bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of the Effectiveness of Two Assessment Feedback Models in Reducing Career Indecision
Authors: Essig Gregory N. , Kelly Kevin R.
Published: February 2013

We examined the relative effectiveness of information giving (IG) and therapeutic assessment (TA) models of career assessment feedback in reducing career indecision. Clients initiating career counseling at a large Midwestern University completed measures of career choice anxiety (CCA), vocational identity, and career decision-making self-efficacy prior to and following a two-session intervention. We also administered measures of treatment integrity and session helpfulness immediately following treatment. Clients were randomly assigned to an intervention based upon either an IG or TA model of assessment feedback. Results indicated that TA participants’ vocational identity scores improved significantly more than those of IG participants; a medium-to-large effect size was identified. TA and IG participants’ CCA and decision-making self-efficacy scores significantly increased but not differentially following treatment. Participants of both groups rated their feedback sessions as “greatly helpful.” We discuss implications for career assessment as well as the limitations of the study.
Gender Differences in Expressed Interests in Engineering-Related Fields ACT 30-Year Data Analysis Identified Trends and Suggested Avenues to Reverse Trends
Authors: Iskander E. Tiffany , Gore Paul A. , Furse Cynthia , Bergerson Amy
Published: February 2013

Historically, women have been underrepresented in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields both as college majors and in the professional community. This disturbing trend, observed in many countries, is more serious and evident in American universities and is reflected in the U.S. workforce statistics. In this article, we examine historical students’ interest data in order to further the understanding of this discrepancy and to suggest methods to reverse this trend. Thirty years of historical ACT data were analyzed by expressed interest patterns, ACT scores, gender, and intended college major or career aspiration. Statistical package for the social sciences software was used to analyze the data and examine the historical trends of students’ expressed interest in STEM-related careers. Results show that there is a significant (although expected) discrepancy between the number of male and female students who expressed interest in engineering majors and careers. Significant changes have also been observed in the interest in engineering fields over time, most likely because of societal influences. These influences are most profound in computer-related fields, causing speculation that both males and females were influenced by the dot com era but that only male interest was piqued due to the rise of computer gaming in the late 1990s. Students are further grouped into three categories—well prepared (ACT ≥ 28), under prepared (27 ≤ ACT ≥ 19), and unprepared (ACT < 19). Of the total number of students who expressed interest in engineering majors, there are many who appear either completely unprepared or relatively under prepared for the demands of these fields. Data show that female students who expressed interest in STEM fields are generally in the well-prepared category; the discrepancy between those who are interested but under prepared is greater in males than females. Results from this analysis demonstrate the importance of earlier interventions to encourage students who still have enough time to get prepared for opportunities that interest them. It is also probable that students are making assumed career choices based on little or no data and may actually find their interest waning very quickly (thus making them a retention risk if they are admitted to an engineering program). This study, therefore, provides a better understanding of gender, societal influences, and ability disparities in high school students who expressed interest in engineering majors and careers. Obtained results suggested some of what needs to be done and could be used to guide future efforts in order to reverse the current trends of gender disparity and lack of female interest in engineering fields.
Orienting EFL teachers: Principles arising from an evaluation of an induction program in a Japanese university
Authors: Fenton-Smith Ben , Torpey Michael John
Published: February 2013

Despite the ubiquity of teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) globally and the weight of evidence about the importance of training for new expatriate staff in international settings, the process of orienting EFL instructors to new workplaces and unfamiliar cultural surroundings has yet to be researched. This article presents the results of a program evaluation of a two-week induction for 22 new English teachers at a private foreign languages university in Japan. The views of a range of stakeholders were obtained (beginning teachers, experienced teachers and management), as were perspectives at different points in time (before and after induction, one semester later, one or more years later). The evaluation resulted in a clear picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the orientation program, which in turn led to the implementation of a range of measures to improve current practice. The findings also gave rise to the proposal of a framework outlining the major areas that all EFL orientations need to consider.
Remixing environmentalism in Blora, Central Java 2005–10
Authors: Crosby Alexandra
Published: February 2013

This article explores the environment movement that formed in Central Java after the New Order. It discusses how activists situate their movement at global, national and local scales, and compares this work of situating to the cultural process both Lessig and Knobel and Lankshear refer to as ‘remix’. The national network of student nature lovers’ clubs (Mahasiswa Pecinta Alam or Mapala), local genealogies of resistance to colonialism, the politics and styles of global punk, and the popular images of ‘green’ circulated by advertising and transnational environmental bodies, all contribute to the way environmental activists construct and perform multi-scaled identities. At first glance, these multiple scales may seem confusing and conflicted, but by framing their intersection as a process of remix, this article argues that they may be understood as tactical, and a feature of the new possibilities for activism offered by emerging media technologies.
The situated listener as problem: ‘Modern’ and ‘traditional’ subjects in Muslim Indonesia
Authors: Millie Julian
Published: February 2013

