bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amniotomy shortens the induction delivery interval
Authors: Ghani Tabassum , Rahim Ayesha , Begum Ferdousi , Mahmuda Bilkis
Published: October 2013

Amniotomy or Artificial rupture of membrane is commonly performed procedure in obstetrics. It induces and or accelerates the progress of labour. It is done by artificial rupture of forebag of amniotic membrane. It causes local increase of prostaglandin which interact with collagenous framework and matrix of cervix, converting it from a rigid structure to a soft distensible organ. Release of amniotic fluid shortens muscle bundles of myometrium, strength and duration of contractions are thereby increased and more rapid contraction sequence follows. For this purpose amniotomy as a method of induction of labour may benefit in the way of reducing time interval and operative intervention. This study was conducted with the aim and objectives to evaluate cases in terms of indication, determine amnitomy delivery interval, analyze outcome of amniotomy in labour, find out cases needed for intervention during the process and detect any maternal and fetal complication that may arise as a result of amniotomy. This cross-sectional study was undertaken among 110 cases in Sir Sallimullah Medical College and Mitford Hospital over a period of one year from December1999 to December2000. Out of 110 patients 58 patients were multigravida and 52 were primigravida and their mean age was 25.3 years. Amniotomy was done in these patient with mean cervical dilatation of 3.9 cm. Amniotomy alone was done in 88 cases. Mean amniotomy-delivery interval was 4 hours 54 minutes and 90(81.8%) patients delivered normally; 89.1% babies were healthy. Amniotomy can not be used in remote areas of our country. Though it may shorten labour by augmentation and may contribute in reducing maternal morbidity and mortality but there is potential risk of cord prolapse, abruption placenta, risk of infection, so it can be done in institution with proper supervision. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/cbmj.v2i2.16702 Community Based Medical Journal 2013 July: Vol.02 No 02: 67-70
Modernism without Women: The Refusal of Becoming-Woman (and Post-Feminism)
Authors: Colebrook Claire
Published: October 2013

Just as becoming-woman is a divided concept, looking back to a seemingly redemptive figure of the feminine beyond rigid being, but also forward to a positive annihilation of fixed genders, so modernism was also a doubled movement. But modernism was a pulverisation of ‘the’ subject for the sake of a plural and multiplying point of view, and like ‘becoming-woman’, should be read as a defiant and affirmative refusal.
Netting Fins: A Deleuzian Exploration of Linguistic Invention in Virginia Woolf'sThe Waves
Authors: Skeet Jason
Published: October 2013

Linguistic invention is a key feature of Virginia Woolf's novel The Waves. An exploration of its innovative verbal and syntactic procedures can add to an understanding of Woolf's importance for the philosophical thought of Gilles Deleuze (and his sometime collaborator Félix Guattari). In A Thousand Plateaus, The Waves is used to exemplify an ontology of becoming. However, in their reference to The Waves, Deleuze and Guattari only draw attention to what they term the ‘vibrations, shifting borderlines’ between and across characters in the novel. Given Deleuze's considerations of style, it is perhaps surprising that he never took up this idea in terms of how these movements also take place at the level of language in the novel, as the explorations in this essay of four different linguistic procedures from The Waves show. When Woolf completed writing The Waves, she wrote in her diary that she had ‘netted that fin in the waste of water’. By investigating the multiple, and often discordant, associations of this image of netting a fin, various connections between Woolf's linguistic procedures and Deleuze's philosophy can be configured, particularly in terms of the approach to language put forward in A Thousand Plateaus. Reading Woolf alongside Deleuze in this way reveals how ontology becomes intimately bound up with a problem of language.
‘The reality of becoming’: Deleuze, Woolf and the Territory of Cows
Authors: Ryan Derek
Published: October 2013

Woolf's modernist animals affected Deleuze and Guattari's animal philosophy, as they describe in A Thousand Plateaus. This essay focuses on the significance of these references to Woolf's aesthetics for Deleuzian philosophy, whilst also considering how we can better understand Woolf's broader exploration of animality (in texts including The Waves, Flush and Between the Acts) through close engagement with Deleuze's conceptual framework (in particular ‘becoming-animal’ and ‘de-’ and ‘reterritorialisation’). In mapping various appearances of one of the oldest domesticated animals, cows, in the work of both, the essay builds an argument about the shared bovine territory in their writings and the ontological and ethical implications of this. It therefore expands upon the relationship between Deleuze and Woolf at the same time as affirming the importance of their animal ontology, ethics and aesthetics for animal studies more widely.
Multiple Expeausures: Identity and Alterity in the ‘Self-Portraits’ of Francesca Woodman
Authors: Sherlock Amy
Published: October 2013

This article considers the photographs of Francesca Woodman in terms of the complex and ambivalent set of relations they configure between photographer, photographed subject and viewer. Usually described as ‘self-portraits’, the subject of these fleeting, fractured images simultaneously presents itself whilst seeming to withdraw from them. The self, there where it most openly declares itself, disappears. Drawing on Jean-Luc Nancy's concept of exposition, or exposure, which posits the self as being in-exteriority, thinking the intimacy of subjectivity in terms of an originary relation to the outside or the other, I seek to problematize the possibility both of the portrait and the self that is its subject.
Dry Distillation of Radioiodine from TeO2 Targets
Authors: Fonslet Jesper , Koziorowski Jacek
Published: October 2013

