bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of chronic administration of estradiol, progesterone, and tibolone on the expression and phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase‐3β and the microtubule‐associated protein tau in the hippocampus and cerebellum of female rat
Authors: Pinto‐Almazán Rodolfo , Calzada‐Mendoza Claudia C. , Campos‐Lara María G. , Guerra‐Araiza Christian
Published: December 2011

Gonadal hormones regulate expression and activation of protein tau. Tibolone is a drug used as first‐ choice comprehensive treatment for the relief of menopausal symptoms, because it and its various metabolites have estrogenic properties and progestogenic/androgenic effects; however, the effect on the activation of tau protein and its signaling cascade in the brain is unknown. We studied the effect of chronic administration of estradiol (E2), progesterone (P4), and tibolone (TIB) on the expression and phosphorylation of microtubule‐associated protein tau and glycogen synthase kinase‐3β (GSK3β) in the hippocampus and cerebellum of ovariectomized rats. Ovariectomized adult female rats were implanted with pellets of vehicle, E2, or P4 or were treated with TIB by oral administration for 60 days. The animals were sacrificed, and tissue proteins were analyzed by Western blot. We observed that, in the hippocampus, administration of E2, P4, or TIB significantly decreased the protein content of hyperphosphorylated tau and increased the tau dephosphorylated form, whereas only treatment with TIB increased the content of the phosphorylated form of GSK3β. In the cerebellum, E2 and TIB treatments resulted in a significant decrease in the expression of hyperphosphorylated tau, whereas E2 and TIB increased phosphorylated GSK3β; P4 had no effect. These results indicate that chronic administration of gonadal hormones and tibolone modulates tau and GSK3β phosphorylation in hippocampus and cerebellum of the rat and may exert a neuroprotective effect in these tissues. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Development of colour and firmness in strawberry crops is UV light sensitive, but colour is not a good predictor of several quality parameters
Authors: Ordidge Matthew , García‐Macías Paulina , Battey Nicholas H , Gordon Michael H , John Philip , Lovegrove Julie A , Vysini Eleni , Wagstaffe Alexandra , Hadley Paul
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND: Strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duchesne var. Elsanta) plants were grown in polytunnels covered with three polythene films that transmitted varying levels of ultraviolet (UV) light. Fruit were harvested under near‐commercial conditions and quality and yield were measured. During ripening, changes in the colour parameters of individual fruit were monitored, and the accuracy of using surface colour to predict other quality parameters was determined by analysing the correlation between colour and quality parameters within UV treatments.

RESULTS: Higher exposure to UV during growth resulted in the fruit becoming darker at harvest and developing surface colour more quickly; fruit were also firmer at harvest, but shelf life was not consistently affected by the UV regime. Surface colour measurements were poorly correlated to firmness, shelf life or total phenolics, anthocyanins and ellagic acid contents.

CONCLUSION: Although surface colour of strawberry fruits was affected by the UV regime during growth, and this parameter is an important factor in consumer perception, we concluded that the surface colour at the time of harvest was, contrary to consumer expectations, a poor indicator of firmness, potential shelf life or anthocyanin content. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Impacts of climate change and inter‐annual variability on cereal crops in China from 1980 to 2008
Authors: Zhang Tianyi , Huang Yao
Published: December 2011

BACKGROUND: Negative climate impacts on crop yield increase pressures on food security in China. In this study, climatic impacts on cereal yields (rice, wheat and maize) were investigated by analyzing climate‐yield relationships from 1980 to 2008.

RESULTS: Results indicated that warming was significant, but trends in precipitation and solar radiation were not statistically significant in most of China. In general, maize is particularly sensitive to warming. However, increase in temperature was correlated with both lower and higher yield of rice and wheat, which is inconsistent with the current view that warming results in decline in yields. Of the three cereal crops, further analysis suggested that reduction in yields with higher temperature is accompanied by lower precipitation, which mainly occurred in northern parts of China, suggesting droughts reduced yield due to lack of water resources. Similarly, a positive correlation between temperature and yield can be alternatively explained by the effect of solar radiation, mainly in the southern part of China where water resources are abundant.

CONCLUSION: Overall, our study suggests that it is inter‐annual variations in precipitation and solar radiation that have driven change in cereal yields in China over the last three decades. Copyright © 2011 Society of Chemical Industry
Who Pays More for a Cultural Festival, Tourists or Locals? A Certainty Analysis of a Contingent Valuation Application
Authors: Herrero Luis César , Sanz José Ángel , Bedate Ana , del Barrio María José
Published: December 2011

Cultural festivals are one of the most common representations of diversification strategies in tourist demand in cities boasting abundant historical heritage. The goal of this work is to estimate the economic value allocated by tourists and local residents to a classical music festival in the emblematic city of Santiago de Compostela (Spain). The contingent valuation method is used to ascertain whether there are any significant differences between the value declared and to study the sensitivity of the findings in a range of socio‐economic variables. Finally, the problems of hypothetical bias are explored, as are the possible implications for management of pricing policies. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Habitat selection by northern spotted owls in mixed‐coniferous forests
Authors: Irwin Larry L. , Rock Dennis F. , Rock Suzanne C.
Published: December 2011

