bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Caldesmon inhibits both force development and transition of actin monomers from “OFF” to “ON” conformational state by changing its position in thin filaments
Authors: Pronina Olga E. , Makuch Robert , Wrzosek Antoni , Dąbrowska Renata , Borovikov Yurii S.
Published: January 2007

We have investigated the effect of caldesmon on the actin conformational state and its position at force generation in glycerinated fibers upon transformation from relaxation to rigor. F‐actin and caldesmon were labeled with TRITC‐phalloidin or acrylodan, respectively, and the orientation and mobility of the probes were calculated. Transition from relaxation to rigor was accompanied by force development and by the changes in orientation and mobility of TRITC‐phalloidin that were typical for actin monomer transformation from the “OFF” to the “ON” conformational state. In the presence of caldesmon, both the force developed by the fibers and the changes in the orientation and mobility of TRITC‐phalloidin were markedly decreased. In contrast, the orientation and mobility of acrylodan change essentially showed the displacement of the caldesmon molecules and the changes in its mobility. The results are evidence that structure and/or mode of the attachment of caldesmon to actin modulates both the force production and transition of actin monomers from “OFF” to “ON” conformations in the ATPase cycle.
Impact of neonatal cryptosporidial gastroenteritis on epigenetic programming of rat hepatocytes
Authors: Anatskaya Olga V. , Sidorenko Nina V. , Vinogradov Alexander E. , Beyer Tamara V.
Published: January 2007

Inflammation, malnutrition and growth retardation during critical time‐windows of development play a powerful role in ontogenetic programming of the life‐long risk to many adult diseases (including metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes). Cellular mechanisms and the accurate timing and duration of critical periods for the liver remain obscure. To resolve this problem, we developed a postnatal suckling‐weanling rat model of mild, moderate, and acute gastroenteritis challenged by a protozoan parasitic spread throughout the whole world, namely Cryptosporidium parvum. The physiological state of the liver was evaluated by hepatocyte ploidy and protein content that were measured by cytophotometry and image analysis on isolated cells. Hepatocyte ploidy is known to irreversibly increase after stress and is associated with the decrease in liver physiological capacity. Hepatocyte hypertrophy reflects cell functional loading. From our results, cryptosporidiosis is able to provoke a burst in premature hepatocyte polyploidization and hypertrophy (in proportion to parasitic load), and thus plays an important role in epigenetic programming of hepatocyte structure and function. We revealed two sensitive periods in liver growth. The first period (the less sensitive) covers the time before the establishment of homoiothermy, i.e. 6–9 days after birth. The second period (the more sensitive) covers the time of weaning when the change of type of nutrition and the peak of hepatocyte polyploidization and differentiation occurs. Thus, our data provide direct evidence that phenomenon of ontogenetic programming is reflected at the cellular level.
Postnatal development of GABA and calbindin cells and fibers in the prefrontal cortex and basolateral amygdala of gerbils (Meriones unguiculatus)
Authors: Brummelte Susanne , Witte Veronica , Teuchert‐Noodt Gertraud
Published: January 2007

The postnatal maturation of immunohistochemically stained gamma‐amino‐butyric acid (GABA) and calbindin (CB) cells and fibers were quantitatively examined in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the basolateral amygdala (BLA) of the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus). Animals of different ages, ranging from juvenile (postnatal day (PD)14, PD20, PD30), to adolescent (PD70), adult (PD180, PD540) and aged (PD720) were analyzed. Results reveal an increase in GABAergic fiber densities between PD14‐20 in the PFC and the BLA with a concomitant decrease in cell density. After PD70 GABA fiber density slightly decreases again in the BLA, while there is a further slow but significant increase in the PFC between PD70 and PD540. Fibers immunoreactive for the calcium binding‐protein CB, which is predominantly localized in particular GABAergic subpopulations, also accumulate between PD14 and PD20 in the PFC and BLA, while a concomitant decrease in cell density is only seen in the BLA. Both areas reveal a decrease of CB cells between PD30 and PD70, which parallels with a decrease of CB fibers in the PFC. However, there is no particular ‘aging‐effect’ in the fiber or cell densities of GABA or CB in any of the investigated areas in old animals.

In conclusion, we here demonstrate long‐term dynamics in cell and fiber densities of the GABAergic system until late in development which might correspond to the prolonged maturation of other neuroanatomical and functional systems.
An analysis of decentralized collection and processing of end‐of‐life products
Authors: Karakayali Ibrahim , Emir‐Farinas Hülya , Akcali Elif
Published: January 2007

