bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The C-terminus region of β-arrestin1 modulates VE-cadherin expression and endothelial cell permeability
Authors: Hebda Jagoda K , Leclair Héloïse M , Azzi Sandy , Roussel Célestin , Scott Mark GH , Bidère Nicolas , Gavard Julie
Published: May 2013

Background

The endothelial specific cell-cell adhesion molecule, VE-cadherin, modulates barrier function and vascular homeostasis. In this context, we have previously characterized that VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) leads to VE-cadherin phosphorylation, β-arrestin2 recruitment and VE-cadherin internalization in mouse endothelial cells. However, exactly how this VE-cadherin/β-arrestin complex contributes to VEGF-mediated permeability in human endothelial cells remains unclear. In this study, we investigated in-depth the VE-cadherin/β-arrestin interactions in human endothelial cells exposed to VEGF.

Findings

First, we demonstrated that VEGF induces VE-cadherin internalization in a clathrin-dependent manner in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). In addition to the classical components of endocytic vesicles, β-arrestin1 was recruited and bound to phosphorylated VE-cadherin. Molecular mapping of this interaction uncovered that the C-terminus tail of β-arrestin1, that comprises amino acids 375 to 418, was sufficient to directly interact with the phosphorylated form of VE-cadherin. Interestingly, the expression of the C-terminus tail of β-arrestin1 induced loss of surface exposed-VE-cadherin, promoted monolayer disorganization and enhanced permeability. Finally, this effect relied on decreased VE-cadherin expression at the transcriptional level, through inhibition of its promoter activity.

Conclusions

Altogether, our results demonstrate that β-arrestin1 might play multiple functions collectively contributing to endothelial barrier properties. Indeed, in addition to a direct implication in VE-cadherin endocytosis, β-arrestin1 could also control VE-cadherin transcription and expression. Ultimately, understanding the molecular mechanisms involved in VE-cadherin function might provide therapeutic tools for many human diseases where the vascular barrier is compromised.
Channel estimation and optimal training with the LMMSE criterion for OFDM-based two-way relay networks
Authors: Tran Minh Tam , Wang Jin Soo , Song Iickho , Kim Yun Hee
Published: May 2013

In this paper, we consider the linear minimum mean square error (LMMSE) estimation of channel for the two-way relay network employing analog network coding and orthogonal frequency division multiplexing. The channel responses required for self-interference cancelation and coherent detection are estimated in the time domain with the preamble. We derive the optimal training condition for minimizing the mean square error (MSE) of the LMMSE estimator and obtain the corresponding MSE. It is observed that the LMMSE estimator has the optimal training condition equivalent to that of the least square estimator and that the former is less sensitive to the training sequences than the latter. We also propose new training sequences not only satisfying the optimal training condition but also providing the minimum peak-to-average power ratio.
Whole genome sequencing and comparative genomic analyses of two Vibrio cholerae O139 Bengal-specific Podovirusesto other N4-like phages reveal extensive genetic diversity
Authors: Fouts Derrick E , Klumpp Jochen , Bishop-Lilly Kimberly A , Rajavel Mathumathi , Willner Kristin M , Butani Amy , Henry Matthew , Biswas Biswajit , Li Manrong , Albert M John , Loessner Martin J , Calendar Richard , Sozhamannan Shanmuga
Published: May 2013

Background

Vibrio choleraeO139 Bengal is the only serogroup other than O1 implicated in cholera epidemics. We describe the isolation and characterization of an O139 serogroup-specific phage, vB_VchP_VchO139-I (ϕVchO139-I) that has similar host range and virion morphology as phage vB_VchP_JA1 (ϕJA1) described previously. We aimed at a complete molecular characterization of both phages and elucidation of their genetic and structural differences and assessment of their genetic relatedness to the N4-like phage group.

Methods

Host-range analysis and plaque morphology screening were done for both ϕJA1 and ϕVchO139-I. Both phage genomes were sequenced by a 454 and Sanger hybrid approach. Genomes were annotated and protein homologies were determined by Blast and HHPred. Restriction profiles, PFGE patterns and data on the physical genome structure were acquired and phylogenetic analyses were performed.

Results

The host specificity of ϕJA1 has been attributed to the unique capsular O-antigen produced by O139 strains. Plaque morphologies of the two phages were different; ϕVchO139-I produced a larger halo around the plaques than ϕJA1. Restriction profiles of ϕJA1 and ϕVchO139-I genomes were also different. The genomes of ϕJA1 and ϕVchO139-I consisted of linear double-stranded DNA of 71,252 and 70,938 base pairs. The presence of direct terminal repeats of around 1974 base pairs was demonstrated. Whole genome comparison revealed single nucleotide polymorphisms, small insertions/deletions and differences in gene content. Both genomes had 79 predicted protein encoding sequences, of which only 59 were identical between the two closely related phages. They also encoded one tRNA-Arg gene, an intein within the large terminase gene, and four homing endonuclease genes. Whole genome phylogenetic analyses of ϕJA1 and ϕVchO139-I against other sequenced N4-like phages delineate three novel subgroups or clades within this phage family.

