bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Agricultural pesticide use and pancreatic cancer risk in the Agricultural Health Study Cohort
Authors: Andreotti Gabriella , Freeman Laura E. Beane , Hou Lifang , Coble Joseph , Rusiecki Jennifer , Hoppin Jane A. , Silverman Debra T. , Alavanja Michael C.R.
Published: November 2008

Pancreatic cancer is a rapidly fatal disease that has been linked with pesticide use. Previous studies have reported excess risks of pancreatic cancer with organochlorines such as DDT, however, many other commonly used pesticides have not been examined. To further examine the potential associations between the use of a number of pesticides and pancreatic cancer, we conducted a case‐control analysis in the Agricultural Health Study, one of the largest prospective cohorts with over 89,000 participants including pesticide applicators and their spouses in Iowa and North Carolina. This analysis included 93 incident pancreatic cancer cases (64 applicators, 29 spouses) and 82,503 cancer‐free controls who completed an enrollment questionnaire providing detailed pesticide use, demographic and lifestyle information. Ever use of 24 pesticides and intensity‐weighted lifetime days [(lifetime exposure days) × (exposure intensity score)] of 13 pesticides was assessed. Risk estimates were calculated using unconditional logistic regression controlling for age, smoking, and diabetes. Among pesticide applicators, 2 herbicides (EPTC and pendimethalin) of the 13 pesticides examined for intensity‐weighted lifetime use showed a statistically significant exposure‐response association with pancreatic cancer. Applicators in the top half of lifetime pendimethalin use had a 3.0‐fold (95% CI 1.3–7.2, p‐trend = 0.01) risk compared with never users, and those in the top half of lifetime EPTC use had a 2.56‐fold (95% CI = 1.1–5.4, p‐trend = 0.01) risk compared with never users. Organochlorines were not associated with an excess risk of pancreatic cancer in this study. These findings suggest that herbicides, particularly pendimethalin and EPTC, may be associated with pancreatic cancer. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Elevated circulating adiponectin and elevated insulin sensitivity in adiponectin transgenic mice are not associated with reduced susceptibility to colon carcinogenesis
Authors: Ealey Kafi N. , Archer Michael C.
Published: November 2008

Obesity, particularly visceral adiposity, is an established risk factor for colorectal cancer (CRC) and this is thought to result, at least in part, from insulin resistance and chronic hyperinsulinemia that may be mediated by adipokines. Serum levels of adiponectin, the most abundant protein secreted from adipocytes, are decreased in obesity and are inversely associated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia. The objective of this study was to determine whether elevated circulating adiponectin plays a role in colon carcinogenesis using adiponectin transgenic (AdTg) mice that have 2–3‐fold elevated circulating adiponectin but similar body weights as wildtype (WT) littermates used as controls. Eight‐week old male and female AdTg and WT mice were treated with 4 weekly injections of the colon‐specific carcinogen azoxymethane (AOM). One week following the last dose of AOM, all mice were placed on a high‐fat diet and killed 24 weeks later, at 36 weeks of age, for the analysis of colon tumors. Glucose tolerance tests (GTT) were performed by injecting 2g/kg dextrose or 1.25–1.5 g/kg dextrose into all 12‐week and 32–35‐week‐old mice respectively, and measuring blood from the tail vein 15, 30, 60 and 120 min following glucose administration. There were no significant differences in colon tumor incidence, number or size between AdTg and WT mice of either sex. AdTg mice of both sexes displayed resistance to diet‐induced decreases in insulin sensitivity. Our results show that constitutively elevated levels of circulating adiponectin in AdTg mice do not confer protection against the development of colon tumors. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Cigarette smoking and colorectal cancer incidence and mortality: Systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Liang Peter S. , Chen Ting‐Yi , Giovannucci Edward
Published: November 2008

The association between cigarette smoking and colorectal cancer (CRC) has been controversial. To synthesize the available data, we conducted a comprehensive meta‐analysis of all prospective studies. A total of 36 studies were included in our meta‐analysis. We examined the association between smoking and CRC, colon cancer and rectal cancer in terms of incidence and mortality. Separate analyses were conducted for smoking status, daily cigarette consumption, duration, pack‐years and age of initiation. Relative to nonsmokers, current and former smokers had a significantly increased risk of CRC incidence and mortality, respectively. When CRC data were combined with colon/rectal cancer data, current smokers had a significantly increased risk of CRC incidence. All 4 dose–response variables examined—daily cigarette consumption (RR = 1.38 for an increase of 40 cigarettes/day), duration (RR = 1.20 for an increase of 40 years of duration), pack‐years (RR = 1.51 for an increase of 60 pack‐years) and age of initiation (RR = 0.96 for a delay of 10 years in smoking initiation)—were significantly associated with CRC incidence (all p‐values < 0.0001). The relationship between duration of smoking and rectal cancer incidence was also significant. Among the subset of studies that distinguished cancer by site, a higher risk was seen for rectal cancer than for colon cancer for all analyses. Among prospective studies, a consistent association exists between smoking and CRC. The association is stronger for rectal cancer than for colon cancer in the subset of studies that differentiated cancer by site. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
IGFBP‐2 overexpression reduces the appearance of dysplastic aberrant crypt foci and inhibits growth of adenomas in chemically induced colorectal carcinogenesis
Authors: Diehl Daniela , Hessel Esther , Oesterle Doris , Renner‐Müller Ingrid , Elmlinger Martin , Langhammer Martina , Göttlicher Martin , Wolf Eckhard , Lahm Harald , Hoeflich Andreas
Published: November 2008