As medical cyclotrons are becoming more abundant, 123I and 124I are getting more attention as alternatives to 131I for diagnostics of thyroid disease. Both 123I and 124I provide better diagnostics, deliver less dose to patients and both reduce the risk of thyroid stunning, facilitating subsequent therapy. Dry distillation of radioiodine from tellurium dioxide targets has become the standard approach to producing these radioiodines. Setting up such a production of radioiodine is associated with a lengthy optimization of the process and for this purpose natural tellurium is often used for economical reasons. In this paper, the distillation parameters are scrutinized to ensure optimal distillation temperature, in order to minimize time spent and prevent loss of expensive target material. It is further demonstrated how the individual iodine isotopes, produced from proton bombardment of natTe, will diffuse out of the target in a time dependent ratio. We believe the effect is due to the isotopes having their maximum cross section at different energies. The individual isotopes produced will thus have their highest concentration at different depths in the target. This results in individual mean diffusion lengths and diffusion times for the different isotopes.
Exploring Aerosol Effects on Rainfall for Brisbane, Australia
Authors: Hewson Michael , McGowan Hamish , Phinn Stuart , Peckham Steven , Grell Georg
Published: October 2013

The majority of studies assessing aerosol effects on rainfall use coarse spatial scale (1° latitude/longitude or more) and multi-seasonal or decadal data sets. Here, we present results from a spatial correlation of aerosol size distribution and rain rate for selected stratiform and cumuliform precipitation events. The chemistry transport version of the Weather Research and Forecasting model was used to estimate aerosol parameters during rain events Aerosol maps were then compared with observations of rainfall using geostatistics for the first time. The cross-variogram analysis showed that anthropogenic aerosol was associated with areas of less intense rain within the stratiform system studied. For cumuliform systems, cross-variogram analysis found that anthropogenic emissions may be associated with enhanced rain downwind of aerosol emissions. We conclude that geostatistics provides a promising new technique to investigate relationships between aerosols and rainfall at spatial scales of 1 km which complements more commonly used methods to study aerosol effects on rainfall.
Photocatalytic Activity of Reactively Sputtered Titania Coatings Deposited Using a Full Face Erosion Magnetron
Authors: Farahani Nick , Kelly Peter , West Glen , Hill Claire , Vishnyakov Vladimir
Published: October 2013

Titanium dioxide (titania) is widely used as a photocatalyst for its moderate band gap, high photoactivity, recyclability, nontoxicity, low cost and its significant chemical stability. The anatase phase of titania is known to show the highest photocatalytic activity, however, the presence of this phase alone is not sufficient for sustained activity. In this study TiO2 coatings were deposited onto glass substrates by mid-frequency pulsed magnetron sputtering from metallic targets in reactive mode using a Full Face Erosion (FFE) magnetron, which allows the magnetic field to be modulated during the deposition process. The as-deposited coatings were analysed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and micro-Raman spectroscopy. Selected coatings were then annealed at temperatures in the range of 400–700 °C and re-analysed. The photocatalytic activity of the coatings was investigated through measurements of the degradation of organic dyes, such as methyl orange, under the influence of UV and fluorescent light sources. It has been demonstrated that, after annealing, the pulsed magnetron sputtering process produced photo-active surfaces and that the activity of the coatings under exposure to fluorescent lamps was some 35%–45% of that observed under exposure to UV lamps.
Local Softening of Information Geometric Indicators of Chaos in Statistical Modeling in the Presence of Quantum-Like Considerations
Authors: Giffin Adom , Ali Sean , Cafaro Carlo
Published: October 2013

In a previous paper (C. Cafaro et al., 2012), we compared an uncorrelated 3D Gaussian statistical model to an uncorrelated 2D Gaussian statistical model obtained from the former model by introducing a constraint that resembles the quantum mechanical canonical minimum uncertainty relation. Analysis was completed by way of the information geometry and the entropic dynamics of each system. This analysis revealed that the chaoticity of the 2D Gaussian statistical model, quantified by means of the Information Geometric Entropy (IGE), is softened or weakened with respect to the chaoticity of the 3D Gaussian statistical model, due to the accessibility of more information. In this companion work, we further constrain the system in the context of a correlation constraint among the system’s micro-variables and show that the chaoticity is further weakened, but only locally. Finally, the physicality of the constraints is briefly discussed, particularly in the context of quantum entanglement.
Scalp In-Transit Metastatic Melanoma Treated with Interleukin-2 and Pulsed Dye Laser
Authors: Wang Michael , Brewer Jerry
Published: October 2013

No particular regimen is considered standard therapy for widespread metastatic melanoma, although surgery is the primary choice for regional nodal metastases. Systemic interleukin-2 (IL-2) is an effective immunotherapy for melanoma, but standard doses are associated with severe toxicity. We report a patient who was treated with intralesional low-dose IL-2 and V-beam pulsed dye laser for the treatment of scalp melanoma metastases. This treatment resulted in rapid regression of metastatic tumors with limited adverse effects.
Automatic Assessment of Socioeconomic Impact on Cardiac Rehabilitation
Authors: Calvo Mireia , Subirats Laia , Ceccaroni Luigi , Maroto José , De Pablo Carmen , Miralles Felip
Published: October 2013

Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) and Quality-Adjusted Life Years (QALYs), which capture life expectancy and quality of the remaining life-years, are applied in a new method to measure socioeconomic impacts related to health. A 7-step methodology estimating the impact of health interventions based on DALYs, QALYs and functioning changes is presented. It relates the latter (1) to the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire (2) to automatically calculate the health status before and after the intervention (3). This change of status is represented as a change in quality of life when calculating QALYs gained due to the intervention (4). In order to make an economic assessment, QALYs gained are converted to DALYs averted (5). Then, by inferring the cost/DALY from the cost associated to the disability in terms of DALYs lost (6) and taking into account the cost of the action, cost savings due to the intervention are calculated (7) as an objective measure of socioeconomic impact. The methodology is implemented in Java. Cases within the framework of cardiac rehabilitation processes are analyzed and the calculations are based on 200 patients who underwent different cardiac-rehabilitation processes. Results show that these interventions result, on average, in a gain in QALYs of 0.6 and a cost savings of 8,000 €.
Does Increasing Community and Liquor Licensees’ Awareness, Police Activity, and Feedback Reduce Alcohol-Related Violent Crime? A Benefit-Cost Analysis
Authors: Navarro Héctor , Shakeshaft Anthony , Doran Christopher , Petrie Dennis
Published: October 2013

Approximately half of all alcohol-related crime is violent crime associated with heavy episodic drinking. Multi-component interventions are highly acceptable to communities and may be effective in reducing alcohol-related crime generally, but their impact on alcohol-related violent crime has not been examined. This study evaluated the impact and benefit-cost of a multi-component intervention (increasing community and liquor licensees’ awareness, police activity, and feedback) on crimes typically associated with alcohol-related violence. The intervention was tailored to weekends identified as historically problematic in 10 experimental communities in NSW, Australia, relative to 10 control ones. There was no effect on alcohol-related assaults and a small, but statistically significant and cost-beneficial, effect on alcohol-related sexual assaults: a 64% reduction in in the experimental relative to control communities, equivalent to five fewer alcohol-related sexual assaults, with a net social benefit estimated as AUD$3,938,218. The positive benefit-cost ratio was primarily a function of the value that communities placed on reducing alcohol-related harm: the intervention would need to be more than twice as effective for its economic benefits to be comparable to its costs. It is most likely that greater reductions in crimes associated with alcohol-related violence would be achieved by a combination of complementary legislative and community-based interventions.
Quinolinic Acid: Neurotoxin or Oxidative Stress Modulator?
Authors: Kubicova Lenka , Hadacek Franz , Chobot Vladimir
Published: October 2013

Quinolinic acid (2,3-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, QUIN) is a well-known neurotoxin. Consequently, QUIN could produce reactive oxygen species (ROS). ROS are generated in reactions catalyzed by transition metals, especially iron (Fe). QUIN can form coordination complexes with iron. A combination of differential pulse voltammetry, deoxyribose degradation and Fe(II) autoxidation assays was used for explorating ROS formation in redox reactions that are catalyzed by iron in QUIN-Fe complexes. Differential pulse voltammetry showed an anodic shift of the iron redox potential if iron was liganded by QUIN. In the H2O2/FeCl3/ascorbic acid variant of the deoxyribose degradation assay, the dose-response curve was U-shaped. In the FeCl3/ascorbic acid variant, QUIN unambiguously showed antioxidant effects. In the Fe(II) autoxidation assay, QUIN decreased the rate of ROS production caused by Fe(II) oxidation. Our study confirms that QUIN toxicity may be caused by ROS generation via the Fenton reaction. This, however, applies only for unnaturally high concentrations that were used in attempts to provide support for the neurotoxic effect. In lower concentrations, we show that by liganding iron, QUIN affects the Fe(II)/Fe(III) ratios that are beneficial to homeostasis. Our results support the notion that redox chemistry can contribute to explaining the hormetic dose-response effects.
Homogeneous Liquid–Liquid Extraction of Rare Earths with the Betaine—Betainium Bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide Ionic Liquid System
Authors: Vander Hoogerstraete Tom , Onghena Bieke , Binnemans Koen
Published: October 2013

Several fundamental extraction parameters such as the kinetics and loading were studied for a new type of metal solvent extraction system with ionic liquids. The binary mixture of the ionic liquid betainium bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide and water shows thermomorphic behavior with an upper critical solution temperature (UCST), which can be used to avoid the slower mass transfer due to the generally higher viscosity of ionic liquids. A less viscous homogeneous phase and mixing on a molecular scale are obtained when the mixture is heated up above 55 °C. The influence of the temperature, the heating and cooling times, were studied for the extraction of neodymium(III) with betaine. A plausible and equal extraction mechanism is proposed in bis(trifluoromethylsulfonyl)imide, nitrate, and chloride media. After stripping of the metals from the ionic liquid phase, a higher recovery of the ionic liquid was obtained by salting-out of the ionic liquid fraction lost by dissolution in the aqueous phase. The change of the upper critical solution temperature by the addition of HCl or betaine was investigated. In addition, the viscosity was measured below and above the UCST as a function of the temperature.
On Collocations and Their Interaction with Parsing and Translation
Authors: Seretan Violeta
Published: October 2013

