bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
In Defence of Inelegance: IR Theory and Transatlantic Practice
Authors: Peterson John
Published: February 2006

We should theorize about international relations (IR) exclusively on the basis of systemic variables because the whole cannot be known ‘through the study of its parts’. This injunction is familiar and pervasive across our discipline. Yet, IR theorists who seek to explain international outcomes by focusing exclusively on systemic variables are increasingly engaging in a sort of unilateral disarmament. Despite all its shortcomings, foreign policy analysis (FPA) gets us much further than systemic IR theory in understanding the real world of international politics. While much depends on precisely what ‘slice’ of international political life we are seeking to explain, FPA captures how international outcomes are increasingly determined by factors that are sourced at the level of domestic politics. The argument here draws on close empirical investigation of US-European relations, as well as contributions to this journal by Mearsheimer and Gilpin, and other recent works in the research literature.
Back from the USSR: Kant, Kaliningrad and World Peace
Authors: Williams Howard L.
Published: February 2006

The year 2004 marked the bicentenary of Immanuel Kant’s death. This article evaluates the main arguments of Kant’s essay on perpetual peace in the light of developments in world politics since his time. How well have his ideas stood the test of time? Kant’s essay is placed in the context of his philosophy as a whole and through a close textual analysis the value of his propositions is assessed. The article looks at the Provisional and Definitive Articles in their mutual relation and places a good deal more emphasis than is usual upon the two supplements and appendix. Finally the article takes the complex circumstances of Kant’s home city, Kaliningrad, as a brief test case for his own theories.
Reducing Prison Misconducts
Authors: French Sheila A. , Gendreau Paul
Published: February 2006

A meta-analysis was conducted to assess the effectiveness of correctional treatment for reducing institutional misconducts. Sixty-eight studies generated 104 effect sizes involving 21,467 offenders. Behavioral treatment programs produced the strongest effects ( r = .26, CI = .18to .34). The numbers of criminogenic needs targeted and program therapeutic integrity were found to be important moderators of effect size. Prison programs producing the greatest reductions in misconduct were also associated with larger reductions in recidivism. The magnitudes of various indices of treatment effect size with respect to misconducts were remarkably similar to results in the correctional treatment literature where community recidivism is the criterion. Recommendations are made that will assist prison authorities to manage prisons in a safe and humane manner.
Economic Sanctions in Criminal Justice
Authors: Ruback R. Barry , Bergstrom Mark H.
Published: February 2006

In this article, the authors present a framework for considering five different economic sanctions: restitution, costs, fees, fines, and forfeiture. The intended purposes of these sanctions are described, and the research on the imposition of these sanctions is reviewed, particularly the extent to which offenders are likely to pay these court-ordered amounts and the effect of economic sanctions on recidivism. Four specific problems with economic sanctions are presented: setting the amounts of the sanctions, ensuring payment, setting priorities among different sanctions, and defining the roles of probation officers in the monitoring of payment.
Probation, Mental Health, and Mandated Treatment
Authors: Skeem Jennifer L. , Emke-Francis Paula , Louden Jennifer Eno
Published: February 2006

A large number of probationers with mental illness (PMIs) are under supervision in the United States. In this national survey, we compared the supervision approaches of a matched sample of 66 specialty mental health and 25 traditional probation agencies. The prototypic specialty agency has five key features that distinguish it from the traditional model: (a) exclusive mental health caseloads, (b) meaningfully reduced caseloads, (c) sustained officer training, (d) active integration of internal and external resources to meet PMIs’ needs, and (e) problem-solving strategies as the chief means for addressing treatment noncompliance. Probation supervisors perceived these specialty features as “very useful” and perceived specialty agencies as more effective than traditional ones for PMIs. However, the most important feature of the prototypic specialty agency may also be the most endangered: reduced caseloads. Implications for research and practice are presented.
Recidivism Rates of Sexual Offenders up to 7 Years Later
Authors: Zgoba Kristen M. , Simon Leonore M. J.
Published: February 2006

This article critically reviews the evidence on sex offender treatment and subsequently provides new estimates on short-term recidivism among sexual offenders released from prison in New Jersey. The sample of male sex offenders is drawn from the Adult Diagnostic Treatment Center (ADTC), New Jersey’s only sex-offender-specific prison, and the general population of nine prisons within the state of New Jersey. The ADTC sample receives treatment while incarcerated ( n = 495), whereas no treatment is provided to the offenders in the general population sample ( n = 223). Overall, 33% of the total sample ( N = 718) commits a new offense. Of the total sample, 14% commits a new sexual offense and 24% commits a new nonsexual offense. Significant differences exist between the ADTC and the general population samples with respect to nonsexual reoffending only. In the final analysis, treatment appears to matter in terms of a reduction in recidivism but not in conventionally expected ways.
Food for Thought
Authors: Lynch Michael J. , Burns Ronald G. , Holcomb Jefferson E.
Published: February 2006

