bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Biological Glucose Metabolism Regulated Peptide Self‐Assembly as a Simple Visual Biosensor for Glucose Detection
Authors: Xu Xiao‐Ding , Lin Bing‐Bing , Feng Jun , Wang Ya , Cheng Si‐Xue , Zhang Xian‐Zheng , Zhuo Ren‐Xi
Published: February 2012

A glucose oxidase (GOx)‐mediated glucose metabolism was in vitro mimicked and employed to regulate the self‐assembly of peptide‐based building blocks. In this new stimuli‐responsive self‐assembly system, two peptide‐based building blocks, respectively, having aspartic acid (gelator 1) and lysine (gelator 2) residues were designed and prepared. When adding glucose and GOx to the aqueous solution of gelator 1 or the self‐assembled fibrillar hydrogel of gelator 2 to construct glucose metabolism system, the metabolic product (gluconic acid) can trigger the protonation of the peptide molecules and induce the phase transitions of gelators 1 (sol‐gel) and 2 (gel‐sol). Because this glucose metabolism regulated peptide self‐assembly is built on the oxidation of glucose, it can be used as a simple visual biosensor for glucose detection.
Synthesis of β‐Cyclodextrin Containing Copolymer via “Click” Chemistry and Its Self‐Assembly in the Presence of Guest Compounds
Authors: Zhang Jianxiang , Ellsworth Kristin , Ma Peter X.
Published: February 2012

We report the synthesis of a hydrophilic copolymer with one polyethylene glycol (PEG) block and one β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD) containing block by a “click” reaction between azido‐substituted β‐CD and propargyl flanking copolymer. 1H NMR study suggested a highly efficient conjugation of β‐CD units by this approach. The obtained copolymer was used as a host macromolecule to construct assemblies in the presence of hydrophobic guests. For assemblies containing a hydrophobic polymer, their size can be simply adjusted by simply changing the content of hydrophobic component. By serving as a guest molecule, hydrophobic drugs can also be loaded accompanying the formation of nanoparticles, and the drug payload is releasable. Therefore, the copolymer synthesized herein can be employed as a carrier for drug delivery.
Ion‐Specific Self‐Assembly of Low‐Dimension Aggregate Structures of Conjugated Polymer at Two‐Phase Interface
Authors: Zhou Chunjie , Chen Nan , Yang Jien , Liu Huibiao , Li Yuliang
Published: February 2012

A novel and facile approach to manipulate the morphology of Cu2+‐ion‐specific assembly of conjugated polymer by coordinative interaction at an oil–water two‐phase interface is present. The application of increasing importance is the use of π‐conjugated polymers as receptors, exploiting their ability to selectively form complexes, which can obviously change the optical properties in solution and induce the formation of varied solid nano/microstructures. By this method, microtubes are formed through self‐rolling of a strained ionic bilayer film at the oil/water interface.
Numerical analysis of a locking‐free mixed finite element method for a bending moment formulation of Reissner‐Mindlin plate model
Authors: da Veiga Lourenço Beirão , Mora David , Rodríguez Rodolfo
Published: February 2012

This article deals with the approximation of the bending of a clamped plate, modeled by Reissner‐Mindlin equations. It is known that standard finite element methods applied to this model lead to wrong results when the thickness t is small. Here, we propose a mixed formulation based on the Hellinger‐Reissner principle which is written in terms of the bending moments, the shear stress, the rotations and the transverse displacement. To prove that the resulting variational formulation is well posed, we use the Babuška‐Brezzi theory with appropriate t ‐dependent norms. The problem is discretized by standard mixed finite elements without the need of any reduction operator. Error estimates are proved. These estimates have an optimal dependence on the mesh size h and a mild dependence on the plate thickness t. This allows us to conclude that the method is locking‐free. The proposed method yields direct approximation of the bending moments and the shear stress. A local postprocessing leading to H1 ‐type approximations of transverse displacement and rotations is introduced. Moreover, we propose a hybridization procedure, which leads to solving a significantly smaller positive definite system. Finally, we report numerical experiments which allow us to assess the performance of the method. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq, 2013
Effects of poly(ethylene glycol) branch chain linkage mode on polycarboxylate superplasticizer performance
Authors: Lv Shenghua , Duan Jianping , Gao Ruijun , Cao Qiang , Li Di
Published: February 2012

Polycarboxylate superplasticizers (PCs) with ether linkages and ester linkages between the main chains and the poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) branch chains were synthesized, respectively. The effects of the PCs molecule linkage mode on the performance of concrete paste were investigated using the slump loss test and thermogravimetric analysis and analyzing fluidity, absorption, and setting time. Results showed that the linkage between main chains and PEG branch chains in PCs molecules had an important influence on the performance of cement paste and concrete prepared from them. PCs with ester linkages can endow the cement paste with higher fluidity and higher water‐reduction ratio resulting from the higher absorption amount on the cement particles. This is related with the alternating distribution of the carboxyl groups and branch chains of PEG when different macromonomers are involved in the preparation of PCs. PCs containing ester linkages are more vulnerable than PCs with ether linkages in an alkali environment, leading to quicker slump loss and shorter setting times. In contrast, PCs with ether linkages had excellent fluidity and slump flow stability. A slightly different ettringite hydration product was observed during the early period of the hydration of cement paste that employed these two PCs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
ESR1 amplification in breast cancer: controversy resolved?
Authors: Albertson Donna G
Published: February 2012

