bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clumped isotope analysis of carbonates: comparison of two different acid digestion techniques
Authors: Wacker Ulrike , Fiebig Jens , Schoene Bernd R.
Published: June 2013

RATIONALE

The kinetic nature of the phosphoric acid digestion reaction enables clumped isotope analysis of carbonates using gas source isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS). In most laboratories acid digestions are performed at 25°C in sealed vessels or at 90°C in a common acid bath. Here we show that different Δ47 results are obtained depending on the digestion technique employed.

METHODS

Several replicates of a biogenic aragonite and NBS 19 were reacted with 104% H3PO4 in sealed vessels at 25°C and at 90°C using a common acid bath. The sample size varied between 4 mg and 14 mg. Purification methods that are standard for clumped isotope analyses were applied to the evolved CO2 before measuring the abundances of masses 44 to 49 relative to a reference gas by IRMS.

RESULTS

A systematic trend to lower and more consistent Δ47 values is observed for reactions at 25°C if the sample size is increased. We suggest that secondary re‐equilibration of evolved CO2 or reaction intermediates with free water molecules preferentially occurs for relatively small samples (4–7 mg), finally yielding elevated Δ47 values compared with >7 mg aliquots. In contrast, no such sample size effect on Δ47 values is observed for carbonates that are digested at 90°C using the common acid bath.

CONCLUSIONS

The determination of Δ47 values of carbonate samples smaller than 7 mg becomes more precise and accurate if digestions are performed at 90°C. Based on our results we propose that the difference in phosphoric acid fractionation factor between 25°C and 90°C is 0.07‰ for both calcite and aragonite. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Continual key leakage tolerant encryption from extensible set delegation
Authors: Zhang Mingwu , Yang Bo
Published: June 2013

Many attention has been attracted by a new security primitive called leakage‐resilient cryptography, which guarantees that the cryptographic system is semantic secure even if the key has been partially leaked, which is due to the side‐channel attacks that the part of secret key can be recovered. In this work, we present a leakage‐resilient functional encryption that supports unbounded extensible subset delegation, which remains provably secure even if the attacker learns some arbitrary partial information about the secret keys. The proposed scheme provides the tolerance of continual leakage in which both memory leakage and continual leakage are captured, which has many appealing applications because there are multiple secret keys per subset string by periodically refreshing the key. The security relies on the static complex assumptions that are based on the static (bilinear) subgroup decisional problems. Finally, we give the performance evaluation such as the size of public parameters, keys, ciphertexts, leakage bound, and leakage ratio under 80‐bit security standard. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Pb2+ induces gastrin gene expression by extracellular signal‐regulated kinases 1/2 and transcription factor activator protein 1 in human gastric carcinoma cells
Authors: Chan Chien‐Pin , Tsai Yao‐Ting , Chen Yao‐Li , Hsu Yu‐Wen , Tseng Joseph T. , Chuang Hung‐Yi , Shiurba Robert , Lee Mei‐Hsien , Wang Jaw‐Yuan , Chang Wei‐Chiao
Published: June 2013

Divalent lead ions (Pb2+) are toxic environmental pollutants known to cause serious health problems in humans and animals. Absorption of Pb2+ from air, water, and food takes place in the respiratory and digestive tracts. The ways in which absorbed Pb2+ affects cell physiology are just beginning to be understood at the molecular level. Here, we used reverse transcription PCR and Western blotting to analyze cultures of human gastric carcinoma cells exposed to 10 μM lead nitrate. We found that Pb2+ induces gastrin hormone gene transcription and translation in a time‐dependent manner. Promoter deletion analysis revealed that activator protein 1 (AP1) was necessary for gastrin gene transcription in cells exposed to Pb2+. MitogIen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK)/ERK kinase inhibitor PD98059 suppressed the Pb2+‐induced increase in messenger RNA. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors AG1478 and PD153035 reduced both transcription and phosphorylation by extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK1/2). Cells exposed to Pb2+ also increased production of c‐Jun protein, a component of AP1, and over‐expression of c‐Jun enhanced activation of the gastrin promoter. In sum, the findings suggest the EGFR‐ERK1/2‐AP1 pathway mediates the effects of Pb2+ on gastrin gene activity in cell culture. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 30: 129–136, 2015.
The ethics of emissions trading
Authors: Page Edward A.
Published: June 2013

Greenhouse gas emissions trading is a major policy tool in the international response to global climate change. This article serves as a critical introduction to the growing literature on the normative issues raised by this influential method of reducing the emissions of gases that drive climate change. To this end, four areas of normative theorizing are explored where emissions trading schemes have been considered vulnerable to critique for reasons that cannot be reduced without remainder to the dominant normative desiderata of environmental efficiency and cost efficiency.WIREs Clim Change2013, 4:233–243. doi: 10.1002/wcc.222

This article is categorized under:

Climate, Nature, and Ethics > Ethics and Climate Change

The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Policies, Instruments, Lifestyles, Behavior
Genetic modulation of the response bias towards facial displays of anger and happiness
Authors: Gohier B. , Senior C. , Radua J. , El-Hage W. , Reichenberg A. , Proitsi P. , Phillips M.L. , Surguladze S.A.
Published: June 2013

Background:

Investigating genetic modulation of emotion processing may contribute to the understanding of heritable mechanisms of emotional disorders. The aim of the present study was to test the effects of catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) val158met and serotonin-transporter-linked promoter region (5-HTTLPR) polymorphisms on facial emotion processing in healthy individuals.