Conclusions

The closely related phages feature significant genetic differences, in spite of being morphologically identical. The phage morphology, genetic organization, genomic content and large terminase protein based phylogeny support the placement of these two phages in thePodoviridaefamily, more specifically within the N4-like phage group. The physical genome structure of ϕJA1 could be demonstrated experimentally. Our data pave the way for potential use of ϕJA1 and ϕVchO139-I inVibrio choleraetyping and control.
Airway strategies for lung isolation in a patient with high-velocity nail gun injuries to the right cardiac ventricle and floor of the mouth: a case report
Authors: Lim Herman , Weinberg Laurence , Tan Chong Oon , Tay Stanley , Kolivas Constantine , Peyton Philip
Published: May 2013

Introduction

We report a case of deliberate self-harm in which three three-inch nails were fired from a nail gun resulting in mandibular fixation and two penetrating injuries to the right cardiac ventricle. This combination of high-velocity penetrating injury has not been previously described.

Case presentation

A 69-year-old Caucasian man with a medical history of chronic depression was brought to hospital after a failed suicide attempt. The attempt consisted of self-asphyxiation with car exhaust fumes and shooting himself thrice with a three-inch nail gun. He sustained a penetrating nail injury to the floor of his mouth, effectively pinning his mouth closed, and penetrating injuries to the right ventricular free wall and at the junction of the right atrioventricular septum. The patient required emergency surgery with requirements for thoracotomy and sternotomy, lung isolation and cardiopulmonary bypass.

Conclusions

This is the first reported case of a combination high-velocity penetrating nail gun injury to the face and the right cardiac ventricle. This rare case offers airway strategies to accommodate the surgical requirement for lung separation for penetrating chest trauma in a patient with iatrogenically limited mouth opening.
A hepatic sclerosed hemangioma with significant morphological change over a period of 10 years: a case report
Authors: Shimada Yoshitaka , Takahashi Yoshihito , Iguchi Hiroyoshi , Yamazaki Hitoshi , Tsunoda Hidekazu , Watanabe Masaaki , Oda Masaya , Yokomori Hiroaki
Published: May 2013

Introduction

Liver cavernous hemangioma is the most common noncystic hepatic lesion, and a hemangioma that undergoes degeneration and fibrous replacement is called a hepatic sclerosed hemangioma.

Case presentation

A 63-year-old Japanese man was admitted for detailed investigation of a liver tumor. Tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen, alpha-fetoprotein, and CA19-9 levels in the peripheral blood were not elevated at any time. Plain computed tomography showed an approximately 1.5cm low density mass in the periphery of segment 8, which was marginally enhanced on contrast-enhanced dynamic computed tomography. On magnetic resonance imaging, the tumor was hypointense on T1-weighted image and hyperintense on T2-weighted image. The tumor was suspected to be an atypical hemangioma, metastatic, hepatocellular carcinoma, or cholangiocellular carcinoma. Segmental hepatectomy was performed. Histological examination of the resected tumor specimen revealed a sclerosed hemangioma with marked hyalinization and sparse stromal fibrosis. Immunochemically, the tumor cells were positive for CD34 and alpha smooth muscle actin. Electron microscopically, the residual hemangioma consisted of numerous caveolae and vesicles in endothelial cells in irregular shapes and sizes. Immunostaining for caveolin-1 showed decreased or no caveolin-1 reactivity in the hyalinized lesions of the sclerosed hemangioma, but abundant caveolin-1 reactivity in the residual cavernous hemangioma. Of interest, computed tomography images of the tumor obtained 10 years earlier at our hospital depicted a 3cm typical cavernous hemangioma.

Conclusions

Hepatic sclerosed hemangioma is a rare condition. Comparison of radiological findings of the lesion over a period of 10 years was valuable in providing insight for the evolutional process from liver cavernous hemangioma to hepatic sclerosed hemangioma.
Supercritical CO2 extraction of essential oil from Kabosu (Citrus sphaerocarpa Tanaka) peel
Authors: Suetsugu Takuya , Tanaka Masahiro , Iwai Hideo , Matsubara Teruaki , Kawamoto Yukihiro , Saito Chiho , Sasaki Yoshito , Hoshino Munehiro , Quitain Armando T , Sasaki Mitsuru , Sakamoto Junshi , Goto Motonobu
Published: May 2013

Background

Citrus sphaerocarpa Hort. ex Tanaka is one of many popular sour citruses in Japan. Its juice processing peel residues contain a lot of useful compounds including essential oil. Our interests mainly focused on the extraction of this essential oil using supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2), an environmentally benign and generally regarded as safe solvent that has many advantages such as low critical temperature, low viscosity, and easy separation from the extract. In this research, essential oil was extracted from Citrus sphaerocarpa Tanaka peel using SC-CO2 at extraction temperatures of 313 to 353 K and pressures of 10 to 30 MPa.

Results

A maximum yield of 1.55% (by weight of wet sample) was obtained at the temperature of 353 K and the pressure of 20 MPa. The yield obtained by SC-CO2 method was over 13 times higher than that of the conventional cold-press method. Extracted essential oil was qualitatively analyzed using GC/MS, identifying 49 compounds including several non-polar and weakly polar hydrocarbons such as terpenoid, free fatty acid, and coumarin. Compared to the extracts obtained by the conventional methods, the extracts by SC-CO2 had lower content of monoterpenes and higher content of oxygenated compounds, sesquiterpenes, which strongly contribute to the aromatic characteristics of the extracts. Auraptene, a bioactive compound was also identified in the SC-CO2 extract.