This article explores the ways in which evaluations of media forms, and specifically religious oratory, reveal a differentiated Muslim community. Indonesia’s Muslims attend oratorical events (preaching) in great numbers, and frequently do so within routines following the Islamic calendar and other schedules. But, despite their popularity, conventions of Islamic oratory are interpreted by the country’s Muslim progressives as inefficacious and anachronistic. This article explores the models of individual subjectivity that underpin critiques of oratory, noting how the ‘Muslim listener’ is caricatured as lacking in autonomy, incapable of deliberation and passive. It argues that a rival subjectivity, one that constructs listening as a legitimate form of engagement with Islam, emerges from the ideology and preferred communication forms of Indonesia’s largest Islamic organisation, the Nahdlatul Ulama (Rising of the Scholars, or NU). This legitimisation provides an alternative to the idealised narrative of modernity against which oratory is judged as a form of mediation belonging to Indonesian pasts.
The intimacies of cultural studies and area studies: The case of Southeast Asia
Authors: Heryanto Ariel
Published: February 2013

References to area studies occasionally appear in cultural studies discourses, and vice versa, but most of them consist of terse comments made in passing. This article attempts a more substantive enquiry into a possible convergence of cultural and area studies, with specific reference to Southeast Asia. It argues that one promising scenario for studies of the region will take the form of a cultural studies, with the Inter-Asia Cultural Studies project as one model. The issue will be examined in the contexts of two related developments: the initial attempts to build locally based studies about the region, and the internationalisation of cultural studies.
Enhancing the transition from study to work: Reflections on the value and impact of internships in the creative and performing arts
Authors: Daniel Ryan , Daniel Leah
Published: February 2013

In the international higher education environment there is evidence of continuing growth and interest in creative and performing arts programs. While there is similar growth in the creative industries sector where these students will seek to develop a career, as well as further validation of the importance of creativity in the future workplace, ongoing challenges remain for educators in attempting to create a smooth and effective transition for artists who rarely follow a typical linear career path. This article overviews an initial research project which seeks to investigate the value and impact of industry-based internships in the creative and performing arts, involving a sample of graduates and industry employers from a regional area of northern Australia. The findings suggest that while internships offer a range of benefits for students and employers, there are significant challenges and issues which not only affect current practice but require additional research and investigation.
Transcendental Method for Research with Human Subjects
Authors: Perry Donna J.
Published: February 2013

This article provides an overview of a qualitative research method called transcendental method for research with human subjects. The method employs a transformative phenomenological approach and was developed using the philosophy of Bernard Lonergan. Reflective use of this method suggests that it has both investigational and interventional qualities, with transformative potential for both researcher and study participants.
Supreme Court Oral Arguments and Institutional Maintenance
Authors: Ringsmuth Eve M. , Johnson Timothy R.
Published: February 2013

Debate within judicial politics scholarship continues to focus on whether, and to what extent, the separation of powers system affects U.S. Supreme Court decision making. While both formal and empirical work points to such an effect, the literature has not addressed a fundamental part of this process—namely, how justices learn about the preferences or possible reactions of Congress to potential Court decisions. In this article, we provide an answer by demonstrating justices use their limited time during oral arguments to seek such information. Specifically, using data from all orally argued cases between 1979 and 2003, we show that justices raise questions about Congress more often as the level of external constraint increases.
Penal tourism and a tale of four cities: Reflecting on the museum effect in London, Sydney, Melbourne, and Buenos Aires
Authors: Welch Michael
Published: February 2013

The resurrection of former prisons as museums has caught the attention of tourists along with scholars interested in studying penal tourism. This work expands on previous research on prison museums in Buenos Aires, Melbourne, and Sydney to include London. The analysis advances a cultural sociology of punishment by throwing critical light on three thematic couplings: prisons/economics; religion/governance; and pain/penal progress. While reflecting on those unifying subjects, the discussion addresses the manner by which prison museums tell a historical tale about their host city with respect to punishment and social control. Observations and interpretations are situated within a growing literature on museum studies, penal spectatorship, and dark tourism.
Role of Endoscopic Ultrasonography in Patients With Thickened Wall Stomach by CT Scan
Authors: Sotoudehmanesh Rasoul , Mirzaagha Foroozandeh , Kolahdoozan Shadi
Published: February 2013

The usefulness of endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in patients who have gastric wall thickening in computed tomography (CT) is not clear. All patients referred for EUS due to thickened gastric folds on CT were included in this study. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) followed by EUS was performed on all patients. Twenty-eight patients were enrolled in the study. The mean ± SD age was 50.8 ± 15.9 years, and 60.7% were male. Most patients (78.6%) had symptoms, and 10 patients (35.7%) were ultimately diagnosed with a gastric neoplasm. In all patients with a normal EGD (11 patients), the EUS was normal. Accuracy, specificity, sensitivity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of EUS for detecting a lesion in thickened wall stomach on CT were 89.3%, 88.8%, 90.0%, 81.8%, and 94.1%, respectively. In patients with a thickened gastric wall by CT, upper gastrointestinal endoscopy should be done before endoscopic ultrasonography, with ultrasonography reserved for those patients with an abnormal EGD. Endoscopic ultrasonography has good sensitivity for lesion detection in cases with an abnormal endoscopy, and the presence of gastric symptoms increases the likelihood of abnormal EUS.
Muscarinic receptor subtype-specific effects on cigarette smoke-induced inflammation in mice
Authors: Kistemaker Loes E.M. , Bos I.S.T. , Hylkema Machteld N. , Nawijn Martijn C. , Hiemstra Pieter S. , Wess Jürgen , Meurs Herman , Kerstjens Huib A.M. , Gosens Reinoud
Published: February 2013

