bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Manufacture of Environmentally Friendly Plywood Bonded with Plastic Film
Authors: Fang Lu , Chang Liang , Guo Wen-jing , Chen Yong-ping , Wang Zheng
Published: January 2014

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of using unmodified plastic film as a novel wood adhesive in the plywood production, which is done to eliminate formaldehyde release during plywood production and use. The bondability of plastic film was determined by testing the shear strength of plywood. In addition, physical–mechanical properties, including thickness swelling, water absorption, modulus of elasticity, and modulus of rupture under the optimal pressing conditions, were also considered. Results showed that the plywood could meet the requirements for Grade 2 plywood according to Chinese National Standard (GB/T 17657‐1999) and that the highest strength was obtained under hot-pressing conditions (pressure, 0.7 MPa; temperature, 160°C; time, 1 min·mm−1; and film dosage of two layers), which was comparable to that of commercial urea-formaldehyde plywood as determined by Liu (Master's thesis, Zhejiang Agric. and Forestry Univ., Hangzhou, China, 2010). Pressing temperature had a notable effect on adhesive penetration and bonded joints formed. Mechanical interlock, as observed by scanning electron microscopy, formed between nonpolar plastic film and porous poplar veneer.
Ergonomic Design Using Quality Function Deployment and Design of Experiments
Authors: Horvath Peter Gyorgy , Kovacs Zsolt , Denes Levente
Published: January 2014

User needs relating to products are expressed in the language of customers. Designers are facing the challenge of answering the question of how relatively subjective customer needs can be translated into precise target specifications. In most cases, some of these needs can be interpreted as ergonomic requirements. This is especially true for furniture. The question is what a piece of furniture has to do to bring about satisfaction in use. Ergonomic suitability has a number of components, each of which is determined by a given set of product properties. Therefore, ergonomic quality can be satisfied by using complex methods of analysis. Such methods include Quality Function Deployment (QFD). The adaptability of this methodology for the ergonomic design of seats was confirmed as a result of our study. Furthermore, it has been found that the components of ergonomic quality can be treated as dependent variables. The level of these dependent variables is determined by quantitative and categorical product-related independent characteristics. A model for evaluating and designing ergonomic quality on the basis of the method of Design of Experiments was conceived as a complement to the QFD-based approach and is demonstrated for sitting furniture.
An Econometric Analysis of US Exports of Forest Products
Authors: Cheng Baodong , Mei Bin , Wan Yang
Published: January 2014

Using cointegration analyses, we examined the econometric relationship between the US exports of selected forest products (roundwood, sawnwood, and paper and paper board) and a group of microeconomic factors. Overall, we found a positive impact of economic growth of importing countries on total US export of forest products, but mixed results for exchange rate risk and relative price by model specifications, by exchange rate risk measures, and across forest products.
Product Costing Program for Wood Component Manufacturers
Authors: Andersch Adrienn , Buehlmann Urs , Palmer Jeff , Wiedenbeck Janice K , Lawser Steve
Published: January 2014

Accurate and timely product costing information is critically important for companies in planning the optimal utilization of company resources. While an overestimation of product costs can lead to loss of potential business and market share, underestimation of product costs can result in financial losses to the company. This article introduces a product costing program called WoodCite that was specifically developed for small and medium-sized hardwood dimension and components manufacturers. WoodCite is a Microsoft Access application that allows companies to determine product costs and to create competitive bids based on their company and product information. The program uses a regression model to estimate the overhead cost of a product based on historical cost information provided by the user. WoodCite was developed with input from members of the Wood Components Manufacturers Association. The application is available for free at Virginia Tech's Wood Products Web site (http://woodproducts.sbio.vt.edu/woodcite).
Evaluating Market Efficiency of the US Forest Industry
Authors: La Le , Mei Bin
Published: January 2014

The market efficiency of the US forest industry had evolved over the past decade. In this study, the entropy measurement, an econophysic approach, was applied to quantify the informational efficiency of timber real estate investment trusts (REITs), wood, furniture, and paper markets in the United States during the period from 1999 to 2012. In a relative context, indices on Treasury bonds were used to proxy the risk-free rate of returns, while Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 stock returns were used as a yardstick for risky investments. The analysis indicated that the forest markets were considerably more informationally efficient than the Treasury market. Furthermore, most markets were marginally more efficient compared with the S&P 500 index, with the exception of REIT returns. Therefore, better arbitrage opportunities were present in REIT investments.
Psychological Factors and Long-Term Abstinence After Smoking Cessation Treatment
Authors: Boudrez Hedwig
Published: January 2014

