bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
OMG: Open Molecule Generator
Authors: Peironcely Julio E , Rojas-Chertó Miguel , Fichera Davide , Reijmers Theo , Coulier Leon , Faulon Jean-Loup , Hankemeier Thomas
Published: September 2012

Computer Assisted Structure Elucidation has been used for decades to discover the chemical structure of unknown compounds. In this work we introduce the first open source structure generator, Open Molecule Generator (OMG), which for a given elemental composition produces all non-isomorphic chemical structures that match that elemental composition. Furthermore, this structure generator can accept as additional input one or multiple non-overlapping prescribed substructures to drastically reduce the number of possible chemical structures. Being open source allows for customization and future extension of its functionality. OMG relies on a modified version of the Canonical Augmentation Path, which grows intermediate chemical structures by adding bonds and checks that at each step only unique molecules are produced. In order to benchmark the tool, we generated chemical structures for the elemental formulas and substructures of different metabolites and compared the results with a commercially available structure generator. The results obtained, i.e. the number of molecules generated, were identical for elemental compositions having only C, O and H. For elemental compositions containing C, O, H, N, P and S, OMG produces all the chemically valid molecules while the other generator produces more, yet chemically impossible, molecules. The chemical completeness of the OMG results comes at the expense of being slower than the commercial generator. In addition to being open source, OMG clearly showed the added value of constraining the solution space by using multiple prescribed substructures as input. We expect this structure generator to be useful in many fields, but to be especially of great importance for metabolomics, where identifying unknown metabolites is still a major bottleneck.
Cost Effectiveness of Personalized Therapy for First-Line Treatment of Stage IV and Recurrent Incurable Adenocarcinoma of the Lung
Authors: Handorf Elizabeth A. , McElligott Sean , Vachani Anil , Langer Corey J. , Bristol Demeter Mirar , Armstrong Katrina , Asch David A.
Published: September 2012

Cost-effectiveness analysis supports EGFR mutation testing in patients with stage IV or recurrent lung adenocarcinoma, rebiopsying if insufficient tissue is available, and first-line erlotinib treatment for those with EGFR mutations.
A conformational switch is responsible for the reversal of the 6S RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibition in Escherichia coli
Authors: Steuten Benedikt , Wagner Rolf
Published: September 2012

6S RNA is a bacterial transcriptional regulator, which accumulates during stationary phase and inhibits transcription from many promoters due to stable association with σ70-containing RNA polymerase. This inhibitory RNA polymerase~6S RNA complex dissociates during nutritional upshift, when cells undergo outgrowth from stationary phase, releasing active RNA polymerase ready for transcription. The release reaction depends on a characteristic property of 6S RNAs, namely to act as template for the de novo synthesis of small RNAs, termed pRNAs. Here, we used limited hydrolysis with structure-specific RNases and in-line probing of isolated 6S RNA and 6S RNA~pRNA complexes to investigate the molecular details leading to the release reaction. Our results indicate that pRNA transcription induces the refolding of the 6S RNA secondary structure by disrupting part of the closing stem (conserved sequence regions CRI and CRIV) and formation of a new hairpin (conserved sequence regions CRIII and CRIV). Comparison of the dimethylsulfate modification pattern of 6S RNA in living cells at stationary growth and during outgrowth confirmed the conformational change observed in vitro. Based on our results, a model describing the individual steps of the release reaction is presented.
Macroinvertebrate Response and Internal Phosphorus Loading in a Michigan Lake after Alum Treatment
Authors: Steinman Alan D. , Ogdahl Mary E.
Published: September 2012

Alum treatment is a lake restoration technique that is used to address internal phosphorus (P) loading. We evaluated the macroinvertebrate density and P release rates from sediment cores in Spring Lake, Michigan, 5 yr after an alum treatment and compared the findings with conditions before and 1 yr after application. Total macroinvertebrate density recovered to the near pre‐alum level after the decline that was measured in 2006. Community structure also shifted, with the dominant group changing from oligochaetes before alum treatment to chaoborids in 2010. Chironomid density in 2010 was similar to pre‐alum density, but this represented a decline from an elevated density measured in 2006. Ceratopogonid density increased in 2010 compared with the prior samplings, but absolute densities were very low compared with other macroinvertebrate groups. Maximum P release rates from sediment cores in 2010 averaged from 1.68 to 2.81 mg P m−2 d−1 under anoxic conditions. These rates are an order of magnitude lower than before alum was applied, indicating the alum application was still effectively reducing P release rates from sediments in Spring Lake. However, the release rates have increased since 2006, suggesting that alum efficacy may be declining. The NaOH‐extractable soluble reactive P fraction has increased since 2006, suggesting that the aluminum hydroxide floc is successfully binding P in the sediments. Despite the low release rates of P from the sediment, water column P and chlorophyll concentrations remain elevated in Spring Lake. This points to the continued need for reductions in external P loads to Spring Lake.
Biochar and Nitrogen Fertilizer Alters Soil Nitrogen Dynamics and Greenhouse Gas Fluxes from Two Temperate Soils
Authors: Zheng Jiyong , Stewart Catherine E. , Cotrufo M. Francesca
Published: September 2012

