bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Corporate Ecological Footprint: New Conversion Factors
Authors: Coto-Millán Pablo , Doménech Quesada Juan Luis , Mateo Mantecón Ingrid
Published: October 2008

The first ecological footprint calculation version, applied to companies, appeared in 2003. The said tool provides the possibility of calculating the total impact of a company or organisation in hectares or in equivalent emissions of . This paper updates carbon absorption rates and improves electricity consumption conversion factors, one of the major footprint generating consumptions in companies. The new rates prove that the footprint estimated to date will be notably increased as, among other aspects, the IPCC has downgraded the amount of carbon that forests are capable of absorbing. These data reveal that companies must make a great effort to adapt to the challenges triggered by climate change.
Registration and Fusion of the Autofluorescent and Infrared Retinal Images
Authors: Kolar Radim , Kubecka Libor , Jan Jiri
Published: October 2008

This article deals with registration and fusion of multimodal opththalmologic images obtained by means of a laser scanning device (Heidelberg retina angiograph). The registration framework has been designed and tested for combination of autofluorescent and infrared images. This process is a necessary step for consecutive pixel level fusion and analysis utilizing information from both modalities. Two fusion methods are presented and compared.
Delight and Imagination: Ambrose's Hymns
Authors: den Boeft Jan
Published: October 2008

This paper, which is the written version of a morning lecture (7 August 2007) at the Fifteenth International Conference on Patristic Studies at Oxford, aims to show that bishop Ambrose's influential poetical experiment, the hymns composed for his Milanese congregation, is founded on two convictions concerning God's creation: the delight inherent in it and available to be made operational in a responsible way, and man's imagination as part of God's purpose in creating man after his own image. David had understood this and, following in his track, the hymnographer exploited this potential to inspire his flock.
The Ambassador Between Light and Shade: The Emergence of Secrecy as the Norm for International Negotiation
Authors: Colson Aurélien
Published: October 2008

To what extent did secrecy emerge as the uncontested norm for international negotiations after the Renaissance? This article introduces six key negotiation practitioners from 17th century Europe, including some of the earliest writers on negotiation: Hotman, Mazarini, Wicquefort, Rousseau de Chamoy, Callières, and Pecquet. An analysis of their writings demonstrates that if an ambassador had to appear in the bright light of the royal court, he became constantly preoccupied by secrecy. He needed to find ways to protect his own secrets from third parties and uncover the secrets of others. These concerns from earlier times helped to establish secrecy as the paradigm for modern negotiation.
Continuity in Discontinuity: The Domestic Political Economy of Trade Cooperation from 1860 to 1914
Authors: Rohlfing Ingo
Published: October 2008

In the literature on international trade, the second half of the nineteenth century is generally characterized as one with two very different faces: trade was liberalized from 1860 until the mid-1870s and turned protectionist again thereafter. This discontinuity in the development of commercial relations goes along with much continuity regarding the domestic goals governments pursued in international trade negotiations. The French executives' primary goal was to implement their trade policy in a way that created at least as many domestic political benefits as costs. One key instrument with which the French government pursued this objective was the form of cooperation, which is an often-neglected issue in the international relations literature. The comparative analysis of two cases of French trade policy making – the Anglo-French agreement of 1860 and the Méline tariff of 1892 – will highlight how bilateral cooperation was used as an instrument to accommodate the interests of domestic economic groups having contradictory trade policy preferences. Expanding this view to the twentieth century, it can be seen that the domestic political processes of 1860 and 1892 involve many elements that are considered basic to modern trade policy-making. It can be tentatively hypothesized that trade policy-making is characterized by a common logic of balancing societal support independently of the commercial policy that is implemented and the reasons for why it is sought.
Assessing the Impact of Issue Linkage in the Common Fisheries Policy
Authors: da Conceição-Heldt Eugénia
Published: October 2008

Although issue linkage is often an important variable in negotiations, it remains an underdeveloped research area in European integration studies. This article attempts to assess the impact of issue linkage on EU bargaining outcomes by applying the Tollison and Willett spatial model of issue linkage to a key bargaining situation in the common fisheries policy: the negotiations on the introduction of the common market organization and structural policy. This article attempts to demonstrate how deals can be completed through issue linkage packages and to identify the conditions that make issue linkage more likely.
Matt 1:1: “Son of Abraham” as Christological Category
Authors: Huizenga Leroy Andrew
Published: October 2008

Matt 1:1 raises interpretive questions regarding its scope as a potential title and the import of the phrases “son of David” and “son of Abraham.” This article contends that “son of Abraham” introduces a significant sacrificial Christological category centered on the figure of Isaac which complements the Messianic aspects of Jesus Christ's ministry associated with the title “son of David.” “Son of David” and “son of Abraham” therefore stand in parallel at the beginning of the Gospel of Matthew as two titular designations specifying two Christological categories of the greatest import for the Gospel: Messiah (“son of David”) and new Isaac (“son of Abraham”). Thus is solved the difficulty of a crucified Messiah: Jesus is indeed the Messiah but also the anti-type of Isaac, whose sacrifice was paradigmatic in Jewish tradition. Matt 1:1 therefore introduces the reader to these dual Christological categories and is a title whose scope covers the entire Gospel.
Being the Church in Philippi
Authors: Peterson Brian
Published: October 2008

