bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Prevalence of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 and Their Verotoxins and Salmonella spp. in Processed Poultry Products
Authors: Karadal Fulden , Ertas Nurhan , Hizlisoy Harun , Abay Secil , Al Serhat
Published: July 2013

This study was carried out to investigate the presence of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 and their verotoxins as well as Salmonella spp. in processed poultry products. A total of 100 samples of cordon bleus (n = 20), chicken nuggets (n = 20), chicken burgers (n = 40) and chicken meatballs (n = 20) were analyzed. The E. coli O157 (but not H7) strain was isolated from one (1%) out of 100 samples. This isolate were obtained from chicken burgers. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction confirmed two genotypes, namely rfbO157 and stx1 genes. None of the samples was contaminated with Salmonella spp. These results demonstrate that processed poultry products may be sporadically contaminated with E. coli O157 strains that are potentially pathogenic for humans.

Practical Application

The growth of E. coli O157 and Salmonella in processed poultry products are dependent on poultry carcasses used as raw material, hygienic application during the process and the storage temperature. Potentially pathogenic agents for humans E. coli O157, which was obtained in this study, and Salmonella spp. should be controlled by heat‐treatment.
Multi‐walled carbon nanotubes decorated by platinum catalyst nanoparticles—Examination and microanalysis using scanning and transmission electron microscopies
Authors: GUINEL M. J‐F. , BRODUSCH N. , VERDE‐GÓMEZ Y. , ESCOBAR‐MORALES B. , GAUVIN R.
Published: July 2013

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) decorated with platinum (Pt) nanoparticles (NPs) have been characterized using a cold field‐emission scanning electron microscope (SEM) and a high resolution field‐emission transmission electron microscope (TEM). With this particular composite material, the complementary nature of the two instruments was demonstrated. Although the long CNTs were found to be mostly bent and defective in some parts, the nucleation of Pt occurred randomly and uniformly covered the CNTs. The NPs displayed a large variation in size, were sometimes defective with twins and stacking faults, and were found to be faceted with the presence of surface steps. The shape and size of the NPs and the presence of defects may have significant consequences on the activity of the Pt catalyst material. Also, thin layers of platinum oxide were identified on the surface of some NPs.
Findings From the Analysis of the American College of Nurse‐Midwives’ Membership Surveys: 2009 to 2011
Authors: Schuiling Kerri D. , Sipe Theresa A. , Fullerton Judith
Published: July 2013

Introduction

The American College of Nurse‐Midwives (ACNM) Core Data Survey is an annual membership survey that collects demographic and selected workforce data about certified nurse‐midwives (CNMs), certified midwives (CMs), and students enrolled in midwifery education programs accredited by the Accreditation Commission for Midwifery Education. These data are aggregated and published every 3 years. This article presents findings from the analysis of membership data for the years 2009 to 2011.

Methods

An online survey is sent annually to all ACNM members who provide ACNM with an e‐mail address. The survey instrument for 2009 to 2011 focused on 5 categories: demographics, certification, education, employment, and licensure except for 2011, in which licensure data were collected separately.

Results

ACNM members responding to the surveys during 2009, 2010, and 2011 continued to remain predominantly white and female. The average age of CNMs/CMs in 2011 was 51.2 years. The majority had a master's degree as their highest degree, and 9.3% had a doctoral degree. Approximately two‐thirds of respondents in each of the 3 survey years identified attendance at births as one of their primary responsibilities.

Discussion

Very little change in diversity was observed over the 3 survey years. The number of CNMs earning the doctor of nursing practice degree is increasing, whereas other doctoral degree categories remain stable. The majority of CNMs/CMs continue to identify a broad domain of clinical midwifery practice as their primary responsibility in their employment. The majority of respondents attend births, but the proportion has been decreasing slightly over time. Salaries for midwives continue to rise, but the reasons for this are unclear.
The Impact of Right Ventricular Stroke Work on B‐Type Natriuretic Peptide Levels in Patients With Mitral Stenosis Undergoing Percutaneous Mitral Valvuloplasty
Authors: ESTEVES WILLIAM A. M. , LODI‐JUNQUEIRA LUCAS , NETO CIRILO P. FONSECA , TAN TIMOTHY C. , NASCIMENTO BRUNO R. , MEHROTRA PRAVEEN , BARBOSA MARCIA M. , RIBEIRO ANTONIO LUIZ P. , NUNES MARIA CARMO P.
Published: July 2013

Objectives

We aimed to explore the relationship between brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) levels and right ventricular (RV) function in patients with mitral stenosis (MS), and to investigate the hemodynamic parameters that predict reduction of BNP levels after percutaneous mitral valvuloplasty (PMV).

Background

Few studies have evaluated BNP in the context of MS, specifically the impact of the RV stroke work (RVSW) on serum BNP levels has not been defined.

Methods

Thirty patients with symptomatic rheumatic MS in sinus rhythm who were referred for a PMV were enrolled. Right and left heart pressures were obtained before and after valvuloplasty. RVSW index (RVSWI) was calculated by cardiac catheterization.

