bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peptides: β‐Cyclodextrin Inclusion Compounds as Highly Effective Antimicrobial and Anti‐Epithelial Proliferation Agents
Authors: Consuegra Jessika , Elena de Lima Maria , Santos Daniel , Sinisterra Rubén Dario , Cortés Maria Esperanza
Published: March 2013

Background: The use of antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) as therapeutic agents for periodontal infections has great advantages, such as broad spectrum of action, low toxicity, and limited bacterial resistance. However, their practical use is limited because of the large amount of peptide required to exercise the microbicidal function.

Methods: LyeTxI, LL37f, and KR12 cationic peptides were prepared with β‐cyclodextrin (βCD) at 1:1 molar ratios. The susceptibility of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, and Fusobacterium nucleatum were assessed in anaerobic conditions. Cytotoxicity assays were performed using osteoblast and Caco‐2 epithelial cells, and hemolytic activity was assessed on rabbit erythrocytes at an absorbance of 414 nm. Parameters of surface roughness and electrical charge were established by atomic force microscopy and zeta (ζ) potential, respectively.

Results: AMP/βCDs drastically decreased the peptide concentration required for activity against the bacteria tested. Moreover, AMPs associated with βCD were able to modify cell‐surface parameters, such as roughness and ζ potential. On the other hand, AMP/βCD did not alter the degree of hemolysis induced by the pure AMPs. The effective concentration at half‐maximum values of the peptides and compounds on osteoblasts were greater than the concentrations required to achieve inhibition of bacterial growth in all the species tested. AMP/βCDs inhibited the proliferation of Caco‐2 epithelial cells in a more efficient manner than AMPs alone.

Conclusion: AMP/βCD compounds more effectively inhibit periodontopathogenic bacteria than AMPs alone, with the additional ability of inhibiting the proliferation of epithelial cells at concentrations that are non‐cytotoxic for osteoblasts and erythrocytes.
Some New Information Inequalities Involving f-Divergences
Authors: Srivastava Amit
Published: March 2013

New information inequalities involving f-divergences have been established using the convexity arguments and some well known inequalities such as the Jensen inequality and the Arithmetic-Geometric Mean (AGM) inequality. Some particular cases have also been discussed.
Benchmarking for Major Producers of Limestone in the Czech Republic
Authors: Vanék Michal , Mikoláš Milan , Bora Petr
Published: March 2013

Streszczenie

Jakość podejmowania decyzji, a tym samym właściwe zarządzanie przedsiębiorstwem, jest ściśle związane z pozyskiwaniem ważnych informacji, którymi powinno dysponować kierownictwo firmy. Jedną z metod po­zyskiwania takich ważnych informacji jest benchmarking. Znaczenie benchmarkingu jest na tyle ważne, że coraz więcej badaczy włącza go jako obowiązkową część składową działalności przedsiębiorstwa. W sferze gospodarki występują jednak trudności z wykorzystaniem tej metody zarządzania z powodu tajemnicy prawa handlowego. Szeroka grupa fachowców jest więc pozbawiona cennych informacji. Nasze opracowanie ma na celu przys­pieszenie zmiany tej sytuacji wprowadzając zasady i pokazując efekty benchmarkingu dla wybranych spółek wydobywających wapienie.

W ramach benchmarkingu wybrano największe spółki górnicze w Republice Czeskiej zajmujące się eks­ploatacją wapieni. Wybrane spółki obejmują obecnie 66% rynku.

Wybrano więc: Ceskomorawsky cement a.s.; Cement Hranice a s.; LOMY MORINA, spol.s r. o; Holcim (Cesko) a. s., członek koncernu ; Velkolom Certovy schody, a. s. Podstawą badań benchmarkingu były wskaźniki finansowe (ROE, stopa zysku) i produkcyjne (koszty, wielkość produkcji DHM, wydajność pracy). Obliczenia tych wskaźników prowadzono dla lat 2008-2010. Ocena danych wykonywana była na podstawie analizy finansowej. Do przeprowadzenia analizy finansowej wybrano metodę matematyczno-statystyczną. Zastosowano metodę normowania zmiennych, której rezultatem było utwo­rzenie rankingu przedsiębiorstw od najlepszego do najgorszego. Wykazano, że znaczenie benchmarkingu można zwiększyć przydzielając wskaźnikom, za pomocą których badany jest obiekt przemysłowy, odpowiednie wagi, zmieniające rangę wybranych wskaźników. W obliczeniach autorzy zdecydowali się zastosować metody Fulliera, a konkretnie trójkąt Fulliera.

W dużej liczbie badanych przedsiębiorstw wydobywczych spółki „Cement Hranice" w podanym wyżej okresie oka, w najgorszej sytuacji znajdowało się przedsiębiorstwo Velkolom Certovy schody a.s
Physical And Technical Energy Problems. Factors of Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction in the Road Transport of Latvia / Siltumnīcefekta Gāzu Emisiju Samazināšanas Faktori Autotransportā Latvijā
Authors: Grackova L. , Klavs G.
Published: March 2013

The admissible scenarios are considered as related to reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions from the road transport in Latvia by 2020. All of the scenarios are analysed, and the proofs are presented for the possibility to reduce such emissions as well as the energy consumption through a more extensive use of efficient cars and biofuel.
Satellite Communications. SDPSK Modulator for Radiation Tolerant Satellite Modem / SDPSK Modulators Radiācijas Noturīgam Satelīta Modēmam
Authors: Skorodumovs A.
Published: March 2013