Biochar (BC) application to agricultural soils could potentially sequester recalcitrant C, increase N retention, increase water holding capacity, and decrease greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Biochar addition to soils can alter soil N cycling and in some cases decrease extractable mineral N (NO3− and NH4+) and N2O emissions. These benefits are not uniformly observed across varying soil types, N fertilization, and BC properties. To determine the effects of BC addition on N retention and GHG flux, we added two sizes (>250 and <250 µm) of oak‐derived BC (10% w/w) to two soils (aridic Argiustoll and aquic Haplustoll) with and without N fertilizer and measured extractable NO3− and NH4+ and GHG efflux (N2O, CO2, and CH4) in a 123‐d laboratory incubation. Biochar had no effect on NO3−, NH4+, or N2O in the unfertilized treatments of either soil. Biochar decreased cumulative extractable NO3− in N fertilized treatments by 8% but had mixed effects on NH4+. Greenhouse gas efflux differed substantially between the two soils, but generally with N fertilizer BC addition decreased N2O 3 to 60%, increased CO2 10 to 21%, and increased CH4 emissions 5 to 72%. Soil pH and total treatment N (soil + fertilizer + BC) predicted soil N2O flux well across these two different soils. Expressed as CO2 equivalents, BC significantly reduced GHG emissions only in the N‐fertilized silt loam by decreasing N2O flux. In unfertilized soils, CO2 was the dominant GHG component, and the direction of the flux was mediated by positive or negative BC effects on soil CO2 flux. On the basis of our data, the use of BC appears to be an effective management strategy to reduce N leaching and GHG emissions, particularly in neutral to acidic soils with high N content.
Rain Induced Changes in Carbon Dioxide Concentrations in the Soil–Lake–Brook Continuum of a Boreal Forested Catchment
Authors: Rasilo Terhi , Ojala Anne , Huotari Jussi , Pumpanen Jukka
Published: September 2012

The numerous water bodies and their riparian zones in the boreal zone are crucial to lateral carbon transport and can thus be very significant for carbon cycle on the landscape level. Therefore, we installed automatic measurement systems with Vaisala CARBOCAP CO2probes (Vaisala Oyj, Vantaa, Finland) in the riparian zone soil matrix around a small headwater lake, in the lake itself, and in the outflowing brook and followed the seasonal and diurnal variation in CO2concentration as well as rain event‐driven changes in this natural‐state soil–lake–brook continuum in Southern Finland. Seasonal variation was greatest and concentrations highest deep in the soil and in the lake, but were also noticeable in the brook. On the other hand, diurnal variation was highest in shallow soil layers and the lake surface. In the brook, the influence of the riparian zone superseded that of the lake at less than 150 m distance, which resulted in wider variation and higher concentrations of CO2. After the rain event, the normal diurnal pattern was changed, and the CO2concentration in the soil increased as water filled the soil pores and slowed down the diffusion. Even though the water with lower CO2concentration from the lake diluted the CO2concentration in the brook, the input from the soil dominated the flow after the rain and concentrations increased. On an annual basis, the flow of terrestrial dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) into the aquatic ecosystem was 1–13% of terrestrial net ecosystem production (NEP).
"L'Atalante" and the Maturing of Jean Vigo
Authors: Baldwin David
Published: September 2012

How Vigo's delicately surreal humor managed to combine lyrical and grotesque elements in his second masterpiece.
The Critic as Consumer: Film Study in the University, "Vertigo", and the Film Canon
Authors: Wexman Virginia Wright
Published: September 2012

The recent rise of Hitchcock's film to canonical status signifies class interests at work in the tastes of film scholars.
Review: Can She Bake a Cherry Pie? by Henry Jaglom, M. H. Simonson
Authors: Hogue Peter
Published: September 2012

Henry Jaglom's offhand story of a contemporary romance is told with multiple time schemes and points of view that offer provocative complications.
Modernism Comes to the Cabbage Patch: Bill Forsyth and the "Scottish Cinema"
Authors: Malcomson Scott L.
Published: September 2012

The extremely funny films of Scotland's best director go off at a tangent from the problems of Scottish parochialism.
Development of Lithium-ion Batteries from Micro-Structured to Nanostructured Materials: Its Issues and Challenges
Authors: Kumar Harish , Rajan Sundar , Shukla Ashok K.
Published: September 2012

Lithium-ion batteries are the systems of choice, offering high energy density, flexibility, lightness in weight, design and longer lifespan than comparable battery technologies. A brief historical review is given of the development of Li-ion rechargeable batteries, highlighting the ongoing research strategies, and highlighting the challenges regarding synthesis, characterization, electrochemical performance and safety of these systems. This work is primarily focused on development of Li-ion batteries from micro-structured to nanostructured materials and some of the critical issues namely, electrode preparation, synthesis, and electrochemical characterization. The purpose of this review is to act as a reference for future work in this area.
A STRUCTURAL APPROACH TO INTEGRATING TOTAL QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT WITH SUPPLY CHAIN LEARNING
Authors: Loke Siew-Phaik , Downe Alan G. , Sambasivan Murali , Khalid Khalizani
Published: September 2012