In this study, we analyze decentralized collection and processing operations for end‐of‐life products in durable goods industries. We consider a durable end‐of‐life product from which a particular part can be dismantled and remanufactured, and the remainder of the product can be further processed for part and/or material recovery. Both the quantity of end‐of‐life products available and the demand for remanufactured parts are price‐sensitive. We develop models to determine the optimal acquisition price of the end‐of‐life products and the selling price of the remanufactured parts in centralized as well as remanufacturer‐ and collector‐driven decentralized channels. We discuss how the decentralized channels can be coordinated to attain the end‐of‐life product collection rate that can be achieved in the centralized channel. In the presence of environmental regulations that require an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of durable goods to collect and process its end‐of‐life products, we identify when and why the OEM would prefer a remanufacturer‐ or a collector‐driven channel, i.e., outsource the processing or the collection activity, respectively. From a practical perspective, we show that the OEM should prefer a collector‐driven channel to increase the collection rate, when end‐of‐life products are homogenous. However, we also show that the OEM would prefer a remanufacturer‐driven channel under certain conditions. We also examine how the OEM can increase the quantity of used products collected, when the collection rate in the preferred channel setting falls short of the collection rate mandated by the environmental regulation. When end‐of‐life products are heterogeneous, we observe that the collection rate for all quality groups can be positive in a remanufacturer‐driven channel, whereas the collection rate for some quality groups may be zero. This indicates that the OEM must pay more attention to its outsourcing decision in this case, if the environmental regulation in effect specifies target collection rates for individual quality groups.
Remote control and maintenance outsourcing networks and its applications in supply chain management
Authors: Persona Alessandro , Regattieri Alberto , Pham Hoang , Battini Daria
Published: January 2007

The paper analyzes the impact of e‐business technologies on maintenance management and supply chain operations. The aim of this work is to investigate the network organization level of supply chains in case of remote maintenance application and to understand how maintenance policies are coupled with information technology (IT) solutions. To this purpose two literature reviews are presented: firstly, on the supply chain and network integration, and then on the evolution of maintenance using information technology. Following this, the paper present four specific industrial case‐studies of eMRO network organisation. They have been chosen as reference models from a set of practical applications and pilot tests performed by the authors in different production sectors in the last 5 years. Technology complexity environments, maintenance outsourcing level, and supply chain integration context are discussed for each case‐studies with particular regards to the profitable forms of collaboration provided by the introduction of IT and the Web. This analysis work toward the development of a framework useful to: (1) classify different e‐maintenance systems and understand the relationships between the different members of the network, and (2) identify the variables which can influence the introduction and development of the systems.
Adolescents: those we speak of and those we don't
Authors: Chiland Colette
Published: January 2007

The professionals and the media pay a great deal of attention to adolescents who smoke, who use and abuse alcohol and drugs, who are sexually active, who don't work, and who travel around the world with guitar, long hair and unisex jeans. They are real.

But other adolescents are real too. They resemble those we were and are a silent crowd who do not attract attention.

Perhaps this old fashioned adolescent is still present behind the current claims for independence and behind all the semblance of change. We risk not recognizing the needs of our adolescents if we remain prisoners of our defensive attitudes and counter‐transference, our intolerance, fear, envy and distress.

Adolescence is still a period of growth. Adolescents need protection and support. This responsibility must be taken by parental figures who have to be both solid and survivors, so as to help adolescents “through the doldrums”.
Towards a typology of behaviour patterns among West Indian adolescents
Authors: Louden Delroy M.
Published: January 2007

The internal‐external control dimension (I.E.) derived from social learning theory described two characteristic “world views” or generalized expectancies concerning reinforcement. One group of individuals view the locus of causality for personality relevant events as external. Others view events as products of their own actions. Thus, individuals are conceived as varying along a “Locus of Control” dimension, with the end points labelled internal and external.

In a study of 375 adolescents, the author investigated the prediction of the locus of control and simultaneously self‐esteem. This paper describes four behaviour patterns that occur with some regularity in West Indian adolescents. These categories are relative, not absolute. Nevertheless, most pupils observed in the course of this research displayed certain traits and qualities to such a degree that their behaviour could be viewed as more representative of one of the conceptual categories than others.
Dimensions of the family environment in adolescence
Authors: Tyerman Andrew , Humphrey Michael
Published: January 2007

The Family Environment Scale (Moos, 1974) was completed by 24 youngadolescents newly referred to psychiatric clinics and 24 control subjects from local schools, who were individually matched on several variables. Findings confirmed that the perceptions of the disturbed adolescents were less satisfactory, whether in terms of impaired relationships or restricted opportunities for personal growth. Examples are given of how the Scale might contribute to both clinical practice and research.
Fears of dependence and its value in working with adolescents
Authors: Ryder Richard D. , Parry‐Jones William Ll.
Published: January 2007

Discussion among inexperienced staff working with adolescent patients revealed a number of fears and fantasies about the patients' feelings of dependence upon the therapist. These are listed and types of dependence are described. In adolescence, dependence can have special significance in the context of the establishment of independence from the family. Some advice is given on how dependence can be viewed positively as a valuable therapeutic commodity, which can be utilized for the patient's benefit.
Disruptive adolescents in the school system: comparative effectiveness of helping strategies
Authors: Topping K.J.
Published: January 2007

