bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Precautionary Approach to Fisheries Management: An Environmental Perspective
Authors: Hewison Grant J.
Published: April 2008

Despite the precautionary approach being only recently applied to the management of international fisheries, it has raised considerable controversy. There are concerns over the precise legal meaning of the precautionary approach. There are also worries that strict application of the approach will be used to shut down some international fisheries. Moreover, there is continuing debate about how precaution should be applied to the management of fisheries where there has always been, and probably always will be, sparse scientific knowledge. Much of the demand for a precautionary approach to international fisheries management has come from environmentalists, but there has been little analysis of their views. This article seeks to explore the precautionary approach to fisheries management from an environmental perspective. The first part of the article discusses the status of the precautionary approach at international law and, in particular, addresses the question whether the approach has become founded in customary international law. The second part of the article provides an environmental perspective of the precautionary approach and its application to international fisheries. This part covers issues such as the demand by environmentalists for science-based management procedures, the setting of stock levels, anticipatory reference points, ecological safeguards and participation in decision-making.
Antarctic EEZ Baselines: An Alternative Formula
Authors: Green Julia
Published: April 2008

The Antarctic has a unique political and physical architecture which is going to be difficult to reconcile with the guidelines and obligations contained within the LOS Convention. This is particularly so in relation to the LOS Convention's rules regarding the delimitation of a baseline from which both the EEZ and continental shelf are measured because of the presence of ice obscuring the true coastline. Of the seven states claiming sovereignty over Antarctic territory, Australia is one which has formally declared an EEZ off its Australian Antarctic Territory. However it has done so without first deciding where its coastal baseline will be positioned. Notwithstanding the possible political ramifications of Australia's preemptive declaration, there are choices available for baseline positioning which are not necessarily contained within the LOS Convention but, if treated in the usual consensual manner of Antarctic Treaty Party negotiations and the general rules of international law, represent a possible solution to this dilemma.
Patients' Complaint Procedures, in a Scandinavian Perspective
Authors: Segest Erling
Published: April 2008

A description of the problems regarding patients alleged physicians mis-conduct is given, focusing on conditions in Denmark, and to some extent on the other Scandinavian countries. The survey interprets the disciplinary, as well as the compensation, complaint procedures. The Parliamentary Ombudsman and patients ombudsmen functions are included also. The functions of these bodies are elucidated by a number of cases, together with selected statistical figures. It is concluded, regarding that both patients and doctors had voiced some dissatisfaction with the complaint procedures that there is a need to simplify the complaint system, to make it more transparent, and to some extent secure patients rights. If this it not done it will increase the legitimacy loss for the health sector as a whole.
Accounting for genocide after 1945: Theories and some findings
Authors: Fein Helen
Published: April 2008

Genocide has been related in social theory to both social and political structure: i.e., plural society (ethnoclass exclusion and discrimination) and types of polities - revolutionary, totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. War has also been noted as an instigator or frequent context of genocide. This paper reviews theoretical expectations and examines the empirical relation between genocides (and other state massacres) and indices of ethnic discrimination, polity form, and war among states in Asia, Africa and the Mid-East from 1948 to 1988. Findings show that (1) most users of genocide are repeat offenders. (2) There is a high likelihood of political exclusion and discrimination of ethnoclasses producing rebellions which instigate genocides and other state-sponsored massacres. (3) As expected, unfree, authoritarian, and one-party communist states (in ascending order) are most likely to use genocide. Democratic states in this era are not perpetrators against their citizens but have been patrons and accomplices of genocidal regimes elsewhere. One-party communist states are 4.5 times more likely to have used genocide than are authoritarian states. (4) States involved in wars are many more times as likely to have employed genocide than other states. Exploring these cases, we find that genocides both lead to war and war leads to genocide through several processes. (5) The use of genocide in conflicts within the state in the regions surveyed tripled between 1968-88 compared to the preceding score of years (10:3 cases). Genocide and genocidal massacres occur so often that they may be considered normal in these regions. Both the theoretical and the policy implications of these findings are discussed. Observing on the latter, we note that journalists and scholars have often confused recognition of genocide and genocidal massacres by framing these cases as 'ethnic conflicts', by confounding the toll of war and massacre and by conflating concepts. To deter genocide, we should promote nonviolent change in order to eliminate ethnoclass domination and monitor civil wars to detect
The legal nature of commitments related to the question of minorities
Authors: Symonides Janusz
Published: April 2008

Though the list of international standards for the protection of the rights of persons belonging to national minorities seems to be quite comprehensive, one cannot overlook the fact that the most important among normative instruments, the United Nations Declaration and CSCE Copenhagen Document, are not legally binding. From the legal point of view while the principles of equality and non-discrimination of persons belonging to national minorities are formulated by "hard law", i.e. by the whole body of international human rights instruments, positive rights are mainly formulated by "soft law", i.e. recommendations and documents of intergovernmental organizations. Although this is true for both universal ad regional standards, nevertheless in comparison with the universal level, the protection of minority rights has been more advanced in the European region and within the OSCE process. The article proposes a number of ways and means by which the further consolidation of international standards concerning minority rights can be achieved.
Les 'Cas Brief Selon Le Droit Civil'
Authors: Duynstee Marguerite , Feenstra Robert
Published: April 2008