The aim of this study is to integrate total quality management (TQM) and knowledge management (KM) into a unified framework to study supply chain learning among partnering firms. The impacts of TQM practices (e.g. leadership, strategic planning, customer focus, information analysis, people management and process management) and KM practices including KM process, leadership in KM, KM culture, KM technology and KM measurement on supply chain learning were examined. In this study, mail questionnaire have been sent to the managers consists of the Malaysian manufacturing and service firms. A total of 202 firms participated in this study. While greater level of TQM practices tends to enhance KM practices, we found that both TQM and KM are significantly positively related to supply chain learning. The findings of this study empirically tested and confirmed the proposed integrated model. It is hoped that findings from this paper can provide greater understanding in the areas of quality and knowledge management, and illustrate how these practices can enrich the supply chain learning among partnering firms.
Du handicap aux besoins éducatifs particuliers
Authors: Thomazet Serge
Published: September 2012

La loi du 11 février 2005 permet aux élèves reconnus handicapés d’accéder de droit à l’école ordinaire, en accordant cependant un statut spécial aux élèves « handicapés ». Ce statut particulier nous semble devoir être interrogé, car il conduit à maintenir dans l’école des catégories d’enfants, non pas en fonction de leurs besoins scolaires mais en fonction de l’origine supposée d’un déficit. À partir de quelques exemples, nous montrons la nécessité de repenser les catégorisations actuellement utilisées dans l’enseignement. La conséquence de cette analyse n’est pas d’abandonner toute catégorisation, mais, dans les limites du champ scolaire, de construire des catégories qui soient pertinentes à la fois du point de vue des besoins des élèves et de l’exercice du métier d’enseignant. Cette construction pourrait être un préalable à la nécessaire évolution de l’école pour qu’elle devienne enfin l’école pour tous.
Handicap et représentations sociales en afrique occidentale
Authors: Diop Idrissa
Published: September 2012

En Afrique occidentale, comme partout ailleurs, le handicap est présent. Les représentations sociales du handicap marquent profondément les comportements et entretiennent les mécanismes de l’exclusion des personnes victimes. Ces représentations sociales du handicap relèvent, certes, d’un particularisme culturel, mais semblent ancrées dans des invariants, tel le rejet de l’altérité. Elles ne laissent pas la place à un travail d’ajustement, d’acceptabilité, de participation sociale.
Apprendre à lire aux élèves avec une déficience intellectuelle
Authors: Cèbe Sylvie , Paour Jean-Louis
Published: September 2012

Cet article présente une revue de questions sur les capacités cognitives des élèves qui présentent une déficience intellectuelle, et leurs effets sur l’apprentissage de la lecture. Il recense les études les plus récentes portant sur les objectifs pédagogiques qu’il est possible de viser avec ces élèves et sur les pratiques les plus efficaces pour les atteindre. Il s’agit donc d’un article pluridisciplinaire qui allie les aspects psychologiques (cognitifs), pédagogiques et didactiques. Le point de vue défendu est essentiellement pragmatique et s’inscrit dans la revendication d’un domaine de recherche et de formation professionnelle capable d’intégrer les connaissances relatives à l’enseignement des savoirs disciplinaires avec celles des difficultés d’apprentissage associées aux déficits : spécialiser l’enseignement vs un enseignement spécial pour reprendre la distinction de K.A. Kavale et S.R. Forness (1999) dont la méta-analyse – ancienne mais toujours pertinente – démontre la supériorité de la première approche sur la seconde. Les études plus récentes portant sur l’enseignement spécialisé de la lecture, que nous recensons dans cet article, montrent combien il est décisif et pertinent de ne pas perdre de vue les contenus d’enseignement scolaires quand on exerce auprès d’élèves qui présentent une déficience intellectuelle.
L'épreuve du blanc
Authors: Étienne Bénédicte
Published: September 2012

Cet article, écrit depuis un point de vue praticien, tente de penser les conditions nécessaires pour favoriser l’inclusion d’élèves présentant des troubles importants des fonctions cognitives, avec pour objectif qu’ils puissent comprendre le travail du lecteur et profiter du travail mené des séances dans les classes ordinaires. Le propos montre comment un renforcement des stratégies métacognitives, à travers l’expérience de l’implicite à l’œuvre dans l’usage de la langue, notamment écrite, s’avère nécessaire si l’on souhaite que ces élèves aient accès à des textes littéraires.
Copyright and Ethical Issues in Emerging Models for the Digital Media Reporting of Sports News in Australia
Authors: Wyburn Mary
Published: September 2012

