bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The production of bedspace: prison privatization and abstract space
Authors: Mitchelson M. L.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. This paper reports results from a critical discourse analysis of Annual Reports for Corrections Corporation of America and Geo Group, Inc. (formerly Wackenhut), the two largest private prison firms currently operating in the United States. Considerable geographic scholarship has analyzed privatization, on the one hand, and imprisonment, on the other. However, geographers have paid less attention to explicitly for-profit imprisonment. In particular, geographers have overlooked or ignored the emergence of bedspace, a concept that now pervades penal discourse. Rather than continuing conventional public-versus-private prison debates, this paper identifies bedspace as the discursive common ground upon which private prison industrialists and the state actually converge. Applying Henri Lefebvre's theorization of "abstract space" to imprisonment, I argue that the discursive creation of bedspace produces a nondialectical representation of space that is fully commodified and bureaucratized. However, the paper concludes that this nondialectical space problematically severs the immanently human geography of imprisonment, which is a "messy" space that is always lived and experienced in particular ways, from its inanimate architectural infrastructure (i.e., beds). Beyond the potential ethical and empirical challenges raised by the production of such an abstract space, bedspace signals the discursive and material convergence of state punishment with capital flows that build and often move beyond prison boundaries while obscuring violent geographies.
Expanding carceral geographies: challenging mass incarceration and creating a "community orientation" towards juvenile delinquency
Authors: Brown E.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Increasingly, governments are adopting alternative strategies to mass incarceration and drawing on the rhetoric of community to create softer and less restrictive sanctions. This paper argues that this transition provides an opportunity for geographers concerned with incarceration to consider a more expansive understanding of the carceral state. To call for a more geographically expansive consideration of incarceration, this paper draws upon a study of one juvenile court that sought to end racialized over-incarceration by promoting a "community orientation". As a consequence, juvenile detention now acts as a single node in a broader process of sorting, placing, and punishing, but the carceral aspects of juvenile court involvement did not lessen. Instead, the community orientation encapsulated a range of practices that are traditionally outside the state, yet extended the power of the state over a broad geography that resulted in the coerced mobility of children and subjection to greater insecurity. By tracing how the carceral apparatus extends into neighborhoods, community programs, probation practices, and residential placement, I argue that paying more attention to variegated carceral practices is necessary to more fully consider how incarceration has permeated places outside the prison.
Transnational productions of remoteness: building onshore and offshore carceral regimes across borders
Authors: Mountz A. , Loyd J.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. This article examines transnational framings of domestic carceral landscapes to better understand the relationship between offshore and onshore enforcement and detention regimes. US detention on mainland territory and interception and detention in the Caribbean serves as a case study. While the US domestic carceral regime is a subject of intense political debate, research, and activism, it is not often analyzed in relation to the development and expansion of an offshore "buffer zone" to intercept and detain migrants and asylum seekers. Yet the US federal government has also used offshore interception and detention as a way of controlling migration and mobility to its shores. This article traces a Cold War history of offshore US interception and detention of migrants from and in the Caribbean. We discuss how racialized crises related to Cuban and Haitian migrations by sea led to the expansion of an intertwined offshore and onshore carceral regime. Tracing these carceral geographies offers a more transnational understanding of contemporary domestic landscapes of detention of foreign nationals in the United States. It advances the argument that the conditions of remoteness ascribed frequently to US detention sites must be understood in more transnational perspective.
Corganiser: a web-based software tool for planning time-sensitive sampling of whole rounds during scientific drilling
Authors: Marshall I. P. G.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Corganiser is a software tool developed to simplify the process of preparing whole-round sampling plans for time-sensitive microbiology and geochemistry sampling during scientific drilling. It was developed during the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 347, but is designed to work with a wide range of core and section configurations and can thus be used in future drilling projects. Corganiser is written in the Python programming language and is implemented both as a graphical web interface and command-line interface. It can be accessed online at http://130.226.247.137/.
Drilling to investigate processes in active tectonics and magmatism
Authors: Shervais J. , Evans J. , Toy V. , Kirkpatrick J. , Clarke A. , Eichelberger J.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Coordinated drilling efforts are an important method to investigate active tectonics and magmatic processes related to faults and volcanoes. The US National Science Foundation (NSF) recently sponsored a series of workshops to define the nature of future continental drilling efforts. As part of this series, we convened a workshop to explore how continental scientific drilling can be used to better understand active tectonic and magmatic processes. The workshop, held in Park City, Utah, in May 2013, was attended by 41 investigators from seven countries. Participants were asked to define compelling scientific justifications for examining problems that can be addressed by coordinated programs of continental scientific drilling and related site investigations. They were also asked to evaluate a wide range of proposed drilling projects, based on white papers submitted prior to the workshop. Participants working on faults and fault zone processes highlighted two overarching topics with exciting potential for future scientific drilling research: (1) the seismic cycle and (2) the mechanics and architecture of fault zones. Recommended projects target fundamental mechanical processes and controls on faulting, and range from induced earthquakes and earthquake initiation to investigations of detachment fault mechanics and fluid flow in fault zones. Participants working on active volcanism identified five themes: the volcano eruption cycle; eruption sustainability, near-field stresses, and system recovery; eruption hazards; verification of geophysical models; and interactions with other Earth systems. Recommended projects address problems that are transferrable to other volcanic systems, such as improved methods for identifying eruption history and constraining the rheological structure of shallow caldera regions. Participants working on chemical geodynamics identified four major themes: large igneous provinces (LIPs), ocean islands, continental hotspot tracks and rifts, and convergent plate margins (subduction zones). This workshop brought together a diverse group of scientists with a broad range of scientific experience and interests. A particular strength was the involvement of both early-career scientists, who will initiate and carry out these new research programs, and more senior researchers with many years of experience in scientific drilling and active tectonics research. Each of the themes and questions outlined above has direct benefits to society, including improving hazard assessment, direct monitoring of active systems for early warning, renewable and non-renewable resource and energy exploitation, and predicting the environmental impacts of natural hazards, emphasizing the central role that scientific drilling will play in future scientific and societal developments.
Investigating ultra high-enthalpy geothermal systems: a collaborative initiative to promote scientific opportunities
Authors: Elders W. A. , Nielson D. , Schiffman P. , Schriener Jr. A.
Published: December 2014