Colon cancer patients frequently show increased levels of serum insulin‐like growth factor‐binding protein‐2 (IGFBP‐2), however, the pathogenetic relevance of this phenomenon for colorectal cancer is unclear. Therefore, we have used IGFBP‐2 transgenic animals which overexpress IGFBP‐2 systemically and locally in the intestine to study its role in chemically induced colorectal carcinogenesis. Mice received intraperitoneal injections of 1,2‐dimethylhydrazine (DMH) (40 mg/kg body weight) once a week for 6 weeks to selectively induce aberrant crypt foci (ACF) and tumors in the colon. While tumor incidence was comparable in transgenic and control mice, the volume of adenomas in IGFBP‐2 transgenic mice was reduced more than 2‐fold. Furthermore, serum IGFBP‐2 levels negatively correlated with tumor volume in the IGFBP‐2 transgenic group. Histological examination showed that IGFBP‐2 transgenic mice developed significantly less dysplastic ACF with a high potential to progress to advanced stages. The reduced tumor volume in IGFBP‐2 transgenic animals was due to significantly reduced proliferative capacity, evidenced by a lower proportion of cells positive for Ki67. Our results demonstrate for the first time in an experimental model that IGFBP‐2 overabundance prior to the onset and during colorectal carcinogenesis reduces tumor growth by inhibition of cell proliferation. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Nonparametric identification and estimation of a class of common value auction models
Authors: Février Philippe
Published: November 2008

Structural econometric studies on auctions have mainly focused on the independent private value paradigm. In this paper, we are interested in the ‘opposite’ case known as the pure common value model. More precisely, we restrict our attention to a class of common value models defined by three functions: the density of the true value of the auctioned good, a unique function that appears in the definition of the conditional densities of the signals, and the function that defines the support of the conditional densities. We establish that these common value models are nonparametrically identified without any further restrictions. We then propose a one‐step nonparametric estimation method and prove the uniform consistency of our estimators. We apply our method on simulated data and show that the technique we propose is adequate to recover the distribution functions of interest. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The role of large‐scale eddies in the occurrence of winter precipitation deficits in Portugal
Authors: Santos J. A. , Andrade C. , Corte‐Real J. , Leite S.
Published: November 2008

The severest winter precipitation deficits in Portugal result from an enhancement in the stationary wave pattern of the atmospheric large‐scale circulation over the Northern Hemisphere, which implies a strengthening of the axially asymmetric eddies, mainly over the North Atlantic and adjacent continental areas. This enhancement leads to a strong warm‐core ridge westward of Iberia, with a nearly equivalent barotropic structure, and a clear separation between the subtropical and polar‐front jet. These atmospheric conditions are clearly unfavourable to the establishment of rain‐generating mechanisms over Portugal, leading to a lack of precipitation and to extremely dry conditions with a high potential to trigger drought episodes. Conversely, the atmospheric flow during extremely wet winters contrasts highly with the above‐described conditions by presenting a significantly weakened North Atlantic ridge and a relatively unclear separation between the two westerly jets. A diagnosis of the main forcing dynamical mechanisms that generate and maintain the anomalous flow is carried out in two ways: by analyzing the Eliassen–Palm fluxes, zonally averaged over a North Atlantic window, and by calculating the third and sixth components of the empirical forcing functions. The former approach enables a quantification of the contributions made by the transient and stationary‐eddy transports of enthalpy and momentum to the establishment of the contrasting dynamical structures. The latter approach explores the role of local transient transports of enthalpy and angular momentum in forcing large‐scale asymmetries. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering on colloid gels originated from low molecular weight gelator
Authors: Miljanić Snežana , Frkanec Leo , Biljan Tomislav , Meić Zlatko , Žinić Mladen
Published: November 2008

Surface‐enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) on silver and gold colloid gels formed by a low molecular weight organic gelator, bis‐(S‐phenylalanine) oxalyl amide, was obtained. Strong Raman signals dominate in the SERS spectra of hydrogels containing silver nanoparticles prepared by citrate and borohydride reduction methods, whereas broad bands of low intensity are detected in the spectra of gold colloid gels. Resemblance between Raman spectrum of the crystalline substance and the SERS spectra of the silver nanoparticle–hydrogel composites implies the electromagnetic nature of the signal enhancement. A change in Raman intensity of the benzene and amide II bands caused by an increase in temperature and concentration indicates that the gelling molecules are strongly attached through the benzene moieties to the metal nanoparticles while participating in gel formation by intermolecular hydrogen bonding between the adjacent oxalyl amide groups. Transmission electron microscopy reveals a dense gel structure in the close vicinity of the enhancing metal particles for both silver colloid gels. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Carotenoids: Actual knowledge on food sources, intakes, stability and bioavailability and their protective role in humans
Authors: Maiani Giuseppe , Periago Castón María Jesús , Catasta Giovina , Toti Elisabetta , Cambrodón Isabel Goñi , Bysted Anette , Granado‐Lorencio Fernando , Olmedilla‐Alonso Begoña , Knuthsen Pia , Valoti Massimo , Böhm Volker , Mayer‐Miebach Esther , Behsnilian Diana , Schlemmer Ulrich
Published: November 2008

