bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Preparation and Characterization of Energetic Nanocomposites of Organic Gel – Inorganic Oxidizers
Authors: Cudziło Stanisław , Kiciński Wojciech 
Published: April 2009

AbstractTwo types of polymeric sols, resorcinol‐formaldehyde (RF) and resorcinol‐furfural (RFur), were mixed in a water‐containing medium with aqueous solutions of inorganic salts: NH4ClO4, Mg(ClO4)2, and NH4NO3. After gelation and an ambient pressure drying, hybrid nanocomposites with properties of energetic materials were obtained. It was stated that salt concentration and addition of a second solvent (e.g., methanol or N,N‐dimethylformamide) to the mixture of reagents have crucial meaning for gel formation. In the case when only water was used, the mixture of organic sol/inorganic salt did not transfer from sol to gel, and precipitates were formed. Conventional drying of wet gelled composites leads to rigid material called xerogels. The RF xerogels are red and RFur xerogels are black. Typically, xerogels are transparent at low salt concentration (below 30%). The microstructure, morphology, and some other properties of chosen composites were studied by means of HR SEM, AFM, XRD, DTA/TG, and N2 adsorption isotherm techniques. SEM observation revealed that sizes of the oxidizer particles vary from less than 100 nm to ca. 1000 nm. XRD analyses also confirmed the presence of nanometer‐sized crystals of oxidizers in some formulations. The specific surface area of polymeric matrix/oxidizer composites was found to be in the range from 0.002 to 0.3 m2 g−1. After removing the salt from the composites (by extraction with boiling water), the specific surface area grows even up to 210 m2 g−1. TG/DTA analyses showed that the tested composites decompose as typical energetic materials. If pre‐heated and exposed to flame, some of them (especially RF/Mg(ClO4)2  composites) undergo violent deflagration with loud sound and flash effect.
Ein prototypisches Kunststoff‐Faltwerk mit neuartiger Fügetechnologie
Authors: Engelsmann Stephan , Spalding Valerie 
Published: April 2009

AbstractEin prototypisches Kunststoff‐Faltwerk ist von der Klasse für Konstruktives Entwerfen und Tragwerkslehre der Staatlichen Akademie der Bildenden Künste Stuttgart entwickelt und in Eigenarbeit realisiert worden. Ein hochleistungsfähiges Tragwerkskonzept mit komplexer Geometrie, ein innovativer und hochwertiger Werkstoff und eine neu entwickelte Fügetechnologie sind die besonderen Kennzeichen des spektakulären Experimentalbaus. Der Beitrag beschreibt die Objektplanung, die Tragwerksplanung sowie die Herstellung und Montage des Kunststoff‐Faltwerks.
Nanoresolution interface studies in thin films by synchrotron x‐ray diffraction and by using x‐ray waveguide structure
Authors: Erdélyi Z. , Cserháti C. , Csik A. , Daróczi L. , Langer G. A. , Balogh Z. , Varga M. , Beke D. L. , Zizak I. , Erko A. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractIn the last years we performed several measurements with synchrotron radiation of several facilities to reveal interesting interface phenomena on the nanoscale. We used both x‐ray diffraction1, 2 (XRD) and spectrometry techniques. In this paper, we briefly summarize the results obtained from diffraction measurements, which lead us to our recent grazing incidence x‐ray fluorescence analysis (GIXRF) and extended x‐ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) experiments.We show how a combination of experimental methods of GIXRF analysis and EXAFS spectroscopy in fluorescence detection with x‐ray standing waves (XSW) technique was applied for the depth profiling of a‐Si/Co/a‐Si layers with nanometer resolution to monitor the growth of CoSi intermetallic phase. The investigated layers were placed into the waveguide structure formed by two Ta films to increase sensitivity and accuracy of the measurements. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Capturing the magic: Assessing the quality of youth mentoring relationships
Authors: Deutsch Nancy L. , Spencer Renée 
Published: April 2009