Methods:

Two hundred and seventy five (167 female) participants were asked to complete a computerized facial affect recognition task, which involved four experimental conditions, each containing one type of emotional face (fearful, angry, sad or happy) intermixed with neutral faces. Participants were asked to indicate whether the face displayed an emotion or was neutral. The COMT-val158met and 5-HTTLPR polymorphisms were genotyped.

Results:

Met homozygotes (COMT) showed a stronger bias to perceive neutral faces as expressions of anger, compared with val homozygotes. However, the S-homozygotes (5-HTTLPR) showed a reduced bias to perceive neutral faces as expressions of happiness, compared to L-homozygotes. No interaction between 5-HTTLPR and COMT was found.

Conclusions:

These results add to the knowledge of individual differences in social cognition that are modulated via serotonergic and dopaminergic systems. This potentially could contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms of susceptibility to emotional disorders.
Sleep-wake cycle and melatonin rhythms in adolescents and young adults with mood disorders: Comparison of unipolar and bipolar phenotypes
Authors: Robillard R. , Naismith S.L. , Rogers N.L. , Scott E.M. , Ip T.K.C. , Hermens D.F. , Hickie I.B.
Published: June 2013

This study evaluated the potential of circadian measures as early markers of mood disorders subtypes. Patients with bipolar disorders had significantly lower levels and later onset of melatonin secretion than those with unipolar depression. Furthermore, abnormal phase angles between sleep, melatonin and temperature were found in several patients.
Developmental changes in hippocampal shape among preadolescent children
Authors: Lin Muqing , Fwu Peter T. , Buss Claudia , Davis Elysia P. , Head Kevin , Muftuler L. Tugan , Sandman Curt A. , Su Min‐Ying
Published: June 2013

It is known that the largest developmental changes in the hippocampus take place during the prenatal period and during the first two years of postnatal life. Few studies have been conducted to address the normal developmental trajectory of the hippocampus during childhood. In this study shape analysis was applied to study the normal developing hippocampus in a group of 103 typically developing 6‐ to 10‐year‐old preadolescent children. The individual brain was normalized to a template, and then the hippocampus was manually segmented and further divided into the head, body, and tail sub‐regions. Three different methods were applied for hippocampal shape analysis: radial distance mapping, surface‐based template registration using the robust point matching (RPM) algorithm, and volume‐based template registration using the Demons algorithm. All three methods show that the older children have bilateral expanded head segments compared to the younger children. The results analyzed based on radial distance to the centerline were consistent with those analyzed using template‐based registration methods. In analyses stratified by sex, it was found that the age‐associated anatomical changes were similar in boys and girls, but the age‐association was strongest in girls. Total hippocampal volume and sub‐regional volumes analyzed using manual segmentation did not show a significant age‐association. Our results suggest that shape analysis is sensitive to detect sub‐regional differences that are not revealed in volumetric analysis. The three methods presented in this study may be applied in future studies to investigate the normal developmental trajectory of the hippocampus in children. They may be further applied to detect early deviations from the normal developmental trajectory in young children for evaluating susceptibility for psychopathological disorders involving hippocampus.
Religious Symbols and Secular Government
Authors: Smith Steven D
Published: June 2013

That a ‘secular’ government should not sponsor religious expressions may seem almost like an analytic truth. And yet, in practice, liberal democratic governments often support religious symbols and expressions. So, are governments that purport to be secular and yet support religious symbols or expressions just being hypocritical, or incoherent? This article, written for a conference on ‘Freedom from Religion’ held in Tel Aviv in December 2011, considers three different versions of secularity – what I call the ‘classical’, ‘comprehensive’ and ‘agnostic’ versions – and concludes that none of these versions forbids religious expressions by ‘secular’ governments.
Dust-acoustic solitary waves in a dusty plasma with dust of opposite polarity and vortex-like ion distribution
Authors: ZAHRAN M. A. , EL-SHEWY E. K. , ABDELWAHED H. G.
Published: June 2013

The nonlinear propagation of small but finite-amplitude dust-acoustic solitary waves in an unmagnetized, collisionless dusty plasma has been investigated. The fluid model is a generalization to the model of Mamun and Shukla to a more realistic space dusty plasma in different regions of space, viz., cometary tails, mesosphere, and Jupiter's magnetosphere, by considering a four-component dusty plasma consisting of the charged dusty plasma of opposite polarity, isothermal electrons and vortex-like ion distributions in the ambient plasma. A reductive perturbation method was employed to obtain a modified Korteweg–de Vries equation for the first-order potential. The effect of the presence of a positively charged dust fluid, the specific charge ratio μ, the temperature of the positively charged dust fluid, the ratio of constant temperature of free hot ions and the constant temperature of trapped ions, and ion temperature on the soliton properties and dusty grains energy are discussed.
WHEN GENDER AND LOOKING GO HAND IN HAND
Authors: Dussias Paola E. , Valdés Kroff Jorge R. , Guzzardo Tamargo Rosa E. , Gerfen Chip
Published: June 2013