Carotenoids are one of the major food micronutrients in human diets and the overall objective of this review is to re‐examine the role of carotenoids in human nutrition. We have emphasized the attention on the following carotenoids present in food and human tissues: β‐carotene, β‐cryptoxanthin, α‐carotene, lycopene, lutein and zeaxanthin; we have reported the major food sources and dietary intake of these compounds. We have tried to summarize positive and negative effects of food processing, storage, cooking on carotenoid content and carotenoid bioavailability. In particular, we have evidenced the possibility to improve carotenoids bioavailability in accordance with changes and variations of technology procedures.
Women's mammography experience and its impact on screening adherence
Authors: Tang Tricia S. , Patterson Stephanie K. , Roubidoux Marilyn A. , Duan Linping
Published: November 2008

Objectives: Although rates for first‐time and recent mammography screening have increased for women in the US in the past decade, rates for repeat mammography remain low. This study aimed to conduct an analysis of women's mammography experience, to examine the rates of repeat mammography and to identify the significant predictors of repeat mammography within 12 and 18 months of the index mammogram.

Methods: Participants were 397 women obtaining a screening mammogram (i.e. index) at three university‐affiliated radiology clinics. Following the index mammogram, women completed the measures assessing demographic background, health history, breast cancer knowledge, risk, and screening history, and aspects of the mammography experience. Eighteen months following the index mammogram, 296 women were contacted via telephone to assess repeat mammography behavior.

Results: Factor analysis of a mammography experience survey yielded four major components including satisfaction with clinic services, physical experience, psychological experience, and communication with clinic staff. Twelve‐month and 18‐month repeat mammography rates were 37 and 68%, respectively. Logistic regression models found lifetime number of mammograms to predict repeat mammography at 12 and 18 months. In addition, the number of clinical breast exams obtained in the past 5 years predicted repeat mammography at 12 months, while having scheduled a mammography appointment predicted repeat mammography at 18 months.

Conclusions: Based on these findings, strategies to increase mammography adherence include implementing a formal reminder system that prompts patients (e.g. postcard, automated telephone call) to schedule an annual mammogram or training clinic staff to automatically schedule an annual mammogram at the time of the current screening appointment. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Characterisation and cytomodulatory properties of peptides from Mozzarella di Bufala Campana cheese whey
Authors: De Simone Carmela , Picariello Gianluca , Mamone Gianfranco , Stiuso Paola , Dicitore Alessandra , Vanacore Daniela , Chianese Lina , Addeo Francesco , Ferranti Pasquale
Published: November 2008

Bioactive peptides are present in a latent state, encrypted within the amino acid sequence of milk proteins, requiring enzymatic proteolysis for their release. They can be produced by gastrointestinal digestion or food processing, thus they can be present in fermented milks, cheese and also in the by‐products of dairy industry such as waste whey. The spectrum of biological activity covered by milk‐derived peptides is extremely wide, including antibacterial, immunostimulating, antihypertensive, antithrombotic and opioid actions. However, the characterisation of milk‐derived peptides with classical analytical methodologies is severely challenged by the complexity of the milk protein fraction and by the wide dynamic range of relative peptide abundance in both dairy products and by‐products. Here we report the characterisation of the peptide fraction released in the whey during the different production stages of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana cheese. The peptide extracts were separated by RP HPLC and analysed by MS in order to identify the peptides produced and to trace the pathway of formation of potential bioactive peptides. The antioxidant properties and the modulatory effect on the cell cycle exerted by the peptide extracts were also studied in CaCo2 cell line. We found that a significant antiproliferative effect on CaCo2 was exerted by Mozzarella di Bufala waste whey peptides. Copyright © 2008 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lattice dynamics of chalcopyrite semiconductors LiAlTe2, LiGaTe2 and LiInTe2
Authors: Kosobutsky A. V. , Basalaev Yu. M. , Poplavnoi A. S.
Published: November 2008

Within density functional perturbation theory using norm‐conserving pseudopotentials and a plane‐wave basis set calculations of phonon dispersion relations and densities of states of LiAlTe2, LiGaTe2 and LiInTe2 compounds being crystallized into the tetragonal chalcopyrite structure have been performed. Theoretical values of phonon mode frequencies in LiGaTe2 and LiInTe2 are in good agreement with the experimental data available for these crystals obtained by the methods of Raman and infrared spectroscopies. The similarity of the physical and chemical properties of the crystals concerned manifests itself in the similarity of their phonon spectra that are especially close to each other in low‐ and high‐frequency ranges. Phonon modes of the upper phonon band are predominantly caused by the lithium sublattice vibrations and have an upper bound of 350–370 cm–1. In a mid‐frequency range a significant downshift of the vibrational frequencies is observed on going from LiAlTe2 to LiGaTe2 and LiInTe2 that is a consequence of the third group cation mass reduction. From calculated electron density maps it follows that Li‐containing chalcopyrites are characterized by a less pronounced bond between the first group cation and anion as compared with the Cu‐ and Ag‐based analogs due to the absence of pd‐hybridization. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Combinatorial growth of Mgx Zn1–xO epilayers by chemical vapor deposition
Authors: Lautenschlaeger Stefan , Sann Joachim , Klar Peter J. , Piechotka M. , Meyer Bruno K.
Published: November 2008

