bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A cost-effectiveness assessment model using grey correlation analysis for power transformer selection based on life cycle cost
Authors: Zhang Yiyi , Liao Ruijin , Yang Lijun , Deng Xiaopin , Cheng Huanchao , Lv Cheng
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– Statistics show that selecting the best investment program based on both cost and effectiveness can avoid financial losses. However, investment evaluation of a power transformer is full of uncertainty as it is hard to obtain accurate and useful cost-effectiveness results. Therefore, the purpose of the paper is to establish an investment evaluation model.

Design/methodology/approach

– The cost-effectiveness evaluation model in this study used grey correlation analysis for the power transformer selection based on life cycle cost (LCC). Indices of cost and effectiveness factors were chosen to form a three-level index system including quantitative and qualitative factors. Evidential reasoning was applied to quantify the qualitative indexes. Grey correlation analysis was applied to select the best investment program.

Findings

– The results from this study show that the proposed approach is effective and offers a new approach to evaluating transformer investment.

Practical implications

– The model was applied to an investing decision-making problem of the transformer in a new substation in Wuhan, China.

Originality/value

– It is very important to select the best transformer program in the candidate investment programs because the investment program decides almost 70 percent of the LCC of the power transformer.
Using system dynamics to evaluate renewable electricity development in Malaysia
Authors: Ahmad Salman , bin Mat Tahar Razman
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide an assessment of Malaysia's renewable capacity target. Malaysia relies heavily on fossil fuels for electricity generation. To diversify the fuel-mix, a technology-specific target has been set by the government in 2010. Considering the complexity in generation expansion, there is a dire need for an assessment model that can evaluate policy in a feedback fashion. The study also aims to expand policy evaluation literature in electricity domain by taking a dynamic systems approach.

Design/methodology/approach

– System dynamics modelling and simulation approach is used in this study. The model variables, selected from literature, are constituted into casual loop diagram. Later, a stock and flow diagram is developed by integrating planning, construction, operation, and decision making sub-models. The dynamic interactions between the sub-sectors are analysed based on the short-, medium- and long-term policy targets.

Findings

– Annual capacity constructions fail to achieve short-, medium- and long-term targets. However, the difference in operational capacity and medium- and long-term target are small. In terms of technology, solar photovoltaic (PV) attains the highest level of capacity followed by biomass.

Research limitations/implications

– While financial calculations are crucial for capacity expansion decisions, currently they are not being modelled; this study primarily focuses on system delays and exogenous components only.

Practical implications

– A useful model that offers regulators and investors insights on system characteristics and policy targets simultaneously.

Originality/value

– This paper provides a model for evaluating policy for renewable capacity expansion development in a dynamic context, for Malaysia.
The role of emotion perception ability in motivation to lead
Authors: Krishnakumar Sukumarakurup , Hopkins Kay
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of emotion perception ability through two different paradigms (self-report and ability-based) on an individual's motivation to lead, an individual's desire to assume leadership roles.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors have used a survey method in this study. The authors collected data from 172 undergraduate students.

Findings

– The findings indicate that emotion perception ability was significantly related to MTL. The authors also found that emotion perception ability was more substantially related to the non-calculative dimension of MTL than others.

Originality/value

– To the authors' knowledge, this is the first study to show the relationship of emotion perception ability to motivation to lead. Organizations can use the finding to screen and train future leaders using an ability-based test of emotion perception similar to one the authors have presented.
Proactive environmental management and performance by a controlling family
Authors: Huang Yi-Chun , Wong Ying-Jiuan , Yang Min-Li
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– This study examined how proactive environmental management affects firm performance and whether a controlling family moderates this effect. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– The study adopted content analysis to collect data on listed Taiwanese firms and used cross-sectional regression analysis to examine the relationship between proactive environmental management and firm performance as well as the moderating role of a controlling family.

Findings

– The results indicated that not all types of proactive environmental management are positively associated with firm performance and that a controlling family might be more effective in low-risk proactive environmental management practices.

Research limitations/implications

– The focus was on the impact of proactive environmental management from the perspective of stockholders. Future research could investigate its impact on other stakeholders as well.

Practical implications

– The findings might convince managers that the stereotype of an environment-friendly firm – that the more its green initiatives, the less competitive it becomes – may not necessarily be true. Investing in product-focused pollution prevention could increase revenues and improve performance. Even though process-focused pollution prevention is negatively associated with firm performance, companies are not expected to reduce investment in green processes since they are required for the production of environment-friendly products.

Originality/value

– This study adopted a multi-dimensional approach to reveal how different types of proactive environmental management affect firm performance. The authors used the controlling family as a moderating variable to determine whether it moderates the relationship between proactive environmental management and firm performance.
Embracing waste as a resource: insights from the informal sector
Authors: E. Sekerka Leslie , Stimel Derek
Published: February 2014

Purpose

– This article aims to draw insight from a variety of management disciplines to encourage a broader view of the economy as it relates to sustainable waste management (SWM) development.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper presents a framework to describe how strengths can be blended to support environmental sustainability (ES), highlighting the need for community cooperation between the informal and formal sectors of the economy.

