bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cute Girls, Tough Boys
Authors: Gueydan-Turek Alexandra
Published: May 2014

This article explores the way in which masculinity and femininity are constructed in Algerian manga, an emerging, understudied sub-genre within the field of Algerian graphic art. Through the exploration of youth-oriented publications of shōjo and shōnen manga, I will demonstrate how these new local works offer a privileged form of expression for and platform to address disaffected Algerian youths. The primary focus of this investigation will be the differences (or lack thereof) between ideals of gender performances as expressed in Algerian manga and ideals of gender identity in society at large. This article will demonstrate that, while some differences manifest a desire for change on the part of both artists and readers, they certainly do not constitute radical revisions of the popular Algerian notions of masculinity and femininity. Ultimately, this study will demonstrate the limits of manga as an imported genre within an Arab-Islamic context, oscillating between the promulgation of alternative social ideals and the reinforcement of social norms.
Book Reviews
Authors: Hague Ian , Pedri Nancy , Alaniz José , Ascari Stefano , Horstkotte Silke
Published: May 2014

Daniel Stein and Jan-Noël Thon, eds, From Comic Strips to Graphic Novels: Contributions to the Theory and History of Graphic Narrative

Barbara Postema, Making Sense of Fragments: Narrative Structure in Comics

Shane Denson, Christina Meyer and Daniel Stein, eds., Transnational Perspectives on Graphic Narratives: Comics at the Crossroads

Mélanie Van Der Hoorn, Bricks and Balloons: Architecture in Comic Strip Form

Thomas Hausmanninger, Verschwörung und Religion: Aspekte der Postsäkularität in den franco-belgischen Comics [Conspiracy and Religion: Aspects of Post-Secularity in Franco-Belgian Comics]
The Randolph Glacier Inventory: a globally complete inventory of glaciers
Authors: Pfeffer W. Tad , Arendt Anthony A. , Bliss Andrew , Bolch Tobias , Cogley J. Graham , Gardner Alex S. , Hagen Jon-Ove , Hock Regine , Kaser Georg , Kienholz Christian , Miles Evan S. , Moholdt Geir , Mölg Nico , Paul Frank , Radić Valentina , Rastner Philipp , Raup Bruce H. , Rich Justin , Sharp Martin J. ,   The Randolph Consortium
Published: May 2014

The Randolph Glacier Inventory (RGI) is a globally complete collection of digital outlines of glaciers, excluding the ice sheets, developed to meet the needs of the Fifth Assessment of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for estimates of past and future mass balance. The RGI was created with limited resources in a short period. Priority was given to completeness of coverage, but a limited, uniform set of attributes is attached to each of the ~198 000 glaciers in its latest version, 3.2. Satellite imagery from 1999–2010 provided most of the outlines. Their total extent is estimated as 726 800 ± 34 000 km2. The uncertainty, about ±5%, is derived from careful single-glacier and basin-scale uncertainty estimates and comparisons with inventories that were not sources for the RGI. The main contributors to uncertainty are probably misinterpretation of seasonal snow cover and debris cover. These errors appear not to be normally distributed, and quantifying them reliably is an unsolved problem. Combined with digital elevation models, the RGI glacier outlines yield hypsometries that can be combined with atmospheric data or model outputs for analysis of the impacts of climatic change on glaciers. The RGI has already proved its value in the generation of significantly improved aggregate estimates of glacier mass changes and total volume, and thus actual and potential contributions to sea-level rise.
Deleuze and Beckett: An Immanent Encounter
Authors: Wisniowska Magdalena
Published: May 2014

Understanding the exact nature of Deleuze's debt to Kant forms a large part of contemporary Deleuzian scholarship, a project made all the more urgent since the publication of Meillassoux's critique of correlationism in 2007. These Kantian readings present Deleuze as someone who continues Kant's transcendental project by reconsidering the nature of ‘immanent critique’. Immanent critique is no longer seen here as part of the critical enquiry into the possible conditions of experience, but as a staging of an encounter with the genetic principle constituting these conditions, the real condition common to both the human subject and the world in which he or she lives. Such is the implicit demand of genetic recasting: that critique in its immanent form is something we can experience and learn. Presented with this demand, this essay addresses the problem of staging this immanent form of critique. It looks to Deleuze's essay on the work of Samuel Beckett, ‘The Exhausted’, to suggest a possible site for such an encounter with constitutive principle. Specifically, in Deleuze's discussion of … but the clouds … it finds a theory of the image, which can be understood in genetic terms, as a theory of the virtual. Thus the essay puts forward the thesis that Beckett, in constructing the image through the exhaustive process, recreates the virtual plane, in its openness and flux.
In the Still of the Moment: Deleuze's Phenomena of Motionless Time
Authors: Shores Corry
Published: May 2014

A process philosophical interpretation of Deleuze's theories of time encounters problems when formulating an account of Deleuze's portrayal of temporality in The Time-Image, where time is understood as having the structure of instantaneity and simultaneity. I remedy this shortcoming of process philosophical readings by formulating a phenomenological interpretation of Deleuze's second synthesis of time. By employing Deleuze's logic of affirmative synthetic disjunction in combination with his differential calculus interpretation of Spinoza's and Bergson's duration, this phenomenological interpretation portrays time as given to our awareness in immediacy rather than through a continuous process of unfolding. The viability of this alternate approach calls into question the claims that Deleuze is strictly a process philosopher and anti-phenomenologist.
Reconstructing Masculinity in Charlotte Riddell's ‘The Open Door’ and Rudyard Kipling's ‘They’
Authors: Bissell Sarah
Published: May 2014

