bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
La Colección Nacional de Aves del Museo de Historia Natural de El Salvador: 40 años de ciencia
Authors: Ibarra Portillo Ricardo
Published: July 2013

Durante mi estadía laboral en el Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (MARN) se realizó, bajo convenio con el Museo de Historia Natural de El Salvador (Muhnes), la revisión y ordenamiento de la Colección Nacional de Aves (CNA), que incluyó la digitalización de la información que acompaña a cada uno de los ejemplares que conforman dicha colección, elaborándose así una base de datos en Excel. Es a partir de estos datos que se elaboró el presente artículo. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/koot.v0i3.1162 Revista de Museología "Kóot" No.3; 35-
Pactos, conflictos y papeles: los museos y la prensa
Authors: Hidalgo Lourdes Carbonell
Published: July 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/koot.v0i3.1163Revista de Museología "Kóot" No.3; 44-48
Museo alternativo-participativo, un modelo frente a la hegemonía cultural
Authors: Gómez Castells Máximo
Published: July 2013

En el trabajo se desarrolla una reflexión sociológica de la importancia del consumo cultural desde la perspectiva de la hegemonía alternativa en el discurso y la participación de los públicos. Al colocarse en esa perspectiva, se propone modificar las creencias de los museos y transformar sus prácticas desde la interacción como principio activo, que tenga lo productivo como fin de su accionar. Los comportamientos serían organizados con un pensamiento que establezca una situación de consumo, hermenéutica muy necesaria para articularse los museos en las sociedades contemporáneas. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/koot.v0i3.1164 Revista de Museología "Kóot" No.3; 49-59
Museos, desarrollo y cambio: la reacción de los "espacios banales"
Authors: De Almeida Cícero Antonio F.
Published: July 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/koot.v0i3.1165Revista de Museología "Kóot" No.3; 60-65
El elemento estético indígena y/o prehispánico en el patrimonio artístico salvadoreño como expresión de la identidad nacional
Authors: Erquicia Cruz José Heriberto
Published: July 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/koot.v0i3.1166Revista de Museología "Kóot" No.3; 66-79
Crónicas de Cuzcatlán-Nequepio y del Mar del Sur
Authors: Escalante Arce Pedro Antonio
Published: July 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/koot.v0i3.1167Revista de Museología "Kóot" No.3; 112-116
Museo Universitario de Antropología, MUA
Authors: Rivas Ramón D.
Published: July 2013

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5377/koot.v0i3.1168Revista de Museología "Kóot" No.3; 117-120
John Muir as a Guide to Education in Environmental Aesthetics
Authors: Wattles Jeffrey
Published: July 2013

John Muir’s writings portray total personality engagement leading to the liberating unification of the following components of aesthetic experience: keen perception, scientific understanding, empathy and a sense of the expressiveness of nature, imagination cultivated by the arts, intellectual recognition of the harmony of contrasts, philosophical aesthetic reflection (little developed in Muir), and joyful appreciation of beauty as divine. Muir’s theocentric aesthetic contributes to the current variety of cultural and disciplinary aesthetic perspectives. He shows the roles of empathy and imagination in sensitivity to expressiveness in nature. He points the way toward a post-Kantian conception of the relation of the beautiful and the sublime. And the harmonies he finds range from simple to complex, easy to difficult, and small scale to cosmic. The paper is a version of a document used to launch experiential projects in environmental aesthetics for university art students (and there is support for those who choose not to pattern after the religious dimension of Muir’s aesthetic experience). The educational assumption is that it helps those who wish to develop their appreciation of the beauties of nature to study an analysis of an example of heroic personality dynamics with its dimensions of body, mind, and soul so magnificently engaged.
Water and wastewater rates on the rise
Authors: Craley Rocky , Noyes Catherine
Published: July 2013

Utility rate trends and drivers were analyzed using demographic, rate, and operating data garnered from utilities around the country during the biennial Water and Wastewater Rate Survey.
Emergency response or long‐term resilience? Extreme events challenge water utilities and their communities
Authors: Brown Erica , Ternieden Claudio , Metchis Karen , Beller‐Simms Nancy , Fillmore Lauren , Ozekin Kenan
Published: July 2013

From the Russian River Basin in California to Tidewater Virginia, communities in watersheds across the country hit by natural disaster have recovered and increased resiliency through common strategies for collaborative recovery and preparation for future events.
Intellectual Property: A Primer on What It Is and How to Protect It
Authors: Caplan Howard A. , Ullo F. Joseph
Published: July 2013

Most company directors and officers are aware that their company has intellectual property (IP). Many, though, do not have a good understanding of what IP really is or how to properly protect it. This article provides basic knowledge and reviews what IP is, which aspects and how different types of IP can be protected, and the benefits of proper protection.
Social education politics in a Europe of inequalities
Authors: Cortés Javier Bascuñan
Published: July 2013

