bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Economic Measurement in the Health and Retirement Study
Authors: Venti Steven
Published: April 2011

The Health and Retirement Study (HRS) is widely use for research on the well-being of the elderly. This paper assesses the quality of economic and financial variables in the HRS. I find the coverage is comprehensive and the quality of the data is uniformly high. Thus the HRS has earned its position as the most widely used data source for research on retirement, saving adequacy, pension policy and a host of other aging-related topics. I identify two general areas that continue to merit special attention. The first is measurement error, particularly errors arising from item non-response and from inaccurate respondent reports of the ownership and level of assets. The second is the quality of the pension data. Where appropriate, I make suggestions for improving economic measures in the HRS.
European Regulation Affecting Nanomaterials - Review of Limitations and Future Recommendations
Authors: Hansen Steffen Foss , Baun Anders
Published: April 2011

After learning about the potential risks associated with various specific nanomaterials, concerns have been raised about adequacy of existing regulation in Europe and what should be done to address any potential regulatory gaps related to nanomaterials. Understanding the limitations of the current regulation in regard to nanomaterials is a starting point in a democratic and transparent process towards adapting existing laws and facilitating an informed discussion about which kind of regulatory options best address the identified limitations. In the following we will introduce key pieces of European legislation affecting nanomaterials, analyze their limitations, and provide a number of recommendations on how these can be overcome. We find that, although nanomaterials are in principle covered by the scope of many of the existing legislative frameworks, it is often unclear, if current regulations are actually applicable when it comes to specific nanomaterials and their diverse applications. Main limitations seem to be: that requirements to do safety evaluations are triggered by production volumes by tonnage not tailored to the nanoscale, the profound lack of (eco)toxicological data, and that thresholds values and occupational exposure limits cannot be established with existing methodologies.
Pharmacological regulation of neutrophil activity and apoptosis
Authors: Jančinová Viera , Perečko Tomáš , Nosáľ Radomir , Mihalová Danica , Bauerová Katarína , Drabiková Katarína
Published: April 2011

Pharmacological regulation of neutrophil activity and apoptosis

Novel strategies of antiinflammatory therapy are based upon pharmacological agents capable to enhance the resolution - i.e. the termination of the beneficial inflammation before it may turn into an adverse chronic stage. In contrast to the current therapy, which antagonises the formation of proinflammatory mediators, the "proresolving" therapy promotes natural antiinflammatory processes. It is likely that several drugs and phytochemicals would act in this way, but this point has not been investigated and thus might be totally overlooked. In this paper, effects of curcumin (diferuloylmethane) were analysed, considering the ability of this natural compound to affect resolution of inflammation through modulation of its important inputs - activity and apoptosis of neutrophils. The presented data indicate that, besides its well-known ability to suppress mechanisms engaged at the onset and progression of inflammation, curcumin could support resolution of inflammation through decreased activity and enhanced apoptosis of neutrophils. This substance decreased the formation of oxidants in neutrophils, both under in vitro conditions and after oral administration to arthritic rats. Moreover, curcumin accelerated spontaneous apoptosis of neutrophils, as indicated by increased externalisation of phosphatidylserine, by intercalation of propidium iodide and by enhanced activity of the executioner caspase-3.
Modulation of metabolic activity of phagocytes by antihistamines
Authors: Lojek Antonin , Číž Milan , Pekarová Michaela , Ambrožová Gabriela , Vašíček Ondřej , Moravcová Jana , Kubala Lukáš , Drábiková Katarína , Jančinová Viera , Perečko Tomáš , Pečivová Jana , Mačičková Tatiana , Nosáľ Radomír
Published: April 2011

Modulation of metabolic activity of phagocytes by antihistamines

The purpose of the study was to investigate the effects of H1-antihistamines of the 1stgeneration (antazoline, bromadryl, brompheniramine, dithiaden, cyclizine, chlorcyclizine, chlorpheniramine, clemastine) and the 2ndgeneration (acrivastine, ketotifen, and loratadine) on the respiratory burst of phagocytes. Reactive oxygen species generation in neutrophils isolated from rat blood was measured using luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence. Changes in nitrite formation and iNOS protein expression by RAW 264.7 macrophages were analysed using Griess reaction and Western blotting. The antioxidative properties of drugs in cell-free systems were detected spectrophotometrically, luminometrically, fluorimetrically, and amperometrically. The majority of the H1-antihistamines tested (bromadryl, brompheniramine, chlorcyclizine, chlorpheniramine, clemastine, dithiaden, and ketotifen) exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on the chemiluminescence activity of phagocytes. H1-antihistamines did not show significant scavenging properties against superoxide anion and hydroxyl radical, thus this could not contribute to the inhibition of chemiluminescence. H1-antihistamines had a different ability to modulate nitric oxide production by LPS-stimulated macrophages. Bromadryl, clemastine, and dithiaden were the most effective since they inhibited iNOS expression, which was followed by a significant reduction in nitrite levels. H1-antihistamines had no scavenging activity against nitric oxide. It can be concluded that the effects observed in the H1-antihistamines tested are not mediated exclusively via H1-receptor pathway or by direct antioxidative properties. Based on our results, antihistamines not interfering with the microbicidal mechanisms of leukocytes (antazoline, acrivastine and cyclizine) could be used preferentially in infections. Other antihistamines should be used, under pathological conditions accompanied by the overproduction of reactive oxygen species.
Design and numerical analyses of the planar grating coupler
Authors: Struk P. , Pustelny T.
Published: April 2011

