bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Electrosynthesis of Organic Compounds from Carbon Dioxide Is Catalyzed by a Diversity of Acetogenic Microorganisms
Authors: Nevin Kelly P. , Hensley Sarah A. , Franks Ashley E. , Summers Zarath M. , Ou Jianhong , Woodard Trevor L. , Snoeyenbos-West Oona L. , Lovley Derek R.
Published: March 2011

Microbial electrosynthesis, a process in which microorganisms use electrons derived from electrodes to reduce carbon dioxide to multicarbon, extracellular organic compounds, is a potential strategy for capturing electrical energy in carbon-carbon bonds of readily stored and easily distributed products, such as transportation fuels. To date, only one organism, the acetogen
Sporomusa ovata
, has been shown to be capable of electrosynthesis. The purpose of this study was to determine if a wider range of microorganisms is capable of this process. Several other acetogenic bacteria, including two other
Sporomusa
species,
Clostridium ljungdahlii
,
Clostridium aceticum
, and
Moorella thermoacetica
, consumed current with the production of organic acids. In general acetate was the primary product, but 2-oxobutyrate and formate also were formed, with 2-oxobutyrate being the predominant identified product of electrosynthesis by
C. aceticum. S. sphaeroides
,
C. ljungdahlii
, and
M. thermoacetica
had high (>80%) efficiencies of electrons consumed and recovered in identified products. The acetogen
Acetobacterium woodii
was unable to consume current. These results expand the known range of microorganisms capable of electrosynthesis, providing multiple options for the further optimization of this process.
Nanometer-Scale Visualization and Structural Analysis of the Inorganic/Organic Hybrid Structure of Gallionella ferruginea Twisted Stalks
Authors: Suzuki Tomoko , Hashimoto Hideki , Matsumoto Nobuyuki , Furutani Mitsuaki , Kunoh Hitoshi , Takada Jun
Published: March 2011

The so-called Fe/Mn-oxidizing bacteria have long been recognized for their potential to form extracellular iron hydroxide or manganese oxide structures in aquatic environments. Bacterial species belonging to the genus
Gallionella
, one type of such bacteria, oxidize iron and produce uniquely twisted extracellular stalks consisting of iron oxide-encrusted inorganic/organic fibers. This paper describes the ultrastructure of
Gallionella
cells and stalks and the visualized structural and spatial localization of constitutive elements within the stalks. Electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray microanalysis showed the export site of the stalk fibers from the cell and the uniform distribution of iron, silicon, and phosphorous in the stalks. Electron energy-loss spectroscopy revealed that the stalk fibers had a central carbon core of bacterial exopolymers and that aquatic iron interacted with oxygen at the surface of the carbon core, resulting in deposition of iron oxides at the surface. This new knowledge of the structural and spatial associations of iron with oxygen and carbon provides deeper insights into the unique inorganic/organic hybrid structure of the stalks.
Community Structures of Fecal Bacteria in Cattle from Different Animal Feeding Operations
Authors: Shanks Orin C. , Kelty Catherine A. , Archibeque Shawn , Jenkins Michael , Newton Ryan J. , McLellan Sandra L. , Huse Susan M. , Sogin Mitchell L.
Published: March 2011

The fecal microbiome of cattle plays a critical role not only in animal health and productivity but also in food safety, pathogen shedding, and the performance of fecal pollution detection methods. Unfortunately, most published molecular surveys fail to provide adequate detail about variability in the community structures of fecal bacteria within and across cattle populations. Using massively parallel pyrosequencing of a hypervariable region of the rRNA coding region, we profiled the fecal microbial communities of cattle from six different feeding operations where cattle were subjected to consistent management practices for a minimum of 90 days. We obtained a total of 633,877 high-quality sequences from the fecal samples of 30 adult beef cattle (5 individuals per operation). Sequence-based clustering and taxonomic analyses indicate less variability within a population than between populations. Overall, bacterial community composition correlated significantly with fecal starch concentrations, largely reflected in changes in the
Bacteroidetes
,
Proteobacteria
, and
Firmicutes
populations. In addition, network analysis demonstrated that annotated sequences clustered by management practice and fecal starch concentration, suggesting that the structures of bovine fecal bacterial communities can be dramatically different in different animal feeding operations, even at the phylum and family taxonomic levels, and that the feeding operation is a more important determinant of the cattle microbiome than is the geographic location of the feedlot.
Crystal Structure of Archaeoglobus fulgidus CTP:Inositol-1-Phosphate Cytidylyltransferase, a Key Enzyme for Di-
myo
-Inositol-Phosphate Synthesis in (Hyper)Thermophiles
Authors: Brito José A. , Borges Nuno , Vonrhein Clemens , Santos Helena , Archer Margarida
Published: March 2011

