bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Are European Election Campaigns Europeanized? The Case of the Party of European Socialists in 2009
Authors: Hertner Isabelle 
Published: June 2011

AbstractIn the past, European election campaigns have been fought primarily at national level, organized and led by national parties. The European political parties had neither the financial nor the organizational means to lead pan-European election campaigns. The June 2009 elections, however, highlighted a different and potentially significant trend: new EU regulations provided for the direct financing of European political parties, allowing them to campaign directly in the elections. It is argued that these developments could lead to the Europeanization of European elections campaigns. This article applies the concept of Europeanization to the election campaigns of the Party of European Socialists and three of its member parties: the British Labour Party, the French Socialist Party and the German Social Democrats, creating an ideal-type model of Europeanization. It concludes that in the three cases Europeanization is still in its infancy.
Determination of Disk Diffusion and MIC Quality Control Guidelines for JNJ-Q2, a Novel Quinolone
Authors: Ross James E. , Liverman Lisa C. , Jones Ronald N. 
Published: June 2011

ABSTRACT

JNJ-Q2 is a novel fluorinated 4-quinolone in development for treatment of acute bacterial skin and skin structure infection and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia. This quality control (QC) study was performed to establish ranges for control strains:
Staphylococcus aureus
ATCC 29213 (0.004 to 0.015 μg/ml),
Enterococcus faecalis
ATCC 29212 (0.015 to 0.06 μg/ml),
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
ATCC 27853 (0.5 to 2 μg/ml and 17 to 23 mm),
Escherichia coli
ATCC 25922 (0.008 to 0.03 μg/ml and 30 to 36 mm),
Haemophilus influenzae
ATCC 49247 (0.002 to 0.015 μg/ml and 31 to 39 mm),
Streptococcus pneumoniae
ATCC 49619 (0.004 to 0.015 μg/ml and 28 to 35 mm), and
S. aureus
ATCC 25923 (32 to 38 mm). These ranges will be crucial in evaluating JNJ-Q2 potency as it progresses through clinical trial development.
Circulating Cell-Free DNA in Plasma of Never Smokers with Advanced Lung Adenocarcinoma Receiving Gefitinib or Standard Chemotherapy as First-Line Therapy
Authors: Lee Young Joo , Yoon Kyong-Ah , Han Ji-Youn , Kim Heung Tae , Yun Tak , Lee Geon Kook , Kim Hyae Young , Lee Jin Soo 
Published: June 2011

Abstract
Purpose: Circulating cell-free DNA (CFDNA) was investigated as potential screening or prognostic markers in a variety of cancers. This study investigated its clinical significance in a homogeneous group of lung cancer patients.
Experimental Design: We analyzed the blood samples of 134 never smokers with advanced lung adenocarcinoma, who were enrolled in a prospective randomized phase III study (First-SIGNAL) comparing gefitinib with gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) as first-line therapy. The amount of plasma CFDNA was measured by real-time quantitative PCR targeting the human ACTB genomic sequence. The patients were divided into three groups according to the tertiles of baseline plasma CFDNA.
Results: Baseline plasma CFDNA did not correlate with primary tumor size (P = 0.961), whereas the number of metastatic sites correlated significantly with baseline plasma CFDNA (P = 0.015). In the GP arm, the low-CFDNA group showed a lower response rate than the middle- or high-CFDNA group (26.1%, 57.9%, and 60.9%, respectively; P = 0.035). However, in the gefitinib arm, there was no difference in response rate between the three CFDNA groups (57.1%, 47.4%, and 51.9%; respectively; P = 0.825). The high tertile CFDNA group showed a significantly shorter survival than the low tertile CFDNA group (median overall survival, 16.0 vs. 28.6 months, respectively; P = 0.030). The risk of death increased with increased baseline plasma CFDNA (HR = 1.23, 95% CI, 1.01–1.50; P = 0.045).
Conclusion: High plasma CFDNA is associated with aggressive tumor behavior and poor survival outcomes in these patients. Clin Cancer Res; 17(15); 5179–87. ©2011 AACR.
NeurphologyJ: An automatic neuronal morphology quantification method and its application in pharmacological discovery
Authors: Ho Shinn-Ying , Chao Chih-Yuan , Huang Hui-Ling , Chiu Tzai-Wen , Charoenkwan Phasit , Hwang Eric 
Published: June 2011

Abstract

Background
Automatic quantification of neuronal morphology from images of fluorescence microscopy plays an increasingly important role in high-content screenings. However, there exist very few freeware tools and methods which provide automatic neuronal morphology quantification for pharmacological discovery.

