bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cerebral Markers of the Serotonergic System in Rat Models of Obesity and After Roux‐en‐Y Gastric Bypass
Authors: Ratner Cecilia , Ettrup Anders , Bueter Marco , Haahr Mette E. , Compan Valérie , le Roux Carel W. , Levin Barry , Hansen Henrik H. , Knudsen Gitte M.
Published: March 2012

Food intake and body weight are regulated by a complex system of neural and hormonal signals, of which the anorexigenic neurotransmitter serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine or 5‐HT) is central. In this study, rat models of obesity and weight loss intervention were compared with regard to several 5‐HT markers. Using receptor autoradiography, brain regional‐densities of the serotonin transporter (SERT) and the 5‐HT2A and 5‐HT4 receptors were measured in (i) selectively bred polygenic diet‐induced obese (pgDIO) rats, (ii) outbred DIO rats, and (iii) Roux‐en‐Y gastric bypass (RYGB)–operated rats. pgDIO rats had higher 5‐HT4 and 5‐HT2A receptor binding and lower SERT binding when compared to polygenic diet‐resistant (pgDR) rats. The most pronounced difference between pgDIO and pgDR rats was observed in the nucleus accumbens shell (NAcS), a brain region regulating reward aspects of feeding. No differences were found in the 5‐HT markers between DIO rats, chow‐fed control rats, and DIO rats experiencing a weight loss. The 5‐HT markers were also similar in RYGB and sham‐operated rats except for a downregulation of 5‐HT2A receptors in the NAcS. The higher receptor and lower SERT binding in pgDIO as compared to pgDR rats corresponds to what is reported in overweight humans and suggests that the dysfunctions of the 5‐HT system associated with overeating or propensity to become overweight are polygenically determined. Our results support that the obesity‐prone rat model has high translational value and suggests that susceptibility to develop obesity is associated with changed 5‐HT tone in the brain that may also regulate hedonic aspects of feeding.
Structure and activity of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa hotdog-fold thioesterases PA5202 and PA2801
Authors: Gonzalez Claudio F. , Tchigvintsev Anatoli , Brown Greg , Flick Robert , Evdokimova Elena , Xu Xiaohui , Osipiuk Jerzy , Cuff Marianne E. , Lynch Susan , Joachimiak Andrzej , Savchenko Alexei , Yakunin Alexander F.
Published: March 2012

The hotdog fold is one of the basic protein folds widely present in bacteria, archaea and eukaryotes. Many of these proteins exhibit thioesterase activity against fatty acyl-CoAs and play important roles in lipid metabolism, cellular signalling and degradation of xenobiotics. The genome of the opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa contains over 20 genes encoding predicted hotdog-fold proteins, none of which have been experimentally characterized. We have found that two P. aeruginosa hotdog proteins display high thioesterase activity against 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA and glutaryl-CoA (PA5202), and octanoyl-CoA (PA2801). Crystal structures of these proteins were solved (at 1.70 and 1.75 Å for PA5202 and PA2801 respectively) and revealed a hotdog fold with a potential catalytic carboxylate residue located on the long α-helix (Asp57 in PA5202 and Glu35 in PA2801). Alanine residue replacement mutagenesis of PA5202 identified four residues (Asn42, Arg43, Asp57 and Thr76) that are critical for its activity and are located in the active site. A P. aeruginosa PA5202 deletion strain showed an increased secretion of the antimicrobial pigment pyocyanine and an increased expression of genes involved in pyocyanin biosynthesis, suggesting a functional link between PA5202 activity and pyocyanin production. Thus the P. aeruginosa hotdog thioesterases PA5202 and PA2801 have similar structures, but exhibit different substrate preferences and functions.
Fabrication of bioinspired omnidirectional and gapless microlens array for wide field-of-view detections
Authors: Liu Hewei , Chen Feng , Yang Qing , Qu Pubo , He Shengguan , Wang Xianhua , Si Jinhai , Hou Xun
Published: March 2012

Microlens arrays on curvilinear surfaces are highly desirable for wide field-of-view imaging and sensing systems. However, it is technically challenging to fabricate these structures. This letter reports a simple method to machine close-packed microlenses on curvilinear surfaces as inspired by the insect eyes, which involves a femtosecond-laser-based microfabrication and a thermomechanical bending process. Over 7600 hexagonal-shaped microlenses with a diameter of 50 μm were fabricated on a hemispherical poly (methyl methacrylate) shell, which is similar to the compound eyes of insects. The optical performances of the microlens array were demonstrated by the abilities of high-resolution imaging and large view-angle focusing.
Disorder-induced hysteresis and nonlocality of contact line motion in chemically heterogeneous microchannels
Authors: Wylock Christophe , Pradas Marc , Haut Benoit , Colinet Pierre , Kalliadasis Serafim
Published: March 2012

