bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
German Migrations: Between Blood and Soil
Authors: Brinkmann Tobias
Published: October 2007

Dieter Gosewinkel, Einbürgern und Ausschließen. Die Nationalisierung der Staatsangehörigkeit vom Deutschen Bund bis zur Bundesrepublik Deutschland (Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2001)

Daniel Levy, Yfaat Weiss, ed., Challenging Ethnic Citizenship: German and Israeli Perspectives on Immigration (New York/Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2002)

Barbara Marshall, The New Germany and Migration in Europe (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 2000)

Jan Motte, Rainer Ohliger, Anne von Oswald, ed., 50 Jahre Bundesrepublik – 50 Jahre Einwanderung: Nachkriegsgeschichte als Migrationsgeschichte (Frankfurt am Main/New York: Campus, 1999)

David Rock and Stefan Wolff, ed., Coming Home to Germany? The Integration of Ethnic Germans from Central and Eastern Europe in the Federal Republic since 1945 (New York/Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2002)

Stefan Wolff, ed., German Minorities in Europe: Ethnic Identity and Cultural Belonging (New York/Oxford: Berghahn Books, 2000)
The Transformation of German Multilateralism: Changes in Foreign Policy Discourse since Unification
Authors: Baumann Rainer
Published: October 2007

When German foreign policy is being described, a reference to multilateralism

is rarely ever omitted. Together with Westbindung, restraint

in using military force, and a trading-state orientation, Germany’s

preference for multilateral settings is recognized as one of the central

elements of its foreign policy. In recent years, a number of studies

have shown that, in contrast to realist expectations from the early

1990s, the more powerful unified Germany has continued to embrace

this multilateralism. This applies to Germany’s willingness to bind

itself to NATO and other European and Euro-Atlantic security institutions,

1 to Germany’s policy within and vis-à-vis the EU,2 and to its

foreign policy on a global scale.
Political Culture in Unified Germany: The First Ten Years
Authors: Conradt David P.
Published: October 2007

After ten years of research on Germany’s postunification political

culture, there is no scholarly consensus on the critical questions of

east-west differences, the impact of unification on western German

culture, and developmental trends in the two regions. These questions

have become more acute in the light of decreased eastern economic

growth, high unemployment, and growing evidence of a

radical right-wing subculture in the new states.
What Remains? The Political Culture of an Unlucky Birth
Authors: McAdams A. James
Published: October 2007

The future political culture of eastern Germany and, with it, the relationship

between unified Germany’s once divided populations will

depend heavily upon how all Germans respond to a distinctive fact

about the east. The region experienced not one but, counting the

German Democratic Republic (GDR), two separate eras of dictatorship.

This fact can be, and has been, understood in two different

ways, with significantly different implications in each case. The first

is the perspective of the victim. According to this view, the citizens of

the GDR uniquely had to shoulder the burden of having been born,

in effect, “in the wrong place.” Not only did they endure greater

hardships than their western counterparts, such as the rebuilding of

Germany after World War II, but they suffered by themselves

through the debilitating consequences of Soviet occupation and their

inability, until 1990, to act upon the right to “free self-determination”

(to quote the original preamble of the Basic Law). As a result, according

to this argument, easterners were owed special treatment after

unification because of their distinctive misfortunes.
How Culture Matters: Culture and Social Change in the Federal Republic of Germany
Authors: Brady John S. , Wiliarty Sarah Elise
Published: October 2007

In December 1995, the Center for German and European Studies at

the University of California at Berkeley hosted the conference, “The

Postwar Transformation of Germany: Prosperity, Democracy, and

Nationhood.” During the proceedings and in the edited volume that

resulted, conference contributors explored the reasons for Germany’s

success in making the transition to a liberal democratic polity

supported by a rationalized national identity and a modern, dynamic

capitalist economy. In charting postwar Germany’s success, the contributors

weighed the relative contribution institutional, cultural, and

international variables made to the country’s transformation.
The Culture of Culture: Toward a German Variant of Performative Democracy
Authors: Maier Charles S.
Published: October 2007

Marcel Reich-Ranicki, the German literary critic, recalls in his

recent memoirs that at age ten, when he set out from his small town

in Poland, his teacher said with tears in her eyes, “Mein Sohn, Du

fährst in das Land der Kultur.” Elias Canetti recalled in the first volume

of his memoir—The Tongue Set Free—how when he was age eight,

his mother, recently widowed, found fulfillment at the Burgtheater

and left Manchester to take up residence in Vienna. Was it just the

magic of the German language that transported these Jews and made

literary overachievers of their children? A vision of metropolitan culture

and assimilation? Culture was “the way ‘in,’” as Louis Spitzer

puts it in his book on marginality, Lives in Between.
Germany and the Norms of European Governance
Authors: Haas Ernst B. , Roever Sally , Schmidt Anna
Published: October 2007

Contemporary interstate relations in Europe are proclaimed by

Europeans to be little short of ideal. Every nation and every state is

told to behave toward others as do the states of the European Union.

