bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
BMD and Body Composition in Children and Young Patients Affected by Cystic Fibrosis
Authors: Bianchi Maria Luisa , Romano Giovanna , Saraifoger Silvia , Costantini Diana , Limonta Cristina , Colombo Carla
Published: October 2007

Longer survival in cystic fibrosis has led to more bone complications. One hundred thirty-six young patients were studied for 12-24 months. Low BMD was found in 66%. Fat mass and lean mass were also reduced. Impaired pulmonary function and total steroid dose had the greatest negative influence on bone.

Introduction: Low BMD is reported as a frequent complication in adult patients affected by cystic fibrosis (CF), but the available data are less consistent for younger patients.

Materials and Methods: This study was designed to evaluate BMD longitudinally over 12-24 months in a sample of 136 young patients (3-24 years of age) and to investigate its major determinants. BMC and body composition were also evaluated.

Results: BMD (expressed as Z score) of spine and of total body was reduced in 66% of patients. The prevalence of low BMD was the same in children, adolescents, and young adults. The main determinants of BMD were forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1; as an index of pulmonary function), puberty, platelet count (as an index of portal hypertension), and cumulative steroid dose. Changes of FEV1 over time influenced BMD changes. Bone mass, fat mass (FM) and fat-free (lean) mass (FFM) were reduced in CF patients at both total body and subregions (trunk, limbs). Lean mass influenced BMD of total body and lower limbs, whereas fat mass (and BMI) influenced spine BMD. FEV1 also influenced FFM.

Conclusions: Low BMD was present in a significant proportion of CF patients, independent of sex and age. BMD depended on pulmonary function, steroid dose, and presence of advanced liver disease. Pulmonary function and puberty were the main stimuli for the increase of BMD over time. CF also altered body composition, and FFM was influenced by pulmonary function.
Intercultural chameleons or the Chinese way? Chinese students in Western art and design education
Authors: Radclyffe-Thomas Natascha
Published: October 2007

Globalization is dramatically increasing numbers of international students in UK art and design institutions. Education as a primary source of enculturation can play an important part in bridging cultural differences; however, without awareness of the different learning cultures of
Western and Confucian Heritage Cultures there is a danger of stereotype, prejudice and barriers to learning. There is a lack of research into intercultural communication in the creative fields; this article considers whether art and design institutions can adopt and adapt best practice from
other fields of education in order to provide intercultural learning cultures that recognize both differences and common ideas of education and creativity.
A spatial development of a string processing tool for encoding architectural design processing
Authors: Eilouti Buthayna H
Published: October 2007

Designers, students and educators of design use graphs and diagrams to illustrate the process of product analysis and synthesis. The available visual aids in the toolbox of designers are extremely limited. This article introduces a new pictorial representation tool that helps designers
encode the process of composing and classifying the forms of generated designs. The proposed tool is based on a cross-cultural reproduction of finite state automata from the field of formal languages to represent the form derivation process in architectural design. Exercises on some applications
of the new tool are constructed to illustrate an incremental process of form generation in design. The proposed tool implementation as suggested by the exercises can be used to train students to think logically and analytically about the design process. However, within the scope of this article,
the tool is not tested in real design studio settings. The tool is developed to form a basis for further transformations from mathematical formalisms into computerized models that may be used to automatically derive, analyse and recognize stylistic features of formal compositions, and may
be further developed into an E-learning design program.
Reciting Shells. Dada and, Dada in & Dadaists on the First World War
Authors: Buelens Geert
Published: October 2007

Dada's origin is generally associated with the protest movement against the First World War, yet scholarship on this issue is relatively thin. An examination of a few key Dada figures (Tzara, Ball, Huelsen- beck, Arp) and some artists that have been associated with the movement (Van Doesburg, Feis, Van Ostaijen, Vaché) indicates that the Dadaists were by no means pacifists, though they were alarmed and disgusted by the Great War. Whether they asked for a real, political (communist) revolution or an artistic-spiritual one, their rhetoric and iconography were heavily drenched in violence.
Wiener Gruppe und Transfurismus. Zwei Beispiele für die literaturgeschichtliche Weiterwirkung der historischen Avantgarden im deutschen und russischen Sprachraum
Authors: Keith Thomas
Published: October 2007

Just as the avant-gardes themselves spread between 1910 and 1930 through all of Europe and even overseas, so did their aftereffects. We may find them in very different cultures, for instance in the Vienna Group and the Transfurism in the USSR. A comparison shows that these two heirs of the historical avant-garde are cognates, in spite of their different social and cultural environments. Both continued and further developed their formal traditions as well as their revolutionary social and ideological aims.
Role of Extracellular Sialic Acid in Regulation of Neuronal and Network Excitability in the Rat Hippocampus
Authors: Isaev Dmytro , Isaeva Elena , Shatskih Tatiana , Zhao Qian , Smits Nicole C. , Shworak Nicholas W. , Khazipov Rustem , Holmes Gregory L.
Published: October 2007

