bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Use of Surrogates to Predict the Stressor Response of Imperiled Species
Authors: WENGER SETH J.
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Rare or narrowly distributed species may be threatened by stressors to which they have never been exposed or for which data are very limited. In such cases the species response cannot be predicted on the basis of directly measured data, but may be inferred from the response of one or more appropriate surrogate species. Here, I propose a practical way to use the stressor response of one or more surrogate species to develop a working hypothesis or model of the stressor response of the target species. The process has 4 steps: (1) identify one or more candidate surrogate species, (2) model the relationship between the stressor and the response variable of interest for the surrogate species, (3) adapt the stressor–response relationship from the surrogate species to a model for the target species, possibly using Bayesian methods, and (4) incorporate additional data as they become available and adjust the response model of the target species appropriately. I applied the approach to an endangered fish species, the amber darter (Percina antesella), which is potentially threatened by urbanization. I used a Bayesian approach to combine data from a surrogate species (the bronze darter[Percina palmaris]) with available data for the amber darter to produce a model of expected amber darter response. Although this approach requires difficult decisions on the part of the manager, especially in the selection of surrogate species, its value lies in the fact that all assumptions are clearly stated in the form of hypotheses, which may be scrutinized and tested. It therefore provides a rational basis for instituting management policy even in the face of considerable uncertainty.
Effect of Porcine Small Intestinal Submucosa on Acute Full‐Thickness Wounds in Dogs
Authors: SCHALLBERGER SANDRA P. , STANLEY BRYDEN J. , HAUPTMAN JOE G. , STEFICEK BARBARA A.
Published: July 2008

Objective—To evaluate the effects of porcine small intestinal submucosa (PSIS) on the healing of full‐thickness wounds in dogs, specifically the appearance of granulation tissue, percent epithelialization and contraction, histologic variables of inflammation and repair, and aerobic culture results.

Study Design—Prospective, controlled, experimental study.

Animals—Purpose‐bred, female dogs (n=10).

Methods—Wounds were created bilaterally on the trunk; 1 side as a control and 1 treated with PSIS. First appearance of granulation tissue was recorded. Total wound area, open wound area, and epithelialized area were measured at 21 time points—wound contraction and percent epithelialization were calculated. Aerobic cultures were taken at 4 time points and wound biopsies at 8. Histologic features were graded into an Acute Inflammation Score and Repair Score.

Results—There was no difference in first appearance of granulation tissue between PSIS‐treated and control wounds. Wound contraction was significantly faster in control wounds as was percent epithelialization after day 21. Histologic Acute Inflammation Scores were significantly higher in PSIS‐treated wounds compared with control wounds on days 2 and 6. There were no differences in Histologic Repair Scores between PSIS‐treated and control wounds or in aerobic culture results.

Conclusion—Wounds treated with PSIS contract more slowly, epithelialize less, and have more pronounced acute inflammation after implantation than control wounds.

Clinical Relevance—Acute, full‐thickness wounds in dogs do not benefit from treatment with PSIS.
Validation of a Technique to Assess Radial Torsion in the Presence of Procurvatum and Valgus Deformity Using Computed Tomography: A Cadaveric Study
Authors: MEOLA STACY D. , WHEELER JASON L. , RIST CASSIDY L.
Published: July 2008

Objective— To validate a technique to assess radial torsion with and without procurvatum and valgus deformity using computed tomography (CT).

Study Design— Anatomic study.

Animals— Radii (n=3) from normal dogs.

Methods— Three cadaveric radii were scanned using CT (3 mm slices). Transverse image sections were assessed at the distal and proximal physeal scar parallel to the joint surface in both sagittal and dorsal planes. Anatomic landmarks of the radius were identified and torsion was measured. A hinged Ilizarov circular external skeletal fixator was constructed to create known procurvatum, valgus, and torsional deformities.

Results— Between observers results were highly correlated for calculation of torsion (r=0.972, r2=0.9448, P<.00001). Mean baseline torsion of the radius in the construct was 4.88°. At 20° procurvatum and valgus, mean calculated torsion was 5.07° (confidence interval [CI]=4.6–5.6°). At 20° procurvatum and valgus with 22.5°‐induced torsion, mean measured torsion was 25.4° (expected=27.38°; CI=22.7–28.1°). At 40° procurvatum and valgus and 45°‐induced torsion, mean measured torsion was 51.1° (expected=49.88°; CI=−49.2 to 53.0°).

Conclusion— Assessment of radial torsion by CT is reproducible and accurate in the presence of procurvatum and valgus antebrachial angular limb deformities in the dog.

Clinical Relevance— Despite complex presurgical planning, current measurements only allow for measurement of valgus and procurvatum deformities in the sagittal and dorsal planes, this method allows for more precise measurements of radial torsion in the transverse plane.
Biomechanical Comparison of Six Suture Configurations Using a Large Diameter Polyester Prosthesis in the Muscular Process of the Equine Arytenoid Cartilage
Authors: KELLY JENNY R. , CARMALT JAMES , HENDRICK STEVEN , WILSON DAVID G. , SHOEMAKER RYAN
Published: July 2008

Objective—To compare biomechanical properties of 6 suture configurations using a large diameter polyester prosthesis in the muscular process (MP) of the arytenoid cartilage and to determine failure mode.

Study Design—Experimental study.