This study evaluated the association between psychological variables, measured by questionnaire at the start of a smoking cessation treatment, and smoking abstinence, 8 years after treatment. A total of 124 patients presenting at the stop-smoking clinic of the University Hospital in Ghent, Belgium, were included. Besides the Reasons for Smoking Scale (RSS), Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), and smoking status, a psychological questionnaire (NEO PI-R) was presented at baseline. A postal survey after 8 years was executed in order to assess smoking status and smoke-free survival. In 2008, 103/124 answered the postal survey. 66/103 (64.1%) had relapsed. More men then women were smoke-free (46.2% vs. 18.4%; p = .004). Several associations between psychological baseline characteristics and smoking status at follow-up were detected: lower abstinence at follow-up was associated with lower self-discipline (p = .001), lower goal-directedness (p = .03), higher score on symptoms of depression (p = .03), higher anxiety score (p = .01), higher score on the variable shame (p = .02). Some of these associations are confirmed by Kaplan-Meier survival scores that show borderline significance in case of depression (p = .06), statistically significance in case of self-discipline (p = .05) and shame (p = .05) and clear statistical significance in case of anxiety (p = .007). An association between psychological variables at the start of a smoking cessation treatment and smoking abstinence, even after 8 years, can be accepted.
A Plan of Group Therapy for Smoking Cessation in Patients Suffering From Buerger's Disease: A Case Series Study in Northeast Iran
Authors: Fazeli Bahare , Arshadi Hamidreza
Published: January 2014

Introduction: Buerger's disease (BD) is a chronic peripheral vascular disease that affects the young smokers from low socioeconomic backgrounds. The only effective therapy for this disease is smoking cessation; otherwise the outcome of BD will be several amputations. Aims & Methods: Via 12 sessions, an elective pattern of group therapy was designed and tried with six volunteer patients. The therapy commenced with motivation, mixed with a behavioural and cognitive model appropriate to the patients' socioeconomic and educational status. Two extra training sessions of apposite and supporting behaviour were allocated for their family members. Urine cotinine level was measured before and after the group therapy. The aim of study was to lead the patients towards a self-help group. Results: A partial remission of the disease in one patient and a complete remission in four patients were the consequences of the present study. The average decline of urine cotinine level was about two ranks. One patient was not helped. Conclusion: Although the study faced major loss of subjects, in regards to dramatic changes in urine cotinine level, this plan of group therapy seems to be an effective and cost-effective option for clinical improvement in patients with BD, as a chronic and smoking-related disease.
Ousmane Sembene’s vicious circle: The politics and aesthetics of La Noire de …
Authors: Malčić Steven
Published: January 2014

La Noire de …, widely considered black Africas first independent feature film, is about a womans recognition of the duplicitous nature of neocolonial subjectivity, a duplicity that Sembene himself recognized during the production of the film. Historically, French cinematographic institutions, implanted in Senegal in order to facilitate African film-making, operated within a circular logic that required Sembene to be both French and Senegalese. Aesthetically, Sembene impugns this circular logic through his ironic use of focalization, montage and mise-en-scène, offering a critique not only of French neocolonialism, but also of assimilationist policies of the early Senegalese government. The result of such assimilationist collusion is the construction of a both/and existence, whereby nations subject to history are perceived as apart from time and space, and garner the qualities of myth, blinding both colonizer and colonized to the dialectical process responsible for such a fractured reality. In La Noire de … Sembene develops a spatiotemporal aesthetics of neocolonialism that acts as the primary structural principle of the film and reveals the contradictory existence of the neocolonial subject.
Recent browsing damage by moose on Scots pine, birch and aspen in young commercial forests – effects of forage availability, moose population density and site productivity
Authors: Bergqvist Göran , Bergström Roger , Wallgren Märtha
Published: January 2014

Moose browsing damage from the winter preceding the study (recent damage) on Scots pine, birch and aspen was examined in relation to forage availability, an index of moose population density and site productivity in young forests in the hemiboreal zone. Recent damage was observed for 4.1âÂ±â0.54% (meanâÂ±âSE; Scots pine), 16.8âÂ±â1.89% (birch) and 67.6âÂ±â13.76% (aspen) of the trees. A multiple regression with five independent variables explained 19% (Scots pine) 14% (birch) and 33% (aspen) of the variation in recent damage. Cover of Scots pine browse was the most important variable for predicting damage to Scots pine and accounted for 44% of the explained variation. When birch was overtopping pine there was a significant increase in damage to pine. Moose index was the only significant variable to explain recent damage to birch, and accounted for 64% of the explained variation. For aspen, damage was negatively correlated to coverage of Scots pine and birch browse, each variable accounting for 38% of the explained variation. For Scots pine, increasing the number of pines ha and performing pre-commercial thinning in such a way that pines are not overtopped may be efficient ways of reducing damage proportions, whereas birch needs to be protected from moose (by a reduction of the moose population or otherwise) in order to escape damage. Increased amounts of Scots pine browse and birch browse may also reduce damage levels to aspen, according to this study.â1
Root neck of Norway spruce as a source of bioactive lignans and stilbenes
Authors: Latva-Mäenpää Harri , Laakso Tapio , Sarjala Tytti , Wähälä Kristiina , Saranpää Pekka
Published: January 2014

