bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nanostructured Magnetic Materials for Applications in Electrical Machines
Authors: Evangelos Rizos
Published: April 2014

The aim of this survey is to design a low energy production wind generator for home or small industrial use, with short blades or different structure. Magnetic materials such as strontium hexaferrites and Nd-Fe-B composites are used in form of plastic bonded magnetic powder or laminas in the rotor and amorphous material or silicon steel in the stator. The envisaged machines are switched reluctance and permanent magnet, while preferable structure is this of vertical axis. Before the construction, both inside and outside rotor design machines, also toroidal stators can be tested, using finite element method and simulation programs such as ANSYS, COMSOL. Several parameters are examined, such as torque, magnetic field orientation and strength, magnet topology, output, etc, in order to achieve low cogging force along with high power. The results are to be compared with currently manufactured machines characteristics so as to decide for the efficiency of further investment.
Dipole Positioning Recognition Using Neural Networks
Authors: Skouta Katerina
Published: April 2014

A ships position could be detected by its magnetic signature. A crucial issue, regarding this approach for naval vessel monitoring, is the difficulty in defining the appropriate number of magnetic sensors needed and their respective configuration, in order to predict accurately the position of the magnetic mass through the measured magnetic field intensities on a specific boundary. In the present paper, this problem is dealt downscaled at tracing the exact position and orientation of a single dipole. In particular, Neural Networks, properly calibrated, are implemented as a method for the detection of the position and the orientation of a dipole through the measured magnetic field inducted. The results indicate that measurements of two magnetic field sensors at the boundary could provide sufficient information about the dipoles position, with a certainty of 99%.
A Novel Chloropyrifos Electrochemical Sensor Based on Polyaniline/Carbon Nanotubes Composite
Authors: Ebrahim Sh. , El-Raey R. , Hefnawy A. , Ibrahim H. , Soliman M.
Published: April 2014

Polyaniline nanofibers were prepared chemically in both emiraldine base (EB) and emiraldine salt (ES) forms. The composite of polyaniline emiraldine salt with single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) was developed. Electrochemical sensors based on polyaniline nanofibers and its composite have been developed for the detection of chloropyrifos. Chloropyrifos exhibits one well defined reduction peak. The maximum peak current was linearly related to chloropyrifos concentration in the range from 0.2 μM to 1.4 μM. It was found that the SWCNTs improved the sensitivity of the polyaniline base graphite electrode from 3.0 mA/μM for polyaniline base to 9.69 mA/μM for ES-SWCNTs composite electrode.
Rab5 Is a Novel Regulator of Mast Cell Secretory Granules: Impact on Size, Cargo, and Exocytosis
Authors: Azouz Nurit P. , Zur Neta , Efergan Adi , Ohbayashi Norihiko , Fukuda Mitsunori , Amihai Dina , Hammel Ilan , Rothenberg Marc E. , Sagi-Eisenberg Ronit
Published: April 2014

Secretion of inflammatory mediators prestored in mast cells secretory granules (SGs) enhances immune responses such as in allergy and host defense. However, the mechanisms underlying the biogenesis of the SGs remain largely unresolved. By combining high-resolution live cell imaging and quantitative morphometric analyses, we show that the small GTPase Rab5 controls the SG size and cargo composition by a VAMP8-dependent fusion mechanism. Knockdown of the endogenous Rab5, or expression of constitutively negative mutants, significantly reduces the size of SGs and increases their number. Conversely, expression of constitutively active Rab5 mutants induces few, but giant, SGs. Both the small and giant SGs maintain their exocytosis competence. Finally, we show that Rab5-mediated fusion between Golgi-derived SGs and early endosomes precedes the maturation of the SGs, as reflected by the recruitment of Rab27B, and allows the incorporation of cargo, such as CD63, that traffics through endosomes. Collectively, our results assign Rab5 a key role in mediating mast cell SG fusion during biogenesis, thereby controlling the amount and composition of the SGs content and maintaining the communication between new and pre-existing SGs.
National Responses to Hiv/Aids and Non-Communicable Diseases in Developing Countries: Analysis of Strategic Parallels and Differences
Authors: Haregu Tilahun Nigatu , Setswe Geoffrey , Elliott Julian , Oldenburg Brian
Published: April 2014

HIV/AIDS and non-communicable diseases (NCDs) epidemics may have many important similarities in their aetiology, pathogenesis and management. Evidence about the similarities and differences between the national responses HIV/AIDS and NCDs is essential for an integrated response. The objective of this study was to examine the parallels and differences between national responses to HIV/AIDS and NCDs in selected developing countries.

This study applied a strategic level comparative case study approach as its study design. The main construct was national response to HIV/AIDS and NCDs. The 4 overarching themes were policy response, institutional mechanism, programmatic response and strategic information. Four countries were purposively selected as cases. Data were collected and triangulated from a multiple sources. The focus of analysis included identifying items for comparison, characteristics to be compared, degrees of similarity, and strategic importance of similarities. Analysis of data was qualitative content analysis with within-case, between-case, and across-case comparisons.

