bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Informal settlements and urban heritage landscapes in South Africa
Authors: Weiss Lindsay M.
Published: February 2014

Informal urban settlements and trade zones represent an increasingly pressing issue for urban heritage developers. In light of the recent revisitation of the UNESCO Recommendation on the Historic Urban Landscape, this article explores the current challenges faced at the intersection of heritage practice, urban planning, and informal communities. Heritage recommendations operate within the domain of soft law and their implementation relies on the voluntarism of public parties and the private sector. Such heritage recommendations are thus rarely taken up outside of city improvement districts with recognizable property-owning stakeholders, commercial infrastructures for security, maintenance, and investor marketing. In South Africa, the particular circumstances of the post-apartheid landscape render urban planning frameworks prone to reinforcing the marginalization of informal stakeholder engagement, ultimately perpetuating a socio-spatial inequality such programs set out to mitigate. The civic practices of new social movements and historical knowledge that emerges from the context of informal and neglected urban environments illustrate emergent answers to the exclusionary dynamics of urban heritage planning.
Molecular mechanisms of neutrophil dysfunction in glycogen storage disease type Ib
Authors: Jun Hyun Sik , Weinstein David A. , Lee Young Mok , Mansfield Brian C. , Chou Janice Y.
Published: February 2014

Key Points

A deficiency in G6PT impairs neutrophil energy homeostasis characterized by reduced intracellular levels of G6P, ATP, lactate, and NADPH. Impaired energy homeostasis and activation of the HIF-1α/PPAR-γ pathway underlie neutrophil dysfunction in GSD-Ib.
NR4A1-mediated apoptosis suppresses lymphomagenesis and is associated with a favorable cancer-specific survival in patients with aggressive B-cell lymphomas
Authors: Deutsch Alexander J. A. , Rinner Beate , Wenzl Kerstin , Pichler Martin , Troppan Katharina , Steinbauer Elisabeth , Schwarzenbacher Daniela , Reitter Sonja , Feichtinger Julia , Tierling Sascha , Prokesch Andreas , Scheideler Marcel , Krogsdam Anne , Thallinger Gerhard G. , Schaider Helmut , Beham-Schmid Christine , Neumeister Peter
Published: February 2014

Key Points

NR4A1 is downregulated in aggressive B-cell lymphoma. Its overexpression causes apoptosis in lymphoma cells and suppresses lymphoma formation in vivo.
Screening for celiac disease in 1st degree relatives: a 10-year follow-up study
Authors: Uenishi Rosa H , Gandolfi Lenora , Almeida Lucas M , Fritsch Patrícia M , Almeida Fernanda C , Nóbrega Yanna K M , Pratesi Riccardo
Published: February 2014

Background

Although it is known that first degree relatives of celiac patients have an increased risk for celiac disease few studies are available on its incidence. We investigated the incidence of serologic conversion and of new cases of celiac disease among first degree relatives with negative results at a first screening.

Methods

From a total of 634 first degree relatives of 186 biopsy-proven celiac disease patients diagnosed between October 2000 and October 2010, 450 subjects agreed to participate in the study (Group I), and underwent serologic screening. Between January 2010 and October 2012, out of the initial group of 450, 205 previously sero-negative subjects consented to participate in a second stage of the study and undergo new serologic testing (Group II). All serologically positive individuals of both groups (I and II) were genotyped for celiac disease-predisposing alleles (HLA-DQ2/DQ8).

Results

19 subjects (4.2%) out of the 450 subjects of Group I disclosed positive serologic results, presence of DQ2 and/or DQ8 alleles and celiac disease-compatible mucosal abnormalities. The 205 previously negative first degree relatives from Group II that underwent new serologic testing disclosed eight sero-converted subjects. Mucosal abnormalities in five of these patients confirmed the diagnosis of celiac disease. During the 10-year period of the study the incidence of sero-conversion was 8/205 and the incidence of biopsy-proven celiac disease cases was 5/205.

Conclusions

Our data are coincident with other works on this subject and confirm once again that relatives of celiac patients, especially first degree relatives are at high risk of developing celiac disease. In view of the relatively low incidence further studies are needed to try to establish a useful and cost-effective algorithm for follow-up of relatives of celiac patients.
An inexpensive device to treat postpartum hemorrhage: a preliminary proof of concept study of health provider opinion and training in Nepal
Authors: Kerr Nancy L , Hauswald Mark , Tamrakar Suman Raj , Wachter David A , Baty Gillian M
Published: February 2014

Background

Obstetric hemorrhage remains the leading cause of maternal mortality in resource limited areas. An inexpensive pneumatic anti-shock garment was devised of bicycle tubes and tailored cloth which can be prepared from local materials in resource-limited settings. The main purposes of this study were: 1) to determine acceptability of the device by nurses and midwives and obtain suggestions for making the device more suitable for use in their particular work environments, 2) to determine whether a three hour training course provided adequate instruction in the use of this device for the application of circumferential abdominal pelvic pressure, and 3) determine production capability and cost in a resource-limited country.

Methods

Fifty-eight nurse and midwife participants took part in three sessions over eight months in Nepal. Correct device placement was assessed on non-pregnant participants using ultrasound measurement of distal aortic flow before and after device inflation, and analyzed using confidence intervals. Participants were surveyed to determine acceptability of the device, obtain suggestions for improvement, and to collect data on clinical use.

