bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Spurgeon, Byron, and the Contingencies of Mediation
Authors: Mole Tom
Published: April 2012

The popular Victorian preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon referred to Byron almost forty times in his published works. Drawing on first-hand examination of Spurgeon’s library, this essay shows how Byron’s words were mediated to Spurgeon through a variety of anthologies, primers, and collections of sententiae, and how Spurgeon mediated them to others in turn through his sermons and writings. In the process, Byron’s writing was broken into fragments, placed in new contexts, spliced with other people’s words, misremembered, misattributed and rendered strange. The essay suggests that analysing this contingent process of mediation reveals alternative possibilities for the study of reception history.
Les principales caractéristiques du cycle économique et de la croissance tendancielle au Liban
Authors: Verne Jean-François
Published: April 2012

Cet article montre que les caractéristiques des cycles économiques et de la croissance tendancielle au Liban se sont modifiées sur la période 1970-2009. Avant 1990, date marquant la fin du conflit qui a débuté en 1975, les phases d’expansion enregistrent une durée plus longue que les phases de récession et les amplitudes cycliques sont très importantes par rapport à ce que l’on peut constater après la fin de la guerre. En effet, à partir de 1996, la durée des phases de récession est supérieure ou égale à celle des phases d’expansion et le PIB fluctue faiblement autour de sa tendance de long terme. En outre, sur la période étudiée, la croissance tendancielle affiche un taux faiblement positif et le PIB observé revient vers sa tendance de long terme environ huit ans après la fin du conflit. Cela signifie qu’un choc exogène n’a qu’un effet transitoire sur le PIB libanais. On constate, par conséquent, un phénomène de persistance du choc.
« Sociologue, raconte-moi la famille! » 30 ans de sociologie française de la famille
Authors: Messu Michel
Published: April 2012

La sociologie de la famille, en France tout particulièrement, a eu tendance à admettre deux types de paradigme explicatif du fait familial. L’un attribue aux institutions sociales, à l’État particulièrement, un rôle dirimant. L’autre renvoie à l’individu autonome le soin de le réaliser. Nous proposons d’envisager le fait familial comme le produit d’une dynamique multifactorielle. Ce qui nous amène à incliner pour une approche sociologique qui fasse la part belle aux opérations de déconstruction/reconstruction du fait familial en considérant la représentation du monde social dans laquelle il prend place.
Searching Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) for Information on Genetic Loci Involved in Human Disease
Authors: Baxevanis Andreas D.
Published: April 2012

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a comprehensive compendium of information on human genes and genetic disorders, with a particular emphasis on the interplay between observed phenotypes and underlying genotypes. This unit focuses on the basic methodology for formulating OMIM searches and illustrates the types of information that can be retrieved from OMIM, including descriptions of clinical manifestations resulting from genetic abnormalities. This unit also provides information on additional relevant medical and molecular biology databases. A basic knowledge of OMIM should be part of the armamentarium of physicians and scientists with an interest in research on the clinical aspects of genetic disorders. Curr. Protoc. Hum. Genet. 73:9.13.1‐9.13.10. © 2012 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The weak relationship between anatomy competence and clinical skills in junior medical students
Authors: Schoeman Scarpa , Chandratilake Madawa
Published: April 2012

In modern curricula, the early integration of anatomy and clinical skills education at undergraduate level is seen as important. However, the direct relationship between medical students' competence in anatomy, and their clinical proficiency during early undergraduate years, has scarcely been studied. In this study, the marks for anatomy and clinical skills of three consecutive cohorts of medical students (n = 538 in total) during their first two years were correlated. The anatomy competence was measured using a new marker, the Anatomy Competence Score (ACS) which was calculated with equal contributions from theory knowledge and its practical and clinical application. Proficiency in clinical skills was determined by OSCE performance marks for stations which examined physical examination and practical procedural skills. The possible compounding effect of students' general academic ability was investigated by using the overall performance mark for each student based on their performance in all subjects over the first two years of the medical curriculum. We found that the correlation between anatomy and clinical skills marks was weak to moderate. However, this correlation was virtually nullified once the effect of academic ability was accounted for. Although these findings suggest that anatomy education does not compliment early clinical education, the lack of complexity of clinical problems used in clinical skills assessments (OSCEs) during the early stages may well be the primary contributing factor to this finding. Anat Sci Educ. © 2012 American Association of Anatomists.
A 1D → 3D Two‐Fold Interpenetration Array Formed by Hydrogen‐Bonding Interactions
Authors: Ma De‐Yun , Guo Hai‐Fu , Lu Kuan , Pan Yong , Qin Liang , Blatov Vladislav A.
Published: April 2012

The self‐assembly of 4′‐hydroxy‐biphenyl‐4‐carboxylic acid (H2hbc), 4, 4′‐bipyridine (4, 4′‐bpy) with a cobalt salt under hydrothermal conditions yielded a novel dinuclear cobalt(II) coordination polymer, {[Co(Hhbc)2(4, 4′‐bpy)]·H2O}n (1), where the coordinating polymeric chains are connected together through hydrogen bonding into a 3D framework of the primitive cubic (pcu) topology. Two pcu frameworks are interweaved into a 3D twofold Class Ia interpenetrating array.
Rosneft's offshore partnerships: the re-opening of the Russian petroleum frontier?
Authors: Overland Indra , Godzimirski Jakub , Lunden Lars Petter , Fjaertoft Daniel
Published: April 2012

