bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Processing Conditions on Properties of PET/Clay Nanocomposite Films
Authors: Ghasemi H. , Carreau P. J. , Kamal M. R. , Chapleau N.
Published: April 2011

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) nanocomposite films (with 3 wt.% Cloisite 30B) were prepared by cast extrusion followed by uniaxial stretching, using chill rolls. Two screw profiles with different mixing elements under different screw speeds (N) and feeding rates (Q) were used to prepare PET/clay nanocomposite (PCN) films. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and wide angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) showed that the clay layers were aligned in the machine direction (MD). XRD patterns depicted that the interlayer distance of clay platelets in the state of intercalation is somehow independent of the processing conditions, but the macro-scale characterization, including barrier and mechanical properties, showed that the level of clay layer delamination was affected by processing conditions. The results reveal that the applied strain has stronger effect than residence time on the barrier and mechanical properties. At the highest screw speed (N = 250 min−1), 27% reduction in oxygen permeability and 30% improvement in tensile modulus were obtained for the more severe screw profile.
The Use of Apparent Yield Stress to Characterize Exfoliation in Polymer Nanocomposites
Authors: Vergnes B.
Published: April 2011

Nanocomposites based on melt blending of an organoclay and a thermoplastic matrix have end-use properties directly controlled by the state of dispersion of the clay and the resulting nanostructure. It is thus very important to be able to correctly quantify the levels of intercalation and exfoliation of these systems. For the exfoliation, rheological measurements in small amplitude oscillatory shear are very powerful because they put clearly in evidence the interactions between nanofillers. We show in this paper how it is possible to interpret the experimental results, we indicate the advantages and drawbacks of current methods used in the literature and we strongly suggest to use the melt yield stress to characterize exfoliation level.
‘We Speak for the Ready’: Images of Scots in Political Prints, 1707–1832
Authors: Pentland Gordon
Published: April 2011

The role played by anti-Scottishness in English political culture has been briefly explored by historians, who have focused overwhelmingly on the hostile response to the earl of Bute in the 1760s. This article puts that episode into a longer perspective by looking at the ways in which political prints represented Scots across the long eighteenth century. By examining the antecedents of the Bute episode and the subsequent history of a politicised anti-Scottishness it aims, first, to suggest how political prints can be used to explore the interaction between politics and both popular and elite culture and, secondly, to demonstrate that foregrounding the issue of anti-Scottishness in English political culture can help to nuance our understanding of English and British patriotisms in the long eighteenth century.
The Reinvention of Scottish Liberal Education: Secondary Schooling, 1900–39
Authors: Paterson Lindsay
Published: April 2011

Scottish secondary education was radically extended in size and social reach in the first four decades of the twentieth century, bringing significant new opportunities in secondary schooling to girls, to children of the lower-middle and upper-working classes, and to Catholics. Most of the new secondary schools were based on those parish schools that had in the nineteenth century sent a few boys directly to university, and so this new secondary sector was a modernising of the mythological tradition of the lad o' pairts. The main reason it succeeded was that it sought to extend to new social groups the benefits of the version of liberal education that had come to be regarded as the foundation of professional careers. Thus the reforms also had the effect of transferring to the senior years of the secondary schools the old undergraduate curriculum that had been replaced by more specialist university courses in the late-nineteenth century. The paper offers an evidence-based critique not only of that strand of pessimism which has claimed that Scottish education was stagnant between the wars, but also of George Davie's influential view that the tradition of a broad general education was lost.
Cell Autonomous and Non-Autonomous Functions of IKKβ and NF-κB during the Pathogenesis of Gastrointestinal Tumors
Authors: Fang Hsin-Yu , Greten Florian R.
Published: April 2011

Genetic studies describing a link between cancer and inflammation have increased recently. Activation of the transcription factor nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and its effector pathways has been proposed to be the missing link between these two processes. NF-κB is persistently activated in several types of tumors. However, NF-κB has a distinct role in cancer cells and in inflammatory cells. While in tumor cells NF-κB controls cell survival, in inflammatory cells NF-κB activates genes that encode pro-inflammatory cytokines which further act in a paracrine manner within the tumor microenvironment to contribute to tumorigenesis. Inactivation of NF-κB can also reduce chemoresistance and radioresistance of cancer cells. Therefore, specific NF-κB inhibition in combination with cytotoxic drugs and/or irradiation represents a very promising strategy for cancer therapy.
Therapeutic Response in Patients with Advanced Malignancies Treated with Combined Dendritic Cell–Activated T Cell Based Immunotherapy and Intensity–Modulated Radiotherapy
Authors: Hasumi Kenichiro , Aoki Yukimasa , Watanabe Ryuko , Hankey Kim G. , Mann Dean L.
Published: April 2011

