bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Lpe10p modulates the activity of the Mrs2p‐based yeast mitochondrial Mg2+channel
Authors: Sponder Gerhard , Svidova Sona , Schindl Rainer , Wieser Stefan , Schweyen Rudolf J. , Romanin Christoph , Froschauer Elisabeth M. , Weghuber Julian
Published: July 2010

Saccharomyces cerevisiae Lpe10p is a homologue of the Mg2+‐channel‐forming protein Mrs2p in the inner mitochondrial membrane. Deletion of MRS2, LPE10 or both results in a petite phenotype, which exhibits a respiratory growth defect on nonfermentable carbon sources. Only coexpression of MRS2 and LPE10 leads to full complementation of the mrs2Δ/lpe10Δ double disruption, indicating that these two proteins cannot substitute for each other. Here, we show that deletion of LPE10 results in a loss of rapid Mg2+ influx into mitochondria, as has been reported for MRS2 deletion. Additionally, we found a considerable loss of the mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨ) in the absence of Lpe10p, which was not detected in mrs2Δ cells. Addition of the K+/H+‐exchanger nigericin, which artificially increases ΔΨ, led to restoration of Mg2+ influx into mitochondria in lpe10Δ cells, but not in mrs2Δ/lpe10Δ cells. Mutational analysis of Lpe10p and domain swaps between Mrs2p and Lpe10p suggested that the maintenance of ΔΨ and that of Mg2+ influx are functionally separated. Cross‐linking and Blue native PAGE experiments indicated interaction of Lpe10p with the Mrs2p‐containing channel complex. Using the patch clamp technique, we showed that Lpe10p was not able to mediate high‐capacity Mg2+ influx into mitochondrial inner membrane vesicles without the presence of Mrs2p. Instead, coexpression of Lpe10p and Mrs2p yielded a unique, reduced conductance in comparison to that of Mrs2p channels. In summary, the data presented show that the interplay of Lpe10p and Mrs2p is of central significance for the transport of Mg2+ into mitochondria of S. cerevisiae.

Structured digital abstract

MINT‐7905005: LPE10 (uniprotkb:Q02783) physically interacts (MI:0915) with MRS2 (uniprotkb:Q01926) by anti tag coimmunoprecipitation (MI:0007)

MINT‐7905028: LPE10 (uniprotkb:Q02783) and LPE10 (uniprotkb:Q02783) covalently bind (MI:0195) by cross‐linking study (MI:0030)

MINT‐7905072: LPE10 (uniprotkb:Q02783) and MRS2 (uniprotkb:Q01926) covalently bind (MI:0195) by cross‐linking study (MI:0030)
Honey compared with silver sulphadiazine in the treatment of superficial partial‐thickness burns
Authors: Malik Kamran Ishaque , Malik MA Nasir , Aslam Azhar
Published: July 2010

Burn injury is associated with a high incidence of death and disability; yet, its management remains problematic and costly. We conducted this clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of honey in the treatment of superficial and partial‐thickness burns covering less than 40% of body surface area and compared its results with those of silver sulphadiazine (SSD). In this randomised comparative clinical trial, carried out Burn Center of POF Hospital, Wah Cantt, Pakistan, from May 2007 to February 2008, 150 patients of all ages having similar types of superficial and partial‐thickness burns at two sites on different parts of body were included. Each patient had one burn site treated with honey and one treated with topical SSD, randomly. The rate of re‐epithelialization and healing of superficial and partial‐thickness burns was significantly faster in the sites treated with honey than in the sites treated with SSD (13·47 ± 4·06 versus 15·62 ± 4·40 days, respectively: P < 0·0001). The site treated with honey healed completely in less than 21 days versus 24 days for the site treated with SSD. Six patients had positive culture for Pseudomonas aeroginsa in honey‐treated site, whereas 27 patients had positive culture in SSD‐treated site. The results clearly showed greater efficacy of honey over SSD cream for treating superficial and partial‐thickness burns.
Factors influencing medical oncology referral in Dukes' C colonic cancer
Authors: LU Cu‐Tai , STEPHENS Jacqueline H , RIEGER Nicholas A
Published: July 2010

Aim:  Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide and adjuvant chemotherapy is proven to improve survival in patients with Dukes' C CRC. The purpose of this study was to analyze factors influencing referral to medical oncology in patients with Dukes' C colonic cancer in our institutions.

Methods:  Patients who underwent resection for Dukes' C colonic cancer were assessed for factors that influence the pattern of postoperative referral to the medical oncology department, including demographic and perioperative data.

Results:  Overall, 466 patients were identified to have Dukes' C colonic cancer, with 53.9% of these being female. Referral to medical oncology occurred for 58.4% patients. Multivariable logistic regression modeling identified age, elective admission and resection in private hospitals as factors. The likelihood of medical oncology referral in patients who had elective resection was 63% versus 41% in those who had emergency resection and resection in private hospitals was 69% versus 50% in public hospitals.