The determination of oestrogen receptor α (ERα) expression in breast cancers has been for many years the standard of care for guiding patient management. In 2007, Holst and colleagues published the previously unappreciated observation that the ERα gene, ESR1, was amplified in 21% of breast cancers, and that ESR1 gene amplification identified those individuals with high ERα expression in their tumours and who were likely to respond to hormonal manipulation. This has been a controversial area. Others have tried to reproduce these findings but the results have been mixed with respect to amplification frequency, and even contradictory with respect to prognostic and predictive value. The controversy may have now been resolved. Ooi et al, in this issue of the journal, show that the large clustered FISH signals that have been interpreted as ESR1 amplification are sensitive to RNase treatment, indicating that FISH is detecting accumulation of ESR1 transcripts in the nucleus of breast cancer cells expressing high levels of ERα, rather than gene amplification events. This story has important lessons for translational cancer research, and in particular FISH studies of gene copy number. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MiR‐182 overexpression in tumourigenesis of high‐grade serous ovarian carcinoma
Authors: Liu Zhaojian , Liu Jinsong , Segura Miguel F , Shao Changshun , Lee Peng , Gong Yaoqin , Hernando Eva , Wei Jian‐Jun
Published: February 2012

Molecular pathogenesis of high‐grade serous ovarian carcinoma (HG‐SOC) is poorly understood. Recent recognition of HG‐SOC precursor lesions, defined as serous tubal intraepithelial carcinoma (STIC) in fimbria, provides a new venue for the study of early genetic changes in HG‐SOC. Using microRNA profiling analysis, we found that miR‐182 expression was significantly higher in STIC than in matched normal Fallopian tube. Further study revealed that miR‐182 was significantly overexpressed in most HG‐SOC cases. To test whether miR‐182 plays a major role in early tumourigenesis of HG‐SOC, we overexpressed miR‐182 in immortalized ovarian surface, Fallopian tube secretory cells and malignant ovarian cell lines, and found that miR‐182 overexpression resulted in increased tumour transformation in vitro, and enhanced tumour invasiveness in vitro and metastasis in vivo. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that the oncogenic properties of miR‐182 in ovarian cancer were mediated in part by its impaired repair of DNA double‐strand breaks and negative regulation of breast cancer 1 (BRCA1) and metastasis suppressor 1 (MTSS1) expression as well as its positive regulation of the oncogene high‐mobility group AT‐hook 2 (HMGA2). Our findings suggest that miR‐182 dysregulation confers powerful oncogenic potential in the tumourigenesis of HG‐SOC. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A fatty acid‐binding protein 7/RXRβ pathway enhances survival and proliferation in triple‐negative breast cancer
Authors: Liu Rong‐Zong , Graham Kathryn , Glubrecht Darryl D , Lai Raymond , Mackey John R , Godbout Roseline
Published: February 2012

FABP7 has been implicated in tumour cell proliferation, cell migration, and poor prognosis in patients with high‐grade astrocytoma and melanoma. In this study, we examine FABP7 expression in a cohort of 176 primary breast cancers by gene profiling and tissue microarray immunostaining. We show that FABP7 is significantly up‐regulated in triple‐negative breast cancer. Elevated FABP7 levels are associated with poor prognosis, absence of oestrogen and progesterone hormone receptors (ER, PR) and HER2, increased cell proliferation, and high tumour grade. Depletion of FABP7 in the ER/PR‐negative cell line, MDA‐MB‐435S, significantly reduced cell growth rate and sensitized the cells to growth inhibition by omega‐3 docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). A target of DHA‐bound FABP7 in the nucleus is RXRβ, a retinoid‐activated nuclear receptor that functions as a transcription factor by either homodimerizing or heterodimerizing with other nuclear receptors such as PPARs. Based on our microarray data, RXRβ, like FABP7, is an adverse prognostic factor for breast cancer. We propose that the DHA‐FABP7‐RXRβ pathway promotes cell survival/proliferation in triple‐negative breast cancer. Targeting this pathway may thus provide an alternate route for the treatment of triple‐negative breast cancer. Copyright © 2012 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Chemical Composition of South American Burseraceae Non‐volatile Oleoresins and Preliminary Solubility Assessment of their Commercial Blend
Authors: Siani A. C. , Nakamura M. J. , Tappin M. R. R. , Monteiro S. S. , Guimarães A. C. , Ramos M. F. S.
Published: February 2012

Introduction

Non‐volatile oleoresins from neotropical Burseraceae are traditionally used for craft, technological and medicinal purposes. The crude resin is usually sold in popular markets of the forest communities. Adding value to this rainforest raw material requires establishing its composition.

Objective

To analyse the resin composition from different Burseraceae species and establish a minimally reproducible profile by gas chromatography, in order to parameterise its quality control.

Methodology

Crude oleoresin samples of 10 Protium and Trattinnickia species and a commercial blend were subjected to hydrodistillation to remove volatile compounds. The chloroform‐soluble residues were methylated, analysed by GC‐FID (flame ionisation detection), and individual components were identified by analysing their mass fragmentation pattern in GC‐MS and comparison with data from the literature. The blend solubility was assayed in 30 non‐chlorinated solvents at three different proportions.

