bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Managerial technologies and power relations: a study of theAustralian waterfront
Authors: Gekara Victor Oyaro , Fairbrother Peter
Published: March 2013

In recent times, the modern port has been characterised by rapid changes in work technologies and the consolidation of logistics functions. These changes signify an important recomposition of the port labour process and raise questions about the strategic location of frontline manual jobs. This research examines how these changes have played out in theAustralian ports industry, developing the argument that a depersonalised managerial form of control is emerging with potentially challenging consequences for worker solidarity and collective organisation. The argument is that relations between port management and workers have changed significantly, with a reconfiguration of job roles, skill compositions and thus workplace power relations. It is informed by qualitative research at twoAustralian ports, exploring the organisation of work and the impact of recent technologies.
Firm Recruitment Behaviour: Sequential or Non‐sequential Search?
Authors: Ommeren Jos van , Russo Giovanni
Published: March 2013

In the extensive job search literature, studies assume either sequential or non‐sequential search. This article introduces a novel method to test the hypothesis that firms search sequentially based on the relationship between the number of rejected job applicants and the number of filled vacancies. We distinguish between ten different search methods. For most search methods, including methods that rely on social networks and temporary help agencies, we find that sequential search cannot be rejected. However, when firms use advertising or public/private employment agencies, sequential search is rejected. Hence, we find that both forms of search are relevant for our understanding of the labour market. Further, the form of search is closely related to the search method used.
Crude oil discovery and exploitation: the bane of manufacturing sector development in an oil‐rich country, Nigeria
Authors: Edo Samson E.
Published: March 2013

This paper investigates the impact of crude oil boom on the economy of Nigeria particularly the manufacturing sector. In the study, a descriptive analysis of the three major sectors of the economy is undertaken followed by the formulation of a vector autoregression model depicting the relationship existing among the sectors—resource, manufacturing and service. The model was subsequently estimated using appropriate techniques such as unit root test, cointegration test, causality test, variance decomposition and parametric estimation. The unit root and cointegration tests reveal that the data series employed are reliable and the three sectors are most likely to converge in the long run, which augurs well for policy making. The causality test, variance decomposition and parametric estimation reveal that the oil boom led to significant stagnation in the manufacturing sector and a marginal decline in the service sector. The growth of manufacturing sector of Nigeria has thus been severely impaired by the oil boom. In light of this, adequate policy measures need to be taken to resuscitate the manufacturing sector. These measures may include attracting more foreign investment, reducing operating cost in the sector, developing local sources of raw materials, and allocation of more funds from the crude oil revenue to assist the sector. These policy measures may not only resuscitate the manufacturing sector, they would also accelerate growth of the economy as a whole.
Implementation of a transfusion algorithm to reduce blood product utilization in pediatric cardiac surgery
Authors: Whitney Gina , Daves Suanne , Hughes Alex , Watkins Scott , Woods Marcella , Kreger Michael , Marincola Paula , Chocron Isaac , Donahue Brian
Published: March 2013

Aim

The goal of this project is to measure the impact of standardization of transfusion practice on blood product utilization and postoperative bleeding in pediatric cardiac surgery patients.

Background

Transfusion is common following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) in children and is associated with increased mortality, infection, and duration of mechanical ventilation. Transfusion in pediatric cardiac surgery is often based on clinical judgment rather than objective data. Although objective transfusion algorithms have demonstrated efficacy for reducing transfusion in adult cardiac surgery, such algorithms have not been applied in the pediatric setting.

Methods

This quality improvement effort was designed to reduce blood product utilization in pediatric cardiac surgery using a blood product transfusion algorithm. We implemented an evidence‐based transfusion protocol in January 2011 and monitored the impact of this algorithm on blood product utilization, chest tube output during the first 12 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission, and predischarge mortality.

Results

When compared with the 12 months preceding implementation, blood utilization per case in the operating room odds ratio (OR) for the 11 months following implementation decreased by 66% for red cells (P = 0.001) and 86% for cryoprecipitate (P < 0.001). Blood utilization during the first 12 h of ICU did not increase during this time and actually decreased 56% for plasma (P = 0.006) and 41% for red cells (P = 0.031), indicating that the decrease in OR transfusion did not shift the transfusion burden to the ICU. Postoperative bleeding, as measured by chest tube output in the first 12 ICU hours, did not increase following implementation of the algorithm. Monthly surgical volume did not change significantly following implementation of the algorithm (P = 0.477). In a logistic regression model for predischarge mortality among the nontransplant patients, after accounting for surgical severity and duration of CPB, use of the transfusion algorithm was associated with a 0.247 relative risk of mortality (P = 0.013).

Conclusions

These results indicate that introduction of an objective transfusion algorithm in pediatric cardiac surgery significantly reduces perioperative blood product utilization and mortality, without increasing postoperative chest tube losses.
Cerebrovascular autoregulation in pediatric moyamoya disease
Authors: Lee Jennifer K. , Williams Monica , Jennings Jacky M. , Jamrogowicz Jessica L. , Larson Abby C. , Jordan Lori C. , Heitmiller Eugenie S. , Hogue Charles W. , Ahn Edward S.
Published: March 2013

Background

Moyamoya syndrome carries a high risk of cerebral ischemia, and impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation may play a critical role. Autoregulation indices derived from near‐infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) may clarify hemodynamic goals that conform to the limits of autoregulation.

