bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
HIGHER-ORDER AWARENESS IN ALEXANDER OF APHRODISIAS
Authors: CASTON VICTOR
Published: June 2012

Alexander of Aphrodisias discusses higher-order awareness in perception twice: in Quaestiones 3.7, where he offers a detailed exegesis of Aristotle's arguments at the beginning of De anima 3.2 on how we perceive that we see, as an explanation of what Alexander calls ‘sunaisthêsis’; and in Alexander's own systematic treatise, the De anima. In the Quaestiones, Alexander develops an interpretation of Aristotle that has since become dominant, the moderate capacity reading, according to which the same faculty that enables us to see also enables us to perceive that we are seeing. But he also makes the provocative claim that higher-order awareness is itself a necessary consequence of perceiving and is entailed by some of Aristotle's central doctrines. It is difficult to make good on this claim, though, and Alexander avoids making it in his own De anima, which offers a more nuanced and defensible position on the question.
ALEXANDER OF APHRODISIAS AND ARISTOTLE'S DE ANIMA: WHAT'S IN A COMMENTARY?
Authors: KUPREEVA INNA
Published: June 2012

A study of testimonia for Alexander's lost commentary on Aristotle's De anima can shed new light on his interpretation of Aristotle. Two cases are discussed. (1) Alexander reads De anima 3.12 (434b3–8) as applying teleological explanation of soul's powers to the souls of heavenly bodies, which in his own treatise De anima he excludes from the scope of psychology. Inclusive reading agrees with Alexander's position in other writings and must be his considered view. (2) Philoponus reports a Platonist (probably Numenius') exegesis of De anima 2.2 (413b11–13). Alexander's argument against it, with parallels in his other psychological writings, provides evidence that his controversial definition of soul as a power supervenient on elemental mixture is due, in part, to his polemic against Platonist readings of Aristotle's theory of soul and soul's powers.
LES DÉFINITIONS D'AQUILIUS
Authors: RASHED MARWAN
Published: June 2012

This article contains the editio princeps and discussion of a hitherto unknown Greek text, a list of 86 definitions of terms belonging to the disciplines of logic, ethics and physics. This short lexicon is attributed, in the unique manuscript which has preserved it (ms. Ambrosianus Q 74 sup., copied around 1000 AD in Byzantium), to an author named Aquilius, of whom we know nothing. The present discovery is interesting from a double point of view. First, it gives us new evidence regarding Platonism, Aristotelianism and Stoicism at the end of the Hellenistic era and the beginning of the Imperial period. Second, it sheds some light on the riddle of the transmission of ancient doxography, in particular the quaestio vexata of ‘Arius Didymus’.
Does a primary care practice pharmacist improve the timeliness and completion of medication management reviews?
Authors: Freeman Christopher , Cottrell W Neil , Kyle Greg , Williams Ian , Nissen Lisa
Published: June 2012

Objective

To describe the effect of integrating a pharmacist into the general practice team on the timeliness and completion of pharmacist-conducted medication reviews.

Method

A pharmacist was integrated into an Australian inner-city suburb general practice medical centre to provide medication reviews for practice patients. A retrospective analysis of medication reviews with two time periods was conducted: pre-integration of the practice pharmacist and post-integration of the practice pharmacist. In an effort to obtain a measure of external validity the data were compared to data from the Division of General Practice in which the medical centre is located.

Key findings

There were 70 patients referred for medication review in the pre-integration phase and 314 patients referred in the post-integration phase. The time to complete the medication review process was significantly reduced from a median of 56 days to 20 days with a practice pharmacist. Prior to having a practice pharmacist 52% of patients did not have the service billed by the general practitioner, which was reduced to 6% during the post-integration phase.

Conclusion

The results from this trial show that the integration of a pharmacist into the general practice team was associated with an increase in the timeliness and completion rate of medication reviews.
Relevance of increased serum cystatin C to vascular alterations in obese children
Authors: Dubern B. , Lafarge J.‐C. , Fellahi S. , Naour N. , Copin N. , Bastard J.‐P. , Simon C. , Clément K. , Bonnet D. , Tounian P. , Guerre‐Millo M.
Published: June 2012

Objective

Epidemiological studies report a positive relationship between serum cystatin C and cardiovascular outcomes in adults. Here, we tested the relevance of cystatin C as a biomarker for early vascular alterations in severely obese children.

Methods

Two hundred nineteen obese (140 girls; age = 11.7 ± 2.7 years, BMI Z‐score = 4.7 ± 1.2 SD) and 262 non‐obese children (129 girls; age = 11.6 ± 0.6 years, body mass index [BMI] Z‐score = 0.1 ± 1.0 SD). Serum cystatin C was measured by immunonephelometry. Intima media thickness (IMT), incremental elastic modulus, and flow‐mediated and glyceryl‐trinitrate‐mediated dilations were determined at the common carotid artery and the brachial artery in obese children.

Results

Obese children had significantly higher serum cystatin C than normal weight controls (0.86 ± 0.01 vs. 0.80 ± 0.01, P < 0.0001). In obese children, serum cystatin C correlates positively with BMI and the homeostasis model assessment index and negatively with the quantitative insulin sensitivity check index and adiponectin. A positive relationship was found between serum cystatin C and carotid IMT (r = 0.23, P = 0.0005), which remained significant in multivariate models adjusted for BMI (P = 0.01) and adiponectin with a trend towards significance (P = 0.05).