Design and numerical analyses of the planar grating coupler

The paper presents the results of numerical analyses of the structures of integrated optics in the form of planar waveguides made of materials with high values of the refractive indexn= 2.00 and with an input-output system in the form of Bragg grating couplers. The numerical investigations were carried out by using the FDTD method (Finite Difference Time Domain method).
Influence of active admixtures onto tellurite glass refractive index
Authors: Reben M. , Wasylak J. , Jaglarz J.
Published: April 2011

Influence of active admixtures onto tellurite glass refractive index

The goal of this work was to investigate the influence of rare earth ions such as Tm3+, Yb3+on physico-chemical properies of tellurite glass from the TeO2-WO3-PbO-PbF2-Na2O system. The thermal characteristic of tellurite glass Tm3+, Yb3+doped have been presented. The effect of the glass crystallization on thermal stability of the glass and crystallizing phases formed upon heat treatment were investigated by DTA/DSC/, XRD methods. The spectral dependence of ellipsometric angles of the tellurite glass samples, have been studied. The influence of ions of rare earth elements, i.e. Tm3+and Yb3+, onto changes of refractive index of glass P1 (without RE admixture) were examined. The optical measurements were conducted on Woollam M2000 spectroscopic ellipsometer, in spectral range of 190-1700 nm.
Stability analysis of a discrete-time system with a variable-, fractional-order controller
Authors: Ostalczyk P.
Published: April 2011

Stability analysis of a discrete-time system with a variable-, fractional-order controller

Variable, fractional-order backward difference is a generalisation of commonly known difference or sum. Equations with these differences can be used to describe a variable-, fractional order digital control strategies. One should mention, that classical tools such as a state-space description and discrete transfer function cannot be used in the analysis and synthesis of such a type of systems. Equations describing a closed-loop system are proposed. They contain square matrices imitating the action of matrices in the system polynomial matrix description. This paper focuses on the stability analysis of a closed-loop SISO linear system with a controller described by the equations mentioned. A stability condition based on a transient denominator matrix condition number is proposed. Investigations are supported by two numerical examples.
An analysis of the dynamics of a launcher-missile system on a moveable base
Authors: Dziopa Z. , Krzysztofik I. , Koruba Z.
Published: April 2011

An analysis of the dynamics of a launcher-missile system on a moveable base

The analysis focuses on the dynamics of a hypothetical anti-aircraft system during the missile launch. The results of the computer simulation of motion of the launcher-missile system are represented graphically. The diagrams provide information about the range of kinematic excitations acting on the opto-electro-mechanical coordinator of the target in a self-guided missile.
Quantum analysis of the Cosserat media with application to paramagnetic resonance
Authors: Sikoń M.
Published: April 2011

Quantum analysis of the Cosserat media with application to paramagnetic resonance

This work is a continuation of the investigation which first results were presented in the Bulletin of the Polish Academy of Sciences: Technical Sciences in 2009. In the work the Cosserat medium is defined there, where inter-atomic actions have non-central nature. Non-central potential energy is introduced. As regards the Schrödinger equation the energetic state of the atom is described in the field of the quantum mechanics. The analysis is carried out on the base of mechanical and magnetic properties of the atom. The obtained solution is applied to write the resonance condition in the EPR spectrometer. The spectra, obtained for a loaded hydrated copper sulfate, were interpreted from the point of view of the presented theory and experimental parameters of the Cosserat medium were written.
Matter Without Bodies
Authors: Colebrook Claire
Published: April 2011

Materialism is at once the most general of concepts, capable of gesturing to anything that seems either foundational or physicalist, and yet is also one of the most rhetorical of gestures: operating as a way of reducing, criticising or ‘exorcising’ forms of idealism and ideology. Derrida's early, supposedly ‘textualist’ works appear to endorse a materiality of the letter (including syntax, grammar, trace and writing) while the later works focus on matter as split between that which is posited and that which will always appear as a receding ground. It is more important than ever that materialism not be accepted too readily as a way of overcoming a supposedly linguistic or textualist Derrida in order that Derrida might be smuggled into the contemporary heaven of naturalism and physicalism. On the contrary, it is the dispersed, inhuman and inorganic materiality beyond bodies, physis and substance that offers itself for genuinely deconstructive thinking.
‘ “Counting is a bad procedure” ’: Calculation and Economy in Jacques Derrida's Donner le temps
Authors: Surprenant Céline
Published: April 2011

In Jacques Derrida's formalisation of the problem of the gift in Donner le temps (1991), where Derrida offers a joint reading of Marcel Mauss’ The Gift and Baudelaire's La Fausse monnaie, there is an apparent rejection of rational calculation (and of economism) in a narrow sense. This exclusion is only one of the steps in the deconstruction of the metaphysics of the gift, and of other motifs such as, for example, invention, forgiveness, and hospitality. In another step, calculation and economy are the terms of logico-formal paradoxes, and engages us to think of the incompatible demands of calculability and incalculability between which reason is torn, and which Derrida has discussed, for example, in ‘The “World” of the Enlightenment to Come (Exception, Calculation and Sovereignty)’ (2003). In this paper, I argue that in his evaluation of Mauss’ moderate view of economy and exchange, Derrida has limited Mauss’ notions of economy and rationality to reason as calculation. This evaluation jars with Derrida's deconstruction of calculation in his reading of Hegel and Rousseau among others, as I begin to show, Hegel, for whom ‘counting was a bad procedure’.
The Gift and the Return: Deconstructing Mary Shelley'sLodore
Authors: Allen Graham
Published: April 2011

