bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating Glomerular Filtration Rate Using the New CKD-EPI Equation and Other Equations in Patients with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
Authors: Orskov Bjarne , Borresen Malene L. , Feldt-Rasmussen Bo , Østergaard Ole , Laursen Inga , Strandgaard Svend
Published: November 2009

Background: No studies have compared the performance of equations for estimating glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), where the declining GFR typically is followed for many years or even decades. This was the purpose of the present investigation. Methods: 101 ADPKD patients with chronic kidney disease stages 1–5 were recruited and GFR was measured with the 51Cr-EDTA clearance method, and estimated with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease Study (MDRD) equation with 4 variables, the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation, the Cockcroft-Gault equation adjusted for body surface area and the MDRD equation with cystatin C. Performance was evaluated by mean bias, precision and accuracy. Results: The MDRD equation with cystatin C had 97% of GFR estimates within 30% of measured GFR (accuracy). Both the CKD-EPI and Cockcroft-Gault equations had an accuracy of 90% whereas the MDRD equation had an accuracy of 83%. This difference of accuracy was especially marked with GFR >60 ml/min/1.73 m2. Conclusion: For estimating GFR in ADPKD patients the MDRD equation with cystatin C incorporated had the best performance. The CKD-EPI or the Cockcroft-Gault equations showed better performance compared to the 4-variable MDRD equation.
Anticipatory Coarticulation and Reaction Time to Phoneme Targets in Spontaneous Speech
Authors: Martin James G. , Mills Carol B. , Meltzer Richard H. , Shields Joyce H.
Published: November 2009

The subject’s task was to listen to continuous utterances and to press a reaction-time (RT) button upon hearing an assigned phoneme target. Stimulus materials were utterances of 7–13 syllables in length excised from tape-recorded spontaneous speech; each contained a target located in early, middle or late positions in the utterance. Either 200 msec of silence was tape-spliced into the utterance 33, 67, or 100 msec prior to the target, or the utterance was left intact (as spoken). The main results were faster RT to targets following the silent interval by 33 msec than to targets in the intact version or targets following the silent interval by 100 msec, that is, facilitative effects on target RT varied directly with proximity to target of silent interval. As with previous results using citation-form stimulus materials, these results were interpreted in terms of information from anticipatory coarticulation provided to the subject in advance, permitting extra time to allow the target to be anticipated across the silent interval.
Scaling of Glottal Opening
Authors: Löfqvist Anders , Baer Thomas , Yoshioka Hirohide
Published: November 2009

Laryngeal control occurs mainly along two dimensions. One involves the longitudinal tension of the vocal folds and is used for control of fundamental frequency. The other involves abduction/adduction of the folds. This dimension is used in the vegetative functions of the larynx and in its phonetic function to control voicing and aspiration as well as voice quality. Although fine adjustments in timing of abduction/adduction gestures relative to supralaryngeal events produce contrasts of aspiration in obstruents, variations in the size of these gestures appear to be less significant and less finely controlled. The present experiment explores the control of laryngeal abduction/adduction by examining to what extent speakers can control size of glottal aperture under different conditions, with and without suitable feedback. The results suggest that voluntary control of the size of glottal opening is rather poor, and that subjects are unable to make very fine-graded adjustments along this dimension. Voluntary control of glottal opening in isolation is limited, perhaps because normal activities seldom require separate control of this variable. Instead, control of glottal opening is tightly coupled to such other activities as respiration, swallowing and speech articulation. Even in the context of sound production, glottal aperture is poorly controlled, perhaps because the precise degree of opening (as opposed to precise timing of opening and closing) has comparatively little practical significance over a wide range of openings.
Untersuchungen zum «intrinsic pitch» deutscher Vokale
Authors: Antoniadis Zissis , Strube Hans Werner
Published: November 2009

This paper describes investigations of the intrinsic pitch of German vowels, embedded in sentences of equal form. These sentences («lch habe /CVCa/ gesagt»; C = p, t, k; V = various vowels) were spoken several times by 3 speakers. Then the fundamental frequency of the respective vowel V was measured relative to the mean fundamental frequency of each sentence and expressed as a pitch interval. The statistical evaluation concerned the dependence of this intrinsic pitch on the vowel, i. e. its formant frequencies, on the adjacent consonants, and on the speaker. The results are qualitatively consistent with known data and further indicate an (at least partial) central control of intrinsic pitch.
Severe Blood–Brain Barrier Disruption and Surrounding Tissue Injury
Authors: Chen Bo , Friedman Beth , Cheng Qun , Tsai Phil , Schim Erica , Kleinfeld David , Lyden Patrick D.
Published: November 2009

Background and Purpose—

Blood–brain barrier opening during ischemia follows a biphasic time course, may be partially reversible, and allows plasma constituents to enter brain and possibly damage cells. In contrast, severe vascular disruption after ischemia is unlikely to be reversible and allows even further extravasation of potentially harmful plasma constituents. We sought to use simple fluorescent tracers to allow wide-scale visualization of severely damaged vessels and determine whether such vascular disruption colocalized with regions of severe parenchymal injury.

