bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tuning the Doping Type and Level of Graphene with Different Gold Configurations
Authors: Wu Yaping , Jiang Wei , Ren Yujie , Cai Weiwei , Lee Wi Hyoung , Li Huifeng , Piner Richard D. , Pope Cody W. , Hao Yufeng , Ji Hengxing , Kang Junyong , Ruoff Rodney S.
Published: July 2012

Au nanoparticles and films are deposited onto clean graphene surfaces to study the doping effect of different Au configurations. Micro‐Raman spectra show that both the doping type and level of graphene can be tuned by fine control of the Au deposition. The morphological structures of Au on graphene are imaged by transmission electron microscopy, which indicate a size‐dependent electrical characteristic: isolated Au nanoparticles produce n‐type doping of graphene, while continuous Au films produce p‐type doping. Accordingly, graphene field‐effect transistors are fabricated, with the in situ measurements suggesting the tunable conductivity type and level by contacting with different Au configurations. For interpreting the experimental observations, the first‐principles approach is used to simulate the interaction within graphene–Au systems. The results suggest that, different doping properties of Au–graphene systems are induced by the chemical interactions between graphene and the different Au configurations (isolated nanoparticle and continuous film).
Smart grid sensor data collection, communication, and networking: a tutorial
Authors: Kayastha Nipendra , Niyato Dusit , Hossain Ekram , Han Zhu
Published: July 2012

The smart grid is an innovative energy network that will improve the conventional electrical grid network to be more reliable, cooperative, responsive, and economical. Within the context of the new capabilities, advanced data sensing, communication, and networking technology will play a significant role in shaping the future of the smart grid. The smart grid will require a flexible and efficient framework to ensure the collection of timely and accurate information from various locations in power grid to provide continuous and reliable operation. This article presents a tutorial on the sensor data collection, communications, and networking issues for the smart grid. First, the applications of data sensing in the smart grid are reviewed. Then, the requirements for data sensing and collection, the corresponding sensors and actuators, and the communication and networking architecture are discussed. The communication technologies and the data communication network architecture and protocols for the smart grid are described. Next, different emerging techniques for data sensing, communications, and sensor data networking are reviewed. The issues related to security of data sensing and communications in the smart grid are then discussed. To this end, the standardization activities and use cases related to data sensing and communications in the smart grid are summarized. Finally, several open issues and challenges are outlined. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Enhanced production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) in a novel airlift reactor with in situ cell retention using Azohydromonas australica
Authors: Gahlawat Geeta , Sengupta Bedoshree , Srivastava Ashok K
Published: July 2012

Economic production of biodegradable plastics is a challenge particularly because of high substrate and energy cost inputs for its production. Research efforts are being directed towards innovations to minimize both of the above costs to economize polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) production. A novel airlift reactor (ALR) with outer aeration and internal settling was utilized in this investigation. Although it featured no power consumption for agitation, it facilitated increased oxygen transfer rate and better cell retention than stirred tank reactor (STR), thereby resulting in enhanced PHB productivity. ALR with in situ cell retention demonstrated a significant improvement in biomass concentration and biopolymer accumulation. The total PHB production rate, specific biomass, and product yield in the ALR were observed to be 0.84 g/h, 0.43 g/g, and 0.32 g/g, respectively. The studies revealed that the volumetric oxygen mass transfer rate and mixing time for ALR were 0.016 s−1 and 3.73 s, respectively, at 2.0 vvm as compared with corresponding values of 0.005 s−1 and 4.95 s, respectively, in STR. This demonstrated that ALR has better oxygen mass transfer and mixing efficiency than STR. Hence, ALR with cell retention would serve as a better bioreactor design for economic biopolymer production than STR, particularly due to its lower cost of operation and simplicity along with its enhanced oxygen and heat transfer rates.
Engineering ofRhodococcuscell catalysts for tolerance improvement by sigma factor mutation and active plasmid partition
Authors: Ma Yuchao , Yu Huimin
Published: July 2012

Tolerance to various stresses is a key phenotype for cell catalysts, which are used widely in bioproduction of diverse valuable chemicals. Using the Rhodococcus ruber TH strain, which exhibits high nitrile hydratase activity, as the target cell catalyst for acrylamide production, we established a method to improve cell tolerance by stably introducing global transcription perturbation. The σ70 gene (sigA) of R. ruber was cloned and randomly mutated. An R. ruber TH3/pNV-sigAM library containing additional sigA mutants was constructed and used for survival selection. The TH3/M4N1-59 mutant was selected by acrylonitrile/acrylamide double stress and exhibited a 160 % extension of the half-life of nitrile hydratase upon exposure to 40 % acrylamide. A redesigned parDEM gene was introduced to Rhodococcus to accomplish stable inheritance of plasmids. A two-batch acrylonitrile hydration reaction was performed using the engineered cells as a catalyst. Compared to TH3, the acrylamide productivity of TH3/M4N1-59DEM catalysis increased by 27.8 and 37.5 % in the first and second bioreaction batches, respectively. These data suggest a novel method for increasing the bioconversion productivity of target chemicals through sigA mutation of the cell catalyst.
Temporal analysis of xylose fermentation by Scheffersomyces stipitis using shotgun proteomics
Authors: Huang Eric L , Lefsrud Mark G
Published: July 2012

