bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The structure of cinnamic acid and cinnamoyl azides, a unique localized π system: The electronic spectra and DFT‐treatment
Authors: Abu‐Eittah Rafie H. , Khedr M. K. , Goma M. , Zordok W.
Published: May 2011

The electronic absorption spectra of cinnamic acid and some cinnamoyl azides have been recorded in absolute methanol and investigated to explore the structure of the titled compounds. Cinnamic acid and its derivatives have a double bond, CC, between the aromatic ring and the carboxyl group which disturbs the π electron system of the molecule and inhibits electron delocalization as compared with styrene or benzoic acid. The azide group is neither a strong electron donor nor a strong electron acceptor but it increases conjugation in the molecule. The observed spectra confirm that each of the cinnamic acid and cinnamoyl azide molecules is one of a kind of unique disturbed π‐system and not of different independent π systems, each on a fragment of the molecule as predicted by the quantum theory of atom in molecule calculations. The spectra of cinnamic acid and its derivatives are not the additive spectra of the different fragments of the molecule. The spectra are characterized by few number, low intensity, and high‐energy electronic transitions (absorption bands) in the UV‐vis region. Molecular orbital calculations confirmed the spectral observations. The optimized geometry of the ground state of the studied compounds is calculated using the DFT/B3LYP/6‐31G** level of theory and an explicit molecular orbital analysis is carried out. Excited states are calculated using the TD/DFT procedure as implemented by the Gamess 2009 package of programs. The correspondence between calculated and the observed transition energies is adequate. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2012
A family of H∞ controllers for dissipative Hamiltonian systems
Authors: Xu Song , Hou Xiaorong
Published: May 2011

Using structure properties of dissipative Hamiltonian systems, this paper investigates the parameterization problem of Hinfty controllers for such systems. A family of H∞ controllers with full information is first obtained by interconnecting an H∞ controller with a generalized zero‐energy‐gradient (ZEG) detectable, free generalized Hamiltonian system. Then, a family of H∞ controllers with partial information is presented in terms of the solution to an inequality only in 2n independent variables (twice as many as the one used to characterize the state feedback) and without imposing an additional cascade condition. Both of the parameterization methods avoid solving Hamilton–Jacobi–Issacs equations (or inequalities), and thus the proposed controllers are relatively simple in form and easy in operation. Numerical experiments show the effectiveness and feasibility of the proposed methods. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis and characterization of highly acetylated sago starch
Authors: Singh Akhilesh V. , Nath Lila K. , Guha Manisha
Published: May 2011

This study was carried out to understand and establish the changes in physicochemical parameters of sago starch after acetylation. Highly substituted starch acetate was prepared by reaction with native sago starch and acetic anhydride in organic solvent. Their formation was confirmed by the titrimetric analysis and FT‐IR. The presence of absorption band in FT‐IR at 1748 cm−1 confirmed the carbonyl group attachment. The thermal behavior of native and acetyl substituted sago starch was investigated using thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) and DSC. The results reveal that highly substituted starch acetate was more thermally stable as compared to native form. The XRD patterns showed loss of crystalline nature and its transformation into amorphous form. The SEM study suggested that the smooth surfaces of starch granules were changed into fibrous form after acetylation.
Optimal reduction of inelastic seismic demands in high‐rise reinforced concrete core wall buildings using energy‐dissipating devices
Authors: Munir A. , Warnitchai P.
Published: May 2011

Recently, the issue of large inelastic seismic force demands at severe ground shakings such as maximum considered earthquake level has been highlighted in the conventionally designed high‐rise reinforced concrete core wall buildings. Uncoupled modal response history analysis was used in this study to identify the modes responsible for the large inelastic seismic force demands. The identification of dominant modes and mean elastic design spectra of seven representative ground motions for different damping ratios has led to the identification of three control measures: plastic hinges (PHs), buckling‐restrained braces (BRBs) and fluid viscous dampers (FVDs). The identified control measures were designed to suppress the dominant modes responsible for the large inelastic seismic force demands. A case‐study building was examined in detail. Comparison of the modal as well as the total responses of the case‐study building with and without the control measures shows that all the control measures were effective and able to reduce the inelastic seismic demands. A reduction of 33%, 22% and 27% in the inelastic shear demand at the base and a reduction of 60%, 22% and 26% in the inelastic moment demand at mid‐height were achieved using the PHs, BRBs and FVDs, respectively. Furthermore, a reduction of about 30–40% in the inelastic seismic deformation demands was achieved for the case of the BRBs and FVDs. The study enables us to gain insight to the complex inelastic behavior of high‐rise wall buildings with and without the control measures. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Acute toxicity and superficial damage to goldfish from the ionic liquid 1‐methyl‐3‐octylimidazolium bromide
Authors: Li Xiao‐Yu , Zeng Shi‐Hu , Zhang Wei‐Hong , Liu Li , Ma Shuai , Wang Jian‐Ji
Published: May 2011

