bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Stable Isotope Study of Hunter-Gatherer-Fisher Diet, Mobility, and Intensification on the Texas Gulf Coastal Plain
Authors: Hard Robert J. , Katzenberg M. Anne
Published: April 2012

The Gulf Coastal Plain of Texas was populated by hunter-gatherers from the Early Archaic (ca. 7000 B.P.) through to the Late Prehistoric period (ca. A.D. 700-1400). In order to characterize past dietary adaptations along the coast and further inland, stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen were analyzed in preserved bone from 198 individuals from mortuary sites. In addition, 140 samples of faunal bone were analyzed to elucidate the stable isotope ecology for each region. The results indicate long-term stability in dietary adaptations with regional variation among coastal, riverine, and inland groups, including an early and, substantial, use of freshwater and marine resources. There is also evidence for constrained mobility and increasing use of plant resources within regions as populations increased in size and density.
Obsidian Evidence of Interaction and Migration from the Mesa Verde Region, Southwest Colorado
Authors: Arakawa Fumiyasu , Ortman Scott G. , Shackley M. Steven , Duff Andrew I.
Published: April 2012

A growing body of evidence demonstrates that ancestral Pueblo people living in the central Mesa Verde region of the U.S. Southwest maintained long-distance contacts with other Pueblo peoples. Questions of Pueblo interactions through time and across space have traditionally been addressed using ceramic sourcing data. This research uses obsidian source data to argue that, from A.D. 600 to 920, residents of the central Mesa Verde region obtained obsidian from throughout the U.S. northern Southwest, but that from A.D. 1060 to 1280 they acquired obsidian almost exclusively from the Jemez Mountains area of north-central New Mexico. In addition, importation of obsidian from the Pajarito Plateau increased during the period of population decline in the Mesa Verde region, and population expansion on the Pajarito. Characteristics of the obsidian assemblage from central Mesa Verde region sites also suggest that Jemez obsidian entered the region primarily in the form of finished arrows, arrow points, and arrow-point preforms. We argue that these patterns reflect return migration by early immigrants from the Mesa Verde region to the northern Rio Grande, an early stage in the development of a migration stream between the two regions.
Late Pleistocene Western Camel (Camelops Hesternus) Hunting in Southwestern Canada
Authors: Kooyman Brian , Hills L.V. , Tolman Shayne , McNeil Paul
Published: April 2012

Late Pleistocene large mammal extinctions in North America have been attributed to a number of factors or combination of factors, primarily climate change and human hunting, but the relative roles of these factors remain much debated. Clo-vis-period hunters exploited species such as mammoth, but many now extinct species such as camels were seemingly not hunted. Archaeological evidence from the Wally’s Beach site in southern Canada, including stone tools and butchered bone, provide the first evidence that Clovis people hunted North American camels. Archaeologists generally dismiss human hunting as a significant contributor to Pleistocene extinctions in North America, but Wally’s Beach demonstrates that human hunting was more inclusive than assumed and we must continue to consider hunting as a factor in Pleistocene extinctions.
Prestige and Prejudice: The Role of Long Distance Big Game Hunting as an Optimal Foraging Decision
Authors: Grimstead Deanna N.
Published: April 2012

Signaling theory has much to offer anthropology and archaeology, which is in part why there is an increasing number of applications and healthy debates surrounding how best to apply it. One of those debates surrounds whether big game hunting is a costly signal or simply an aspect of efficient foraging. Grimstead (2010) contributed to this debate by showing that long-distance big-game hunting (greater than 100 km roundtrip) produces higher caloric return rates than does local small-game hunting, despite increased costs of travel and transport for the former. Whittaker and Carpenter (this issue) present a model that also suggests long-distance big-game hunting produces higher economic returns than local foraging but only up to about 50 km. This paper provides further details on the tenets of the Grimstead (2010) paper in response to criticisms by Whittaker and Carpenter (this issue), and then uses a previously published central place foraging model (Cannon 2003) to show that another model also shows long-distance big-game hunting over a distance greater than 100 kilometers roundtrip produces higher returns than local foraging.
From Kin to Great House: Inequality and Communalism at Iron Age Kirikongo, Burkina Faso
Authors: Dueppen Stephen A.
Published: April 2012

Archaeological models of increasing sociopolitical complexity have over-privileged processes of centralization in comparison to decentralization. In western Burkina Faso, ethnologists have long been intrigued by several “village societies,” with complex communities characterized by heterogeneous populations (in kin and ethnicity), endogamous socioeconomic specialist groups, diverse ritual systems, and strong village autonomy. Rather than structured by a hierarchical sociopolitical organization, these multifaceted communities are defined by village communalism and an intricate horizontal organization. This paper presents the developmental trajectory of a community ancestral to a modern “village society,” through an exploration of the dynamic political strategies of multifamily houses at the Iron Age archaeological site of Kirikongo, located in Burkina Faso (ca. A.D. 100–1700). Extensions of power by Kirikongo’s founding house in the 1st millennium A.D. led gradually to increasing inequalities and a subversion of common descent. However, in the early 2nd millennium A.D. these developments were rejected through an egalitarian revolution that transformed the identity of the house, leading to an increased importance of the village community and civic institutions. In addition to exclusionary power strategies, I stress the transformative role of egalitarian behaviors in shaping the nature of power and leadership, particularly when derived from collective action by the community.
Linking Bones and Stones: Regional Variation in Late Paleoindian Cody Complex Land Use and Foraging Strategies
Authors: Knell Edward J. , Hill Matthew E.
Published: April 2012

