bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Carbazole‐based conjugated polymer covalently coated Fe3O4 nanoparticle as efficient and reversible Hg2+ optical probe
Authors: Tian Yong , Shi Wei , Luo Jianmin , Ma Fudong , Mi Hongyu , Lei Yanli
Published: June 2013

A type of fluorescent–magnetic dual‐function nanocomposite, Fe3O4@SiO2@P‐2, was successfully obtained by Cu+‐catalyzed click reaction between acetylene (CCH)‐substituted carbazole‐based conjugated polymer (P‐2) and azide‐terminated silica‐coated magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (Fe3O4@SiO2–N3). Optical and magnetization analyses indicate that Fe3O4@SiO2@P‐2 exhibits stable fluorescence and rapid magnetic response. The fluorescence of Fe3O4@SiO2@P‐2 was quenched significantly in the presence of I− and gave a detection limit (DL) of ∼8.85 × 10−7 M. Given the high binding constant and matching ratio between Hg2+ and I−, the fluorescence of Fe3O4@SiO2@P‐2/I− complex recovered efficiently with the addition of Hg2+. A DL of ∼4.17 × 10−7 M was obtained by this probing system. Recycling of Fe3O4@SiO2@P‐2 probe was readily achieved by simple magnetic separation. Results indicate that Fe3O4@SiO2@P‐2 can be used as an “on–off–on” fluorescent switchable and recyclable Hg2+ probe. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013, 51, 3636–3645
Effectiveness of an integrated adventure‐based training and health education program in promoting regular physical activity among childhood cancer survivors
Authors: Li H. C. William , Chung Oi Kwan Joyce , Ho Ka Yan , Chiu Sau Ying , Lopez Violeta
Published: June 2013

Background

There is growing concern about declining levels of physical activity in childhood cancer survivors. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of an integrated adventure‐based training and health education program in promoting changes in exercise behavior and enhancing the physical activity levels, self‐efficacy, and quality of life of Hong Kong Chinese childhood cancer survivors.

Methods

A randomized controlled trial, two‐group pretest and repeated post‐test, between‐subjects design was conducted to 71 childhood cancer survivors (9‐ to 16‐year‐olds). Participants in the experimental group joined a 4‐day integrated adventure‐based training and health education program. Control group participants received the same amount of time and attention as the experimental group but not in such a way as to have any specific effect on the outcome measures. Participants' exercise behavior changes, levels of physical activity, self‐efficacy, and quality of life were assessed at the time of recruitment, 3, 6, and 9 months after starting the intervention.

Results

Participants in the experimental group reported statistically significant differences in physical activity stages of change (p < 0.001), higher levels of physical activity (p < 0.001) and self‐efficacy (p = 0.04) than those in the control group. Besides, there were statistically significant mean differences (p < 0.001) in physical activity levels (−2.6), self‐efficacy (−2.0), and quality of life (−4.3) of participants in the experimental group from baseline to 9 months after starting the intervention.

Conclusions

The integrated adventure‐based training and health education program was found to be effective in promoting regular physical activity among childhood cancer survivors. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simplified uncertainty analysis of layer of protection analysis results
Authors: Freeman Raymond “Randy”
Published: June 2013

Layer of protection analysis (LOPA) is a semiquantitative risk evaluation tool. The methodology is widely used in setting safety integrity level targets for safety instrumented systems. The methodology is often used to evaluate the adequacy of existing protective systems against corporate risk targets. The LOPA method is based on the use of conservative estimates of the failure probability of protective systems. Freeman previously presented a method for the quantification of uncertainty in a LOPA study based on the application of variance contribution analysis (VCA) techniques. The use of VCA to evaluate the uncertainty in a LOPA study requires the evaluation of the sensitivity of the LOPA equation to changes in each of the variables. Freeman used direct analytical computation of the partial derivatives of the LOPA equation for each of the uncertain variables. Faster and easier methods are needed if LOPA uncertainty analysis is to be applied by practicing engineers. This article explores the use of approximations to compute the required uncertainty information without the use of the partial derivative computations. Numerical approximations (perturbation methods) are found to allow for the estimate of the partial derivatives with a maximum error of 16%. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 32: 351–360, 2013
Yb:YAG ceramics application for high energy cryogenic disk amplifier development
Authors: Perevezentsev Evgeny , Mukhin Ivan , Vadimova Olga , Palashov Oleg , Khazanov Efim , Luo Dewei , Zhang Jian , Tang Dingyuan
Published: June 2013

Using two 20 mm in diameter, 1.4 mm thick, 5 at% doping Yb:YAG ceramic active elements (AEs) we reached 233 mJ at 143 Hz in the output with 70 ns, 30 mJ input pulses. According to our 3D calculations we extracted about half of the stored energy. To our knowledge, this output result is the best among all high repetition rate cryogenic pulse Yb:YAG ceramic thin disk laser systems.
Electrophilicity kernel and its hierarchy through softness in conceptual density functional theory
Authors: Putz Mihai V. , Chattaraj Pratim K.
Published: June 2013