We examine the motion of a liquid-air meniscus advancing into a microchannel with chemically heterogeneous walls. We consider the case where a constant flow rate is imposed, so that the mean velocity of the interface is kept constant, and study the effects of the disorder properties on the apparent contact angle for each microchannel surface. We focus here on a large diffusivity regime, where any possible advection effect is not taken into account. To this end, we make use of a phase-field model that enables contact line motion by diffusive interfacial fluxes and takes into account the wetting properties of the walls. We show that in a regime of sufficiently low velocities, the contact angle suffers a hysteresis behavior which is enhanced by the disorder strength. We also show that the contact line dynamics at each surface of the microchannel may become largely coupled with each other when different wetting properties are applied at each wall, reflecting that the dynamics of the interface is dominated by nonlocal effects.
Free electron terahertz wave radiation source with two-section periodical waveguide structures
Authors: Liu Weihao , Gong Sen , Zhang Yaxin , Zhou Jun , Zhang Ping , Liu Shenggang
Published: March 2012

We analyze a free electron terahertz wave radiation source with two-section periodical waveguide structure (PWS), where the first section (section-I) is used to pre-modulate the electron beam and the second section (section-II) is for terahertz wave generation. By means of theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, we demonstrate that the starting current density of the beam-wave interaction in section-II can be significantly reduced provided that the operation frequency is the harmonic of electron beam’s pre-modulation frequency. This kind of source can generate relatively high power terahertz wave radiation but only need moderate beam current density. And it may have great potential application in developing the compact and high power terahertz wave radiation source.
Reversibility of the zinc-blende to rock-salt phase transition in cadmium sulfide nanocrystals
Authors: Martín-Rodríguez R. , González J. , Valiente R. , Aguado F. , Santamaría-Pérez D. , Rodríguez F.
Published: March 2012

CdS nanoparticles prepared by a mechanochemical reaction in a planetary ball mill have been investigated by x-ray diffraction, optical absorption, and Raman scattering under high pressure conditions up to 11 GPa. The zinc-blende (ZB) to rock-salt phase transition is observed around 6 GPa in all experiments, the transition pressure being similar to the one measured in CdS colloidal nanocrystals, and much higher than in bulk (around 3 GPa). The direct optical energy gap in ZB-CdS increases with pressure, and suddenly drops when the pressure is raised above 6 GPa, according to the high-pressure indirect-gap behavior. A linear blue-shift of the CdS Raman spectra is observed upon increasing pressure. Both Raman and x-ray diffraction studies indicate that the phase transition has a large hysteresis, making the ZB phase barely recoverable at ambient conditions. Cell parameters and bulk modulus measured in CdS nanoparticles clearly show that the nanoparticles at ambient conditions are subject to an initial pressure in comparison to CdS bulk.
Acoustic resonator based on periodically poled transducers: Concept and analysis
Authors: Bassignot F. , Courjon E. , Ulliac G. , Ballandras S. , Lesage J.-M. , Petit R.
Published: March 2012

The demand for highly coupled high quality acoustic wave devices for radio-frequency (RF) signal processing based on passive devices has generated a strong innovative activity, yielding the investigation of new excitation principles and waveguide structures. Periodically poled transducers (PPTs) have been recently investigated [E. Courjon et al., J. Appl. Phys. 102, 114107 (2007)], as an alternative to classical interdigital transducers (IDTs) for the excitation and detection of guided acoustic waves. PPTs have two principal advantages compared to IDTs: the robustness of the excitation versus defects or surface contamination and the possibility to excite waves exhibiting a wavelength equal to the poling period. Here a new acoustic resonator concept is suggested, allowing high frequency operation with a simplified package. The idea consists of using a waveguide based on a PPT fabricated on a ferroelectric single-crystal substrate such as lithium niobate or tantalate inserted between two single-crystal substrates allowing the guidance of elastic waves without losses. The concept analysis points out optimum configurations of the structure allowing the excitation of elastic waves compatible with RF applications.
S doping effect on the properties of double perovskite La2FeMoO6
Authors: Wu Haiping , Lu Ruifeng , Tan Weishi , Xiao Chuanyun , Deng Kaiming , Qian Yan
Published: March 2012

The effect of S-doping on the properties of double perovskite La2FeMoO6 (LFMO) is investigated by using density-functional calculations. The results reveal that the ground state of the series La2FeMoO6−xSx is ferrimagnetic, with I4/mmm symmetry for x = 0 and 6, and I4mm symmetry for the others. With increasing the amount of S ions, the volume increases nearly linearly. The estimated Néel temperature of the compounds decreases from 537 K for La2FeMoO6 to 454 K for La2FeMoS6 upon S doping. In addition, La2FeMoO6 and the end member La2FeMoS6 both exhibit half-metallic nature, while the others behave as full metal.
Contactless mapping of saturation currents of solar cells by photoluminescence
Authors: Delamarre Amaury , Lombez Laurent , Guillemoles Jean-François
Published: March 2012

We report in this letter the contactless measurement of spatially resolved photocurrent–photovoltage relationship. The method is based on hyperspectral imaging, from which we record cartography of absolute photoluminescence spectra from solar cells. Using the generalized Planck’s law, it is therefore possible to derive the quantitative value of the quasi-Fermi levels splitting, related to the voltage over the junction. It allows us to directly extract optoelectronics properties of the device with a solely optical method. As a proof of concept, we derive saturation currents of a GaAs solar cell and find a good agreement with the standard electrical measurements.
Influence of oxygen vacancy on the electronic structure of CaCu3Ti4O12 and its deep-level vacancy trap states by first-principle calculation
Authors: Xiao H. B. , Yang C. P. , Huang C. , Xu L. F. , Shi D. W. , Marchenkov V. V. , Medvedeva I. V. , Bärner K.
Published: March 2012

