bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Settler Children, Kangaroos and the Cultural Politics of Australian National Belonging
Authors: Taylor Affrica
Published: October 2014

This article reflects upon the ways in which white settler children and kangaroos were enlisted into the cultural politics of nation-building and belonging in the early days of Australian Federation. It revisits Ethel Pedley's turn-of-the-century children's book, Dot and the Kangaroo, and contextualises it within some of the notable kangaroo/settler events within Australia's colonial history. It draws attention to the paradoxes inherent in the symbolic association of settler children with native Australian animals in the emerging national imaginary. The article brings early Australian children's literature into conversation with settler colonial critique and the ‘animal turn’.
Entangled Objects in the Cultural Politics of Childhood and Nation
Authors: Somerville Margaret
Published: October 2014

This article traces previously invisible stories of making, unmaking and remaking Australian childhoods and nation through the materiality of a baby possum skin cloak. The governing of Aboriginal childhoods is a central feature in the formation of nation states in settler colonial societies. An account of the process and its meanings, however, is difficult to bring into the public arena because of the intimate and shameful nature of the stories involved. The object of the baby possum skin cloak enables the telling of these stories because it is generated from a deep personal exchange between a settler colonial woman and an Aboriginal woman. It is no longer a story about the Other, but has become a story of mutual entanglement in the cultural politics of childhood and nation. The stories of the bodies and materialities of mothers and children which gather around the possum skin cloak open the deepest scars in the intimate history of childhood and nation. The possum skin cloaks also tell an alternative story through their participation in important symbolic acts of unmaking and remaking nation within a different imaginary. The story of the possum skin cloaks, both deeply personal and profoundly public, generate new possibilities for rethinking the complex entanglements of people and land in Australian nation-building. They can contribute more broadly to ways of rethinking other nation formations in the contested space of cultural contact zones.
Pedagogies of Space: (Re)Imagining Nation and Childhood in Post-Soviet States
Authors: Silova Iveta , Yaqub Michael Mead , Mun Olga , Palandjian Garine
Published: October 2014

Bridging political geography, childhood studies, and comparative education, this article examines how the early literacy textbooks of post-Soviet Armenia, Latvia, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine attempt to engender a national ‘sociospatial consciousness' in the minds of their young readers. The concept of ‘pedagogies of space’ offers a theoretical lens through which the authors examine how politics and culture shape representations of the spatial, embedding childhood within particular national landscapes and inscribing these spaces within the mythology of the homeland. Textbook analysis reveals that post-Soviet childhood(s) appear to be constructed within specific contexts and therefore ‘rooted’ in particular memories and myths, always irrevocably linked to particular (national) geographies. Not only does this ‘rootedness' attempt to delimit how children think of themselves, but it also shapes the contours of how ‘childhood’ is, and can be, imagined in these contexts.
Rethinking Spatial Socialisation as a Dynamic and Relational Process of Political Becoming
Authors: Kallio Kirsi Pauliina
Published: October 2014

The article sets out to bring early political development back to the research agenda in childhood studies and the social scientific inquiry more generally. Proposing a geographical approach, it seeks to develop the concept of spatial socialisation as a dynamic and relational process through which political becoming takes place. Contrary to the conventional conceptions, children are understood as participants rather than recipients of socialisation – active agents in their everyday environments alongside with their adult authorities, institutions, the media and their lived communities as a whole. Moreover, drawing from phenomenological theorisations of subjectivity, politics and space, the employed approach problematises the worlds in which political socialisation takes place. The article argues that the dynamic processes of socialisation constitute the spatial realities where children and youth lead their lives as much as they constitute the youthful subjects they involve.
Influence of Solution Nitriding of Supersolidus–Sintered Cold Work Tool Steels on their Hardenability
Authors: Blüm M. , Conrads J. , Weber S. , Theisen W.
Published: October 2014

Powder metallurgical steel grades offer higher quality and performance compared to cast and forged steel grades due to their finer microstructure without segregations or textures. Because high-alloyed, cold work tool steels cannot be compacted by solid-state sintering, hot isostatic pressing is state of the art. This process, however, is comparatively expensive and there is thus a high demand for alternative densification processes. Supersolidus liquid-phase sintering represents an alternative to hot isostatic pressing for densification of these steels to theoretical density. During sintering, the steel powder interacts with the sintering atmosphere, which can be a vacuum, hydrogen, hydrogen plus nitrogen, or nitrogen. In a nitrogen atmosphere, there may be nitrogen uptake by the sintered material, which changes the chemical composition of the steel and thus results in a decrease in the sintering temperature. The aim of this work is to investigate the influence of nitrogen uptake on the hardenability of a high-alloyed and supersolidus-sintered cold work tool steel. Computational thermodynamics using the Calphad method were applied to calculate the optimal parameters for direct quenching from the sintering temperature. In addition, the tempering response was investigated as a function of the heat-treatment parameters. It was found that nitriding exerts a significant influence on the hardenability, which is also dependent on the cooling rate from the sintering temperature to the quenching temperature. Hardenability was predicted qualitatively on the basis of equilibrium carbon concentrations of the austenitic matrix calculated with the Calphad method.
Microstructure Characterization and Kinetics of Crystallization Behavior of Tubular Spray Formed Fe43.2Co28.8B19.2Si4.8Nb4 Bulk Metallic Glass*
Authors: Cava R. D. , Aliaga L. C. R. , Rios C. Trivenõ , Uhlenwinkel V. , Ellendt N. , Kiminami C. S. , Bolfarini C.
Published: October 2014