Conservation planning for the federally threatened northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) requires an ability to predict their responses to existing and future habitat conditions. To inform such planning we modeled habitat selection by northern spotted owls based upon fine‐scale (approx. 1.0 ha) characteristics within stands comprised primarily of mixed‐aged, mixed coniferous forests of southwestern Oregon and north‐central California. We sampled nocturnal (i.e., primarily foraging) habitat use by 71 radio‐tagged spotted owls over 5 yr in 3 study areas and sampled vegetative and physical environmental conditions at inventory plots within 95% utilization distributions of each bird. We compared conditions at available forest patches, represented by the inventory plots, with those at patches used by owls using discrete‐choice regressions, the coefficients from which were used to construct exponential resource selection functions (RSFs) for each study area and for all 3 areas combined. Cross‐validation testing indicated that the combined RSF was reasonably robust to local variation in habitat availability. The relative probability that a fine‐scale patch was selected decreased nonlinearly with distances from nests and streams; varied unimodally with increasing average diameter of coniferous trees and also with increasing basal area of Douglas‐fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees; increased linearly with increasing basal areas of sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) and hardwood trees and with increasing density of understory shrubs. Large‐diameter trees (>66 cm) appeared important <400 m from nest sites. The RSF can support comparative risk assessments of the short‐ versus long‐term effects of silvicultural alternatives designed to integrate forest ecosystem restoration and habitat improvement for northern spotted owls. Results suggest fine‐scale factors may influence population fitness among spotted owls. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.
In Silico Models to Discriminate Compounds Inducing and Noninducing Toxic Myopathy
Authors: Hu Xiaoying , Yan Aixia
Published: December 2011

Toxic myopathy is a muscular disease in which the muscle fibers do not function and which results in muscular weakness. Some drugs, such as lipid‐lowering drugs and antihistamines, can cause toxic myopathy. In this work, a dataset containing 232 chemical compounds inducing toxic myopathy (IM‐compounds) and 117 drugs not inducing toxic myopathy (notIM‐compounds) was collected. The dataset was split into a training set (containing 270 compounds) and a test set (containing 79 compounds). A Kohonen’s self‐organizing map (SOM) and a support vector machine (SVM) were applied to develop classification models to differentiate IM‐compounds and notIM‐compounds. Polarizibity related descriptors, electronegativity related descriptors, atom charges related descriptors, H‐bonding related descriptor, atom identity and molecular shape descriptors were used to build models. Using the SOM method, classification accuracies of 88.4 % for the training set and 88.2 % for the test set were achieved; using the SVM method, classification accuracies of 95.6 % for the training set and 86.1 % for the test set were achieved. In addition, extended connectivity fingerprints (ECFP_4) were calculated and analyzed to find important substructures of molecules relating to toxic myopathy.
Influence of severity of anemia on clinical findings in infants with sickle cell anemia: Analyses from the BABY HUG study
Authors: Lebensburger Jeffrey D. , Miller Scott T. , Howard Thomas H. , Casella James F. , Brown R. Clark , Lu Ming , Iyer Rathi V. , Sarnaik Sharada , Rogers Zora R. , Wang Winfred C. ,   for the BABY HUG Investigators
Published: December 2011

Background

Clinical complications of sickle cell anemia begin in infancy. BABY HUG (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT00006400) was a NHLBI‐NICHD supported randomized phase III placebo‐controlled trial of hydroxyurea (HU) in infants (recruited at 9–18 months) unselected for clinical severity with sickle cell anemia. This secondary analysis of data from BABY HUG examines the influence of anemia on the incidence of sickle cell related complications, and the impact of hydroxyurea therapy in altering these events by comparing children with lower (<25th percentile) and higher (>75th percentile) hemoglobin concentrations at study entry.

Procedure

Infants were categorized by: (1) age‐adjusted hemoglobin quartiles as determined by higher (Hi) and lower (Lo) hemoglobin concentrations at study entry (9–12 months old: <8.0 and >10.0 gm/dL; 12–18 months old: <8.1 and >9.9 gm/dL) and (2) treatment arm (hydroxyurea or placebo). Four subgroups were created: placebo (PL) LoHb (n = 25), PL HiHb (n = 27), hydroxyurea (HU) LoHb (n = 21), and HU HiHb (n = 18). The primary and secondary endpoints of BABY HUG were analyzed by subgroup.

Results

Infants with lower hemoglobin at baseline were more likely to have a higher incidence of clinical events (acute chest syndrome, pain crisis, fever) as well as higher TCD velocities and lower neuropsychological scores at study exit. Hydroxyurea reduced the incidence of these findings.

Conclusion

Infants with more severe anemia are at risk for increased clinical events that may be prevented by early initiation of hydroxyurea. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:675–678. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Tumor necrosis predicts survival following neo‐adjuvant chemotherapy for hepatoblastoma
Authors: Venkatramani Rajkumar , Wang Larry , Malvar Jemily , Dias Dennis , Sposto Richard , Malogolowkin Marcio H. , Mascarenhas Leo
Published: December 2011

Background

Tumor response to chemotherapy has been shown to predict outcome in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, osteosarcoma, and Ewing Sarcoma. We evaluated whether tumor necrosis following neo‐adjuvant chemotherapy is prognostic for survival in hepatoblastoma (HB).

