bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Skeletal muscle oxygenation in severe trauma patients during haemorrhagic shock resuscitation
Authors: Duret Jerome , Pottecher Julien , Bouzat Pierre , Brun Julien , Harrois Anatole , Payen Jean-Francois , Duranteau Jacques
Published: March 2015

Introduction

Early alterations in tissue oxygenation may worsen patient outcome following traumatic haemorrhagic shock. We hypothesized that muscle oxygenation measured using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) on admission could be associated with subsequent change in the SOFA score after resuscitation.

Methods

The study was conducted in two Level I trauma centres and included 54 consecutive trauma patients with haemorrhagic shock, presenting within 6 hours of injury. Baseline tissue haemoglobin oxygen saturation (StO2) in the thenar eminence muscle and StO2 changes during a vascular occlusion test (VOT) were determined at 6 hours (H6) and 72 hours (H72) after the admission to the emergency room. Patients showing an improved SOFA score at H72 (SOFA improvers) were compared to those for whom it was unchanged or worse (SOFA non-improvers).

Results

Of the 54 patients, 34 patients were SOFA improvers and 20 SOFA non-improvers. They had comparable injury severity scores on admission. SOFA improvers had higher baseline StO2 values and a steeper StO2 desaturation slope at H6 compared to the SOFA non-improvers. These StO2 variables similarly correlated with the intra-hospital mortality. The StO2 reperfusion slope at H6 was similar between the two groups of patients.

Conclusions

Differences in StO2 parameters on admission of traumatic haemorrhagic shock were found between patients who had an improvement in organ failure in the first 72 hours and those who had unchanged or worse conditions. The use of NIRS to guide the initial management of trauma patients with haemorrhagic shock warrants further investigations.
External validation of scores proposed for estimation of survival probability of patients with severe adult respiratory distress syndrome undergoing extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy: a retrospective study
Authors: Klinzing Stephanie , Wenger Urs , Steiger Peter , Starck Christoph Thomas , Wilhelm Markus , Schuepbach Reto A , Maggiorini Marco
Published: March 2015

Introduction

This study was designed as an external validation of the recently proposed Predicting Death for Severe ARDS on V-V ECMO (PRESERVE) score, The respiratory extracorporeal membrane oxygenation survival prediction (RESP) score and a scoring system developed for externally retrieved patients on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) at our institution. All scores are proposed for the estimation of survival probability after ECMO treatment for severe adult respiratory distress syndrome.

Methods

Data from 51 patients (2008 to 2013) were analyzed in this retrospective single-center study. A calculation of an adapted PRESERVE score, the RESP score as well as the score developed for externally retrieved ECMO patients was performed.

Results

Seventy one percent of patients received veno-venous (v-v) and 29% venous-arterial (v-a) ECMO support during the study period. Overall survival at 6 months was 55%, with a 61% survival rate for v-v cannulated patients and a 40% survival rate for v-a cannulated patients. The PRESERVE score discriminated survivors and non-survivors with an area under the curve of 0.67 (95% CI 0.52 to 0.82, P = 0.03). Analyzing survival prediction according to cannulation modus, the PRESERVE score and the RESP score significantly predicted survival for patients on v-v ECMO with an area under the curve of 0.75 (95% CI 0.57 to 0.92, P = 0.01) and 0.81 (95% CI 0.67 to 0.95, P = 0.035), respectively, while the scoring system developed for externally retrieved ECMO patients failed to predict survival in our study population. All scores failed to predict mortality for patients on v-a ECMO.

Conclusion

Our single-center validation confirms that the proposed PRESERVE and RESP score predict survival for patients treated with v-v ECMO for severe adult respiratory distress syndrome.
Breast cancer resistance protein identifies clonogenic keratinocytes in human interfollicular epidermis
Authors: Ma Dongrui , Chua Alvin Wen Choong , Yang Ennan , Teo Peiyun , Ting Yixin , Song Colin , Lane Ellen Birgitte , Lee Seng Teik
Published: March 2015

Introduction

There is a practical need for the identification of robust cell-surface markers that can be used to enrich for living keratinocyte progenitor cells. Breast cancer resistance protein (ABCG2), a member of the ATP binding cassette (ABC) transporter family, is known to be a marker for stem/progenitor cells in many tissues and organs.

Methods

We investigated the expression of ABCG2 protein in normal human epidermis to evaluate its potential as a cell surface marker for identifying and enriching for clonogenic epidermal keratinocytes outside the pilosebaceous tract.

Results

Immunofluorescence and immunoblotting studies of human skin showed that ABCG2 is expressed in a subset of basal layer cells in the epidermis. Flow cytometry analysis showed approximately 2-3% of keratinocytes in non-hair-bearing epidermis expressing ABCG2; this population also expresses p63, β1 and α6 integrins and keratin 14, but not CD34, CD71, C-kit or involucrin. The ABCG2-positive keratinocytes showed significantly higher colony forming efficiency when co-cultured with mouse 3T3 feeder cells, and more extensive long-term proliferation capacity in vitro, than did ABCG2-negative keratinocytes. Upon clonal analysis, most of the freshly isolated ABCG2-positive keratinocytes formed holoclones and were capable of generating a stratified differentiating epidermis in organotypic culture models.