Criminologists and criminal justice researchers have neglected the behavior of regulatory agencies. Furthering the goal of focusing on the behavior of regulatory agencies, this article analyzes the reporting practices of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on its activities as found in two publications produced by that agency: FDA Enforcement Report, its official data report, and FDA Consumer, a public information magazine. Results suggest that the FDA uses these mediums to construct different images of its activities. The authors examine reasons why the FDA engages in image management and the differences across different FDA publications. The authors also introduce the idea of public health justice to identify the social control concerns of agencies ostensibly charged with protecting the public’s health.
Attorneys’ Self-Reported Perspectives and Criteria for Requesting Competency Evaluations in Criminal Defense Cases
Authors: Bayliss Corey Michael , Polk O. Elmer
Published: February 2006

It is hypothesized that attorneys with more experience and attorneys with a more favorable opinion of the usefulness of competency to stand trial evaluations will adopt a more paternalistic approach in the application and use of competency evaluation. The criteria by which attorneys adopting the paternalistic approach decide to have certain defendants evaluated for their competency to stand trial is focused more on the client’s best interests, such as mental welfare, rather than strictly on case outcome, or the least restrictive measures. This study surveys criminal defense attorneys in a large, urban, North Texas county as to which decisional approach, paternalism or pure advocacy, they follow. The study finds that attorneys with a more favorable opinion of the usefulness of competency evaluations express a greater degree of support of the use of both paternalistic and pure-advocacy items as solitary criteria for seeking a competency evaluation.
For Management?
Authors: Clegg Stewart R. , Kornberger Martin , Carter Chris , Rhodes Carl
Published: February 2006

Over the past decades there have been persistent radical critiques of management. Previously the goal was to apply forms of Marxian analysis to the world of management and organizations, usually seeing it as a sphere of false consciousness, distorted and unreflective practices, and three-dimensional power or hegemony. Surprisingly, even after the Marxist scaffoldings that supported such claims have been deconstructed—both practically and theoretically—there are still current contributions to management thought that seek to resuscitate the same critiques, often under the rubric of Critical Management Studies. These representations seem increasingly bizarre, given the theoretical currents emanating from post-structuralist and postmodern thought that have been emergent in recent years, associated ideas such as polyphony, difference, deconstruction and translation. In this article we draw on these sources to produce a different representation of management—one that we would argue acts as an effective counter-factual to that which provides support to some of the central tendencies manifest in critical approaches to management. Rather than seeing modern management as necessarily a totalitarian practice, one that should necessarily be subject to a negative critique, we would argue that, at its best, it enables polyphony rather than tyranny, and the possibility to be both critical and for management.
The Legislative Party and Candidate Recruitment in the American States
Authors: Sanbonmatsu Kira
Published: February 2006

Parties in the legislature have become central to the recruitment of candidates, overshadowing the role traditionally played by the local and state parties. In this article, I analyze original data from a recent national mail survey of state legislative leaders in order to understand why some legislative parties are more involved in recruitment than others, testing several competing theories of party activities. I find that legislative leaders are perceived to be more active in recruitment than either the state or local party. Where there is more competition between the two parties, the parties in the legislature are more actively engaged in recruitment. These results suggest that legislative leaders can use candidate recruitment as a strategy to build or maintain a majority. Meanwhile, I do not find support for the view that the legislative party recruits candidates where the state and local parties are not recruiting candidates. I also find that recruitment is not limited to the most professionalized legislatures.
Legislators’ Positions and Party System Competition in Central America
Authors: Zoco Edurne
Published: February 2006

This article is a first attempt to explore the characteristics of political competition in Central America, a subject that has been the focus of little research to date. The article provides a detailed spatial analysis of Central American legislators and parties, as well as an analysis of the number and nature of the political dimensions dividing legislators and major parties for the period 1998–2002. This multi-level analysis illustrates the significant role of agency in the translation of cleavages to the arena of political competition. The article explores the relationship between party system polarization and the number and substance of politically relevant dimensions. It uses data from the Parliamentary Elites of Latin America Survey Project, and the statistical analysis involves factor and discriminant analysis of Central American legislatures.
Condescending ethics and action research
Authors: Eikeland Olav
Published: February 2006

The article outlines ethical aspects of action research at two different levels: philosophical and ‘applied’. It also emphasizes ethical aspects of practitioner research and conventional social research tacitly implied in the relations between researchers and researched presupposed by the two approaches. Conventional research ethics is insufficient for grasping these aspects, since it is constituted within the relations assumed by conventional research. Conventional research ethics is also claimed to be a ‘condescending ethics’ unfit for action research because of its practice of ‘othering’ human beings as research subjects. This article interprets many ethical dilemmas experienced by action researchers as ‘othering-effects’, only to be overcome through the establishment of peer communities of inquiry among combined ‘practitioners-researchers-researched’. It uses a book on ethics and action research as a starting point for reflections about the very real challenges of creating peer communities of inquiry doing action/practitioner research.
An ethical theory of action research pedagogy
Authors: Barazangi Nimat Hafez
Published: February 2006

