Greatest Contribution (greatest + contribution)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


Chemical-Picture-Based Modeling of Thermodynamic Properties of Dense Multicharged-Ion Plasmas Using the Superconfiguration Approach

CONTRIBUTIONS TO PLASMA PHYSICS, Issue 10 2009
P.A. Loboda
Abstract Using the chemical-picture representation of plasmas as a mixture of various ions and free electrons, a consistent description of thermodynamics of dense multicharged-ion plasmas is being developed that involves the effects of Coulomb non-ideality and degeneracy of plasma electrons; contribution of the excited ion states (on the base of the superconfiguration approach) that may exist under an appropriate truncation of ion energy spectra due to plasma effects; hard-sphere-model representation of the finite-volume effects of plasma ions with the model parameters (effective ion sizes) corresponding to superconfigurations yielding the greatest contribution to partition functions. We present the calculated data for average ionization, Grüneisen coefficient, and specific heat of aluminum and iron plasmas at temperatures of 0.03,3 keV and densities 10,3 , 10,5 of their normal material densities. Calculated thermodynamic functions and shock Hugoniots are compared with other theoretical and experimental data (© 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [source]


Impact of estragole and other odorants on the flavour of anise and tarragon

FLAVOUR AND FRAGRANCE JOURNAL, Issue 2 2007
Annette Zeller
Abstract Since estragole has been described as potent carcinogen and did not show any flavour impact on the odour of fennel, the flavour of anise and tarragon was examined by combinations of instrumental and sensory analyses. In anise fruits, trans- anethole, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, and anisaldehyde showed high flavour dilution (FD) factors, followed by those of eugenol, cis- anethole, estragole and linalool. Quantitation of the odorants showing higher FD factors in anise tea, and calculation of odour activity values (OAVs) by dividing the concentrations of the respective compound by its recognition threshold in water revealed the highest OAV for trans- anethole, followed by those of anisaldehyde and estragole. Still, an aroma impact of estragole next to trans- anethole could be neglected, due to former sensory studies of aqueous models of fennel tea. For tarragon, AEDA revealed the highest FD factors for eugenol, 7-methoxycoumarin, , -ionone, 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, estragole and linalool. Of these, estragole and 7-methoxycoumarine were most abundant in tarragon leaves, showing contents of 2900 and 220 mg/kg, respectively. To calculate OAVs, the contents of potent odorants were divided by their odour threshold in starch or cellulose, as these were the main constituents of the leaves. In this way, , -ionone and eugenol showed the highest OAVs of 5862 and 2653, repectively, followed by estragole (OAV = 460), cis- 1,5-octadiene-3-one (OAV = 140), vanilline (OAV = 139) and 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (OAV = 130). Therefore, it was concluded that , -ionone and eugenol made the greatest contribution to the overall flavour of tarragon, whereas estragole and the other odorants were of minor importance. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Depressive symptoms in late life: associations with apathy, resilience and disability vary between young-old and old-old

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY, Issue 3 2008
Mona Mehta
Abstract Objective Prior research has found that disability and apathy are associated with late-life depression. However, the effect of age on these associations in "late-life," an ambiguous term encompassing all individuals typically older than 60 years, has not been examined. We investigated the association of depression with disability, apathy and resilience across the age range of late-life. Methods One hundred and five community-dwelling elderly with moderate levels of disability were assessed using the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), Hardy-Gill Resilience Scale, Starkstein Apathy Scale and IADL/ADL questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to assess relationships between depression, disability, apathy and resilience, stratified by age (<80 vs. >80). Results In the <80 year old subject group, resilience, apathy and disability scores (partial type III R2,=,11.1%, 10.4% and 12.8%, respectively) equally contributed to the variability of GDS score. In contrast, in the >80 year old subject group, apathy (partial type III R2,=,18.7%) had the greatest contribution to GDS score. Conclusions In elderly persons under age 80, resilience, apathy and disability all have relatively equal contributions to depression scores, whereas in those over age 80, depression is most highly correlated with apathy. These data suggest that depressive symptoms in elderly persons have different clinical features along the age spectrum from young-old to old-old. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]


Effect of Ligula intestinalis on the reproductive capacity of Rastrineobola argentea in Lake Victoria

JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2008
I. G. Cowx
This study examined the potential effect of the cestode Ligula intestinalis on the reproduction of the indigenous cyprinid Rastrineobola argentea in Lake Victoria. Ligula intestinalis had a marked effect on the breeding cycle of R. argentea. The proportion of the infected population in advanced stages of maturation prior to spawning was considerably reduced compared with uninfected fish. Infection by L. intestinalis significantly reduced the fecundity of individual fish, particularly in the 45,60 mm size range; the component of the population that makes the greatest contribution to reproductive output. The reduction in reproductive output of the R. argentea population could potentially affect replenishment of stocks in this important fishery. [source]


VISCOSITY AND QUALITY OF TOMATO JUICE AS AFFECTED BY PROCESSING METHODS

JOURNAL OF FOOD QUALITY, Issue 6 2007
CHARANJIT KAUR
ABSTRACT Quality and viscosity of tomato juice is strongly governed by mechanical and thermal abuse during processing. The effect of processing and storage duration on the viscosity and quality parameters of tomato juice was evaluated in the present work. Tomato juice was obtained by two different methods, normal method (NM) and variable method (VM), and was heated by both conventional and microwave hot break treatments. Tomato juice was evaluated for various quality characteristics including precipitate weight ratio, degree of serum separation (DOSS), Brookfield viscosity, lycopene levels, vitamin C, phenols and antioxidant activity. Changes observed in several quality parameters during storage were statistically insignificant. The methods and processing had the greatest contribution toward viscosity, whereas storage duration had no significant effects. Viscosity parameters viz precipitate weight, DOSS and Bostwick consistency revealed that juice processed by VM was more viscous than that of NM, irrespective of the hot break processing used. Ascorbic acid and lycopene content varied significantly with mechanical methods and processing conditions. However, phenolic content and antioxidant activity remained stable. The variable process represents an improvement over the conventional by enabling tomato processors to improve the consistency of the tomato product. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Quartering or slicing tomatoes followed by hot break processing techniques can significantly improve the quality of tomato juice in terms of reduced degree of serum separation and precipitate weight ratio. The modified technology could be considered as a viable and economical method for small- and medium-scale tomato processors with limited resources and facilities at their disposal. [source]


