bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Morphological, structural, and photoelectrochemical characterization of n‐type Cu2O thin films obtained by electrodeposition
Authors: Grez Paula , Herrera Francisco , Riveros Gonzalo , Ramírez Andrés , Henríquez Rodrigo , Dalchiele Enrique , Schrebler Ricardo
Published: September 2012

Thin films of copper(I) oxide (Cu2O) were electrodeposited on fluorine‐doped tin oxide predeposited glass substrates, by reduction of Cu2+ from Cu(II) acetate acid aqueous solutions. The Cu2O was potentiostatically grown at a potential value of −0.450 V (vs. SMSE) at 70 °C. The Cu2O thin films were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), optical transmission, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and photoelectrochemical experiments. Through these techniques, it was possible to establish the cubic Cu2O phase with a high crystallinity and a strong preferential growth along the [200] and [220] directions. Cu2O thin films show oxygen vacancies with formation of a nonstoichiometric compound with the presence of Cu(0) in the crystal lattice as determined by XPS analysis. In addition, Cu2O was used as the photoanode for the I− oxidation reaction when the system was illuminated (Φ0 = 50.0 mW cm−2). The films exhibited a clear n‐type semiconductor behavior, which was in agreement with the Mott–Schottky results. This behavior was explained by considering the nonstoichiometry of the oxide.
Oral Intake of Beet Extract Provides Protection Against Skin Barrier Impairment in Hairless Mice
Authors: Kawano Ken‐ichi , Umemura Kazuo
Published: September 2012

The epidermis acts as a functional barrier against the external environment. Disturbances in the function of this barrier cause water loss and increase the chances of penetration by various irritable stimuli, leading to skin diseases such as dry skin, atopic dermatitis, and psoriasis. Ceramides are a critical natural element of the protective epidermal barrier. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the oral intake of beet (Beta vulgaris) extract, a natural product rich in glucosylceramide (GlcCer), may prevent disturbance in skin barrier function. When HR‐1 hairless mice were fed a special diet (HR‐AD), transepidermal water loss (TEWL) from the dorsal skin increased, with a compensatory increase in water intake after 5 weeks. Mice fed with HR‐AD had dry skin with erythema and showed increased scratching behaviour. Histological examinations revealed a remarkable increase in the thickness of the skin at 8 weeks. Supplemental addition of beet extract, which contained GlcCer at a final concentration of 0.1%, significantly prevented an increase TEWL, water intake, cumulative scratching time, and epidermal thickness at 8 weeks. These results indicate that oral intake of beet extract shows potential for preventing skin diseases associated with impaired skin barrier function. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Distinguishing wild ruminant lipids by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry
Authors: Craig Oliver E. , Allen Richard B. , Thompson Anu , Stevens Rhiannon E. , Steele Valerie J. , Heron Carl
Published: September 2012

RATIONALE

The carbon isotopic characterisation of ruminant lipids associated with ceramic vessels has been crucial for elucidating the origins and changing nature of pastoral economies. δ13C values of fatty acids extracted from potsherds are commonly compared with those from the dairy and carcass fats of modern domesticated animals to determine vessel use. However, the processing of wild ruminant products in pottery, such as deer, is rarely considered despite the presence of several different species on many prehistoric sites. To address this issue, the carbon isotope range of fatty acids from a number of red deer (Cervus elaphus) tissues, a species commonly encountered in the European archaeological record, was investigated.

METHODS

Lipids were extracted from 10 modern red deer tissues obtained from the Slowinski National Park (Poland). Fatty acids were fractionated, methylated and analysed by gas chromatography/combustion/isotope ratio mass spectrometry (GCCIRMS). The δ13C values of n‐octadecanoic acid and n‐hexadecanoic acid, and the difference between these values (Δ13C), were compared with those from previously published ruminant fats.

RESULTS

Nine of the ten deer carcass fats measured have Δ13C values of less than −3.3‰, the threshold previously used for classifying dairy products. Despite considerable overlap, dairy fats from domesticated ruminants with Δ13C values less than −4.3‰ are still distinguishable.

CONCLUSIONS

The finding has implications for evaluating pottery use and early pastoralism. The processing of deer tissues and our revised criteria should be considered, especially where there is other archaeological evidence for their consumption. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Correlation of Ecom50 values between mass spectrometers: effect of collision cell radiofrequency voltage on calculated survival yield
Authors: Hill Dennis W. , Baveghems Clive L. , Albaugh Daniel R. , Kormos Tzipporah M. , Lai Steven , Ng Hank K. , Grant David F.
Published: September 2012

RATIONALE

The determination of the center‐of‐mass energy at which 50% of a precursor ion decomposes (Ecom50) during collision‐induced dissociation (CID) is dependent on the chemical structure of the ion as well as the physical and electrical characteristics of the collision cell. The current study was designed to identify variables influencing Ecom50 values measured on four different mass spectrometers.

METHODS

Fifteen test compounds were protonated using + ve electrospray ionization and the resulting ions were fragmented across a range of collision energies by CID. Survival yield versus collision energy curves were then used to calculate Ecom50 values for each of these [M+H]+ ions on four different mass spectrometers. In addition, the relative recovery of the [M+H]+ ions of eight compounds ranging in molecular weight from 46 to 854 Da were determined at collision cell radiofrequency (RF) voltages ranging from 0 to 600 V.

