bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Situ-Monitoring of Biofilm Formation by Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering
Authors: Efeoglu Esen , Culha Mustafa
Published: April 2013

A biofilm is a complex biochemical structure composed of microorganisms and extracellular polymeric substances used by microorganisms to adhere to each other and to surfaces. The monitoring of molecular changes during biofilm formation in situ can provide valuable insights in medicine, microbiology, and industrial processes. In this study, we investigated the characterization of biofilm produced by two model bacteria by using surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) with the use of core silver (AgNPs)–shell chitosan nanoparticles (c-AgNPs), which are prepared by coating citrate-reduced AgNPs with a thin layer of chitosan averaging 10 nm. The chitosan thin film acts as porous layer and prevents the excess interactions of biological media secreted by bacteria. The two model bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus cohnii, gram positive and gram negative, respectively, were chosen for the study. The SERS spectra were acquired directly from the growth culture by simply placing c-AgNPs substrate on the biofilm formed during the growth of the bacteria for in situ monitoring. It was found that c-AgNPs are effective SERS substrates to monitor molecular changes in the biofilm during the biofilm formation.
Returning memory to earth: Towards Asian-Aboriginal reconciliation
Authors: Lo Jacqueline , Kanamori Mayu
Published: April 2013

The making of memory has been controversial in Australia, as evidenced by the recent so-called ‘history wars’ focusing on the representation of settler occupation of indigenous land. Within this context, memory-work, and especially the making of monuments to commemorate
the past, cannot be disengaged from larger issues about the politics of reproach and culpability that tends to slide into discourses about victors and vanquished, victimizers and victims. This performative photo-essay asserts that such totalizing paradigms cannot accommodate the tangled web
of living history that the site-specific performance work, ‘In Repose’, which deals with early Japanese presence in Townsville dating back to 1883, seeks to invoke. Instead, the performance project might be more suitably considered as a contra-memorial that challenges hegemonic
forms of history and memory-work but which is not necessarily in binary opposition to these forms
Capturing the transient
Authors: Brown Corinna
Published: April 2013

This article explores the combination of artistic enquiry and dance, or as L. Hervey Wadsworth calls it embodied artistic enquiry (2012). The challenges and opportunities to researchers combining the two are discussed. It is argued that this form of enquiry provides creative seekers
of knowledge with possibilities for greater understanding of our experience and the world through the arts
Frames of enquiry: Perplexity, self-integration, pregnant images
Authors: Innis Robert E.
Published: April 2013

Philosophy, art-based research and the various forms of arts therapy have deep affinities. Some aspects of this affinity are to be found in ideas developed by such very different thinkers as John Dewey, Michael Polanyi, and Susanne Langer. Dewey’s reflections on the matrices of
enquiry, Polanyi’s on the nature of tacit integrations, and Langer’s on the heuristic fertility of images allow us to develop conceptual tools for understanding constitutive matrices of forms of self-understanding
Expecting the unexpected: Improvisation in art-based research
Authors: Levine Stephen K.
Published: April 2013

Artistic improvisation with its emphasis on unanticipated actions is explored as a method of research and as a way of creating new knowledge
Redetermination of the structure of 3-methyl-1,5-diphenyl-4,5-dihydro- 1H-pyrazole, C16H16N2
Authors: Samshuddin Seranthimata , Narayana Badiadka , Yathirajan Hemmige S. , Gerber Thomas , Hosten Eric , Betz Richard
Published: April 2013

C16H16N2, triclinic, P1̅ (no. 2), a = 6.2920(1) Å, b = 8.2151(2) Å, c = 12.4139(2) Å, α = 88.547(1)°, β = 81.649(1)°, γ = 89.546(1)°, V = 634.7 Å3, Z = 2, Rgt(F) = 0.0398, wRref(F2) = 0.1101, T = 200 K.
Construction loads using a shoring–clearing–striking process
Authors: Gasch Isabel , Alvarado Yezid A. , Calderón Pedro A. , Ivorra Salvador
Published: April 2013

This paper presents the results of tests carried out during the construction of a block of flats with reinforced concrete slab floors in Madrid, Spain, using the shoring, clearing and striking process. Loads on shores were recorded during the different construction stages of floor slabs 1 to 6. The experimental results were used to analyse load transmission between slabs and shores during the construction of the building. The results of the analysis showed that slab–shore load transmission differed according to the position of the span analysed, and also that variations in the construction process had a significant effect on the expected loads. The paper includes the evolving calculation developed using a non-linear numerical model to simulate the building's behaviour during the different construction phases and variations in concrete properties with time. Experimental and numerical finite-element model results are compared with those obtained by applying simplified methods that consider the real stiffness of the shoring.
To mix or not to mix: comparing the predictive performance of mixture models vs. separate species distribution models
Authors: Hui Francis K. C. , Warton David I. , Foster Scott D. , Dunstan Piers K.
Published: April 2013

Species distribution models (SDMs) are an important tool for studying the patterns of species across environmental and geographic space. For community data, a common approach involves fitting an SDM to each species separately, although the large number of models makes interpretation difficult and fails to exploit any similarities between individual species responses. A recently proposed alternative that can potentially overcome these difficulties is species archetype models (SAMs), a model‐based approach that clusters species based on their environmental response. In this paper, we compare the predictive performance of SAMs against separate SDMs using a number of multi‐species data sets. Results show that SAMs improve model accuracy and discriminatory capacity compared to separate SDMs. This is achieved by borrowing strength from common species having higher information content. Moreover, the improvement increases as the species become rarer.
Predicting Growth and Decay of Hydraulic-Fracture Width in Porous Media Subjected to Isothermal and Nonisothermal Flow
Authors: Tran David , Settari A. (Tony) , Nghiem Long
Published: April 2013