Sample Population—Cadaveric equine larynges (n=121).

Methods—Suture configurations (4 single, 2 double) were inserted, and then constructs were tested in a single‐cycle to failure at a 100 mm/min distraction. Load deformation curves were generated to assess the biomechanical properties of each construct. A 1‐way ANOVA was used to compare the mean differences in construct failure force, cricoarytenoid joint (CAJ) disarticulation force, and energy stored at failure. A 2‐sample t‐test was used to compare single versus double suture patterns and a Fisher's exact test was used to compare failure mode.

Results—Both construct and CAJ failure force were significantly greater (P<.05) for double suture patterns compared with single suture patterns; however, there were no significant differences in energy stored at construct failure. Failure at the MP accounted for ≥50% of construct failures for 3 of the single suture patterns and 1 of the double suture patterns tested. The remaining 2 patterns had an increased frequency of clamp failures as well as failure of the cricoid cartilage.

Conclusions—Sutures that sufficiently engage the spine of the MP alone or in conjunction with a second suture were found to be biomechanically superior.

Clinical Relevance—Engaging the spine of the MP appears to result in the most biomechanically sound laryngeal construct.
Epidural Idiopathic Sterile Pyogranulomatous Inflammation Causing Spinal Cord Compressive Injury in Five Miniature Dachshunds
Authors: AIKAWA TAKESHI , YOSHIGAE YUKI , KANAZONO SHINICHI
Published: July 2008

Objective— To characterize the clinical signs, diagnostic and surgical findings, and outcome of dogs with idiopathic sterile pyogranulomatous inflammation (ISP) of epidural fat causing spinal cord compression.

Study Design— Retrospective study.

Animals— Dogs (n=5).

Methods— Dogs with epidural ISP (2002–2006) were identified retrospectively. Inclusion criteria were neurologic examination, myelography, and definitive diagnosis of ISP confirmed by surgery and histopathologic examination of epidural spinal cord compressive tissue.

Results— The most common clinical sign was paraparesis/paraplegia. No abnormalities were detected by laboratory testing or survey spine radiographs. On myelography, extradural spinal cord compressions were focal (dogs 1, 3, and 5) or multifocal (dogs 2 and 4). Surgical decompression of the spinal cord was completed by hemilaminectomy. Epidural fat collected surgically had pyogranulomatous inflammation of unknown cause and was histologically similar to subcutaneous ISP. All dogs had good long‐term neurologic outcome (10–45 months follow‐up). Some dogs had episodes of ISP at other sites before or after surgical treatment of epidural ISP, suggesting there may be a systemic form of ISP.

Conclusion— Epidural ISP may cause a spinal cord compressive lesion in Miniature Dachshunds, which can be treated by surgical decompression of the spinal cord with or without administration of adjunctive steroids.

Clinical Relevance— Epidural ISP should be considered as a possible cause of thoracolumbar myelopathy for Miniature Dachshunds.
The “Vanity of the Philosopher”: Analytical Egalitarianism, Associationist Psychology, and Eugenic Remaking?
Authors: Farrant Andrew
Published: July 2008

Abstract.  These comments explore the relationship between analytical egalitarianism, race‐blind theorizing, and associationist psychology. Associationist psychology, though making an implicit appearance in Vanity, was central to the egalitarian analysis provided by James Mill and John Stuart Mill. Indeed, associationist considerations lay at the heart of Mill's race‐blind analysis of cottier tenure, and his exchange with Thomas Carlyle over the “Negro Question.” These comments also note some intriguing comparisons between the debate over eugenics and the debate over socialist calculation.
Classical Equality: On the Content of Analytical Egalitarianism
Authors: Persky Joseph
Published: July 2008

Abstract.  Sandra Peart and David Levy in The “Vanity of the Philosopher” champion a concept of “analytical egalitarianism.” Equality is a difficult concept. Peart and Levy attempt to reconstruct analytical egalitarianism from the classical writing of British political economy from Adam Smith to John Stuart Mill. Aspects of this reconstruction touch on a number of different egalitarian conceptions, including: (1) equality of capacity and talent, (2) racial equality, (3) equality in the marketplace, (4) equality of opportunity, (5) equality of material conditions, (6) equality of happiness, (7) equality before God, and (8) political equality. This paper briefly considers the relation of each of these equalities to Peart and Levy's analytical egalitarianism. The hope is that such exercises can help elucidate Peart and Levy's reinterpretation of classical economic's understanding of equality. A central theme does emerge. Peart and Levy, echoing the classical economists themselves, seem reluctant to follow their radical assumptions concerning talent and capacity for happiness to radical conclusions concerning the appropriate provenance of redistributional policies.
Social Anthropology in Economic Literature at the End of the 19th Century: Eugenic and Racial Explanations of Inequality
Authors: Maccabelli Terenzio
Published: July 2008

Abstract.  At the end of the 19th century, Georges Vacher de Lapouge and Otto Ammon founded a school of thought denominated “social anthropology” or “anthropo‐sociology,” aimed at placing racism on a scientific basis. Their intent was to create a new discipline into which the themes of biological heredity, natural selection, social stratification, and political organization were to converge. This paper intends to demonstrate the wide resonance that anthroposociology had in the economic literature, analyzing the thought of authors such as Carlos C. Closson, Vilfredo Pareto, and Thorstein Veblen. A particular focus will be on the racial and eugenic arguments used as explanation of social and economic inequality.
In vitro clinical‐grade generation of red blood cells from human umbilical cord blood CD34+ cells
Authors: Baek Eun Jung , Kim Han‐Soo , Kim Sinyoung , Jin Honglien , Choi Tae‐Yeal , Kim Hyun Ok
Published: July 2008