The electronic structure, formation energy, and transition energy levels of intrinsic defects have been studied using the density-functional method within the generalized gradient approximation for neutral and charged oxygen vacancy in CaCu3Ti4O12 (CCTO). It is found that oxygen vacancies with different charge states can be formed in CCTO under both oxygen-rich and poor conditions for nonequilibrium and higher-energy sintering processes; especially, a lower formation energy is obtained for poor oxygen environment. The charge transition level (0/1+) of the oxygen vacancy in CCTO is located at 0.53 eV below the conduction-band edge. The (1+/2+) transition occurs at 1.06 eV below the conduction-band edge. Oxygen vacancies of Vo1+ and Vo2+ are positive stable charge states in most gap regions and can act as a moderately deep donor for Vo1+ and a borderline deep for Vo2+, respectively. The polarization and dielectric constant are considerably enhanced by oxygen vacancy dipoles, due to the off-center Ti and Cu ions in CCTO.
Very low bias stress in n-type organic single-crystal transistors
Authors: Barra M. , Di Girolamo F. V. , Minder N. A. , Gutiérrez Lezama I. , Chen Z. , Facchetti A. , Morpurgo A. F. , Cassinese A.
Published: March 2012

Bias stress effects in n-channel organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) are investigated using N,N′-bis(n-alkyl)-(1,7 and 1,6)-dicyanoperylene-3,4:9,10-bis(dicarboximide)s (PDIF-CN2) single-crystal devices with Cytop gate dielectric, both under vacuum and in ambient. We find that the amount of bias stress is very small as compared to all (p-channel) OFETs reported in the literature. Stressing the PDIF-CN2 devices by applying 80 V to the gate for up to a week results in a decrease of the source drain current of only ∼1% under vacuum and ∼10% in air. This remarkable stability of the devices leads to characteristic time constants τ, extracted by fitting the data with a stretched exponential—that are τ ∼ 2 × 109 s in air and τ ∼ 5 × 109 s in vacuum—approximately two orders of magnitude larger than the best values reported previously for p-channel OFETs.
Lowth Holdings in Winchester College
Authors: Day Geoffrey , Foster Suzanne
Published: March 2012

This paper presents an overview of the Lowth holdings in Winchester College, which Robert Lowth (1710–1787) had attended as a ‘scholar’ between 1722 and 1729. The holdings include Lowth’s own gifts and bequests, various gifts by others (comprising five copies of The Short Introduction to English Grammar), as well as a large collection of Lowthiana.
“Get us the hell out of here”
Authors: Bednarek Monika
Published: March 2012

Based on the analysis of key words and trigrams, this paper explores characteristics of contemporary American English television dialogue. Using a corpus comprising dialogue from seven fictional series (five different genres) and the spoken part of the American National Corpus, key words and trigrams are compared to previous corpus linguistic studies of such dialogue (Mittmann 2006, Quaglio 2009) and further explored on the basis of concordances, with special emphasis on over-represented key words/trigrams and their potential to indicate informality and emotionality. The results suggest that the expression of emotion is a key defining feature of the language of television, cutting across individual series and different televisual genres.
Disproof of a conjecture of Jacobsthal
Authors: Hajdu L. , Saradha N.
Published: March 2012

For any integer

n
≥
1

n\geq 1

, let

j
(
n
)

j(n)

denote the Jacobsthal function, and

ω
(
n
)

\omega (n)

the number of distinct prime divisors of

n
n

. In 1962 Jacobsthal conjectured that for any integer

r
≥
1

r\geq 1

, the maximal value of

j
(
n
)

j(n)

when

n
n

varies over

N

{\mathbb N}

with

ω
(
n
)
=
r

\omega (n)=r

is attained when

n
n

is the product of the first

r
r

primes. We show that this is true for

r
≤
23

r\leq 23

and fails at

r
=
24

r=24

, thus disproving Jacobsthal’s conjecture.
Biochemical characterization of the purple form of
Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus
nitrous oxide reductase
Authors: Dell'Acqua Simone , Pauleta Sofia R. , Moura José J. G. , Moura Isabel
Published: March 2012

Nitrous oxide reductase (N
2
OR) catalyses the final step of the denitrification pathway—the reduction of nitrous oxide to nitrogen. The catalytic centre (CuZ) is a unique tetranuclear copper centre bridged by inorganic sulphur in a tetrahedron arrangement that can have different oxidation states. Previously,
Marinobacter hydrocarbonoclasticus
N
2
OR was isolated with the CuZ centre as CuZ*, in the [1Cu
2+
: 3Cu
+
] redox state, which is redox inert and requires prolonged incubation under reductive conditions to be activated. In this work, we report, for the first time, the isolation of N
2
OR from
M. hydrocarbonoclasticus
in the ‘purple’ form, in which the CuZ centre is in the oxidized [2Cu
2+
: 2Cu
+
] redox state and is redox active. This form of the enzyme was isolated in the presence of oxygen from a microaerobic culture in the presence of nitrate and also from a strictly anaerobic culture. The purple form of the enzyme was biochemically characterized and was shown to be a redox active species, although it is still catalytically non-competent, as its specific activity is lower than that of the activated fully reduced enzyme and comparable with that of the enzyme with the CuZ centre in either the [1Cu
2+
: 3Cu
+
] redox state or in the redox inactive CuZ* state.
Nitrous oxide emissions from wastewater treatment processes
Authors: Law Yingyu , Ye Liu , Pan Yuting , Yuan Zhiguo
Published: March 2012

