bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of ground substrate on establishment of reindeer lichen after artificial dispersal
Authors: Roturier Samuel , Bäcklund Sofia , Sundén Maria , Bergsten Urban
Published: March 2014

Methods to improve the recovery of reindeer lichen after soil disturbance or overgrazing are being sought for areas where reindeer are herded. The effects of four substrates â mineral soil, moss, twigs and pine bark â on the establishment of lichen fragments after total removal of the vegetation were thus studied in a middle-aged pine stand and a clear-cut, both located in a lichen-rich pine-heath. Cladina mitis fragments of two sizes were manually dispersed in 1 m quadrats and their movements from their respective dispersal points were registered after one year. The natural re-establishment of lichens in the quadrats was monitored over three years by using digital pictures. In the forest stand, no significant differences were detected in either the fragment movement or the lichen establishment between the different substrates, but the fragment size had positive effects on both parameters. In the clear-cut, the moss substrate was the most suitable not only for the artificially dispersed lichens to fasten to, but also for the natural settlement of lichens from the surrounding lichen mat. More lichen thalli fastened to the bark and twigs substrates than to the mineral soil, but the settlement of lichens from the surrounding was greater on bare mineral soil substrate. The results indicate that artificial dispersal of lichen thalli on an appropriate substrate could be a successful strategy for promoting lichen recovery.2
Rare event simulation for diffusion processes via two-stage importance sampling
Authors: Metzler Adam , Scott Alexandre
Published: March 2014

We consider the problem of estimating expected values of functionals of real-valued diffusions over regions in path space that have very small probability. We propose a two-stage importance sampling procedure that first converts the problem into one involving standard Brownian motion and then addresses the rare event problem in this simpler setting. In order to identify an effective yet practical importance measure we propose using a time-dependent deterministic drift that minimizes the relative entropy between the corresponding importance measure and the conditional law of the standard Brownian motion, given that its trajectory lies in the region of interest. We provide numerical evidence that (i) our entropy-based criteria performs favourably with an alternative, but less general and less practical, criteria based on large deviations and (ii) our two-stage procedure performs admirably in cases where the region of interest is so rare that crude estimators fail completely.
Bernardo de Brihuega y la colección hagiográfica del ms. BNE 10252
Authors: Bautista Francisco
Published: March 2014

The article offers a study of the hagiographical collection contained in MS BNE 10252. The author discusses the material characteristics of the codex, the sources of the collection and its organization. All this proves its independence from theLegenda aureaby Jacopo da Varazze and from the rest of Castilian hagiographical collections in vernacular. Subsequently, the relationship of MS 10252 with the PortugueseVidas e paixões dos apóstolos(a translation made during the fourteenth century), based on a section of Bernardo de Brihuega’sVitae patrum(c. 1270), is examined. The connections between the Castilian collection and theVidas e paixõesshow that both derive in part from the same translation and adaptation of theVitae patrum, which was procuced most likely at the court of Alfonso X (1252–1284), in the context of the composition of theGeneral estoria.
Notas sobre las interferencias lingüísticas del catalán en el español de Cataluña
Authors: Sastre Moisés Selfa
Published: March 2014

The Spanish used in Catalonia presents, mostly in oral contexts, but also often in writing, cases of lexical calques and literal translations from the other official language with which it coexists in this geographical area: Catalan. In this paper, we deal with the verbs and verbal usages in the Spanish language used in Catalonia, in which interference phenomena appears in the speech of our informants. The examples found and hereby literally transcribed spring from conversations held with native Spanish speakers in Catalonia. As we will explain in this paper, this phenomenon, the interference of Catalan in the Spanish used in Catalonia, is one of the features that best characterizes the spoken use of Spanish in the Catalan territory. We will also show how, in some cases, the Spanish Catalan-influenced verb usage is not ungrammatical but there exist more appropriate normative verbal choices to use in oral contexts.
Vita et Sito de Zychi di Giorgio Interiano
Authors: Crifò Francesco , Schweickard Wolfgang
Published: March 2014

The Vita et Sito de Zychi of Giorgio Interiano which appeared in 1502 has received little attention so far. This paper provides a historical and linguistic classification, detailed information about the existing editions and translations and their reception as well as a complete annotated transcription of the Editio princeps from 1502.
A Computer Vision Approach to Automatically Measure the Initial Spin-Rate of Artillery Projectiles Painted With Stripes
Authors: Decker Ryan J. , Kölsch Mathias , Yakimenko Oleg A.
Published: March 2014