During an intense period of only 14 months, from June 2010 to August 2011, six major cooperation agreements between oil companies were announced in Russia. Almost all of these partnerships involved offshore projects, with an international oil company as one of the partners and Rosneft as the other. The agreements were concentrated along Russia's Arctic petroleum frontier, and the three that survived the longest involved oil or gas extraction in the Arctic. This article analyses and compares the contents and contexts of the agreements, to ascertain what they have to tell about access for international companies to Russia's offshore petroleum resources and the influence of competing Russian political actors over the country's petroleum sector. The article argues that the new partnerships did represent an intention to open up the Russian continental shelf, and that the agreements were driven and shaped by a series of needs: to secure foreign capital and competence, to reduce exploration risk, to lobby for a better tax framework, to show the government that necessary action was being taken to launch exploration activities, to improve Rosneft's image abroad, and either to avert or prepare for future privatisation of state companies such as Rosneft.
Nutritional quality of children's school lunches: differences according to food source
Authors: Taylor Jennifer P , Hernandez Kimberley J , Caiger Jane Mary , Giberson Donna , MacLellan Debbie , Sweeney-Nixon Marva , Veugelers Paul
Published: April 2012

Objective

To assess the nutritional quality of lunchtime food consumption among elementary-school children on Prince Edward Island according to the source of food consumed (homev. school).

Design

Students completed a lunchtime food record during an in-class survey. Dietary adequacy was assessed by comparing median micronutrient intakes with one-third of the Estimated Average Requirement; median macronutrient intakes were compared with the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Ranges. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to assess differences in nutrient intakes according to source of food consumed.

Setting

Elementary schools in Prince Edward Island, Canada.

Subjects

Grade 5 and 6 students (n1980).

Results

Foods purchased at school were higher in nutrient density for ten micronutrients (Ca, Mg, K, Zn, vitamin A, vitamin D, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6and vitamin B12) compared with packed lunch foods from home, which were higher in three micronutrients (Fe, vitamin C and folate). School lunches provided sufficient protein but were higher in sugar and fat than home lunches. Foods brought from home were higher in carbohydrates, fibre and Na than foods purchased at school.

Conclusions

The overall nutritional quality of lunches was poor, regardless of source. A significant proportion of foods consumed by the students came from home sources; these were lower nutritional quality and were higher in Na than foods offered at school. Findings suggest that improving the dietary habits of school-aged children will require a collaborative effort from multiple stakeholders, including parents.
Temporal variations of the ion‐neutral collision frequency from EISCAT observations in the polar lower ionosphere during periods of geomagnetic disturbances
Authors: Oyama S. , Kurihara J. , Watkins B. J. , Tsuda T. T. , Takahashi T.
Published: April 2012

The ion‐neutral collision frequency in the lower ionosphere (106–135 km) was estimated using data from the European Incoherent Scatter (EISCAT) radar at Tromsø, Norway during the Dynamics and Energetics of the Lower Thermosphere in Aurora 2 (DELTA‐2) campaign in 2009. Vertical component of the ion velocity was used with the ion momentum equation for the calculations. The ion‐neutral collision frequency was found to be approximately equivalent to that predicted using modeled density data. However, notable increases were found above 126.8 km during natural ionospheric heating events. A depression in calculated values was also found between 114.6 km and 126.8 km just after cessation of a heating event. This paper discusses contributions of the vertical thermospheric motion to variations of the ion‐neutral collision frequency.
On‐shelf transport of slope water lenses within the seasonal pycnocline
Authors: Hopkins J. , Sharples J. , Huthnance J. M.
Published: April 2012

We show that discrete lenses of anomalously high‐salinity water, originating from the shelf edge and trapped within the seasonal pycnocline, are advected 100 km or more onto the Celtic Sea continental shelf. We propose that the lenses are created by increased diapycnal mixing at the shelf edge associated with breaking high‐frequency internal wave packets. Quasi‐synoptic hydrography sections show the lenses to be 3–5 km wide, their temporal persistence confirmed by moored instrumentation and a series of CTD casts. Estimates of the propagation speed of these features (∼0.020 m s−1) compare favorably with the magnitude of observed residual currents. Residual current variability within the pycnocline is dominated by vertical structures most consistent with the second baroclinic mode. The residual flow is therefore thought to be predominantly driven by non‐linear second mode internal tidal waves. These are observations of a shelf edge exchange process not previously identified.
Fe-haem bound to Escherichia coli bacterioferritin accelerates iron core formation by an electron transfer mechanism
Authors: Wong Steve G. , Abdulqadir Raz , Le Brun Nick E. , Moore Geoffrey R. , Mauk A. Grant
Published: April 2012