The extracellular membrane surface contains a substantial amount of negatively charged sialic acid residues. Some of the sialic acids are located close to the pore of voltage-gated channel, substantially influencing their gating properties. However, the role of sialylation of the extracellular membrane in modulation of neuronal and network activity remains primarily unknown. The level of sialylation is controlled by neuraminidase (NEU), the key enzyme that cleaves sialic acids. Here we show that NEU treatment causes a large depolarizing shift of voltage-gated sodium channel activation/inactivation and action potential (AP) threshold without any change in the resting membrane potential of hippocampal CA3 pyramidal neurons. Cleavage of sialic acids by NEU also reduced sensitivity of sodium channel gating and AP threshold to extracellular calcium. At the network level, exogenous NEU exerted powerful anticonvulsive action bothin vitroand in acute and chronicin vivomodels of epilepsy. In contrast, a NEU blocker (N-acetyl-2,3-dehydro-2-deoxyneuraminic acid) dramatically reduced seizure threshold and aggravated hippocampal seizures. Thus, sialylation appears to be a powerful mechanism to control neuronal and network excitability. We propose that decreasing the amount of extracellular sialic acid residues can be a useful approach to reduce neuronal excitability and serve as a novel therapeutic approach in the treatment of seizures.
NMDA Receptor Hypofunction Produces Opposite Effects on Prefrontal Cortex Interneurons and Pyramidal Neurons
Authors: Homayoun Houman , Moghaddam Bita
Published: October 2007

NMDA receptors mediate excitatory postsynaptic potentials throughout the brain but, paradoxically, NMDA receptor antagonists produce cortical excitation in humans and behaving rodents. To elucidate a mechanism for these diverging effects, we examined the effect of use-dependent inhibition of NMDA receptors on the spontaneous activity of putative GABA interneurons and pyramidal neurons in the prefrontal cortex of awake rats. We find that inhibition of NMDA receptors predominately decreases the activity of putative GABA interneurons but, at a delayed rate, increases the firing rate of the majority of pyramidal neurons. Thus, NMDA receptors preferentially drive the activity of cortical inhibitory interneurons suggesting that NMDA receptor inhibition causes cortical excitation by disinhibition of pyramidal neurons. These findings support the hypothesis that NMDA receptor hypofunction, which has been implicated in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, diminishes the inhibitory control of PFC output neurons. Reducing this effect may be critical for treatment of schizophrenia.
Occipital Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Has Opposing Effects on Visual and Auditory Stimulus Detection: Implications for Multisensory Interactions
Authors: Romei Vincenzo , Murray Micah M. , Merabet Lotfi B. , Thut Gregor
Published: October 2007

Multisensory interactions occur early in time and in low-level cortical areas, including primary cortices. To test current models of early auditory–visual (AV) convergence in unisensory visual brain areas, we studied the effect of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) of visual cortex on behavioral responses to unisensory (auditory or visual) or multisensory (simultaneous auditory–visual) stimulus presentation. Single-pulse TMS was applied over the occipital pole at short delays (30–150 ms) after external stimulus onset. Relative to TMS over a control site, reactions times (RTs) to unisensory visual stimuli were prolonged by TMS at 60–75 ms poststimulus onset (visual suppression effect), confirming stimulation of functional visual cortex. Conversely, RTs to unisensory auditory stimuli were significantly shortened when visual cortex was stimulated by TMS at the same delays (beneficial interaction effect of auditory stimulation and occipital TMS). No TMS-effect on RTs was observed for AV stimulation. The beneficial interaction effect of combined unisensory auditory and TMS-induced visual cortex stimulation matched and was correlated with the RT-facilitation after external multisensory AV stimulation without TMS, suggestive of multisensory interactions between the stimulus-evoked auditory and TMS-induced visual cortex activities. A follow-up experiment showed that auditory input enhances excitability within visual cortex itself (using phosphene-induction via TMS as a measure) over a similarly early time-window (75–120 ms). The collective data support a mechanism of early auditory–visual interactions that is mediated by auditory-driven sensitivity changes in visual neurons that coincide in time with the initial volleys of visual input.
Slow Presynaptic and Fast Postsynaptic Components of Compound Long-Term Potentiation
Authors: Bayazitov Ildar T. , Richardson Robert J. , Fricke Robert G. , Zakharenko Stanislav S.
Published: October 2007

Long-term potentiation (LTP) mediates learning and memory in the mammalian hippocampus. Whether a presynaptic or postsynaptic neuron principally enhances synaptic transmission during LTP remains controversial. Acute hippocampal slices were made from transgenic mouse strains that express synaptopHluorin in neurons. SynaptopHluorin is an indicator of synaptic vesicle recycling; thus, we monitored functional changes in presynaptic boutons of CA3 pyramidal cells by measuring changes in synaptopHluorin fluorescence. Simultaneously, we recorded field excitatory postsynaptic potentials to monitor changes in the strength of excitatory synapses between CA3 and CA1 pyramidal neurons. We found that LTP consists of two components, a slow presynaptic component and a fast postsynaptic component. The presynaptic mechanisms contribute mostly to the late phase of compound LTP, whereas the postsynaptic mechanisms are crucial during the early phase of LTP. We also found that protein kinase A (PKA) and L-type voltage-gated calcium channels are crucial for the expression of the presynaptic component of compound LTP, and NMDA channels are essential for that of the postsynaptic component of LTP. These data are the first direct evidence that presynaptic and postsynaptic components of LTP are temporally and mechanistically distinct.
Multifunctional Role of Protein Kinase C in Regulating the Formation and Maturation of Specific Synapses
Authors: Hu Jiang-Yuan , Chen Yang , Schacher Samuel
Published: October 2007