Conclusions

Kabosu essential oil with a fresh natural fragrance was effectively extracted using SC-CO2 compared to the conventional extraction method. In addition, it was found that the extract contained higher content of aromatic components that characterize Kabosu. This work provides an important sequential method for the recovery of valuable compounds from citrus fruit waste using an environmentally friendly technique.
Mercury in soil surrounding medieval human skeletons
Authors: Rasmussen Kaare Lund , Skytte Lilian , Ramseyer Nadja , Boldsen Jesper Lier
Published: May 2013

Studying medieval skeletons is a direct way to obtain information about life in medieval societies with very little other information available about the living conditions of ordinary people. In this paper we investigate how Hg is distributed in soil samples surrounding seven medieval skeletons excavated at the cemeteries Lindegaarden in Ribe and Ole Wormsgade in Horsens, both situated in Jutland, Denmark.

The analyses have been performed using Cold Vapour Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (CV-AAS). The results show systematic variations of the Hg concentrations in soil samples as a function of distance extending horizontally from the femur. Two individuals showed soil Hg concentrations at the background level, below ca. 100 ng g-1, whereas soil samples surrounding the other five individuals exhibited much larger Hg concentrations.

Our interpretation of the data is that in general the Hg, which was once situated in the soft tissue, is still present and in-place in the soil now surrounding the skeleton. Due to the overburden of ca. 3 feet of topsoil the residual of the soft tissue has been condensed into the mid-plane of the flattened corpse. The decomposed soft tissue now mixed with the soil can in this way be sampled near the femur as well as from the inner organs: the kidneys, the liver and the lungs.
Are clinical trials dealing with severe infection fitting routine practices? Insights from a large registry
Authors: Claessens Yann-Erick , Aegerter Philippe , Boubaker Hamdi , Guidet Bertrand , Cariou Alain ,   Cub-Rea Network
Published: May 2013

Introduction

Guidelines dealing with severe sepsis and septic shock mostly rely on randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to ensure the best standards of care for patients. However, patients included in high-quality studies may differ from the routine population and alter external validity of recommendations. We aimed to determine to what extent non-inclusion criteria of RCTs dealing with severe sepsis and septic shock may affect application of their conclusions in routine care.

Methods

In a first step, the MEDLINE database was searched for RCTs treating severe sepsis and septic shock patients between 1992 and 2008, and non-inclusion criteria for these studies were abstracted. Two reviewers independently evaluated the articles, which were checked by a third reviewer. We extracted data on the study design, main intervention, primary endpoint, criteria for inclusion, and criteria for non-inclusion. In a second step, the distribution of the non-inclusion criteria was observed in a prospective multicenter cohort of severe sepsis and septic shock patients (Cub-Rea network, 1992 to 2008).

Results

We identified 96 articles out of 7,012 citations that met the screening criteria. Congestive heart failure (35%) and cancer (30%) were frequent exclusion criteria in selected studies, as well as other frequent disorders such as gastrointestinal and liver diseases and all causes of immune suppression. Of the 67,717 patients with severe sepsis and septic shock in the Cub-Rea database, 40,325 (60%) experienced at least one of the main exclusion criteria, including 11% of congestive heart failure patients and 11% of cancer patients. In addition, we observed a significant trend for increasing number of patients with these criteria along time.

Conclusion

Current exclusion criteria for RCTs dealing with severe sepsis and septic shock excluded most patients encountered in daily practice and limit external validity of the results of high-quality studies.
Containing Identity in The Plain Dealer and The Way of the World
Authors: Bender Ashley Brookner
Published: May 2013

This essay examines the correlation between property and identity in William Wycherley’s The Plain Dealer and William Congreve’s The Way of the World. Both playwrights emphasize this connection between property and identity by using containers as stage properties. Often brought on stage during revelatory moments, the containers and their contents not only help resolve the action, but they also manifest the connection between what one owns and who one is. They reinforce the correlation between property and power. That women often owned property in these plays reveals the limited and contingent nature of female ownership. By following the movement of these containers, readers can trace the shifting power dynamics that property creates between people and, thereby, the influence that property has on constructing, expressing, and containing identities.
Clandestine Marriage and Frances Burney’s Critique of Matrimony in Cecilia
Authors: Campbell Ann
Published: May 2013

This essay argues that Frances Burney in Cecilia; or Memoirs of an Heiress (1782) critiques political debates and literary conventions focused on clandestine marriage. Through two plots of this novel, one economic and one focused on courtship, Burney interprets clandestine marriage as a scapegoat for the deeply flawed institution of marriage itself. The courtship narrative rewrites several aspects of conventional clandestine marriage plots, such as stock male characters, lengthy debates between love and duty, climactic wedding scenes, and punitive conclusions. The economic plot, featuring the stories of Mrs. Hill, Henrietta Belfield, and Priscilla Harrel, undermines Parliament’s claims about the economic outcomes of heiresses’ marital choices. The economic plot eventually usurps the courtship plot, leading to a dystopian conclusion that tacitly argues marriage itself is the problem, not deviations from an idealized norm of parentally approved companionate marriages of choice.
Analysis of Reduced Graphene Oxides by X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy and Electrochemical Capacitance
Authors: Koinuma Michio , Tateishi Hikaru , Hatakeyama Kazuto , Miyamoto Shinsuke , Ogata Chikako , Funatsu Asami , Taniguchi Takaaki , Matsumoto Yasumichi
Published: May 2013