We address the problem of automatically processing collocations—a subclass of multi-word expressions characterized by a high degree of morphosyntactic flexibility—in the context of two major applications, namely, syntactic parsing and machine translation. We show that parsing and collocation identification are processes that are interrelated and that benefit from each other, inasmuch as syntactic information is crucial for acquiring collocations from corpora and, vice versa, collocational information can be used to improve parsing performance. Similarly, we focus on the interrelation between collocations and machine translation, highlighting the use of translation information for multilingual collocation identification, as well as the use of collocational knowledge for improving translation. We give a panorama of the existing relevant work, and we parallel the literature surveys with our own experiments involving a symbolic parser and a rule-based translation system. The results show a significant improvement over approaches in which the corresponding tasks are decoupled.
Horizontal Gene Transfer and Its Part in the Reorganisation of Genetics during the LUCA Epoch
Authors: Jheeta Sohan
Published: October 2013

Currently there are five known mechanisms of horizontal gene transfer (HGT): transduction, conjugation, transformation, gene transfer agents and membrane vesicle transfer. The question here is: what part did HGT play in the reorganisation of genetics during the last universal common ancestor (LUCA) epoch? LUCA is a construct to explain the origin of the three domains of life; namely Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya. This editorial offers a general introduction to the relevance and ultimate significance of HGT in relation to the LUCA. [...]
Bone Tissue Engineering with Adipose-Derived Stem Cells in Bioactive Composites of Laser-Sintered Porous Polycaprolactone Scaffolds and Platelet-Rich Plasma
Authors: Liao Han-Tsung , Chen Jyh-Ping , Lee Ming-Yih
Published: October 2013

Three-dimensional porous polycaprolactone (PCL) scaffolds with consistent inter-pore channels, 83% porosity and 300–400 μm pore size were fabricated via selective laser sintering. The PCL scaffold was combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to form a bioactive composite and studied for potential application in bone tissue engineering using porcine adipose-derived stem cells (PASCs). The PCL/PRP/PASCs construct showed enhanced cell seeding efficiency and synergistically increased the differentiation capability of PASCs in osteogenic medium toward the osteoblast lineage, judging from elevated alkaline phosphatase activity and up-regulated osteogenic genes expression. For in vivo study, a 3 cm × 3 cm mandible defect was created in pigs and reconstructed by implanting acellular PCL scaffolds or PCL/PRP/PASCs constructs. Both groups showed new bone formation, however, the new bone volume was 5.1 times higher for PCL/PRP/PASCs 6 months post-operation. The bone density was less and loose in the acellular PCL group and the Young’s modulus was only 29% of normal bone. In contrast, continued and compact bone formation was found in PCL/PRP/PASCs and the Young’s modulus was 81% that of normal bone. Masson’s trichrome stain, immunohistochemical analysis of osteocalcin and collagen type I also confirmed new bone formation.
Reduced-Friction Passive Magnetic Bearing: Innovative Design and Novel Characterization Technique
Authors: Filion Guillaume , Ruel Jean , Dubois Maxime
Published: October 2013

Friction is mostly unwanted in rotating machines. In order to reduce its impact on the system, the integration of magnetic bearings is frequently regarded as a valid solution. In rotating systems like flywheel energy storage systems (FESS), mechanical losses created by mechanical bearings greatly reduce the overall performance. Magnetic bearings are thus frequently integrated in FESS to eliminate mechanical losses. The simple design of passive magnetic bearings (PMBs), their inherent security, and their very low friction make them perfect candidates for FESS. The main objective, and most important contribution of this paper, is to document an innovative PMB that minimizes energy losses induced by the axial thrust bearing, and to document the methodology used to measure its stiffness and damping. Although PMBs are fairly well documented in literature, no other PMB is designed to reduce the friction generated by the thrust bearing. In order to promote their integration, it is critical to identify their mechanical properties such as stiffness and damping. Hence, another contribution of this paper is to propose a new way to easily characterize any magnetic bearing topology to replace available techniques that only provided the properties for a precise configuration of the bearing. The new technique provides an unprecedented mapping of the forces generated by complex combinations of permanent magnets. Experimental results show that the new PMB can be configured to effectively reduce the force applied to the thrust bearing, resulting in lower friction. This friction reduction is achieved while allowing the proper operation of the bearing. Results also show that the measured stiffness is different from those obtained analytically, suggesting that a magnetic bearing should always be characterized prior to its use.
One Lignanoid Compound and Four Triterpenoid Compounds with Anti-Inflammatory Activity from the Leaves of Elaeagnus oldhamii Maxim.
Authors: Liao Chi-Ren , Ho Yu-Ling , Huang Guan-Jhong , Yang Chang , Chao Che-Yi , Chang Yuan-Shiun , Kuo Yueh-Hsiung
Published: October 2013