Many
Archaea
and
Bacteria
isolated from hot, marine environments accumulate di-
myo
-inositol-phosphate (DIP), primarily in response to heat stress. The biosynthesis of this compatible solute involves the activation of inositol to CDP-inositol via the action of a recently discovered CTP:inositol-1-phosphate cytidylyltransferase (IPCT) activity. In most cases, IPCT is part of a bifunctional enzyme comprising two domains: a cytoplasmic domain with IPCT activity and a membrane domain catalyzing the synthesis of di-
myo
-inositol-1,3′-phosphate-1′-phosphate from CDP-inositol and
l
-
myo
-inositol phosphate. Herein, we describe the first X-ray structure of the IPCT domain of the bifunctional enzyme from the hyperthermophilic archaeon
Archaeoglobus fulgidus
DSMZ 7324. The structure of the enzyme in the apo form was solved to a 1.9-Å resolution. The enzyme exhibited apparent

K
m

values of 0.9 and 0.6 mM for inositol-1-phosphate and CTP, respectively. The optimal temperature for catalysis was in the range 90 to 95°C, and the

V
max

determined at 90°C was 62.9 μmol · min
−1
· mg of protein
−1
. The structure of IPCT is composed of a central seven-stranded mixed β-sheet, of which six β-strands are parallel, surrounded by six α-helices, a fold reminiscent of the dinucleotide-binding Rossmann fold. The enzyme shares structural homology with other pyrophosphorylases showing the canonical motif G-X-G-T-(R/S)-X
4
-P-K. CTP,
l
-
myo
-inositol-1-phosphate, and CDP-inositol were docked into the catalytic site, which provided insights into the binding mode and high specificity of the enzyme for CTP. This work is an important step toward the final goal of understanding the full catalytic route for DIP synthesis in the native, bifunctional enzyme.
Electrocatalytic reactions of dioxygen and nitric oxide with reduced (nitrosyl) cobalt porphyrins — cyclic voltammetry and computational chemistry
Authors: Goodwin John A. , Kurtikyan Tigran S.
Published: March 2011

Water-soluble cationic cobalt(tetra(N-methyl-pyridyl)porphyrins, CoTMpyP(4) and CoTMpyP(2) and the β-pyrrole octabrominated derivative CoTMpyP(4)Br8 have been studied by cyclic voltammetry under aqueous aerobic conditions at pH of 4.0 with and without addition of nitrite to explore their ability to catalyze the reduction of dioxygen. The porphyrins and their nitro/nitrosyl derivatives were studied in aqueous acetate buffer solution at a solid silver electrode and then also as they were immobilized in Nafion® film loaded with silver nanoparticles which provided electrical conductivity. Under these reducing conditions with nitrite in solution, coordinated nitrite appears to undergo an oxo-transfer/reduction reaction resulting in the formation of the nitrosyl ligand. The reaction of the nitrosyl complex allows a short-lived electrocatalytic reduction reaction with dioxygen before NO is lost from the complex by dissociation. The thermodynamics of the reactions and possible catalytic intermediates in the reduction of dioxygen were studied by DFT (BP/6-31G*) computations. An unusual N -bound cyclic NO3- structure was obtained in the optimized geometries for the product of reduced nitrosyl porphyrins and dioxygen in the model complexes and for [CoTMpyP(2)(NO-O2)]- . These structures are tentatively proposed to represent an intermediate in the mechanism of activation of dioxygen in catalytic reduction. DFT (BP/6-31G*) computations were also applied to probe thermodynamics and intermediates in the known catalytic reduction of NO to N2O by the reduced porphyrin under anaerobic conditions. Thermodynamics estimates suggest that reduction occurs through coordinated NO in the reduced porphyrin species similar to cytochrome P450nor (nitric oxide reductase), but the detailed mechanism is not clear.
A role for zinc in regulating hypoxia-induced contractile events in pulmonary endothelium
Authors: Bernal Paula J. , Bauer Eileen M. , Cao Rong , Maniar Salony , Mosher Mackenzie , Chen Jun , Wang Qiming Jane , Glorioso Joseph C. , Pitt Bruce R. , Watkins Simon C. , St. Croix Claudette M.
Published: March 2011

