bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Construction of Bordetella pertussis strains with enhanced production of genetically-inactivated Pertussis Toxin and Pertactin by unmarked allelic exchange
Authors: Buasri Wasin , Impoolsup Attawut , Boonchird Chuenchit , Luengchaichawange Anocha , Prompiboon Pannipa , Petre Jean , Panbangred Watanalai
Published: April 2012

Background

Acellular Pertussis vaccines against whooping cough caused by Bordetella pertussis present a much-improved safety profile compared to the original vaccine of killed whole cells. The principal antigen of acellular Pertussis vaccine, Pertussis Toxin (PT), must be chemically inactivated to obtain the corresponding toxoid (PTd). This process, however, results in extensive denaturation of the antigen. The development of acellular Pertussis vaccines containing PTd or recombinant PT (rPT) with inactivated S1, Filamentous Hemagglutinin (FHA), and Pertactin (PRN) has shown that the yield of PRN was limiting, whereas FHA was overproduced. To improve antigen yields and process economics, we have constructed strains of Bordetella pertussis that produce enhanced levels of both rPT and PRN.

Results

Three recombinant strains of Bordetella pertussis were obtained by homologous recombination using an allelic exchange vector, pSS4245. In the first construct, the segment encoding PT subunit S1 was replaced by two mutations (R9K and E129G) that removed PT toxicity and Bp-WWC strain was obtained. In the second construct, a second copy of the whole cluster of PT structural genes containing the above mutations was inserted elsewhere into the chromosome of Bp-WWC and the Bp-WWD strain was obtained. This strain generated increased amounts of rPT (3.77 ± 0.53 μg/mL) compared to Bp-WWC (2.61 ± 0.16 μg/mL) and wild type strain (2.2 μg/mL). In the third construct, a second copy of the prn gene was inserted into the chromosome of Bp-WWD to obtain Bp-WWE. Strain Bp-WWE produced PRN at 4.18 ± 1.02 μg/mL in the cell extract which was about two-fold higher than Bp-WWC (2.48 ± 0.10 μg/mL) and Bp-WWD (2.31 ± 0.17 μg/mL). Purified PTd from Bp-WWD at 0.8-1.6 μg/well did not show any toxicity against Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell whereas purified PT from WT demonstrated a cell clustering endpoint at 2.6 pg/well.

Conclusions

We have constructed Bordetella pertussis strains expressing increased amounts of the antigens, rPT or rPT and PRN. Expression of the third antigen, FHA was unchanged (always in excess). These strains will be useful for the manufacture of affordable acellular Pertussis vaccines.
Apolipoprotein E COG 133 mimetic peptide improves 5-fluorouracil-induced intestinal mucositis
Authors: Azevedo Orleâncio Gomes R , Oliveira Renato André C , Oliveira Bruna Castro , Zaja-Milatovic Snjezana , Araújo Celina Viana , Wong Deysi Viviana T , Costa Tiê Bezerra , Lucena Herene Barros Miranda , Lima-Júnior Roberto César P , Ribeiro Ronaldo A , Warren Cirle A , Lima Aldo Ângelo M , Vitek Michael P , Guerrant Richard L , Oriá Reinaldo B
Published: April 2012

Background

Intestinal mucositis is one of the major troublesome side effects of anticancer chemotherapy leading to poor patient compliance. In this study we addressed the role of the novel apolipoprotein E (ApoE) COG 133 mimetic peptide in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-challenged Swiss mice and IEC-6 cell monolayers. Experiments were also conducted in C57BL6J ApoE knock-out mice to assess the effects of apoE peptide treatment.

Methods

Experimental groups were as follows: unchallenged controls, 5-FU-challenged mice (450 mg/kg, i.p) with or without the ApoE peptide (0.3, 1, and 3 μM, given twice daily i.p. for 4 days). Mice were sacrificed 3 days after 5-FU challenge. Proximal small intestinal samples were harvested for molecular biology and histological processing. We conducted ELISA assays and RT-PCR to target IL-1β, TNF-α, IL-10, iNOS, and myeloperoxidase (MPO) to assess intestinal inflammation. Cell death and NF-κB assays were also conducted in apoE knock-out mice. In our in vitro models, IEC-6 cells were exposed to 1 mM of 5-FU in glutamine free media with or without the ApoE peptide (0.02, 0.2, 2, 5, 10, and 20 μM). We investigated IEC-6 cell proliferation and migration, 24 h after the 5-FU challenge. Additionally, apoptotic IEC-6 cells were measured by Tunel and flow cytometry. Equimolar doses of the ApoA-I (D4-F) peptide were also used in some experiments for comparative studies.

Results

Villus blunting and heavy inflammatory infiltrates were seen in the 5-FU-challenged group, findings that were partially ameliorated by the ApoE peptide. We found increased intestinal MPO and pro-inflammatory IL-1β and TNF-α levels, and TNF-α and iNOS transcripts, and reduction of IL-10 following 5-FU treatment, each of which were partially abrogated by the peptide. Improvements were also found in IEC-6 cell apoptosis and migration following ApoE and D-4F treatment.