Procedure

Primary tumors from children with newly diagnosed stage III and IV HB who underwent surgical resection following neo‐adjuvant chemotherapy were evaluated histologically for the extent of tumor necrosis (total diameter of necrotic and fibrotic tissue divided by total diameter of tumor). Clinical features, laboratory values, pathological features, treatment delivered, and vital status were recorded. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were performed to evaluate prognostic factors.

Results

Thirty‐two patients were evaluable. After a median of four cycles of neo‐adjuvant chemotherapy gross total surgical resection was achieved in 29 patients and complete resection documented by histology in 22 patients. Three‐year event free survival (EFS) and overall survival (OS) of the evaluable patients were 70.3 ± 8.3% and 76.8 ± 7.6%, respectively. Extent of tumor necrosis, platelet count at diagnosis, decline in serum alpha fetoprotein, and surgical margin status (positive vs. negative) were statistically significant predictors for both EFS and OS by univariate analysis. Multivariate analyses revealed that extent of tumor necrosis and surgical margin status predicted improved EFS (P < 0.001) and OS (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Extent of tumor necrosis following neo‐adjuvant chemotherapy is an independent prognostic factor in patients with newly diagnosed HB. Histological response may potentially be used in strategies to modify post‐surgical therapy to improve survival in HB. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:493–498. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
SUV‐measurements and patient‐specific corrections in pediatric Hodgkin‐lymphoma: Is there a benefit for PPV in early response assessment by FDG‐PET?
Authors: Furth Christian , Meseck Robert M. , Steffen Ingo G. , Schoenberger Stefan , Denecke Timm , Henze Günter , Hautzel Hubertus , Hofheinz Frank , Großer Oliver , Hundsdoerfer Patrick , Amthauer Holger , Ruf Juri
Published: December 2011

Background

To evaluate the influence of different SUV‐measurements and patient‐specific corrections thereof on the positive predictive value (PPV) of FDG‐PET in pediatric Hodgkin lymphoma (pHL) using SUV‐based response assessment.

Methods

PET‐datasets of 33 children [female, n = 13, male, n = 20; range of age, 8.0–17.8 (mean, 15.0) years; follow‐up, 44.5–83.3 (mean 63.0) months] with HL were analyzed retrospectively. PET‐scans were obtained baseline (PET1) and after two cycles of chemotherapy (PET2). Within the leading lesion maximal SUV (SUVmax) and mean SUVs were generated by using isocontur‐thresholds for different volumes of interest: Absolute, SUV2.5; relative to SUVmax, SUVmean40% to SUVmean70%. Generated SUVs were adjusted to body weight (SUV) and corrected for body surface area (SUV_BSA), patient's blood glucose and a combination thereof. The decrease in SUV or respective derivates thereof between PET1 and PET2 (ΔSUV) was assessed for response prediction using receiver operating characteristics (ROC)‐analysis.

Results

Three patients had recurrence of disease. ROC‐analysis showed the most accurate differentiation of responders and non‐responders for ΔSUVmax_BSA [AUC, 0.97; P = 0.0026; sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 93.3%; PPV, 60.0%; negative predictive value (NPV), 100%; accuracy, 93.3%]. However, comparable results were obtained for conventional ΔSUVmax‐determination (AUC, 0.96; P = 0.0112; sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 90.0%; PPV, 50.0%; NPV, 100%; accuracy, 90.9%). Threshold‐based approaches were less effective or technically not performable in all patients.

Conclusions

At early response assessment by FDG‐PET, patient‐specific correction of ΔSUVmax by BSA improves PPV without impairment of excellent NPV in pHL. However, it is not statistically superior to simple ΔSUVmax‐analyses. Larger cohorts are needed to investigate this observation. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012;59:475–480. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Critical oncogenic mutations in newly diagnosed pediatric diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma
Authors: Grill Jacques , Puget Stephanie , Andreiuolo Felipe , Philippe Cathy , MacConaill Laura , Kieran Mark W.
Published: December 2011

Diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (DIPG) can not be cured with current treatment modalities. Targeted therapy in this disease would benefit from advanced technologies detecting relevant drugable mutations. Twenty patients with classic newly diagnosed DIPG underwent stereotactic biopsies and were analyzed for the presence of 983 different mutations in 115 oncogenes and tumor‐suppressor genes using OncoMap, a mass spectrometric method of allele detection. Our results identified oncogenic mutations in TP53 (40%), PI3KCA (15%), and ATM/MPL (5%) while none were identified in a large number of other genes commonly mutated in malignant gliomas. The identification of oncogenic mutations in the PI3K pathway offers the potential of a therapeutic target at initial diagnosis in this devastating disease. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2012; 58: 489–491. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Machiavellianism and Spontaneous Mentalization: One Step Ahead of Others
Authors: Esperger Zsofia , Bereczkei Tamas
Published: December 2011

