bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Immobilized cytokines as biomaterials for manufacturing immune cell based vaccines
Authors: Leclerc Claude , Brose Claudia , Nouzé Clémence , Leonard Fransisca , Majlessi Laleh , Becker Sybille , von Briesen Hagen , Lo‐Man Richard
Published: December 2007

Manufacturing of bioactive cell culture substrates represents a major challenge for the development of cell therapy for tissue repair and immune treatment of cancers, infectious diseases, or immunodeficiencies. In this context, we evaluated the capacity of several differentiation factors, including Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM‐CSF) and Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (M‐CSF), to drive differentiation of primary cell cultures, once immobilized on surfaces. We show that covalently immobilized signal factors fully retain their biological properties and efficiently promote differentiation of mouse and/or human precursor cells leading to the production of dendritic cells and macrophages. For GM‐CSF, we also show that the efficiency of receptor signaling is comparable using either soluble or tethered molecules. Such artificial bioactive interfaces are suitable for the development and automated production of cell‐based vaccines and therapies. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res 2008
Crohn's disease and color Doppler sonography: Response to treatment and its relationship with long‐term prognosis
Authors: Ripollés Tomás , Martínez María J. , Barrachina María M.
Published: December 2007

Purpose

To evaluate the ability of sonography to detect changes in patients undergoing treatment for Crohn's disease and whether these findings are related to the patient's long‐term outcome.

Methods

Twenty‐eight patients with Crohn's disease were examined prospectively using gray‐scale and color Doppler sonography before and during treatment. Three sonographic examinations were made: on the first day of treatment, between 3 and 8 days later, and approximately 4 weeks after starting the treatment. Sonographic examination included an evaluation of maximum bowel wall thickness and vascularity pattern. The sonographic data were compared with clinical and laboratory data, and possible relation with the patient's long‐term outcome was considered.

Results

Initial baseline sonograms revealed at least 1 thickened segment of the bowel wall in all of the patients. In this initial examination, 18 of 22 patients (81%) with clinically active disease had moderate or marked parietal vascularity. A statistically significant reduction in the vascularity of the affected bowel was observed on the third sonographic examination (p < 0.05). Seventeen patients who were in clinical remission had relapses and were treated with immunosuppressive therapy or surgery during the follow‐up. Eighty‐six percent of the patients with residual hyperemia on sonographic examination after treatment had an unfavorable clinical course compared with only 30% of the patients with no, or barely visible, residual hyperemia (p < 0.01).

Conclusion

Sonography can identify bowel inflammation and its changes during treatment. In patients with Crohn's disease, hyperemia on color Doppler sonography during clinical remission after treatment may reflect an increased risk of relapse. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2008
Difference in migration of placenta according to the location and type of placenta previa
Authors: Cho Jeong Yeon , Lee Young‐Ho , Moon Min Hoan , Lee Jung Ha
Published: December 2007

Purpose.

To correlate the incidence and rate of placental migration with the mode of delivery, pregnancy outcome, and maternal complication according to the location (anterior versus posterior) and type of placenta previa (PP).

Methods.

We prospectively evaluated the placentas of 98 pregnant women with PP or low‐lying placenta (LLP) at the prenatal sonographic examination performed between 20 and 27 gestational weeks. We divided the pregnant women into groups according to type and location of PP. Follow‐up sonographic examination was performed between 32 and 37 weeks. We compared incidence of migration to the normal position and calculated the migration rate as the migrated distance divided by the weeks of interval between 2 sonographic examinations. We compared the incidences of cesarean section, fetal outcome, and maternal complications during the pregnancy.

Results.

The incidence of migration in the group of anterior placentas was significantly higher than that in the group of posterior placentas. The mean migration rate in the anterior group was 2.6 mm/week, whereas that in the posterior group was 1.6 mm/week. The migration rate of incomplete PP was significantly higher than that of LLP. Incidence of cesarean section for nonmigrated PP was significantly higher in the posterior group. The incidences of premature delivery and vaginal spotting were also significantly higher in the posterior group.

Conclusion.

Anterior PP and LLP may migrate more often and faster than posterior PP. Our results may be useful for planning of prenatal management and counseling patients with PP and LLP. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2008
Intrathecal coelectrotransfer of a tetracycline‐inducible, three‐plasmid‐based system to achieve tightly regulated antinociceptive gene therapy for mononeuropathic rats
Authors: Chen Kuan‐Hung , Wu Chih‐Hsien , Tseng Chia‐Chih , Shiau Jieh‐Min , Lee Chien‐Te , Lin Chung‐Ren
Published: December 2007