This essay examines how two much-anthologised ghost stories from the long nineteenth century – Charlotte Riddell's ‘The Open Door’ and Rudyard Kipling's ‘They’ – challenge the perceived idea that the experience of witnessing a spectre has a shattering or feminising effect on men. Instead, ghostly encounters enable the male protagonists to develop a form of spiritual awareness which bolsters rather than undermines their embodiment of traditionally masculine traits. The concept of manliness was continually being contested and redefined during the period in which these tales were published. Its perceived links with rationalist materialism were also being eroded as various male-orientated groups sought to synthesise the ghost within scientific discourse. ‘The Open Door’ intriguingly promotes a supernaturalised form of masculine identity through an interrogation of class: the spectral encounter is crucial in the development of the middle-class protagonist into a model of hardworking Victorian masculinity. ‘They’ reworks the motif of the manly but spiritually sensitive central character via a focus on paternity, suggesting that trauma and loss can be adequately incorporated into this rehabilitated form of British masculinity. Both tales thus utilise the experience of ghost-seeing to highlight the importance of emotion and sensitivity to masculine identity at the end of the long nineteenth century.
F-Geometry and Amari’s α-Geometry on a Statistical Manifold
Authors: V. Harsha , S. Subrahamanian
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we introduce a geometry called F-geometry on a statistical manifold S using an embedding F of S into the space RX of random variables. Amari’s α-geometry is a special case of F-geometry. Then using the embedding F and a positive smooth function G, we introduce (F,G)-metric and (F,G)-connections that enable one to consider weighted Fisher information metric and weighted connections. The necessary and sufficient condition for two (F,G)-connections to be dual with respect to the (F,G)-metric is obtained. Then we show that Amari’s 0-connection is the only self dual F-connection with respect to the Fisher information metric. Invariance properties of the geometric structures are discussed, which proved that Amari’s α-connections are the only F-connections that are invariant under smooth one-to-one transformations of the random variables.
Effects of Estradiol and Methoxychlor on Leydig Cell Regeneration in the Adult Rat Testis
Authors: Chen Bingbing , Chen Dongxin , Jiang Zheli , Li Jingyang , Liu Shiwen , Dong Yaoyao , Yao Wenwen , Akingbemi Benson , Ge Renshan , Li Xiaokun
Published: May 2014

The objective of the present study is to determine whether methoxychlor (MXC) exposure in adulthood affects rat Leydig cell regeneration and to compare its effects with estradiol (E2). Adult 90-day-old male Sprague-Dawley rats received ethane dimethane sulfonate (EDS) to eliminate the adult Leydig cell population. Subsequently, rats were randomly assigned to four groups and gavaged with corn oil (control), 0.25 mg/kg E2 and 10 or 100 mg/kg MXC daily from days 5 to 30 post-EDS treatment. The results showed that MXC and E2 reduced serum testosterone levels on day 58 post-EDS treatment. qPCR showed Hsd17b3 mRNA levels were downregulated 7–15 fold by E2 and MXC, indicating that development of the new population of Leydig cells was arrested at the earlier stage. This observation was supported by the results of histochemical staining, which demonstrated that Leydig cells in MXC-treated testis on day 58 post-EDS treatment were mostly progenitor Leydig cells. However, Pdgfb mRNA levels were downregulated, while Lif transcript levels were increased by MXC. In contrast, E2 did not affect gene expression for these growth factors. In conclusion, our findings indicated that both MXC and E2 delayed rat Leydig cell regeneration in the EDS-treated model, presumably acting by different mechanisms.
Improvement on the Fatigue Performance of 2024-T4 Alloy by Synergistic Coating Technology
Authors: Wang Xi-Shu , Guo Xing-Wu , Li Xu-Dong , Ge Dong-Yun
Published: May 2014

In this paper, rotating bending fatigue tests of 2024-T4 Al alloy with different oxide coatings were carried out. Compared to the uncoated and previously reported oxide coatings of aluminum alloys, the fatigue strength is able to be enhanced by using a novel oxide coating with sealing pore technology. These results indicate that the better the coating surface quality is, the more excellent the fatigue performance under rotating bending fatigue loading is. The improvement on the fatigue performance is mainly because the fatigue crack initiation and the early stage of fatigue crack growth at the coating layer can be delayed after PEO coating with pore sealing. Therefore, it is a so-called synergistic coating technology for various uses, including welding thermal cracks and filling micro-pores. The effects of different oxide coatings on surface hardness, compressive residual stress, morphology and fatigue fracture morphology are discussed. A critical compressive residual stress of about 95–100 MPa is proposed.
Significance and Therapeutic Value of miRNAs in Embryonal Neural Tumors
Authors: Shalaby Tarek , Fiaschetti Giulio , Baumgartner Martin , Grotzer Michael
Published: May 2014

