bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ultrasound‐derived fetal size nomogram for a sub‐Saharan African population: a longitudinal study
Authors: Landis S. H. , Ananth C. V. , Lokomba V. , Hartmann K. E. , Thorp J. M. , Horton A. , Atibu J. , Ryder R. W. , Tshefu A. , Meshnick S. R.
Published: April 2009

Objectives

To create a fetal size nomogram for use in sub‐Saharan Africa and compare the derived centiles with reference intervals from developed countries.

Methods

Fetal biometric measurements were obtained at entry to antenatal care (11–22 weeks' gestation) and thereafter at 4‐week intervals from pregnant women enrolled in a longitudinal ultrasound study in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The study population comprised 144 singleton gestations with ultrasound‐derived gestational age within 14 days of the menstrual estimate. A total of 755 monthly ultrasound scans were included with a mean ± SD of 5 ± 1 (range, 2–8) scans per woman. Estimated fetal weight (EFW) was calculated at each ultrasound examination using the Hadlock algorithm. A general mixed‐effects linear regression model that incorporated random effects for both the intercept and slope was fitted to log‐transformed EFW to account for both mean growth and within‐fetus variability in growth. Reference centiles (5th, 10th, 50th, 90th and 95th centiles) were derived from this model.

Results

Nomograms derived from developed populations consistently overestimated the 50th centile EFW value for Congolese fetuses by roughly 5–12%. Differences observed in the 10th and 90th centiles were inconsistent between nomograms, but generally followed a pattern of overestimation that decreased with advancing gestational age.

Conclusions

In low‐resource settings, endemic malaria and maternal nutritional factors, including low prepregnancy weight and pregnancy weight gain, probably lead to lower fetal weight and utilization of nomograms derived from developed populations is not appropriate. This customized nomogram could provide more applicable reference intervals for diagnosis of intrauterine growth restriction in sub‐Saharan African populations. Copyright © 2009 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The impact of crown–rump length measurement error on combined Down syndrome screening: a simulation study
Authors: Salomon L. J. , Bernard M. , Amarsy R. , Bernard J. P. , Ville Y.
Published: April 2009

Objective

To evaluate the impact of a 5‐mm error in the measurement of crown–rump length (CRL) in a woman undergoing ultrasound and biochemistry sequential combined screening for Down syndrome.

Methods

Based on existing risk calculation algorithms, we simulated the case of a 35‐year‐old‐woman undergoing combined screening based on nuchal translucency (NT) measurement and early second‐trimester maternal serum markers (human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and alpha‐fetoprotein (AFP) expressed as multiples of the median (MoM)). Two measurement errors were considered (+ or − 5 mm), for four different CRLs (50, 60, 70 and 80 mm), with five different NT measurements (1, 1.5, 2, 2.5 and 3 mm) in a patient undergoing biochemistry testing at 14 + 4, 15, 16, 17 or 18 weeks' gestation. Four different values for each maternal serum marker were tested (1, 1.5, 2 and 2.5 MoM for hCG, and 0.5, 0.8, 1 and 1.5 MoM for AFP), leading to a total of 3200 simulations of the impact of measurement error. In all cases the ratio between the risk as assessed with or without the measurement error was calculated (measurement error‐related risk ratio (MERR)).

Results

Over 3200 simulated cases, MERR ranged from 0.53 to 2.14. In 586 simulations (18.3%), it was < 0.66 or > 1.33. Based on a risk cut‐off of 1/300, women would have been misclassified in 112 simulations (3.5%). This would go up to 33 (27.5%) out of the 120 simulations in women with ‘borderline’ risk, with 1.5 MoM for hCG and 0.5 MoM for AFP, and NT measurement of 1 or 2mm.

Conclusion

Down syndrome screening may be highly sensitive to measurement errors in CRL. Quality control of CRL measurement should be performed together with quality control of NT measurement in order to provide the highest standard of care. Copyright © 2009 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A retransmission‐based scheme for video streaming over wireless channels
Authors: Hassan Mohamed , Landolsi Taha
Published: April 2009

Efficient resource allocation is a key factor to improve the efficiency of video transmission over wireless channels. To increase the number of correctly received video frames at the decoder, it is desirable to reduce the video source rate while increasing error protection when the wireless channel is anticipated to be bad or when the receiver buffer is approaching starvation. In this study, we introduce a retransmission‐based adaptive source‐channel rate control scheme for video transmission over wireless packet networks. In this scheme, the level of adaptiveness is optimized to reduce the bandwidth requirement while guaranteeing delay and loss bounds. The proposed scheme has the advantage of providing closed‐form expressions of the near‐optimum parameters of the proposed model, which are then fed back to the transmitter to scale both the source and channel rates adaptively. Simulation and numerical investigations are carried out to verify the adequacy of the analysis and study the impact of the adaptive process on the continuity of the video playback process. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nanoparticle vaccines against respiratory viruses
Authors: Adair Brian M.
Published: April 2009

Influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and parainfluenza type 3 virus (PI‐3V) are the major viral agents which are consistently involved in causing lower respiratory tract disease in humans and animals. The virus infection begins in the upper respiratory tract, where immune responses are initiated, and then progresses to the lower respiratory tract where destruction of cells and tissues leads to bronchitis, bronchiolitis, and pneumonia, which is occasionally fatal. Nanoparticle vaccines, incorporating antigenic components from influenza, RSV, or PI‐3V have been shown to be capable of stimulating mucosal and systemic immune responses, which can prevent the spread of infection to the lower respiratory tract. The encapsulation of viral proteins within nanoparticles may also facilitate production of respiratory vaccines which are efficacious in infants, where presence of maternally derived antibodies can reduce vaccine efficacy. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Nanomedicine for Infectious Disease
Expression of GFP using Pichia pastoris vectors with zeocin or G‐418 sulphate as the primary selectable marker
Authors: Papakonstantinou Theo , Harris Simon , Hearn Milton T. W.
Published: April 2009

Pichia pastoris is a popular host organism for expressing heterologous proteins, and various expression vectors for this yeast are currently available. Recently, vectors containing novel dominant antibiotic resistance markers have become a strong and developing field of research for this methylotropic yeast strain. We have developed new P. pastoris expression vectors, the pPICKanMX6 and pPICKanMX6α series. These vectors were constructed by replacing the zeocin resistance gene of the pPICZA, B, C and pPICZαA, B and C vectors with the Tn903 kanR marker from pFA6a KanMX6, which confers G‐418 sulphate resistance in P. pastoris. The limits of antibiotic resistance in two transformant yeast strains were investigated, and the selection marker was shown to be stably retained. To demonstrate their usefulness, a gene encoding hexa‐histidine‐tagged green fluorescent protein (GFPH6) was cloned into one of the new vectors and GFP expression examined in P. pastoris cells. The protein expression levels using the pPICKanMX6B vector were comparable with that using the original plasmid, based on zeocin resistance as seen by yeast cell fluorescence. Moreover, GFPH6 was able to be isolated by immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) from lysates of both yeast strains. A model reporter construct has been used to demonstrate successful recombinant protein expression and its subsequent purification using these new vectors. Corresponding vectors can now also be engineered with foreign gene expression under the control of various different promoters, to increase the flexibility of P. pastoris as a cellular factory for heterologous protein production. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quantitation of NAD+ biosynthesis from the salvage pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae
Authors: Sporty Jennifer , Lin Su‐Ju , Kato Michiko , Ognibene Ted , Stewart Benjamin , Turteltaub Ken , Bench Graham
Published: April 2009

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) is synthesized via two major pathways in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems: the de novo biosynthesis pathway from tryptophan precursors, or the salvage biosynthesis pathway from either extracellular nicotinic acid or various intracellular NAD+ decomposition products. NAD+ biosynthesis via the salvage pathway has been linked to an increase in yeast replicative lifespan under calorie restriction (CR). However, the relative contribution of each pathway to NAD+ biosynthesis under both normal and CR conditions is not known. Here, we have performed lifespan, NAD+ and NADH (the reduced form of NAD+) analyses on BY4742 wild‐type, NAD+ salvage pathway knockout (npt1Δ) and NAD+ de novo pathway knockout (qpt1Δ) yeast strains cultured in media containing either 2% glucose (normal growth) or 0.5% glucose (CR). We have utilized 14C labelled nicotinic acid in the culture media combined with HPLC speciation and both UV and 14C detection to quantitate the total amounts of NAD+ and NADH and the amounts derived from the salvage pathway. We observed that wild‐type and qpt1Δ yeast exclusively utilized extracellular nicotinic acid for NAD+ and NADH biosynthesis under both the 2% and 0.5% glucose growth conditions, suggesting that the de novo pathway plays little role if a functional salvage pathway is present. We also observed that NAD+ concentrations decreased in all three strains under CR. However, unlike the wild‐type strain, NADH concentrations did not decrease and NAD+: NADH ratios did not increase under CR for either knockout strain. Lifespan analyses revealed that CR resulted in a lifespan increase of approximately 25% for the wild‐type and qpt1Δ strains, while no increase in lifespan was observed for the npt1Δ strain. In combination, these data suggest that having a functional salvage pathway is required for lifespan extension under CR. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrothermal Synthesis, Structure Characterization, Catalytic Property of Four Inorganic‐Organic Hybrid Phosphomolybdates
Authors: Chen Qi , Cui Yan , Sun Qi , Pan Wenjun , Chen Qiang , Xu Yan
Published: April 2009