Successful cancer immunotherapy is confounded by the magnitude of the tumor burden and the presence of immunoregulatory elements that suppress an immune response. To approach these issues, 26 patients with advanced treatment refractory cancer were enrolled in a safety/feasibility study wherein a conventional treatment modality, intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), was combined with dendritic cell-based immunotherapy. We hypothesized that radiation would lower the tumor burdens, decrease the number/function of regulatory cells in the tumor environment, and release products of tumor cells that could be acquired by intratumoral injected immature dendritic cells (iDC). Metastatic lesions identified by CT (computed tomography) were injected with autologous iDC combined with a cytokine-based adjuvant and KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin), followed 24 h later by IV-infused T-cells expanded with anti-CD3 and IL-2 (AT). After three to five days, each of the injected lesions was treated with fractionated doses of IMRT followed by another injection of intratumoral iDC and IV-infused AT. No toxicity was observed with cell infusion while radiation-related toxicity was observed in seven patients. Five patients had progressive disease, eight demonstrated complete resolution at treated sites but developed recurrent disease at other sites, and 13 showed complete response at various follow-up times with an overall estimated Kaplan-Meier disease-free survival of 345 days. Most patients developed KLH antibodies supporting our hypothesis that the co-injected iDC are functional with the capacity to acquire antigens from their environment and generate an adaptive immune response. These results demonstrate the safety and effectiveness of this multimodality strategy combining immunotherapy and IMRT in patients with advanced malignancies.
Mechanistic Investigation of ROS-Induced DNA Damage by Oestrogenic Compounds in Lymphocytes and Sperm Using the Comet Assay
Authors: Cemeli Eduardo , Anderson Diana
Published: April 2011

Past research has demonstrated that oestrogenic compounds produce strand breaks in the DNA of sperm and lymphocytes via reactive oxygen species (ROS). In the current investigation, sperm and lymphocytes were treated in vitro with oestrogenic compounds (diethylstilboestrol, progesterone, 17β-oestradiol, noradrenaline and triiodotyronine) and several aspects of DNA damage were investigated. Firstly, mediation of DNA damage by lipid peroxidation was investigated in the presence of BHA (a lipid peroxidation blocker). BHA reduced the DNA damage generated by 17β-oestradiol and diethylstilboestrol in a statistically significant manner. No effects were observed for sperm. Secondly, the presence of oxidized bases employing FPG and EndoIII were detected for lymphocytes and sperm in the negative control and after 24 h recovery in lymphocytes but not immediately after treatment for both cell types. The successful detection of oxidized bases in the negative control (untreated) of sperm provides an opportunity for its application in biomonitoring studies. DNA repair at 24 h after exposure was also studied. A nearly complete recovery to negative control levels was shown in lymphocytes 24 h recovery after oestrogenic exposure and this was statistically significant in all cases. Rapid rejoining of DNA, in a matter of hours, is a characteristic of DNA damaged by ROS.
Impact of the 237th Residue on the Folding of Human Carbonic Anhydrase II
Authors: Wu Ming-Jie , Jiang Yan , Yan Yong-Bin
Published: April 2011

The deficiency of human carbonic anhydrase II (HCAII) has been recognized to be associated with a disease called CAII deficiency syndrome (CADS). Among the many mutations, the P237H mutation has been characterized to lead to a significant decrease in the activity of the enzyme and in the Gibbs free energy of folding. However, sequence alignment indicated that the 237th residue of CAII is not fully conserved across all species. The FoldX theoretical calculations suggested that this residue did not significantly contribute to the overall folding of HCAII, since all mutants had small ΔΔG values (around 1 kcal/mol). The experimental determination indicated that at least three mutations affect HCAII folding significantly and the P237H mutation was the most deleterious one, suggesting that Pro237 was important to HCAII folding. The discrepancy between theoretical and experimental results suggested that caution should be taken when using the prediction methods to evaluate the details of disease-related mutations.
Focusing Light with Curved Guided-Mode Resonance Reflectors
Authors: Lu Mingyu , Zhai Huiqing , Magnusson Robert
Published: April 2011

Employing numerical simulations, we investigate the possibility of using curved guided-mode resonance (GMR) elements to focus light in reflection. We treat GMR reflectors with a parabolic shape and show that they are capable of focusing light effectively across wavelength bands that extend several hundred nanometers. The spatially infinite reflector model is simulated with a finite-element method, whereas the spatially finite reflector is treated with a finite-difference-time-domain method. The numerical results demonstrate that light intensity at the focal point is 8.6 dB stronger than the incident intensity when the GMR reflector’s size is on the order of 10 wavelengths. The results indicate potential applicability of wideband-focusing devices in electromagnetics and photonics using compact resonance elements.
Synthesis of Some Phenylpropanoid Glycosides (PPGs) and Their Acetylcholinesterase/Xanthine Oxidase Inhibitory Activities
Authors: Li Xiao-Dong , Kang Shuai-Tao , Li Guo-Yu , Li Xian , Wang Jin-Hui
Published: April 2011

In this research, three categories of phenylpropanoid glycosides (PPGs) were designed and synthesized with PPGs isolated from Rhodiola rosea L. as lead compounds. Their inhibitory abilities toward acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and xanthine oxidase (XOD) were also tested. Some of the synthetic PPGs exhibited excellent enzyme inhibitory abilities.
An Electronic-Nose Sensor Node Based on a Polymer-Coated Surface Acoustic Wave Array for Wireless Sensor Network Applications
Authors: Tang Kea-Tiong , Li Cheng-Han , Chiu Shih-Wen
Published: April 2011

This study developed an electronic-nose sensor node based on a polymer-coated surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensor array. The sensor node comprised an SAW sensor array, a frequency readout circuit, and an Octopus II wireless module. The sensor array was fabricated on a large K2 128° YX LiNbO3 sensing substrate. On the surface of this substrate, an interdigital transducer (IDT) was produced with a Cr/Au film as its metallic structure. A mixed-mode frequency readout application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) was fabricated using a TSMC 0.18 μm process. The ASIC output was connected to a wireless module to transmit sensor data to a base station for data storage and analysis. This sensor node is applicable for wireless sensor network (WSN) applications.
Investigation of a Photoelectrochemical Passivated ZnO-Based Glucose Biosensor
Authors: Lee Ching-Ting , Chiu Ying-Shuo , Ho Shu-Ching , Lee Yao-Jung
Published: April 2011