Proteomics and fermentation technology have begun to integrate to investigate fermentation organisms in bioprocess development. This is the first shotgun proteomics study employed to monitor the proteomes of Scheffersomyces stipitis during xylose fermentation under oxygen limitation. We identified 958 nonredundant proteins and observed highly similar proteomes from exponential to early stationary phases. In analyzing the temporal proteome, we identified unique expression patterns in biological processes and metabolic pathways, including alternative respiration salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) pathway, activation of glyoxylate cycle, expression of galactose enzymes, and secondary zinc-containing alcohol dehydrogenase and O-glycosyl hydrolases. We identified the expression of a putative, high-affinity xylose sugar transporter Xut1p, but low-affinity xylose transporters were absent. Throughout cell growth, housekeeping processes included oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis, nonoxidative branch of the pentose phosphate pathway, gluconeogenesis, biosynthesis of amino acids and aminoacyl total RNA (tRNA), protein synthesis and proteolysis, fatty acid metabolism, and cell division. This study emphasized qualitative analysis and demonstrated that shotgun proteomics is capable of monitoring S. stipitis fermentation and identifying physiological states, such as nutrient deficiency.
Optimization of fermentation parameters in phage production using response surface methodology
Authors: Grieco Sung-Hye H , Wong Ann Y K , Dunbar W Scott , MacGillivray Ross T A , Curtis Susan B
Published: July 2012

Previously, we used computer-controlled fermentation technology to improve the yield of filamentous phage produced in Escherichia coli by 10-fold (Grieco et al., Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 32:773–779, 2009). In the current study, three major fermentation parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen [DO], and pH) were investigated using design of experiments (DOE) methodology. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to create a process model and determine the optimal conditions for maximal phage production. The experimental data fitted best to a quadratic model (p < 0.0001). Temperature and pH, but not DO, proved to be significant variables. The model predicted a theoretical optimal condition for maximal bacteriophage production at temperature of 28.1 °C and pH 6.9. A validation run resulted in phage production [3.49 × 1011 transducing units (TU)/mL] comparable to the predicted value (2.86 × 1011 TU/mL). This represented a 7-fold increase in phage production above that obtained without optimization, resulting in a 70-fold increase above that achieved by shake flask culture alone.
Engineering a homobutanol fermentation pathway inEscherichia coliEG03
Authors: Garza Erin , Zhao Jinfang , Wang Yongze , Wang Jinhua , Iverson Andrew , Manow Ryan , Finan Chris , Zhou Shengde
Published: July 2012

A homobutanol fermentation pathway was engineered in a derivative of Escherichia coli B (glucose [glycolysis] => 2 pyruvate + 2 NADH; pyruvate [pyruvate dehydrogenase] => acetyl-CoA + NADH; 2 acetyl-CoA [butanol pathway enzymes] + 4 NADH => butanol; summary stoichiometry: glucose => butanol). Initially, the native fermentation pathways were eliminated from E. coli B by deleting the genes encoding for lactate dehydrogenase (ldhA), acetate kinase (ackA), fumarate reductase (frdABCD), pyruvate formate lyase (pflB), and alcohol dehydrogenase (adhE), and the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (aceEF-lpd) was anaerobically expressed through promoter replacement. The resulting strain, E. coli EG03 (ΔfrdABCD ΔldhA ΔackA ΔpflB Δ adhE ΔpdhR ::pflBp6-aceEF-lpd ΔmgsA), could generate 4 NADH for every glucose oxidized to two acetyl-CoA through glycolysis and the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. However, EG03 lost its ability for anaerobic growth due to the lack of NADH oxidation pathways. When the butanol pathway genes that encode for acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase (thiL), 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase (hbd), crotonase (crt), butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase (bcd, etfA, etfB), and butyraldehyde dehydrogenase (adheII) were cloned from Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824, and expressed in E. coli EG03, a balanced NADH oxidation pathway was established for homobutanol fermentation (glucose => 4 NADH + 2 acetyl-CoA => butanol). This strain was able to convert glucose to butanol (1,254 mg l−1) under anaerobic condition.
Enhanced archaeal laccase production in recombinant Escherichia coli by modification of N-terminal propeptide and twin arginine translocation motifs
Authors: Uthandi Sivakumar , Prunetti Laurence , De Vera Ian Mitchelle S , Fanucci Gail E , Angerhofer Alexander , Maupin-Furlow Julie A
Published: July 2012

