bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Prospective Randomized Multicenter Comparison on Health‐Related Quality of Life: The Value of Add‐On Arrhythmia Surgery in Patients with Paroxysmal, Permanent or Persistent Atrial Fibrillation Undergoing Valvular and/or Coronary Bypass Surgery
Authors: VAN BREUGEL H. N. A. M. , NIEMAN F. H. M. , ACCORD R. E. , VAN MASTRIGT G. A. P. G. , NIJS J. F. M. A. , SEVERENS J. L. , VRAKKING R. , MAESSEN J. G.
Published: November 2009

Quality of Life After Add‐on Arrhythmia Surgery Introduction: This is a multicenter, prospective, randomized controlled trial to determine the effect of add‐on arrhythmia surgery on health‐related quality of life during 1‐year follow‐up of cardiac surgery patients with atrial fibrillation.

Methods:
150 patients with documented atrial fibrillation were randomly assigned to undergo cardiac surgery with or without add‐on surgery. Patients completed quality of life questionnaires, comprising the RAND 36‐item Health Survey 1.0 (SF‐36), Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory‐20 (MFI‐20) and EuroQoL (EQ‐5D and VAS) at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months following operation.

Results:
132 patients completed the questionnaires at a minimum of one time‐point during follow‐up. At baseline patient characteristics, operative data and health‐related quality of life were comparable. At 12‐month follow‐up 62 patients were free of atrial fibrillation without significant differences between groups (P = 0.28). Conversion to SR occurred in 69.8% (37/53) of patients with paroxysmal AF, in 28.2% (11/39) of patients with permanent AF and in 44.4% (12/27) of patients in persistent AF. Cardiac surgery in general resulted in an overall improvement of the RAND SF‐36 and the MFI‐20. However, the EQ‐5D showed a significant deterioration in the subscale Pain/Discomfort for both groups (P < 0.001), with a significant worse outcome for the control group (P = 0.006).

Conclusions:
Health‐related quality of life in patients with paroxysmal, permanent and persistent atrial fibrillation improves after cardiac surgery regardless of giving add‐on surgery or not, but this improvement is presumably more affected by treating the underlying heart disease than by restoring sinus rhythm. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 511‐520, May 2010)
Initial Experience Using a Radiofrequency Powered Transseptal Needle
Authors: SMELLEY MATTHEW P. , SHAH DIPAK P. , WEISBERG IAN , KIM SUSAN S. , LIN ALBERT C. , BESHAI JOHN F. , BURKE MARTIN C. , KNIGHT BRADLEY P.
Published: November 2009

Introduction:
The purpose of this study was to determine the safety and efficacy of using a novel radiofrequency (RF) powered transseptal needle to perform transseptal puncture (TSP).

Methods:
TSP was performed in 35 consecutive patients undergoing left‐sided catheter ablation (mean age = 51 years; male = 71%) using a RF powered transseptal needle (NRG, Adult Large and Standard Curve C1, 71 cm, Baylis Medical Company, Inc.). Prior TSP had been performed in 34% of patients. The transseptal apparatus was positioned with the tip of the dilator engaged in the fossa ovalis. RF energy was delivered to the tip of the transseptal needle using a proprietary RF generator at 10 W for 2 seconds as gentle pressure was applied to the needle.

Results:
In 5 of the 41 TSPs, the needle crossed into the left atrium before RF energy was delivered. In 35 of the remaining 36 punctures, the needle was successfully advanced into the left atrium after application of RF current. In 1 patient, the TSP with the powered needle was unsuccessful but was accomplished using a standard needle. The only complication was a transient right atrial thrombus, which occurred in 2 patients.

Conclusion:
A radiofrequency powered transseptal needle can be used to perform TSP safely and successfully without the need for significant mechanical force, even in patients who have undergone TSP previously. Additional studies are needed to determine whether a powered transseptal needle should be used routinely. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 423–427, April 2010)
An Anterior Ablation Line Is Preferred for Perimitral Flutter After Heart Transplant
Authors: MAKANJEE BHAVANESH , KLEIN GEORGE J. , DERVAL NICHOLAS , SKANES ALLAN C.
Published: November 2009

Perimitral atrial flutter in cardiac allograft recipients is uncommon. In general, mitral isthmus ablation can be quite challenging in all patients with perimitral flutter, including the subset of patients who present following left atrial ablation for atrial fibrillation. We report 2 cases where an anterior ablation line was easily performed to eliminate perimitral flutter and produce bidirectional block. (J Cardiovasc Electrophysiol, Vol. 21, pp. 574‐576, May 2010)
Enregistering Modernity, Bluffing Criminality: How Nouchi Speech Reinvented (and Fractured) the Nation
Authors: Newell Sasha
Published: November 2009

This paper traces processes of the enregisterment of modernity in French and Nouchi (an urban patois) in Côte d’Ivoire, arguing that the struggles to define the indexical values of Nouchi and the performative bluff of urban street life associated with it have played a central role in the production of Ivoirian national identity. Speakers of Nouchi integrate references to American pop culture with local Ivoirian lexical content, which allows Nouchi use ambivalently to index both modernity and autochthony. In so doing they overturn the hierarchical schema of evaluation defined by proximity to the French standard. Nouchi indexes a new pan‐ethnic Ivoirian identity based on the alternative modernity of cosmopolitan urban youth. Urban youth reject the Francocentric elitism of the postcolonial state but themselves exclude Northern migrants, whom they qualify as less than modern, from Ivoirian citizenship. [modernity, enregisterment, French, Nouchi, indexicality, Côte d’Ivoire]
Signs of Respect: Neighborhood, Public, and Language in Barcelona
Authors: Frekko Susan E.
Published: November 2009