On the basis of the continuum thermo-poroelastic theory, a new analytical formula of fracture width is developed to quickly predict its transient growth or decay. The effects of the poroelastic stress (also called back stress) and thermal stress are taken into account. The counterbalance between the effects of back stress and thermal stress (in case of injection of cold fluid) is shown to be a function of flow and thermal properties and can be easily demonstrated by the formula developed. The analytical formula of fracture width is not complicated and does not require complex calculations. Different phenomena affecting the magnitude of fracture width are easily examined, such as the presence or absence of leakoff, isothermal or nonisothermal fracturing, and initial effective stress in the formation. Results show that the fracture width continuously decays with time because of the effect of pore pressure when there is leakoff. On the other hand, the fracture width will grow with time by the influence of thermal stress when cold fluid is injected. Unlike cold fluid, when hot fluid is used, the crack may close completely and the speed of the process will depend on the temperature of the injected fluid. Formulae for penetration depths for pressure and temperature are also developed and applied to the crack-width equation so that time-dependent maximum width and crack profiles can be computed. The analytical solution has also been validated by the finite-element (FE) numerical method.
Deposition and Decomposition of Signal Grass Pasture Litter under Varying Nitrogen Fertilizer and Stocking Rates
Authors: Apolinário Valéria X. O. , Dubeux José C. B. , Mello Alexandre C.L. , Vendramini João M.B. , Lira Mário A. , Santos Mércia V.F. , Muir James P.
Published: April 2013

Increasing pressure on land used for animal production demands more efficient production systems. Soil nutrients required for plant growth are usually the limiting factor in pasture productivity in the tropics. Thus, understanding nutrient cycling in grasslands is crucial to maintaining pasture sustainability where litter deposition and decomposition are important components of the nutrient cycle. This research evaluated the effects of stocking rate [SR; 2.0, 3.9, and 5.8 animal units (AU) ha–1; 1 AU = 450 kg cattle live weight] and N fertilization (0, 150, and 300 kg N ha–1 yr–1) on litter mass and chemical composition in signal grass (Brachiaria decumbens Stapf.) pastures during two grazing seasons [2009 and 2010; 1709 and 2103 kg organic matter (OM) ha–1, respectively]. In 2009, the highest SR treatments (3.9 and 5.8 AU ha–1) had less litter mass accumulation (2093 and 2205 kg OM ha–1, respectively) than the lowest SR (2750 kg OM ha–1). Litter deposition rate was similar among SR treatments and between years, and averaged 26 kg OM ha–1 d–1. Litter N concentration increased with increasing N fertilization only in the second year (8.6 vs. 11.7 g kg–1 at 0 and 300 kg N ha–1, respectively). Nitrogen fertilization reduced litter C/N ratio for the range of SR tested, but the reduction was more pronounced for the lowest SR (53.1 vs. 29.1 for 0 and 300 kg N ha–1, respectively). Nitrogen fertilization mitigated the negative effect of increasing SR on litter mass deposition and chemical composition by stimulating plant regrowth.
The Associated Effects of the Soybean Aphid Resistance Gene Rag2 from PI 200538 on Agronomic Traits in Soybean
Authors: Kim Ki‐Seung , Diers Brian W.
Published: April 2013

The soybean aphid (SA) (Aphis glycines Matsumura) has become a major insect pest of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in North America. Three SA biotypes and several genes conferring resistance to this pest have been discovered. The major SA resistance gene Rag2 was identified and mapped from the maturity group VIII PI 200538 and the gene has been introgressed into Midwest‐adapted germplasm. The objective of this study was to test whether Rag2 has unintended effects on seed yield and other agronomic traits in elite midwestern U.S. adapted soybean backgrounds. Homozygous resistant (Rag2) and susceptible (rag2) backcross lines from two backgrounds were tested in multiple environments under conditions with nondetectable SA infestations. Across environments, the Rag2 locus had no significant (P = 0.05) associated effects on seed yield, maturity, plant height, and lodging score in the first background. In the second background, a significant effect was observed across environments for yield, with those lines homozygous for the Rag2 resistance allele averaging 256 kg ha–1 less yield than lines homozygous for the susceptible allele. The inconsistency of effects observed in the two populations may be the result of differences in the size of the introgressed region in the two populations or the result of background effects. These results show the importance of considering the associated effects of Rag2 when this gene is bred into elite genetic backgrounds.
Partitioning Soil Respiration during Pasture Regrowth
Authors: Skinner R. Howard
Published: April 2013

