bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ENVIRONMENTAL, ECONOMIC, AND MORAL DIMENSIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY IN THE PETROLEUM INDUSTRY IN AUSTRIAN GALICIA
Authors: FRANK ALISON
Published: March 2011

Fears about the sustainability of oil-rich communities and hopes that petroleum would fuel financial, social, and moral renewal have accompanied the oil industry since its inception in the mid-nineteenth century. With each successive ecological disaster caused by oil spills, debates over the industry's ecological sustainability sharpen. Discussions about the geological sustainability of the petroleum industry intensify when oil supplies tighten, and dissipate when they increase. Although concerns about the moral viability of communities dependent on oil have become radically unfamiliar since the late nineteenth century, these, too, were once central to debates about the effects of oil on human society. In the nineteenth century, the progress that oil promised to bring was to be measured not only in material wealth, but in the attainment of social harmony and the attenuation of political strife.
THE SUBJECT AND THE WORK OF DIFFERENCE: GENDER, SEXUALITY, AND INTELLECTUAL HISTORY
Authors: SANOS SANDRINE
Published: March 2011

In her epilogue, Tracie Matysik argues that “questions of universalism, difference, and morality beyond the law have returned with a new force” (256). Similarly, in hers, Judith Surkis shows how the recent virulent controversies around the headscarf in republican French schools and their attendant legislation have a genealogy in the vibrantfin de siècledebates on pedagogy, secularism, and citizenship (243–8). Few would argue with Surkis and Matysik's contention that contemporary debates on universalism, citizenship, and secularism which haunt Western liberal democracies have a historical past, yet few have explored this past in such an illuminating manner. By reflecting on these issues, both studies illustrate how intellectual history, far from being the abstract and arcane sub-field of history it is still considered by some critics, has contemporary purchase and speaks to a present that must be thought historically. These authors show how (sexual)differenceconstituted a central term in the late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century definition of the nature and social expression of the subject.
Palaeoclimate change drove diversification among isolated mountain refugia in the Australian arid zone
Authors: PEPPER MITZY , FUJITA MATTHEW K. , MORITZ CRAIG , KEOGH J. SCOTT
Published: March 2011

Refugia featured prominently in shaping evolutionary trajectories during repeated cycles of glaciation in the Quaternary, particularly in the Northern Hemisphere. The Southern Hemisphere instead experienced cycles of severe aridification but little is known about the temporal presence and role of refugia for arid‐adapted biota. Isolated mountain ranges located in the Australian arid zone likely provided refugia for many species following Mio/Pliocene (<15 Ma) aridification; however, the evolutionary consequences of the recent development of widespread sand deserts is largely unknown. To test alternative hypotheses of ancient vs. recent isolation, we generated a 10 gene data set to assess divergence history among saxicolous geckos in the genus Heteronotia that have distributions confined to major rocky ranges in the arid zone. Phylogenetic analyses show that each rocky range harbours a divergent lineage, and substantial intraspecific diversity is likely due to topographic complexity in these areas. Old divergences (∼4 Ma) among lineages pre‐date the formation of the geologically young sand deserts (<1 Ma), suggesting that Pliocene climate shifts fractured the distributions of biota long before the spread of the deserts.
A novel Erm monomethyltransferase in antibiotic‐resistant isolates of Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida
Authors: Desmolaize Benoit , Rose Simon , Warrass Ralf , Douthwaite Stephen
Published: March 2011

Mannheimia haemolytica and Pasteurella multocida are aetiological agents commonly associated with respiratory tract infections in cattle. Recent isolates of these pathogens have been shown to be resistant to macrolides and other ribosome‐targeting antibiotics. Direct analysis of the 23S rRNAs by mass spectrometry revealed that nucleotide A2058 is monomethylated, consistent with a Type I erm phenotype conferring macrolide‐lincosamide resistance. The erm resistance determinant was identified by full genome sequencing of isolates. The sequence of this resistance determinant, now termed erm(42), has diverged greatly from all previously characterized erm genes, explaining why it has remained undetected in PCR screening surveys. The sequence of erm(42) is, however, completely conserved in six independent M. haemolytica and P. multocida isolates, suggesting relatively recent gene transfer between these species. Furthermore, the composition of neighbouring chromosomal sequences indicates that erm(42) was acquired from other members of the Pasteurellaceae. Expression of recombinant erm(42) in Escherichia coli demonstrated that the enzyme retains its properties as a monomethyltransferase without any dimethyltransferase activity. Erm(42) is a novel addition to the Erm family: it is phylogenetically distant from the other Erm family members and it is unique in being a bona fide monomethyltransferase that is disseminated between bacterial pathogens.
Reproductive allocation and costs in gynodioecious Leucopogon melaleucoides (Ericaceae): implications for the evolution of gender dimorphism
Authors: Vaughton G. , Ramsey M.
Published: March 2011