We previously reported that zinc thiolate signaling contributes to hypoxic contraction of small, nonmuscularized arteries of the lung. The present studies were designed to investigate mechanisms by which hypoxia-released zinc induces contraction in isolated pulmonary endothelial cells and to delineate the signaling pathways involved in zinc-mediated changes in the actin cytoskeleton. We used fluorescence-based imaging to show that hypoxia induced time-dependent increases in actin stress fibers that were reversed by the zinc chelator, N,N,N′,N′-tetrakis-(2-pyridylmethyl)-ethylenediamine (TPEN). We further showed that hypoxia-induced phosphorylation of the contractile protein myosin light chain (MLC) and assembly of actin stress fibers were each TPEN sensitive. Hypoxia and zinc-induced inhibition of MLC phosphatase (MLCP) were independent of the regulatory subunit (MYPT1) of MLCP, and therefore hypoxia-released zinc likely inhibits MLCP at its catalytic (PP1) subunit. Inhibition of PKC by Ro-31–8220 and a dominant-negative construct of PKC-ε attenuated hypoxia-induced contraction of isolated pulmonary endothelial cells. Furthermore, zinc-induced phosphorylation of MLC (secondary to inhibition of MLCP) was PKC dependent, and hypoxia-released zinc promoted the phosphorylation of the PKC substrate, CPI-17. Collectively, these data suggest a link between hypoxia, elevations in labile zinc, and activation of PKC, which in turn acts through CPI-17 to inhibit MLCP activity and promote MLC phosphorylation, ultimately inducing stress fiber formation and endothelial cell contraction.
Short‐Term Effects of Acupuncture on Open‐Angle Glaucoma in Retrobulbar Circulation: Additional Therapy to Standard Medication
Authors: Takayama Shin , Seki Takashi , Nakazawa Toru , Aizawa Naoko , Takahashi Seri , Watanabe Masashi , Izumi Masayuki , Kaneko Soichiro , Kamiya Tetsuharu , Matsuda Ayane , Kikuchi Akiko , Yambe Tomoyuki , Yoshizawa Makoto , Nitta Shin-ichi , Yaegashi Nobuo
Published: March 2011

Background. The relation between glaucoma and retrobulbar circulation in the prognosis has been indicated.
Purpose. To investigate the effects of acupuncture on retrobulbar circulation in open‐angle glaucoma (OAG) patients.
Methods. Eleven OAG patients (20 eyes with OAG) who were treated by topical antiglaucoma medications for at least 3 months were enrolled. Acupuncture was performed once at acupoints BL2, M‐HN9, ST2, ST36, SP6, KI3, LR3, GB20, BL18, and BL23 bilaterally. Retrobulbar circulation was measured with color Doppler imaging, and intraocular pressure (IOP) was also measured at rest and one hour after rest or before and after acupuncture.
Results. The Δ value of the resistive index in the short posterior ciliary artery (P < .01) and the Δ value of IOP (P < .01) were decreased significantly by acupuncture compared with no acupuncture treatment.
Conclusions. Acupuncture can improve the retrobulbar circulation and IOP, which may indicate the efficacy of acupuncture for OAG.
The Failure of Orthogonality under Nonstationarity: Should We Care About It?
Authors: Campillo-García Jose A. , Ventosa-Santaulària Daniel
Published: March 2011

We consider two well‐known facts in econometrics: (i) the failure of the
orthogonality assumption (i.e., no independence between the regressors
and the error term), which implies biased and inconsistent Least Squares (LS)
estimates and (ii) the consequences of using nonstationary variables, acknowledged
since the seventies; LS might yield spurious estimates when the
variables do have a trend component, whether stochastic or deterministic.
In this work, an optimistic corollary is provided: it is proven that the LS
regression, employed in nonstationary and cointegrated variables where the
orthogonality assumption is not satisfied, provides estimates that converge to
their true values. Monte Carlo evidence suggests that this property is maintained
in samples of a practical size.
Anterior Mediastinal Mass: A Rare Presentation of Tuberculosis
Authors: Khilnani Gopi C. , Jain Neetu , Hadda Vijay , Arava Sudheer K.
Published: March 2011

