bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of field driven phase transformations on the loss tangent of relaxor ferroelectric single crystals
Authors: Gallagher John A. , Liu Tieqi , Lynch Christopher S.
Published: March 2013

The effect of a bias stress induced phase transformation on the large field dielectric loss in [001] cut and poled single crystal stack actuators of (1 − x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-xPbTiO3 (PMN-xPT, x = 32) was experimentally characterized. Dielectric loss was observed to increase with compressive preload and electric field amplitude. The dielectric loss was determined by measuring the area within electric displacement vs. electric field hysteresis loops and the measured area was expressed in terms of an effective loss tangent. This approach matches the measured area within the hysteresis loop to an equivalent area ellipse in which the electric displacement lags the electric field by an amount, delta, under sinusoidal loading. The results collapse the measured loss as a function of bias stress and electric field amplitude reasonably close to a single curve. The measured dielectric loss behavior was attributed to the compressive stress preload driving a partial phase transformation from rhombohedral to orthorhombic and the electric field driving the reverse phase transformation from the stress induced orthorhombic phase to the zero stress rhombohedral phase. When the compressive bias stress partially or fully drives this phase transformation, the dielectric loss under unipolar electric field loading increases. This work is focused on quasi-static measurements. The large field dielectric loss is anticipated to be a function of frequency and temperature.
Emission pattern of surface-enhanced Raman scattering from single nanoparticle-film junction
Authors: Du Luping , Tang Dingyuan , Yuan Guanghui , Wei Shibiao , Yuan Xiaocong
Published: March 2013

Emission pattern of surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) from the junction of single nanoparticle and a metal film was experimentally demonstrated. The presence of a thin metal film enables the excitation of surface plasmon polaritons (SPPs) to greatly improve the excitation efficiency of SERS, which is subsequently coupled back to SPPs and re-radiates into the substrate side with higher refractive index at SPP excitation angle. The so-called surface plasmon coupled emission can serve as a high sensitivity detection tool for SERS and particularly for the tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.
The universal behavior of inverse magnetocaloric effect in antiferromagnetic materials
Authors: Biswas Anis , Chandra Sayan , Samanta Tapas , Phan M. H. , Das I. , Srikanth H.
Published: March 2013

We report the universal behavior of inverse magnetocaloric effect (IMCE) in antiferromagnetic materials. In contrast to the universal behavior of conventional magnetocaloric effect often observed in ferromagnetic systems, a phenomenological universal master curve can be constructed to describe the temperature dependence of magnetic entropy change for IMCE without rescaling the temperature axis. The proposed universal curve method allows extrapolating the magnetic entropy change of an IMCE material, which would be imperative to judge its suitability in actual magnetic refrigeration devices.
Hybrid polarity and carrier injection of gold and gadolinium oxide bi-nanocrystals structure
Authors: Wang Jer-Chyi , Lin Chih-Ting , Huang Po-Wei , Lai Chao-Sung , Chang Li-Chun , Wu Chih-I , Chang Jung-Hung
Published: March 2013

In this study, the carrier injection mechanism of gold and gadolinium oxide bi-nanocrystals (BNCs) with hafnium dioxide NC separation layer was investigated. Further, an N-shaped carrier injection curve was observed under positive gate bias. It is resulted from the hybrid polarity and carrier injection. To identify the injection, the activation energies of charge loss were analyzed, and it was found that the substrate-injected electrons and gate-injected holes were stored in the BNCs. The gate-injected carriers were trapped at the Au-NCs and HfO2 interface, exhibiting high-density (>2.45 × 1012 cm−2) and high-speed (∼μs) operation characteristics suitable for future use in flash memories.
Highly stable signal propagation in a consecutively tuned nanomagnet array
Authors: Li Zheng , Krishnan Kannan M.
Published: March 2013

A key function of magnetic quantum-dot cellular automata (MQCA) is signal propagation in the nanomagnet array, for which a clocking field is required. However, the misalignment of the clocking field and the resultant low stability for signal propagation is one of the main challenges for its application. Here, we modeled and fabricated a progressively shape-tuned nanomagnet array combined with a reversal clocking field with progressively reduced amplitude. Based on micromagnetic simulations, Fe nanomagnet arrays were fabricated by electron beam lithography and their magnetization states characterized by magnetic force microscopy demonstrated correct signal propagation against clocking field misalignment up to ±5°. Furthermore, cascade-like signal propagation was observed. This novel design provides high stability and directional control in signal propagation within the nanomagnet array and potentially paves the way for addressing the misalignment issue in MQCA structures.
Refuge sites, activity and torpor in wild common dunnarts (Sminthopsis murina) in a temperate heathland
Authors: Paull David C.
Published: March 2013