Four new inorganic‐organic hybrid polyoxometalate compounds based on the {Mo6P4} unit have been hydrothermally synthesized from the reaction of MoO3, Co(CH3COO)2·4H2O, triethylenetetramine (TETA) and 50 % phosphorus acid, and characterized by IR, TG, ICP and single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction. Compound 1 (H4TETA)2[(CoIITREN)2CoIIMoV12P8O52(OH)10]·4H2O [TREN = tris(2‐aminoethyl)amine], which is obtained at pH = 8.9, represents a {Mo6P4} unit supported transition metal complex, in which the CoII atom is pentacoordinate by four nitrogen atoms from TREN and one oxygen atom from PO4 tetrahedron, and the other CoII atom joins two {Mo6P4} units together to form a dimer by sharing six μ3‐O atoms. Compound 2 (H4TETA)2(C6H18N3)2[CoIIMoV12P8O54(OH)8]·5H2O [C6H15N3 = N‐(2‐aminoethyl)piperazine] obtained at pH = 6.4 shows a dimer anion [CoIIMoV12P8 O54(OH)8]14–, two fully protonated TETA and two protonated N‐(2‐Aminoethyl)piperazine. Compounds 3 [H4TREN]4[CoIIMoV12P8O56(OH)6]·4H2O and 4 [H4TETA]2[CoIIMoV12P8O48 (OH)14]·4H2O obtained from lower pH conditions (4.5 for 3 and 3.1 for 4) exhibit the same dimer anion as compound 2 only different cations. As the secondary building unit, the discrete dimer anions in compound 1–4 and the TETA (or its derivatives) construct 3D structures by hydrogen bonding interaction. The guest water molecules are filled in the channels, and also involved in the hydrogen bonding with oxygen atoms from inorganic‐organic hybrid framework, which makes the structures more stable. The catalytic properties of the four compounds are also tested in the styrene oxidation with H2O2.
Cobalt Ferrite Nanoparticles from Single and Multi‐Component Precursor Systems
Authors: Mathur Sanjay , Cavelius Christian , Moh Karsten , Shen Hao , Bauer Jürgen
Published: April 2009

Highly crystalline CoFe2O4 nanoparticles ( ∼ 5.6 nm) were synthesized by thermal decomposition of (i) single molecular precursor CoFe2(OtBu)8 and (ii) stoichiometric mixture of individual metal precursors. The precursors were thermolyzed in a high‐boiling solvent (Docosane, bp. 369 °C) to produce uniformly dispersed cobalt ferrite nanoparticles in the case of molecular precursor, whereas bimodal distribution of nanoparticles was obtained in the multi‐source synthesis. TG/DSC and HR‐TEM reveraled single‐ and multi‐step decomposition profiles and differential nucleation steps in the two cases, which influence size dispersion and phase purity.
Effects of Early Oral Feeding on Surgical Outcomes and Recovery After Curative Surgery for Gastric Cancer: Pilot Study Results
Authors: Hur Hoon , Si Yoon , Kang Won Kyung , Kim Wook , Jeon Hae Myung
Published: April 2009

Background

The aim of the present study was to determine whether early oral feeding after curative resection for gastric cancer can be tolerated and whether it has an effect on recovery.

Methods

From September 2007 to January 2008, we provided early postoperative oral feeding for 35 patients who underwent curative distal gastrectomy for gastric cancer. These patients began a liquid diet on the second postoperative day (POD), followed by a soft diet beginning on the third POD until they were discharged. From April to August 2007, we enrolled 31 patients with a conventional diet schedule as a control group. We compared the clinicopathologic features and surgical outcomes, including morbidity, laboratory results, and hospitalized days between the two groups.

Results

There were no significant differences in the clinical and operative factors between the two groups. Although there was no difference in the morbidity rate (P = 0.331), the early group was hospitalized for fewer days (8.03 ± 1.43 vs. 9.97 ± 2.07 days; P < 0.001) and had a faster onset of flatus (1.96 ± 0.58 vs. 2.97 ± 0.66 day; P < 0.001) than the control group. The laboratory findings showed that the early feeding group tended to have a lymphocyte count that recovered faster than the control group, although the difference was not statistically significant.

Conclusions

Early oral feeding following a gastrectomy for gastric cancer is feasible and can result in faster recovery of bowel function and a shorter hospitalization.
Proanthocyanidin Protects Intestine and Remote Organs Against Mesenteric Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Authors: Sizlan Ali , Guven Ahmet , Uysal Bulent , Yanarates Omer , Atim Abdulkadir , Oztas Emin , Cosar Ahmet , Korkmaz Ahmet
Published: April 2009

Background

Intestinal ischemia/reperfusion (IR) induces a systemic inflammatory response and releases harmful substances that may affect the function and integrity of distant organs such as lung, liver, and kidney. We conducted this study to find out if proanthocyanidins (PA) has protective effects against mesenteric IR injury and mesenteric IR‐induced intestinal and distant organ injury.

Materials and methods

Thirty‐two Sprague‐Dawley rats were divided into four groups: control, control + PA, IR, IR + PA. The IR and IR + PA groups were subjected to mesenteric arterial ischemia for 60 min and reperfusion for 6 h. The Control + PA and IR + PA groups were administered PA (100 mg/kg/day via oral gavage) for 7 days prior to injury insult. We collected ileal and distant organ tissues, such as pulmonary, hepatic, and kidney specimens to measure tissue levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and nitrite plus nitrate (NOx), and we then evaluated histological changes.

