bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Algorithmen zum Automatischen Erlernen von Motorfähigkeiten
Authors: Peters Jan , Kober Jens , Schaal Stefan
Published: November 2010

Das automatische Erlernen von Motorfähigkeiten würde es einem autonomen Roboter ermöglichen, sich an neuartige Situationen anzupassen. Dieses Ziel ist seit langem eine Vision der Robotik, Künstlichen Intelligenz und Kognitionswissenschaft. Allerdings kann dieses Vorhaben mit heutigen Techniken nicht erreicht werden, da nur wenige der Methoden in der Lage sind, mit der Komplexität moderner Manipulatoren oder von humanoiden Robotern umzugehen. Dieser Artikel beschreibt allgemeine Ansätze für textslPolicy Learning mit einem Schwerpunkt auf Motorstrategien. Das Ziel ist es, die Grundlagen zu schaffen, um motorische Fähigkeiten zu erlernen und sich selber automatisch zu verbessern. Hierfür werden zwei bedeutende Bereiche für einen solchen Ansatz betrachtet: einerseits Policy-Learning-Algorithmen, die den Anforderungen des Erwerbens motorischer Fähigkeiten gerecht werden, andererseits theoretisch fundierte, allgemeine Strukturen, welche für Aufgabendarstellung und -ausführung benötigt werden.
Validação de proposta de avaliação de programas de controle de infecção hospitalar
Authors: Silva Cristiane Pavanello Rodrigues , Lacerda Rúbia Aparecida
Published: November 2010

OBJETIVO: Validar as propriedades de construto e discriminante de programa de prevenção e controle de infecção hospitalar. MÉTODOS: O programa consiste de quatro indicadores: estrutura técnico-operacional; diretrizes operacionais de controle e prevenção; sistema de vigilância epidemiológica; atividades de controle e prevenção. Esses indicadores, cujo conteúdo foi previamente validado, foram aplicados em 50 instituições de saúde, no município de São Paulo, SP, em 2009. Utilizou-se estatística descritiva para caracterizar os hospitais e escores dos indicadores e o coeficiente α de Cronbach para avaliar a consistência interna. A análise da validade discriminante foi realizada comparando-se escores dos indicadores entre grupos de hospitais, com versus sem certificação em qualidade. A análise da validade de construto baseou-se na análise fatorial exploratória com matriz de correlação tetracórica. RESULTADOS: Os indicadores de estrutura técnico-operacional e vigilância epidemiológica apresentaram quase 100% de conformidade em toda amostra. Os indicadores de diretrizes operacionais de controle e prevenção, bem como os de atividades de controle e prevenção apresentaram consistência interna com variação de 0,67 a 0,80. A validade discriminante desses indicadores apontou médias de escores de conformidade superiores e com significância estatística no grupo de instituições com processos de qualificação ou acreditação em saúde. Na validação de construto foram identificadas duas dimensões para diretrizes operacionais de controle e prevenção: recomendações para prevenção de infecção hospitalar e recomendações para padronização de procedimentos de profilaxia, com boa correlação das unidades de análises que o compõem. O mesmo ocorreu para atividades de controle e prevenção: identificaram-se interface com unidades de tratamento e interface com unidades de apoio. CONCLUSÕES: A validação das propriedades de medidas dos indicadores de programas de controle de infecção hospitalar permite desenvolver ferramenta de avaliação desses programas de forma ética e científica para diagnóstico de qualidade na área.
Early Risk Factors for Persistent Anemia After Kidney Transplantation
Authors: Schonder Kristine S. , Corman Shelby L. , Hung Whitney
Published: November 2010

Study Objective. To identify predictors of persistent posttransplant anemia that appear within the first week after kidney transplantation in order to determine the high‐risk patients who might receive the most benefit from erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents.

Study Design. Retrospective cohort study.

Setting. University‐affiliated hospital and outpatient clinic.

Patients. One hundred sixty‐four adult kidney transplant recipients (January 1, 2002‐June 30, 2007) with anemia on posttransplant day 7 who were followed at the clinic for at least 2 months after transplantation.

Measurements and Main Results. Data from deidentified electronic medical records of the kidney transplant recipients were collected and included demographic characteristics, primary cause of renal failure, pertinent laboratory data, and donor information. To detect early predictors of persistent anemia, patients with persistent posttransplant anemia, defined as a hemoglobin level below 11 g/dl for 2 months (day 60) after transplantation, were compared with those who had nonpersistent posttransplant anemia, defined as a hemoglobin level below 11 g/dl on day 7 but 11 g/dl or greater on day 60. Of the 164 patients classified as having anemia on posttransplant day 7, 39 (23.8%) had persistent posttransplant anemia on day 60. In univariate analyses, hemoglobin level of 9 g/dl or below on day 7, donor age younger than 10 years, and female sex were variables associated with increased risk of persistent posttransplant anemia. In a multivariate analysis, donor age younger than 10 years was the most significant predictor of persistent posttransplant anemia, followed by hemoglobin level of 9 g/dl or below.