In a recent study, Lew-Williams and Fernald (2007) showed that native Spanish speakers use grammatical gender
information encoded in Spanish articles to facilitate the processing of upcoming
nouns. In this article, we report the results of a study investigating whether
grammatical gender facilitates noun recognition during second language (L2)
processing. Sixteen monolingual Spanish participants (control group) and 18
English-speaking learners of Spanish (evenly divided into high and low Spanish
proficiency) saw two-picture visual scenes in which items matched or did not
match in gender. Participants’ eye movements were recorded while they
listened to 28 sentences in which masculine and feminine target items were
preceded by an article that agreed in gender with the two pictures or agreed
only with one of the pictures. An additional group of 15 Italian learners of
Spanish was tested to examine whether the presence of gender in the first
language (L1) modulates the degree to which gender is used during L2 processing.
Data were analyzed by comparing the proportion of eye fixations on the objects
in each condition. Monolingual Spanish speakers looked sooner at the referent on
different-gender trials than on same-gender trials, replicating results reported
in past literature. Italian-Spanish bilinguals exhibited a gender anticipatory
effect, but only for the feminine condition. For the masculine condition,
participants waited to hear the noun before identifying the referent. Like the
Spanish monolinguals, the highly proficient English-Spanish speakers showed
evidence of using gender information during online processing, whereas the less
proficient learners did not. The results suggest that both proficiency in the L2
and similarities between the L1 and the L2 modulate the usefulness of
morphosyntactic information during speech processing.
School performance affects adolescent blood pressure
Authors: Xu Shaopeng , Yu Bin , Zepei Jiayong , Chang Hong , Guo Juan , Li Bin , Wan Zheng
Published: June 2013

Hypertension is a risk factor in many cardiovascular or cerebrovascular diseases. Adolescent hypertension may develop into adult hypertension. Examining the aetiologic factors of adolescent hypertension is crucial in its prevention and in managing its possible complications. The predominant view of aetiologic factors includes heredity, overweight/obesity, insulin resistance, gestational hypertension, diet, and intrauterine growth retardation. This article reported that children's academic grades in schools were positively correlated with adolescent blood pressure.
Electron Diffraction of ThMn12/Th2Zn17-Type Structures in the Nd-Fe-Ti System
Authors: Nunes Daniela , Gonçalves António P. , Carvalho Patricia A.
Published: June 2013

Nd:11Fe:Ti alloys prepared by arc melting followed by splat quenching and annealing have been investigated by electron microscopy. The as-cast microstructure evidenced an α-Fe(Ti) → NdFe11Ti → Nd2(Fe,Ti)17 solidification sequence compatible with a cascade of peritectic reactions. The Nd2(Fe,Ti)17 phase was not detected in the microstructure of the splat-quenched materials, but after annealing the ternary compound grains consisted of a mixture of ThMn12-type and Th2Zn17-type structures exhibiting a consistent (020)1:12//(003)2:17 and [100]1:12//[110]2:17, orientation relation, with the invariant plane sitting at (022)1:12//(333)2:17. A series of 3D microdiffraction experiments carried out on grains presenting a random distribution of planar defects has been used to map the reciprocal space of the intergrown phases.
Feed backwards model for microRNA processing and splicing in plants
Authors: Dhir Ashish , Proudfoot Nick J
Published: June 2013

Two studies in this issue of EMBO reports show that 3′ adjacent introns of plant miRNAs enhance miRNA biogenesis and that miRNA processing inhibits 3′ intron splicing.
Elixirs of death
Authors: Weigmann Katrin
Published: June 2013

Substandard and fake drugs are increasingly threatening lives in both the developed and developing world, but governments and industry are struggling to improve the situation.
Analysis of quasi-static vapour bubble shape during growth and departure
Authors: Lesage Frédéric J. , Cotton James S. , Robinson Anthony J.
Published: June 2013

In an effort to better understand the physical mechanisms responsible for pool boiling heat transfer, a numerical solution to the capillary equation is used to describe bubble shape evolution. Indeed, any analysis of thermal transport due to nucleate pool boiling requires bubble frequency and volume predictions, which are intimately linked to bubble shape. To this end, a numerical treatment of the capillary equation is benchmarked to profiles measured from captured images of vapour bubble formations. The bubble growth is quasi-static in a quiescent liquid with a triple contact line fixed to the perimeter of a needle orifice. This investigation provides insight into the dependence the bubble shape evolution has on the physical mechanisms quantified in the Bond number with characteristic length equal to the cavity radius.
Predicting the shock compression response of heterogeneous powder mixtures
Authors: Fredenburg D. A. , Thadhani N. N.
Published: June 2013