One lignanoid compound, isoamericanol B (1), along with four triterpenoid compounds—cis-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoyloleanolic acid (2), trans-3-O-p-hydroxy cinnamoyloleanolic acid (3), cis-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoylursolic acid (4), trans-3-O-p-hydroxycinnamoylursolic acid (5) have been isolated for the first time from the leaves of Elaeagnus oldhamii Maxim. Compounds 1–4 significantly inhibited the expression of NO (nitric oxide) produced in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated RAW 264.7 cells. The IC50 value for inhibition of nitrite production of compound 1 was about 10.3 ± 0.4 μg/mL. In the cell viability test, however, among compounds 1–4 compound 1 did not significantly change cell viability. Therefore, in this study compound 1 possessed anti-inflammatory effects. The result suggests compound 1 as a potential lead compound for the treatment of inflammatory diseases.
11β-Hydroxyandrostenedione Returns to the Steroid Arena: Biosynthesis, Metabolism and Function
Authors: Bloem Liezl , Storbeck Karl-Heinz , Schloms Lindie , Swart Amanda
Published: October 2013

The biological significance of 11β-hydroxyandrostenedione (11OHA4) has eluded researchers for the past six decades. It is now known that 11OHA4 is biosynthesized in the androgen arm of the adrenal steroidogenesis pathway and subsequently metabolized by steroidogenic enzymes in vitro, serving as precursor to recognized and novel androgenic steroids. These in vitro findings extend beyond the adrenal, suggesting that 11OHA4 could be metabolized in steroid-responsive peripheral tissues, as is the case for androgen precursor metabolites of adrenal origin. The significance thereof becomes apparent when considering that the metabolism of 11OHA4 in LNCaP androgen dependent prostate cancer cells yields androgenic steroid metabolites. It is thus possible that 11OHA4 may be metabolized to yield ligands for steroid receptors in not only the prostate but also in other steroid-responsive tissues. Future investigations of 11OHA4 may therefore characterize it as a vital steroid with far-reaching physiological consequences. An overview of the research on 11OHA4 since its identification in 1953 will be presented, with specific focus on the most recent works that have advanced our understanding of its biological role, thereby underscoring its relevance in health and disease.
Surface Engineering of Liposomes for Stealth Behavior
Authors: Nag Okhil , Awasthi Vibhudutta
Published: October 2013

Liposomes are used as a delivery vehicle for drug molecules and imaging agents. The major impetus in their biomedical applications comes from the ability to prolong their circulation half-life after administration. Conventional liposomes are easily recognized by the mononuclear phagocyte system and are rapidly cleared from the blood stream. Modification of the liposomal surface with hydrophilic polymers delays the elimination process by endowing them with stealth properties. In recent times, the development of various materials for surface engineering of liposomes and other nanomaterials has made remarkable progress. Poly(ethylene glycol)-linked phospholipids (PEG-PLs) are the best representatives of such materials. Although PEG-PLs have served the formulation scientists amazingly well, closer scrutiny has uncovered a few shortcomings, especially pertaining to immunogenicity and pharmaceutical characteristics (drug loading, targeting, etc.) of PEG. On the other hand, researchers have also begun questioning the biological behavior of the phospholipid portion in PEG-PLs. Consequently, stealth lipopolymers consisting of non-phospholipids and PEG-alternatives are being developed. These novel lipopolymers offer the potential advantages of structural versatility, reduced complement activation, greater stability, flexible handling and storage procedures and low cost. In this article, we review the materials available as alternatives to PEG and PEG-lipopolymers for effective surface modification of liposomes.
Surface Initiated Polymerizations via e-ATRP in Pure Water
Authors: Hosseiny Seyed , Van Rijn Patrick
Published: October 2013

Here we describe the combined process of surface modification with electrochemical atom transfer radical polymerization (e-ATRP) initiated from the surface of a modified gold-electrode in a pure aqueous solution without any additional supporting electrolyte. This approach allows for a very controlled growth of the polymer chains leading towards a steady increase in film thickness. Electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance displayed a highly regular increase in surface confined mass only after the addition of the pre-copper catalyst which is reduced in situ and transformed into the catalyst. Even after isolation and washing of the modified electrode surface, reinitiation was achieved with retention of the controlled electrochemical ATRP reaction. This reinitiation after isolation proves the livingness of the polymerization. This approach has interesting potential for smart thin film materials and offers also the possibility of post-modification via additional electrochemical induced reactions.
Calculating MIPS 2.0
Authors: Saurat Mathieu , Ritthoff Michael
Published: October 2013

The Wuppertal Institute developed, in the early 1990s, an input-oriented lifecycle-wide resource accounting method, the “Material Input per Service-Unit” concept (MIPS), today also referred to as “Material Footprint”. The official handbook applicable to products, services, and processes describes a MS Excel-based sequential approach for calculating MIPS. Today’s computing power, available to every researcher, and access to software and databases dedicated to lifecycle analysis make calculating MIPS using matrix inversion possible. This also opens up possibilities for enhancing MIPS-models programmatically: parameterizing the foreground and background systems, batch modeling for producing time series, and computational algorithms enhancing interpretation. The article provides (1) an overview of the methods and tools used for calculating MIPS from its origins to today, and (2) demonstrates some of the programmatically enhanced capabilities offered to MIPS-practitioners.
Gaussian and Affine Approximation of Stochastic Diffusion Models for Interest and Mortality Rates
Authors: Christiansen Marcus
Published: October 2013