Conclusion

Altogether, these findings suggest that the novel ApoE COG 133 mimetic peptide can reduce 5-FU-induced intestinal changes and potentially benefit mucositis.
The application of genetics approaches to the study of exceptional longevity in humans: potential and limitations
Authors: Ferrario Anna , Villa Francesco , Malovini Alberto , Araniti Fiorella , Puca Annibale A
Published: April 2012

The average life-span of the population of industrialized countries has improved enormously over the last decades. Despite evidence pointing to the role of food intake in modulating life-span, exceptional longevity is still considered primarily an inheritable trait, as pointed out by the description of families with centenarian clusters and by the elevated relative probability of siblings of centenarians to become centenarians themselves. However, rather than being two separate concepts, the genetic origin of exceptional longevity and the more recently observed environment-driven increase in the average age of the population could possibly be explained by the same genetic variants and environmentally modulated mechanisms (caloric restriction, specific nutrients). In support of this hypothesis, polymorphisms selected for in the centenarian population as a consequence of demographic pressure have been found to modulate cellular signals controlled also by caloric restriction. Here, we give an overview of the recent findings in the field of the genetics of human exceptional longevity, of how some of the identified polymorphisms modulate signals also influenced by food intake and caloric restriction, of what in our view have been the limitations of the approaches used over the past years to study genetics (sib-pair-, candidate gene association-, and genome-wide association-studies), and briefly of the limitations and the potential of the new, high-throughput, next-generation sequencing techniques applied to exceptional longevity.
Algae biodiesel - a feasibility report
Authors: Gao Yihe , Gregor Chapin , Liang Yuanjie , Tang Dawei , Tweed Caitlin
Published: April 2012

Background

Algae biofuels have been studied numerous times including the Aquatic Species program in 1978 in the U.S., smaller laboratory research projects and private programs.

Results

Using Molina Grima 2003 and Department of Energy figures, captial costs and operating costs of the closed systems and open systems were estimated. Cost per gallon of conservative estimates yielded $1,292.05 and $114.94 for closed and open ponds respectively. Contingency scenarios were generated in which cost per gallon of closed system biofuels would reach $17.54 under the generous conditions of 60% yield, 50% reduction in the capital costs and 50% hexane recovery. Price per gallon of open system produced fuel could reach $1.94 under generous assumptions of 30% yield and $0.2/kg CO2.

Conclusions

Current subsidies could allow biodiesel to be produced economically under the generous conditions specified by the model.
Frontier battery development for hybrid vehicles
Authors: Lewis Heather , Park Haram , Paolini Maion
Published: April 2012

Background

Interest in hybrid-electric vehicles (HEVs) has recently spiked, partly due to an increasingly negative view toward the U.S. foreign oil dependency and environmental concerns. Though HEVs are becoming more common, they have a significant price premium over gasoline-powered vehicles. One of the primary drivers of this “hybrid premium” is the cost of the vehicles’ batteries. This paper focuses on these batteries used in hybrid vehicles, examines the types of batteries used for transportation applications and addresses some of the technological, environmental and political drivers in battery development and the deployment of HEVs.

Methods

This paper examines the claim, often voiced by HEV proponents, that by taking into account savings on gasoline and vehicle maintenance, hybrid cars are cheaper than traditional gasoline cars. This is done by a quantitative benefit-cost analysis, in addition to qualitative benefit-cost analysis from political, technological and environmental perspectives.

Results

The quantitative benefit-cost analysis shows that, taking account of all costs for the life of the vehicle, hybrid cars are in fact more expensive than gasoline-powered vehicles; however, after five years, HEVs will break even with gasoline cars.

Conclusions

Our results show that it is likely that after 5 years, using hybrid vehicles should be cheaper in effect and yield a positive net benefit to society. There are a number of externalities that could significantly impact the total social cost of the car. These externalities can be divided into four categories: environmental, industrial, R&D and political. Despite short-term implications and hurdles, increased HEV usage forecasts a generally favorable long-term net benefit to society. Most notably, increasing HEV usage could decrease greenhouse gas emissions, while also decreasing U.S. dependence on foreign oil.
A BAC library of the SP80-3280 sugarcane variety (saccharum sp.) and its inferred microsynteny with the sorghum genome
Authors: Figueira Thais Rezende e Silva , Okura Vagner , Rodrigues da Silva Felipe , Jose da Silva Marcio , Kudrna Dave , Ammiraju Jetty SS , Talag Jayson , Wing Rod , Arruda Paulo
Published: April 2012

Background

Sugarcane breeding has significantly progressed in the last 30 years, but achieving additional yield gains has been difficult because of the constraints imposed by the complex ploidy of this crop. Sugarcane cultivars are interspecific hybrids between Saccharum officinarum and Saccharum spontaneum. S. officinarum is an octoploid with 2n = 80 chromosomes while S. spontaneum has 2n = 40 to 128 chromosomes and ploidy varying from 5 to 16. The hybrid genome is composed of 70-80% S. officinaram and 5-20% S. spontaneum chromosomes and a small proportion of recombinants. Sequencing the genome of this complex crop may help identify useful genes, either per se or through comparative genomics using closely related grasses. The construction and sequencing of a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) library of an elite commercial variety of sugarcane could help assembly the sugarcane genome.