Objectives

The aims of this pilot study were to determine whether the NIRS‐derived indices could identify blood pressure ranges that optimize autoregulation and whether autoregulatory function differs between anatomic sides in patients with unilateral vasculopathy.

Methods

Pediatric patients undergoing indirect surgical revascularization for moyamoya were enrolled sequentially. NIRS‐derived autoregulation indices, the cerebral oximetry index (COx) and the hemoglobin volume index (HVx), were calculated intraoperatively and postoperatively to measure autoregulatory function. The 5‐mmHg ranges of optimal mean arterial blood pressure (MAPOPT) with best autoregulation and the lower limit of autoregulation (LLA) were identified.

Results

Of seven enrolled patients (aged 2–16 years), six had intraoperative and postoperative autoregulation monitoring and one had only intraoperative monitoring. Intraoperative MAPOPT was identified in six (86%) of seven patients with median values of 60–80 mmHg. Intraoperative LLA was identified in three (43%) patients with median values of 55–65 mmHg. Postoperative MAPOPT was identified in six (100%) of six patients with median values of 70–90 mmHg. Patients with unilateral disease had higher intraoperative HVx (P = 0.012) on side vasculopathy.

Conclusions

NIRS‐derived indices may identify hemodynamic goals that optimize autoregulation in pediatric moyamoya.
Long‐term Follow‐up of Cervical Facet Medial Branch Radiofrequency Treatment With the Single Posterior‐lateral Approach: An Exploratory Study
Authors: van Eerd Maarten , de Meij Nelleke , Dortangs Erik , Kessels Alfons , van Zundert Jan , Lataster Arno , Patijn Jacob , van Kleef Maarten
Published: March 2013

Background

Over 50% of patients presenting to pain clinic with neck pain have the cervical facet joints as the source of pain. Radiofrequency (RF) treatment of the medial branch, innervating the facet joint, is a therapeutic option. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the therapeutic effect and its duration of RF treatment, using the single posterior‐lateral approach in patients suffering from facet joint degeneration and to identify predictors for a long‐term effect.

Methods

Of the 130 consecutive patients with axial neck pain referred to the University Pain Center Maastricht, 67 fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The therapeutic effect was measured using the Patients' Global Impression of Change (PGIC) scale. Retrospective data were made complete using newly collected PGIC follow‐up data. A Kaplan–Meier curve evaluated the long‐term therapeutic effect. Possible predictors of outcome were evaluated.

Results

Two patients refused to participate and in the remaining 65 patients, overall pain relief was reported in 55.4% at 2‐month follow‐up. Moderately, important change of improvement and substantial change of improvement were seen in 50.8% of patients. At 3‐year follow‐up, 30% still reported pain reduction. Spinal treatment level was the only predictor found.

Conclusions

Radiofrequency treatment of the cervical facet joints using a single posterior‐lateral approach is a promising technique in patients with chronic neck pain due to facet degeneration. The short‐term and long‐term therapeutic effects of this intervention justify a randomized controlled trial to estimate the efficacy of cervical facet joint RF treatment in a chronic neck pain population.
Molecular evidence for phytosiderophore‐induced improvement of iron nutrition of peanut intercropped with maize in calcareous soil
Authors: XIONG HONGCHUN , KAKEI YUSUKE , KOBAYASHI TAKANORI , GUO XIAOTONG , NAKAZONO MIKIO , TAKAHASHI HIROKAZU , NAKANISHI HIROMI , SHEN HONGYUN , ZHANG FUSUO , NISHIZAWA NAOKO K. , ZUO YUANMEI
Published: March 2013

Peanut/maize intercropping is a sustainable and effective agroecosystem that evidently enhances the Fe nutrition of peanuts in calcareous soils. So far, the mechanism involved in this process has not been elucidated. In this study, we unravel the effects of phytosiderophores in improving Fe nutrition of intercropped peanuts in peanut/maize intercropping. The maize ys3 mutant, which cannot release phytosiderophores, did not improve Fe nutrition of peanut, whereas the maize ys1 mutant, which can release phytosiderophores, prevented Fe deficiency, indicating an important role of phytosiderophores in improving the Fe nutrition of intercropped peanut. Hydroponic experiments were performed to simplify the intercropping system, which revealed that phytosiderophores released by Fe‐deficient wheat promoted Fe acquisition in nearby peanuts and thus improved their Fe nutrition. Moreover, the phytosiderophore deoxymugineic acid (DMA) was detected in the roots of intercropped peanuts. The yellow stripe1‐like (YSL) family of genes, which are homologous to maize yellow stripe 1 (ZmYS1), were identified in peanut roots. Further characterization indicated that among five AhYSL genes, AhYSL1, which was localized in the epidermis of peanut roots, transported Fe(III)–DMA. These results imply that in alkaline soil, Fe(III)–DMA dissolved by maize might be absorbed directly by neighbouring peanuts in the peanut/maize intercropping system.
Pediatric post‐transplant metabolic syndrome: New clouds on the horizon
Authors: Nobili Valerio , de Ville de Goyet Jean
Published: March 2013

