bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A single‐source content management system for lean manufacturing
Authors: Singer Eric , Becker Kurt
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to present a systematic method to implement a single‐source content management system for optimized data flow for standardized documentation and reporting. A historical background in production efficiency is also provided.

Design/methodology/approach

A systematic deployment strategy is provided for identifying, collecting, securing, standardizing, automating, and globalizing key information. The approach incorporates lean elements from 5S, standardized work instructions, and lean visioning.

Findings

It was found that the reallocation of time management from operators, management, and support groups has increased compliancy and throughputs, while driving down extraneous costs.

Research limitations/implications

Some implications associated with the inability to initiate a full single‐source content management system are discussed.

Originality/value

This paper provides tools for improving the quality and productivity of data flow. Both long‐term and short‐term trends can be observed and yield improvement opportunities.
Use of the Mental Health Act in children and young people with a intellectual disability
Authors: Rippon Lisa
Published: March 2013

Purpose

In this article, the aim is to focus on the legislation in place within England and Wales pertaining to the care and treatment of children and young people, but intends to give a brief outline of the equivalent law in Scotland. It seeks to describe how the age of a young person will determine which piece of legislation should be used to ensure an admission into an inpatient Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit will be lawful. It also seeks to consider the role of those with parental responsibility in the decision‐making progress and discuss which components of a proposed treatment plan they would or would not be able to consent to on behalf of those children and young people in their care.

Design/methodology/approach

The author searched the literature, relevant legislation and codes of practice for guidance on the care and treatment of children and adolescents with an intellectual disability.

Findings

Legislation governing the admission and treatment of children and adolescents with an intellectual disability is complex. All clinicians working with those under the age of 18 should have knowledge of the relevant legislation to ensure that the rights of children and young people are upheld.

Originality/value

This article summarises the relevant guidance that is already available on the care and treatment of children and young people, but focuses on the needs of those with an intellectual disability.
Neuropsychological findings from a forensic neuropsychology clinic at a South East London tier 4 CAMHS
Authors: Sinclair Maxine , Blencowe Alison , McCaig Laura , Misch Peter
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The existence of neuropsychological deficits associated with antisocial behaviour has received considerable attention. The pilot study investigates the cognitive impairments in a sample 9‐17 years old with suspected or previously diagnosed intellectual disability and/or neurodevelopmental disorders referred to a tier 4 CAMHS service in South East London. This paper aims to present the preliminary findings from the study.

Design/methodology/approach

In total, 28 participants between the ages of nine and 16 years, who had been referred to a tier 4 South London Forensic CAMHS, were administered selected subtests to assess intellectual, executive and social functioning using the WISC IV/WAIS IV, NEPSY II and DKEFS. Descriptive and non‐parametric statistics were used to describe the sample and identify neuropsychological deficits.

Findings

Consistent with previous research participants FSIQ and VCI were lower than the general population mean and young people identified as being high risk on the SAVRY were more impaired than those assigned to the lower risk group. The results also identified neuropsychological deficits in behavioural inhibition, cognitive flexibility, problem solving and processing fear but spared cognitive inhibition, general social processing and non‐verbal reasoning.

Originality/value

These preliminary findings serve as a platform for better understanding the neuropsychological functioning of the young people referred to the clinic and in the future it is hoped that the data will be used to evaluate cognitive rehabilitation adjuncts to established interventions provided by the service.
Inpatient assessment of young people with developmental disabilities who offend
Authors: Gralton Ernest
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This is an invited short overview from a clinician working in a national secure inpatient setting which aims to focus on inpatient forensic services for adolescents with developmental disabilities.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper gives a brief overview of the needs of this population and the requirements for inpatient assessment and treatment.

Findings

This is a complex population who are referred relatively late to inpatient services, often after recurrent failings in residential services where mental disorders are commonly unrecognised. Comprehensive multidisciplinary assessment and treatment are required for this group.

Originality/value

This paper will be useful to a range of professionals dealing with adolescents with developmental disabilities who are engaging in offending and other high risk behaviours.
Biomass and productivity of trematode parasites in pond ecosystems
Authors: Preston Daniel L. , Orlofske Sarah A. , Lambden Jason P. , Johnson Pieter T. J.
Published: March 2013

Ecologists often measure the biomass and productivity of organisms to understand the importance of populations and communities in the flow of energy through ecosystems. Despite the central role of such studies in the advancement of freshwater ecology, there has been little effort to incorporate parasites into studies of freshwater energy flow. This omission is particularly important considering the roles that parasites sometimes play in shaping community structure and ecosystem processes.

Using quantitative surveys and dissections of over 1600 aquatic invertebrate and amphibian hosts, we calculated the ecosystem‐level biomass and productivity of trematode parasites alongside the biomass of free‐living aquatic organisms in three freshwater ponds in California, USA.