Results

In the IR group, significant increases in MDA and NOx levels and significant increases in SOD and GPx activities of intestine, liver, kidney, and lung were observed. The MDA and NOx levels were significantly lower, as were the SOD and GPx activities in the IR + PA group than that in the IR group. Although the intestine and distant organs damage scores were significantly higher in the IR group, these injuries were prevented by PA in the IR + PA group.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that PA has a significant effect in the protection of the intestine and the remote organs against mesenteric IR injury.
Bed site selection of red muntjac (Muntiacus muntjak) and sambar (Rusa unicolor) in a tropical seasonal forest
Authors: Brodie Jedediah F. , Brockelman Warren Y.
Published: April 2009

The selection of bedding sites is important for the ecology of ruminants, but has mainly been described for temperate species. Here we assessed the bed site selection of two Southeast Asian tropical deer, red muntjac and sambar, in Khao Yai National Park, Thailand. We surveyed transects weekly for 10 weeks each in 2003 and 2004 to locate bed sites, and compared the slope, aspect, and forest canopy cover of bed site locations between the two species and with available habitat. As with most temperate deer, muntjac and sambar both avoided sites with low levels of cover for their bed site locations; this could be for concealment or thermoregulation. Sambar also selected flatter sites than would be expected by the availability of topographic slopes; this could be to reduce the energy associated with getting to and from bed sites, or to increase long‐range visibility from sites. Muntjac and sambar differed in their choice of aspects for bed sites; muntjac disproportionately chose west‐facing areas, while sambar chose east‐facing locations. This could represent a strategy by which one species avoids the other, or else differential resource requirements between the two species.
A Model of Social Identity with an Application to Political Economy: Nation, Class, and Redistribution
Authors: SHAYO MOSES
Published: April 2009

This article develops a model for analyzing social identity and applies it to the political economy of income redistribution, focusing on class and national identities. The model attempts to distill major findings in social psychology into a parsimonious statement of what it means to identify with a group and what factors determine the groups with whom people identify. It then proposes an equilibrium concept where both identities and behavior are endogenously determined. Applying this model to redistribution helps explain three empirical patterns in modern democracies. First, national identification is more common among the poor than among the rich. Second, national identification tends to reduce support for redistribution. Third, across democracies there is a strong negative relationship between the prevalence of national identification and the level of redistribution. The model further points to national eminence, national threats, and diversity within the lower class as factors that can reduce redistribution.
Ageing and vitamin D deficiency: effects on calcium homeostasis and considerations for vitamin D supplementation
Authors: Oudshoorn Christian , van der Cammen Tischa J. M. , McMurdo Marion E. T. , van Leeuwen Johannes P. T. M. , Colin Edgar M.
Published: April 2009

Vitamin D is a fat-soluble, seco-steroid hormone. In man, the vitamin D receptor is expressed in almost all tissues, enabling effects in multiple systems of the human body. These effects can be endocrine, paracrine and autocrine. The present review summarises the effects of ageing on the vitamin D endocrine system and on Ca homeostasis. Furthermore, consequences for vitamin D supplementation are discussed.
Marinen-3 fatty acids promote size reduction of visceral adipose depots, without altering body weight and composition, in male Wistar rats fed a high-fat diet
Authors: Rokling-Andersen Merethe H. , Rustan Arild C. , Wensaas Andreas J. , Kaalhus Olav , Wergedahl Hege , Røst Therese H. , Jensen Jørgen , Graff Bjørn A. , Caesar Robert , Drevon Christian A.
Published: April 2009

We evaluated the effects of partly substituting lard with marinen-3 fatty acids (FA) on body composition and weight, adipose tissue distribution and gene expression in five adipose depots of male Wistar rats fed a high-fat diet. Rats were fed diets including lard (19·5 % lard) orn-3 FA (9·1 % lard and 10·4 % Triomar™) for 7 weeks. Feed consumption and weight gain were similar, whereas plasma lipid concentrations were lower in then-3 FA group. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed smaller visceral (mesenteric, perirenal and epididymal) adipose depots in then-3 FA-fed animals (35, 44 and 32 % reductions, respectively).n-3 FA feeding increased mRNA expression of cytokines as well as chemokines in several adipose depots. Expression ofAdipoqandPpargwas enhanced in the mesenteric adipose depots of then-3 FA-fed rats, and fasting plasma insulin levels were lowered. Expression of the lipogenic enzymesAcacaandFasnwas increased in the visceral adipose depots, whereasDgat1was reduced in the perirenal and epididymal depots.Cpt2mRNA expression was almost doubled in the mesenteric depot and liver. Carcass analyses showed similar body fat (%) in the two feeding groups, indicating thatn-3 FA feeding led to redistribution of fat away from the visceral compartment.
Dietary diacylglycerol oil has no effect on hypertriacylglycerolaemia in lipoprotein lipase-deficient cats
Authors: Datz Craig A. , Backus Robert C. , Fritsche Kevin L.
Published: April 2009

A commercially available vegetable oil containing a high concentration (87 %, w/w) of diacylglycerol (DAG) has been investigated in humans and animals for potential beneficial effects in reducing serum TAG concentrations in fasting and postprandial states. Effects of DAG oil as a sole dietary fat source (25 % metabolisable energy) were evaluated in a feline model of hypertriacylglycerolaemia. Eleven adult (1·5 (sem0·1) years) male cats deficient of lipoprotein lipase (LPL) catalytic activity from a heritable point mutation of theLPLgene were acclimatised to a semi-purified diet containing TAG oil for 21 d. After assignment into two groups, pair-matched by serum TAG concentrations (range 6·1–31·6 mmol/l), the cats were fed the diet with either TAG or DAG oil for 8 d. The dietary fat source was crossed-over and presented for 8 d more. Non-fasting serum concentrations of TAG, cholesterol and NEFA were measured on days 6–8 and days 14–16. Dietary fat source (DAGv.TAG) did not significantly affect food intake (491 (sem16)v.486 (sem14) kJ/kg0·67), body weight or serum concentrations (mmol/l) of TAG (37·1 (sem4·5)v.33·9 (sem3·4)), cholesterol (4·8 (sem0·3)v.4·8 (sem0·2)) and NEFA (1·4 (sem0·2)v.1·4 (sem0·2)). The results show that for a feeding trial of 8 d, DAG oil was well accepted and tolerated by cats but did not reduce hypertriacylglycerolaemia resulting from a deficiency of LPL catalytic activity.
Cosmopolitan Globalism and Human Community
Authors: Noonan Jeff
Published: April 2009

