bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Trace element mapping using a high‐resolution scanning X‐ray fluorescence microscope equipped with a Kirkpatrick‐Baez mirror system
Authors: Matsuyama S. , Mimura H. , Katagishi K. , Yumoto H. , Handa S. , Fujii M. , Sano Y. , Shimura M. , Yabashi M. , Nishino Y. , Tamasaku K. , Ishikawa T. , Yamauchi K.
Published: March 2008

We have developed a scanning X‐ray fluorescence microscope (SXFM) using Kirkpatrick‐Baez mirror optics, which enables achromatic and highly efficient focusing, at BL29XUL of SPring‐8. The SXFM enables observations of multielement distributions inside a sample with high resolution and high sensitivity. Previously, we have reported the high spatial resolution of a newly developed SXFM. In the present paper, we focus on the high sensitivity of the SXFM. By observations of fine test patterns using the X‐ray beam probe having a size of 100 × 100 nm2 and an energy of 15 keV, the lower detection limit for the visualization of elemental distributions was investigated. As a result, the lower detection limits were found to be 0.009 fg (gallium) and 0.012 fg (tungsten). Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Do Benign Thyroid Nodules Have Malignant Potential? An Evidence‐Based Review
Authors: Arora Nimmi , Scognamiglio Theresa , Zhu Baixin , Fahey Thomas J.
Published: March 2008

Background

Benign thyroid tumors account for most nodular thyroid disease. Determination of whether a thyroid nodule is benign or malignant is a major clinical dilemma and underlies the decision to proceed to surgery in many patients. Although the accuracy of thyroid nodule fine‐needle aspiration (FNA) has reduced the need for surgery over the years, questions regarding how to follow FNA‐designated benign nodules remain unresolved. This is true at least in part because of uncertainty over whether some benign nodules harbor malignant potential.

Methods

An evidence‐based review of recent clinical, pathologic, and molecular data is presented. A summary of data and observations from our own experience is also provided.

Results

Review of our recent 10‐year experience indicates that 2% of thyroid malignancies arise within a preexisting benign thyroid nodule. In addition, both cytologic and molecular tumor markers, including Gal‐3, CITED1, HBME‐1, Ras, RET/PTC, and PAX8/PPARγ, have been identified in some histopathologically classified benign nodules. Gene expression profiling suggests that follicular adenomas and Hürthle cell adenomas have similarities to both benign and malignant tumors, suggesting that some of these tumors are premalignant. In addition, 10% of surgically excised follicular tumors are encapsulated follicular lesions with nuclear atypia, which have been termed “well‐differentiated tumors of uncertain malignant potential.” The data available suggest that these tumors could be precursors to carcinoma.

Conclusion

Some benign thyroid nodules have malignant potential. Further molecular testing of these tumors can shed light on the pathogenesis of early malignant transformation.
Surgical Treatment of Graves’ Disease: Evidence‐Based Approach
Authors: Stålberg Peter , Svensson Anna , Hessman Ola , Åkerström Göran , Hellman Per
Published: March 2008

Background

The optimal treatment of Graves´ disease (GD) is still controversial. Surgery is one treatment option along with radioactive iodine (RAI) and antithyroid medication. In this evidence‐based review, we examine four issues: (1) Is surgery better than RAI or long‐term antithyroid medication? (2) What is the recommended surgical approach? (3) How does the presence of Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO) influence the role of surgery? (4) What is the role of surgery in children with GD?

Methods

We conducted a systematic review of the literature using evidence‐based criteria regarding these four issues.

Results

(1) There are no recommendations reaching any grade of evidence for which treatment to choose for adults with GD. (2) Total thyroidectomy has complication rates equal to those seen with lesser resections but it has higher cure rates and negligible recurrence rates (Level I–IV data leading to a grade A recommendation). (3) Data support surgery when severe GO is present, but RAI combined with glucocorticoids may be equally safe (Level II–IV data, grade B recommendation). The extent of thyroid resection does not influence the outcome of GO (Level II data, grade B recommendation). (4) Based on the available data, definitive treatment can be advocated for children (Level IV data, grade C recommendation) using either RAI or surgery. No recommendation can be given as to whether RAI or surgery is preferred owing to the lack of studies addressing this issue. Increased cancer risk with RAI in children below the age of 5 years supports surgery in this setting (Level I data, grade A recommendation).

Conclusion

If surgery is considered for definitive management, evidence‐based criteria support total thyroidectomy as the surgical technique of choice for GD. Available evidence also supports surgery in the presence of severe endocrine GO. Children with GD should be treated with an ablative strategy. Whether this is achieved by total thyroidectomy or RAI may still be debatable. Data on long‐term cancer risk are missing or conflicting; and until RAI has proven harmless in children, we continue to recommend surgery in this group.
Process Evaluation of an Intensified Preventive Intervention to Reduce Cardiovascular Risk in General Practices in Deprived Neighbourhoods
Authors: El Fakiri Fatima , Hoes Arno W. , Uitewaal Paul J.M. , Frenken Rianne A.A. , Bruijnzeels Marc A.
Published: March 2008

Background: A RCT, conducted to examine the effectiveness of a structured collaboration in general practice to provide intensified preventive care in patients at high cardiovascular risk yielded no effect in the total group but differences across healthcare centres and ethnic groups become apparent. We conducted a process evaluation to explain these differences.

