bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chemically Modified Lagenaria vulgaris as a Biosorbent for the Removal of CuII from Water
Authors: Stanković Maja N. , Krstić Nenad S. , Slipper Ian J. , Mitrović Jelena Z. , Radović Miljana D. , Bojić Danijela V. , Bojić Aleksandar Lj.
Published: November 2012

The ability of a biosorbent based on a chemically modified Lagenaria vulgaris shell for CuII ion removal from aqueous solution was studied in batch conditions. The biosorbent was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and the effect of relevant parameters such as contact time, pH, biomass dosage, and initial metal ion concentration was evaluated. The sorption process was found to be fast, attaining equilibrium within 40 min, and results were found to be best fitted by a pseudo-second order kinetic model. Experimental data showed that the biosorption is highly pH dependent, and the optimal pH was 5.0. Results were analyzed in terms of the following adsorption isotherms: Langmuir, Freundlich, Temkin, and Flory–Huggins, by a linear regression method. The CuII biosorption followed the Langmuir isotherm model (r2 = 0.998) with the maximum sorption capacity of 14.95 mg g–1. The methyl-sulfonated Lagenaria vulgaris biomass investigated in this study exhibited a high potential for the removal of CuII from aqueous solution.
Boating impacts to seagrass in Florida Bay, Everglades National Park, Florida, USA: links with physical and visitor-use factors and implications for management
Authors: Hallac David E. , Sadle Jimi , Pearlstine Leonard , Herling Fred , Shinde Dilip
Published: November 2012

Recreational motor boating in shallow water can damage submerged natural resources through propeller scarring and these impacts represent one of many factors that affect the health of seagrass ecosystems. Understanding the patterns of seagrass scarring and associations with physical and visitor-use factors can assist in development of management plans that seek to minimise resource damage within marine protected areas. A quantification of seagrass scarring of Florida Bay in Everglades National Park, using aerial imagery, resulted in the detection of a substantial number and length of seagrass scars. Geospatial analyses indicated that scarring was widespread, with the densest areas found in shallow depths, near navigational channels, and around areas most heavily used by boats. Modelling identified areas of high scarring probability, including areas that may experience increased scarring in the future as a result of a reallocation of impacts if management strategies are implemented. New boating-management strategies are warranted to protect seagrass in Florida Bay. An adaptive approach focusing on the most heavily scarred areas, should consider a variety of management options, including education, improved signage, new enforcement efforts and boating restrictions, such as non-motorised zones, or temporary closures. These methods and recommendations are broadly applicable to management of shallow water systems before and after resource impacts have occurred.
Stable isotope and fatty acid biomarkers of seagrass, epiphytic, and algal organic matter to consumers in a pristine seagrass ecosystem
Authors: Belicka Laura L. , Burkholder Derek , Fourqurean James W. , Heithaus Michael R. , Macko Stephen A. , Jaffé Rudolf
Published: November 2012

The relative importance of the identity and abundance of primary producers in structuring trophic ecology, particularly in seagrass-dominated ecosystems, remains unclear. We assessed the contributions of seagrass, epiphytes, macroalgae, and other primary producers to the diets of resident animals in the nearly pristine seagrass-dominated environment of Shark Bay, Australia, by combining fatty acid composition with carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur stable isotopes of primary producers and consumers. Overall, mixed inputs of these primary producers fuel secondary production, with tropical detrital seagrass inputs supporting most fish species, likely through benthic intermediates. Epiphytic organic matter inputs were most closely associated with snails, whereas seagrass detritus, macroalgae, gelatinous zooplankton, and/or phytoplankton may all contribute to higher trophic levels including sea turtles and sharks. The fatty acid and isotope data suggest that diets of large-bodied consumers were highly variable – future food web studies need to incorporate large sample sizes to account for this variability.
Differing temporal patterns of Chara hornemannii cover correlate to alternate regimes of phytoplankton and submerged aquatic-vegetation dominance
Authors: Frankovich Thomas A. , Barr Jordan G. , Morrison Douglas , Fourqurean James W.
Published: November 2012

Cover of the alga Chara hornemannii Wallman and water-quality parameters were measured over a 3-year period in adjacent mangrove subestuaries in Florida Bay, so as to describe temporal variability and infer relationships between Chara cover and water quality that will assist resource managers to restore Chara abundance to historically higher levels. A seasonal pattern of Chara cover was observed in the Alligator Creek subestuary that coincided with seasonal changes in water transparency in a relatively high-nutrient and phytoplankton environment. In contrast, higher Chara cover in the relatively low-nutrient and phytoplankton-abundance McCormick Creek subestuary did not exhibit a repeatable seasonal pattern, but was temporally negatively correlated with salinity and water depth. These observations suggest that water transparency may determine the importance of the salinity driver in these Chara communities. The present study demonstrates the differential importance of water quality and environmental drivers in estuaries distinguished by alternate regimes of phytoplankton and submerged aquatic-vegetation (SAV) dominance, and explains how differences in local estuarine geography may filter the response of SAV communities to environmental stressors.
Variability in the spatial and temporal distribution of the saucer scallop, Amusium balloti, in Shark Bay - management implications
Authors: Mueller Ute , Kangas Mervi , Sporer Errol , Caputi Nick
Published: November 2012