Using lithic and faunal data from 33 Cody complex (10,000–860014C years B.P.) components from the northern Great Plains, this study explores how Paleoindian land use and foraging strategies varied in relation to resource structure at the regional scale. The analysis of regional-scale faunal and lithic data was undertaken to demonstrate how disparate but related datasets must be considered together to develop a more complete understanding of hunter-gatherer lifeways. Empirical observations from the Cody archaeological record were compared to an optimal foraging theory and temporal resource predictability theory-inspired land-use model. The model predicts, and the data support, a pattern whereby Cody groups in the resource-rich foothill-mountain zone employed a regionally restricted land-use strategy for a protracted portion of the year, made spatially limited movements during which they relied on local toolstone, and expanded diet breadth by hunting a mixture of dispersed bison herds and small-bodied animals. In the comparatively resource-poor plains grasslands and adjacent alluvial valleys, the model predicts and the data indicate that Cody groups employed a nonregionally restricted land-use strategy in which they rapidly moved through regions, relied on nonlocal toolstone sources, made many residential moves over vast areas, and relied on a narrow range ofbiotic resources (primarily bison).
Biological Relationships between Foragers and Farmers of South-Central North America: Nonmetric Dental Traits
Authors: Taylor Matthew , Creel Darrell
Published: April 2012

Studies of relationships between archeology and biology in the south-central North America can enhance interpretations of social interactions between foraging and farming groups. The present report analyzes the adult dentition of hunter-gatherer populations from what is now Texas and compares them with adjacent samples of agriculturalists. These agriculturallist samples represent the Southwestern (Mimbres-Mogollon) and Southeastern (Caddo) cultural spheres. Nonmetric dental traits provide a useful means for evaluating the biological similarities between different populations. Mahalanobis distance analysis of these traits, drawn from 902 individuals, reveal relatively little morphological similarity between hunter-gatherer and farming groups. Except for a sample of Archaic foragers from the gulf coastal plain, hunter-gatherer samples are more similar to each other than to adjacent agriculturalists. Results suggest that Archaic populations were morphologically diverse, while there was relatively little gene flow between hunter-gatherer and farming populations during the Late Prehistoric period. The overall dissimilarity between hunter-gatherer, Mimbres, and Caddo samples suggests that each may have arisen from a relatively distant common ancestry.
Inca “Stone Ancestors” in Context at a High-AltitudeUsnuPlatform
Authors: Meddens Frank M. , McEwan Colin , Pomacanchari Cirilo Vivanco
Published: April 2012

Recent investigations at mountaintop sites around the Ayacucho Basin in the central Andes have identified a distinctive category of isolated Inca stone-faced platforms. Test excavations of the three-tiered platform at one site, Incapirqa/Waminan, revealed a narrow vertical shaft penetrating from the original surface through the fills to a small basin cut into the underlying andesite bedrock. A carefully arranged deposit of three unusual stones was found in this basin. Early Spanish chroniclers give firsthand accounts of a variety of Inca solar rituals observed in Cuzco in which revered objects were deployed, including some sculpted in stone. The detailed descriptions of these stone objects are corroborated by the excavated finds at Incapirqa/Waminan and offer suggestive analogies for interpreting their context and significance.
“Olmec” Head Shapes among the Preclassic Period Maya and Cultural Meanings
Authors: Tiesler Vera
Published: April 2012

This paper analyzes the biographical and related archaeological information of 10 artificially shaped skulls from the broader Maya area, which bear resemblance to the high and narrow head morphology depicted in Olmec art. The skeletal evidence of this head form, which was accomplished by combining compression cradleboards with constricting horizontal wraps (tabular erect type in its pseudo-circular variety), is rare and predates A.D. 250 in all cases. Here I compare the cranial vaults shaped in this fashion with that of 49 other Preclassic period Maya indivisuals from different parts of the Maya world. The discussion explores the possible evolving social and religious roles of this emblematic body modification. I argue that Olmecoid head modification was a syncretic cultural adoption, since it was just one of many expressions of a deeply embedded Preclassic tradition, still practiced centuries after the demise of Olman’s societies themselves. The visible effect of the artificial pear-shaped heads most likely reflected gradual shifting ideological schemes, probably emulating early versions of the Maya Maize God, given the resemblance to Preclassic period renderings of this supernatural force.
Archaic Origins of the Lowland Maya
Authors: Lohse Jon C.
Published: April 2012

The earliest Lowland Maya are commonly recognized by permanent architecture and the appearance of pottery. However, when other lines of evidence are considered, strong continuities with late Archaic populations can be seen. Reconciling these views relies on more than simply gathering more data. It is also necessary to consider the effect of decades of scholarship that defines the precolumbian Maya as “civilization” rather than considering the historical contexts of important transitions, such as the one that culminated with sedentism, the adoption of new technologies, and participation in long-distance exchange. The Archaic-to-Preclassic transition was relatively brief and largely obscured by the practices of establishing permanent dwellings. Nevertheless, this period must have been extremely dynamic and marked by significant cultural change, making it important to researchers interested in early Mesoamerica. Using three lines of evidence—subsistence, economy and technology, and stratigraphically controlled radiocarbon data—this article argues that the Lowland Maya had their cultural origins at least in the late Archaic and that the case for pottery before ca. 1000 B.C. remains uncertain. Future research is needed to determine precisely how far back in time certain cultural practices that characterize Preclassic and Classic Maya society can be documented.
Tierras Olvidadas: Chiribaya Landscape Engineering and Marginality in Southern Peru
Authors: Zaro Gregory , Nystrom Kenneth C. , Bar Alfredo , Alvarez Adán Umire , Miranda Ana
Published: April 2012

