bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Beyond Black and White
Authors: Deliovsky Katerina , Kitossa Tamari
Published: January 2013

This article examines a selection of the North American scholarly research that calls for “moving beyond” a “Black/White binary paradigm.” Some scholars suggest this paradigm limits or obscures a complex understanding of the historical record on race, racism, and racialization for Asian, Latina/o, Mexican, and Native Americans. On the face of it, the notion of a Black/White binary paradigm and the call to move beyond appears persuasive. The discourse of a Black/White binary paradigm, however, confuses, misnames, and simplifies the historical and contemporary experiences structured within what is, in fact, the racially incorporative matrix of a black/white Manicheanism. We assert this call sets up blackness and, by extension, people socially defined as “black” as impediments to multiracial coalition building. As a result, “moving beyond” is epistemologically faulty and politically harmful for African-descended people because it is based on “bad faith” toward blackness.
Investigating the Link Between Home–School Dissonance and Academic Cheating Among High School Students
Authors: Brown-Wright Lynda , Tyler Kenneth M. , Stevens-Watkins Danelle , Thomas Deneia , Mulder Shambra , Hughes Travonia , Stevens-Morgan Ruby , Roan-Belle Clarissa , Gadson Nadia , Smith La Toya
Published: January 2013

The current study examined the association between home–school dissonance and academic cheating among 344 high school juniors and seniors at two urban high schools. Students completed two subscales of the Patterns of Adaptive Learning Scale (PALS) and one subscale of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS). Analyses revealed that home–school dissonance significantly predicted both amotivation and academic cheating. In addition, results revealed that amotivation was a significant mediator of the association between home–school dissonance and academic cheating. Limitations and future research directions are discussed.
Applications of optimal building energy system selection and operation
Authors: Marnay Chris , Stadler Michael , Siddiqui Afzal , DeForest Nicholas , Donadee Jon , Bhattacharya Prajesh , Lai Judy
Published: January 2013

Berkeley Lab has been developing the Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model for several years. Given load curves for energy services requirements in a building microgrid (µ·grid), fuel costs and other economic inputs, and a menu of available technologies, the model finds the optimum equipment fleet and operating schedule. This capability is being applied using a Software as a Service (SaaS) model. The evolution of this approach is demonstrated by description of four past and present projects: (1) a public access web site focused on solar photovoltaic generation and battery viability for large non-residential customers; (2) a building CO2 emissions reduction operations problem for a university dining hall with potential investments considered; (3) a battery and rolling operating schedule problem for a large county jail; and (4) the direct control of the solar-assisted heating ventilation and air conditioning system of a university building by providing optimised daily schedules that are automatically implemented in the building’s energy management and control system. Together these examples show that optimisation of building μ·grid design and operation can be effectively achieved using SaaS.
Paleoclimate of the Southern Adriatic Sea region during the ‘Medieval Climate Anomaly’ reflected by organic walled dinoflagellate cysts
Authors: Chen Liang , Zonneveld Karin AF , Versteegh Gerard JM
Published: January 2013

To obtain insight into the character and forcing of southern Italian climate change during the ‘Medieval Climate Anomaly’ ( c. ad 900–1200), marine sediments deposited between ad 990 and 1200 from the Gulf of Taranto have been analyzed for their dinoflagellate cyst content with a 3.5 yr resolution. The reconstructed sea surface temperature (SST) appears to be lower than today. We observe a clear 11.4 yr cyclicity in the reconstructed SST series. Furthermore, there is a good matching between SST and global 14C anomalies. This suggests that solar activity might have had an important influence on the local climate during Medieval time. Short-term fluctuations in accumulation rates of aerobic degradation resistant species that react sensitively on the trophic state of the upper waters and/or are characteristic for river plume waters indicate that the trophic state of the upper waters is closely linked to river discharge, which in turn is strongly related to precipitation in Italy. We reconstruct low river discharge/precipitations in the Adriatic area synchronous to widespread drought events in other nearby subtropical regions. We attribute this to NAO and ENSO related large-scale ocean–atmosphere circulation shifts during the Medieval period. Furthermore, we suggest that eruptions of southern Italian volcanoes might have influenced the local upper water nutrient conditions as well.
Interprofessional collaboration-in-practice
Authors: Ewashen Carol , McInnis-Perry Gloria , Murphy Norma
Published: January 2013

The main question examined is: How do nurses and other healthcare professionals ensure ethical interprofessional collaboration-in-practice as an everyday practice actuality? Ethical interprofessional collaboration becomes especially relevant and necessary when interprofessional practice decisions are contested. To illustrate, two healthcare scenarios are analyzed through three ethics lenses. Biomedical ethics, relational ethics, and virtue ethics provide different ways of knowing how to be ethical and to act ethically as healthcare professionals. Biomedical ethics focuses on situated, reflective, and nonabsolute principled justification, all things considered; relational ethics on intersubjective, professional, and institutional relations; and virtue ethics on prephilosophical tradition and what it means to be good and to be human embedded in social and political community. Analysis suggests that interprofessional collaboration-in-practice may be more rhetoric than actuality. Key challenges of interprofessional collaboration-in-practice and specific conditions perpetuating dissension and conflict are outlined with specific education and policy recommendations included.
Gender Violence in Portugal: Discourses, Knowledge and Practices
Authors: Azambuja Mariana , Nogueira Conceição , Neves Sofia , de Oliveira João Manuel
Published: January 2013