The present paper is the first description using geostatistical modelling of recruitment (0+) and residual (1+) scallop variability from an annual survey in a semi-tropical embayment. Geostatistical modelling provides a useful tool to explore and interpret distribution patterns and can provide information to determine potential behaviour of fishers. It may also aid in determining the time it will take from the beginning of the season to reach a catch-rate threshold, which is the management strategy implemented in the Shark Bay scallop fishery since 2004. High variability in recruit abundance and spatial distribution was observed among years, whereas patterns of residual abundance and distribution were less variable because of the fishing patterns of both the scallop and prawn fleets. Comparisons of commercial catch patterns indicated that high survey-abundance areas correlate with higher catches, validating that survey results are a good tool for fishers to utilise to target their fishing practices to optimise and maximise catch efficiencies. The study highlighted the inherent annual variability of scallop recruitment abundance and distribution that are primarily considered to be environmentally driven. However, both recruits and residual scallops contribute to the whole catch, so retaining residual scallops from year to year is important.
Long-term monitoring of boat-based recreational fishing in Shark Bay, Western Australia: providing scientific advice for sustainable management in a World Heritage Area
Authors: Wise B. S. , Telfer C. F. , Lai E. K. M. , Hall N. G. , Jackson G.
Published: November 2012

Effective management of a recreational fishery must include long-term monitoring programs that allow determination of trends in temporal and spatial variability of catch and effort data. Such monitoring becomes of inherently greater importance when managing a recreational fishery in a World Heritage Area, such as Shark Bay, Western Australia. Between 1998 and 2010, 11 12-month bus-route surveys of boat-based recreational fishing were undertaken at three key boat ramps in Shark Bay. These surveys demonstrated that, in response to the progressive implementation of new management measures, the estimated annual recreational fishing-boat effort decreased by 46%. As a consequence, the estimated annual retained and released catches of the key species, pink snapper (Pagrus auratus), declined and the proportions of the catches of this species that were released each year increased. Annual catches of other species also declined, however, the composition of species retained and released each year varied. The study demonstrated that monitoring of the recreational fishery within Shark Bay provided both immediate and longer-term data on the responses by recreational fishers to changes in management. This produced the information necessary to assess the effectiveness of management measures that were introduced and to modify these as required.
Performance of square-mesh codends in reducing discards and by-catch in the Shark Bay scallop fishery
Authors: Chandrapavan Arani , Kangas Mervi I. , Sporer Errol C.
Published: November 2012

The performance of square-mesh codends (as opposed to the conventional diamond mesh) was examined as a discard and by-catch reduction device for the Shark Bay saucer-scallop trawl fishery. Of the three different-sized square-mesh codends (50, 55, 60 mm) tested against the standard 100-mm diamond-mesh codend, the 50-mm square-mesh codend performed poorly with relatively high retention of small (<85 mm shell height) scallops, whereas the 55- and 60-mm square-mesh codends retained 22–33% less smaller scallops than did the diamond-mesh codend. Overall, a mean of 5% loss in commercial-sized scallops across all three square-mesh codends and significant by-catch reductions of up to 95% were achieved compared with the diamond mesh. Catch rate of prawns by the square-mesh codend was less than 2% of that of the standard prawn net. The performance of the 60-mm square-mesh codend presents a good basis for its use in commercial trials in the Shark Bay scallop trawl fishery. A move to square-mesh codends could result in a significant reduction of small scallops and by-catch and may potentially increase the catches of commercial-sized scallops as a result in improvements in water flow and net efficiency.
May, might and degrees of positivity in four English sentence types
Authors: Davies Eirian
Published: November 2012

This paper develops the framework of telling and knowledge operators earlier proposed for distinctions of mood and sentence types in the lexical verb (Davies 2006) to apply to non-inferential epistemic modal verbs. It consists of two parts: the first offers some background to the approach and sets out the formal model used; the second applies this model to two modal verbs. It considers the meanings of the modal verbs may (not) and might (not) as used in four different English sentence-types, with a view to assessing the different degrees of ‘loading’ towards a positive belief that they convey. Different kinds of meanings are suggested, one to do with degrees of a speaker’s commitment to what s/he is saying (‘presentational meaning’), and another to do with attitudes projected, by the speaker through the constructions s/he uses, onto the addressee(s) in a developing text (‘textual meaning’). In the case of the two modal verbs studied here, the textual meaning is said to be contrastive in relation to the speaker’s own ‘presentational meaning’.
On extremes in linguistic complexity
Authors: Kilarski Marcin , Dziubalska-Kołaczyk Katarzyna
Published: November 2012