Conclusions

These data indicate that in skin, expression of the ABCG2 transporter is a characteristic of interfollicular keratinocyte progentior cells and suggest that ABCG2 may be useful for enriching keratinocyte stem cells in human interfollicular epidermis.
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells suppress metastatic tumor development in mouse by modulating immune system
Authors: Zhang Lei , Su Xiao San , Ye Jun Song , Wang Yi Yin , Guan Zheng , Yin Yan Feng
Published: March 2015

Introduction

Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) have been studied extensively because of their potential use in clinical therapy, regenerative medicine, and tissue engineering. However, their application in tumor therapy remains yet in preclinical stage because of the distinct results from different researches and vagueness of their functional mechanism. In this study, the influence of BMSCs on tumor growth was observed and the potential mechanism was investigated.

Method

Two animal models, H22 ascitogenous hepatoma in BALb/c mouse and B16-F10 pulmonary metastatic melanoma in C57 mouse, were adopted in experience in vivo and treated with BMSCs by intravenous injection. The percentage of Gr-1+CD11b+ myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) and IFN-γ+ T cells were observed in peripheral blood (PB) and bone marrow (BM) by Flow Cytometry. BMSCs were co-cultured in vitro with tumor cells and MDSCs in a tumor conditioned medium separately in order to illustrate the mechanism.

Results

Our results demonstrated that BMSCs treatment caused a delayed tumor growth and a prolonged survival in both tumor models, the homing fraction of BMSCs in BM was 2% - 5% in 24–72 hours after transfusion and the percentage of Gr-1+CD11b+ MDSCs was downregulated in peripheral blood and BM. Meanwhile, IFN-γ+ T lymphocytes in PB increased. In vitro co-culture showed that BMSCs inhibited the induction and proliferation of MDSCs in tumor conditioned medium, whereas they didn’t affect the proliferation of B16-F10 and H22 cells by in vitro co-culture. Both in vivo and in vitro results showed that BMSCs have a systemic suppressive effect on MDSCs.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that BMSCs has suppressive effect on tumor and is feasible to be applied in cancer treatment. BMSCs inhibiting MDSCs induction and proliferation is likely one of the mechanism.
Sdf-1 (CXCL12) induces CD9 expression in stem cells engaged in muscle regeneration
Authors: Brzoska Edyta , Kowalski Kamil , Markowska-Zagrajek Agnieszka , Kowalewska Magdalena , Archacki Rafał , Plaskota Izabela , Stremińska Władysława , Jańczyk-Ilach Katarzyna , Ciemerych Maria A
Published: March 2015

Introduction

Understanding the mechanism of stem cell mobilization into injured skeletal muscles is a prerequisite step for the development of muscle disease therapies. Many of the currently studied stem cell types present myogenic potential; however, when introduced either into the blood stream or directly into the tissue, they are not able to efficiently engraft injured muscle. For this reason their use in therapy is still limited. Previously, we have shown that stromal-derived factor-1 (Sdf-1) caused the mobilization of endogenous (not transplanted) stem cells into injured skeletal muscle improving regeneration. Here, we demonstrate that the beneficial effect of Sdf-1 relies on the upregulation of the tetraspanin CD9 expression in stem cells.

Methods

The expression pattern of adhesion proteins, including CD9, was analysed after Sdf-1 treatment during regeneration of rat skeletal muscles and mouse Pax7-/- skeletal muscles, that are characterized by the decreased number of satellite cells. Next, we examined the changes in CD9 level in satellite cells-derived myoblasts, bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells, and embryonic stem cells after Sdf-1 treatment or silencing expression of CXCR4 and CXCR7. Finally, we examined the potential of stem cells to fuse with myoblasts after Sdf-1 treatment.

Results

In vivo analyses of Pax7-/- mice strongly suggest that Sdf-1-mediates increase in CD9 levels also in mobilized stem cells. In the absence of CXCR4 receptor the effect of Sdf-1 on CD9 expression is blocked. Next, in vitro studies show that Sdf-1 increases the level of CD9 not only in satellite cell-derived myoblasts but also in bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells, as well as embryonic stem cells. Importantly, the Sdf-1 treated cells migrate and fuse with myoblasts more effectively.

Conclusions

We suggest that Sdf-1 binding CXCR4 receptor improves skeletal muscle regeneration by upregulating expression of CD9 and thus, impacting at stem cells mobilization to the injured muscles.
Neurotensin receptors in pancreatic ductal carcinomas
Authors: Körner Meike , Waser Beatrice , Strobel Oliver , Büchler Markus , Reubi Jean Claude
Published: March 2015

Background

The frequent expression of neurotensin receptors (NT-R) in primaries of pancreatic ductal carcinomas has triggered the development of radioactive neurotensin analogs for possible in vivo targeting of these tumors. However, the complete lack of information regarding NT-R in liver metastases of pancreatic cancer and pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PanIN) makes an in vitro study of NT-R in these tissues indispensable.

Methods

Using in vitro receptor autoradiography with 125I-[Tyr3]-neurotensin, NT-R were investigated in 18 primaries and 23 liver metastases of pancreatic ductal carcinomas as well as in 19 PanIN lesions.

Results

We report here that 13 of 18 ductal carcinoma primaries and 14 of 23 liver metastases expressed NT-R. Moreover, none of the six PanIN 1B cases expressed NT-R, while two of six PanIN 2 and five of seven PanIN 3 expressed NT-R. Binding was fully displaced by the type 1 NT-R-selective antagonist SR48692, indicating that the NT-R in the tumors are of the type 1 NT-R subtype.

