bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Dynamics of Immigrants' Life History: Application to the Insertion of Albanian and Moroccan Immigrants into Some Italian Areas
Authors: Gabrielli Giuseppe , Paterno Anna , Strozza Salvatore
Published: June 2007

The integration of immigrants into settlement areas is a complex phenomenon that persists throughout the life history of immigrants. The analysis of life histories should take into account the time dimensions of the different individual paths that can be traced back by retrospective surveys. The aim of our research is to identify different steps, transitions, timings and determinants that characterise the insertion process of a sample of Albanian and Moroccan immigrants in two cities in Italy, Bari and Rome. The methodology employed is the Event History Analysis (EHA), rarely applied to international migration. The work aims at singling out the main events, as well as their succession and their determinants, of the settlement course of the immigrants. Data show that the main events characterising the migratory life cycle are the attainment of a paid job and obtaining a stable accommodation. Finding a regular (legal) job and stable relationship are less widespread as these are typically sought later on. Data also show that the stabilization process goes through a phase characterized by precarious solutions. Finally, with regard to the insertion process, Moroccan immigrants appear to face the most problems.
Macbeth, the Jacobean Scot, and the Politics of the Union
Authors: Alker Sharon , Nelson Holly Faith
Published: June 2007

Shakespeare's Macbeth does not present a particular position on Anglo-Scottish politics that defines itself in relation to the belief system of one small political body, as is often argued, but confronts three models of the Union recorded in the pamphlet literature of the period and dramatized on the Jacobean stage. The construction of the drama as a whole—the configuration of character, form, and genre and the use of geographical space—produces a number of colliding and competing positions on the Union, reflecting the complexity of its relationship to the Court and to the marketplace.
The Character of Credit and the Problem of Belief in Middleton's City Comedies
Authors: Kitch Aaron
Published: June 2007

In the topsy-turvy world of Thomas Middleton's city comedies, it is the self-conscious deceivers who achieve credit, measured not by their honesty or their ability to repay outstanding debt but rather by their potential to create believable fictions around themselves. Though plays such as The Roaring Girl, Michaelmas Term, A Trick to Catch the Old One, and A Mad World, My Masters seem to depict a world in which forms of religious belief give way to widespread commodification of human desire, Middleton integrates Protestant strategies of determining credibility in his depiction of mercantile London.
Wager's Drama of Conscience, Convention, and State Constitution
Authors: Murakami Ineke
Published: June 2007

William Wager, the mid-sixteenth century moral dramatist, is typically dismissed as a Protestant propagandist, but I argue that his deployment of literary and performance conventions veils a critique of the emerging capitalist state and its middling Protestant officials. Attacking ambition in The Longer Thou Livest, the More Fool Thou Art and Enough is As Good As a Feast, Wager calls for a turn to conscience. Through allusions to the Guernsey martyrdom, and his promotion of a casuistic weighing of things indifferent, he negotiates his own problematic contribution to the system and the dangers of writing polemical plays.
Diversity, Disparity, and Civil Conflict in Federal States
Authors: Bakke Kristin M. , Wibbels Erik
Published: June 2007

Policymakers and scholars have turned their attention to federalism as a means for managing conflicts between central governments and subnational interests. But both the theoretical literature and the empirical track record of federations make for opposing conclusions concerning federalism's ability to prevent civil conflict. This article argues that the existing literature falls short on two accounts: first, it lacks a systematic comparison of peaceful and conflict-ridden cases across federal states, and second, while some studies acknowledge that there is no one-sizefits-all federal solution, the conditional ingredients of peace-preserving federalism have not been theorized. The authors make the argument that the peace-preserving effect of specific federal traits—fiscal decentralization, fiscal transfers, and political copartisanship—are conditional on a society's income level and ethnic composition. The argument is tested across twenty-two federal states from 1978 to 2000.
The Great Divide: Literacy, Nationalism, and the Communist Collapse
Authors: Darden Keith , Grzymala-Busse Anna
Published: June 2007

As communist regimes collapsed in the years 1989—91, communist parties and leaders exited power in roughly half the cases. The causes and the impact of this variation have generated considerable controversy. The authors show that the combined timing and content of the introduction of mass literacy was responsible for generating the national standards and comparisons that either sustained the legitimacy of communist party rule or led to its rapid and complete demise during the collapse of communist regimes. Mass literacy explains more of the patterns of the communist exit than do structural, modernization, or communist legacy accounts, and it provides a clear and sustained causal chain.
Adaptive Informal Institutions and Endogenous Institutional Change in China
Authors: Tsai Kellee S.
Published: June 2007

Under certain circumstances, the etiology of endogenous institutional change lies in the informal coping strategies devised by local actors to evade the restrictions of formal institutions. With repetition and diffusion, these informal coping strategies may take on an institutional reality of their own. The author calls the resulting norms and practicesadaptiveinformal institutions because they represent creative responses to formal institutional environments that actors find too constraining. Adaptive informal institutions may then motivate elites to reform the original formal institutions. This contention is illustrated by three major institutional changes that have occurred in the course of China's private sector development since the late 1970s—the legalization of private enterprise, the admission of capitalists into the Chinese Communist Party, and the amendment of the state constitution to promote the private economy.
RGS18 Acts as a Negative Regulator of Osteoclastogenesis by Modulating the Acid-Sensing OGR1/NFAT Signaling Pathway
Authors: Iwai Kaori , Koike Masato , Ohshima Shiro , Miyatake Kunio , Uchiyama Yasuo , Saeki Yukihiko , Ishii Masaru
Published: June 2007

We showed that RGS18, a myeloid lineage-specific RGS protein that is inhibited after activation of the RANK/RANKL system, is a negative regulator of osteoclastogenesis. RGS18 acts through an external acidosis-sensing osteoclastogenic mechanism through the OGR1/NFAT pathway.