In the context of long‐range density functional theory of softness kernel, the concepts of local and kernel electrophilicity are developed to obtain the local to global hierarchical criteria such as bilocal symmetry, asymptotic behavior, and integral local to global relationships. Further development into potential‐density dependence is also provided while considering the local plus nonlocal specification of softness kernel and the associated atomic scales for the derived kernel; local and global electrophilicity are provided whose reliability is judged through the periodical features along the periodic table especially for the alkali metal atoms and the halogen atoms. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Theoretical study on the mechanism of the reaction for alkene hydroaminations catalyzed by chiral aldehyde
Authors: Zhao Jinfeng , Sun Chuanzhi , Sun Nan , Meng Lin , Chen Dezhan
Published: June 2013

Alkene hydroamination catalyzed by chiral aldehyde relying only on temporary intramolecularity is a new concept reaction. In this article, the reaction mechanism was investigated using density functional theory. The calculation results show that: (1) The reaction can be divided into two parts. The first part is a dehydration process involving a hemiaminal formation. The nitrone catalyst forms through rapid intermolecular nucleophilic addition of benzylhydroxylamine to chiral aldehyde precatalyst. The second part is a catalytic cycle, which involves an aminal formation—hydroamination—ring opening—product release process. (2) There are four enantioselective pathways related to the products of S and R configurations. Enantioselectivity is attributed to the different forming ways of a planar five‐membered ring. The preferred pathways for the S‐configuration product (S3) and R‐configuration product (R3) are confirmed. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Prior experience in micro‐surgery may improve the surgeon's performance in robotic surgical training
Authors: Perez Manuela , Perrenot Cyril , Tran Nguyen , Hossu Gabriela , Felblinger Jacques , Hubert Jacques
Published: June 2013

Summary background data

Robotic surgery has witnessed a huge expansion. Robotic simulators have proved to be of major interest in training. Some authors have suggested that prior experience in micro‐surgery could improve robotic surgery training.

Objective

To test micro‐surgery as a new approach in training, we proposed a prospective study comparing the surgical performance of micro‐surgeons with that of general surgeons on a robotic simulator.

Methods

49 surgeons were enrolled; 11 in the micro‐surgery group (MSG); 38 n the control group (CG). Performance was evaluated based on five dV‐Trainer® exercises.

Results

MSG achieved better results for all exercises including exercises requiring visual evaluation of force feed‐back, economy of motion, instrument force and position.

Conclusions

These results show that experience in micro‐surgery could significantly improve surgeons' abilities and their performance in robotic training. So, as micro‐surgery practice is relatively cheap, it could be easily included in basic robotic surgery training. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nonlinear Effects of Entrepreneurial Orientation on Small Firm Performance: The Moderating Role of Resource Orchestration Capabilities
Authors: Wales William J. , Patel Pankaj C. , Parida Vinit , Kreiser Patrick M.
Published: June 2013

This research examines the nature of the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and small firm performance. The results from a sample of 258 Swedish small firms indicate an inverted U‐shaped relationship between EO and small firm performance. Drawing upon resource orchestration theory, we theorize that information and communication technology capability and network capability help small firms overcome their resource‐related ‘liabilities of smallness’ and observe these capabilities to increase the optimal levels and performance‐related returns from EO. In the absence of these capabilities, returns to firm performance from increasing EO were observed to reach harmful levels. The study implications are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Strategic Management Society.
Collaborative Benefits and Coordination Costs: Learning and Capability Development in Science
Authors: Onal Vural M. , Dahlander Linus , George Gerard
Published: June 2013

We examine the effects of team structure and experience on the impact of inventions produced by scientific teams. Whereas multidisciplinary, collaborative teams have become the norm in scientific production, there are coordination costs commensurate with managing such teams. We use patent citation analysis to examine the effect of prior collaboration and patenting experience on invention impact of 282 patents granted in human embryonic stem cell (hESC) research from 1998 to 2010. Our results reveal that team experience outside the domain may be detrimental to project performance in a setting where the underlying knowledge changes. In stem cell science, we show that interdepartmental collaboration has a negative effect on invention impact. Scientific proximity between members of the team has a curvilinear relationship, suggesting that teams consisting of members with moderate proximity get the highest impact. We elaborate on these findings for theories of collaboration and coordination and its implications for radical scientific discoveries. Copyright © 2013 Strategic Management Society.
Functional DNA Nanostructures for Photonic and Biomedical Applications
Authors: Wang Zhen‐Gang , Song Chen , Ding Baoquan
Published: June 2013

DNA nanostructures, especially DNA origami, receive close interest because of the programmable control over their shape and size, precise spatial addressability, easy and high‐yield preparation, mechanical flexibility, and biocompatibility. They have been used to organize a variety of nanoscale elements for specific functions, resulting in unprecedented improvements in the field of nanophotonics and nanomedical research. In this review, the discussion focuses on the employment of DNA nanostructures for the precise organization of noble metal nanoparticles to build interesting plasmonic nanoarchitectures, for the fabrication of visualized sensors and for targeted drug delivery. The effects offered by DNA nanostructures are highlighted in the areas of nanoantennas, collective plasmonic behaviors, single‐molecule analysis, and cancer‐cell targeting or killing. Finally, the challenges in the field of DNA nanotechnology for realistic application are discussed and insights for future directions are provided.
Identification of Unsafe Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell Lines Using a Robust Surrogate Assay for Pluripotency
Authors: Polanco Juan Carlos , Ho Mirabelle S.H. , Wang Bei , Zhou Qi , Wolvetang Ernst , Mason Elizabeth , Wells Christine A. , Kolle Gabriel , Grimmond Sean M. , Bertoncello Ivan , O'Brien Carmel , Laslett Andrew L.
Published: June 2013

Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSC) have the potential to generate healthy cells and tissues for the study and medical treatment of a large number of diseases. The utility of putative hiPSC-based therapies is constrained by a lack of robust quality-control assays that address the stability of the cells or their capacity to form teratomas after differentiation. Here we report that virally derived hiPSC, but not human embryonic stem cells (hESC) or hiPSC derived using episomal nonintegrating vectors, exhibit a propensity to revert to a pluripotent phenotype following differentiation. This instability was revealed using our published method to identify pluripotent cells undergoing very early-stage differentiation in standard hESC cultures, by fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS) based on expression of the cell surface markers TG30 (CD9) and GCTM-2. Differentiated cells cultured post-FACS fractionation from virally derived hiPSC lines reacquired immunoreactivity to TG30 (CD9) and GCTM-2, formed stem cell-like colonies, and re-expressed canonical pluripotency markers. Furthermore, differentiated cells from pluripotency-reverting hiPSC lines generated teratomas in immunocompromised mice, raising concerns about their safety in downstream applications. In contrast, differentiated cell populations from hESC and episomally derived hiPSC did not show any of these abnormalities. Our assays may be used to identify “unsafe” hiPSC cell lines and this information should be considered when selecting hiPSC lines for clinical use and indicate that experiments using these “unsafe” hiPSC lines should be interpreted carefully.
Neogene and Quaternary tectonics of the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina: Active intraplate deformation inboard of flat‐slab subduction
Authors: Richardson T. , Ridgway K. D. , Gilbert H. , Martino R. , Enkelmann E. , Anderson M. , Alvarado P.
Published: June 2013

The ranges of the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas are located >600 km east of the Andean Cordillera in central Argentina and have been interpreted to be a response to shortening related to flat‐slab subduction of the Nazca plate. Uplift of the ranges has been broadly documented to occur during Neogene time, but many questions remain regarding the timing and style of deformation, and the subsurface structural configuration. In this study, we address these unknowns with observations at multiple scales, integrate our results into a tectonic model for the area, and discuss how our structural interpretation fits with more regional tectonic models. Our major findings are: (1) The range‐bounding faults thrust late Proterozoic to Cambrian schist and gneiss over poorly dated Pliocene to Pleistocene alluvial strata. The timing of fault displacement and age of footwall strata suggest that deformation may have been active at least by Pliocene time. (2) Apatite and zircon (U‐Th)/He thermochronometry exhibits cooling ages that range from Permian to Early Jurassic time and suggests that rock exhumation in the area is less than 2–3 km since that time. (3) Deploying a local seismic array allowed for locating seismicity and calculating receiver functions. These observations indicate that the Moho lies at a depth of 37 km and that a midcrustal discontinuity appears to correspond to a detachment zone between 15 and 20 km depth and aligns with a plane of seismicity. In our tectonic model, the craton appears to act as a rigid backstop to the eastward propagation of stresses from the shallowly subducting slab. Deformation then propagates back to the west via westward‐verging faults along a midcrustal detachment.
Future perspectives on the treatment of cognitive deficits and negative symptoms in schizophrenia
Authors: Goff Donald C.
Published: June 2013

Drug discovery based on classic models for cognitive impairment and negative symptoms of schizophrenia have met with only modest success. Because cognitive impairment and negative symptoms may result from disruptions in neurodevelopment, more complex developmental models that integrate environmental and genetic risk factors are needed. In addition, it has become clear that biochemical pathways involved in schizophrenia form complex, interconnected networks. Points at which risk factors converge, such as brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and protein kinase B (AKT), and from which processes involved in neuroplasticity diverge, are of particular interest for pharmacologic interventions. This paper reviews elements of neurodevelopmental models for cognitive deficits and negative symptoms of schizophrenia with the aim of identifying potential targets for interventions.
Threshold modeling of extreme spatial rainfall
Authors: Thibaud E. , Mutzner R. , Davison A. C.
Published: June 2013

We propose an approach to spatial modeling of extreme rainfall, based on max‐stable processes fitted using partial duration series and a censored threshold likelihood function. The resulting models are coherent with classical extreme‐value theory and allow the consistent treatment of spatial dependence of rainfall using ideas related to those of classical geostatistics. We illustrate the ideas through data from the Val Ferret watershed in the Swiss Alps, based on daily cumulative rainfall totals recorded at 24 stations for four summers, augmented by a longer series from nearby. We compare the fits of different statistical models appropriate for spatial extremes, select that best fitting our data, and compare return level estimates for the total daily rainfall over the stations. The method can be used in other situations to produce simulations needed for hydrological models, and in particular, for the generation of spatially heterogeneous extreme rainfall fields over catchments.
Pore‐scale simulation of intragranular diffusion: Effects of incomplete mixing on macroscopic manifestations
Authors: Scheibe Timothy D. , Hou Zhangshuan , Palmer Bruce J. , Tartakovsky Alexandre M.
Published: June 2013