In the actuarial literature, it has become common practice to model future capital returns and mortality rates stochastically in order to capture market risk and forecasting risk. Although interest rates often should and mortality rates always have to be non-negative, many authors use stochastic diffusion models with an affine drift term and additive noise. As a result, the diffusion process is Gaussian and, thus, analytically tractable, but negative values occur with positive probability. The argument is that the class of Gaussian diffusions would be a good approximation of the real future development. We challenge that reasoning and study the asymptotics of diffusion processes with affine drift and a general noise term with corresponding diffusion processes with an affine drift term and an affine noise term or additive noise. Our study helps to quantify the error that is made by approximating diffusive interest and mortality rate models with Gaussian diffusions and affine diffusions. In particular, we discuss forward interest and forward mortality rates and the error that approximations cause on the valuation of life insurance claims.
A Comparison of Land Surface Water Mapping Using the Normalized Difference Water Index from TM, ETM+ and ALI
Authors: Li Wenbo , Du Zhiqiang , Ling Feng , Zhou Dongbo , Wang Hailei , Gui Yuanmiao , Sun Bingyu , Zhang Xiaoming
Published: October 2013

Remote sensing has more advantages than the traditional methods of land surface water (LSW) mapping because it is a low-cost, reliable information source that is capable of making high-frequency and repeatable observations. The normalized difference water indexes (NDWIs), calculated from various band combinations (green, near-infrared (NIR), or shortwave-infrared (SWIR)), have been successfully applied to LSW mapping. In fact, new NDWIs will become available when Advanced Land Imager (ALI) data are used as the ALI sensor provides one green band (Band 4), two NIR bands (Bands 6 and 7), and three SWIR bands (Bands 8, 9, and 10). Thus, selecting the optimal band or combination of bands is critical when ALI data are employed to map LSW using NDWI. The purpose of this paper is to find the best performing NDWI model of the ALI data in LSW map. In this study, eleven NDWI models based on ALI, Thematic Mapper (TM), and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data were compared to assess the performance of ALI data in LSW mapping, at three different study sites in the Yangtze River Basin, China. The contrast method, Otsu method, and confusion matrix were calculated to evaluate the accuracies of the LSW maps. The accuracies of LSW maps derived from eleven NDWI models showed that five NDWI models of the ALI sensor have more than an overall accuracy of 91% with a Kappa coefficient of 0.78 of LSW maps at three test sites. In addition, the NDWI model, calculated from the green (Band 4: 0.525–0.605 μm) and SWIR (Band 9: 1.550–1.750 μm) bands of the ALI sensor, namely NDWIA4,9, was shown to have the highest LSW mapping accuracy, more than the other NDWI models. Therefore, the NDWIA4,9 is the best indicator for LSW mapping of the ALI sensor. It can be used for mapping LSW with high accuracy.
Correction: Rembold, F.; Atzberger, C.; Savin, I.; Rojas, O. Using Low Resolution Satellite Imagery for Yield Prediction and Yield Anomaly Detection. Remote Sens. 2013, 5, 1704-1733
Authors: Rembold Felix , Atzberger Clement , Savin Igor , Rojas Oscar
Published: October 2013

Due to an oversight by the authors, in the upper graph in Figure 4 [1] only the determination coefficients for Morocco are correct. Those for the other three countries are wrong. [...]
Design and Fabrication of Low-Cost 1536-Chamber Microfluidic Microarrays for Mood-Disorders-Related Serological Studies
Authors: Zhao Xinyan , Dong Tao
Published: October 2013

Mood disorders are common mental diseases, but physiological diagnostic methods are still lacking. Since much evidence has implied a relationship between mood disorders and the protein composition of blood sera, it is conceivable to develop a serological criterion for assisting diagnosis of mood disorders, based on a correlative database with enough capacity and high quality. In this pilot study, a low-cost microfluidic microarray device for quantifying at most 384 serological biomarkers at the same time was designed for the data acquisition of the serological study. The 1,536-chamber microfluidic device was modeled on a 1,536-well microtiter plate in order to employ a common microplate reader as the detection module for measuring the chemiluminescent immunoassay tests on the chips. The microfluidic microarrays were rapidly fabricated on polymethylmethacrylate slides using carbon dioxide laser ablation, followed by effective surface treatment processing. Sixteen types of different capture antibodies were immobilized on the chips to test the corresponding hormones and cytokines. The preliminary tests indicated that the signal-to-noise ratio and the limit of detection of microfluidic microarrays have reached the level of standard ELISA tests, whereas the operation time of microfluidic microarrays was sharply reduced.
The Modern Phosphorus Sustainability Movement: A Profiling Experiment
Authors: Ulrich Andrea , Schnug Ewald
Published: October 2013

Since the “peak phosphorus” concept emerged in 2007, concerns about the future availability of phosphate rock have funneled into a growing number of actions, often in the form of new and innovative platforms focusing on phosphorus sustainability. This trend seems to continue on different levels and in different formats, which makes the landscape of activities increasingly blurred and complex. This article considers the emerging phase of the modern phosphorus sustainability movement. It provides a first profiling overview of platforms working towards more sustainable production, consumption, and reuse of phosphorus (P) within the frame of securing global food production and environmental quality. The aim is to gain a better understanding of the movement, pertinent literature, the problem sphere itself, and of forms of possible engagement. Major barriers and opportunities inherent in the various approaches are discussed. It is concluded that overarching coordination will be necessary to improve future planning and priority setting for sustainability strategies.
Tackling the Downcycling Issue—A Revised Approach to Value-Corrected Substitution in Life Cycle Assessment of Aluminum (VCS 2.0)
Authors: Koffler Christoph , Florin Julia
Published: October 2013