Embryonal tumors of the nervous system are the leading cause of childhood cancer-related morbidity and mortality. Medulloblastoma, supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumors, atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor and neuroblastoma account for more than 20% of childhood malignancies and typify the current neural embryonal tumor model in pediatric oncology. Mechanisms driving the formation of these tumors point towards impaired differentiation of neuronal and neuron-associated cells during the development of the nervous system as an important factor. The importance of microRNAs (miRNAs) for proper embryonic cell function has been confirmed and their aberrant expressions have been linked to tumor development. The role of miRNAs in controlling essential regulators of key pathways implicated in tumor development makes their use in diagnostics a powerful tool to be used for early detection of cancer, risk assessment and prognosis, as well as for the design of innovative therapeutic strategies. In this review we focus on the significance of miRNAs involved in the biology of embryonal neural tumors, delineate their clinical significance and discuss their potential as a novel therapeutic target.
Cobalt-Catalyzed Methoxycarbonylation of Substituted Dichlorobenzenes as an Example of a Facile Radical Anion Nucleophilic Substitution in Chloroarenes
Authors: Khaibulova Tatyana , Boyarskaya Irina , Larionov Evgeny , Boyarskiy Vadim
Published: May 2014

A thorough mechanistic study on cobalt-catalysed direct methoxycarbonylation reactions of chlorobenzenes in the presence of methyl oxirane on a wide range of substrates, including poly- and monochloro derivatives with multiple substituents, is reported. The results demonstrate that the reaction is potentially useful as it proceeds under very mild conditions (t = 62 °C, PCO = 1 bar) and converts aryl chlorides to far more valuable products (especially ortho-substituted benzoic acids and esters) in high yields. This transformation also offers another opportunity for the utilization of environmentally harmful polychlorinated benzenes and biphenyls (PCBs). This study is the first to discover an unexpected universal positive ortho-effect: the proximity of any substituent (including Me, Ph, and MeO groups and halogen atoms) to the reaction centre accelerates the methoxycarbonylation in chlorobenzenes. The effect of the ortho-substituents is discussed in detail and explained in terms of a radical anion reaction mechanism. The advantages of the methoxycarbonylation as a model for the mechanistic study of radical anion reactions are also illustrated.
Rapid Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for the Detection of Hantavirus-Specific Antibodies in Divergent Small Mammals
Authors: Cautivo Karla , Schountz Tony , Acuña-Retamar Mariana , Ferrés Marcela , Torres-Pérez Fernando
Published: May 2014

We assessed the utility of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of hantavirus-specific antibodies from sera of Oligoryzomys longicaudatus, the principal reservoir of Andes virus (ANDV), using an antigen previously developed for detection of antibodies to Sin Nombre virus (SNV) in sera from Peromyscus maniculatus. The assay uses a protein A/G horseradish peroxidase conjugate and can be performed in as little as 1.5 hours. Serum samples from Oligoryzomys longicaudatus collected in central-south Chile were used and the assay identified several that were antibody positive. This assay can be used for the rapid detection of antibodies to divergent hantaviruses from geographically and phylogenetically distant rodent species.
Prévisibilité des rentabilités boursières. Une étude empirique du marché boursier français sur données intraquotidiennes
Authors: Stachowiak Christine
Published: May 2014

The aim of this paper is to analyse the weak-form efficiency of the French stock market , by examining whether past returns make it possible to determine future returns , taking the period from January 1999 to December 2000 . We therefore concentrate on using intraday data for an empirical examination of whether the returns on stocks in the CAC40 and MIDCAC are auto-correlated . Three tests are applied : the Box-Pierce and heteroscedasticity-adjusted Box-Pierce test , the runs test and the variance-ratio test . Our results show that it is impossible to predict future returns from past returns , which is consistent with the weak-form market efficiency hypothesis .
Ruptures structurelles sur les marchés action et obligataire américains : preuve empirique à partir de la méthode de Saikkönen
Authors: Morin Sébastien
Published: May 2014

Is the sharp rise in American equity prices during the 1990s the reflection of a structural change , as has been argued by the partisans of the “ new economy ”, or simply a period of substantial overvaluation ? In order to answer to this question , we adopt an original empirical approach based on recent advances in the econometrics of co-integration and structural change . This leads on to an examination of the stability of the interest-rate term structure over the period and its interactions with the stock market . The framework used is that of a vector error-correction model (VECM ) with three variables : earning yield (the earnings / price ratio ), bond rates and short rates . The method worked out by Saikkonen et al . makes it possible to identify possible structural breakpoints on the bond and equity markets and to capture the interdependencies between these two types of market
Efficacité et limites d’une taxe sur les engrais azotés : éléments d’analyse à partir de seize pays européens
Authors: Mollard Amédée , Lacroix Anne , Drouet d’Aubigny Gérard , Bel François
Published: May 2014