In this study the Fe43.2Co28.8B19.2Si4.8Nb4 (at.%) alloy was processed by spray forming in an industrial facility with the aim of investigating the formation of amorphous phases. The thicker layers (5–15 mm) presented partial/fully crystalline microstructure with onset of crystallization of the amorphous phase at T

x
= 595 °C. On the other hand, thinner layers (below 2.5 mm) presented fully amorphous structure, and glassy behaviour with glass transition (T

g
) at 555 °C. The thermal stability and the crystallization kinetics of the alloy were studied using the isothermal DSC curves, measured at different heating rates and temperatures. Despite its good glass-forming ability (GFA) and high stability against crystallizations, its incubation time for crystallization is almost zero. In order to rule-out the complete crystallization mechanism, in situ temperature resolved studies using TEM were done. In addition, the amorphous part of the deposit was heat treated at various temperatures/times and the results were compared with the in situ crystallization behavior observed by TEM.
Einflussfaktoren auf die Wechselfestigkeit laserstrahlbeschichteter Proben
Authors: Schumacher J. , Köhler H. , Clausen B. , Zoch H.-W.
Published: October 2014

Kurzfassung

Das Laserstrahlbeschichten wird als Reparaturverfahren von Bauteilen und zur Auftragung von Funktionsschichten eingesetzt. Über die Ermüdungseigenschaften laserstrahlbeschichteter Bauteile existieren jedoch nur wenige Untersuchungen. Aus diesem Grund wird in dieser Veröffentlichung das Ermüdungsverhalten von Vierpunktbiegeproben aus dem Vergütungsstahl 42CrMo4 und dem austenitischen Stahl X5CrNi18-10 untersucht, die mit der Kobalt-Chrom-Legierung Stellite 21 laserstrahlbeschichtet wurden. Hierbei zeigte sich, dass der Kernwerkstoff einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Wechselfestigkeit der Proben hat. Die Proben aus X5CrNi18-10 erreichten mehr als die doppelte Wechselfestigkeit der Proben aus 42CrMo4, was auf unterschiedliche Eigenspannungszustände in der Beschichtung zurückgeführt wird. Bei den Proben aus 42CrMo4 zeigten thermische Nachbehandlungsverfahren keinen Einfluss auf die Wechselfestigkeit, während sich nach einer mechanischen Nachbehandlung durch Festwalzen die Wechselfestigkeit der Proben um den Faktor zwei steigerte.
Unilateral holohemispheric central nervous system lesions associated with medically refractory epilepsy in the pediatric population: a retrospective series of hemimegalencephaly and Rasmussen's encephalitis
Authors: Wang Doris D. , Benkli Barlas , Auguste Kurtis I. , Garcia Paul A. , Sullivan Joseph , Barkovich A. James , Chang Edward F. , Tihan Tarik
Published: October 2014

Object

Cortical malformations and inflammatory encephalopathy are among common etiologies for medically refractory epilepsy in children. On rare occasions, lesions can affect an entire cerebral hemisphere while sparing the other; the 2 processes that can manifest in this manner are hemimegalencephaly (HME) and Rasmussen's encephalitis (RE). Although the clinical course and radiological appearance between the 2 disorders are distinct, there is occasional overlapping pathology between RE and cortical migration disorders. One question that arises from these observations is whether RE and HME, diseases with holohemispheric involvement but apparently different etiologies, have any overlapping characteristics.

Methods

The authors performed a retrospective review of all patients with presumed diagnosis of HME or RE who underwent hemispherectomy at University of California, San Francisco, and reviewed their clinical presentation, imaging, and pathology data.

Results

The authors present the clinicopathological features of 14 pediatric patients with unilateral holohemispheric lesions associated with medically refractory epilepsy. Radiological and pathological assessment classified 7 of the patients as having hemimegalencephaly, while the other 7 were diagnosed as having RE. Four of the patients had unusual features suggestive of overlapping developmental and inflammatory (dual) pathology. All patients underwent hemispherectomies. Eight patients (57%) became seizure free (Engel Class I), 5 patients (36%) had rare seizures (Engel Class II), and 1 patient had significant seizure reduction (Engel Class III).

Conclusions

Based on this case series, HME and RE can be distinguished on the basis of their radiological and histological appearance, even though some cases may have overlapping features. Hemispherectomy was effective at eliminating seizures for both HME and RE.
Traumatic peripheral nerve injuries in children: epidemiology and socioeconomics
Authors: Missios Symeon , Bekelis Kimon , Spinner Robert J.
Published: October 2014

Object

Despite the negative effects of peripheral nerve injuries (PNIs) on long-term population health, their true prevalence among pediatric trauma patients is under debate. The authors investigated the prevalence of PNIs among children involved in trauma and investigated associations between PNIs and several patient characteristics.

Methods

The authors performed a retrospective cohort study of pediatric trauma patients who were registered in the National Trauma Data Bank from 2009 through 2011 and who fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. They used regression techniques to investigate the association of demographic and socioeconomic factors with the rate of PNIs among these patients.