High-speed video has been used by ballistics engineers as a cost-effective technique to measure the spin-rates of both spin-stabilized and fin-stabilized artillery projectiles. Often at test ranges, state-of-the-art video systems are used to verify critical launch events following muzzle exit. From manual analysis of these videos, important performance metrics such as velocity, pitch angle, and spin-rate can be estimated. To do this, operators step through the video frames and record the time at which certain fiducial markings or numbered stripes are observed on the projectile as it rotates. The different methods evaluated in this paper are automated processes for calculating the muzzle-exit spin-rate from launch videos of spin-stabilized artillery projectiles painted with stripes. Image processing and computer vision techniques are employed to segment the shape of the projectile and extract the stripe pattern in each video frame. The most accurate algorithm estimates are validated to within 0.02 % for both laboratory and computer-simulated flight video and within 0.13 % for manual analysis of real flight video. The sensitivities of the methods to image resolution, video frame-rate, and the length of flight captured are evaluated. Areas of continued research and recommendations for increasing the accuracy of measurements in future tests are also identified.
Suppression of cerebral aneurysm formation in rats by a tumor necrosis factor–α inhibitor
Authors: Yokoi Toshihiro , Isono Takahiro , Saitoh Makoto , Yoshimura Yayoi , Nozaki Kazuhiko
Published: March 2014

Object

Although cerebral aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage is a devastating disease for humans, effective medical treatments have not yet been established. Recent reports have shown that regression of some inflammatory-related mediators has protective effects in experimental cerebral aneurysm models. This study corroborated the effectiveness of tumor necrosis factor–α (TNF-α) inhibitor for experimentally induced cerebral aneurysms in rats.

Methods

Five-week-old male rats were prepared for induction of cerebral aneurysms and divided into 3 groups, 2 groups administered different concentrations of a TNF-α inhibitor (etanercept), and 1 control group. One month after aneurysm induction, 7-T MRI was performed. The TNF-α inhibitor groups received subcutaneous injection of 25 μg or 2.5 μg of etanercept, and the control group received subcutaneous injection of normal saline every week. The TNF-α inhibitor administrations were started at 1 month after aneurysm induction to evaluate its suppressive effects on preexisting cerebral aneurysms. Arterial circles of Willis were obtained and evaluated 3 months after aneurysm induction.

Results

Rats administered a TNF-α inhibitor experienced significant increases in media thickness and reductions in aneurysmal size compared with the control group. Immunohistochemical staining showed that treatment with a TNF-α inhibitor suppressed matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)–9 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) expression through the luminal surface of the endothelial cell layer, the media and the adventitia at the site of aneurysmal formation, and the anterior cerebral artery–olfactory artery bifurcation. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction also showed suppression of MMP-9 and iNOS by TNF-α inhibitor administration.

Conclusions

Therapeutic administration of a TNF-α inhibitor significantly reduced the formation of aneurysms in rats. These data also suggest that TNF-α suppression reduced some inflammatory-related mediators that are in the downstream pathway of nuclear factor-κB.
Microstructured Block Copolymer Surfaces for Control of Microbe Adhesion and Aggregation
Authors: Hansen Ryan , Shubert Katherine , Morrell-Falvey Jennifer , Lokitz Bradley , Doktycz Mitchel , Retterer Scott
Published: March 2014

The attachment and arrangement of microbes onto a substrate is influenced by both the biochemical and physical surface properties. In this report, we develop lectin-functionalized substrates containing patterned, three-dimensional polymeric structures of varied shapes and densities and use these to investigate the effects of topology and spatial confinement on lectin-mediated microbe immobilization. Films of poly(glycidyl methacrylate)-block-4,4-dimethyl-2-vinylazlactone (PGMA-b-PVDMA) were patterned on silicon surfaces into line arrays or square grid patterns with 5 μm wide features and varied pitch. The patterned films had three-dimensional geometries with 900 nm film thickness. After surface functionalization with wheat germ agglutinin, the size of Pseudomonas fluorescens aggregates immobilized was dependent on the pattern dimensions. Films patterned as parallel lines or square grids with a pitch of 10 μm or less led to the immobilization of individual microbes with minimal formation of aggregates. Both geometries allowed for incremental increases in aggregate size distribution with each increase in pitch. These engineered surfaces combine spatial confinement with affinity-based capture to control the extent of microbe adhesion and aggregation, and can also be used as a platform to investigate intercellular interactions and biofilm formation in microbial populations of controlled sizes.
Meta-Analysis of Mitochondrial DNA Reveals Several Population Bottlenecks during Worldwide Migrations of Cattle
Authors: Lenstra Johannes , Ajmone-Marsan Paolo , Beja-Pereira Albano , Bollongino Ruth , Bradley Daniel , Colli Licia , De Gaetano Anna , Edwards Ceiridwen , Felius Marleen , Ferretti Luca , Ginja Catarina , Hristov Peter , Kantanen Juha , Lirón Juan , Magee David , Negrini Riccardo , Radoslavov Georgi
Published: March 2014

Several studies have investigated the differentiation of mitochondrial DNA in Eurasian, African and American cattle as well as archaeological bovine material. A global survey of these studies shows that haplogroup distributions are more stable in time than in space. All major migrations of cattle have shifted the haplogroup distributions considerably with a reduction of the number of haplogroups and/or an expansion of haplotypes that are rare or absent in the ancestral populations. The most extreme case is the almost exclusive colonization of Africa by the T1 haplogroup, which is rare in Southwest Asian cattle. In contrast, ancient samples invariably show continuity with present-day cattle from the same location. These findings indicate strong maternal founder effects followed by limited maternal gene flow when new territories are colonized. However, effects of adaptation to new environments may also play a role.
Symmetric Informationally-Complete Quantum States as Analogues to Orthonormal Bases and Minimum-Uncertainty States
Authors: Appleby D. , Dang Hoan , Fuchs Christopher
Published: March 2014