Introduction: Osteoclasts are bone-resorbing multinuclear giant cells that are differentiated from mononuclear macrophage/monocyte lineage precursors stimulated by the RANK/RANKL system. The regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) family is a diverse group of proteins that accelerate intrinsic GTP hydrolysis on heterotrimeric G-protein α subunits and play crucial roles in physiological regulation of G-protein –mediated cell signaling in various tissues and organs. We examined the expression and function of RGS18, a myeloid lineage-specific RGS protein, during osteoclastogenesis.

Materials and Methods: A macrophage/monocyte lineage cell line, RAW264.7, and primary osteoclast precursor monocytes derived from mouse bone marrow cultured with macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF ) (bone marrow–derived monocytes [BMMs]) were used in this study. Both cell types differentiate into osteoclast-like cells on activation by RANKL. Expression of different RGS proteins, including RGS18, was assessed by gene-specific RT-PCR. The subcellular distribution of RGS18 on native osteoclasts in bone tissues, as well as in RAW264.7 cells, was examined by immunohistochemistry using a specific polyclonal antibody. Short interfering RNA against RGS18 was used to inhibit the function endogenous RGS18 in these cell types. Activation of NFATc1, an osteoclastogenic transcription factor, on external acidosis was assessed by visualizing the nuclear localization of NFATc1 visualized with anti-NFATc 1 antibody.

Results: RAW264.7 and BMM cells both expressed mRNA for 10 different mammalian RGS proteins, including RGS18. Expression of RGS18 is significantly inhibited by RANKL both cell types, and inhibition of RGS18 function using RNA interference prominently enhanced osteoclastogenesis on stimulation with RANKL. The effect of RGS18 inhibition was reversed by blocking of proton-sensing OGR1 signaling, and overexpression of exogenous RGS18 inhibited extracellular acidosis-mediated NFATc1 activation. Immunohistochemical studies of mouse bone tissues revealed expression of RGS18 in osteoclasts in vivo.

Conclusions: RGS18 acts as a negative regulator of the acidosis-induced osteoclastogenic OGR1/NFAT signaling pathway, and RANKL stimulates osteoclastogenesis by inhibiting expression of RGS18. Therefore, the results suggest a novel control mechanism of osteoclastogenesis by RGS proteins.
Diphyllin, a Novel and Naturally Potent V-ATPase Inhibitor, Abrogates Acidification of the Osteoclastic Resorption Lacunae and Bone Resorption
Authors: Sørensen Mette G , Henriksen Kim , Neutzsky-Wulff Anita V , Dziegiel Morten H , Karsdal Morten A
Published: June 2007

Dissolution of the inorganic phase of bone by the osteoclasts mediated by V-ATPase and ClC-7 is a prerequisite for bone resorption. Inhibitors of osteoclastic V-ATPase or ClC-7 are novel approaches for inhibition of osteoclastic bone resorption. By testing natural compounds in acidification assays, diphyllin was identified. We characterized diphyllin with respect to the pharmacological effects on osteoclasts.

Introduction: Osteoclastic acidification of the resorption lacuna and bone resorption requires activity of both V-ATPase and the chloride channel ClC-7. Inhibition of these processes represents a novel approach for treatment of bone metabolic disorders. We identified diphyllin, a novel inhibitor of V-ATPase, and characterized this natural compound with respect to activity in human osteoclasts.

Materials and Methods: Diphyllin was tested in the acid influx assay and V-ATPase assay using bovine chromaffin granules. Human osteoclasts were generated from CD14+ monocytes cultured with macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF ) and RANKL. The effect of diphyllin on lysosomal acidification in human osteoclasts was studied using acridine orange. The effect of diphyllin on bone resorption by osteoclasts was measured as release of C-terminal cross-linked telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX-I ) and calcium into the supernatants and by scoring pit area. Osteoclast number, TRACP activity, and cell viability were measured. Furthermore, the effect of diphyllin on bone nodule formation was tested using the mouse osteoblast cell line MC3T3-E 1.

Results: In the acid influx assay, diphyllin potently inhibited the acid influx (IC50 = 0.6 nM). We found that diphyllin inhibited V-ATPase with an IC50 value of 17 nM, compared with 4 nM for bafilomycin A1. Moreover, diphyllin dose-dependently inhibited lysosomal acidification in human osteoclasts. Furthermore, we found that diphyllin inhibited human osteoclastic bone resorption measured by CTX-I (IC50 = 14 nM), calcium release, and pit area, despite increasing TRACP activity, numbers of osteoclasts, and cell viability. Finally, diphyllin showed no effect on bone formation in vitro, whereas bafilomycin A1 was toxic.

Conclusions: We identified a natural compound that potently inhibits V-ATPase and thereby lysosomal acidification in osteoclasts, which leads to abrogation of bone resorption. Because recent studies indicate that inhibition of the osteoclastic acidification leads to inhibition of resorption without inhibiting formation, we speculate that diphyllin is a potential novel treatment for bone disorders involving excessive resorption.
Environmental Toxicants May Modulate Osteoblast Differentiation by a Mechanism Involving the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor
Authors: Ryan Elizabeth P , Holz Jonathan D , Mulcahey Mary , Sheu Tzong-jen , Gasiewicz Thomas A , Puzas J Edward
Published: June 2007

The AHR mediates many of the toxicological effects of aromatic hydrocarbons. We show that AHR expression in osteoblasts parallels the induction of early bone-specific genes involved in maturation. The AHR may not only mediate the effects of toxicants, but with an as yet unidentified ligand, be involved in the differentiation pathways of osteoblasts.