Inter-European relations, we are told, illustrate the norms to which

everyone should aspire. Moreover, the same civilized rules of political

behavior apply within each country.
Selling the Economic Miracle: Public-Opinion Research, Economic Reconstruction, and Politics in West Germany, 1949-1957
Authors: Spicka Mark E.
Published: October 2007

Perhaps the most remarkable development in the Federal Republic

of Germany since World War II has been the creation of its stable

democracy. Already by the second half of the 1950s, political commentators

proclaimed that “Bonn is not Weimar.” Whereas the

Weimar Republic faced the proliferation of splinter parties, the rise

of extremist parties, and the fragmentation of support for liberal and

conservative parties—conditions that led to its ultimate collapse—the

Federal Republic witnessed the blossoming of moderate, broadbased

parties.1 By the end of the 1950s the Christian Democratic

Union/Christian Social Union (CDU), Social Democratic Party

(SPD) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) had formed the basis of a

stable party system that would continue through the 1980s.
Theological Discourse and Histories of the Shoah
Authors: Greenwald Rachel T.
Published: October 2007

Stephen Eric Bronner, A Rumor about the Jews: Reflections on Antisemitism and the Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000)

Dan Diner, Beyond the Conceivable: Studies on Germany, Nazism, and the Holocaust (Berkeley: University of California, 2000)
“Not Yet”: Weimar and the Alluring Promise of a Future Past
Authors: Wheeler Brett R.
Published: October 2007

Janet Ward, Weimar Surfaces: Urban Visual Culture in 1920s Germany (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001)

Bernd Widdig, Culture and Inflation in Weimar Germany (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001)
Competing Interpretations of the Past in Contemporary Germany
Authors: Langenbacher Eric
Published: October 2007

Micha Brumlik, Hajo Funke and Lars Rensmann, Umkämpftes Vergessen: Walser-Debatte, Holocaust-Mahnmal und neuere deutsche Geschichtspolitik (Berlin: Verlag Das Arabische Buch, 2000)

Robert G. Moeller, War Stories: The Search for a Usable Past in the Federal Republic of Germany (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2001)

Klaus Naumann, Der Krieg als Text: Das Jahr 1945 im kulturellen Gedächtnis der Presse (Hamburg: Hamburger Edition, 1998) Klaus Neumann, Shifting Memories: The Nazi Past in the New Germany (Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2000)
The German Election of 1998 and the Transformation of the German Left
Authors: Cole Alexandra
Published: October 2007

David P. Conradt, Gerald R. Kleinfeld, and Christian Søe, Power Shift in Germany: The 1998 Election and the End of the Kohl Era (New York: Berghahn Books, 2000)

Charles Lees, The Red-Green Coalition in Germany: Politics, Personalities, and Power (New York: Manchester University Press, 2001)
Post-Communist Feminism in Germany: Equality and Difference in the Party of Democratic Socialism
Authors: Fisher Pamela
Published: October 2007

In December 1989, the ruling communist party of East Germany,

the Socialist Unity Party (SED), was reconstituted when it adopted the

name Socialist Unity Party-Party of Democratic Socialism (SED-PDS),

which was simplified on 4 February 1990 to the Party of Democratic

Socialism.1 The brand of Marxism-Leninism that had prevailed in the

German Democratic Republic (GDR) appeared to be irredeemably

discredited, and the new leadership of this successor party was

obliged to create an alternative vision of socialism and to redefine

their political goals. The PDS program of 1990,2 with its clear adoption

of a feminist agenda, constituted a breach with the party’s political

past. Whereas the Marxist-Leninist theory underpinning SED

policy had been based on the principle that inequality is economically

determined, the new PDS program acknowledged patriarchy

as a separate issue.
Continuity or Politikwechsel? The First Federal Red-Green Coalition
Authors: Richter Michaela
Published: October 2007

In October 1998 the Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the Greens1

formed a coalition government, the first ever between these parties at

the federal level. In more ways than one, this new coalition marked a

watershed in Germany’s post-1945 development. Since 1945, Germany

had been a democracy in which political parties hold an especially

privileged position. This “party-state” has operated almost

exclusively through the three major “Bonn” parties, which for nearly

a half-century had governed through shifting coalitions. The Greens

arose as a social movement challenging this hegemony; yet, only fifteen

years after they first entered the Bundestag, they forged a federal

coalition with one of the established parties they had once attacked.

For the first time since 1957, a coalition had been formed that

involved not only a party other than the three “Bonn” parties but also

one not linked to the Federal Republic’s creation. It was, furthermore,

the first coalition ever to have resulted unambiguously from

the wishes of voters.
Investigation of Molecular Transfer Processes across Phospholipid Monolayers by the Combined Scanning Electrochemical Microscopy-Langmuir Trough Technique
Authors: Strutwolf Jörg , Zhang Jie , Unwin Patrick R.
Published: October 2007

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) has emerged as a powerful techniquefor inducing and monitoring molecular transfer processes across water/air and liquid/liquid interfaces. At the same time, the Langmuir trough technique is a well established method for controlling the lateral pressure of molecular films of amphiphilic molecules at interfaces. A combination of both methods allows the investigation of the permeability of monolayers in a defined state. A brief introduction of the SECM technique and the experimental set-up is presented. The application of the combined SECM- Langmuir trough technique to measure passive diffusion of small molecules (O2 and Br2) across phospholipid monolayers is then reviewed. Phospholipid monolayers at liquid/liquid and liquid/air interfaces serve as simple biomimetic models for biomembranes and the results of the combined SECM- Langmuir trough measurements have implications for understanding passive diffusion across cellular membranes.
Michael Addition Reaction Kinetics of Acetoacetates and Acrylates for the Formation of Polymeric Networks
Authors: Williams Sharlene R. , Miller Kevin M. , Long Timothy E.
Published: October 2007