Laccases are multicopper oxidases that couple the oxidation of phenolic polymers to the reduction of molecular oxygen. While an archaeal laccase has only recently been described (LccA from the culture broth of Haloferax volcanii), this enzyme appears promising for biotechnology applications based on its robust bilirubin oxidase and laccase activities as well as its ability to withstand prolonged exposure to extreme conditions. To further optimize LccA productivity and develop an option for LccA purification from whole cells, the encoding gene was modified through deletion of the twin-arginine translocation motif and N-terminal propeptide, and the modified genes were expressed in Escherichia coli. With this approach, LccA was readily purified (overall yield up to 54 %) from the soluble fraction of E. coli as a 74-kDa monomer with syringaldazine oxidizing activity as high as 33 U mg−1. LccA proteins prepared from H. volcanii culture broth and the soluble fraction of E. coli cells were compared by ICP-AES, EPR, DSC, CD, and UV–Vis spectroscopy and found to have a similar folding pattern with T  m values and a rich β-sheet structure analogous to other multicopper oxidases. However, in contrast to the H. volcanii-purified LccA, which was loaded with copper, copper was not fully incorporated into the type-I Cu center of E. coli purified LccA, thus, providing insight into avenues for further optimization.
Effect of transport proteins on l-isoleucine production with the l-isoleucine-producing strain Corynebacterium glutamicum YILW
Authors: Xie Xixian , Xu Lanlan , Shi Jianming , Xu Qingyang , Chen Ning
Published: July 2012

Previous studies have shown that the deletion of brnQ from the Corynebacterium glutamicum chromosome results in a significant reduction in l-isoleucine uptake rates, while overexpression of brnFE leads to enhanced l-isoleucine export rates. Given that net excretion rates would be an important factor for high titers of l-isoleucine accumulation, we have tested the notion that decreased l-isoleucine uptake combined with increased l-isoleucine excretion will further improve high-yield strains that are currently used for the industrial-scale production of l-isoleucine. To examine the effect of the two carriers on l-isoleucine accumulation in l-isoleucine producer C. glutamicum YILW, we constructed a brnQ deletion mutant (C. glutamicum YILW∆brnQ) and two brnFE overexpressors (C. glutamicum YILWpXMJ19brnFE and C. glutamicum YILW∆brnQpXMJ19brnFE). Compared to the original strain, the efflux rate of the brnQ mutant increased from 19.0 to 23.6 nmol min−1 mg (dry wt)−1 and its l-isoleucine titer increased from 154.3 mM (20.2 g l−1) to 170.3 mM (22.3 g l−1). The efflux rates of C. glutamicum YILWpXMJ19brnFE and C. glutamicum YILW∆brnQpXMJ19brnFE were 33.5 and 39.1 nmol min−1 mg (dry wt)−1, and their l-isoleucine production titers were 197.2 mM (25.9 g l−1) and 221.0 mM (29.0 g l−1), respectively. Our results suggest that modifications of the transport system could provide a promising avenue for further increasing l-isoleucine yield in the l-isoleucine producer.
Characterization and pH-dependent substrate specificity of alkalophilic xylanase from Bacillus alcalophilus
Authors: Lee Dae-Seok , Lee Kwang-Ho , Cho Eun-Jin , Kim Ho Myeong , Kim Chang-Sook , Bae Hyeun-Jong
Published: July 2012

The gene of endo-beta-1-4 xylanase, xynT, was cloned from Bacillus alcalophilus AX2000 and expressed in Escherichia coli. This XynT, which belongs to glycoside hydrolase (GH) family 10, was found to have a molecular weight of approximately 37 kDa and exhibit optimal activity at pH 7–9 and 50 °C. It exhibits a high activity towards birchwood xylan and has the ability to bind avicel. Under optimal conditions, XynT hydrolyzes all xylooligomers into xylobiose as an end product with a preference for cleavage sites at the second or third glycosidic bond from the reducing end. XynT has a different substrate affinity on xylooligomers at pH 5.0, which contributes to its low activity toward xylotriose and its derived intermediate products. This low activity may be due to an unstable interaction with the amino acids that constitute subsites of the active site. Interestingly, the addition of Co2+ and Mn2+ led to a significant increase in activity by up to 40 and 50 %, respectively. XynT possesses a high binding affinity and hydrolytic activity toward the insoluble xylan, for which it exhibits high activity at pH 7–9, giving rise to its efficient biobleaching effect on Pinus densiflora kraft pulp.
Diversity and chemotaxis of soil bacteria with antifungal activity against Fusarium wilt of banana
Authors: Li Ping , Ma Li , Feng Yun Li , Mo Ming He , Yang Fa Xiang , Dai Hao Fu , Zhao You Xing
Published: July 2012

The chemotactic response of bacteria to root exudates plays an important role in the colonization of bacteria in the rhizosphere. In this study, 420 strains of antifungal bacteria against Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc) were screened for chemotaxis based on a cheA molecular diagnostic method. A total of 124 strains with antifungal efficiencies of 27.26–67.14 % generated a characteristic band of cheA. The chemotaxis of 97 bacterial strains producing a cheA band was confirmed using the drop assay and swarm plate assay using catechol, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, salicylic acid, and asparagine as the attractants. A phylogenetic analysis based on restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) and 16S rDNA sequences indicated that the 124 chemotactic antagonists of Foc were affiliated with 18 species of Paenibacillaceae, Bacillaceae, Streptomycineae, Enterobacteriaceae, and Pseudomonadaceae. The chemical composition of banana root exudates were analyzed by GC–MS, and 62 compounds, including alkanes, alkenes, naphthalenes, benzenes, and alcohols, were evaluated. Five representative antagonists of Foc showed 1.76- to 7.75-fold higher chemotactic responses than the control to seven compounds in banana root exudates, as determination by capillary assays.
Microbial transformation of the sesquiterpene lactone tagitinin C by the fungus Aspergillus terreus
Authors: Rocha Bruno Alves , Pupo Mônica Tallarico , Antonucci Gilmara Ausech , Sampaio Suely Vilela , de Melo Alves Paiva Raquel , Said Suraia , Gobbo-Neto Leonardo , Da Costa Fernando Batista
Published: July 2012