Cholinergic tone contributes to airflow obstruction in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Accordingly, anticholinergics are effective bronchodilators by blocking the muscarinic M3receptor on airway smooth muscle. Recent evidence indicates that acetylcholine also contributes to airway inflammation. However, which muscarinic receptor subtype(s) regulates this process is unknown.

In this study, the contribution of the M1, M2and M3receptor subtypes to cigarette smoke-induced airway inflammation was investigated by exposing muscarinic receptor subtype deficient mice to cigarette smoke for 4 days.

In wild-type mice, cigarette smoke induced an increase in macrophages, neutrophils and lymphocytes in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Neutrophilic inflammation was higher in M1-/-and M2-/-mice compared to wild-type mice, but lower in M3-/-mice. Accordingly, the release of keratinocyte-derived chemokine (KC), monocyte chemotactic protein-1 and interleukin-6 was higher in M1-/-and M2-/-mice, and reduced in M3-/-mice. Markers of remodelling were not increased after cigarette smoke exposure. However, M3-/-mice had reduced expression of transforming growth factor-β1 and matrix proteins. Cigarette smoke-induced inflammatory cell recruitment and KC release were also prevented by the M3-receptor selective antagonist 1-dimethyl-4-diphenylacetoxypiperidinium iodide (4-DAMP) in wild-type mice.

Collectively, our data indicate a pro-inflammatory role for the M3receptor in cigarette smoke-induced neutrophilia and cytokine release, yet an anti-inflammatory role for M1and M2receptors.
Validity of physical activity monitors during daily life in patients with COPD
Authors: Rabinovich Roberto A. , Louvaris Zafeiris , Raste Yogini , Langer Daniel , Van Remoortel Hans , Giavedoni Santiago , Burtin Chris , Regueiro Eloisa M.G. , Vogiatzis Ioannis , Hopkinson Nicholas S. , Polkey Michael I. , Wilson Frederick J. , MacNee William , Westerterp Klaas R. , Troosters Thierry
Published: February 2013

Symptoms during physical activity and physical inactivity are hallmarks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Our aim was to evaluate the validity and usability of six activity monitors in patients with COPD against the doubly labelled water (DLW) indirect calorimetry method.

80 COPD patients (mean±sdage 68±6 years and forced expiratory volume in 1 s 57±19% predicted) recruited in four centres each wore simultaneously three or four out of six commercially available monitors validated in chronic conditions for 14 consecutive days.A priorivalidity criteria were defined. These included the ability to explain total energy expenditure (TEE) variance through multiple regression analysis, using TEE as the dependent variable with total body water (TBW) plus several physical activity monitor outputs as independent variables; and correlation with activity energy expenditure (AEE) measured by DLW.

The Actigraph GT3X (Actigraph LLC, Pensacola, FL, USA), and DynaPort MoveMonitor (McRoberts BV, The Hague, the Netherlands) best explained the majority of the TEE variance not explained by TBW (53% and 70%, respectively) and showed the most significant correlations with AEE (r=0.71, p<0.001 and r=0.70, p<0.0001, respectively).

The results of this study should guide users in choosing valid activity monitors for research or for clinical use in patients with chronic diseases such as COPD.
Long-term continuous positive airway pressure compliance in females with obstructive sleep apnoea
Authors: Campos-Rodriguez Francisco , Martinez-Garcia Miguel A. , Reyes-Nuñez Nuria , Caballero-Martinez Isabel , Almeida-Gonzalez Carmen V. , Catalan-Serra Pablo , Peña-Griñan Nicolas
Published: February 2013

Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is the treatment of choice for obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA), but compliance and variables involved in long-term CPAP adherence in females with OSA are unknown.

We performed an observational study including all consecutive females diagnosed with CPAP who started CPAP treatment in two Spanish teaching hospitals between 1999 and 2007 and were followed-up until December 2010. The Kaplan–Meier method was used to calculate the probability of continuing with CPAP treatment and a multivariate Cox regression analysis was used to identify baseline predictors of CPAP dropout.

We analysed 708 females, median (interquartile range) age 60 (52–67) years and apnoea–hypopnoea index 43.0 (27.2–66.8). Females were followed for a median of 6.2 (4.2–7.7) years. The probability of still being on CPAP at 5 and 10 years was 82.8% and 79.9%, respectively. The median CPAP use was 6 (interquartile range 4–7) h·day−1. In the multivariate analysis, independent baseline predictors of CPAP dropout were psychoactive medication (hazard ratio 1.47, 95% CI 1.03–2.08), age (hazard ratio 1.01, 95% CI 1.00–1.03) and CPAP pressure (hazard ratio 0.89, 95% CI 0.81–0.96).