2-Ethylhexyl acrylate and ethyl acetoacetate were reacted in a Carbon – Michael addition reaction as a model for subsequent studies of polymer networks. A statistical design of reactions was conducted in the presence of an in-situ ATR FTIR spectrometer to determine the effect of solvent, base, base concentration, and reactant stoichiometry on the observed rate constant. In particular, a central composite statistical design of experiments analysis was performed for model reactions that were catalyzed using either 1,8-diazbicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) or K2CO3 at various concentrations. Poly(propylene glycol) bisacetoacetate (PPG BisAcAc) and poly(propylene glycol) diacrylate (PPGDA) networks were then prepared in the absence of solvent at 23°C based on optimized conditions in the presence of DBU and K2CO3. In a similar fashion to model studies, in-situ FTIR spectroscopy was utilized, and observed rate constants were determined. The influence of PPG BisAcAc molecular weight on dynamic mechanical properties was determined and gel fraction analysis was conducted. It appears that the selection of base significantly altered the rate of the reaction, but had an insignificant effect on mechanical properties.
Photodegradation of DNA Induced by Modified Forms of Titanium Dioxide
Authors: Kemp Terence J. , McIntyre Robin A.
Published: October 2007

The UV-induced photodegradation of supercoiled DNA in aqueous solution is accelerated in the presence of a suspension of TiO2 nanoparticles. While nearly all samples of TiO2 are active in this respect, they differ markedly according to (i) the crystal structure of the TiO2; (ii) the presence of an external oxide coating on the TiO2; (iii) the presence within the TiO2 of dopant transition metal ions. Thus anatase is more active than rutile; coated TiO2 is less active than uncoated TiO2; the presence of all transition metal ions except Cr(III) acts to enhance the activity of the TiO2. Only Cr(III) acts to protect the DNA from enhanced degradation, while Mo(VI) ions render the TiO2 highly aggressive. The relative behaviour of these modified forms of TiO2 towards DNA on UV excitation closely parallels that previously found in that towards a number of synthetic polymers. The mechanisms for the varyingactions of the pigments are discussed.
Studies of Surface‐Modified Gold Nanowires Inside Living Cells
Authors: Kuo C.‐W. , Lai J.‐J. , Wei K. H. , Chen P.
Published: November 2007

The cytotoxicity of various surface‐functionalized gold nanowires with different aspect ratios is investigated by (3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide) (MTT) assays for two cell lines, fibroblast and HeLa. It is found that functionalized gold nanowires with a diameter of 200 nm and lengths up to a few micrometers can be readily internalized by both types of cells regardless of the type of surface functionalization. However, the cytotoxicity of the gold nanowires is observed to depend on their surface modification. Serum‐coated gold nanowires are the least toxic, whereas more than 50 % of the cells are damaged in the presence of mercapto‐acid‐modified gold nanowires even at very low concentrations (103 nanowires mL–1). Nanowires with different aspect ratios exhibit the same cytotoxicity within limits of experimental error. However, the uptake efficiency is found to be higher for shorter nanowires as compared to their longer counterparts. Therefore, we conclude that internalized nanowires with high aspect ratios are more toxic to cells than nanowires with low aspect ratios. Positively charged aminothiol‐modified gold nanowires are employed to deliver both plasmid DNA and probe molecules into cells without compromising the viability of the cells. The local environment of individual nanowires within the cells is studied by monitoring the fluorescence signal from probe molecules attached to the nanowires.
Electrospinning: A Facile Method to Disperse Fluorescent Quantum Dots in Nanofibers without Förster Resonance Energy Transfer
Authors: Li M. , Zhang J. , Zhang H. , Liu Y. , Wang C. , Xu X. , Tang Y. , Yang B.
Published: October 2007

Fluorescent CdTe quantum dots (QDs) can be dispersed into poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) solid nanofibers by electrospinning of a QD–PVA blend solution. Although solution blending methods usually cause phase separation as the solvent evaporates; here, attractively, the QDs do not aggregate, on the contrary, they attain a separation and distribution in the PVA matrix that is as good and uniform as that in solution. Consequently, Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) between QDs is efficiently avoided, leading to the good preservation of the original fluorescence properties of QDs even when multi‐color QDs are incorporated. Thus, the emission color of the solid nanofibers can be well predicted from the electrospinning solution. Further investigation reveals that the fast evaporation rate of the solvent in the electrospinning process lies at the basis of the uniform distribution of the QDs. Because of the quick “freezing” of the polymer chains, the CdTe QDs are confined to their places with no time to aggregate.
Nucleation‐Governed Reversible Self‐Assembly of an Organic Semiconductor at Surfaces: Long‐Range Mass Transport Forming Giant Functional Fibers
Authors: De Luca G. , Liscio A. , Maccagnani P. , Nolde F. , Palermo V. , Müllen K. , Samorì P.
Published: November 2007

The use of solvent‐vapor annealing (SVA) to form millimeter‐long crystalline fibers, having a sub‐micrometer cross section, on various solid substrates is described. Thin films of a perylene‐bis(dicarboximide) (PDI) derivative, with branched alkyl chains, prepared from solution exhibit hundreds of nanometer‐sized PDI needles. Upon exposure to the vapors of a chosen solvent, tetrahydrofuran (THF), the needles re‐organize into long fibers that have a remarkably high aspect ratio, exceeding 103. Time‐ and space‐resolved mapping with optical microscopy allows the self‐assembly mechanism to be unravelled; the mechanism is found to be a nucleation‐governed growth, which complies with an Avrami‐type of mechanism. SVA is found to lead to self‐assembly featuring i) long‐range order (up to the millimeter scale), ii) reversible characteristics, as demonstrated through a series of assembly and disassembly steps, obtained by cycling between THF and CHCl3 as solvents, iii) remarkably high mass transport because the PDI molecular motion is found to occur at least over hundreds of micrometers. Such a detailed understanding of the growth process is fundamental to control the formation of self‐assembled architectures with pre‐programmed structures and physical properties. The versatility of the SVA approach is proved by its successful application using different substrates and solvents. Kelvin probe force microscopy reveals that the highly regular and thermodynamically stable fibers of PDI obtained by SVA exhibit a greater electron‐accepting character than the smaller needles of the drop‐cast films. The giant fibers can be grown in situ in the gap between microscopic electrodes supported on SiOx, paving the way towards the application of SVA in micro‐ and nanoelectronics.
Poly(2,5‐dimethoxyaniline) films on mild steel for application to glucose biosensor
Authors: Patil Dewyani , Patil Pradip
Published: November 2007