Liver transplantation (LT) is a standard treatment for children with end‐stage liver disease, standing at more than 90% survival rate after one yr, and at over a 70% survival rate after five yr. The majority of transplanted children enjoy an excellent quality of life but complications can occur in the long term, and can develop subclinically in otherwise well children; there are various underestimated nutritional and metabolic aspects, including the so‐called post‐transplant metabolic syndrome (PTMS). During the post‐transplant period, the use of immunosuppressants, corticosteroids, calcineurin inhibitors, and the presence of risk factors, including non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and kidney and bone complications have been largely implicated in PTMS development. Strategies to reduce the progression of PMTS should include careful screening of patients for diabetes, dyslipidemia, and obesity, and to support weight reduction with a carefully constructed program, particularly based on diet modification and exercise. With early identification and appropriate and aggressive management, excellent long‐term health outcomes and acceptable graft survival can be achieved.
Testosterone Influences Water Transport in Porcine Granulosa Cells
Authors: Grzesiak M , Williams L , Luck MR
Published: March 2013

Contents

The development of antral ovarian follicles entails fluid accumulation, but the mechanisms regulating water flux are unknown. Aquaporins are small, integral membrane proteins facilitating passive movement of water, some of which are known to be regulated by steroid hormones. The aim of this study was to determine whether testosterone (T) influences water transport in porcine granulosa cells. To assess water movement, the swelling of granulosa cells when moved from isotonic (319 mOsm) to hypotonic (95 mOsm) medium was measured after 12‐hour pre‐incubation in the presence of either testosterone (T), the antiandrogen 2‐hydroxyflutamide (HF) or HF and T together. Pre‐incubation with T increased the swelling of granulosa cells (p < 0.01) and this was abolished by HF (p < 0.001). Neither T nor HF affected cells in isotonic medium (319 mOsm). The results indicate that T acting via intracellular androgen receptors increases water permeability of porcine granulosa cells, probably through the regulation of aquaporin activity.
Religion and the American Landscape
Authors: Pasquier Michael
Published: March 2013

The visual representation of religion in the American landscape is practically everywhere. From the rural countryside to the urban enclave and from the colonial period to the present, inhabitants of what would become the United States have modified the natural landscape to reflect their religious perspectives in a changing world. Churches, temples, schools, monuments, roadside shrines, cemeteries—these are all things we observe in the landscape that physically and visually mark a place as religious and provide us with cues for further exploration of the religious people behind the objects, past and present. Though lacking a coherent disciplinary field, the study of America’s religious landscape brings together scholars from history, geography, philosophy, and architecture to identify how religion both alters and is altered by the natural and built environment throughout American history. Taken together, the three interrelated themes of “nature,”“structure,” and “memory” speak to the manifest ways in which religious adherents have invested meaning in the natural landscape and constructed sacred sites upon that same landscape.
Understanding the Demonologies of the Dead Sea Scrolls: Accomplishments and Directions for the Future
Authors: Reynolds Bennie H.
Published: March 2013

This essay examines scholarship on the demonology of the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS). It places a special focus on how the notions of evil spirits found in the Book of Watchers (1 Enoch 1–36) were adopted, adapted, and reconfigured in various ways in the scrolls. Concepts crucial to many groups within Second Temple Judaism (impurity, dualism, apocalypticism, and monotheism) functioned to influence how the evolving concept of demonic beings was received and deployed in Hellenistic Jewish thought. The DSS provide the largest and most significant data set for analyzing these developments. The essay concludes by suggesting a critical methodological issue for future research on Jewish demonology.
‘Mapping a Field: Forms of Hindu Religiosity in Malaysia and Singapore’
Authors: Sinha Vineeta
Published: March 2013

This short paper surveys the scholarship on Hinduism as a dynamic, ‘living’ religious tradition in two nation‐states in contemporary Southeast Asia, i.e., Malaysia and Singapore. Since the early decades of the 20th century, archaeologists and historians have expressed enthusiastic curiosity about longer‐term historical interactions between India and parts of Southeast Asia, in particular the question of how to account for the presence of ‘Indic traces’ in these regions. The various debates about the modes and methods through which Hindu and Buddhist elements ‘originally’ interfaced with and were embedded in Southeast Asian civilizational contexts continue to engage scholars. In contrast, relatively less scholarly effort has been directed at theorizing contemporary manifestations of Hinduism in Southeast Asian regions. Although the field is a marginal one, there is a body of scholarship that has documented the religious landscape of Hindu communities in some Southeast Asian regions. I begin with a general observation and a crucial starting point for this paper: that Hinduism as a practiced religion is vigorously sustained in, and has a legitimate and legal presence within broadly secular, state frameworks of Singapore and Malaysia. Certainly, there are important differences in the ways that Hindu communities negotiate these socio‐cultural and political landscapes, yet I argue that a common discussion is possible and allows me to abstract shared trends as well as highlight divergences in the religious landscape of these two Hindu communities.
The best way possible! A fieldwork study outlining expectations and needs for nursing of patients in endoscopy facilities for short‐term stay
Authors: Bundgaard Karin , Nielsen Karl Brian , Sørensen Erik Elgaard , Delmar Charlotte
Published: March 2013