BACKGROUND: There is no appropriate alternative source of red blood cells (RBCs) to relieve the worsening shortage of blood available for transfusion. Therefore, in vitro generation of clinically available RBCs from hematopoietic stem cells could be a promising new source to supplement the blood supply. However, there have been few studies about the generation of clinical‐grade RBCs by coculture on human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and various cytokine supplements, even though the production of pure RBCs requires coculture on stromal cells and proper cytokine supplements.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS: Umbilical cord blood (CB) CD34+ cells were cultured in serum‐free medium supplemented with two cytokine sets of stem cell factor (SCF) plus interleukin‐3 (IL‐3) plus erythropoietin (EPO) and SCF plus IL‐3 plus EPO plus thrombopoietin (TPO) plus Flt‐3 for 1 week, followed by coculture upon MSCs derived from bone marrow (BM) or CB for 2 weeks.

RESULTS: Almost pure clinical‐grade RBCs could be generated by coculturing with CB‐MSCs but not BM‐MSCs. Expansion fold and enucleation rate were significantly higher in coculture with CB‐MSCs than BM‐MSCs. Despite a 2.5‐fold expansion of erythroblasts in the presence of TPO and Flt‐3 for 8 days, the final RBC count was higher without TPO and Flt‐3.

CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first report on generating clinical‐grade RBCs by in vitro culture with human MSCs and compared effectiveness of several cytokines for RBC production. This provides a useful basis for future production of clinically available RBCs and a model of erythropoiesis that is analogous to the in vivo system.
Good clean tobacco: Philip Morris, biocapitalism, and the social course of stigma in North Carolina
Authors: Benson Peter
Published: July 2008

In this article, I analyze the central role of economic liberalization in Philip Morris's makeover into a “responsible corporate citizen,” including the firm's unlikely support for U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulation of tobacco products. On the basis of fieldwork in North Carolina, I provide an ethnographic view of how the recent shift from traditional auction marketing to private contract agriculture affects differently positioned farmers and farmworkers. This transition has galvanized both potent cultural meanings associated with locality and modes of stigmatization deployed by various actors to respond to social and economic restructuring. Ostensibly about improving public health, Philip Morris's makeover, linked to stringent producer contracts and government regulation of consumption, makes U.S. farm businesses less stable, deepens their dependency on a transnational flow of low‐wage labor migration from Mexico and Central America, and compounds social and housing problems that affect migrants. The tobacco industry's transition is an exemplary case of biocapitalism, a strategic merger of economic, ethical, and public health values that mirrors trends in the pharmaceutical industry. Analyzing social dynamics of stigmatization in light of health‐driven production models, I show how the involvement of a private firm in regulatory politics builds on uneven social and economic conditions among people who manage and work on tobacco farms. This study expands the scope of tobacco's public health picture beyond a narrow focus on consumer health to include important social and health problems related to commercial leaf production. [tobacco, cigarettes, smoking, corporate social responsibility, agriculture, farm labor, stigma, biocapitalism, North Carolina]
Female saints and the practice of Islam in Sylhet, Bangladesh
Authors: CALLAN ALYSON
Published: July 2008

Unlike the saintly power of her male counterpart, which is conceived as an attribute of the individual, the spiritual power of the female saint in Sylhet, Bangladesh, is attributed to a supernatural entity that is temporarily affiliated with her. This difference cannot simply be regarded as an example of gendered domains of religious practice, in which men study the Qu'ran and women traffic with spirits, as in Sylhet, male healers practice with the aid of spirits. I describe how one woman's saintly status allowed her to resist the virilocal rule of residence, a patriarchal structure that is said to underpin women's subordinate position in Bangladesh. Her story demonstrates that Islam cannot be conflated with patriarchy and that it may support women's emancipation from structures of male authority. The meaning of Islam is context dependent and revised through practice. [Islam, gender, agency, sainthood, Bangladesh, spirit possession, healing]
Commemorating a suspended death: Missing soldiers and national solidarity in Israel
Authors: KAPLAN DANNY
Published: July 2008

Israel's intense preoccupation with its missing soldiers provides an interesting case for examining national solidarity and commemoration. Efforts to retrieve the soldiers constitute both a site of conflictual politics and a source of wide‐ranging civic engagement that takes the form of a depoliticized stance of solidarity. Framing this solidarity as an extension of friendship, I explore it along two dimensions: the relationship between the living and the dead and national conceptions of time. Missing soldiers arouse identification in much the way that fallen soldiers do, as emblems of sacrifice associated with “mythic” time. Yet their suffering is also juxtaposed to the everyday life of the community through “simultaneous” time. Merging both temporal conceptions, they become the most intimately felt of all national heroes, epitomizing the ideological transformation of absent others into beloved brothers. [missing soldiers, commemoration, Israel, solidarity, nationalism, time, living dead]
Articulate(d) bodies: Traditional medicine in a Tanzanian hospital
Authors: LANGWICK STACEY A.
Published: July 2008