Conclusion

This study positions cystatin C and adiponectin as covariables associated with arterial wall thickness in obese children. Although the underlying pathophysiology linking cystatin C to early vascular disease remains to be deciphered, cystatin C may represent a novel adipose tissue‐derived biomarker implicated in obesity‐related comorbidities early in life.
Bayesian Network Classifiers for Set-Based Collaborative Design
Authors: Shahan David W. , Seepersad Carolyn Conner
Published: June 2012

Complex engineering design problems are often decomposed into a set of interdependent, distributed subproblems that are solved by domain-specific experts. These experts must resolve couplings between the subproblems and negotiate satisfactory, system-wide solutions. Set-based approaches help resolve these couplings by systematically mapping satisfactory regions of the design space for each subproblem and then intersecting those maps to identify mutually satisfactory system-wide solutions. In this paper, Bayesian network classifiers are introduced for mapping sets of promising designs, thereby classifying the design space into satisfactory and unsatisfactory regions. The approach is applied to two example problems—a spring design problem and a simplified, multilevel design problem for an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The method is demonstrated to offer several advantages over competing techniques, including the ability to represent arbitrarily shaped and potentially disconnected regions of the design space and the ability to be updated straightforwardly as new information about the satisfactory design space is discovered. Although not demonstrated in this paper, it is also possible to interface the classifier with automated search and optimization techniques and to combine expert knowledge with the results of quantitative simulations when constructing the classifiers.
A Lipid Linchpin for Wnt-Fz Docking
Authors: Bienz Mariann , He Xi
Published: June 2012

The crystal structure of a Wnt-Frizzled complex uncovers an unusual interaction mode, with a lipid in the binding interface holding the complex together.
The best of the UK? A report on the value and future of UK databases in the health and social care fields: a systematic map protocol
Authors: Cooper Chris , O'Mara-Eves Alison , Rogers Morwenna , Bethel Alison , Lowe Jenny , Crathorne Louise , Gomersall Alan
Published: June 2012

Introduction

This protocol covers the first part of a two-part project funded by the Health Libraries Group and the University Health and Medical Librarians Group. It details the proposed methodology for a systematic map of the literature relating to UK bibliographic databases in the fields of health and social care. The aim of this mapping exercise is to consider ways in which UK bibliographic databases are described, considered and discussed in the published and unpublished literature. In doing so, we hope to gain a clearer sense of the ways in which UK bibliographic databases are used and viewed by the research community. It also enables the identification of any gaps in the literature for further research and discussion. This topic is important because UK databases are generally underused by researchers in the UK context and some databases are at risk of closure. A lack of access to UK databases means that researchers may miss relevant UK evidence when identifying an evidence base.

Method

Systematic Map.

Analysis

The authors will present a narrative description of the literature relating to UK bibliographic databases in the fields of health and social care. They will use tables to present descriptive information about the literature (eg, frequency tables) and use cross-tabulations to demonstrate intersecting themes. Separately, guidance on how to use the resources (eg, areas of unique content, updating frequencies, unique truncation symbols) will be sought from stakeholders and reported alongside the report narrative as a guide to usage.
Risk and protective behaviours for residential carbon monoxide poisoning
Authors: Rupert Douglas J , Poehlman Jon A , Damon Scott A , Williams Peyton N
Published: June 2012

Background

Unintentional, non-fire-related carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning is a leading cause of poisoning death and injury in the USA. Residential poisonings caused by faulty furnaces are the most common type of CO exposure. However, these poisonings are largely preventable with annual furnace inspections and CO alarm installation.

Objective

This study aimed to identify the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs that might lead consumers to adopt these protective behaviours.

Methods

In August 2009, four focus groups (n=29) were conducted with homeowners in Chicago, Illinois, USA, to identify the knowledge, attitudes and beliefs that lead consumers to adopt risk and protective behaviours. Discussions were transcribed and the findings were analysed using an ordered meta-matrix.

Results

Focus group participants were aware of CO poisoning and supported the idea of regular furnace inspections. However, few participants consistently scheduled professional inspections for fear of costly repairs and unscrupulous contractors. Participants often owned CO alarms, but many did not locate them properly, nor maintain them. Some participants confused CO and natural gas and were unsure how to react if a CO alarm sounds. Participants stated that incentives, such as discounts and inspector selection tips, would make them more likely to schedule furnace inspections. Participants also identified trustworthy sources for CO education, including realtors, fire departments, home insurance agents and local media outlets.

Conclusions

Participants' residential CO risk behaviours are not random but driven by underlying knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. Correcting misperceptions, providing incentives and partnering with trustworthy sources might encourage greater consumer adoption of protective behaviours.
Prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection in the general population having blood tests within primary care in Madrid, Spain
Authors: Moreno Santiago , Ordobás María , Sanz Juan Carlos , Ramos Belén , Astray Jenaro , Ortiz Marta , García Juan , del Amo Julia
Published: June 2012

Objective

To estimate the prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection in men and women aged 16–80 years, having blood tests within primary care in Madrid, Spain.