Contrary to widespread assumptions, neither Paul's pattern of church-planting nor his vision of those churches' mission was focused on efforts by those churches to draw and make more members for the church. Rather, Paul saw the church's life itself, both in relation to one another and in relation to their neighbors, as its calling and its mission. For Paul, the church's mission is to live out its identity in Christ as God's new creation in the face of empire. A careful look at Philippians in particular will make the contours of such a mission clear.
The Role of Eddies in Driving the Tropospheric Response to Stratospheric Heating Perturbations
Authors: Simpson Isla R. , Blackburn Michael , Haigh Joanna D.
Published: October 2008

A simplified general circulation model has been used to investigate the chain of causality whereby changes in tropospheric circulation and temperature are produced in response to stratospheric heating perturbations. Spinup ensemble experiments have been performed to examine the evolution of the tropospheric circulation in response to such perturbations.

The primary aim of these experiments is to investigate the possible mechanisms whereby a tropospheric response to changing solar activity over the 11-yr solar cycle could be produced in response to heating of the equatorial lower stratosphere. This study therefore focuses on a stratospheric heating perturbation in which the heating is largest in the tropics. For comparison, experiments are also performed in which the stratosphere is heated uniformly at all latitudes and in which it is heated preferentially in the polar region. Thus, the mechanisms discussed have a wider relevance for the impact of stratospheric perturbations on the troposphere.

The results demonstrate the importance of changing eddy momentum fluxes in driving the tropospheric response. This is confirmed by the lack of a similar response in a zonally symmetric model with fixed eddy forcing. Furthermore, it is apparent that feedback between the tropospheric eddy fluxes and tropospheric circulation changes is required to produce the full model response. The quasigeostrophic index of refraction is used to diagnose the cause of the changes in eddy behavior. It is demonstrated that the latitudinal extent of stratospheric heating is important in determining the direction of displacement of the tropospheric jet and storm track.
Simulations of Hydrographic Properties in the Northwestern North Atlantic Ocean in Coupled Climate Models
Authors: de Jong M. F. , Drijfhout S. S. , Hazeleger W. , van Aken H. M. , Severijns C. A.
Published: October 2008

The performance of coupled climate models (CCMs) in simulating the hydrographic structure and variability of the northwestern North Atlantic Ocean, in particular the Labrador and Irminger Seas, has been assessed. This area plays an important role in the meridional overturning circulation. Hydrographic properties of the preindustrial run of eight CCMs used in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) are compared with observations from the World Ocean Circulation Experiment Repeat section 7 (WOCE AR7). The mean and standard deviation of 20 yr of simulated data are compared in three layers, representing the surface waters, intermediate waters, and deep waters. Two models simulate an extremely cold, fresh surface layer with model biases down to −1.7 psu and −4.0°C, much larger than the observed ranges of variability. The intermediate and deep layers are generally too warm and saline, with biases up to 0.7 psu and 2.8°C. An analysis of the maximum mixed layer depth shows that the low surface salinity is related to a convective regime restricted to the upper 500 dbar. Thus, intermediate water formed by convection is partly replaced by warmer water from the south. Model biases seem to be caused by the coupling to the atmospheric component of the CCM. Model drift during long spinup periods allows the initially small biases in water mass characteristics to become significant. Biases that develop in the control run are carried over to the twentieth-century runs, which are initialized from the control runs.
Possible Role of the Indian Ocean in the Out-of-Phase Transition of the Australian to Indian Summer Monsoon
Authors: Wu Renguang
Published: October 2008

The present study investigates processes for out-of-phase transitions from the Australian summer monsoon (ASM) to the Indian summer monsoon (ISM). Two types of out-of-phase ASM-to-ISM transitions have been identified, depending on the evolution of the Pacific El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. The first type of transition is accompanied by a phase switch of ENSO in boreal spring to early summer. In the second type of transition, ENSO maintains its phase through boreal summer. The direct ENSO forcing plays a primary role for the first type of out-of-phase ASM-to-ISM transition, with complementary roles from the north Indian Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies that are partly induced by ENSO. The second type of out-of-phase ASM-to-ISM transition involves air–sea interaction processes in the tropical Indian Ocean that generate the north Indian Ocean SST anomalies and contribute to the monsoon transition. The initiation of tropical Indian Ocean air–sea interaction is closely related to ENSO in observations, but could also occur without ENSO according to a coupled general circulation model simulation. Results of numerical simulations substantiate the role of the Indian Ocean air–sea interaction in the out-of-phase ASM-to-ISM transition.
Regional Groundwater Evapotranspiration in Illinois
Authors: Yeh Pat J-F. , Famiglietti J. S.
Published: October 2008