After a satellite has been launched, it is impossible to reprogram the hardware modulator. Therefore, a nanoRTU FPGA-based controller (AAC Microtec) in a modified modulation scheme may be programmed as a modem backend for softwaredefined radio (SDR) in the satellite communication system in order to adjust the balance of data rate vs. link reliability, enable coding or encryption system, change communication protocols, etc. For this purpose, a low-power radiation-tolerant reprogrammable satellite modem back-end has been realized for the satellite-to-Earth communication. This paper describes realization of a low data rate modulator based on a robust and reliable symmetric differential phase shift keying (SDPSK) modulation scheme combined with a raised cosine pulse shaping filter in nanoRTU, and presents results of its testing
Sport and Recreation Grounds: Urban Society Expectations
Authors: Pawlikowska-Piechotka Anna , Sawicka Karolina
Published: March 2013

Recently, changes to our pace of living and to our quality of life (including demands of our leisure possibilities) have been rapid. We now expect higher standards of living filled with goods, services, and recreation activities unimaginable some decades ago. In the last two decades, there have been massive changes in work, communication, and travel resulting in what could be described as “leisure revolution.” The opportunities have increased in terms of both the time available and the variety of ways in which we can spend this time. Several aspects of physical exercise benefits are well recognized: we know that active recreation is especially stimulating and rewarding and that it helps to achieve sharper mental awareness and heightened consciousness. To be able to enjoy everyday outdoor active recreation and sports (netball, badminton, etc.), there has to be a network of recreation grounds and a supply of facilities that respond to the needs and expectations of society.

The study of contemporary trends of leisure provision could be an essential spatial planning tool when contemporary housing estates functional programs are considered. Our research study (conducted on the basis of grants ds-114 and ds-144 AWF JP Warsaw; 2008-2012, supported by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education) aimed to provide information on present trends in the area of active recreation that could impinge on leisure facilities expected at urban housing estates (outdoor recreation grounds).
Poetry
Authors: Brown E.K.
Published: March 2013

Reviews of poetry published in Canada in 1948.
Biographical, Critical, and Other Writings
Authors: McCullough W. S. , Careless J. M. S. , Careless The Editor and Others
Published: March 2013

Biography, Autobiography, and Reminiscence, reviewed by The Editor

Literary and Critical Studies, reviewed by The Editor and Others

Books on Religion, reviewed by W. S. McCullough

Canada: The Land and the People, reviewed by J. M. S. Careless

Other Books, reviewed by The Editor and Others
WORDSWORTH AND GREEK MYTH
Authors: Zwerdling Alex
Published: March 2013

Literary historians anxious to demonstrate the revival of interest in Greek myth during the Romantic period usually point to the poetry of Keats and Shelley. And it is certainly true that the attitude of these two poets towards classical fable is radically different from that of the previous century. But in contrasting the "Romantic" with the "Neo-Classical" point of view, we must beware of identifying the feelings of all the writers in each group; of assuming, for example, that there was essential agreement between the first generation of Romantic poets and the second. The fact that \Vordsworth wrote relatively little poetry which actually uses the Greek myths makes such an identification of attitudes relatively easy. And yet, the older poet's part in reclaiming the province of classical fable is at once unique, extremely influential. and difficult to assess
Economics and the Politics of Opulance
Authors: Johnson Harry
Published: March 2013

As a professional economist, I am honoured to have been invited to participate in a sustained inquiry into "man in the modern age" -for we economists are accustomed to being excluded from exercises of this kind, on the grounds that we persistently spoil the fun by dogmatically insisting on the harsh restraints on man's freedom of action assumed by our discipline. I can promise you that I do not intend to sin in that direction. On the contrary, I shall take as my point of departure the proposition that the society in which we live has attained that happy economic condition which J. K. Galbraith has indelibly branded as a£Huent, but which I prefe r for my own reasons to describe as opulent-and which in the vast majority of the countries of the world would be described simply (and enviously) as "developed." In accordance with the general theme of this programme, "Directions of Development in Modern Society," I shall concern myself with emerging concepts, trends, and problems connected with opulence. My title is "Economics and Politics of Opulence," because these are the main areas I wish to discuss, but I shall also have something to say about the social and personal implications of opulence.
Classical and Contemporary French Literature
Authors: Garapon Robert
Published: March 2013

The subject I intend to deal with is very simple and, at the same time, very topical; but, before defining it, I should like to explain briefly how I came to consider it. I have long been attracted by classical French literature—I use the word "classical" in the sense of French literature of the seventeenth century—and it is to this area that I have devoted the better part of my critical writing over the past twenty-five years. At the same time, however, my experience as a teacher has convinced me that seventeenth-century literature is becoming more and more neglected, not only by those whom I would still call les honnêtes gens, who read for their own pleasure, but also, and this is more serious, by students. Among the latter in particular, an almost exclusive infatuation with contemporary literature is flourishing and becoming stronger every day. And the more contemporary the better: yesterday's authors have already been abandoned for this morning's or this evening's, and it is hardly an exaggeration to maintain that, for many people, literature, like adventure, begins tomorrow. But it is not really accurate to say that classical authors are being neglected; they are being forgotten, struck from the list; their works are as if they had never been written, they are of no importance whatsoever. Some names are still useful, but only the names. One turns to them to bestow hyperbolic praise upon such and such a 1966 author. For example, people say of a certain author that he writes like Racine, which only serves to show that they have forgotten Racine, if indeed they have ever really read him!
The hero is Asturia's Novel The President
Authors: Irving
Published: March 2013