Results

Device placement achieved flow decreases with a mean of 39% (95% CI 25%-53%, p < 0.001) in the first session, 28% (95% CI 21%-33%, P < 0.001) after four months and 29% (95% CI 24%-34%, p < 0.001) at 8 months. All nurses and midwives thought the device would be acceptable for use in obstetric hemorrhage and that they could make, clean, and apply it. They quickly learned to apply the device, remembered how to apply it, and were willing and able to use the device clinically. Ten providers used the device, each on one patient, to treat obstetric hemorrhage after routine measures had failed; bleeding stopped promptly in all ten, two of whom were transported to the hospital. Production of devices in Kathmandu using local tailors and supplies cost approximately $40 per device, in a limited production setting.

Conclusions

Preliminary data suggest that an inexpensive, easily-made device is potentially an appropriate addition to current obstetric hemorrhage treatment in resource-limited areas and that further study is warranted.
An international collaborative study to determine the prevalence of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia by monoclonal antibody-based cELISA
Authors: Peyraud Armelle , Poumarat François , Tardy Florence , Manso-Silván Lucía , Hamroev Karomatullo , Tilloev Tillo , Amirbekov Mullojon , Tounkara Karim , Bodjo Charles , Wesonga Hezron , Nkando Isabel Gacheri , Jenberie Shiferaw , Yami Martha , Cardinale Eric , Meenowa Deodass , Jaumally Mahmad Reshad , Yaqub Tahir , Shabbir Muhammad Zubair , Mukhtar Nadia , Halimi Mohibullah , Ziay Ghulam Mohammad , Schauwers Willy , Noori Hafizullah , Rajabi Ali Madad , Ostrowski Stéphane , Thiaucourt François
Published: February 2014

Background

Few serological tests are available for detecting antibodies againstMycoplasma capricolumsubsp.capripneumoniae, the causal agent of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP). The complement fixation test, the test prescribed for international trade purposes, uses a crude antigen that cross-reacts with all the other mycoplasma species of the “mycoides cluster” frequently infecting goat herds. The lack of a more specific test has been a real obstacle to the evaluation of the prevalence and economic impact of CCPP worldwide. A new competitive ELISA kit for CCPP, based on a previous blocking ELISA, was formatted at CIRAD and used to evaluate the prevalence of CCPP in some regions of Kenya, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Tajikistan and Pakistan in an international collaborative study.

Results

The strict specificity of the test was confirmed in CCPP-free goat herds exposed to other mycoplasma species of the “mycoides cluster”. Prevalence studies were performed across the enzootic range of the disease in Africa and Asia. Seroprevalence was estimated at 14.6% in the Afar region of Ethiopia, whereas all the herds presented for CCPP vaccination in Kenya tested positive (individual seroprevalence varied from 6 to 90% within each herd). In Mauritius, where CCPP emerged in 2009, nine of 62 herds tested positive. In Central Asia, where the disease was confirmed only recently, no positive animals were detected in the Wakhan District of Afghanistan or across the border in neighboring areas of Tajikistan, whereas seroprevalence varied between 2.7% and 44.2% in the other districts investigated and in northern Pakistan. The test was also used to monitor seroconversion in vaccinated animals.

Conclusions

This newly formatted CCPP cELISA kit has retained the high specificity of the original kit. It can therefore be used to evaluate the prevalence of CCPP in countries or regions without vaccination programs. It could also be used to monitor the efficacy of vaccination campaigns as high-quality vaccines induce high rates of seroconversion.
The effects of cichorium intybus extract on the maturation and activity of dendritic cells
Authors: Karimi Mohammad Hossein , Ebrahimnezhad Salimeh , Namayandeh Mandana , Amirghofran Zahra
Published: February 2014

Background

Cichorium intybus is a medicinal plant commonly used in traditional medicine for its benefits in immune-madiated disorders. There are several evidences showing that C. intybus can modulate immune responses. In the present study we have investigated the effects of the ethanolic root extract of this plant on the immune system by targeting dendritic cells (DCs). For this purpose, phenotypic and functional maturity of murine DCs after treatment with the extract was analyzed by flow cytometry and mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) assay.

Results

C. intybus did not change the expression of CD40, CD86 and MHC-II molecules as important co-stimulatory markers on DCs compared to the control, indicating that it could not promote DCs phenotypic maturation. Treatment of DCs with lower concentrations of the extract resulted in an increased production of IL-12 by these cells with no change in IL-10 release. The capacity of treated DCs to stimulate allogenic T cells proliferation and cytokines secretion was examined in the co-cuture of these cells with T cells in MLR. C. intybus at higher concentrations inhibited proliferation of allogenic T cells and in lower concentrations changed the level of cytokines such that IL-4 decreased and IFN-γ increased.