The role of shallow unconfined aquifers in supplying water for evapotranspiration (i.e., groundwater evaporation) is investigated in this paper. Recent results from regional land surface modeling have indicated that in shallow water table areas, a large portion of evapotranspiration comes directly from aquifers. However, little field evidence at the regional scale has been reported to support this finding. Using a comprehensive 19-yr (1984–2002) monthly hydrological dataset on soil moisture, water table depth, and streamflow in Illinois, regional recharge to and evaporation from groundwater are estimated by using soil water balance computation. The 19-yr mean groundwater recharge is estimated to be 244 mm yr−1 (25% of precipitation), with uncertainty ranging from 202 to 278 mm yr−1. During the summer, the upward capillary flux from the shallow aquifer helps to maintain a high rate of evapotranspiration. Groundwater evaporation (negative groundwater recharge) occurs during the period of July–September, with a total of 31.4 mm (10% of evapotranspiration). Analysis of the relative soil saturation at 11 depths from 0 to 2 m deep supports the dominance of groundwater evaporation across the water table in dry periods. The zero-flux plane separating the recharge zone from the evapotranspiration zone propagates downward from about 70- to 110-cm depth during summer, reflecting the water supply from progressively lower layers for evapotranspiration. Despite its small magnitude, neglecting regional groundwater evaporation in shallow groundwater areas would result in underestimated root-zone soil moisture and hence evapotranspiration by as large as 20% in the dry summer seasons.
The Tropical Madden–Julian Oscillation and the Global Wind Oscillation
Authors: Weickmann Klaus , Berry Edward
Published: October 2008

The global wind oscillation (GWO) is a subseasonal phenomenon encompassing the tropical Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) and midlatitude processes like meridional momentum transports and mountain torques. A phase space is defined for the GWO following the approach of Wheeler and Hendon for the MJO. In contrast to the oscillatory behavior of the MJO, two red noise processes define the GWO. The red noise spectra have variance at periods that bracket 30–60 or 30–80 days, which are bands used to define the MJO. The correlation between the MJO and GWO is ∼0.5 and cross spectra show well-defined, coherent phase relations in similar frequency bands. However, considerable independent variance exists in the GWO. A basic dynamical distinction occurs in the direction of midlatitude wave energy dispersion, being predominantly meridional during a MJO and zonal during the GWO. This is primarily a winter season feature centered over the Pacific Ocean. A case study during April–May 2007 focuses on the GWO and two ∼30-day duration orbits with extreme anomalies in GWO phase space. The MJO phase space projections for the same time were irregular and, it is argued, partially driven by mountain torques and meridional transports. The case study reveals that multiple physical processes and time scales act to create slowly evolving planetary-scale circulation and tropical convection anomalies.
An Evaluation of the Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease and Serum C‐Reactive Protein as Prognostic Markers in Intestinal Failure Patients on Parenteral Nutrition
Authors: Putchakayala Krishna , Polensky Sharon , Fitzhugh Judith , Cohran Valeria , Buchman Alan , Fryer Jonathan
Published: October 2008

Background: Intestinal failure (IF) patients require parenteral nutrition (PN) to avoid malnutrition and death. However, they face complications of recurrent sepsis and liver failure. By the time liver failure is discovered, it is often too late for intervention and prognosis on the waiting list is grim. The Model for End‐Stage Liver Disease (MELD) has traditionally been used to predict mortality in patients with liver failure but has never been analyzed in IF patients who are at risk for liver complications. C‐reactive protein (CRP) is an acute inflammatory marker that has been shown to reflect disease progression in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, a disease that in many ways resembles PN‐associated liver disease. MELD and CRP are promising clinical markers of disease progression in IF patients on PN. Methods: The authors performed a retrospective, case‐control study to compare levels of MELD and CRP within the entire population of 133 adult patients referred to Northwestern Memorial Hospital for IF from 1999 to 2006. Results: Elevated MELD score is strongly predictive of increased mortality over the subsequent 6 months. Elevated CRP is strongly predictive over a smaller 3‐month window. One‐year mortality was significantly greater in patients who have either elevated MELD scores or serum CRP levels. Conclusions: In this study, the authors evaluated for the first time use of MELD and serum CRP as predictive markers of mortality in IF patients. Both seem to be promising clinical tools to identify which patients are at highest risk for complication.
Online Interactions Between Group Members Who Differ in Status
Authors: Dino Amanda , Reysen Stephen , Branscombe Nyla R.
Published: October 2008

Intragroup interactions between high and low status members on Internet message boards were examined. Messages from low status members to high status members and vice versa were rated for degree of conformity, ingratiation, agreeing, requesting, and instructing. Text was also analyzed using the Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count program. Low status member messages were rated as more conforming, ingratiating, and agreeing than high status member messages. Low status members also used more first person singular voice, affective words, and exclamation marks. High status member messages were rated as more instructive than low status member messages. High status member messages contained more complex words, second person references, and welcoming language than did low status member messages. Language use in online contexts clearly differs depending on group member status.
Cultivating Voters: The Social Relations of Agriculture and Racial Politics in the New South
Authors: Wood Phillip J.
Published: October 2008