Introduction - 1. La Somme rural de Jean Boutillier et ses manuscrits - 2. Regulae iuris et Casus breves des Décrétales - 3. Les 'Cas brief selon le droit civil' et leur source, les Casus legum des Décrétales - 4. Quelques particularités des Casus legum - 5. Le texte latin des 'Cas brief selon le droit civil' et ses corruptions par rapport aux Casus legum- 6. Le texte français des 'Cas brief selon le droit civil' - 7. Jean Boutillier rédacteur des 'Cas brief selon le droit civil' - Annexes I à V
Michel Scot Et La "Theorica Planetarum Gerardi"
Authors: Federici-Vescovini Graziella
Published: April 2008

The authorship of the Theorica planterum has been controversial. According to a medieval tradition, the work was written by Gerard of Cremona. In the (older) scholarly literature (Nallino, Carmody, et al.), however, the work was attributed to Gerard of Sabbioneta. This note reassesses the evidence put forward in support of the authorship of Gerard of Sabbioneta and argues, on the basis of manuscript evidence, that it is highly likely that the Theorica planetarum was translated by Gerard of Cremona or someone from his circle.
The Logic of Copernicus's Arguments and His Education in Logic At Cracow
Authors: Goddu André
Published: April 2008

The astronomical traditions on which Copernicus drew for his major works have been well researched. Questions about Copernicus's arguments and his education in logic have been less thoroughly treated. The arguments supplied by Copernicus in his major works are shown to rely to a large extent on well-known dialectical topics or inference warrants. Some peculiar features of his arguments, however, point to sources at Cracow that very likely inspired him to construct arguments based on the requirement of real connections between antecedents and consequents as a condition for the validity of hypothetical conditionals.
'The Infinite Variety of Formes and Magnitudes': 16Th- and 17Th-Century English Corpuscular Philosophy and Aristotelian Theories of Matter and Form
Authors: Clucas Stephen
Published: April 2008

In this article, I argue that the interest on the part of Bacon, Hill, and Warner in corpuscularian interpretations of natural phenomena and their similarity to certain views later held by Digby or Boyle offer a strong indication for the existence of an 'independent English atomistic milieu', a view that fits more closely Porter & Teich's recent model of national contexts for early modern science than Kargon's traditional picture of English atomism as a foreign import. In the course of this article, I consider Francis Bacon's anti-Aristotelian polemic in the light of his continued adherence to a conception of material form and his essentially Aristotelian metaphysics, as well as the relationship between his conception of form and his corpuscular theories of matter. This is followed by an examination of Walter Warner's natural philosophical manuscripts. Particular attention is paid to his Averroist distinction between assistant form (which has the role of an active, organizing, kinetic principle) and insistent forms (passive material formation, according to the nature of the substance and its internal combination or mixture of parts) in his treatment of the atoms of vital spirits and of the transmission of light, an idea that has interesting links to the scholastic notion of the sphaera actiuitatis. It is shown how Warner replaced the assistant form/sphere of activity with an energic principle, which he called vis and which took over many of the characteristics of the formative principles it replaced. I then compare Warner's use of vis with Nicholas Hill's, for whom it represented a hypostatic principle, i.e. an instrument of divine agency in the physical world. Such a strong view of divine causation enabled Hill to undertake a more radical critique of Aristotelian form than was available to Warner. My discussion ends with a look at Boyle's critique of the modern Aristotelian doctrine of forms, and his re-interpretation of form in terms of atomic configuration and the modifications of local motion. I end by suggesting that the 'phasing out' of Aristotelian notions of form, and their replacement with ideas of force or local motion opened the way for a similar 'phasing out' of divine causation, by making force a self-sufficient explanatory principle.
Vernacularisation of Medical Writing in English: a Corpus-Based Study of Scholasticism
Authors: Pahta Päivi , Taavitsainen Irma
Published: April 2008

The article proposes a model for linguistic analysis of scientific thought-styles, combining quantitative and qualitative analyses in the variationist frame and focusing on writings of the scholastic period. The first part of the article considers factors that led to the vernacularisation of scientific writings in fifteenth-century England and the sources, underlying traditions, and audiences of these writings. The empirical part focuses on two features typical of scholasticism: references to authorities and the use of prescriptive phrases. The results show statistical differences between varieties of writing. A close semantic analysis reveals a pattern which is related to the underlying layers of traditon and to the sociohistorical background of the texts. The material comes from a computer-readable Corpus of Early English Medical Writing 1375-1750, which the authors are compiling at the University of Helsinki.
'Enkelwees' : 'n Vroeë Boeddhistiese gedig
Authors: Krüger J.S.
Published: April 2008

