bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of the efficiency of UHP-SHCC beams in flexure under external prestressing (comparative study)
Authors: Atta Ahmed
Published: December 2011

Externally prestressed beams are structural concrete members in which prestressing tendons are placed outside the concrete section. Design provisions of many international codes for external prestressed beams are limited to ordinary concrete (OC). However, the main advantage of using an ultra high performance strain hardening cementitious composite (UHP-SHCC) is to increase the flexural load-carrying capacity for concrete members. The aim of this research was, therefore, to find the coupling effect of external prestressing and the use of UHP-SHCC. To achieve this objective, three prototype beams were tested to evaluate the effect of prestressing on the behaviour of UHP-SHCC beams. The experimental results were also compared with those of an OC beam. Basic section analysis was carried out on uncracked, cracked elastic and ultimate strength conditions. The analytical model was verified and validated against experimental tests. An extensive parametric study using a basic analysis was carried out for prestressed UHP-SHCC beams under quasi-static monotonic loading. Comparative studies were conducted to achieve the efficiency of UHP-SHCC beams under external prestressing as compared with ordinary and high-strength concrete (HSC) beams with and without reinforcement. The test results indicate the efficiency of using UHP-SHCC material with external prestressing to improve the failure loads and ductility of beams relative to ordinary and HSC beams.
Briefing: Design of minimum water loss canals using swarm intelligence
Authors: Adarsh Sankaran , Sahana Abdul Rahman Saheer
Published: December 2011

To ensure efficient performance of irrigation canals, losses from the canals need to be minimised. In this study, the design of minimum water loss canals is performed by considering seepage and evaporation losses. The complex non-linear and non-convex optimisation model of canal design is solved using a particle swarm optimisation (PSO) approach. The solutions are found to be competitive with those reported in the literature when applied to an example problem. To suit real field applications, two site-specific constraints are added to the model for the design of trapezoidal canals. The study shows the potential of the proposed PSO approach in the comprehensive design of irrigation canals.
The enhancement of geomorphologic measurement using GIS
Authors: Lee Geun Sang , Lee Khil Ha , Lee Sang Jin
Published: December 2011

This study presents a methodology for using aerial photographs to improve the accuracy of the topographic survey data which are used to calculate water volumes in urban streams. First, a geographical information system spatial interpolation technique such as inverse distance weight and kriging was applied to construct the terrain morphology for sand-bars and grassed areas using cross-sectional survey data, and validation point data was used to estimate the accuracy of the created topographic data. The minimum distance method using aerial photographs was applied to efficiently extract sand-bar and grassed areas located within the river boundary, and the elevation value of extracted layers was allocated to the water level point value. Water volumes from topographic data derived from aerial photographs show an accuracy of 13% (in the sand-bar segment) and 12% (in the grass segment), compared with the water volume based on the original terrain data. Therefore, the river terrain analysis method using aerial photos is efficient in monitoring the sand-bar and grassed areas located, for example, downstream of dams during the flooding season, and also it can be applied in efficiently calculating water volumes.
Intraclonal Complexity in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia: Fractions Enriched in Recently Born/Divided and Older/Quiescent Cells
Authors: Calissano Carlo , Damle Rajendra N. , Marsilio Sonia , Yan Xiao-Jie , Yancopoulos Sophia , Hayes Gregory , Emson Claire , Murphy Elizabeth J. , Hellerstein Marc K. , Sison Cristina , Kaufman Matthew S. , Kolitz Jonathan E. , Allen Steven L. , Rai Kanti R. , Ivanovic Ivana , Dozmorov Igor M. , Roa Sergio , Scharff Matthew D. , Li Wentian , Chiorazzi Nicholas
Published: December 2011

The failure of chemotherapeutic regimens to eradicate cancers often results from the outgrowth of minor subclones with more dangerous genomic abnormalities or with self-renewing capacity. To explore such intratumor complexities in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), we measured B-cell kineticsin vivoby quantifying deuterium (2H)-labeled cells as an indicator of a cell that had divided. Separating CLL clones on the basis of reciprocal densities of chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) and cluster designation 5 (CD5) revealed that the CXCR4dimCD5bright(proliferative) fraction contained more2H-labeled DNA and hence divided cells than the CXCR4brightCD5dim(resting) fraction. This enrichment was confirmed by the relative expression of two cell cycle-associated molecules in the same fractions, Ki-67 and minichromosome maintenance protein 6 (MCM6). Comparisons of global gene expression between the CXCR4dimCD5brightand CXCR4brightCD5dimfractions indicated higher levels of pro-proliferation and antiapoptotic genes and genes involved in oxidative injury in the proliferative fraction. An extended immunophenotype was also defined, providing a wider range of surface molecules characteristic of each fraction. These intraclonal analyses suggest a model of CLL cell biology in which the leukemic clone contains a spectrum of cells from the proliferative fraction, enriched in recently divided robust cells that are lymphoid tissue emigrants, to the resting fraction enriched in older, less vital cells that need to immigrate to lymphoid tissue or die. The model also suggests several targets preferentially expressed in the two populations amenable for therapeutic attack. Finally, the study lays the groundwork for future analyses that might provide a more robust understanding of the development and clonal evolution of this currently incurable disease.
A Cumberland Preform: Implications for Paleoindian Lithic Technology
Authors: Boldurian Anthony T. , McKeel Justin D.
Published: December 2011