Long-term CPAP adherence in females with OSA is good. Psychoactive medication and increasing age were independent predictors of CPAP dropout, whereas higher CPAP was associated with continued treatment.
Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension: role of medical therapy
Authors: Pepke-Zaba Joanna , Jansa Pavel , Kim Nick H. , Naeije Robert , Simonneau Gerald
Published: February 2013

Chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) is a progressive disease with poor prognosis if not treated. The treatment of choice is surgery with pulmonary endarterectomy. However, a significant percentage of patients are deemed non-operable due to distal distribution of the disease and arteriopathy in the non-occluded areas that is indistinguishable from pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). The overlap in clinical presentation, pathological features and pathogenesis between PAH and CTEPH provides a compelling rationale for exploring the efficacy of PAH-targeted therapies in CTEPH. These therapies are often considered for non-operable patients and are also used in operable patients as a bridge to surgery or as post-pulmonary endarterectomy therapy for persistent pulmonary hypertension, despite the fact they are not licensed for CTEPH.

Two randomised clinical trials have been performed in non-operable CTEPH patients. The BENEFiT study, with the endothelin receptor antagonist bosentan, did not show improvement in walking distance. Recently, the CHEST-1 trial, with the soluble guanylate cyclase stimulator riociguat, met study end-point and demonstrated significant improvement in walking distance in patients with non-operable CTEPH.

There is an urgent need for more randomised clinical trials designed to clarify whether administration of PAH-targeted therapies improves clinically meaningful end-points in various CTEPH populations.
Old ideas to innovate tuberculosis control: preventive treatment to achieve elimination
Authors: Diel Roland , Loddenkemper Robert , Zellweger Jean-Pierre , Sotgiu Giovanni , D'Ambrosio Lia , Centis Rosella , van der Werf Marieke J. , Dara Masoud , Detjen Anne , Gondrie Peter , Reichman Lee , Blasi Francesco , Migliori Giovanni Battista
Published: February 2013

The introduction of new rapid diagnostic tools for tuberculosis (TB) and the promising TB drugs pipeline together with the development of a new World Health Organization Strategy post 2015 allows new discussions on how to direct TB control. The European Respiratory Society’s European Forum for TB Innovation was created to stimulate discussion on how to best take advantage of old and new opportunities, and advances, to improve TB control and eventually progress towards the elimination of TB.

While TB control is aimed at reducing the incidence of TB by early diagnosis and treatment of infectious cases of TB, TB elimination requires focus on sterilising the pool of latently infected individuals, from which future TB cases would be generated.

This manuscript describes the three core components that are necessary to implement the elimination strategy fully. 1) Improve diagnosis of latent TB infected individuals. 2) Improve regimens to treat latent TB infection. 3) ensure public health commitment to make both 1) and 2) possible. Old and new evidence is critically described, focusing on the European commitment to reach elimination and on the innovative experiences and best practices available.
On a graph of monogenic semigroups
Authors: Das K Ch , Akgüneş Nihat , Çevik A Sinan
Published: February 2013

Let us consider the finite monogenic semigroup

S
M

with zero having elements

{
x
,

x
2

,

x
3

,
…
,

x
n

}

. There exists an undirected graph

Γ
(

S
M

)

associated with

S
M

whose vertices are the non-zero elements

x
,

x
2

,

x
3

,
…
,

x
n

and, f or

1
≤
i
,
j
≤
n

, any two distinct vertices

x
i

and

x
j

are adjacent if

i
+
j
>
n

.

In this paper, the diameter, girth, maximum and minimum degrees, domination number, chromatic number, clique number, degree sequence, irregularity index and also perfectness of

Γ
(

S
M

)

have been established. In fact, some of the results obtained in this section are sharper and stricter than the results presented in DeMeyer et al. (Semigroup Forum 65:206-214, 2002). Moreover, the number of triangles for this special graph has been calculated. In the final part of the paper, by considering two (not necessarily different) graphs

Γ
(

S
M
1

)

and

Γ
(

S
M
2

)

, we present the spectral properties to the Cartesian product

Γ
(

S
M
1

)

□

Γ
(

S
M
2

)

.

MSC:05C10, 05C12, 06A07, 15A18, 15A36.
Chickens treated with a nitric oxide inhibitor became more resistant to Plasmodium gallinaceum infection due to reduced anemia, thrombocytopenia and inflammation
Authors: de Macchi Barbarella Matos , Miranda Farlen José Bebber , de Souza Fernanda Silva , de Carvalho Eulógio Carlos Queiroz , Albernaz Antônio Peixoto , do Nascimento José Luiz Martins , DaMatta Renato Augusto
Published: February 2013

