bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influence of oxygen on the stabilization reaction of polyacrylonitrile fibers
Authors: Xiao Shijie , Wang Bin , Zhao Chun , Xu Lianghua , Chen Biaohua
Published: May 2012

Stabilized polyacrylonitrile (PAN) fibers pretreated under N2 and air atmospheres were prepared and their thermal behaviors were compared by differential scanning calorimetry and thermogravimetry methods. The results indicated that the subsequent stabilization reaction of PAN pretreated in air was more obvious than that in N2. In addition, the thermal stability of PAN pretreated in air is better than that in N2. The structural analysis by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and solid state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance implied that oxygen promoted dehydrogenation and a compact conjugated structure was formed in PAN. In addition, the CO structures were generated in air and increased gradually with temperature. The contents of oxygen in PAN fibers studied by elemental analysis corresponded with the structural evolution. Further investigation indicated that the CO structures helped dehydration and also promoted formation of the cross‐linked structures. A mechanism for structural evolution in PAN during stabilization in air was proposed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013
One‐Pot Fabrication of Noble‐Metal Nanoparticles That Are Encapsulated in Hollow Silica Nanospheres: Dual Roles of Poly(acrylic acid)
Authors: Du Xin , Yao Lin , He Junhui
Published: May 2012

An efficient and facile one‐pot method was developed to fabricate noble‐metal nanoparticles (NMNs; Au, Pt, PdO and Ag) that were encapsulated within hollow silica nanospheres (HSNs; NMNs@HSNs) with a size of about 100 nm. NMNs@HSNs were afforded in very high yields between 85–95 %. Poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) polyelectrolyte played a dual role in the fabrication process, both as a core template of the HSNs and as a captor of the NMNs through coordination interactions between the COO− groups on the ammonium polyacrylate (APA) polyanionic chains and the empty orbital of the Au atom. The amount of Au loading in Au@HSNs was easily regulated by varying the volume of the HAuCl4 solution added. In addition, these rattle‐type particles were successfully applied in the catalytic reduction of 2‐nitroaniline (2‐NA) as a model reaction, thus indicating that the micropores in the silica shell could achieve the transport of small species—with a size smaller than that of the micropores—into the cavity. Thus, these fabricated NMNs@HSNs have promising applications in catalysis.
Metal Ion Chelates as Surrogates of Nucleobases for the Recognition of Nucleic Acid Sequences: ThePd2+Complex of 2,6-Bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)purine Riboside
Authors: Taherpour Sharmin , Lönnberg Tuomas
Published: May 2012

A 2,6-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)purine ribonucleoside has been prepared and incorporated as a conventionally protected phosphoramidite into a 9-mer 2′-O-methyl oligoribonucleotide. According to 1H NMR spectroscopic studies, this nucleoside forms with Pd2+and uridine a ternary complex that is stable at a micromolar concentration range. CD spectroscopic studies on oligonucleotide hybridization, in turn, suggest that the Pd2+chelate of this artificial nucleoside, when incorporated in a 2′-O-methyl-RNA oligomer, is able to recognize thymine within an otherwise complementary DNA strand. The duplex containing thymidine opposite to the artificial nucleoside turned out to be somewhat more resistant to heating than its counterpart containing 2′-deoxycytidine in place of thymidine, but only in the presence of Pd2+. According to UV-melting measurements, replacement of 2′-O-methyladenosine with the artificial nucleoside markedly enhances hybridization with a DNA target, irrespective of the identity of the opposite base and the presence of Pd2+. With the thymidine containing DNA target, theTmvalue is 2–4°C higher than with targets containing any other nucleoside opposite to the artificial nucleoside, but the dependence on Pd2+is much less clear than in the case of the CD studies.
Possible Patient Early Diagnosis by Ultrasonic Noninvasive Estimation of Thermal Gradients into Tissues Based on Spectral Changes Modeling
Authors: Bazan I. , Ramos A. , Calas H. , Ramirez A. , Pintle R. , Gomez T. E. , Negreira C. , Gallegos F. J. , Rosales A. J.
Published: May 2012

To achieve a precise noninvasive temperature estimation, inside patient tissues, would open promising research fields, because its clinic results would provide early-diagnosis tools. In fact, detecting changes of thermal origin in ultrasonic echo spectra could be useful as an early complementary indicator of infections, inflammations, or cancer. But the effective clinic applications to diagnosis of thermometry ultrasonic techniques, proposed previously, require additional research. Before their implementations with ultrasonic probes and real-time electronic and processing systems, rigorous analyses must be still made over transient echotraces acquired from well-controlled biological and computational phantoms, to improve resolutions and evaluate clinic limitations. It must be based on computing improved signal-processing algorithms emulating tissues responses. Some related parameters in echo-traces reflected by semiregular scattering tissues must be carefully quantified to get a precise processing protocols definition. In this paper, approaches for non-invasive spectral ultrasonic detection are analyzed. Extensions of author's innovations for ultrasonic thermometry are shown and applied to computationally modeled echotraces from scattered biological phantoms, attaining high resolution (better than 0.1°C). Computer methods are provided for viability evaluation of thermal estimation from echoes with distinct noise levels, difficult to be interpreted, and its effectiveness is evaluated as possible diagnosis tool in scattered tissues like liver.
Salter-Harris Type III and Type IV Combined Fracture of the Distal Femoral Epiphysis: A Case Report
Authors: Aydin Ali , Topal Murat , Tuncer Kutsi , Şenocak Eyüp
Published: May 2012