SEISMIC FACIES ANALYSIS BASED ON 3D MULTI-ATTRIBUTE VOLUME CLASSIFICATION, DARIYAN FORMATION, SE PERSIAN GULF

JOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 2 2006
P. Farzadi
Interpretation of recently acquired 3D seismic data from the adjacent Sirri C and D oilfields in the SE Persian Gulf indicates that a 3D interpretation of seismic facies is crucial to resolve the internal stratal geometries of the Aptian Dariyan Formation. This carbonate formation passes southward into the Shu'aiba Formation, a prolific reservoir rock of similar facies in the UAE. Lack of exposures and limited cored intervals have forced reliance on the seismic data for evidence of the depositional environment and the internal architecture of potential reservoir rocks. The progradational nature of the Dariyan Formation and the occurrence of carbonate build-ups within it make this stratal geometry complex. The complex internal heterogeneity of the build-ups and presence of seismic noise make mapping of the build-ups in 3D space using conventional seismic interpretation tools difficult, despite the availability of high-quality 3D seismic data covering the area. The high quality seismic and limited well data from this field is one of the few datasets of this kind presented in the literature. A procedure for the hierarchical multi-attribute analysis of seismic facies using Paradigm's Seis Facies software is used in this study to provide a 3D interpretation of the stratal patterns. Principal component analysis reduces the noise and redundant data by representing the main data variances as a few vector components in a transformed coordinate system. Cluster analysis is performed using those components which have the greatest contribution to the maximum spread of the data variability. Six seismic attribute volumes are used in this study and the result is a single 3D classified volume. Important new information obtained from within the Dariyan Formation gives new insights into its stratigraphic distribution and internal variability. This method of processing seismic data is a step towards exploring for subtle stratigraphic traps in the study area, and may help to identify exploration targets. [source]


The role of ,-, 310 -, and ,-helix in helix,coil transitions

PROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 6 2003
Roger Armen
Abstract The conformational equilibrium between 310 - and ,-helical structure has been studied via high-resolution NMR spectroscopy by Millhauser and coworkers using the MW peptide Ac-AMAAKAWAAKA AAARA-NH2. Their 750-MHz nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy (NOESY) spectra were interpreted to reflect appreciable populations of 310 -helix throughout the peptide, with the greatest contribution at the N and C termini. The presence of simultaneous ,N(i,i + 2) and ,N(i,i + 4) NOE cross-peaks was proposed to represent conformational averaging between 310 - and ,-helical structures. In this study, we describe 25-nsec molecular dynamics simulations of the MW peptide at 298 K, using both an 8 Å and a 10 Å force-shifted nonbonded cutoff. The ensemble averages of both simulations are in reasonable agreement with the experimental helical content from circular dichroism (CD), the 3JHN, coupling constants, and the 57 observed NOEs. Analysis of the structures from both simulations revealed very little formation of contiguous i , i + 3 hydrogen bonds (310 -helix); however, there was a large population of bifurcated i , i + 3 and i , i + 4 ,-helical hydrogen bonds. In addition, both simulations contained considerable populations of ,-helix (i , i + 5 hydrogen bonds). Individual turns formed over residues 1,9, which we predict contribute to the intensities of the experimentally observed ,N(i,i + 2) NOEs. Here we show how sampling of both folded and unfolded structures can provide a structural framework for deconvolution of the conformational contributions to experimental ensemble averages. [source]


Trends and determinants of caesarean sections births in Queensland, 1997,2006

AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF OBSTETRICS AND GYNAECOLOGY, Issue 6 2009
Stuart HOWELL
Background:, The determinants of Queensland's rising caesarean section (CS) rate remain poorly understood because of the historical absence of standard classification methods. Aims:, We applied the Robson Ten Group Classification System (RTGCS) to population-based data to identify the main contributors to Queensland's rising CS rate. Method:, The RTGCS was applied retrospectively to the Queensland Perinatal Data Collection. CS rates were described for all ten RTGCS groups using data from 2006. Trends were evaluated using data for the years 1997,2006. Public and private sector patients were evaluated separately. Results:, In Queensland, in 2006, CS rates were 26.9 and 48.0% among public and private sector patients, respectively. Multiparous women with a previous caesarean birth (Group 5) made the greatest contribution to the CS rate in both sectors, followed by nulliparous women who had labour induced or were delivered by CS prior to the onset of labour (Group 2) and nulliparous women in spontaneous labour (Group 1). CS rates have risen in all RTGCS groups between 1997 and 2006. The trend was pronounced among multiparous women with a previous caesarean delivery (Group 5), among women with multiple pregnancies (Group 8) and among nulliparous women who had labour induced or were delivered by CS prior to the onset of labour (Group 2). Conclusions:, The CS rate in Queensland in 2006 was higher than in any other Australian state. The increase in Queensland's CS rates can be attributed to both the rising number of primary caesarean births and the rising number of repeat caesareans. [source]