BFR (bacterioferritin) is an iron storage and detoxification protein that differs from other ferritins by its ability to bind haem cofactors. Haem bound to BFR is believed to be involved in iron release and was previously thought not to play a role in iron core formation. Investigation of the effect of bound haem on formation of the iron core has been enabled in the present work by development of a method for reconstitution of BFR from Escherichia coli with exogenously added haem at elevated temperature in the presence of a relatively high concentration of sodium chloride. Kinetic analysis of iron oxidation by E. coli BFR preparations containing various amounts of haem revealed that haem bound to BFR decreases the rate of iron oxidation at the dinuclear iron ferroxidase sites but increases the rate of iron core formation. Similar kinetic analysis of BFR reconstituted with cobalt-haem revealed that this haem derivative has no influence on the rate of iron core formation. These observations argue that haem bound to E. coli BFR accelerates iron core formation by an electron-transfer-based mechanism.
GaN based nanorods for solid state lighting
Authors: Li Shunfeng , Waag Andreas
Published: April 2012

In recent years, GaN nanorods are emerging as a very promising novel route toward devices for nano-optoelectronics and nano-photonics. In particular, core-shell light emitting devices are thought to be a breakthrough development in solid state lighting, nanorod based LEDs have many potential advantages as compared to their 2 D thin film counterparts. In this paper, we review the recent developments of GaN nanorod growth, characterization, and related device applications based on GaN nanorods. The initial work on GaN nanorod growth focused on catalyst-assisted and catalyst-free statistical growth. The growth condition and growth mechanisms were extensively investigated and discussed. Doping of GaN nanorods, especially p-doping, was found to significantly influence the morphology of GaN nanorods. The large surface of 3 D GaN nanorods induces new optical and electrical properties, which normally can be neglected in layered structures. Recently, more controlled selective area growth of GaN nanorods was realized using patterned substrates both by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Advanced structures, for example, photonic crystals and DBRs are meanwhile integrated in GaN nanorod structures. Based on the work of growth and characterization of GaN nanorods, GaN nanoLEDs were reported by several groups with different growth and processing methods. Core/shell nanoLED structures were also demonstrated, which could be potentially useful for future high efficient LED structures. In this paper, we will discuss recent developments in GaN nanorod technology, focusing on the potential advantages, but also discussing problems and open questions, which may impose obstacles during the future development of a GaN nanorod based LED technology.
Growth of titanium nanoparticles in confined plasma
Authors: Kumar Bhupesh , Thareja Raj K.
Published: April 2012

We report the growth dynamics and confinement of nanoparticles in laser ablated titanium plasma in water cavitation and air ambient. The time resolved shadowgraphs are used to analyze the shockwave, cavitations, and dynamics of expanding plume in different ambient. The dynamical growth of nanoparticles is ascertained using the laser light scattering. Temporal evolution of plasma emission spectra and its parameters show distinct characteristic difference in the plasma confined in different ambient. The morphological characteristics of synthesized nanoparticles are ascertained using electron microscopy. A comparative study of plume dynamics, light scattering and optical emission of plasma in water and air ambient is used to corroborate the nanoparticle formation.
Central limit theorem for fluctuations of linear eigenvalue statistics of large random graphs: Diluted regime
Authors: Shcherbina Mariya , Tirozzi Brunello
Published: April 2012

We study the linear eigenvalue statistics of large random graphs in the regimes when the mean number of edges for each vertex tends to infinity. We prove that for a rather wide class of test functions the fluctuations of linear eigenvalue statistics converges in distribution to a Gaussian random variable with zero mean and variance which coincides with “non-gaussian” part of the Wigner ensemble variance.
Enhanced light emission of double heterostructured MgZnO/ZnO/MgZnO in ultraviolet blind light-emitting diodes deposited by vapor cooling condensation system
Authors: Wu Po-Ching , Lee Hsin-Ying , Lee Ching-Ting
Published: April 2012

The MgZnO/ZnO/MgZnO double heterostructure was deposited at low temperature by a vapor cooling condensation system to enhance the light emission of the ultraviolet p-AlGaN/i-MgZnO/i-ZnO/i-MgZnO/n-ZnO:In light-emitting diodes (ULEDs). The defect and vacancy concentrations of the deposited films were effectively reduced. The peak intensity and total emission power of the ultraviolet electroluminescence (EL) spectra of the ULEDs were 3.08 times and 1.82 times higher than those of the p-AlGaN/i-ZnO/n-ZnO:In ULEDs, respectively. Furthermore, the visible EL emission intensity induced by defect and vacancy in the ULEDs was negligible due to the high performances of the deposited active i-ZnO films.
Time and space resolved visible spectroscopic imaging CO2 laser produced extreme ultraviolet emitting tin plasmas
Authors: Wu Tao , Wang Xinbing , Wang Shaoyi , Tang Jian , Lu Peixiang , Lu Hong
Published: April 2012