While the nature of the disease and the contents of national HIV/AIDS and NCD policies are different, the policy processes involved are largely similar. Functional characteristics of programmatic response to HIV/AIDS and NCDs are similar. But the internal constituents are different. Though both HIV and NCDs require both a multi-sectorial response and a national coordination mechanism, the model and the complexity of the coordination are different. Strategic information frameworks for HIV/AIDS and NCDs use similar models. However, the indicators, targets and priorities are different. In conclusion, the national responses between HIV/AIDS and NCDs are largely similar in approaches and functions but different in content.
U-Pb zircon and monazite ages of the Grace Lake Granite, Blatchford Lake Intrusive Suite, Slave Province, Northwest Territories
Authors: Sinclair W D , Hunt P A , Birkett T C
Published: April 2014

A U-Pb age of 2176.2 ± 1.3 Ma has been calculated for the crystallization of the Grace Lake Granite in the eastern part of the Blatchford Lake Intrusive Suite, southern Slave Province, Northwest Territories. This age is indistinguishable from that of the
Hearne Channel Granite in the western part of the suite, and thus supports a genetic relationship between units in the eastern and western parts. However, the age is at least 70 Ma older than mineralization associated with rare-metal deposits hosted in part by Grace Lake Granite in the eastern part
of the complex. A genetic relationship between either Grace Lake Granite or the related Thor Lake Syenite and the rare-metal deposits seems, therefore, unlikely.
An 40Ar-39Ar age from the REE-enriched Enekatcha ultrapotassic intrusive suite and implications for timing of ultrapotassic magmatism in the central Churchill Province, Northwest Territories
Authors: Roddick J C , Miller A R
Published: April 2014

40Ar-39Ar dating of hornblende from a U+Th+REE-enriched undeformed hornblende ultrapotassic intrusive within the Archean basement south of Dubawnt Lake establishes an intrusive age of 1825 ± 12 Ma for the Enekatcha plutonic suite. This suite is geochemically
linked to the areally and volumetrically extensive Christopher Island Formation ultrapotassic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks. This age is therefore inferred to determine the time of ultrapotassic volcanism in the western Churchill Province and is in agreement with a tectonomagmatic model in which
the volcanics were subduction related but emplaced during a later distant collisional event.
Drift composition and glacial dispersal trains, Baker Lake area, District of Keewatin, Northwest Territories
Authors: Klassen R A
Published: April 2014

In the District of Keewatin, glacial dispersal trains defined by lithology and geochemistry are mapped at regional (hundreds of kilometres), local (tens of kilometres), and detailed (kilometres) scales. The trains reflect glacial dynamics and the bedrock
composition. Despite complex ice flow near the Keewatin Ice Divide, they have a prominent southeastward trend, although there is evidence for older regional southward and eastward flows, and for later flow northward and westward from the divide. In till, trace element concentrations are low,
reflecting glacial erosion of metal-poor sedimentary and volcanic bedrock of the Dubawnt Group, Thelon Formation sandstone in particular. Glacial dispersal trains impoverished in trace elements extend into crystalline terrain masking the geochemical expression of underlying bedrock. In sections
and drill cores, vertical compositional variations record differences in provenance related to either change in ice flow, glacial erosion, or both. The models of glacial dispersal trains provide a context for mineral exploration based on drift prospecting.
Carboniferous-Permian strata in the Unak L-28 and adjacent wells, Mackenzie Delta, Northwest Territories
Authors: Dixon J , Mamet B L , Wall J
H
Published: April 2014

Although the presence of Carboniferous strata in the subsurface of Mackenzie Delta has been reported in some wells, paleontological data to support this claim has not yet been published. In Unak L-28, Carboniferous and Permian strata are identified between log
depths 2470 and 3190 m based on paleontological data and regional comparisons. Microfossils indicate that between about 2969 and 3175 m, the predominantly limestone succession is Serpukhovian to Bashkirian (Carboniferous) in age. Strata between 2745 and 2969 m, consisting of interbedded calcareous
sandstone, sandy limestone, and shale, contain a very different fossil assemblage, believed to be Permian in age. Between 2470 and 2745 m, the shale and siltstone succession contains a predominantly arenaceous foraminiferal assemblage that, although it contains no age-specific fossils, is comparable
to assemblages in the Permian in the nearby northern Richardson Mountains. Correlative Carboniferous strata have been penetrated only in Kugpik O-13 and Napoiak F-31, and Permian beds are known from Aklavik A-37 and F-38, Beaverhouse Creek H-13, Ulu A-35, Unak B-11, Tullugak K-31, and Kugpik L-24,
as well as in Kugpik O-13 and Napoiak F-31.
Surficial geology and sea level history of Bathurst Island, Northwest Territories
Authors: Bednarski J M
Published: April 2014

Recent field investigations have been undertaken to map the surficial geology of Bathurst and adjacent islands. Glacial geomorphology indicates that the area was covered by extensive ice caps during the last glaciation. These glaciers probably contacted the
Laurentide Ice Sheet to the south, however, a larger ice mass in Penny Strait may have impinged onto northeastern Bathurst Island and coalesced with the ice caps. A survey of raised marine shorelines suggests that the magnitude of emergence was considerably less than previously thought and that the
pattern of regional isobases needs revision. Marine pelecypods at elevations well above the marine limit were likely transported there by glaciers overriding pre-existing marine sediments. More work on the directions of ice movement along eastern Bathurst Island is necessary to determine the nature
of these readvances.
Regional gravity survey of Ellesmere and Axel Heiberg islands, Northwest Territories
Authors: Hearty D B , Seemann D A , Maye P , Jackson R
Published: April 2014