This article examines common motifs in the accounts of the sound systems of Iroquoian, Polynesian and Khoesan languages as the most well-known cases of extremes in phonetic complexity. On the basis of examples from European and American scholarship between the 17th and early 20th century, we investigate continuities in the description of their seemingly ‘exotic’ inventories and phonotactic structures when viewed from the perspective of European languages. We also demonstrate the influence of phonetic accounts on the interpretation of other components of language and their role in the construction of biased images of the languages and their speakers. Finally, we show that controversies in descriptions of ‘exotic’ languages concern issues that remain relevant in modern phonetic research, in particular complexity of phonological systems, while notions which were conceived as ‘misconceptions’ have re-emerged as unresolved research questions, e.g., the status of clicks and small and large consonant inventories.
Contextualising Baxtin’s Linguistic Ideas
Authors: Lähteenmäki Mika
Published: November 2012

This article discusses the origins and formation of the notion of ‘metalinguistics’ in Mixail Mixajlovič Baxtin’s (1895–1975) writings. It is argued that the discussion of metalinguistics and the division of labour within the study of language in the United States in the 1940s and 1950s may have exerted a more profound influence on the formation of Baxtin’s linguistic views than was previously thought. The article investigates the nature and extent of this interaction and shows that there are interesting parallels between Baxtin’s conception of metalinguistics and the metalinguistics writings of George L. Trager (1906–1992). This suggests that, apart from any purely terminological influence, the way in which Baxtin defined the scope of his metalinguistics as a specific discipline separate from linguistics may have been inspired by the writings of the American structuralists.
‘All Languages Are Equally Complex’
Authors: Joseph John E. , Newmeyer Frederick J.
Published: November 2012

Throughout most of the history of the discipline, linguists have had little hesitation in comparing languages in terms of their relative complexity, whether or not they extrapolated judgements of superiority or inferiority from such comparisons. By the mid 20th century, however, a consensus had arisen that all languages were of equal complexity. This paper documents and explains the rise of this consensus, as well as the reasons that have led to it being challenged in recent years, from various directions, including language diversity, as analysed by Daniel Everett; arguments about Creoles and Creoloids, as put forward by Peter Trudgill, and others; and views from generative linguistics and evolutionary anthropology.
Teens’ explorations of gender and sexual identities in conversations about/around preferred texts
Authors: Berg Margaret A.
Published: November 2012

This discourse analysis examines teens’ explorations of gender and sexual identities through their talk about their preferred texts accessed in the Young Adult section of a Midwestern public library. The discourse data collected over a two year period and analyzed using a recursive, ethnographic-style approach is informed by queer theory and New Literacy Studies. The practices of teens in the library complicate popular and scholarly discourse that constructs teens as peer-oriented, hormonally-controlled, and transitioning into adulthood. Their practices illustrate savvy, individual choices that allow teens to subvert the heterosexual norms of the adult controlled schools. The close connection between literacy choices and identity implies a need for educators to advocate for adolescents’ access to their preferred texts.
Reading the script
Authors: Chirrey Deborah A.
Published: November 2012

This article investigates how the process of coming out as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) is represented both on internet sites and in paper pamphlets offering advice. The analysis of the texts makes use of script formulation theory, as developed by Edwards (1994, 1995, 1997, 2004), and reveals a degree of interdiscursivity between the texts, in that coming out is scripted with a high level of homogeneity. A number of different scripts relating to coming out are identified and consideration is given to the rhetorical functions performed by these particular scripts. It is argued that the selection, elaboration, support and opposition of particular scripts formulates coming out as a rational, positive and emancipatory action for an LGB individual to undertake. Moreover, the writers present coming out as an ordered and predictable event, which functions to persuade the reader that coming out is an achievable and attainable objective.
Code-Swishing
Authors: Decena Carlos Ulises
Published: November 2012

This article is based on retrospective life history interviews with Dominican gay and bisexual immigrant men who live or have lived in New York City. It offers an alternative to established and influential interpretations of queer subject constitution that overemphasize abjection while ignoring the polyvalence of identities. Through an engagement with the conditions that make the figure of la loca [the effeminate homosexual] instrumental in the expression of closeness and intimacy among the men with whom I spoke, the article analyzes the way this signifier operates in the making and regulation of networks of self-identified Dominican gay and bisexual men. It conceptualizes “code swishing,” borrowing from scholarship on bilingualism and “code switching.” But it revises this work to implicate the body and gender dissent as communicative practices and to make clear that these men juggled their desire to establish and sustain networks with one another so long as expressions of camaraderie and connection did not threaten their legitimacy in daily life and their investments in normative masculinity. For them, surviving and being respected was more important than any sense of “community” they may have felt toward one another.
Fluid bodies or bodily fluids
Authors: Adams-Thies Brian
Published: November 2012

Previous researchers discussing cybersexuality have been fascinated with the body-less-ness of cybersex. They have focused on the textual productions and (re)formations of the self that are allowed in this space independent of the body. Thus, the cyber becomes the space of transformation and fluidity of the self while the ‘real’ becomes the site of the material, concrete and unchanging body. I posit that dichotomous thinking about the cyber and the real and the text and the body produces an errant concept of the body. Cybersex is rarely a disembodied experience. Text-making cannot create itself free from the constraints of linguistic communities of practice in the “real” world. I challenge the notion that cybersexuality is a sexuality without the body and that the body in the ‘real’ world is stable. I focus specifically on how gay men describe the experience of the anus and anal sex as a means to better understand how the body becomes a site for linguistic marking and reference.
When a ‘non-issue’ becomes an issue in discourse surrounding LGBT communities
Authors: Seals Corinne A.
Published: November 2012

