bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Use of Inorganic Packing Materials during Methane Biofiltration
Authors: Nikiema Josiane , Heitz Michèle
Published: August 2010

The objective behind this study is to select a suitable inorganic packing material for methane biofiltration. Three packing materials are to be compared: two rock materials (average particles' sizes: 2 and 5 mm) and one porous clay particles (average particle size of 7 mm). The main parameter used to assess the efficiency of the packing material is the methane elimination capacity. The study reveals that the rock material having an average particle size around 2 mm is to be preferred. This result is probably due to its high specific surface area and to its good surface properties as compared to the other 2 tested porous materials. The influence of the nonirrigation with the nutrient solution of the biofilter is also investigated. It has been found that nonirrigation of biofilter causes the biofilter performance to decrease significantly (e.g., 45% decrease in 1 week) even with the humidification of the gas phase prior to its introduction into the biofilter.
Seismic Response of Power Transmission Tower‐Line System Subjected to Spatially Varying Ground Motions
Authors: Tian Li , Li Hongnan , Liu Guohuan
Published: August 2010

The behavior of power transmission tower‐line system subjected to spatially varying base excitations is studied in this paper. The transmission towers are modeled by beam elements while the transmission lines are modeled by cable elements that account for the nonlinear geometry of the cables. The real multistation data from SMART‐1 are used to analyze the system response subjected to spatially varying ground motions. The seismic input waves for vertical and horizontal ground motions are also generated based on the Code for Design of Seismic of Electrical Installations. Both the incoherency of seismic waves and wave travel effects are accounted for. The nonlinear time history analytical method is used in the analysis. The effects of boundary conditions, ground motion spatial variations, the incident angle of the seismic wave, coherency loss, and wave travel on the system are investigated. The results show that the uniform ground motion at all supports of system does not provide the most critical case for the response calculations.
Polysaccharides, Proteins, and Phytoplankton Fragments: Four Chemically Distinct Types of Marine Primary Organic Aerosol Classified by Single Particle Spectromicroscopy
Authors: Hawkins Lelia N. , Russell Lynn M.
Published: August 2010

Carbon‐containing aerosol particles collected in the Arctic and southeastern Pacific marine boundary layers show distinct chemical signatures of proteins, calcareous phytoplankton, and two types of polysaccharides in Near‐Edge Absorption X‐ray Fine Structure (NEXAFS) spectromicroscopy. Arctic samples contained mostly supermicron sea salt cuboids with a polysaccharide‐like organic coating. Southeastern Pacific samples contained both continental and marine aerosol types; of the 28 analyzed marine particles, 19 were characterized by sharp alkane and inorganic carbonate peaks in NEXAFS spectra and are identified as fragments of calcareous phytoplankton. Submicron spherical particles with spectral similarities to carbohydrate‐like marine sediments were also observed in Pacific samples. In both regions, supermicron amide and alkane‐containing particles resembling marine proteinaceous material were observed. These four chemical types provide a framework that incorporates several independent reports of previous marine aerosol observations, showing the diversity of the composition and morphology of ocean‐derived primary particles.
Cooperative Attitude Control of Multiple Rigid Bodies with Multiple Time‐Varying Delays and Dynamically Changing Topologies
Authors: Meng Ziyang , You Zheng , Li Guanhua , Fan Chunshi
Published: August 2010

Cooperative attitude regulation and tracking problems are discussed in the presence of multiple time‐varying communication delays and dynamically changing topologies. In the case of cooperative attitude regulation, we propose conditions to guarantee the stability of the closed‐loop system when there exist multiple time‐varying communication delays. In the case of cooperative attitude tracking, the result of uniformly ultimate boundedness of the closed‐loop system is obtained when there exist both multiple time‐varying communication delays and dynamically changing topologies. Simulation results are presented to validate the effectiveness of these conclusions.
Cardiopulmonary Collapse during Labour
Authors: Sitras Vasilis , Raatiniemi Lasse , Larsby Kristina , Klingenberg Claus
Published: August 2010

Cardiopulmonary collapse during labour is a catastrophic event caused by various medical, surgical and obstetrical conditions. It is an emergency that threatens the life of the mother and her unborn child. We present a case of a pregnant woman who suffered from preeclampsia and underwent induction of labour. Severe lung edema occurred early in labour that caused cardiopulmonary collapse. Advanced heart-lung resuscitation was established immediately and continued until an emergency cesarean section was performed few minutes later. The outcome was favourable for both mother and child. We further discuss some aspects of the pathophysiology and appropriate treatment of cardiorespiratory arrest during labour, which involves the coordinated action of the obstetric, pediatric and surgical ward personnel.
Smooth Local Interpolation of Surfaces Using Normal Vectors
Authors: Nagata Takashi
Published: August 2010

