bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Happiness
Authors: Frey Bruno S.
Published: October 2013

A leading economist discusses the potential of happiness research (the quantification of well-being) to answer important questions that standard economics methods are unable to analyze.

Revolutionary developments in economics are rare. The conservative bias of the field and its enshrined knowledge make it difficult to introduce new ideas not in line with received theory. Happiness research, however, has the potential to change economics substantially in the future. Its findings, which are gradually being taken into account in standard economics, can be considered revolutionary in three respects: the measurement of experienced utility using psychologists' tools for measuring subjective well-being; new insights into how human beings value goods and services and social conditions that include consideration of such non-material values as autonomy and social relations; and policy consequences of these new insights that suggest different ways for government to affect individual well-being. In Happiness, emphasizing empirical evidence rather than theoretical conjectures, Bruno Frey substantiates these three revolutionary claims for happiness research. After tracing the major developments of happiness research in economics and demonstrating that we have gained important new insights into how income, unemployment, inflation, and income demonstration affect well-being, Frey examines such wide-ranging topics as democracy and federalism, self-employment and volunteer work, marriage, terrorism, and watching television from the new perspective of happiness research. Turning to policy implications, Frey describes how government can provide the conditions for people to achieve well-being, arguing that a crucial role is played by adequate political institutions and decentralized decision making. Happiness demonstrates the achievements of the economic happiness revolution and points the way to future research.
H.G. Bronn, Ernst Haeckel, and the Origins of German Darwinism
Authors: Gliboff Sander
Published: October 2013

A revisionist view of the history of German Darwinism examines the translation of Darwin's work and its early reception in Germany.

The German translation of Darwin's The Origin of Species appeared in 1860, just months after the original, thanks to Heinrich Georg Bronn, a distinguished German paleontologist whose work in some ways paralleled Darwin's. Bronn's version of the book (with his own notes and commentary appended) did much to determine how Darwin's theory was understood and applied by German biologists, for the translation process involved more than the mere substitution of German words for English. In this book, Sander Gliboff tells the story of how The Origin of Species came to be translated into German, how it served Bronn's purposes as well as Darwin's, and how it challenged German scholars to think in new ways about morphology, systematics, paleontology, and other biological disciplines. Gliboff traces Bronn's influence on German Darwinism through the early career of Ernst Haeckel, Darwin's most famous nineteenth-century proponent and popularizer in Germany, who learned his Darwinism from the Bronn translation. Gliboff argues, contrary to most interpretations, that the German authors were not attempting to “tame” Darwin or assimilate him to outmoded systems of romantic Naturphilosophie. Rather, Bronn and Haeckel were participants in Darwin's project of revolutionizing biology. We should not, Gliboff cautions, read pre-Darwinian meanings into Bronn's and Haeckel's Darwinian words. Gliboff describes interpretive problems faced by Bronn and Haeckel that range from the verbal (how to express Darwin's ideas in the existing German technical vocabulary) to the conceptual. One of these conceptual problems, the origins of novel variation and the proper balance between creativity and constraint in evolution, emerges as crucial. Evolutionists today, Gliboff points out, continue to grapple with comparable questions—continuing a larger process of translation and interpretation of Darwin's work
Augmented Learning
Authors: Klopfer Eric
Published: October 2013

An overview of mobile learning games that argues for the educational advantages of handheld games over their big-screen counterparts.

New technology has brought with it new tools for learning, and research has shown that the educational potential of video games resonates with scholars, teachers, and students alike. In Augmented Learning, Eric Klopfer describes the largely untapped potential of mobile learning games—games played on such handheld devices as cell phones, Game Boys, and Sony PSPs—to make a substantial impact on learning. Examining mobile games from both educational and gaming perspectives, Klopfer argues that the strengths of the mobile platform—its portability, context sensitivity, connectivity, and ubiquity—make it ideal for learning games in elementary, secondary, university, and lifelong education. Klopfer begins by exploring the past and present of education, educational technology, “edutainment,” and mobile games, and then offers a series of case studies of mobile educational games that have been developed and implemented in recent years. These games—either participatory (which require interaction with other players) or augmented reality (which augment the real world with virtual information)—can be produced at lower cost than PC or full-size console games. They use social dynamics and real-world context to enhance game play, they can be integrated into the natural flow of instruction more easily than their big-screen counterparts, and they can create compelling educational and engaging environments for learners. They are especially well-suited for helping learners at every level develop twenty-first century skills—including the ability to tackle complex problems and acquire information in “just-in-time” fashion. All of this, Klopfer argues, puts mobile learning games in a unique and powerful position within educational technology.
An Engine, Not a Camera
Authors: MacKenzie Donald
Published: October 2013

In An Engine, Not a Camera, Donald MacKenzie argues that the emergence of modern economic theories of finance affected financial markets in fundamental ways. These new, Nobel Prize-winning theories, based on elegant mathematical models of markets, were not simply external analyses but intrinsic parts of economic processes.