Understanding the regulation of net ecosystem exchange and soil C sequestration within pasture systems requires knowledge of its component fluxes, including photosynthetic uptake and respiratory loss. However, little information is available on the partitioning of soil respiration (RS) between its heterotrophic respiration (RH) and rhizosphere respiration (RR) components for perennial cool‐season pasture species. The purpose of this study was to use stable C isotopes to examine the effects of regrowth after defoliation on the components of soil respiration for grassland plots planted as an orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata L.)–white clover (Trifolium repens L.) mixture but dominated by orchardgrass (90 to 100% of harvested biomass). Respiration components were quantified during the first 3 wk following defoliation at the beginning of July in 2010 and 2011. In 2010, RS, RH, and RR were all lowest 1 d after cutting (DAC). Both RS and RH significantly increased by 8 DAC but no further increase occurred over the next 2 wk. In contrast, RR continued to increase throughout the regrowth period. In 2011, RS did not differ among harvests and averaged across dates was less than in 2010. During the 2011 regrowth period RH increased slightly whereas RR did not change significantly. The rhizosphere contribution (RC) to RS averaged 0.49, increasing from 0.35 to 0.56 during regrowth in 2010 but decreasing from 0.62 to 0.43 in 2011. Differences among years in respiration responses during regrowth were possibly due to a combination of factors including resource limitations, soil moisture stress, and differences in soil temperature.
Analysis of Quantitative Traits in Two Long‐Term Randomly Mated Soybean Populations: I. Genetic Variances
Authors: Recker Jill R. , Burton Joseph W. , Cardinal Andrea , Miranda Lilian
Published: April 2013

The genetic effects of long‐term random mating and natural selection aided by genetic male sterility were evaluated in two soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] populations: RSII and RSIII. Population means, variances, and heritabilities were estimated to determine the effects of 26 generations of random mating. The 10% highest yielding lines from each population were selected. Data was collected on flowering date, maturity date, plant height, lodging score, seed yield, seed weight, protein concentration (PC), and oil concentration (OC). RSII had a mean seed yield, PC, and OC of 2163 kg ha−1, 416 g kg−1, and 193 g kg−1, respectively. Entry‐mean heritability for seed yield, PC, and OC was estimated at 36, 68, and 57%, respectively. Theoretical response to selection was 183 kg ha−1 and, after selection, the realized gain was 161 kg ha−1. RSIII had a mean seed yield, PC, and OC of 2300 kg ha−1, 416 g kg−1, and 190 g kg−1, respectively. The entry‐mean heritability estimates for seed yield, PC, and OC were 57, 87, and 91%, respectively. Theoretical response to selection was 300 kg ha−1 and, after selection, realized gain was an increase of 139 kg ha−1. Despite not reaching their theoretical yield potential, the best lines from both populations compared well to check cultivars. The significant genetic variances and heritabilities observed demonstrate that the breakage of linkage blocks by long‐term random mating and natural selection were effective in producing competitive lines.
Nitrate Leaching from Two Kentucky Bluegrass Cultivars as Affected by Nitrate Uptake Capacity and Subsurface Soil Compaction
Authors: Zhang Chenxi , Miller Grady L. , Rufty Thomas W. , Bowman Daniel C.
Published: April 2013

There are a number of strategies to minimize NO3– leaching from turfgrass, including planting turfgrass cultivars with higher NO3– absorption abilities. This column lysimeter study was conducted to examine NO3– leaching from two Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) cultivars differing in NO3– uptake capacity. Subsurface soil compaction was included as a second factor. Tillers of Julia and Midnight Kentucky bluegrass, previously identified as having high and low NO3– uptake capacity, respectively, were grown in column lysimeters. Each column was filled with Wagram loamy sand with or without a subsurface compaction layer 8.5 cm below the surface. The two cultivars were established and then treated to impose moderate N deficiency. Potassium nitrate was applied in solution at 49 kg N ha–1 followed by daily heavy irrigation. Leachate was collected and analyzed for NO3–‐N. Cumulative N leaching loss of applied N ranged from 2.6 to 19% and 2.8 to 21% for Julia and Midnight, respectively. In two out of three trials, both cultivars absorbed NO3– very efficiently in noncompacted soil, with only trace amounts of NO3– leaching. While NO3–‐N loss averaged 4.7% of applied N in noncompacted soil across all trials, subsurface soil compaction increased that to 8.9%. Results indicated that despite being identified as more efficient for NO3– uptake, NO3– leaching from Julia was generally similar to that from Midnight. Soil conditions and differences in root morphology and/or architecture may played a more important role than root uptake capacity in determining NO3– leaching from these Kentucky bluegrass genotypes.
An Introgressed Nicotiana rustica Genomic Region Confers Resistance to Phytophthora nicotianae in Cultivated Tobacco
Authors: Drake Katherine , Lewis Ramsey S.
Published: April 2013

Black shank, caused by the pathogen Phytophthora nicotianae, is an important disease affecting tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.) production in many parts of the world. Host resistance offers an efficient means of reducing economic loss due to this pathogen. Previous observations suggested that a genomic region introgressed from Nicotiana rustica L. may affect resistance to black shank. The effect of this genomic region, designated as Wz, on resistance to multiple races of P. nicotianae had not previously been investigated in a systematic way, however. We used growth chamber and field experiments to evaluate resistance of a doubled haploid (DH) mapping population segregating for the Wz region. We also genotyped the population with amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers found to be polymorphic between the parental lines. In addition, we determined resistance and marker genotypes for individuals of a larger BC1F1 population segregating for Wz. A set of 29 AFLP markers determined to be of N. rustica origin were found to cosegregate with each other and were associated with resistance to both race 0 and race 1 of P. nicotianae in the DH population. A selected subset of these markers was also found to cosegregate with resistance in the BC1F1 population. Consistent with other introgressed alien genomic regions in N. tabacum, no recombination was observed between these selected markers. The N. rustica‐derived genetic variation and associated DNA markers will be of value for breeding for black shank resistance in tobacco.
Comparison of the Performance of Best Linear Unbiased Estimation and Best Linear Unbiased Prediction of Genotype Effects from Zoned Indian Maize Data
Authors: Kleinknecht K. , Möhring J. , Singh K.P. , Zaidi P.H. , Atlin G.N. , Piepho H.P.
Published: April 2013