In dioecious species, females typically allocate more resources to reproduction and incur greater costs of reproduction than males. In gynodioecious species, sex‐based differences in reproductive allocation (RA) and costs have been less studied. Such knowledge, however, is relevant to address how females establish and increase in frequency in populations. We examine RA and reproductive costs by comparing fruit set, the proportion of biomass allocated to reproduction, and the responses of fruit set and vegetative growth to shoot defoliation in females and hermaphrodites in gynodioecious Leucopogon melaleucoides. Relative to hermaphrodites, females exhibited a two‐fold fruit set advantage. Female fruit set increased proportionately with flower number, but hermaphrodite fruit set was reduced on plants with more flowers. Sex‐based differences in allocation to other traits were small. Thus, female RA at flowering was similar to hermaphrodite RA, but was 1.4‐fold greater at fruiting. Relative to controls, defoliation reduced fruit set and the percentage of shoots that produced new vegetative growth similarly in both sexes. However, females had a lower proportion of shoots with new growth overall. Further, defoliation on females reduced the dry mass of new growth by 44% compared with controls, whereas hermaphrodites were not affected. These results indicate a trade‐off between reproduction and vegetative growth, and greater female costs of reproduction, particularly under resource‐limiting conditions. In the absence of compensatory traits to offset higher female reproductive costs, such trade‐offs have the potential to retard the spread of females in gynodioecious populations.
α1‐adrenoceptor activation induces phosphorylation of β2‐adrenoceptors in human prostate tissue
Authors: Hennenberg Martin , Strittmatter Frank , Walther Sebastian , Hedlund Petter , Andersson Karl‐Erik , Stief Christian G. , Schlenker Boris , Gratzke Christian
Published: March 2011

OBJECTIVE

To test whether β1‐adrenoceptor activation leads to phosphorylation of the β2‐adrenoceptor in human prostate tissue.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Prostate tissue from patients undergoing radical prostatectomy was stimulated in vitro with the α1‐adrenergic agonist phenylephrine (10 µM).

α2‐adrenoceptor phosphorylation at serines 345/346 was studied using Western blot analysis with a phospho‐specific antibody.

The role of second messenger kinases was assessed by studying the effects of the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor Ro 31‐8425 and the protein kinase A (PKA) inhibitor H89 on phenylephrine‐induced phosphorylation.

The expression of G protein‐coupled receptor kinases (GRKs) 2/3 was analysed using quantitative reverse‐transcriptase‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR), Western blot analysis and immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS

Stimulation of prostate tissue with phenylephrine resulted in phosphorylation of the β2‐adrenoceptor (5, 10 and 20 min after stimulation).

This α1‐adrenoceptor‐induced phosphorylation of β2‐adrenoceptors was resistant to inhibition of PKC and PKA.

Changes in phosphorylation levels were not attributable to changes in receptor levels, as these remained constant during stimulation.

RT‐PCR and Western blot analysis showed expression of GRK2/3 in human prostate tissues.

Immunohistochemical staining showed that GRK2/3 expression in human prostate tissue is located to stromal and smooth muscle cells.

CONCLUSIONS

Activation of α1‐adrenoceptors causes phosphorylation of β2‐adrenoceptors in the human prostate. This may enhance α1‐adrenergic contraction and is possibly mediated by GRK2, which is expressed in prostate smooth muscle.

Mutual regulation between different adrenergic receptors might be involved in the therapeutic effects of α1‐blockers in patients with benign prostate hyperplasia.
Integrity and the moral complexity of professional practice
Authors: Edgar Andrew , Pattison Stephen
Published: March 2011

The paper offers an account of integrity as the capacity to deliberate and reflect usefully in the light of context, knowledge, experience, and information (that of self and others) on complex and conflicting factors bearing on action or potential action. Such an account of integrity seeks to encompass the moral complexity and conflict of the professional environment, and the need for compromises in professional practice. In addition, it accepts that humans are social beings who must respect and engage with the moral position of others. This account is contrasted with a more traditional view of integrity as the rigid maintenance of consistency between professional practice and deeply held, but inflexible, moral principles. While this strong sense of moral conviction may be valuable as a source of moral motivation, e.g. in the case of whistle‐blowers, it is equally likely to lead to dogmatism and hubris. Professionals and their organizations are encouraged to foster the more complex and reflective form of integrity.
Integrity: is it still relevant to modern healthcare?
Authors: Tyreman Stephen
Published: March 2011

Personal integrity is often seen as a core value for delivering ethical healthcare. This paper will explore what this might mean and particularly what place integrity has in a multi‐professional healthcare system. Two opposing arguments can be made: the first is that the multi‐professional nature of modern healthcare means that personal integrity is at best a futile luxury and at worst, an obstacle to delivering affordable high‐quality care to large populations. The converse is that without personal integrity healthcare loses its humanity and becomes mere biological and social engineering. Part of the analysis rests on whether integrity is primarily a personally held moral framework or whether it is a social concept. Chester Calhoun's analysis, in which she identifies the integrated‐self, personal identity, and (morally) clean‐hands as three pictures of integrity, is used as the basis for suggesting that integrity is a rich and complex social virtue through which the individual is able to demonstrate their relationship with the values and mores of the communities of which they are members. In addition, I will argue that integrity is not a value itself, but is a framework through which one or more sets of those values that characterize the communities of which the person is a part, can be expressed. Because a person may belong to many communities – nation, gender, religion, family, profession, trade, sport, etc. – each individual has their own unique meta‐set of values that informs their personal sense of integrity. However, in specific circumstances, conflicts may arise between this personal global sense and the set of values associated with one community.
Is systemic thinking really extraneous to common sense?
Authors: Ugazio Valeria , Fellin Lisa , Pennacchio Roberto , Negri Attà , Colciago Francesca
Published: March 2011