Conclusion. Patients receiving transplants from donors younger than 10 years and those with hemoglobin levels of 9 g/dl or below on postoperative day 7 were found to be at highest risk for persistent posttransplant anemia and may receive the most benefit from early initiation of erythropoiesis‐stimulating agent therapy. In most of the kidney transplant recipients, posttransplant anemia resolved without the use of these agents.
Differences in Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Vancomycin‐Resistant Enterococci According to Linezolid Susceptibility
Authors: Scheetz Marc H. , Knechtel Stephanie A. , Postelnick Michael J. , Malczynski Michael , Qi Chao
Published: November 2010

Study Objective. To evaluate the differences in clinical outcomes in patients with linezolid‐intermediate or ‐resistant vancomycin‐resistant enterococci (LIRVRE) isolates, as defined by the presence of the G2576T mutation, compared with patients who had linezolid‐susceptible VRE (LSVRE) isolates in order to further discern the clinical relevance of linezolid resistance associated with this mutation.

Design. Retrospective cohort study.

Setting. Large tertiary care academic medical center.

Patients. Eighteen adults (mean age 55.4 yrs) with LIRVRE (case patients) who were frequency matched to 54 adults (mean age 58.1 yrs) with LSVRE (control patients) in a 1:3 ratio based on site of culture and VRE species.

Measurements and Main Results. Linezolid resistance was determined by phenotype and genotype (G2576T mutation by polymerase chain reaction). Patients with LIRVRE received more linezolid before isolation of the organism than did those with LSVRE (mean 8.6 vs 0.2 days, p<0.001). No difference in mortality was found; however, compared with controls, patients with LIRVRE were more likely to be transferred to the intensive care unit (56% vs 28%, p=0.032), had more surgical procedures for VRE (39% vs 15%, p=0.029), and had more echocardiograms performed (44% vs 19%, p=0.028) as a result of their VRE. Multivariate analysis revealed that surviving case patients had an increased duration of culture positivity of approximately 1.5 days (p=0.049) and a near statistically significant increase of postculture length of stay of approximately 2 days (p=0.053).

Conclusion. The clinical relevance of the G2576T mutation among enterococci remains unclear; however, the increased morbidity and resource utilization among patients with LIRVRE is a finding of concern. Careful monitoring of genotypically confirmed LIRVRE emergence and ongoing epidemiologic studies will be critical to better characterize the clinical relevance of linezolid resistance.
Psychological Distress as a Negative Survival Factor for Patients with Hematologic Malignancies Who Underwent Allogeneic Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation
Authors: Park Ji Eun , Kim Kyung Im , Yoon Sung Soo , Hahm Bong Jin , Lee Sang Min , Yoon Jeong Hyun , Shin Wan Gyoon , Lee Hye Suk , Oh Jung Mi
Published: November 2010

Study Objective. To evaluate the influence of distress on overall survival of patients with hematologic malignancies who underwent allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo‐SCT) and to analyze the possible risk factors for death.

Design. Retrospective cohort study.

Setting. Large tertiary care teaching hospital.

Patients. Seventy‐seven patients (aged ≥ 15 yrs) with hematologic malignancies who underwent allo‐SCT between January 2000 and August 2007; 20 patients with distress history were matched in a 1:3 ratio with 57 patients without distress history.

Measurements and Main Results. The primary outcome was overall survival, defined as the time from allo‐SCT to disease‐related death or last date of follow‐up. Secondary outcomes were time to hematologic recovery (absolute neutrophil count ≥ 500 cells/mm3) from day of allo‐SCT, length of hospital stay, and opioid usage. Sociodemographic information and clinical characteristics were analyzed for possible risk factors. Patient history of psychological distress resulted in a significantly higher mortality rate in the first year after allo‐SCT (hazard ratio [HR] 3.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.48–6.28, p=0.001) and led to a shorter overall survival rate (HR 1.63, 95% CI 0.86–3.10, p=0.133). However, psychological distress had no effect on hospital length of stay, hematologic recovery time, opioid usage status, or dose of opioid analgesics used. Factors associated with death after allo‐SCT in the univariate analysis (p<0.05) were high‐relapse risk disease, umbilical cord blood SCT, total‐body irradiation‐containing conditioning regimen, and higher educational background. In the multivariate analysis, high relapse risk (HR 3.85, 95% CI 1.81–8.20, p<0.001) and total‐body irradiation‐containing conditioning regimen (HR 3.50, 95% CI 1.29–9.51, p=0.01) were identified as risk factors for death.

Conclusion. A history of psychological distress before allo‐SCT, after adjusting for other patient‐ and disease‐related prognostic factors, had a significant influence on early death in the first year after transplantation.
Suboptimal Ciprofloxacin Dosing as a Potential Cause of Decreased Pseudomonas aeruginosa Susceptibility in Children with Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Guillot Emmanuelle , Sermet Isabelle , Ferroni Agnès , Chhun Stéphanie , Pons Gérard , Zahar Jean‐Ralph , Jullien Vincent
Published: November 2010

Study Objective. To assess the probability of achieving ciprofloxacin pharmacodynamic targets with currently recommended dosages in order to investigate the risk of ciprofloxacin underexposure in children with cystic fibrosis.

Design. Pharmacodynamic analysis using Monte Carlo simulations of three previously published population pharmacokinetic models.

Setting. Pediatric hospital in Paris, France.

Patients. A total of 120 pediatric outpatients with cystic fibrosis followed over a 2‐year period (2007–2008), whose ages and body weights were within the range of the values observed in the three published studies.