It was our aim to explore the growth of Mgx Zn1–x O epilayers on ZnO substrates using CVD at substrate temperatures around 650 °C which is considerably lower than necessary for the MOCVD growth which requires substrate temperatures above 900 °C. Metallic precursors (Zn, Mg) were used together with NO2 as oxygen precursor. The Mg content was determined from the shift of longitudinal optical phonon line as a function of the Mg composition. The properties of the films were investigated by low temperature photoluminescence. Epitaxial Mgx Zn1–x O films with fixed Mg compositions required an individual adjustment of the Mg reservoir temperature. We, therefore, explored the possibility of a combinatorial growth i.e. achieving a Mg gradient within one sample. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Nonclassicality of radiation fields propagating in complex material systems
Authors: Vasylyev D. Yu. , Vogel W. , Manzke G. , Henneberger K. , Welsch D.‐G.
Published: November 2008

The combination of methods of micro‐ and macroscopic QED alows one to describe the influence of the absorbtion/ amplification and dispersion effects on the nonclassical radiation propagating through complex material systems. Within the framework of macroscopic QED the input‐otput formalism can be applied in order to include the arbitrary quantum state of the radiation field. On the other hand, the microscopic derivation of the emission spectra of a bulk semiconductor gives the physical interpretation of the noise current operators in the macroscopic theory. As an example, we investigate the propagation of the field being in squeezed vacuum state through a 5 μm ZnSe slab in absorbing and amplifying regimes. (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Potential use of an ensemble of analyses in the ECMWF Ensemble Prediction System
Authors: Buizza Roberto , Leutbecher Martin , Isaksen Lars
Published: November 2008

One of the crucial aspects of the design of an ensemble prediction system is the definition of the ensemble of initial states. This work investigates the use of singular vectors, an ensemble of analyses, and a combination of the two types of perturbations in the ECMWF operational ensemble prediction system. First, the similarity between perturbations generated using initial‐time singular vectors (SVs) and analyses from the ensemble data assimilation (EDA) system is assessed. Results show that the EDA perturbations are less localized geographically and have a better coverage of the Tropics. EDA perturbations have also smaller scales than SV‐based perturbations, and have a less evident upshear vertical tilt, which explains why they grow less with forecast time. Then, the use of EDA‐based perturbations in the ECMWF ensemble prediction system is studied. Results indicate that if used alone, EDA‐based perturbations lead to an under‐dispersive and less skilful ensemble then the one based on initial‐time SVs only. Combining the EDA and the initial‐time SVs gives a system with a better agreement between ensemble spread and the error of the ensemble mean, a smaller ensemble‐mean error and more skilful probabilistic forecasts than the current operational system based on initial‐time and evolved SVs. Copyright © 2008 Royal Meteorological Society
Communications and networking over satellites: SatNEx experimental activities and testbeds
Authors: de Cola T. , Ronga L. , Pecorella T. , Barsocchi P. , Chessa S. , Ferro E. , Gotta A. , Oligeri G. , Potortì F. , Secchi R. , Sathiaseelan A. , Castro V. M. , Peral R.J. , Caini C. , Firrincieli R.
Published: November 2008

One of the aims of the SatNEx (Satellite Network of Excellence,http://www.satnex.de) European project is to provide the scientific community that operates on satellite communications with measurement campaign results and evaluation tools, in order to support research activities that investigate problems in satellite communications at different levels of the OSI stack. In fact, the research activities developed in SatNEx address the most relevant aspects of satellite communications, such as channel modulation and coding schemes, access strategies, advanced networking, end‐to‐end quality of service, transport performance, delay tolerant networks, and new applications. Even if SatNEx is mainly devoted to satellite communications, integration of satellite and terrestrial wireless segments has also been taken into account. This paper presents the results obtained in the specific research activity devoted to trials and testbeds developed during the SatNEx project. The high number of authors of this paper is an indication of the strong collaborative work sustained, the numerous measurement campaigns, and the complexity in developing integrated testbeds. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Trace element mapping of a single cell using a hard x‐ray nanobeam focused by a Kirkpatrick‐Baez mirror system
Authors: Matsuyama S. , Shimura M. , Mimura H. , Fujii M. , Yumoto H. , Sano Y. , Yabashi M. , Nishino Y. , Tamasaku K. , Ishikawa T. , Yamauchi K.
Published: November 2008