The chapter examines the copyright and ethical issues raised by emerging models for the digital media reporting of sports news in Australia. In particular, it explores the use by news organisations of a defence in copyright law that provides protection against an infringement action for the reporting of news and the use by sports organisations of journalist accreditation to limit, by way of contract, the uses made of copyright material generated at sports events. It briefly outlines some proposed responses to these issues, including amending copyright law or establishing an industry code of conduct for the accreditation of news organisations accessing and reporting on sports events in the digital media. These matters were raised in a 2009 Senate inquiry. The inquiry attracted submissions from international news organisations concerned that a more restricted access regime established by sports organisations in Australia might influence the terms negotiated in other countries. The conflicts arising in this industry sector are a small part of a much larger international landscape in which new digital communications technologies are offering greater business opportunities but at the same time challenging existing commercial relationships.
Exploiting P2P in New Media Distribution
Authors: Mansukhani Marcus , Ye He , Zhaoran Ma
Published: September 2012

P2P is currently the most contentious area of Interactive Digital Media on the Internet. It continues to grow in popularity at a phenomenal rate while media producers are seemingly stuck in a cycle of who needs to be prosecuted to prevent this form of piracy, and the majority feel that content should be paid for either to own or to rent with a Digital Rights Management time bomb. An alternative method of paying for the licence to download is presented by two self styled media futurists, and they conclude that it is easier for the industry to adapt to a market based on something that continues to feel like free rather than trying to enforce a model that is clearly not working at the moment and brands hundreds of millions of Internet users criminals. One proposal is that a US$5 monthly licence would produce an income of US$3 billion to the music industry. We explore how this could be extended to the digital media.
Motivation, Engagement and Learning through Digital Games
Authors: Iacovides Ioanna , Aczel James , Scanlon Eileen , Taylor Josie , Woods Will
Published: September 2012

Digital games can be powerful learning environments because they encourage active learning and participation within “affinity groups” (Gee, 2004). However, the use of games in formal educational environments is not always successful (O’Neil et al., 2005). There is a need to update existing theories of motivation and engagement in order to take recent game-related developments into account. Understanding the links between why people play games, what keeps them engaged in this process, and what they learn as a result could have a significant impact on how people value and use games for learning. This paper examines key research that relates to motivation, engagement, and informal learning through digital games, in order to highlight the need for empirical studies which examine the activities that occur in and around everyday gaming practice.
Optimal Thresholds of an Infinite Buffer Discrete-Time Two-Server System with Triadic Policy
Authors: Goswami Veena , Mund G. B.
Published: September 2012

This paper analyzes a discrete-time infinite-buffer Geo/Geo/2 queue, in which the number of servers can be adjusted depending on the number of customers in the system one at a time at arrival or at service completion epoch. Analytical closed-form solutions of the infinite-buffer Geo/Geo/2 queueing system operating under the triadic (0, Q N, M) policy are derived. The total expected cost function is developed to obtain the optimal operating (0, Q N, M) policy and the optimal service rate at minimum cost using direct search method. Some performance measures and sensitivity analysis have been presented.
Mapping the Critical Links between Supply Chain Evaluation System and Supply Chain Integration Sustainability
Authors: Radhakrishnan Abirami , David Dessa , Hales Douglas , Sridharan V. Sri
Published: September 2012

Supply Chain Integration is widely advocated as an important factor to attain superior supply chain performance. While firms are able to achieve integration, they find it hard to sustain integration. In this paper, the authors argue that to sustain integration partner firms must establish a formal system to evaluate supply chain-wide performance. The authors draw on theories from a number of management disciplines to map the critical links between supply chain evaluation capability and supply chain integration sustainability. The authors develop and test the research model by conducting an empirical study involving 102 firms. The results of the study show that supply chains can sustain integration by establishing a supply chain wide evaluation system.
Legal Issues to be Considered before Setting in Force Consumer-Centric Marketing Strategies within the European Union
Authors: Tzoulia Eleni
Published: September 2012

This chapter examines Consumer-Centric Marketing in the internal market from a legal standpoint. A legislative trend towards the protection of consumers’ rights and individuals’ privacy is witnessed in the European Union. Consumer-Centric Marketing, however, employs techniques that put consumers at a number of risks related to both their privacy and their economic freedom. The purpose of this chapter is to indicate the limits of legality pertaining to Consumer-Centric Marketing, when applied within the European Union. The chapter examines two forms of Consumer-Centric Marketing, i.e., the Cause-Related and the Relationship Marketing. It explains European legislation on the protection of personal data and all current developments in Unfair Competition law in Europe, and it presents the tactics that should be avoided by companies when implementing the above marketing methods, so as to prevent a possible ban on their advertising.
Do Market Orientation and Innovation Improve Organizational Performance?
Authors: Vieira Valter Afonso
Published: September 2012

The chapter goal is to test a theoretical model. This framework examines the associations among innovation, market orientation, management outcomes, and business performance. In terms of method, the authors used mega-analysis. Mega-analysis comprehends analysis of other meta-analyses. The data included 16 meta-analyses, which represent over 100,000 responses. The chapter produces four original values to literature. The first main conclusion is that it confirmed all hypotheses proposed. Hence, the theoretical model is empirically consistent. Second, the authors analyzed and compared the different effect-size that market orientation and innovation have over performance. They concluded that market orientation had a stronger effect over performance than innovation and business variables. Third, the authors found that innovation created significant variance on management outcomes. This result supports the notion that innovation has a key role in firm strategy. Fourth, firm investments on innovation and new product development affected firms’ performance and profits.
Bank-SME Relationships
Authors: Ioannou Myria , Mihai-Yiannaki Simona
Published: September 2012