This paper begins with Barbara Johnson's examination of the erasure of sexual difference within the Yale school, and in particular her comments upon the work of Mary Shelley. Taking up hints in her statements about the relation between Mary Shelley's work and deconstruction, I suggest a reading of Mary Shelley's penultimate novel, Lodore, in relation to Derrida's Given Time. Lodore, which traditionally appeared a rather conservative novel to Mary Shelley's critics, has a number of parallels in its plot to the logic of the gift as set out in Derrida's text. It also, however, allows us to begin to think through the related concept of the return, so crucial to both of the Shelley's thinking and writing. The essay analyses Lodore in relation to Derrida's account of the impossibility of the gift, in order, eventually, to move towards some comments about sexual difference, the novel, the gift and the return.
‘A Triangle Open on its Fourth Side’: On the Strategy, Protocol, and ‘Justice’ of Deconstruction
Authors: Shershow Scott Cutler
Published: April 2011

Derrida always stipulates that deconstruction is not a ‘method’. But deconstruction nevertheless involves a certain strategy and protocol: terms that both designate a process and serve as an example of that process. Derrida's deployment of these terms clarifies how his analyses of logocentrism anticipate the political texts of his later career. In his early texts, Derrida famously shows how the dyad of speech and writing is a ‘violent hierarchy’ in which speech is everywhere privileged. I show how, by contrast, his later analysis of law and force necessarily redoubles this strategy because each of these terms is privileged in rival traditions of political thought.
The Logic of the ‘as if’ and the (non)Existence of God: An Inquiry into the Nature of Belief in the Work of Jacques Derrida
Authors: Dickinson Colby
Published: April 2011

For Derrida, the ‘as if’, as a regulative principle directly appropriated and modified from its Kantian context, becomes the central lynchpin for understanding, not only Derrida's philosophical system as a whole, but also his numerous seemingly enigmatic references to his ‘jewishness’. Through an analysis of the function of the ‘as if’ within the history of thought, from Greek tragedy to the poetry of Wallace Stevens, I hope to show how Derrida can only appropriate his Judaic roots as an act of mourning that seeks to render the lost object as present, ‘as if’ it were incorporated by the subject for whom this act nevertheless remains an impossibility. As Derrida discerns within the poetry of Paul Celan, bringing a sense of presence/presentness to our experiences, and as a confirmation of the subject which the human being struggles to assert, is the poetic task par excellence. It is seemingly also, if Derrida is to be understood on this point, the only option left to a humanity wherein poetry comes to express what religious formulations can no longer justify.
Costume Cinema and Materiality: Telling the Story of Marie Antoinette through Dress
Authors: Andersson Therése
Published: April 2011

In ’Costume Cinema and Materiality: Telling the Story of Marie Antoinette through Dress’ a materiality-based approach for analysing film narratives through costumes is examined. Sofia Coppola’s film Marie Antoinette (2006) serves as the empirical starting point and the theme of dressing and redressing is pursued throughout the film, crystallizing costume as a significant feature for reading the movie. The article argues that costumes, on a symbolic level, work as agents. It thus focuses on the interdependence between costume and interpretations of the screenplay’s main character. A theoretical notion of costumes and materiality is explored, and the idea is further developed in relation to stylistics constituted as emotions materialised in costume. As costumes are the main object for analysis, the discussion immediately centres on costumes produced by professional costume designers for the two-dimensional format of the film frame. In other words, costumes made for the moment: for a specific narrative and aesthetic expression.
Fashion, Market and Materiality Along the Seams of Clothing
Authors: Andersson Therése
Published: April 2011

No abstract available.
Catwalking the Nation: Challenges and Possibilities in the Case of the Danish Fashion Industry
Authors: Riegels Melchior Marie
Published: April 2011

This article discusses the mobilization of the nation for fashion, based on how the relationship between fashion and nation unfolds in the case of fashion design practice and the fashion industry in Denmark. The otherwise globalized fashion industry is equally involved in what I term “catwalking the nation,” both as a way to construct a cosmopolitan nationalist discourse for the post-industrial nation and as a strategy for local fashion industries to promote collective identity in order to strengthen potential market share, which is the focus of this article. What may at first appear in the Danish case as an absurd and non-productive relationship is actually significant, I would argue, despite its complexity. It has the potential to stimulate critical fashion design practice and give fashion designers a voice, allowing them to take an active part in contemporary public debates on important issues such as nationalism and cosmopolitanism in the age of globalization.
The Fastskin Revolution: From Human Fish to Swimming Androids
Authors: Craik Jennifer
Published: April 2011