This paper uses the theory of intertextuality to examine the discourse surrounding California’s Proposition 8, the statewide ballot measure to reverse legalization of same-sex marriage. More specifically, this paper analyzes the newspaper reports that surfaced in February 2010, concerned with the fact that the judge deciding the case is a gay man. The initial story, which claimed that this should be a “non-issue,” sparked a multitude of articles aimed at different readerships over the following week, therein making the “non-issue” an issue. I analyze how intertextuality is used by three types of news sources (LGBT, mainstream, and Religious Right) to report the same issue but in ways specifically aimed at the ideal reader of each. I argue that the way intertextuality occurs in constructed dialogue, lexical choice, and semantic presupposition creates an ideological message meant for and decodable by each publication’s ideal reader, therein reinforcing group ideologies about LGBT issues.
The Orator as Propagandist: Elizabeth Gurley Flynn and “The Truth About the Paterson Strike”
Authors: Trasciatti Mary Anne
Published: November 2012

This essay offers an analysis of “The Truth about the Paterson Strike,” Elizabeth Gurley Flynn's 1914 speech containing her ideas about the nature of propaganda in radical working-class movements. Flynn defines propaganda as ideological education, and her speech highlights the importance of oratory to early twentieth century radical propaganda campaigns. These ideas belie fundamental principles of contemporary propaganda studies, which define propaganda as manipulative, mass mediated persuasion to advance the interests of powerful elites and institutions, and contain oratory within the ethical art of rhetoric. The study concludes by recommending that the purview of propaganda studies be expanded to include Flynn's activities and those of other radical propagandists.
“I Leapt over the Wall and They Made Me President”: Historical Context, Rhetorical Agency and the Amazing Career Of Lech Walesa
Authors: Omatowski Cezar M.
Published: November 2012

The rise of Lech Walesa from shipyard electrician to leader of “Solidarity,” international icon of freedom, and first president of democratic Poland was closely bound up with rhetoric. Walesa's idiosyncratic verbal style galvanized the masses and successfully confronted communist propaganda. The revolution of the workers on the Baltic coast was to a large extent a revolution in language. Walesa was also a skilled negotiator. As president, however, he was a controversial figure; his conception of democracy as a continuing war of words is widely credited with spelling the end of the idealistic “Solidarity” era. Today, allegations remain that Walesa was an agent provocateur and that the Polish revolution may have been a provocation that got out of hand. Some allege that Walesa's myth was a creation of Western media, a function of people's desires, and an accident of the historical moment. While there is no proof that any of these allegations are true and the documentary record reveals Walesa's undeniable rhetorical prowess and political talent, his case provides material for reflection on the relationship between history, rhetoric, and political agency.
Structural Logos in Heraclitus and the Sophists
Authors: Hoffman David C.
Published: November 2012

This essay is an inquiry into Heraclitus' conception of logos and its importance for sophistic thought. Following G. S. Kirk, I argue that Heraclitus used logos to designate structure or ordered composition, both in language and in the physical world. Further, I propose that early sophists like Gorgias and Protagoras shared with Heraclitus a structural conception of logos. The essay proceeds by reviewing various understandings of Heraclitus and his philosophy, making the case that Heraclitus did use logos to signify structure or “ordered composition,” and by exploring the relationship between Heraclitus, read in this way, and the sophists.
External Threats and Consequences: John Bull Rhetoric in Northern Political Culture during the United States Civil War
Authors: Klees June
Published: November 2012

Throughout the Civil War, editor-politicians fashioned Britain as a threat to the Union via the use of “John Bull rhetoric.” As purveyors of partisan expression, leading editors exploited precedents, historic memories and popular symbols, contemporary relations, and conspiracy theories related to Britain and its governing classes as a condensation symbol in the rhetoric of intra/inter-party politics. The direct effect on voters is impossible to quantify, but the editors' persistent and deliberative use of John Bull rhetoric to create a dangerous, external consequence to opponents' positions reveals that it was important in the wartime power struggle to control the country's ideological destiny.
The accessibility of semantic knowledge for odours that can and cannot be named
Authors: Stevenson Richard J. , Mahmut Mehmet K.
Published: November 2012

When faces, objects, or voices are encountered, naming lapses can occur, but this does not preclude knowing other specific semantic information about the nameless thing. In the experiments reported here, we examined whether this is also the case for odours, using a procedure based upon the Pyramid and Palm Trees test. In Experiment 1, participants were presented with a target odour, then two pictures, and had to pick the picture semantically associated with the target. In Experiment 2, participants were presented with a target odour, then two test odours, and again had to pick the semantically associated test stimulus. In each experiment, other tests followed, including a parallel verbal-based test, an odour-naming test, and various ratings. Neither experiment found any evidence of specific semantic knowledge about a target odour, unless the target odour name (Experiment 1) or all of the odour names (Experiment 2) were known. Additional tests suggested that these effects were independent of odour familiarity and similarity. We suggest that the absence of specific semantic information in the absence of a name may reflect poor connectivity between olfactory perceptual and semantic memory systems.
Reconstitution of dynamic microtubules with Drosophila XMAP215, EB1, and Sentin
Authors: Li Wenjing , Moriwaki Takashi , Tani Tomomi , Watanabe Takashi , Kaibuchi Kozo , Goshima Gohta
Published: November 2012