This article offers an Afrikaans translation of a poem (the Khaggavisanasutta - literally, 'the sutta of the rhinoceros horn') from the Suttanipata, which in all probability contains some of the oldest portions of the Pali canon. Like the other poems in this collection, this one also reflects a stage before the monastic institutionalisation of Buddhism, praising the laying aside cf all violence and the solitary life.
The role of Christian church leaders in the peace process in South Africa
Authors: Pieterse H.J.C. , Nel Malan , Njumbuxa B.A.
Published: April 2008

The objective of this article is to progress descriptively within the first phase of the research process, namely observation towards a problem statement. On the basis of interviews with Dr LouwAlberts and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, literature, a survey on violence by the HSRC, and press reports we describe the role of Christian church leaders in the peace process which culminated in the National Peace Accord. Our research identified a problem which needs further research: there is a discrepancy between the religious understanding of peace by the church leaders and the religious understanding of peace by the people on grassroots level.
Is the emic-etic distinction a useful tool for cross-cultural interpretation of the New Testament?
Authors: Craffert P.F.
Published: April 2008

Nowadays the emic-etic distinction is becoming highly popular in New Testament studies. Whether it is a useful tool for interpreting the New Testament cross-culturally, however, is a question to be answered only after a thorough analysis of emics and etics in the social sciences. A broad overview of the history and significance of the emic-etic distinction in the social sciences is followed by brief remarks on the interpretive turn in the theory of science. Special attention is given to the adequacy of the emic-etic tool in claims of cross-cultural interpretation in which a high premium is placed on avoiding ethnocentric interpretations. Emics and etics as seen from a postinterpretive turn position are discussed in an attempt to redefine them with a view to application in interpretive discourses.
Is the human being a profit and pleasure maximiser?
Authors: Nümberger K.
Published: April 2008

Liberal economics is based on the concept of 'economic man', that is, the human being as a profit and utility maximiser. The pursuit of self-interest at the expense of one's competitors is deemed morally acceptable and socially desirable. These assumptions stand in stark contrast to the anthropology of traditionalist cultures which bind human avarice into communalist fetters. While traditionalism leads to economic stagnation, modernism leads to vast discrepancies in wealth and life chances, marginalisation of the least competitive, squandering of resources and ecological destruction. The mindset of the future must combine freedom with responsibility and gain comprehensive horizons in terms of time and space. A historical-theological survey shows that the inner dynamic of the biblical faith is capable of generating a vision of comprehensive wellbeing, the freedom to act redemptively and the motivation to achieve a more balanced and equitable future.
The changing position and meaning of religion and the church in Western Europe-a sociological analysis
Authors: Dekker Gerard
Published: April 2008

The changes that have taken place in religious and ecclesiastical life in Western Europe are characterised as a process of secularisation. Secularisation encompasses three different processes, namely a decline in the religiosity of people, the restriction of the range of influence of religion and the adaptation of religion to the values of society. By means of these processes on three levels the developments with relation to religious life in its entirety can be described. Since changes in religious life are connected with changes in society and the culture of the society in which that religion functions, a better understanding of what secularisation entails demands that we look at those developments in society which have promoted changes in religion and the church. Developments in society that are discussed include the changed organisation of society and processes of rationalisation, democratisation and subjectivation. Finally, it is shown how these developments resulted in the diminishing significance of religion and the churches in and for society.
Who crucified Jesus?
Authors: Okorie A.M.
Published: April 2008

This article addresses the question Who killed Jesus? by pointing to the role the Sanhedrin played in the trial and crucifixion of Jesus. The history of the Sanhedrin is traced and the areas of jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin are outlined. It is concluded that the Sanhedrin was both a legislative body, responsible for interpreting the Law, and involved in political and judicial affairs, a body that could become involved in capital cases.
Cognitive Dissonance and Early Christianity a Theory and Its Application Reconsidered1
Authors: Taylor Nicholas H.
Published: April 2008

Cognitive dissonance was one of the first social scientific concepts to be applied in New Testament studies. J Gager in Kingdom and community (1975) used cognitive dissonance theory to account for Christian responses to disconfirmation of their eschatological expectations. In a later article (1981) he used the theory to illuminate Paul's conversion. It was with the same intention that Segal (1990) applied this among other theories. Räisänen implicitly draws upon, if not the theory, then the thinking and observations which lie behind it in his study of Paul and the Jewish Law (1986). In my own previous work (1992; 1993; 1996) I have sought to apply cognitive dissonance both to Paul's conversion and to its much later repercussions for his views on matters of Jewish heritage and observance. Opposition to the use of cognitive dissonance theory in New Testament Studies has been led by Malina (1986). Drawing upon the cautions raised by Snow and Machalek (1982), Malina argues that cognitive dissonance theory is inappropriate to the early Christian situation, as the culture accommodated anomalous beliefs and practices without any consciousness of their incompatibility. Malina therefore suggests that, rather than Festinger's notion of cognitive dissonance (1957), Merton's conception of normative ambivalence (1976) should be used to account for discrepancies in the records of early Christianity. A corollary of this would be that dissonant information would not generate any pressure towards resolution in the early Christian context. This article will examine Malina's criticisms of the use of cognitive dissonance theory in Biblical Studies. Particular attention will be given to the question whether cognitive dissonance and normative ambivalence can in reality be deemed to be mutually exclusive alternatives. It will be argued that situations do occur where anomalies do not generate cognitive dissonance, and these are more adequately accounted for in terms of normative ambivalence. However, there remain situations where the stress occasioned by discrepant beliefs, practices, and experiences is evident. These situations are more adequately accounted for by cognitive dissonance. The theory therefore remains a valid tool for New Testament studies.
A Theological Theory of Communicative Actions
Authors: Pieterse Hendrik J.C.
Published: April 2008