Target-dependent increases in axon growth and varicosities accompany the formation of functional synapses betweenAplysiasensory neurons and specific postsynaptic neurons (L7 and not L11). The enhanced growth is regulated in part by a target-dependent increase in the secretion of sensorin, the sensory neuron neuropeptide. We report here that protein kinase C (PKC) activity is required for synapse formation by sensory neurons with L7 and for the target-dependent increases in sensorin synthesis and secretion. Blocking PKC activity reversibly blocked synapse formation and axon growth of sensory neurons contacting L7, but did not affect axon growth of sensory neurons contacting L11 or axon growth of the postsynaptic targets. Blocking PKC activity also blocked the target-induced increase in sensorin synthesis and secretion. Sensorin then activates additional signaling pathways required for synapse maturation and synapse-associated growth. Exogenous anti-sensorin antibody blocked target-induced activation and translocation into sensory neuron nuclei of p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), attenuated synapse maturation, and curtailed growth of sensory neurons contacting L7, but not the growth of sensory neurons contacting L11. Inhibitors of MAPK or phosphoinositide 3-kinase also attenuated synapse maturation and curtailed growth and varicosity formation of sensory neurons contacting L7, but not growth of sensory neurons contacting L11. These results suggest that PKC activity regulated by specific cell–cell interactions initiates the formation of specific synapses and the subsequent synthesis and release of a neuropeptide to activate additional signaling pathways required for synapse maturation.
Commentary: Re-Orienting Asian American History through Transnational and International Scales
Authors: IGLER DAVID
Published: October 2007

While transnational frameworks have been a defining characteristic of Asian American history for a long time, the essays in this forum suggest new interventions in the meanings of transnational, trans-Pacific, and international. These interventions reflect internationalist discourses in the historical discipline as a whole while illustrating the fact that no common roadmap exists for pursuing this goal. The essayists also offer some solutions to the marginalization of the field within U.S. history. By decentering the nation-state—but not rejecting it outright—the range of significant themes explored in these essays places Asian American history at the cutting edge of the transnational history that is currently reshaping national histories.
O direito de participar da riqueza da nação: do Programa Bolsa Família à Renda Básica de Cidadania
Authors: Suplicy Eduardo Matarazzo
Published: October 2007

O trabalho apresenta os resultados positivos do Programa Bolsa Família no combate à fome e a erradicação da pobreza, ressaltando que o Bolsa Família constituí-se na primeira etapa para a implantação da Renda Básica de Cidadania - RBC, no Brasil, conforme previsto pela Lei 10.835 de 2004. A RBC será instituída por etapas, a critério do Poder Executivo, começando pelos mais necessitados. Será o direito de todas as pessoas, incondicionalmente, receberem uma renda que, na medida do possível, será suficiente para atender as suas necessidades vitais. Não se trata de uma caridade ou uma assistência, mas de um direito de todos participarem da riqueza da nação. A racionalidade deste instrumento para garantir real liberdade e dignidade a todos é também aqui analisada.
Avaliação da depressão e de testes neuropsicológicos em pacientes com desordens temporomandibulares
Authors: Selaimen Caio , Brilhante Diego Pinheiro , Grossi Márcio Lima , Grossi Patricia Krieger
Published: October 2007

A fim de determinar se existem diferenças neuropsicológicas entre os grupos, o Teste de Aprendizado Verbal da Califórnia (CVLT) e o Teste do Trigrama de Consoantes de Brown-Peterson (CCC) foram usados. A depressão foi avaliada pelo Inventário de Depressão de Beck (BDI). Os testes neuropsicológicos usados não mostraram diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os três grupos estudados, o que pode ser devido à baixa proporção de pacientes com educação pós-secundária (25%). Entretanto, o grupo experimental (Grupos I e II) mostrou índices de depressão mais elevados (p<0,05) que o Grupo III. Adicionalmente, o Grupo II mostrou maiores índices de depressão (p<0,01) que o Grupo I, e não foi encontrada diferença estatística entre os Grupos I e III. Em conjunto, estes resultados sugerem que testes de memória são altamente dependentes do nível educacional e que não podem ser utilizados em larga escala. Do mesmo modo, a depressão desempenha um papel importante não só na etiologia, como também na perpetuação da DTM.
A assistência domiciliar privada em saúde e suas estratégias (aparentes e ocultas)
Authors: Cunha Márcia Andréa Oliveira , Morais Heloísa Maria Mendonça de
Published: October 2007

O trabalho analisa os resultados de uma investigação sobre a assistência domiciliar privada em saúde. Entendida como a manifestação mais visível do modelo da Atenção Gerenciada, vem-se desenvolvendo mediante a oferta de múltiplos serviços. Seu ideário se apóia em um conjunto de princípios - a desospitalização, a redução dos riscos de infecção, o favorecimento do convívio da pessoa doente com o núcleo familiar - todos eles dirigidos à estratégia da redução de custos. São discutidos, ainda, alguns aspectos relativos às relações de trabalho que estão alicerçando o desenvolvimento dessa modalidade assistencial.
Condições sanitárias e socioambientais em Iauaretê, área indígena em São Gabriel da Cachoeira, AM
Authors: Giatti Leandro Luiz , Rocha Aristides Almeida , Toledo Renata Ferraz de , Barreira Luciana Pranzetti , Rios Leonardo , Pelicioni Maria Cecília Focesi , Mutti Luciane Viero , Cutolo Silvana Audrá
Published: October 2007