The biotransformation of the sesquiterpene lactone tagitinin C by the fungus Aspergillus terreus MT 5.3 yielded a rare derivative that was elucidated by spectrometric methods. The fungus led to the formation of a different product through an unusual epoxidation reaction between C4 and C5, formation of a C3,C10 ether bridge, and a methoxylation of the C1 of tagitinin C. The chemical structure of the product, namely 1β-methoxy-3α-hydroxy-3,10β-4,5α-diepoxy-8β-isobutyroyloxygermacr-11(13)-en-6α,12-olide, is the same as that of a derivative that was recently isolated from the flowers of a Brazilian population of Mexican sunflower (Tithonia diversifolia), which is the source of the substrate tagitinin C. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of the substrate and the biotransformed product were evaluated in HL-60 cells using an MTT assay, and both compounds were found to be cytotoxic. We show that soil fungi may be useful in the biotransformation of sesquiterpene lactones, thereby leading to unusual changes in their chemical structures that may preserve or alter their biological activities, and may also mimic plant biosynthetic pathways for production of secondary metabolites.
Brand Avoidance, Genetic Modification, and Brandlessness
Authors: Wai Lee Michael Shyue , Conroy Denise , Motion Judith
Published: July 2012

Much controversy surrounds genetic modification (GM), especially in Australasia, Britain and Europe. In spite of this controversy, there is little research linking GM with relevant anti-consumption topics. This article addresses the gap by using a brand avoidance framework to help understand consumers’ negative attitudes towards GM. Although brand avoidance research typically focuses on the avoidance of specific brands, this article uses the same framework in a different context and analyses the significant role that a negative association, such as GM, plays in anti-consumption. The findings indicate three reasons motivating avoidance of GM: concerns regarding safety, symbolic incongruity, and issues of morality, all of which map onto an existing brand avoidance framework. More importantly, this research concludes that in controversial industries such as GM, where consumers are more likely to be predisposed towards avoidance, a lack of brand awareness, or ‘brandlessness’, may be of short term benefit to companies, but is, nonetheless, a risky strategy.
Regulation of CLL survival by hypoxia‐inducible factor and its target genes
Authors: Shachar Idit , Cohen Sivan , Marom Ayelet , Becker-Herman Shirly
Published: July 2012

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common adult leukemia in the Western world, is characterized by the progressive accumulation of small mature CD5+B lymphocytes in the peripheral blood, lymphoid organs, and bone marrow (BM). The main feature of the disease is decreased apoptosis, resulting in the pathologic accumulation of these malignant cells. Appropriate cellular responses to changes in oxygen tension during normal development or pathological processes, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, are ultimately regulated by the transcription factor, hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF). Unlike their normal counterparts, CLL cells express HIF‐1α even under normoxia. In addition, overexpression of HIF‐1α has been observed in leukemic cells in BM specimens from CLL patients. The HIF transcription factor has been implicated in controlling the expression of a wide variety of genes implicated in apoptosis, angiogenesis, invasion, and metastasis. This review describes pathways regulating CLL survival with a focus on HIF‐1α and its target genes, MIF and Midkine (MK), and the potential cross‐talk between these factors.
The C‐terminal domain of human Rev1 contains independent binding sites for DNA polymerase η and Rev7 subunit of polymerase ζ
Authors: Pustovalova Yulia , Bezsonova Irina , Korzhnev Dmitry M.
Published: July 2012

REV1
,
REV3
,
REV7
and
Polη‐RIR peptide
physically interact by nuclear magnetic resonance (View interaction).
Protein disulfide isomerases in neurodegeneration: From disease mechanisms to biomedical applications
Authors: Andreu Catherine I. , Woehlbier Ute , Torres Mauricio , Hetz Claudio
Published: July 2012

Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) are a family of foldases and chaperones primarily located at the endoplasmic reticulum that catalyze the formation and isomerization of disulfide bonds thereby facilitating protein folding. PDIs also perform important physiological functions in protein quality control, cell death, and cell signaling. Protein misfolding is involved in the etiology of the most common neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer, Parkinson, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Prion‐related disorders, among others. Accumulating evidence indicate altered expression of PDIs as a prominent and common feature of these neurodegenerative conditions. Here we overview most recent advances in our understanding of the possible functional contribution of PDIs to neurodegeneration, depicting a complex and poorly understood scenario. Possible therapeutic benefits of targeting PDIs in a disease context and their use as biomarkers are discussed.
Yeast as a model to understand the interaction between genotype and the response to calorie restriction
Authors: Schleit Jennifer , Wasko Brian M. , Kaeberlein Matt
Published: July 2012