Poly(2,5‐dimethoxyaniline) (PDMA) films were electrochemically synthesized on mild steel from an aqueous oxalic acid solution using galvanostatic mode. These films were characterized by potential–time curve, UV‐visible absorption spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The enzyme glucose oxidase (GOx) was entrapped into the PDMA film by a physical adsorption method. The resulting PDMA–GOx films were characterized by UV‐visible absorption spectroscopy, FTIR, and SEM. The amperometric response of the PDMA–GOx films was measured as a function of glucose concentration in phosphate buffer solution (pH 7.3). The PDMA–GOx films exhibit a fast and linear amperometric response in the range of 2–20 mM glucose. The maximum current density and Michaelis–Menten constant of PDMA/GOx films are found to be ∼483 μA/cm2 and 1.12 mM, respectively. The shelf stability and thermal stability of these films were also investigated. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 2008
Anomalous rheological behavior of polyethylene melts in the gross melt fracture regime in the capillary extrusion: Effect of long‐chain branching
Authors: Lee Hwi‐Yong , Kim Dong Hak , Son Younggon
Published: November 2007

During a capillary extrusion with several different polyethylenes, we observe an abnormal rheological behavior. The nominal viscosity of some polyethylene melt in the gross melt fracture regime does not change with the temperature. Several metallocene‐catalyzed linear low density polyethylene are investigated. Among them, polyethylenes, which have long‐chain branches in their main chain, show this abnormal rheological behavior. By capillary extrusion experiments with various dies of different L/D ratios, it is inferred that the abnormal rheological behavior is originated in the die land, not die entrance nor die exit. From various experiments, we notice that this abnormal phenomenon may be used to detect long‐chain branch of PE. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2008
Ruthenium Nanoparticles on Nano‐Level‐Controlled Carbon Supports as Highly Effective Catalysts for Arene Hydrogenation
Authors: Takasaki Mikihiro , Motoyama Yukihiro , Higashi Kenji , Yoon Seong‐Ho , Mochida Isao , Nagashima Hideo
Published: October 2007

The reaction of three types of carbon nanofibers (CNFs; platelet: CNF‐P, tubular: CNF‐T, herringbone: CNF‐H) with [Ru3(CO)12] in toluene heated at reflux provided the corresponding CNF‐supported ruthenium nanoparticles, Ru/CNFs (Ru content=1.1–3.8 wt %). TEM studies of these Ru/CNFs revealed that size‐controlled Ru nanoparticles (2–4 nm) exist on the CNFs, and that their location was dependent on the surface nanostructures of the CNFs: on the edge of the graphite layers (CNF‐P), in the tubes and on the surface (CNF‐T), and between the layers and on the edge (CNF‐H). Among these Ru/CNFs, Ru/CNF‐P showed excellent catalytic activity towards hydrogenation of toluene with high reproducibility; the reaction proceeded without leaching of the Ru species, and the catalyst was reusable. The total turnover number of the five recycling experiments for toluene hydrogenation reached over 180 000 (mol toluene) (mol Ru)−1. Ru/CNF‐P was also effective for the hydrogenation of functionalized benzene derivatives and pyridine. Hydrogenolysis of benzylic CO and CN bonds has not yet been observed. Use of poly(ethylene glycol)s (PEGs) as a solvent made possible the biphasic catalytic hydrogenation of toluene. After the reaction, the methylcyclohexane formed was separated by decantation without contamination of the ruthenium species and PEG. The insoluble PEG phase containing all of the Ru/CNF was recoverable and reusable as the catalyst without loss of activity.
Forecasting the magnitude of sustainable biofeedstock supplies: the challenges and the rewards
Authors: Graham Robin L.
Published: October 2007

Forecasting the magnitude of sustainable biofeedstock supplies is challenging because of 1) myriad potential feedstock types and their management; 2) the need to account for the spatial variation of both the supplies and their environmental and economic consequences; and 3) the inherent challenges of optimizing across economic and environmental considerations. Over the last two decades, US biomass forecasts have become increasingly complex and sensitive to environmental and economic considerations; however, more model development and research is needed. In particular, the landscape and regional tradeoffs of differing biofeedstock supplies need to be addressed, especially with regard to water quality concerns and wildlife/biodiversity. Feedstock assessments need to be done in the context of the direction of land‐use change induced by biofeedstock production; they need to take into consideration both the starting environmental and economic conditions before the land was used to supply biofeedstocks and the probable future conditions that would result in the absence of biofeedstock production. To evaluate sustainability, process‐oriented models need to be coupled or used to inform sector models and more work needs to be done on developing environmental metrics that are useful for evaluating economic and environmental tradeoffs. These challenges are exciting and worthwhile as they will enable the bioenergy industry to capture the environmental and social benefits of biofeedstock production and reduce risks. Published in 2007 by John Wiley and Sons, Ltd.
Interpreting changes in the epidemiology of anencephaly and spina bifida following folic acid fortification of the U.S. grain supply in the setting of long‐term trends, Atlanta, Georgia, 1968–2003
Authors: Besser Lilah M. , Williams Laura J. , Cragan Janet D.
Published: November 2007

BACKGROUND:

The prevalence of anencephaly (AN) and spina bifida (SB) was declining long before fortification of enriched grains in the U.S. with folic acid. We examined whether changes in these defects surrounding fortification could be distinguished from preexisting trends.