This article focuses on a protest banner campaign by a neighborhood association in an economically marginal neighborhood of Barcelona. Through the campaign, participants simultaneously coached neighborhood‐level addressees (including immigrants) in respectable behavior and projected an image of neighborhood respectability to the media and City Hall. Linguistic behaviors were central to this process, including code choice, linguistic normativity, and intertextuality. This article makes three theoretical points. First, while the literature on publics stresses a historical shift between embodied publicness and disembodied publicness, this article shows that embodied publicness and disembodied publicness are inextricably interrelated. Second, it demonstrates that neighborhoods are key sites for the articulation of these two forms of publicness, through the regimentation and projection of personal respectability. Third, it reveals the importance of a careful ethnography of writing, which allows the disambiguation of differently scaled sets of addressees. [neighborhoods, publics, respectability, immigration, Catalan]
The Discursive Construction of the German Welfare State: Interests and Institutionality
Authors: McGill Kenneth
Published: November 2009

This article consists of an initial theoretical attempt to describe “interests” as widespread social phenomena which emerge specifically from discursive interaction. I focus on the way in which the indexical signaling of discourse participation roles and public/private standings provide key conditions of possibility for the emergence of interests in interactional real time. The case at hand involves the German welfare state, a social institution which is constituted both on the local level of my fieldsite (a working‐class suburb of the former East Berlin) and on the national level (through the popular media and through the circulation of laws, policy documents and the like). [Germany, welfare state, interests, indexical orders, institutionality]
Structure of Spinel‐Type Phases in the ZnO–MnxOy System
Authors: Peiteado Marco , Kodre Alojz , Arčon Iztok , Caballero Amador C. , Makovec Darko
Published: November 2009

The microstructural development of the Zn–Mn–O system in air atmosphere is governed by the formation and thermal evolution of different Mn3−xZnxO4 spinel‐type phases, whose degree of distortion varies as a function of composition and temperature. By means of X‐ray powder diffractometry and X‐ray absorption spectroscopy, the structure of the observed cubic C and tetragonal T1 and T2 spinels is analyzed in the present contribution. X‐ray absorption near‐edge structure reveals a decrease of the average Mn valence with the increasing calcination temperature. Local structures of the spinel phases have been studied using simultaneous refinement of the X‐ray absorption fine structure of both metals. The analysis has found deformations of the MnO6 octahedra already in the C phase. With the orientation of these random deformations to a common c‐axis, the cubic C phase transforms into the tetragonal T2 phase. With increasing temperature, the tetragonal character of the T2 phase becomes ever more pronounced as the content of Mn3+ increases and the value of x decreases. In C and T2 phases, Mn only occupies octahedral sites of the spinel structure, whereas in the T1 phase, a small degree of inversion was observed.
Brésil: les leçons de la flexibilisation des années quatre‐vingt‐dix
Authors: POCHMANN Marcio
Published: November 2009

La trajectoire sociale suiviepar le Brésil des années trente à soixante‐dix a connu un changement de cap lors de la crise de la dette de 1981–1983. On a alors commencéà démanteler les régimes du travail et de la protection sociale mis en place pendant ces cinquante années à lafaveur de l'urbanisation et de l'expansion de l'industrie et du travail salarié. Les politiques néolibérales n'ontpas suscité un dynamisme économique suffisant, le chômage et la précarité du travail se sont aggravés. Depuis la fin de 2002, le projet de société néolibérale est progressivement abandonné.
Mexique: persistance d'un système porteur d'exclusion
Authors: BAYÓN María Cristina
Published: November 2009

Au Mexique, le virage néolibéral pris par les politiques sociales et du travail à partir des années quatre‐vingt a aggravé les inégalités, la pauvreté et l'exclusion sociale. Le changement de cap de la dernière décennie ne s'est pas accompagné d'une révision critique du modèle économique et de ses conséquences sociales. Le rôle de l'Etat en matière sociale a été systématiquement réduit, les services sociaux mercantilisés et la protection informelle, fondée sur la famille, s'est étendue. On a ainsi maintenu un modèle social qui ne protège presque exclusivement que les indigents.
Compatibility of the insect pathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana with neem against sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, on eggplant
Authors: Islam Md. Touhidul , Castle Steven J. , Ren Shunxiang
Published: November 2009

A study on the compatibility of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) with neem was conducted against sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), on eggplant. Initially, three concentrations of B. bassiana (106, 107, and 108 conidia ml−1) and three concentrations of neem (0.25, 0.5, and 1.0%) were used as individual treatments against B. tabaci. The highest concentration of B. bassiana yielded the highest B. tabaci egg (25.2%) and nymph mortalities (73.0%), but this was not significantly different from the mortalities caused by the 107 conidia ml−1 suspension. Similarly, the highest concentration of neem yielded the highest egg (27.3%) and nymph mortalities (75.5%), which was also not significantly different from the 0.5% suspension. Therefore, 0.5% neem was used along with 107B. bassiana conidia ml−1 suspension as an integrated pest management program against B. tabaci. The combination of B. bassiana and neem yielded the highest B. tabaci egg (29.5%) and nymph mortalities (97.2%), and the lowest LT50 (2.08 day) value. Moreover, an integrated combination of B. bassiana with neem caused 27.6 and 20.5% more nymphal mortality than individual treatments of B. bassiana and neem, respectively, 7 days post‐application. Thus, a combined application of an entomopathogenic fungus and a botanical insecticide may benefit from both, and it has proven effective for the control of B. tabaci on eggplant.
Folivorous larvae on flowers: do autumnal moths benefit from catkins of the mountain birch?
Authors: Klemola Tero , Kaitaniemi Pekka , Ruohomäki Kai
Published: November 2009