Findings

– Unique contributions for SWM can emerge from both economic sectors and, when leveraged, may drive community development within local municipalities.

Practical implications

– The platform addresses the need for more flexible governmental policies that encourage waste management activities among formal and informal workers.

Originality/value

– The paper brings forward typically disregarded ES waste management opportunities that reside within the informal sector, an often overlooked aspect of the broader economy.
Personalized medicine in metastatic colorectal cancer treated with anti‐epidermal growth factor receptor agents: A future opportunity?
Authors: Tejpar Sabine , Piessevaux Hubert
Published: February 2014

Treatment options for colorectal cancer have increased substantially in the past decade, with the introduction of novel biological therapies targeting cancer‐specific molecules leading to significantly improved outcomes. Despite access to these treatments, we are not yet in an era where we can fully personalize treatment choices for patients with colorectal cancer. A number of prognostic and predictive markers have been identified that appear to be directly related to sensitivity to targeted therapies, such as those against epidermal growth factor receptor. However, the sensitivities of individual tumors toward different biological agents appear to be more complex. It seems that a more complete molecular signature of the tumor must be taken into account when making individual treatment choices. In the absence of having fully elucidated the influence of these prognostic or predictive markers, other surrogate markers of early treatment success may be useful in determining whether to continue treatment with a particular agent. In this review, we discuss the role of molecular markers in choosing appropriate treatment for the individual patient, along with the use of measuring the depth of response to a particular agent to assist decisions on whether to continue therapy in colorectal cancer.
Executive Functioning and Mathematics Achievement
Authors: Bull Rebecca , Lee Kerry
Published: February 2014

The importance of executive functioning (EF) skills in mathematical achievement is well established, and researchers have moved from just measuring working memory or updating to an inclusion of other EF skills, namely, inhibition and shifting. In this article, we review studies that have taken different approaches to measuring EF (e.g., using single vs. multiple indicators) and those that have applied different analytical techniques to conceptualize the structure of EF (e.g., exploratory vs. confirmatory techniques). Across studies, updating is often a unique predictor of math achievement at many ages; the findings relating to inhibition and switching are less conclusive. We discuss these findings in relation to age‐related variance in EF structure, the nature of inhibitory and shifting task requirements, and the role of updating as a limiting factor or a common resource for inhibition and shifting.
Putting models to a good use: a rapid assessment of Arctic seabird biodiversity indicates potential conflicts with shipping lanes and human activity
Authors: Humphries Grant R. W. , Huettmann Falk
Published: February 2014

Aims

To use open access models of predicted seabird distribution data in the Arctic to create rapid assessment biodiversity maps for management purposes and for prioritization of conservation.

Location

High Arctic, North of 60° latitude.

Methods

The predicted distributions of 27 species of Arctic seabirds were combined to create a seabird biodiversity map. The GIS layers created were based on peer‐reviewed model outputs which were calculated using the random forest algorithm and supplemented with ISO standardized metadata for quality assurance. We have overlain the species diversity and occurrence maps with known shipping lanes and areas of human activities in the Arctic to highlight areas of potential human conflict with pelagic seabirds.

Results

Entry points to the Arctic Basin for example Baffin Bay, Davis Strait, Chukchi Sea, Greenland Sea and Norwegian Sea are specific conflict zones with mean number of species occurring within 20 km of shipping zones ranging from 17 to 19 (63–70% of modelled species). We also show that these are areas of the highest intensity of human activities in the Arctic (fishing, ship traffic and accident rates).

Main conclusion

These Arctic seabird biodiversity maps can be used to make decisions which take into account ecology and socio‐economy (e.g. Marxan analysis and marine protected areas MPAs) and for ecological/economic studies which can help to create a pro‐active management scheme. This is particularly important due to the future increase in human impacts in the Arctic (i.e. fishing, tourism and especially shipping). By improving upon these models and further examination into the interactions between seabirds and humans in the Arctic, we can guide important policy decisions to protect Arctic biodiversity.
Financial Health, Exports and Firm Survival: Evidence from UK and French Firms
Authors: Görg Holger , Spaliara Marina‐Eliza
Published: February 2014

We use firm‐level data for the UK and France to assess the role of exporting in the link between financial health and firm survival. We examine whether firms at different stages of export activity (starters, exiters, continuers, switchers) react differently to changes in financial variables. In general, export starters and exiters experience much stronger adverse effects of financial constraints for their survival prospects. By contrast, the exit probability of continuous exporters and export switchers is less negatively affected by financial characteristics. These relationships between exporting, finance and survival are broadly similar in the UK and French samples.
Comparative polyphenolic antioxidant profile and quality of traditional apple cultivars as affected by cold storage
Authors: Goulas Vlasios , Kourdoulas Panayiotis , Makris Fedon , Theodorou Maria , Fellman John K. , Manganaris George A.
Published: February 2014