Abstract. Scientists, engineers, and policy makers gathered at a workshop in the San Bernardino Mountains of southern California in October 2013 to discuss the science and technology involved in developing high-enthalpy geothermal fields. A typical high-enthalpy geothermal well between 2000 and 3000 m deep produces a mixture of hot water and steam at 200–300 °C that can be used to generate about 5–10 MWe of electric power. The theme of the workshop was to explore the feasibility and economic potential of increasing the power output of geothermal wells by an order of magnitude by drilling deeper to reach much higher pressures and temperatures. Development of higher enthalpy geothermal systems for power production has obvious advantages; specifically higher temperatures yield higher power outputs per well so that fewer wells are needed, leading to smaller environmental footprints for a given size of power plant. Plans for resource assessment and drilling in such higher enthalpy areas are already underway in Iceland, New Zealand, and Japan. There is considerable potential for similar developments in other countries that already have a large production of electricity from geothermal steam, such as Mexico, the Philippines, Indonesia, Italy, and the USA. However drilling deeper involves technical and economic challenges. One approach to mitigating the cost issue is to form a consortium of industry, government and academia to share the costs and broaden the scope of investigation. An excellent example of such collaboration is the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP), which is investigating the economic feasibility of producing electricity from supercritical geothermal reservoirs, and this approach could serve as model for future developments elsewhere. A planning committee was formed to explore creating a similar initiative in the USA.
Chironomids (Diptera, Chironomidae) of the Franz Josef Land archipelago (Arctic Russia)
Authors: Krasheninnikov Andrey , Gavrilo Maria
Published: December 2014

The first data on the chironomids fauna of the Franz Josef Land archipelago belong to M. Goetghebuer (1933). He noted 16 adults males Hydrobaenus conformis (Holmgren, 1869). In the present study, three new species (Diamesa (Diamesa) arctica (Boheman, 1865), Limnophyes pumilio (Holmgren, 1869), Tokunagaia rectangularis (Goetghebuer, 1940)) and one new subfamily (Diamesinae) are recorded in the Franz Josef Land archipelago bringing the chironomid fauna in this archipelago to a total of seven species from two subfamilies.
Digital Open Access to Publicly-Funded Research and National Security: A Review of the Status of Access to and a Framework for Evaluation of Security-Related Research Results
Authors: Sanfilippo Madelyn Rose
Published: December 2014

Better access to government information about publicly-funded research has benefits for many groups of users including scholars, policymakers, and the general public. But can prevailing open access models for this type of documentation be extended to information related to national security and international relations? What factors affect open access to security-related information, and how can the public's right to know be balanced against legitimate security concerns? This article proposes a way forward, drawing on experiences with current open access models in publicly-funded biomedical research.
Telecom Policy Across the Former Yugoslavia: Incentives, Challenges, and Lessons Learned
Authors: Hosman Laura , Howard Philip N.
Published: December 2014

What is the recipe for good information policy? Hosman and Howard address this in an emerging economy context through case studies of six states that arose following the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia. These new nations pursued differing information policy paths that led to diverse outcomes. The authors find, in general, conventional positive outcomes supporting policies for privatization, liberalization, and competition; but at the same time discover many counterintuitive outcomes based on each country's unique circumstances. General rules are good, but in specific cases alternative paths can also lead to success.
Academics in the Policy Process: Engagement with Australian Media Policy Inquiries 2011–2013
Authors: Flew Terry
Published: December 2014

Why did Australia's efforts to create a uniform converged broadband policy in 2011–2013 fail? Despite an extensive consultative process that identified 55 “broken concepts” in broadcast and telecommunications policy, Professor Flew contends that political factors made it impossible to reach a consensus and the “policy window” closed. The heated discourse around media freedom proved unexpectedly complex, and the positions of media reform advocates were diverse. Academics participated both as critics and as policy implementers, but questions remain as to whether it is possible to fulfill both roles effectively.
Consumer Resistance Factors for the Adoption of FTTH Ultra-Fast Broadband in New Zealand
Authors: Mirza Farhaan , Beltrán Fernando
Published: December 2014