Calorie restriction is reported to enhance survival and delay the onset of age‐related decline in many different species. Several proteins have been proposed to play a role in mediating the response to calorie restriction, including the target of rapamycin kinase, sirtuins, and AMP kinase. An enhanced mechanistic understanding of calorie restriction has popularized the concept of “calorie restriction mimetics”, drugs that mimic the beneficial effects of caloire restriction without requiring a reduction in nutrient intake. In theory, such drugs should delay the onset and progression of multiple age‐related diseases, similar to calorie restriction in mammals. Despite the potential benefits of such calorie restriction mimetics, however, relatively little is known about the interaction between genetic variation and individual response to calorie restriction. Limited evidence from model systems indicates that genotype plays a large role in determining both the magnitude and direction of effect that calorie restriction has on longevity. Here we present an overview of these data from the perspective of using yeast as a model to study aging and describe an approach we are taking to further characterize the molecular mechanisms underlying genotype‐dependent responses to calorie restriction.
Factors predicting pathologic significance among women with atypical glandular cells on liquid‐based cytology
Authors: Chatchotikawong Usanee , Ruengkhachorn Irene , Laiwejpithaya Somsak
Published: July 2012

Objective

To determine incidence, originating organ, and factors predicting significant histopathology (premalignant and malignant lesions) among women with atypical glandular cells (AGCs) on liquid‐based cytology (LBC).

Methods

In a retrospective study at Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, clinical and histologic data were reviewed for women with AGCs who underwent appropriate examinations from January 2007 to December 2010.

Results

There were 284 women with AGC cytology (mean age, 51.2 years). The incidence of significant pathology and invasive cancer was 43.3% and 34.5%, respectively. The most common malignant organ was the uterus (64/123, 52%). Predictors of serious pathology were AGC favor neoplasia (AGC‐FN) endocervical (odds ratio [OR], 5.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.62–19.57), AGC‐FN endometrial (OR, 4.11; 95% CI, 1.27–13.32), AGC‐FN glandular (OR, 8.23; 95% CI, 2.02–33.49) subtypes, and bleeding (OR, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.47–5.65). Combining patient age and AGC subtype, there were no serious cervical lesions among women aged 50 years or younger with AGC‐FN glandular subtype, or serious non‐cervical neoplasia among women aged 50 years or younger with AGC not otherwise specified (AGC‐NOS) or AGC‐FN endocervical subtypes.

Conclusion

AGC subcategories defined from LBC, alone or combined with patient age, might be predictors of significant histopathology, cancer incidence, and originating organ.
Effect of exposure parameters on the radiopacity of root canal sealers
Authors: Önem Erinç , Baksı B. Güniz , Şen B. Hakan
Published: July 2012

Background: The aim of this study was to test the effect of different kilovoltage, milliampere, and exposure time settings on the radiopacity of two endodontic sealers using an image plate system.

Materials and methods: MM‐Seal (MicroMega, Besancon, France) and Diaket (3M Espe, Seefeld, Germany) were packed into a polytetrafluoroethylene ring mold with an internal diameter of 10 mm and a depth of 1 mm. Five discs of each material were imaged alongside an aluminum step‐wedge. Sets of radiographs were obtained using storage phosphor plates (SPPs). The SPPs were exposed at 60, 65, or 70 kVp, 7 or 8 mA for 0.12 or 0.16 s. Radiographic densities of the sealers and each step of the step‐wedge were analyzed with Image Tool 3.0 SDK software (University of Texas Health Sciences Center, TX, USA). Three readings were made for each image. The mean was calculated to give the radiographic density expressed as mean gray values. Three‐way ANOVA was used to test the differences in radiopacity of sealers with respect to kilovoltage, milliampere, exposure time, and the interaction of the three factors.

Results: No significant difference in sealers’ radiopacity was found with change in three exposure parameters (p > 0.05). However, standard deviations of the measurements for lower exposures were greater; MM‐Seal was significantly more radiopaque than Diaket (p < 0.0001) at any parameter.

Conclusions: Differences in kilovoltage, milliampere, and exposure time do not affect the radiopacity measurements of sealers on SPP images. However, choosing the proper exposure parameters may optimize the gray value range of the sealers allowing for better discrimination of the sealer and surrounding structures thereby providing better clinical guidance.
Cushioning a Crisis in the London Money Market
Authors: Hidy Ralph W.
Published: July 2012

Any person who could devise measures by which the fluctuations in modern business could be eliminated, or materially reduced, would undoubtedly carve for himself a deep niche in the Hall of Fame. Both business men and observers of economic phenomena have noted that recurring crises seem almost as inevitable as the setting of the sun, if not so regular. If the severity of crises could be mitigated, solvent firms might not fail as often as they do, and the erratic economic course of man might not be subject to such violent ups and downs.
What Type of Business History Are You Writing?
Authors: Gras N. S. B.
Published: July 2012

Someone may say that he has not yet learned what a business history is and therefore that he is in no position to consider the types of business history that may exist. Perhaps, however, it may help in grasping the essentials of business history if these types are set forth.