This article discusses the emergence of feminism in Portugal with special emphasis on the actions taken in confronting gender violence. Starting with the history of feminist movements and its implications for the development of the country, it maps public policies, legal measures and victim support institutions/services to better understand the phenomena of violence against women and to identify strategies, adopted in the last decades, to confront it.

Presenting a synthesis of some Portuguese studies on women and violence, this article mirrors the increasing interest in the study of violence against women in the academic context and especially in the context of gender studies.
Still Heard: Echoes from a Colonial Past
Authors: Vatsal Tulsi
Published: January 2013

In the 19th century, Parsi women started wearing elaborately embroidered saris known as garas. What is not generally known is that these beautiful textiles were imported from China. Their arrival in India forms a little known sub-plot in the wider saga of British imperialism and the unique Parsi response to the imperatives of foreign rule. When new marketing opportunities opened up in China for the East India Company in the second half of the 18th century, the Parsis were well-positioned to take advantage of them. By the 1830s, the Parsis had become leading players in the China trade.

Clothing, that very visible marker of social status, was part of the wider process through which the Parsis came to identify themselves with the ruling elite. While Parsi women continued to wear saris, they achieved a modern and sophisticated look by adding elements of Western fashion to their clothing.

It is reasonable to conjecture that the appeal of Chinese embroidery was a reflection of prevailing fashion trends in Britain. Parsi clients selected designs for their garas from the same generic pattern books used as sources for other Chinese export embroideries, including those that went to Europe and America. Workshops producing ‘Chinese’ embroidery sprang up in Surat and, in time, Parsi housewives, especially in smaller towns, also took up the craft, their embroidery skills providing a welcome source of income.

This article traces the history of the gara and its association with imperialism as well as trade with China.
Rising Women’s Status, Modernisation and Persisting Son Preference in China
Authors: Xiaolei Wang , Lu Li , Dong Zhou Xu , Chi Zhou , Wei Liu , Jun Zheng Wei , Hesketh Therese
Published: January 2013

Evidence from many countries shows that as societies modernise and women’s status rises, son preference declines. Yet in China the sex ratio at birth has been the highest in the world for over two decades despite rapid modernisation, urbanisation and huge improvements in women’s status. This study explored this apparent contradiction through interviews with 212 men and women in urban and rural areas of Zhejiang, Guizhou and Yunnan provinces. Results showed that women’s status is perceived as high across a range of factors, including educational attainment and opportunity, labour participation and roles at home and the workplace. The majority of interviewees expressed gender indifference and had clear views about why the sex ratio is persistently high in China. High sex ratios persist probably because, while the majority is essentially gender indifferent, it takes only a small minority undergoing selective abortion to skew the sex ratio.
Inversion algorithms for the homogenized energy model for hysteresis in ferroelectric and shape memory alloy compounds
Authors: McMahan Jerry A , Crews John H , Smith Ralph C
Published: January 2013

Ferroelectric and ferromagnetic materials have the advantage of broadband and dual actuator and sensor capabilities. Ferroelastic compounds such as shape memory alloys have large energy densities and are biocompatible. However, to take full advantage of these properties, it is necessary to employ models and control designs that account for the rate-dependent hysteresis, creep, and constitutive nonlinearities inherent to the materials. Inverse compensation is one technique that achieves this purpose. We present an inversion algorithm based on a binary search of a discretized input grid and apply this to the homogenized energy model for modeling hysteresis. The inversion algorithm is shown to provide a reasonable balance between accuracy and computational speed. Numerical examples are presented for three specific cases of the homogenized energy model.
Improving the Accessibility of Investigation Reports Using Safety Factor Maps
Authors: Wiggins Mark W. , Glass Renee
Published: January 2013

Safety factor maps can provide a visual summary of the events associated with accidents and incidents. Because they employ conceptual mapping techniques, they enable both a hierarchical and temporal representation of the antecedents of an adverse event. We describe the development of safety factor maps and a strategy to assess both the reliability and the validity of the maps that are constructed. Our initial findings suggest that they have the potential to improve the accessibility of the outcomes of investigation reports.
Making Ends (and Bytes) Meet
Authors: Shumow Moses , Sheerin Michael Scott
Published: January 2013