It is a common maxim in telecommunications policy that access to a network is not the same as adoption of that network's services. In this article, Mirza and Beltrán analyze New Zealand's Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) Initiative in terms of the public expenditures devoted to its development and, more importantly, its adoption by citizens. The authors analyze a variety of barriers, drivers, and deciding factors that have led citizens to either accept or reject the opportunity to sign up for the program, ranging from cost to speed of deployment to consumer awareness
It's the Definition, Stupid! Framing of Online Privacy in the Internet Governance Forum Debates
Authors: Epstein Dmitry , Roth Merrill C. , Baumer Eric P.S.
Published: December 2014

How do different stakeholders in the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) define and discuss privacy? Using sophisticated statistical and linguistic tools, the authors analyze the language used at the IGF from 2006 to 2011 to identify the frames used by different groups in privacy policy rhetoric. The article exemplifies a case of the use of these complex tools for research purposes; and also reveals that the focus of the privacy discourse at the IGF has evolved over time, especially with respect to the balance between “privacy rights” and “security” and between civil society and state actors.
Building the Pipeline of Media and Technology Policy Advocates: The Role of “Situated Learning”
Authors: Lentz Becky
Published: December 2014

Given the importance of media policy issues, should institutions of higher education play a greater role in building media policy literacy and developing a pipeline of talent for third sector institutions? Emphatically yes, argues Professor Lentz, who shows how by analyzing four examples: Georgetown University Law School's Institute for Public Representation, the University Consortium on Media Policy Studies, the University of Colorado Public Interest Fellowship, and the Esther Peterson Fellowship Program at Consumers Union. These and other forms of “situated learning” might be used to cultivate opportunities for “legitimate peripheral participation,” which Lentz argues are key to the early development of skilled public policy advocates.
Indigenous Regulatory Advocacy in Canada's Far North: Mobilizing the First Mile Connectivity Consortium
Authors: McMahon Rob , Hudson Heather E. , Fabian Lyle
Published: December 2014

Marginalized groups such as Indigenous communities and residents of remote and rural areas face daunting challenges as they attempt to influence regulatory decisionmaking. Can these under-resourced groups hope to have their voices heard in regulatory proceedings, in the face of well-funded corporate interests? Applying a participatory research method to regulatory hearings regarding telecommunications services in Canada's far north, the authors argue that they can, and identify specific strategies and tactics that they can employ when doing so.
Mobile Banking Services in the East African Community (EAC): Challenges to the Existing Legislative and Regulatory Frameworks
Authors: Nyaga Joseph Kariuki
Published: December 2014

Should regulators require interconnection and interoperability between mobile money networks? Yes, asserts the author, using the five-nation East African Community (EAC) as a case study. Challenges to policy harmonization are posed by different legal and regulatory systems in the EAC Member States; as well as different business models, technologies, functionalities, and forms of mobile money. With few models on which to draw, the EAC must find a way to address the convergence of the telecommunications and financial sectors to enable maximum benefits from mobile banking, especially for the poor.
Canadian Participation in the Spectrum Management Consultation Process: Involvement, Indifference, or Exclusion?
Authors: McNally Michael B. , Mowatt Brandy , Pintos Lilian
Published: December 2014

Capitalist state regulatory theory posits that state agencies will be driven by the twin goals of capital accumulation and state legitimation in their regulatory actions. How true is this proposition when applied to Canadian telecommunications policymaking? Does industry prevail with regulators, or do consumers exercise equal influence? Using data on Industry Canada's public consultation processes, the authors examine who has participated and how intensely, and discuss each party's chances of reaching agreement with the regulator.
What We Talk about When We Talk about “The Market”: Conceptual Contestation in Contemporary Media Policy Research
Authors: Karppinen Kari , Moe Hallvard
Published: December 2014

How would media policy discourse benefit from more precise use of the ambiguous term “the market”? The term's economic and metaphorical constructions are often conflated, say the authors. For example, the metaphor can be used ideologically to obscure private political and economic interests. While there is no single uncontroversial definition of the term, greater clarity about the difference between its empirical and normative uses, according to the authors, will produce a more fruitful debate on both in the realm of media policy.
The Missing Link: Online Media Accountability Practices and Their Implications for European Media Policy
Authors: Eberwein Tobias , Porlezza Colin
Published: December 2014

Can online media criticism form a robust basis for media accountability? The authors report that the perceived impact of such criticism illustrates notable national differences. Based on a survey of journalists from twelve European and two Arab countries, they find online participatory accountability models to be least influential in countries with well-developed media accountability practices, and most valued in countries without a long tradition of media self-regulation. However, they find that the former are gradually losing control of such practices, and suggest that the practices be institutionalized under the form of “regulated self-regulation” to provide a clear framework.
Platform Models for Sustainable Internet Regulation
Authors: claffy kc , Clark David
Published: December 2014