In the present study, goldfish toxicity and superficial damage from 1‐methyl‐3‐octylimidazolium bromide ([C8mim]Br) exposure were evaluated by an acute toxicity test. These results show that the 24‐h 50% lethal concentration for [C8mim]Br in goldfish is 244 mg L−1, and this indicates that [C8mim]Br is a chemical with moderate or low toxicity to organisms. Scanning electronic microscope and histological observations revealed that acute exposure to [C8mim]Br induced obvious superficial damage to the skin, gill filaments, and intestinal villi of the goldfish, and this suggests that the skin, gills, and intestines may be the first direct targets of the ionic liquid in this fish. Histological examination also indicated that [C8mim]Br‐exposure caused damage to the goldfish's hepatopancreas and kidney, consisting mainly of hepatic cords in a loose connection, hepatic cytoplasmic vacuolation, renal parenchyma vacuolization, and intumescence of the renal tubule. In addition, we found that [C8mim]Br caused a significant increase in malondialdehyde (MDA) level in the hepatopancreases from these goldfish, and thus we suggest that the MDA level may be a biomarker of [C8mim]Br‐toxicity in goldfish. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol, 2013.
Potential synthesis of poly(1,2‐dichloroethylene) via a ring‐opening metathesis polymerization
Authors: Ge Xianlong , Starnes William H.
Published: May 2011

The preparation of poly(1,2‐dichloroethylene), an unknown material that has been expected to be a superb engineering thermoplastic, was explored. The ring‐opening metathesis polymerization of cis‐3,4‐dichlorocyclobutene quantitatively yielded a white linear polymer with CHClCHClCHCH repeating units. However, its subsequent addition chlorination could not be made to occur to a detectable level. Steric hindrance and/or electronic deactivation due to the inductive effect of Cl apparently made the chlorination impossible. Furthermore, thermal degradation studies of a series of model compounds indicated that polymers containing (CHCl)n (n ≥ 3) structures would have low thermal stabilities. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Effect of nanocalcium carbonate on the impact strength and accelerated weatherability of rigid poly(vinyl chloride)/acrylic impact modifier
Authors: Chetanachan Wilaiporn , Sutthitavil Wannee , Chomcheuy Wanya
Published: May 2011

Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) composites filled with nano‐ and micro‐CaCO3 particles were prepared via a melt blending method. Transmission electron microscopy images revealed better dispersion of nano‐CaCO3 than micro‐CaCO3 in the PVC matrix. With more than 5 phr (parts per 100 parts of resin) of nano‐CaCO3 content, both impact strength and heat stability were improved. Accelerated weathering tests were performed to investigate UV stability. The impact strength and white index obtained upon weathering exposure of PVC/(80 μm CaCO3) nanocomposites showed a significant improvement upon incorporating nano‐CaCO3. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 2011. © 2011 Society of Plastics Engineers
Compositional and Structural Studies of the Major and Minor Components in Three Cameroonian Seed Oils by GC–MS, ESI‐FTICR‐MS and HPLC
Authors: Yeboah Samuel Owusu , Mitei Yulita Chebotip , Ngila Jane Catherine , Wessjohann Ludger , Schmidt Juergen
Published: May 2011

The lipid components of three Cameroonian seed oils, ke tchock (Aframomum arundinaceum), njangsa (Ricinodendron heudelotii) and calabash nutmeg (Monodora myristica), have been investigated. Gas chromatography (GC)–mass spectrometry (MS) fatty acid (FA) analysis showed M. myristica seed oil to be dominated by linoleic (49.29%) and oleic (37.17%) acids; R. heudelotii was mainly linoleic (58.73%), followed by stearic (15.00%) and oleic (14.21%) acids; A. arundinaceum was predominantly oleic (65.76%) and palmitic (20.36%) acids. Electrospray ionization (ESI)‐Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR)‐MS analysis showed seven major triacylglycerol (TAG) classes for M. myristica, with C54:5, C54:4 and C54:6 dominating. R. heudelotii had eight major TAG classes with C54:8, C54:7 and C54:6 being most abundant. A. arundinaceum also had eight major TAG classes with C52:2, C54:3 and C50:2 dominating. 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis of the TAGs showed that both sn‐1,3 and sn‐2 positions were predominantly occupied by linoleoyl and oleoyl chains. High‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fluorescence detector (FLD) analysis showed that M. myristica contained only α‐ and β‐tocopherols (195.40 and 73.95 µg/g, respectively), R. heudelotii contained mainly γ‐tocopherol (289.40 µg/g), and A. arundinaceum had mainly γ‐ and β‐tocopherols (236.78 and 124.93 µg/g, respectively). GC–MS analysis of the unsaponifiable matter showed that β‐sitosterol was the most abundant phytosterol in all three seed oils. The absolute amounts of 4‐desmethylsterols were 196.15, 608.71 and 362.15 µg/g for M. myristica, R. heudelotii and A. arundinaceum seed oils, respectively. These compositional and structural studies provide justification for the use of all three seed oils in food products.
West African Poetry
Authors: Fraser Robert
Published: May 2011