Recently there has been much effort in the quantum information community to prove (or disprove) the existence of symmetric informationally complete (SIC) sets of quantum states in arbitrary finite dimension. This paper strengthens the urgency of this question by showing that if SIC-sets exist: (1) by a natural measure of orthonormality, they are as close to being an orthonormal basis for the space of density operators as possible; and (2) in prime dimensions, the standard construction for complete sets of mutually unbiased bases and Weyl-Heisenberg covariant SIC-sets are intimately related: The latter represent minimum uncertainty states for the former in the sense of Wootters and Sussman. Finally, we contribute to the question of existence by conjecturing a quadratic redundancy in the equations for Weyl-Heisenberg SIC-sets.
Illuminating the Transcriptome through the Genome
Authors: Elliott David
Published: March 2014

Sequencing the human genome was a huge milestone in genetic research that revealed almost the total DNA sequence required to create a human being. However, in order to function, the DNA genome needs to be expressed as an RNA transcriptome. This article reviews how knowledge of genome sequence information has led to fundamental discoveries in how the transcriptome is processed, with a focus on new system-wide insights into how pre-mRNAs that are encoded by split genes in the genome are rearranged by splicing into functional mRNAs. These advances have been made possible by the development of new post-genome technologies to probe splicing patterns. Transcriptome-wide approaches have characterised a “splicing code” that is embedded within and has a significant role in deciphering the genome, and is deciphered by RNA binding proteins. These analyses have also found that most human genes encode multiple mRNA isoforms, and in some cases proteins, leading in turn to a re-assessment of what exactly a gene is. Analysis of the transcriptome has given insights into how the genome is packaged and transcribed, and is helping to explain important aspects of genome evolution.
Modeling Cycle Dependence in Credit Insurance
Authors: Caja Anisa , Planchet Frédéric
Published: March 2014

Business and credit cycles have an impact on credit insurance, as they do on other businesses. Nevertheless, in credit insurance, the impact of the systemic risk is even more important and can lead to major losses during a crisis. Because of this, the insurer surveils and manages policies almost continuously. The management actions it takes limit the consequences of a downturning cycle. However, the traditional modeling of economic capital does not take into account this important feature of credit insurance. This paper proposes a model aiming to estimate future losses of a credit insurance portfolio, while taking into account the insurer’s management actions. The model considers the capacity of the credit insurer to take on less risk in the case of a cycle downturn, but also the inverse, in the case of a cycle upturn; so, losses are predicted with a more dynamic perspective. According to our results, the economic capital is over-estimated when not considering the management actions of the insurer.
Planning for Climatic Extremes and Variability: A Review of Swedish Municipalities’ Adaptation Responses
Authors: Wamsler Christine , Brink Ebba
Published: March 2014

Climate change poses a serious challenge to sustainable urban development worldwide. In Sweden, climate change work at the city level emerged in 1996 and has long had a focus on mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. City planners’ “adaptation turn” is recent and still ongoing. This paper presents a meta-evaluation of Swedish municipal adaptation approaches, and how they relate to institutional structures at different levels. The results show that although increasing efforts are being put into the identification of barriers to adaptation planning, in contrast, there is little assessment or systematization of the actual adaptation measures and mainstreaming strategies taken. On this basis, opportunities for advancing a more comprehensive approach to sustainable adaptation planning at both the local and institutional level are discussed.
Challenges and complexities of multifrequency atomic force microscopy in liquid environments
Authors: Solares Santiago D
Published: March 2014

This paper illustrates through numerical simulation the complexities encountered in high-damping AFM imaging, as in liquid enviroments, within the specific context of multifrequency atomic force microscopy (AFM). The focus is primarily on (i) the amplitude and phase relaxation of driven higher eigenmodes between successive tip–sample impacts, (ii) the momentary excitation of non-driven higher eigenmodes and (iii) base excitation artifacts. The results and discussion are mostly applicable to the cases where higher eigenmodes are driven in open loop and frequency modulation within bimodal schemes, but some concepts are also applicable to other types of multifrequency operations and to single-eigenmode amplitude and frequency modulation methods.
Conformation of dehydropentapeptides containing four achiral amino acid residues – controlling the role of L-valine
Authors: Jewgiński Michał , Krzciuk-Gula Joanna , Makowski Maciej , Latajka Rafał , Kafarski Paweł
Published: March 2014

Structural studies of pentapeptides containing an achiral block, built from two dehydroamino acid residues (ΔZPhe and ΔAla) and two glycines, as well as one chiral L-Val residue were performed using NMR spectroscopy. The key role of the L-Val residue in the generation of the secondary structure of peptides is discussed. The obtained results suggest that the strongest influence on the conformation of peptides arises from a valine residue inserted at the C-terminal position. The most ordered conformation was found for peptide Boc-Gly-ΔAla-Gly-ΔZPhe-Val-OMe (3), which adopts a right-handed helical conformation.
Analysis and standardization of landings per unit effort of red shrimp Aristeus antennatus from the trawl fleet of Barcelona (NW Mediterranean)
Authors: Mamouridis Valeria , Maynou Francesc , Aneiros Pérez Germán
Published: March 2014