A model framework for predicting the dynamic shock-compression response of heterogeneous powder mixtures using readily obtained measurements from quasi-static tests is presented. Low-strain-rate compression data are first analyzed to determine the region of the bulk response over which particle rearrangement does not contribute to compaction. This region is then fit to determine the densification modulus of the mixture, σD, an newly defined parameter describing the resistance of the mixture to yielding. The measured densification modulus, reflective of the diverse yielding phenomena that occur at the meso-scale, is implemented into a rate-independent formulation of the P-α model, which is combined with an isobaric equation of state to predict the low and high stress dynamic compression response of heterogeneous powder mixtures. The framework is applied to two metal + metal-oxide (thermite) powder mixtures, and good agreement between the model and experiment is obtained for all mixtures at stresses near and above those required to reach full density. At lower stresses, rate-dependencies of the constituents, and specifically those of the matrix constituent, determine the ability of the model to predict the measured response in the incomplete compaction regime.
Chlorine chemistry in urban atmospheres: a review
Authors: Faxon C. B. , Allen D. T.
Published: June 2013

Environmental context Atmospheric chlorine radicals can affect the chemical composition of the atmosphere through numerous reactions with trace species. In urban atmospheres, the reactions of chlorine radicals can lead to effects such as increases in ozone production, thus degrading local and regional air quality. This review summarises the current understanding of atmospheric chlorine chemistry in urban environments and identifies key unresolved issues. Abstract Gas phase chlorine radicals (Cl•), when present in the atmosphere, react by mechanisms analogous to those of the hydroxyl radical (OH•). However, the rates of the Cl•-initiated reactions are often much faster than the corresponding OH• reactions. The effects of the atmospheric reactions of Cl• within urban environments include the oxidation of volatile organic compounds and increases in ozone production rates. Although concentrations of chlorine radicals are typically low compared to other atmospheric radicals, the relatively rapid rates of the reactions associated with this species lead to observable changes in air quality. This is particularly evident in the case of chlorine radical-induced localised increases in ozone concentrations. This review covers five aspects of atmospheric chlorine chemistry: (1) gas phase reactions; (2) heterogeneous and multi-phase reactions; (3) observational evidence of chlorine species in urban atmospheres; (4) regional modelling studies and (5) areas of uncertainty in the current state of knowledge.
Preconception reflections, postconception intentions: the before and after of birth control in Australian adolescent females
Authors: Smith Jennifer Lawson , Skinner S. Rachel , Fenwick Jennifer
Published: June 2013

Background The relationship between pregnancy intentions and contraceptive behaviour is difficult to establish. This study explored the contraceptive histories of teenagers with a recent experience of pregnancy to generate qualitative profiles of pregnancy intentions. Subsequent intentions in relation to birth control were also examined. Methods: A purposive sample of female teenagers aged 14–19 years was recruited from various clinical and community-based antenatal and postnatal services and termination services across the Perth metropolitan area. The current analysis was based on a total of 56 semistructured interviews. A two-staged process of thematic analysis was conducted to identify commonalities emerging from the narrative data. Results: Three pregnancy intention profiles were identified: 1) unplanned, unwanted, unlikely; 2) planned, wanted, likely; and 3) unplanned, ambivalent, likely. Each profile represents variation in pathways to pregnancy based on teenagers’ accounts of pregnancy desires, personal responsibility over contraceptive use, and perceptions of pregnancy risk. Regardless of the way that pregnancy was resolved (i.e. termination or childbirth), similar postconception intentions surrounding birth control emerged through a shared discourse of pregnancy avoidance across the sample. Conclusions: Exploring adolescents’ understandings of the decisions and behaviours that lead to pregnancy will assist in the development of more accurate assessment tools to identify those at risk of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies. Our research also suggests that the provision of contraceptive counselling immediately after conception, followed by ongoing support, may help to maintain strong intentions to delay further pregnancies as identified in our study.
Lineage tracing reveals multipotent stem cells maintain human adenomas and the pattern of clonal expansion in tumor evolution
Authors: Humphries Adam , Cereser Biancastella , Gay Laura J. , Miller Daniel S. J. , Das Bibek , Gutteridge Alice , Elia George , Nye Emma , Jeffery Rosemary , Poulsom Richard , Novelli Marco R. , Rodriguez-Justo Manuel , McDonald Stuart A. C. , Wright Nicholas A. , Graham Trevor A.
Published: June 2013

Significance

The organization of cells within human colorectal adenomas, and specifically whether the tumors are maintained by stem cells, is unclear. Furthermore, the patterns of clonal evolution leading to the development of a malignant tumor have not been determined. We performed lineage tracing in human adenomas using a combination of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA lesions and epigenetic markers. Our data identify a stem cell population within adenomas and suggest that new growth of intratumor clones occurs infrequently, not as a steady continual process as often is assumed. Our work offers a unique insight into human cancer development.
Abundance of Skeena River Chum Salmon during the Early Rise of Commercial Fishing
Authors: Price Michael H. H. , Gayeski Nick , Stanford Jack A.
Published: June 2013