Conclusion:  Referral to a postoperative medical oncology clinic for adjuvant chemotherapy in Dukes' C colonic cancer was more likely in younger patients, those who underwent elective resection and those treated in private hospitals.
Study to support the standardization of the prescribing, dispensing and labeling of etoposide formulations in Australia
Authors: CARRINGTON Christine , WEIR Janet , DO Chau
Published: July 2010

Aim:  Etoposide is used in a wide variety of solid and hematological tumors. It is available in Australia in two intravenous formulations; etoposide base and the etoposide phosphate salt with 113.6 mg of etoposide phosphate being equivalent to 100 mg of the etoposide base. Variances between the etoposide dose prescribed and that actually given have been reported recently in Australia with patients receiving either too much or too little of the intended dose of etoposide. We carried out a review of national practices of prescribing, dispensing and labeling of etoposide and etoposide phosphate.

Methods:  Cancer care clinicians and pharmacists, identified through their membership of the Clinical Oncological Society of Australia (COSA), were asked to complete an online survey or participate in a telephone interview, about their etoposide prescribing and dispensing practices.

Results:  Nineteen pharmacists and 11 prescribers provided responses suitable for analysis. The most common reason for using the etoposide phosphate formulation was its shorter infusion time. The most common reason provided for preferring the base formulation over the phosphate formulation was that the original clinical trial data supported its use. There were a variety of methods identified that a prescriber might use to indicate the formulation of etoposide required and a variety of methods used for the labeling of etoposide formulations.

Conclusion:  Prescribing, ordering and dispensing practices for etoposide base and etoposide phosphate are inconsistent across Australia, which could lead to dosing errors. We recommend that a national standard is adopted with etoposide phosphate preparations prescribed and labeled as “Etoposide (as the PHOSPHATE) x mg. Where x is the number of milligrams of etoposide base required.” This would move towards minimizing the risk of dosage errors occurring with these formulations.
Implementing Fischer Black's Simple Discounting Rule
Authors: Loderer Claudio , Long John B. , Roth Lukas
Published: July 2010

Corporate managers typically estimate the value of capital projects by discounting the project's expected future net cash flows at the cost of capital. The capital asset pricing model (CAPM) is generally used to estimate that cost. But, as anyone who has worked on the finance or business development staff of a public company can attest, there are major challenges in applying the CAPM, including largely unresolved questions about what constitutes the “market portfolio,” how to estimate market risk premiums, and how to estimate the betas of projects.

In a short article published in Financial Management in 1988, Fischer Black proposed a valuation “discounting rule” that avoids all these problems—one that involves discounting a relatively certain (as opposed to an expected or average) level of operating cash flows at the risk‐free rate. But Black's article does not address the question of how to calculate these “certainty equivalent” or “conditional” cash flows.

In this article, the authors propose a way of implementing Black's rule that involves estimating the “conditional” cash flows in a three‐step procedure:

Find a benchmark security that correlates with the project's cash flows;

Estimate the percentiles of the distribution in which the benchmark return equals the risk‐free rate over different investment horizons;

Use information from corporate managers to assess the cash flows that define the same percentiles in the cash flow distributions.

As the authors point out, the virtue of Black's rule is that it shifts the focus of the analyst away from the assessment of discount factors and puts it squarely on the more challenging, and arguably more relevant, problem of estimating the project's cash flows.
Surge in the Urge to Merge: M&A Trends and Analysis
Authors: Mauboussin Michael J.
Published: July 2010

If history is any guide, we may be at the front end of another mergers and acquisition (M&A) wave. M&A activity tends to follow the stock market with a modest lag. The strong rally in equities off the March 2009 lows, combined with improved credit conditions, solid nonfinancial corporate balance sheets, and the presence of companies seeking to enhance their strategic positions, all point to more deals.

Notably, research shows that companies making acquisitions in the early part of the cycle deliver better returns to their shareholders, on average, than those that act toward the end of the cycle. This is largely because early in the cycle there are more companies to choose from and the targets are cheap. As the cycle matures, options dissolve and valuations rise.

Despite the importance of M&A, many companies and investors do not have a firm grasp of how M&A deals create or destroy shareholder value. In fact, research shows that roughly two‐thirds of M&A transactions destroy shareholder value for the acquiring companies. Executives appear to miss the mark because they focus on accounting‐based measures instead of considering the extent to which the value of synergies can exceed the premium. This paper provides a sound approach to evaluating M&A deals based on expected returns on invested capital and economic value added.
Six Factors That Explain Executive Pay (and its Problems)
Authors: O'Byrne Stephen F. , Young S. David
Published: July 2010

The authors start by showing that six factors—responsibility (i.e., position and company size), industry, pay inflation, business risk, performance and company pay policy—explain over 75% of the variation in the pay of top‐five U.S. executives for a sample of 75,000 cases during the years 1997–2008. They also show that the current structure of top‐executive pay creates a stronger incentive for revenue growth than for shareholder value growth, and that a 10% increase in shareholder value increases incentive compensation by only 3%. Moreover, their research suggests that the “value incentive” of the average U.S. executive is only one third as strong as the incentive that would be provided by simple “sharing” concepts, such as those provided by plans that give executives a fixed percentage of economic profit or annual grants of a fixed number of shares of stock. The article concludes by reviewing some recent research on incentives and company performance and offering suggestions to help investors identify companies with strong and cost‐efficient shareholder value incentives.
The RPF Model for Calculating the Equity Market Risk Premium and Explaining the Value of the S&P with Two Variables
Authors: Hassett Stephen D.
Published: July 2010