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and reduced graphite oxide (rGtO) were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. rGO and rGtO were prepared by photochemical, electrochemical, hydrazine-assisted, and thermal reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and graphite oxide (GtO). The number of CH defects increased for the photochemical and electrochemical reduction, whereas a direct increase in the number of C=C bonds was observed for thermal and hydrazine-assisted reduction. Cyclic voltammograms showed that the electrochemical capacitance of rGtO increased with the number of CH defects.
Photocatalytic Water Splitting over LaTa7O19 Composed of TaO7 Pentagonal Bipyramids and TaO6 Octahedra
Authors: Kato Hideki , Takeda Arisa , Kobayashi Makoto , Kakihana Masato
Published: May 2013

It has been found that cocatalyst-loaded LaTa7O19 with a band gap of 4.1 eV functions as a photocatalyst for water splitting under ultraviolet irradiation. The activity of Rh0.5Cr1.5O3-loaded LaTa7O19 prepared by a polymerizable complex method exhibited double of that prepared by a solid-state reaction. An apparent quantum yield of Rh0.5Cr1.5O3-loaded LaTa7O19 was determined to be 9.0% at 254 nm.
Fabrication of Pure Nanodrugs of Podophyllotoxin Dimer and Their Anticancer Activity
Authors: Ikuta Yoshikazu , Koseki Yoshitaka , Murakami Tatsuya , Ueda Minoru , Oikawa Hidetoshi , Kasai Hitoshi
Published: May 2013

Drug nanoparticles of water-insoluble bioactive compounds are potentially applicable in next-generation drug delivery systems (DDSs). As an example of such nanoparticles, the dimeric podophyllotoxin (PPT) was synthesized, and PPT nanoparticles were fabricated by the reprecipitation method. It was found that these nanoparticles show much higher cytotoxity for cancer cells as compared to etoposide, which is an analog of PPT.
Redox-active Microcapsules of Cytochrome c Formed at the Ionic Liquid–Water Interface
Authors: Morikawa Masa-aki , Nii Risa , Kimizuka Nobuo
Published: May 2013

Microcapsules of cytochrome c (Cyt c) are spontaneously formed by introducing aqueous Cyt c microdroplets in ionic liquids (ILs), which are facilely transferred to aqueous phase after crosslinking and hydrophilic augmentation of the capsule surface.
Straightforward Approach to Synthesize 3,3′-Bipyrroles by Oxidative Homocoupling of 1,2,5-Trisubstituted Pyrroles
Authors: Yin Tao , Hua Ruimao
Published: May 2013

A method is developed for efficient and straightforward synthesis of 3,3′-bipyrroles by oxidative C–H homocoupling of 1,2,5-trisubstituted pyrroles in the presence of FeCl3 in a mixture solvents of CH2Cl2 and MeNO2.
Dye Sensitization in Polymer/ZnO/Dye Ternary Hybrid Solar Cells
Authors: Do Kim Hyung , Ohkita Hideo , Benten Hiroaki , Ito Shinzaburo
Published: May 2013

The incorporation of silicon phthalocyanine bis(trihexylsilyloxide) (SiPc) dye in hybrid solar cells based on blends of poly(3-hexylthiophene) and zinc oxide (P3HT/ZnO) increased the short-circuit current density by 65% as compared to that of P3HT/ZnO binary hybrid solar cell and hence improved the overall power conversion efficiency under AM1.5G illumination. Furthermore, the enhanced external quantum efficiency peaks demonstrated that SiPc molecules serve as a light-harvesting photosensitizer as well as an energy funnel for P3HT excitons at the P3HT/ZnO interface.
High-strength Chitosan Hydrogels Prepared from LiOH/Urea Solvent System
Authors: Sun Yongfu , Li Youliang , Nie Jingyi , Wang Zhengke , Hu Qiaoling
Published: May 2013

High-strength chitosan hydrogels (H-CS) were prepared without external crosslinker based on a LiOH/urea solvent system. The resultant H-CS hydrogels showed much better mechanical properties than conventional chitosan hydrogels (L-CS). Mechanical properties of H-CS can be tuned by adjusting the concentration of chitosan solution. SEM images of freeze-dried H-CS hydrogels displayed well-defined, interconnected, three-dimensional porous network structures that could greatly improve their mechanical properties. H-CS hydrogels fabricated in this study show great potential as a structural and functional material in the biomedical field.
Synthesis and Characterization of Boron Complexes of Imidazo[1,5-a]pyridylalkyl Alcohols
Authors: Murai Toshiaki , Nagaya Eri , Miyahara Keitaro , Shibahara Fumitoshi , Maruyama Toshifumi
Published: May 2013

Imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-1-ylalkyl alcohols were reacted with diphenylborinic acid to give boron complexes in which nitrogen and oxygen atoms were coordinated to a boron atom. The use of imidazo[1,5-a]pyridin-1-ylalkyl alcohol with two 2-pyridyl groups also gave a boron complex, but the nitrogen atom in a 2-pyridyl group, rather than that in an imidazopyridyl group, was coordinated to the boron atom. The molecular structures of these complexes were revealed by X-ray analyses. The fluorescence spectra of the complexes were generally observed at wavelengths shorter than those for the starting materials and well-known boron complexes of 8-hydroxyquinolines.
Efficient Conversion of Pyruvic Aldehyde into Lactic Acid by Lewis Acid Catalyst in Water
Authors: Koito Yusuke , Nakajima Kiyotaka , Kitano Masaaki , Hara Michikazu
Published: May 2013

Homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysts with water-tolerant Lewis acids, such as Sc(OTf)3 and Nb2O5·nH2O, effectively promote the hydride transfer of pyruvic aldehyde into lactic acid in water at 383 K, whereas Brønsted acid catalysts cannot function as effective catalysts under mild conditions. NMR measurement in the presence of D2O suggests that the reaction on a Lewis acid catalyst proceeds via the Meerwein–Ponndorf–Verley (MPV) reduction.
Adrenal disease in Ferrets
Authors: Chitty John
Published: May 2013

Adrenal gland disease (AGD) is a common problem in UK ferrets. This article will discuss possible reasons for its growing incidence, along with diagnostic techniques and treatment options. In particular, options for reproductive control, including deslorelin implants, will be described as the principle means of prevention of adrenal disease.
Feline miliary dermatitis
Authors: Patel Anita
Published: May 2013

Miliary dermatitis is a common term used to describe small, usually circumscribed, crusted papules on cats. The condition is a reaction pattern and can be seen in a variety of conditions. For successful treatment and/or management, the underlying condition has to be identified and treated. This paper describes the clinical signs, a diagnostic approach and an overview of treatment and management of the condition.
A Daughter’s Recollection: Xu Ru-Hui and Chinese Early Motion Picture Music
Authors: Wen-Xia Xu
Published: May 2013

One of the early explorers in motion picture music in China, Xu Ru-Hui, was born in July 1910 in Zhejiang. He arrived in Shanghai with his uncle in 1923 and joined the United Music Association of Shanghai, which was led by the Chinese music master Zheng Jian-Wen at the time, in 1925.
He studied national classic music there including performance and composition, mastering over a hundred types of Chinese instruments. By the late 1920s, he had formed his own band called Midnight National Music, and had become one of the most famous pop music composers in Shanghai.
Navigating on the Ruins: Space, Power, and History in Contemporary Chinese Independent Documentaries
Authors: Wang Qi
Published: May 2013

Independent documentary filmmaking in contemporary China started a few sparkles after 1989, with works like Wu Wenguang’s Bumming in Beijing: The Last Dreamers (1990) and Wang Guangli’s I Graduated (1992). Followed by more developed works from Zhang Yuan, Duan Jinchuan,
Jiang Yue, and Kang Jianning, China began to see perhaps its first independent documentary group: the New Documentary Movement. Later, with the advent of the DV technology in the mid-1990s, the freedom of one-man’s-film-studio became easily realizable; China further witnessed a spate
of independent documentaries pouring forth, with a greater variety in subject matter and style, and a greater variety of faces, lives, spaces, and voices along with them.
Cultural Proximity and Distance: The Reception of Korean Films in China Through the Lens of My Sassy Girl
Authors: Huang Ying , Noh Kwang Woo
Published: May 2013

This article explores the reception of Korean romantic comedy, My Sassy Girl, among Chinese youth. Through the lens of this popular movie, the authors attempt to explain the complexity of the popularity of Korean films and other cultural products in China in recent years. By analyzing
the outcome of online questionnaires and depth interviews regarding the reception of My Sassy Girl, the authors argue that although the strong presence of Korean films in China is contributed by the significant growth of the film industry in South Korea since the 1990s, the current conditions
of China society and its movie market, and the cultural proximity the Chinese youth as movies viewers perceived among these two nations in comparison with Western media products, especially Hollywood movies, facilitates Korean films’ popularity at the personal level.
Cape No. 7 and Taiwan’s National Consciousness
Authors: Wang Sharon Chialan
Published: May 2013

In 2008, the release of Cape No. 7. directed by Wei De-sheng. was a national sensation. Lauded as a miracle in the history of Taiwanese cinema, the film reached the box office revenue of more than 320 million New Taiwan Dollars (approx. US$10 million) in two months after its
release, topping the most expensive Asian-financed film, John Wu’s Chinese epic The Battle of Red Cliff, released in 2008, and Ang Lee’s adaptation of a short story by the iconic author, Eileen Chang, Lust Caution, in 2007. Without the extravagant promotion campaigns of Wu’s
and Lee’s films, the movie with a cast of mostly amateur actors started slow but became a blockbuster by word of mouth and through the internet.
Love Letters from the Colonizer: The Cultural Identity Issue in Cape No.7
Authors: Wang Ying-bei
Published: May 2013

My trip back to Taiwan near the end of 2008 was full of surprises caused by my observation that the whole country had been in a mania for Cape No.7, a locally made film released in August 2008 that obtained a tremendous success in the following months. The film was very frequently mentioned
in local news reports and in people’s conversation and had gone on to be so successful that famous TV programs held interviews with the director and crew, variety shows invited the actors to do performances, and commercials made parodies of some pieces in the film. And also, a large
number of tourists poured into Hengchun town to visit the sites where the film took shots. Numerous objects seen in the film, such as props, costume, houses, settings, landscape, became popular commercial items. It seemed that everybody was celebrating the birth of this most popular Taiwanese
film of all time, Cape No.7.
Love or Hate: The First Emperor on Screen — Three Movies on the Attempted Assassination of the First Emperor Qin Shihuang
Authors: Qian Kun
Published: May 2013