A vapor cooling condensation system was used to deposit high quality intrinsic ZnO thin films and intrinsic ZnO nanorods as the sensing membrane of extended-gate field-effect-transistor (EGFET) glucose biosensors. The sensing sensitivity of the resulting glucose biosensors operated in the linear range was 13.4 μA mM−1 cm−2. To improve the sensing sensitivity of the ZnO-based glucose biosensors, the photoelectrochemical method was utilized to passivate the sidewall surfaces of the ZnO nanorods. The sensing sensitivity of the ZnO-based glucose biosensors with passivated ZnO nanorods was significantly improved to 20.33 μA mM−1 cm−2 under the same measurement conditions. The experimental results verified that the sensing sensitivity improvement was the result of the mitigation of the Fermi level pinning effect caused by the dangling bonds and the surface states induced on the sidewall surface of the ZnO nanorods.
Soft Water Level Sensors for Characterizing the Hydrological Behaviour of Agricultural Catchments
Authors: Crabit Armand , Colin François , Bailly Jean Stéphane , Ayroles Hervé , Garnier François
Published: April 2011

An innovative soft water level sensor is proposed to characterize the hydrological behaviour of agricultural catchments by measuring rainfall and stream flows. This sensor works as a capacitor coupled with a capacitance to frequency converter and measures water level at an adjustable time step acquisition. It was designed to be handy, minimally invasive and optimized in terms of energy consumption and low-cost fabrication so as to multiply its use on several catchments under natural conditions. It was used as a stage recorder to measure water level dynamics in a channel during a runoff event and as a rain gauge to measure rainfall amount and intensity. Based on the Manning equation, a method allowed estimation of water discharge with a given uncertainty and hence runoff volume at an event or annual scale. The sensor was tested under controlled conditions in the laboratory and under real conditions in the field. Comparisons of the sensor to reference devices (tipping bucket rain gauge, hydrostatic pressure transmitter limnimeter, Venturi channels…) showed accurate results: rainfall intensities and dynamic responses were accurately reproduced and discharges were estimated with an uncertainty usually acceptable in hydrology. Hence, it was used to monitor eleven small agricultural catchments located in the Mediterranean region. Both catchment reactivity and water budget have been calculated. Dynamic response of the catchments has been studied at the event scale through the rising time determination and at the annual scale by calculating the frequency of occurrence of runoff events. It provided significant insight into catchment hydrological behaviour which could be useful for agricultural management perspectives involving pollutant transport, flooding event and global water balance.
A Novel Ionic Polymer Metal ZnO Composite (IPMZC)
Authors: Kim Sang-Mun , Tiwari Rashi , Kim Kwang J.
Published: April 2011

The presented research introduces a new Ionic Polymer-Metal-ZnO Composite (IPMZC) demonstrating photoluminescence (PL)-quenching on mechanical bending or application of an electric field. The newly fabricated IPMZC integrates the optical properties of ZnO and the electroactive nature of Ionic Polymer Metal Composites (IPMC) to enable a non-contact read-out of IPMC response. The electro-mechano-optical response of the IPMZC was measured by observing the PL spectra under mechanical bending and electrical regimes. The working range was measured to be 375–475 nm. It was noted that the PL-quenching increased proportionally with the increase in curvature and applied field at 384 and 468 nm. The maximum quenching of 53.4% was achieved with the membrane curvature of 78.74/m and 3.01% when electric field (12.5 × 103 V/m) is applied. Coating IPMC with crystalline ZnO was observed to improve IPMC transduction.
Validation of a Phase-Mass Characterization Concept and Interface for Acoustic Biosensors
Authors: Montagut Yeison , García José V. , Jiménez Yolanda , March Carmen , Montoya Ángel , Arnau Antonio
Published: April 2011

Acoustic wave resonator techniques are widely used in in-liquid biochemical applications. The main challenges remaining are the improvement of sensitivity and limit of detection, as well as multianalysis capabilities and reliability. The sensitivity improvement issue has been addressed by increasing the sensor frequency, using different techniques such as high fundamental frequency quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs), surface generated acoustic waves (SGAWs) and film bulk acoustic resonators (FBARs). However, this sensitivity improvement has not been completely matched in terms of limit of detection. The decrease on frequency stability due to the increase of the phase noise, particularly in oscillators, has made it impossible to increase the resolution. A new concept of sensor characterization at constant frequency has been recently proposed based on the phase/mass sensitivity equation: ∆φ/∆m ≈ −1/mL, where mL is the liquid mass perturbed by the resonator. The validation of the new concept is presented in this article. An immunosensor application for the detection of a low molecular weight pollutant, the insecticide carbaryl, has been chosen as a validation model.
Autor frente a auctoritas: la recreación de Júpiter por Alfonso X en la General Estoria, Primera parte
Authors: Savo García Irene
Published: April 2011

El presente artículo retoma las conclusiones que Francisco Rico (1972) propuso en su trabajo Alfonso el Sabio y la «General Estoria»: tres lecciones, sobre la relación entre la figura de Júpiter en la General Estoria y la personalidad regia de Alfonso X. Con el fin de justificar en primer término las afirmaciones del profesor Rico, se propone el análisis del capítulo De la razón del rey Saturno e de Júpiter e de sos hermanos, en el libro VI de la materia correspondiente al Génesis de la Primera parte de la General Estoria, en el cual se narra el origen del reinado de Júpiter. En segundo término, el análisis de este capítulo permite plantear una de las problemáticas más complejas que atañe a la recepción de los textos latinos en la General Estoria: la identificación de las fuentes y el uso alfonsí de las mismas, en este caso de aquellas mitográficas, traducidas y compiladas en los capítulos correspondientes a las narraciones de los linajes de los reyes gentiles.
Traductions et pouvoir d’Alphonse X à Alphonse XI : l’exemple de la fiction littéraire
Authors: Heusch Carlos
Published: April 2011

