bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Composition of molecular cardiolipin species correlates with proliferation of lymphocytes
Authors: Schild Lorenz , Lendeckel Uwe , Gardemann Andreas , Wiswedel Ingrid , Schmidt Christian Andreas , Wolke Carmen , Walther Reinhard , Grabarczyk Piotr , Busemann Christoph
Published: April 2012

The mitochondrial phospholipid cardiolipin (CL) is required for oxidative phosphorylation. Oxidation of CL results in the disruption of CL-cytochrome c binding and the induction of apoptosis. Large variations in the acyl-chain residues of CL have been reported, but evidence as to whether these variants exert distinct biological effects has been limited. We have studied the acyl-chain composition of CL in lymphocytes, and found marked differences between highly and slowly proliferating cells. In fast growing cells, we detected a decreased number of double bonds, and a higher amount of C16 acyl-chain residues in CL, compared with slower growing cells. However, fewer C18 acyl-chain residues were found in CL from fast growing cells compared with slower proliferating cells. Our results suggest a functional link between acyl-chain composition of CL and cell proliferation.
Use of Zenith TX2 endografts in endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair for large-diameter aortic necks
Authors: Jim Jeffrey , Fajardo Andres , Geraghty Patrick J , Sanchez Luis A
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this case report is to describe the use of thoracic endografts in endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) with large-diameter aortic necks. We present four patients who underwent elective repair of AAAs. Preoperative imaging demonstrated all to have large aortic necks (35–37 mm) precluding treatment with standard abdominal aortic devices. All underwent endovascular treatment, which included the use of a Zenith TX2 endograft (Cook Medical Incorporated, Bloomington, IN, USA) as a proximal aortic cuff. There was 100% technical success. One patient developed gastrointestinal bleeding and a myocardial infarction. All were subsequently discharged home. On follow-up, there was one aneurysm-related death at three months. The remaining three patients are alive at a mean of 25.7 months after their operation. In conclusion, large proximal aortic necks preclude endovascular treatment with standard abdominal endograft components. The use of a thoracic endograft as a proximal aortic cuff is a feasible technique for patients unable to tolerate open aortic reconstruction.
A retrospective study on endovascular management of iatrogenic vascular injuries
Authors: Xiong Jiang , Liu Meng , Guo Wei , Liu Xiaoping , Yin Tai , Jia Xin , Wang Lijun , Ma Xiaohui , Zhang Hongpeng
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of endovascular management of iatrogenic vascular injuries (IVIs). We retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of 19 consecutive patients who underwent endovascular therapy of IVIs. Endograft implantation was conducted in 13 patients, intravascular embolization using coil was performed in four patients, combined treatment involving endovascular balloon intervention and percutaneous thrombin injection was done in one patient and the remaining one patient received balloon compression for hemostasis. There were no deaths after the operation. In the patients with vessel rupture ( n = 9) or perforation ( n = 4), cessation of bleeding and restoration of blood flow were achieved following the endovascular treatments. Four cases of pseudoaneurysm and one case of arteriovenous fistula were successfully eliminated. At a median follow-up of 23.8 months (range 4–84), one patient suffered a mild cerebral infarction secondary to covered stent placement and one patient developed a partial renal infarction secondary to coil embolization. Additionally, stent collapse was found in one patient with stenosis of the iliofemoral vein, accounting for the failure to resolve the lower limb edema. In conclusion, endovascular therapy is an effective technique in the management of different types of IVIs, but is associated with minor ischemic complications.
The use of heparin in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms
Authors: Graham A P , Fitzgerald O'Connor E , Hinchliffe R J , Loftus I M , Thompson M M , Black S A
Published: April 2012

The use of systemic heparin in patients with ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysms (rAAAs) remains a contentious issue with no clear guidelines. This review reports the current understanding, at a molecular and clinical level, of the possible benefits and risks of heparin in emergency aneurysm repair (both open and endovascular). MEDLINE, EMBASE, AMED, SCOPUS, CINAHL and Cochrane Library were searched for all articles containing the keywords ‘rupture’, ‘abdominal’, ‘aneurysm’ and ‘heparin’. Current experience, indications and outcomes were analyzed. Articles were searched for both endovascular and open repair of AAAs. A total of eight studies were included for analysis in the systematic review. Of these, only one paper focused specifically on heparin use in open repair of ruptures and suggested a benefit. Of the remaining seven, two were self-reporting retrospective studies assessing individual surgeons’ practice, one was a case report and the remaining four included mention of heparin use but with no outcome data. The evidence available suggests that a pro-coagulable state exists in rAAAs. This may be responsible for the morbidity and mortality postprocedure, which arises predominantly from multiple organ failure and cardiac compromise rather than outright hemorrhage. This diathesis may respond well to heparin administration, suggesting that heparin administration in ruptured aneurysms is appropriate.
Beclin1-induced Autophagy Abrogates Radioresistance of Lung Cancer Cells by Suppressing Osteopontin
Authors: Chang Seung-Hee , Minai-Tehrani Arash , Shin Ji-Young , Park Sungjin , Kim Ji-Eun , Yu Kyeong-Nam , Hong Seong-Ho , Hong Choong-Man , Lee Kee-Ho , R Beck George , Cho Myung-Haing
Published: April 2012

