bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Talking Like a Book: Exception and the State of Nature in Benjamin and Molière
Authors: Braider Christopher 
Published: December 2012

Walter Benjamin confides to his friend Hugo von Hofmannsthal that “I sometimes think about writing a book on French tragedy as a counterpart to my Trauerspiel book,” noting that his “plan for the latter had originally been to elucidate both the German Trauerspiel and the French tragic drama in terms of their contrastive nature.” However, to do so “something must be added” that the book he wrote failed to supply. The aim of this essay is twofold: to reconstruct what Benjamin might have said about French classical tragedy and to identify the mysterious addition. Why does the effort to “elucidate” the two forms “in terms of their contrastive nature” demand a supplement? What would the supplement have been, and how might it illumine Benjamin's own project as well as tragedy and Trauerspiel? My hypothesis is that Benjamin remains silent on these points because he was temperamentally and philosophically unable to think them through. Benjamin's focus on tragedy is itself an indicator of this psychic resistance. Benjamin clearly assumed that, whatever deeper features of German tragic drama a contrast with the French version might bring to light, Trauerspiel constitutes a sovereign law unto itself, whose wider metaphysical as well as historical authority needs no argument. As a result, his interpretation of the nature of French tragedy inevitably would have confirmed his core theses about the German baroque, a fact that in turn draws attention to what Benjamin truly needed to add to both accounts: the perspective of comedy.I propose, then, to counter Benjamin's argument by exploring the ways in which comedy challenges the underlying metaphysics to which tragedy appeals. To this end, I argue that the greatest tragedy of the French classical age is its greatest comedy, Molière's Dom Juan, ou le festin de pierre. Reading Molière's play alongside French and German tragedy reveals not only how deeply both versions of the “mourning play” are implicated in the political ideology of royal absolutism but also the availability of a quite different model of social and political association grounded in the historical ontology of modernity against which absolutism sets its face. In addition to opening new sightlines on seventeenth-century tragedy and comedy alike, the result raises questions about the metaphysics underlying both Benjamin's thought and the tradition of critical theory from Burckhardt, Nietzsche, and Weber down to Benjamin's rivals and epigones, Adorno, Schmitt, and Agamben.
Inorganic ion composition in Tardigrada: cryptobionts contain large fraction of unidentified organic solutes
Authors: Halberg Kenneth A. , Larsen Kristine W. , Jørgensen Aslak , Ramløv Hans , Møbjerg Nadja 
Published: December 2012

SummaryMany species of tardigrades are known to tolerate extreme environmental stress, yet detailed knowledge of the mechanisms underlying the remarkable adaptations of tardigrades is still lacking, as are answers to many questions regarding their basic biology. Here, we present data on the inorganic ion composition and total osmotic concentration of five different species of tardigrades (Echiniscus testudo, Milnesium tardigradum, Richtersius coronifer, Macrobiotus cf. hufelandi and Halobiotus crispae) using high-performance liquid chromatography and nanoliter osmometry. Quantification of the ionic content indicates that Na+ and Cl- are the principle inorganic ions in tardigrade fluids, albeit other ions, i.e. K+, NH4+, Ca2+, Mg2+, F-, SO42- and PO43- were also detected. In limno-terrestrial tardigrades, the respective ions are concentrated by a large factor compared to that of the external medium (Na+, ×70-800; K+, ×20-90; Ca2+ and Mg2+, ×30-200; F-, ×160-1040, Cl-, ×20-50; PO43-, ×700-2800; SO42-, ×30-150). In contrast, in the marine species H. crispae Na+, Cl- and SO42- are almost in ionic equilibrium with (brackish) salt water, while K+, Ca2+, Mg2+ and F- are only slightly concentrated (×2-10). An anion deficit of ~120 mEq 1-1 in M. tardigradum and H. crispae indicates the presence of unidentified ionic components in these species. Body fluid osmolality ranges from 361±49 mOsm kg-1 in R. coronifer to 961±43 mOsm kg-1 in H. crispae. Concentrations of most inorganic ions are largely identical between active and dehydrated groups of R. coronifer, suggesting that this tardigrade does not lose large quantities of inorganic ions during dehydration. The large osmotic and ionic gradients maintained by both limno-terrestrial and marine species are indicative of a powerful ion-retentive mechanism in Tardigrada. Moreover, our data indicate that cryptobiotic tardigrades contain a large fraction of unidentified organic osmolytes, the identification of which is expected to provide increased insight into the phenomenon of cryptobiosis.
Flicker is part of a multi-cue response criterion in fiddler crab predator avoidance
Authors: Smolka Jochen , Raderschall Chloe A. , Hemmi Jan M. 
Published: December 2012