En Europe , les formes actuelles de contrôle de la pollution azotée diffuse reposent encore sur la réglementation , malgré un bilan mitigé de ce mode de régulation . L ’ application d ’ autres instruments réputés plus efficaces , telle la taxation des engrais azotés , est controversée parmi les économistes qui divergent sur l ’ élasticité-prix de leur demande et donc sur la diminution attendue des quantités d ’ engrais . Une telle taxe a déjà été appliquée dans quatre pays européens et il semble utile d ’ en faire un bilan comparatif avec les autres pays . Dans cet objectif , après avoir présenté les expériences de taxation existantes , l ’ article présente tout d ’ abord une analyse par la statistique descriptive , puis une approche économétrique des facteurs explicatifs de la consommation d ’ engrais azotés . Les résultats obtenus mettent en évidence : l ’ absence d ’ effet structurel de la taxation ; la très faible influence du prix de l ’ engrais azoté sur l ’ évolution de sa consommation , relativement à celui des pesticides ou des produits agricoles ; le rôle significatif de l ’ accroissement des rendements et de l ’ extension des cultures par rapport aux prairies , éléments d ’ un processus plus général d ’ intensification de l ’ agriculture , cohérent avec la politique des prix agricoles de la période analysée .
Hétérogénéité structurelle des pays membres et conflit dobjectifs entre les autorités économiques dans l'UEM
Authors: Menguy Séverine
Published: May 2014

De nombreuses études ont souligné le conflit d’objectifs entre les autorités économiques européennes suite à un choc d’offre négatif : la politique monétaire est restrictive pour préserver la stabilité des prix et les politiques budgétaires expansives pour soutenir l’activité économique. L’objectif de ce papier est d’étendre ce résultat aux conséquences de l’hétérogénéité structurelle entre les pays membres d’une union monétaire. Le caractère restrictif de la politique monétaire dépend alors des canaux de transmission qui apparaissent hétérogènes. Et dans certaines configurations conjoncturelles et structurelles, en particulier pour des pays aux tailles très différentes, l’hétérogénéité structurelle peut accentuer le conflit d’objectifs entre la banque centrale et les gouvernements et aggraver la surenchère de hausses des taux d’intérêt et de déficits publics excessifs.
Diffusion du capital humain et efficience salariale. Une application sur données appariées employé-employeur
Authors: Ris Catherine , Joumady Othman
Published: May 2014

En utilisant un panel apparié employé-employeur, nous tentons de dégager des pratiques d’entreprise. Nous nous intéressons particulièrement à la diffusion des connaissances au sein de l’entreprise, en donnant un sens précis à l’effet spécifique d’entreprise, nous le lions au concept d’efficience salariale. Les externalités de capital humain sont donc analysées ici à un niveau microéconomique. Nous développons un modèle de frontière salariale paramétrique stochastique (Battese et Coelli , 1995) ; une entreprise est dite efficiente si elle parvient à développer au mieux la transmission de capital humain. Cette procédure permet d’estimer simultanément la frontière salariale et les déterminants de l’efficience. Les résultats montrent le rôle des caractéristiques intra-mais aussi inter-organisationnelles dans la détermination de l’efficience salariale .
Évolution des inégalités salariales en France entre 1976 et 2000 : une étude par la décomposition de l'indicateur de Gini
Authors: Terraza Michel , Seyte Françoise , Mussard Stéphane , Koubi Malik
Published: May 2014

The inequalities of net annual wages, estimated via the Gini ratio, declined by about 8 % between 1976 and 2000. The indicator fell from 0.322 to 0.296. By using the Gini decomposition and dividing the French population by age group, gender, occupational category, and geographic area, we can estimate the distribution of inequalities over the period.
Les différences de sévérité environnementale entre pays influencent-elles les comportements de localisation des groupes français ?
Authors: Riedinger Nicolas , Raspiller Sébastien
Published: May 2014

This paper seeks to evaluate the impact of environmental regulations on French firms’ locations choices for industrial activities. Our study of a sample of 3,856 import flows yields a paradoxical finding : a relatively larger share of the most pollution-intensive goods is imported from the most environmentally stringent countries. We then develop a static location choice model controlling for factor-cost differences between countries. However, when estimating this model, we find that the imported goods’ pollution intensity remains positively related to the environmental stringency of the country of production. This suggests that environmental-compliance costs are not a major determinant of location.
Analyse coût-bénéfice du contrôle de la pollution : nécessité, méthodologie et exemples
Authors: Rabl Ari
Published: May 2014

Cet article souligne la nécessité croissante d ’ effectuer des analyses coût-bénéfice (ACB ) concernant la réduction de la pollution . Seule l ’ ACB peut fournir des indications pour une allocation rationnelle des dépenses de dépollution , compte tenu de la prolifération de petits risques qui parfois attirent l ’ attention excessive des medias . La méthodologie est passée en revue , y compris l ’ analyse des incertitudes et le rôle des considérations non monétaires . Les incertitudes ne devraient pas être considérées en tant que telles , mais en évaluant le surcoût résultant d ’ un mauvais choix politique suite à une erreur dans l ’ estimation des coûts ou des bénéfices . Il apparaît que pour de nombreuses décisions , les conclusions des ACB peuvent être remarquablement robustes , et cela , malgré de très grandes incertitudes . L ’ article est illustré d ’ exemples instructifs . Mots-clés : incertitude , fonctions dose-réponse , pénalité de coût , impact pathway analysis , plafond national d ’ émission ,
Analyse coûts-bénéfices du réglement européen durcissant les conditions de transport maritime dhydrocarbures
Authors: Groh Thomas
Published: May 2014