In recent years, the image of China’s first emperor Qin Shihuang has made multiple statements on the notions of hero, Empire, nation states, history, and globalization. Navigating across media opera stage, television, and film screen alike, and across national borders produced
within or outside China, the representations of this notoriously controversial figure manifest the changing vision of national imagination of China, China’s continuous attempt to position itself in the world, and its participation in redefining the revived notion of “Empire.”
A Preliminary Study of the Market for Documentaries in Taiwan
Authors: Lee Daw-Ming
Published: May 2013

Foreign guests were surprised by the long line waiting to see documentary films during the 1998 and 2000 Taiwan International Film Festival. It was obviously an indication that audiences in Taiwan yearned for documentaries, especially those from abroad. Moreover, in the years between
2004 and 2006, documentary films and videos such as Gift of Life , Viva Tonal — The Dance Age, Jump! Boys , and The Last Rice Farmer had made it into the commercial cinemas in direct competition with domestic and foreign feature films, and had outperformed most Taiwanese feature films
at the box office.
Identity and Otherness in the Films of Kim Kiduk
Authors: Botz-Bornstein Thorsten
Published: May 2013

In a central scene in 3-Iron, the female protagonist dissects her own photo and reconstitutes it in a cubistic fashion. While in this film the act of reframing seems to symbolize the establishment of a new identity, in other films by Kim Kiduk, various subject positions can be defined
neither as re-compositions of disparate identities nor as splits of two polar opposites. Often we are confronted with situations in which the notion of the authentic subject has possibly been overcome. In the present article, I attempt to understand these patterns evolving in Kim Kiduk’s
films, within the Korean cultural context determined by the country’s division, as well as occupations by foreign powers.
Approximation: Documentary, history and the staging of reality
Authors: Bruzzi Stella
Published: May 2013

The article explores the idea of ‘approximation’: the layered understanding of historical moments and events via works whose aim is to approximate reality and all its ramifications, rather than more straightforwardly to represent it. It sets out to discuss the terrorist
attacks on the World Trade Center, 11 September 2001, through juxtaposition with representations and re-enactments of their most notable and traumatic antecedent, namely the assassination of President John Kennedy, 22 November 1963. After briefly examining how the two events are brought together
in the television series Mad Men, issues of history, representation and art are analyzed in more detail in relation to Abraham Zapruder’s home movie of the assassination, Bruce Conner’s Report (1963–1967) and Ant Farm and T. R. Uthco’s The Eternal Frame (1976).
I’ll Say She Is! (1924): The ‘laugh-a-minute revue’ that made the Marx Brothers
Authors: Farrell Margaret
Published: May 2013

This brief examination of the 1924 Broadway revue I’ll Say She Is! describes the process of constructing it, analyses its contents, and addresses the importance of the show in the careers of its stars, the Marx Brothers. This show is an example of the revue as a composite
structure, constructed out of a combination of new and recycled material to feature three expected types of entertainment: music, comedy and spectacle. Resembling both a musical and a vaudeville bill, this revue is held together by the unifying construct of a plot. The most important sources
in this examination are the unpublished diaries of the show’s writer, Will B. Johnstone. These diaries contain details of the construction process of a revue that add to our store of knowledge on the revue in the 1920s.
New Faces of 1952, Your Show of Shows, and the end of the Broadway revue
Authors: Clum John M.
Published: May 2013

The focus of this article is the relationship between Broadway and television in the early 1950s, a time when most US television production was still based in New York City. To demonstrate how television appropriated the revue format, the article analyses two works: first, Leonard Sillman’s
New Faces of 1952, which some historians of the American musical claim to have been the last great Broadway revue. Some of its stars (Robert Clary, Paul Lynde, Alice Ghostley) went on to long, distinguished careers in television. While New Faces of 1952 ran on Broadway, Max Liebman’s
Your Show of Shows dominated Saturday night television. Its popularity was one of the causes for the death of the Broadway revue. The article explores two issues, asking what did Your Show of Shows take from the Broadway revue and how did it differ from a show like New Faces of 1952 and why
was the television revue, as exemplified by Your Show of Shows such a short-lived phenomenon?
Evaluation of Shear Wave Velocity from Bender Elements Using Cross-correlation
Authors: Airey David , Mohsin A. K. M.
Published: May 2013

The use of bender elements to determine shear wave velocity, and hence shear modulus, is becoming increasingly popular, with commercial systems now available. The most common method of interpretation is to make use of first arrival; however, automation of this procedure has been impossible for the wide range of velocities, sample sizes, stress levels, etc. encountered in soil and weak rock testing. A method for automating the velocity measurement was proposed by Mohsin and Airey in 2003 and relied on the use of cross-correlation. Since that time, many papers have been published on the method of interpretation, and these have often dismissed cross-correlation out of hand or have suggested that it does not work. These criticisms are based on either the fallacy that the input and output waves must look similar in order for the method to work or the selection of the wrong peak in the cross-correlation. We have been using the technique in the laboratory routinely for several years and have found that it can provide results that are at least as good as those obtained via other methods for soils varying from soft clay to silty gravel and well-cemented sand and at stress levels from 10 kPa to 2000 kPa. The greatest advantage of the technique is that it removes much of the subjectivity from the analysis, and in our opinion it is the only viable currently proposed method that is suitable for automation, and thus for standardization. This paper provides details of the procedure, pulse type and frequency, and calibration and discusses issues that affect the development of a standard. Results for a range of soil types, stress levels, and shear wave velocities are presented to demonstrate the reliability of the technique.
Dynamic Properties of Some Eastern Mediterranean Marine Sediments
Authors: Chaney Ronald
Published: May 2013

