bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of smoking habits among Turkish family physicians
Authors: Baltaci Davut , Bahcebasi Talat , Aydin Leyla Yilmaz , Ozturk Serkan , Set Turan , Eroz Recep , Celer Ahmet , Kara Ismail Hamdi
Published: May 2012

Smoking is still a major public health problem in Turkey. It was aimed to investigate smoking prevalence and habits among Turkish family physicians. Cross-sectional study among physicians working in primary care settings was established. A self-administered study survey was applied. The surveys of 1233 family physicians were analyzed. The study included 704 (57.1%) male and 529 (42.9%) female physicians. Mean age (SD) was 38.94 (7.01) years. The proportions of the current, the former and never smokers among family physicians were 34.1%, 14.7% and 51.3%, respectively. Mean age (SD) of smoking initiation was 21.73 (5.04) years. Mean duration (SD) of smoking use was 14.61 (7.29) years. Proportion of current smoker in male physicians was quite higher than in female counterparts (36.9% vs. 30.4%; p < 0.001). Mean age (SD) of smoking initiation in female was 21.42 (4.59) years, but in male was 22.33 (4.98) years ( p = 0.36). In female physicians, mean age (SD) for quitting cigarette smoking was found higher than in male (35.85 (6.35) years vs. 33.09 (6.45) years; p = 0.004). No significant difference between nicotine dependence (mean score (SD) of 3.76 (2.48) vs. 3.65 (2.82); p > 0.05) and mean (SD) unit of cigarette a day (18.34(6.03) vs. 17.17 ± 6.79; p > 0.05) between genders was observed. The number of male physicians who started smoking before faculty was higher than female counterparts (15.5% vs. 8.6%; p = 0.023). In conclusion, the smoking prevalence among Turkish family physicians is considerably high.
State Implementation of Language Acquisition Policies and Reading Achievement Among Hispanic Students
Authors: López Francesca , McEneaney Elizabeth
Published: May 2012

National Assessment of Educational Progress data were analyzed to assess differences in reading achievement for Hispanic fourth graders across states with varying policies on language acquisition, controlling for student and school characteristics. Results indicated that (a) both Hispanic English language learner (ELL) and non-ELL students in states with stronger bilingual emphasis and more Title III funding have significantly higher reading achievement, (b) more preservice training on ELL issues and more professional development for working with diverse students had a significant effect on reading achievement among non-ELL Hispanics only, and (c) additional time to institutionalize immersion approaches did not narrow the reading achievement gap.
Government Contracts With Private Organizations
Authors: Witesman Eva M. , Fernandez Sergio
Published: May 2012

In this empirical study, we examine whether systematic differences exist between government contracts with nonprofit and for-profit service providers. Based on principal–agent theory, we examine the potential comparative advantage of nonprofit organizations over for-profits in two areas: contracting process and contract performance. We test hypotheses using data from a national survey of local government contracts with private service providers. The results provide some support for the propositions that public officials trust nonprofits more than for-profits and grant them additional discretion. Even stronger support is found for the propositions that nonprofits are monitored less than for-profits and are awarded contracts of longer duration and for services characterized by higher levels of task uncertainty than those awarded to their for-profit counterparts. We find no significant differences in performance between nonprofit and for-profit contractors in terms of cost, quality of work, responsiveness to government requirements, legal compliance, or customer satisfaction.
Molecular epidemiology of Mannheimia haemolytica and Mannheimia glucosida associated with ovine mastitis
Authors: Omaleki Lida , Browning Glenn F. , Allen Joanne L. , Barber Stuart R.
Published: May 2012

While Mannheimia haemolytica and Mannheimia glucosida have been recognized as causes of intramammary infection in sheep, there has been no investigation of the epidemiology of the strains involved. Pulsed field gel electrophoresis was used to study the molecular epidemiology of isolates of these 2 species associated with ovine mastitis. Ten distinct strains were recognized among 12 M. haemolytica isolates, and 7 distinct strains among 13 M. glucosida isolates. The results demonstrate a high diversity of isolates with the ability to cause ovine mastitis. However, the presence of some identical isolates may suggest the possibility of horizontal transmission of these species in some flocks, possibly through lamb sucking, and/or differences in the capacity of some isolates to cause mastitis in sheep.
Core Concepts of Human Rights and Inclusion of Vulnerable Groups in the Disability and Rehabilitation Policies of Malawi, Namibia, Sudan, and South Africa
Authors: Mannan Hasheem , McVeigh Joanne , Amin Mutamad , MacLachlan Malcolm , Swartz Leslie , Munthali Alister , Van Rooy Gert
Published: May 2012

In recent decades, there has been a push to incorporate the World Health Organization “Health for All” principles in national, regional, and local health policy documents. However, there is still no methodology guiding the appraisal of such policies with regard to the extent that they address social inclusion. In this article, the authors report on the development of EquiFrame, a novel policy analysis framework that was used to evaluate the disability and rehabilitation policies of Malawi, Namibia, Sudan, and South Africa. The policies were assessed in terms of their commitment to 21 predefined core concepts of human rights and inclusion of 12 vulnerable groups. Substantial variability was identified in the degree to which the core concepts and vulnerable groups were featured in these policy documents. The overall summary rankings for the disability policies of the countries studied were as follows: Namibia–High, Malawi–Low, and Sudan–Low. The rehabilitation policy of South Africa was ranked as Low. The results support the idea that adequate disability and rehabilitation policies remain mostly undefined. EquiFrame may offer a useful methodology for evaluating and comparing human rights and social inclusion across policy documents.
Safety evaluation and management of complex systems: A system engineering approach
Authors: Guillerm Romaric , Demmou Hamid , Sadou Nabil
Published: May 2012