The aim of this research is to analyse some indicators which allow us to understand the current state of social education politics in Europe, with special reference to Spain. Some European and Spanish social and educational policies which try to confront the challenges of the current financial crisis are also explained. Some deficiencies, failures and contradictions attached to the process of the construction of European citizenship are pointed out. Some key topics which seem to foresee a deeper social and democratic crisis apart from the economic one are tackled. It is explained how the new forms of inequality evidence the failure of some of the important declarations of intent and objectives of the European Union. The subjection of social and democratic aspects to neoliberal economy —i.e. the negation of ideologies— is questioned. To conclude, some key topics are proposed as the central axis through which it could be possible to redefine the content of social education politics in Europe and Spain and to set the bases of a new democratic European citizenship
Problems and challenges of educational policies in Latin America. The Argentina viewpoint
Authors: Muscará Francisco
Published: July 2013

The objective of this article is to describe the most significant changes which are being carried out in Latin-American educational systems, taking Argentina as a point of reference. To that end, this comparative study tackles the following essential aspects: the principle of equal opportunities and social cohesion; decentralisation of educational systems at an institutional level; educational quality and equity problems; the career of teaching; and financial resources. The reforms carried out at university level have not been analysed, since their complexity exceeds the limits of this article. To conclude, we briefly mention the future goals which have been agreed by those responsible for education in diverse Latin-American countries.
Reflections on education policy in Spain: a problematic discipline
Authors: Benítez Manuel de Puelles
Published: July 2013

Education policy in Spain, a curricular discipline in the Education Faculties since 1974, has been a foreign body —because of its inevitable connection with political sciences— both in the former Degree in Education and in the current one, a result of the curriculum adaptation to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). The Degree in Education aims to train teachers, not education-oriented political scientists, but, unlike other similar disciplines —education sociology or education economy— which have managed to find their place in the curriculum as supplementary knowledge, education policy runs the risk of being distorted if we do not root it in the political sciences it stems from. The reflections presented in this paper therefore focus on the three major problems the discipline does not get to resolve: its conceptual indeterminacy, the right nature of this body of knowledge and the lack of canonical boundaries of its knowledge fields.
A typology of education ballot issues: 1906 to 2009
Authors: Carpenter Dick M. , Clouse Wendi
Published: July 2013

Almost half of the states in the United States allow citizens to make educational policy through ballot issues, a mechanism of direct democracy. Yet, no study has attempted analyze the educational ballot issue landscape, meaning little systematic attention has been paid to this important and increasingly influential form of educational policy making. This study identifies and classifies the types of state ballot issues considered by voters in the 24 states that allow for the creation of educational policy through direct democracy. Between 1906 and 2009, citizens voted on 206 education-related ballot issues. Among these, six types emerged: curriculum and instruction, equity, fiscal, infrastructure, morality, and reform. Ballot issues have been used most often for fiscal issues, followed by infrastructure, reform, morality, and curriculum and instruction. Across all types of ballot issues, voters rejected education initiatives by a wide margin: A little more than 66% failed at the ballot box. Nevertheless, it remains a popular method of grassroots educational policymaking—2000 to 2009 saw the most frequent consideration of education ballot issues.
Problems and challenges for the Politics of Education before the change of prominence experienced by educational actors
Authors: Fernández-Soria Juan Manuel
Published: July 2013

This paper deals with some of the problems that the Politics of Education has to face both as a subject and as a government action. Based above all on the literature appeared in specialized journals during the last five years, our attention is firstly focused on the concern for using an active methodology in the teaching of this subject which places students at the center of the teaching-learning process with the aim of encouraging their interest in its contents and inducing them to acquire civic competences. Secondly, the new but already deeply-rooted neoliberal conception of education is used to describe some of its policies, such as accountability, assessment and free choice of school. Our study finally stresses the change of prominence experienced by educational actors and calls researchers and teaching staff to face such challenges from an understanding of politics as a transforming action that seeks equality and social cohesion.
Dynamic Systems Modeling in Educational System Design & Policy
Authors: Groff Jennifer Sterling
Published: July 2013

Over the last several hundred years, local and national educational systems have evolved from relatively simple systems to incredibly complex, interdependent, policy-laden structures, to which many question their value, effectiveness, and direction they are headed. System Dynamics is a field of analysis used to guide policy and system design in numerous fields including business and urban planning. Applying this tool to educational policy analysis offers insights into the hidden dynamics of the current system, and can be an invaluable tool in designing future scenarios. We explore underlying dynamics of the current US educational system using System Dynamics modeling, and offer an analysis of this tool and its practical application in the US educational system through a case study on the US state of Rhode Island in the 2007–2008 school year.
The spectre of educational policy spreads throughout Europe. Its presence as a discipline in postgraduate education
Authors: Jiménez Eguizábal Alfredo , Palmero Cámara Carmen , Luis Rico Isabel
Published: July 2013

The aim of this paper is to identify and analyse the ways educational policy is understood, taught and practiced as a training discipline at postgraduate level in the European context. We have validated its epistemological solvency through a quantitative, comparative and ethnographic study of its main features as a discipline –such as ideological and valorative component, praxis-oriented discourse or sustainable and plural normative proposals- found in a stratified sample of 20 countries, 112 universities and 170 training programmes. We also discuss the innovative and formative potential of educational policy to resolve the most contested pedagogical issues and design the educational system, specifying when, how and in which conditions it is constructed as an academic discipline. Among the findings stand out the accreditation and the assessment of the specific role of the values, actors, institutions, supranational decisions and public and curricular policies that shape up educational programmes at a European level, hence contributing to the disciplinary progress of educational policy as a pedagogical, normative, axiological and plural knowledge.
The demographic and contextual correlates of work‐related repetitive strain injuries among canadian men and women
Authors: Breslin F. Curtis , Ibrahim S. , Smith P. , Mustard C. , Amick B. , Shankardass K.
Published: July 2013

Background

The study sought to identify gender differences in work‐related repetitive strain injuries (RSI), as well as examine the degree to which non‐work factors such as family roles interact with gender to modify RSI risk. Another aim is to examine whether there are potential provincial differences in work‐related RSI risk.