Conclusions

These in vitro data extend the currently available information on NT-R in invasive and non-invasive pancreatic ductal tumors. They suggest that type 1 NT-R may be a novel, specific marker of PanIN of higher degree. The high expression of NT-R in primaries and metastases of invasive cancer strongly support the need to develop radioactive neurotensin analogs for the diagnosis and therapy of this tumor type.
Echocardiographic detection of transpulmonary bubble transit during acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Boissier Florence , Razazi Keyvan , Thille Arnaud W , Roche-Campo Ferran , Leon Rusel , Vivier Emmanuel , Brochard Laurent , Brun-Buisson Christian , Mekontso Dessap Armand
Published: March 2015

Background

Transpulmonary bubble transit (TPBT) detected with contrast echocardiography is reported as a sign of intrapulmonary shunt during cirrhosis or exercise in healthy humans. However, its physiological meaning is not clear during acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Our aim was to determine the prevalence, significance, and prognosis of TPBT detection during ARDS.

Methods

This was a prospective observational study in an academic medical intensive care unit in France. Two hundred and sixteen consecutive patients with moderate-to-severe ARDS underwent transesophageal echocardiography with modified gelatine contrast. Moderate-to-large TPBT was defined as right-to-left passage of at least ten bubbles through a pulmonary vein more than three cardiac cycles after complete opacification of the right atrium. Patients with intra-cardiac shunt through patent foramen ovale were excluded.

Results

The prevalence of moderate-to-large TPBT was 26% (including 42 patients with moderate and 15 with large TPBT). Patients with moderate-to-large TPBT had higher values of cardiac index and heart rate as compared to those without TPBT. There was no significant difference in PaO2/FIO2 ratio between groups, and TPBT was not influenced by end-expiratory positive pressure level in 93% of tested patients. Prevalence of septic shock was higher in the group with moderate-to-large TPBT. Patients with moderate-to-large TPBT had fewer ventilator-free days and intensive care unit-free days within the first 28 days, and higher in-hospital mortality as compared to others.

Conclusions

Moderate-to-large TPBT was detected with contrast echocardiography in 26% of patients with ARDS. This finding was associated with a hyperdynamic and septic state, but did not influence oxygenation.
Evaluation of parameter uncertainties in nonlinear regression using Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet
Authors: Hu Wei , Xie Jing , Chau Henry Wai , Si Bing Cheng
Published: March 2015

Background

Nonlinear relationships are common in the environmental discipline. Spreadsheet packages such as Microsoft Excel come with an add-on for nonlinear regression, but parameter uncertainty estimates are not yet available. The purpose of this paper is to use Monte Carlo and bootstrap methods to estimate nonlinear parameter uncertainties with a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. As an example, uncertainties of two parameters (α and n) for a soil water retention curve are estimated.

Results

The fitted parameters generally do not follow a normal distribution. Except for the upper limit of α using the bootstrap method, the lower and upper limits of α and n obtained by these two methods are slightly greater than those obtained using the SigmaPlot software which linearlizes the nonlinear model.

Conclusions

Since the linearization method is based on the assumption of normal distribution of parameter values, the Monte Carlo and bootstrap methods may be preferred to the linearization method.
La construction de la renommée des produits des terroirs: Acteurs et enjeux d’un marché de la gourmandise en France (XVIIe-début XIXe siècle)
Authors: Meyzie Philippe
Published: March 2015

La valorisation de l’origine géographique des produits alimentaires se construit durablement en France au cours du XVIIIe siècle. Pour les marchands, les consommateurs et les amateurs éclairés (voyageurs, gastronomes), l’identification à une ville ou une province est un signe de qualité sur ce marché singulier et bien structuré de l’alimentation qui se rapproche de celui du luxe par le poids de la demande et sa dimension socioculturelle. Tout à la fois ancrées dans les usages de la société d’Ancien Régime et sensibles aux innovations commerciales, la circulation et la consommation de ces denrées représentent un marché alimentaire original qui témoigne de la promotion des produits des terroirs provinciaux dans l’imaginaire gourmand du début du XIXe siècle. En étudiant la manière dont se construit la renommée de ces produits localisés, cet article met en évidence les acteurs et les enjeux de ce marché français de la gourmandise.

The valorization of the geographic origin of food products emerged in France during the eighteenth century. For merchants, consumers, and enlightened amateurs (travelers, gourmets), identification with a town or province became a sign of quality. This well-structured, specialist market is similar to a luxury market in terms of demand and its sociocultural aspect. At once rooted in the practices of the ancien régime and responsive to economic innovation, the circulation and consumption of these foods produce a unique food market reflecting the importance of terroir in early nineteenth-century gourmand culture. By studying the reputation of these local products, this article investigates the actors and stakes of this French gourmet market.
“Sa Coquetterie Tue la Faim”: Garment Workers, Lunch Reform, and the Parisian Midinette, 1896-1933
Authors: Tilburg Patricia
Published: March 2015

This article understands the midinette as a key figure in the early twentieth-century Parisian picturesque. Specifically, the article examines popular depictions of the noon lunch break that romanticized the midinettes and warned of (and celebrated) the amorous seductions and picturesque allure of these women. A defining part of that allure was undereating. The Parisian garment worker was understood to be a delightfully frivolous undereater who happily sacrificed food for fashion and pleasure. Pulp fiction, songs, vaudeville shows, and even reform campaigns in this period proffered a novel representation of undereating and noneating in depictions of the midinette. The undereating midinettes of the early twentieth-century Parisian imaginary did so as a means of engaging more fully in the capitalist marketplace, making their bodies more appealing advertisements for and objects of urban consumption.