Malaria is a serious infectious disease caused by parasites of the Plasmodium genus that affect different vertebrate hosts. Severe malaria leads to host death and involves different pathophysiological phenomena such as anemia, thrombocytopenia and inflammation. Nitric oxide (NO) is an important effector molecule in this disease, but little is known about its role in avian malaria models. Plasmodium gallinaceum- infected chickens were treated with aminoguanidine (AG), an inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, to observe the role of NO in the pathogenesis of this avian model. AG increased the survival of chickens, but also induced higher parasitemia. Treated chickens demonstrated reduced anemia and thrombocytopenia. Moreover, erythrocytes at different stages of maturation, heterophils, monocytes and thrombocytes were infected by Plasmodium gallinaceum and animals presented a generalized leucopenia. Activated leukocytes and thrombocytes with elongated double nuclei were observed in chickens with higher parasitemia; however, eosinophils were not involved in the infection. AG reduced levels of hemozoin in the spleen and liver, indicating lower inflammation. Taken together, the results suggest that AG reduced anemia, thrombocytopenia and inflammation, explaining the greater survival rate of the treated chickens.
Thyroid hormone increases fibroblast growth factor receptor expression and disrupts cell mechanics in the developing organ of corti
Authors: Szarama Katherine B , Gavara Núria , Petralia Ronald S , Chadwick Richard S , Kelley Matthew W
Published: February 2013

Background

Thyroid hormones regulate growth and development. However, the molecular mechanisms by which thyroid hormone regulates cell structural development are not fully understood. The mammalian cochlea is an intriguing system to examine these mechanisms, as cellular structure plays a key role in tissue development, and thyroid hormone is required for the maturation of the cochlea in the first postnatal week.

Results

In hypothyroid conditions, we found disruptions in sensory outer hair cell morphology and fewer microtubules in non-sensory supporting pillar cells. To test the functional consequences of these cytoskeletal defects on cell mechanics, we combined atomic force microscopy with live cell imaging. Hypothyroidism stiffened outer hair cells and supporting pillar cells, but pillar cells ultimately showed reduced cell stiffness, in part from a lack of microtubules. Analyses of changes in transcription and protein phosphorylation suggest that hypothyroidism prolonged expression of fibroblast growth factor receptors, and decreased phosphorylated Cofilin.

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that thyroid hormones may be involved in coordinating the processes that regulate cytoskeletal dynamics and suggest that manipulating thyroid hormone sensitivity might provide insight into the relationship between cytoskeletal formation and developing cell mechanical properties.
Characterization of hairless (Hr) and FGF5genes provides insights into the molecular basis of hair loss in cetaceans
Authors: Chen Zhuo , Wang Zhengfei , Xu Shixia , Zhou Kaiya , Yang Guang
Published: February 2013

Background

Hair is one of the main distinguishing characteristics of mammals and it has many important biological functions. Cetaceans originated from terrestrial mammals and they have evolved a series of adaptations to aquatic environments, which are of evolutionary significance. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their aquatic adaptations have not been well explored. This study provided insights into the evolution of hair loss during the transition from land to water by investigating and comparing two essential regulators of hair follicle development and hair follicle cycling, i.e., the Hairless (Hr) and FGF5 genes, in representative cetaceans and their terrestrial relatives.

Results

The full open reading frame sequences of the Hr and FGF5 genes were characterized in seven cetaceans. The sequence characteristics and evolutionary analyses suggested the functional loss of the Hr gene in cetaceans, which supports the loss of hair during their full adaptation to aquatic habitats. By contrast, positive selection for the FGF5 gene was found in cetaceans where a series of positively selected amino acid residues were identified.

Conclusions

This is the first study to investigate the molecular basis of the hair loss in cetaceans. Our investigation of Hr and FGF5, two indispensable regulators of the hair cycle, provide some new insights into the molecular basis of hair loss in cetaceans. The results suggest that positive selection for the FGF5 gene might have promoted the termination of hair growth and early entry into the catagen stage of hair follicle cycling. Consequently, the hair follicle cycle was disrupted and the hair was lost completely due to the loss of the Hr gene function in cetaceans. This suggests that cetaceans have evolved an effective and complex mechanism for hair loss.
Fibres from flax overproducing β-1,3-glucanase show increased accumulation of pectin and phenolics and thus higher antioxidant capacity
Authors: Wojtasik Wioleta , Kulma Anna , Dymińska Lucyna , Hanuza Jerzy , Żebrowski Jacek , Szopa Jan
Published: February 2013

Background

Recently, in order to improve the resistance of flax plants to pathogen infection, transgenic flax that overproduces β-1,3-glucanase was created. β-1,3-glucanase is a PR protein that hydrolyses the β-glucans, which are a major component of the cell wall in many groups of fungi. For this study, we used fourth-generation field-cultivated plants of theFusarium-resistant transgenic line B14 to evaluate how overexpression of the β-1,3-glucanase gene influences the quantity, quality and composition of flax fibres, which are the main product obtained from flax straw.

Results

Overproduction of β-1,3-glucanase did not affect the quantity of the fibre obtained from the flax straw and did not significantly alter the essential mechanical characteristics of the retted fibres. However, changes in the contents of the major components of the cell wall (cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin and lignin) were revealed. Overexpression of the β-1,3-glucanase gene resulted in higher cellulose, hemicellulose and pectin contents and a lower lignin content in the fibres. Increases in the uronic acid content in particular fractions (with the exception of the 1 M KOH-soluble fraction of hemicelluloses) and changes in the sugar composition of the cell wall were detected in the fibres of the transgenic flax when compared to the contents for the control plants. The callose content was lower in the fibres of the transgenic flax. Additionally, the analysis of phenolic compound contents in five fractions of the cell wall revealed important changes, which were reflected in the antioxidant potential of these fractions.