Results
This study proposes an effective quantification method, called NeurphologyJ, capable of automatically quantifying neuronal morphologies such as soma number and size, neurite length, and neurite branching complexity (which is highly related to the numbers of attachment points and ending points). NeurphologyJ is implemented as a plugin to ImageJ, an open-source Java-based image processing and analysis platform. The high performance of NeurphologyJ arises mainly from an elegant image enhancement method. Consequently, some morphology operations of image processing can be efficiently applied. We evaluated NeurphologyJ by comparing it with both the computer-aided manual tracing method NeuronJ and an existing ImageJ-based plugin method NeuriteTracer. Our results reveal that NeurphologyJ is comparable to NeuronJ, that the coefficient correlation between the estimated neurite lengths is as high as 0.992. NeurphologyJ can accurately measure neurite length, soma number, neurite attachment points, and neurite ending points from a single image. Furthermore, the quantification result of nocodazole perturbation is consistent with its known inhibitory effect on neurite outgrowth. We were also able to calculate the IC50 of nocodazole using NeurphologyJ. This reveals that NeurphologyJ is effective enough to be utilized in applications of pharmacological discoveries.

Conclusions
This study proposes an automatic and fast neuronal quantification method NeurphologyJ. The ImageJ plugin with supports of batch processing is easily customized for dealing with high-content screening applications. The source codes of NeurphologyJ (interactive and high-throughput versions) and the images used for testing are freely available (see Availability).
Bioaccumulation of polonium (210Po) and uranium (234U, 238U) in plants around phosphogypsum waste heap in Wiślinka (northern Poland)
Authors: Borylo A. , Skwarzec Bogdan 
Published: June 2011

Abstract
In the study the activities of polonium 210Po and uranium 234U, 238U in plants, collected near phosphogypsum waste heap in Wiślinka (northern Poland), were determined by using the alpha spectrometry. The obtained results revealed that the concentrations of 210Po, 234U, and 238U in the analyzed plants were differentiated. In the analyzed flora organisms the highest amounts of polonium and uranium were found in ruderal plant samples as well as willow samples (Salix viminalis) from protection zone of phosphogypsum waste heap. The concentrations of 210Po, 234U and 238U in the analyzed plants were higher in roots than in green parts of plants. The higher concentrations of 210Po and 238U radionuclides were estimated for hydrophyte (common sedge Carex nigra Reichard), the favourite habitat of which is particularly wet meadow and for plants co llected in the vicinity of phosphogypsum waste heap. The major source of polonium and uranium in analyzed plants is root system. The values of 234U/ 238U activity ratio in all analyzed plants are closed to one, what indicated that source of uranium in analyzed plants is phoosphogypsum. The highest uranium and polonium concentrations were characterized for plants, which are covered with tomentose.
The comparability polonium and uranium contents were confirmed in edible plants, but higher accumulation was determined in ripe species than immature species of vegetables. The higher polonium and uranium concentrations were noticed in green parts of plant, the lower in roots. Polonium concentration in cultivated plants samples was not species diverse. Therefore, the significant source of polonium and uranium in analyzed plants is wet and dry atmospheric falls gathering the soil and air dust from phosphogypsum waste dump.
The maximum 210Po and 238U radionuclides concentrations were found in green parts of red beet (Beta vulgaris esculenta), the minimum in garden radish (Raphanus radicula). That's interesting too, that both species have hypocotyls tubers, but tuber of red beet is large than garden radish. In our opinion these differences may be connected with turgidity because leaves and root of radish garden were withered.
Reconfigurable Control for a Scara Robot Using RBF Networks
Authors: Khireddine Mohamed , Boutarfa Abdelhalim 
Published: June 2011