Osteopontin (OPN) serves as an indicator of resistance to radiotherapy. However, the role of OPN in the development of acquired radioresistance in human lung cancer cells has not yet been fully elucidated. Therefore, the potential importance of OPN as a marker of lung cancer with a potential significant role in the development of radioresistance against repeated radiotherapy has prompted us to define the pathways by which OPN regulates lung cancer cell growth. In addition, autophagy has been reported to play a key role in the radiosensitization of cancer cells. Here, we report that increased OPN expression through induction of nuclear p53 following irradiation was inhibited by exogenous beclin-1 (BECN1). Our results clearly show that BECN1 gene expression led to induction of autophagy and inhibition of cancer cell growth and angiogenesis. Our results suggest that the induction of autophagy abrogated the radioresistance of the cancer cells. Interestingly, we showed that knockdown of OPN by lentivirus-mediated shRNA induced the autophagy of human lung cancer cell. Taken together, these results suggest that OPN and BECN1 can be molecular targets for overcoming radioresistance by controlling autophagy.
Reforming Defence Rights in French Police Custody: A Coming Together in Europe?
Authors: Dorange Aude , Field Stewart
Published: April 2012

In April 2011 a major reform of the law regulating the police custody phase ( la garde à vue) was adopted by the French Parliament and implemented in June 2011. The new legislation confirms the right of immediate access to a lawyer in police custody and establishes a right to have that lawyer present during interrogation. This follows a series of decisions in 2010 by the European Court of Human Rights, the French Constitutional ‘Court’ ( Conseil constitutionnel) and the final appeal court with jurisdiction over criminal matters ( la Chambre criminelle de la Cour de cassation). These decisions declared existing limits to defence rights in the French police custody phase to be contrary to the European Convention on Human Rights, unconstitutional and unlawful. These developments have been much discussed in France (both positively and negatively) because they seem to signal a further shift away from France's inquisitorial tradition in criminal process. They can also be seen as part of a coming together of defence rights across Europe prompted by the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights.
Scientific Expertise and the Athlete Biological Passport: 3 Years of Experience
Authors: Olaf Schumacher Yorck , d′Onofrio Giuseppe
Published: April 2012

Expert evaluation of biological data is a key component of the Athlete Biological Passport approach in the fight against doping. The evaluation consists of a longitudinal assessment of biological variables to determine the probability of the data being physiological on the basis of the athlete's on own previous values (performed by an automated software system using a Bayesian model) and a subjective evaluation of the results in view of possible causes (performed by experts). The role of the expert is therefore a key component in the process. Experts should be qualified to evaluate the data regarding possible explanations related to the influence of doping products and methods, analytical issues, and the influence of exercise or pathological conditions. The evaluation provides a scientific basis for the decision taken by a disciplinary panel. This evaluation should therefore encompass and balance all possible causes for a given blood profile and provide a likelihood for potential scenarios (pathology, normal variation, doping) that might have caused the pattern. It should comply with the standards for the evaluation of scientific evidence in forensics.

On the basis of their evaluation of profiles, experts might provide assistance in planning appropriate target testing schemes.
Studies of positive psychology in Hungarian journals and books (2000–2011)
Authors: Magyaródi Tímea
Published: April 2012

A szerző hat jelentős hazai szakfolyóirat publikációi és az utóbbi tíz évben megjelent könyvek alapján áttekintést ad a pozitív pszichológiai témájú közleményekről.
On the forerunners of the positive psychology vision
Authors: Pléh Csaba
Published: April 2012

A dolgozat áttekinti, hogy milyen fogalmi előzményei voltak a pozitív pszichológiai szemlélet kialakulásának. Ilyen a kultúra és a személyiség szerepe a 19. század közepén John Stuart Mill filozófiájában, az aktiváció és a viselkedés energetikájának problémája, a kompetencia fogalomrendszerének beillesztése az emberi motívumok rendszerébe, a személyiség aktív koncepciója az önmegvalósítás előtérbe helyezésével és a determinizmus megkérdőjelezése.
Ten years of positive psychology
Authors: Oláh Attila , Kapitány-Fövény Máté
Published: April 2012

A tanulmány az önmagát az új évezred pszichológiájaként definiáló pozitív pszichológia első évtizedét tekinti át. Kiemeli azokat a témaköröket, amelyeket a pszichológia ezen új irányzata hozott fókuszba. Az új irányzat keretében felbukkanó tematikus gazdagsággal jellemezhető megközelítések közül a jóllét struktúrájával, a pozitív érzelmek kutatásával és az egészséges működés modelljeivel foglalkozik. Ismerteti azokat az empirikus kutatásokat, amelyek a szubjektív jóllét, a pszichológiai jóllét és a szociális jóllét konstruktumainak validitását ellenőrizték. A szerzők hangsúlyozzák azt, hogy a pozitív pszichológia pályafutásának első évtizedében az egészségpszichológiát erőteljesen orientáló irányzat, a közgondolkodásban pedig a pszichológia célját és feladatait illetően szemléletváltást elérő tényező lett.
The ways to operationalize flow experience
Authors: Mózes Tamás , Magyaródi Tímea , Soltész Péter , Nagy Henriett , Oláh Attila
Published: April 2012