This paper proposes a simple surface interpolation attaining tangent‐plane continuity. It is a natural extension of the local quadratic C0 interpolator developed by the author (2005) in one of his works, which has already been applied successfully to diverse engineering problems. The methodology presented in this paper inherits most of the advantages possessed by the C0 scheme. That is, (i) The algorithm is efficient and completely local requiring only the position vectors and normals given at the nodes of a patch, and hence it is suitable for parallel processing. (ii) It converges rapidly to the given surface with the increase in the number of nodes. (iii) Singular points (apexes, sharp edges, etc.) and nonmanifolds can be treated quite easily. (iv) Because of the minimization criteria assigned to the surface coefficients, it is rather robust and amenable to computational analyses. Validity and effectiveness of the proposed technique are demonstrated through numerical examples.
Childhood asthma and infection: virus-induced exacerbations as determinants and modifiers: Figure 1–
Authors: Xepapadaki P. , Papadopoulos N.G.
Published: August 2010

Respiratory infections have been implicated in the origin and exacerbation of asthma in a variety of ways; however, systemisation of this knowledge in a way helpful for disease management remains suboptimal.

Several conceptual issues need to be taken into account: the fact that the effects of an infection may vary according to genetic background, the current immune status of the host, and parallel environmental stimuli, in addition to the particular infectious agent itself. Moreover, childhood is a very special period because of the continuous processes taking place, such as neural, immune and respiratory maturation.

Epidemiological studies have convincingly demonstrated that the majority of asthma exacerbations, in both adults and children, follow viral upper respiratory tract infections. Asthma exacerbations are still often unresponsive to current asthma treatment, and new therapeutic approaches are required.

This review presents current knowledge on the associations between infection and exacerbation of established asthma with respect to definitions, epidemiology, mechanisms and treatment.
Molecular dynamics study of the hydrophobic 6,6-ionene oligocation in aqueous solution with sodium halides
Authors: Druchok Maksym , Vlachy Vojko
Published: August 2010

An explicit water molecular dynamics (MD) simulation is presented of a solution modeling aliphatic 6,6-ionene oligocations mixed with low-molecular-weight electrolytes. In all cases, the co-ions were sodium cations and the counterions were fluoride, chloride, bromide, or iodide anions. The simple point charge/extended (SPC/E) model was used to describe water. The results of the simulation at T = 278 K (the data for 298 K were obtained earlier) and T = 318 K are presented in the form of pair distributions between various atoms and/or between ions in the system. We were interested in how temperature variation modifies the ion-specific effects, revealed by the various pair distribution functions (PDFs). The results were compared with previous calculations for the less hydrophobic 3,3-ionene solutions. Simulations of 6,6-ionene solutions containing mixtures of fluoride and iodide counter-ions at T = 298 K were also presented.
One-dimensional inorganic semiconductor nanostructures: A new carrier for nanosensors
Authors: Fang Xiaosheng , Hu Linfeng , Ye Changhui , Zhang Lide
Published: August 2010

One-dimensional (1D) inorganic semiconductor nanostructures have witnessed an explosion of interest over the last decade because of advances in their controlled synthesis and unique property and potential applications. A wide range of gases, chemicals, biomedical nanosensors, and photodetectors have been assembled using 1D inorganic semiconductor nanostructures. The high-performance characteristics of these nanosensors are particularly attributable to the inorganic semiconducting nanostructure high surface-to-volume ratio (SVR) and its rationally designed surface. In this review, we provide a brief summary of the state-of-the-art research activities in the field of 1D inorganic semiconductor nanostructure-based nanosensors. Some perspectives and the outlook for future developments in this area are presented.
The Kähler-Ricci flow and K-polystability
Authors: Székelyhidi Gábor
Published: August 2010

We consider the K\"ahler-Ricci flow on a Fano manifold. We show
that if the curvature remains uniformly bounded along the flow,
the Mabuchi energy is bounded below, and the manifold is
K-polystable, then the manifold admits a K\"ahler-Einstein
metric. The main ingredient is a result that says that a
sufficiently small perturbation of a cscK manifold admits a cscK
metric if it is K-polystable.
On the critical values of L -functions of base change for Hilbert modular forms
Authors: Virdol Cristian
Published: August 2010

In this paper we shall generalize some results obtained by Shimura and
Yoshida on critical values of $L$-functions of $l$-adic representations
attached to Hilbert modular forms, to the critical values of
$L$-functions of arbitrary base change to totally real number fields of
$l$-adic representations attached to Hilbert modular forms.
Arcs, cords, and felts — six instances of the linearization principle
Authors: Bruschek Clemens , Hauser Herwig
Published: August 2010

It is shown how a selection of prominent results in singularity theory
and differential geometry can be deduced from {\it one} theorem, the
Rank Theorem for maps between spaces of power series.
Analogy, Exemplum, and the First Tale of Juan Manuel's El Conde Lucanor
Authors: de Looze Laurence
Published: August 2010