A series of resonant column tests on sediments from offshore Haifa, Israel are presented in this paper. Samples were obtained from both the Akhziv submarine canyon and the undisturbed slope located on the continental terrace of Northern Israel in the Eastern Mediterranean using a gravity corer in 59 to 699 m of water depth. The continental shelf of northern Sinai, Israel, and Lebanon is made of 1–2-km-thick Nile-derived sediments of the Pliocene–Quaternary age that were transported to the northeast by the counterclockwise contour current system of the Southeastern Mediterranean Sea, and accumulated along the continental margin. The sediments tested consist of dark grey silty clays (MH/CH). The sedimentological pattern over the continental shelf and the adjacent parts of the deep-sea Levant Platform essentially consists of continuous hemipelagic sedimentation of the Nile-derived sediments along the continental margin and frequent episodic earthquake triggered sediment slumping with redistribution down slope. The soft sediments described in this paper were trimmed for use in the resonant column apparatus using an osmotic knife in the shape of a split mold. The resonant column utilized in this study was a fixed free apparatus. The total unit weight of the specimens ranged from 14.31 to 17.98 kN/m3, whereas the water content varied from 40 % to 95 %. Maximum shear modulus varied with depth of water, location on the shelf and in the canyon. For the undisturbed slope, the maximum shear modulus is approximately 25 to 29 MPa. For the canyon flank, the modulus ranged from 4.2 to 17.2 MPa. This is in contrast to the canyon bed where shear modulus ranged from 220 to 334 MPa. The increase in shear modulus of the canyon bed sediments is believed a result of either or both internal structure or slight cementation in the Akhziv material based on a combination of previous triaxial testing and site geology. The corresponding damping ratio ranges from 0.5 % to 4 % as a function of shear strain and effective stress. Modulus and damping test results are compared with other marine sediments: offshore Eureka, CA; Navarin Basin, Bering Sea; Gulf of Mexico; and Casablanca and the Santa Barbara Channel California.
Full-Scale Evaluation of the Performance of Three Compacted Clay Liners
Authors: Chapuis Robert P.
Published: May 2013

This paper examines the performance of three compacted clay liners for holding and treating municipal wastewater in three lagoons. The quality controls for the liners included verification of compaction conditions (dry density and water content) and full-scale leakage tests. These were made by filling each lagoon with clear water and monitoring the leakage rate versus water level in the lagoon. This paper presents the quality control data, the predicted local values of the hydraulic conductivity k versus void ratio e, and degree of saturation Sr as achieved by compaction, and a statistical prediction of the large-scale k value for each liner. For this case history, one full-scale test was performed before winter and the measured large-scale k value agreed with the predicted value. Two full-scale tests were performed the following spring, and revealed that frost had seriously damaged the liners of the two lagoons, which had been left empty during winter. The paper thus validates a previously proposed model for predicting hydraulic conductivity, and it also provides a statistical approach to predict the large-scale k value of undamaged clay liners.
Measurement and Prediction of Heat of Hydration of Portland Cement Using Isothermal Conduction Calorimetry
Authors: Sedaghat Ahmadreza , Zayed A. , Sandberg Paul
Published: May 2013

Ten industrial Portland cements were carefully tested continuously for up to seven days for their heat of hydration at 23°C, using isothermal conduction calorimetry in accordance with ASTM C1702. The internal mixing procedure was implemented for all the mixes, and external mixing was conducted on one of the cements. The results indicate that for a given Portland cement, the shape of the heat of hydration curve from three days to seven days can be modeled using an exponential function similar to that used in maturity concepts. The findings also indicate that such a function can be used in predicting the seven-day heat of hydration of Portland cement based on data collected for up to 84 h. The suggested approach could eliminate the need for measuring heat of hydration data at ages when the heat flow has decreased substantially to levels at which the signal-to-noise ratio is low. This work effectively proposes a method for accurately predicting the total heat generated by Portland cements at seven days based on heat flow measurements for up to 84 h.
Reports from the Theatre of War. Major Viktor von Lignitz and the Russo-Turkish War, 1877–78
Authors: Stone James
Published: May 2013

There continues to be a dearth of detailed studies of the reports filed by military attachés. This gap is especially evident in the recent historiography of the Prussian army because the majority of these documents were destroyed along with the Heeresarchiv in 1945. However, through a series of fortunate circumstances virtually all of the original reports filed by Major Viktor von Lignitz (military attaché in St. Petersburg 1876–1885) while acting as an observer with the Russian army during the war against Turkey were retained in the archives of the Auswärtiges Amt and were thereby spared the flames. The preservation of over eighty official despatches filed during Lignitz′s military mission not only provides researchers with the critical perspective of an experienced combat officer on the Balkan campaign of 1877/78, but also sheds important new light on a critical period in international affairs. In particular, the picture of Lignitz′s mission that emerges from the files of the Foreign Office archives adds another chapter to the history of the problematic relationship between the civilian and military leadership during the imperial era.
Systematic Review of Prenatal Cocaine Exposure and Adolescent Development
Authors: Buckingham-Howes Stacy , Berger Sarah Shafer , Scaletti Laura A. , Black Maureen M.
Published: May 2013

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Previous research found that prenatal cocaine exposure (PCE) may increase children's vulnerability to behavior and cognition problems. Maturational changes in brain and social development make adolescence an ideal time to reexamine associations. The objective was to conduct a systematic review of published studies examining associations between PCE and adolescent development (behavior, cognition/school outcomes, physiologic responses, and brain morphology/functioning).