Results

The resins consisted exclusively of triterpenes, showing a common predominance of four major compounds in all the samples, corresponding to α‐amyrin, β‐amyrin, α‐amyrenone and β‐amyrenone. This profile was complemented with minor amounts of the tetracyclic β‐elemolic and α‐elemolic acids, maniladiol, brein and other oxidised trace compounds. The better solvents for the resin were those chemically bearing more than four carbon atoms, as n‐butyl acetate, 2‐ethoxyethanol and isopropanol. The crude resin blend sold contained around 10% of insoluble material that was constituted by up to 70% inorganic residues mixed with humic acid derivatives, as attested by ash analysis and IR spectroscopy, respectively.

Conclusion

The experimental results, complemented by a general inspection of the literature, demonstrated a systematically reproducible triterpene profile in Protium and Trattinnickia species. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ultrasonic Microwave‐assisted Extraction Coupled with High‐speed Counter‐Current Chromatography for the Preparation of Nigakinones from Picrasma quassioides (D.Don) Benn
Authors: Xiao Xiaohua , Si Xiaoxi , Tong Xing , Li Gongke
Published: February 2012

Introduction

Nigakinones are the main effective compounds of Picrasma quassioides (D. Don) Benn and are widely used in traditional Chinese medicine, therefore a rapid and efficient separation and purification method is necessary.

Objective

To develop a new method based on ultrasonic microwave‐assisted extraction (UMAE) and high‐speed counter‐current chromatography (HSCCC) for the rapid separation and purification of nigakinone and methylnigakinone from P. quassioides (D.Don) Benn.

Methodology

Response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimise the extraction conditions of UMAE: 10.0 g of original sample was extracted with 210 mL of 90% (v/v) aqueous methanol at 60°C for 13 min, ultrasonic power was 100 W and microwave power was dynamically adjusted to the given temperature. After extraction, the extract was introduced into the HSCCC and separated with a hexane:ethyl acetate:methanol:2% acetic acid (9:11:9:11, v/v/v/v) solvent system.

Results

About 2.1 mg nigakinone with purity of 96.8% was obtained in one step within 200 min, methylnigakinone was also obtained with a purity of 75.6%. Their chemical structures were identified with ESI‐MS and 1H‐NMR.

Conclusion

UMAE coupled with HSCCC was found to be a promising and feasible alternative method to separate and purify alkaloids from natural herbs such as P. quassiodes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Method of analyzing and quantifying the performance of mixing sections
Authors: Kubik Pavel , Vlcek Jiri , Tzoganakis Costas , Miller Luke
Published: February 2012

In this article, the performance of three different mixing elements on color dispersion in high‐density polyethylene and linear low‐density polyethylene polymer stream during extrusion is studied. Two similarly designed Maddock mixers and a Stratablend II mixer are used as the last part of a general purpose single screw. Moreover, an inline melt camera is used for the quantification of mixing quality by visualization of grayscale of the color dispersion and thus mixing. The Stratablend II mixer produces the lowest and most uniform standard deviation. Both the Maddock mixers showed the same trend but higher values of standard deviation. All results are then compared with a full 3D finite element method simulation. Simulations clearly indicate that the Stratablend II mixer has the best mixing abilities and that these are mainly given by its unique design with high average value of shear stress. The role of elongational stress does not appear to have a high influence on mixing for these mixers. The results also suggest that the key factor for achieving better mixing is the frequency by which a large fraction of the material passes through the high shear stress regions of the mixer. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
Crystallization of low‐density polyethylene embedded inside zinc oxide nanoparticle percolating network
Authors: Liang Guo‐Dong , Liu Ting‐Ting , Qin Wang‐Ping , Zhu Fang‐Ming , Wu Qing
Published: February 2012

The crystallization behavior of low‐density polyethylene (LDPE) embedded inside zinc oxide (ZnO) percolating network (LDPE/60 vol% ZnO) was investigated via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and compared with those of LDPE bulks (neat LDPE and LDPE/1.15 vol% ZnO). Results revealed that embedded LDPE possessed by far shorter half‐crystallization time at elevated crystallization temperatures than LDPE bulks, whereas at lower crystallization temperatures longer half‐crystallization time was observed. Isothermal crystallization kinetics study revealed that the Avrami exponent of embedded LDPE varied in range of 1.8–2.0, indicating quasi‐two‐dimensional crystallization with heterogeneous nucleation, contrasting with about 3 for LDPE bulks. Moreover, crystallization activation energy of embedded LDPE was much larger than that of neat LDPE due to geometric confinement effect of ZnO network. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2012. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers
Electron correlation and many‐body effects at interfaces on semiconducting substrates
Authors: Tejeda Antonio , Fagot‐Révurat Y. , Cortés R. , Malterre D. , Michel E. G. , Mascaraque A.
Published: February 2012

