bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Investment Banking Regulation After Bear Stearns
Authors: Jaffee Dwight M. , Perlow Mark
Published: September 2008

The Bear Stearns bailout created an implicit guarantee that will create a great deal of moral hazard unless we smartly regulate investment banks in a way that doesn't destroy their value; so say Dwight Jaffee and Mark Perlow.
Optimal Policy with Heterogeneous Preferences
Authors: Kaplow Louis
Published: September 2008

Optimal policy rulesincluding those regarding income taxation, commodity taxation, public goods, and externalitiesare typically derived in models with homogeneous preferences. This article reconsiders many central results for the case in which preferences for commodities, public goods, and externalities are heterogeneous. When preference differences are observable, standard second-best results in basic settings are unaffected, except those for the optimal income tax. Optimal levels of income taxation may be higher, the same, or lower on types who derive more utility from various goods, depending on the nature of preference differences and the concavity of the social welfare function. When preference differences are unobservable, all policy rules may change. The determinants of even the direction of optimal rule adjustments are many and subtle.
Colour change of co-doped yttrium aluminium borate crystals under illumination with different white light sources
Authors: Fuchs Elmar , Gatterer Karl
Published: September 2008

A colour change of doped YAB crystals and microcrystalline powders takes place upon illumination with different white light sources. This paper presents extensive experimental data on the new materials Ho,Nd:YAB; Ho,Cr:YAB, Nd,Cr:YAB and Ho,Nd,Cr:YAB, resulting in a chart providing the observed crystal colours and chromaticity differences of the materials under illumination with seven different types of white light sources. The microcrystalline powders could be used as coatings in order to produce a special colour changing effect. Furthermore, the colour table presented enables the observer to discriminate the investigated light sources at one glance.
Novel organic material with potential NLO application - electronic and spectroscopic properties
Authors: Koleva B.B. , Kolev T. , Nikolova R. , Zagraniarsky Y. , Spiteller M.
Published: September 2008

Novel dicyanoisophorone derivative, (E)-2-(3-(4-aminostyryl)-5,5-dimethylcyclohex-2-enylidene)malononitrile, is synthesized and its structure elucidated by means of conventional and linear polarized IR-spectroscopy of oriented colloids in nematic host, 1H, 13C, 1H, 1H-COSY NMR, HPLC tandem ESI MS-MS spectrometry, UV-VIS and thermal methods. Ab initio and DFT level of theory are used to theoretically obtain the electronic structure and optical properties, both in ground and exited state, of the compound.
Synthesis by self-assembly and structural characterization of a new co-crystal system {[Cu(NO3)2(H2O)2]L1(NO3)2} (L1 = 1,1′-dibenzyl-3,3′-butyl-diimidazolium-2,2′-diylidene) from copper nitrate and a carbene precursor
Authors: Doimeadios Jorge
Published: September 2008

Herein, the first example of a co-crystal system formed by an imidazolium nitrate, a carbene precursor, and copper (II) nitrate, {[Cu(NO3)2(H2O)2]L1(NO3)2} (1) (L1 = 1,1′-dibenzyl-3,3′-butyl-diimidazolium-2,2′-diylidene) is reported. These two building blocks are connected in the solid state through hydrogen bonds to generate a three-dimensional supramolecular network.
Sintering, microstructures and dielectric properties of Ba1−xPbx(Ti1−xLix)O3−3xF3x ferroelectric ceramics
Authors: Taïbi-Benziada Laldja , Simon Annie
Published: September 2008

Various compositions (1−x)BaTiO3 + xPbF2 + xLiF were prepared, shaped to pellets then sintered at 900°C for 2 h in gold sealed tubes. The purity and the symmetry of the obtained samples were checked by X-ray diffraction. A new solid solution with Ba1−x Pbx (Ti1−x Lix ) O3−3x F3x formula occurs in the composition range 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.20. SEM observations were performed on polished and fractured ceramics. The complex permittivity was measured as a function of temperature (−120°C ≤ T ≤ 250°C) and frequency (50 Hz ≤ f ≤ 4 × 107 Hz). The dielectric performances are the best for ceramic Ba0.97Pb0.03(Ti0.97Li0.03)O2.91F0.09. The real component ε′, exhibits a maximum of approximately 7500 at the ferroelectric Curie temperature T C ≈ -18°C, the dielectric losses tan δ value being 0.012. At room temperature, the relaxation frequency f r is around 40 MHz for this ceramic. This novel ferroelectric oxifluoride is a promising material for applications, in particular in the field of Z5U multilayer capacitors.
Gamidactylus piranhus sp. nov. (Copepoda, Vaigamidae) from the nasal fossae of serrasalmid fishes from the Três Marias Reservoir, Upper São Francisco River, Minas Gerais State, Brazil
Authors: Thatcher Vernon , Santos Michelle , Brasil-Sato Marilia
Published: September 2008

Gamidactylus piranhus sp. nov. (Copepoda, Vaigamidae) from the nasal fossae of “San Francisco piranha”, Pygocentrus piraya (Cuvier, 1819) and.White piranha. Serrasalmus brandtii (Lütken, 1875) is described. The new species is similar to the type species of the genus, Gamidactylus jaraquensis Thatcher et Boeger, 1984, but differs from it in the following respects: the cephalothorax is shorter, the free thoracic segments are usually longer, leg 5 is reduced to a simple seta and a spine on the second antennal segment is lacking. Gamidactylus bryconis Varella, 1995 and Gamidactylus hoplius Varella et Malta, 1996, do not closely resemble the new species because they are much larger and both present leg 5 reduced to a double seta.
A new species of Sciadicleithrum (Monogenea, Dactylogyridae) parasitic on Geophagus brasiliensis (Perciformes, Cichlidae) from Guandu River, Southeastern Brazil
Authors: Carvalho Adriano , Tavares Luiz , Luque José
Published: September 2008