We report a case of a 14-year-boy who presented to us with a low-grade fever with evening rise for 9 months. Along with this, the patient also reported a reduction in his appetite and body weight. He had a mild dry cough but no respiratory symptoms otherwise. There was no other localization for fever on history. He received antitubercular therapy, based on abnormal chest radiograph. However, there was no relief in his symptoms. General physical examination revealed mild fever. Systemic examination was unremarkable. Blood investigations done for fever were noncontributory. Computed tomographic (CT) scan of the chest revealed a mediastinal mass compressing the trachea. The possibilities of lymphoma or germ cell tumour were considered. A biopsy from the mass under CT guidance was performed. The histopathology revealed multiple epithelioid cell granulomas with necrosis, and the diagnosis of tuberculosis was made. The clinical course of this patient and the relevant literature is presented in this paper.
Are Human Rights Wrong? A Human-Language Ethic Approach to Global Poverty
Authors: Weidel Timothy A.
Published: March 2011

In this article, I offer an alternative approach to global poverty by challenging the current ethic of human rights. I argue for what I see as a true human-language ethic, influenced by Marx, which appeals to the claim that global poverty not only directly harms the poor, but actually harms everyone. As human beings, we all have needs that we must satisfy in order to survive. Contrary to human rights’ treatment of individuals as atomistic beings, I argue that a sense of community and connection to the global poor is necessary to meet their (as well as our) human needs. In addition, since labor is a necessary vehicle for meeting such needs, the poor must have access to means of employment. They (and we) must dialogue and labor to meet the needs of all human beings.
Kantian Beneficence and the Problem of Obligatory Aid
Authors: Stohr Karen
Published: March 2011

Common sense tells us that in certain circumstances, helping someone is morally obligatory. That intuition appears incompatible with Kant's account of beneficence as a wide imperfect duty, and its implication that agents may exercise latitude over which beneficent actions to perform. In this paper, I offer a resolution to the problem from which it follows that some opportunities to help admit latitude and others do not. I argue that beneficence has two components: the familiar wide duty to help others achieve their ends and a narrow duty to avoid indifference to others as end-setters. Although we are not always required to help, we are always required not to be indifferent. When helping someone is the only way not to be indifferent to a person, helping him/her is obligatory. My account avoids certain difficulties with other proposed solutions and can also address an important concern about proximity.
Fifteen Years of the Human Dimension in Bosnia and Herzegovina — The Ebb and Flow of State-building
Authors: Perry Valery
Published: March 2011

This article will consider one narrow aspect of the post-Dayton reform process in BiH — the role of the OSCE Mission to BiH in supporting reforms in the 'human dimension'. It will not be a comprehensive review of the Mission's activities on the ground; other such summaries have been conducted, including in the pages of this journal's predecessor. It will instead briefly consider the political environment in BiH 15 years after the war, the continued human dimension efforts of the Mission, and reflections on the scope and limits of such a field Mission in the broader political arena.
Neurocognitive Predictors of Reading Outcomes for Children With Reading Disabilities
Authors: Frijters Jan C. , Lovett Maureen W. , Steinbach Karen A. , Wolf Maryanne , Sevcik Rose A. , Morris Robin D.
Published: March 2011

This study reports on several specific neurocognitive process predictors of reading outcomes for a sample of 278 children with reading disabilities. Three categories of response (i.e., poor, average, and good) were formed via growth curve models of six reading outcomes. Two nested discriminant function analyses were conducted to evaluate the predictive capability of the following models: (a) an intervention and phonological processing model that included intervention group, phonological awareness, and rapid naming and (b) an additive cognitive neuropsychological model that included measures of memory, visual processes, and cognitive or intellectual functioning. Over and above the substantial explanatory power of the base model, the additive model improved classification of poor and good responders. Several of the cognitive and neuropsychological variables predicted degree of reading outcomes, even after controlling for type of intervention, phonological awareness, and rapid naming.
Neuropsychological Treatment of Dyslexia: Does Type of Treatment Matter?
Authors: Lorusso Maria Lulsa , Facoetti Andrea , Bakker Dirk J.
Published: March 2011