The story of fastskin swimsuits reflects some of the challenges facing the impact of technology in postmodern culture. Introduced in 1999 and ratified for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, fastskin swimsuits were touted as revolutionising competitive swimming. Ten years later, they were banned by the world’s swimming regulatory body FINA (the Fédération Internationale de Natation), with the ban taking effect from January 2010 (Shipley 2009). The reason was the controversy caused by the large number of world records that were broken by competitors wearing polyurethane swimsuits, the next generation of the original fast skin suits. These suits were deemed to be providing an artificial advantage by increasing buoyancy and reducing drag. This had been an issue ever since they were introduced, yet FINA had approved the suits and, thereby, unleashed an unstoppable technological revolution of the sport of competitive swimming. Underlying this was the issue about its implications of the transformation of a sport based on the movement of the human body through water without the aid of artificial devices or apparatus. This article argues that the advent of the fastskin has not only transformed the art of swimming but has created a new image of the swimmer as a virtual android rather than a human fish. In turn, the image of the sport of swimming has been re-mapped as a technical artefact and sci-fi spectacle based on a radically transformed concept of the swimming body as a material object that has implications for the ideal of the fashionable body.
As Fast as Possible Rather Than Well Protected: Experiences of Football Clothes
Authors: Berggren Torell Viveka
Published: April 2011

With Maurice Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenological view that human beings ’take in’ the world and experience themselves as subjects through their bodies as a starting point, players in both men’s and women’s teams, kit men, purchasing managers, sporting directors, and a coach from Swedish football clubs have been interviewed about their perceptions and experiences of football clothing. Since the body is both a feeling and knowing entity, clothes are seen as components of body techniques, facilitating or restricting body movements in a material way, but also as creators of senses, like lightness and security; in both ways, influencing the knowledge in action that playing football is. In this article, the content of the interviews is discussed in relation to health. When clothes are primarily related to a biomedical view that health means no injuries and illnesses, warm pants and shin guards are mentioned by players, who are rather ambivalent to both, since these garments counteract a feeling of lightness that is connected to the perception of speed. Players want to be fast rather than well protected. If clothes, instead, are interpreted as related to a broad conception of health, including mental, social, and physical components, the relation body–space-in-between–clothes seems to be an important aspect of clothing. Dressed in a sports uniform, unable to choose individual details, the feeling of subjectivity is related to wearing ’the right-size’ clothes. Also new textile technology, like injury-preventing and speed-increasing tight compression underwear, is perceived by players based on feelings that they are human subjects striving for both bodily and psychological well-being.
Essential Gene Pathways for Glioblastoma Stem Cells: Clinical Implications for Prevention of Tumor Recurrence
Authors: Yamada Kazunari , Tso Jonathan , Ye Fei , Choe Jinny , Liu Yue , Liau Linda M. , Tso Cho-Lea
Published: April 2011

Glioblastoma (World Health Organization/WHO grade IV) is the most common and most aggressive adult glial tumor. Patients with glioblastoma, despite being treated with gross total resection and post-operative radiation/chemotherapy, will almost always develop tumor recurrence. Glioblastoma stem cells (GSC), a minor subpopulation within the tumor mass, have been recently characterized as tumor-initiating cells and hypothesized to be responsible for post-treatment recurrence because of their enhanced radio-/chemo-resistant phenotype and ability to reconstitute tumors in mouse brains. Genome-wide expression profile analysis uncovered molecular properties of GSC distinct from their differentiated, proliferative progeny that comprise the majority of the tumor mass. In contrast to the hyperproliferative and hyperangiogenic phenotype of glioblastoma tumors, GSC possess neuroectodermal properties and express genes associated with neural stem cells, radial glial cells, and neural crest cells, as well as portray a migratory, quiescent, and undifferentiated phenotype. Thus, cell cycle-targeted radio-chemotherapy, which aims to kill fast-growing tumor cells, may not completely eliminate glioblastoma tumors. To prevent tumor recurrence, a strategy targeting essential gene pathways of GSC must be identified and incorporated into the standard treatment regimen. Identifying intrinsic and extrinsic cues by which GSC maintain stemness properties and sustain both tumorigenesis and anti-apoptotic features may provide new insights into potentially curative strategies for treating brain cancers.
Common Altered Epigenomic Domains in Cancer Cells: Characterization and Subtle Variations
Authors: Tsai Yi-Chien , Chiao Chun-Hui , Chang Ian Yi-Feng , Chen Dow-Tien , Liu Tze-Tze , Hua Kate , Chang Chuan-Hsiung , Hsu Ming-Ta
Published: April 2011

We have previously identified large megabase-sized hypomethylated zones in the genome of the breast cancer cell line MCF-7 using the TspRI-ExoIII technique. In this report, we used a more convenient high throughput method for mapping the hypomethylated zones in a number of human tumor genomes simultaneously. The method was validated by the bisulfite sequencing of 39 randomly chosen sites in a demethylated domain and by bisulfite genome-wide sequencing of the MCF-7 genome. This showed that the genomes of the various tumor cell lines, as well as some primary tumors, exhibit common hypomethylated domains. Interestingly, these hypomethylated domains are correlated with low CpG density distribution genome-wide, together with the histone H3K27Me3 landscape. Furthermore, they are inversely correlated with the H3K9Ac landscape and gene expression as measured in MCF-7 cells. Treatment with drugs resulted in en-bloc changes to the methylation domains. A close examination of the methylation domains found differences between non-invasive and invasive tumors with respect to tumorigenesis related genes. Taken together these results suggest that the human genome is organized in epigenomic domains that contain various different types of genes and imply that there are cis- and trans-regulators that control these domain-wide epigenetic changes and hence gene expression in the human genome. The hypomethylated domains are located in gene deserts that contain mainly tissue-specific genes and therefore we hypothesize that tumor cells keep these regions demethylated and silenced in order to save energy and resources and allow higher levels of cell proliferation and better survival (a thrifty tumor genome hypothesis).
Prognostic Value of Colorectal Cancer Biomarkers
Authors: Bianchi Paolo , Laghi Luigi , Delconte Gabriele , Malesci Alberto
Published: April 2011