In a time of dynamic changes in mass communication and the restructuring of communication programs, and in the face of shrinking education budgets, educators are being pushed to update their programs to include a new emphasis on multimedia production while sustaining traditional modes of mass communication. Through surveys ( N = 121) and focus groups ( N = 40) with students, this research explores how to update pedagogy to keep pace with the changes in industry. It is built around the experience of launching a multimedia class required for all students enrolled in a journalism and mass communication school at a large, urban, state-funded university.
Business Communication Curricula Today
Authors: Sharp Matthew R. , Brumberger Eva R.
Published: January 2013

This article reports the results of a study examining the business communication offerings at the top 50 undergraduate business schools, as identified in the Bloomberg Businessweek rankings for 2011. The study focuses on communication course requirements, sequences, and programs, as well as what areas typically receive the most coverage within courses. The data are compared with information from similar studies dating back to 1999 in order to assess the current status of business communication courses and programs within business curricula and to make suggestions for future development.
Prejudice and “Vladimir’s choice” among Israeli Arabs and Jews: Symmetrical vs. asymmetrical trends
Authors: Malkin Gali , Ari Rachel Ben
Published: January 2013

The study adopted a group status perspective to examine the relationships between social dominance orientation (SDO), prejudice, and “Vladimir’s choice” tendency. It was hypothesized that for high-status group members (Israeli Jews), high SDO levels will be followed by increases in prejudice and “Vladimir’s choice” tendency, while for the low-status group (Israeli Arabs), a negative relationship should appear between SDO and the intergroup measures. The research sample comprising 100 Israeli Jews and 85 Israeli Arabs completed SDO and prejudice questionnaires, and performed a resource allocation task. As hypothesized, group status moderated the relationship between SDO and group prejudice. Contrary to our expectations, however, both samples exhibited a positive relationship between SDO and negative group prejudice. A positive relationship was also found between SDO and the positive prejudice factor in the Jewish sample, while no significant relationship was found between SDO and the positive prejudice factor in the Arab sample. Only group status correlated with Vladimir’s choice preferences.
The triadic interaction model of political marketing exchange
Authors: Henneberg Stephan C , Ormrod Robert P
Published: January 2013

Non-commercial exchanges including social and political ones have become an accepted marketing explanandum since the broadening debate of marketing of the 1970s. In order to build a theory of political marketing, a rigorous understanding of the nature of the political exchange needs to be developed beyond the simplistic assumption of being synonymous with commercial exchange. The service characteristics of the political offering only make full sense if understood as being triadic interactions rather than dyadic exchanges. Thus, the presumptive effect of political services only comes to the fore if the interaction between candidates and voters (in the electoral market) is seen as interdependent with interactions between the candidates in the legislative assembly (in the parliamentary market) and between legislators and citizens (in the governmental market) as part of a wider political exchange system. This triadic structure of the political exchange nuances the current research focus by embedding the electoral interaction within a wider interaction system. Our article thus provides an initial attempt to develop a broadened concept on which further theory building as well as empirical analysis in political marketing can be based.
Importance of Technical Preparation of Intraarterial Shunts to Prevent Iatrogenic Arterial Injury During Urgent Procedures
Authors: Awad Nadia , Choudry Rashad , Durinka Joel , Prabhu Aparna , Dissin Jonathan
Published: January 2013

Although intraarterial shunting during carotid endarterectomy is a well-defined practice, its use remains controversial. Complication rates associated with shunt placement remain low, but may be underreported. When complications secondary to routine intraarterial shunting occur, they can cause significant morbidity or even mortality, emphasizing the importance of meticulous technique to prevent adverse outcomes. We report a case of internal carotid artery dissection and pseuedoaneurysm due to the technical failure of a safety device of an intraarterial shunt used during carotid endarterectomy.
Exceptions to the Rule? Exploring the Use of Overrides in Detention Risk Assessment
Authors: Chappell Allison T. , Maggard Scott R. , Higgins Jennifer L.
Published: January 2013

The Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) aims to reduce the use of predispositional detention for juveniles. One core strategy of JDAI is the use of risk assessment instruments to ensure that detention decisions are made objectively. These instruments allow for mandatory and discretionary overrides based on statutory guidelines, aggravating factors, or mitigating factors. This study investigates the use of overrides in a jurisdiction that utilizes the JDAI model. Offense seriousness, prior record, history of escape/runaway, and age were consistent predictors of overrides. African Americans were less likely to receive mitigating overrides, and females were less likely to receive mandatory overrides.
Reverse-Bayes analysis of two common misinterpretations of significance tests
Authors: Held Leonhard
Published: January 2013

Background

Misunderstanding of significance tests and P values is widespread in clinical research and elsewhere.

Purpose

To assess the implications of two common mistakes in the interpretation of statistical significance tests. The first one is the misinterpretation of the type I error rate as the expected proportion of false-positive results among all those called significant, also known as the false-positive report probability (FPRP). The second is the misinterpretation of a P value as (posterior) probability of the null hypothesis.