Methods—

Severe vascular disruption and ischemic injury was produced in adult Sprague Dawley rats by transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 1, 2, 4, or 8 hours, followed by 30 minutes of reperfusion. Fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (2 MDa) was injected intravenously before occlusion. After perfusion-fixation, brain sections were processed for ultrastructure or fluorescence imaging. We identified early evidence of tissue damage with Fluoro-Jade staining of dying cells.

Results—

With increasing ischemia duration, greater quantities of high molecular weight dextran-fluorescein isothiocyanate invaded and marked ischemic regions in a characteristic pattern, appearing first in the medial striatum, spreading to the lateral striatum, and finally involving cortex; maximal injury was seen in the mid-parietal areas, consistent with the known ischemic zone in this model. The regional distribution of the severe vascular disruption correlated with the distribution of 24-hour 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride pallor (
r
=0.75;
P
<0.05) and the cell death marker Fluoro-Jade (
r
=0.86;
P
<0.05). Ultrastructural examination showed significantly increased areas of swollen astrocytic foot process and swollen mitochondria in regions of high compared to low leakage, and compared to contralateral homologous regions (ANOVA
P
<0.01). Dextran extravasation into the basement membrane and surrounding tissue increased significantly from 2 to 8 hours of occlusion duration (Independent samples
t
test,
P
<0.05).

Conclusion—

Severe vascular disruption, as labeled with high-molecular-weight dextran-fluorescein isothiocyanate leakage, is associated with severe tissue injury. This marker of severe vascular disruption may be useful in further studies of the pathoanatomic mechanisms of vascular disruption-mediated tissue injury.
Libraries and the Victoria County History
Authors: Beckett J V
Published: November 2009

The Victoria County History (VCH) is one of the great collaborative enterprises in England, along with the Dictionary of Biography and the History of Parliament. In this article, which is an expanded version of a lecture to the Historic Libraries Forum in November 2007, the current VCH Director sets out the VCH's background, the way in which county editors handle libraries within the ongoing research work, and the use that local historians more generally make of libraries, particularly those which contain contemporary printed material and archives.
Biographical and Cataloguing Common Ground: Panizzi and Lubetzky, Kindred Spirits Separated by a Century
Authors: Galeffi Agnese
Published: November 2009

Antonio Panizzi, the British Museum's Librarian, and Seymour Lubetzky, Theoretician of Library Cataloguing, and considered to be one of the co-founders of the Paris Principles of 1961, share many biographical and theoretical points in common. This article touches on the curious parallels in their life stories, and presents and contrasts the most important aspects of the 91 Rules to be Observed in Preparing and Entering Titles, written and published by Panizzi in 1841, with Seymour Lubetzky's writings, particularly those found in the Manual of Descriptive Cataloging, Preliminary Draft (1943) and the Code of Cataloging Rules, Author and Title Entries of 1960. In addition to the historical and biographical events that led Panizzi and Lubetzky to prepare these works, the article addresses cataloguing principles, catalogue structure, bibliographic description, attribution of authorship, and the selection of entries and headings. The chief elements that differentiate the two authors — owing to the long stretch of time that divided them — are also examined. In conclusion, the works in which Lubetzky quotes Panizzi are presented. Historical perspective and temporal distance notwithstanding, Panizzi, for Lubetzky, continued to be a valid and contemporary subject of comparison — a model and example to follow. The reason behind this resides in the fact that Panizzi, according to the words pronounced by Lubetzky in his last public lecture, 'kept an eye on the future': an indispensable approach when seeking to create an effective research tool.
Rotenone Damages Striatal Organotypic Slice Culture
Authors: Moldzio Rudolf , Piskernik Christina , Radad Khaled , Rausch Wolf‐Dieter
Published: November 2009

Epidemiological studies suggest the involvement of pesticides in the etiology of Parkinson's disease. Exposure to rotenone results in degeneration of the nigrostriatal pathway through inhibition of complex I. Organotypic striatal slice cultures were prepared from brains of adult mice and treated with rotenone (0.01, 0.05, 0.1, and 1 mM) for 48 h. Lactate dehydrogenase activity was elevated by 167% at 1 mM of rotenone. Using fluorescent indicators, membrane damage was up to 130% as measured by propidium iodide fluorescence, and superoxide (DHE) and nitric oxide (DAF‐FM) formation were increased by 195% and 774% at 1 mM of rotenone, respectively, compared to controls. The study concludes that formation of radicals mediated striatal degeneration by rotenone.
Unexplained Symptomatic Paroxysmal Hypertension in Pseudopheochromocytoma
Authors: Eisenhofer Graeme , Sharabi Yehonatan , Pacak Karel
Published: November 2009