Nitrous oxide (N
2
O) emissions from wastewater treatment plants vary substantially between plants, ranging from negligible to substantial (a few per cent of the total nitrogen load), probably because of different designs and operational conditions. In general, plants that achieve high levels of nitrogen removal emit less N
2
O, indicating that no compromise is required between high water quality and lower N
2
O emissions. N
2
O emissions primarily occur in aerated zones/compartments/periods owing to active stripping, and ammonia-oxidizing bacteria, rather than heterotrophic denitrifiers, are the main contributors. However, the detailed mechanisms remain to be fully elucidated, despite strong evidence suggesting that both nitrifier denitrification and the chemical breakdown of intermediates of hydroxylamine oxidation are probably involved. With increased understanding of the fundamental reactions responsible for N
2
O production in wastewater treatment systems and the conditions that stimulate their occurrence, reduction of N
2
O emissions from wastewater treatment systems through improved plant design and operation will be achieved in the near future.
The Hypothalamic‐Neurohypophyseal System: From Genome to Physiology
Authors: Murphy D. , Konopacka A. , Hindmarch C. , Paton J. F. R. , Sweedler J. V. , Gillette M. U. , Ueta Y. , Grinevich V. , Lozic M. , Japundzic‐Zigon N.
Published: March 2012

The elucidation of the genomes of a large number of mammalian species has produced a huge amount of data on which to base physiological studies. These endeavours have also produced surprises, not least of which has been the revelation that the number of protein coding genes needed to make a mammal is only 22 333 (give or take). However, this small number belies an unanticipated complexity that has only recently been revealed as a result of genomic studies. This complexity is evident at a number of levels: (i) cis‐regulatory sequences; (ii) noncoding and antisense mRNAs, most of which have no known function; (iii) alternative splicing that results in the generation of multiple, subtly different mature mRNAs from the precursor transcript encoded by a single gene; and (iv) post‐translational processing and modification. In this review, we examine the steps being taken to decipher genome complexity in the context of gene expression, regulation and function in the hypothalamic‐neurohypophyseal system (HNS). Five unique stories explain: (i) the use of transcriptomics to identify genes involved in the response to physiological (dehydration) and pathological (hypertension) cues; (ii) the use of mass spectrometry for single‐cell level identification of biological active peptides in the HNS, and to measure in vitro release; (iii) the use of transgenic lines that express fusion transgenes enabling (by cross‐breeding) the generation of double transgenic lines that can be used to study vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OXT) neurones in the HNS, as well as their neuroanatomy, electrophysiology and activation upon exposure to any given stimulus; (iv) the use of viral vectors to demonstrate that somato‐dendritically released AVP plays an important role in cardiovascular homeostasis by binding to V1a receptors on local somata and dendrites; and (v) the use of virally‐mediated optogenetics to dissect the role of OXT and AVP in the modulation of a wide variety of behaviours.
Involvement of parathyroid hormone‐related protein in vascular calcification of chronic haemodialysis patients
Authors: LIU FANG , FU PING , FAN WENXING , GOU RONG , HUANG YOUQUN , QIU HONGYU , ZHONG HUI , HUANG SONGMIN
Published: March 2012

Aims:  To investigate the role of parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP) in vascular calcification of patients with chronic hemodialysis.

Methods:  The inferior epigastric arteries were obtained from 23 patients on chronic haemodialysis and 16 patients with renal carcinoma as control. Haematoxylin‐eosin staining, elastic fibre staining, Alizarin Red calcium staining and immunohistochemical staining of PTHrP, bone morphogenetic protein‐2 (BMP‐2), Cbfa1/Runx2 were performed. Real‐time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to examine mRNA expressions of PTHrP, BMP‐2 and Cbfa1/Runx2. Western blot and real‐time PCR were used to detect the effects of PTHrP‐siRNA and rh‐PTHrP‐1–34 on the expressions of PTHrP, BMP‐2 and Cbfa1/Runx2 in human aortic smooth muscle cells (HASMC). Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activities and intracellular calcium content in HASMCs were assessed after treatment with 10 mmol/L β‐glycerol phosphoric acid for 48 h.

Results:  Vascular calcification was confirmed in 78.2% of patients on chronic haemodialysis, and the expressions of PTHrP, BMP‐2 and Cbfa1 in the arteries were significantly upregulated. PTHrP‐siRNA could downregulate the expression of PTHrP by 60%, BMP‐2 by 25% and Cbfa1 by 25% at 24 h (P < 0.05). Exogenous rh‐PTHrP‐1–34 could upregulate the expressions of BMP‐2 and Cbfa1 by 1.37‐fold and 1.46‐fold, respectively, at 24 h in a time‐independent manner (P < 0.05), which were attenuated by PTHrP‐siRNA. Moreover, it could promote intracellular calcium deposition and increase ALP activities, which were partially blocked by PTHrP‐siRNA (P < 0.05).