Snails and amphibian larvae, which are both important intermediate trematode hosts, dominated the dry biomass of free‐living organisms across ponds (snails = 3·2 g m−2; amphibians = 3·1 g m−2). An average of 33·5% of mature snails were infected with one of six trematode taxa, amounting to a density of 13 infected snails m−2 of pond substrate. Between 18% and 33% of the combined host and parasite biomass within each infected snail consisted of larval trematode tissue, which collectively accounted for 87% of the total trematode biomass within the three ponds. Mid‐summer trematode dry biomass averaged 0·10 g m−2, which was equal to or greater than that of the most abundant insect orders (coleoptera = 0·10 g m−2, odonata = 0·08 g m−2, hemiptera = 0·07 g m−2 and ephemeroptera = 0·03 g m−2).

On average, each trematode taxon produced between 14 and 1660 free‐swimming larvae (cercariae) infected snail−1 24 h−1 in mid‐summer. Given that infected snails release cercariae for 3–4 months a year, the pond trematode communities produced an average of 153 mg m−2 yr−1 of dry cercarial biomass (range = 70–220 mg m−2 yr−1).

Our results suggest that a significant amount of energy moves through trematode parasites in freshwater pond ecosystems, and that their contributions to ecosystem energetics may exceed those of many free‐living taxa known to play key roles in structuring aquatic communities.
Quantifying the impacts of bioenergy crops on pollinating insect abundance and diversity: a field‐scale evaluation reveals taxon‐specific responses
Authors: Stanley Dara A. , Stout Jane C.
Published: March 2013

Global declines in pollinating insects have been linked with agricultural intensification and land‐use change. Increased production of novel crops for bioenergy is causing changes in agricultural practice, but the effects on different pollinating taxa have not yet been quantified. However, the major pollinating groups (social bees, solitary bees, hoverflies and butterflies) are likely to respond differently to changes in land use and shifts in crop cultivation patterns.

We assessed the impacts of two bioenergy crops, oilseed rape Brassica napus L. and Miscanthus Miscanthus X giganteus on (i) the diversity and abundance of four taxonomic groups of pollinating insects, (ii) insect community composition, (iii) floral resources and (iv) nesting sites for bumblebees, by comparing bioenergy crops with conventional arable and grass crops in a large network of commercial fields.

We found that although there were more bumblebees in oilseed rape fields, conventional crops and bioenergy crops did not differ greatly in species richness of most pollinator groups, although more floral resources were found in the bioenergy crops. However, solitary bees were more abundant and species rich in energy crops than conventional wheat, and more trap‐nesting bees and wasps were found in Miscanthus than oilseed rape. In addition, novel assemblages of solitary bees were found in the bioenergy crops.

All pollinator groups, and flowering plants, were more abundant in field margins than in the centre of crop fields. Although there were no differences among crop types, nest‐searching bumblebees were confined to field margins. This highlights the importance of field margins as forage and nesting habitat for pollinators in farmland.

Synthesis and applications. Differential responses to field‐scale growth of bioenergy crops were displayed by the taxonomic groups studied, suggesting that effects on biodiversity cannot be generalized from studies based on a small suite of taxonomic groups and must include a range of taxa for overarching results. To optimize habitat for pollinators in agricultural areas, our data suggest that a diversity of crop types at small scales may have positive impacts and supports appropriate management and conservation of field margins and hedgerows during conversion to bioenergy production.
Spatial control of the cell division site by the Min system in Escherichia coli
Authors: Shih Yu‐Ling , Zheng Min
Published: March 2013

The Min system of Escherichia coli is involved in mediating placement of the cell division site at the midcell; this is accomplished through partitioning of the cell division inhibitor MinC to the cell poles to block aberrant polar division. The partitioning of MinC is achieved through its interaction with MinDE, which alternates its cellular distribution periodically between opposite cell poles throughout the cell cycle. This dynamic oscillation is the result of intricate molecular interactions occurring between the three Min proteins on the membrane in a spatiotemporal manner. In this minireview, we discuss recent developments in understanding the molecular mechanisms of the E. coli Min system from cellular, biochemical and biophysical perspectives. In addition, we propose a model that involves the balancing of different molecular interactions at different stages of the oscillation cycle.
Occupy's predicament: the moment and the prospects for the movement
Authors: Gitlin Todd
Published: March 2013

Occupy Wall Street has stalled in its attempt to make a transition from a moment to a movement. It had a sizable impact upon the presidential election, driving America's political centre of gravity toward the left, but has been unable or unwilling to evolve beyond its original core into a ‘full‐service movement’ that welcomes contributions from a wide range of activists at varying levels of commitment and skill and plausibly campaigns for substantial reforms. In contrast to earlier American social movements of the twentieth century, the Occupy movement began with a large popular base of support. Propped up by that support, its ‘inner movement’ of core activists with strong anarchist and ‘horizontalist’ beliefs transformed the political environment even as they disdained formal reform demands and conducted decisions in a demanding, fully participatory manner. But the core was deeply suspicious of the ‘cooptive’ and ‘hierarchical’ tendencies of the unions and membership organizations – the ‘outer movement’ – whose supporters made up the bulk of the participants who turned out for Occupy's large demonstrations. The ‘inner movement's’ awkward fit with that ‘outer movement’ blocked transformation into an enduring structure capable of winning substantial reforms over time. When the encampments were dispersed by governmental authorities, the core lost its ability to convert electronic communications into the energy and community that derive from face‐to‐face contact. The outlook for the effectiveness of the movement is decidedly limited unless an alliance of disparate groups develops to press for reforms within the political system.
Dramatic performances in the play of politics: Egypt, Obama and the works of Jeffrey Alexander
Authors: Wherry Frederick , Lichterman Paul , Berezin Mabel
Published: March 2013