Among overall numbers of patients tested for pheochromocytoma, less than 2% harbor the tumor. Among the rest, there is often no satisfactory explanation for the signs and symptoms leading to suspicion of pheochromocytoma. This group includes patients with severe symptomatic paroxysmal hypertension, often referred to as pseudopheochromocytoma, a condition that can be debilitating for patients and perplexing for clinicians. Similar to patients with the real tumor, patients with pseudopheochromocytoma can be misdiagnosed with panic disorder. However, pseudopheochromocytoma is characterized by an absence of panic or emotional distress preceding the onset of hypertension and symptoms of catecholamine excess. Because the clinical manifestations of pseudopheochromocytoma are similar, if not identical, to those due to excess circulating catecholamines in patients with the tumor, the most attractive explanation for the disorder is that it involves altered function of the autonomic nervous system. In line with this hypothesis, recent findings suggest that enhanced adrenal release of epinephrine and exaggerated cardiovascular responsiveness to catecholamines both contribute to the paroxysmal hypertension and symptoms of catecholamine excess in pseudopheochromocytoma. From this pattern, one would predict that therapeutic interventions that inhibit adrenal secretion of epinephrine or block adrenoceptor‐mediated responses to catecholamines might provide a logical approach to therapy.
Epinephrine Regulation of Hemodynamics in Catecholamine Knockouts and the Pithed Mouse
Authors: Sun Ping , Bao Xuping , Elayan Hamzeh , Milic Milos , Liu Fujun , Ziegler Michael G.
Published: November 2009

Phenylethanolamine N‐methyltransferase (PNMT) catalyzes synthesis of epinephrine (E) and is present in the brain, heart, and adrenal. E is a neurotransmitter and important hormone; however, its role in regulating cardiovascular dynamics is still unclear. We generated an E‐deficient mouse model by knocking out the PNMT gene. The PNMT KO mouse had normal resting blood pressure, while treadmill exercise caused hypertension, suggesting an impaired response to stress in the absence of the stress hormone E. As PNMT occurs at a lower concentration in many extra‐adrenal tissues including the brain, we set up a pithed mouse model to study the peripheral effects of E on cardiovascular dynamics, using pithing to eliminate central and reflex effects. The pithed mouse requires different surgical techniques and stimulation voltages than rats, and showed voltage‐ and frequency‐dependent blood pressure responses to electrical stimuli. Stimulation with the α‐adrenergic agonist phenylephrine gave a marked systolic pressor response, while the β2 agonist salbutamol lowered diastolic blood pressure. The pithed PNMT KO mouse had an exaggerated blood pressure response to salbutamol, suggesting β2 receptor supersensitivity. A targeted KO of tyrosine hydroxylase in PNMT‐producing cells produced a mouse deficient in catecholamines in the adrenal. These targeted KO mice displayed significantly smaller pressor responses than pithed control mice. We find that E release during stress prevents an excessive increase in blood pressure.
‘Putting Humpty Together Again’: Working With Parents to Help Children Who Have Experienced Early Trauma
Authors: Goldfinch Margaret
Published: November 2009

Early interpersonal trauma can have a profound impact on young children's emotional, cognitive and physical function, and on their ongoing development. This article outlines the diverse effects of trauma and how they might present in school or childcare settings. It considers the role of the family in the development of children's emotion regulation, especially if trauma occurs in the context of the family and how trauma affects family dynamics. A therapeutic approach is then outlined to help address the multiple areas of difficulty. Work with parents and the whole family is aimed at maintaining physical and emotional safety and building trust between parent and child. Work with the parents, teachers and the child individually is directed at helping the child develop emotion regulation and competence physically, cognitively and interpersonally.
Managing quality vs. measuring uncertainty in the medical laboratory
Authors: Westgard James O.
Published: November 2009

ISO 15189's particular requirements for quality management in medical laboratories provide guidance for (a) relating performance specifications to the intended use of a test or examination procedure, (b) designing internal quality control (IQC) procedures to verify the attainment of the intended quality of test results, as well as (c) determining the uncertainty or results, where relevant and possible. This guidance has particular implications for analytical quality management, specifically for validating method performance relative to quality goals or requirements (intended use), designing statistical quality control procedures on the basis of the quality required for a test and the precision and bias observed for a method, and characterizing the quality achieved in practice by calculating measurement uncertainty. There already exists an error framework that provides practical tools and guidance for managing analytical quality, along with an existing concept of total error that can be used to characterize the quality of laboratory tests, thus there is considerable concern and debate on the merits and usefulness of measurement uncertainty. This paper argues that total error provides a practical top-down estimate of measurement uncertainty in the laboratory, and that the ISO/GUM model should be primarily directed to and applied by manufacturers.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2010;48:31–40.
Health Capability: Conceptualization and Operationalization
Authors: Prah Ruger Jennifer
Published: November 2009

Current theoretical approaches to bioethics and public health ethics propose varied justifications as the basis for health care and public health, yet none captures a fundamental reality: people seek good health and the ability to pursue it. Existing models do not effectively address these twin goals.

The approach I espouse captures both of these orientations through a concept here called health capability. Conceptually, health capability illuminates the conditions that affect health and one's ability to make health choices. By respecting the health consequences individuals face and their health agency, health capability offers promise for finding a balance between paternalism and autonomy.