For optimal use of antinociceptive gene therapy, it may be important to have extrinsic control of the expression of the transfected gene. To achieve this goal, we used a tetracycline‐inducible system (Tet‐On) composed of three plasmids coding for beta‐endorphin, the tetracycline transcriptional activator rtTA, and the silencer tTS. The regulation of beta‐endorphin expression was first assessed in cultures of dorsal root ganglion neurons. The three plasmids were then electrotransfected into the spinal cord of mononeuropathic rats and the analgesic potential of this therapy in vivo was evaluated by thermal‐withdrawal latency and the mechanical‐withdrawal threshold. Intraperitoneal injections of doxycycline were made to evaluate the possibility of exogenous upregulation of transfected beta‐endorphin gene expression in vivo. The levels of beta‐endorphin were analyzed by intrathecal microdialysis and radioimmunoassay. We found that, after doxycycline administration, the expression of beta‐endorphin was rapid, stable, and tightly regulated (low background and high induction level) both in vitro and in vivo. The beta‐endorphin protein was secreted into cerebrospinal fluid at a peak level of 53 pmol/L in dialysate, which was sufficient to inhibit neuropathic pain. In conclusion, tightly controlled expression of beta‐endorphin can be obtained following intrathecal electrotransfer of a tetracycline‐inducible, three‐plasmid‐based system, and doxycycline‐dependent beta‐endorphin protein expression in this system alleviates sciatic nerve constriction‐induced limb pain. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Echo combination to reduce proton resonance frequency (PRF) thermometry errors from fat
Authors: Rieke Viola , Butts Pauly Kim
Published: December 2007

Purpose

To validate echo combination as a means to reduce errors caused by fat in temperature measurements with the proton resonance frequency (PRF) shift method.

Materials and Methods

Computer simulations were performed to study the behavior of temperature measurement errors introduced by fat as a function of echo time. Error reduction by combining temperature images acquired at different echo times was investigated. For experimental verification, three echoes were acquired in a refocused gradient echo acquisition. Temperature images were reconstructed with the PRF shift method for the three echoes and then combined in a weighted average. Temperature measurement errors in the combined image and the individual echoes were compared for pure water and different fractions of fat in a computer simulation and for a phantom containing a homogenous mixture with 20% fat in an MR experiment.

Results

In both simulation and MR measurement, the presence of fat caused severe temperature underestimation or overestimation in the individual echoes. The errors were substantially reduced after echo combination. Residual errors were about 0.3°C for 10% fat and 1°C for 20% fat.

Conclusion

Echo combination substantially reduces temperature measurement errors caused by small fractions of fat. This technique then eliminates the need for fat suppression in tissues such as the liver. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Multicenter study on deep brain stimulation in Parkinson's disease: An independent assessment of reported adverse events at 4 years
Authors: Hariz Marwan I. , Rehncrona Stig , Quinn Niall P. , Speelman Johannes D. , Wensing Carin
Published: December 2007

Ongoing adverse events (AEs) at 4‐years postsurgery in 69 patients with advanced Parkinson′s disease (PD) who received deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) (n = 49) or the internal globus pallidus (GPi) (n = 20), in the framework of a subset of eight centers of a multicenter study, were analyzed by an independent ad hoc committee. At baseline, the patients' age, sex, disease duration, and clinical condition were virtually identical, as was the duration of follow‐up. There were 64 AEs reported in 53% of STN DBS patients and eight AEs reported in 35% of GPi DBS patients. Most of the AEs were not deemed severe and were reported to be present “both with and without stimulation.” The majority of the AEs affected patients' cognitive, psychiatric and behavioral status, as well as speech, gait, and balance, and most of these AEs occurred in STN DBS patients. When comparing patients who exhibited AEs with those who did not, it was found that in the STN DBS group, the patients with AEs had a longer disease duration, as well as more gait disorders and psychiatric disturbances at baseline. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society
Differential diagnosis of myotonic disorders
Authors: Miller Timothy M.
Published: December 2007

The presence of myotonia and paramyotonia on clinical examination and of myotonic discharges during electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies are important for the diagnosis of certain neuromuscular conditions. The increased muscle activity of myotonia produces muscle stiffness that improves with repeated activity. Paramyotonia produces a similar symptom, but the stiffness paradoxically increases with activity. Myotonic discharges are easily recognized on EDX testing because of the waxing and waning discharges. Myotonic dystrophy and myotonia congenita share both clinical and electrodiagnostic myotonia. Paramyotonia congenita and hyperkalemic periodic paralysis are associated with clinical paramyotonia and electrical myotonia. Acid maltase deficiency often produces myotonic potentials without clinical evidence of myotonia or paramyotonia. The differential diagnosis of these myotonic disorders is discussed. Muscle Nerve, 2007
CD133: molecule of the moment
Authors: Mizrak D , Brittan M , Alison MR
Published: December 2007

CD133 (prominin‐1) was the first in a class of novel pentaspan membrane proteins to be identified in both humans and mice, and was originally classified as a marker of primitive haematopoietic and neural stem cells. Due to the highly restricted expression of CD133 family molecules on plasma membrane protrusions of epithelial and other cell types, in association with membrane cholesterol, a role in the organization of plasma membrane topology has also recently been assigned to this family. Studies have now confirmed the utility of CD133 as a marker of haematopoietic stem cells for human allogeneic transplantation. In addition, CD133 represents a marker of tumour‐initiating cells in a number of human cancers, and therefore it may be possible to develop future therapies towards targeting cancer stem cells via this marker. The development of such therapies will be aided by a clearer understanding of the molecular mechanisms and signalling pathways that regulate the behaviour of CD133‐expressing cells, and new data outlining the role of Wnt, Notch, and bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signalling in CD133+cancer stem cell regulation are discussed within. Copyright © 2007 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Computational characterization of the hydroxylamino (NHOH) group
Authors: Politzer Peter , Murray Jane S. , Concha Monica C.
Published: December 2007