This paper is a descriptive study of nursing in facilities for short‐term stay, aiming to outline the expectations and needs for nursing of patients undergoing gastroscopy in outpatient endoscopy clinics. Existing research finds it important to meet patients' expectations and needs for help to get through a procedure in the best and safest way possible. Despite recent years' focus on patient expectations, little attention has been paid to understanding the patients' distinct expectations and needs for nursing in the context of facilities for short‐term stay. A fieldwork study influenced by practical ethnographic principles was performed in high‐technology endoscopy outpatient clinics during 2008 – 2010. Data were collected using triangulation of participant observation for 12 weeks including participant reports and semi‐structured interviews with eight patients and four nurses. The expectations and needs for nursing of patients undergoing gastroscopy were related to two main areas, summarized by the categories: ‘Nervousness and anxiety’ and ‘Maintaining control’. The former concerned how patients managed their nervousness and anxiety and was described differently in terms of ‘Getting it over with’, ‘The meaning of words’ and ‘Taking precautions’. The latter ‘Maintaining control’ concerned how patients in different ways managed to maintain control over their situation and was described in terms of ‘Being informed’, ‘Others are in the same “boat”’ and ‘Being proactive’. The study concludes that nervousness and anxiety are expressed differently in patients undergoing gastroscopy and that patients have individual ways of claiming their right to elements of control over the situation and the course of gastroscopy. In order for nursing in endoscopy settings to be tailored to the individual patient, it must be adapted to the individual patient's ways of managing nervousness and anxiety as well as ways of claiming control.
The 14bp‐deletion allele in the HLA‐G gene confers susceptibility to the development of hepatocellular carcinoma in the Brazilian population
Authors: Teixeira A. C. , Mendes‐Junior C. T. , Souza F. F. , Marano L. A. , Deghaide N. H. S. , Ferreira S. C. , Mente Ê. D. , Sankarankutty A. K. , Elias‐Junior J. , Castro‐e‐Silva O. , Donadi E. A. , Martinelli A. L. C.
Published: March 2013

Human leukocyte antigen‐G (HLA‐G) is a nonclassical HLA class I molecule involved in tumor escape mechanisms. Considering that the HLA‐G 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism is located at the 3′ untranslated region (3′UTR) in exon 8, and since it has been associated with the magnitude of HLA‐G production, we studied the association of 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism with the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 109 HCC patients followed at the University Hospital, Faculty of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil, and 202 healthy controls from the same geographic area were genotyped for the 14bp insertion/deletion polymorphism using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Compared to controls, the frequency of the 14bp deletion allele was overrepresented in HCC patients (65% versus 56%, respectively, P = 0.0326). The 14bp deletion conferred an odds ratio (OR) of 1.46 [95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04–2.05]. Similarly, the deletion/deletion genotype was marginally overrepresented in HCC patients (45% versus 35% in controls, P = 0.0871), conferring an OR of 1.54 (95% CI: 0.96–2.48). The frequencies of the deletion/insertion or insertion/insertion genotypes observed in patients were not statistically different from those observed in controls (P > 0.05). Our results suggest that the 14bp‐deletion allele in HLA‐G gene is associated with HCC susceptibility in a Brazilian population.
Risk factors for recurrence of invasive fungal infection during secondary antifungal prophylaxis in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients
Authors: Liu F. , Wu T. , Wang J.B. , Cao X.Y. , Yin Y.M. , Zhao Y.L. , Lu D.P.
Published: March 2013

Background

Invasive fungal infections (IFIs) are a major cause of mortality among allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo‐HSCT) patients. Thanks to the widespread use of secondary antifungal prophylaxis (SAP), a history of IFI is not an absolute contraindication to allo‐HSCT. However, IFI recurrence remains a risk factor for transplant‐related mortality.

Methods

To evaluate the risk factors for IFI recurrence in allo‐HSCT patients receiving SAP, we performed a retrospective analysis of 90 individuals treated at our hospital. SAP antifungal agents included fluconazole (n = 28), voriconazole (n = 25), itraconazole (n = 23), caspofungin (n = 7), and micafungin (n = 7).

Results

By day +100, recurrent IFI had occurred in 23 (25.5%) patients. Our multivariate analysis identified 4 factors significantly associated with a risk of IFI recurrence within 100 days of allo‐HSCT: duration of neutropenia >18 days, presence of severe acute graft‐versus‐host disease (aGVHD), <70‐day interval between previous infection and transplantation, and use of a narrow‐spectrum SAP agent (P = 0.008, 0.010, 0.041, and 0.001, respectively). Of the 87 patients who remained in the study for the duration of the follow‐up period (median length: 551 days), 26 (29.9%) died; only 7 (8.0%) of these deaths resulted from a severe fungal infection.