Hospital practitioners in East Africa see traditional and modern medicine interrupt and interfere with one another on hospital grounds everyday. In response, nurses and nurse's aides have developed innovative ways of assembling diverse therapies and the knowledges, practices, desires, and medicines of which they consist. Through their care and coordination, nurses and nurse's aides forge complex bodies within the therapeutic interruptions and interferences they face in their clinical work. [traditional medicine, biomedicine, body, ontology, Tanzania, Africa]
Enter microcredit: A new culture of women's empowerment in Rajasthan?
Authors: MOODIE MEGAN
Published: July 2008

Most studies of microcredit programs for women have been concerned with the relationship between borrowers and men outside microcredit groups, such as husbands and moneylenders. In this article, I focus on the relationships forged between women within microcredit groups in a small village in Rajasthan, India. I argue that, rather than representing a new paradigm for women's empowerment, microcredit has become one of several possible platforms from which rural Rajasthani women articulate their concerns about caste, poverty, and the burden of raising daughters. Thus, microcredit is not a foreign economic form that is subsequently culturally inflected, nor does it represent the instrumentalization of culture; rather, microcredit, like other local frameworks such as evil eye, feminist organizing, and personal history, produces cultural possibility. [microcredit, Rajasthan, women's empowerment, capitalocentrism, caste relations]
Revolution and reaction in the Himalayas: Cultural resistance and the Maoist “new regime” in western Nepal
Authors: SHAH SAUBHAGYA
Published: July 2008

The projects of modernity and revolution tend to marginalize and erase the experiences and intentions of their local subjects. Focusing on a women‐led uprising against the “people's government” formed by Maoist rebels in one of the western hill districts of Nepal, I examine the disjuncture between external ideological practice and local cultural worlds. I conclude that the radical encounter in this case was culturally mediated, as was the resistance to it. The outcome of the uprising points to “the event” as critical in causing structural indeterminacy—to the possibility that human agency and the contingent can alter the presumed linearity of even the most compelling projects by inserting themselves within structural interstices. [resistance, Maoism, Nepal, peasant, funeral, event, structure]
Sol–Gel‐derived ZnO Coating with Nanopatterns Fabricated by Nanoimprinting
Authors: Kuan Chi Yun , Chou Jaw Min , Leu Ing Chi , Hon Min Hsiung
Published: July 2008

The influence of an applied pressure on the relaxation of stress for sol–gel‐derived zinc oxide (ZnO) thin film and the formation of nanopatterns during nanoimprinting has been carried out. Wrinkling pattern formation in thin films caused by the relaxation of stress is a phenomenon frequently encountered. In this study, a route for sol–gel‐derived ZnO film imprinted with poly(dimethylsiloxane) mold was used to attain pattern transfer with excellent uniformity and smooth profile. The ZnO nanoscale rib patterns are obtained by altering the processing parameters, such as baking conditions, applied pressure, and content of solvent within the gel films. The surface roughness that caused by the relaxation of stress, and the wrinkles generated to relieve the stress can self‐assemble into the contour of the mold during the imprinting process with an applied pressure. By altering the pretreatment parameters to render some residual solvent in the film can enhance the fluidity of the film, which in turn leads to a faster and deeper penetration of the mold into the film. In conclusion, the effect of processing conditions for eliminating wrinkling pattern of sol–gel‐derived ZnO, and to prepare nanopatterns with good uniformity and smooth surface has been demonstrated.
Cytokine gene polymorphisms in periodontal disease: a meta‐analysis of 53 studies including 4178 cases and 4590 controls
Authors: Nikolopoulos Georgios K. , Dimou Niki L. , Hamodrakas Stavros J. , Bagos Pantelis G.
Published: July 2008

Aim: We conducted a systematic review and a meta‐analysis, in order to investigate the potential association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with either aggressive or chronic periodontal disease.

Material and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed. We retrieved a total of 53 studies summarizing information about 4178 cases and 4590 controls. Six polymorphisms were included in our meta‐analysis which are the following: IL‐1A G[4845]T, IL‐1A C[−889]T, IL‐1B C[3953/4]T, IL‐1B T[−511]C, IL‐6 G[−174]C and TNFA G[−308]A. Random effect methods were used for the analysis. We calculated the specific odds ratios along with their 95% confidence intervals to compare the distribution of alleles and genotypes between cases and controls.

Results and Conclusions: Using random effect methods we found statistically significant association of IL‐1A C[−889]T and IL‐1B C[3953/4]T polymorphisms with chronic periodontal disease without any evidence of publication bias or significant statistical heterogeneity. A weak positive association was also found concerning IL‐1B T[−511]C and chronic periodontal disease. No association was found for all the cytokines examined as far as the aggressive form of the disease is concerned. Future studies may contribute to the investigation of the potential multigenetic predisposition of the disease and reinforce our findings.
Variation in the demographic characteristics of yellow‐phase Japanese eels in different habitats of the Hamana Lake system, Japan
Authors: Yokouchi K. , Aoyama J. , Oka H. P. , Tsukamoto K.
Published: July 2008