A tanulmány összefoglalja a flow-kutatás történeti előzményeit, és áttekinti a terület aktuális kérdéseit, középpontba állítva az operacionalizálás területén jelentkező nehézségeket, valamint a flow laboratóriumi körülmények között történő indukciójának lehetőségeit.
Célkitűzéseink között szerepel a flow konstruktumával kapcsolatos fogalmi ellentmondások tisztázása és a hasonló elméletektől való diszkriminálása, valamint a mesterséges flow-indukció problémakörének bemutatása, amely a jövőbeli kutatások tervezéséhez nyújthat támpontokat.
Tão longe, tão perto: escrita de si em relatórios de viagens
Authors: Mignot Ana Chrystina Venancio , Silva Alexandra Lima da
Published: April 2012

Explorar os sentidos de um tom autobiográfico inscrito em relatórios de viagens empreendidas por três professores que integravam a primeira missão oficial de educadores que visitaria o continente europeu, no alvorecer da República, com a finalidade de estudar o sistema educacional de vários países, é o horizonte deste texto. Tais experiências compunham as preocupações com as melhorias na instrução pública no país, em que as viagens para conhecer e estudar o outro, divulgadas e defendidas pela Revista Pedagógica, publicação do Pedagogium, revertiam-se em diferentes modos de intervir e propor mudanças na educação no Brasil. Procura-se, nesta análise, em meio à escrita obrigatória e fadada à impessoalidade, mais do que impressões, conclusões e proposições sobre a organização escolar, a organização do magistério, o material didático, a arquitetura das escolas e os aspectos relativos à remuneração dos professores, mas, sobretudo, os traços da intimidade e dos modos de ver o mundo dos professores viajantes.
Maternidade e situações estressantes no primeiro ano de vida do bebê
Authors: Rapoport Andrea , Piccinini Cesar Augusto
Published: April 2012

O objetivo do presente estudo foi investigar situações estressantes envolvendo a maternidade no primeiro ano de vida do bebê e o apoio social recebido. Participaram do estudo 39 mães adultas, primíparas, que viviam com seus companheiros. As mães foram entrevistadas quando o bebê tinha um ano de vida. Os resultados revelaram a existência de diversas situações estressantes e houve maior solicitação de apoio social durante essas situações, e quando este foi recebido auxiliou as mães tanto do ponto de vista emocional como prático. Os resultados sugerem que apoio social dado à mãe mostra-se fundamental tanto para ela como para a sua relação com o/a filho/a.
Formação ética para a cidadania: reorganizando contingências na interação professor-aluno
Authors: Rocha Juliana Ferreira da , Carrara Kester
Published: April 2012

Este estudo baseou-se no pressuposto de que os professores constituem importantes modelos e funcionam como ambiente social relevante para a emissão de comportamentos de seus alunos. Nessa perspectiva, avaliou o efeito de um programa instrucional desenvolvido com duas professoras do ensino fundamental sobre a aquisição, por seus alunos, de repertórios fundamentais para o desenvolvimento de relações interpessoais condizentes com o exercício da cidadania. O programa consistiu na apresentação de comportamentos socialmente habilidosos como elogiar, dar feedback positivo e pedir mudança de comportamento, que visavam instruir as professoras à aplicação e habilidades requeridas em áreas do funcionamento socioafetivo coerentes com comportamentos pró-éticos e pró-sociais de seus alunos. Os efeitos do procedimento de capacitação foram verificados a partir das avaliações de desempenho dos alunos antes e depois da etapa de intervenção. Os resultados obtidos sugerem que a intervenção com as professoras foi efetiva no desenvolvimento de repertório de comportamentos pró-éticos das crianças.
El lecho de Procusto o la convención sobre la competencia humana
Authors: León Gloria Fariñas
Published: April 2012

El tema de las competencias ha ganado un gran espacio de debate acerca del desarrollo humano en la actualidad. Este ha reeditado su introducción por D. McClelland en la Psicología de los años 70 con nuevas acepciones y usos que no siempre se ajustan a las exigencias de desarrollo de la Psicología como ciencia y profesión y tampoco a las demandas del perfeccionamiento de la educación, uno de los terrenos de mayor aplicación del concepto. El presente trabajo se plantea un análisis al respecto y persigue esclarecer las implicaciones conceptuales y prácticas del concepto. Se arriba a la conclusión, con argumentos diversos, de que el concepto de competencia, por una parte, tiene un contenido convencional que obedece a fines utilitarios e instrumentales, y por otra, que su empleo retrasa el desarrollo de la Psicología como ciencia y profesión. No obstante, el concepto puede ser utilizado en determinadas circunstancias, que son esclarecidas también. Las fuentes utilizadas para el análisis fueron las observaciones de la autora y la literatura publicada que conducen, a la vez, a un análisis histórico y cultural del término
Linking stream flow and groundwater to avian habitat in a desert riparian system
Authors: Merritt David M. , Bateman Heather L.
Published: April 2012