This review article explores Jeffrey Alexander's cultural theory of political transformations. In his two recent works Performative Revolution in Egypt (2011) and The Performance of Politics: Obama's Victory and the Democratic Struggle for Power (2009), Alexander analyses the fall of President Hosni Mubarak and the rise of President Barack Obama, respectively. Alexander challenges the idea that revolutions depend primarily on the material conditions of a population, demographic changes, and the capacity of a group of contenders to gather material support for an overthrow. He also argues that the stagecraft of the political horserace matters for national elections. The strong versus weak dramaturgical performances of presidential candidates (rather than macroeconomic or geopolitical changes) proved consequential for changes in the poll numbers of Obama versus McCain, for example. Macroeconomic conditions had to be filtered, interpreted, and made meaningful; the candidate who could cast these material conditions onto the sacred side of civil discourse improved his likelihood of victory. Curiously, many social scientists and political pundits have largely taken performances for granted in the democratic struggle for power, and have therefore rendered the charismatic speeches and the grand narratives (culture) as epiphenomena, plays in the shadow of large structural shifts – a residual variable, or else as shifting, evanescent meanings produced in local, face‐to‐face settings. In the newer understanding, ‘culture’ is a level of analysis researchers use to investigate symbolic patterns and meaningful practices that structure how people act, how they define identities, even how they define what counts as ‘strategic’ or instrumental. Since the 1980s, sociologists working with this notion of culture have crafted different approaches to political culture, in national, organizational, and informal everyday arenas. Their different culture concepts carry different strengths and liabilities for research and they rely on different assumptions about action and meaning. This article reviews these arguments and asks what the limits to Alexander's performative theory are, how his theory can be reformulated to address settled versus unsettled political regimes, and how disaggregating Alexander's concept of audiences along with their roles in political change would provide the theory with greater predictive power.
Symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples treated with donated sperm: a descriptive study
Authors: Borneskog C , Sydsjö G , Lampic C , Bladh M , Svanberg AS
Published: March 2013

Objective

To investigate symptoms of anxiety and depression in lesbian couples undergoing assisted reproductive treatment (ART), and to study the relationship of demographic data, pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans with symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Design

Descriptive, a part of the prospective longitudinal ‘Swedish study on gamete donation’.

Setting

All university clinics in Sweden performing gamete donation.

Population

A consecutive sample of 214 lesbian couples requesting assisted reproduction, 165 of whom participated.

Methods

Participants individually completed three study‐specific questionnaires and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS): time point 1 (T1), at commencement of ART; time point 2 (T2), approximately 2 months after treatment; and time point 3 (T3), 2–5 years after first treatment.

Main outcome measures

Anxiety and depression (HADS), pregnancy outcome and future reproductive plans.

Results

The vast majority of lesbian women undergoing assisted reproduction reported no symptoms of anxiety and depression at the three assessment points. A higher percentage of the treated women, compared with the partners, reported symptoms of anxiety at T2 (14% versus 5%, P = 0.011) and T3 (10% versus 4%, P = 0.018), as well as symptoms of depression at T2 (4% versus 0%, P = 0.03) and T3 (3% versus 0%, P = 0.035). The overall pregnancy outcome was high; almost three‐quarters of lesbian couples gave birth 2–5 years after sperm donation treatments. Open‐ended comments illustrated joy and satisfaction about family building.

Conclusion

Lesbian women in Sweden reported good psychological health before and after treatment with donated sperm.
Calculating Poverty Measures from the Generalised Beta Income Distribution
Authors: Chotikapanich Duangkamon , Griffiths William , Karunarathne Wasana , Prasada Rao D.S.
Published: March 2013

Data for measuring poverty are frequently available in a summary form that describes the proportion of income or expenditure for each of a number of population proportions. While various discrete poverty measures can be applied directly to data in this limited form, they typically require an arbitrary approach to within‐group interpolation. This problem can be overcome by fitting either a parametric income distribution or a Lorenz curve to the grouped data and computing the required quantities from estimated parameters. The Lorenz curve approach is widely used by the World Bank, but can encounter problems. As an alternative, in this article we show how to calculate several poverty measures from parameters of the generalized beta income distribution, and its popular special cases. An analysis of poverty changes in countries from South and Southeast Asia is used to illustrate the methodology.
Forensic Paleontology: A Tool for “Intelligence” and Investigation
Authors: Sacchi Eva , Nicosia Umberto
Published: March 2013