Two and three centuries ago, during the Spanish colonial period, the name Guatemala covered a large area stretching from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec to Costa Rica. Except from eastern Honduras southeastward, the cultural area more or less comprised ancient Mayaland or the Mayab, as its original inhabitants called it. At the declaration of independence in 1821, Guatemala lost Chiapas to Mexico, and the United Provinces of Central America then set up lasted less than two decades as a federal republic.
Romans, Recits, Nouvelles, Contes
Authors: Hayne David
Published: March 2013

Reviews of French-Canadian fiction published in Canada in 1971.
The Rose-Wheel Design and Dante's Paradiso
Authors: Leyerle John
Published: March 2013

This paper is dedicated to the memory of my colleague and friend, James H. Acland, who was Professor of Architecture in the University of Toronto at the time of his premature death in May 1976. He taught his associates and his students to study medieval structures in the social context and in the human scale for which they were designed and built. His interest in his subject was infectious and he was generous with his knowledge and his time. I learned much from his work and from his attitu.de to his subject and hope that the pages that follow convey, in some small way, how medieval architecture could touch the human imagination, even as his spirit and work touched mine.
Reviews
Authors: Leggatt Alexander , Carscallen James , Swales Martin , Webster Jill , Keith
Published: March 2013

Robert G. Hunter, Shakespeare and the Mystery of God's Judgments, reviewed by Alexander Leggatt

S.L. Goldberg, An Essay on King Lear., reviewed by Alexander Leggatt

Leeds Barroll, Artificial Persons: The Formation of Character in the Tragedies of Shakespeare, reviewed by Alexander Leggatt

Richard Fly, Shakespeare's Mediated World, reviewed by Alexander Leggatt

Larry S. Champion, Shakespeare's Tragic Perspective, reviewed by Alexander Leggatt

Robert Y. Turner, Shakespeare's Apprenticeship, reviewed by Alexander Leggatt

Barbara A. Mowat, The Dramaturgy of Shakespeare's Romances, reviewed by Alexander Leggatt

Madeleine Doran, Shakespeare's Dramatic Language, reviewed by Alexander Leggatt

Henry Vaughan, Henry Vaughan. The Complete Poems, reviewed by James Carscallen

Angel Flores ed., The Problem of 'The Judgment': Eleven Approaches to Kafka's Story, reviewed by Martin Swales

Stephen Gilman and Edmund L. King, Selected Essays of America Castro, reviewed by Jill R. Webster

David Jones, The Ken sillgton Mass, reviewed by W.J. Keith

Ruth Pryor ed.,David Jones: Letters to Vemon Watkins, reviewed by W.J. Keith

Samuel Rees, David Jones: An Annotated Bibliography and Guide to Research, reviewed by W.J. Keith

Rene Hague, David Jones, reviewed by W.J. Keith

Jeremy Hooker, David Jones: An Exploratory Study of the Writings, reviewed by W.J. Keith

Roland Mathias ed., David Jones: Eight Essays all his Work as Writer and Artist, reviewed by W.J. Keith

Rene Hague, A Commentary on 'The Anathemata' of David Jones, reviewed by W.J. Keith
Malcolm Lowry: Time and the Artist
Authors: Jones
Published: March 2013

Malcolm Lowry's densely philosophical novels and stories have occasioned much learned commentary in recent years. To cope with the 'polysemous meanings' of his fiction Lowry scholarship commonly invokes religious and metaphysical systems as miscellaneous as Buddhism, Cabbalism, Taoism, Theosophism, Yoga, Hermeticism, Voodoo, Neoplatonism, Pantheism, Orphism, Hindu mysticism, Rosicrucianism, Swedenborgism, Aztec and Mayan legend, as well as major and minor branches of the Judaeo-Christian tradition. It routinely invokes the names of philosophers, sages, and occultists as various as Plato, Kant, Ouspensky, Paracelsus, Ortega y Gasset, Aleister Crowley, J. W. Dunne, Bergson, Spengler, Spinoza, Agrippa, Berkeley, Jung, William James, Jacob Boehme, Eliphas Levi, A. E. Waite, S. L. MacGregor-Mathers, Madame Blavatsky, Charles Fort, and Annie Besant. It identifies literary influences so diverse and so pervasive that it would be idle to try to catalogue them here.
Reviews
Authors: Patrick Julian , Dane Joseph , Dane Joseph , Zitner Sheldon , Gibbons Thomas , Stroicheff Peter
Published: March 2013

Michael Riffaterre, Text Production, reviewed by Julian Patrick

Jonathan Culler, On Deconstruction: Theory and Criticism after Structuralism, reviewed by Julian Patrick

Terry Eagleton, Literary Theory: An Introduction, reviewed by Julian Patrick

Vincent B. Leitch, Deconstructive Criticism: An Advanced Introduction, reviewed by Julian Patrick

Jonathan Arac, Wlad Godzich, Wallace Martin, eds., The Yale Critics: Deconstruction in America, reviewed by Julian Patrick

Christopher Butler, Interpretation, reviewed by Julian Patrick

Jesse M. Gellrich, The Idea of the Book in the Middle Ages: Language Theory, Mythology, and Fiction, reviewed by Joseph A. Dane

Roland Mushat Frye, The Renaissance Hamlet: Issues and Responses in 1600, reviewed by Sheldon Zitner

J. Edward Chamberlin and Sander L. Gilman, eds., Degeneration: The Dark Side of Progress, reviewed by Thomas Gibbons

Patrick Brantlinger, Bread and Circuses: Theories of Mass Culture as Social Decay, reviewed by Thomas Gibbons

Mieke Bal, Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative, reviewed by Peter Stoicheff
Modernism, Postmodernism, Fascism, and Historicism
Authors: Surette Leon
Published: March 2013