Methods

A serosurvey to monitor vaccine-preventable diseases in the general population aged 16–80 years was conducted in 2008–2009. Eligible individuals were those having blood tests. The blood extraction centres, the primary sampling units, were chosen in proportion to the size and socio-economic characteristics of the target population, aiming for a sample size of 5355 subjects with equal sex distribution within five age bands. Migrants aged 16–40 years were oversampled. Previous HIV diagnoses were excluded. Prevalence rates of HIV infection with 95% CIs were estimated allocating weights inverse to their probability of selection.

Results

Overall, 3695 subjects agreed to participate, yielding a response rate of 69%, similar for men (66%) and women (73%); individuals recruited at healthcare centres or by telephone; and for all age groups except those aged ≥60 (57%) years. HIV infection was diagnosed in 12 subjects (0.35%; 95% CI 0.13 to 0.57); prevalence, higher in men (0.51%; 95% CI 0.12 to 0.89) than in women (0.20%; 95% CI 0.00 to 0.44); participants from other countries (0.61%; 95% CI 0.03 to 1.18) as compared with Spanish born (0.30%; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.53) and aged 21–30 years (0.65%; 95% CI 0.01 to 1.29), or 31–40 years (0.71%; 95% CI 0.02 to 1.41). None of the differences were statistically significant. Most of the 12 subjects were under follow-up for medical conditions; 11 had visited the primary care clinic in the preceding month.

Conclusion

The prevalence of undiagnosed HIV infection is very high and calls for strategies to unveil occult HIV infection.
Comparison of two methods for applying spring load restrictions on low volume roads
Authors: Chapin Jeffrey , Kjartanson Bruce H. , Pernia Juan
Published: June 2012

Northern jurisdictions implement spring load restrictions (SLRs) on low volume roads to minimize damage during spring thaw. For this study, SLRs are applied when the thawing front depth reaches 300 mm. Spring load restrictions should be removed when the pavement structure is completely thawed and the stiffness is sufficiently restored. Thawing and freezing index and thermal numerical modelling-based SLR methods are compared. The methods were first calibrated using air temperatures and measured freezing and thawing depths from two instrumented pavement sections in northern Ontario. The calibrated methods were then tested by predicting SLR application and complete thawing for the two sites for spring 2010. Comparisons with measurements show that both methods are able to predict SLR application within several days for both sites, but were off in excess of one month for complete pavement thawing. This study indicates that a calibrated thawing-index based method is most conducive for regional scale application of SLRs.
Composite reinforcement of L-spliced wood piles
Authors: d’Entremont François P. , Poitras Gérard J. , LaPlante Gabriel
Published: June 2012

An experimental study was conducted to evaluate the flexural strength of restored wood piles strengthened with a glass fibre reinforced polymer (GFRP). Small-scale testing on matched samples of mini landscape ties (3″ × 4″ × 8′) treated with a preservative was carried out. To represent a restoration technique recently introduced on pier piles in Atlantic Canada, a sample was first cut into an L shape at mid-length. The two pieces of the sample were spliced together and wrapped with GFRP. Results show that restored samples had an increase in bending strength of approximately 32% versus the un-spliced control samples. Furthermore, ductile behaviour was observed for all restored samples. A theoretical model was investigated and shown capable of predicting the ultimate bending strength of restored samples with an average error of 2.7% compared to experimental results.
Two-dimensional natural element analysis of double-free surface flow under a radial gate
Authors: Daneshmand Farhang , Javanmard S.A. Samad , Adamowski Jan F. , Liaghat Tahereh , Moshksar Mohammad Mohsen
Published: June 2012

The gravity-driven free surface flow problems for which both the solid and free surface boundaries are highly curved are very difficult to solve. A computational scheme using a variable domain and a fixed domain natural element method (NEM) is developed in the present study for the computation of the free surface profile, velocity and pressure distributions, and the flow rate of a 2D gravity fluid flow through a conduit and under a radial gate. The problem involves two highly curved unknown free surfaces and arbitrary curved-shaped boundaries. These features make the problem more complicated than flow under a sluice gate or over a weir. The fluid is assumed to be inviscid and incompressible and the results obtained are confirmed by conducting a hydraulic model test. The results are in agreement with other flow solutions for free surface profiles and pressure distributions.
Identification of the dynamic properties of a reinforced concrete coupled shear wall residential high-rise building
Authors: Areemit Natthapong , Montgomery Michael , Christopoulos Constantin , Hasan Agha
Published: June 2012

As high-rise buildings increase with height and slenderness, they become increasingly sensitive to dynamic vibrations, and therefore the natural frequency of vibration and damping ratio are very important design parameters, as they directly impact the design wind forces. Recent advances in sensing and computing technology have made it possible to monitor the dynamic behaviour of full-scale structures, which was not possible in the past. Full-scale validation of the dynamic properties is useful for high-rise designers to verify design assumptions, especially since recent measurements have shown that damping decreases as the height of the building increases, and in situ damping measurements have been lower than many currently assumed design values, potentially leading to unconservative designs. A 50-storey residential building in downtown Toronto, with a reinforced concrete coupled shear wall lateral load resisting system with outriggers was monitored using current state-of-the-art sensing technologies and techniques to determine, in situ, the dynamic properties under real wind loads. The in situ measurements were then compared with results obtained using current state-of-the-art computer modelling techniques.
Are transit users loyal? Revelations from a hazard model based on smart card data
Authors: Trépanier Martin , Habib Khandker M.N. , Morency Catherine
Published: June 2012