Conclusion

Overexpression of the β-1,3-glucanase gene has a significant influence on the biochemical composition of flax fibres. The constitutive overproduction of β-1,3-glucanase causes a decrease in the callose content, and the resulting excess glucose serves as a substrate for the production of other polysaccharides. The monosaccharide excess redirects the phenolic compounds to bind with polysaccharides instead of to partake in lignin synthesis. The mechanical properties of the transgenic fibres are strengthened by their improved biochemical composition, and the increased antioxidant potential of the fibres supports the potential use of transgenic flax fibres for biomedical applications.
A randomized controlled study about the use of eHealth in the home health care of premature infants
Authors: Gund Anna , Sjöqvist Bengt Arne , Wigert Helena , Hentz Elisabet , Lindecrantz Kaj , Bry Kristina
Published: February 2013

Background

One area where the use of information and communication technology (ICT), or eHealth, could be developed is the home health care of premature infants. The aim of this randomized controlled study was to investigate whether the use of video conferencing or a web application improves parents’ satisfaction in taking care of a premature infant at home and decreases the need of home visits. In addition, nurses’ attitudes regarding the use of these tools were examined.

Method

Thirty-four families were randomized to one of three groups before their premature infant was discharged from the hospital to home health care: a control group receiving standard home health care (13 families); a web group receiving home health care supplemented with the use of a web application (12 families); a video group with home health care supplemented with video conferencing using Skype (9 families). Families and nursing staff answered questionnaires about the usefulness of ICT. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 16 families.

Results

All the parents in the web group found the web application easy to use. 83% of the families thought it was good to have access to their child’s data through the application. All the families in the video group found Skype easy to use and were satisfied with the video calls. 88% of the families thought that video calls were better than ordinary phone calls. 33% of the families in the web group and 75% of those in the video group thought the need for home visits was decreased by the web application or Skype. 50% of the families in the web group and 100% of those in the video group thought the web application or the video calls had helped them feel more confident in caring for their child. Most of the nurses were motivated to use ICT but some were reluctant and avoided using the web application and video conferencing.

Conclusion

The families were satisfied with both the web application and video conferencing. The families readily embraced the use of ICT, whereas motivating some of the nurses to accept and use ICT was a major challenge.
Exploration of in vivo efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine against uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria in under fives in Tabora region, Tanzania
Authors: Joseph Deokary , Kabanywanyi Abdunoor M , Hulser Ruth , Premji Zulfiqarali , Minzi Omary MS , Mugittu Kefas
Published: February 2013

Background

Tanzania adopted artemether-lumefantrine (AL) as first-line drug for uncomplicated malaria in 2006. Recently, there was an anecdotal report on high malaria recurrence rate following AL treatment in in the (urban and peri-urban), western part of Tanzania. The current report is an exploratory study to carefully and systematically assess AL efficacy in the area.

Methods

Between June and August 2011, a total of 1,126 patients were screened for malaria, 33 had malaria, of which 20 patients met inclusion criteria and were enrolled and treated with standard dose of AL as recommended in the WHO protocol. Treated patients were followed up for 28 days to assess treatment responses. Before treatment (Day 0) and post-treatment (Day 7) plasma lumefantrine levels were determined to assess prior AL use and ascertain parasites exposure to adequate plasma leveles of lumefantrine, respectively.

Results

The cure rate was 100%. All Day 0 plasma lumefantrine were below HPLC detectable level. The median Day 7 lumefantrine concentration was 404, (range, 189–894 ng/ml). Six out of 20 patients (30%) were gametocytaemic and all cleared gametocytes by Day 14. One patient showed an increase in gametocytes from four on Day 0 to 68, per 500 WBC on Day 2.

Conclusion

Artemether lumefantrine is highly efficacious against uncomplicated Plasmodium falciparum malaria. The elevation of gametocytaemia despite AL treatment needs to be evaluated in a larger study.
Global continuation of periodic solutions for retarded functional differential equations on manifolds
Authors: Benevieri Pierluigi , Calamai Alessandro , Furi Massimo , Pera Maria Patrizia
Published: February 2013

We consider T-periodic parametrized retarded functional differential equations, with infinite delay, on (possibly) noncompact manifolds. Using a topological approach, based on the notions of degree of a tangent vector field and of the fixed point index, we prove a global continuation result for T-periodic solutions of such equations.

Our main theorem is a generalization to the case of retarded equations of a global continuation result obtained by the last two authors for ordinary differential equations on manifolds. As corollaries we obtain a Rabinowitz-type global bifurcation result and a continuation principle of Mawhin type.