AbstractMentoring programs pose some special challenges for quality assessment because they operate at two levels: that of the dyadic relationship and that of the program. Fully assessing the quality of youth mentoring relationships requires understanding the characteristics and processes of individual relationships, which are the point of service for mentoring. Yet we also must consider the program components that support their development. A number of factors have been indicated to contribute to quality mentoring relationships, including frequency and consistency of contact, feelings of connection between mentor and protégé, and the mentor's approach. Program features linked with quality relationships include mentor screening and training and expectations for frequency of contact. Assessing the quality of the relationship directly requires measuring both the mentor's and protégé's perceptions of important dimensions of the relationship, such as goals, engagement, and closeness. Single‐point‐in‐time surveys or interviews, using both validated measures and open‐ended questions, may be used as tools for assessing individual relationships at the conclusion of programs. Short surveys, logs, and observations may be useful for periodic or ongoing assessment of quality for support and intervention purposes. Focus groups and surveys of mentors may also provide useful information for assessing program components needed to support the development and maintenance of high quality relationships. The benefits and drawbacks of each of these methods for assessing relational quality are discussed. Mentoring programs are provided with references for specific tools that may be used to assess relational quality.
The quest for quality: Recent developments and future directions for the out‐of‐school‐time field
Authors: Yohalem Nicole , Granger Robert C. , Pittman Karen J. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractUnderstanding how to assess and improve what happens within out‐of‐school‐time (OST) programs is a critical challenge facing the field. This article explores key developments related to the issue of quality in the OST field during the past several years and then looks ahead at opportunities for future progress. From a practice perspective, one of the most notable recent developments is the proliferation of intentional, systemic efforts to improve program quality. From a policy perspective, discussions related to quality within the OST field reflect broader trends within human services and education toward increased accountability. In addition to holding systems accountable for producing client outcomes, there is an emerging trend toward holding systems and programs accountable for what it is they do with clients. Funders are increasingly focused on quality, and many now express specific expectations related to quality assessment for grantees. On the research side, there is increased interest among social science researchers to better understand OST settings, including a push to develop and refine point‐of‐service measures that can help researchers capture data on the specific practices that drive youth outcomes.
These promising developments position the field to evolve in some important ways in the coming years. In particular, there is an opportunity to refine and expand approaches to quality improvement using lessons from practice and research. From a policy perspective, quality can become further embedded in the accountability movement in ways that support program improvement by focusing attention on and directing resources toward the point of service.
Hydride Formation in the Intermetallic Compounds CePd3 and CeRh3
Authors: Kohlmann Holger , Müller Frank , Stöwe Klaus , Zalga Arturas , Beck Horst P. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThe intermetallic compounds CePd3 and CeRh3 were hydrogenated at hydrogen pressures up to 24 MPa and temperatures up to 540 K, and investigated by X‐ray and neutron powder diffraction and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Both compounds retain their AuCu3 type arrangement upon hydrogen uptake. The cubic lattice parameters increase from 412.5(1) and 402.57(2) pm in CePd3 and CeRh3, respectively, to 413.5(1) and 406.27(3) pm in the corresponding hydrides. In contrast to the rhodium compound CePd3Hx forms only under high pressure and room temperature and releases hydrogen quickly in air. From neutron powder diffraction on CeRh3D0.84 deuterium atoms were found to occupy 84.4(8) % of octahedral interstices formed solely by rhodium atoms, [Rh6], in a statistical fashion, resulting in a deficient cubic anti‐perovskite type structure (space group $Pm{\bar 3}m$ (No. 221), a = 407.248(7) pm at T = 299(2) K). Rhodium‐deuterium (203.62(1) pm) and cerium‐deuterium distances (352.69(1) pm) are consistent with typical interatomic distances in other hydrides. XPS measurements reveal mixed valency in CePd3.
A Complex Cesiumchloride: Cs5[AgCl2][CoCl4]Cl2
Authors: Fastje Oliver , Möller Angela 
Published: April 2009

AbstractCs5[AgCl2][CoCl4]Cl2 has been obtained as blue single crystals and the crystal structure has been determined from X‐ray diffraction data [I4/mcm, Z = 4, a = 919.15(8) pm, c = 2375.9(3) pm]. The characteristic structural features are isolated complex chlorido‐anions, [AgCl2]– and [CoCl4]2–, as well as non‐coordinating Cl– in this cesium‐rich compound. The title compound has been further studied by spectroscopic methods in the infrared and UV/Vis region and a description of the electronic structure for the chromophore, [CoCl4]2–, within the angular‐overlap‐model (AOM) is given.
The role of Allee effects in gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar(L.), invasions
Authors: Tobin Patrick C. , Robinet Christelle , Johnson Derek M. , Whitmire Stefanie L. , Bjørnstad Ottar N. , Liebhold Andrew M. 
Published: April 2009