Large sums of money are often spent on setting up different systems of helping or managing disruptive adolescents in the school system, without reference to objective data on effectiveness. This paper considers 24 alternative systems, scrutinizes the evaluation research on each, and notes that the most expensive systems are not necessarily the most effective. Furthermore, the task of resolving behavioural difficulties may be either under‐or over‐resourced in individual cases, building in either failure or waste. A guide is given to developing a sequence of intervention strategies of known cost‐effectiveness, providing a fail‐safe structure for helping disruptive adolescents in educational settings.
Young offenders and alcohol: A survey of the drinking behaviour of a Borstal population
Authors: Hollin Clive R.
Published: January 2007

The results of a survey, based on previous Scottish studies, of the drinking behaviour of 100 English Borstal trainees are reported. It was found that a large proportion (38 per cent) of the young offenders in the sample reported drinking immediately before committing either their present or a previous offence. Whilst little evidence for different criminal behaviour in this “alcohol group” was found, substantial differences in drinking behaviour were reported and examined. These differences included amount typically drunk, frequency of drunkenness and motivation for drinking. It is suggested that whilst a direct causal relationship between alcohol and crime remains to be satisfactorily proved, the present results strongly indicate the need for alcohol treatment programmes in young offender establishments and seek to contribute towards a basis from which such programmes might be built.
Adolescents' experiences of parental separation and divorce
Authors: Mitchell Ann K.
Published: January 2007

This paper reports preliminary results of interviews with 71 divorced parents and 50 of their adolescent children. The interviews took place five to six years after divorce, and the sample was reasonably representative of divorced Edinburgh families having children aged 10–13 at divorce.

Qualitative analysis shows a lack of explanations to children about the reasons for their parents' separation. The children's feclings are described, together with their experiences of custody and of access or lack of access. Finally, the children's reactions are given to their parents' new partners. Some of the children remain unconvinced of the need for their parents to separate, and some are still sad, and hurt.
An acute anxiety state in an adolescent precipitated by viewing a horror movie
Authors: Mathai John
Published: January 2007

There have been reports of psychological distress in adults after viewing horror films. I report on the presentation and treatment of a 12‐year‐old boy after having viewed a horror film.
Life stress, family support and adolescent disturbance
Authors: Tyerman Andrew , Humpherey Michael
Published: January 2007

Stressful life events over the previous two years were more often reported by a group of 24 young adolescents referred to psychiatric outpatient clinics than by a carefully matched control group. Family support was rated by the patient group as less satisfactory during the same period. These findings taken together suggest that developmental stress is not the only, nor necessarily the most important, source of disturbance in the post‐pubertal years.
EVALUATING COTTON INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT (IPM) FARMER FIELD SCHOOL OUTCOMES USING THE SUSTAINABLE LIVELIHOODS APPROACH IN INDIA
Authors: MANCINI FRANCESCA , VAN BRUGGEN ARIENA H.C. , JIGGINS JANICE L.S.
Published: January 2007

Farmer field schools (FFSs) were conducted in southern India to reduce pesticide input and enhance sustainability of cotton production systems. This study was carried out to determine the additional benefits of FFSs in the social and economic arena, using the sustainable livelihoods (SL) concept to frame the evaluation. Farmers who had participated in the integrated pest management (IPM) FFSs perceived a range of impacts much beyond the adoption of IPM practices. The reduced cost of cultivation allowed for financial recovery from debt and the building of physical assets. IPMFFS households and production systems were perceived by the participants to have become more economically resilient than Non-IPMFFS control groups when faced with adversity. In the participants' view, IPMFFSs also led to enhanced individual and community social well-being, a benefit valued in particular by the women participants. The study tested a new application of the SL conceptual framework as a tool for evaluation.
A Review of Bernard McGinn's The Harvest of Mysticism in Medieval Germany (1300–1500)
Authors: Burrows Mark S.
Published: January 2007

Mysticism is on the rise as a topic of cultural interestand as a part of the burgeoning interest in “spirituality” that has defined the cultural temperament of our times. This shift has had a predictable effect on the kinds of students enrolling in mainline Protestant seminaries, as well on as the interests they bring. All this would have surprised faculty members of an earlier generation. If mysticism was touched upon at all in the seminary curriculum of, say, 1980, it was a topic left to the historians; survey courses in systematic theology generally would not have ventured into such arcane territory. When referred to, sources categorized as mystical—for example, Hildegard of Bingen, Meister Eckhart, Julian of Norwich—were relegated to a shaky status at the fringes of theology; the “real” theological contributors included such great scholastics as Anselm, Aquinas, and Bonaventure. The textbooks used during this period illustrate the point: Williston Walker's standard History of the Christian Church, which appeared in its first edition in 1918 and was in steady use in many theological schools, was significantly revised by a team of historians from Union Theological Seminary only for the fourth edition of 1985. Until that time, the narrative focus moved rather quickly from an exploration of Christian origins and the early fathers to the great Protestant reformers with a relatively cursory overview of the Middle Ages and almost no reference to medieval mystics.
Immanuel Tremellius' 1569 Edition of the Syriac New Testament
Authors: WILKINSON ROBERT J.
Published: January 2007