MSC:34K13, 34C40, 37C25, 70K42.
The effects of road traffic noise on mental performance
Authors: Alimohammadi Iraj , Soltani Raziyeh , Sandrock Stephan , Azkhosh Manouchehr , Gohari Mahmood Reza
Published: February 2013

Background

Noise is one of the more widespread pollutions of road transportation system, which can cause deterioration in performance. This experimental study was designed to assess the effect of road traffic noise on performance with regard to extra/introversion and sex of participants. The personality trait of extra/introversion has been remarked as relevant factor to mental performance.

Results

Thirty six (26 males and 10 females) medical sciences students of Tehran University participated in the study. The students were placed in an unechoing room and performed the Cognitrone test from Vienna Test System in quiet condition and under road traffic noise (71 dBA). The results of this study pointed out that noise increased the percentage of sum of correct answers but had no effect on the speed of performance. Furthermore this study showed that performance was enhanced in extroverts (P=0.001) but no significant difference was found in introverts (P ≤0.05).

Conclusions

The regression analysis revealed that extra/introversion was more important than sex to predict the performance parameters.
Emergency vaccination alleviates highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus infection after contact exposure
Authors: Li Xiao , Qiu Li , Yang Zengqi , Dang Ruiyi , Wang Xinglong
Published: February 2013

Background

To assess the effectiveness of emergency vaccination for reducing the contact-induced infection and pathological damage caused by the highly pathogenic porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (HPPRRSV), Twenty pigs were equally divided into four groups. Groups 1, 2 and 3 were housed in one unit, whereas Group 4 was separately housed. Group 1 was challenged with HPPRRSV on day 0. Group 2 and 4 did not receive treatment and were used as the contact-infected and uninfected controls, respectively. Group 3 was treated with the attenuated vaccine at 0 days post-inoculation. The rectal temperatures, clinical signs, pathologic lesions and viraemia of the piglets were detected and evaluated.

Results

The vaccinated pigs in Group 3 showed less clinical morbidity, viraemia, temperature fluctuations and lung lesions at 14 days post-inoculation, as compared with the contact-infected (Group 2) and experimentally infected (Group 1) pigs. Higher serum IFN-γ levels were detected among the pigs that received emergency immunisation. Thus, IFN-γ may be involved in immunity against HPPRRSV infection.

Conclusions

These results indicated that emergency vaccination could effectively alleviate HPPRRSV infection during experimental contact exposure. Our findings provide a novel and useful strategy for controlling clinical HPPRRSV.
A biophysical model for transcription factories
Authors: Canals-Hamann Ana Z , das Neves Ricardo Pires , Reittie Joyce E , Iñiguez Carlos , Soneji Shamit , Enver Tariq , Buckle Veronica J , Iborra Francisco J
Published: February 2013

Transcription factories are nuclear domains where gene transcription takes placealthough the molecular basis for their formation and maintenance are unknown. In thisstudy, we explored how the properties of chromatin as a polymer may contribute to thestructure of transcription factories. We found that transcriptional active chromatincontains modifications like histone H4 acetylated at Lysine 16 (H4K16ac). Singlefibre analysis showed that this modification spans the entire body of the gene.Furthermore, H4K16ac genes cluster in regions up to 500 Kb alternating active andinactive chromatin. The introduction of H4K16ac in chromatin induces stiffness in thechromatin fibre. The result of this change in flexibility is that chromatin couldbehave like a multi-block copolymer with repetitions of stiff-flexible(active-inactive chromatin) components. Copolymers with such structure self-organizethrough spontaneous phase separation into microdomains. Consistent with such modelH4K16ac chromatin form foci that associates with nascent transcripts. We propose thattranscription factories are the result of the spontaneous concentration of H4K16acchromatin that are in proximity, mainly in cis.
X and Y Chromosome Complement Influence Adiposity and Metabolism in Mice
Authors: Chen Xuqi , McClusky Rebecca , Itoh Yuichiro , Reue Karen , Arnold Arthur P.
Published: February 2013

Three different models of MF1 strain mice were studied to measure the effects of gonadal secretions and sex chromosome type and number on body weight and composition, and on related metabolic variables such as glucose homeostasis, feeding, and activity. The 3 genetic models varied sex chromosome complement in different ways, as follows: 1) “four core genotypes” mice, comprising XX and XY gonadal males, and XX and XY gonadal females; 2) the XY* model comprising groups similar to XO, XX, XY, and XXY; and 3) a novel model comprising 6 groups having XO, XX, and XY chromosomes with either testes or ovaries. In gonadally intact mice, gonadal males were heavier than gonadal females, but sex chromosome complement also influenced weight. The male/female difference was abolished by adult gonadectomy, after which mice with 2 sex chromosomes (XX or XY) had greater body weight and percentage of body fat than mice with 1 X chromosome. A second sex chromosome of either type, X or Y, had similar effects, indicating that the 2 sex chromosomes each possess factors that influence body weight and composition in the MF1 genetic background. Sex chromosome complement also influenced metabolic variables such as food intake and glucose tolerance. The results reveal a role for the Y chromosome in metabolism independent of testes and gonadal hormones and point to a small number of X–Y gene pairs with similar coding sequences as candidates for causing these effects.
Rollout Policies for Dynamic Solutions to the Multivehicle Routing Problem with Stochastic Demand and Duration Limits
Authors: Goodson Justin C. , Ohlmann Jeffrey W. , Thomas Barrett W.
Published: February 2013