‘Kathista’ and ‘Lortiko’ are regarded as traditional and highly appreciated apple cultivars in Cyprus, yet their postharvest behaviour and phytochemical content are largely unknown. Such fruits were examined for their qualitative traits, phenolic composition and antioxidant capacity after harvest or short, intermediate or extended cold storage and additional ripening at room temperature (RT), using ‘Gala’ as reference cultivar. Total phenolic content was dependent on cultivar and length of cold storage, while hydroxycinnamic acids were always at higher levels compared to total flavonols for all the examined cultivars. No clear trends regarding the influence of cold storage or RT maintenance on fruit antioxidant properties were evident. Overall, quality attributes and polyphenolic content of the traditional apple cultivars were comparable with ‘Gala’ at harvest; thus, they can be considered a good source of nutraceuticals as summer apple cultivars. However, extended cold storage deteriorates fruit behaviour and antioxidant capacity, particularly in ‘Lortiko’ fruit.
Desensitization for solid organ and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Zachary Andrea A. , Leffell Mary S.
Published: February 2014

Desensitization protocols are being used worldwide to enable kidney transplantation across immunologic barriers, i.e. antibody to donor HLA or ABO antigens, which were once thought to be absolute contraindications to transplantation. Desensitization protocols are also being applied to permit transplantation of HLA mismatched hematopoietic stem cells to patients with antibody to donor HLA, to enhance the opportunity for transplantation of non‐renal organs, and to treat antibody‐mediated rejection. Although desensitization for organ transplantation carries an increased risk of antibody‐mediated rejection, ultimately these transplants extend and enhance the quality of life for solid organ recipients, and desensitization that permits transplantation of hematopoietic stem cells is life saving for patients with limited donor options. Complex patient factors and variability in treatment protocols have made it difficult to identify, precisely, the mechanisms underlying the downregulation of donor‐specific antibodies. The mechanisms underlying desensitization may differ among the various protocols in use, although there are likely to be some common features. However, it is likely that desensitization achieves a sort of immune detente by first reducing the immunologic barrier and then by creating an environment in which an autoregulatory process restricts the immune response to the allograft.
The development, feasibility and acceptability of an Internet‐based STI–HIV prevention intervention for young Chilean women
Authors: Villegas N. , Santisteban D. , Cianelli R. , Ferrer L. , Ambrosia T. , Peragallo N. , Lara L.
Published: February 2014

Background

Young Chilean women between 18 and 24 years of age are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infection (STI) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The literature shows a shortage of STI–HIV prevention interventions focused on this specific high‐risk population and a unique set of barriers to receiving prevention messages. Internet‐based interventions are promising for delivering STI–HIV prevention interventions and avoiding barriers to services.

Aims

The study aimed to develop a culturally informed Internet‐based STI–HIV prevention intervention for Chilean women between 18 and 24 years of age, to investigate its feasibility and acceptability, and to compile recommendations on what would make the intervention more acceptable and feasible for these women.

Methods

The development of the Internet intervention was facilitated by a process that featured consultation with content and technology experts. A pre‐post test design was used to test the acceptability and feasibility of the intervention with 40 young Chilean women between 18 and 24 years of age.

Results

The intervention website consisted of four modules of content and activities that support learning. The intervention was feasible and acceptable for young Chilean women between 18 and 24 years of age.

Discussion and conclusion

This study demonstrated the value of engaging multiple expert panels to develop culturally informed and technology‐based interventions. The results of this study support the feasibility and acceptability of conducting an Internet‐based intervention with multiple sessions, yielding high participation rates in a population in which there are barriers to discussion of STI–HIV prevention and sex‐related content.

Implications for nursing and health policy

The outcomes have implications for nursing education and clinical practice and they can be used for the legal and judicial systems to promote or reinforce policies that encourage STI–HIV prevention strategies among women.
Session 2: Facing complexity
Authors: BROADBENT STEFANA
Published: February 2014

The second session addresses highly complex issues, from transforming energy consumers into producers of electricity, to modifying the nature of pharmaceutical trials. Ethnographers not only face change in social organisations, but in how to do research.

All the papers in this session report studies address highly complex issues, from transforming energy consumers into producers of electricity, to modifying the nature of pharmaceutical trials. The complexity that ethnographers face is not just in the elaborate social organisations they have to immerse themselves, which has always been a characteristic of ethnography, it is in the task that the research is to accomplish. All the projects aim towards a massive transformation of practices which have in common a significant increase in users’ participation and responsibility: in the relation to utilities and sustainable living, in the role patients and doctors play in health care. It is as though organisations at all levels have now assimilated the participatory philosophy of the WWW and are designing services that distribute part of their work and power onto their users. In this context the ethnographic practitioner stops being an investigator of hidden needs and expectations, but is asked to reveal the agents of change, the triggers of transformation. Yet another challenge for the profession
Mobility is more than a device: Understanding complexity in Health Care with ethnography
Authors: HARPLE TODD S. , TAHA GINA , VUCKOVIC NANCY , WOJNAROWSKA ANNA
Published: February 2014

This case study on mobility in health care demonstrates how ethnography and design research helped Intel meet the business challenge of redressing market share. Ethnography enabled the team to assess the interplay between mobile devices and other hospital technologies, understand how they fit within or subverted existing practices, and document positive and negative features of the technology. Our deliverables not only answered the direct business question, but also expanded the scope of possible solutions.
Session 5: The state of our union: Reflections and projections on ethnography and ethnographers
Authors: COTTON MARTHA
Published: February 2014

The last session reflects on EPIC's communal growth from interactions – some serendipitous others purposeful – with other disciplines. This session examines where practitioners are on this maturity trajectory: what it is like, as a community of practioners, to be where we are now, and where we are likely going.

