bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of taurine on cholesterol metabolism
Authors: Chen Wen , Guo Jun-Xia , Chang Ping
Published: May 2012

The elevated plasma cholesterol level, in particular, LDL cholesterol is regarded as an important risk factor for the development of atherosclerosis and coronary artery disease. A number of studies provide the evidence that taurine has the efficient action to reduce plasma and liver cholesterol concentrations, especially to decrease VLDL and LDL cholesterol in hypercholesterolemia animal induced by high cholesterol diet. Cholesterol lowering effect of taurine is actually involved in the regulatory mechanism of cholesterol and bile acid homeostasis that mediated by CYP7A1, which has become a biomarker for cholesterol metabolism and itself is also regulated by several factors and nuclear receptors. This review summarizes the change of cholesterol concentration in metabolism observed in feeding studies of hypercholesterolemia animal dealing with taurine, and then, addresses the possible metabolic and molecular mechanisms of cholesterol lowering effect by taurine in three aspects, cholesterol clearance from blood circulation, bioconversion of cholesterol to bile acid in liver, and excretion of cholesterol and bile acid from intestine.
Free‐breathing multiphase whole‐heart coronary MR angiography using image‐based navigators and three‐dimensional cones imaging
Authors: Wu Holden H. , Gurney Paul T. , Hu Bob S. , Nishimura Dwight G. , McConnell Michael V.
Published: May 2012

Noninvasive visualization of the coronary arteries in vivo is one of the most important goals in cardiovascular imaging. Compared to other paradigms for coronary MR angiography, a free‐breathing three‐dimensional whole‐heart iso‐resolution approach simplifies prescription effort, requires less patient cooperation, reduces overall exam time, and supports retrospective reformats at arbitrary planes. However, this approach requires a long continuous acquisition and must account for respiratory and cardiac motion throughout the scan. In this work, a new free‐breathing coronary MR angiography technique that reduces scan time and improves robustness to motion is developed. Data acquisition is accomplished using a three‐dimensional cones non‐Cartesian trajectory, which can reduce the number of readouts 3‐fold or more compared to conventional three‐dimensional Cartesian encoding and provides greater robustness to motion/flow effects. To further enhance robustness to motion, two‐dimensional navigator images are acquired to directly track respiration‐induced displacement of the heart and enable retrospective compensation of all acquired data (none discarded) for image reconstruction. In addition, multiple cardiac phases are imaged to support retrospective selection of the best phase(s) for visualizing each coronary segment. Experimental results demonstrate that whole‐heart coronary angiograms can be obtained rapidly and robustly with this proposed technique. Magn Reson Med 69:1083–1093, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Saturation‐recovery metabolic‐exchange rate imaging with hyperpolarized [1‐13C] pyruvate using spectral‐spatial excitation
Authors: Schulte Rolf F. , Sperl Jonathan I. , Weidl Eliane , Menzel Marion I. , Janich Martin A. , Khegai Oleksandr , Durst Markus , Ardenkjaer‐Larsen Jan Henrik , Glaser Steffen J. , Haase Axel , Schwaiger Markus , Wiesinger Florian
Published: May 2012

Within the last decade hyperpolarized [1‐13C] pyruvate chemical‐shift imaging has demonstrated impressive potential for metabolic MR imaging for a wide range of applications in oncology, cardiology, and neurology. In this work, a highly efficient pulse sequence is described for time‐resolved, multislice chemical shift imaging of the injected substrate and obtained downstream metabolites. Using spectral‐spatial excitation in combination with single‐shot spiral data acquisition, the overall encoding is evenly distributed between excitation and signal reception, allowing the encoding of one full two‐dimensional metabolite image per excitation. The signal‐to‐noise ratio can be flexibly adjusted and optimized using lower flip angles for the pyruvate substrate and larger ones for the downstream metabolites. Selectively adjusting the excitation of the down‐stream metabolites to 90° leads to a so‐called “saturation‐recovery” scheme with the detected signal content being determined by forward conversion of the available pyruvate. In case of repetitive excitations, the polarization is preserved using smaller flip angles for pyruvate. Metabolic exchange rates are determined spatially resolved from the metabolite images using a simplified two‐site exchange model. This novel contrast is an important step toward more quantitative metabolic imaging. Goal of this work was to derive, analyze, and implement this “saturation‐recovery metabolic exchange rate imaging” and demonstrate its capabilities in four rats bearing subcutaneous tumors. Magn Reson Med, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Reliability‐based design optimization with dependent interval variables
Authors: Du Xiaoping
Published: May 2012

Reliability‐based design optimization (RBDO) ensures design requirements are satisfied at required reliability levels in the presence of uncertainty. The recent RBDO methodologies can accommodate two types of uncertainty – aleatory type, represented by random variables, and epistemic type, represented by interval variables. However, only independent interval variables can be handled. The objective of this research is to introduce dependent interval variables into RBDO. The dependency of interval variables comes from equality and inequality constraints. With the intervals, the reliability is also an interval, and its lower bound is considered to preserve conservativeness. An efficient optimization method is developed to solve RBDO problems. The method is an extension of the existing framework of sequential optimization and reliability analysis with the inclusion of inequality constraints of interval variables. The new method is efficient because it decouples the optimization process from the process of reliability and interval analyses. The new method is applied to the RBDO of a slider mechanism with joint clearances, which are known as dependent interval variables. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pre‐polymerization Kinetics in Continuous and Pulsed Glow Discharge in Tetrafluoroethylene
Authors: Andreeva Alena V. , Kutsarev Ilya , Shatsky Alexander V. , Shterenberg Alexander M. , Zyn Vladislav I.
Published: May 2012