In spite of the Machiavellians’ successful strategies in exploitation of others, they show cognitive deficiencies, especially reduced mind–reading skill. Theory of mind is usually regarded as an ability to make inferences about the mental states of others and thus to predict their behaviour. In our study, we have instead emphasized a motivation–based approach, using the concept of spontaneous mentalization. This concept is construed solely in a motivational context and not in relation to the automaticity of mind–reading ability. It entails that people in their social relations make efforts to explore the thoughts and intentions of others and are motivated to make hypotheses about the mental state of the other person. We assumed that what is peculiar to Machiavellianism is spontaneous mentalization as a kind of motivation rather than mind–reading as an ability. To measure spontaneous mentalization, we created a set of image stimuli and asked our participants to describe their impressions of the pictures. The results show that individual differences in spontaneous mentalization correlate positively with the scores of Machiavellianism. These results suggest that those who have a stronger motivation for putting themselves into the mind of others can be more successful in misleading and exploiting them. Further research should be carried out to clarify how spontaneous mentalization and mind–reading ability relate to each other. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Strigolactones—intriguing biologically active compounds: perspectives for deciphering their biological role and for proposing practical application
Authors: Vurro Maurizio , Yoneyama Koichi
Published: December 2011

Strigolactones are a class of bioactive natural metabolites produced by plant roots and released into the rhizosphere. They were discovered as signals indispensable for the induction of germination of seeds of root parasitic weeds, but since then, interestingly, many other biological, physiological and ecological roles have been described. This has suddenly provoked huge scientific interest in these compounds within different research fields. In this short perspective the attention is focused mainly on the ongoing and future research aimed at deciphering the biological roles of strigolactones that could positively affect, more or less directly, the management of parasitic weeds. Copyright © 2012 Society of Chemical Industry
‘A Place to Stay in Pakistan’: Why Migrants Build Houses in their Country of Origin
Authors: Erdal Marta Bivand
Published: December 2011

Migrants' houses are a common feature of many regions of emigration globally and are one manifestation of migrants' transnational ties. This paper explores why migrants' build houses in their country of origin, even when migrants are not planning to return. The paper aims to analyze migrants' houses as relational places located in transnational social space. This is done through an analysis of the reasons for building migrants' houses, which shows the significance of these houses as relational places, in practical and symbolic ways. This is supported by a transnational perspective that includes the different views on migrants' houses among involved actors across transnational social space: the migrants, their relatives, the local communities the houses are built in, and societies where migrants have settled. The data for this paper consist of 45 semi‐structured interviews with Pakistani migrants in Norway and non‐migrant relatives in Pakistan, informal conversations with local Pakistanis, and analysis of media reports in Norway. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrogen bond networks: Structure and dynamics via first‐principles spectroscopy
Authors: Schiffmann Christoph , Sebastiani Daniel
Published: December 2011

Different hydrogen bonding networks, same principle: hydrogen bonds are the most common fundamental structural driving forces, which determine structural and dynamical properties of numerous functional materials. First‐principles calculations of spectroscopic parameters can help to understand local geometric motifs, but also more complex processes such as hydrogen bond lifetimes and ion transport processes in condensed phases. In this feature article, we review the relevance of structure–spectroscopy‐relationships, we discuss recent ab initio calculations eludicating the structure of supramolecular assemblies, and highlight the importance of incorporating atomic and molecular mobility by means of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

magnified image

Complex hydrogen bonding networks: vinyl‐phosphonic acid polymers (left) and aqueous hydrochloric acid (right).
Fabrication of a GaAsSb/AlAsSb distributed Bragg reflector with a highly stacked InAs quantum dash structure on InP(001) substrate
Authors: Akahane Kouichi , Yamamoto Naokatsu
Published: December 2011

We investigated the fabrication of a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) using GaAsSb/AlAsSb with a large difference in the refractive index. We fabricated a well‐defined GaAsSb/AlAsSb periodic structure with high reflectivity and a 135‐nm‐wide stop band. A cavity structure was subsequently fabricated on the DBR, using a highly stacked quantum dash (QDash) structure, by the strain compensation technique. The modulated photoluminescence spectrum from the QDash was also observed in this sample. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Antiproliferative Activity of Flavonoids: Influence of the Sequential Methoxylation State of the Flavonoid Structure
Authors: Moghaddam Ghazaal , Ebrahimi Soltan Ahmad , Rahbar‐Roshandel Nahid , Foroumadi Alireza
Published: December 2011