Experiments involving laser produced tin plasma have been carried out using a CO2 laser with an energy of 800 mJ/pulse and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 80 ns in vacuum. Time-integrated extreme ultraviolet spectral measurement showed that the peak of the extreme ultraviolet lithography spectrum was located at 13.5 nm and the spectrum profile’s FWHM of the unresolved transition arrays was 1.1 nm. Plasma parameters of the electron temperature and density measurements in both axial and radial directions at later times had been obtained from a two-dimensional time and space resolved image spectra analysis. The axial spatial distribution of the electron density showed a 1/d2.6 decrease profile, and the radial spatial distribution of the electron density showed a 1/r1.1 profile, in which d is the axial distance from the target surface and r is the radial distance. The electron density was found to maintain symmetry across the radial distance at all delay times. Near the plasma plume center, the electron temperature Te varied slightly with increasing axial or radial distance, which was related to collisional decoupling and reheating of the ionized species in the plasma at distances longer than 3 to 4 mm. The space averaged electron temperature was measured in the range of 3.4–1.0 eV, and the space averaged electron density was measured in the range of 2.0 × 1017 to 2.2 × 1016 cm−3, as the time delay varied from 1.6 μs to 3.6 μs with respect to the pulse discharge. Time evolutions of the plasma temperature and density were found to have an apparent rise at a delay time of 2.4 μs in the corresponding time of the laser pulse tail peak. This suggests that plasma parameters and extreme ultraviolet emission intensity can be controlled by a double pulse combined laser.
Giant dielectric response of Haldane gap compound Y2BaNiO5
Authors: Chen J. W. , Narsinga Rao G. , Li K. W.
Published: April 2012

The dielectric properties of the Haldane gap compound Y2BaNiO5 were studied in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 1 MHz between 20 K and room temperature. This compound exhibits a high dielectric permittivity (ɛ′ ∼ 104) at room temperature below 100 kHz. Both dielectric relaxation and dc resistivity ρ follow the thermally activated process with similar value of the activation energy. This indicates the close correlation between the electric conduction and the dielectric polarization. The modulus spectra reveal evidence for both grain and grain boundary relaxation times. The grain relaxation time follows thermally activated process, whereas the grain boundary relaxation time exhibits variable range hopping (VRH) behavior. The observed giant dielectric response were explained in terms of internal (grain boundary) barrier layer capacitance (IBLC) effects.
Chemical order and crystallographic texture of FePd:Cu thin alloy films
Authors: Perzanowski Marcin , Zabila Yevhen , Krupinski Michal , Zarzycki Arkadiusz , Polit Aleksander , Marszalek Marta
Published: April 2012

FePd thin films have been recently considered as promising materials for high-density magnetic storage devices. However, it is necessary to find a proper method of fabrication for the (001)-textured and chemically well-ordered alloy. In this paper, we present the detailed investigations of lattice parameters, chemical order degree, grain sizes, and crystallographic texture carried out on FePd alloys with 10 at.% of Cu addition. The initial [Cu(0.2 nm)/Fe(0.9 nm)/Pd(1.1 nm)]5 multilayers were thermally evaporated in an ultrahigh vacuum on MgO(100), Si(100), Si(111), and Si(100) covered by a 100-nm-thick layer of amorphous SiO2. In order to obtain a homogeneous FePd:Cu alloy, the multilayers were annealed in two different ways. First, the samples were rapidly annealed in nitrogen atmosphere at 600 °C for 90 seconds. Next, the long annealing in a high vacuum for 1 h at 700 °C was done. This paper focuses on quantitative investigations of the chemical order degree and crystallographic texture of ternary FePd:Cu alloys deposited on four different substrates. In order to obtain both quantities, we have taken a novel approach to consider the problem of dopant atoms located in the FePd structure. The studies of the structure were done using XRD performed with synchrotron radiation and pole figures measurements. We have found that the addition of Cu changes the FePd lattice parameters and lattice distortion. We have also shown that, using different substrates, it is possible to obtain a FePd:Cu alloy with different chemical order and texture. Moreover, it was observed that the texture category is substrate-dependent.
Magneto-optical magnetometry of individual 30 nm cobalt nanowires grown by electron beam induced deposition
Authors: Nikulina E. , Idigoras O. , Vavassori P. , Chuvilin A. , Berger A.
Published: April 2012

We show that magnetometry measurements based upon the magneto-optical Kerr effect and high resolution optical microscopy can be used as a noninvasive probe of magnetization reversal for individual nano-structures. Our measurements demonstrate single pass hysteresis loop measurements for sample sizes down to 30 nm width. A quantitative signal-to-noise ratio evaluation shows that our approach achieves an at least 3-fold improvement in sensitivity if compared to focused laser based nano-magnetometry. An analysis of the physical limits of our detection scheme enables us to estimate that measurements for structures with single digit nm widths and magnetic moments of 10−16 Am2 are feasible.
A foraminiferal proxy record of 20th century sea-level rise in the Manukau Harbour, New Zealand
Authors: Grenfell Hugh R. , Hayward Bruce W. , Nomura Ritsuo , Sabaa Ashwaq T.
Published: April 2012