Dynamic microtubules (MTs) are essential for various intracellular events, such as mitosis. In Drosophila melanogaster S2 cells, three MT tip-localizing proteins, Msps/XMAP215, EB1, and Sentin (an EB1 cargo protein), have been identified as being critical for accelerating MT growth and promoting catastrophe events, thus resulting in the formation of dynamic MTs. However, the molecular activity of each protein and the basis of the modulation of MT dynamics by these three factors are unknown. In this paper, we showed in vitro that XMAP215msps had a potent growth-promoting activity at a wide range of tubulin concentrations, whereas Sentin, when recruited by EB1 to the growing MT tip, accelerated growth and also increased catastrophe frequency. When all three factors were combined, the growth rate was synergistically enhanced, and rescue events were observed most frequently, but frequent catastrophes restrained the lengthening of the MTs. We propose that MT dynamics are promoted by the independent as well as the cooperative action of XMAP215msps polymerase and the EB1–Sentin duo.
Cell elongation is an adaptive response for clearing long chromatid arms from the cleavage plane
Authors: Kotadia Shaila , Montembault Emilie , Sullivan William , Royou Anne
Published: November 2012

Chromosome segregation must be coordinated with cell cleavage to ensure correct transmission of the genome to daughter cells. Here we identify a novel mechanism by which Drosophila melanogaster neuronal stem cells coordinate sister chromatid segregation with cleavage furrow ingression. Cells adapted to a dramatic increase in chromatid arm length by transiently elongating during anaphase/telophase. The degree of cell elongation correlated with the length of the trailing chromatid arms and was concomitant with a slight increase in spindle length and an enlargement of the zone of cortical myosin distribution. Rho guanine-nucleotide exchange factor (Pebble)–depleted cells failed to elongate during segregation of long chromatids. As a result, Pebble-depleted adult flies exhibited morphological defects likely caused by cell death during development. These studies reveal a novel pathway linking trailing chromatid arms and cortical myosin that ensures the clearance of chromatids from the cleavage plane at the appropriate time during cytokinesis, thus preserving genome integrity.
An emerging consensus on voltage-dependent gating from computational modeling and molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Vargas Ernesto , Yarov-Yarovoy Vladimir , Khalili-Araghi Fatemeh , Catterall William A. , Klein Michael L. , Tarek Mounir , Lindahl Erik , Schulten Klaus , Perozo Eduardo , Bezanilla Francisco , Roux Benoît
Published: November 2012

Developing an understanding of the mechanism of voltage-gated ion channels in molecular terms requires knowledge of the structure of the active and resting conformations. Although the active-state conformation is known from x-ray structures, an atomic resolution structure of a voltage-dependent ion channel in the resting state is not currently available. This has motivated various efforts at using computational modeling methods and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to provide the missing information. A comparison of recent computational results reveals an emerging consensus on voltage-dependent gating from computational modeling and MD simulations. This progress is highlighted in the broad context of preexisting work about voltage-gated channels.
Blood Culture Contamination A Randomized Trial Evaluating the Comparative Effectiveness of 3 Skin Antiseptic Interventions
Authors: Washer Laraine L. , Chenoweth Carol , Kim Hae-Won , Rogers Mary A. M. , Malani Anurag N. , Riddell James , Kuhn Latoya , Noeyack Bernard , Neusius Harry , Newton Duane W. , Saint Sanjay , Flanders Scott A.
Published: November 2012

Objective.

To determine relative rates of blood culture contamination for 3 skin antisepsis interventions—10% povidone iodine aqueous solution (PI), 2% iodine tincture (IT), and 2% Chlorhexidine gluconate in 70% isopropyl alcohol (CHG)—when used by dedicated phlebotomy teams to obtain peripheral blood cultures.

Design.

Randomized crossover trial with hospital floor as the unit of randomization.

Setting.

Teaching hospital with 885 beds.

Patients.

All adult patients undergoing peripheral blood culture collection on 3 medical-surgical floors from May 2009 through September 2009.

Intervention.

Each antisepsis intervention was used for 5 months on each study floor, with random crossover after a 1-month washout period. Phlebotomy teams collected all peripheral blood cultures. Each positive blood culture was adjudicated by physicians blinded to the intervention and scored as a true positive or contaminated blood culture. The primary outcome was the rate of blood culture contamination for each antisepsis agent.

Results.

In total, 12,904 peripheral blood culture sets were evaluated, of which 735 (5.7%) were positive. There were 98 contaminated cultures, representing 13.3% of all positive cultures. The overall blood culture contamination rate for the study population was 0.76%. Intent-to-treat rates of contaminated blood cultures were not significantly different among the 3 antiseptics (P= .18), yielding 0.58% with PI (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.38%-0.86%), 0.76% with IT (95% CI, 0.52%-1.07%), and 0.93% with CHG (95% CI, 0.67%-1.27%).