Immature leaves of birches and other deciduous trees and shrubs are the principal food resource for the larvae of the autumnal moth, Epirrita autumnata (Borkhausen) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). However, the larvae of this geometrid, which displays pronounced population cycles and causes massive forest defoliations in northernmost Europe, are also frequently found on the catkins of mountain birch, Betula pubescens ssp. czerepanovii (Orlova) Hämet‐Ahti (Betulaceae). To examine whether autumnal moth larvae visit birch catkins for their high nutritional value, we conducted two growth experiments in which the larval diet was supplemented with male catkins, and a single test where female catkins were used. We found that the presence of male catkins in the larval diet had a positive effect on the larvae, in relation to their pupal mass (reflecting life span fecundity), survival probability, as well as the duration of the larval period. The presence of female catkins in the diet did not affect larval performance. Our findings suggest that young autumnal moth larvae actively move to male catkins, which provide a nutritional benefit and thus lead to a better performance compared with those feeding elsewhere. Another possible benefit for young larvae choosing the catkins instead of leaves may involve predator or parasitoid avoidance.
Prognostic role of insulin‐like growth factor receptor‐1 expression in small cell lung cancer
Authors: CHANG MYUNG HEE , LEE JEEYUN , HAN JOUNGHO , PARK YEON HEE , AHN JIN SEOK , PARK KEUNCHIL , AHN MYUNG‐JU
Published: November 2009

Chang MH, Lee J, Han J, Park YH, Ahn JS, Park K, Ahn M‐J. Prognostic role of insulin‐like growth factor receptor‐1 expression in small cell lung cancer. APMIS 2009; 117: 861–9.

Insulin‐like growth factor receptor‐1 (IGFR‐1) is a cellular membrane receptor which is overexpressed in many tumors and seems to play a critical role in anti‐apoptosis. The insulin‐like growth factor binding protein‐3 (IGFBP‐3) is known as a growth suppressor in multiple signaling pathways. The aim of this study was to determine IGFR‐1 and IGFBP‐3 expression in small‐cell lung cancer (SCLC) and analyze the prognostic value in patients with SCLC. We analyzed IGFR‐1 and IGFBP‐3 expression in 194 SCLC tissues by immunohistochemical staining. Correlative analyses between IGFR‐1 and IGFBP‐3 expression in SCLC and clinicopathologic factors were performed. A total of 117 patients had extensive disease (ED) (60.3%) and 77 had limited disease (39.7%). With the median follow‐up duration of 49.5 months (24–82 months), the median progression‐free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were 7.2 months [95% confidence interval (CI): 6.4–8.0 months] and 14.4 months (95% CI: 12.7–16 months), respectively. IGFR‐1 expression was observed in 154 of the 190 tumor tissues, whereas there was no IGFBP‐3 expression. Multivariate analysis showed that stage (p < 0.001), response rate (p < 0.001), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels (p < 0.001) were the independent prognostic factors for PFS, and age (p = 0.014), LDH level (p < 0.001), and stage (p < 0.001) for OS. The IGFR‐1 positivity was not associated with PFS or OS in the entire cohort. Subgroup analysis revealed that OS was significantly longer in patients with IGFR‐1‐positive tissue than IGFR‐1‐negative tissue in SCLC‐ED (p = 0.034). These results suggest that IGFR‐1 expression may be useful as a prognostic marker in patients with SCLC‐ED.
Comparison of 11 endogenous control genes for normalization of mRNA obtained from paraffin‐embedded tissues
Authors: PAI REKHA , SAMUEL PRASANNA , NEHRU ARUN G. , MANIPADAM MARIE THERESE , THOMAS SUSANNA N.
Published: November 2009

Pai R, Samuel P, Nehru AG, Manipadam MT, Thomas SN. Comparison of 11 endogenous control genes for normalization of mRNA obtained from paraffin‐embedded tissues. APMIS 2009; 117: 886–92.

Real‐time reverse transcriptase PCR (RT‐PCR) based assays are being increasingly used in characterization of gene expression. Good quality mRNA is an essential prerequisite for such assays. While fresh tissues provide quality mRNA, the same may not be true of tissues which are formalin‐fixed and paraffin‐embedded (FFPE). This emphasizes the need to identify a good endogenous control gene to normalize for differences in quality and RNA recovery. We attempted to characterize gene expression patterns of 11 commonly used endogenous control genes among 20 FFPE tissues (both neoplastic and normal). Pearson’s coefficient of correlation was determined by comparing the expression of each gene against the mean expression of all other genes. β2 microglobulin (β2M) and β‐actin (βA) (r = 0.95 and 0.94, respectively) were found to be stably expressed across all tissues. However, βA had greater accuracy (2 × SD) than β2M and therefore may be a better choice of an endogenous control for experiments that require normalization while using FFPE tissues.
Four cases of distinctive meningiomas with Zellballen growth pattern
Authors: DONG YINGCHUN , ZHOU XIAOJUN , WU BO , WANG JIANDONG , MA HENGHUI , ZHOU HANGBO , JIANG SHAOJUN , LU GUANGMING , HU QIUJU
Published: November 2009

Dong Y, Zhou X, Wu B, Wang J, Ma H, Zhou H, Jiang S, Lu G, Hu Q. Four cases of distinctive meningiomas with Zellballen growth pattern. APMIS 2009; 117: 936–40.

