bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Protein‐Assisted Synthesis of Double‐Shelled CaCO3 Microcapsules and Their Mineralization with Heavy Metal Ions
Authors: Li Xuan Qi , Feng Zhiwei , Xia Yinyan , Zeng Hua Chun
Published: January 2012

Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is one of the most abundant and important biominerals in nature. Due to its biocompatibility, biodegradability and nontoxicity, CaCO3 has been investigated extensively in recent years for various fundamental properties and technological applications. Inspired by basic wall structures of cells, we report a protein‐assisted approach to synthesize CaCO3 into a double‐shelled structural configuration. Due to varying reactivities of outer and inner shells, the CaCO3 microcapsules exhibit different sorption capacities and various resultant structures toward different kinds of heavy metal ions, analogical to biologically controlled mineralization (BCM) processes. Surprisingly, three mineralization modes resembling those found in BCM were found with these bacterium‐like “CaCO3 cells”. Our investigation of the cytotoxicity (MTT assay protocol) also indicates that the CaCO3 microcapsules have almost no cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells, and they might be useful for future application of detoxifying heavy metal ions after further study.
Consensus of multi‐agent systems with nonlinear dynamics and sampled‐data information: a delayed‐input approach
Authors: Wen Guanghui , Duan Zhisheng , Yu Wenwu , Chen Guanrong
Published: January 2012

This paper is concerned with the problem of consensus in directed networks of multiple agents with intrinsic nonlinear dynamics and sampled‐data information. A new protocol is induced from a class of continuous‐time linear consensus protocols by implementing data‐sampling technique and a zero‐order hold circuit. On the basis of a delayed‐input approach, the sampled‐data multi‐agent system is converted to an equivalent nonlinear system with a time‐varying delay. Theoretical analysis on this time‐delayed system shows that consensus with asymptotic time‐varying velocities in a strongly connected network can be achieved over some suitable sampled‐data intervals. A multi‐step procedure is further presented to estimate the upper bound of the maximal allowable sampling intervals. The results are then extended to a network topology with a directed spanning tree. For the case of the topology without a directed spanning tree, it is shown that the new protocol can still guarantee the system to achieve consensus by appropriately informing a fraction of agents. Finally, some numerical simulations are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the theoretical results and the dependence of the upper bound of maximal allowable sampling interval on the coupling strength. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Study of Fracture Mechanisms at Cyclic Fatigue of Steels Used in Nuclear Reactors I
Authors: Eterashvili Tamaz , Dzigrashvili Temur
Published: January 2012

This study deals with the possible reasons of nucleation and propagation of macrocracks, mesocracks, and microcracks in stainless austenitic steels after low‐cycle fatigue tests at room temperature. It is shown that macrocracks in these steels are formed only after completion of 20–30% of cycles of total deformation. Statistical analysis showed that the average length of slip bands and that of microcomponents of a macrocrack are equal, and they are always parallel to each other, that indicates their crystallographic character. Macrocracks preferably propagate through the grains with no apparent signs of plastic deformation and through isolated mesocracks, but not through mesocracks and grain boundaries.
Deriving dense linear algebra libraries
Authors: Bientinesi Paolo , Gunnels John A. , Myers Margaret E. , Quintana-Ortí Enrique S. , Rhodes Tyler , van de Geijn Robert A. , Van Zee Field G.
Published: January 2012

Starting in the late 1960s computer scientists including Dijkstra and Hoare advocated goal-oriented programming and the formal derivation of algorithms. The chief impediment to realizing this for loop-based programs was that
a priori
determination of loop-invariants, a prerequisite for developing loops, was a task too complex for any but the simplest of operations. Around 2000, these techniques were for the first time successfully applied to the domain of high-performance dense linear algebra libraries. This has led to a multitude of papers (mostly published in the ACM Transactions for Mathematical Software), a system for the mechanical derivation of algorithms, and a high-performance linear algebra library, , that includes more than a thousand variants of algorithms for more than a hundred linear algebra operations. To our knowledge, this success story has unfolded with limited awareness on the part the formal methods community. This paper reports on ten years of experience and is meant to raise that awareness.
Minimal invasive pyeloplasty technique with vertical surgical approach: An alternative to laparoscopic pyeloplasty
Authors: Şahin Coşkun , Kalkan Mehmet , Uzun Hakkı
Published: January 2012