Diffusive mass transfer into and out of intragranular micropores (“intragranular diffusion”) plays an important role in the transport of some groundwater contaminants. We are interested in understanding the combined effect of pore‐scale advection and intragranular diffusion on solute transport at the effective porous medium scale. We have developed a 3‐D pore‐scale numerical model of fluid flow and solute transport that incorporates diffusion into and out of intragranular pore spaces. A series of numerical experiments allow us to draw comparisons between macroscopic measures computed from the pore‐scale simulations (such as breakthrough curves) and those predicted by multirate mass transfer formulations that assume complete local mixing at the pore scale. In this paper we present results for two model systems, one with randomly packed uniform spherical grains and a second with randomly packed spheres drawn from a binary grain size distribution. Non‐Fickian behavior was observed at all scales considered, and most cases were better represented by a multirate mass transfer model even when there was no distinct secondary porosity (i.e., no intragranular diffusion). This suggests that pore‐scale diffusive mass transfer processes between preferential flow paths and relatively immobile zones within the primary porosity may have significant impact on transport, particular in low‐concentration tails. The application of independently determined mass transfer rate parameters based on an assumption of well‐mixed concentrations at the pore scale tends to overestimate the amount of mass transfer that occurs in heterogeneous pore geometries in which preferential flow leads to incomplete pore‐scale lateral mixing.
Soil organic carbon and nutrients along an alpine grassland transect across Northern Tibet
Authors: Cao Ying-zi , Wang Xiao-dan , Lu Xu-yang , Yan Yan , Fan Ji-hui
Published: June 2013

Soil carbon and nutrient contents and their importance in advancing our understanding of biogeochemical cycling in terrestrial ecosystem, has motivated ecologists to find their spatial patterns in various geographical area. Few studies have focused on changes in the physical and chemical properties of soils at high altitudes. Our aim was to identify the spatial distribution of soil physical and chemical properties in cold and arid climatic region. We also tried to explore relationship between soil organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), soil particle size distribution (PSD). Samples were collected at 44 sites along a 300 km transect across the alpine grassland of northern Tibet. The study results showed that grassland type was the main factor influencing SOC, TN and TP distribution along the Gangdise Mountain-Shenzha-Shuanghu Transect. SOC, TN and TP contents were significantly higher in alpine meadow than alpine steppe ecosystems. SOC, TN, TP and AN contents in two soil layers (0–15 cm and 15–30 cm) showed no significant differences, while AP content in top soil (0–15 cm) was significantly higher than that in sub-top soil (15–30 cm). SOC content was correlated positively with TN and TP content (r = 0.901 and 0.510, respectively). No correlations were detected for clay content and fractal dimension of particle size distribution (D). Our study results indicated the effects of vegetation on soil C, N and P seem to be more important than that of rocks itself along latitude gradient on the northern Tibetan Plateau. However, we did not found similar impacts of vegetation on soil properties in depth. In addition, this study also provided an interesting contribution to the global data pool on soil carbon stocks.
MicroRNA‐7 downregulates XIAP expression to suppress cell growth and promote apoptosis in cervical cancer cells
Authors: Liu Shang , Zhang Peipei , Chen Zheng , Liu Min , Li Xin , Tang Hua
Published: June 2013

Our study demonstrated the functions of microRNA‐7 (miR‐7) in cervical cancer. The overexpression of miR‐7 in the cervical cancer cell lines HeLa and C‐33A suppressed cell viability and promoted cell apoptosis, whereas the inhibition of miR‐7 had opposite effects. Furthermore, an oncogene, X‐linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), was identified as a new target of miR‐7, and the ectopic expression of XIAP rescued the effects induced by miR‐7 in HeLa and C‐33A cells. These results indicate that miR‐7 targeted and downregulated the oncogene XIAP to regulate the effect of miR‐7 on apoptosis and malignant behaviors of HeLa and C‐33A cells.
Postnatal age governs the extent of differentiation of hippocampal CA1 and CA3 subfield neural stem/progenitor cells into neurons and oligodendrocytes
Authors: Shetty Ashok K. , Hattiangady Bharathi
Published: June 2013