I offer a conceptual model of health capability and present a health capability profile to identify and address health capability gaps.
Introduction
Authors: Kowalenko Victor
Published: November 2009

This introduction outlines the main issues that are to be analysed extensively in the
following chapters. It begins with a general description of the Stokes phenomenon in asymptotics.
Despite being discovered in 1857, it is pointed out that a complete theory giving the exact size
of the jump discontinuities is still not available. Before such a theory can be realised, however,
the developments up to the present day need to be discussed. After describing Stokes’s seminal
work, the introduction proceeds to the work of Heading and Dingle, a century later. Out of the ob-servations of these three figures a conventional view of the Stokes phenomenon evolved whereby
the multipliers of subdominant asymptotic series experience jumps of unity across Stokes lines.
Then in 1989 Berry argued that the multipliers experience a rapid smoothing at Stokes lines, al-though there has never been a definitive demonstration of this behaviour. Such a demonstration
can only be performed if methods exist for obtaining meaningful values from divergent series, a
process referred to here as regularisation. The introduction concludes by discussing the two meth-ods for regularising a divergent series used throughout this book, namely Borel summation and
Mellin-Barnes regularisation.
Asymptotics for the Error Function
Authors: Kowalenko Victor
Published: November 2009

In this chapter the asymptotic forms for the error function and the related function u(a)
over the principal branch of the complex plane are regularised via Borel summation. The resulting
equations are expressed in terms of a Stokes multiplier, which toggles between -1/2 and 1/2 for
the different Stokes sectors. Numerical studies are then conducted for large and small values of
the magnitude of the variable, viz. |z|, over the entire principal branch. For the large values of |z|
the truncated series is the dominant contribution which is consistent with standard asymptotics.
Although the truncated series dominates for small values of|z|, so does the regularised value of
its remainder in the opposite sense. Hence, when both contributions are combined, the remaining
contribution with the Stokes multiplier can become substantial. Nevertheless, in each case where
all the contributions are summed, one always obtains the exact values of the error function. Then
an expression for the Stokes multiplier is obtained. By carrying out an extensive numerical analysis
in the vicinity of the Stokes line along the positive real axis, it is found that irrespective of the value
of variable, the Stokes multiplier is discontinuous and not smooth as implied by the leading order
term.
Contemporary Views of the Stokes Phenomenon
Authors: Kowalenko Victor
Published: November 2009

This chapter presents the two main contemporary views of the Stokes phenomenon. In
the first view known as Stokes smoothing, it is claimed that rather than experiencing discontinuities
at specific rays in the complex plane, an asymptotic expansion, when magnified on a suitable scale,
is a rapidly smoothed function. Here we show that this fallacious conclusion has arisen because an
asymptotic expansion for the Stokes multiplier has been truncated, thereby giving the misleading
impression that it is equal to a term involving the error function when it is in fact only the leading
term of a complicated expression that needs to be regularised. Based on resurgence analysis, the
second view bears very little semblance to the original discovery made by Stokes. In this view
the Stokes lines become analytic curves that are determined by setting the real part of the action
in the one-dimensional Schr¨ odinger equation to zero due to a strange interpretation of maximal
dominance in a complete asymptotic expansion. Hence, the resulting asymptotic forms are no
longer uniform over specific sectors of the complex plane in marked contrast to the conventional
view of the Stokes phenomenon.
Mellin-Barnes Regularisation
Authors: Kowalenko Victor
Published: November 2009

Ch. 7 presents the theory behind an alternative method of regularising a divergent
series known as Mellin-Barnes (MB) regularisation. As a result, the regularised values for more
general versions of the two types of terminants presented earlier are derived in terms of MB inte-grals, which are often more expedient to evaluate than the regularised values obtained via Borel
summation. Furthermore, unlike the Borel-summed forms for the regularised values, the MB-regularised forms are not affected by Stokes lines and sectors, but are instead valid over domains
of convergence, which extend further than Stokes sectors and overlap one another. Thus, there
are two different MB-regularised forms for obtaining the regularised value in the common regions
of overlapping domains of convergence, which include the Stokes lines of Borel summation. To
demonstrate that MB regularisation need not only be applied to an asymptotic series, a numeri-cal example determining the regularised value of an abbreviated version of the binomial theorem
is also presented for two different values of the index ρand for various values of the variablez
outside the unit disk of absolute convergence.
The General Philosophy of Artificial Adaptive Systems
Authors: Buscema Massimo
Published: November 2009