Paleontology and facies analysis proved to be useful tools in activities of intelligence and investigation on some criminal cases, as well as in in‐court activities, thus defining the “forensic paleontology” area of study. The definition was given by analyzing its possible specific applications and excluding some marginal activities. The reliability of forensic paleontology was then assessed in light of the results achieved in some actual cases and in an ad hoc simulation. The investigated cases concerned intelligence and ordinary law enforcement activities. Special attention was paid to crimes against the cultural heritage. Ex post re‐examination of the cases substantiated the value of this scientific branch in investigations, while stressing the possible difficulties in explaining its results to lay persons. Therefore, careful preparation of technical and linguistic preliminary notes for judges, prosecutors, and lawyers as well as a special training for consultants are recommended before presenting results as exhibits in in‐court cross‐examinations.
Fracture Characteristics of Entrapped Head Impacts Versus Controlled Head Drops in Infant Porcine Specimens,,
Authors: Powell Brian J. , Passalacqua Nicholas V. , Fenton Todd W. , Haut Roger C.
Published: March 2013

In many forensic cases, the job of forensic pathologists and anthropologists is to determine whether pediatric death is due to an abusive act or an accidental fall. The goal of this study was to compare the cranial fracture patterns generated on the parietal bone of a developing, infant porcine (pig, Sus scrofa) model by a controlled energy head drop onto a plate versus previous data generated by blunt force impact at the same energy onto the head constrained to a plate. The results showed that blunt force impacts on a head constrained to a rigid plate produces more fracture, but the same general pattern, as that for a head dropped onto the plate with the same level of impact energy. The study suggests that head constraint may be an important factor to consider in the evaluation of death causation for blunt force impacts to the pediatric skull.
Renal Cortical Pallor—A Useful Macroscopic Marker for Metabolic Derangements at Autopsy
Authors: Zhou Chong , Yool Andrea , Byard Roger W.
Published: March 2013

Renal cortical pallor was studied as a potential marker at autopsy of diabetic ketoacidosis in 23 cases, hyperglycemic nonketotic coma in eight cases, and alcoholic ketoacidosis in five cases (vitreous humor glucose level ≥11.1 mM; β‐hydroxybutyrate level ≥5 mM). Renal cortical pallor was noted on macroscopic examination in 10 of 23 cases of lethal diabetic ketoacidosis (43.5%), three of eight cases of fatal hyperglycemic nonketotic coma (37.5%), and in two of five cases of alcoholic ketoacidosis (40%). Histologic examination revealed basal vacuolization of renal tubular epithelial cells in 12 cases, Armanni–Ebstein lesions in 10, and osmotic nephrosis in three. Although renal cortical pallor did not appear to be a particularly sensitive marker for hyperglycemia or ketoacidosis, and did not correlate with the severity of these parameters, it may still represent a useful macroscopic marker for underlying metabolic conditions at autopsy and should therefore prompt measurement of vitreous humor glucose and β‐hydroxybutyrate levels.
Statistical Evaluation of Alternative Light Sources for Bloodstain Photography
Authors: Lee Wee Chuen , Khoo Bee Ee , Abdullah Ahmad Fahmi Lim Bin , Abdul Aziz Zalina Binti
Published: March 2013

Bloodstain photography is important in forensic applications, especially for bloodstain pattern analysis. This study compares the enhancement effect of bloodstain photography using three different types of light source: fluorescent white light, near‐ultraviolet (UV) light‐emitting diode (LED) light, and 410 nm LED light. Randomized complete block designs were implemented to identify the lighting that would statistically produce the best enhancement results for bloodstains on different types of surfaces. Bloodstain samples were prepared on white cotton, brown carpet, tar road, and wood. These samples were photographed in darkroom conditions using a Canon EOS 50D digital SLR camera, with Canon EFS 60 mm f/2.8 Macro USM lens. Two‐way analysis of variance and Fisher's least significant difference test were used to analyze the contrast of the images. The statistical analysis showed that 410 nm light is the best among the tested lights for enhancing bloodstains on the tested surfaces, where the contrast of bloodstain to background was the highest.
Childhood Fatalities in New Mexico: Medical Examiner‐Investigated Cases, 2000–2010
Authors: Lathrop Sarah L.
Published: March 2013

To better understand risk factors and populations at risk of childhood fatalities, a review of all records of childhood deaths (≤19 years) between 2000 and 2010 from New Mexico's statewide medical examiner was conducted. Annually, 313–383 childhood deaths were investigated (3820 total). Males and American Indians were overrepresented (62% and 20.4% of deaths, respectively). The most common manner of death was natural (44.8%), followed by accidental (31.4%), homicide (8.8%), suicide (8.8%), and undetermined (4.1%). Infants under 1 year of age accounted for 41.4% of deaths. Motor vehicle crashes were responsible for the majority of accidental deaths (69%), followed by unintentional overdoses (6.9%), and drowning (5.3%). Gunshot wounds, either intentional or unintentional, caused 10.7% of childhood deaths. Complete medico‐legal investigation of childhood fatalities is needed to provide public health agencies with adequate data to evaluate and prevent childhood deaths.
EGOHOODS AS WAVES WASHING ACROSS THE CITY: A NEW MEASURE OF “NEIGHBORHOODS”
Authors: HIPP JOHN R. , BOESSEN ADAM
Published: March 2013