The theory of action research (AR) pedagogy presented in this article is, at its core, ethical in nature. For teaching, learning, and evaluating AR, the theory's goal is to increase individuals’ capacity to act on their own behalf and preventing themselves from becoming an authoritarian expert. Achieving such an increased individual capacity requires the integration and deployment of multiple dimensions of ethical principles and understanding their implications for the ethics of AR pedagogy. An integration of Ibn Miskawayh's Islamic philosophy of ethical pedagogy, Iris Young's theory of justice, Greenwood and Levin's criteria for ethical participation, and my own model of participatory action research evaluation that is central to the learning process constitutes the basis of this ethical theory of AR pedagogy.
Adequacy of Medical Chart Review to Characterize Emergency Care for Asthma: Findings from the Illinois Emergency Department Asthma Collaborative
Authors: McDermott Michael F. , Lenhardt Richard O. , Catrambone Catherine D. , Walter James , Weiss Kevin B.
Published: February 2006

Objectives:
To assess the intermethod reliability of medical chart review compared with directly observed care in patients presenting to emergency departments (EDs) for asthma care.

Methods:
ED care practices for persons with asthma were evaluated by comparing chart review with trained observers. Fifty‐one patients from five EDs participating in the Illinois Emergency Department Asthma Collaborative were studied. Practices in assessment, treatment, education, and referral were measured. Eighteen elements of care were assessed. Concordance between chart and observation was measured by using the kappa statistic.

Results:
Of 51 subjects studied, nine were children. Kappa values varied depending on content. Kappa values ranged from 0.22 to 0.91 for items reflecting asthma assessment. Good concordances (κ= 0.50 to 0.82) were found for items reflecting treatment practices. The lowest concordances were for items assessing educational activities (κ= 0.04 to 0.34). Referral practices had fair to moderate concordances (κ= 0.21 to 0.45).

Conclusions:
Intermethod reliability of medical chart review and directly observed care varied depending on the element of care being measured. The use of chart review to measure quality of ED‐based asthma care may only be appropriate for a limited number of care processes that are reliably and validly captured from chart review.
Interobserver Agreement for the Diagnosis of Venous Thromboembolism on Computed Tomography Chest Angiography and Indirect Venography of the Lower Extremities in Emergency Department Patients
Authors: Richman Peter B. , Dominguez Shari , Kasper David , Chen Frederick , Friese Jeremy , Wood Joseph , Collins Joseph , Kline Jeffrey A.
Published: February 2006

Objectives:
To determine interobserver agreement between radiologists for computed tomography (CT) angiography and venography. CT venography of the lower extremities combined with standard CT angiography of the chest may result in an increased overall diagnosis rate of venous thromboembolism (pulmonary embolism or deep venous thrombosis).

Methods:
The study had a retrospective cohort design. The population consisted of emergency department patients who were evaluated for suspected pulmonary embolism. A random sample of 50 patients diagnosed and treated for venous thromboembolism and 50 age‐ and gender‐matched patients whose CT angiograms and venograms were read as negative were enrolled. The original reading (R1) was compared with readings of two study radiologists: R2, a general radiologist, and R3, a radiologist with fellowship training in cross‐sectional imaging. All readers were blinded to each other.

Results:
Both R2 and R3 found both CT angiogram and venogram components technically adequate in 95% (95% CI = 89% to 98%) and 86% (95% CI = 78% to 92%) of studies, respectively. The agreement was very good for CT angiography (lowest agreement = 92%; lowest κ= 0.83) and was good for CT venography (85%, κ= 0.65). In nine cases, R1 read the CT angiogram as negative but the venogram as positive for DVT, whereas both R2 and R3 read both components as negative in four of these nine, suggesting a false‐positive isolated DVT rate of 44% (95% CI = 19% to 73%). In no case did R1 read both scan components as negative when R2 and R3 agreed on presence of pulmonary embolism or DVT.

Conclusions:
Diagnosis of pulmonary embolism on CT angiography is more reliable than diagnosis of isolated DVT on CT venography.
Depression among Emergency Medicine Residents over an Academic Year
Authors: Katz Eric D. , Sharp Lydia , Ferguson Edward
Published: February 2006

Objectives:
To describe the frequency of depression among emergency medicine (EM) residents by month, gender, rotation type, postgraduate year (PGY), and number of hours worked.

Methods:
This was a prospective, nonblinded, cohort study of consenting EM residents in a four‐year, 51‐resident EM residency program from July 2003 to June 2004. Participants received an anonymous monthly survey via Web site that consisted of the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CESD) and the resident's gender, PGY, number of hours worked in the previous week (≤40, 41–60, 61–80 and >80), and rotation type (EM, intensive care unit, non‐EM clinical, or other). Residents were excluded from analysis if they did not complete at least one survey during each season. For each resident, the peak score for each three‐month period was recorded and analyzed with a mixed‐model analysis of variance to account for a repeated‐measures effect.

Results:
Fifty of 51 (98.0%) residents consented for participation. Nineteen (38%) were excluded because of incomplete data. The prevalence of depression was 12.1% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] = 7.5% to 19.0%; 15 of 124 scores). The women had numerically, but not statistically, significantly lower mean ± standard deviation CESD scores than the men (6.4 ± 6.8 vs. 8.7 ± 8.6, p = 1.0). There was no significant difference in mean CESD score by month, PGY, rotation type, or number of hours worked.