Methods: We assessed the reach of the target group and whether key intervention components (individual educational sessions, structured team meetings, and risk assessments) were performed as planned (maximum score for protocol completion is 11).

Results: The reach was initially 91%, but only a minority of patients completed the intervention activities as planned. The average score of the number of intervention components was low (5.66 out of 11 (sd 2.8)) and varied between centres (4.84 to 7.40) and ethnic groups (4.89 to 7.38), with team meetings as the least implemented activity conform plan.

Conclusion: This study indicates that adding a practice nurse and a peer health educator to the general practice did not seem to result in the desired collaboration between the healthcare personnel. Further research is needed to investigate the reasons behind the low participation rate of the patients in the intervention.
Evidence of neuroaxonal degeneration in myofascial pain syndrome: A study of neuromuscular jitter by axonal microstimulation
Authors: Chang Chein‐Wei , Chen Yu‐Ren , Chang Kai‐Fong
Published: March 2008

The mechanism of myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is unclear. Previous reports pointed out that pathogenesis of either referred pain or local twitch response in trigger point of MPS is related to the nerve degeneration and disintegration of motor and sensory nerves in spinal cord.

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the evidence of neuromuscular transmission disorders in trigger point muscles of patients with MPS by using stimulated single‐fiber electromyography (SFEMG) examination.

Twenty‐three patients with neck MPS and 16 age‐matched controls attended for the present study. The jitter or mean consecutive difference (MCD) was calculated as the mean of the absolute differences for 30 consecutive interpotential intervals between stimuli and single‐fiber potentials in trapezius and levator scapulae muscles. The relationship between the MCD values and the disease duration was measured.

The results showed significantly increased MCDs in trapezius and levator scapulae muscles in MPS patients. MCD values measured in the trigger point muscles were found to be positively correlated with the disease duration.

The present study with axonal microstimulation and SFEMG demonstrates a prominent evidence of neuroaxonal degeneration and neuromuscular transmission disorders in the trigger point muscles of MPS patients. The mechanism of MPS is possibly implicated with the degeneration of motor neurons.
Fast folding kinetics and stabilization of apo‐cytochrome c
Authors: Borgia Alessandro , Gianni Stefano , Brunori Maurizio , Travaglini-Allocatelli Carlo
Published: March 2008

It is generally accepted that in the c‐type cytochromes the covalently bound heme plays a primary role in the acquisition of the folded state. Here, we show that a stabilized site‐directed variant of apo‐cyt c
551 from Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa‐apocyt F7A/W77F) retains native‐like features in the presence of sodium sulfate even in the absence of heme. By time‐resolved intrinsic fluorescence, we have evidence that Pa‐apocyt F7A/W77F may acquire a compact, native‐like conformation within microseconds. These results challenge current thinking about the role of the heme group in the folding of c‐type cytochromes.
GSK‐3β‐dependent destabilization of cyclin D1 mediates replicational stress‐induced arrest of cell cycle
Authors: Mukherji Atish , Janbandhu Vaibhao C. , Kumar Vijay
Published: March 2008

Chemotherapeutic agents are well known to induce growth arrest of cancerous cells by inducing DNA damage/replicational stress and engaging cellular apoptotic machinery. Our studies on hydroxyurea (HU) recognized cyclin D1 destabilization as the initiator of growth arrest at G1/S‐phase independent of other cell cycle regulators. Cyclin D1 degradation was associated with its phosphorylation at Thr286 by glycogen synthase kinase‐3β and inactivation of Akt kinase. Overexpression of the cyclin D1T286A mutant, or constitutively active Akt, conferred stability to cyclin D1 and helped bypass cell cycle arrest. Thus, growth arrest by HU seems to involve destabilization of cyclin D1 in addition to its well‐established role as ribonucleotide reductase inhibitor.
Coerced Sexual Intercourse Within Marriage: A Clinic‐Based Study of Pregnant Palestinian Refugees in Lebanon
Authors: Khawaja Marwan , Hammoury Nadwa
Published: March 2008

This study examines the correlates of forced sexual intercourse among pregnant refugee women attending an antenatal clinic in Sidon, Lebanon. A total of 349 pregnant women were interviewed during a clinic visit for a prenatal check‐up during the months of June and July 2005. The Abuse Assessment Screen was used to identify cases of abuse. The outcome variable was whether the woman was forced to have sexual intercourse during the past year. One‐quarter of women (26.2%) reported having forced sexual intercourse. Associations between forced sexual intercourse and sociodemographic risk factors were assessed using odds ratios from logistic regression models. Low educational levels and reported fear of husband were significant risk factors for sexual abuse, adjusting for other relevant variables. Age, parity, length of marriage, place of residence, undesired pregnancy, gestational age, consanguinity, and physical violence during last year were not associated with forced sexual intercourse.
The Lived Experience of Widowhood During Pregnancy
Authors: Doherty Mary Ellen , Scannell‐Desch Elizabeth
Published: March 2008