OBJETIVOS: Descrever condições sanitárias e socioambientais relevantes à saúde dos habitantes da sede do distrito de Iauaretê, área indígena na Amazônia brasileira que se destaca pela concentração populacional. MÉTODOS: A metodologia adotada foi quali-quantitativa e o método da pesquisa-ação foi utilizado principalmente para abordagens qualitativas, viabilizadas em reuniões comunitárias com indígenas e pesquisadores nas vilas componentes da sede do distrito. Foram construídos mapas-falantes; realizadas entrevistas; estudos da disposição de resíduos sólidos; localização, amostragem e análise da água de consumo humano; e aplicação de técnica de georeferenciamento. RESULTADOS: Das 65 amostras de água analisadas, 89,2% apresentaram presença de coliformes fecais.Quanto aos resíduos sólidos, não havia nenhuma solução sanitariamente correta para os mesmos. As práticas sanitárias dos indígenas eram preocupantes do ponto de vista de saúde pública e destoantes em relação ao relativo conhecimento dos mesmos. CONCLUSÕES: A peculiar problemática associada ao modo de vida imposto por uma sociedade envolvente demanda, para o equacionamento de questões de saúde coletiva, o desenvolvimento de ações conjuntas nos campos da infra-estrutura e da educação em saúde, preconizando a participação da comunidade local.
Channel Tunnel Rail Link section 2: north Thames marshes
Authors: O'Riordan Nick , Kirk Martin
Published: October 2007

The 12 km north Thames stretch of section 2 of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link – now known as High Speed 1 – involved constructing a high-speed railway formation across marshlands next to the Thames, alongside operating railways and crossing major roads. This paper describes the design and construction of the 12 km section which links the Thames tunnel to the London tunnels. The work included the push-launch of a 1 km long viaduct at Thurrock, which threads its way under and over the M25 bridge and tunnel crossings of the Thames respectively.
Introduction
Authors: Dyke Alan , Glover Mike
Published: October 2007

The second and final section of the £5·8 billion Channel Tunnel Rail Link project – now renamed High Speed 1 – opens for business this month (14 November 2007). The 109 km long, 300 km/h railway cuts the London–Paris trip to a competitive 2 h 15 mins. It also means Britain is now directly connected to Europe's growing high-speed rail network, which currently extends to 3750 km. This paper introduces the 11 other papers in this special issue of Civil Engineering on the procurement, design, construction and regeneration benefits of the challenging, 39 km, section 2.
Black-Oil Delumping Techniques Based on Compositional Information from Depletion Processes
Authors: Ghorayeb Kassem , Holmes Jonathan
Published: October 2007

Black-oil reservoir simulation still has wide application in the petroleum industry because it is far less demanding computationally than compositional simulation. But a principal limitation of black-oil reservoir simulation is that it does not provide the detailed compositional information necessary for surface process modeling.

Black-oil delumping overcomes this limitation by converting a black-oil wellstream into a compositional wellstream, enabling the composition and component molar rates of a production well in a black-oil reservoir simulation to be reconstituted.

We present a comprehensive black-oil delumping method based primarily on the compositional information generated in the depletion process that is used initially to provide data for the black-oil simulation in a typical workflow. Examples presented in this paper show the accuracy of this method in different depletion processes: natural depletion, water injection, and gas injection. The paper also presents a technique for accurately applying the black-oil delumping method to wells encountering crossflow.
Understanding Reservoir Architectures and Steam-Chamber Growth at Christina Lake, Alberta, by Using 4D Seismic and Crosswell Seismic Imaging
Authors: Zhang Weimin , Youn Sung , Doan Quang
Published: October 2007

EnCana Corporation's Christina Lake Thermal Pilot Project located 170 km south of Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, uses steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) technology to recover bitumen from the Lower Cretaceous McMurray formation. This paper presents an analysis of time-lapse and crosswell seismic data, as part of an overall study integrating different disciplines and technologies, to understand the effects of geology on SAGD-process performance in the pilot area.

A 3D baseline survey was conducted at the start of the pilot in 2001, and two follow up surveys were conducted in 2004 and 2005. In addition, six crosswell seismic profiles were acquired by placing both sources and receivers in the vertical wellbores. The goal of the seismic surveys was to better understand steam-chamber growth and reservoir architecture by detecting lithology changes, including the occurrence and distribution of mudstone stringers. Data from the surveys, especially from the crosswell profiles, indicated significant reservoir heterogeneity, and helped to characterize reservoir architecture in the pilot area more accurately.

Analysis of seismic data (both 4D and crosswell) showed steam-chamber growth and oil recovery to be influenced strongly by reservoir geology. Steam-chamber growth is especially affected by the presence of low-permeability facies in the vicinity of the SAGD well pairs. Our analysis indicates that these reservoir heterogeneities have contributed to the creation of areas within the reservoir that have been unaffected by steaming operations to date. These findings are in agreement with flow-simulation results and collectively contribute significantly to the planning of future developments.
Can Email Communication Enhance Professor-Student Relationship and Student Evaluation of Professor?: Some Empirical Evidence
Authors: Sheer Vivian C. , Fung Timothy K.
Published: October 2007

