bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Constructing Labour Regionalism in Europe and the Americas, 1920s–1970s
Authors: García Magaly Rodríguez 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThis article provides an analysis of the construction of labour regionalism between the 1920s and 1970s. By means of a comparative examination of the supranational labour structures in Europe and the Americas prior to World War II and of the decentralized structure of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), I attempt to defend the argument that regionalism was a labour leaders' construct that responded to three issues: the quest for power among the largest trade-union organizations within the international trade-union movement; mutual distrust between labour leaders of large, middle-sized, and small unions from different regions; and (real or imaginary) common interests among labour leaders from the same region. These push-and-pull factors led to the construction of regional labour identifications that emphasized “otherness” in the world of international labour. A regional labour identity was intended to supplement, not undermine, national identity. As such, this study fills a lacuna in the scholarly literature on international relations and labour internationalism, which has given only scant attention to the regional level of international labour organization.
Image guidance in rhinology and anterior skull base surgery: five-year single institution experience
Authors: Visvanathan V , McGarry G W 
Published: December 2012

AbstractObjectives:We examined our experience of image guidance surgery in rhinology, and compared image guidance surgery cases with non-image guidance cases. We also audited our practice against the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery image guidance surgery guidelines.Method:The study employed a single institution retrospective approach comprising 174 image guidance surgery patients (106 males and 68 females) and 134 non-image guidance surgery patients (75 males and 59 females).Results:In the image guidance surgery group, tumour operations represented 45 per cent of cases (55 per cent were non-neoplastic). Basic, intermediate and advanced (structured classification) procedures represented 19 per cent, 24 per cent and 61 per cent, respectively. Five minor complications were recorded. In non-image guidance surgery, tumour operations represented 8 per cent of cases (92 per cent were non-neoplastic). Basic, intermediate and advanced procedures represented 73 per cent, 12 per cent and 15 per cent, respectively. One minor complication was observed.Conclusion:We report the largest series of image-guided ENT surgical procedures in the UK. In the cases we examined, image guidance surgery was predominantly used in advanced procedures and tumour surgery.
‘Intranasal toothache’: case report
Authors: van Essen T A , van Rijswijk J B 
Published: December 2012

AbstractObjective:This paper describes a patient with recurrent unilateral nasal discomfort and pain due to an intranasal tooth. A short overview of the literature is provided in relation to the aetiology, symptomatology, diagnosis and treatment of intranasal teeth.Case report:A 26-year-old man was referred with a history of recurrent left-sided nasal obstruction, facial pain and discomfort, and chronic purulent rhinorrhoea. Computed tomography revealed a nasal tooth, which was likely to have been the cause of these symptoms. After transnasal surgical extraction under endoscopic guidance, the patient was relieved of his complaints (at the one-year follow up).Conclusion:An ectopic tooth in the nasal cavity is a rare phenomenon, and in most cases the cause of an intranasal tooth remains unclear. The treatment of an intranasal tooth entails surgical extraction even though such teeth may remain asymptomatic; several cases have illustrated the potential significant morbidity associated with their occurrence.
Residency and behavioural rhythmicity of ballan wrasse (Labrus bergylta) and rays (Raja spp.) captured in Portelet Bay, Jersey: implications for Marine Protected Area design
Authors: Morel G.M. , Shrives J. , Bossy S.F. , Meyer C.G. 
Published: December 2012