Defining “neighborhoods” is a bedeviling challenge faced by all studies of neighborhood effects and ecological models of social processes. Although scholars frequently lament the inadequacies of the various existing definitions of “neighborhood,” we argue that previous strategies relying on nonoverlapping boundaries such as block groups and tracts are fundamentally flawed. The approach taken here instead builds on insights of the mental mapping literature, the social networks literature, the daily activities pattern literature, and the travel to crime literature to propose a new definition of neighborhoods: egohoods. These egohoods are conceptualized as waves washing across the surface of cities, as opposed to independent units with nonoverlapping boundaries. This approach is illustrated using crime data from nine cities: Buffalo, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Los Angeles, Sacramento, St. Louis, and Tucson. The results show that measures aggregated to our egohoods explain more of the variation in crime across the social environment than do models with measures aggregated to block groups or tracts. The results also suggest that measuring inequality in egohoods provides dramatically stronger positive effects on crime rates than when using the nonoverlapping boundary approach, highlighting the important new insights that can be obtained by using our egohood approach.
PUNITIVE SENTIMENT
Authors: RAMIREZ MARK D.
Published: March 2013

Scholarship has long noted the importance of understanding the changes that occur over time in aggregate public support for punitive criminal justice policies. Yet, the lack of a reliable and valid measure of this concept limits our understanding of this aspect of the criminal justice system. This research develops a measure of public support for punitive policies from 1951 to 2006 using 242 administrations of 24 unique survey indicators. It argues that punitive sentiment is politically constructed via frames focusing on the permissiveness of the criminal justice system. Punitive sentiment is estimated with an error‐correction model showing both the short‐ and long‐term relationships between punitive sentiment and presidential framing of crime, public dissatisfaction with social welfare policies, and perceptions of racial integration. The results highlight the complex dynamics responsible for the change over time in punitive sentiment as well as the possibilities of obtaining public support for alternative solutions to crime.
Fructose intake and food sources in West Australian adolescents
Authors: Woolley Susan E. , Sherriff Jill , Oddy Wendy H. , O' Sullivan Therese A.
Published: March 2013

Aim

This research aimed to cross‐sectionally quantify fructose consumption and identify major food sources of fructose in adolescents participating in the 14‐year follow up of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study.

Methods

Subjects were 822 adolescents aged 13–15 years participating in the Raine Study. Dietary intake was assessed by 3‐day food records and entered in the FoodWorks dietary analysis program. Total fructose values for individual foods were linked from the Nutrient Tables for use in Australia, the University of Minnesota Nutrition Coordinating Centre Food and Nutrient Database, and the Canadian Nutrient File.

Results

Fructose contributed 9.1% of total energy intake for the group. Boys reported higher absolute fructose intakes than girls (58.9 g ± 26.6 g vs 48.3 g ± 20.1 g, respectively, P < 0.001), while girls had higher energy adjusted fructose intakes than boys (55.7 g ± 16.1 g vs 51.8 g ± 20.2 g, respectively, P = 0.002). Major food sources of total fructose were beverages, in particular soft drinks, followed by fruit and confectionery. No significant associations were found between fructose intake and level of physical activity, Body Mass Index or socioeconomic status indicators in unadjusted analyses; however, adolescents from higher socioeconomic groups consumed more fructose from fruit, whereas adolescents from lower socioeconomic groups consumed more fructose from beverages.

Conclusions

To our knowledge, this is the first study to describe fructose intake and food sources in Australian adolescents. Results are similar to those previously reported in studies of US adolescents.
Characterization of Soybean Protein Hydrolysates able to Promote the Proliferation of Streptococcus Thermophilus ST
Authors: Hongfei Zhao , Fengling Bai , Fang Zhou , Walczak Piotr , Xiangning Jiang , Bolin Zhang
Published: March 2013

How soybean protein hydrolysates (SPHs) to favor the growth of S. thermophilus ST were investigated. Hydrolyzed soybean protein was fractionated to 4 fragments, that is, SPH‐I, SPH‐II, SPH‐III, and SPH‐IV according to their molecular weight sizes. SPHs can improve the growth of strain ST, in which SPH‐IV, with the molecular weight of less than 5 kD, significantly promoted the growth of strain ST. The cell counts of strain ST grew quickly from 7.71 to 9.78 (log CFU/mL) when the concentrations of SPH‐IV ranging from 0% to 1%. Moreover, 2 chemically defined media (CDMs) were used to test their roles in maintaining the viability of strain ST. CDMs only maintained the survival of strain ST, but SPH‐IV had the promotional effects on proliferation of the bacteria. SPH‐IV was further characterized to be oligopeptides that contain 2 to 8 amino acids and free amino acids by high‐performance liquid chromatography—mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS) analysis. The amino acid compositions showed that SPH‐IV contained more essential amino acids, which were necessary for the growth of S. thermophilus ST. Clearly, SPH‐IV could be used as an exogenous nitrogen supplement to enhance the proliferation of S. thermophilus ST and other lactic acid bacteria, and the data from small scale‐up fermentation also supported this point.
Antimicrobial Activity and Hydrophobicity of Edible Whey Protein Isolate Films Formulated with Nisin and/or Glucose Oxidase
Authors: Murillo‐Martínez María M. , Tello‐Solís Salvador R. , García‐Sánchez Miguel A. , Ponce‐Alquicira Edith
Published: March 2013