Summary
Predator avoidance behaviour costs time, energy and opportunities, and prey animals need to balance these costs with the risk of predation. The necessary decisions to strike this balance are often based on information that is inherently imperfect and incomplete due to the limited sensory capabilities of prey animals. Our knowledge, however, about how prey animals solve the challenging task of restricting their responses to the most dangerous stimuli in their environment, is very limited. Using dummy predators, we examined the contribution of visual flicker to the predator avoidance response of the fiddler crab Uca vomeris. The results illustrate that crabs let purely black or purely white dummies approach significantly closer than black-and-white flickering dummies. We show that this effect complements other factors that modulate escape timing such as retinal speed and the crab's distance to its burrow, and is therefore not exclusively due to an earlier detection of the flickering signal. By combining and adjusting a range of imperfect response criteria in a way that relates to actual threats in their natural environment, prey animals may be able to measure risk and adjust their responses more efficiently - even under difficult or noisy sensory conditions.
Comparative spring mechanics in mantis shrimp
Authors: Patek S. N. , Rosario M. V. , Taylor J. R. A. 
Published: December 2012

SummaryElastic mechanisms are fundamental to fast and efficient movements. Mantis shrimp power their fast raptorial appendages using a conserved network of exoskeletal springs, linkages and latches. Their appendages are fantastically diverse - ranging from spears to hammers. We measured the spring mechanics of 12 mantis shrimp species from 5 different families exhibiting hammer-shaped, spear-shaped and undifferentiated appendages. Across species, spring force and work increase with size of the appendage and spring stiffness is not correlated with size. Species that hammer their prey exhibit significantly greater spring resilience compared to species that impale evasive prey (i.e., "spearers"); mixed statistical results show that species that hammer prey also produce greater work relative to size during spring loading compared to spearers. Disabling part of the spring mechanism, the "saddle", significantly decreases spring force and work in three smasher species; cross-species analyses show a greater effect of cutting the saddle on the spring force and stiffness in species without hammers compared to species with hammers. Overall, the study shows a more potent spring mechanism in the faster and more powerful hammering species compared to spearing species while also highlighting the challenges of reconciling within-species and cross-species mechanical analyses when different processes may be acting at these two different levels of analysis. The observed mechanical variation in spring mechanics provides insights into the evolutionary history, morphological components and mechanical behavior that were not discernible in prior single-species studies. The results also suggest that, even with a conserved spring mechanism, spring behavior, potency and component structures can be varied within a clade with implications for the behavioral functions of power-amplified devices.
Regio- and Stereocontrolled Reaction of Arenes with Ethyl Propiolate Catalyzed by Palladium or Platinum Complexes with a Bidentate Phosphine Ligand. An Efficient and Straightforward Synthesis of (1Z,3E)-1-Aryl-1,3-butadienes
Authors: Oyamada Juzo , Sakai Mariko , Yamada Yasunori , Kitamura Tsugio 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
The reaction of mesitylene with ethyl propiolate in the presence of [Pd(dppe)(OAc)2] in TFA at 30 °C for 5 h gave diethyl (2E,4Z)-4-[(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)methylene]-2-pentenedioate selectively. Screening several bidentate phosphines ligands showed that dppe and dppm ligands are good for the arylbutadiene formation. This reaction was applied to other electron-rich arenes and found to be effective for synthesis of arylbutadienes and extended π-conjugated molecules. The regio- and stereoselective addition of an arene to propiolate was confirmed by NMR and single-crystal X-ray structural analyses of the products, suggesting that the arylbutadiene formation consisted of anti addition of an arene and a metal to the triple bond of ethyl propiolate, followed by syn addition to another molecule of ethyl propiolate. Similarly, the reaction of various arenes with ethyl propiolate in the presence of [Pt(dppe)(OTf)2] catalyst gave arylbutadienes selectively. In the Pd- or Pt-catalyzed reaction of arenes with ethyl propiolate, it was found that a bidentate ligand controlled the reaction to lead the formation of arylbutadienes.
Magnetic Semiconductor EuO, EuS, and EuSe Nanocrystals for Future Optical Devices
Authors: Hasegawa Yasuchika 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
Magnetic semiconductor nanocrystals composed of lanthanoid ions, europium chalcogenide nanocrystals (EuX: EuO, EuS, and EuSe nanocrystals), are characterized by the narrow 4f orbitals that exist as degenerate levels between the conduction band [5d orbitals of Eu(II)] and the valence band (p orbitals of O2−, S2−, and Se2−). In this review, syntheses and characteristic photophysical properties of EuX nanocrystals are introduced. EuX nanocrystals are expected to be useful in applications such as future optical isolators, optomagnetic and spintronic devices.
Oxidative Desulfurization of Dibenzothiophene over Tungsten Oxides Supported on SiO2 and γ-Al2O3
Authors: Li Xiang , Zhu Hanwei , Wang Anjie , Wang Yao , Chen Yongying 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
WO3/γ-Al2O3 exhibited a lower activity than WO3/SiO2 in oxidative desulfurization (ODS) of dibenzothiophene using cumene hydroperoxide as the oxidant. This could be a result of the strong interaction between WO3 and γ-Al2O3. The crystalline WO3 was more active than the tetrahedrally coordinated tungsten oxide species bound on the surface of γ-Al2O3. The loss of WO3 was negligible for WO3/SiO2 after the reaction. These features make SiO2 a promising support for the supported WO3 ODS catalyst.
Pharmacotherapy for Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Nosocomial Pneumonia
Authors: Segarra-Newnham Marisel , Church Timothy J 
Published: December 2012