Results

Of the 245,470 study patients, 50,211 were involved in motor vehicle crashes, 3380 in motorcycle crashes, 20,491 in bicycle crashes, 18,262 in pedestrian accidents, 26,294 in other crashes (mainly involving all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles), and 126,832 in falls. The respective prevalence of PNIs was 0.66% for motor vehicle crashes, 1% for motorcycle crashes, 0.38% for bicycle crashes, 0.42% for pedestrian accidents, 0.79% for other crashes, and 0.52% for falls. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that the following were associated with an increased incidence of PNIs: increased patient age (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.20), higher Injury Severity Score (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.20), elevated systolic blood pressure at arrival at the emergency room (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.20), and increased number of trauma surgeons at the institution (OR 1.10, 95% CI 1.01–1.20). The following were associated with lower incidence of PNIs: female sex (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.87–1.02), rural hospitals (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.87–1.02), and urban nonteaching hospitals (OR 0.94, 95% CI 0.87–1.02).

Conclusions

PNIs are more common than previously identified for the pediatric trauma population. These injuries are associated with older age and increased severity of the overall injury.
Myofibroma of the cervical spine presenting as brachialgia
Authors: Davies Benjamin M. , Plessis Daniel du , Gnanalingham Kanna K.
Published: October 2014

Myofibromas are rare, benign tumors of myofibroblasts. Their occurrence in adults, involving bone outside of the head and neck, is especially uncommon. The authors report the case of a 34-year-old woman who presented with left-sided brachialgia. Magnetic resonance imaging identified an expansile soft-tissue lesion of the C6–7 facet joint. En bloc resection via a left posterior midline approach was undertaken. Histopathological analysis confirmed the lesion to be a myofibroma. Brachialgia resolved following surgery and there is no evidence of recurrence at 20 months follow-up. Myofibroma is a rare cause of primary soft-tissue tumor of the spine. Surgical excision remains the mainstay of treatment.
Hemorrhagic onset of spinal angiolipoma
Authors: Costa Marcos Devanir Silva da , Paz Daniel de Araujo , Rodrigues Thiago Pereira , Gandolfi Ana Camila de Castro , Lamis Fabricio Correa , Stavale João Norberto , Suriano Italo Capraro , Cetl Luiz Daniel Marques Neves , Cavalheiro Sergio
Published: October 2014

Spinal angiolipomas are rare benign tumors that generally induce slow progressive cord compression. Here, the authors describe a case of sudden-onset palsy of the lower extremities caused by hemorrhagic spinal angiolipoma. An emergent laminectomy was performed to achieve total lesion removal. Follow-up examinations indicated neurological improvement and the absence of recurrence.
The participative arts for people living with a dementia: a critical review
Authors: Zeilig Hannah , Killick John , Fox Chris
Published: October 2014

In the last decade, interest has increased in the role of the participative arts for people who are living with a dementia. The flourishing of this area can be partly understood because of an awareness of the potential for art to deliver health care outcomes. In addition, there is widespread agreement that non-pharmacological interventions are important for people living with a dementia. Therefore, participative arts activities have attracted attention as representing beneficial interventions. This critical review which involved the careful mining of academic and grey literature using replicable search strategies contextualises the participatory arts for people living with a dementia and provides an overview of some of the art orms that are most widely used. The review also highlights some of the extant gaps in the knowledge base. The focus is on the UK context but the role of the participative arts for those with a dementia is equally relevant to practitioners in Europe and the US, and therefore some attention was also given to international literature.
Is There a Need for a More Expansive Use of Ethics and Values in Reflecting on the Use of Animals in Scientific Research?
Authors: Fisher Mark
Published: October 2014

Although reflecting a long tradition of moral reflection that the use of animals is acceptable as long as it is humane, the tension between causing harm to animals in research and the benefits to humans can nevertheless be troubling. Utilitarian arguments that appeal to the value of those practices in sustaining and enhancing human lives, and rights-based arguments which seek to constrain them, can be inadequate. Reflecting a more engaging, inclusive and sophisticated understanding of human activity, justification for animal use could be expanded to reflect the fullness and richness of ethical thinking. This might see more explicit inclusion of perspectives borne of virtues, caring, experiences, and respect for the essence of the animal, and different ways of understanding and knowing animals, values drawn from the middle ground of commonly acceptable human-animal relationships. Such values, already clearly evident in research, could be more widely integrated into arguments justifying animal use. A more expansive approach would not only reflect reality and acknowledge that costs and benefits are shared more widely, but it might result in more equitable, effective and humane science. It might also serve to reduce some of the tension long evident in the relationship between humans and animals.
Quantum Computation-Based Image Representation, Processing Operations and Their Applications
Authors: Yan Fei , Iliyasu Abdullah , Jiang Zhengang
Published: October 2014