Distal femoral physeal fractures are not common but have a high rate of complications. They generally follow one of the patterns described in the Salter-Harris classification. We present a case of combination of Salter-Harris type III and type IV injury. Our case was a 15-year-old boy who had a motor vehicle accident. There was swelling, ecchymosis, severe pain, and valgus deformity, because of medial proximal fracture fragment, on the left knee. We deemed that Salter-Harris type III and type IV combination fracture in our case has not been previously reported. We prepared this paper in consideration of its contribution to the literature.
Trends in Roll-Your-Own Smoking: Findings from the ITC Four-Country Survey (2002–2008)
Authors: Young David , Yong Hua-Hie , Borland Ron , Shahab Lion , Hammond David , Cummings K. Michael , Wilson Nick
Published: May 2012

Objective. To establish the trends in prevalence, and correlates, of roll-your-own (RYO) use in Canada, USA, UK and Australia, 2002–2008.Methods. Participants were 19,456 cigarette smokers interviewed during the longitudinal International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four-Country Survey in Canada, USA, UK, and Australia.Results. “Predominant” RYO use (i.e., >50%of cigarettes smoked) increased significantly in the UK and USA as a proportion of all cigarette use (bothP<.001) and in all countries as a proportion of any RYO use (allP<.010). Younger, financially stressed smokers are disproportionately contributing to “some” use (i.e., ≤50%of cigarettes smoked). Relative cost was the major reason given for using RYO, and predominant RYO use is consistently and significantly associated with low income.Conclusions. RYO market trends reflect the price advantages accruing to RYO (a product of favourable taxation regimes in some jurisdictions reinforced by the enhanced control over the amount of tobacco used), especially following the impact of the Global Financial Crisis; the availability of competing low-cost alternatives to RYO; accessibility of duty-free RYO tobacco; and tobacco industry niche marketing strategies. If policy makers want to ensure that the RYO option does not inhibit the fight to end the tobacco epidemic, especially amongst the disadvantaged, they need to reduce the price advantage, target additional health messages at (young) RYO users, and challenge niche marketing of RYO by the industry.
Oxidative Stress-Induced Diseases via the ASK1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Soga Mayumi , Matsuzawa Atsushi , Ichijo Hidenori
Published: May 2012

Apoptosis signal-regulating kinase 1 (ASK1) is a mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase kinase that activates the downstream MAPKs, c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38. ASK1 is activated by various types of stress, such as oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, and infection, and regulates various cellular functions. Recently, it has been reported that ASK1 is associated with various diseases induced by oxidative stress. In this review, we introduce recent findings of the regulatory mechanisms of ASK1 and the oxidative stress-induced diseases mediated by the ASK1 signaling pathway.
Novel Resistant Potato Starches on Glycemia and Satiety in Humans
Authors: Haub Mark D. , Louk Julie A. , Lopez Tara C.
Published: May 2012

This study was designed to determine the efficacy of two novel type-four resistant starches (RS4) on postprandial glycemia and ratings of fullness. Volunteers (n=10) completed completed five interventions designed to determine the glycemic and satiety (fullness) effects of the starches (38 g,) alone and when added on top of available carbohydrate. The dose of the starches provided 30 g of resistant starch per treatment. The treatments were: commercial resistant starch added to water (PF−), noncommercial resistant starch added to water (PR−), dextrose solution (DEX, 50 g), and DEX with PenFibe starch (PF+), and DEX with the non-commercial starch added (PR+). Blood glucose was measured in the fasted state and following the randomly assigned treatments at 30, 45, 60, 90, and 120 minutes post-consumption. A visual analog scale was used to determine fullness at each time point. There were no differences in the glucose incremental areas under the curve (iAUC) for PF+ and PR+ compared with DEX. The PF− and PR− treatments had decreased (P<0.05) iAUCs for glucose compared with DEX, PF+, and PR+. There were no treatment differences for RoF. The dose (38 g) of starches did not to alter glucose responses when added on top of 50 g of dextrose.
Single-Port Transumbilical Laparoscopic Appendectomy: A Preliminary Multicentric Comparative Study in 87 Patients with Acute Appendicitis
Authors: Vilallonga Ramon , Barbaros Umut , Nada Ahmed , Sümer Aziz , Demirel Tuğrul , Fort José Manuel , González Oscar , Armengol Manuel
Published: May 2012

Introduction. Laparoscopic appendectomy (LA) has been performed in many approaches such as open, laparoscopic and recently Single Port Access (SPAA). In order to elucidate its potential advantages, we compared the two laparoscopic approaches.Methods. 87 patients were included in a multicentric study for suspected appendicitis in order to perform (SPAA) appendectomy or laparoscopic appendectomy (LA). All outcomes, including blood loss, operative time, complications, and length of stay and pain were recorded prospectively.Results. There were 46 patients in the SPAA group and 41 in the LAG with a mean operative time of 40,4 minutes in the SPAA group and 35,0 minutes in the LA group. Only one patient was converted to an open approach. We described only 2 complications. Pain was graded 2,8 in the SPAA group and 2,9 in the LA group, according to the AVS after 24 hours. Patients in the SPAA Group were more satisfied (7,5 versus 6,9) (). Same results were found for the cosmetic result (8,6 versus 7,4) ().Conclusion. Using the single port approach feasible and safe. The true benefit of the technique should be assessed by new randomised controlled trials.
A Comparative Study of Data Transformations for Wavelet Shrinkage Estimation with Application to Software Reliability Assessment
Authors: Xiao Xiao , Dohi Tadashi
Published: May 2012