Systemic therapists assume, but have not yet proved that ordinary people: (i) normally do not use triadic thinking and (ii) are able, thanks to therapists' interviewing techniques, to construct triadic explanations. To test these assumptions this study analyses the explanations provided by 400 undergraduates of an unexpected piece of behaviour framed in four stimulus situations where the breadth of the observation field was manipulated. The results show that triadic explanations are unusual and increase with the widening of the field of observation from the monad to the triad. It is the ‘enigmatic’ triadic situation – adding a puzzling discrepancy between the actors' forms of behaviour – that elicits more triadic explanations. This suggests that therapists should explore with clients the contradictions disclosed by the widening of the field of observation and support reframings actively co‐constructed with them instead of ‘pre‐packaged’ ones.
Solving complex problems: A convergent approach to cognitive load measurement
Authors: Zheng Robert , Cook Anne
Published: March 2011

The study challenged the current practices in cognitive load measurement involving complex problem solving by manipulating the presence of pictures in multiple rule‐based problem‐solving situations and examining the cognitive load resulting from both off‐line and online measures associated with complex problem solving. Forty‐eight participants were recruited from a subject pool in the Educational Psychology department in a large research university in western USA. Results showed that the presence of pictures had no effect on learners' complex problem solving as measured by the response time and accuracy. However, the online measure (eg, pupillometric measures) revealed a change in cognitive load associated with the presence of pictures in complex problem solving. The authors concluded that different measures of cognitive load may actually be measuring separate aspects of cognitive load. Discussions were made on how research on multimedia learning and cognitive load could be advanced by carefully considering multiple aspects of cognitive load and by including the use of convergent measurement techniques to capture the variations of cognitive load involved in learning.
International Framework Agreements and Industrial Relations Governance: Global Rhetoric versus Local Realities
Authors: Niforou Christina
Published: March 2011

The article discusses the local impact of international framework agreements (IFAs). It presents findings from empirical research carried out in two Spanish MNCs, and it examines how the commitments stipulated by the texts of the IFAs translate in local practice in different subsidiaries in Central and South America. The article follows the policy cycle of both agreements, and it further evaluates them as emerging private institutions of global industrial relations governance. The main findings reveal a paradox. The generic character of IFAs encourages corporate consent for their adoption, but, in practice, it gives precedence to local laws and hence renders the enforcement of compliance difficult, and, in some cases, unfeasible. And where local laws contravene or lack compatibility with International Labour Organization conventions, the central premise of IFAs as instruments of global governance is largely undermined.
Resistance and challenge: competing accounts in aftercare monitoring
Authors: Coffey Michael
Published: March 2011

This article explores a candidate example of competing accounts of aftercare under supervision of a discharged forensic patient and worker in one part of the UK. It is taken from a study involving 59 in‐depth interviews with patients and their workers to investigate community return after detention in forensic psychiatric facilities. Fear of mental illness and associated dangerousness are embodied in discourses surrounding the forensic patient. In living with deviant labels and seeking to establish independence from the psychiatric system patients’ talk demonstrates nascent identity work in an attempt to resist alternative dominant discourses. Workers however deploy occupational knowledge of risk and associated monitoring as the basis for claims of safe aftercare. Both patient and worker accounts are reflexively aware of competing versions and seek to portray the provision of aftercare monitoring in self‐interested ways. Aftercare monitoring and supervision may ostensibly be about integration and rehabilitation but as this study shows risk is an ever‐present concern forming an important backdrop to the attempts of patients to forge new identities and the normalising ideologies of those working with them.
Beliefs and practices about antiretroviral medication: a study of poor urban Kenyans living with HIV/AIDS
Authors: Izugbara Chimaraoke O. , Wekesa Eliud
Published: March 2011

Interest in medication‐taking as a social behaviour is growing. Drawing on qualitative data, this study interrogates beliefs and practices related to antiretroviral therapy (ART) use among urban poor Kenyan people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). Responding PLWHA relied on a range of ingenious strategies to remember to take their medications but did not necessarily perceive compliance with medical instructions as key to treatment efficacy. They also believed that compliance can even hurt some patients. PLWHA relied on both compliance and non‐compliance to seek social acceptance, maintain a reputation of being healthy, dispel rumours about one’s status, and minimise economic vulnerability. Compliance was further used to mark gratitude to supportive caregivers and providers, and non‐compliance to appraise the efficacy of other treatments which promise permanent cure. The medication‐taking practices of poor Kenyan PLWHA reflect their struggles with deprived livelihoods and stigma.
Ambiguous gain: uncertain benefits of service use for dementia carers
Authors: Lloyd Barbara Teresa , Stirling Christine
Published: March 2011