Cet article propose la midinette comme un personnage clef de l’imaginaire parisien du vingtième siècle. Notamment, la représentation populaire de la pause déjeuner des midinettes glorifiait les séductions amoureuses et le charme pittoresque des travailleuses parisiennes. Ce charme était fondé, en partie, sur une alimentation légère, voire une sous-alimentation. L’ouvrière de la mode était saisie comme une adepte d’une sous-alimentation frivole et agréable, heureuse de sacrifier de la nourriture pour les plaisirs de la mode et du divertissement. Une nouvelle représentation de la sous-alimentation se trouve dans les descriptions de la midinette à travers la littérature populaire, la chanson, le vaudeville, et même les efforts réformateurs. La midinette sous-alimentée de l’imaginaire parisien du début de siècle ne mangeait pas pour s’engager plus profondément dans le marché capitaliste—en faisant de son corps une publicité séduisante pour la consommation urbaine.
Sudsy Sovereignty: Indigenous Workers and the Hops Industry of the Pacific Slope
Authors: Bauer William
Published: March 2015

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Indigenous people in the Pacific Slope—California, Oregon, and Washington—worked in the hops industry. After the Civil War, the cultivation of hops, one of the principal ingredients used to make beer, moved from the Midwest to California, Oregon, and Washington to take advantage of developing urban transportation networks, a long growing season, and good soils. Native workers erected hop poles, trained vines, picked hops, and transported the crop to urban distribution centers. In return for their labor, Native peoples earned cash wages, which they used to compensate for poorly provisioned reservations. In addition to earning cash wages, Indigenous people used hop picking to establish credentials for leaders, participate in social activities banned on reservations, and create kinship bonds. Hops and the food product it made—beer—were not used to undermine American Indian power on the Pacific Slope; American Indians used hops and beer to reclaim what had been lost during the colonization of the Pacific Slope and to articulate their sovereignty.
Intravitreal injections for nurse practitioners: A guide to good practice
Authors: Nago Jonah
Published: March 2015

The increasing demand for the use of intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents in the treatment of retinal conditions has resulted in a growing awareness of the positive impact of ophthalmic nurses in taking on this extended role. This novel idea of training nurse practitioners to deliver injections has gained wide support across the multidisciplinary workforce in the retina sub-specialty and the majority of eye clinics in the UK are either in the process of implementation or working towards offering nurse-led injections. This article provides guidance for nurse practitioners on how to perform intravitreal injections safely.
Important sources of information on self-management for families of children with paediatric cataracts
Authors: Gyllén Jenny , Rosenberg Anna , Nyström Alf , Forsberg Anna , Magnusson Gunilla
Published: March 2015

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to improve concordance by investigating important sources of information on self-management for families of children with paediatric cataracts from the perspective of parents and ophthalmologists.

Methods:

This mixed methods study involved a deductive approach using a questionnaire administered to 69 families of children operated on and registered with the Swedish Pediatric Cataract Register (PECARE Sweden) in southern Sweden, as well as 30 paediatric ophthalmologists who monitored the patients on their return to the local health care facility. An inductive approach was applied through an analysis of open-ended questions on self-management. Both groups were asked about their perception of the value of strategies for providing information and the timing of this.

Results:

The response rate was 68% for families and 93% for ophthalmologists. Both groups agreed that ophthalmology visits were the most important source of information, followed by written and online information. Parents of children diagnosed before the age of three months were more likely to prefer written information. Content analysis revealed that a person-centred approach is important.

Conclusions:

Parents, particularly those whose children were diagnosed at a young age, need more and better-directed information. Promoting self-management may play a decisive role in treatment outcomes.
Ocular prosthetics in the UK: Hope beyond trauma
Authors: Starling Natasha , Brown Simon
Published: March 2015

Until shortly after the Second World War, the provision of artificial eyes by the National Artificial Eye Service (NAES) was only available to service personnel and war pensioners, but with the arrival of the National Health Act in 1948, the specilialised treatment involved was extended to all qualifying NHS patients. Natasha Starling provides an overview of the history of the NAES and the services it provides, and outlines the process of caring for a patient who is having an artificial eye fitted. In the second section of this article, Simon Brown provides a patient perspective on getting an artificial eye, including the process of a prosthetic fitting, and pre- and post-care.
Developing character
Authors: Orr Emma
Published: March 2015

Assistant headteacher Emma Orr has a specific brief to promote character education at her school. She describes some of their approaches to developing key character skills
Patterns of Knife Edge Recession in an Industrial Chipper-Canter
Authors: Ghosh Shyamal C. , Heidari Majid , Hernández Roger E. , Blais Carl
Published: March 2015