AbstractAllee effects have been applied historically in efforts to understand the low‐density population dynamics of rare and endangered species. Many biological invasions likewise experience the phenomenon of decreasing population growth rates at low population densities because most founding populations of introduced nonnative species occur at low densities. In range expansion of established species, the initial colonizers of habitat beyond the organism's current range are usually at low density, and thus could be subject to Allee dynamics. There has been consistent empirical and theoretical evidence demonstrating, and in some cases quantifying, the role of Allee dynamics in the gypsy moth,Lymantria dispar(L.), invasion of North America. In this review, we examine the potential causes of the Allee effect in the gypsy moth and highlight the importance of mate‐finding failure as a primary mechanism behind an Allee effect, while the degree to which generalist predators induce an Allee effect remains unclear. We then explore the role of Allee effects in the establishment and spread dynamics of the gypsy moth system, which conceptually could serve as a model system for understanding how Allee effects manifest themselves in the dynamics of biological invasions.
Evidence for a warmer period during the 12th and 13th centuries AD from chironomid assemblages in Southampton Island, Nunavut, Canada
Authors: Rolland Nicolas , Larocque Isabelle , Francus Pierre , Pienitz Reinhard , Laperrière Laurence 
Published: April 2009

AbstractThis study presents the Late-Holocene evolution of a northern Southampton Island (Nunavut, Canada) lake, using fossil chironomids supported by sedimentological evidences (XRF, grain size and CNS). All proxies revealed a relatively stable environment during the last millennium with short-lived events driving changes in the entire lake ecosystem. The chironomid-based paleotemperatures revealed variations of significant amplitude coincident with changes in the sediment density and chemical composition of the core. Higher temperature intervals were generally correlated to lower sediment density with higher chironomid concentration and diversity. Higher temperatures were recorded from cal yr AD 1160 to AD 1360, which may correspond to the Medieval Warm Period. Between cal yr AD 1360 and AD 1700, lower temperatures were probably related to a Little Ice Age event. This study presents new information on the timing of known climatic events which will refine our knowledge of the paleoclimate and climatic models of the Foxe Basin region. It also provides a new framework for the evolution of such freshwater ecosystems under the “Anthropocene” and underlines the importance of including sedimentological proxies when interpreting chironomid remains as this combined approach provides an extended overview of the past hydrological and geochemical changes and their impacts on lake biota.
ProbeMatch: rapid alignment of oligonucleotides to genome allowing both gaps and mismatches
Authors: Jung Kim You , Teletia Nikhil , Ruotti Victor , Maher Christopher A. , Chinnaiyan Arul M. , Stewart Ron , Thomson James A. , Patel Jignesh M. 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Summary: We have developed a tool, called ProbeMatch, for matching a large set of oligonucleotide sequences against a genome database using gapped alignments. Unlike most of the existing tools such as ELAND which only perform ungapped alignments allowing at most two mismatches, ProbeMatch generates both ungapped and gapped alignments allowing up to three errors including insertion, deletion and mismatch. To speedup sequence alignment, ProbeMatch uses gapped q-grams and q-grams of various patterns to identify target hits to a query sequence. This approach results in fewer initial sequences to examine with no loss in sensitivity. ProbeMatch has been used to align 169 095 Illumina GAII reads against the human genome, which could not be mapped by ELAND, and found alignments for 28 625 reads of the 169 095 reads in less than 3 h.
Availability: Source code is freely available at http://www.cs.wisc.edu/∼jignesh/probematch/
Contact: jignesh@cs.wisc.edu
Supplementary information: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Target-strength, length, and tilt-angle measurements of Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) and Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) using an acoustic-optical system
Authors: Sawada Kouichi , Takahashi Hideyuki , Abe Koki , Ichii Taro , Watanabe Kazutoshi , Takao Yoshimi 
Published: April 2009