During the period May-July, 1995, a regional gravity survey was conducted on Ellesmere Island and adjacent Axel Heiberg Island. This multi-agency project completes one of the last major voids in the regional gravity coverage of Canada. The 1349 newly acquired
gravity stations will not only meet the needs of the Canada/United States (CANUS) Defence Plan but will also contribute to an improved geoid. During the survey, a joint GPS project was also undertaken with the National Survey and Cadastre of Denmark. The GPS derived co-ordinates will be used in
future horizontal and/or vertical motion studies across Nares Strait. Canadian geoscientists will use the gravity data to help resolve the ongoing controversy regarding plate reconstructions in the area. A preliminary comparison of the gravity field and the regional geology suggests a complex
relationship: although anomalies parallel some geological boundaries they are discordant with others.
New showings and new geological settings for mineral exploration in the Arctic Islands
Authors: Harrison J C , de Freitas T
Published: April 2014

Significant occurrences of breccia-related and replacement sphalerite and galena have been discovered in Lower Devonian (Emsian) dolostone of the lower Blue Fiord Formation on southeastern Bathurst Island. Bitumen, hydrothermal dolomite, calcite spar and
marcasite(?) are important accessory components near and within the showings. Exploration potential for Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc deposits exists within this and other stratigraphic intervals both locally and throughout the central and eastern Arctic Islands. Other potential targets in the
Arctic Islands include epigenetic vein and sedimentary-exhalative lead-zinc deposits in lower Paleozoic graptolitic shale, redbed-related copper in upper Paleozoic strata, and kimberlites.
Upper Devonian to Permian
Authors: Richards B C , Bamber E W , Utting J
Published: April 2014

The Upper Devonian and Carboniferous comprise a southern and a northern succession separated by the Ancestral Aklavik Arch. The southern succession, deposited in the Mackenzie Basin and the Prophet Trough, consists of Frasnian to Gzhelian strata. The northern
succession comprises Viséan to Moscovian strata that onlapped the Yukon Fold Belt from the Prophet Trough. Both packages comprise marine to continental siliciclastics overlain by basinal to supratidal platform and ramp carbonates.
The northeast-trending Late Devonian Mackenzie Basin and its Carboniferous successor, the Prophet Trough, developed in the foreland of a continental margin volcanic/plutonic belt and bifurcated in the north at the Yukon Fold Belt. During the Late Devonian and Tournaisian, the compressional northeast
arm of the Mackenzie Basin/Prophet Trough lay southeastward of the Yukon Fold Belt, which resulted from a predominantly Late Devonian orogeny. Post-Tournaisian subsidence in the Prophet Trough resulted from extension.
The Permian (Asselian to Wordian) overlies a latest Carboniferous to Early Permian unconformity. It comprises basinal to peritidal siliciclastics, carbonates, and chert that onlapped the Ancestral Aklavik Arch from the Ishbel Trough and were deposited in an unnamed basin to the north. The
extensional Ishbel Trough succeeded the Prophet Trough and extended northward to the northeast-trending latest Carboniferous and Permian Ancestral Aklavik Arch of block-faulted origin, which developed across the southern Yukon Fold Belt.
Frasnian to earliest Tournaisian climates were tropical; those of the Late Permian were temperate, thereby, indicating a northward shift of the region.
Geology of the Beaufort Sea continental shelf
Authors: Dietrich J R , Dixon J
Published: April 2014

Barn, White, and Campbell uplifts are structural components of the northernmost Canadian Cordillera. The three have maximum plan dimensions ranging from 12 to 25 km and display structural relief of up to 3.5 km. Barn Uplift is a horizontally shortened and tilted
block consisting mainly of Paleozoic argillite and chert. It is structurally conformable in the west but fault bounded in the east. White Uplift is a raised block of completely fault-bounded Paleozoic carbonates. Campbell Uplift is a broad dome broken into raised and lowered blocks by traversing
faults. All three uplifts are parts of structural components of more regional extent and appear to be localized by pre-existing changes in the mechanical or geometric properties of the stratigraphic package.
White, Barn and Campbell Uplifts
Authors: Dyke L D
Published: April 2014

The intrusive rocks of northern Yukon, excepting the Dave Lord pluton, belong to a late orogenic granite-granodiorite association. The Sr87/SR86 initial ratios imply magma generation by anatexis of either a sedimentary wedge or older crystalline basement. The
nepheline-normative rocks of Dave Lord pluton crystallized from a magma which would typically be generated in the mantle and emplaced into a rigid plate during crustal extension.
Geochronologic data are not sufficiently precise to establish the relative ages of the plutons. If all are essentially coeval, juxtaposition of different tectonic environments is implied. Alternatively, a spread of 80 million years (431ð352 Ma) allows time for intrusion of synkinematic and
late-kinematic granites followed by the post-kinematic Dave Lord syenite body.
The Role of Domain-Specific Disgust Propensity in Behavioral Avoidance and Self-Reported Fainting Symptoms in Blood-Injection-Injury Phobia
Authors: Viar-Paxton Megan A. , Tomarken Andrew J. , Pemble Michelle K. , Olatunji Bunmi O.
Published: March 2014