Results

Basal BNP levels were elevated in MS patients and correlated with several hemodynamic parameters including pulmonary pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance index, cardiac index (CI), and RVSWI. In multivariate analysis, CI and RVSWI were independent predictors of raised basal BNP levels. PMV resulted in a significant decrease in the RVSWI with a concurrent increase in CI (2.4 ± 0.43 to 2.9 ± 0.8 L/min/m2, P = 0.010). Overall, plasma BNP levels significantly decreased from 124 (63/234) to 73 (48/148) pg/ml postvalvuloplasty. Multivariate analysis revealed that the reduction of left atrial (LA) pressure post‐PMV was an independent predictor of change in BNP levels.

Conclusions

Elevated baseline BNP level in MS patients was independently associated with CI and RVSWI. Plasma BNP levels were reduced after successful PMV, which was associated with the reduction of the LA pressure. (J Interven Cardiol 2013;26:501‐508)
Healthy Buddies™ Reduces Body Mass Index Z‐Score and Waist Circumference in Aboriginal Children Living in Remote Coastal Communities
Authors: Ronsley Rebecca , Lee Andrew S. , Kuzeljevic Boris , Panagiotopoulos Constadina
Published: July 2013

BACKGROUND

Aboriginal children are at increased risk for obesity and type 2 diabetes. Healthy Buddies™‐First Nations (HB) is a curriculum‐based, peer‐led program promoting healthy eating, physical activity, and self‐esteem.

METHODS

Although originally designed as a pilot pre‐/post‐analysis of 3 remote Aboriginal schools that requested and received HB training, one school did not implement the program and was used as a control group. Outcomes included changes in body mass index z‐score (zBMI), waist circumference (WC), blood pressure (BP), self‐esteem, health behavior, and knowledge over 1 school year in kindergarten to grade 12 children.

RESULTS

There was a significant decrease in zBMI (1.10 to 1.04, p = .028) and WC (77.1 to 75.0 cm, p < .0001) in the HB group (N = 118) compared with an increase in zBMI (1.14 to 1.23, p = .046) and a minimal WC change in the control group (N = 61). Prevalence of elevated BP did not change in the HB group, but increased from 16.7% to 31.7% in the control group (p = .026). General linear model analysis revealed a significant interaction between time, group, and zBMI (p = .001), weight status (p = .014), nutritious beverage knowledge (p = .018), and healthy living and self‐esteem score (p = .005).

CONCLUSIONS

The HB program is a promising school‐based strategy for addressing obesity and self‐esteem in Aboriginal children.
Fitness Change and Subsequent Academic Performance in Adolescents
Authors: Chen Li‐Jung , Fox Kenneth R. , Ku Po‐Wen , Taun Chih‐Yang
Published: July 2013

BACKGROUND

This study examined the association between fitness change and subsequent academic performance in Taiwanese schoolchildren from 7th grade to 9th grade.

METHODS

The 7th graders from 1 junior high school district participated in this study (N = 669). Academic performance was extracted from school records at the end of each grade. Cardiovascular (CV) fitness, sit‐and‐reach flexibility, bent‐leg curl‐ups, and height and weight for calculating body mass index (BMI) were assessed at the start of each grade.

RESULTS

The results showed that improvement in CV fitness, but not muscular endurance or flexibility, is significantly related to greater academic performance. A weak and nonsignificant academic‐BMI relationship was seen.

CONCLUSION

CV fitness exhibits stronger longitudinal associations with academic performance than other forms of fitness or BMI for adolescents.
Comparison of premedication with buprenorphine or methadone with meloxicam for postoperative analgesia in dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgery
Authors: Hunt J. R. , Attenburrow P. M. , Slingsby L. S. , Murrell J. C.
Published: July 2013

Objectives

To determine whether methadone, administered before orthopaedic surgery, results in improved postoperative analgesia compared to buprenorphine.

Methods

Thirty‐eight dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgeries (the majority being tibial tuberosity advancement or elbow arthrotomy) were premedicated with 0 · 03 mg/kg acepromazine and either 20 µg/kg buprenorphine or 0 · 5 mg/kg methadone, intramuscularly, allocated randomly. Anaesthesia was induced with propofol intravenously to effect and maintained with isoflurane in oxygen. 0 · 2 mg/kg meloxicam was administered at anaesthetic induction. Sedation was assessed by means of a dynamic interactive visual analogue and simple descriptive scales and pain by dynamic interactive visual analogue and the short form Glasgow composite pain scales, by a single observer blinded to treatment group at intervals for 8 hours following premedication.

Results

Sedation scores were higher than baseline in both groups following premedication until the end of the assessment period (P = 0 · 0001), with no differences between groups. Pain scores were lower overall in dogs premedicated with methadone (dynamic interactive visual analogue scale P = 0 · 048; short form Glasgow composite pain scale P = 0 · 0045), and these dogs required less additional analgesia (42%, compared to 79% premedicated with buprenorphine, P = 0 · 045).