This retrospective clinical study presents pyeloplasty results following a muscle‐splitting dissection, with mini‐flank incision, using instruments held in a vertical position. Between 2004 and 2010, dismembered pyeloplasty (Anderson‐Hynes) was performed in 37 cases (32 males and 5 females) with an average age of 26 years (range, 20–56 years). The technique was carried out through a window opened by separating the lateral abdominal muscles. Operation duration, length of incision, postoperative pain, complications, and radiological and clinical results were discussed. The operation duration was between 50 and 90 minutes (average = 65 minutes), the incisional length 5 and 7 cm (average = 5.2 cm), and visual pain scale was 4.1 ± 3.1 and 3.3 ± 3.4 at 4 and 24 hours after the operation, respectively. The duration of hospitalization was between 30 and 120 hours (average = 42 hours). In a retrospective analysis of our study, one case was reoperated on, following recurrence with obstruction, there were 9 cases with prolonged dilation in response to diuretics and 29 cases with complete recovery. Pyeloplasty operations, with a vertical surgical approach through smaller incisions and muscle separation, offered shorter periods of hospitalization, less postoperative pain, acceptable cosmetic results and higher rates of functional recovery.
Petrology of Precambrian metaultramafites of the Gridino high-pressure complex (Karelia)
Authors: Morgunova A.A. , Perchuk A.L.
Published: January 2012

Along with eclogitized gabbro and gabbronorite bodies, boudinaged metaultramafites such as garnet-pyroxene rocks and orthopyroxenites were revealed in the Archean plagiogneiss strata of the Gridino complex. The garnet-pyroxene rock crope out as a boudin on Vysokii Island. The early stage of the rock evolution is documented by inclusions of diabantite (Fe-Si chlorite), a mineral that occurs in metasomatized peridotites. Diabantite was found in all rock-forming minerals in paragenesis with mineral phases enriched in REE (Ce, Nd, La, etc.), U, and Th. The confinement of ore phases to the inclusion rims and the development of two systems of cracks, radial and concentric, around the inclusions in pyroxenes point to the transformation of the inclusions after their trapping. Thermobarometric studies of the crystal cores revealed that the anhydrous paragenesis garnet + orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene, which replaced the chlorite-bearing rock, formed at ~690 ºC and ~17 kbar. The rims of the rock-forming minerals reflect isothermal decompression to ~12 kbar, which was followed by decompression cooling to ~650 ºC and ~9 kbar with the formation of regressive amphibole-garnet-pyroxene paragenesis. The giant-grained orthopyroxenites compose chains of boudinaged bodies on Izbnaya Luda Island. The orthopyroxene crystals host abundant amphibole, quartz, biotite, and pyrite inclusions pointing to amphibolite metamorphism at the early stage of the rock evolution. There are two types of amphibole: magnesian hornblende and anthophyllite. The hornblende is a primary mineral, whereas the low-temperature anthophyllite forming rims around the quartz inclusions was produced at the regressive stage of metamorphism. There are no indicators of the PT-conditions of the peak metamorphism in the orthopyroxenite. The reaction enstatite + quartz + H2O = anthophyllite allows deciphering water activity of anthophyllite formation, a ≤ 0.5.
Interblock zones of the northwestern Baikal rift: results of geological and geophysical studies along the Bayandai Village–Cape Krestovskii profile
Authors: Seminskii K. Zh. , Kozhevnikov N.O. , Cheremnykh A.V. , Pospeeva E.V. , Bobrov A.A. , Olenchenko V.V. , Tugarina M.A. , Potapov V.V. , Burzunova Yu. P.
Published: January 2012

The structure of the Earth’s crust at the junction of the Siberian craton and Sayan–Baikal Fold Belt was studied along the Bayandai Village–Cape Krestovskii profile (85 km long) by a set of geological and geophysical methods: structural survey, interpretation of long-distance photographs, emanation survey, electrical prospecting with self-potential (SP) and direct-current (DC) resistivity profiling, magnetotelluric sounding, magnetic survey, and hydrogeochemical sampling of water objects. Interpretation of the data refined the main features of the tectonic structure of western Cisbaikalia and revealed the disruption pattern and hierarchic zone–block structure of the Earth’s crust. The Obruchev fault system (≈50 km wide), which is the northwestern shoulder of the Baikal Rift, is the main interblock zone of the studied region. It consists of the Morskoi, Primorskii, and Prikhrebtovyi interblock zones, traced from depths of tens of kilometers and widening near the surface owing to superior structures. The studies gave an insight into the regularities in the occurrence of interblock zones and the criteria for their identification in different geologic-geophysical fields. An efficient complex of methods for mapping the Earth’s crust zone–block structure is proposed.
Effect of carbon content on supersonic shear-layer instability
Authors: Massa Luca
Published: January 2012

Carbon chemistry and the endothermic reactions it supports were previously shown to delay hypersonic boundary-layer instability and transition. The present analysis addresses the analogous problem in free shear layers and arrives at the conclusion that the lack of the acoustic trapping mechanism implies that endothermic chemistry can lead to stabilization or destabilization of the shear layer depending on the free-stream temperature. This study identifies three mechanisms by which carbon chemistry affects instability and transition. The first is rooted in the changes to the inflectional profiles caused by the visco-chemical interaction. The second is due to damping of the perturbation by finite-rate chemistry. The third is linked to streamwise relaxation which delays the onset of secondary instability of vortical structures generated by a saturated primary instability wave. Linear analysis predicts changes in growth rate lower than 30 % for Mach numbers below 5. Nonlinear parabolized stability analysis predicts significantly larger differences, depending on whether the primary or secondary instability triggers the transition onset.
Effects of viscoelasticity in the high Reynolds number cylinder wake
Authors: Richter David , Iaccarino Gianluca , Shaqfeh Eric S. G.
Published: January 2012