The present study aimed to extract a sea-level history from northern New Zealand salt-marsh sediments using a foraminiferal proxy, and to extend beyond the longest nearby tide-gauge record. Transects through high-tidal salt marsh at Puhinui, Manukau Harbour, Auckland, New Zealand, indicate a zonation of dominant foraminifera in the following order (with increasing elevation): Ammonia spp.–Elphidium excavatum, Ammotium fragile, Miliammina fusca, Haplophragmoides wilberti–Trochammina inflata, Trochamminita salsa–Miliammina obliqua. The transect sample faunas are used as a training set to generate a transfer function for estimating past tidal elevations in two short cores nearby. Heavy metal, 210Pb and 137Cs isotope analyses provide age models that indicate 35 cm of sediment accumulation since ~1890 AD. The first proxy-based 20th century rates of sea-level rise from New Zealand’s North Island at 0.28 ± 0.05 cm year–1 and 0.33 ± 0.07 cm year–1 are estimated. These are faster than the nearby Auckland tide gauge for the same interval (0.17 ± 0.1 cm year–1), but comparable to a similar proxy record from southern New Zealand (0.28 ± 0.05 cm year–1) and to satellite-based observations of global sea-level rise since 1993 (0.31 ± 0.07 cm year–1).
High Performance 3D PET Reconstruction Using Spherical Basis Functions on a Polar Grid
Authors: Cabello J. , Gillam J. E. , Rafecas M.
Published: April 2012

Statistical iterative methods are a widely used method of image reconstruction in emission tomography. Traditionally, the image space is modelled as a combination of cubic voxels as a matter of simplicity. After reconstruction, images are routinely filtered to reduce statistical noise at the cost of spatial resolution degradation. An alternative to produce lower noise during reconstruction is to model the image space with spherical basis functions. These basis functions overlap in space producing a significantly large number of non-zero elements in the system response matrix (SRM) to store, which additionally leads to long reconstruction times. These two problems are partly overcome by exploiting spherical symmetries, although computation time is still slower compared to non-overlapping basis functions. In this work, we have implemented the reconstruction algorithm using Graphical Processing Unit (GPU) technology for speed and a precomputed Monte-Carlo-calculated SRM for accuracy. The reconstruction time achieved using spherical basis functions on a GPU was 4.3 times faster than the Central Processing Unit (CPU) and 2.5 times faster than a CPU-multi-core parallel implementation using eight cores. Overwriting hazards are minimized by combining a random line of response ordering and constrained atomic writing. Small differences in image quality were observed between implementations.
CFD Modeling of Gas-Liquid Bubbly Flow in Horizontal Pipes: Influence of Bubble Coalescence and Breakup
Authors: Ekambara K. , Sanders R. Sean , Nandakumar K. , Masliyah J. H.
Published: April 2012

Modelling of gas-liquid bubbly flows is achieved by coupling a population balance equation with the three-dimensional, two-fluid, hydrodynamic model. For gas-liquid bubbly flows, an average bubble number density transport equation has been incorporated in the CFD code CFX 5.7 to describe the temporal and spatial evolution of the gas bubbles population. The coalescence and breakage effects of the gas bubbles are modeled. The coalescence by the random collision driven by turbulence and wake entrainment is considered, while for bubble breakage, the impact of turbulent eddies is considered. Local spatial variations of the gas volume fraction, interfacial area concentration, Sauter mean bubble diameter, and liquid velocity are compared against experimental data in a horizontal pipe, covering a range of gas (0.25 to 1.34 m/s) and liquid (3.74 to 5.1 m/s) superficial velocities and average volume fractions (4% to 21%). The predicted local variations are in good agreement with the experimental measurements reported in the literature. Furthermore, the development of the flow pattern was examined at three different axial locations ofL/D= 25, 148, and 253. The first location is close to the entrance region where the flow is still developing, while the second and the third represent nearly fully developed bubbly flow patterns.
A Role for Consciousness After All
Authors: Levy Neil
Published: April 2012

In a recent paper in this journal, Matt King and Peter Carruthers argue that the common assumption that agents are only (or especially) morally responsible for actions caused by attitudes of which they are conscious needs to be rethought. They claim that there is persuasive evidence that we are never conscious of our propositional attitudes; we ought therefore to design our theories of moral responsibility to accommodate this fact. In this reply, I argue that the evidence they adduce need not worry philosophers. There is an ongoing debate over the role that consciousness of our attitudes plays in morally responsible behaviour, but the evidence they produce does not favour either side. Even if we are not conscious of our propositional attitudes as such – even if we lack introspective access to their content – we nevertheless reliably come to know their content. There are systematic differences between those attitudes of whose content we come to be aware and those we do not, and these differences are directly relevant to our moral responsibility. Moreover, coming to be aware of the content of our attitudes has effects on our behaviour, and these effects are directly relevant to our moral responsibility. The causal route whereby we come to be conscious of the content of our attitudes is irrelevant to whether they play the right kinds of roles to distinguish between actions for which we are responsible and actions for which we ought to be excused.
XX
Authors: DE CANDOLLE AUGUSTIN PYRAMUS
Published: April 2012

title RIASSUNTO /title L'inventario del carteggio di Giorgio Santi conservato nella Biblioteca Comunale di Siena rivela i numerosi contatti di questo chimico, botanico e naturalista toscano, fra il 1776 e il 1822. Formatosi in Francia a stretto contatto con le nuove teorie di Buffon e Lavoisier, professore all'Universit di Pisa e direttore del Giardino Botanico dal 1782, Santi costituisce una delle personalit scientifiche di maggiore interesse fra diciottesimo e diciannovesimo secolo, esponente di punta di quel gruppo toscano impegnato nella realizzazione del vasto progetto del Granduca Pietro Leopoldo prima e della nuova amministrazione francese in seguito.
INVENTARIO DEL CARTEGGIO SCIENTIFICO INVIATO ALLO SCOLOPIO ALESSANDRO SERPIERI
Authors: VETRANO FLAVIO , MANTOVANI ROBERTO
Published: April 2012