Paraphrasing Milton Friedman, MacKenzie says that economic models are an engine of inquiry rather than a camera to reproduce empirical facts. More than that, the emergence of an authoritative theory of financial markets altered those markets fundamentally. For example, in 1970, there was almost no trading in financial derivatives such as "futures." By June of 2004, derivatives contracts totaling $273 trillion were outstanding worldwide. MacKenzie suggests that this growth could never have happened without the development of theories that gave derivatives legitimacy and explained their complexities.

MacKenzie examines the role played by finance theory in the two most serious crises to hit the world's financial markets in recent years: the stock market crash of 1987 and the market turmoil that engulfed the hedge fund Long-Term Capital Management in 1998. He also looks at finance theory that is somewhat beyond the mainstream—chaos theorist Benoit Mandelbrot's model of "wild" randomness. MacKenzie's pioneering work in the social studies of finance will interest anyone who wants to understand how America's financial markets have grown into their current form.
Far-Fetched Facts
Authors: Rottenburg Richard
Published: October 2013

A fictionalized ethnographic study of development aid in sub-Saharan Africa that focuses on technologies of inscription in the interactions of development banks, international experts, and local managers.

In 1996, the sub-Saharan African country of Ruritania launched a massive waterworks improvement project, funded by the Normesian Development Bank, headquartered in Urbania, Normland, and with the guidance of Shilling & Partner, a consulting firm in Mercatoria, Normland. Far-Fetched Facts tells the story of this project, as narrated by anthropologists Edward B. Drotlevski and Samuel A. Martonosi. Their account of the Ruritanian waterworks project views the problems of development from a new perspective, focusing on technologies of inscription in the interactions of development bank, international experts, and local managers. This development project is fictionalized, of course, although based closely on author Richard Rottenburg's experiences working on and observing different development projects in the 1990s. Rottenburg uses the case of the Ruritanian waterworks project to examine issues of standardization, database building, documentation, calculation, and territory mapping. The techniques and technologies of the representational practices of documentation are crucial, Rottenburg argues, both to day-to-day management of the project and to the demonstration of the project's legitimacy. Five decades of development aid (or “development cooperation,” as it is now sometimes known) have yielded disappointing results. Rottenburg looks in particular at the role of the development consultant (often called upon to act as mediator between the other actors) and at the interstitial spaces where developmental cooperation actually occurs. He argues that both critics and practitioners of development often misconstrue the grounds of cooperation—which, he claims, are moral, legal, and political rather than techno-scientific or epistemological.
Bioethics in the Age of New Media
Authors: Zylinska Joanna
Published: October 2013

An examination of ethical challenges that technology presents to the allegedly sacrosanct idea of the human and a proposal for a new ethics of life rooted in the philosophy of alterity.

Bioethical dilemmas—including those over genetic screening, compulsory vaccination, and abortion—have been the subject of ongoing debates in the media, among the public, and in professional and academic communities. But the paramount bioethical issue in an age of digital technology and new media, Joanna Zylinska argues, is the transformation of the very notion of life. In this provocative book, Zylinska examines many of the ethical challenges that technology poses to the allegedly sacrosanct idea of the human. In doing so, she goes beyond the traditional understanding of bioethics as a matter for moral philosophy and medicine to propose a new “ethics of life” rooted in the relationship between the human and the nonhuman (both animals and machines) that new technology prompts us to develop. After a detailed discussion of the classical theoretical perspectives on bioethics, Zylinska describes three cases of “bioethics in action,” through which the concepts of “the human,” “animal,” and “life” are being redefined: the reconfiguration of bodily identity by plastic surgery in a TV makeover show; the reduction of the body to two-dimensional genetic code; and the use of biological material in such examples of “bioart” as Eduardo Kac's infamous fluorescent green bunny. Zylinska addresses ethics from the interdisciplinary perspective of media and cultural studies, drawing on the writings of thinkers from Agamben and Foucault to Haraway and Hayles. Taking theoretical inspiration in particular from the philosophy of alterity as developed by Jacques Derrida, Emmanuel Levinas, and Bernard Stiegler, Zylinska makes the case for a new nonsystemic, nonhierarchical bioethics that encompasses the kinship of humans, animals, and machines.
The Nature of Love, Volume 2
Authors: Singer Irving
Published: October 2013

An examination of ideas and ideals of medieval courtly love and the transition into later Romantic love, analyzing the work of Dante, Shakespeare, and Schopenhauer, among many others.

Review), "monumental" (Boston Globe), "one of the major works of philosophy in our century" (Nous), "wise and magisterial" (Times Literary Supplement), and a "masterpiece of critical thinking [that] is a timely, eloquent, and scrupulous account of what, after all, still makes the world go round" (Christian Science Monitor).