Community services for carers of people with dementia can assist in relieving caregiver burden and delay the institutionalisation of the person with dementia. Under some conditions, however, engagement with dementia services may produce unintended negative consequences, resulting in increased confusion and a reduction of agency for carers. Drawing on an analysis of three salient aspects of caregiver identities, this paper examines specific instances and consequences of ‘ambiguous gain’, defined as ‘a putative or demonstrated benefit that, as an unintended outcome, results in increased uncertainty and a consequent reduction of agency or wellbeing at the level of individual or collective identity’. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for policy and practice.
Winter leaf reddening in ‘evergreen’ species
Authors: Hughes Nicole M.
Published: March 2011

Leaf reddening during autumn in senescing, deciduous tree species has received widespread attention from the public and in the scientific literature, whereas leaf reddening in evergreen species during winter remains largely ignored. Winter reddening can be observed in evergreen herbs, shrubs, vines and trees in Mediterranean, temperate, alpine, and arctic regions, and can persist for several months before dissipating with springtime warming. Yet, little is known about the functional significance of this colour change, or why it occurs in some species but not others. Here, the biochemistry, physiology and ecology associated with winter leaf reddening are reviewed, with special focus on its possible adaptive function. Photoprotection is currently the favoured hypothesis for winter reddening, but alternative explanations have scarcely been explored. Intraspecific reddening generally increases with sunlight incidence, and may also accompany photosynthetic inferiority in photosynthetically ‘weak’ (e.g. low‐nitrogen) individuals. Red leaves tend to show symptoms of shade acclimation relative to green, consistent with a photoprotective function. However, winter‐red and winter‐green species often cohabitate the same high‐light environments, and exhibit similar photosynthetic capacities. The factors dictating interspecific winter leaf colouration therefore remain unclear. Additional outstanding questions and future directions are also highlighted, and possible alternative functions of winter reddening discussed.
Effect of indigestible sugars on nitrogen utilization in adult rabbits
Authors: LI Xiao , MIN Xiao , TSUZUKI Yuta , SAKAGUCHI Ei
Published: March 2011

To determine the effects of indigestible sugars on the digestibilities of nutrients and utilization of nitrogen (N) in adult male rabbits, 12 rabbits with or without a collar that prevented cecotrophy were fed experimental diets for 8 days, comprising 3 days for adaptation and 5 days for collection of feces and urine. The experimental diets were formulated by adding D‐mannitol or citrus pectin to a commercial diet at 60 g/kg. In the rabbits allowed cecotrophy, mannitol increased the absorption of crude ash but did not significantly alter the digestibilities of crude protein (CP), dry matter and acid‐detergent fiber. By contrast, the digestibility of CP was decreased by pectin. The ratios of retained N to consumed N and absorbed N were elevated by mannitol. In the rabbits prevented from cecotrophy, mannitol had no effect on N retention, but increased the N content of cecotrophs (soft feces) and the ratio of the N content of cecotrophs to consumed N. Pectin did not have any significant influences on N retention and the N content of cecotrophs. These results suggest that D‐mannitol stimulates cecal microbial proliferation, thereby improving N utilization in rabbits.
Conjoint Analysis on the Purchase Intent for Traditional Fermented Soy Product (Natto) among Japanese Housewives
Authors: Kimura Atsushi , Kuwazawa Shigetaka , Wada Yuji , Kyutoku Yasushi , Okamoto Masako , Yamaguchi Yui , Masuda Tomohiro , Dan Ippeita
Published: March 2011

Abstract:  The effect of sensory and extrinsic attributes on consumer intentions to purchase the Japanese traditional fermented soybean product natto was evaluated using conjoint analysis. Six attributes with 2 levels each were chosen and manipulated: price (high compared with low), the country of origin of the soybeans (domestic compared with imported), stickiness (strong compared with moderate), smell (rich compared with moderate), attached seasonings (attached compared with no attached seasonings), and the environmental friendliness of the packaging (high compared with low). A fractional factorial design was applied and 8 hypothetical product labels were produced. A sample of 479 Japanese housewives ranked these product labels based on their purchase intentions. Overall purchase intention was affected by country of origin, attached seasonings, and price; those attributes accounted for 81.0%, while the sensory attributes of the product accounted for 19.0% of purchase intents. In order to estimate market segments for the natto products based on consumer preference, a cluster analysis was performed. It identified 4 segments of consumers: 1 oriented to attached seasonings, another conscious of the price, and the other 2 oriented to origins. The behavioral and demographic characteristics of the respondents had a limited influence on segment membership.

Practical Application:  This research was conducted to understand how consumers valuate various sensory and nonsensory product attributes based on their assessment of the overall product in the case of Japanese fermented soy product (natto). The data of this research would be of great importance both in understanding consumer behavior and in designing strategies for product development.
Authenticity of Cypriot Sweet Wine Commandaria Using FT‐IR and Chemometrics
Authors: Ioannou‐Papayianni Elena , Kokkinofta Rebecca I , Theocharis Charis R.
Published: March 2011

Abstract:  FT‐IR spectra of 65 sweet wines produced in Cyprus and other countries were determined, in order to study the authenticity and uniqueness of the Cypriot traditional wine “Commandaria” that is produced from sun‐dried grapes. Different sample preparation methods such as freeze‐drying and nitrogen‐flow concentration and direct analysis were used. The spectra were obtained in transmittance mode from KBr pellets and by using the attenuated total reflectance technique, and analyzed statistically using multivariate chemometric techniques, involving principal component analysis, cluster analysis, linear and regularized discriminant analysis, and classification and regression trees. A nearly correct classification for Commandaria was achieved. Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy and chemometrics were able to differentiate all the types of Commandaria (nonfortified, fortified, and commercial) from various sweet wines from other countries.