Objective: To review the evidence for pharmacologic agents available in the treatment of nosocomial methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) pneumonia. Data Sources: A search of PubMed (1975-July 2012) was conducted using a combination of the terms methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, pneumonia, nosocomial, vancomycin, linezolid, telavancin, ceftaroline, tigecycline, and quinupristin/dalfopristin. Study Selection and Data Extraction: Randomized comparative clinical trials, meta-analyses, and review articles published in English were included. A manual review of the bibliographies of available literature was conducted and all relevant information was included. Observational and in vitro studies were incorporated as indicated. Data Synthesis: Pharmacotherapy for the treatment of nosocomial MRSA pneumonia is limited. Vancomycin has been the treatment of choice for several years. Linezolid has demonstrated similar efficacy to vancomycin in randomized clinical trials and recent data have suggested that it may be superior in some cases, although there are limitations to this conclusion. Telavancin has also demonstrated similar clinical efficacy to vancomycin; however, the drug is not commercially available in the US. Other agents with MRSA activity include ceftaroline, clindamycin, quinupristin/dalfopristin, and tigecycline, although the evidence for their use in nosocomial pneumonia is limited. Conclusions: Based on the currently available evidence and cost-effectiveness, vancomycin should continue to be the drug of choice for most patients with nosocomial MRSA pneumonia. Linezolid is a reasonable alternative for patients with treatment failure while receiving vancomycin, isolates with vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentrations over 2 μg/mL, allergic reactions, or vancomycin-induced nephrotoxicity.
A New, Sliding-Window Prony and DFT Scheme for the Calculation of Power-Quality Indices in the Presence of Non-stationary Waveforms
Authors: Bracale Antonio , Caramia Pierluigi , Carpinelli Guido , Rapuano Alessandro 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
In this paper, we propose a novel scheme that jointly employs sliding-window (SW) Prony and the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) for estimating power-quality indices based on the time-frequency analysis of non-stationary waveforms in power-system disturbances. These indices, recently proposed in the relevant literature, require the separation of the waveform in two parts, i.e., the fundamental component and the disturbance waveform. In the proposed scheme, Prony’s method was applied to calculate only the fundamental component from low-pass, filtered data, while the disturbance waveform is obtained by using DFT. The application of Prony’s method only to the fundamental component reduces the computational effort required by this method significantly and allows the size of the window of the DFT to be set as an integer multiple of the estimated fundamental period, which minimizes the spectral leakage of the DFT. The main advantages of the proposed, new approach include high resolution and accuracy in the estimation of indices and significant reduction of the computational cost. Experiments were conducted and comparisons were made using both synthetic and measured data. The results confirmed the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed scheme.
Age Differences in the Vividness of Youth Sport Performers’ Imagery Ability
Authors: Parker John K. , Lovell Geoff P. 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
The Vividness of Movement Imagery Questionnaire-2 (VMIQ-2; Roberts et al., 2008) is a recent addition to tools developed for investigating movement imagery ability. To date, few studies have adopted this measure within youth sport cohorts, as a result little is known about the vividness aspect of imagery ability in samples of 21 years of age and younger. Participants included 169 youth sport performers between 12 and 21 years of age (M = 16.62, SD = 3.02), representing 14 sports at 4 levels of competitive engagement. Participants completed the VMIQ-2 and were grouped according to age, competitive level, and gender. Significant differences between the VMIQ-2’s subscales were demonstrated with participants recording greatest imagery vividness for internal visual imagery and least vividness for external visual imagery. Significant age differences existed for kinesthetic imagery between the 12-13 and 20-21 age groups, with the 20-21 group recording greater imagery vividness than their younger counterparts. The results demonstrate age can influence imagery vividness with youth sport performers recording higher vividness for internal visual imagery compared to kinesthetic and external visual imagery. Future investigations should attempt to determine why age cohort differences in vividness of imagery occur.
An Instructional Exercise in Price Controls: Product Quality, Misallocation, and Public Policy
Authors: Weisman Dennis L. , Sanders Shane D. , Moundigbaye Mantobaye 
Published: December 2012