Este trabajo se centra en la problemática del retraso con el que surge en Castilla la literatura de fi cción, concretamente artúrica. La hipótesis desarrollada se orienta hacia un posible rechazo por parte de Alfonso X de traducir unos romans franceses de aventuras caballerescas considerados tan solo como «vains et plaisants» (Bodel). En tiempos de Sancho IV, Castilla se abre a nuevas traducciones de textos relacionados con la materia de Francia, aceptables merced a su importante carga espiritual. Ahora bien dichas traducciones van a crear un horizonte nuevo de expectativas en lo tocante a la fi cción literaria, convirtiéndose así en uno de los eslabones fundamentales de la cadena textual que conduce a las traducciones castellanas de la Post-vulgata realizadas en tiempos de Alfonso XI.
De la traduction au manifeste politique : le Libro de las virtuosas e claras mugeres d’Álvaro de Luna
Authors: Fournès Ghislaine
Published: April 2011

El Libro de las virtuosas e claras mugeres de Álvaro de Luna encierra una paradoja ya que se presenta, desde el título que remite al De mulieribus claris de Boccacio, como una traducción o traslación de varios textos anteriores, cuando al mismo tiempo ensalza a su autor cuyo estatuto supera el de un simple traductor. El análisis revela que las digresiones y los comentarios que acompañan estas biografías femeninas, construyen un discurso más personal: Álvaro de Luna alaba las virtudes y las acciones que él mismo practica y reivindica. La alabanza de estas heroínas judías y romanas se realiza en benefi cio del autor; el discurso se vuelve político.
Aspectos ideológicos de la traducción y recepción de las historias caballerescas breves
Authors: Luna Mariscal Karla Xiomara
Published: April 2011

Réflexion sur quelques relations entre genre, traduction et diffusion imprimée pertinentes quant à la confi guration du modèle narratif chevaleresque bref, ainsi que sur l’intervention de l’imprimeur et le rôle de la traduction dans la configuration textuelle de ces oeuvres à partir des nouvelles voies de diffusion créées par l’imprimerie (avec une attention particulière prêtée à l’Historia de Oliveros de Castilla y Artús d’Algarve et à l’Historia del emperador Carlomagno y de sus doze pares de Francia).
A tradução do Livro de Rasis e a memória da Casa Senhorial dos Aboim-Portel
Authors: Rei Antonio
Published: April 2011

Dans cette étude nous traitons du contexte historique et culturel qui a motivé le travail de traduction initialement connu comme Livro de Rasis. Nous nous arrêtons ensuite sur les caractéristiques de sa réalisation et, finalement, sur les circonstances qui ont fait que ce texte a pu devenir l’une des sources principales de la Crónica Geral de Espanha de 1344.
Os testemunhos da tradução portuguesa da Historia Scholastica de Pedro Comestor: consequências ideológicas da selecção de fontes
Authors: Leite Mariana
Published: April 2011

En considérant les témoignages disponibles des traductions en portugais de la Bible et de la Historia Scholastica de Petrus Comestor, l’on analyse un court extrait de la Genèse dont on suit les effets idéologiques impliqués par le choix et ou l’omission de sources. Les données disponibles amènent l’établissement d’une relation stemmatique provisoire entre ces témoignages.
Procedimientos de organización textual en la prosa alfonsí
Authors: Cobas Gonzalez Jacinto
Published: April 2011

L’étude des mécanismes à partir desquels on construit un texte permet de comprendre beaucoup de phénomènes linguistiques, difficiles à expliquer si on les ignore. Des questions comme la division en épigraphes ou en chapitres choisie par un auteur spécifique, ainsi que le type de texte dont il s’agit, influencent sans aucun doute la forme finale de son écrit et déterminent en grande partie quelques-unes de ses caractéristiques linguistiques les plus importantes. Dans l’Estoria de España, concrètement, il existe de nombreuses formules pour commencer et finir ses diverses unités narratives, et beaucoup de structures pour les enchaîner. Cet article explique les procédés utilisés pour mettre en ordre avec efficience communicative l’information qu’on prétend transmettre au lecteur.
Structures du peuplement et formes de l’habitat dans les campagnes du sud-est de la France de l’Antiquité au Moyen Âge (IVe-VIIIe s.) : essai de synthèse
Authors: Schneider Laurent
Published: April 2011