The Peruvian south coast between the Tambo and Ilo rivers is a deserted wasteland. Yet tracts of abandoned farmland and expanses of desiccated lomas vegetation indicate that it was once vibrant and productive. Scattered habitations and cemeteries also indicate a pronounced resident Chiribaya population between A.D. 1200 and 1400. While river drainages of the western Andes and their canalized extensions are often treated as primary analytical units of study, our investigation of so-called peripheral intervalley regions points to a highly engineered and intensively managed landscape. When compared to the Ilo Valley, intervalley Chiribaya were organized into smaller communities and managed smaller spring-fed irrigation systems but were also heavily invested in adjacent maritime and lomas resource bases. Utilizing a mixed economic strategy, we argue, these intervalley populations were anything but marginal to the Chiribaya señorío of the Ilo region; rather, they were fully engaged in the social, political, and economic spheres of the late Intermediate period Peruvian south coast and formed a significant component of the Chiribaya cultural landscape. Our results hold implications for other similarly marginalized areas of the Andean coast, where distinct microenvironmental parameters and human ingenuity intersected to significantly transform the western Andes.
Formative Adaptations, Diet, and Oral Health in the Azapa Valley of Northwest Chile
Authors: Watson James T. , Ovalle Iván Muñoz , Arriaza Bernardo T.
Published: April 2012

Indicators of oral health were recorded in a sample of 200 Formative period (1500 B.C.–A.D. 500) skeletons from archaeological sites located in the Lower Azapa Valley of northwest Chile. This period represents a major shift in subsistence strategies in the Atacama Desert, as coastal groups adopted agriculture and moved deeper into the valley. Frequencies of caries and antemortem tooth loss were compared between site locations (coast vs. valley) and by archaeological phase (early vs. late) to interpret the degree to which these incipient agriculturalists were reliant on domesticated resources. Overall, frequencies of caries (11.9 percent) and tooth loss (11.6 percent) are somewhat higher than for other prehistoric groups practicing a mixed subsistence strategy. However, residents of the interior valley exhibited significantly more dental decay and tooth loss than those along the coast. Our results identify that although the Formative period residents of the Lower Azapa Valley practiced a mixed subsistence strategy, the degree of reliance on agricultural production differed between the coast and the valley. We propose that these differential patterns in oral health are tied to local investment, adaptive cycles, and niche construction.
Uso de plantas psicoactivas en el norte de chile: evidencia química del consumo de ayahuasca durante el Periodo Medio (500–1000 d.C.)
Authors: Ogalde Juan P. , Arriaza Bernardo T. , Soto Elia C.
Published: April 2012

Este trabajo discute el uso de plantas psicoactivas en el Valle de Azapa del norte de Chile. Al respecto, en el norte de Chile existen evidencias arqueológicas materiales tempranas e ininterrumpidas relacionadas con prácticas psicoactivas en torno a la Anadenanthera, acompañadas de evidencia química que consigna el consumo de Erythroxylum. En este contexto, se evalúa el consumo de Anadenanthera y Banisteriopsis en el cabello de treinta y dos momias del período Medio (ca. 500–1000 d.C.) del Valle de Azapa, mediante cromatografía gaseosa y espectrometría de masa. De los casos analizados ninguno resultó positivo para el consumo de Anadenanthera, pero dos resultaron positivos para la ingesta de Banisteriopsis, planta psicoactiva preparada como infusión denominada generalmente Ayahuasca. Se postula que el consumo de Banisteriopsis en el Valle de Azapa estaría relacionado con prácticas curativas y medicinales como por ejemplo en el parto y/o puerperio, más que una práctica alucinógena.
Archaeological Drawings as Re-Presentations: The Maps of Complex A, La Venta, Mexico
Authors: Gillespie Susan D.
Published: April 2012

Scientific drawings, including maps, are increasingly recognized as theory-laden media for conveying information. The degree to which this quality impacts archaeological interpretations is revealed in the history of the published maps of La Venta, a Formative period Mesoamerican regional center. La Venta is pivotal to understanding the Olmec culture of Mexico’s Gulf Coast, yet archaeological knowledge is based primarily on one small portion of the site, Complex A, excavated in 1955. Since destroyed, Complex A is now known especially through visual representations. A review of the Complex A maps in the original field report and subsequent publications demonstrates how these technical drawings have sometimes superseded the textual excavation data in generating and disseminating archaeological knowledge. Over time the maps have become more schematic and misleading, impeding understandings of La Venta and its role in regional cultural manifestations. Reliance on totalizing plan maps has led most archaeologists to overlook the 1955 excavators’ major interpretations of the construction history of Complex A. However, the 1955 conclusions regarding the longevity of the formal design rules of the complex, reiterated by later archaeologists precisely because they are clearly visible in plan maps, are less well supported by the stratigraphic evidence.
Evidence for Ritual Engineering in the Late/Terminal Classic Site Plan of La Milpa, Belize
Authors: Houk Brett A. , Zaro Gregory
Published: April 2012