Abstract –  Yellow‐phase Japanese eels (Anguilla japonica) were investigated in the Hamana Lake system, Japan, from 2003 to 2004 to understand how their demographic attributes vary within the lake system. A total of 779 yellow eels were collected during sampling in two inlet rivers and two brackish/saltwater lakes within the lake system. Female eels predominated, constituting 84% of the 75 sex‐determined eels in the river, and 50% of the 151 sex‐determined eels in the lakes. Total lengths (TL) of all eels examined ranged from 54.2 to 715.0 mm (mean = 320.4 ± 145.4 SD). In the inlet river, the TL of eels showed a significant positive relation with the distance from the river mouth. The estimated relative abundances of eels ranged from 0 to 1.8 eels·m−2 effort (mean: 0.3 ± 0.41) in the river and was negatively correlated with the distance from the river mouth. This suggested that larger eels might tend to be distributed at lower abundances in upstream reaches of the river. Mean age of yellow eels determined by their otolith annuli was younger in the lake (N = 117, 3.3 ± 1.4 years) than in the river (N = 214, 4.3 ± 1.7 years). Growth rate was higher in the lake than in the river at age 1–2 years (131.9 and 104.4 mm·year−1, respectively). The results of this study suggest that, although Japanese eels can adapt to various types of environments, significant differences can occur in population structures and growth patterns among habitats.
Sympathetic nervous system modulates the ocular hypotensive action of MT2‐melatonin receptors in normotensive rabbits
Authors: Alarma‐Estrany Pilar , Crooke Almudena , Mediero Aránzazu , Peláez Teresa , Pintor Jesús
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  The aim of this study was to investigate the hypotensive effect of the melatonin analogue, N‐butanoyl‐2‐(2‐methoxy‐6H‐isoindolo[2,1‐a]indol‐11‐yl)ethanamine (IIK7), through MT2‐melatonin receptors and the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system in this action in New Zealand rabbit eyes. The topical application of melatonin or IIK7 produced a reduction in intraocular pressure of 20.2 ± 5.3% and 38.5 ± 3.2% respectively. This effect was concentration‐dependent; it was blocked by selective MT2 receptor antagonists and was severely diminished after chemical sympathectomy. Immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis showed the ciliary processes as the site of this action and no co‐localization of MT2‐melatonin receptor with the sympathetic nervous system was observed. The β‐adrenergic agonists, terbutaline and salbutamol, potentiated the hypotensive effect of IIK7 reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) 41.75 ± 4.26% and 44.7 ± 5.6% respectively. Also, IIK7 in presence of the nonspecific protein phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid, lowered IOP 32.2 ± 4.5% and in presence of forskolin plus 3‐isobutyl‐1‐methylxanthine decreased IOP in 32.2 ± 5.47%. These data suggest that the melatonin agonist IIK7 reduces intraocular pressure by acting through MT2‐melatonin receptors presumably decreasing aqueous humour formation. Also, in the presence of β‐adrenoceptor agonists MT2‐melatonin receptors activity increase their ability to reduce IOP.
Melatonin attenuates lipopolysaccharide‐induced acute lung inflammation in sleep‐deprived mice
Authors: Lee Yang‐Deok , Kim Ju‐Young , Lee Ki‐Ho , Kwak Yoon‐Jin , Lee Seong‐Kyu , Kim Ok‐Soon , Song Dae‐Yong , Lee Ji‐Hye , Baik Tai‐Kyoung , Kim Byung‐Joon , Kim Ji‐Young , Baik Haing‐Woon
Published: July 2008

Abstract:  Sleep disorders are great problems in modern society. Even minimal changes of sleep can affect health. Especially, patients with pulmonary diseases complain of sleep problems such as sleep disturbance and insomnia. Recent studies have shown an association between sleep deprivation (SD) and inflammation, however, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In the present study, we investigated whether melatonin protects against acute lung inflammation in SD. Male ICR mice were deprived sleep using modified multiplatform water bath for 3 days. Acute lung inflammation was induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 5 mg/kg). Melatonin (5 mg/kg) and LPS was administered in SD mice at day 2. Mice were divided into five groups as control, SD, LPS, LPS + SD, and LPS + SD + melatonin (each group, n = 11). Mice were killed on day 3 after treatment of melatonin and LPS for 24 hr. Lung tissues were collected for histological examination and protein analysis. The malondialdehyde (MDA) level was determined for the effect of oxidative stress. Melatonin restored weight loss in LPS + SD. Histological findings revealed alveolar damages with inflammatory cell infiltration in LPS + SD. Melatonin remarkably attenuated the alveolar damages. In western blot analysis, LPS reduced the levels of Bcl‐XL and procaspase‐3 in SD mice. After treatment with melatonin, the levels of Bcl‐XL and procaspase‐3 increased when compared with LPS + SD. LPS treatment showed an increase of TUNEL‐positive cells, whereas melatonin prevented the increase of cell death in LPS + SD animals. In lipid peroxidation assay, melatonin significantly reduced the elevated MDA level in LPS + SD. Our results suggest that melatonin attenuates acute lung inflammation during SD via anti‐apoptotic and anti‐oxidative actions.
The Indetermination of Reason and the Role of the Will in Aquinas's Account of Human Freedom
Authors: Wang Stephen
Published: July 2008