We have examined computationally some properties of the hydroxylamino group, N(H)OH, in different molecular environments. Geometries were optimized at the B3LYP/6‐31G** level and used to calculate B3LYP/6‐311G(3df,2p) energy differences and HF/6‐31G* electrostatic potentials V(r) and local ionization energies $\bar I{\rm (}{\bf r}{\rm )}$. V(r) and $\bar I{\rm (}{\bf r}{\rm )}$ were evaluated on the molecular surfaces defined by the 0.001 au contours of the electronic densities. Two important factors in determining the N(H)OH structure are lone pair repulsion and possible intramolecular hydrogen bonding involving the remainder of the molecule, which can affect the pyramidal character of the nitrogen. The nitrogen and oxygen lone pairs produce regions of negative potential, those of the oxygen being stronger. These should function as hydrogen bond acceptors, although not as well as NH3 and H2O. The nitrogen lone pairs, although less negative, are expected to be the more basic, often roughly similar to pyridine. The amine and hydroxyl hydrogens tend to have quite positive potentials, and should be potent in hydrogen bonding. Depending upon the remainder of the molecule, the hydroxyl and the amine protons can range from essentially no acidity to weak to quite strong. The hydroxylamino group is estimated to have an average polarizability of 2.38 Å3 and as a substituent on aromatic rings to be activating and ortho, para‐directing, with Hammett δp = −0.37. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bottlebrush‐shaped copolymers with cellulose diacetate backbone by a combination of ring opening polymerization and ATRP
Authors: Vlček Petr , Janata Miroslav , Látalová Petra , Dybal Jiří , Špírková Milena , Toman Luděk
Published: December 2007

Graft copolymers with cellulose diacetate (CDA) backbone and both the poly(ε‐caprolactone) and polystyrene, or poly(butyl acrylate) or PMMA grafts were prepared by two‐step process. First, ε‐caprolactone (CL) was polymerized by ring‐opening polymerization (ROP) initiated with CDA, partly funcionalized with 2‐bromo‐isobutyryl groups (degree of functionalization was 0.5). The p(CDA‐g‐CL) copolymers were used in the second step as polyfunctional macroinitiators of ATRP of the vinyl monomer, giving densely grafted copolymers with polyester and PSt, or PBuA, or PMMA grafts. The prepared copolymers were characterized by SEC, some of them also by FTIR spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy (AFM). © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 564–573, 2008
Encapsulation and release by star‐shaped block copolymers as unimolecular nanocontainers
Authors: Kul Dilek , Van Renterghem Lieven M. , Meier Michael A.R. , Strandman Satu , Tenhu Heikki , YIlmaz Sevil S. , Schubert Ulrich S. , Du Prez Filip E.
Published: December 2007

A five‐arm star‐shaped poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) with terminal bromide groups was used as a macroinitiator for the atom transfer radical polymerization of tert‐butyl acrylate (tBA), resulting in five‐arm star‐shaped poly(ethylene oxide)‐block‐poly(tert‐butyl acrylate) block copolymers. The polymerization proceeded in a controlled way using a copper(I)bromide/pentamethyl diethylenetriamine catalytic system in acetonitrile as solvent. The hydrolysis of the tBA blocks of the amphiphilic star‐shaped PEO‐b‐PtBA block copolymer resulted in dihydrophilic star structures. The encapsulation of the star‐block copolymers and their release properties in acid environment have been followed by UV‐spectroscopy and color changes, using the dye methyl orange as a hydrophilic guest molecule. Characterization of the structures has been done by 1H NMR, size exclusion chromatography, MALDI‐TOF, and differential scanning calorimetry. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 46: 650–660, 2008
Antiparkinson drug – Mucuna pruriens shows antioxidant and metal chelating activity
Authors: Dhanasekaran Muralikrishnan , Tharakan Binu , Manyam Bala V.
Published: December 2007

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder for which no neurorestorative therapeutic treatment is currently available. Oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease. The ancient Indian medical system, Ayurveda, traditionally uses Mucuna pruriens to treat Parkinson's disease. In our earlier studies, Mucuna pruriens has been shown to possess antiparkinson and neuroprotective effects in animal models of Parkinson's disease. The antioxidant activity of Mucuna pruriens was demonstrated by its ability to scavenge DPPH radicals, ABTS radicals and reactive oxygen species. Mucuna pruriens significantly inhibited the oxidation of lipids and deoxyribose sugar. Mucuna pruriens exhibited divalent iron chelating activity and did not show any genotoxic/mutagenic effect on the plasmid DNA. These results suggest that the neuroprotective and neurorestorative effect of Mucuna pruriens may be related to its antioxidant activity independent of the symptomatic effect. In addition, the drug appears to be therapeutically safe in the treatment of patients with Parkinson's disease. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Estimation of Water Solubility of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Using Quantum Chemical Descriptors and Partial Least Squares
Authors: Lu Gui‐Ning , Dang Zhi , Tao Xue‐Qin , Yang Chen , Yi Xiao‐Yun
Published: December 2007