Right at the beginning of this effort we should note that we have in mind the history of a business unit — a business man, a firm, or a company. To be sure, there are other approaches to business history, namely, the history of a function, such as production or marketing, the history of a whole industry, such as meat-packing or cotton textiles, and, of course, the general history of business.
Sidelights on the Investment Policies of Stanford, Huntington, Hopkins, and Crocker
Authors: Coman Edwin T.
Published: July 2012

Much has been written of the financing and development of the Central Pacific and Southern Pacific railroads. There is little information available regarding the investment policies and types of investments made by the “Big Four” subsequent to the eompletion of the Central Pacific. Stuart Daggett, in his book The History of the Southern Pacific, makes the statement that it is doubtful whether the history of the construction companies will ever be told. It has been my good fortune to acquire for the Library of the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University 279 ledgers, journals, and minute books, 42 transfer cases of correspondence, and 150 drawers of vouchers, all dealing with subsidiary companies. In general, these records show how Stanford, Huntington, Hopkins, and Crocker continued the investment of the large sums accruing to them upon the completion and successful operation of the Central Pacific.
The Life of the Genoese Woolworkers as Revealed in Thirteenth-Century Notarial Records
Authors: Lopez Robert
Published: July 2012

The readers of the Bulletin are already acquainted with the Genoese cartularia, the bulky volumes in which mediaeval notaries of Genoa copied their notarial instruments. Those notarial records are a mirror of life in mediaeval Genoa. Notaries were called upon to record international treaties, state decrees, and local regulations; they recorded business transactions, which were all made in a notary's presence, ranging from large transactions involving considerable sums of money to small ones of a few pence; and, besides, notaries wrote out and copied in their books promises, agreements, or contracts of a most intimate and personal kind.
The Business Activities of Eric Bollmann: An International Business Promoter, 1797-1821: Part I
Authors: Redlich Fritz
Published: July 2012

Eric Bollmann, a Hanoverian by birth who lived in this country from 1796 to 1814, is all but forgotten today. But about 150 years ago he was widely known on two continents. To be sure, this was not owing to his extensive business activities but to some daring coups during the years of the French Revolution. In 1792, when the Jacobins came into power in Paris, Bollmann spirited the Minister of War, Narbonne, out of France and shortly afterwards tried to liberate Lafayette, then held as a prisoner by the Austrians in the fortress of Olmutz. After this attempt had failed, Bollmann came to the United States and established himself as a business man in Philadelphia.
Tracking the Elusive Document
Authors: Cole Arthur H.
Published: July 2012

The historian of business encounters difficulties which are in some respects more baffling than those of other historians, especially if he attempts to penetrate the “dark ages” of seventy-five or a hundred years ago. The chronicler of political events has his party platforms, his speeches and private letters, his electoral votes, and the like. The literary historian has his books, pamphlets, and a flood of other material.
Local Tax Records as Economic Documents
Authors: Burbank Harold H.
Published: July 2012

A source of information concerning the early economic conditions in this country, and a source which has heretofore been little employed, is the tax records of local communities. I have run across some of them in an historical study of taxation in Massachusetts in which I have tried to press back the story to as early a period as possible. Undoubtedly, somewhat similar records are available in other states, and altogether they would supply many data upon the economic life in this country during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries for which other sources of realistic material are all too scanty.
Economic Material in the Pennsylvania Archives and Other Depositories
Authors: Garrison Curtis W.
Published: July 2012

Like the majority of the states, Pennsylvania has never completely concentrated her archives. Various groups of material currently administered by a bureau or department, such as the land records in the Land Office, should not be concentrated until they cease to be a part of the Government's daily business. But aside from these, there are tons of non-active files which will some day be moved, when the Archive Division of the State Library can house them. Under such conditions no one can state absolutely and concisely what there is; and as one result of this difficulty, research work that might utilize business documents is severely handicapped.
Aptuxcet, A Trading Place of the Pilgrims
Authors: Lombard George F.
Published: July 2012

In these days we hear much in praise of collective and controlled enterprises. It is, therefore, especially interesting to note that the first business contract signed in this country of which we have record was to establish an undertaking of just such a sort. This event occurred at Plymouth in 1626, when Governor William Bradford, Captain Miles Standish, William Brewster, John Alden, and several others drew up an agreement with the Colony and with the Merchant Adventurers of London, England, whereby they assumed complete control of the trade of the Colony for a period of six years.
Jacob Adams' Shoemaking Accounts
Authors: Sprague Blanche Hazard
Published: July 2012

Recently one of my friends, Mrs. Christine Adams Jones, brought me a home-made account book, covered in rawhide and hand sewed with linen thread. The book was made and kept by one of her ancestors, Jacob Adams, a farmer-shoemaker of Newbury, Massachusetts. Its pages were yellowed and crackling with age. The first date in it to greet my eye was 1673, the last 1693!
Urban Retailing 100 Years Ago
Authors: Hower Ralph M.
Published: July 2012

An address delivered by Dr. Ralph M. Hower at the Annual Meeting of the Business Historical Society.

I propose to interpret my subject rather liberally and to concentrate upon what seem to me to be some fundamental changes in retailing—ranging the whole of the 19th century, but focussing attention especially upon the years from 1850 to 1875, a period of great innovation. And please note that all my remarks have to do with American experience.