Conclusions

These results indicated that C. intybus extract at higher concentrations can inhibit T cell stimulating activity of DCs, whereas at lower concentrations can modulate cytokine secretion toward a Th1 pattern. These data may in part explain the traditional use of this plant in treatment of immune-mediated disorders.
Degradation of archaeological horn silver artefacts in burials
Authors: Marchand Geraldine , Guilminot Elodie , Lemoine Stéphane , Rossetti Loretta , Vieau Michelle , Stephant Nicolas
Published: February 2014

Background

Archaeological silver objects from burial sites are of a grey-lavender aspect. The formation of AgCl leads to an increase in the volume of the objects, which may undergo a complete transformation into corrosion products. This degradation process has been little studied to date. In this paper, eight horn silver objects were studied by SEM and XRD.

Results

Analyses showed a corrosion system composed of bi-layers: a compact inner layer and a porous outer layer. Corrosion products were mainly silver chlorides (AgCl), chlorargyrite. Some objects displayed copper inclusions both in the metallic core and in the inner layer. Highly mineralized objects contained other oxygen-rich phases (with Si, Ca) in the inner layer. Soil markers were detected in the outer layer.

Conclusion

Based on these results, we put forward a corrosion mechanism for horn silver objects. Silver chloride is formed by the disappearance of the initial silver oxide layer. This AgCl layer is not protective and supports ion transport. Thus an outer layer of silver chloride, incorporating soil markers, is formed.
Gender differences in the association of insulin resistance and high-sensitivity c-reactive protein in obese adolescents
Authors: Alemzadeh Ramin , Kichler Jessica
Published: February 2014

Background

Low-grade vascular inflammation is believed to initiate early atherosclerotic process by inducing insulin resistance (IR), with significant gender differences in adults. We evaluated the relationship between surrogate measures of inflammation and IR in obese adolescents.

Methods

The association among markers of inflammation [high-sensitivity c-reactive protein (hs-CRP)] and IR, cardiometabolic risk factors and body composition was retrospectively examined in 199 obese adolescents [(111 F/88 M), aged 15.5 ± 1.2 years]. Insulin resistance was assessed using homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (HOMA-IR).

Results

Males had higher body mass index SD-score (BMI-SDS), fat mass (FM), glucose, insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c, hs-CRP, triglycerides: HDL-C (TG:HDL-C) ratio than females (p < 0.05), whereas females had higher c-peptide: insulin ratio than males (p < 0.05). Also, 50.8% of subjects were identified with metabolic syndrome with similar gender distribution (M: 57.9% vs. F: 45.1%, p = 0.32). Hs-CRP was correlated with HOMA-IR in the cohort, even when controlling for FM (r = 0.26; p < 0.0001). However, hs-CRP and HOMA-IR displayed a significant correlation only in females (r = 0.37; p < 0.0001) when adjusting for FM and pubertal status. Also, c-peptide: insulin ratio was inversely correlated with hs-CRP (r = −0.32; p < 0.001) and HOMA-IR (r = −0.62; p < 0.0001) and partially mediated the relationship between these biomarkers only among females (β = 0.36, p < 0.001 to β = 0.18, p < 0.05; Sobel Test: p < 0.01).

Conclusions

A positive association between hs-CRP and HOMA-IR was observed only in adolescent girls which was influenced by altered hepatic insulin clearance. This implies that obese adolescent girls may be at greatest risk of developing early atherosclerosis and diabetes.
Choosing wisely - when to mend a broken heart with ECMO?
Authors: Stephens R Scott , Fan Eddy
Published: February 2014

Refractory cardiac shock in the cardiac surgical intensive care unit confers significant morbidity and mortality. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) has become a common intervention for refractory cardiogenic shock when other therapies have failed. However, it is difficult to predict who will benefit from this costly, resource-intensive, but potentially life-saving technology. Here, we discuss the utility of a novel biomarker, serum butylcholinesterase, in determining survival in patients supported with ECMO following cardiac surgery.
MOABS: model based analysis of bisulfite sequencing data
Authors: Sun Deqiang , Xi Yuanxin , Rodriguez Benjamin , Park Hyun Jung , Tong Pan , Meong Mira , Goodell Margaret A , Li Wei
Published: February 2014

Bisulfite sequencing (BS-seq) is the gold standard for studying genome-wide DNA methylation. We developed MOABS to increase the speed, accuracy, statistical power and biological relevance of BS-seq data analysis. MOABS detects differential methylation with 10-fold coverage at single-CpG resolution based on a Beta-Binomial hierarchical model and is capable of processing two billion reads in 24 CPU hours. Here, using simulated and real BS-seq data, we demonstrate that MOABS outperforms other leading algorithms, such as Fisher’s exact test and BSmooth. Furthermore, MOABS analysis can be easily extended to differential 5hmC analysis using RRBS and oxBS-seq. MOABS is available at http://code.google.com/p/moabs/.
Promyelocytic leukemia zinc-finger induction signs mesenchymal stem cell commitment: identification of a key marker for stemness maintenance?
Authors: Djouad Farida , Tejedor Gautier , Toupet Karine , Maumus Marie , Bony Claire , Blangy Anne , Chuchana Paul , Jorgensen Christian , Noël Danièle
Published: February 2014

Introduction

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are an attractive cell source for cartilage and bone tissue engineering given their ability to differentiate into chondrocytes and osteoblasts. However, the common origin of these two specialized cell types raised the question about the identification of regulatory pathways determining the differentiation fate of MSCs into chondrocyte or osteoblast.