Regulators are confronted with the fact that with the rapid pace of change and innovation on the Internet, regulatory initiatives are often rendered irrelevant almost as soon as they are proposed. How can regulators craft a durable approach that can remain relevant in this fast-changing environment? The authors propose a framework of platforms that Internet Service Providers may deploy, and discuss the regulatory implications for each type of platform. They demonstrate the utility of their approach by applying their model to the current policy problems raised by specialized services, minimum quality regulations, and structural separation.
“Being a Consistent Pain in the Ass”: Politics and Epistemics in Media Democracy Work
Authors: Dunbar-Hester Christina
Published: December 2014

Are the “media reform,” ”media democracy,” and “media justice” movements complementary or in conflict? A bit of both, asserts the author, building on her earlier ethnographic study in the field. While each is a form of social activism with progressive political goals, they have different theoretical foundations and different frames for their respective agendas as “scholars,” “activists,” and “advocates.” The article offers a critical consideration of their distinctive interventions, and concludes that while framing media as a “problem to be solved” enabled a wide base to form, at the same time this outlook was so diffuse that it generated tensions among the actors.
South Africa's Promotion of Access to Information Act: An Analysis of Relevant Jurisprudence
Authors: Peekhaus Wilhelm
Published: December 2014

Is South Africa's constitutional right of access to information working in practice? According to the author, it still faces substantial political and commercial resistance, and the success of the courts in enforcing its implementing legislation, the Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA), is mixed. The article reviews how the courts have interpreted and enforced the provisions of PAIA. More than a decade after its promulgation, the Act remains obstructed by continuing implementation challenges. Nonetheless, the courts have established a corpus of jurisprudence that admonishes public as well as private bodies to adhere to their constitutional and statutory information disclosure obligations in ways that will contribute to the development of a balanced access to information regime as the access laws evolve.
Philosophy's Paralipomena: Diaries, Notebooks, and Letters
Authors: Mendieta Eduardo
Published: December 2014

This article considers the role of diaries, notebooks, letters, and, in general, what we assume to be personal, peripheral, and disposable autobiographical texts as indispensable to the very production of philosophy and the development of a literary style that will become the philosophical physiognomy of a philosopher's distinct thinking. This is argued by looking at the works of Kierkegaard, Sartre, and Sloterdijk, with the help of Arthur Schopenhauer and Amélie Oksenberg Rorty.
The Unbearable Lightness of Casablanca: In Defense of a Committed Cosmopolitanism
Authors: Brence Steven
Published: December 2014

Via exposition of the classic Hollywood film Casablanca, and with reference to Milan Kundera's novel The Unbearable Lightness of Being, the nature of cosmopolitanism is critically explored. Both the propagandistic function of the film, justifying American entry into World War II, and the qualified love story at its center are explicated to support a “committed” cosmopolitanism, an understanding of that disposition that would distinguish it from a cynical neutrality, at a political level, and from a self- justifying conception of romantic love, on an interpersonal level.
Why Pragmatists Should Not Be Cyborgs
Authors: Magada-Ward Mary
Published: December 2014

By examining the influential work of the historian of science and feminist theorist Donna Haraway, I argue for the pragmatic importance of respecting the distinctions between myth and science and between fact and fiction. My aim is to show that the classical pragmatism of Peirce and James provides a via medina between the enforcement of entrenched dichotomies and the morass of complete boundary confusion.
Writing as Praxis
Authors: Lysaker John
Published: December 2014

This arricle argues that philosophical writing must be understood as praxis and that doing so opens a deliberative space in which to evaluate various modes of writing, including genres and various logical-rhetorical operations.
Only Human: Scientists, Systems, and Suspect Statistics
Authors: Hardwicke Tom , Jameel Leila , Jones Matthew , Walczak Eryk , Weinberg Lucía
Published: December 2014

It is becoming increasingly clear that science has sailed into troubled waters. Recent revelations about cases of serious research fraud and widespread ‘questionable research practices’ have initiated a period of critical self-reflection in the scientific community and there is growing concern that several common research practices fall far short of the principles of robust scientific inquiry. At a recent symposium, ‘Improving Scientific Practice: Dealing with the Human Factors’ held at The University of Amsterdam, the notion of the objective, infallible, and dispassionate scientist was firmly challenged. The symposium was guided by the acknowledgement that scientists are only human, and thus subject to the desires, needs, biases, and limitations inherent to the human condition. In this article, five post-graduate students from University College London describe the issues addressed at the symposium and evaluate proposed solutions to the scientific integrity crisis.
Expression and Characterization of Two β-Galactosidases from Klebsiella pneumoniae 285 in Escherichia coli and their Application in the Enzymatic Synthesis of Lactulose and 1-Lactulose
Authors: Wang He , Yang Ruijin , Jiang Xiaoyan , Hua Xiao , Zhao Wei , Zhang Wenbin , Chen Xuan
Published: December 2014