Practical Application:  Commandaria is a traditional Cyprus product that was proven to be very popular and economically very important. There is therefore a need to determine its chemical characteristics in order to differentiate it from its competitors and thus enable Cyprus to seek the protection of the name as a regional product. A means of easily distinguishing the genuine product from others mimicking it is also of significant economic interest.
Is quantitative spectral‐domain superior to time‐domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) in eyes with age‐related macular degeneration?
Authors: Eriksson Urban , Alm Albert , Larsson Eva
Published: March 2011

Purpose:  The aim of this study was to determine the variability of macular map measurements, for two generations of optical coherence tomography (OCT) instruments, in eyes with wet age related macular degeneration (AMD) and low visual acuity.

Methods:  Patients were examined with Stratus OCT and Cirrus HD‐OCT. The macular thickness was assessed with the ‘macular thickness map scan’ and ‘fast protocol’ in Stratus and with the 512 × 128 and 200 × 200 cube protocols in Cirrus OCT. Two measurements were taken one directly after the other, at the first visit to analyse repeatability. Approximately 1 week later, a third measurement was taken to analyse reproducibility. In Cirrus OCT, a manual correction of foveal location was also performed. Repeatability and reproducibility were calculated as a coefficient of variance (CoV) and a coefficient of repeatability/reproducibility.

Results:  Repeatability for central macular thickness (expressed as CoV) was about three per cent for all protocols, and the coefficient of repeatability between 34 and 54 μm. Reproducibility (also expressed as CoV) was between four to seven per cent and coefficient of repeatability between 64 and 89 μm. After manual adjustment of foveal location in Cirrus OCT, the coefficient of repeatability improved to 12–18 μm, and the coefficient of reproducibility to 44–47 μm.

Conclusions:  In eyes affected by wet AMD, there were small differences in repeatability and reproducibility when comparing quantitative maps in Stratus and Cirrus OCT. However, when the software for manual correction of foveal position in Cirrus OCT was used, the variability decreased markedly, and the repeatability was close to what had been reported in normal eyes, demonstrating a significant, potential advantage of spectral‐domain over time‐domain OCT.
Acupuncture for Depression: Exploring Model Validity and the Related Issue of Credibility in the Context of Designing a Pragmatic Trial
Authors: Schroer Sylvia , Kanaan Mona , MacPherson Hugh , Adamson Joy
Published: March 2011

Introduction: Evaluating care that is not credible to its practitioners or patients will result in a gap between evidence and practice and the potential value, or harm, of the intervention may be underestimated. Our aim was to develop a pragmatic trial that would have better model validity and credibility than trials to date in this clinical area. Methods: In‐depth interviews; a nominal consensus technique and five arm pilot trial conducted in UK primary care using counseling and usual general practitioner (GP) care as comparisons for acupuncture. Findings: Patients with long standing, severe illness that had not responded, or partially responded to conventional treatments may be interested in using acupuncture and participating in a trial. Using a database method to recruit, pilot trial patients were mostly severely depressed (87.5%); chronically ill (60% with 3+ previous episodes), with high levels of comorbidity, and medication use. Acupuncture was as credible to pilot trial participants as usual GP care and more credible than counseling: most patients (62.5%) preferred to be allocated to acupuncture, rating it more highly at baseline than counseling or usual GP care as potentially able to benefit their depression (P = 0.002). Disparities were identified in the working models of acupuncturists and counselors that suggest inherent differences between interventions in terms of the process and intended potential outcomes of therapy, as well as the interaction between patients and therapists. Conclusion: The Medical Research Council (MRC) framework with its phased, mixed method approach has helped to develop research that has better model validity than trials to date in this field. The next phase of research will need to involve acupuncture and counseling practitioners to help researchers to develop realistic and credible care packages for a full‐scale trial, where patients are likely to be severely and chronically ill.
The fall of the Grimsby meteorite—I: Fireball dynamics and orbit from radar, video, and infrasound records
Authors: BROWN P. , McCAUSLAND P. J. A. , FRIES M. , SILBER E. , EDWARDS W. N. , WONG D. K. , WERYK R. J. , FRIES J. , KRZEMINSKI Z.
Published: March 2011