This telemetric study describes patterns of movement, activity, refuge-site use and torpor in free-living Sminthopsis murina over one autumn/winter period in a warm-temperate habitat. S. murina were found to rest during the day in burrows and hollow logs. Individuals maintained several daytime refuges and foraged over several hectares each night. They were found to prefer agamid burrows where a daily temperature of 10.3–15.8°C was maintained when ambient surface temperatures varied between 3.5 and 24.6°C. Torpor was employed in 12 of 13 complete resting periods recorded. Dunnarts were found to use both long (>6 h) and short (<4 h) torpor bouts with a minimum skin temperature of 17.2–26.7°C. Typically, torpor occurred in the morning, though bouts into the afternoon were also recorded. Arousal rates from torpor were variable and were achieved by endogenous and passive means. Normothermic rest bouts tended to be short (mostly <3 h) though longer periods were recorded, with a mean resting skin temperature of 32.3 ± 0.8°C. The variable physiological responses observed in S. murina seem to follow a facultative pattern, and, along with long activity periods and their use of refuge sites, may be linked to variable invertebrate activity during cooler months.
Use of incentives to encourage sexually transmissible infection testing amongst sex-on-premises venue patrons
Authors: Stevens Brett , Debattista Joseph , Rutkin William
Published: March 2013

Background
Incentives have been explored as a strategy for increasing access to sexually transmissible infection (STI) testing. This project sought to trial the offer of free entry to sex-on-premises venues (SOPVs) for venue patrons as an incentive to access sexual health checks. Method: SOPV patrons were offered free entry into venues if they took advantage of sexual health testing at a range of clinics. Patrons were given testing cards from the SOPV that could be exchanged at the time of the clinical consultation for a free entry pass to the SOPV of their choice. Cards collected at clinics and SOPVs were collated. Results: In total, 244 cards were distributed to patrons from four venues over a 6-month period. Ten persons accessed one of the six clinical sites, one person attending twice. Of these persons, five attended two general practices and the remaining five accessed public sexual health clinics. Of these 10 persons, three used their free entry passes to attend an SOPV. Two persons accessed these clinical sites for the first time, one of whom tested reactive for an STI. Another regular attendee also tested reactive. Conclusion: Despite the low uptake, the free entry promotion was inexpensive and could, given sufficient time, be considered an effective incentive. Nonetheless, this study may have contributed to at least two new persons undertaking testing, one of whom was diagnosed with an STI.
Prevalence and predictors of lymphogranuloma venereum among men who have sex with men at a Sydney metropolitan sexual health clinic
Authors: Templeton David J. , Sharp Nicola , Gryllis Sophie , O'Connor Catherine C. , Dubedat Sally M.
Published: March 2013

During an 18-month period to June 2012, 1732 anal chlamydia (Chlamydia trachomatis) tests were performed among men who have sex with men (MSM) at RPA Sexual Health in Sydney’s inner west. Positive anal chlamydia samples were subsequently tested for lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV). Seventy-five (4.3%) anal samples were positive for chlamydia among 67 men during the study period. Anal symptoms were reported for 16 out of 75 (21.3%) of anal chlamydia episodes overall. Three episodes of LGV (all serovar L2b) were identified, all three of whom reported anal symptoms (100%, 95% confidence interval (CI): 29.2–100%). In contrast, only 13/72 (18.1%, 95% CI: 10.0–28.9%) of those with non-LGV anal chlamydia reported anal symptoms. LGV was not identified in any of 59 episodes of asymptomatic anal chlamydia (0%, 95% CI: 0–6.1%). Of those with LGV, two were known to be HIV-positive and one subsequently seroconverted to HIV within a year of the LGV diagnosis. Our findings suggest that routine LGV testing among MSM is not warranted, except among those with anal symptoms.
African-American men’s exposure to music videos and their sexual attitudes and risk behaviour
Authors: DiClemente Ralph J. , Alexander Adannaa O. , Braxton Nikia D. , Ricks JaNelle M. , Seth Puja
Published: March 2013

Background
Media is a social determinant of HIV and sexually transmissible infection (STI) risk. However, limited empirical data have examined men’s media exposure and their sexual attitudes and behaviour towards women. Methods: Eighty heterosexual African-American men were assessed on their exposure to music videos, sexual attitudes and behaviour. They also were tested for STIs. Results: Findings indicated that men influenced by music videos reported more sexual adventurism, more condom barriers, more lifetime sexual partners, more condom request refusals, substance abuse and a history of incarceration. Conclusions: Further longitudinal research is needed to better understand this relationship and to address the role of media in HIV and STI prevention interventions.
Ca2+-Dependent Protein Kinase11 and 24 Modulate the Activity of the Inward Rectifying K+ Channels inArabidopsisPollen Tubes
Authors: Zhao Li-Na , Shen Li-Ke , Zhang Wen-Zheng , Zhang Wei , Wang Yi , Wu Wei-Hua
Published: March 2013