We used reported commercial catch data and historical information to estimate the abundance of Skeena River Chum Salmon Oncorhynchus keta during the early rise (1916–1919) in the commercial fishery to provide historical perspective for recovery plans. We applied a Bayesian analysis to address the uncertainties associated with the estimation process. Based on the historical catch of 204,000 in 1919 and an estimated harvest rate of 0.32–0.58, the estimated return of Skeena Chum Salmon ranged from 355,000 to 619,000, with the most probable single estimate being 431,000. The estimated return of Chum Salmon based on the 1916–1919 geometric mean catch of 154,000 ranged from 268,000 to 471,000, with the most probable single estimate being 325,000. Our posterior modal historical estimates are 8–11 times larger than the estimates for the contemporary period 1982–2010 and 39–52 times larger than those for the most recent period of 2007–2010. Intense harvest pressure is the single most probable factor explaining the sustained decline in Chum Salmon abundance, but other interactive factors, notably natural variations in survival, the loss of spawning and rearing habitat, and poor data quality, also are important considerations. Nonetheless, the Skeena catchment is largely pristine today, and our robust estimates of historical abundance should be of value to contemporary management and conservation agencies for the rebuilding of such severely diminished populations.
Alligator Gar Movement and Macrohabitat Use in the Lower Trinity River, Texas
Authors: Buckmeier David L. , Smith Nathan G. , Daugherty Daniel J.
Published: June 2013

Using acoustic telemetry, we characterized movements and macrohabitat use of 46 Alligator Gars Atractosteus spatula in the lower 180 km of the Trinity River, Texas. Although several Alligator Gars used over 100 km of the river, 83% of the tagged fish had linear home ranges less than 60 km during the 22 months of study. As a result, home ranges of fish that were tagged in different parts of the study area rarely overlapped. Home range size varied by season, with the smallest home ranges occurring in winter. Greatest movements occurred during the spawn (May–June) and postspawn (July–October) seasons, and movements were correlated with increasing water temperatures based on detections of tagged fish at fixed receiver stations. Tagged Alligator Gars were most often associated with main‐channel habitats when river stage was at base level and during small flood pulses (<3‐m rise). When in the main channel, tagged Alligator Gars selected water that was deeper than the average within their home ranges. In contrast, during large flood pulses (≥3‐m rise), tagged fish were found in tributaries and inundated floodplains, regardless of season. Use of tailwater and estuarine macrohabitats was seasonal and limited to fish that had been tagged near those areas. Limited home ranges and observed spatial segregation of fish tagged near the upper and lower boundaries of the 180‐km study area suggest that the fish have access to critical habitats needed for reproduction, feeding, and migration within relatively small spatial scales. As such, Alligator Gars in the lower Trinity River do not appear to represent a single panmictic population, indicating that localized rather than regional management efforts would be appropriate.
Italian foreign and security policy in a state of reliability crisis?
Authors: Balossi-Restelli Ludovica Marchi
Published: June 2013

This article focuses on Italian foreign and security policy (IFSP). It looks at three examples of the country's policy-making which reveal its poor results as a security provider, namely: Italy's tardy reaction to the violence in Libya in 2011, its prompt reaction to the Lebanon crisis in 2006, and its efforts to be included in the diplomatic directorate, the P5 + 1, approaching relations with Iran in 2009. The article considers whether government action has bolstered the reliability of IFSP and also discusses the country's FSP in terms of its basic differences from that of its partners in the European Union, France, Britain and Germany, envisaging how Italy could react to build more credibility. Italy's policy is observed through a three-pronged analytical framework enriched by concepts of the logic of expected consequences. The article concludes that IFSP is predictable, but it must still reveal that it is reliable, and explains why this is the case.
Assessing parental impact on the sports participation of children: A socio‐economic analysis of the UK
Authors: Downward Paul , Hallmann Kirstin , Pawlowski Tim
Published: June 2013

This study examines the effects of parental attitudes on children's physical activity. A measure of parental attitude (their sport participation when being young) that is independent of the child's behaviour is needed. Using data from the sixth wave of the Taking Part Survey (n =14,002 adults and n =1116 children), a matching estimator analysis is conducted. The results reveal that there are substantial intergenerational transfers of behaviours, in particular for male adults and male children. Furthermore, while an effect is observed for female adults and male children, female children's sport participation is only marginally influenced by female adult's physical activity when growing up. The results imply that promoting sport to the younger generation seems to be a fruitful strategy in creating a sporting habit and promoting sport participation when being older. However, there are challenges to be overcome in promoting female participation.
Managing uncertainty in thermal water quality trading programs
Authors: Bier Asmeret , Budd William , Fiedler Fritz
Published: June 2013

Thermal water quality trading is an emerging policy tool that allows thermal polluters to comply with effluent restrictions by paying nearby landowners to plant shade trees. We created a system dynamics model of a hypothetical thermal trading program and conducted scenario analysis to study how weather, climate, and trading behavior might influence program effectiveness. It is likely that neither thermal trading nor conventional regulation can reduce water temperatures to desired levels, but the model indicates that trading ratios, used to account for uncertainty, lead programs to decrease water temperatures below those produced through conventional regulation.
Solvable number field extensions of bounded root discriminant
Authors: Leshin Jonah
Published: June 2013