Measurements and Main Results. The ciprofloxacin dosage regimens used for the simulations were those currently recommended for the treatment of pulmonary infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa susceptible to ciprofloxacin: 10 mg/kg 3 times/day intravenously and 20 mg/kg twice/day orally. Pharmacodynamic targets for ciprofloxacin were defined as a 24hour area under the plasma concentration‐time curve (AUC):minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ratio of less than 110 for resistance acquisition and greater than 125 for bacterial eradication. For a P. aeruginosa isolate with an MIC close to the clinical breakpoint, the probability of the AUC:MIC ratio to be less than 110 achieved values of 74–100%, depending on the model used, whereas the probability to achieve an AUC:MIC ratio greater than 125 decreased to 0–22%.

Conclusion. These results provide a pharmacologic hypothesis—that the current dosing recommendations of ciprofloxacin for cystic fibrosis children may be suboptimal—to explain the decrease in the susceptibility o f P. aeruginosa to ciprofloxacin observed in children with cystic fibrosis. These results need to be confirmed in prospective pharmacokinetic‐pharmacodynamic studies performed in children with cystic fibrosis in order to determine whether higher doses, with or without therapeutic drug monitoring, or a lower clinical breakpoint could be considered in this population.
Value of Conducting Pharmacy Residency Training—The Organizational Perspective
Authors: Smith Kelly M. , Sorensen Todd , Connor Kathryn A. , Dobesh Paul P. , Hoehns James D. , Marcus Kristine B. , Pass Steven E. , Seybert Amy L. , Shapiro Nancy L.
Published: November 2010

With the continuing evolution of pharmacy as a clinical profession, the need to prepare well‐trained clinicians beyond the knowledge gained from a doctor of pharmacy degree program is magnified. Such training is afforded by pharmacy residency programs, which have expanded from hospital sites to practice settings as diverse as managed care organizations and public health departments. Although the resident benefits from the intensive training program, the sponsoring institution also derives many benefits from hosting the residency. Fundamentally, residents are licensed pharmacists who provide several contributions to the organization at generally a much‐reduced direct cost. Federal funding for graduate medical education, often referred to as Medicare pass‐through funds, is a common source of support for the conduct of postgraduate year one residency programs in health system settings; other sources of funding may be found in organizational and academic outlets. Residents may be integral in expanding the revenue of an organization by serving as patient care providers, developing or enhancing services, and billing for services delivered. By virtue of the roles they can assume, residents can facilitate the redeployment of existing pharmacists to other areas, tasks, or projects, thus expanding the capabilities of the department. Increasing the capacity to conduct experiential education for pharmacy students, and the compensation for such activity, can be an additional benefit. Practice sites that conduct residency training often experience a greater degree of employee satisfaction and higher employee retention rates. Engaging in quality improvement and assessment activities, assisting in staff development, and supporting innovative approaches to care are additional activities that pharmacy residents can support. This primer from the American College of Clinical Pharmacy was developed to highlight the value an organization can realize by conducting pharmacy residency training.
Voltammetric determination of dopamine in the presence of uric acid using a 2-hydroxy-1-(1-hydroxynaphthyl-2-azo)- naphthalin-4-sulfonic acid modified glassy carbon electrode
Authors: Ensafi Asghar , Dadkhah-Tehrani Samira , Rezaei B.
Published: November 2010