Introduction: Metabolic bone diseases arise as a result of an imbalance in bone cell activities. Recent evidence suggests that environmental toxicants may be contributing factors altering these activities. One candidate molecule implicated in mediating the toxic effects of exogenous compounds is the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR).

Materials and Methods: Osteoblasts isolated from neonatal rat calvaria were analyzed for AHR expression by quantitative PCR, Western blot, and immunohistochemistry. In addition, AHR activation was evaluated by electromobility gel shift assay and fluorescence microscopy.

Results: Our findings showed AHR expression in mature osteoblasts in vivo. The pattern of AHR expression peaks after alkaline phosphatase and before induction of osteocalcin. We first show that AHR functions as a transactivating receptor in osteoblasts, as evidenced by its ligand-dependent migration to the nucleus and its association with known dioxin response elements. AHR activation by 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo -p -dioxin (TCDD) mediated the induction of cytochrome p450 1A1 and cycloxygenase-2 protein levels. This effect could be inhibited by the potent AHR antagonist, 3′4 methoxynitroflavone. Furthermore, lead treatment of osteoblasts upregulates the expression of AHR mRNA and protein levels, supporting a novel mechanism whereby lead in the skeleton may increase the sensitivity of bone cells to toxicant exposure.

Conclusions: These data imply that the AHR mediates the effects of aromatic toxicants on bone and that AHR expression is regulated during osteoblast differentiation.
Infrequent Delivery of a Long-Acting PTH-Fc Fusion Protein Has Potent Anabolic Effects on Cortical and Cancellous Bone
Authors: Kostenuik Paul J , Ferrari Serge , Pierroz Dominique , Bouxsein Mary , Morony Sean , Warmington Kelly S , Adamu Steven , Geng Zhaopo , Grisanti Mario , Shalhoub Victoria , Martin Steve , Biddlecome Gloria , Shimamoto Grant , Boone Tom , Shen Victor , Lacey David
Published: June 2007

Skeletal anabolism with PTH is achieved through daily injections that result in brief exposure to the peptide. We hypothesized that similar anabolic effects could be achieved with less frequent but more sustained exposures to PTH. A PTH-Fc fusion protein with a longer half-life than PTH(1–34) increased cortical and cancellous BMD and bone strength with once- or twice-weekly injections.

Introduction: The anabolic effects of PTH are currently achieved with, and thought to require, daily injections that result in brief exposure to the peptide. We hypothesized that less frequent but more sustained exposures to PTH could also be anabolic for bone, provided that serum levels of PTH were not constant.

Materials and Methods: PTH(1–34) was fused to the Fc fragment of human IgG1 to increase the half-life of PTH. Skeletal anabolism was examined in mice and rats treated once or twice per week with this PTH-Fc fusion protein.

Results: PTH-Fc and PTH(1–34) had similar effects on PTH/PTHrP receptor activation, internalization, and signaling in vitro. However, PTH-Fc had a 33-fold longer mean residence time in the circulation of rats compared with that of PTH(1–34). Subcutaneous injection of PTH-Fc once or twice per week resulted in significant increases in bone volume, density, and strength in osteopenic ovariectomized mice and rats. These anabolic effects occurred in association with hypercalcemia and were significantly greater than those achievable with high concentrations of daily PTH(1–34). PTH-Fc also significantly improved cortical bone volume and density under conditions where daily PTH(1–34) did not. Antiresorptive co-therapy with estrogen further enhanced the ability of PTH-Fc to increase bone mass and strength in ovariectomized rats.

Conclusions: These results challenge the notion that brief daily exposure to PTH is essential for its anabolic effects on cortical and cancellous bone. PTH-derived molecules with a sustained circulating half-life may represent a powerful and previously undefined anabolic regimen for cortical and cancellous bone.
Evaluation of 41Calcium as a New Approach to Assess Changes in Bone Metabolism: Effect of a Bisphosphonate Intervention in Postmenopausal Women With Low Bone Mass
Authors: Denk Eberhard , Hillegonds Darren , Hurrell Richard F , Vogel John , Fattinger Karin , Häuselmann Hans J , Kraenzlin Marius , Walczyk Thomas
Published: June 2007

A new technique was evaluated to identify changes in bone metabolism directly at high sensitivity through isotopic labeling of bone Ca. Six women with low BMD were labeled with 41Ca up to 700 days and treated for 6 mo with risedronate. Effect of treatment on bone could be identified using 41Ca after 4–8 wk in each individual.

Introduction: Isotopic labeling of bone using 41Ca, a long-living radiotracer, has been proposed as an alternative approach for measuring changes in bone metabolism to overcome current limitations of available techniques. After isotopic labeling of bone, changes in urinary 41Ca excretion reflect changes in bone Ca balance. The aim of this study was to validate this new technique against established measures. Changes in bone Ca balance were induced by giving a bisphosphonate.

Materials and Methods: Six postmenopausal women with diagnosed osteopenia/osteoporosis received a single oral dose of 100 nCi 41Ca for skeleton labeling. Urinary 41Ca/40Ca isotope ratios were monitored by accelerator mass spectrometry up to 700 days after the labeling process. Subjects received 35 mg risedronate per week for 6 mo. Effect of treatment was monitored using the 41Ca signal in urine and parallel measurements of BMD by DXA and biochemical markers of bone metabolism in urine and blood.