While neural stem/progenitor cells (NSCs) in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus have been extensively characterized, the behavior of NSCs in the CA1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus is mostly unclear. Therefore, we compared the in vitro behavior of NSCs expanded from the micro‐dissected CA1 and CA3 subfields of postnatal day (PND) 4 and 12 Fischer 344 rats. A small fraction (∼1%) of dissociated cells from CA1 and CA3 subfields of both PND 4 and 12 hippocampi formed neurospheres in the presence of EGF and FGF‐2. A vast majority of neurosphere cells expressed NSC markers such as nestin, Sox‐2 and Musashi‐1. Differentiation assays revealed the ability of these NSCs to give rise to neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. Interestingly, the overall neuronal differentiation of NSCs from both subfields decreased with age (23–28% at PND4 to 5–10% at PND12) but the extent of oligodendrocyte differentiation from NSCs increased with age (24–32% at PND 4 to 45–55% at PND 12). Differentiation of NSCs into astrocytes was however unchanged (40–48%). Furthermore, NSCs from both subfields gave rise to GABA‐ergic neurons including subclasses expressing markers such as calbindin, calretinin, neuropeptide Y and parvalbumin. However, the fraction of neurons that expressed GABA decreased between PND4 (59–67%) and PND 12 (25–38%). Additional analyses revealed the presence of proliferating NSC‐like cells (i.e. cells expressing Ki‐67 and Sox‐2) in different strata of hippocampal CA1 and CA3 subfields of both PND4 and PND 12 animals. Thus, multipotent NSCs persist in both CA1 and CA3 subfields of the hippocampus in the postnatal period. Such NSCs also retain their ability to give rise to both GABA‐ergic and non‐GABA‐ergic neurons. However, their overall neurogenic potential declines considerably in the early postnatal period.
Designing the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist program to improve quality of care at childbirth
Authors: Spector Jonathan M. , Lashoher Angela , Agrawal Priya , Lemer Claire , Dziekan Gerald , Bahl Rajiv , Mathai Matthews , Merialdi Mario , Berry William , Gawande Atul A.
Published: June 2013

Background

Poor‐quality care during institutional births in low‐ and middle‐income countries is a major contributing factor to preventable maternal and newborn harm, but progress has been slow in identifying effective methods to address these deficiencies at scale. Based on the success of checklist programs in other disciplines, WHO led the design and field testing of the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist—a 29‐item tool that targets the major causes of maternal and newborn mortality globally.

Methods

The development process consisted of comprehensive evidence and guideline review, in‐person consultation with content experts and other key stakeholders, iterative refinement through ongoing discussions with a wide collaborator network, and field evaluation for usability in 9 countries, primarily in Africa and Asia. Pilot testing in South India demonstrated major improvement in health workers' delivery of essential safety practices after introduction of the program.

Results

WHO has launched a global effort to support further evaluation of the program in a range of contexts, and a randomized trial is underway in North India to measure the effectiveness of the program in reducing severe maternal, fetal, and newborn harm.

Conclusion

A novel checklist program has been developed to support health workers in low‐resource settings to prevent avoidable childbirth‐related deaths.
Monumentalising the political landscape: a special class of Anglo-Saxon assembly site
Authors: Baker John , Brookes Stuart
Published: June 2013

This paper outlines the place-name, archaeological and topographical evidence for a special class of Anglo-Saxon open-air assembly site, which we call a ‘hanging promontory’. Discussion of a series of these sites serves to describe the main characteristics of the class as well as their geographical distribution. Consideration is given to the possible functions and dating of the use of hanging promontories. In conclusion, comparisons are drawn with other forms of open-air assembly site to suggest a possible hierarchy of the administrative territories existing in the early medieval period in England.
Ethnicity, Economics, and Diplomacy in Dionysios of Corinth
Authors: Concannon Cavan W.
Published: June 2013

Sometime in the latter half of the second century, Bishop Dionysios of Corinth began writing letters to Christian communities around the eastern Mediterranean. Of these letters, which remain only as fragments and summaries in Eusebius'sEcclesiastical History, we know of eight, including one addressed to a woman named Chrysophora. Though Dionysios is not often mentioned in histories of second-century Christianity, he was famous enough in his own day that his advice was requested from as far as the Black Sea and his letters were tampered with by those seeking to lend his authority to their theological positions. When Dionysios has been discussed by historians of early Christianity, his work has been mined for what it can tell us about early Christian letter collections, for the names of other second century bishops, and for fights over various early Christian heresies. Though I draw on these studies, I am here concerned with examining Dionysios's surviving letters as political rhetoric within what Loveday Alexander has called the “social networks” of early Christianity. Rather than focusing on questions of episcopal succession or early Christian letter collections, I consider how Dionysios's letters functioned as political instruments that knit together early Christian communities as they made their way to and from Corinth aboard merchant ships and overland caravans, moving amongst the myriad of people and goods that flowed through Roman trade routes in the eastern Mediterranean.
Occlusion of the round window: a novel way to treat hyperacusis symptoms in superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome
Authors: Nikkar-Esfahani A , Whelan D , Banerjee A
Published: June 2013

Background:

Conductive hyperacusis in superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome occurs due to the presence of a ‘third window’ created by the dehiscence. Reversible blocking of the round window can, in theory, cause a reduction in the compression-related volume displacement, and thereby minimise symptoms of conductive hyperacusis. This study describes a technique of permeatal blocking of the round window.

Method:

The tympanomeatal flap is elevated and the round window niche is identified. The round window membrane is subsequently identified and occluded with bone wax, muscle and fascia, in three separate layers. Finally, the tympanomeatal flap is reflected, and an ear wick is inserted.