Increasing human populations have resulted in aggressive water development in arid regions. This development typically results in altered stream flow regimes, reduced annual flow volumes, changes in fluvial disturbance regimes, changes in groundwater levels, and subsequent shifts in ecological patterns and processes. Balancing human demands for water with environmental requirements to maintain functioning ecosystems requires quantitative linkages between water in streams and ecosystem attributes. Streams in the Sonoran Desert provide important habitat for vertebrate species, including resident and migratory birds. Habitat structure, food, and nest‐building materials, which are concentrated in riparian areas, are provided directly or indirectly by vegetation. We measured riparian vegetation, groundwater and surface water, habitat structure, and bird occurrence along Cherry Creek, a perennial tributary of the Salt River in central Arizona, USA. The purpose of this work was to develop an integrated model of groundwater–vegetation–habitat structure and bird occurrence by: (1) characterizing structural and provisioning attributes of riparian vegetation through developing a bird habitat index (BHI), (2) validating the utility of our BHI through relating it to measured bird community composition, (3) determining the riparian plant species that best explain the variability in BHI, (4) developing predictive models that link important riparian species to fluvial disturbance and groundwater availability along an arid‐land stream, and (5) simulating the effects of changes in flow regime and groundwater levels and determining their consequences for riparian bird communities. Riparian forest and shrubland vegetation cover types were correctly classified in 83% of observations as a function of fluvial disturbance and depth to water table. Groundwater decline and decreased magnitude of fluvial disturbance caused significant shifts in riparian cover types from riparian forest to shrublands. Variability in the BHI was best explained by the cover of deciduous riparian tree species, primarily Populus fremontii, Platanus wrightii, and Salix gooddingii. The distributions of these plant species were well explained by the depth to groundwater and magnitude of fluvial disturbance along the stream. Bird species diversity and richness were significantly higher in sites with higher habitat indices. This quantitative linkage between surface and groundwater, plant species composition, habitat complexity, and bird communities has implications for water management and in determining environmental flows.
STAT-HI: A Socio-Technical Assessment Tool for Health Informatics Implementations
Authors: Scott Philip J , Briggs James S
Published: April 2012

This paper proposes a socio-technical assessment tool (STAT-HI) for health informatics implementations. We explore why even projects allegedly using sound methodologies repeatedly fail to give adequate attention to socio-technical issues, and we present an initial draft of a structured assessment tool for health informatics implementation that encapsulates socio-technical good practice. Further work is proposed to enrich and validate the proposed instrument. This proposal was presented for discussion at a meeting of the UK Faculty of Health Informatics in December 2009.
The representation of illness manifestation during the first psychiatric interview with patients preliminary diagnosed with depressive illness
Authors: Ziółkowska Justyna
Published: April 2012

The representation of illness manifestation during the first psychiatric interview with patients preliminary diagnosed with depressive illness

The aim of the study is the analysis of patients' and doctors' discursive representation of mental health problems during the first psychiatric interview. The data comes from 16 initial psychiatric interviews recorded by doctors in three psychiatric hospitals in Poland. Assuming the discursive character of representation the analysis of the data has shown that the representation of illness manifestations in doctors and patients narratives differs. The doctors constructed mental health problems mainly as static and timeless existence of medical symptoms and patients' traits. Conversely, the patients constructed illness manifestations in terms of action, as dynamic and contextualised processes. Interestingly, the patients deprived themselves of control over the acting illness manifestations. Doctors' static picture of illness manifestations eliminates the possibility of exploring the complicated relationship between patients and their problems. An examination of the way patients construct illness manifestations could be relevant diagnostic information.
Improving Mechanical Properties of Sintered Wolfram Based Alloy with Liquid Phase Trough Controlled Cooling Parameters
Authors: Muresan R. , Riti-Mihoc E. , Prica C. , Bodea M.
Published: April 2012

Improving Mechanical Properties of Sintered Wolfram Based Alloy with Liquid Phase Trough Controlled Cooling Parameters

Heavy alloys with 90 and 93 w/o W and a 7:3 Ni: Fe ratio are usually produced by the liquid phase sintering of W, Ni, and Fe powder mixtures. The result is a two-phase microstructure of spherical W solid solution grains embedded in a matrix of Ni rich solid solution. UTS, elongation, and microstructure strongly depend on the composition of the atmosphere during liquid phase sintering, on the cooling conditions and/or on the composition of the protective atmosphere during the heat treatment and its cooling conditions if treatment was applied after sintering. The sintering atmosphere is usually hydrogen. This can assure a proper densification but in the same time it can give rise to embitterment of W/matrix boundaries accompanied by a drastically decreasing ductility. In order to avoid this effect, heat treatments are applied in a neutral atmosphere (Ar, N2, Ar+N2, etc.) to completely or partially remove the hydrogen from the sintered material. This paper studies the effect of protective atmosphere and cooling conditions on the UTS, elongation and microstructure of the above-mentioned two heavy alloys.
Thermodynamics Analysis of Non-Metallic Inclusions Formation in the Liquid Steel Flow Through Continuous Casting Tundish
Authors: Jowsa J. , Cwudziński A.
Published: April 2012

Thermodynamics Analysis of Non-Metallic Inclusions Formation in the Liquid Steel Flow Through Continuous Casting Tundish