Results

A BAC library designated SS_SBa was constructed with DNA isolated from the commercial sugarcane variety SP80-3280. The library contains 36,864 clones with an average insert size of 125 Kb, 88% of which has inserts larger than 90 Kb. Based on the estimated genome size of 760–930 Mb, the library exhibits 5–6 times coverage the monoploid sugarcane genome. Bidirectional BAC end sequencing (BESs) from a random sample of 192 BAC clones sampled genes and repetitive elements of the sugarcane genome. Forty-five per cent of the total BES nucleotides represents repetitive elements, 83% of which belonging to LTR retrotransposons. Alignment of BESs corresponding to 42 BACs to the genome sequence of the 10 sorghum chromosomes revealed regions of microsynteny, with expansions and contractions of sorghum genome regions relative to the sugarcane BAC clones. In general, the sampled sorghum genome regions presented an average 29% expansion in relation to the sugarcane syntenic BACs.

Conclusion

The SS_SBa BAC library represents a new resource for sugarcane genome sequencing. An analysis of insert size, genome coverage and orthologous alignment with the sorghum genome revealed that the library presents whole genome coverage. The comparison of syntenic regions of the sorghum genome to 42 SS_SBa BES pairs revealed that the sorghum genome is expanded in relation to the sugarcane genome.
Comparison of safety and toxicity of liposomal doxorubicin vs. conventional anthracyclines: a meta-analysis
Authors: Rafiyath Shamudheen M , Rasul Mohammad , Lee Byung , Wei Guoqing , Lamba Gurpreet , Liu Delong
Published: April 2012

Background

Liposomal formulations of anthracyclines appear to have favorable toxicity profile when compared with conventional anthracyclines in elderly, high risk cardiac patients and patients with prior use of anthracyclines. Randomized controlled trials have evaluated the efficacy and safety profile of liposomal formulations with conventional anthracyclines. Our aim is to evaluate the adverse effects and quantify the relative safety profile of the liposomal and conventional anthracyclines through meta-analysis of the published randomized trials.

Methods

We conducted a broad search strategy of major electronic databases. We performed a meta- analysis of adverse effects on randomized controlled trials comparing liposomal formulation and conventional anthracyclines on different tumors. The primary outcome was the adverse effects including congestive heart failure (CHF), hematological toxicity, palmar-plantar erythrodysthesias (PPE), alopecia, nausea and vomiting. The odds ratios of the adverse effects were calculated separately and the overall odds ratio of the pooled data was calculated.

Results

We identified nine randomized controlled trials comparing liposomal formulations and conventional anthracyclines. The study included 2220 patients, of which1112 patients were treated with liposomal formulations and 1108 were treated with conventional anthracyclines. We found that the liposomal formulations have low incidence of CHF(OR 0.34, 95% CI, 0.24–0.47), alopecia (OR 0.0.25, 95% CI, 0.0.10-0.62), neutropenia (OR 0.62, 95% CI, 0.45- 0.85),(OR 0.89, 95% CI, 0.71-1.125), and thrombocytopenia (OR 0.87, 95% CI, 0.61-1.25). The incidence of PPE was similar in both arms (OR 1.08, 95% CI, 0.11- 10.30).

Conclusions

Liposomal doxorubicin and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin demonstrated favorable toxicity profiles with better cardiac safety and less myelosuppression, alopecia, nausea and vomiting compared with the conventional anthracyclines. The better therapeutic index of liposomal anthracyclines without compromising the efficacy makes it a favorable choice over conventional anthracyclines in elderly patients, patients with risk factors for cardiac disease and patients with prior use of anthracyclines.
The Face of Imposture in Postrevolutionary France
Authors: Johnson James H.
Published: April 2012

This article considers deceit and criminal disguise in the context of social upheaval that recast the terms of identity from inherited status to merit. The appearance of high-profile impostors after the Revolution produced both fear and fascination, which writers and artists were quick to exploit for a ready market. It also prepared the ground for broad distrust of professional success and social advancement later in the century. Instances of deceit from across the culture mark the shifting sense of imposture in law and the popular imagination: the arrest and trial of an escaped convict who rose in the officers’ corps by posing as a noble émigré; the corrosive appeal of the stage bandit Robert Macaire, in whom audiences found a symbol for swindlers in finance, law, and medicine; and the many masks, physical and figurative, that appear in Balzac’s Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes.

Cet article traite de la tromperie et l’imposture criminelle dans le contexte des bouleversements sociaux qui ont redéfini les conditions de l’identité sociale de la naissance au mérite. L’apparition d’imposteurs notoires après la Révolution a provoqué à la fois de la peur et de la fascination que les écrivains et les artistes ont vite exploitées pour un marché avide. Ce phénomène a aussi posé les bases qui révéleront plus tard au cours du siècle une méfiance générale face au succès professionnel et à l’avancement social. Des exemples de tromperie, à travers la littérature et les arts, signalent l’évolution du sens de l’imposture dans les lois ainsi que dans l’imagination populaire: l’arrestation et le procès d’un condamné échappé qui avait fait carrière dans un corps d’officiers en se faisant passer pour un émigré noble; l’attrait nuisible du bandit de grands chemins, Robert Macaire, personnage fictif chez qui le public a trouvé un symbole pour les escrocs de la finance, du droit et de la médecine; ainsi que les nombreux masques, tant réels que figuratifs qui apparaissent dans l’oeuvre de Balzac, Splendeurs et misères des courtisanes.
The Facts of Social Organization in the Debate over North Africa, 1834–1852: Law, Government, Critique
Authors: Aisenberg Andrew
Published: April 2012

