Philip F. , Dean Heather J. , McGavock Jonathan M.
Published: January 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine the association between cardiorespiratory fitness, ectopic triglyceride accumulation, and insulin sensitivity among youth with and without type 2 diabetes. Subjects included 137 youth ages 13–18 years including 27 with type 2 diabetes, 97 overweight normoglycemic controls, and 13 healthy weight normoglycemic controls. The primary outcome measure was cardiorespiratory fitness defined as peak oxygen uptake indexed to fat free mass. Secondary outcomes included liver and muscle triglyceride content determined by 1H‐magnetic resonance spectroscopy and insulin sensitivity determined by frequently sampled intravenous glucose tolerance test. Despite similar measures of adiposity, peak oxygen uptake was 11% lower (38.9 ± 7.9 vs. 43.9 ± 6.1 ml/kgFFM/min, P = 0.002) and hepatic triglyceride content was nearly threefold higher (14.4 vs. 5.7%, P = 0.001) in youth with type 2 diabetes relative to overweight controls. In all 137 youth, cardiorespiratory fitness was negatively associated with hepatic triglyceride content (r = −0.22, P = 0.02) and positively associated with insulin sensitivity (r = 0.29, P = 0.002) independent of total body and visceral fat mass. Hepatic triglyceride content was also negatively associated with insulin sensitivity (r = −0.35, P < 0.001), independent of adiposity, sex, age, and peak oxygen uptake. This study demonstrated that low cardiorespiratory fitness and elevated hepatic triglyceride content are features of type 2 diabetes in youth. Furthermore, cardiorespiratory fitness and hepatic triglyceride are associated with insulin sensitivity in youth. Taken together, these data suggest that cardiorespiratory fitness and hepatic steatosis are potential clinical biomarkers for type 2 diabetes among youth.
Recommended Liquid-Liquid Equilibrium Data. Hydrocarbons with Seawater Systems
Authors: Góral Marian , Gierycz Paweł , Oracz Paweł , Shaw David G.
Published: December 2011

The solubilities of C5-C26 hydrocarbons in seawater, reviewed previously, were re-evaluated using a predictive model based on the Sechenov equation. It was found that, within the scope of investigated data, the Sechenov constant is proportional to a hydrocarbon-specific parameter representing the size of the cavity in water needed to accommodate the dissolved molecule of the hydrocarbon. The proportionality coefficient has one value for n-alkanes, cycloalkanes, and alkylbenzenes, whereas for higher aromatics (including those with fused rings), a second value of the coefficient is indicated. The proposed model provides a framework for comparison of the data for various systems and helps in the recognition of systematic error. Evaluation of experimental solubility data and analysis of error propagation is given.
Rotational dynamics of solvated carbon dioxide studied by infrared, Raman, and time-resolved infrared spectroscopies and a molecular dynamics simulation
Authors: Watanabe Kaori , Okajima Hajime , Kato Takuya , Hamaguchi Hiro-o
Published: January 2012

Rotational dynamics of solvated carbon dioxide (CO2) has been studied. The infrared absorption band of the antisymmetric stretch mode in acetonitrile is found to show a non-Lorentzian band shape, suggesting a non-exponential decay of the vibrational and/or rotational correlation functions. A combined method of a molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and a quantum chemical calculation well reproduces the observed band shape. The analysis suggests that the band broadening is almost purely rotational, while the contribution from the vibrational dephasing is negligibly small. The non-exponential rotational correlation decay can be explained by a simple rotor model simulation, which can treat large angle rotations of a relatively small molecule. A polarized Raman study of the symmetric stretch mode in acetonitrile gives a rotational bandwidth consistent with that obtained from the infrared analysis. A sub-picosecond time-resolved infrared absorption anisotropy measurement of the antisymmetric stretch mode in ethanol also gives a decay rate that is consistent with the observed rotational bandwidths.
High pressure transport, structural, and first principles investigations on the fluorite structured intermetallic, PtAl2
Authors: Garg Alka B. , Modak P. , Vijayakumar V.
Published: January 2012

Phase stability of intermetallic PtAl2 at high pressure and ambient temperature has been investigated using synchrotron based angle dispersive x-ray diffraction technique, electrical transport (resistance and thermoelectric power) measurements, and first principles electronic structure calculations. The electrical resistance falls approximately by 15% near 4.5 GPa. This feature is also reflected in the thermoelectric power measurements as a dip in the same pressure region. Consistent with these observations, the x-ray diffraction data show a structural phase transition from ambient cubic phase to an orthorhombic phase with a 5% volume reduction. Beyond 7.2 GPa, the diffraction peaks are broadened indicating the presence of disorder at high pressure. Ab initio structural relaxations and total energy calculations predict the cubic to orthorhombic phase transitions at 6.2 GPa.
Magnetization reversal mechanism of bilayered magnetic anti-dot lattices
Authors: Deshpande N. G. , Seo M. S. , Lee S. J. , Chen L. Y. , Kim K. W. , Rhee J. Y. , Kim Y. H. , Lee Y. P.
Published: January 2012