The twentieth-century Southern racial political order is conventionally seen as a product of tenant farming and economic stagnation. This article argues that class and racial struggles in agriculture had a variety of effects, some enhancing white political advantage while others undermined it, and that these effects differed depending on the racial composition of county populations. These results shed new light on the politics of black land loss and the trajectory of southern political development.
Taking the High Road Only to Arrive at the Low Road: The Creation of a Reserve Army of Petty Capitalists in the North Maine Woods
Authors: Goldstein Jonathan P. , Hillard Michael G.
Published: October 2008

Class relations in wood harvesting in Maine are analyzed. An unexpected high-road strategy emerges from the adoption of new technology for corporate crews (wage labor). This high-road policy is enhanced by the class struggle of independent logging contractors (petty capitalists). The ultimate diffusion of this technology to contractors reversed this strategy by allowing company crews to be disbanded. This created a reserve army of petty capitalists and a resultant increase in the rate of exploitation.
Multiple Sclerosis in Childhood: Clinical and Radiological Features
Authors: Forrester Michael B. , Coleman Lee , Kornberg Andrew J.
Published: October 2008

We analyzed the medical records and cerebral imaging of 30 children with early onset multiple sclerosis to compare the clinical and neuro-radiological features with acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis and adult multiple sclerosis. The female:male ratio was 1.3 before the age of 12 years and increased to 4.3 after age 12 years. Optic neuritis and pyramidal dysfunction were the most common presenting clinical features. The most common radiological features at first imaging were periventricular (77.2%), corpus callosal demyelination (63.6%), gadolinium enhancement (62.5%), and Dawson's fingers (40.9%). The median relapse rate per patient year was 1.2 ([IQR] 0.6-2.0). Seven patients reached a moderate Expanded-Disability-Status-Scale score of 3 and 3 patients were more severely affected (score of 6). Expanded-Disability-Status-Scale score increased by 0.7 for every relapse. Ten patients were commenced on immunomodulatory therapy (Interferon beta 1a, n = 9; Interferon beta 1b, n = 3; or Glatiramer acetate, n = 1), the majority of who had minimal side effects and a reduction in relapse rate.
Improving Museums’ Performance Through Custodial, Sales, and Customer Orientations
Authors: Camarero Carmen , Garrido María-José
Published: October 2008

Although customer orientation seems to be an adequate marketing approach to achieve the objectives of for-profit organizations, this approach is not enough for cultural organizations that are also involved in a social mission. The current work is focused on the case of museums and arts organizations and analyzes the implications of three alternative strategic orientations (customer, sales, and custodial orientations) to improve social performance (education and conservation) as well as economic performance (income or number of visitors). The empirical analysis of 182 Spanish museums reveals that social performance is highly related to custodial and customer orientation, whereas economic performance depends mainly on a sales orientation.
Immigrant Volunteering
Authors: Handy Femida , Greenspan Itay
Published: October 2008

This article investigates volunteering by immigrants. It examines if and how volunteering experiences can attenuate the effects of relocation for immigrants as they seek to regain social and human capital lost in the migration process. Based on analysis of 754 surveys, 33 focus groups, and 34 in-depth interviews, the authors explore the volunteering experiences of immigrants in ethnic congregations in four Canadian cities. Using a grounded theory approach, they propose a conceptual framework that delineates factors at the individual and organizational levels. Although individual-level factors are useful determinants of volunteer participation, for immigrants organizational factors are also an important part of the picture. These factors influence immigrants’ volunteer participation rates and the intensity of their participation. The benefits of volunteering include the enhancement of social and human capital, which provides a stepping stone for the integration of immigrants into the host society.
Communicating the “Realities” of Charity Costs: An Institute of Fundraising Initiative
Authors: Sargeant Adrian , Lee Stephen , Jay Elaine
Published: October 2008

This article reports the background to a new initiative by the Institute of Fundraising in the United Kingdom to supply the public with information with respect to charity costs and in particular the costs of fundraising. The initiative is described, and the results of a recent benchmarking survey of the Top 500 Fundraising Charities that will be used to underpin it are reported. The mean cost of raising £1 was found to be £0.21.
Assisting with the “Big Hurts, Little Tears” of the Youngest Grievers: Working with Three-, Four-, and Five-Year-Olds Who Have Experienced Loss and Grief because of Death
Authors: Griffith Toni
Published: October 2008

Very young children grieve in bereavement and in other experiences of loss. They can begin to normalize what is happening around them if they are given truthful information and support. Expressive arts help teach coping skills for loss early in life and build resiliency as children grow. This article focuses on working with three- to five-year-olds who have experienced loss and grief because of death.
The Number of Students Sent Home by School Nurses Compared to Unlicensed Personnel
Authors: Pennington Nicole , Delaney Elizabeth
Published: October 2008

Many schools across the United States do not have a full-time school nurse, resulting in care being provided by unlicensed school employees when children are sick or injured at school. The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the number of students sent home when ill or injured based on who assessed the student in the school health office—a school nurse or an unlicensed school employee. Findings indicated that 5% of students seen by the school nurse were sent home and 18% of students seen by an unlicensed school employee were sent home. This study suggests that more students could be kept in school when school nurses provide assessment and interventions aimed at helping students who become ill or injured while at school, thus increasing school attendance and promoting academic success. These findings also support the need for a school nurse in every school.
Elementary School Nurses’ Perceptions and Practices Regarding Body Mass Index Measurement in School Children
Authors: Hendershot Candace , Telljohann Susan K. , Price James H. , Dake Joseph A. , Mosca Nancy W.
Published: October 2008