Despite the large amount of data in cancer biology and many studies into the likely survival of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, knowledge regarding the issue of CRC prognostic biomarkers remains poor. The Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) staging system continues to be the most powerful and reliable predictor of the clinical outcome of CRC patients. The exponential increase of knowledge in the field of molecular genetics has lead to the identification of specific alterations involved in the malignant progression. Many of these genetic alterations were proposed as biomarkers which could be used in clinical practice to estimate CRC prognosis. Recently there has been an explosive increase in the number of putative biomarkers able to predict the response to specific adjuvant treatment. In this review we explore and summarize data concerning prognostic and predictive biomarkers and we attempt to shed light on recent research that could lead to the emergence of new biomarkers in CRC.
A New Open-framework Iron Borophosphate from Ionic Liquids: KFe[BP2O8(OH)]
Authors: Wang Guangmei , Mudring Anja-Verena
Published: April 2011

A new open-framework iron borophosphate, KFe[BP2O8(OH)], has been obtained by ionothermal synthesis from KH2PO4, FeCl3∙4H2O, H3BO3 and [C4mpyr]Br (1-butyl-1-methylpyrrolidinium bromide). Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis shows that KFe[BP2O8(OH)] (monoclinic, P21/c, a = 9.372(2) Å , b = 8.146(2)Å , c = 9.587(2) Å, β = 101.18(3)°, V = 718.0(2)Å3 and Z = 4) has a three-dimensional (3-D) framework structure composed by {Fe(III)O5(OH)} octahedra as well as {BO3(OH)} and {PO4} tetrahedra. As anionic structural sub-unit, KFe[BP2O8(OH)], contains an infinite open-branched {[BP2O8(OH)]4-} chain which is formed by alternating {BO3(OH)} and {PO4} tetrahedra. {Fe(III)O5(OH)} octahedra share common O corners with five phosphate tetrahedra and the OH corner links to the hydrogen borate group to give a 3D framework. The negative charges of the inorganic framework are balanced by K+ ions.
Algorithmic Relative Complexity
Authors: Cerra Daniele , Datcu Mihai
Published: April 2011

Information content and compression are tightly related concepts that can be addressed through both classical and algorithmic information theories, on the basis of Shannon entropy and Kolmogorov complexity, respectively. The definition of several entities in Kolmogorov’s framework relies upon ideas from classical information theory, and these two approaches share many common traits. In this work, we expand the relations between these two frameworks by introducing algorithmic cross-complexity and relative complexity, counterparts of the cross-entropy and relative entropy (or Kullback-Leibler divergence) found in Shannon’s framework. We define the cross-complexity of an object x with respect to another object y as the amount of computational resources needed to specify x in terms of y, and the complexity of x related to y as the compression power which is lost when adopting such a description for x, compared to the shortest representation of x. Properties of analogous quantities in classical information theory hold for these new concepts. As these notions are incomputable, a suitable approximation based upon data compression is derived to enable the application to real data, yielding a divergence measure applicable to any pair of strings. Example applications are outlined, involving authorship attribution and satellite image classification, as well as a comparison to similar established techniques.
Metadata For Identity Management of Population Registers
Authors: Glassey Olivier
Published: April 2011

A population register is an inventory of residents within a country, with their characteristics (date of birth, sex, marital status, etc.) and other socio-economic data, such as occupation or education. However, data on population are also stored in numerous other public registers such as tax, land, building and housing, military, foreigners, vehicles, etc. Altogether they contain vast amounts of personal and sensitive information. Access to public information is granted by law in many countries, but this transparency is generally subject to tensions with data protection laws. This paper proposes a framework to analyze data access (or protection) requirements, as well as a model of metadata for data exchange.
Combining a Fuzzy Matter-Element Model with a Geographic Information System in Eco-Environmental Sensitivity and Distribution of Land Use Planning
Authors: Zhang Jing , Wang Ke , Chen Xinming , Zhu Wenjuan
Published: April 2011

Sustainable ecological and environmental development is the basis of regional development. The sensitivity classification of the ecological environment is the premise of its spatial distribution for land use planning. In this paper, a fuzzy matter-element model and factor-overlay method were employed to analyze the ecological sensitivity in Yicheng City. Four ecological indicators, including soil condition,, water condition,, atmospheric conditions and biodiversity were used to classify the ecological sensitivity. The results were categorized into five ranks: insensitive, slightly sensitive, moderately sensitive, highly sensitive and extremely sensitive zones. The spatial distribution map of environmental sensitivity for land use planning was obtained using GIS (Geographical Information System) techniques. The results illustrated that the extremely sensitive and highly sensitive areas accounted for 14.40% and 30.12% of the total area, respectively, while the moderately sensitive and slightly sensitive areas are 25.99% and 29.49%, respectively. The results provide the theoretical foundation for land use planning by categorizing all kinds of land types in Yicheng City.
Assessment of Acetylcholinesterase Activity Using Indoxylacetate and Comparison with the Standard Ellman’s Method
Authors: Pohanka Miroslav , Hrabinova Martina , Kuca Kamil , Simonato Jean-Pierre
Published: April 2011