Low dimensional systems are characterized by at least one spatial dimension of only some atoms. Such size reduction has often important consequences for physical properties. Electronic correlation and electron–phonon coupling can originate Mott insulators or charge density waves (CDWs), both phenomena enhanced by dimensionality reduction. Interfaces offer a natural way of reducing the dimensionality. Among all the surfaces, semiconducting surfaces are particularly well adapted for electronic correlation studies. In them, correlation is enhanced because of the low dimension, the electronic localization in dangling bonds and the large inter‐orbital distances in reconstructions. Despite these factors favoring correlation, eventually stronger than in bulk systems, the field is by far much less developed. We review here the discovery of correlated surfaces, while studying the Schottky barrier of alkalis on Si or GaAs, and coetaneous studies on SiC. We summarize then the studies on K/Si(111):B, whose ${\left( {\sqrt {3} \times \sqrt {3} } \right)}R30^\circ $ was considered a surface Mott insulator with an important electron‐phonon coupling. The recent discovery of a ${\left( {2\sqrt {3} \times 2\sqrt {3} } \right)}R30^\circ $ symmetry has been first interpreted as evidence of a bipolaronic insulator, but new findings have finally proven it to be a band insulator. We will then focus on the model system Sn/Ge(111). The last unclear issue about the (3 × 3) reconstruction at 150 K was related to the Sn 4d core level. High‐resolution photoemission has clarified the core level deconvolution while refining the structural model. This metallic reconstruction is sensitive to electronic correlations which trigger a phase transition to a Mott phase below 30 K.
Collaborative Problem Solving in a Complex Governance System: Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the Challenge to Break Path Dependency
Authors: van Buuren Arwin , Boons Frank , Teisman Geert
Published: February 2012

The question of how to organize collaborative problem solving efforts when collective action is necessary has received considerable attention in the scientific literature. However, many such contributions neglect the role of the governance system in which processes evolve. These systems are complex, and the actors involved have a high degree of self‐organizing capacity at their disposal. Actors create and recreate the rules of the game, draw and redraw boundaries, and develop and redevelop patterns of interaction. The governance of the Amsterdam Airport Schiphol demonstrates the complexity of a compounded governance system and the influence this has on collaborative problem solving. In this paper, we analyse two attempts to organize collaborative problem‐solving efforts. Although the government assumed itself to be in charge, we demonstrate that the collaborative problem‐solving efforts are seriously hampered by the self‐organizing capacity of actors in neighbouring subsystems. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Recognizing Uncertainty and Linked Decisions in Public Participation: A New Framework for Collaborative Urban Planning
Authors: Chakraborty Arnab
Published: February 2012

To promote collaboration, urban planners need to devise processes that consider stakeholders' interests not as an afterthought but as an integral component of decision analysis. In this paper, I introduce and illustrate a framework that attempts to do so using a long‐running road extension planning process in Urbana, Illinois, USA. Drawing upon archival research, stakeholder reactions, and my experiences as an observer, the case study demonstrates how assumptions in problem framing and analysis and a focus on hardened positions can lead to disagreements. Using a stylized scenario exercise, I then present an alternative framework that can explicitly recognize the uncertainties and linked decisions involved in the analysis and allow the stakeholders to expound their concerns. A test of the principles shows that by bringing out the basic objectives of stakeholders and considering a wider range of choices and uncertainties, the framework can help identify underlying areas of agreement. I conclude that recognizing limitations of analytical methods and systematically bringing stakeholder values to a planning process can help improve its efficacy. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Mediation in Conflict Systems
Authors: Kriesberg Louis
Published: February 2012

The article begins with a brief discussion of issues relating to the concepts of conflict and of system. The possible contributions of mediation to the transformation of destructive large‐scale conflict systems are analyzed. Then, the various mediator services that can help transform destructive large‐scale conflicts are analyzed. Subsequently, the variety of mediator roles is examined, as they function internally or externally in conflict systems. Finally, illustrative mediation cases are examined, considering unsuccessful mediation efforts. In conclusion, the implications of the analysis for system theory and for conflict analysis and resolution are noted. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Risk to cyberinfrastructure systems served by cloud computing technology as systems of systems
Authors: Haimes Yacov Y. , Chittister Clyde C.
Published: February 2012

Building on systems‐based philosophy, theory, methodology, and practice, the challenges associated with modeling, assessing, managing, and communicating the multidimensional risk tocyberinfrastructuresystems (CIS) serviced by cloud computing technology (CCT) as systems of systems (SoS) are explored. The article raises concerns about the euphoria in the literature about CCT and stresses the importance of understanding the complex process of modeling, assessing, managing, and communicating the risks associated with CIS‐CCT. Several themes are highlighted: the theory of scenario structuring; the epistemology of the states of the CIS‐CCT systems; the role of systems integration in CIS‐CCT; the risk to CIS‐CCT from malicious insiders' intrusion; the complex definition and quantification of the risk function associated with CIS‐CCT systems; and modeling the multiple perspectives of CIS‐CCT, focusing on hierarchical holographic modeling (HHM) and phantom system models (PSM). The paper concludes with an epilogue and list of references. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng
Migration Processes, Familial Characteristics, and Schooling Dropout Among Black Youths
Authors: Thomas Kevin J. A.
Published: February 2012