The critique to which Modernism is now being subjected by Postmodernism has made it increasingly apparent that Modernism has long been misconstrued in so far as it has been understood as the fulfilment—or the latest development—of liberal humanism. Such a view of Modernism was to its credit in the 1940s and 1950s when liberal humanism was the 'ideology' of choice. However, today 'liberalism' is becoming a dirty word among enlightened American intellectuals—as it has been for a long time among unreconstructed conservatives and Marxists.
Gérard Bessette ou l'exaltation de la parole
Authors: Robidoux Rejean
Published: March 2013

Je suis venu en Inde afin d'y promouvoir la littérature québécoise ou canadienne-française. Je ne suis pas loin de penser que l'idée même est farfelue. C'est en tout cas pour moi, tenant d'une tradition littéraire autonome, certes, mais longtemps précaire, volontiers qualifiée de marginale et traitée comme telle par la littérature mère, celle de France, une plongée décisive dans un exotisme total. Du seul fait de ma venue dans cet univers culturellement si riche et, pour moi, si différent, je me vois dans la situation du nain qui chercherait à intéresser à ses jeux un géant. Que lui apprendre d'autre que la particularité de mon être singulier?
Entre la littérature et la peinture, la montagne: l'écart entre les représentations littéraires de Montréal et la peinture d'Adrien Hébert*
Authors: Trépanier Esther
Published: March 2013

Le rapport à la ville moderne chez les peintres canadiens-français ressemble assez à celui que l'on trouve chez les poètes et les romanciers. Il est marqué des mêmes ambiguités, des mêmes ambivalences quand ce n'est pas de la même 'négation' qui conduit plusieurs artistes, vivant pourtant à Montréal, à se consacrer principalement à l'illustration du terroir. Certes, on trouve un certain nombre de représentations du Vieux-Montréal et des monuments architecturaux (détruits ou en passe de l'être) de l'époque glorieuse de Ville-Marie. L'oeuvre de Georges Delfosse (1869–1939) est à ce titre exemplaire. Mais ce type d'appropriation d'un espace urbain qui appartient à l'histoire révolue de la ville française est en parfaite congruence avec l'idéologie nationale qui nourrit la complexité du rapport imaginaire à la ville.
Le Romantisme tragique du jeune Hubert Aquin
Authors: Pelletier Jacques
Published: March 2013

Au tout début des années cinquante, à peine àgé de vingt ans, Hubert Aquin, alors étudiant à Paris, écrit Les Rédempteurs, un court roman qu'il soumet à Gallimard et José Corti qui refusent de l'éditer. Le récit sera finalement publié sept ans plus tard dans Les Écrits du Canada français. Il constitue la première oeuvre d'importance d'Aquin qui s'était fait connaitre durant les années antérieures par quelques textes dramatiques présentés à la télévision. Il témoigne des préoccupations à la fois les plus anciennes et les plus constantes de l'écrivain pour les questions liées au sens de la vie et de la mort, à la symbolique de l'amour et du temps, constellation thématique qui formera le socle et le coeur de l'oeuvre à venir.
Ni l'un, ni l'autre: l'ambivalence du discours de l'hétérogène dans Volkswagen Blues
Authors: Paterson Janet
Published: March 2013

L'hétérogène sous ses différentes formes – métissage, pluralité, indétermination et androgyne – est devenu une problématique privilégiée dans de nombreux discours depuis le début des années quatre-vingt. La plupart des théories consacrées au postmodernisme, par exemple, identifient l'hétérogène comme un trait fondamental de ce mouvement culturel. Par ailleurs, plusieurs critiques ont fait remarquer que, depuis plusieurs années, cette thématique s'inscrit vigoureusement dans le champ discursif québécois. Issu d'une société où les notions d'identité et de culture subissent des mutations profondes, l'hétérogène littéraire devient de plus en plus présent et explicite dans la littérature contemporaine. Comme le souligne Pierre L'Hérault, 'la littérature québécoise s'articule désormais sur la tension de l'identitaire et de l'hétérogène.'
Au chic resto pop – le direct émancipateur
Authors: Sanaker John Kristian
Published: March 2013

Au chic resto pop (1990) de Tahani Rached est un film avec et sur une équipe d'ex-assistés sociaux qui ont créé leurs propres emplois en organisant un restaurant populaire dans le quartier de Hochelaga/Maisonneuve à Montréal.
Malcolm Rains's Samothrace (1991)
Authors: Hutcheon Linda
Published: March 2013

Malcolm Rains and I were born in the same year,but I do not think that is the reason why I have always felt close to this work, a work that for some years was hanging in the second-floor north entrance of the Robarts Library, the major research facility at the University of Toronto. I suspect the real reason for my sense of affinity with this work lies in the fact that the Robarts Library has always been the place where I write, and this oil painting of a piece of crumpled white paper has poignantly evoked my creative output on a bad day. I am willing to concede, however, that my pleasure in it could be a less masochistic one, for the paper's colour and shape also remind me of my family's lively little West Highland terrier.
Supporting Learning with Wireless Sensor Data
Authors: Multisilta Jari , Perttula Arttu
Published: March 2013

In this article, learning is studied in in situ applications that involve sensors. The main questions are how to conceptualize experiential learning involving sensors and what kinds of learning applications using sensors already exist or could be designed. It is claimed that experiential learning, context information and sensor data supports twenty first century learning. The concepts of context, technology-mediated experiences, shared felt experiences and experiential learning theory will be used to describe a framework for sensor-based mobile learning environments. Several scenarios and case examples using sensors and sensor data will be presented, and they will be analyzed using the framework. Finally, the article contributes to the discussion concerning the role of technology-mediated learning experiences and collective sensor data in developing twenty first century learning by characterizing what kinds of skills and competences are supported in learning situations that involve sensors.
Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis of Congenital Malformations (CM) in Israel, 2000–2006
Authors: Agay-Shay Keren , Amitai Yona , Peretz Chava , Linn Shai , Friger Michael , Peled Ammatzia
Published: March 2013