At $\mathit{Re}= 3900$, Newtonian flow past a circular cylinder exhibits a wake and detached shear layers which have transitioned to turbulence. It is the goal of the present study to investigate the effects which viscoelasticity has on this state and to identify the mechanisms responsible for wake stabilization. It is found through numerical simulations (employing the FENE-P rheological model) that viscoelasticity greatly reduces the amount of turbulence in the wake, reverting it back to a state which qualitatively appears similar to the Newtonian mode B instability which occurs at lower $\mathit{Re}$. By focusing on the separated shear layers, it is found that viscoelasticity suppresses the formation of the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability which dominates for Newtonian flows, consistent with previous studies of viscoelastic free shear layers. Through this shear layer stabilization, the viscoelastic far wake is then subject to the same instability mechanisms which dominate for Newtonian flows, but at far lower Reynolds numbers.
Care trajectories through community and residential aged care services: disease effects
Authors: KARMEL ROSEMARY , GIBSON DIANE , ANDERSON PHIL , WELLS YVONNE , DUCKETT STEPHEN
Published: January 2012

As in other ageing populations, dementia, musculoskeletal conditions and cardiovascular disease affect a high proportion of Australians aged over 65 years, and the prevalence of these conditions increases significantly with age. People with these conditions may need to access a range of care services over time to enable them to remain living in their homes. Many eventually need to move into a nursing home.

In contrast to the considerable recent literature on the funding of long-term care systems for population ageing, studies on the care pathways followed by individuals are much less common. This paper explores the effect of disease on use of community care services and nursing homes over time, focusing on people with dementia, cardiovascular disease and musculoskeletal conditions. Care-use transitions are identified using linked administrative client data for a cohort of 33,300 community-living Australians who had an aged care assessment in 2003-04 and who had not previously used aged care services.

The different symptoms and courses of diseases meant that the patterns of aged care service use, both in terms of care services accessed and the timing of this access, varied considerably for people with different health conditions. These differences persisted across a range of client characteristics. In particular, people with dementia or cerebrovascular disease as their main health condition were more likely to enter nursing home care than those with heart disease or musculoskeletal conditions.

The variation in use of aged care services according to disease group need to be taken into account in any projections of demand for aged care. Such projections must allow for predictions of disease prevalence, or else they will yield inaccurate predictions of demand for both community and residential care.
The Effect of Path Length and Display Size on Memory for Spatial Information
Authors: Guérard Katherine , Tremblay Sébastien
Published: January 2012

In serial memory for spatial information, some studies showed that recall performance suffers when the distance between successive locations increases relatively to the size of the display in which they are presented (the path length effect; e.g., Parmentier et al., 2005) but not when distance is increased by enlarging the size of the display (e.g., Smyth & Scholey, 1994). In the present study, we examined the effect of varying the absolute and relative distance between to-be-remembered items on memory for spatial information. We manipulated path length using small (15″) and large (64″) screens within the same design. In two experiments, we showed that distance was disruptive mainly when it is varied relatively to a fixed reference frame, though increasing the size of the display also had a small deleterious effect on recall. The insertion of a retention interval did not influence these effects, suggesting that rehearsal plays a minor role in mediating the effects of distance on serial spatial memory. We discuss the potential role of perceptual organization in light of the pattern of results.
Spatial Reference in Multiple Object Tracking
Authors: Jahn Georg , Papenmeier Frank , Meyerhoff Hauke S. , Huff Markus
Published: January 2012

Spatial reference in multiple object tracking is available from configurations of dynamic objects and static reference objects. In three experiments, we studied the use of spatial reference in tracking and in relocating targets after abrupt scene rotations. Observers tracked 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 targets in 3D scenes, in which white balls moved on a square floor plane. The floor plane was either visible thus providing static spatial reference or it was invisible. Without scene rotations, the configuration of dynamic objects provided sufficient spatial reference and static spatial reference was not advantageous. In contrast, with abrupt scene rotations of 20°, static spatial reference supported in relocating targets. A wireframe floor plane lacking local visual detail was as effective as a checkerboard. Individually colored geometric forms as static reference objects provided no additional benefit either, even if targets were centered on these forms at the abrupt scene rotation. Individualizing the dynamic objects themselves by color for a brief interval around the abrupt scene rotation, however, did improve performance. We conclude that attentional tracking of moving targets proceeds within dynamic configurations but detached from static local background.
Quantum field theory on quantized Bergman domain
Authors: Grosse H. , Prešnajder P. , Wang Zhituo
Published: January 2012