The chapter synthesizes extant interdisciplinary literature, by putting together a combination of relationship management theories as well as banking, economics, and finance theories, and blends this with findings from an ethnographic research platform to discuss the critical variables in the development of Bank-SME relationships. In addition, the chapter considers the effect of the recent economic crisis on the Bank-SME relationship. It can be seen that few banks looked inside their relationship with their SME customers as a means of redressing the crisis’ effect and this has detrimental effects on their long-term performance. As a consequence, the chapter proposes recommendations so as to reduce the crisis negative impact. Moreover, it highlights that the new developments in the technological environment, i.e. social media, can be used to strengthen the Bank-SME relationship’s success and is especially pertinent in such times of financial duress as it can enhance the communication mode of the dyad.
Store Format Influence on Customer Perception of the Store Environment
Authors: Marques Susana Henriques , Santos Maria
Published: September 2012

This study compares client perceptions of the global in-store environment applied to different retail store formats. Literature has shown that certain store attributes are important strategic differentiation tools for grocery retailers. A retail atmosphere can lead to success or failure of a business. Previous studies have neglected the current trend to the coexistence of different retail formats, under different brands but within the same organization. In these cases, a multi-banner company needs to customize the atmosphere to its customers in order to gain attention. This research is about the influence of the store format on the servicescape of the grocery retail stores. A survey was conducted of 302 hyper and supermarket customers. A range of atmospherics variables were considered, including some less studied, such as temperature and cleanliness. The results show that all the dependent variables are sensitive to store format, except cleanliness.
Drivers of Socially Responsible Purchasing Behavior
Authors: Lee Min-Young , Wesley Scarlett C.
Published: September 2012

Retailers and companies increasingly employ corporate social responsibility (CSR) as a global management strategy. They are motivated to act in a socially responsive manner to their global customers not only to fulfill their ethical obligations as a social entity but also due to the marketing and financial benefits resulting from consumer responses to CSR initiatives. Therefore, many retailers develop or participate in CSR activities and hope their actions can be recognized by others. Further, CSR activities are more likely to be perceived and accepted by consumers who show ethical purchasing behavior while shopping. Ethical purchasing behavior or socially responsible purchasing behavior is formed by their beliefs and norms which are influenced significantly by the culture they belong to. This study examined the differences between two countries with opposite cultures (i.e., the U.S. and South Korea) by considering the drivers (i.e., perceived consumer effectiveness, awareness, collectivism) and a consequence (i.e., satisfaction) of ethical purchase behavior. The findings suggested that perceived consumer effectiveness and awareness are important drivers to generate consumers’ commitment to companies’ CSR initiatives in general and the effectiveness is stronger in Korea than in United States. Implications and limitations were discussed.
Inversion for basal friction coefficients with a two-dimensional flow line model using Tikhonov regularization
Authors: Konovalov Yuri V.
Published: September 2012

We present results of basal friction coefficient inversion. The inversion was performed by a 2D flow line model for one of the four fast flowing ice streams on the southern side of the Academy of Sciences Ice Cap in the Komsomolets Island, Severnaya Zemlya archipelago. The input data for the performance of both the forward and the inverse problems included synthetic aperture radar interferometry ice surface velocities, ice surface elevations and ice thicknesses obtained by airborne measurements (all were taken from Dowdeswell et al., 2002). Numerical experiments with: i) different sea level shifts; and ii) randomly perturbed friction coefficient have been carried out in the forward problem. The impact of sea level changes on vertical distribution of horizontal velocity and on shear stress distribution near the ice front has been investigated in experiments with different sea level shifts. The experiments with randomly perturbed friction coefficient have revealed that the modeled surface velocity is weakly sensitive to the perturbations and, therefore, the inverse problem should be considered ill posed. To mitigate ill posedness of the inverse problem, Tikhonov’s regularization was applied. The regularization parameter was determined from the relation of the discrepancy between observed and modeled velocities to the regularization parameter. The inversion was performed for both linear and non-linear sliding laws. The inverted spatial distributions of the basal friction coefficient are similar for both sliding laws. The similarity between these inverted distributions suggests that the changes in the friction coefficient are accompanied by appropriate water content variations at the glacier base.
Pantoprazole for the Treatment of Peptic Ulcer Bleeding and Prevention of Rebleeding
Authors: Van Rensburg Christo J. , Cheer Susan
Published: September 2012