Sciadicleithrum guanduensis sp. nov. is described from the gills of the cichlid fish Geophagus brasiliensis (Quoy et Gaimard, 1824) from Guandu River, Seropédica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The new species differs from all congeners by the accessory piece of the male copulatory organ, which comprises a small, delicate sheath with articulated appearance, and by the presence of a large unique umbelliform membrane on the ventral bar.
Helminth parasites in native and invasive mammal populations: comparative study on the Barbary ground squirrel Atlantoxerus getulus L. (Rodentia, Sciuridae) in Morocco and the Canary Islands
Authors: López-Darias Marta , Ribas Alexis , Feliú Carlos
Published: September 2008

A total of 51 and 21 adults of Barbary ground squirrels (Atlantoxerus getulus) were trapped during May–July 2006 from the introduced populations on Fuerteventura Island (Canary Islands) and the native populations in Morocco, respectively. One trematode, 1 cestode and 4 nematode species were recovered belonging to five families: Brachylaima sp. (Brachylaimidae), Catenotaenia chabaudi (Catenotaeniidae), Protospirura muricola (Spiruridae), Dermatoxys getula and Syphacia pallaryi (Oxyuuridae), and Trichostrongylus sp. (Trichostrongylidae). We report for the first time the presence of P. muricola, Trichostrongylus sp. and Brachylaima sp. in A. getulus. Brachylaima sp. was found in the insular population only, as a result of a diet that includes snails. The two oxyurids were found at both sites. The continental population showed higher species richness (5 vs 3 species). This is the first report of helminth parasites from A. getulus from the Canary Islands.
Gastrointestinal helminths from two species of skink from Papua New Guinea, including two new species of Skrjabinodon (Nematoda, Pharyngodonidae)
Authors: Bursey Charles , Goldberg Stephen , Kraus Fred
Published: September 2008

Skrjabinodon derooijae sp. nov. from the large intestine of Papuascincus stanleyanus (Scincidae) and Skrjabinodon sheai sp. nov. from the large intestine of Emoia pallidiceps (Scincidae) from Papua New Guinea are described and illustrated. Skrjabinodon derooijae sp. nov. and S. sheai sp. nov. represent the 27th and 28th species assigned to the genus and the 8th and 9th species from the Australo-Papuan Region. The new species differ from other species assigned to Skrjabinodon by egg and female tail morphology. The eggs of S. derooijae are spindleform with one truncate end and the female tail bears 13–16 tail spines in a defined pattern. The eggs of S. sheai are lagenoid and the female tail bears 12–16 tail spines in a random pattern. In addition to the new species, E. pallidiceps harboured Physalopteroides milnensis and P. stanleyanus harboured Mesocelium monas and Oswaldocruzia bakeri.
Description of a new species of Tylodelphys (Digenea, Diplostomidae) in the wood stork, Mycteria americana (Aves, Ciconiidae) from Argentina
Authors: Drago Fabiana , Lunaschi Lía
Published: September 2008

During the course of a study on the endohelminth parasites of birds, specimens of an undescribed species of Tylodelphys Diesing, 1850 (Diplostomidae) were collected from the wood stork, Mycteria americana L., from Formosa Province, Argentina. Tylodelphys brevis sp. nov. can be distinguished from the other Neotropical species of this genus, T. elongata, T. americana and T. adulta, principally by the smaller size of the body (570–851 μm), by the fewer eggs in the uterus (1–2) and by the smaller ratio of body to egg length (6–8). This is the second report of an adult of the genus Tylodelphys from Argentina and the first record of a digenean species parasitizing Mycteria americana in this country.
Seroepidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii in pet dogs and cats in Beijing, China
Authors: Yu Jinhai , Ding Jun , Xia Zhaofei , Lin Degui , Li Yili , Jia Junying , Liu Qun
Published: September 2008

Sera from 534 pet dogs and 335 pet cats from Beijing (China) were tested for anti-Toxoplasma gondii antibodies using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay or the latex agglutination test. The seropositivity by year, season, sex and age was analysed. Overall, 128 dogs (24.0%) and 50 cats (14.9%) had antibodies to T. gondii. When analysed by season, the highest seroprevalence was found in spring for dogs (31.3%) and cats (25.1%), and the differences in seroprevalence by season was statistically significant in cats (P<0.01) but not in dogs. The seroprevalence in male dogs (23.7%) and cats (15.1%) were slightly higher than their female counterparts (18.0% in dogs and 12.3% in cats). There was no obvious pattern of seropositivity or significant difference in different age groups in dogs or cats; nonetheless, a high proportion of dogs at 4 years of age were positive to T. gondii (31.8%) while cats with relatively high seropositivity rates were at 1 or 3.4 years of age (13.14%).
Nanobacteria associated with mucous intestines of freshwater fishes and tegument of their parasites (Cestoda)
Authors: Korneva Janetta
Published: September 2008