Approximately 7 million women in the United States become widows each year. It is not known how many women are pregnant at the time of their husband's death. This study describes the lived experience of widowhood during pregnancy as defined by 10 widows whose husbands were killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks or while they served in the US military during the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Purposive sampling was used and data were generated using four core questions. The research methodology was phenomenology, and interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved. Eight themes emerged from data analysis: (1) Denying versus dealing with reality: He's not coming home; (2) Navigating pregnancy: Flying solo while running on empty; (3) Planning for birth: Gathering my team; (4) My safety net: A band of sisters; (5) Unplanned journey: A bittersweet homecoming; (6) Being there: Network of family and friends; (7) Not being there: Let down by others; and (8) Re‐creating home: A new normal. These themes described the emotions, vulnerability, challenges, and issues experienced by these women. Women's health care providers can serve as advocates for widows as well as teaching others about the grieving process. This study gave these women who became widowed while pregnant a voice.
The thermal behavior of secondary analcime as leucite derivate and its structural interpretation
Authors: Seryotkin Yu.V. , Bakakin V.V.
Published: March 2008

Two samples of Na-substituted leucite with Na/(Na + K) = 0.74 (1) and 0.89 (2) were studied by dilatometry, thermogravimetry, and X-ray powder diffraction method. Sample 1 is a mixture of analcime and leucite, and sample 2 consists of analcime alone. The miscibility of K+ and Na+ in hydrated analcime is estimated at 15–20 at.% K+. The thermal behavior of the samples varies depending on their Na/K ratio. Dehydrated Na,K-analcime undergoes a trigonal distortion; its structural model is proposed. The earlier recognized difference in the thermal behavior of primary and secondary (obtained from leucite through K+–Na+ exchange) analcimes might be due to the influence of unsubstituted K+.
Magmatic epidote from gabbro
Authors: Korinevskii V.G.
Published: March 2008

Epidote is traditionally considered a mineral indicating metamorphic and metasomatic genesis of rocks. Recently, the magmatic nature of epidote of many granitoid intrusions has been proved. We present the first data on the magmatic origin of epidote, which is one of the rock-forming minerals of anorthite fassaite and biotite-amphibole gabbros. These rocks form block inclusions in the serpentinite melange plate localized in gneisses of the Proterozoic Selyankino strata of the Il’meny Mountains complex in the South Urals. The holocrystalline structure and cenotypal appearance of the epidote gabbros, their gabbro, porphyritic, and ophitic textures, the induction surfaces of synchronous growth between the hosted minerals, the mineral crystal faceting, and high-temperature paragenesis evidence the magmatic origin of the rocks.
Upper mantle structure beneath southern Siberia and Mongolia, from regional seismic tomography
Authors: Kulakov I.Yu.
Published: March 2008

Tomographic inversion of ~130,000 P and ~11,000 S arrivals from 1045 events recorded by the world seismological network (ISC catalog data) has been applied to image the three-dimensional velocity structure of the upper mantle beneath the Baikal rift and Mongolia. The inversion-derived P and S velocity anomalies show a good agreement. At depths above 200 km, low-velocity zones occur along the contours of the high-velocity Siberian craton and in Mongolia and coincide with fields of Cenozoic volcanism. The deeper mantle appears quite homogeneous, with anomalies no greater than 0.5% and a single low-velocity feature beneath the Siberian craton. The tomographic image is poorly consistent with the hypothesis implying the existence of large mantle plumes under Mongolia which has been checked with synthetic tests. According to the tomography-based geodynamic model, volcanism in the East Sayan mountains may be induced by a hot plume rising from beneath the Siberian craton, but the source of volcanism in the area of Hangayn remains open to discussion.
Petroleum potential of the Riphean-Vendian Chunya sedimentary basin in the western Siberian Platform
Authors: Mel’nikov N.V. , Filiptsov Yu.A. , Valchak V.I. , Smirnov E.V. , Borovikova L.V.
Published: March 2008

The petroleum potential of the Riphean-Vendian Chunya sedimentary basin has been explored by seismic reflection profiling and drilling in recent years. The results of the study have been used to estimate the initial hydrocarbon resources in the basin and separately in four oil and gas areas distinguished in Riphean, Lower Vendian, and Vendian-Lower Cambrian reservoirs.
Conditions of formation of ore-geochemical specialization of modern hydrotherms in the Baikal Rift Zone
Authors: Troshin Yu.P. , Lomonosov I.S. , Bryukhanova N.N.
Published: March 2008

Modern hydrotherms of the Baikal Rift Zone (BRZ) are divided according to contents of ore and rare elements and gas composition into: (1) carbonaceous, forming in carbonate rocks, (2) hydrosulfuric and H2S-free nitric and methane, discharged in Cenozoic deposits, and (3) nitric, produced in granitoids. Carbonaceous hydrotherms are enriched in Sr, Ba, Y, Co, and Cr; nitric ones, in Li, Rb, Cs, Mo, W, and other granitophile elements; and hydrosulfuric hydrotherms are saturated with complex metals. High contents of U and associated elements are specific for oxidized nitric alkaline thermal waters and are atypical of carbonaceous ones, and high contents of Au are observed in methane hydrotherms. Separation of ore elements between organic and clayey matter takes place as early as the initial stage of sediment formation. During sediment accumulation, these elements pass into hydrothermal solution in the same separated associations. In oxidizing (Eh ranges from +50 to +260 mV) alkaline medium, U and, obviously, other elements of uranium association, present not only in granitoids but also in the organic matter of sediments, pass into the solution most actively. Alkaline medium (7 < pH < 10) favors the transition of Mo and W from igneous rocks and sediments into the solution. Methane hydrotherms (8 < pH < 9, Eh < –70 mV) can accumulate gold. In strongly reducing (Eh ranges from –200 to –360 mV) alkaline (pH > 8) hydrosulfuric anoxic medium, chalcophile complex metals of the clayey matter of sediments are the most active to pass into the solution. Thus, as Eh decreases and H2S concentration increases, hydrothermal solution extracts various element associations from igneous and sedimentary deposits in the sequence U–Mo, W–Au–Sn, Cu, Pb. In the solution the differentiation of elements continues. Hence, the separation of ore-element associations at the initial stage of sediment formation, long before the hydrothermal activity, is the first track in a chain of processes leading to the differentiation of ore deposits according to formational types. Hydrotherms confined to deep-fault zones contain an endogenous fluid with mantle 3He/4He values close to those in methane and carbonaceous hydrotherms of the Tunka rift depression in the BRZ. According to results of thermodynamic modeling, the fluid consists of CH4, H2O, and CO2 and obviously lacks mantle ore elements, as it was initially of hydrocarbon composition.
The magnetic relaxation effect on TEM responses of a uniform earth
Authors: Kozhevnikov N.O. , Antonov E.Yu.
Published: March 2008