Adding proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) to endoscopic therapy has become the mainstay of treatment for peptic ulcer bleeding, with current consensus guidelines recommending high-dose intravenous (IV) PPI therapy (IV bolus followed by continuous therapy). However, whether or not high-dose PPI therapy is more effective than low-dose PPI therapy is still debated. Furthermore, maintaining pH ≥ 4 appears to prevent mucosal bleeding in patients with acute stress ulcers; thus, stress ulcer prophylaxis with acid-suppressing therapy has been increasingly recommended in intensive care units (ICUs). This review evaluates the evidence for the efficacy of IV pantoprazole, a PPI, in preventing ulcer rebleeding after endoscopic hemostasis, and in controlling gastric pH and protecting against upper gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding in high-risk ICU patients. The review concludes that IV pantoprazole provides an effective option in the treatment of upper GI bleeding, the prevention of rebleeding, and for the prophylaxis of acute bleeding stress ulcers.
Review of the Treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome: Focus on Gabapentin Enacarbil
Authors: Burke Rachel A. , Faulkner Michele A.
Published: September 2012

The FDA approved gabapentin enacarbil in 2011 as the first non-dopaminergic agent for the treatment of restless legs syndrome (RLS) symptoms. Although gabapentin enacarbil is a pro-drug of gabapentin, its pharmacokinetics differ. Absorption of gabapentin enacarbil is more predictable, and inter-patient variability in bioavailability is lower than that of gabapentin. Studies have demonstrated superiority of gabapentin enacarbil compared to placebo. Comparisons to currently available RLS treatments are lacking, but clinical trials demonstrate comparable improvement in RLS symptoms to the dopamine agonists ropinirole and pramipexole, which are usually considered first-line therapy for daily RLS symptoms. Gabapentin enacarbil was well tolerated in clinical trials. The role of the drug in RLS treatment remains undefined, although it will likely be used as an alternative for refractory RLS when other treatments have failed. Additionally, gabapentin enacarbil may be recommended for patients with daily RLS symptoms that are less intense or are associated with pain as an alternative to dopamine agonists.
Comparative Genomics Approaches and Technologies
Authors: Smith Cassandra L. , Oh Herin , Stamenović Dimitrije
Published: September 2012

Comparative molecular approaches used DNA sequencing and less costly alternatives. Today new DNA sequencing methods are dramatically impacting comparative genomics studies and many old approaches are being adapted or enhanced by the ultra‐high‐throughput sequencing (UHTPS) methods. Even so, the expenses of the newer methods limits their access, while the older methods continue to be improved and applied widely. This article reviews comparative genomics approaches used today but does not review UHTPS methods. A subsequent article by us (Smith and Oh, in preparation) will focus on the impact of the new UHTPS methods on comparative genomics.
Mass Spectrometry of Long‐Lived RadionuclidesUpdate based on the original article by J.S. Becker,Encyclopedia of Analytical Chemistry, © 2000, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Authors: Sabine Becker Johanna , Dietze Hans‐Joachim
Published: September 2012

Inorganic mass spectrometric methods are powerful multielement analytical techniques for sensitive determination at the trace and ultratrace level, and for isotope ratio measurements in different materials (e.g. conducting, semiconducting, and nonconducting solid samples; technical, environmental, biological, geological, and water samples). An inorganic mass spectrometer consists of the following parts: the ion source for the evaporation, atomization and ionization of samples, the analyzer for the mass (and energy) separation of ion beams which are extracted from the ion source, and the ion detection system. The detection limits of solid‐state mass spectrometric techniques by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS), glow discharge mass spectrometry (GDMS), laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICPMS) for the direct analysis of solid samples were determined down to the subnanogram per gram level. Resonance ionization mass spectrometry (RIMS) and accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) are highly sensitive, selective ultrasensitive mass spectrometric techniques with detection limits up to 106atoms.

Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) has been applied as the most important and sensitive mass spectrometric technique with its multielement capability for the determination of long‐lived radionuclides in solid and aqueous samples, with detection limits at the subpicogram per liter range. Isotope ratios can be determined by ICPMS using single ion collectors and multicollectors with a precision of 0.02% and 0.006% relative standard deviation (RSD), respectively. This review discusses the most important inorganic mass spectrometric techniques and their application for the quantitative determination of long‐lived radionuclides in metals, alloys, and nonconductors, as well as in environmental, biological, and geological samples, and radioactive waste materials. The application of these methods to isotope ratio measurements is also discussed.
Methods for the Retrospective Detection of Exposure to Toxic Scheduled Chemicals: Analysis of Free Metabolites
Authors: Black Robin M. , Read Robert W , Noort Daan
Published: September 2012

In cases of investigations into alleged use of chemical warfare agents, biomedical samples such as urine or blood may be collected from casualties for forensic analysis. Analysis of biomedical samples may also be undertaken for diagnostic purposes, to ensure appropriate medical treatment, and for occupational exposure monitoring, e.g. in workers engaged in demilitarization activities. Metabolites excreted in urine, or circulating in the blood, provide unequivocal biological markers of exposure. Metabolic pathways have been identified for the blister agent sulfur mustard and organophosphorus nerve agents. Sensitive analytical methods have been developed for the major metabolites, based on gas or liquid chromatography combined with single stage or tandem mass spectrometry. Methods developed primarily for application in investigations of alleged use of chemical warfare agents have focused on achieving low levels of detection combined with high selectivity. A significant trend over the last decade has been the development of higher throughput methods, aimed primarily at homeland security applications, e.g. in the case of terrorist use.