Abstract
Sawada, K., Takahashi, H., Abe, K., Ichii, T., Watanabe, K., and Takao, Y. 2009. Target-strength, length, and tilt-angle measurements of Pacific saury (Cololabis saira) and Japanese anchovy (Engraulis japonicus) using an acoustic-optical system. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 66: 1212–1218. Pacific saury and Japanese anchovy generally congregate in dense groups or schools. An acoustic-optical system (the Japanese Quantitative Echosounder and Stereo-video Camera System or J-QUEST) has been developed to measure accurately the target strength (TS) of fish in a dense school. J-QUEST comprises a quantitative, 70 kHz, split-beam echosounder and a stereo-video camera. It was deployed from a research vessel to collect concomitant measures of TS and stereo images of in situ Pacific saury and Japanese anchovy. The stereo-video camera provides estimates of the fish lengths (L) and tilt-angles corrected for J-QUEST motion. In this way, empirical models of TS vs. log(L) were derived for Pacific saury and Japanese anchovy and compared with theory.
Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization vs. chemoinfusion for unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with major portal vein thrombosis
Authors: KIM J. H. , YOON H.‐K. , KIM S. Y. , KIM K. M. , KO G.‐Y. , GWON D. I. , SUNG K.‐B. 
Published: April 2009

SummaryBackground  Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) has been limited in palliative treatment of unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with major portal vein (PV) invasion due to the possibility of liver failure following embolization. Transcatheter arterial chemoinfusion (TACI) has been an option in such cases.Aim To compare clinical outcomes after TACE vs. TACI in HCC patients with major PV occlusion.Methods  We compared clinical outcomes after TACE vs. TACI in HCC patients with major PV occlusion. From 2005 to 2007, 110 HCC patients with major PV thrombosis were treated with TACE (n = 49) or TACI (n = 61).Results  The morbidity rate was similar for both TACE (6.1%) and TACI (6.5%) patients, and complications were adequately managed using medical treatment. The Kaplan–Meier survival analysis showed that the survival period was significantly longer for the TACE group (median: 14.9 months) than for the TACI (median: 4.4 months) group (P < 0.001). There was a higher probability of death in the TACI group than in the TACE group in both our multivariate Cox‐proportional hazards (OR 3.09, P < 0.001) and the propensity score‐matched (27 pairs) cohort analyses (OR 2.27, P = 0.024).Conclusions  Transcatheter arterial chemoembolization can be safely performed in HCC patients with main PV occlusion. Compared with TACI, TACE may result in longer survival of HCC patients with major PV occlusion.
Periductal interleukin-17 production in association with biliary innate immunity contributes to the pathogenesis of cholangiopathy in primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: Harada K , Shimoda S , Sato Y , Isse K , Ikeda H , Nakanuma Y 
Published: April 2009

Summary
An innate immune response to bacterial components is speculated to be involved in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Recently, CD4-positive T helper type 17 (Th17) cells, characterized by the secretion of interleukin (IL)-17, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Human Th17 cells are generated from Th0 cells by IL-6 and IL-1β and maintained by IL-23. In this study, the role of IL-17 in PBC and its association with biliary innate immunity were examined. Using cultured human biliary epithelial cells (BECs), the expression of Th17-related cytokines and chemokines and changes therein on treatment with pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and IL-17 were examined. Immunohistochemistry for IL-17 and Th17-related cytokines was performed using tissue samples of human liver. Consequently, the expression of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-23p19 and IL-23/IL-12p40 mRNAs, and their up-regulation by PAMPs, were found in BECs. Moreover, BECs possessed IL-17-receptors and stimulation with IL-17 induced production of IL-6, IL-1β, IL-23p19 and chemokines. Several IL-17-positive cells had infiltrated damaged bile ducts and the expression of IL-6 and IL-1β was enhanced in the bile ducts of PBC patients. In conclusion, IL-17-positive cells are associated with the chronic inflammation of bile ducts in PBC which is associated causally with the biliary innate immune responses to PAMPs.
Modelling the respiration rate of fresh‐cut Annurca apples to develop modified atmosphere packaging
Authors: Torrieri Elena , Cavella Silvana , Masi Paolo 
Published: April 2009