Ungrounded horizontal loop transient responses of uniform conductive and magnetically viscous earth have been simulated using two different codes. One algorithm employs the relationship between viscous magnetization and the magnetic flux it induces in the receiver loop. In the other algorithm, the Helmholtz equation in a boundary-value problem is solved using the Fourier transform with frequency-dependent magnetic permeability. The two solutions are identical for noncoincident loops but differ when the transmitter and receiver loops are closely spaced (at 1 cm or less). In the latter case correct results are provided by the first code. The magnetic relaxation and eddy current responses appear to be independent at conductivities typical of the real subsurface. Therefore, TEM responses of magnetically viscous conductors can be computed using the superposition principle. Although transients change in an intricate way as a function of loop geometry and earth parameters, these changes exhibit certain patterns which may be useful at the stages of exploration and TEM data processing. In configurations where the receiver loop is laid outside the transmitter, the interaction of magnetic relaxation and eddy current decay causes sign reversal in transients. This reversal occurs at late times after an earlier sign reversal due uniquely to eddy current.
Canadian Regional Development: The Quest for Convergence
Authors: James Patrick , Krieckhaus Jonathan
Published: March 2008

Abstract.This article assesses the economic development of Canadian provinces in the context provided by the theory of convergence. Two basic questions will be asked and to some extent answered. First, to what degree do the Canadian provinces reveal convergence over time in terms of general economic performance? Second, what are the implications of convergence theory for Canadian provincial policy? These questions combine to give the article a purpose that is both academic and policy relevant in nature.

Four additional sections make up this article. The first explains the central place of convergence theory within the study of development, most notably as related to peripheries or lagging economies. Second, convergence theory is discussed within the special and interesting setting of the Canadian economy. Third, the research design and data analysis are presented. The results suggest that convergence is serving as a natural and highly robust corrective to regional disparity. Fourth, and finally, conclusions are offered and policy implications derived.

Résumé.Cet article examine le développement économique des provinces canadiennes dans le cadre de la théorie de la convergence. Il pose deux grandes questions, auxquelles il répond en partie. Premièrement, dans quelle mesure les provinces canadiennes présentent-elles une convergence à long terme pour ce qui est de leur performance économique? Deuxièmement, quelles sont les implications de la théorie de la convergence pour les politiques provinciales ? Par ces deux questions, le présent article revêt à la fois une portée académique et une pertinence en matière de politique publique.

L'article comprend également quatre parties. La première explique la place centrale qu'occupe la théorie de la convergence dans l'étude du développement économique, notamment en ce qui concerne les périphéries ou les économies accusant un certain retard. La deuxième discute la théorie de la convergence dans le cadre spécifique et intéressant de l'économie canadienne. La troisième précise le cadre d'analyse et dévoile l'analyse des données. Les résultats démontrent que la convergence représente un correctif naturel et fort efficace des disparités régionales. La quatrième et dernière partie présente les conclusions et quelques implications politiques qui en découlent.
The 1982 Mexican Bank Statization and Unintended Consequences for the Emergence of Neoliberalism
Authors: Marois Thomas
Published: March 2008

Abstract.The 1982 Mexican presidential decision to statize all domestic commercial banks was meant to reset state bank capital relations and salvage some form of state-led capitalism. However, bank statization had the counterintuitive and ultimately unintended consequence of enabling a more rapid transition to neoliberalism, financialization and market-led capitalism than otherwise may have been possible. The implications of this are profound as alternatives to neoliberalism that seek a return to state-led development are ultimately flawed without more collective, local, and substantively democratic calls for the control of credit and, hence, human development.

Résumé.La décision présidentielle mexicaine de 1982 d'étatiser toutes les banques commerciales domestiques avait pour but la reconfiguration des relations capitalistes État-banque afin de récupérer une certaine forme de capitalisme étatique. Or, ce processus eu pour conséquences inattendues l'accélération de la transition au néolibéralisme, à la financiarisation et au capitalisme de marché. Les implications sont profondes pour les alternatives au néolibéralisme qui, cherchant un retour au capitalisme d'État, s'avèrent inefficaces sans un contrôle collectif, local et démocratique du crédit et, par ricochet, du développement humain.
Les Allemands du Québec. Parcours et discours d'une communauté méconnue
Authors: Sturm Klaus
Published: March 2008

Les Allemands du Québec. Parcours et discours d'une communauté méconnue, Manuel Meune, Les Éditions du Méridien, 2003.