Results: Positive response to treatment was confirmed by BMD measurements, which increased for spine by +3.0% (p = 0.01) but not for hip. Bone formation markers decreased by −36% for bone alkaline phosphatase (BALP; p = 0.002) and −59% for procollagen type I propeptides (PINP;p = 0.001). Urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD) and pyridinoline (PYD) were reduced by −21% (p = 0.019) and −23% (p = 0.009), respectively, whereas serum and urinary carboxy-terminal teleopeptides (CTXs) were reduced by −60% (p = 0.001) and −57.0% (p = 0.001), respectively. Changes in urinary 41Ca excretion paralleled findings for conventional techniques. The urinary 41Ca/40Ca isotope ratio was shifted by −47 ± 10% by the intervention. Population pharmacokinetic analysis (NONMEM) of the 41Ca data using a linear three-compartment model showed that bisphosphonate treatment reduced Ca transfer rates between the slowly exchanging compartment (bone) and the intermediate fast exchanging compartment by 56% (95% CI: 45–58%).

Conclusions: Isotopic labeling of bone using 41Ca can facilitate human trials in bone research by shortening of intervention periods, lowering subject numbers, and having easier conduct of cross-over studies compared with conventional techniques.
The Poncelet grid
Authors: Schwartz Richard Evan
Published: June 2007

Given a convex polygon P in the projective plane we can form a finite “grid” of points by taking the pairwise intersections of the lines extending the edges of P. When P is a Poncelet polygon we show that this grid is contained in a finite union of ellipses and hyperbolas and derive other related geometric information about the grid.
On hyperbolic Coxeter n-polytopes with n + 2 facets
Authors: Felikson A , Tumarkin P , Zehrt T
Published: June 2007

A convex polytope admits a Coxeter decomposition if it is tiled by finitely many Coxeter polytopes such that any two tiles having a common facet are symmetric with respect to this facet. In this paper, we classify all Coxeter decompositions of compact hyperbolic Coxeter n-polytopes with n + 2 facets. Furthermore, going out from Schläfli‘s reduction formula for simplices we construct in a purely combinatorial way a volume formula for arbitrary polytopes and compute the volumes of all compact Coxeter polytopes in ℍ4 which are products of simplices.
Surjectivity of Gaussian maps for curves on Enriques surfaces
Authors: Knutsen Andreas Leopold , Lopez Angelo Felice
Published: June 2007

Making suitable generalizations of known results we prove some general facts about Gaussian maps. These facts are then used, in the second part of the article, to give a set of conditions that insure the surjectivity of Gaussian maps for curves on Enriques surfaces. To do this we also solve a problem of independent interest: a tetragonal curve of genus g ≥ 7 lying on an Enriques surface and general in its linear system, cannot be, in its canonical embedding, a quadric section of a surface of degree g − 1 in ℙ
g−1.
Circular surfaces
Authors: Izumiya Shyuichi , Saji Kentaro , Takeuchi Nobuko
Published: June 2007

A circular surface is a one-parameter family of standard circles in ℝ3. In this paper some correspondences between the properties of circular surfaces and those of classical ruled surfaces are investigated. Singularities of circular surfaces are also studied.
Mikrobiologische Diagnostik der Lyme-Borreliose / Microbiological diagnostics of Lyme borreliosis
Authors: Fingerle Volker , Wilske Bettina
Published: June 2007

Die Multisystemerkrankung Lyme-Borreliose wird in Europa durch mindestens vier verschiedene Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato Spezies verursacht. Die genetische und antigenetische Heterogenität der Erreger muss deshalb bei der Entwicklung diagnostischer Methoden berücksichtigt werden. Die serologische Diagnostik soll als Stufendiagnostik durchgeführt werden. Als Suchtest wird ein sensitiver, IgG und IgM differenzierender ELISA empfohlen, der nur bei Reaktivität durch den Immunoblot bestätigt werden soll. Nur bei positivem Immunoblot kann von einem positiven Antikörpernachweis ausgegangen werden. Die Sensitivität liegt bei 20 bis 50% im Stadium I, 70% bis 90% im Stadium II und nahe 100% im Stadium III. Der Einsatz rekombinanter Antigene, wie z.B. primär in vivo exprimierter Proteine wie VlsE oder Homologe immundominanter Antigene verschiedener Stämme (z.B. DbpA), führt zu einer deutlichen Verbesserung der serologischen Diagnostik. Der auf spezielle Indikationen beschränkte Erregernachweis (Kultur und PCR) kann aus Hautbiopsien, Liquor und Gelenkpunktaten oder – biopsien durchgeführt werden. Die Sensitivität liegt bei 50% bis 70% für Hautbiopsien oder Gelenkpunktate (letztere nur PCR) und bei 10% bis 30% für Liquorproben. Nicht empfohlen werden Antigentests aus Körperflüssigkeiten, PCR aus Urin oder Blut/Serum, Lymphozyten-Transformationstest, Nachweis CD3 negativer/CD57 positiver Lymphozyten und Untersuchung von vom Menschen entfernten Zecken auf Borrelien, um daraus eine Indikation zur Antibiotikaprophylaxe herzuleiten.
Anwendung der SELDI-TOF-Massenspektrometrie zur Identifizierung neuer Biomarker: Möglichkeiten und Grenzen / Application of SELDI-TOF-mass spectrometry for biomarker identification: potentials and limitations
Authors: Kiehntopf Michael , Siegmund Robert , Deufel Thomas
Published: June 2007