Clinical Significance

At the doses investigated, methadone produced superior analgesia to buprenorphine for 8 hours postoperatively in dogs undergoing orthopaedic surgery.
Does Socially Responsible Supplier Selection Pay Off for Customer Firms? A Cross‐Cultural Comparison
Authors: Thornton LaDonna M. , Autry Chad W. , Gligor David M. , Brik Anis Ben
Published: July 2013

Building on Carter and Jennings' (2002a,b, 2004) seminal works on socially responsible purchasing and logistics, this multinational study investigates the extent to which socially responsible supplier selection (SRSS) is associated with customer firms’ financial performance in three key world economic regions. We collect and utilize a unique dataset consisting of a total of 479 manufacturing, retail, and service provider firms operating in three distinct national cultures: China, the United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America. Based on an exploratory empirical analysis, we observe evidence that, overall, firms that consider social responsibility aspects during the supplier selection process enjoy financial performance advantages versus rivals. However, model comparisons across the studied countries reveal differential outcomes of SRSS by region. Our findings aid supply chain managers by linking SRSS to commonly expected outcomes within these important national settings.
Women's Sexuality: From Aging to Social Representations
Authors: Ringa Virginie , Diter Kevin , Laborde Caroline , Bajos Nathalie
Published: July 2013

Introduction

Studies designed in northern countries show that most women are still sexually active after the age of 50. Many factors other than hormones influence sexual life in and after middle age; they include social status, personal characteristics, physical and psychological conditions, relationship factors, and social representations of sexuality.

Aim

This study aims to analyze various components of sexuality, including its social representations, among women aged 45–55 years, as they reach menopause.

Methods

Comparison of three groups: all postmenopausal women (277), postmenopausal women not currently using hormonal treatment (HT) (209), postmenopausal women currently using HT (68), with a reference group of premenopausal women (408). All were recruited in a national general population-based survey of sexual behaviors and interviewed by telephone.

Main Outcome Measures

Practices, sexual function, satisfaction, and representations and expectations concerning sexuality.

Results

The women did not differ according to menopausal status for sexual activity, practices (wide range of practices beyond sexual intercourse), dysfunction, or satisfaction. They also attributed equal importance to sexuality. Nevertheless, although postmenopausal women not using HT did not report less sexual activity than premenopausal women, they were less likely to consider that a 3-month period without sex is a sign of difficulty in a relationship (30.3% vs. 47.7%; odds ratio: 0.35 [0.21–0.57], P = 0.000). This difference was not observed between postmenopausal women using HT and premenopausal women.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that for middle-aged women who are at the onset of menopause, the biological/hormonal changes characterizing menopause do not negatively affect sexual life. Any negative reported effects on sexuality are more likely due to anticipation or negative representations of sexuality around menopause than to biological or hormonal effects. The effect of menopause at this point in women's lives may thus be more symbolic than biological, expressed as a form of anticipation of old age.
Comparing the glucuronidation capacity of the feline liver with substrate‐specific glucuronidation in dogs
Authors: van Beusekom C. D. , Fink‐Gremmels J. , Schrickx J. A.
Published: July 2013

This study aimed to assess the overall glucuronidation capacity of cats, using prototypic substrates identified for human UDP‐glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs). To this end, Michaelis–Menten kinetics were established for the substrates using feline hepatic microsomal fractions, and results were compared with similar experiments carried out with dog liver microsomes. Cats are known for their low capacity of glucuronide formation, and UGT1A6 was found to be a pseudogene. However, functional studies with typical substrates were not performed and knowledge of the enzymology and genetics of other glucuronidation enzymes in felidae is lacking. The results of this study showed extremely low formation of naphthol‐1‐glucuronide (1.7 ± 0.4 nmol/mg protein/min), estradiol‐17‐glucuronide (<0.7 nmol/mg protein/min), and morphine‐3‐glucuronide (0.2 ± 0.03 nmol/mg protein/min), suggesting a lack of functional UGT1A6 and UGT2B7 homologues in the cat's liver. Dog liver microsomes were producing these glucuronides in much higher amounts. Glucuronide capacity was present for the substrates 17β‐estradiol (estradiol‐3‐glucuronide, 2.9 ± 0.2 nmol/mg protein/min) and 4‐methylumbelliferone (31.3 ± 3.3 nmol/mg protein/min), assuming that cats have functional homologue enzymes to at least the human UGT1A1 and probably other UGT1A isozymes. This implies that for new drugs, glucuronidation capacity has to be investigated on a substance‐to‐substance base. Knowledge of the glucuronidation rate of a drug provides the basis for pharmacokinetic modeling and as a result proper dosage regimens can be established to avoid undesirable drug toxicity in cats.
Multilocus phylogeography of the European ground squirrel: cryptic interglacial refugia of continental climate in Europe
Authors: Říčanová Štěpánka , Koshev Yordan , Říčan Oldřich , Ćosić Nada , Ćirović Duško , Sedláček František , Bryja Josef
Published: July 2013