The two genes lacZ1 and lacZ2 from Klebsiella pneumoniae 285, encoding β-galactosidase isoenzymes II and III (KpBGase-II and -III), were each cloned downstream of a T7 promoter for expression in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3), and the resulting recombinant enzymes were characterized in detail. The optimum temperature and pH value of KpBGase-II were 40 °C and 7.5, and those of KpBGase-III were 50 °C and 8.0, respectively. KpBGase-III was more stable than KpBGase-II at higher temperature (>60°C). Both β-galactosidases were more active towards o-nitrophenyl-β- D-galactopyranoside as compared to lactose. The enzymatic synthesis of lactulose and 1-lactulose catalyzed by KpBGase-II and KpBGase-III was investigated. Using 400 g/L lactose and 200 g/L fructose as substrates, the resulting lactulose and 1-lactulose yields with KpBGase-II were 6.2 and 42.3 g/L, while those with KpBGase-III were 5.1 and 23.8 g/L, respectively. KpBGase-II has a potential for the production of 1-lactulose from lactose and fructose. Like other β-galactosidases, the two isozymes catalyze the transgalactosylation in the presence of fructose establishing the β-(1→1) linkage.
Ratjadone C-Mediated Nuclear Accumulation of HDAC4: Implications on Runx2-Induced Osteoblast Differentiation of C3H10T1/2 Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Mu Ping , Deepak Vishwa , Kang Liheng , Jiang Qing , Liu Rong , Meng Lingyi , Zhang Zhongli , Zeng Xianlu , Liu Wenguang
Published: December 2014

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are a group of enzymes that deacetylate ε-N-acetyl lysine residues of histone and non-histone proteins and play an important role in gene regulation. HDAC4, a class-IIa HDAC, has been reported to shuttle between nucleus and cytoplasm in response to various cellular stimuli. The nucleo-cytoplasmic shuttling of HDAC4 is critical, and an anomalous nuclear localization might affect the cellular differentiation program. While the subcellular localization of HDAC4 has been reported to be vital for myoblast differentiation and chondrocyte hypertrophy, nuclear accumulation of HDAC4 during Runx2-induced osteoblast differentiation of stem cells has not been characterized. Ratjadone C is a natural compound that inhibits the nuclear export of proteins. Here, we show that Runx2 is a more potent transcription factor than Osterix in inducing osteoblast differentiation. Under the influence of ratjadone C, HDAC4 is retained in the nucleus and co-localizes with Runx2. However, forced nuclear accumulation of HDAC4 by ratjadone C or overexpression of the nuclear resident form of HDAC4 does not inhibit osteoblast differentiation, suggesting that the Runx2- induced osteogenic program of C3H10T1/2 cells is not affected by HDAC4. Even though phosphorylation of HDAC4 affects its compartmentalization and the stemness of progenitor cells, we found that total HDAC4 and phosphorylated HDAC4 remain cytoplasmic under both osteogenic and nonosteogenic conditions. Collectively, this work demonstrates that, regardless of the nucleo-cytoplasmic presence of HDAC4, the Runx2-induced osteoblast differentiation program of C3H10T1/2 cells remains unaffected. Additionally, the ratjadone C-mediated nuclear retention assay can potentially be used as a screening tool to identify novel regulatory mechanisms of HDAC4 and its functional partners in various pathophysiological conditions.
Cardioprotective Effect of Saffron Extracts against Acute Doxorubicin Toxicity in Isolated Rabbit Hearts Submitted to Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Chahine Nathalie , Makhlouf Hassane , Duca Laurent , Martiny Laurent , Chahine Ramez
Published: December 2014

Doxorubicin (DOX) is an anthracycline antibiotic routinely used as a chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of solid tumours. However, DOX possesses an acute and cumulative cardiotoxicity due to free radical production. The present study was designed to investigate the possible protective effects of saffron (Crocus sativus) extracts against DOX-induced acute cardiotoxicity in isolated rabbit hearts submitted to 30 min global ischemia followed by 40 min reperfusion. DOX was delivered during reperfusion, without or with saffron given 5 min before ischemia or at reperfusion. Cardiodynamic, biochemical, and histopathological parameters were determined. In addition, to determine the expression of the AKT/mTOR/4EBP1 pathway, the levels of p38 MAPK and cardiac troponin T in heart homogenates were visualized by Western blotting. DOX administration during 40 min of reperfusion increased ischemic tissue damage, but did not act synergistically. Administration of saffron extracts during the first minutes of reperfusion significantly reduced oxidative myocardial damage, but was less effective when given before ischemia. Subsequent Western blot analysis revealed that saffron administration preserved cardiac troponin T proteins, inhibited the p38 MAPK pathway, and activated the AKT/mTOR/4EBP1 pathway in reperfusion- and DOX-treated rabbit hearts. In conclusion, saffron extracts, acting through antioxidant and antiapoptotic mechanisms, exhibited a protective effect against DOX-induced cardiotoxicity under ischemic condition.
Anti-Inflammatory Activity of the Fruit Extract of Benincasa hispida
Authors: Kadam Deepak , Lele Smita
Published: December 2014

Benincasa hispida (Ash gourd, family: Cucurbitaceae) is well known for its medicinal property. In the Ayurvedic system, it is used as a rejuvenating agent and in the treatment of nervous disorders. Methanolic and petroleum fruit extracts was subjected to evaluation of phytochemicals and acute oral toxicity study. Further, Anti-inflammatory activity was performed using human red blood cell (HRBC) membrane stabilization assay and carrageenan induced paw edema in rat. Oral administration of methanolic extract of concentration (350 mg/kg) significantly reduced the paw edema (P < 0.05) in a dose dependent manner as compared to carrageenan induced rats.
Crise financière, répartition des revenus et relance par les salaires
Authors: Lavoie Marc
Published: December 2014