Die SELDI-TOF-Massenspektrometrie (MS) ist eine der wichtigsten aktuell verfügbaren Technologien zur Hochdurchsatzanalyse von komplexen Proteinmischungen. In zahlreichen Untersuchungen der letzten Jahre konnte gezeigt werden, dass sich durch die Methode des vergleichenden Proteinprofilings mittels SELDI-TOF-MS neue Wege in der diagnostischen Proteinanalytik und insbesondere in der Identifizierung neuer Biomarker beschreiten lassen. Gleichzeitig haben diese Untersuchungen aber auch die Grenzen der Methode verdeutlicht und die besondere Bedeutung der Standardisierung und Qualitätskontrolle sowohl der präanalytischen und analytischen Einflussfaktoren, als auch der nachfolgenden bioinformatischen Auswertung belegt. So hat sich gezeigt, dass das Studiendesign, die Auswahl entsprechender Kontrollgruppen und die Verwendung besonderer, aus der Analyse von Microarraydaten bekannter, statistischer Methoden eine wesentliche Bedeutung für die Reduktion der Rate falsch-signifikanter Peaks haben. Obwohl eine essentielle Forderung zur Validierung der in Pilotstudien identifizierten potentiellen diagnostischen Peakmuster darin besteht, diese in entsprechend großen prospektiven und multizentrischen Studien zu validieren, mangelt es in einer Vielzahl von Studien gerade daran. Bevor diese Untersuchungen nicht in ausreichendem Maße durchgeführt und an einer größeren Anzahl von Fragestellungen gezeigt werden konnte, dass sich die unter standardisierten Bedingungen erhobenen Proteinprofile auch noch Monate/Jahre später unabhängig vom Untersucher und dem verwendeten Gerät reproduzierbar zur Unterscheidung distinkter Patientenpopulationen verwenden lassen, ist die Translation dieser Technologie in die klinische Routinediagnostik potentiell möglich, aber nicht konkret absehbar.
Freie Fettsäuren als kardiovaskulärer Risikofaktor / Free fatty acids as a cardiovascular risk factor
Authors: Pilz Stefan , März Winfried
Published: June 2007

Freie Fettsäuren (FFS) sind physiologisch wichtige Energiesubstrate, deren Freisetzung durch Lipolyse im Fettgewebe an die Energiebedürfnisse des Körpers angepasst ist. Die vor allem bei adipösen Patienten erhöhten Konzentrationen an FFS stehen in Zusammenhang mit Typ 2-Diabetes, Leberzellverfettung und kardiovaskulären Erkrankungen. Vor allem bei Herzinsuffizienz und dem akuten Koronarsyndrom sind die FFS durch die lipolytische Wirkung von Katecholaminen und natriuretischen Peptiden erhöht. FFS können zur myokardialen Dysfunktion beitragen, haben ein proarrhythmogenes Potenzial und führen bei erhöhter Aufnahme und Oxidation im Herzmuskel zu einem im Vergleich zur Energiegewinnung durch Glukose erhöhten Sauerstoffbedarf. In diesem Zusammenhang gibt es bereits Therapieansätze einer so genannten „metabolischen Therapie” für koronare Herzkrankheit und Herzinsuffizienz, die darauf abzielen, den Stoffwechsel bzw. die Oxidation von Fettsäuren im Myokard zu reduzieren. Die Anwendbarkeit von FFS als diagnostischer Routineparameter ist hingegen durch ihre große Schwankungsbreite mit starker Abhängigkeit von der Nahrungsaufnahme, bzw. von hormonellen Einflüssen, limitiert. Weiterhin ist offen, ob Nüchternwerte, postprandiale Messungen oder dynamische, z.B. durch Stressfaktoren evozierte Veränderungen der FFS, bessere Parameter für ein erhöhtes kardiovaskuläres Risiko darstellen. Im vorliegenden Übersichtsartikel wird das derzeitige Wissen über den Stoffwechsel und die Bedeutung von FFS als kardiovaskulärer Risikofaktor zusammengefasst und das Potenzial von FFS in Diagnostik und Therapie kardiovaskulärer Erkrankungen diskutiert.
Untersuchungen zur diagnostischen Wertigkeit des Lymphozytentransformationstestes bei Patienten mit Borreliose / Evaluation of the diagnostic significance of the lymphocyte proliferation test in patients with Lyme borreliosis
Authors: von Baehr Volker , Liebenthal Christa , Gaida Brita , Schmidt Frank-Peter , von Baehr Rüdiger , Volk Hans-Dieter
Published: June 2007

Borrelienspezifische Antikörper sind erst mehrere Wochen nach Infektion nachweisbar und allein kein Beweis für eine aktive Borreliose. Die Sensitivität von Kultur und PCR ist für den Nachweis bzw. Ausschluss einer Borreliose zu gering. Es bedarf einer Methode, die ausschließlich eine aktive Borrelieninfektion möglichst früh anzeigt. Es wurde dazu ein Lymphozytentransformationstest (LTT) mit drei Borrelienlysatantigenen (Borrelia B. sensu stricto, B. afzelii und B. garinii) sowie rekombinantem OspC entwickelt und mit Untersuchungen von seronegativen (n=100) und seropositiven Gesunden (n=36) sowie seropositiven Patienten mit klinischer Borreliose (n=44) validiert. Die Sensitivität des Borrelien-LTT für eine klinische Borreliose vor antibiotischer Behandlung wurde mit 91%, die Spezifität mit 94% ermittelt. Bei 820 Patienten mit klinischem Verdacht auf Borreliose wurde eine Übereinstimmung positiver und negativer serologischer und LTT-Ergebnisse von 77,3% gefunden. Serologisch positiv und im LTT negativ waren 165 Patienten (20,1%), überwiegend mit Borreliose nach antibiotischer Therapie. Serologisch negativ und im LTT positiv waren 21 Patienten (2,6%), davon sieben mit Erythema migrans. Nach antibiotischer Behandlung wird der Borrelien-LTT bei Patienten mit Frühmanifestationen der Borreliose (n=90) negativ bis grenzwertig, bei Spätmanifestationen (n=70) rückläufig mit verbleibender Restaktivität. Verlaufsuntersuchungen über ein Jahr von sechs Patienten mit Frühmanifestationen zeigten nur eine Reaktivierung. Bei acht von zehn Patienten mit Spätmanifestationen wurden häufig Reaktivierungen bzw. persistierend positive LTT-Reaktionen beobachtet. Als Indikation für den Borrelien-LTT wird deshalb besonders die Verlaufskontrolle bei disseminierten Borrelieninfektionen vorgeschlagen.
The crystal structure of a new mixed valence arsenic(III,V)oxoacid H6As3+
7As5+
7O31
Authors: Orosel Denis , Dinnebier Robert E. , Balog Paul , Jansen Martin
Published: June 2007