Conclusion

These results suggest that transplantation outcome can be improved by adequate antifungal treatment before transplantation, better prevention of, and therapy for, severe aGVHD, use of granulocyte colony‐stimulating factor to reduce the duration of neutropenia, and use of broad‐spectrum prophylaxis agents.
Street‐naming, tourism development and cultural conflict: the case of the Old City of Acre/Akko/Akka
Authors: Shoval Noam
Published: March 2013

Extensive research has been conducted on place names because they are one of the most significant markers of the intimate relationship between people and territory. Several studies on street names have already noted the use of place names as a form of symbolic capital in order to create and sell place distinctions for the purposes of prestige and profit. The literature, however, has not yet adequately addressed a different motivation in place‐naming: the promotion of places for the purpose of tourism development. Furthermore, research in this field has yet to examine the ways in which local residents interpret and contest official street names with their own oral system of naming, focusing instead on the process of selecting and affixing place names and the cultural conflicts that arise from these political decisions. This article explores place‐naming in the Old City of Acre (Israel) in light of tourism development processes, focusing not only on the motivations for the naming but also on the responses of local residents to the naming and to the struggle on the symbolic identity of the city that develop as a result. The first section of the article examines the historical process of bestowing official street names in the Old City of Acre as well as the existing system of place names used by the local Arab inhabitants of the Old City. The article's second section studies the reactions and attitudes of the local population in the Old City to the relatively recent initiative of the Acre Development Company to assign official street names, chosen in the past, to the streets and alleys of the Old City.
How do Cross‐Border Mergers and Acquisitions Answer to Deregulation in Services?
Authors: Boudier Fabienne , Lochard Julie
Published: March 2013

Whereas competition in the manufacturing sector was progressively ensured beginning with the end of the Second World War, services have been progressively opened to international competition only since the late 1980s and are still among the most regulated sectors in OECD countries. In this paper, we analyse the impact of deregulation in that sector on cross‐border mergers and acquisitions (M&As) in services. We find that deregulation favours inward M&As in services. This positive effect occurs through two channels: a reduction in entry costs and an increase in investment opportunities. On the other hand, deregulation has an ambiguous impact on outward M&As that depends on the initial level of regulation in the acquiring country. In particular,we provide some evidence of a U‐shaped relationship between deregulation and outward M&As in the service sector. In countries that are initially highly deregulated,deregulation fosters outward M&As. Conversely, in situations in which government control is large, privatisation and deregulation are likely to reduce the incentive for firms to engage in cross‐border M&A deals.
The performance of numerical odour assessment for the prediction of odour complaints from wastewater treatment works
Authors: Bull Michael A. , Fromant Emma L.
Published: March 2013

Numerical odour standards are often used in conjunction with dispersion modelling to assess the acceptability of the odour environment around wastewater treatment works (WWTWs). However, the odour standards applied are based on very limited research, and there is very little information available regarding how well these standards work in practice. This paper describes the results of a study examining the relationship between odour modelling results and reported complaints around 15 WWTWs in the United Kingdom. Predicted odour concentrations around each of the works were calculated using industry standard odour emission rates. Records of reported odour complaints were obtained from the relevant local authority environmental health department. The study found that odour modelling results did not correlate well with the location of the reported complaints and that in most cases, odour modelling underestimated the area from which complaints would be received.
University student and K-12 teacher reasoning about the basic tenets of kinetic-molecular theory, Part I: Volume of an ideal gas
Authors: Robertson Amy D. , Shaffer Peter S.
Published: March 2013

This article reports on a long-term investigation of student and teacher reasoning about the basic tenets of kinetic-molecular theory as they relate to the concept of volume. This research grew out of the finding that university-level students and practicing K-12 teachers often treat the volume of a gas as different from that of its enclosing container. We examined the extent to which this tendency might be associated with incorrect reasoning about the motions of the particles in the gas. The results suggest that teachers and students often justify incorrect answers about the volume of a gas with incorrect statements about the motion of gas particles.
A missing magnetic energy paradox
Authors: Grosse Constantino
Published: March 2013

While the interaction forces between two electric and two magnetic dipoles are formally identical, their interaction energies differ because in addition to mechanical work, the magnetic energy includes the electrical work needed to keep the dipole moments unaltered. This energy difference appears to contradict a calculation based on the integrals of the squares of the electric and magnetic fields since the electric and magnetic dipole fields have precisely the same geometry.
Underwater noise of small personal watercraft (jet skis)
Authors: Erbe Christine
Published: March 2013

Personal watercraft (water scooters, jet skis) were recorded under water in Bramble Bay, Queensland, Australia. Underwater noise emissions consisted of broadband energy between 100 Hz and 10 kHz due to the vibrating bubble cloud generated by the jet stream, overlain with frequency-modulated tonals corresponding to impeller blade rates and harmonics. Broadband monopole source levels were 149, 137, and 122 dB re 1 μPa @ 1 m (5th, 50th, and 95th percentiles). Even though these are lower than those of small propeller-driven boats, it is not necessarily the broadband source level that correlates with the bioacoustic impact on marine fauna.
Effect of high-intensity interval exercise on basal triglyceride metabolism in non-obese men
Authors: Bellou Elena , Magkos Faidon , Kouka Tonia , Bouchalaki Eirini , Sklaveniti Dimitra , Maraki Maria , Tsekouras Yiannis E. , Panagiotakos Demosthenes B. , Kavouras Stavros A. , Sidossis Labros S.
Published: March 2013