Quantitative Structure‐Property Relationship (QSPR) modeling is a powerful approach for predicting the properties of environmental organic pollutants from their structure descriptors. In this study, QSPR models were established for estimating the water solubility of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs). Quantum chemical descriptors computed with density functional theory at the B3LYP/6‐31G(d) level and Partial Least Squares (PLS) analysis with an optimizing procedure were used to generate QSPR models for the logarithm of the water solubility of PAHs. Two optimized models with high correlation coefficients (R2=0.966 and 0.970) were obtained for estimating logarithmic mass and molar concentration of water solubility, respectively. The internal statistics results of a cross‐validation test ($\rm{ Q_{{\rm{cum}}}^2 }$=0.928 and 0.937, respectively) showed both the models had high precision and good prediction capability. The logarithmic water solubility values predicted by the models are close to those observed. The PLS analysis indicated that PAHs with larger electronic spatial extent and lower total energy values tend to be less soluble.
Enthalpy of Solvation Correlations for Gaseous Solutes Dissolved in Alcohol Solvents based on the Abraham Model
Authors: Mintz Christina , Ladlie Tara , Burton Katherine , Clark Michael , Acree William E. , Abraham Michael H.
Published: December 2007

Data have been assembled from the published literature on the enthalpies of solvation for more than 100 compounds dissolved in methanol, ethanol, and 1‐butanol. It is shown that an Abraham solvation equation with five descriptors can be used to correlate the experimental enthalpies of solvation to within Standard Deviations (SDs) of 2.70 kJ/mol (methanol), 2.53 kJ/mol (ethanol), and 2.34 kJ/mol (1‐butanol). The derived correlations provide very accurate mathematical descriptions of the measured enthalpy of solvation data at 298 K, which in the case of methanol span a range of about 105 kJ/mol. Division of the experimental values into a training set and a test set shows that there is no bias in predictions, and that the predictive capability of the correlations is better than 3.0 kJ/mol.
Hepatitis C virus infection in haemodialysis and kidney transplant patients
Authors: Baid‐Agrawal Seema , Pascual Manuel , Moradpour Darius , Frei Ulrich , Tolkoff‐Rubin Nina
Published: December 2007

Chronic infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is an important global health problem. The prevalence of HCV is significantly higher in haemodialysis and kidney transplant patients, as compared to the general population. In spite of the relatively milder liver disease activity reported in HCV‐infected haemodialysis patients, HCV infection adversely affects survival. Likewise, HCV has a detrimental effect on both patient and graft survival after kidney transplantation. However, patient survival is significantly better with kidney transplantation compared to remaining on dialysis; therefore, HCV infection alone should not be a contraindication to transplantation. Combination antiviral therapy with pegylated interferon‐alpha and low‐dose ribavirin is currently evolving in haemodialysis patients. Interferon‐alpha (standard/pegylated) is relatively contraindicated after kidney transplantation because of an increased risk of allograft rejection. Therefore, antiviral treatment of transplant candidates while on dialysis remains the best option and may avoid the risk of HCV‐associated liver and renal disease after transplantation. Large multi‐centre clinical trials are required in HCV‐infected haemodialysis and kidney transplant patients in order to define optimal therapeutic strategies before and after transplantation. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Verification of Mondex electronic purses with KIV: from transactions to a security protocol
Authors: Haneberg Dominik , Schellhorn Gerhard , Grandy Holger , Reif Wolfgang
Published: December 2007

The Mondex case study about the specification and refinement of an electronic purse as defined in the Oxford Technical Monograph PRG-126 has recently been proposed as a challenge for formal system-supported verification. In this paper we report on two results.

First, on the successful verification of the full case study using the KIV specification and verification system. We demonstrate that even though the hand-made proofs were elaborated to an enormous level of detail we still could find small errors in the underlying data refinement theory, as well as the formal proofs of the case study.

Second, the original Mondex case study verifies functional correctness assuming a suitable security protocol. We extend the case study here with a refinement to a suitable security protocol that uses symmetric cryptography to achieve the necessary properties of the security-relevant messages. The definition is based on a generic framework for defining such protocols based on abstract state machines (ASMs). We prove the refinement using a forward simulation.
Mondex
, an electronic purse: specification and refinement checks with the
Alloy
model-finding method
Authors: Ramananandro Tahina
Published: December 2007

This paper explains how the
Alloy
model-finding method has been used to check the specification of an electronic purse (also called smart card) system, called the
Mondex
case study, initially written in Z. After describing the payment protocol between two electronic purses, and presenting an overview of the Alloy model-finding method, this paper explains how technical issues about integers and conceptual issues about the object layout in Z have been tackled in Alloy, giving general methods that can be used in most case studies with Alloy. This work has also pointed out some significant bugs in the original Z specification such as reasoning bugs in the proofs, and proposes a way to solve them.
Patient‐specific Surgical Simulation
Authors: Soler Luc , Marescaux Jacques
Published: December 2007

Technological innovations of the twentieth century have provided medicine and surgery with new tools for education and therapy definition. Thus, by combining Medical Imaging and Virtual Reality, patient‐specific applications providing preoperative surgical simulation have become possible.
Macrophage and T‐lymphocyte Infiltrates in Human Peritoneal Adhesions Indicate a Chronic Inflammatory Disease
Authors: Binnebösel Marcel , Rosch Rafael , Junge Karsten , Lynen‐Jansen Petra , Schumpelick Volker , Klinge Uwe
Published: December 2007

Background

Peritoneal adhesions are common and lead to significant clinical morbidity and mortality. Besides various individual factors, notably the inflammatory response to peritoneal defects affects adhesion formation. The aim of this study was to investigate whether there is inflammatory activity even in persistent adhesions.