Tremellius' 1569 edition of the Syriac New Testament was a quite distinctive product of Heidelberg oriental scholarship, very different from other sixteenth-century editions produced by Catholic scholars. Tremellius produced his edition by first reconstructing an historical grammar of Aramaic and then, in the light of this, vocalising the text of Vat. sir. 16 which he took to be more ancient than that of Widmanstetter's editio princeps. Thus in this way he sought to construct the earliest recoverable linguistic and textual form of the Peshitta. The anonymous Specularius dialogus of 1581 is here used for the first time to corroborate this assessment of Tremellius' achievement and to cast light on the confessional polemics his edition provoked.
The Messenger, the Lord, and the Coming Judgement in the Reception History of Malachi 3
Authors: MILLER DAVID M.
Published: January 2007

This article clarifies Luke's portrayal of both John and Jesus as Elijah-like figures by considering how Malachi 3 was interpreted by Ben Sira, 4QMessianic Apocalypse (4Q521) and the LXX. These ancient readers shared with Luke a concern to interpret the prediction of Elijah's return in the context of Malachi 3 even though they reached diverse conclusions. Luke's solution to the puzzle of Malachi 3 involved distinguishing between the Elijah of 1–2 Kings, who is associated with Jesus, and the Elijah of Malachi 3, who is consistently identified with John, the forerunner of the messianic ‘Lord’.
AI EDAM at 20
Authors: BROWN DAVID C.
Published: January 2007

The AI EDAM journal published its first issue in 1987. Now,
amazingly, 20 years later, this issue starts the journal's third
decade.
Engineering design support challenges
Authors: SMITH IAN F.C.
Published: January 2007

After 20 years of personal experience in introducing advanced software
into several engineering contexts (engineering consulting firms,
construction companies, large diversified companies, and commercial
research establishments), some observations may be of interest. Although
some development efforts succeeded and software is still in use, not one
development effort has met the expectations that were expressed at the
beginning of the project. The least successful experiences are design
applications.
A look at the emerging science of innovation
Authors: CAGAN JONATHAN
Published: January 2007

Over the past 20 years I have focused on the synthesis process, the
process of creation, of bringing together ideas and objects to fulfill and
enable needs. Synthesis is a core engineering activity, the partner in the
design and analysis cycle of engineering (and other) design. Synthesis is
the basis of innovation, the enabler of creating that which is new. Over
the past 20 years, research and practice in the area of synthesis and
innovation has become more intricate, more complex, and more complete in
its breadth of exploration and depth of understanding and delivery.
Research in the area that was started over the past 10 to 20 years is now
being commercialized, beginning to impact the way design is practiced. The
state of the art of algorithms, theories, and processes for the computing
basis of synthesis research today can be found in Formal Engineering
Design Synthesis (Antonsson & Cagan, 2001). This discussion is not a review of the
literature or state of the art, but rather my views of the field of
innovation, its emergence into a scientific study, areas of focus for
future research, and some of my experiences in each of these areas.
Building a community
Authors: FENVES STEVEN J.
Published: January 2007

Artificial Intelligence for Engineering Design, Analysis and
Manufacturing has accomplished a lot, but we still have far to go in
building a community. I was reminded of this earlier this year when I
attended a workshop on a topic within the scope of AI EDAM's
coverage. In addition to engineers and educators, workshop speakers
included a linguist studying languages used by professionals, an
ethnographer studying CAD users and a psychologist studying innovation.
All three social scientists started their presentations essentially the
same way:
Intelligent computer-aided design systems: Past 20 years and future
20 years
Authors: TOMIYAMA TETSUO
Published: January 2007

Triggered by expert systems technology, artificial intelligence (AI)
was a silver bullet in the early 1980s. AI seemed to be able to perfectly
solve various problems that involved any intellectual activities. For
instance, MYCIN (Shortliffe, 1976), developed at
Stanford, gave a strong impression that medical doctors could have been
soon supported by a clever consultation system, resulting in more accurate
diagnoses. Inspired by these, also in engineering fields, a variety of
experimental systems for fault diagnosis, planning, selection, and design
were developed, which demonstrated promising possibilities of their
applications.
Neural network material model enhancement: Optimization through selective data removal
Authors: BUTKOVICH JEREMY N. , HASHASH YOUSSEF M.A.
Published: January 2007

Neural network (NN)-based constitutive models have been used increasingly to capture soil constitutive response. When combined with the self-learning simulation (SelfSim) inverse analysis framework, NN models can be used to extract soil behavior when given field measurements of boundary deformations and loads. However, the data sets used to train and repeatedly retrain the NN models are large, and training times, especially when used in SelfSim, are long. A diverse set of stress–strain data is extracted from a simulated braced excavation problem to train a NN-based constitutive model. Several methods for reducing the data set size are proposed and evaluated. Each of these methods selectively removes training data so that the smallest amount of data is used to train the NN. The Gaussian point method removes data based on its position in each finite element in the model. The lattice method removes data so that all remaining points are evenly spaced in stress space. Finally, the loading path method compares the stress–strain history of each Gaussian point and removes points with similar loading histories. Each of these methods shows that a large amount of the training data (up to 94%) can be removed without adversely affecting the performance of the NN model, with the loading path method showing the best and most consistent performance. Model training times are reduced by a factor of 20. The performance of the loading path method is also demonstrated using stress–strain data extracted from a simulated laboratory triaxial compression test with frictional ends.
HUSBAND, WIFE, AND SISTER: MAKING AND REMAKING THE EARLY VICTORIAN FAMILY
Authors: Corbett Mary Jean
Published: January 2007