Abstract– The Grimsby meteorite (H4–6) fell on September 25, 2009. As of mid‐2010, 13 fragments totaling 215 g have been recovered. Records of the accompanying fireball from the Southern Ontario Meteor Network, including six all‐sky video cameras, a large format CCD, infrasound and radar records, have been used to characterize the trajectory, speed, orbit, and initial mass of the meteoroid. From the four highest quality all‐sky video records, the initial entry velocity was 20.91 ± 0.19 km s−1 while the derived radiant has a local azimuth of 309.40° ± 0.19° and entry angle of 55.20° ± 0.13°. Three major fragmentation episodes are identified at 39, 33, and 30 km height, with corresponding uncertainties of approximately 2 km. Evidence for early fragmentation at heights of approximately 70 km is found in radar data; dynamic pressure of this earliest fragmentation is near 0.1 MPa while the main flare at 39 km occurred under ram pressures of 1.5 MPa. The fireball was luminous to at least 19.7 km altitude and the dynamic mass estimate of the largest remaining fragment at this height is approximately several kilograms. The initial mass is constrained to be <100 kg from infrasound data and ablation modeling, with a most probable mass of 20–50 kg. The preatmospheric orbit is typical of an Apollo asteroid with a likely immediate origin in either the 3:1 or ν6 resonances.
Assessment of body fat in the pony: Part I. Relationships between the anatomical distribution of adipose tissue, body composition and body condition
Authors: DUGDALE A. H. A. , CURTIS G. C. , HARRIS P. A. , ARGO C. MC.
Published: March 2011

Reasons for performing study:Evaluation of equine body fat content is important for nutritional and clinical purposes. However, our understanding of total body fat and its regional distribution in the body is sparse. Currently, body fat evaluation relies on the subjective assessment of body condition score (BCS), which has never been validated against ‘gold standard’ chemical analysis or dissection measurements in ponies.

Objectives:To define the relationships between subjective (BCS), objective (morphometric) indices of body fat and ‘gold standard’ measurements of actual body composition.

Hypotheses:BCS and morphometry offer valid, noninvasive methods for determination of body fat in equids.

Methods:Seven mature (mean ± s.e. 13 ± 3 years, 212 ± 14 kg, BCS 1.25–7/9), Welsh Mountain pony mares, destined for euthanasia (for nonresearch purposes), were used. For all ponies, body mass (BM), BCS and various morphometric measurements were recorded. Following euthanasia, all ponies were systematically dissected. Discrete white adipose tissue (WAT) depots were independently described. Gross, body chemical composition was determined by proximate analyses.

Results:Total somatic soft tissues increased linearly (r2= 1.00), whereas body WAT content (1–26% live BM) increased exponentially (r2= 0.96), with BCS. WAT was equally distributed between internal and external sites in all animals irrespective of BCS. Nuchal fat was a poor predictor of total WAT (r2= 0.66). Periorbital WAT did not alter with BCS (r2= 0.01). Heart girth:withers height and ultrasonic retroperitoneal fat depth were closely associated with total, chemically‐extracted lipid which comprised 1–29% live BM (r2= 0.91 and 0.88, respectively).

Conclusions and potential relevance:The exponential relationship between BCS and total body WAT/lipid suggests that BCS is unlikely to be a sensitive index of body fat for animals in moderate‐obese states. Morphometric measurements (body girths and retroperitonel fat depth) may be useful to augment subjective BCS systems.
Endothelin-1 Role in Human Eye: A Review
Authors: Salvatore Serena , Vingolo Enzo Maria
Published: March 2011

Endothelin is a potent vasoactive peptide occurring in three isotypes, ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3. Through its two main receptors, endothelin A and endothelin B, it is responsible for a variety of physiological functions, primarily blood flow control. Recent evidence from both human and animal models shows involvement of endothelin in diabetes, retinal circulation, and optic neuropathies. Increased circulating levels of endothelin-1 (ET-1) have been found in patients with diabetes, and a positive correlation between plasma ET-1 levels and microangiopathy in patients with type-2 diabetes has been demonstrated. In addition to its direct vasoconstrictor effects, enhanced levels of ET-1 may contribute to endothelial dysfunction through inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) production. Experimental studies have shown that chronic ET-1 administration to the optic nerve immediately behind the globe causes neuronal damage, activation of astrocytes, the major glial cell in the anterior optic nerve, and upregulation of endothelin B receptors. This paper outlines the ubiquitous role of endothelin and its potential involvement in ophthalmology.
Disrupted Balance of Angiogenic and Antiangiogenic Signalings in Preeclampsia
Authors: Furuya Mitsuko , Kurasawa Kentaro , Nagahama Kiyotaka , Kawachi Kae , Nozawa Akinori , Takahashi Tsuneo , Aoki Ichiro
Published: March 2011

The placenta plays a central role in governing local circulatory system that mediates maternal condition and fetal growth. In early gestational phases, the placenta exerts properties of invasion and neovascularization for successful placentation. Extravillous invasive trophoblasts replace uterine endometrial vasculature and establish local blood pathway to obtain oxygen and nutrients from the mother. In later phases, the placenta promotes villous angiogenesis and vascular maturation that are finely controlled by angiogenic and antiangiogenic molecules. Among various molecules involved in placental neovascularization, vascular endothelial growth factor receptors (VEGFRs) and angiotensin II receptor type 1 (AT1) mediate important signaling pathways for maternal circulatory system and fetal growth. VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 are functional receptors for placental growth factor (PlGF) and VEGF, respectively, and PlGF-VEGFR1 and VEGF-VEGFR2 interactions are disturbed in many preeclamptic patients by excess amount of soluble form of VEGFR1 (also named sFlt1), a natural PlGF/VEGF antagonist. Recent studies have disclosed that excessive sFlt1 production in the placenta and aberrant AT1 signaling in the mother are closely associated with the pathology of preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). In this paper, neovascularization of the placenta and pathological events associated with disrupted balance between angiogenic and antiangiogenic signaling in preeclampsia are discussed.
Occult Cerebrovascular Disease and Late-Onset Epilepsy: Could Loss of Neurovascular Unit Integrity Be a Viable Model?
Authors: Gibson Lorna M. , Allan Stuart M. , Parkes Laura M. , Emsley Hedley C. A.
Published: March 2011