title SUMMARY /title Alessandro Serpieri (1823-1885) may be considered as a typical member of nineteenth-century italian scientists; although these scientists have not been much studied until now, however they were fundamental in order to promote the acquisition of technological knowledges for the following industrial evolution in Italy. A. Serpieri applied to astronomy, theoretical and experimental physics, metheorology and seismology furnishing interesting and original results in all these fields. We present here the list of his (known) scientific correspondents, following both chronological and analytical order; at last we list a group of letters from A. Serpieri to F. Cecchi.
Chemokine CXCL12 activates dual CXCR4 and CXCR7-mediated signaling pathways in pancreatic cancer cells
Authors: Heinrich Eileen L , Lee Wendy , Lu Jianming , Lowy Andrew M , Kim Joseph
Published: April 2012

Background

Previously assumed to be a select ligand for chemokine receptor CXCR4, chemokine CXCL12 is now known to activate both CXCR4 and CXCR7. However, very little is known about the co-expression of these receptors in cancer cells.

Methods

We used immunohistochemistry to determine the extent of co-expression in pancreatic cancer tissue samples and immunoblotting to verify expression in pancreatic cancer cell lines. In cell culture studies, siRNA was used to knock down expression of CXCR4, CXCR7, K-Ras and β-arrestin -2 prior to stimulating the cells with CXCL12. Activation of the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway (MAPK) was assessed using both a Raf-pull down assay and western blotting. The involvement of the receptors in CXCL12-mediated increases in cell proliferation was examined via an ATP-based proliferation assay.

Results

First, we discovered frequent CXCR4/CXCR7 co-expression in human pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. Next, we observed consistent increases in ERK1/2 phosphorylation after exposure to CXCL12 or CXCL11, a CXCR7 agonist, in pancreatic cancer cell lines co-expressing CXCR4/CXCR7. To better characterize the receptor-mediated pathway(s), we knocked down CXCR4 or CXCR7, exposed the cells to CXCL12 and examined subsequent effects on ERK1/2. We observed that CXCR7 mediates the CXCL12-driven increase in ERK1/2 phosphorylation. Knockdown of CXCR4 expression however, decreased levels of K-Ras activity. Conversely, KRAS knockdown greatly reduced CXCL12-mediated increases in ERK1/2 phosphorylation. We then evaluated the role of β-arrestin-2, a protein directly recruited by chemokine receptors. We observed that β-arrestin-2 knockdown also inhibited increases in ERK1/2 phosphorylation mediated by both CXCR4 and CXCR7. Finally, we investigated the mechanism for CXCL12-enhanced cell proliferation and found that either receptor can modulate cell proliferation.

Conclusions

In summary, our data demonstrate that CXCR4 and CXCR7 are frequently co-expressed in human pancreatic cancer tissues and cell lines. We show that β-arrestin-2 and K-Ras dependent pathways coordinate the transduction of CXCL12 signals. Our results suggest that the development of therapies based on inhibiting CXCL12 signaling to halt the growth of pancreatic cancer should be focused at the ligand level in order to account for the contributions of both receptors to this signaling pathway.
Mitochondrial and morphological variation of Tilapia zillii in Israel
Authors: Szitenberg Amir , Goren Menachem , Huchon Dorothée
Published: April 2012

Background

Tilapia zilliiis widespread in the East Levant inland aquatic systems as well as in artificial water reservoirs. In this study we explore the genetic and morphological variation of this widespread species, using mitochondrial control region sequences and meristic characters. We examine the hypothesis thatT. zillii's population structure corresponds to the four Israeli aquatic systems.

Results

Out of seven natural water bodies, only two were found to possess genetically divergent populations ofT. zillii. In addition to its presence in fish farms, the species was found in two artificial recreational ponds which were supposed to have been stocked only with other fish species. In these two artificial habitats, the haplotype frequencies diverged significantly from those of natural populations. Finally, fish from the Dead Sea springs of Ne'ot HaKikar appear to differ both genetically and morphologically from fish of the same aquatic system but not from fish of other water systems.