Reconfigurable Control for a Scara Robot Using RBF NetworksFaults in an industrial process could be timely detected and diagnosed in many cases. It is possible to subsequently reconfigure the control system so that it can safely continue its operation (possibly with degraded performance) until the time comes when it can be switched off for maintenance. In order to minimize the chances for drastic events such as a complete failure, safety-critical systems must possess the properties of increased reliability and safety. Faults in robotic systems are inevitable. They have diverse characteristics, magnitudes and origins, from the familiar viscous friction to Coulomb/Sticktion friction, and from structural vibrations. This paper presents an on-line environmental fault detection, isolation and an accommodation scheme.
Suboptimal Rake Finger Allocation: Performance and Complexity Tradeoffs
Authors: Baltzis Konstantinos , Sahalos John 
Published: June 2011

Suboptimal Rake Finger Allocation: Performance and Complexity TradeoffsOptimal finger placement improves significantly the performance of RAKE receivers. However, due to its high complexity, it is rarely applied in mobile systems with large channel spread. In this paper, we evaluate the merits of suboptimal finger allocation in terms of performance and complexity. A subset of the RAKE fingers is optimally positioned based on the received signal correlation properties while the rest of them are uniformly distributed within the channel spread. The tradeoffs between performance and complexity of the method are discussed. Results show that optimizing half finger positions lead to similar performance with the full optimization scheme. Finally, comparisons with conventional and optimal receivers exhibit the advantages of the method.
Detection and Classification of Power Quality Disturbancewaveform Using MRA Based Modified Wavelet Transfrom and Neural Networks
Authors: Chandrasekar Perumal , Kamaraj Vijayarajan 
Published: June 2011

Detection and Classification of Power Quality Disturbancewaveform Using MRA Based Modified Wavelet Transfrom and Neural Networks
In this paper, the modified wavelet based artificial neural network (ANN) is implemented and tested for power signal disturbances. The power signal is decomposed by using modified wavelet transform and the classification is carried by using ANN. Discrete modified wavelet transforms based signal decomposition technique is integrated with the back propagation artificial neural network model is proposed. Varieties of power quality events including voltage sag, swell, momentary interruption, harmonics, transient oscillation and voltage fluctuation are used to test the performance of the proposed approach. The simulation is carried out by using MATLAB software. The simulation results show that the proposed scheme offers superior detection and classification compared to the conventional approaches.
Thin-Film Silicon PV Technology
Authors: Zeman Miroslav 
Published: June 2011

Thin-Film Silicon PV TechnologyThin-film silicon solar cell technology is one of the promising photovoltaic technologies for delivering low-cost solar electricity. Today the thin-film silicon PV market (402MWpproduced in 2008) is dominated by amorphous silicon based modules; however it is expected that the tandem amorphous/microcrystalline silicon modules will take over in near future. Solar cell structures based on thin-film silicon for obtaining high efficiency are presented. In order to increase the absorption in thin absorber layers novel approaches for photon management are developed. Module production and application areas are described.
Properties of FeCo Nanopowder Prepared by Chemical Synthesis
Authors: Zábranský Karel , Schneeweiss Oldřich 
Published: June 2011

Properties of FeCo Nanopowder Prepared by Chemical Synthesis
Chemical synthesis of binary Fe-Co oxalate was used for preparation of Fe-Co nanoparticles. X-ray difftaction spectra recorded during temperature treatment in reduction atmosphere show two main stages of transformation: amorphization of the oxalate mixture and formation of Fe-Co nanoparticles. After X-ray diffraction high temperature treatment the nanoparticles with 50 nm mean crystallite were found. Comparison of magnetic properties during and after different type of temperature treatment shows that coercivity and saturation magnetic polarization are sensitive in dependence on sample condition, length of treatment and temperature. Analysis of Mössbauer spectra reveal several components which were ascribed different phases during temperature treatments.
Vectorial Command of Induction Motor Pumping System Supplied by a Photovoltaic Generator
Authors: Makhlouf Messaoud , Messai Feyrouz , Benalla Hocine 
Published: June 2011