South African society is engaged in an intensive process of transformation and change. This transformation is an extremely complex and difficult process in the light of the enormous social and economic problems of the South African population. In this unique context practical theology is practised as an academic theological discipline with a view on the role of religious praxis in the transformation process. The South African approach to practical theology has the following characteristics. It is a critical, contextual theology of a liberational, transformative nature that works with a communicative theory of action based in a critical hermeneutical framework. It takes the concrete practical situation seriously and is therefore empirically oriented.
The Manifestation of Religious Pluralism in Christian Izibongo
Authors: Lombard Daniël B.
Published: April 2008

The article contributes to scholarly inquiry into religious pluralism in South Africa, in particular to how Christian doctrine interacts with the African worldview. Evidence for the intercultural and interreligious discourse is based on an analysis of a eulogy of Christ, created and performed in the traditional style of izibongo, or Zulu praise poetry. The conclusion is drawn that the eulogy is a manifestation of vigorous interreligious dynamics, showing that Christianity and izibongo are both remarkably protean in their potential for creative interaction. Christianity is embraced, but simultaneously transformed by the indigenous genre; praise poetry can assert its traditional style, but itself becomes transmuted by Christian doctrine.
Religious Topoi and South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Authors: Botha Pieter J.J. , Vorster Johannes N.
Published: April 2008

The role of religious language in the activities of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission is analysed in this study. The (Christian) religious rhetoric is a limiting factor with regard to the possibilities and/or contribution of the TRC by fashioning a dichotomising discourse and terminology. It also imposes constraints, visible in the TRC's dealings with concepts such as truth, responsibility and causation. This discourse is, furthermore, an assistant to a formalistic way of arguing about history and humanity, which problematises the plurality and heterogeneity of our society.
A Space-Filling Algorithm to Extrapolate Narrow-Swath Instantaneous TRMM Microwave Rain-Rate Estimates Using Thermal IR Imagery
Authors: Barros Ana P. , Tao Kun
Published: April 2008

A space-filling algorithm (SFA) based on 2D spectral estimation techniques was developed to extrapolate the spatial domain of the narrow-swath near-instantaneous rain-rate estimates from Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation radar (PR) and TRMM Microwave Imager (TMI) using thermal infrared imagery (Meteosat-5) without making use of calibration or statistical fitting. A comparison against rain gauge observations and the original PR 2A25 and TMI 2A12 estimates in the central Himalayas during the monsoon season (June–September) over a 3-yr period of 1999–2001 was conducted to assess the algorithm’s performance. Evaluation over the continental United States was conducted against the NCEP stage IV combined radar and gauge analysis for selected events. Overall, the extrapolated PR and TMI rainfall fields derived using SFA exhibit skill comparable to the original TRMM estimates. The results indicate that probability of detection and threat scores of the reconstructed products are significantly better than the original PR data at high-elevation stations (>2000 m) on mountain ridges, and specifically for rainfall rates exceeding 2–5 mm h−1 and for afternoon convection. For low-elevation stations located in steep narrow valleys, the performance varies from year to year and deteriorates strongly for light rainfall (false alarm rates significantly increase). A preliminary comparison with other satellite products (e.g., 3B42, a TRMM-adjusted merged infrared-based rainfall product) suggests that integrating this algorithm in currently existing operational multisensor algorithms has the potential to improve significantly spatial resolution, texture, and detection of rainfall, especially in mountainous regions, which present some of the greatest challenges in precipitation retrieval from satellites over land, and for hydrological operations during extreme events.
Optimizing delivery of flurbiprofen to the colon using a targeted prodrug approach
Authors: Philip Anil K , Dubey Rajesh K , Pathak Kamla
Published: April 2008