Micropatterned ordered arrays of cobalt (Co) anti-dots on a uniform thin nickel (Ni) underlayer, known as bilayered magnetic anti-dot lattices (BMALs), were fabricated using photolithography and a controlled wet-etching process. The magnetization reversals in a rhomboid BMAL under the application of a field along 0° (i.e., easy axis) and 90° (i.e., hard axis) were investigated using field-dependent magnetic-force microscopy, and the angular dependence of squareness (Mr/Ms) and coercivity (Hc) were studied using magneto-optical Kerr effects. Although the magnetic reversals were dominated by domain-wall motions or domain rotations, reflecting the easy and hard axis characteristics, various other complex reversal processes were also found that depends on the history of the field application. The angular dependence of Mr/Ms and Hc in a BMAL system was completely different from that in a single-layer, Co magnetic anti-dot lattice. Interestingly, a unidirectional and uniaxial component representing the overall magnetic anisotropy was revealed in the BMAL system. The details of these complicated magnetization behaviors were investigated and elaborated.
Predicting shape and stability of air–water interface on superhydrophobic surfaces comprised of pores with arbitrary shapes and depths
Authors: Emami B. , Vahedi Tafreshi H. , Gad-el-Hak M. , Tepper G. C.
Published: January 2012

An integro-differential equation for the three dimensional shape of air–water interface on superhydrophobic surfaces comprised of pores with arbitrary shapes and depths is developed and used to predict the static critical pressure under which such surfaces depart from the non-wetting state. Our equation balances the capillary forces with the pressure of the air entrapped in the pores and that of the water over the interface. Stability of shallow and deep circular, elliptical, and polygonal pores is compared with one another and a general conclusion is drawn for designing pore shapes for superhydrophobic surfaces with maximum stability.
Spectroscopic features and laser performance at 1.06 μm of Nd3+-doped Gd1−xLuxCa4O(BO3)3 single crystal
Authors: Gheorghe C. , Gheorghe L. , Loiseau P. , Aka G.
Published: January 2012

High quality nonlinear optical Gd0.84Lu0.11Nd0.05Ca4O(BO3)3 (Nd: GdLuCOB) crystal has been grown by the Czochralski method. The high resolution and polarized spectroscopic data of Nd3+ in GdLuCOB crystal were carried out and analyzed in the framework of the Judd-Ofelt theory. The polarized emission cross-sections for the 4F3/2 → 4I9/2 and 4F3/2 → 4I11/2 Nd3+ transitions of special interest for laser application were determined. Near-infrared laser emission at 1061 nm was achieved under cw Ti: sapphire end pumping at 812 nm. For propagation along the Z-axis, laser emission polarized parallel to the Y-axis was obtained for the first time. This result offers the opportunity to achieve type I SFD of Nd3+ emission in the ZX plane which presents a non-linearity approximately three times larger than XY plane.
Isothermal crystallization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) studied by terahertz two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy
Authors: Hoshina Hiromichi , Ishii Shinya , Morisawa Yusuke , Sato Harumi , Noda Isao , Ozaki Yukihiro , Otani Chiko
Published: January 2012

The isothermal crystallization of poly(3-hydroxybutylate) (PHB) was studied by monitoring the temporal evolution of terahertz absorption spectra in conjunction with spectral analysis using two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy. Correlation between the absorption peaks and the sequential order of the changes in spectral intensity extracted from synchronous and asynchronous plots indicated that crystallization of PHB at 90 °C is a two step process, in which C-H···O=C hydrogen bonds are initially formed before well-defined crystal structures are established.
Surface acoustic wave band gaps in a diamond-based two-dimensional locally resonant phononic crystal for high frequency applications
Authors: Oudich Mourad , Badreddine Assouar M.
Published: January 2012