Four hundred and eight undergraduate students participated in this study that examined professor-student email communication, interpersonal relationship and teaching evaluation. Several findings have been gleaned. First, academic task was the most frequent email topic and social-relationship less frequent between professors and students. Second, professors emailed students more frequently than the reverse. Third, professors and students exhibited a higher degree of reciprocity for social-relationship communication than for task emails. Fourth, email communication contributed positively to both professor-student relationship and teaching evaluation. Fifth, professor email helpfulness, reply promptness and email frequency for social-relationship were the most significant predictors of both professor-student relationship and teaching evaluation.
Protective role of pinacidil against adrenaline-induced myocardium injury in guinea pig liver mitochondria
Authors: Tkachenko Halyna , Kurhalyuk Nataliya
Published: October 2007

We investigated the role of the ATP-sensitive potassium channel opener pinacidil and blocker glibenclamide on guinea pig liver mitochondrial function, and a possible significance of pinacidil in the pharmacological treatment during myocardium dystrophy. First, a series of experiments was performed to determine the effect of pinacidil and glibenclamide on mitochondrial oxygen consumption. We found that pinacidil increased the rate of mitochondrial respiration for FAD-generated substrate (succinate oxidation), but was most effective for α-ketoglutarate oxidation with enhancement of respiratory control ratio. Oxidation of FAD-generated substrate inhibited efficiency of phosphorylation for α-ketoglutarate oxidation in pinacidil-treated animals. Glibenclamide decreased the rate of respiration with the lowest value of efficiency of phosphorylation, especially for α-ketoglutarate oxidation. A second series of experiments was performed to determine the effects of pinacidil and glibenclamide on oxidative phosphorylation during adrenaline-induced myocardium dystrophy. The increase in respiratory control ratio and efficiency of phosphorylation for α-ketoglutarate oxidation was greater than for succinate oxidation in mitochondria of pinacidil-pretreated animals during myocardium dystrophy. Inhibitory analysis with malonate suggested that endogenous succinate increased oxidation of NADH-generated substrates in mitochondria. Pinacidil is mainly involved in the adrenaline-induced alterations of mitochondrial function due to elevation of phosphorylation efficiency for α-ketoglutarate oxidation and a decreased level of lipid peroxidation.
Soil nematode community structure in a Chinese sand dune system
Authors: Zhang X. , Liang W. , Jiang D. , Liu Z. , Jiang S.
Published: October 2007

Soil nematode community structure was studied in a terrestrial sand dune system of the Horqin Sandy Land, Northeast China. The nematode abundance and generic composition in four sites (from the lowland, the middle part of windward slope and the top of windward slope to leeward slope) and three soil layers (0–20 cm, 20–40 cm and 40–60 cm) of the stabilized sand dune were compared. The results showed the total number of nematodes which ranged from 11 to 160 individuals per 100 g dry soils was significantly different among the sites and the depths (P < 0.05). Thirty genera were observed and Acrobeles was the dominant genus in our investigation. A significant difference in the abundance of bacterivores was found among the depths (P < 0.01). The total numbers of nematodes and plant parasites positively correlated with electronic conductivity, soil moisture, total organic carbon and nitrogen contents (P < 0.05). S, TD, NCR and PPI were found to be sensitive to environmental stress in the stabilized sand dune system.
Elasticity in certain block monoids via the Euclidean table
Authors: Chang SooAh , Chapman Scott , Smith William
Published: October 2007

This paper continues the study begun in [GEROLDINGER, A.: On non-unique factorizations into irreducible elements II, Colloq. Math. Soc. János Bolyai 51 (1987), 723–757] concerning factorization properties of block monoids of the form ℬ(ℤn, S) where S =
$$\{ \bar 1,\bar a\} $$
(hereafter denoted ℬa(n)). We introduce in Section 2 the notion of a Euclidean table and show in Theorem 2.8 how it can be used to identify the irreducible elements of ℬa(n). In Section 3 we use the Euclidean table to compute the elasticity of ℬa(n) (Theorem 3.4). Section 4 considers the problem, for a fixed value of n, of computing the complete set of elasticities of the ℬa(n) monoids. When n = p is a prime integer, Proposition 4.12 computes the three smallest possible elasticities of the ℬa(p).
The Design of Regulatory Institutions for the Canadian Telecommunications Sector
Authors: Iacobucci Edward M. , Trebilcock Michael J.
Published: October 2007

As the result of competition arising from new technology, extensive economic regulation of the telecommunications industry has become less appropriate over time. In this article we consider corresponding institutional reform. Both the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) and the Competition Bureau/Tribunal are presently involved in telecom regulation. We propose a framework in which there is a clearer division of responsibility between the CRTC and the Bureau/Tribunal. The latter would be responsible for enforcing laws against predatory pricing, price discrimination, and other standard competition policy matters in the telecom industry. Where there is concern simply about high prices, a matter that competition policy does not ordinarily address directly, we propose that the Bureau/Tribunal assume responsibility for identifying markets in which there is market power, and only then would the CRTC have the authority to regulate prices. We argue that such an arrangement would allow each agency to exploit its comparative advantage, would reduce costly duplication across agencies, and would address concerns about regulatory overreach.
Just How Much Bigger Is Government in Canada? A Comparative Analysis of the Size and Structure of the Public Sectors in Canada and the United States, 1929–2004
Authors: Ferris J. Stephen , Winer Stanley L.
Published: October 2007

We compare the size and structure of the public sectors of Canada and the United States from 1929 to 2004 using national accounting and employment data. The challenge of defining the public sector for comparative purposes is explored and illustrated, especially with respect to the treatment of non-profits, and a number of intriguing similarities and differences in the comparative evolution of the public sectors are identified that remain to be explained. Use of a new Fisher-type government deflator for Canada indicates that, as of 2003, real government spending relative to real income was about 27 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in both countries.
“If a girl doesn't say ‘no’…”: young men, rape and claims of ‘insufficient knowledge’
Authors: O'Byrne Rachael , Hansen Susan , Rapley Mark
Published: October 2007