Methods

The 2003/2005 Canadian Community Health Survey included over 89,000 respondents who reported working in the past 12 months. Separate multi‐level models for men and women were used to identify the correlates of work‐related RSIs.

Results

Women reported sustaining more work‐related RSIs than men. Also, having one or more children in the household was associated with lower work‐related RSI risk for females. Both men and women in British Columbia reported higher work‐related RSI rates than in Ontario.

Conclusions

Gender contributes to RSI risk in multiple and diverse ways based on labor market segregation, non‐work exposures, and possibly biological vulnerability, which suggests more tailored interventions. Also, the provincial differences indicate that monitoring and surveillance of work injury across jurisdictions can assist in province‐wide prevention and occupational health and safety evaluation. Am. J. Ind. Med. 56:1180–1189, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
DSM‐5 and Evidence‐Based Family Therapy?
Authors: Strong Tom , Busch Robbie
Published: July 2013

The publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, (DSM‐5) extends a profession and practice‐defining direction for family therapy. Warranting and expediting this medicalised direction has been a scientific and administrative coupling of diagnosed symptomatic conditions with evidence‐based treatments for addressing those conditions. For systemically or poststructurally oriented family therapists tensions can follow from this direction which we elaborate upon in this article. Specifically, we examine the premises behind this medicalised direction for family therapy, juxtaposing these premises with systemic and post‐structural premises of practice. We relate these juxtapositions to tensions family therapists may need to reconcile in their work with families. We close with an overview of this special issue's contributions that pertain to the DSM‐5 and family therapy.
Fictions from a Medicalised Family Therapy Practice
Authors: Nobbs Kate
Published: July 2013

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV ‐ TR (DSM) is currently employed by the Mental Health Services of the Netherlands as the basis of an integrated system of keeping track of clients and their progress through psychotherapy. Using a story from a narrative therapy practice to illustrate the current situation, concerns about the use of the DSM and Routine Outcome Monitoring as policing strategies will be discussed. Ethical and moral issues relating to the medicalisation of psychotherapy practice in the Netherlands under this regime are considered.
DSM and the Diagnosis‐MacGuffin: Implications for the Self and Society
Authors: Epstein Eugene , Wiesner Manfred , Duda Lothar
Published: July 2013

The authors posit the idea that over the past 50 years, the psychiatric and psychotherapeutic discourses of the western first world have infiltrated practically every aspect of our culture and society. It is the authors’ belief that the introduction of the new DSM‐5 will only serve to further that expansion. What are the implications of this development for our society as well as our range of options for understanding the self?
Mesoporous silica particles grafted with polystyrene brushes as a nucleation agent for polystyrene supercritical carbon dioxide foaming
Authors: Yang Jintao , Huang Lingqi , Zhang Yuefang , Chen Feng , Zhong Mingqiang
Published: July 2013

In this study, spherical ordered mesoporous silica (s‐OMS) was applied as a new type of nucleating agent in polystyrene (PS) foaming with supercritical CO2 as a blowing agent. These s‐OMS particles were modified by the selective grafting of PS brushes on the outside surface, by which the mesoporous structure inside particles could be maintained. Transmission electron microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area analysis were used to characterize the structure of the original and modified particles; these indicated that the PS brushes were grafted on the outside surface and the inside porous structure were maintained. PS/s‐OMS–PS composites were prepared by a solution blending method, and the s‐OMS–PS particles could have been well dispersed in the PS matrix because of the surface modification. Subsequently, PS and composite microcellular foams were prepared by a batch foaming process, and the morphology characterization on these foams showed that the s‐OMS particles exhibited an excellent heterogeneous effect on PS foaming. The heterogeneous effect became more significant when the foaming temperature or saturation pressure was low. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4308–4317, 2013
Influence of electron beam irradiation on the mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene/polyamide6 blends
Authors: Nakamura Shigeya , Tokumitsu Katsuhisa , Yamaguchi Tohru
Published: July 2013