EPIC is in its 9th glorious year. Throughout the brief yet robust history of this annual community gathering we've been on a trajectory that charts our growing maturity as a group of professionals. We started with pangs of identity (Who are we? Who is one of us? Who is not?), which we thankfully discarded after a year or so and moved on to discussions of our relevance within the businesses we hope to impact. And as we grow and find new and exciting collaborators (Big data! Social enterprise! Business schools!), topics at EPIC shift to expanding that impact and understanding what these collaborations mean for the continued development of our praxis. As we've grown, we've made mistakes, but have learned from them. As we've grown, we've benefited from serendipitous interactions with other disciplines, but we have worked to make these interactions more purposeful. After all, that's what maturity is all about! This paper session is about examining where we are on this maturity trajectory: reflections on what it is like, as a community of practioners, to be where we are now. Asking what can we learn when we examine where we are now? And what this might mean for where we are going?
Reflections on Positionality: Pros, cons and workarounds from an intense fieldwork
Authors: GONÇALVES EDUARDO , FAGUNDES MARCELO
Published: February 2014

During a project an ethnography team immersed itself in the lifestyle of lower socio‐economic class women. From the different worldviews between these groups, we discuss positionality and access to data, i.e. the ways characteristics such as socio‐economic, education, social status, and gender influence the research. The idea is not to set ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’, but to ponder on how successful (or not) were our attempts and reflect on unforeseen effects of our own work.
Understanding mediated practices: Combining ethnographic methods with blog data to develop insights
Authors: Bean Jonathan , Arsel Zeynep
Published: February 2014

While theories of practice have been influential in the social sciences, these frameworks have seen limited application in ethnographic and applied inquiry, perhaps because few methods for carrying out practice theoretical research have been elaborated. We address this opportunity and provide an account of a multi‐method inquiry on domestic practice. First, we explain methods for integrating data from blogs with ethnographic methods and how this data can be used to develop theory. Second, we share our experience as interdisciplinary researchers using ethnographic and quantitative data to connect work at the boundaries of social practice theory and theories of consumption. Finally, we share our insights on wby industry should aim to better understand existing and emergent consumer practices.
PECHAKUCHA
Authors: THOMAS SUZANNE L. , PHAM HAN
Published: February 2014

Imagine you are on stage. Behind you 20 slides flash by, 20 seconds each. It's six minutes and forty seconds of you and your slides in glorious real‐time bringing an idea, inspiration, thought or passion to life. It's PechaKucha. In 2013, your EPIC compatriots walk you down the path of a changing Brixton neighbourhood, wake you up from a nap in China, watch you be born and die digitally and, thankfully, get you out of jail.
Physiological traits suggest limited diapause response in false codling moth, Thaumatotibia leucotreta (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae)
Authors: Terblanche J. S. , de Jager Z. , Boardman L. , Addison P.
Published: February 2014

The ability of a pest insect species to enter diapause, a physiological state of dormancy, has significant implications for population dynamics and pest management practises in agricultural landscapes. The false codling moth Thaumatotibia leucotreta is a major pest of deciduous and citrus fruit in southern Africa and a quarantine pest of international concern. Apart from an early field assessment that may have been compromised by taxonomic uncertainty surrounding cryptic developing life stages, no studies have investigated diapause induction within an experimental framework for this species, and none to date have used a suite of physiological traits potentially indicative of the diapause state. Here, we subjected larvae to cooling and shortening day length over a period of 14 days [Diapause Treatment (DT) group] relative to a similar‐aged control (CON) group held at optimal rearing conditions (25°C, 12 : 12 L : D) and tested if physiological traits, including resting metabolic rate, body freezing temperature (=supercooling point, equivalent to the low‐temperature mortality threshold) and body condition (body mass, body lipid and water content) varied in a direction that may be reflective of diapause induction. Mean metabolic rate in DT larvae was 0.044 ml CO2/h (mean mass: 52.7 mg), which was significantly higher than in CON larvae [0.025 ml CO2/h, mean mass: 51.5 mg (P = 0.04)]. Supercooling points were not statistically lower in the CON group than in DT larvae (DT:−15.6 ± 1.5°C; CON: −16.4 ± 2.8°C; P = 0.33). Measures of body size, body condition and resting water loss rates remained similar between groups. These results support the conclusion of early field observations that T. leucotreta does not undergo diapause that has significant implications for the management of the species.
Is there an associational resistance of winter pea–durum wheat intercrops towards Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris?
Authors: Ndzana R. A. , Magro A. , Bedoussac L. , Justes E. , Journet E.‐P. , Hemptinne J.‐L.
Published: February 2014