Vectorial Command of Induction Motor Pumping System Supplied by a Photovoltaic GeneratorWith the continuous decrease of the cost of solar cells, there is an increasing interest and needs in photovoltaic (PV) system applications following standard of living improvements. Water pumping system powered by solar-cell generators are one of the most important applications. The fluctuation of solar energy on one hand, and the necessity to optimise available solar energy on the other, it is useful to develop new efficient and flexible modes to control motors that entrain the pump. A vectorial control of an asynchronous motor fed by a photovoltaic system is proposed. This paper investigates a photovoltaic-electro mechanic chain, composed of a PV generator, DC-AC converter, a vector controlled induction motor and centrifugal pump. The PV generator is forced to operate at its maximum power point by using an appropriate search algorithm integrated in the vector control. The optimization is realized without need to adding a DC-DC converter to the chain. The motor supply is also ensured in all insolation conditions. Simulation results show the effectiveness and feasibility of such an approach.
Applications of mathematical methods in the supervision of the technical safety of water constructions
Authors: Hakáč J. , Bednárová E. 
Published: June 2011

Applications of mathematical methods in the supervision of the technical safety of water constructionsIn this paper, we present the use of time series (stochastic models) in order to predict water seepage in the wells of water constructions. The aim of this paper is to assess the agreement between the predicted and measured levels of the water seepage in the wells of the Liptovska Mara water construction. We assume that the predicted values will match the values that were measured. The ability to predict the level of the water in observation wells and the total filtration stability of water constructions by using real measures in a time series is a desirable step in ensuring adequate safety with the possibility of remedying potential defects at an early stage.
Precise Design of Artificial Cofactors for Enhancing Peroxidase Activity of Myoglobin: Myoglobin Mutant H64D Reconstituted with a “Single‐Winged Cofactor” Is Equivalent to Native Horseradish Peroxidase in Oxidation Activity
Authors: Matsuo Takashi , Fukumoto Kazuki , Watanabe Takuro , Hayashi Takashi 
Published: June 2011

AbstractH64D myoglobin mutant was reconstituted with two different types of synthetic hemes that have aromatic rings and a carboxylate‐based cluster attached to the terminus of one or both of the heme‐propionate moieties, thereby forming a “single‐winged cofactor” and “double‐winged cofactor,” respectively. The reconstituted mutant myoglobins have smaller Km values with respect to 2‐methoxyphenol oxidation activity relative to the parent mutant with native heme. This suggests that the attached moiety functions as a substrate‐binding domain. However, the kcat value of the mutant myoglobin with the double‐winged cofactor is much lower than that of the mutant with the native heme. In contrast, the mutant reconstituted with the single‐winged cofactor has a larger kcat value, thereby resulting in overall catalytic activity that is essentially equivalent to that of the native horseradish peroxidase. Enhanced peroxygenase activity was also observed for the mutant myoglobin with the single‐winged cofactor, thus indicating that introduction of an artificial substrate‐binding domain at only one of the heme propionates in the H64D mutant is the optimal engineering strategy for improving the peroxidase activity of myoglobin.
Is Door‐to‐Balloon Time the Best Metric to Assess Successful Treatment of STEMI?
Authors: Conti C. Richard 
Published: June 2011