This article investigates the effects of electron beam irradiation on the mechanical and thermal properties of polypropylene/polyamide6 blends (45/55) with talc 20% (w/w) as filler, SEBS‐g‐MAH 5% (w/w) as compatibilizer, and 10 phr triallyl isocyanurate (TAIC). TAIC is a polyfunctional monomer and acts as a crosslinking agent. Although the tensile and flexural moduli and strengths of the PP/PA6 blends with talc, SEBS‐g‐MAH, and TAIC were increased by the application of electron beam irradiation, the impact strength was decreased. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements showed that the melting temperatures and the degree of crystallinity decreased for all PP/PA6 blends as the electron beam irradiation dose increased, because of the number of structural defects in each crystalline phase. From dynamic mechanical analyzer results, a storage modulus curve in the plateau region was observed only in the PP/PA6 blends with talc, SEBS‐g‐MAH, and TAIC. The modulus increased with increasing electron beam irradiation dose, indicating that the three‐dimensional network developed gradually in the more amorphous PA6. Consequently, the most significant improvement to heat distortion under high load (1.8 MPa) was observed at 200 kGy. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4318–4326, 2013
Influence of partial cross‐linking degree on basic physical properties of RTM6 epoxy resin
Authors: Moosburger‐Will Judith , Greisel Michael , Sause Markus G. R. , Horny Robert , Horn Siegfried
Published: July 2013

Thermo‐physical and mechanical properties of partially and completely cross‐linked RTM6 epoxy resin samples in the glassy state have been investigated. A significant dependence of glass transition temperature, density, and modulus on the curing history and the curing degree is found. Density and modulus decrease with increasing curing degree and show a step‐like irregularity in the so called transition region, which is related to the transition from rubber to glassy state during cross‐linking and the starting of structural relaxation processes. The relationship between the thermo‐physical and mechanical properties, which is important for the development of new processing routes for fiber reinforced polymers, is addressed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 130: 4338–4346, 2013
Species‐specific microRNA regulation influences phenotypic variability
Authors: Mor Eyal , Shomron Noam
Published: July 2013

Phenotypic divergence among animal species may be due in part to species‐specific (SS) regulation of gene expression by small, non‐coding regulatory RNAs termed “microRNAs”. This phenomenon can be modulated by several variables. First, microRNA genes vary by their level of conservation, many of them being SS, or unique to a particular evolutionary lineage. Second, microRNA expression levels vary spatially and temporally in different species. Lastly, while microRNAs bind the 3′UTR of target genes in order to silence their expression, the binding sites themselves are often non‐conserved. The variability of the miRNA‐target paradigm between different species is thus multifactorial, and this paradigm has only just started to gain attention from researchers in various fields. Here we present and discuss recent findings regarding the characteristics and implications of SS microRNA regulation.
Differential effects of resveratrol and its natural analogs, piceatannol and 3,5,4′‐trans‐trimethoxystilbene, on anti‐inflammatory heme oxigenase‐1 expression in RAW264.7 macrophages
Authors: Son Yong , Chung Hun‐Taeg , Pae Hyun‐Ock
Published: July 2013

Resveratrol (Res) and its two natural analogs that are also related to Res metabolism, piceatannol (Pic) and 3,5,4′‐trans‐trimethoxystilbene (TMS), were compared in their ability to suppress lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced production of proinflammatory tumor necrosis factor‐α (TNF‐α) and interleukin‐1β (IL‐1β) and to induce anti‐inflammatory heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) expression in RAW264.7 macrophages. At non‐cytotoxic concentrations, they differentially suppressed LPS‐induced production of TNF‐α and IL‐1β; the relative potency for suppression of TNF‐α and IL‐1β production was Pic > Res > TMS. Res and Pic differentially induced HO‐1 expression; Pic, which possesses four hydroxyl groups, was more active in inducing HO‐1 expression than Res that contains three hydroxyl groups. TMS, which has none of hydroxyl groups, failed to induce HO‐1 expression. These findings suggest that the hydroxyl groups of Res analogs are important for suppression of TNF‐α and IL‐1β production and HO‐1 expression. Interestingly, protoporphyrin‐IX, a competitive inhibitor of HO‐1 activity, partly attenuated the inhibitory effects of Res and Pic (but not TMS) on TNF‐α and IL‐1β production, suggesting that suppression of TNF‐α and IL‐1β production correlates at least in part with HO‐1 expression. Overall, the ability of Res analogs to induce HO‐1 expression may provide one of possible mechanisms of their anti‐inflammatory action. © 2013 BioFactors, 40(1):138–145, 2014.
Preparation of reusable bioreactors using reversible immobilization of enzyme on monolithic porous polymer support with attached gold nanoparticles
Authors: Lv Yongqin , Lin Zhixing , Tan Tianwei , Svec Frantisek
Published: July 2013

Porcine lipase has been reversibly immobilized on a monolithic polymer support containing thiol functionalities prepared within confines of a fused silica capillary and functionalized with gold nanoparticles. Use of gold nanoparticles enabled rejuvenation of the activity of the deactivated reactor simply by stripping the inactive enzyme from the nanoparticles using 2‐mercaptoethanol and subsequent immobilization of fresh lipase. This flow through enzymatic reactor was then used to catalyze the hydrolysis of glyceryl tributyrate (tributyrin). The highest activity was found within a temperature range of 37–40°C. The reaction kinetics is characterized by Michaelis–Menten constant, Km = 10.9 mmol/L, and maximum reaction rate, Vmax = 5.0 mmol/L min. The maximum reaction rate for the immobilized enzyme is 1,000 times faster compared to lipase in solution. The fast reaction rate enabled to achieve 86.7% conversion of tributyrin in mere 2.5 min and an almost complete conversion in 10 min. The reactor lost only less than 10% of its activity even after continuous pumping through it a solution of substrate equaling 1,760 reactor volumes. Finally, potential application of this enzymatic reactor was demonstrated with the transesterification of triacylglycerides from kitchen oil to fatty acid methyl esters thus demonstrating the ability of the reactor to produce biodiesel. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 50–58. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Breakage of transgenic tobacco roots for monoclonal antibody release in an ultra‐scale down shearing device
Authors: Hassan Sally , Keshavarz‐Moore Eli , Ma Julian , Thomas Colin
Published: July 2013