A flexible representation of quantum images (FRQI) was proposed to facilitate the extension of classical (non-quantum)-like image processing applications to the quantum computing domain. The representation encodes a quantum image in the form of a normalized state, which captures information about colors and their corresponding positions in the images. Since its conception, a handful of processing transformations have been formulated, among which are the geometric transformations on quantum images (GTQI) and the CTQI that are focused on the color information of the images. In addition, extensions and applications of FRQI representation, such as multi-channel representation for quantum images (MCQI), quantum image data searching, watermarking strategies for quantum images, a framework to produce movies on quantum computers and a blueprint for quantum video encryption and decryption have also been suggested. These proposals extend classical-like image and video processing applications to the quantum computing domain and offer a significant speed-up with low computational resources in comparison to performing the same tasks on traditional computing devices. Each of the algorithms and the mathematical foundations for their execution were simulated using classical computing resources, and their results were analyzed alongside other classical computing equivalents. The work presented in this review is intended to serve as the epitome of advances made in FRQI quantum image processing over the past five years and to simulate further interest geared towards the realization of some secure and efficient image and video processing applications on quantum computers.
The Impact of Different Proportions of a Treated Effluent on the Biotransformation of Selected Micro-Contaminants in River Water Microcosms
Authors: Nödler Karsten , Tsakiri Maria , Licha Tobias
Published: October 2014

Attenuation of micro-contaminants is a very complex field in environmental science and evidence suggests that biodegradation rates of micro-contaminants in the aqueous environment depend on the water matrix. The focus of the study presented here is the systematic comparison of biotransformation rates of caffeine, carbamazepine, metoprolol, paracetamol and valsartan in river water microcosms spiked with different proportions of treated effluent (0%, 0.1%, 1%, and 10%). Biotransformation was identified as the dominating attenuation process by the evolution of biotransformation products such as atenolol acid and valsartan acid. Significantly decreasing biotransformation rates of metoprolol were observed at treated effluent proportions ≥0.1% whereas significantly increasing biotransformation rates of caffeine and valsartan were observed in the presence of 10% treated effluent. Potential reasons for the observations are discussed and the addition of adapted microorganisms via the treated effluent was suggested as the most probable reason. The impact of additional phosphorus on the biodegradation rates was tested and the experiments revealed that phosphorus-limitation was not responsible.
Evaluating the Effect of a Novel Molluscicide in the Endemic Schistosomiasis Japonica Area of China
Authors: Xia Jing , Yuan Yi , Xu Xingjian , Wei Fenghua , Li Guiling , Liu Min , Li Jianqiang , Chen Rujuan , Zhou Zhengping , Nie Shaofa
Published: October 2014

Oncomelania hupensis is the sole intermediate host snail of Schistosoma japonicum in China. Snail control by molluscicide remains one of the most effective measures of schistosomiasis japonica control. A 50% wettable powder of niclosamide ethanolamine salt (WPN) is widely used for snail control in China. However, WPN is costly and toxic to fish. A novel molluscicide named LDS, the salt of quinoid-2′, 5-dichloro-4′-nitrosalicylanilide from niclosamide, has been developed. To evaluate the effects of large-scale field application of LDS on field snail control, tests were conducted in 15 counties of Hubei Province, China. Active adult snails, were immersed in 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 g/m3 of 10% LDS, 1.0 g/m3 of 50% WPN was used as the molluscicide control, and then the mortality rates of snails were investigated after 1, 2, and 3 days. In addition, four active concentrations of 10% LDS (0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 g/m2) were applied by spraying and powdering in the field. 1.0 g/m2 of 50% WPN was used as the molluscicide control, and then the mortality rates of snails were observed after 1, 3, and 7 days. The results indicated that 0.4 g/m3 LDS applied by the immersion or 0.6 g/m2 LDS applied by spraying and powdering achieved the same molluscicidal effect as that of WPN, regardless of exposure time. By using different methods, the snail mortality rates in the molluscicide groups were related to exposure time and concentration, respectively. LDS costs less than WPN; thus, LDS is suitable and applicable for use as a molluscicide in schistosomiasis japonica epidemic areas.
tRNA Modification Enzymes GidA and MnmE: Potential Role in Virulence of Bacterial Pathogens
Authors: Shippy Daniel , Fadl Amin
Published: October 2014

Transfer RNA (tRNA) is an RNA molecule that carries amino acids to the ribosomes for protein synthesis. These tRNAs function at the peptidyl (P) and aminoacyl (A) binding sites of the ribosome during translation, with each codon being recognized by a specific tRNA. Due to this specificity, tRNA modification is essential for translational efficiency. Many enzymes have been implicated in the modification of bacterial tRNAs, and these enzymes may complex with one another or interact individually with the tRNA. Approximately, 100 tRNA modification enzymes have been identified with glucose-inhibited division (GidA) protein and MnmE being two of the enzymes studied. In Escherichia coli and Salmonella, GidA and MnmE bind together to form a functional complex responsible for the proper biosynthesis of 5-methylaminomethyl-2-thiouridine (mnm5s2U34) of tRNAs. Studies have implicated this pathway in a major pathogenic regulatory mechanism as deletion of gidA and/or mnmE has attenuated several bacterial pathogens like Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Pseudomonas syringae, Aeromonas hydrophila, and many others. In this review, we summarize the potential role of the GidA/MnmE tRNA modification pathway in bacterial virulence, interactions with the host, and potential therapeutic strategies resulting from a greater understanding of this regulatory mechanism.
Pull-Out Strength and Bond Behavior of Prestressing Strands in Prestressed Self-Consolidating Concrete
Authors: Long Wu-Jian , Khayat Kamal , Lemieux Guillaume , Hwang Soo-Duck , Xing Feng
Published: October 2014