Congenital Malformations (CM) impose a heavy burden on families and society. Identification of spatial patterns of CM is useful for understanding the epidemiology of this public health issue. In Israel, about 1,000,000 births and 25,000 CM cases at 37 groups were geocoded during 2000–2006. These were geo-analyzed using global-Moran’s-I statistics. Eight groups demonstrated geospatial heterogeneity and were further analyzed at both the census tract (Local Indicator of Spatial Association (LISA) and hot spot analyses) and street levels (spatial scan statistics with two population threshold sizes). The positional definition of results is further discussed in relevance to possible exposure to teratogenic sources in the region. Limitations of data and methods used are presented as well.
Terminalia chebula Extract Protects OGD-R Induced PC12 Cell Death and Inhibits LPS Induced Microglia Activation
Authors: Gaire Bhakta , Jamarkattel-Pandit Nirmala , Lee Donghun , Song Jungbin , Kim Ji , Park Juyeon , Jung Soyoung , Choi Ho-Young , Kim Hocheol
Published: March 2013

Terminalia chebula, native to Southeast Asia, is a popular medicinal plant in Ayurveda. It has been previously reported to have strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory efficacy. In this study, we aimed to investigate if fruit extract from T. chebula might protect neuronal cells against ischemia and related diseases by reduction of oxidative damage and inflammation in rat pheochromocytoma cells (PC12) using in vitro oxygen-glucose deprivation followed by reoxygenation (OGD-R) ischemia and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) induced cell death. Cell survival was evaluated by a 2-(4,5-dimethylthiazol- 2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. Free radical scavenging, lipid peroxidation and nitric oxide inhibition were measured by diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), thiobarbituric acid (TBA) and Griess reagent, respectively. We found that T. chebula extract: (1) increases the survival of cells subjected to OGD-R by 68%, and H2O2 by 91.4%; (2) scavenges the DPPH free radical by 96% and decreases malondialdehyde (MDA) levels from 237.0 ± 15.2% to 93.7 ± 2.2%; (3) reduces NO production and death rate of microglia cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). These results suggest that T. chebula extract has the potential as a natural herbal medicine, to protect the cells from ischemic damage and the possible mechanism might be the inhibition of oxidative and inflammatory processes.
Cloning and Characterization of a Hybridoma Secreting a 4-(Methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK)-Specific Monoclonal Antibody and Recombinant F(ab)
Authors: Wanczyk Heather , Barker Tolga , Rood Debra , Zapata Daniel , Howell Amy , Richardson Stewart , Zinckgraf John , Marusov Gregory , Lynes Michael , Silbart Lawrence
Published: March 2013

Smokeless tobacco products have been associated with increased risks of oro-pharyngeal cancers, due in part to the presence of tobacco-specific nitrosamines (TSNAs) such as 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK). These potent carcinogens are formed during tobacco curing and as a result of direct nitrosation reactions that occur in the oral cavity. In the current work we describe the isolation and characterization of a hybridoma secreting a high-affinity, NNK-specific monoclonal antibody. A structurally-related benzoyl derivative was synthesized to facilitate coupling to NNK-carrier proteins, which were characterized for the presence of the N-nitroso group using the Griess reaction, and used to immunize BALB/c mice. Splenocytes from mice bearing NNK-specific antibodies were used to create hybridomas. Out of four, one was selected for subcloning and characterization. Approximately 99% of the monoclonal antibodies from this clone were competitively displaced from plate-bound NNKB conjugates in the presence of free NNK. The affinity of the monoclonal antibody to the NNKB conjugates was Kd = 2.93 nM as determined by surface plasmon resonance. Free nicotine was a poor competitor for the NNKB binding site. The heavy and light chain antibody F(ab) fragments were cloned, sequenced and inserted in tandem into an expression vector, with an FMDV Furin 2A cleavage site between them. Expression in HEK 293 cells revealed a functional F(ab) with similar binding features to that of the parent hybridoma. This study lays the groundwork for synthesizing transgenic tobacco that expresses carcinogen-sequestration properties, thereby rendering it less harmful to consumers.
RSV Fusion: Time for a New Model
Authors: Mastrangelo Peter , Hegele Richard
Published: March 2013

In this review we propose a partially hypothetical model of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) binding and entry to the cell that includes the recently discovered RSV receptor nucleolin, in an attempt to stimulate further inquiry in this research area. RSV binding and entry is likely to be a two-step process, the first involving the attachment of the virus to the cell membrane, which may be enhanced by electrostatic interactions with cellular glycoproteins/heparin and the viral G protein, and the second involving fusion to the cell membrane mediated by the viral F protein and a specific cellular fusion receptor. With our recent discovery of nucleolin as a functional fusion receptor for RSV, comes the possibility of a number of new approaches to the development of novel strategies for RSV prophylaxis and therapy, as well as raising some new questions concerning the pathobiology of RSV infection and tropism.
« Tu peux être prostituée et victime de la traite »
Authors: Jakšić Milena
Published: March 2013