We monitored the long-term residency of reef-associated ballan wrasse and sand-dwelling rays captured at the site of a potential future Marine Protected Area (MPA: Portelet Bay, Jersey) by implanting them with small transmitters and deploying underwater receivers inside the bay. Individual fish were detected at Portelet Bay for up to 618 days, but there were species-specific differences in residency and detection patterns. Ballan wrasse were year-round residents at the study site where they exhibited distinct, rhythmic, diel, tidal and seasonal patterns of behaviour, whereas rays were occasional visitors to Portelet Bay with no discernible pattern to their visits. Results indicate relatively small MPAs (<0.5 km2) that with suitable habitat could provide effective, long-term protection for ballan wrasse, but would likely be of little conservation benefit for rays. Our findings emphasize the importance of quantifying fish movements when planning MPAs which intend to protect multi-species assemblages of coastal fishes.
Feasibility study of the magnetic beam self-focusing phenomenon in a stack of conducting foils: Application to TNSA proton beams
Authors: Ni P.A. , Logan B.G. , Lund S.M. , Alexander N. , Bieniosek F.M. , Cohen R.H. , Roth M. , Schaumann G. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractThis paper investigates prospects of utilizing a high-power laser-driven target-normal-sheath-acceleration proton beam for the experimental demonstration of the magnetic self-focusing phenomenon in charged particle beams. In the proposed concept, focusing is achieved by propagating a space-charge dominated ion beam through a stack of thin conducting and grounded foils separated by vacuum gaps. As the beam travels through the system, image charges build up at the foils and generate electric field that counteracts the beam's electrostatic self-field — a dominant force responsible for expansion of a high current beam. Once the electrostatic self-field is “neutralized” by the image charges, the beam currents magnetic self-field will do the focusing. The focal spot size and focal length depends on the choice of a number of foils and distance between foils. Considering the typical electrical current level of a target-normal-sheath-acceleration proton beam, we conclude that it is feasible to focus or collimate a beam within tens of millimeters distance, e.g., using 200–1000 Al foils, 0.5 µm thick each, with foil spacing ranging from 25 µm to 100 µm. These requirements are within technical capabilities of modern target fabrication, thus allowing the first possible demonstration of the pinch effect with heavy ion beams.
A REASSESSMENT OF THE EXTENT OF THE EASTERN AZTEC EMPIRE IN THE MESOAMERICAN GULF LOWLANDS
Authors: Venter Marcie L. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractEthnohistoric documents have been used to define the eastern limits of the Aztec empire in the Mesoamerican southern Gulf lowlands with contradictory results. Until the research presented here, complementary archaeological evidence for Aztec imperial interactions has largely evaded detection in this region. In this paper, I review the documentary data for Aztec expansion and interactions near its eastern frontier and present the most robust archaeological evidence discovered to date that supports this imperial presence in the southern Gulf lowlands. A new model for imperial-local interaction is also introduced.
PRE-HISPANIC-TO-COLONIAL DIETARY TRANSITIONS AT ETZATLAN, JALISCO, MEXICO
Authors: Porcasi Judith F. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractFaunal analysis of subsistence remains from four sites in the Etzatlan Basin in western central Mexico presents important contrasts between pre-Hispanic and colonial dietary patterns. Specific changes in animal remains are well correlated with the transition from pre-Hispanic to colonial occupations tracked along a statistically derived timeline in which ceramic evidence for the onset of colonization is found. Allometry is used to calculate faunal biomass, and abundance and diversity indices are used to define these dietary patterns relative to the timeline. There is a decrease in use of large mammals over time and an increased use of smaller mammals, birds, and reptiles/amphibians. In particular, a marked increase in exploitation of the most important native large mammal (for example, deer) is found during early colonial occupation. However, this bounty decreased appreciably during later periods, consistent with widening of dietary breadth by inclusion of less preferred resources.
CAZA Y PESCA PREHISPÁNICAS EN LA COSTA NORTE PENINSULAR YUCATECA
Authors: Götz Christopher M. 
Published: December 2012