Use of isolated striking platforms in biface manufacture—one hallmark of Paleoindian technology—appears in Clovis (11,500-10,900 B.P.) and Folsom (10,900-10,200 B.P.) fluting and in Agate Basin (10,500-10,200 B.P.) preform lateral thinning. We document a new observation: Cumberland or Southeastern Clovis (10,800-10,500 B.P.) artisans used isolated striking platforms for both. We also note that Cumberland points exhibit Folsom-type fluting and Agate Basin stiletto shape (i.e., an elongate blade thick in proportion to narrow width). From these observations, we speculate on technological, cultural, and chronological implications for Clovis, Folsom, Cumberland, and Agate Basin.
Cherokee Townhouses: Architectural Adaptation to European Contact in the Southern Appalachians
Authors: Rodning Christopher B.
Published: December 2011

Public structures known as townhouses were hubs of public life in Cherokee towns in the southern Appalachians during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries A.D., and in towns predating European contact. Townhouses were sources of cultural stability and conservatism during periods of dramatic change, and they were an architectural medium through which Cherokee towns adapted to life in the postcontact Southeast. This article summarizes the characteristics of townhouses in the southern Appalachians dating from the thirteenth through the eighteenth centuries A.D., focusing on size and shape, the surfaces on which they were built, sequences of building and rebuilding, and the presence or absence of burials inside townhouses. The architectural form of townhouses rooted people to particular places, but Cherokee townhouses also enabled towns to move from one place to another, because a town could build a townhouse at any particular place, old or new.
Attachment, Social Support, and Responses following the Death of a Companion Animal
Authors: King Loren C. , Werner Paul D.
Published: December 2011

This research tested hypotheses concerning attachment, social support, and grief responses to the loss of animal companionship. Participants whose companion cat or dog had recently died ( N = 429) completed the Attachment Style Questionnaire, the Inventory of Complicated Grief, and the Multidimensional Health Profile-Psychosocial Functioning questionnaires. Both attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance were found to be positively associated with respondents' grief, depression, anxiety, and somatic symptoms. Social support was found to be negatively associated with these outcomes as well as with attachment anxiety and attachment avoidance. In multiple regression analyses, attachment anxiety incrementally predicted grief, anxiety and somatic symptoms, attachment avoidance incrementally predicted grief and depression, and social support incrementally predicted all outcomes. Interaction effects of attachment and social support in relation to outcomes were not found. The present study's implications and limitations are discussed, as are directions for future research.
The Importance of End-Of-Life Care in Nursing Home Settings is Not Diminished by a Disaster
Authors: Frahm Kathryn A. , Brown Lisa M. , Gibson Maggie
Published: December 2011

The emphasis in disaster situations is on preserving life, and this goal is both appropriate and laudable. There is a risk, however, that the needs of people who are dying can become lost when there is a sudden surge of people needing acute intervention. There are significant ethical considerations inherent in society's prioritization of care needs across the acute, rehabilitative, and palliative spectrum in general, let alone in a disaster situation. These ethical conundrums are not the focus of this article. Rather, we anchor our discussion on the assumption that care needs are equally valid, and our purpose is to explore the issues that impact the provision of quality end-of-life care in nursing home settings for those who require this care when a disaster occurs. Nursing home residents, in particular, are at heightened risk for experiencing negative disaster-related outcomes due to compromised physical or mental health that requires skilled nursing care. Moreover, within the already vulnerable nursing home population are many people who are receiving palliative end-of-life services when a disaster strikes. Education and training in end-of-life services for nursing home staff, disaster emergency responders, and other lay people is vital to build capacity for adapting the delivery of these services in disaster situations in the interest of equity and human rights. Given the present lack of guidance in the literature as to what end-of-life care looks like when adapted to the context of disaster response, there is also a pressing need for research to inform this discussion. The purpose of this article is to draw attention to this topic and highlight some of the critical issues, gaps, and opportunities.
The Death Distress Construct and Scale
Authors: Abdel-Khalek Ahmed M.
Published: December 2011

The purpose of this research was to construct a short scale to assess the death distress construct, that is, death anxiety, death depression, and death obsession as derivatives from the already existing scales. A sample of 630 volunteer undergraduates responded to scales of death anxiety, death depression, and death obsession. A Pearson correlation matrix was computed using the 51 individual items of the three scales. A forced three-factor principal components analysis with orthogonal varimax rotation was carried out. Eight items with factor loading > 0.5 on each scale was determined. The eight items with highest factor loadings on Factor I were with “Death obsession,” whereas the Factors II and III were labeled: “Death anxiety,” and “Death depression.” Their alpha reliabilities ranged from 0.83 to 0.93, indicating high internal consistency. One week test retest reliability ranged between 0.76 and 0.91, indicating temporal stability. A single high-loaded factor of death distress was disclosed, demonstrating the discriminant validity of the death distress construct and scale. Women obtained a significantly higher mean scores on all three factors. It was concluded that the aforementioned three factors were sufficiently independent to justify their use in assessing partially distinct sub-constructs as sub-components of the generic high-order factor of death distress, with empirical and clinical implications.
U.S.-China Exchange Rate Negotiation: Stakeholders' Participation and Strategy Deployment
Authors: Cao Emily Yixuan , Cao Yong , Prasad Rashmi , Shen Zhengping
Published: December 2011