Potassium (K+) influx into pollen tubes via K+ transporters is essential for pollen tube growth; however, the mechanism by which K+ transporters are regulated in pollen tubes remains unknown. Here, we report that Arabidopsis thaliana Ca2+-dependent protein kinase11 (CPK11) and CPK24 are involved in Ca2+-dependent regulation of the inward K+ (K+  in) channels in pollen tubes. Using patch-clamp analysis, we demonstrated that K+  in currents of pollen tube protoplasts were inhibited by elevated [Ca2+]cyt. However, disruption of CPK11 or CPK24 completely impaired the Ca2+-dependent inhibition of K+  in currents and enhanced pollen tube growth. Moreover, the cpk11 cpk24 double mutant exhibited similar phenotypes as the corresponding single mutants, suggesting that these two CDPKs function in the same signaling pathway. Bimolecular fluorescence complementation and coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed that CPK11 could interact with CPK24 in vivo. Furthermore, CPK11 phosphorylated the N terminus of CPK24 in vitro, suggesting that these two CDPKs work together as part of a kinase cascade. Electrophysiological assays demonstrated that the Shaker pollen K+  in channel is the main contributor to pollen tube K+  in currents and acts as the downstream target of the CPK11-CPK24 pathway. We conclude that CPK11 and CPK24 together mediate the Ca2+-dependent inhibition of K+  in channels and participate in the regulation of pollen tube growth in Arabidopsis.
Simulation of assembly operations using interchangeable parts for OM education
Authors: Costa Santos Luciano , Fabiana Gohr Cláudia , Vieira Junior Milton
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The paper aims to present a hands‐on activity for operations management (OM) education that simulates assembly operations common in industrial settings using polyvinyl chloride (PVC) threadable fittings utilised in water pipes as interchangeable parts for easy manual assembly.

Design/methodology/approach

The teaching method followed the philosophy of active learning and was applied in an action research approach; the proposed activity was tested and improved during applications in the classroom.

Findings

The applicability of the method was proven during in‐class exercises. The results were confirmed with positive feedback from the students involved in the exercises, which was obtained through a survey conducted after a set of applications.

Research limitations/implications

Although the proposed activity may have several possibilities for application, this paper focuses specifically on teaching the topics of work measurement and assembly line balancing, thus limiting the generalisability of these findings to other OM techniques. Therefore, it is important that the activity is further adapted to teach other OM topics.

Practical implications

The activity performed with pipe fittings represents a practical exercise that contributes to reduction of the gap between theory and practice in OM education. Using simple and low cost materials, the students are involved in creating a real process from a fictional product.

Originality/value

This paper presents an experiential learning exercise applied using an innovative approach, using pipe fittings as interchangeable parts assembled in a production line.
Examining the effectiveness of experiential teaching methods in small and large OM modules
Authors: Piercy Niall , Brandon‐Jones Alistair , Brandon‐Jones Emma , Campbell Colin
Published: March 2013

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the preferences of students towards different teaching methods and the perceived effectiveness of experiential teaching methods in different operations management (OM) modules.

Design/methodology/approach

Student perceptions of different teaching methods and various aspects of an experiential teaching method, in the form of a business simulation game, are examined using survey data from 274 respondents in four small post‐experience and two large pre‐experience OM modules.

Findings

The paper's analysis suggests that traditional and experiential teaching methods are both popular with OM students, whilst independent teaching methods are less well liked. Analysis also shows that students on both kinds of OM modules perceive most aspects of the experiential teaching method used in this study (The Operations Game) very positively.

Research limitations/implications

This research study was confined to a particular type of experiential teaching method – a business simulation game. There is a need for further research to investigate the perceived effectiveness of other experiential teaching methods, such as role‐plays and live cases. Furthermore, the paper does not examine the use of experiential teaching methods that do not require the physical presence of students.

Practical implications

For OM educators, the paper clarifies how they might incorporate experiential teaching methods in different class settings. Whilst experiential teaching methods are typically used for small post‐experience modules, these data indicate that the method can also be used on larger pre‐experience modules with great success. The paper also notes a number of challenges involved in using experiential teaching methods on both kinds of module.

Originality/value

This is the first known study to directly examine the perceived effectiveness of an experiential teaching method in both small post‐experience and larger pre‐experience OM modules.
A contingency theoretical perspective to the product‐process matrix
Authors: Helkiö Pekka , Tenhiälä Antti
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The product‐process matrix of Hayes and Wheelwright is widely known for its prescriptive managerial guidance. Yet, most empirical studies have found no support for its performance assertions or have even contradicted them. The purpose of this paper is to propose a contingency theoretical generalization and extension that accommodates both the performance implications of the original model and the best‐known departures from it.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors test their extended model with survey data from 151 manufacturing plants.

Findings

The authors' model extends the process dimension of the original model into a specificity dimension that depends not only on the layout of the process but also on the flexibilities that can be achieved with advanced manufacturing technologies. Similarly, the product dimension, which was operationalized as product variety in the original matrix, is generalized to the complexity of the production task, where product variety is only one element among others. Furthermore, the authors extend the model to accommodate also the dynamism of the task environment.

Research limitations/implications

In addition to the testing of the extended model, the study provides openings for further theoretical development. In particular, the findings demonstrate the value of the contingency theoretical concept of suboptimal equifinality to operations management research.

Practical implications

The study updates the product‐process matrix to match the modern industrial reality and thus enables the continued application of this important operations strategy prescription.