Smart card fare collection systems for public transit produce a huge quantity of data on a daily basis. The ability to follow the use of a single card throughout the months gives the opportunity of measuring the loyalty of the individual to the service. Then, operators can have quantitative knowledge of the loyalty in their network. However, it is also important to know what are the factors that influence the survival of the users. This paper presents the application of a discrete time hazard model to 5 years of data of a medium-size transit authority in Canada. The concept of the hazard model relates to the fact that the probability to continue the use of a smart card by user i, at time t, is conditional to the probability of not cancelling the card before the time period. Hence, its use is appropriate in this case. Results for the regular adult fare show that loyalty is positively influenced by residential density and by the transit share in the area. A younger population will also be retained longer in the system. However, a high unemployment rate has a negative impact on survival. A high share of transit and walk trips is also affecting the loyalty, suggesting that the retention is reduced when there are more mode choices available to the commuter.
Capillary effect on flow in the drainage layer of highway pavement
Authors: Dan Han-Cheng , Xin Pei , Li Ling , Li Liang , Lockington David
Published: June 2012

This paper aims to examine capillarity effect on flows in the drainage layer of highway pavement. A two-dimensional (2-D) model based on the Richards equation was used to simulate saturated and unsaturated flows in the drainage layer. For comparison, flows were also simulated using a 1-D Boussinesq equation based model and a 2-D model based on the Laplace equation, both assuming saturated flow only. The drainage layer was modeled with sand and gravel, which possess similar hydraulic properties to those of commonly used filling materials in practice. The results showed that the two saturated flow models agreed well with each other, indicating the dominance of horizontal flow in the drainage layer. However, their predictions differed significantly from those of the variably saturated flow models. The latter model predicted significant flow activities in a relatively large unsaturated zone, especially for a sandy drainage layer. Such unsaturated flow contributes to and enhances the capacity of the drainage layer. With the unsaturated flow neglected, the saturated flow models over-predicted the extent of the saturated zone and hence the groundwater table elevation. As the current engineering design of the drainage layer is typically based on the groundwater table elevation predicted by the saturated flow models, the finding of this study suggests that the design criterion is likely to lead to over-design of the drainage system. Further work is also required to prove the practical significance of the capillary effect and account for other factors.
Analyzing volatile organic siloxanes in landfill biogas
Authors: Clark Chris , Zytner Richard G. , McBean Edward
Published: June 2012

Many municipalities are turning to landfill biogas to generate electricity. A major challenge is the presence of volatile cyclic organic siloxanes in the biogas stream, which upon combustion form silica deposits, decreasing the lifetime and warranty of reciprocating engines and turbines. With literature reporting that the analysis of biogas for siloxanes is complex, an investigation was completed to identify best practices for measuring siloxane concentrations in the biogas. The result is an easy-to-use collection and analytical technique that used commercially available XAD-2 resin ORBO® tubes to capture siloxanes through sorption. Following desorption, analysis was done on a gas chromatograph equipped with a flame ionization detector. Using the developed technique at the Region of Waterloo landfill, the sampled biogas showed the presence of D4-siloxane at an average concentration of 37.6 ± 1.7 mg/m3, while the D5-siloxane concentration was 21.9 ± 1.2 mg/m3. These measured concentrations were higher than those reported by an accredited lab. Investigation suggests that the use of Tedlar® bags by the outside lab to collect the biogas sample affected the reliability and variability of the latter approach.
Sustainability indicators for wastewater reuse systems and their application to two small systems in rural Victoria, Australia
Authors: Upadhyaya Jyoti Kumari , Moore Graham
Published: June 2012

Currently there is no tool to assess the sustainability performance of reuse systems in Australia. This research fulfills that gap by developing a set of sustainability indicators (SIs). A unique methodology was developed based on understanding of the reuse systems, reviewing and examining the issues related to reuse, and Australian policy and guidelines in terms of sustainability. It was established that a sustainable reuse system should be based beyond the triple bottom line approach, and involve consumers in decision making, address institutional issues, and focus on the outcomes rather than the output, with a system approach. Twenty seven SIs were identified under five categories: environmental, technical, social, economical, and institutional. The case studies demonstrated the application of the SIs in sustainability assessment of two reuse systems: (1) tree plantation and (2) lake discharge for augmenting environmental flow. The evaluation was done based on multi criteria decision assessment.
Molecular characterization of hot spring cyanobacteria and evaluation of their photoprotective compounds
Authors: Rastogi Rajesh P. , Kumari Sunita , Richa  , Han Taejun , Sinha Rajeshwar P.
Published: June 2012