Assay of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity plays an important role in diagnostic, detection of pesticides and nerve agents, in vitro characterization of toxins and drugs including potential treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. These experiments were done in order to determine whether indoxylacetate could be an adequate chromogenic reactant for AChE assay evaluation. Moreover, the results were compared to the standard Ellman’s method. We calculated Michaelis constant Km (2.06 × 10−4 mol/L for acetylthiocholine and 3.21 × 10−3 mol/L for indoxylacetate) maximum reaction velocity Vmax (4.97 × 10−7 kat for acetylcholine and 7.71 × 10−8 kat for indoxylacetate) for electric eel AChE. In a second part, inhibition values were plotted for paraoxon, and reactivation efficacy was measured for some standard oxime reactivators: obidoxime, pralidoxime (2-PAM) and HI-6. Though indoxylacetate is split with lower turnover rate, this compound appears as a very attractive reactant since it does not show any chemical reactivity with oxime antidots and thiol used for the Ellman’s method. Thus it can be advantageously used for accurate measurement of AChE activity. Suitability of assay for butyrylcholinesterase activity assessment is also discussed.
Infrared Assisted Production of 3,4-Dihydro-2(1H)-pyridones in Solvent-Free Conditions
Authors: Noguez M. Olivia , Marcelino Vanessa , Rodríguez Hortensia , Martín Osnieski , Martínez Joel O. , Arroyo Gabriel A. , Pérez Francisco J. , Suárez Margarita , Miranda René
Published: April 2011

A green approach for the synthesis of a set of ten 4-aryl substituted-5-alcoxy carbonyl-6-methyl-3,4-dihydro-2(1H)-pyridones using Meldrum’s acid has been devised, the absence of solvent and the activation with infrared irradiation in addition to a multicomponent protocol are the main reaction conditions. The transformations proceeded with moderated yields (50–75%) with a reasonable reaction rate (3 h). It is worth noting that two novel molecules of the new class of the bis-3,4-dihydropyridones were also obtained. In addition, a comparison without the use of infrared irradiation was performed.
In Vivo Anti-Tumor Activity of Polypeptide HM-3 Modified by Different Polyethylene Glycols (PEG)
Authors: Liu Zhendong , Ren Yinling , Pan Li , Xu Han-Mei
Published: April 2011

HM-3, designed by our laboratory, is a polypeptide composed of 18 amino acids. Pharmacodynamic studies in vivo and in vitro indicated that HM-3 could inhibit endothelial cell migration and angiogenesis, thereby inhibiting tumor growth. However, the half-life of HM-3 is short. In this study, we modified HM-3 with different polyethylene glycols (PEG) in order to reduce the plasma clearance rate, extend the half-life in the body, maintain a high concentration of HM-3 in the blood and increase the therapeutic efficiency. HM-3 was modified with four different types of PEG with different molecular weights (ALD-mPEG5k, ALD-mPEG10k, SC-mPEG10k and SC-mPEG20k), resulting in four modified products (ALD-mPEG5k-HM-3, ALD-mPEG10k-HM-3, SC-mPEG10k-HM-3 and SC-mPEG20k-HM-3, respectively). Anti-tumor activity of these four modified HM-3 was determined in BALB/c mice with Taxol as a positive control and normal saline as a negative control. Tumor weight inhibition rates of mice treated with Taxol, HM-3, ALD-mPEG5k-HM-3, ALD-mPEG10k-HM-3, SC-mPEG10k-HM-3 and SC-mPEG20k-HM-3 were 44.50%, 43.92%, 37.95%, 31.64%, 20.27% and 50.23%, respectively. Tumor inhibition rates in the Taxol, HM-3 and SC-mPEG20k-HM-3 groups were significantly higher than that in the negative control group. The efficiency of tumor inhibition in the SC-mPEG20k-HM-3 group (drug treatment frequency: once per two days) was better than that in the HM-3 group (drug treatment frequency: twice per day). In addition, tumor inhibition rate in the SC-mPEG20k-HM-3 group was higher than that in the taxol group. We conclude that SC-mPEG20k-HM-3 had a low plasma clearance rate and long half-life, resulting in high anti-tumor therapeutic efficacy in vivo. Therefore, SC-mPEG20k-HM-3 could be potentially developed as new anti-tumor drugs.
Genetic Variation in Safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.) for Seed Quality-Related Traits and Inter-Simple Sequence Repeat (ISSR) Markers
Authors: Golkar Pooran , Arzani Ahmad , Rezaei Abdolmajid M.
Published: April 2011