Kinetic pictures, i.e., full sets of all available kinetic curves, were obtained with the help of continuous mass spectrometry and analyzed with the purpose of studying some aspects of the mechanism of initial stages of molecular growth in a batch reactor. The kinetic curves were clearly parted into three types—initial, intermediate, and final. All of the new substances are evolving simultaneously and in parallel, independently of their molecular mass, from C2 to C18, what evidences that the fast stepwise or chain reactions of chemical synthesis are preceded by the slow limiting stage of the discharge activation. The method of momentary characteristics is demonstrated which allows to perform a quantitative analysis of the kinetic material even in the difficult cases of batch and modulated systems.

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PTFE Surface Etching in the Post‐discharge of a Scanning RF Plasma Torch: Evidence of Ejected Fluorinated Species
Authors: Dufour Thierry , Hubert Julie , Viville Pascal , Duluard Corinne Y. , Desbief Simon , Lazzaroni Roberto , Reniers François
Published: May 2012

The texturization of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) surfaces is achieved at atmospheric pressure by using the post‐discharge of a radio‐frequency plasma torch supplied in helium and oxygen gases. The surface properties are characterized by contact angle measurement, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy. We show that the plasma treatment increases the surface hydrophobicity (with water contact angles increasing from 115 to 155°) only by modifying the PTFE surface morphology and not the stoichiometry. Measurements of sample mass losses correlated to the ejection of CF2 fragments from the PTFE surface evidenced an etching mechanism at atmospheric pressure.

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Monte Carlo transport simulation of velocity undershoot in zinc blende and wurtzite InN
Authors: Wang Shulong , Liu Hongxia , Gao Bo , Zhuo Qingqing
Published: May 2012

Velocity undershoot in zinc blende (ZB) and wurtzite (WZ) InN is investigated by ensemble Monte Carlo (EMC) calculation. The results show that velocity undershoot arises from the relatively long energy relaxation time compared with momentum. Monte Carlo transport simulations over wide range of electric fields is presented in the paper. The results show that velocity undershoot impacts the electron transport greatly, compared with velocity overshoot, when the electric field changes quickly with time and space. A comparison study between WZ and ZB InN shows that WZ InN has more advantages in device applications due to its excellent electron transport properties.
Microwave mediated synthesis of semiconductor quantum dots
Authors: Afrasiabi Roodabeh , Sugunan Abhilash , Shahid Robina , Toprak Muhammet S. , Muhammed Mamoun
Published: May 2012

Colloidal quantum dots (QD) have tuneable optoelectronic properties and can be easily handled by simple solution processing techniques, making them very attractive for a wide range of applications. Over the past decade synthesis of morphology controlled high quality (crystalline, monodisperse) colloidal QDs by thermal decomposition of organometallic precursors has matured and is well studied. Recently, synthesis of colloidal QDs by microwave irradiation as heating source is being studied due to the inherently different mechanisms of heat transfer, when compared to solvent convection based heating. Under microwave irradiation, polar precursor molecules directly absorb the microwave energy and heat up more efficiently. Here we report synthesis of colloidal II‐VI semiconductor QDs (CdS, CdSe, CdTe) by microwave irradiation and compare it with conventional synthesis based on convection heating. Our findings show that QD synthesis by microwave heating is more efficient and the chalcogenide precursor strongly absorbs the microwave radiation shortening the reaction time and giving a high reaction yield (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effect of the molecular structure in the prediction of thermodynamic properties for 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride ionic liquid
Authors: del Olmo Lourdes , López Rafael , García de la Vega José M.
Published: May 2012

A conformational study on the 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium chloride (bmimCl) is presented to test the influence of the conformers in the estimation of physicochemical properties. Twenty starting structures were proposed, and 12 different conformers were obtained after geometry optimization at DFT (BVP86/TZVP/DGA1) level. COnductor‐like Screening MOdel (COSMO) methodology was applied to estimate their properties in the liquid phase. Sigma‐profiles and sigma‐potentials were computed for the conformers that are most ionic, least ionic, and energetically most stable. COSMO‐Real Solvents method was used to test predictions of boiling point, density, and viscosity for these individual conformers and for a statistical mixture of conformers. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dimension‐Controlled Synthesis of CdS Nanocrystals: From 0D Quantum Dots to 2D Nanoplates
Authors: Son Jae Sung , Park Kunsu , Kwon Soon Gu , Yang Jiwoong , Choi Moon Kee , Kim Junhyeong , Yu Jung Ho , Joo Jin , Hyeon Taeghwan
Published: May 2012