Phylogenetic analysis of 4 cyanobacterial strains isolated from hot springs in Rajgir, India, was carried out using the 16S rRNA gene (1400 bp). These strains were identified as members of Chroococcales ( Cyanothece sp. strain HKAR-1) and Nostocales ( Nostoc sp. strain HKAR-2, Scytonema sp. strain HKAR-3, and Rivularia sp. strain HKAR-4). Furthermore, we evaluated the presence of ultraviolet-screening and (or) photoprotective compounds, such as mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs) and scytonemin, in these cyanobacteria by using high-performance liquid chromatography. Well-characterized MAAs, including the critical and highly polar compounds shinorine, porphyra-334, and mycosporine-glycine, as well as several unknown MAAs, were found in these hot-spring-inhabiting microorganisms. The presence of scytonemin was detected only in Scytonema sp. strain HKAR-3 and Rivularia sp. strain HKAR-4. The results indicate that hot spring cyanobacteria, namely Cyanothece, Nostoc, Scytonema, and Rivularia, belonging to different groups possess various photoprotective compounds to cope up with the negative impacts of damaging radiations.
CpG oligodeoxynucleotides discriminately enhance binding capacity of human naïve B cells to Hepatitis B virus epitopes
Authors: Bai Jian-ying , Yang Yong-tao , Zhu Rong , Wang Yi-qin , Tian Yin , Li Xiao-huan , Wang Rong-quan
Published: June 2012

CpG oligodeoxynucleotides (CpG ODN) have the potential to enhance the antigen-presenting cells function of human naïve B cells. In this study, we aim to define the effect of CpG ODNs on the binding capacity of human naïve B cells for different Hepatitis B virus (HBV) epitopes. Three HLA-A2 restricted epitopes were selected to incubate with CpG ODN-primed human naïve B cells. Binding capacity for each epitope and expression of CD80, CD86, class I major histocompatibility complex (MHC), and class II MHC of naïve B cells was tested, respectively, by flow cytometry. CpG ODNs, especially ODN 2216, enhanced the binding capacity of human naïve B cells for HBV epitopes (p < 0.01), and induced markedly higher expression of CD80, CD86, class I MHC, and class II MHC. The binding capacity of CpG-treated naive B cells for each epitope was significantly different. In all the 3 subjects, CpG ODN 2216-primed naïve B cells showed the highest binding ability for Env172–180 compared with the other epitopes with a high expression of co-stimulatory and MHC molecules. CpG ODN showed the potential to selectively enhance the binding capacity of human naïve B cells for HBV epitopes. These results suggest new strategies for development of vaccine design.
Metabolic profiling of Staphylococcus aureus cultivated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions with 1H NMR-based nontargeted analysis
Authors: Sun Ji-Lu , Zhang Shao-Kang , Chen Jing-Yu , Han Bei-Zhong
Published: June 2012

Staphylococcus aureus is a major pathogen in the medical area and food-producing sector. Detailed analyses of its basic cell physiology will help comprehensively understand this pathogen, which will be useful for developing novel diagnostic and treatment tools. Oxygen is one of the most crucial growth-limiting factors for S. aureus. In this study, to characterize and distinguish metabolic profiles of S. aureus cultivated under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, nontargeted analyses of both types of cultures were carried out using 1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Fifty compounds were identified by Chenomx software. Characteristics of metabolic profiles were achieved by using principal components analysis. During aerobic growth, S. aureus mainly consumed glucose, alanine, arginine, glycine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine, and acetate. Meanwhile, it accumulated 17 metabolites, mainly 2-oxoglutarate, isobutyrate, isovalerate, succinate, and ethanol. Under anaerobic condition, S. aureus mainly consumed glucose, arginine, and threonine. Meanwhile, it accumulated 13 metabolites, mainly ethanol, lactate, and ornithine. The representative metabolites that could most significantly differentiate metabolic profiles of S. aureus were isobutyrate, isovalerate, and succinate in aerobic cultivation; and lactate, ethanol, and ornithine in anaerobic cultivation. Among these metabolites, isobutyrate and ornithine were present only in aerobic and anaerobic culture, respectively.
Taxonomic and symbiotic diversity of bacteria isolated from nodules ofAcacia tortilissubsp.raddianain arid soils of Tunisia
Authors: Fterich A. , Mahdhi M. , Lafuente A. , Pajuelo E. , Caviedes M.A. , Rodriguez-Llorente I.D , Mars M.
Published: June 2012

A collection of rhizobia isolated from Acacia tortilis subsp. raddiana nodules from various arid soils in Tunisia was analyzed for their diversity at both taxonomic and symbiotic levels. The isolates were found to be phenotypically diverse. The majority of the isolates tolerated 3% NaCl and grew at 40 °C. Genetic characterization emphasized that most of the strains (42/50) belong to the genus Ensifer , particularly the species Ensifer meliloti , Ensifer garamanticus , and Ensifer numidicus . Symbiotic properties of isolates showed diversity in their capacity to nodulate their host plant and to fix atmospheric nitrogen. The most effective isolates were closely related to E. garamanticus. Nodulation tests showed that 3 strains belonging to Mesorhizobium genus failed to renodulate their host plant, which is surprising for symbiotic rhizobia. Furthermore, our results support the presence of non-nodulating endophytic bacteria belonging to the Acinetobacter genus in legume nodules.
Protective efficacy of aMycoplasma pneumoniaeP1C DNA vaccine fused with the B subunit ofEscherichia coliheat-labile enterotoxin
Authors: Zhu Cuiming , Wang Shiping , Hu Shihai , Yu Minjun , Zeng Yanhua , You Xiaoxing , Xiao Jinhong , Wu Yimou
Published: June 2012