Conclusion.

Choice of antiseptic agent does not impact contamination rates when blood cultures are obtained by a phlebotomy team and should, therefore, be based on costs or preference.

Trial Registration.

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01216761.
Toroidal current profile control during low confinement mode plasma discharges in DIII-D via first-principles-driven model-based robust control synthesis
Authors: Barton Justin E. , Boyer Mark D. , Shi Wenyu , Schuster Eugenio , Luce Tim C. , Ferron John R. , Walker Michael L. , Humphreys David A. , Penaflor Ben G. , Johnson Robert D.
Published: November 2012

In order for ITER to be capable of operating in advanced tokamak operating regimes, characterized by a high fusion gain, good plasma confinement, magnetohydrodynamic stability and a non-inductively driven plasma current, for extended periods of time, several challenging plasma control problems still need to be solved. Setting up a suitable toroidal current density profile in the tokamak is key for one possible advanced operating scenario characterized by non-inductive sustainment of the plasma current. At the DIII-D tokamak, the goal is to create the desired current profile during the ramp-up and early flat-top phases of the plasma discharge and then actively maintain this target profile for the remainder of the discharge. The evolution in time of the toroidal current profile in tokamaks is related to the evolution of the poloidal magnetic flux profile, which is modelled in normalized cylindrical coordinates using a first-principles, nonlinear, dynamic partial differential equation (PDE) referred to as the magnetic diffusion equation. The magnetic diffusion equation is combined with empirical correlations developed from physical observations and experimental data from DIII-D for the electron temperature, the plasma resistivity and the non-inductive current drive to develop a simplified, control-oriented, nonlinear, dynamic PDE model of the poloidal flux profile evolution valid for low confinement mode discharges. In this work, we synthesize a robust feedback controller to reject disturbances and track a desired reference trajectory of the poloidal magnetic flux gradient profile by employing the control-oriented model of the system. A singular value decomposition of the static gain matrix of the plant model is utilized to identify the most relevant control channels and is combined with the dynamic response of system around a given operating trajectory to design the feedback controller. A general framework for real-time feedforward + feedback control of magnetic and kinetic plasma profiles was implemented in the DIII-D Plasma Control System and was used to demonstrate the ability of the feedback controller to control the toroidal current profile evolution in the DIII-D tokamak. These experiments constitute the first time ever a first-principles-driven, model-based, closed-loop magnetic profile controller was successfully implemented and tested in a tokamak device.
Measurement of plasma boundary displacement by n = 2 magnetic perturbations using imaging beam emission spectroscopy
Authors: Moyer R.A. , Van Zeeland M.A. , Orlov D.M. , Wingen A. , Evans T.E. , Ferraro N.M. , Hanson J.M. , Nazikian R. , Wade M.R. , Zeng L.
Published: November 2012

Imaging beam emission spectroscopy has been used to study the displacement of the plasma boundary in ELMing H-mode discharges with a 10 Hz rotating n = 2 external magnetic field perturbation in DIII-D. The rotating magnetic field creates a helical displacement of the beam emission profile of ∼2 cm on the low-field-side (LFS) midplane which rotates with the applied resonant magnetic perturbation. This shift in the beam emission profile is due primarily to a shift in the electron density profile, which is independently measured to be 1.9 cm on the LFS midplane. These boundary displacements exceed calculations for the displacement of the stable and unstable manifolds formed by the interaction of the magnetic perturbation with the divertor separatrix by a factor of 4–5, suggesting that the vacuum field model does not correctly model the effect of the magnetic perturbations even near the separatrix. The measured displacements are suggestive of a non-resonant kink response.
Unbounded multipliers on operator spaces
Authors: Schlieter Hendrik , Werner Wend
Published: November 2012

We introduce unbounded multipliers on operator spaces. These multipliers generalize both regular operators on Hilbert

C
∗

C^*

-modules and (bounded) multipliers on operator spaces.
Angiotensin‐converting enzyme inhibition increases glucose‐induced insulin secretion in response to acute restraint
Authors: Schweizer Júnia ROL , Miranda Paulo AC , Fóscolo Rodrigo B , Lemos Joao PM , Paula Luciano F , Silveira Warley C , Santos Robson AS , Pinheiro Sérgio VB , Coimbra Candido C , Ribeiro‐Oliveira Antônio
Published: November 2012

There is increasing evidence suggesting involvement of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in carbohydrate metabolism and its response to stress. Thus, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of chronic inhibition of the RAS on glucose and insulin levels during acute restraint stress.

Male Holtzman rats were treated with 10 mg/kg per day enalapril solution or vehicle for 14 days. After 14 days, rats were divided into three experimental groups: enalapril + restraint (ER), vehicle + restraint (VR) and enalapril + saline (ES). Rats in the restraint groups were subjected to 30 min restraint stress, whereas rats in the ES groups were given saline infusion instead. Blood samples were collected at baseline and after 5, 10, 20 and 30 min restraint stress or saline infusion.