Tandis que la plupart des économistes attribuent la crise financière de 2007-2008 aux incohérences des marchés financiers, un certain nombre d’économistes, surtout hétérodoxes, associent cette crise à des éléments structurels, notamment la croissance des inégalités, mesurée par la progression de la part des profits dans le revenu national et par la dispersion des salaires. L’auteur présente les résultats d’un projet de recherche dont les différents modules ont analysé les causes de ces évolutions ainsi que les conséquences négatives de la baisse de la part des salaires pour la croissance de la demande et la croissance de la productivité. Les politiques néolibérales ont donc eu des effets néfastes pour l’économie, effets qui n’ont pu être compensés que temporairement par des artifices comme l’endettement accru des ménages et les politiques de croissance par les exportations. Il importe donc de faire marche arrière, et de revenir à des politiques favorisant le plein emploi et la relance par les salaires.
Financiarisation des organisations et organisations financières
Authors: L’Italien François
Published: December 2014

Au cours des trente dernières années, la grande corporation de droit privé a connu
des transformations structurelles qui ont affecté aussi bien sa dynamique interne que les
modalités d’adaptation à son environnement. La mise en place d’un régime d’accumulation
financiarisée a, parmi d’autres facteurs, entraîné une reconfiguration des principaux
dispositifs de contrôle de la corporation, qui doit désormais composer avec un système
d’organisations financières matérialisant un nouvel espace de régulation de la vie
économique. S’appuyant sur les travaux récents de la sociologie institutionnaliste
américaine de la corporation, cet article vise à identifier les principales logiques de
restructuration de la grande corporation qui ont été concomitantes du déploiement du
capitalisme financiarisé. Ces modalités seront schématiquement analysées à partir des
pratiques des principaux acteurs qui leur ont donné une effectivité propre.
Espace, temps et théorie du capital chez Henri Lefebvre et Marx
Authors: Gaudreau Louis
Published: December 2014

Ce texte propose une réflexion sur la production capitaliste de l’espace. Il présente la théorie d’Henri Lefebvre sur l’espace et tente de mettre en lumière la contribution originale de cet auteur à la compréhension du rapport entre temps et espace dans la reproduction du capitalisme. L’analyse porte plus particulièrement sur le concept d’espace abstrait développé par Lefebvre, dont on retrouve une formulation implicite dans les travaux de Marx, et qui révèle le rôle actif joué par la spatialité dans le procès de valorisation capitaliste. Le concept lefebvrien d’espace abstrait jette ainsi les bases d’une remise en question du primat accordé au temps dans la tradition d’analyse critique du capitalisme. Le texte se conclut par de brèves réflexions sur l’actualité d’une telle conception de l’espace pour saisir la récente financiarisation du capital.
Overcoming myelosuppression due to synthetic lethal toxicity for FLT3-targeted acute myeloid leukemia therapy
Authors: Warkentin Alexander A , Lopez Michael S , Lasater Elisabeth A , Lin Kimberly , He Bai-Liang , Leung Anskar YH , Smith Catherine C , Shah Neil P , Shokat Kevan M
Published: December 2014

Activating mutations in FLT3 confer poor prognosis for individuals with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Clinically active investigational FLT3 inhibitors can achieve complete remissions but their utility has been hampered by acquired resistance and myelosuppression attributed to a ‘synthetic lethal toxicity’ arising from simultaneous inhibition of FLT3 and KIT. We report a novel chemical strategy for selective FLT3 inhibition while avoiding KIT inhibition with the staurosporine analog, Star 27. Star 27 maintains potency against FLT3 in proliferation assays of FLT3-transformed cells compared with KIT-transformed cells, shows no toxicity towards normal human hematopoiesis at concentrations that inhibit primary FLT3-mutant AML blast growth, and is active against mutations that confer resistance to clinical inhibitors. As a more complete understanding of kinase networks emerges, it may be possible to define anti-targets such as KIT in the case of AML to allow improved kinase inhibitor design of clinical agents with enhanced efficacy and reduced toxicity.
The neuronal architecture of the mushroom body provides a logic for associative learning
Authors: Aso Yoshinori , Hattori Daisuke , Yu Yang , Johnston Rebecca M , Iyer Nirmala A , Ngo Teri-TB , Dionne Heather , Abbott LF , Axel Richard , Tanimoto Hiromu , Rubin Gerald M
Published: December 2014

We identified the neurons comprising the Drosophila mushroom body (MB), an associative center in invertebrate brains, and provide a comprehensive map describing their potential connections. Each of the 21 MB output neuron (MBON) types elaborates segregated dendritic arbors along the parallel axons of ∼2000 Kenyon cells, forming 15 compartments that collectively tile the MB lobes. MBON axons project to five discrete neuropils outside of the MB and three MBON types form a feedforward network in the lobes. Each of the 20 dopaminergic neuron (DAN) types projects axons to one, or at most two, of the MBON compartments. Convergence of DAN axons on compartmentalized Kenyon cell–MBON synapses creates a highly ordered unit that can support learning to impose valence on sensory representations. The elucidation of the complement of neurons of the MB provides a comprehensive anatomical substrate from which one can infer a functional logic of associative olfactory learning and memory.
North‐south asymmetry of the high‐latitude thermospheric density: IMF BY effect
Authors: Yamazaki Yosuke , Kosch Michael J. , Sutton Eric K.
Published: December 2014