Cette étude évalue l ’ impact du règlement communautaire 1726 / 2003 restreignant l ’ usage des pétroliers simple coque au profit des double coque , jugés plus sûrs , en comparant les surcoûts économiques induits et la diminution attendue du nombre de marées noires . Il en ressort que ce règlement est positif pour les Européens mais a pour effet de déplacer le risque de catastrophe dans les autres régions du globe . L ’ application mondiale de ce règlement permettrait de réduire significativement le risque de marée noire d ’ ici 2015 . Toutefois , son bilan socioéconomique semble négatif et le demeurerait vraisemblablement , même si les niveaux de valorisation des dommages moyens des marées noires retenus dans cette étude (soit 700 millions d ’ euros et 1,5 milliard d ’ euros ) étaient significativement réévalués.
La politique nationale de tarification du service des déchets ménagers en présence de politiques municipales hétérogènes
Authors: Glachant Matthieu
Published: May 2014

Cet article décrit un contexte dans lequel des municipalités sont en charge du choix des instruments de tarification aval du service des déchets ménagers -redevance incitative ou taxe forfaitaire – alors qu ’ un réglementeur national peut éventuellement imposer une taxe amont sur le contenu en déchet intrinsèque des produits . Le modèle intègre la possibilité pour les ménages de détourner illégalement leurs déchets pour échapper à la redevance incitative . Le point de départ , réaliste , de l ’ analyse est de supposer qu ’ une partie des municipalités vont utiliser des taxes forfaitaires inefficaces . Dans ce contexte , quelle est la politique nationale efficace en matière de taxation amont ? Nous montrons qu ’ elle comporte une taxe amont dont le taux diminue avec le nombre de communes ayant adopté une redevance incitative . En outre , nous établissons que ne pas affecter intégralement les recettes de la taxe amont aux communes conduit à distordre leurs choix tarifaires . Enfin , mous montrons que le détournement illégal des déchets ne pose un problème d ’ efficacité que quand la redevance incitative a été adoptée par un nombre suffisant de communes .
La valeur de la protection des brevets français appréciée par leurs renouvellements
Authors: Koléda Gilles
Published: May 2014

Dans cet article, nous mesurons la valeur de la protection que confère un brevet déposé auprès de l’office de brevets français (INPI) en nous fondant sur les statistiques de renouvellement de brevets ainsi que sur les montants des annuités de renouvellement devant être acquittées pour leur maintien en vigueur, pour la période 1951-2000. Les simulations de la valeur de la protection des brevets que nous effectuons en utilisant les résultats de nos estimations économétriques sur la période 1951-1993 montrent que la valeur moyenne a continûment et largement augmenté sur cette période et que la distribution de la valeur des brevets est fortement asymétrique. En interprétant cette hausse de la valeur moyenne de la protection des brevets comme une manifestation de l’amélioration de la qualité même des innovations protégées, on explique une part non négligeable de la chute du ratio brevets / R & D par une focalisation de la recherche et développement sur des objectifs de plus fortes valeurs.
Intégration financière et diversification internationale des portefeuilles
Authors: El Hedi Arouri Mohamed
Published: May 2014

Financial Integration and International Portfolio Diversification.

This article examines the impact of financial integration on the gains expected from international diversification of portfolios. For this purpose, we develop an asymmetric extension of the GARCH multivariate model and test a conditional version of the ICAPM (International Capital Asset Pricing Model). Our results give backing to the assumption of integration of stock markets in the G-7 countries. Examination of the dynamics of gains from diversification shows that they are significant for all markets but vary considerably over time and space . In particular, we find that, except for France and the United Kingdom, these gains showed only a slight tendency to decline. A more interesting conclusion is that in recent years these gains have once more risen above their averages for the period as a whole.
Reversibly Immortalized Mouse Articular Chondrocytes Acquire Long-Term Proliferative Capability While Retaining Chondrogenic Phenotype
Authors: Lamplot Joseph D. , Liu Bo , Yin Liangjun , Zhang Wenwen , Wang Zhongliang , Luther Gaurav , Wagner Eric , Li Ruidong , Nan Guoxin , Shui Wei , Yan Zhengjian , Rames Richard , Deng Fang , Zhang Hongmei , Liao Zhan , Liu Wei , Zhang Junhui , Zhang Zhonglin , Zhang Qian , Ye Jixing , Deng Youlin , Qiao Min , Haydon Rex C. , Luu Hue H. , Angeles Jovito , Shi Lewis L. , He Tong-Chuan , Ho Sherwin H.
Published: May 2014