Monthly landings and effort data from the Barcelona trawl fleet (NW Mediterranean) were selected to analyse and standardize the landings per unit effort (LPUE) of the red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) using generalized additive models. The dataset covers a span of 15 years (1994-2008) and consists of a broad spectrum of predictors: fleet-dependent (e.g. number of trips performed by vessels and their technical characteristics, such as the gross registered tonnage), temporal (inter- and intra-annual variability), environmental (North Atlantic Oscillation [NAO] index) and economic (red shrimp and fuel prices) variables. All predictors individually have an impact on LPUE, though some of them lose their predictive power when considered jointly. That is the case of the NAO index. Our results show that six variables from the whole set can be incorporated into a global model with a total explained deviance (ED) of 43%. We found that the most important variables were effort-related predictors (trips, tonnage, and groups) with a total ED of 20.58%, followed by temporal variables, with an ED of 13.12%, and finally the red shrimp price as an economic predictor with an ED of 9.30%. Taken individually, the main contributing variable was the inter-annual variability (ED=12.40%). This high ED value suggests that many factors correlated with inter-annual variability, such as environmental factors (the NAO in specific years) and fuel price, could in turn affect LPUE variability. The standardized LPUE index with the effort variability removed was found to be similar to the fishery-independent abundance index derived from the MEDITS programme.
Preliminary report on the Copper deposits, Coppermine river area, district of Mackenzie
Authors: Kindle E D
Published: March 2014

Most copper deposits in the Copperrnine River area are either syngenetic or epigenetic. Fourteen classes of deposits are described briefly and certain conclusions drawn concerning the origin of the lode copper deposits.
Time-domain electromagnetic data for the Spiritwood valley aquifer, Manitoba
Authors: Oldenborger G A , Brewer K
Published: March 2014

This Open File reports on recent time-domain electromagnetic geophysical data collected and processed by the Geological Survey of Canada as part of the Aquifer Assessment and Support to Mapping project within the Groundwater Geoscience Program. A 1062 km2 area of
the Spiritwood valley aquifer in southern Manitoba has been developed as a site for testing the application of airborne electromagnetics and other surface and downhole geophysical methods for regional mapping and characterization of buried valley aquifers in Canada. In November of 2013, time-domain
electromagnetic soundings were performed at selected sites to better constrain the airborne results. One-dimensional modelling and inversion of the data show marked variability in the data and the resistivity models between different geological settings. In particular, depth to bedrock is clearly
resolved in the models and the incised buried valley interpreted from the regional airborne survey is associated with a relatively strong resistive anomaly indicative of coarser grained material or a high-potential aquifer.
Ionospheric assimilation of radio occultation and ground-based GPS data using non-stationary background model error covariance
Authors: Lin C. Y. , Matsuo T. , Liu J. Y. , Lin C. H. , Tsai H. F. , Araujo-Pradere E. A.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. Ionospheric data assimilation is a powerful approach to reconstruct the 3-D distribution of the ionospheric electron density from various types of observations. We present a data assimilation model for the ionosphere, based on the Gauss–Markov Kalman filter with the International Reference Ionosphere (IRI) as the background model, to assimilate two different types of total electron content (TEC) observations from ground-based GPS and space-based FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC (F3/C) radio occultation. Covariance models for the background model error and observational error play important roles in data assimilation. The objective of this study is to investigate impacts of stationary (location-independent) and non-stationary (location-dependent) classes of the background model error covariance on the quality of assimilation analyses. Location-dependent correlations are modeled using empirical orthogonal functions computed from an ensemble of the IRI outputs, while location-independent correlations are modeled using a Gaussian function. Observing System Simulation Experiments suggest that assimilation of TEC data facilitated by the location-dependent background model error covariance yields considerably higher quality assimilation analyses. Results from assimilation of real ground-based GPS and F3/C radio occultation observations over the continental United States are presented as TEC and electron density profiles. Validation with the Millstone Hill incoherent scatter radar data and comparison with the Abel inversion results are also presented. Our new ionospheric data assimilation model that employs the location-dependent background model error covariance outperforms the earlier assimilation model with the location-independent background model error covariance, and can reconstruct the 3-D ionospheric electron density distribution satisfactorily from both ground- and space-based GPS observations.
Evidence of transient reconnection in the outflow jet of primary reconnection site
Authors: Wang R. , Nakamura R. , Zhang T. , Du A. , Baumjohann W. , Lu Q. , Fazakerley A. N.
Published: March 2014