The use of edible antimicrobial films has been reported as a means to improve food shelf life through gradual releasing of antimicrobial compounds on the food surface. This work reports the study on the incorporation of 2 antimicrobial agents, nisin (N), and/or glucose oxidase (GO), into the matrix of Whey protein isolate (WPI) films at pH 5.5 and 8.5. The antimicrobial activity of the edible films was evaluated against Listeria innocua (ATCC 33090), Brochothrix thermosphacta (NCIB10018), Escherichia coli (JMP101), and Enterococcus faecalis (MXVK22). In addition, the antimicrobial activity was related to the hydrophobicity and water solubility of the WPI films. The greatest antibacterial activity was observed in WPI films containing only GO. The combined addition of N and GO resulted in films with lower antimicrobial activity than films with N or GO alone. In most cases, a pH effect was observed as greater antimicrobial response at pH 5.5 as well as higher film matrix hydrophobicity. WPI films supplemented with GO can be used in coating systems suitable for food preservation.
Soil phosphorus depletion and shifts in plant communities change bacterial community structure in a long‐term grassland management trial
Authors: Adair Karen L. , Wratten Steve , Lear Gavin
Published: March 2013

Agricultural systems rely on healthy soils and their sustainability requires understanding the long‐term impacts of agricultural practices on soils, including microbial communities. We examined the impact of 17 years of land management on soil bacterial communities in a New Zealand randomized‐block pasture trial. Significant variation in bacterial community structure related to mowing and plant biomass removal, while nitrogen fertilizer had no effect. Changes in soil chemistry and legume abundance described 52% of the observed variation in the bacterial community structure. Legumes (Trifolium species) were absent in unmanaged plots but increased in abundance with management intensity; 11% of the variation in soil bacterial community structure was attributed to this shift in the plant community. Olsen P explained 10% of the observed heterogeneity, which is likely due to persistent biomass removal resulting in P limitation; Olsen P was significantly lower in plots with biomass removed (14 mg kg−1 ± 1.3SE) compared with plots that were not mown, or where biomass was left after mowing (32 mg kg−1 ± 1.6SE). Our results suggest that removal of plant biomass and associated phosphorus, as well as shifts in the plant community, have greater long‐term impacts on soil bacterial community structure than application of nitrogen fertilizers.
Skeletal muscle tissue transcriptome differences in lean and obese female beagle dogs
Authors: Grant R. W. , Vester Boler B. M. , Ridge T. K. , Graves T. K. , Swanson K. S.
Published: March 2013

Skeletal muscle is a large and insulin‐sensitive tissue that is an important contributor to metabolic homeostasis and energy expenditure. Many metabolic processes are altered with obesity, but the contribution of muscle tissue in this regard is unclear. A limited number of studies have compared skeletal muscle gene expression of lean and obese dogs. Using microarray technology, our objective was to identify genes and functional classes differentially expressed in skeletal muscle of obese (14.6 kg; 8.2 body condition score; 44.5% body fat) vs. lean (8.6 kg; 4.1 body condition score; 22.9% body fat) female beagle adult dogs. Alterations in 77 transcripts was observed in genes pertaining to the functional classes of signaling, transport, protein catabolism and proteolysis, protein modification, development, transcription and apoptosis, cell cycle and differentiation. Genes differentially expressed in obese vs. lean dog skeletal muscle indicate oxidative stress and altered skeletal muscle cell differentiation. Many genes traditionally associated with lipid, protein and carbohydrate metabolism were not altered in obese vs. lean dogs, but genes pertaining to endocannabinoid metabolism, insulin signaling, type II diabetes mellitus and carnitine transport were differentially expressed. The relatively small response of skeletal muscle could indicate that changes are occurring at a post‐transcriptional level, that other tissues (e.g., adipose tissue) were buffering skeletal muscle from metabolic dysfunction or that obesity‐induced changes in skeletal muscle require a longer period of time and that the length of our study was not sufficient to detect them. Although only a limited number of differentially expressed genes were detected, these results highlight genes and functional classes that may be important in determining the etiology of obesity‐induced derangement of skeletal muscle function.
Taxonomic study of Barbus neumayeri and Barbus pellegrini from the Lake Kivu‐Lake Edward region, East Africa
Authors: Mlewa Chrisestom Mwatete
Published: March 2013

The taxonomy of the two established barbus species: Barbus neumayeri and Barbus pellegrini has presented problems due to their close relationship and pronounced character variation within and between their populations. In this study, morphomeristic methods were used to investigate Barbus specimens from several populations in the Lake Kivu – Lake Edward area. Meristic and morphometric data on specimens in the RMAC collection from lakes Kivu and Edward, and the Nyabarongo and Mpanga river systems were analysed using principal component analysis in the PAST software programme. The results revealed additional morphomeristic characters useful in distinguishing the two closely related barbus species; hence, both B. pellegrini and B. neumayeri are redescribed incorporating additional characters to their respective original descriptions. Specimens from Nyabarongo river system were significantly different to warrant recognition as new species; thus, a new species B. new species is proposed and described. Meristically, the B. new species and the two established species are distinguished by lateral line scale counts; while predorsal length, head length and body depth at operculum, expressed as percentage of standard length, are the most diagnostic morphometric characters.
Developing the North, Defending the Nation? The Northern Australia Development Committee, 1945–1949*
Authors: McGregor Russell
Published: March 2013