To visualize the distributions of trace elements in biological samples such as tissues and cells at high spatial resolution, we developed a scanning x‐ray fluorescence microscope (SXFM) at SPring‐8, using a Kirkpatrick‐Baez mirror optics that enables achromatic and highly efficient focusing. To evaluate performance regarding its application to biological samples, the SXFM was used at x‐ray energy of 15 keV to observe NIH/3T3 cells in which adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthase β (specifically localized at the mitochondria) were labeled with gold colloidal particles. Various elemental distributions were visualized at the single‐cell level, including those for P, S, Cl, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn and Au, and we obtained high‐resolution elemental distribution maps by magnifying the labeled single mitochondrion. Maximum spatial resolution achieved in the experiments was sub‐100 nm. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On the correctness of upper layers of automotive systems
Authors: Botaschanjan Jewgenij , Broy Manfred , Gruler Alexander , Harhurin Alexander , Knapp Steffen , Kof Leonid , Paul Wolfgang , Spichkova Maria
Published: November 2008

Formal verification of software systems is a challenge that is particularly important in the area of safety-critical automotive systems. Here, approaches like direct code verification are far too complicated, unless the verification is restricted to small textbook examples. Furthermore, the verification of application logic is of limited use in industrial context, unless the underlying operating system and the hardware are verified, too. This paper introduces a generic model stack, allowing the verification of all system layers as well as the concrete application models being used in the upper layers. The presented models and proofs close the gap between the correctness proof for the lower layers of car electronics developed at the Saarland University and the verification procedure for distributed applications developed at the Technische Universität München.
Reduced Lymph Node Yield in Rectal Carcinoma Specimen After Neoadjuvant Radiochemotherapy Has No Prognostic Relevance
Authors: Doll Dietrich , Gertler Ralf , Maak Matthias , Friederichs Jan , Becker Karen , Geinitz Hans , Kriner Monika , Nekarda Hjalmar , Siewert Jörg R. , Rosenberg Robert
Published: November 2008

Background

In colorectal surgery UICC/AJCC criteria require a yield of 12 or more locoregional lymph nodes for adequate staging. Neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy for rectal carcinoma reduces the number of lymph nodes in the resection specimen; the prognostic impact of this reduced lymph node yield has not been determined.

Methods

One hundred two patients with uT3 rectal carcinoma who were receiving neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy were compared with 114 patients with uT3 rectal carcinoma who were receiving primary surgery followed by adjuvant radiochemotherapy. Total lymph node yield and number of tumor‐positive lymph nodes were determined and correlated with survival.

Results

After neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy both total lymph node yield (12.9 vs. 21.4, p < 0.0001) and number of tumor‐positive lymph nodes (1.0 vs. 2.3, p = 0.014) were significantly lower than after primary surgery plus adjuvant radiochemotherapy. Reduced total lymph node yield in neoadjuvantly treated patients had no prognostic impact, with overall survival of patients with 12 or more lymph nodes the same as that of patients with less than 12 lymph nodes. Overall survival of neoadjuvantly treated patients was significantly influenced by the number of tumor‐positive lymph nodes with 5‐year‐survival rates of 88, 63, and 39% for 0, 1–3, and more than 3 positive lymph nodes (p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

The UICC/AJCC criterion of a total lymph node yield of 12 or more should be revised for rectal carcinoma patients.
The Effect of Interface Texture on Exchange Biasing in Ni80Fe20/Ir20Mn80System
Authors: Chen Yuan-Tsung
Published: November 2008

Exchange-biasing phenomenon can induce an evident unidirectional hysteresis loop shift by spin coupling effect in the ferromagnetic (FM)/antiferromagnetic (AFM) interface which can be applied in magnetoresistance random access memory (MRAM) and recording-head applications. However, magnetic properties are the most important to AFM texturing. In this work, top-configuration exchange-biasing NiFe/IrMn(x Å) systems have been investigated with three different conditions. From the high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (HR X-TEM) and X-ray diffraction results, we conclude that the IrMn (111) texture plays an important role in exchange-biasing field (H
ex) and interfacial exchange energy (J
k).H
exandJ
ktend to saturate when the IrMn thickness increases. Moreover, the coercivity (H
c) dependence on IrMn thickness is explained based on the coupling or decoupling effect between the spins of the NiFe and IrMn layers near the NiFe/IrMn interface. In this work, the optimal values forH
exandJ
kare 115 Oe and 0.062 erg/cm2, respectively.
On the Substrate Binding of Linoleate 9‐Lipoxygenases
Authors: Andreou Alexandra‐Zoi , Hornung Ellen , Kunze Susan , Rosahl Sabine , Feussner Ivo
Published: November 2008

Lipoxygenases (LOX; linoleate:oxygen oxidoreductase EC 1.13.11.12) consist of a class of enzymes that catalyze the regio‐ and stereo specific dioxygenation of polyunsaturated fatty acids. Here we characterize two proteins that belong to the less studied class of 9‐LOXs, Solanum tuberosum StLOX1 and Arabidopsis thaliana AtLOX1. The proteins were recombinantly expressed in E. coli and the product specificity of the enzymes was tested against different fatty acid substrates. Both enzymes showed high specificity against all tested C18 fatty acids and produced (9S)‐hydroperoxides. However, incubation of the C20 fatty acid arachidonic acid with AtLOX1 gave a mixture of racemic hydroperoxides. On the other hand, with StLOX1 we observed the formation of a mixture of products among which the (5S)‐hydroperoxy eicosatetraenoic acid (5S‐H(P)ETE) was the most abundant. Esterified fatty acids were no substrates. We used site directed mutagenesis to modify a conserved valine residue in the active site of StLOX1 and examine the importance of space within the active site, which has been shown to play a role in determining the positional specificity. The Val576Phe mutant still catalyzed the formation of (9S)‐hydroperoxides with C18 fatty acids, while it exhibited altered specificity against arachidonic acid and produced mainly (11S)‐H(P)ETE. These data confirm the model that in case of linoleate 9‐LOX binding of the substrate takes place with the carboxyl‐group first.
EPR Investigations of Spin‐Probe Dynamics in Aqueous Dispersions of a Nonionic Amphiphilic Compound
Authors: Nakagawa Kouichi
Published: November 2008