Previous studies of African poetry have tended to concentrate either on its political content or on its relationship to various European schools. This book examines West African poetry in English and French against the background of oral poetry in the vernacular. Do the roots of such poetry lie in Africa or in Europe? In committing their work to writing, do poets lose more than they gain? Can the immediacy of oral performance ever be recovered? Robert Fraser's account of two centuries of West African verse examines its subjugation to a succession of international styles: from the heroic couplet to the austerity of experimental Modernism. Successive chapters take us through the Négritude movement and the emergence of anglophone free verse in the 1950s to the rediscovery in recent years of the neglected springs of orality, which is the subject of the concluding chapter.
Literacy and Popular Culture
Authors: Vincent David
Published: May 2011

In l750, half the population were unable to sign their names; by l9l4 England, together with a handful of advanced Western countries, had for the first time in history achieved a nominally literate society. This book seeks to understand how and why literacy spread into every corner of English society, and what impact it had on the lives and minds of the common people.
Victory in the East
Authors: France John
Published: May 2011

The success of the First Crusade, and its capture of Jerusalem in 1099, has been conventionally explained in terms of its ideological and political motivation. This book looks at the First Crusade primarily as a military campaign and asks why it was so successful. Modern writing about the crusade has tended to emphasise the moral dimension and the development of the idea of the crusade, but its fate was ultimately decided on the field of battle. Victory in the East looks at the nature of war at the end of the eleventh century and the military experience of all the contending parties in order to explain its extraordinary success. It is the first such examination, taking into account all other factors but emphasising the military.
Classification, Evolution, and the Nature of Biology
Authors: Panchen Alec L.
Published: May 2011

Historically, naturalists who proposed theories of evolution, including Darwin and Wallace, did so in order to explain the apparent relationship of natural classification. This book begins by exploring the intimate historical relationship between patterns of classification and patterns of phylogeny. However, it is a circular argument to use the data for classification. Alec Panchen presents other evidence for evolution in the form of a historically based but rigorously logical argument. This is followed by a history of methods of classification and phylogeny reconstruction including current mathematical and molecular techniques. The author makes the important claim that if the hierarchical pattern of classification is a real phenomenon, then biology is unique as a science in making taxonomic statements. This conclusion is reached by way of historical reviews of theories of evolutionary mechanism and the philosophy of science as applied to biology. The book is addressed to biologists, particularly taxonomists, concerned with the history and philosophy of their subject, and to philosophers of science concerned with biology. It is also an important source book on methods of classification and the logic of evolutionary theory for students, professional biologists, and paleontologists.
The Poet's Voice
Authors: Goldhill Simon
Published: May 2011

'The project of this book', writes the author in his Preface, 'is to investigate how poetry and the figure of the poet are represented, discussed, contested within the poetry of ancient Greece'. Dr Goldhill seeks to discover how ancient authors broached the questions: From what position does a poet speak? With what authority? With what debts to the past? With what involvement in the present? Through a series of interrelated essays on Homer, lyric poetry, Aristophanes, Theocritus and Apollonius of Rhodes, key aspects in the history of poetics are discussed: tale-telling and the representation of man as the user of language; memorial and praise; parody, comedy and carnival; irony, masks and desire; the legacy of the past and the idea of influence. Detailed readings of major works of Greek literature show how richly rewarding and revealing this approach can be. The author makes liberal use of critical writings from areas of study other than Classics and focuses on problems central to contemporary critical debate. His book is uniquely placed to bring together modern and ancient poetics in a way that is enlightening for both. The work is written as much for the serious scholar of literary criticism as for the Classicist, and all Greek is translated.
The Voyage of François Pyrard of Laval to the East Indies, the Maldives, the Moluccas and Brazil
Authors: Pyrard François
Published: May 2011

The publications of the Hakluyt Society (founded in 1846) made available edited early accounts of exploration. The first series, which ran from 1847 to 1899, consists of 100 books containing published or previously unpublished works by authors from Christopher Columbus to Sir Francis Drake, and covering voyages to the New World, to China and Japan, to Russia and to Africa and India. Shipwrecked on the Maldives in 1602–1607, Pyrard de Laval learnt the local language and studied the culture, flora and fauna of the islands. On his escape to Goa he continued his cultural investigations in Portuguese India, before returning to France by way of Saint Helena and Brazil in 1611. His book, which included practical advice for French traders travelling to Asia and a phrase book for visitors to the Maldives, was an immediate success. This three-volume translation of the 1619 edition appeared in 1887–1890.
Food, Sacrifice, and Sagehood in Early China
Authors: Sterckx Roel
Published: May 2011

In ancient China, the preparation of food and the offering up of food as a religious sacrifice were intimately connected with models of sagehood and ideas of self-cultivation and morality. Drawing on received and newly excavated written sources, Roel Sterckx's book explores how this vibrant culture influenced the ways in which the early Chinese explained the workings of the human senses, and the role of sensory experience in communicating with the spirit world. The book, which begins with a survey of dietary culture from the Zhou to the Han, offers intriguing insights into the ritual preparation of food - some butchers and cooks were highly regarded and would rise to positions of influence as a result of their culinary skills - and the sacrificial ceremony itself. As a major contribution to the study of early China and to the development of philosophical thought, the book will be essential reading for students of the period, and for anyone interested in ritual and religion in the ancient world.
Classical Measurements in Curved Space-Times
Authors: de Felice Fernando , Bini Donato
Published: May 2011