Experiments were conducted at industrial plant to determine the free and total oxygen contents in molten steel in the tundish during continuous casting blooms of sizes 280×280 mm. On the basis of industrial experiment results a thermodynamic evaluation of non metallic inclusion formation in liquid steel was performed. Software FactSage® with thermodynamic base packages were tested and applied to calculate equilibrium formation of oxides and sulphides. The results showed the effect of oxygen contents and temperature on the formation inclusion in liquid steel. Calculation results was presented in the form of suitable characteristics which were illustrated graphically.
Numerical Analysis of Liquid Steel Flow Structure in the One Strand Slab Tundish with Subflux Turbulence Controller and Dam
Authors: Cwudziński A. , Jowsa J.
Published: April 2012

Numerical Analysis of Liquid Steel Flow Structure in the One Strand Slab Tundish with Subflux Turbulence Controller and Dam

The paper present the results of computational calculation showing liquid steel flow in the tundish. The one-strand slab tundish is used to casting slabs. The internal work space of tundish was modified by two flow control devices (FCDs). The first device is subflux turbulence controller situated in the pouring tundish zone. The second FCD is a dam with two holes. The dam presently using in the industrial conditions was modified by changing a height. Adapted to internal work space new flow control devices were located in the tundish virtual model. Numerical model and computational grid of tundish was performed in the Gambit application. The visualization of interaction of flow control devices on hydrodynamic conditions was received from numerical simulation. As a results of the computations carried out, liquid steel flow fields, turbulence intensity maps, steel temperature maps and RTD curves (E and F) were obtained. On the distribution of RTD characteristics, percentage contributions of stagnant, plug, ideal mixing flow type, and transition grade zone were calculated.
Emergence of Neo-imperialism and The Perils Confronting Natural Resources of Developing Nations
Authors: Roka Krishna
Published: April 2012

DOI: 10.3126/dsaj.v1i0.291Dhaulagiri Vol.1 (2005) pp.207-219
Distributed mass-balance modelling on two neighbouring glaciers in Ortles-Cevedale, Italy, from 2004 to 2009
Authors: Carturan Luca , Cazorzi Federico , Dalla Fontana Giancarlo
Published: April 2012

A 6 year application of an enhanced temperature-index mass-balance model to Careser and La Mare glaciers, Eastern Italian Alps, is presented. The two glaciers exhibit very different characteristics, and a comprehensive dataset of distributed mass-balance measurements was used to test the model performance. The model was run using meteorological data acquired outside the glaciers. The work was focused on two main aspects: (1) the development of a morphological redistribution procedure for snow, and (2) the comparison of three different melt algorithms proposed in the literature. The results show that the simple method proposed for snow redistribution can greatly improve simulation of winter balance, and further improvements would be achievable by collecting data on inaccessible and high-altitude areas. All three melt formulations displayed a good skill level and very similar results in modelling the mass-balance distribution over glacier areas, with slightly better results from a multiplicative algorithm in capturing the vertical balance gradient. The simulation errors are related to aspect and elevation, and tend to be spatially aggregated. Some assumptions concerning the spatial and temporal distribution of air temperature and incoming solar radiation, although reasonable and widely used in the literature, may be responsible for this aggregation. Hence, there is a need to further investigate the processes that regulate the distribution of melt energy, and that appear to control the current deglaciation phase in this area.
A New Player in the Development of TRAIL Based Therapies for Hepatocarcinoma Treatment: ATM Kinase
Authors: Stagni Venturina , Santini Simonetta , Barilà Daniela
Published: April 2012

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. HCCs are genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous tumors characterized by very poor prognosis, mainly due to the lack, at present, of effective therapeutic options, as these tumors are rarely suitable for radiotherapy and often resistant to chemotherapy protocols. In the last years, agonists targeting the Tumor Necrosis Factor Related Apoptosis Inducing Ligand (TRAIL) death receptor, has been investigated as a valuable promise for cancer therapy, based on their selectivity for malignant cells and low toxicity for healthy cells. However, many cancer models display resistance to death receptor induced apoptosis, pointing to the requirement for the development of combined therapeutic approaches aimed to selectively sensitize cancer cells to TRAIL. Recently, we identified ATM kinase as a novel modulator of the ability of chemotherapeutic agents to enhance TRAIL sensitivity. Here, we review the biological determinants of HCC responsiveness to TRAIL and provide an exhaustive and updated analysis of the molecular mechanisms exploited for combined therapy in this context. The role of ATM kinase as potential novel predictive biomarker for combined therapeutic approaches based on TRAIL and chemotherapeutic drugs will be closely discussed.
Synthesis of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles and Their Effect on the Compressive Strength and Setting Time of Self-Compacted Concrete Paste as Cementitious Composites
Authors: Arefi Mohammad Reza , Rezaei-Zarchi Saeed
Published: April 2012