Bioactive compounds of acetone-water extracts obtained from the root neck (RN) of Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) have been studied for the first time. RN samples were divided into different zones and cut, and wood and bark were extracted separately with acetone-water. The extracts were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The extractives have a tissue-specific distribution. Several lignans were identified in the heartwood. High concentrations (10%) of hydroxymatairesinol were found from the heartwood at the lowermost part of the RN. The inner part of the bark contained the highest concentrations of stilbene glucosides (20%), which were present in the outer bark only to a minor extent (0.2%). Pressurized hot water extraction was also applied and was found to be effective in separating lignans from biomass. Norway spruce roots and stumps are usually utilized for gaining bioenergy. The results presented here show that these abundant residual materials of forest economy may be a valuable source of highly bioactive compounds such as the lignan hydroxymatairesinol and stilbenes.
Viscoelastic–Viscoplastic Characterization of Unbound Granular Material
Authors: Levenberg Eyal
Published: January 2014

The mechanical behavior of unbound granular materials had proven to be extremely challenging. In the pavement field, as well as in other geotechnical disciplines, these materials are usually treated as time-independent. The objective of this work is to explore the applicability and potential for a viscoelastic-viscoplastic constitutive theory to characterize unbound granular materials. Such a theory contains as special cases the commonly applied elastic and elasto-plastic behavior types, it is capable of modeling time-dependence, and can be further compounded to simulate more sophisticated effects. Laboratory investigation is presented, in which a compacted granular specimen was exposed to a sequence of unidirectional creep and recovery cycles while under constant confinement conditions. Such a testing protocol offers an almost “automatic” separation of the behavior into resilient (viscoelastic) and permanent (viscoplastic) components. Described in detail are experimental issues related to specimen fabrication and instrumentation, and also test data processing for size reduction and resolution improvement. The measurements demonstrate that the material creeps under load and exhibits partial, time-dependent recovery while unloaded. A one-dimensional viscoelastic-viscoplastic constitutive theory is applied as a first attempt to reproduce the results. It is found that the model performs very well, simulating the observed data trends and magnitudes; it is therefore deemed potentially generalizable to more advanced conditions.
Model and Test Methods for Stability of Fresh Cement Paste
Authors: Peng Y. , Jacobsen S. , De Weerdt K. , Pedersen B.
Published: January 2014

The stability of fresh cement paste can be described as its ability to remain homogeneous over time. Instability in the form of sedimentation and bleeding occurs for various reasons related to the material composition. In this study, the relevant mechanisms for quantifying stability are reviewed, and a conceptual model is proposed describing the sedimentation progress in terms of bleeding (supernatant), the homogeneous zone, the variable concentration zone, and the compressible sediment zone. A sensitive hydrostatic pressure test (HYSPT) with good repeatability and without influence from evaporation was developed to describe the sedimentation process of fresh cement paste. HYSPT relies on the fact that the mainly restricted Stokesian settlement of particles causes changes in the solid fraction and the fresh density at a given height and time. The influence of the pressure detection direction and position were investigated by changing the inlet design of glass pipes. The pressure drop due to cement dissolution, chemical shrinkage, and paste structural buildup also was investigated but was found to be negligible compared to the effect of density variation due to sedimentation before setting. The sedimentation rates obtained from HYSPT measurements were found to coincide with the volume fraction variation detected via in situ measurements. The solid fraction and bleeding results were in alignment with the conceptual model.
Notch Effect and Fatigue Performance of Ti-6Al-4 V Sheets in Saline Environment
Authors: Baragetti S. , Gerosa R.
Published: January 2014

Ti-6Al-4 V grade is a well-known and largely employed alloy for many critical applications, especially when high mechanical and corrosion properties are needed. In the technical literature one of its negative aspects, i.e., its notch sensitivity in case of fatigue loading, especially in aggressive environments, is well described. The present experimental work is, hence, aimed at studying the fatigue behavior of notched Ti-6Al-4 V alloy samples (machined from a 5-mm-thick sheet) in standard laboratory conditions and in a saline solution with 3.5 wt. % NaCl. Axial fatigue (R = 0.1) loading was chosen and different notches were machined to obtain Kt values ranging from 2.55 to 13.34 [calculated by finite element method (FEM)]. By the step-loading technique, the fatigue limits for a constant life of 2 × 105 cycles varying the Kt factor and the test environment were determined. Finally, by replicas, the fatigue-crack lengths were measured and, by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), the fracture surfaces were observed and related with the fatigue-crack propagation rates.
Nano-Halloysite Concentration Effects on Fracture Toughness of Diverse Epoxy Nanocomposites
Authors: Han Wei , Yu Yang , Tang Youhong , Sammut Karl
Published: January 2014