In our previous work, we proposed wavelet shrinkage estimation (WSE) for nonhomogeneous Poisson process (NHPP)-based software reliability models (SRMs), where WSE is a data-transform-based nonparametric estimation method. Among many variance-stabilizing data transformations, the Anscombe transform and the Fisz transform were employed. We have shown that it could provide higher goodness-of-fit performance than the conventional maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) and the least squares estimation (LSE) in many cases, in spite of its non-parametric nature, through numerical experiments with real software-fault count data. With the aim of improving the estimation accuracy of WSE, in this paper we introduce other three data transformations to preprocess the software-fault count data and investigate the influence of different data transformations to the estimation accuracy of WSE through goodness-of-fit test.
Dental Status and Associated Factors in a Dentate Adult Population in Bulgaria: A Cross-Sectional Survey
Authors: Damyanov Nikola D. , Witter Dick J. , Bronkhorst Ewald M. , Creugers Nico H. J.
Published: May 2012

This study aimed to determine variations in the dental status of a dentate adult population in terms of “decayed,” “missing,” and “filled” teeth in relation to several sociodemographic and behavioral factors. Quota sampling was used to draw 2531 subjects aged 20 years and over. Data were collected by means of a questionnaire and an oral examination. Multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to observe associations between “decayed,” “missing,” and “filled” teeth and the factors of interest. The mean numbers of “decayed,” “missing,” and “filled” teeth were 2.2, 6.7, and 4.9, respectively. Molar teeth were significantly more often “missing” than premolar and anterior teeth. Age, gender, education, and tooth brushing revealed most noticeable associations. Increasing age was associated with a lower chance of having “decayed” and “filled” teeth, but with a higher chance of having “missing” teeth. Females were more likely to have “missing” and “filled” teeth. Higher education was associated with a lower chance of having “missing” teeth. More frequent tooth brushing was associated with a lower chance of having “decayed” and “missing” teeth, but with a higher chance of having “filled” teeth. These risk indicators should be considered in prevention program planning if reduction of tooth loss is to be achieved.
NMDA Receptors of Gastric-Projecting Neurons in the Dorsal Motor Nucleus of the Vagus Mediate the Regulation of Gastric Emptying by EA at Weishu (BL21)
Authors: Zhang Xin , Cheng Bin , Jing Xianghong , Qiao Yongfa , Gao Xinyan , Yu Huijuan , Zhu Bing , Qiao Haifa
Published: May 2012

A large number of studies have been conducted to explore the efficacy of electroacupuncture (EA) for the treatment of gastrointestinal motility. While several lines of evidence addressed the basic mechanism of EA on gastrointestinal motility regarding effects of limb and abdomen points, the mechanism for effects of the back points on gastric motility still remains unclear. Here we report that the NMDA receptor (NMDAR) antagonist kynurenic acid inhibited the gastric emptying increase induced by high-intensity EA at BL21 and agonist NMDA enhanced the effect of the same treatment. EA at BL21 enhanced NMDAR, but not AMPA receptor (AMPAR) component of miniature excitatory postsynaptic current (mEPSC) in gastric-projecting neurons of the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV). In sum, our data demonstrate an important role of NMDAR-mediated synaptic transmission of gastric-projecting DMV neurons in mediating EA at BL21-induced enhancement of gastric emptying.
Camel Milk Triggers Apoptotic Signaling Pathways in Human Hepatoma HepG2 and Breast Cancer MCF7 Cell Lines through Transcriptional Mechanism
Authors: Korashy Hesham M. , Maayah Zaid H. , Abd-Allah Adel R. , El-Kadi Ayman O. S. , Alhaider Abdulqader A.
Published: May 2012

Few published studies have reported the use of crude camel milk in the treatment of stomach infections, tuberculosis and cancer. Yet, little research was conducted on the effect of camel milk on the apoptosis and oxidative stress associated with human cancer. The present study investigated the effect and the underlying mechanisms of camel milk on the proliferation of human cancer cells using anin vitromodel of human hepatoma (HepG2) and human breast (MCF7) cancer cells. Our results showed that camel milk, but not bovine milk, significantly inhibited HepG2 and MCF7 cells proliferation through the activation of caspase-3 mRNA and activity levels, and the induction of death receptors in both cell lines. In addition, Camel milk enhanced the expression of oxidative stress markers, heme oxygenase-1 and reactive oxygen species production in both cells. Mechanistically, the increase in caspase-3 mRNA levels by camel milk was completely blocked by the transcriptional inhibitor, actinomycin D; implying that camel milk increasedde novoRNA synthesis. Furthermore, Inhibition of the mitogen activated protein kinases differentially modulated the camel milk-induced caspase-3 mRNA levels. Taken together, camel milk inhibited HepG2 and MCF7 cells survival and proliferation through the activation of both the extrinsic and intrinsic apoptotic pathways.
Oxidative Stress, Tumor Microenvironment, and Metabolic Reprogramming: A Diabolic Liaison
Authors: Fiaschi Tania , Chiarugi Paola
Published: May 2012