With the extensive use of self-consolidating concrete (SCC) worldwide, it is important to ensure that such concrete can secure uniform in-situ mechanical properties that are similar to those obtained with properly consolidated concrete of conventional fluidity. Ensuring proper stability of SCC is essential to enhance the uniformity of in-situ mechanical properties, including bond to embedded reinforcement, which is critical for structural engineers considering the specification of SCC for prestressed applications. In this investigation, Six wall elements measuring 1540 mm × 2150 mm × 200 mm were cast using five SCC mixtures and one reference high-performance concrete (HPC) of normal consistency to evaluate the uniformity of bond strength between prestressing strands and concrete as well as the distribution of compressive strength obtained from cores along wall elements. The evaluated SCC mixtures used for casting wall elements were proportioned to achieve a slump flow consistency of 680 ± 15 mm and minimum caisson filling capacity of 80%, and visual stability index of 0.5 to 1. Given the spreads in viscosity and static stability of the SCC mixtures, the five wall elements exhibited different levels of homogeneity in in-situ compressive strength and pull-out bond strength. Test results also indicate that despite the high fluidity of SCC, stable concrete can lead to more homogenous in-situ properties than HPC of normal consistency subjected to mechanical vibration.
Suvanine Sesterterpenes from a Tropical Sponge Coscinoderma sp. Inhibit Isocitrate Lyase in the Glyoxylate Cycle
Authors: Lee So-Hyoung , Won Tae , Kim Heegyu , Ahn Chan-Hong , Shin Jongheon , Oh Ki-Bong
Published: October 2014

The glyoxylate cycle is a sequence of anaplerotic reactions catalyzed by the key enzymes isocitrate lyase (ICL) and malate synthase (MLS). Mutants of Candida albicans lacking ICL are markedly less virulent in mice than the wild-type. Suvanine sesterterpenes (1−9) isolated from a tropical sponge Coscinoderma sp. were evaluated for their inhibitory activities toward recombinant ICL from C. albicans. These studies led to the identification of a potent ICL inhibitor, suvanine salt (2), which possesses a sodium counterion and displays an inhibitory concentration value (IC50) of 6.35 μM. The growth phenotype of ICL deletion mutants and semi-quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analyses indicated that compound 2 inhibits the ICL mRNA expression in C. albicans under C2-carbon-utilizing conditions. The present data highlight the potential for suvanine sesterterpenes treatment of C. albicans infections via inhibition of ICL activity.
Radical Addition to Iminium Ions and Cationic Heterocycles
Authors: Tauber Johannes , Imbri Dennis , Opatz Till
Published: October 2014

Carbon-centered radicals represent highly useful reactive intermediates in organic synthesis. Their nucleophilic character is reflected by fast additions to electron deficient C=X double bonds as present in iminium ions or cationic heterocycles. This review covers diverse reactions of preformed or in situ-generated cationic substrates with various types of C-radicals, including alkyl, alkoxyalkyl, trifluoromethyl, aryl, acyl, carbamoyl, and alkoxycarbonyl species. Despite its high reactivity, the strong interaction of the radical’s SOMO with the LUMO of the cation frequently results in a high regioselectivity. Intra- and intermolecular processes such as the Minisci reaction, the Porta reaction, and the Knabe rearrangement will be discussed along with transition metal and photoredox catalysis or electrochemical methods to generate the odd-electron species.
Flavonoids as Important Molecules of Plant Interactions with the Environment
Authors: Mierziak Justyna , Kostyn Kamil , Kulma Anna
Published: October 2014

Flavonoids are small molecular secondary metabolites synthesized by plants with various biological activities. Due to their physical and biochemical properties, they are capable of participating in plants’ interactions with other organisms (microorganisms, animals and other plants) and their reactions to environmental stresses. The majority of their functions result from their strong antioxidative properties. Although an increasing number of studies focus on the application of flavonoids in medicine or the food industry, their relevance for the plants themselves also deserves extensive investigations. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the functions of flavonoids in the physiology of plants and their relations with the environment.
Unraveling the Photocatalytic Mechanisms on TiO2 Surfaces Using the Oxygen-18 Isotopic Label Technique
Authors: Pang Xibin , Chen Chuncheng , Ji Hongwei , Che Yanke , Ma Wanhong , Zhao Jincai
Published: October 2014