Selected metabolites have been validated in cases of accidental or deliberate human exposure to sulfur mustard, and the nerve agents sarin and VX. Putative metabolites have been identified in animal studies for other nerve agents, nitrogen mustards, Lewisite and the incapacitant BZ. Phosgene and hydrogen cyanide have received much less attention with respect to retrospective identification of exposure in a chemical warfare context. Many analytical methods are available for metabolites of cyanide but significant background levels are present in the general population. A disadvantage of free metabolites is that they are relatively rapidly excreted. The window for identification following an exposure is estimated to be in the region of 14 days, depending on the severity of the exposure and the limit of detection of the analytical method. Covalent adducts with proteins and DNA may offer longer lived biomarkers of exposure.
Civil Commitment
Authors: West Sara , Friedman Susan Hatters , Shand John P.
Published: September 2012

Civil commitment is traditionally a process that involves the involuntary hospitalization of a mentally ill individual based on his or her risk of danger to self or others. It is a complicated topic in which both the medical and legal communities play a role, and subsequently, disparate theories have been developed. The psychiatric community emphasizes the importance of protecting the patient and others at a time when he or she may not be capable of appropriate decision making. The legal community stresses the necessity of maintaining the civil rights guaranteed to all, including the mentally ill. The process that sparked such interest in this topic occurred with the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill combined with a general movement toward the recognition of civil liberties. This complex interplay of law and psychiatry has led to the creation of various laws worldwide. These laws differ to some extent when applied to special groups, including minors, insanity acquittees, inmates, and sexual offenders.
Visible‐Light‐Harvesting Triphenylamine Ethynyl C60‐BODIPY Dyads as Heavy‐Atom‐Free Organic Triplet Photosensitizers for Triplet‐Triplet Annihilation Upconversion
Authors: Huang Dandan , Zhao Jianzhang , Wu Wanhua , Yi Xiuyu , Yang Pei , Ma Jie
Published: September 2012

C60‐boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyads (C‐1 and C‐2) were prepared as heavy‐atom‐free organic triplet photosensitizers for triplet‐triplet annihilation (TTA) based upconversion. BODIPY‐C≡C‐triphenylamine chromophores were used as the light‐harvesting antennas and C60 was used as the singlet energy acceptor and the spin convertor to facilitate the intersystem crossing (ISC) of the dyads from the singlet excited state to the triplet excited state. The C60 dyads strongly absorb visible light (molar extinction coefficients of up to 118800 M−1 cm−1 at 539 nm) and have a long‐lived triplet excited state (τT=32.3 μs). The photophysical properties of the C60‐dyads were studied with steady‐state and time‐resolved spectroscopy. Photoexcitation of the dyad with visible light produces firstly the singlet excited state of the antenna, then the singlet excited state of the C60 unit through intramolecular energy transfer. In turn, the triplet excited state of the C60 unit will be populated because of the intrinsic ISC property of C60. As a proof of concept, the dyads were used as heavy‐atom‐free organic triplet photosensitizers for TTA‐based upconversion.
Dark matter particles in the galactic halo: DAMA/LIBRA results and perspectives
Authors: Bernabei R.
Published: September 2012

Most of the Universe is Dark and a large fraction of it should be made of relic particles; many possibilities are open on their nature and interaction types. Thus, their investigation is an outstanding issue in the field; for this purpose experiments offering a model independent signature for the presence of Dark Matter (DM) particles in the Galactic halo are mandatory. In this paper the DAMA/LIBRA results are described. In particular, the DAMA/LIBRA experiment is mainly devoted to the investigation of DM particles in the Galactic halo by exploiting the model independent DM annual modulation signature. The present DAMA/LIBRA and the former DAMA/NaI (exposed masses: ≈︁ 250 kg and ≈︁ 100 kg of highly radiopure NaI(Tl), respectively) experiments have released so far a total exposure of 1.17 ton × yr collected over 13 annual cycles; they provide a model independent evidence of the presence of DM particles in the galactic halo at 8.9 σ C.L.. Future perspectives are mentioned.
Surface modification of plasmonic nanostructured materials with thiolated oligonucleotides in 10 seconds using selective microwave heating
Authors: Abel B. , Aslan K.
Published: September 2012

This study demonstrates the proof‐of‐principle of rapid surface modification of plasmonic nanostructured materials with oligonucleotides using low power microwave heating. Due to their interesting optical and electronic properties, silver nanoparticle films (SNFs, 2 nm thick) deposited onto glass slides were used as the model plasmonic nanostructured materials. Rapid surface modification of SNFs with oligonucleotides was carried out using two strategies (1) Strategy 1: for ss‐oligonucleotides, surface hybridization and (2) Strategy 2: for ds‐oligonucleotides, solution hybridization), where the samples were exposed to 10, 15, 30 and 60 seconds microwave heating. To assess the efficacy of our new rapid surface modification technique, identical experiments carried out without the microwave heating (i.e., conventional method), which requires 24 hours for the completion of the identical steps. It was found that SNFs can be modified with ss‐ and ds‐oligonucleotides in 10 seconds, which typically requires several hours of incubation time for the chemisorption of thiol groups on to the planar metal surface using conventional techniques.
Rheological characterization of mechanical properties of chemically crosslinked microspheres
Authors: Nguyen Van Nga , Huang Nicolas , Grossiord Jean‐Louis , Moine Laurence , Agnely Florence , Vauthier Christine
Published: September 2012