The maize (Zea mays L.) growing area in India is divided into five zones for cultivar testing. During triannual testing of genotypes in official trials within the All‐India Coordinated Maize Improvement Program (AICMIP), a large number of entries is rejected each year. Therefore, only a low number of entries is carried forward to the advanced stage of testing. The subdivision of the breeding sites into zones results in limited data per zone. Hence, the question arises how to select the best genotypes per zone and how information can be borrowed across zones to improve the accuracy of selection within zones. We compared the performance of best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) using the correlation of genetic effects between zones with best linear unbiased estimation (BLUE) based on data per zone. In both cases, data were analyzed using a mixed model. We used simulations to calculate correlations between the true simulated values and the predicted genotype values obtained by BLUE and BLUP using the same models. The data structure and the variance components used in simulations were based on the analysis of 40 triannual series of four different maize maturity groups. Best linear unbiased prediction outperformed BLUE in 38 out of 40 series and on average across all series. An advantage of BLUP was observed for varying genetic correlations between zones. We conclude that the use of BLUP enhanced the estimation accuracy in zoned AICMIP maize testing trials and can be recommended for future use in these trials.
Interventional Nephrology
Authors: Yevzlin Alexander S. , Valliant Amanda M.
Published: April 2013

There is increasing awareness of vascular access dysfunction as a significant contributor to the morbidity associated with chronic hemodialysis. Over the last several years, interventional nephrologists, in conjunction with our colleagues in vascular surgery, have led the way in the creation of novel devices that are designed to help solve the vascular access problem. The purpose of this review is to describe novel devices in the precommercial stage of development that have the potential to revolutionize the field of dialysis vascular access. These devices include bioengineered blood vessels, access monitoring technology, and advanced anastomotic connectors.
Serum Soluble Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator Receptor Levels and Idiopathic FSGS in Children
Authors: Bock Margret E. , Price Heather E. , Gallon Lorenzo , Langman Craig B.
Published: April 2013

Background and objectives

FSGS is the primary cause of childhood nephrotic syndrome leading to ESRD. Permeability factors, including circulating serum soluble urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), have been postulated as putative causes in adults with primary FSGS. Similar results have yet to be proven in children.

Design, setting, participants, & measurements

This cross-sectional single-center study assessed the association of serum suPAR in children with FSGS or other glomerular and nonglomerular kidney diseases.

Results

This study examined 110 samples retrieved from 99 individuals (between January 2011 and April 2012), aged 1–21 years; of these individuals, 20 had primary FSGS, 24 had non-FSGS glomerular disease, 26 had nonglomerular kidney disease, and 29 were healthy controls. suPAR levels were not significantly different in children with FSGS, non-FSGS glomerular disease, and healthy controls (P>0.05). However, suPAR levels (median [25%–75%]) were higher in children with nonglomerular kidney disease (3385 pg/ml [2695–4392]) versus FSGS (2487 pg/ml [2191–3351]; P<0.05). Female patients with nephrotic-range proteinuria (U-Pr/Cr >2) had lower suPAR levels than those without proteinuria (2380 pg/ml [2116–2571] versus 3125 pg/ml [2516–4198], respectively; P<0.001). This trend was not seen among male participants; suPAR levels in all female participants were lower than in male participants (P=0.03). Thirty-four patients studied were kidney transplant recipients; transplant status was not associated with suPAR levels in patients with FSGS or non-FSGS diagnoses, independent of proteinuria, race, or sex (P>0.05).

Conclusions

On the basis of these results, circulating suPAR is unlikely the leading cause for childhood idiopathic FSGS.
Are Stock Option Grants to Directors of State-Controlled Chinese Firms Listed in Hong Kong Genuine Compensation?
Authors: Chen Zhihong , Guan Yuyan , Ke Bin
Published: April 2013

We examine the determinants and consequences of stock option compensation to directors of state-controlled Chinese firms that are incorporated outside China and listed in Hong Kong, referred to as state-controlled Red Chip firms, over the period 1990–2005. We find that state-controlled Red Chip firms granted directors a significant number of stock options in response to the demand of foreign investors. However, state-controlled Red Chip firms forced the directors to forfeit a significant percentage of their vested in-the-money stock options due to a conflict between the high-powered stock option compensation and state-controlled Red Chip firms' unique managerial labor market. We find little evidence that directors' stock option compensation changed the behavior of state-controlled Red Chip firms. Overall, our results are consistent with the media's allegation that the stock options granted to directors of many, if not all, state-controlled Red Chip firms are not genuine compensation.