We report on the theoretical investigation of a locally resonant phononic crystal operating in a hypersonic regime. Through the computation of the band structure and the acoustic displacement field of a two-dimensional array composed of aluminum stubs squarely arranged on a diamond semi-infinite substrate, we show the propagation of guided surface waves in the nonradiative region of diamond substrate (sound cone), as limited by the slowest bulk acoustic wave velocity. Owing to its highest acoustic velocities among all materials, diamond offers a very large nonradiative region allowing band gaps opening for surface acoustic waves. We show that hypersonic band gaps are opened in the nonradiative region as a result of local resonances of aluminum stubs which interact with the guided surface modes propagating on the diamond surface. In addition to the computation of band structure of surface acoustic waves, here, using local resonance mechanism in aluminum/diamond semi-infinite structure, we show that we can confine and guide only one surface defect mode in a waveguide which is unusual compared to the phononic crystals Bragg-based mechanism. This property can be very useful for filtering and demultiplexing applications, notably in hypersonic regime. The creation and the behavior of local resonance bandgap as well as the physics basis are discussed as function of geometrical parameters and involved localized mode natures. Numerical simulations are made making use of the finite element method combined to the supercell technique.
Local electrical characterization of resonant magnetization motion in a single ferromagnetic sub-micrometer particle in lateral geometry
Authors: Slobodskyy A. , van Wees B. J.
Published: January 2012

In this article, a detailed characterization of a magnetization motion in a single sub-micrometer and multi-terminal ferromagnetic structure in lateral geometry is performed in a GHz regime using direct DC characterization technique. We have shown applicability of the Stoner-Wohlfarth model [E. C. Stoner and E. P. Wohlfarth, Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. A 240, 599 (1948)] to the long (large length to width ratio) magnetic nano-structure. Applying the model to experimental data, we are able to extract relevant magnetization motion parameters and show a correlation between high frequency inductive currents and local magnetization. DC voltage generated over the structure at the resonance, with external magnetic field under an angle to the shape anisotropy axis, is explained.
Electron paramagnetic resonance investigation of polar nanoregions mobility in the relaxor PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 and solid solutions PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 – PbTiO3
Authors: Glinchuk Maya D. , Laguta Valentin V. , Yurchenko Lesya P. , Rosa Jan , Jastrabik Lubomir , Eremkin Vladimir V. , Smotrakov Valery G.
Published: January 2012

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of Mn2+ and Fe3+ ions has been used as a probe of local static and dynamic lattice distortions in the relaxor ferroelectric PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 (PMN) and solid solutions (1-x)PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 – xPbTiO3 (x = 0.075–0.33) at temperatures from 290 to 800 K. We have found that the spectrum of the both ions in PMN contains two components: One component corresponds to the resonances from the lattice regions where the perovskite cubic structure is distorted statically while the second component corresponds to the regions where ionic displacements undergo significant dynamic fluctuations. The EPR spectrum from these lattice regions shows the motional narrowing behavior at 350–500 K. We assign these regions with reorientable polar nanoregions responsible for the dielectric relaxation in PMN. From the motional narrowing of the spectral lines, we have determined parameters of the Vogel--Fulcher law describing the rate of ionic hopping between symmetrically equivalent off-center positions. These parameters (Ea = 840–880 K, τ0 ∼ 10−13 s, Tg = 220 K) are in a satisfactory agreement with those reported for the dielectric relaxation. The fraction of polar nanoregions in PMN determined from the EPR intensity is about 20% to 30%. An addition of PbTiO3 to PMN decreases total volume of the polar nanoregions and also suppresses their reorientational dynamics. The EPR spectra do not change in the temperature range from 500 to 800 K, including the temperatures far above the Burns temperature 620 K.
Magnetocapacitance of La1−xCaxMnO3/SrTiO3: Nb junctions with different Ca contents
Authors: Fu X. N. , Yu Q. X. , Gao Q. Q. , Chen B.
Published: January 2012

Manganite-based heterojunctions La1−xCaxMnO3/SrTiO3: Nb (0.5 wt. %) with x = 0.2, 0.3, 0.375, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, and 0.7 have been fabricated, and the lattice constants of La1−xCaxMnO3 films are experimentally studied. The capacitance characteristics of those junctions under a magnetic field have been investigated. Obvious magnetocapacitance was observed in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3/Nb-SrTiO3 p-n junction near the Curie temperature (TC) of La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 at 0.75 T. The result can be explained by phase separation. This study demonstrates the remarkable tunability of the capacitance for phase separated manganite heterojunctions, which may lead to some potential applications.
Field-scale verification of nitrous oxide emission reduction with DCD in dairy-grazed pasture using measurements and modelling
Authors: Giltrap Donna L. , Saggar Surinder , Singh Jagrati , Harvey Mike , McMillan Andrew , Laubach Johannes
Published: January 2012