This article argues that the normative foundations and political implications of David Held's cosmopolitan social democracy are insufficient as solutions to the moral and social problems he criticizes. The article develops a life-grounded alternative critique of globalization that roots our ethical duties towards each other in consciousness of our shared needs and capabilities. These ethical duties are best realized in political projects aimed at fundamental long-term transformations in the principles that govern major socio-economic institutions.
Function and Structure in Aristotle
Authors: Butler Travis
Published: April 2009

Aristotle is sometimes committed to a pattern of inference that moves from complexity offunctioning to complexity in the entity's metaphysical structure. This article argues that Aristotle rejects this inference in the case of the basic essence, the ultimate differentia that determines the kind to which the entity belongs. Specifically, the functional difference between active and passive reasoning in humans is not matched in the structure of the basic human essence. The basic essence is an immediate unity in the strong sense that it is wholly without structural parts. Complex rational functioning emerges from a metaphysically simple basic essence.
Virtue Ethics, Politics, and the Function of Laws: The Parent Analogy in Plato's Menexenus
Authors: Berges Sandrine
Published: April 2009

Can virtue ethics say anything worthwhile about laws? What would a virtue-ethical account of good laws look like? I argue that a plausible answer to that question can be found in Plato's parent analogies in the Crito and the Menexenus. I go on to show that the Menexenus gives us a philosophical argument to the effect that laws are just only if they enable citizens to flourish. I then argue that the resulting virtue-ethical account of just laws is not viciously paternalistic. Finally, I refute the objection that the virtue-ethical account I am proposing is not distinct from a consequentialist account.
Réforme politique et éducation: un dialogue Godwin-Helvétius sur perfectibilité
Authors: Audidière Sophie
Published: April 2009

This article analyzes the relation between Godwin (1756–1836), Republican and author of Politcal Justice (1793), and French philosophers, particularly Helvétius. Both Godwin and Helvétius were in favour of a political understanding of the theory of knowledge as opposed to an intellectual treatment of policy. They continually questioned the links between policy, history of the human understanding, and moral science from the perspective of the question of education. After the September Massacres (1792), Godwin's thought changed radically and began to revolve around the notion of perfectibility. The final disagreement marked a distinction between French reformers, who advocated state control, and English writers, influenced by dissent and reformation, who held the idea of perfectibility.
Platon, critique du matérialisme: le cas de l'Hippias majeur
Authors: McNeil Raphaël Arteau
Published: April 2009

The aim of this article is twofold: first, to show that, in Plato'sHippias Major,Hippias is the mouthpiece of a materialist ontology; second, to discuss the critique of this ontology. My argument is based on an interpretation ofHippias Major300b4–301e3. I begin by revealing the shortcomings of P. Woodruff's and I. Ludlam's interpretations. Next, I define the concept of materialism as it was understood in ancient Greece (Democritus) in order to outline the specificity of Hippias' materialism. Finally, I argue that the opposition between the two characters of theHippias Majorrepresents in fact an ontological opposition between two conceptions of what a unity is, i.e., Hippias' elementary corporal unities and Socrates' “formal unity.”
Meyerson critique ou héritier de Comte?
Authors: Bensaude-Vincent Bernadette
Published: April 2009

Even though Émile Meyerson is rightly seen as an opponent of Comte's positivism, analyzing passages of his works with the help of his correspondence shows the ambiguity of his relation to Comte's philosophy. Drawing on Meyerson's remarks about his relation to Comte's philosophy, this article offers a new perspective on the notion of influence, which is too often perceived as passive or unassimilated reception of a stream of ideas. I argue that Meyerson treated Comte's ideas as a sort of raw matter he transformed into a finished product.
L'intervention humanitaire peut-elle être conçue comme un «devoir parfait»?
Authors: Courtois Stéphane
Published: April 2009

This article examines the claim recently put forward by Terry Nardin, Kok-Chor Tan, and Carla Bagnoli that humanitarian intervention ought to be conceived, not as an imperfect duty (a duty of assistance to the victims of crimes against humanity left to the discretion of the members of the international community), but—assuming that the permissibility conditions have been satisfied—as a perfect duty (an unconditional obligation demanded by justice). After explaining why such a position can be considered as legitimate, it underlines some of its difficulties and provides the elements of a response in order to overcome them.
Hybrid Varieties of Pleasure and the Complex Case of the Pleasures of Learning in Plato'sPhilebus
Authors: Ionescu Cristina
Published: April 2009