JEL Classifications: D21, G32, J33, M40, N25

Data Availability: Data used in this study are publicly available from the sources identified in the paper.
Diabetic Retinopathy and Microalbuminuria Can Predict Macroalbuminuria and Renal Function Decline in Japanese Type 2 Diabetic Patients
Authors: Moriya Tatsumi , Tanaka Shiro , Kawasaki Ryo , Ohashi Yasuo , Akanuma Yasuo , Yamada Nobuhiro , Sone Hirohito , Yamashita Hidetoshi , Katayama Shigehiro ,   for the Japan Diabetes Complications Study Group
Published: April 2013

OBJECTIVE

To examine the interactive relationship between diabetic retinopathy (DR) and diabetic nephropathy (DN) in type 2 diabetic patients and to elucidate the role of DR and microalbuminuria on the onset of macroalbuminuria and renal function decline.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We explored the effects of DR and microalbuminuria on the progression of DN from normoalbuminuria and low microalbuminuria (<150 mg/gCr) to macroalbuminuria or renal function decline in the Japan Diabetes Complications Study (JDCS), which is a nationwide randomized controlled study of type 2 diabetic patients focusing on lifestyle modification. Patients were divided into four groups according to presence or absence of DR and MA: normoalbuminuria without DR [NA(DR−)] (n = 773), normoalbuminuria with DR [NA(DR+)] (n = 279), microalbuminuria without DR [MA(DR−)] (n = 277), and microalbuminuria with DR [MA(DR+)] (n = 146). Basal urinary albumin-to-creatinine ratio and DR status were determined at baseline and followed for a median of 8.0 years.

RESULTS

Annual incidence rates of macroalbuminuria were 1.6/1,000 person-years (9 incidences), 3.9/1,000 person-years (8 incidences), 18.4/1,000 person-years (34 incidences), and 22.1/1,000 person-years (22 incidences) in the four groups, respectively. Multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios of the progression to macroalbuminuria were 2.48 (95% CI 0.94–6.50; P = 0.07), 10.40 (4.91–22.03; P < 0.01), and 11.55 (5.24–25.45; P < 0.01) in NA(DR+), MA(DR−), and MA(DR+), respectively, in comparison with NA(DR−). Decline in estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) per year was two to three times faster in MA(DR+) (−1.92 mL/min/1.73 m2/year) than in the other groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In normo- and low microalbuminuric Japanese type 2 diabetic patients, presence of microalbuminuria at baseline was associated with higher risk of macroalbuminuria in 8 years. Patients with microalbuminuria and DR showed the fastest GFR decline. Albuminuria and DR should be considered as risk factors of renal prognosis in type 2 diabetic patients. An open sharing of information will benefit both ophthalmologists and diabetologists.
Overexpression of Hemopexin in the Diabetic Eye
Authors: Hernández Cristina , Garcia-Ramírez Marta , Simó Rafael
Published: April 2013

OBJECTIVE

Hemopexin is a well-recognized permeability factor in the kidney, but its potential role in blood-retinal barrier (BRB) breakdown has not been explored. The main aims of this study were as follows: 1) to determine hemopexin expression in the retina and its content in the vitreous fluid from diabetic patients with diabetic macular edema (DME) and nondiabetic patients, 2) to evaluate the effect of hemopexin on BRB permeability, and 3) to determine whether dexamethasone prevents an eventual hemopexin-induced hyperpermeability.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Biological material included 1) retinas from 10 diabetic donors with nonproliferative retinopathy and from 10 nondiabetic donors and 2) vitreous fluid from 14 patients with DME and 14 nondiabetic patients. Hemopexin and hemopexin receptor mRNA levels were measured by quantitative RT-PCR and hemopexin concentrations by ELISA. The effect of hemopexin on permeability in culture was evaluated in human retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE)-19 cells and bovine retinal endothelial cells. The experiments were repeated in the presence of hemopexin-neutralizing antibodies and dexamethasone.

RESULTS

A higher expression of hemopexin was detected in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) from diabetic patients in comparison with nondiabetic control subjects. Intravitreal hemopexin concentration was higher in patients with DME than in nondiabetic subjects. Hemopexin significantly increased permeability in ARPE-19 cells, which was prevented by both hemopexin-neutralizing antibodies and dexamethasone.

CONCLUSIONS

Hemopexin is overexpressed in the RPE of diabetic patients with DME and induces the breakdown of RPE cells in vitro. Dexamethasone was able to prevent hemopexin-induced hyperpermeability. Our results suggest that hemopexin can be considered a new pathogenic candidate for DME.
Changes in Detection of Retinopathy in Type 2 Diabetes in the First 4 Years of a Population-Based Diabetic Eye Screening Program
Authors: Forster Alice S. , Forbes Angus , Dodhia Hiten , Connor Clare , Du Chemin Alain , Sivaprasad Sobha , Mann Samantha , Gulliford Martin C.
Published: April 2013

OBJECTIVE

Annual diabetic eye screening has been implemented in England since 2008. This study aimed to estimate changes in the detection of retinopathy in the first 4 years of the program.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Participants included 32,340 patients with type 2 diabetes resident in three London boroughs with one or more screening records between 2008 and 2011. Data for 87,570 digital images from 2008 to 2011 were analyzed. Frequency of sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy (STDR) was estimated by year of screen for first screens and for subsequent screens according to retinopathy status at first screen.

RESULTS

Among 16,621 first-ever screens, the frequency of STDR was 7.1% in 2008, declining to 6.4% in 2011 (P = 0.087). The proportion with a duration of diabetes of <1 year at first screen increased from 18.7% in 2008 to 48.6% in 2011. Second or later screens were received by 26,308 participants. In participants with mild nonproliferative retinopathy at first screen, the proportion with STDR at second or later screen declined from 21.6% in 2008 to 8.4% in 2011 (annual change −2.2% [95% CI −3.3 to −1.0], P < 0.001). In participants with no retinopathy at first screen, STDR declined from 9.2% in 2008 to 3.2% in 2011 (annual change −1.8% [−2.0 to −1.7], P < 0.001). Declining trends were similar in sociodemographic subgroups.