This study uses data from the 2000 U.S. census to examine whether the schooling advantage of black immigrants’ children found in previous studies is robust. According to the results, the advantage associated with having migrant parents is not restricted to the children of immigrants. Black migrant parents, regardless of foreign-born status, have children with favorable schooling outcomes. Such parental-level influences, however, seem stronger among some immigrant groups than among native internal migrants. The study also suggests that the collective advantage of the children of immigrants is driven by positive migrant selectivity. Accordingly, comparisons between the children of native migrants and children in various immigrant groups reveal that the immigrant advantage is not robust. In fact, the results suggest that when immigrant ethnicity is considered, some children of immigrants may be disadvantaged relative to the children of native migrants. Among recent migrants, the children of native internal migrants also have more favorable outcomes than the children of immigrants, although these differences disappear after background factors are controlled. Further, internal-migrant and immigrant households are less likely to have characteristics that adversely affect schooling than nonmigrant households. Unsurprisingly, the children of nonmigrants have the worst outcomes among black youths.
Methodology in Socrates’ Examination of the Slave
Authors: Wiener Chad
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACT: I argue that Socrates employs both elenchus and the method of hypothesis in the examination of the slave. I show that the elenchus is a necessary step of the inquiry. Being reduced to ignorance, Socrates tacitly uses the method of hypothesis to move the slave from ignorance to correct opinion. I tease this out from the questions Socrates asks. Although the method of hypothesis begins from a question distinct from elenchus, the solution to the problem leads the slave to answer the original question. The examination shows that the two methods can be employed in a sustained inquiry.
Descartes and the Seven Senses of Indifference in Early Modern Philosophy
Authors: Lennon Thomas M.
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACT: Indifference is a term often used to describe the sort of freedom had by the will according to the libertarian, or Molinist account. It is thought to be a univocal term. In fact, however, it is used in at least seven different ways, in a variety of domains during the early modern period. All of them have plausible roots in Descartes, but he himself uses the term in only one sense, and failure to notice this consistent use by him has bedeviled interpretations of his account of the will.
THE PRACTICE OF CONSANGUINEOUS MARRIAGE IN OMAN: PREVALENCE, TRENDS AND DETERMINANTS
Authors: ISLAM M. MAZHARUL
Published: February 2012

The practice of consanguineous marriage has been the culturally preferred form of marriage in most Arab and the Middle Eastern countries, including Oman, but due to a paucity of population-based data in the past there is a dearth of information about its form and dynamics in Oman. Recent national-level surveys allow this gap to be filled. This paper examines the prevalence, trends and determinants of consanguineous marriages in Oman using data from the 2000 Oman National Health Survey. The results indicate a very high prevalence of consanguineous marriage in Oman, as more than half (52%) of marriages are consanguineous. First cousin unions are the most common type of consanguineous unions, constituting 39% of all marriages and 75% of all consanguineous marriages. The study observed various patterns of consanguinity, some of them common with other Arab nations, and some unique in nature. Women's age at marriage, employment, place of childhood residence and geographical region appear to be significant determinants of consanguineous marriages. Consanguineous marriage shows a strong association with marital stability, early age at marriage and early-age childbearing. There has been no appreciable change in the prevalence of consanguineous unions in Oman over the last four decades despite massive socioeconomic development and modernization. However, recent marriage cohorts show slight declining trends. The results suggest that consanguinity is likely to remain stable in the future or decline at a slow rate. Specific health education and genetic counselling should be followed in line with WHO recommendations to minimize the negative health consequences of consanguinity for child health.
Situated Dancing: Notes from Three Decades in Contact with Phenomenology
Authors: Albright Ann Cooper
Published: February 2012

I began to study philosophy at the same time that I began to study dance, at college in the early 1980s. Both of these choices surprised me at first, as I had originally planned to study politics and become a civil rights lawyer after college. I see now that these two areas of inquiry were routes toward figuring out how to bridge the divides between my academic self and my increasingly explosive physicality. Figuratively as well as literally divided into day and night, my academic experience and the club scene I thrived in were separated by geographic distance and differing class values—a study in the cultural bifurcation produced by the hierarchies of brain and brawn. But these body/mind boundaries were always porous for me, and they became increasingly so as I explored the epistemological origins of the Cartesian split in my survey of Western philosophy course while also taking my first modern dance class. My desire was to become both verbally and physically articulate, and I savored those moments when vague impulses or ideas found the right expressive gesture or crucial wording. By the time I was a senior, I was choreographing a quartet and writing a thesis on Maurice Merleau-Ponty's Phenomenology of Perception (1962). Somewhere along the way, philosophy and dance leaned into one another, beginning a duet that would lead to a life spent thinking and moving.
Of Meanings and Movements: Re-Languaging Embodiment in Dance Phenomenology and Cognition
Authors: Warburton Edward C.
Published: February 2012

One of my favorite childhood memories is from my first dance class. I ran into the studio and started jumping, jumping, jumping literally for joy when I noticed suddenly that I was not alone. There were other children in class, and they were all jumping too. We jumped together, spontaneously in sync, oblivious to what must have been looks of parental incredulity peeking through the door. The teacher stopped us well before anyone fell to the floor but not so soon as to mistake the extraordinary (teachable) moment. Human beings can bond together through rhythmical movement and expressions like joy, and dance is fundamentally about making those connections: to self, to others, to the world, and beyond. In sixty seconds, our little dance community was born.
Formation and evolution of buried snowpack deposits in Pearse Valley, Antarctica, and implications for Mars
Authors: Heldmann J.L. , Marinova M. , Williams K.E. , Lacelle D. , Mckay C.P. , Davila A. , Pollard W. , Andersen D.T.
Published: February 2012