To start, then, let me sketch briefly the retailing picture in the larger American cities about 1850. In general the principle of specialization dominated the scene: both retail and wholesale trades were split up, by types of merchandise, into single-line or specialty stores. If you examine the advertisements and business directories of the period, you will find a really astonishing array of stores, each of which confined itself to a narrow range of goods.
Credit Rating Before Dun and Bradstreet
Authors: Hidy R. W.
Published: July 2012

During the years after the Napoleonic Wars London merchant bankers, including Baring Brothers and Company, faced new complexities in the management of their business. Among the new problems was to find a satisfactory means of selecting trustworthy correspondents. London had become the leading money center of the world. With that development came a great extension of business for all leading banking and mercantile houses. Old correspondents in all parts of the world increased their operations with “The City” and many new names were added to the lists of correspondents on the books of the Londoners. The relative standing of all these changed from month to month and year to year. Thus, the increasing numbers and the rapidly changing status of the correspondents afforded plentiful evidence that the former haphazard collection of information and the strictly personal knowledge were inadequate for the demands of safety and prudence.
The Louis d'Or
Authors: Pond Shepard
Published: July 2012

Probably most Americans who read Dumas' immortal Three Musketeers and its sequels have no clear idea of the coins in question when the great novelist writes of pistoles and louis d'or. And though the louis d'or was coined for only about a century and a half, it has left, thanks to a fortunate combination of circumstances, a lasting mark in history.
The Business Man in American Folklore
Authors: Porter Kenneth Wiggins
Published: July 2012

Perhaps the most significant thing about the business man in folklore is that he is far from an important figure in it. From this we may deduce that among those people who have created what we call folklore the business man has either not played an important rôle or his function and contribution have not been understood. He is not, however, altogether missing; we might not recognize him, since he is a remote and shadowy figure compared with the business man as we think of him today. But he is there, and the very form and circumstances in which he appears have meaning.
An Early Industrial Capitalist's Labor Policy and Management
Authors: Larson Henrietta M.
Published: July 2012

The current importance of labor administration in business highlights the need for a better understanding of the historical background of the relations of business and labor. No part of American history has been more inadequately handled. Three aspects of the history of labor have been emphasized above everything else: labor organization, the conflict of labor and employer, and “exploitation” of labor by business. This approach has tended to engender conflict rather than to promote understanding.
Business Men as Collectors
Authors: Larson Henrietta M.
Published: July 2012

Business men have been notable collectors. Perhaps more than any other group, they have been able to exercise the universal acquisitive propensity of mankind. They have had both the financial means to buy the objects they wanted and the contacts that made it practicable to collect.
A New Book on Banking Four Hundred Years Ago
Authors: Larson Henrietta M.
Published: July 2012

A book has recently been published in the field of medieval business which should be called to the attention of readers of the Bulletin. It is The Medici Bank: Its Organization, Management, Operations, and Decline, by Raymond de Roover. This hundred-page volume in large part appeared earlier in the form of articles in a learned journal, but it is now available to a wider circle of readers in attractive form and beautifully illustrated. This notice is especially addressed to businessmen, who presumably did not see the articles as they appeared in the Journal of Economic History.
Centennial Bibliography: Annotated Selections on the History of the Petroleum Industry in the United States
Authors: Rundell Walter
Published: July 2012

This bibliography represents an effort to survey and evaluate selected literature dealing with the history of the petroleum industry in the United States. The goal has not been to include everything ever written, but rather, to produce a compact reference work that I hope will be useful to the industry, to students, and to the public.

My research has revealed that only one of the four major phases of this industry has been given anything approaching a full historical treatment. This phase is production.
OXIDATIVE ENZYME RESPONSES OF SIX CITRUS ROOTSTOCKS INFECTED WITHPHOMA TRACHEIPHILA(PETRI) KANTSCHAVELI AND GIKASHVILI
Authors: UZUN AYDIN , SEDAY UBEYIT , CANIHOS ERCAN , GULSEN OSMAN
Published: July 2012

Citrus trees are often exposed to severe infectious diseases. Mal secco caused byPhoma tracheiphila(Petri) Kantschaveli and Gikashvili is one of the most destructive fungal diseases of lemons (Citrus limonBurm. F.). In the present study, antioxidant enzyme activity in different mal secco-resistant and susceptible citrus rootstocks including Cleopatra mandarin (C. reshniTan.), sour orange (C. aurantiumL.), rough lemon (C. jambhiriLush.), Volkameriana (C. volkamerianaTan. and Pasq.), Carrizo citrange (Poncirus trifoliataL. Raf. XC. sinensisL. Osbeck) and trifoliate orange (P. trifoliata) was investigated. Possible differences in constitutive levels of these antioxidant enzymes and correlations between enzyme levels and mal secco caused byP. tracheiphilawere examined. Among the rootstocks, Cleopatra mandarin was found to be resistant to mal secco, whereas rough lemon, sour orange and trifoliate orange were highly susceptible. Total peroxidase (TPX; EC: 1.11.1.7) activity increased in all infected rootstocks. Ascorbate peroxidase (APX; EC: 1.11.1.11) activity increased in most of the rootstocks and no correlation was found between catalase (CAT; EC: 1.11.1.6) activity and mal secco resistance. This study indicates that overall TPX activity is upregulated and APX activity is up- and down-regulated depending on the type of rootstock in response toP. tracheiphilainfection.
Correlating physiological parameters with biomarkers for UV-B stress indicators in leaves of grapevine cultivars Pinot noir and Riesling
Authors: SCHOEDL K. , SCHUHMACHER R. , FORNECK A.
Published: July 2012