The dimension‐controlled synthesis of CdS nanocrystals in the strong quantum confinement regime is reported. Zero‐, one‐, and two‐dimensional CdS nanocrystals are selectively synthesized via low‐temperature reactions using alkylamines as surface‐capping ligands. The shape of the nanocrystals is controlled systematically by using different amines and reaction conditions. The 2D nanoplates have a uniform thickness as low as 1.2 nm. Furthermore, their optical absorption and emission spectra show very narrow peaks indicating extremely uniform thickness. It is demonstrated that 2D nanoplates are generated by 2D assembly of CdS magic‐sized clusters formed at the nucleation stage, and subsequent attachment of the clusters. The stability of magic‐sized clusters in amine solvent strongly influences the final shapes of the nanocrystals. The thickness of the nanoplates increases in a stepwise manner while retaining their uniformity, similar to the growth behavior of inorganic clusters. The 2D CdS nanoplates are a new type of quantum well with novel nanoscale properties in the strong quantum confinement regime.
Chapter 8: Meta-analysis of Test Performance When There is a “Gold Standard”
Authors: Trikalinos Thomas A. , Balion Cynthia M. , Coleman Craig I. , Griffith Lauren , Santaguida Pasqualina L. , Vandermeer Ben , Fu Rongwei
Published: May 2012

Synthesizing information on test performance metrics such as sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and likelihood ratios is often an important part of a systematic review of a medical test. Because many metrics of test performance are of interest, the meta-analysis of medical tests is more complex than the meta-analysis of interventions or associations. Sometimes, a helpful way to summarize medical test studies is to provide a “summary point”, a summary sensitivity and a summary specificity. Other times, when the sensitivity or specificity estimates vary widely or when the test threshold varies, it is more helpful to synthesize data using a “summary line” that describes how the average sensitivity changes with the average specificity. Choosing the most helpful summary is subjective, and in some cases both summaries provide meaningful and complementary information. Because sensitivity and specificity are not independent across studies, the meta-analysis of medical tests is fundamentaly a multivariate problem, and should be addressed with multivariate methods. More complex analyses are needed if studies report results at multiple thresholds for positive tests. At the same time, quantitative analyses are used to explore and explain any observed dissimilarity (heterogeneity) in the results of the examined studies. This can be performed in the context of proper (multivariate) meta-regressions.
Oral Supplementation of Butyrate Reduces Mucositis and Intestinal Permeability Associated with 5‐Fluorouracil Administration
Authors: Ferreira Talita Mayra , Leonel Alda Jusceline , Melo Marco Antônio , Santos Rosana R. G. , Cara Denise Carmona , Cardoso Valbert N. , Correia Maria I. T. D. , Alvarez‐Leite Jacqueline I.
Published: May 2012

Mucositis affects about 40 % of patients undergoing chemotherapy. Short chain fatty acids (SCFA), mainly butyrate, are claimed to improve mucosal integrity, reduce intestinal permeability and act as anti‐inflammatory agents for the colon mucosa. We evaluated the effects of oral administration of SCFA or butyrate in the 5FU‐induced mucositis. Mice received water, SCFA or butyrate during all experiment (10 days) and a single dose of 5FU (200 mg/kg) 3 days before euthanasia. We evaluated inflammatory and histological score by morphometry, and by activity of enzymes specific to neutrophil, eosinophil and macrophage and TLR‐4, TNF‐alpha and IL6 expressions. Intestinal permeability and tight junction protein ZO‐1 expression were evaluated. Mice from the 5FU (5‐Fluorouracil) group presented weight loss, ulcerations and inflammatory infiltration of neutrophils and eosinophils, increased expression of IL6 and TNF‐alpha and increased intestinal permeability. SCFA minimized intestinal damage, reduced ulcerations without affecting intestinal permeability. Butyrate alone was more efficient at improving those parameters than in SCFA solution and also reduced intestinal permeability. The expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines and ZO‐1 tended to be higher in the SCFA supplemented but not in the butyrate supplemented group. We showed the beneficial effects of butyrate on intestinal mucositis and its promising function as an adjuvant in the treatment of diseases not only of the colon, but also of the small intestine.
Predicting survival in cancer patients: the role of cachexia and hormonal, nutritional and inflammatory markers
Authors: Utech Anne E. , Tadros Eiriny M. , Hayes Teresa G. , Garcia Jose M.
Published: May 2012

Background

Cancer can lead to weight loss, anorexia, and poor nutritional status, which are associated with decreased survival in cancer patients.

Methods

Male cancer patients (n = 136) were followed for a mean time of 4.5 years. Variables were obtained at baseline: cancer stage, albumin, hemoglobin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), interleukin (IL)‐6, bioavailable testosterone, appetite questionnaire, and weight change from baseline to 18 months. Primary statistical tests included Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression (PHREG).

Results

Univariate PHREG showed that cancer stage, albumin, hemoglobin, TNF‐α, IL‐6, and weight change were each significantly associated with mortality risk (P < 0.05), but bioavailable testosterone was not. Multivariate PHREG analysis established that weight change and albumin were jointly statistically significant even after adjusting for stage.

Conclusion

In this sample of male oncology patients, cancer stage, serum albumin, and weight loss predicted survival. High levels of inflammatory markers and hemoglobin are associated with increased mortality, but do not significantly improve the ability to predict survival above and beyond cancer stage, albumin, and weight loss.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13539‐012‐0075‐5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Safety of transient abdominal ovariopexy in patients with severe endometriosis
Authors: Poncelet Christophe , Ducarme Guillaume , Yazbeck Chadi , Madelenat Patrick , Carbonnel Marie
Published: May 2012

Objective

To evaluate complications of transient ovariopexy performed to reduce adhesions in patients with severe endometriosis.