Chipper-canters are used in primary wood industries for processing small-diameter logs. Knife geometry is one of the principal parameters significantly affecting the chip size and cant surface properties. This work studied the patterns of tool wear as edge recession (ER) in chipping and canting knives of a chipper-canter head. In addition, analytical investigation of wear mechanisms was carried out to better understand the ER phenomenon. The test head contained eight sets of separate chipping and canting knives. ER was measured after 0, 8, 16, 32, 48, and 80 hours of machining. Microscopic measurements at intervals of 1 mm along the cutting edge were carried out to characterize ER from knife replicas. The ERs after 80 hours of machining were 544 and 549 μm for chipping and canting knives, respectively. There was no significant variation in ER between the types of knives at 0 and 80 hours of machining. However, significantly different ERs were found between the chipping and canting knives at the intermediate stages of machining. Scanning electron microscopic observation showed that apart from abrasion and chipping phenomenon, there were also deformation of chipping knives and cracking of canting knives.
Ash Content of Wood Pellets Made from Small Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) Trees with Bark
Authors: Paukkunen Simo , Sikanen Lauri , Ikonen Risto
Published: March 2015

This article presents the influence of stem size of thinned trees on the amount of ash in wood pellets. If wood can be used with bark, material efficiency of pellet production increases. The article initiates discussion related to typical questions in the pellet industry, such as the applicability of pine with bark to produce wood pellets that meet European Union standards (EN 14961‐2:2011 A1). The article shows that unbarked Finnish scots pine trees (Pinus sylvestris L.) over 11.16 m in length can be used as raw material without quality loss or ash content out of the range of the wood pellet standard. Three different diameter groups of pine were tested, and none exceeded the ash content limit (0.7%) set in the EN 14961‐2:2011 standard.
Reviews
Authors: Reckling Tobias , Mariano Fátima , Rodgers Eamonn
Published: March 2015

El Amigo Alemán. El SPD y el Psoe de la dictadura a la democracia, Antonio Muñoz Sánchez (2012) Barcelona: RBA Libros, 512 pp., ISBN: 9788490062852 (p/bk), €25

La destrucción de Guernica: periodismo, diplomacia, propaganda e historia, Herbert R. Southworth (2013) Ángel Viñas (ed.), Granada: Comares Historia, 726 pp., ISBN: 9788490450321 (p/bk), € 35.00

Skeletons in the Closet, Skeletons in the Ground: Repression, Victimization and Humiliation in a Small Andalusian Town: The Human Consequences of the Spanish Civil War, Richard Barker (2012) Brighton, Portland and Toronto: Sussex Academic Press in Collaboration with the Cañada Blanch Centre for Contemporary Iberian Studies, xxvii+283 pp., ISBN: 9781845195366, p/bk, £25

Unlikely Warriors, Richard Baxell (2014) London: Aurum Press, xii+531 pp., ISBN: 9781781312339, p/bk, £12.99
Vigilados: Surveillance of foreign press correspondents during the Spanish Transition to democracy
Authors: Tulloch Christopher
Published: March 2015

This article analyses the attempts made by regime authorities – and in particular the Ministry of Information and Tourism (MIT) – to supervise foreign correspondents based in Spain during the months following the death of Franco. It also reveals the professional profile and background of those reporters charged with relaying the Transition and the difficulties they encountered in their coverage of events. The article examines the delicate nature of the foreign reporters’ news agenda in Madrid, analyses their modus operandi and commitment to the story and highlights how these reporters were under constant surveillance by MIT officials in post-Francoist Spain. It concludes by attempting to weigh the contribution of the foreign journalists to Spanish democratic regeneration. The article forms part of a wider research project on the international press and the Transition funded by the Spanish Ministry for Education, which involved field research in Paris, Rome, London, New York and at the Spanish National Archives in Madrid, as well as interviews with surviving foreign correspondents.
Environmental management of the buffer zones of conservation units in urban area
Authors: Foeppel Ribeiro Marta , De Freitas Marcos Aurélio Vasconcelos , Castilho da Costa Vivian
Published: March 2015

This article examines, from a legal standpoint, the importance of the definition, diagnosis and establishment of criteria for the use, occupation and monitoring of buffer zones for conservation units of integral protection. The management of conservation units should take into account the areas surrounding the unit, so as to avoid the encroachment of external anthropic activities on to the natural ecosystems within the unit boundaries.
Gestão pública e riscos ambientais relacionados a processos erosivos: caso de São Pedro, São Paulo, Basil
Authors: Perez-Filho Archimedes , Carpi Junior Salvador , Capellani Quaresma Cristiano
Published: March 2015

O objetivo deste trabalho é demonstrar criticamente a forma pela qual a questão da erosão tem sido tratada no município de São Pedro (Brasil) ao longo das últimas décadas. Os riscos associados aos processos erosivos presentes na área de estudo têm sido agravados por ações inadequadas da Gestão Pública municipal, decorrentes principalmente do distanciamento desta em relação ao meio acadêmico.
Risco de cenários de dano vulneráveis de redes de abastecimento de água
Authors: Pinto Jorge , Varum Humberto , Duarte António , Afonso Luís , Varajão João , Bentes Isabel
Published: March 2015

Neste trabalho propõe-se uma metodologia integrada para a quantificação do risco associado a cenários de dano de redes de abastecimento de água, baseada na teoria da vulnerabilidade, com quantificação das consequências associadas às perdas da rede, para cada cenário identificado. A identificação das vulnerabilidades e dos riscos inerentes a este tipo de sistemas poderão contribuir para os tornar mais robustos, melhorando a qualidade do seu funcionamento, e diminuindo o potencial impacto de um cenário de dano nos utilizadores.
Método de avaliação de riscos para a segurança ocupacional na indústria da construção
Authors: Pinto Abel , Nunes Isabel L. , Ribeiro Rita A.
Published: March 2015