This article presents a remarkably simple Risk Premium Factor Model that explains S&P Index levels from 1960 to the present with considerable accuracy using only the risk‐free rate, S&P 500 operating earnings, and a small number of simplifying assumptions. Instead of a fixed Equity Risk Premium, the model employs a new approach for estimating the Equity Risk Premium called the Risk Premium Factor, or “RPF.” The RPF, which is consistent with the theory of loss aversion associated with Kahneman and Tversky's “prospect theory,” calculates the general market risk premium as a direct function of the level of interest rates—that is, falling when interest rates are low and rising when they are high—thereby amplifying the effects of changes in interest rates on stock prices. The RFP model suggests that the decline in U.S. risk‐free rates since the early 1980s has accounted for more than half of the growth in the S&P 500 since then.
Clinical Lewy Body Syndromes
Authors: McKEITH I. G.
Published: July 2010

Abstract: Lewy bodies are spherical, intracytoplasmic, eosinophilic, neuronal inclusions comprising abnormally truncated and phosphorylated intermediate neurofilament proteins, α‐synuclein, ubiquitin, and associated enzymes. The clinical presentation of LB disease varies according to the site of LB formation and associated neuronal loss. Three main clinicopathological syndromes have been described‐movement disorder, autonomic failure, and dementia. Parkinsonism is the most common presentation of LB disease developing in middle life. In older patients, a mixture of cognitive, autonomic, and motor dysfunction is more common. Dementia with LB (DLB) is a relatively recently described clinicopathological syndrome that accounts for up to 20% of all cases of dementia in old age. Patients, typically in their seventh and eighth decades, have LB pathology in cortical neurons as well as in the brain stem. LB disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a wide range of clinical presentations including episodic disturbances of consciousness, syncope, sleep disorders, and unexplained delirium.
THE PHOTOPHYSICS AND PHOTOCHEMISTRY OF THE NEAR‐UV ABSORBING AMINO ACIDS–I. TRYPTOPHAN AND ITS SIMPLE DERIVATIVES
Authors: Creed David
Published: July 2010

Abstract— The photophysics and photochemistry of tryptophan and its simple derivatives is comprehensively reviewed with special emphasis on excitation by near‐UV radiation. Topics explicitly discussed include the origins of large Stokes shifts in the fluorescence spectra, photoionization, the puzzle of multiple tryptophan fluorescence decay time, photochemical reactions in the presence and absence of oxygen, and the possible mechanisms of these reactions. A separate section reviews the photosensitizing properties of N‐formylkynurenine, an important photooxidation product of tryptophan.
AZIDOTETRAFLUOROPHENYL RETINAL ANALOGUE: SYNTHESIS AND BACTERIORHODOPSIN PIGMENT FORMATION
Authors: Beischel Charles J. , Knapp Daniel R. , Govindjee Rajni , Ebrey Thomas G. , Crouch Rosalie K.
Published: July 2010

Abstract—The retinal derivative, all‐truns‐9–(4‐azido‐2,3,5,6‐tetrafluorophenyl)‐3,7‐dimethyl‐2,4,6,8‐nonatetraenal, was synthesized by two routes as a potential photoactivatable cross‐linking agent for studies in bacteriorhodopsin (BR) of the chromophore interaction with its apoprotein. The retinal analogue formed a stable, moderately functional BR pigment confirming that the ring cavity of the retinal binding site has a significant tolerance for derivatization on that portion of the molecule. Attempts to cross‐link the azido chromophore to the protein by photoactivation were unsuccessful. The electron delocalization effect of the conjugated polyene side chain of the retinal appears to interfere with the formation or reactivity of the nitrene intermediate to the extent that photoactivated cross‐linking is not achieved. These results demonstrate a limitation to the use of fluorinated aryl azides as photoaffinity reagents.
Chloroform Infrared Multiphoton Dissociation in the Presence of O2 and NO2¶
Authors: Freytes V. Mariana , Codnia Jorge , Azcárate M. Laura
Published: July 2010

The infrared multiphoton dissociation (IRMPD) of CDCl3 in the presence of O2 and NO2 as acceptor gases has been studied. We have worked with both pure CDCl3 and mixtures with CHCl3. The reaction mechanism following IRMPD of CDCl3 is discussed in detail. CCl2O, CCl4 and DCl were found to be the main products. With added O2, the observed CDCl3 dissociation was larger than with nonoxygenated acceptor gases. The reaction mechanism probably involves a catalytic cycle initiated by the oxidation of CCl3. With the aim of discriminating the different CDCl3 dissociation mechanisms, the IRMPD of CDCl3 in the presence of NO2 was first studied. In order to make evident the CDCl3 dissociation produced by the catalytic cycle, we then studied the IRMPD of CDCl3 in mixtures with CHCl3 with O2 as the acceptor gas. In this case, the dissociation mechanism subsequent to IRMPD is evidenced in the competence between the two isotopic species.
Effect and Mechanism of a New Photodynamic Therapy with Glycoconjugated Fullerene
Authors: Otake Eiko , Sakuma Shiho , Torii Kan , Maeda Akira , Ohi Hiromi , Yano Shigenobu , Morita Akimichi
Published: July 2010