AbstractRecientes exploraciones arqueológicas en el litoral norteño de la península yucateca, México, han arrojado nuevos datos de la interacción entre humanos y animales en tiempos prehispánicos. En este artículo queremos discutir el patrón de aprovechamiento seguido por parte de los pobladores prehispánicos en dicha zona costera, basándonos en dos conjuntos zooarqueológicos correspondientes a los sitios de Isla Cerritos e Xcambo respectivamente, ambos ubicados en el Estado Mexicano de Yucatan y pertenecientes a la cultura maya prehispánica. La discusión conjunta del aprovechamiento manifestado a través de los dos sitios está motivada en primer lugar por la relativa cercanía entre ambos asentamientos, y en segundo lugar, porque los dos sitios son cronológicamente continuos y permiten esbozar el desarrollo del aprovechamiento precolombino de fauna costera a través de una secuencia cronológica de aproximadamente 850 años.Una parte importante del trabajo está dedicada a describir los hallazgos de una especie de mamífero hoy extinta, identificada entre los materiales faunísticos: la foca tropical (Monachus tropicalis). Los especímenes constituyen los únicos hallazgos de su tipo relacionados a reminiscencias culturales prehispánicas en Mesoamérica hasta la fecha y son de particular interés, porque desde hace más de 20 años se había supuesto, sin sustento en hallazgos materiales, el aprovechamiento de focas por parte de los mayas prehispánicos. El hallazgo de huesos de esta especie en contextos arqueológicos nos permite ahora afirmar la hipótesis, demostrando que sí hubo aprovechamiento, a pequeña escala, de esta especie por parte de los ocupantes costeros prehispánicos de la región.
Stability of miRNA 5′terminal and seed regions is correlated with experimentally observed miRNA-mediated silencing efficacy
Authors: Hibio Naoki , Hino Kimihiro , Shimizu Eigo , Nagata Yoshiro , Ui-Tei Kumiko 
Published: December 2012

AbstractMicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of sequence-specific gene silencing. However, crucial factors that determine the efficacy of miRNA-mediated target gene silencing are poorly understood. Here we mathematized base-pairing stability and showed that miRNAs with an unstable 5′ terminal duplex and stable seed-target duplex exhibit strong silencing activity. The results are consistent with the previous findings that an RNA strand with unstable 5′ terminal in miRNA duplex easily loads onto the RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC) and miRNA recognizes target mRNAs with seed-complementary sequences to direct posttranscriptional repression. Our results suggested that both the unwinding and target recognition processes of miRNAs could be proficiently controlled by the thermodynamics of base-pairing in protein-free condition. Interestingly, such thermodynamic parameters might be evolutionarily well adapted to the body temperatures of various species.
Burden of Bloodstream Infection Caused by Extended-Spectrum β-Lactamase–Producing Enterobacteriaceae Determined Using Multistate Modeling at a Swiss University Hospital and a Nationwide Predictive Model
Authors: Stewardson Andrew , Fankhauser Carolina , Augelis Giulia De , Rohner Peter , Safran Edith , Schrenzel Jacques , Pittet Didier , Harbarth Stephan 
Published: December 2012

Objective.To obtain an unbiased estimate of the excess hospital length of stay (LOS) and cost attributable to extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) positivity in bloodstream infections (BSIs) due to Enterobacteriaceae.Design.Retrospective cohort study.Setting.A 2,200-bed academic medical center in Geneva, Switzerland.Patients.Patients admitted during 2009.Methods.We used multistate modeling and Cox proportional hazards models to determine the excess LOS and adjusted end-of-LOS hazard ratio (HR) for ESBL-positive and ESBL-negative BSI. We estimated economic burden as the product of excess LOS and average bed-day cost. Patient-level accounting data provided a complementary analysis of economic burden. A predictive model was fitted to national surveillance data.Results.Thirty ESBL-positive and 96 ESBL-negative BSI cases were included. The excess LOS attributable to ESBL-positive and ESBL-negative BSI was 9.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.4–18.4) and 2.6 (95% CI, 0.7–5.9) days, respectively. ESBL positivity was therefore associated with 6.8 excess days and CHF 9,473 per BSI. The adjusted end-of-LOS HRs for ESBL-positive and ESBL-negative BSI were 0.62 (95% CI, 0.43–0.89) and 0.90 (95% CI, 0.74–1.10), respectively. After reimbursement, the average financial loss per acute care episode in ESBL-positive BSI, ESBL-negative BSI, and control cohorts was CHF 48,674, 48,131, and 13,532, respectively. Our predictive model estimated that the nationwide cost of third-generation cephalosporin resistance would increase from CHF 2,084,000 in 2010 to CHF 3,526,000 in 2015.Conclusions.This is the first hospital-wide analysis of excess LOS attributable to ESBL positivity determined using multistate modeling to avoid time-dependent bias. These results may inform health-economic evaluations of interventions targeting ESBL control.
The Potential Regional Impact of Contact Precaution Use in Nursing Homes to Control Methicillin-ResistantStaphylococcus aureus
Authors: Lee Bruce Y. , Singh Ashima , Bartsch Sarah M. , Wong Kim F. , Kim Diane S. , Avery Taliser R. , Brown Shawn T. , Murphy Courtney R. , Yilmaz S. Levent , Huang Susan S. 
Published: December 2012