The Northern Australia Development Committee (NADC) was established in late 1945 to coordinate the efforts of the Commonwealth, Queensland and Western Australian governments in developing the north of the continent. At the outset, defence considerations were uppermost. However, the NADC soon became entangled in disputes among Commonwealth departments and personalities over the relevance of northern development to national defence. Some — notably the Department of Defence — insisted that northern Australia no longer possessed special strategic significance. Others — notably the Department of External Affairs — argued that northern development must be conceived within a broader geo‐political context. This paper examines the NADC's entanglement in these disputes, and explains how this entanglement contributed crucially to the committee's ineffectualness and early demise.
Rousseau's Critique of Representative Sovereignty: Principled or Pragmatic?
Authors: Douglass Robin
Published: March 2013

In the Social Contract, Jean‐Jacques Rousseau advanced an impassioned critique of representative sovereignty, yet it is often thought that his objections were merely pragmatic and that he did not consider the question of representation to be a matter of basic political right. This article maintains, to the contrary, that Rousseau did have a principled argument against representative sovereignty and elucidates the nature and bearing of that argument by situating it in response to Hobbesian accounts of representation. Rousseau's argument is shown to have far‐reaching implications, as it entails that the existence of representative sovereignty contravenes two principles central to the legitimacy of modern democratic states: the sovereignty of the people and the moral equality of the citizens.
Gaseous Micro‐Emboli Activity During Cardiopulmonary Bypass in Adults: Pulsatile Flow Versus Nonpulsatile Flow
Authors: Dodonov Mikhail , Milano Aldo , Onorati Francesco , Dal Corso Bruno , Menon Tiziano , Ferrarini Daniele , Tessari Maddalena , Faggian Giuseppe , Mazzucco Alessandro
Published: March 2013

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) has a risk of cerebral injury, with an important role of gaseous micro‐emboli (GME) coming from theCPBcircuit. Pulsatile perfusion is supposed to perform specific conditions for supplementaryGMEactivity. We aimed to determine whether pulsatileCPBaugments production and delivery ofGMEand evaluate the role of different events inGMEactivity during either type of perfusion. Twenty‐four patients who underwent on‐pump coronary artery bypass grafting surgery at the University ofVerona were divided equally into two groups—pulsatile perfusion (PP) group and nonpulsatile perfusion (NP) group. The circuit included aJostraHL‐20 roller pump set in pulsatile or nonpulsatile mode, an openSorinSynthesis membrane oxygenator with integrated screen‐type arterial filter, and phosphorylcholine‐coated tubes. Hemodynamic flow evaluation was performed in terms of energy equivalent pressure and surplus hemodynamic energy (SHE).GMEwere counted by means of aGAMPT BCC200 bubble counter (GAMPT, Zappendorf, Germany) with two probes placed at postpump and postarterial filter positions. Results were evaluated in terms ofGMEnumber,GMEvolume, number of over‐rangedGMEfrom both probes, and series of filtering indexes. InPPmode, the pump produced and delivered along the circuit significantly higher amounts ofSHEthan inNPmode. At the venous postpump site,GMEnumber was significantly higher duringPPbut no difference was found in terms ofGMEvolume or number of over‐ranged bubbles. No significant difference inGMEnumber,GMEvolume, or number of over‐ranges was found at the postarterial filter site. Filtering indexes were similar between the two groups. Neither type of perfusion was shown to contribute to excessiveGMEproduction during the most important perfusionist manipulation. Pulsatility leads toGMEincrement by splitting and size diminishing of the existing bubbles but not by additional gas production.PPaugmentedGMEnumber at the venous postpump site, while mean volume remained comparable withNP.SorinSynthesis oxygenator showed high efficacy inGMEremoval during either type of perfusion. SupplementaryGMEproduction and delivery during typical perfusionist manipulations did not depend on perfusion type.
Development of a Novel Emergency Hemostatic Kit for Severe Hemorrhage
Authors: Hattori Hidemi , Amano Yoshiko , Nogami Yashiro , Kawakami Masahiro , Yura Hirofumi , Ishihara Masayuki
Published: March 2013

Photocrosslinkable chitosan (Az‐CH‐LA) contains lactose moieties and photoreactive azide groups, and its viscous solution forms an insoluble hydrogel on exposure to UV irradiation. We previously developed an emergency hemostatic kit using the Az‐CH‐LA solution, calcium alginate, and a UV irradiation apparatus. However, a suitable UV irradiation apparatus is required to effectively convert the Az‐CH‐LA solution into a hydrogel, and power supply to use the UV irradiation apparatus may not always be available in a disaster area or battlefield. To address this problem, we produced a portable, battery‐powered UV irradiation apparatus constituting a novel hemostatic kit for severe hemorrhage. When the hemostatic kit using the UV irradiation apparatus was examined using a rat model of severe hemorrhage, the survival rate increased up to 73%. Hematological values as markers of hemorrhage did not change significantly over the first 3 days. In this study, we describe the characteristics of a portable UV irradiation apparatus and its use in an emergency hemostatic kit prepared using Az‐CH‐LA and calcium alginate for severe hemorrhage.
New Generation Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation With MedTech Mag‐Lev, a Single‐Use, Magnetically Levitated, Centrifugal Blood Pump: Preclinical Evaluation in Calves
Authors: Fujiwara Tatsuki , Nagaoka Eiki , Watanabe Taiju , Miyagi Naoto , Kitao Takashi , Sakota Daisuke , Mamiya Taichi , Shinshi Tadahiko , Arai Hirokuni , Takatani Setsuo
Published: March 2013