In the second volume, Singer studies the ideas and ideals of medieval courtly love and nineteenth-century Romantic love, as well as the transition between these two perspectives. According to the traditions of courtly love in the twelfth century and thereafter, not only God but also human beings in themselves are capable of authentic love. The pursuit of love between man and woman was seen as a splendid ideal that ennobles both the lover and the beloved. It was something more than libidinal sexuality and involved sophisticated and highly refined courtliness that emulated religious love in its ability to create a holy union between the participants. Adherents to Romantic love in later centuries, affirmed the capacity of love to effect a merging between two people who thus became one. Singer analyzes the transition from courtly to Romantic by reference to the writings of many artists beginning with Dante and ending with Richard Wagner, as well as Neoplatonist philosophers of the Italian Renaissance, Descartes, Spinoza, Rousseau, Hume, Kant, Hegel, and Schopenhauer. In relation to romanticism itself, he distinguishes between two aspects—"benign romanticism" and "Romantic pessimism"—that took on renewed importance in the twentieth century.
The Nature of Love, Volume 3
Authors: Singer Irving
Published: October 2013

The final volume of Singer's trilogy discusses ideas about love in the work of writers ranging from Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Tolstoy to Freud, Proust, D. H. Lawrence, Shaw, and others in the contemporary world.

Irving Singer's trilogy The Nature of Love has been called "majestic" (New York Times Book Review), "monumental" (Boston Globe), "one of the major works of philosophy in our century" (Nous), "wise and magisterial" (Times Literary Supplement), and a "masterpiece of critical thinking [that] is a timely, eloquent, and scrupulous account of what, after all, still makes the world go round" (Christian Science Monitor).

In the third volume, Singer examines the pervasive dialectic between optimistic idealism and pessimistic realism in modern thinking about the nature of love. He begins by discussing "anti-Romantic Romantics" (focusing on Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Tolstoy), influential nineteenth-century thinkers whose views illustrate much of the ambiguity and self-contradiction that permeate thinking about love in the last hundred years. He offers detailed studies of Freud, Proust, Shaw, D. H. Lawrence, and Santayana, and he maps the ideas about love in Continental existentialism, particularly those of Sartre and de Beauvoir. Singer finally envisages a future of cooperation between pluralistic humanists and empirical scientists. This last volume of Singer's trilogy does not pretend to offer the final word on the subject, any more than do most of the philosophers he discusses, but his masterful work can take its place beside their earlier investigations into these vast and complex questions.
Organizational Sense: A Notion for Studying Emerging Organizational Professionalism at Work
Authors: Gaglio Gérald
Published: October 2013

This article examines organizational professionalism at work and in action. I focus on how organizational professionalism emerges in the workplace and what kinds of situated skills are involved. Organizational professionalism is explored in three dimensions (activity, politics, and ethics), from which the notion of organizational senseis developed. Organizational sense has three accepted meanings. The first accepted meaning relates to everydayness and ecologies of action. It has collective, material, and informational dimensions, and is distributed between people and objects. The second accepted meaning concerns the political dimension of performing a professional activity and its sensitivity (attentiveness, discernment, etc.). The third accepted meaning concerns ethics and examines loyalty toward an organization. The notion of organizational sense is illustrated by means of fieldwork with a population of internal communicators working in seven major French organizations.
Drosera bulbosa subsp. coronata (Droseraceae) from the Northern Goldfields of Western Australia
Authors: Gibson Robert Peter
Published: October 2013

The new subspecies Drosera bulbosa Hook.f. subsp. coronata R.P.Gibson is described from Western Australia. It differs from D. bulbosa subsp bulbosa and D. bulbosa subsp. major (Diels) N.G. Marchant primarily by having yellow pollen and styles that form an annulus (crown), around the exposed apex of the ovary. It is currently known from two locations; however it is not considered to be under imminent threat of extinction.
Acacia alaticaulis and A. kulnurensis (Fabaceae, Mimosoideae section Botrycephalae), rare new species from New South Wales, Australia
Authors: Kodela Phillip , Tindale Mary
Published: October 2013

Two related new species, Acacia alaticaulis and A. kulnurensis, that are also closely related to A. terminalis, are described and illustrated. Both are rare with restricted distributions north of Sydney into the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales, Australia.
A study on economic load dispatch based on power flow constraint with the N‐1 criterion considering correlation among wind farms
Authors: Nguyen Tran , Tsuji Takao , Oyama Tsutomu
Published: October 2013