METHODS:

Articles were obtained from PubMed, PsycInfo, Web of Science, and CINAHL databases through July 2012 with search terms: prenatal drug, substance, or cocaine exposure; adolescence/adolescent; and in utero substance/drug exposure. Criteria for inclusion were nonexposed comparison group, human adolescents aged 11 to 19, peer-reviewed, English-language, and adolescent outcomes.

RESULTS:

Twenty-seven studies representing 9 cohorts met the criteria. Four outcome categories were identified: behavior, cognition/school performance, brain structure/function, and physiologic responses. Eleven examined behavior; 7 found small but significant differences favoring nonexposed adolescents, with small effect sizes. Eight examined cognition/school performance; 6 reported significantly lower scores on language and memory tasks among adolescents with PCE, with varying effect sizes varied. Eight examined brain structure/function and reported morphologic differences with few functional differences. Three examined physiologic responses with discordant findings. Most studies controlled for other prenatal exposures, caregiving environment, and violence exposure; few examined mechanisms.

CONCLUSIONS:

Consistent with findings among younger children, PCE increases the risk for small but significantly less favorable adolescent functioning. Although the clinical importance of differences is often unknown, the caregiving environment and violence exposure pose additional threats. Future research should investigate mechanisms linking PCE with adolescent functioning.
Effectiveness of Preventive Dental Visits in Reducing Nonpreventive Dental Visits and Expenditures
Authors: Sen Bisakha , Blackburn Justin , Morrisey Michael A. , Kilgore Meredith L. , Becker David J. , Caldwell Cathy , Menachemi Nir
Published: May 2013

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Although preventive dental visits are considered important for maintaining pediatric oral health, there is relatively little research showing that they reduce subsequent nonpreventive dental visits or costs. At least 1 study seemed to find that early preventive dental care is associated with more restorative and emergency visits. Previous studies are limited by their inability to account for unmeasurable factors that may lead children to “select” into using both more preventive and nonpreventive dental care. We used econometric techniques that minimize selection bias to assess the effectiveness of preventive dental care in reducing subsequent nonpreventive dental service utilization among children.

METHODS:

Using data from Alabama’s Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), 1998–2010., a cohort study of children’s dental service utilization was conducted. Outcomes were 1-year lagged nonpreventive dental care and expenditures, and overall dental and medical expenditures. Children who were continuously enrolled for at least 3 years were included. Separate models were estimated for children aged <8 years (n = 14 972) and those aged ≥8 years (n = 21 833).

RESULTS:

More preventive visits were associated with fewer subsequent nonpreventive dental visits and lower nonpreventive dental expenditures for both groups. However, more preventive visits did not reduce overall dental or medical (inclusive of dental) expenditures.

CONCLUSIONS:

Preventive dental visits can reduce subsequent nonpreventive visits and expenditures for children continuously enrolled in CHIP. However, they may not reduce overall program costs. Effective empirical research in this area must continue to address unobserved confounders and selection issues.
Pregnancy Dose Tdap and Postpartum Cocooning to Prevent Infant Pertussis: A Decision Analysis
Authors: Terranella Andrew , Asay Garrett R. Beeler , Messonnier Mark L. , Clark Thomas A. , Liang Jennifer L.
Published: May 2013

BACKGROUND:

Infants <2 months of age are at highest risk of pertussis morbidity and mortality. Until recently, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended protecting young infants by “cocooning” or vaccination of postpartum mothers and other close contacts with tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid, and acellular pertussis, adsorbed (Tdap) booster vaccine. ACIP recommends pregnancy vaccination as a preferred and safe alternative to postpartum vaccination. The ACIP cocooning recommendation has not changed.

METHODS:

We used a cohort model reflecting US 2009 births and the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis schedule to simulate a decision and cost-effectiveness analysis of Tdap vaccination during pregnancy compared with postpartum vaccination with or without vaccination of other close contacts (ie, cocooning). We analyzed infant pertussis cases, hospitalizations, and deaths, as well as direct disease, indirect, and public health costs for infants in the first year of life. All costs were updated to 2011 US dollars.

RESULTS:

Pregnancy vaccination could reduce annual infant pertussis incidence by more than postpartum vaccination, reducing cases by 33% versus 20%, hospitalizations by 38% versus 19%, and deaths by 49% versus 16%. Additional cocooning doses in a father and 1 grandparent could avert an additional 16% of cases but at higher cost. The cost per quality-adjusted life-year saved for pregnancy vaccination was substantially less than postpartum vaccination ($414 523 vs $1 172 825).

CONCLUSIONS:

Tdap vaccination during pregnancy could avert more infant cases and deaths at lower cost than postpartum vaccination, even when postpartum vaccination is combined with additional cocooning doses. Pregnancy dose vaccination is the preferred alternative to postpartum vaccination for preventing infant pertussis.