This article addresses the problem of safety evaluation of complex systems. It proposes an original and rigorous approach that integrates safety analysis in system engineering processes. The approach is based on system engineering principles and uses the famous industrial system engineering standard American National Standards Institute/Electronic Industries Alliance 632:1999. The objective is to help designers and safety engineers in safety management of complex systems. For an efficient design, the model-driven design is adopted through the definition of an information model. The system language “System Modeling Language” is used to address requirements definition and their traceability toward the solution and the verification and validation elements. This common language allows sharing information between the different persons involved in the design project like the system engineer and safety engineer.
The Effectiveness of Substance Use Measures in the Detection of Full and Partial Denial of Drug Use
Authors: Wooley Chelsea N. , Rogers Richard , Fiduccia Chelsea E. , Kelsey Katherine
Published: May 2012

Appraisals of substance abuse often constitute a key component of psychological assessments affecting both diagnostic and treatment issues. Because of negative consequences, many substance users engage in outright denials and marked minimization regarding their drug use. Psychological measures, especially those with transparent items, are highly vulnerable to this denial. To address this response style, indirect items are often included on substance use measures to identify those who deny their use. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of complete and partial denial on the Drug Abuse Screening Test–20, Substance Abuse Subtle Screening Inventory–3, and Drug Use Screening Inventory–Revised. Partial denial refers to the disacknowledgement of drug-related impairment interfering in multiple domains of a client’s functioning. The study used a mixed within- and between-subjects design with 102 inpatient substance users. Each participant completed the study under two conditions: a disclosing condition and an experimental condition (either complete denial or partial denial). Results show partial denial is distinctly different from complete denial across three self-report substance use measures. Importantly, substance users engaging in these denial conditions were often undetected by these measures. Contrary to expectations, subtle scales with indirect item content were only minimally more effective than the face valid scales alone for the assessment of denied drug use.
Physical activity levels in Portuguese high school physical education
Authors: Marmeleira José Francisco Filipe , Aldeias Nuno Micael Carrasqueira , Graça Pedro Miguel dos Santos Medeira da
Published: May 2012

The main aim of this study was to evaluate the physical activity (PA) levels of high school Portuguese students during physical education (PE) and investigate the association of PA levels with students’ goal orientation and intrinsic motivation. Forty-six students from three high schools participated. Heart rate telemetry and pedometry were used to assess PA and the Borg rate of perceived exertion scale was used to measure perceived exertion. Thirty PE lessons were monitored. The results indicated that high school PE lessons involve low levels of PA. Students engaged in moderate to vigorous PA (MVPA) only in about one-third (29.7 minutes) of the official PE scheduled time (90 minutes) and perceived exertion as light. In general, students seemed to be positively motivated toward PE and mainly task goal orientated. Boys felt more enjoyment/interest and perceived their competence in more positive ways than girls. The number of steps and the rate of perceived exertion were associated with levels of PA measured by heart rate telemetry. Intrinsic motivation and goal orientation were not related with MVPA.
Subjectivity and identity in detention: Punishment and society in a global age
Authors: Bosworth Mary
Published: May 2012

This article draws on ethnographic research that I conducted in five British immigration removal centres from November 2009 to June 2011, and considers the challenges these institutions pose to our understanding of penal power. These centres contain a complex mix of foreign national citizens including former and current asylum seekers, those without visas, visa over-stayers and post-sentence foreign national prisoners. For many non-British offenders, a period of confinement in an immigration detention centre is now, effectively, part of their punishment. What are the implications of this dual confinement and (how) can we understand it within the intellectual framework of punishment and society?
The power of individual cultural values in global virtual teams
Authors: Mockaitis Audra I. , Rose Elizabeth L. , Zettinig Peter
Published: May 2012

This paper investigates the perceptions of members of 43 culturally diverse global virtual teams, with respect to team processes and outcomes. Despite widespread acknowledgement of the challenges presented by cultural differences in the context of global teams, little is known about the effect of these differences on team dynamics in the absence of face-to-face interaction. Using a student-based sample, we study the relationship between global virtual team members’ individualistic and collectivistic orientations and their evaluations of trust, interdependence, communication and information sharing, and conflict during the team task. Our results suggest that a collectivist orientation is associated with more favorable impressions regarding global virtual team processes and that cultural differences are not concealed by virtual means of communication.
Non-invasive assessment of microcirculation by sidestream dark field imaging as a marker of coronary artery disease in diabetes
Authors: Djaberi Roxana , Schuijf Joanne D , de Koning Eelco J , Wijewickrama D Champa , Pereira Alberto M , Smit Johannes W , Kroft Lucia J , Roos Albert de , Bax Jeroen J , Rabelink Ton J , Jukema J Wouter
Published: May 2012

Purpose:

In diabetes, generalised microvascular disease and coronary artery disease (CAD) are likely to occur in parallel. We used a sidestream dark field (SDF) handheld imaging device to determine the relation between the labial microcirculation parameters and CAD in asymptomatic patients with diabetes.