Abstract
A price control policy has several potential effects upon market welfare. These include deadweight loss, surplus transfer from producer to consumer, misallocative cost, and quality degradation. The present article provides accessible pedagogical models with which to incorporate the former two issues into a welfare analysis of price control. The analysis allows students to form a more complete understanding of price control policies.
Effects of Explicit and Non-explicit Versions of an Early Intervention Program Incorporating Indigenous Culture into Kindergarten Literacy Instruction
Authors: Mackay Leslie D. , Mcintosh Kent 
Published: December 2012

Abstract Low literacy is a challenge facing Indigenous communities across North America and is an identified barrier to school success. Early literacy intervention is an important target to reduce the discrepancies in literacy outcomes. The Moe the Mouse® Speech and Language Development Program (Gardner & Chesterman, 2006) is a cultural curriculum created to improve the early language skills of students aged three to five, but its effectiveness in improving early literacy skills has yet to be assessed. An enhanced Moe the Mouse® program, created by the first author, integrates explicit instruction in phonological awareness into the Moe the Mouse® program. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the two programs. One hundred Kindergarten students at six elementary schools participated in this study. A quasiexperimental pre-post cluster design with three conditions was used. Before and after the program, phonological awareness skills of the students were assessed. Across the intervention, statistically significant differences were found in relation to phonological skills. After the intervention, a statistically significantly smaller proportion of students from the enhanced Moe the Mouse® program fell in the “At Risk” category for later reading difficulties when compared to the other conditions. Additionally, both programs were rated by teachers as socially valid and culturally responsive.
Serum levels of IgG antibodies against oxidized LDL and atherogenic indices in HIV-1-infected patients treated with protease inhibitors
Authors: da Cunha Joel , Ferreira Maselli Luciana Morganti , Treitinger Arïcio , Monteiro Andrea Moreira , Gidlund Magnus , Maranhão Raul Cavalcanti , Spada Celso , Bydlowski Sérgio Paulo 
Published: December 2012