The carboxylic group responsible for the gastric side-effects of the propionic acid derivative, flurbi-profen, was masked temporarily to overcome these side-effects and to accomplish colon-specific delivery of the drug. An amide prodrug (FLU-GLY) was synthesized by coupling flurbiprofen with L-glycine. Confirmation and characterization of the structure of the synthesized prodrug included elemental analysis, Fourier transform (FT)-IR, FT-NMR, mass (FAB) spectroscopy, and determinations of Rf, Rt and RM values, respectively. Aqueous solubility and lipophilicity (log P) value were determined at pH 1.2, 4.0, 6.8 and 7.4. In-vitro reversion of FLU-GLY to flurbiprofen was measured at different pHs and in a simulated colonic environment. Acute toxicity and ulceration potential were evaluated in-vivo in albino rats. Pre-formulation studies showed increased hydrophilicity but a non-significant increase in lipophilicity of the prodrug. In-vitro reversion studies suggested that the prodrug remained intact until colonic pH was attained, when the colonic microfloral enzymes (amidase) hydrolysed the FLU-GLY amide linkage, releasing the free drug. In-vivo evaluation indicated that the prodrug was much less toxic and had less ulcerogenic activity than the parent drug. Selective delivery of drugs to the colon can be useful in terms of reducing the dose administered and reducing undesirable side-effects.
Effects of glycyrrhetinic acid and liquorice extract on cell proliferation and prostate-specific antigen secretion in LNCaP prostate cancer cells
Authors: Hawthorne Susan , Gallagher Sandra
Published: April 2008

Glycyrrhetinic acid (GA) is the active metabolite of glycyrrhizic acid, one of the components of liquorice extract. It has been shown to possess anti-inflammatory activity and to inhibit hepatic tumour growth. In this preliminary study, we have shown that GA could significantly reduce the rate of proliferation of LNCaP androgen dependent prostate cancer cells, whereas it had no effect on proliferation of PC3 and DU145 androgen-independent prostate cancer cells. Additionally, GA could significantly reduce the production of prostate-specific antigen by LNCaP cells maintained in-vitro. This study provides a sound platform for further investigation.
European infrastructure procurement through PPP
Authors: Maslyukivska O. , Sohail M.
Published: April 2008

European countries are introducing changes to their legislation and institutions that enable infrastructure procurement through public–private partnerships (PPPs). The purpose of this paper is to survey the legislation and institutions for infrastructure procurement through PPPs across Europe. Procurement procedures have no defined status in the regulatory framework of the European Union (EU); as a consequence, each member state has developed its own PPP legal and institutional framework. As such the process of procurement varies widely between the member states. The legislative frameworks for PPPs are discussed with reference to central and eastern Europe. This paper finds that effective legal, regulatory and contractual conditions perform successfully when they are based on and supported by the institutional framework of a country. A majority of European countries have realised this necessity and have developed various institutional framework models accordingly. These models are defined according to the degree of centralisation of PPP institutions in a country's overall state structure; the models are: highly centralised (western newly independent states); highly decentralised (France and Portugal); and mixed centralised and decentralised (Ireland, the UK, Italy and the Netherlands). The changing institutional framework in new member states is described with reference to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
Neither a Nitric Oxide Donor Nor Potassium Channel Blockage Inhibit RBC Mechanical Damage Induced by a Roller Pump
Authors: Ulker Pinar , Meiselman Herbert J , Baskurt Oguz K
Published: April 2008

Red blood cells (RBC) are exposed to various levels of shear stresses when they are exposed to artificial flow environments, such as extracorporeal flow circuits and hemodialysis equipment. This mechanical trauma affects RBC and the resulting effect is determined by the magnitude of shear forces and exposure time. It has been previously demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) donors and potassium channel blockers could prevent the sub-hemolytic damage to RBC, when they are exposed to 120 Pa shear stress in a Couette shearing system. This study aimed at testing the effectiveness of NO donor sodium nitroprussid (SNP, 10-4 M) and non-specific potassium channel blocker tetraethylammonium (TEA, 10-7 M) in preventing the mechanical damage to RBC in a simple flow system including a roller pump and a glass capillary of 0.12 cm diameter. RBC suspensions were pumped through the capillary by the roller pump at a flow rate that maintains 200 mmHg hydrostatic pressure at the entrance of the capillary. An aliquot of 10 ml of RBC suspension of 0.4 L/L hematocrit was re-circulated through the capillary for 30 minutes. Plasma hemoglobin concentrations were found to be significantly increased (~7 folds compared to control aliquot which was not pumped through the system) and neither SNP nor TEA prevented this hemolysis. Alternatively, RBC deformability assessed by laser diffraction ektacytometry was not altered after 30 min of pumping and both SNP and TEA had no effect on this parameter. The results of this study indicated that, in contrast with the findings in RBC exposed to a well-defined magnitude of shear stress in a Couette shearing system, the mechanical damage induced by a roller pump could not be prevented by NO donor or potassium channel blocker.
BOOK REVIEW
Authors: Vankat John L.
Published: April 2008

Book reviewed in this issue.