Recent research has implicated the role of disgust in avoidance and fainting associated with blood-injection-injury (BII) phobia. While several studies suggest that disgust propensity has a ‘domain-specific’ association (e.g. animal-reminder disgust) with these features of BII phobia, other studies have found a more generalized association (e.g. animal reminder and core disgust). The present study attempts to address this inconsistency in the literature by utilizing in vivo behavioral exposure to examine the role of disgust in avoidance and fainting among BII fearful (n = 38) and non-fearful (n = 35) participants. Avoidance and fainting symptoms were assessed during exposure to threat-relevant (bloody gauze, severed deer leg) and threat-irrelevant (worm, cockroach) stimuli. Contrary to hypotheses, regression analyses revealed that when the stimulus was threat-relevant, disgust propensity did not predict avoidance above and beyond BII fear. However, when the stimulus was threat-irrelevant, generalized disgust propensity predicted avoidance. Further, generalized disgust propensity predicted fainting symptoms during exposure to threat-relevant and threat-irrelevant stimuli above and beyond BII fear, whereas animal-reminder disgust did not. Implications of these findings for conceptualizing the role of disgust propensity domains in avoidance and fainting associated with BII phobia are discussed.
Illusory Control in Schizophrenia
Authors: Moritz Steffen , Thompson Suzanne C. , Andreou Christina
Published: March 2014

Introduction

Positive symptoms in schizophrenia often deal with themes of control. For the first time, the “illusion of control” bias was examined in patients with schizophrenia.

Methods

A total of 32 patients with schizophrenia and 31 nonclinical controls were administered two versions of an illusion of control paradigm. Participants were presented two sequences of green and red stimuli and could choose to press or not press a computer key to get the (desired) green stimulus (participants should press the key to test their level of control). Later, they were asked to rate their level of control over the appearance of the green sequence. The chain of events followed a fixed pseudo-random sequence (experiment A: 75% desired events; B: 25%).

Results

Both groups displayed an illusion of control bias. The subgroup with high positive symptom scores showed excessive illusion of control in experiment A relative to individuals scoring low on positive symptoms. Hallucinators scored significantly higher on illusion of control compared to both healthy individuals and non-hallucinators.

Discussion

Illusion of control was elevated in high-positive-symptom patients, particularly those with hallucinations. Future studies should elucidate whether the magnitude of the illusion of control effect is moderated by the specific contents of positive symptoms, as delusions of control can manifest as active or passive control beliefs.
The interdependence of continental warm cloud properties derived from unexploited solar background signal in ground-based lidar measurements
Authors: Chiu J. C. , Holmes J. A. , Hogan R. J. , O'Connor E. J.
Published: April 2014

Abstract. We have extensively analysed the interdependence between cloud optical depth, droplet effective radius, liquid water path (LWP) and geometric thickness for stratiform warm clouds using ground-based observations. In particular, this analysis uses cloud optical depths retrieved from untapped solar background signal that is previously unwanted and needs to be removed in most lidar applications. Combining these new optical depth retrievals with radar and microwave observations at the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility in Oklahoma during 2005–2007, we have found that LWP and geometric thickness increase and follow a power-law relationship with cloud optical depth regardless of the presence of drizzle; LWP and geometric thickness in drizzling clouds can be generally 20–40% and at least 10% higher than those in non-drizzling clouds, respectively. In contrast, droplet effective radius shows a negative correlation with optical depth in drizzling clouds, while it increases with optical depth and reaches an asymptote of 10 μm in non-drizzling clouds. This asymptotic behaviour in non-drizzling clouds is found in both droplet effective radius and optical depth, making it possible to use simple thresholds of optical depth, droplet size, or a combination of these two variables for drizzle delineation. This paper demonstrates a new way to enhance ground-based cloud observations and drizzle delineations using existing lidar networks.
Trace elements in shells of common gastropods in the near vicinity of a natural CO2 vent: no evidence of pH-dependent contamination
Authors: McClintock J. B. , Amsler C. D. , Amsler M. O. , Duquette A. , Angus R. A. , Hall-Spencer J. M. , Milazzo M.
Published: April 2014