Le fait qu'en France, le nouveau Président Nicolas Sarkozy ait proposé et finalement créé un ministère de l'Immigration et l'Identité nationale met en évidence – s'il en est besoin – l'importance des questions et des problèmes qui y sont liés, à l'heure de la mondialisation, même pour une nation aussi vieille et aussi consciente de ses racines que la nation française. Les observations et les analyses que nous propose Manuel Meune dans cet ouvrage sont donc d'une actualité sans cesse renouvelée même si ses données ont été recueillies dans la première moitié des années 1990.
Rural Women's Leadership in Atlantic Canada: Firsthand Perspectives on Local Public Life and Participation in Electoral Politics
Authors: De Clercy Cristine
Published: March 2008

Rural Women's Leadership in Atlantic Canada: Firsthand Perspectives on Local Public Life and Participation in Electoral Politics, Louise Carbert, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2006, pp. 177, index.

In her latest work, Louise Carbert peers beneath the surface of formal electoral processes to explore how rural, female community leaders in Atlantic Canada view politics. She focuses on this group to explain a curious pattern: rural women are much less likely to secure public office than women located in urban areas, and this holds true at all three levels of government. Through interviewing women representing the typical recruitment pool from which political parties draw candidates, the author aims to identify the presence of barriers to female electoral participation specifically salient to rural women. This is no easy task in part because such an objective necessitates sifting through the inconsequential details of grassroots politics to locate and interpret underlying patterns of power. Carbert's approach is innovative and provocative, and many scholars will appreciate this work's inductive method and rich anecdotal basis. At the same time, readers scouting for clear answers may be left frustrated by the work's complex set of conclusions concerning exactly why few rural women successfully navigate the “slushy intersections” of politics, family life and the economic environment in pursuit of a political career.
The Arctic Promise: Legal and Political Autonomy of Greenland and Nunavut
Authors: Brock David M.
Published: March 2008

The Arctic Promise: Legal and Political Autonomy of Greenland and Nunavut, Natalia Loukacheva, Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2007, pp. xii, 255.

Is there political space for a northern vision of governance? This book is a comparative evaluation of Inuit efforts to realize autonomy within the Danish realm and Canadian federation through the creation and evolution of Greenland and Nunavut. A comparative legal and historical analysis is used to make normative claims about Inuit autonomy in these two jurisdictions. The concept of autonomy is defined by the author as “equivalent to self-government in the context of an internal right to self-determination” (6). It is argued that there is no need for Inuit in either territory to pursue a special type of indigenous autonomy because Inuit legal and political aspirations can be realized through existing arrangements. Loukacheva claims, “The Inuit majorities of Nunavut and Greenland in practice are turning de jure territorial forms of governance into de facto indigenous ones” (40). The evidence presented in this book may not constitute the last word on Inuit autonomy, but it sure is provocative.
Les frontières du politique en Amérique latine : Imaginaires et émancipation
Authors: Langlois Denis
Published: March 2008

Les frontières du politique en Amérique latine : Imaginaires et émancipation, André Corten (dir.), avec la collaboration de Vanessa Molina et Julie Girard-Lemay, Paris, Éditions Karthala, 2006, 254 pages.

Divisé en trois parties, la première conceptuelle, la seconde méthodologique et la dernière composée d'études de cas, l'ouvrage Les frontières du politique en Amérique latine se propose de penser autrement le politique et de remettre en question ses “frontières” en développant une réflexion sur les imaginaires. Près d'une vingtaine d'auteurs et auteures ont participé à la rédaction de ce recueil issu d'une rencontre internationale tenue en 2004 sur le thème de la “clôture du politique” et organisée par le Groupe de recherche sur les imaginaires politiques en Amérique latine (GRIPAL) de l'UQAM.
Business and Environmental Politics in Canada
Authors: Andree Peter
Published: March 2008

Business and Environmental Politics in Canada, Douglas MacDonald, Peterborough ON: Broadview Press, 2007, pp. xi, 224.

Whether because of Al Gore, increasingly stern warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change or the strange weather of late, this past year has seen political actors of all stripes—business leaders prominent among them—restate their commitment to the environment. MacDonald's new book is thus a timely contribution, offering a historical perspective that may lead readers to treat the latest round of corporate “greening” with caution. This study of shifting business interests, strategies and power in relation to environmental policy making demonstrates how firms have worked over the last fifty years, notwithstanding public statements and even some sincere efforts to the contrary, to minimize the threats posed by new environmental regulations.
The Logics and Politics of Post-WWII Migration to Western Europe
Authors: Skrobacki Waldemar A.
Published: March 2008

The Logics and Politics of Post-WWII Migration to Western Europe, Anthony M. Messina, New York: Cambridge University Press, 2007, pp. xv, 290.