The teguments of four cestode species (Triaenophorus nodulosus, Proteocephalus torulosus, P. percae, P. cernuae) and the intestines of their freshwater fish hosts (Esox lucius, Barbatula barbatula, Perca fluviatilis, Gymnocephalus cernuus) inhabited by bacteria have been investigated with scanning electron microscopy. Most of the bacteria have sizes very similar to nanobacteria (that is, 0.25–0.3 μm in diameter). At least 4 microbial morphotypes were identified. These observations indicate that the normal indigenous microflora in cestodes and their fish hosts, associated with the digestive transport surfaces and consist of bacteria and nanobacteria.
Intestinal helminth communities of the red fox (Vulpes vulpes L.) in the Italian Alps
Authors: Cerbo Anna , Manfredi Maria , Trevisiol Karin , Bregoli Marco , Ferrari Nicola , Pirinesi Francesca , Bazzoli Selvaggia
Published: September 2008

The study analyses the intestinal helminth communities found in 645 red foxes of alpine populations from five areas of Northern Italy. In particular, the aim was to evaluate the contribution of both environmental variability and the structure of fox population (extrinsic and intrinsic factors, respectively) in shaping the structure and composition of the intestinal helminth communities. To identify the influence of the characteristics of the host (i.e. age and sex) together with extrinsic factors (year, site, season, and altitude of collection) on number of species, total load per fox, prevalence and abundance of each parasite species, general linear models were performed. Fifteen helminth species have been detected in the intestine of 545 infected animals (84.5%) with a total of 17,144 parasites collected. The analysis of factors influencing both prevalence and abundance of infection of the parasite species revealed the preponderance of extrinsic factors on intrinsic ones. In particular, geographical areas influenced prevalence and abundance of every parasite species, showing high spatial variability. The lower influence of host factors may suggest that, in this case, host dynamics play a trivial role with respect to spatial variability in determining parasite abundance. These results pointed out high prevalence of intestinal helminth infections in the Italian Alpine fox, confirmed the typical composition of parasite fauna within fox populations, underlined local differences in the structure and composition of the helminth communities. Moreover, this study highlights the major role of extrinsic factors vs intrinsic ones.
Intraspecific density-dependent effects on growth and fecundity of Diplosentis nudus (Harada, 1938) Pichelin et Cribb, 2001 (Acanthocephala, Cavisomidae)
Authors: Hassanine Reda , Al-Jahdali Mohammed
Published: September 2008

During June and July of 2007, a total of 130 specimens of the fish Rastrelliger kanagurta Cuvier (Teleostei, Scombridae), ranging between 19–31 cm in total length, were caught in the Red Sea off the coast of Sharm El-Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt, and examined for infections by acanthocephalans (65 fish/month). Of this number, 29 (22.30%) were slightly or heavily parasitized by the acanthocephalan Diplosentis nudus (Harada, 1938) Pichelin et Cribb, 2001 (Cavisomidae); no other helminth parasites were found in the intestine of R. kanagurta. Twenty-nine infrapopulations of D. nudus, ranging from 23–218 individuals were collected from the infected fishes. These infrapopulations were distributed in a well-defined fundamental niche along the intestine of R. kanagurta, where the distribution of male worms was not random with respect to female worms size and position and suggests that the male-male competition for access to female may be intense and may select for large males. No correlation between fish size and infrapopulation size was observed. Correlations between female-to-male sex ratio and infrapopulation size, numbers of females and their mean lengths, numbers of males and their mean lengths, mean female length and mean male length within infrapopulation were very strong, and clearly suggest that as the infrapopulation size increased, the number of females and their mean lengths decreased and the number of males and their mean lengths increased. Combination of these results strongly suggests density-dependent effects and competition between male worms. The relationship between the mean female length or size and the number of eggs within its pseudocoel was strongly positive; egg production by female worm significantly decreases as the infrapopulation size increases, suggesting density-dependent reduction in female worm fecundity. Tendency for the variability in male testes size was not significant in infrapopulations of D. nudus. All of these results are discussed.
Trimusculotrema heronensis sp. nov. (Monogenea, Capsalidae) from the skin of the pink whipray Himantura fai (Elasmobranchii, Dasyatidae) from Heron Island, Queensland, Australia
Authors: Whittington Ian , Kearn Graham
Published: September 2008

Trimusculotrema heronensis sp. nov. is described from the skin of the pink whipray, Himantura fai, caught at Heron Island on the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia. The parasite differs from its closest relative, T. uarnaki, by its greater size and by features of the cirrus. There is evidence that the haptor of T. heronensis secretes cement. The living parasite is unable to swim. Whether Trimusculotrema spp. are benedeniines or entobdellines is discussed.
Species of Plasmodium of passerine birds with four nuclei, with description of new species
Authors: Paperna Ilan , Yosef Reuven , Chavatte Jean-Marc , Gill Hagit , Landau Irène
Published: September 2008