This work presents a rheological method to characterize degradation of microspheres made of chemically crosslinked hydrogels. Conditions to measure rheological properties of microspheres, remaining as individual microspheres during measurement, were established. Relevant and reproducible measurements could be obtained with a rheometer equipped with a parallel plate geometry in which a homogenous and continuous monolayer of microspheres was inserted in a gap between the plates. The storage modulus of microspheres was determined under an imposed strain of 0.04% with an oscillatory measurement mode at various frequencies. The microspheres showed almost purely elastic behavior while their storage modulus was affected by the degree of crosslinking. In the second part of the work, the rheological method was applied to investigate the degradation of microspheres made of a hydrolyzable crosslinked hydrogel. The method was found suitable by measuring the storage modulus over time. A good correlation was identified between acidification of the incubation medium because of the release of degradation products and the decrease of the storage modulus of the microspheres indicating a reduction in the crosslinking of the hydrogel resulting from the degradation process. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
Fault Estimation for Nonlinear Networked Systems with Time‐Varying Delay and Random Packet Dropout
Authors: Jiang Shun , Fang Huajing
Published: September 2012

In this paper, the fault estimation problem is studied for a class of nonlinear networked control systems with imperfect measurements. A novel measurement model is proposed to take time‐varying delays, random packet dropouts, and the packet‐dropout compensation into consideration simultaneously. After properly augmenting the states of the original system and the fault estimation filter, the addressed fault estimation problem is converted into an auxiliary H∞ filtering problem for a stochastic parameter system. In terms of matrix inequalities, a sufficient condition for the existence of the fault estimation filter is derived that depends on the packet dropout rate, the upper and lower bounds of time delays, and the size of the consecutive packet dropouts. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
DNA Metalating–Intercalating Hybrid Agents for the Treatment of Chemoresistant Cancers
Authors: Suryadi Jimmy , Bierbach Ulrich
Published: September 2012

Nonclassical platinum‐based antitumor agents have shown enormous potential in the treatment of chemoresistant cancers. The design of these agents is based on the hypothesis that platinum‐containing pharmacophores that react with nuclear DNA in cancer cells radically differently than the clinical agent cisplatin will produce a unique spectrum of biological activity. One such class of molecules are platinum–acridine hybrid agents derived from the prototypical complex [PtCl(en)(ACRAMTU)](NO3)2, en=ethane‐1,2‐diamine, ACRAMTU=1‐[2‐(acridin‐9‐ylamino)ethyl]‐1,3‐dimethylthiourea (“PT–ACRAMTU”). This article summarizes milestones in the development of these agents and reviews critical key concepts that have guided their design and that of related compounds.
Novel Bisthienylethene Containing Ferrocenyl‐Substituted Naphthalimide: A Photo‐ and Redox Multi‐Addressable Molecular Switch
Authors: Zhu Weihong , Song Liwen , Yang Yuheng , Tian He
Published: September 2012

A new photochromic bisthienylethene system (BTENAFc) is reported in which the ferrocene unit (Fc) is incorporated into a naphthalimide chromophore as the central ethene bridging unit. The incorporated Fc unit in the photochromic system of BTENAFc has several effects on optical properties, such as fluorescence‐modulation through photoinduced electron transfer (PET), a decrease in the photochromic cyclization quantum yield, and a selective two‐step oxidation process. The ability to drive ring‐opening and ring‐closing reactions with a secondary redox‐modulation provides increased functionality to the photochromic system. Based on these meaningful photo‐ and redox‐modulation properties, five unprecedented multi‐addressable states (BTENAFc, BTENAFc+, c‐BTENAFc, c‐BTENAFc+, and BTE+NAFc+) and gated photochromism are successfully obtained within the unimolecular BTE platform, thus providing deeper insight into photochromic systems as multifunctional outputs.
Weighting in the regression analysis of survey data with a cross‐national application
Authors: Skinner Chris , Mason Ben
Published: September 2012

A class of survey weighting methods provides consistent estimation of regression coefficients under unequal probability sampling. The minimization of the variance of the estimated coefficients within this class is considered. A series of approximations leads to a simple modification of the usual design weight. One type of application where unequal probabilities of selection arise is in cross‐national comparative surveys. In this case, our argument suggests the use of a certain kind of within‐country weight. We investigate this idea in an application to data from the European Social Survey, where we fit a logistic regression model with vote in an election as the dependent variable and with various variables of political science interest included as explanatory variables. We show that the use of the modified weights leads to a considerable reduction in standard errors compared to design weighting. The Canadian Journal of Statistics 40: 697–711; 2012 © 2012 Statistical Society of Canada