SummaryIn this work, the effect of temperature, oxygen, red coloration process and post‐harvest storage time on the respiration rate of fresh‐cut Annurca apples was studied to properly develop modified atmosphere packaging. Our results showed that the red coloration process and the post‐harvest storage time did not affect the respiration rate or the respiratory quotient of fresh‐cut Annurca apples in the range of temperature studied (5–20 °C). A Michaelis–Menten‐type equation, with the model constants described by means of an Arrhenius‐type relationship, was used for predicting respiration rate on varying the temperature and O2 concentration in the head space. The maximal respiration rate (mL kg h−1) (RRmax) and the O2% corresponding to values estimated at the reference temperature (12.5 °C), i.e. the average of the experimental temperature ranges, were, respectively, 6.77 ± 0.1 mL kg−1 h−1 and 0.68 ± 0.07% v/v, and the activation energy of the aerobic respiration rate of fresh‐cut Annurca apples was estimated at 51 ± 1 kJ mol−1. The model works well to develop a modified atmosphere for fresh‐cut Annurca apples.
Negative synergism of rainfall patterns and predators affects frog egg survival
Authors: Touchon Justin Charles , Warkentin Karen Michelle 
Published: April 2009

Summary

The importance of rainfall is recognized in arid habitats, but has rarely been explored in ecosystems not viewed as rainfall limited. In addition, most attempts to study how rainfall affects organismal survival have focused on long‐term rainfall metrics (e.g. monthly or seasonal patterns) instead of short‐term measures. For organisms that are short lived or are sensitive to desiccation, short‐term patterns of rainfall may provide insight to understanding what determines survival in particular habitats.
We monitored daily rainfall and survival of arboreal eggs of the treefrog Dendropsophus ebraccatus at two ponds during the rainy season in central Panama. Desiccation and predation were the primary sources of egg mortality and their effects were not independent. Rainfall directly reduced desiccation mortality by hydrating and thickening the jelly surrounding eggs. In addition, rainfall reduced predation on egg clutches.
To elucidate the mechanism by which rainfall alters predation, we exposed experimentally hydrated and dehydrated egg clutches to the two D. ebraccatus egg predators most common at our site, ants and social wasps. Ants and wasps preferentially preyed on dehydrated clutches and ants consumed dehydrated eggs three times faster than hydrated eggs.
Rainfall patterns are expected to change and the responses of organisms that use rainfall as a reliable cue to reproduce may prove maladaptive. If rainfall becomes more sporadic, as is predicted to happen during this century, it may have negative consequences for desiccation‐sensitive organisms.
Quantifying the effects of prey abundance on killer whale reproduction
Authors: Ward Eric J. , Holmes Elizabeth E. , Balcomb Ken C. 
Published: April 2009

Summary

Management decisions for threatened and endangered species require risks to be identified and prioritized, based on the degree to which they influence population dynamics. The potential for recovery of small populations at risk may be determined by multiple factors, including intrinsic population characteristics (inbreeding, sex ratios) and extrinsic variables (prey availability, disease, human disturbance). Using Bayesian statistical methods, the impact of each of these risk factors on demographic rates can be quantified and assigned probabilities to express uncertainty.
We assessed the impact of a wide range of factors on the fecundity of two threatened populations of killer whales Orcinus orca, specifically whether killer whale production is limited by availability of Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha. Additional variables included anthropogenic factors, climate variables, temporal effects, and population variables (population size, number of males, female age).
Our results indicate that killer whale fecundity is highly correlated with the abundance of Chinook salmon. For example, the probability of a female calving differed by 50% between years of low salmon abundance and high salmon abundance. Weak evidence exists for linking fecundity to other variables, such as sea surface temperature.
There was strong data support for reproductive senescence in female killer whales. This pattern of rapid maturity and gradual decline of fecundity with age commonly seen in terrestrial mammals has been documented in few marine mammal species. Maximum production for this species occurs between ages 20–22, and reproductive performance declines gradually to menopause over a period of 25 years.
Synthesis and applications. Our results provide strong evidence for reproductive senescence in killer whales, and more importantly, that killer whale fecundity is strongly tied to the abundance of Chinook salmon, a species that is susceptible to environmental variation and has high commercial value to fisheries. This strong predator–prey relationship highlights the importance of understanding which salmon populations overlap with killer whales seasonally and spatially, so that those salmon populations important as prey for killer whales can be identified and targeted for conservation efforts.