Conclusions:
Season, number of hours worked, rotation type, PGY, and gender all failed to predict depression among EM residents in this single‐center trial. The prevalence of depression was comparable to that of the general population.
How Well are Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Automated External Defibrillator Skills Retained over Time? Results from the Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Trial
Authors: Riegel Barbara , Nafziger Sarah D. , McBurnie Mary Ann , Powell Judy , Ledingham Robert , Sehra Ruchir , Mango LynnMarie , Henry Mark C.
Published: February 2006

Background:
The current standard for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillator (AED) retraining for laypersons is a four‐hour course every two years. Others have documented substantial skill deterioration during this time period.

Objectives:
To evaluate 1) the retention of core CPR and AED skills among volunteer laypersons and 2) the time required to retrain laypersons to proficiency as a function of time since initial training.

Methods:
This was an observational follow‐up study evaluating CPR and AED skill retention and testing/retraining time up through 17 months after initial training. The study took place at 1,260 facilities recruited by 24 North American clinical research centers, and included 6,182 volunteer laypersons participating in the Public Access Defibrillation (PAD) Trial. Training to proficiency in either CPR only (N= 2,426) or CPR+AED (N= 3,756) was followed by testing/retraining provided three to 17 months later. Retraining was done in brief, one‐on‐one, individualized, interactive sessions. The outcome studied was instructors' global assessments of performance of CPR and AED skill adequacy, i.e., whether CPR actions would likely result in perfusion (yes/no) and whether AED actions would result in a shock through the heart (yes/no).

Results:
For global CPR performance, 79%, 73%, and 71% of volunteers tested for the first time since initial training three to five, six to 11, and 12 to 17 months after initial training, respectively, were judged by their instructors as having adequate performance (p < 0.001, chi‐square for linear trend). For global AED performance, 91%, 86%, and 84% of volunteers, respectively, were judged as having adequate performance (p < 0.001). The mean (± standard deviation) times required to test and retrain volunteers to proficiency were 5.7 (± 4.0) minutes for CPR skills and 7.7 (± 4.6) minutes for CPR+AED skills.

Conclusions:
Among PAD Trial volunteer laypersons participating in a simulated resuscitation, the proportions of volunteers judged by instructors to have adequate CPR and AED skills demonstrated small declines associated with longer intervals between initial training and subsequent testing. However, based on instructors' judgment, large majorities of volunteers still retained both CPR and AED core skills through 17 months after initial training. Furthermore, individual testing and retraining for CPR and AED skills were usually accomplished in less than 10 minutes per volunteer. Additional research is essential to identify training and evaluation techniques that predict adequate CPR and AED skill performance of laypersons when applied to an actual cardiac arrest.
Methods to assess drug permeability across the blood-brain barrier
Authors: Nicolazzo Joseph A , Charman Susan A , Charman William N
Published: February 2006

Much research has focussed on the development of novel therapeutic agents to target various central nervous system disorders, however less attention has been given to determining the potential of such agents to permeate the blood-brain barrier (BBB), a factor that will ultimately govern the effectiveness of these agents in man. In order to assess the potential for novel compounds to permeate the BBB, various in-vitro, in-vivo and in-silico methods may be employed. Although in-vitro models (such as primary cell culture and immortalized cell lines) are useful as a screening method and can appropriately rank compounds in order of BBB permeability, they often correlate poorly to in-vivo brain uptake due to down-regulation of some BBB-specific transporters. In-vivo models (such as the internal carotid artery single injection or perfusion, intravenous bolus injection, brain efflux index and intracerebral microdialysis) provide more accurate information regarding brain uptake, and these can be complemented with novel imaging techniques (such as magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography), although such methods are not suited to high-throughput permeability assessment. This paper reviews current methods used for assessing BBB permeability and highlights the particular advantages and disadvantages associated with each method, with a particular focus on methods suitable for moderate- to high-throughput screening.
In-vitro and in-vivo evaluation of oligoethylene esters as dermal prodrugs of 18β-glycyrrhetic acid
Authors: Puglia Carmelo , Bonina Francesco , Ostacolo Carmine , Sacchi Antonia , Laneri Sonia
Published: February 2006

Novel polyoxyethylene esters of 18 β-glycyrrhetic acid (GA) were synthesized and evaluated as potential dermal prodrugs. The permeation of these prodrugs (1a-e) was studied in-vitro, using excised human skin membranes (SCE; stratum corneum/epidermis) mounted in Franz type cells, and in-vivo, evaluating the ability of these compounds to inhibit methyl nicotinate (MN)-induced skin erythema in healthy human subjects. All the esters synthesized showed a good water stability, while the enzymatic hydrolysis rate was significantly affected by the length of the polyoxyethylenic chain used as promoiety. In in-vitro percutaneous absorption studies, only esters 1b and 1c (respectively triethylen- and tetraethylenglycol derivatives) showed an increased flux through SCE membranes compared with GA. Furthermore, we observed an appreciable and sustained in-vivo topical anti-inflammatory activity of esters 1b and 1c compared with the parent drug.
Development and characterization of emulsomes for sustained and targeted delivery of an antiviral agent to liver
Authors: Vyas S P , Subhedar Rasika , Jain Sanyog
Published: February 2006