This paper presents a new method of economic load dispatch (ELD) for preventing the overload on transmission lines with the N‐1 criterion in power systems penetrated with a large number of wind farms (WFs) from a stochastic perspective. There is a possibility that uncertain output variations in WFs according to the wind speed change cause overloading of the transmission lines. Furthermore, since the output variations in WFs can be expressed by stochastic models, the occurrence of the overload must be also assessed by stochastic means considering the operation of power systems. With the N‐1 criterion, when the overloading probability is over a predefined acceptable value, the power flow must be resized by changing the load dispatch so that the overloading probability becomes below the predefined acceptable value. Hence, in this paper, we develop a new methodology regarding ELD which can satisfy the N‐1 criterion under the uncertainty of output variations in WFs by Monte Carlo simulation considering correlation among WFs. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Ion trajectory control by computer output through isolation amplifier circuit
Authors: Yamamoto Yuta , Hasegawa Shuichi
Published: October 2013

Controlling voltages by a computer has many advantages in the field of ion optics as well as accelerator and nuclear physics. Ion trajectory control needs many power supplies and fine voltage adjustment. Moreover, it is necessary to control the negative voltage for the extraction of a positive ion beam. However, the negative voltage of a general power supply cannot be controlled by its external control terminal because the negative port of the external control terminal and the negative output are internally connected in a general power supply. We construct a system to output a negative voltage using the external control terminal of a general power supply and an isolation amplifier that isolates the power supply and the output of the computer. The system requires no special power supplies or devices connecting the power supply and the computer. Moreover, the system can sweep and optimize the voltages to maximize an object function. A variety of output voltages can be controlled and optimized by this system. The system can optimize voltages one by one or multiple voltages simultaneously. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The Impact of a “Search and Destroy” Strategy for the Prevention of Methicillin‐Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Infections in an Inpatient Rehabilitation Facility
Authors: Widner Aimee , Nobles Delores L. , Faulk Clinton , Vos Paul , Ramsey Keith M.
Published: October 2013

Objective

To determine how the implementation of a methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) control program in an inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) affects MRSA health care−associated infections (MRSA‐HAIs).

Design

A retrospective chart review.

Setting

IRF affiliated with Vidant Medical Center, an 861‐bed, acute‐care teaching hospital for The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University.

Patients

Seventy‐nine adult patients in the IRF who developed a MRSA‐HAI from February 2005 through January 2011.

Interventions

Both the acute care hospital and the affiliated inpatient rehabilitation unit began screening 100% of admissions for MRSA nasal carriage, with decolonization of positive carriers, starting in February 2007.

Main Outcome Measurements

Yearly rates of MRSA‐HAI per 1000 patient‐days were compared in the IRF before and after the intervention.

Results

The weighted mean monthly infection rate before the intervention (February 2005 through January 2007) was 1.0714 per 1000 patient days compared with 0.6557 per 1000 patient days after the intervention (February 2007 through January 2011). The decreased infection rates after the intervention were statistically significant (P = .0315).

Conclusions

The implementation of an all‐admissions MRSA screening program with decolonization of positive carriers in an IRF affiliated with an acute care hospital resulted in decreased MRSA‐HAI rates in the IRF. When developing surveillance guidelines for MRSA, IRFs should be cognizant of infection rate trends and of the affiliated hospital's scope of policies and practices for infection prevention and control.
The Effect of Lumbar Support on the Ultrasound Measurements of Trunk Muscles: A Single‐Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial
Authors: Rostami Mohsen , Noormohammadpour Pardis , Sadeghian Amir Hossein , Mansournia Mohammad Ali , Kordi Ramin
Published: October 2013

Objectives

To evaluate the effect of lumbopelvic belts on the thickness of lateral abdominal muscles and the cross‐sectional area (CSA) of lumbar multifidus (LM) muscles.

Design

A single‐blinded randomized controlled trial.

Setting

An academic and tertiary care referral spine and sports medicine center.

Participants

Sixty healthy volunteers with no history of low back pain in the previous year.

Methods

The subjects were allocated into belt and control groups. Lumbar belts were given to the subjects in the belt group, and they were asked to use the belts during the study period except during sleeping hours. The subjects were assessed at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

The thickness of lateral abdominal muscles and the CSA of the LM muscles were measured by ultrasound with the patient in the hook‐lying position on an examination table.

Results

The thickness of lateral abdominal muscles and the CSA of LM muscles on both sides decreased significantly among healthy subjects in the belt group after 8 weeks.