For some metals, downcycling appears when scrap is polluted with undesirable elements or mixed with lower quality scrap grades in a way that the material displays a change in inherent properties when recycled. The article recommends the use of different scrap class prices instead of a solitary secondary alloy price to represent the level of downcycling inflicted on aluminum over a product’s life cycle. The price ratio between scrap price and primary aluminum price is shown to be stable across all available scrap classes for the years 2007–2010. While the revised approach to value-corrected substitution (VCS) puts a stronger emphasis on the creation of high-quality scrap by penalizing its pollution more than the original version, its key limitation is the correct identification of the appropriate point of substitution along the scrap value chain. If relevant sorting or pre-treatment steps are omitted, the substitution factor would be overcorrected, which is why it is crucial to establish the scrap value right before the scrap is either mixed with scraps from other product systems or right before it enters the remelting step.
Increasing Energy-Saving Actions in Low Income Households to Achieve Sustainability
Authors: Hall Nina , Romanach Lygia , Cook Stephanie , Meikle Sarah
Published: October 2013

Residential energy consumption contributes up to one-fifth of total greenhouse gas emissions in Australia. Low-income households could benefit from energy efficiency behaviour change programs with anticipated “bridge sustainability” outcomes of environmental and financial benefits and increased well-being, but participation rates from this demographic are often low. The EnergySavers energy behaviour change program was designed for Australian low-income households. A variety of information materials were delivered in structured discussions over a five month period in 2012, with 139 low-income participants in two Australian cities in different climate zones. This article identifies which energy-saving actions low income households are already undertaking and, after completing the program, which actions were most commonly adopted. Participants reported that their participation in the program increased their energy-saving actions, increased their control over energy consumption, and that they disseminated their new knowledge through their social networks. Findings identified the importance of group discussion within demographic groups for information uptake and adoption of new energy behaviours. The housing situation, home population and language background were found to have a significant influence on the uptake of new behaviours. The results also suggest that the program would benefit from amendments to the actions and assessment prior to national roll-out to ensure that effective and long term bridge sustainability can be achieved.
On the Revitalized Waterfront: Creative Milieu for Creative Tourism
Authors: Kostopoulou Stella
Published: October 2013

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of revitalized historic urban waterfronts as potential creative milieus attracting creative tourists. Waterfront redevelopment raises issues concerning an extensive range of urban planning and management perspectives, extending from space design to economic, environmental, cultural, and tourism considerations. The paper first reviews the ways in which the relationship between waterfronts and urban functions of port-cities has evolved over time, before turning to the examination of historic waterfronts’ redevelopment as creative milieus to host creative industries. The agglomeration of creative industries, cultural organizations and venues, and recreational facilities in urban spaces is widely recognized to generate a dynamic urban culture attracting a new wave of “creative tourists”, which do not fit to the mainstream cultural tourism behavior, and prefer to visit lively creative spaces based, not only on heritage, but also on contemporary culture. In this paper, the analysis focuses on how historic revitalized waterfronts can act as creative milieus, based on port-cities’ genius loci as cosmopolitan places of intercultural communication, offering a new alternative approach to urban cultural tourism and hopefully functioning as a spin wheel for the regeneration of the urban economy.
Effects of Vitamin D3, Calcipotriol and FTY720 on the Expression of Surface Molecules and Cytolytic Activities of Human Natural Killer Cells and Dendritic Cells
Authors: Al-Jaderi Zaidoon , Maghazachi Azzam
Published: October 2013

We describe here the effects of three drugs that are either approved or have the potential for treating multiple sclerosis (MS) patients through the in vitro activities of human natural killer (NK) cells and dendritic cells (DCs). Our results indicate that 1,25(OH)2D3, the biologically active metabolite of vitamin D3, calcipotriol and FTY720 augment IL-2-activated NK cell lysis of K562 and RAJI tumor cell lines as well as immature (i) and mature (m) DCs, with variable efficacies. These results are corroborated with the ability of the drugs to up-regulate the expression of NK cytotoxicity receptors NKp30 and NKp44, as well as NKG2D on the surfaces of NK cells. Also, they down-regulate the expression of the killer inhibitory receptor CD158. The three drugs down-regulate the expression of CCR6 on the surface of iDCs, whereas vitamin D3 and calcipotriol tend to up-regulate the expression of CCR7 on mDCs, suggesting that they may influence the migration of DCs into the lymph nodes. Finally, vitamin D3, calcipotriol and FTY720 enhance NK17/NK1 cell lysis of K562 cells, suggesting that a possible mechanism of action for these drugs is via activating these newly described cells. In conclusion, our results show novel mechanisms of action for vitamin D3, calcipotriol and FTY720 on cells of the innate immune system.
Atractaspis aterrima Toxins: The First Insight into the Molecular Evolution of Venom in Side-Stabbers
Authors: Terrat Yves , Sunagar Kartik , Fry Bryan , Jackson Timothy , Scheib Holger , Fourmy Rudy , Verdenaud Marion , Blanchet Guillaume , Antunes Agostinho , Ducancel Frederic
Published: October 2013