Late-onset epilepsy (LOE) first occurs after 60 years of age and may be due to occult cerebrovascular disease (CVD) which confers an increased risk of stroke. However, patients with late-onset epilepsy are not currently consistently investigated or treated for cerebrovascular risk factors. We discuss how abnormalities of neurovascular unit
function, namely, changes in regional cerebral blood flow and blood brain barrier
disruption, may be caused by occult cerebrovascular disease but present clinically as
late-onset epilepsy. We describe novel magnetic resonance imaging methods to
detect abnormal neurovascular unit function in subjects with LOE and controls. We hypothesise that occult CVD may cause LOE as a result of neurovascular unit dysfunction.
The Application of Memetic Algorithms for Forearm Crutch Design: A Case Study
Authors: Wu Teresa , Soni Som , Hu Mengqi , Li Fan , Badiru Adedeji
Published: March 2011

Product design has normally been performed by teams, each with expertise in a specific discipline such as material, structural, and electrical systems. Traditionally, each team would use its member′s experience and knowledge to develop the design sequentially. Collaborative design decisions explore the use of optimization methods to solve the design problem incorporating a number of disciplines simultaneously. It is known that such optimized product design is superior to the design found by optimizing each discipline sequentially due to the fact that it enables the exploitation of the interactions between the disciplines. In this paper, a bi‐level decentralized framework based on Memetic Algorithm (MA) is proposed for collaborative design decision making using forearm crutch as the case. Two major decisions are considered: the weight and the strength. We introduce two design agents for each of the decisions. At the system level, one additional agent termed facilitator agent is created. Its main function is to locate the optimal solution for the system objective function which is derived from the Pareto concept. Thus to Pareto optimum for both weight and strength is obtained. It is demonstrated that the proposed model can converge to Pareto solutions.
Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties of the Methanolic Extract of the Stem Bark of Pteleopsis hylodendron (Combretaceae)
Authors: Mokale Kognou Aristide Laurel , Ngono Ngane Rosalie Annie , Kuiate Jules Roger , Koanga Mogtomo Martin Luther , Tchinda Tiabou Alembert , Mouokeu Raymond Simplice , Biyiti Lucie , Amvam Zollo Paul Henri
Published: March 2011

Pteleopsis hylodendron (Combretaceae) is used in Cameroon and West Africa folk medicine for the treatment of various microbial infections (measles, chickenpox, and sexually transmitted diseases). The antibacterial properties of the methanolic extract and fractions from stem bark of Pteleopsis hylodendron were tested against three Gram-positive bacteria and eight Gram-negative bacteria using Agar-well diffusion and Broth microdilution methods. Antioxidant activities of the crude extract and fractions were investigated by DPPH radical scavenging activity and β-carotene-linoleic acid assays. The methanolic extract and some fractions exhibited antibacterial activities that varied between the bacterial species (ID = 0.00–25.00 mm; MIC = 781–12500 μg/mL and 0.24–1000 μg/mL). The activity of the crude extract is, however, very weak compared to the reference antibiotics (MIC = 0.125–128 μg/mL). Two fractions (FE and FF) showed significant activity (MIC = 0.97 μg/mL) while S. aureus ATCC 25922 was almost resistant to all the tested fractions. In addition, the crude extract and some fractions showed good antioxidant potential with inhibition values ranging from 17.53 to 98.79%. These results provide promising baseline information for the potential use of this plant as well as some of the fractions in the treatment of infectious diseases and oxidative stress.
Antibacterial Peptides from Plants: What They Are and How They Probably Work
Authors: Barbosa Pelegrini Patrícia , del Sarto Rafael Perseghini , Silva Osmar Nascimento , Franco Octávio Luiz , Grossi-de-Sa Maria Fátima
Published: March 2011

Plant antibacterial peptides have been isolated from a wide variety of species. They consist of several protein groups with different features, such as the overall charge of the molecule, the content of disulphide bonds, and structural stability under environmental stress. Although the three-dimensional structures of several classes of plant peptides are well determined, the mechanism of action of some of these molecules is still not well defined. However, further studies may provide new evidences for their function on bacterial cell wall. Therefore, this paper focuses on plant peptides that show activity against plant-pathogenic and human-pathogenic bacteria. Furthermore, we describe the folding of several peptides and similarities among their three-dimensional structures. Some hypotheses for their mechanisms of action and attack on the bacterial membrane surface are also proposed.
Encoding Static and Temporal Patterns with a Bidirectional Heteroassociative Memory
Authors: Chartier Sylvain , Boukadoum Mounir
Published: March 2011