We describe and discuss species of Plasmodium with four nuclei arranged in doublets or forming a maltese cross and loose, residual cytoplasm, described from Passer hispaniolensis in Algeria. The following species are described: Plasmodium rouxi from Alauda arvensis, from France Plasmodium mohammedi sp. nov. from Passer domesticus biblicus and Plasmodium pachysomum sp. nov. from Anthus campestris, from Israel, Plasmodium pfefferi sp. nov. from Pica pica and Plasmodium sergentorum sp. nov. from Alauda arvensis and Pica pica from France and Plasmodium stellatum sp. nov. from Muscicapa striata from Israel. All species vary in the spatial position of their four nuclei and the presence or absence of refractile, blue-staining globules. All of the described species differ from P. vaughani Novy et Mac Neal, 1904 and its siblings (example: P. vaughani merulae Corradetti et Scanga, 1973) in their number of merozoites (always four versus four to eight in the latter) and their spatial arrangement in the schizont.
Seroprevalence of Neospora caninum in racehorses in Ankara, Turkey
Authors: Kilbaş Z. , Adanir R. , Avcioglu Hamza
Published: September 2008

To assess seroprevalence of Neospora spp. in asymptomatic horses in Ankara, Turkey, 19 mares and 56 stallions older than 2 years of age were examined using ELISA; 9.3% of the horses were seropositive. Seroprevalence of N. caninum in mares was twice of that in stallions (15.8 vs 7.1%) and all appeared to be asymptomatic.
Lamellodiscus crampus sp. nov. (Monogenea, Diplectanidae), a parasite of Dentex maroccanus (Teleostei, Sparidae) from off Tunisia
Authors: Neifar Lassâd
Published: September 2008

Lamellodiscus crampus sp. nov. (Monogenea, Diplectanidae) is described from the gills of Dentex maroccanus (Valenciennes) collected from the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia) in the oriental part of Mediterranean Sea. The new species belongs to the “ignoratus” group (sensu Oliver 1987) characterized by a lamellodisc with complete lamellae and a “lyre” shaped male copulatory organ, and the “ignoratus” sensu stricto subgroup, characterized by a haptor with simple lateral dorsal bars, as proposed by Amine and Euzet (2005). Lamellodiscus crampus can be easily distinguished from all the congeneric species of the subgroup “ignoratus” by the presence, in the “lyre” male copulatory organ, of five spines in the distal portion on the axial side of the paired piece.
Small-Scale Cogeneration Plant Data Processing and Analysis
Authors: Veidenbergs I. , Blumberga D. , Rochas C. , Romagnoli F. , Blumberga A. , Rošā M.
Published: September 2008

Small-Scale Cogeneration Plant Data Processing and Analysis

In the article, the operational data on electricity and heat energy generation in a small-scale cogeneration plant are analysed. Different measurements done in the plant formed a basis for estimation and evaluation of the savings of primary energy in comparison with distributed energy production. The authors analyse the efficiency values for the heat and the electricity production in the cogeneration regime and the savings of primary energy when the cogeneration plant works with partial load.
Creation of Power Reserves Under the Market Economy Conditions
Authors: Mahnitko A. , Gerhards J. , Lomane T. , Ribakov S.
Published: September 2008

Creation of Power Reserves Under the Market Economy Conditions

The main task of the control over an electric power system (EPS) is to ensure reliable power supply at the least cost. In this case, requirements to the electric power quality, power supply reliability and cost limitations on the energy resources must be observed. The available power reserve in an EPS is the necessary condition to keep it in operation with maintenance of normal operating variables (frequency, node voltage, power flows via the transmission lines, etc.). The authors examine possibilities to create power reserves that could be offered for sale by the electric power producer. They consider a procedure of price formation for the power reserves and propose a relevant mathematical model for a united EPS, the initial data being the fuel-cost functions for individual systems, technological limitations on the active power generation and consumers' load. As the criterion of optimization the maximum profit for the producer is taken. The model is exemplified by a concentrated EPS. The computations have been performed using the MATLAB program.
Surface Processing of TlBr Crystals for X- and γ-ray Detectors
Authors: Shorohov M. , Muktepavela F. , Maniks J.
Published: September 2008

Surface Processing of TlBr Crystals for X- and γ-ray Detectors

A procedure for surface processing of TlBr crystals to be applied as X-and ?-ray detectors has been developed, providing removal of a mechanically destroyed surface layer by deep chemical etching, allowing the surfaces of good topography and thus the detectors with high energy resolution and stability to be obtained in a repeatable way. The surface quality and structural changes in the near-surface layer are estimated by the optical microscopy and indentation hardness technique.
Solar Cycle Variation of Cosmic ray Intensity along with Interplanetary and Solar Wind Plasma Parameters
Authors: Mishra Rajesh , Agarwal Rekha , Tiwari Sharad
Published: September 2008

Solar Cycle Variation of Cosmic ray Intensity along with Interplanetary and Solar Wind Plasma Parameters

Galactic cosmic rays are modulated at their propagation in the heliosphere by the effect of the large-scale structure of the interplanetary medium. A comparison of the variations in the cosmic ray intensity data obtained by neutron monitoring stations with those in geomagnetic disturbance, solar wind velocity (V), interplanetary magnetic field (B), and their product (V' B) near the Earth for the period 1964-2004 has been presented so as to establish a possible correlation between them. We used the hourly averaged cosmic ray counts observed with the neutron monitor in Moscow. It is noteworthy that a significant negative correlation has been observed between the interplanetary magnetic field, product (V' B) and cosmic ray intensity during the solar cycles 21 and 22. The solar wind velocity has a good positive correlation with cosmic ray intensity during solar cycle 21, whereas it shows a weak correlation during cycles 20, 22 and 23. The interplanetary magnetic field shows a weak negative correlation with cosmic rays for solar cycle 20, and a good anti-correlation for solar cycles 21-23 with the cosmic ray intensity, which, in turn, shows a good positive correlation with disturbance time index (Dst) during solar cycles 21 and 22, and a weak correlation for cycles 20 and 23.
Thermal Characteristics of New Building Materials and their Effect upon the Energy Efficiency
Authors: Ekmanis J. , Zebergs V. , Zeltins N. , Vrublevski V.
Published: September 2008