Conclusions

Our results show that the population structure ofT. zilliidoes not match the geography of the Israeli water-basins, with the exception of the Dead Sea and Kishon River, when considering natural populations only. The absence of a significant divergence between basins is discussed. Our results and observations suggest that the Ne'ot HaKikar Dead Sea population and those of artificial ponds could have originated from the "hitchhiking" ofT. zillii, at the expense of some other cultivated tilapiine species.
How Important is Technology Capital for the United States?
Authors: Kapic˘ka Marek
Published: April 2012

I construct measures of technology capital and country openness for the US economy and the rest of the world for 1982–2007. The key identifying assumption is that firms equalize returns on tangible and technology capital. For the US economy, technology capital is about one-third of tangible capital, and the degree of openness is between 0.61 and 0.70. I provide both a two-country estimation and a multicountry estimation, and find that the US estimates are almost identical in both cases. The welfare loss from totally closing the US economy is small, but the welfare gain from totally opening the US economy is large. (JEL E22, F41, O30)
REVIEWS
Authors: Clum John M. , Westover Jonas , Sebesta Judith
Published: April 2012

ZIEGFELD: THE MAN WHO INVENTED SHOW BUSINESS, ETHAN MORDDEN (2008) New York: St Martin’s, 335 pp., ISBN 978-0-312-37543-0, h/bk, $32.95

THE GUEST LIST: HOW MANHATTAN DEFINED AMERICAN SOPHISTICATION – FROM THE ALGONQUIN ROUND TABLE TO TRUMAN CAPOTE’S BALL,
ETHAN MORDDEN (2010) New York: St. Martin’s, 317 pp., ISBN 978-0-312-54024-1, h/bk, $29.95

SHOWTIME: A HISTORY OF THE BROADWAY MUSICAL THEATER, LARRY STEMPEL (2010) New York: Norton, 826 pp., ISBN 978-0-393-06715-6, h/bk, $39.95; ISBN 978-0-393-92906-5, p/bk, $29.95

CHANGED
FOR GOOD: A FEMINIST HISTORY OF THE BROADWAY MUSICAL, STACY WOLF (2011) New York: Oxford University Press, 306 pp., ISBN 978-0-19-537824-5, p/bk, $24.95
A voice and so much more (or when bodies say things that words cannot)
Authors: Macpherson Ben
Published: April 2012

This article explores and challenges two philosophical perspectives on the voice in performance, seen in Mladen Dolar’s A Voice and Nothing More (2006). Through a consideration of two songs from the 2005 musical The Light in the Piazza, I explore the relationship of the voice
to language, and the voice to the body. Examining the effect of the foreign tongue in Piazza, and the prevalence of vocalize as a dramatic device, I conclude that our essential experience of voice is an embodied one, and not paradoxical as Dolar’s theories often suggest. Drawing on neuroscientific
and biological perspectives, along with performance theory and musicology, I offer a concept of ‘corporeal vocality’, for understanding the voice as the paradoxical keeper of both linguistic utterance, and the bodily presence of the speaker/singer.
Implementation of HSE Management System on EPC Projects in E&P Environment
Authors: Uddin Meraj , Akinniyi Olusegun
Published: April 2012

VML has executed a 500 million $ pipeline project with oil giant Saudi ARAMCO. Due to complexities of risks associated with multiple operations by numerous agencies, the HSE issues need to be managed in a very meticulous way to achieve high standards of safety performance to fulfil project goals expected by the client. The presentation brings out the various issues at the beginning of the project and the way they were tackled to achieve an ‘excellent’ rating in Project safety Index audit. The presentation gives insight into the lessons learnt feature in an effective manner as a tool for continual improvement. With increased public and industrial awareness on HSE issues, and clients being more demanding on HSE performance, the EPC companies have challenging job to prove their mettle.
Dispelling the Myths of Behaviour and Improving Causal Analysis
Authors: Matthews Teg
Published: April 2012

Long-standing conventional wisdom in the safety community has held that roughly 90% of all workplace injuries are caused by human error or behaviour, with the remaining percentage generally attributed to equipment and facilities. You will find this statement to persist in many safety reference books today.

However, our experience has shown that this is an incorrect and misleading statement that can foster undesired paradigms for safety leaders. Most incidents, and virtually all serious incidents, have multiple root causes that are inclusive of both behaviour and one or more causal components of facilities, equipment, and/or work processes.

Stating that 90% of injuries are caused by behaviour gives undue license to leadership to shift blame to the worker and potentially inhibits organisations from addressing all of the root causes of serious incidents. When we look at incident investigations we frequently see that the corrective action identified is "retrain the workers" or "discipline the worker", and this is indicative of the underlying belief that the only cause that needs to be addressed is behaviour.

Today's organisations will benefit from renewed emphasis on effective Root Cause Analysis that looks comprehensively at what we refer to as the "Working Interface", or the interrelationship of People, Processes, and Technology (where accidents occur) in the workplace and their causal relationships.

Further, organisations should seek to understand the behavioural component in a manner that provides new insights for supporting sustainable safety improvement. Applied behaviour analysis (ABA) is powerful methodology for achieving this degree of insight and begins with understanding three basic concepts: the antecedent, the consequence, and the behaviour itself.
Waste Management in Environmentally Developing Countries: The Challenges Facing International Oil and Gas Companies
Authors: Fletcher Paul
Published: April 2012

Environmental impact assessments prepared for proposed oil and gas developments frequently dismiss the potential impacts arising from the wastes generated by a project as being insignificant. They typically indicate that wastes will be managed at suitable approved or licensed facilities – often overlooking the fact that in many countries there simply aren't any ‘suitable’ waste management facilities for the range of wastes that will be generated – at least none that can meet recognised international standards for health and safety or environmental protection.