Previous studies have established that the y component of the interplanetary magnetic field (IMF By) plays a role in the north‐south asymmetry of the high‐latitude plasma convection and wind. The effect of the positive/negative IMF By in the Northern Hemisphere resembles the effect that the negative/positive IMF By would have in the Southern Hemisphere. In this study, we demonstrate that the IMF By effect can also contribute to the hemispheric asymmetry of the thermospheric density. We use high‐accuracy air drag measurements from the CHAllenging Minisatellite Payload (CHAMP) satellite and SuperMAG AE index during the period 2001–2006 to examine the response of the high‐latitude thermospheric density to geomagnetic activity. Our statistical analysis reveals that the density response at 400 km is greater in the Southern Hemisphere under positive IMF By conditions, and greater in the Northern Hemisphere under negative IMF By conditions. The results suggest that the IMF By effect needs to be taken into account in upper atmospheric modeling for an accurate description of high‐latitude densities during periods of enhanced geomagnetic activity.
Epindolidiones—Versatile and Stable Hydrogen‐Bonded Pigments for Organic Field‐Effect Transistors and Light‐Emitting Diodes
Authors: Głowacki Eric Daniel , Romanazzi Giuseppe , Yumusak Cigdem , Coskun Halime , Monkowius Uwe , Voss Gundula , Burian Max , Lechner Rainer T. , Demitri Nicola , Redhammer Günther J. , Sünger Nevsal , Suranna Gian Paolo , Sariciftci Serdar
Published: December 2014

Hydrogen‐bonded pigments are remarkably stable high‐crystal lattice energy organic solids. Here a lesser‐known family of compounds, the epindolidiones, which demonstrates electronic transport with extraordinary stability, even in highly demanding aqueous environments, is reported. Hole mobilities in the range 0.05–1 cm2 V–1 s–1 can be achieved, with lower electron mobilities of up to 0.1 cm2 V–1 s–1. To help understand charge transport in epindolidiones, X‐ray diffraction is used to solve the crystal structure of 2,8‐difluoroepindolidione and 2,8‐dichloroepindolidione. Both derivatives crystallize with a linear‐chain H‐bonding lattice featuring two‐dimensional π–π stacking. Powder diffraction indicates that the unsubstituted epindolidione has very similar crystallinity. All types of epindolidiones measured here display strong low‐energy optical emission originating from excimeric states, which coexists with higher‐energy fluorescence. This can be exploited in light‐emitting diodes, which show the same hybrid singlet and low‐energy excimer electroluminescence. Low‐voltage FETs are fabricated with epindolidione, which operate reliably under repeated cyclic tests in different ionic solutions within the pH range 3–10 without degradation. Finally, in order to overcome the insolubility of epindolidiones in organic solvents, a chemical procedure is devised to allow solution‐processing via the introduction of suitable thermolabile solubilizing groups. This work shows the versatile potential of epindolidione pigments for electronics applications.
Microwave‐Promoted Synthesis of Smart Superporous Hydrogel for the Development of Gastroretentive Drug Delivery System
Authors: Goganian Amir Mohammad , Hamishehkar Hamed , Arsalani Nasser , Khiabani Hanie Khaksar
Published: December 2014

Smart superporous hydrogels (SPHs) based on dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate and acrylamide monomers with and without magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) were synthesized via a microwave procedure. The synthesized samples were confirmed by various techniques such as Fourier transform spectroscopy, x‐ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis, scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and transmission electron microscopy. The parameters such as pH, irradiation time, and MNPs content on the swelling behavior of products were studied. The results of swelling studies in artificial gastric and intestine media exhibited a higher swelling ratio of SPHs in lower pH, confirming smart performance of SPHs for gastroretentive drug delivery (GDD). The metronidazole (MTZ) was used as an effective antibiotic administered in peptic ulcer therapy. The in vitro release studies showed that the presence of MNPs into the hydrogel network provided the sustained release pattern for MTZ. It was concluded that our developed SPHs and MSPHs fabricated via a facile method have potential to be used in GDD.
Design Principles for Metal Oxide Redox Materials for Solar‐Driven Isothermal Fuel Production
Authors: Michalsky Ronald , Botu Venkatesh , Hargus Cory M. , Peterson Andrew A. , Steinfeld Aldo
Published: December 2014