Exchange rates influence a country's trading capability, foreign reserves and competitiveness. Recently, the exchange rate between the Chinese RMB and the U.S. dollar has been a contentious issue in both the United States and China. In this paper, we conduct a historical review of how the United States deployed negotiation strategies with China on the exchange rate issue and consider the degree to which it follows theoretical expectations. We then analyze the changing nature of the factors which shape exchange rate negotiations between the two nations in projecting alternative scenarios for the future of conflict resolution between the U.S. and China on this issue. We predict that the U.S. is likely to continue alternating between competition and collaboration, a negotiation cycle influenced by U.S. domestic politics, and China is less likely to continue with accommodation and compromise. The sequencing and timing of each nation's negotiation strategy will lead to widely divergent consequences for the management of exchange rates and the world economy.
U.S. Domestic Politics and International Political Economy: An Introduction to the Special Issue
Authors: Thurston Chloe , Bowen Kathryn
Published: December 2011

The articles in this special issue of Business and Politics weigh in on the domestic political dynamics that continue to shape the international political economy, with a focus on the United States case. In this issue, Richard Carney discusses the role of New Deal–era farmers in shaping modern global financial standards, Daniel Kono analyzes the relationship between social policy and support for freer trade, and Kathleen Rehbein and Douglas Schuler examine the characteristics of business firms that are most likely to gain legislative and executive branch access in the area of trade policy. The two final articles provide insights into critical issues in ongoing policy debates. Irja Vormedal discusses the role of business strategies and “tipping points” in determining the support and failure of federal environmental regulation from 1990 through 2010, while Emily Yixuan Cao, Yong Cao, Rashmi Prasad, and Zhengping Shen argue that domestic politics continues (and will continue) to influence the character of U.S.-China exchange rate negotiations. This introduction to the special issue summarizes the contributions of these five articles and also situates them in relation to other contemporary political science debates.
Tax Incidence When Quality Matters: Evidence from the Beer Market
Authors: Rojas Christian , Shi Tianji
Published: December 2011

What are the effects of a per-unit tax on the sales of a good? The answer in standard economics textbooks is a reduction in quantity and an increase in price. However, the homogeneous-product assumption in such treatments is not always correct because the taxed product is frequently sold under numerous differentiated brands. In general, quantity and price adjustments to a per-unit tax increase may vary differentially by brand, which implies that tax incidence requires a more thorough analysis than the standard one. In this paper, we test a popular theoretical prediction that the effects of a per-unit tax on sales may be different for low-quality brands than for high-quality brands. We exploit two exogenous variations on per-unit charges (excise taxes and shipping costs) in the beer industry to study if quality is an important determinant of equilibrium quantity, prices and advertising expenditures. We find that, when faced with higher per-unit charges, the equilibrium price and quantity of a brand are usually positively associated with its quality level; similarly, higher per-unit charges appear to provide firms with an incentive to shift advertising effort towards brands of higher quality. We discuss implications for public policy and firm profitability.
Calculating the Social Opportunity Cost Discount Rate
Authors: Burgess David F. , Zerbe Richard O.
Published: December 2011

Two comments in this issue of the Journal address our recent article in
Volume 2, Issue 2. The fundamental issue with both comments is that they
confuse the financial rate of return with the opportunity cost rate of
return and therefore advocate for an inappropriate basis on which to
calculate the government discount rate. That is, both comments confuse the
financial cost of funds, or the borrowing rate, with the economic
opportunity cost of funds. We hope that this exchange advances the subject
by reducing confusion.
Energies, Landé g-factors, and lifetimes for some excited levels of doubly ionized lanthanum
Authors: Karaçoban Betül , Özdemir Leyla
Published: December 2011

Using the relativistic Hartree-Fock (HFR) method developed by Cowan, we calculated the energy levels, Landé g-factors, and lifetimes for nd (n = 5–25), ns (n = 6–24), ng (n = 5–25), nf (n = 4–22), and np (n = 6–25) excited levels of doubly ionized lanthanum (La III, Z = 57). We compared the results with previously reported calculations and experiments.
Proteomic analysis of tumor tissue in CT-26 implanted BALB/C mouse after treatment with ascorbic acid
Authors: Lee Jihye , Lee Gunsup , Park Jin , Lee Sukchan , Yeom Chang-Hwan , Na Byungjo , Park Seyeon
Published: December 2011