When irradiated, fullerene efficiently generates reactive oxygen species (ROS) and is an attractive photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT). Ideally, photosensitizers for PDT should be water‐soluble and tumor‐specific. Because cancer cells endocytose glucose more effectively than normal cells, the characteristics of fullerene as a photosensitizer were improved by combining it with glucose. The cytotoxicity of PDT was studied in several cancer cell lines cultured with C60‐(Glc)1 (d‐glucose residue pendant fullerene) and C60‐(6Glc)1 (a maltohexaose residue pendant fullerene) subsequently irradiated with UVA1. PDT alone induced significant cytotoxicity. In contrast, PDT with the glycoconjugated fullerene exhibited no significant cytotoxicity against normal fibroblasts, indicating that PDT with these compounds targeted cancer cells. To investigate whether the effects of PDT with glycoconjugated fullerene were because of the generation of singlet oxygen (1O2), NaN3 was added to cancer cells during irradiation. NaN3 extensively blocked PDT‐induced apoptosis, suggesting that PDT‐induced cell death was a result of the generation of 1O2. Finally, to investigate the effect of PDT in vivo, melanoma‐bearing mice were injected intratumorally with C60‐(Glc)1 and irradiated with UVA1. PDT with C60‐(Glc)1 suppressed tumor growth. These findings indicate that PDT with glycoconjugated fullerene exhibits tumor‐specific cytotoxicity both in vivo and in vitro via the induction of 1O2.
Early Biomarkers of Renal Injury
Authors: Cruz Dinna N. , Goh Ching Yan , Haase‐Fielitz Anja , Ronco Claudio , Haase Michael
Published: July 2010

Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16(4)(suppl 1):S25–S31. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Cardiorenal syndrome (CRS) refers to pathophysiologic interaction of the heart and kidney and is associated with acute kidney injury (AKI) and high mortality. Cardiac surgery or acute decompensated heart failure and radiocontrast‐induced nephropathy are common clinical scenarios of CRS. Unfortunately, established functional biomarkers of glomerular filtration rate such as serum creatinine, urea, and diuresis delay AKI diagnosis by 24 to 48 hours. Novel renal biomarkers indicating tubular injury are emerging and may have wide implications. This review focuses on several novel renal biomarkers with the most promising biologic characteristics and clinical evidence for their AKI predictive ability: neutrophil gelatinase‐associated lipocalin, kidney injury molecule‐1, interleukin 18, and fatty acid–binding proteins. The value of each biomarker is reviewed on currently available clinical data in typical settings of CRS. These markers might extend the therapeutic window during which timely and individualized patient management might be possible.
Pathophysiology of Volume Overload in Acute Heart Failure Syndromes
Authors: Pang Peter S. , Levy Philip
Published: July 2010

Signs and symptoms of volume overload is a common feature in patients presenting with acute heart failure syndromes. Management of volume overload, or congestion, is an important goal of therapy. Despite the importance of volume overload management, the precise causes have not been fully elucidated. The authors review possible explanatory models of volume overload and reflect on recent insights from acute heart failure syndromes clinical trials and registries. Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16(4)( suppl 1):S1–S6. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Diuretic Management in Heart Failure
Authors: Michael Felker G.
Published: July 2010

Congest Heart Fail. 2010;16(4)(suppl 1):S68–S72. ©2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Many of the primary clinical manifestations of heart failure are due to fluid retention and congestion, and therefore treatments targeting congestion play a central role in heart failure management. Diuretic therapy remains the cornerstone of congestion treatment, and diuretics are prescribed to the majority of heart failure patients. Despite this ubiquitous use, there is limited evidence from prospective randomized studies to guide the use of diuretics. Some observational data have suggested that diuretics may actually be harmful in heart failure, potentially contributing to worsening renal function, neurohormonal activation, and even heart failure progression. Recent clinical trial data have provided new insights into the balance of risks and benefits from diuretics. This review describes the mechanism of action of available diuretic classes, reviews their clinical use based on current guidelines, and briefly discusses evolving alternatives to diuretic therapy in the management of congestion in heart failure patients.
Review
Authors: Gärdenfors Peter
Published: July 2010

Book reviewed in this article:

DANIELSSON, SVEN. TWO papers on rationality and group preferences.
Spinoza and the Equality of Women1
Authors: Gullan‐Whur Margaret
Published: July 2010

Abstract: On the last page of A Political Treatise Spinoza denies that women are subject to men by convention only. He excludes females from participation in politics on the grounds that they are “by nature … necessarily” (that is, by the logical and causal necessity which are for him equivalent) unequal to men “in strength of mind and intellectual ability”. This claim is examined in relation to four of Spinoza's foundational principles. It is found to be in tension with all four, and with the psychological, social, political and moral deductions Spinoza makes from them, and is moreover an internally weak argument.
Nietzsche's Political Confusion
Authors: MORRISSON IAIN
Published: July 2010

Abstract Commentators have argued about whether Nietzsche is an aristocratic radical, a postmodern democrat or an anti‐political philosopher. Each of these views is correct in that there is some evidence from Nietzsche's texts that speaks in its favor. However, this fact points to a deeper truth, which is that Nietzsche's politics are confused. Nietzsche argues in favor of certain political ideals throughout his works, but these ideals do not hang together to form a coherent political system. The bulk of the evidence in Nietzsche's corpus supports the view that he is an aristocratic radical, and so, in this paper, I argue my point by targeting this view and showing that Nietzsche does not have a complete or coherent aristocratic system.
Revisiting Rawls:A Theory of Justice in the light of Levi's theory of decision
Authors: ANGNER ERIK
Published: July 2010

