bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effects of Glucose Control and Variability on Endothelial Function and Repair in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Hoffman Robert P. , Dye Amanda S. , Huang Hong , Bauer John A.
Published: December 2013

Background. Endothelial dysfunction and increased inflammation are precursors of cardiovascular disease in type 1 diabetes (T1D) and occur even in adolescents with T1D. The goal of this study was to determine the relationship of endothelial dysfunction to various measures of glycemia. Research Design and Methods. Forearm blood flow (FBF, venous occlusion plethysmography) was measured before and after 5 min of upper arm vascular occlusion in 17 adolescents with uncomplicated type 1 diabetes. Endothelial function was assessed as postocclusion FBF and forearm vascular resistance (FVR, mean arterial pressure/FBF). Fasting glucose, 72 hour mean glucose and standard deviation from continuous glucose monitoring, hemoglobin A1c, and hemoglobin A1c by duration area under the curve were used to assess immediate, short-term, and intermediate- and long-term glycemia. Results. Postocclusion FBF (r=-0.53, P=0.030) negatively correlated and postocclusion FVR positively correlated (r=0.52, P=0.031) with hemoglobin A1c levels. FVR was positively associated with log 3 day mean glucose (r=0.55, P=0.027). Postocclusion FBF (2.8±1.1 versus 3.4±0.5 mL/dL/min, mean ± SE, P=0.084) tended to be lower and FVR (31.4±10.4 versus 23.9±4.4 mmHg dL min/mL, P=0.015) was significantly higher in subjects with hemoglobin A1c above the median (8.3%) compared to those with lower hemoglobin A1c levels. Conclusions. These results demonstrate that poor intermediate-term glycemic control is associated with impaired endothelial function.
Automated Flare Prediction Using Extreme Learning Machine
Authors: Bian Yuqing , Yang Jianwei , Li Ming , Lan Rushi
Published: December 2013

Extreme learning machine (ELM) is a fast learning algorithm of single-hidden layer feedforward neural networks (SLFNs). Compared with the traditional neural networks, the ELM algorithm has the advantages of fast learning speed and good generalization. At the same time, an ordinal logistic regression (LR) is a statistical method which is conceptually simple and algorithmically fast. In this paper, in order to improve the real-time performance, a flare forecasting method is introduced which is the combination of the LR model and the ELM algorithm. The predictive variables are three photospheric magnetic parameters, that is, the total unsigned magnetic flux, length of the strong-gradient magnetic polarity inversion line, and total magnetic energy dissipation. The LR model is used to map these three magnetic parameters of each active region into four probabilities. Consequently, the ELM is used to map the four probabilities into a binary label which is the final output. The proposed model is used to predict the occurrence of flares with a certain level over 24 hours following the time when the magnetogram is recorded. The experimental results show that the cascade algorithm not only improves learning speed to realize timely prediction but also has higher accuracy of X-class flare prediction in comparison with other methods.
Changes in Acidity, TSS, and Sugar Content at Different Storage Periods of the Postharvest Mango (Mangifera indicaL.) Influenced by Bavistin DF
Authors: Islam Md. Khairul , Khan M. Z. H. , Sarkar M. A. R. , Absar Nurul , Sarkar S. K.
Published: December 2013

A detailed study was carried out with the postharvest mangoes (namely, the Langra and the Khirshapat) treated with different levels of Bavistin DF (BDF) solution (namely, 250, 500, and 750 ppm) for obtaining results on biochemical changes as well as storability of postharvest mango. The experiment was laid out in randomized complete block design with three replicates. The results of the experiments exhibited that only the single effect of varieties was found to be significant in most of the parameters studied. The Langra enriched a greater quantity of titratable acidity and total soluble solid (TSS) at 3rd day, over the Khirshapat. On the other hand, Khirshapat showed increased pulp pH and TSS at all the storage duration. The results explored that some physicochemical properties, namely, pulp pH, TSS, sugar (total, reducing, and nonreducing), and titratable acidity along with shelf life drastically decreased from untreated mangoes. Bavistin DF with the doses of 750 ppm showed better results in delaying the changes in physicochemical properties and extended shelf life.
Factors Affecting Microcuttings of Stevia Using a Mist‐Chamber Propagation Box
Authors: Osman Mohamad , Samsudin Nur Syamimi , Faruq Golam , Nezhadahmadi Arash
Published: December 2013

Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni is a member of Compositae family. Stevia plant has zero calorie content and its leaves are estimated to be 300 times sweeter than sugar. This plant is believed to be the most ideal substitute for sugar and important to assist in medicinal value especially for diabetic patients. In this study, microcutting techniques using a mist‐chamber propagation box were used as it was beneficial for propagation of Stevia and gave genetic uniformity to the plant. The effects of different treatments on root stimulation of Stevia in microcuttings technique were evaluated. Treatments studied were different sizes of shoot cuttings, plant growth regulators, lights, and shades. Data logger was used to record the mean value of humidity (>90% RH), light intensity (673–2045 lx), and temperature (28.6–30.1°C) inside the mist‐chamber propagation box. From analysis of variance, there were significant differences between varieties and treatments in parameters studied (P < 0.05). For the size of shoot cuttings treatment, 6 nodes cuttings were observed to increase root number. As compared to control, shoot cuttings treated with indole butyric acid (IBA) had better performance regarding root length. Yellow light and 50% shade treatments showed higher root and leaf number and these conditions can be considered as crucial for potential propagation of Stevia.
Effects of Diphenyl Diselenide on Methylmercury Toxicity in Rats
Authors: Dalla Corte Cristiane L. , Wagner Caroline , Sudati Jéssie H. , Comparsi Bruna , Leite Gerlania O. , Busanello Alcindo , Soares Félix A. A. , Aschner Michael , Rocha João B. T.
Published: December 2013