A Análise e Avaliação dos Riscos para a Segurança Ocupacional, na indústria da construção, é um processo complexo, que implica a consideração e análise de muitos parâmetros, técnicos, organizacionais e psicossociais difíceis de quantificar. As metodologias utilizadas são incipientes e baseadas em informação incerta, difusa, imprecisa e/ou incompleta. O objectivo deste trabalho é identificar os principais parâmetros e as suas relações matemáticas de forma a avaliar e hierarquizar os riscos analisados.
Variation in height and survival among northern populations of pedunculate oak (Quercus robur L.): results of a 13-year field study
Authors: Hautsalo Juho , Mathieu Paul , Elshibli Sakina , Vakkari Pekka , Raisio Juha , Pulkkinen Pertti
Published: March 2015

We analysed the adaptive potential of pedunculate oak ( L.) in terms of variation in height and survival in five field trials located in southern and central Finland. The trials were established with Finnish native material from six different seed origins. Thirteen years after planting, the number of living trees was counted and measured for height. Analysis of height and survival revealed a significant effect of origin, i.e., a genetic basis to individual tree performance. Two origins from the Turku region (Ruissalo and Katariinanlaakso) performed the best while trees originating from Parainen (Lenholmen) performed the worst. In order to study the effects due to tree origin, a comparison of families (half-sibling trees, i.e. those sharing the same âmotherâ tree) was made by combining height and survival through a height-sum equation (i.e., the product of mean survival and height of each family in each trial) and used to calculate family- and origin-level ecovalences. Ecovalence is a metric for performance consistency, and indicates how much each variable contributes to the total variation; the higher the value, the lower the consistency of trees across the trials based on their origin or family. Analysis of consistency showed similar results to growth and survival, with Turku families performing the best and families from Parainen performing the worst. Families in the Katariinanlaakso stand (Turku) generally had more stable ecovalence values and more dispersed height-sums, while Ruissalo (Turku) families had higher mean height-sum but higher variability in ecovalence values. These results suggest that seed origins (i.e., genotypes) can be optimized in terms of their suitability for commercial or ecological forest management.Quercus robur
Caliphate Expansion and Sociopolitical Change in Nineteenth-Century Lower Benue Hinterlands
Authors: Ochonu Moses
Published: March 2015

This article analyzes the processes of jihad, migration, and sociopolitical change in the lower Benue hinterlands of nineteenth century central Nigeria. It examines the dynamics at work in the expansion of the territorial, commercial, and symbolic frontiers of the Sokoto caliphate in this sector, as well as the impact commercial and political events spawned by caliphate expansion and consolidation in this area had on the experiences, sociopolitical organization, economies, and institutions of some non-Muslim communities. I explore the nonreligious lives that a religious movement progressively took on as it made its way through this multiethnic, politically diverse region of precolonial central Nigeria, focusing in particular on the experiences of the Agatu, a subset of the Idoma people, with the vagaries of the jihad. The article considers the proactive and reactive responses and adaptations of non-Muslim communities to the intrusions, raids, and demands of Hausa and Fulani Muslims possessing various degrees of caliphate affinities and affiliations. I argue that, although inspired by an expressed desire to construct and extend the frontiers of an ideal Islamic state, the jihad assumed a commercial character in this sector. Characterized by slave raiding and military intrusions, it left profound social and political legacies that those who encountered it had to contend with and adapt to during the tumultuous mid- to late nineteenth century.
Non-relativistic limit in a model of radiative flow
Authors: Nečasová Šárka , Ducomet Bernard
Published: March 2015

We consider a “non-relativistic” limit in a model of radiative flow where matter is described by a viscous heat-conducting system
coupled to radiation through the radiative transfer equation.
We prove the convergence of this coupled system toward a compressible Navier–Stokes–Fourier system coupled to a stationary radiative transfer equation.
The Grothendieck–Teichmüller group action on differential forms and formality morphisms of chains
Authors: Willwacher Thomas
Published: March 2015

It is known that one can associate a Kontsevich-type formality morphism to every Drinfeld associator.
In the present paper, we show that this morphism may be extended to a Kontsevich–Shoikhet formality morphism of cochains and chains, by describing the action of the Grothendieck–Teichmüller group on such objects (up to homotopy).
Custom Lithium Niobate Transducer Arrays for Detecting Material Distribution of Hybrid Workpieces
Authors: Saalbach Kai-Alexander , Wurz Marc Christopher , Twiefel Jens , Rissing Lutz , Wallaschek Jörg
Published: March 2015

Ultrasonic non-destructive testing is presented as a method to determine differences in material distribution at elevated temperatures in hybrid workpieces made of different metals. Varying material distribution causes differences in transit time and can be detected by ultrasonic transit time measurements. Therefore, custom transducers are manufactured to perform transit time measurements on hybrid workpieces. Results of these measurements are shown.
Designer peptide delivery systems for gene therapy
Authors: Loughran Stephen Patrick , McCrudden Cian Michael , McCarthy Helen Olga
Published: March 2015