This article examines the legislative debate over the legal status of occupied North Africa during the July Monarchy and the Second Republic. Frustrated by government reluctance to resolve the legal irregularity of the occupation, but confident that a resolution was possible, legislative leaders debated the characteristics of social organization entailed in, and guaranteed by, a legal order. The article focuses on the deployment of conflicting facts about social order and the lack of closure in the debate that resulted, as part of a larger effort to rethink the crucial early decades of the French occupation of North Africa. Instead of assessing the origin, aims, and future potential of the occupation from the vantage point of an uncontested definition of the law, the article approaches the occupation of North Africa as the expression of deep conflicts about the relationship between law and social order that defined the metropolitan “social question” during the 1830s and 1840s.

Cet article examine le débat législatif sur le statut légal du territoire occupé de l’Afrique du Nord pendant la Monarchie de Juillet et la Deuxième République. Frustrés par la répugnance du gouvernement à résoudre l’irrégularité légale de l’occupation, mais certains qu’une résolution définitive serait possible, les députés discutaient des caractéristiques de l’organisation sociale imposées par un ordre légal. L’article se concentre sur l’étendue des faits contradictoires de l’organisation sociale et le manque de finalité qui en résultait dans le but de revoir les premières décades décisives de l’occupation française de l’Afrique du Nord. Au lieu de fixer les origines, les buts et le potentiel de l’occupation basée sur une définition incontestée de la loi, l’article aborde l’occupation de l’Afrique du Nord comme le résultat de conflits profonds à l’égard du rapport entre la loi et l’ordre social qui a défini la « question sociale » métropolitaine pendant les décennies de 1830 et 1840.
Scenes of Perception and Revelation: Gender and Truth in Antidreyfusard Caricature
Authors: Everton Elizabeth
Published: April 2012

Since Emile Zola’s “J’accuse,” the Dreyfus affair has often been conceptualized as a struggle between truth and raison d’état. In this interpretation, the antidreyfusards voluntarily cede any claim to the concept of truth in favor of arguments based in the exigencies of national security. This article suggests, however, that antidreyfusard rhetoric and imagery also employed a concept of truth: a subjective truth that depended on personal credibility as established through opposition to imagined enemies of France. The caricaturist Caran d’Ache represented this relational truth in scenes of antidreyfusard women identifying and rejecting dreyfusard or Jewish men. These scenes allowed the artist to emphasize the personal and conditional nature of this sort of truth by showing ambiguous sexualized or aggressive women acquiring credibility through their hostile interactions with dreyfusard or Jewish adversaries, thereby permitting the representation of a truth based on human interaction and relationships.

Depuis le « J’accuse » d’Emile Zola, on a souvent affirmé que l’affaire Dreyfus symbolisait la lutte entre la vérité et la « raison d’état ». Dans cette interprétation, les antidreyfusards rejettent l’idée même de la vérité pour formuler des arguments qui privilégient la sécurité de l’état et de l’armée. Cet article soutient qu’au lieu d’abandonner complètement le concept de vérité, les antidreyfusards ont aussi employé dans leurs discours une vérité subjective basée sur le caractère et la crédibilité de l’individu. Le dessinateur Caran d’Ache a évoqué cette vérité subjective dans des scènes où des anti-dreyfusards repoussent des adversaires dreyfusards et juifs. L’artiste ainsi soulignait la nature conditionnelle de cette idée de vérité en représentant des femmes sexualisées ou agressives qui deviennent honnêtes en démasquant des ennemis de la France. Cette stratégie artistique permet la visualisation d’une vérité subjective située dans les relations humaines.
Crossed Wires
Authors: Sayer Derek
Published: April 2012

An exercise in humour noir, this essay explores relations between the Paris and Prague surrealist groups from André Breton and Paul Éluard's visit to “the magic capital of old Europe” in 1935 to the aborted “Prague Spring” of 1968. It focuses on the famous “starry castle” of Breton's Mad Love — which Czechs know better as Letohrádek Hvězda at Bílá hora, the White Mountain — as a signifier whose wanderings, over the period, encapsulate the mutual myths and misunderstandings that were constitutive of this most poignant of surrealist love affairs. The essay ends by suggesting that what makes the Czech capital a fitting object of the surrealist imagination (and a rich source of surreal art and literature in its own right) is less the “historic charms” that so seduced Breton in 1935 than the “geographical, historical, and economic considerations” of the city's modernity that he blithely put to one side.
Interpretation and Resistance
Authors: Tamen Miguel
Published: April 2012

People who talk about interpretation often suggest that what is interpreted must offer some kind of resistance, in quasiphysical terms. The physics entailed by such suggestions is never fully specified, and for a good reason: it is purely nonexistent. This essay presents arguments against physical fantasies in interpretation, very current in the humanities and the social sciences, and offers a different picture of interpretation. The picture has two parts: interpretation is described as a way of dealing with intentions, motives, purposes, linguistic noises, actions, meanings, and so forth, relative to all sorts of stuff; and interpretation is a default condition, rather than an optional acquired talent.
Fuzziness and Perceptions of Language in the Middle Ages
Authors: Butterfield Ardis
Published: April 2012