WITH AMPLE SELECTIONS FROM contemporary family letters, the sixth chapter of E. M. Forster's Marianne Thornton: A Domestic Biography (1956), entitled “Deceased Wife's Sister,” narrates the story of “a fantastic mishap” that the members of his grandparents' generation “could only regard as tragic” (189). After the death of his first wife, Harriet, in 1840, Henry Thornton decided to take another – Harriet's younger sister Emily – and at once, “the situation became very awkward” (190). Having lived with Henry all her life, his sister Marianne “behaved civilly” (190) to Emily Dealtry, who “had continued to frequent the house” after Harriet's demise, helping “to look after her nephew and her nieces” (189), but another Thornton sister, Isabella, “refused to see her anywhere” (190). Spending “vast sums” without success “in trying to get the 1850 bill passed” (192) – a bill that would have repealed the 1835 statute invalidating all such future marriages – Henry closed up the family home and took Emily, her mother, and his own daughters abroad to solemnize the marriage in one of the many European states where these unions were legal. Appalled, the rest of his nine siblings, most of them married, worked to maintain a united front. Upon Henry and Emily's return to England, they prevailed upon the susceptible Marianne to stay away from Battersea Rise, the family home: even “a single visit” from her, Forster's clerical grandfather insisted, “will be magnified into countenance and approval by a leading member of the family: and every artifice be employed to draw others in …. In the mind of society the family may become mixed with the offenders: and real injury be done without any resultant benefit” (214). By this act on the part of “the Master, the Inheritor, who had betrayed his trust,” Forster characterizes the other members of the family as “excluded for ever” from their ancestral home “unless they bent the knee to immorality, which was unthinkable” (205). Marking his own distance from Thornton family values, Forster comments, “to the moralist, so much discomfort will seem appropriate. To the amoralist it will offer yet another example of the cruelty and stupidity of the English law in matters of sex” (210).
“THE TRUTH OF MIDNIGHT”: APOCALYPTIC INSOMNIA IN JAMES THOMSON'S THE CITY OF DREADFUL NIGHT
Authors: Mills Kevin
Published: January 2007

“… of Night, but not of Sleep” James Thomson, The City of Dreadful Night

JAMES (BV) THOMSON'S insomnia is well documented. Bertram Dobell's memoir of the poet makes several mentions of it, as do critics of his work such as Robert Crawford, Edwin Morgan, and William Sharpe. Although widely acknowledged and noted as a significant biographical detail by critics, Thomson's insomnia has not been examined in terms of its relation to the specifically apocalyptic tone in some of his work. It is this curious relationship and its implications for the reading of his long poem The City of Dreadful Night which form the focus of this paper.
A CLUB OF THEIR OWN: THE “LITERARY LADIES,” NEW WOMEN WRITERS, AND FIN-DE-SIÈCLE AUTHORSHIP
Authors: Hughes Linda
Published: January 2007

THE NEW WOMAN was both a discursive formation and a figure produced by materialist history as a result of debates over marriage, sexualities, political rights, labor conditions, life styles, and fashion. Unnamed until 1893 (Tusan 169), the “New Woman” became a lively topic in the press only in 1894 (Schaffer, “‘Nothing’” 39–40), at which point the rhetoric aimed at actual women quickly transformed into attacks on or defense of a literary phenomenon – in part, Ann Ardis suggests, because a literary controversy was less threatening than the prospect of actual social change (12). The “‘props’” attributed to the New Woman by Punch, the preeminent periodical to construct the literary stereotype, included five defining activities: “She smoked, rode a bicycle, frequented women's clubs, read voraciously and wore bloomers” (Miles 247). Scholars have long acknowledged that the New Woman did not suddenly appear but had a pre-history dating back to the 1880s (e.g., Ledger 23). A crucial part of that pre-history in life and in print was the founding of the “Literary Ladies,” a women writers' dining club, in 1889. The club not only represented significant innovation in fin-de-siècle authorship but also, more crucially, precipitated in the press the “props” (bloomers excepted) that would typify – and target – the New Woman from 1894 onward.
From Obesity to Diabetes
Authors: Keller
Published: January 2007