We experimentally report material design of halloysite nanotube (HNT)/epoxy composites, focusing on the effects of HNT concentration on thermal and mechanical properties, especially fracture toughness, of diverse epoxy composites with as-received and phenylphosphonic-acid (PPA)-treated HNTs prepared by mechanical mixing or ball-milling homogenization. It is demonstrated that, with HNT added in the region of 0.0–10.0 wt. %, significantly reinforced fracture toughness of the epoxy composites can be achieved. The epoxy composites prepared by ball-milling homogenization have much more uniform HNT size and dispersion than those prepared by simple mechanical mixing, enhancing their fracture toughness. The morphology of treated HNTs changes from nanotubes to nanoplatelets; as a result, with a substantial increase in the total contact area between HNT and epoxy and enhancing the fracture toughness of epoxy composites. This higher HNT concentration and the higher fracture toughness are achieved for various epoxy composites. However, the optimal concentration of HNT is 5.0 wt. % in this study. The addition of further HNT achieves only marginal fracture toughness enhancement and more negative effects appear, such as HNT concentration gradient in cured epoxy composites, high potential decrease in glass transition temperature (Tg), and potential immature tensile failure.
Effect of Notch Orientation on Fracture Toughness of a Submerged Arc Weld
Authors: Ali Muhammad S. , Pisarski Henryk G.
Published: January 2014

This paper reports the effect of notch orientation on the fracture toughness of a submerged arc weld as determined by performing standard fracture mechanics tests using single edge notched bend specimens having through-thickness and surface notches. The notch orientations used were NP (through-thickness notch at weld centerline running parallel to the weld direction), NQ (surface notch at weld centerline with the notch plane parallel to the weld but running perpendicular to the weld direction from the cap toward the root), and PQ (a surface notch where the notch plane is transverse to the weld and propagating from the cap toward the root). Testing was carried out over a range of temperatures. It was found that the NP notch orientation led to less scatter in fracture toughness, and the greatest amount of scatter was shown for NQ and PQ notch orientations. The test data for each notch orientation were used to determine the reference temperature T0 using ASTM E1921-13 and FITNET procedures. Values of T0 were subsequently used to define the temperature-versus-toughness transition curve (master curve) for each notch orientation. The fracture toughness predicted by the master curve analyses showed differences among the three notch orientations. As the FITNET procedure is more conservative for highly scattered data than the ASTM procedure, the predicted fracture toughness for the PQ and NQ notch orientations was significantly less than that for the NP notch orientation.
DIAGNOSIS OF ENDOCRINE DISEASE: Thyroid ultrasound (US) and US-assisted procedures: from the shadows into an array of applications
Authors: Papini Enrico , Pacella Claudio M , Hegedus Laszlo
Published: January 2014

In patients with thyroid nodules, ultrasound (US) imaging represents an indispensable tool for assessment of the risk of malignancy. Over approximately four decades, innovative technology and successive improvements have facilitated its entry into the routine management and greatly improved its predictive value. When US features cannot reliably rule out thyroid cancer, US guidance allows a correct and safe sampling also of small or deeply located thyroid lesions. Obtained in this way, cytological or microhistological specimens may reliably define the nature of most thyroid nodules, and the information from histochemical or molecular markers shows promise in the classification of the remaining indeterminate cases. While a prompt surgical treatment can be offered in the minority of suspicious or definitely malignant cases, most individuals warrant only a follow-up. However, at initial evaluation, or over the years, a fraction of these benign lesions may grow and/or become symptomatic. Such cases may benefit from US-guided minimally invasive procedures as an alternative to surgery. Image-guided percutaneous treatments most often achieve relief of neck complaints, are inexpensive, and can be performed on an outpatient basis. The risk of major complications, after adequate training, is very low. Importantly, thyroid function is preserved. Currently, percutaneous ethanol injection for cystic lesions and thermal ablation, with laser or radiofrequency, for solid nodules are increasingly used and disseminated beyond the initial core facilities. In centres with expertise and high patient volume, their use should be considered as first-line treatment alternatives to surgery for selected patients with benign enlarging or symptomatic thyroid lesions.
Determination of triplet excitons in organic semiconductor materials
Authors: Döring S. , Riedl T. , Rabe T. , Kowalsky W.
Published: January 2014

The formation of triplet excitons in semiconducting organic materials plays an important role for the operation of organic optoelectronic devices. Triplet excitons are difficult to investigate spectroscopically at room temperature due to their non-radiative character. Here we show the measurement of the triplet decay dynamics by a highly sensitive time-resolved measurement of the triplet state absorption using pump and probe experiments within a waveguide configuration. Pump and probe pulse have to be separated spatially and in time to ensure a segregation of singlet and triplet excitons. The non-radiative triplet excitons are detected at room temperature by their absorption. A variation of the time delay between pump and probe pulse allows for the investigation of the dynamics of the excitons. Former experiments made use of the photoluminescence of the material under investigation itself as source of probe light. But since there is a spectral shift between the photoluminescence band and the triplet absorption band the spectral bandwidth of probe light has to be broadened for the identification of the triplet absorption. Here we show how a widening of the probe light band up to red part of the spectrum is achieved by an application of extra emission layers. With the help of this technique the triplet exciton dynamics of the hole transport material 2,2',7,7'-tetrakis(diphenylamino)-9,9'-spirobifluorene (SpiroTAD) was measured and analyzed.
Spray Pyrolysis of CuIn(S,Se)2 Thin Films Using Hydrazine-based Solutions
Authors: Song Zhaoning , Phillips Adam B. , Krantz Patrick , Prabhakar Tejas , Khanal Rajendra R. , Xie Yao , DeWitt Jonathan L. , Stone Jon M. , Heben Michael J.
Published: January 2014