Barbour, M.G., Keeler‐Wolf, T. & Schoenherr, A.A. (eds.) 2007. Terrestrial Vegetation of California. Third Edition. xvii + 712 pp. University of California Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles, CA, USA. ISBN 9780520249554. Price US: USD 75.00; UK: GBP 44.95.
Developmental toxicity assessment of thermoresponsive poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐acrylamide) oligomers in CD‐1 mice
Authors: Ankareddi Induvadana , Bailey Melissa M. , Brazel Christopher S. , Rasco Jane F. , Hood Ronald D.
Published: April 2008

BACKGROUND: Although polymers and hydrogels are used successfully in biomedical applications, including implants and drug delivery devices, smaller molecular weight oligomers, such as those investigated here, have not been extensively studied in vivo. Poly(N‐isopropylacrylamide‐co‐acrylamide), or P(NIPAAm‐co‐AAm), has a unique thermoresponsive behavior and is under investigation as a novel drug delivery system for metastatic cancer treatment. To date, no studies have been published regarding the safety of P(NIPAAm‐co‐AAm) to the conceptus. METHODS: From gestation days (GD) 6–16, pregnant CD‐1 mice were dosed via i.p. injection with aqueous solutions containing 500, 750, or 1,000 mg/kg/d P(NIPAAm‐co‐AAm). Dams were sacrificed on GD 17 and their litters were examined for abnormalities. RESULTS: P(NIPAAm‐co‐AAm) caused no statistically significant difference in maternal weight gain or percent resorbed or dead fetuses compared to control values, but fetal weight was significantly decreased in the two highest dosage groups. CONCLUSIONS: At the highest dosages employed, maternal exposure to P(NIPAAm‐co‐AAm) was associated with decreased fetal weight. However, as the estimated human exposure levels for persons using this system would be some 1,500‐fold lower than the lowest dosage administered in this study, the authors feel that this oligomer was not shown to pose a biologically significant risk at relevant human dosages. Birth Defects Res (Part B), 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nuclear factor I gene expression in the developing forebrain
Authors: Plachez Céline , Lindwall Charlotta , Sunn Nana , Piper Michael , Moldrich Randal X. , Campbell Christine E. , Osinski Jason M. , Gronostajski Richard M. , Richards Linda J.
Published: April 2008

Retrograde tracing of laterally projecting corticospinal neurons (blue) co‐labeled with NFIB (red). J. Comp. Neurol. 508:385–401, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Paternal contributions: New functional insights for spermatozoal RNA
Authors: Lalancette Claudia , Miller David , Li Yan , Krawetz Stephen A.
Published: April 2008

Whereas the presence of RNA in mature ejaculate spermatozoa is now established, its functional significance, if any, is still a matter of debate. This reflects the accepted description that spermatozoa are highly differentiated, specialized cells of minimal cytoplasm and compacted nucleus that are transcriptionally inactive. A significant proportion of the RNA required for the later, haploid stages of terminal spermatogenic differentiation (spermiogenesis) is synthesized prior to transcriptional arrest then stably stored until its translation during spermiogenesis. Spermatozoal RNAs, including messenger RNAs (mRNAs) are therefore considered to be stored remnants. Any role in fertilization and early development has, until recently, seemed unlikely, since the oocyte contains large stores of maternal mRNAs known to be required for early embryonic development prior to zygotic genome activation. Although the spermatozoon can deliver its RNA to the oocyte at fertilization, it has been generally assumed that compared to the oocyte RNA reserve, the spermatozoan payload is too small to be functional in embryo development. However, the debate continues as recent studies suggest that in specific instances sperm RNA is functional. This review presents and discusses the functional significance of spermatozoal RNA in relation to some recent advances in the field. J. Cell. Biochem. 104: 1570–1579, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Potential involvement of the interaction between insulin‐like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)‐6 and LIM mineralization protein (LMP)‐1 in regulating osteoblast differentiation
Authors: Strohbach Cassandra , Kleinman Sabrina , Linkhart Thomas , Amaar Yousef , Chen Shin‐Tai , Mohan Subburaman , Strong Donna
Published: April 2008

Insulin‐like growth factor binding protein (IGFBP)‐6 has been reported to inhibit differentiation of myoblasts and osteoblasts. In the current study, we explored the mechanisms underlying IGFBP‐6 effects on osteoblast differentiation. During MC3T3‐E1 osteoblast differentiation, we found that IGFBP‐6 protein was down‐regulated. Overexpression of IGFBP‐6 in MC3T3‐E1 and human bone cells inhibited nodule formation, osteocalcin mRNA expression and ALP activity. Furthermore, accumulation of IGFBP‐6 in the culture media was not required for any of these effects suggesting that IGFBP‐6 suppressed osteoblast differentiation by an intracellular mechanism. A yeast two‐hybrid screen of an osteosarcoma library was conducted to identify intracellular binding partners to account for IGFBP‐6 inhibitory effects on osteoblast differentiation. LIM mineralizing protein (LMP‐1) was identified as a high affinity IGFBP‐6 binding partner. Physical interaction between IGFBP‐6 and LMP‐1 was confirmed by co‐immunoprecipitation. Fluorescent protein fusion constructs for LMP‐1 and IGFBP‐6 were transiently transfected into osteoblasts to provide evidence of subcellular locations for each protein. Coexpression of LMP‐1‐GFP and IGFBP‐6‐RFP resulted in overlapping subcellular localization of LMP‐1 and IGFBP‐6. To determine if there was a functional association of IGFBP‐6 and LMP‐1 as well as a physical association, we studied the effect of IGFBP‐6, LMP‐1 and their combination on type I procollagen promoter activity. LMP‐1 increased promoter activity while IGFBP‐6 reduced promoter activity, and coexpression of LMP‐1 with IGFBP‐6 abrogated IGFBP‐6 suppression. These studies provide evidence that overexpression of IGFBP‐6 suppresses human and murine osteoblast differentiation, that IGFBP‐6 and LMP‐1 physically interact, and supports the conclusion that this interaction may be functionally relevant. J. Cell. Biochem. 104: 1890–1905, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The localization of PMCA1b in epithelial cells and aposomes of the rat coagulating gland is influenced by androgens
Authors: Post Heidi , Gutberlet Judith , Wiche Regina , Aumüller Gerhard , Wilhelm Beate
Published: April 2008