METHODS:

We used data from the Metropolitan Atlanta Congenital Defects Program to identify three ascertainment periods: Period 1 (1968–1981), prenatal diagnoses rarely made; Period 2 (1981–1993), prenatal diagnoses made but not ascertained; Period 3 (1994–2003), prenatal diagnoses ascertained. We compared the annual percent change (APC) in AN and SB for each period using Poisson regression, then compared prevalences during each period for categories of pregnancy outcome, sex, race, gravidity, and maternal age.

RESULTS:

The prevalence of AN (N = 434) and SB (N = 663) declined during 1968–2003. The APCs in Periods 1, 2, and 3, respectively, were −6.9%, −2.9%, and −6.8% for AN, and −7.1%, −7.0%, and −6.2% for SB; 95% confidence intervals around the APCs for Periods 2 and 3 overlapped for both defects. Prevalence ratios (PRs) for females relative to males decreased for AN (2.3 in Period 1; 1.2 in Period 3); PRs for whites relative to blacks or African Americans decreased for both AN (2.7 in Period 1; 1.2 in Period 3) and SB (2.5 in Period 1; 1.1 in Period 3).

CONCLUSIONS:

Our analysis suggests that changes in AN and SB surrounding folic acid fortification (Period 3) could be part of preexisting trends. This must be considered when evaluating prevention efforts. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 79:730–736, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Antibiotic effects on SO uptake in human erythrocytes
Authors: Casella S. , Pace M. , Romano P. , Romano L. , Romano O. , Geraci A. , Crupi M.
Published: November 2007

The erythrocyte is a cell highly exposed to oxygen pressure that, in turn, provokes oxidative stress involving loss of SH‐groups, cell shrinkage by activation of K+–Cl− cotransport (KCC) and membrane destabilization which plays an important role in the premature haemolysis of red blood cells (RBCs). Oxidative stress provoked by chemicals frequently occurs in human erythrocytes. The aim of this study was to test whether the antibiotics alter the redox state and investigate their influences on band 3 protein that is involved in the facilitated electro neutral exchange of Cl− for HCO across the membrane of mammalian erythrocytes. Normal erythrocytes were treated with some antibiotics and thiol oxidizing agent N‐ethylmaleimide (NEM) and tested for sulphate uptake, K+ efflux and for glutathione (GSH) concentration as an index of oxidative stress. The rate constant of SO uptake measured in erythrocytes treated with antibiotics as well as NEM was decreased with respect to control cells as a result of band 3 SH‐groups oxidation or the stress‐induced K+‐Cl− symport‐mediated cell shrinkage. In fact, this hypothesis was verified by increased K+ efflux and decreased GSH values measured in treated erythrocytes compared to controls. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis, Conformation and Biological Evaluation of the Enantiomers of 3‐Fluoro‐γ‐Aminobutyric Acid ((R)‐ and (S)‐3F‐GABA): An Analogue of the Neurotransmitter GABA
Authors: Deniau Gildas , Slawin Alexandra M. Z. , Lebl Tomas , Chorki Fatima , Issberner Jon P. , van Mourik Tanja , Heygate Judith M. , Lambert Jeremy J. , Etherington Lori‐An , Sillar Keith T. , O'Hagan David
Published: November 2007

γ‐Aminobutyric acid or GABA (1) is one of the major inhibitory amino acid neurotransmitters of the central nervous system. This article describes the first synthesis of both the (R)‐ and (S)‐ enantiomers of 3‐fluoro‐GABA (2, 3F‐GABA). DFT calculations were carried out in a continuum solvent model (PCM–B3LYP) to estimate the preferred conformations of 3F‐GABA in aqueous solution. NMR coupling constants were calculated for each conformer and were then used to simulate the NMR spectra to evaluate the solution conformation of 3F‐GABA. A preliminary evaluation of the 3F‐GABA enantiomers shows that they act similarly as agonists of cloned GABAA receptors; however, they behave quite differently in a whole animal (Xenopus laevis tadpole model).
Einfluss der Salzkonzentration auf das rheologische Verhalten wässriger anorganischer Suspensionen bei der Filtration
Authors: Hieke M. , Nirschl H.
Published: November 2007

Eine Flockung der Suspension durch unterschiedliche Salzkonzentrationen wirkt sich auch auf die sich bildenden Haufwerke aus. Zur Charakterisierung der Haufwerke dienten Feststoffgehalt, Durchströmungswiderstand und die Fließorte. Die Fließorte sind für die Filtration insofern wichtig, als dass sie eine Aussage über die Transporteigenschaften ermöglichen. Der zunächst erstaunliche Verlauf der Fließorte konnte durch eine Abschätzung der Partikelwechselwirkungen qualitativ eingeordnet werden.
Aktuelle Entwicklungen der kontinuierlichen kuchenbildenden Vakuum‐ und Druckfiltration
Authors: Peuker U. A.
Published: November 2007