Abstract  The present paper revisits the issue of rational decision making in John Rawls' original position. Drawing on Isaac Levi's theory of decision, I discuss how we can defend Rawls against John C. Harsanyi's charge that maximin reasoning in the original position is irrational. The discussion suggests that systematic application of Levi's theory is likely to have important consequences for ethics and political theory as well as for public policy
Industrial conflict in post‐war Ontario or one cheer for the Woods Report*
Authors: SMITH MICHAEL R.
Published: July 2010

Le rapport Woods sur les Relations de Travail au Canada proposaient certaines conclusions quant aux changements qui marquerent les rapports patronat ‐ travailleurs au cours des années soixante, Les auteurs du rapport soutiennent que les aspirations des travailleurs se sont modifiées, tant au niveau qualitatif que quantitatif, et ces changements expli‐queraient, en partie du moins, L'agitation ouvrière et le militantisme accru de cette période. Cette position fut critiquée par Douglas Smith (1972,1976). Dans les pages qui suivent, les facteurs déterminants des conflits de travail en Ontario durant la période de L'apres guerre sont analysés. Jen' conclus que bien que certaines affirmations du rapport prê‐tent le flanc á de sérieuses critiques, il nen' demeure pas moins que L'interprétation offerte par les auteurs du rapport repose sur une compréhension de facteurs bien réels.

The Woods Report on Canadian Industrial Relations made a number of claims concerning significant changes in the character of the relations between employers and employees during the mid‐1960s. The authors of the report claimed that workers' aspirations were changing both qualitatively and quantitatively in a way which created substantial industrial unrest. This position has been criticised by Douglas Smith (1972, 1976). Through a close examination of the pattern of determinants of industrial conflict in postwar Ontario, this paper shows that though some of the claims made in the Woods Report are indefensible, there was at least an important element of truth in the interpreta‐tion of the authors of that Report.
Social resistance and the exploited poor in the low‐income marketplace: The case of debt collection in two Montreal communities*
Authors: MCMULLAN JOHN L.
Published: July 2010

Ce texte traite des mesures de résistance courantes chez les consommateurs à faible revenu. Les résultats font croire que les débiteurs se trouvent souvent en conflit ouvert et actif vis‐à‐vis les représentants des entreprises de consommation. Les regrets, la réserve, l'adaptation ‐ ce ne sont là qu'un certain genre de réaction de la part de quelques‐uns. L'évidence recueillie au cours d'interviews avec des membres de regroupements de citoyens et de consommateurs à faible revenu, suggère fortement que des réactions très différentes, telles que le refus de se laisser dominer, le déjouement des plans des grosses compagnies, la contestation, la lutte politique, etc., sont les méthodes courantes de résistance envers les agences de recouvrement. Une typologie de résistance créancière a été développée et les implications plus vastes du malaise social dans les communautés à faible revenu sont analysées.

This paper is concerned with the debt resistance practices of low‐income consumers. The findings suggest that debtors are often in active and antagonistic relationships with consumer control agents. Self‐blame, withdrawal, and adaptation are some of the responses of the morally defeated. But evidence from citizen's groups and low‐income consumers interviewed strongly suggest that refusing, upstaging, outmanoeuvering, subverting, striking back, and political struggle are common methods of resisting debt enforcement. A typology of debt resistance is developed, and the wider implications for social unrest in low‐income communities are assessed.
Education, occupation and vote in Canada, 1965–1984
Authors: Fletcher Joseph F.
Published: July 2010

Plusiers travaux de recherche sur le comportement électoral canadien ont démontré la faiblesse des effets de la classe sociale sur le vote. Cet article se sert des données de toutes les enquêtes nationales électorates (national election studies) entre les années 1965 et 1984. II cherche à illuminer les rapports statistiques entre d'une part l'appui electoral pour le parti néo‐démocrate et d'autre part l'éducation et le statut socio‐professionel. L'analyse multivariable des données suggère que la faiblesse du rapport classe‐vote s'explique à la fois par les effets contraires des variables culturelles (éducation) et économiques (statut socio‐professionel) et par la façon dont ces effets, qui sont differents dans les cinq régions du pays, se mêlent et se fondent quand on les examine à l'échelle du pays entier. Nos résultats indiquent qu'au Québec et dans les provinces de l'est, il y a une politique de classe basée sur l'éducation, tandis qu'en Ontario et dans les provinces de l'ouest, c'est une politique de classe plus conventionnelle qui prime. Cette étude révèle l'importance d'analyser les divers éléments des programmes électoraux des partis pour une comprehénsion exacte de leur bases sociales dans l'électorat.

In an effort to clarity the typical finding of weak class effects on voting in Canada, this article uses data from all the national election studies between 1965 and 1984 in a multivariate investigation of the relations between education, occupation and vote. The major finding is that there are cross‐cutting regional effects for education and occupation on vote for the New Democratic Party (NDP) which effectively obscure one another when viewed from a national perspective. Log‐linear analyses reveal a class politics based on education in Quebec and Atlantic Canada whereas in Ontario, the Prairies and B.C. we find evidence of a more conventional class politics based on occupation. The implications of these findings for understanding the overall pattern of electoral politics in Canada are
Metabolic changes of anterior cingulate cortex in patients with hepatic cirrhosis: A magnetic resonance spectroscopy study
Authors: Zhang Long Jiang , Lu Guang Ming , Yin Jian Zhong , Qi Ji
Published: July 2010

Aim:  The anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) plays an important role in cognitive functions. The purpose of this study is to compare metabolite concentrations in the ACC of cirrhotic patients with normal controls, and to correlate metabolite changes with Child–Pugh class and with severity of hepatic encephalopathy (HE).