This study examines elementary school nurses’ perceived efficacy expectations, perceived barriers, and perceived benefits to measuring body mass index (BMI) in students in schools with mandated BMI policies versus schools without mandated policies. Of the 2,629 school nurses participating in the study, 67% believe nurses should measure BMI in schools, 62% believe BMI results should be sent home, and 81% believe nurses should be designing programs to help children address overweight issues. In schools with a BMI assessment mandate, the nurses’ efficacy expectations are statistically significantly greater and nurses’ perceptions of barriers to measuring BMI are significantly lower. The most common perceived barriers to measuring BMI are inadequate school resources (57.6%) and inadequate or inappropriate parental responses (55.2%). Obese school nurses perceive significantly more barriers to measuring youths’ BMIs than do nonobese school nurses. Having mandates has a positive influence on school nurses and their measurement of BMI and increases the likelihood that nurses will measure BMI.
The Ward and Hudson Pathways Model of the Sexual Offense Process Applied to Offenders With Intellectual Disability
Authors: Lindsay William R. , Steptoe Lesley , Beech Anthony T.
Published: October 2008

The offense pathways model of Ward and Hudson has had a significant impact on work with sex offenders. Researchers have hypothesised that offenders with intellectual disability (ID) will show a predominantly avoidant and passive pathway. The present study classifies 62 sex offenders with ID according to the four self-regulation pathways. Allocation to pathways is highly reliable and, against prediction, most participants are allocated to approach pathways. Explicit/active offenders have a higher rate of contact offenses and a lower rate of reoffending. Automatic/passive offenders have a lower average IQ. There are no significant differences between groups on victim choice, previous offenses, or assessment of cognitive distortions. The results suggest that treatment may improve understanding of society's laws, promote self-regulation, and reduce recidivism for explicit/active offenders.
Volatile and Glycosidically Bound Composition of Loureiro and Alvarinho Wines
Authors: Oliveira J.M. , Oliveira P. , Baumes R.L. , Maia M.O.
Published: October 2008

Composition of Loureiro and Alvarinho wines from the Vinhos Verdes region, regarding free volatile compounds as well as glycosidically bound aroma precursors, was exhaustively determined by gas chromatography—mass spectrometry after adsorption on XAD-2 resin. On the whole, were identified and quantified 120 volatile compounds in the free fraction and 77 glycosidically bound compounds, belonging to C6-compounds, alcohols, fatty acids ethyl esters, esters of organic acids, acetates, monoterpenic alcohols, monoterpenic oxides and diols, C13-norisoprenoids, volatile phenols, volatile fatty acids, and carbonyl compounds. Globally, the wines of the two cultivars present similar composition on volatiles. However, regarding varietal compounds, Loureiro wines were richer than Alvarinho ones with respect to C6-compounds and monoterpenic compounds, occurring the opposite for volatile phenols. It was also demonstrated that wines of both varieties might benefit the aroma reserve, present as glycoconjugates, as it is susceptible of being technologically explored. Linalool, Ho-trienol, (α-terpineol, contributing with fruity and floral notes, and (β-damascenone mostly for Alvarinho, confering tropical fruit notes, are the varietal compounds which may particularly influence the aroma of these wines. Respecting fermentative compounds, Alvarinho is also particularly rich in fatty acids ethyl esters related to lipid metabolism and acetates of fusel alcohols, which can provide it a fruity character; Loureiro contains higher levels of esters of organic acids and 2-phenylethanol, conferring fruity and floral notes. Sensory analysis agreed with chemical analyses showing a pronounced tree and tropical fruit character for Alvarinho wines while Loureiro wines present more intense citrus fruit notes.
Nutritional Quality and Antioxidant Activity of Selected Edible Wild Mushrooms
Authors: Fook Yee Chye  , Jin Yi Wong  , Lee Jau-Shya
Published: October 2008

Five species of edible wild mushrooms were selected to determine the proximate composition, vitamins (retinol, α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, thiamin, riboflavin, and ascorbic acid) and mineral contents (Fe, Zn, Co, Ca, Mg, K, and Na), antioxidant activity, and total phenolics. Hygrophorus sp. showed significant higher ( p<0.05) fat content as compared to other wild mushrooms with the mean value of 6.57%. However, Polyporus tenuiculus was found to be a good source of fiber while Hygrocybe sp. was good in α-tocopherol among the mushrooms tested. The iron and calcium contents were the highest in Hyrocybe (175.64 μg/g) and Hygrophorus sp. (81.70mg/100g) respectively. The in vitro antioxidant activities of petroleum ether (PE) and methanolic extracts of the edible wild mushrooms were comparable to the cultivated oyster mushroom. The radical scavenging activity was highest for PE extract of Pleurotus sp. (85%) while methanolic extract of Hygrocybe sp. exhibited the highest (94%) chelating effect, in correlation with its significantly higher ( p<0.05) phenolics content (42.21 mg GAE/g extract). In conclusion, edible wild mushrooms can be an excellent source of micronutrients and antioxidant components.
Aromatic Constituents from Chinese Traditional Smoke-cured Bacon of Mini-pig
Authors: Xie J.-C. , Sun B.-G. , Wang S.-B.
Published: October 2008