A single bout of high-intensity interval aerobic exercise has been shown to produce the same or greater metabolic benefits as continuous endurance exercise with considerably less energy expenditure, but whether this applies to very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) metabolism is not known. We sought to examine the effect of a single bout of high-intensity interval aerobic exercise on basal VLDL-triglyceride (TG) kinetics 14 and 48 h after exercise cessation to determine the acute and time-dependent effects of this type of exercise on VLDL-TG metabolism. Eight healthy sedentary men (age, 23.6 ± 6.1 years; body mass index, 23.1 ± 2.2 kg·m−2, peak oxygen consumption (V̇O2peak), 36.3 ± 5.5 mL·kg−1·min−1) participated in three stable isotopically labeled tracer infusion studies: (i) 14 h and (ii) 48 h after a single bout of high-intensity aerobic interval exercise (60% and 90% of V̇O2peakin 4 min intervals for a total of 32 min; gross energy expenditure ∼500 kcal) and (iii) after an equivalent period of rest, in random order. Fasting plasma VLDL-TG concentration was 20% lower at 14 h (P = 0.046) but not at 48 h (P = 1.000) after exercise compared with the resting trial. VLDL-TG plasma clearance rate increased by 21% at 14 h (P < 0.001) but not at 48 h (P = 0.299) after exercise compared with rest, whereas hepatic VLDL-TG secretion rate was not different from rest at any time point after exercise. We conclude that high-intensity interval exercise reduces fasting plasma VLDL-TG concentrations in non-obese men the next day by augmenting VLDL-TG clearance, just like a single bout of continuous endurance exercise. This effect is short-lived and abolished by 48 h after exercise.
Oligomerization and hemolytic properties of the C-terminal domain of pyolysin, a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin
Authors: Pokrajac Lisa , Harris J. Robin , Sarraf Naghmeh , Palmer Michael
Published: March 2013

Pyolysin (PLO) belongs to the homologous family of the cholesterol-dependent cytolysins (CDCs), which bind to cell membranes containing cholesterol to form oligomeric pores of large size. The CDC monomer structure consists of 4 domains. Among these, the C-terminal domain 4 has been implicated in membrane binding of the monomer, while the subsequent processes of oligomerization and membrane insertion have primarily been assigned to other domains of the molecule. Recombinantly expressed or proteolytic fragments that span domain 4 of the CDCs streptolysin O and perfringolysin O bind to membranes but fail to oligomerize, and they inhibit the activity of the respective wild-type toxins. We report here that the isolated domain 4 of pyolysin (PLO-D4) not only binds to membranes but also forms oligomers with itself, as well as hybrid oligomers with the full-length toxin. As expected, the pure PLO-D4 oligomers are devoid of pore-forming activity. Surprisingly, however, within hybrid oligomers, PLO-D4 not only fails to inhibit, but even amplifies the hemolytic activity of the full-length toxin, to an extent similar to that of doubling the amount of the full-length toxin alone. We propose that this amplification may be related to the kinetics of the oligomerization reaction. Overall, our findings indicate a greater role of domain 4 in the oligomerization of CDCs than previously demonstrated.
Density functional study on Si2CmN (m = 2–10) clusters
Authors: Cao Bo , Gai Zhigang , Yang Li , Zhao Jie , Chu Shibo
Published: March 2013

Structures, vibrational frequencies, and energies of Si2CmN (m = 2–10) clusters have been investigated using the B3LYP density functional theory (DFT) method with a 6-311G* basis set. The character of the chemical bond and thermodynamic stability of isomers has been discussed. The results show that all Si2CmN (m = 2–10) clusters form linear structures, which are in doublet states. Si atoms favor bonding to the ends of C and N linear chains. The clusters with an even m are more stable.
Exploiting genetic diversity to balance conservation and harvest of migratory salmon
Authors: Dann Tyler H. , Habicht Christopher , Baker Timothy T. , Seeb James E.
Published: March 2013

Population-based management is central to the conservation of highly exploited species. Managing to sustain population diversity is especially challenging for migratory species. The aggregate of populations of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) that spawn in drainages of Bristol Bay, Alaska, is the most abundant in the world and supports the largest high-value salmon fishery in North America. We applied molecular tools (genetic data from 38 single nucleotide polymorphisms, assayed in 96 populations) to detect migratory trends in stock composition of sockeye salmon returning to Bristol Bay and to inform fisheries management in real time. We reliably and repeatedly detected abundances that were unanticipated based upon preseason forecasts, fishing effort was shifted accordingly, and the fleet and local economies benefited while the risk of overharvesting weaker stocks was minimized. This approach is being developed for other species and fisheries and provides a useful model for conservation wherever migrating species are intensely managed.
SPACETIME NONCOMMUTATIVE EFFECT ON BLACK HOLE AS PARTICLE ACCELERATORS
Authors: DING CHIKUN , LIU CHANGQING , QUO QIAN
Published: March 2013

We study the spacetime noncommutative effect on black hole as particle accelerators and, find that the particles falling from infinity with zero velocity cannot collide with unbound energy, either near the horizon or on the prograde ISCO when the noncommutative Kerr black hole is exactly extremal. Our results also show that the bigger of the spinning black hole's mass is the higher of center of mass energy that the particles obtain. For small and medium noncommutative Schwarzschild black hole, the collision energy depends on the black hole's mass.
GENERALIZED EINSTEIN–MAXWELL FIELD EQUATIONS IN THE PALATINI FORMALISM
Authors: TERUEL GINÉS R. PÉREZ
Published: March 2013