Methods:  Fifty‐two cirrhotic patients and 30 healthy volunteers were included in this study. All subjects performed the number connection test type A (NCT‐A) and digital symbol test (DST) before multiple resonance (MR) examinations. Single‐voxel proton MR spectroscopy (MRS) data in the ACC were acquired on a 1.5‐T scanner. The ratios of all metabolites to creatine and phosphocreatine (Cr) were obtained. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate the difference between control and cirrhotic patients, with respect to metabolite ratios. The correlation between metabolite ratios and Child–Pugh scale, severity of HE, venous ammonia and neuropsychiatric test results was analyzed.

Results:  The ratios of choline (Cho)/Cr and myo‐inositol (mIns)/Cr were significantly lower, and the ratio of glutamine– glutamate (Glx)/Cr was significantly higher in cirrhotic patients than those in controls (P < 0.001). mIns/Cr correlated negatively with Child–Pugh scale (r = −0.496, P < 0.001) and HE degree (r = −0.313, P < 0.05). Venous ammonia had a significant correlation with Cho/Cr (r = −0.329, P < 0.05) and mIns/Cr (r = −0.347, P < 0.05). No statistical correlation between metabolite ratios and neuropsychological tests was found for cirrhotic patients, but mIns/Cr did have a statistical correlation with NCT‐A (r = −0.270, P < 0.05) and DST (r = 0.463, P < 0.001) when all subjects were included in the analysis.

Conclusion:  Significant metabolite changes were seen in the ACC in cirrhotic patients. Of the metabolites examined, the mIns/Cr level in the ACC was most closely associated with the severity of HE and hepatic functional reserve reflected by Child–Pugh scale.
Iron chelation prevents lung injury after major hepatectomy
Authors: Kalimeris Konstantinos , Nastos Constantinos , Papoutsidakis Nikolaos , Xanthopoulou Marianna N. , Defterevos George , Tympa Aliki , Pafiti Agatha , Andreadou Ioanna , Kostopanagiotou Georgia , Smyrniotis Vassilios , Arkadopoulos Nikolaos
Published: July 2010

Aim:  Oxidative stress has been implicated in lung injury following ischemia/reperfusion and resection of the liver. We tested whether alleviating oxidative stress with iron chelation could improve lung injury after extended hepatectomy.

Methods:  Twelve adult female pigs subjected to liver ischemia for 150 min, 65–70% hepatectomy and reperfusion of the remnant liver for 24 h were randomized to a desferrioxamine (DF) group (n = 6) which received i.v. desferrioxamine to a total dose of 100 mg/kg during both ischemia and reperfusion, and a control (C) group (n = 6). We recorded hemodynamic and respiratory parameters, plasma interleukin‐6 and malondialdehyde levels, as well as liver malondialdehyde and protein carbonyls content. Total non‐heme iron was measured in lung and liver. Pulmonary tissue was evaluated histologically for its nitrotyrosine and protein carbonyls content and for superoxide dismutase (SOD) and platelet‐activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF‐AcH) activities.

Results:  Reperfusion of the remnant liver resulted in gradual deterioration of gas‐exchange and pulmonary vascular abnormalities. Iron chelation significantly decreased the oxidative markers in plasma, liver and the lung and lowered activities of pulmonary SOD and PAF‐AcH. The improved liver function was followed by improved arterial oxygenation and pulmonary vascular resistance. DF also improved alveolar collapse and inflammatory cell infiltration, while serum interleukin‐6 increased.

Conclusion:  In an experimental pig model that combines liver resection with prolonged ischemia, iron chelation during reperfusion of the remnant liver is associated with improvement of several parameters of oxidative stress, lung injury and arterial oxygenation.
High sheet resistance, low temperature coefficient of resistance resistor films for integrated circuits
Authors: Wright S. W. , Judge C. P. , Lee M. J. , Bowers D. F. , Dunbar M. , Wilson C. D.
Published: July 2010

High resistance, low temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) thin-film resistors have been produced by rf sputtering from compound targets using the Cr–Si–B–SiO2/Al2O3 material system. After postdeposition annealing at 450–550 °C sheet resistances of 20 kΩ/sq and TCR<200 ppm/°C were obtained for films of 40 nm thickness. The effect of changes to the proportions of each component in the mixture was investigated and it was found possible to control resistance and TCR. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic analysis showed a good correlation between the target and film compositions. X-ray diffraction investigation did not show any crystalline structure in the film either before or after thermal treatment.
Decapitation and the definition of death
Authors: Miller Franklin G , Truog Robert D
Published: July 2010