In the present study, we investigated the immunomodulatory responses of a DNA vaccine constructed by fusing Mycoplasma pneumoniae P1 protein carboxy terminal region (P1C) with the Escherichia coli heat-labile toxin B subunit (LTB). BALB/c mice were immunized by intranasal inoculation with control DNAs, the P1C DNA vaccine or the LTB–P1C fusion DNA vaccine. Levels of the anti-M. pneumoniae antibodies and levels of interferon-γ and IL-4 in mice were increased significantly upon inoculation of the LTB–P1C fusion DNA vaccine when compared with the inoculation with P1C DNA vaccine. The LTB–P1C fusion DNA vaccine efficiently enhanced the M. pneumoniae-specific IgA and IgG levels. The IgG2a/IgG1 ratio was significantly higher in bronchoalveolar lavages fluid and sera from mice fusion with LTB and P1C than mice receiving P1C alone. When the mice were challenged intranasally with 107CFU M. pneumoniae strain (M129), the LTB–P1C fusion DNA vaccine conferred significantly better protection than P1C DNA vaccine (P < 0.05), as suggested by the results, such as less inflammation, lower histopathological score values, lower detectable number of M. pneumoniae strain, and lower mortality of challenging from 5 × 108CFU M. pneumoniae. These results indicated that the LTB–P1C fusion DNA vaccine efficiently improved protective efficacy against M. pneumoniae infection and effectively attenuated development of M. pneumoniae in mice.
Plant-associated bacterial populations on native and invasive plant species: comparisons between 2 freshwater environments
Authors: Olapade Ola A. , Pung Kayleigh
Published: June 2012

Plant–microbial interactions have been well studied because of the ecological importance of such relationships in aquatic systems. However, general knowledge regarding the composition of these biofilm communities is still evolving, partly as a result of several confounding factors that are attributable to plant host properties and to hydrodynamic conditions in aquatic environments. In this study, the occurrences of various bacterial phylogenetic taxa on 2 native plants, i.e., mayapple ( Podophyllum peltatum L.) and cow parsnip ( Heracleum maximum Bartram), and on an invasive species, i.e., garlic mustard ( Alliaria petiolata (M. Bieb.) Cavara & Grande), were quantitatively examined using nucleic acid staining and fluorescence in situ hybridization. The plants were incubated in triplicates for about a week within the Kalamazoo River and Pierce Cedar Creek as well as in microcosms. The bacterial groups targeted for enumeration are known to globally occur in relatively high abundance and are also ubiquitously distributed in freshwater environments. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analyses of the bacterioplankton assemblages revealed that the majority of bacterial cells that hybridized with the different probes were similar between the 2 sites. In contrast, the plant-associated populations while similar on the 3 plants incubated in Kalamazoo River, their representations were highest on the 2 native plants relative to the invasive species in Pierce Cedar Creek. Overall, our results further suggested that epiphytic bacterial assemblages are probably under the influences of and probably subsequently respond to multiple variables and conditions in aquatic milieus.
PATH INTEGRAL REPRESENTATION FOR SCHRÖDINGER OPERATORS WITH BERNSTEIN FUNCTIONS OF THE LAPLACIAN
Authors: HIROSHIMA FUMIO , ICHINOSE TAKASHI , LŐRINCZI JÓZSEF
Published: June 2012

Path integral representations for generalized Schrödinger operators obtained under a class of Bernstein functions of the Laplacian are established. The one-to-one correspondence of Bernstein functions with Lévy subordinators is used, thereby the role of Brownian motion entering the standard Feynman–Kac formula is taken here by subordinate Brownian motion. As specific examples, fractional and relativistic Schrödinger operators with magnetic field and spin are covered. Results on self-adjointness of these operators are obtained under conditions allowing for singular magnetic fields and singular external potentials as well as arbitrary integer and half-integer spin values. This approach also allows to propose a notion of generalized Kato class for which an Lp-Lqbound of the associated generalized Schrödinger semigroup is shown. As a consequence, diamagnetic and energy comparison inequalities are also derived.
ON THE MAGNETIC PEKAR FUNCTIONAL AND THE EXISTENCE OF BIPOLARONS
Authors: GRIESEMER M. , HANTSCH F. , WELLIG D.
Published: June 2012

First, this paper proves the existence of a minimizer for the Pekar functional including a constant magnetic field and possibly some additional local fields that are energy reducing. Second, the existence of the aforementioned minimizer is used to establish the binding of polarons in the model of Pekar–Tomasevich including external fields.
ON INTEGRABILITY OF VARIABLE COEFFICIENT NONLINEAR SCHRÖDINGER EQUATIONS
Authors: ÖZEMİR CİHANGİR , GÜNGÖR FARUK
Published: June 2012

We apply Painlevé test to the most general variable coefficient nonlinear Schrödinger (VCNLS) equations as an attempt to identify integrable classes and compare our results versus those obtained by the use of other tools like group-theoretical approach and the Lax pairs technique of the soliton theory. We presented some exact solutions based on point transformations relating analytic solutions of VCNLS equations for specific choices of the coefficients to those of the standard integrable NLS equation.
SEARCH FOR LOW-MASS DARK MATTER AT BABAR
Authors: ECHENARD BERTRAND
Published: June 2012