Originality/value

The study integrates insights from previous research in operations management and contingency theory into a generalization and extension of the product‐process matrix.
Fighting back against the Big Deals: a success story from the UK
Authors: McGrath Mike
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The paper aims to describe the development of an alternative to the Big Deals that was deployed successfully in negotiations with Elsevier and Wiley for the 2012 settlement.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a descriptive account of the alternative plan.

Findings

There is a credible alternative to the Big Deals offered by most commercial academic publishers. Even if not implemented, the model provides a very useful tool to understanding the relationship between cost per use and document supply.

Originality/value

The paper provides an account of the first time that a practical alternative to the Big Deals has been developed, leading to a successful negotiating conclusion.
Convergence theory in quality management: evidence from the petroleum industry
Authors: Mellat‐Parast Mahour
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effect of top management support for quality and human resource management practices on quality results in the petroleum industry.

Design/methodology/approach

A survey was used to collect data from managers in the petroleum industry. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the hypotheses.

Findings

Consistent with previous studies, the results provide support for the importance of top management commitment to quality in emphasizing other quality practices. The relationship between top management support and employee involvement was also significant.

Research limitations/implications

A larger sample is needed to validate the findings of this study. Future studies should address the impact of other quality management practices on quality outcomes.

Originality/value

The findings provide support for the convergence theory and contingency theory in quality management.
Markets
Authors: Dean Dianne
Published: March 2013

Purpose

The aim is to contrast two fictional responses to the increasing investment into Australian farmland by overseas interests within the context of an aging farming population.

Design/methodology/approach

This is humorous fiction.

Findings

A number of concerns are raised: vertical integration of Australian produce, availability of services to an aging population, and an aging farming community.

Originality/value

This is a fictional story designed to provoke thought and discussion.
Fifteen minutes of fame: the conference paper presentation
Authors: Parker Lee
Published: March 2013

Purpose

A satirical reflection on the perils of conference paper presentations.

Design/methodology/approach

Poetic exposition.

Findings

Highlights the traps into which conference paper presenters can sometimes unwittingly fall.

Research limitations/implications

For effective presenting within strict time limits, a speaker can never be too prepared.

Originality/value

Presents a visual picture of the dilemma and final crash that occurs when presenters fail to impose self‐discipline in structuring and delivering to the audience they desperately want to reach.
First Human Application of a Novel Adsorptive‐Type Cytapheresis Module in Patients With Active Ulcerative Colitis: A Pilot Study
Authors: Ramlow Wolfgang , Waitz Grit , Sparmann Gisela , Prophet Heinrich , Bodammer Peggy , Emmrich Jörg
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety, tolerability, technical performance and clinical efficacy of a novel adsorptive‐type cytapheresis module in patients with active ulcerative colitis. Ten patients with ulcerative colitis (clinical activity index 6–10) were recruited. The new adsorber (Nikkiso, Tokyo, Japan) was specifically designed to remove platelets, granulocytes and monocytes from peripheral blood using an extracorporeal circulation. Cytapheresis treatments were performed weekly for five consecutive weeks (each with a 60‐min duration). Safety and tolerability were evaluated by investigating vital parameters, routine laboratory tests, adverse event reporting and a questionnaire. Disease activity was evaluated by assessing the clinical activity index as well as the endoscopic index, according to Rachmilewitz. Technical performance and biocompatibility were investigated by repeated measurements of cellular blood count, complement factor C3a and cell surface markers before, during and after the apheresis treatments. The cytapheresis treatments were “well” to “very well” tolerated by the patients. All measured safety parameters remained essentially unchanged. Performance data showed that platelets, monocytes and neutrophil granulocytes were effectively reduced during the cytapheresis treatments. Apheresis treatment was associated with high remission rates (80% at week 10). Clinical remission was accompanied by the reduction of the endoscopic index in four out of the nine eligible patients. Levels of C3a did not significantly increase during cytapheresis treatments. The novel device has been shown to be safe, well tolerated and clinically efficient. It offered a very good biocompatibility and platelet elimination capacity.
Divisions, Tellers and Management in the 17th‐Century House of Commons
Authors: Seaward Paul
Published: March 2013

Although we know a certain amount about how governments tried to plan parliamentary sessions in the 17th century, about the managers to whom they entrusted the task, and about the existence of factions and parties within the house of commons, very little is known about the exact operation of such groups – how they tried to secure the result they wanted through working together to manipulate their fellow members and the practice and procedure of the House. A sophisticated level of organisation by the junto in the early 1640s is implied in two polemical sources, and this article investigates whether more can be discovered about organisation and tactics on the floor of the House through a detailed examination of the way divisions were taken across the period. A database of tellers covering four periods within the years 1604–87 has been constructed in order to examine the role, in particular to see whether individuals specialised as tellers. The result shows that a few specific members were extremely active as tellers, although further work would be required to establish whether their activity as tellers can be distinguished from overall activity.
‘If he Deserves it’: William of Orange's Pre‐Revolution British Contacts and Gilbert Burnet's Proposals for the Post‐Revolution Administration
Authors: Eagles Robin
Published: March 2013