We have evaluated the feasibility of a newly developed single‐use, magnetically levitated centrifugal blood pump, MedTech Mag‐Lev, in a 3‐week extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) study in calves against a Medtronic Bio‐Pump BPX‐80. A heparin‐ and silicone‐coated polypropylene membrane oxygenator MERA NHP Excelung NSH‐R was employed as an oxygenator. Six healthy male Holstein calves with body weights of about 100 kg were divided into two groups, four in the MedTech group and two in the Bio‐Pump group. Under general anesthesia, the blood pump and oxygenator were inserted extracorporeally between the main pulmonary artery and the descending aorta via a fifth left thoracotomy. Postoperatively, both the pump and oxygen flow rates were controlled at 3 L/min. Heparin was continuously infused to maintain the activated clotting time at 200–240 s. All the MedTech ECMO calves completed the study duration. However, the Bio‐Pump ECMO calves were terminated on postoperative days 7 and 10 because of severe hemolysis and thrombus formation. At the start of the MedTech ECMO, the pressure drop across the oxygenator was about 25 mm Hg with the pump operated at 2800 rpm and delivering 3 L/min flow. The PO2 of the oxygenator outlet was higher than 400 mm Hg with the PCO2 below 45 mm Hg. Hemolysis and thrombus were not seen in the MedTech ECMO circuits (plasma‐free hemoglobin [PFH] < 5 mg/dL), while severe hemolysis (PFH > 20 mg/dL) and large thrombus were observed in the Bio‐Pump ECMO circuits. Plasma leakage from the oxygenator did not occur in any ECMO circuits. Three‐week cardiopulmonary support was performed successfully with the MedTech ECMO without circuit exchanges. The MedTech Mag‐Lev could help extend the durability of ECMO circuits by the improved biocompatible performances.
Vascular proliferation is associated with survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma
Authors: Hoem Dag , Straume Oddbjørn , Immervoll Heike , Akslen Lars A. , Molven Anders
Published: March 2013

In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the benefit of current chemotherapy and radiation therapy is very limited, even in radically resected patients. New treatment strategies, for example based on the inhibition of the tumour's blood supply, need to be explored. We have investigated angiogenesis markers and their associations with relapse and survival in 52 histologically confirmed cases of PDAC. Angiogenesis in the primary tumour was evaluated by microvessel density (MVD), vascular proliferation index (VPI) and the presence of glomeruloid microvascular proliferations (GMP). These features were analysed in the context of clinicopathological variables, KRAS mutation status, relapse location and survival. MVD (median 134 microvessels/mm2, range 88–177) and VPI (median 3.2%, range 1.6–4.9) were associated with larger tumour size and lymph node metastasis. MVD was also related to the occurrence of liver metastases. Both variables were associated with survival in univariate and multivariate analyses. GMPs were present in 32 (62%) of the cases. Patients who exhibited MVD and VPI values above median, and GMP positivity, had a median survival of only 4.2 months after surgery. In conclusion, the angiogenesis markers MVD and VPI have a significant impact on survival. By also including GMP, a subgroup of PDAC patients with particularly short survival could be identified.
Diagnostic yield of biopsies of cervical lymph nodes using a large (14‐gauge) core biopsy needle
Authors: Pedersen Ole M. , Aarstad Hans J. , Løkeland Turid , Bostad Leif
Published: March 2013

The purpose of this study was to assess retrospectively complications and diagnostic yield of core needle biopsy (CNB) of cervical lymph nodes using 14‐gauge as sole needle bore. During a 10‐year period ultrasound (US)‐guided CNB, using a 14‐gauge Tru‐Cut needle (non‐advancing), was performed in 140 consecutive cases (135 patients, aged 8–88 years) when a detailed histological diagnosis was required to guide therapy. CNB findings were consistent with the final diagnosis in 129 of the 140 cases, comprising 36 benign lesions, 40 metastases, and 53 lymphomas (40 NHL and 13 HL) of which subclassification (WHO criteria) was partial in 5NHL, and complete in 35 (87.5%) NHL and 13 HL (100%), including all 7 lymphomatous nodes with short‐axis diameter ≤1.0 cm. Two lymphomas were falsely interpreted as reactive hyperplasia. Nine samples (6.4%) were inadequate for histopathological analysis. One patient experienced pain in an arm lasting 3–4 days. No other immediate or delayed complications were diagnosed. A 14‐gauge may be used safely as the sole needle bore in US‐guided CNB of cervical lymph nodes, rendering samples sufficient for full subtyping in lymphoma, even in the smallest nodes.