Abstract. The precise mechanism for the formation of magnetic islands in the magnetotail and the subsequent evolution are still controversial. New investigations have provided the first observational evidence of secondary reconnection in the earthward outflow jet of primary reconnection in the magnetotail. The secondary reconnection takes place 38 c/ωpi earthward from the primary reconnection site and results in the birth of a magnetic island observed. This generation mechanism is different from the widely used model of multiple reconnection X-lines. The duration of the secondary reconnection was approximate one ion gyration period (5 s). The observations resemble recent numerical simulations where magnetic reconnection could spontaneously and transiently happen in the outflow jet, called secondary reconnection, which was used to explain the formation of the dipolarization fronts. Coincidentally, another magnetic island moving earthward passed through three satellites successively. By this chance we find the magnetic island was accelerated towards Earth with an acceleration of about 9 km s−2 at −19 RE in the magnetotail.
Microsurgery: The Top 50 Classic Papers in Plastic Surgery: A Citation Analysis
Authors: Joyce Cormac Weekes , Carroll Sean Michael
Published: March 2014

Background
The number of citations that a published article has received reflects the importance of the paper in the particular area of practice. In microsurgery, thus far, which journal articles are cited most frequently is unknown. The purpose of this study was to identify and analyze the characteristics of the top 50 papers in the field of microsurgery in the plastic surgery literature.

Methods
The 50 most cited papers published in high impact plastic surgery and microsurgery journals were identified. The articles were ranked in the order of the number of citations received. These 50 classic papers were analyzed for article type, journal distribution, and geographic and institutional origin.

Results
Six international journals contributed to the top 50 papers in microsurgery. The most cited paper reported on the early use of the vascularized bone graft and was cited 116 times. The top 50 papers originated from just 10 countries with the United States producing the most. The Preston and Northcote Community Hospital, Melbourne published 5 papers and this was the most productive institution in the top 50.

Conclusions
These papers represent many important milestones in the relatively short history of microsurgery. Furthermore, our citation analysis provides useful information to budding authors as to what makes a paper attain a "classic" status.
Temporal and spatial evolution of auroral electron energy spectra in a region surrounding the magnetic zenith
Authors: Tuttle S. , Gustavsson B. , Lanchester B.
Published: March 2014

We present a new method for estimating the spatial and temporal evolution of the auroral electron energy spectrum at subkilometer and subsecond scales using optical and incoherent scatter radar data. This method is applied to an event on 12 December 2006 when a thin auroral arc that exhibits subkilometer structuring is observed. The energy spectrum and resultant emission rates are estimated for a 10 s period when the arc was in the field of view of the optical instrumentation. Modeled images of the observed aurora are produced using the estimated emission rates and compared with the optical observations of the aurora. We find the modeled images reproduce the structure and dynamics of the observed aurora to within the uncertainties of the models used. The brightness underestimate of about 30% can be explained by the underestimate of the energy flux from the radar measurements.
A cascading failure during the 24 May 2013 great Okhotsk deep earthquake
Authors: Chen Yu , Wen Lianxing , Ji Chen
Published: March 2014

On 24 May 2013, the largest ever‐recorded deep earthquake occurred beneath Sea of Okhotsk. A multiple point source inversion procedure is applied to constrain source process of this earthquake, based on waveform modeling of both direct P and SH waves and near‐surface reflected pP and sSH waves. Our results indicate that the earthquake consists of six major subevents separated in space and time, encompassing a horizontal dimension of 64 ± 4 km along ~ N160°E and a downward depth extension of 35 ± 4 km. The geographic distribution and focal mechanisms of the inferred subevents and foreshock/aftershock locations do not fit into plane rupture. We suggest that the earthquake can be best explained by a cascading failure of shear instability within preexisting weak zones in the region, with the perturbation of stress generated by a shear instability triggering another.
Enhanced Light Harvesting in Organic Solar Cells Featuring a Biomimetic Active Layer and a Self‐Cleaning Antireflective Coating
Authors: Chen Jing‐De , Zhou Lei , Ou Qing‐Dong , Li Yan‐Qing , Shen Su , Lee Shuit‐Tong , Tang Jian‐Xin
Published: March 2014

Advanced light manipulation is extremely attractive for applications in organic optoelectronics to enhance light harvesting efficiency. A novel method of fabricating high‐efficiency organic solar cells (OSCs) is proposed using biomimetic moth eye nanostructures in a quasi‐periodic gradient shape active layer and an antireflective coating. A 24.3% increase in photocurrent is realized without sacrificing dark electrical properties, yielding a 22.2% enhancement in power conversion efficiency to a record of 7.86% for OSCs with a poly(3‐hexylthiophene‐2,5‐diyl):indene‐C60 bis‐adduct (P3HT:ICBA) active layer. The experimental and theoretical characterizations verify that the substantial improvement of OSCs is mainly ascribed to the self‐enhanced absorption resulting from the broadband polarization‐insensitive light trapping in biomimetic nanostructured active layer, the reduction in reflectance by the antireflective coating, and surface plasmonic effect excited by corrugated metallic electrode. It is noteworthy that the pathway described here is promising for opening up opportunities to realize high‐performance OSCs towards the future photovoltaic applications.
Return of results: Ethical and legal distinctions between research and clinical care
Authors: Burke Wylie , Evans Barbara J , Jarvik Gail P
Published: March 2014