Meningiomas are attributed to those tumours with slow‐growing pattern occurring predominantly in middle‐aged or elderly patients. Fifteen histological variants have been described based on the variable histomorphological features. Herein we report four cases with specific Zellballen growth pattern, giving the tumours a ‘paraganglioma‐like’ general aspect. The diagnosis of meningiomas was confirmed by immunohistochemical and ultrastructural findings. Histopathologists should be aware of this specific morphology which can lead to misdiagnosis.
Prevalence of Chlamydophila pneumoniae is higher in aorta and coronary artery than in carotid artery of coronary artery disease patients
Authors: JHA HEM C. , SRIVASTAVA PRAGYA , DIVYA AABHA , PRASAD JAGDISH , MITTAL ARUNA
Published: November 2009

Jha HC, Srivastava P, Divya A, Prasad J, Mittal A. Prevalence of Chlamydophila pneumoniae is higher in aorta and coronary artery than in carotid artery of coronary artery disease patients. APMIS 2009; 117: 905–11.

Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a public health problem accounting for an estimated one‐third of deaths overall. A potential link between infectious agents and atherosclerosis has been suggested. Data obtained from several seroepidemiological studies have suggested that infection with Chlamydiophila pneumoniae, Helicobacter pylori, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus‐1 can initiate or maintain the atherosclerotic process. However, there is no single study in which multiple infectious agents have been detected together in different vascular locations in the same population. This would help in determining if there is any leading pathogen in atheromatous plaques of CAD patients. Hence, we screened for C. pneumoniae, H. pylori, CMV and HSV‐1 in different vascular locations of CAD patients using quantitative real‐time (RT) PCR. We performed multiplex RT‐PCR for detecting pathogens, viz. C. pneumoniae, H. pylori, CMV and HSV‐1 in different vascular locations of CAD patients. Percent positivity scores for C. pneumoniae, H. pylori, CMV and HSV‐1 in different vascular locations were as follows: aorta (64.7, 35.3, 11.7 and 11.7 respectively); carotid (27.2, 27.2, 9 and 0 respectively); coronary artery (58.3, 33.3, 16.6 and 8.3 respectively). Combined positivity for C. pneumoniae (C. pneumoniae IgA and RT‐PCR for C. pneumoniae) was the highest compared with all other groups. Aorta and coronary artery were more susceptible to these pathogens as compared with carotid artery. Moreover, CAD patients’ characteristics were associated with C. pneumoniae positivity (C. pneumoniae IgA and RT‐PCR), suggesting thereby that C. pneumoniae may have caused chronic persistent infection in CAD.
Superficially invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder associated with distant cutaneous metastases
Authors: Swick Brian L. , Gordon Jennifer R.S.
Published: November 2009

Cutaneous metastases from transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder are rare and most often associated with a deeply invasive primary tumor. This case report describes a 69‐year‐old male with previously resected superficially invasive primary transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder who presented with distant cutaneous and central nervous system metastases associated with recurrent bladder cancer. In addition, this case highlights the differential diagnosis of metastatic carcinomas that display a CK7/CK20 positive immunophenotype including transitional cell carcinoma, pancreatic carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and rare gastric carcinomas.

Swick BL, Gordon JRS. Superficially invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder associated with distant cutaneous metastases.
Antibody buffering of systemically administered lysozyme*
Authors: O’Hear Carol , Foote Jefferson
Published: November 2009

Objective: To assess the ability of an anti‐lysozyme antibody to stabilize the plasma pharmacokinetics of lysozyme through a ‘buffering’ effect. Methods: Hen egg lysozyme was radiolabeled with 14C and infused with or without the murine anti‐lysozyme antibody D1.3 into the jugular vein of rats. The dosages of antibody and lysozyme were varied, and the antibody and lysozyme were administered either together or in separate infusions. Results: Buffering of lysozyme with an equimolar amount of D1.3 more than doubled the plasma half‐life of lysozyme and addition of more antibody buffer prolonged the half‐life to an even greater extent. D1.3 bound lysozyme that was infused several minutes after the D1.3 administration, indicating that D1.3 can be charged with drug in vivo. Conclusion: Antibody buffering of monovalent therapeutic enzymes is possible and may have potential for clinical use.
The unmet treatment need of traumatized anterior teeth in selected secondary school children in Ibadan, Nigeria
Authors: Ajayi Mojirade Deborah , Denloye Obafunke , Abiodun Solanke Funmilayo I.
Published: November 2009