Transgenic tobacco roots offer a potential alternative to leaves for monoclonal antibody (MAb) production. A possible method for extraction of MAbs from roots is by homogenization, breaking the roots into fragments to release the antibody. This process was assessed by shearing 10 mm root sections (“roots”) in a 24 mL ultra‐scale down shearing device, including an impeller with serrated blade edges, intended to mimic the action of a large‐scale homogenizer. Size distributions of the remaining intact roots and root fragments were obtained as a function of shearing time. The data suggest that about 36% of the roots could not be broken under the prevailing conditions and, beyond these unbreakable roots, the fragmentation was approximately first order with respect to intact root number. It was postulated that root breakage in such a high shearing device was due to root‐impeller collisions and the particle size data suggest that roots colliding with the impeller were completely fragmented into debris particles of the order of 0.1 mm in length. IgG release normalized to release by grinding appeared to lag behind the number of roots that had fragmented, suggesting that a process of leakage followed fragmentation in the ultra‐scale down shearing device. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2014;111: 196–201. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Investigation into the Feasibility of Thioditaloside as a Novel Scaffold for Galectin‐3‐Specific Inhibitors
Authors: Bum‐Erdene Khuchtumur , Gagarinov Ivan A. , Collins Patrick M. , Winger Moritz , Pearson Andrew G. , Wilson Jennifer C. , Leffler Hakon , Nilsson Ulf J. , Grice I. Darren , Blanchard Helen
Published: July 2013

Galectin‐3 is extensively involved in metabolic and disease processes, such as cancer metastasis, thus giving impetus for the design of specific inhibitors targeting this β‐galactose‐binding protein. Thiodigalactoside (TDG) presents a scaffold for construction of galectin inhibitors, and its inhibition of galectin‐1 has already demonstrated beneficial effects as an adjuvant with vaccine immunotherapy, thereby improving the survival outcome of tumour‐challenged mice. A novel approach—replacing galactose with its C2 epimer, talose—offers an alternative framework, as extensions at C2 permit exploitation of a galectin‐3‐specific binding groove, thereby facilitating the design of selective inhibitors. We report the synthesis of thioditaloside (TDT) and crystal structures of the galectin‐3 carbohydrate recognition domain in complexes with TDT and TDG. The different abilities of galactose and talose to anchor to the protein correlate with molecular dynamics studies, likely explaining the relative disaccharide binding affinities. The feasibility of a TDT scaffold to enable access to a particular galectin‐3 binding groove and the need for modifications to optimise such a scaffold for use in the design of potent and selective inhibitors are assessed.
Equivalent circuit characterization of resonant magnetic coupling for wireless transmission of electrical energy
Authors: Sandrolini Leonardo , Reggiani Ugo , Puccetti Giovanni , Neau Yves
Published: July 2013

This paper provides the accurate characterization of a wireless power transfer system consisting of two resonant air‐core coils mutually coupled in free space. The lumped‐circuit parameters of the equivalent circuit are determined with analytical formulas taken from the literature and validated by comparison with numerical simulations with a finite‐element computer code and with experiments. The parameters are determined taking as input only the geometry of the system (coil size and mutual distance, conductor radius, and turn distance) and the frequency. Once the lumped‐circuit parameters are known with good accuracy, the assessment of the power transfer system can be carried out by evaluating the current and voltage gains and efficiency for different system geometries, operating frequencies and load conditions. The Scilab programming environment was used to perform all the calculations. The characterization presented in this paper can then be considered as an effective tool in designing an efficient wireless power system. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An efficient power management scheme with SDMA for IEEE 802.15.3 WPANs
Authors: Wang Neng‐Chung , Wen Chih‐Cheng
Published: July 2013

IEEE 802.15.3 is devised for short‐distance wireless connectivity within a wireless personal area network (WPAN). In WPANs, a power management (PM) mechanism is used for power saving. The PM enables devices to sleep for one or more superframes in order to conserve power. Space division multiple access (SDMA) is a new technology to optimize performance of current and future mobile communication systems. In this paper, we propose an SDMA‐based PM scheme, called enhanced min‐degree searching (EMDS) for WPANs. EMDS orders the streams among multiple devices to minimize the total wake‐up times. In this scheme, every device that can transmit data at the same time is checked using the SDMA. The total wake‐up times will be reduced substantially if the majority of the devices can transmit data at the same time. Simulation results show that the performance of the proposed EMDS outperforms that of the existing approaches. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Fat sensitivity in humans: oleic acid detection threshold is linked to saliva composition and oral volume
Authors: Poette J. , Mekoué J. , Neyraud E. , Berdeaux O. , Renault A. , Guichard E. , Genot C. , Feron G.
Published: July 2013