The return of individual results to research participants has been vigorously debated. Consensus statements indicate that researchers and bioethicists consider the return of research results most appropriate when the findings are clinically relevant. Even when clinical utility is the motivator, however, the return of individual research results is not equivalent to clinical care. There are important differences in the domains of research and medical care, both from a legal standpoint and in terms of the ethical responsibilities of clinicians and researchers. As a corollary, researchers risk promoting a therapeutic misconception if they create quasi‐clinical settings for return of clinically relevant research results. Rather, efforts should be focused on clarity in the provision of research results, appropriate caveats and, most important, appropriate referrals when the results may be helpful to consider in medical care. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Implementation of pharmacogenetics: The University of Maryland personalized anti‐platelet pharmacogenetics program
Authors: Shuldiner Alan R. , Palmer Kathleen , Pakyz Ruth E. , Alestock Tameka D. , Maloney Kristin A. , O'Neill Courtney , Bhatty Shaun , Schub Jamie , Overby Casey Lynnette , Horenstein Richard B. , Pollin Toni I. , Kelemen Mark D. , Beitelshees Amber L. , Robinson Shawn W. , Blitzer Miriam G. , McArdle Patrick F. , Brown Lawrence , Jeng Linda Jo Bone , Zhao Richard Y. , Ambulos Nicholas , Vesely Mark R.
Published: March 2014

Despite a substantial evidence base, implementation of pharmacogenetics into routine patient care has been slow due to a number of non‐trivial practical barriers. We implemented a Personalized Anti‐platelet Pharmacogenetics Program (PAP3) for cardiac catheterization patients at the University of Maryland Medical Center and the Baltimore Veterans Administration Medical Center Patients' are offered CYP2C19 genetic testing, which is performed in our Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendment (CLIA)‐certified Translational Genomics Laboratory. Results are returned within 5 hr along with clinical decision support that includes interpretation of results and prescribing recommendations for anti‐platelet therapy based on the Clinical Pharmacogenetics Implementation Consortium guidelines. Now with a working template for PAP3, implementation of other drug‐gene pairs is in process. Lessons learned as described in this article may prove useful to other medical centers as they implement pharmacogenetics into patient care, a critical step in the pathway to personalized and genomic medicine. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Dielectric properties of C60 and Sc3N@C80 fullerenol containing polyurethane nanocomposites
Authors: Ahmed Hanaa M. , Hassan Mohammad K. , Mauritz Kenneth A. , Bunkley Steven L. , Buchanan Randy K. , Buchanan J. Paige
Published: March 2014

Polymer–fullerene nanocomposites consisting of linear polyurethane (PU) chains crosslinked via increasing loadings of polyhydroxylated fullerenes (C60 and Sc3N@C80, a metallic nitride fullerene) were prepared and characterized for their mechanical and dielectric properties using dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and broadband dielectric spectroscopy (BDS). Fullerene–polymer networks [C60‐PU and Sc3N@C80‐PU] having high gel fractions, good mechanical properties and thermal stabilities were produced. Polyhydroxylated fullerenes C60(OH)29 and Sc3N@C80(OH)18 were synthesized in high yield through a high‐speed vibration milling method and characterized using FTIR, matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectroscopy, and thermal gravimetric analysis. DMA of fullerene–PU networks indicates Tg ∼ −50°C, with a sub‐Tg relaxation due to local chain motions. BDS analyses of the fullerenes, before and after hydroxylation and before incorporation into the networks, revealed one relaxation and large real permittivity (ε′) values for C60(OH)29 relative to C60. Analogous samples for Sc3N@C80 exhibit two relaxations, where the extra relaxation is attributed to motions of the cage‐encapsulated Sc3N clusters. ε′ values for Sc3N@C80‐PU at a given frequency are higher than corresponding values for C60‐PU, likely because of the rotationally mobile Sc3N encapsulates. Surface and bulk resistivities of fullerene–PU networks were found to have a modest dependence on relative humidity. Capacitance versus voltage characteristics of the fullerene–PUs were also studied in the range of the applied dc bias voltage of −30 to +30 v. It is generally concluded, based on all the evidence that this class of materials can be rendered quite polarizable and could be used as high dielectric permittivity materials in capacitance applications. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40577.
Controllable extracellular biosynthesis of bismuth sulfide nanostructure by sulfate‐reducing bacteria in water–oil two‐phase system
Authors: Yue Lei , Wu Ying , Liu Xin , Xin Baoping , Chen Shi
Published: March 2014

Due to strong hydrolysis of Bi3+ as precursor in aqueous media, there are no reports on biosynthesis of bismuth sulfide (Bi2S3) nanomaterials. In this work, the water–oil two‐phase system was used to biosynthesize the Bi2S3 nanomaterials based on the coupling reaction of biological reduction and chemical precipitation process for the first time. The results showed that the water–oil two‐phase system successfully eliminated hydrolysis of the Bi3+ and controllably and extracellularly fabricated the Bi2S3 crystal with high purity. The nanorods with diameter of about 100 nm and length of about 1.0 μm were attained under high dose of lactic acid and SO42−; while low dose obtained the nanobundles consisted of nanoneedles with tip diameter of 10–20 nm and length of about 5.0–10.0 μm. The Bi2S3 nanorods as photocatalyst almost completely degraded methylene blue from solution within 12 h; whereas the Bi2S3 nanobundles removed about 87% of the dye. The amount of the Bi2S3 nanorods decreased by 48% due to photocorrosion, whereas 52% with the nanobundles. The Bi2S3 nanorods had relatively higher photocatalysis activity and slightly stronger photocorrosion resistance than the Bi2S3 nanobundles. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:960–966, 2014
Internal virus polarization model for virus retention by the Ultipor®VF Grade DV20 membrane
Authors: Jackson Nigel B. , Bakhshayeshi Meisam , Zydney Andrew L. , Mehta Amit , van Reis Robert , Kuriyel Ralf
Published: March 2014