Most psychological theories of rape tend to stress factors internal to both rapists and their victims in accounting for the phenomenon. Unlike such theories, social psychological and feminist accounts have drawn attention to social and cultural factors as productive of rape, and have criticized psychological accounts on the grounds that they often serve, paradoxically, to cement pre‐existing ‘common‐sense’. In this paper we examine the ways in which young Australian men draw upon widely culturally shared accounts, or interpretative repertoires, of rape to exculpate rapists. In particular, we discuss the reliance placed on a ‘lay’ version of Tannen's 1992 ‘miscommunication model’ of (acquaintance) rape and detail the use of this account—the claim that rape is a consequence of men's ‘not knowing’—as a device to accomplish exculpation. Implications of our methods for capturing young people's understanding of sexual coercion, rape and consent, and for the design of ‘rape prevention’ programmes, are discussed. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hemodynamic and intravascular ultrasound assessment of an ambiguous left main coronary artery stenosis
Authors: Leesar Massoud A. , Mintz Gary S.
Published: October 2007

The assessment of the left main coronary artery (LMCA) stenosis by angiography is not reliable, and noninvasive tests are incapable of discriminating ischemia caused by LMCA versus other stenoses. Among patients with LMCA stenosis, both fractional flow reserve and intravascular ultrasound parameters would determine the severity of stenosis and predict the event rates. This review outlines the evidence in support of their routine use for the assessment of an ambiguous LMCA stenosis. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
The safety and efficacy of an extravascular, water‐soluble sealant for vascular closure: Initial clinical results for Mynx™
Authors: Scheinert D. , Sievert H. , Turco M.A. , Schmidt A. , Hauptmann K.E. , Mueller R. , Dadourian D. , Krankenberg H. , Grube E.
Published: October 2007

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the hemostatic efficacy and safety of the Mynx extravascular sealant for femoral artery closure. Background: The Mynx device is an extra‐arterial vascular closure technology utilizing a water‐soluble, porous, polyethylene glycol matrix that immediately seals the arteriotomy by rapidly absorbing subcutaneous fluids and expanding in the tissue tract and then, resorbs within 30 days. Methods: The Mynx study was a prospective, multicenter, single‐arm clinical investigation conducted at five European centers. The safety and effectiveness of the Mynx device was evaluated in patients following diagnostic or interventional endovascular procedures performed through 5 Fr, 6 Fr, or 7 Fr introducer sheaths in the common femoral artery. The primary safety endpoint was the combined rate of major complications within 30 days (±7 days). The primary efficacy endpoints were time to hemostasis and time to ambulation. Results: Patient enrollment included 190 patients with 50% having undergone diagnostic catheterization and 50% interventional procedures with a mean activated clotting time of 221 sec. One (0.5%) major vascular complication (transfusion) occurred in one patient. No device‐precipitated complications associated with serious clinical sequelae were reported. Mean (± standard deviation) times to hemostasis and ambulation were 1.3 ± 2.3 min and 2.6 ± 2.6 hr, respectively. There was no significant difference in median times to hemostasis between diagnostic and interventional patients (0.5 vs. 0.6 min). Conclusions: The initial experience with the extra‐arterial Mynx closure technology supports hemostatic safety and efficacy in patients undergoing diagnostic and interventional catheterization procedures. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Chiral resolutions of (9‐anthryl)methoxyacetic acid and (9‐anthryl)hydroxyacetic acid by capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Li Bao‐Lin , Zhang Zhen‐Guo , Du Li‐Li , Wang Wei
Published: October 2007

The resolutions of (9‐anthryl)methoxyacetic acid (9AMAA) and (9‐anthryl)hydroxyacetic acid (9AHAA) were performed by capillary electrophoresis using hydroxypropyl‐β‐cyclodextrin (HP‐β‐CD) as a chiral selector. Various factors affecting migration time and resolutions of these compounds were investigated with a run voltage of 20 kV, column temperature 20°C and 20 mM Tris‐H3PO4 buffer (pH 6.5) containing 5 mM HP‐β‐CD for 9AMAA, or 10 mM HP‐β‐CD for 9AHAA, (±)‐9AMAA and (±)‐9AHAA were successfully separated at Rs 3.27 and 1.92, respectively. Chirality, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Carbon nanotube‐enhanced thermal destruction of cancer cells in a noninvasive radiofrequency field
Authors: Gannon Christopher J. , Cherukuri Paul , Yakobson Boris I. , Cognet Laurent , Kanzius John S. , Kittrell Carter , Weisman R. Bruce , Pasquali Matteo , Schmidt Howard K. , Smalley Richard E. , Curley Steven A.
Published: October 2007

BACKGROUND.

Single‐walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have remarkable physicochemical properties that may have several medical applications. The authors have discovered a novel property of SWNTs—heat release in a radiofrequency (RF) field—that they hypothesized may be used to produce thermal cytotoxicity in malignant cells.

METHODS.