Safflower (Carthamus tinctorious L.) is an oilseed crop that is valued as a source of high quality vegetable oil. The genetic diversity of 16 safflower genotypes originated from different geographical regions of Iran and some with exotic origin were evaluated. Eight different seed quality-related traits including fatty acid composition of seed oil (stearic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid and linoleic acid), the contents of, oil, protein, fiber and ash in its seeds, as well as 20 inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) polymorphic primers were used in this study. Analysis of variance showed significant variation in genotypes for the seed quality-related traits. Based on ISSR markers, a total of 204 bands were amplified and 149 bands (about 70%) of these were polymorphic. Cluster analysis based on either biochemical or molecular markers classified the genotypes into four groups, showing some similarities between molecular and biochemical markers for evaluated genotypes. A logical similarity between the genotype clusters based on molecular data with their geographical origins was observed.
Progress of Application Researches of Porous Fiber Metals
Authors: Xi Zhengping , Zhu Jilei , Tang Huiping , Ao Qingbo , Zhi Hao , Wang Jianyong , Li Cheng
Published: April 2011

Metal fiber porous materials with intrinsic properties of metal and functional properties of porous materials have received a great deal of attention in the fundamental research and industry applications. With developments of the preparation technologies and industrial requirements, porous fiber metals with excellent properties are developed and applied in many industry areas, e.g., sound absorption, heat transfer, energy absorption and lightweight structures. The applied research progress of the metal fiber porous materials in such application areas based on the recent work in our group was reviewed in this paper.
Selenol Protecting Groups in Organic Chemistry: Special Emphasis on Selenocysteine Se-Protection in Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis
Authors: Flemer Jr. Stevenson
Published: April 2011

The appearance of selenium in organic synthesis is relatively rare, and thus examples in the literature pertaining to the masking of its considerable reactivity are similarly uncommon. Greene's Protecting Groups in Organic Synthesis, the standard reference for the state of the art in this arena, offers no entries for selenium protective methodology, in stark comparison to its mention of the great variety of protecting groups germane to its chalcogen cousin sulfur. This scarcity of Se-protection methods makes it no less interesting and pertinent toward the construction of selenium-containing organic systems which do indeed require the iterative blocking and de-blocking of selenol functionalities. A selenium-containing system which is especially relevant is selenocysteine, as its use in Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis requires extensive protection of its selenol side chain. This review will attempt to summarize the current state of understanding with regard to selenium protection protocol in organic synthesis. Moreover, it will provide a special emphasis on selenocysteine side chain protection, comprising both the breadth of functionality used for this purpose as well as methods of deprotection.
Two-Photon Polarization Dependent Spectroscopy in Chirality: A Novel Experimental-Theoretical Approach to Study Optically Active Systems
Authors: Hernández Florencio E. , Rizzo Antonio
Published: April 2011

Many phenomena, including life itself and its biochemical foundations are fundamentally rooted in chirality. Combinatorial methodologies for catalyst discovery and optimization remain an invaluable tool for gaining access to enantiomerically pure compounds in the development of pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and flavors. Some exotic metamaterials exhibiting negative refractive index at optical frequencies are based on chiral structures. Chiroptical activity is commonly quantified in terms of circular dichroism (CD) and optical rotatory dispersion (ORD). However, the linear nature of these effects limits their application in the far and near-UV region in highly absorbing and scattering biological systems. In order to surmount this barrier, in recent years we made important advancements on a novel non linear, low-scatter, long-wavelength CD approach called two-photon absorption circular dichroism (TPACD). Herein we present a descriptive analysis of the optics principles behind the experimental measurement of TPACD, i.e., the double L-scan technique, and its significance using pulsed lasers. We also make an instructive examination and discuss the reliability of our theoretical-computational approach, which uses modern analytical response theory, within a Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TD-DFT) approach. In order to illustrate the potential of this novel spectroscopic tool, we first present the experimental and theoretical results obtained in C2-symmetric, axially chiral R-(+)-1,1'-bi(2-naphthol), R-BINOL, a molecule studied at the beginning of our investigation in this field. Next, we reveal some preliminary results obtained for (R)-3,3′-diphenyl-2,2′-bi-1-naphthol, R-VANOL, and (R)-2,2′-diphenyl-3,3′-(4-biphenanthrol), R-VAPOL. This family of optically active compounds has been proven to be a suitable model for the structure-property relationship study of TPACD, because its members are highly conjugated yet photo-stable, and easily derivatized at the 5- and 6-positions. With the publication of these outcomes we hope to motivate more members of the scientist community to engage in state-of-the-art TPACD spectroscopy.
Antitussive Activity of Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax Extracts and Improvement in Lung Function via Adjustment of Multi-Cytokine Levels
Authors: Pang Wensheng , Lin Siding , Dai Qiwen , Zhang Hongcheng , Hu Juan
Published: April 2011

Pseudostellaria heterophylla (Miq.) Pax is one of the most widespread herbal and healthcare products in China. Extensive clinical use has shown that it has functions which “strengthens qi and generates saliva, moistens the lung and relieves cough”. The ethyl acetate fraction extracted from the roots of the plant Pseudostellaria heterophylla exhibited a dose-dependent antitussive effect between 100 to 500 mg/kg. At a dose of 400 mg/kg, the ethyl acetate fraction treatment markedly prolonged the cough latent period and reduced the number of coughs in a guinea pig model induced by citric acid. Fall lung airway resistance, rise in dynamic lung compliance, decreased serum levels of IL-8, GM-CSF, TNF-α, and ET-1 in rat model of stable phase chronic obstructive pulmonary disease induced by cigarette smoke exposure were also observed. These results suggest that ethyl acetate fraction has antitussive activity related to its improvement in lung function via attenuation of airway inflammation by adjustment of multi-cytokine levels.
A Novel Behavioral Fish Model of Nociception for Testing Analgesics
Authors: Correia Ana D. , Cunha Sérgio R. , Scholze Martin , Stevens E. Don
Published: April 2011