Methods

Chondrogenesis, osteoblastogenesis, and adipogenesis of human and mouse MSC were induced by using specific inductive culture conditions. Expression of promyelocytic leukemia zinc-finger (PLZF) or differentiation markers in MSCs was determined by RT-qPCR. PLZF-expressing MSC were implanted in a mouse osteochondral defect model and the neotissue was analyzed by routine histology and microcomputed tomography.

Results

We found out that PLZF is not expressed in MSCs and its expression at early stages of MSC differentiation is the mark of their commitment toward the three main lineages. PLZF acts as an upstream regulator of both Sox9 and Runx2, and its overexpression in MSC enhances chondrogenesis and osteogenesis while it inhibits adipogenesis. In vivo, implantation of PLZF-expressing MSC in mice with full-thickness osteochondral defects resulted in the formation of a reparative tissue resembling cartilage and bone.

Conclusions

Our findings demonstrate that absence of PLZF is required for stemness maintenance and its expression is an early event at the onset of MSC commitment during the differentiation processes of the three main lineages.
Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 and Thyroid Hormone Show Mutual Regulatory Dependency but Have Independent Actions In Vivo
Authors: Domouzoglou Eleni M. , Fisher ffolliott Martin , Astapova Inna , Fox Elliott C. , Kharitonenkov Alexei , Flier Jeffrey S. , Hollenberg Anthony N. , Maratos-Flier Eleftheria
Published: February 2014

Thyroid hormone (TH) regulates fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) levels in the liver and in the adipose tissue. In contrast, peripheral FGF21 administration leads to decreased circulating levels of TH. These data suggest that FGF21 and TH could interact to regulate metabolism. In the present study, we confirmed that TH regulates adipose and hepatic FGF21 expression and serum levels in mice. We next investigated the influence of TH administration on key serum metabolites, gene expression in the liver and brown adipose tissue, and energy expenditure in FGF21 knockout mice. Surprisingly, we did not observe any significant differences in the effects of TH on FGF21 knockout mice compared with those in wild-type animals, indicating that TH acts independently of FGF21 for the specific outcomes studied. Furthermore, exogenous FGF21 administration to hypothyroid mice led to similar changes in serum and liver lipid metabolites and gene expression in both hypothyroid and euthyroid mice. Thus, it appears that FGF21 and TH have similar actions to decrease serum and liver lipids despite having some divergent regulatory effects. Whereas TH leads to up-regulation in the liver and down-regulation in brown adipose tissue of genes involved in the lipid synthesis pathway (eg, fatty acid synthase (FASN) and SPOT14), FGF21 leads to the opposite changes in expression of these genes. In conclusion, TH and FGF21 act independently on the outcomes studied, despite their ability to regulate each other's circulating levels. Thus, TH and FGF21 may modulate the availability of each other in critical metabolic states.
Blunted Diurnal Cortisol Pattern Is Associated With Frailty: A Cross-Sectional Study of 745 Participants Aged 65 to 90 Years
Authors: Johar Hamimatunnisa , Emeny Rebecca T. , Bidlingmaier Martin , Reincke Martin , Thorand Barbara , Peters Annette , Heier Margit , Ladwig Karl-Heinz
Published: February 2014

Background:

The role of neuroendocrine alterations in the etiology of frailty syndrome is still poorly understood. Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis dysregulation is a plausible candidate pathway contributing to frailty. Thus, we sought to examine the associations of diurnal cortisol secretion with frailty in older adults.

Methods:

A cross-sectional analysis was conducted among 745 study participants (age 65–90 years, mean age 75.1 years) of the population-based KORA Age study. Associations between salivary cortisol measures at awakening (morning 1 [M1]), 30 minutes after awakening (M2), and evening (E) and frailty criteria were determined.

Results:

Lower cortisol levels in the first morning sample (M1) (P = .18) and M2 (P = .14) and increased E levels (P = .004) were observed in prefrail (35.17%, n = 262) and frail (3.36%, n = 25) individuals, in a dose-response manner. Frailty was strongly associated with smaller ratios of morning to evening levels; M1 to E ratio (P = .02) and M2 to E ratio (P = .003). Higher evening cortisol levels were associated with a 24% increased risk of a prefrail state (odds ratio, 1.22; 95% confidence interval, 1.03–1.44). A smaller morning to evening ratio was associated with an increased risk of low grip strength (1.42, 1.09–1.86) and gait speed (1.31, 1.02–1.68).

Conclusion:

Frailty status is associated with blunted cortisol reactivity as demonstrated by lower morning and higher evening salivary cortisol levels.
Formation of Communicative Competence in Hard-of-Hearing Preschoolers
Authors: �����  , Belaya Natalia
Published: February 2014

In this paper a competence-based approach concept in a modern education system of the Russian Federation has been considered. Value of competences

for pupils� identity full development as well for their successful socialization has been shown. The "communicative competence" concept essence

content has been reveled. Requirements to results of preschool education in a context of children�s communicative development have been defined. A

short analysis of problem related to communicative and speech development of normally developing children and disabled children, including those

of hearing-impaired has been presented. The need of teacher�s purposeful correctional and developing activity is proved, stages (according to activity

structure), purposes, and content of work on formation of communicative competence at hard of hearing children of advanced preschool age by means

of communicative situations (communication situations) complex use have been described. A principle (linearly - concentric) of this complex creation as

well as situations� selection criteria have been specified.
Targeted Advertising in Magazine Markets and the Advent of the Internet
Authors: Chandra Ambarish , Kaiser Ulrich
Published: February 2014

This paper examines how the ability of traditional media firms to engage in targeted advertising has changed with the advent of the Internet. We find that the premium for reaching a homogeneous audience increases for magazines that have a companion website, as well as for those whose readers are more likely to be online. This indicates a complementarity between offline and online channels with respect to targeted advertising. We hypothesize that this result is driven by multihoming consumers who enhance the value of targeted advertising, in contrast to the usual assumption that multiple advertising messages are redundant.