Several recent studies have reported a decline in virus retention during virus challenge filtration experiments, although the mechanism(s) governing this phenomenon for different filters remains uncertain. Experiments were performed to evaluate the retention of PP7 and PR772 bacteriophage through Ultipor VF Grade DV20 virus filters during constant pressure filtration. While the larger PR772 phage was fully retained under all conditions, a 2‐log decline in retention of the small PP7 phage was observed at high throughputs, even under conditions where there was no decline in filtrate flux. In addition, prefouling the membrane with an immunoglobulin G solution had no effect on phage retention. An internal polarization model was developed to describe the decline in phage retention arising from the accumulation of phage in the upper (reservoir) layer within the filter which increases the challenge to the lower (rejection) layer. Independent support for this internal polarization phenomenon was provided by confocal microscopy of fluorescently labeled phage within the membrane. The model was in good agreement with phage retention data over a wide range of phage titers, confirming that virus retention is throughput dependent and supporting current recommendations for virus retention validation studies. These results provide important insights into the factors governing virus retention by membrane filters and their dependence on the underlying structure of the virus filter membrane. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical EngineersBiotechnol. Prog., 30:856–863, 2014
Special section: Information policy
Authors: Loveday Brandi
Published: March 2014

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

The ASIS&T Special Interest Group on Information Policy (SIG/IFP) provides a forum for members to express their views and concerns about a key element of the association's purpose, “to promote informed policy on national and international information issues.” Supporting that purpose, contributors explore Fifth Amendment protections, mobile data privacy, governmental use of cookies, self‐destructing data, access to government information in Canada and how privacy has fared since the events of September 11, 2001. There are daily changes in information policy, often little noticed despite their significant consequences. Yet despite careers dedicated to research on information and its implications, those in the information science domain have remarkably little presence in discussions. ASIS&T members are urged to become knowledgeable about information policy, engage in debate and become involved, living up to the association's stated purpose.
The power of data or why scholars should pay attention to policy
Authors: Caidi Nadia , Stevenson Siobhan , Richmond Ted
Published: March 2014

EDITOR'S SUMMARY

The proposal to abandon Canada's long‐form census is one example of an alarming shift to cut production of and public access to authoritative scientific data, undermining formation of good public policy. This is contrary to official pronouncements since 1996 recognizing data and information technology as critical resources necessary to promote innovation, wealth, service delivery and global competitiveness. More ubiquitous technology and wider access to information have not translated into better quality of life and good government relations. National policy formation increasingly takes place without the benefit of valid information, in an environment where government transparency is blocked, information gathering is curtailed and access is restricted. From a political economy perspective, information serving capital accumulation is valued over that serving social welfare. Discussion of factors leading to information restrictions and the policy implications should be strongly encouraged among the populace, in academia and throughout social media.
Protecting location privacy and query privacy: a combined clustering approach
Authors: Lin Chi , Wu Guowei , Yu Chang Wu
Published: March 2014

In this paper, a combined clustering algorithm namely enhanced clustering cloak (ECC), for protecting location privacy and query privacy is proposed. An iterative K‐means clustering method is developed to group the user requests into clusters for providing location safety. Meanwhile, a hierarchical clustering method for preserving the query privacy is used when creating clusters. ECC provides users with desirable spatial and temporal tolerances. It can defend sampling attacks, homogeneity attacks, and query association attacks simultaneously. Simulation results present that the ECC algorithm not only has merits in smaller number of clusters, shorter cloaking time, higher entropy and QoS level but also preserves location privacy and query privacy in continuous location based services. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of Unsymmetrical Tröger's Bases Bearing Groups Sensitive to Reduction
Authors: Havlík Martin , Dolenský Bohumil , Jakubek Milan , Král Vladimír
Published: March 2014

An efficient approach for the synthesis of unsymmetrically substituted Tröger's base derivatives is reported. This approach is based on the N‐alkylation of an arylamine by tert‐butyl [2‐(bromomethyl)aryl]carbamate to give the corresponding diamine, which is subsequently converted into a Tröger's base derivative using paraformaldehyde in trifluoroacetic acid. The mild conditions of this approach allow the preparation of Tröger's base derivatives bearing electron‐withdrawing functional groups sensitive to reducing conditions, as demonstrated by the preparation of twelve Tröger's base derivatives in overall yields of 62 to 76 %.
Synthesis of a Novel P‐Chiral 1,3‐Oxaphospholane from Optically Pure Propylene Oxide
Authors: Huang Kexuan , Emge Thomas J. , Zhang Xumu
Published: March 2014