Methods

A reverse-Bayes approach is used to calculate a lower bound on the proportion of truly effective treatments that would ensure the FPRP to be equal or below the type I error rate. A reverse-Bayes approach using minimum Bayes factors (BFs) yields upper bounds on the prior probability of the null hypothesis that would justify the interpretation of the P value as the posterior probability of the null hypothesis.

Results

In a typical clinical trials setting, more than 50% of the treatments need to be truly effective to justify equality of the type I error rate and the FPRP. To interpret the P value as posterior probability, the difference between the corresponding prior probability and the P value cannot exceed 12.4 percentage points.

Limitations

The first analysis requires that the (one-sided) type I error rate is smaller than the type II error rate. The second result is valid under different scenarios describing how to transform P values to minimum BFs.

Conclusions

The two misinterpretations imply strong and often unrealistic assumptions on the prior proportion or probability of truly effective treatments.
Reactive oxygen species as therapeutic targets in pulmonary hypertension
Authors: Freund-Michel Véronique , Guibert Christelle , Dubois Mathilde , Courtois Arnaud , Marthan Roger , Savineau Jean-Pierre , Muller Bernard
Published: January 2013

Pulmonary hypertension (PH) is characterized by a progressive elevation of pulmonary arterial pressure due to alterations of both pulmonary vascular structure and function. This disease is rare but life-threatening, leading to the development of right heart failure. Current PH treatments, designed to target altered pulmonary vascular reactivity, include vasodilating prostanoids, phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors and endothelin-1 receptor antagonists. Although managing to slow the progression of the disease, these molecules still do not cure PH. More effective treatments need to be developed, and novel therapeutic strategies, targeting in particular vascular remodelling, are currently under investigation. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are important physiological messengers in vascular cells. In addition to atherosclerosis and other systemic vascular diseases, emerging evidence also support a role of ROS in PH pathogenesis. ROS production is increased in animal models of PH, associated with NADPH oxidases increased expression, in particular of several Nox enzymes thought to be the major source of ROS in the pulmonary vasculature. These increases have also been observed in vitro and in vivo in humans. Moreover, several studies have shown either the deleterious effect of agents promoting ROS generation on pulmonary vasculature or, conversely, the beneficial effect of antioxidant agents in animal models of PH. In these studies, ROS production has been directly linked to pulmonary vascular remodelling, endothelial dysfunction, altered vasoconstrictive responses, inflammation and modifications of the extracellular matrix, all important features of PH pathophysiology. Altogether, these findings indicate that ROS are interesting therapeutic targets in PH. Blockade of ROS-dependent signalling pathways, or disruption of sources of ROS in the pulmonary vasculature, targeting in particular Nox enzymes, represent promising new therapeutic strategies in this disease.
Consequences of infertility in developing countries
Authors: Rouchou Brittany
Published: January 2013

Infertility affects more than 10% of the world’s population. In developing countries, there are severe social, psychological and economic consequences for infertile men and women. All of the cited references are compiled from primary peer-reviewed research articles that were conducted through one-to-one interviews or focus groups in countries of developing regions, such as Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The following paper seeks to raise awareness of the consequences of infertility in developing nations and identify infertility as an under-observed, but significant public health issue. It is proposed that education programmes tailored to each society’s specific religious beliefs and grounded traditions must be implemented in order to reverse the social stigma, detrimental psychological effects, and loss of economic security that results from infertility.
Social Media and the Arab Spring
Authors: Wolfsfeld Gadi , Segev Elad , Sheafer Tamir
Published: January 2013

The goal of this article is to place the role that social media plays in collective action within a more general theoretical structure, using the events of the Arab Spring as a case study. The article presents two broad theoretical principles. The first is that one cannot understand the role of social media in collective action without first taking into account the political environment in which they operate. The second principle states that a significant increase in the use of the new media is much more likely to follow a significant amount of protest activity than to precede it. The study examines these two principles using political, media, and protest data from twenty Arab countries and the Palestinian Authority. The findings provide strong support for the validity of the claims.
Blood cell mRNAs and microRNAs: optimized protocols for extraction and preservation
Authors: Eikmans Michael , Rekers Niels V. , Anholts Jacqueline D. H. , Heidt Sebastiaan , Claas Frans H. J.
Published: January 2013

Key Points

An optimized protocol for obtaining and preserving RNA from blood cells is provided. The results serve as guideline for sensitive measurement of mRNA and microRNA expression in clinical material.
Lineage relationships of human interleukin-22–producing CD56+ RORγt+ innate lymphoid cells and conventional natural killer cells
Authors: Ahn Yong-Oon , Blazar Bruce R. , Miller Jeffrey S. , Verneris Michael R.
Published: January 2013