Conversely to normal cells, where deregulated oxidative stress drives the activation of death pathways, malignant cells exploit oxidative milieu for its advantage. Cancer cells are located in a very complex microenvironment together with stromal components that participate to enhance oxidative stress to promote tumor progression. Indeed, convincing experimental and clinical evidence underline the key role of oxidative stress in several tumor aspects thus affecting several characteristics of cancer cells. Oxidants influence the DNA mutational potential, intracellular signaling pathways controlling cell proliferation and survival and cell motility and invasiveness as well as control the reactivity of stromal components that is fundamental for cancer development and dissemination, inflammation, tissue repair, andde novoangiogenesis. This paper is focused on the role of oxidant species in the acquisition of two mandatory features for aggressive neoplastic cells, recently defined by Hanahan and Weinberg as new “hallmarks of cancer”: tumor microenvironment and metabolic reprogramming of cancer cells.
Targeting the ACE2 and Apelin Pathways Are Novel Therapies for Heart Failure: Opportunities and Challenges
Authors: Kazemi-Bajestani Seyyed M. R. , Patel Vaibhav B. , Wang Wang , Oudit Gavin Y.
Published: May 2012

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)/Ang II/Ang 1–7 and the apelin/APJ are two important peptide systems which exert diverse effects on the cardiovascular system. ACE2 is a key negative regulator of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS) where it metabolizes angiotensin (Ang) II into Ang 1–7, an endogenous antagonist of Ang II. Both the prolonged activation of RAS and the loss of ACE2 can be detrimental as they lead to functional deterioration of the heart and progression of cardiac, renal, and vascular diseases. Recombinant human ACE2 in an animal model of ACE2 knockout mice lowers Ang II. These interactions neutralize the pressor and subpressor pathologic effects of Ang II by producing Ang 1–7 levelsin vivo, that might be cardiovascular protective. ACE2 hydrolyzes apelin to Ang II and, therefore, is responsible for the degradation of both peptides. Apelin has emerged as a promising peptide biomarker of heart failure. The serum level of apelin in cardiovascular diseases tends to be decreased. Apelin is recognized as an imperative controller of systemic blood pressure and myocardium contractility. Dysregulation of the apelin/APJ system may be involved in the predisposition to cardiovascular diseases, and enhancing apelin action may have important therapeutic effects.
AMPA Receptor Trafficking in Homeostatic Synaptic Plasticity: Functional Molecules and Signaling Cascades
Authors: Wang Guan , Gilbert James , Man Heng-Ye
Published: May 2012

Homeostatic synaptic plasticity is a negative-feedback response employed to compensate for functional disturbances in the nervous system. Typically, synaptic activity is strengthened when neuronal firing is chronically suppressed or weakened when neuronal activity is chronically elevated. At both the whole cell and entire network levels, activity manipulation leads to a global up- or downscaling of the transmission efficacy of all synapses. However, the homeostatic response can also be induced locally at subcellular regions or individual synapses. Homeostatic synaptic scaling is expressed mainly via the regulation ofα-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor (AMPAR) trafficking and synaptic expression. Here we review the recently identified functional molecules and signaling pathways that are involved in homeostatic plasticity, especially the homeostatic regulation of AMPAR localization at excitatory synapses.
The PCR-Based Diagnosis of Central Nervous System Tuberculosis: Up to Date
Authors: Takahashi Teruyuki , Tamura Masato , Takasu Toshiaki
Published: May 2012

Central nervous system (CNS) tuberculosis, particularly tuberculous meningitis (TBM), is the severest form ofMycobacterium tuberculosis(M.Tb) infection, causing death or severe neurological defects in more than half of those affected, in spite of recent advancements in available anti-tuberculosis treatment. The definitive diagnosis of CNS tuberculosis depends upon the detection ofM.Tbbacilli in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). At present, the diagnosis of CNS tuberculosis remains a complex issue because the most widely used conventional “gold standard” based on bacteriological detection methods, such as direct smear and culture identification, cannot rapidly detectM.Tbin CSF specimens with sufficient sensitivity in the acute phase of TBM. Recently, instead of the conventional “gold standard”, the various molecular-based methods including nucleic acid amplification (NAA) assay technique, particularly polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay, has emerged as a promising new method for the diagnosis of CNS tuberculosis because of its rapidity, sensitivity and specificity. In addition, the innovation of nested PCR assay technique is worthy of note given its contribution to improve the diagnosis of CNS tuberculosis. In this review, an overview of recent progress of the NAA methods, mainly highlighting the PCR assay technique, was presented.
The Painlevé Tests, Bäcklund Transformation and Bilinear Form for the KdV Equation with a Self‐Consistent Source
Authors: Shen Yali , Zhang Fengqin , Feng Xiaomei
Published: May 2012

The Painlevé property and Bäcklund transformation for the KdV equation with a self‐consistent source are presented. By testing the equation, it is shown that the equation has the Painlevé property. In order to further prove its integrality, we give its bilinear form and construct its bilinear Bäcklund transformation by the Hirota′s bilinear operator. And then the soliton solution of the equation is obtained, based on the proposed bilinear form.
A Nonlocal Cauchy Problem for Fractional Integrodifferential Equations
Authors: Li Fang , Liang Jin , Lu Tzon-Tzer , Zhu Huan
Published: May 2012