This study investigates the efficacy of diphenyl diselenide [(PhSe)2] in attenuating methylmercury- (MeHg-)induced toxicity in rats. Adult rats were treated with MeHg [5 mg/kg/day, intragastrically (i.g.)] and/ or (PhSe)2[1 mg/kg/day, intraperitoneally (i.p.)] for 21 days. Body weight gain and motor deficits were evaluated prior to treatment, on treatment days 11 and 21. In addition, hepatic and cerebral mitochondrial function (reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, total and nonprotein thiol levels, membrane potential (ΔΨm), metabolic function, and swelling), hepatic, cerebral, and muscular mercury levels, and hepatic, cerebral, and renal thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) activity were evaluated. MeHg caused hepatic and cerebral mitochondrial dysfunction and inhibited TrxR activity in liver (38,9%), brain (64,3%), and kidney (73,8%). Cotreatment with (PhSe)2protected hepatic and cerebral mitochondrial thiols from depletion by MeHg but failed to completely reverse MeHg’s effect on hepatic and cerebral mitochondrial dysfunction or hepatic, cerebral, and renal inhibition of TrxR activity. Additionally, the cotreatment with (PhSe)2increased Hg accumulation in the liver (50,5%) and brain (49,4%) and increased the MeHg-induced motor deficits and body-weight loss. In conclusion, these results indicate that (PhSe)2can increase Hg body burden as well as the neurotoxic effects induced by MeHg exposure in rats.
Contemporary Clinical Management of the Cerebral Complications of Preeclampsia
Authors: Kane Stefan C. , Dennis Alicia , da Silva Costa Fabricio , Kornman Louise , Brennecke Shaun
Published: December 2013

The neurological complications of preeclampsia and eclampsia are responsible for a major proportion of the morbidity and mortality arising from these conditions, for women and their infants alike. This paper outlines the evidence base for contemporary management principles pertaining to the neurological sequelae of preeclampsia, primarily from the maternal perspective, but with consideration of fetal and neonatal aspects as well. It concludes with a discussion regarding future directions in the management of this potentially lethal condition.
Race, Ethnicity, and Technologies of Belonging
Authors: Wade Peter
Published: December 2013

This essay explores how academics know when they are looking at something called “race.” Given that the term has an uneven history, there is some disagreement about when the concept fully emerged, and social scientists often now argue that race is implicitly at issue in public discourses, even if it does not appear overtly. I argue that there are significant continuities that allow us to recognize when race is at work; these are linked to “nature” and to colonial histories and categories. This is not a static definition, because nature and colonially derived categories themselves change over time and take on new forms.
Comparative analyses of two Geraniaceae transcriptomes using next-generation sequencing
Authors: Zhang Jin , Ruhlman Tracey A , Mower Jeffrey P , Jansen Robert K
Published: December 2013

Background

Organelle genomes of Geraniaceae exhibit several unusual evolutionary phenomena compared to other angiosperm families including accelerated nucleotide substitution rates, widespread gene loss, reduced RNA editing, and extensive genomic rearrangements. Since most organelle-encoded proteins function in multi-subunit complexes that also contain nuclear-encoded proteins, it is likely that the atypical organellar phenomena affect the evolution of nuclear genes encoding organellar proteins. To begin to unravel the complex co-evolutionary interplay between organellar and nuclear genomes in this family, we sequenced nuclear transcriptomes of two species, Geranium maderense and Pelargonium x hortorum.

Results

Normalized cDNA libraries of G. maderense and P. x hortorum were used for transcriptome sequencing. Five assemblers (MIRA, Newbler, SOAPdenovo, SOAPdenovo-trans [SOAPtrans], Trinity) and two next-generation technologies (454 and Illumina) were compared to determine the optimal transcriptome sequencing approach. Trinity provided the highest quality assembly of Illumina data with the deepest transcriptome coverage. An analysis to determine the amount of sequencing needed for de novo assembly revealed diminishing returns of coverage and quality with data sets larger than sixty million Illumina paired end reads for both species. The G. maderense and P. x hortorum transcriptomes contained fewer transcripts encoding the PLS subclass of PPR proteins relative to other angiosperms, consistent with reduced mitochondrial RNA editing activity in Geraniaceae. In addition, transcripts for all six plastid targeted sigma factors were identified in both transcriptomes, suggesting that one of the highly divergent rpoA-like ORFs in the P. x hortorum plastid genome is functional.