We present an oscillator realization of discrete series representations of group SU(2, 2). We give formulas for the coherent state star-product quantization of a Bergman domain D. A formulation of a (regularized) noncommutative scalar field on a quantized D is given.
Correlation effects of π electrons on the band structures of conjugated polymers using the self-consistent GW approximation with vertex corrections
Authors: Chang Yao-Wen , Jin Bih-Yaw
Published: January 2012

Many-body perturbation theory is used to investigate the effect of π-electron correlations on the quasi-particle band structures of conjugated polymers at the level of the Pariser-Parr-Pople model. The self-consistent GW approximation with vertex corrections to both the self-energy and the polarization in Hedin's equations is employed in order to eliminate self-interaction errors and include the effects of electron-hole attraction in screening processes. The dynamic inverse dielectric function is constructed from the generalized plasmon-pole approximation with the static dressed polarization given by the coupled-perturbed Hartree-Fock equation. The bandgaps of trans-polyacetylene, trans-polyphenylenevinylene and poly(para)phenylene are calculated by both the Hartree-Fock and GW approximation, and a lowering of bandgaps due to electron correlations is found. We conclude that both dielectric screening and vertex corrections are important for calculating the quasi-particle bandgaps of conjugated polymers.
Slip length of water on graphene: Limitations of non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations
Authors: Kumar Kannam Sridhar , Todd B. D. , Hansen J. S. , Daivis Peter J.
Published: January 2012

Data for the flow rate of water in carbon nanopores is widely scattered, both in experiments and simulations. In this work, we aim at precisely quantifying the characteristic large slip length and flow rate of water flowing in a planar graphene nanochannel. First, we quantify the slip length using the intrinsic interfacial friction coefficient between water and graphene, which is found from equilibrium molecular dynamics (EMD) simulations. We then calculate the flow rate and the slip length from the streaming velocity profiles obtained using non-equilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations and compare with the predictions from the EMD simulations. The slip length calculated from NEMD simulations is found to be extremely sensitive to the curvature of the velocity profile and it possesses large statistical errors. We therefore pose the question: Can a micrometer range slip length be reliably determined using velocity profiles obtained from NEMD simulations? Our answer is “not practical, if not impossible” based on the analysis given as the results. In the case of high slip systems such as water in carbon nanochannels, the EMD method results are more reliable, accurate, and computationally more efficient compared to the direct NEMD method for predicting the nanofluidic flow rate and hydrodynamic boundary condition.
Electrospun carbon nanofibers surface-grafted with vapor-grown carbon nanotubes as hierarchical electrodes for supercapacitors
Authors: Zhou Zhengping , Wu Xiang-Fa , Fong Hao
Published: January 2012

This letter reports the fabrication and electrochemical properties of electrospun carbon nanofibers surface-grafted with vapor-grown carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as hierarchical electrodes for supercapacitors. The specific capacitance of the fabricated electrodes was measured up to 185 F/g at the low discharge current density of 625 mA/g; a decrease of 38% was detected at the high discharge current density of 2.5 A/g. The morphology and microstructure of the electrodes were examined by electron microscopy, and the unique connectivity of the hybrid nanomaterials was responsible for the high specific capacitance and low intrinsic contact electric resistance of the hierarchical electrodes.
A nanoporous optofluidic microsystem for highly sensitive and repeatable surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy detection
Authors: Yazdi Soroush H. , White Ian M.
Published: January 2012

We report the demonstration of an optofluidic surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) device that leverages a nanoporous microfluidic matrix to improve the SERS detection performance by more than two orders of magnitude as compared to a typical open microfluidic channel. Although it is a growing trend to integrate optical biosensors into microfluidic channels, this basic combination has been detrimental to the sensing performance when applied to SERS. Recently, however, synergistic combinations between microfluidic functions and photonics (i.e., optofluidics) have been implemented that improve the detection performance of SERS. Conceptually, the simplest optofluidic SERS techniques reported to date utilize a single nanofluidic channel to trap nanoparticle-analyte conjugates as a method of preconcentration before detection. In this work, we leverage this paradigm while improving upon the simplicity by forming a 3D nanofluidic network with packed nanoporous silica microspheres in a microfluidic channel; this creates a concentration matrix that traps silver nanoclusters and adsorbed analytes into the SERS detection volume. With this approach, we are able to achieve a detection limit of 400 attomoles of Rhodamine 6G after only 2 min of sample loading with high chip-to-chip repeatability. Due to the high number of fluidic paths in the nanoporous channel, this approach is less prone to clogging than single nanofluidic inlets, and the loading time is decreased compared to previous reports. In addition, fabrication of this microsystem is quite simple, as nanoscale fabrication is not necessary. Finally, integrated multimode fiber optic cables eliminate the need for optical alignment, and thus the device is relevant for portable and automated applications in the field, including point-of-sample and point-of-care detection. To illustrate a relevant field-based application, we demonstrate the detection of 12 ppb of the organophosphate malathion in water using the nanofluidic SERS microsystem.
Communication: High speed optical investigations of a character of boiling-up onset
Authors: Gurashkin A. L. , Starostin A. A. , Ermakov G. V. , Skripov P. V.
Published: January 2012