The prevalence of obesity has been increasing dramatically in the last decades in the whole world, not only in industrialized countries but also in developing areas. A major complication of obesity is insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is also rapidly increasing world-wide – reaching a prevalence in adults of approx. 5–6% in Central Europe and in the US, and more than 50% in specific, genetically prone populations. This article reviews pathogenetic mechanisms linking obesity and type 2 diabetes. Emphasis is placed on the observation that excessive amounts of adipocytes are associated with an impairment of insulin sensitivity, a key feature of the "metabolic syndrome". This is a cluster of metabolic abnormalities such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidemia; all of them are enhanced by the presence of visceral (abdominal) obesity and all contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk observed in these patients. Besides release of free fatty acids, adipocytes secrete substances that contribute to peripheral insulin resistance, including adiponectin, resistin, TNF-α and interleukin 6. Increased turnover of free fatty acids interferes with intracellular metabolism of glucose in the muscle, and they exert lipotoxic effect on pancreatic β-cells. The pre-receptor metabolism of cortisol is enhanced in visceral adipose tissue by activation of 11 β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1. A new class of anti-diabetic drugs (thiazolidinediones, or glitazones) bind to peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR-γ) and lower thereby plasma free fatty acids and cytokine production in adipocytes, in addition to a decrease of resistin and an increase in adiponectin observed in animals, resulting in an overall increase in insulin sensitivity and in an improvement of glucose homeostasis. However, the first step to avoid insulin resistance and prevent the development of diabetes should be a reduction in body weight in overweight subjecs, and an increase in physical activity. There are now three published randomized controlled trials demonstrating that in high risk individuals, life style changes with modest weight lost, associated with diminished fat intake and an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption result in marked inhibition of the transition from the prediabetic state to manifest type 2 diabetes.
Olive Oil and Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress
Authors: Mataix  , Ochoa  , Quiles
Published: January 2007

This review summarizes studies on the role of olive oil intake in the prevention and attenuation of mitochondrial oxidative stress derived from several situations such as ageing, physical exercise, treatment with adriamycin or intake of thermally oxidised oils. After more than fifteen years of studies on these issues, results have demonstrated that under different models of oxidative stress the regular intake of virgin olive oil as dietary fat is able to attenuate or increase free radical production at the mitochondrial level to a lower extent than when n-6 polyunsaturated oils are used. In the same way, virgin olive oil leads to better function of the mitochondrial electron transport chain.
Relation of Obesity and Cardiovascular Risk in Spain
Authors: Millán Núñez-Cortés
Published: January 2007

Cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of mortality in Spain. This feature is related with the high prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, particulary high blood pressure, dyslipidaemia, smoking, obesity and diabetes. Otherwise, the association of several risk factors, all related with cardiometabolic risk, is the basis for the increase of individual global cardiovascular risk. We have studied prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors in several epidemiological studies in Spanish adult population, in nine autonomic communities and almost 15000 individuals. The principal objective was to evaluate the impact of obesity and overweight in the others cardiovascular risk factors in order to stablish the relative weight of obesity in individual cardiovascular risk. With our results, this study presents a qualitative-quantitative model to calculate global cardiovascular risk in Spanish population according with the prevalence of different cardiovascular risk factors and the relative risk associated of every one in the same population.
Selected Quality Parameters of Salmon and Meat when Fried with or without Added Fat
Authors: Elmadfa  , Al-Saghir  , Kanzler  , Frisch  , Majchrzak  , Wagner
Published: January 2007

Aim: To determine whether pan-frying (pork, beef and salmon) without oil or with different fats (olive oil, corn oil or a partially hydrogenated plant oil) or steaming (only salmon) have effects on the total fat content, the fatty acid pattern, lipid peroxidation, tocopherols and in particular for salmon on vitamin D3 and astaxanthin. Material and Methods: Pork, beef patties and salmon were pan-fried (6 min each), beef fillet was pan-fried (5 min) with an additional braising period of 90 minutes and salmon was steamed for 12 minutes. Each pan-frying treatment was done with the above mentioned fats and without fat. Total fat was determined gravimetrically, the fatty acid pattern with GC, the tocopherols, astaxanthin and vitamin D3 by using HPLC. Results: The effects on the fat quality and quantity in the final products were related to the pan-frying fat used, however, the power of the outcome was depending on the surface to volume ratio. The highest increase in total fat was observed for pork, followed by the beef patties and the braised beef. The same has been assessed for the fatty acid pattern. Tocopherols changed according to the oil used, in particular γ-tocopherol significantly increased for each preparation after the use of corn oil. Only in pork an increase in lipid oxidation of the oil preparations has been observed. Vitamin D3 in salmon significantly decreased after heat treatment, however a 150 g salmon portion would provide between 13.9 and 14.7 μg Vitamin D3 which is around five times more than the average daily intake. Conclusion: Pan-frying without fat can be recommended for the daily use, since the total fat intake is too high in developed countries and one main task of nutritional recommendations is to reduce the total fat intake. When pan-fried with fat, the choice of the fat is of high importance since it directly influences the quality and the flavour of the final product. In order to increase the fat quality from nutritional point of view only oils of plant or vegetable origin should be used in households. Pan-fried salmon is a good source of Vitamin D3.
The Status and Trends of Obesity in China
Authors: Ge
Published: January 2007