Dynamics of various spin probes in aqueous dispersions of nonionic amphiphilic compound, [poly(oxyethylene) hydrogenated castor oil, HCO], were investigated by EPR (electron paramagnetic resonance) and saturation recovery (SR) spectroscopies. Partitioning, rotational correlation time (τR), rotational diffusion coefficient, and electron spin‐lattice relaxation time (T1e) in dispersions of the HCO membrane were obtained. The partitioning of water soluble spin probes, DTBN and TEMPO, in the aqueous and vesicle phases was determined by an EPR linewidth simulation as a function of temperature. The results suggest that DTBN and TEMPO have a similar partitioning in the vesicle phase throughout the temperatures studied. The longer τR and shorter T1e (~0.33 μs) values of DTBN in the vesicle phase were obtained, and could be attributed to the probe environment in the membrane. The simulation results for fast tumbling probes were quite different from those of conventional intensity analysis (spectral parameter, f). Thus, the simulation and T1e analyses have provided a quantitative understanding of the probe dynamics in both phases. Aliphatic spin probes, doxylstearic acids (DSAs) and 3β‐doxyl‐5α‐cholestane (CHL), were used for monitor of various membrane motions. The EPR spectra were quantitatively analyzed by a slow tumbling simulation. The rotational diffusion coefficients and order parameter were obtained by the simulation. In addition, the direct observations of the behavior of the probes were measured by SR method. The results were consistent with T1e obtained for spin probes. Thus, the quantitative results regarding EPR, SR method, various simulation analyses have provided detailed information regarding physicochemical properties of the various moieties of the probe region in the amphiphilic compound.
A Novel Method for the Production of Biodiesel from the Whole Stillage‐Extracted Corn Oil
Authors: Noureddini Hossein , Bandlamudi Santosh R. P. , Guthrie Emily A.
Published: November 2008

The extraction of corn oil from whole stillage and condensed distillers’ solubles (CDS) with hexane and its conversion to biodiesel were investigated. The analysis of the extracted oil showed 6–8 wt.% free fatty acid (FFA) in this oil. Acid, base, acid–base, and acid–base catalyzed transesterifications with intermediate neutralization with anion exchange resin were investigated. Experiments were performed with model corn oil substrates which contained 1.0–6.0 wt.% FFA. The effect of catalyst at 0.50–1.25 wt.% was studied at a 1:8 oil/methanol molar ratio. At 6.0 wt.% FFA concentration, the acid‐catalyzed scheme was slow and resulted in less than 20% yield after 4 h, while the base‐catalyzed was mostly consumed by the FFA and very little conversion was achieved. The acid–base catalyzed scheme succeeded in reducing the FFA content of the oil through the acid‐catalyzed stage, and yields in excess of 85% were achieved after the second stage of the reaction with a base catalyst. However, formation of water and soap prevented the separation of product phases. An alternative acid–base catalyzed scheme was examined which made use of a strong anion exchange resin to neutralize the substrate after the initial acid‐catalyzed stage. This scheme resulted in the effective removal of the acid catalyst as well as the residual FFA prior to the base‐catalyzed stage. The subsequent base‐catalyzed stage resulted in yields in excess of 98% for a 7.0 wt.% FFA corn oil and for the corn oil extracted from CDS.
The efficacy and safety of Crataegus extract WS® 1442 in patients with heart failure: The SPICE trial
Authors: Holubarsch Christian J.F. , Colucci Wilson S. , Meinertz Thomas , Gaus Wilhelm , Tendera Michal ,   Survival and Prognosis: Investigation of Crataegus Extract WS® 1442 in CHF (SPICE) trial study group
Published: November 2008

Background:

Crataegus preparations have been used for centuries especially in Europe. To date, no proper data on their efficacy and safety as an add‐on‐treatment are available. Therefore a large morbidity/mortality trial was performed.

Aim:

To investigate the efficacy and safety of an add‐on treatment with Crataegus extract WS® 1442 in patients with congestive heart failure.

Methods:

In this randomised, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled multicenter study, adults with NYHA class II or III CHF and reduced left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF≤35%) were included and received 900 mg/day WS® 1442 or placebo for 24 months. Primary endpoint was time until first cardiac event.

Results:

2681 patients (WS® 1442: 1338; placebo: 1343) were randomised. Average time to first cardiac event was 620 days for WS® 1442 and 606 days for placebo (event rates: 27.9% and 28.9%, hazard ratio (HR): 0.95, 95% CI [0.82;1.10]; p=0.476). The trend for cardiac mortality reduction with WS® 1442 (9.7% at month 24; HR: 0.89 [0.73;1.09]) was not statistically significant (p=0.269). In the subgroup with LVEF ≥ 25%, WS® 1442 reduced sudden cardiac death by 39.7% (HR 0.59 [0.37;0.94] at month 24; p=0.025). Adverse events were comparable in both groups.