RESULTS

Ecom50 values determined on the four instruments were highly correlated (r2 values ranged from 0.953 to 0.992). Although these overall correlations were high, we found different maximum ion recoveries depending on collision cell RF voltage. High‐mass ions had greater recovery at higher collision cell RF voltages, whereas low‐mass ions had greater recovery at lower collision cell RF voltages as well as a broader range of ion recoveries.

CONCLUSIONS

Ecom50 values measured on four different instruments correlated surprisingly well given the differences in electrical and physical characteristics of the collision cells. However, our results suggest caution when comparing Ecom50 values or CID spectra between instruments without correcting for the effects of RF voltage on ion transfer efficiency. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simultaneous characterization of prenylated flavonoids and isoflavonoids in Psoralea corylifolia L. by liquid chromatography with diode‐array detection and quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry
Authors: Xu Mei‐Juan , Wu Bin , Ding Tao , Chu Ji‐Hong , Li Chang‐Yin , Zhang Jun , Wu Ting , Wu Jian , Liu Shi‐Jia , Liu Shen‐Lin , Ju Wen‐Zheng , Li Ping
Published: September 2012

RATIONALE

Prenylated flavonoids and isoflavonoids are widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom, with many biological effects. Psoralea corylifolia, which contains many kinds of prenylated components, has been widely used as a medicinal plant in Asia and India for thousands of years. The goal of this study was to characterize the components in P. corylifolia using a liquid chromatography with diode‐array detection and quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry (LC‐DAD/Q‐TOF‐MS) method, and to elucidate the fragmentation behavior of the different prenyl substituent groups and their appropriate characteristic pathways in positive ion mode.

METHODS

The calculated accurate masses of the protonated molecules, the fragment ions, the retention behavior, and the data from UV spectra were used for identification of the components in P. corylifolia.

RESULTS

A total of 45 compounds, including 43 prenylated components, were identified or tentatively identified in P. corylifolia. Different diagnostic fragment ions and neutral losses were observed in different prenyl substructures: neutral loss of 56 Da (C4H8) and a fragment ion at m/z 69 (C5H9+) were generated by a prenyl chain; neutral losses of 42 Da (C3H6), 54 Da (C4H6), 15 Da (CH3•) and 16 Da (CH4) were observed in a ring‐closed prenyl group; neutral losses of 72 Da (C4H8O), 60 Da (C2H4O2), 58 Da (C3H6O) and 18 Da (H2O) were detected in a 2,2‐dimethyl‐3,4‐dihydroxydihydropyran ring; neutral losses of 72 Da (C4H8O), 60 Da (C3H8O) and 18 Da (H2O) were yielded from a 2,2‐dimethyl‐3‐hydroxydihydropyran ring, a 2‐(1‐hydroxy‐1‐methylethyl)dihydrofuran ring or a 1‐hydroxy‐3‐methylbut‐3‐enyl chain.

CONCLUSIONS

This method can be applied for analysis of prenylated components in P. corylifolia and other herbal medicines. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Graph bootstrap percolation
Authors: Balogh József , Bollobás Béla , Morris Robert
Published: September 2012

Graph bootstrap percolation is a deterministic cellular automaton which was introduced by Bollobás in 1968, and is defined as follows. Given a graph H, and a set
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}G \subset E(K_n)\end{align*} \end{document}
of initially ‘infected’ edges, we infect, at each time step, a new edge e if there is a copy of H in
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}K_n\end{align*} \end{document}
such that e is the only not‐yet infected edge of H. We say that G percolates in the H‐bootstrap process if eventually every edge of
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}K_n\end{align*} \end{document}
is infected. The extremal questions for this model, when H is the complete graph
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}K_r\end{align*} \end{document}, were solved (independently) by Alon, Kalai and Frankl almost thirty years ago. In this paper we study the random questions, and determine the critical probability
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}p_c(n,K_r)\end{align*} \end{document}
for the
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}K_r\end{align*} \end{document}‐process up to a poly‐logarithmic factor. In the case
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}r = 4\end{align*} \end{document}
we prove a stronger result, and determine the threshold for
\documentclass{article}\usepackage{mathrsfs}\usepackage{amsmath, amssymb}\pagestyle{empty}\begin{document}\begin{align*}p_c(n,K_4)\end{align*} \end{document}. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Random Struct. Alg., 2012
Influence of deposition pressure on hydrogenated amorphous carbon films prepared by d.c.‐pulse plasma chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Wang Chengbing , Shi Jing , Xia Rongbin , Geng Zhongrong
Published: September 2012