Although established in the law and current practice, the determination of death according to neurological criteria continues to be controversial. Some scholars have advocated return to the traditional circulatory and respiratory criteria for determining death because individuals diagnosed as ‘brain dead’ display an extensive range of integrated biological functioning with the aid of mechanical ventilation. Others have attempted to refute this stance by appealing to the analogy between decapitation and brain death. Since a decapitated animal is obviously dead, and ‘brain death’ represents physiological decapitation, brain dead individuals must be dead. In this article we refute this ‘decapitation gambit.’ We argue that decapitated animals are not necessarily dead, and that, moreover, the analogy between decapitation and the clinical syndrome of brain death is flawed.
Understory species composition and production in old-growth western hemlock – Sitka spruce forests of southeastern Alaska
Authors: Hanley Thomas A. , Brady Ward W.
Published: July 2010

Vascular understory species composition and production were studied in 36 stands in both northern and southern portions of southeastern Alaska, United States. Understory composition and production were related to site factors of soil drainage and slope and overstory factors of species composition, stand age, canopy coverage, and mass (net wood volume). Principal floristic gradients were dominated by differences in production of Alaska blueberry (Vaccinium alaskaense How.), skunk-cabbage (Lysichiton americanum Huit. & St. John), and lady fern (Athyrium filix-femina (L.) Roth). Soil drainage was the principal environmental factor determining understory species composition. Soil drainage also determined overstory mass and, consequently, total understory production, presumably through effects of overstory mass on light interception. Well-drained sites were more productive of trees and less productive of understory than were poorly drained sites. Relations between windthrow, soil drainage, overstory mass, and understory species composition and production are interactive in these excessively wet, old-growth forests. Key words: plant communities, biomass, forest overstory, temperate rain forest, Tsuga heterophylla, Picea sitchensis, Thuja plicata, western red cedar.
Cytogenetic studies in the genusArtemisiaL. (Asteraceae): fluorochrome-banded karyotypes of five taxa, including the Iberian endemic speciesArtemisia barrelieriBesser
Authors: Xirau Joan Vallès , Siljak-Yakovlev Sonja
Published: July 2010

Fluorochrome-banded karyotypes of eight populations belonging to five taxa of the genus Artemisia from different European origins are presented. The most common basic number x = 9 is found in six populations of two diploid and two tetraploid species, whereas two populations of one diploid species have the less frequent basic number x = 8. The data on chromosome morphology and fluorochrome banding lead to some karyosystematic and evolutionary considerations, among others the postulation of descendent dysploidy to explain the occurrence of the two basic numbers in the genus. Key words: Asteraceae, Anthemideae, Artemisia, karyotypes, fluorochrome banding, cytotaxonomy, evolution.
Growth of four bark-beetle-associated blue-stain fungi in relation to the induced wound response in Norway spruce
Authors: Krokene Paal , Solheim Halvor
Published: July 2010

Twenty-five-year-old Norway spruce trees (Picea abies) were inoculated with four blue-stain fungi. Each tree was inoculated three times with each fungus and three times with sterile agar as a control, giving a total of 15 inoculations per tree. There was little variation in the extent of phloem necrosis produced in response to the different fungi, but 5 weeks after inoculation necroses induced by Ceratocystis polonica and Ambrosiella sp. were significantly longer than those for the other fungi. At the same time, C. polonica had induced sapwood desiccation twice as deeply into the wood as any other fungus. Hyphal growth of the fungi into phloem and sapwood followed the same pattern as necrosis length and desiccation depth. Five weeks after inoculation, C. polonica had penetrated phloem and sapwood farther than any other fungus. It grew more slowly than the other fungi in both tissues the first week after inoculation, but the four following weeks it grew more quickly than all other fungi. Key words: Ambrosiella, blue-stain fungi, Ceratocystis polonica, low-density inoculation, Ophiostoma piceae, Scolytidae.
Graminicolous powdery mildew fungi as new natural hosts of Ampelomyces mycoparasites
Authors: Kiss Levente
Published: July 2010

The natural occurrence of Ampelomyces mycoparasites is reported for the first time in hyphae, conidiophores, and immature cleistothecia of Blumeria graminis (syn. Erysiphe graminis), the causal agent of cereal and grass powdery mildews. During a 4-year search for Ampelomyces on leaves of different wild and cultivated species of the Gramineae infected with powdery mildews in Hungary, Ampelomyces was recorded in only two samples that represent 5% of the collected monocotyledons. The host plants of B. graminis parasitized by Ampelomyces were Hordeum murinum and Poa pratensis. The pycnidia of Ampelomyces were present in only 3–10% of the powdery mildew mycelia. These observations suggest that (i) the natural occurrence of Ampelomyces mycoparasites on monocotyledons infected with powdery mildews is rare compared with their repeatedly reported incidence on dicotyledons infected with different powdery mildew fungi, and (ii) they probably do not have any significant role in the natural control of B. graminis in the field. Key words: Ampelomyces, Blumeria graminis, Erysiphe graminis, Gramineae, hyperparasitism, mycoparasitism.
Interleukin-6 mediates hepatic hypersecretion of apolipoprotein B
Authors: Sparks Janet D. , Cianci Joanne , Jokinen Jenny , Chen Li Sheng , Sparks Charles E.
Published: July 2010