Les victimes de la traite peuvent bénéficier d’un titre provisoire de séjour du fait même de leur statut de victime. Mais lors de l’examen de leur situation en préfecture avant délivrance de ce titre, il arrive que la victime cède la place à l’étrangère sans papiers, coupable de racolage. Et que dire de celles qui poursuivent une activité prostitutionnelle ? Peut-on être victime et prostituée en France ?
Automated Podcasting System for Universities
Authors: Grigoriadis Ypatios , Stickel Christian , Nagler Walther , Ebner Martin , Schön Martin
Published: March 2013

This paper presents the results achieved at Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) in the field of automating the process of recording and publishing university lectures in a very new way. It outlines cornerstones of the development and integration of an automated recording system such as the lecture hall setup, the recording hardware and software architecture as well as the development of a text-based search for the final product by method of indexing video podcasts. Furthermore, the paper takes a look at didactical aspects, evaluations done in this context and future outlook.
A Topic-Driven Modular Approach to Engineering Education Delivery
Authors: Amarin Ruba Akram , Garibay Ozlem O. , Batarseh Issa
Published: March 2013

The interactive technical electronic book, TechEBook, currently under development at the University of Central Florida, provides a useful tool for engineers and scientists through unique features compared to the most used traditional electrical circuit textbooks available in the market. TechEBook has comprised the two worlds of classical circuit books and an interactive operating platform that can be run on mobile devices, laptops and desktops utilizing Java Virtual Machine operator. The TechEBook provides an interactive applets screen that holds many modules, in which each had a specific application in the self learning process.

In this paper the main goals and objectives behind the MeLearning concept will be identified. The paper will describe the differences between the traditional curriculum delivery and the MeLearning concept in details accompanied by the main tools used and a description of the different modules features.
Evaluation of Recombinant Plasmodium knowlesi Merozoite Surface Protein-133 for Detection of Human Malaria
Authors: Cheong Fei Wen , Lau Yee Ling , Fong Mun Yik , Mahmud Rohela
Published: March 2013

Plasmodium knowlesi is now known as the fifth Plasmodium species that can cause human malaria. The Plasmodium merozoite surface protein (MSP) has been reported to be potential target for vaccination and diagnosis of malaria. MSP-133 has been shown to be immunogenic and its T cell epitopes could mediate cellular immune protection. However, limited studies have focused on P. knowlesi MSP-133. In this study, an approximately 28-kDa recombinant P. knowlesi MSP-133 (pkMSP-133) was expressed by using an Escherichia coli system. The purified pkMSP-133 reacted with serum samples of patients infected with P. knowlesi (31 of 31, 100%) and non-P. knowlesi malaria (27 of 28, 96.43%) by Western blotting. The pkMSP-133 also reacted with P. knowlesi (25 of 31, 80.65%) and non-P. knowlesi malaria sera (20 of 28, 71.43%) in an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Most of the non-malarial infection (49 of 52 in by Western blotting and 46 of 52 in the ELISA) and healthy donor serum samples (65 of 65 by Western blotting and ELISA) did not react with recombinant pkMSP-133.
Tropical Diseases Screening in Immigrant Patients with Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection in Spain
Authors: Salvador Fernando , Molina Israel , Sulleiro Elena , Burgos Joaquín , Curran Adrián , Eynde Eva Van den , del Saz Sara Villar , Navarro Jordi , Crespo Manuel , Ocaña Inma , Ribera Esteve , Falcó Vicenç , Pahissa Albert
Published: March 2013

Latent parasitic infections can reactivate because of immunosuppression. We conducted a prospective observational study of all human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)–infected immigrants who visited the Infectious Diseases Department of the Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain, during June 2010–May 2011. Screening of the most prevalent tropical diseases (intestinal parasitosis, Chagas disease, leishmaniasis, malaria, schistosomiasis, and strongyloidiasis) was performed according to geographic origin. A total of 190 patients were included: 141 (74.2%) from Latin America, 41 (21.6%) from sub-Saharan Africa, and 8 (4.2%) from northern Africa. Overall, 36.8% (70 of 190) of the patients had at least one positive result for any parasitic disease: 5 patients with positive Trypanosoma cruzi serology, 11 patients with positive Schistosoma mansoni serology, 35 patients with positive Strongyloides stercoralis serology, 7 patients with positive Leishmania infantum serology, intestinal parasitosis were detected in 37 patients, malaria was diagnosed in one symptomatic patient. We propose a screening and management strategy of latent parasitic infections in immigrant patients infected with HIV.
„Markets in the Making“: Zur Ethnographie alltäglicher Marktkonstruktionen in organisationalen Settings
Authors: Ouma S.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. Drawing on the example of a research project on the extension of the margins of the global agricultural market through the workings of agribusiness in Ghana, this paper explores what contribution ethnographic approaches can make to the study of quotidian market constructions in organizational settings. It demonstrates how ethnographies of marketization can be grasped conceptually, epistemologically and methodologically, as well as what practical and methodological challenges such a practice-oriented approach towards the everyday organization of markets might encounter. By doing so, the paper offers a methodological contribution to the interdisciplinary field of marketization studies. Moreover, this paper urges economic geographers to further harness the epistemological potential of ethnographic approaches.
Ethnografie und Aufmerksamkeit Zur phänomenologischen Perspektivierung der Feldforschung
Authors: Frers L.
Published: March 2013