Acyrthosiphon pisum Harris (Aphididae: Hemiptera), the pea aphid, is an important pest in organic farming systems. In this work, the objective was to gather empirical field data on the associational resistance of durum wheat–winter pea intercrops towards the pea aphid, compared with pure stands of winter pea. Our results showed that intercropping winter pea with durum wheat significantly decreased A. pisum abundance in all the situations. Moreover, it was systematically observed that pea grew bigger in pure than in intercropped stands but after considering pea dry mass as a covariate, it appeared that the durum wheat–winter pea intercrop was still significantly less attacked by pea aphids than the sole crop. Intercrop sowing designs had an incidence on infestation levels: substitutive diversification systems of different types are more effective in decreasing the level of aphid infestation than does the additive system. In addition, substitutive row intercrop is significantly less infested than substitutive mixture. These results suggest that a mechanism related to the resource concentration hypothesis may explain the associational resistance of the IC of durum wheat–winter pea towards A. pisum.
INTERPRETING SPATIAL ECONOMETRIC ORIGIN‐DESTINATION FLOW MODELS
Authors: LeSage James P. , Thomas‐Agnan Christine
Published: February 2014

Spatial interaction or gravity models have been used to model flows that take many forms, for example population migration, commodity flows, traffic flows, all of which reflect movements between origin and destination regions. We focus on how to interpret estimates from spatial autoregressive extensions to the conventional regression‐based gravity models that relax the assumption of independence between flows. These models proposed by LeSage and Pace (, ) define spatial dependence involving flows between regions. We show how to calculate partial derivative expressions for these models that can be used to quantify these various types of effect that arise from changes in the characteristics/explanatory variables of the model.
Fungal functioning in a pine forest: evidence from a 15N‐labeled global change experiment
Authors: Hobbie Erik A. , van Diepen Linda T. A. , Lilleskov Erik A. , Ouimette Andrew P. , Finzi Adrien C. , Hofmockel Kirsten S.
Published: February 2014

We used natural and tracer nitrogen (N) isotopes in a Pinus taeda free air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment to investigate functioning of ectomycorrhizal and saprotrophic fungi in N cycling.

Fungal sporocarps were sampled in 2004 (natural abundance and 15N tracer) and 2010 (tracer) and δ15N patterns were compared against litter and soil pools.

Ectomycorrhizal fungi with hydrophobic ectomycorrhizas (e.g. Cortinarius and Tricholoma) acquired N from the Oea horizon or deeper. Taxa with hydrophilic ectomycorrhizas acquired N from the Oi horizon (Russula and Lactarius) or deeper (Laccaria, Inocybe, and Amanita). 15N enrichment patterns for Cortinarius and Amanita in 2010 did not correspond to any measured bulk pool, suggesting that a persistent pool of active organic N supplied these two taxa. Saprotrophic fungi could be separated into those colonizing pine cones (Baeospora), wood, litter (Oi), and soil (Ramariopsis), with δ15N of taxa reflecting substrate differences. 15N enrichment between sources and sporocarps varied across taxa and contributed to δ15N patterns.

Natural abundance and 15N tracers proved useful for tracking N from different depths into fungal taxa, generally corresponded to literature estimates of fungal activity within soil profiles, and provided new insights into interpreting natural abundance δ15N patterns.
Number of Jordan blocks of the maximal size for local monodromies
Authors: Dimca Alexandru , Saito Morihiko
Published: February 2014

We prove formulas for the number of Jordan blocks of the maximal size for local monodromies of one-parameter degenerations of complex algebraic varieties where the bound of the size comes from the monodromy theorem. In the case when the general fibers are smooth and compact, the proof calculates some part of the weight spectral sequence of the limit mixed Hodge structure of Steenbrink. In the singular case, we can prove a similar formula for the monodromy on the cohomology with compact supports, but not on the usual cohomology. We also show that the number can really depend on the position of singular points in the embedded resolution, even in the isolated singularity case, and hence there are no simple combinatorial formulas using the embedded resolution in general.
Exercise training, but not resveratrol, improves metabolic and inflammatory status in skeletal muscle of aged men
Authors: Olesen Jesper , Gliemann Lasse , Biensø Rasmus , Schmidt Jakob , Hellsten Ylva , Pilegaard Henriette
Published: February 2014

Key points

Ageing is associated with lifestyle‐related metabolic diseases, and exercise training has been suggested to counteract such metabolic deteriorations.

The natural antioxidant resveratrol has been reported to exert ‘exercise‐like’ health beneficial metabolic and anti‐inflammatory effects in rodents, but little is known about the metabolic effects of resveratrol supplementation alone and in combination with exercise training in humans.

The present findings showed that exercise training markedly improved muscle endurance, increased content and activity of oxidative proteins in skeletal muscle and reduced markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in skeletal muscle of aged men.

Resveratrol alone did not elicit metabolic effects in healthy aged subjects, but even impaired the exercise training‐induced improvements in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in skeletal muscle.