In Juan Manuel's fourteenth-century masterpiece El Conde Lucanor , the analogical relationship between the narrative frame and the intercalated apologues has often been mentioned. This article makes use of recent work on the way analogies function in order to better understand the much-vaunted "didacticism" of the Conde Lucanor . Investigation of the first ejemplo from the standpoint of recent theoretical work on analogies reveals that two analogies are in fact in operation, the second of which "thinks" the Conde Lucanor as a book and makes Patronio and his apologues indispensable to Count Lucanor for the duration of book 1.
Writing on Behalf of a Christian Empire: Gifts, Dissimulation, and Politics in the Letters of Philip II of Spain to Wanli of China
Authors: Hsu Carmen Y.
Published: August 2010

This article examines the political and historical circumstances in which Philip II decided to send his ambassadors to the king of China and the function and significance of Philip's letters to the king. It focuses on the ways in which the Spanish monarch uses the art of dissimulation as effective statecraft in pursuit of political, commercial, and evangelical interests in China. The essay argues that the Prudent King's application of the dissimulation principle to a deferential tone follows the recommendations of Pedro de Ribadeneyra's treatise on Christian kingship. Beneath the deferential rhetoric, one can recognize the same sort of Christian superiority and political ambition that are evident in earlier documents, mainly Charles V's letter in 1543 and the Requerimiento . Interweaving pragmatic prudence with Christian superiority, the Prudent King's letters epitomize the prevailing ambivalence that defines a large body of European writings on China during the period.
Del esfuerzo del traductor a la despreocupación del copista: la versión del Libro de Job de fray Luis de León
Authors: Fernández López Sergio
Published: August 2010

En su Exposición del Cantar de los Cantares , fray Luis de León se sirvió de una versión judeorromance para componer su propia traducción. Aunque aquella le sirvió de guía, el agustino no se convirtió por entonces en un mero copista: su deseo de transformar y personalizar la antigua versión judeoespañola aún estaba presente. En su traducción del Libro de Job , en cambio, copió sin reservas una de las versiones sefardíes más conocidas, la Biblia de Ferrara, hasta el punto de que es la mayor o menor fidelidad a ese texto lo que determina el famoso cambio de tono que algunos observaron en la versión del agustino.
From the Space of the Wunderkammer to Macondo's Wonder Rooms: The Collection of Marvels in Cien años de soledad
Authors: Arellano Jerónimo
Published: August 2010

This article explores the relationship of Gabriel García Márquez's novel Cien añs de soledad to early modern material culture. In particular, it argues that we may reread central passages in the novel as a ludic reintegration of the space of the cámara de maravillas or Wunderkammer : sixteenth- and seventeenth-century repositories of objects that were conceived of as marvels or wonders. While this transhistorical relationship appears at first to link García Márquez's novel to modern and contemporary reinventions of the Wunderkammer in Europe and North America, the present article underscores the specificity of Cien años de soledad 's approach to the early modern culture of the marvelous in light of the novel's retracing of the affective cartographies of empire.
Every Line a Verse, Every Art a Poem: Monsiváis, Minstrel of the Mexican Chronicle
Authors: Egan Linda
Published: August 2010

This study analyzes the myriad ways in which Carlos Monsiváis incorporates poetry and song verse into his literary journalism. Whether this genre of the chronicle is a serious denunciation of criminal and inhumane acts in Mexico or a satiric jab at sociopolitical realities, its author does not refrain from inserting verses into his discourse, a custom which both entertains and challenges readers to actively construct the text's meaning. This essay includes a summary of the major Mexican movements and poets from which Monsiváis takes most of his poetic subtitles and puns, and also a comment on the author's disheartened assessment of today's educational system and society's emphasis on the image. These dull the citizen's perception of the poetic or indeed of any appreciation of language. Still, ever the utopian, Monsiváis keeps the torch for poetry's survival.
Analysing the Sources of Economic Growth in Africa Using Growth a Accounting and a Panel VAR approach
Authors: Seetanah Boopen , Rojid Sawkut
Published: August 2010

Using growth accounting framework and panel data analysis, while accounting for dynamics and endogeneity issues in growth modelling, this paper analyses the sources of growth in selected COMESA member countries. The growth accounting suggests a moderate level of TFP and that the contribution of capital and labour has been more or less the same. The results from the econometrics study are also along the same line with capital accumulation, openness and education observed to be among the most important ingredient of growth. The econometric study has also shown the importance of some other variables like political and institutional stability, financial development, IMF assistance funds and spill over effects as potential factors that may affect growth.
The Role of Aggregate Demand and Supply Shocks in a Low-Income Country: Evidence from Bangladesh
Authors: Bashar Omar H.M.N.
Published: August 2010