Thermal Characteristics of New Building Materials and their Effect upon the Energy Efficiency

The paper formulates the role of thermal inertia of the building materials in the energy supply of buildings and in solution of the energy efficiency problems. The evolution of construction entails the application of new building materials as well as of glazed surfaces in the envelopes of buildings. An analysis is made of the influence of the thermal resistance of building materials and their heat capacity on the thermal inertia indicators of buildings. An inertia scale of buildings has been developed for the choice of the heat supply capacities of buildings at low outdoor temperatures under extreme conditions of the Latvian climate. The ratio of the ventilation capacities has been analysed in the total heating balance at a low thermal inertia of buildings. The significance of innovative ventilation technologies for raising the energy efficiency has been considered.
Opening the Windshield: Death of a Salesman and Theatrical Liberalism
Authors: Most Andrea
Published: September 2008

“Opening the Windshield” argues that Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman is best understood as a work of American popular culture, with a close relationship not only to realism but also to vaudeville and musical theatre. The essay identifies a core tension between the character of Willy Loman and the psychological realist style for which the play is famous. Through his indomitable theatricality, Willy resists the pressure to conform to a realist model and ends up winning the audience even as he loses his life. Reading the play in this way sheds light on the long-standing popularity of the play, its avowed Jewishness, and its place in the American literary canon.
The Canonization of Eugene O’Neill
Authors: Savran David
Published: September 2008

In every narrative about the development of theatre in the United States, Eugene O'Neill is constructed as the first canonical U.S. playwright, a crusader whose plays became the cornerstone of a newly legitimized literary drama. This essay argues that O'Neill's swift canonization was, in part, based on the effectiveness of his work in distancing itself from popular theatrical traditions, especially vaudeville and musical comedy. More important, it points out that his consecration was also linked to the playwright's construction as a kind of post-Nietzschean saint, who does not so much believe as doubt. Although many writers and theatre practitioners of the 1920s were instrumental in this canonization, the essay focuses on two: George Jean Nathan, the most censorious critic of his age, and Barrett Clark, O'Neill's first biographer. It analyses the success of the hagiographic discourses produced by these and many others in making the playwright a prophet of the Machine Age, the one whose spiritual agonies redeemed the American theatre.
Fun and Games with George and Nick: Competitive Masculinity inWho's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Authors: Eby Clare Virginia
Published: September 2008

This essay focuses on the relationship between George and Nick, who represent two competing but interdependent models of heterosexual masculinity. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? stages, in addition to its famous battle between the sexes, an equally urgent battle within masculinity. The verbal combat between George and Nick illustrates not only Albee's understanding of gender as discursively constructed but also that the legendary marriage delineated in Who's Afraid depends both structurally and psychologically on the competition between the two men. Albee presents postwar heterosexual masculinity as fundamentally competitive, a gender identity that must be proven as well as performed. The play suggests that, if competitive masculinity produces a victor, it also demands a loser. As it takes one man to prove another's masculinity, an attentive and ultimately vanquished male audience is necessary to complete the performance. Moreover, Who's Afraid shows heterosexual masculinity as constituted through a particular form of triangulation: George and Nick compete to see which is the better man and fitter mate for Martha.
Homosexual Panic inCat on a Hot Tin Roof
Authors: Arrell Douglas
Published: September 2008

Brick's behaviour in Tennessee Williams's Cat on at Hot Tin Roof has been understood in a variety of ways by critics. In this article, I argue that he exemplifies “homosexual panic,” as this concept was developed by Eve Kosofsky Sedgwick in her book Epistemology of the Closet. Confronted with the possibility that his idealized relationship with his football buddy Skipper may be homosexual, he shuts down sexually altogether. In this respect, he resembles the Victorian bachelor who, according to Sedgwick, took refuge from the double bind of male bonds that were both prescribed and proscribed by retreating into what she calls “sexual anesthesia.” I argue that the character she cites to illustrate this behaviour, Marcher in Henry James's The Beast in the Jungle, bears a significant resemblance to Brick. I suggest that a character in the grip of homosexual panic cannot convincingly be portrayed as escaping from this condition, and that this explains the problems Williams had with the last act of Cat. In his final version of the play, he shows Brick as unchanged after his scene with Big Daddy, a choice that is thematically right but dramatically unsatisfying.
MicroRNAome of Splenic Macrophages in Hypersplenism due to Portal Hypertension in Hepatitis B Virus-Related Cirrhosis
Authors: Li Zongfang , Zhang Shu , Huang Chen , Zhang Wei , Hu Yajun , Wei Bo
Published: September 2008