After restraint, a hyperglycaemic response was observed in the ER and VR groups that peaked at 20 and 10 min, respectively (P < 0.05 compared with baseline). The area under the glucose curve was markedly increased in the ER and VR groups compared with that in the ES group (P < 0.05 for both). Importantly, restraint induced a marked increase in insulin secretion in the ER group compared with only a mild elevation in the VR group; insulin secretion in both groups peaked at 20 min (P < 0.05 compared with baseline). Analysis of the area under the insulin curve confirmed an increase in insulin secretion in the ER compared with the VR and ES groups (P < 0.05 for both).

The results of the present study reinforce that the RAS is involved in modulating responses to stress and suggest that RAS inhibition with enalapril may increase glucose‐induced insulin secretion in response to acute restraint.
Modelling the effects of dispersal mechanisms and hydrodynamic regimes upon the structure of microbial communities within fluvial biofilms
Authors: Woodcock Stephen , Besemer Katharina , Battin Tom J. , Curtis Thomas P. , Sloan William T.
Published: November 2012

The spatial distribution of microbial taxa is determined primarily by physical and chemical environments and by dispersal. In a homogeneous landscape with limited dispersal, the similarity in abundance of taxa in samples declines with separation distance. We present a one‐dimensional model for the spatial autocorrelation in abundances arising from immigration from some remote community and dispersal between environmentally similar landscape patches. Spatial correlation in taxa abundances were calculated from biofilms from the beds of two flumes which differed only in their bedform profiles; one flat and the other a periodic sawtooth shape. The hydraulic regime is approximately uniform over the flat bed, whereas the sawtooth induces fast flow over the peaks and recirculation in the troughs. On the flat bed, the correlation decline between samples was reproduced by a model using one biologically reasonable parameter. A decline was apparent in the other flume; however, a better fit was achieved when dispersal was not assumed constant everywhere. However, analysis of finer‐resolution data for the heterogeneous flume suggested even this model did not adequately capture the community's complexity. We conclude that hydrodynamics are a strong driver of taxa‐abundance patterns in stream biofilms. However, local adaptability must also be considered to build up a complete mechanistic model.
Permanent Genetic Resources added to Molecular Ecology Resources Database 1 August 2012 – 30 September 2012
Authors:   Molecular Ecology Resources Primer Development Consortium, Ahanchédé Adam , Alfaya José E. F. , Andersen L. W. , Azam Didier , Bautista Ma. Anita M. , Besnard Anne‐Laure , Bigatti Gregorio , Bouétard Anthony , Coutellec Marie‐Agnès , Ewédjè Eben‐Ezer B. K. , Fuseya Reiko , GarcÍa‐Jiménez Ricardo , Haratian M. , Hardy Olivier J. , Holm L.‐E. , Hoy Casey W. , Koshimizu Eriko , Loeschcke V. , López‐Márquez Violeta , Machado Carlos A. , Machordom Annie , Marchi C. , Michel Andrew P. , Micheneau Claire , Mittapalli Omprakash , Nagai Takahiro , Okamoto Nobuaki , Pan Ying , Panitz F. , Safaie N. , Sakamoto Takashi , Sharifnabi B. , Tian En‐Wei , Yu Hui
Published: November 2012

This article documents the addition of 83 microsatellite marker loci and 96 pairs of single‐nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sequencing primers to the Molecular Ecology Resources Database. Loci were developed for the following species: Bembidion lampros, Inimicus japonicus, Lymnaea stagnalis, Panopea abbreviata, Pentadesma butyracea, Sycoscapter hirticola and Thanatephorus cucumeris (anamorph: Rhizoctonia solani). These loci were cross‐tested on the following species: Pentadesma grandifolia and Pentadesma reyndersii. This article also documents the addition of 96 sequencing primer pairs and 88 allele‐specific primers or probes for Plutella xylostella.
Schizophrenia patients with and without Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have different mood symptom levels but same cognitive functioning
Authors: Peleikis D. E. , Varga M. , Sundet K. , Lorentzen S. , Agartz I. , Andreassen O. A.
Published: November 2012

Objective

To investigate differences in cognitive function and level of psychopathology in patients with schizophrenia (SZ) with or without psychological traumatization/post‐traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). We hypothesized that traumatized patients with or without PTSD would have more severe cognitive impairments because of the neuropathological changes associated with PTSD, and more severe psychopathology compared with non‐traumatized SZ patients.

Method

Seventy‐five SZ patients with traumatization and 217 SZ patients without traumatization were evaluated regarding the symptoms and cognitive functioning, using standard symptom scales (PANSS; CDSS) and a neuropsychological test battery (IQ, verbal memory, attention, working memory, psychomotor speed, and executive functioning).

Results

No significant differences were observed between the groups in cognitive test performance. The patients in the traumatized group with PTSD showed significantly more current depression than the non‐traumatized group (P = 0.012).