One of the most contentious and politically sensitive issues in Europe is immigration. The demographic trends indicate that the Old Continent is indeed getting older. To maintain their living standards, Europeans have to either increase birth rates or open the gates to immigrants in an orderly and welcoming way. Yet despite the practicality and, sooner rather than later, the necessity for an open, comprehensive and pro-active immigration policy, European countries are far from having one. At best, they have procedures concerning how to handle foreigners. The main “culprits” for this state of affairs are the people rather than governments. The Europeans, however rational the arguments for increasing immigration may be, are unwilling to embrace it. Paradoxically, those who are most opposed (and vote accordingly) are older people, even though they depend most on a large taxpayer base without which cheques from government-run pension plans would stop flowing eventually and publicly managed health care systems would run out of money.
Longevity of the Permian Emeishan mantle plume (SW China): 1 Ma, 8 Ma or 18 Ma?
Authors: SHELLNUTT J. GREGORY , ZHOU MEI-FU , YAN DAN-PING , WANG YANBIN
Published: March 2008

After the formation of the ~ 260 Ma Emeishan large igneous province, there were two volumetrically minor magmatic pulses at ~ 252 Ma and ~ 242 Ma, respectively. Alkaline mafic dykes intruding both 260 Ma and 252 Ma felsic plutons in the Panxi region, southwestern China, have compositions similar to the Emeishan flood basalts. One dyke is dated using the SHRIMP zircon U–Pb technique at 242 ± 2 Ma, ~ 18 Ma younger than the start of Emeishan magmatism. The dykes have enriched light rare earth element patterns (La/YbN = 4.4–18.8) and trace element patterns similar to the Emeishan flood basalts and average ocean-island basalts. Some trace element ratios of the dykes (Zr/Nb = 3.8–8.2, La/Nb = 0.4–1.7, Ba/La = 7.5–25.6) are somewhat similar to EM1 source material, however, there are differences. Their εNd values (εNd = +2.6 and +2.7) andISr (ISr = 0.704542 and 0.704554) ratios are indicative of a mantle source. Thus Emeishan magmatism may have lasted for almost 20 Ma after the initial eruption. However, geological evidence precludes the possibility that the post-260 Ma magmatic events were directly related to Emeishan magmatism, which began at and ended shortly after 260 Ma. The 252 Ma plutons and 242 Ma dykes represent volumetrically minor melting of the fossil Emeishan plume-head beneath the Yangtze crust. The 252 Ma magmatic event was likely caused by post-flood basalt extension of the Yangtze crust, whereas the 242 Ma event was caused by decompressional melting associated with the collision between the South China and North China blocks during the Middle Triassic.
Attosecond electron pulses from interference of above-threshold de Broglie waves
Authors: Varró S. , Farkas Gy.
Published: March 2008

It is shown that the above-threshold electron de Broglie waves, generated by an intense laser pulse at a metal surface are interfering to yield attosecond electron pulses. This interference of the de Broglie waves is an analog on of the superposition of high harmonics generated from rare gas atoms, resulting in trains of attosecond light pulses. Our model is based on the Floquet analysis of the inelastic electron scattering on the oscillating double-layer potential, generated by the incoming laser field of long duration at the metal surface. Owing to the inherent kinematic dispersion, the propagation of attosecond de Broglie waves in vacuum is very different from that of attosecond light pulses, which propagate without changing shape. The clean attosecond structure of the current at the immediate vicinity of the metal surface is largely degraded due to the propagation, but it partially recovers at certain distances from the surface. Accordingly, above the metal surface, there exist “collapse bands,” where the electron current is erratic or noise-like, and there exist “revival layers,” where the electron current consist of ultrashort pulses of about 250 attosecond durations in the parameter range we considered. The maximum value of the current densities of such ultrashort electron pulses has been estimated to be on order of couple of tenth of mA/cm2. The attosecond structure of the electron photocurrent can perhaps be used for monitoring ultrafast relaxation processes in single atoms or in condensed matter.
Does cardioplegia leave room for postconditioning in paediatric cardiac surgery?
Authors: Luo Wanjun , Li Bei , Lin Guoqiang , Chen Ri , Huang Rimao
Published: March 2008

Background

Postconditioning by brief episodes of ischaemia performed just at the time of reperfusion have been shown to reduce the size of infarcts in animal models, and in the clinical setting of percutaneous cardiac intervention. The clinical applicability of postconditioning in cardiac surgery remains to be determined. We investigated the effect of postconditioning on myocardial protection in children undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods

We randomly assigned 40 patients scheduled for surgical correction of congenitally malformed hearts under cold blood cardioplegic arrest to postconditioning or control treatment. Postconditioning was performed by two cycles of 30 seconds ischaemia and 30 seconds reperfusion using aortic reclamping, and declamping started 30 seconds after cardioplegic arrest. We assayed creatine kinase-MB, troponin I, transcardiac release of lactate and neutrophil counts.

Results

The types of procedure, age, bypass and aortic cross-clamping times were similar in both groups. The postoperative peaks of creatine kinase-MB and troponin I were lower after aortic de-clamping in the postconditioned patients compared with their controls (128 ± 48 units per liter as opposed to 199 ± 79 units per liter, p = 0.016, and 0.34 ± 0.21 nanograms per milliliter as opposed to 0.61 ± 0.53 nanograms per milliliter, p = 0.05), with reduced inotropic scores in those submitted to postconditioning compared with their controls (4.8 ± 3.1 versus 2.3 ± 1.5, p = 0.036). Transcardiac release of lactate was reduced in the postconditioned patients compared with their controls (0.10 ± 0.27 as opposed to 0.37 ± 0.43 millimols per liter, p = 0.048). No differences between groups were found for transcardiac neutrophil count during reperfusion (10.8 ± 6.3% for postconditioning versus 14.0 ± 8.7% for controls, p = 0.48).