BACKGROUND

Rat coagulating gland epithelial cells export proteins by an apocrine secretion mode within membrane blebs arising from the apical plasma membrane. Using a pan‐PMCA antibody, we have recently shown the plasma membrane Ca2+‐ATPase (PMCA) being part of the apical plasma membrane of epithelial cells and incorporated into the aposomal membrane. The mRNA of PMCA isoforms 1 and 4 respectively, have been detected by RT‐PCR in rat coagulating gland.

METHODS

In order to identify which PMCA isoform is integrated into aposomes during apocrine secretion and whether or not PMCA export is influenced by androgens RT‐PCR, in situ hybridization, Western blotting, and immunofluorescence experiments were performed.

RESULTS

PMCA1b is the isoform which is expressed and located in the apical plasma membrane of coagulating gland epithelial cells and is integrated into the aposomal membrane. In contrast, PMCA4 mRNA and protein are restricted to the stroma. Androgen deprivation by castration within 14 days leads to an accumulation of PMCA1b in coagulating gland epithelium, while aposomes are not detected anymore.

CONCLUSIONS

We showed for the first time that PMCA isoform 1b is released via aposomes of the epithelial cells of the rat coagulating gland and that the localization of PMCA1b in the epithelial cells is influenced by androgens. Prostate 68:1076–1085, 2008. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Joint processing of topology control and channel assignment in wireless ad hoc networks
Authors: Li Wei , Fan Pingyi , Letaief K. B.
Published: April 2008

Network topology construction and its channel assignment for each node in the constructed network topology are two main problems in the initialization of topology building. Topology control is an effective way to solve the problem of topology building. To investigate the joint effect of topology control and channel assignment, we propose a joint processing scheme composed of a k‐Neighbor topology control algorithm and a greedy channel assignment (GCA) algorithm in this paper. Based on this joint processing scheme, the relationships between the energy consumption, the total required channel number and the network connectivity are discussed. We also discuss the impact of some parameters on the performance of networks in terms of the path loss factor, node density, maximum node degree, etc. Our main contributions in this paper is that we find that topology control has a good effect on improving the performance of channel assignment, and the proposed joint processing scheme can reduce the required channel number effectively, compared with its theoretical upper bound. In particular, if the node degree in a network is not more than k, various simulations indicate that the required channel number is not more than 2k + 1. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A new insight into Bluetooth piconets coexistence
Authors: Géron Emmanuel , Villain Alban
Published: April 2008

This paper discusses Bluetooth piconets coexistence. We use an approach which is totally different from those used traditionally with Bluetooth (probabilistic collision models). We show how it is possible to obtain an interference‐free Bluetooth environment in some conditions, for certain kinds of Bluetooth devices, using the properties of the Bluetooth frequency hopping system. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Towards unified radio power management for wireless sensor networks
Authors: Xing Guoliang , Sha Mo , Hackmann Greg , Klues Kevin , Chipara Octav , Lu Chenyang
Published: April 2008

Many wireless sensor networks must sustain long lifetimes on limited energy resources. Two major approaches, transmission power control and sleep scheduling, have been proposed to reduce the radio power consumption in the transmission state and the idle state, respectively. In this paper, we first review existing transmission power control and sleep scheduling approaches and then describe a Unified Radio Power Management framework for the design and implementation of holistic radio power management solutions in wireless sensor networks. It has two key components: (1) a novel optimization approach called Minimum Power Configuration that minimizes the aggregate radio power consumption of all ratio states and (2) a Unified Power Management Architecture (UPMA) that aims to support the flexible cross‐layer integration of different power management strategies. A novel feature of UPMA is that it enables cross‐layer coordination and joint optimization of different power management strategies that exist at multiple network layers. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimating the economic benefits of wind energy projects using Monte Carlo simulation with economic input/output analysis
Authors: Williams Susan K. , Acker Tom , Goldberg Marshall , Greve Megan
Published: April 2008