Abstract. This article discusses how phenomenological procedures can be used to instruct ethnographic research. Since doing ethnography in the field builds on sensory perception, a closer inspection of relevant processes of perception is necessary. Insights into the field that is studied are dependent on the manner in which it is perceived. As Waldenfels' "phenomenology of attention'' displays, the distribution of attention is of crucial importance in this context. To get to grips with the uses of phenomenology in the field, three areas of tension are explored: proximity – distance, mixture – analysis and presence – recording. These terminological pairs relate to tensions that structure experience and the play of perceptions in the field. Based on a reflection of these relations, the article offers a methodology that is characterized by mobility, openness and a continuous highlighting of how the researcher's corporal embeddedness into the field affects the distribution of attention.
Estado emocional e reatividade cardiovascular pré-competitiva de adolescentes praticantes de futsal
Authors: Teixeira André De Oliveira , Franco Ozeia Simões , Cruz Jeferson Mendes , Pereira Ana Paula Cardoso , Moraes Maicom Borges , Kafer Eduardo De Sena , Kohl Leandro De Moraes , Signori Luis Ulisses
Published: March 2013

Objetivo: Analisar as alterações do estado emocional e da reatividade cardiovascular de adolescentes praticantes de futsal. Métodos: Vinte adolescentes do gênero masculino, com idade de 15,6 (1,1) anos foram avaliados 30 min antes das situações de treino e competição. O estado emocional compreendeu as avaliações do estresse e da ansiedade. A reatividade cardiovascular incluiu a pressão arterial sistêmica, frequência cardíaca, pressão de pulso e duplo produto. Resultados: A situação pré-competitiva aumentou os sintomas de estresse (últimas 24 h, último mês e últimos três meses) e de ansiedade traço, cognitiva e somática (p
Estudo correlacional entre parâmetros de avaliação da marcha e equilíbrio em idosas institucionalizadas
Authors: De Medeiros Paulo Adão , Heinz Camila , Filippin Lidiane Isabel , Vendrusculo Alecsandra Pinheiro , Virtuoso Janeisa Franck , Streit Inês Amanda , Mazo Giovana Zarpellon
Published: March 2013

Objetivo: Correlacionar parâmetros de avaliação da marcha e equilíbrio em idosas institucionalizadas. Métodos: Foram avaliadas 36 idosas (71,92±8,48 anos) e aplicados o teste de um minuto de marcha para avaliação da cadência da marcha, o teste de velocidade da marcha e a Avaliação da Marcha e Equilíbrio Orientada pelo Desempenho (POMA). Utilizou-se estatística descritiva e inferencial por meio do teste de correlação de Pearson (r). Adotou-se um nível de significância de 5%. Resultados: Observou-se correlação positiva e significativa entre cadência e velocidade da marcha (r= 0,649; p< 0,001), e entre o equilíbrio com a velocidade (r= 0,641; p< 0,001) e com a cadência da marcha (r= 0,398; p= 0,016). Conclusão: Existe correlação entre os parâmetros analisados, sendo maior entre o desempenho na marcha e equilíbrio com a velocidade da marcha. Recomendam-se novas investigações que venham contemplar relações entre componentes da aptidão muscular e os parâmetros de avaliação da marcha e equilíbrio.
Sox10-dependent neural crest origin of olfactory microvillous neurons in zebrafish
Authors: Saxena Ankur , Peng Brian N , Bronner Marianne E
Published: March 2013

The sense of smell in vertebrates is detected by specialized sensory neurons derived from the peripheral nervous system. Classically, it has been presumed that the olfactory placode forms all olfactory sensory neurons. In contrast, we show that the cranial neural crest is the primary source of microvillous sensory neurons within the olfactory epithelium of zebrafish embryos. Using photoconversion-based fate mapping and live cell tracking coupled with laser ablation, we followed neural crest precursors as they migrated from the neural tube to the nasal cavity. A subset that coexpressed Sox10 protein and a neurogenin1 reporter ingressed into the olfactory epithelium and differentiated into microvillous sensory neurons. Timed loss-of-function analysis revealed a critical role for Sox10 in microvillous neurogenesis. Taken together, these findings directly demonstrate a heretofore unknown contribution of the cranial neural crest to olfactory sensory neurons in zebrafish and provide important insights into the assembly of the nascent olfactory system.
What's new is older
Authors: Rangel Lara M , Eichenbaum Howard
Published: March 2013

Distinct populations of active cells in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus may facilitate the unique encoding of changes in the environment.
The use of poly (ε‐caprolactone) to enhance the mechanical strength of porous Si‐substituted carbonate apatite
Authors: Bang Le Thi. , Kawachi Giichiro , Nakagawa Masaharu , Munar Melvin , Ishikawa Kunio , Othman Radzali
Published: March 2013

Poly(ε‐caprolactone) (PCL)/silicon‐substituted carbonate apatite (Si‐CO3Ap) composite derived from the interconnected porous Si‐CO3Ap reinforced with molten PCL was prepared. PCL was used to improve the mechanical properties of a porous apatite by a simple polymer infiltration method, in which the molten PCL was deposited through the interconnected channel of porous Si‐CO3Ap. The PCL covered and penetrated into the pores of the Si‐CO3Ap to form an excellent physical interaction with Si‐CO3Ap leading to a significant increase in diametral tensile strength from 0.23 MPa to a maximum of 2.04 MPa. The Si‐CO3Ap/PCL composite has a porosity of about 50–60% and an interconnected porous structure, with pore sizes of 50–150 μm which are necessary for bone tissue formation. These results could pave the way for producing a porous, structured biocomposite which could be used for bone replacement. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Combinatorial Control of Th17 and Th1 Cell Functions by Genetic Variations in Genes Associated With the Interleukin‐23 Signaling Pathway in Spondyloarthritis
Authors: Coffre Maryaline , Roumier Mathilde , Rybczynska Magda , Sechet Emmanuel , Law Helen K. W. , Gossec Laure , Dougados Maxime , Bianchi Elisabetta , Rogge Lars
Published: March 2013

Objective

Recent genome‐wide association studies have revealed numerous genetic associations between specific single‐nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and immune‐mediated inflammatory diseases. The current challenge is to identify associations of the genetic variants with effector mechanisms implicated in pathogenesis. This study was undertaken to investigate the link between genetic variation at loci associated with spondyloarthritis (SpA) and the effector function of CD4+ T lymphocyte subsets involved in chronic inflammatory disease.