Conclusions:

In this study, WS® 1442 had no significant effect on the primary endpoint. WS® 1442 was safe to use in patients receiving optimal medication for heart failure. In addition, the data may indicate that WS® 1442 can potentially reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death, at least in patients with less compromised left ventricular function.
Beyond HPV: Oncomirs as new players in cervical cancer
Authors: Reshmi G. , Pillai M. Radhakrishna
Published: November 2008

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a recently discovered family of 18–24 nucleotide non‐coding RNAs that can negatively regulate target mRNAs. All studied multicellular eukaryotes utilize miRNAs to regulate basic cellular functions including proliferation, differentiation, and death. It is now apparent that abnormal miRNA expression is a common feature of human malignancies. This review discusses the various cancer‐relevant miRNAs (oncomirs) especially in cervical tumorigenesis and the potential role of oncomirs as therapeutic agents and targets for the treatment of cervical cancer.
Transvaginal ultrasound for diagnosis of deeply infiltrating endometriosis
Authors: Goncalves Manoel Orlando , Dias Joao A. , Podgaec Sergio , Averbach Marcelo , Abrão Mauricio S
Published: November 2008

Deeply infiltrating endometriosis is the clinical form of the disease that is generally associated with conditions of more intense pain and may require more complex surgical management, consequently resulting in greater risks to the patient. In recent years, various investigators have confirmed the usefulness of methods such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), transrectal ultrasound and transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) for the diagnosis of deep endometriotic lesions. The objectives of the present study are to describe the method used to perform TVUS for the detection of deeply infiltrating endometriosis, and to discuss the clinical benefits that the data obtained may offer clinicians providing care for patients suspected of having this type of endometriosis.
GRAVI: Robotized Microfluidics for Fast and Automated Immunoassays in Low Volume
Authors: Rossier Joël S. , Baranek Sophie , Morier Patrick , Vollet Christine , Vulliet François , De Chastonay Yves , Reymond Frédéric
Published: November 2008

GRAVI, presented here in its automated version, is a new bench-top sized immunoassay platform combining the advantages of microfluidics with those of simplified robotics. Characterized by dramatically reduced time to result (< 10 min) and significantly decreased sample/reagent consumption, the cost-efficient biosensor instrumentation allows performing multimenu analysis with minimal laboratory infrastructure.

Coupled to a robotic liquid handler, the system dispenses samples and reagents from conventional plates or tubes into microchannels of a microchip (GRAVI- Chip), in which assays are processed and results readout. As in conventional 96-well microtiter plates, the microchannels have a standard spacing of 9 mm to facilitate automation.

With solely gravity and capillary force-driven fluidics within the microchannels, liquids are free to flow while magnetic beads, functionalized with the antibody of choice, are trapped nearby incorporated electrodes by virtue of a magnet array. Following assay performance and electrochemical signal detection in the parallel microchannels, chips are regenerated by magnet release and rinsing of beads out from the microchannels.

Applicability of the presented immunoassay platform, delivering 100 results per hour, is exemplified here with results from the validation of an immunoglobulin assay for antibody quantification in mammalian cell cultures. Adapted to run on the GRAVI platform, this competitive assay covers a dynamic range of two orders of magnitude.
Reasserting the state in Viet Nam Health Care and the logics of market-Leninism
Authors: London Jonathan D
Published: November 2008

The collapse of Viet Nam's state-socialist economic institutions in the late 1980s occasioned an almost complete inversion of the socialist principles that had guided health policy under the Communist Party of Viet Nam since the 1950s. Since the early 1990s, however, the Vietnamese state has reasserted its roles in the health sector. These reassertions have been of two major types. Through redistributive reassertions the state has sought to ensure a basic floor of health services for all Vietnamese and bolster its subjective legitimacy, even as public spending on health has remained conspicuously low. Through its accumulative reassertions, the state has transformed ‘public’ health facilities into sites of economic accumulation, thereby responding to the state's weak extractive capacities and gaining political support from within the public health systems. Overall, the article likens reassertions of the state in Viet Nam's health sector represent a contemporary instance of a Polanyian “double movement,” albeit within the context of a market-Leninist regime.
Should “Grave Crimes of International Terrorism” be included in the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court?
Authors: Wertheim Peter J
Published: November 2008

Genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes are among the most serious categories of crimes known to international law. For decades lawyers and others debated whether a standing international court should be established to prosecute and punish such crimes. In 1998 the debate ended with the adoption of the Rome Statute for the establishment of an International Criminal Court (ICC). The Statute defines the elements of each of these crimes and includes them in the ICC's jurisdiction. The idea of including “grave crimes of international terrorism” as an additional category in the ICC's jurisdiction was considered, but abandoned as too difficult. Firstly, there is at present no universally agreed definition of terrorism and the whole subject is politically sensitive. Secondly, democratic and other States have long recognised that certain acts that would ordinarily be considered criminal should be treated differently if they can be characterised as “political offences”. This paper argues that both these difficulties can be overcome. A solution to the problem of definition is to confine “terrorism” to those acts that are outlawed by existing anti-terrorist multilateral conventions, as listed by the UN, at least to the extent that those conventions are declaratory of customary international law. It is also argued that the “political offence” issue has been rendered obsolete by the creation of the ICC, with its numerous safeguards to ensure the Court's impartiality. In 2009 the Rome Statute will be reviewed and there will be an opportunity to expand the ICC's jurisdiction to include grave crimes of international terrorism. For the international rule of law to be supported and strengthened, that opportunity should not be missed.
Property Tax in a City-State: The Case of Singapore
Authors: Asher Mukul G , Nandy Amarendu
Published: November 2008