Objective.Implementation of contact precautions in nursing homes to prevent methicillm-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(MRSA) transmission could cost time and effort and may have wide-ranging effects throughout multiple health facilities. Computational modeling could forecast the potential effects and guide policy making.Design.Our multihospital computational agent-based model, Regional Healthcare Ecosystem Analyst (RHEA).Setting.All hospitals and nursing homes in Orange County, California.Methods.Our simulation model compared the following 3 contact precaution strategies: (1) no contact precautions applied to any nursing home residents, (2) contact precautions applied to those with clinically apparent MRSA infections, and (3) contact precautions applied to all known MRSA carriers as determined by MRSA screening performed by hospitals.Results.Our model demonstrated that contact precautions for patients with clinically apparent MRSA infections in nursing homes resulted in a median 0.4% (range, 0%–1.6%) relative decrease in MRSA prevalence in nursing homes (with 50% adherence) but had no effect on hospital MRSA prevalence, even 5 years after initiation. Implementation of contact precautions (with 50% adherence) in nursing homes for all known MRSA carriers was associated with a median 14.2% (range, 2.1%–21.8%) relative decrease in MRSA prevalence in nursing homes and a 2.3% decrease (range, 0%–7.1%) in hospitals 1 year after implementation. Benefits accrued over time and increased with increasing compliance.Conclusions.Our modeling study demonstrated the substantial benefits of extending contact precautions in nursing homes from just those residents with clinically apparent infection to all MRSA carriers, which suggests the benefits of hospitals and nursing homes sharing and coordinating information on MRSA surveillance and carriage status.
ANKAphase: software for single-distance phase retrieval from inline X-ray phase-contrast radiographs. Erratum
Authors: Weitkamp T. , Haas D. , Wegrzynek D. , Rack A. 
Published: December 2012

An equation in the paper by Weitkampet al.[(2011),J. Synchrotron Rad.18, 617–629] is corrected.
A contractor's classification of owner payment practices
Authors: Tran Hanh , Carmichael David G. 
Published: December 2012

PurposeA common distraction to contractors is that of cash management, and particularly incoming payments. In the extreme, a failure to manage a project's cash flows may bring about business failure. A contractor's financial viability rests on how actual payments from an owner are received. The purpose of this paper is to present a method for contractors to evaluate the punctuality and fullness of owner payments based on historical behaviour.Design/methodology/approachOwners are classified according to their late and incomplete payment practices. The payment profile of an owner, in the form of aging payments received based on claims, is used as a basis for the method's development. Regression trees are constructed based on three predictor variables, namely, the average time to payment following a claim, the total amount ending up being paid within a certain period and the level of variability in claim response times.FindingsThe method will be of interest to contractors concerned with managing their cash positions, as well as those persons looking at contractor‐owner relationships.Practical implicationsThe method is intended to be used internally within a contractor's organisation to assist in decision making. The method can also be used by subcontractors, suppliers, and consultants. Owners may use the method reflectively to improve their own practices, to save time and cost by reducing disputes, and to develop better owner‐contractor relationships.Originality/valueThis paper represents an original approach, and an original contribution to contractor pre‐tendering risk analysis practices, and an extension to contractor claim‐payment analysis.
Organizational learning in construction supply chains
Authors: Tennant Stuart , Fernie Scott 
Published: December 2012