Volatile composition of Chinese traditional smoke-cured bacon of Mini-pig breed was first characterized. Both headspace solid phase microextraction (SPME) and simultaneous distillation and solvent extraction (SDE) were performed. SDE exhibited efficiency in the extraction of representative aromatic volatiles especially the phenolic smoky flavors from the bacon sample. In total, 104 different components were found with the major quantity and kinds of aromas being the volatile saturated and unsaturated aldehydes from lipid oxidation and the phenolic compounds from smoke. Olfactory evaluation (GC-O) of the SDE extract revealed five basic odor patterns pertaining to 53 odor active regions and 47 odorants. Some key flavors accounting for the bacon aroma were (E, E)-2, 4-decadienal, 3-(methylthio) propanal, 2-furanmethanol, guaiacol, 3-ethylphenol and 2, 5-dimethylpyrazine.
Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA) for Pixel Purity Index Using Blocks of Skewers for Endmember Extraction in Hyperspectral Imagery
Authors: Hsueh Mingkai , Chang Chein-I
Published: October 2008

Pixel purity index (PPI) is a popular endmember extraction algorithm because of its availability in the ENVI software. Recently, its hardware implementation has been explored by the so-called block of skewers (BOS) that can be used to generate desired skewers required by the PPI with significantly reduced computational complexity. This paper investigates the feasibility of field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) design for the BOS of a modified PPI (called automatic PPI), referred to as BOS-APPI in high speed computation. Several block designs based on cube, pyramid, square and tetrahedron are also developed for the BOS-APPI along with their FPGA implementations as new reconfigurable systems to perform fast and onboard processing of hyperspectral imagery. Finally, the proposed FPGA designs are realized and substantiated by simulations.
Low-Complexity Principal Component Analysis for Hyperspectral Image Compression
Authors: Du Qian , Fowler James E.
Published: October 2008

Principal component analysis (PCA) is an effective tool for spectral decorrelation of hyperspectral imagery, and PCAbased spectral transforms have been employed successfully in conjunction with JPEG2000 for hyperspectral image compression. However, the computational cost of determining the data-dependent PCA transform is high because of its traditional eigendecomposition implementation which requires calculation of a covariance matrix across the data. Several strategies for reducing the computation burden of PCA are explored, including both spatial and spectral subsampling in the covariance calculation as well as an iterative algorithm that circumvents determination of the covariance matrix entirely. Experimental results investigate the impacts of such low-complexity PCA on JPEG2000 compression of hyperspectral images, focusing on rate-distortion performance as well as data-analysis performance at an anomaly-detection task.
Improved Performance for Nodal Spectral Element Operators
Authors: Fladrich Uwe , Stiller Jörg , Nagel Wolfgang E.
Published: October 2008

The computational performance of the nodal spectral element method (SEM) for tetrahedral grids is evaluated in the context of a high-performance computing platform. The elemental SEM operator is accelerated by the symmetry-based factorization technique of Hesthaven and Teng (SIAM J. Sci. Comp. 21, p. 2352, 2000), which results in a reduced number of floating point operations and memory accesses. However, performance evaluation reveals that a naive implementation of the algorithm causes a severe degradation of computational efficiency. Two algorithmic modifications are proposed which regain (and partly exceed) the efficiency of the original, non-factorized operator and thus recover the asymptotic 9/5 speedup due to factorization.
Customer Integration and Value Creation
Authors: Vargo Stephen L.
Published: October 2008

This commentary uses the Customer Integration—Facilities, Transformation, Use (CI-FTU) framework of Moeller as a platform for discussing two nested challenges in the development of service-dominant (S-D) logic. The first is the potency of the traditional, goods-dominant (G-D) logic paradigm, including the pitfalls of using its lexicon for describing a transcending logic. The second is the related need to develop a broader perspective for understanding value creation than is apparent in traditional conceptualizations or in the CI-FTU conceptualization. In addition, the challenge of isolating S-D logic in its rapid evolution beyond G-D logic is discussed.
Consequences of Forcing Consumers to Use Technology-Based Self-Service
Authors: Reinders Machiel J. , Dabholkar Pratibha A. , Frambach Ruud T.
Published: October 2008

Today, traditional full service is increasingly replaced with technology-based self-service (TBSS), sometimes with no other option for service delivery. This study develops a conceptual model to investigate the impact of forcing consumers to use TBSS. The model is tested using an experimental design within railway (ticketing and travel information) contexts. The results show that forced use leads to negative attitudes toward using the TBSS as well as toward the service provider, and it indirectly leads to adverse effects on behavioral intentions. The findings also show that offering interaction with an employee as a fall-back option offsets the negative consequences of forced use, and that previous experience with TBSS (in general) leads to more positive attitudes toward the offered self-service, which can offset the negative effects of forced use to some extent.
Emancipatory Discourse and Liberation
Authors: Raelin Joseph A.
Published: October 2008