Gene therapy has long been hailed as a revolutionary approach for the treatment of genetic diseases. The enthusiasm that greeted the harnessing of viruses for therapeutic DNA delivery has been tempered by concerns over safety. These concerns led to the development of alternative strategies for nucleic acid delivery to cells. One such strategy is the utilization of cationic peptides for the condensation of therapeutic DNA for delivery to its target. However, success of DNA as a therapy relies on its delivery to the nucleus of target cells, a process that is complicated by the many hurdles encountered following systemic administration. Non-viral peptide gene delivery strategies have sought inspiration from viruses in order to retain DNA delivering potency, but limit virulence. This review summarizes the progression of peptide-based DNA delivery systems, from rudimentary beginnings to the recent development of sophisticated multi-functional vectors that comprise distinct motifs with dedicated barrier evasion functions. The most promising peptides that achieve cell membrane permeabilization, endosomal escape and nuclear delivery are discussed.
On finite subgroups of the classical groups
Authors: Collins Michael J.
Published: March 2015

In 1878, Jordan showed that a finite subgroup of

GL
(
n
,
ℂ
)

${\operatorname{GL}(n,\mathbb {C})}$

must possess an abelian normal subgroup whose index
is bounded by a function of n alone. In previous papers, the author obtained
optimal bounds; in particular, a generic bound

(
n
+
1
)
!

${(n+1)!}$

was obtained when

n
≥
71

${n\ge 71}$

, achieved by the symmetric group S

n+1. In this paper,
analogous bounds are obtained for the finite subgroups of the complex
symplectic and orthogonal groups. In the case of

Sp
(
2
n
,
ℂ
)

${\operatorname{Sp}(2n,\mathbb {C})}$

the
optimal bound is

(
60
)

n

·
n
!

${(60)^{n}\cdot n!}$

, achieved by the wreath product

SL
2

(
5
)

wr

S
n

${\operatorname{SL}_{2}(5)\operatorname{wr}S_{n}}$

acting naturally on the direct sum of n 2-dimensional spaces; for the orthogonal groups

O
(
n
,
ℂ
)

${\mathrm {O}(n,\mathbb {C})}$

, the
generic linear group bound of

(
n
+
1
)
!

${(n+1)!}$

is achieved as soon as

n
≥
25

${n\ge 25}$

.
Nitrogen and Silicon Defect Incorporation during Homoepitaxial CVD Diamond Growth on (111) Surfaces
Authors: Moore Samuel L. , Vohra Yogesh K.
Published: March 2015

Chemical Vapor Deposited (CVD) diamond growth on (111)-diamond surfaces has received increased attention lately because of the use of N-V related centers in quantum computing as well as application of these defect centers in sensing nano-Tesla strength magnetic fields. We have carried out a detailed study of homoepitaxial diamond deposition on (111)-single crystal diamond (SCD) surfaces using a 1.2 kW microwave plasma CVD (MPCVD) system employing methane/hydrogen/nitrogen/oxygen gas phase chemistry. We have utilized Type Ib (111)-oriented single crystal diamonds as seed crystals in our study. The homoepitaxially grown diamond films were analyzed by Raman spectroscopy, Photoluminescence Spectroscopy (PL), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). The nitrogen concentration in the plasma was carefully varied between 0 and 1500 ppm while a ppm level of silicon impurity is present in the plasma from the quartz bell jar. The concentration of N-V defect centers with PL zero phonon lines (ZPL) at 575nm and 637nm and the Si-defect center with a ZPL at 737nm were experimentally detected from a variation in CVD growth conditions and were quantitatively studied. Altering nitrogen and oxygen concentration in the plasma was observed to directly affect N-V and Si-defect incorporation into the (111)-oriented diamond lattice and these findings are presented.
French Studies on the Development of Potential Conditioning Matrices for Iodine 129
Authors: Campayo Lionel , Audubert Fabienne , Lartigue Jean-Eric , Courtois-Manara Eglantine , Le Gallet Sophie , Bernard Frédéric , Lemesle Thomas , Mear François O. , Montagne Lionel , Coulon Antoine , Laurencin Danielle , Grandjean Agnès , Rossignol Sylvie
Published: March 2015

Since 1991, in France, studies on the conditioning of iodine were carried out to assess the potential of several specific inorganic host matrices. The apatite family has been mainly studied because of its good chemical durability and its ability to confine iodine over geological time scales. A lead-bearing apatite, Pb10(VO4)4.8(PO4)1.2I2, and a calcium-bearing apatite, Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2-x(IO3)x, were selected on the basis of their incorporation rate (between 7 and 10 wt.%) and a satisfactory resistance to leaching (V0(50 °C, pure water) ∼ 10-2 g.m-2.d-1; Vr(50 °C, pure water) < 10-4 g.m-2.d-1). However, with such materials, the removal of open porosity requires non conventional sintering techniques like spark plasma sintering to decrease the surface exposed to water. This is why, in parallel, other matrices, like silver phosphate glasses, have also been investigated. To improve the chemical durability and thermal properties of these glasses, cross-linking reagents were added to their formulation.
Deep Borehole Disposal Research: What have we learned from numerical modeling and what can we learn?
Authors: Travis Karl P , Gibb Fergus G F
Published: March 2015

Geological disposal of HLW and spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in very deep boreholes is a concept whose time has come. The alternative – disposal in a mined, engineered repository is beset with difficulties not least of which are the constraints placed upon the engineered barriers by the high thermal loading. The deep borehole concept offers a potentially safer, faster and more cost-effective solution. Despite this, international interest has been slow to materialize, largely due to perceived problems with retrievability and uncertainty about the ability to drill accurate vertical holes with diameters greater than 0.5 m to a depth of 4-5 km. The closure of Yucca Mountain and the subsequent recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Commission have lead to a renewed interest in deep borehole disposal (DBD) and the US DoE has commissioned Sandia National Labs, working with industrial and academic partners (including the University of Sheffield), to undertake a program of R&D leading to a demonstration borehole being drilled somewhere in the continental USA by 2016.