This paper discusses the challenges that oil and gas companies face when operating in countries that do not have an established waste management infrastructure and how they should fulfil their obligations to ensure that their wastes are managed responsibly. Practical logistical options for managing wastes generated by exploration and production operations are discussed including pre-treatment of waste, developing in-house waste treatment facilities, working with existing waste contractors to help raise standards to an acceptable level and export of waste.

Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages and each has its place in ensuring that a company's wastes are managed safely, effectively and in accordance with good international practice.
Developing Social Performance Indicators and Maintaining Corporate Social Responsibility in a Developing Country during Construction and Operation of an LNG Plant
Authors: Rascher Jeanette , Al-Shamsi AbdulSalam
Published: April 2012

Maintaining corporate social responsibility is vital in securing a stable operating environment, especially for a project which is the largest ever industrial project in a developing country's history. The selection of social key performance indicators (KPIs) to promote long-term strategic goals, to set targets, to keep track of performance, to pro-actively identify triggers for change and to drive future improvement in performance is crucial for success as a company's social performance is closely linked to its financial performance.

This has application for other major oil and gas investment projects in developing countries where the social context creates particular challenges and where a multi-stakeholder environment exists.

A range of indicators have been developed to support the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the company's Social Management Plan including community investment projects, livelihood restoration, reinstatement and the effectiveness of community engagement within the project area. Indicators are utilized to track process and progress, and to determine whether the social component is making a positive difference (maximizing beneficial project impacts) or minimizing risk (mitigating or reducing the negative impact of project activities as far as practicable). It determines if goals and objectives are being achieved; project design and criteria are being followed; implementation effects are occurring as predicted; emerging or unanticipated issues are arising; projects are efficiently and effectively managed; lender/social performance review requirements are complied with; international best practice is followed; national legislation is adhered to and whether human development and capacity building takes place.

This work is highly significant and in measuring progress and success factors and thus in maintaining social stability. While monitoring is ongoing to ensure that project activities and budget are on track, evaluation is periodically undertaken to assess progress towards stated goals including value, relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, value-added merits, sustainability and/or impact of an intervention, project or programme. It provides valuable management information, judges the value and merits of an intervention, and draws lessons for future actions and decision making.
Air Sampling for an Indoor Cement Mix Workshop
Authors: Abrari Amir
Published: April 2012

Recognition of the importance of occupational health programs has been consistently increasing in the oil and gas industry over the last decade. Nonetheless, the author believes that practical occupational health projects are still to gain relevance compared to safety and environmental processes.

Cementing is one of the most established services in the oilfield industry, and cement workers are exposed to cement dust, especially during the mixing stages. In most cement bulk plants, during the mixing process the worker has to lift cement bags and, after cutting the bag, mix the cement with different chemicals such as hematite (iron base), barite (clay base), silica flour (silicate base) and other additives used to provide the particular mix required to meet the technical specifications of the well to be cemented. The process can produce heavy dust that could go deep into the respiratory tract, potentially causing various kinds of health concerns if the risk is not properly understood and managed. Associated health concerns could include health concerns such as hypersensitivity or pneumoconiosis. The issue therefore warrants investigation into the effectiveness of control measures such as engineering solutions to eliminate the risk (e.g. automatic loading), reduce exposure (e.g. ventilation fans), and mitigate the effects with personal protective equipment (PPE) such as face masks.

This paper will show a practical project—implemented in an oilfield services facility that provides cementing services to offshore operations—to scientifically assess the levels of exposure of workers and determine the efficiency of different types of risk control measures. The paper describes how to conduct air sampling and analysis to compare with standard work exposure limits (WELs), and set proper control measures.
Step Change in Driving Performance: A Case Study
Authors: López Juan Carlos , Zidan Ahmed
Published: April 2012

Land transport accidents and driving safety have been widely discussed in industry studies, articles, conferences and meetings. Despite significant investment in driving safety initiatives, an oilfield services company had reached a plateau in its indicators of the severity and number of its automotive accidents. Driving continues to be the activity with the highest associated risk in the company. The same challenge is experienced among the entire oil and gas industry.

The authors believe that preventive programs have, in general, a top-down approach in which drivers are a passive factor—often rather limited in their receipt of instruction and feedback on their driving skills. This paper describes a case study from the Middle East of a project applied to the operations of a global integrated oilfield services company, which aims to set a new level of driving safety performance through a vision: that drivers behave because they believe. A key element for making this vision a reality is the implementation of a centralized Journey Management Center (JMC) with specialist hardware, application software, telecommunications technology, and multilingual staff who manage land transport activities in multiple countries with a diversity of risk environments.

The JMC works hand-in-hand with local management to provide practical risk assessments before a journey starts, track journeys in real time, apply on-time positive and formative interventions, and supply managers with comprehensive reports that they can use to understand the behavior of their drivers, and provide recognition and coaching to them in response to their performance. The system encourages a humanized approach in which drivers feel the company cares about them, and they value the program because they acknowledge it is good for their personal lives.

The case study details major factors for success in terms of process, technology and—most importantly—people. It describes the results, after more than a year of operations, using proactive and lagging indicators. A highlight of these results is a 30% reduction in the frequency and severity of automotive crashes.