Fat perception is assumed to result, at least in part, from in‐mouth non‐esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) detection. The aim of this study was to better understand how human oral physiology may govern the sensory sensitivity to NEFAs. For this purpose, the detection thresholds for oleic acid were determined for 17 human subjects with highly varying salivary and oral characteristics, and the thresholds were related to their oral and salivary characteristics with conventional and multidimensional data analysis. These thresholds were tested on a dairy oil‐in‐water emulsion that was specifically designed to avoid biases caused by differences in the initial structure of the emulsion as a function of oleic acid concentration. The emulsion was judged to be rather acceptable compared with model emulsions and commercial emulsified dairy foods. Twelve oleic acid concentrations, ranging from 0.00028% to 0.16% (w/w) in the emulsion, were tested with the ascending series three‐alternate forced‐choice method with nose‐clips (WNC) or without nose‐clips (WoNC). The oleic acid WNC and WoNC thresholds were 0.09% w/w and 0.063% w/w, respectively, and hypersensitive and hyposensitive subjects were identified. Partial least squares and analysis of variance indicated that the WNC threshold is positively correlated to both the lipolytic activity of saliva and the oral volume, whereas the WoNC threshold is positively correlated to the saliva antioxidant status and negatively correlated to its protein amount and lysozyme activity. This study supports the hypothesis that NEFAs are detected in the oral cavity in humans and provides new insights on the oral physiological characteristics that may play important roles in fat detection. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Smad‐interacting protein 1 affects acute and tonic, but not chronic pain
Authors: Pradier B. , Jeub M. , Markert A. , Mauer D. , Tolksdorf K. , Van de Putte T. , Seuntjens E. , Gailus‐Durner V. , Fuchs H. , Hrabě de Angelis M. , Huylebroeck D. , Beck H. , Zimmer A. , Rácz I.
Published: July 2013

Background

Smad‐interacting protein 1 (also named Zeb2 and Zfhx1b) is a transcription factor that plays an important role in neuronal development and, when mutated, causes Mowat–Wilson syndrome (MWS). A corresponding mouse model carrying a heterozygous Zeb2 deletion was comprehensively analysed in the German Mouse Clinic. The most prominent phenotype was the reduced pain sensitivity. In this study, we investigated the role of Zeb2 in inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

Methods

For this, we tested mutant Zeb2 animals in different models of inflammatory pain like abdominal constriction, formalin and carrageenan test. Furthermore, we studied the pain reactivity of the mice after peripheral nerve ligation. To examine the nociceptive transmission of primary sensory dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons, we determined the neuronal activity in the spinal dorsal horn after the formalin test using staining of c‐Fos. Next, we characterized the neuronal cell population in the DRGs and in the sciatic nerve to study the effect of the Zeb2 mutation on peripheral nerve morphology.

Results

The present data show that Zeb2 is involved in the development of primary sensory DRG neurons, especially of C‐ and Aδ fibres. These alterations contribute to a hypoalgesic phenotype in inflammatory but not in neuropathic pain in these Zeb2+/− mice.

Conclusion

Our data suggest that the under‐reaction to pain observed in MWS patients results from a reduced responsivity to nociceptive stimulation rather than an inability to communicate discomfort.
3D‐ultramicroscopy utilizing aspheric optics
Authors: Saghafi Saiedeh , Becker Klaus , Hahn Christian , Dodt Hans‐Ulrich
Published: July 2013

Using a combination of achromatic aspheric optical elements and achromatic cylindrical lenses, we developed an improved laser light sheet generator for two‐side illumination ultramicroscopy. This light sheet generator has a much longer Rayleigh range, a more uniform spatial intensity distribution along x ‐, y ‐ and z‐axis, and reduced aberrations than the standard system consisting of a slit aperture and a single cylindrical lens, which is commonly used in light sheet microscopy. As there is no truncation of the beam by a slit aperture in our design the laser energy is used more efficiently. Applying this light sheet generator to ultramicroscopy of chemically cleared biological samples, such as Drosophila, dissected mouse hippocampi, and entire mouse brains, we achieved a markedly improved resolution of fine details. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Ocean bottom pressure seasonal cycles and decadal trends from GRACE Release‐05: Ocean circulation implications
Authors: Johnson Gregory C. , Chambers Don P.
Published: July 2013