The aim was to investigate the metabolic and anti‐inflammatory effects of resveratrol alone and when combined with exercise training in skeletal muscle of aged human subjects. Healthy, physically inactive men (60–72 years old) were randomized to either 8 weeks of daily intake of 250 mg resveratrol or placebo or to 8 weeks of high‐intensity exercise training with 250 mg resveratrol or placebo. Before and after the interventions, resting blood samples and muscle biopsies were obtained and a one‐legged knee‐extensor endurance exercise test was performed. Exercise training increased skeletal muscle peroxisome proliferator‐activated receptor‐γ co‐activator‐1α mRNA ∼1.5‐fold, cytochrome c protein ∼1.3‐fold, cytochrome c oxidase I protein ∼1.5‐fold, citrate synthase activity ∼1.3‐fold, 3‐hydroxyacyl‐CoA dehydrogenase activity ∼1.3‐fold, inhibitor of κB‐α and inhibitor of κB‐β protein content ∼1.3‐fold and time to exhaustion in the one‐legged knee‐extensor endurance exercise test by ∼1.2‐fold, with no significant additive or adverse effects of resveratrol on these parameters. Despite an overall ∼25% reduction in total acetylation level in skeletal muscle with resveratrol, no exclusive resveratrol‐mediated metabolic effects were observed on the investigated parameters. Notably, however, resveratrol blunted an exercise training‐induced decrease (∼20%) in protein carbonylation and decrease (∼40%) in tumour necrosis factor α mRNA content in skeletal muscle. In conclusion, resveratrol did not elicit metabolic improvements in healthy aged subjects; in fact, resveratrol even impaired the observed exercise training‐induced improvements in markers of oxidative stress and inflammation in skeletal muscle. Collectively, this highlights the metabolic efficacy of exercise training in aged subjects and does not support the contention that resveratrol is a potential exercise mimetic in healthy aged subjects.
Enhancement of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors off-state drain breakdown voltage via backside proton irradiation
Authors: Li Shun , Hwang Ya-Hsi , Hsieh Yueh-Ling , Lei Lei , Ren Fan , Pearton Stephen J. , Patrick Erin , Law Mark E. , Velez Cuervo Camilo , Smith David. J.
Published: February 2014

Proton irradiation from the backside of the samples were employed to enhance off-state drain breakdown voltage of AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) grown on Si substrates. Via holes were fabricated directly under the active area of the HEMTs by etching through the Si substrate for subsequent backside proton irradiation. By taking the advantage of the steep drop at the end of proton energy loss profile, the defects created by the proton irradiation from the backside of the sample could be precisely placed at specific locations inside the AlGaN/GaN HEMT structure. There were no degradation of drain current nor enhancement of off-state drain voltage breakdown voltage observed for the irradiated AlGaN/GaN HEMTs with the proton energy of 225 or 275 keV, for which the defects created by the proton irradiations were intentionally placed in the GaN buffer. HEMTs with defects placed in the two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) channel region and AlGaN barrier using 330 or 340 keV protons not only showed degradation of both drain current and extrinsic transconductance but also exhibited improvement of the off-state drain breakdown voltage. The Florida Object Oriented Device and Process Simulator Technology Computer Aided Design finite-element simulations were performed to confirm the hypothesis of a virtual gate formed around the 2DEG region to reduce the peak electric field around the gate edges and increase the off-state drain breakdown voltage.
Spurious dangling bond formation during atomically precise hydrogen depassivation lithography on Si(100): The role of liberated hydrogen
Authors: Ballard Joshua B. , Owen James H. G. , Alexander Justin D. , Owen William R. , Fuchs Ehud , Randall John N. , Longo Roberto C. , Cho Kyeongjae
Published: February 2014

The production of spurious dangling bonds during the hydrogen depassivation lithography process on Si(100)-H is studied. It is shown that the number of spurious dangling bonds produced depends on the size of the primary pattern on the surface, not on the electron dose, indicating that the spurious dangling bonds are formed via an interaction of the liberated hydrogen with the surface. It is also shown that repassivation may occur if hydrogen depassivation lithography is performed near an already patterned area. Finally, it is argued that the product of the interaction is a single dangling bond next to a monohydride silicon on a silicon dimer, with a reaction probability much in excess of that previously observed.
The Bcl-2 Homolog Nrz Inhibits Binding of IP
3
to Its Receptor to Control Calcium Signaling During Zebrafish Epiboly
Authors: Bonneau Benjamin , Nougarède Adrien , Prudent Julien , Popgeorgiev Nikolay , Peyriéras Nadine , Rimokh Ruth , Gillet Germain
Published: February 2014

Phosphorylation of a Bcl-2–like protein allows calcium signals needed for the early stages of development.
β
1
Integrin Inhibition Elicits a Prometastatic Switch Through the TGFβ–miR-200–ZEB Network in E-Cadherin–Positive Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Authors: Truong Hoa H. , Xiong Jiangling , Ghotra Veerander P. S. , Nirmala Ella , Haazen Lizette , Le Dévédec Sylvia E. , Balcioğlu Hayri E. , He Shuning , Snaar-Jagalska B. Ewa , Vreugdenhil Erno , Meerman John H. N. , van de Water Bob , Danen Erik H. J.
Published: February 2014

Although some breast cancer therapies reduce the primary tumor, they may trigger unwanted metastasis.
Separate to Intercalate
Authors: VanHook Annalisa M.
Published: February 2014

PCP signaling establishes septin-mediated compartmentalization of cortical actomyosin domains to drive convergent extension during vertebrate gastrulation.
N-End Rules Again
Authors: Gough Nancy R.
Published: February 2014