Conclusions

The findings support the use of the Illumina platform and assemblers optimized for transcriptome assembly, such as Trinity or SOAPtrans, to generate high-quality de novo transcriptomes with broad coverage. In addition, results indicated no major improvements in breadth of coverage with data sets larger than six billion nucleotides or when sampling RNA from four tissue types rather than from a single tissue. Finally, this work demonstrates the power of cross-compartmental genomic analyses to deepen our understanding of the correlated evolution of the nuclear, plastid, and mitochondrial genomes in plants.
Addressing the contribution of previously described genetic and epidemiological risk factors associated with increased prostate cancer risk and aggressive disease within men from South Africa
Authors: Tindall Elizabeth A , Bornman MS Riana , van Zyl Smit , Segone Alpheus M , Monare L Richard , Venter Philip A , Hayes Vanessa M
Published: December 2013

Background

Although African ancestry represents a significant risk factor for prostate cancer, few studies have investigated the significance of prostate cancer and relevance of previously defined genetic and epidemiological prostate cancer risk factors within Africa. We recently established the Southern African Prostate Cancer Study (SAPCS), a resource for epidemiological and genetic analysis of prostate cancer risk and outcomes in Black men from South Africa. Biased towards highly aggressive prostate cancer disease, this is the first reported data analysis.

Methods

The SAPCS is an ongoing population-based study of Black men with or without prostate cancer. Pilot analysis was performed for the first 837 participants, 522 cases and 315 controls. We investigate 46 pre-defined prostate cancer risk alleles and up to 24 epidemiological measures including demographic, lifestyle and environmental factors, for power to predict disease status and to drive on-going SAPCS recruitment, sampling procedures and research direction.

Results

Preliminary results suggest that no previously defined risk alleles significantly predict prostate cancer occurrence within the SAPCS. Furthermore, genetic risk profiles did not enhance the predictive power of prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing. Our study supports several lifestyle/environmental factors contributing to prostate cancer risk including a family history of cancer, diabetes, current sexual activity and erectile dysfunction, balding pattern, frequent aspirin usage and high PSA levels.

Conclusions

Despite a clear increased prostate cancer risk associated with an African ancestry, experimental data is lacking within Africa. This pilot study is therefore a significant contribution to the field. While genetic risk factors (largely European-defined) show no evidence for disease prediction in the SAPCS, several epidemiological factors were associated with prostate cancer status. We call for improved study power by building on the SAPCS resource, further validation of associated factors in independent African-based resources, and genome-wide approaches to define African-specific risk alleles.
Xiaochaihu Decoction attenuates the vicious circle between the oxidative stress and the ALP inactivation through LPS-catecholamines interactions in gut, liver and brain during CCI4+ethanol-induced mouse HCC
Authors: Liu Xiao-qiu , Hu Xiao-jian , Xu Hong-Xing , Zeng Xiao-Ying
Published: December 2013

Background

Xiaochaihu Decoction (XCHD) prevents hepatocarcinogenesis in association with inhibition of oxidative stress. However, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, lipopolysaccharides (LPS)-catecholamines (CA) interactions in gut, liver and brain may play an important role in the status of oxidative stress. This study was to assess whether XCHD attenuates the vicious circle between oxidative stress and ALP inactivation through LPS-CA interactions.

Methods

Hepatocellular carcinoma group (HCC) were induced by CCI4 + ethanol; HCC with Liver Depression and Spleen Deficiency (HCC + LDSD) were induced by squeezing tails (30 min/day), solitary breeding and intermittent fasting on the basis of HCC; XCHD was administered after 4 weeks of the HCC + LDSD. The degree of tissue injury were studied using a scoring system, and brain weights were measured. Peroxynitrite (ONOO−), malondialdehyde (MDA), 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymandelic acid (VMA, CA metabolites), lipopolysaccharide-phosphate (LPS-P), ALP activity (ALP-A) and Concanavalin A (ConA)-binding rate of ALP (ALP-C) were determined by colorimetric method and lectin (ConA) affinity precipitation method.

Results

More injuries and ONOO−, MDA, VMA, LPS-P, ALP-C were increased, ALP-A were decreased in the gut, liver and brain of HCC group, the most in HCC + LDSD group, after treatment with XCHD, all of which were improved. A positive association found between gut-liver-brain injury and ONOO−, MDA, VMA, LPS-P, ALP-C, between ONOO−, MDA, VMA, LPS-P and ALP-C in the gut, liver and brain, and a negative association found between gut-liver-brain injury and ALP-A, between ALP-A and ONOO−, MDA, VMA, LPS-P, ALP-C in the gut, liver and brain.