During the last several decades TiO2 photocatalytic oxidation using the molecular oxygen in air has emerged as a promising method for the degradation of recalcitrant organic pollutants and selective transformations of valuable organic chemicals. Despite extensive studies, the mechanisms of these photocatalytic reactions are still poorly understood due to their complexity. In this review, we will highlight how the oxygen-18 isotope labeling technique can be a powerful tool to elucidate complicated photocatalytic mechanisms taking place on the TiO2 surface. To this end, the application of the oxygen-18 isotopic-labeling method to three representative photocatalytic reactions is discussed: (1) the photocatalytic hydroxylation of aromatics; (2) oxidative cleavage of aryl rings on the TiO2 surface; and (3) photocatalytic decarboxylation of saturated carboxylic acids. The results show that the oxygen atoms of molecular oxygen can incorporate into the corresponding products in aqueous solution in all three of these reactions, but the detailed incorporation pathways are completely different in each case. For the hydroxylation process, the O atom in O2 is shown to be incorporated through activation of O2 by conduction band electrons. In the cleavage of aryl rings, O atoms are inserted into the aryl ring through the site-dependent coordination of reactants on the TiO2 surface. A new pathway for the decarboxylation of saturated carboxylic acids with pyruvic acid as an intermediate is identified, and the O2 is incorporated into the products through the further oxidation of pyruvic acid by active species from the activation of O2 by conduction band electrons.
Report on the Fifth International Conference on Natural Products for Health and Beauty (NATPRO 5) Held in Thailand, 6–8th May, 2014
Authors: Voravuthikunchai Supayang , Howe Peter
Published: October 2014

The 5th International Conference on Natural Products for Health and Beauty (NATPRO 5) was held at the Moevenpick Resort and Spa Karon Beach, Phuket, Thailand on 6–8 May 2014. NATPRO was established in 2005 by Professor Maitree Suttajit, Mahasarakham University with the aim of building research networking on natural products. NATPRO 2, 3 and 4 were subsequently organized by Naresuan University, Rangsit University and Chiang Mai University in 2008, 2011 and 2012, respectively. [...]
Small Footprint Full-Waveform Metrics Contribution to the Prediction of Biomass in Tropical Forests
Authors: Pirotti Francesco , Laurin Gaia , Vettore Antonio , Masiero Andrea , Valentini Riccardo
Published: October 2014

We tested metrics from full-waveform (FW) LiDAR (light detection and ranging) as predictors for forest basal area (BA) and aboveground biomass (AGB), in a tropical moist forest. Three levels of metrics are tested: (i) peak-level, based on each return echo; (ii) pulse-level, based on the whole return signal from each emitted pulse; and (iii) plot-level, simulating a large footprint LiDAR dataset. Several of the tested metrics have significant correlation, with two predictors, found by stepwise regression, in particular: median distribution of the height above ground (nZmedian) and fifth percentile of total pulse return intensity (i_tot5th). The former contained the most information and explained 58% and 62% of the variance in AGB and BA values; stepwise regression left us with two and four predictors, respectively, explaining 65% and 79% of the variance. For BA, the predictors were standard deviation, median and fifth percentile of total return pulse intensity (i_totstdDev, i_totmedian and i_tot5th) and nZmedian, whereas for AGB, only the last two were used. The plot-based metric showed that the median height of echo count (HOMTC) performs best, with very similar results as nZmedian, as expected. Cross-validation allowed the analysis of residuals and model robustness. We discuss our results considering our specific case scenario of a complex forest structure with a high degree of variability in terms of biomass.
Self-Configuring Indoor Localization Based on Low-Cost Ultrasonic Range Sensors
Authors: Basaran Can , Yoon Jong-Wan , Son Sang , Park Taejoon
Published: October 2014

In smart environments, target tracking is an essential service used by numerous applications from activity recognition to personalized infotaintment. The target tracking relies on sensors with known locations to estimate and keep track of the path taken by the target, and hence, it is crucial to have an accurate map of such sensors. However, the need for manually entering their locations after deployment and expecting them to remain fixed, significantly limits the usability of target tracking. To remedy this drawback, we present a self-configuring and device-free localization protocol based on genetic algorithms that autonomously identifies the geographic topology of a network of ultrasonic range sensors as well as automatically detects any change in the established network structure in less than a minute and generates a new map within seconds. The proposed protocol significantly reduces hardware and deployment costs thanks to the use of low-cost off-the-shelf sensors with no manual configuration. Experiments on two real testbeds of different sizes show that the proposed protocol achieves an error of 7.16~17.53 cm in topology mapping, while also tracking a mobile target with an average error of 11.71~18.43 cm and detecting displacements of 1.41~3.16 m in approximately 30 s.
Detection of Cracks on Tomatoes Using a Hyperspectral Near-Infrared Reflectance Imaging System
Authors: Lee Hoonsoo , Kim Moon , Jeong Danhee , Delwiche Stephen , Chao Kuanglin , Cho Byoung-Kwan
Published: October 2014

The objective of this study was to evaluate the use of hyperspectral near-infrared (NIR) reflectance imaging techniques for detecting cuticle cracks on tomatoes. A hyperspectral NIR reflectance imaging system that analyzed the spectral region of 1000–1700 nm was used to obtain hyperspectral reflectance images of 224 tomatoes: 112 with and 112 without cracks along the stem-scar region. The hyperspectral images were subjected to partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) to classify and detect cracks on the tomatoes. Two morphological features, roundness (R) and minimum-maximum distance (D), were calculated from the PLS-DA images to quantify the shape of the stem scar. Linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and a support vector machine (SVM) were then used to classify R and D. The results revealed 94.6% and 96.4% accuracy for classifications made using LDA and SVM, respectively, for tomatoes with and without crack defects. These data suggest that the hyperspectral near-infrared reflectance imaging system, in addition to traditional NIR spectroscopy-based methods, could potentially be used to detect crack defects on tomatoes and perform quality assessments.
Child Protection Victims and the “Evil Institutions”
Authors: Van Nijnatten Carolus , Hopman Marit , Knijn Trudie
Published: October 2014