This paper was accepted by Pradeep Chintagunta, marketing.
Budget-Optimal Task Allocation for Reliable Crowdsourcing Systems
Authors: Karger David R. , Oh Sewoong , Shah Devavrat
Published: February 2014

Crowdsourcing systems, in which numerous tasks are electronically distributed to numerous “information pieceworkers,” have emerged as an effective paradigm for human-powered solving of large-scale problems in domains such as image classification, data entry, optical character recognition, recommendation, and proofreading. Because these low-paid workers can be unreliable, nearly all such systems must devise schemes to increase confidence in their answers, typically by assigning each task multiple times and combining the answers in an appropriate manner, e.g., majority voting.

In this paper, we consider a general model of such crowdsourcing tasks and pose the problem of minimizing the total price (i.e., number of task assignments) that must be paid to achieve a target overall reliability. We give a new algorithm for deciding which tasks to assign to which workers and for inferring correct answers from the workers' answers. We show that our algorithm, inspired by belief propagation and low-rank matrix approximation, significantly outperforms majority voting and, in fact, is optimal through comparison to an oracle that knows the reliability of every worker. Further, we compare our approach with a more general class of algorithms that can dynamically assign tasks. By adaptively deciding which questions to ask to the next set of arriving workers, one might hope to reduce uncertainty more efficiently. We show that, perhaps surprisingly, the minimum price necessary to achieve a target reliability scales in the same manner under both adaptive and nonadaptive scenarios. Hence, our nonadaptive approach is order optimal under both scenarios. This strongly relies on the fact that workers are fleeting and cannot be exploited. Therefore, architecturally, our results suggest that building a reliable worker-reputation system is essential to fully harnessing the potential of adaptive designs.
Fixed-Dimensional Stochastic Dynamic Programs: An Approximation Scheme and an Inventory Application
Authors: Chen Wei , Dawande Milind , Janakiraman Ganesh
Published: February 2014

We study fixed-dimensional stochastic dynamic programs in a discrete setting over a finite horizon. Under the primary assumption that the cost-to-go functions are discrete L♮-convex, we propose a pseudo-polynomial time approximation scheme that solves this problem to within an arbitrary prespecified additive error of ε > 0. The proposed approximation algorithm is a generalization of the explicit-enumeration algorithm and offers us full control in the trade-off between accuracy and running time.

The main technique we develop for obtaining our scheme is approximation of a fixed-dimensional L♮-convex function on a bounded rectangular set, using only a selected number of points in its domain. Furthermore, we prove that the approximation function preserves L♮-convexity. Finally, to apply the approximate functions in a dynamic program, we bound the error propagation of the approximation. Our approximation scheme is illustrated on a well-known problem in inventory theory, the single-product problem with lost sales and lead times. We demonstrate the practical value of our scheme by implementing our approximation scheme and the explicit-enumeration algorithm on instances of this inventory problem.
Stochastic Modeling and Approaches for Managing Energy Footprints in Cloud Computing Service
Authors: Shen Siqian , Wang Jue
Published: February 2014

In this paper, we formulate several stochastic optimization models for trading off between energy footprints and quality of service associated with server consolidation in cloud computing data centers. We consider finite service times with uncertain workloads at each period and minimize the expected energy consumption. Decisions include workload scheduling and switching servers on or off based on estimated loads. In models involving backlogging and penalizing unmet demand, we first incorporate zero-delay and zero-work-loss criteria, of which the latter allows backlogging but sets deadlines and penalty cost for all delays. We also formulate alternative chance-constrained programs to ensure that workload delay percentage is within a certain risk tolerance. By assuming scenario-based workload realizations, we solve each model as an mixed-integer program. For the zero-work-loss model, when all servers are homogeneous (i.e., have the same computational efficiency), we provide a heuristic approach. We also consider a benchmark two-stage stochastic program, which involves recourse scheduling decisions and is solved using the Benders decomposition. Numerical results demonstrate the computational efficacy and reduction of energy consumption for certain patterns of workload realizations. In particular, we consider instances generated from a typical daily workload pattern existing in many data centers and provide managerial insights.
Vitality and height growth of two Larix species and provenances in a field trial located in north-west Russia
Authors: Fedorkov Aleksey
Published: February 2014