Conclusion

The results of this study show that lumbopelvic belts might influence the ultrasonographic measurements of lateral abdominal and LM muscles and thereby spine stability.
The average culling rate of Dutch dairy herds over the years 2007 to 2010 and its association with herd reproduction, performance and health
Authors: Nor Norhariani Mohd , Steeneveld Wilma , Hogeveen Henk
Published: October 2013

Optimising the number of replacement heifers needed will have positive economic and environmental consequences on herds that rear their own young stock. The number of heifers needed to be kept is closely related with the number of culled dairy cows in the herd. This study therefore looked at the variation that exists in culling rate and herd level factors associated with it. A dataset from 1903 dairy herds available included information at animal level (dates of culling, slaughter/death) and herd level (characteristics of reproduction, performance, health) over the years 2007 to 2010. The average culling rate for slaughter/death was used and was defined for each year as percentage of the herd size that died within 30 d after they were culled. The analysis of the association between average culling rate for slaughter/death and the characteristics of the herd was performed using a mixed model. The results showed that the average culling rate for slaughter/death was 25·4% and varied between 23% (2007) and 28% (2010). More than 70% of the herds have an average culling rate for slaughter/death of less than 30%, showing that there is room for lowering the average culling rate for slaughter/death. A higher average culling rate for slaughter/death is associated with a longer average calving interval, a higher average 305-d protein production, a higher average somatic cell count (SCC), a higher percentage of new high SCC, a more than 5% decrease in herd size, and herds that bought more than 1% of animals per year. A lower average culling rate for slaughter/death is associated with a longer average age, herds that bought less than 1% of animals per year and a more than 5% increase in herd size. In conclusion, the average culling rate for slaughter/death is associated with fertility, udder health and openness of the herd.
Can head and neck cancer patients be discharged after three years?
Authors: Kumar R , Putnam G , Dyson P , Robson A K
Published: October 2013

Background:

Follow-up surveillance of head and neck cancer patients varies throughout the UK. The heterogeneity of these patients limits the applicability of a standardised protocol. Improvements in our understanding of the natural history of the disease may assist in the tailoring of resources to patients.

Method:

Prospective data collected at the Cumberland Infirmary over a 13-year period were analysed, primarily focusing upon recurrence rates and time to recurrence.

Results:

In keeping with other studies, recurrence of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma was found to be maximal within the first three years of treatment, regardless of subsite.

Conclusion:

Hospital-based surveillance may be safely discontinued after three years for some patients. Laryngeal carcinoma may require further surveillance due to possible delayed recurrence of a second primary formation. Emphasis must be placed on patient education, accessibility to head and neck services, and the existence of a robust system to facilitate urgent referrals.
The EU budget after Lisbon: rigidity and reduced spending?
Authors: Benedetto Giacomo
Published: October 2013

This article examines the changes of the Lisbon Treaty to the rules on agreeing the European Union's (EU) annual budget and multiannual financial framework. The comparative budgets literature as well as theories of agenda-setting, veto players and empowerment of the European Parliament inform the analysis of how the EU's budgetary powers changed and the likely outcomes on spending. Overall, the powers of the European Parliament are reduced, the budget becomes more inflexible and, most significantly, the rules of the Lisbon Treaty have the effect of reducing the amounts available to spend. Although the Lisbon Treaty grants the European Parliament greater influence over ordinary EU legislation, national governments seem to have used the same treaty to send the Parliament's budgetary powers in the opposite direction and to curtail EU expenditure.
Synthesis and X-ray diffraction data of dichlorodioxido (4,4-dimethoxycarbonyl-2,2′-bipyridyl) molybdenum(VI)
Authors: Camargo H.A. , Castellanos N.J. , Rosas C.C. , Henao J.A.
Published: October 2013

The dichlorodioxido(4,4′-dimethoxycarbonyl-2,2′-bipyridyl)molybdenum(VI) complex was prepared from molybdenum(VI) dichloride dioxide and 4,4-dimethoxycarbonyl-2,2-bipyridyl in CH2Cl2 obtaining a clear green solution. The molybdenum complex was separated by precipitation with ethyl ether. The XRPD pattern for the new compound showed that the crystalline compound belongs to the monoclinic space group P21/c (No 14) with refined unit-cell parameters a = 12.104(1) Å, b = 14.933 (2) Å, c = 11.010 (2) Å and ß = 115.409° (9). The volume of the unit cell is V = 1797.6 (3) Å3.
PCR to detect Mycobacterium tuberculosis in respiratory tract samples: evaluation of clinical data
Authors: ROZALES F. P. , MACHADO A. B. M. P. , DE PARIS F. , ZAVASCKI A. P. , BARTH A. L.
Published: October 2013

Tuberculosis (TB) remains as an important public health problem worldwide. Therefore, the rapid detection of M. tuberculosis is of primary importance to effectively reduce transmission in patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate two in-house molecular tests: nested PCR (nPCR) and real-time PCR (rtPCR) to detect M. tuberculosis complex directly from clinical samples. The results were compared to the culture results and to the culture results plus clinical data of patients. The rtPCR and nPCR presented high sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) (rtPCR 97·6% and 91·5%, nPCR 85·7% and 92·7%, respectively) compared to culture. When the results of the molecular tests were compared to the culture plus clinical data the Se and Sp were 90·2% and 97·3% for rtPCR and 80·4% and 98·6% for the nPCR, respectively. The results demonstrated that molecular assays of M. tuberculosis can provide a sensitive and rapid diagnostic of TB, and when used in addition to the clinical data of TB patients will help to improve the Sp of the diagnosis of pulmonary TB.
Hele-Shaw flow driven by an electric field
Authors: KHALID A. H. , McDONALD N. R. , VANDEN-BROECK J.-M.
Published: October 2013