Ocean mass variations are important for diagnosing sea level budgets, the hydrological cycle, the global energy budget, and ocean circulation variability. Here seasonal cycles and decadal trends of ocean mass from January 2003 to December 2012, both global and regional, are analyzed using GRACE Release‐05 data. The trend of global flux of mass into the ocean approaches 2 cm decade−1 in equivalent sea level rise. Regional trends are of similar magnitude, with the North Pacific, South Atlantic, and South Indian oceans generally gaining mass and other regions losing mass. These trends suggest a spin‐down of the North Pacific western boundary current extension and the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in the South Atlantic and South Indian oceans. The global average seasonal cycle of ocean mass is about 1 cm in amplitude, with a maximum in early October and volume fluxes in and out of the ocean reaching 0.5 Sv (1 Sv = 1 × 106 m3 s−1) when integrated over the area analyzed here. Regional patterns of seasonal ocean mass change have typical amplitudes of 1–4 cm, and include maxima in the subtropics and minima in the subpolar regions in hemispheric winters. The subtropical mass gains and subpolar mass losses in the winter spin‐up both subtropical and subpolar gyres, hence the western boundary current extensions. Seasonal variations in these currents are order 10 Sv, but since the associated depth‐averaged current variations are only order 0.1 cm s−1, they would be difficult to detect using in situ oceanographic instruments.
A nonstationary analysis for the Northern Adriatic extreme sea levels
Authors: Masina Marinella , Lamberti Alberto
Published: July 2013

The historical data from the Trieste, Venice, Porto Corsini, and Rimini tide gauges have been used to investigate the spatial and temporal changes in extreme high water levels in the Northern Adriatic. A detailed analysis of annual mean sea level evolution at the three longest operating stations shows a coherent behavior both on a regional and global scale. A slight increase in magnitude of extreme water elevations, after the removal of the regularized annual mean sea level necessary to eliminate the effect of local subsidence and sea level rise, is found at the Venice and Porto Corsini stations. It seems to be mainly associated with a wind regime change occurred in the 1990s, due to an intensification of Bora wind events after their decrease in frequency and intensity during the second half of the 20th century. The extreme values, adjusted for the annual mean sea level trend, are modeled using a time‐dependent GEV distribution. The inclusion of seasonality in the GEV parameters considerably improves the data fitting. The interannual fluctuations of the detrended monthly maxima exhibit a significant correlation with the variability of the large‐scale atmospheric circulation represented by the North Atlantic Oscillation and Arctic Oscillation indices. The different coast exposure to the Bora and Sirocco winds and their seasonal character explain the various seasonal patterns of extreme sea levels observed at the tide gauges considered in the present analysis.
The use of tetrabutylammonium fluoride to promote N‐ and O‐11C‐methylation reactions with iodo[11C]methane in dimethyl sulfoxide
Authors: Kikuchi Tatsuya , Minegishi Katsuyuki , Hashimoto Hiroki , Zhang Ming‐Rong , Kato Koichi
Published: July 2013

The N‐ or O‐methylation reactions of compounds bearing amide, aniline, or phenol moieties using iodo[11C]methane (1) with the aid of a base are frequently applied to the preparation of 11C‐labeled radiopharmaceuticals. Although sodium hydride and alkaline metal hydroxides are commonly employed as bases in these reactions, their poor solubility properties in organic solvents and hydrolytic activities have sometimes limited their application and made the associated 11C‐methylation reactions difficult. In contrast to these bases, tetrabutylammonium fluoride (TBAF) is moderately basic, highly soluble in organic solvents, and weakly nucleophilic. Although it was envisaged that TBAF could be used as the preferred base for 11C‐methylation reactions using 1, studies concerning the use of TBAF to promote 11C‐methylation reactions are scarce. Herein, we have evaluated the efficiency of the 11C‐methylation reactions of 13 model compounds using TBAF and 1. In most cases, the N‐11C‐methylations were efficiently promoted by TBAF in dimethyl sulfoxide at ambient temperature, whereas the O‐11C‐methylations required heating in some cases. Comparison studies revealed that the efficiencies of the 11C‐methylation reactions with TBAF were comparable or sometimes greater than those conducted with sodium hydride. Based on these results, TBAF should be considered as the preferred base for 11C‐methylation reactions using 1.
Scavenging strategy for specific activity improvement: application to a new CXCR4‐specific cyclopentapeptide positron emission tomography tracer
Authors: George Guillaume P. C. , Pisaneschi Federica , Stevens Elizabeth , Nguyen Quang‐Dé , Åberg Ola , Spivey Alan C. , Aboagye Eric O.
Published: July 2013

Huisgen cycloaddition is attractive to label peptide because of its rapidity and bioorthogonality. However, for larger tracers, the physico‐chemical differences between the precursor and the tracer are usually insufficient to allow their separation by HPLC, reducing the specific activity. This is of importance for peptidic tracers because the combination of their high‐affinity receptor with low specific activity results in the precursor saturating the receptors, causing non‐specific tracer binding. Here, we report a fast, one‐pot, general strategy to circumvent this issue, yielding a tracer of improved specific activity. It consists in adding a lipophilic azide after the labeling step to scavenge unreacted precursor into a more lipophilic species that does not co‐elute with the tracer. We applied this strategy to a new fluorinated cyclopentapeptidic CXCR4 antagonist for the PET imaging of cancer, CCIC15, for which we managed to reduce the apparent peptide concentration by a factor of 34 in 10 min. This tracer was radiolabeled by click chemistry with 2‐[18F]fluoroethylazide, yielding the tracer in 18 ± 6% (n = 5) end‐of‐synthesis radiochemical yields (EOS‐RCY) in 1.5 h from [18F]fluoride with a specific activity of 19.4 GBq µmol−1. Preliminary biological evaluation of the probe confirmed potency and specificity for CXCR4; further biological evaluation is underway.
Optimized expression of (S)‐carbonyl reductase in Pichia pastoris for efficient production of (S)‐1‐phenyl‐1, 2‐ethanediol
Authors: Zhang Rongzhen , Xu Yan , Xiao Rong , Wang Lei , Zhang Botao
Published: July 2013