We report on a new mixed valence arsenic(III,V)oxoacid H6As3+
7As5+
7O31 which crystallizes in the hexagonal space group P63 (no. 173), with lattice parameters a = 12.0525(1) Å, c = 4.7344(1) Å, V = 595.6(1) Å3 and Z = 2. This phase is metastable and upon heating the RT-phase of As2O5 is recovered. The structure exhibits the first As5+ atom with a fivefold coordination by oxygen atoms in the shape of a distorted square pyramid. The positions of the hydrogen atoms were determined during the structure refinement from high resolution synchrotron powder diffraction data by difference Fourier analysis.
Crystal chemistry of RE(CO3)OH
Authors: Tahara Takeshi , Nakai Izumi , Miyawaki Ritsuro , Matsubara Satoshi
Published: June 2007

Rare earth carbonate hydroxides, RE(CO3)OH, were hydrothermally synthesized from formic acid and the hydroxide gels of Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Y. An orthorhombic phase with a kozoite-type structure was obtained for RE = Nd and Sm. Another orthorhombic modification of the kozoite-type structure was obtained for RE = Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, and Y. The latter phase has a lower symmetry (space group: P212121) in comparison to the true kozoite-type structure (Pnma). A new tetragonal phase (space group: P42/nmc) was found for RE = Tm and Yb.

The crystal structures of RE(CO3)OH were refined for Pnma (RE = Nd and Sm), P212121 (RE = Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm and Y), and P42/nmc phases (RE = Tm and Yb) using single-crystal X-ray diffraction intensity data. The distinct features of the differences among the three structures are the coordination numbers of the RE3+ ions: 10, 9, and 8 for the Pnma, P212121, and P42/nmc phases, respectively. A systematic comparison of the two orthorhombic structures revealed a dynamic variation in the coordination environment of the RE3+ ions accompanied by variations in their ionic radii. Although the interatomic RE—O distances tend to decrease with the lanthanide contraction, exceptions were observed for two of the RE—O distances. The mutual close proximity of CO3
2– anions caused by the lanthanide contraction led to repulsion between the CO3
2– anions, which decreased the symmetry of the configuration of CO3
2– anions around the central RE3+ ion, and some oxygen atoms of CO3
2– moved away from the first coordination shell of the RE3+ ions due to the elongation of the RE-O distances.

The crystal structures of the tetragonal RE(CO3)OH are distinct from those of the orthorhombic phases. They consist of ladders of RE3+ ions 8-coordinated by the CO3
2– and OH– anions arranged in the form of a double cross. The powder XRD patterns of the tetragonal RE(CO3)OH are identical to that of a synthetic material previously reported as Tm6(OH)4(CO3)7.
High-temperature neutron powder diffraction study of scandia/nitrogen co-doped zirconia
Authors: Lerch Martin , Boysen Hans , Rödel T. Christoph , Kaiser-Bischoff Ines , Hoelzel Markus , Senyshyn Anatoliy
Published: June 2007

The structural evolution of a scandia/nitrogen co-doped zirconia sample, Sc0.148Zr0.852O1.72N0.14, was investigated by neutron powder diffraction up to 1700 °C. At ambient temperature it has an anion-deficient fluorite related β′-type structure with ordered anion vacancies (space group R-3, a = 9.5611 Å, c = 17.5020 Å). With increasing temperature a gradual transformation into a cubic fluorite-type phase (Fm3m) with randomly distributed vacancies takes place which is accompanied by an enrichment of Sc in the rhombohedral phase and completed at ∼1050°C. At higher temperatures probability densities and single particle potentials of the anions were determined. The incorporation of nitrogen into the scandia-zirconia material significantly increased the activation energy for anion migration to values above 1 eV. The anions migrate predominantly along the <100>-directions to neighbouring sites.
Isomorphous gallium substitution in the alumosilicate sodalite framework: synthesis and structural studies of chloride and bromide containing phases
Authors: Murshed M. Mangir , Gesing Thorsten M.
Published: June 2007

In the Na8[T1T2O4]6Y2 sodalite system (Y = Cl, Br, T
2 = Si) the aluminium bearing T
1 position was successively substituted with gallium. The synthesized products represent the new composition Na8[Al1–yGay-SiO4]6Y2 (0 ≤ y ≤ 1), where the Al/Ga ratio is calculated from the X-ray powder data Rietveld refinements. In each composition, the gallium concentration in the framework is observed lower than that in the initial feed. The linear expansion of the lattice parameters has been observed from [AlSiO4]6 to [GaSiO4]6 in increasing gallium concentration in the framework. The position of gallium and aluminium has been refined on a single crystallographic site. This result also indicates that both aluminium and gallium are indistinguishable and statistically distributed in the T
1-sites. The T
1-O distance, therefore, offers an averaged magnitude of Al/Ga—O distance which increases with increasing gallium concentration. In contrast, the Si—O distance remains almost constant at 162.8 pm (2σ) and 163.4 pm (3σ) for chloride and bromide sodalites, respectively. The increasing average tilt of the (Al,Ga)O4 and SiO4 tetrahedra leads to a decrease of the six-ring window dimension as a consequence of increasing gallium incorporation in the framework. The simultaneous shortening of Na—O and Na—Cl/Br distances, with increasing gallium content, shows a direct interaction between the framework host and the enclathrated guest. Additionally, the tetragonal tetrahedron distortion and the framework oxygen s-hybridization are discussed as a function of gallium concentration in the two new sodalite series.
High temperature structural behaviour of Li2VOSiO4
Authors: Zema Michele , Tarantino Serena C. , Ghigna Paolo , Montagna Gabriele
Published: June 2007