This article addresses two main concerns: first, the relation between the truth/falsehood and purity/impurity criteria as applied to pleasure, and, second, the status of our pleasures of learning. In addressing the first, I argue that Plato keeps the truth/falsehood and purity/impurity criteria distinct in his assessment of pleasures and thus leaves room for the possibility of hybrid pleasures in the form of true impure pleasures and false pure pleasures. In addressing the second issue, I show that Plato's view is perfectly able to accommodate an understanding of our pleasures of learning as pure pleasures even if such pleasures are preceded by awareness of a lack (ignorance).
Logical Space and the Space of Sight: The Relevance of Wittgenstein's Arguments to Recent Issues in the Philosophy of Mind
Authors: Soutif Ludovic
Published: April 2009

In this article, I show and discuss the relevance of Wittgenstein's arguments as to the spatial structure of sight to recent issues in the philosophy of mind. The first, bearing upon the dimensionality of the manifolds at play in depiction, plays a critical role in Clark's attempt to provide an independent account ofqualiaand of their differentiative properties. The second, pertaining to the properly spatial structure formed by the data of sight, is explicitly appealed to in the debate on the realistic character of any genuinely spatial scheme. I argue that if Wittgenstein rightly assumes that the simultaneous presence of sensible places in vision is a key condition for objectivity, he fails nevertheless to warrant the allegedly realistic character of the scheme employed in his own search for a phenomenological description of the visual field.
A Pragmatic Phenomenalist Account of Knowledge
Authors: Lee Byeong D.
Published: April 2009

Robert Brandom argues for a “pragmatic phenomenalist account” of knowledge. On this account, we should understand our notion of justification in accordance with a Sellarsian social practice model, and there is nothing more to the phenomenon of knowledge than the proprieties of takings-as-knowing. I agree with these two claims. But Brandom's proposal is so sketchy that it is unclear how it can deal with a number of much-discussed problems in contemporary epistemology. The main purpose of this article is to develop and defend a pragmatic phenomenalist account of knowledge by resolving those problems. I argue, in particular, that this account can accommodate both the lesson of the Gettier problem and the lesson of reliabilism simultaneously.
Hume's Impression of Succession (Time)
Authors: Miller Jon Charles
Published: April 2009

In this article I argue that Hume's empiricism allows for time to exist as a real distinct impression of succession, not, as many claim, merely as a nominal abstract idea. In the first part of this article I show how for Hume it is succession and not duration that constitutes time, and, further, that only duration is fictional. In the second part, I show that according to the way Hume describes the functions of the memory and imagination, it is possible to explain how we are able to perceive a distinct impression of succession.
Heidegger and Galileo’s Slippery Slope
Authors: Dea Shannon
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT: InDie Frage nach dem Ding, Martin Heidegger characterizes Galileo as an important transitional figure in the struggle to replace the Aristotelian conception of nature with that of Newton. However, Heidegger only attends to Galileo’s modernity and not to those Aristotelian elements still discernible in Galileo’s work. This article fleshes out both aspects in Galileo in light of Heidegger’s discussion. It concludes by arguing that the lacuna in Heidegger’s account of Galileo is the consequence of Heidegger’s own self-conscious modernity − a modernity that he slyly hints at in a remark he makes in FD concerning Galileo and Democritus.
Zombies and Epiphenomenalism
Authors: Bailey Andrew
Published: April 2009

ABSTRACT: This paper examines the relationship between the claim that zombies are logically/metaphysically possible and the position that phenomenal consciousness is epiphenomenal. It is often taken that the former entails the latter, and that therefore any implausibility in the notion of conscious epiphenomenalism calls into question the genuine possibility of zombies. Four ways in which the zombist might respond are examined, and I argue that two—those most commonly encountered—are inadequate, but the others—one of which is rarely formulated and the other new—are more forceful. The upshot, nevertheless, is that the zombist may indeed face an unwelcome commitment to conscious epiphenomenalism.
What do artificial neural networks tell us about the genetic structure of populations? The example of European pig populations
Authors: NIKOLIC NATACHA , PARK YOUNG-SEUK , SANCRISTOBAL MAGALI , LEK SOVAN , CHEVALET CLAUDE
Published: April 2009

General and genetic statistical methods are commonly used to deal with microsatellite data (highly variable neutral genetic markers). In this paper, the self-organizing map (SOM) that belongs to the unsupervised artificial neural networks (ANNs) was applied to analyse the structure of 58 European and two Chinese pig populations (Sus scrofa) including commercial lines, local breeds and cosmopolitan breeds. Results were compared with other unsupervised classification or ordination methods such as factorial correspondence analysis, hierarchical clustering from an allele sharing distance and the Bayesian genetic model and with principal components analysis and neighbour joining from allelic frequencies and genetic distances between populations. Like other methods, SOMs were able to classify individuals according to their breed origin and to visualize similarities between breeds. They provided additional information on the within- and between-population diversity, allowed differences between similar populations to be highlighted and helped differentiate different groups of populations.
U–Pb and Hf isotopic study of detrital zircons from the Lüliang khondalite, North China Craton, and their tectonic implications
Authors: XIA XIAOPING , SUN MIN , ZHAO GUOCHUN , WU FUYUAN , XIE LIEWEN
Published: April 2009