The theory of classical and cryptic Pleistocene refugia is based mainly on historical changes in temperature, and the refugia are usually defined within a latitudinal gradient. However, the gradient of oceanic–continental climate (i.e. longitudinal) was also significantly variable during glacial cycles with important biotic consequences. Range‐wide phylogeography of the European ground squirrel (EGS) was used to interpret the evolutionary and palaeogeographical history of the species in Europe and to shed light on its glacial–interglacial dynamic. The EGS is a steppe‐inhabiting species and the westernmost member of the genus in the Palaearctic region. We have analysed 915 specimens throughout the present natural range by employing mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome b gene) and 12 nuclear microsatellite markers. The reconstructed phylogeography divides the species into two main geographical groups, with deep substructuring within both groups. Bulgaria is the centre of the ancestral area, and it also has the highest genetic diversity within the species. The northernmost group of the EGS survived in the southern part of Pannonia throughout several glacial–interglacial cycles. Animals from this population probably repeatedly colonized areas further to the north and west during the glacial periods, while in the interglacial periods, the EGS distribution contracted back to this Pannonian refugium. The EGS thus represents a species with a glacial expansion/interglacial contraction palaeogeographical dynamics, and the Pannonian and southeastern Balkanian steppes are supported as cryptic refugia of continental climate during Pleistocene interglacials.
Contrasting genetic responses to population fragmentation in a coevolving fig and fig wasp across a mainland–island archipelago
Authors: Liu Min , Zhang Jian , Chen Yan , Compton Stephen G. , Chen Xiao‐Yong
Published: July 2013

Interacting species of pollinator–host systems, especially the obligate ones, are sensitive to habitat fragmentation, due to the nature of mutual dependence. Comparative studies of genetic structure can provide insights into how habitat fragmentation contributes to patterns of genetic divergence among populations of the interacting species. In this study, we used microsatellites to analyse genetic variation in Chinese populations of a typical mutualistic system – Ficus pumila and its obligate pollinator Wiebesia sp. 1 – in a naturally fragmented landscape. The plants and wasps showed discordant patterns of genetic variation and geographical divergence. There was no significant positive relationship in genetic diversity between the two species. Significant isolation‐by‐distance (IBD) patterns occurred across the populations of F. pumila and Wiebesia sp. 1 as whole, and IBD also occurred among island populations of the wasps, but not the plants. However, there was no significant positive relationship in genetic differentiation between them. The pollinator populations had significantly lower genetic variation in small habitat patches than in larger patches, and three island pollinator populations showed evidence of a recent bottleneck event. No effects of patch size or genetic bottlenecks were evident in the plant populations. Collectively, the results indicate that, in more fragmented habitats, the pollinators, but not the plants, have experienced reduced genetic variation. The contrasting patterns have multiple potential causes, including differences in longevity and hence number of generations experiencing fragmentation; different dispersal patterns, with the host's genes dispersed as seeds as well as a result of pollen dispersal via the pollinator; asymmetrical responses to fluctuations in partner populations; and co‐existence of a rare second pollinating wasp on some islands. These results indicate that strongly interdependent species may respond in markedly different ways to habitat fragmentation.
The role of hybridization in the origin and spread of asexuality in Daphnia
Authors: Xu Sen , Innes David J. , Lynch Michael , Cristescu Melania E.
Published: July 2013

The molecular mechanisms leading to asexuality remain little understood despite their substantial bearing on why sexual reproduction is dominant in nature. Here, we examine the role of hybridization in the origin and spread of obligate asexuality in Daphnia pulex, arguably the best‐documented case of contagious asexuality. Obligately parthenogenetic (OP) clones of D. pulex have traditionally been separated into ‘hybrid’ (Ldh SF) and ‘nonhybrid’ (Ldh SS) forms because the lactase dehydrogenase (Ldh) locus distinguishes the cyclically parthenogenetic (CP) lake dwelling Daphnia pulicaria (Ldh FF) from its ephemeral pond dwelling sister species D. pulex (Ldh SS). The results of our population genetic analyses based on microsatellite loci suggest that both Ldh SS and SF OP individuals can originate from the crossing of CP female F1 (D. pulex × D. pulicaria) and backcross with males from OP lineages carrying genes that suppress meiosis specifically in female offspring. In previous studies, a suite of diagnostic markers was found to be associated with OP in Ldh SS D. pulex lineages. Our association mapping supports a similar genetic mechanism for the spread of obligate parthenogenesis in Ldh SF OP individuals. Interestingly, our study shows that CP D. pulicaria carry many of the diagnostic microsatellite alleles associated with obligate parthenogenesis. We argue that the assemblage of mutations that suppress meiosis and underlie obligate parthenogenesis in D. pulex originated due to a unique historical hybridization and introgression event between D. pulex and D. pulicaria.
Regulation of the KstR2 regulon of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by a cholesterol catabolite
Authors: Casabon Israël , Zhu Song‐Hua , Otani Hiroshi , Liu Jie , Mohn William W. , Eltis Lindsay D.
Published: July 2013