Although snake venoms have been the subject of intense research, primarily because of their tremendous potential as a bioresource for design and development of therapeutic compounds, some specific groups of snakes, such as the genus Atractaspis, have been completely neglected. To date only limited number of toxins, such as sarafotoxins have been well characterized from this lineage. In order to investigate the molecular diversity of venom from Atractaspis aterrima—the slender burrowing asp, we utilized a high-throughput transcriptomic approach completed with an original bioinformatics analysis pipeline. Surprisingly, we found that Sarafotoxins do not constitute the major ingredient of the transcriptomic cocktail; rather a large number of previously well-characterized snake venom-components were identified. Notably, we recovered a large diversity of three-finger toxins (3FTxs), which were found to have evolved under the significant influence of positive selection. From the normalized and non-normalized transcriptome libraries, we were able to evaluate the relative abundance of the different toxin groups, uncover rare transcripts, and gain new insight into the transcriptomic machinery. In addition to previously characterized toxin families, we were able to detect numerous highly-transcribed compounds that possess all the key features of venom-components and may constitute new classes of toxins.
Developing Combined HIV Vaccine Strategies for a Functional Cure
Authors: Noto Alessandra , Trautmann Lydie
Published: October 2013

Increasing numbers of HIV-infected individuals have access to potent antiretroviral drugs that control viral replication and decrease the risk of transmission. However, there is no cure for HIV and new strategies have to be developed to reach an eradication of the virus or a natural control of viral replication in the absence of drugs (functional cure). Therapeutic vaccines against HIV have been evaluated in many trials over the last 20 years and important knowledge has been gained from these trials. However, the major obstacle to HIV eradication is the persistence of latent proviral reservoirs. Different molecules are currently tested in ART-treated subjects to reactivate these latent reservoirs. Such anti-latency agents should be combined with a vaccination regimen in order to control or eradicate reactivated latently-infected cells. New in vitro assays should also be developed to assess the success of tested therapeutic vaccines by measuring the immune-mediated killing of replication-competent HIV reservoir cells. This review provides an overview of the current strategies to combine HIV vaccines with anti-latency agents that could act as adjuvant on the vaccine-induced immune response as well as new tools to assess the efficacy of these approaches.
Envelope Glycoprotein Trimers as HIV-1 Vaccine Immunogens
Authors: Sattentau Quentin
Published: October 2013

The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein spike is the target of neutralizing antibody attack, and hence represents the only relevant viral antigen for antibody-based vaccine design. Various approaches have been attempted to recapitulate Env in membrane-anchored and soluble forms, and these will be discussed here in the context of recent successes and challenges still to be overcome.
EVALUATION OF LANDSCAPE ECOLOGICAL AESTHETICS OF GREEN SPACES IN LATVIAN LARGE CITIES / LATVIJOS DIDŽIŲJŲ MIESTŲ ŽALIŲJŲ ERDVIŲ KRAŠTOVAIZDŽIO EKOLOGINĖS ESTETIKOS VERTINIMAS
Authors: Jankevica Maija
Published: October 2013

Recently wide process of urbanisation and migration of inhabitants from rural areas to large cities occurs in Latvia. The proportion of green areas in urban territories is decreasing with time, therefore it is important to maintain the existing greenery system and build a new ecosystem that would connect the existing areas. Currently the principles of landscape ecology and aesthetics are not always included in urban planning or land use plans in Latvia. The aim of the study was to assess landscape ecological aesthetic characteristics of green areas in four Latvian cities – Liepaja, Jelgava, Rezekne and Valmiera. The evaluation matrix contains the following criteria for assessing the landscape aesthetics: the order, accordance to the nearby architecture, visible human intention, particularity, and the following criteria for assessing the landscape ecology: biodiversity, dominance of native species, naturalness and wilderness. In the research, a variety of urban green areas – such as parks, squares and waterfront areas – was evaluated. Santrauka Pastaruoju metu Latvijoje vyksta intensyvus urbanizacijos ir gyventojų migracijos iš kaimo vietovių į didžiuosius miestus procesas. Žalieji plotai miestų teritorijose ilgainiui traukiasi, todėl svarbu išlaikyti esamą žaliųjų plotų sistemą ir sukurti naują ekosistemą, kuri sujungtų esamus plotus. Šiuo metu Latvijoje kraštovaizdžio ekologijos ir estetikos principai ne visuo­met įtraukiami į miestų ar kraštovaizdžio planavimo projektus. Studijos tikslas – įvertinti keturių Latvijos miestų – Liepojos, Jelgavos, Rezeknės ir Valmieros žaliųjų plotų kraštovaizdžio ekologines estetines charakteristikas. Vertinta pagal šiuos kraštovaizdžio estetikos kriterijus: tvarka, atitiktis architektūrai, akivaizdus humaniškumas, išskirtinumas; taip pat pagal šiuos kraštovaizdžio ekologijos kriterijus: biologinė įvairovė, vietinių rūšių dominavimas, natūralumas, laisvumas. Tyrime įvertinti įvairūs miesto žalieji plotai: parkai, aikštės ir krantinės. Straipsnis anglų kalba.