Abstract In 2011, all cardiologists believe that rapid opening of the infarct‐related artery is critical to enhanced survival. The preferred way to open an occluded vessel is percutaneous intervention (PCI), but thrombolytic therapy remains a viable option in hospitals when PCI capability is not immediately available. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.The author has no funding, financial relationships, or conflicts of interest to disclose.
The Excited‐State Decay of 1‐Methyl‐2(1H)‐pyrimidinone is an Activated Process
Authors: Ryseck Gerald , Schmierer Thomas , Haiser Karin , Schreier Wolfgang , Zinth Wolfgang , Gilch Peter 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe photophysics of 1‐methyl‐2(1H)‐pyrimidinone (1MP) dissolved in water is investigated by steady‐state and time‐resolved fluorescence, UV/Vis absorption, and IR spectroscopy. In the experiments, excitation light is tuned to the lowest‐energy absorption band of 1MP peaking at 302 nm. At room temperature (291 K) its fluorescence lifetime amounts to 450 ps. With increasing temperature this lifetime decreases and equals 160 ps at 338 K. Internal conversion (IC) repopulating the ground state and intersystem crossing (ISC) to a triplet state are the dominant decay channels of the excited singlet state. At room temperature both channels contribute equally to the decay, that is, the quantum yields of IC and ISC are both approximately 0.5. The temperature dependence of UV/Vis transient absorption signals shows that the activation energy of the IC process (2140 cm−1) is higher than that of the ISC process (640 cm−1).
Luminescence of Polyethylene Glycol Coated CdSeTe/ZnS and InP/ZnS Nanoparticles in the Presence of Copper Cations
Authors: Beaune Grégory , Tamang Sudarsan , Bernardin Aude , Bayle‐Guillemaud Pascale , Fenel Daphna , Schoehn Guy , Vinet Françoise , Reiss Peter , Texier Isabelle 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe use of click chemistry for quantum dot (QD) functionalization could be very promising for the development of bioconjugates dedicated to in vivo applications. Alkyne–azide ligation usually requires copper(I) catalysis. The luminescence response of CdSeTe/ZnS nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol (PEG) is studied in the presence of copper cations, and compared to that of InP/ZnS QDs coated with mercaptoundecanoic acid (MUA). The quenching mechanisms appear different. Luminescence quenching occurs without any wavelength shift in the absorption and emission spectra for the CdSeTe/ZnS/PEG nanocrystals. In this case, the presence of copper in the ZnS shell is evidenced by energy‐filtered transmission electron microscopy (EF‐TEM). By contrast, in the case of InP/ZnS/MUA nanocrystals, a redshift of the excitation and emission spectra, accompanied by an increase in absorbance and a decrease in photoluminescence, is observed. For CdSeTe/ZnS/PEG nanocrystals, PL quenching is enhanced for QDs with 1) smaller inorganic‐core diameter, 2) thinner PEG shell, and 3) hydroxyl terminal groups. Whereas copper‐induced PL quenching can be interesting for the design of sensitive cation sensors, copper‐free click reactions should be used for the efficient functionalization of nanocrystals dedicated to bioapplications, in order to achieve highly luminescent QD bioconjugates.
Reframing validity in research and evaluation: A multidimensional, systematic model of valid inference
Authors: Julnes George 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe importance of promoting valid conclusions from causal inquiry has animated efforts to be more systematic in our conceptions of validity. This chapter elaborates on the systematization of Shadish, Cook, and Campbell (2002) to offer a multidimensional framework of validity that is more comprehensive, more applicable to qualitative inquiry, and more flexible in guiding the progression of our understanding in specific contexts. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
The construct(ion) of validity as argument
Authors: Greene Jennifer C. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe author presents an interpretive/constructivist perspective on outcome evaluation and on the warrants for our outcome‐evaluation conclusions. The perspective underscores the importance of developing warrants through argumentation, in addition to selected empirical evidence. Congruencies with Don Campbell's visions of validity are noted. © Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.
Terahertz sensing and imaging based on nanostructured semiconductors and carbon materials
Authors: Kawano Y. 
Published: June 2011

AbstractThe advantageous properties of terahertz (THz) waves, such as permeability through objects that are opaque for visible light and the energy spectrum in the microelectron‐volt range that are important in materials research, allow their potential use in various applications of sensing and imaging. However, since the THz region is located between the electronic and photonic bands, even the basic components such as detectors and sources have not been fully developed, unlike in other frequency regions. THz technology also has the problem of low imaging resolution, which results from a considerably longer wavelength than that of the visible light. However, the utilization of nanostructured electronic devices has recently opened up new horizons for THz sensing and imaging. This paper provides an overview of the THz detector and imaging techniques and tracks their recent progress. Specifically, two cutting‐edge techniques, namely, frequency‐selective THz‐photon detection and integrated near‐field THz imaging, are discussed in detail. Finally, the studies of superconductors and semiconductors with high‐resolution THz imaging are described.