Proponents of site-planning studies argue that the Ancient Maya expressed both political and cosmological symbolism in architecture and site plans, while detractors fault site-planning advocates for not being scientifically rigorous in their methods. Recently, the debate between the two sides has focused on whether or not the Maya created cosmograms in the layouts of their sites. Our recent investigations at La Milpa, Belize attempt to redirect site-planning studies back to a more encompassing approach that searches for meaning at various scales. In doing so, we propose that planning and engineering be considered together and that engineering can include ritual or symbolic components. This paper focuses on two contemporaneous caches, each of which contains incised jar lids decorated with a mat design. We argue the caches are ritually engineered deposits that integrate otherwise discrete architectural components into a coherent Late/Terminal Classic royal precinct plan. Furthermore, the mat design on the jar lids suggests royal sponsorship of the engineering and construction of the plaza. While much of the symbolism in the caches is unclear, we are able to recognize that political and/or cosmological symbolic communication has occurred as part of a ritually engineered component of Plaza B at La Milpa.
The Art of Becoming: The Graffiti of Tikal, Guatemala
Authors: Hutson Scott R.
Published: April 2012

In their 1995Latin American Antiquityarticle, Haviland and Haviland argued that the people who produced much of the graffiti of Tikal were depicting visions from altered states of consciousness. In this paper, I argue that there is room for alternative interpretations. Comparison with children"s drawings from across the world suggests that children or people without training in Maya representational conventions authored a portion of the graffiti. Though this portion may be small, the possibility that children were involved provides a rare opportunity to discuss the experience of childhood. I argue that the content of the graffiti and the inter-subjective context of its production reveal several processes of becoming. Among other things, the graffiti permit an account of how children learn: legitimate participation in a community of people with varied levels of experience. This relational understanding of graffiti production also provides grounds for considering innovation and transformation in the medium of expression. Finally, I argue that the act of representation gives young people a form of mastery over the themes they portray. This helps them to accommodate confusing or difficult relations in their lives and to harmonize with their world in such a way that makes them culturally intelligible subjects.
Bioarchaeological Analysis of Sacrificial Victims from a Postclassic Maya Temple from Ixlu, el Peten, Guatemala
Authors: Duncan William N.
Published: April 2012

Excavations at the site of Ixlú in northern Guatemala recovered a series of skulls and dismembered postcrania from a Postclassic (ca. A.D. 1000—1525) Maya temple. The current study considers demography, taphonomy (including mortuary processing), cultural modification and biological distance among the remains in light of ethnohistoric and archaeological data. Doing so addresses who made the deposits, why they were made, and who was interred, and informs on the use of ritual violence in the Postclassic Southern Lowlands. Six skulls were arranged in pairs on the east-west midline of the building, and fifteen skulls were placed in rows in the center of the building. All of the skulls faced east. Four postcrania were placed perpendicular to the skull rows. The skulls and postcrania were primarily late adolescent to young adult males. Three of the individuals exhibited a rare dental trait, supernumerary teeth, indicating that at least some of the individuals were related. The most likely scenario to account for the deposits is that the Itzá, a dominant political group in the area, sacrificed enemy combatants drawn from raiding and buried them as a part of a dedicatory ritual in the temple.
Changing Patterns of Ritual Activity in an Unlooted Cave in Central Guatemala
Authors: Woodfill Brent K.S. , Guenter Stanley , Monterroso Mirza
Published: April 2012

The Cave of Hun Nal Ye, located in central Guatemala, was discovered unlooted by a local landowner in 2005 and was immediately subject to investigation by the authors. The cave contained ritual remains dating to between the Terminal Pre-classic and Terminal Classic. In addition to allowing a detailed reconstruction of ritual activity in the northern highlands, its presence along the Great Western Trade Route allows archaeologists to examine hypotheses about interregional trade during the Classic period. In particular, changes in the ritual assemblage between the Early and Late Classic indicate that the cave was an important trade shrine for merchants and travelers passing between the highlands and lowlands until ca. A.D. 550, at which point it became a local shrine used to reinforce elite power. These changes are then linked to larger patterns occurring in other parts of the trade route, especially to Tikal and the kingdoms along the Pasión and Usumacinta rivers.
Luminescent Materials
Authors: Jüstel Thomas , Möller Stephanie , Winkler Holger , Adam Waldemar
Published: April 2012

The article contains sections titled:1.Inorganic Luminescent Materials1.1.Introduction1.2.Historical Aspects1.3.Luminescence of Crystalline Inorganic Phosphors1.3.1.Fundamental Steps in Luminescence Processes1.3.2.Luminescence Mechanisms1.3.3.Electroluminescence1.3.4.Excitation with High Energy Particles1.4.Preparation and Properties of Inorganic Phosphors1.4.1.Simple Oxides1.4.2.Borates1.4.3.Aluminates1.4.4.Gallates1.4.5.Silicates1.4.6.Germanates1.4.7.Phosphates1.4.8.Halophosphates1.4.9.Arsenates1.4.10.Vanadates1.4.11.Niobates and Tantalates1.4.12.Sulfates1.4.13.Molybdates and Tungstates1.4.14.Oxysulfides1.4.15.Sulfides and Selenides1.4.15.1.Zinc and Cadmium Sulfides and Sulfoselenides1.4.15.2.Alkaline‐Earth Sulfides and Sulfoselenides1.4.16.Oxyhalides1.4.17.Halides1.4.18.Oxynitrides1.4.19.Nitrides1.5.Application Areas of Luminescent Materials1.5.1.Gas Discharge Lighting1.5.1.1.Low‐Pressure Mercury Discharge Lamps (Fluorescent Lamps)1.5.1.2.UV Emitting Fluorescent Lamps1.5.1.3.High‐pressure Mercury Discharge Lamps1.5.1.4.High‐Voltage Advertisement Lighting Tubes1.5.2.Solid State Lighting1.5.2.1.White Light Emitted by Phosphor Converted LEDs1.5.2.2.Backlighting Applications of Phosphor Converted LEDs1.5.2.3.General Lighting Applications of Phosphor Converted LEDs1.5.3.X‐ray Amplifiers and Scintillators1.5.4.Cathode Ray Tubes1.5.5.Product Coding1.5.6.Safety and Accident Prevention1.5.7.Dentistry1.5.8.Medical and Biochemical Applications1.6.Testing of Industrial Phosphors1.6.1.Emission Colour1.6.2.Performance1.6.3.Particle Morphology1.6.4.Surface Properties2.Chemiluminescence and Bioluminescence2.1.Introduction2.2.History2.3.Mechanisms of Light Emission2.4.Efficiency of Light Emission2.5.Application Areas2.5.1.Lighting2.5.2.Chemical Analysis2.5.3.Biotechnology2.5.4.Medicine
Laboratory Information and Management Systems (
LIMS
)
Authors: Kloos Thomas , Schuchardt Klaus , Schymik Reinhard
Published: April 2012