This review briefly describes light dark matter searches performed by the BABAR experiment. Although dark matter candidates have traditionally been associated with heavy particles appearing in extensions of the Standard Model, a lighter component remains a well-motivated alternative, and many scenarios of light dark matter have been recently proposed. Thanks to their large luminosities, B factories offer an ideal environment to probe these possibilities, complementing searches from direct detection and satellite experiments.
SCALAR CASIMIR EFFECT BETWEEN TWO CONCENTRIC SPHERES
Authors: ÖZCAN MUSTAFA
Published: June 2012

The Casimir effect giving rise to an attractive force between the closely spaced two concentric spheres that confine the massless scalar field is calculated by using a direct mode summation with contour integration in the complex plane of eigenfrequencies. We developed a new approach appropriate for the calculation of the Casimir energy for spherical boundary conditions. The Casimir energy for a massless scalar field between the closely spaced two concentric spheres coincides with the Casimir energy of the parallel plates for a massless scalar field in the limit when the dimensionless parameter η, ([Formula: see text] where a(b) is inner (outer) radius of sphere), goes to zero. The efficiency of new approach is demonstrated by calculation of the Casimir energy for a massless scalar field between the closely spaced two concentric half spheres.
ELLIPTIC FLOW AND THE SYMMETRY ENERGY AT SUPRA-SATURATION DENSITY
Authors: TRAUTMANN W. , WOLTER H. H.
Published: June 2012

The elliptic flow in collisions of neutron-rich heavy-ion systems at intermediate energies emerges as an observable sensitive to the strength of the symmetry energy at supra-saturation densities. First results obtained by comparing ratios or differences of neutron and hydrogen flows with predictions of transport models favor a moderately soft to linear density dependence, consistent with ab initio nuclear-matter theories. Comprehensive data sets of high accuracy can be expected to improve our knowledge of the equation of state of asymmetric nuclear matter.
EFFECTS OF NUCLEAR INDUCED BREAKUP ON THE FUSION OF 6Li+12C AND 6He+12C SYSTEMS AROUND BARRIER ENERGIES
Authors: DUHAN SUKHVINDER S. , SINGH MANJEET , KHARAB RAJESH
Published: June 2012

We have studied the effects of nuclear induced breakup channel coupling on the fusion cross-section for 6 Li +12 C and 6 He +12 C systems in the near barrier energy regime using the dynamic polarization potential (DPP) approach. It has been found that there is enhancement in the fusion cross-section with respect to standard one-dimensional barrier penetration model in the below barrier energy regime while at energies above the barrier there is suppression of fusion cross-section with respect to simple barrier penetration model is observed. The agreement between data and predictions for 6 Li +12 C system improves significantly as a result of the inclusion of nuclear induced DPP.
PSEUDOSPIN SYMMETRY IN TRIGONOMETRIC PÖSCHL–TELLER POTENTIAL
Authors: CANDEMIR NURAY
Published: June 2012

We investigated the analytical [Formula: see text]-wave solutions of Dirac equation for trigonometric Pöschl–Teller (PT) potential under the pseudospin symmetry condition. The energy eigenvalues equation and corresponding wave functions are obtained by using the Nikiforov–Uvarov (NU) method. The energy bound states are also calculated numerically.
THE EFFECT OF FINITE TEMPERATURE ON THE NUCLEON PROPERTIES IN THE EXTENDED LINEAR SIGMA MODEL
Authors: ABU-SHADY M.
Published: June 2012

The extended quark sigma model, which includes higher-order mesonic interactions is applied at finite temperature. The field equations are solved using the mean-field approximation. Nucleon properties such as the nucleon mass, the magnetic moments of the proton and neutron, and the pion-nucleon coupling constant are examined as functions of temperature. The obtained results indicate that the deconfinement phase transition conditions are satisfied in the present work at higher values of temperature. A comparison with other models is presented.
MONTE CARLO DERIVATIVE PRICING WITH PARTIAL INFORMATION IN A CLASS OF DOUBLY STOCHASTIC POISSON PROCESSES WITH MARKS
Authors: CENTANNI SILVIA , MINOZZO MARCO
Published: June 2012

To model intraday stock price movements we propose a class of marked doubly stochastic Poisson processes, whose intensity process can be interpreted in terms of the effect of information release on market activity. Assuming a partial information setting in which market agents are restricted to observe only the price process, a filtering algorithm is applied to compute, by Monte Carlo approximation, contingent claim prices, when the dynamics of the price process is given under a martingale measure. In particular, conditions for the existence of the minimal martingale measure Q are derived, and properties of the model under Q are studied.
THE JOINT DISTRIBUTION OF STOCK RETURNS IS NOT ELLIPTICAL
Authors: CHICHEPORTICHE RÉMY , BOUCHAUD JEAN-PHILIPPE
Published: June 2012