In the present study, the mechanical properties of self-compacting concrete were investigated after the addition of different amounts of ZnO nanoparticles. The zinc oxide nanoparticles, with an average particle size of about 30 nm, were synthesized and their properties studied with the help of a scanning electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray diffraction. The prepared nanoparticles were partially added to self-compacting concrete at different concentrations (0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5 and 1.0%), and the mechanical (flexural and split tensile) strength of the specimens measured after 7, 14, 21 and 28 days, respectively. The present results have shown that the ZnO nanoparticles were able to improve the flexural strength of self-compacting concrete. The increased ZnO content of more than 0.2% could increase the flexural strength, and the maximum flexural and split tensile strength was observed after the addition of 0.5% nanoparticles. Finally, ZnO nanoparticles could improve the pore structure of the self-compacted concrete and shift the distributed pores to harmless and less-harmful pores, while increasing mechanical strength.
Cerium Binding Activity of Pectins Isolated from the Seagrasses Zostera marina and Phyllospadix iwatensis
Authors: Khotimchenko Yuri , Khozhaenko Elena , Kovalev Valeri , Khotimchenko Maxim
Published: April 2012

Cerium binding activity of three different water soluble pectin compounds of different origin was studied in a batch sorption system. The Langmuir, Freundlich and BET sorption models were adopted to describe the binding reactions between metal ions and pectin molecules. The Langmuir model provided the best fit. Within the pH range from 4.0 to 6.0, the largest amount of the cerium ions was bound by pectin isolated from the seagrass Phylospadix iwatensis in comparison to pectin extracted from the seagrass Zostera marina and pectin obtained from citrus peel (commercial grade). The Langmuir constants were also highest for the pectin samples isolated from the seagrass P. iwatensis. The results obtained from this study suggest that pectin is a prospective source for the development of radioisotope-removing pharmaceuticals.
Synthetic Study on the Relationship Between Structure and Sweet Taste Properties of Steviol Glycosides
Authors: Upreti Mani , Dubois Grant , Prakash Indra
Published: April 2012

The structure activity relationship between the C16-C17 methylene double bond on the aglycone of steviol glycosides and the corresponding impact on their sweet taste has been reported here for the first time. It has been observed that converting stevioside and rebaudioside A to their corresponding ketones by switching the doubly bonded methylene on C-17 for a ketone group actually removes the sweet taste properties of these molecules completely. Regenerating the original molecules tends to restore the sweet taste of both the steviol glycosides. Thus this C16-C17 methylene double bond in rebaudioside A and stevioside can be regarded as a pharmacophore essential for the sweetness property of these molecules.
Stroke Prevention in Atrial Fibrillation: Latest Clinical Trials and Guidelines
Authors: Armaganijan Luciana , Patel Dimpi , Dietrich Cristiano , Morillo Carlos A.
Published: April 2012

Atrial Fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained arrhythmia and 1/6 strokes is attributed to AF. The cornerstone of treatment remains maintaining sinus rhythm or appropriate ventricular rate control in addition to prevention of stroke. Oral anticoagulation therapy (OAC) with vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) has been the gold standard for almost 50 years and a significant reduction in the risk of stroke in patients with AF has been demonstrated. Nonetheless, only 50% of patients with guideline recommendations for OAC treatment actually receive VKAs and half of these will discontinue therapy within 3 to 5 years with only another half achieving therapeutic ranges more than 50% of the time. The aforementioned limitations in addition with frequent blood monitoring have prompted the development of a series of new OAC therapies. The present review focuses on the current pharmacological management for stroke prevention in patients with AF based on current and emerging evidence.
IMPACTS OF MACROECONOMIC VARIABLES ON THE STOCK MARKET INDEX IN POLAND: NEW EVIDENCE
Authors: Hsing Yu , Hsieh Wen-jen
Published: April 2012

Applying the GARCH or ARCH model, this paper finds that Poland's stock market index is positively associated with industrial production or real GDP and the German stock market index, negatively affected by the government borrowing/GDP ratio, the real interest rate, the nominal effective exchange rate, the expected inflation rate, and the government bond yield in the euro area, and exhibits a quadratic relationship with the M2/GDP ratio. It suggests that the stock market index and the M2/GDP ratio show a positive (negative) relationship if the M2/GDP ratio is less (greater) than the critical value of 43.68%. Hence, to maintain a healthy stock market, the Polish authorities are expected to pursue economic growth, reduce government borrowing, avoid currency appreciation, and keep a relatively low interest rate or a relatively low expected inflation rate. Although currency appreciation has a negative impact on the stock market index, it is possible that the negative relationship might change if a certain threshold value is reached in the future.
A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVE UNIVARIATE TIME SERIES MODELS IN FORECASTING TURKISH INFLATION
Authors: Çatık A. Nazif , Karaçuka Mehmet
Published: April 2012

This paper analyses inflation forecasting power of artificial neural networks with alternative univariate time series models for Turkey. The forecasting accuracy of the models is compared in terms of both static and dynamic forecasts for the period between 1982:1 and 2009:12. We find that at earlier forecast horizons conventional models, especially ARFIMA and ARIMA, provide better one-step ahead forecasting performance. However, unobserved components model turns out to be the best performer in terms of dynamic forecasts. The superiority of the unobserved components model suggests that inflation in Turkey has time varying pattern and conventional models are not able to track underlying trend of inflation in the long run.
TECHNOLOGIES FOR JET NOISE REDUCTION IN TURBOFAN ENGINES
Authors: Gorji-Bandpy Mofid , Azimi Mohammadreza
Published: April 2012