Conclusions:  Vascular calcification was common in patients with chronic haemodialysis, to which PTHrP might contribute by activating BMP‐2/ Cbfa1 signalling pathway.
Proving One's Manliness: Masculine Self‐perceptions of Austrian Deserters in the Second World War
Authors: Fritsche Maria
Published: March 2012

While important work has been produced on discourses of masculinity and the normative masculine ideals in nineteenth‐ and twentieth‐century Europe we know very little about the actual experiences and self‐images of individual men. This article, largely based on oral history interviews with former deserters, analyses the gendered identities of Austrian men who were recruited to serve in the Wehrmacht and who later deserted.

Deserters were brutally persecuted in the Third Reich and denounced as ‘traitors’ and ‘cowards’. The glorification of martial masculinity in Nazi Germany played a crucial role in the defamation of deserters, whose manliness was called into question. Based on Connell's theory of hegemonic masculinity, the article aims to establish the actual influence of dominant ideals of masculinity. It investigates how these deserters perceived themselves as men and how they negotiated their gendered identities in interaction with their surroundings. The analysis reveals the considerable influence of the hegemonic ideal of ‘hard’ masculinity, which was far greater than the impact of the rather short‐lived ideal of martial masculinity. But it also demonstrates the contradictory nature of gendered identities and gives valuable insights into the selective appropriation of masculine values.
Regulating Body Boundaries and Health during the Second World War: Nationalist Discourse, Media Representations and the Experiences of Canadian Women War Workers
Authors: Smith Helen E. , Wakewich Pamela
Published: March 2012

This article examines the intersections of gender, wartime nationalist rhetoric and the production of ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ bodies in both the Canadian workplace and the home during the Second World War. Analysing government, industry and media discourses in relation to oral history interviews with thirty‐eight women aircraft workers, we discuss women's distinctive role in shaping the health and morale of the social body during wartime, to ensure the maintenance of family, nation and the Allied war effort. While health in wartime was defined in terms of worker productivity for both men and women, anxiety about women's expanded roles heightened the emphasis on moral respectability as a marker of the ‘healthy’ female body. This was further complicated by the wartime emphasis on women's responsibilities to boost morale as part of their role in maintaining health and productivity for both men and women. Through such examples as workplace regulations and domestic advice, we examine the increased monitoring of women's individual and collective bodies and the intensified demands on female war workers as they crossed between the public and private spheres. We use our oral histories to examine women's embodied memories of ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ bodies within a regional context and their responses to government, industry and media discourses.
‘The World is Our Campus’: Michigan State University and Cold‐War Home Economics in US‐occupied Okinawa, 1945–19721
Authors: Koikari Mire
Published: March 2012

Since the rape of a twelve‐year‐old girl by three American marines in Okinawa in 1995, a trope of masculinised domination and feminised subjugation has shaped many feminist discussions of US‐Okinawa relations. However, post‐war US domination in Okinawa has entailed far more complex dynamics involving gender and nation. This article examines domestic reformism that flourished in US‐occupied Okinawa where a group of home economists and home demonstration agents dispatched from Michigan State University (MSU) played an instrumental role in disseminating ‘scientific domesticity’. Following the land‐grant philosophy of educational outreach and self‐help, MSU home economists engaged in a series of domestic reform activities where they attempted to transplant notions and practices of ‘scientific domesticity’ and modernise and empower local women. Taking place amidst the intense militarisation of Okinawa under American rule, domestic reformism generated much excitement and enthusiasm among local women. By analysing how domesticity and militarism became intertwined in post‐war Okinawa, the article explores the complex links between domesticity, international educational aid, militarism and the cold war in the Asia‐Pacific region.
Muscles, Nerves, and Sex: The Contradictions of the Medical Approach to Female Bodies in Movement in France, 1847–1914
Authors: Quin Grégory , Bohuon Anaïs
Published: March 2012

From the early nineteenth century in France, the treatment of hysteria was connected to both physical and moral development. As a result, therapeutic treatments envisaged by medical practitioners were influenced by and related to the formulation of precepts of medical gymnastics. This article considers how ‘physical education’ for women became part of medical discourse, specifically the elaboration of ‘body treatment’ as a remedy against nervous disorders including hysteria.