The behaviour of two-dimensional finite blobs of conducting viscous fluid in a Hele-Shaw cell subject to an electric field is considered. The time-dependent free boundary problem is studied both analytically using the Schwarz function of the free boundary and numerically using a boundary integral method. Various problems are considered, including (i) the behaviour of an initially circular blob of conducting fluid subject to an electric point charge located arbitrarily within the blob, (ii) the delay in cusp formation on the free boundary in sink-driven flow due to a strategically placed electric charge and (iii) the stability of exact steady solutions having both hydrodynamic and electric forcing.
Reproducibility and validity of a quantitative FFQ designed for patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus from southern Brazil
Authors: Sarmento Roberta Aguiar , Antonio Juliana Peçanha , Riboldi Bárbara Pelicioli , Montenegro Karina Romeu , Friedman Rogério , de Azevedo Mirela Jobim , de Almeida Jussara Carnevale
Published: October 2013

Objective

To evaluate the reproducibility and validity of a previously constructed FFQ to assess the usual diet of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Design

Cross-sectional survey using two quantitative FFQ (1-month interval) supported by a food photograph portfolio, a 3 d weighed diet record (WDR) and urinary N output measurement (as a biomarker of protein intake).

Setting

Group of Nutrition in Endocrinology, southern Brazil.

Subjects

Out-patients with T2DM.

Results

From a total of 104 eligible T2DM patients, eighty-eight were included in the evaluation of FFQ reproducibility and seventy-two provided data for the validity study. The intakes estimated from the two FFQ did not differ (P> 0·05) and the correlation coefficients were significant (P< 0·01) for energy and nutrients, ranging from 0·451 (soluble fibre) to 0·936 (PUFA). Regarding the validity evaluation, data from the FFQ were higher than those from the WDR for total (28·3 %), soluble (27·4 %) and insoluble fibres (29·1 %), and SFA (13·5 %), MUFA (11·1 %) and total lipids (9·2 %; allP< 0·05). There were significant correlation coefficients between the FFQ and WDR for most nutrients, when adjusted for energy intake and de-attenuated. Also, the Bland–Altman plots between the FFQ and WDR for energy and macronutrient intakes showed that the FFQ may be used as alternative method to the WDR. The validity coefficient (using the method of triads) for the FFQ protein intake was 0·522 (95 % CI 0·414, 0·597).

Conclusions

This quantitative FFQ was valid and precise to assess the usual diet of patients with T2DM, according to its validity and reproducibility.
Industrial Use of Oil Cakes for Material Applications
Authors: Rouilly Antoine , Vaca-Garcia Carlos
Published: October 2013

Sunflower is an ideal example of a totally utilisable nonfood industrial crop. The oil is used to produce biodiesel and the oil cake, the extraction byproduct, is a valuable candidate to make 100% natural thermoplastic composites. Made of the remainings of crushed kernel and husks, sunflower oil cake (SFOC) is composed mainly of storage proteins and lignocellulosic fibres, which can be considered, respectively, as matrix and fibre reinforcement. Sunflower proteins, structurally close to soy proteins, are known for their plastic properties. They are discussed in the chapter through their thermal behavior (glass transition, denaturation) and their mechanical characteristics of formed materials by casting, thermomoulding and extrusion. Thermomechanical twin-screw extrusion processing of the raw SFOC is a way to perform, in one-step, the plasticisation of the protein matrix, the defibration of the husk and the compounding of the thermoplastic composite. The conditions of such processing are presented including their influence on the SFOC microstructure, protein denaturation and melt rheology of the composite. The effect of the compounding treatment is then related to the mechanical properties of materials obtained by injection moulding. A specific chemical treatment using a food-reducing agent allows optimum properties to be achieved. A preindustrial study of the process is lastly discussed. Examples of industrial materials are presented, some as agricultural transplanting pots, which take advantage of the specific water resistance of these protein-based composites. This example is then developed in terms of economic feasibility (the scale up of the process) and environmental benefits.
The calmodulin-like protein CML43 functions as a salicylic-acid-inducible root-specific Ca2+ sensor in Arabidopsis
Authors: Bender Kyle W. , Dobney Stephanie , Ogunrinde Adenike , Chiasson David , Mullen Robert T. , Teresinski Howard J. , Singh Prabhjeet , Munro Kim , Smith Steven P. , Snedden Wayne A.
Published: October 2013