CONCLUSIONS

After the inception of population-based diabetic eye screening, patients at lower risk of STDR contribute an increasing proportion to the eligible population, and the proportion detected with STDR at second or subsequent screening rounds declines rapidly.
Probing Electronic Dynamics during Photochemical Reactions
Authors: Tehlar Andres , Kraus Peter M. , Wörner Hans Jakob
Published: April 2013

This review discusses a new method for probing the evolution of the valence-electron structure of molecules during chemical reactions. The method relies on the interaction of an intense infrared laser pulse with molecules that results in the emission of attosecond pulses (1 as = 10–18
s) in a process known as high-harmonic generation. Time-resolved high-harmonic spectroscopy measures the phase and amplitude of attosecond pulses emitted from the reacting molecules through interference with the emission from the unexcited molecules. This coherent detection mechanism provides
a high sensitivity to small excitation fractions and direct access to both the amplitude and the phase of attosecond pulses, the latter of which is otherwise very difficult to measure. These observables reveal several complementary aspects of excited-state photochemical dynamics such as dissociation, adiabatic wave-packet evolution and conical intersection dynamics.
1,2,3-Triazoles as Amide-bond Surrogates in Peptidomimetics
Authors: Valverde Ibai E. , Mindt Thomas L.
Published: April 2013

1,2,3-Triazoles represent a class of heterocycles with interesting properties for application in peptide sciences since they closely resemble amide bonds while being stable to enzymatic degradation. These characteristics make 1,2,3-triazoles promising candidates as amide-bond surrogates
for the development of novel peptidomimetics with potentially improved biological characteristics. Despite the potential of the heterocycle as an amide-bond isoster, only few examples of triazole-based peptidomimetics can be found in the literature. With the intention to promote this new and
promising strategy for peptide modification, this review summarizes synthetic methods available for the facile preparation of ?-amino acid and ?-amino alkyne building blocks and their use for the incorporation of 1,4-disubstituted 1,2,3 triazoles into the backbone of peptides mediated
by the Cu(i)-catalyzed alkyne–azide cycloaddition (CuAAC). In addition, examples of the successful amide-to-triazole substitution in biologically active peptides are presented.
[(Cp-R)M(CO)3] (M= Re or 99mTc) Conjugates for Theranostic Receptor Targeting
Authors: Can Daniel , Schmutz Paul , Sulieman Samer , Spingler Bernhard , Alberto Roger
Published: April 2013

Cyclopentadienyl complexes of 99mTc became accessible via a retro Diels-Alder synthetic approach of dimerized cyclopentadiene derivatives. So far, this approach was limited to derivatives comprising a carboxylic acid group, directly conjugated to the Cp-ring, leading to complexes
[(C5H5COOH) 99m Tc(CO)3] and [(C5H5CONH-R)99mTc(CO)3], respectively. The introduction of an –NCO group via Curtius rearrangement and subsequent in situ reactions with alcohols or amines gave [(C5H5NHCO-OR)2]
and [(C5H5NHCO-NHR)2]. To increase the spacer lengths between the Cp-ring and the functional groups, methylene and ethylene spacers were introduced to yield C5H5-CH2COOH and C5H5-C2H4COOH
respectively. The latter Cp-derivatives reacted with [99mTcO4)]- and in the presence of CO releasing/reducing agents to the corresponding [(C5H5-spacer-COOH) 99mTc(CO)3] complexes. The carboxylato groups can be derivatized
with targeting functions, leading to structurally altered receptor binding complexes, with 99mTc for imaging and with rhenium for therapy. The nature of the 99mTc complexes was assessed by HPLC comparison with the corresponding rhenium compounds.
Modeling and Validation of Heat and Mass Transfer in Individual Coffee Beans during the Coffee Roasting Process Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Authors: Alonso-Torres Beatriz , Hernández-Pérez José Alfredo , Sierra-Espinoza Fernando , Schenker Stefan , Yeretzian Chahan
Published: April 2013

Heat and mass transfer in individual coffee beans during roasting were simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Numerical equations for heat and mass transfer inside the coffee bean were solved using the finite volume technique in the commercial CFD code Fluent ; the software
was complemented with specific user-defined functions (UDFs). To experimentally validate the numerical model, a single coffee bean was placed in a cylindrical glass tube and roasted by a hot air flow, using the identical geometrical 3D configuration and hot air flow conditions as the ones
used for numerical simulations. Temperature and humidity calculations obtained with the model were compared with experimental data. The model predicts the actual process quite accurately and represents a useful approach to monitor the coffee roasting process in real time. It provides valuable
information on time-resolved process variables that are otherwise difficult to obtain experimentally, but critical to a better understanding of the coffee roasting process at the individual bean level. This includes variables such as time-resolved 3D profiles of bean temperature and moisture content, and temperature profiles of the roasting air in the vicinity of the coffee bean.
Gendered Casualties: Memoirs in Activism and the Problem of Representing Violence
Authors: Musikawong Sudarat
Published: April 2013

Masculinity and nationalisms in Thailand during the 1970s served to enable gendered violence against activist women. Archival research and fieldwork reveal how feminist epistemologies and methods for studying memory are always gendered. Both conservative and leftist memories about the turbulent 1970s are rooted in a masculine notion of nationalism. Marginalizing the women's movement during the 1970s and forgetting the gendered violence against female activists during the October 6, 1976 massacre enables masculine nationalism.
“Wars Not Make One Great”: Redeeming the Star Wars Mythos from Redemptive Violence Without Amusing Ourselves to Death
Authors: McDowell John C.
Published: April 2013