Tumor establishment and penetration consists of a series of complex processes involving multiple changes in gene expression and protein modification. Proteome changes of tumor tissue were investigated after intraperitoneal administration of a high concentration of ascorbic acid in BALB/C mice implanted with CT-26 cancer cells using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry. Eighteen protein spots were identified whose expression was different between control and ascorbic acid treatment groups. In particular, eukaryotic translation initiation factor 3 subunit 1, nucleophosmin, latexin, actin-related protein 2/3 complex subunit 5, M2-type pyruvate kinase, vimentin, tumor protein translationally-controlled 1, RAS oncogene family Ran, plastin 3 precursor, ATPase, Rho GDT dissociation inhibitor β, and proteasome activator subunit 2 expression were quantitatively up-regulated. The increase in the level of these proteins was accompanied by an increase in mRNA level. The cytoskeleton protein actin, vimentin, and tumor protein translationally-controlled 1 showed quantitative expression profile differences. A change in actin cytoskeleton distribution, functionally relevant to the proteome result, was observed after treatment with ascorbic acid. These results suggest a previously undefined role of ascorbic acid in the regulation of cytoskeleton remodeling in tumor tissues.
Microbial and enzymatic hydrolysis of tannic acid: influence of substrate chemical quality
Authors: Chávez-González Mónica , Contreras-Esquivel Juan , Prado-Barragán Lilia , Rodríguez Raúl , Aguilera-Carbo Antonio , Rodríguez Luis , Aguilar Cristóbal
Published: December 2011

Tannic acid is commonly employed as the main component in culture media for the selection of tannase-producing strains. In biotechnological processes it is the favorite substrate used to induce the tannase enzyme in both solid and submerged culture for microbial and/or enzymatic production of gallic acid. However, the results found in literature are inconsistent notwithstanding the strict control of all parameters that rule the bioprocesses. The present work, for the first time, reveals the importance of differences in the quality and chemical profile of tannic acid from different suppliers and their influence on the fungal and enzymatic hydrolytic pattern obtained when it is used as a substrate. A degree of hydrolysis between 64.7 % and 100 % has been determined in different tannic acid samples. The specific growth rate of 0.712 h−1, 0.792 h−1, 0.477 h−1, 0.536 h−1 for Jalmek®, Faga Lab®, Division Food®, and Riedel de Häen®, respectively, was obtained at the concentration of 80 g L−1 of each of the tannic acids.
Antioxidant potential and authenticity of some commercial fruit juices studied by EPR and IRMS
Authors: Vedeanu Nicoleta , Magdas Dana , Bolojan Laura , Damian Grigore
Published: December 2011

Antioxidant status of foods, plant, or fruit products is generally characterized by means of spectroscopic methods. Methods like HPLC, UV-VIS, or MS spectroscopy are used to understand the chemical and physical properties of different samples, and also EPR spectroscopy seems to be a valuable tool to characterize antioxidant activity of juice beverages. In this technique, certain antioxidants present in fruit juices interact with free radicals interrupting the chain reaction that can possibly damage essential molecules. Recording the EPR signal decay caused by the reaction with a natural or artificial reducing agent, it is possible to draw conclusions about the antioxidant capability of materials. IRMS is a powerful tool to distinguish between an authentic fruit juice and a juice obtained by concentrate dilution. This technique allows also the detection of commercial C4 cane or corn derived sugar syrups in C3 fruit juices. In the present study, four commercial fruit juices were investigated using stable isotope measurements (oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon) and EPR measurements in order to check the correct labeling in the Romanian markets and to compare antioxidant activity of the studied juices and the reference. It was proven that the number of paramagnetic species decreases in time with different reaction rates and this was correlated with the antioxidant activity of the studied juices. Stable isotope ratio measurements have demonstrated that the fruit juices studied were reconstructed from concentrates with tap water, according to their label.
Validation of the Revised Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument (PT CPI): Version 2006
Authors: Roach Kathryn E. , Frost Jody S. , Francis Nora J. , Giles Scott , Nordrum Jon T. , Delitto Anthony
Published: December 2011

Background

Based on changes in core physical therapy documents and problems with the earlier version, the Physical Therapist Clinical Performance Instrument (PT CPI): Version 1997 was revised to create the PT CPI: Version 2006.

Objective

The purpose of this study was to validate the PT CPI: Version 2006 for use with physical therapist students as a measure of clinical performance.

Design

This was a combined cross-sectional and prospective study.

Methods

A convenience sample of physical therapist students from the United States and Canada participated in this study. The PT CPI: Version 2006 was used to collect CPI item–level data from the clinical instructor about student performance at midterm and final evaluation periods in the clinical internship. Midterm evaluation data were collected from 196 students, and final evaluation data were collected from 171 students. The students who participated in the study had a mean age of 24.8 years (SD=2.3, range=21–41). Sixty-seven percent of the participants were from programs in the United States, and 33% were from Canada.

Results

The PT CPI: Version 2006 demonstrated good internal consistency, and factor analysis with varimax rotation produced a 3-factor solution explaining 94% of the variance. Construct validity was supported by differences in CPI item scores between students on early compared with final clinical experiences. Validity also was supported by significant score changes from midterm to final evaluations for students on both early and final internships and by fair to moderate correlations between prior clinical experience and remaining course work.