Thomas Aquinas argues that human choices are made by the will and reason working together. It is easy to misinterpret his argument and suppose that the reason alone works out what should be done while the will simply ratifies this. Instead Aquinas believes that in practical matters the reason is often undetermined since it arrives at many simultaneous conclusions. This is the often unacknowledged heart of Aquinas's account of freedom. All these simultaneous rational conclusions derive from the objective circumstances of the world; each one could give rise to a different rationally justified course of action; yet only one can be acted upon. The reason cannot decide between them. It is the will that accepts and affirms one of these conclusions and gives force to the reasonableness of one course of action. This is why a choice is always rational and personally willed – which is what makes it free. The indetermination of reason is what allows the future to be open-ended for the deliberating agent; it allows past and present to be interpreted in different ways, each of which has its own coherence and rationality. In this way Aquinas's account of human freedom avoids both an irrational voluntarism and a deterministic intellectualism
Pro Veritate: A Case for a Method of Concordance in Theology
Authors: Geldhof Joris
Published: July 2008

Given the many modern and post‐modern fashions of reasoning, this contribution is a programmatic proposal for a new kind of thinking in the field of theology. It is deliberately called a “method of concordance,” and it relies in the first place on a semantic exploration and a conceptual analysis of the term ‘concordance’ itself. Hence making an appeal to the heart, this method aims at integrating all human capacities in the never‐ending search for truth. With a view to do that, a firm confidence in the unfolding of reality and an enlargement of the concept of reason are regarded both as indispensable and wise. It is further argued that the proposal for a method of concordance can rely on efforts made in the history of thought, among others, by Anselm, Jaspers, and Baader. Next to these probably unexpected references, an appeal is also made to contemporary thinkers such as Hebblethwaite, Turner, Valadier, and Desmond. The article concludes with pointing to some methodological and epistemological consequences of a method of concordance, and thereby elucidates why speaking ‘for’ truth is to be preferred over speaking ‘about’ truth.
Cultural Psychology, Consciousness and Theology: Continuing the Dialogue
Authors: Hampson Peter
Published: July 2008

This essay extends arguments that cultural psychology is useful for dialogue with Christian theology by indicating its relevance for theologies of consciousness. Donald's cultural account is outlined, followed by Davies's theological treatment of compassionate consciousness. Interactions are considered between the two approaches, which are shown to be co‐implicated in the teaching ministry of Jesus, and the subsequent development of the Christian religion, and to accompany the shift from discipleship, through apostleship, to a trans‐generational cultural‐symbolic system assisted by the development of theology. The essay concludes with reflections on the challenge to psychology of the ontological reality of being ‘in Christ’.
Paediatric and adolescent horse‐related injuries: Does the mechanism of injury justify a trauma response?
Authors: Craven John A
Published: July 2008

Objective:  To identify the frequency, variety and disposition of horse‐related injury presentations to the ED and to use this information to evaluate the existing institutional trauma team activation criteria following horse‐related injuries.

Methods:  A retrospective case analysis was performed of all horse‐related injury presentations to the ED of Women's and Children's Hospital, Adelaide, Australia, in the 5 year period between January 1999 and December 2003.

Results:  A total of 186 children presented with horse‐related injuries during the 5 year study period. The median age of injury was 9 years (range 1–17 years), with 81% of presentations female and 60% of patients hospitalized. The mechanism of injury was divided into four groups: 148 falls (79%), 28 kicks (15%), 7 tramples (4%) and 5 bites (3%). There was one death. Seven presentations rated an Injury Severity Score >15, with full trauma team activation occurring for two of these presentations.

Conclusion:  Although horse‐related injury presentations are uncommon, severe injuries do occur. Patients presenting with severe horse‐related injuries do not always activate a full trauma team response based on current trauma team activation criteria. These severe injury presentations are supported by a limited trauma team response, which activates on the mechanism of injury. The effectiveness of this as a contingency system needs to be evaluated.
Fabrication and Tunable Dielectric Properties of (Ba0.7Sr0.3)TiO3‐Glass‐Based Thick‐Film Capacitors
Authors: Divya Pulipparambil Vasu , Ambika Divakaran , Krishnan Dhanya , Sivanandan Kalathil , Kumar Viswanathan
Published: July 2008

Ferroelectric glass–ceramics of composition 0.90 (Ba0.7Sr0.3) TiO3–0.10(B2O3:SiO2) (0.90 BST:0.10 BS) synthesized by sol–gel method have been used for the preparation of dielectric thick‐film inks. The particle dispersion of the glass–ceramic powders in the thick‐film ink formulations have been studied through rheological measurements for fabricating thick‐film capacitors by screen printing technique. The thick films derived from such glass–ceramics are found to sinter at considerably lower temperatures than the pure ceramic, and exhibit good dielectric characteristics with a tunability of 32% at 1 MHz under a dc bias field of 35 kV/cm.
Migratory movements and surfacing rates of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) satellite tagged at Socorro Island, Mexico
Authors: Lagerquist Barbara A. , Mate Bruce R. , Ortega‐Ortiz Joel G. , Winsor Martha , Urbán‐Ramirez Jorge
Published: July 2008