Many signalling pathways in plants are regulated by the second messenger calcium (Ca2+). In the standard model, Ca2+-sensor proteins, such as CaM (calmodulin), detect Ca2+ signals and subsequently regulate downstream targets to advance the signal transduction cascade. In addition to CaM, plants possess many CMLs (CaM-like proteins) that are predicted to function as Ca2+ sensors, but which remain largely uncharacterized. In the present study, we examined the biochemical properties, subcellular localization and tissue-specific distribution of Arabidopsis CML43. Our data indicate that CML43 displays characteristics typical of Ca2+ sensors, including high-affinity Ca2+ binding, conformational changes upon Ca2+ binding that expose hydrophobic regions and stabilization of structure in the presence of Mg2+ or Ca2+. In vivo localization analysis demonstrates that CML43 resides in cytosolic and nuclear compartments. Transgenic plants expressing a CML43:GUS (β-glucoronidase) promoter reporter gene revealed that CML43 promoter activity is restricted almost exclusively to root tips under normal growth conditions. GUS reporter activity in these transgenic plants was strongly increased when exposed to the defence compound SA (salicylic acid). Furthermore, immunoblot analysis revealed that the CML43 protein accumulates following treatment with SA. Collectively, our findings suggest that CML43 functions as a Ca2+ sensor in root tips during both normal growth and plant immune response.
Design and Evaluation of the Performance of an NMR Screening Fragment Library
Authors: Doak Bradley C. , Morton Craig J. , Simpson Jamie S. , Scanlon Martin J.
Published: October 2013

The design of a suitable library is an essential prerequisite to establish a fragment-based screening capability. Several pharmaceutical companies have described their approaches to establishing fragment libraries; however there are few detailed reports of both design and analysis of performance for a fragment library maintained in an academic setting. Here we report our efforts towards the design of a fragment library for nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy-based screening, demonstrate the performance of the library through analysis of 14 screens, and present a comparison to previously reported fragment libraries.
Radio-opaque Micelles for X-ray Imaging
Authors: Wang Zhiyong , Chang Teddy , Hunter Luke , Gregory Andrew M. , Tanudji Marcel , Jones Steven , Stenzel Martina H.
Published: October 2013

Block copolymers based on iodinated monomers were prepared with the aim of creating nanoparticles as contrast agents suitable for X-ray imaging. Reversible addition–fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization was employed to synthesize block copolymers based on oligo(ethylene glycol) methylether methacrylate (OEGMEMA) and 2-[2′,3′,5′-triiodobenzoyl]oxyethyl methacrylate (METB). The polymerization of METB was found to be slow owing to the low solubility of the monomer, which does not allow high enough concentration to achieve a fast rate of polymerization. However, the block copolymerization was well controlled, resulting in several block copolymers, POEGMEMA-b-PMETB, which were further investigated in regards to their self-assembly in water. Micelles were prepared using POEGMEMA55-b-PMETB18, POEGMEMA55-b-PMETB32, POEGMEMA100-b-PMETB22, and POEGMEMA100-b-PMETB32. Transmission electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering revealed micelle sizes between 30 and 45 nm depending on the block size. The micelles were found to show a strong contrast similar to BaSO4 and Visipaque (iodixanol) during X-ray analysis. These micelles can now further be employed as drug carriers or can be conjugated to a bioactive group for targeting.
Spectral multidimensional scaling
Authors: Aflalo Yonathan , Kimmel Ron
Published: October 2013

Significance

Scientific theories describe observations by equations with a small number of parameters or dimensions. Memory and computational efficiency of dimension reduction procedures is a function of the size of the observed data. Sparse local operators that involve almost linear complexity, and faithful multiscale models with quadratic cost, make the design of dimension reduction tools a delicate balance between modeling accuracy and efficiency. Here, we propose multiscale modeling of the data at a modest computational cost. We project the classical multidimensional scaling problem into the data spectral domain. Then, embedding into a low-dimensional space is efficiently accomplished. Theoretical support and empirical evidence demonstrate that working in the natural eigenspace of the data, one could reduce the complexity while maintaining model fidelity.
To Sow the Heart: Touch, Spiritual Anatomy, and Image Theory in Michelangelo’sNoli me tangere*
Authors: Kleinbub Christian K.
Published: October 2013

Long neglected and misunderstood, Michelangelo’sNoli me tangere(ca. 1531–32) features a puzzling figuration of its biblical subject, wherein Christ, rather than withdrawing from Mary Magdalene, touches her left breast with his finger. Following Augustine’s interpretation that Christ at this moment sows the seed of faith in the Magdalene’s heart, this article explains this unprecedented motif as a dissemblant sign for the implantation of faith in the soul, while arguing, on account of the gesture’s resonance with issues of spiritual and sensual touching, that the painting makes an original theoretical statement about the making and viewing of devotional images more generally.
Approach to combine structural with chemical composition profiles using resonant X-ray scattering
Authors: Nayak Maheswar , Lodha Gyanendra S.
Published: October 2013

Resonant X-ray reflectivity can combine the layer sensitivity of the reflectivity technique with the chemical composition sensitivity of the absorption technique. The idea is demonstrated through a depth profile study of the chemical composition of a multi-element thin-film system at the soft X-ray spectral range near the boronKabsorption edge. The composition profile of a multi-element low-contrast (<0.6%) thin film is determined from the free surface to buried interfaces within a few atomic percentages of precision and with a nanometre depth resolution.
Evaluating the state of enterprise training for postgraduate researchers in the UK
Authors: Williams Dina , Smith Kelly , Yasin Naveed , Pitchford Ian
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to provide insight into the state of enterprise education and skills training at postgraduate level at UK higher education institutions (HEIs).