Cartilage tissue engineering holds great promise for treating cartilaginous pathologies including degenerative disorders and traumatic injuries. Effective cartilage regeneration requires an optimal combination of biomaterial scaffolds, chondrogenic seed cells, and biofactors. Obtaining sufficient chondrocytes remains a major challenge due to the limited proliferative capability of primary chondrocytes. Here we investigate if reversibly immortalized mouse articular chondrocytes (iMACs) acquire long-term proliferative capability while retaining the chondrogenic phenotype. Primary mouse articular chondrocytes (MACs) can be efficiently immortalized with a retroviral vector-expressing SV40 large T antigen flanked with Cre/loxP sites. iMACs exhibit long-term proliferation in culture, although the immortalization phenotype can be reversed by Cre recombinase. iMACs express the chondrocyte markers Col2a1 and aggrecan and produce chondroid matrix in micromass culture. iMACs form subcutaneous cartilaginous masses in athymic mice. Histologic analysis and chondroid matrix staining demonstrate that iMACs can survive, proliferate, and produce chondroid matrix. The chondrogenic growth factor BMP2 promotes iMACs to produce more mature chondroid matrix resembling mature articular cartilage. Taken together, our results demonstrate that iMACs acquire long-term proliferative capability without losing the intrinsic chondrogenic features of MACs. Thus, iMACs provide a valuable cellular platform to optimize biomaterial scaffolds for cartilage regeneration, to identify biofactors that promote the proliferation and differentiation of chondrogenic progenitors, and to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying chondrogenesis.
Characterization of fatty acids, bioactive lipids, and radical scavenging activity of Canterbury bells seed oil
Authors: Hassanien M. F.R. , El-Shamy H. , Abdel Ghany A. A.
Published: May 2014

The aim of this study was to characterize the chemical composition and radical scavenging activity of Canterbury bells (Campanula medium) seed oil. C. medium seeds contained 9.2% extractable oil. The lipid classes, fatty acids, phytosterol and tocopherol composition of C. medium seed oil were determined. The amount of neutral lipids in the oil was the highest, followed by glycolipids and phospholipids. Linoleic and oleic were the main fatty acids. C. medium oil is characterized by high levels of phytosterols and β-sitosterol was the main compound. β-Tocopherol constituted 42.5% of the total tocopherol content followed by γ-tocopherol. The radical scavenging activity (RSA) toward 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radicals and galvinoxyl radicals of C. medium oil were higher than those of extra virgin olive oil. The diverse potential uses of C. medium oil may make this plant industrially important.
Toxicological assessment of crude palm oil (Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) used in deep frying of akara (cowpea paste finger food)
Authors: Felzenszwalb I. , Da Costa Mazzei J. L. , Feitosa S. , Fortes Aiub C. A. , De Almeida D. T.
Published: May 2014

Akara is cowpea paste which is deep-fried in crude palm oil (CPO; Elaeis guineensis Jacq.) and sold as a street finger food in Brazil and Africa. During the food frying oils can form toxic decomposition products as total polar compounds (TPC), which can determinate oil degradation. The aim of this study was to assess the toxicity of CPO used in akara frying for 25 hours. Changes in the oil were determined by TPC quantification and mutagenicity using a Salmonella/microssome assay with Salmonella Typhimurium strains TA97, TA98, TA100 and TA102 with and without exogenous metabolic activation. Assuming that 25% TPC is the maximum level permitted in frying oils and it ranged from 14.08 to 29.81%, frying palm oil exceeded the limit. Nonetheless, no cytotoxic, mutagenic or genotoxic activity were detected in CPO used in the traditional akara frying process.
Virgin olive oil color and perceived quality among consumers in emerging olive-growing countries
Authors: Gámbaro A. , Raggio L. , Ellis A. C. , Amarillo M.
Published: May 2014

Five virgin olive oil samples were evaluated by 122 consumers for their color acceptability and expected quality on 9-point structured scales. A description of the attributes expected in the different oils was obtained from the responding consumers by means of a check-all-that-apply questionnaire consisting of a list of 17 possible virgin olive oil attributes. Hierarchical cluster analysis led to the identification of two consumer clusters with distinct behavior. Whereas one consumer cluster attributed higher quality to those oils that were greener in color, which they described as tasty, rich-flavored, strong-tasting, herb-flavored and expensive, consumers in the other cluster assumed that greener olive oils were of a poorer quality, as they described them as strange-tasting, strong-tasting, herb-tasting and defective. Despite the contrasting perception of a virgin olive oil’s green color, the respondents, irrespective of cluster, presumed that the virgin olive oil that was the yellowest in color was of poor quality and cheap, also assuming that it had a milder taste than the other oils.
Efectos sobre la gestión del conocimiento y la cultura corporativa en el clima de innovación organizativa
Authors: Lin Pao-Cheng , Ho Hui-Yi , Lu Meng-Huang
Published: May 2014

Knowledge and innovation are regarded as characteristics in the new knowledge economy era. Any organization should be able to manage knowledge and continuously innovate in order to present their competitive advantages. Under increasing market competition, enterprises depend more on innovation to enhance the competitiveness for survival and development. Organizational Innovation Climate therefore plays a critical role in the overall operation and activity performance. According to the previous research motives and purposes, this study aims to discuss the correlations between Organizational Innovation Climate and Knowledge Management. Manufacturers in Linkou Industrial Park are sampled as the research subjects and a total of 650 questionnaires are distributed. Having eliminated invalid and incomplete questionnaires, a total of 348 valid copies are retrieved, with a retrieval rate of 54%. The empirical results show 1. Partially significant correlations between Knowledge Management and Corporate Culture, 2. Remarkable correlations between Corporate Culture and Organizational Innovation Climate, 3. Notable correlations between Knowledge Management and Corporate Culture, and 4. Mediating effects of Corporate Culture on Knowledge Management and Organizational Innovation Climate.
Manufacturing in a High Cost Environment
Authors: Roos Göran
Published: May 2014