The revolution of 1688–9 has been studied from a variety of angles, but few historians have paid much attention to the sheer depth of William of Orange's acquaintance with a broad swathe of British society. Many of the choices the prince made during the invasion and in the years leading up to it were influenced by his contacts in Britain. He knew the court well and had made some efforts to influence the timings of parliaments and the direction of policy under his uncles, Charles II and James II. The shape of the regime that emerged after his successful overthrow of James II was also informed by his knowledge of a number of senior British politicians and this is reflected in a list compiled by one of his followers, Gilbert Burnet, in the course of the revolution. This article seeks to cast new light on the preparations that lay behind the invasion and the reasons for the appointments that were made in the new administration of William and Mary.
The Dying Embers of an Outdated Privilege: The 1935 Trial of Lord de Clifford in the House of Lords
Authors: Paley Ruth
Published: March 2013

The year 1935 was an ominous year for European peace. Hitler's Germany began to rearm; Mussolini's Italy provoked a major diplomatic crisis by invading Abyssinia. Against this background it seemed extraordinary that Edward Russell, 26th Baron de Clifford, had to be tried for manslaughter by his peers in the house of lords. Such trials of peers had once been perceived as powerful theatrical examples of the place of the aristocracy in British society. By 1935, de Clifford's trial, the last ever of a peer in the house of lords, was an anachronism and his ultimate acquittal seemed like an outdated piece of class justice. Behind the scenes of an apparent farce in which justice was to be administered by men garbed in pantomime robes, there was, however, a serious issue about interpreting the law of manslaughter, which sparked a concerted, but clandestine, attempt by the then director of public prosecutions to undermine the credibility of the lord chief justice.
Sir Lewis Namier, Sir John Neale and the Shaping of the History of Parliament
Authors: Hayton D.W.
Published: March 2013

When the project for a collaborative, publicly‐funded History of Parliament was relaunched in 1951, with the support of a substantial grant‐in‐aid from the treasury, academic direction was entrusted to an ‘editorial board’ of professional historians, the most influential of whom were Sir John Neale and Sir Lewis Namier. Both were committed to the technique of collective biography, but had radically‐different views of the structure and scope of the History. For Neale, the research would provide quantitative answers to specific historical questions, arising from his essentially whiggish view of constitutional development. Namier held to a ‘sociological’ method, studying the lives of MPs as a means of recreating the world of the governing classes. In practice, Namier set no limits to his inquiry: historical questions would be determined by the evidence. Faced with these conflicting approaches the ‘editorial board’ failed to define the purpose of the History. In practice, because Namier's section made more progress, his view of the History triumphed over Neale's. But as deadlines drew near the treasury began to exert pressure. Conservative ministers (especially Harold Macmillan) and civil servants, were sharply critical of the apparently open‐ended nature of the History, and the trustees, who bore ultimate responsibility for the project, were anxious to bring volumes to publication. In consequence, Namier's original ambition was curtailed and, after his death in 1960, his own section was completed by his assistant, John Brooke, in a more restricted format.
Some Parliamentary Material in the Early Records of the Clerk of the Crown in Chancery
Authors: Kleineke Hannes
Published: March 2013

The duties of the clerk of the crown in chancery in the middle ages are illustrated by the templates recorded in a series of precedent books preserved in the National Archives, Kew, dating from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The material concerned includes among various types of parliamentary writs, and documents relating to the adjournment and prorogation of parliament, an otherwise unknown list of summonses to the parliament of 1489.
Three (More) Division Lists from the Ailesbury Manuscripts: On the ‘Church in Danger’ (1705), the Septennial Bill and Forfeited Estates of Jacobites (1716)
Authors: Littleton Charles
Published: March 2013

The discovery in the manuscript papers of Charles, Lord Bruce, of three lists enumerating the voters in important divisions in the house of lords in the early 18th century – on the ‘Church in Danger’ (1705), the Septennial Bill and the Bill to Resume the Forfeited Estates of ‘Traitors’ after the Jacobite Rebellion (1716) – help to illuminate the state of party allegiances and affiliations in these periods, for which no other division lists are extant. This note provides the voting results from these division lists in tabular form, accompanied by indications of the current state of our knowledge of party affiliations for each of the individuals listed. However, the origin and accuracy of each of these lists are not clear‐cut and this note also details the discrepancies and anomalies in each list.
A new fossil from the Jurassic of Patagonia reveals the early basicranial evolution and the origins of Crocodyliformes
Authors: Pol Diego , Rauhut Oliver W. M. , Lecuona Agustina , Leardi Juan M. , Xu Xing , Clark James M.
Published: March 2013