A polymerized film of 2-hydroxy-1-(1-hydroxynaphthyl-2-azo)-
naphthalin-4-sulfonic acid (HHNANSA) was prepared at the surface of a glassy
carbon electrode by electropolymerization. The modified electrode was used
for the simultaneous determination of dopamine (DA) and uric acid (UA). The
electrochemical behaviors of the compounds at the surface of the modified
electrode were studied using cyclic voltammetry, chronoamperometry, and
square wave voltammetry (SWV). The experimental results indicated that the
modified electrode exhibited an efficient electrocatalytic activity towards
the oxidation of DA and UA, with a peak separation of about 140 mV at pH 5.0.
Using chronoamperometry, the catalytic reaction rate constant was measured
and found to equal to 1.23 ? 104 mol-1 L s-1. At pH 5.0, the catalytic peak
currents linearly depended on the DA and/or UA concentrations in the range of
1.0 - 300 ?mol L-1 DA (two linear segments with different slopes) and 6.7 -
20 ?mol L-1 UA, using SWV. The detection limits for DA and UA were 0.25 ?mol
L-1 and 1.17 ?mol L-1, respectively. The RSD % for 40.0 and 140.0 ?mol L-1 DA
were 1.9 % and 2.2 %, respectively, whereas for 10.0 and 20.0 ?mol L-1 UA,
they were 1.8 % and 1.2 %, respectively. The modified electrode showed good
sensitivity, selectivity, and stability. It was successfully applied for the
determination of DA and UA in real samples, such as drugs and urine.
Using Debate to Enhance Critical Thinking in the Accounting Classroom: The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and U.S. Tax Policy
Authors: Camp Julia M. , Schnader Anne L.
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT: While critical thinking is necessary for accountants in today’s business world, cultivating students’ critical thinking skills in an accounting classroom can be a challenge. The extant literature suggests that debate is a well-established pedagogical tool for enhancing student critical thinking skills, yet debate is not often used effectively in accounting classrooms. We provide suggestions for developing debates for use in the accounting classroom and two examples of debates used by the authors. The first requires students to argue for or against the extension of tax provisions currently being deliberated by Congress. The second requires students to examine the provisions of Sarbanes-Oxley and propose amendments to the bill.
Providing an Applied-Learning Exercise in Teaching Fraud Detection: A Case of Academic Partnering with IRS Criminal Investigation
Authors: Brickner Daniel R. , Mahoney Lois S. , Moore Stephen J.
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT: This paper describes the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation’s (IRS CI’s) “Adrian Project.” Through a partnership with a college or university and IRS CI, the Adrian Project provides an applied-learning exercise that enables accounting majors to apply their classroom learning by solving hypothetical financial tax fraud crimes. This interactive exercise organizes students into small working teams with oversight and teaching points provided by an assigned “coach,” who is an IRS CI special agent. Using pre- and post- questionnaires, we find that students report significant improvement in the development of fraud detection skills and abilities related to: (1) gathering, organizing, and evaluating evidence; (2) employing various investigative tools to identify evidence of fraud; (3) conducting interviews for evidence-gathering purposes; and (4) communication. These skills and abilities are not only essential in fraud detection, but many of them are also invaluable to all accounting students regardless of their chosen career path.
Sunshine Center: An Instructional Case Evaluating Internal Controls in a Small Organization
Authors: Fleak Sandra K. , Harrison Keith E. , Turner Laurie A.
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT: Management and auditors face increased responsibilities to evaluate internal control and assess the risk of fraud. This case provides the opportunity to evaluate internal controls and the possibility of fraud in a very small not-for-profit child care center, a setting that is easy to understand. The first goal of the case is to identify internal control weaknesses by applying the COSO internal control framework in an environment that lacks many aspects of internal control. Interactions among the five components of the COSO framework provide the basis for analyzing internal control. The case requires students to consider possible misappropriation of funds using the fraud triangle. A secondary goal of the case is to introduce financial reporting for a not-for-profit organization as a means of accountability.
Managing the CPA Firm at Dodge Company: “Shoeing the Cobbler’s Children”
Authors: Swain Monte , Charles Shannon , Hobson Scott , Stocks Kevin , Pratt Cameron
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT: This teaching case, based on the activities of an actual local CPA firm, explores the application of management accounting principles to the management of a CPA firm. Management principles explored include: basic cost accounting; managerial discretion when classifying variable versus fixed costs, and direct versus indirect costs; the use of regression analysis to further explore classification of variable versus fixed costs; and cost-volume-profit analysis. In this case, students have the opportunity to explore the use of management accounting concepts and tools in a service industry context. Additional materials are made available to the instructor to extend the cost analysis to explore operational budgeting and variance analysis using extensive spreadsheet assignments.
Internal Controls: A Compendium of Short Cases
Authors: Lehmann Constance M.
Published: November 2010

ABSTRACT: The importance of a strong internal control system is a central theme in auditing and accounting information systems courses, taking on even more importance with the enactment of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. Effective enterprise governance, the fulfillment of management objectives, and minimizing the opportunity for fraudulent activity are positively associated with the strength of the internal control system of a company (Peterson and Zikmund 2004). Six short, open-ended internal control cases are presented here. One or more of the cases can be utilized in auditing or accounting information systems courses. These cases address the following control issues: (1) hiring practices, (2) weaknesses in credit authorization procedures, (3) benefits and risks of new technology, (4) benefits and risks of remote access, (5) disaster recovery/business continuity plans, and (6) procedures for employee reimbursements. The cases can be used in small group or individual settings in traditional auditing classes, auditing classes with IT or internal audit emphasis, or accounting information systems classes.
A Quasi-Experimental Investigation of How the Gates Millennium Scholars Program Is Related to College Students’ Time Use and Activities
Authors: DesJardins Stephen L. , McCall Brian P. , Ott Molly , Kim Jiyun
Published: November 2010

A national scholarship program provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is designed to improve access to and success in higher education for low-income high-achieving minority students by providing them with full tuition scholarships and non-monetary support. We use a regression discontinuity approach to investigate whether the receipt of the scholarship changes the use of time and participation in different activities among college students during their freshmen and junior years. We find that receiving a Gates scholarship reduces hours worked per week, as well as influencing high participation in volunteering activities and cultural events. The sub-group analyses reveal racial/ethnic differences in the allocation of time to and the levels of participation in various activities in response to the Gates scholarship.
Do “Education Governors” Matter?
Authors: Mokher Christine G.
Published: November 2010

This study examines the role of governors in the P–16 education reform movement through their influence in the adoption of policies creating statewide P–16 councils. Network theory is used to distill three sets of hypotheses to predict how leadership influences of governors, the structure of state educational governance organizations, and environmental characteristics of states may help to explain the spread of voluntary and mandatory P–16 councils from 1992 to 2008. These hypotheses are tested empirically through the use of event history analysis. The results indicate that the presence of an education governor, as well as certain environmental conditions, may affect a state’s decision of both whether to form a P–16 council and the type of P–16 council that is formed.
Effects of Failing a High School Exit Exam on Course Taking, Achievement, Persistence, and Graduation
Authors: Reardon Sean F. , Arshan Nicole , Atteberry Allison , Kurlaender Michal
Published: November 2010