Abstract

Humpback whales wintering in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico, have been considered a different subpopulation from those found off mainland Mexico and Baja California. The primary feeding grounds for Revillagigedo humpbacks remain unknown. In February 2003, we deployed 11 Argos satellite‐monitored radio tags to track movements and surfacings of humpback whales (five adults without calves, five mothers with calves, one calf) off Socorro Island in the Revillagigedo Archipelago. Tracking ranged from 222 to 10,481 km over 4.9–149.1 d. Eight whales left Socorro Island: five visited other Mexican wintering destinations, seven moved north of these areas. Migration routes were primarily offshore (average 444 km). Two whales were tracked to feeding grounds: one to British Columbia (46 d migration), and one to Alaska (49 d migration). Mean travel speeds were 1.2 km/h in wintering areas, 4.0 km/h during migration, and 2.2 km/h in feeding areas. Overall surfacing rates ranged from 21 to 88 surfacings/h. Surfacing rates differed between the calf and all other whales, and between feeding areas and migratory/wintering areas for the calf and an adult without a calf. The calf also showed diel variation in surfacing rates. The offshore habits of tagged whales may explain scarce resightings of Revillagigedo humpbacks outside the Revillagigedo Archipelago.
Florida red tide and brevetoxins: Association and exposure in live resident bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, U.S.A.
Authors: Fire Spencer E. , Flewelling Leanne J. , Wang Zhihong , Naar Jerome , Henry Michael S. , Pierce Richard H. , Wells Randall S.
Published: July 2008

Abstract

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) along the Gulf of Mexico are frequently exposed to blooms of the toxic alga, Karenia brevis, and brevetoxins associated with these blooms have been implicated in several dolphin mortality events. Studies on brevetoxin accumulation in dolphins have typically focused on analyses of carcasses from large‐scale die‐offs; however, data are scarce for brevetoxin loads in live individuals frequently exposed to K. brevis blooms. This study investigated in vivo brevetoxin exposure in free‐ranging bottlenose dolphins resident to Sarasota Bay, Florida, utilizing samples collected during health assessments performed during multiple K. brevis blooms occurring from 2003 to 2005. Brevetoxins were detected by ELISA and LC‐MS in 63% of bottlenose dolphins sampled (n= 30) concurrently with a K. brevis bloom. Brevetoxins were present in urine and gastric samples at concentrations ranging from 2 to 9 ng PbTx‐3 eq/g, and in feces at concentrations ranging from 45 to 231 ng PbTx‐3 eq/g. Samples from individuals (n= 12) sampled during nonbloom conditions (≤1,000 cells/L) were negative for brevetoxin activity. Brevetoxin accumulation data from this study complement dolphin carcass and prey fish data from the same study area, and aid in evaluating impacts of harmful algal blooms on sentinel marine animal species along the west Florida coast.
Transglutaminases and Transglutaminase‐Catalyzed Cross‐Links Colocalize with the Pathological Lesions in Alzheimer's Disease Brain
Authors: Wilhelmus Micha M.M. , Grunberg Sentini C.S. , Bol John G.J.M. , Van Dam Anne‐Marie , Hoozemans Jeroen J.M. , Rozemuller Annemieke J.M. , Drukarch Benjamin
Published: July 2008

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by pathological lesions, in particular senile plaques (SPs), cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) and neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs), predominantly consisting of self‐aggregated proteins amyloid beta (Aβ) and tau, respectively. Transglutaminases (TGs) are inducible enzymes, capable of modifying conformational and/or structural properties of proteins by inducing molecular covalent cross‐links. Both Aβ and tau are substrates for TG cross‐linking activity, which links TGs to the aggregation process of both proteins in AD brain. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of transglutaminase 1 (TG1), transglutaminase 2 (TG2) and TG‐catalyzed cross‐links with the pathological lesions of AD using immunohistochemistry. We observed immunoreactivity for TG1, TG2 and TG‐catalyzed cross‐links in NFTs. In addition, both TG2 and TG‐catalyzed cross‐links colocalized with Aβ in SPs. Furthermore, both TG2 and TG‐catalyzed cross‐links were associated with CAA. We conclude that these TGs demonstrate cross‐linking activity in AD lesions, which suggests that both TG1 and TG2 are likely involved in the protein aggregation processes underlying the formation of SPs, CAA and/or NFTs in AD brain.
Sensitivity and specificity of Anti‐HBc screening assays – which assay is best for blood donor screening?
Authors: HOURFAR M. K. , WALCH L. A. , GEUSENDAM G. , DENGLER T. , JANETZKO K. , GUBBE K. , FRANK K. , KARL A. , LÖHR M. , SIREIS W. , SEIFRIED E. , SCHMIDT M.
Published: July 2008