This chapter explores the current state of flux in manufacturing. It examines the forces that drive fragmentation and dispersion of value chains on the one hand and those that drive concentration and integration of value chains on the other. These forces are underpinned by changes in technology, wage costs, business environment, importance of economies of scale for production, need for interaction with customers and input providers, needs for skills in the manufacturing workforce, and the workings of industrial commons and economic complexity. Analysing these changes at the level of the firm, this chapter puts the competitive focus on the creation of value more than on cutting costs (although both are important). The policy environment must provide both carrot and stick to ensure that firms align with these developments. In this dynamic world, an effective policy response requires a shift from any single dominating economic lens (e.g. neo-classical, neo-Keynesian, neo-Schumpeterian, evolutionary) to a situation-specific approach.
Competing from a High Cost Economy
Authors: Marsh Ian
Published: May 2014

The starting point for this chapter is that Australia is a high-cost economy with a fading resources boom and a diminished domestic manufacturing sector. The chapter explores the fresh challenge that these structural developments present to public policy. It argues that this requires a shift from the dominant neo-classical policy paradigm, which has to date provided the intellectual muscle for a transformation of Australia's political economy. The chapter makes the case for policies framed to foster innovation and knowledge as the approach needed for Australia to succeed in an environment characterised by the new international distribution of manufacturing, the impact of new technologies, and the prevalence of global supply chains. To realise innovation-based economic renewal requires capacities for much more targeted interventions that engage business at cluster, sectoral, and/or regional levels. The chapter concludes by considering the obstacles to, and the possibilities for, policy change.
Managerial Practices in a High Cost Manufacturing Environment
Authors: Agarwal Renu , Bajada Christopher , Brown Paul J. , Green Roy
Published: May 2014

This chapter explores the management strategies adopted by manufacturing firms operating in high versus low cost economies and investigates the reasons for differences in the management practice choices. The study reported in this chapter identifies a subset of countries that have either high or low labour costs, with USA, Sweden, and Japan being high, and India, China, and Brazil being low labour cost economies. The high labour cost manufacturing firms are found to have better management practices. In this chapter, the authors find that Australia and New Zealand manufacturing firms face relatively high labour cost but lag behind world best practice in management performance. The chapter concludes by highlighting the need for improvement in management capability for Australian and New Zealand manufacturing firms if they are to experience a reinvigoration of productivity, competitiveness, and long-term growth.
Supporting Entrepreneurship in High Cost Economies
Authors: O'Connor Allan , Corral de Zubielqui Graciela , Li Mushui Huanmei , Dissanayake Manjula
Published: May 2014

This chapter sets out the findings of a comprehensive literature review that addressed three objectives: to review internationally recognised and accepted methodologies of entrepreneurial human and firm characteristics data collection and analysis; to formulate the contemporary view and latest research on entrepreneurial characteristics and how these characteristics contribute to a model of entrepreneurial firm behaviour; to examine developments in the literature that explain to what extent human characteristics influence and predict the performance of firms. The implications of this work are that firms with high potential in either innovation or market-based growth opportunities need to have the right environmental settings in terms of social, political, regulatory, economics, and technology for firms with a high success potential to realise this potential. The concept of stage progression and the relationship between the characteristics of the individual, the firm, and the opportunity provide the elements of a framework through which to consider government support programs and interventions.
Playing with Ambiguity
Authors: Georgalos Konstantinos
Published: May 2014

This chapter discusses the way that three distinct fields, decision theory, game theory and computer science, can be successfully combined in order to optimally design economic experiments. Using an example of cooperative game theory (the Stag-Hunt game), the chapter presents how the introduction of ambiguous beliefs and attitudes towards ambiguity in the analysis can affect the predicted equilibrium. Based on agent-based simulation methods, the author is able to tackle similar theoretical problems and thus to design experiments in such a way that they will produce useful, unbiased and reliable data.
Social Space in Simulation Models
Authors: Nunes Davide , Antunes Luis
Published: May 2014

In real world scenarios, the formation of consensus is a self-organisation process by which actors have to make a joint assessment about a target subject, be it a decision making problem or the formation of a collective opinion. In social simulation, models of opinion dynamics tackle the opinion formation phenomena. These models try to make an assessment, for instance, of the ideal conditions that lead an interacting group of agents to opinion consensus, polarisation or fragmentation. This chapter investigates the role of social relation structure in opinion dynamics and consensus formation. The authors present an agent-based model that defines social relations as multiple concomitant social networks and explore multiple interaction games in this structural set-up. They discuss the influence of complex social network topologies where actors interact in multiple distinct networks. The chapter builds on previous work about social space design with multiple social relations to determine the influence of such complex social structures in a process such as opinion formation.
He who laughs last – Jesus and laughter in the Synoptic and Gnostic traditions
Authors: Nel Marius J.
Published: May 2014