In this communication, we discuss the phenomenon of attainable superheat of liquid and the peculiarities of its release by spontaneous boiling-up. We have combined the apparatus for superheating, namely, bubble chamber, with a high speed micro-optical method for detailed monitoring of the initial stage of boiling-up. In experiments on the isothermal pressure drop, it was found that the boiling-up onset of n-hexane is accompanied by characteristic step signal. The signal has proved to be typical of the heterogeneous character of boiling-up onset in a whole range of superheating degrees. The performance of the method for investigation of the refractive index and density for superheated liquids as functions of temperature and pressure has been revealed. The experimental error is estimated to be 0.1%.
Laser micro-fabrication of concave, low-roughness features in silica
Authors: Hunger D. , Deutsch C. , Barbour R. J. , Warburton R. J. , Reichel J.
Published: January 2012

We describe a micro-fabrication method to create concave features with ultra-low roughness in silica, either on optical fibers or on flat substrates. The machining uses a single CO2 laser pulse train. Parameters are chosen such that evaporation removes material while a low-viscosity melt layer produces excellent surface quality. A surface roughness σ ∼ 0.2 nm is regularly obtained. The concave depressions are near-spherical close to the center with radii of curvature between 20 and 2000 μm. The method allows fabrication of low-scatter micro-optical devices such as mirror substrates for high-finesse cavities or negative lenses on fiber tips, extending the range of micro-optical components.
Alternative reading frame selection mediated by a tRNA-like domain of an internal ribosome entry site
Authors: Ren Qian , Wang Qing S. , Firth Andrew E. , Chan Mandy M. Y. , Gouw Joost W. , Guarna M. Marta , Foster Leonard J. , Atkins John F. , Jan Eric
Published: January 2012

The dicistrovirus intergenic region internal ribosome entry site (IRES) utilizes a unique mechanism, involving P-site tRNA mimicry, to directly assemble 80S ribosomes and initiate translation at a specific non-AUG codon in the ribosomal A site. A subgroup of dicistrovirus genomes contains an additional stem-loop 5′-adjacent to the IRES and a short open reading frame (ORFx) that overlaps the viral structural polyprotein ORF (ORF2) in the +1 reading frame. Using mass spectrometry and extensive mutagenesis, we show that, besides directing ORF2 translation, the Israeli acute paralysis dicistrovirus IRES also directs ORFx translation. The latter is mediated by a U∶G base pair adjacent to the P-site tRNA-mimicking domain. An ORFx peptide was detected in virus-infected honey bees by multiple reaction monitoring mass spectrometry. Finally, the 5′ stem-loop increases IRES activity and may couple translation of the two major ORFs of the virus. This study reveals a novel viral strategy in which a tRNA-like IRES directs precise, initiator Met-tRNA-independent translation of two overlapping ORFs.
Determination of IgG and IgA Antibodies Against Native Gliadin Is Not Helpful for the Diagnosis of Coeliac Disease in Children Up to 2 Years Old
Authors: Richter Thomas , Bossuyt Xavier , Vermeersch Pieter , Uhlig Holm H. , Stern Martin , Hauer Almuthe , Zimmer Klaus‐Peter , Mearin Luisa , de Roo Johanna Hendrika Clementina , Dähnrich Cornelia , Mothes Thomas
Published: January 2012

Objective:

Assays for antibodies against native gliadin (anti‐nGli) are still often assumed to perform better in the diagnosis of coeliac disease in young children than tests for antibodies to deamidated gliadin (anti‐dGli), tissue transglutaminase (anti‐tTG), and endomysium (EmA). We compared the performance of assays for anti‐nGli, anti‐dGli, anti‐tTG, and EmA in this age group.

Methods:

We investigated retrospectively 184 children (42 with coeliac disease under normal diet and 142 controls) up to 2 years of age. Immunoglobulin (Ig) A‐ and IgG‐anti‐dGli, IgA‐ and IgG‐anti‐nGli, IgA‐ and IgG‐anti‐tTG, and IgA‐EmA were measured in serum. Areas under receiver operating characteristics curves, sensitivities, specificities, positive and negative predictive values, positive and negative likelihood ratios, as well as diagnostic odds ratios were calculated.

Results:

From all of the tests investigated, only assays for IgG‐anti‐dGli, IgA‐anti‐tTG, and IgA‐EmA had high specificity (≥0.96) connected with high sensitivity (≥0.86), with high positive predictive values (≥0.52 and ≥0.69 at pretest probabilities of 0.05 and 0.1, respectively) and negative predictive values (≥0.99 and ≥0.98 at pretest probabilities of 0.05 and 0.1, respectively). These assays also showed high positive likelihood ratio (≥24) at low negative likelihood ratio (≤0.15) and high diagnostic odds ratios (≥136).