Vitality and height of species and provenances originating from Russia were estimated in a 5-yr field trial performed in the Komi Republic (north-west Russia) using a fully randomized single-tree plot design with 7â8 blocks. Tree provenance had no significant (pâ>â0.05) effect on tree vitality, though for originating from the European part of Russia, trees from the northern regions were more vital than those from southern regions. Provenance was a significant (pâ<â0.05) factor for height, where the average height of 136 cm varied considerably (168 cm for trees from Nizhnij Novgorod and 111 cm for trees from Ufa). There were no significant correlations when vitality and height were compared to geographic and climatic variables for the locations.LarixLarix sukazcewii
Dorset Palaeoeskimo Skin Processing at Phillip's Garden, Port au Choix, Northwestern Newfoundland
Authors: Renouf M.A.P. , Bell T.
Published: February 2014

This paper examines artifactual and palaeo-limnological evidence of sealskin processing associated with Phillip’s Garden, a Dorset Palaeoeskimo site at Port au Choix in northwestern Newfoundland. We propose that harp seals were hunted from Phillip’s Garden as much for skins as for meat and fat, and that processing sealskins was the first step in the important activity of making clothes, boots, and other items. We outline the steps and tools involved in sealskin processing throughout the northern circumpolar world, and we identify specialized skin-processing tools in the Phillip’s Garden tool assemblage. Sealskin processing is also inferred from pollen and chironomid data from Bass Pond, adjacent to Phillip’s Garden. Disturbance across pollen taxa is evident at 2200– 1400 cal BP, and anomalous salinity values are evident at 2000–1400 cal BP. We argue that these are connected to Palaeoeskimo activities at the pond, in particular Dorset sealskin soaking and tanning. This study shifts our perception of Dorset activities at Phillip’s Garden away from a narrow focus on seal hunting and the site itself and broadens our view to include more of the multiplicity of day-to-day human activities that took place within a larger cultural landscape that included Phillip’s Garden and Bass Pond.
Regularity of minimizers of the area functional in metric spaces
Authors: Hakkarainen Heikki , Kinnunen Juha , Lahti Panu
Published: February 2014

In this article we study minimizers of functionals of linear growth in metric measure spaces. We introduce the generalized problem in this setting, and prove existence and local boundedness of the minimizers. We give counterexamples to show that in general, minimizers are not continuous and can have jump discontinuities inside the domain.
Interests need not be pursued if they can be created: private governance in African gold mining
Authors: Elbra Ainsley D.
Published: February 2014

Mining companies are increasingly seen as co-governors of sub-Saharan Africa's gold mining industries, sharing sovereignty with states through private governance initiatives. Using interviews with company executives from the continent's largest gold mining firms this paper highlights the private authority of these firms vis-à-vis the state. This paper firstly examines the globalization and governance literature, focusing on why states share sovereignty with non-state actors. Secondly, a “three faces of power” framework is employed to understand how authority is exercised. Thirdly, private governance regimes specific to the mining industry are outlined. Finally, individuals’ and firms’ attitudes towards these private governance regimes are examined through an analysis of elite interviews. The theoretical and empirical analysis demonstrates that firms are formulating rules in order to increase certainty and reduce investment risk. These firms are engaging in private governance initiatives to build reputations as industry experts thereby controlling the regulation of their sector, rather than sharing authority with states.
Antitrust enforcement by state attorneys general: institutional, legal and political considerations
Authors: Dove John A.
Published: February 2014

Since deregulation in 1980, there has been a major shift in antitrust enforcement to the states, specifically to state attorneys general (AGs). For advocates of deregulation, this move has had important unintended consequences. Specifically, it has allowed antitrust litigation to become hitched to the political incentives of AGs. Analysis of a panel dataset of all state antitrust actions between 1990 and 2008 suggests that antitrust enforcement by state attorneys general appears to follow electoral cycles, which is especially pronounced depending on specific institutional constraints that exist between the states.
Mixing operators and small subsets of the circle
Authors: Bayart Frédéric , Matheron Étienne
Published: February 2014

We provide complete characterizations, on Banach spaces with cotype 2, of those linear operators which happen to be weakly mixing or strongly mixing transformations
with respect to some nondegenerate Gaussian measure. These characterizations involve two families of small subsets of the circle: the countable sets and the
so-called sets of uniqueness for Fourier–Stieltjes series. The most interesting part, i.e. the sufficient conditions for weak and strong mixing, is valid on an arbitrary
(complex, separable) Fréchet space.
Triphasic umbilical artery waveform: association with severe fetal growth restriction, fetal demise, and extreme velamentous cord insertion
Authors: Rochelson Burton , Boulis Tharwat Stewart , Tam Hima Tam , Edelman Morris
Published: February 2014

Extreme Doppler abnormalities of the umbilical artery such as absent or reversed end diastolic velocity are associated with adverse perinatal outcomes. We present a case of a triphasic umbilical artery waveform identified at 24 weeks. The fetus was severely growth restricted with an estimated fetal weight of 314 g. A week later, fetal demise occurred. Placental pathology revealed a placental weight of 83 g, an extensive maternal floor infarction, and an extreme velamentous cord insertion 7 cm from the edge of the placental disc, with vessels entering at opposite poles of the placental disc and a single anastomotic bridging vessel on the chorionic plate connecting these two vascular poles. A triphasic umbilical artery waveform may be associated with a premorbid state and severe placental vascular abnormality. We hypothesize that the third and positive component in late diastole is present due to forward flow across the communicating bridging vessel into the contralateral entering vessel.
Preparation and characterization of PVDF-MG49-NH4CF3SO3 based solid polymer electrolyte
Authors: Ataollahi N. , Ahmad A. , Lee T.K. , Abdullah A.R. , Rahman M.Y.A.
Published: February 2014