Methods:

SDF imaging was validated for assessment of labial capillary density and tortuosity. Thereafter, mean labial capillary density and tortuosity were evaluated and compared in non-diabetic controls, and in asymptomatic patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. In diabetic patients, mean capillary density and tortuosity were compared according to the presence of CAD.

Results:

Both type 1 and type 2 diabetes were associated with increased capillary density and tortuosity. In diabetes, mean capillary density was an independent predictor of elevated coronary artery calcium (CAC) ( p = 0.03) and obstructive CAD on computed tomography angiography ( p = 0.01). Using a cut-off mean capillary density of 24.9 (per 0.63 mm2) the negative predictive value was 84% and 89% for elevated CAC and obstructive CAD. Likewise, capillary tortuosity was an independent predictor of increased CAC ( p = 0.01) and obstructive CAD ( p = 0.04).

Conclusion:

Assessment of labial microcirculation parameters using SDF imaging is feasible and conveys the potential to estimate vascular morbidity in patients with diabetes, at bedside.
Counting One's Way onto the Global Stage: Enumeration, Accountability, and Reproductive Success in Vietnam
Authors: Pashigian Melissa J.
Published: May 2012

This article concerns the ways in which the enumeration of in vitro fertilization (IVF) births emerges as a practice that is simultaneously associated with a socialist nationalist project and post-Ðổi mới market reform. It explores the brief history of and changes in the ways in which recently introduced assisted reproductive technologies and IVF births come to be enumerated by state authorities and by female infertility patients. Focusing on changes in infertility treatment, the article suggests that in the process of making sense of the rapid social, economic, and political changes that have occurred in Vietnam over the past twenty-five years, individuals and institutions continue to draw on socialist orientations as they encounter market changes, leading to practices and subjectivities that are neither clearly socialist nor neoliberal. Rather, they are at once partial and incomplete, yet dynamic, temporally contingent on understandings of experienced pasts, and new opportunities of the current moment.
From “the People” to “the Human”: HIV/AIDS, Neoliberalism, and the Economy of Virtue in Contemporary Vietnam
Authors: Montoya Alfred
Published: May 2012

Drawing on archival research and fieldwork conducted in Ho Chi Minh City and its environs in 2007–2008, this article examines a shift from a moral-economic model of protection/patronage turning on the long-standing figure of “the People,” to a biopolitical mechanism of power deploying neoliberal practices and technologies centered on a new figure, here instantiated as “the Human.” In Vietnam in the early 2000s, an older social-evils-based HIV/AIDS apparatus was destabilized by new epidemiological conditions, a reproblematization of epidemic disease after SARS, and the arrival of PEPFAR. Building on literature concerning global humanitarian intervention, I argue that in Vietnam HIV/AIDS prevention and control operates within what I call an “economy of virtue,” the general form in which neoliberal technologies and logics are being incorporated as rational, technical, scientific guarantors of the integrity and dignity of the Human. The remainder of the essay tracks the migration of neoliberal logics to the realm of global health management and their intersection with the political, technological, and ethical elements of late socialism in the combat of HIV/AIDS.
Enacting Anticorruption: The Reconfiguration of Audit Regimes in Contemporary Vietnam
Authors: MacLean Ken
Published: May 2012

This essay examines the ongoing “fight against corruption” in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. The PMU-18 scandal (ca. 2005–2007), the country's largest to date, is featured as a way to explore how different initiatives to audit the financial-moral practices of officials at all levels of government shape one another in contemporary Vietnam. This focus, which considers the material consequences of different discursive positions, reveals a curious paradox. Namely, the dominant regulatory approaches in use today define the primary source of bureaucratic corruption and thus the forms of intervention best suited towards its reduction in terms that are most often associated with the other. “Socialist” approaches, which are conventionally thought to rely upon techno-scientific and administrative modes of regulation, also called for external performance audits and other business management techniques to provide greater incentives for individuals to engage in ethical forms of self-regulation, whereas “neoliberal” approaches, which normally abhor regulatory mechanisms, recommended the reintroduction of centralized command-and-control measures to limit the ability of government officials to abuse their public positions for private gain. This outcome suggests that both regulatory regimes and the techniques used to promote accountability may have more in common than is commonly thought as it also raises the possibility that recombinant forms now exist. The patterns also provide comparative insights into (trans)national efforts to guide the conduct of conduct in settings that are neither Western nor liberal.
The Price of Integration: Measuring the Quality of Money in Postreform Vietnam
Authors: Truitt Allison
Published: May 2012

The fight against inflation is a defining feature of neoliberalism and structural adjustment policies. Since the 1970s, inflation has been cast as a threat greater than unemployment because it destroys the pricing mechanism on which the flow of information in markets depends. In Vietnam, high rates of inflation in the 1980s led the government to implement reforms of the economy under the slogan Ðổi mới (Renovation). These reforms included anti-inflationary measures characteristic of neoliberal policies. By the early 1990s, inflation was reduced to the single digits. After a decade of rapid economic growth, inflation in Vietnam returned. In 2007 and 2008, the consumer price index recorded double-digit increases, raising concerns about the government's commitment to proper monetary and fiscal policies.