This chapter has the objective of describing the structure and placing in a taxonomy the Artificial
Adaptive Systems (AAS). These systems form part of the vast world of Artificial Intelligence (AI) nowadays
called more properly Artificial Sciences (AS). Artificial Sciences means those sciences for which an understanding
of natural and/or cultural processes is achieved by the recreation of those processes through automatic
models. In particular, Natural Computation tries to construct automatic models of complex processes,
using the local interaction of elementary micro-processes, simulating the original process functioning. Such
models organize themselves in space and time and connect in a non-linear way to the global process they are
part of, trying to reproduce the complexity through the dynamic creation of specific and independent local
rules that transform themselves in relation to the dynamics of the process. Natural Computation constitutes
the alternative to Classical Computation (CC). This one, in fact, has great difficulty in facing natural/cultural
processes, especially when it tries to impose external rules to understand and reproduce them, trying to formalize
these processes in an artificial model. In Natural Computation ambit, Artificial Adaptive Systems are
theories which generative algebras are able to create artificial models simulating natural phenomenon. The
learning and growing process of the models is isomorphic to the natural process evolution, that is, it’s itself
an artificial model comparable with the origin of the natural process. We are dealing with theories adopting
the “time of development” of the model as a formal model of “time of process” itself. Artificial Adaptive Systems
comprise Evolutive Systems and Learning Systems. Artificial Neural Networks are the more diffused
and best-known Learning Systems models in Natural Computation.
A Brief Introduction to Artificial Neural Networks
Authors: Buscema Massimo
Published: November 2009

Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are often presented as powerful tools for data processing. Nevertheless,
ANNs need a theory and consequently an epistemological foundation. Usually scholars in this field
seem to believe that the brain theory is an implicit theory for ANNs. But, we still do not have a complete
brain theory, and the brain model for ANNs has been only an “inspiration” model. Further, a theory has to
explain a set of models or a set of phenomena internally. So, ANN lacks a theory. In this chapter the author
presents a theory of ANNs. Three levels of different complexity are created, in order to simulate a generative
path starting from the elementary units up to the more complex ones. The basic concepts of the first level are
the node and the connections. At the second level the main concept is the network. At the last level the concept
of an artificial organism is the key concept. Explicit rules govern the conversion from one level to another.
Further, at each level, semantic and syntactic components are considered. A theory of ANNs is needed
not only for didactic reasons but also for basic research: scholars need to see and consider the similarities and
differences among different ANNs from a mathematical, biological and philosophical point of view. A good
theory should increase the possibilities for planning, implementing and assessing necessary fundamental research.
Auto-Contractive Maps, H Function and Maximally Regular Graph - Theory
Authors: Buscema Massimo
Published: November 2009

This chapter presents a new paradigm of Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs): the Auto-
Contractive Maps (Auto-CMs). The Auto-CM differs from the traditional ANNs under many viewpoints: the
Auto-CMs start their learning task without a random initialization of their weights, they meet their convergence
criterion when all their output nodes become null, their weights matrix develops a data driven warping
of the original Euclidean space, they show suitable topological properties, etc. Further two new algorithms,
theoretically linked to Auto-CM are presented: the first one is useful to evaluate the complexity and the topological
information of any kind of connected graph: the H Function is the index to measure the global hubness
of the graph generated by the Auto-CM weights matrix. The second one is named Maximally Regular
Graph (MRG) and it is a development of the traditionally Minimum Spanning Tree (MST).
Isoelectrofocusing and PCR Amplification-Reverse Hybridization Assay in Evaluation of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency
Authors: Beletić Anđelo , Đorđević Valentina , Dudvarski-Ilić Aleksandra , Obradović Ivana , Mirković Duško , Ilić Mirka , Radojković Dragica , Majkić-Singh Nada
Published: November 2009

Isoelectrofocusing and PCR Amplification-Reverse Hybridization Assay in Evaluation of Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency

Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency is a potentially lethal genetic disorder, which has pulmonary and liver manifestations. The standardized biochemical and molecular diagnostic protocol for detection of clinically relevant alleles is needed. The paper summarizes current concepts about AATD, describes the potentials of isoelectric focusing and PCR amplification-reverse allele specific oligonucleotide hybridization assay in the detection of affected individuals and shortly presents our experiences in the evaluation of AATD. We conclude that the systematic clinical laboratory approach to AATD might be based on the combination of mentioned methods, coordinated by alpha-1-antritrypsin quantification. Additionally, its complete medical implementation is achieved through teamwork between clinical chemists, molecular biologists and clinicians.
Biafran Pound Notes
Authors: Owen Olly
Published: November 2009

This article examines the recent re-release of the Biafran pound currency, previously used by the breakaway Republic of Biafra between 1968 and 1970, by the separatist-revival group the Movement for the Actualization of a Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB) in south-eastern Nigeria. It briefly traces the circumstances of its re-release, contextualizes it in the light of MASSOB's aims and activities and in reference to the original Biafran currency, and then works through rationales for such an action. The article first explores and then dismisses economic justifications for releasing an alternative currency, then examines the more meaningful political case, before moving to an examination of cultural factors which lie behind the choice to challenge a state's sovereignty via its currency. The broad label of ‘cultural factors’ is then unpacked to open a window on a rich tradition of political history centred on currency in the south-east Nigerian context, which spans the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial decades. The study also touches on contemporary studies of sovereignty and connects to wider debates on the nature of money as regards its ‘economic’ and ‘political’ functions as a token of value.
13C-NMR Data of Three Important Diterpenes Isolated from Euphorbia Species
Authors: Wu Qi-Cheng , Tang Yu-Ping , Ding An-Wei , You Fen-Qiang , Zhang Li , Duan Jin-Ao
Published: November 2009