Key Points

ILC22 and cNK cells can be distinguished on the basis of LFA-1 expression. ILC22 and cNK cells have differing requirements for their development from hematopoietic stem cells.
Inflammatory neovascularization during graft-versus-host disease is regulated by αv integrin and miR-100
Authors: Leonhardt Franziska , Grundmann Sebastian , Behe Martin , Bluhm Franziska , Dumont Rebecca A. , Braun Friederike , Fani Melpomeni , Riesner Katarina , Prinz Gabriele , Hechinger Anne-Kathrin , Gerlach Ulrike V. , Dierbach Heide , Penack Olaf , Schmitt-Gräff Annette , Finke Jürgen , Weber Wolfgang A. , Zeiser Robert
Published: January 2013

Key Points

Our data from the mouse model and patients indicate that inflammatory neovascularization during GvHD is targetable via αv integrin. We identify a negative regulation of GvHD-related neovascularization by miR-100.
Genecentric: a package to uncover graph-theoretic structure in high-throughput epistasis data
Authors: Gallant Andrew , Leiserson Mark DM , Kachalov Maxim , Cowen Lenore J , Hescott Benjamin J
Published: January 2013

Background

New technology has resulted in high-throughput screens for pairwise genetic interactions in yeast and other model organisms. For each pair in a collection of non-essential genes, an epistasis score is obtained, representing how much sicker (or healthier) the double-knockout organism will be compared to what would be expected from the sickness of the component single knockouts. Recent algorithmic work has identified graph-theoretic patterns in this data that can indicate functional modules, and even sets of genes that may occur in compensatory pathways, such as a BPM-type schema first introduced by Kelley and Ideker. However, to date, any algorithms for finding such patterns in the data were implemented internally, with no software being made publically available.

Results

Genecentric is a new package that implements a parallelized version of the Leiserson et al. algorithm (J Comput Biol 18:1399-1409, 2011) for generating generalized BPMs from high-throughput genetic interaction data. Given a matrix of weighted epistasis values for a set of double knock-outs, Genecentric returns a list of generalized BPMs that may represent compensatory pathways. Genecentric also has an extension, GenecentricGO, to query FuncAssociate (Bioinformatics 25:3043-3044, 2009) to retrieve GO enrichment statistics on generated BPMs. Python is the only dependency, and our web site provides working examples and documentation.

Conclusion

We find that Genecentric can be used to find coherent functional and perhaps compensatory gene sets from high throughput genetic interaction data. Genecentric is made freely available for download under the GPLv2 from http://bcb.cs.tufts.edu/genecentric.
De novotranscriptome characterization of Vitis vinifera cv. Corvina unveils varietal diversity
Authors: Venturini Luca , Ferrarini Alberto , Zenoni Sara , Tornielli Giovanni Battista , Fasoli Marianna , Santo Silvia Dal , Minio Andrea , Buson Genny , Tononi Paola , Zago Elisa Debora , Zamperin Gianpiero , Bellin Diana , Pezzotti Mario , Delledonne Massimo
Published: January 2013

Background

Plants such as grapevine (Vitis spp.) display significant inter-cultivar genetic and phenotypic variation. The genetic components underlying phenotypic diversity in grapevine must be understood in order to disentangle genetic and environmental factors.

Results

We have shown that cDNA sequencing by RNA-seq is a robust approach for the characterization of varietal diversity between a local grapevine cultivar (Corvina) and the PN40024 reference genome. We detected 15,161 known genes including 9463 with novel splice isoforms, and identified 2321 potentially novel protein-coding genes in non-annotated or unassembled regions of the reference genome. We also discovered 180 apparent private genes in the Corvina genome which were missing from the reference genome.

Conclusions

The de novo assembly approach allowed a substantial amount of the Corvina transcriptome to be reconstructed, improving known gene annotations by robustly defining gene structures, annotating splice isoforms and detecting genes without annotations. The private genes we discovered are likely to be nonessential but could influence certain cultivar-specific characteristics. Therefore, the application of de novo transcriptome assembly should not be restricted to species lacking a reference genome because it can also improve existing reference genome annotations and identify novel, cultivar-specific genes.
Characterization of a newly identified rice chitinase-like protein (OsCLP) homologous to xylanase inhibitor
Authors: Wu Jingni , Wang Yiming , Kim Sun Tae , Kim Sang Gon , Kang Kyu Young
Published: January 2013

Background

During rice blast fungal attack, plant xylanase inhibitor proteins (XIPs) that inhibit fungal xylanase activity are believed to act as a defensive barrier against fungal pathogens. To understand the role of XIPs in rice, a xylanase inhibitor was cloned from rice. The expression of this gene was examined at the transcriptional/translational levels during compatible and incompatible interactions, and the biochemical activity of this protein was also examined.

Results

Sequence alignment revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence of OsCLP shares a high degree of similarity with that of other plant TAXI-type XIPs. However, recombinant OsCLP did not display inhibitory activity against endo-1,4-β-xylanase enzymes from Aureobasidium pullulans (A. pullulans) or Trichoderma viride (T. viride). Instead, an in-gel activity assay revealed strong chitinase activity. The transcription and translation of OsCLP were highly induced when rice was exposed to pathogens in an incompatible interaction. In addition, exogenous treatment with OsCLP affected the growth of the basidiomycete fungus Rhizoctonia solani through degradation of the hyphal cell wall. These data suggest that OsCLP, which has chitinase activity, may play an important role in plant defenses against pathogens.