Conclusions

XCHD can attenuates the vicious circle between the oxidative stress, nitrosative stress, N-glycan deficiency and inactivation of ALP through LPS-CA interactions in gut, liver and brain.
Subject(ed) to Recognition
Authors: Gray Herman
Published: December 2013

I argue that we have reached the political limit of what our cultural investment in media recognition and representation might deliver with respect to social and cultural justice. This limit is expressed by the alignment of several interlocking histories including new technological capacities for representation, the intensification and proliferation of difference, the spread of market logic to all aspects of social life, and the reinvention of government. Culturally, in this conjuncture, struggles for media representation, visibility, and recognition no longer index collective histories and political struggles but the triumph of the market where difference affirms the celebration of diversity as lifestyle politics, market choice, and the promise of individual freedom to maximize market options.
Squeezebox Poetics: Locating Afromestizaje in Esteban Jordan’s Texas Conjunto Performance
Authors: Cervantes Marco
Published: December 2013

This essay analyzes the music and stylization of the legendary Texas conjunto accordionist Esteban Jordan and relies on the concept of afromestizaje to examine the overlap between mestizaje and African diasporic imaginaries. In his music, Jordan performs ranchera and polka arrangements of rural Texas Mexican conjunto infused with blues, jazz, and soul classics, thus demonstrating black and Chicana/o transculturation. Often donning flamboyant “Super Fly” apparel, Jordan also challenges conjunto stylistic traditions that presuppose ranchera /cowboy attire situated in rural south Texas. Jordan’s music and his image inscribe an overlap of mestizo and African diasporic imaginaries existing in the borderlands—a route to theorize the fusion of marginalized black and brown subjects in the history of Texas’s colonial figuration.
Evaluating the Role of Key Learning Theories in ECHO: A Telehealth Educational Program for Primary Care Providers
Authors: Socolovsky Carmela , Masi Christopher , Hamlish Tamara , Aduana Glen , Arora Sanjeev , Bakris George , Johnson Daniel
Published: December 2013

Background: ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) is a telehealth educational program that uses videoconference technology to train community-based primary care providers (PCP’s) on the management of complex, chronic diseases. The main components of ECHO are didactics, case presentations, and case-based learning. ECHO was developed using the key principles of Social Cognitive Theory, Situated Learning Theory, and Community of Practice Theory.
Objectives: In a prior study, we implemented an ECHO curriculum to improve management of resistant hypertension. The goals of the current study were to determine the extent to which the learning theories served as the foundation of the ECHO curriculum and identify opportunities to more effectively incorporate key principles of these theories into the ECHO program.
Methods: We conducted semi-structured interviews with the nine clinicians who participated in the pilot curriculum. A community-based PCP assisted with question development, analysis, and manuscript preparation. We analyzed the interview transcripts using Directed Content Analysis.
Results: Transcript analysis supported the contention that ECHO is based upon Social Cognitive Theory, Situated Learning Theory, and Community of Practice Theory. Comments from study participants highlighted benefits of each theory’s principles. Conversely, they also suggested we could improve our implementation of ECHO by adhering more closely to specific learning theory strategies.
Conclusions: Our results indicate that ECHO indeed reflects the key tenants of Social Cognitive Theory, Situated Learning Theory, and Community of Practice Theory. Several aspects of our ECHO curriculum can be improved by more complete application of these learning theories.
Integrating the Wisdom and Experience of Indigenous Farmworkers to Improve Farmworker Safety and Health
Authors: Farquhar Stephanie , de Jesus Gonzalez Carmen , Hall Jen , Samples Julie , Ventura Santiago , Sanchez Valentin , Shadbeh Nargess
Published: December 2013

Background: Community advisory committees (CACs) increasingly are formed to cultivate partnerships between researchers and communities.
Objectives: This article details the processes used to recruit CAC members, the purpose and structure of the committees, members’ motivation to participate, and examples of member input and influence.
Methods: In-depth interviews, meeting notes, and partners’ reflections were synthesized to identify key lessons regarding establishing and sustaining effective CACs.
Lessons Learned: Findings highlight the need for partner agreement on the role of CACs, structured meeting procedures, intentional integration of CAC input into project activities, and training on sharing research information with the community.
Conclusions: CAC members’ expertise regarding indigenous culture and experiences increased the project relevance for workers and strengthened research and intervention efforts. Members also reported greater knowledge of safety, health, and workers’ rights, and increased confidence to share information. This influence extends beyond the project and contributes to sustained change among CAC members and in the participating communities.
Constantinople: The Telling and the Taking
Authors: Longino Michèle
Published: December 2013

Guillaume-Joseph Grelot’s Relation nouvelle d’un voyage à Constantinople is the subject of this study, which examines how the author turned his skill as artist into a tool for garnering social and financial advancement. He drew the main sights of Constantinople, which he then had printed up in engravings and published along with his own text recounting his observations and adventures. He dedicated his book to Louis XIV, and his artistic talent was set to advantage and turned to profit. A jarring dissonance between text and image occurs in the book, with implicit messages of conquest implied and performed by both media.
“Turks” on Display during the Reign of Louis XIV
Authors: Martin Meredith , Weiss Gillian
Published: December 2013

This article examines the display of subjugated “Turks” as an underexplored aspect of propaganda for Louis XIV. It argues that esclaves turcs painted on the ceilings of Versailles or circulated in medals and almanac prints were more than figurative, but referred to the actual bodies of Ottoman and Moroccan slaves toiling on Mediterranean galleys. Whether real or imagined, submissive “Turks” projected royal power. They advertised the Sun King's ability to vanquish religious enemies while deflecting attention from his willingness to maintain diplomatic and commercial relations with foreign ‘infidels.’ However, they were also unstable symbols deployed by Louis XIV's critics to condemn his rule.
Paroles scellées: nature et langage en Turquie dans les Observations de Pierre Belon
Authors: Barthe Pascale
Published: December 2013