This paper explores the relative role of aggregate demand and supply shocks in affecting the output level and inflation rate in a low-income country vulnerable to various economic shocks. The study uses Bangladesh data, and following Cover et al (2006), employs a modification of the Blanchard-Quah (BQ) approach, in which the two shocks are allowed to be correlated. Strong evidence is found for the hypothesis that aggregate demand and supply shocks are interrelated in Bangladesh. For the case in which causality is assumed to be running from demand to supply shocks, it was found that an independent supply shock plays significant role for fluctuations in inflation, which was absent in the standard BQ model. The results suggest that a tightening of monetary policy may lead to an adverse effect on the long-run growth potential and some supply-side policies may be required to supplement contractionary monetary policy in combating inflation in Bangladesh.
Trade Liberalization and Productivity Growth: Firm-Level Evidence from Cameroon
Authors: Njikam Ousmanou , Cockburn John
Published: August 2010

Using a panel of firm-level data, this paper assesses the effects of Cameroon's trade liberalization in the late 1980s and early 1990s on firm productivity growth in the manufacturing sector. A two-step approach is employed. First, a single production function for the whole manufacturing sector is run on the pooled sample of pre-and post-reform periods as well as separately on the pre-and immediately post-reform periods using the Levinsohn and Petrin methodology, and firm productivity indexes are derived. Second, the correlation between trade liberalization and firm productivity growth rates is examined in a regression framework. We focus on the interaction between trade liberalization shocks and firm, industry and environment characteristics. We find a systematic shift in the firm productivity distributions from the pre- to post-liberalization periods in the direction of higher productivity. The manufacturing sector total factor productivity drops in the pre-reform and improves considerably in the post-reform periods. The estimations using pooled pre-and post-liberalization as well as sub-periods firm productivity growth rates show that reductions in effective protection and, even more, increases in export shares are the principal mechanisms of firm productivity improvements. Interestingly, firm, industry and business environment characteristics such as capital intensity, size, age, age squared, competition across industries, and political instability appear to have no influence on the effect of trade liberalization on firm productivity growth.
Migration and Children's Welfare in China: The Schooling and Health of Children Left behind
Authors: Lee Ming-Hsuan
Published: August 2010

Although the effect of the migration process on the family has been extensively studied, much less attention has been given to the impact of migration on children, especially those children who are left behind. Children whose parents have migrated are usually looked after by members of their extended family. In this paper, we compare the well-being of children who live in rural Chinese households in which the parents either have or have not migrated, and we then examine the extent to which parental migration affects children's welfare (i.e., schooling and health conditions). Our findings show that, compared to children whose parents have migrated, children whose parents have not migrated were better off in terms of school enrollment and years of schooling. Meanwhile, children of migrant parents generally demanded more recognition from parents and peers and were more likely to develop a smoking habit. Regarding children's health, this paper also identifies some negative impacts of parental migration on children's receiving of health care and on the general quality of their health; however, the extent was not as substantial as in the case of schooling. Overall, our findings suggest that parental absence due to labor migration affected children's mental and, to a lesser extent, physical well-being. The results also confirm the common observation that the care provided by the extended family is often limited to tangible help and rarely involves spiritual inspiration.
What Are the Links Between Aid Volatility and Growth?
Authors: Markandya Anil , Ponczek Vladimir , Yi Soonhwa
Published: August 2010

Recent literature has debated possible adverse impacts of aid volatility on a country's economic performance. Our paper adds to this literature in three ways: First it tests the validity of the aid volatility and growth relationship from various aspects: across time horizons, by sources of aid, and by aid volatility interactions with country characteristics. Second, it investigates the relationship by the level of aid absorption and spending. Third, when examining the relationship between IDA aid volatility and growth, it isolates IDA aid volatility due to the recipient country's performance from that due to other sources. Our findings suggest that, in the long run, on average, aid volatility is negatively correlated with real economic growth. But the relationship is not even. It is stronger for sub-Saharan African countries than for other regions and it is not present in middle income countries or countries with strong institutions.
Foreign Direct Investment, Financial Development and Political Risks
Authors: Dutta Nabamita , Roy Sanjukta
Published: August 2010

Financial development is definitely a determinant of the extent of foreign direct investment (FDI) inflow into an economy. Yet, the contribution of financial development (FD) can be dependent on the political situation of the recipient nation. Higher political stability aids financial institutions to reap the benefits of FDI efficiently. Our paper empirically investigates the role of political risk in the association of FDI and FD. Using a panel of 97 countries, we show the relationship to be strictly non-linear. The impact of FD on FDI becomes negative beyond a threshold level of FD. However, we do find political risk factors to be affecting the relationship by altering the threshold level of financial development.
The Exchange Value of the Pakistan Rupee & Pakistan Trade Balance: An ARDL Bounds Testing Approach
Authors: Shahbaz Muhammad , Awan Rehmat Ullah , Ahmad Khalil
Published: August 2010