Abstract –  Treatment of traumatized anterior teeth is highly desirable to relieve pain, maintain esthetics and to preserve the balance of the anterior part of the mouth; however many may go untreated. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of damage to permanent anterior teeth in school adolescents, the average duration of trauma and to ascertain the level of the unmet treatment need. A total of 1532 secondary school children between the ages 12 and 19 years participated in the study. They were randomly selected from public secondary schools in five local government areas in Ibadan using a multistage sampling method. Participants were examined with the aid of mouth mirrors and probes under natural light. Traumatic anterior dental injuries were recorded by the same investigator (DMA) according to WHO classification. One hundred and sixty‐five participants sustained injuries to their anterior teeth. Their mean age was 15.47 ± 2.09 years, with a male to female ratio of 1.5:1. The commonest cause was fall (78.8%) with road traffic accident being the least (1.8%). The tooth most commonly injured is the upper left incisor (48.0%) closely followed by upper right central (43.1%). Enamel fracture was seen in 46.5% and enamel–dentine in 42.6% of the traumatized teeth. Most (79.4%) of the children sustained injury to one tooth only. Of the participants, only 30 (18.2%) had previous dental consultation while only nine (5.5%) consulted the dentist following the trauma; however, none of the teeth had any form of restoration. Average time elapsed between trauma and dental examination was about 3.5 years. Many participants had had injury for about 2 years before dental examination. In conclusion, there is a high unmet treatment need of traumatized anterior teeth in the study population.
Remission of extensive intrahepatic metastasis by C‐arm computed tomography guided chemoembolization in uveal melanoma
Authors: Sunderkötter Cord , Eickelmann Mareike , Köhler Michael , Schmittel Alexander , Wacker Frank K.
Published: November 2009

As soon as uveal melanoma has metastasized to the liver, response rates to systemic chemotherapy are low. It can be improved by development of special locoregional procedures. A 24‐year‐old woman suffered from inoperable hepatic metastases which grew to life‐endangering size despite both systemic chemotherapy with gemc‐itabine/treosulfan and conventional intrahepatic chemoembolization with fotemustine and starch particles. We subsequently performed two angiographic C‐arm CT‐guided, superselective chemoembolizations of the hepatic arteries feeding the tumor, using cisplatin, starch microspheres and ethiodized oil. Following this treatment, no vital tumor tissue was detectable by MRI. This remission lasted for more than 6 months and the patient's quality of life was good. A subsequent local relapse could not be treated with chemoembolization because of thrombosis of the portal vein due to tumor compression. And the patient died 20 months after first detection of metastases. However, the selective angiographic C‐arm CT‐guided chemoembolization resulted in prolongation of life with good quality despite the advanced stage of the disease.
Identification and characterization of the metal ion‐dependent l‐alanoyl‐d‐glutamate peptidase encoded by bacteriophage T5
Authors: Mikoulinskaia Galina V. , Odinokova Irina V. , Zimin Andrei A. , Lysanskaya Valentina Ya. , Feofanov Sergei A. , Stepnaya Olga A.
Published: November 2009

Although bacteriophage T5 is known to have lytic proteins for cell wall hydrolysis and phage progeny escape, their activities are still unknown. This is the first report on the cloning, expression and biochemical characterization of a bacteriophage T5 lytic hydrolase. The endolysin‐encoding lys gene of virulent coliphage T5 was cloned in Escherichia coli cells, and an electrophoretically homogeneous product of this gene was obtained with a high yield (78% of total activity). The protein purified was shown to be an l‐alanoyl‐d‐glutamate peptidase. The enzyme demonstrated maximal activity in diluted buffers (25–50 mm) at pH 8.5. The enzyme was strongly inhibited by EDTA and BAPTA, and fully reactivated by calcium/manganese chlorides. It was found that, along with E. coli peptidoglycan, peptidase of bacteriophage T5 can lyse peptidoglycans of other Gram‐negative microorganisms (Pectobacterium carotovorum, Pseudomonas putida, Proteus vulgaris, and Proteus mirabilis). This endolysin is the first example of an l‐alanoyl‐d‐glutamate peptidase in a virulent phage infecting Gram‐negative bacteria. There are, however, a great many sequences in databases that are highly similar to that of bacteriophage T5 hydrolase, indicating a wide distribution of endolytic l‐alanoyl‐d‐glutamate peptidases. The article discusses how an enzyme with such substrate specificity could be fixed in the process of evolution.
The maltodextrin transport system and metabolism in Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM and production of novel α‐glucosides through reverse phosphorolysis by maltose phosphorylase
Authors: Nakai Hiroyuki , Baumann Martin J. , Petersen Bent O. , Westphal Yvonne , Schols Henk , Dilokpimol Adiphol , Hachem Maher A. , Lahtinen Sampo J. , Duus Jens Ø. , Svensson Birte
Published: November 2009

A gene cluster involved in maltodextrin transport and metabolism was identified in the genome of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, which encoded a maltodextrin‐binding protein, three maltodextrin ATP‐binding cassette transporters and five glycosidases, all under the control of a transcriptional regulator of the LacI‐GalR family. Enzymatic properties are described for recombinant maltose phosphorylase (MalP) of glycoside hydrolase family 65 (GH65), which is encoded by malP (GenBank: AAV43670.1) of this gene cluster and produced in Escherichia coli. MalP catalyses phosphorolysis of maltose with inversion of the anomeric configuration releasing β‐glucose 1‐phosphate (β‐Glc 1‐P) and glucose. The broad specificity of the aglycone binding site was demonstrated by products formed in reverse phosphorolysis using various carbohydrate acceptor substrates and β‐Glc 1‐P as the donor. MalP showed strong preference for monosaccharide acceptors with equatorial 3‐OH and 4‐OH, such as glucose and mannose, and also reacted with 2‐deoxy glucosamine and 2‐deoxy N‐acetyl glucosamine. By contrast, none of the tested di‐ and trisaccharides served as acceptors. Disaccharide yields obtained from 50 mmβ‐Glc 1‐P and 50 mm glucose, glucosamine, N‐acetyl glucosamine, mannose, xylose or l‐fucose were 99, 80, 53, 93, 81 and 13%, respectively. Product structures were determined by NMR and ESI‐MS to be α‐Glcp‐(1→4)‐Glcp (maltose), α‐Glcp‐(1→4)‐GlcNp (maltosamine), α‐Glcp‐(1→4)‐GlcNAcp (N‐acetyl maltosamine), α‐Glcp‐(1→4)‐Manp, α‐Glcp‐(1→4)‐Xylp and α‐Glcp‐(1→4)‐ l‐Fucp, the three latter being novel compounds. Modelling using L. brevis GH65 as the template and superimposition of acarbose from a complex with Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum GH15 glucoamylase suggested that loop 3 of MalP involved in substrate recognition blocked the binding of candidate acceptors larger than monosaccharides.
Optimal economic institutions under rational overconfidence, with applications to the choice of exchange rate regime
Authors: Nielsen Carsten K.
Published: November 2009