The result of years of travel in the Levant, Pierre Belon’s Observations (1553) demonstrates a humanist’s attempt to collect, update, and make sense of “scientific” as well as linguistic knowledge in the sixteenth century. It unveils the practice of and the experimentation with humanism by a French scholar who discovers that, in the Ottoman Empire, past and present coexist, nature and language collide but also collaborate. It reveals strong early modern French interests in Arabic, Ottoman Turkish, and “Turquie.”
Analogues of the Deserter-in-the-Gauertal Incident: Philoxenia in "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"
Authors: Anderson David L.
Published: December 2013

The Gauertal incident in “The Snows of Kilimanjaro” employs elements of an archetypal hospitality plot involving aid for a pursued man, a plot previously employed by Jack London, Joseph Conrad, Robert Louis Stevenson, Victor Hugo, Homer, and others as well as by Hemingway himself. The essay locates these influences in short story collections recently found in the library of the Hemingway family’s Windemere Cottage. Elucidation of the hospitality plot in Harry’s reminiscences, particularly those of the secretaries in the snow, the attack on the Austrian officers’ leave train, and the death of Williamson, aids in interpretation of the story’s essential conundrums, the frozen leopard carcass and Harry’s death flight to Kilimanjaro’s summit.
At Hemingway’s Table: Food for the Five Senses
Authors: Hemingway Valerie
Published: December 2013

Hemingway’s one-time secretary and daughter-in-law, author of Running with the Bulls: My Years with the Hemingways , Valerie Hemingway offers her memories of dining with the author, presenting him in a humorous and human light and reminding us of the sense of community and storytelling that develop around a dining table.
A Brief Note Regarding Randomization
Authors: Senn Stephen
Published: December 2013

This note argues, contrary to claims in this journal, that the possible existence of indefinitely many causal factors does not invalidate randomization. The effect of such factors has to be bounded by outcome, and since inference is based on a ratio of between-treatment-group to within-treatment-group variation, randomization remains valid.
Was It Epilepsy?: Misdiagnosing Emily Dickinson (1830–1886)
Authors: Hirschhorn Norbert , Longsworth Polly
Published: December 2013

Lyndall Gordon’s recent biography, Lives Like Loaded Guns: Emily Dickinson and Her Family’s Feuds (2010), tells with high verve the story of generational infighting over poet Emily Dickinson’s posthumous presentation to the world. Equally dramatic is Gordon’s hypothesis that Dickinson suffered from epilepsy, which led Gordon to seemingly solve the ineffable mystery of Dickinson’s reclusion, a conundrum in her own time and still so in ours. Gordon’s startling diagnosis has been commended by book reviewers and on talk shows. Her hypothesis is based on two lines of inquiry. First, she avers that a compound called glycerine, which Dickinson took regularly in the early 1850s, was an anti-epileptic, basing this notion on its presence in a mixture containing the soporific chloral hydrate, a prescription first advised for epilepsy some two decades later. Second, Gordon proposes a genetic strain of epilepsy in the Dickinson family. In the process, Gordon recruits Dickinson’s various illnesses to her hypothesis. This article refutes Gordon’s claims on scientific, clinical, and biographical grounds. It reviews Dickinson’s medical history to establish a differential diagnosis, in which epilepsy is considered and rejected.
Der Einfluss der Landesweiten Agrarpolitik auf den Weinbau in Nordbihar Zwischen 1945 und 1989
Authors: Bihari-Horváth László
Published: December 2013

In this article I describe the destruction of the vineyards in the northern Bihar region. What was still a flourishing horticulture in the first half of the 20th century declined between 1945 and 1989. Three factors played a role in the process of destruction. Chronologically the first was the compulsory delivery system of the Rákosi era and its wine tax policy (1949–1953). The second factor was the termination of the private ownership of land (1961), the third can be linked to the spread of production for the market in household plots (1968). The decline of the vineyards accelerated between 1968 and 1989, and unquestionably reached its peak in the decades following the change of system when the classification of garden zone (involving the obligation to cultivate the land) was ended and as a consequence the vines were replaced by forest areas (from 1994 to the present).
The Bulgarian wine feast: Tradition and transformation
Authors: Rashkova Natalia
Published: December 2013

The article is focused on the traditional Bulgarian St. Trifon’s Day, which has long been celebrated as a feast of wine and vine-growers. Its roots can be traced back to the ancient Thracian cultural heritage mixed with paganism and Christianity. The whole ritual complex with the symbolic forms of behaviour during the ritual actions, as well as verbal blessing formulas, is intended to ensure economic prosperity and infl uence the fertility of the vineyards. Using the sustainability of traditions, during the totalitarian regime the authorities turned the St. Trifon’s Day into a component of the socialist festive system as a professional celebration of vine-growers. Over the last two decades of transition, the ideological clichés of the socialist period gave way to new transformations of the feast. Today, the semantic content of the event resembles a “postmodern” patchwork of folk traditions, Christian rites and urban festivity, which is inherent in current volatility in the production of cultural realities.
Adsorption of Fluoride Ion onto Zirconyl-Impregnated Activated Carbon Prepared from Lapsi Seed Stone
Authors: Joshi Sahira , Adhikari Mandira , Pradhananga Raja Ram
Published: December 2013