This article takes up an important question that has puzzled learning theorists in the critical tradition, namely, are the dialogic practices of emancipatory discourse sufficient to change oppressive conditions in the power structure of the modern organization? In other words, can critical dialogic processes change the social order to close the gap between a privileged class of managers and workers, or do we require class struggle and structural reform? By elaborating on such methods as dialogue, public reflection and action science, this article attempts to make the case that marginalized groups in society might find their voice in projects that are intentionally contextualized and publicly reflective. These methods have found applications in some illustrated critical pedagogies, although not without strain induced from conventional institutions. The article concludes with an enumeration of some conditions under which emancipatory discourse and liberationist struggle may coincide.
Conceptualizing Knowledge Work Utilizing Skill and Knowledge-based Concepts
Authors: Hislop Donald
Published: October 2008

This paper engages with the related debates on what constitutes knowledge work and how to conceptualize the role of knowledge processes in work. Fundamentally it is suggested that the use of both skill and knowledge-based concepts provides a richer way of conceptualizing work than through the use of knowledge-based concepts only. The framework developed which utilizes both skill and knowledge-based concepts involves the reconceptualization of Frenkel et al.'s (1995) neglected perspective on (knowledge) work. The utility of this framework is illustrated via both using it to conceptualize the work of some management consultants and office equipment service engineers, and through a discussion which compares this framework with the practice-based perspective on knowledge.
Staphylococcal SSL5 inhibits leukocyte activation by chemokines and anaphylatoxins
Authors: Bestebroer Jovanka , van Kessel Kok P. M. , Azouagh Hafida , Walenkamp Annemiek M. , Boer Ingrid G. J. , Romijn Roland A. , van Strijp Jos A. G. , de Haas Carla J. C.
Published: October 2008

Staphylococcus aureus secretes several virulence factors modulating immune responses. Staphylococcal superantigen-like (SSL) proteins are a family of 14 exotoxins with homology to superantigens, but with generally unknown function. Recently, we showed that SSL5 binds to P-selectin glycoprotein ligand 1 dependently of sialyl Lewis X and inhibits P-selectin–dependent neutrophil rolling. Here, we show that SSL5 potently and specifically inhibits leukocyte activation by anaphylatoxins and all classes of chemokines. SSL5 inhibited calcium mobilization, actin polymerization, and chemotaxis induced by chemokines and anaphylatoxins but not by other chemoattractants. Antibody competition experiments showed that SSL5 targets several chemokine and anaphylatoxin receptors. In addition, transfection studies showed that SSL5 binds glycosylated N-termini of all G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs) but only inhibits stimuli of protein nature that require the receptor N-terminus for activation. Furthermore, SSL5 increased binding of chemokines to cells independent of chemokine receptors through their common glycosaminoglycan-binding site. Importance of glycans was shown for both GPCR and chemokine binding. Thus, SSL5 is an important immunomodulatory protein of S aureus that targets several crucial, initial stages of leukocyte extravasation. It is therefore a potential new antiinflammatory compound for diseases associated with chemoattractants and their receptors and disorders characterized by excessive recruitment of leukocytes.
Basophil effector function and homeostasis during helminth infection
Authors: Ohnmacht Caspar , Voehringer David
Published: October 2008

Basophils are effector cells of the innate immune system that are associated with allergic inflammation and infections with helminth parasites. However, their development and in vivo functions are largely unknown. Here, we characterize basophil development, turnover, tissue localization, and effector function during infection with the helminth Nippostrongylus brasiliensis. Our results demonstrate that under homeostatic conditions basophils have a lifespan of about 60 hours. N brasiliensis–induced basophilia is caused by increased de novo production of basophils in the bone marrow. Basophils were found near the marginal zone in the red pulp of the spleen, in the lamina propria of the small intestine, and in the lung parenchyma. Activated basophils promoted systemic eosinophilia, were associated with differentiation of alternatively activated macrophages in the lung, and contributed to efficient worm expulsion, demonstrating that basophils play a crucial role as effector cells in type 2 immune responses.
Transcriptional repression of microRNA genes by PML-RARA increases expression of key cancer proteins in acute promyelocytic leukemia
Authors: Saumet Anne , Vetter Guillaume , Bouttier Manuella , Portales-Casamar Elodie , Wasserman Wyeth W. , Maurin Thomas , Mari Bernard , Barbry Pascal , Vallar Laurent , Friederich Evelyne , Arar Khalil , Cassinat Bruno , Chomienne Christine , Lecellier Charles-Henri
Published: October 2008