Methods

A bicentric retrospective study involved 193 consecutive patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for severe endometriosis at 2 French university hospitals from 1997 to 2009. At the end of surgery, unilateral or bilateral transient ovariopexy was performed on 297 ovaries. Immediate (e.g. reproducibility, tolerance, and hospital stay) and long‐term (evaluated via vaginal access to the ovaries, ovarian function, and ovarian vascularization) complications were assessed.

Results

The technique, which was easy and reproducible, did not increase hospital stay and was well tolerated. There were 2 (0.7%) immediate complications. There was no difference in ovarian accessibility before and after surgery (177/183 [96.7%] vs 176/183 [96.1%]). Potential vaginal oocyte retrieval for in vitro fertilization was possible for all patients. The antral follicle count and the pulsatility index of suspended ovaries were not different from those of contralateral unsuspended ovaries. Endometrioma excision did not modify these results.

Conclusion

The short‐ and long‐term safety results of transient ovariopexy for adnexal adhesions in patients with severe endometriosis were encouraging.
Aerobic degradation of organic carbon inferred from dinoflagellate cyst decomposition in Southern Ocean sediments
Authors: Kupinska Monika , Sachs Oliver , Sauter Eberhard J. , Zonneveld Karin A.F.
Published: May 2012

Organic carbon (OC) burial is an important process influencing atmospheric CO2concentration and global climate change; therefore it is essential to obtain information on the factors determining its preservation. The Southern Ocean (SO) is believed to play an important role in sequestering CO2from the atmosphere via burial of OC. Here we investigate the degradation of organic-walled dinoflagellate cysts (dinocysts) in two short cores from the SO to obtain information on the factors influencing OC preservation. On the basis of the calculated degradation indexkt, we conclude that both cores are affected by species-selective aerobic degradation of dinocysts. Further, we calculate a degradation constantkusing oxygen exposure time derived from the ages of our cores. The constantkdisplays a strong relationship with pore-water O2, suggesting that decomposition of OC is dependent on both the bottom- and pore-water O2concentrations.
Transcriptional regulation of cholesterol and bile acid metabolism after dietary soyabean meal treatment in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
Authors: Kortner Trond M. , Gu Jinni , Krogdahl Åshild , Bakke Anne Marie
Published: May 2012

Inclusion of plant protein sources such as soyabean meal (SBM) in aquafeeds is associated with decreased lipid digestibility, reduced bile acid levels and hypocholesterolaemia. The mechanism for these metabolic abnormalities is unknown. The present study aimed at gaining further insight into how cholesterol and bile acid metabolism is modulated by SBM feeding by quantifying a number of mRNA species corresponding to key proteins involved in cholesterol and bile acid metabolism using quantitative real-time PCR. A 21 d feeding trial with sequential sampling at ten time points following initiation of 20 % SBM exposure was conducted on Atlantic salmon. A histological evaluation confirmed distal intestinal enteritis after 5 d of dietary exposure to the SBM, whereas diminished glycogen/lipid deposition was the only relevant finding observed in the liver. SBM inclusion resulted in reduced body pools of cholesterol and bile acids. Hepatic gene expression profiles revealed up-regulation of genes encoding rate-limiting enzymes in cholesterol (3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase; HMGCR) and bile acid (cytochrome P4507A1 (CYP7A1)) biosynthesis, as well as up-regulation of their associated transcription factors (sterol regulatory element binding proteins 1 and 2, liver X receptor, farnesoid X receptor and PPAR isoforms). Hepatic gene expressions of cholesterol (ATP binding cassette G5 (ABCG5)) and bile acid (ATP binding cassette B11 (ABCB11)) transporters were, by and large, not influenced by the SBM, but distal intestinal expression patterns of ABCG5 and apical Na-dependent bile acid transporter indicated impaired cholesterol and bile acid reabsorption. In conclusion, hepatic gene expression profiles indicated that the capacity for cholesterol and bile acid synthesis was up-regulated, whereas the indicated impaired cholesterol and bile acid reabsorption probably occurred as a direct result of distal intestinal inflammation.
The Wizard of Oil: Abraham James, the Harmonial Wells, and the Psychometric History of the Oil Industry
Authors: ZUCK ROCHELLE RAINERI
Published: May 2012