From the Second Republic (1848) to the years of the belle epoque (1914), the discourse concerning the medical cause of ‘hysterical madness’ is marked by the progressive discrediting of reflections that located the causes of pathology in the genitals. However, the shaping of a neuro‐cerebral etiology did not fully replace discussions of the relationship between hysteria, female bodies and the uterus. While the current historiography emphasises the participation of doctors in the production and legitimation of physical exercises in the nineteenth century, some aspects of this process are not yet fully explored. We examine the ambivalences of medical discourse, between the rhetoric of the eternally wounded woman and the need to develop women's abilities (intellectual, moral, and physical) to ensure healthy children. And despite the shadows that still obscure the etiology of nervous disorders, there is, in our period, a genuine dynamic favouring experimental therapeutics. The ‘movement disorders’, such as chorea, hysteria or neurasthenia, were handled by increasingly well‐established regimes utilising physical exercise. The introduction of gymnastics in the hospital played a fundamental role in this process; it enabled experimentation and lent legitimacy to physical exercise as therapy.
Investigating the safety of medication administration in adult critical care settings
Authors: Mansour Mansour , James Veronica , Edgley Alison
Published: March 2012

Background: Medication errors are recognized causes of patient morbidity and mortality in hospital settings, and can occur at any stage of the medication management process. Medication administration errors are reported to occur more frequently in critical care settings, and can be associated with severe consequences. However, patient safety research tends to focus on accident causations rather than organizational factors which enhance patient safety and health care resilience to unsafe practice. The Organizational Safety Space Model was developed for high‐risk industries to investigate factors that influence organizational safety. Its application in health care settings may offer a unique approach to understand organizational safety in the health care context, particularly in investigating the safety of medication administration in adult critical care settings.

Purpose: This literature review explores the development and use of the Organizational Safety Space Model in the industrial context, and considers its application in investigating the safety of medication administration in adult critical care settings.

Search strategies (inclusion and exclusion criteria): CINAHL, Medline, British Nursing Index (BNI) and PsychInfo databases were searched for peer‐reviewed papers, published in English, from 1970 to 2011 with relevance to organizational safety and medication administration in critical care, using the key words: organization, safety, nurse, critical care and medication administration. Archaeological searching, including grey literature and governmental documents, was also carried out. From the identified 766 articles, 51 studies were considered relevant.

Conclusion: The Organizational Safety Space Model offers a productive, conceptual system framework to critically analyse the wider organizational issues, which may influence the safety of medication administration and organizational resilience to accidents. However, the model needs to be evaluated for its application in health care settings in general and critical care in particular. Nurses would offer a valuable insight in explaining how the Organizational Safety Space Model can be used to analyse the organizational contributions towards medication administration in adult critical care settings.
The Heterogeneous Nature of Urban Poor Families
Authors: Salcedo Rodrigo , Rasse Alejandra
Published: March 2012

This paper addresses the scholarly debate on cultural homogeneity or heterogeneity of urban poor families. While authors such as Lewis (1959) or Wacquant (2000 ; 2001) claim that structural disadvantages are linked to a particular type of identity or culture, others such as Hannerz (1969) , Anderson (1999 ; 2002) , or Portes ( Portes and Manning, 1986 ; Portes and Jensen, 1989 ) believe that it is possible to find different behaviors, expectations, decision–making processes, and outcomes among people living in seemingly identical structural conditions ( Small et al., 2010 ). Using Santiago, Chile, as a case study, we differentiate five different cultures or identities among the poor. Those identities seem to be the product of different historical and political circumstances, as well as of different types of public policies. The paper ends with a discussion of the need for poverty reduction policies to consider these differences among the poor.
Testing a Global City Hypothesis: An Assessment of Polarization across US Cities
Authors: Timberlake Michael , Sanderson Matthew R. , Ma Xiulian , Derudder Ben , Winitzky Jessica , Witlox Frank
Published: March 2012

Social polarization is perhaps most evident within the world's large cities where we can easily observe stark contrasts between wealth and poverty. A “world city” theoretical perspective has emerged that associates large cities’ importance in a global network of cities to the degree of internal polarization within these cities. The research reported here locates 57 large US cities within this world city hierarchy and then empirically examines the hypothesized positive association between global centrality and social polarization using a multivariate, cross–city analysis. The findings are mixed, with some evidence that global centrality increases income polarization, but only in the context of higher levels of immigration. There is no evidence that a city's centrality affects occupational polarization. We conclude by suggesting implications for the world city literature and future research.
Vibration Characteristics of Rotating Thin Disks—Part I: Experimental Results
Authors: Khorasany Ramin M. H. , Hutton Stanley G.
Published: March 2012

Analysis of the linear vibration characteristics of unconstrained rotating isotropic thin disks leads to the important concept of “critical speeds.” These critical rotational speeds are of interest because they correspond to the situation where a natural frequency of the rotating disk, as measured by a stationary observer, is zero. Such speeds correspond physically to the speeds at which a traveling circumferential wave, of shape corresponding to the mode shape of the natural frequency being considered, travel around the disk in the absence of applied forces. At such speeds, according to linear theory, the blade may respond as a space fixed stationary wave and an applied space fixed dc force may induce a resonant condition in the disk response. Thus, in general, linear theory predicts that for rotating disks, with low levels of damping, large responses may be encountered in the region of the critical speeds due to the application of constant space fixed forces. However, large response invalidates the predictions of linear theory which has neglected the nonlinear stiffness produced by the effect of in-plane forces induced by large displacements. In the present paper, experimental studies were conducted in order to measure the frequency response characteristics of rotating disks both in an idling mode as well as when subjected to a space fixed lateral force. The applied lateral force (produced by an air jet) was such as to produce displacements large enough that non linear geometric effects were important in determining the disk frequencies. Experiments were conducted on thin annular disks of different thickness with the inner radius clamped to the driving arbor and the outer radius free. The results of these experiments are presented with an emphasis on recording the effects of geometric nonlinearities on lateral frequency response. In a companion paper (Khorasany and Hutton, 2010, “Vibration Characteristics of Rotating Thin Disks—Part II: Analytical Predictions,” ASME J. Mech., 79(4), p. 041007), analytical predictions of such disk behavior are presented and compared with the experimental results obtained in this study. The experimental results show that in the case where significant disk displacements are induced by a lateral force, the frequency characteristics are significantly influenced by the magnitude of forced displacements.
Reflection and Refraction of a Harmonic SH Wave at the Interface of Two Dissimilar Media With MicroHeterogeneity
Authors: Altan Burhanettin S.
Published: March 2012