Vernacular language use in England throughout the later Middle Ages was a complex negotiation between English and French; that is, between the languages of English and French and the political identities of two peoples engaged in a long war. Clifford Geertz's famous analysis of “blurred genres” is used to think through the fuzzy properties of this period's bilingualism and to argue that to understand the boundaries between English and French as blurred is revealing of the linguistic and social tensions that were the product of conflict between two closely intertwined cultures. This article is the first of a three-part contribution to the Common Knowledge symposium on “blur,” each part corresponding broadly to Geertz's trifold instances of blur as involving “face-to-face interaction” (“life as game”), “collective intensities” (“life as stage”), and “imaginative forms” (“life as text”). This first part takes as its main example a duel described by Jean Froissart in his Chroniques, in which a French knight is punished by his own king, Charles V, for fighting and injuring an English knight on the outskirts of Calais in 1383.
A Catholic Muslim Prophet
Authors: García-Arenal Mercedes
Published: April 2012

This contribution to a symposium “on the consequence of blur” deals with the case of Agustín de Ribera and his followers in sixteenth-century Castile. Inquisition trial records report the appearance, around 1535 among the Moriscos (Catholic converts of Muslim origin) in Toledo, of a boy who had ecstasies and visions in which he traveled to the Hereafter and received revelations. Though considered by his followers and also by the Inquisition a prophet of Muhammad, Agustin and his visions appear to have arisen in a context held in common with the Christian majority of Castile. This case thus reveals the existence of a hybrid form of Catholic Muslim religiosity, but only to scholars who do what is required to de differentiate — that is, to blur — the categories of identity and orthodoxy that were established by the Inquisition. Scholars have for too long allowed the Inquisition to overclarify for posterity the distinctions that existed between ethno religious groups and to define for us the nature of religious dissidence in early modern Spain.
“PRE-Postmodern”
Authors: Rosenak Avinoam
Published: April 2012

For some years now, an opposition has been drawn, not only among Israeli academics but among politicians and journalists as well, between Jewish nationalist or Zionist thought and the kind of thinking that is called “postmodern.” The argument is that a Zionist cannot be a postmodernist and vice versa, the two being incompatible. It appears that this opposition originated with an identification made between “post-Zionist” historical revisionism (of the kind associated with Ilan Pappe, Benny Morris, Avi Shlaim, Simha Flapan, and Tom Segev) and postmodernist methods, assumptions, and claims. In some cases, the identification was made by the “new historians” themselves. While there is considerable bad blood between post-Zionist scholars and those, inside and outside the academy, who defend one or another version of the Zionist narrative, it needs to be demonstrated that postmodernism has nothing to do with their adversarial relations. The effort of this article is to show that, even before postmodernism was heard of, nationalist thinkers such as Rabbi A. I. H. Kook (1865 – 1935), Rabbi M. A. Amiel (1883 – 1946), Rabbi Abraham Hazan (1920 – 2003), and Professor André Neher (1914 – 1988) mounted Zionist arguments of a sort that we now regard as poststructuralist or postmodern.
Tetracyanoanthraquinodimethanes Having Biaryl Substituents: Synthesis, Crystal Structures, and Physical Properties
Authors: Chiba Hiroshi , Nishida Jun-ichi , Yamashita Yoshiro
Published: April 2012

11,11,12,12-Tetracyano-9,10-anthraquinodimethane (TCNAQ) derivatives having four types of aryl substituents, phenyl, biphenyl-4-yl, thien-2-yl, and 2,2′-bithiophen-5-yl groups at their 2-position, were synthesized and characterized. Their crystal structures were determined by single-crystal X-ray structure analysis, revealing that the TCNAQ moiety and electron-donating substituents form donor–acceptor-segregated columnar structures. The combination of nonplanar electron acceptor TCNAQ and planar donor units provides a good way to afford segregated columnar structures.
Development of near Infrared Calibrations for Physical and Mechanical Properties of Eucalypt Pulps of Mill-Line Origin
Authors: Tyson Justin A. , Schimleck Laurence R. , Aguiar Aurélio M. , Abad Jupiter I. Muro , Rezende Gabriel D.S.P. , Filho Otávio M.
Published: April 2012

Near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has been used in several studies to predict the physical and mechanical properties of pulp hand-sheets. In most of these studies, wood samples were pulped in a laboratory under different regimes and/or refined to introduce variability into the data set. This study investigates the potential of NIR spectroscopy to create calibrations for eucalyptus pulp properties of mill-line origin. Seven mechanical properties (air resistance, compressibility, drainability, hygro-expansivity, stretch, tensile index and tensile stiffness) and three physical properties (bulk density, specific volume, and surface area) were investigated. Coefficients of deter mination ( R2) for all 10 properties were poor. The R2C value exceeded 0.70 for only one property (tensile index), while the R2CV values exceeded 0.40 for only two properties (drainability and surface area). Ratios of performance to deviation were equally poor, ranging from 0.87 for bulk density to 1.28 for drainability. These statistics indicate that none of the calibrations could be used to accurately predict the properties of unknown samples. The poor performance of the calibrations is likely due to the low variability of our dataset, which is generally inherent in samples of mill-line origin.
Computer-assisted total knee replacement in patients with arthritis and a recurvatum deformity
Authors: Mullaji A. , Lingaraju A. P. , Shetty G. M.
Published: April 2012