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates that postconditioning may protect the myocardium of children undergoing cold blood cardioplegic arrest. These data support the need for a larger clinical trial of postconditiong in children undergoing cardiac surgery.
Iron status of adolescent girls from two boarding schools in southern Benin
Authors: Alaofè Halimatou , Zee John , Dossa Romain , O’Brien Huguette Turgeon
Published: March 2008

Iron deficiency (ID) is the most prevalent micronutrient deficiency in the world, particularly in developing countries. Blood samples and a qualitative FFQ on Fe- and vitamin C-rich foods were obtained in 180 adolescent girls aged 12 to 17 years living in two boarding schools from south Benin. ID, defined as serum ferritin either <20μg/l or 20–50μg/l, plus two of the following parameters: serum Fe<11μmol/l, total iron-binding capacity>73μmol/l or transferrin saturation<20%, was found in 32% of subjects. Anaemia (Hb<120g/l) was found in 51% of adolescents, while 24% suffered from iron-deficiency anaemia (IDA) (ID and Hb<20g/l). After adjusting for confounding factors (age, mother's and father's occupation, household size) in a logistic regression equation, subjects having a low meat consumption (beef, mutton, pork) (<4 times/week) were more than twice as likely to suffer from ID (OR=2·43; 95% CI 1·72, 3·35;P=0·04). Adolescents consuming less fruits (<4 times/week) also had a higher likelihood of suffering from ID (OR=1·53; 95% CI 1·31, 2·80;P=0·03). Finally, subjects whose meat consumption was low were twice as likely to suffer from IDA (OR=2·24; 95% CI 1·01, 4·96;P=0·04). The prevalence of ID represents an important health problem in these Beninese adolescent girls. A higher consumption of Fe-rich foods and of promoters of Fe absorption (meat factor and vitamin C) is recommended to prevent ID deficiency in these subjects.
Refinement and validation of an FFQ developed to estimate macro- and micronutrient intakes in a south Indian population
Authors: Iqbal Romaina , Ajayan Kamalasanan , Bharathi Ankalmadagu V , Zhang Xiaohe , Islam Shofiqul , Soman Chitthakkudam R , Merchant Anwar T
Published: March 2008

Objective

Potential error sources in nutrient estimation with the FFQ include inaccurate or biased recall and overestimation or underestimation of intake due to too many or too few items on the FFQ, respectively. Here we report the refinement of an FFQ that overestimated nutrient intake and its validation against multiple 24 h recalls.

Study design

Data on 2527 participants in south India (Trivandrum) were available for the original FFQ (OFFQ) that overestimated nutrient intake (132 food items). After excluding participants with implausible energy intake estimates (<2·72 MJ/d (<650 kcal/d), >15·69 MJ/d (>3750 kcal/d)) we ran stepwise regression analyses with selected nutrients as the outcomes and food intake (servings/d) as predictor variables (n1867). From these results and expert consultation we refined the FFQ (RFFQ), and validated it by comparing intakes obtained with it and the mean of two 24 h recalls among 100 participants.

Results

The OFFQ overestimated usual daily nutrient intake before and after exclusions [for energy: 13·39 (sd5·46) MJ (3201 (sd1305) kcal) and 10·96 (sd2·65) MJ (2619 (sd634) kcal), respectively]. In stepwise analyses, fifty-seven food items explained 90 % of the variance in nutrients; we retained thirteen food items because participants consumed them at least twice monthly and twelve food items that local nutritionists recommended. Mean energy intake estimated from the RFFQ (eighty-two food items) was 7·94 (sd2·05) MJ (1897 (sd489) kcal). The de-attenuated correlations between mean 24 h recall and RFFQ intakes ranged from 0·25 (vitamin A) to 0·82 (fat).

Conclusion

We refined an FFQ that overestimated nutrient intake by shortening and redesigning, and validated it by comparisons with 24 h dietary recall data.
Liberalism, civilisation and the (non-)oxymoronic limits of tolerance
Authors: Vakulenko Anastasia
Published: March 2008

In a 2002 interview exploring the darker side of modern Western secularism, Talal Asad suggested that instead of trying to fit contemporary Islam within the liberal secular paradigm we might want to ask, ‘What exactly does the liberal mean by tolerance?’ (Shaikh, 2002). Despite the overwhelming abundance of literature conceptualising liberal tolerance, Wendy Brown’s latest book shows that Asad’s question is far from commonplace or rhetorical.Regulating Aversiondissects the anatomy of contemporary liberal discourse of tolerance, challenging the truism that tolerance is an unconditional transcendental virtue, something that has for so long been taken for granted.
Bills of Rights as process: the Canadian experience
Authors: Smith Anne
Published: March 2008

This article seeks to address a specific aspect of Bills of Rights that tends to be neglected in the literature. That is, the process of how Bills of Rights are drafted. In particular it focuses on the drafting of a particular right-equality with a view to identifying if there is a link between: (a) the manner of how an equality provision is drafted and securing legitimacy of the final product; (b) whether a participative process can influence the formulation and articulation of an equality provision; and finally (c) if the ‘people’ have spoken through this document, does this encourage the judges to take a less restrictive approach in interpreting the equality provision? This task is undertaken by drawing upon the Canadian experience, which then will be used to draw out lessons for those jurisdictions where the process of drafting an equality provision in a Bill of Rights is under way. The article is supported in its conclusions by a series of semi-structured interviews with key players involved in the drafting and interpretation of the equality provision in the Canadian Charter.
The autonomy of the political and the dissolution of the Jews
Authors: Seymour David M.
Published: March 2008