The increasing use of state-mandated public high school exit exams is one manifestation of the current movement in U.S. public schooling toward more explicit standards of instruction and accountability. Exit exam requirements implicitly argue that raising the bar for graduation creates incentives both for students to work harder in school and for schools to increase their efforts for low-achieving students. Such incentives should most strongly affect the motivation of students who fail an exit exam the first time they take the test because failing provides a clear signal of students’ need to improve their academic skills. Others argue that failing an exit exam discourages low-achieving students from staying in school. In this article, the authors use a regression discontinuity design and student-level longitudinal data from four large California public school districts to estimate the effect of failing a high school exit exam in 10th grade on subsequent student achievement, course taking, persistence in high school, and graduation. The analyses show no evidence of any significant or sizeable effect of failing the exam on high school course-taking, achievement, persistence, or graduation for students with test scores near the exit exam passing score. In each case, the estimates are precise enough to rule out modest to large effects. This implies that the negative impacts of high school exit exam policies on graduation rates found in other studies are more likely a result of reduced graduation rates of very low-achieving students than of discouragement of marginally low-achieving students.
Possible Role of Autophagy in the Treatment of Pancreatic Cancer with Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors
Authors: Rikiishi Hidemi
Published: November 2010

Pancreatic cancer is a lethal disease and notoriously difficult to treat. Only a small proportion is curative by surgical resection, whilst standard chemotherapy for patients with advanced disease has only a modest effect with substantial toxicity. Clearly there is a need for the continual development of novel therapeutic agents to improve the current situation. Currently, there is a bulk of data indicating the important function of autophagy in cancer. While genetic evidence indicates that autophagy functions as a tumor suppressor, it is also apparent that autophagy can promote the survival of established tumors under stress conditions and in response to chemotherapy. This review provides a spectrum of potential pharmacological agents and autophagic approaches to enhance cell killing in pancreatic cancer.
Bioentropy, Aesthetics and Meta-dualism: The Transdisciplinary Ecology of Gregory Bateson
Authors: Harries-Jones Peter
Published: November 2010

In this paper I am going to be dealing with Gregory Bateson, a theorist who is one of the founders of cybernetics, an acknowledged precursor of Biosemiotics, and in all respects highly transdisciplinary. Until his entry into cybernetics Bateson was an anthropologist and like anthropologists of his day, accepted a semantic approach to meaning through the classic work of Ogden and Richards and their thought-word-meaning triangle. Ogden and Richards developed their semantic triangle from Peirce, but effectively turned the Peircian semiotic triad into a pentad of addressors and addressees, to which Bateson added context and reflexivity through feedback loops. The emergence of cybernetics and information theory in the 1940s increased the salience of the notion of feedback yet, he argued, information theory had truncated the notion of meaning. Bateson’s discussion of the logical categories of learning and communication distinguished the difference between and ‘sign’ and ‘signal’. Cybernetic signaling was a form of zero‑learning; living systems were interpretative and engaged in several logical types of learning. Twenty years later he took up similar sorts of issues with regard to the new science of ecology which had framed systemic ‘entropy’ solely in thermodynamic terms and ignored communication and learning in living systems. His concept of Bioentropy is presented in section two of this paper as is its association with redundancy. Bioentropy, in turn, led to his offering an entirely new definition of information: “the difference that makes a difference.” The definition could apply to both human and non-human communication patterns, since some forms of animal communication could not undertake logical typing. Finally, he believed that his own systemic approach was insufficient for meta-dualism. He promoted the idea of an ecological aesthetics which needed to be sufficiently objective to deal with the many disruptions in its own recursive relations, yet subjective and self-reflexive in the manner of a creative epistemology. ‘Rigor’ and ‘imagination’ became Bateson’s meta-logical types and aesthetics his meta-dualism. He drew his inspiration from the aesthetics of R.G. Collingwood. By mediating scientific rigor with Collingwood’s ‘imaginary’ Bateson brought about his own conception of mediated ‘thirdness’—different from C.S. Peirce—but one which brought cultural ‘mind’ more closely into association with ‘the mind of nature’.
A New Hybrid Algorithm Using Thermodynamic and Backward Ray-Tracing Approaches for Modeling Luminescent Solar Concentrators
Authors: Lo Chin Kim , Lim Yun Seng , Tan Seng Gee , Rahman Faidz Abd
Published: November 2010

A Luminescent Solar Concentrator (LSC) is a transparent plate containing luminescent material with photovoltaic (PV) cells attached to its edges. Sunlight entering the plate is absorbed by the luminescent material, which in turn emits light. The emitted light propagates through the plate and arrives at the PV cells through total internal reflection. The ratio of the area of the relatively cheap polymer plate to that of the expensive PV cells is increased, and the cost per unit of solar electricity can be reduced by 75%. To improve the emission performance of LSCs, simulation modeling of LSCs becomes essential. Ray-tracing modeling is a popular approach for simulating LSCs due to its great ability of modeling various LSC structures under direct and diffuse sunlight. However, this approach requires substantial amount of measurement input data. Also, the simulation time is enormous because it is a forward-ray tracing method that traces all the rays propagating from the light source to the concentrator. On the other hand, the thermodynamic approach requires substantially less input parameters and simulation time, but it can only be used to model simple LSC designs with direct sunlight. Therefore, a new hybrid model was developed to perform various simulation studies effectively without facing the issues arisen from the existing ray-tracing and thermodynamic models. The simulation results show that at least 60% of the total output irradiance of a LSC is contributed by the light trapped and channeled by the LSC. The novelty of this hybrid model is the concept of integrating the thermodynamic model with a well-developed Radiance ray-tracing model, hence making this model as a fast, powerful and cost-effective tool for the design of LSCs.
Mechanisms of Ectopic Gene Conversion
Authors: Hastings P.J.
Published: November 2010