Structural investigations at high temperature were carried out on compound Li2VOSiO4, which crystallises with a natisite-type structure. Unit-cell parameters were measured and diffracted intensities collected at regular intervals in the temperature range 25–500 °C using single crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. Thermal expansion coefficients showed positive expansion of lattice constants, greater along the c direction, and of cell volume. Reversibility of thermal expansion in the investigated temperature range was checked by measuring unit-cell parameters after the crystal was cooled down from 500 °C to room temperature. Structure refinements revealed that the [VOSi4]n
2− layers are almost rigid and that the most relevant modifications occur at the intercalated ion layer.
A detailed study of the variation in lattice parameter and structure with temperature and dilution in yttrium-substituted holmium hexachloro-elpasolite Cs2NaY
x
Ho1–x
Cl6
Authors: Sabry-Grant Ralph , Vickers Martin , Cockcroft Jeremy Karl
Published: June 2007

The lattice parameters of Cs2NaHoCl6 at 25 K, 120 K, and 294 K determined in this work are 10.6389(3) Å, 10.6666(2) Å, and 10.7220(2) Å, respectively, and those of Cs2NaYCl6 at 120 K and 294 K are 10.6722(2) Å and 10.7275(2) Å, respectively, by Rietveld refinement using space group Fm-3m. The variation in structure of Cs2NaY
x
Ho1−x
Cl6 with yttrium substitution for x = 0 to 1 at 120 K and 294 K has been determined. Given the highly-absorbing samples examined by PXRD, great care is needed with the alignment of the diffractometer and the inclusion of suitable corrections in the Rietveld refinement model. The variation of the lattice parameter of Cs2NaHoCl6 with temperature between 100 K and 475 K has been determined. The mean value for the effective, coordination-number-6, ionic radius of trivalent yttrium/holmium in this elpasolite structure at 120 K determined in this work is 0.764(2) Å and at 294 K is 0.766(3) Å, i.e. no change within experimental limits was observed in this value, assuming cubic close-packing of Cl− and Cs+ ions. No long-range ordering was found in the 50 : 50 mixture consistent with random substitution of holmium by yttrium for all compositions. The process is charge-driven as trivalent yttrium replaces the corresponding holmium without displacing monovalent sodium. Thermoluminescence is observed from samples irradiated at low temperature during their return to room temperature.
Proton positions in and thermal behaviour of the phase 4 CaO · 3 Al2O3 · 3 H2O and its thermal decomposition to |(OCa4)2|[Al12O24]-SOD, determined by neutron/X-ray powder diffraction and IR spectroscopic investigations
Authors: Peters Lars , Knorr Karsten , Evans John S. O. , Senyshyn Anatoliy , Rahmoun Nouri-Said , Depmeier Wulf
Published: June 2007

The proton positions in the phase 4 CaO · 3 Al2O3 · 3 H2O (C4A3H3) were determined by neutron diffraction exper iments at room temperature and 5 K. Two crystallographically distinct proton sites, 16g and 8f in space group Abma, were located from the evaluation of difference Fourier maps. Additionally, IR spectroscopic measurements were carried out to further characterise the observed OH groups. On the basis of this knowledge and due to topo logical considerations, we propose to write C4A3H3 according to the IUPAC nomenclature for microporous mate rials as an interrupted framework host structure with the formula |Ca8(OH)4|2 [Al4
[4][1;4]Al8
[4][1;3]. O20
[2](OH)8
[1]]2h{3; 4-ring}
p
{0[4668]} (Abma) – -SOD. X-ray diffraction experiments in the temperature range from 28 K to 973 K give an insight into the thermal behaviour of the phase C4A3H3, and its topotac tic condensation to |Ca8O2|[Al12
[4]
[1;4]O24
[2]]h{3; 4-ring}p · {0[4668]} (I-43m)-SOD (C4A3) + 6 H2O. The questioned fractional coordinates of the framework oxygens in the decomposition product C4A3
, as described in the first structure de termination, were corrected by a structure refinement using the Rietveld method. It is shown unambiguously that |(OCa4)2| · [Al12O24]-SOD has a sodalite-type structure.
Structures of 6-(substituted-phenyl)fulvenes
Authors: Müller-Bunz Helge , Dix Ina , Strohfeldt Katja , Lou Ying , Pampillón Clara , Sweeney Nigel J. , Claffey James , Tacke Matthias
Published: June 2007

The syntheses and crystal structures of a series of 6-(substituted-phenyl) fulvenes are reported. In three instances the molecular structures determined by X-Ray crystallography were compared to the results of DFT calculations. In these cases only minor differences were found between the optimised DFT calculation and the molecule found in the crystal structure. This is of particular interest in the case of 6-(p-[N-acetyl]aminophenyl)fulvene which shows intermolecular hydrogen bonding.
Cardiovascular Effects of Sibutramine in the Treatment of Obese Adolescents: Results of a Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study
Authors: Daniels Stephen R. , Long Barbara , Crow Scott , Styne Dennis , Sothern Melinda , Vargas-Rodriguez Ileana , Harris Lisa , Walch Julia , Jasinsky Olga , Cwik Kristine , Hewkin Ann , Blakesley Vicky ,   for the Sibutramine Adolescent Study Group
Published: June 2007

BACKGROUND. Adolescent obesity is a major public health problem. Treatment options in addition to behavioral therapy could include pharmacotherapy with sibutramine.