A novel approach to fabricate CuIn(S,Se)2 (CIS) thin films through ultrasonically spraying a hydrazine-based precursor solution onto a heated substrate is reported. The effects of the composition of the precursor solutions and the deposition temperature on the CIS film properties were investigated by comparing thin films fabricated using aqueous metal salt solution, anhydrous hydrazine solution, and hydrazine hydrate solution at various deposition temperatures. Crystallite size and texture coefficient in the preferred (112) orientation in the sprayed films increased when the aqueous solution was replaced by hydrazine-based solutions. Additionally, the hydrazine-based precursor solutions resulted in films with better surface smoothness and compositional uniformity than those fabricated using water-based solutions and the hydrazine hydrate solution resulting in the smoothest, most uniform films. The sprayed films were used to fabricate preliminary solar cells that demonstrated a modest photovoltaic response. With optimization, the synthesis of high-quality CIS films by spray pyrolysis from a hydrazine hydrate solution could demonstrate the potential for a low-cost, high-throughput manufacturing process.
Synthesis and Characterization of Copper-Silver Core-Shell Nanoparticles by Polyol Successive Reduction Process
Authors: Kheawhom Soorathep , Panyarueng Phatcharaphon
Published: January 2014

In this work, spherical copper (core) - silver (shell) nanoparticles with diameter of 40-50 nm were synthesized through polyol successive reduction process in glycerol with addition of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The process involves microwave-assisted reduction of copper nitrate by glycerol under atmospheric conditions and successive reduction of silver nitrate at the surface of copper nanoparticles synthesized. We investigated the influence of synthesis parameters including molar ratio of NaOH:Cu (0:1, 1:1, 3:1 and 5:1), the molar ratio of Ag:Cu (0.01:1, 0.05:1, 0.10:1, 0.15:1 and 0.20:1) on the size, structure and composition of the resulting particles. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM/EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis were used to characterize the particles obtained. The average size of the nanoparticles decreased with increasing of the ratio of sodium hydroxide. With the molar ratio of Ag:Cu greater than 0.05:1, the silver protective shell can prevent forming of copper oxide on the surface of nanoparticles.
Padrão de relacionamento entre nanociências, saúde e biologia: um levantamento histórico utilizando o programa Citespace
Authors: Novo Magda Suzana , Geracitano Laura Alicia , Henning Paula
Published: January 2014

Traça um padrão de relacionamento entre nanociências, saúde e biologia para estabelecer um panorama histórico no campo das nanociências. Utilizou-se o banco de dados Web of Science, com levantamento inicial pelas palavras-chave nanoscience e nanotechnology e também de palavras relacionadas a biologia e saúde. A aplicação do programa Citespace permitiu visualizar o padrão de relacionamento entre os tópicos lançados na base de pesquisa, proporcionando identificação de momentos de explosão e de ruptura do tema. Os dados obtidos mostram que a relação entre essas áreas emerge a partir de 2006, estando a maioria relacionada a nanomedicina. Trabalhos sobre nanotoxicologia também aparecem de forma significativa, uma vez que essas duas áreas necessitam caminhar juntas.
Pertuzumab and Erlotinib in Patients With Relapsed Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: A Phase II Study Using 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography Imaging
Authors: Hughes Brett , Mileshkin Linda , Townley Peter , Gitlitz Barbara , Eaton Keith , Mitchell Paul , Hicks Rodney , Wood Katie , Amler Lucas , Fine Bernard M. , Loecke David , Pirzkall Andrea
Published: January 2014

Author Summary

Background.

Combination blockade of human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family signaling may confer enhanced antitumor activity than single-agent blockade. We performed a single-arm study of pertuzumab, a monoclonal antibody that inhibits HER2 dimerization, and erlotinib in relapsed non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods.

Patients received pertuzumab (840-mg loading dose and 420-mg maintenance intravenously every 3 weeks) and erlotinib (150-mg or 100-mg dose orally, daily). The primary endpoint was response rate (RR) by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) at day 56 in all patients and those with EGFR wild-type tumors.

Results.

Of 41 patients, 28 (68.3%) experienced treatment-related grade ≥3 adverse events, including pneumatosis intestinalis (3 patients), resulting in early cessation of enrollment. Tissue samples from 32 patients showed mutated EGFR status in 9 of 41 (22%) and wild-type EGFR in 23 of 41 (56%). The FDG-PET RR for patients with assessments at day 56 was 19.5% in all patients (n = 41) and 8.7% in patients with wild-type EGFR NSCLC (n = 23). Investigator-assessed computed tomography RR at day 56 was 12.2%.

Conclusion.