Conclusions:

Our results do not support the use of assays of anti‐nGli to diagnose coeliac disease in young children. IgA‐anti‐tTG, IgA‐EmA, and IgG‐anti‐dGli perform better than anti‐nGli.
Kistimonas scapharcae sp. nov., isolated from a dead ark clam (Scapharca broughtonii), and emended description of the genus

Kistimonas
Authors: Lee Jina , Shin Na-Ri , Lee Hae-Won , Roh Seong Woon , Kim Min-Soo , Kim Young-Ok , Bae Jin-Woo
Published: January 2012

A Gram-negative, motile, facultatively anaerobic rod, designated A36T, was isolated from a dead ark clam found on the south coast of Korea. The isolate was catalase- and oxidase-negative. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain A36T was most closely related to

Kistimonas asteriae

KMD 001T, with which it shared 98.2 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity. Strain A36T grew optimally at 30–37 °C, with 1 % (w/v) NaCl and at pH 8.0. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-9 (Q-9). The major polar lipids were phosphatidylserine, phosphoethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and diphosphatidylglycerol. The major fatty acids were summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or iso-C15 2-OH) and C16 : 0. The genomic DNA G+C content was 47.3 mol%. DNA–DNA relatedness between the isolate and

K. asteriae

JCM 15607T was <25±3 %. Strain A36T represents a novel species of the genus

Kistimonas

, for which the name Kistimonas scapharcae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is A36T ( = KACC 16204T  = JCM 17805T). An emended description of the genus

Kistimonas

is also provided.
Kaistia defluvii sp. nov., isolated from river sediment
Authors: Jin Long , Kim Kwang Kyu , Lee Hyung-Gwan , Ahn Chi-Yong , Oh Hee-Mock
Published: January 2012

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-motile, rod- and coccus-shaped bacterium, designated strain B6-12T, was isolated from sediment collected from the River Geumho in South Korea. In comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the novel strain appeared to be affiliated with the class

Alphaproteobacteria

and to be most closely related to

Kaistia adipata

KCTC 12095T,

Kaistia dalseonensis

DSM 18800T,

Kaistia geumhonensis

DSM 18799T,

Kaistia granuli

KCTC 12575T,

Kaistia soli

KACC 12605T and

Kaistia terrae

KACC 12910T, with sequence similarities of 96.2–99.1 %. The predominant ubiquinone in the isolate was Q-10, major fatty acids were C18 : 0, C18 : 1ω7c and C19 : 0ω8c cyclo, and genomic DNA G+C content was 63.0 mol%. Based on the phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic evidence and the results of DNA–DNA hybridizations, strain B6-12T represents a novel species in the genus

Kaistia

, for which the name Kaistia defluvii sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is B6-12T ( = KCTC 23766T  = JCM 18034T).
Acetylesterase-Mediated Deacetylation of Pectin Impairs Cell Elongation, Pollen Germination, and Plant Reproduction
Authors: Gou Jin-Ying , Miller Lisa M. , Hou Guichuan , Yu Xiao-Hong , Chen Xiao-Ya , Liu Chang-Jun
Published: January 2012

Pectin is a major component of the primary cell wall of higher plants. Some galacturonyl residues in the backbone of pectinaceous polysaccharides are often O-acetylated at the C-2 or C-3 position, and the resulting acetylesters change dynamically during the growth and development of plants. The processes involve both enzymatic acetylation and deacetylation. Through genomic sequence analysis, we identified a pectin acetylesterase (PAE1) from black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa). Recombinant Pt PAE1 exhibited preferential activity in releasing the acetate moiety from sugar beet (Beta vulgaris) and potato (Solanum tuberosum) pectin in vitro. Overexpressing Pt PAE1 in tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) decreased the level of acetyl esters of pectin but not of xylan. Deacetylation engendered differential changes in the composition and/or structure of cell wall polysaccharides that subsequently impaired the cellular elongation of floral styles and filaments, the germination of pollen grains, and the growth of pollen tubes. Consequently, plants overexpressing PAE1 exhibited severe male sterility. Furthermore, in contrast to the conventional view, PAE1-mediated deacetylation substantially lowered the digestibility of pectin. Our data suggest that pectin acetylesterase functions as an important structural regulator in planta by modulating the precise status of pectin acetylation to affect the remodeling and physiochemical properties of the cell wall's polysaccharides, thereby affecting cell extensibility.
Long‐term digital information preservation: challenges in Latin America
Authors: Voutssas Juan
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to summarize the current situation of digital preservation and describe the additional main challenges and issues faced in Latin American countries within the framework of the factors of digital preservation.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews the literature on existing digital information preservation around the world, and then focuses on Latin American countries. It proposes a framework in which to analyze the situation in developing countries, particularly in Latin America, and summarizes the issues in six preservation factors and seven principles of preservation.

Findings

The amount of digital information has increased geometrically without proper knowledge, theories, strategies, policies and proceedings to preserve it. Developed countries and regions have started to create this knowledge and know‐how, as well as setting the basis to manage their digital collections within libraries, archives, and other organizations with the aim to preserve them in the long‐term. The situation is radically different in Latin America where we found limited research and projects on digital preservation.