OBJECTIVES. Concerns regarding increases in blood pressure and heart rate after sibutramine treatment in some adult patients precipitated the present analysis, which evaluated the cardiovascular safety of sibutramine plus a behavioral therapy program in obese adolescents.

PATIENTS AND METHODS. With this 12-month, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in 33 US clinics we studied 498 adolescents aged 12 to 16 years with multiethnic backgrounds and BMIs of 28.1 to 46.3 kg/m2.

RESULTS. The subjects were randomly assigned to behavioral therapy plus 10 mg of sibutramine or behavioral therapy plus placebo daily. At the end point, there was a mean treatment group difference in BMI of 2.6 kg/m2 in favor of sibutramine. Small mean decreases in blood pressure and pulse rate were seen in both sibutramine and placebo groups at the end point (systolic blood pressure: −2.1 vs −2.1 mmHg; diastolic blood pressure: −0.1 vs −1.1 mmHg; pulse rate: −0.2 vs −1.8 bpm). In both treatment groups, these reductions in vital signs were greater at the end point when BMI reduction was ≥5% compared with <5%.

CONCLUSIONS. Sibutramine may have some direct cardiovascular effects on obese adolescents. These cardiovascular effects may be balanced by a reduction in BMI, which, in adolescents, seems to be greater than that observed in adults.
Extirpation of Red Shiner in Direct Tributaries of Lake Texoma (Oklahoma‐Texas): A Cautionary Case History from a Fragmented River‐Reservoir System
Authors: Matthews William J. , Marsh‐Matthews Edie
Published: June 2007

The effects of reservoirs on composition of fish assemblages are well documented in and downstream of reservoirs but are less well known upstream, especially in small tributaries. Here we report that a historically very abundant native minnow species (red shiner Cyprinella lutrensis) has been extirpated from several direct tributaries of Lake Texoma, a large impoundment of the Red and Washita rivers, Oklahoma‐Texas. Using historical and recent data, we document the recent loss of or sharp declines in the red shiner from six of seven creeks that are direct tributaries of Lake Texoma. The red shiner is widespread, tolerant of harsh conditions, and highly invasive, so its demise is particularly noteworthy. The species remains common in direct tributaries of free‐flowing reaches of the rivers that we sampled recently. Centrarchids that are potential predators of or competitors with the red shiner are now more abundant in Texoma‐direct creeks than in tributaries to the rivers. Loss of the red shiner occurred within the past 20 years in Texoma‐direct creeks, although the reservoir is more than 60 years old. We suspect that recent severe droughts initiated loss of the species and that recolonization has been inhibited by the reservoir, which fragments the former river‐creek system. The lower reaches of the Texoma‐direct creeks appear to have undergone habitat modification during recent high‐water episodes, resulting in the formation of deep pools that contain large numbers of centrarchids or other piscivores and are poor habitat for the red shiner. Reservoir effects on the red shiner in these tributary streams did not appear until decades after impoundment, after particular combinations of extreme drought and flood events. The decline of the red shiner in the Lake Texoma system suggests that biologists should be alert for similar changes in native fish populations in direct tributaries to other reservoirs.
On the Use of Cyprinid Scales in the Diet Analysis of Piscivorous Species: How Much Information Is Hidden in a Fish Scale?
Authors: Miranda Rafael , Escala M. Carmen
Published: June 2007

Scales of eight common European cyprinid species were studied. Six scales were extracted from each specimen from three predetermined body areas. The main differences among the species' scales were described. Maximum and minimum lateral radius and maximum length were measured, and the number of radii noted. The relationships between standard length and scale measurements were best described by power functions, and maximum length showed the best fit in most of the analyzed cases. Scales from different body areas showed significant differences in body length estimates. The number of radii increased with age in all species, except for goldfish Carassius auratus, roach Rutilus rutilus, and rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus. This number might be related to the general activity of the fish or to environmental conditions. Much information can be obtained from scales, but it should be interpreted with care. Detailed and precise scale studies are needed for diet analyses and piscivorous impact evaluation.
Malignant Transformation of Multipotent Muscle-Derived Cells by Concurrent Differentiation Signals
Authors: Pollett Jonathan B. , Corsi Karin A. , Weiss Kurt R. , Cooper Gregory M. , Barry Denise A. , Gharaibeh Burhan , Huard Johnny
Published: June 2007

Recent studies have shown that germ-line determination occurs early in development and that extracellular signaling can alter this fate. This denial of a cell's fate by counteracting its intrinsic signaling pathways through extrinsic stimulation is believed to be associated with oncogenesis. Using specific populations of multipotent skeletal muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs), we have been able to generate tumors by subjecting cells with specific lineage predilections to concomitant differentiation signals. More specifically, when a stem cell that had a predilection toward osteogenesis was implanted into a skeletal muscle, tumors formed in 25% of implanted mice. When cells predilected to undergo myogenesis were pretreated with bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) for 4 days prior to implantation, they formed tumors in 25% of mice. These same myogenic predilected cells, when transduced to express BMP4 and implanted into either a long-bone or cranial defect, formed bone, but they formed tumors in 100% of mice when implanted into the skeletal muscle. The tumors generated in this latter study were serially transplantable as long as they retained BMP4 expression. Furthermore, when we impeded the ability of the cells to undergo myogenic differentiation using small interfering RNA to the myogenic regulator MyoD1, we stopped transformation. Based on our findings, we postulate that specific MDSC populations can undergo concomitant signal-induced transformation and that the initial stages of transformation may be due to changes in the balance between the inherent nature of the cell and extrinsic signaling pathways. This theory represents a potential link between somatic stem cells and cancer and suggests an involvement of the niche/environment in transformation.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.