The potentials of activated carbon derived from Lapsi (Choerospondias axillaries) seed stone after impregnation with zirconium for adsorptive removal of fluoride is presented. Activated carbons from Lapsi seed stone were prepared by three different techniques. Firstly by directly burning in limited supply of air, secondly by treating with a mixture of conc. H2SO4 and HNO3 (in the ratio of 1:1 by weight) and thirdly by activation with zinc chloride (in the ratio of 1:1 by weight) followed by carbonization at 400°C and 500°C under nitrogen atmosphere. Thus prepared carbons were impregnated with zirconyl oxychloride and effects of pH, adsorbent dose, and contact time and adsorbate concentration for the removal of fluoride were evaluated by batch mode. The optimum pH for adsorption of fluoride was observed at pH 3-4, and a minimum contact time for the maximum defluoridation was found to be 180 min. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were used to describe adsorption equilibrium. Zirconium impregnation increased the fluoride adsorption capacity of carbon to considerable extent. Among carbon prepared by three different techniques, the carbon prepared from zinc chloride activation followed by carbonization showed relatively higher fluoride adsorption capacity. From the experiment it is concluded that activated carbon prepared from Lapsi seed is an efficient, low-cost alternative to commercial activated carbon for defluoridation of water.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v30i0.9330Journal of Nepal Chemical Society Vol. 30, 2012 Page:  13-23 Uploaded date: 12/16/2013
Removal of As(III) from Aqueous Solution Using Fe(III) Loaded Pomegranate Waste
Authors: Thapa Sheela , Pokhrel Megh Raj
Published: December 2013

A study on As(III) removal using Fe(III) loaded pomegranate waste as an adsorbent is presented. The effects of initial metal ion concentration, contact time, adsorbent dose and pH of the solution on the removal of arsenic were investigated in a batch system. The optimum pH for As(III) adsorption using Fe(III)-loaded charred pomegranate waste [Fe-CPW] was found to be 9. The equilibrium has beenachieved in 2 hours. The maximum adsorption capacity (qmax) for the adsorption of As (III) was found tobe 50 mg/g. The experimental data fitted well with the Langmuir adsorption isotherm model.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v30i0.9332Journal of Nepal Chemical Society Vol. 30, 2012 Page:  29-36 Uploaded date: 12/16/2013
Synthesis of Geopolymer from Inorganic Construction Waste
Authors: Pathak Arbind , Jha Vinay Kumar
Published: December 2013

Recently, the demolition of old houses and the construction of new buildings in Kathmandu valley are in the peak which in turn generates a huge amount of construction waste. There are two major types of construction wastes which are burden for disposal namely cement-sand-waste (CSW) and the coal fly ash (CFA). These construction wastes are rich source of alumino-silicate and thus used as raw material for the synthesis of geopolymer in this study. Geopolymers have been synthesized from CSW and CFA using NaOH-KOH and Na2SiO3 as activators. Some parameters like alkali concentration, amount of Na2SiO3 and curing time have been varied in order to improve the quality of geopolymeric product. The geopolymerization process has been carried out using 3-8M KOH/NaOH solutions, Na2SiO3 to CFA and CSW mass ratio of 0.25-2.00 and curing time variation from 5-28 days. The curing temperature was fixed at 40ºC in all the cases. 6M NaOH and 7M KOH solutions were found appropriate alkali concentrations while the ratio of sodium silicate to CSW and CFA of 0.5 and 1.75 respectively were found suitable mass ratio for the process of geopolymer synthesis. The maximum compressive strength of only 7.3 MPa after 15 days curing time with CSW raw material was achieved while with CFA, the compressive strength was found to be 41.9 MPa with increasing the curing time up to 28 days.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v30i0.9334Journal of Nepal Chemical Society Vol. 30, 2012 Page:  45-51 Uploaded date: 12/16/2013
Chemical Composition and Bioactivity of Essential Oil of Ageratina adenophora from Bhaktapur District of Nepal
Authors: Subba Bimala , Kandel Ram Chandra
Published: December 2013

The essential oil of Ageratina adenophora locally call Banmara was analyzed by GC–MS. A total of 45 volatile compounds was identified and torreyol (16.8%) was the major component in oil. The sesquiterpene fraction was higher than the monoterpene one. The essential oil showed significant antibacterial activity against both gram positive (Klebsiella pneumoniae and Staphylococcus aureus) and gram negative (Escherichia coli and Proteus vulgaris) bacteria.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v30i0.9350Journal of Nepal Chemical Society Vol. 30, 2012 Page: 78-86 Uploaded date: 12/18/2013
Highly concentrated emulsion with a cubic liquid crystal as the external phase: characterization and obtaining of meso/macroporous material
Authors: Santamaría E. , Cortés M. , Maestro A. , Porras M. , Gutiérrez J. M. , González C.
Published: December 2013