Functionalized, water‐soluble SWNTs were exposed to a noninvasive, 13.56‐megahertz RF field, and heating characteristics were measured with infrared thermography. Three human cancer cell lines were incubated with various concentrations of SWNTs and then treated in the RF field. Cytotoxicity was measured by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. Hepatic VX2 tumors in rabbits were injected with SWNTs or with control solutions and were treated in the RF field. Tumors were harvested 48 hours later to assess viability.

RESULTS.

The RF field induced efficient heating of aqueous suspensions of SWNTs. This phenomenon was used to produce a noninvasive, selective, and SWNT concentration‐dependent thermal destruction in vitro of human cancer cells that contained internalized SWNTs. Direct intratumoral injection of SWNTs in vivo followed by immediate RF field treatment was tolerated well by rabbits bearing hepatic VX2 tumors. At 48 hours, all SWNT‐treated tumors demonstrated complete necrosis, whereas control tumors that were treated with RF without SWNTs remained completely viable. Tumors that were injected with SWNTs but were not treated with RF also were viable.

CONCLUSIONS.

The current results suggested that SWNTs targeted to cancer cells may allow noninvasive RF field treatments to produce lethal thermal injury to the malignant cells. Now, the authors are developing SWNTs coupled with cancer cell‐targeting agents to enhance SWNT uptake by cancer cells while limiting uptake by normal cells. Cancer 2007. © 2007 American Cancer Society.
2‐Arylimino‐9‐phenyl‐1,10‐phenanthrolinyl‐iron, ‐cobalt and ‐nickel Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization and Ethylene Oligomerization Behavior
Authors: Jie Suyun , Zhang Shu , Sun Wen‐Hua
Published: October 2007

A series of 2‐imino‐9‐phenyl‐1,10‐phenanthrolines 1–6 has been prepared and investigated as new tridentate N3 ligands in coordination with metal chlorides. Their iron(II) (1a–6a), cobalt(II) (1b–6b), and nickel(II) (1c–6c) complexes have been synthesized and characterized by elemental and spectroscopic analysis in conjunction with single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies. Some of the iron complexes show good activities in the selective dimerization of ethylene upon treatment with MAO or MMAO, while the cobalt complexes show higher activities than their iron analogues and lead to the formation of C6 and C8 oligomers. The nickel complexes display high catalytic activities toward ethylene oligomerization in the presence of Et2AlCl and an auxiliary ligand (PPh3).(© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007)
A non‐extractable condensed‐tannins fiber reduces thermal oxidation in oils at frying temperature
Authors: Sánchez‐Muniz Francisco J. , Botega Daniele Zulim , di Lorenzo Laura , Marmesat Susana , Bastida Sara , Pérez‐Olleros Lourdes , Ruiz‐Roso Baltasar
Published: October 2007

Several compounds presenting antioxidant properties have been tested in frying oils to delay thermal oxidation of the triglycerides containing unsaturated fatty acids. The present study was designed to evaluate, for the first time, the antioxidant and antipolymerizing effects of addition of Exxenterol®, a denatured carob fiber very rich in non‐extractable tannins, on olive oil (OO), sunflower oil (SO) and a homogeneous blend of both oils. Exxenterol was added to the three oils in amounts of 50, 250, 500 and 1000 mg/kg oil before heating. After 36 h of heating at 180 °C, there was a large and relevant increase of the polar material and the polymer contents, but tocopherol decreased to non‐detectable levels in all three oils. Polar content, polymer and thermal oxidation formation (p ≤0.004) and tocopherol degradation (p ≤0.022) were significantly and dose‐dependently inhibited by Exxenterol. Both polar material and polymer formation were inhibited (at least by 44%) in OO and SO and at least by 27% in the oil blend when 1000 mg/kg oil of this product was added. Small but detectable amounts of tocopherol were found in the oil blend containing 50 mg Exxenterol/kg. The results clearly show that this non‐extractable tannin‐rich fiber can be successfully employed as an additive to prolong oil shelf life at frying temperature.
Electrocatalytic Reduction of Dioxygen on the Surface of Glassy Carbon Electrodes Modified with Cobalt Porphyrin Complexes
Authors: Ardakani Mohammad Mazloum , Rahimi Parvaneh , Dehghani Hossein , Karami Payam Ebrahimi , Zare Hamid Reza , Karami Somayeh
Published: October 2007

The preparation and electrocatalytic behavior of glassy carbon electrodes modified with three different cobalt porphyrin complexes were investigated. The electrocatalytic ability of the modified electrodes for the reduction of dioxygen to hydrogen peroxide and water in air‐saturated aqueous solutions was examined by cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry techniques. The porphyrin‐adsorbed glassy carbon electrodes possess excellent electrocatalytic abilities for dioxygen reduction with overpotential about 0.5 V lower than that at a plain glassy carbon electrode. The experimental parameters were optimized and the mechanism of the catalytic process was discussed. The possible effects of the electron‐donating properties of groups in the meso‐position of the porphyrin ring were investigated.
Salmonella choleraesuis as an anticancer agent in a syngeneic model of orthotopic hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lee Che‐Hsin , Wu Chao‐Liang , Shiau Ai‐Li
Published: October 2007