This paper examines the nature and structure of property tax in Singapore, an affluent and rapidly ageing city state in Southeast Asia. While the property tax based on annual rental value has a long history and is a well accepted tax in Singapore, it is only about two decades ago that the process of modernizing the tax began. The paper highlights three characteristics of Singapore's property tax. The first concerns the activist and aggressive use of the property tax as an industrial policy and macroeconomic stabilization tool. The second is the close relationship between public housing, property tax, and mandatory savings scheme. As a result, this scheme has essentially substituted for the mortgage finance market in Singapore. Third, there exist large disparities in property tax treatment of public housing which is very lightly taxed, and the treatment of non-residential properties, which are relatively more heavily taxed. The paper suggests a need for more transparent assessment procedures, particularly in the current scenario of deflationary pressures in the property sector. The paper also suggests that the future revenue potential of Singapore's property tax is limited.
Gender Analysis and Social Change: Testing the Water
Authors: Bacchi Carol , Eveline Joan , Binns Jennifer , Mackenzie Catherine , Harwood Susan
Published: November 2008

This paper uses preliminary findings from an ARC-funded Linkage grant to speculate on the requirements for producing gender analysis as a change process. Gender analysis, commonly associated with gender mainstreaming, is a methodology aimed at ensuring that all projects, programs and policies are gender-inclusive and gender-sensitive. In the Linkage study existing models of gender analysis taken from Canada and The Netherlands are being tested for their usefulness in selected agencies in South Australia and Western Australia. The goal is to design gender analysis processes appropriate to specific Australian contexts. This paper reflects on the challenges and obstacles encountered in the project to date. It focuses in particular on the importance of creating space for extended debate and discussion of the concepts and issues relevant to gender equality and social change. The authors describe this space as “somewhere in the middle”.
Epistemic Community, Intellectuals, and Chinese Foreign Policy
Authors: Zhao Quansheng
Published: November 2008

This article examines the formation of Chinese foreign policy from the perspective of epistemic community and intellectuals. The impact of this community on Chinese foreign policy has drawn broad attention among China watchers in the West. The key developments under Jiang and Hu are the increasingly active and multi-layered channels between the centre and the periphery. In this paper, I have developed a notion of seven channels between these two bodies. The types of policy mechanisms include consultations with policy-makers, internal reports, conferences and public policy debates, policy NGOs, outside-system discussions, overseas scholars, and the epistemic community. I argue that the recent developments in intellectual and think-tank participation in the foreign policy-making process in Beijing have achieved great progress, but at the same time there are also severe limitations. I call this phenomenon “limited interactions between the centre and the periphery”. One may anticipate that as civil society continues to develop in China, there will be further demand for policy input and increasing professionalism in both governmental agencies and think-tanks. It is likely that this will push intellectuals and scholars to play even greater roles in the years to come.
Ethnic Relations in Contemporary China: Cultural Tradition and Ethnic Policies Since 1949
Authors: Ma Rong
Published: November 2008

China has been a multi-ethnic political polity for over two thousand years. “Culturalisation” of ethnic minorities in peripheries has been a tradition in China deeply rooted in the Confucianism. This tradition resulted in a united-pluralistic polity with a huge population and the non-stop writing history throughout a series of dynasties. The People's Republic began to adopt the policies of the former USSR since the 1950s and gave ethnic minorities more political status, or what is called “politicisation” of ethnic minorities in China. This policy has improved socioeconomic development of minority groups and promoted group corporations but also has strengthened the group consciousness among the minorities. The collapse of the Soviet Union provides a lesson that this policy orientation might provide an institutional basis for national disintegration when internal and external powers work together. Meanwhile, the “equality de facto” has been the goal of official ethnic policy since the 1950s and many policies have been designed and practiced in favour of minority groups, but there also some debate on its social consequences which also need our attention.
Social Changes and Neighbourhood Policy in Shanghai
Authors: Liu Chunrong
Published: November 2008

This paper cites recent changes of neighbourhood governance in Shanghai to illustrate whether and how social changes and policymaking are related in a transitional context. I show that two decades of rapid social and economic reforms in urban China have weakened the organisational resources for sociopolitical mobilisation. The reforms also create vibrant neighbourhood spaces beyond the reach of the state. To accommodate the disorganised urban fabrics and ensure stability, the Shanghai government has become preoccupied with territorially based policy choices. These policy schemes geared from administrative mobilisation to deliberative incorporation, are ultimately structured by the post-reform social contexts. Implications of the emerging incorpo-rative policy for the relationship between state and residents are also discussed.