American spiritualism and the oil industry developed around the same time and in relatively close geographic proximity. Both nineteenth-century phenomena were invested in a belief in the unseen, whether in the form of deceased loved ones or of underground oil reserves. Spiritualists such as Abraham James turned to the oil industry because of its lucrative financial opportunities and because of its potential to demonstrate the “practical” applications of spiritualism and Harmonial philosophy. Spiritualism offered an alternative to evangelical Christian and classical republican conceptions of industry, and a vibrant communication network through which events in the oil fields could be related to the general public. Reading accounts of James's work as an “oil wizard” reveals the industrial aspirations of spiritualism and the psychometric aspects of the oil industry, both of which have been largely erased in twentieth-century historiography. Spiritualist publications, newspapers, technical manuals, and popular accounts of the oil industry throughout the nineteenth century produced James as a new kind of male medium, capable of meeting the exigencies of the oil fields. He proved infinitely reproducible as an agent of “practical spiritualism” and was discussed alongside the other drillers, operators, laborers, teamsters, and investors at work in the oil region. As petroleum geology began to establish itself as a discipline in the early twentieth century, accounts of the early oil industry reframed James, along with other practitioners of divination, as an amusing, if somewhat embarrassing, anomaly in an attempt to distinguish the modern “scientific” oil industry from its chaotic and superstitious beginnings. While later historians have offered a more sympathetic reading of divination's role in the oil fields, James and his Harmonial wells have largely disappeared from the historical record. Yet, despite scientific innovation and revisionist history, the oil industry still bears traces of its psychometric past and must contend with the ways in which its future is dependent on successfully channeling the unseen.
Refined Politics: Petroleum Products, Neoliberalism, and the Ecology of Entrepreneurial Life
Authors: HUBER MATTHEW
Published: May 2012

Oil is often thought of as a sole commodity with singular powers to shape geopolitics, economic development, and environmental change. Yet the complex hydrocarbon assemblage of crude oil is only commodified through the refining process, which produces a multiplicity of products (e.g. gasoline, heating oil, petrochemicals). In this paper, I argue that petroleum products provide the supplementary materiality for a neoliberal cultural politics of “life.” In the first section, drawing from Gramsci and Foucault, I argue that the popular basis of neoliberal hegemony is rooted in a cultural politics of “entrepreneurial life” that accompanied increasing suburbanization, single-family homeownership and widespread automobility in the post-World War II United States. By the 1970s, masses of white suburban homeowners buttressed the “rightward turn” in American politics based around an “ideology of hostile privatism” and the demonization of taxes and wealth redistribution. In the next section, I suggest that this geography of life is rooted in the history of refineries and their search for multiple marketable outlets for petroleum by-products. Increasingly, the petroleum industry sought to actively remind the public that their lives were saturated with petroleum products. In the last section, I examine a film produced by the American Petroleum Institute titledFuel-Less, a parody of the filmClueless. In the film, the main character, Crystal, is forced to discover what her life would be like without petroleum products. Crystal is taken to an oil well and refinery to learn about how crude oil becomes the multiple products she uses in her life. As she learns to appreciate oil, she develops a neoliberal form of environmental responsibility focussed upon volunteerist actions like recycling. The overall lesson is both the unavoidability of oil in everyday life and that privatized actors (consumers and capital) can all “pitch in” to create a sustainable future.
The Market for Paintings in Italy During the Seventeenth Century
Authors: ETRO FEDERICO , PAGANI LAURA
Published: May 2012

We study the seventeenth-century market for figurative paintings in Italy analyzing original contracts between patrons and artists. We show that a number of supply and demand factors affected prices. We find a positive and concave relation between prices and size of paintings reflecting economies of scale. We show evidence of a positive relationship between prices and the number of figures depicted. Trade in paintings was sufficient to equalize prices between different destinations. Finally, we provide support for the Galenson hypothesis of a positive relation between age of experimental artists and quality as priced by the market.
Preventing social isolation in later life: findings and insights from a pilot Queensland intervention study
Authors: BARTLETT HELEN , WARBURTON JENI , LUI CHI-WAI , PEACH LINDA , CARROLL MATTHEW
Published: May 2012

The isolation of older people is recognised as a major social problem in contemporary Western society. While the risk factors and social or health outcomes of isolation and loneliness in later life are well documented, evidence regarding the effectiveness of programmes aimed at reducing social isolation in older people remains inconclusive. This paper reports on the challenges of attempting to undertake a rigorous evaluation of three demonstration pilot projects targeting older people at risk of social isolation, conducted within different social settings in Queensland, Australia. The demonstration projects were part of the Queensland Cross-Government Project to Reduce Social Isolation in Older People (CGPRSIOP) led by the Office for Seniors within the Queensland Department of Communities. In the absence of good evaluation of programmes aimed at social isolation, this government-run programme incorporated validated psychological measures to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions. While use of these measures suggested some promising results, the focus of this paper is on the methodological and practical challenges associated with utilising evaluation measures in community-based interventions. The detailed consideration of the methodological issues involved in this programme highlights some key lessons and offers new insights into evaluating interventions for reducing social isolation.
A Novel Design for the Ultra-Tightly Coupled GPS/INS Navigation System
Authors: Jwo Dah-Jing , Yang Chi-Fan , Chuang Chih-Hsun , Lin Kun-Chieh
Published: May 2012