The theory of relativity describes the laws of physics in a given space-time. However, a physical theory must provide observational predictions expressed in terms of measurements, which are the outcome of practical experiments and observations. Ideal for readers with a mathematical background and a basic knowledge of relativity, this book will help readers understand the physics behind the mathematical formalism of the theory of relativity. It explores the informative power of the theory of relativity, and highlights its uses in space physics, astrophysics and cosmology. Readers are given the tools to pick out from the mathematical formalism those quantities that have physical meaning and which can therefore be the result of a measurement. The book considers the complications that arise through the interpretation of a measurement, which is dependent on the observer who performs it. Specific examples of this are given to highlight the awkwardness of the problem.
River Discharge to the Coastal Ocean
Authors: Milliman John D. , Farnsworth Katherine L.
Published: May 2011

Rivers provide the primary link between land and sea. Utilizing the world's largest database, this book presents a detailed analysis and synthesis of the processes affecting fluvial discharge of water, sediment and dissolved solids. It also discusses the ways in which climatic variation, episodic events and anthropogenic activities – past, present and future – affect the quantity and quality of river discharge. The book contains more than 165 figures – many in full color – including global and regional maps. An extensive appendix presents the 1534-river database as a series of 44 tables that provide quantitative data regarding the discharge of water, sediment and dissolved solids. The complete database is also presented within a GIS-based package available online at www.cambridge.org/milliman. Now available in paperback, reprinted with corrections, this is an invaluable resource for researchers, professionals and graduate students in hydrology, oceanography, geology, geomorphology and environmental policy.
The Lawyer-Judge Bias in the American Legal System
Authors: Barton Benjamin H.
Published: May 2011

Virtually all American judges are former lawyers. This book argues that these lawyer-judges instinctively favor the legal profession in their decisions and that this bias has far-reaching and deleterious effects on American law. There are many reasons for this bias, some obvious and some subtle. Fundamentally, it occurs because - regardless of political affiliation, race, or gender - every American judge shares a single characteristic: a career as a lawyer. This shared background results in the lawyer-judge bias. The book begins with a theoretical explanation of why judges naturally favor the interests of the legal profession and follows with case law examples from diverse areas, including legal ethics, criminal procedure, constitutional law, torts, evidence, and the business of law. The book closes with a case study of the Enron fiasco, an argument that the lawyer-judge bias has contributed to the overweening complexity of American law, and suggests some possible solutions.
Opera in the Novel from Balzac to Proust
Authors: Newark Cormac
Published: May 2011

The turning point of Madame Bovary, which Flaubert memorably set at the opera, is only the most famous example of a surprisingly long tradition, one common to a range of French literary styles and sub-genres. In the first book-length study of that tradition to appear in English, Cormac Newark examines representations of operatic performance from Balzac's La Comédie humaine to Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu, by way of (among others) Dumas père's Le Comte de Monte-Cristo and Leroux's Le Fantôme de l'Opéra. Attentive to textual and musical detail alike in the works, the study also delves deep into their reception contexts. The result is a compelling cultural-historical account: of changing ways of making sense of operatic experience from the 1820s to the 1920s, and of a perennial writerly fascination with the recording of that experience.
Protective effects of leptin during the suckling period against later obesity may be associated with changes in promoter methylation of the hypothalamic pro-opiomelanocortin gene
Authors: Palou M. , Picó Catalina , McKay J. A. , Sánchez J. , Priego T. , Mathers J. C. , Palou A.
Published: May 2011

Leptin supplementation of neonatal rats during the suckling period protects against being overweight in adulthood and ameliorates the control of food intake. This was associated with changes in the expression of hypothalamic genes involved in the central action of leptin: pro-opiomelanocortin (Pomc), leptin receptor (Lepr) and suppressor of cytokine signalling (Socs3). The purpose of the present study was to determine the methylation status within the promoter regions of these genes and to assess whether the observed changes in the expression levels of these genes could be explained by changes in their methylation status. Male rats were treated daily with an oral physiological dose of leptin or vehicle during the suckling period. After weaning, animals were fed with a normal-fat or a high-fat (HF) diet until aged 6 months. DNA was extracted from the hypothalamus and methylation within the promoter regions of the gene panel was measured by pyrosequencing. Pomc promoter methylation increased in control animals fed the HF diet but decreased in leptin-treated animals. In addition, there was a weak negative correlation between DNA methylation and POMC mRNA levels (P = 0·075). There were no changes in the methylation status of the CpG sites studied within the promoter regions of Lepr and Socs3 in response to leptin or HF treatments. This is the first demonstration that leptin treatment during lactation may programme methylation of an appetite-related gene in the hypothalamus of animals fed HF diets, with possible implications for gene expression and protection against the development of obesity.
Effects of viscosity and fermentability of dietary fibre on nutrient digestibility and digesta characteristics in ileal-cannulated grower pigs
Authors: Hooda Seema , Metzler-Zebeli Barbara U. , Vasanthan Thavaratnam , Zijlstra Ruurd T.
Published: May 2011