Hydrogenated amorphous carbon films (a‐C : H) were prepared by d.c.‐pulse plasma chemical vapor deposition using CH4 and H2 gases. The microstructure and hardness of the resulting films were investigated at different deposition pressures (6, 8, 11, 15, and 20 Pa). The growth rate increased sharply from 3.2 to 10.3 nm/min with increasing the pressure from 6 to 20 Pa. According to Raman spectra, XPS, and Fourier transform infrared analysis, the films deposited at the pressure of 6 and 8 Pa have high sp3 content and show typical diamond‐like character. However, the microstructures and bond configuration of the films deposited at 11, 15, and 20 Pa have high sp2 content and favored fullerene‐like nanostructure. The hardness and sp2 content were shown to reach their minimum values simultaneously at a deposition pressure of 8 Pa and then increased continuously. The film with fullerene‐like nanostructure obtained at 20 Pa displays a high Raman ID/IG ratio (~1.6), and low XPS C 1s binding energy (284.4 eV). The microstructural analysis indicates that the films are composed of a hard and locally dense fullerene‐like network, i.e. a predominantly sp2‐bonded material. The rigidity of the films is basically provided by a matrix of dispersed cross‐linked sp2 sites. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Examining CEO succession and the role of heuristics in early‐stage CEO evaluation
Authors: Graffin Scott D. , Boivie Steven , Carpenter Mason A.
Published: September 2012

This study develops and tests predictions regarding factors that influence early‐stage CEO evaluation. We suggest that contextual elements of the CEO succession process will influence the heuristics that directors employ to aid in their early evaluation of a CEO because traditional performance metrics, such as firm performance, are less diagnostic of CEO quality in the first years of their tenure. Broad empirical support for our theoretical arguments is shown in a sample of Fortune 1000 firms. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Similarities, challenges and opportunities of Wikipedia content and open source projects
Authors: Capiluppi Andrea
Published: September 2012

Several years of research and evidence have demonstrated that open source software portals often contain a large amount of software projects that simply do not evolve, developed by relatively small communities, struggling to attract a sustained number of contributors. These portals have started to increasingly act as a storage for abandoned projects, and researchers and practitioners should try and point out how to take advantage of such content. Similarly, other online content portals (like Wikipedia) could be harvested for valuable content. In this paper we argue that, even with differences in the requested expertise, many projects reliant on content and contributions by users undergo a similar evolution, and follow similar patterns: when a project fails to attract contributors, it appears to be not evolving, or abandoned. Far from a negative finding, even those projects could provide valuable content that should be harvested and identified based on common characteristics: by using the attributes of ‘usefulness’ and ‘modularity’ we isolate valuable content in both Wikipedia pages and open source software projects. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Surface Tethered Epidermal Growth Factor Protects Proliferating and Differentiating Multipotential Stromal Cells from FasL-Induced Apoptosis
Authors: Rodrigues Melanie , Blair Harry , Stockdale Linda , Griffith Linda , Wells Alan
Published: September 2012

Multipotential stromal cells or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been proposed as aids in regenerating bone and adipose tissues, as these cells form osteoblasts and adipocytes. A major obstacle to this use of MSC is the initial loss of cells postimplantation. This cell death in part is due to ubiquitous nonspecific inflammatory cytokines such as FasL generated in the implant site. Our group previously found that soluble epidermal growth factor (sEGF) promotes MSC expansion. Furthermore, tethering EGF (tEGF) onto a two-dimensional surface altered MSC responses, by restricting epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) to the cell surface, causing sustained activation of EGFR, and promoting survival from FasL-induced death. sEGF by causing internalization of EGFR does not support MSC survival. However, for tEGF to be useful in bone regeneration, it needs to allow for MSC differentiation into osteoblasts while also protecting emerging osteoblasts from apoptosis. tEGF did not block induced differentiation of MSCs into osteoblasts, or adipocytes, a common default MSC-differentiation pathway. MSC-derived preosteoblasts showed increased Fas levels and became more susceptible to FasL-induced death, which tEGF prevented. Differentiating adipocytes underwent a reduction in Fas expression and became resistant to FasL-induced death, with tEGF having no further survival effect. tEGF protected undifferentiated MSC from combined insults of FasL, serum deprivation, and physiologic hypoxia. Additionally, tEGF was dominant in the face of sEGF to protect MSC from FasL-induced death. Our results suggest that MSCs and differentiating osteoblasts need protective signals to survive in the inflammatory wound milieu and that tEGF can serve this function.
The Effect of Focus on Form and Focus on Forms Instruction on the Acquisition of Productive Knowledge of L2 Vocabulary by Young Beginning‐Level Learners
Authors: Shintani Natsuko
Published: September 2012

The purpose of the study reported in this article is to investigate the effect of two instructional approaches—focus on forms (FonFs) and focus on form (FonF)—on the acquisition of a set of nouns and adjectives by young Japanese children who were complete beginners. The article begins by defining FonFs and FonF and considering the theoretical rationale for each. The author then examines how FonFs (operationalized as present‐practice‐produce) and FonF (operationalized through task‐based teaching) can be realized. It is demonstrated that in the case of beginning‐level learners, task‐based teaching is best operationalized in terms of comprehension‐based rather than production‐based tasks. The article concludes with a review of the research that has compared the effects of FonFs and FonF on vocabulary acquisition.
More Than Teachable Moments: Enhancing Oral Vocabulary Instruction in Your Classroom
Authors: Neuman Susan B. , Roskos Kathleen
Published: September 2012

This article describes both the benefits and the challenges of using “teachable moments” as a primary strategy for oral vocabulary instruction. It argues that children will need more intentional oral vocabulary instruction, right from the very beginning, if they are to develop the academic and content‐rich vocabulary necessary to be successful in the upper grades.
Retrospective Analysis of Nodal Spread Patterns According to Tumor Location in Pathological N2 Non‐small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Shimada Yoshihisa , Saji Hisashi , Kakihana Masatoshi , Honda Hidetoshi , Usuda Jitsuo , Kajiwara Naohiro , Ohira Tatsuo , Ikeda Norihiko
Published: September 2012

Background

The purpose of the present study was to determine the nodal spread patterns of pN2 non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) according to tumor location, and to attempt to evaluate the possible indications of selective lymph node dissection (SLND).