The robustness of seven physiological parameters together with two potential biomarkers for ultraviolet (UV)-B stress assessment was tested in greenhouse assays on theVitis viniferaL. cultivars Pinot noir and Riesling. Effects of year, UV-B treatment, cultivar and clone were studied in four individual experiments. Grapevine plants were exposed to three dosed UV-B stress treatments (−UV-B: no UV-B radiation; +UV-B: daily dose of 4856·3 J/m2UV-BBE; ++UV-B: daily dose of 7025·3 J/m2UV-BBE) to detect changes of chlorophyll fluorescence and gas exchange parameters. Significant correlations between the leaf polyphenols quercetin-3-O-glucoside and kaempferol-3-O-glucoside with the maximum fluorescence (Fm), the variable fluorescence (Fv) and the maximum quantum yield for photosystem (PS) II (Fv/Fm) were found, which confirmed the biomarkers’ relevance, additionally validated by cultivar- and year-independency.
Osteoradionecrosis of the external auditory canal: three cases involving reconstruction with transposition of a split temporalis muscle flap
Authors: Veneman W , Metselaar R M , Koudstaal M J , van der Wal K G H
Published: July 2012

Objective:

Osteoradionecrosis of the temporal bone is an uncommon but well documented finding after radiotherapy in the head and neck region, and results in exposed, necrotic bone with a soft tissue defect in the external auditory canal. The defect can be treated either conservatively or surgically. This paper aims to describe the results of reconstruction of the external auditory canal by transpositioning of the superficial layer of either the anterior or posterior part of the temporalis muscle to cover the defect.

Patients and methods:

Three patients with large, symptomatic defects in the external auditory canal were treated with transposition of the superficial layer of the temporalis muscle.

Results:

The duration of follow up was 4 to 16 months. No complications occurred. In all patients, re-epithelialisation was complete within 3 months.

Conclusion:

During reconstruction of the external auditory canal, transposition of the superficial layer of the temporalis muscle provides a reliable flap with a satisfactory outcome.
The Social Brain and the Myth of Empathy
Authors: Young Allan
Published: July 2012

Argument

Neuroscience research has created multiple versions of the human brain. The “social brain” is one version and it is the subject of this paper. Most image-based research in the field of social neuroscience is task-driven: the brain is asked to respond to a cognitive (perceptual) stimulus. The tasks are derived from theories, operational models, and back-stories now circulating in social neuroscience. The social brain comes with a distinctive back-story, an evolutionary history organized around three, interconnected themes: mind-reading, empathy, and the emergence of self-consciousness. This paper focuses on how empathy has been incorporated into the social brain and redefined via parallel research streams, employing a shared, imaging technology. The concluding section describes how these developments can be understood as signaling the emergence of a new version of human nature and the unconscious. My argument is not that empathy in the social brain is a myth, but rather that it is served by a myth consonant with the canons of science.
Genetics of sudden cardiac death in children and young athletes
Authors: Sarquella-Brugada Georgia , Campuzano Oscar , Iglesias Anna , Sánchez-Malagón Josep , Guerra-Balic Myriam , Brugada Josep , Brugada Ramon
Published: July 2012

Sudden cardiac death is a rare but socially devastating event. The most common causes of sudden cardiac death are congenital electrical disorders and structural heart diseases. The majority of these diseases have an incomplete penetrance and variable expression; therefore, patients may be unaware of their illness. In several cases, physical activity can be the trigger for sudden cardiac death as first symptom. Our purpose is to review the causes of sudden cardiac death in sportive children and young adults and its genetic background. Symptomatic individuals often receive an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator, the preventive treatment for sudden cardiac death in most of cases due to channelopathies, which can become a challenging option in young and active patients. The identification of one of these diseases in asymptomatic patients has similarly a great impact on their everyday life, especially on their ability to undertake competitive physical activities, and the requirement of prophylactic treatment. We review main causes of sudden cardiac death in relation to its genetics and diagnostic work-up.
A novel string distance metric for ranking Persian respelling suggestions
Authors: KASHEFI OMID , SHARIFI MOHSEN , MINAIE BEHROOZ
Published: July 2012

Spelling errors in digital documents are often caused by operational and cognitive mistakes, or by the lack of full knowledge about the language of the written documents. Computer-assisted solutions can help to detect and suggest replacements. In this paper, we present a new string distance metric for the Persian language to rank respelling suggestions of a misspelled Persian word by considering the effects of keyboard layout on typographical spelling errors as well as the homomorphic and homophonic aspects of words for orthographical misspellings. We also consider the misspellings caused by disregarded diacritics. Since the proposed string distance metric is custom-designed for the Persian language, we present the spelling aspects of the Persian language such as homomorphs, homophones, and diacritics. We then present our statistical analysis of a set of large Persian corpora to identify the causes and the types of Persian spelling errors. We show that the proposed string distance metric has a higher mean average precision and a higher mean reciprocal rank in ranking respelling candidates of Persian misspellings in comparison with other metrics such as the Hamming, Levenshtein, Damerau–Levenshtein, Wagner–Fischer, and Jaro–Winkler metrics.