Design/methodology/approach

– A case-study research strategy was used to address the lack of existing research on enterprise training for postgraduate researchers (PGRs). The initial task was to identify those UK universities which provide enterprise and entrepreneurship training for their PGRs. Based on this desk exercise, five universities were selected according to the nature and structure of their training programmes and geographical spread such that one university was included from Wales, Scotland, South of England, Midlands and North of England. The next stage of the research focused on gaining in-depth understanding of the enterprise training available to PRGs at selected universities through face-to-face semi-structured interviews with key personnel responsible for the design and management of PGR enterprise education programmes. The data collected were analysed using the Rugby Team Impact Framework to explore the training and development provision and structure, internal and external profile raising and awareness, staff and skills required, research-based practices, the reaction of participants, behaviour and outcomes, stakeholder engagement and on-going strategy.

Findings

– The paper highlights the current best practices in enterprise education for PGRs. It identified key factors contributing to the success of selected programmes including the development of objectives, the modes and pedagogy of delivery and the involvement of stakeholders.

Research limitations/implications

– The results of the research enable universities across the UK to drive the development of a suite of learning opportunities tailored to the needs of the PGR population in order to overcome barriers to engagement and best promote entrepreneurial activity – both within employment and as new venture creation – as appropriate career options.

Originality/value

– The paper contributes to the limited literature concerning the state of enterprise training for PGRs which provides a detail analysis of current provisions useful for benchmarking and planning purposes and which can be useful to researchers and enterprise education providers.
Labour migration and informalisation: East meets West
Authors: Likic-Brboric Branka , Slavnic Zoran , Woolfson Charles
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– Against a theoretical discussion of informalisation, the purpose of this paper is to trace wider commonalities and migratory interconnections that are leading to informalised or deteriorated employment conditions both East and West in the enlarged Europe.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper examines the ways in which informalisation has come increasingly to typify employment relations both East and West via contrastive case studies from Sweden and Latvia.

Findings

– The paper illustrates how a growing tendency towards informalisation of work and economy comes about as a consequence of dual tendencies towards informalisation both “from above” and “from below”. Migrant labour has a part in this process, especially in the post-EU enlargement period, increasingly enabling free movement of labour from the former socialist countries to the West.

Research limitations/implications

– The implications of the paper are that the harmonisation of labour standards in the enlarged EU is not necessarily in an upward direction and that wider EU labour markets may be increasingly segmented as processes of informalisation grow in scope.

Practical implications

– Policy-makers concerned with preserving labour standards and norms of decent work may consider the implications of the interconnected processes of informalisation and migration, in particular, with regard to “undeclared work”.

Social implications

– The paper raises issues concerning the European social model and its viability.

Originality/value

– The paper bridges research on informalisation of the economy and labour migration in the context of EU enlargement.
De-marginalising the public in PPP projects through multi-stakeholders management
Authors: Henjewele Christian , Fewings Peter , D. Rwelamila Pantaleo
Published: October 2013

Purpose

– The research reported in this paper takes a critical look at the process of multi-stakeholder consultation and management in a PPP project environment, to fill the gaps in the existing literature. It considers the various problems encountered on PPP initiatives around the world that have led to public opposition and failure of some PPP projects. Two interconnected aspects are tackled: definition of the principal project stakeholder and the management of the principal project stakeholder, as a multi-stakeholder. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Existing theory and practice of project stakeholder management is analysed through case studies and other sources, and the uniqueness of a PPP project environment, which influences PPP multi-stakeholder management approaches, is established.

Findings

– Current tensions and public protests across Africa, North and South America, Australia and Europe around PPP projects are highlighted, and these seem to be centred on public stakeholders' marginalisation. It is found that the public outcry across continents is characterised by a marginalised public.

Practical implications

– Results advocate a paradigm shift by accepting multi-stakeholding as central to PPP project management. A multi-stakeholder management model is proposed, which will move the public from the margins of the PPP project space to the centre where fundamental decisions are made from conception to facility ownership and operation.

Originality/value

– The study takes a pragmatic approach to the problem of exclusion of the public in PPP projects. It is one of few studies to bring the public to the centre of PPP project processes.