Methods

Tissue specimens of 40 patients suffering peritoneal adhesions were prospectively collected. Expression profiles of seven parameters as potential mediators in cellular immune response, cell differentiation, and wound healing were analyzed (macrophages [CD68], B‐lymphocytes [CD20] and T‐lymphocytes [CD45], cyclo‐oxygenase‐2 [COX‐2], Notch‐3, β‐catenin, and c‐myc). Furthermore, clinical details and co‐morbidities were recorded.

Results

Infiltrates of mononuclear round cells were found in all adhesion specimens irrespective of the maturity. Immunohistochemical analysis identified mononuclear round cells as macrophages (CD68) and as T‐lymphocytes (CD45). Expression of CD68 was significantly elevated in adhesion tissue with an age <12 months. Positive expression of CD45, COX‐2, Notch‐3, β‐catenin, and c‐myc, was observed even in long‐lasting adhesions.

Conclusions

A persistent inflammatory process has to be considered, even in mature adhesions. Macrophages may play an important role in triggering adhesions, whereas T‐cells and the Notch‐3/β‐catenin complex signaling pathway may play a crucial role in maintaining adhesions. These findings indicate that adhesions should not be regarded simply as an adynamic result of an operative trauma but rather may be grasped as a permanent process in remodeled tissue.
Design and Development of a Surgical Skills Simulation Curriculum
Authors: McClusky David A. , Smith C. Daniel
Published: December 2007

Background

A number of significant changes have forced surgical educators to re‐evaluate the adequacy of traditional forms of surgical skills training.

Materials

A review of the literature reveals that surgical simulation has emerged as a useful adjunct to help educators adjust to the demands of an ever‐changing surgical practice environment. As such, integration of simulation technology into a busy surgical training program has now become a priority for training programs worldwide.

Results

Successful integration requires a disciplined and dedicated approach to the appropriate use of all forms of available simulation in a well‐designed curriculum.

Conclusion

This manuscript provides a discussion of how this can be achieved using a sequential, modular, criterion‐based framework, providing details of the rationale behind such an approach and current examples of how it can be integrated.
Synthesis and Physical Properties of Symmetrical and Non‐symmetrical Triacylglycerols Containing Two Palmitic Fatty Acids
Authors: Adlof R. O. , List G. R.
Published: December 2007

A series of symmetrical (ABA) and non‐symmetrical (AAB) triacylglycerol (TAG) isomers containing “A,” palmitic (P; 16:0) acid, and “B,” either oleic (O; 9c‐18:1), elaidic (E; 9t‐18:1), linoleic (L; 9c,12c‐18:2) or linolenic (Ln; 9c,12c,15c‐18:3) fatty acids were synthesized by esterification of the thermodynamically more‐stable 1,3‐di‐ or 1(3)‐monoacylglycerols [1,3‐DAG or 1(3)‐MAG], respectively. 1,3‐dipalmitoylglycerol (1,3P‐DAG) was esterified with O, L or Ln acid to prepare the symmetrical TAG isomers POP, PLP and PLnP, while the O‐ E‐, L‐ and Ln‐1(3)MAG precursors, synthesized or obtained commercially, were esterified with P acid to prepare the non‐symmetrical TAG isomers OPP, EPP, LPP and LnPP, respectively. The drop point(s), solid fat content and melting point values of the synthesized TAG were determined. The 1,3‐dipalmitoylglycerol (1,3P‐DAG) and 1(3)P‐MAG precursors were prepared, in multi‐gram quantities, by partial glycerolysis (glycerol/p‐toluenesulfonic acid) of tripalmitin. After fractionation by silica gel chromatography, the 1(3)P‐MAG and 1,3P‐DAG isomers (ca. 80% of total MAG or DAG) were purified (>98%) by crystallization from acetone [silver ion‐HPLC was utilized to determine the structural purities of the DAG (or MAG) precursors, and the synthesized TAG]. Esterification of the appropriate, thermodynamically more‐stable MAG or DAG precursors was found to be a very versatile method for synthesis (in 80–90% yields) of multi‐gram (3–5 g) quantities of symmetrical and non‐symmetrical TAG isomers, in chemical and structural purities of >96 and 97–99%, respectively.
Committed To Peace: Liberal Institutions and the Termination of Rivalry
Authors: PRINS BRANDON C. , DAXECKER URSULA E.
Published: December 2007

Rivalry is characterized by mutual mistrust, anger and fear, and becomes increasingly intractable as confrontations between rivals militarize. The empirical record confirms that rivalries account for the vast number of militarized interstate disputes and wars in the international system. Although considerable attention has been spent on the initiation, duration or termination of rivalries, to date no comprehensive theoretical framework for their persistence or failure exists. Following Fearon, a rationalist explanation of rivalry termination is developed. It is argued here that the adoption of liberal institutions helps alleviate the commitment problems arising in rivalry. Free-market reform, democratic institutions and membership in international organizations all build trust and increase defection costs among rival states, and therefore help to shorten the duration of rivalry. Using a Cox proportional hazard model and Thompson's data on rivalries, it is shown that change towards democracy, as well as the joint effect of democracy and economic development increase the likelihood of rivalry termination. Also, joint membership in international organizations with mechanisms for dispute settlement reduces the duration of rivalry.Arobustness check using Diehl and Goertz's list of rivalries produces similar results.
Political Stability Under Uncertainty: Applying Bounded Rationality to the Study of Governance and Civil Conflict
Authors: MALHOTRA NEIL , CARNES MATTHEW E.
Published: December 2007