Extant crocodylians have a limited taxonomic and ecological diversity but they belong to a lineage (Crocodylomorpha) that includes basal and rather generalized species and a highly diverse clade, Crocodyliformes. The latter was among the most successful groups of Mesozoic tetrapods, both in terms of taxonomic and ecological diversity. Crocodyliforms thrived in terrestrial, semiaquatic, and marine environments, and their fossil diversity includes carnivorous, piscivorous, insectivorous, and herbivorous species. This remarkable ecological and trophic diversity is thought only to occur in forms with a completely akinetic skull, characterized by a functionally integrated and tightly sutured braincase‐quadrate‐palate complex. However, the patterns of evolutionary change that led to the highly modified skull of crocodyliforms and that likely enabled their diversification remain poorly understood. Herein, a new basal crocodylomorph from the Late Jurassic of Patagonia is described, Almadasuchus figarii gen. et sp. nov. The new taxon is known from a well‐preserved posterior region of the skull as well as other craniomandibular and postcranial remains. Almadasuchus figarii differs from all other crocodylomorphs in the presence of six autapomorphic features, including the presence of a large lateral notch on the upper temporal bar, an otic shelf of the squamosal that is wider than long, a deep subtriangular concavity on the posterolateral surface of the squamosal, and an elongated pneumatopore on the ventral surface of the quadrate. Phylogenetic analysis focused on the origin of Crocodyliformes places Almadasuchus as the sister group of Crocodyliformes, supported by synapomorphic features of the skull (e.g. subtriangular basisphenoid, absence of basipterygoid process, absence of a sagittal ridge on the frontal, and a flat anterior skull roof with an ornamented dorsal surface). New braincase information provided by Almadasuchus and other crocodylomorphs indicates that most of the modifications on the posterior region of the skull of crocodyliforms, including the strongly sutured braincase, quadrate, and the extensive secondary palate appeared in a stepwise manner, and pre‐dated the evolutionary changes in the snout, jaws, and dentition. This indicates that the progressively increased rigidity of the skull provided the structural framework that allowed the great ecological diversification of crocodyliforms during the course of the Mesozoic. The phylogenetic pattern of character acquisition inferred for the strongly sutured (akinetic) skull and the appearance of more diverse feeding behaviours that create high mechanical loads on the skull provides another interesting parallel between the evolution of Mesozoic crocodyliforms and the evolutionary origins of mammals.
Effects of Chronic Stress and Alendronate Therapy on the Osseointegration of Titanium Implants
Authors: Conte Neto Nicolau , de Andrade Cleverton Roberto , Spolidorio Luis Carlos , Planeta Cleópatra da Silva , Cruz Fábio Cardoso , de Souza Bastos Alliny , Marcantonio Elcio
Published: March 2013

Purposes

The purposes of this study were to evaluate the influence of chronic stress (CS) on implant osseointegration and also to analyze whether alendronate (ALN) therapy could prevent these eventual stress‐negative effects.

Materials and Methods

Adult male Holtzmann rats were assigned to one of the four experimental groups: AL (ALN; 1 mg/kg/week; n = 12), ALS (ALN + CS; 1 mg/kg/week; n = 12), CTL (sterile physiological saline; n = 12), or CTLS (sterile physiological saline + CS; n = 12). After 58 days of drug therapy, the ALS and CTLS groups were exposed to CS, and 2 days later all animals underwent tibial implant installation. The animals were euthanized 28 days following the operative surgical procedure.

Results

It was observed that the CTLS group presented an impairment of bone metabolism represented by lowest levels of bone‐specific alkaline phosphatase and bone area fraction occupancy values. Furthermore, these animals presented a higher proportion of empty osteocytic lacunae. In contrast, the ALN therapy showed increased osseointegration and torque value parameters, regardless of stress exposition.

Conclusions

Analysis of the data presented suggests that CS partially impairs the osseointegration of tibial implants and that ALN therapy is able to prevent these negative effects.
Oral hairy leukoplakia diagnosis by Epstein–Barr virus in situ hybridization in liquid‐based cytology
Authors: Braz‐Silva P. H. , Santos R. T. M. , Schussel J. L. , Gallottini M.
Published: March 2013

Objective

To establish a definitive diagnosis of oral hairy leukoplakia (OHL) by in situ hybridization for Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) detection with liquid‐based cytology (LBC), using the ThinPrep® Pap Test, and to compare its efficacy with the traditional method of performing biopsy.

Methods

Thirty‐three individuals divided into three groups were included in this study. Group 1 consisted of 15 human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)‐positive patients with a clinical and histopathological diagnosis of OHL on the lateral border of the tongue. Group 2 consisted of 10 HIV‐positive individuals with neither OHL nor other oral lesions. Group 3 consisted of 10 immunocompetent HIV‐negative individuals with neither OHL nor other oral lesions. For each patient from the three groups, exfoliative LBC was performed on the lateral border of the tongue using ThinPrep. For the patients from group 1, a 6‐mm‐diameter punch biopsy was obtained from the same anatomic site as the brush collection to confirm the diagnosis of OHL by histopathology with in situ hybridization. Slides were prepared for morphological cellular analysis using Papanicolaou (Pap) staining, and for EBV detection using in situ hybridization.