We derive a new set of field equations within the framework of the Palatini formalism. These equations are a natural generalization of the Einstein–Maxwell equations which arise by adding a function [Formula: see text], with [Formula: see text] to the Palatini Lagrangian f(R, Q). The result we obtain can be viewed as the coupling of gravity with a nonlinear extension of the electromagnetic field. In addition, a new method is introduced to solve the algebraic equation associated to the Ricci tensor.
ACCELERATION IN WEYL INTEGRABLE SPACETIME
Authors: MIRITZIS JOHN
Published: March 2013

We study homogeneous and isotropic cosmologies in a Weyl spacetime. It is shown that in Weyl integrable spacetime, the corresponding scalar field may act as a phantom field. In this circumstance the Weyl field gives rise to a late accelerated expansion of the universe for all initial conditions and for a wide range of the parameters.
ACCELEROMETRY-BASED LONG-TERM MONITORING OF MOVEMENT DISORDERS: FROM DIURNAL GAIT BEHAVIOR TO NOCTURNAL BED MOBILITY
Authors: YONEYAMA MITSURU , MITOMA HIROSHI , OKUMA YASUYUKI
Published: March 2013

Accelerometry-based motion analysis is widely recognized as a promising tool in health care and medical settings since it is unobtrusive, inexpensive, and capable of providing useful information on human movement disorders. Patients suffering from neurological diseases such as Parkinson's disease (PD) often exhibit a combination of multiple motion symptoms during everyday activities. Thus, there is a need in clinical practice to capture as many types of abnormal movements as possible with minimal instrumentation that does not interfere with the subject's usual behavioral patterns. This paper presents the prospect of total health monitoring with a single accelerometer-based technique. The behavior of a PD patient was continuously recorded for a period of 36 h using a portable device with a triaxial accelerometer worn on the waist. Data were analyzed by newly developed computer programs to extract relevant movement parameters that might underlie pathological motor performance. We found that the state of the disease could be quantified in terms of distinctive aspects such as gait force, synchronization between both legs, and falls during diurnal walking, and turnover and respiration during nocturnal sleep. Our method may be a useful and practical tool that enables refined clinical assessment of the overall health status of patients with motion disorders.
A GOAL-ORIENTATION FRAMEWORK FOR SELF-ORGANIZING CONTROL
Authors: HESSE FRANK , WÖRGÖTTER FLORENTIN
Published: March 2013

Self-organization, especially in the framework of embodiment in biologically inspired robots, allows the acquisition of behavioral primitives by autonomous robots themselves. However, it is an open question how self-organization of basic motor primitives and goal-orientation can be combined, which is a prerequisite for the usefulness of such systems. In the paper at hand we propose a goal-orientation framework allowing the combination of self-organization and goal-orientation for the control of autonomous robots in a mutually independent fashion. Self-organization based motor primitives are employed to achieve a given goal. This requires less initial knowledge about the properties of robot and environment and increases adaptivity of the overall system. A combination of self-organization and reward-based learning seems thus a promising route for the development of adaptive learning systems.
The NEGATOR as a Basic Building Block for Quantum Circuits
Authors: De Vos Alexis , De Baerdemacker Stijn
Published: March 2013

Between (classical) reversible computation and quantum computation there exists an intermediate computational world, represented by unitary matrices that have all line sums equal to 1. All of these quantum circuits can be synthesized with the help of merely two building blocks: the NEGATOR and the singly controlled square root of NOT.
LACK OF SPHERE PACKING OF GRAPHS VIA NONLINEAR POTENTIAL THEORY
Authors: BENJAMINI ITAI , SCHRAMM ODED
Published: March 2013

It is shown that there is no quasi-sphere packing of the lattice grid ℤd+1 or a co-compact hyperbolic lattice of [Formula: see text] or the 3-regular tree × ℤ, in ℝd, for all d. A similar result is proved for some other graphs too. Rather than using a direct geometrical approach, the main tools we are using are from nonlinear potential theory.
CHARACTERIZATION AND TOXICITY OF CARBON DOT-POLY(LACTIC-CO-GLYCOLIC ACID) NANOCOMPOSITES FOR BIOMEDICAL IMAGING
Authors: DORCÉNA C. JENNY , OLESIK KRISTI M. , WETTA OLIVIA G. , WINTER JESSICA O.
Published: March 2013

Semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) have achieved initial success as biomedical imaging agents. However, significant cytotoxicity in the biological environment prohibits their use in vivo. Here, we introduce nanocomposites composed of carbon dots (C-dots) in poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA) carriers as possible imaging agents for in vivo applications. An initial hurdle to clinical use is overcome by synthesizing C-dots with commercially available carbon black precursors, permitting scalable nanomanufacturing. These fluorescent nanoparticles, which have a mean diameter of ~1 nm, display a disordered graphitic structure. To overcome a second clinical hurdle (i.e., rapid renal clearance of nanoparticles <~6 nm in diameter), C-dots were encapsulated in biodegradable PLGA nanospheres. The resulting nanocomposites showed a mean diameter of 344 ± 23 nm, which should reduce renal clearance. With further optimization, nanocarriers could be optimized to sizes <200 nm to reduce accumulation in the reticuloendothelial system (RES). Toxicity of both C-dots and C-dot-PLGA nanocomposites was evaluated using HepG2 liver cell lines. Unlike QDs, which can induce toxicological responses at concentrations as low as 0.005 mg/mL, C-dots exhibited cytotoxicity at concentrations greater than 0.2 mg/mL, while their derived nanocomposites did not exhibit cytotoxicity at any concentration tested (i.e., 0.02 mg/mL, 0.1 mg/mL and 0.2 mg/mL).
NANOTOPOGRAPHICAL MODULATION OF CELL PHENOTYPE AND FUNCTION
Authors: YANG YONG
Published: March 2013