This paper presents a sensor fusion method for the Ultra-Tightly Coupled (UTC) Global Positioning System (GPS)/Inertial Navigation System (INS) integrated navigation. The UTC structure, also known as the deep integration, exhibits many advantages, e.g., disturbance and multipath rejection capability, improved tracking capability for dynamic scenarios and weak signals, and reduction of acquisition time. This architecture involves the integration of I (in-phase) and Q (quadrature) components from the correlator of a GPS receiver with the INS data. The Particle Filter (PF) exhibits superior performance as compared to an Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) and Unscented Kalman Filter (UKF) in state estimation for the nonlinear, non-Gaussian system. To handle the problem of heavy-tailed probability distribution, one of the strategies is to incorporate the UKF into the PF as the proposal distribution, leading to the Unscented Particle Filter (UPF). The combination of an adaptive UPF and Fuzzy Logic Adaptive System (FLAS) is adopted for reducing the number of particles with sufficiently good results. The GPS tracking loops may lose lock due to the signals being weak, subjected to excessive dynamics or completely blocked. One of the principal advantages of the UTC structure is that a Doppler frequency derived from the INS is integrated with the tracking loops to improve the receiver tracking capability. The Doppler frequency shift is calculated and fed to the GPS tracking loops for elimination of the effect of stochastic errors caused by the Doppler frequency. In this paper, several nonlinear filtering approaches, including EKF, UKF, UPF and ‘FLAS assisted UPF’ (FUPF), are adopted for performance comparison for ultra-tight integration of GPS and INS. It is assumed that no outage occurs such that the inertial sensor errors can be properly corrected and accordingly the aiding information is working well. Two examples are provided for performance assessment for the various data fusion methods. The FUPF algorithm with Doppler velocity aiding demonstrates remarkable improvement, especially in the high dynamic environments, in navigation estimation accuracy with reduction of number of particles.
4D-Trajectory Air Traffic Management: Are There ‘Killer Apps’? – Part 2
Authors: Brooker Peter
Published: May 2012

The USA and Europe are developing plans – NextGen and SESAR – to transform the processes of Air Traffic Management (ATM). These will improve safety and efficiency, and match predicted increases in air transportation demand. They use advanced networking technology updated with information from satellite navigation and digital non-voice communication. The strategic goal, envisaged for 15–20 years hence, is a new ATM paradigm. Aircraft would fly on Four-Dimensional (4D) trajectories, incorporating altitude, position, time, and other aircraft positions and vectors. This vision would involve extremely large investments from the airline industry and ATM service providers. Thus, development priorities need to be based on sound business cases. But will these necessarily lead to the strategic vision of a 4D-trajectory system? Will the changes in practice be limited to a series of short and medium term operational improvements rather than strategic improvements? So, are there ‘Killer Apps’ for 4D-trajectory ATM? ‘Killer App(lication)s’ is jargon for innovations so valuable that they prove the core value of some larger technology. Killer Apps generate high degrees of stakeholder technical and financial cooperation. Ironically, most past ATM Killer Apps have improved safety, e.g., modern radar data processing led to collision avoidance systems. The analysis here attempts to identify and then size potential 4D-trajectory ATM Killer Apps. The evidence for Killer Apps has to pass key tests. Killer Apps obviously have to offer enormous benefits to stakeholders in the context of the potential costs. The bulk of these benefits must not be obtainable through technologically ‘cut down’ non−4D-trajectory versions. Part 1 of this paper (Brooker, 2012a) sets out the framework for investigating these questions. Part 2 examines potential Killer Apps derived from improvements in Fuel Efficiency, Capacity and Cost. An abbreviated version of this paper was first presented at the European Navigation Conference (ENC 2011), London in November 2011.
Comments on Arrow et al., ‘Sustainability and the measurement of wealth’
Authors: Hamilton Kirk
Published: May 2012

The Arrow et al. paper is a welcome addition to a large literature on the linkage between asset values and social welfare. This literature has its roots in the concern about ‘greening’ the national accounts, but the paper shows how expanding the asset boundary beyond produced and natural goods could increase our measures of income, saving and wealth enormously. I will comment in turn on the wealth accounts, investment accounts and the treatment of CO2 emissions, using selected World Bank figures as a basis for comparison.
Differential effects of language attrition in the domains of verb placement and object expression
Authors: FLORES CRISTINA
Published: May 2012

This study investigates the differential effects of language attrition in two diverse linguistic domains: verb placement and object expression. Linguistic phenomena at the syntax – discourse interface, such as object expression, have been shown to be more vulnerable to attrition than narrow syntax properties, such as verb placement. This study aims to test this hypothesis by analysing spoken data from Portuguese–German bilinguals who have moved away from the dominant German environment. The results show that the speakers who have lost continued German input after the age of eleven years exhibit difficulties regarding object expression in German but do not reveal any relevant syntactic deficits in the domain of verb placement.
A typical working-day breakfast among children, adolescents and adults belonging to the middle and upper socio-economic classes in Mumbai, India – challenges and implications for dietary change
Authors: Sivaramakrishnan Malathi , Kamath Vidya
Published: May 2012

Objective

Breakfast has been linked to several aspects of health, yet breakfast skipping is rampant across the globe. Studies in India have focused mostly on children. Hence the present study examined breakfast behaviour across different age and gender groups.

Design

Cross-sectional sample, purposive sampling. Nutrient intakes of the participants derived from 24 h dietary recall and 3 d breakfast record data were compared with RDA values prescribed by the Indian Council of Medical Research using Student'sttest, withP< 0·05 taken to indicate significance.

Setting

Mumbai, India.

Subjects

Participants (n1027) aged 8 years and above.