Brain‐inspired, artificial neural network approach offers the ability to develop attractors for
each pattern if feedback connections are allowed. It also exhibits great stability and
adaptability with regards to noise and pattern degradation and can perform generalization
tasks. In particular, the Bidirectional Associative Memory (BAM) model has shown great
promise for pattern recognition for its capacity to be trained using a supervised or
unsupervised scheme. This paper describes such a BAM, one that can encode patterns of
real and binary values, perform multistep pattern recognition of variable‐size time series and
accomplish many‐to‐one associations. Moreover, it will be shown that the BAM can be
generalized to multiple associative memories, and that it can be used to store associations
from multiple sources as well. The various behaviors are the result of only topological
rearrangements, and the same learning and transmission functions are kept constant
throughout the models. Therefore, a consistent architecture is used for different tasks, thereby
increasing its practical appeal and modeling importance. Simulations show the BAM′s
various capacities, by using several types of encoding and recall situations.
Evaluation on the Corrosion of the Three Ni-Cr Alloys with Different Composition
Authors: Rao Srinivasa B. , Chowdhary Ramesh
Published: March 2011

Dental casting alloys are widely used in contact with oral tissue for many years now. With the development of new dental alloys over the past 15 years, many questions remain unanswered about their biologic safety. Concepts and current issues concerning the response to the biologic effects of dental casting alloys are presented. In this paper, samples of three commercially available nickel-chrome (Ni-cr) casting alloys (Dentaurum, Bego, Sankin) were taken to assess their corrosion behavior, using potentiodynamic polarization method (electrochemical method) with fusayama artificial saliva as an electrolyte medium to check for their biocompatibility. The parameters for corrosion rate and corrosion resistance were obtained from computer-controlled corrosion schematic instrument, namely, potentiostat through corrosion software (power CV). The results obtained were analyzed by classic Tafel analysis. Statistical analysis was done by Student's -test and ANOVA test. It was concluded that Dentarum and Bego showed satisfactory corrosive behavior, with exception of Sankin which depicted higher corrosion rate and least resistance to corrosion. Thus, the selection of an alloy should be made on the basis of corrosion resistance and biologic data from dental manufactures.
Carbon and Oxygen Isotopic Stratigraphy of Mesoproterozoic Carbonate Sequences (1.6–1.4 Ga) from Yanshan in North China
Authors: Hongwei Kuang , Yongqing Liu , Jiahua Li , Nan Peng , Shunshe Luo , Chao Cen
Published: March 2011

In Yanshan, located in the northern part of North China, Mesoproterozoic carbonate sequences (1.6–1.4 Ga) form a 10, 000 m thick succession in an aulacogen basin. Carbon and oxygen isotope (δ13O and δ18O, resp.) data were obtained from 110 carbonate samples across three sections of these Mesoproterozoic deposits. From the early to late Mesoproterozoic, low negative values of δ13O appear, followed by low positive variation and then a stable increase. An abrupt decrease in δ13O values, with subsequent rapid increase, is found at the end of the Mesoproterozoic. During the whole Mesoproterozoic, δ18O shows a mainly negative trend and occasional highly negative isotopic shifts (from lower to upper deposits). Whole-rock carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions and profiles must be studied to provide a paleogeochemical record that can be associated with paleocean sedimentary environments, temperature, biological productivity, and sea-level fluctuations. Results of the present study correlate well with other international carbon and oxygen isotope profiles, suggesting that a global marine geochemical system existed during the interval of 1.6–1.4 Ga under a globally united tectonic, sedimentary, and geochemical background.
Lifestyle Behaviours and Plasma Vitamin C andβ-Carotene Levels from the ELAN Population (Liège, Belgium)
Authors: Pincemail Joël , Vanbelle Sophie , Degrune Fabien , Cheramy-Bien Jean-Paul , Charlier Corinne , Chapelle Jean-Paul , Giet Didier , Collette George , Albert Adelin , Defraigne Jean-Olivier
Published: March 2011

Several factors, including fruit and vegetables intakes, have been shown to significantly influence the plasma concentrations of the two antioxidants vitamin C and β-carotene. Deficiency levels of 6 mg/L (34.2 μM) for vitamin C and of 0.22 mg/L (0.4 μM) for β-carotene have been suggested below which cardiovascular risk might be increased. The present study performed on 897 presumably healthy subjects aged 40–60 years aimed to examine how modifiable lifestyle factors may be related to vitamin C and/or β-carotene deficiency. Gender, smoking, lack of regular physical activity and of daily fruit consumption (≥2/day), and social status (in particular, unemployment) were found to be significant risk factors for vitamin C deficiency. For β-carotene deficiency, the same factors were identified except social status; moreover, overweight and OC use in women were also found to have a deleterious effect. For non exposed subjects, the probability of developing vitamin C deficiency was 4% in men and 2.4% in women. This probability increased to 66.3% for men and to 44.3% for women (and even to 50.4% under OC use), when all risk factors were present. For β-carotene deficiency, the corresponding probabilities were equal to 29.7% in men and 13.7% in women (no risk factor present), and to 86.1% for men and 69.9% (91.6% for OC use) for women (all factors present), respectively.