Zusammenfassung. Vor ungefähr zwanzig Jahren machte es das fast völlige Fehlen archäologischer Daten unmöglich, sich ein objektives Bild von den ländlichen Gebieten und dem Leben auf dem Lande im Südosten Galliens zwischen Antike und Mittelalter zu machen. Seitdem haben die Studien beträchtliche Fortschritte gemacht, und wir beginnen, dank einer umfangreichen und permanent erneuerten Dokumentation eine Vorstellung von den Besiedlungsmustern und den Siedlungsformen zu bekommen, die diese Jahrhunderte auszeichnen. Die hundert Jahre von 450 bis 550 sind im Süden Frankreichs von einer tiefgreifenden Neuordnung der ländlichen Siedlungen gekennzeichnet. Sie bestätigt die Herausbildung einer neuen ländlichen Geographie, die die alten, von der frühen Kaiserzeit übernommenen Strukturen nachhaltig verändert. Ziel dieses Beitrags ist es, eine heute reichhaltige Dokumentation zu ordnen und insbesondere die Entwicklung der villae bis ins 8. Jh. zu verfolgen, die neuen Siedlungsformen zu beschreiben und die Unterschiede zwischen den Provinzen zu identifizieren, denn die Art und Weise wie diese besiedelt wurden, sind bei weitem nicht einheitlich. Es kommt extrem häufig vor, dass eine Siedlung urplötzlich verlassen wird, sodass sich die Frage nach der tatsächlichen Besiedlung mancher Landstriche stellt. Die Siedlungen unterliegen einem ständigen und vielgestaltigen Wandel und es erweist sich als äußerst schwierig, mögliche historische Einschnitte zu erkennen, die sich entwicklungsgeschichtlich nicht über mehrere Jahrhunderte hinziehen. In der Tat wird das Leben auf dem Land von einem anderen Rhythmus bestimmt und lässt die treibenden Kräfte dieser zu Unrecht als obskur bezeichneten Jahrhunderte in einem anderen Licht erscheinen. Die Herausbildung zwischen 450 und 550 zahlreicher in den schriftlichen Quellen nicht erwähnter befestigter Höhensiedlungen im gesamten Mittelmeerraum wirft die alten Hierarchien über den Haufen und bringt die territoriale Organisation der alten Bürgerschaften durcheinander. Die Erkenntnis dieses Phänomens bahnt den Weg für neue Fragestellungen, nicht nur bezüglich der Fähigkeit der ländlichen Bezirke sich selbst zu verteidigen, sondern vielleicht auch im weiteren Sinne bezüglich der territorialen Flickerei der letzten Jahrhunderte des Altertums, eines Prozesses, der noch vor kurzem ausschließlich durch die kirchliche Neustrukturierung fassbar war.
La christianisation des campagnes (IVe-VIIIe s.)
Authors: Codou Yann , Colin Marie-Geneviève , Le Nézet-Célestin Monique
Published: April 2011

Résumé. Divers travaux récents permettent de dresser un panorama de la christianisation des campagnes ou, tout au moins, de sa traduction monumentale entre le Ve s. et le VIIIe s. Dans le courant des ve-vie s., on peut parler d’une «naissance des campagnes chrétiennes», même si la mise en place d’un paysage rural chrétien connaît, selon les régions, des développements différents et des spécificités chronologiques. L’apparition de ces lieux de culte est due à l’action d’acteurs multiples tels que les clercs, en particuliers les évêques, mais aussi les potentes, détenteurs de domaines ruraux. Ce paysage monumental, dès cette période de structuration, apparaît comme divers. Les résultats des recherches récentes permettent d’envisager l’existence de véritables groupes presbytéraux, c’est-à-dire d’ensembles d’édifices aux fonctions spécifiques et complémentaires. Parmi ces édifices s’imposent les églises baptismales, dont l’origine est, dans la majorité des cas, liée à l’intervention directe de l’Église. D’autres monuments témoignent du lien étroit qui s’établit entre l’église et le monde des morts, sous la forme de basiliques funéraires rurales. Ce semis de lieux de culte s’adapte au réseau de l’habitat rural. Les agglomérations secondaires qui se développent alors réservent une place de choix à l’église, tandis que dans les villae on voit s’élever des oratoria. Cette organisation topographique progressive porte déjà en elle les prémices des formes d’occupation et d’encadrement des populations qui connaîtront leur plein épanouissement au coeur de la période médiévale.
Une archéologie pour aborder la christianisation de l’espace rural : l’exemple de la campagne genevoise
Authors: Terrier Jean
Published: April 2011

Zusammenfassung. In den letzten Jahren hat die Kantonsarchäologie in Genf im Bereich der christlichen Archäologie auf recht begrenztem Territorium eine beachtliche Zahl von Grabungen durchgeführt. Die Untersuchungen betrafen sowohl die großen Gotteshäuser im Zentrum der Stadt als auch die bescheideneren Kirchen im Umland. Der vorliegende Artikel behandelt den zweiten, die Christianisierung der ländlichen Gebiete betreffenden Aspekt.
Échanges et consommation
Authors: Bonifay Michel , Raynaud Claude , Berthault Frédéric , Bien Stéphane , Boucharlat Élise , Foy Danièle , Mukai Tomoo , Pellegrino Emmanuel , Pelletier Jean-Pierre , Pieri Dominique , Piton Jean , Rigoir Yves , Silvino Tony , Tréglia Jean-Christophe
Published: April 2011