The Dutch child protection system has been the target of harsh criticism in recent decades. The legitimacy of child protection services seems to have eroded. In this article, we analyze this changing legitimacy of child protection against the background of declining parental authority and in relation to the disappearance of positive pedagogical ideologies and the mainly bureaucratic response of child protection agencies. Two recent inquiries in the Netherlands on child sexual abuse within child protection-related services have emphasized the position of children as vulnerable victims of negative pedagogical practices, mirroring a general trend of “victimization”. It is concluded that reinforcement of the professional role of child protection workers may be a start towards building new trust in child protection and establishing a newfound legitimacy.
Spread of Oropouche Virus into the Central Nervous System in Mouse
Authors: Santos Rodrigo , Bueno-Júnior Lézio , Ruggiero Rafael , Almeida Mariana , Silva Maria , Paula Flávia , Correa Vani , Arruda Eurico
Published: October 2014

Oropouche virus (OROV) is an important cause of arboviral illness in Brazil and other Latin American countries, with most cases clinically manifested as acute febrile illness referred to as Oropouche fever, including myalgia, headache, arthralgia and malaise. However, OROV can also affect the central nervous system (CNS) with clinical neurological implications. Little is known regarding OROV pathogenesis, especially how OROV gains access to the CNS. In the present study, neonatal BALB/c mice were inoculated with OROV by the subcutaneous route and the progression of OROV spread into the CNS was evaluated. Immunohistochemistry revealed that OROV infection advances from posterior parts of the brain, including the periaqueductal gray, toward the forebrain. In the early phases of the infection OROV gains access to neural routes, reaching the spinal cord and ascending to the brain through brainstem regions, with little inflammation. Later, as infection progresses, OROV crosses the blood-brain barrier, resulting in more intense spread into the brain parenchyma, with more severe manifestations of encephalitis.
Enhancement of Mucosal Immunogenicity of Viral Vectored Vaccines by the NKT Cell Agonist Alpha-Galactosylceramide as Adjuvant
Authors: Singh Shailbala , Nehete Pramod , Yang Guojun , He Hong , Nehete Bharti , Hanley Patrick , Barry Michael , Sastry K.
Published: October 2014

Gene-based vaccination strategies, specifically viral vectors encoding vaccine immunogens are effective at priming strong immune responses. Mucosal routes offer practical advantages for vaccination by ease of needle-free administration, and immunogen delivery at readily accessible oral/nasal sites to efficiently induce immunity at distant gut and genital tissues. However, since mucosal tissues are inherently tolerant for induction of immune responses, incorporation of adjuvants for optimal mucosal vaccination strategies is important. We report here the effectiveness of alpha-galactosylceramide (α-GalCer), a synthetic glycolipid agonist of natural killer T (NKT) cells, as an adjuvant for enhancing immunogenicity of vaccine antigens delivered using viral vectors by mucosal routes in murine and nonhuman primate models. Significant improvement in adaptive immune responses in systemic and mucosal tissues was observed by including α-GalCer adjuvant for intranasal immunization of mice with vesicular stomatitis virus vector encoding the model antigen ovalbumin and adenoviral vectors expressing HIV env and Gag antigens. Activation of NKT cells in systemic and mucosal tissues along with significant increases in adaptive immune responses were observed in rhesus macaques immunized by intranasal and sublingual routes with protein or adenovirus vectored antigens when combined with α-GalCer adjuvant. These results support the utility of α-GalCer adjuvant for enhancing immunogenicity of mucosal vaccines delivered using viral vectors.
ANTONIA Perfusion and Stroke
Authors: Cheng B. , Kemmling A. , Thomalla G. , Fiehler J. , Forkert N. D.
Published: October 2014

Objectives: The objective of this work is to present the software tool ANTONIA, which has been developed to facilitate a quantitative analysis of perfusion-weighted MRI (PWI) datasets in general as well as the subsequent multi-parametric analysis of additional datasets for the specific purpose of acute ischemic stroke patient dataset evaluation.

Methods: Three different methods for the analysis of DSC or DCE PWI datasets are currently implemented in ANTONIA, which can be case-specifically selected based on the study protocol. These methods comprise a curve fitting method as well as a deconvolution-based and deconvolution-free method integrating a previously defined arterial input function. The perfusion analysis is extended for the purpose of acute ischemic stroke analysis by additional methods that enable an automatic atlas-based selection of the arterial input function, an analysis of the perfusion-diffusion and DWI-FLAIR mismatch as well as segmentation-based volumetric analyses.

Results: For reliability evaluation, the de-scribed software tool was used by two ob-servers for quantitative analysis of 15 data-sets from acute ischemic stroke patients to extract the acute lesion core volume, FLAIR ratio, perfusion-diffusion mismatch volume with manually as well as automatically selected arterial input functions, and follow-up lesion volume. The results of this evaluation revealed that the described software tool leads to highly reproducible results for all parameters if the automatic arterial input function selection method is used.