Die kontinuierliche kuchenbildende Vakuumfiltration hat durch eine stetige Weiterentwicklung der Prozess‐ und Apparatetechnik ihre Anwendungsgebiete kontinuierlich ausgeweitet. Es stehen nun Trommel‐ und Scheibenfilter zur Verfügung, die alle Merkmale einer hochwertigen chemischen und pharmazeutischen Produktion aufweisen. Ferner ermöglichen es die kontinuierliche Druck‐ und Dampf‐Druckfiltration, die Prozessführung bei der Entfeuchtung, Waschung, Reinigung und dem Lösungsmittelentzug neu und effektiver zu gestalten, was hinsichtlich der Prozessintensivierung für die Aufarbeitung von feinst‐dispersen Feststoffsystemen ein zusätzliches Werkzeug ist.
Prozessstrategien zur optimalen Reinigungsfähigkeit am Beispiel des Titus‐Zentrifugentrockners TZT 400
Authors: Stahl S. , Ruland J. , Nirschl H.
Published: November 2007

Häufige Produktwechsel und immer kürzere Produktionszyklen stellen hohe Anforderungen an die Reinigungsfähigkeit von verfahrenstechnischen Maschinen und Apparaten. Vor allem in der Pharma‐ bzw. der Lebensmittelindustrie ist die Vermeidung von Kreuzkontamination von besonderer Bedeutung. Einige Apparate verbinden zwei Grundoperationen (Unit‐Operations) in einem Verfahrensraum, wodurch sich sowohl die Handhabung als auch der Gesamtreinigungsaufwand reduziert. Der Titus‐Zentrifugentrockner verbindet die mechanische Entfeuchtung mit einer nachgeschalteten thermischen Trocknung. Der letzte Verfahrensschritt beinhaltet eine „Cleaning in Place”︁ (CIP)‐Prozedur, die von allen vorangegangenen Verfahrensschritten maßgeblich beeinflusst wird. Im Mittelpunkt dieser Arbeit steht die Bestimmung der optimalen Verfahrensparameter, die einerseits die sichere Verarbeitung von schwierigen Produkten ermöglicht und zum anderen die Grundlage für eine effiziente Reinigung liefert. Da eine validierte Reinigungsprozedur in pharmazeutischen Anwendungen, beispielsweise bei toxischen oder hochaktiven Produkten, einen wesentlichen Teil der Gesamtprozesszeit einnimmt, müssen alle Verfahrensschritte direkt aufeinander abgestimmt sein.
Textile Filtermedien für den Einsatz in Membranbelebungsanlagen
Authors: Iversen V. , Drews A. , Schmidt T. , Lesjean B. , Fatarella E. , Kraume M.
Published: November 2007

Aufgrund ihrer einfachen und preiswerten Herstellung können Filtertextilien möglicherweise eine ökonomische Alternative zu polymeren Mikro‐ oder Ultrafiltrationsmembranen darstellen. 22 textile Filterstoffe wurden auf ihre Eignung für den Einsatz in Membranbelebungsreaktoren (MBRs) untersucht. Zur Bewertung diente der Filtrationswiderstand und verschiedene Parameter des Permeats. Die textilen Filtermaterialien zeigten trotz einer höheren Wasserpermeabilität meist ein schnelles Verblocken der Poren und eine schlechtere Permeatqualität im Vergleich zur Membran.
Teller‐Separatoren: Konstruktionsprinzip, Funktionsweise und Leistungsvermögen – Ein aktueller Überblick
Authors: Ullmann D. , Quiter K.
Published: November 2007

Zu den Basismaschinen der zentrifugalen Trenntechnik gehören die Sedimentationszentrifugen, wie z. B. der Teller‐Separator. Ständige Verbesserungen haben dazu geführt, dass die Trennschärfe von Teller‐Separatoren heute im Grenzbereich zu kolloidalen Substanzen liegt. Auch andere wichtige Parameter wie Durchsatzleistung, Betriebskosten oder Servicefreundlichkeit konnten den Bedürfnissen der modernen Produktionsprozesse angepasst werden, für die Separatoren allein schon durch ihre kontinuierliche Arbeitsweise optimal geeignet sind. Das führt dazu, dass die zentrifugale Trenntechnik immer stärker in traditionelle Märkte anderer Verfahren vordringt. Die mehr als 2000 Anwendungsgebiete und die komplexen verfahrenstechnischen Parameter zur Maschinenauslegung setzten allerdings ein umfangreiches Wissen und eine langjährige Erfahrung des Zentrifugenherstellers voraus, um dieses große Potenzial aus Sicht des Anwenders optimal nutzen zu können.
Fragmental Modeling of Human Glutamate Transporter EAAT1 and Analysis of its Binding Modes by Docking and Pharmacophore Mapping
Authors: Pedretti Alessandro , De Luca Laura , Sciarrillo Cristina , Vistoli Giulio
Published: November 2007

The objective of the study was to generate a reliable model of the homotrimeric structure for the human glutamate transporter EAAT1, based on experimental folding of transporter homologue from Pyrococcus horikoshii. The monomer structure was derived using a fragmental approach and the homotrimer was assembled using protein–protein docking. The interaction capacities of the EAAT1 model were explored by docking a set of 32 known ligands including both substrates and blockers. Docking results unveiled that the substrates′ bioactivity is strongly influenced by a precise fitting between the ligand and the EAAT1 binding site, wheras the blockers′ activity depends on a set of apolar contacts that ligands can realize in an adjacent hydrophobic subpocket. The docking results were further verified by generating two pharmacophore models (the first for substrates and the latter for blockers) which revealed the features necessary for high EAAT1 activity. The consistency of docking results and the agreement with pharmacophore models afford an encouraging validation for the EAAT1 model and emphasize the soundness of the fragmental approach to model any transmembrane protein.
Therapeutic inhibition of Sp1 expression in growing tumors by mithramycin a correlates directly with potent antiangiogenic effects on human pancreatic cancer
Authors: Yuan Ping , Wang Liwei , Wei Daoyan , Zhang Jun , Jia Zhiliang , Li Qiang , Le Xiangdong , Wang Huamin , Yao James , Xie Keping
Published: October 2007

BACKGROUND

Human pancreatic cancer over expresses the transcription factor Sp1. However, the role of Sp1 in pancreatic cancer angiogenesis and its use as target for antiangiogenic therapy remain unexplored.