Turbofan engines are commonly used for commercial transport due to their advantages of higher performance and lower noise. Jet noise is one of the principal noise sources of turbofan aeroplane engines and remains an acute environmental problem that requires advanced solutions. The ever-increasing demand for quieter engines requires the exploration of alternative techniques that could be used by themselves or in conjunction with existing methods. Significant progress continues to be made with noise reduction for turbofan engines. Analytical and semiempirical models have been developed to investigate the influence of some design tools when they are employed in a multidisciplinary optimisation framework. This paper discusses the major components of jet noise in turbofan engines and presents a review of jet noise reduction technologies.
La politique des deux axes
Authors: Tiberj Vincent
Published: April 2012

Résumé Les variables lourdes pèseraient de moins en moins dans le vote. Pourtant, cette baisse n’est pas générale. Certaines logiques sociales du vote demeurent. Enfin, la cohorte de naissance ou le diplôme émergent dans les explications du vote en 2007. Il s’agit ici d’expliquer les permanences et les mutations des logiques sociales du vote lors des quatre dernières élections présidentielles. En discutant et prolongeant la théorie de la old et de la new politics , on montre que ces évolutions ne sont pas dues à un changement de système de valeurs, mais à la politisation par les grands partis français des valeurs culturelles. Cette « politique des deux axes » a plusieurs conséquences. De nouvelles logiques sociales du vote émergent ; certains groupes sociaux (les cadres, les ouvriers) sont travaillés par des conflits de valeurs, quand d’autres (les « sans religion », les indépendants) n’en sont pas affectés.
Regulation of TLR4, p38 MAPkinase, IκB and miRNAs by inactivated strains of lactobacilli in human dendritic cells
Authors: Giahi L. , Aumueller E. , Elmadfa I. , Haslberger A.G.
Published: April 2012

Strain specific properties of probiotics in providing supportive health effects in the immune system and the gastrointestinal tract have been widely investigated in vivo and in vitro. However, the underlying responsible mechanism is poorly described. By unravelling the probiotic-induced responses in a complex network of interacting signalling pathways, we investigated the effect of heat-inactivated Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) and Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (L.del) on the expression of TLR4 and signalling factors such as p38 MAPK and I?B at transcription level in human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs). Our findings demonstrated that even inactivated probiotic strains can affect TLR4 expression in a down-regulatory direction as with lipopolysaccharides after 12 hours. LGG significantly down-regulated expression of p38 while I?B expression was significantly reduced in L.del-treated DCs. Moreover, we found these Lactobacillus strains could even modify the immune response at post-transcriptional level by modifying miRNAs expression. Based on our results LGG induced a significant down-regulatory effect on miR-146a expression which is known as a novel fine negative regulator of immune response targeting NFκB. On the other hand, miR-155 was up-regulated by LGG which is consistent with down-regulation of p38 and in LGG-treated DCs. These findings provide genetic and epigenetic explanations for the responsible underlying mechanisms by which probiotics influence immune response by targeting DCs.
Meaningful Use of Web 2.0 Tools for Teaching and Learning
Authors: Billings Diane M.
Published: April 2012

Given the ever-increasing set of online learning tools that are easily accessible through mobile devices, nurse educators can choose from a range of free and low-cost applications to promote active and engaged learning. This column offers several “tips” for using these tools.
Struggle Between Survival and Death: The Life Experiences of Taiwanese Older Adults with Suicidal Ideation
Authors: Wu Guey-Hau , Tsao Lee-Ing , Huang Hui-Chi
Published: April 2012

The purpose of this study was to use grounded theory to explore the subjective experiences of suicidal ideation among Taiwanese older adults in the community. Fifteen participants ages 66 to 88 were interviewed, and data were analyzed using a constant comparative analysis method. The Struggle Between Survival and Death was defined as the core category. Loss of loved ones, possessions, and health was defined as the antecedent condition. The older adults struggled between survival and death during a suicidal ideation process categorized as negative emotions without an outlet, reminiscence about past achievements, lingering or persistent suicidal ideations, and hesitation to commit suicide. Lastly, the participants reported experiencing a meaningless existence in their daily lives. It is crucial to provide sensitive support to older adults who have had loss of life experiences, including providing an outlet to express negative emotions, religious support, reminiscence therapy, or a life review.
Use of ground‐penetrating radar to map subsurface features at the Lapa do Santo archaeological site (Brazil)
Authors: Luis Porsani Jorge , de Matos Jangelme Guilherme , Kipnis Renato
Published: April 2012

In this article we present some results of ground‐penetrating radar (GPR) studies carried out at the Lapa do Santo archaeological site. This cave is within the Lagoa Santa karstic region, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Results from 44 GPR profiles obtained with 400 MHz shielded antennas indicated anomalous hyperbolic reflections and areas with high sub‐horizontal reflection amplitude suggesting archaeological and geological potential targets, respectively. These results were encouraging and were used to guide excavations at this site. Excavation of test units (metre by metre) allowed identifying an anthropogenic feature, e.g., a fire hearth structure and natural features, such as a stalagmite and top of bedrock. Results also indicated the importance of the GPR survey as a tool for orienting archaeological researches, increasing the probability of finding archaeological interest targets in an excavation program in an area of environmental protection.
Indexing the World Wide Web
Authors: Das Abhishek , Jain Ankit
Published: April 2012