Recently George Lucas approved animation series, Clone Wars, has rekindled the imaginations of the youngest generation to immerse itself in not merely the excitement of the Lucas-inspired visual materials, the Star Wars saga, but also in the expensive consumption of a wide-range of merchandise. Aggressive lightsaber battles can again be seen taking place on the streets, and consequently concerns about the relation of this saga and violence are worth raising once more. This paper assumes that the pop philosophy of these particular movies possesses certain kinds of resources to be a multi-volume set of publicly ethical texts. Primarily it tackles populist approaches to issues of the cultural relation between this (largely American) saga and questions of violence, in particular attending to Star Wars possible performance of the so-called myth of redemptive violence. The contention is that the presentation of violence in the sets of narratives is not a simple one since this multi-part cultural artefact offers several forms of it. These range from something akin to a holy violence, through more a sense of just war, to an ethical philosophy approaching a full-blown redemptive non-violence. In fact, there may well be in the performance of the last theme vital potential for even subverting the very myth of redemptive violence itself and likewise its discourse of a good war. This papers reading aims to provoke not an indecision over meaning but rather an undecision over the grain of the most commonly heard connection of Star Wars with a mythically violent ethos, and this is done largely in order to open up a liberative reading of the saga.
The Denouement Of Pygmalion
Authors: Matlaw Myron
Published: April 2013

Alan Jay Lerner, probably the most successful adapter of Shaw's Pygmalion, commented: "Shaw explains how Eliza ends not with Higgins but with Freddy and-Shaw and Heaven forgive mel-1 am not certain he is right." Many critics would agree with this sentiment. A recent analysis of the play goes so far as to dismiss the Epilogue as a bit of Shavian frivolity and to cite the ''happy ending" Shaw himself wrote for Pascal's film as the proper denouement of a play which is persuasively categorized by one critic as a play which follows "the classic pattern of satirical comedy."
The Iceman and the Bridegroom
Authors: Day Cyrus
Published: April 2013

The Iceman Cometh is a play about the death of a salesman; its central theme is the relationship between men's illusions and their will to live. The salesman, Theodore Hickman, or Hickey, as he is called, is a more complex character than Arthur Miller's Willie Loman, and O'Neill's diagnosis of the spiritual malaise of the twentieth century is more profound than Miller's. Loman is depicted from the outside: he is the victim of a false and wholly external conception of what constitutes success. He wants, in a worldly sense, to solve the riddle of life, but the questions be asks are superficial
The London Season
Authors: Price Martin
Published: April 2013

THERE ARE NOT MANY 'l1lUSTWORTHY CONCLUSIONS to be drawn from six months of limited playgoing, but the first and most enduring is that the London theater is a more lively and varied one than any in the United States, and, from all reports, in Europe as well, There are banality and commercialism enough, but interesting plays still seem to be able to survive without thunderous acclaim. Except for My Fair Lady or a Margot Fonteyn appearance at Covent Garden, tickets are generally available at fairly short notice; and they are quite cheap by American standards. (Most theaters still hold gallery seats for sale the day of the performance at prices under half a dollar; it is possible for students to go to the theater often and easily.) In part, the situation is improved by subsidy; the Arts Council has about three million dollars to distribute annually, although it must be a small portion that reaches the Old Vic and the English Stage Company. Yet the vigor of related arts, such as opera and ballet, and the survival of numerous local repertory companies must have their effect upon the training of audiences as well as of players and writers.
Book Reviews
Authors: Inniss Kenneth , Calderwood Natalie , Meserve Walter , Horn Robert , Crafton Allen , Brooking Jack
Published: April 2013

Francis Fergusson, The Human Image in Dramatic Literature, , reviewed by Kenneth Inniss

Edward A. Wright, A Primer for Playgoers, , reviewed by Natalie Calderwood

Samuel Selden, Man in his Theatre, , reviewed by Walter J. Meserve

Harold Hobson, International Theatre Annud, , reviewed by Robert D. Horn

F. Cowles Strickland, The Technique of Acting, , reviewed by Allen Crafton

Peter Cotes, A Handbook for the Amateur Theatre, , reviewed by Jack Brooking
The Tyranny of Time and Space—Weakened but Not Vanquished
Authors: Mokhtarian Patricia L.
Published: April 2013

People have exchanged messages across distances of space or time since the dawn of human history. Modern technologies, for both travel and telecommunication, have vastly increased the speed and reach of our communication potential, but the difference from the past is not just one of degree: at least one difference in kind is the convergence of information/computing technology with communication technology (ICT), and specifically the emergence of the (now-mobile) internet. Relationships between ICT and travel are numerous, complex, and paradoxical. Speculation that “modern“ ICT could substitute for travel virtually coincided with the invention of the telephone, but scholars as early as the 1970s also realized the potential for mutual synergy and generation. Although ICT and travel have diminished the tyranny of space, they cannot be said to have conquered it.
Mobility
Authors: Merriman Peter , Jones Rhys , Cresswell Tim , Divall Colin , Mom Gijs , Sheller Mimi , Urry John
Published: April 2013