Two types of metasedimentary rocks occur in the Trans-North China Orogen of the North China Craton. One type consists of highly metamorphosed supracrustal rocks with protoliths of mature cratonic shale, called khondalites, as found in the Lüliang Complex; rocks of the other type are also highly metamorphosed but less mature, as represented by the Wanzi supracrustal assemblage in the Fuping Complex. U–Pb isotopic data for detrital zircons from khondalites show a provenance dominated by 1.9–2.1 Ga Palaeoproterozoic rocks. These detrital zircons display a wide range of εHfvalues from −16.0 to +9.2 and give Hf isotopic model ages mostly around 2.3 Ga. The high positive εHfvalues approach those for the depleted mantle at 2.1 Ga, highlighting a juvenile crustal growth event in Palaeoproterozoic times. Hf isotopic data also imply thatc.2.6 Ga old crustal material was involved in the Palaeoproterozoic magmatic event. These data are similar to those for the khondalitic rocks from the interior of the Western Block of the North China Craton, suggesting a common provenance. In contrast, other metasedimentary rocks in the Trans-North China Orogen, such as the Wanzi supracrustal assemblage in the Fuping Complex, have a source region with both Palaeoproterozoic and Archaean rocks. Their detrital zircon Hf isotopic data indicate reworking of old crustal material and a lack of significant juvenile Palaeoproterozoic magmatic input. These rocks are similar to the coevally deposited meta-sedimentary rocks in the interior of the Eastern Block. We propose that the Lüliang khondalites were deposited on the eastern margin of the Western Block in a passive continental margin environment and were thrust eastward later during collision with the Eastern Block. Other metasedimentary rocks in the Trans-North China Orogen were deposited on the western margin of the Eastern Block in a continental arc environment. Our data support the eastward subduction model for the Palaeoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the North China Craton.
PTOLEMAIC SPACES AND CAT(0)
Authors: BUCKLEY S. M. , FALK K. , WRAITH D. J.
Published: April 2009

We consider Ptolemy's inequality in a metric space setting. It is not hard to see that CAT(0) spaces satisfy this inequality. Although the converse is not true in full generality, we show that if our Ptolemaic space is either a Riemannian or Finsler manifold, then it must also be CAT(0). Ptolemy's inequality is closely related to inversions of metric spaces. We exploit this link to establish a new characterization of Euclidean space amongst all Riemannian manifolds.
A CHARACTERISATION OF BERGMAN SPACES ON THE UNIT BALL OF ℂn
Authors: LI SONGXIAO , WULAN HASI , ZHAO RUHAN , ZHU KEHE
Published: April 2009

We obtain a new characterisation for weighted Bergman spaces Apα on the unit ball n of ℂn in terms of a double integral of the functions |f(z) − f(w)|/|z − w| and |f(z) − f(w)|/|1 − 〈 z, w〉|.
Nitrogen dynamics of cattle dung and urine patches on intensively managed boreal pasture
Authors: SAARIJÄRVI K. , VIRKAJÄRVI P.
Published: April 2009

The aim of the present study was to investigate the nitrogen (N) dynamics in soil and N utilization by grass in dung pats and urine patches, and to quantify the amount of soluble organic N (SON) in grassland soil. The experiment was conducted in 2003/04 at MTT Agrifood Research, Maaninka, Finland. The study consisted of three treatments: dung pats, urine patches and a control patch without excreta. The soil (to a depth of 0·6 m) and herbage were sampled on 10 occasions over the course of 1 year. TN and SON in soil averaged 14 400 and 60 kg/ha N, respectively. Changes in soil mineral N were short-lived and a large proportion of excreta N was immobilized. The grass took up 27 kg excretal N/ha from the dung pat and 71 kg N/ha from the urine patch, which equals 0·07 and 0·19 of the excretal N given to each treatment, respectively. As a large proportion of the excretal N is immobilized and accumulates in soil, re-evaluation of the recommendations for N fertilization of pastures older than 2 years is justified.
Management of paediatric sinonasal rhabdomyosarcoma
Authors: Fyrmpas G , Wurm J , Athanassiadou F , Papageorgiou T , Beck J-D , Iro H , Constantinidis J
Published: April 2009

Background and aim:

Rhabdomyosarcoma is the commonest malignant tumour of the nose and paranasal sinuses in the paediatric population. Due to its rarity and largely unknown biological behaviour, the treatment of this tumour is complex and controversial. We present the results of multimodality treatment of paediatric sinonasal rhabdomyosarcoma, and we explore the role of surgery in the management of this malignancy.

Methods:

We retrospectively reviewed the records of 14 patients (median age 7.5 years) with sinonasal rhabdomyosarcoma. Six patients underwent major surgery with post-operative chemoradiation. Eight patients received multi-agent chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The mean follow-up time was 58 months (range seven to 276 months).

Results:

The five-year overall survival rates for all patients and for the surgery group were 53.9 and 83.3 per cent, respectively. All patients with alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma had a poor prognosis, with a median survival time of 17 months. Intracranial extension and an age greater than 10 years were also associated with an unfavourable outcome. Non- or partial responders to initial chemoradiation died within a year of diagnosis.