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently discovered class of post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression with critical functions in health and disease. Their role in the pathogenesis of hypersplenism, however, is completely unknown. To determine whether miRNA expression is altered in splenic macrophages associated with hypersplenism due to portal hypertension in hepatitis-B-virus (HBV)-related cirrhosis, we analyzed the entire miRNAome in macrophages from normal and portal hypertensive spleen samples by microarray and Real-Time PCR. In this study, we identified 99 miRNA differences in expression in splenic macrophages associated with hypersplenism due to portal hypertension in HBV-related cirrhosis. Among the miRNAs identified in this study, hsa-miR-615–3p was significantly up-regulated in hypersplenism. Dynamic changes in miRNA expression occurred during the pathogenesis of portal hypertension-induced hypersplenism in HBV-related cirrhosis. The miRNAs then are novel regulatory RNAs in hypersplenism in patients with HBV-related cirrhosis.
Changes of Neuron-Specific and Apoptosis Gene Expression Levels After Ventromedial Hypothalamic Lesions in Rat Intestine
Authors: Kiba Takayoshi , Kintaka Yuri , Suzuki Yoko , Nakata Eiko , Osaka Toshimasa , Ishigaki Yasuhito , Inoue Shuji
Published: September 2008

The intestinal epithelium is continuously renewed through a balance between cell proliferation and apoptosis. We identified genes of which expression profiles showed significant modulation, and we investigated the cellular mechanisms of this gene regulation in rat intestine after ventromedial hypothalamic (VMH) lesions. Total RNA was extracted, and differences in the gene expression profiles between rats at day 3 after VMH lesioning and in sham-VMH lesioned rats were investigated using DNA microarray analysis and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. DNA microarray analysis revealed that VMH lesions regulated the genes that were involved in functions predominantly related to neuronal development, cell proliferation and apoptosis. Real-time PCR also confirmed that gene expressions of Efnb1 were downregulated. Meanwhile, expression of Casp3 was similar. It is noted that the signaling networks of many gene families, including neuron-specific genes and apoptosis genes in the intestine were changed after VMH lesioning. VMH lesions may suppress mainly the caspase independent type II pathway for apoptosis and induce cell proliferation in the intestine.
Soy Protein Isolate Reduces Hepatosteatosis in Yellow Avy/a Mice Without Altering Coat Color Phenotype
Authors: Badger T. M. , Ronis M. J. J. , Wolff G. , Stanley S. , Ferguson M. , Shankar K. , Simpson P. , Jo C.-H.
Published: September 2008

Agouti ( A vy/ a) mice fed an AIN-93G diet containing the soy isoflavone genistein (GEN) prior to and during pregnancy were reported to shift coat color and body composition phenotypes from obese-yellow towards lean pseudoagouti, suggesting epigenetic programming. Human consumption of purified GEN is rare and soy protein is the primary source of GEN. Virgin a/a female and Avy/a male mice were fed AIN-93G diets made with casein (CAS) or soy protein isolate (SPI) (the same approximate GEN levels as in the above mentioned study) for 2 wks prior to mating. A vy /a offspring were weaned to the same diets and studied at age 75 d. Coat color distribution did not differ among diets, but SPI-fed, obese A vy/ a offspring had lower hepatosteatosis ( P < 0.05) and increased ( P < 0.05) expression of CYP4a 14, a PPARα-regulated gene compared to CAS controls. Similarly, weanling male Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats fed SPI had elevated hepatic Acyl Co-A Oxidase (ACO) mRNA levels and increased in vitro binding of PPARα to the PPRE promoter response element. In another hepatosteatosis model, adult SD rats fed a high fat/cholesterol diet, SPI reduced ( P < 0.05) steatosis. Thus, 1) consumption of diets made with SPI partially protected against hepatosteatosis in yellow mice and in SD rats, and this may involve induction of PPARα-regulated genes; and 2) the lifetime ( in utero, neonatal and adult) exposure to dietary soy protein did not result in a shift in coat color phenotype of A vy/ a mice. These findings, when compared with those of previously published studies of A vy/ a mice, lead us to conclude that: 1) the effects of purified GEN differ from those of SPI when GEN equivalents are closely matched; 2) SPI does not epigenetically regulate the agouti locus to shift the coat color phenotype in the same fashion as GEN alone; and 3) SPI may be beneficial in management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Expression of ASC in Renal Tissues of Familial Mediterranean Fever Patients with Amyloidosis: Postulating a Role for ASC in AA Type Amyloid Deposition
Authors: Balci-Peynircioglu Banu , Waite Andrea L. , Schaner Philip , Taskiran Zihni Ekim , Richards Neil , Orhan Diclehan , Gucer Safak , Ozen Seza , Gumucio Deborah , Yilmaz Engin
Published: September 2008

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is characterized by recurrent attacks of fever and serositis; in some cases, ensuing amyloidosis results in kidney damage. Treatment with colchicine reduces the frequency and severity of FMF attacks and prevents amyloidosis, although the mechanisms behind these effects are unknown. Pyrin, the protein product of the MEFV gene, interacts with ASC, a key molecule in apoptotic and inflammatory processes. ASC forms intracellular speck-like aggregates that presage cell death. Here we show that cell death after ASC speck formation is much slower in nonmyeloid cells than in myeloid cells. Additionally, we demonstrate that colchicine prevents speck formation and show that specks can survive in the extracellular space after cell death. Because we also found that ASC is expressed in renal glomeruli of patients with FMF but not in those of control patients, we posit that high local ASC expression may result in speck formation and that specks from dying cells may persist in the extracellular space where they have the potential (perhaps in association with pyrin) to nucleate amyloid. The fact that speck formation requires an intact microtubule network as shown here could potentially account for the ability of prophylactic colchicine to prevent or reverse amyloidosis in patients with FMF.
Experimental Oligohydramnios Decreases Collagen in Hypoplastic Fetal Rat Lungs
Authors: Chen Chung-Ming , Chou Hsiu-Chu , Wang Leng-Fang , Lang Yaw-Dong
Published: September 2008

Neonates with premature rupture of the membrane and oligohydramnios have an increased risk of acute respiratory morbidity. The aims of this study are to investigate the effects of experimental oligohydramnios on transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) expressions and collagen level in fetal rat lungs. On day 16 of gestation, we anesthetized timed pregnant Sprague-Dawley dams, punctured the uterine wall and fetal membranes of each amniotic sac which resulted in oligohydramnios. Fetuses in the opposite uterine horn served as controls. On days 19 and 21 of gestation, fetuses were delivered by cesarean section. Rats exposed to oligohydramnios exhibited significantly lower lung weight/body weight ratios on days 19 and 21 of gestation than did the control rats. Lung type I collagen and TGF-β1 mRNA expressions and lung collagen levels were significantly decreased in rats exposed to oligohydramnios on days 19 and 21 of gestation. Type I collagen and inhibitors of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) proteins were decreased and matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) was increased in oligohydramnios-exposed rats on days 19 and 21 of gestation. CTGF mRNA expressions were comparable between control and oligohydramnios-exposed rats on days 19 and 21 of gestation. These data suggest that downregulation of collagen might be involved in the pathogenesis of oligohydramnios-induced respiratory morbidity.
Indomethacin Inhibits Cell Growth of Medullary Thyroid Carcinoma by Reducing Cell Cycle Progression into S Phase
Authors: Tomoda Chisato , Moatamed Farhad , Naeim Faramarz , Hershman Jerome M. , Sugawara Masahiro
Published: September 2008

Indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), has been reported to inhibit the growth of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) cells in vitro. However, the mechanism of inhibition of MTC cell growth by indomethacin and its potency have yet to be revealed. We examined the effect of indomethacin on three different MTC cell lines (TT cells, DRO 81–1 cells and HRO 85–1 cells) and two non-MTC cells. The mechanism of indomethacin action in MTC cells was investigated by analyzing intracellular prostaglandin level, apoptosis, and cell cycle in TT cells. Indomethacin inhibited cell growth of all three MTC cell lines but not normal thyroid cells or anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells. Indomethacin at 10 μM or greater showed a dose response inhibition of cell growth. Indomethacin at 25 μM, a putative therapeutic serum indomethacin level, showed potency similar to 100 to 200 nM sunitinib, a receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor. To examine whether prostaglandin depletion might determine the inhibition of MTC cell growth, we created different prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) levels in TT cells using three different NSAIDs. A profound PGE2 depletion by indomethacin-ester, a potent cyclooxygenase (COX) II inhibitor, showed the least inhibition of cell growth. Indomethacin did not increase apoptosis of TT cells. Indomethacin, but not naproxen or indomethacin-ester, reduced cell cycle progression into S phase; this was unrelated to the degree of PGE2 depletion. The expression of phosphorylated retinoblastoma (pRb) protein that shifts cells from G1to S phase was reduced after exposure to indomethacin. In conclusion, indomethacin has specific anti-tumor effect on MTC cells, probably by reducing cell cycle progression into S phase rather than by prostaglandin depletion. Since no drug therapy is currently available for MTC, indomethacin may be one of the therapeutic candidates.
Requirements for Maximal Enrichment of Viable Intraerythrocytic Plasmodium falciparum Rings by Saponin Hemolysis
Authors: Orjih Augustine U.
Published: September 2008

The purpose of the present study was to confirm the effectiveness of saponin hemolysis for concentrating ring-infected erythrocytes in Plasmodium falciparum cultures and to determine the actual numbers of the enriched parasites, not just percentage parasitemia. This is important because various molecular biology and vaccine development against malaria require useable quantities of pure culture with minimal number of uninfected erythrocytes at all stages. Synchronized cultures of three P. falciparum strains were exposed to 0.015% isotonic saponin solution for 30 minutes on ice. They were centrifuged and the pellets were treated again with saponin solution for 3–7 minutes. Initially, most of the cultures contained approximately 1010 erythrocytes and 1–7% parasitemia, but at the end of the enrichment up to 108 of erythrocytes containing 90–99.8% parasitemia were recovered (maximal enrichment). From microscopic examination of the cells it was calculated that the hemolysis rate of uninfected and infected erythrocytes was circa 27 to 1, which could account for the enrichment. Studies by other investigators have suggested that P. falciparum merozoite invasion decreases erythrocyte membrane lipids, and it has been reported that reduction of membrane cholesterol could make erythrocytes saponin-resistant. The possibility that merozoite invasion made erythrocytes partially resistant to saponin hemolysis was strengthened by the observation that the proportions of multiple infections increased significantly in the enriched cultures. However, mature asexual parasites could not be concentrated by this method, suggesting possible differences between the membranes of erythrocytes containing ring forms and those of trophozoites and schizonts. Ring-infected erythrocytes freshly from malaria patients could also not be concentrated by the method described here, suggesting that the ability to induce saponin resistance in erythrocytes was acquired by the parasites in vitro.
Effects of sample size, centrifugal acceleration and brine inclusions on the elastic modulus of sea ice
Authors: Lau Michael , Jones Stephen J. , Phillips Ryan
Published: September 2008