The ionic conductivity of ammonium-based solid polymer films of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) blended with MG49, a graft of natural rubber and poly(methyl methacrylate), with various compositions of ammonium triflate NH4CF3SO3, was investigated. As a result, 30 wt.% of NH4CF3SO3-doped polymer electrolyte exhibits the highest ionic conductivity at 6.32×10-4S/cm at room temperature. The conductivity enhancement can be attributed to the increase in the number of NH4+as charge carriers. The significance of the blend is the increase of one order in ionic conductivity as compared with pure PVDF electrolyte. The temperature dependence of conductivity of the electrolyte does not obey the Arrhenius law. However, the conductivity increases with temperature and it reached 1.56×10-3S/cm at 363 K. X-ray diffraction reveals a decrease in crystallinity of the electrolyte upon the addition of NH4CF3SO3salt. This result is supported by scanning electron microscopy. Linear sweep voltammetry demonstrates that the anodic stability of the electrolyte is up to 4 V. Therefore, the electrolyte shows good compatibility with high-voltage electrode. Hence, this electrolyte system can be a prospective candidate as lithium-ion conducting electrolyte for lithium batteries.
The Role of Internet Use on International Trade: Evidence from Asian and Sub-Saharan African Enterprises
Authors: Yadav Niru
Published: February 2014

Internet use is expected to reduce fixed information-related costs of entering international markets. This paper looks at the impact of internet use by developing country firms from Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa on their export and input import behavior. Using the enterprise survey dataset from the World Bank, the paper finds that e-mail and own website use have a positive impact on the extensive margin of enterprise export and input import behavior but not on the intensive margin. In addition, both these internet tools affect export and input import likelihood of manufacturing enterprises only and not of service enterprises. These results are robust after controlling for self-selection bias and for factors that may affect both internet adoption and international market participation.
Impacts of humor and relevance on the remembering of lecture details
Authors: Suzuki Hideo , Heath Linda
Published: February 2014

Although much previous research has been conducted on remembering humorous materials, only a few studies have examined how visual humorous examples relevant to lecture content enhance the recall and/or recognition of the lecture details. In addition, previous studies have produced conflicting results and have methodological limitations. The present study investigated the interactions between humor and relevance in recall and recognition performance. One hundred sixty five subjects were given humorous or serious video examples which were relevant or irrelevant to lecture materials. Recognition performance, but not recall performance, was better when examples were
The interpersonal meaning of humor styles
Authors: Markey Patrick M. , Suzuki Takakuni , Marino David P.
Published: February 2014

In order to investigate the interpersonal meaning of humor, the relations between humor styles and the Interpersonal Circumplex (IPC) were examined. One-hundred and twenty-seven participants reported their humor styles using the Humor Styles Questionnaire (HSQ). These participants' interpersonal styles were also assessed using the eight octants of the IPC. By employing the structural summary method, results indicated that all humor styles produced high levels of interpersonal content, but slightly different interpersonal profiles. Affiliative and self-enhancing humor styles, which are often viewed as adaptive humor styles, were strongly associated with the gregarious-extraverted octant of the IPC, whereas aggressive and self-defeating humor styles, which are often viewed as maladaptive humor styles, were most highly associated with the assured-dominant and arrogant-calculating octants of the IPC.
An easy approach to fabricating HgS/chitosan nanocomposite films and their ability to sense triethylamine
Authors: Wang Shan , Zheng Minyan
Published: February 2014

A chitosan (CS)–HgS nanocomposite was synthesized by a simulating biomineralization method. The effect of HgS nanoparticles on the physical properties of the composite was studied by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The glass transition temperature (T
g) of the composite was 22°C higher than that of CS. The thermal stability of the composite was higher than that of CS, which was evidenced by the shift of onset temperature of degradation by 22°C as measured by DSC. The SEM image of the HgS/CS nanocomposite film shows that the nanoparticle size was 100 nm. The fluorescence emission of nanocomposite films was found to be very sensitive to the presence of triethylamine; even a small amount of triethylamine dramatically increased emissions. By contrast, emission was hardly affected by other common ions in water. The films are predicted to have the potential to be developed into excellent sensing films for triethylamine.
EosFit7c and a Fortran module (library) for equation of state calculations
Authors: Angel Ross J. , Alvaro Matteo , Gonzalez-Platas Javier
Published: February 2014

The relationship between linear elasticity theory of solids and their equations of state (EoS) is reviewed, along with the commonly-used types of isothermal EoS, thermal expansion models, and P-V-T EoS. A new console program, EosFit7c, is presented. It performs EoS calculations and fitting for both volume and linear isothermal data, isobaric data and P-T data. Linear data is handled by cubing the quantities and treating them as volumes in all EoS formulations. Least-squares fitting of EoS to data incorporates the option to weight the fit with the measurement uncertainties in P, V and T simultaneously. The EosFit7c program is built with a new library of subroutines for EoS calculations and manipulation, written in Fortran. The library has been incorporated as a module, cfml_eos, in the publicly-available CrysFML library. The module handles Murnaghan, Tait, Birch-Murnaghan, Vinet, and Natural Strain EoS. For P-V-T calculations any of these isothermal EoS can be combined with a variety of published thermal expansion models, including a model of thermal pressure. The entire library has been revalidated against other software and against an ab-initio re-derivation of the EoS, which identified a number of small errors in published formulae for some EoS.
Colloidal Silica/Poly(Methacrylsiloxane) Nanocomposite Particles: Synthesis, Characterization, and Application in Toners.
Authors: Fomitchev Dmitry , Lewis Russell , Tu Hairuo , Cheng Li , Kambara Hajime , Moeser Geoffrey
Published: February 2014