Euphorbia species are widely distributed plants, many of which are used in folk medicine. Over the past twenty years, they have received considerable phytochemical and biological attention. Their diterpenoid constituents, especially those with abietane, tigliane, ingenane skeletons, are thought to be the main toxicant and bioactive factors. In this work, the utility of 13C-NMR spectroscopy for the structural elucidation of these compounds is briefly discussed.
Cycles à moyen terme des prix mondiaux des matières premières agricoles
Authors: C. Labys Walter , Badillo Dominique , Lesourd Jean-Baptiste
Published: November 2009

Les prix des produits agricoles ont depuis longtemps fait l'objet d'études en termes de cycles. L'objectif de cet article est de proposer une nouvelle analyse du comportement des prix de différentes matières premières agricoles sur la base de cycles à moyen terme mis en évidence grâce à des méthodes récemment développées. Les cycles sont identifiés, ce qui nécessite l'application de techniques appropriées de stationnarisation, et l'utilisation d'une méthode qui suit de près la procédure du NBER, sans toutefois s'identifier à celle-ci, afin de déterminer la durée, la fréquence et l'amplitude des cycles de prix. Puis nous menons des tests sur la durée des cycles afin de comparer la régularité des fluctuations cycliques contre l'hypothèse alternative d'une marche au hasard. Les résultats apportent la confirmation de l'existence de cycles pour un certain nombre de prix de produits agricoles.
Le droit des relations entre producteurs et grands distributeurs de produits alimentaires
Authors: Ferrier Didier
Published: November 2009

The law and the relations between farmers and supermarkets in food distribution

In view of rapidly evolving bargaining positions between farmers and supermarket distribution chains, many regulations of all kinds have been edicted recently. In general, they have been poorly efficient in settling and avoiding disputes. It is suggested here that mutually beneficial synergies, deriving from contracts, could be more effective. On such basis, the Law is not a constraint anymore, but rather a tool which helps in reaching agreement.
La notion de rural et les rapports ville-campagne en France Les années quatre-vingt-dix
Authors: Mathieu Nicole
Published: November 2009

The concept of ruralityand the relation between town and country during the nineties in France

The significance of rurality in the present process of social change and spatial allocation cannot be estimated without taking into account the prevailing « urban » and « rural » symbolisation as well as the conception of their relation. During the nineties in France the dominant social representation of rurality is idyllic when at the same time the city is considered unsustainable. The rural way of life is so valorised that new real dynamics of migrations are observed.
Saisonnalité des prix céréaliers en Afrique subsaharienne
Authors: Ninnin-Massenet Véronique , Ribier Vincent
Published: November 2009

Le cadre théorique d'analyse des déterminants de la saisonnalité des prix céréaliers est celui des modèles inter-tempo- rels de marchés d'actifs, dans lequel plusieurs types d'agents stockeurs sont distingués : producteurs, transformateurs et commerçants selon les cas. Les maquettes ainsi spécifiées permettent de préciser le rôle de chaque type d'agent, et l'incidence de variables telles que les contraintes de trésorerie, l'asymétrie d'information ou l'aversion pour le risque. Diverses situations de concurrence ou de complémentarité entre agents sont caractérisées, ainsi que les conséquences de ces interactions sur la saisonnalité. Cette représentation aide à cibler les interventions publiques sur les acteurs dont on attend la contribution la plus active dans la stabilisation des prix intra-annuels.
Les odeurs d'élevages: textes, conflits et négociations locales
Authors: Nicourt Christian , Girault Jean-Max , Bourliaud Jean
Published: November 2009

Désormais, la production agricole dans un espace conçu comme ambivalent -entre privé et public- rend les odeurs inacceptables. Ce rejet est d'autant plus fort que les populations semblent découvrir une agriculture «industrialisée» et ses nuisances. Alors, l'absence des textes, comme ressources de régulation, accroît les rancœurs et développe les conflits. Avec une approche restreinte aux odeurs des effluents d'élevages et en faisant référence à des terrains situés en Dordo- gne, nous développons l'hypothèse que les carences de prise en compte légale de la question des odeurs en suscitent une gestion informelle, qui trouve aujourd'hui ses limites dans le cadre d'un espace rural en recomposition.
Coopératives: la fin d'une forme institutionnelle?
Authors: Gaignette Antonin , Nieddu Martino
Published: November 2009

AGRICULTURAL COOPERATION: THE END OF A REGULATIONNIST INSTITUTIONAL FORM?