This essay considers the paradoxical return of inflation to Vietnam. By 2007, Vietnam was heralded as an “emerging market,” propelled by foreign investment and export-led growth. Yet inflation was widely attributed to “fiscal indiscipline” by officials with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other multilateral financial institutions. Vietnamese public intellectuals, on the other hand, attributed inflation to a consequence of economic integration with global markets. In contrast to the IMF, they pointed to social inequalities generated by the country's decade-long economic growth and raised concerns over the redistributing wealth in Vietnamese society. These two narratives reenact the divide between Keynesian economics and monetarism that has structured twentieth-century approaches to economics. What both narratives leave unaddressed, however, is how price instability and monetary restructuring are understood within specific economic cultures. In Vietnam, many people rely on cash transactions, thus the quality of money encompasses more than its relationship to price. While the demand among Vietnamese citizens for a reliable currency resonates with contemporary neoliberalism, it cannot be reduced to it.

By way of addressing the divergent concerns with the quality of money, I examine the history of money's disunification in Vietnam. The problem of inflation is not just a matter of price; it is also related to complex political-cultural formations that relate to partial sovereignty over the marketplace. I show how inflation is not simply a problem of matter of price; it is also an event that calls into question the limits to how Vietnam has been neoliberalized.
Localized fluidization burrowing mechanics ofEnsis directus
Authors: Winter Amos G. , Deits Robin L. H. , Hosoi A. E.
Published: May 2012

Muscle measurements of Ensis directus, the Atlantic razor clam, indicate that the organism only has sufficient strength to burrow a few centimeters into the soil, yet razor clams burrow to over 70 cm. In this paper, we show that the animal uses the motions of its valves to locally fluidize the surrounding soil and reduce burrowing drag. Substrate deformations were measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV) in a novel visualization system that enabled us to see through the soil and watch E. directus burrow in situ. PIV data, supported by soil and fluid mechanics theory, show that contraction of the valves of E. directus locally fluidizes the surrounding soil. Particle and fluid mixtures can be modeled as a Newtonian fluid with an effective viscosity based on the local void fraction. Using these models, we demonstrate that E. directus is strong enough to reach full burrow depth in fluidized soil, but not in static soil. Furthermore, we show that the method of localized fluidization reduces the amount of energy required to reach burrow depth by an order of magnitude compared with penetrating static soil, and leads to a burrowing energy that scales linearly with depth rather than with depth squared.
Streptozotocin–nicotinamide-induced diabetes in the rat. Characteristics of the experimental model
Authors: Szkudelski Tomasz
Published: May 2012

Administration of both streptozotocin (STZ) and nicotinamide (NA) has been proposed to induce experimental diabetes in the rat. STZ is well known to cause pancreatic B-cell damage, whereas NA is administered to rats to partially protect insulin-secreting cells against STZ. STZ is transported into B-cells via the glucose transporter GLUT2 and causes DNA damage leading to increased activity of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP-1) to repair DNA. However, exaggerated activity of this enzyme results in depletion of intracellular NAD+and ATP, and the insulin-secreting cells undergo necrosis. The protective action of NA is due to the inhibition of PARP-1 activity. NA inhibits this enzyme, preventing depletion of NAD+and ATP in cells exposed to STZ. Moreover, NA serves as a precursor of NAD+and thereby additionally increases intracellular NAD+levels. The severity of diabetes in experimental rats strongly depends on the doses of STZ and NA given to these animals. Therefore, in diabetic rats, blood glucose may be changed in a broad range – from slight hyperglycemia to substantial hyperglycemia compared with control animals. Similarly, blood insulin may be only slightly decreased or substantial hypoinsulinemia may be induced. In vitro studies demonstrated that the insulin-secretory response to glucose is attenuated in STZ–NA-induced diabetic rats compared with control animals. This is due to reduced B-cell mass as well as metabolic defects in the insulin-secreting cells. Results of numerous experiments have demonstrated that this model of diabetes is useful in studies of different aspects of diabetes.
Potent and selective 2-oxoamide inhibitors of phospholipases A2 as novel medicinal agents for the treatment of inflammatory diseases
Authors: Barbayianni Efrosini , Antonopoulou Georgia , Kokotos George
Published: May 2012

Phospholipases A2 (PLA2s) are enzymes that are capable of catalyzing the hydrolysis of the sn-2 ester bond of glycerophospholipids, releasing free fatty acids, including arachidonic acid (AA), and lysophospholipids. Both products are precursor signaling molecules involved in inflammation. Among the various PLA2s, cytosolic GIVA cPLA2 is considered a major target for inflammatory diseases, while secreted GIIA sPLA2 is involved in cardiovascular diseases. We have developed lipophilic 2-oxoamides based on (S)-γ- or δ-amino acids as potent and selective inhibitors of GIVA cPLA2, which present interesting in vivo anti-inflammatory activity. 2-Oxoamides based on natural α-amino acids are selective inhibitors of GIIA sPLA2. The mode of binding of 2-oxoamides with either GIVA cPLA2 or GIIA sPLA2 has been studied by various techniques.
Spatial Deixis in Akkadian: Demonstrative Pronouns, Presentative Particles and Locational Adverbs
Authors: Kouwenberg N. J. C.
Published: May 2012