We develop a family of rollout policies based on fixed routes to obtain dynamic solutions to the vehicle routing problem with stochastic demand and duration limits (VRPSDL). In addition to a traditional one-step rollout policy, we leverage the notions of the pre- and post-decision state to distinguish two additional rollout variants. We tailor our rollout policies by developing a dynamic decomposition scheme that achieves high quality solutions to large problem instances with reasonable computational effort. Computational experiments demonstrate that our rollout policies improve upon the performance of a rolling horizon procedure and commonly employed fixed-route policies, with improvement over the latter being more substantial.
Blind Fair Routing in Large-Scale Service Systems with Heterogeneous Customers and Servers
Authors: Ward Amy R. , Armony Mor
Published: February 2013

In a call center, arriving customers must be routed to available servers, and servers that have just become available must be scheduled to help waiting customers. These dynamic routing and scheduling decisions are very difficult, because customers have different needs and servers have different skill levels. A further complication is that it is preferable that these decisions are made blindly; that is, they depend only on the system state and not on system parameter information such as call arrival rates and service speeds. This is because this information is generally not known with certainty. Ideally, a dynamic control policy for making routing and scheduling decisions balances customer and server needs by keeping customer delays low but still fairly dividing the workload amongst the various servers. In this paper, we propose a blind dynamic control policy for parallel-server systems with multiple customer classes and server pools that is based on the number of customers waiting and the number of agents idling.

We show that in the Halfin-Whitt many-server heavy-traffic limiting regime, our proposed blind policy performs extremely well when the objective is to minimize customer holding costs subject to “server fairness,” as defined by how the system idleness is divided among servers. To do this, we formulate an approximating diffusion control problem (DCP) and compare the performance of the nonblind DCP solution to a feasible policy for the DCP that is blind. We establish that the increase in the DCP objective function value is small over a wide range of parameter values. We then use simulation to validate that a small increase in the DCP objective function value is indicative of our proposed blind policy performing very well.
Redundancy Optimization for Critical Components in High-Availability Technical Systems
Authors: Öner Kurtuluş Barış , Scheller-Wolf Alan , van Houtum Geert-Jan
Published: February 2013

We consider a user who buys a number of identical technical systems (e.g., medical, manufacturing, or communication systems) for which she must have very high availability. In such a situation, there are typically several options that the user can choose to facilitate this availability: cold standby redundancy for critical components, buying spare parts with the systems so failed parts can be replaced quickly, and/or application of an emergency procedure to expedite repairs when there is a stock out. To these options we introduce another: the possibility of initiating an emergency shipment when stock is one. Thus, the user may choose different combinations of the redundancy decision and the timing of applications of the emergency procedure, as well as how much spare parts inventory to purchase.

We formulate the problem as the minimization of the total costs—acquisition, spare parts, and repair—incurred for the systems over their lifetimes, under a constraint for the total uptime of all systems. We optimally solve the problem by decomposing the multicomponent problem into single-component problems and then conducting exact analysis on these single-component problems. Using these, we construct an efficient frontier that reflects the trade-off between the uptime and the total costs of the systems. In addition, we provide a method to rank the components by the relative value of investing in redundancy. We illustrate these results through numerical examples.
Changes in Structure, Morphology, Porosity, and Surface Activity of Mesoporous Halloysite Nanotubes Under Heating
Authors: Yuan Peng , Tan Daoyong , Annabi-Bergaya Faïza , Yan Wenchang , Fan Mingde , Liu Dong , He Hongping
Published: February 2013

The objective of the present study was to investigate changes in the structural, textural, and surface properties of tubular halloysite under heating, which are significant in the applications of halloysite as functional materials but have received scant attention in comparison with kaolinite. Samples of a purified halloysite were heated at various temperatures up to 1400°C, and then characterized by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, and nitrogen adsorption. The thermal decomposition of halloysite involved three major steps. During dehydroxylation at 500–900°C, the silica and alumina originally in the tetrahedral and octahedral sheets, respectively, were increasingly separated, resulting in a loss of long-range order. Nanosized (5–40 nm) γ-Al2O3 was formed in the second step at 1000–1100°C. The third step was the formation of a mullite-like phase from 1200 to 1400°C and cristobalite at 1400°C. The rough tubular morphology and the mesoporosity of halloysite remained largely intact as long as the heating temperature was <900°C. Calcination at 1000°C led to distortion of the tubular nanoparticles. Calcination at higher temperatures caused further distortion and then destruction of the tubular structure. The formation of hydroxyl groups on the outer surfaces of the tubes during the disconnection and disordering of the original tetrahedral and octahedral sheets was revealed for the first time. These hydroxyl groups were active for grafting modification by an organosilane (γ-aminopropyltriethoxysilane), pointing to some very promising potential uses of halloysite for ceramic materials or as fillers for novel clay-polymer nanocomposites.