Limitations

This study did not examine rater reliability.

Conclusion

The results support the PT CPI: Version 2006 as a valid measure of physical therapist student clinical performance.
Raymond Carver in the Viewfinder
Authors: Dobozy Tamas
Published: December 2011

Abstract:

This paper examines the use of photography in Raymond Carver, both in the short story, “Viewfinder,” and in the biographical photo-essay, Carver Country, as a metaphor for the political implications of the author's aesthetic. Beginning with a consideration of the claims made in Carver Country, the essay examines the scholarship on Carver's politics, especially class politics, and then brings this discussion to bear on photography in general, and the Polaroid photograph in particular, in “Viewfinder,” to argue that Carver's work offers a utopian subjectivity in defiance of the capitalist norms that oppress his characters.
Developing an Open-Access Antimicrobial Resistance Learning Site for Veterinary Medical Students
Authors: Gordoncillo Mary Joy N. , Bender Jeff , Noffsinger Jason , Bartlett Paul C.
Published: December 2011

Recognizing the crucial role of veterinarians in mitigating antimicrobial resistance (AMR), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has funded the development of a suite of educational materials to promote the responsible veterinary medical use of antimicrobials. An open-access, Web-based multimedia curriculum regarding antimicrobial resistance in veterinary practice was thus created. The antimicrobial-resistance learning site (AMRLS) for veterinary medical students was completed and made available for use in January 2011 ( http://amrls.cvm.msu.edu/ ). Designed for integration into existing veterinary medical courses, the AMRLS is also a resource for continuing education for practicing veterinarians, animal scientists, and food-animal industry specialists. This Web site emphasizes the mechanisms by which AMR emerges and spreads, the significant role of veterinarians in mitigating AMR, and the need to preserve the efficacy of antibiotics for future generations.
The Trinity, the Church, and China's Harmonious Society: A Politics of Persuasion
Authors: Kung Lap Yan
Published: December 2011

Taking seriously Karl Rahner's comment that most Christians in their practical life are ‘mere monotheists’, this paper illustrates and argues how the Trinitarian God is better understood within the model of persuasion, and how this understanding of the Trinitarian God may shape what Chinese society may look like, how Chinese churches engage in a harmonious society, and how the Three-Self churches (official churches) and house churches (non-registered churches) treat one another. This paper has adopted a kind of social Trinitarianism, but it is not necessarily projectionist, for theology is always a human construction based on God's revelation. Bishop Ting has taken a courageous step to construct the Trinitarian God in terms of restoration of relations in order to respond to society, but his attempt is too absorbed by both Yihe Weigui and the ideology of a harmonious society. As a result, Chinese Christianity has been turned into a hexie (accommodating) Christianity. Taking both the cultural resources in terms of the Confucian tradition and the socio-political conditions in terms of the emergence of exchange politics into consideration, this paper suggests the Trinitarian God as a God of persuasion reflected in the Scripture and characterised by dialogue, respect of difference, participation, and good work, provides an alternative to a politics of propaganda and efficiency. This is what the Christian contribution to a harmonious society is.
Bridging the Divide: The Legacies of Mary Slessor, ‘Queen’ of Calabar, Nigeria
Authors: Obinna Elijah
Published: December 2011

The missionary upsurge of the mid-nineteenth century resulted in the establishment of the Presbyterian Church of Nigeria (PCN) in 1846. The mission was undertaken through the sponsorship of the United Secession Church and later the United Presbyterian Church (UPC), which subsequently became part of the United Free Church of Scotland. In 1876, the ‘white African mother’ and ‘Queen’ of Calabar, Mary Slessor, arrived in Calabar as a missionary of the UPC. She served for thirty-nine years, died and was buried in Calabar. This paper presents a contextual background for understanding the missionary work of Miss Slessor. It critically surveys some of her legacies within Nigeria, and demonstrates how contemporary PCN and Nigerians are appropriating them. The paper further analyses the state of contemporary Nigerian-Scottish partnership and argues for new patterns of relationship between Nigeria and Scotland which draw on the model of Miss Slessor.
Melanogenesis Inhibitory Activity of Two Generic Drugs: Cinnarizine and Trazodone in Mouse B16 Melanoma Cells
Authors: Chang Te-Sheng , Lin Victor Chia-Hsiang
Published: December 2011

More than 200 generic drugs were screened to identify the inhibitory activity on melanogenesis in mouse B16 melanoma cells. Cinnarizine and trazodone were identified as melanogenesis inhibitors. The inhibitory effects of the two drugs on cell survival, melanogenesis, and tyrosinase activity were investigated. The results showed that both cinnarizine and trazodone inhibited melanogenesis in B16 cells by a dose-dependent manner at the non-cytotoxic concentrations. Based on the results of the present study, seeking new melanogenesis inhibitors from generic drugs is an alternative approach to developing new depigmenting agents in cosmeceuticals. Moreover, cinnarizine and trazodone were proven to be good candidates as skin-whitening agents for treatment of skin hyperpigmentation.
Biocompatible Polymer/Quantum Dots Hybrid Materials: Current Status and Future Developments
Authors: Shen Lei
Published: December 2011