METHODS

Archived human pancreatic cancer specimens were used to assess gene expression and microvessel density (MVD) status by immunohistochemistry: Small‐interfering RNA (siRNA) was used to determine the impact of altered Sp1 expression on tumor growth and angiogenesis, and mithramycin A (MIT) was used to evaluate Sp1‐targeted antiangiogenic treatment of human pancreatic cancer in animal models.

RESULTS

The expression level of Sp1 was correlated directly with the MVD status (P < .001) and the expression level of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) (P < .05). Knockdown of Sp1 expression did not affect the growth of pancreatic cancer cells in vitro but inhibited their growth and metastasis in mouse models. This antitumor activity was consistent with the in vitro and in vivo antiangiogenic activity resulting from Sp1 knockdown. Subcutaneous and intraperitoneal injection of MIT significantly suppressed the growth of human pancreatic cancer in mouse models. This tumor suppression was correlated with the suppression of Sp1 expression in growing tumors but not in normal tissues. Moreover, treatment with MIT reduced tumor MVD, which was consistent with the down‐regulation of VEGF, platelet‐derived growth factor, and epidermal growth factor receptor.

CONCLUSIONS

Both clinical and experimental evidence indicated that Sp1 is a critical regulator of human pancreatic cancer angiogenesis and the antitumor activity of MIT is a result, at least in part, of the suppression of Sp1 expression and consequent down‐regulation the downstream targets of Sp1 that are key to angiogenesis. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Frequent recurrence and progression in pilocytic astrocytoma in adults
Authors: Stüer Carsten , Vilz Belinda , Majores Michael , Becker Albert , Schramm Johannes , Simon Matthias
Published: October 2007

BACKGROUND

Most pilocytic astrocytomas (piloA) are benign growths (World Health Organization [WHO] grade 1) of the deep midline structures, the brainstem, and the cerebellum. To the authors' knowledge, the literature contains only scarce data regarding piloA in adults.

METHODS

Between 1995 and 2005, 44 patients (26 women and 18 men) underwent surgery for a primary or recurrent piloA at the authors' institution. All patients were aged > 16 years (mean ± standard deviation: 31 ± 14 years) at the time of their first surgery. The histopathologic diagnoses were reviewed, and relevant clinical information was obtained through a chart review and telephone interviews. The mean follow‐up was 76 ± 59 months (range, 1–227 months).

RESULTS

There were 20 patients (45%) with supratentorial lobar piloA (including 10 temporal/temporomesial tumors, 5 parietal tumors, 3 insular tumors, 1 frontal tumor, and 1 occipital tumors), 12 patients with cerebellar piloA, 7 patients with brainstem piloA, 2 patients with opticochiasmatic PiloA, 1 patient with intramedullary piloA, and 2 patients with piloA of the basal ganglia. All but 1 patient with a lobar tumor presented with epilepsy. In 6 of 44 patients (14%), increased proliferative activity was revealed. WHO grade 3 primary anaplastic piloA was diagnosed in 2 patients (5%), and WHO grade 3 secondary anaplastic piloA was diagnosed in 4 patients (9%). Tumor recurrence or disease progression was observed in 13 of 44 patients (30%). Eight of 44 patients (18%) died from their disease. Histologic grading and extent of surgical resection proved to be important predictors of survival.

CONCLUSIONS

PiloA in adult patients, surprisingly, often was not a benign disease. The degree of surgical resection was found to be of major importance for the patient's further clinical course; therefore, an aggressive surgical resection should be attempted whenever possible. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
Nucleophilic Substitution at Phosphorus Centers (SN2@P)
Authors: van Bochove Marc A. , Swart Marcel , Bickelhaupt F. Matthias
Published: November 2007

We have studied the characteristics of archetypal model systems for bimolecular nucleophilic substitution at phosphorus (SN2@P) and, for comparison, at carbon (SN2@C) and silicon (SN2@Si) centers. In our studies, we applied the generalized gradient approximation (GGA) of density functional theory (DFT) at the OLYP/TZ2P level. Our model systems cover nucleophilic substitution at carbon in X−+CH3Y (SN2@C), at silicon in X−+SiH3Y (SN2@Si), at tricoordinate phosphorus in X−+PH2Y (SN2@P3), and at tetracoordinate phosphorus in X−+POH2Y (SN2@P4). The main feature of going from SN2@C to SN2@P is the loss of the characteristic double‐well potential energy surface (PES) involving a transition state [XCH3Y]− and the occurrence of a single‐well PES with a stable transition complex, namely, [XPH2Y]− or [XPOH2Y]−. The differences between SN2@P3 and SN2@P4 are relatively small. We explored both the symmetric and asymmetric (i.e. X, Y=Cl, OH) SN2 reactions in our model systems, the competition between backside and frontside pathways, and the dependence of the reactions on the conformation of the reactants. Furthermore, we studied the effect, on the symmetric and asymmetric SN2@P3 and SN2@P4 reactions, of replacing hydrogen substituents at the phosphorus centers by chlorine and fluorine in the model systems X−+PR2Y and X−+POR2Y, with R=Cl, F. An interesting phenomenon is the occurrence of a triple‐well PES not only in the symmetric, but also in the asymmetric SN2@P4 reactions of X−+POCl2Y.
Improved Plasma Spray Torch Stability Through Multi‐Electrode Design
Authors: Schein J. , Zierhut J. , Dzulko M. , Forster G. , Landes K. D.
Published: November 2007