Abstract. With the expansion of research on Late Antiquity in the early 80’, the question of the datation of finds was a task that could not be escaped, for the advancement of these studies. In Provence and Languedoc, on the credit of the CATHMA programme (Céramique de l’Antiquité tardive et du haut Moyen Âge) which had this ambition, about fifteen reports have been devoted to the finalization of a typochronological reference pattern. In connection with the development of urban excavations, and as well in the countryside, this activity could use new discoveries and in turn help to work out a fine dating pattern. The stratigraphical data given by these excavations constituted a decisive step. A preliminary Dictionnaire des Céramiques antiques gave a large place to these Late southern productions and to Mediterranean imports. The book is not complete and now out-of-print; it should be published again and reactualized with important new evidence. A collective project has been working also in Rhône-Alpes on a chronological typopological reference system and more recently several surveys, on a larger area, were carried out on adornments. This research had effects in several Mediterranean areas. From Tunisia to the Near East amphorae and pottery fabrics and glass workshops have been located or re-examined with the help of new methods of study. Consequently, from now on, it is possible to propose fine datations up to 50 years, even within a quarter of a century, at least until the 6th century. Markers get poor afterwards and there is still much to do, especially to confirm and determine a number of points, due to systematic radiocarbone datation. This improvement of chronological criteras allow to escape approximative interpretations. Outside pottery studies bringing precise datation, more basically one had to examine the distribution of distant imports as of regional products and to follow their ebb and flow. Thus a history of trade is gradually emerging, avoiding presuppositions and stereotypes of a weakened economy in Late Antiquity.
Paire de fibules en or du Ier s. av. J.-C. : autour d’une découverte de l’oppidum de Corent (Puy-de-Dôme)
Authors: Poux Matthieu , Demierre Matthieu , Garcia Magali , Gratuze Bernard , Gruel Katherine , Guichon Romain , Nieto-Pelletier Sylvia
Published: April 2011

Abstract. During the excavations undergoing on the oppidum of puy de Corent (Puy-de-Dôme), a couple of solid gold brooches linked by a chain was recovered on the floor of a dwelling dated to the middle 1st century B. C. A reassessment of the publications devoted to Late Iron Age gold and silver brooches shows the extreme scarcity and peculiar status of this kind of ornaments in the north of the Alps area. The examples from Corent belong to a type of Italic brooches produced in Northern Cisalpine Gaul and spread in Transalpine between the years 70 and 30 B. C. Their material and technology of the chain confirm this Mediterranean filiation, also underlined by literary sources. Noticed as insigna in Rome, worn by military tribuni or offered as diplomatic presents, these gold trims could have reached Gaul by different ways: through privileged contacts, diplomatic or commercial, by tribal leaders, among the Arverni or insular people, with the Roman Republic or through legionary officers or auxiliaries recruited for conquest operations.
Maison à péristyle et élites urbaines en Gaule sous l’Empire
Authors: Vipard Pascal
Published: April 2011

Résumé. Les maisons à péristyle n’étaient pas simplement le type d’habitat le plus riche rencontré dans les villes romaines, mais aussi un élément du modèle de gouvernement des provinces mis en place par Rome. Leur possession devait en effet constituer une obligation pour les membres les plus éminents des élites municipales qui briguaient ou détenaient le pouvoir. Leur étude sous un angle privilégiant les parties publiques plutôt que les parties plus purement privées permet de montrer la validité pour la Gaule des modèles domestiques élaborés à Rome et la progressive intégration des Gallo-Romains aux schémas mentaux du nouveau pouvoir. Si l’exemple gaulois met en évidence de nombreux points communs avec les modèles italiques, il fait également apparaître des particularités qui sont souvent moins des provincialismes que le signe d’une évolution générale de l’usage de ces maisons dans l’Empire sous l’effet des événements historiques et des mutations des classes dirigeantes. Du fait de ses liens étroits avec le monde du pouvoir et du cadre urbain dans lequel celui-ci s’exerce, ce type d’habitat occupait une place particulière dans la ville et son existence a suivi le destin de ses élites. Apparu partout avec la naissance des villes à l’époque augustéenne, il a massivement disparu dans le courant du IIIe s.
Aix-les-Bains et son tombeau-temple : « ruralité » et « urbanité » d’un vicus allobroge
Authors: Leveau Philippe
Published: April 2011

Zusammenfassung. Ein umfangreiches epigraphisches Corpus, das die nennt, die Überreste antiker Thermen und zwei zum Teil noch stehende Monumente, ein Bogen und ein Tempel, lassen vermuten, dass die kleine Stadt Aix-les-Bains auf eine antike Siedlung gefolgt war, die bereits städtische Züge besessen hatte. Bei dem Tempel handelt es sich in Wirklichkeit um ein Grabmal. Das, was man für ein monumentales Stadtzentrum gehalten hatte, ist in Wirklichkeit ein Bestattungskomplex, der in der Nähe des Thermalbades errichtet worden war.
EFFECTS OF FAR INFRARED RAYS ON HYDROGEN PEROXIDE-SCAVENGING CAPACITY
Authors: Leung Ting-Kai , Shang Huey-Fang , Chen Dai-Chian , Chen Jia-Yu , Chang Tsong-Min , Hsiao Sheng-Yi , Ho Cheng-Kun , Lin Yung-Sheng
Published: April 2011

Far infrared rays (FIRs) have several proven effects on the human body and are generally considered to be biologically beneficial. In this study, we determined the effect of FIRs on hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) -scavenging activity, which was directly increased by 10.26% after FIR application. Even in the indirect use of FIRs accompanying carrot extract, FIRs still contributed to a 5.48% increase in H2O2-scavenging activity. We further proved that additional FIR treatment resulted in about 23.02% and 18.77% viability increases of osteoblast cells in the 200 and 800 μM H2O2, respectively; and about 25.67% and 47.16% viability increases of fibroblast cells in the 25 and 50 μM H2O2, respectively. Finally, FIR treatment also delayed senescence of detached Railway Beggarticks leaves in H2O2solution with the concentrations of 10, 100, and 1000 μM. By reviewing past articles related to the effects of oxidative stress from metabolically produced H2O2, we discuss possible benefits of FIRs for plants and animals.
COMPUTER-BASED DETECTION OF APOPTOTIC CELL MORPHOLOGY
Authors: Liu Hai-Ling , Han Song-Iy , Kim Tae-Hyoung , Shin Young-Suk
Published: April 2011