Results of previous studies on the correlation between exchange rate changes and trade balance are unpersuasive. The present endeavor tries to understand the direction of changes between trade balance and exchange rate and how the depreciation in exchange rate takes place by incorporating the absorption and monetary approaches including Marshal Lerner condition. Our results reveal that existence of long run relationship between exchange rate, income and money supply on trade balance examined through ARDL bounds testing approach. The lag of dependent variable i.e. trade balance has significant impact on the current year trade balance due to pervious year trade policy. At the same time, depreciation in exchange rate deteriorates the trade balance thus adoption of such trade policies that boost the trade balance in future are desirable. The results have also been indicated that beneficial impact of trade policies on trade balance is nullifying by the exchange rate depreciation. Low level of money supply rather than income plays an important role to improve the trade balance in Pakistan. The prevalence of Keynesian postulation exists in Pakistan that states 'income increase will encourage general public to purchase more imported goods and thus deteriorates the trade balance'. This paper would highlight some new insights for policy formulation regarding trade, exchange rate, and economic growth.
Crops and Livestock Productivity Measures for Selected Countries
Authors: Arnade Carlos , Jones Keithly
Published: August 2010

A programming problem is introduced which calculates efficiency scores for two jointly produced products. These scores, as well as Malmquist total factor productivity indices, were calculated and reported for both the crop and livestock sectors for 27 countries. Our two-score method allows us to determine whether technical change favors crops or livestock sectors. While numerous other studies have found total factor productivity falling for developing country agriculture, this study indicates that it applies less to livestock production than to crop production. The study also shows that, given its existing set of resources, some developing countries could be more efficient than developed countries. We also show how two-sector scores can be used to determine whether technical change favors one sector over another, which could help to determine a country's comparative advantage and thereby assist with better allocation of its resources.
Physical Infrastructure and Development of Secondary Sector: An Econometric Analysis for Six States in India
Authors: Ghosh Anupam
Published: August 2010

While the importance of physical infrastructure in the development of secondary sector of the Indian economy is acknowledged, there is little or no empirical study to validate its role at the state-level. This paper presents a quantitative analysis of the relationship between development of physical infrastructure and the growth of secondary sector at the state level. Six states of the Indian Union, first three states being more developed industrially, and the other three states being industrially the least developed, are studied for this purpose. We discuss the important issue of whether all the states will be able to reap similar benefits from improved infrastructure or will the benefits be different for different states. Applying regression technique using factor scores, we show that while some states have reached the inflexion point in terms of physical infrastructure, others will gain significantly from infrastructure development. For some less-developed states, it is seen that even if infrastructure facilities are increased, the corresponding growth in output from secondary sector may not be encouraging, pointing to institutional and social factors that have a role to play in economic development.
Selling at the Farmgate or Traveling to the Market: A Conditional Farm-Level Model
Authors: Muamba Francis M.
Published: August 2010

This paper seeks to indentify the determinants of smallholder farmer's market participation decisions using a farm level approach. By opening the black box which conceals the complex mechanism guiding farmers' market participation decision, this paper's contribution resides on its ability to take account of the conditional nature of farmers' decision to participate in the market. The paper develops a farm level sequential market participation model while taking account of the conditional nature of farmer's decision to participate in the market. In fact, the paper argues that the farmer's decision to participate in the market of a certain crop is dependent on producing the crop. Therefore, failing to account for this may bias the results. From a policy implication standpoint, the highlights of the results suggest that providing affordable and easily accessible fertilizers will incentivize both greater market participation and market volume supplied of both cash and food crop types.
The Effects of Reducing European and American Subsidies on Agricultural Exports of Developing Countries
Authors: Torayeh Neveen M.
Published: August 2010

Although the key issue in the WTO negotiations on agriculture is subsidies reduction, the EU and USA still account more than 85% of the world agriculture subsidies. An important policy question confronting developing countries is whether the reduction agreed within the Hong Kong conference could enable them to reap significant trade gains. Using data for 19 developing countries from 1995 to 2005, the results of cointegration and ECM indicate that 1% reduction in the subsidies imposed by the EU and USA would raise the developing countries' share in the world agricultural exports by an amount averaged between 0.11% to 0.55%. Simulation results confirm that real gains would be when there is a deep reduction in the current ceiling on overall trade-distorting subsidies by more than 75% for USA and 80% for the EU. The major challenge in coming negotiations is to address the ambiguity in the definition and quantification of agricultural subsidies.
An Examination of Capital Outlay Funding Mechanisms in Oklahoma
Authors: Johnson Carl , Maiden Jeffrey
Published: August 2010