The aim of the article is to examine the meaning of references to laughter in the Synoptic Gospels and a number of Gnostic texts. Whereas Jesus is depicted as an object of ridicule (Mk 5:40 par.) and as condemning those who laugh in the Synoptic Gospels (Lk 6:25), it is he who often laughs derisively at the ignorance of others in Gnostic texts. The meaning of laughter in the Synoptic Gospels and a number of Gnostic texts is examined in the light of the general Greco-Roman attitude towards laughter and, more specifically, in regard to the archetypical distinction between playful and consequential laughter in Greek culture.
A Longitudinal Study on Substance Use and Related Problems in Women in Opioid Maintenance Treatment from Pregnancy to Four Years after Giving Birth
Authors: Lund Ingunn O. , Brendryen Håvar , Ravndal Edle
Published: May 2014

Background

Women in opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) have a past characterized by drug abuse, which is a challenging start for parenthood. Studies of mothers in OMT are typically limited to pregnancy and early infancy. Knowledge about how they cope with substance use and related problems in the years following birth is therefore important. The aims of the study were to examine changes in mothers’ substance use, psychological problems, and other challenges; from one to four years after their children were born, and describe kindergarten attendance and prevalence and type of child protective services involvement when the children were four years old.

Method

A four-year prospective cohort study of mothers in OMT. The European severity index was used to map substance use and related problems during the third trimester of pregnancy, one and four years after birth.

Results

At the four-year follow-up, use of illegal substances remained low (4%) and use of legal substances (39%) was similar to the one-year follow-up. The proportion of women with psychological problems was significantly higher than at one-year follow-up (69 vs. 39%, P = .009). At age four, most children (89%) attended kindergarten, and the child protective services were following 73% of the families, mostly with voluntary measures.

Conclusion

Mothers in OMT cope well with substance use over time, given access to sufficient support. The findings imply that a preventive governmental strategy with close support of mother and child, have a positive impact contributing to making OMT and motherhood more compatible.
Ross River Virus Risk Associated with Dispersal of Aedes (Ochlerotatus) camptorhynchus (Thomson) from Breeding Habitat into Surrounding Residential Areas: Muddy Lakes, Western Australia
Authors: Jardine Andrew , Neville Peter J. , Dent Colin , Webster Carla , Lindsay Michael D. A.
Published: May 2014

Rapid population growth in Western Australia has resulted in increased development of land for residential housing, and new developments are often proposed close to water because of intrinsic aesthetic values. However, this placement may place future residents at risk of mosquito-borne disease, of which Ross River virus (RRV) disease is the most common in Australia. Mosquito dispersal data were combined with a spatial analysis of human RRV cases to show that mosquitoes dispersed readily from larval habitat into surrounding low- and high-density residential areas and that residents living within 2 km of mosquito breeding habitat had a significantly higher rate of RRV disease. This finding highlights the importance of planning authorities in state and local governments to consider the implications of mosquito-borne disease risks when assessing residential development applications.
Epidemiologic Patterns of Ross River Virus Disease in Queensland, Australia, 2001–2011
Authors: Yu Weiwei , Mengersen Kerrie , Dale Pat , Mackenzie John S. , Toloo Ghasem (Sam) , Wang Xiaoyu , Tong Shilu
Published: May 2014

Ross River virus (RRV) infection is a debilitating disease that has a significant impact on population health, economic productivity, and tourism in Australia. This study examined epidemiologic patterns of RRV disease in Queensland, Australia, during January 2001–December 2011 at a statistical local area level. Spatio-temporal analyses were used to identify the patterns of the disease distribution over time stratified by age, sex, and space. The results show that the mean annual incidence was 54 per 100,000 persons, with a male:female ratio of 1:1.1. Two space-time clusters were identified: the areas adjacent to Townsville, on the eastern coast of Queensland, and the southeast areas. Thus, although public health intervention should be considered across all areas in which RRV occurs, it should specifically focus on high-risk regions, particularly during summer and autumn to reduce the social and economic impacts of RRV infection.
Temporal Changes in Prevalence of Molecular Markers Mediating Antimalarial Drug Resistance in a High Malaria Transmission Setting in Uganda
Authors: Mbogo George W. , Nankoberanyi Sheila , Tukwasibwe Stephen , Baliraine Frederick N. , Nsobya Samuel L. , Conrad Melissa D. , Arinaitwe Emmanuel , Kamya Moses , Tappero Jordan , Staedke Sarah G. , Dorsey Grant , Greenhouse Bryan , Rosenthal Philip J.
Published: May 2014

Standard therapy for malaria in Uganda changed from chloroquine to chloroquine + sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine in 2000, and artemether-lumefantrine in 2004, although implementation of each change was slow. Plasmodium falciparum genetic polymorphisms are associated with alterations in drug sensitivity. We followed the prevalence of drug resistance-mediating P. falciparum polymorphisms in 982 samples from Tororo, a region of high transmission intensity, collected from three successive treatment trials conducted during 2003–2012, excluding samples with known recent prior treatment. Considering transporter mutations, prevalence of the mutant pfcrt 76T, pfmdr1 86Y, and pfmdr1 1246Y alleles decreased over time. Considering antifolate mutations, the prevalence of pfdhfr 51I, 59R, and 108N, and pfdhps 437G and 540E were consistently high; pfdhfr 164L and pfdhps 581G were uncommon, but most prevalent during 2008–2010. Our data suggest sequential selective pressures as different treatments were implemented, and they highlight the importance of genetic surveillance as treatment policies change over time.