Cholesterol catabolism is widespread in actinobacteria and is critical for Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) virulence. Catabolism of steroid nucleus rings C and D is poorly understood: it is initiated by the CoA thioesterification of 3aα‐H‐4α(3′‐propanoate)‐7aβ‐methylhexahydro‐1,5‐indanedione (HIP) by FadD3, whose gene is part of the KstR2 regulon. In Mtb, genes of this regulon were upregulated up to 30‐ and 22‐fold during growth on cholesterol and HIP, respectively, versus another minimal medium. In contrast, genes involved in degrading the cholesterol side‐chain and nucleus rings A and B were only upregulated during growth on cholesterol. Similar results were obtained in Rhodococcus jostii RHA1. Moreover, the regulon was not upregulated in a ΔfadD3 mutant unable to produce HIP‐CoA. In electrophoretic mobility shift assays, HIP‐CoA relieved the binding of KstR2Mtb to each of three KstR2 boxes: CoASH, HIP and a related CoA thioester did not. Inspection of the structure of KstR2RHA1 revealed no obvious HIP‐CoA binding pocket. The results establish that Mtb can catabolize the entire cholesterol molecule and that HIP‐CoA is an effector of KstR2. They further indicate that KstR2 specifically represses the expression of the HIP degradation genes in actinobacteria, which encode a lower pathway involved in the catabolism of multiple steroids.
Modest efficacy of voriconazole against murine infections by Sporothrix schenckii and lack of efficacy against Sporothrix brasiliensis
Authors: Fernández‐Silva Fabiola , Capilla Javier , Mayayo Emilio , Guarro Josep
Published: July 2013

The efficacy of voriconazole (VRC) was evaluated against two strains of each of the two most common species causing sporotrichosis, Sporothrix schenckii sensu stricto and Sporothrix brasiliensis, using a murine model of disseminated infection. Voriconazole was administered at doses of 20 or 40 mg kg−1 per day by gavage. The drug showed some efficacy, especially at 40 mg kg−1 per day, in prolonging the survival and reducing fungal load in spleen and liver in mice infected with S. schenckii, whereas in animals infected with S. brasiliensis the drug did not work.
Five phylogenetically close rice SWEET genes confer TAL effector‐mediated susceptibility to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae
Authors: Streubel Jana , Pesce Céline , Hutin Mathilde , Koebnik Ralf , Boch Jens , Szurek Boris
Published: July 2013

Bacterial plant‐pathogenic Xanthomonas strains translocate transcription activator‐like (TAL) effectors into plant cells to function as specific transcription factors. Only a few plant target genes of TAL effectors have been identified, so far. Three plant SWEET genes encoding putative sugar transporters are known to be induced by TAL effectors from rice‐pathogenic Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo).

We predict and validate that expression of OsSWEET14 is induced by a novel TAL effector, Tal5, from an African Xoo strain. Artificial TAL effectors (ArtTALs) were constructed to individually target 20 SWEET orthologs in rice. They were used as designer virulence factors to study which rice SWEET genes can support Xoo virulence.

The Tal5 target box differs from those of the already known TAL effectors TalC, AvrXa7 and PthXo3, which also induce expression of OsSWEET14, suggesting evolutionary convergence on key targets. ArtTALs efficiently complemented an Xoo talC mutant, demonstrating that specific induction of OsSWEET14 is the key target of TalC. ArtTALs that specifically target individual members of the rice SWEET family revealed three known and two novel SWEET genes to support bacterial virulence.

Our results demonstrate that five phylogenetically close SWEET proteins, which presumably act as sucrose transporters, can support Xoo virulence.
Raman spectroscopy as a non‐invasive technique for the quantification of melanins in feathers and hairs
Authors: Galván Ismael , Jorge Alberto , Ito Kazuma , Tabuchi Keisuke , Solano Francisco , Wakamatsu Kazumasa
Published: July 2013

The quantification of melanins is a complex task due to the chemical heterogeneity of the pigments and the difficulty of their isolation. The best accepted procedure currently consists in the chemical cleavage of melanins and the subsequent detection of degradation products by HPLC, which implies the destruction of samples. Here, we show that Raman spectroscopy is a non‐invasive technique that can be used to quantify melanins. We made parallel analyses of the characteristics of pheomelanin and eumelanin Raman spectra as measured by confocal Raman microscopy and of degradation products of pheomelanin (4‐amino‐3‐hydroxyphenylalanine, 4‐AHP) and eumelanin (pyrrole‐2,3,5‐tricarboxylic acid, PTCA) as measured by HPLC in feathers of red‐legged partridges and hairs of wild boars and humans. We found strong correlations between the spectral Raman characteristics and 4‐AHP and PTCA levels, which indicates that the Raman spectra of melanins can be used to determine their content.
Does White House Regulatory Review Produce a Chilling Effect and “OIRA Avoidance” in the Agencies?
Authors: Acs Alex , Cameron Charles M.
Published: July 2013

What effect does regulatory auditing by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) have on the production of regulations in the agencies? In particular, does targeting an agency for heavy regulatory auditing inhibit its production of regulations, a “chilling” effect? Does heavy auditing encourage it to substitute multiple small regulations in place of single large one, “OIRA avoidance”? We present an early empirical analysis of these questions by estimating regulation production functions for federal agencies, using data from the Unified Agenda from 1995 to 2010. We attempt to distinguish the differential effects of regulatory auditing from appointments into the agencies, leveraging off exogenous variation created by independent regulatory commissions. Our data uncover no evidence of a chilling effect in the production of economically significant regulations due to the Bush administration's regulatory auditing, relative to the Clinton or early Obama administrations. Nor do we find any evidence of OIRA avoidance. We do find some evidence that the Bush administration reduced the production of noneconomically significant regulations overall. However, the effect appears to be due to appointments in the agencies. Overall, the results raise questions about the efficacy of presidential efforts to control the regulatory state and how best to evaluate those efforts.
The Evolution of Roosevelt's Rhetorical Legacy: Presidential Rhetoric about Rights in Domestic and Foreign Affairs, 1933‐2011
Authors: Rhodes Jesse H.
Published: July 2013