Micro(mi)RNAs are small noncoding RNAs that orchestrate many key aspects of cell physiology and their deregulation is often linked to distinct diseases including cancer. Here, we studied the contribution of miRNAs in a well-characterized human myeloid leukemia, acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL), targeted by retinoic acid and trioxide arsenic therapy. We identified several miRNAs transcriptionally repressed by the APL-associated PML-RAR oncogene which are released after treatment with all-trans retinoic acid. These coregulated miRNAs were found to control, in a coordinated manner, crucial pathways linked to leukemogenesis, such as HOX proteins and cell adhesion molecules whose expressions are thereby repressed by the chemotherapy. Thus, APL appears linked to transcriptional perturbation of miRNA genes, and clinical protocols able to successfully eradicate cancer cells may do so by restoring miRNA expression. The identification of abnormal miRNA biogenesis in cancer may therefore provide novel biomarkers and therapeutic targets in myeloid leukemias.
STIM1 is essential for Fcγ receptor activation and autoimmune inflammation
Authors: Braun Attila , Gessner J. Engelbert , Varga-Szabo David , Syed Shahzad N. , Konrad Stephanie , Stegner David , Vögtle Timo , Schmidt Reinhold E. , Nieswandt Bernhard
Published: October 2008

Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) on mononuclear phagocytes trigger autoantibody and immune complex–induced diseases through coupling the self-reactive immunoglobulin G (IgG) response to innate effector pathways, such as phagocytosis, and the recruitment of inflammatory cells. FcRγ-based activation is critical in the pathogenesis of these diseases, although the contribution of FcγR-mediated calcium signaling in autoimmune injury is unclear. Here we show that macrophages lacking the endoplasmic reticulum–resident calcium sensor, STIM1, cannot activate FcγR-induced Ca2+ entry and phagocytosis. As a direct consequence, STIM1 deficiency results in resistance to experimental immune thrombocytopenia and anaphylaxis, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and acute pneumonitis. These results establish STIM1 as a novel and essential component of FcγR activation and also indicate that inhibition of STIM1-dependent signaling might become a new strategy to prevent or treat IgG-dependent immunologic diseases.
Prevention of vascular graft occlusion and thrombus-associated thrombin generation by inhibition of factor XI
Authors: Tucker Erik I. , Marzec Ulla M. , White Tara C. , Hurst Sawan , Rugonyi Sandra , McCarty Owen J. T. , Gailani David , Gruber András , Hanson Stephen R.
Published: October 2008

The protease thrombin is required for normal hemostasis and pathologic thrombogenesis. Since the mechanism of coagulation factor XI (FXI)–dependent thrombus growth remains unclear, we investigated the contribution of FXI to thrombus formation in a primate thrombosis model. Pretreatment of baboons with a novel anti–human FXI monoclonal antibody (aXIMab; 2 mg/kg) inhibited plasma FXI by at least 99% for 10 days, and suppressed thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complex and β-thromboglobulin (βTG) formation measured immediately downstream from thrombi forming within collagen-coated vascular grafts. FXI inhibition with aXIMab limited platelet and fibrin deposition in 4-mm diameter grafts without an apparent increase in D-dimer release from thrombi, and prevented the occlusion of 2-mm diameter grafts without affecting template bleeding times. In comparison, pretreatment with aspirin (32 mg/kg) prolonged bleeding times but failed to prevent graft occlusion, supporting the concept that FXI blockade may offer therapeutic advantages over other antithrombotic agents in terms of bleeding complications. In whole blood, aXIMab prevented fibrin formation in a collagen-coated flow chamber, independent of factor XII and factor VII. These data suggest that endogenous FXI contributes to arterial thrombus propagation through a striking amplification of thrombin generation at the thrombus luminal surface.
MicroRNA-17-92 down-regulates expression of distinct targets in different B-cell lymphoma subtypes
Authors: Inomata Mika , Tagawa Hiroyuki , Guo Yong-Mei , Kameoka Yoshihiro , Takahashi Naoto , Sawada Kenichi
Published: October 2008

Aberrant overexpression of the miR-17-92 polycistron is strongly associated with B-cell lymphomagenesis. Recent studies have shown that miR-17-92 down-regulates the proapoptotic protein Bim, leading to overexpression of Bcl2, which likely plays a key role in lymphomagenesis. However, the fact that Jeko-1 cells derived from mantle cell lymphoma exhibit both homozygous deletion of BIM and overexpression of miR-17-92 suggests other targets are also involved in B-cell lymphomagenesis. To identify essential target(s) of miR-17-92 in lymphomagenesis, we first transfected miR-17-92 into 2 genetically distinct B-cell lymphoma cell lines: Raji, which overexpress c-Myc, and SUDHL4, which overexpress Bcl2. Raji transfected with miR-17-19b-1 exhibited down-regulated expression of Bim and a slight up-regulation in Bcl2 expression. On the other hand, SUDHL4 transfectants showed aggressive cell growth reflecting facilitated cell cycle progression at the G1 to S transition and decreased expression of CDKN1A mRNA and p21 protein (CDKN1A/p21) that was independent of p53 expression. Conversely, transfection of antisense oligonucleotides against miR-17 and miR-20a into Jeko-1 led to up-regulation of CDKN1A/p21, resulting in decreased cell growth with G1 to S arrest. Thus, CDKN1A/p21 appears to be an essential target of miR-17-92 during B-cell lymphomagenesis, which suggests the miR-17-92 polycistron has distinct targets in different B-cell lymphoma subtypes.