This paper is concerned with a nonlocal Cauchy problem for fractional integrodifferential equations in a separable Banach space X. We establish an existence theorem for mild solutions to the nonlocal Cauchy problem, by virtue of measure of noncompactness and the fixed point theorem for condensing maps. As an application, the existence of the mild solution to a nonlocal Cauchy problem for a concrete integrodifferential equation is obtained.
Corn Hybrid Response to Water Management Practices on Claypan Soil
Authors: Nelson Kelly A. , Smoot Randall L.
Published: May 2012

A study evaluated corn (Zea maysL.) hybrids (Asgrow785, DKC61-73, DKC63-42, LG2642, and Kruger2114) and water management systems (nondrained, nonirrigated (NDNI); drained, nonirrigated (DNI) with subsurface drain tiles 6.1 and 12.2 m apart; drained plus subirrigated (DSI) with tiles 6.1 and 12.2 m apart; nondrained, overhead irrigated (NDOHI)) on yields, plant population, and grain quality from 2008 to 2010. Precipitation during this study was 36 to 283 mm above the past decade. Planting date was delayed 18 d in the nondrained control in 2009, and additional delayed planting controls were included this year. Grain yields were similar in the 6.1- and 12.2 m-spaced DNI and DSI systems in 2008 and 2010, but plant population increased 74% and yields were 3.1 Mg ha−1greater with DSI at a 6.1 m spacing compared to 12.2 m in 2009. At a 6.1 m spacing, DNI or DSI increased yield 1.1 to 6.6 Mg ha−1(10 to over 50%) compared to NDNI or NDOHI soil. High yielding hybrids achieved similar yields with DNI, while NDNI DKC63-42 had 1.2 Mg ha−1greater yields compared to DKC61-73. A 6.1 m spacing for DNI claypan soils is recommended for high yielding corn production.
Claiming Deviance and Honoring Community: Creating Resistant Spaces in U.S. Dyke Marches
Authors: Currans Elizabeth
Published: May 2012

The article explores how two dyke marches, Oakland's Sistahs Steppin' in Pride: An East Bay Dyke March and Festival and the New York City Dyke March, enacted alternative models of social relationships. It compares the predominantly black Sistahs Steppin' in Pride's reaffirmation of connections among queer women with the intentional performance of deviance by a white-dominated group in New York City's annual Dyke March, arguing that each event presented a viable, although divergent, paradigm for social interaction contesting heterosexual norms. The differences are particularly clear when comparing the ritualized evocation of community at Sistahs Steppin' in Pride with the New York City Dyke March's intentional performance of culturally transgressive sexuality and genders on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue. While the New York City Dyke March fits easily within existing rubrics for understanding the transformative potential of LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, and queer) activism, Sistahs Steppin' in Pride presented a less recognized, but equally viable response to normative understandings of social interaction modeled on white heterosexual experiences.
From Marinetti to Pasolini: Massawa, the Red Sea, and the Construction of “Mediterranean Africa” in Italian Literature and Cinema
Authors: Trento Giovanna
Published: May 2012

Postwar Italian historiography tended for decades to exclude colonialism from national history, and the country largely forgot its colonial past. The interconnections between the academic schools and anthropological scholarly theories that focused on the Horn of Africa during Italian colonialism and twentieth century Italian literary and cinematic representations of the Horn and the Red Sea have been understudied and underestimated. This article will argue that during Italian colonialism, Italy and the Horn of Africa were interconnected through the Mediterranean and Red Sea by scholarly, literary, cultural, religious, and imaginary links that contributed to the construction of a “Mediterranean Africa,” based on genetic continuities and the legacies with Latin antiquity and ancient Roman values. Such baggage affected or was affected by the building of Italian-ness after the country’s unification, Italy’s self-representation, the country’s Southern question, and its articulation of “modernity.” As this article will show, the construction of “Mediterranean Africa” influenced the Italian literary and cinematic representations of Northeast Africa, throughout the 20th century; from the founder of Futurism—the Egypt born writer Filippo Tommaso Marinetti—in the first four decades of the century, to the leftist writer and filmmaker Pier Paolo Pasolini, in the 1960s and 1970s. The problematic transnational links constructed between Italy, the Horn of Africa, and the Red Sea would also surface in the works of the most prominent film directors during Fascism, Alessandro Blasetti and Mario Camerini, and other important writers, like Giovanni Comisso, Ennio Flaiano and Giorgio Manganelli.
Empathy Beyond the Conceptual Level: Core Nonspecific Factors of Psychotherapy
Authors: Mommaerts Jean-Luc , Goubert Liesbet , Devroey Dirk
Published: May 2012

The human mind contains much more than concepts. By only taking into account the conceptual level, a cared-for person may feel utterly lonely and abandoned, not deeply in contact with the caregiver, not deeply understood for who he or she really is. A chronic pain patient, for instance, may react to a purely conceptual-level communication, with its lack of deeper contact, by an increasing sense of loneliness. This in itself may substantially contribute to the suffering of chronic functional pain or even functional disorders in general. In dealing with chronic pain patients, as with any patients, it is therefore very important to develop a sense of empathy that goes beyond this, towards deeply understanding the patient as complete person. This sheds a profound light on the all-important nonspecific factors of psychotherapy, which according to many researchers form the only profoundly active principle in psychotherapy.
The Guest/Host Dichotomy of "L'Hôte" in Leïla Sebbar's Marguerite and Nina Bourauoi's Garçon manqué
Authors: Pears Pamela
Published: May 2012