Buried snowpack deposits are found within the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, which offers the opportunity to study these layered structures of sand and ice within a polar desert environment. Four discrete buried snowpacks are studied within Pearse Valley, Antarctica, through in situ observations, sample analyses, O-H isotope measurements and numerical modelling of snowpack stability and evolution. The buried snowpack deposits evolve throughout the year and undergo deposition, melt, refreeze, and sublimation. We demonstrate how the deposition and subsequent burial of snow can preserve the snowpacks in the Dry Valleys. The modelled lifetimes of the buried snowpacks are dependent upon subsurface stratigraphy but are typically less than one year if the lag thickness is less than c. 7 cm and snow thickness is less than c. 10 cm, indicating that some of the Antarctic buried snowpacks form annually. Buried snowpacks in the Antarctic polar desert may serve as analogues for similar deposits on Mars and may be applicable to observations of the north polar erg, buried ice at the Mars Phoenix landing site, and observations of buried ice throughout the martian Arctic. Numerical modelling suggests that seasonal snows and subsequent burial are not required to preserve the snow and ice on Mars.
The identification of environmental parameters which could influence soil bacterial community composition on the Antarctic Peninsula - a statistical approach
Authors: Chong C.W. , Pearce D.A. , Convey P. , Tan I.K.P.
Published: February 2012

We adopted a statistical approach to identify environmental parameters which might be important in structuring the bacterial community in soils on the Antarctic Peninsula. An assessment of soil bacterial community composition at six environmentally distinct locations was made using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) profiling. All locations are near to Rothera Point, on Reptile Ridge and adjacent islands in Ryder Bay, off the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, and were selected to maximize the range of environmental variability easily accessible from Rothera Station. A range of environmental variables was determined, and a Spearman rank correlation test was used to link the community structure and environmental variables. We demonstrated that the taxonomic distribution of the soil bacteria among the six study sites was relatively even, especially among the islands within Ryder Bay, although each location possessed a distinct community structure. Significant differences in the environmental conditions and soil chemical parameters allowed us to identify differences in location and soil pH as the environmental variables that could most probably explain the soil bacterial community patterns. This observation is consistent with an increasing number of studies from both Arctic and Antarctic locations, and will contribute to the design of future parameter-specific studies to test the potential functional significance of pH to the Antarctic soil bacterial community.
Plato, Republic V–VII
Authors: Annas Julia
Published: February 2012

The long section on knowledge and the philosopher in books V–VII of the Republic is undoubtedly the most famous passage in Plato's work. So it is perhaps a good idea to begin by stressing how very peculiar, and in many ways elusive, it is. It is exciting, and stimulating, but extremely hard to understand.
René Descartes
Authors: Watling John
Published: February 2012

René Descartes (1596–1650) was born at La Haye, near Tours in France. He entered the Jesuit School at La Flèche in 1606, where he studied Latin and Greek and the classical authors, and acquired respect for the certainty of mathematics and distaste for the theories of Aristotle as developed by medieval commentators. In 1616, he took a degree in law at the University of Poitiers. There followed a period during which he travelled, for some of the time as a gentleman-officer in the armies of Maurice of Nassau, Prince of Orange, and Maximilian, Duke of Bavaria. In 1625 he returned to Paris and renewed his acquaintance with Father Marin Mersenne, who was later instrumental in making his views known to many of the famous intellectuals in Europe. From 1628 to 1649 he lived in Holland and worked out in detail the scientific, philosophical and mathematical ideas that had engaged him during his travels. His main philosophical works are Rules for the Direction of the Mind, written in 1629–30 but not published until 1684, Discourse on Method, 1637, Meditations, 1641, Principles of Philosophy, 1644, and The Passions of the Soul, 1649. In 1649, Descartes accepted an invitation to visit the Queen of Sweden and instruct her in philosophy. He succumbed to the rigorous climate, and died in February 1650.
Marx and Engels, The German Ideology
Authors: Arthur C. J.
Published: February 2012

The texts before us are relatively early works. They predate the famous Manifesto of the Communist Party of 1848. Their importance lies in this: that here historical materialism is outlined and defended for the first time. This new philosophy is elaborated in the course of Marx and Engels' effort to settle accounts with previous German philosophy—and, perhaps, with philosophy as such. The new outlook is developed, therefore, in the context of polemic against Hegel and Feuerbach, precisely the thinkers that they most admired earlier in fact.
John Stuart Mill
Authors: Ryan Alan
Published: February 2012

John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) was born in London, son of the Scottish historian of India and philosopher, James Mill, by whom he was educated in, among other things, the principles of British empiricism and Benthamite utilitarianism. Like his father, he worked for the East India Company, being in charge of the Company's relations with the native states 1836–1856, and head of the examiner's office from 1856 until the powers of the Company were transferred in 1858. The book which established Mill as a philosopher was his System of Logic (1843), described in its full title as ‘a connected view of the principles of evidence and the methods of scientific investigation’. Book 6 of the System of Logic was ‘On the logic of the moral sciences’, and at the end of it Mill declared, without trying to justify it, his opinion that there is a ‘general principle to which all rules of practice ought to conform’; namely that of ‘conduciveness to the happiness of mankind, or rather, of all sentient beings’. For example, we should keep our promises not because we can see intuitively the truth of the precept, but because it passes the utilitarian test. Mill's justification for this opinion was in his Utilitarianism (1863). Mill's version of utilitarianism differed from Bentham's in that he recognized not only quantitative but also qualitative differences between pleasures.
Mill's Essay On Liberty
Authors: Ryan Alan
Published: February 2012