In this study we developed emulsomes, a novel lipoidal vesicular system with an internal solid fat core surrounded by a phospholipid bilayer. Plain emulsomal formulations composed of solid lipid (trilaurin or tristearin), cholesterol and soya phosphatidylcholine and stearylamine containing cationic emulsomes loaded with an antiviral drug (zidovudine) were prepared by a simple cast film method followed by sonication to produce emulsomes of nanometric size range. All different types of formulations were optimized for lipid ratios and characterized in-vitro for shape, morphology, size and in-vitro drug release profile. Emulsomal formulations displayed a sufficiently slow drug release profile (12–15% after 24 h). In-vivo organ distribution studies in rats demonstrated better uptake of emulsomal formulations by the liver cells. Further, a significantly higher (P < 0.05) liver concentration of drug was estimated over a period of 24 h for cationic emulsomes than for plain neutral emulsomes. We concluded that cationic emulsomes could fuse with the endosomal membrane due to charge-charge interaction and were released in the cytoplasm before lysosomal degradation and could sustain drug release over a prolonged period. The proposed cationic emulsome-based system showed excellent potential for intracellular hepatic targeting and the strategy could play a vital role in the effective treatment of life-threatening viral infections, such as hepatitis, HIV and Epstein-Barr virus infection.
Anti-cancer effect of celecoxib and aerosolized docetaxel against human non-small cell lung cancer cell line, A549
Authors: Fulzele Suniket V , Shaik Madhu Sudhan , Chatterjee Abhijit , Singh M
Published: February 2006

Direct delivery of chemotherapeutic agents to the lung can increase both the drug concentration and exposure period to lung tumours. The objective of this study was to formulate docetaxel (DOC) into a metered dose inhaler (MDI), assess its aerodynamic characteristics and to evaluate the effect of celecoxib (CXB), a cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor, on the in-vitro cytotoxicity and apoptotic response of aerosolized DOC against human lung adenocarcinoma cell line A549. A stable solution-type MDI formulation was developed with 0.25% DOC and 15% w/w ethyl alcohol using HFA 134a propellant. The formulation was evaluated for medication delivery, mass median aerodynamic diameter (MMAD), geometric standard deviation (GSD), percent throat deposition, respirable mass and respirable fraction. A six-stage viable impactor was used to assess the in-vitro cytotoxicity of DOC-MDI alone or in combination with CXB. Induction of apoptosis in A549 cells by DOC (non-aerosolized and aerosolized) in combination with CXB was evaluated by established techniques, such as caspase-3 estimation and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated nick end labelling (TUNEL) staining. The influence of different treatments on the expression of COX-2 and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-γ (PPAR-γ) in A549 cells was studied by RT-PCR. The DOC-MDI formulation had a MMAD of 1.58 μm, (GSD = 3.2) and a medication delivery of 80 μg/shot. DOC-MDI (one shot) in combination with CXB (10 μg mL−1) had a cell kill of more than 80% as determined by in-vitro cytotoxicity assay. The specific caspase-3 activity in A549 cells treated with DOC (0.01 μg mL−1) and CXB (10.0 μg mL−1) combination was 4 times higher than CXB and untreated control group, respectively. Further, TUNEL staining showed significant apoptosis of A549 cells treated with aerosolized DOC alone or in combination with CXB when compared with CXB and untreated cells. The RT-PCR experiments showed similar expression of COX-2 in both control and treated groups. PPAR-γ expression was increased in the combination treatment (0.01 μg mL−1 DOC and 10 μg mL−1 CXB) as compared with control (untreated), DOC (0.01 μg mL−1) and CXB (10 μg mL−1) treatments. Our results indicate the potential of inhalation delivery of DOC in the treatment of lung cancer.
Novel depots of buprenorphine have a long-acting effect for the management of physical dependence to morphine
Authors: Kuel Chun-Hsiung , Liu Kuo-Sheng , Kao Cheng-Hsiung , Liu Shyun-Yeu , Wang Jhi-Joung , Sung K C
Published: February 2006

Buprenorphine is a promising new pharmacotherapy for the management of physical dependence to opioids. The aim of the study was to evaluate the duration of action of several novel depots of buprenorphine in the treatment of physical dependence to morphine in mice. Following intramuscular injection, the duration of action of several novel oil-based depots of buprenorphine base in morphine-dependent mice were evaluated. The traditional dosage form of buprenorphine hydrochloride in saline was used as control. We found that the depot of buprenorphine base in sesame oil produced a dose-related long-lasting effect. On an equimolar basis of 6 μmol kg−1, its effect was 5.7-fold longer than that of buprenorphine hydrochloride in saline. When prepared in several other oleaginous vehicles (castor oil, cottonseed oil, peanut oil and soybean oil), buprenorphine base also produced a long-lasting effect, which was similar to buprenorphine base in sesame oil. In conclusion, buprenorphine base, when prepared in oleaginous vehicles and injected intramuscularly in mice, produced a long-lasting effect on physical dependence to morphine.
Effects of tamsulosin on resting urethral pressure and arterial blood pressure in anaesthetized female dogs
Authors: Ohtake Akiyoshi , Sato Shuichi , Sasamata Masao , Miyata Keiji
Published: February 2006