Coating production by thermal plasma spray is dependent on the residence time of particles in the plasma jet produced by the gas flow inside a plasma torch. To ensure a high fraction of well‐molten particles to be accelerated towards the substrate a long reproducible residence time is needed. This can be achieved by a long plasma jet with little or no temporal variation in length and temperature. While single electrode plasma torches need an unstable attachment of the anodic arc root in order to avoid excess erosion, which also causes an unstable plasma jet, multi‐electrode torches allow operation with fixed anode attachments by subdividing the anode current by the number of electrodes used, and thereby thus reducing the power input for each separated arc root. Once the steady anode attachment has been obtained the produced plasma jet exhibits a steady characteristic, but also looses rotational symmetry. The separation can be achieved by using either multi anode or multi cathode geometry with appropriate electrical control. Both version have been produced with 3 electrodes each resulting in two systems known as the Delta Gun (3 anodes) and Triplex (3 cathodes). (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The use of bead beating to prepare suspensions of nuclei for flow cytometry from fresh leaves, herbarium leaves, petals and pollen
Authors: Roberts Andy V.
Published: November 2007

“Bead beating” is commonly used to release DNA from cells for genomic studies but it was used here to prepare suspensions of plant nuclei for measurement of DNA amounts by flow cytometry. Plant material was placed in 2‐ml screw‐capped tubes containing beads of zirconia/silica (2.5 mm diameter) or glass (2.5 or 1.0 mm diameter) and 1 ml of lysis buffer. The tubes were mechanically shaken with an FP120 FastPrep Cell Disrupter to release intact nuclei from plant tissue by the impact of the beads. The nuclei were then stained with propidium iodide (PI) and analyzed by flow cytometry. The method was tested using fresh leaves, fresh petals and herbarium leaves of Rosa canina, leaves and pollen of R. rugosa, and fresh leaves of Petroselinum crispum, Nicotiana tabacum, and Allium cepa. Batches of 12 samples of fresh leaves were prepared, simultaneously, in 45 s by bead beating in the Cell Disrupter. In flow cytometry histograms, nuclei of fresh leaves gave G1/G0 peaks with CVs of less than 3.0% and nuclei from fresh petals and herbarium leaves of R. canina, and pollen of the generative nuclei of R. rugosa gave peaks with coefficients of variation (CVs) of less than 4.0%. DNA amounts estimated from 24‐month‐old herbarium leaves, using P. crispum as an internal standard, were less than those of fresh leaves by a small but significant amount. Suspensions of nuclei can be prepared rapidly and conveniently from a diversity of tissues by bead beating. Exposure of laboratory workers to harmful substances in the lysis buffer is minimized. © 2007 International Society for Analytical Cytology
Thermal Behavior of Free‐Base and Core‐Modified Bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene‐Fused Porphyrins
Authors: Uno Hidemitsu , Shimizu Yusuke , Uoyama Hiroki , Tanaka Yousuke , Okujima Tetsuo , Ono Noboru
Published: November 2007

Multistep thermal fragmentation of quadruply bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene‐fused porphyrins giving tetrabenzoporphyrins was examined in detail. After the first extrusion of an ethylene molecule from the porphyrin derivative, the opposite bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene moiety preferentially underwent the second retro‐Diels–Alder reaction to give an opp‐dibenzoporphyrin derivative rather than an adj‐dibenzoporphyrin derivative. These two benzoporphyrin derivatives then decomposed to give a tribenzoporphyrin derivative in similar rates. The temperature regions of these fragmentations could not be distinguished by thermogravimetric analysis. In contrast, the third and the fourth fragmentations obviously occurred stepwise. There was a temperature region where the tribenzoporphyrin derivative preferentially existed. In the case of the 21,23‐dithiaporphyrin derivative, opp‐21,23‐dithiadibenzoporphyrin, possessing benzo moieties fused at the pyrrole parts of the core‐modified porphyrin chromophore was predominantly formed during the fragmentation. In the case of the 21‐thiaporphyrin derivative, an ethylene molecule was extruded selectively from the bicyclo[2.2.2]octadiene moiety adjacent to the thiophene part to give 21‐thiabenzo[q]porphyrin and then 21‐thiabenzo[g,q]porphyrin derivatives. In these cases, the last ethylene extrusion also occurred very slowly. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008)
Getting value from BS7750: Lessons learnt from quality management
Authors: Wright Michael , Kenney Gary
Published: November 2007

This article suggests some do's and don'ts when implementing BS7750. BS7750, like many other management standards, provides a framework for managing and auditing the environmental aspects of a business. The underlying intent of the standard is to provide a traceable route to identify and assess environmental issues. Problems may arise in realising the intent of this standard where an organisation allows achievement of the standard to become its ultimate goal rather than the means to achieving a goal. In such a situation there is danger of management being driven by the requirement to adhere to the procedures associated with the standard rather than focusing upon the objective. To avoid such problems it is necessary to first view BS7750 as a means by which an organisation may achieve a goal to which the organisation is already committed. The standard is simply a framework which the organisation uses to adapt and ‘fill‐in’ to reflect its own situation and meet its own needs. This paper discusses some of the lessons learnt when applying or implementing other standards, such as BS5750, and identifies some of the key steps in getting the most out of BS7750. Copyright © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.