Apoptosis is an erratic physiological process whereby cells undergo a self-destruction process. A quantitative analysis of apoptosis, namely counting the number of cells undergoing apoptosis, is required not only to understand the mechanism of this process but also to quantitatively evaluate the effect of anticancer drugs as many anticancer drugs attempt to achieve their effects by inducing the cancer cell to apoptosis. Currently, counting cells undergoing apoptosis is generally carried out manually by the naked eyes. Although these methods are accurate and appropriate in some cases, they can be extremely time consuming and labor intensive. Also, manual counting is subjective and difficult to achieve high throughput. There is compelling necessity for developing an automatic apoptosis-counting method. In this paper, we described an image-based method, which is applied in HCT116 human colon adenocarcinoma cell culture to count the number of apoptosis induced by anticancer drug oxaliplatin. Our methods are mostly based on well-known and mature algorithms in image processing and pattern recognition such as the contrast-limited adaptive histogram equalization, pixel classification, size distribution detection by granulometries, watershed algorithm, and artificial neural networks. We evaluated our segmentation results using the area overlap measurement, and the best achieved performance that can reach over 98%. We also evaluated our apoptosis detection results against the results of four biomedical experts and compared the results with other existing efforts. The final performance shows that our method is more reliable and accurate for detecting apoptosis than the previous methods.
ATTACHMENT AND PROLIFERATION OF RETINAL PIGMENT EPITHELIAL CELLS ON SMALL INTESTINE SUBMUCOSA POWDER IMPREGNATED POLY(L-LACTIDE-CO-GLYCOLIDE) FILM
Authors: Jo Eun Hye , Lee Ga Young , Cho Su Jin , Yoo Hanna , Kim On You , Seong Kyeongyeol , Kang Young Sun , Lee Dongwon , Khang Gilson
Published: April 2011

The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) closely interacts with photoreceptors in the maintenance of visual function. The native RPEs exist as a monolayer structure and have a mottled brown color due to the presence of melanin and other pigments including lipofuscin granules, which accumulate with age. In age-related macular degeneration (AMD), RPE's dysfunction and changes in Bruch's membrane occur. Thus, small intestine submucosa/poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (SIS/PLGA) film is a biomimetic transplant consisting of a layer of healthy RPE cells cultured on a support membrane. The goals of this study were to evaluate the effects of attachment and proliferation of RPEs on SIS/PLGA films. Porcine SIS is an acellular tissue and widely used as a biomaterial without immunorejection responses, whereas PLGA is a biodegradable synthetic polymer with acceptable mechanical strength and well-controlled degradation rate. We fabricated SIS/PLGA films using 20 wt% of SIS. We measured MTT to confirm cellular adhesion of cell number attached on film at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days. Morphology of cellular adhesion on films was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy at 1, 3, and 7 days. Further, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was conducted to confirm messenger RNA expression of RPE65 as RPE's marker and expression of cytokeratin, and RPE65 were determined by AEC immunocytochemical staining. These results suggest that SIS provides suitable surface to RPEs.
GENIPIN CROSSLINKED DRUG–GELATIN COMPOSITE FOR DRUG TRANSPORT AND CYTOCOMPATIBILITY
Authors: Thakur Goutam , Mitra Analava , Basak Amit
Published: April 2011

Gelatin-based drug carrier matrices have emerged as very promising class of delivery system. The purpose of this investigation was to develop drug loaded gelatin-based gels (composites). Gelatin matrices were crosslinked with genipin, a naturally occurring crosslinker for the release of indomethacin. Indomethacin, a low molecular weight and moderately hydrophobic, anti-inflammatory agent was incorporated into the gelatin matrices to form drug loaded gel composites for the release study. The gels were subjected to temperature-dependent oscillatory rheology. The result showed pouring temperature in the range of ~31–34°C for the un-crosslinked gels while the crosslinked gels did not show crossover point. Gels were studied for surface morphology using scanning electron microscopy and a porous network structure was observed. The release of indomethacin from the gels indicated an initial increase in the release rate with the increase in drug concentrations. It was observed that drug composites with higher drug concentration exhibited higher drug transport. Swelling and crosslinking played a crucial role in regulating the drug transport. Further, viability assay suggested biocompatibility of these matrices in vitro. Gel in vitro cell compatibility using live dead assay evaluated with AH-927 cell line indicated normal cell proliferation without any harmful effect and thus suggesting appropriateness of crosslinked composites as potential drug carrier.
CYTOTOXICITY AND DIFFERENTIATION EFFECTS OF GOLD NANOPARTICLES TO HUMAN BONE MARROW MESENCHYMAL STEM CELLS
Authors: Fan Jui-Hung , Li Wen-Tyng , Hung Wei-I , Chen Cheng-Pao , Yeh Jui-Ming
Published: April 2011