Quantum dots (QDs) are nanometer-sized semiconductor particles with tunable fluorescent optical property that can be adjusted by their chemical composition, size, or shape. In the past 10 years, they have been demonstrated as a powerful fluorescence tool for biological and biomedical applications, such as diagnostics, biosensing and biolabeling. QDs with high fluorescence quantum yield and optical stability are usually synthesized in organic solvents. In aqueous solution, however, their metallic toxicity, non-dissolubility and photo-luminescence instability prevent the direct utility of QDs in biological media. Polymers are widely used to cover and coat QDs for fabricating biocompatible QDs. Such hybrid materials can provide solubility and robust colloidal and optical stability in water. At the same time, polymers can carry ionic or reactive functional groups for incorporation into the end-use application of QDs, such as receptor targeting and cell attachment. This review provides an overview of the recent development of methods for generating biocompatible polymer/QDs hybrid materials with desirable properties. Polymers with different architectures, such as homo- and co-polymer, hyperbranched polymer, and polymeric nanogel, have been used to anchor and protect QDs. The resulted biocompatible polymer/QDs hybrid materials show successful applications in the fields of bioimaging and biosensing. While considerable progress has been made in the design of biocompatible polymer/QDs materials, the research challenges and future developments in this area should affect the technologies of biomaterials and biosensors and result in even better biocompatible polymer/QDs hybrid materials.
Soil Moisture Estimations Based on Airborne CAROLS L-Band Microwave Data
Authors: Pardé Mickaël , Zribi Mehrez , Wigneron Jean-Pierre , Dechambre Monique , Fanise Pascal , Kerr Yann , Crapeau Marc , Saleh Kauzar , Calvet Jean-Christophe , Albergel Clément , Mialon Arnaud , Novello Natalie
Published: December 2011

The SMOS satellite mission, launched in 2009, allows global soil moisture estimations to be made using the L-band Microwave Emission of the Biosphere (L-MEB) model, which simulates the L-band microwave emissions produced by the soil–vegetation layer. This model was calibrated using various sources of in situ and airborne data. In the present study, we propose to evaluate the L-MEB model on the basis of a large set of airborne data, recorded by the CAROLS radiometer during the course of 20 flights made over South West France (the SMOSMANIA site), and supported by simultaneous soil moisture measurements, made in 2009 and 2010. In terms of volumetric soil moisture, the retrieval accuracy achieved with the L-MEB model, with two default roughness parameters, ranges between 8% and 13%. Local calibrations of the roughness parameter, using data from the 2009 flights for different areas of the site, allowed an accuracy of approximately 5.3% to be achieved with the 2010 CAROLS data. Simultaneously we estimated the vegetation optical thickness (t) and we showed that, when roughness is locally adjusted, MODIS NDVI values are correlated (R2 = 0.36) to t. Finally, as a consequence of the significant influence of the roughness parameter on the estimated absolute values of soil moisture, we propose to evaluate the relative variability of the soil moisture, using a default soil roughness parameter. The soil moisture variations are estimated with an uncertainty of approximately 6%.
Trichothecene Mycotoxins Inhibit Mitochondrial Translation—Implication for the Mechanism of Toxicity
Authors: Bin-Umer Mohamed Anwar , McLaughlin John E. , Basu Debaleena , McCormick Susan , Tumer Nilgun E.
Published: December 2011

Fusarium head blight (FHB) reduces crop yield and results in contamination of grains with trichothecene mycotoxins. We previously showed that mitochondria play a critical role in the toxicity of a type B trichothecene. Here, we investigated the direct effects of type A and type B trichothecenes on mitochondrial translation and membrane integrity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Sensitivity to trichothecenes increased when functional mitochondria were required for growth, and trichothecenes inhibited mitochondrial translation at concentrations, which did not inhibit total translation. In organello translation in isolated mitochondria was inhibited by type A and B trichothecenes, demonstrating that these toxins have a direct effect on mitochondrial translation. In intact yeast cells trichothecenes showed dose-dependent inhibition of mitochondrial membrane potential and reactive oxygen species, but only at doses higher than those affecting mitochondrial translation. These results demonstrate that inhibition of mitochondrial translation is a primary target of trichothecenes and is not secondary to the disruption of mitochondrial membranes.
Questions de géographie de population dans les pays arides
Authors: Findlay Allan M. , Maani Mohammed
Published: December 2011

Population Policy Issues in Arid Lands

Population policy makers in arid lands do so in an atmosphere of considerable uncertainty. It is not only difficult to obtain reliable statistics on issues such as desertification and population growth, but it is also problematic to know how best to model the complex interactions which link the environmental and demographic regimes of arid lands. A case study from the Badia region of Jordan is used to illustrate the unprecedented rate of population growth which policy makers have to contend with in their strategies for development of an increasingly vulnerable environment. From the case study, as well as from a review of the research literature on arid lands, three different approaches to formulating policies on population-environment matters are reviewed. While development strategies drawing on local indigenous knowledge of environmental management systems are to be commended, there is also a need to harness the aspirations and motivations of local peoples through participatory approaches to planning and development. Policy makers should also urgently move to identifying which subgroups in the populations of arid lands are particularly vulnerable to cyclical change in environmental conditions.
Un exemple sahélien : sécheresse et déplacements à Douentza (Mali)
Authors: Randall Sara
Published: December 2011