Abstract. There is concern that the use of natural volcanic CO2 vents as analogs for studies of the impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms are biased due to physiochemical influences other than seawater pH alone. One issue that has been raised is whether potentially harmful trace elements in sediments that are rendered more soluble and labile in low pH environments are made more bioavailable, and sequestered in the local flora and fauna at harmful levels. In order to evaluate this hypothesis, we analyzed the concentrations of trace elements in shells (an established proxy for tissues) of four species of gastropods (two limpets, a topshell and a whelk) collected from three sites in Levante Bay, Vulcano Island. Each sampling site increased in distance from the primary CO2 vent and thus represented low, moderate, and ambient seawater pH conditions. Concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, and V measured in shells using ICP-OES were below detection thresholds for all four gastropod species at all three sites. However, there were measurable concentrations of Sr, Mn, and U in the shells of the limpets Patella caerulea, P. rustica, and the snail Osilinus turbinatus, and similarly, Sr, Mn, U, and also Zn in the shells of the whelk Hexaplex trunculus. Levels of these elements were within the ranges measured in gastropod shells in non-polluted environments, and with the exception of U in the shells of P. caerulea, where the concentration was significantly lower at the collecting site closest to the vent (low pH site), there were no site-specific spatial differences in concentrations for any of the trace elements in shells. Thus trace element enhancement in sediments in low-pH environments was not reflected in greater bioaccumulations of potentially harmful elements in the shells of common gastropods.
CO2 and nutrient-driven changes across multiple levels of organization in Zostera noltii ecosystems
Authors: Martínez-Crego B. , Olivé I. , Santos R.
Published: April 2014

Abstract. Increasing evidence emphasizes that the effects of human impacts on ecosystems must be investigated using designs that incorporate the responses across levels of biological organization as well as the effects of multiple stressors. Here we implemented a mesocosm experiment to investigate how the effects of CO2 enrichment and its interaction with eutrophication, scale-up from changes in primary producers at the individual- (biochemistry) or population-level (production, reproduction, and/or abundance) to higher levels of community (macroalgae abundance, herbivory, and global metabolism) and ecosystem organization (detritus release and carbon sink capacity). The responses of Zostera noltii seagrass meadows growing in low- and high- nutrient field conditions were compared. In both meadows, the effect of elevated CO2 levels was mediated by epiphyte proliferation (mostly the cyanobacterium Microcoleus spp.), but not through changes in plant biochemistry or population-level traits. In the low-nutrient meadow, epiphyte proliferation suppressed the CO2 benefits on Z. noltii leaf production and led to increased detritus and decreased organic matter in sediment. Faster and stronger responses to nutrients than to CO2 were observed. Nutrient addition enhanced the nutritional quality of Z. noltii (high N, low C : N and phenolics) and the loss of leaves and shoots, while promoted the proliferation of pennate diatoms and purple bacteria. These changes led to a reduced sediment organic matter, but had no significant effects on herbivory nor on community metabolism. Interestingly, the interaction with CO2 attenuated eutrophication effects. In the high-nutrient meadow, a striking shoot decline caused by amphipod overgrazing was observed, with no response to CO2 and nutrient additions. Our results reveal that under future scenarios of CO2, the responses of seagrass ecosystems will be complex, being mediated by epiphyte proliferation rather than by effects on plant biochemistry. The multi-level responses of the system to nutrients overwhelmed those to CO2 enrichment, but the interaction between stressors reduced the effects of eutrophication. Both, CO2 and nutrient enrichments can reduce the carbon sink capacity of seagrass meadows.
Livelihoods as social practices – re-energising livelihoods research with Bourdieu's theory of practice
Authors: Sakdapolrak P.
Published: April 2014

Abstract. The persisting problem of poverty in the global south, since the 1990s, has been increasingly analysed and tackled from the perspective of the poor themselves. The shift of view point from a structurally oriented perspective to a more actor-oriented view was closely related to the concept of livelihoods, which put strong emphasis on people-centredness, and examined the coping and survival strategies of people at risk. Livelihoods analysis has been widely applied by research scholars as well as development practitioners since the 1990s, but the drawbacks and pitfalls of the approach have become more and more obvious with its continued application. The approach has been criticised for its imbalanced consideration of the structure–agency relation, narrow focus on the household as a unit of analysis, narrow and non-embedded understanding of assets, and negligence of spatial and temporal dynamics. The livelihoods perspective is at a crossroads. Several scholars have drawn on Bourdieu's theory of practice to overcome the identified challenges. This article seeks to bring together these insights and show how a Bourdieusian perspective can inform and contribute to the advancements in livelihoods research.
Using geographic information systems for radon exposure assessment in dwellings in the Oslo region, Norway
Authors: Kollerud R. , Blaasaas K. , Ganerød G. , Daviknes H. K. , Aune E. , Claussen B.
Published: April 2014

Abstract. Radon exposures were assigned to each residential address in the Oslo region using a geographic information system (GIS) that included indoor radon measurements. The results will be used in an epidemiologic study regarding leukemia and brain cancer. The model is based on 6% of measured residential buildings. High density of indoor radon measurements allowed us to develop a buffer model where indoor radon measurements found around each dwelling were used to assign a radon value for homes lacking radon measurement. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) were used to study the agreement between radon values from the buffer method, from indoor radon values of measured houses, and from a regression model constructed with radiometric data (eTh, eU) and bedrock geology. We obtained good agreement for both comparisons with ICC values between 0.54 and 0.68. GIS offers a useful variety of tools to study the indoor-radon exposure assessment. By using the buffer method it is more likely that geological conditions are similar within the buffer and this may take more into account the variation of radon over short distances. It is also probable that short-distance-scale correlation patterns express similarities in building styles and living habits. Although the method has certain limitations, we regard it as acceptable for use in epidemiological studies.
Livestock Trends and Farmers’ Perceptions about their Impacts in Southern Zambia
Authors: Tembo Gelson , Kapekele Evans , Tembo Alice , Goma Fusya Y. , Sambo Jairos
Published: March 2014