Conclusion

The findings did not support the hypothesis that the presence of comorbid PTSD/traumatization in SZ is associated with increased cognitive impairment. The increase in current depression in SZ with comorbid traumatization suggests that more severe psychopathology is associated with traumatization.
Cyclophosphamide‐hydroxycamptothecin as second‐line chemotherapy for advanced Ewing's sarcoma: Experience of a single institution
Authors: Han Kun , Sun Yuanjue , Zhang Jianjun , He Aina , Zheng Shui'er , Shen Zan , Yao Yang
Published: November 2012

Aim

To investigate the feasibility and efficacy of cyclophosphamide (CTX)‐hydroxycamptothecin (HCPT) as second‐line chemotherapy on advanced Ewing's sarcoma.

Methods

From April 2009 to November 2010, 27 patients with advanced Ewing's sarcoma who had progressive disease after the first‐line chemotherapy regimen of vincristine, dactinomycin and cyclophosphamide and ifosfamide and etoposide were retrospectively reviewed in this analysis. CTX was given (0.6 g/m2, i.v. push day 1) and HCPT (6 mg/m2, i.v. drip days 1–5) as second‐line chemotherapy every 3 weeks. The primary end‐point was overall response rate, the secondary end‐point included progression‐free, overall survival, disease control rate and toxicities.

Results

A total of 134 cycles were given, median four cycles per patient (range 2–6). Overall response rate was 30% and disease control rate was 82%, with two complete response (8%), six partial remission (22%) and 14 stable disease (52%). The median time to progression and overall survival time were 7 months (95% CI 3–10) and 11 months (95% CI 5–18), respectively. Major severe toxicities (grade 3 and 4) were: nausea/vomiting (17%), alopecia (17%); leukopenia (27%) in total cycles. Mild toxicities (grade 1 or 2) were leukopenia (73%), nausea/vomiting (83%), hepatic lesion (14%) and anemia (44%).

Conclusion

A CTX‐HCPT regimen can control disease progression effectively and the side effects can be tolerable for Chinese advanced Ewing's sarcoma patients. Further assessment is necessary to confirm the safety and efficacy of this treatment.
A multicenter phase II randomized study of Cremophor‐free polymeric nanoparticle formulation of paclitaxel in women with locally advanced and/or metastatic breast cancer after failure of anthracycline
Authors: Ranade Anantbhushan A , Bapsy Poonamalle P , Nag Shona , Raghunadharao Digumarti , Raina Vinod , Advani Suresh H , Patil Shekhar , Maru Anish , Gangadharan Vadavattath Padmanabhan , Goswami Chanchal , Sekhon Jagdev Singh , Sambasivaiah Kuraparthy , Parikh Purvish , Bakshi Ashish , Mohapatra Ranjan
Published: November 2012

Aims

Paclitaxel is extensively used in the treatment of advanced carcinomas of the breast, ovary and non‐small cell lung cancer. In clinical use it is formulated in the non‐ionic surfactant polyethoxylated castor oil (Cremophor) and dehydrated alcohol to enhance drug solubility. Cremophor adds to toxic effects of paclitaxel by producing or contributing to the well‐described hypersensitivity reactions that commonly occur during its infusion, affecting a large number of patients. This randomized trial was conducted to evaluate efficacy and safety of novel nanoparticle‐based paclitaxel in the treatment of patients with advanced breast cancer.

Method

Patients were randomized to receive either nanoparticle paclitaxel (NP) 300 mg/m2, (NP300) or NP220 mg/m2 or Cremophor paclitaxel 175 mg/m2 (CP 175). NP was administered as a 1‐h infusion without premedication and CP as a 3‐h infusion with premedication every 3 weeks.

Results

In total, 194 patients who had been administered at least one dose were included for safety analysis and 170 patients who completed at least two cycles of therapy were analyzed for efficacy. NP showed an overall response rate (complete response + partial response) of 40% in the NP220 and NP300 arms as compared to 31% in the CP arm. The incidence of neutropenia (all grades) was lowest in the NP220 arm (39.4%) compared to the NP300 (55%) and CP arm (50%).

Conclusion

NP is well tolerated and can be safely administered without any premedication in comparison to conventional paclitaxel, which requires the use of premedication before administration. NP demonstrates promising efficacy with a favorable safety profile.
Hospital admissions for anaphylaxis in Istanbul, Turkey
Authors: Cetinkaya F. , Incioglu A. , Birinci S. , Karaman B. E. , Dokucu A. I. , Sheikh A.
Published: November 2012

Background

There are very limited data characterizing the epidemiology of anaphylaxis from low‐ and middle‐income country settings. We aimed to estimate the frequency of anaphylaxis admissions to hospitals in Istanbul.

Methods

We obtained data from all 45 hospitals in Istanbul over a 12‐month period and used ICD‐10 codes to extract data on those admitted with a recorded primary diagnosis of anaphylaxis. Because of concerns about possible under‐coding, we undertook an additional analysis to identify patients admitted with two or more clinical codes for symptoms and/or signs suggestive of, but not coded as having, anaphylaxis.

Results

A total of 114 cases (79 people with anaphylaxis codes and 35 with symptoms and signs suggestive of anaphylaxis) were identified, giving an overall estimate of 1.95 cases per 100 000 person‐years.

Conclusion

The novel two‐stage identification approach employed suggests significant under‐recording of anaphylaxis in those admitted to hospitals in Istanbul.