Methods

We retrospectively analyzed nodal spread patterns in 207 patients with NSCLC of less than 5 cm with N2 involvement.

Results

The tumor location was right upper lobe (RUL) in 79, middle lobe in 12, right lower lobe (RLL) in 40, left upper division (LUD) in 41, lingular division in 11, and left lower lobe (LLL) in 24. Both RUL and LUD tumors showed a higher incidence of upper mediastinal (UM) involvement (96 and 100 %, respectively) and a lower incidence of subcarinal involvement (15 and 10 %, respectively) than lower lobe tumors (UM; RLL 60 %, LLL 42 %; subcarinal: RLL 60 %, LLL 46 %, respectively). Among the patients with 24 right UM‐positive RLL and 10 left UM‐positive LLL tumors, 2 showed negative hilar, subcarinal, and lower mediastinal involvement, and cT1, suggesting that UM dissection may be unnecessary in lower lobe tumors with no metastasis to hilar, subcarinal, and lower mediastinal nodes on frozen sections according to the preoperative T status. Among the patients with 12 subcarinal‐positive RUL and 4 subcarinal‐positive LUD tumors, one showed negative hilar or UM involvement, suggesting that subcarinal dissection may be unnecessary in RUL or LUD tumors with no metastasis to hilar and UM nodes on frozen sections.

Conclusions

The present study appears to provide one of the supportive results regarding the treatment strategies for tumor location‐specific SLND.
Changes in Body Composition, Hematologic Parameters, and Serum Biochemistry After Rapid Intravenous Infusion or Oral Intake of 2 Liters of 0.9 % Saline Solution in Young Healthy Volunteers: Randomized Crossover Study
Authors: de Aguilar‐Nascimento José E. , Valente Ana C. , Oliveira Sergio S. , Hartmann Arthur , Slhessarenko Natasha
Published: September 2012

Background

The perioperative infusion of 2 L of saline is associated with weight gain and decreased serum albumin and hematocrit. We hypothesized that these parameters would respond differently to oral administration and intravenous infusion of saline solution.

Methods

This was a crossover study that included 10 healthy young men (ages 18–26 years). At two times, 8 weeks apart, the participants were randomized to receive 2 L of 0.9 % saline over 1 h by intravenous (IV) administration to a forearm vein or by oral intake. The participants were weighed and body masses were calculated. Bioelectrical impedance analysis was performed with a single‐frequency device using tetrapolar distal limb electrodes. Blood samples were collected 1 h after the administration period for laboratory assays: hematocrit, hemoglobin, blood glucose, serum electrolytes, albumin, creatinine, osmolality.

Results

There was an increase in body weight (p < 0.01), total body water (p < 0.01), and lean body mass (p < 0.01) after the experiment in both groups, with no difference between them. The volume of urine output was similar in the two experiments. The hemoglobin (oral group from 14.4 ± 0.8 g/dl to 13.8 ± 0.8 g/dl; IV group from 14.4 ± 0.6 g/dl to 12.6 ± 0.6 g/dl) and hematocrit (oral group from 43.2 ± 1.8 % to 43.2 ± 2.8 %; IV group from 43.6 ± 2.2 % to 40.0 ± 2.6 %) significantly decreased (p < 0.01) with IV saline. Serum albumin remained stable after oral intake but significantly decreased (p = 0.04) after IV infusion.

Conclusions

Oral intake of 2 L of 0.9 % saline results in minimal variations in serum albumin, hemoglobin, and hematocrit when compared to IV infusion of the same volume.
Temporal variation in pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures requiring surgical intervention
Authors: Loder Randall T. , Krodel Emily , D'Amico Kelly
Published: September 2012

Background

Pediatric supracondylar humerus fractures commonly require surgical intervention and hospital admission, which is costly and consumes significant health care resources. There are few data regarding temporal characteristics (month, day and hour of injury) of this particular pediatric fracture. We wished to investigate the month, day of the week, and time of occurrence of these fractures to guide appropriate use of health care resources and prevention strategies.

Methods

This study was a retrospective review of clinical records and radiographs of 353 children with operative supracondylar humerus fractures in a temperate climate region over 6 years. Date and time of injury and demographic data (gender, age, laterality) were extracted. Variation in month, weekday, and time of injury was analyzed using circular analysis, cosinor analysis, probability distributions and topographical distribution.