Results:

Two patients who underwent the procedure reported a reduction in symptoms. Importantly, no Tullio phenomenon was reported post-operation.

Conclusion:

Blocking of the round window can be used to control symptoms of superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome in patients who present solely with symptoms of conductive hyperacusis. This technique provides an alternative to resurfacing techniques. The procedure is simple to perform, reversible and can be undertaken as day-case surgery.
Spermatogenesis and sperm morphology inTrophon geversianus(Gastropoda: Muricidae)
Authors: Giménez Juliana
Published: June 2013

The ultrastructure of spermatogenesis, the euspermatozoa and paraspermatozoa, is investigated inTrophon geversianus. Spermatogenesis follows the general developmental pattern of caenogastropods. Paraspermatid development is characterized by elongation of the cell, concurrent with the appearance of a cytoplasmic elongation at the apex of the cell and the breakdown of the nucleus into small round fragments (caryomerites). Euspermatozoa consist of: a tall, conical acrosomal vesicle (with a invagination); a rod-shaped, highly electron-dense nucleus with an internal axoneme; an elongate midpiece consisting of the axoneme sheathed by helical mitochondrial elements; an elongate glycogen piece; and a short free-tail region. Paraspermatozoa ofT. geversianusare vermiform. They contain approximately 12–16 axonemes arranged peripherally, numerous oblong dense vesicles, numerous less dense (round) vesicles, and scattered mitochondria. Most of the euspermatozoal features ofT. geversianusare also observed in many neogastropods. However, the presence of the axoneme continuously located inside of the nucleus has not been reported before, and may prove to be a diagnostic feature of the Muricidae.
Association between large strongyle genera in larval cultures – using rare-event Poisson regression
Authors: CAO X. , VIDYASHANKAR A. N. , NIELSEN M. K.
Published: June 2013

Decades of intensive anthelmintic treatment has caused equine large strongyles to become quite rare, while the cyathostomins have developed resistance to several drug classes. The larval culture has been associated with low to moderate negative predictive values for detecting Strongylus vulgaris infection. It is unknown whether detection of other large strongyle species can be statistically associated with presence of S. vulgaris. This remains a statistical challenge because of the rare occurrence of large strongyle species. This study used a modified Poisson regression to analyse a dataset for associations between S. vulgaris infection and simultaneous occurrence of Strongylus edentatus and Triodontophorus spp. In 663 horses on 42 Danish farms, the individual prevalences of S. vulgaris, S. edentatus and Triodontophorus spp. were 12%, 3% and 12%, respectively. Both S. edentatus and Triodontophorus spp. were significantly associated with S. vulgaris infection with relative risks above 1. Further, S. edentatus was associated with use of selective therapy on the farms, as well as negatively associated with anthelmintic treatment carried out within 6 months prior to the study. The findings illustrate that occurrence of S. vulgaris in larval cultures can be interpreted as indicative of other large strongyles being likely to be present.
Increased body mass index makes an impact on brain white-matter integrity in adults with remitted first-episode mania
Authors: Kuswanto C. N. , Sum M. Y. , Yang G. L. , Nowinski W. L. , McIntyre R. S. , Sim K.
Published: June 2013

Background

Obesity is increasingly prevalent in bipolar disorder (BD) but data about the impact of elevated body mass index (BMI) on brain white-matter integrity in BD are sparse. Based on extant literature largely from structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, we hypothesize that increased BMI is associated with decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) in the frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital brain regions early in the course of BD.

Method

A total of 26 euthymic adults (12 normal weight and 14 overweight/obese) with remitted first-episode mania (FEM) and 28 controls (13 normal weight and 15 overweight/obese) matched for age, handedness and years of education underwent structural MRI and diffusion tensor imaging scans.

Results

There are significant effects of diagnosis by BMI interactions observed especially in the right parietal lobe (adjustedF1,48 = 5.02,p = 0.030), occipital lobe (adjustedF1,48 = 10.30,p = 0.002) and temporal lobe (adjustedF1,48 = 7.92,p = 0.007). Specifically, decreased FA is found in the right parietal (F1,23 = 5.864,p = 0.023) and occipital lobes (F1,23 = 4.397,p = 0.047) within overweight/obese patients compared with normal-weight patients with FEM. Compared with overweight/obese controls, decreased FA is observed in right parietal (F1,25 = 6.708,p = 0.015), temporal (F1,25 = 10.751,p = 0.003) and occipital (F1,25 = 9.531,p = 0.005) regions in overweight/obese patients with FEM.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that increased BMI affects temporo-parietal-occipital brain white-matter integrity in FEM. This highlights the need to further elucidate the relationship between obesity and other neural substrates (including subcortical changes) in BD which may clarify brain circuits subserving the association between obesity and clinical outcomes in BD.
Assessing multiple foodborne, waterborne and environmental exposures of healthy people to potential enteric pathogen sources: effect of age, gender, season, and recall period
Authors: DAVID J. M. , RAVEL A. , NESBITT A. , PINTAR K. , POLLARI F.
Published: June 2013