Acentral puzzle in the comparative politics literature has been why certain societies are able to achieve political stability while others suffer from strife, repression and authoritarian rule. This article applies the solution concept of quantal response equilibrium (QRE) to Weingast's Sovereign-Constituency Co-ordination Game in order to show how our understanding of political stability can be enhanced when uncertainty and limited rationality are explicitly modelled. Comparative statics results first confirm the intuitive logic that civil conflict is unlikely when regimes threaten penalties for revolt that are much more severe than current living conditions and when the benefits to a successful revolt are not sufficiently enticing. In addition, our analysis provides a logic for the outbreak of civil conflict, noting that it is most likely when key payoffs are in their intermediate regions and far from critical ‘thresholds’, resulting in ambiguous and counterintuitive decision making by leaders and citizen opposition groups.
Interspecific competition between Diadegma semiclausum Hellen and Diadegma mollipla (Holmgren), parasitoids of the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L), feeding on a new host plant
Authors: Rossbach A. , Löhr B. , Vidal S.
Published: December 2007

Interspecific competition between an introduced parasitoid species aimed at controlling a herbivorous pest species and a native parasitoid parasitising the same host may influence the success of classical biological control programmes. In Kenya, interspecific competition between an introduced and a local parasitoid on two diamondback moth populations (DBM, Plutella xylostella) was investigated on two different host plants. We tested simultaneous and delayed competition of the local parasitoid Diadegma mollipla Holmgren and its exotic congenus D. semiclausum Hellen on a newly aquired DBM host plant (snowpea) in the laboratory. Under simultaneous competition, D. mollipla produced more progeny than D. semiclausum on snowpea. A head start of D. Mollipla, of four and eight hours before its congenus was introduced, resulted in a similar number of progeny of both species. In delayed competition (time intervals of 24 h, 48 h and 72 h), progeny production was similar for both parasitoids when the time interval was 24 h, irrespective of which species parasitized first. More progeny was produced by the species which attacked first, when the time interval was greater than 24 h, although it was only significant at 72 h. Competitive abilites of both parasitoids on the new host plant differed largely between laboratory and semi-field conditions. The influence of two host plants (snowpea and cabbage) on competition was studied in the greenhouse with different host and parasitoid densities. Parasitism levels of D. semiclausum were significantly higher than those of D. mollipla, regardless of host plant, host and parasitoid densities, but progeny production of D. mollipla on snowpea was still slightly higher than on cabbage. As compared to the confinement of parasitoids and larvae to small containers, D. mollipla parasitized very few larvae in the cages. Competitive ability of the two parasitoid species tested was influenced both by the density of the searching females and by parameters related to either the host plant and/or the herbivorous hosts.
Novel insight in the association between salmonellosis or campylobacteriosis and chronic illness, and the role of host genetics in susceptibility to these diseases
Authors: DOORDUYN Y. , VAN PELT W. , SIEZEN C. L. E. , VAN DER HORST F. , VAN DUYNHOVEN Y. T. H. P. , HOEBEE B. , JANSSEN R.
Published: December 2007

We studied the role of host genetics in the susceptibility to severeSalmonellaandCampylobacterinfections and chronic sequelae of these infections. Participants of a previous case-control study were sent a buccal swab kit and a questionnaire about occurrence of chronic sequelae. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in theTLR4(rs4986790),IFNG(rs2430561 and rs1861493),STAT1(rs1914408),IL1B(rs16944),NRAMP(SLC11A1rs2276631),JUN(rs11688) andVDR(rs10735810) genes were determined. In total, 687 controls, 457Campylobactercases and 193Salmonellacases participated. None of the SNPs were associated withCampylobacterorSalmonellainfections. None of the participants developed Guillain–Barré, Miller–Fisher or Reiter's syndrome. Reactive arthritis occurred in 5% and 2% of cases and controls, respectively.Campylobactercases more frequently experienced gastroenteritis episodes than controls.CampylobacterorSalmonellainfection in women, use of proton pump inhibitors and an SNP in theIFNGgene were independent risk factors for reactive arthritis. Another SNP in theIFNGgene and use of proton pump inhibitors were risk factors for recurrent episodes of gastroenteritis. In conclusion, reactive arthritis and recurrent gastroenteritis episodes are common after infection and host genetic factors play a role in susceptibility to these long-term health effects.
Stress- and diffusion-induced interface motion: Modelling and numerical simulations
Authors: GARCKE HARALD , NÜRNBERG ROBERT , STYLES VANESSA
Published: December 2007