The article contains sections titled:

1.

Introduction

2.

Definition

2.1.

Historical Development

2.2.

Task Areas

2.3.

Functionality

3.

Objectives

4.

LIMS in an Information Network

5.

Elements of a LIMS

5.1.

Data Areas

5.2.

Analysis ‐ Sample

5.3.

Forms of Order

6.

Basic Functionality

6.1.

Registration

6.2.

Sample Distribution ‐ Dissemination of Information

6.3.

Work Planning

6.4.

Recording of Results

6.5.

Validation

6.6.

Closing of Orders

6.7.

Publication

6.8.

Backup and Archiving

6.9.

Reserve ‐ Waste Disposal of Samples

7.

Expanded Functionality

7.1.

Helpful Technical Features

7.2.

Interfaces to other Systems

7.3.

Cost Accounting

7.4.

Inventory Management

7.5.

Internal Quality System

8.

Adaptation of LIMS to Laboratory Tasks

9.

LIMS as a Component of Quality Assurance

10.

Development Prospects
Contribution of obesity to the rise in incidence of rheumatoid arthritis
Authors: Crowson Cynthia S. , Matteson Eric L. , Davis John M. , Gabriel Sherine E.
Published: April 2012

Objective

Obesity is an underrecognized risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In recent years, both the prevalence of obesity and the incidence of RA have been rising. Our objective was to determine whether the “obesity epidemic” could explain the recent rise in the incidence of RA.

Methods

An inception cohort of Olmsted County, Minnesota residents who fulfilled the 1987 American College of Rheumatology criteria for RA in 1980–2007 was compared to population‐based controls (matched on age, sex, and calendar year). Heights, weights, and smoking statuses were collected from medical records. Obesity was defined as a body mass index ≥30 kg/m2. Conditional logistic regression was used to assess the influence of obesity on developing RA. Population attributable risk was used to estimate the incidence of RA in the absence of obesity.

Results

The study included 813 patients with RA and 813 controls. Both groups had extensive medical history available prior to the incidence/index date (mean 32.2 years), and ∼30% of each group was obese at the incidence/index date. The history of obesity was significantly associated with developing RA (odds ratio 1.24, 95% confidence interval 1.01–1.53; adjusted for smoking status). In 1985–2007, the incidence of RA rose by an increment of 9.2 per 100,000 among women. Obesity accounted for 4.8 per 100,000 (52%) of this increase.

Conclusion

Obesity is associated with a modest risk for developing RA. Given the rapidly increasing prevalence of obesity, this has had a significant impact on RA incidence and may account for much of the recent increase in the incidence of RA.
Leak detection of gas pipelines based on Wigner distribution
Authors: Zhai Shouchao , Yang Fan , Yang Hongying , Ye Hao , Wang Guizeng
Published: April 2012

Leak detection of gas pipelines based on acoustic signals has drawn intensive attention in recent years because of its advantages over the widely adopted method based on negative pressure wave. However, detection of a small leakage in a long gas pipeline with a low pressure and complex disturbances is still a challenging problem, because in this case, the leak acoustic signal that arrives at a transducer may be weak and thus thoroughly covered by disturbances. This paper reports on the application of the Wigner–Ville distribution (WVD) method in leak detection of gas pipelines based on acoustic signals. The WVD of the acoustic transducer signal is used to find the sensitive frequency band corresponding to a leak and to detect the leak acoustic signal from strong disturbances. To suppress the influence of cross terms of the WVD, we adopted a time‐averaging WVD. Offline tests based on historical leak experimental data of a real pipeline show the effectiveness of the method in detecting leak faults of a long gas pipeline with a low pressure and strong disturbances. © 2012 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Analyzing scientific networks for nuclear capabilities assessment
Authors: Kas Miray , Khadka Alla G. , Frankenstein William , Abdulla Ahmed Y. , Kunkel Frank , Carley L. Richard , Carley Kathleen M.
Published: April 2012