In this study, 123 children with a diagnosis of developmental dyslexia were assigned to different treatment groups, either variations of Bakker’s intervention program based on the balance model or a control, a specific reading training group. Thorough cognitive and neuropsychological assessment allowed determination of the subtype of dyslexia according to the balance model and the neuropsychological profile with respect to reading and spelling abilities, verbal memory, and phonemic awareness. Characteristics of hemisphere-specific stimulation were systematically manipulated in an effort to shed light on the bases and mechanisms of reading improvement. It was shown that the effects of treatment vary according to type of dyslexia and that the different intervention programs have differential effects on reading-related neuropsychological functions. Since opposite effects can be produced by the same type of treatment in different dyslexia subtypes, the results of the study suggest that accurate classification of subtype on the base of reading and reading-related variables is advantageous for an optimal planning of the therapy.
On the Importance of a Cognitive Processing Perspective: An Introduction
Authors: Fuchs Douglas , Hale James B. , Kearns Devin M.
Published: March 2011

Children with learning problems require early intervention. If it is evidence based and implemented with integrity and intensity, it will accelerate the academic progress of many students. This is the hope and expectation of the many supporters of responsiveness-to-intervention (RTI). A minority of children, however, will not respond sufficiently to such intervention because of learning disorders like specific learning disabilities (SLD). Some RTI models do not include research-backed methods to identify these children, nor do RTI practitioners often produce the data necessary to develop individualized instruction for them. The authors suggest practitioners go beyond typical RTI assessment data documenting responsiveness/ unresponsiveness to conduct comprehensive evaluations of these most difficult-to-teach students and to include in their evaluations carefully chosen cognitive measures. This special issue presents the work of teams of researchers, which suggests that cognitive and neuropsychological assessments can provide information to further understand SLD, which in turn can guide development of promising interventions.
Effects of Intragastric Fructose and Dextrose on Mesenteric Microvascular Inflammation and Postprandial Hyperemia in the Rat
Authors: Mattioli Leone F. , Thomas James H. , Holloway Naomi B. , Schropp Kurt P. , Wood John G.
Published: March 2011

Objectives: Fructose superfused on the mesenteric venules of rats induces microvascular inflammation via oxidative stress. It is unknown whether intragastric fructose exerts a similar effect and whether fructose impairs postprandial hyperemia (PPH). The goals were to determine whether intragastric fructose administration promotes leukocyte adherence and whether fructose, owing to its oxidative properties, may also impair nitric oxide–dependent PPH in the mesenteric microcirculation of rats. Methods: Leukocyte adherence to mesenteric venules, arteriolar velocity, and diameter were measured in Sprague‐Dawley rats before and 30 minutes after intragastric (1 mL 0.5 M, ~0.3 g/kg) dextrose (n = 5), fructose (n = 6), and fructose after intravenous injection of the antioxidant α‐lipoic acid (ALA, n = 6). Results: Only fructose increased leukocyte adherence: control 2.3 ± 0.3 per 100 µm; fructose 9.7 ± 1.4 per 100 µm (P < .001). This effect was independent of changes in venular shear rate: control 269 ± 48 s−1; fructose 181 ± 27 s−1 (P > .05, r 2 = 0.083 for shear rate vs leukocyte adherence). Dextrose had no effect on leukocyte adherence: control 1.52 ± 0.13 per 100 µm; dextrose 2.0 ± 0.7 per 100 µm (P > .05). ALA prevented fructose‐induced leukocyte adherence: control 1.9 ± 0.2 per 100 µm; fructose + ALA 1.8 ± 0.3 per 100 µm (P > .05). Neither fructose nor dextrose induced PPH: arteriolar velocity: control 3.3 ± 0.49 cm/s, fructose 3.06 ± 0.34 cm/s (P > .05); control 3.3 ± 1.0 cm/s, dextrose 3.15 ± 1.1 cm/s (P > .05); arteriolar diameter: control 19.9 ± 1.10 µm, fructose 19.7 ± 1.0 µm (P > .05); control 21.5 ± 2.6, dextrose 20.0 ± 2.7 µm (P > .05). Conclusions: Intragastric fructose induced leukocyte adherence via oxidative stress. Neither dextrose nor fructose induced PPH, likely because of the inhibitory effect of anesthesia on splanchnic vasomotor tone.
Cetuximab Therapy for Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Reeves Travis D. , Hill Elizabeth G. , Armeson Kent E. , Gillespie M. Boyd
Published: March 2011

Objective

To review the current state of the data on the use of cetuximab in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Data Sources

The National Center for Biotechnology Information’s PubMed and the Cochrane collection.