Nitrous oxide (N2O) from agricultural soils is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions in New Zealand. Nitrification inhibitors are seen as a potential technology to reduce these N2O emissions from agricultural soils. In previous studies on the effect of dicyandiamide (DCD) on N2O emissions from animal excreta, DCD was directly applied to urine. However, farmers apply DCD to grazed pastures shortly before or after grazing rather than applying it specifically to the urine patches. Accordingly, the objectives of this study were: (1) to test, using chamber measurements, whether the same level of N2O reduction is achieved under grazed conditions where excretal N is non-uniformly deposited, (2) to apply the process-based NZ-DNDC model to simulate the effect of DCD on emission reductions, and (3) to perform a sensitivity analysis on the NZ-DNDC model to investigate how uncertainties in the input parameters affect the modelled N2O emissions. Two circular 1260-m2 treatment plots were grazed simultaneously for 5 h, by 20 cattle on each plot. The following day, DCD was applied in 800 L of water to one of the plots at 10 kg/ha and N2O emissions were measured periodically for 20 days. The cumulative N2O emissions were 220 ± 90 and 110 ± 20 g N2O-N/ha for the untreated and DCD-treated plots, respectively (based on the arithmetic mean and standard error of the chambers). This suggests a reduction in N2O emission from DCD application of ~50 ± 40% from a single grazing event. However, this result should be treated with caution because the possibility of sampling error due to the chamber distribution cannot be excluded. NZ-DNDC simulated N2O emissions of 169 and 68 g N2O-N/ha for the untreated and DCD-treated areas, respectively, corresponding to a reduction of 60% in N2O emissions from DCD application. This level of reduction is consistent with that found in experiments with individual urine patches. N2O emissions found through use of NZ-DNDC were sensitive to uncertainties in the input parameters. The combined effect of varying the initial soil NO3– and NH4+, soil moisture, soil organic carbon, bulk density, clay content, pH, and water-filled pore-space at field capacity inputs within plausible ranges was to change the simulated N2O emissions by –87% to +150%.
CD146, an epithelial-mesenchymal transition inducer, is associated with triple-negative breast cancer
Authors: Zeng Qiqun , Li Weidong , Lu Di , Wu Zhenzhen , Duan Hongxia , Luo Yongting , Feng Jing , Yang Dongling , Fu Li , Yan Xiyun
Published: December 2011

The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays an important role in breast cancer metastasis, especially in the most aggressive and lethal subtype, “triple-negative breast cancer” (TNBC). Here, we report that CD146 is a unique activator of EMTs and significantly correlates with TNBC. In epithelial breast cancer cells, overexpression of CD146 down-regulated epithelial markers and up-regulated mesenchymal markers, significantly promoted cell migration and invasion, and induced cancer stem cell-like properties. We further found that RhoA pathways positively regulated CD146-induced EMTs via the key EMT transcriptional factor Slug. An orthotopic breast tumor model demonstrated that CD146-overexpressing breast tumors showed a poorly differentiated phenotype and displayed increased tumor invasion and metastasis. We confirmed these findings by conducting an immunohistochemical analysis of 505 human primary breast tumor tissues and found that CD146 expression was significantly associated with high tumor stage, poor prognosis, and TNBC. CD146 was expressed at abnormally high levels (68.9%), and was strongly associated with E-cadherin down-regulation in TNBC samples. Taken together, these findings provide unique evidence that CD146 promotes breast cancer progression by induction of EMTs via the activation of RhoA and up-regulation of Slug. Thus, CD146 could be a therapeutic target for breast cancer, especially for TNBC.
Investigation of polymer electrolyte membrane chemical degradation and degradation mitigation using in situ fluorescence spectroscopy
Authors: Prabhakaran Venkateshkumar , Arges Christopher G. , Ramani Vijay
Published: January 2012

A fluorescent molecular probe, 6-carboxy fluorescein, was used in conjunction with in situ fluorescence spectroscopy to facilitate real-time monitoring of degradation inducing reactive oxygen species within the polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) of an operating PEM fuel cell. The key requirements of suitable molecular probes for in situ monitoring of ROS are presented. The utility of using free radical scavengers such as CeO
2
nanoparticles to mitigate reactive oxygen species induced PEM degradation was demonstrated. The addition of CeO
2
to uncatalyzed membranes resulted in close to 100% capture of ROS generated in situ within the PEM for a period of about 7 h and the incorporation of CeO
2
into the catalyzed membrane provided an eightfold reduction in ROS generation rate.
Evolution of patterns on
Conus
shells
Authors: Gong Zhenqiang , Matzke Nichilos J. , Ermentrout Bard , Song Dawn , Vendetti Jann E. , Slatkin Montgomery , Oster George
Published: January 2012