Conclusions

Taken together, our results demonstrate that OsCLP may have antifungal activity. This protein may directly inhibit pathogen growth by degrading fungal cell wall components through chitinase activity.
Optical absorption and photoluminescence studies of gold nanoparticles deposited on porous silicon
Authors: Amran Tengku Sarah Tengku , Hashim Md Roslan , Al-Obaidi Nihad K Ali , Yazid Hanani , Adnan Rohana
Published: January 2013

We present an investigation on a coupled system consists of gold nanoparticles and silicon nanocrystals. Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) embedded into porous silicon (PSi) were prepared using the electrochemical deposition method. Scanning electron microscope images and energy-dispersive X-ray results indicated that the growth of AuNPs on PSi varies with current density. X-ray diffraction analysis showed the presence of cubic gold phases with crystallite sizes around 40 to 58 nm. Size dependence on the plasmon absorption was studied from nanoparticles with various sizes. Comparison with the reference sample, PSi without AuNP deposition, showed a significant blueshift with decreasing AuNP size which was explained in terms of optical coupling between PSi and AuNPs within the pores featuring localized plasmon resonances.
Simultaneous detection and differentiation of Rice black streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) and Southern rice black streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) by duplex real time RT-PCR
Authors: Zhang Peng , Mar Thi Thi , Liu Wenwen , Li Li , Wang Xifeng
Published: January 2013

Background

The diseases caused by Rice black streaked dwarf virus (RBSDV) and Southern rice black streaked dwarf virus (SRBSDV) have been occurring epidemically in China and southeastern Asia in recent years. A sensitive, reliable and quantitative method is required to detect and distinguish for RBSDV and SRBSDV in rice and vector insects.

Results

We developed a sensitive and lineage-specific duplex real time RT-qPCR for detection of RBSDV and SRBSDV in a single or/and double infection in rice samples. The duplex RT-qPCR was optimized using standard samples transcribed by T7 Large Scale RNA Production System in vitro. We developed a reliable system for duplex RT-qPCR, in which its co-efficiency of RBSDV and SRBSDV, were 91.6% and 90.7%, respectively. The coefficient of determination was more than 0.990; the slope of linear equation was −3.542, and −3.567, respectively. Out of 30 samples collected in North and Central China, which were suspected to be infected with these two viruses, 10 samples were detected RBSDV positive by RT-PCR and 12 samples by RT-qPCR. No mixed infections were found. Simultaneously, out of total 60 samples collected from Southern China, which were also suspected to be infected with these two viruses, 41 samples were determined SRBSDV positive by RT-PCR and 47 samples by RT-qPCR. Also in this case no mixed infections were found. The rice genes eEF-1a and UBQ5 were selected as internal controls for quantification assay also performed as good expression stability.

Conclusion

The duplex RT-qPCR assay provided as a sufficiently sensitive, specific, accurate, reproducible and rapid tool for the detection and differentiation of RBSDV and SRBSDV. The RT-qPCR assay can be used in routine diagnostic of these two viruses in order to study the disease epidemiology in rice crops.
Hepatitis B surface antigen prevalence among 12 393 rural women of childbearing age in Hainan Province, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Zhang Yu , Fang Weiming , Fan Lichun , Gao Xiaohui , Guo Yan , Huang Wenming , Du Yukai
Published: January 2013

Background

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is highly endemic in China and it threats human health seriously. The hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) prevalence among women of childbearing age plays an important role in mother to child transmission of HBV, as 30% ~50% of chronic carriers can be attributed to maternal-infantile transmission. However, there are few studies which have reported on the prevalence of HBsAg among women of childbearing age in China. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of HBsAg and its associated risk factors among rural women of childbearing age in Hainan, which is the highest hepatitis B virus endemic province in China.

Methods

A cross-sectional, population-based study, which included 12393 rural women aged 15 ~ 49 years, enrolled by a multistage stratified cluster sampling, was carried out in Hainan province, China, from November 2007 to December 2008. Blood samples were obtained from each study participant, and screened for HBsAg.

Results

The overall HBsAg prevalence of childbearing age women was 9.51%. Risk factors for HBsAg positivity among rural women were: lower education level (OR=1.206), lower family monthly income (OR=1.233), having an HBsAg-positive family member (OR=1.300), without an immunization history (OR=1.243), tattooing (OR=1.190), body piercing (OR=1.293), vaginoscopy history (OR=1.103) and history of induced abortion (OR=1.142).