The purposes of the present study were to investigate the effects of the α1-adrenoceptor antagonists tamsulosin, prazosin and urapidil on resting urethral pressure in anaesthetized female dogs, and to compare the results with their effects on arterial blood pressure. Tamsulosin decreased resting maximal urethral pressure in the urethral pressure profile in a dose-dependent fashion, whereas it had almost no effect on mean arterial blood pressure. Prazosin and urapidil also dose-dependently decreased resting maximal urethral pressure, but these effects were accompanied by decreases in mean arterial blood pressure. Thus, of these three compounds, tamsulosin dose-dependently decreased resting maximal urethral pressure with negligible effect on mean arterial blood pressure in female dogs. These results suggest that tamsulosin will be useful in the treatment of voiding dysfunction associated with bladder outlet obstruction in women, with little hypotensive effect.
Anti-allergic properties ofMangifera indicaL. extract (Vimang) and contribution of its glucosylxanthone mangiferin
Authors: Rivera Dagmar García , Balmaseda Ivones Hernández , León Alina Álvarez , Hernández Belkis Cancio , Montiel Lucía Márquez , Garrido Gabino Garrido , Hernández René Delgado , Cuzzocrea Salvatore
Published: February 2006

Vimang is the brand name of formulations containing an extract of Mangifera indica L., ethnopharmacologically used in Cuba for the treatment of some immunopathological disorders, including bronchial asthma, atopic dermatitis and other allergic diseases. However, the effects of Vimang on allergic response have not been reported until now. In this study, the effects of Vimang and mangiferin, a C-glucosylxanthone isolated from the extract, on different parameters of allergic response are reported. Vimang and mangiferin showed a significant dose-dependent inhibition of IgE production in mice and anaphylaxis reaction in rats, histamine-induced vascular permeability and the histamine release induced by compound 48/80 from rat mast cells, and of lymphocyte proliferative response as evidence of the reduction of the amount of B and T lymphocytes able to contribute to allergic response. In these experiments, ketotifen, promethazine and disodium cromoglicate were used as reference drugs. Furthermore, we demonstrated that Vimang had an effect on an in-vivo model of inflammatory allergy mediated by mast cells. These results constitute the first report of the anti-allergic properties of Vimang on allergic models, as well as suggesting that this natural extract could be successfully used in the treatment of allergic disorders. Mangiferin, the major compound of Vimang, contributes to the anti-allergic effects of the extract.
Multiple roles of mesenchymal β-catenin during murine limb patterning
Authors: Hill Theo P. , Taketo Makoto M. , Birchmeier Walter , Hartmann Christine
Published: February 2006

Recently canonical Wnt signaling in the ectoderm has been shown to be required for maintenance of the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) and for dorsoventral signaling. Using conditional gain- and loss-of-functionβ-catenin alleles, we have studied the role of mesenchymal β-catenin activity during limb development. Here, we show that loss of β-catenin results in limb truncations due to a defect in AER maintenance. Stabilization of β-catenin also results in truncated limbs, caused by a premature regression of the AER. Concomitantly, in these limbs, the expression of Bmp2, Bmp4 and Bmp7, and of the Bmp target genes Msx1,Msx2 and gremlin, is expanded in the mesenchyme. Furthermore, we found that the expression of Lmx1b, a gene exclusively expressed in the dorsal limb mesenchyme and involved in dorsoventral patterning, is reduced upon loss of β-catenin activity and is expanded ventrally in gain-of-function limbs. However, the known ectodermal regulators Wnt7a and engrailed 1 are expressed normally. This suggests that Lmx1b is also regulated, in part, by a β-catenin-mediated Wnt signal, independent of the non-canoncial Wnt7a signaling pathway. In addition,loss of β-catenin results in a severe agenesis of the scapula. Concurrently, the expression of two genes, Pax1 and Emx2,which have been implicated in scapula development, is lost in β-catenin loss-of-function limbs; however, only Emx2 is upregulated in gain-of-function limbs. Mesenchymal β-catenin activity is therefore required for AER maintenance, and for normal expression of Lmx1b and Emx2.
EARLY IN SHORT DAYS 1(ESD1) encodes ACTIN-RELATED PROTEIN 6 (AtARP6), a putative component of chromatin remodelling complexes that positively regulatesFLCaccumulation inArabidopsis
Authors: Martin-Trillo Mar , Lázaro Ana , Poethig R. Scott , Gómez-Mena Concepción , Piñeiro Manuel A. , Martinez-Zapater Jose M. , Jarillo Jose A.
Published: February 2006