Let

K
K

be a number field and

d
K

d_K

the absolute value of the discriminant of

K

/

Q

K/\mathbb {Q}

. We consider the root discriminant

d
L

1

[
L
:

Q

]

d_L^{\frac {1}{[L:\mathbb {Q}]}}

of extensions

L

/

K

L/K

. We show that for any

N
>
0

N>0

and any positive integer

n
n

, the set of length

n
n

solvable extensions of

K
K

with root discriminant less than

N
N

is finite. The result is motivated by the study of class field towers.
Metingear: a development environment for annotating genome-scale metabolic models
Authors: May John W. , James A. Gordon , Steinbeck Christoph
Published: June 2013

Summary: Genome-scale metabolic models often lack annotations that would allow them to be used for further analysis. Previous efforts have focused on associating metabolites in the model with a cross reference, but this can be problematic if the reference is not freely available, multiple resources are used or the metabolite is added from a literature review. Associating each metabolite with chemical structure provides unambiguous identification of the components and a more detailed view of the metabolism. We have developed an open-source desktop application that simplifies the process of adding database cross references and chemical structures to genome-scale metabolic models. Annotated models can be exported to the Systems Biology Markup Language open interchange format.

Availability: Source code, binaries, documentation and tutorials are freely available at http://johnmay.github.com/metingear. The application is implemented in Java with bundles available for MS Windows and Macintosh OS X.

Contact:  johnmay@ebi.ac.uk

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
The role of nanoclay partitioning and fibril formation on dyeability of blend nanocomposite fibres
Authors: Bigdeli Ahmad , Nazockdast Hossein , Rashidi Abosaeed , Yazdanshenas Mohammad Esmail
Published: June 2013

The aim of the present work was to study the effect of microstructure and microfibril formation on dyeability of polypropylene/poly(butylene terephthalate)/organoclay blend nanocomposite fibres. The blend nanocomposite samples with the same blend ratio but varying in organoclay content were prepared via melt compounding by using a co‐rotating twin screw extruder. The microfibrillar morphology and nanoclay partitioning were studied using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy together with rheological results. The presence of nanoclay in the form of tactoids in the polypropylene matrix accelerated the dye sorption but much greater ultimate dye uptake could be achieved for the sample in which the major part of the platelets were preferentially located inside the poly(butylene terephthalate) fibrils. Although increasing the organoclay concentration increased the ultimate dye uptake, it limited the fibril formation at higher organoclay concentration. The utilisation of a compatibiliser was found to have an enhancing effect on ultimate dye uptake. This could be explained in terms of the interfacial role of the compatibiliser in improving microfibril formation as well as partitioning a fraction of nanoclay platelets inside the polypropylene matrix.
Invasion of Old World Phragmites australis in the New World: precipitation and temperature patterns combined with human influences redesign the invasive niche
Authors: Guo Wen‐Yong , Lambertini Carla , Li Xiu‐Zhen , Meyerson Laura A. , Brix Hans
Published: June 2013

After its introduction into North America, Euro‐Asian Phragmites australis became an aggressive invasive wetland grass along the Atlantic coast of North America. Its distribution range has since expanded to the middle, south and southwest of North America, where invasive P. australis has replaced millions of hectares of native plants in inland and tidal wetlands. Another P. australis invasion from the Mediterranean region is simultaneously occurring in the Gulf region of the United States and some countries in South America. Here, we analysed the occurrence records of the two Old World invasive lineages of P. australis (Haplotype M and Med) in both their native and introduced ranges using environmental niche models (ENMs) to assess (i) whether a niche shift accompanied the invasions in the New World; (ii) the role of biologically relevant climatic variables and human influence in the process of invasion; and (iii) the current potential distribution of these two lineages. We detected local niche shifts along the East Coast of North America and the Gulf Coast of the United States for Haplotype M and around the Mississippi Delta and Florida of the United States for Med. The new niche of the introduced Haplotype M accounts for temperature fluctuations and increased precipitation. The introduced Med lineage has enlarged its original subtropical niche to the tropics‐subtropics, invading regions with a high annual mean temperature (> ca. 10 °C) and high precipitation in the driest period. Human influence is an important factor for both niches. We suggest that an increase in precipitation in the 20th century, global warming and human‐made habitats have shaped the invasive niches of the two lineages in the New World. However, as the invasions are ongoing and human and natural disturbances occur concomitantly, the future distribution ranges of the two lineages may diverge from the potential distribution ranges detected in this study.
Methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus carriage in hospitalized chronic hemodialysis patients and its predisposing factors
Authors: Yeoh Lee Ying , Tan Feng Ling Grace , Willis George Christopher , Ooi Say Tat
Published: June 2013