The capability to build nuclear weapons is a key national security factor that has a profound influence on the balance of international relations. In addition to longstanding players, regional powers and peripheral countries have sought for ways of acquiring and/or developing them. The authors postulate that to express the capabilities, relative positions, and interrelations of the countries involved in the production of nuclear weaponization knowledge, dynamic network analysis provides valuable insight. In this article, the authors use a computational framework that combines techniques from dynamic network analysis and text mining to mine and analyze large‐scale networks that are extracted from open theoretical and experimental nuclear research publications of the last two decades. More specifically, they build interlinked, dynamic networks that model relationships of nuclear researchers based on the open literature and supplement this information with text mining to classify the nuclear weaponization capabilities of each publication—of each author, organization, city, and country. Using such a comprehensive computational framework, they are able to (a) elicit the hot topics in nuclear weaponization research, (b) assess the nuclear expertise level of each country, (c) differentiate between established and emergent players, and (d) identify the key entities at various levels such as organization, city, and country.
A systematic review to calculate background miscarriage rates using life table analysis
Authors: Ammon Avalos Lyndsay , Galindo Claudia , Li De‐Kun
Published: April 2012

The objectives of the current study were to calculate: (1) the expected rates of miscarriage by gestational week; (2) the cumulative risk of miscarriage; and (3) the remaining risk of miscarriage for gestational weeks five through 20, through a systematic review of the literature. We searched MEDLINE for articles published in English through the end of 2009. References of articles were also searched. Four studies were identified to have the three necessary pieces of information for the proposed calculations: (1) gestational age at study entry, (2) pregnancy outcome; and (3) the gestational age at which the pregnancy outcome occurred. Data were extracted from each study and Life Table Analysis Methods were conducted. Weekly miscarriage rates varied in the early gestational weeks with the highest rate documented at >20 miscarriages per 1000 women‐weeks at each week of gestation prior to week 13. By week 14, the rate for all studies became relatively comparable and fell below 10 miscarriages per 1000 woman‐weeks at risk and fell even lower through week 20. The cumulative risk of miscarriage for weeks 5 through 20 of gestation ranged from 11 miscarriages per 100 women to 22 miscarriages per 100 women (11–22%). Based on data from comparable study populations, a range of background miscarriage rates by week of gestation for weeks 5 through 20, the cumulative risk of miscarriage, and the remaining risk of miscarriage are presented. Wider variation of miscarriage rates and risks occurred early in gestation (<14 weeks). Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Hirschsprung's disease in the North of England: Prevalence, associated anomalies, and survival
Authors: Best Kate E. , Glinianaia Svetlana V. , Bythell Mary , Rankin Judith
Published: April 2012

INTRODUCTION

Hirschsprung's disease is the commonest congenital gut motility disorder, characterized by the absence of the enteric ganglion cells along the distal gut, which causes intestinal obstruction. Few publications report its epidemiology and temporal trends.

METHODS

Cases of Hirschsprung's disease delivered during 1990 to 2008 in the North of England reported to the Northern Congenital Abnormality Survey (NorCAS) formed this population‐based case series.

RESULTS

Of 612,916 live births, 105 cases were reported to NorCAS. After excluding one diabetic and four multiple pregnancies, the live birth prevalence was 1.63 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.33–1.98) per 10,000 live births. There was a significant temporal increase in the prevalence of Hirschsprung's disease (p = 0.020), from 1.26 (95% CI, 0.80–1.89) in 1990 to 1994 to 2.29 (95% CI, 1.53–3.29) in 2005 to 2008. The ratio of male to female cases was 2:1. Ten (10.0%) cases occurred with Down syndrome, one with Smith‐Lemli‐Opitz Syndrome, and six (6.0%) with associated structural anomalies. The remaining 83 (83.0%) cases were isolated. All cases were live born, but nine (9.0%) died in the first year of life. Hirschsprung's disease was not prenatally suspected in any case. Half the cases were diagnosed within 5 days postpartum, but time of diagnosis ranged from birth to 5 years of age.

CONCLUSION

This study confirmed a male predominance and an association with Down syndrome, but also founda temporal increase in Hirschsprung's disease prevalence. No cases were suspected prenatally, but half were diagnosed within 5 days of life. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Clinical outcomes after bare‐metal stenting in diabetic patients with lesions carrying a low risk of restenosis
Authors: Woudstra Pier , Damman Peter , Beijk Marcel A.M. , Grundeken Maik J.D. , Harskamp Ralf E. , Koch Karel T. , Henriques José P.S. , Baan Jan , Vis Marije M. , Piek Jan J. , Tijssen Jan G.P. , de Winter Robbert J.
Published: April 2012

Objective

To evaluate the clinical results of diabetic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for coronary artery lesions carrying a low risk of restenosis treated with a bare‐metal stent (BMS).

Background

There is a discrepancy between current international guidelines on the use of BMS in diabetics with low risk of restenosis coronary artery lesions.

Methods and Results

Registry data from diabetic patients who underwent non‐urgent PCI in a high‐volume tertiary referral hospital in the Netherlands was used. The main outcomes were target lesion revascularization (TLR) and the composite of cardiac death, myocardial infarction, and target vessel revascularization at 1‐year of follow‐up. A total of 1,951 patients were included, of which 1,596 non‐diabetics (non‐DM), 231 non‐insulin requiring diabetics (NIRDM), and 124 insulin requiring diabetics (IRDM).TLR rates in non‐DM versus NIRDM were similar (6.3% vs. 5.6%; P = 0.68), whereas TLR in IRDM was higher (6.3% vs. 11.3%; P = 0.03). The composite of cardiovascular clinical outcomes was not significantly different in non‐DM versus NIRDM (9.5% vs. 13.4%; P = 0.07), though in IRDM the incidence was higher (9.5% vs. 17.7%; P < 0.01).