This study was designed to explore fiscal interrelationships that underlay capital outlay funding, including the differences between rural and non-rural school districts. The study additionally focused on the relationships between various capital outlay funding components (capital outlay expenditures per pupil, net assessed valuation per pupil, bond issue passage rates, pupil socioeconomic status, and rurality) and student achievement. The analysis determined the extent to which these specific factors affected spending by including two levels of rurality as defined by the U.S. Census Bureau along with SES, current expenditures, local wealth, and local support as variables. Rural and non-rural were found to be significantly different in net assessed valuation and capital outlay expenditure but not bond passage rate. Socioeconomic status was significantly related to and a predictor of capital outlay expenditures. Capital outlay expenditure, net assessed valuation, nor rurality was significantly related to student achievement. The study identified how these capital outlay funding mechanisms in Oklahoma are related to one another and the effect they have as a group and individually on the ability of local educational leaders to address facility needs.
The High Cost of Leaving: An Analysis of the Cost of Teacher Turnover
Authors: Watlington Eliah , Shockley Robert , Guglielmino Paul , Felsher Rivka
Published: August 2010

The cost of teacher turnover to schools and school districts has only recently been studied. This research reveals that when high-quality teachers leave the classroom, the effect on both student performance and school and district fiscal operations is significant and deleterious. The implications for study in this area include the planning of teacher induction programs that can improve teacher retention and student achievement, and educational finance reforms that have the potential to increase the efficiency of school district finances and operations. In this article, the two fiscal measurement instruments used to determine the cost of teacher attrition are compared and critiqued—the School Turnover Analysis and the Teacher Turnover Cost Calculator. The article concludes with recommendations for future research and policy reform, and encourages the increased use of teacher attrition cost measurement tools in schools and school districts.
Monopolists to Middlemen: Dutch Liberalism and American Imperialism in the Opening of Japan
Authors: Chaiklin Martha
Published: August 2010

The so-called opening of Japan is often seen as a victory for American gunboat diplomacy, accomplished through the expert negotiations of Commodore Matthew Perry. The successful conclusion of this action was the beginning of an American presence in the Pacific. The Dutch, who had trading relations with Japan since 1609, are seen as irrelevant, generally vilified, or despised as weak. This article draws on primarily Dutch archival sources to demonstrate that the Dutch in fact skillfully navigated very rough diplomatic waters and smoothed the American treaty process with the Tokugawa shogunate.
London's Global Reach?: Reuters News and Network, 1865, 1881, and 1914
Authors: Winder Gordon M.
Published: August 2010

In the fifty years before 1914, London was served by Reuters, the world's leading news agency. Reuters both led and reflected London's expanding interests in world affairs, so analysis of its news supply offers insights into London's situation as a late nineteenth-century world city. Saskia Sassen has defined global cities as forming a network with transnational producer services firms contracting with transnational corporations to supply the services that are necessary for their global businesses. This article asks whether Reuters offered worldwide coverage, operated as an imperial network, or functioned as a transnational producer services enterprise networking world cities. It does so by mapping the world news Reuters delivered to London newspapers using the telegraphic records of the Reuters Group Archive for sample news weeks in 1865, 1881, and 1914. Analysis reveals that Reuters was a nineteenth-century producer services firm offering transnational services organized by a web of enterprise and focused on a network of world cities. This suggests in turn that London may have been a global city before 1914.
Food as World History: Broadening the Horizon and Reach of Historical Research
Authors: Chen Yong
Published: August 2010

Through its detailed analysis of three recent books on food, this article offers an overview of the rapidly growing field of food studies. It notes the field's promise for increasing the depth and broadening the reach of historical research. It argues that food represents a particularly important vehicle for comprehending changes in world history. Food intimately relates to every aspect of human life and existence, and as cuisines and individual foodstuffs it constantly crosses physical and cultural boundaries. Its broad appeal, however, also increases the difficulty for studies of food to become a coherent field of intellectual inquiry.
Greener and Sustainable Method for Alkene Epoxidations by Polymer-Supported Mo(VI) Catalysts
Authors: Ambroziak Krzysztof , Mbeleck Rene , Saha Basu , Sherrington David
Published: August 2010

A polybenzimidazole supported Mo(VI) (PBI.Mo) catalyst has been prepared and characterised. The catalytic activities of the PBI.Mo catalyst in epoxidation of alkenes with tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an oxidant have been studied under different reaction conditions in a batch reactor. As alkene representatives we have chosen cyclohexene, limonene, ?-pinene and 1-octene (a less reactive terminal alkene). The order of reactivity of the alkenes was found to be: cyclohexene>limonene>?-pinene>1-octene. The stability of each polymer catalyst was assessed by recycling a sample in batch reaction using conditions that will form the basis of the continuous process. The loss of Mo from each support has been investigated by isolating any residue from the reaction supernatant solutions, following removal of the heterogeneous polymer catalyst, and then using the residues as potential catalysts in epoxidation reactions.
Hydrodynamic Studies on Zeolite Fluidized Beds
Authors: Inglezakis Vassilis J , Stylianou Marinos , Loizidou Maria
Published: August 2010

The present study presents systematic experimental data on the fluidization of zeolite particles in water-solid fluidized beds. Four particle size groups, 90-180 ?m, 180-250 ?m, 250-315 ?m and 315-500 ?m and 22 different volumetric flow rates were used, corresponding to Rep of 0.012 to 1.452. All particle sizes showed smooth flow rate vs expanded bed height curves. As is proven, the Ergun equation is useful for determining the minimum fluidization velocity for the large particle sizes by using a fixed sphericity value of 0.354. For the fluidized bed regime (us>umf), the Ergun equation fails to represent the data as it results in fluctuating particle sphericity values, while the RichardsonZaki model seems to correlate the data for the large particle sizes only. A new correlation is presented, connecting bed voidage to Rep for all particle sizes with an average relative error of 2.38±2.49% and the range is 0.02-9%.
A Theory of Credibility under Commitment
Authors: Monte Daniel
Published: August 2010

The ability to commit to a contract may increase a player's payoff. In a repeated relationship, the lack of a complete contingency contract is usually explained by the presence of contracting costs. We study optimal contracts in a specific class of credibility models: relationships in which the surplus comes solely from screening. We show that the optimal contract is to reproduce the Perfect Bayesian Equilibrium of the game without commitment. In this sense, sequential rationality constraints do not bind. Therefore, we provide an alternative explanation for why a specific class of long-term relationships may often not be contracted upon.
Complexity of free radical Metabolism in human Erythrocytes
Authors: Nikolić-Kokić Aleksandra , Blagojević Duško , Spasić Mihajlo
Published: August 2010

Complexity of free radical Metabolism in human Erythrocytes

The auto-oxidation of oxyhaemoglobin to methaemoglobin generating superoxide anion radical (O2.-) represents the main source of free radicals in the erythro-cytes. Hydrogen peroxide is produced by O2.-dismutation or originates from the circulation. Human erythrocytes are also exposed to the prooxidative actions of nitric oxide (NO) from circulation. Free radicals that may induce reactions with direct dangerous consequences to erythrocytes are also preceded by the reaction of O2.-and NO producing peroxynitrite. In physiological settings, erythrocytes show a self-sustaining activity of antioxidative defence (AD) enzymes, such as: superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.11.16), catalase (CAT, EC 1.11.1.6), glutathione peroxidase (GSHPx, EC 1.11.1.9) and glutathione reductase (GR, EC 1.6.4.2), as well as low molecular weight antioxidants: glutathione and vitamins E and C. Their coordinate actions protect the erythrocyte's bio-macromolecules from free radical-mediated damage. Since there is node novosynthesis of AD enzymes in mature erythrocytes, their defence capacity is limited. Free radicals influence antioxidative enzymes capacities and relative share of particular components in the whole antioxidative system. Therefore, by measuring changes in the activity of individual AD components, as well as their interrelations by statistical canonical discriminant methods, valuable data about the complexity, overall relations and coordinated actions in the AD system in erythrocytes and its relevance for systemic effects can be acquired.
Diagnostic and Therapeutic Significance of the Oxidative Stress Parameters in Children
Authors: Bajčetić Milica , Brajović Milan , Korkut-Tešić Radojka
Published: August 2010

Diagnostic and Therapeutic Significance of the Oxidative Stress Parameters in Children

Pharmacotherapy of pediatric diseases represents a major challenge considering that the majority of medicines in everyday practice have not been pediatrically evaluated. The efficacy of therapy depends to a large extent on the knowledge of pathophysiological processes in the children organism at different ages. Therefore, research in that direction is of the utmost importance. An imbalance in the production of free oxygen/nitrogen species and parameters of antioxidative protection is a significant factor in many diseases (e.g. heart failure, pulmonary hypertension, asthma, neonatal sepsis, cancer etc.) in children of different age groups. Reactive oxygen/nitrogen species serve as cell signaling molecules for normal biologic processes. An increase in their generation can cause damages which can disrupt normal physiological cellular processes and eventually cause cell death. This review outlines the previous assessments of oxidative stress parameters in children of different ages for some diseases. Also, the potential diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities for the oxydative stress parameters in children have been considered.
Electron Paramagnetic Resonance - A Powerful Tool of Medical Biochemistry in Discovering Mechanisms of Disease and Treatment Prospects
Authors: Spasojević Ivan
Published: August 2010

Electron Paramagnetic Resonance - A Powerful Tool of Medical Biochemistry in Discovering Mechanisms of Disease and Treatment Prospects

In pathophysiological conditions related to oxidative stress, the application of selected antioxidants could have beneficial effects on human health. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy is a technique that provides unique insight into the redox biochemistry, due to its ability to: (i) distinguish and quantify different reactive species, such as hydroxyl radical, superoxide, carbon centered radicals, hydrogen atom, nitric oxide, ascorbyl radical, melanin, and others; (ii) evaluate the antioxidative capacity of various compounds, extracts and foods; (iii) provide information on other important parameters of biological systems. A combination of EPR spectroscopy and traditional biochemical methods represents an efficient tool in the studies of disease mechanisms and antioxidative therapy prospects, providing a more complete view into the redox processes in the human organism.
Gene-Environment Interaction: A Genetic-Epidemiological Approach
Authors: Pekmezović Tatjana
Published: August 2010