AbstractBackground:Antibodies against low-density lipoproteins (LDLs) that have been oxidized are associated with development of atherosclerotic lesions. In individuals infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) with or without therapy, dyslipidemia and increased cardiovascular risk are observed.Methods:Serum levels of IgG antibodies against oxidized LDLs (IgG anti-oxLDL Abs) were determined by assay in 151 HIV-1-infected patients. Of these, 42 patients did not receive anti-retroviral therapy (ART-naïve), whereas 109 received highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART) consisting of lopinavir/ritonavir (LOP/r; n=50), efavirenz (EFV; n=30) and nevirapine (NVP; n=29) associated with nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors. HIV-1 seronegative individuals (n=43) participated in the study. The following parameters were quantified: total cholesterol and its fractions, atherogenic indices (AIs), apolipoproteins A1 and B100, high sensitivity C-reactive protein, CD4+and CD8+T cells, and HIV-1-RNA.Results:Levels of IgG anti-oxLDL Abs were significantly higher (p<0.05) in the LOP/r group compared with the EFV and/or NVP and the seronegative group: median 0.32 (0.15, 0.58; 95% confidence interval) vs. 0.25 (0.13, 0.53) vs. 0.18 (0.04, 0.38), respectively. HIV-1-infected ART-naïve patients (n=42) presented antibodies levels similar to those observed for the LOP/r group, 0.33 (0.13, 0.63; p>0.05). The levels of IgG anti-oxLDL Abs correlated with an increase in AIs (r=0.216; p=0.036) and triglycerides (r=0.220; p=0.044) in the LOP/r group, and AIs in the ART-naïve group (r=0.300; p=0.046).Conclusions:Patients treated with LOP/r showed higher levels of IgG anti-oxLDL Abs compared with patients treated with EFV or NVP regimens, and these levels were associated with an increase in AIs.
Prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) RNA detection in blood and tissue samples for prostate cancer diagnosis
Authors: Neves Adriana F. , Dias-Oliveira Jaqueline D. Dores , Araújo Thaise G. , Marangoni Karina , Goulart Luiz R. 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background: The non-coding prostate cancer antigen 3 (PCA3) RNA is currently the most specific biomarker for prostate cancer (PCa) diagnosis. Although its clinical value has been validated in a urine assay after intensive prostatic massage, few studies have been conducted to establish its diagnostic value in the peripheral blood (PBL). The aim of the present study was to examine the PCA3 expression in blood as a diagnostic tool, and to provide an additional strategy to improve PCa diagnosis.

Methods: PCA3 transcripts were detected by RT-PCR in PBL and prostatic tissues from patients. PBL sampling also included a group of young healthy volunteers. The relationship between the PCA3 RNA detection and clinical characteristics was analyzed.

Results: PCA3 detection in blood presented 94% specificity and 32% sensitivity, and its combined detection in tissues significantly improved diagnostic parameters. However, PCA3 RNA detection in blood was also associated with PSA levels ≥10 ng/mL, and their combination provided a sensitivity of 60% and specificity of 93%.

Conclusions: Detection of the PCA3 RNA in patients’ blood is an efficient tool for PCa diagnosis because it allows a routine collection procedure, which is also supported by the ongoing screening marker, prostate-specific antigen (PSA). We propose its combined use with PSA levels ≥10 ng/mL, which improves accuracy, and prevents overdiagnosis and overtreatment.
Microarray with LNA-probes for genotyping of polymorphic variants of Gilbert’s syndrome gene UGT1A1(TA)n
Authors: Fesenko Eugeny E. , Heydarov Rustam N. , Stepanova Eugenia V. , Abramov Michael E. , Chudinov Alexander V. , Zasedatelev Alexander S. , Mikhailovich Vladimir M. 
Published: December 2012

Abstract

Background: Gilbert’s syndrome is a common metabolic dysfunction characterized by elevated levels of unconjugated bilirubin in the bloodstream. This condition is usually caused by additional (TA) insertions in a promoter region of the uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase 1A1 (UGT1A1) gene, which instead of the sequence А(TА)6TАА contains А(TА)7TАА. While the condition itself is benign, it presents elevated risk for patients treated with irinotecan, a common chemotherapy drug.

Methods: The technique is based on hybridization analysis of a pre-amplified segment of the UGT1A1 gene promoter performed on a microarray. Specific probes containing locked nucleic acids (LNA) were designed and immobilized on the microarray to provide accurate identification.

Results: A microarray has been developed to identify both common and rare variants of UGT1A1(TA)n polymorphisms. In total, 108 individuals were genotyped. Out of these, 47 (43.5%) had homozygous wild-type genotypes (TA)6/(TA)6; 41(38%) were heterozygotes (TA)6/(TA)7; and 18 (16.7%) – homozygotes (TA)7/(TA)7. In two cases (1.8%), rare genotypes (TA)5/(TA)7and (TA)5/(TA)6were found. The results were in full agreement with the sequencing. In addition, synthetic fragments corresponding to all human allelic variants [(TA)5, (TA)6, (TA)7, (TA)8] were successfully tested.

Conclusions: The developed microarray-based approach for identification of polymorphic variants of the UGT1A1 gene is a promising and reliable diagnostic tool that can be successfully implemented in clinical practice.