Conclusion

No differences were observed in TLR or composite clinical endpoint at 1‐year between non‐DM and NIRDM after BMS placement in coronary artery lesions carrying a low risk of restenosis. The presence of IRDM was associated with higher TLR rates when treated with BMS. These results imply that BMS placement may be considered in patients with NIRDM but further work is required to define treatment strategies and, more importantly, improve the outcomes in diabetics. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Paclitaxel versus sirolimus eluting stents in diabetic patients: Does stent type and/or stent diameter matter?: Long‐term clinical outcome of 2,429‐patient multicenter registry
Authors: Tarantini Giuseppe , Facchin Michela , Capodanno Davide , Musumeci Giuseppe , Saia Francesco , Menozzi Alberto , Meliga Emanuele , Mancone Massimo , Lettieri Corrado , Tamburino Corrado
Published: April 2012

Background

Drug‐eluting stents (DES) are more effective in reducing restenosis than bare‐metal stents. Less certain is the relative performance of the two widely used DES—sirolimus‐eluting stents (SES) and paclitaxel‐eluting stents (PES)—in diabetic patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).

Objectives

We studied the long‐term effectiveness and safety of SES versus PES in diabetic patients, overall and grouped by the size of the stent placed in the native‐stented vessel.

Methods

Data were obtained from an observational, multicenter registry of 2,429 consecutive patients with DM who underwent PCI between August 2003 and August 2009 with SES (n = 1,370) or PES (n = 1,059). Data were analyzed separately for patients with small stents (<3.0 mm, n = 1,274) vs. only large (≥3.0 mm, n = 1,155).

Results

At Cox‐adjusted analysis of the overall cohort, there was no significant difference between SES and PES with regard to death/myocardial infarction (D/MI) (P = 0.6) or target lesion revascularization (TLR) (P = 0.3) either in “small‐stent” (D/MI, P = 0.8; TLR, P = 0.2) or “large stent” group (D/MI, P = 0.8; TLR, P = 0.4) throughout 1 to 5‐year follow‐up. These results were confirmed by sensitivity, propensity‐score matched analysis (717 matched pairs) that failed to find differences in the safety and efficacy between SES and PES.

Conclusions

In this large observational study, PES and SES were equally safe and efficacious in diabetic patients undergoing PCI in clinical practice, regardless of the stent size. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Impact of differential right‐to‐left shunting on systemic perfusion in pulmonary arterial hypertension
Authors: Weimar Timo , Watanabe Yoshiyuki , Kazui Toshinobu , Lee Urvi S. , Montecalvo Alessandro , Schuessler Richard B. , Moon Marc R.
Published: April 2012

Objectives

This study aimed at identifying the ideal right‐to‐left shunt‐fraction to improve cardiac output (CO) and systemic perfusion in pulmonary arterial hypertension (PHT).

Background

Atrial septostomy (AS) has been a high‐risk therapeutic option for symptomatic drug‐refractory patients with PHT. Results have been unpredictable due to limited knowledge of the optimal shunt‐quantity.

Methods

In nine dogs, an 8‐mm shunt‐prosthesis was inserted between the superior vena cava (SVC) and the left atrium. With pulmonary artery (PA) banding, mean (±SEM) systolic right ventricular pressure increased from 37 ± 1 mm Hg at baseline to 44 ± 1 mm Hg (moderate PHT, P = 0.005) and 50 ± 2 mm Hg (severe PHT, P < 0.001). Shunt‐flow was adjusted by total (forcing all flow through the shunt) or partial occlusion of the SVC and partial or total clamping of the shunt. Caval‐, shunt‐, and aortic‐flow were measured by ultrasonic flow‐probes. Blood gases were drawn from the aortic root and PA.

Results

At severe PHT, a shunt‐flow of 11 ± 1% of CO (253 ± 90 mL/min) increased CO significantly by 25% (1.8 ± 0.1 to 2.4 ± 0.2 L/min, P = 0.005) causing an increase of systemic oxygen delivery index (DO2I) by 23% (309 ± 23 to 399 ± 32 mL/min/m2, P = 0.035). Arterial O2‐saturation did not change significantly until a shunt‐flow of 18 ± 2% was exceeded, causing a drop from 96 ± 1% to 84 ± 4% (P = 0.013). At moderate PHT, CO or DO2I did not improve significantly at any shunt‐flow.

Conclusions

In severe PHT, a shunt‐flow of 11% of CO represented the ideal shunt‐fraction. Augmentation of CO compensated for declined O2‐saturation due to right‐to‐left shunting and improved DO2I. In moderate PHT, AS is less promising. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Crystallization, Dehydration, and Phase Transformations of Diastereomeric Salts: L‐Ephedrine and D‐Tartaric Acid
Authors: Wu H. , Jones A. G.
Published: April 2012

A screening of crystallization conditions for the diastereomeric salts formed by L/D‐tartaric acid and a common chiral resolving agent, L‐ephedrine, in water is reported. Eight different salts with 1:1 and 2:1 stoichiometries were synthesized, identified, and characterized, including three previously reported LL‐salts. All new LD‐salts were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermogravimetric and elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, solid‐state NMR, and powder XRD. 1:1 LD‐tartrate is anhydrous and 2:1 LD‐tartrate crystallizes as a monohydrate; its dehydration and phase transformations on heating were monitored in situ by variable‐temperature XRD and hot‐stage microscopy.
Interplay between Cationic and Neutral Species in the Rhodium‐Catalyzed Hydroaminomethylation Reaction
Authors: Crozet Delphine , Gual Aitor , McKay David , Dinoi Chiara , Godard Cyril , Urrutigoïty Martine , Daran Jean‐Claude , Maron Laurent , Claver Carmen , Kalck Philippe
Published: April 2012