There has been a paucity of literature on methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) colonization in chronic hemodialysis patients who required admission. The purpose of this study is to determine the MRSA carriage rate in hospitalized chronic hemodialysis patients, to identify the risk factors, and assess the consequences of MRSA colonization. This was a retrospective study of hospitalized chronic hemodialysis patients at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital from July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011. MRSA screening was done on the day of admission using culture method with MRSA select (Bio‐Rad)™. The patients were divided into two groups: MRSA carriers and noncarriers. Demographic data, medical, and laboratory information was obtained via electronic medical record system. Outcome measures were infection rates during current hospitalization episode, frequency of hospitalization, and cumulative hospitalization days per year. Prevalence rate of MRSA colonization in hospitalized chronic hemodialysis patients was 15.1%, compared to all admitted patients (5.8%). Diabetes mellitus, Malay ethnicity, shorter hemodialysis duration and use of tunneled hemodialysis catheters were associated with MRSA colonization (P < 0.05). Relative risk of infection during the episode of admission among MRSA carriers was 3.2‐fold compared to noncarriers. MRSA colonization rates tend to be higher in patients on hemodialysis for less than 3 years and it correlates with longer hospitalization after adjustment for other variables (P < 0.05). Patients on chronic hemodialysis requiring admission have higher rates of MRSA colonization. The risk factors of MRSA carriers and the correlation of MRSA rates to longer hospitalization suggest its nosocomial origin in this group of patients.
Respite services for older people
Authors: Evans David , Lee Emmanuel
Published: June 2013

Respite is an important strategy for supporting family carers and care recipients. However, it is a complex intervention and the term ‘respite’ is often used as a generic descriptor for a diverse service. The aim of this study was to explore the characteristics of respite services for older people in South Australia. A 32 item questionnaire that was developed from the literature was distributed to coordinators of respite services for older people. The findings show that respite is most often a pre‐planned service offered to clients for a week or more. It encompasses many different types; the most common was residential care facility overnight respite. Although there is flexibility in the service, there is a scope to increase the choices that are available to carers and care recipients.
Quality of life in chronic haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients in Turkey and related factors
Authors: Ören Besey , Enç Nuray
Published: June 2013

Turkey is the fifth country in Europe with regard to the number of patients receiving haemodialysis (HD). However, only a limited number of studies have comparatively investigated the factors that affect quality of life in haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients in Turkey. The purpose of the study was to investigate the factors that affect quality of life in haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients, as well as providing a comparison of quality of life between these groups. In this cross‐sectional study, Quality of Life Scale and a data form was completed by 300 dialysis patients who received treatment at five hospital‐based dialysis units in Istanbul, Turkey. The data were evaluated using arithmetic mean values, standard deviations, minimums, maximums, percentages, independent groups t‐tests, Spearman correlation analyses and one‐way variance analyses. The quality of life values in peritoneal dialysis patients were found to be higher than those of haemodialysis patients (P < 0.05). It was concluded that the quality of life in chronic dialysis patients was affected by various factors.
Constructing nurses’ professional identity through social identity theory
Authors: Willetts Georgina , Clarke David
Published: June 2013

The profession of nursing continues to struggle with defining and clarifying its professional identity. The definitive recognition of nursing as a profession was the moving of training from the hospital apprentice model to the tertiary sector. However, this is only part of the story of professional identity in nursing. Once training finishes and enculturation into the workplace commences, professional identity becomes a complicated social activity. This paper proposes social identity theory as a valuable research framework to assist with clarifying and describing the professional identity of nurses. The paper outlines the key elements of a profession and then goes on to describe the main concepts of social identity theory. Lastly, a connection is made between the usefulness of using social identity theory in researching professional identity in nursing, recognizing the contextual nature of the social activity of the profession within its workplace environment.
“Right Here is the Gateway”: Mobility, Sex Work Entry and HIV Risk along the Mexico–US Border
Authors: Goldenberg S.M. , Silverman J.G. , Engstrom D. , Bojorquez‐Chapela I. , Strathdee S.A.
Published: June 2013

Women comprise an increasing proportion of migrants. Many migrate voluntarily for sex work or practise survival sex; others are trafficked for sexual exploitation. To investigate how the context of mobility shapes sex work entry and HIV risk, during 2010 to 2011 we conducted in‐depth interviews with formerly trafficked women currently engaged in sex work (n = 31) in Tijuana and their service providers (n = 7) in Tijuana and San Diego. Women's experiences of coerced and deceptive migration, deportation as forced migration, voluntary mobility, and migration to a risk environment illustrate that circumstances resulting from migration shape vulnerability to sex trafficking, voluntary sex work entry, and HIV risk. Findings suggest an urgent need for public health and immigration policies providing integrated support for deported and/or recently arrived female migrants. Policies to prevent sex trafficking and assist trafficked females must consider the varying levels of personal agency involved in migration and sex work entry.

Policy Implications

There is a need for coordination between public health and immigration policies to ensure that these are not at odds with one another

Findings suggest the need for public health and immigration policies that provide integrated support for female migrants, especially trafficked women and girls

Policy changes are urgently needed to protect deportees' health and promote their social integration

Policies to prevent sex trafficking and assist trafficked females must consider the range of agencies involved in migration and sex work entry
ARE C‐REACTIVE PROTEIN AND FERRITIN LEVELS BEING OVERLOOKED IN INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIANS WITH CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE?
Authors: Claes Jamin , Ellis Joy‐Anne L. , Rettie Fiona , Butcher Belinda , Bradley Jennifer
Published: June 2013

Background

Indigenous Australians have significantly higher rates of end‐stage renal disease and worse health outcomes than non‐indigenous Australians.