In this paper, we focus on some of the key safety and engineering features of DBD including methods of sealing the boreholes, sealing and support matrices for the waste packages. Numerical modeling has, and continues to play, a significant role in expanding and validating the DBD concept. We report on progress in the use of modeling in the above contexts, paying particular attention to constraints on the engineering materials resulting from high heat loading.
UTILIZAÇÃO DE RESÍDUOS DE ROCHAS ORNAMENTAIS NA PRODUÇÃO DE CERÂMICA BRANCA
Authors: Dantas Antônio de Pádua Arlindo , Acchar Wilson , Dantas Franciolli Araújo , Leite J. Y. P.
Published: March 2015

Os rejeitos de granito são provenientes do processo de mineração dessas rochas ornamentais para uso na indústria da construção civil. O Brasil é um dos maiores produtores de blocos ou produtos acabados de rochas ornamentais, extraindo cerca de 5,2 milhões toneladas/ano. Os maiores produtores nacionais são os estados do Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais e Bahia que respondem por 80% da produção nacional. Porém o desperdício em todo o processo de desmonte destes blocos chega a incríveis 40% do total. O uso dos detritos produzidos por esta indústria na cerâmica branca poderia ser uma forma de disposição desse material, visto que estes materiais, sob forma de lama, são lançados diretamente em lagoas de decantação, terrenos baldios ou jogados em rios, sem nenhum tratamento. O presente trabalho tem como propósito principal estudar a influência que o rejeito das rochas ornamentais exerce sobre as propriedades físicas e mecânicas da cerâmica branca. Para isso, foram feitas as caracterizações das matérias-primas por fluorescência de Raios-X, difração de Raios-X, análise granulométrica, análise termogravimétrica e análise termodiferencial, elaborando-se cinco formulações (0, 10, 20, 30, 40% em peso de granito) que foram queimadas em três temperaturas: 1100°C, 1150°C e 1200ºC com 60 minutos de patamar. Após a queima, os corpos-de-prova foram submetidos a ensaios de absorção de água, retração linear, porosidade aparente, massa específica aparente, resistência à flexão, microscopia eletrônica de varredura. Foram obtidas propriedades tecnológicas compatíveis com os limites mínimos exigidos para a fabricação de um grês porcelanato. Palavras-chave: Rochas ornamentais. Argila caulinítica. Grês porcelanato.
Creep and drying shrinkage of a blended slag and low calcium fly ash geopolymer Concrete
Authors: Castel A. , Foster S. J. , Ng T. , Sanjayan J. G. , Gilbert R. I.
Published: March 2015

The main purpose of this research is to study the time dependent behaviour of a geopolymer concrete. The geopolymer binder is composed of 85.2 % of low calcium fly ash and only 14.8 % of ground granulated blast furnace slag. Both drying shrinkage and creep are studied. In addition, different curing conditions at elevated temperature were used. All experimental results were compared to predictions made using the Eurocode 2. The curing regime plays an important role in the magnitude and development of both creep and drying shrinkage of class F fly ash based geopolymer concrete. A minimum of 3 days at 40 °C or 1 day at 80 °C is required to obtain final drying shrinkage strains similar to or less than those adopted by Eurocode 2 for ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete. Creep strains were similar or less than those predicted by Eurocode 2 for OPC concrete when the geopolymer concrete was cured for 3 days at 40 °C. After 7 days at 80 °C, creep strains became negligible.
Respuesta de las plantas a estrés por inundación. Una revisión
Authors: Jiménez S. Juan de la Cruz , Moreno F. Liz Patricia , Magnitskiy Stanislav
Published: March 2015

La inundación tiene un efecto negativo sobre la mayoría de plantas terrestres debido a que reduce su crecimiento e induce la senescencia. La deficiencia de oxígeno, efecto principal de la inundación, cambia el metabolismo de la planta induciendo la vía anaeróbica o fermentativa como mecanismo alterno, aunque poco eficiente para la producción de energía. Igualmente el déficit de oxígeno aumenta la producción de especies reactivas de oxígeno (ROS), tanto en la mitocondria como en el cloroplasto. Como respuesta al incremento de ROS hay un aumento en el sistema de defensa antioxidante de la planta, el cual es considerado, junto con la inducción de la vía fermentativa, como una respuesta a corto plazo. Cuando la planta está sometida a largos periodos de inundación se presentan, adicionalmente, cambios morfológicos, como la formación de aerénquima, los cuales son considerados respuestas a largo plazo. En este artículo se revisan las respuestas, tanto a corto como a largo plazo, de las plantas a la condición de estrés hídrico por inundación.