FDG-PET suggests that pertuzumab plus erlotinib is an active combination, but combination therapy was poorly tolerated, which limits its clinical applicability. More research is warranted to identify drug combinations that disrupt HER receptor signaling but that exhibit improved tolerability profiles.
The Multicenter, Phase II Prospective Study of Paclitaxel Plus Capecitabine as First-Line Chemotherapy in Advanced Gastric Carcinoma
Authors: Gong Jifang , Hu Bing , Zhang Xiaotian , Zhang Fengchun , Zhang Jun , Xu Nong , Fan Qingxia , Bai Yuxian , Jiao Shunchang , Wang Jinwan , Bai Chunmei , Zheng Leizhen , Shi Yingqiang , Liu Yunpeng , Liang Jun , Hu Guoqing , Cheng Ying , Xu Ruihua , Bai Yu , Shen Lin
Published: January 2014

Author Summary

Background.

The efficacy and toxicity of paclitaxel plus capecitabine (PX) as first-line treatment in advanced gastric cancer (AGC) was evaluated.

Methods.

Patients with previously untreated AGC were included. PX was given every 3 weeks until a maximum of six cycles or progression. Capecitabine monotherapy was continued for patients without disease progression. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival, and secondary endpoints were objective response rate, overall survival (OS), and safety.

Results.

Overall, 194 patients were treated per protocol and one patient was excluded because of allergy to paclitaxel. Response was evaluated in 175 patients, with an objective response rate of 34.8%. After a median follow-up of 33.2 months, disease progression was observed in 141 patients, 137 died, and 16 were lost to follow-up, with progression-free survival of 188 days and OS of 354 days. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, no factor remained an independent predictor of OS. Forty-five patients who received capecitabine monotherapy after PX had longer OS (531 days). Adverse events were mild (Fig. 1), and the most common grade 3–4 toxicities were leucopenia and neutropenia.

Conclusion.

PX as a first-line treatment has promising efficacy in AGC. Based on these data, a phase III study has been launched for further investigation.
Transmission length and shear capacity in prestressed concrete hollow core slabs
Authors: Elliott Kim S.
Published: January 2014

The transmission length Lt of bonded tendons in prestressed concrete is crucial to the shear-tension capacity VRd,c, in particular in precast hollow core floor slabs that do not have shear reinforcement. Defining and measuring Lt is difficult and variable, and has steadily increased to almost 100 diameters for indented wire in the present-day Eurocode 2 (EC2). Because de-tensioning of hollow core slabs takes place where the bond has already fully developed, it is not certain whether the code equations reflect their manufacturing process. Full-scale tests were used to measure Lt and relate it to the design length lpt as well as to VRd,c with the aim of proposing a modification to the design equation that links lpt to VRd,c. The ratio of Lt to the predicted length was from 0·99 to 1·21 and the ratio of Lt to the EC2 design value was from 0·51 to 0·67. Furthermore, a 26% reduction in Lt at the ‘cut' versus ‘cast' ends of T-beams adds weight to the argument that the code equations do not reflect manufacturing methods. Ultimate test shear capacities varied greatly due to different geometries, but the test/predicted ratio was 1·09 to 1·17 and the test/design ratio was 1·95 to 2·13, practically doubling the code equation. By comparing the shear loads with Lt, if Lt is divided by 1·5, the predicted and tested shear loads are equal. This paper proposes an equation for prestressed hollow core units manufactured using long-line techniques only. The effect of this on a typical slab design is to increase VRd,c by about 10% and reduce the zone of transmission around holes by about 350 mm, which in some circumstances may benefit the failure criteria at holes.
How the timing of weather events influences early development in a large mammal
Authors: Hendrichsen D. K. , Tyler N. J. C.
Published: January 2014

Capturing components of the weather that drive environment–animal interactions is a perennial problem in ecology. Identifying biologically significant elements of weather conditions in sensible statistics suitable for analysis of life history variation and population dynamics is central. Meteorological variables such as temperature, precipitation, and wind modulate rates of heat loss in animals, but analysis of their effects on endothermic species is complicated by the fact that their influence on energy balance is not invariably linear, even across the thermoneutral range. Rather, the thermal load imposed by a given set of weather conditions is a function of organisms' metabolic requirement, which, crucially, may vary spontaneously both seasonally and across different life phases. We propose that the endogenous component of variation in metabolic demand introduces a temporal dimension and that, as a consequence, the specific effect of meteorological variables on energy balance and attendant life history parameters is a function of the timing of weather events with respect to the organism's metabolic rhythm(s). To test this, we examined how a spontaneous increase in metabolic demand influenced the effect of weather on early development in a large mammal. Specifically, we examined interaction between the exponential rise in the energy requirements of pregnancy and depth of snow, which restricts dams' access to forage, on the body mass of reindeer calves (Rangifer tarandus) at weaning. As expected, we detected a significant temporal component: the specific negative effect of snow on weaning mass was not constant, but increased across pregnancy. The life history response was therefore better predicted by interaction between the magnitude and the timing of weather events than by their magnitude alone. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of the influence of an endogenous metabolic dynamic on the impact of weather on a life history trait in a free‐living mammal. Evaluating weather variables with respect to endogenous variation in metabolic demand adds biological realism and is likely to improve understanding of the influence of environmental variation on life history traits in many ecological contexts.
Designing cost‐efficient surveillance for early detection and control of multiple biological invaders
Authors: Epanchin-Niell Rebecca S. , Brockerhoff Eckehard G. , Kean John M. , Turner James A.
Published: January 2014