Practical implications

The problem of the long‐term authentic preservation of digital document collections is not a simple technology problem; it is a much more complex one. This paper summarizes the approaches to understand it but further study is required in order to develop a practical strategy and/or plan. It also highlights the importance of raising awareness of digital preservation in Latin America in order to ensure availability in the future.

Social implications

Research, planning, initiatives and proper execution in regard to digital collections preservation is extremely limited in Latin American developing countries, thus endangering vast amounts of digital information. There is a serious risk that valuable digital information will not be preserved adequately for future generations.

Originality/value

This paper reviews the main challenges for libraries and archives to preserve digital information over the long term and summarizes the main issues to understand and to thwart this problem. It also highlights the often overlooked problem of digital preservation in developing countries, in particular Latin America.
A framework for knowledge integration and diffusion
Authors: Liu Yuxian , Rafols Ismael , Rousseau Ronald
Published: January 2012

Purpose

This paper aims to introduce a general framework for the analysis of knowledge integration and diffusion using bibliometric data.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors propose that in order to characterise knowledge integration and diffusion of a given issue (the source, for example articles on a topic or by an organisation, etc.), one has to choose a set of elements from the source (the intermediary set, for example references, keywords, etc.). This set can then be classified into categories (cats), thus making it possible to investigate its diversity. The set can also be characterised according to the coherence of a network associated to it.

Findings

This framework allows a methodology to be developed to assess knowledge integration and diffusion. Such methodologies can be useful for a number of science policy issues, including the assessment of interdisciplinarity in research and dynamics of research networks.

Originality/value

The main contribution of this article is to provide a simple and easy to use generalisation of an existing approach to study interdisciplinarity, bringing knowledge integration and knowledge diffusion together in one framework.
Competence management in maintenance: case – Finnish forest company
Authors: Heilmann Pia , Heilmann Jouni
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to find out and understand the role of competence management in Finnish forest company maintenance. The key questions of this paper are: what is the required maintenance competence and how can this competence be achieved? Competence needs are here approached from the managerial perspective.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was qualitative by nature. In total, 29 managers and supervisors were interviewed with focused interview; 22 interviewees worked in maintenance and seven in production.

Findings

Competence management in forest company maintenance is twofold. First, the existing personnel's competence level should be developed. Second, the competence of new recruits should be taken care of. The co‐operation between maintenance and production is important in promoting competence development. The supervisors are responsible of the overall competence level of their subordinates. The transference of the tacit knowledge from a senior to a junior worker is important. The commitment of new personnel should be secured by training and during mentoring processes. Also the apprenticeship contract is important in improving the high level competence of maintenance personnel. It is necessary to have the right quality and quantity of competence available in right place at right time. Therefore, it is not essential to have all kinds of competence in every work unit. These specialists can rotate from one unit to another.

Research limitations/implications

This study included one Finnish forest company and competence was approached only from the managerial perspective. Therefore, the study is not comprehensive.

Practical implications

The paper provides information concerning competence development in maintenance, i.e. which are the necessary competences inside the company and how know‐how can be achieved and developed.

Originality/value

The paper provides useful information concerning competence management in industrial maintenance.
The roles of firms' motives in affecting the outcomes of ISO 9000 adoption
Authors: Prajogo Daniel I.
Published: January 2012

Purpose

Firms' motives in adopting ISO 9000 have been considered as one of the primary factors in determining benefits of the implementation of the standard. Literature commonly categorized motives for adopting ISO 9000 into two types, internal and external. The purpose of this paper is to examine three major strategic roles which these two types of motives play in affecting the result of the ISO 9000 adoption, namely goal, driver, and context. As a goal, motives reflect the firms' strategic outcomes in adopting ISO 9000. As a driver, motives determine the way firms implement the standard, and as a context, motives moderate the effect of implementation on firms' performance as the outcomes of ISO 9000 adoption.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 328 middle and senior managers of ISO 9001 certified firms in Australia who were responsible for managing quality system in their organizations.

Findings

Consistent with predictions, internal motives had a positive relationship with operational performance and implementation. Furthermore, from a strategic fit perspective, internal motives strengthened the relationship between implementation and performance. In contrast, external motives had no statistically significant relationship with performance and weakened the relationship between implementation and performance.

Practical implications

The results provide key insights for managers to appropriately evaluate their ISO 9000 certification motives and to give attention to the implementation of ISO 9000 standards. Firms can thus gain a better understanding of how performance is shaped from both the motives for and the implementation process of ISO 9000.