Methods

Expression of Th17 and Th1 cytokines and transcription factors was measured in CD4+ T cells isolated from patients with SpA. Correlation analyses were performed to assess potential associations of these expression levels with the patient's genotype at loci genetically linked to SpA.

Results

The effector functions of Th17 and Th1 cells in patients with SpA were found to be under combinatorial control by multiple SNPs at genes associated with the interleukin‐23 (IL‐23)/Th17 pathway. Patients with SpA carrying risk‐associated alleles of genes in the IL‐23/Th17 pathway expressed the highest levels of genes involved in the differentiation and function of Th17 and Th1 cells, whereas the presence of protective alleles was associated with low‐level expression of these genes. In contrast, variation at loci that were genetically linked to SpA, but not associated with the IL‐23 pathway, did not affect the expression of Th17‐ and Th1‐specific genes, suggesting that these SNPs may contribute to the pathogenesis of SpA through distinct cellular mechanisms.

Conclusion

These results show that genetic variations at genes associated with the IL‐23 signaling pathway may influence the effector functions of Th17 and Th1 cells in patients with SpA. These findings provide a framework to delineate the mechanisms by which genetic variants contribute to pathology.
Partial summary measures of the predictiveness curve
Authors: Sachs Michael C. , Zhou Xiao‐Hua
Published: March 2013

In the evaluation of a biomarker for risk prediction, one can assess the performance of the biomarker in the population of interest by displaying the predictiveness curve. In conjunction with an assessment of the classification accuracy of a biomarker, the predictiveness curve is an important tool for assessing the usefulness of a risk prediction model. Inference for a single biomarker or for multiple biomarkers can be performed using summary measures of the predictiveness curve. We propose two partial summary measures, the partial total gain and the partial proportion of explained variation, that summarize the predictiveness curve over a restricted range of risk. The methods we describe can be used to compare two biomarkers when there are existing thresholds for risk stratification. We describe inferential tools for one and two samples that are shown to have adequate power in a simulation study. The methods are illustrated by assessing the accuracy of a risk score for predicting the onset of Alzheimer's disease.
A Multiple Multicomponent Approach to Chimeric Peptide–Peptoid Podands
Authors: Rivera Daniel G. , León Fredy , Concepción Odette , Morales Fidel E. , Wessjohann Ludger A.
Published: March 2013

The success of multi‐armed, peptide‐based receptors in supramolecular chemistry traditionally is not only based on the sequence but equally on an appropriate positioning of various peptidic chains to create a multivalent array of binding elements. As a faster, more versatile and alternative access toward (pseudo)peptidic receptors, a new approach based on multiple Ugi four‐component reactions (Ugi‐4CR) is proposed as a means of simultaneously incorporating several binding and catalytic elements into organizing scaffolds. By employing α‐amino acids either as the amino or acid components of the Ugi‐4CRs, this multiple multicomponent process allows for the one‐pot assembly of podands bearing chimeric peptide–peptoid chains as appended arms. Tripodal, bowl‐shaped, and concave polyfunctional skeletons are employed as topologically varied platforms for positioning the multiple peptidic chains formed by Ugi‐4CRs. In a similar approach, steroidal building blocks with several axially‐oriented isocyano groups are synthesized and utilized to align the chimeric chains with conformational constrains, thus providing an alternative to the classical peptido‐steroidal receptors. The branched and hybrid peptide–peptoid appendages allow new possibilities for both rational design and combinatorial production of synthetic receptors. The concept is also expandable to other multicomponent reactions.
Wide‐Ranging Host Capability of a PdII‐Linked M2L4 Molecular Capsule with an Anthracene Shell
Authors: Kishi Norifumi , Li Zhiou , Sei Yoshihisa , Akita Munetaka , Yoza Kenji , Siegel Jay S. , Yoshizawa Michito
Published: March 2013

This article reports that an M2L4 molecular capsule is capable of encapsulating various neutral molecules in quantitative yields. The capsule was obtained as a single product by mixing a small number of components; two PdII ions and four bent bispyridine ligands containing two anthracene panels. Detailed studies of the host capability of the PdII‐linked capsule revealed that spherical (e.g., paracyclophane, adamantanes, and fullerene C60), planar (e.g., pyrenes and triphenylene), and bowl‐shaped molecules (e.g., corannulene) were encapsulated in the large spherical cavity, giving rise to 1:1 and 1:2 host–guest complexes, respectively. The volume of the encapsulated guest molecules ranged from 190 to 490 Å3. Within the capsule, the planar guests adopt a stacked‐dimer structure and the bowl‐shaped guests formed an unprecedented concave‐to‐concave capsular structure, which are fully shielded by the anthracene shell. Competitive binding experiments of the capsule with a set of the planar guests established a preferential binding series for pyrenes≈phenanthrene>triphenylene. Furthermore, the capsule showed the selective formation of an unusual ternary complex in the case of triphenylene and corannulene.
ChemInform Abstract: Self‐Compensation Property of β‐Rhombohedral Boron Doped with High Li Concentration.
Authors: Hyodo H. , Nezu A. , Soga K. , Kimura K.
Published: March 2013

A high concentration of Li (up to LiB5.8) is doped into β‐rhombohedral boron (sealed stainless‐steel tube, Ar, 1000 °C, 24 h).