We study the optimal choice of exchange rate regime when agents have beliefs that are mutually inconsistent. A general framework for identifying optimal policies in such situations is proposed and then used to compare fixed and floating exchange rate regimes. Agents are assumed to have diverse rational beliefs (rather than rational expectations), implying the prevalence of (rational) overconfidence. We argue that in such a situation, in comparing economic institutions, one should employ the concept of ex‐post optimality rather than that of Pareto optimality. Fixing the exchange rate is ex‐post optimal because it eliminates mistaken actions (based on mistaken beliefs).
Root and rhizome systems of perennial grasses grown in Inner Mongolian grassland, China
Authors: Ao Min , Miura Reiichi , Tominaga Tohru
Published: November 2009

The root and rhizome systems of dominant perennial grasses in Inner Mongolian grassland were clarified. We surveyed the vertical distribution of root and rhizome biomass in the natural stands, and the changes of under‐ground biomass and the branching pattern of rhizomes for transplanted plants in a container experiment. Most roots of Leymus chinensis, Bromus inermis, Elymus dahuricus and Agropyron cristatum were distributed in the soil depth of 0–10 cm. Roots of E. dahuricus and A. cristatum were distributed in a shallower soil layer, but those of L. chinensis and B. inermis were distributed in a deeper soil layer. Biomass of above‐ground parts increased with growth, resulting in a decreasing ratio of under‐ground parts to total biomass. Rhizomes of L. chinensis and B. inermis were distributed in the soil depth of 0–10 cm, but E. dahuricus and A. cristatum did not have rhizomes. L. chinensis had longer rhizomes and new ramets were produced away from their mother plant. B. inermis had many short rhizomes and produced daughter plants near their mother plant.
Frequency of androgenesis in Poa arachnifera interspecific hybridizations
Authors: Kindiger Bryan , Wipff Joseph
Published: November 2009

Androgenic dihaploids represent a unique form of dihaploids that have historically been utilized for cytoplasmic transfer, the generation of inbred lines and polyploid genome manipulations. Due to the apomictic nature of many Poa species, breeding improvements can be slow and difficult; therefore, alternative approaches that can capitalize on sampling the genetic diversity of near obligate Poa could be advantageous. This study investigates the frequency and potential use of androgenic derived dihaploids generated from a series of Poa arachnifera (Texas bluegrass) × Poa secunda (Sandberg bluegrass), Poa pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass) and Poa ligularis (Argentine bluegrass) interspecific hybrids. The examination of 2041 F1 hybrids generated from three interspecific hybridizations, confirmed the generation of 31 dihaploid individuals. Though low in occurrence, the generation of androgenic dihaploids derived through P. arachnifera interspecific hybridizations offers a non‐traditional breeding approach for sampling genetic variability of Poa species and the development of new breeding resources.
Utilizing single primers as molecular markers inPoaspp.
Authors: Kindiger Bryan , Conley Terry R.
Published: November 2009

An approach is described whereby single simple sequence repeat (SSR) primers are utilized at high annealing temperature to identify and evaluate the presence of palindrome or quasi‐palindrome regions in polyploid genomes to provide locus specific genotyping for polyploid grass species. The procedure has been effective in identifying markers that coexpress inPoa arachniferaand interspecificPoahybrids. DNA sequence analysis of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification products identified an array of homologous loci within and among evaluated individuals. From this study, 157 single primers were identified to provide information and identify polymorphisms acrossP. arachnifera. Similar to random amplified polymorphic DNA, arbitrarily primed PCR or low‐stringency single primer PCR methods, this approach requires no prior genome information, utilizes agarose gels and can be visualized with ethidium bromide. Preliminary evaluations of additionalPoaspp.,Bromus inermis,Dactylis glomerata,Thinopyrum ponticum,Lolium perenneandAgrostisspp. suggest wide utility of this approach toward genotyping polyploid grasses.
Differences in spectrum reflectance and physiological indices among three typical semi‐natural grasslands in Japan
Authors: Tomimatsu Hajime , Itano Shiro
Published: November 2009