We have characterized Arabidopsis esd1 mutations, which cause early flowering independently of photoperiod, moderate increase of hypocotyl length, shortened inflorescence internodes, and altered leaf and flower development. Phenotypic analyses of double mutants with mutations at different loci of the flowering inductive pathways suggest that esd1 abolishes the FLC-mediated late flowering phenotype of plants carrying active alleles of FRI and of mutants of the autonomous pathway. We found that ESD1 is required for the expression of the FLCrepressor to levels that inhibit flowering. However, the effect of esd1 in a flc-3 null genetic background and the downregulation of other members of the FLC-like/MAF gene family in esd1 mutants suggest that flowering inhibition mediated by ESD1 occurs through both FLC-and FLC-like gene-dependent pathways. The ESD1 locus was identified through a map-based cloning approach. ESD1 encodes ARP6, a homolog of the actin-related protein family that shares moderate sequence homology with conventional actins. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) experiments,we have determined that ARP6 is required for both histone acetylation and methylation of the FLC chromatin in Arabidopsis.
A new hormone replacement therapy containing a progestogen with anti-mineralocorticoid activity
Authors: Stevenson John C
Published: February 2006

Drospirenone is a new progestogen in hormone replacement therapy, with anti-mineralocorticoid activity. This anti-mineralocorticoid activity counteracts water and sodium retention, helping to reduce the likelihood of fluid retention that some women experience with hormone replacement therapy. In a post hoc analysis of women with mild hypertension, estradiol (1 mg) plus drospirenone (2 mg) was found to lower blood pressure in mildly hypertensive women. The introduction of estradiol plus drospirenone may offer the opportunity to re-evaluate the contribution of the progestogen component of hormone replacement therapy.
Hormone replacement therapy with estradiol and drospirenone: An overview of the clinical data
Authors: Whitehead Malcolm
Published: February 2006

A new form of continuous combined hormone replacement therapy has become available that contains estradiol and drospirenone as the progestogen component. Drospirenone is a synthetic progestogen, the only one in hormone replacement therapy in the UK that possesses clinically relevant anti-mineralocorticoid activity. The combination of estradiol and drospirenone has been shown to provide relief from estrogen-deficiency symptoms of the menopause. It also helps to prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women by increasing bone density. Further, it has been shown to provide protection against endometrial hyperplasia associated with unopposed estrogen therapy.
Optimum Dimensions of an Obstacle Placed in a Hot Water Tank for Thermal Stratification
Authors: Arslan Mevlut , Altuntop Necdet , Ozceyhan Veysel , Kanoglu Mehmet
Published: February 2006

Dimension of an obstacle placed in a hot water tank for thermal stratification is optimized numerically. Numerical method is validated using both experimental and numerical results. A cylindrical tank used to store heat for solar collector applications is considered. A cylindrical obstacle with a hole in the middle is placed in the tank and various f/H and g/D ratios of the obstacle geometry are considered. Here H and D are the height and diameter of the tank, respectively, where f is the distance from the bottom surface of the tank to the cold-water inlet channel and g is the diameter of the hole in the obstacle. Temperature distribution in the tank, water temperature supplied by the tank, and temperature differences at various tank inlet and outlets are obtained for various f/H and g/D ratios. The results show that placing obstacle in the tank improves thermal stratification, and thus it increases the temperature of water supplied by the tank compared with no obstacle case and that the best thermal stratification is obtained for obstacle dimensions corresponding to g/D ratio of 0.2 and f/H ratio of 0.13.
Dynamics of Hydrocarbon Expulsion from Shale Source Rocks
Authors: Pang Xiongqi , Jiang Zhenxue , Zuo Shengjie , Lerche Ian
Published: February 2006

Expulsion of hydrocarbons from a shale source rock can be divided in four stages. In the first stage, only a small amount of hydrocarbons can be expelled in water solution and by diffusion. Compaction and hydrocarbon concentration gradient are the major driving forces, whereas their corresponding hydrocarbon expulsion amounts make up 30% and 70% to the total, respectively. In the second stage, in addition to transport by water solution and by diffusion, source rocks expel a large quantity of gas in free phase. In the third stage, the most important feature is that source rocks expel oil as a separate phase and gas in oil solution. Hydrocarbon expulsion by diffusion through the source rock organic network, dehydration of clay minerals, and thermal expansion of fluids and rocks are the three major driving forces in the second and the third stages, whereas the corresponding hydrocarbon expulsion accounts for 40–60%, 10–20%, and 5–10%, respectively, of the total amount expelled. In the fourth stage, source rocks mainly expel dry gas as a free phase. Volume expansion of kerogen products and capillary force are the two major driving forces for hydrocarbon expulsion. The expulsion accounts for 60% and 30% to the total gas expulsion of this stage, respectively, for each driving force. Hydrocarbon expulsion, including the hydrocarbon expulsion threshold (HET), the relative phases and the dynamics, are controlled by two factors: the hydrocarbon generation amount, and the ability of source rocks to retain hydrocarbons. Source rocks cross the HET and begin to expel a large quantity of hydrocarbons when the generated hydrocarbons have met all of the needs for hydrocarbon retention. HET is divides the processes of hydrocarbon expulsion into the various four stages.
Efficient Offshore Wind Turbine Foundations
Authors: Moller Anders
Published: February 2006