Results

There was a statistically significant increase in the number of fractures during the summer with a peak in early July. When analyzing by month and day of the week, a peak was seen Thursday-Saturday during May–July and middle of the week September–October. Weekdays demonstrated a higher proportion of fractures occurring in the morning and at school. The injuries occurred in the am in 37 and the pm in 241; detailed data were known in 227 with 37 between 0000 and 1159, 51 between 1200 and 1559, and 139 between 1600 and 2359 h. The peak time of injury was 1800 h.

Conclusions

The increase in supracondylar humerus fractures in the spring through autumn in temperate regions indicates that education campaigns reinforcing fall prevention and landing surfaces should be done in the early spring. The hourly data support the need for dedicated early morning operating rooms to care for these fractures.

Level of evidence

Prevalence study, retrospective cohort, Level II.
Tespa1 is a novel inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor binding protein in T and B lymphocytes
Authors: Matsuzaki Hiroshi , Fujimoto Takahiro , Ota Takeharu , Ogawa Masahiro , Tsunoda Toshiyuki , Doi Keiko , Hamabashiri Masato , Tanaka Masatoshi , Shirasawa Senji
Published: September 2012

Tespa1 has been recently reported to be a critical molecule in T‐cell development, however, the precise molecular mechanisms of Tespa1 remain elusive. Here, we demonstrate that Tespa1 shows amino‐acid sequence homology to KRAS‐induced actin‐interacting protein (KRAP), an inositol 1,4,5‐trisphosphate receptor (IP3R) binding protein, and that Tespa1 physically associates with IP3R in T and B lymphocytes. Two‐consecutive phenylalanine residues (Phe185/Phe186) in Tespa1, which are conserved between Tespa1 and KRAP, are indispensable for the association between Tespa1 and IP3R. These findings suggest that Tespa1 plays critical roles in the immune system through the regulation of the IP3R.
Diacylglycerol kinase‐dependent formation of phosphatidic acid molecular species during interleukin‐2 activation in CTLL‐2 T‐lymphocytes
Authors: Mizuno Satoru , Sakai Hiromichi , Saito Masafumi , Kado Sayaka , Sakane Fumio
Published: September 2012

Although effective liquid chromatography (LC)/mass spectrometry (MS) methods enabling the separation of phospholipid molecular species have been developed, there are still problems with an intracellular signaling molecule, phosphatidic acid (PA). In this study, we optimized LC/MS conditions to improve the quantitative detection of PA molecular species from a cellular lipid mixture. Using the newly developed LC/MS method, we showed that stimulation of CTLL‐2 murine T‐lymphocytes by interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) induced a significant increase of 36:1‐, 36:2‐, 40:5‐ and 40:6‐diacyl‐PA. A diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) inhibitor, R59949, attenuated the increase of 36:1‐, 40:5‐, 40:6‐diacyl‐PA, suggesting that DGK IL‐2‐dependently and selectively generated these diacyl‐PA species.
Russia and the West from Alexander to Putin
Authors: Tsygankov Andrei P.
Published: September 2012

Since Russia has re-emerged as a global power, its foreign policies have come under close scrutiny. In Russia and the West from Alexander to Putin, Andrei P. Tsygankov identifies honor as the key concept by which Russia's international relations are determined. He argues that Russia's interests in acquiring power, security and welfare are filtered through this cultural belief and that different conceptions of honor provide an organizing framework that produces policies of cooperation, defensiveness and assertiveness in relation to the West. Using ten case studies spanning a period from the early nineteenth century to the present day - including the Holy Alliance, the Triple Entente and the Russia-Georgia war - Tsygankov's theory suggests that when it perceives its sense of honor to be recognized, Russia cooperates with the Western nations; without such a recognition it pursues independent policies either defensively or assertively.
The NutriChip project – translating technology into nutritional knowledge
Authors: Vergères Guy , Bogicevic Biljana , Buri Caroline , Carrara Sandro , Chollet Magali , Corbino-Giunta Linda , Egger Lotti , Gille Doreen , Kopf-Bolanz Katrin , Laederach Kurt , Portmann Reto , Ramadan Qasem , Ramsden Jeremy , Schwander Flurina , Silacci Paolo , Walther Barbara , Gijs Martin
Published: September 2012

Advances in food transformation have dramatically increased the diversity of products on the market and, consequently, exposed consumers to a complex spectrum of bioactive nutrients whose potential risks and benefits have mostly not been confidently demonstrated. Therefore, tools are needed to efficiently screen products for selected physiological properties before they enter the market. NutriChip is an interdisciplinary modular project funded by the Swiss programme Nano-Tera, which groups scientists from several areas of research with the aim of developing analytical strategies that will enable functional screening of foods. The project focuses on postprandial inflammatory stress, which potentially contributes to the development of chronic inflammatory diseases. The first module of the NutriChip project is composed of three in vitro biochemical steps that mimic the digestion process, intestinal absorption, and subsequent modulation of immune cells by the bioavailable nutrients. The second module is a miniaturised form of the first module (gut-on-a-chip) that integrates a microfluidic-based cell co-culture system and super-resolution imaging technologies to provide a physiologically relevant fluid flow environment and allows sensitive real-time analysis of the products screened in vitro. The third module aims at validating the in vitro screening model by assessing the nutritional properties of selected food products in humans. Because of the immunomodulatory properties of milk as well as its amenability to technological transformation, dairy products have been selected as model foods. The NutriChip project reflects the opening of food and nutrition sciences to state-of-the-art technologies, a key step in the translation of transdisciplinary knowledge into nutritional advice.
Effect of intratympanic dexamethasone, memantine and piracetam on cellular apoptosis due to cisplatin ototoxicity
Authors: Topdag M , Iseri M , Gelenli E , Yardimoglu M , Yazir Y , Ulubil S A , Topdag D O , Ustundag E
Published: September 2012

Objective:

This study aimed to contribute to the literature on the prevention and treatment of ototoxicity due to various drugs and chemicals.