Conclusions:

Management of paediatric rhabdomyosarcoma requires a combination of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. Primary chemoradiotherapy is the established treatment approach for advanced tumours. Early stage tumours with favourable histology can be treated successfully with radical surgery, provided that function and cosmetic appearance are preserved.
Long- and short-term within-speaker differences in the formants of Australian hello
Authors: Rose Phil
Published: April 2009

This paper reports the results of a forensic phonetic experiment which investigates the nature of long- and short-term within-speaker differences in the F-pattem of the same word hello said by six similar-sounding male speakers of Australian English. Short-term differences are obtained from recordings separated by about one minute, long-term differences from recordings separated by at least a year. Within-spcaker variation in the centre frequencies of the first four formants at well-defined points in the word is quantified by ANOVA, Scheffé's F and Euclidean distances. Very few significant differences occur in either the long- or short-term, and they appear largely random. Bom long- and short-term mean within-speaker differences are shown to be less than the corresponding mean between-speaker differences. Implications of the findings are discussed and directions for future research are outlined.
Some acoustic effects of speaking style on utterances for automatic speaker verification
Authors: Dankovičová Jana , Nolan Francis
Published: April 2009

This paper reports the results of an experiment on the effects of six speaking styles on some of the acoustic properties of speech. The experiment was part of an exploration of within-speaker variation in connection with automatic speaker verification (ASV), pursuing the hypothesis that the elicitation of style variation in the training phase of an ASV system (‘structured training’) would enhance the performance of the system. Swedish-speaking subjects produced a digit sequence at varying speaking rates and loudness levels, and also with simulated denasality (pinched nose) and under cognitive stress. Duration of vowels and consonants, and formant frequencies of vowels, were measured. A number of consistent patterns of variation emerged for duration and vowel quality and are reported here. The discussion explores the relation between the patterns observed and the success, or in the case of speech under stress the failure, of structured training in reducing the error rates in ASV.
The articulation of Malayalam coronal stops and nasals
Authors: Dart Sarah N. , Nihalani Paroo
Published: April 2009

The Dravidian language Malayalam has stops and nasals in seven places of articulation, but what is meant by a ‘place of articulation’ is not clear. Palatograms and linguograms, with simultaneous audio recordings, were taken of nine speakers and eight test words illustrating the four coronal stops and nasals in word-medial position. Results show that reference must be made to both the upper and lower articulators in describing the articulation of these consonants. Some of the contrasts are made solely on the basis of place of articulation on the upper articulator (e.g.dentalvs.alveolarfor some speakers) and others only on the basis of apicality (e.g.alveolarvs.palatoalveolar, both of which are articulated on the alveolar ridge for most speakers, but differ in the tongue contact). Other articulations (such asretroflex) remain maximally distinct by utilizing both parameters. Acoustic results give further evidence of overall tongue shape differences between these four segments.
Interpreting Hume on miracles
Authors: LARMER ROBERT A.
Published: April 2009

Contemporary commentators on Hume's essay, ‘Of miracles’ have increasingly tended to argue that Hume never intended to suggest that testimonial evidence must always be insufficient to justify belief in a miracle. This is in marked contrast to earlier commentators who interpreted Hume as intending to demonstrate that testimonial evidence is incapable in principle of ever establishing rational belief in a miracle. In this article I argue that this traditional interpretation is the correct one.
The Legal Relations of Collectives: Belated Insights from Hohfeld
Authors: MORSS JOHN R.
Published: April 2009

Collectives and their interrelations are central to international law. Legal relations between collectives can be analysed with reference to the classic account of Hohfeld without reducing those collectives to mere aggregates of individuals and without recourse to the legal fiction of treating the collective, for example the state, as a quasi-individual. The rights of collectives have been widely if not conclusively explored within international law, but Hohfeld's ‘field’ approach to legal relations enables the scrutiny of the range of relations, including immunities, liberties, powers, and disabilities, as well as claim-rights and the corresponding obligations in others. The main substantive topics for discussion are the legal relations of collective entities such as peoples and minorities, and closely related matters such as self-determination. Applying Hohfeldian analysis to international law highlights the centrality of international collective entities of which the state represents only one variety. The approach described here therefore takes account of the dethroning of the state within contemporary international law and contributes to the theorization of that development. Nearly one hundred years after its first appearance, Hohfeld's analytic scheme continues to generate insights for international law.
State Responsibility for Acts of Non-state Actors: A Comment on Griebel and Plücken
Authors: MILANOVIĆ MARKO
Published: April 2009

This article comments on Jörn Griebel and Milan Plücken's recent analysis in the Leiden Journal of International Law of the approach of the International Court of Justice to state responsibility in its judgment in the Genocide (Bosnia v. Serbia) case. The article also provides more general remarks on the law of state responsibility as it pertains to acts of non-state actors. In that regard, it discusses attribution based on de facto organ status and attribution based on direction and control, as well as whether, as a matter of policy, the law of state responsibility meets the needs of the modern world.
Sovereignty and Developing Countries: Current Status and Future Prospects at the WTO
Authors: MAHNCKE HANS
Published: April 2009

Globalization, as evidenced in increased trade, economic development, and the emergence of new global powers, has meant that the world economy has undergone significant changes over the past two decades. The World Trade Organization (WTO) is more than a potent representation of these developments, it is often seen, along with its predecessor, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), as having enabled the process of globalization. However, there are profound concerns about what lies ahead in an increasingly complex economic and regulatory setting, in particular for developing countries (DCs).