This study uses data from a mixed-methods survey of livestock-rearing communities in three districts in the Southern Province of Zambia to understand trends in livestock numbers and smallholder farmers' perceptions about their impacts on livelihoods. The results show that livestock numbers have generally declined due to disease outbreaks and distress selling of livestock, which are most prevalent during droughts. These have in turn led to a myriad of impacts, including: i) reduction of cultivated land area, ii) reduction of school-related expenditure, iii) households sliding on the poverty scale, and iv) reduction of expenditure on other household needs such as clothing. However, the extent to which these have been experienced varies by livestock system and poverty status of the household. Districts that rear less resilient livestock species, such as cattle, are more likely to perceive severe effects of livestock-related shocks, which tend to be worse when they are also poor.
Strategies of Expert Teachers for Teaching Identification of Business Opportunities
Authors: Nab Jan , van Keulen Hanno , Pilot Albert
Published: April 2014

The process of opportunity identification is under-emphasized in higher education; and there is a need for validated educational strategies to foster this competence in science students. In a previous study, three strategies were elaborated and evaluated in the classroom: stimulating the use of idea generation techniques, stimulating the conceptualization and evaluation of business opportunities, and promoting the transfer of knowledge and skills in opportunity identification. The focus of this validation study is on whether expert teachers use these strategies in teaching, which sub-strategies they use and whether they use additional strategies with the same objective. It was found that expert teachers frequently applied the previously reported strategies feasibly and effectively and reported various sub-strategies. Moreover, they described three additional strategies: selecting students for an elective by assessing their business idea, providing time for incubation of the business opportunity and challenging students to abandon routine problem-solving patterns.
Intervención jurídica y socioeducativa con las menores infractoras en centros de internamiento. Una revisión preliminar
Authors: Guirao González Ana , Bas Peña Encarnación
Published: April 2014

La delincuencia cometida por mujeres ha experimentado en los últimos años significativas variaciones. El reducido número de mujeres menores de edad que cometen infracciones penales ha originado una escasa atención social y científica, aunque nos encontramos ante un colectivo muy vulnerable que, a menudo, ha sido ignorado en el ámbito académico e institucional. Tras realizar una breve mención histórica de algunas de las intervenciones que han pretendido corregir la conducta de aquellas que se apartaban del papel que social y culturalmente les estaba asignado, se describirá la situación de las menores infractoras españolas en la actualidad, examinando la implementación de la ley de responsabilidad penal del menor, destacando las problemáticas más relevantes y las discriminaciones por razón de género que se aprecian cuando se aplican medidas sancionadoras en contextos de encierro; así como qué actuaciones socioeducativas sería conveniente realizar para contribuir a su eliminación.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/rpsp.v3i1.1332
El policía estratégico frente a la crisis futura y las paradojas del Estado en la reconstitución de su autoridad
Authors: Morales Peña Juan Carlos
Published: April 2014

El tipo de policía y su relación con los escenarios de incertidumbre proclives a la violencia constituye un esfuerzo principal de este estudio. Al ser la policía  uno de los grupos estratégicos más visibles y tradicionales de la estatalidad, se discute acerca de si ha tenido las competencias y capacidades necesarias para construir Estado desde abajo. Pero más importante aún, se ha examinado el perfil del policía que se requiere para gestionar las crisis, que ejerza adecuadamente su autoridad y cuente con la capacidad de tratamiento de otros eventos extraordinarios que pueden plantear serios desafíos a la gobernabilidad; por ejemplo, la probabilidad de conversión de grandes concentraciones urbanas en zonas caóticas, en las cuales la soberanía del Estado no sólo se erosionaría y sería retada, sino además estimularía la tendencia a la desintegración social y la desarticulación nacional. Para ello el prototipo policial tendría que estar dotado de una preparación basada en la versatilidad estratégica, la adopción de metodologías de trabajo anticipativo y el procesamiento inteligente del riesgo. Todo lo anterior como competencias indispensables para transitar de una mentalidad y formación profesional fundada en la realidad del mundo periférico a otra de connotación global.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/rpsp.v3i1.1334
Ley Penitenciaria
Authors: Editor El
Published: April 2014

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/rpsp.v3i1.1337
Informe de rendición de cuentas ANSP, junio 2012 - julio 2013
Authors: Editor El
Published: April 2014

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/rpsp.v3i1.1338Revista Policía y Seguridad Pública 3(1) 2013: 337-349
Libros: Prisiones de empresa, reformatorios privados. Dos estudios de Política Penitenciaria
Authors: López Ramírez Augusto Rigoberto
Published: April 2014

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/rpsp.v3i1.1342
Cine: Los 400 golpes
Authors: Morales Peña Juan Carlos
Published: April 2014

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/rpsp.v3i1.1346Revista Policía y Seguridad Pública 3(1) 2013: 371-372
Temporal changes in absolute atom densities in H2 and N2 mixture gas plasmas by surface modifications of reactor wall
Authors: Suzuki Toshiya , Takeda Keigo , Kondo Hiroki , Ishikawa Kenji , Sekine Makoto , Hori Masaru
Published: April 2014