Reflection and refraction of harmonic SH-waves from the interface of two dissimilar media with microheterogeneity is studied. The effect of the microheterogeneity on the overall behavior of the media is taken into account by adding higher order displacement gradients in the stress-strain relationship. It is found that a harmonic wave reflects back with the same angle of the incident wave, like in a classical case. However, it is found that the direction of propagation of the refracted wave is dependent on the wave number. It is also shown that the critical angle for which the incident wave cannot be transmitted to the other half plane is dependent on the wave number.
Simulation of Constrained Mechanical Systems — Part I: An Equation of Motion
Authors: Braun David J. , Goldfarb Michael
Published: March 2012

This paper presents an equation of motion for numerical simulation of constrained mechanical systems with holonomic and nonholonomic constraints. In order to avoid the error accumulation typically experienced in such simulations, the standard equation of motion is enhanced with embedded force and impulse terms which perform continuous constraint and energy correction along the numerical solution. To avoid interference between the kinematic constraint correction and the energy correction terms, both are derived by taking the geometry of the constrained dynamics rigorously into account. In this light, enforcement of the (ideal) holonomic and nonholonomic kinematic constraints are performed using ideal forces and impulses, while the energy conservation law is considered as a nonideal nonlinear nonholonomic constraint on the simulated motion, and as such it is enforced with nonideal forces. As derived, the equation can be directly discretized and integrated with an explicit ODE solver avoiding the need for expensive implicit integration and iterative constraint stabilization. Application of the proposed equation is demonstrated on a representative example. A more elaborate discussion of practical implementation is presented in Part II of this work.
On the Strength of Graphene
Authors: Volokh K. Y.
Published: March 2012

Failure of a single-atomic-layer graphene sheet is analyzed in plane tension under the varying biaxiality condition. The analysis is based on the combined use of continuum and molecular mechanics where the strain energy is expressed with the help of the Tersoff-Brenner atomistic potential. A critical failure surface is produced for strains in biaxial tension. It is found that the anisotropy of graphene has a pronounced effect on its strength.
Vibration Characteristics of Rotating Thin Disks—Part II: Analytical Predictions
Authors: Khorasany Ramin M. H. , Hutton Stanley G.
Published: March 2012

This paper is concerned with the geometric nonlinear analysis of the lateral displacement of thin rotating disks when subjected to a space fixed stationary force. Of particular interest is the development of the stationary wave and the effect of this wave on the frequency response of the disk as a function of its rotational speed. The predictions of this analysis are compared with experimental data obtained in a companion paper (Khorasany and Hutton, “Vibration Characteristics of Rotating Thin Disks—Part I: Experimental Results,” ASME J. Appl. Mech., 79(4), p. 041006). The governing equations are based on Von Kármán plate theory. A Galerkin solution of the governing non linear equations is developed. The eigenfunctions derived from the linear analysis of a stationary disk are used as approximations to the spatial response of the disk, and the eigenfunctions of the biharmonic equation as approximations for the stress function. Using the developed solution, the equilibrium configuration of the disk under the application of a space fixed force is found. In order to facilitate the prediction of the frequency response, as a function of disk rotational speed, the governing nonlinear equations are linearized around the equilibrium solution. The linearized equations are then used to find the eigenvalues of the spinning disk under the application of a space fixed force. The effect of different levels of nonlinearity on the disk frequencies is studied and compared with experimental results. The analysis is shown to produce an accurate representation of the measured response. Of particular interest is the disk response at speeds close to and above the linear critical speed. In this region, both the analysis and the experimental results display frequency “lock-in” behavior in which the frequency of backward travelling waves becomes constant for supercritical speeds. No speed exists for which backward travelling waves have zero frequency. Thus, critical speeds do not exist in the presence of geometric nonlinearities.
A Fixed-Point Iteration Method With Quadratic Convergence
Authors: Walker K. P. , Sham T.-L.
Published: March 2012

The fixed-point iteration algorithm is turned into a quadratically convergent scheme for a system of nonlinear equations. Most of the usual methods for obtaining the roots of a system of nonlinear equations rely on expanding the equation system about the roots in a Taylor series, and neglecting the higher order terms. Rearrangement of the resulting truncated system then results in the usual Newton-Raphson and Halley type approximations. In this paper the introduction of unit root functions avoids the direct expansion of the nonlinear system about the root, and relies, instead, on approximations which enable the unit root functions to considerably widen the radius of convergence of the iteration method. Methods for obtaining higher order rates of convergence and larger radii of convergence are discussed.
Modeling Turbulent Hydraulic Fracture Near a Free Surface
Authors: Tsai Victor C. , Rice James R.
Published: March 2012