Just as the French language allows for ambiguity when it comes to hosts and guests, so too does literature that takes into account postcolonial encounters in both North Africa and France. Mireille Rosello's concept of the continuum of the host/guest relationship is applied to two works of contemporary fiction: Leïla Sebbar's Marguerite and Nina Bouraoui's Garçon manqué . Reading the protagonists' roles with this continuum in mind allows us to better understand the contemporary relationship between France and Algeria, one that extends beyond national borders and ends up questioning the very positions of guest and host, especially in the case of women.
Hidden School Disengagement and Its Relationship to Youth Risk Behaviors: A Cross- Sectional Study in China
Authors: Tam Frank Wai-ming , Zhou Hua-zhen , Harel-Fisch Yossi
Published: May 2012

School dropout has become a serious problem in many places around the world. However, before students actually dropout from school, they normally exhibit some symptoms of disengagement from the social life and emotional involvement of school. Thus, hidden school disengagement or avoiding school psychologically may be an early stage of school dropout. This article examines the phenomenon of hidden school disengagement among students aged 12-16 in China. 14,563 students in 11 provinces and 2 administrative regions participated in a Youth Health Behaviors Survey conducted in 2010. Based on the Index of Hidden Disengagement, 2,854 students (19.6%) were identified as having multiple symptoms of disengagement. Further analysis suggested that students who were identified as hidden disengaged students had a significantly higher ratio of being involved in health-related risk behaviors, suffered from psychosomatic symptoms, and had a pessimistic outlook of their health and their lives. Personal and contextual factors, such as students with one or more siblings in the family, non-intact families, low family economic background, migrant families, left-over children, schools located in rural areas, and non-model schools, all contributed to a higher prevalence of hidden school disengagement.
Robotic Colorectal Surgery: A Systematic Review
Authors: AlAsari Sami , Min Byung Soh
Published: May 2012

Aim. Robotic colorectal surgery may be a way to overcome the limitations of laparoscopic surgery. It is an emerging field; so, we aim in this paper to provide a comprehensive and data analysis of the available literature on the use of robotic technology in colorectal surgery. Method. A comprehensive systematic search of electronic databases was completed for the period from 2000 to 2011. Studies reporting outcomes of robotic colorectal surgery were identified and analyzed. Results. 41 studies (21 case series, 2 case controls, 13 comparative studies 1 prospective comparative, 1 randomized trial, 3 retrospective analyses) were reviewed. A total of 1681 patients are included in this paper; all of them use Da Vinci except 2 who use Zeus. Short-term outcome has been evaluated with 0 mortality and191 total major and minor complications. Pathological results were not analyzed in all studies and only 20 out of 41 provide data about the pathological results. Conclusion. Robotic surgery is safe and feasible option in colorectal surgery and a promising field; however, further prospective randomized studies are required to better define its role.
On the Electrochemistry and Spectroelectrochemistry of Small Model Star‐Shaped Compounds: 1,3,5‐Triaryl‐1‐Methoxybenzenes and 2,4,6‐Triaryl‐1,3,5‐Trimethoxybenzenes
Authors: Rapta Peter , Lukeš Vladimír , Idzik Krzysztof R. , Beckert Rainer , Dunsch Lothar
Published: May 2012

Model structures of 1,3,5‐triarylbenzenes with a substituted benzene core linked to thienyl or 3,4‐ethylenedioxythienyl (EDOT) terminal groups are studied by electrochemical and in situ ESR/UV/Vis/NIR spectroelectrochemical techniques. Oxidative polymerization of the monomers results in CC coupling of the thiophene moieties in the 5‐position, forming dimeric structures with bithiophene linkers as the first step. Both the doubly charged protonated dimer and the new dimer formed after proton release are studied in detail for 2,4,6‐tris[2‐(3,4‐ethylenedioxythienyl)]‐1‐methoxybenzene. Quite high stability of the doubly charged σ dimer formed on oxidation with unusual redox behavior at the electrode is observed. Density functional calculations of the molecular structure as well as spectroscopic and electronic properties of charged states in 1,3,5‐triarylbenzene derivatives in the monomeric, dimeric, and oligomeric form are presented. The complex spectroelectrochemical response of a thin solid film formed on the electrode surface upon potentiodynamic polymerization indicates the existence of different charge states of oligomeric structures within the solid matrix.
Discrete Dynamics in Evolutionary Games
Authors: Gomes Orlando
Published: May 2012

This paper furnishes a guide for the study of 2‐dimensional evolutionary games in discrete time. Evolutionarily stable strategies are identified and nonlinear outcomes are explored. Besides the baseline payoffs of the established strategic interaction, the following elements are also vital to determine the dynamic outcome of a game: the initial fitness of each agent and the rule of motion that describes how individuals switch between strategies. In addition to the dynamic rule commonly used in evolutionary games, the replicator dynamics, we propose another rule, which acknowledges the role of expectations and sophisticates the replicator mechanism.
Cross-Shaped Terahertz Metal Mesh Filters: Historical Review and Results
Authors: Melo Arline M. , Gobbi Angelo L. , Piazzetta Maria H. O. , da Silva Alexandre M. P. A.
Published: May 2012