We report on a new class of materials for laser printer toner applications. These materials were prepared from methacrysilane-in-water emulsions stabilized with colloidal silica particles. In this elegant system, the colloidal silica particles reside at the water/oil interface helping to emulsify the oil droplet, self-organizing into a raspberry-like morphology. The emulsion formation is followed by free-radical polymerization, hydrophobic treatment, and drying steps. This one pot synthesis in water affords a hydrophobic material with a particle size in the range of 80 to 300 nm. The particle size could be fine-tuned by changing the oil-to-silica mass ratio or by using colloidal silica particles of different sizes. Results of material characterization by solid-state NMR, electron microscopy, and particle size measurements methods will be presented. Examples of possible extensions of the synthesis towards materials with methacrylsilane partially substituted with other methacrylates will be provided. Application of the new material in toners will be described as will the comparison of its performance with the incumbent material - hydrophobic colloidal silica.
Root Canal Filling: Fracture Strength of Fiber-Reinforced Composite-Restored Roots and Finite Element Analysis
Authors: Rippe Marilia Pivetta , Santini Manuela Favarin , Bier Carlos Alexandre Souza , Borges Alexandre Luiz Souto , Valandro Luiz Felipe
Published: February 2014

The aims of this study were to evaluate the effect of root canal filling techniques on root fracture resistance and to analyze, by finite element analysis (FEA), the expansion of the endodontic sealer in two different root canal techniques. Thirty single-rooted human teeth were instrumented with rotary files to a standardized working length of 14 mm. The specimens were embedded in acrylic resin using plastic cylinders as molds, and allocated into 3 groups (n=10): G(lateral) - lateral condensation; G(single-cone) - single cone; G(tagger) - Tagger's hybrid technique. The root canals were prepared to a length of 11 mm with the #3 preparation bur of a tapered glass fiber-reinforced composite post system. All roots received glass fiber posts, which were adhesively cemented and a composite resin core was built. All groups were subjected to a fracture strength test (1 mm/min, 45°). Data were analyzed statistically by one-way ANOVA with a significance level of 5%. FEA was performed using two models: one simulated lateral condensation and Tagger's hybrid technique, and the other one simulated the single-cone technique. The second model was designed with an amount of gutta-percha two times smaller and a sealer layer two times thicker than the first model. The results were analyzed using von Mises stress criteria. One-way ANOVA indicated that the root canal filling technique affected the fracture strength (p=0.004). The G(lateral) and G(tagger) produced similar fracture strength values, while G(single-cone) showed the lowest values. The FEA showed that the single-cone model generated higher stress in the root canal walls. Sealer thickness seems to influence the fracture strength of restored endodontically treated teeth.
Influence of Apical Patency and Cleaning of the Apical Foramen on Periapical Extrusion in Retreatment
Authors: Deonizio Marili Doro Andrade , Sydney Gilson Blitzkow , Batista Antonio , Pontarolo Roberto , Guimarães Paulo Ricardo Bittencourt , Gavini Giulio
Published: February 2014

This study evaluated the influence of apical patency, root filling removal technique and cleaning of the apical foramen, concerning the amount of debris extruded during root canal retreatment. Forty mandibular incisors were randomly assigned to 4 groups - GIM (n=10), GIIM (n=10), GIPT (n=10) and GIIPT (n=10), which were named according to leaving (I) or not (II) apical patency during canal preparation and filling removal technique (manual - M or ProTaper system - PT). After filling material removal, each specimen of each group had the apical foramen cleaned by sizes 15, 20 and 25 instruments, generating 12 subgroups: GIM15, GIM20, GIM25, GIIM15, GIIM20, GIIM25, GIPT15, GIPT20, GIPT25, GIIPT15, GIIPT20 and GIIPT25. Extruded filling debris was collected by a Milipore filtration system, an HV-durapore, 0.45 µm pore filter with a 25 mm diameter. The filters were weighed before and after the collection on an analytical scale (10–5 g), and the difference was calculated. The mean weight of extruded filling debris was analyzed statistically by Kruskal-Wallis and Friedman ANOVA tests (α=0.05). The mean values found in the groups (in mg) were: GIM (0.95±0.94), GIIM (0.47±0.62), GIPT (0.30±0.31) and GIIPT (0.32±0.44). There was no statistically significant difference among any of the groups or subgroups (p>0.05). ProTaper provided the smallest amount of extruded filling material, regardless of presence or absence of apical patency, followed by manual technique, without and with apical patency. Additional amounts of debris were collected during cleaning of the apical foramen, regardless of the instrument, presence/absence of patency or root filling removal technique.