Novel synthesis of P‐chiral 1,3‐oxaphospholane starting from optically pure propylene oxide is described. The exact structure is confirmed by X‐ray crystallographic analysis.
Affirmative Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Counselor Education and Religious Beliefs: How Do We Bridge the Gap?
Authors: Whitman Joy S. , Bidell Markus P.
Published: March 2014

The position held by the American Counseling Association, reflecting acceptance, affirmation, and nondiscrimination of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals, has created conflicts for some trainees who hold conservative religious beliefs about sexual orientation. This article explores the counseling profession's evolution regarding LGB‐affirmative counseling and examines the potential conflict this evolution can create for counselor educators who are training students with conservative religious viewpoints about sexual orientation. Recommendations for counselor educators to manage this dilemma are offered.
Ward v. Wilbanks: Students Respond
Authors: Burkholder David , Hall Stephanie F.
Published: March 2014

Ward v. Wilbanks is the most important legal case for the profession of counseling in the last 25 years. This qualitative research used general content analysis to examine master's‐level counseling students’ responses to the Ward v. Wilbanks case. Emergent themes from data analysis include (a) the role of gatekeeping; (b) Julea Ward and Eastern Michigan University: inflexible and uncompromising; (c) Ward v. Wilbanks: confusion, complexity, and certainty; and (d) personal values, professional values, and the ACA Code of Ethics (American Counseling Association, ).
Prostaglandin E2‐Dependent Blockade of Actomyosin and Stress Fibre Formation Is Mediated Through S1379 Phosphorylation of ROCK2
Authors: Gerarduzzi Casimiro , He QingWen , Antoniou John , Di Battista John A.
Published: March 2014

Prostaglandin E2 is a pleiotropic bioactive lipid that controls cytoskeletal alterations, although the precise G‐protein coupled EP receptor signalling mechanisms remain ill defined. We adopted a phosphoproteomic approach to characterize post‐receptor downstream signalling substrates using antibodies that selectively recognize and immunoprecipitate phosphorylated substrates of a number of kinases. Using human synovial fibroblasts in monolayer cell culture, PGE2 induced rapid and sustained changes in cellular morphology and reduction in cytoplasmic volume that were associated with disassembly of the phalloidin‐stained stress fibres as judged by light and confocal microscopy. Furthermore, PGE2 induced a rapid dephosphorylation of myosin light chain II (MLC) at S19 under basal or cytokine‐induced conditions that was linked to an activation of myosin light chain phosphatase. The use of specific synthetic EP agonists suggested that the response was mediated by EP2 receptors, as other EP agonists did not manifest the same effect on MLC phosphorylation. In addition, PGE2 induced sustained Y118 dephosphorylation of phospho‐paxillin and loss of focal adhesions as observed by confocal microscopy and Western analysis. Phosphoproteomic analysis of PGE2/GPCR/PKA phosphosubstrates identified a unique, non‐redundant, phosphorylated (>30‐fold) site on rho‐associated coiled coil‐containing kinase 2 (ROCK2) at S1379. Analysis of ROCK2 mutant behaviour (e.g. S1379A) in overexpression studies revealed that PGE2‐dependent phosphorylation of ROCK2 resulted in the inhibition of the kinase, since induced MLC phosphorylation was no longer blocked by PGE2 nor could PGE2 induce disassembly of stress fibres. Thus, PGE2‐dependent blockade of actomyosin fibre formation, characteristic of myofibroblasts, may be mediated through specific ROCK2 S1379 phosphorylation. J. Cell. Biochem. 115: 1516–1527, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Optimization of integrated electrochemical oxidation and biodegradation (EO‐BD) for Kraft lignin
Authors: Cui Xiaomin , Liang Jidong , Wang Dongqi
Published: March 2014

BACKGROUND

The effluent from pulp and paper mills is difficult to treat effectively via conventional biochemical processes due to the high concentration of lignin and its derivatives. In this study, the integration of electrochemical oxidation and biodegradation (EO‐BD) for Kraft lignin (KL) was proposed to potentially enhance the efficiency of the treatment. Typical anodes, titanium based antimony doped tin dioxide electrodes (Ti/Sb‐SnO2), were used in the pre‐degradation of KL solution (1000 mg L−1), followed by post‐biodegradation using aerobic flora as inocula. Response surface methodology (RSM) was applied to optimize the EO‐BD of KL.

RESULTS

The optimum conditions obtained via RSM were: current density 3.68 mA cm−2, electric quantity 14.49 kC and pH 9.0. Under these conditions, the maximum chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal rate and minimum specific energy consumption were predicted by the correlation developed to be 70.83% and 28.84 kWh kg−1 COD, respectively, which agreed well with the experimental data. The results of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC‐MS) analysis indicated that KL was partially degraded by EO, which was beneficial to the subsequent biodegradation.

CONCLUSION

This study validated the technical feasibility of adopting the EO‐BD process to enhance KL degradation. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry