bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Scottish chemistry, classification and the late mineralogical career of the ‘ingenious’ Professor John Walker (1779–1803)
Authors: EDDY M. D.
Published: December 2004

During the first decade of the nineteenth century, Edinburgh was the scene of several lively debates concerning the structure of the Earth. Though the ideas of groups like the ‘Wernerians’ and the ‘Huttonians’ have received due attention, little has been done to explicate the practice of mineralogy as it existed in the decades before the debates. To dig deeper into the eighteenth-century subject that formed the foundation of nineteenth-century geology in Scotland, this essay concentrates on Rev. Dr John Walker, the University of Edinburgh's Professor of Natural History (1779–1803). In pursuing this topic, it builds on an earlier BJHS article in which I excavated his early career as a mineralogist (1749–79). After first addressing a few historiographical points and the provenance of the student manuscripts upon which this study is based, I explain the method that Walker used to arrange minerals. I then move on to show that, like his younger attempts at mineralogical classification, his mature system was based predominantly upon chemistry. This sets the stage for the last half of the essay where I reconstruct the mineralogical system that Walker taught to the hundreds of students who sat in his natural history lectures from 1782 until 1800. I then conclude with a few observations about the relevance of his mineralogy to the scientific community of late eighteenth-century Edinburgh.
‘The progeny of these two “Fellows”’: Robert Willis, William Whewell and the sciences of mechanism, mechanics and machinery in early Victorian Britain
Authors: MARSDEN BEN
Published: December 2004

This paper examines Robert Willis's science of ‘mechanism’, its relation to the later mechanics textbooks of William Whewell, and its promotion as the key to appreciating, understanding and contriving machinery in Victorian Britain. Responsive, first, to the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge and later to student audiences at Cambridge, Willis constructed a science of ‘mechanism’ in both words in print and works in practice. With Whewell's sanction in the Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences (1840), Willis's Principles of Mechanism (1841) elaborated a science of kinematics expressing geometry in motion without considerations of force. With Willis's approval, Whewell's Mechanics of Engineering (1841) began to complete and systematize a projected science of machinery, now separated from previous accounts of mechanics. Their joint project put ‘mechanism’ and the ‘mechanics of engineering’ into print in Britain as adjuncts to a liberal education in Cambridge; further, with the rapid expansion of academic provision for practical engineers from 1838 to 1841, these two Fellows offered their progeny as essential fodder further afield. Reactions to this two-pronged attack varied. But it was, perhaps, Willis's work with elaborate demonstration lectures, using special apparatus built by London mechanists and marketed by educational entrepreneurs, that effectively disseminated the new science.
Detection of climate system bifurcations by degenerate fingerprinting
Authors: Held H. , Kleinen T.
Published: December 2004

A method is introduced to estimate the proximity of climate sub‐systems to non‐linear thresholds. We suggest to measure the smallest decay rate of the system under investigation and to consider its trend. We argue that this is the diagnostic variable most directly linked to the distance from a bifurcation threshold. With the climate model of intermediate complexity CLIMBER2 we demonstrate our method for the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation. It is shown that proper analysis of paleo information could significantly reduce the uncertainty which plagues current estimates of the distance from the shutdown of the thermohaline circulation.
Longitudinal structure of low‐latitude Pi2 pulsations and its dependence on aurora
Authors: Takahashi Kazue , Liou Kan
Published: December 2004

The relationship between the spatial and temporal properties of auroral power and low‐latitude magnetic Pi2 pulsations is statistically studied using auroral images obtained with the Ultraviolet Imager on the Polar spacecraft and magnetic fields measured at the Kakioka Observatory (L = 1.3). We select auroral intensification events from spatially integrated auroral power at time steps of ∼180 s and for each event determine various properties of associated Pi2 pulsations in a 300‐s time window. Since our auroral events are simply defined to be a power increase of 30% or greater, some events are well‐defined substorm expansion phase onsets reaching 50 GW, but some are weak events reaching only ∼1 GW. Nevertheless, the Pi2 pulsations show very similar local time patterns of amplitude and polarization regardless of the magnitude of the increase in auroral power. This implies that a single mechanism excites Pi2‐band oscillations over a wide range of auroral activity. A likely source of the low‐latitude pulsations is a plasmaspheric cavity mode, and our local time patterns of Pi2 parameters show features consistent with theoretical models of the cavity mode excited by longitudinally localized disturbances.
Comparison between atomic-layer-deposited HfO2 films using O3 or H2O oxidant and Hf[N(CH3)2]4 precursor
Authors: Cho Moonju , Jeong Doo Seok , Park Jaehoo , Park Hong Bae , Lee Suk Woo , Park Tae Joo , Hwang Cheol Seong , Jang Gi Hoon , Jeong Jaehack
Published: December 2004

The dielectric properties of HfO2 thin films, which were deposited on Si wafers by an atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique at a wafer temperature of 300 °C using a N-containing, tetrakis dimethylamido hafnium precursor (Hf[N(CH3)2]4), were highly improved by adopting O3 as the oxidant during the ALD instead of H2O. The films contained a much smaller carbon impurity concentration and were of more amorphous nature compared to the films grown using H2O as oxidant. Temperature-dependent leakage current analysis showed that the films grown using O3 as oxidant had a higher interfacial potential barrier for tunneling and the leakage current densities of the as-deposited film were three orders of magnitude smaller than that of the films grown using H2O. The dielectric constant of the HfO2 film was 24.4 and the leakage current density was 1.6×10−7A∕cm2 when the capacitance equivalent thickness was 1.49 nm.
Medical image processing using transient Fourier holography in bacteriorhodopsin films
Authors: Kothapalli Sri-Rajasekhar , Wu Pengfei , Yelleswarapu Chandra S. , Rao D. V. G. L. N.
Published: December 2004

Real time image processing is demonstrated by recording and reconstructing the transient photoisomerizative grating formed in the bR film using Fourier holography. Desired spatial frequencies including both high and low band in the object beam are reconstructed by controlling the reference beam intensity. The results are in agreement with a theoretical model based on photoisomerization grating. We exploit this technique to process mammograms in real-time for identification of microcalcifications buried in the soft tissue for early detection of breast cancer. A feature of the technique is the ability to transient display of selected spatial frequencies in the reconstructing process which enables the radiologists to study the features of interest.
Visualization of second-order nonlinear layer in thermally poled fused silica glass
Authors: An Honglin , Fleming Simon , Cox Guy
Published: December 2004

Second-harmonic microscopy has been applied to characterize the second-order nonlinear layer in fused silica plates thermally poled at 280 °C and 3.5 kV for different time intervals. The nonlinear layer is found only under the anode surface and to be ∼5μm deep under the anode for a poling time of 30 min. Progression of this layer into the bulk glass with poling time is also characterized.
X-ray diffraction study of stress relaxation in cubic boron nitride films grown with simultaneous medium-energy ion bombardment
Authors: Abendroth B. , Gago R. , Eichhorn F. , Möller W.
Published: December 2004

Relaxation of the intrinsic stress of cubic boron nitride (cBN) thin films has been studied by x-ray diffraction (XRD) using synchrotron light. The stress relaxation has been attained by simultaneous medium-energy ion bombardment (2–10 keV) during magnetron sputter deposition, and was confirmed macroscopically by substrate curvature measurements. In order to investigate the stress–release mechanisms, XRD measurements were performed in in-plane and out-of-plane geometry. The analysis shows a pronounced biaxial state of compressive stress in the cBN films grown without medium-energy ion bombardment. This stress is partially released during the medium-energy ion bombardment. It is suggested that the main path for stress relaxation is the elimination of strain within the cBN grains due to annealing of interstitials.
Characteristics of metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors based on high-k HfAlO dielectric films obtained by low-temperature electron-beam gun evaporation
Authors: Mikhelashvili V. , Brener R. , Kreinin O. , Meyler B. , Shneider J. , Eisenstein G.
Published: December 2004

We describe the characteristics of thin HfAlO films deposited at low temperature by electron beam gun evaporation. As-deposited films thinner than 6 nm exhibit an effective dielectric constant (keff) of 9–11.5. The minimum quantum mechanical corrected effective oxide thickness is ∼1.45nm and the leakage currents are very low. Rapid thermal annealing in a N2 environment improves the leakage further and up to 750 °C does not affect keff. Higher annealing temperatures reduce keff, but even at 950 °C, it has a value of 6.5. These HfAlO films have the potential to serve as a substitute for SiO2 in small-scale metal-insulator-semiconductor structures.
POLITICS, SEX, AND FRENCH CINEMA IN THE 1990s: THE PLACE OF ARNAUD DESPLECHIN
Authors: Warehime Marja
Published: December 2004

Arnaud Desplechin has been called the leader of a 'nouvelle'
nouvelle vague
. This article treats Desplechin's two feature-length films of the 1990s ‐
La Sentinelle
, a metaphysical polar which came out in 1992, and the 1996 comedy
Comment je me suis disputé (ma vie sexuelle)
. It approaches the films as an effort to 'map out' the contradictions (the possibilities and constraints) of Desplechin's place as a filmmaker in the 1990s. The use of the term 'map out' alludes to Fredric Jameson's elaboration of the term cognitive mapping in his
Postmodernism, or the Culture of Late Capitalism
where it is equated with Althusser's classic definition of ideology as the representation of the imaginary relationship of individuals to their real conditions of existence. The article emphasizes a crucial, but seemingly secondary aspect of Desplechin's 1990s films, his symbolic treatment of space. The article concludes that although the genre narrative in
La Sentinelle
does not provide an adequate means to address the filmmaker's situation, and neither film allows its subject to 'find a place' in the totality of post-Holocaust history, that
Comment je me suis disputé
suggests the possibility that the subject can 'find his bearings'.
Jean Genet and the Poetics of Palestinian Politics: Statecraft as Stagecraft in ‘Quatre heures a Chatila’
Authors: Finburgh Clare
Published: December 2004

This study of Jean Genet's ‘Quatre heures à Chatila’ explores the relationship between the writer's literary ouvre and his political action, both of which constitute part of his same endeavour to define our socialized reality. It draws upon other Genetian works, notably Un captif amoureux for which 'Quatre heures' might be seen as a prologue, to describe how Genet's reality, or réel, originates essentially in his féerie-the dissemination of mask, stagecraft, fable. Reality for Genet comprises a plurality of ever-shifting truths played out within the mise-en-scène of social existence. The essay suggests that in 'Quatre heures' Genet champions the Palestinian Fedayee rebels because their ceaseless reinvention of politics, religion and society prevents any original cause from existing beyond the permanently unstable site of discursive relativity, or the féerie. The essay illustrates how, moreover, Genet's aesthetic is indissociable from Palestinian ethics. 'Quatre heures' bears witness to the Palestinian rejection of monolithic ideology both in its macrostructural thematics, which discuss the Palestinian revolt, and in its microstructural stylistics: perspectives are proliferated through a multiplicity of discontinuous styles, structures and registers; time-space unities are fragmented; genre is hybridized so that journalistic fact is fuelled with poetic imagery and reference to visual art. The essay concludes by suggesting that Genet's refusal of teleological development and definitive affirmation in his account of the Palestinian insurrection and of the Shatila and Sabra massacres, affords him and his Palestinians the possibility for perpetual poetic and political hermeneutic renewal. In addition, it enables the reader to metamorphosize the absence of essence into a creative affirmation, through constant interrogation of the text.
The Little Horn: Apocalyptic Literature of the Consulate and Empire
Authors: Thurston Benjamin
Published: December 2004

The aim of this article is to examine the evolution of apocalyptic exegesis during the Consulate and Empire. Contemporary commentaries on the seventh chapter of the Book of Daniel provide a fascinating and hitherto unexplored record of the dynamics of religious and political belief in early nineteenth-century France. In the last decade of the eighteenth century, numerous attempts were made to explain the French Revolution in terms of Biblical prophecy. However, the restoration of civil order after the
coup d’état
of Brumaire, together with the rapid recovery of the Church after the Concordat, made the conclusions of previous apocalyptic speculation appear redundant. The majority of the French clergy hailed Napoleon as the providential saviour of the Church and compared him to Cyrus or Moses. This article examines the ways in which a number of Catholic theologians and laymen deciphered the bizarre symbols and imagery of Daniel's famous vision in order to make sense of Napoleon’s rise to power. A study of French Catholicism in its historical context enables us to understand how different and often contradictory political and religious beliefs were articulated within the conventions of apocalyptic exegesis.

Je considérais ses cornes, et je vis une petite corne qui sortait du milieu des autres.

Daniel 7. 8
The Hagiographies of Pierre Michon:
Rimbaud Le Fils
Authors: Jefferson Ann
Published: December 2004

The premiss of this article is that the concern with the literary as an issue of ‘radical uncertainty’ has shifted from theory as polemic to the new forms of ‘life-writing’ that have emerged in France over the past three decades. It explores the quasi-biographical modes through which this concern is expressed in the work of Pierre Michon, concentrating in particular on the model of the lives of the saints. Focusing on Rimbaud le fils (1991), various hagiographical strategies are identified in the construction and narration of the text, and in the positioning of both author and reader in the posture of devotion. There is, however, a counterweight to this devotion in the powerful strand of derision that runs through Michon’s text, whose various expressions are identified in terms of both content and authorial rhetoric. This combination of devotion and derision is best viewed as a symptom of the impossibility, both for his various contemporaries and for the modern reader, of adequately recognizing and characterizing Rimbaud's poetic ‘grace’. It is by means of this problematic contemplation of the life of Rimbaud that the question of ‘literature’ is addressed in the text.

...ce petit mélange d’œuvre et de vie qu’on appelle Rimbaud.
A Forgotten Author — Péan Gatineau
Authors: Hunt Tony
Published: December 2004

The Life of St Martin of Tours by the forgotten Tourangeau writer Péan Gatineau, writing in the second quarter of the thirteenth century, offers striking evidence of the liberation of octosyllabic verse from the line or couplet as a unit of composition through the use of enjambement, the bold
rejet
, and the breaking of the couplet. Péan’s practice is compared with that of his near-contemporaries Gautier de Coinci and the anonymous author of the first
Vie des Pères
. The evidence collected is important for a much-needed history of the evolution of medieval octosyllabic verse, and is part of an appeal to text editors to give greater consideration to their authors' handling of metrical structures, rhythm as well as rhyme.
Henri Estienne and Vowel Prosthesis: A Problem in the Phonetic Adaptation of Sixteenth century Italianisms in French
Authors: Sampson Rodney
Published: December 2004

Amongst the numerous Italianisms entering French in the sixteenth century, the items whose corresponding form in standard Italian contained the initial consonant sequence
s
+ consonant are of special interest. In French, such words typically emerged with the addition of a ‘prosthetic’ vowel, as in
estramaçon
but standard Italian
stramazzone
. However, somewhat unexpectedly, in the two
Dialogues
of Henri Estienne (1578) where Italianizing manners and speech are satirized, the great majority of the Italianisms of this type that are used by the author do not contain a prosthetic vowel. It is proposed that the general non-use of prosthetic forms by Estienne is due to the nature of the particular type of Italian that he uses as a source for the Italianisms figuring in this work. This was the standard literary Italian language that had become established by the second half of the sixteenth century. In this variety of Italian, vowel prosthesis was of very limited occurrence. The few cases where Estienne does cite Italianisms containing a prosthetic vowel are demonstrated to be technical rather than literary words that had entered French usage by more popular channels of transmission.
The effects of grassland management on plant performance and demography in the perennial herb Primula veris
Authors: BRYS REIN , JACQUEMYN HANS , ENDELS PATRICK , BLUST GEERT DE , HERMY MARTIN
Published: December 2004

Because of changing land‐use practices and abandonment, many European calcareous grasslands are under increasing threat. In order to protect those grasslands that remain, better insights into how plant populations respond to different management scenarios are needed.

Using transition matrix models and life‐table response experiment (LTRE) analysis, the effects of different management strategies (grazing, summer and autumn mowing, and no management) on plant performance and population dynamics of the perennial herb Primula veris (Primulaceae) were experimentally studied. Data were collected between 1999 and 2003 in a species‐rich calcareous grassland.

Early grazing (May) resulted in low population growth rates (λ < 0·860) and a mean annual population decline of 11%. Under these conditions, both the proportion of flowering individuals and flower and seed production per plant were low, resulting in seed limitation overall. However, when grazing started later in the growing season (early July) flowering probability and overall seed set increased, as did population growth rates (λ > 1).

Mowing in autumn (October) was the most favourable management scenario (mean λ= 1·213), resulting in high proportions of flowering individuals and a large seed output. Furthermore, this management yielded optimal conditions for recruitment and seedling establishment during the next growing season.

Summer mowing (mid‐July) resulted in a similar increase of flowering and overall seed shed to autumn mowing, but recruitment rates were lower because of a dense and tall vegetation structure at the time of germination. Consequently, population growth rates (mean λ= 1·045) were lower compared with the autumn mowing regime.

No management of the grassland resulted in low growth rates (λ < 0·843) and a mean annual population decline of 35%, because of high mortality rates of each life stage and a lack of recruitment. Recruitment rates were strongly reduced by lowered flowering probabilities and limited germination possibilities.

Synthesis and applications. This study may enable conservation managers to understand better the effects of time and type of management on population dynamics of P. veris. In order to preserve the remaining populations of this long‐lived species, management interventions can promote flowering and seed shed and reduce productivity of the vegetation by mowing in autumn. Finally, this study has clearly shown that the lack of any management, which is the fate of many abandoned calcareous grassland relicts, will seriously restrict the long‐term survival of P. veris.
Ranking of hair dye substances according to predicted sensitization potency: quantitative structure–activity relationships
Authors: Søsted H. , Basketter D. A. , Estrada E. , Johansen J. D. , Patlewicz G. Y.
Published: December 2004

Allergic contact dermatitis following the use of hair dyes is well known. Many chemicals are used in hair dyes and it is unlikely that all cases of hair dye allergy can be diagnosed by means of patch testing with p‐phenylenediamine (PPD). The objectives of this study are to identify all hair dye substances registered in Europe and to provide their tonnage data. The sensitization potential of each substance was then estimated by using a quantitative structure–activity relationship (QSAR) model and the substances were ranked according to their predicted potency. A cluster analysis was performed in order to help select a number of chemically diverse hair dye substances that could be used in subsequent clinical work. Various information sources, including the Inventory of Cosmetics Ingredients, new regulations on cosmetics, data on total use and ChemId (the Chemical Search Input website provided by the National Library of Medicine), were used in order to identify the names and structures of the hair dyes. A QSAR model, developed with the help of experimental local lymph node assay data and topological sub‐structural molecular descriptors (TOPS‐MODE), was used in order to predict the likely sensitization potential. Predictions for sensitization potential were made for the 229 substances that could be identified by means of a chemical structure, the majority of these hair dyes (75%) being predicted to be strong/moderate sensitizers. Only 22% were predicted to be weak sensitizers and 3% were predicted to be extremely weak or non‐sensitizing. Eight of the most widely used hair dye substances were predicted to be strong/moderate sensitizers, including PPD – which is the most commonly used hair dye allergy marker in patch testing. A cluster analysis by using TOPS‐MODE descriptors as inputs helped us group the hair dye substances according to their chemical similarity. This would facilitate the selection of potential substances for clinical patch testing. A patch‐test series with potent, frequently used, substances representing various chemical clusters is suggested. This may prove useful in diagnosing PPD‐negative patients with symptoms of hair dye allergy and would provide some clinical validation of the QSAR predictions.
Sensitization to propolis in 1255 children undergoing patch testing
Authors: Giusti Francesca , Miglietta Roberta , Pepe Patrizia , Seidenari Stefania
Published: December 2004

To investigate the frequency and the features of contact sensitization to propolis in children, we patch tested 1255 consecutive children suspected of allergic contact dermatitis with propolis 20% petrolatum over an 8‐year period (1995–2002). Positive responses were observed in 5.9% of patch‐tested subjects, with a significantly higher frequency in boys than in girls. The dermatitis was localized mainly on the face, hands and limbs. A significant linear increase in the annual frequency of propolis allergy was noted. Confirming literature data, a significant association with balsam of Peru sensitivity was present in children reacting to propolis, linked to the presence of common constituents in the 2 substances. In conclusion, based on our data, we suggest that propolis should not be used in topical products for children because of its high sensitization rate at the paediatric age.
An attempt to improve diagnostics of contact allergy due to epoxy resin systems. First results of the multicentre study EPOX 2002
Authors: Geier Johannes , Lessmann Holger , Hillen Uwe , Jappe Uta , Dickel Heinrich , Koch Patrick , Frosch Peter J. , Schnuch Axel , Uter Wolfgang
Published: December 2004

Epoxy resin systems (ERSs) are a frequent cause of occupational allergic contact dermatitis. Sensitization occurs not only to the resins, but also to hardeners and reactive diluents. However, only a fraction of the ERS components currently in use are available for patch testing. With the multicentre study EPOX 2002, we attempted to improve diagnostics in this field by patch testing with components currently used in ERSs. During the first study period (October 2002 to July 2003), in addition to commercially available ERS patch test substances, 16 study substances (1 resin, 9 hardeners and 6 reactive diluents) were patch tested in 70 patients with suspected contact allergy due to ERSs and 22 patients with a prior positive patch test reaction to epoxy resin (ER) in the standard series. Most frequently, allergic reactions to ER based on diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A and F were observed (55.2% and 43.7%, respectively). Agreement between positive reactions to both resins, which can be explained by immunological cross‐sensitization and/or coexposure, was substantial [Cohen's kappa 0.65 (95% CI: 0.49–0.80)]. Among the reactive diluents, 1,6‐hexanediol diglycidyl ether (1,6‐HDDGE) and 1,4‐butanediol diglycidyl ether (1,4‐BDDGE) were the most frequent allergens, with 19.5% and 18.4% positive reactions, respectively. Although agreement between positive reactions to 1,6‐HDDGE and 1,4‐BDDGE was even better than with the 2 resins, the sample size is considered too small to decide reliably whether 1,6‐HDDGE alone could serve as a marker allergen for both. Allergic reactions to p‐tert‐butylphenyl glycidyl ether and to phenyl glycidyl ether (PGE) occurred in 11.5% of the patients tested, with only moderate agreement. All patients positive to cresyl glycidyl ether (6.8%) also reacted to PGE. Of the hardeners tested, m‐xylylene diamine was the most frequent allergen (13.8%), followed by isophorone diamine (5.7%). No reactions were observed to several substances, the test concentration of which may have been too low and will be increased in the future.
POOR NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND INFLAMMATION: Anthropometric and Body Composition Assessment in Dialysis Patients
Authors: Chumlea William C.
Published: December 2004

Anthropometric and body composition assessments provide important information about the nutritional status of dialysis patients. Anthropometric measurements describe body size, fatness, and leanness in dialysis patients and have been collected in the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) and HEMO studies. Dialysis patients present special problems for anthropometry, including decreased functional status and increased comorbidity, that challenge nutrition assessment methodology. Recumbent anthropometric techniques are recommended and stature is estimated from knee height. Measures of weight, stature, calf circumference, arm circumference, and triceps and subscapular skinfolds have recently been reported for dialysis patients, who tend to be shorter, lighter, and have less adipose tissue than healthy persons of the same age. The HEMO study anthropometric data provide a clinical reference for assessing the nutritional status of dialysis patients. The most common body composition methods used with dialysis patients are dual energy X‐ray absorptiometry (DEXA), bioelectrical impedance, total body water (TBW), and prediction equations, but they are not recommended for assessment of predialysis patients, as estimates are best obtained postdialysis. The TBW volume used in calculating the dose of dialysis has commonly been predicted from the limited, out‐of‐date equations of Watson, based on nonrepresentative samples. New prediction equations are available for white, black, and Mexican American children and adults. Watson's data are not representative of the TBW of U.S. men and women. The greater TBW in non‐Hispanic black men and women and Mexican American women reflects the greater levels of obesity in the U.S. population.
Effects of Helicobacter pylori Eradication on Platelet Activation and Disease Recurrence in Patients with Acute Coronary Syndromes
Authors: Elizalde J. Ignasi , Pérez‐Pujol Sílvia , Heras Magda , Sionis Alessandro , Casanovas Núria , Martorell Teresa , Lozano Miquel , González Julián , Escolar Ginés , Sanz Ginés , Piqué Josep M.
Published: December 2004

Background.  Platelet activation is consistently observed in animal models of Helicobacter pylori infection and could help to explain the alleged epidemiological association between H. pylori and coronary heart disease.

Materials and Methods.  Ninety‐two patients with recent acute coronary syndromes were enrolled. Helicobacter pylori‐positive patients were randomized to receive a 7‐day course of omeprazole, amoxycillin and metronidazole or placebos. Two months later, H. pylori status was reassessed and baseline parameters, including soluble P‐selectin and platelet surface expression of CD62P, CD63 and CD41, were measured again. Patients were followed‐up for 1 year or until death or readmission.

Results.  No baseline differences were observed between H. pylori‐positive and ‐negative cases. Among H. pylori‐positive patients, 18 received placebo and 31 received active medication resulting in eradication in 21 cases. No differences were observed in inflammatory parameters or platelet activation markers between patients with persistent or resolved H. pylori infection. However, coronary events recurred at 6 and 12 months, respectively, in 35% and 55% of patients with persisting H. pylori infection compared with 10% and 25% of patients in whom H. pylori was either absent or eradicated (p = .01). Only final H. pylori status [RR 3.07 (95% CI 1.35–98)] and number of coronary risk factors [RR 2.58 (95% CI 1.51–4.41)] were independent predictors of recurrence.

Conclusions.  Infection with H. pylori does not induce significant platelet activation in patients treated for coronary disease. Helicobacter pylori‐infected patients, however, may have an increased risk of recurrence of coronary events.
Possible Relationship between Helicobacter pylori Infection and Cap Polyposis of the Colon
Authors: Akamatsu Taiji , Nakamura Naoshi , Kawamura Yoko , Shinji Akihiro , Tateiwa Nobuyuki , Ochi Yasuhide , Katsuyama Tsutomu , Kiyosawa Kendo
Published: December 2004

Background.  Cap polyposis is a rarely encountered disease characterized by multiple distinctive inflammatory colonic polyps located from the rectum to the distal colon. The etiology of this disease is still unknown, and no specific treatment has been established.

Aim.  We report three cases of cap polyposis that were cured following eradication therapy for Helicobacter pylori infection.

Methods and Results.  Three women were referred to Shinshu University Hospital because of mucoid and/or bloody diarrhea. Laboratory data showed hypoproteinemia in all cases; markers of inflammation such as C‐reactive protein were negative. Colonoscopy revealed multiple sessile polyps with mucus adherent on the apices of the mucosal folds in the rectum and/or the sigmoid colon. The intervening mucosa was normal. Microscopic examinations of biopsy specimens taken from sessile polyps revealed inflamed mucosa with elongated tortuous crypts attenuated towards the mucosal surface. A granulation tissue ‘cap’ was observed on the surface of the mucosa. Various treatments were unsuccessful, including administration of metronidazole or prednisolone, avoidance of straining at defecation, and surgical or endoscopic resection. All were diagnosed with H. pylori infection in the stomach. Helicobacter pylori was not detected in the biopsy specimens from the colonic inflammatory polyps by immunohistochemical study using polyclonal anti‐H. pylori antibody. After successful eradication therapy the clinical symptoms improved. Disappearance of cap polyposis was confirmed by colonoscopy in all three cases.

Conclusion.  We speculate that H. pylori infection might play a role in the pathogenesis of cap polyposis.
The Interleukin‐1 RN Polymorphism and Helicobacter pylori Infection in the Development of Duodenal Ulcer
Authors: Hsu Ping‐I , Li Chin‐Ni , Tseng Hui‐Hwa , Lai Kwok‐Hung , Hsu Ping‐Ning , Lo Gin‐Ho , Lo Ching‐Chu , Yeh Jeng‐Jung , Ger Luo‐Ping , Hsiao Michael , Yamaoka Yoshio , Hwang Il‐Ran , Chen Angela
Published: December 2004

Background.  The host genetic factors that determine the clinical outcomes for Helicobacter pylori‐infected individuals remain unclear.

Aims.  To elucidate the relations among interleukin‐1 locus polymorphisms, and H. pylori infection in the development of duodenal ulcers.

Materials and methods.  In a case–control study involving 168 control subjects and 147 patients with duodenal ulcer, biallelic polymorphisms of two interleukin‐1 loci, IL‐1B–511 and IL‐1B+3954, as well as the penta‐allelic variable number of tandem repeats of interleukin‐1 receptor antagonist IL‐1RN, were genotyped, and the H. pylori states of controls and patients were examined.

Results.  Helicobacter pylori infection, male gender and the carriage of IL‐1RN*2 independently increased the risk of duodenal ulcer with odds ratios of 6.4 (95% confidence interval, 3.7–11.0), 1.9 (95% confidence interval, 1.1–3.4) and 2.7 (95% confidence interval, 1.1–6.8), respectively. Statistical analysis revealed an interaction between IL‐1RN*2 and H. pylori infection with the duodenal ulcer risk conferred by the H. pylori infection substantially increased (odds ratios, 22.6; 95% confidence interval, 5.9–86.5) by the carriage of IL‐1RN*2. In addition, a synergistic interaction between IL‐1RN*2 and blood group O existed. The combined risk of H. pylori infection, the carriage of IL‐1RN*2 and blood group O for duodenal ulcer was 27.5 (95% confidence interval, 3.1–243.6).

Conclusions.  This work is the first to verify IL‐1RN*2 as an independent factor that governs the development of duodenal ulcers. Our data indicate that H. pylori infection and IL‐1RN*2 synergistically determine susceptibility to duodenal ulcer. The blood group phenotype is possibly a crucial determinant for the outcome of the impact of an interleukin‐1 locus polymorphism on H. pylori‐infected individuals.
Attractive responses by Monochamus galloprovincialis (Col., Cerambycidae) to host and bark beetle semiochemicals
Authors: Pajares J. A. , Ibeas F. , Díez J. J. , Gallego D.
Published: December 2004

Abstract:  The pine sawyer Monochamus galloprovincialis is the European vector of the recently introduced pine wood nematode. This nematode is the causal organism of pine wilt disease, a serious tree killer in East Asia. Efficacious baits and traps to monitor and control this beetle are now required. The effect of bark beetle (Ips spp.) pheromone components, released individually (ipsenol) or in blends (ipsenol, ipsdienol, cis‐verbenol and methyl‐butenol), together with host volatiles (turpentine or α‐pinene and ethanol) on M. galloprovincialis trap catches has been studied in Spain. A kairomonal response by male and female of M. galloprovincialis to Ips semiochemicals was found. Beetles were more attracted to host blends supplemented with bark beetle pheromones than to host volatiles alone. Ipsenol alone was attractive to pine sawyers, and was synergistic with α‐pinene and ethanol. The full blend of the four Ips semiochemicals and the host compounds was highly attractive. Multiple‐funnel traps were as effective as black cross‐vane traps in capturing this insect when the escape of trapped beetles was prevented. Trapping of non‐target bark beetle predators was also evaluated. The trogossitid Temnochila coerulea and clerid Thanasimus formicarius were kairomonally attracted to and killed in traps baited with bark beetle pheromones. These results suggest that effective monitoring of M. galloprovincialis would be possible by baiting any of these traps with host volatiles and Ips semiochemicals, but reduction of the lure components and trap modification to minimize impact on predators should be considered.
Quality of two aphid species (Rhopalosiphum padiandSitobion avenae) as food for the generalist predatorTachyporus hypnorum(Col., Staphylinidae)
Authors: Kyneb A. , Toft S.
Published: December 2004

Abstract: The quality of two aphid species (Rhopalosiphum padiandSitobion avenae) as food for the staphylinid generalist predatorTachyporus hypnorumwas investigated. Fruit flies (Drosophila melanogaster) were used as prey for comparison.T. hypnorumhas been reported to prey on aphids, to consume large quantities and to show a high preference for aphids. This study showed that compared with fruit flies aphids are not high‐quality prey for neither adult females nor larvae ofT. hypnorum. Larvae were less able to utilize aphids than adult females. Reproduction was affected by both aphid species; a diet ofS. avenaereduced fecundity, and a diet ofR. padireduced egg hatching success and prolonged the time spent in the egg stage compared with a fruit fly diet. For theT. hypnorumlarvae pure diets of bothS. avenaeandR. padiresulted in high larval mortality. Overall ranking of the three prey types based on several fitness parameters differed between larvae and adults. The adult fitness parameters gave rather conflicting rankings of all three prey types though the two aphid species were of approximately the same overall value, whereas the larval fitness parameters gave identical rankings:D. melanogaster > S. avenae > R. padi. In the larval stage survival was greatly reduced by both aphid diets, while this was not the case for the adult females.
Evaluation of extended‐season mating disruption of the Oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lep., Tortricidae) in apples
Authors: Kovanci O. B. , Walgenbach J. F. , Kennedy G. G.
Published: December 2004

Abstract:  Oriental fruit moth Grapholita molesta (Busck) (Lep., Tortricidae) has recently become a key pest of apples throughout the eastern USA. Pheromone‐mediated mating disruption of Oriental fruit moth was successfully used in North Carolina apple orchards in the past few years. However, low levels of late‐season fruit damage occurred in some orchards treated in late May with hand‐applied pheromone dispensers because of inadequate dispenser longevity. To investigate alternative pheromone application schedules for extended mating disruption control, the following pheromone treatments were compared with conventional insecticides in Henderson County (NC) in 2002: late May application of hand‐applied dispensers; late June application of hand‐applied dispensers; late May application of hand‐applied dispensers supplemented with a late August application of sprayable pheromone dispensers; late May application of hand‐applied dispensers which have a longer activity period; and conventional insecticides as a control. All treatments were sprayed with an insecticide at petal fall in late April for thinning and for control of the first generation Oriental fruit moth adults. Pheromone trap catches were significantly reduced in all mating disruption blocks compared with conventional insecticide blocks. Among pheromone treatments, the highest trap captures were recorded in the delayed hand‐applied dispenser treatment in June before treatment. However, the mean percentage fruit damage did not vary with timing of application of hand‐applied dispensers and the type of pheromone dispenser used. Clearly, the combination of each mating disruption treatment with insecticide application against first generation Oriental fruit moth was as effective as the conventional insecticide treatment under moderate population pressure.
Evidence for Host Mediation of Preinfection Stages of Phytophthora infestans on the Leaf Surface of Solanum phureja
Authors: Oyarzún P. J. , Yánez J. , Forbes G. A.
Published: December 2004

Four experiments were carried out to explore the possible relationships between certain preinfection developmental stages of Phytophthora infestans and certain host attributes of the diploid potato species Solanum phureja. Zoospores attached and germinated in a random manner on all leaf surface structures (undifferentiated epidermal cells, veins, trichomes and stomatal complexes). Appressoria and hyphal ramification in epidermal cells occurred more frequently on leaflet tips than on the base of leaflets. This occurred both in susceptible and resistant host varieties. Regardless of location on the leaflet, appressorium formation and hyphal ramification in epidermal cells was more frequent when zoospores had landed near stomatal complexes. Germination of zoospores occurred with similar frequency on resistant and susceptible cultivars, but appressorium formation and hyphal ramification in epidermal cells occurred more frequently on susceptible accessions. Zoospore germ tubes were longer on resistant accessions. These results indicate that appressorium formation may be mediated by host stimuli, and that host–pathogen signalling for preinfection processes is dependent on the host genotype.
Tissue oxygenation monitoring during major pediatric surgery using transcutaneous liver near infrared spectroscopy
Authors: WEISS MARKUS , SCHULZ GABRIELE , TELLER IAN , DULLENKOPF ALEXANDER , KOLAROVA ANNA , SAILER HERRMANN , DILLIER CLAUDIA M. , BUCHER HANS U. , GERBER ANDREAS C. , BAENZIGER OSKAR
Published: December 2004

Background : The aim of the study was to compare liver tissue oxygenation determined by near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with central venous oxygen saturation (SvO2) and intestinal perfusion as measured by gastric intramucosal pH (pHi) in pediatric surgical patients.

Methods : Twenty children undergoing craniofacial surgery with expected major intraoperative blood loss were studied. NIRS tissue oxygenation index (TOILiver) and pHi values were recorded. Arterial blood gas analysis and SvO2 were assessed from periodically taken blood samples. Data are presented as ranges (median) and were compared using linear regression analysis. Sensitivity and specificity of the intra‐individual changes in TOILiver to predict falling SvO2 or pHi values were calculated.

Results : Patients age ranged from 0.79 to 8.27 years (1.92 years). TOILiver ranged from 41.5 to 77.4% (61.5%), gastric pHi from 7.13 to 7.60 (7.37) and SvO2 from 51 to 86% (74%). Among patients only moderate correlation was found between TOILiver and SvO2 (r = 0.594, P < 0.0001) and gastric pHi (r = 0.502, P < 0.0001). Intra‐individual measured TOILiver values, however, demonstrated close correlation with SvO2 values (r = 0.680 to 0.976) but a varying correlation with gastric pHi values (r = 0.055 to 0.972). Sensitivity/specificity of TOILiver to predict decreasing SvO2 or gastric pHi values were 76.4/73.4% and 67.4/62.7% respectively.

Conclusions : TOILiver provided a better trend monitor of central venous oxygen saturation than gastric intramucosal pH. Because of its limited sensitivity and specificity to indicate deterioration of SvO2, liver tissue oxygenation measured by transcutaneous NIRS does not provide additional practical information for clinical management.
Balancing conflicting goals: The big challenge for governments
Authors: Argy Fred
Published: December 2004

Australians are now reaping the economic fruits of two decades of reform and structural change. But they are being asked to turn their backs on egalitarian values once considered untouchable.

This article examines key changes and applies two tests: first, could Australia have achieved broadly the same economic benefits with less equity sacrifice; and, second, did the shift in policy values towards individualism and materialism adequately reflect the community's own preferences and priorities?

The article suggests that the economic and social policy revolution of the last two decades does not fully meet these tests. The policy trade‐offs could have been managed better.
Regulatory independence, public accountability and the Victorian prison system
Authors: Sands Valarie J
Published: December 2004

One of the most frequently used arguments supporting the introduction of privatization into a prison system is that it will strengthen accountability. However, to meet this claim it is maintained that a number of preconditions are necessary—one being independence of the regulator. This article examines the claims made by the Victorian Minister for Corrections that the Seamless System model would provide more independent monitoring and review of Victoria's prisons. Changes to regulatory arrangements are probed to determine if there has been any loss of independence in Victoria's prison system since the introduction of the latest model. It is concluded that the latest restructuring in 2003 of Victoria's part‐privatised prison poses a significant risk for public accountability and requires attention to ensure both the private and the public prisons are held to account.
Focusing on public value: Something new and something old
Authors: Smith RFI
Published: December 2004

This article develops two propositions. First, that the public sector needs new stories that make sense of recent storms of change. Second, that focusing on ‘public value’ helps tell a useful new story.

Much contemporary commentary comes from analysts working within a particular field of thought. However, problems of public policy and management are hard to discipline. Public value is not the property of particular political parties, public service institutions, academic disciplines or professions.

Public value is defined and redefined through social and political interaction. Such interaction involves politicians, officials and communities. Focusing on public value enables one to aggregate issues for scholarly analysis in terms that should also make sense to citizens and communities, political activists and people responsible for delivering public services.

The article argues that: recent agendas for public sector change overlap and that implementation is incomplete; the skills of analysts and activists in the public sector, and in associated sectors delivering public services, need large components of expertise in interpreting ambiguous patterns and the management of complex relationships; and that the cumulative impact of succeeding agendas is to widen the scope of issues in play.

Large components in both reform and agendas have involved bringing the public sector firmly under political control. However, the later emphasis on consultation and participation places political executives under great pressure. The more deliberation is promised the more is demanded. There is increasing pressure for the task of exploring for public value to be shared more widely.

The article develops its key propositions by exploring three main themes: first, the notion of public value and the emphasis in it on search and interaction as a basis for political and managerial leadership; second, the contested impacts of recent agendas of change in the public and other affected sectors which have widened the scope of issues in play but have left key institutional and policy issues unresolved; and, third, a sample of current and emerging issues in which asking questions about public value may help activists, politicians and managers more creatively focus their attention.

Focusing on public value can help communities, service providers and political leaders ask and answer a new and wider range of questions while continuing to learn from recent experience, however complex and contested.