The older dialects of Akkadian, Old Babylonian and Old Assyrian, have a three-term deictic system for the expression of spatial deixis, which is person-oriented, i.e., it has separate forms for first person, second person and third person deixis to refer to an entity near the speaker, near the addressee, and away from both the speaker and the addressee, respectively. It consists of three deictic bases, from which three kinds of elements are derived: demonstrative pronouns, presentative particles and locational adverbs. This paper investigates the meaning and use of these words in Old Babylonian and Old Assyrian, and briefly summarizes what remains of them in the later periods of Akkadian.
Acetylcholine Receptors Enable the Transport of Rapsyn from the Golgi Complex to the Plasma Membrane
Authors: Park Jee-Young , Ikeda Hiromi , Ikenaga Takanori , Ono Fumihito
Published: May 2012

The accumulation of acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) at nerve terminals is critical for signal transmission at the neuromuscular junction, and rapsyn is essential for this process. Previous studies suggest that AChRs might direct rapsyn self-clusters to the synapse.In vivoexperiments with fluorescently tagged AChR or rapsyn in zebrafish larvae revealed that rapsyn self-clusters separate from AChRs did not exist before synapse formation. Examination of rapsyn in the AChR-less mutantsofa potatorevealed that rapsyn in the absence of AChR was localized in the Golgi complex. Expression of muscle-type AChR insofa potatorestored synaptic clustering of rapsyn, while neuronal type AChR had no effect. To determine whether this requirement of protein interaction is reciprocal, we examined the mutanttwitch once,which has a missense mutation in rapsyn. While the AChRs distributed nonsynaptically on the plasma membrane intwitch once, mutant rapsyn was retained in the Golgi complex. We conclude that AChRs enable the transport of rapsyn from the Golgi complex to the plasma membrane through a molecule-specific interaction.
Neural Measures Reveal a Fixed Item Limit in Subitizing
Authors: Ester Edward F. , Drew Trafton , Klee Daniel , Vogel Edward K. , Awh Edward
Published: May 2012

For centuries, it has been known that humans can rapidly and accurately enumerate small sets of items, a process referred to as subitizing. However, there is still active debate regarding the mechanisms that mediate this ability. For example, some have argued that subitizing reflects the operation of a fixed-capacity individuation mechanism that enables concurrent access to a small number of items. However, others have argued that subitizing reflects the operation of a continuous numerical estimation mechanism whose precision varies with numerosity in a manner consistent with Weber's law. Critically, quantitative models based on either of these predictions can provide a reasonable description of subitizing performance, making it difficult to discriminate between these alternatives solely on the basis of subjects' behavioral performance. Here, we attempted to discriminate between fixed-capacity and continuous estimation models of subitizing using neural measures. In two experiments, we recorded EEGs while subjects performed a demanding subitizing task and examined set-size-dependent changes in a neurophysiological marker of visual selection (the N2pc event-related potential component) evoked by an array of to-be-enumerated items. In both experiments, N2pc amplitudes increased monotonically within the subitizing range before reaching an asymptotic limit at approximately three items. Moreover, inter-participant differences in the location of this asymptote were strongly predictive of behavioral estimates of subitizing span derived from a fixed-capacity model. Thus, neural activity linked with subitizing ability shows evidence of an early and discrete limit in the number of items that can be concurrently apprehended, supporting a fixed-capacity model of this process.
Kindlin-1 Enhances Axon Growth on Inhibitory Chondroitin Sulfate Proteoglycans and Promotes Sensory Axon Regeneration
Authors: Tan Chin Lik , Andrews Melissa R. , Kwok Jessica C. F. , Heintz Tristan G. P. , Gumy Laura F. , Fässler Reinhard , Fawcett James W.
Published: May 2012

Growing and regenerating axons need to interact with the molecules in the extracellular matrix as they traverse through their environment. An important group of receptors that serve this function is the integrin superfamily of cell surface receptors, which are evolutionarily conserved αβ heterodimeric transmembrane proteins. The function of integrins is controlled by regulating the affinity for ligands (also called “integrin activation”). Previous results have shown that CNS inhibitory molecules inactivate axonal integrins, while enhancing integrin activation can promote axon growth from neurons cultured on inhibitory substrates. We tested two related molecules, kindlin-1 and kindlin-2 (Fermitin family members 1 and 2), that can activate β1, β2, and β3 integrins, for their effects on integrin signaling and integrin-mediated axon growth in rat sensory neurons. We determined that kindlin-2, but not kindlin-1, is endogenously expressed in the nervous system. Knocking down kindlin-2 levels in cultured sensory neurons impaired their ability to extend axons, but this was partially rescued by kindlin-1 expression. Overexpression of kindlin-1, but not kindlin-2, in cultured neurons increased axon growth on an inhibitory aggrecan substrate. This was found to be associated with enhanced integrin activation and signaling within the axons. Additionally, in anin vivorat dorsal root injury model, transduction of dorsal root ganglion neurons to express kindlin-1 promoted axon regeneration across the dorsal root entry zone and into the spinal cord. These animals demonstrated improved recovery of thermal sensation following injury. Our results therefore suggest that kindlin-1 is a potential tool for improving axon regeneration after nervous system lesions.
Fabrication and analytical modeling of transverse mode piezoelectric energy harvesters
Authors: Kim Seon-Bae , Park Jung-Hyun , Kim Seung-Hyun , Ahn Hosang , Wikle H. Clyde , Kim Dong-Joo
Published: May 2012