This essay argues that the more the state or the political is treated as autonomous the more the specific conception and history of Jews dissolves into a universalised and universalistic category. From this perspective, the emancipatory rights granted to Jews appear as exercises of an arbitrary sovereign power rather than the product and compromises of diverse interests in which Jews are present. This thesis is articulated through a discussion and comparison of two anti-emancipationist radical thinkers; Bruno Bauer and Girogio Agambem. Where Bauer demands the Jews’ emancipation from Judaism as a precondition for the granting of rights, Agamben dissolves the specific Jewish dimension of the Holocaust into a universalist notion of domination and the figure of the Musselman. I conclude by noting that, in the wake of this dissolution, any reference to Jewish specificity, even in death, can be interpreted as the Jews demanding ‘special privileges’ over and above others, thereby running the risk of the Holocaust taking its place in the chain of the antisemitic imagination.
Rapid and Efficient Selection of Yeast Displaying a Target Protein Using Thermo‐responsive Magnetic Nanoparticles
Authors: Fukuda Nobuo , Ishii Jun , Tanaka Tsutomu , Fukuda Hideki , Ohnishi Noriyuki , Kondo Akihiko
Published: March 2008

Magnetic separation provides a relatively quick and easy‐to‐use method for cell isolation and protein purification. We have developed a rapid and efficient procedure to isolate yeast cells displaying a target polypeptide, namely, the Staphylococcus aureus ZZ domain, which serves as s model for protein interactions and can bind immunoglobulin G (IgG). We optimized selection of ZZ‐displaying yeast cells using thermoresponsive magnetic nanoparticles. A model library was prepared by mixing various proportions of target yeast displaying the ZZ domain with control cells. Target cells in the model library that bound to the ZZ‐specific binding partner, biotinylated IgG, were selected with biotinylated thermoresponsive magnetic nanoparticles using the biotin‐avidin sandwich system. We determined ZZ expression levels and optimized the concentrations of both magnetic nanoparticles and avidin for efficient selection of target cells. After optimization, we successfully enriched the target cell population 4700‐fold in a single round of selection. Moreover, only two rounds of selection were required to enrich the target cell population from 0.001% to nearly 100%. Our results suggest that magnetic separation will be useful for efficient exploration of novel protein‐protein interactions and rapid isolation of biomolecules with novel functions.
Application of a fully‐integrated surface‐subsurface flow model at the watershed‐scale: A case study
Authors: Jones J. P. , Sudicky E. A. , McLaren R. G.
Published: March 2008

Results are presented in which a physically‐based, three‐dimensional model that fully integrates surface and variably‐saturated subsurface flow processes is applied to the 75 km2 Laurel Creek Watershed within the Grand River basin in Southern Ontario, Canada. The primary objective of this study is to gauge the model's ability to reproduce surface and subsurface hydrodynamic processes at the watershed scale. Our objective was first accomplished by calibrating the steady‐state subsurface portion of the system to 50 observation wells where hydraulic head data were available, while simultaneously matching the stream baseflow discharge. The level of agreement between the observed and computed subsurface hydraulic head values, baseflow discharge and the spatial pattern of the surface drainage network indicates that the model captures the essence of the surface‐subsurface hydraulic characteristics of the watershed. The calibrated model is then subjected to two time series of input rainfall data and the calculated discharge hydrographs are compared to the observed rainfall‐runoff responses. The calculated and observed rainfall‐runoff responses were shown to agree moderately well for both rainfall data series that were utilized. Additionally, the spatial and temporal responses of the watershed with respect to the overland flow areas contributing to streamflow and the surface‐subsurface exchange fluxes across the land surface during rainfall inundation and subsequent drainage phases demonstrate the dynamic nature of the interaction occurring between the surface and subsurface hydrologic regimes. Overall, it is concluded that it is feasible to apply a fully‐integrated, surface/variably‐saturated subsurface flow model at the watershed scale and possibly larger scales.
Towards understanding global variability in ocean carbon‐13
Authors: Tagliabue Alessandro , Bopp Laurent
Published: March 2008

We include a prognostic parameterization of carbon‐13 into a global ocean‐biogeochemistry model to investigate the spatiotemporal variability in ocean carbon‐13 between 1860 and 2000. Carbon‐13 was included in all 10 existing carbon pools, with dynamic fractionations occurring during photosynthesis, gas exchange and carbonate chemistry. We find that ocean distributions of δ13CDIC at any point in time are controlled by the interplay between biological fractionation, gas exchange, and ocean mixing. In particular, the deep ocean δ13CDIC is sensitive (by > 0.5‰) to the degree of ocean ventilation. On interannual timescales, although the variability in δ13CDIC is a first order function of the atmospheric δ13CO2 and overall carbon flux, the spatial distributions are controlled by the degree to which surface waters are exposed to the atmosphere. The δ13CPOC is highly sensitive to the species of inorganic carbon assimilated during photosynthesis (by 10 to 17‰), as well as the intrinsic growth rate and in situ [CO2(aq)], suggesting that phytoplankton utilize both HCO3− and CO2(aq). The relationship between Δδ13CDIC and anthropogenic carbon (Cant) varies by ±70% regionally and circulation and biotic effects can influence estimates of Cant that are based on Δδ13CDIC.