Les sécheresses observées dans le Sahel au cours des deux dernières décennies ont donné naissance à une nouvelle forme d'adaptation à un environnement imprévisible : les populations assez importantes qui survivent à proximité des zones urbaines. L'étude de cas présentée dans l'article examine la composition et les stratégies de survie des réfugiés de la sécheresse autour de Douentza en 1988. Elle suggère que les agriculteurs ont tendu à utiliser la sécheresse comme un prétexte pour migrer vers les villes tandis que les ex-pasteurs utilisent leur savoir traditionnel et les ressources naturelles pour essayer de se tirer d'affaire en faisant travailler tous ceux qui le peuvent. Le statut social est un déterminant important dans les efforts faits par les ménages pour survivre. Les groupes qui avaient un haut statut social ont des difficultés pour s'accommoder de la pauvreté.
Plus d'un milliard de jeunes
Authors: Thumerelle Pierre-Jean
Published: December 2011

La géographie, comme la démographie, a peu investi la question des jeunes, en particulier dans leurs différenciations à l'échelle mondiale. Les concepts sont flous et difficilement transposables d'une partie du monde à l'autre et les limites vagues. Rien qu'en s'en tenant aux 15-24 ans et aux indicateurs démographiques, on observe une extraordinaire diversité de situations, qui vont encore se renforcer dans l'avenir. À cela s'ajoutent les différences à l'intérieur des pays, aussi bien en ce qui concerne l'école, le travail, le mariage, la sexualité, la vie de relations, la culture, etc., très dépendantes du sexe et du lieu et qu'on ne peut isoler de l'environnement social, démographique et politique. On n'a jamais affaire à la jeunesse mais à « des jeunesses ».
Les étudiants et leurs parents : cohabitation familiale et temps de déplacement
Authors: Pihan Jean
Published: December 2011

L'âge de la plupart des étudiants est celui du passage de l'adolescence au statut d'adulte. Leur entrée progressive dans la vie adulte est notamment marquée par la fin de la cohabitation avec les parents. Dans la population étudiante française, celle-ci s'interrompt souvent pendant les week ends et vacances. Près d'un étudiant sur trois continue cependant à habiter chez ses parents même pendant les périodes de cours. Ces étudiants-cohabitants sont pour l'essentiel inscrits dans des établissements accessibles en moins d'une heure du domicile de leurs parents, ce qui montre l'importance des con traintes géographiques. Ce maintien de la cohabitation familiale est lié à l'âge et à l'avancement dans les études mais aussi à la position sociale de la famille d'origine. Le temps d'accès au lieu d'études à partir du domicile des parents apparaît comme le facteur le plus discriminant entre cohabitants et non-cohabitants. À partir d'une enquête réalisée dans l'académie de Rennes est proposée une méthode de modélisation de la cohabitation qui permet de distinguer d'une part les contraintes géographiques liées aux temps d'accès, d'autre part les effets dépendant des autres facteurs économiques, sociaux ou institutionnels.
Le rôle des jeunes dans les stratégies familiales en milieu rural tunisien
Authors: Sandron Frédéric
Published: December 2011

Dans les pays en développement, l'unité de décision économique est souvent la famille. Les jeunes s'y insèrent selon un schéma bien établi dans les stratégies familiales. C'est d'ailleurs à ce titre qu'on les reconnaît en tant que «jeunes » et non en tant que classe sociale particulière. Sur la base d'une enquête menée en 1996, nous illustrons ce principe en Tunisie rurale, en mettant en évidence les relations qu'entretiennent les familles avec leur milieu physique, les opportunités que ce dernier procure et le rôle des jeunes dans les stratégies familiales. La diversité des schémas, selon des processus de scolarisation et de migration, est analysée selon deux échelles géographiques différentes.
Le monastère de la Source à Constantinople et ses deux recueils de miracles. Entre hagiographie et patriographie
Authors: Efthymiadis Stephanos
Published: December 2011

The monastery of the Virgin of the Source (Θετόκος τῆς Πηγῆς) at Constantinople, remarkable for both its duration and its renown, is known particularly from two collections of miracles compiled at a great distance in time from each other : one in the second half of the tenth century and the other in the last years of the reign of Andronicus II Palaeologus (1282-1328). In tracing the monastery’s history from its origins (6th c.) until the fall of Constantinople (1453) the article analyses the literary and social aspects of the two documents. Although the anonymous author of the first collection combines accounts of a patriographic nature with healings of prestigious figures (the imperial family and high dignitaries), the author of the second collection, Nicephorus Callistus Xanthopoulos, also describes the healings of ordinary people, thus giving his work a hagiographical function. The study ends with two tables arranged by names, illnesses and the various means of healing employed in the two collections.
Note sur la disparition de Saint-Jean au Dihippion
Authors: Grélois Jean-Pierre
Published: December 2011