Originality/value

This paper is the first which articulates the multiple roles of firms' motives for adopting the ISO 9000 standard and examines their effects on firms' performance.
Momentum trading strategy and investment horizon: an experimental study
Authors: Khoroshilov Yuri
Published: January 2012

Purpose

Existing empirical studies that document momentum trading strategies do not provide any insight on how investors choose the time horizon that is used to compute the past stock returns. Indeed, since past returns over overlapping time periods are positively correlated, it is hard to identify the exact historical time period on which investors base their trading strategies and to investigate whether such a period is unique. The purpose of this paper is to investigate this and reach some conclusions.

Design/methodology/approach

In this paper the author uses experimental setting to analyze how investors choose which of the past returns to use as a basis for their trading strategies and whether this choice depends on their investment horizon. The advantage of this experimental setting over the existing empirical research is the ability to control for the investment horizon of the subjects and the ability to provide the subjects with a hand‐picked set of stocks with uncorrelated past returns over overlapping time periods. In the study subjects were asked to make short‐term investment decisions based on historical short‐term realized returns over two time intervals of different lengths. In each treatment the subjects were divided into two groups based on the lengths of their investment horizons, which were set to match the lengths of time intervals used to compute the historical returns.

Findings

It was found that subjects followed momentum trading strategies based on both historical returns provided to them and paid more attention to the historical returns over the shorter time period. In addition, some evidence was found that subjects with longer investment horizons rely less on momentum strategies.

Originality/value

A wide sample was used to create an original set of observations and conclusions.
Foreign trade zones in the United States
Authors: Seyoum Belay , Ramirez Juan
Published: January 2012

Purpose

In 2008, a bill was introduced in the 110th Congress (HR6415) to address the “unintended consequences” of US free trade agreements (US FTA) on manufacturers operating in US foreign trade zones (FTZs). Presently, US manufacturers operating in FTZs that use imported components pay a tariff (on finished goods entering the US market), which is not paid by their competitors in countries that have free trade agreements (FTAs) with the USA. The purpose of this paper is to explore the implications of a legislative proposal to address this issue (the bill is still under consideration and not yet been passed by Congress) for domestic firms and the overall economy.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper is largely based on the analysis of the legislative proposal (HR6415), and US trade data obtained from the United Nations.

Findings

The paper shows that the trade agreement parity (TAP) proposal may have the undesirable effect of encouraging local firms (in US FTZs) to use foreign components and increasing the trade deficit. It also shows that the proposal, by facilitating the entry of more foreign imports undermines the original purpose for which FTZs were designed.

Originality/value

There are no papers examining the implications of this Congressional bill on domestic competition and the overall US economy. This paper and its recommendations will help US policymakers to re‐evaluate the existing proposal and also revisit the role of FTZs in the US economy.
The ERP system impact on the role of accountants
Authors: Chen Hsueh‐Ju , Yan Huang Shaio , Chiu An‐An , Pai Fu‐Chuan
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the impact of an Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) system on the role of accountants, to provide job qualifications for their reference.

Design/methodology/approach

This research adopts the case study method, using on‐the‐spot interviews and a questionnaire to find out the effects of an ERP system on the role of accountants.

Findings

The role of accountants is mainly to be transaction data handlers and financial report providers. Clearly, accountants must have certain degree of knowledge in the realm of traditional finance accounting. In addition, accounting supervisors think implementing an ERP system changes the role of accountants.

Research limitations/implications

The data collected by the authors are mainly from the Shanghai Financial Center and regional businesses in Shanghai, Beijing and Taiwan. The authors are only able to study the impact of ERP systems on the role of accountants in the short‐term rather than in the long‐term.

Originality/value

It is widely accepted that an ERP system is more than just an accounting information system, so implementing an ERP system will not necessarily promote the positions of the accounting department and accountants on the subjective cognition of accountants. Accountants need to have knowledge of financial accounting, IT and management after ERP implementation.
Organizational rewards and employee commitment: a Chinese study
Authors: Newman Alexander , Sheikh Abdullah Z.
Published: January 2012

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to assess how the cultural value orientations of individual employees moderate their attitudinal responses to different categories of organizational rewards. Specifically, it seeks to examine how one dimension of traditionality, respect for authority, moderates the relationship between affective organizational commitment and three variables: pay satisfaction, autonomy and satisfaction with supervision.

Design/methodology/approach

Hierarchical regression analysis was utilized to analyze survey data obtained from a sample of 290 employees of a major Chinese airline company.

Findings

Employees high in traditionality were found to exhibit higher levels of affective commitment when autonomy and satisfaction with supervision was low. When autonomy and satisfaction with supervision was high employees low in traditionality exhibited higher levels of emotional attachment to the organization.

Research limitations/implications

The cross‐sectional design is an obvious limitation of the study. Another limitation relates to the generalizability of the study findings outside the context in which the research was undertaken.

Social implications

Organizations should consider taking the cultural orientations of their workforce into account when developing appropriate human resource policies aimed at heightening employee commitment. This should enhance employee well‐being, which is especially important in a global economy characterized by uncertainty and rapid change.

Originality/value

This is the first study to examine how employees with different cultural value orientations respond to different categories of organizational rewards, in a predominantly traditional society.