Wood borers and bark beetles are among the most serious forest pests worldwide. Many such species have become successful invaders, often causing substantial, costly damages to forests. Here we design and evaluate the cost‐efficiency of a trap‐based surveillance program for early detection of wood borers and bark beetles at risk of establishing in New Zealand. Although costly, a surveillance program could lead to earlier detection of newly established forest pests, thereby increasing the likelihood of successful eradication and reducing control costs and damages from future invasions. We develop a mechanistic bioeconomic model that relates surveillance intensity (i.e., trap density) and invasion size to probabilities of detection and control. It captures the dynamics of invasive species establishment, spread, and damages to urban and plantation forests. We employ the model to design surveillance programs that provide the greatest net present benefits. Our findings suggest that implementing a surveillance trapping program for invasive wood borers and bark beetles would provide positive net benefits under all scenarios considered. The economically optimal trapping strategy calls for a very high investment in surveillance: about 10 000 traps in each year of the 30‐year surveillance program, at a present value cost of US$54 million. This strategy provides a 39% reduction in costs compared with no surveillance, corresponding to an expected net present benefit of approximately US$300 million. Although surveillance may provide the greatest net benefits when implemented at relatively high levels, our findings also show that even low levels of surveillance are worthwhile: the economic benefits from surveillance more than offset the rising costs associated with increasing trapping density. Our results also show that the cost‐efficiency of surveillance varies across target regions because of differences in pest introduction and damage accumulation rates across locales, with greater surveillance warranted in areas closer to at‐risk, high‐value resources and in areas that receive more imported goods that serve as an invasion pathway.
Interactions in a warmer world: effects of experimental warming, conspecific density, and herbivory on seedling dynamics
Authors: Burt Melissa A. , Dunn Robert R. , Nichols Lauren M. , Sanders Nathan J.
Published: January 2014

Many effects of a changing climate for organisms, populations, and ecosystems are already apparent. Less studied are the effects of increases in temperature on species interactions. While warming may potentially alter interactions among species, species interactions may also mediate individual species responses to ongoing climatic change. In this experiment we manipulated temperature in field‐based, open‐top chambers for three years to examine the relationship between biotic interactions and climatic warming on the population dynamics of seedlings ofQuercus alba. We investigated the effect of warming on rates of insect herbivory onQ. albaseedlings. Additionally, we assessed the relative effects of increasing temperature, insect herbivory, and conspecific density on seedling survival. We found two unexpected results. First, we observed a negative relationship between temperature and levels of insect herbivory during each year of the experiment. Second, higher levels of herbivory were associated with higher rates of survival to the second year of the study. Although we never detected a direct effect of conspecific density on seedling survival, herbivory and conspecific seedling density did interact to influenceQ. albaseedling survival early in the experiment. Taken together, our results indicate species responses to climatic warming may be contingent on intra‐ and interspecific interactions, sometimes in complicated and counter‐intuitive ways.
Carbon footprint of aquaculture in eastern India
Authors: Adhikari Subhendu , Lal Rattan , Sahu Bharat Chandra
Published: January 2014

The present study was conducted to determine the carbon (C) footprint of different aquaculture production systems in India. The total input (kg CE/ha) in different cultures, respectively, was 1,811 to 4,144 for scampi, 4,417 to 5,913 for polyculture, 4,090 to 8,873 for shrimp and 2,417 to 2,786 for carp. Of the total inputs, feed accounts for around 90% of carbon equivalent (CE), in all cultures. The output in different cultures, expressed on live weight basis (kg/ha) and on input basis (kg/kg), respectively, was 1,280 to 3,288 and 0.71 to 0.79 for scampi culture, 4,639 to 5,998 and 1.00 to 1.05 for polyculture, 2,130 to 5,436 and 0.52 to 0.61 for shrimp culture, 4,100 to 4,160 and 1.49 to 1.70 for carp culture. On the basis of output:input ratio, the carp (three species of Indian major carp) culture is more sustainable followed by polyculture (carp with scampi), scampi and shrimp culture, respectively.
Marxist critiques of Slobodan Jovanovic’s study on Marx and Marxism praxis and dialectic
Authors: Milosavljevic Boris
Published: January 2014

Slobodan Jovanovic?s study on Marx (1935) has been interpreted and evaluated
in every history of Serbian philosophy written after the Second World War
(1968, 1972, 2002, 2009). This paper discusses Marxist responses to this
study and the influence its evaluations had on the post-war reception and
critique of Jovanovic?s writings. The treatise on Marx, which came as a
result of years of studying and keeping close track of the evolution of
Marxism, Socialist thought and the labour movement, may also be seen as a
Problem oriented history of Marxism. Jovanovic suggests that essential to
understanding Marx?s teaching is its philosophical contents because Marx?s
findings in other areas were based on his philosophical insights. The paper
also tackles the issue of interwar and post-war interpretations of the
concept of praxis. Unlike his critics, what Jovanovic understands by Marxism
is not dialectical materialism. The paper shows that Marxist critiques of
Jovanovic?s study substantially influenced the philosophical reception of
that work in the post-war period.
Relativism and relationism contribution to ontological foundation of value
Authors: Draskic-Vicanovic Iva
Published: January 2014