China has witnessed a rapid economic growth over the past two decades and, as the result, the living standard of the Chinese population improved continuously. The prevalence of overweight and obesity has increased consistently in both adults and children during this period of time. The increased prevalence of obesity is associated with the increased affluence, and intense process of urbanization and less active lifestyles. To review the epidemiological information on prevalence of overweight and obesity and drawing up recommendations for developing public health policies and programs for improving the prevention and management of obesity is urgent, because it is already evident that the public health profiles in China are changing dramatically and the risks associated with excess weight gain are particularly profound.
Nonlinear principal component analysis of the tidal dynamics in a shallow sea
Authors: Herman A.
Published: January 2007

A nonlinear, neural‐network‐based extension of the principal component analysis (PCA) is applied to the water level and current fields in a shallow tidal sea at the German North Sea coast. Contrary to the linear PCA, which tends to split patterns in the data among several modes difficult to interpret, the nonlinear PCA enables to identify the nonlinear spatial patterns in the data with only a single mode. The first nonlinear principal component (PC) corresponds well with the joint probability distribution of the linear PCs and can be argued to represent a ‘typical’ tidal cycle in the study area.
Age spot or youthful marking: Origin of Reiner Gamma
Authors: Nicholas Joseph B. , Purucker Michael E. , Sabaka Terence J.
Published: January 2007

The highly magnetic (field magnitudes of 50 nT at 18 km altitude) Reiner Gamma albedo feature on the near side of the moon has been explained in terms of differential space weathering of an old feature, or a recent cometary impact. We investigated this feature using magnetometer data from Lunar Prospector. The minimum magnetization necessary to explain the magnetic field observations varies from 100 A/m for a 10 m thick layer, to 1 A/m for a 1 km thick layer. Magnetic sources appear to lie within a few km of the surface, and be magnetized in a north‐south direction. The strength of the magnetization appears spatially related to the albedo of the feature. These constraints point towards an ancient origin for the magnetic field signal (possibly due to basin impact ejecta), and the origin of the albedo feature as a consequence of retarded ageing under the umbrella of the Reiner Gamma mini‐magnetosphere.
A new satellite retrieval method for precipitable water vapor over land and ocean
Authors: Deeter Merritt N.
Published: January 2007

A fundamentally new method is presented for retrieving precipitable water vapor (PWV) using observations from the Advanced Microwave Scanning Radiometer for EOS (AMSR‐E) satellite instrument. Unlike all existing passive satellite methods, the new technique is applicable both day and night, over ocean and land surfaces, and with little sensitivity to clouds. The method relies on a simple but accurate parameterization for AMSR‐E polarization‐difference signals at 18.7 and 23.8 GHz. Over land, validation is based on comparisons with the SuomiNet network of ground‐based GPS receivers. With quality control measures applied, RMS retrieval errors over land are limited to approximately six mm with a linear correlation coefficient of 0.89. Differences with the operational AMSR‐E oceanic PWV product are typically less than two mm. Products based on the new method should prove valuable in weather and climate research.
Simulation of the evolution of Breidamerkurjökull in the late Holocene
Authors: Nick Faezeh M. , van der Kwast Johannes , Oerlemans Johannes
Published: January 2007

We have simulated the advance and retreat of Breidamerkurjökull, a tidewater glacier in Iceland, by means of a one‐dimensional numerical ice flow model. The calculations were done with two different schemes for iceberg calving, the flotation model and the water depth model. The model simulates the glacier history by an advance into a lake filled by unlithified sediments without the occurrence of calving, followed by a retreat with calving into the excavated lake. The results indicate that the flotation model is not capable of producing the observed glacier retreat into deep water well, whereas the water depth model provides a glacier evolution similar to the observed retreat. The water depth model predicts that Breidamerkurjökull will retreat out of the lake after approximately 100 years under the present climatic conditions.
Mg/Ca temperature calibration for the benthic foraminifer Cibicidoides pachyderma
Authors: Marchitto T. M. , Bryan S. P. , Curry W. B. , McCorkle D. C.
Published: January 2007

The recent development of foraminiferal Mg/Ca as a paleotemperature proxy has enabled the extraction of global ice volume and local salinity from the more traditional paleotemperature proxy δ18O. The benthic foraminiferal genus Cibicidoides is widely used in paleoceanographic reconstructions because of its epifaunal habitat and cosmopolitan distribution, and it has received early attention in Mg/Ca work. However, existing temperature calibrations for Cibicidoides rely heavily on C. pachyderma core top data from one location, Little Bahamas Bank, where authigenic processes and/or reworking may result in elevated warm water Mg/Ca values. Here we present new C. pachyderma Mg/Ca data from a series of 29 high‐quality multicore tops collected in the Florida Straits, spanning a temperature range of 5.8–18.6°C. In contrast to previous calibrations, we find no evidence for a strongly exponential response to temperature. The data are best explained by a linear relationship, with a sensitivity of 0.12 mmol mol−1 per °C.
Evolving standards and infrastructure for systems biology: SBML, SBGN, and BioModels.net
Authors: Hucka Michael
Published: January 2007