High internal phase ratio emulsions (HIPRE) or highly concentrated emulsions are characterized by their large internal phase volume.The nature and concentration of surfactant affects several features of the final emulsion, such as stability, droplet size and structure of the external phase. Therefore, an ordered external mesophase (structure of liquid crystal) can be obtained. The present work studies the influence of composition and preparation variables on the final properties of HIPRE with an external phase formed by a bicontinuous cubic liquid crystal. The studied outputs variables were droplet size, stability and rheological parameters as yield stress, viscosity at a fixed shear rate and the plateau value of the storage modulus. O/W HIPREs were prepared with a decane/brij 35/water system. Once the emulsions were characterized the meso/macroporous material was obtained. In order to prepare the materials, the emulsions were formed by incorporating the catalyst of the reaction (HCl) in the continuous phase. When the emulsions were formed, tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) was added as a silica source In order to optimize the production process a study of reutilization and recovery of some of the raw materials (i.e: the surfactant and the EtOH used) was done.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v30i0.9374Journal of Nepal Chemical Society Vol. 30, 2012 Page:  87-96 Uploaded date: 12/19/2013
Synthesis of Antimony Sulphoiodide by CVD and its Characterization
Authors: Dubey Harish K. , Deshmukh L. P. , Kshirsagar D. E. , Jadhav Vijay S. , Sharon Madhuri , Sharon Maheshwar
Published: December 2013

Antimony Sulphoiodide is most widely studied compound in group V-VI-VII family due to its largenumber of properties. Varoius methods of synthesis have been reported. We are the first to reportsynthesis of shiny SbSI crystals by the Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) technique using powder ofAntimony, Sulphur and Iodine as the starting material. Needle shaped thin crystals of SbSI were foundgrown vertically on the walls of the quartz tube. Characterizations of the sample were done usingdifferent techniques such as powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)and energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The charcteristcs peaks in Raman scattering plots (0-500 cm-1) match with the reported results. The compound exibits high resitivity at room temperaturein the order of 10-7 Ω-cm and dielectric constant in the order of 10-3 measured at 1 KHz.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v30i0.9381Journal of Nepal Chemical Society Vol. 30, 2012 Page:  111-117 Uploaded date: 12/20/2013
Lesson Learned from the Emergence of Influenza Pandemic H1N1 in 2009 in Indonesia: The Importance of Influenza-Like Illness (ILI) Surveillance
Authors: Roselinda  , Pratiwi Eka , Agustiningsih  , Setiawaty Vivi
Published: December 2013

Background. In 2009 there were outbreaks of influenza pandemic H1N1 in Indonesia that were caused by different virus from the previous circulated H1N1. Further, the influenza-like illness (ILI) surveillance plays an important role in the early detection of influenza outbreaks in outpatients. To understand the disease burden of ILI in the community at the time of H1N1 pandemic 2009, a sentinel-based survey was performed. Methods. The nasal and throat swabs were obtained from 20 primary health centers of ILI sentinel in Indonesia in 2009. Identification of virus influenza pandemic H1N1 was carried out by real-time RT-PCR using primers that are specific for influenza A. Results. Out of 3254 ILI cases from community-based ILI surveillance in 2009, 11.03% cases were Influenza A positive and 42.59% cases were influenza pandemic H1N1. The first influenza pandemic HINI case was detected at week 15 in April, a case from the province of Banda Aceh, reaching a peak in August and ending at week 44 in November of 2009. Conclusion. The influenza pandemic H1N1 outbreak was detected in ILI surveillance network in Indonesia. This outbreak lasted for eight months which was the final wave of the influenza pandemic H1N1 in the world.
China's “New Regionalism”: Subnational Analysis in Chinese Political Economy
Authors: Rithmire Meg E.
Published: December 2013

The study of Chinese political economy has experienced a sea change since the late 1990s; instead of debating the origins and direction of national reform, scholars have turned to examining the origins of local economic variation. This article reviews recent work in the regional political economy of contemporary China. In keeping with a movement in comparative politics toward analyzing subnational politics, the “new regionalists” seek to identify and explain meaningful heterogeneity in the Chinese polity and economy. Yet they go further than simply using subnational cases to generate or test theories about Chinese politics. Instead, they propose that subnational political economies in China are a function of endogenous change rather than a reaction to national priorities. After identifying differences between the “new regionalism” and previous studies of decentralization in China, the author discusses this work according to the theoretical approaches (institutional, ideational, and sociohistorical) used to explain the origins of regional differences. She concludes by examining the limitations of the new regionalist agenda in comparative and historical context and suggesting that scholars move past unconditional acceptance of the causal power of “socialist legacies” and instead attend to the importance of changes in the post-Mao administrative hierarchy.
Is Political Science Meant for Every Tom, Dick, or Harriet? The Role of First Names and Middle Initials as Predictors of Academic Success
Authors: Wuffle A , Coulter Kristine
Published: December 2013

We take advantage of the data set compiled by Masuoka et al. (2007,PS: Political Science and Politics40 (1): 361–66) on lifetime citation counts of political science faculty at PhD granting institutions in the United States to look for “lucky names,” that is, names parents can give babies that predispose them toward scholarly success in political science. Seeking to test an hypothesis offered by Wuffle (1972,PS: Political Science and Politics(Summer): 290), we also briefly look at the importance of middle initials for citation success in political science.
Restructuring the Social Sciences: Reflections from Harvard's Institute for Quantitative Social Science
Authors: King Gary
Published: December 2013