Relative contributions of two functional properties, viscosity and fermentability of dietary fibre, on apparent ileal digestibility (AID), apparent total tract digestibility (ATTD), digesta passage rate, N retention and SCFA concentration have not been established. Thus, eight ileal-cannulated pigs randomised in a double 4 × 4 Latin square were fed four diets based on maize starch and casein supplemented with 5 % of actual fibre in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement: low-fermentable, low-viscous cellulose (CEL); low-fermentable, high-viscous carboxymethylcellulose (CMC); high-fermentable, low-viscous oat β-glucan (LBG); high-fermentable, high-viscous oat β-glucan (HBG). Viscosity and fermentability interacted to affect (P < 0·001) digesta viscosity and AID and ATTD of nutrients. These properties tended to interact to affect (P < 0·10) digesta passage rate and butyrate. Pigs fed the CMC diet had the lowest (P < 0·05) digesta passage rate and the highest (P < 0·001) AID of energy, crude protein and DM, and ATTD of energy and DM. Post-ileal DM digestibility was highest (P < 0·001) for pigs fed the CEL and HBG diets. Post-ileal DM digestibility had a negative, curvilinear relationship with the AID of energy and crude protein (R2 0·85 and 0·72, respectively; P < 0·001). Digesta viscosity had a less strong relationship with the AID of energy and crude protein (R2 0·45 and 0·36, respectively; P < 0·001). In conclusion, high-viscous, low-fermentable dietary fibre increases the proportion of a diet that is digested in the small intestine by reducing digesta passage rate.
Insect food for astronauts: gas exchange in silkworms fed on mulberry and lettuce and the nutritional value of these insects for human consumption during deep space flights
Authors: Tong L. , Yu X. , Liu H.
Published: May 2011

In this study, silkworm moth (Bombyx moriL.) larvae were regarded as an animal protein source for astronauts in the bioregenerative life support system during long-term deep space exploration in the future. They were fed with mulberry and stem lettuce leaves during the first three instars and the last two instars, respectively. In addition, this kind of environmental approach, which utilised inedible biomass of plants to produce animal protein of high quality, can likewise be applied terrestrially to provide food for people living in extreme environments and/or impoverished agro-ecosystems, such as in polar regions, isolated military bases, ships, submarines, etc.

Respiration characteristics of the larvae during development under two main physiological conditions, namely eating and not-eating of leaves, were studied. Nutrient compositions of silkworm powder (SP), ground and freeze-dried silkworms on the 3rd day of the 5th instar larvae, including protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and fatty acids, were measured using international standard methods.

Silkworms’ respiration rates, measured when larvae were eating mulberry leaves, were higher than those of similar larvae that hadn't eaten such leaves. There was a significant difference between silkworms fed on mulberry leaves and those fed on stem lettuce in the 4th and 5th instars (P<0.01). Amounts of CO2exhaled by the silkworms under the two physiological regimes differed from each other (P<0.01). There was also a significant difference between the amount of O2inhaled when the insects were under the two physiological statuses (P<0.01). Moreover, silkworms’ respiration quotient under the eating regime was larger than when under the not-eating regime. The SP was found to be rich in protein and amino acids in total; 12 essential vitamins, nine minerals and twelve fatty acids were detected. Moreover, 359 kcal could be generated per 100 gram of SP (dry weight).
Assessing the effectiveness of Madagascar’s changing protected areas system: a case study of threatened Boraginales
Authors: Miller James S. , Porter Morgan Holly A.
Published: May 2011

Threat analyses of the Boraginales were conducted and used to assess the effectiveness of Madagascar’s current and proposed protected area systems in conserving the threatened species of a group of plants widespread in Madagascar. Specimen locality data for 52 species of four families of Boraginales were analysed to provisionally assign species to IUCN Red List categories. Six species were excluded from these global analyses as they are non-native and introduced. IUCN’s criterion B, analysis of geographical range, was found to be the most reliable means of estimating threat, and predicted future decline was found to overestimate threat. Twenty-six of the 46 native species of Boraginales were found to be threatened. Sixty-five percent of these have portions of their ranges in the 2002 protected areas system. When the protected areas system was expanded in 2006 the percentage of species with some protected populations increased to 78%. More than 93% would be protected if a series of proposed priority areas for plant conservation were protected. The implications of these analyses for the conservation of plant species in Madagascar are discussed.
Population densities of understorey birds across a habitat gradient in Palawan, Philippines: implications for conservation
Authors: Mallari N.A.D. , Collar N.J. , Lee D.C. , McGowan P.J.K. , Wilkinson R. , Marsden S.J.
Published: May 2011