Some anaerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria represent novel therapeutic agents that have been recently applied in cancer therapy. Previously, we found that Salmonella choleraesuis in combination with cisplatin could retard tumor growth in the murine subsutaneous hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) model. In this regard, we investigated the antitumor activity of S. choleraesuis in the ML‐1 orthotopic tumor model. Systemically administered S. choleraesuis accumulated within not only subcutaneous but also orthotopic tumors for at least 30 days, forming tumor‐to‐normal tissue ratios exceeding 1,000–10,000 to 1. The antitumor effects of S. choleraesuis were evaluated in mice bearing subcutaneous and orthotopic ML‐1 tumors. Compared with the control treatment, S. choleraesuis significantly prolonged the animal survival, reduced the tumor size, as well as upregulated interferon (IFN)‐γ and induced IFN‐inducible chemokines CXCL10 (IP‐10) productions. Furthermore, immunohistochemical staining of the tumors revealed decreased intratumoral microvessel density, increased infiltration of neutrophils, CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and induced cell death in tumor microenvironment. In conclusion, these results suggest that tumor‐targeted therapy using S. choleraesuis, which exerts tumoricidal and antiangiogenic activities, represents a potential strategy for the treatment of HCC. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Dietary supplementation with carbonate increases expression of ornithine decarboxylase and proliferation in gastric mucosa in a rat model of gastric cancer
Authors: Ehrnström Roy A. , Bjursten Lars Magnus , Ljungberg Otto , Veress Béla , Haglund Monica E. , Lindström Clas G. , Andersson Tommy
Published: October 2007

Dietary factors play essential roles in gastric carcinogenesis. We recently found that dietary supplementation with NaHCO3significantly increased the development of gastric cancer in a rat gastric stump model. Here, we analysed nontransformed gastric mucosa for expression of the cancer‐related proteins cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) and ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), and we examined the relationship between expression levels of those proteins and mucosal proliferation. Research has shown that COX‐2 is upregulated in gastric mucosal inflammation and is strongly associated with gastrointestinal cancer. ODC is the key enzyme in polyamine synthesis and a regulator of cell proliferation. We performed gastric resections on 48 Wistar rats to induce spontaneous gastric cancer; half of these animals were given a normal diet, and the other half received a diet supplemented with NaHCO3. Twenty‐four unoperated rats served as a control group. The surgical procedure per se led to a significant rise in mucosal expression of COX‐2 and an associated increase in cell proliferation. However, the COX‐2 level in gastric mucosa was not further affected by dietary supplementation of carbonate. Interestingly, nontransformed gastric mucosa in the operated rats receiving a carbonate‐supplemented diet showed a pronounced increase in ODC expression that was strongly correlated with a further enhanced cell proliferation. These results indicate that carbonate ions, which represent a major constituent of intestinal reflux into the stomach, increase the expression of ODC and thereby enhance cell proliferation in nontransformed mucosa, and consequently elevate the risk of gastric cancer. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Promoter hypermethylation in circulating blood cells identifies prostate cancer progression
Authors: Rouprêt Morgan , Hupertan Vincent , Catto James W.F. , Yates David R. , Rehman Ishtiaq , Proctor Laura M. , Phillips Joshua , Meuth Mark , Cussenot Olivier , Hamdy Freddie C.
Published: October 2007

Promoter hypermethylation of circulating cell DNA has been advocated as a diagnostic marker for prostate cancer, but its prognostic use is currently unclear. To assess this role, we compared hypermethylation of circulating cell DNA from prostate cancer patients with (Group 1, n = 20) and without (Group 2, n = 22) disease progression and age‐matched controls (benign prostatic hyperplasia, Group 3, n = 22). We measured hypermethylation of 10 gene promoters in 2 sequential venous samples, obtained at diagnosis and during disease progression (median time, 15 months later). Matched time samples were obtained in the nonprogressing patients. We found that more hypermethylation was detected in the diagnostic sample from the patients with cancer than in controls for GSTP1, RASSF1a, APC and RARβ (p < 0.0001). Patients undergoing disease progression had a significant increase in methylation levels of these 4 genes when compared to the other patients (p < 0.001). Patients at risk of disease progression have higher detectable concentrations of circulating cell hypermethylation, than those without progression. The extent of this hypermethylation increases during disease progression and can be used to identify the extent and duration of treatment response in prostate cancer. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A cancer‐predisposing “hot spot” mutation of the fumarase gene creates a dominant negative protein
Authors: Lorenzato Annalisa , Olivero Martina , Perro Mario , Brière Jean Jacques , Rustin Pierre , Renzo Maria Flavia Di
Published: October 2007

The Fumarase (Fumarate Hydratase, FH) is a tumor suppressor gene whose germline heterozygous mutations predispose to hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer (HLRCC). The FH gene encodes an enzyme of the Krebs cycle, functioning as a homotetramer and catalyzing the hydration of fumarate to malate. Among the numerous FH mutations reported so far, the R190H missense mutation is the most frequent in HLRCC patients. Here we show the functional analyses of the R190H, in comparison to the better characterized E319Q mutation. We first expressed wild‐type and mutated proteins in FH deficient human skin fibroblasts, using lentiviral vectors. The wild‐type transgene was able to restore the FH enzymatic activity in cells, while the R190H‐ and E319Q‐FH were not. More interestingly, when the same transgenes were expressed in normal, FH‐proficient cells, only the R190H‐FH reduced the endogenous FH enzymatic activity. By enforcing the expression of equal amount of wild‐type and R190H‐FH in the same cell, we showed that the mutated FH protein directly inhibited enzymatic activity by nearly abrogating the FH homotetramer formation. These data demonstrate the dominant negative effect of the R190H missense mutation in the FH gene and suggest that the FH tumor‐suppressing activity might be impaired in cells carrying a heterozygous mutation. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.