Terahertz frequencies experiments has motivated the development of new sources, detectors and optical components. Here we will present a review of THz bandpass filters ranging from 0.4 to 10 THz. We also demonstrate our fabrication process, simulations and experimental results.
Existence for Eventually Positive Solutions of High‐Order Nonlinear Neutral Differential Equations with Distributed Delay
Authors: Zhao Huanhuan , Liu Youjun , Yan Jurang
Published: May 2012

We consider the existence for eventually positive solutions of high‐order nonlinear neutral differential equations with distributed delay. We use Lebesgue′s dominated convergence theorem to obtain new necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of eventually positive solutions.
Microscopic Theory of Multipole Ordering in f-Electron Systems
Authors: Hotta Takashi
Published: May 2012

A microscopic framework to determine multipole ordering in f-electron systems is provided on the basis of the standard quantum field theory. For the construction of the framework, a seven-orbital Hubbard Hamiltonian with strong spin-orbit coupling is adopted as a prototype model. A type of multipole and ordering vector is determined from the divergence of multipole susceptibility, which is evaluated in a random phase approximation. As an example of the application of the present framework, a multipole phase diagram on a three-dimensional simple cubic lattice is discussed for the case of n=2, where n denotes the average f-electron number per site. Finally, future problems concerning multipole ordering and fluctuations are briefly discussed.
Regulation and Roles of Urocortins in the Vascular System
Authors: Kageyama Kazunori , Teui Ken , Tamasawa Naoki , Suda Toshihiro
Published: May 2012

Urocortins (Ucns) are members of the corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) family of peptides. Ucns would have potent effects on the cardiovascular system via the CRF receptor type 2 (CRF2receptor). Regulation and roles of each Ucn have been determined in the vascular system. Ucns have more potent vasodilatory effects than CRF. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) express Ucns1-3 mRNAs, and the receptor,CRF2areceptor mRNA. Ucns1-3 mRNA levels are differentially regulated in HUVECs. Differential regulation of Ucns may suggest differential roles of those in HUVECs. Ucn1 and Ucn2 have strong effects on interleukin (IL)-6 gene expression and secretion in rat aortic smooth muscle A7r5 cells. The increase that we observed in IL-6 levels following Ucn treatment of A7r5 cells suggests that smooth muscle cells may be a source of IL-6 secretion under physiological stress conditions. Ucns are important and unique modulators of vascular smooth muscle cells and act directly or indirectly as autocrine and paracrine factors in the vascular system.
Hemin Augments Growth and Hemoglobinization of Erythroid Precursors from Patients with Diamond-Blackfan Anemia
Authors: Fibach Eitan , Aker Memet
Published: May 2012

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is congenital pure red-cell anemia due to a differentiation block in erythroid precursors. The disease is commonly caused by mutations in genes for ribosomal proteins. Despite the identification of disease causal genes, the disease pathogenesis is not completely elucidated. The ribosomal abnormalities are assumed to inhibit globin translation which may lead to excess free heme, stimulating a generation of free radicals and thereby damaging the precursors. We studied the effect of hemin (heme chloride) on cultured human erythroid precursors and found that contrary to aforementioned hypothesis, although hemin moderately stimulated free radicals, it did not cause apoptosis or necrosis. In erythroid precursors derived from DBA patients, hemin significantly stimulated growth and hemoglobinization. Thus, heme toxicity is unlikely to play a role in the pathophysiology of most DBA cases. Moreover, its beneficial effect in culture suggests a therapeutic potential.
Callimachean Tradition and the Muse’s Hymn to Ceres (Ov. Met. 5.341–661)
Authors: Sampson C. Michael
Published: May 2012

This paper supplements the work of Hinds 1987 by arguing thatthe Sicilian setting for the abduction of Proserpina in Metamorphoses 5 marks Ovid’s engagement with Callimachean style and poetic tradition, and that the influence of Hellenistic works (especially the Aetia ) on this passage is richer and more complex than has been acknowledged. I aim to show in particular how Ovid manipulates the poetic and intellectual background on which he draws, to which end I take recourse to a new Ptolemaic-era papyrus, as well as a reanalysis of the hymn’s structural and thematic cohesion.
Cosmopolitisme impérial et nationalisme: La vie circulaire d’Albert Rakoto Ratsimamanga (1907–2001)
Authors: Galibert Didier
Published: May 2012

Albert Rakoto Ratsimamanga arrived in France with the Malagasy delegation to the Colonial Exposition of 1931. The founder of the Association des Étudiants d’origine malgache (1934) and of the Mouvement démocratique pour la Rénovation de Madagascar (1946), he was a physician and a biologist, and he joined the Centre national de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) as a senior researcher, pursuing his scientific career and his nationalistic involvement in the postwar Paris of the 1950s. He was the first ambassador of the Malagasy Republic to France, for 13 years, before he returned to settle permanently in Madagascar in 1975. The transversality of his life course can be interpreted along several lines: chronologic straddling of this diasporic projection with political independence, loyalty to an aristocratic ethos with a progressive rallying to a republican conception of citizenship, and imperial circulation of knowledge attested to by the foundation of the Institut malgache de Recherches appliquées in 1957. Moreover, the paper points out the heuristic significance of the memorialization of his part as the nation’s father, standing up for the hypothesis of a retrospective enlightening of the state’s transmission continuum, within an ideological and institutional framework that was constantly being negotiated with the former colonial power.
Gabonese Men for French Decency: The Rise and Fall of the Gabonese Chapter of the Ligue des Droits de l’Homme, 1916–1939
Authors: Rich Jeremy
Published: May 2012