There is widespread concern for many understorey and ground-dwelling bird species in the Philippines that appear intolerant of forest alteration. We present density estimates for 18 key bird species in old growth forest, advanced and early secondary growth and active cultivation within the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park in Palawan. Six species were not recorded in cultivation and the abundance of these and several others increased along the successional gradient from cultivation to old growth forest. Eleven species, including five endemics and three of four threatened species, had highest density estimates in old growth forest. However, several species had high density estimates in the heavily disturbed habitats and every habitat type held highest densities of at least one of the bird species. The commonest habitat association across the bird community was a preference for areas containing large trees, indicating the importance of retention of such trees in allowing suitable ground and understorey microhabitats to persist. Old growth forests have the highest conservation value for Palawan’s endemic birds and, while some species thrive in the anthropogenic habitats that occur within the Park, the present extent of cultivation and associated successional stages within its boundaries should not be increased. We caution against extrapolation of the abundance figures from the Park to the whole island but we suggest that population sizes for the threatened species are likely to be much greater than previously thought. We urge authorities to strengthen management within the protected area network in Palawan to ensure survival of key species.
Regulation of fusion of the nucleolar precursor bodies following activation of mouse oocytes: roles of the maturation-promoting factors and mitogen-activated protein kinases
Authors: Li Jing-Jing , Lian Hua-Yu , Zhang Si-Yu , Cui Wei , Sui Hong-Shu , Han Dong , Liu Na , Tan Jing-He
Published: May 2011

Fusion of nucleoli or nucleolus precursor bodies (NPBs) has been observed during somatic cell interphase and pronuclear development of human zygotes; however, the underlying mechanism is unknown. NPB fusion and its regulation by mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and maturation-promoting factor (MPF) were studied in activated mouse oocytes. Small NPBs appeared about 4 h after ethanol activation, and took about 1.5 h to fuse into a large NPB, which persisted for about 10 h before disappearance. Analysis of the temporal windows for kinase action indicated that a high MAPK activity during the first 2 h and a low MPF activity during the first 3–4 h after activation were essential for subsequent NPB fusion. A preactivation decline in MAPK activity was associated with decreased NPB fusion following activation of aged oocytes. While MAPK inactivation by regulator U0126 prevented NPB fusion in oocytes activated by ethanol or 5 min Sr2+treatments, it had no effect on oocytes fertilized or activated by 6 h Sr2+treatment. In most cases, while rates of pronuclear formation did not differ, rates of NPB fusion differed significantly between different treatments. Our results suggest that: (i) the MAPK and MPF activities at the initial stage of activation regulate NPB fusion after pronuclear formation; (ii) pronuclear assembly and NPB fusion are two separable events that might be controlled by different mechanisms; and (iii) high MAPK activity and low MPF activity at the initial stage of activation is essential for NPB fusion when only one calcium rise is induced by ethanol, while inhibition of MAPK activity does not affect NPB fusion when the repetitive intracellular Ca2+rises are induced after fertilization.
Socio-economic differences in weight-control behaviours and barriers to weight control
Authors: Siu Jessica , Giskes Katrina , Turrell Gavin
Published: May 2011

Objective

To examine socio-economic differences in weight-control behaviours (WCB) and barriers to weight control.

Design

A cross-sectional study.

Setting

Data were obtained by means of a postal questionnaire.

Subjects

A total of 1013 men and women aged 45–60 years residing in Brisbane, Australia (69·8 % response rate).

Results

Binary and multinomial logistic regression analyses were performed, adjusted for age, gender and BMI. Socio-economically disadvantaged groups were less likely to engage in weight control (OR for lowest income quartile = 0·60, 95 % CI 0·39, 0·94); among those who engaged in weight control, the disadvantaged group had a likelihood of 0·52 (95 % CI 0·30, 0·90) of adopting exercise strategies, including moderate (OR = 0·56, 95 % CI 0·33, 0·96) and vigorous (OR = 0·47, 95 % CI 0·25, 0·89) physical activities, compared with their more-advantaged counterparts. However, lower socio-economic groups were more likely to decrease their sitting time to control their weight compared with their advantaged counterparts (OR for secondary school or lower education = 1·78, 95 % CI 1·11, 2·84). They were also more likely to believe that losing weight was expensive, not of high priority, required a lot of cooking skills and involved eating differently from others in the household.

Conclusions

Marked socio-economic inequalities existed with regard to engaging in WCB, the type of weight-control strategies used and the perceived barriers to weight control; these differences are consistent with socio-economic gradients in weight status. These factors may need to be included in health promotion strategies that address socio-economic inequalities in weight status, as well as inequalities in weight-related health outcomes.
Dietary patterns and their association with obesity and sociodemographic factors in a national sample of Lebanese adults
Authors: Naja Farah , Nasreddine Lara , Itani Leila , Chamieh Marie Claire , Adra Nada , Sibai Abla Mehio , Hwalla Nahla
Published: May 2011

Objective

To identify and characterize dietary patterns in Lebanon and assess their association with sociodemographic factors, BMI and waist circumference (WC).