In this chapter, the authors describe the key indexing components of today’s web search engines. As the World Wide Web has grown, the systems and methods for indexing have changed significantly. The authors present the data structures used, the features extracted, the infrastructure needed, and the options available for designing a brand new search engine. Techniques are highlighted that improve relevance of results, discuss trade-offs to best utilize machine resources, and cover distributed processing concepts in this context. In particular, the authors delve into the topics of indexing phrases instead of terms, storage in memory vs. on disk, and data partitioning. Some thoughts on information organization for the newly emerging data-forms conclude the chapter.
The Use of Text Mining Techniques in Electronic Discovery for Legal Matters
Authors: Berry Michael W. , Esau Reed , Kiefer Bruce
Published: April 2012

Electronic discovery (eDiscovery) is the process of collecting and analyzing electronic documents to determine their relevance to a legal matter. Office technology has advanced and eased the requirements necessary to create a document. As such, the volume of data has outgrown the manual processes previously used to make relevance judgments. Methods of text mining and information retrieval have been put to use in eDiscovery to help tame the volume of data; however, the results have been uneven. This chapter looks at the historical bias of the collection process. The authors examine how tools like classifiers, latent semantic analysis, and non-negative matrix factorization deal with nuances of the collection process.
Finding Answers to Questions, in Text Collections or Web, in Open Domain or Specialty Domains
Authors: Grau Brigitte
Published: April 2012

This chapter is dedicated to factual question answering, i.e., extracting precise and exact answers to question given in natural language from texts. A question in natural language gives more information than a bag of word query (i.e., a query made of a list of words), and provides clues for finding precise answers. The author first focuses on the presentation of the underlying problems mainly due to the existence of linguistic variations between questions and their answerable pieces of texts for selecting relevant passages and extracting reliable answers. The author first presents how to answer factual question in open domain. The author also presents answering questions in specialty domain as it requires dealing with semi-structured knowledge and specialized terminologies, and can lead to different applications, as information management in corporations for example. Searching answers on the Web constitutes another application frame and introduces specificities linked to Web redundancy or collaborative usage. Besides, the Web is also multilingual, and a challenging problem consists in searching answers in target language documents other than the source language of the question. For all these topics, this chapter presents main approaches and the remaining problems.
Context-Aware Mobile Search Engine
Authors: Berri Jawad , Benlamri Rachid
Published: April 2012

Exploiting context information in a web search engine helps fine-tuning web services and applications to deliver custom-made information to end users. While context, including user and environment information, cannot be exploited efficiently in the wired Internet interaction type, it is becoming accessible with the mobile web where users have an intimate relationship with their handsets. In this type of interaction, context plays a significant role enhancing information search and therefore, allowing a search engine to detect relevant content in all digital forms and formats. This chapter proposes a context model and an architecture that promote integration of context information for individuals and social communities to add value to their interaction with the mobile web. The architecture relies on efficient knowledge management of multimedia resources for a wide range of applications and web services. The research is illustrated with a corporate case study showing how efficient context integration improves usability of a mobile search engine.
Spatio-Temporal Based Personalization for Mobile Search
Authors: Bouidghaghen Ourdia , Tamine Lynda
Published: April 2012

The explosion of the information available on the Internet has made traditional information retrieval systems, characterized by one size fits all approaches, less effective. Indeed, users are overwhelmed by the information delivered by such systems in response to their queries, particularly when the latter are ambiguous. In order to tackle this problem, the state-of-the-art reveals that there is a growing interest towards contextual information retrieval (CIR) which relies on various sources of evidence issued from the user’s search background and environment, in order to improve the retrieval accuracy. This chapter focuses on mobile context, highlights challenges they present for IR, and gives an overview of CIR approaches applied in this environment. Then, the authors present an approach to personalize search results for mobile users by exploiting both cognitive and spatio-temporal contexts. The experimental evaluation undertaken in front of Yahoo search shows that the approach improves the quality of top search result lists and enhances search result precision.
Mobile Telephony and Economic Growth in Developing Economies
Authors: Virta Heli , Puumalainen Kaisu , Tuppura Anni
Published: April 2012

This chapter investigates the influence of mobile phone penetration on economic growth in developing economies. It is widely agreed that telecommunications infrastructure has a positive effect on GDP growth. The empirical evidence concerns mainly fixed line telephony and is mostly conducted with samples from developed countries. Mobile telephony, on the other hand, may be particularly important in those low-income countries, where landlines are not accessible to all. As there also is some evidence that mobile technology may encourage innovative entrepreneurial activity, it is likely that mobile telephony has a great positive impact on welfare especially in developing economies. To examine the role of mobile telephone penetration in economic growth, we use difference and system GMM estimators with a sample of low-income and lower middle-income countries and find mobile telephony to boost economic growth. This result suggests that extensive mobile cellular network coverage facilitates economic development in developing countries.