Material and methods:

This study compared the histological effects of intratympanic dexamethasone, memantine and piracetam on cellular apoptosis due to cisplatin ototoxicity, in 36 rats.

Results:

Dexamethasone and memantine had significant effects on the stria vascularis, organ of Corti and spiral ganglion (p < 0.05). Although piracetam decreased the apoptosis rate, this effect was not statistically significant (p > 0.05).

Conclusion:

Dexamethasone and memantine were found superior to piracetam in reducing apoptosis due to cisplatin ototoxicity. Further studies of this subject are needed, incorporating electron microscopy and auditory brainstem response testing.
Ion-acoustic waves in a degenerate multicomponent magnetoplasma
Authors: ABDELSALAM U. M. , SELIM M. M.
Published: September 2012

The hydrodynamic equations of positive and negative ions, degenerate electrons, and the Poisson equation are used along with the reductive perturbation method to derive the three-dimensional Zakharov–Kuznetsov (ZK) equation. The G′/G-expansion method is used to obtain a new class of solutions for the ZK equation. At certain condition, these solutions can describe the solitary waves that propagate in our plasma. The effects of negative ion concentrations, the positive/negative ion cyclotron frequency, as well as positive-to-negative ion mass ratio on solitary pulses are examined. Finally, the present study might be helpful to understand the propagation of nonlinear ion-acoustic solitary waves in a dense plasma, such as in astrophysical objects.
Sabellaria nanella(Sabellariidae): from solitary subtidal to intertidal reef-building worm at Monte Hermoso, Argentina (39°S, south-west Atlantic)
Authors: Bremec Claudia , Carcedo Cecilia , Piccolo M. Cintia , dos Santos Eder , Fiori Sandra
Published: September 2012

This contribution reports the first record of intertidal reefs built by the sabellariid wormSabellaria nanellain the lower intertidal at Monte Hermoso beach, Argentina (39°S). All previous records ofS. nanellain the study area correspond to solitary individuals from shallow subtidal depths in coastal environments, while the present findings refer to well established reefs on stony rocks. Worms sort medium size sand grains to build the reefs, which contain higher amount of organic matter than the surrounding sediments. Size structure of worms shows multiple size cohorts that include recent recruits and mature adults. Many invertebrates, i.e. various annelids, arthropods, molluscs, nemerteans and nematodes, are the frequent organisms living within the reef, some of them already recorded in the area. The presence of intertidal reefs ofS. nanellaindicates that the species has plasticity to adapt to environments with different physical conditions (subtidal–intertidal areas).
Validation of macroscopic maturity stages of the Patagonian red octopus Enteroctopus megalocyathus
Authors: Ortiz Nicolas
Published: September 2012

Testes and ovaries of Enteroctopus megalocyathus collected along the Patagonian Atlantic coast were analysed histologically to validate the macroscopic maturity scales adopted for this species. Changes through the course of development of the seminiferous tubules and of the oocyte/follicular cell complexes were characterized and these were classified into five and six microscopic categories of development respectively. A histological maturity index, based on the frequencies of microscopic categories, was used to assess the correspondence between macroscopic maturation stages and the microscopic level of development of the gonadal tissue. Seminiferous tubules showed a regular and progressive pattern of microscopic development within each macroscopic stage and between consecutive macroscopic stages. However, a minority of males exhibiting seminiferous tubule with sperm did not display macroscopic characteristics of the mature-spawning stage. In females, an overlapping of microscopic categories was observed in maturing macroscopic stages. Previtellogenic oocytes were not present at mature-spawning or spent stages. Significant changes in the histological maturity index were observed between consecutive macroscopic stages, confirming the validity of macroscopic maturity scales of both sexes. In addition, by considering both macroscopic and microscopic criteria, it was possible to determine the overall state of development and functioning of the reproductive system during sexual maturation of this species.
Community structure of harpacticoid copepods in intertidal and shallow-water habitats of Cat Ba archipelago (Vietnam, South China Sea)
Authors: Chertoprud E.S. , Gheerardyn H. , Gómez S.
Published: September 2012