We propose a phase field model for stress and diffusion-induced interface motion. This model, in particular, can be used to describe diffusion-induced grain boundary motion and generalizes a model of Cahn, Fife and Penrose as it more accurately incorporates stress effects. In this paper we will demonstrate that the model can also be used to describe other stress-driven interface motion. As an example, interface motion resulting from interactions of interfaces with dislocations is studied.
Tail Estimates for Sums of Variables Sampled by a Random Walk
Authors: WAGNER ROY
Published: December 2007

We prove tail estimates for variables of the form ∑if(Xi), where (Xi)i is a sequence of states drawn from a reversible Markov chain, or, equivalently, from a random walk on an undirected graph. The estimates are in terms of the range of the function f, its variance, and the spectrum of the graph. The purpose of our estimates is to determine the number of chain/walk samples which are required for approximating the expectation of a distribution on vertices of a graph, especially an expander. The estimates must therefore provide information for fixed number of samples (as in Gillman's [4]) rather than just asymptotic information. Our proofs are more elementary than other proofs in the literature, and our results are sharper. We obtain Bernstein- and Bennett-type inequalities, as well as an inequality for sub-Gaussian variables.
Memory in Berlin: a short walk
Authors: SCHLÖR JOACHIM
Published: December 2007

Last October I moved to Southampton, ‘City of the Titanic’ – what a strange way to advertise a place. The memory of the sunken ship is still very much alive. I did keep my apartment in Berlin, though, and from time to time I manage to spend a couple of days there. From a distance, the city looks and feels different. When I go shopping in my favourite market hall or for a latte macchiato in Café Atlantic, I try not to step on the stones laid in the ground beside the normal cobblestones. They are of the same size, but painted in something golden; they glitter in the sun and bear an inscription such as ‘Hier wohnte Alfred Hohenstein, Jg. 1920. Deportiert am 10.05.41 Auschwitz’.
Association of antioxidant vitamins and oxidative stress levels in pregnancy with infant growth during the first year of life
Authors: Hong Juhee , Park Eun Ae , Kim Young-Ju , Lee Hwa Young , Park Bo-Hyun , Ha Eun-Hee , Kong Kyoung Ae , Park Hyesook
Published: December 2007

Objective

Whereas there are numerous reports in the literature relating the impact of maternal nutritional status on subsequent birth outcome, much less is known about the long-term impact on infant growth after birth. Therefore, we conducted a prospective cohort study to investigate the association of maternal micronutrient status (vitamins A, C and E, folate) and oxidative stress status in pregnancy with infant growth during the first year of life.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Outpatient clinic of obstetrics, Ewha Womans University Hospital, Seoul, South Korea.

Subjects and methods

Two groups were constructed for this study – the Ewha pregnancy cohort (n = 677) and the infant growth cohort comprising follow-up live newborns of all the recruited pregnant women (n = 317). Maternal serum vitamin and urinary oxidative stress levels were collected and infant weights and heights were measured at birth and at 6 and 12 months after birth.

Results

Division of the subjects into folate-deficient and normal groups revealed that infant weight and height at 0, 6 and 12 months were adversely affected by folate deficiency. High maternal vitamin C was associated with increased infant weight and height at birth and after birth.

Conclusion

Our findings indicate the importance of preventing folate deficiency and supplementing vitamin C during pregnancy.
Astronomy in Prague: from the past to the present
Authors: Hadravová Alena , Hadrava Petr
Published: December 2007

Welcome to Prague. Welcome to this Congress Centre built in a close neighbourhood of the ancient seat of the first Czech dukes (Fig. 1). Its name Vyšehrad means the Upper Town. According to the oldest Czech chronicles, it was here where the legendary princess Libuše ordered her people to found the city of Prague and where she envisaged its glory touching the stars (Fig. 2). It was also here where the canon of Vyšehrad recorded in the first half of the 12th century into his chronicle some observed astronomical and meteorological phenomena.
The evolution of life in the Universe: are we alone?
Authors: Tarter Jill C.
Published: December 2007

In his book Plurality of Worlds, Steven J. Dick (1984) has chronicled the millennia of discourse about other inhabited worlds, based upon deeply held religious or philosophical belief systems. The popularity of the idea of extraterrestrial life has waxed and waned and, at its nadir, put proponents at mortal risk. The several generations of scientists now attending this General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union at the beginning of the 21st century have a marvelous opportunity to shed light on this old question of habitable worlds through observation, experimentation, and interpretation, without recourse to belief systems and without risking their lives (though some may experience rather bumpy career paths). The newly-named and funded, multi-disciplinary field of astrobiology is extremely broad in its scope and is encouraging IAU members to learn and speak the languages of previously disparate disciplines in an attempt to answer the big picture questions: ‘Where did we come from?’, ‘Where are we going?’, and ‘Are we alone?’ These are questions that the general public understand and support, and these are questions that are attracting students of all ages to science and engineering programs. These questions also push the limits of modern instrumentation to explore the cosmos remotely across space and time, as well as to examine samples of interplanetary space returned to the laboratory and samples of distant time teased out of our own Earth.