Conclusion: Due to the broad selection of processing methods that are available in the software tool, ANTONIA is especially helpful to support image-based perfusion and acute ischemic stroke research projects.
Highly Cited Articles in Health Care Sciences and Services Field in Science Citation Index Expanded
Authors: Hsu Y.-H. E. , Ho Y.-S.
Published: October 2014

Objective: This study aimed to identify and analyze characteristics of highly cited articles published in the Web of Science category of health care sciences and services from 1958 to 2012.

Methods: Articles that have been cited at least 100 times were assessed regarding publication outputs, distribution of outputs in journals, publications of authors, institutions, countries as well as citation life cycles of the articles with the highest total citations since its publication up to 2012 and the highest citations in 2012. Six bibliometric indicators were used to evaluate source countries, institutions, and authors. Total citations from the time the articles were first published to the end of 2012 and citations in 2012 only were applied. Additionally, Y-index was applied to evaluate publication characteristics of authors. A high percentage of authors had the same numbers of first author and corresponding author status of highly cited articles in health care sciences and services field.

Results: Results showed that 890 of the most highly referenced articles, published between 1977 and 2009, had been cited at least 100 times. Medical Care and Journal of General Internal Medicine published the most highly cited articles. The United States produced 76% of highly cited articles and also published the most number of independent, internationally collaborative, first authored, corresponding authored, and single author highly cited articles. The Harvard University was the most productive institute and was number one for the total highly cited articles, inter-institutionally collaborative articles, single institution articles, first author articles, and corresponding author articles.

Conclusions: The application of quantitative techniques in the analysis of highly cited articles can improve the researchers’ understanding of the directions in health care sciences and services field. Y-index is useful for the evaluation of contributing authors.
L'influence des écarts de perception de la marque employeur avant et après le recrutement sur l'implication affective des salariés et leur intention de quitter l'organisation
Authors: Charbonnier-Voirin Audrey , Laget Charlotte , Vignolles Alexandra
Published: October 2014

Cette étude examine l’influence des écarts de perception entre la marque employeur externe et interne (avant et après le recrutement) sur l’implication affective et l’intention de quitter l’organisation des salariés. Les résultats obtenus par régressions polynomiales avec analyse de surface de réponse sur un échantillon de 186 salariés de Sociétés de Services en Ingénierie Informatique (SSII) françaises montrent notamment qu’un écart de perception négatif entre la marque employeur externe et interne influence positivement l’intention de quitter l’organisation. Plus cet écart est important, plus l’intention de quitter s’accroît. L’étude montre également un effet indirect de cet écart sur l’intention de quitter, au travers de l’implication affective.
La fidélisation des talents professionnels dans une logique de carrière interne
Authors: Martin Pascal
Published: October 2014

L’intérêt de cet article est de mieux comprendre la manière dont la fidélisation des talents professionnels est abordée dans un système organisationnel. Nous présentons, dans un premier temps, comment la notion de fidélisation et de talent professionnel sont appréhendés et liés dans la littérature académique et scientifique. Puis, nous exposons la méthode et les résultats d’une étude empirique menée auprès d’une grande entreprise de service française. Nous montrons que la fidélisation des talents professionnels est au cœur des préoccupations actuelles des Ressources Humaines et des managers de proximité dans une logique de carrière interne.
Favoriser le développement de l'employabilité : un enjeu pour les individus et pour les organisations
Authors: Hofaidhllaoui Mahrane , Alain Roger
Published: October 2014

Dans un environnement de plus en plus fluctuant, les entreprises recherchent la flexibilité dans tous les domaines. Gérer l’employabilité des salariés, c’est l’une des conditions essentielles de cette flexibilité, mais elle nécessite un état d’esprit qui engage la double responsabilité de l’entreprise et des individus. Par une étude empirique quantitative auprès de 224 cadres en France, cet article mesure les dimensions de l’employabilité et les principaux facteurs qui peuvent la développer. Elle fait ressortir pour les gestionnaires les principaux leviers d’action favorisant une employabilité durable en ajustant ces leviers aux dimensions de l’employabilité qu’ils privilégient.
Peut-on éviter les crises financières ?
Authors: Leclère Chloé
Published: October 2014

Lorsque les économistes et historiens décrivent les phénomènes de crises financières, un certain fatalisme est à l’œuvre : on assisterait à un « éternel recommencement », selon le titre du premier chapitre de l’ouvrage canonique de Charles Kindleberger, Histoire mondiale de la spéculation financière [1]. Une idée que les analyses empiriques confirment : Caprio et Klingebiel 1 recensent par exemple plus de 117 crises financières systémiques entre 1971 et 2002. Les pertes importantes générées par les crises financières en termes d’emploi, de production et de croissance, nous incitent à réfléchir sur l’inéluctabilité de ces phénomènes.
L'avenir de l'Afrique
Authors: Cheptitski Aliette
Published: October 2014

En 2009, la population du continent africain a dépassé le milliard d’habitants. Selon la projection centrale de l’Organisation des Nations Unies, la poussée démographique s’accélérerait encore dans les prochaines années, pour atteindre 2,4 milliards d’habitants en 2050. L’émergence de ce géant est donc une question géopolitique incontournable du XXI e siècle. Qu’il s’agisse de l’urbanisation, de la croissance soutenable ou des relations avec le reste du monde, les décideurs africains sont confrontés à d’importants défis, dans un contexte politique hétérogène.