Using a large set of daily US and Japanese stock returns, we test in detail the relevance of Student models, and of more general elliptical models, for describing the joint distribution of returns. We find that while Student copulas provide a good approximation for strongly correlated pairs of stocks, systematic discrepancies appear as the linear correlation between stocks decreases, that rule out all elliptical models. Intuitively, the failure of elliptical models can be traced to the inadequacy of the assumption of a single volatility mode for all stocks. We suggest several ideas of methodological interest to efficiently visualise and compare different copulas. We identify the rescaled difference with the Gaussian copula and the central value of the copula as strongly discriminating observables. We insist on the need to shun away from formal choices of copulas with no financial interpretation.
ASYMPTOTIC EQUIVALENCE IN LEE'S MOMENT FORMULAS FOR THE IMPLIED VOLATILITY, ASSET PRICE MODELS WITHOUT MOMENT EXPLOSIONS, AND PITERBARG'S CONJECTURE
Authors: GULISASHVILI ARCHIL
Published: June 2012

In this paper, we study the asymptotic behavior of the implied volatility in stochastic asset price models. We provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the validity of asymptotic equivalence in Lee's moment formulas, and obtain new asymptotic formulas for the implied volatility in asset price models without moment explosions. As an application, we prove a modified version of Piterbarg's conjecture. The asymptotic formula suggested by Piterbarg may be considered as a substitute for Lee's moment formula for the implied volatility at large strikes in the case of models without moment explosions. We also characterize the asymptotic behavior of the implied volatility in several special asset price models, e.g., the CEV model, the finite moment log-stable model of Carr and Wu, the Heston model perturbed by a compound Poisson process with double exponential law for jump sizes, and SV1 and SV2 models of Rogers and Veraart.
A DYSFUNCTIONAL ROLE OF HIGH FREQUENCY TRADING IN ELECTRONIC MARKETS
Authors: JARROW ROBERT A. , PROTTER PHILIP
Published: June 2012

This paper shows that high frequency trading may play a dysfunctional role in financial markets. Contrary to arbitrageurs who make financial markets more efficient by taking advantage of and thereby eliminating mispricings, high frequency traders can create a mispricing that they unknowingly exploit to the disadvantage of ordinary investors. This mispricing is generated by the collective and independent actions of high frequency traders, coordinated via the observation of a common signal.
THE IMPACT OF BANKS' CAPITAL ADEQUACY REGULATION ON THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM: AN AGENT-BASED APPROACH
Authors: TEGLIO ANDREA , RABERTO MARCO , CINCOTTI SILVANO
Published: June 2012

Since the start of the financial crisis in 2007, the debate on the proper level leverage of financial institutions has been flourishing. The paper addresses such crucial issue within the Eurace artificial economy, by considering the effects that different choices of capital adequacy ratios for banks have on main economic indicators. The study also gives us the opportunity to examine the outcomes of the Eurace model so to discuss the nature of endogenous money, giving a contribution to a debate that has grown stronger over the last two decades. A set of 40 years long simulations have been performed and examined in the short (first five years), medium (the following 15 years) and long (the last 20 years) run. Results point out a non-trivial dependence of real economic variables such as the gross domestic product (GDP), the unemployment rate and the aggregate capital stock on banks' capital adequacy ratios; this dependence is in place due to the credit channel and varies significantly according to the chosen evaluation horizon. In general, while boosting the economy in the short run, regulations allowing for a high leverage of the banking system tend to be depressing in the medium and long run. Results also point out that the stock of money is driven by the demand for loans, therefore supporting the theory of endogenous nature of credit money.
UNDERSTANDING COMPLEX DYNAMICS IN DERIVATIVES FINANCE: WHY DO OPTIONS MARKETS SMILE?
Authors: QIU G. , KANDHAI D. , JOHNSON N. F. , SLOOT P. M. A.
Published: June 2012

The origin of the volatility smile phenomenon observed in options markets has eluded the financial world for more than two decades. We provide a new explanation of this phenomenon using a microscopic multi-agent description of markets. In our model individual trading behavior is explicitly included and the prices of the options are determined by demand and supply. Our results reproduce the empirical observations in respect to the shape and dynamic properties of the volatility smile, suggesting that this phenomenon is a natural consequence of traders' heterogeneous behavior and expectations about the future.
EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENT KNOWLEDGE ON AGGLOMERATION AND COOPERATION IN SPATIAL PUBLIC GOODS GAMES
Authors: XIA CHENG-YI , MELONI SANDRO , MORENO YAMIR
Published: June 2012

Nowadays, our society is characterized by high levels of social cohesion and cooperation that are in contrast with the selfish nature of human beings. One of the principal challenges for the social sciences is to explain the emergence of agglomeration and cooperative behavior in an environment characterized by egoistic individuals. In this paper we address this long standing problem with the tools given by evolutionary game theory. Specifically, we explore a model in which selfish individuals interact in a public goods creation environment. As a further ingredient each agent is characterized by an individual expectation and, if unsatisfied, can change its location. In this scenario we study the effects of the knowledge of other players' performances on both cooperation and agglomeration and discuss the results in the context of previous and related works. Our results show that cooperation and agglomeration are generally robust against the inclusion of different information on other player performances and, in some cases, it can produce an enhancement of the cooperative behavior. Moreover, our results demonstrate that only in extreme and very competitive environments cooperation and agglomeration are lost.