Gene-Environment Interaction: A Genetic-Epidemiological Approach

Classical epidemiology addresses the distribution and determinants of diseases in populations, and the factors associated with disease causation, with the aim of preventing disease. Both genetic and environmental factors may contribute to susceptibility, and it is still unclear how these factors interact in their influence on risk. Genetic epidemiology is the field which incorporates concepts and methods from different disciplines including epidemiology, genetics, biostatistics, clinical and molecular medicine, and their interaction is crucial to understanding the role of genetic and environmental factors in disease processes. The study of gene-environment interaction is central in the field of genetic epidemiology. Gene-environment interaction is defined as »a different effect of an environmental exposure on disease risk in persons with different genotypes,« or, alternatively, »a different effect of a genotype on disease risk in persons with different environmental exposures.« Five biologically plausible models are described for the relations between genotypes and environmental exposures, in terms of their effects on disease risk. Therefore, the study of gene-environment interaction is important for improving accuracy and precision in the assessment of both genetic and environmental factors, especially in disorders of less defined etiology. Genetic epidemiology is also applied at the various levels of disease prevention.
Individualized Therapy: Role of Thiopurine S-Methyltransferase Protein and Genetic Variants
Authors: Pavlović Sonja , Zukić Branka
Published: August 2010

Individualized Therapy: Role of Thiopurine S-Methyltransferase Protein and Genetic Variants

Thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT: EC 2.1.1.67) is an enzyme that metabolizes immunosuppressive thiopurine medications, used in the treatment of autoimmune diseases, cancer and in transplantation medicine. In some individuals, TPMT enzyme activity is significantly increased or decreased compared to the normal TPMT activity level. Structural and biochemical analyses of the TPMT protein revealed the existence of certain protein variants with altered activity. It has been shown that certain TPMT gene polymorphisms exist, that define different TPMT allozymes. Decreased TPMT enzyme activity can also be a consequence of lower protein synthesis, which depends on the promoter transcription activity. Promoter polymorphisms, such as variable number of tandem repeats (VNTR), can modulate the transcription. Administering thiopurine drugs in patients with certain genetic TPMT variants leads to severe hematologic toxicity. To avoid toxicity, therapy is being modified according to the TPMT genotype (pharmacogenetics). We investigated the polymorphisms in exons and regulatory elements (promoter) of the TPMT gene which affect TPMT enzyme activity in the Serbian population. We used PCR-based methodology and sequencing in the detection of genetic variants on TPMT gene. We showed that genetic variants in exons account for 7.5% of all TPMT variants with decreased enzyme activity. The therapy for patients with these pharmacogenetic markers was modified, which contributed to the efficiency of treatment. Functional assaysin vitroshowed that the TPMT promoter activity and, therefore, the quantity of TPMT protein synthesized, depended on the architecture of VNTRs (i.e. number and type) in the promoter. Promoter of the TPMT gene specifically responds to mercaptopurine treatment of K562 cells in a VNTR-dependent manner. Study of DNA-protein interactions revealed that Sp1 and Sp3 transcription factors interact with VNTRs. Our research pointed out that the VNTR promoter region of the TPMT gene could become a new pharmacogenetic marker, clinically significant for the individualization of thiopurine therapy.
MARP Protein Family: A Possible Role in Molecular Mechanisms of Tumorigenesis
Authors: Kojić Snežana
Published: August 2010

MARP Protein Family: A Possible Role in Molecular Mechanisms of Tumorigenesis

The MARP (muscle ankyrin repeat protein) family comprises three structurally similar proteins: CARP/Ankrd1, Ankrd2/Arpp and DARP/Ankrd23. They share four conserved copies of 33-residue ankyrin repeats and contain a nuclear localization signal, allowing the sorting of MARPs to the nucleus. They are found both in the nucleus and in the cytoplasm of skeletal and cardiac muscle cells, suggesting that MARPs shuttle within the cell enabling them to play a role in signal transduction in striated muscle. Expression of MARPs is altered under different pathological conditions. In skeletal muscle, CARP/Ankrd1 and Ankrd2/Arpp are up-regulated in muscle in patients suffering from Duchene muscular dystrophy, congenital myopathy and spinal muscular atrophy. Mutations inAnkrd1gene (coding CARP/Ankrd1) were identified in dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyopathies. Altered expression of MARPs is also observed in rhabdomyosarcoma, renal oncocytoma and ovarian cancer. In order to functionally characterize MARP family members CARP/Ankrd1 and Ankrd2/Arpp, we have found that both proteins interact with the tumor suppressor p53 bothin vivoandin vitroand that p53 up-regulates their expression. Our results implicate the potential role of MARPs in molecular mechanisms relevant to tumor response and progression.