The performance of metal oxides as redox materials is limited by their oxygen conductivity and thermochemical stability. Predicting these properties from the electronic structure can support the screening of advanced metal oxides and accelerate their development for clean energy applications. Specifically, reducible metal oxide catalysts and potential redox materials for the solar‐thermochemical splitting of CO2 and H2O via an isothermal redox cycle are examined. A volcano‐type correlation is developed from available experimental data and density functional theory. It is found that the energy of the oxygen‐vacancy formation at the most stable surfaces of TiO2, Ti2O3, Cu2O, ZnO, ZrO2, MoO3, Ag2O, CeO2, yttria‐stabilized zirconia, and three perovskites scales with the Gibbs free energy of formation of the bulk oxides. Analogously, the experimental oxygen self‐diffusion constants correlate with the transition‐state energy of oxygen conduction. A simple descriptor is derived for rapid screening of oxygen‐diffusion trends across a large set of metal oxide compositions. These general trends are rationalized with the electronic charge localized at the lattice oxygen and can be utilized to predict the surface activity, the free energy of complex bulk metal oxides, and their oxygen conductivity.
Chirality‐Assisted Ring‐Like Aggregation of Aβ(1–40) at Liquid–Solid Interfaces: A Stereoselective Two‐Step Assembly Process
Authors: Gao Guanbin , Zhang Mingxi , Lu Pei , Guo Guanlun , Wang Dong , Sun Taolei
Published: December 2014

Molecular chirality is introduced at liquid–solid interfaces. A ring‐like aggregation of amyloid Aβ(1–40) on N‐isobutyryl‐L‐cysteine (L‐NIBC)‐modified gold substrate occurs at low Aβ(1–40) concentration, while D‐NIBC modification only results in rod‐like aggregation. Utilizing atomic force microscope controlled tip‐enhanced Raman scattering, we directly observe the secondary structure information for Aβ(1–40) assembly in situ at the nanoscale. D‐ or L‐NIBC on the surface can guide parallel or nonparallel alignment of β‐hairpins through a two‐step process based on electrostatic‐interaction‐enhanced adsorption and subsequent stereoselective recognition. Possible electrostatic interaction sites (R5 and K16) and a chiral recognition site (H14) of Aβ(1–40) are proposed, which may provide insight into the understanding of this effect.
Regioselektive katalytische asymmetrische C‐Alkylierung von Isoxazolinonen durch basenfreie Palladacyclus‐katalysierte direkte 1,4‐Addition
Authors: Hellmuth Tina , Frey Wolfgang , Peters René
Published: December 2014

Isoxazolinone bilden eine Klasse von Heterocyclen, die häufig bei der Entwicklung von potentiellen neuen Wirkstoffen Verwendung findet. Die cyclische Oximester‐Einheit ist außerdem synthetisch wertvoll, da sie funktionelle “Stellschrauben” beinhaltet, die den Zugang zu einer Vielzahl von wertvollen Verbindungsklassen ermöglichen, welche durch andere Methoden nur schwer zugänglich sind. Dennoch sind asymmetrische Methoden zu chiralen Isoxazolinonen offenkundig selten. Hiermit stellen wir die erste katalytische, asymmetrische Alkylierung von Isoxazolinonen zur Bildung von all‐C‐substituierten quartären Stereozentren vor. Die gegenwärtigen Studien wurden durch die Frage nach der Kontrolle der Regioselektivität aufgrund der Konkurrenz von verschiedenen nukleophilen Positionen angetrieben. Die Untersuchung einer direkten 1,4‐Addition ließ erkennen, dass ein sterisch anspruchsvoller palladacyclischer Katalysator die Reaktivität in Abwesenheit einer Base nahezu ausschließlich zum nukleophilen C‐Atom steuert, während gleichzeitig hohe Enantioselektivitäten und TONs von bis zu 1900 erreicht werden.
Impact of lymph node ratio on survival in patients with pancreatic and periampullary cancer
Authors: Tol J A M G , Brosens L A A , van Dieren S , van Gulik T M , Busch O R C , Besselink M G H , Gouma D J
Published: December 2014

Background

According to some studies, the number of lymph nodes with metastases in relation to the total number of removed lymph nodes, the lymph node ratio (LNR), is one of the most powerful predictors of survival after resection in patients with pancreatic cancer. However, contradictory results have been reported, and small sample sizes of the cohorts and different definitions of a microscopic positive resection margin (R1) hamper the interpretation of data.

Methods

The predictive value of LNR for 3-year survival was assessed using a Cox proportional hazards model. From 1992 to 2012, all patients with pancreatic and periampullary cancer operated on with pancreatoduodenectomy were selected from a database. Clinicopathological characteristics were analysed. Microscopic positive resection margin was defined as the microscopic presence of tumour cells within 1 mm of the margins. A nomogram was created.

Results

Some 760 patients were included. Predictive factors for death in 350 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma included in the nomogram were: R1 resection (hazard ratio (HR) 1·55, 95 per cent c.i. 1·07 to 2·25), poor tumour differentiation (HR 2·78, 1·40 to 5·52), LNR above 0·18 (HR 1·75, 1·13 to 2·70) and no adjuvant therapy (HR 1·54, 1·01 to 2·34). The C statistic was 0·658 (0·632 to 0·698), and calibration was good (Hosmer–Lemeshow χ2 = 5·67, P =0·773). LNR and poor tumour differentiation (HR 4·51 and 3·30 respectively) were also predictive in patients with distal common bile duct (CBD) cancer. LNR, R1 resection and jaundice were predictors of death in patients with ampullary cancer (HR 7·82, 2·68 and 1·93 respectively).

Conclusion

LNR is a common predictor of poor survival in pancreatic, distal CBD and ampullary cancer.