Dracocephalum kotschyi Boiss. has been used as part of an ethnobotanical remedy against many forms of human cancer in Iran. It has been demonstrated that a flavonoid named xanthomicrol from D. kotschyi contributes to its preferential antiproliferative activity against malignant cells. In the present study, the antiproliferative activity of its flavonoid fraction was further characterized. Using liquid–liquid extraction and a semi‐preparative reversed‐phase HPLC method, eight flavonoid aglycones were isolated from the aerial parts of the plant and their identities were confirmed through MS and NMR analyses as luteolin, naringenin, apigenin, isokaempferide, cirsimaritin, penduletin, xanthomicrol and calycopterin. The in vitro antiproliferative activity of each compound was evaluated against a panel of established normal and malignant cell lines using the MTT assay and some structure–activity relationships were observed. The hydroxyflavones (luteolin, apigenin and isokaempferide) exerted comparable antiproliferative activities against malignant and normal cells, while the methoxylated hydroxyflavones (cirsimaritin, penduletin, xanthomicrol and calycopterin) showed preferential activities against tumor cells. This activity may be of value in treating tumors as it would exert few side effects in normal tissues. Xanthomicrol selectively inhibited the growth of human gastric adenocarcinoma, while calycopterin selectively prevented human acute promyelocytic leukemia and human colon carcinoma cells proliferation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Exact solution of the modified Pöschl–Teller potential in the tridiagonal representation
Authors: Huang‐Fu Guo‐Qing , Zhang Min‐Cang
Published: December 2011

The Schrödinger equation with the modified Pöschl‐Teller (MPT) potential is studied by working in a complete square integrable basis that supports a tridiagonal matrix representation of the wave operator. The resulting three‐term recursion relation for the expansion coefficients of the wavefunction is presented, and the wavefunctions are expressed in terms of the Jocobi polynomial. The discrete spectrum of the bound states is obtained by diagonalization of the recursion relation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Blending physical and virtual manipulatives: An effort to improve students' conceptual understanding through science laboratory experimentation
Authors: Olympiou Georgios , Zacharia Zacharias C.
Published: December 2011

This study aimed to investigate the effect of experimenting with physical manipulatives (PM), virtual manipulatives (VM), and a blended combination of PM and VM on undergraduate students' understanding of concepts in the domain of Light and Color. A pre–post comparison study design was used for the purposes of this study that involved 70 participants assigned to three conditions. The first condition consisted of 23 students that used PM, the second condition consisted of 23 students that used VM, and the third condition consisted of 24 students that used the blended combination of PM and VM. In the case of the blended combination, the use of VM or PM was selected based on whether it provides an affordance that the other medium of experimentation (PM or VM) cannot provide. All conditions used the same inquiry‐oriented curriculum materials and procedures. Conceptual tests were administered to assess students' understanding before, during, and after teaching. Results revealed that the use of a blended combination of PM and VM enhanced students' conceptual understanding in the domain of Light and Color more than the use of PM or VM alone. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 96:21–47, 2012
Covalent Layer‐by‐Layer Assembly of Redox Active Molecular Multilayers on Silicon (100) by Photochemical Thiol‐Ene Chemistry
Authors: Schulz Christian , Nowak Susann , Fröhlich Roland , Ravoo Bart Jan
Published: December 2011

The fabrication of thin organic films covalently grafted onto silicon substrates is of significant interest, as they are expected to give access to a broad range of new materials for integration into microelectronic applications. Covalent layer‐by‐layer (LbL) assembly offers a high degree of freedom when designing such thin films. In this work an approach for the preparation of covalent redox active molecular multilayers on silicon (100) surfaces is presented using a highly branched decaallylferrocene and thiol‐ene click chemistry. The multilayers are analyzed by ellipsometry, X‐ray photoelectron sprectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. The results indicate that the multilayer growth is linear for at least sixteen layers and the density of ferrocenes per layer is in the range of 6 × 10−11 mol cm−2. Moreover, this method for LbL assembly is extended to surfaces which have been locally passivated by microcontact printing. By atomic force microscopy measurements it is possible to show that the covalent LbL deposition proceeds exclusively in the nonpassivated areas.
Employing TCPS for suppressing oscillations in two‐area system constitute of wind farm and thermal system
Authors: Araghi Ali Roghani , Hosseinian Seyyed Hossein , Gharehpetian Gevorg B. , Vahidi Behrooz
Published: December 2011

The use of distributed generation (DG) is growing. However, DG may never be an alternative for major power generation, but they can be used in a combined form with other production units in the network. Among renewable energies, wind power especially when the case is a wind farm has a great power and capability. On the other hand, to generate electricity with desired quality and reliability, having proper dynamic response of wind farm and major network seems necessary. By employing thyristor‐controlled phase shifter (TCPS) in series with the tie‐line between two systems composed of wind farm and thermal system, the dynamic response of the combined system is improved. Results show that in all situations TCPS is able to suppress frequency deviation and tie‐power oscillations effectively under the occurrence of sudden load changes in any of the areas when compared with that obtained without TCPS. Furthermore, the required time to reach steady‐state in any of the areas is decreased dramatically. Also, for tie‐power variations in addition to reduction of oscillations, overshoot is decreased remarkably several times more than the case that system in not equipped with TCPS. © 2011 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
The challenges of building cosmopolitan climate expertise: the case of Germany
Authors: Beck Silke
Published: December 2011

By generating intense public scrutiny of international climate science, the ‘climategate’ controversy has paradoxically underlined the authoritative status accorded to scientific knowledge in policy decision making on climate change.