Results

Thirteen of the 15 patients from group 1 were confirmed on punch biopsy as OHL, providing the gold standard for the study. The sensitivity of LBC followed by a Pap‐stained smear was 62% and the specificity was 90%. The sensitivity of LBC followed by in situ hybridization was 100% and the specificity was 100%.

Conclusions

Exfoliative LBC associated with EBV in situ hybridization is a simple, effective and non‐invasive diagnostic tool for OHL.
Adherence to antiepileptic medicines in children: A multiple‐methods assessment involving dried blood spot sampling
Authors: Shah Noraida Mohamed , Hawwa Ahmed F. , Millership Jeff S. , Collier Paul S. , Ho Paul , Tan Mui Ling , Peake Deirdre , Tirupathi Sandya , Bothwell Janice , Bailie Nicola , Shepherd Charles , Craig John , McElnay James C.
Published: March 2013

Purpose

To evaluate adherence to prescribed antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in children with epilepsy using a combination of adherence‐assessment methods.

Methods

A total of 100 children with epilepsy (≤17 years old) were recruited. Medication adherence was determined via parental and child self‐reporting (≥9 years old), medication refill data from general practitioner (GP) prescribing records, and via AED concentrations in dried blood spot (DBS) samples obtained from children at the clinic and via self‐ or parental‐led sampling in children's own homes. The latter were assessed using population pharmacokinetic modeling. Patients were deemed nonadherent if any of these measures were indicative of nonadherence with the prescribed treatment. In addition, beliefs about medicines, parental confidence in seizure management, and the presence of depressed mood in parents were evaluated to examine their association with nonadherence in the participating children.

Key Findings

The overall rate of nonadherence in children with epilepsy was 33%. Logistic regression analysis indicated that children with generalized epilepsy (vs. focal epilepsy) were more likely (odds ratio [OR] 4.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.37–15.81) to be classified as nonadherent as were children whose parents have depressed mood (OR 3.6, 95% CI 1.16–11.41).

Significance

This is the first study to apply the novel methodology of determining adherence via AED concentrations in clinic and home DBS samples. The present findings show that the latter, with further development, could be a useful approach to adherence assessment when combined with other measures including parent and child self‐reporting. Seizure type and parental depressed mood were strongly predictive of nonadherence.
The Returns to Hedge Fund Activism in Germany
Authors: Bessler Wolfgang , Drobetz Wolfgang , Holler Julian
Published: March 2013

Recent regulatory changes in the German financial system shifted corporate control activities from universal banks to other capital market participants. Particularly hedge funds took advantage of the resulting control vacuum by acquiring stakes in weakly governed and less profitable firms. We document that, on average, hedge funds increased shareholder value in the short‐ and long‐run. However, more aggressive hedge funds generated only initially higher returns and their outperformance quickly reversed, whereas non‐aggressive hedge funds ultimately outperformed their aggressive peers. These findings suggest that aggressive hedge funds attempt to expropriate the target firm's shareholders by exiting at temporarily increased share prices.
Capital Structure and Debt Priority
Authors: Attaoui Sami , Poncet Patrice
Published: March 2013

We study a defaultable firm's debt priority structure in a simple structural model where the firm issues senior and junior bonds and is subject to both liquidity and solvency risks. Assuming that the absolute priority rule prevails and that liquidation is immediate upon default, we determine the firm's interior optimal priority structure along with its optimal capital structure. We also obtain closed‐form solutions for the market values of the firm's debt and equity. We find that the magnitude of the spread differential between junior and senior bond yields is positively, but not linearly related to the total debt level and the riskiness of assets. Finally, we provide an in‐depth analysis of probabilities of default and the term structure of credit spreads.
Student Collaboration and Teacher‐Directed Classroom Dynamic Assessment: A Complementary Pairing
Authors: Davin Kristin J. , Donato Richard
Published: March 2013

This article examines collaboration during small‐group tasks with young language learners studying Spanish. After five days of classroom dynamic assessment (DA) targeting WH‐question formation, students worked in small groups on a collaborative writing task. This research sought to determine whether learners were able to mediate their peers during this task and if so, whether this mediation might be traced back to participation in classroom DA. Findings revealed that students drew upon collective knowledge to complete the task. While the learners did not appropriate forms of mediation used during DA, characteristics such as repetition and first language usage appeared in peer scaffolding. We conclude that classroom DA can be supplemented by small‐group tasks and that assistance, albeit in different forms, emerged in these two contexts.
L'œuvre de la Conférence de Genève
Authors: JOUHAUX Léon
Published: March 2013

C'est en 1951 que le prix Nobel de la paix est décernéà Léon Jouhaux, qui a consacré«une longue vie de travail et de lutte à l'élévation des classes laborieuses – et avant tout à améliorer leur condition. […] Il est ici parce que depuis son plus jeune âge il s'est engagé dans le combat pour la paix et contre la guerre» [… lire la suite].
Le redressement économique et les problèmes de l'emploi en Suède. II1
Authors: OHLIN Bertil
Published: March 2013