Design

A cross-sectional population-based survey. In a face-to-face interview, participants completed a brief sociodemographic and semiquantitative FFQ. In addition, anthropometric measurements were obtained following standard techniques. Dietary patterns were identified by factor analysis. Multivariate linear regression was used to assess determinants of the various patterns and their association with BMI and WC.

Setting

National Nutrition and Non-Communicable Disease Risk Factor Survey (2009), Lebanon.

Subjects

A nationally representative sample of 2048 Lebanese adults aged 20–55 years.

Results

Four dietary patterns were identified: ‘Western’, ‘Traditional Lebanese’, ‘Prudent’ and ‘Fish and alcohol’. Factor scores of the identified patterns increased with age, except for the Western pattern in which a negative association was noted. Women had higher scores for the prudent pattern. Adults with higher levels of education had significantly higher scores for the prudent pattern. The frequency of breakfast consumption was significantly associated with scores of both traditional Lebanese and prudent patterns. Multivariate-adjusted analysis revealed a positive association between scores of the Western pattern and the BMI and WC of study participants.

Conclusions

The findings show the presence of four distinct dietary patterns in the Lebanese population, which were associated with age, sex, education and meal pattern. Only the Western pattern was associated with higher BMI.
Experiences of truth disclosure in terminally ill cancer patients in palliative home care
Authors: Friedrichsen Maria , Lindholm Ann , Milberg Anna
Published: May 2011

Objective:

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and preferences of terminally ill cancer patients regarding truth telling in the communication of poor prognoses.

Method:

We recorded and transcribed interviews with 45 patients who knew their cancer was terminal, and analyzed their responses hermeneutically.

Results:

Patients identified three different modes of truth: (1) the absolute objective truth that they are dying; (2) the partial truth about their condition including some facts but not all of the details; and (3) the desired truth, originating in the patient's own beliefs about a healthy or better life. Coping strategies were related to patients’ preferred mode of truth: (1) facing the truth in order to take action; (2) facing some parts of the truth in order to maintain hope; and (3) hovering between facing and avoiding the truth. In their struggle for existential survival, patients used different coping strategies, changing from one to another depending upon the circumstances.

Significance of results:

Varying use of different coping strategies impacts on patient preferences concerning communication about bad news with their doctors. Truth-telling entails more than merely providing information related to the forthcoming death. It also concerns how physicians or other healthcare staff can support the patient's existential survival by fine-tuning the communication of “truth” according to the individuals’ preferences.
Palliative care referral practices and perceptions: The divide between metropolitan and non-metropolitan general practitioners
Authors: Johnson Claire E. , Girgis Afaf , Paul Christine L. , Currow David C.
Published: May 2011

Objective:

Late or non-referral of patients to specialist palliative care (SPC) services may affect patients' and their carers' quality of care. General practitioners (GPs) are key professionals in linking people with SPC. The aim of this article is to assess GPs' perceptions and SPC referrals for their patients with advanced cancer and differences between metropolitan (M GPs) and non-metropolitan GPs (NM GPs).

Method:

Self-report survey mailed to a stratified random sample of 1,680 Australian GPs was used.

Results:

Thirty-one percent (469) of eligible GPs returned surveys. More M GPs than NM GPs reported referring >60% of their patients for SPC (p = 0.014); and that a more comprehensive range of SPC services was available. The most frequently reported referral prompts were: presence of terminal illness (M GPs, 71%, NM GPs, 66%, ns (not significant)); future need for symptom control (69% vs. 59%, ns) and uncontrolled physical symptoms (63% vs. 54%, ns). Reasons for not referring were: doctor's ability to manage symptoms (62% vs. 68%, ns) and the absence of symptoms (29% vs. 18%, p = 0.025). Higher referral was associated with: having a palliative care physician or consultative service available; agreeing that all patients with advanced cancer should be referred, and agreeing that with SPC, the needs of the family are better met.

Significance of results:

Referrals for SPC were primarily disease-related rather than for psychological and emotional concerns. Measures are needed to encourage referrals based upon psychosocial needs as well as for physical concerns, and to support GPs caring for people with advanced cancer in areas with fewer comprehensive SPC services.
Dynamic Interpretation for Impulsive Deflection Test on Flexible Pavements
Authors: Chang Der-Wen , Chang Chia-Ling
Published: May 2011

In this study, a computer program DBFWD is developed for data analysis of Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) test on flexible pavements. To backcalculate the layer moduli of the pavement, a number of iterative backcalculation schemes were employed with the forward analysis of the Green's flexibility influence functions. The temperature and the moisture influences on material moduli of the asphalt surface and the subgrade soils were considered in the analysis. As the result, the iterative scheme based on the peak deflection ratios was selected to backcalculate the layer moduli of local pavements. Owing to the correction procedure used in the program, interpretations with four original deflections were found more accurate than those with equivalent number of modified deflections. Comparisons of program DBFWD with other static backcalculation programs on theoretical and experimental deflections indicated that dynamic interpretation is more effective in providing the layer modulus information. Despite of the requirements of accurate inputs of the layer thickness and the testing load for the analysis, a generalized application of the program needs to be clarified with model road test in demand.
On the Average Settling Rate of Heavy Particles in Decaying Homogeneous Isotropic Turbulence
Authors: Yang C. Y. , Lei U.
Published: May 2011