We present a re-analysis of the results obtained from a series of measurements on freshwater and saline ice beams under various centrifugal accelerations. The data show a strong influence of beam size, brine volume and centrifugal acceleration on the elastic modulus of ice. The data suggest a transition brine volume at around 9%, which might occur close to the melting point, at which the elastic modulus of ice drops rapidly due to a possible change of brine-pocket structure. Furthermore, for brine volumes less than 9%, there is a negligible increase in the elastic modulus measured under high centrifugal acceleration, but for brine volumes more than 9% the increase is considerable, approaching that measured with freshwater ice. This may be due to necking of brine drainage channels just above the ice/water interface at high centrifugal acceleration. A model of sea ice was constructed based on existing theories of brine inclusions in sea ice, which satisfactorily predicts the observed trends.
Glacier mass balance interpreted from biological analysis of firn cores in the Chilean lake district
Authors: Santibañez P. , Kohshima S. , Scheihing R. , Jaramillo J. , Shiraiwa T. , Matoba S. , Kanda D. , Labarca P. , Casassa G.
Published: September 2008

The first analyses of biological components in glaciers of the Chilean lake district are presented based on microalgae biovolume, pollen and other microorganisms detected in shallow (∼10 m) firn/ice cores. Three cores were retrieved, two at Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco (39°55′ S, 72°02′ W; summit at 2422 m a.s.l; east glacier at 2000 m a.s.l.), and one at the summit of Volcán Osorno (41°06′ S, 72°30′ W; 2652 m a.s.l.). Microalgae, protozoa and pollen quantified in the samples obtained from the two summit cores show clear fluctuations interpreted as seasonal signs. In contrast, δD and many chemical species from the summit cores show strong dampening at depth, probably due to water percolation. The limited information provided by isotopic and chemical analyses is used to support the seasonal interpretation of biological parameters from the summit cores, with microorganism maxima inferred to occur in summer and pollen maxima in spring. A good comparison is found between mass-balance estimations from the Volcán Mocho-Choshuenco summit core and values obtained near that site by means of the stake method. It is concluded that biological analyses of firn/ice cores provide reliable estimations of annual and seasonal markers from these temperate glaciers.
Serum homocysteine in pre-eclampsia and eclampsia
Authors: Hoque Md. Mozammel , Bulbul Tania , Mahal Monzarin , Islam Nur-A-Farzana , Ferdausi Munira
Published: September 2008

Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are common obstetrical problem causing adverse effects on pregnancy outcome. Large bodies of evidences suggest that hyperhomocysteinemia is a causal factor of pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. This study designed to explore the association between hyperhomocysteinemia and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, the knowledge of which expected to be used for prevention of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. In a case-control study serum homocysteine was measured in 136 controls (healthy pregnant), 84 pre-eclamptic and 120 eclamptic pregnant women. Serum homocysteine in patients with pre-eclampsia (9.54 Â± 3.21 Âµmol/L) and eclampsia (10.57 Â± 3.39 Âµmol/L) found to be significantly increased compared to controls (6.86 Â± 2.47 Âµmol/L)(p<0.001). Between pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, homocysteine found to be raised more in eclampsia compared to pre-eclampsia (p<0.03). In conclusion, hyperhomocysteinemia is associated with pre-eclampsia as well as eclampsia, but in eclampsia the severity of homocysteine elevation is more compared to that in pre-eclampsia.Keywords: Eclampsia; Homocysteine; Pre-eclampsia; Serum DOI: 10.3329/bmrcb.v34i1.1165Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2008; 34: 16-20
Applications of free circulating nucleic acids in clinical medicine: Recent advances
Authors: Giasuddin A.S.M. , Jhuma Khadija Akther , Haq A.M. Mujibul
Published: September 2008

The objective of this review article was to highlight briefly the recent advances made relevant to applications of free circulating nucleic acids (FcNAs) in clinical medicine. Detection of FcNAs in plasma, serum and other body fluids from healthy subjects as well as in patients has opened up the possibility of diagnosis and monitoring of diseases. With the rapid developments in molecular biology techniques such as real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (rt-qPCR), quantitative methylation specific PCR (qMS-PCR), matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight (MALDI-ToF) mass spectrometry, quantitative fluorescent PCR (QF-PCR), single allele primer extension reaction (SAPER) method and other techniques the applications in clinical medicine have increased. The recent discovery of epigenetic changes in placental/fetal DNA and the detection of fetal/placental-specific RNAs have made FcNAs to be used for diagnosis of genetic disorders in all pregnancies irrespective of the gender of the fetus in early intrauterine life. Â It is now possible to detect very small amounts of, and specific mutations in, fetal DNA in the presence of excess non-specific maternal DNA. In oncolÂ­ogy, detection and monitoring of tumors are now possible by the detection of tumor-derived FcNAs. In other conditions, such as diabetes mellitus, trauma and stroke FcNAs have been shown to be useful also. In spite of these advances questions reÂ­garding the origin and biologic significance of FcNAs remain to be answered. Standardization of methodologies including pre-analytical and analytical aspects will revolutionize the applications of FcNAs in the diagnosis and monitoring of diseases in clinical medicine in the next few years.Keywords: Circulating nuclic acid, MedicineDOI: 10.3329/bmrcb.v34i1.1168Bangladesh Med Res Counc Bull 2008; 34: 26-32