This article is an edited transcript of a panel discussion on “mobility studies“ which was held as part of a workshop on mobility and community at Aberystwyth University on September 3, 2012. In the article the five panelists reflect upon the recent resurgence of research on mobility in the social sciences and humanities, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary debates, and the ways in which established fields such as transport history, migration studies, and sociology are being reshaped by new research agendas. The panelists discuss the importance of engaging with issues of politics, justice, equality, global capital, secrecy, and representation, and they encourage researchers to focus on non-Western and non-hegemonic mobilities, as well as to produce “useable“ studies which engage policy-makers.
Book Reviews
Authors: Lim Jason , Ebert Anne-Katrin , Reut Jennifer , Mellegers Ernie , Tull Malcolm , Millward Liz , Ponsavady Stéphanie , Lejoux Patricia , Kim Nanny , Philpott William , Spalding Steven D.
Published: April 2013

Pál Nyíri, Mobility and Cultural Authority in Contemporary China (Jason Lim)

Friedrich von Borries, ed., Berliner Atlas paradoxaler Mobilität (Anne-Katrin Ebert)

Toni Morrison, Home (Jennifer Reut)

Antonio Amado, Voiture Minimum, Le Corbusier and the Automobile (Ernie Mellegers)

Kurt Stenross, Madurese Seafarers. Prahus, Timber and Illegality on the Margins of the Indonesian State (Malcolm Tull)

Gordon Pirie, Cultures and Caricatures of British Imperial Aviation: Passengers, Pilots, Publicity (Liz Millward)

Christine R. Yano, Airborne Dreams: “Nisei“ Stewardesses and Pan American World Airways (Stéphanie Ponsavady)

Christophe Gay, Vincent Kaufmann, Sylvie Landriève, Stéphanie Vincent-Geslin, eds., Mobile/Immobile: Quels choix, quels droits pour 2030/Choices and Rights for 2030 (Patricia Lejoux)

Zhang Ellen Cong, Transformative Journeys: Travel and Culture in Song China (Nanny Kim)

Susan Sessions Rugh, Are We There Yet? The Golden Age of American Family Vacations (William Philpott)

Justin D. Edwards and Rune Graulund, Mobility at Large: Globalization, Textuality and Innovative Travel Writing (Steven D. Spalding)
Intensive Care Unit: Bangladesh Perspective
Authors: Khatun UH Shahera , Mandal Md. Wakely
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 187-189 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14759
Outcomes of Patients with Peripartum Paralysis with Physiatric Management
Authors: Ahmed Md. Shaik , Shakoor MA
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 191-194 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14760
Newer Effective Treatment for Adult Acute Asthmatics with a Multi-Dose Regimen of Ipratropium Bromide Plus Salbutamol Using Metered Dose Inhalers with a Spacer Device in Emergency Department
Authors: Rashid Md. Mamunur , Khair Mohammad Murtaza , Hossain Md. Ali , Hassan Md. Rashidul
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 195-200 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14761
Co-ingeritance of an alpha Variant Haemaglobin J and beta Variant Haemaglobin E
Authors: Biswas Akhil Ranjon , Afrose Salma , Khan Mohiuddin Ahmed
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 221-224 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14766
Oral Histoplasmosis: Report of Two Cases
Authors: Sadat SM Anwar , Rita Sufia Nasrin , Kahhar MA
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 229-233 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14768
A Foreign Body in the Rectum
Authors: Islam Md. Tanuvirul , Baqui Brig Gen Mohammad Abdul , Ahmed Siddique , Begum Nasrin
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 234-235 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14769
Letter to the Editor
Authors: Yasmin Rubina
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 236 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14770
Obituary Vol.30(4)
Authors: Board Editorial
Published: April 2013

J Bangladesh Coll Phys Surg 2012; 30: 245 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jbcps.v30i4.14773
The Effect of the Aerial Part of Lindera akoensis on Lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-Induced Nitric Oxide Production in RAW264.7 Cells
Authors: Yang Chung-Ping , Huang Guan-Jhong , Huang Hui-Chi , Chen Yu-Chang , Chang Chi-I , Wang Sheng-Yang , Chang Hsun-Shuo , Tseng Yen-Hsueh , Chien Shih-Chang , Kuo Yueh-Hsiung
Published: April 2013

Four new secondary metabolites, 3α-((E)-Dodec-1-enyl)-4β-hydroxy-5β-methyldihydrofuran-2-one (1), linderinol (6), 4'-O-methylkaempferol 3-O-α-L-(4''-E-p-coumaroyl)rhamnoside (11) and kaempferol 3-O-α-L-(4''-Z-p-coumaroyl)rhamnoside (12) with eleven known compounds—3-epilistenolide D1 (2), 3-epilistenolide D2 (3), (3Z,4α,5β)-3-(dodec-11-ynylidene)-4-hydroxy-5-methylbutanolide (4), (3E,4β,5β)-3-(dodec-11-ynylidene)-4-hydroxy-5-methylbutanolide (5), matairesinol (7), syringaresinol (8), (+)-pinoresinol (9), salicifoliol (10), 4''-p-coumaroylafzelin (13), catechin (14) and epicatechin (15)—were first isolated from the aerial part of Lindera akoensis. Their structures were determined by detailed analysis of 1D- and 2D-NMR spectroscopic data. All of the compounds isolated from Lindera akoensis showed that in vitro anti-inflammatory activity decreases the LPS-stimulated production of nitric oxide (NO) in RAW 264.7 cell, with IC50 values of 4.1–413.8 µM.