Un document inédit du commencement du 17e siècle permet de préciser et confirmer les connaissances concernant la situation, la disposition architecturale et le décor d’une église constantinopolitaine attestée par de nombreuses sources médiévales, Saint-Jean au Dihippion.
Development and characterization of microsatellites in Torreya jackii (Taxaceae), an endangered species in China
Authors: Li Jian‐Hui , Jiao Jing , Jiang Kai , Li Yuan‐Yuan
Published: December 2011

• Premise of the study: Polymorphic microsatellite loci were developed in Torreya jackii, an endangered species in China, to provide markers for further studies on the genetic diversity of this species.

• Methods and Results: Eight polymorphic loci and one monomorphic locus were developed and characterized in four T. jackii populations (Xianju, Songyang, Pujiang, and Tonglu) from Zhejiang Province, China. The number of alleles per locus ranged from one to eight across 80 T. jackii individuals. At the eight polymorphic loci, the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.150 to 1.000 and the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.185 to 0.796.

• Conclusions: The microsatellite loci developed and characterized in this study will facilitate future analyses of the genetic diversity of T. jackii. Such information will aid in designing strategies to conserve this currently endangered species.
Racial Differences in Knee Osteoarthritis Pain: Potential Contribution of Occupational and Household Tasks
Authors: ALLEN KELLI D. , CHEN JIU-CHIUAN , CALLAHAN LEIGH F. , GOLIGHTLY YVONNE M. , HELMICK CHARLES G. , RENNER JORDAN B. , SCHWARTZ TODD A. , JORDAN JOANNE M.
Published: December 2011

Objective.

We examined whether occupational and household tasks contributed to differences in pain between African Americans and whites with radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods.

Participants from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project self-reported the frequency (often/always vs never/seldom/sometimes) of performing 9 occupational tasks involving lower extremity joint loading at their longest job (N = 868) and current job (N = 273), as well as 8 household tasks ever performed (N = 811) and currently being performed (N = 767). The associations of the numbers of occupational or household tasks with the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain subscale were first examined in simple linear regression models. If significantly associated with greater pain, each of these was included in adjusted linear regression models to examine whether the association of race with pain remained statistically significant.

Results.

African Americans reported significantly greater WOMAC pain scores than whites. Exposures to more occupational tasks at the longest job and the current job were associated with greater WOMAC pain scores (p < 0.01). The association of race with greater pain scores remained statistically significant when controlling for occupational tasks at the longest job, but was reduced by 26% and no longer significant when controlling for the number of current occupational tasks. Exposures to an increasing number of household tasks were associated with lower pain scores and were not further analyzed.

Conclusion.

Current performance of physically demanding occupational tasks contributed to racial differences in pain severity among individuals with knee OA. Better workplace policies to accommodate OA-related limitations may help to reduce racial differences in pain.
Clinically Relevant Outcomes Based on Analysis of Pooled Data from 2 Trials of Duloxetine in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis
Authors: HOCHBERG MARC C. , WOHLREICH MADELAINE , GAYNOR PAULA , HANNA SYLVIA , RISSER RICK
Published: December 2011

Objective.

To determine response with duloxetine versus placebo in patients with osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee using the Outcome Measures in Rheumatoid Arthritis Clinical Trials-Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OMERACT-OARSI) responder index and other clinically relevant outcomes including minimal clinically important improvement (MCII) and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) for pain and function.

Methods.

Data were pooled from two 13-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials comparing duloxetine 60 to 120 mg/day with placebo in patients with symptomatic OA of the knee. Treatment response was determined according to the OMERACT-OARSI responder index, ≥ 30% pain reduction, ≥ 50% pain reduction, and MCII and PASS for pain and function. (ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers NCT00433290 and NCT00408421)

Results.

Duloxetine-treated patients were 33% more likely to experience an OMERACT-OARSI response than placebo-treated patients [p < 0.001, number needed to treat (NNT) = 6]. A significantly greater percentage of duloxetine-treated patients, compared with placebo-treated patients, reported ≥ 30% improvement in pain from baseline to endpoint (p < 0.001, NNT = 5) and ≥ 50% improvement in pain relative to baseline (p < 0.001, NNT = 7). The duloxetine-treated patients were also more likely to fulfill MCII criteria for pain (p < 0.001, NNT = 6) and function (p < 0.001, NNT = 7), and to achieve PASS for pain (p < 0.001, NNT = 6) and function (p = 0.009, NNT = 9). More duloxetine-treated patients compared with placebo-treated patients experienced ≥ 1 treatment-emergent adverse event (p = 0.003, number needed to harm = 8).

Conclusion.

Significantly more patients receiving duloxetine than placebo achieved an OMERACT-OARSI response, improvements in pain and function exceeding the level accepted as MCII, and reached PASS. Results support the clinical relevance of outcomes of prior duloxetine studies in symptomatic OA of the knee.