To clarify the utility of spectrum reflection from plant canopy surfaces for distinguishing grassland vegetation, we tested a portable hyper‐spectrometer in three typical Japanese semi‐natural grasslands: Zoysia‐dominated (Z), Pleioblastus‐dominated (P), and mixed species types (Mixed). We calculated the spectrum reflectance, its coefficient of variation (CV) and first derivative reflectance (FDR), and three physiological indices (PRI, photochemical reflectance index; CCI, canopy chlorophyll index; CI, chlorophyll index). The CV of waveform reflectance in the Mixed grassland tended to be higher than those in Z‐ and P‐dominated grasslands. The values of PRI, CI and CCI differed among the three grasslands (P [PRI = −0.027, CCI = 1.469, CI = 0.550] > Mixed [−0.031, 1.421, 0.459] > Z [−0.042, 1.297, 0.428]). Therefore, the CV may be used to distinguish grasslands dominated by a single species from those dominated by multiple species, while the physiological indices may be able to distinguish the grassland type by its dominant species.
Effect of Suspension State on the Pore Structure of Freeze‐Cast Ceramics
Authors: Zou Jingliang , Zhang Yue , Li Ruixing
Published: November 2009

The forming process of a freeze‐cast pore structure and the packing state of ceramic particles have been studied from a colloid point of view. Several typical alumina suspensions with different dispersion states are prepared by controlling the dispersant amount and the pH value. Microstructures of the samples freeze‐cast and sintered from the suspension were observed. It is found that the interaction states of the particles in suspension have a dramatic influence on both the packing state in the dense region and the structures of channels. The results also indicate that the short‐range interactions among the particles are a crucial factor for the pore structure.
A Comparative Study of Corrosion Resistance in Ringer Solution of Nitrogen‐Implanted Alumina at Different Energies for Orthopedic Implants
Authors: Shikha Deep , Jha Usha , Sinha Sanjay K. , Singh Ashwini K. , Barhai Prem K. , Murleedharan Nair K. G. M. , Dash Sitaram , Tyagi Ajay K. , Kothari Dushyant C.
Published: November 2009

Commercially available polycrystalline alumina is implanted at different energies and various ion doses. Microstructural changes, elemental analysis, and evidence of compound formation of AlN and AlON are observed using scanning electron microscopy, electron dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and GXRD techniques, respectively. Nanohardness increases due to the formation of the hard phase of nitrides. It increases with the increase in ion dose but decreases at higher ion dose. A similar trend is also observed in the corrosion resistance studied in Ringer solution. Corrosion resistance also improves with the increase in ion dose and decreases with the further increasing ion dose.
Joining of Silicon Carbide to Ferritic Stainless Steel Using a W–Pd–Ni Interlayer for High‐Temperature Applications
Authors: Zhong Zhihong , Hinoki Tatsuya , Kohyama Akira
Published: November 2009

For silicon carbide (SiC) ceramics to be used either as structural materials or as functional components, combinations of SiC with metals are frequently encountered. Joining of SiC to ferritic stainless steel has been successfully realized using W–Pd–Ni as an interlayer for high‐temperature applications (∼600°C). A two‐step joining experiment was performed using the powder metallurgical method. Microstructural evaluation revealed that both the SiC/W–Pd–Ni and the W–Pd–Ni/steel interfaces are bonded well, and interdiffusions as well as chemical interfacial reactions occur in the reaction zone. The microstructural evolution and formation mechanism of the reaction layers were analyzed. The apparent shear strength and hardness of the joints were measured. The effects of joining temperature and holding time on the interfacial microstructure development and the strength of the joints were also investigated.
Evaluation of Fracture Stress for the SiC Layer of TRISO‐Coated Fuel Particles Using a Modified Crush Test Method
Authors: Byun Thak Sang , Hunn John D. , Miller James H. , Snead Lance L. , Kim Jin Weon
Published: November 2009

Fracture stress data for the chemical vapor deposition SiC coatings of tri‐isotropic carbon/silicon carbide‐coated fuel particles were obtained using a newly developed testing and evaluation method, and their relationship with microstructure was investigated. A crush testing technique using a blanket foil at load‐transferring contact has been developed for hemispherical shell SiC specimens based on finite element analysis results. The mean fracture stress varied with test material in the range of 330–650 MPa, and was linked to the combined characteristics of inner surface roughness and porosity.
Influence of Microstructure on the Thermal Diffusivity of Sintered Porous YSZ
Authors: Sasaki Kazuya , Suzuki Akihiro , Akasaka Naoaki , Terai Takayuki
Published: November 2009

The microstructure of sintered porous yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) pellets was controlled by adjusting the sintering temperature and adding appropriate amounts of polymethyl methacrylate powder to produce pores. The thermal diffusivity of the pellets was measured using the laser flush technique. The influence of pellet microstructure on its thermal diffusivity was investigated. At both high and low temperatures, the influence of the density, pore size, YSZ grain size, grain‐boundary concentration, and the ratio of closed pores on the phonon diffusion and photon heat radiation was clarified.
Neighbourhoods and health: A review of the New Zealand literature
Authors: Stevenson Anna , Pearce Jamie , Blakely Tony , Ivory Vivienne , Witten Karen
Published: November 2009

Over the past two decades, there has been a resurgence of interest into place‐based influences on health. Researchers have identified that various characteristics of neighbourhoods exert an influence on the health outcomes and behaviours of local residents. Understanding the processes linking places to health provides considerable potential for a range of policy interventions. We review the New Zealand‐based neighbourhoods and health research. Consideration is given to the types of neighbourhood characteristics, as well the range of health outcomes that have been studied. Finally, we suggest some priorities for further research into the mechanisms underpinning neighbourhood influences on health in New Zealand.
Under the Law: Legal Consciousness and Radical Environmental Activism
Authors: Fritsvold Erik D.
Published: November 2009