The assemblage structure of harpacticoid copepods inhabiting the soft sediments of littoral and sublittoral areas of Cat Ba archipelago (South China Sea) is analysed. Three basic types of harpacticoid taxocenes were observed in the upper sublittoral. Main dominant species of taxocenes were Amphiascoides sp., Stenhelia latioperculata, Paramphiascella sp., Phyllopodopsyllus sp., Tisbe sp.1 and Amphiascoides sp. In addition, the main characteristics of harpacticoid species composition in littoral rock pools are described. A comparative analysis of shallow-water harpacticoid communities from different biotopes of the tropical region is presented, and shows that harpacticoid diversity and abundance are lowest in muddy sediments. Highest diversity and abundance are found in washed sands and silty sands with detritus. In general, the structure of muddy bottom communities is the most homogeneous throughout the tropics. Mangrove forests have no significant influence on harpacticoid taxocene structure. Harpacticoid associations of washed sands and silty sands with detritus demonstrate greater diversity and are region-specific.
Vectors of Participation in Contemporary Theatre and Performance
Authors: BALA SRUTI
Published: September 2012

This article explores the notion of participation in contemporary theatre and performance on two levels, namely how participation is shaped within performance, and how performance participates in the public sphere. Using recent examples from Sudan, Russia and Lebanon/Netherlands, I investigate how the political premises underlying the call for participation are reimagined aesthetically, and, conversely, how artistic strategies of shaping audience participation render visible the failures and possibilities of people's participation in the public sphere. The connection between these two dimensions of participation is made by engaging the concepts of ‘representation’, ‘collectivity’ and ‘theatricality’, which I call ‘vectors of participation’. I discuss how the artistic representation of an idea is complementary to political representation, how the demand for collective participation in the public sphere transforms into collective creation in the artistic sphere, and how theatricality in spectatorship is linked to the political call to bear witness.
Report on Recent Progress on the Survey of Sources for American Studies in the U.K.
Authors: Beales H. L. , Crick B. R.
Published: September 2012

The London School of Economics has been very helpful by finding Dr. Crick a room large enough to accommodate a secretary, two extra desks, our filing cabinets and enough shelf space for the many card boxes, reference books and bibliographies we have been assembling (but this “free space” arrangement will not be possible next year).

Organisational problems of getting under way now seem over and the intensive field-work on the reporting of manuscripts has begun, as well as the processing of replies to letters and circulars sent out from the office. The speed with which the project can be satisfactorily complete now depends less on the number of field-workers available (for the situation there has improved greatly since the last report) than upon the uncertain amount of material that we will uncover in hitherto unexamined sources.
An American Evangelist in Great Britain
Authors: McKay Johnston R.
Published: September 2012

When Sidney Smith posed his long list of rhetorical questions about America in the Edinburgh Review, he did not specifically mention preachers though there were some clergymen in the list he put forth; but we can assume that he no more expected his readers to listen to an American sermon than to read an American book.

But, while he was writing, forces were gathering in America that were to have considerable influence on Great Britain. That the United States was ‘a cultural province’ of Great Britain was true for long after the Revolution but the cultural influence was not limited to receiving. By the middle of the nineteenth century there was already a considerable impact by America on Great Britain. It was not perhaps at the level of the learned and distinguished; but there were many who had not read Mrs. Trollope's diatribes or listened to Charles Dickens's complaints, who were prepared to learn from America. True, much of their information was prejudiced, much of it gave them a sense of moral superiority over those wicked American slaveowners; yet they knew there were many in America who felt as they felt, were moved by the same zeal as moved them, and loved the same things as they loved.
Revaluations, II: H. A. L. Fisher, “Our New Religion”
Authors: Shepperson George
Published: September 2012

That the author of an important Education Act and a best-selling History of Europe should have had the inclination and energy to write a spirited study of Christian Science comes as a surprise to many. In spite of the fact that H. A. L. Fisher's Our New Religion (first published, London, 1929) was circulated after 1933 in the cheap and widely-read series of rationalist works, “The Thinker's Library”, this lively little volume still remains relatively unknown on both sides of the Atlantic.

Yet Fisher's book has had its champions. His biographer, Mr. David Ogg, calls it “the best-written of all Fisher's books and one of the finest pieces of English which this century has yet produced.” And Professor Gilbert Murray declared of it that “Seldom can destructive criticism have been delivered with greater urbanity.” If there is an evident element of exaggeration in such statements, they do serve to draw attention to a book which ought not to be neglected by anyone who is interested in American studies.
American Studies in Germany
Authors: Hawgood John A.
Published: September 2012

DAS JAHRBUCH FÜR AMERIKASTUDIEN (Im Auftrag der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Amerikastudien) published its first volume (Heidelberg: Carl Winter's Universitätsverlag, pp. 212), edited by Dr. Walter Fischer, of Marburg University, in 1956, and it is a welcome addition to the small but growing numbers of specialist periodicals in this field published outside the United States.