Nitric oxide promotes the degradation of a subfamily of ERF transcription factors, thereby contributing to regulation of seed germination.
Clinical Population Pharmacokinetics and Toxicodynamics of Linezolid
Authors: Boak Lauren M. , Rayner Craig R. , Grayson M. Lindsay , Paterson David L. , Spelman Denis , Khumra Sharmila , Capitano Blair , Forrest Alan , Li Jian , Nation Roger L. , Bulitta Jurgen B.
Published: February 2014

Thrombocytopenia is a common side effect of linezolid, an oxazolidinone antibiotic often used to treat multidrug-resistant Gram-positive bacterial infections. Various risk factors have been suggested, including linezolid dose and duration of therapy, baseline platelet counts, and renal dysfunction; still, the mechanisms behind this potentially treatment-limiting toxicity are largely unknown. A clinical study was conducted to investigate the relationship between linezolid pharmacokinetics and toxicodynamics and inform strategies to prevent and manage linezolid-associated toxicity. Forty-one patients received 42 separate treatment courses of linezolid (600 mg every 12 h). A new mechanism-based, population pharmacokinetic/toxicodynamic model was developed to describe the time course of plasma linezolid concentrations and platelets. A linezolid concentration of 8.06 mg/liter (101% between-patient variability) inhibited the synthesis of platelet precursor cells by 50%. Simulations predicted treatment durations of 5 and 7 days to carry a substantially lower risk than 10- to 28-day therapy for platelet nadirs of <100 ×10
9
/liter. The risk for toxicity did not differ noticeably between 14 and 28 days of therapy and was significantly higher for patients with lower baseline platelet counts. Due to the increased risk of toxicity after longer durations of linezolid therapy and large between-patient variability, close monitoring of patients for development of toxicity is important. Dose individualization based on plasma linezolid concentration profiles and platelet counts should be considered to minimize linezolid-associated thrombocytopenia. Overall, oxazolidinone therapy over 5 to 7 days even at relatively high doses was predicted to be as safe as 10-day therapy of 600 mg linezolid every 12 h.
Combination Prophylactic Therapy with Rifampin Increases Efficacy against an Experimental Staphylococcus epidermidis Subcutaneous Implant-Related Infection
Authors: Stavrakis Alexandra I. , Niska Jared A. , Shahbazian Jonathan H. , Loftin Amanda H. , Ramos Romela Irene , Billi Fabrizio , Francis Kevin P. , Otto Michael , Bernthal Nicholas M. , Uslan Daniel Z. , Miller Lloyd S.
Published: February 2014

The incidence of infections related to cardiac devices (such as permanent pacemakers) has been increasing out of proportion to implantation rates. As management of device infections typically requires explantation of the device, optimal prophylactic strategies are needed. Cefazolin and vancomycin are widely used as single agents for surgical prophylaxis against cardiac device-related infections. However, combination antibiotic prophylaxis may further reduce infectious complications. To model a localized subcutaneous implant-related infection, a bioluminescent strain of
Staphylococcus epidermidis
was inoculated onto a medical-procedure-grade titanium disc, which was placed into a subcutaneous pocket in the backs of mice.
In vivo
bioluminescence imaging, quantification of
ex vivo
CFU from the capsules and implants, variable-pressure scanning electron microscopy (VP-SEM), and neutrophil enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) fluorescence in LysEGFP mice were employed to monitor the infection. This model was used to evaluate the efficacies of low- and high-dose cefazolin (50 and 200 mg/kg of body weight) and vancomycin (10 and 110 mg/kg) intravenous prophylaxis with or without rifampin (25 mg/kg). High-dose cefazolin and high-dose vancomycin treatment resulted in almost complete bacterial clearance, whereas both low-dose cefazolin and low-dose vancomycin reduced the
in vivo
and
ex vivo
bacterial burden only moderately. The addition of rifampin to low-dose cefazolin and vancomycin was highly effective in further reducing the CFU harvested from the implants. However, vancomycin-rifampin was more effective than cefazolin-rifampin in further reducing the CFU harvested from the surrounding tissue capsules. Future studies in humans will be required to determine whether the addition of rifampin has improved efficacy in preventing device-related infections in clinical practice.
Mass Balance and Metabolite Profiling of Steady-State Faldaprevir, a Hepatitis C Virus NS3/4 Protease Inhibitor, in Healthy Male Subjects
Authors: Chen Lin-Zhi , Rose Peter , Mao Yanping , Yong Chan-Loi , St. George Roger , Huang Fenglei , Latli Bachir , Mandarino Debra , Li Yongmei
Published: February 2014