During the post-war boom years, the agricultural co-operation distinguished itself from the cooperatives of other sectors by developing into an institutional form of monopolistic competition serving small agricultural businesses. Indeed, the agricultural co-operation has all the characteristics of an institution (a social legitimacy defined by its mission to modernise and its capacity to direct its agents behaviour). This article provide an historical context for this institutional structure. In the economic arena following the three decades of post-war boom, the political strategies designed to shape economic operations became less central. Consequently, the co-operation would be called upon to continue as a legal organisation, but at the cost of losing its foothold as a sectorial institutional structure.
L'exploitation familiale agricole: entre permanence et évolution Approche ethno-sociologique
Authors: Abdelmalek Ali Ait
Published: November 2009

L'organisation du travail en agriculture connaît depuis trente ans de nouvelles tendances d'évolution. La modernisation agricole entreprise depuis le milieu des années soixante en France s'est consolidée autour de l'agriculture familiale; ainsi, on réfute l'idée que la famille constitue un obstacle au progrès technique et à la reconversion. Nous faisons l'hypothèse du rôle fondamental des structures familiales qui se sont adaptées aux nouvelles conditions de production, aux contraintes institutionnelles, pédoclimatiques et socio-économiques. Cet article présente les principales lignes de force qui ont marqué l'évolution des rapports de l'agriculture avec la famille.
Agriculture, équilibre général et OMC
Authors: Boussard Jean-Marc
Published: November 2009

Agricultural, equilibrium models and WTO - For years, computable general equilibrium models have been extensively used for the promotion of the free trade ideology in international audiences and trade negotiations. Yet, presently, they totally ignore risk and mainly dynamic considerations. Thus, the strength of their conclusions can be challenged. After an overview of the models which have been in operation recently, the paper presents alternative specifications. They would explicitly incorporate risk and dynamics into the analysis, while keeping the multi- sectoral approach and market clearing conditions which constitutes the comparative advantage of these tools. Very different results are expected.
Changements organisationnels et libéralisation La commercialisation du riz au Mali
Authors: Dupressoir Sophie
Published: November 2009

Organisational changes related to liberalization policies: the rice trade system in Mali - The aim is to understand the organizational mechanisms underlying the liberalization of rice trade in Mali. The theoretical frameworks of complex systems. Economics of conventions and "Economies de la grandeur" are used to develop a model of trade systems. Using a set of date collected from firms we identify different arborescent trade systems which differ from their temporal horizons and their goals.
La viande bovine en France Modélisation micro-économique et dynamique de l'offre
Authors: Benjamin Catherine , Piot-Lepetit Isabelle
Published: November 2009

This article focuses on the dynamics of beef supply response in the French beef sector. The objective of this paper is to provide a model of beef supply response within a dynamic microecono- mic framework. The aim of this model is the understanding of cattleman decisions and the assessment of how the behaviour of beef producers is sensitive to changes in production prices and to changes in premiums. In particular, this paper studies how the beef supply response is modified when various exogenous variables like prices or policy instruments are changed.
Politiques agricoles comparées de l'Allemagne et de la France
Authors: Ahrens Heinz , Lippert Christian
Published: November 2009

Cet article essaie de retracer l'évolution des positions de la France et de l'Allemagne en matière de la politique agricole depuis la création de la cee jusqu'au processus de négociation de l'Agenda 2000. Le fait que la France était dans le passé en faveur d'une baisse des prix alors que l'Allemagne plaidait pour des restrictions quantitatives, s'explique en tenant compte des différentes conditions économiques et naturelles de l'agriculture des deux pays. Finalement, compte tenu des nouvelles conceptions respectives de la politique agricole résultant à la fois de la réunification allemande et du changement du gouvernement français de 1997.
Évolution des structures industrielles et de la concurrence dans les secteurs des semences et des pesticides
Authors: Lemarié Stéphane
Published: November 2009

Les secteurs des semences et des pesticides ont connu d'importantes restructurations depuis le début des années 1990. Cet article montre que le développement des biotechnologies a eu une influence majeure sur cette évolution et peut soulever des questions de concurrence nouvelles pour ces industries. Ainsi, aux problèmes classiques de concentration excessive sur certains segments de marché, viennent s'ajouter des problèmes liés à l'exploitation de la propriété intellectuelle et à l'évolution des pratiques commerciales.
Le boisement des terres agricoles peut-il constituer une voie de diversification des revenus des agriculteurs ?
Authors: Gavaland André , Record Sébastien , Réquillart Vincent
Published: November 2009

L'objectif de cet article est d'analyser en détail l'intérêt économique que peut constituer le boisement de terres agricoles. Dans une première section, nous définissons les critères économiques utilisés. Nous présentons ensuite les principaux scénarios de boisement que nous étudions. La troisième partie est consacrée à l'évaluation de la rentabilité économique des différents scénarios de boisement. Celle-ci est comparée à la rentabilité des cultures annuelles dans une quatrième partie. Nous montrons notamment qu'en l'état actuel des réglementations (PAC et forestières) le boisement des terres agricoles est peu probable. Dans le cadre de la réforme de la PAC et de la mise en place d'aides découplées l'agroforeste- rie pourrait trouver un certain intérêt.
Les configurations du jeu politique local dans la nouvelle ruralité aux élections municipales de 1995 et 2001
Authors: Bages Robert
Published: November 2009