The social sciences are undergoing a dramatic transformation from studying problems to solving them; from making do with a small number of sparse data sets to analyzing increasing quantities of diverse, highly informative data; from isolated scholars toiling away on their own to larger scale, collaborative, interdisciplinary, lab-style research teams; and from a purely academic pursuit focused inward to having a major impact on public policy, commerce and industry, other academic fields, and some of the major problems that affect individuals and societies. In the midst of all this productive chaos, we have been building the Institute for Quantitative Social Science at Harvard, a new type of center intended to help foster and respond to these broader developments. We offer here some suggestions from our experiences for the increasing number of other universities that have begun to build similar institutions and for how we might work together to advance social science more generally.
Perceptions of Rivalry
Authors: Dreyer David R.
Published: December 2013

Rivalry is pervasive in politics and beyond. Drawing on unique survey data, this article examines how instructors can draw on students' perceptions of rivalry to explore different aspects of the rivalry concept. The data show that different ways in which students tend to think about rivalry tend to reflect differences in scholarly conceptualizations of interstate rivalry. The data also suggest that referencing sports rivalries may be useful to introduce the concept of rivalry, drawing on parallels between sports rivalries and interstate rivalries and students' greater interest in and familiarity with sports than international affairs. This article provides an understanding of how students tend to think about rival relations to help instructors effectively lead classroom discussions on interstate rivalry.
Data Access and Research Transparency in the Quantitative Tradition
Authors: Lupia Arthur , Alter George
Published: December 2013

The number of people conducting scientific analyses and the number of topics being studied are higher than ever. At the same time, there are questions about the public value of social scientific endeavors, particularly of federally funded quantitative research (Prewitt 2013). In this article, we contend that data access and research transparency are essential to the public value of the enterprise as a whole and to the credibility of the growing number of individuals who conduct such research (also see Esterling 2013).
APSA's Financial Operations 2012–2013
Authors: Thelen Kathleen , Chavis Regina
Published: December 2013

The purpose of this report is to inform APSA's membership about the association's financial health for the 2012–2013 fiscal year. This report provides an overview of APSA's assets and current financial operations.
Report on the Meeting of the Political Science Members of the National Academy of Sciences
Authors: Laitin David , King Gary
Published: December 2013

With assistance of the APSA, the political science members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) held their standing meeting at the annual APSA convention in Chicago. The purposes of these meetings are two-fold: First, as required, to discuss ways that political science can fulfill the NAS mission in providing scientific evidence to address consequential public issues that come from queries posed by various agencies of government; and second, to increase the presence of political scientists in the Academy, where membership from our discipline is, in our view, much lower than political scientists' contributions to the scientific community, and does not adequately recognize the many political scientists who merit election. While we have made some progress toward this second goal, it is a complicated battle: 2,179 members and 437 foreign associates across scientific disciplines have been elected to and currently serve in the NAS, but only 21 are political scientists. Although the science-based mission of NAS does not seek to represent all of the highly pluralistic discipline of political science, far more research relying on methods that are recognized in the natural sciences is produced in our field than is presently represented in the NAS.
Report to APSA Council
Authors:   Publications Planning Ad Hoc Committee
Published: December 2013

Publications are one of the most valuable and extensive services that professional associations provide to their members. APSA is no exception; among other things, its publications present research findings, help scholars find jobs, encourage innovative teaching, inform members of the association's actions and individuals' promotions, and help people to publish. This rich and vibrant array of materials has grown incrementally over time and has evolved to satisfy new needs, instantiate new visions, or respond to new contingencies. It works extremely well for many purposes, but perhaps not for all. Furthermore, the existing array may not be well suited to transformations now occurring in the technology of conveying information and ideas, teaching and learning, research methods and collection of evidence, public outreach, or political scientists' professional needs. It is time for APSA to stand back and take a broader view of its publications portfolio; hence, this committee.
Lest Congress Forgets: A Fellow's Walk and Institutional Partisanship in Contemporary Representational Politics
Authors: King-Meadows Tyson
Published: December 2013

Perhaps the most underappreciated dimension in public response to the post-Bush v. Gorecontroversies involving state election administration and Supreme Court jurisprudence involving the right to vote has been the central role of Congress in enforcing the Fifteenth Amendment.
HTS navigator: freely accessible cheminformatics software for analyzing high-throughput screening data
Authors: Fourches Denis , Sassano Maria F. , Roth Bryan L. , Tropsha Alexander
Published: December 2013

Summary: We report on the development of the high-throughput screening (HTS) Navigator software to analyze and visualize the results of HTS of chemical libraries. The HTS Navigator processes output files from different plate readers' formats, computes the overall HTS matrix, automatically detects hits and has different types of baseline navigation and correction features. The software incorporates advanced cheminformatics capabilities such as chemical structure storage and visualization, fast similarity search and chemical neighborhood analysis for retrieved hits. The software is freely available for academic laboratories.

Availability and implementation:  http://fourches.web.unc.edu/

Contact:  fourches@email.unc.edu

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.