John Stuart Mill is—surprisingly—a difficult writer. He writes clearly, non-technically, and in a very plain prose which Bertrand Russell once described as a model for philosophers. It is never hard to see what the general drift of the argument is, and never hard to see which side he is on. He is, none the less, a difficult writer because his clarity hides complicated arguments and assumptions which often take a good deal of unpicking. And when we have done that unpicking, the task of analysing the merits and deficiencies of the arguments is still only half completed. This is true of all his work and particularly true of Liberty. It is an essay whose clarity and energy have made it the most popular of all Mill's work. Yet it conceals philosophical, sociological and historical assumptions of a very debatable kind. In his introduction, Mill says

the object of this essay is to defend one very simple principle, as entitled to govern absolutely the dealings of society with the individual in the way of compulsion and control, whether the means used be legal penalties, or the moral coercion of public opinion (Liberty, 68).
Alfred Jules Ayer
Authors: Hanfling Oswald
Published: February 2012

Alfred Jules Ayer (1910– ) was born in London and educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford. He attended sessions of the logical positivist ‘Vienna Circle’ in 1932, and taught at Oxford from 1933 until joining the Army in 1940. His Language, Truth and Logic was published in 1936, and The Foundations of Empirical Knowledge in 1940. After war service he returned to Oxford in 1945, and became Grote Professor of the Philosophy of Mind and Logic at University College, London, the following year. The Problem of Knowledge was published in 1956. In 1959 he returned to Oxord as Wykeham Professor of Logic, a post he held until his retirement in 1977. He had been made a Fellow of the British Academy in 1952, and was knighted in 1970. Among his publications after he returned to Oxford are The Concept of a Person (1963), Philosophical Essays (1965), The Origins of Pragmatism (1968), Metaphysics and Common Sense (1969), Russell and Moore: the Analytical Heritage (1971), Probability and Evidence (1972), The Central Questions of Philosophy (1973), and Philosophy in the Twentieth Century (1982).
An interarterial course of anomalous coronary artery and an alternative surgical option
Authors: Nimdet Kachaporn , Soongswang Jarupim , Sriyodchati Somchai
Published: February 2012

An interarterial course of anomalous left main coronary artery originating from the right aortic coronary sinus of valsalva is a rare condition among anomalous aortic origin of the coronary artery. Various surgical options are available. We performed an alternative procedure, that is, mobilisation of the pulmonic root, pulmonary bifurcation, and plication of the pulmonic root adjacent to the left main coronary artery, in a 12-year-old boy. Favourable results were achieved after 43 months of follow-up.
HOW DO ELEMENTARY AND HIGHER EDUCATION AFFECT HUMAN CAPITAL ACCUMULATION AND INEQUALITY? A NOTE
Authors: Nakajima Tetsuya , Nakamura Hideki
Published: February 2012

We clarify the different effects of elementary and higher education on human capital accumulation and inequality. The productivity of elementary education plays a significant role in the widening of inequality regardless of the existence of multiple steady states. When the productivity of elementary education is low, the poor cannot afford higher education in the long run because the demand for education by the rich makes the price of education too high for the poor. However, the effect of its productivity on the attainable education level is ambiguous. A rise in the productivity of higher education always increases the education level.
Dietary trends in the Middle East and North Africa: an ecological study (1961 to 2007)
Authors: Golzarand Mahdieh , Mirmiran Parvin , Jessri Mahsa , Toolabi Karamollah , Mojarrad Mehdi , Azizi Fereidoun
Published: February 2012

Objective

Middle Eastern and North African countries are undergoing nutrition transition, a transition which is associated with an increased burden of non-communicable diseases. This necessitates the evaluation of dietary patterns in these regions. The present study aimed to assess changes in dietary patterns in Middle Eastern and North African countries between 1961 and 2007.

Design

Availability of energy and fifteen main food items during 1961–2007 was examined using FAO food balance sheets from the FAOSTAT database.

Setting

Fifteen countries including nine in the Middle East and six in North Africa were selected and the average availability of total energy and different food items in these regions were compared.

Results

Over the 47 years studied, energy and food availability (apart from animal fats and alcoholic beverages) has increased in the Middle East and North Africa. In both regions the proportion of energy derived from meat and vegetable oils has increased significantly while that from cereals decreased significantly. In addition, the proportion of energy from milk and dairy products and vegetables has shown an ascending trend in North Africa while the proportion of energy from fruits has shown a descending trend in the Middle East.