In the oil and gas industry, the foundations of offshore platforms have, for decades, used the grouted technique. This technology has now been transferred into the offshore wind turbine industry. This paper gives details of the use of the technology in some of the first offshore windfarms in Europe and considers future design possibilities.
Voltage Stability of Large Power Networks with a Large Amount of Wind Power
Authors: Akhmatov Vladislav
Published: February 2006

The article presents results of voltage stability investigations carried out on a large power network model. Presumably, around 50 per cent of electricity consumption is covered by wind turbines and by local combined heat and power (CHP) units. In investigations, a distinction is made between local wind turbines and those in a large wind farm subject to the Grid Specifications of the transmission system operator (Eltra, 2000). The main concerns of maintaining power system operation are (i) a risk of significant power loss due to tripping of local units and (ii) a risk of overvoltage at the periphery of the power network. This is contrary to previous investigations predicting that the main concern should be a risk of voltage collapse (Bruntt et al., 1999). As demonstrated, voltage collapse does not occur, because local wind turbines will trip when abnormal grid operation is indicated. This “eliminates” the problem of voltage-collapse. On the other hand, this introduces new problems with regard to (i) establishing power reserves and (ii) protecting the power network against overvoltage.
Predicting Wind Speed for Wind Energy; Progress of the WINDENG Project
Authors: Dierer Silke , de Paus Tim , Durante Francesco , Gregow Erik , Lange Bernhard , Lavagnini Alfredo , Strack Martin , Tammelin Bengt
Published: February 2006

The suitability of the computer model MM5 for predicting wind speed, and hence wind energy, is investigated by performing simulations for different geographical regions. The focus is on wind speed in the lowest 200 m of the planetary boundary layer (PBL). The dependency of the simulated wind speed on PBL parameterization and atmospheric stability is studied. The smallest deviation between measured and simulated wind speed, averaged over a three-day period, is 1% and occurs for an off-shore simulation with unstable stratification. The largest deviations of 31% and 20% occur with orographically structured terrain, stable stratification and weak synoptic forcing. The results suggest that unstable conditions are simulated with better accuracy by MM5. Changes of the PBL scheme cause wind speed variations between 9% and 40% of the average wind speed. None of the PBL schemes is clearly the best and their performance can strongly vary for different conditions. Nevertheless, the Mellor-Yamada-Janjic (ETA) and the Blackadar PBL parameterization (BLK) schemes seem to be the most suitable schemes for wind energy applications.

Additionally, MM5 was successfully adapted for idealised, stationary simulations in order to calculate a wind-climatology for Sardinia using a statistical-dynamical downscaling approach.
Offshore Wind Power Assessment on the East Coast of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Rehman Shafiqur
Published: February 2006

This paper, to the best of author's knowledge, presents the first wind resource assessment for offshore-wind energy off the mainland coasts of Saudi Arabia, despite the onshore wind resource being known. The study utilized wind speed data from, in effect, an offshore meteorological station to study the annual and seasonal variation of wind speed, wind speed frequency distribution, energy yield and consequent opportunity for reduction in green house gases (GHG) emissions. These results were compared with contemporaneous data from a mainland location ∼ 10 km inland at the same longitude Energy yields were calculated using HOMER and RetScreen models. The annual mean wind measured at Abu Ali Island, the offshore location, was 5.43 m/s. This is larger than the 4.9 m/s measured over the same period at Abu Kharuf, the nearby inland location. Larger wind speeds were found in winter months than in summer months at both locations. At Abu Ali Island, the power of the wind could be extracted for 75% of the time at hub-height of 60 meters using modern wind machines of cut-in-speed 4 m/s, in comparison with 60% of time at Abu Kharuf. The prevailing wind direction was found to be North (N), North West (NNW) and North East (NNE).
The Influence of Influence Diagrams on Artificial Intelligence
Authors: Boutilier Craig
Published: February 2006

Howard and Matheson’s article “Influence Diagrams” has had a substantial impact on research in artificial intelligence (AI). In this perspective, I briefly discuss the importance of influence diagrams as a model for decision making under uncertainty in the AI research community; but I also identify some of the less direct, but no less important, influences this work has had on the field.
Influence Diagrams—Historical and Personal Perspectives
Authors: Pearl Judea
Published: February 2006

The usefulness of graphical models in reasoning and decision making stems from facilitating four main computational features: (1) modular representation of probabilities, (2) systematic construction methods, (3) explicit encoding of independencies, and (4) efficient inference procedures. This note explains why the original introduction of influence diagrams, lacking formal underpinning of these features, has had only mild influence on automated reasoning research, and how Bayesian belief networks, which were formulated and defined directly by these features, became the focus of graphical modeling research.
The Influence of Influence Diagrams in Medicine
Authors: Pauker Stephen G. , Wong John B.
Published: February 2006

Although influence diagrams have used medical examples almost from their inception, that graphical representation of decision problems has disseminated surprisingly slowly in the medical literature and among clinicians performing decision analyses. Clinicians appear to prefer decision trees as their primary modeling metaphor. This perspective examines the use of influence diagrams in medicine and offers explanations and suggestions for accelerating their dissemination.