Scholars view the domestic and foreign commitments of the New Deal and Great Society as embodying rights with quasi‐constitutional status. But little research has examined whether presidents have encouraged citizens to perceive New Deal/Great Society commitments as rights deserving of extraordinary veneration. Based on a quantitative content analysis of hundreds of major presidential addresses and a qualitative analysis of inaugural addresses over the period 1933‐2011, this article shows that presidents have largely declined to characterize major domestic commitments as rights but that they have repeatedly described the United States' mission in foreign affairs in terms of protecting human rights.
The Contemporary Presidency: Organizing theNationalSecurityCouncil: I Like Ike's
Authors: Miller Paul D.
Published: July 2013

TheUnitedStates’ national security establishment lacks an integrated strategic planning capability. The currentNationalSecurityCouncil (NSC) system relies heavily on part‐time committees that lack the clout and time to execute strategic planning. The president could overcome this difficulty by looking toPresidentEisenhower'sNSCsystem.Eisenhower'sNSCrelied on aPlanningBoard—which was neither a part‐time committee nor fulltime staff—to get realistic planning that was not captive to parochial interests and to foster a national, strategic mindset without falling prey to an ivory‐tower mind‐set divorced from reality.
The Importance of Role Clarification in Workgroups: Effects on Perceived Role Clarity, Work Satisfaction, and Turnover Rates
Authors: Hassan Shahidul
Published: July 2013

This article examines how greater role clarification may be associated with increased work satisfaction and decreased turnover rates in workgroups. These linkages are examined with the use of multivariate analysis of variance and hierarchical regression analysis for data collected during two time periods from multiple sources: personnel records and an organizational survey of 1,699 employees working in 45 geographically distributed offices in a state government agency. Results indicate that offices with a high level of role clarification had significantly higher levels of work satisfaction and lower rates of turnover. Additionally, the effects of role clarification on work satisfaction and turnover behavior were mediated by overall role clarity perceived in these offices. The implications of these findings for effective management of workgroups in government agencies are discussed.
The Transformation of Public Sector Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities Programming
Authors: Agranoff Robert
Published: July 2013

Programming for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities has shifted from state institutional care to community‐based services, facilitated by federal government support as well as services delivered by nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). For persons with mental retardation, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and autism, these programs not only have moved into the health care orbit but also are in search of more holistic ways to maintain persons with their families and in communities. Three major forces have led to this shift: federal financing, particularly under Medicaid; integration of services around clients; and externalized service delivery by NGOs. These are increasingly connected forces, facilitated particularly by the Medicaid Home and Community‐Based Services Waiver. They have transformed state‐operated systems. Increasingly, states are working with NGO case management and service delivery providers to organize and integrate services to face this continuing challenge.
Differential Expression of IGF Family Members in Heat‐Stressed Embryos Produced In Vitro from OPU‐Derived Oocytes of Nelore (Bos indicus) and Holstein (Bos taurus) Cows
Authors: Satrapa RA , Razza EM , Castilho ACS , Simões RAL , Silva CF , Nabhan T , Pegorer MF , Barros CM
Published: July 2013

Contents

The IGF system is related to embryo quality. We aim to determine the effect of the heat stress on the mRNA expression of IGF1 and IGF2, IGFR1 and IGFR2, IGFBP2 and IGFBP4, and PAPPA in in vitro production (IVP) blastocysts from Nelore and Holstein after ovum pick up (OPU) to better understand the differences between these breeds. Oocytes from four Nelore and seven Holstein were collected in six OPU sessions. Following in vitro maturation and fertilization using six Nelore or Holstein sires, embryos were divided into control (cultured at 39°C) and heat stress (HS; exposed to 41°C for 9 h). Blastocysts were submitted to RNA extraction. The IGF1 expression was higher in blastocysts under HS in both breeds, and the expression of IGFBP2 and IGFBP4 was higher in Holstein blastocysts under HS. The high PAPPA expression and the low expression of IGFBP2 and IGFBP4 are associated with a more efficient degradation of IGFBPs, which results in greater IGF bioavailability in Nelore blastocysts and may contribute to the superior HS tolerance in Nelore, when compared to Holstein.
Offending Trajectories Among Native‐Born and Foreign‐Born Hispanics to Late Middle Age
Authors: Jennings Wesley G. , Zgoba Kristen M. , Piquero Alex R. , Reingle Jennifer M.
Published: July 2013