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 1150 computer-assisted total knee replacements and analysed the clinical and radiological outcomes of 45 knees that had arthritis with a pre-operative recurvatum deformity. The mean pre-operative hyperextension deformity of 11° (6° to 15°), as measured by navigation at the start of the operation, improved to a mean flexion deformity of 3.1° (0° to 7°) post-operatively. A total of 41 knees (91%) were managed using inserts ≤ 12.5 mm thick, and none had mediolateral laxity > 2 mm from a mechanical axis of 0° at the end of the surgery. At a mean follow-up of 26.4 months (13 to 48) there was significant improvement in the mean Knee Society, Oxford knee and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index scores compared with the pre-operative values. The mean knee flexion improved from 105° (80° to 125°) pre-operatively to 131° (120° to 145°), and none of the limbs had recurrent recurvatum.

These early results show that total knee replacement using computer navigation and an algorithmic approach for arthritic knees with a recurvatum deformity can give excellent radiological and functional outcomes without recurrent deformity.
Management of the contralateral hip in patients with unilateral slipped upper femoral epiphysis
Authors: Hansson G. , Nathorst-Westfelt J.
Published: April 2012

In the majority of patients with slipped upper femoral epiphysis only one hip is involved at primary diagnosis. However, the contralateral hip often becomes involved over time. There are no reliable factors predicting a contralateral slip. Whether or not the contralateral hip should undergo prophylactic fixation is a matter of controversy. We present a number of essential points that have to be considered both when choosing to fix the contralateral hip prophylactically as well as when refraining from surgery and instead following the patients with repeat radiographs.
Effects of Etching on Zircon Grains and its Implications for the Fission Track Method
Authors: Sáenz Carlos Alberto Tello , Curvo Eduardo Augusto Campos , Dias Airton Natanael Coelho , Soares Cleber José , Constantino Carlos José Leopoldo , Alencar Igor , Guedes Sandro , Palissari Rosane , Neto Julio Cesar Hadler
Published: April 2012

Studies of zircon grains using optical microscopy, micro-Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been carried out to characterize the surface of natural zircon as a function of etching time. According to the surface characteristics observed using an optical microscope after etching, the zircon grains were classified as: (i) homogeneous; (ii) anomalous, and (iii) hybrid. Micro-Raman results showed that, as etching time increases, the crystal lattice is slightly altered for homogeneous grains, it is completely damaged for anomalous grains, and it is altered in some areas for hybrid grains. The SEM (energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, EDS) results indicated that, independent of the grain types, where the crystallinity remains after etching, the chemical composition of zircon is approximately 33% SiO2:65% ZrO2 (standard natural zircon), and for areas where the grain does not have a crystalline structure, there are variations of ZrO2 and, mainly, SiO2. In addition, it is possible to observe a uniform surface density of fission tracks in grain areas where the determined crystal lattice and chemical composition are those of zircon. Regarding hybrid grains, we discuss whether the areas slightly altered by the chemical etching can be analyzed by the fission track method (FTM) or not. Results of zircon fission track and U-Pb dating show that hybrid and homogeneous grains can be used for dating, and not only homogeneous grains. More than 50 sedimentary samples from the Bauru Basin (southeast Brazil) were analyzed and show that only a small amount of grains are homogeneous (10%), questioning the validity of the rest of the grains for thermo-chronological evolution studies using zircon FTM dating.
Direct Determination of Unsaturation Level of Milk Fat Using Raman Spectroscopy
Authors: El-Abassy Rasha Mohamed , Eravuchira Pinkie Jacob , Donfack Patrice , Von Der Kammer Bernd , Materny Arnulf
Published: April 2012

We have demonstrated the potential of visible Raman spectroscopy in combination with chemometric analysis as a fast and simple tool for the determination of the unsaturation level of milk fat. The Raman measurements have been performed directly on liquid milk and on fat extracted from liquid milk. The Raman spectra taken from the extracted fat showed a higher resolution. The spectra directly obtained from the milk samples had some fluorescence background but nevertheless yielded the desired information. For calibration purposes, the iodine value (IV) was determined in all cases in order to evaluate the unsaturation level of the investigated samples. Two separate calibration models have been constructed; one for the milk samples and the second one for the extracted fat. The accuracy of these calibration models was estimated using the root mean square error of calibration and validation (RMSE) and the coefficient of determination ( R 2 ) between actual and predicted values.
X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) Investigation of the Surface Film on Magnesium Powders
Authors: Burke Paul J. , Bayindir Zeynel , Kipouros Georges J.
Published: April 2012

Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys are attractive for use in automotive and aerospace applications because of their low density and good mechanical properties. However, difficulty in forming magnesium and the limited number of available commercial alloys limit their use. Powder metallurgy may be a suitable solution for forming near-net-shape parts. However, sintering pure magnesium presents difficulties due to surface film that forms on the magnesium powder particles. The present work investigates the composition of the surface film that forms on the surface of pure magnesium powders exposed to atmospheric conditions and on pure magnesium powders after compaction under uniaxial pressing at a pressure of 500 MPa and sintering under argon at 600 °C for 40 minutes. Initially, focused ion beam microscopy was utilized to determine the thickness of the surface layer of the magnesium powder and found it to be ∼10 nm. The X-ray photoelectron analysis of the green magnesium sample prior to sintering confirmed the presence of MgO, MgCO3·3H2O, and Mg(OH)2 in the surface layer of the powder with a core of pure magnesium. The outer portion of the surface layer was found to contain MgCO3·3H2O and Mg(OH)2, while the inner portion of the layer is primarily MgO. After sintering, the MgCO3·3H2O was found to be almost completely absent, and the amount of Mg(OH)2 was also decreased significantly. This is postulated to occur by decomposition of the compounds to MgO and gases during the high temperature of sintering. An increase in the MgO content after sintering supports this theory.
Application of Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy to the Development and Transfer of a Manufacturing Process for an Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient
Authors: Clegg Ian M. , Daly Adrian M. , Donnelly Craig , Hardy Ruth , Harris Denise , Jackman Hayley , Jones Ricky , Luan Amy , McAndrew Douglas , McGauley Pat , Pearce John , Scotney Gemma , Yeow May-Ling
Published: April 2012

The use of in situ mid-infrared spectroscopy to support the development of a pharmaceutical manufacturing process is disclosed. Data on this two-stage telescoped reaction from several reaction scales (<50 mL to 1600 liters) and at multiple manufacturing locations is shown. In addition to providing data on both reactions in the telescope, the mid-IR data has been used to monitor an intermediate distillation operation and therefore it has been possible to profile the whole process. Data is also shown on aliquot addition during the first chemical transformation, which is used to check the instrumentation.
Evaluation of Apparent Viscosity of Para Rubber Latex by Diffuse Reflection Near-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Sirisomboon Panmanas , Chowbankrang Rawiphan , Williams Phil
Published: April 2012

Near-infrared spectroscopy in diffuse reflection mode was used to evaluate the apparent viscosity of Para rubber field latex and concentrated latex over the wavelength range of 1100 to 2500 nm, using partial least square regression (PLSR). The model with ten principal components (PCs) developed using the raw spectra accurately predicted the apparent viscosity with correlation coefficient ( r), standard error of prediction (SEP), and bias of 0.974, 8.6 cP, and −0.4 cP, respectively. The ratio of the SEP to the standard deviation (RPD) and the ratio of the SEP to the range (RER) for the prediction were 4.4 and 16.7, respectively. Therefore, the model can be used for measurement of the apparent viscosity of field latex and concentrated latex in quality assurance and process control in the factory.
Discrimination of the Hard Keratins Animal Horn and Chelonian Shell Using Attenuated Total Reflection-Infrared Spectroscopy
Authors: Biscardi Brianna , Welsh Wendy , Kennedy Anthony
Published: April 2012

The ability to discriminate between objects manufactured from animal horn and chelonian (turtle, tortoise, or terrapin) shell is important from a cultural and archeological perspective such that it may allow conservators to determine the appropriate treatment and long-term care solution. It would also aid curators in identifying and cataloging items manufactured from these materials. Discrimination and classification is also a valuable tool for those involved in tracking the illegal trade in restricted materials of this nature. Attenuated total reflection infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopy, using a single reflection diamond internal reflection element (IRE), coupled with discrimination analysis was used to analyze a total of thirty-nine samples (29 calibration samples, 10 validation samples). A discrimination analysis model was constructed using Mahalanobis distances to classify spectra into one of two classes. The model was then subsequently used to successfully classify all validation samples and correctly identify them as animal horn or chelonian shell based on second-derivative spectra of the amide I and II regions. This technique requires minimal to no sample preparation and may be used to nondestructively identify very small samples successfully without performing detailed secondary structural curve-fitting routines. This model should be a valuable resource to museums, conservators, and wildlife management programs for rapidly and reliably discriminating between animal horn and chelonian shell.
Automatic Baseline Subtraction of Vibrational Spectra Using Minima Identification and Discrimination via Adaptive, Least-Squares Thresholding
Authors: Weakley Andrew T. , Griffiths Peter R. , Aston D. Eric
Published: April 2012

A method of automated baseline correction has been developed and applied to Raman spectra with a low signal-to-noise ratio and surface-enhanced infrared absorption (SEIRA) spectra with bipolar bands. Baseline correction is initiated by dividing the raw spectrum into equally spaced segments in which regional minima are located. Following identification, the minima are used to generate an intermediate second-derivative spectrum where points are assigned as baseline if they reside within a locally defined threshold region. The threshold region is similar to a confidence interval encountered in statistics. To restrain baseline and band point discrimination to the local level, the calculation of the confidence region employs only a predefined number of already-accepted baseline minima as part of the sample set. Statistically based threshold criteria allow the procedure to make an unbiased assessment of baseline points regardless of the behavior of vibrational bands. Furthermore, the threshold region is adaptive in that it is further modified to consider abrupt changes in baseline. The present procedure is model-free insofar as it makes no assumption about the precise nature of the perturbing baseline nor requires treatment of spectra prior to execution.
Community music: History and current practice, its constructions of ‘community’, digital turns and future soundings, an Arts and Humanities Research Council research review
Authors: McKay George , Higham Ben
Published: April 2012