A transverse (d33) mode piezoelectric cantilever was fabricated for energy harvesting. Various dimensions of interdigital electrodes (IDE) were deposited on a piezoelectric layer to examine the effects of electrode design on the performance of energy harvesters. Modeling was performed to calculate the output power of the devices. The estimation was based on Roundy’s analytical modeling derived for a d31 mode piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH). In order to apply the Roundy’s model to d33 mode PEH, the IDE configuration was converted to the area of top and bottom electrodes (TBE). The power conversion in d33 mode PEH was commonly estimated by the product of piezoelectric layer’s thickness and finger electrode’s length. In addition, the spacing between fingers was regarded as gap between top and bottom electrodes. However, the output power in a transverse mode PEH increases continuously with the increase of finger spacing, which does not correspond to experimental results. In this research, the dimension of IDE was converted to that of TBE using conformal mapping, and variation of power of PEH was remodeled. The modified model suggests that the maximum power in a transverse mode PEH is obtained when the finger spacing is identical with effective finger spacing. The output power then decreases when finger spacing is larger than effective finger spacing. The decrease of efficiency may result from insufficient degree of poling and increased charged defect with increasing finger spacing.
Development of Three-Terminal Photodiodes Based on a-Si:H with an Additional Buried TCO Electrode
Authors: Watty Krystian , Bablich Andreas , Seibel Konstantin , Merfort Christian , Boehm Markus
Published: May 2012

This work presents the development of three-terminal photodiodes which have their origin in bipolar pinipip-diode-structures [1,2]. The idea is to develop an unipolar diode and to contact a buried p-layer by an interior TCO-anode (transparent conductive oxide) instead of nip-stacking. The simulation of the optical material properties shows promising results. At first, both parts of the diode-structure were produced separately. The manufactured bottom (Cr/nip/TCO) and top (TCO/pip/TCO) parts were measured optically and electrically. These measurements are required to simulate the SR of the total-diode. Finally, a Cr/nip-a-Si:H/TCO/pip-a-Si:H/TCO multi-layer stack was deposited. The measured SR of the integrated diode validates the simulated data. The SR maximum shift amounts to 100nm, from 540nm by contacting the interior anode, to 640nm at the top anode. Furthermore, the curves are clearly split and do not enclose each other. The presented approach, with additional bandgap engineering, promises good prospects to improve color separation compared to currently existing detectors and should lead to a tunable multi-spectral photodiodes for high quality color recognition. Such a diode can be used in photonic devices, e.g. for safety and security applications.
High-density Co/Al2O3 core-shell nanocrystal memory
Authors: Zhou Huimei , Li Zonglin , Huang Jian , Liu Jianlin
Published: May 2012

Metal/high-k dielectric core-shell nanocrystal (NC) memory capacitors were demonstrated by e-beam evaporation process. This kind of metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) memory shows good performance in charge storage, programming and erasing speeds. Compared to Co NC memory, Co/Al2O3 core-shell NC memory shows improved retention performance since the additional Al2O3 shell layer acts as a barrier, which prevent the leakage.
Forming-free Resistance Random Access Memory Using Ta2O5/TaOx Bi-layer Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering Method
Authors: Fukuda Natsuki , Fukuju Kazunori , Yogosawa Isamu , Horita Kazumasa , Kikuchi Shin , Nishioka Yutaka , Suu Koukou
Published: May 2012

This paper describes proposal of ReRAM switching mechanism, development of production tool for ReRAM sputtering and improvement in TaOx-ReRAM switching characteristics. We propose that a ReRAM-cell has stack a structure in which an oxygen vacancy supply layer (TaOx) and an oxygen accumulation layer (Ta2O5) sandwiched by the top and bottom electrodes. Resistance change of the ReRAM-cell is caused by the oxygen vacancies migrating between the TaOx and the Ta2O5 layers by applied voltage. This prediction corresponded to the experimental facts. The thickness of Ta2O5 film sputtered by a mass production tool had good uniformity (±1.0%) and excellent stability (±1.0%). Also the sheet resistance uniformity (1σ) of TaOx film had 3.6%. By examining the sputtering conditions, the ReRAM-cell having a Ta2O5/TaOx bi-layer operated in less than 100μA with a forming-free and had excellent endurance property to 1010 cycles at 50nsec.
Morphological Studies of Bismuth Nanostructures Prepared by Hydrothermal Microwave Heating.
Authors: Kharissova Oxana V. , Osorio Mario , Kharisov Boris I. , de Casas Ortiz Edgar
Published: May 2012

Elemental bismuth nanoparticles and nanotubes were obtained via microwave hydrothermal synthesis starting from bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) in the range of temperatures 200-220oC for 10-45 min. The formed nanostructures were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Relationship between reaction parameters and shape of the formed nanostructures is discussed.
Regressões Logísticas Múltiplas: fatores que influenciam sua aplicação na predição de classes de solos
Authors: ten Caten Alexandre , Dalmolin Ricardo Simão Diniz , Pedron Fabrício Araújo , Mendonça-Santos Maria de Lourdes
Published: May 2012