Research on crime over the life‐course has made considerable progress in the last several decades. Despite this growth, significantly less attention has been devoted to longitudinal examinations ofHispanic populations beyond one phase of the life‐course, and/or examining differences between native‐born and foreign‐bornHispanics. Recognizing these limitations, this study offers an investigation ofHispanics in theUnitedStates focusing on offending and its relationship to immigration status. Using arrest data from a cohort of 375Hispanic males from ages 18 to 50, trajectory analysis revealed four unique offending trajectories: very low‐rate offenders, high‐rate late‐onset escalators, initially high‐rate desisters, and high‐rate chronic offenders. Multivariate regression models demonstrated thatHispanic immigrants were significantly less likely to be initially high‐rate desisters or high‐rate chronic offenders compared with their native‐born counterparts, yet unmarriedHispanics were significantly more likely to be high‐rate late‐onset escalators. Study limitations and implications are also discussed.
A Comparison of Parametric and Multivariable Optimization Techniques in a Raised-Floor Data Center
Authors: Nagarathinam Srinarayana , Fakhim Babak , Behnia Masud , Armfield Steve
Published: July 2013

It is well known that the flow distribution in data centers can be effected by a variety of parameters such as rack and computer room air conditioning (CRAC) positions, raised-floor height, ceiling height, and percentage opening of perforated tiles. In the present paper, numerical simulations are conducted to optimize the layout of a raised-floor data center with respect to these parameters. Two different approaches have been used: parametric optimization; and a multivariable approach using response surface optimization. In the parametric optimization procedure, the data center is optimized with respect to the maximum temperature in the room. While in the multivariable approach, a cost function is constructed from all the rack inlet temperatures and is minimized. The results show that the multivariable approach is computationally economical and the optimized layout gives a better thermal performance compared to that of parametric optimization.
Computational and Experimental Validation of a Vortex-Superposition-Based Buoyancy Approximation for the COMPACT Code in Data Centers
Authors: Lettieri David J. , Toulouse Michael M. , Bash Cullen E. , Shah Amip J. , Carey Van P.
Published: July 2013

A simplified model and GUI package, named COMPACT (Compact Model of Potential Flow and Convective Transport), has been developed in previous years to provide a fast alternative to full computational fluid dynamic (CFD) thermofluidic models for a variety of data center applications. These include, but are not limited to, use as a first-order design tool, a potential improvement to plant-based controllers, and an initial guess for complex CFD solvers. COMPACT applies convective energy transport equations to a computed potential flow field to approximate a flow and temperature field, taking 30 s or less for a commercially available laptop to characterize a 7700 cell room. Previously, the results from this model were compared to experimental measurements taken from a data center at Hewlett-Packard Laboratories (HP Labs) in Palo Alto, CA. High localized temperatures in the model led to the conclusion that recirculation and buoyancy were contributing excessively to error in the model. This paper proposes a method of vortex superposition to account for these effects, in which locations with high temperature in the original model are analyzed and a corrective flow field consisting of Rankine vortices is superimposed on the solution. This approach is tested with further experimental measurements taken from the data center at HP Labs, as well as conventional commercially available CFD. These newer results show a marked decrease in mean deviation of the model from measured temperatures, as well as elimination of the highly localized temperatures which afflicted the original COMPACT results. The vortex superposition model is also “tuned,” with vortex strength optimized for multiple test cases at varying levels of recirculation.
Improved Computational Fluid Dynamics Model for Open-Aisle Air-Cooled Data Center Simulations
Authors: Abdelmaksoud Waleed A. , Dang Thong Q. , Ezzat Khalifa H. , Schmidt Roger R.
Published: July 2013

There is a need in the IT industry for CFD models that are capable of accurately predicting the thermal distributions in high power density open-aisle air-cooled data centers for use in the design of these facilities with reduced cooling needs. A recent detailed evaluation of a small data center cell equipped with one high power rack using current CFD practice showed that the CFD results were not accurate. The simulation results exhibited pronounced hot/cold spots in the data center while the test data were much more diffused, indicating that the CFD model under-predicted the mixing process between the cold tile flow and the hot rack exhaust flow with the warm room air. In this study, a parametric study was carried out to identify CFD modeling issues that contributed to this error. Through a combined experimental and computational investigation, it was found that the boundary condition imposed at the perforated surfaces (e.g., perforated tiles and rack exhaust door) as fully open surfaces was the main source of error. This method enforces the correct mass flux but the initial jet momentum is under-specified. A momentum source model proposed for these perforated surfaces is found to improve the CFD results significantly. Another CFD modeling refinement shown to improve CFD predictions is the inclusion of some large-scale geometrical features of the perforated surfaces (e.g., lands/gaps) in the CFD model, but this refinement requires the use of grids finer than those typically used in practice.
Inviscid and Viscous Numerical Models Compared to Experimental Data in a Small Data Center Test Cell
Authors: Cruz Ethan , Joshi Yogendra
Published: July 2013