The recombinant (S)‐carbonyl reductase (SCR) in Escherichia coli catalyzed the reduction of 2‐hydroxyacetophenone to (S)‐1‐phenyl‐1,2‐ethanediol (PED) with low efficiency. In this work, its 6× histidine fusion gene his6‐scr was cloned in Pichia pastoris under the control of the AOX1 methanol inducible promoter. The heterologous protein SCR was expressed through a Muts phenotype. Under the optimal conditions: pH 7.0, initial OD600 2.5, methanol daily addition concentration 1.0% and induction duration 4–5 days, the recombinant protein SCR was produced at the highest level. The enzyme activity in the cell‐free exacts of P. pastoris was 0.38, which was over twofold than that of the recombinant E. coli‐SCR. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity with a specific activity of 3.41 U mg−1, and it catalyzed the biotransformation of (S)‐PED with a high optical purity of 96.9% in a high yield of 89.7% at optimum pH of 7.0. The developed effective system of P. pastoris‐SCR will facilitate the preparation of pure chiral alcohol in industry.
The 18.6‐year nodal tidal cycle and the bi‐decadal precipitation oscillation over the plains to the east of subtropical Andes, South America
Authors: Agosta Eduardo Andres
Published: July 2013

This work shows statistical evidence for lunar nodal cycle influence on the low‐frequency summer rainfall variability over the plains to the east of subtropical Andes, in South America, through long‐term sea surface temperature (SST) variations induced by the nodal amplitude of diurnal tides over southwestern South Atlantic (SWSA). In years of strong (weak) diurnal tides, tide‐induced diapycnal mixing makes SST cooler (warmer) together with low (high) air pressures in the surroundings of the Malvinas/Falklands Islands in the SWSA, possibly through mean tropospheric baroclinicity variations. As the low‐level tropospheric circulation anomalies directly affect the interannual summer rainfall variability, such an influence can be extended to the bi‐decadal variability present in the summer rainfall owing to the nodal modulation effect observed in the tropospheric circulation. The identification of the nodal periodicity in the summer rainfall variability is statistically robust.
Advanced Functional Polymers for Increasing the Stability of Organic Photovoltaics
Authors: Bundgaard Eva , Helgesen Martin , Carlé Jon E. , Krebs Frederik C. , Jørgensen Mikkel
Published: July 2013

The development of new advanced polymers for improving the stability of OPV is reviewed. Two main degradation pathways for the OPV active layer are identified: photochemically initiated reactions primarily starting in the side chains and morphological changes that degrade the important nanostructure. Chemical units can be introduced that impart an increased stability. Similarly, the morphological degradation of the optimal nanostructure can be reduced. Active polymers and blends with acceptor material are used to create nanoparticle links with controlled size. Most of these advanced polymers and processing methods have only been utilized in small‐scale devices prepared by standard techniques such as spin coating, but a few cases of roll‐to‐roll processed solar cells with heat‐cleaved side chains are discussed.

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Inhibitions of epithelial to mesenchymal transition and cancer stem cells‐like properties are involved in miR‐148a‐mediated anti‐metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Yan Han , Dong Xiaogang , Zhong Xiaoqin , Ye Jing , Zhou Yun , Yang Xiaojun , Shen Jian , Zhang Jianping
Published: July 2013

The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and acquisition of cancer stem cells (CSCs)‐like properties are essential steps in the metastasis and postsurgical recurrence of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs). The molecular mechanisms involved, however, remain obscure. As determined by an miRNA microarray analysis, there was lower expression of miR‐148a in poorly differentiated HCC tissues relative to well‐differentiated HCC tissues. MHCC97H and MHCC97L (HCC cells with migratory capacity) and HCC tissues with various differentiation status were selected for further investigation. The results showed that miR‐148a levels inversely correlated with the differentiation status of HCC tissues. In MHCC97H and MHCC97L cells, over‐expression of miR‐148a blocked the EMT process, attenuated the expression of CD90 and CD44 (biomarkers for liver cancer stem cells), and inhibited their migratory capacity. Via TargetScan and microRNA.org algorithms, miR‐148a was predicted to bind to the Wnt1 mRNA 3′‐UTR. Wnt1 was confirmed as a target gene of miR‐148a in HCC cells, and the Wnt signal pathway was determined to be involved in the miR‐148a‐mediated inhibition of EMT and CSCs‐like properties of MHCC97H cells. Moreover, the expression of miR‐148a in nonmetastatic HCC tissues was higher than that in metastatic HCC tissues. The results suggest that miR‐148a inhibits the metastasis of HCCs by blocking EMT and CSCs‐like properties through effects on the Wnt signaling pathway. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.