Systems biology has arisen through the convergence of theoretical, computational, and mathematical modeling of systems and the need to understand the wealth of information being rapidly generated in biology. Systems biology by its nature requires collaborations between scientists with expertise in biology, chemistry, computer sciences, engineering, mathematics, and physics. Successful integration of these disciplines depends on bringing to bear both social and technological tools: namely, consortia that help forge collaborations and common understanding, software tools that permit analysis of vast and complex data, and agreed-upon standards that enable researchers to communicate and reuse each other's results in practical and unambiguous ways. In this presentation, I will discuss several international projects (SBML, SBGN, and BioModels.net) aimed at addressing the last issue.An important prerequisite for effective sharing of computational models is reaching agreement on how to communicate them, both between software and between humans. The Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) project is an effort to create a machine-readable format for representing computational models at the biochemical reaction level. By supporting SBML as an input and output format, different software tools can operate on the same representation of a model, removing chance for errors in translation and assuring a common starting point for analyses and simulations. SBML has become the most successful effort in this direction so far, with nearly 100 software tools supporting it today.A recently-created sister project is the Systems Biology Graphical Notation (SBGN) project. It addresses the issue of consistent human communication, by attempting to add more rigor and consistency to the graphical network diagrams that often accompany published research on models of biological reaction systems. The real payoff will come when more people and software adopt such a common visual notation and it becomes as familiar to them as circuit schematics are to electronics engineers.Finally, when developing and publishing computational models, it is only natural to want to put them into a database. The BioModels.net project is an effort to (1) provide a free, centralized, publicly-accessible database of human-curated computational models in SBML and other structured formats; (2) define agreed-upon standards for model curation; and (2) define agreed-upon vocabularies for annotating models with connections to biological data resources.
Using electro-magnetic induction technology to identify sampling sites for soil acidity assessment and to determine spatial variability of soil acidity in rice fields
Authors: Dunn B. W. , Beecher H. G.
Published: January 2007

Irrigated agriculture has contributed to increasing topsoil acidity, which in turn can increase acidification of the subsoil. Lime is typically applied at a uniform rate to raise the pH of the soil, with no accounting for the variation in soil acidity that may exist within a field. Current commercial sampling protocols use surface soil composites taken across the whole field or in parts of fields where visual soil differences are apparent. Current liming recommendations may not account for in-field soil pH spatial variability, especially if the variability is not related to visual differences. Three studies were undertaken over 10 fields, to investigate the potential of using electro-magnetic induction instruments (Geonics EM38 and EM31) to target soil sampling in order to identify differences in soil acidity within flood-irrigated fields in southern New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Within individual fields, large differences in surface soil acidity were identified and a strong relationship (r2 = 0.49 to 0.91) between the soil’s apparent electrical conductivity and soil pH was found. It is proposed that fields from southern NSW that have grown rice, be divided into zones to soil sample for acidity assessment, based on EM instrument readings. Proposed ECa levels for the delineation of zones are <80, 80–140 and >140 mS/m for EM31v and <80, 80–110 and >110 mS/m for EM38v. Many rice growers in southern NSW currently have EM maps of their fields. Using these maps to target soil sampling for soil acidity would be a more cost-effective method of determining the spatial variability of soil acidity in a field than grid sampling. Knowledge of the variability of soil acidity within the field would potentially allow the application of appropriate lime rates, relative to soil pH and cation exchange capacity to all parts of the field. This knowledge could make the variable application of lime a cost effective approach, compared with whole field management approaches.
Effects of Dexibuprofen on Platelet Function in Humans
Authors: González-Correa José Antonio , Arrebola María Monsalud , Martín-Salido Eva , Muñoz-Marín Javier , de la Cuesta Felipe Sánchez , De La Cruz José Pedro
Published: January 2007

Background

The aim of the current study is to evaluate the antiplatelet effect of dexibuprofen in healthy volunteers in comparison with low-dose aspirin.

Methods

Healthy volunteers (n = 12) were treated in a crossover manner with 100 mg daily aspirin or with 800 mg daily dexibuprofen. Blood samples were obtained within 24 h; 3, 7, and 14 days after repeated doses; and 24 h after the last dose. In each sample, the authors measured platelet aggregation, thromboxane B2, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1alpha, and nitric oxide.

Results

The antiplatelet effect of dexibuprofen (maximal inhibition of aggregation was 48-55% for adenosine diphosphate and 90-95% for collagen and arachidonic acid) was equal to the effect of aspirin. The main difference between the two drugs was in the degree of recovery of platelet function. The effect of aspirin persisted for 24 h after the last dose (remaining inhibition 50%, respect to the pretreatment value), whereas platelet aggregation had returned to baseline pretreatment values within 24 h after dexibuprofen was stopped.

Conclusions

Both aspirin and dexibuprofen inhibited platelet function with a similar intensity, but dexibuprofen exerted a reversible effect for 24 h after the last dose.