Information is lacking in Canada on the frequency of exposures of healthy people to enteric pathogen sources (i.e. water, food, animal contact) at the community level. This information is critical to develop more robust risk assessments and prioritize control measures. A 12-month-long cross-sectional telephone survey of 1200 healthy individuals in a sentinel community was performed. Survey respondents were divided into three recall period groups (3, 7, 14 days). The occurrence of 46 exposures (including water, animal contact, environmental contact and high-risk foods) was assessed per recall period. Effect of age, gender, and season on exposures was modelled and frequencies of exposure were extrapolated. Thirty-five exposures had similar occurrences across recall periods. Age was significant for 23 exposures, season for 18, and gender for three. Exposures that vary by age and season (i.e. bottled water, swimming, etc.) warrant consideration when investigating and analysing cases of enteric illness.
Memorialisation, Commemoration and Commodification: Massenet and Caricature
Authors: ROWDEN CLAIR
Published: June 2013

This article addresses the physical presence of Jules Massenet in the media during the Third Republic in France through the lens of the caricatural press and the cartoon parodies of his operas which appeared in journals such asLe Journal amusantandLe Charivari. Although individual works were rarely outright successes in critical terms during his lifetime, Massenet's operas always stimulated debate and Massenet, as a figure head for a national art, was revered by both the state and its people. Drawing on theories of parody and readership, I argue that despite the ‘ephemeral’ nature of these musical artefacts, they acted as agents of commemoration of the composer and of memorialisation and commodification of his works for both operagoers and those who rarely entered the opera theatre.
Golden-Age Thinking: Updated Stagings of Gianni Schicchi and the Popular Historical Imagination
Authors: WILSON ALEXANDRA
Published: June 2013

Since 2000 a notable trend has emerged in the way in which Italian comic operas by composers from Donizetti to Puccini are staged. In British and American productions, such works are consistently updated to the mid-twentieth century, usually the 1950s. This article explores what such stagings – and their implied intertextual references to wider representations of the era in popular culture – can tell us about the reception of opera today and the ways in which opera is used to create romanticised notions of historical time. Specifically, the article considers the implications for Puccini historiography of updating Gianni Schicchi, an opera whose Renaissance setting might at first glance seem essential. Considering changing attitudes towards historicism from the nineteenth century to the present, the article proposes that ‘retro’ mid-twentieth-century stagings of Gianni Schicchi compel us to hear the opera itself in new ways and to rethink deeply ingrained assumptions about Puccini's place in music history.
At the Margins of the Televisual: Picture Frames, Loops and ‘Cinematics’ in the Paratexts of Opera Videos
Authors: CENCIARELLI CARLO
Published: June 2013

This article focuses on the paratexts of opera DVDs as a route into the status and cultural placement of opera videos in contemporary visual culture. In particular, it analyses the picture covers, menus and openings credits of four productions of Verdi's Don Carlo, arguing that, although the videos fall within the broader discourse of the ‘televisual’ (a discourse that encourages the viewer to conceive the image as a transparent document of the performance on-stage), these paratexts put forward alternative ways of conceiving the relationship between medium and subject matter, imagining opera's materials, however briefly, in terms of narrative cinema and music video, video games and computer loops.
Stability of reference genes for normalization of reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) data in bovine blastocysts produced by IVF, ICSI and SCNT
Authors: Luchsinger Charlotte , Arias María Elena , Vargas Tamara , Paredes Marcos , Sánchez Raúl , Felmer Ricardo
Published: June 2013

Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) is a sensitive and accurate tool for quantitative estimation of gene transcription levels in preimplantation embryos. To control for possible experimental variations, gene expression data must be normalized using internal control genes commonly known as reference genes. However, the stability of reference genes can vary depending on the state of development and/or experimental conditions; hence the assessment of their stability is essential before initiating a gene expression analysis. In the present study, we used RT-qPCR to measure the transcript levels of 10 commonly used reference genes and analyzed their expression stability in bovine blastocysts produced by in vitro fertilization (IVF), intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Using the geNorm program, we found the best combination of genes to normalize gene expression data in bovine embryos at the blastocyst stage produced by IVF (HMBS, SF3A1, and HPRT1), ICSI (H2A, HMBS, and GAPDH), SCNT (ACTB, SF3A1, and SDHA) and/or between blastocysts produced by these methods (GAPDH, HMBS and EEF1A2). We also demonstrated that not only the culture conditions may affect the expression patterns in bovine blastocysts but also the choice of embryo production method may have an important effect.
Karen Spärck Jones Award – Nominations for the 2013 award invited
Authors: Tait John
Published: June 2013

Nominations are now open for the 2013 Annual Karen Spärck Jones Award – awarded to outstanding researchers in Natural Language Processing and Information Retrieval who have been awarded their PhD in the past ten years. The panel especially welcomes nominations for researchers who have a significant experimental component in their work.
UNEMPLOYMENT AND WELFARE IMPLICATIONS OF THE CURRENT U.S. TAX TREATMENT OF EMPLOYER-PROVIDED MEDICAL INSURANCE
Authors: Huang Kevin X. D. , Huffman Gregory W.
Published: June 2013