Within my personal event horizon, the other planetary systems long-predicted by theorists have been uncovered, along with many whose structures were not predicted. The ‘just-so’ conditions requisite for the comfort of astronomers have been understood to be only a very narrow subset of the conditions that nurture extremophilic, microbial life. Thus the potentially habitable real estate beyond Earth has been greatly expanded and within the next few decades it may be possible to detect the biosignatures or technosignatures of inhabitants on distant worlds, should there be any.
Similar phenomena at different scales: black holes, the Sun, γ-ray bursts, supernovae, galaxies and galaxy clusters
Authors: Zhang Shuang Nan
Published: December 2007

Many similar phenomena occur in astrophysical systems with spatial and mass scales different by many orders of magnitudes. For examples, collimated outflows are produced from the Sun, proto-stellar systems, gamma-ray bursts, neutron star and black hole X-ray binaries, and supermassive black holes; various kinds of flares occur from the Sun, stellar coronae, X-ray binaries and active galactic nuclei; shocks and particle acceleration exist in supernova remnants, gamma-ray bursts, clusters of galaxies, etc. In this report I summarize briefly these phenomena and possible physical mechanisms responsible for them. I emphasize the importance of using the Sun as an astrophysical laboratory in studying these physical processes, especially the roles magnetic fields play in them; it is quite likely that magnetic activities dominate the fundamental physical processes in all of these systems.

As a case study, I show that X-ray lightcurves from solar flares, black hole binaries and gamma-ray bursts exhibit a common scaling law of non-linear dynamical properties, over a dynamical range of several orders of magnitudes in intensities, implying that many basic X-ray emission nodes or elements are inter-connected over multi-scales. A future high timing and imaging resolution solar X-ray instrument, aimed at isolating and resolving the fundamental elements of solar X-ray lightcurves, may shed new lights onto the fundamental physical mechanisms, which are common in astrophysical systems with vastly different mass and spatial scales. Using the Sun as an astrophysical laboratory, “Applied Solar Astrophysics” will deepen our understanding of many important astrophysical problems.
Particle acceleration via converter mechanism
Authors: Derishev Evgeny V. , Kocharovsky Vitaly V. , Kocharovsky Vladimir V. , Aharonian Felix A.
Published: December 2007

We review the problem of particle acceleration in relativistic shocks or shear flows. We propose a converter mechanism, which operates via continuous conversion of accelerated particles from charged into neutral state and back, and show that it is capable of producing the highest energy cosmic rays.
Extragalactic shocks as cosmic accelerators
Authors: Medvedev Mikhail V.
Published: December 2007

It is quite well established that shocks accelerate particles via the Fermi mechanism. We discuss common features of various extragalactic sources, ranging from Gamma-Ray Bursts and jets of Active Galactic Nuclei to Large-Scale Structure shocks and address how they affect particle acceleration. In particular, we address constraints on the maximum energy of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. Interestingly, some recent studies indicate that Fermi acceleration in relativistic shocks (and GRBs, in particular) faces severe difficulties. We will address this issue and demonstrate that the ‘observed’ shock acceleration of electrons may have nothing to do with Fermi acceleration, but may rather be associated with micro-physics of collisionless shocks.
Joint Discussion 2 On the present and future of pulsar astronomy
Authors: Becker Werner , Gil Janusz A. , Rudak Bronislaw
Published: December 2007

Neutron stars are formed in supernova explosions. They manifest themselves in many different ways, for example, as pulsars, anomalous X-ray pulsars (AXPs) and soft γ-ray repeaters (SGRs) and the so-called ‘radio-quiet neutron stars’. These objects are made visible by high-energy processes occurring on their surface or in the surrounding region. In most of these objects, ultra-strong magnetic fields are a crucial element in the radio, optical, X-ray and gamma-ray emission processes which dominate the observed spectrum.
Joint Discussion 4 UV astronomy: stars from birth to death
Authors: de Castro Ana I. Gómez , Barstow Martin A.
Published: December 2007

The scientific program is presented as well a the abstracts of the contributions. An extended account is published in “The Ultraviolet Universe: stars from birth to death” (Ed. Gómez de Castro) published by the Editorial Complutense de Madrid (UCM), that can be accessed by electronic format through the website of the Network for UV Astronomy (www.ucm.es/info/nuva).

There are five telescopes currently in orbit that have a UV capability of some description. At the moment, only FUSE provides any medium- to high-resolution spectroscopic capability. GALEX, the XMM UV-Optical Telescope (UVOT) and the Swift. UVOT mainly delivers broad-band imaging, but with some low-resolution spectroscopy using grisms. The primary UV spectroscopic capability of HST was lost when the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph failed in 2004, but UV imaging is still available with the HST-WFPC2 and HST-ACS instruments.

With the expected limited lifetime of sl FUSE, UV spectroscopy will be effectively unavailable in the short-term future. Even if a servicing mission of HST does go ahead, to install COS and repair STIS, the availability of high-resolution spectroscopy well into the next decade will not have been addressed. Therefore, it is important to develop new missions to complement and follow on from the legacy of FUSE and HST, as well as the smaller imaging/low resolution spectroscopy facilities. This contribution presents an outline of the UV projects, some of which are already approved for flight, while others are still at the proposal/study stage of their development.

This contribution outlines the main results from Joint Discussion 04 held during the IAU General Assembly in Prague, August 2006, concerning the rationale behind the needs of the astronomical community, in particular the stellar astrophysics community, for new UV instrumentation. Recent results from UV observations were presented and future science goals were laid out. These goals will lay the framework for future mission planning.