Motivated by observations of the subglacial drainage of water, we consider a hydraulic fracture problem in which the crack grows parallel to a free surface, subject to fully turbulent fluid flow. Using a hybrid Chebyshev/series-minimization numerical approach, we solve for the pressure profile, crack opening displacement, and crack growth rate for a crack that begins relatively short but eventually becomes long compared with the distance to the free surface. We plot nondimensionalized results for a variety of different times, corresponding with different fracture lengths, and find substantial differences when free-surface effects are important.
Scaling of Static Fracture of Quasi-Brittle Structures: Strength, Lifetime, and Fracture Kinetics
Authors: Le Jia-Liang , Bažant Zdeněk P.
Published: March 2012

The paper reviews a recently developed finite chain model for the weakest-link statistics of strength, lifetime, and size effect of quasi-brittle structures, which are the structures in which the fracture process zone size is not negligible compared to the cross section size. The theory is based on the recognition that the failure probability is simple and clear only on the nanoscale since the probability and frequency of interatomic bond failures must be equal. The paper outlines how a small set of relatively plausible hypotheses about the failure probability tail at nanoscale and its transition from nano- to macroscale makes it possible to derive the distribution of structural strength, the static crack growth rate, and the lifetime distribution, including the size and geometry effects [while an extension to fatigue crack growth rate and lifetime, published elsewhere (Le and Bažant, 2011, “Unified Nano-Mechanics Based Probabilistic Theory of Quasibrittle and Brittle Structures: II. Fatigue Crack Growth, Lifetime and Scaling,” J. Mech. Phys. Solids, 1322–1337), is left aside]. A salient practical aspect of the theory is that for quasi-brittle structures the chain model underlying the weakest-link statistics must be considered to have a finite number of links, which implies a major deviation from the Weibull distribution. Several new extensions of the theory are presented: (1) A derivation of the dependence of static crack growth rate on the structure size and geometry, (2) an approximate closed-form solution of the structural strength distribution, and (3) an effective method to determine the cumulative distribution functions (cdf’s) of structural strength and lifetime based on the mean size effect curve. Finally, as an example, a probabilistic reassessment of the 1959 Malpasset Dam failure is demonstrated.
Laboratory Observations of Fault Strength in Response to Changes in Normal Stress
Authors: Kilgore Brian , Lozos Julian , Beeler Nick , Oglesby David
Published: March 2012

Changes in fault normal stress can either inhibit or promote rupture propagation, depending on the fault geometry and on how fault shear strength varies in response to the normal stress change. A better understanding of this dependence will lead to improved earthquake simulation techniques, and ultimately, improved earthquake hazard mitigation efforts. We present the results of new laboratory experiments investigating the effects of step changes in fault normal stress on the fault shear strength during sliding, using bare Westerly granite samples, with roughened sliding surfaces, in a double direct shear apparatus. Previous experimental studies examining the shear strength following a step change in the normal stress produce contradictory results: a set of double direct shear experiments indicates that the shear strength of a fault responds immediately, and then is followed by a prolonged slip-dependent response, while a set of shock loading experiments indicates that there is no immediate component, and the response is purely gradual and slip-dependent. In our new, high-resolution experiments, we observe that the acoustic transmissivity and dilatancy of simulated faults in our tests respond immediately to changes in the normal stress, consistent with the interpretations of previous investigations, and verify an immediate increase in the area of contact between the roughened sliding surfaces as normal stress increases. However, the shear strength of the fault does not immediately increase, indicating that the new area of contact between the rough fault surfaces does not appear preloaded with any shear resistance or strength. Additional slip is required for the fault to achieve a new shear strength appropriate for its new loading conditions, consistent with previous observations made during shock loading.
The Influence of Dimensionality on the Rate of Diffusive Escape From an Energy Well
Authors: Freund L. B.
Published: March 2012

A commonly used idealization when describing separation of a chemical bond between molecules is that of an energy well which prescribes the dependence of energy of interaction between the molecules in terms of a reaction coordinate. The energy difference between the peak to be overcome and the root of the well is the so-called activation energy, and the overall shape of the well dictates the kinetics of separation through a constitutive assumption concerning transport. An assumption tacit in this description is that the state of the bond evolves with only a single degree of freedom—the reaction coordinate—as the system explores its energy environment under random thermal excitation. In this discussion we will consider several bonds described by one and the same energy profile. The cases differ in that the energy profile varies along a line extending from the root of the well in the first case, along any radial line in a plane extending from the root of the well in a second case, and along any radial line in space extending from the root of the well in a third case. To focus the discussion we determine the statistical rate of escape of states from the well in each case, requiring that the profile of the well is the same in all three cases. It is found that the rates of escape each depend exponentially on the depth of the well but that the coefficients of the exponential vary with depth of the well differently in the three cases considered.