Conclusions

The study results reveal an unfavourable trend towards a Westernized diet in the Middle East and, to a certain extent, in North Africa. Tailored nutritional education encouraging healthy eating for prevention of the burden of chronic diseases in these countries seems essential.
Pädagogische Orientierungen angehender frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte an Fachschulen und Hochschulen
Authors: Mischo Christoph , Wahl Stefan , Hendler Jessica , Strohmer Janina
Published: February 2012

Vor dem Hintergrund aktueller Rahmenpläne für die frühkindliche Bildung, Betreuung und Erziehung sind die Einstellungen angehender frühpädagogischer Fachkräfte über die Aufgaben und Funktion einer Kindertageseinrichtung sowie über das Lernen von großer Bedeutung. Da seit Kurzem die Ausbildung von Erzieher/innen nicht mehr nur an Fachschulen, sondern auch an Hochschulen stattfindet, wurde in dieser Studie untersucht, für wie wichtig angehende Erzieher/innen und Frühpädagog/innen bestimmte Aufgaben und Funktionen einer Kindertageseinrichtung halten, welche Einstellungen zum Lernen sie einnehmen, und ob sich Unterschiede zwischen Fachschülerinnen und Studierenden frühpädagogischer Studiengänge auch bei Kontrolle individueller Hintergrundvariablen nachweisen lassen. An der Fragebogenstudie nahmen insgesamt 712 Fachschüler/innen und Studierende im vierten Semester aus deutschlandweit 15 Ausbildungs- und 14 Studiengängen teil. Als zentrales Ergebnis zeigte sich, dass sowohl die Fachschüler/innen als auch die Studierenden frühpädagogischer Studiengänge die Ziele von Persönlichkeitsförderung und der Förderung sozialer sowie emotionaler Kompetenz als relativ wichtig einschätzen und eine ko-konstruktivistische Lernauffassung teilen. Im Vergleich zu den Studierenden halten die Fachschüler/innen die Betreuungsfunktion für wichtiger und teilen eher eine instruktivistische Lernauffassung. Diese Unterschiede bleiben auch bei Kontrolle von individuellen Hintergrundvariablen bestehen, wobei sich auch deutliche Unterschiede zwischen Institutionen eines Institutionstyps nachweisen ließen. Die praktischen Implikationen dieser Ergebnisse werden diskutiert.
Findet sich ein „Matthäus-Effekt“ in der Kompetenzentwicklung von jungen Kindern mit oder ohne Migrationshintergrund?
Authors: Niklas Frank , Segerer Robin , Schmiedeler Sandra , Schneider Wolfgang
Published: February 2012

Hohe Ausgangsleistungen in einem akademischen Kompetenzbereich führen häufig auch zu einem schnelleren Leistungszuwachs, während geringere Ausgangsleistungen eher mit einer verlangsamten weiteren Kompetenzentwicklung einhergehen. Dieses Phänomen wird als „Matthäus-Effekt“ bezeichnet. Die vorliegende Längsschnittstudie im Rahmen des Projekts „Schulreifes Kind“ untersucht an einer Stichprobe von über 900 Kindern, ob sich solch ein Effekt in den Bereichen Mathematik und Schriftsprache zwischen Kindern mit unterschiedlichem Migrationsstatus in den letzten eineinhalb Kindergartenjahren bis Ende der 1. Klasse findet. Kinder mit Migrationshintergrund wiesen über den gesamten Untersuchungszeitraum schlechtere Leistungen auf als Kinder ohne Migrationshintergrund, wobei Kinder mit zwei im Ausland geborenen Elternteilen zumeist schlechter abschnitten als Kinder, bei denen nur ein Elternteil im Ausland geboren war. Nach Kontrolle von Alter, Intelligenz und Merkmalen der Familie gingen die Ausgangsunterschiede zwischen Kindern mit unterschiedlichem Migrationsstatus im Bereich Mathematik verloren, während sie im Bereich der schriftsprachlichen Vorläuferfertigkeiten bestehen blieben. Befunde für die weitere Entwicklung deuten eher auf eine Leistungshomogenisierung als auf einen „Matthäus-Effekt“ hin.
Relation between subduction megathrust earthquakes, trench sediment thickness and upper plate strain
Authors: Heuret A. , Conrad C. P. , Funiciello F. , Lallemand S. , Sandri L.
Published: February 2012

Giant earthquake (moment magnitude Mw ≥ 8.5) forecasts for subduction zones have been empirically related to both tectonic stresses and geometrical irregularities along the subduction interface. Both of these controls have been suggested as able to tune the ability of rupture to propagate laterally and, in turn, exert an important control on giant earthquake generation. Here we test these hypotheses, and their combined influence, by compiling a dataset of trench fill thickness (a proxy for smoothing of subducting plate relief by sediment input into the subduction channel) and upper plate strain (a proxy for the tectonic stresses applied to the subduction interface) for 44 segments of the global subduction network. We statistically compare relationships between upper plate strain, trench sediment thickness and maximal earthquake magnitude. We find that the combination of both large trench fill (≥1 km) and neutral upper plate strain explains spatial patterns of giant earthquake occurrence to a statistically significant degree. In fact, the concert of these two factors is more highly correlated with giant earthquake occurrence than either factor on its own. Less frequent giant earthquakes of lower magnitude are also possible at subduction zones with thinner trench fill and compressive upper plate strain. Extensional upper plate strain and trench fill < 0.5 km appear to be unfavorable conditions, as giant earthquakes have not been observed in these geodynamical environments during the last 111 years.