In contrast to the universalizing discourse of international climate science (as presented by the intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC)), notable differences exist between countries with regard to the degree of public trust in its expertise. Focusing on the German case, this article explores how and why countries vary when it comes to interpreting and validating ‘universally valid’ expertise. It argues that differences in the way climate change are addressed in national research and decision making cannot be explained solely by the quality of scientific knowledge available, because it is the same body of knowledge (produced by the IPCC) that provides the common point of reference. The reception of scientific evidence for climate change by publics and policy makers depends additionally on the ways in which scientific claims are validated and rendered authoritative for public use and on prior criteria of what counts as scientifically valid and policy‐relevant knowledge. This article then discusses the implications entailed by these national differences in terms of interpreting expertise on matters of global relevance. It shows why the task of producing policy‐relevant knowledge ‘under the public microscope’ requires new forms of interdisciplinary scientific judgment and justification toward wider publics. It reviews recent initiatives set up to respond to ‘climategate’ and discusses the alternatives offered by a wide range of efforts to promote a differentiated, reflexive, and culturally sensitive ‘cosmopolitan’ approach.WIREs Clim Change2012, 3:1–17. doi: 10.1002/wcc.151

This article is categorized under:

Social Status of Climate Change Knowledge > Climate Science and Decision Making
Sektorale Institutionensysteme und die Governance kulturlandschaftlicher Handlungsräume
Authors: Gailing Ludger
Published: December 2011

The article contributes a perspective of political science to debates on the social construction of cultural landscapes. For that purpose the conceptual relationship between constructivism and the dualistic theoretical approaches of institutionalism and governance analysis will firstly be discussed. Subsequently, the empirical analysis of the social construction of landscapes is documented concerning two fields of empirical observation: the field of sectoral institutional systems (nature conservation, heritage preservation, policy for rural areas, tourism policy, spatial planning) in a multi-level perspective, and the field of cultural landscapes as regional action arenas, where sectoral policies are operative and interact with each other. The logics of sectoral institutional systems are formative for regional agency. But they are modified mainly due to the existence of regional informal institutions such as spatial images, traditions, and attributions of the specific character of the landscape. These informal institutions have an important influence on the agency of stakeholders in large-scale reserves, cultural landscapes on the list of UNESCO world heritage sites, integrated rural development projects or tourism regions. Their influence tends to be stronger than the influence of central formal and informal institutions. The paper introduces a typology of governance forms which are specific for the constitution of landscapes as action arenas, such as the strategic communication about historical or endangered landscape elements, the creation of thematic locations, regional marketing, and the invention of regional traditions. Informal institutions are used by collective actors as fundament of their agency. This can be characterised as a sort of strategic essentialism.
Effects of domperidone on augmentation of lactation following cesarean delivery at full term
Authors: Jantarasaengaram Surasak , Sreewapa Praweena
Published: December 2011

Objective

To evaluate the effects of domperidone on breast milk production in women who underwent cesarean at full term.

Methods

Women who underwent uncomplicated full‐term cesarean were randomly assigned to receive domperidone or placebo for 4 consecutive days post partum. Breast milk was collected twice daily via electric breast pump. Baseline milk production was determined by measuring the volume of milk collected on the 1st postpartum day, before initiation of study medication (day 0). The daily volume of milk collected was compared between groups. Adverse treatment‐related effects were recorded.

Results

The study was completed by 22 women in the domperidone group and 23 in the placebo group. Compared with day 0, mean increases in milk volume per participant collected on days 1, 2, 3, and 4 were significantly higher in the domperidone (13.6 ± 23.2 mL, 68.5 ± 71.9 mL, 144.5 ± 122.3 mL, and 191.3 ± 136.1 mL) than in the placebo (2.5 ± 4.6 mL, 24.5 ± 26.5 mL, 72.1 ± 55.6 mL, and 91.4 ± 60.3 mL) group. Minor adverse effects were reported by 7 women in the domperidone group.

Conclusion

Postpartum treatment with domperidone can augment breast milk production after full‐term cesarean, with minimal adverse effects.
Serous ovarian carcinoma patients with high alpha‐folate receptor had reducing survival and cytotoxic chemo‐response
Authors: Chen Yu-Li , Chang Ming-Cheng , Huang Chia-Yen , Chiang Ying-Cheng , Lin Han-Wei , Chen Chi-An , Hsieh Chang-Yao , Cheng Wen-Fang
Published: December 2011

The alpha‐folate receptor (α‐FR) is highly‐expressed in various non‐mucinous tumors of epithelial origin, including ovarian carcinoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between alpha‐folate receptor (α‐FR) and the clinico‐pathologic features and outcomes of serous ovarian carcinoma patients and the possible mechanism of α‐FR to chemo‐resistance. Therefore, semi‐quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reactions for α‐FR expression were performed in the 91 specimens of serous ovarian carcinomas. The expression of α‐FR in each ovarian cancer tissue specimen was defined as the ratio of density of α‐FR to density of glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). In vitro apoptotic experiments were tested in the original OVCAR‐3 tumor cells and various OVCAR‐3 α‐FR‐transfectants. Patients with an increased α‐FR expression level had poorer responses to chemotherapy (per α‐FR expression level increase: odds ratio (OR): 8.97 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.40–57.36), p = 0.021). An increased α‐FR expression level was an independently poor prognostic factor for disease free interval (DFI) (per α‐FR expression level increase: hazard ratio (HR): 2.45 (95% CI: 1.16–5.18), p = 0.02) and had a negative impact on overall survival (OS) of these serous ovarian cancer patients (per α‐FR expression level increase: HR: 3.6 (95% CI: 0.93–13.29), p = 0.03) by multivariate analyses. α‐FR inhibited cytotoxic drug‐induced apoptosis in our in vitro apoptotic assays. α‐FR could induce chemo‐resistance via regulating the expression of apoptosis‐related molecules, Bcl‐2 and Bax. Therefore, α‐FR can be a potential biomarker for the prediction of chemotherapeutic responses and clinical prognosis. It also could be the target of ovarian cancer treatment.
Central Nervous System Reorganization in a Variety of Chronic Pain States: A Review
Authors: Henry Douglas E. , Chiodo Anthony E. , Yang Weibin
Published: December 2011