Pain is a major symptom in many medical conditions, and often interferes significantly with a person’s quality of life. Although a priority topic in medical research for many years, there are still few analgesic drugs approved for clinical use. One reason is the lack of appropriate animal models that faithfully represent relevant hallmarks associated with human pain. Here we propose zebrafish (Danio rerio) as a novel short-term behavioral model of nociception, and analyse its sensitivity and robustness. Firstly, we injected two different doses of acetic acid as the noxious stimulus. We studied individual locomotor responses of fish to a threshold level of nociception using two recording systems: a video tracking system and an electric biosensor (the MOBS system). We showed that an injection dose of 10% acetic acid resulted in a change in behavior that could be used to study nociception. Secondly, we validated our behavioral model by investigating the effect of the analgesic morphine. In time-course studies, first we looked at the dose-response relationship of morphine and then tested whether the effect of morphine could be modulated by naloxone, an opioid antagonist. Our results suggest that a change in behavioral responses of zebrafish to acetic acid is a reasonable model to test analgesics. The response scales with stimulus intensity, is attenuated by morphine, and the analgesic effect of morphine is blocked with naloxone. The change in behavior of zebrafish associated with the noxious stimulus can be monitored with an electric biosensor that measures changes in water impedance.
Thermosensitive Self-Assembling Block Copolymers as Drug Delivery Systems
Authors: Bonacucina Giulia , Cespi Marco , Mencarelli Giovanna , Giorgioni Gianfabio , Palmieri Giovanni Filippo
Published: April 2011

Self-assembling block copolymers (poloxamers, PEG/PLA and PEG/PLGA diblock and triblock copolymers, PEG/polycaprolactone, polyether modified poly(Acrylic Acid)) with large solubility difference between hydrophilic and hydrophobic moieties have the property of forming temperature dependent micellar aggregates and, after a further temperature increase, of gellifying due to micelle aggregation or packing. This property enables drugs to be mixed in the sol state at room temperature then the solution can be injected into a target tissue, forming a gel depot in-situ at body temperature with the goal of providing drug release control. The presence of micellar structures that give rise to thermoreversible gels, characterized by low toxicity and mucomimetic properties, makes this delivery system capable of solubilizing water-insoluble or poorly soluble drugs and of protecting labile molecules such as proteins and peptide drugs.
Immunity-Based Diagnosis for a Motherboard
Authors: Shida Haruki , Okamoto Takeshi , Ishida Yoshiteru
Published: April 2011

We have utilized immunity-based diagnosis to detect abnormal behavior of components on a motherboard. The immunity-based diagnostic model monitors voltages of some components, CPU temperatures, and fan speeds. We simulated abnormal behaviors of some components on the motherboard, and we utilized the immunity-based diagnostic model to evaluate motherboard sensors in two experiments. These experiments showed that the immunity-based diagnostic model was an effective method for detecting abnormal behavior of components on the motherboard.
Des économies émergentes ou des marchés émergents : le développement économique avec ou sans la démocratie
Authors: Thiébault Jean-Louis
Published: April 2011

Résumé Cet article propose une analyse politique comparative des pays émergents. Il montre que les performances économiques de ces pays ont conduit à un renforcement de la démocratie chez la plupart d’entre eux. Mais cette réussite n’a pas été réalisée partout. Des pays émergents autoritaires ou « semi-autoritaires » ont également réalisé des performances économiques, mais n’ont pas souhaité la mise en œuvre d’une réforme politique conduisant à la démocratie. Le maintien d’une pratique autoritaire plus ou moins rigoureuse est considéré comme essentiel pour la sauvegarde d’une forte croissance économique permettant au pays de profiter d’une plus grande prospérité et d’une plus grande stabilité.
Les défis de la consolidation dans les nouvelles démocraties
Authors: Alexander Gerard
Published: April 2011

Résumé La troisième vague de démocratisation s’est achevée au milieu des années 1990. Dans les quinze années qui ont suivi, on a assisté à relativement peu de progrès de la démocratisation et à une certaine régression de l’autoritarisme. Que peut nous apprendre cette période au sujet des bases des régimes démocratiques et autoritaires ? À l’évidence, elle suggère que les transitions démocratiques et la stabilité ne sont pas le résultat des “effets d’émulation internationale” ou d’autres facteurs hautement contingents. En revanche, les cultures politiques et les structures socio-économiques nationales constituent les deux facteurs les plus pertinents pour expliquer la complexité de l’évolution des régimes qui caractérise notre monde. Malheureusement, les démocraties de la troisième vague sont touchées de manière disproportionnée par quatre types de défis à la consolidation démocratique : la polarisation politique, les structures étatiques écrasantes dans certains cas, les États faibles dans d’autres cas, et dans une moindre mesure, les politiques étrangères favorables à l’autoritarisme de la Chine et de la Russie.