Gene conversion (conversion), the unidirectional transfer of DNA sequence information, occurs as a byproduct of recombinational repair of broken or damaged DNA molecules. Whereas excision repair processes replace damaged DNA by copying the complementary sequence from the undamaged strand of duplex DNA, recombinational mechanisms copy similar sequence, usually in another molecule, to replace the damaged sequence. In mitotic cells the other molecule is usually a sister chromatid, and the repair does not lead to genetic change. Less often a homologous chromosome or homologous sequence in an ectopic position is used. Conversion results from repair in two ways. First, if there was a double-strand gap at the site of a break, homologous sequence will be used as the template for synthesis to fill the gap, thus transferring sequence information in both strands. Second, recombinational repair uses complementary base pairing, and the heteroduplex molecule so formed is a source of conversion, both as heteroduplex and when donor (undamaged template) information is retained after correction of mismatched bases in heteroduplex. There are mechanisms that favour the use of sister molecules that must fail before ectopic homology can be used. Meiotic recombination events lead to the formation of crossovers required in meiosis for orderly segregation of pairs of homologous chromosomes. These events result from recombinational repair of programmed double-strand breaks, but in contrast with mitotic recombination, meiotic recombinational events occur predominantly between homologous chromosomes, so that transfer of sequence differences by conversion is very frequent. Transient recombination events that do not form crossovers form both between homologous chromosomes and between regions of ectopic homology, and leave their mark in the occurrence of frequent non-crossover conversion, including ectopic conversion.
Pathophysiological Impact of Cigarette Smoke Exposure on the Cerebrovascular System with a Focus on the Blood-brain Barrier: Expanding the Awareness of Smoking Toxicity in an Underappreciated Area
Authors: Mazzone Peter , Tierney William , Hossain Mohammed , Puvenna Vikram , Janigro Damir , Cucullo Luca
Published: November 2010

Recent evidence has indicated that active and passive cigarette smoking are associated, in a dose-dependent manner, with dysfunction of normal endothelial physiology. Tobacco smoke (TS) may predispose individuals to atherogenic and thrombotic problems, significantly increasing the risk for ischemic manifestations such as acute coronary syndrome and stroke. Despite the strong evidence for an association between smoking and vascular impairment, the impact of TS exposure on the blood-brain barrier (BBB) has only been marginally addressed. This is a major problem given that the BBB is crucial in the maintenance of brain homeostasis. Recent data have also shown that chronic smokers have a higher incidence of small vessel ischemic disease (SVID), a pathological condition characterized by leaky brain microvessels and loss of BBB integrity. In the brain TS increases the risk of silent cerebral infarction (SCI) and stroke owing to the pro-coagulant and atherogenic effects of smoking. In this article we provide a detailed review and analysis of current knowledge of the pathophysiology of tobacco smoke toxicity at the cerebrovascular levels. We also discuss the potential toxicity of recently marketed “potential-reduced exposure products”.
3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine Alters Left Ventricular Function and Activates Nuclear Factor-Kappa B (NF-kB) in a Time and Dose Dependent Manner
Authors: Tiangco David A. , Halcomb Sapna , Lattanzio Frank A. , Hargrave Barbara Y.
Published: November 2010

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) is an illicit psychoactive drug with cardiovascular effects that have not been fully described. In the current study, we observed the effects of acute MDMA on rabbit left ventricular function. We also observed the effects of MDMA on nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kB) activity in cultured rat ventricular myocytes (H9c2). In the rabbit, MDMA (2 mg/kg) alone caused a significant increase in heart rate and a significant decrease in the duration of the cardiac cycle. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) by pretreatment with L-NAME (10 mg/kg) alone caused significant dysfunction in heart rate, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure, duration of relaxation, duration of cardiac cycle, and mean left ventricular pressure. Pretreatment with L-NAME followed by treatment with MDMA caused significant dysfunction in additional parameters that were not abnormal upon exposure to either compound in isolation: duration of contraction, inotropy, and pulse pressure. Exposure to 1.0 mM MDMA for 6 h or 2.0 mM MDMA for 12 h caused increased nuclear localization of NF-kB in cultured H9c2 cells. The current results suggest that MDMA is acutely detrimental to heart function and that an intact cardiovascular NOS system is important to help mitigate early sequelae in some functional parameters. The delayed timing of NF-kB activation suggests that this factor may be relevant to MDMA induced cardiomyopathy of later onset.
RETRACTED: Knockdown of Snail Sensitizes Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Chemotherapeutic Agents and Irradiation
Authors: Zhang Kejun , Jiao Xuelong , Liu Xiaoyi , Zhang Bingyuan , Wang Jigang , Wang Quan , Tao Yan , Zhang Dianliang
Published: November 2010

The prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer remains poor; only patients with small tumors and complete resection have a chance of a complete cure. Pancreatic cancer responds poorly to conventional therapies, including chemotherapy and irradiation. Snail is a transcription factor that has been associated with anti-apoptotic and chemoresistant properties in pancreatic cancer cells. In this study, we investigated whether knockdown of Snail suppresses growth of and/or sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents and irradiation through induction of apoptosis. An adeno-associated virus vector was used to deliver Snail siRNA and knockdown Snail expression in untreated pancreatic cancer cells and in pancreatic cancer cells treated with chemotherapeutic agents or γ-irradiation. Our data indicate that our adeno-associated virus vector can efficiently deliver Snail siRNA into PANC-1 cells both in vitro and in vivo, resulting in the knockdown of Snail expression at the mRNA and protein levels. We further show that knockdown of Snail expression results in potent growth suppression of pancreatic cancer cells and suppresses xenograft tumor growth in vivo through induction of apoptosis. Finally, knockdown of Snail expression significantly sensitizes pancreatic cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents and γ-irradiation through induction of apoptosis. In conclusion, our findings indicate that Snail is an important modulator of therapeutic responses of pancreatic cancer cells and is potentially useful as a sensitizer in pancreatic cancer therapy.
Mn-doped Ge and Si: A Review of the Experimental Status
Authors: Zhou Shengqiang , Schmidt Heidemarie
Published: November 2010

Diluted ferromagnetic semiconductors (FMS) are in the focus of intense research due to their potential applications in spintronics and their striking new physical properties. So far Mn-doped III-V compound semiconductors such as GaMnAs are the most important and best understood ones, but they are ferromagnetic only at well below room temperature. An interesting alternative could be magnetic semiconductors based on elemental semiconductors, also owing to their compatibility with Si microelectronics. In the last decades, considerable amount of work has been devoted to fabricate Mn-doped Ge and Si FMS. In this article, the structural, magnetic and magneto-transport properties of Mn-doped Ge and Si will be reviewed.
Drug Development for Pediatric Populations: Regulatory Aspects
Authors: Zisowsky Jochen , Krause Andreas , Dingemanse Jasper
Published: November 2010

Pediatric aspects are nowadays integrated early in the development process of a new drug. The stronger enforcement to obtain pediatric information by the regulatory agencies in recent years resulted in an increased number of trials in children. Specific guidelines and requirements from, in particular, the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) form the regulatory framework. This review summarizes the regulatory requirements and strategies for pediatric drug development from an industry perspective. It covers pediatric study planning and conduct, considerations for first dose in children, appropriate sampling strategies, and different methods for data generation and analysis to generate knowledge about the pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of a drug in children. The role of Modeling and Simulation (M&S) in pediatrics is highlighted—including the regulatory basis—and examples of the use of M&S are illustrated to support pediatric drug development.
Durability of Compressed Earth Bricks: Assessing Erosion Resistance Using the Modified Spray Testing
Authors: Obonyo Esther , Exelbirt Joseph , Baskaran Malarvizhi
Published: November 2010

The discussion in this paper is part of research directed at establishing optimal stabilization strategy for compressed bricks. The deployment context for the use of the compressed bricks was Dar es Salaam (Tanzania) where manually fabricated bricks are increasingly being used in low cost housing units. This discussion specifically focuses on strategies that can be used to counter deterioration due to wind-driven rain erosion. The impact of using cement, lime, fiber and a commercial stabilizing fluid was assessed. Factory-produced bricks were used for benchmarking. The durability of the bricks was assessed using the “modified” Bulletin 5 Spray Test. The different brick specimens were sprayed with water at 2.07 MPa and 4.14 MPa over one-hour time period while measuring the depth of erosion every 15 minutes. Factory-produced bricks hardly eroded at both 2.07 MPa and 4.14 MPa pressure levels. The maximum depth of erosion for Soil-Cement bricks ranged from a maximum of 0.5 mm at 2.07 MPa water pressure to 0.8 mm at 4.14 MPa. The maximum and minimum depths of erosion for Soil-Cement-Lime bricks were 25mm and 17 mm respectively. The inclusion of natural fiber in the bricks resulted in a sharp increase of the erosion depth to a maximum of 40 mm at 2.07 MPa and 55 mm at 4.14 Mpa. As the use of natural fibers and lime enhances some physio-mechanical properties, further research is necessary to determine ways of achieving this goal while maintaining acceptable levels of erosion resistance.
L'effet Shakespeare dans l'œuvre de Freud
Authors: Michaud Henriette
Published: November 2010

Résumé La pensée de la psychanalyse a été irriguée, dès le début, par la connaissance approfondie que Freud avait de Shakespeare, et, notamment, la pièce Hamlet , dont l’intrigue a été à l’origine de sa première intuition sur le complexe d’Œdipe. Shakespeare s’est invité de multiples façons dans l’œuvre de Freud, qui lui a donné la fonction de point d’appui sur la langue, et lui est redevable d’une métaphore puissante de la psychanalyse : celle de « l’Autre scène », inconsciente.
Petite étude monographique Pervert, un tableau de Cyrus Pahlavi
Authors: Vannier Jean-Luc
Published: November 2010

Résumé Une œuvre picturale, fruit artistique des processus de l’inconscient, se donne à voir. Elle s’offre au regard de l’autre. Lors d’un vernissage à Monaco, un peintre iranien expose, « par erreur », une toile représentant une scène de violence sexuelle, traumatique, entre un adulte et un enfant. Tous les éléments de la « confusion des langues » élaborée par Ferenczi s’y trouvent réunis. Comment appréhender ce symptôme ? Happé par l’évidence signifiante, l’analyste décrypte, élabore et interprète les différentes articulations de ce message énigmatique qui fait effraction dans la psyché de l’enfant.
Self-portrait de l'artiste : Louise Bourgeois
Authors: This Claude
Published: November 2010