The paper is an investigation on one of the key philosophical problems -
value foundation problem - in axiological area of the Enlightenment
philosophy. Dominant value foundation principle until 18. century was
objectivist, that is to say thesis that the essence of value posseses
objective reality had been primarily claimed. By this claim philosophers
(from Plato to Lord Shaftesbury) confronted both gnoseological and
axiological relativism and had tried to save the essence of value. In this
text author analyzes the way that principle transformed into it?s contrast,
into subjective reality principle and the way Enligtenment thinkers tried to
save the essence of value, despite subjective value foundation, defending
subjective reality as ontological value foundation, both from gnoseological
and axiological relativism.
Personal factors of burnout syndrome in teachers in the framework of self-determination theory
Authors: Randjelovic Kristina , Stojiljkovic Snezana , Milojevic Milica
Published: January 2014

Teachers perform numerous professional roles that can serve as the source of
prolonged stress and lead to the occurrence of burnout syndrome. This
research was aimed at studying the personal factors of burnout, using
self-determination theory as a starting point. We used a sample of 200
teachers to study the following: the level of satisfaction of basic
psychological needs at work, the prominence of self-orientations and the
presence of burnout syndrome. We also studied whether these variables were
significant burnout predictors, as well as whether there was a difference in
the pattern of personal burnout predictors in primary school and university
teachers. The following instruments were used: the scale of satisfaction of
basic psychological needs at work, the ego function questionnaire, the scale
of burnout syndrome in teachers. The results point to a relatively moderate
satisfaction of all psychological needs, a higher level of integrated
self-regulation as well as the medium presence of ego-invested and impersonal
orientations. On the whole, teachers showed low burnout. Significant burnout
predictors include an integrated self and the need for autonomy (university
teachers) and an impersonal self (primary school teachers). This implies that
teachers whose psychological needs are satisfied and who have an integrated
self are less susceptible to burnout. The findings are discussed from the
viewpoint of the self-determination theory, their educational implications
and the possibility of preventing work burnout in education workers.
Founding Family Ownership and the Selection of Industry Specialist Auditors
Authors: Kang Fei
Published: January 2014

SYNOPSIS

This study examines how family firms' unique ownership structure and agency problems affect their selection of industry-specialist auditors. Using data from Standard & Poor's (S&P) 1500 firms, the results show that family firms are more likely to appoint industry-specialist auditors than non-family firms, which suggests that family firms have strong incentives to signal the quality of financial reporting. Additional analysis indicates that due to the potential entrenchment problems, family firms with family member CEOs or with dual-class shares have even a higher tendency to hire industry-specialist auditors to signal their disclosure quality.
Evaluating the Role of Epigenetic Histone Modifications in the Metabolic Memory of Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Miao Feng , Chen Zhuo , Genuth Saul , Paterson Andrew , Zhang Lingxiao , Wu Xiwei , Li Sierra Min , Cleary Patricia , Riggs Arthur , Harlan David M. , Lorenzi Gayle , Kolterman Orville , Sun Wanjie , Lachin John M. , Natarajan Rama ,   the DCCT/EDIC Research Group
Published: January 2014

We assessed whether epigenetic histone posttranslational modifications are associated with the prolonged beneficial effects (metabolic memory) of intensive versus conventional therapy during the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) on the progression of microvascular outcomes in the long-term Epidemiology of Diabetes Interventions and Complications (EDIC) study. We performed chromatin immunoprecipitation linked to promoter tiling arrays to profile H3 lysine-9 acetylation (H3K9Ac), H3 lysine-4 trimethylation (H3K4Me3), and H3K9Me2 in blood monocytes and lymphocytes obtained from 30 DCCT conventional treatment group subjects (case subjects: mean DCCT HbA1c level >9.1% [76 mmol/mol] and progression of retinopathy or nephropathy by EDIC year 10 of follow-up) versus 30 DCCT intensive treatment subjects (control subjects: mean DCCT HbA1c level <7.3% [56 mmol/mol] and without progression of retinopathy or nephropathy). Monocytes from case subjects had statistically greater numbers of promoter regions with enrichment in H3K9Ac (active chromatin mark) compared with control subjects (P = 0.0096). Among the patients in the two groups combined, monocyte H3K9Ac was significantly associated with the mean HbA1c level during the DCCT and EDIC (each P < 2.2E-16). Of note, the top 38 case hyperacetylated promoters (P < 0.05) included >15 genes related to the nuclear factor-κB inflammatory pathway and were enriched in genes related to diabetes complications. These results suggest an association between HbA1c level and H3K9Ac, and a possible epigenetic explanation for metabolic memory in humans.