Conclusions

There is a high HBsAg seroprevalence rate among rural women of childbearing age in Hainan province. Hence, it is necessary to take preventive measures to reduce the seroprevalence of HBsAg and to control its associated risk factors.
Association Between the Availability of Medical Oncologists and Initiation of Chemotherapy for Patients With Stage III Colon Cancer
Authors: Lin Chun Chieh , Virgo Katherine S.
Published: January 2013

Results of this study suggest that the availability of one or more medical oncologists within the hospital service area in which a patient resides was associated with greater access to chemotherapy after surgery.
Referral and Treatment Patterns Among Patients With Stages III and IV Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Goulart Bernardo H.L. , Reyes Carolina M. , Fedorenko Catherine R. , Mummy David G. , Satram-Hoang Sacha , Koepl Lisel M. , Blough David K. , Ramsey Scott D.
Published: January 2013

Referrals to all types of cancer specialists increased the likelihood of treatment with standard therapies for patients with non–small-cell lung cancer, particularly stage III. But racial and income disparities still prevent optimal referrals to cancer specialists.
Reducing Clinical Trial Monitoring Resource Allocation and Costs Through Remote Access to Electronic Medical Records
Authors: Uren Shannon C. , Kirkman Mitchell B. , Dalton Brad S. , Zalcberg John R.
Published: January 2013

Remote access to patient medical records for source data verification is feasible and is potentially an avenue through which resources can be more efficiently used.
American Society of Clinical Oncology National Census of Oncology Practices: Preliminary Report
Authors: Forte Gaetano J. , Hanley Amy , Hagerty Karen , Kurup Anupama , Neuss Michael N. , Mulvey Therese M.
Published: January 2013

The authors found that practice size was related to practice mergers, hiring additional staff, and increasing staff pay in the past 12 months; metropolitan practices were more likely to have experienced mergers in the past 12 months than those in nonmetropolitan areas.
A New General-Purpose Method for the Computation of the Interval Availability Distribution
Authors: Carrasco Juan A.
Published: January 2013

We develop a new randomization-based general-purpose method for the computation of the interval availability distribution of systems modeled by continuous-time Markov chains (CTMCs). The basic idea of the new method is the use of a randomization construct with different randomization rates for up and down states. The new method is numerically stable and computes the measure with well-controlled truncation error. In addition, for large CTMC models, when the maximum output rates from up and down states are significantly different, and when the interval availability has to be guaranteed to have a level close to one, the new method is significantly or moderately less costly in terms of CPU time than a previous randomization-based state-of-the-art method, depending on whether the maximum output rate from down states is larger than the maximum output rate from up states, or vice versa. Otherwise, the new method can be more costly, but a relatively inexpensive for large models switch of reasonable quality can be easily developed to choose the fastest method. Along the way, we show the correctness of a generalized randomization construct, in which arbitrarily different randomization rates can be associated with different states, for both finite CTMCs with infinitesimal generator and uniformizable CTMCs with denumerable state space.
Positive-versus-Negative Classification for Model Aggregation in Predictive Data Mining
Authors: Lutu Patricia E. N. , Engelbrecht Andries P.
Published: January 2013

The process of constructing several base models that are then combined into a single classification model for prediction is called model aggregation or ensemble classification. Positive-versus-negative (pVn) classification is a new method for the implementation of base models for aggregation. pVn classification involves the decomposition of a k-class prediction task into m (m < k) subproblems. One base model is constructed for each subproblem to predict a subset of the k classes. The base models are then combined into one aggregate model for prediction. This paper reports studies that were conducted to demonstrate the performance of pVn classification when large volumes of data are available for modeling as is commonly the case in data mining. It is demonstrated in this paper that pVn modeling provides the capability to use a large amount of available data (in a large data set) for base model training. It is also demonstrated that pVn models created from large data sets provide a higher level of predictive performance compared to single k-class models.
Mobile Device for Disease Diagnosis and Data Tracking in Resource-Limited Settings
Authors: Chin Curtis D , Cheung Yuk Kee , Laksanasopin Tassaneewan , Modena Mario M , Chin Sau Yin , Sridhara Archana A , Steinmiller David , Linder Vincent , Mushingantahe Jules , Umviligihozo Gisele , Karita Etienne , Mwambarangwe Lambert , Braunstein Sarah L , van de Wijgert Janneke , Sahabo Ruben , Justman Jessica E , El-Sadr Wafaa , Sia Samuel K
Published: January 2013

BACKGROUND

Collection of epidemiological data and care of patients are hampered by lack of access to laboratory diagnostic equipment and patients' health records in resource-limited settings. We engineered a low-cost mobile device that combines cell-phone and satellite communication technologies with fluid miniaturization techniques for performing all essential ELISA functions.

METHODS

We assessed the device's ability to perform HIV serodiagnostic testing in Rwanda and synchronize results in real time with electronic health records. We tested serum, plasma, and whole blood samples collected in Rwanda and on a commercially available sample panel made of mixed antibody titers.