Gold nanoparticles (GNPs) are widely used in chemical sensing, drug delivery, biomedical imaging, and photothermal therapy due to their strong and size-tunable surface plasmon resonance, fluorescence, and easy-surface functionalization. In this study, we investigated the effects of water-dispersed GNPs on the cytotoxicity and differentiation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) and the associated death pathway. The results showed that the viability of hBMSCs was dependent upon the size of GNPs. Further, GNPs at the smallest size exhibited the highest cytotoxicity after treatment for 5 days and also substantially suppressed the number of colony-forming unit-fibroblast (CFU-F) of hBMSCs after continuous exposure for 21 days. Although large and medium sizes of GNPs had minor cytotoxicity to the cells, the sizes of CFU-F formed in the groups treated with GNPs at medium and large sizes were smaller compared to the control group. Further study of the cell death pathway using GNPs at medium size found that GNPs triggered hBMSCs necrosis, possibly by oxidative stress after GNPs were endocytosed. In addition, GNPs exerted the inhibitory effects on induced osteogenesis and adipogenesis of hBMSCs. Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and calcium mineralization during osteogenic induction as well as the accumulation of triacylglycerides in adipogenic hBMSCs were repressed significantly by coculturing with GNPs at medium size. Our results suggest that the application of GNPs as long-term tracers for the activities of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) should be carefully evaluated.
Analyses of Recombinant Stereotypic IGHV3-21–Encoded Antibodies Expressed in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
Authors: Ghia Emanuela M. , Widhopf George F. , Rassenti Laura Z. , Kipps Thomas J.
Published: April 2011

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) cells that use IgH encoded by IGHV3-21 and that have a particular stereotypic third CDR (HCDR3), DANGMDV (motif-1), almost invariably express Ig L chains (IgL) encoded by IGLV3-21, whereas CLL that use IGHV3-21–encoded IgH with another stereotypic HCDR3, DPSFYSSSWTLFDY (motif-2), invariably express κ-IgL encoded by IGKV3-20. This nonstochastic pairing could reflect steric factors that preclude these IgH from pairing with other IgL or selection for an Ig with a particular Ag-binding activity. We generated rIg with IGHV3-21–encoded IgH with HCDR3 motif-1 or -2 and IgL encoded by IGKV3-20 or IGLV3-21. Each IgH paired equally well with matched or mismatched κ- or λ-IgL to form functional Ig, which we screened for binding to an array of different Ags. Ig with IGLV3-21–encoded λ-IgL could bind with an affinity of ∼2 × 10−6 M to protein L, a cell-wall protein of Peptostreptococcus magnus, independent of the IgH, indicating that protein L is a superantigen for IGLV3-21–encoded λ-IgL. We also detected Ig binding to cofilin, a highly conserved actin-binding protein. However, cofilin binding was independent of native pairing of IgH and IgL and was not specific for Ig with IgH encoded by IGHV3-21. We conclude that steric factors or the binding activity for protein L or cofilin cannot account for the nonstochastic pairing of IgH and IgL observed for the stereotypic Ig made by CLL cells that express IGHV3-21.
Granzyme B Expression by CD8+ T Cells Is Required for the Development of Experimental Cerebral Malaria
Authors: Haque Ashraful , Best Shannon E. , Unosson Klara , Amante Fiona H. , de Labastida Fabian , Anstey Nicholas M. , Karupiah Gunasegaran , Smyth Mark J. , Heath William R. , Engwerda Christian R.
Published: April 2011

Parasite burden predicts disease severity in malaria and risk of death in cerebral malaria patients. In murine experimental cerebral malaria (ECM), parasite burden and CD8+ T cells promote disease by mechanisms that are not fully understood. We found that the majority of brain-recruited CD8+ T cells expressed granzyme B (GzmB). Furthermore, gzmB−/− mice harbored reduced parasite numbers in the brain as a consequence of enhanced antiparasitic CD4+ T cell responses and were protected from ECM. We showed in these ECM-resistant mice that adoptively transferred, Ag-specific CD8+ T cells migrated to the brain, but did not induce ECM until a critical Ag threshold was reached. ECM induction was exquisitely dependent on Ag-specific CD8+ T cell-derived perforin and GzmB, but not IFN-γ. In wild-type mice, full activation of brain-recruited CD8+ T cells also depended on a critical number of parasites in this tissue, which in turn, was sustained by these tissue-recruited cells. Thus, an interdependent relationship between parasite burden and CD8+ T cells dictates the onset of perforin/GzmB-mediated ECM.
The Immunosuppressive Role of IL-32 in Lymphatic Tissue during HIV-1 Infection
Authors: Smith Anthony J. , Toledo Chad M. , Wietgrefe Stephen W. , Duan Lijie , Schacker Timothy W. , Reilly Cavan S. , Haase Ashley T.
Published: April 2011

One pathological hallmark of HIV-1 infection is chronic activation of the immune system, driven, in part, by increased expression of proinflammatory cytokines. The host attempts to counterbalance this prolonged immune activation through compensatory mediators of immune suppression. We recently identified a gene encoding the proinflammatory cytokine IL-32 in microarray studies of HIV-1 infection in lymphatic tissue (LT) and show in this study that increased expression of IL-32 in both gut and LT of HIV-1–infected individuals may have a heretofore unappreciated role as a mediator of immune suppression. We show that: 1) IL-32 expression is increased in CD4+ T cells, B cells, macrophages, dendritic cells, and epithelial cells in vivo; 2) IL-32 induces the expression of immunosuppressive molecules IDO and Ig-like transcript 4 in immune cells in vitro; and 3) in vivo, IL-32-associated IDO/Ig-like transcript 4 expression in LT macrophages and gut epithelial cells decreases immune activation but also may impair host defenses, supporting productive viral replication, thereby accounting for the correlation between IL-32 levels and HIV-1 replication in LT. Thus, during HIV-1 infection, we propose that IL-32 moderates chronic immune activation to avert associated immunopathology but at the same time dampens the antiviral immune response and thus paradoxically supports HIV-1 replication and viral persistence.