Compared to HIV and hepatitis C virus, the residual infectious risk of hepatitis B virus (HBV) posed by blood products is about 10 times higher. In addition to HBsAg testing, screening for anti‐HBc was recommended by the German Advisory Committee Blood in March 2005. Prevalence of anti‐HBc in German blood donors was investigated at five test sites located in different geographic regions. In total, 12 000 blood donors were screened for anti‐HBc by PRISM® HBcore, and a statistically representative number of these were tested with Abbott Murex® anti‐HBc total, bioMérieux Hepanostika® anti‐HBc uniform, Bio‐Rad Monolisa® anti‐HBc PLUS and Dade Behring Enzygnost® anti‐HBc. Anti‐HBc repeat reactive samples were tested for anti‐HBs, anti‐HBe and HBV DNA by individual donation NAT. The mean prevalence of anti‐HBc was 1.75% in donors that had not been tested for anti‐HBc in the past. The percentage of anti‐HBs in anti‐HBc repeat reactive donors was 93.7%. Samples that were additionally reactive for anti‐HBe were anti‐HBc reactive in all tested assays. The sample to cut‐off (S/Co) values for anti‐HBc were lower (competitive assays) in samples that were also positive for anti‐HBe, when compared to samples that were only anti‐HBc reactive. Most commercially available anti‐HBc assays provide sufficient sensitivity for routine screening purposes, and lacking specificity is no longer a serious issue for most of them. Assay differences were recognized for samples that were anti‐HBc only reactive. The overall loss of 1.75% of positive testing donors can be significantly reduced to 0.45% by implementation of re‐entry procedures for donors with an anti‐HBs titre of over 100 IU/l and negative by sensitive ID‐NAT.
Clinal patterns of desiccation and starvation resistance in ancestral and invading populations of Drosophila subobscura
Authors: Gilchrist George W. , Jeffers Lisa M. , West Brianna , Folk Donna G. , Suess Jeremy , Huey Raymond B.
Published: July 2008

As invading species expand, they eventually encounter physical and biotic stressors that limit their spread. We examine latitudinal and climatic variation in physiological tolerance in one native and two invading populations ofDrosophila subobscura. These flies are native to the Palearctic region, but invaded both South and North America around 1980 and spread rapidly across 15° of latitude on each continent. Invading flies rapidly evolved latitudinal clines in chromosome inversion frequencies and in wing size that parallel those of native populations in the Old World. Here we investigate whether flies on all three continents have evolved parallel clines in desiccation and starvation tolerance, such that flies in low‐latitude regions (hot, dry) might have increased stress resistance. Starvation tolerance does not vary with latitude or climate on any continent. In contrast, desiccation tolerance varies clinally with latitude on all three continents, although not in parallel. In North American and Europe, desiccation tolerance is inversely related to latitude, as expected. But in South America, desiccation tolerance increases with latitude and is greatest in relatively cool and wet areas. Differences among continents in latitudinal patterns of interspecific‐competition potentially influence clinal selection for physiological resistance, but no simple pattern is evident on these continents.
Comment on "Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Identifies Neural Progenitor Cells in the Live Human Brain"
Authors: Hoch Jeffrey C. , Maciejewski Mark W. , Gryk Michael R.
Published: July 2008

Manganas
et al
. (Reports, 9 November 2007, p. 980) used nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to identify a biomarker of neural progenitor cells. However, their analysis relies on spectral processing methods that are known to be problematic. Absent detection using alternate methods of spectrum analysis or controls to quantify the false discovery rate, their conclusions may be premature.
Comment on "Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Identifies Neural Progenitor Cells in the Live Human Brain"
Authors: Jansen Jacobus F. A. , Gearhart John D. , Bulte Jeff W. M.
Published: July 2008

Manganas
et al
. (Reports, 9 November 2007, p. 980) reported the discovery of a biomarker specific for neural progenitor cells detectable using magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A new algorithm was developed to extract the biomarker from noisy in vivo data. We question how this algorithm was validated, because the biomarker overlaps with peaks from nonspecific lipid signals.
High Rates of Oxygen Reduction over a Vapor Phase–Polymerized PEDOT Electrode
Authors: Winther-Jensen Bjorn , Winther-Jensen Orawan , Forsyth Maria , MacFarlane Douglas R.
Published: July 2008

The air electrode, which reduces oxygen (O
2
), is a critical component in energy generation and storage applications such as fuel cells and metal/air batteries. The highest current densities are achieved with platinum (Pt), but in addition to its cost and scarcity, Pt particles in composite electrodes tend to be inactivated by contact with carbon monoxide (CO) or by agglomeration. We describe an air electrode based on a porous material coated with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT), which acts as an O
2
reduction catalyst. Continuous operation for 1500 hours was demonstrated without material degradation or deterioration in performance. O
2
conversion rates were comparable with those of Pt-catalyzed electrodes of the same geometry, and the electrode was not sensitive to CO. Operation was demonstrated as an air electrode and as a dissolved O
2
electrode in aqueous solution.
Protostar Formation in the Early Universe
Authors: Yoshida Naoki , Omukai Kazuyuki , Hernquist Lars
Published: July 2008

The nature of the first generation of stars in the universe remains largely unknown. Observations imply the existence of massive primordial stars early in the history of the universe, and the standard theory for the growth of cosmic structure predicts that structures grow hierarchically through gravitational instability. We have developed an ab initio computer simulation of the formation of primordial stars that follows the relevant atomic and molecular processes in a primordial gas in an expanding universe. The results show that primeval density fluctuations left over from the Big Bang can drive the formation of a tiny protostar with a mass 1% that of the Sun. The protostar is a seed for the subsequent formation of a massive primordial star.
Rural Changes Stimulate Rising Giants
Authors: Timmer C. Peter
Published: July 2008

The Dragon and the Elephant
. Agricultural and Rural Reforms in China and India.
Ashok Gulati and Shenggen Fan, Eds
. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, 2007. 574 pp. $75. ISBN 9780801887864. Paper, $38. ISBN 9780801887871. Published for the International Food Policy Research Institute.

Exploring the reasons for the dramatic growth of the rural economies of China and India over the past few decades, the authors consider what lessons can be applied to other developing nations and to the problems of poverty in these two countries.