En 1935, la plupart des pays riches étaient au pire de la crise économique, victimes de la déflation et du chômage de masse. Pourtant, en Suède, le déclin avait été moindre et le redressement plus rapide. Pour quelles raisons? L'intérêt pour cette question était bien entendu considérable à l'époque. Bertil Ohlin, qui avait auparavant rédigé des rapports sur la crise mondiale et sur le chômage en Suède – et qui reçut plus tard le prix Nobel d'économie –, analyse les causes du redressement de la Suède [… lire la suite].
La théorie générale de M. Keynes sur les rapports entre l'emploi, l'intérêt et la monnaie
Authors: LERNER Abba P.
Published: March 2013

L'article d'Abba P. Lerner, que nous reproduisons ici, fut le premier à rendre simple et intelligible par tous la théorie de Keynes sur l'emploi; il avait d'ailleurs, avant sa publication, été lu et approuvé par J. M. Keynes. Né en Roumanie, A. P. Lerner a fait ses études à Cambridge avant d'enseigner dans plusieurs établissements universitaires, dont la London School of Economics and Political Science et l'université de Californie (Berkeley) [… lire la suite].
Política demográfica y protección a la familia en Suecia
Authors: MYRDAL Alva
Published: March 2013

A principios del decenio de 1930 Suecia no solo destaca por su preclara política económica, sino también por su política de apoyo a la familia. Alva Myrdal, que obtendrá posteriormente el Premio Nobel de la Paz, fue una de las inspiradoras de la política demográfica de dicho país. En el artículo aquí reproducido explica las preocupaciones de Suecia y el carácter de la política recomendada y aplicada […] Seguir leyendo
Trabajo y derechos
Authors: SEN Amartya
Published: March 2013

Amartya Sen fue galardonado con el Premio Nobel de Economía en 1998. Con una obra que se sitúa en el punto de encuentro entre economía y filosofía, se trata sin duda de uno de los autores más creativos del momento presente. Abordó la cuestión del empleo en un libro que se ha convertido en referencia obligada titulado Employment, technology and development (Empleo, tecnología y desarrollo) que había preparado por encargo de la OIT en el marco del Programa Mundial del Empleo en 1975 […] Seguir leyendo
X‐ray Diffraction Study of the Effect of High‐Temperature Heat Treatment on the Microstructural Stability of Third‐Generation SiC Fibers
Authors: Gosset Dominique , Colin Christian , Jankowiak Aurelien , Vandenberghe Thierry , Lochet Nicolas
Published: March 2013

Third‐generation SiC fibers [High Nicalon S (HNS) and Tyranno SA3 (Ty–SA3)] were studied by X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) after heat treatments in neutral atmosphere up to 1900°C. The microstructural changes in both materials were determined using a modified Hall–Williamson method introducing an anisotropy parameter taking into account the high density of planar defects. HNS fibers exhibit significant modifications in the coherent diffraction domains (CDD) size, which drastically increases from 24 to 70 nm in the range 1600°C–1900°C. TEM observations support these results. The residual microstrain values decrease from 0.0015 to 0.0005 between 1750°C and 1850°C. Similarly, the anisotropy parameter significantly decreases in the same temperature range. Concerning the Ty–SA3 fibers, no evolution in terms of CDD size and residual microstrain was observed. However, the anisotropy parameter decreases at 1800°C. TEM observations did not show noticeable grain growth. The grain size was found to be larger than the CDD and the planar defects density to decrease at high temperature. In both types of fibers, the CDD sizes are similar for the highest temperature heat treatments.
Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms and promoter methylation in cervical oncogenic lesions and cancer
Authors: Botezatu Anca , Socolov Demetra , Iancu Iulia V , Huica Irina , Plesa Adriana , Ungureanu Carmen , Anton Gabriela
Published: March 2013

The aim of this study was to investigate the role of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms and MTHFR methylation pattern in cervical lesions development among women from Romania, a country with high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) cervical infections. To achieve this goal, blood samples and cervical cytology specimens (n = 77)/tumour tissue specimens (n = 23) were investigated. As control, blood and negative cytological smears (n = 50) were used. A statistically significant association was found between T allele of C677T polymorphism and cervical lesions, heterozygote women presenting a threefold increased risk (normal/cervical lesions and tumours: wild homozygote 34/41 (0.68/0.41), heterozygote 14/51 (0.28/0.51), mutant homozygote 2/8 (0.04/0.08); OR = 3.081, P = 0.0035). Using χ square test for the control group, the HPV‐negative and HPV‐positive patients with cervix lesions, a significant correlation between viral infection and T allele of C677T polymorphism (P = 0.0287) was found. The MTHFR promoter was methylated in all HGSIL and tumour samples, significant differences being noted between HPV‐positive samples, control group and cases of cervical dysplastic lesions without HPV DNA (P < 0. 0001) and between samples from patients with high‐risk (hr)HPV versus low‐risk (lr)HPV (P = 0.0026). No correlations between polymorphisms and methylation were observed. In Romania, individuals carrying T allele are susceptible for cervical lesions. MTHFR promoter methylation is associated with cervical severity lesions and with hrHPV.