A process was developed to evaluate the economic benefits from constructing and operating a wind energy project. The process uses an economic input/output analysis in conjunction with Monte Carlo simulation. Process results estimate the number of jobs and amount of spending that will occur in the analysis region because of the construction and operation of a wind energy project. Results from the proposed process may be used to garner community and governmental support for projects. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory jobs, Economic Development and Impacts (JEDI) model, developed specifically for wind energy projects, is used. As there is uncertainty in some of the required input parameters, the Monte Carlo simulation allows the input parameters to be entered as a range. The results of the JEDI model with the Monte Carlo simulation analysis produce a distribution for jobs, salaries and wages, and economic output during construction and operations. The results of the Monte Carlo simulation also provide a sensitivity analysis for each of the JEDI outputs. Two northern Arizona counties, Coconino County and Navajo County, were analysed to demonstrate the process. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Addendum: An analogue of Artin reciprocity for closed orbits of skew products
Authors: POLLICOTT MARK , SHARP RICHARD
Published: April 2008

One of the unfulfilled aims of the authors of the preceding paper [W. Parry and M. Pollicott. An analogue of Bauer’s theorem for closed orbits of skew products. Ergod. Th. & Dynam. Sys.28 (2008), 535–546] was to find a dynamical analogue of Artin reciprocity. In this addendum, we present one such version, suggested by work of Sunada.
Particle drift in self-similar billiards
Authors: CHERNOV N. , DOLGOPYAT D.
Published: April 2008

We study a particle moving at unit speed in a channel made by connected self-similar billiard tables that grow in size by a factorr>1 from left to right (this model was recently introduced in the physics literature by Barra, Gilbert and Romo). Letq(T) denote the position of the particle at timeT. Our main result is the existence of an asymptotic distribution ofq(T)/Tas$T\to \infty $and {lnT/lnr}→ρfor some 0≤ρ<1.
Self-configuring components approach to product variant development
Authors: GERMANI MICHELE , MANDORLI FERRUCCIO
Published: April 2008

The use of modularity in the design of a new product or the adoption of a product platform, as the base to define new solutions within a product family, offers the company a chance to meet diverse customer needs at low cost because of economies of scale in all phases of the product's life cycle. At present, the concept of modularity in product design is becoming widely used in many industries such as automobiles and consumer electronics. However, if modularity and mass customization have attracted the interest of industries and researchers, the greatest efforts have been focused on the theoretical aspect whereas the related design support technologies have been only partially implemented. In this context, our intent is to develop highly reusable models, which are able to reconfigure themselves on the basis of new functional requirements. The proposed approach is based on the definition of what we callself-configuring componentsandmultiple-level functions. To describe the approach, a practical example related to the design of modules for woodworking machines is reported.
Displacement and the Post-war Reconstruction of Education: Displaced Persons at the UNRRA University of Munich, 1945–1948
Authors: HOLIAN ANNA
Published: April 2008

In the first years after the Second World War, Munich was home to a unique institution, the UNRRA University. Created by and for Europe's displaced persons, the university was defined as a new kind of educational institution, dedicated to the cause of reviving humanism and promoting internationalism. By virtue of their experiences of occupation, persecution and dislocation, the university argued, displaced persons were uniquely qualified to spearhead the post-war reconstruction of education and culture. This article traces the social and intellectual history of the UNRRA University. It examines the university's ideas on nationalism and internationalism, the reconstruction of higher education and the role of the intellectual in the post-war world. It argues that while much of the literature on displaced persons has focused on national communities, wartime and post-war displacement also gave rise to new transnational solidarities and imaginaries among the displaced.
Multiple self-injection in the acceleration of monoenergetic electrons by a laser wake field
Authors: Oguchi A. , Zhidkov A. , Takano K. , Hotta E. , Nemoto K. , Nakajima K.
Published: April 2008

Multiple electron self-injection in laser wake-field acceleration is studied via fully relativistic two- and three-dimensional particle-in-cell simulation. The electron density modulation in the laser wake originating from oscillations of the laser pulse waist and relativistic effects can provoke the parametric resonance in the electron fluid momentum. This may result in repetitive trapping of plasma electrons in the acceleration phase of the laser wake: multiple electron self-injection. The maximal energy of the accelerated electrons depends strongly on the total charge of the injected electrons. A low energy spread, less than 1%, for an almost 1GeV energy electron beam with charge about 10pC is found numerically in the plasma channel irradiated by a 25TW laser pulse, while a 200TW laser pulse produces a few nC beam with only 150MeV energy. Essentially thermalization of accelerated electrons is also a result of charge loading.
Molecular beam resonant two-photon ionization study of caffeine and its hydrated clusters
Authors: Kim Doory , Kim Hyung Min , Yang Key Young , Kim Seong Keun , Kim Nam Joon
Published: April 2008

We investigated electronically excited states of caffeine and its 1:1 complex with water by using resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI) and UV-UV hole-burning techniques. Strong vibronic coupling between a pair of close-lying π-π* and n-π* transitions is proposed to be responsible for the broad spectral feature observed. By comparing the experimental results with those of theoretical calculations, both the O-bonded and N-bonded forms were suggested to be initially produced for the 1:1 complex. The electronic transitions of the O-bonded complex were blueshifted in the R2PI spectrum. For the N-bonded complex, the excited state undergoes an ultrafast decay process, followed by dissociation on a repulsive potential energy surface, which gives rise to a characteristically anomalous cluster distribution in nanosecond experiments.