Both localized power densities and overall power consumption within the data center continue to rise, following the same upward trend as the information technology (IT) equipment stored within the data center. Air cooling this increasing power has proved a significant challenge at both the IT equipment and data center level. In order to combat this challenge, computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer (CFD/HT) models have been employed as the dominant technique for the design and optimization of both new and existing data centers. This study is a continuation of earlier comparisons of CFD/HT models to experimentally measured temperature and flow fields in a small data center test cell. It compares an inviscid model, a laminar flow model, and three turbulence models to six sets of experimentally collected data. The six sets of data are from two different IT equipment rack power dissipations using three different layouts of perforated tiles. Insight into the location of the deviation between the different CFD/HT models and experimental data are discussed, along with the computational effort involved in running the models. A new grid analysis was performed on the different CFD/HT models in order to try to minimize computational effort. The inviscid model was able to run with a smaller grid size than the viscous models and even for the same size grid was found to run 30% faster than the fastest viscous model. Due to both the reduced grid size and computational effort (due to the simpler equation set), the inviscid model ran over thirty times faster than the next fastest model. The fact that the inviscid model ran the fastest is not surprising, however what was not expected is that the inviscid model was also found to have the smallest deviations from the experimental data for all six of the cases. This is most likely due to the arrangement of the data center test cell with the relatively few high velocity air jets and large open space around the IT equipment. More tightly packed data centers with higher air velocities and turbulent mixing conditions will certainly produce different results than those found in this study.
System Modeling for a Supercritical Thermal Energy Storage System
Authors: Tse Louis , Ganapathi Gani , Wirz Richard , Lavine Adrienne
Published: July 2013

This paper describes a thermodynamic model that simulates the discharge cycle of a single-tank thermal energy storage (TES) system using supercritical fluid in a concentrating solar power plant.

Current state-of-the-art TES design utilizes a two-tank system with molten nitrate salts; one major problem is the high cost of the fluid. The alternate design explored here involves the use of less expensive fluids at supercritical temperatures and pressures. By cycling the storage fluid between a relatively low temperature two-phase state and a high temperature supercritical state, a large excursion in internal energy can be accessed which includes both sensible heat and latent heat of vaporization.

Supercritical storage allows for the consideration of fluids that are significantly cheaper than molten salts; however, a supercritical TES system requires high pressures and temperatures that necessitate a relatively high cost containment vessel that represents a large fraction of the system capital cost. To mitigate this cost, the proposed design utilizes a single-tank TES system, effectively halving the required wall material. A single-tank approach also significantly reduces the complexity of the system in comparison to the two-tank systems, which require expensive pumps and external heat exchangers. However, a single-tank approach also results in a loss of turbine power output as the storage fluid temperature declines over time during the discharge cycle.

The thermodynamic model is used to evaluate system performance; in particular it predicts the reduction in energy output of the single-tank system relative to a conventional two-tank storage system. Tank wall material volume is also presented and it is shown that there is an optimum average fluid density that generates a given turbine energy output while minimizing the required tank wall material and associated capital cost.

Overall, this study illustrates opportunities to further improve current solar thermal technologies. The single-tank supercritical fluid system shows great promise for decreasing the cost of thermal energy storage, and ensuring that renewable energy can become a significant part of the national and global energy portfolio.
Numerical Simulation and Optimization of CO2 Sequestration in Saline Aquifers
Authors: Zhang Zheming , Agarwal Ramesh
Published: July 2013

With recent concerns on CO2 emissions from coal fired electricity generation plants; there has been major emphasis on the development of safe and economical Carbon Dioxide Capture and Sequestration (CCS) technology worldwide. Saline reservoirs are attractive geological sites for CO2 sequestration because of their huge capacity for sequestration. Over the last decade, numerical simulation codes have been developed in U.S, Europe and Japan to determine a priori the CO2 storage capacity of a saline aquifer and provide risk assessment with reasonable confidence before the actual deployment of CO2 sequestration can proceed with enormous investment. In U.S, TOUGH2 numerical simulator has been widely used for this purpose. However at present it does not have the capability to determine optimal parameters such as injection rate, injection pressure, injection depth for vertical and horizontal wells etc. for optimization of the CO2 storage capacity and for minimizing the leakage potential by confining the plume migration. This paper describes the development of a “Genetic Algorithm (GA)” based optimizer for TOUGH2 that can be used by the industry with good confidence to optimize the CO2 storage capacity in a saline aquifer of interest. This new code including the TOUGH2 and the GA optimizer is designated as “GATOUGH2”. It has been validated by conducting simulations of three widely used benchmark problems by the CCS researchers worldwide: (a) Study of CO2 plume evolution and leakage through an abandoned well, (b) Study of enhanced CH4 recovery in combination with CO2 storage in depleted gas reservoirs, and (c) Study of CO2 injection into a heterogeneous geological formation. Our results of these simulations are in excellent agreement with those of other researchers obtained with different codes. The validated code has been employed to optimize the proposed water-alternating-gas (WAG) injection scheme for (a) a vertical CO2 injection well and (b) a horizontal CO2 injection well, for optimizing the CO2 sequestration capacity of an aquifer. These optimized calculations are compared with the brute force nearly optimized results obtained by performing a large number of calculations. These comparisons demonstrate the significant efficiency and accuracy of GATOUGH2 as an optimizer for TOUGH2. This capability holds a great promise in studying a host of other problems in CO2 sequestration such as how to optimally accelerate the capillary trapping, accelerate the dissolution of CO2 in water or brine, and immobilize the CO2 plume.