Chronic pain can develop from numerous conditions and is one of the most widespread and disabling health problems today. Unfortunately, the pathophysiology of chronic pain in most of these conditions, along with consistently effective treatments, remain elusive. However, recent advances in neuroimaging and neurophysiology are rapidly expanding our understanding of these pain syndromes. It is now clear that substantial functional and structural changes, or plasticity, in the central nervous system (CNS) are associated with many chronic pain syndromes. A group of cortical and subcortical brain regions, often referred to as the “pain matrix,” often show abnormalities on functional imaging studies in persons with chronic pain, even with different pain locations and etiologies. Changes in the motor and sensory homunculus also are seen. Some of these CNS changes return to a normal state with resolution of the pain. It is hoped that this knowledge will lead to more effective treatments or even new preventative measures. The purpose of this article is to review recent advances in the understanding of the CNS changes associated with chronic pain in a number of clinical entities encountered in the field of physical medicine and rehabilitation. These clinical entities include nonspecific low back pain, fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome, postamputation phantom pain, and chronic pain after spinal cord injury.
Effect of altering dietary n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio on cardiovascular risk measures in patients treated with statins: a pilot study
Authors: Lee Sabrina P. S. , Dart Anthony M. , Walker Karen Z. , O'Dea Kerin , Chin-Dusting Jaye P. F. , Skilton Michael R.
Published: December 2011

Increasing dietary n-3 PUFA decreases the risk of CHD. Since n-6 PUFA compete with n-3 PUFA for common metabolic enzymes, the n-6:n-3 ratio intake rather than the n-3 PUFA intake levels per se may be critical. We aimed to examine whether altering the n-6:n-3 ratio affects cardiovascular risk factors in hypercholesterolaemic patients on lipid management with statins. Adhering to a randomised, crossover study design, patients on statins (n 11) were placed on one of two dietary interventions (Diet high-ratio (HR) – n-6:n-3 = 30:1 or Diet low-ratio (LR) – n-6:n-3 = 1·7:1) for 4 weeks followed after an 8-week washout period by the alternate diet. Foods enriched with n-3 or n-6 PUFA were delivered to each patient, who were given clear guidance on consumption expectations for the study. Measures of lipid profile, blood pressure and vascular function were determined. Diet LR significantly reduced body weight, LDL-cholesterol, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, blood pressure and the apoA-1:apoB ratio. While Diet HR trended towards a similar cardioprotective profile, most of the parameters examined did not reach statistical significance. A direct comparison between diets demonstrated no significant superiority of Diet LR over Diet HR. These results suggest that a dietary intervention focused on n-6 and n-3 fatty acids may improve cardiovascular risk factors in patients over and above standard lipid management, but there is no significant advantage of a low n-6:n-3 ratio diet when compared to a high-ratio diet.
No Time for “Old Fighters”: Postwar West Germany and the Origins of the 1958 UlmEinsatzkommandoTrial
Authors: Tobin Patrick
Published: December 2011

In May 1955, the local Ulm newspapers reported on a curious lawsuit brought before the labor court. Earlier that year, authorities had forced the director of the nearby refugee camp to resign upon learning that he had been an SS officer under the Nazi regime. Now the former Nazi, Bernhard Fischer-Schweder, felt he had been unfairly victimized by the regional government and was suing to be reinstated to his post. Far from solving this perceived injustice, the lawsuit instead signaled the end of Fischer-Schweder's postwar rise from door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman to prominent director of a displaced persons camp. In the coming weeks, he lost his lawsuit and, more seriously, allegations regarding his Nazi past surfaced. Once authorities began to investigate, they uncovered a broader web of entanglement, and three years later the case culminated in Fischer-Schweder's conviction along with nine other defendants in one of the largest Nazi trials put before West German courts, the so-called UlmEinsatzkommandotrial of 1958. Although most scholarship has focused on the legacy of this trial, this article looks at the unusual origins and escalation of the case in order to draw attention to the trial's complex but overlooked relationship with postwar political and social attitudes toward the Nazi past.
The Ottomans and the Funj sultanate in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
Authors: Peacock A.C.S.
Published: December 2011