The pigmentation patterns of shells in the genus
Conus
can be generated by a neural-network model of the mantle. We fit model parameters to the shell pigmentation patterns of 19 living
Conus
species for which a well resolved phylogeny is available. We infer the evolutionary history of these parameters and use these results to infer the pigmentation patterns of ancestral species. The methods we use allow us to characterize the evolutionary history of a neural network, an organ that cannot be preserved in the fossil record. These results are also notable because the inferred patterns of ancestral species sometimes lie outside the range of patterns of their living descendants, and illustrate how development imposes constraints on the evolution of complex phenotypes.
Human–mouse cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) chimeras identify regions that partially rescue CFTR-ΔF508 processing and alter its gating defect
Authors: Dong Qian , Ostedgaard Lynda S. , Rogers Christopher , Vermeer Daniel W. , Zhang Yuping , Welsh Michael J.
Published: December 2011

The Δ
F508
mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (
CFTR
) gene is the most common cause of cystic fibrosis. The mutation disrupts biosynthetic processing, reduces channel opening rate, and decreases protein lifetime. In contrast to human CFTR (hCFTR)-ΔF508, mouse CFTR-ΔF508 is partially processed to the cell surface, although it exhibits a functional defect similar to hCFTR-ΔF508. To explore Δ
F508
abnormalities, we generated human–mouse chimeric channels. Substituting mouse nucleotide-binding domain-1 (mNBD1) into hCFTR partially rescued the ΔF508-induced maturation defect, and substituting mouse membrane-spanning domain-2 or its intracellular loops (ICLs) into hCFTR prevented further Δ
F508
-induced gating defects. The protective effect of the mouse ICLs was reverted by inserting mouse NBDs. Our results indicate that the Δ
F508
mutation affects maturation and gating via distinct regions of the protein; maturation of CFTR-ΔF508 depends on NBD1, and the Δ
F508
-induced gating defect depends on the interaction between the membrane-spanning domain-2 ICLs and the NBDs. These appear to be distinct processes, because none of the chimeras repaired both defects. This distinction was exemplified by the I539T mutation, which improved CFTR-ΔF508 processing but worsened the gating defect. Our results, together with previous studies, suggest that many different NBD1 modifications improve CFTR-ΔF508 maturation and that the effect of modifications can be additive. Thus, it might be possible to enhance processing by targeting several different regions of the domain or by targeting a network of CFTR-associated proteins. Because no one modification corrected both maturation and gating, perhaps more than a single agent will be required to correct all CFTR-ΔF508 defects.
Gravitational and Nongravitational Energy: The Need for Background Structures
Authors: Lam Vincent
Published: January 2012

The aim of this article is to discuss some aspects of the nature of gravitational energy within the general theory of relativity. Some aspects of the difficulties to ascribe the usual features of localization and conservation to gravitational energy are reviewed and considered in the light of the dual role of the dynamical gravitational field, which encodes both inertio-gravitational effects and the chronogeometrical structures of space-time. These considerations will lead us to discuss the fact that the very notion of energy—gravitational or not—is actually well defined in the theory only with respect to some background structure.
Modularity, Theory of Mind, and Autism Spectrum Disorder
Authors: Adams Marcus P.
Published: January 2012

The theory of mind (ToM) deficit associated with autism spectrum disorder has been a central topic in the debate about the modularity of the mind. In a series of papers, Philip Gerrans and Valerie Stone argue that positing a ToM module does not best explain the deficits exhibited by individuals with autism. In this article, I first criticize Gerrans and Stone's account. Second, I discuss various studies of individuals with autism and argue that they are best explained by positing a higher-level, domain-specific ToM module.
On the Role of Bridge Laws in Intertheoretic Relations
Authors: Bangu Sorin
Published: January 2012

What is the role of bridge laws in intertheoretic relations? An assumption shared by many views about these relations is that bridge laws enable reductions. In this article, I acknowledge the naturalness of this assumption, but I question it by presenting a context within thermal physics (involving phase transitions) in which the bridge laws, puzzlingly, seem to contribute to blocking the reduction.
Dalton's Chemical Atoms versus Duhem's Chemical Equivalents
Authors: Zwier Karen R.
Published: January 2012

Paul Needham has claimed in several recent papers that Dalton's chemical atomism was not explanatory. I respond to his criticism of Dalton by arguing that explanation admits of degrees and that under a view that allows for a spectrum of explanatory value, it is possible to see ample worth in Dalton's atomistic explanations. Furthermore, I argue that even Duhem, who rejected atomism, acknowledged the explanatory worth of Dalton's atomism.