The pharmacokinetics, mass balance, and metabolite profiles of faldaprevir, a selective peptide-mimetic hepatitis C virus NS3/NS4 protease inhibitor, were assessed at steady state in 7 healthy male subjects. Subjects received oral doses of 480 mg faldaprevir on day 1, followed by 240 mg faldaprevir on days 2 to 8 and 10 to 15. [
14
C]faldaprevir (240 mg containing 100 μCi) was administered on day 9. Blood, urine, feces, and saliva samples were collected at intervals throughout the study. Metabolite profiling was performed using radiochromatography, and metabolite identification was conducted using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The overall recovery of radioactivity was high (98.8%), with the majority recovered from feces (98.7%). There was minimal radioactivity in urine (0.113%) and saliva. Circulating radioactivity was predominantly confined to plasma with minimal partitioning into red blood cells. The terminal half-life of radioactivity in plasma was approximately 23 h with no evidence of any long-lasting metabolites. Faldaprevir was the predominant circulating form, accounting for 98 to 100% of plasma radioactivity from each subject. Faldaprevir was the only drug-related component detected in urine. Faldaprevir was also the major drug-related component in feces, representing 49.8% of the radioactive dose. The majority of the remainder of radioactivity in feces (41% of the dose) was accounted for in almost equal quantities by 2 hydroxylated metabolites. The most common adverse events were nausea, diarrhea, and constipation, all of which were related to study drug. In conclusion, faldaprevir is predominantly excreted in feces with negligible urinary excretion.
Carbapenemase-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Bloodstream Infections: Lowering Mortality by Antibiotic Combination Schemes and the Role of Carbapenems
Authors: Daikos George L. , Tsaousi Sophia , Tzouvelekis Leonidas S. , Anyfantis Ioannis , Psichogiou Mina , Argyropoulou Athina , Stefanou Ioanna , Sypsa Vana , Miriagou Vivi , Nepka Martha , Georgiadou Sarah , Markogiannakis Antonis , Goukos Dimitris , Skoutelis Athanasios
Published: February 2014

Carbapenemase-producing
Klebsiella pneumoniae
strains (CP-Kps) are currently among the most important nosocomial pathogens. An observational study was conducted during 2009 to 2010 in two hospitals located in a high-prevalence area (Athens, Greece). The aims were (i) to evaluate the clinical outcome of patients with CP-Kp bloodstream infections (BSIs), (ii) to identify predictors of mortality, and (iii) to evaluate the various antibiotic schemes employed. A total of 205 patients with CP-Kp BSIs were identified: 163 (79.5%) were infected with KPC or KPC and VIM, and 42 were infected with VIM producers. For definitive treatment, 103 patients received combination therapy (two or more active drugs), 72 received monotherapy (one active drug), and 12 received therapy with no active drug. The remaining 18 patients died within 48 h after the onset of bacteremia. The all-cause 28-day mortality was 40%. A significantly higher mortality rate was observed in patients treated with monotherapy than in those treated with combination therapy (44.4% versus 27.2%;
P
= 0.018). The lowest mortality rate (19.3%) was observed in patients treated with carbapenem-containing combinations. In the Cox proportion hazards model, ultimately fatal disease (hazards ratio [HR], 3.25; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.51 to 7.03;
P
= 0.003), the presence of rapidly fatal underlying diseases (HR, 4.20; 95% CI, 2.19 to 8.08;
P
< 0.001), and septic shock (HR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.16 to 3.96;
P
= 0.015) were independent predictors of death. Combination therapy was strongly associated with survival (HR of death for monotherapy versus combination, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.23 to 3.51;
P
= 0.006), mostly due to the effectiveness of the carbapenem-containing regimens.
Metabolism of Cyclopropavir and Ganciclovir in Human Cytomegalovirus-Infected Cells
Authors: Gentry Brian G. , Drach John C.
Published: February 2014

Human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is a widespread pathogen that can cause severe disease in immunologically immature and immunocompromised patients. The current standard of therapy for the treatment of HCMV infections is ganciclovir (GCV). However, high incidence rates of adverse effects are prevalent and limit the use of this drug. Cyclopropavir (CPV) is 10-fold more effective against HCMV
in vitro
than GCV (50% effective concentrations [EC
50
s] = 0.46 and 4.1 μM, respectively) without any observed increase in cytotoxicity (S. Zhou, J. M. Breitenbach, K. Z. Borysko, J. C. Drach, E. R. Kern, E. Gullen, Y. C. Cheng, and J. Zemlicka, J. Med. Chem. 47:566–575, 2004, doi:10.1021/jm030316s). We have previously determined that the viral protein kinase pUL97 and endogenous cellular kinases are responsible for the conversion of CPV to a triphosphate (TP), the active compound responsible for inhibiting viral DNA synthesis and viral replication. However, this conversion has not been observed in HCMV-infected cells. To that end, we subjected HCMV-infected cells to equivalently effective concentrations (∼5 times the EC
50
) of either CPV or GCV and observed a time-dependent increase in triphosphate levels for both compounds (CPV-TP = 121 ± 11 pmol/10
6
cells; GCV-TP = 43.7 ± 0.4 pmol/10
6
cells). A longer half-life was observed for GCV-TP (48.2 ± 5.7 h) than for CPV-TP (23.8 ± 5.1 h). The area under the curve for CPV-TP produced from incubation with 2.5 μM CPV was 8,680 ± 930 pmol · h/10
6
cells, approximately 2-fold greater than the area under the curve for GCV-TP of 4,520 ± 420 pmol · h/10
6
cells produced from incubation with 25 μM GCV. We therefore conclude that the exposure of HCMV-infected cells to CPV-TP is greater than that of GCV-TP under these experimental conditions.