Métodos mais eficazes para determinação do padrão de distribuição de classes de solo na paisagem precisam ser avaliados visando suprir a demanda por mapas de solo em escalas regional e global. Neste estudo, Regressões Logísticas Múltiplas foram utilizadas como modelos preditores em uma aplicação de Mapeamento Digital de Solos. Os modelos foram gerados utilizando um mapa de solos existente como variável dependente e atributos de terreno como variáveis independentes, o que possibilitou determinar a probabilidade de encontrar classes de solo na paisagem no primeiro e no segundo nível categórico do SiBCS. A qualidade dos mapas preditos foi verificada por meio da matriz de contingência. A classe dos Argissolos foi predita corretamente, em relação ao mapa original, em aproximadamente 85 %. As classes de solos hidromórficos (Planossolos e Gleissolos) foram preditas corretamente em 75 %. Houve confundimento dos modelos para as classes que ocupam posições muito semelhantes na paisagem. Foi verificado também que classes de solo pouco representativas na paisagem não são adequadamente espacializadas em razão da sensibilidade dos modelos logísticos à proporção relativa das amostras usadas para treinar os modelos.
Inheritance of resistance to the Papaya ringspot virus-watermelon strain (PRSV-W) from watermelon accession 'PI 595201'
Authors: Azevedo Sebastião Márcio de , Maluf Wilson Roberto , Faria Marcos Ventura , Resende Juliano Tadeu Vilela de , Menezes Cícero Beserra de , Nascimento Ildon Rodrigues do
Published: May 2012

Two watermelon genotypes were used as parental in crosses designed to study the inheritance of resistance to PRSV-W: the cultivar Crimson Sweet (susceptible) and the accession 'PI 595201'(resistant). Plants of the generations P1, P2, F1, F2, BC11 e BC12 were inoculated with a Brazilian isolate of PRSV-W and were evaluated by recording symptoms. Genetic and phenotypic parameters of PRSV-W resistance were estimated and tests based on hypothesis of monogenic inheritance and maximum likelihood methods were performed. The additive component [a] of resistance was higher than the non-additive [d]. The estimates of the broad-sense heritability (0.80) and of narrow-sense heritability (0.67) indicated that the genetic variance was greater than the environmental, allowing higher genetic gains in selecting more resistant plants in segregating populations. The inheritance is more complex than a typical monogenic inheritance. The importance of the additive genetic effects in the expression of resistance to PRSV-W was evidenced.
Genetic parameters of wheat populations in environments with contrasting temperatures
Authors: Oliveira Davi Melo de , Souza Moacil Alves de , Machado Juarez Campolina , Cargnin Adeliano
Published: May 2012

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of wheat segregating populations grown in environments with different thermal conditions. Thus, two experiments were carried out at Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Brazil. A 16 by16 square lattice design was used with two replications, where 240 families from eight segregating populations, 30 families from each population, plus 16 parents were evaluated. In the first experiment, sown in February 2007 (summer), S0:2 families were evaluated. In the second one, in June 2007 (winter), S0:3 families were evaluated. Grain yield and thousand grains weight were recorded. So, the most promising population to be grown under different levels of temperature is the Population II originated from BR24/Aliança//EP93541/CPAC9662. It was verified that the thermal conditions might interfere in the wheat genotypes performance and also in the genetic parameters estimates.
Halstar: systems engineering for sustainable development
Authors: Pearce Oliver J D , Murry Nicholas J A , Broyd Timothy W
Published: May 2012

Sustainable development is subjective and value laden, and achieving it involves balancing a complex system of issues. Most existing approaches to assessing and managing sustainability fail to address sustainability in the particular context of a project and its stakeholders. A more holistic, ‘systems approach’ is required to address sustainability effectively. The Halcrow sustainability toolkit and rating (Halstar) system has been designed to provide a truly holistic methodology, incorporating many of the features of existing approaches, while attempting to mitigate their disadvantages. Halstar provides a common framework to support decision-making, enabling the comprehensive assessment and management of sustainable development issues. The technique works to improve sustainability on projects and programmes by guiding decision-making and appraisal within unique contexts and priorities. It ensures that sustainability, rather than being an add-on to the development process, becomes a source of added value. This paper outlines the rationale behind the development of Halstar and includes a case study demonstrating one of the ways it can be applied.
Opposing Effects of Diabetes and Tetracycline on the Degradation of Collagen Membranes in Rats
Authors: Eliezer Meizi , Nemcovsky Carlos , Romanos George , Kozlovsky Avital , Tal Haim , Kolerman Roni , Weinreb Miron , Moses Ofer
Published: May 2012

Background: Increased collagenolytic activity, characteristic of uncontrolled diabetes, may compromise collagen membrane (CM) survival. Tetracycline (TCN) possesses anticollagenolytic properties and delays CM degradation in healthy animals. This study evaluates the degradation of TCN‐‐immersed and ‐non‐immersed CMs in rats with diabetes compared to those with normoglycemia.