Objectives

We investigated whether the effect of inflammation on C‐reactive protein (CRP) and ferritin levels is being overlooked in indigenous patients with chronic kidney disease.

Design

Data for 23,000 patients were extracted from the Renal Anaemia Management database for the period November 1999 to October 2010.

Measurement

Haemoglobin, ferritin, transferrin saturation and CRP levels for indigenous and non‐indigenous Australians were compared with target levels given in the Caring for Australians with Renal Impairment (CARI) guidelines.

Results

Compared with non‐indigenous patients, indigenous Australians had higher median CRP and mean ferritin levels, lower mean haemoglobin level and were less likely to meet CARI targets.

Conclusion

The effect of inflammation on laboratory parameters should be considered particularly when treating indigenous Australians.
Emotional rescue: the role of emotional intelligence and emotional labour on well‐being and job‐stress among community nurses
Authors: Karimi Leila , Leggat Sandra G. , Donohue Lisa , Farrell Gerald , Couper Greta E.
Published: June 2013

Aims

To investigate the extent to which emotional labour and emotional intelligence are associated with well‐being and job‐stress among a group of Australian community nurses. The moderating role of emotional intelligence was evaluated as a key factor in the rescue of healthcare workers from job‐stress, thus increasing job retention.

Background

Although emotional labour has been broadly investigated in the literature, the contribution of emotional labour and emotional intelligence to the well‐being and experience of job‐stress in a community nursing setting requires further exploration.

Design

This study used a cross‐sectional quantitative research design with data collected from Australian community nurses.

Methods

Australian community nurses (n = 312) reported on their perceived emotional labour, emotional intelligence and their levels of well‐being and job‐stress using a paper and pencil survey in 2010.

Results/Findings

Results from structural equation modelling support the hypothesis that both emotional labour and emotional intelligence have significant effects on nurses' well‐being and perceived job‐stress. Emotional intelligence plays a moderating role in the experience of job‐stress.

Conclusion

These findings provide additional evidence for the important effects that emotional labour and emotional intelligence can have on well‐being and job‐stress among community nurses. The potential benefits of emotional intelligence in the nurses' emotional work have been explored.
Absence of circulating mast cell precursors in paediatric mastocytosis: could it reflect a different pathophysiology between adults and children with mastocytosis?
Authors: Georgin‐Lavialle S. , Le Saché‐de Peufeilhoux L. , Martin L. , Soucie E. , Bruneau J. , Barete S. , Dubreuil P. , Bodemer C. , Hermine O. , Lhermitte L.
Published: June 2013

Background

Mastocytosis is a heterogeneous disease whose different subtypes also vary in aggressivity. Children typically present with cutaneous mastocytosis. We identified, in our previous work, a peripheral CD34‐c‐Kit+mast cell precursor by flow cytometry in systemic forms but not in cutaneous forms of adult mastocytosis.

Objectives

We wanted to know if such a mast cell precursor exists among children with mastocytosis.

Methods

We analysed 10 children with mastocytosis for c‐Kit+CD34‐ mast cell precursors by flow cytometry.

Results

In contrast to adults with mastocytosis, we did not detect any circulating mast cell precursors by flow cytometry in the peripheral blood of children with mastocytosis.

Conclusion

The clinical symptoms observed among children with cutaneous mastocytosis could be induced by cutaneous mast cell mediators and not by circulating mast cells. These results may help to better understand the differences between adult and childhood mastocytosis.
Performance of the experimental resins and dental nanocomposites at varying deformation rates
Authors: Kumar Naresh , Shortall Adrian
Published: June 2013

Aim

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the bi‐axial flexural strength of experimental unfilled resins and resin‐based composites at varying deformation rates following 1‐week dry, 1‐week wet, and 13‐week wet storage regimes.

Methods

A total of 270 disc‐shaped specimens (12 mm diameter, 1 mm thickness) of either unfilled resins or experimental resin‐based composites comprising of three groups (n = 90) were fabricated. Three groups of each unfilled resin and resin‐based composites (n = 90) were stored for 1 week under dry conditions, and at 1 and 13 weeks under wet conditions (37 ± 1°C) before testing. The bi‐axial flexural strength of each unfilled resin and resin‐based composites group was determined at a 0.1, 1, and 10 mm/min deformation rate (n = 30).

Results

The unfilled resins revealed a deformation rate dependence following all storage regimes; however, the addition of fillers in the unfilled resins modified such reliance following the 1‐week dry and 13‐week wet storage regimes. In contrast, a lower bi‐axial flexural strength of the 1‐week wet resin‐based composites specimens at a 0.1 mm/min deformation rate was identified.

Conclusion

A lower bi‐axial flexural strength of the 1‐week wet resin‐based composites specimens at a low deformation rate suggests that premature failure of resin‐based composites restorations might occur in patients with parafunctional habits, such as bruxism.