A growing body of sociolegal scholarship focuses the study of law away from formal texts and legal institutions and toward the experiences and perceptions of “everyday” citizens. This study introduces seventeen “radical” environmentalists who engage a repertoire of tactics that includes some actions that involve relatively severe forms of illegality. This research seeks to investigate the role of civil disobedience and lawbreaking within the radical environmental movement and the corresponding legal consciousness of movement actors. Utilizing ethnographic fieldwork and content analysis, this analysis suggests that Ewick and Silbey's (1998) three‐tiered model of legal consciousness is an operative starting point, but could be enhanced through theoretical expansion. This study proposes a new category of legal consciousness—Under the Law—that views the law as the protector and defender of a social order that is fundamentally illegitimate. Under the Law is qualitatively different from existing conceptualizations of legal consciousness and reaffirms the mutually constitutive nature of law and society.
Culture and Nondisclosure of Child Sexual Abuse in Ghana: A Theoretical and Empirical Exploration
Authors: Boakye Kofi E.
Published: November 2009

The phenomenon of child sexual abuse has been widely acknowledged across many societies, including Ghana. Efforts to address this problem in Ghana have yielded limited success because this type of child abuse is severely underreported. This study explores the relevance of three cultural factors, namely, patriarchal nuances, (child) rape myth acceptance, and a “collective shame problem,” to the understanding of the problem of nondisclosure of child sexual abuse in Ghana. Evidence from an exploratory study provides support for the importance of these factors. The findings are discussed and the need for further research highlighted.
Can You Talk Like a Lawyer and Still Think Like a Human Being? Mertz's The Language of Law School
Authors: Conley John M.
Published: November 2009

The last thirty years in anthropology, as well as in linguistics and in many of the other social sciences, have been characterized by a shift in theoretical focus from structure to practice. In The Language of Law School: Learning to “Think Like a Lawyer” (2007), linguistic anthropologist and law professor Elizabeth Mertz has brought this practice perspective to bear on the extraordinary linguistic and cultural venue that is the first‐year law school classroom. In revealing the linguistic realities of teaching new students to “think like a lawyer,” she raises fascinating questions about the relationship between language and thought, the subtle effects of legal education, and the nature of law itself.
For Both Love and Money: Viviana Zelizer's The Purchase of Intimacy
Authors: Ertman Martha M.
Published: November 2009

Viviana Zelizer's recent book, The Purchase of Intimacy (2005), presents an innovative theory of how social and legal actors negotiate rights and obligations when money changes hands in intimate relationships—a perspective that could change how we understand many things, from valuations of homemaking labor to the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund. This essay describes Zelizer's critique of the reductionist “Hostile Worlds” and “Nothing But” approaches to economic exchange in intimate relationships and then explains her more three‐dimensional approach, “Connected Lives.” While Zelizer focuses on family law, the essay goes beyond that context, extending Zelizer's approach to transfers of genetic material and concluding that her approach could point toward a more equitable resolution of disputes in and about these markets.
Removal of intracanal smear layer by doxycycline: SEM analysis
Authors: Santos Mara Cristina , Vitor Camila , Cristina Sheila , Tadeu Wilson
Published: November 2009

The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of doxycycline used alone or in association with sodium hypochlorite on smear layer removal. The canals of extracted human teeth were instrumented using a stepback technique. At the end of preparation, they were irrigated with doxycycline (Group 1), ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid + sodium hypochlorite (Group 2), doxycycline + sodium hypochlorite (Group 3) and water (Group 4). The dentinal wall of the cervical, middle and apical thirds was graded according to the amount of remaining debris and smear layer. The results were analysed using the Kruskal–Wallis test (P < 0.05). In Groups 2 and 4, the dentine was completely free and covered with smear layer, respectively. The results from the cervical and middle thirds of Group 3 were worse than those in Groups 1 and 2 (P < 0.05). In relation to apical third, there were differences (P < 0.05) between all groups with best results for Group 2. Doxycycline was effective in removing smear layer from cervical and middle thirds. The use of doxycycline + sodium hypochlorite was partially effective in the cervical and middle thirds, but ineffective in the apical third.
Conservation Geographies in Sub‐Saharan Africa: The Politics of National Parks, Community Conservation and Peace Parks
Authors: King Brian
Published: November 2009

Sub‐Saharan Africa has been the location of intense conservation planning since the colonial era. Under the auspices of wilderness protection, colonial authorities established national parks largely for the purpose of hunting and tourism while forcibly evicting indigenous populations. Concerns about the ethical and economic impacts of protected areas have generated interest in community conservation initiatives that attempt to include local participation in natural resource management. In recent years, the anticipated loss of biodiversity, coupled with the integration of ecological concepts into planning processes, has generated interest in larger‐scale initiatives that maximize protected habitat. Central to this shift are transboundary conservation areas, or Peace Parks, that involve protected territory that supersedes national political borders. This study provides a review of national parks, community conservation, and Peace Parks, in order to understand the development politics and governance challenges of global conservation. Although these approaches are not mutually exclusive, the study asserts that they represent major trajectories to conservation planning in Sub‐Saharan Africa and other parts of the developing world. In considering the histories of these models in Sub‐Saharan Africa, I argue that conservation planners often prioritize economic and ecological factors over the political circumstances that influence the effectiveness of these approaches. The study concludes by suggesting that an analysis of these three models provides a lens to examine ongoing debates regarding the employ of conservation as an economic development strategy and the challenges to environmental governance in the 21st century.