The U.S. tax system currently provides an incentive for individuals to obtain medical insurance through their employers. This unique tax treatment is widely excoriated as resulting in high costs and distorting consumption decisions. To study this issue, we develop a general equilibrium search model with endogenous health accumulation and a unique feature of the U.S. tax code, which exempts employer-provided medical benefits from taxation, to jointly account for the U.S. long-term unemployment rate and medical expenditure-to-aggregate consumption ratio. Through various counterfactual experiments, we find that (1) eliminating the employment-based tax subsidy lowers medical expenditure but, via a general equilibrium labor market effect, increases unemployment and lowers output, and contrary to conventional wisdom, lowers welfare; (2) having government raise taxes to finance the provision of medical care substantially increases the unemployment rate, while reducing income and welfare.
Two Charges of Intellectualism against Kant
Authors: Melnick Arthur
Published: June 2013

The contemporary discussion of non-conceptual content inaugurated by Gareth Evans and John McDowell has generated a range of differing views as to Kant's position on the issues raised. I argue that for Kant perception is prior to thought and that it is as being prior that perception connects us to reality in outer intuition. I then argue that for Kant thought relates to perception by being the rule for perceptual procedures. This accounts for thought's extending in scope beyond what we actually perceive to all that is manifest in space and time. As against Merleau-Ponty this Kantian understanding of thought beyond perception does not distort the nature of reality which remains essentially that which can be engaged.
Reply to Edward Kanterian
Authors: Bird Graham
Published: June 2013

The reply to Kanterian offers a rebuttal of his central criticisms. It reaffirms the difference between Kant's arguments in the Aesthetic and at B 148-9; it rejects the alleged error of logic in Fischer's (and my) arguments; and it rejects Kanterian's reading of passages in the Preface (A xx-xxii) and of the Amphiboly. Beyond these specific points Kanterian assumes that Kant's project in the firstCritiquecannot be understood as a ‘descriptive metaphysics’ and so begs the question at issue.
Why strong moral cosmopolitanism requires a world-state
Authors: Dufek Pavel
Published: June 2013

The article deals with a pivotal conceptual distinction used in philosophical discussions about global justice. Cosmopolitans claim that arguing from the perspective of moral cosmopolitanism does not necessarily entail defending a global coercive political authority, or a ‘world-state’, and suggest that ambitious political and economic (social) goals implied in moral cosmopolitanism may be achieved via some kind of non-hierarchical, dispersed and/or decentralized institutional arrangements. I argue that insofar as moral cosmopolitans retain ‘strong’ moral claims, this is an untenable position, and that the goals of cosmopolitan justice, as explicated by its major proponents, require nothing less than a global state-like entity with coercive powers. My background ambition is to supplement some existing works questioning the notion of ‘governance without government’ with an argument that goes right to the conceptual heart of cosmopolitan thought. To embed my central theoretical argument in real-world developments, I draw on some recent scholarship regarding the nature of international organizations, European Union, or transnational democratization. Finally, I suggest that only after curbing moral aspirations in the first place can a more self-consciously moderate position be constructed, one that will carry practical and feasible implications for institutional design.
Hybrid antenna design for an optically powered SHF RFID transponder applicable in metals
Authors: Meyer Johannes , Franke Stefan , Geck Bernd , Overmeyer Ludger
Published: June 2013

This paper presents a hybrid antenna design for an optically powered super high frequency (SHF) radio frequency identification transponder applicable for the integration into metal. The key feature of the antenna is its ability to receive microwave signals at SHF for data communication and optical signals for the power supply of the transponder. The antenna design is based on a circular waveguide which is filled with a bundle of polymer optical fibers to guide light to the photodiodes. In addition, a transition is placed within the circular waveguide to transfer the waveguide mode of the SHF signal into a microstrip mode which is a more suitable structure for the integration of electronic transponder components. This paper discusses the constraints and solutions for the aforementioned combination of SHF microwave and light. The figures of merit of the optical power supply are presented, including considerations of the light distribution and the obtained power as a function of the incident angle and the used polymer optical fiber diameter. Furthermore, the measured gain and return loss of the SHF antenna structure is compared to the simulated results.
The Fragmented Object: Building Disciplinary Coherence through a Contextual Unit of Analysis
Authors: Clegg Joshua W.
Published: June 2013

I argue that fragmentation has long been written into the core of the psychological disciplines through the acceptance of an objectivist unit of psychological analysis. Remedies to this fragmentation, including arguments for reductionist unification, problem-focused pluralism, and disciplinary specialization, are discussed but found inadequate to the basic problem. I contend that any hope for a coherent approach to psychological knowledge must begin with a move toward a more contextual way of framing psychological phenomena—toward an acknowledgment that the socially and morally embedded dynamics of knowledge production constitute our most basic and indivisible phenomenon. I discuss work in critical psychology as an exemplar of a whole family of traditions that have demonstrated the promise of such a contextual unit of analysis. Finally, I issue a call to take up the intergenerational labor of developing a unit of analysis more local, more organic, more indigenous, and more appropriate to the embedded complexity of psychological phenomena.