Résumé L’œuvre d’art exige un support matériel quel qu’il soit. Ce support reste toujours accroché, ancré dans un réel témoignant de notre humanité qui s’habille des fictions propres à chaque artiste. Nous avons choisi ici la dernière œuvre de Louise Bougeois : Self Portrait . Elle témoigne aussi de la liberté que l’artiste d’aujourd’hui revendique. Elle inscrit sur la toile tendue d’un drap brodé à ses initiales ce qui a marqué les étapes de sa vie de femme artiste. Chaque dessin, gravé et encré dans le tissu, marque une à une les vingt-quatre heures qui composent le cadran d’une horloge. Chaque heure figure le parcours de sa vie : enfance, rencontre avec l’homme, maternité. À la dernière heure, au chiffre 24, la vielle dame de 97 ans inscrit la représentation de l’Araignée, la fileuse de la toile et du temps, faisant ainsi référence à la série des sculptures célèbres dont l’une se trouve à l’entrée du musée Guggenheim de Bilbao.
Les alternatives à la prison
Authors: Portelli Serge
Published: November 2010

Résumé Les alternatives à la prison ont fait l’objet de réformes législatives très nombreuses dans les quinze dernières années. Elles répondent à une nécessité d’efficacité de la sanction, mais aussi d’humanisation de la justice pénale. Elles correspondent également à une crise profonde de la prison. Ces alternatives peinent à s’inscrire dans la réalité judiciaire et sociale compte tenu de l’incohérence globale de la politique pénale. Elles ne pourront vraiment jouer leur rôle qu’une fois cette politique réformée en profondeur.
L'état des prisons françaises
Authors: Tournier Pierre-Victor
Published: November 2010

Résumé À partir des données les plus récentes produites par l’administration pénitentiaire, l’auteur dresse un état des lieux concernant le parc pénitentiaire français et la population qu’il est censé héberger. L’exercice s’appuie sur un certain nombre de concepts de démographie carcérale dont la définition et l’évaluation nécessitent une approche rigoureuse : capacité opérationnelle d’un établissement pénitentiaire, surpopulation, densité carcérale et nombre de détenus en surnombre. Quelques perspectives sont tracées sur la base des programmes de construction annoncés.
La santé dans les prisons françaises
Authors: Moreau François
Published: November 2010

Résumé La prise en charge actuelle de la santé des personnes détenues s’effectue dans le cadre fixé par la loi de santé publique de janvier 1994, confiant au service public hospitalier la responsabilité et l’organisation des soins dans les prisons. Cette loi consacre pour les personnes détenues un droit à l’accès aux soins identique à celui de la population libre et instaure leur affiliation au régime général de l’assurance-maladie. En quelque dix années s’est mise en place dans les prisons françaises une offre de soins efficace et moderne qui a permis de passer d’une médecine humanitaire à une médecine hospitalière. Mais si ces réformes représentent une réelle avancée de santé publique en milieu pénitentiaire, de nombreuses difficultés limitent encore l’accès aux soins de la population carcérale ; et si l’on soigne de mieux en mieux en milieu carcéral, la prison n’est pas et ne doit pas être un lieu de soins.
Recherche clinique et financement privé : les liaisons dangereuses
Authors: Benkimoun Paul
Published: November 2010

Résumé Après le scandale du thalidomide dans les années 1960, les autorités de régulation ont renforcé le niveau d’exigence dans la procédure d’autorisation de mise sur le marché des médicaments, en requérant des essais cliniques. Ces derniers constituent donc la base de l’évaluation avant l’accès au marché, mais aussi celle sur laquelle s’appuient les extensions ou les restrictions d’indications, voire le retrait du marché. Or ce socle, dont le financement est très largement assuré par des fonds privés, essentiellement ceux de l’industrie pharmaceutique, se révèle souvent vicié : les intérêts économiques, très puissants, prennent parfois le pas sur la santé publique.
Graz and the Slovenians
Authors: Granda Stane
Published: November 2010

Gradec je bil vse do prve svetovne vojne upravno, kulturno, gospodarsko in politično središče Štajerskega, v katerem so Slovenci predstavljali tretjino prebivalstva. Tako kot Trst na zahodu slovenskega etničnega ozemlja je bil vabljivo mesto za družbeni vzpon in kariere številnih Slovencev. Do 1919, tj. do ustanovitve univerze v Ljubljani, je bila graška univerza ob Dunaju in manj Zagrebu tudi glavno univerzitetno središče Slovencev. Gradec je bil mesto, v katerem so se porajale in uresničevale številne nove zamisli.
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Until the First World War, Graz was the administrative, cultural, economic, and political center of Styria, in which Slovenians represented one third of the population. Thus, like Trieste on the west of Slovenian ethnic territory, the city attracted many Slovenians interested in advancing themselves socially and building careers. Until the founding of the University of Ljubljana in 1919, alongside the universities in Vienna and (to a lesser extent) Zagreb, the University of Graz was also a major university center for Slovenians. Graz was a city in which many new ideas were engendered and came to fruition.