The configurations of local politic game in new rurality at municipal elections of 1995 and 2001 - This work results from municipal elections' analysis in 1995 and 2001 within 6 rural communes in South France. This has been the subject of a longitudinal unceasing observation for almost 30 years. The selection system of «eligibles» keeps its relevance in spite of increasing evolutions. The new rural population contributes to the progressive collapse of agricultural positions. Whereas town councils are opened more and more to new classes of residents, the establishing criterion be still present especially for the mayor's job. It is the same for the age criterion for all the increasing election of pensioner mayors. Town councils make the access easier and easier for women but, even if the exclusion time is over, we are still faraway from the parity. The community "live-together" tends to force back political rifts. These political rifts proceed through structural opposition systems which lost and make the originality local. It is during municipal elections that the competition organizes itself around local stakes being still linked to overall public policies. Therefore for example, the intercommunality starts to emerge as a stake. Moreover, this intercommunality is made commonplace and appropriate as a control intercommunality purely pragmatic and willing to confront the local identity.
OPTIMAL CONTROL OF A SEX‐STRUCTURED HIV/AIDS MODEL WITH CONDOM USE
Authors: Magombedze Gesham , Mukandavire Zindoga , Chiyaka Christinah , Musuka Godfrey
Published: November 2009

Optimal control theory is applied to a sex‐structured HIV/AIDS model with condom use as an intervention strategy. An objective functional to maximise condom use in a population and minimise cases of infectious HIV is adopted. The optimal control is characterised and solved numerically. Simulation results suggest that high percentage of condom usage is associated with reduced HIV incidence, while high costs of condom usage campaigns reduces the percentage condom usage. Targeting issuance of condoms to infectious individuals enables reduction of condom usage campaign costs, hence ensures high percentage of condom usage.
Students' Attitudes toward Using Innovative Information Technology for Learning Based on Theory of Planned Behavior
Authors: Chiang Feng Kuang , Wuttke Heinz Dietrich , Knauf Rainer , Sun Chung Shan , Tso Tai Cheng
Published: November 2009

The main purpose of this study was to explore how IT is integrated into teaching and learning in German bachelor curriculum, and explore the university students' attitude toward the use of integration innovative information technology for learning in Germany. The data was collected by document collection and questionnaires. Multiple Regression Analysis was used to determine the three variables of behavioral intention. The results show that both attitude and subject norm are good predictors of IT for students' learning intention. Finally, results indicated TRA predicts the use innovative IT for learning intention well, though the impact of the TRA is greater than TPB.
Cost-Effective Strategies for Developing Formative Assessments in Online Workplace Training
Authors: Mackey Terry , Derr David , O'Connor Ellie
Published: November 2009

In the context of asynchronous online learning, formative assessments can offer amazing flexibility and support a wide range of learning strategies. While some versions do involve a considerable investment in time and cost, effective formative assessments need not be expensive. Many cost-effective strategies for developing formative assessments exist, and these can be employed quickly and effectively in online workplace training. These strategies allow learners to assess their progress and accomplishments before the risks of decreased motivation, confidence and understanding become unfortunate realities that negatively impact instructional outcomes, on-the-job performance and online learning ROI.
AUV Sensors for Real-Time Detection, Localization, Characterization, and Monitoring of Underwater Munitions
Authors: Camilli Richard , Bingham Brian S. , Jakuba Michael V. , Duryea Anthony N. , LeBouvier Rand , Dock Matthew
Published: November 2009

AbstractThis technical paper describes existing capabilities and new research results for autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) for use in locating, characterizing, and monitoring underwater munitions. The authors introduce advances in sensor technologies and search methods
pertinent to AUV-based underwater munition mitigation operations. Results are presented from a series of trials using in situ chemical sensors to detect both conventional and nonconventional underwater munitions in real time. These technologies are considered within the context of chemical
plume tracing and biomimetic search algorithms. This paper concludes with a look toward future AUV sensor payloads with more extensive real-time situation awareness. Advancement of these technologies and methods will be critical for realizing the potential of AUV platforms to manage the risks
posed by underwater munitions sites.
Technology Options Tested on the German Coast for Addressing a Munitions Hot Spot In Situ
Authors: Koch Marc , Ruck Wolfgang
Published: November 2009

AbstractConventional and chemical munitions dumpsites exist in practically every ocean and a significant number of inland waters. Most of these dumpsites result from post‐World War activities when victorious and defeated states had to dispose of their sizable surplus
stocks of munitions, including the difficult-to-handle chemical warfare agents such as mustard, phosgene and nerve agents.The Baltic Sea—with maximum water depths of about 150 m at the dumpsites—seemed to be the easiest way to address the problematic munitions. These activities
deposited up to about 300,000 tons of chemical munitions in the Baltic Sea and Skagerrak region, with experts assuming at least another 100,000 tons of conventional munitions in the Baltic Sea alone.Today, these dumpsites are a threat to present and future generations. German authorities
addressed some sites because of an immediate threat to the public. This required — based on the sensitivity of the resident and threatened harbour porpoise — a paradigm shift detonation of conventional munitions to an intense investigation of innovative alternatives. The common
and innovative alternative solutions considered for the German Baltic Sea coast are presented.