Methods: Diabetes was induced in 15 12‐week‐old male Wistar rats by injection of 65 mg/kg streptozotocin. The control group consisted of 15 rats with normoglycemia. Sixty bilayered CM disks were labeled before implantation with aminohexanoyl‐biotin‐N‐hydroxy‐succinimide ester, of which 30 were immersed in 50 mg/mL TCN solution (experimental) or phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS) (control). In each animal, two disks (control and experimental) were implanted in two midsagittal calvarial defects in the parietal bone. Similar non‐implanted disks served as baseline. After 3 weeks, animals were euthanized, and the calvaria and overlying soft tissues were processed for demineralized histologic analysis. Horseradish peroxidase‐conjugated streptavidin was used to detect the biotinylated collagen. The area of residual collagen within the membrane disks was measured and analyzed with a digital image analysis system. Several slides from each specimen were also stained with hematoxylin and eosin. Statistical analysis consisted of paired and unpaired t tests.

Results: The amount of residual collagen in PBS‐immersed disks was lower in rats with diabetes compared to rats with normoglycemia (69% of baseline versus 93%, respectively, P <0.001). TCN immersion increased the amount of residual collagen contents in both diabetic (83% of baseline) and healthy (97.5% of baseline) animals (P <0.0001).

Conclusion: Diabetes increases CM degradation, whereas immersion in 50 mg/mL TCN solution before implantation presents an opposite effect.
Serum Potassium and Cause-Specific Mortality in a Large Peritoneal Dialysis Cohort
Authors: Torlén Klara , Kalantar-Zadeh Kamyar , Molnar Miklos Z. , Vashistha Tania , Mehrotra Rajnish
Published: May 2012

Background and objectives

Unlike hemodialysis (HD), peritoneal dialysis (PD) is a continuous therapy and does not induce myocardial stunning. Yet, the death risk in HD and PD patients is similar. This study tested the hypothesis that serum potassium abnormalities contribute more to the death risk in PD patients than in HD patients.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

Data from patients treated in DaVita facilities between July 1, 2001 and June 30, 2006 (n=10,468 PD patients; n=111,651 HD patients) were used to determine association of serum potassium with mortality.

Results

PD patients were significantly more likely to have serum potassium <4 mEq/L, with an adjusted odds ratio of 3.30 (95% confidence interval [95% CI], 3.05, 3.56). There was a U-shaped relationship between time-averaged serum potassium and all-cause and cardiovascular mortality of PD patients, with adjusted hazards ratios of 1.51 for all-cause mortality for potassium <3.5 mEq/L (95% CI, 1.29, 1.76) and 1.52 for potassium ≥5.5 mEq/L (95% CI, 1.32, 1.75). The population-attributable risks for all-cause mortality for serum potassium <4.0 and ≥5.5 mEq/L were 3.6% and 1.9%, respectively, in PD patients, and 0.8% and 1.5%, respectively, in HD patients.

Conclusions

Abnormalities in serum potassium contribute disproportionately to the high death risk in PD patients. This may, in part, account for the equivalent cardiac risk seen with the two therapies.
Photoacoustic response of thin films: Thermal memory influence
Authors: Nesic Mioljub , Popovic Marica , Stojanovic Zoran , Soskic Zlatan , Galovic Slobodanka
Published: May 2012

On the basis of the generalized photoacoustic response model, which includes
the influence of thermal memory on both thermoconducting and thermoelastic
components, photoacoustic response of thin films is analyzed. It is
demonstrated that the influence of thermal memory is manifested at
frequencies above certain boundary frequency, which depends on thermal memory
properties of the sample and its depth. A linear relation, linking heat
propagation velocity and measured signal, is derived. Taking into account the
confinement of the frequency range imposed by the measuring system, it is
indicated that thermal memory properties of non-cristaline thin films can be
determined in a photoacoustic experiment.
Detection of heartworm infection in dogs via PCR amplification and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of nucleic acid extracts from whole blood samples
Authors: Crowder Christopher D. , Matthews Heather E. , Rounds Megan A. , Li Feng , Schutzer Steven E. , Sampath Ranga , Hofstadler Steven A. , Ecker David J. , Eshoo Mark W.
Published: May 2012

Objective—To develop and evaluate a rapid and accurate assay involving PCR amplification and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of nucleic acid extracts from whole blood samples for the detection of Dirofilaria immitis infection in dogs.

Sample—Whole blood nucleic acid extracts from 29 dogs experimentally infected with D immitis (and in which circulating D immitis antigen was detected) and 10 uninfected dogs.

Procedures—16 of the 29 whole blood samples from infected dogs were examined at the time of collection for circulating microfilaria. Nucleic acids were extracted from all whole blood specimens and underwent PCR amplification with 12 PCR primer pairs designed to detect a wide range of pathogens (including the Wolbachia endosymbiont of D immitis) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Results—On the basis of assay results, heartworm infection was detected in 13 of 13 antigen-positive dogs of unknown microfilaria status, 11 of 11 antigen-positive dogs with circulating microfilaria, 0 of 3 antigen-positive dogs tested at 3 months after larval infection, 0 of 2 antigen-positive dogs with occult infections, and 0 of 10 uninfected dogs.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—With the assay under investigation, it was possible to identify D immitis infection in dogs with circulating microfilaria via detection of the obligate Wolbachia endosymbiont of D immitis. It was not possible to identify dogs with occult infections, which suggested that circulating microfilaria must be present to detect infection with this assay, although further studies would be required to verify that finding.