De 1916 à 1939, un petit groupe d’intellectuels gabonais organisèrent une cellule de la Ligue des Droits de l’Homme et du Citoyen, la plus grande organisation de défense des droits de l’homme en France durant la première moitié du XX e siècle. La plupart des historiens considèrent la ligue comme une association qui ne s’intéressait pas aux questions coloniales, mais le comité central de la ligue à Paris soutint le chapitre gabonais de la ligue durant les années 1920. Les ligueurs gabonais critiquèrent les abus et la politique arbitraire des administrateurs au Gabon. Ils se présentaient comme les défenseurs courageux et disciplinés des libertés républicaines. Selon eux, les administrateurs français ne possédaient pas la discipline nécessaire pour maitriser leurs désirs sexuels et leur colère. Des administrateurs répondirent à ces critiques que les ligueurs gabonais n’étaient que des déracinés. La question de la masculinité était un aspect important des conflits entre l’état colonial et les ligueurs. Le chapitre gabonais de la ligue se délita durant les années trente, en raison des privilèges accordés aux métis et des réformes modérées initiées par l’administration français vis-à-vis des élites gabonaises.
Une « décolonisation » par défaut?: Le cas de Lacroix, centre de colonisation de la commune mixte de La Calle (1920–1950)
Authors: Mussard Christine
Published: May 2012

This paper explores the case of a village named Lacroix, located in a commune mixte of French East Algeria—La Calle—where many European settlers abandoned their land a few years after obtaining it. In the early1920s, most of the first settlers put their land up for rent or sale to native people, because they were attracted by Tunisia, the border of which was just next to the village. In the 1950s, only five French families were still living in Lacroix. This movement can be considered as a sort of decolonization, even if this concept must be handled with care. Those migrations were very usual throughout the country at that time, but the case of Lacroix is a good example of a colonization area being recovered by the natives. The analysis of this long and complex process shows how the French authorities tried to retain land, creating inventive strategies for over 20 years. The process was very difficult, however, and finally failed, especially because of the conflicts between the local administration and central authorities. Moreover, the General Government showed no interest in this rural part of the colony, located at the Tunisian border. This case also raises the issue of the influence of local politicians, who managed to be heard over the administrator of the village or the settlers themselves. Finally, this paper discusses the objections that colonization had to face to be efficient while French Algeria was nearing its centennial.
"I will get domesticated after a while": Gendered Narratives of Origin and Identity at the Western Female Seminary
Authors: Weber Brenda R.
Published: May 2012

The article examines the founding documents of the Western Female Seminary, housed at Western College at Miami University of Ohio, putting these materials in the context of a larger nineteenth-century discourse culture on American narratives about identity, class, whiteness, and gender. Focusing specifically on Western's role as the educator of wives for home missionaries and its particular location in the Midwest, the article argues that Western's public materials relied on, and in the process helped to create, a complicated gendered logic, in that its public relations campaign and institutional governance documents and operating strategies made appeals to both masculine and feminine idioms. As demonstrated through the discourses housed in the Western College archive, the Western Female Seminary offers one piece of evidence in a much larger schema for seeing the temporal, contextual, and spatial specificity of the workings of gender in relation to the education of women.
Performing Location and Dignity in a Transnational Feminist and Queer Study of Manila's Gay Life
Authors: Collins Dana
Published: May 2012

The article offers an analysis of transnational feminist and queer methodologies by reflecting on the ethnography of gay space in Malate, a former sex and current tourist district in the city of Manila, the Philippines. The concept of "limited location" is used to theorize entry and relations in the field, following how spaces and identities mitigate field exchanges, how urban mappings formulate experiential analyses of urban space, and how the spaces of interaction show both desire and emotionality in field research. The article attends to feminist and queer concerns about researching across race, class, gender, nation, and inequalities, issues of "access," gendered work and performance, and the micro-politics of knowledge production wherein a researcher can embrace how informal sexual laborers (gay hosts) perform dignity in field exchanges. A transnational feminist and queer methodology opens epistemology to the visionary lens of lived experience, which in the case of gay hosts shows their labor and place in Malate's emerging gay nightlife.
We're Not Barbie Girls: Tweens Transform a Feminine Icon
Authors: Collins Louise , Lidinsky April , Rusnock Andrea , Torstrick Rebecca
Published: May 2012

"Reinventing Barbie" was a workshop for middle-school girls to discuss, critique, and reflect on the construction of female bodies and feminine identities in popular culture by remaking Barbie dolls. The workshop was designed to foster conversations with and among girls about what it means to be embodied as female in American culture. The girls reconstructed Barbies based on their reflections, and then they came together to discuss their dolls as expressions of their visions for transforming the feminine. The article analyzes the collaborative process of the workshop, which was grounded in women's studies scholarship and developed by an interdisciplinary group of feminist academics.