Understanding cell–extracellular matrix interactions is crucial to the repair or replacement of cells, tissues and organs. The fate of cells can be dictated by the in vivo cellular microenvironment, which provides biophysical (topography), biomechanical (substrate elasticity and flow-induced forces) and biochemical (cytokines and growth factors) cues to regulate the phenotype and function of cells. For example, basement membranes manifest a complex three-dimensional (3D) texture with sizes in the nanometer range. In addition to inducing pronounced changes to cell morphology and, consequently, gene and protein expression, nanotopographical cues could potentially help induce the differentiation of stem cells into certain lineages. This review covers the commonly used techniques of engineering nanotopography, surveys cellular responses to nanotopography with the focus on the effects of dimensions, shape and order of nanotopographical cues relative to cell dimensions, and discusses possible mechanism by which cells sense nanotopography and the challenges in translating the mechanistic understanding of nanoscale modulation of cell behavior to regenerative medicine. Delineation of cell–matrix interactions in the physiological, 3D environment will help advance the field of regenerative medicine.
NUCLEIC ACID-FUNCTIONALIZED NANOMATERIALS
Authors: OCSOY ISMAIL , OCSOY MUSERREF ARSLAN , YASUN EMIR , TAN WEIHONG
Published: March 2013

Nucleic acid (NA)-functionalized nanomaterials (NMs) have received considerable attention in recent years. The use of nucleic acid (DNA/RNA) for surface functionalization of NMs offers the ability to directly address desired targets and coat NMs with biocompatible polymers, such as poly [(ethylene)] glycol (PEG) and polyacrylamide (PA), enhancing the utility of these complexes in biomedicine. In particular, the target-specific recognition capacity of surface-functionalized NMs has opened up new avenues for disease diagnosis and therapy. This review focuses on the biological applications of a special type of nucleic acid, termed aptamer, conjugated with a variety of NMs for a wide spectrum of applications in nanobiomedicine.
The Aharonov-Bohm Effect and Its Applications to Magnetic Field Observation
Authors: Tonomura Akira
Published: March 2013

This article describes the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect of electron waves travelling in free space and its application to the observation of gauge fields (vector potentials). The AB effect is inconceivable in classical physics since an observable effect is produced on electrons passing through field-free spaces. Electrons can be affected only by Lorentz forces due to electromagnetic fields. The situation is different in quantum mechanics, where electrons show wave properties: the concept of force is no longer relevant, so electric field E and magnetic field B, defined as forces acting on a unit charge, take on secondary meanings. “Phase shifts” come into play, and the primary physical entities become neither E nor B but electrostatic potential V and vector potential A. These potentials interact with electron waves and shift their phases.
Smaller, Faster, Brighter: Advances in Optical Imaging of Living Plant Cells
Authors: Shaw Sidney L. , Ehrhardt David W.
Published: March 2013

The advent of fluorescent proteins and access to modern imaging technologies have dramatically accelerated the pace of discovery in plant cell biology. Remarkable new insights into such diverse areas as plant pathogenesis, cytoskeletal dynamics, sugar transport, cell wall synthesis, secretory control, and hormone signaling have come from careful examination of living cells using advanced optical probes. New technologies, both commercially available and on the horizon, promise a continued march toward more quantitative methods for imaging and for extending the optical exploration of biological structure and activity to molecular scales. In this review, we lay out fundamental issues in imaging plant specimens and look ahead to several technological innovations in molecular tools, instrumentation, imaging methods, and specimen handling that show promise for shaping the coming era of plant cell biology.
In Situ Observation of Tin Negative Electrode / Electrolyte Interface by X-ray Reflectivity
Authors: Shimada Koki , Kawaguchi Tomoya , Ichitsubo Tetsu , Matsubara Eiichiro , Fukuda Katsutoshi , Uchimoto Yoshiharu , Ogumi Zempachi
Published: March 2013

An electrode/electrolyte interface is obviously one of the most dominant factors controlling a battery performance. In the present work, a formation of a tin negative electrode/electrolyte interface (SEI) was investigated by an in situ X-ray reflectivity measurement. SEI was formed even at a high voltage of about 2.5 V vs Li/Li+. This voltage is much higher than the value of about 1.5 V in the previous works. Thus, SEI in the present work is clearly different from that formed by reductive decomposition of an electrolyte and/or reduction of Sn oxide. Its structure was seemingly an amorphous solid containing a quite amount of fluoride, which grows up to 150-200 nm thick by keeping for 1 h at about 2.5-2.6 V.