Real time vacuum ultraviolet absorption spectroscopic (VUVAS) measurements revealed that temporal changes in absolute atom densities in H2 and N2 mixture gas (H2/N2) plasmas were affected by the conditions of the reactor inner wall-surface made of anodically-oxidized aluminum. Depending on preceding processes prior to the H2/N2 plasma process, N and H atom densities decreased for a nitrided wall surface, while no change occurred for a hydrogenated surface. Thus, the process history was revealed in the loss-properties of atoms on the reactor wall-surfaces. Suppressing the temporal variations in the gas-phase atom density is crucially important for realizing the precise control of the material processing with a high reproducibility.
Molecular dynamics simulations of silicon chloride ion incidence during Si etching in Cl-based plasmas
Authors: Nakazaki Nobuya , Takao Yoshinori , Eriguchi Koji , Ono Kouichi
Published: April 2014

Classical molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed for SiCl
x

+ (x = 0–4) ions incident on Si(100) surfaces, using an improved Stillinger–Weber (SW) potential form, to understand the surface reaction kinetics of etch byproduct ion incidence during Si etching in Cl-based plasmas. The ions were normally incident on surfaces with translational energies in the range of E
i = 20–500 eV, and the surface reaction kinetics of Cl
x

+ (x = 1, 2) ion incidence were also simulated for reference. The etch yields and thresholds presently simulated were in agreement with the experimental results previously reported for the respective ion beam incidences on Si. Numerical results indicated that the etch yields y* per halogen (or per constituent Cl atom of incident ions), thresholds, surface coverages of Cl atoms adsorbed, and thicknesses of chlorinated surface layers are almost the same, when compared at the same translational energy

per halogen; moreover, the stoichiometries of product species desorbed, stoichiometries of chlorinated surface layers, and their depth profiles are also similar when compared at the same

. Thus, it follows that the etching characteristics for SiCl
x

+ as well as Cl
x

+ incidences on Si are determined primarily or scaled universally by

, unless the deposition is significant at low E
i or

for SiCl+ and SiCl2
+.
Transmission electron microscopy investigation of ZnFeO/ZnO multilayered dilute magnetic semiconductor
Authors: Yasumoto Masato , Sakamoto Isao , Nakayama Hiro , Kinoshita Ryosuke , Koike Masaki , Honda Shigeo
Published: April 2014

ZnFeO/ZnO multilayers which are candidate dilute magnetic semiconductors, were investigated by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), and selected area electron diffraction analysis (SAED). The multilayers were fabricated by a sputtering method and had different ZnFeO layers thicknesses ranging from 0.34 to 2.28 nm. In the case of the as-deposited ZnFeO/ZnO multilayer, the main ZnO phase with the Fe2O3 phase was detected by TEM–SAED analysis from the cross-sectional view of the multilayer. On the other hand, in the case of the ZnFeO/ZnO multilayer after annealing at 773 K, the layer structure collapsed and Fe-rich grains were formed in the surface region. Moreover, it was revealed that the annealed multilayer exhibits the ZnO phase and the ZnFe2O4 or Fe3O4 phase.
Epitaxial growth and structural transition of VO2/MgF2(001)
Authors: Shibuya Keisuke , Sawa Akihito
Published: April 2014

We fabricated epitaxial VO2 thin films on MgF2(001) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Epitaxial films were obtained at deposition temperatures below 520 °C, whereas prominent interdiffusion between VO2 and MgF2 was observed at higher temperatures. We found that epitaxial strain controlled by the deposition temperature results in the shift of the phase transition temperature of the VO2 films. The structural phase transition temperature evaluated by means of X-ray diffraction is coincident with the metal–insulator phase transition temperature.
Psychosocial Disadvantage During Childhood and Midlife Health
Authors: Brown Ryan L. , Alegria Katie E. , Hamlat Elissa , Tomiyama A. Janet , Laraia Barbara , Crimmins Eileen M. , Moffitt Terrie E. , Epel Elissa S.
Published: July 2024

Importance

Low childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is a social hallmark of aging that contributes to adult health disparities and earlier morbidity and mortality. Childhood perceptions of stress are associated with child health outcomes and may contribute to premature biological aging into adulthood.

Objective

To describe the association of childhood SES and perceived stress with midlife insulin resistance and epigenetic age and to explore whether late adolescent adiposity mediates the observed associations.

Design, Setting, and Participants

The longitudinal cohort National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Growth and Health Study enrolled girls aged 10 years from January 1987 to May 1988, and followed them up to 19 years of age. Participants from Richmond, California, were recruited again at midlife in 2016 to assess insulin resistance and epigenetic age. Analyses were conducted from August 2, 2023, to March 18, 2024. A total of 433 participants were eligible and included in the analyses (specific sample sizes ranged across analyses from 303 to 391).

Exposures

Childhood levels of SES at 10 years of age (parental educational level and income) and perceived stress at 11 years of age.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The hypotheses tested were formulated after data collection. Outcomes included the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and the GrimAge and DunedinPACE epigenetic clocks. Waist circumference in late adolescence was tested as a mediator.