PurposeLearning within the supply chain is widely considered to provide the basis for enhanced competitive advantage. The purpose of this paper is to explore the theory and current practice of organizational learning in UK construction supply chains.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research strategy is followed for this exploration of supply chain management and organizational learning. Research enquiry draws on semi‐structured interviews with key construction supply chain stakeholders. The semi‐structure interviews are recorded, transcribed and analysed via qualitative data analysis software.FindingsCareful examination of the transcripts reveal that whilst supply chain management practice in construction is limited, key schools of organizational learning are similarly underdeveloped. Findings disclose construction supply chain organizations routinely employ learning strategies that are best described as reactionary and interventionist.Research limitations/implicationsResearch was limited to the UK construction industry and represents the assessment and evaluation of construction clients and first‐tier supply chain members working within construction framework agreements. The perspectives of construction SMEs were out with the data set.Practical implicationsUnderdeveloped organizational learning practices within supply chains present a significant barrier to the development and diffusion of supply chain management theory and practice in construction. In practical terms, the attainment of competitive advantage and the development of competing supply chain in construction would be extremely limited.Originality/valueConnecting organizational learning to the development and diffusion of supply chain management has been largely overlooked within the construction management literature. The research makes two notable contributions. First, the adaptation of a pragmatic and holistic organizational learning framework for the appraisal of learning strategies and second an evaluation of organizational learning in construction supply chains.
Using SMS quiz in teaching and learning
Authors: Abu Ziden Azidah , Faizal Abdul Rahman Muhammad 
Published: December 2012

PurposeThis paper discusses the development of a system using SMS (short messaging system) to facilitate learning and also as a new method in the evaluation of teaching and learning.Design/methodology/approachThe design of a system that uses SMS for the quiz is proposed as an alternative for formative assessment of teaching and learning for courses at institutions of higher learning in Malaysia. The fundamental idea of the SMS assessment system is based on the SMS function which is the basic feature of the normal mobile phone to receive and send text messages at anytime and anywhere. This will allow the formative assessment to be done in a course with a more flexible approach.FindingsIt is found that the quiz through SMS has the potential to be used in the teaching and learning environment. However there are some constraints and issues in the operation of this system that needs to be addressed before the system can be utilized optimally. These constraints and issues involve the system stability, the users/students and other general issues.Originality/valueThis article offers a new alternative for lecturers, teachers and students in the implementation of formative assessment quizzes via SMS.
Unique features of the motility and structures in the flagellate polar region of Campylobacter jejuni and other species: an electron microscopic study
Authors: Yamamoto Tatsuo , Takano Tomomi , Higuchi Wataru , Hung Wei‐Chun , Reva Ivan , Yabe Shizuka , Iwao Yasuhisa , Khokhlova Olga 
Published: December 2012

AbstractSimilarly to Helicobacter pylori but unlike Vibrio cholerae O1/O139, Campylobacter jejuni is non‐motile at 20°C but highly motile at ≥37°C. The bacterium C. jejuni has one of the highest swimming speeds reported (>100 μm/s), especially at 42°C. Straight and spiral bacterial shapes share the same motility. C. jejuni has a unique structure in the flagellate polar region, which is characterized by a cup‐like structure (beneath the inner membrane), a funnel shape (opening onto the polar surface) and less dense space (cytoplasm). Other Campylobacter species (coli, fetus, and lari) have similar motility and flagellate polar structures, albeit with slight differences. This is especially true for Campylobacter fetus, which has a flagellum only at one pole and a cup‐like structure composed of two membranes.
A field usable qualitative anti‐protective antigen enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for serodiagnosis of human anthrax
Authors: Ghosh Neha , Tomar Indu , Goel Ajay Kumar 
Published: December 2012

AbstractAlthough all mammals, including humans, are vulnerable when they come into direct contact with infected animals, anthrax is primarily a disease of herbivorous animals. In countries like India, cutaneous anthrax is a public health problem in several regions. Hence, a simple and efficacious serodiagnostic assay for large scale surveillance of endemic populations is required. In the present study, a field‐usable, qualitative ELISA was developed for serodiagnosis of human anthrax. Results are assessed on a visual basis and no sophisticated instruments are required. Anti‐protective antigen (PA) IgG was determined by visual examination of ELISA results of 225 human serum samples (160 from healthy humans, 5 from PA vaccinated individuals and 60 from confirmed anthrax cases). Comparison of the ELISA results with the results obtained from optical density values showed compatible sensitivity and specificity. Assay sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were found to be 100%. The developed assay could be a very useful tool for serological diagnosis of anthrax infection in humans.