Results

Nutritional adequacy of the breakfast meal and that of the day's diet were the main outcome measures. Eighty-one per cent of the participants had a nutritionally inadequate breakfast. Intakes of Fe and dietary fibre were notably low. Consumption of just milk or milk plus a milk food-based drink among schoolchildren (49 %) and increased breakfast skipping among adolescents (37 %) were seen.

Conclusions

The study identifies both irregularities and/or nutritional inadequacies with respect to the breakfast meal. Age- and gender-specific challenges in breakfast behaviour need to be addressed. Development of ‘nutrient-dense’ breakfast foods that can be prepared easily, school breakfast programmes and education on the importance of breakfast are the needs of the hour.
Molecular chaperone heat shock protein 70 participates in the labile phase of the development of behavioural sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure in mice
Authors: Qin Wang-Jun , Wang Yan-Ting , Zhang Min , Wen Rui-Ting , Liu Qing , Li Yu-Ling , Chen Feng , Lawrence Andrew J. , Liang Jian-Hui
Published: May 2012

De-novo protein synthesis is required in the development of behavioural sensitization. A prior screening test from our laboratory has implicated heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) as one of the proteins required in this behavioural plasticity. Thus, this study was designed to extend our understanding of the role of Hsp70 in the development of behavioural sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure in mice. First, by employing transcription inhibitor actinomycin D (AD) and protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (CHX), we identified a protein synthesis-dependent labile phase (within 4 h after the first morphine injection) in the development of behavioural sensitization to a single morphine exposure. Second, Hsp70 protein expression in the nucleus accumbens correlated positively with locomotor responses of sensitized mice and, more importantly, the expression of Hsp70 increased within 1 h after the first morphine injection. Third, AD and CHX both prevented expression of Hsp70 and disrupted the development of the single morphine induced behavioural sensitization, which further implied Hsp70 was highly associated with behavioural sensitization. Finally, the selective Hsp70 inhibitor pifithrin-µ (PES) i.c.v. injected in mice prevented the development of behavioural sensitization and, critically, this inhibitory effect occurred only when PES was given within 1 h after the first morphine injection, which was within the labile phase of the development period. Taken together, we draw the conclusion that Hsp70 is crucially involved in the labile phase of the development of behavioural sensitization induced by a single morphine exposure, probably functioning as a molecular chaperone.
P‐V‐T equation of state of stishovite up to mid‐lower mantle conditions
Authors: Wang Fulong , Tange Yoshinori , Irifune Tetsuo , Funakoshi Ken‐ichi
Published: May 2012

In situ P‐V‐T measurements of stishovite have been performed throughout its stability field from 17 to 54 GPa and from 300 to 1700 K, by using a sintered‐diamond multianvil apparatus and synchrotron radiations. The P‐V‐T equation of state of stishovite was precisely determined on the basis of the Mie‐Grüneisen‐Debye model using both Morse‐Rydberg (Vinet) and third‐order Burch‐Murnaghan equations for reference isotherms. The new equation of state of stishovite gives the thermoelastic properties such as density, adiabatic bulk modulus, thermal expansivity, and isobaric heat capacity without extrapolation to mid‐lower mantle conditions, and these properties at zero pressures are consistent with those of previous measurements. The present equation of state yields a lower density and larger adiabatic modulus at lower mantle conditions compared to those obtained by extrapolate on using a previous equation of state determined at upper mantle conditions. Our new equation of state and thermoelastic properties for stishovite at lower mantle conditions is important for quantitatively modeling the fate of subducted silica‐rich rocks such as MORB and pelagic sediments, and for interpreting seismological observations.
Detailed stratigraphy and bed thickness of the Mars north and south polar layered deposits
Authors: Limaye Ajay B. S. , Aharonson Oded , Perron J. Taylor
Published: May 2012

The Mars polar layered deposits (PLD) likely hold an extensive record of recent climate during a period of high‐amplitude orbit and obliquity cycles. Previous work has detected limited evidence for orbital signatures within PLD stratigraphy, but data from the High Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) permit renewed analysis of PLD stratigraphy at sub‐meter scale. Topography derived from HiRISE images using stereogrammetry resolves beds previously detectable only as alternating light and dark bands in visible images. We utilize these data to measure the thickness of individual beds within the PLD, corrected for non‐horizontal bed orientation. Stratigraphic columns and bed thickness profiles are presented for two sites within the NPLD, and show several sets of finely bedded units 1–2 m thick; isolated marker beds 3–4 m thick; and undifferentiated sections. Bed thickness measurements for three sites within the SPLD exhibit only one bed type based on albedo and morphology, and bed thicknesses have a larger mean and variance compared to measurements for the NPLD. Power spectra of brightness and slope derived along the measured stratigraphic sections confirm the regularity of NPLD fine bed thickness, and the lack of a dominant SPLD bed thickness. The regularity of fine bed thickness of the NPLD is consistent with quasiperiodic bed formation, albeit with unknown temporal period; the SPLD thickness measurements show no such regularity.
Kinematics of Tertiary to Quaternary intracontinental deformation of upper crust in the Eastern Cordillera, southern Central Andes, NW Argentina
Authors: Santimano Tasca , Riller Ulrich
Published: May 2012