Obesity and type 2 diabetes are associated with insulin resistance (IR), increased circulating proinflammatory cytokines, and hypertriglyceridemia, the latter being caused by overproduction of hepatic very low density lipoprotein (VLDL). One cytokine strongly linked with development of hepatic IR is interleukin-6 (IL-6). Our objective was to evaluate IL-6 effects on hepatic apolipoprotein B (apoB) and VLDL secretion and to examine possible linkages between cytokine signaling and insulin-suppressive effects on lipoprotein secretion. Of the cytokines examined, only IL-6 stimulated secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins in a dose-dependent manner. Both B100 and B48 secretion were significantly increased in VLDL and in lipoproteins with a density >1.019 g/ml. The ability of insulin to suppress hepatic apoB secretion was maintained in hepatocytes treated with IL-6. Pulse-chase studies indicated that enhanced apoB synthesis was the primary mechanism for increased lipoprotein secretion, which corresponded with higher abundance of apoB mRNA. Because IL-6 did not alter the decay rate of apoB mRNA transcripts, results support that increased apoB mRNA levels are the result of enhanced apob gene transcription. Increased apoB-lipoprotein secretion was also detected with oncostatin M (OSM), supporting involvement of the signal-transducing protein, gp130. Increased suppressor of cytokine signaling (SOCS) 3 expression negated IL-6 and OSM effects and significantly reduced cellular apoB mRNA abundance. We conclude that IL-6 favors secretion of apoB-containing lipoproteins by increasing availability of apoB through changes in apob gene transcription. These changes may contribute to hypersecretion of VLDL associated with obesity, particularly under conditions where SOCS3 is not overexpressed to an extent capable of overcoming IL-6-stimulated apob gene transcription.
Twelve weeks of endurance training increases FFA mobilization and reesterification in postmenopausal women
Authors: Johnson M. L. , Zarins Z. , Fattor J. A. , Horning M. A. , Messonnier L. , Lehman S. L. , Brooks G. A.
Published: July 2010

We examined the effects of exercise intensity and training on rates of lipolysis, plasma free fatty acid (FFA) appearance (Ra), disappearance (Rd), reesterification (Rs), and oxidation (RoxP) in postmenopausal (PM) women. Ten sedentary but healthy women (55 ± 0.6 yr) completed 12 wk of supervised endurance exercise training on a cycle ergometer [5 days/wk, 1 h/day, 65% peak oxygen consumption (V̇o2peak)]. Flux rates were determined by continuous infusion of [1-13C]palmitate and [1,1,2,3,3-2H5]glycerol during 90 min of rest and 60 min of cycle ergometer exercise during one pretraining exercise trial [65% V̇o2peak (PRE)] and two posttraining exercise trials [at power outputs that elicited 65% pretraining V̇o2peak (absolute training; ABT) and 65% posttraining V̇o2peak (relative training; RLT)]. Initial body weights (68.2 ± 4.5 kg) were maintained over the course of study. Training increased V̇o2peak by 16.3 ± 3.9% ( P < 0.05) (Zarins ZA, Wallis GA, Faghihnia N, Johnson ML, Fattor JA, Horning MA and Brooks GA. Metabolism 58: 9: 1338–1346, 2009). Glycerol Ra and Rd were elevated in the RLT trial ( P < 0.05), but not the ABT trial after training. Rates of plasma FFA Ra, Rd, and RoxP were elevated during the ABT compared with PRE trial ( P < 0.05). FFA Rs accounted for most (50–70%) of Rd during exercise; training reduced FFA Rs during ABT, but not RLT compared with PRE. We conclude that, despite the large age-related decrease in metabolic scope in PM women, endurance training increases the capacities for FFA mobilization and oxidation during exercises of a given power output. However, after menopause, total lipid oxidation capacity remains low, with reesterification accounting for most of FFA Rd.
Sites of allergic airway smooth muscle remodeling and hyperresponsiveness are not associated in the rat
Authors: Siddiqui Sana , Jo Taisuke , Tamaoka Meiyo , Shalaby Karim H. , Ghezzo Heberto , Bernabeu Maria , Martin James G.
Published: July 2010

The cause-and-effect relationship between airway smooth muscle (ASM) remodeling and airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) following allergen challenge is not well established. Using a rat model of allergen-induced ASM remodeling we explored the relationship between the site of ASM remodeling and AHR. Brown Norway rats, sensitized and challenged (3 times at 5-day intervals) with ovalbumin, were intranasally administered 0.1 mg/kg budesonide 24 and 1 h before challenge. Airway responses to aerosolized methacholine were assessed 48 h or 1 wk after three challenges. Airways were stained and analyzed for total airway wall area, area of smooth muscle-specific α-actin, and goblet cell hyperplasia, and the constant-phase model was used to resolve the changes in respiratory system mechanics into large airway and peripheral lung responses. After three ovalbumin challenges, there was a significant increase in ASM area and in the total wall area in all sized airways as well as an increase in goblet cells in the central airways. Budesonide inhibited ASM growth and central airway goblet cell hyperplasia following ovalbumin challenges. Budesonide also inhibited small but not large airway total wall area. AHR was attributable to excessive responses of the small airways, whereas responsiveness of the large airways was unchanged. Budesonide did not inhibit AHR after repeated challenge. We conclude that ASM remodeling induced by repeated allergen challenges involves the entire bronchial tree, whereas AHR reflects alterations in the lung periphery. Prevention of ASM remodeling by corticosteroid does not abrogate AHR.