The United Kingdom has been a pivotal national player within the development of community music practice. There are elements of cultural and debatably pedagogic innovations in community music. These have to date only partly been articulated and historicized within academic research.
This report, funded by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council, brings together and reviews research under the headings of history and definitions, practice, repertoire, community, pedagogy, digital technology, health and therapy, policy and funding, and impact and evaluation.
A 90-entry, 22,000 word annotated bibliography was also produced an informed group of fifteen practitioners and academics reviewed the authors’ initial findings at a knowledge exchange colloquium and advised on further investigation. Some of the gaps in research identified are: an authoritative
history, an examination of repertoire, the relationship with other music (practice), the freelance practitioner career, evidence of impact and value, the potential for a pedagogy.
Growth of aligned wurtzite GaN nanorods on Si(111): Role of Silicon nitride intermediate layer
Authors: Kumar Praveen , Tangi Malleswararao , Shetty Satish , Kesaria Manoj , Shivaprasad S. M.
Published: April 2012

We present here a report on a role of initial nitridation of Si(111) surface on GaN nanorod growth. High quality wurtzite GaN nanorods are grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy on bare Si(111)-7x7, crystalline and amorphous silicon nitride at 750oC, under nitrogen rich conditions. Using in-situ reflection high energy electron diffraction and ex-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy and photoluminescence, the structural and chemical properties are monitored. In the first part of the study, we have optimized the conditions of the N2* RF plasma, for formation of crystalline and amorphous silicon nitride on Si(111)-7x7 surface. While in the second part, GaN nanorods are grown on clean and these modified Si(111) substrates. Anisotropic spots are observed by RHEED for GaN grown on clean Si and on the amorphous silicon nitride, while circular, sharp and intense RHEED spots have been observed for GaN grown on crystalline Si3N4. FESEM results show nanorod growth in all the three different conditions. However, GaN nanorods grown on crystalline Si3N4 surface are observed to be self aligned and oriented along <0001> direction, while those grown on amorphous silicon nitride and bare Si(111) surfaces show great disorder increasing, respectively. Overall, the results clearly demonstrate that high quality of dense and self aligned c-oriented GaN nanorods can be formed on Si(111) surface by modifying it by appropriate nitridation.
Electrical Properties of Phosphorus-Doped and Boron-Doped Nanocrystalline Germanium Thin-Films for p-i-n Devices
Authors: Jordan William B. , Wagner Sigurd
Published: April 2012

Nanocrystalline germanium thin-films deposited on glass by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition from germane and hydrogen were doped with phosphorus and boron. We report some electrical transport and structural properties of Ge films as a function of dopant species and doping levels. The dark conductivities of the phosphorus- and boron-doped films are approximately three to four orders of magnitude higher than the intrinsic nanocrystalline germanium. In the solid phase, phosphorus comprised about 1 atomic percent in the Ge bulk over the range of source gas ratios used, and the conductivity remained fairly constant, indicating saturated conditions. Boron comprised about 10 atomic percent in Ge at the highest dark conductivity, while increased doping turned the films amorphous. To test the doped layers for device applications, an all-nanocrystalline germanium p-i-n diode was constructed and showed rectification when measured in the dark at room temperature.
Apoio matricial como dispositivo do cuidado em saúde mental na atenção primária: olhares múltiplos e dispositivos para resolubilidade
Authors: Pinto Antonio Germane Alves , Jorge Maria Salete Bessa , Vasconcelos Mardenia Gomes Ferreira , Sampaio José Jackson Coelho , Lima Gláucia Posso , Bastos Valéria Carneiro , Sampaio Helena Alves de Carvalho
Published: April 2012

Objetiva-se analisar a articulação das ações de saúde mental entre as equipes da Estratégia Saúde da Família e do Centro de Atenção Psicossocial pelo processo de matriciamento com ênfase na integralidade do cuidado e resolubilidade assistencial. Participaram 32 usuários e 22 familiares atendidos no matriciamento em saúde mental, 46 profissionais de saúde da Estratégia Saúde da Família e 15 dos Centros de Atenção Psicossocial de dois municípios do Estado do Ceará. Trata-se de um estudo de natureza qualitativa pautado na hermenêutica crítica. Conforme os resultados, a integração das ações de saúde mental na Atenção Primária em Saúde estabelece inovação das abordagens psicossociais pela assistência compartilhada entre equipe, familiares e usuários. As atividades do matriciamento em saúde mental disponibilizam ampliação de acesso e diversificação da atenção à saúde direcionada para a integralidade. A resolubilidade assistencial delimita-se pelo reconhecimento das condições sociais da demanda pelas equipes e na superação de práticas medicamentalizadas de saúde.
Effects of Educating Women on Breast Cancer and Early Detection Post-Katrina
Authors: Roubion-Johnson Denise , Program Health
Published: April 2012

Five years post-Hurricane Katrina, an increasing number of women in New Orleans have been d iagnosed with late stage invasive breast cancer despite the availability of a free breast clinic and mammography screening. Presentation of late-stage breast cancer limits treatment options and
poor outcomes are more likely. An evidence-based educational program was provided in a relaxed informal setting to low-income women to increase their awareness of the importance of early detection and screening for breast cancer through the use of screening mammograms. Educating this underserved
population of women on the importance of early detection of breast cancer and mammography screening sought to improve patient awareness and potentially increase the use of screening practices.