The reactivity of [Rh(CO)2{(R,R)‐PhBPE}]BF4 (2) toward amine, CO and/or H2 was examined by high‐pressure NMR and IR spectroscopy. The two cationic pentacoordinated species [Rh(CO)3{(R,R)‐PhBPE}]BF4 (4) and [Rh(CO)2(NHC5H10){(R,R)‐Ph‐BPE}]BF4 (8) were identified. The transformation of 2 into the neutral complex [RhH(CO)2{(R,R)‐PhBPE}] (3) under hydroaminomethylation conditions (CO/H2, amine) was investigated. The full mechanisms related to the formation of 3, 4 and 8 starting from 2 are supported by DFT calculations. In particular, the pathway from 2 to 3 revealed the deprotonation by the amine of the dihydride species [Rh(H)2(CO)2{(R,R)‐PhBPE}]BF4 (6), resulting from the oxidative addition of H2 on 2.
Insight into the Reaction Mechanisms of (MeC5H4)3U with Isoelectronic Heteroallenes CS2, COS, PhN3, and PhNCO by DFT Studies: A Unique Pathway that Involves Bimetallic Complexes
Authors: Castro Ludovic , Maron Laurent
Published: April 2012

The mechanisms of the reduction of four isoelectronic heteroallenes (CS2, COS, PhN3, and PhNCO) by trivalent uranium complex (MeC5H4)3U were determined by using DFT methods. The experimental formation of either the bimetallic CS2 and the PhNCO uranium(IV) adducts or the bimetallic sulfide complex (COS) and the monometallic uranium(V) phenylimide complex (PhN3) were rationalized. The formation of the products was explained by a unique reaction mechanism with a uranium(IV)‐bridged heteroallene intermediate.
Directed Supramolecular Surface Assembly of SNAP‐tag Fusion Proteins
Authors: Uhlenheuer Dana A. , Wasserberg Dorothee , Haase Christian , Nguyen Hoang D. , Schenkel Jan Hendrik , Huskens Jurriaan , Ravoo Bart Jan , Jonkheijm Pascal , Brunsveld Luc
Published: April 2012

Supramolecular assembly of proteins on surfaces and vesicles was investigated by site‐selective incorporation of a supramolecular guest element on proteins. Fluorescent proteins were site‐selectively labeled with bisadamantane by SNAP‐tag technology. The assembly of the bisadamantane functionalized SNAP‐fusion proteins on cyclodextrin‐coated surfaces yielded stable monolayers. The binding of the fusion proteins is specific and occurs with an affinity in the order of 106 M−1 as determined by surface plasmon resonance. Reversible micropatterns of the fusion proteins on micropatterned cyclodextrin surfaces were visualized by using fluorescence microscopy. Furthermore, the guest‐functionalized proteins could be assembled out of solution specifically onto the surface of cyclodextrin vesicles. The SNAP‐tag labeling of proteins thus allows for assembly of modified proteins through a host–guest interaction on different surfaces. This provides a new strategy in fabricating protein patterns on surfaces and takes advantage of the high labeling efficiency of the SNAP‐tag with designed supramolecular elements.
Structural Study at the Gas‐Liquid Interface of 1‐Alkyl‐3‐Methylimidazolium Alkylsulfates Using Surface Potential Measurements
Authors: Martinez Imee Su , Santos Cherry , Baldelli Steven
Published: April 2012

Sum frequency generation, surface potential, and surface tension measurements have been combined on the pure ionic‐liquid–gas interface for 1‐alkyl‐3‐methylimidazolium alkylsulfate ionic liquids. The results show that surface potential of the ionic liquid generally increases as the alkyl chain on the cation or anion increases in length. This is due to the increased ordering of the surface dipole, mostly coming from the terminal methyl group of the alkyl chain. Both sum frequency generation spectroscopy and surface potential measurements suggest that the charged components, that is, the aromatic ring and the sulfate, occupy nearly the same plane at the surface for all ionic liquids studied herein.
Surface Modification of Nanodiamond under Bingel–Hirsch Conditions
Authors: Betz Patrick , Krueger Anke
Published: April 2012

The Bingel–Hirsch reaction consists in the reaction of a bromomalonate with electron‐poor π bonds, for example, of carbon materials, yielding cyclopropane derivatives. The reactive nucleophile is generated in situ from the respective malonate using CBr4 and a base. The resulting cyclopropane moiety links the carbon material’s surface atoms covalently with the functional side groups of the malonate. So far, the reaction was limited to fullerenes and carbon nanotubes. Herein, we report on the first application of this reaction type for the surface modification of diamond nanoparticles. The surface of thermally annealed nanodiamond consists of fullerene‐like sp2 carbon atoms which exhibit a similar reactivity as those in the all‐sp2 carbon nanomaterials. It was found that the reaction proceeds smoothly and enables the grafting of a large variety of functional groups to the surface of nanodiamond. The generated nucleophiles are also able to react with carbonyl species on the diamond. This reaction pathway enables the grafting of malonates even on oxidized nanodiamond without prior thermal annealing.