Results

Among the 433 participants, the mean (SD) age was 39.4 (1.2) years; 218 (50.3%) were Black and 215 (49.7%) were White; and 135 (31.2%) had parents with a college degree or higher. Higher parental educational level was associated with lower HOMA-IR (B = −0.22 [95% CI, −0.41 to −0.02]; P = .03), lower midlife GrimAge (B = −1.76 [95% CI, −2.85 to −0.66] years; P = .002), and slower midlife DunedinPACE (B = −0.03 [95% CI, −6.29 to −0.002]; P = .04). Childhood perceived stress was indirectly associated through late adolescent adiposity with midlife HOMA-IR (B = 0.01 [95% CI, 0.001-0.01]; P = .02) and midlife GrimAge (B = 0.02 [95% CI, 0.003-0.04] years; P = .01).

Conclusions and Relevance

In this longitudinal cohort study of midlife health and aging, childhood social hallmarks of aging were associated with midlife insulin resistance and epigenetic age (GrimAge and DunedinPACE). Future studies should identify malleable factors that may slow the impact of social hallmarks of aging.
Using reaction time procedures to assess implicit attitudes toward violence in a nonconvicted male sample
Authors: Maimone Sacha , Seto Michael C. , Ahmed Adekunle G. , Nunes Kevin L.
Published: July 2024

In this study, we sought to capture implicit attitudes toward violence by administering response latency measures. We then examined their associations with explicit (e.g., assessed with self‐report) attitudes toward violence and self‐reported violent behavior in a combined sample of males from a Canadian university and males from the general community (N = 251; 156 students and 95 community members). To date, there have been mixed findings regarding these associations; some of this inconsistency may be due to the difficulty in accurately conceptualizing and assessing implicit attitudes toward violence. Therefore, we administered three response latency measures to assess this construct: a violence evaluation implicit association test (VE‐IAT), a personalized VE‐IAT (P‐VE‐IAT), and a violence evaluation relational responding task, along with three self‐report measures of explicit attitudes toward violence and three self‐report measures of violent behavior. More positive implicit attitudes toward violence were related to more positive explicit attitudes toward violence (for VE‐IAT and P‐VE‐IAT; r = 0.18 to 0.22), greater likelihood of violence (for VE‐IAT; r = 0.18 and for P‐VE‐IAT; r = 0.16), and greater propensity for violence (for the VE‐IAT; r = 0.16). All measures of explicit attitudes toward violence and violent behavior were moderately to strongly associated with one another (r = 0.42 to 0.81). Furthermore, implicit attitudes toward violence explained additional variance in some violent outcomes above explicit attitudes alone. Our findings suggest that scores on certain reaction time measures are important for understanding likelihood and propensity for violence, especially when combined with explicit attitude measures.
Spinal Cord Injury Associated Disease of the Skeleton, an Unresolved Problem with Need for Multimodal Interventions
Authors: Echevarria‐Cruz Evelyn , McMillan David W. , Reid Kieran F. , Valderrábano Rodrigo J.
Published: July 2024

Spinal cord injury is associated with skeletal unloading, sedentary behavior, decreases in skeletal muscle mass, and exercise intolerance, which results in rapid and severe bone loss. To date, monotherapy with physical interventions such as weight‐bearing in standing frames, computer‐controlled electrically stimulated cycling and ambulation exercise, and low‐intensity vibration are unsuccessful in maintaining bone density after SCI. Strategies to maintain bone density with commonly used osteoporosis medications also fail to provide a significant clinical benefit, potentially due to a unique pathology of bone deterioration in SCI. In this review, the available data is discussed on evaluating and monitoring bone loss, fracture, and physical and pharmacological therapeutic approaches to SCI‐associated disease of the skeleton. The treatment of SCI‐associated disease of the skeleton, the implications for clinical management, and areas of need are considered for future investigation.
Gold Nanoparticle Transport in the Injured Kidneys with Elevated Renal Function Biomarkers
Authors: Ning Xuhui , Zhong Yuncheng , Cai Qi , Wang Yaohong , Jia Xun , Hsieh Jer‐Tsong , Zheng Jie , Yu Mengxiao
Published: July 2024

Renal function biomarkers such as serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) and creatinine (Cr) serve as key indicators for guiding clinical decisions before administering kidney‐excreted small‐molecule agents. With engineered nanoparticles increasingly designed to be renally clearable to expedite their clinical translation, understanding the relationship between renal function biomarkers and nanoparticle transport in diseased kidneys becomes crucial to their biosafety in future clinical applications. In this study, renal‐clearable gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are used as X‐ray contrast agents to noninvasively track their transport and retention in cisplatin‐injured kidneys with varying BUN and Cr levels. The findings reveal that AuNP transport is significantly slowed in the medulla of severely injured kidneys, with BUN and Cr levels elevated to 10 times normal. In mildly injured kidneys, where BUN and Cr levels only four to five times higher than normal, AuNP transport and retention are not predictable by BUN and Cr levels but correlate strongly with the degree of tubular injury due to the formation of gold–protein casts in the Henle's loop of the medulla. These results underscore the need for caution when employing renal‐clearable nanomedicines in compromised kidneys and highlight the potential of renal‐clearable AuNPs as X‐ray probes for assessing kidney injuries noninvasively.