The average settling rate of spherical solid particles, 〈vs〉, under a body force field is studied numerically in decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulent flows generated by the direct numerical simulation of the continuity and Navier-Stokes equations. The increase of the average settling rate, 〈Δvs〉, is maximized when Tp/Tk ≈ 1 and vd/u′ ≈ 0.5, and is of order 0.lu′, which is qualitatively similar to that in stationary turbulence. Here 〈Δvs〉 = 〈vs〉 − vd, Tp is the particle's relaxation time, Tk is the Kolmogorov time scale, vd is the settling rate of particles in still fluid, and u′ is the root mean square of the fluid velocity fluctuation. However, the magnitude of the maximum value of 〈Δvs〉 in decaying turbulence is substantially greater (about 40%) than that in the corresponding stationary turbulence due to the inertia response of particles to turbulence decay. Although 〈Δvs〉/u′ does not reach a stationary state as the flow is evolving, it is a slowly time varying function for the parameters of interest as Tp (≈ Tk when 〈Δvs〉 is maximized) is in general of one order less than the time scale of turbulence decay.
Temperature Rise Effect of Viscoelastically Damped Structures Under Strong Earthquake Ground Motions
Authors: Chang K. C. , Tsai M. H. , Chang Y. H. , Lai M. L.
Published: May 2011

Viscoelastic (VE) dampers have been shown to be an effective energy dissipation device for structures subjected to seismic excitations. When a VE damper is under shear deformation, the temperature within the damper material will rise due to the conversion of mechanical energy into heat. The effect of temperature rise in the VE damper on a viscoelastically damped structure may be significant because the damper stiffness can decrease due to the temperature rise in the VE damper and its energy dissipation capacity may reduce under strong earthquake ground motions. This paper is intended to quantify the temperature rise effect. A VE element which can accurately describe the frequency and temperature dependent behavior of the test results of a VE damper is first presented. The effect of temperature rise within the VE material is included. Seismic response analyses of a viscoelastically damped structure which was studied extensively by shaking table tests are carried out by two analytical methods: a frequency domain analysis and a time domain analysis. Both analyses consider the effects of frequency and ambient temperature of the VE dampers. The frequency domain approach is computationally more efficient. However, it neglects the effect of temperature rise in the analysis. The time domain method is computationally less efficient. However, it can explicitly calculate the temperature rise during the earthquake and evaluate its influence on the structural responses. Finally, parametric studies on the effect of temperature rise within the VE damper material on the seismic response of a viscoelastically damped structure are analyzed and its implications on practical applications are discussed.
A New Look at Sylvester's Theorem in Matrix Theory
Authors: Chen Tungyang
Published: May 2011

By diagonalizing a matrix via a similarity transformation, we provide a new and direct proof of Sylvester's theorem in matrix theory. Several known theorems are reconstructed. In some places we offer new connections which are unnoticed in the literature before.
Solidification of a Liquid Metal with Natural Convection in a Thick-Walled Container
Authors: Tien H. C. , Wang C.C.
Published: May 2011

The solidification of a phase change material (PCM), exemplified by a molten metal, in a thick-walled container is analyzed in this paper. The effects of natural convection and several important controlling parameters are investigated extensively. These parameters include the initial temperature of the PCM, external cooling conditions, thickness and thermal properties of the wall, and the thermal contact resistance at the PCM/wall interface. Two representative configurations are examined in this study. A modified version of the enthalpy formulation in which the sensible heat is separated from the latent heat, is employed to construct the energy equation for the PCM. Vorticity-stream-function approach is adopted for solving the flow field. The governing equations pertinent to the problem are discretized by the weighting function scheme and finally solved by the SIS (Strongly Implicit Solver) algorithm. It is demonstrated that for both configurations natural convection has prominent effect on the temperature distribution of the liquid phase of the PCM; however, the effect of natural convection on the shape of the solid/liquid interface and the overall solid fraction is case dependent. It is also shown that the above-mentioned controlling parameters have a direct impact on the solidification process. Specifically, an increase in the Biot number (from 1 to infinity) and the thermal diffusivity of the mold (from 0.8 to 5) enhances the solidification rate. Reverse effect was found for the other controlling parameters.
Performance and Bearing Load Analysis of a Twin Screw Air Compressor
Authors: Lee W. S. , Ma R. H. , Wu W.F. , Chen S.L. , Hsia H.W.
Published: May 2011

To study the performance and estimate the oscillating bearing loads of a twin screw air compressor, a theoretical model is proposed in this paper. Based on the model, a computer simulation program is developed and effects of different design parameters such as rotor profile, geometric clearance, oil injected position, oil temperature, oil flow rate and other operational conditions are investigated. Output variables such as bearing loads, specific power, compression efficiency, volumetric efficiency, discharge temperature are obtained. Some of the results are then compared with experimentally measured data, and good agreements are found between the simulation results and the measured data.