Several of the papers printed in this first volume of the Jahrbuch were first presented at the foundation meeting of the German Association for American Studies, which took place in June 1953, making that society an elder brother – or sister – of the British Association for American Studies by some two years, but a number of others, including the two longest, are specially contributed. The Gorman Association started its activities strongly, thanks largely to the encouragement given to American studies in Germany by the Cultural Officers of the United States Military Government and High Commission there in the years following 1945. After twelve years of enforced ‘subjectivity’ in the study of the United States the return to objective scholarship was at times a difficult task, and it cannot be denied that interest in American studies, especially during the difficult years 1945–48, tended to follow the dollar rather than any more esoteric goal. All sorts of people in Germany discovered a hitherto unsuspected interest in the history and culture of the United States when their pursuit also meant heated rooms, good meals, P.X. privileges and, eventually, an Amerika-Institut financed from across the Atlantic – or even, possibly, a sponsored visit to the United States.
A ‘European Memory of the Jewish Extermination’? Spain as a Methodological Challenge
Authors: Camallonga Salvador Orti
Published: September 2012

This article seeks to question academic assertions of a European memory of the Jewish extermination by using the Spanish case. Peculiar links between Spain and the Jewish genocide indicate that a common European story about the Jewish extermination cannot be taken for granted. On the contrary, I propose an alternative model focused on the transmission process and the actors that control it, namely national narratives, anti-Semitic rhetoric and, over the past few decades, ‘Holocaust mass media products’. Such an approach will not only provide useful insights about the perception of the Jewish extermination in countries outside the traditional academic spectrum on Holocaust studies, but will also portray Spain's self-image in a European perspective.
Was there a Medical School at Salerno in Roman Times?
Authors: Solin Heikki
Published: September 2012

It is sometimes assumed in the Italian historiography that the medieval school of medicine at Salerno continued the medical tradition of ancient Salerno; the ancient Salernitan school, in its turn, would represent a continuation of that of Velia. The existence of such a school has been assumed on the grounds of rather sparse evidence consisting of a passage in the first book of Horace's Epistles and a Latin inscription from the first century AD mentioning a medicus clinicus.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Menopausal Hot Flushes and Night Sweats: A Qualitative Analysis of Women's Experiences of Group and Self-Help CBT
Authors: Balabanovic Janet , Ayers Beverley , Hunter Myra S.
Published: September 2012

Background: There is a growing need for non-medical treatments for women experiencing problematic menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes and night sweats (HF/NS). A recent randomized control trial (RCT) (MENOS2) provides evidence of the effectiveness of Group CBT and Self-Help CBT for HF/NS. Aims: This study examines MENOS 2 participants’ experience of the CBT treatments. Method: Twenty women who had experienced CBT for HF/NS (10 Group CBT and 10 Self-Help CBT) were interviewed at the end of the trial to explore how they experienced the treatment and its effects. The interviews were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Women experienced both treatment formats as positive and helpful, increasing their ability to cope and their sense of control over HF/NS. Four super-ordinate themes were identified: making sense of symptom change, new ways of coping and regaining control, acknowledging and challenging the menopause taboo, and social interaction and support versus individual learning. Conclusions: These qualitative results are consistent with those of the main trial in that women found both CBT formats helpful in reducing the impact of HF/NS. However, the results also suggest possible mechanisms of change and provide useful information on women's responses to the different treatment components and formats.
Economic capital modelling for the MTPL man-made catastrophe risk
Authors: Hürlimann Werner
Published: September 2012

We undertake a mathematical clarification of the QIS5 proposal for the calculation of the Motor Third Party Liability (MTPL) man-made catastrophe risk capital in terms of two more general models. The QIS5 model assumption implies that the total loss consists of a single catastrophe claim in case it occurs during the next one-year insurance time period. However, the total loss should instead be dynamically modelled by a sequence of claims of varying size that follow a compound Poisson Pareto model, which is our first alternative model. A second possibility also takes into account the effect of investments, whose financial return process follows a Black-Scholes-Merton model. If one excludes limits of coverage, then asymptotically as the total loss increases without limits the first model is equivalent to the model assumption obtained from the QIS5 assumption by replacing a single catastrophe claim by the total loss. In other words, the QIS5 simple model is justified as limiting asymptotic approximation to the classical compound Poisson Pareto model. Conversely, an asymptotic approximation to the VaR economic capital from this model identifies with a modified QIS5 CAT formula. The inclusion of limits of coverage is also analyzed. In this situation we obtain new simple closed-form implementations of the economic capital formulas.
Microstructure at morphotropic phase boundary in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 ceramic: Coexistence of nano-scaled {110}-type rhombohedral twin and {110}-type tetragonal twin
Authors: Wu Haijun , Xue Dezhen , Lv Duchao , Gao Jinghui , Guo Shengwu , Zhou Yumei , Ding Xiangdong , Zhou Chao , Yang Sen , Yang Yaodong , Ren Xiaobing
Published: September 2012

For more than half a century, the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) has drawn constant interest in developing piezoelectric materials, as the phase instability at the region significantly enhances piezoelectricity. However, the local structure/symmetry at the MPB region is still under controversy. The investigation on morphology and origin of the local structure at MPB is of considerable importance to provide a microstructure basis for high piezoelectricity. In the present study, we thus use high resolution transmission electron microscopy to investigate the microstructure feature of MPB at PMN-PT ceramics. The local structure is shown to be the coexistence of nano-scaled {110}-type rhombohedral (R) twin and {110}-type tetragonal (T) twin. Such nano-scaled coexistence can be due to a nearly vanishing polarization anisotropy and low domain wall energy at MPB, which thus facilitates polarization rotation between 〈001〉T and 〈111〉R states and leads to high properties of MPB compositions.