This article examines sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Ottoman sources for the Funj sultanate that ruled the Gezira and Nile Valley regions of the modern Sudan. It also aims to elucidate the relationship between the Ottoman empire and the Funj sultanate. In the first part of the article, the sixteenth-century Ottoman sources, largely documents from the Ottoman archives in Istanbul, are translated and analysed. In the second part, two seventeenth-century Ottoman accounts of the Funj are examined: that by the famous Ottoman traveller Evliya Çelebi, and that by the geographer Abu Bekr el-Dimaşki. The text of the relevant passage from Dimaşki's work is provided alongside a translation. The article also examines evidence for religious links between the Ottomans and the Funj.
The Era of Electoral Authoritarianism
Authors: Morse Yonatan L.
Published: December 2011

In recent years scholarly attention has shifted from the study of democratization to the phenomenon of electoral authoritarianism. In these regimes, regular elections are held for national legislatures and chief executives, yet they fail to live up to democratic standards of freedom and fairness. A range of new research has investigated these regimes and especially the capacity of elections to either dislodge or reinvigorate authoritarian incumbents. This article reviews some of the current work on electoral authoritarianism and attempts to find ways to achieve synthesis and better theoretical development. It notes the need for greater conceptual consensus, attention to context, and better evaluation of what electoral competiveness means under authoritarian conditions. It argues that the next stage for research should be smaller and contextual comparison that can allow for greater attention to concepts, while allowing for strong midrange theory.
Moral Hazard, Discipline, and the Management of Terrorist Organizations
Authors: Shapiro Jacob N. , Siegel David A.
Published: December 2011

Terrorist groups repeatedly include operatives of varying commitment and often rely on a common set of security-reducing bureaucratic tools to manage these individuals. This is puzzling in that covert organizations are commonly thought to screen their operatives very carefully and pay a particularly heavy price for record keeping. The authors use terrorist memoirs and the internal correspondence of one particularly prominent group to highlight the organizational challenges terrorist groups face and use a game-theoretic model of moral hazard in a finitely sized organization to explain why record keeping and bureaucracy emerge in these groups. The model provides two novel results. First, in small heterogeneous organizations longer institutional memory can enhance organizational efficiency. Second, such organizations will use worse agents in equilibrium under certain conditions. The core logic is that in small organizations the punishment strategies that allow leaders to extract greater effort are credible only when operatives can identify and react to deviations from the leaders' equilibrium strategy. This dynamic creates incentives for record keeping and means that small organizations will periodically use problematic agents in equilibrium as part of a strategy that optimally motivates their best operatives.
Ethnicity, the State, and the Duration of Civil War
Authors: Wucherpfennig Julian , Metternich Nils W. , Cederman Lars-Erik , Gleditsch Kristian Skrede
Published: December 2011

Previous research has focused primarily on how ethnicity may trigger civil war, and its effect on conflict duration remains disputed. Rather than treating conflict as a direct consequence of ethnic cleavages, the authors argue that ethnicity per se does not affect civil war duration. Instead, its effect depends on its relationship to political institutions. They employ a dyadic approach that emphasizes the political context in which both government leaders and nonstate challengers can capitalize on the ascriptive nature of ethnicity. They show that although states can initially benefit from politicizing ethnic relations, once violent conflict breaks out, such policies may backfire on the government and make it difficult for incumbent governments to accept settlements that could terminate conflicts. Past policies of ethnic exclusion also benefit rebel organizations fighting the government, since the resulting grievances increase collective group solidarity and render individual fighters more cost tolerant. Using a new data set that codes the nexus between rebel organizations and ethnic groups, as well as information on ethnopolitical exclusion, the authors find considerable support for their propositions.
Non-pharmacological management of orthostatic hypotension in the older patient
Authors: Ryan Daniel J , Cunningham Conal J , Fan Chie Wei
Published: December 2011

Orthostatic hypotension (OH) occurs in up to 30% of community-dwelling older people. Its presence confers a greater risk of incident co-morbid disease and all-cause mortality. As per guidelines, first-line treatment should consist of non-pharmacological therapies. Effective lifestyle modification advice includes the avoidance of rapid postural changes and large meals. Physical counter-manoeuvres, when comprehensively described, effectively abate symptom progression. Patients should drink 1.5 to 2 litres of water daily, though reports suggest only half of older people comply with this regime. Moderate salt consumption is advised, though with caution as supine hypertension often co-exists. Compression hosiery benefits older people and, contrary to popular opinion, is well tolerated. Potential, future therapies include impedance threshold devices. Older patients with OH frequently have co-morbid disease such that a pharmacological approach is ill-advised. They respond well to non-pharmacological therapies and these should form the primary therapeutic approach.
Exercising Religious Freedom in the Public Space: A Comparative and European Convention Analysis of General Burqa Bans
Authors: van der Schyff Gerhard , Overbeeke Adriaan
Published: December 2011

Analysis of the justifiability of general burqa bans in public – Comparative study of burqa bans in France, Belgium and concept legislation in the Netherlands – Evaluation of burqa bans in light of the Article 9 ECHR, the right to freedom of religion – Evaluation of grounds for introduction of bans, including public safety, public order and the protection of rights and freedoms of others – Conclusion: general burqa bans diffcult to justify in the light of ECHR standards