To elucidate factors controlling the geometry of, and kinematics associated with, prominent upper‐crustal structures in the Eastern Cordillera of NW Argentina, structural analyses of key areas were complemented by fault slip analysis, remote sensing and 3D representation of prominent faults. The analyses revealed that deformation during Tertiary to Quaternary times was accomplished mostly by prominent orogen‐parallel reverse faults, the geometry of which was significantly influenced by Paleozoic and Cretaceous planar structures. Locally, this deformation was preceded by kilometer‐scale doming of upper‐crustal rocks. Analysis of 767 brittle faults at 67 stations in the studied areas indicates that local upper‐crustal doming and orogen‐parallel reverse faults formed chiefly under NW‐SE and E‐W shortening. Shortening directions inferred from fault slip data portray the kinematics of first‐order faults and folds. More specifically, shortening directions are mostly uniform with respect to first‐order structures. Age and kinematics of deformation inferred from brittle fault analysis in the study areas is consistent with equivalent data compiled from other parts of the Eastern Cordillera, Puna and Pampean Ranges. Collectively, the data is at variance with hypotheses relating late Tertiary to Quaternary deformation in the Eastern Cordillera to plate (boundary) kinematics. The kinematics of intracontinental deformation in the southern Central Andes points to deformation partitioning of upper crust as a consequence of bulk E‐W shortening. We, therefore, caution the usage of brittle fault‐kinematics in continental interiors as an indication for plate‐kinematic changes.
Rapid subglacial erosion beneath Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica
Authors: Smith A. M. , Bentley C. R. , Bingham R. G. , Jordan T. A.
Published: May 2012

We present measurements of ice thickness, gravimetry and surface elevation on Pine Island Glacier, West Antarctica, separated by a period of 49 years. At one station, on the main trunk of the glacier we measured a surface elevation lowering with no significant change in ice thickness. We interpret these as indicating subglacial erosion of 31.8 ± 13.4 m at this location, at a mean rate over the measurement period of 0.6 ± 0.3 m a−1, and suggest that a current erosion rate of ∼1 m a−1is possible. Our results emphasize that locally, basal processes can have a significant effect on ice sheet changes, particularly where fast‐flowing ice has an easily erodible bed.
Theoretical consideration of magnetic phase formation in MnFeAsyP1−y and Mn2−x FexAs0.5P0.5 systems in the collective electron model
Authors: Valkov V. I. , Golovchan A. V. , Varyukhin D. V.
Published: May 2012

Experimental magnetic field dependences of magnetization in isostructural systems MnFeAsyP1−y (0.2 ≤ у ≤ 0.66) and Mn2−xFexAs0.5P0.5 (0.5 ≤ x ≤ 1.1) are analyzed by using the results of calculations from the first principles and the model approach. It is shown that the basis of the electronic mechanism of changing the type of magnetic phases in the system Mn2−xFexAs0.5P0.5 with cationic substitution is the change in the filling of the d-band. In the system MnFeAsyP1−y with anionic substitution the destabilization of the ferromagnetic phase and the occurrence of an antiferromagnetic one with decreasing the arsenic concentration can be caused by a change of the width of density of electronic states, owing to a considerable reduction of the unit-cell volume.
Interlayer Mn–Mn exchange parameter in MnPS3 from x-ray diffraction data
Authors: Yagotintsev K. A. , Strzhemechny M. A. , Prokhvatilov A. I. , Stetsenko Yu. E. , Vysochanskii Yu. M.
Published: May 2012

The interlayer distance in MnPS3 was measured by x-ray diffraction as a function of the temperature in the vicinity of the Néel point of 78 K. A well detectable magnetic striction of about 0.0185% has been documented. Using the known values of the external-pressure driven compression and reasonable estimates of the range parameter of the separation dependence of the relevant Mn–Mn exchange parameter J′, we have estimated J′ to be about 1.0 K. From our analysis of the interlayer magnetic coupling, an inference is drawn that the Mn–Mn interlayer exchange can be strongly directional.
Josephson current in d-wave superconductor junctions with ferromagnetic insulator
Authors: Liao Yan-Hua , Yang Meng , Ma Chang , Cao Yu-Bin
Published: May 2012

We investigate the temperature dependence of the critical current and current-phase relation by taking into account the ferromagnetic scattering effect at interface in a d-wave superconductor (S)/ferromagnetic insulator layer (FI)/d-wave superconductor (S) junction. It is shown that both the barrier scattering and the roughness scattering at the interface always suppress the Andreev reflection. The Josephson critical currents depend to a great extent on the effective exchange field of the interface and the crystal orientation of the d-wave superconductor. The exchange field can lead to the change of the junction from 0 to π states and the alteration of the oscillation periods. It can also enhance the Josephson critical current in the junction under certain conditions.
Beam waves in tungsten
Authors: Avramenko Yu. A. , Burma N. G. , Petrishin A. I. , Fil V. D.
Published: May 2012

The electromagnetic transparency of samples of single-crystal, high purity tungsten is studied at liquid helium temperatures in zero magnetic field. The velocity, damping, moduli, and initial phases of the excitation coefficients are measured for electromagnetic signals consisting of long wavelength beam waves and quasiwaves passing through the test samples. An anomaly is observed in the excitation of charge-carrier beam waves in flat segments of the Fermi surface.