RESULTS

HIV testing on 167 Rwandan patients evaluated for HIV, viral hepatitis, and sexually transmitted infections yielded diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 99%, respectively. Testing on 40 Rwandan whole-blood samples—using 1 μL of sample per patient—resulted in diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of 100% and 100%. The mobile device also successfully transmitted all whole-blood test results from a Rwandan clinic to a medical records database stored on the cloud. For all samples in the commercial panel, the device produced results in agreement with a leading ELISA test, including detection of weakly positive samples that were missed by existing rapid tests. The device operated autonomously with minimal user input, produced each result 10 times faster than benchtop ELISA, and consumed as little power as a mobile phone.

CONCLUSIONS

A low-cost mobile device can perform a blood-based HIV serodiagnostic test with laboratory-level accuracy and real-time synchronization of patient health record data.
A class of degenerate elliptic eigenvalue problems
Authors: Lucia Marcello , Schuricht Friedemann
Published: January 2013

We consider a general class of eigenvalue problems where the leading elliptic term corresponds to a convex homogeneous energy function that is not necessarily differentiable. We derive a strong maximum principle and show uniqueness of the first eigenfunction. Moreover we prove the existence of a sequence of eigensolutions by using a critical point theory in metric spaces. Our results extend the eigenvalue problem of the p-Laplace operator to a much more general setting.
Do laboratories follow heart failure recommendations and guidelines and did we improve? The CARdiac MArker Guideline Uptake in Europe (CARMAGUE)
Authors: Hammerer-Lercher Angelika , Collinson Paul , van Dieijen-Visser Marja P. , Pulkki Kari , Suvisaari Janne , Ravkilde Jan , Stavljenic-Rukavina Ana , Baum Hannsjörg , Laitinen Päivi
Published: January 2013

Background:Natriuretic peptides (NP) are well-established markers of heart failure (HF). During the past 5 years, analytical and clinical recommendations for measurement of these biomarkers have been published in guidelines. The aim of this follow-up survey was to investigate how well these guidelines for measurement of NP have been implemented in laboratory practice in Europe.

Methods:Member societies of the European Federation of Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine were invited in 2009 to participate in a web-based audit questionnaire. The questionnaire requested information on type of tests performed, decision limits for HF, turn-around time and frequency of testing.

Results:There was a moderate increase (12%) of laboratories measuring NP compared to the initial survey in 2006. The most frequently used HF decision limits for B-type NP (BNP) and N-terminal BNP (NT-proBNP) were, respectively, 100 ng/L and 125 ng/L, derived from the package inserts in 55%. Fifty laboratories used a second decision limit. Age or gender dependent decision limits were applied in 10% (8.5% in 2006). The vast majority of laboratories (80%) did not have any criteria regarding frequency of testing, compared to 33% in 2006.

Conclusions:The implementation of NP measurement for HF management was a slow process between 2006 and 2009 at a time when guidelines had just been established. The decision limits were derived from package insert information and literature. There was great uncertainty concerning frequency of testing which may reflect the debate about the biological variability which was not published for most of the assays in 2009.
Novel benzofuran derivatives: synthesis and antitumor activity
Authors: Othman Dina I. , Abdelal Ali M.M. , El-Sayed Magda A. , El Bialy Serry A. A.
Published: January 2013

A series of new benzofuran derivatives 3a–f, 5a–e containing a heterocyclic substituent linked to benzofuran nucleus at C-2 were synthesized as potential antitumor agents. These products were synthesized starting with 2-bromoacetylbenzofuran 1. The structures of all compounds were established on the basis of analytical and spectral data. The synthesized compounds were tested against human liver carcinoma cell line (HEPG2) and all were more potent than the comparative standard (5-flurouracil). Compound 3f was the most active (IC50 = 12.4 μg/mL).
The relationship between phonological awareness time and reading abilities: an assessment using self-organizing maps
Authors: Sucena Ana , Carneiro João Falcão , Vale Ana Paula , Viana Fernanda Leopoldina
Published: January 2013

Classically, the assessment of reading disabilities is based on the accuracy for word and nonword reading, as well as on the accuracy or sensibility measures (such as d′) for phonological awareness tasks. Recent studies indicate that in terms of phonological awareness results, the response time is a more accurate indicator than sensibility measures (such as d′), thus providing an important measure explaining some of the differences between good and poor readers. This article explores the discriminative capability of phonological awareness task time (PATT) in reading disability assessment.

One hundred and eighty-six children were tested using conventional tasks, specifically word reading, nonword reading, and phonological awareness tasks. The word and nonword accuracy and PATT were used to train self-organizing maps (SOM) to classify children into three distinct groups.

Phonological awareness response time provides a powerful discriminative measure.

Our results indicate that the PATT constitutes a useful selective measure, particularly in the third and fourth grades when classical variables such as word and nonword reading accuracy lose their discriminative capabilities. Also, the use of SOM to classify children’s reading abilities can successfully categorize children and capture meaningful measures such as the lexicality effect.