Review Methods

Search terms included cetuximab and head and neck cancer. These results were reviewed, and a second search was performed using limits: meta‐analysis, randomized controlled trial, and clinical trial.

Results

The literature search yielded 412 articles. Fifteen were identified for analysis. For patients with recurrent/metastatic disease who received combination chemotherapy in phase I/II trials, the overall response (OR) was 18.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 10.4%‐27.0%). Phase III trial data for combination chemotherapy in recurrent/metastatic disease showed OR to be 17.0% (95% CI, 12.6%‐21.4%) for platinum‐based regimens and 34.2% (28.6%‐39.7%) for platinum‐based regimens with cetuximab. For this same group, the estimated aggregate hazard ratio comparing platinum‐based therapy plus cetuximab to platinum therapy alone was 1.10 (95% CI, 0.78‐1.54), indicating no significant improvement in overall survival in the aggregate analysis. Combination chemoradiation with cetuximab in both phase I/II trials and the single phase III trial shows enhanced responsiveness, but the data are difficult to interpret because it is not used with standard‐of‐care regimens for advanced‐stage disease.

Conclusion

Early evidence has shown cetuximab to be effective in the treatment of HNSCC, and it should be used to enhance, but not replace, current treatment paradigms until further phase III data are available.
True and False Prophecy: Jeremiah’s Revision of Deuteronomy
Authors: Hibbard J. Todd
Published: March 2011

Deuteronomy 18.15-22 offers a criterion of predictive accuracy for judging prophets. It is argued here that Jeremiah takes up this criterion and renders it problematic. A critical examination of three passages from Jeremiah reveals the nature of the critique: Jer. 18, 26 and 28. One key aspect of this critique involves Jeremiah’s accent on YHWH potentially changing his mind (‭םהב‬). The conclusion is reached that Jeremiah de-emphasizes the role of prophet as prognosticator in favor of the view that a prophet’s role is to spur moral, social, and religious change. As a postscript, a brief examination of Jonah’s understanding of this matter demonstrates that not all prophets were in agreement on the value of Jeremiah’s change.
An Obedient Servant? The Reign of King Saul (1 Samuel 13—15) Reassessed
Authors: Sellars Dawn Maria
Published: March 2011

This article reconsiders 1 Samuel 13—15 and the negative characterization of Saul that has been perpetuated by subsequent interpreters. It considers the story of Saul’s reign in light of the account of the call for a king in 1 Samuel 8, where a narrative contrast is established between obedience to the people and obedience to God and where the subordination of the people to their king is prophesied. This article shows that a key element of 1 Samuel 13—15 is Saul’s preference for the will of the people and concludes that the fact that this contradicts the prophesied image of kingship in 1 Samuel 8 enables a more positive interpretation of Saul and his reign. Rather than a king who makes servants of his people, we encounter a king anxious to serve them.
The perfect story: Anecdote and exemplarity in Linnaeus and Blumenberg
Authors: Fleming Paul
Published: March 2011

Hans Blumenberg’s work is characterized by a seemingly insatiable predilection for anecdotes — about Thales and Pyrrhus, Goethe and Fontane, Husserl and Wittgenstein, Polgar and Jünger. This essay explores the theoretical status of anecdotes by juxtaposing Carl Linnaeus’s Nemesis Divina with Blumenberg’s Care Crosses the River, both read alongside Aristotle’s notion of exemplarity and Joel Fineman’s delineation of the anecdote as the literary-historical form for expressing contingency. As a mode of thought at the nexus of literature and experience, anecdotes immediately pose the question of evidence. Even if true, an anecdote opens the issue of whether it is the exception or the norm, whether it only speaks for itself or assumes exemplary force, and what such exemplarity might mean. By juxtaposing two theorists qua anecdotists — Carl Linnaeus and Hans Blumenberg — this essay aims to show the inextricable relation between anecdote and example, and thus between anecdote and rhetoric, a counterpart and supplement to the poetics of metaphor within what one can call with Blumenberg a theory of nonconceptuality.
Blumen Berg: Topoi in Blumenberg’s philosophy
Authors: Fliethmann Axel
Published: March 2011

The text consists of two parts. Part one puts the works of Hans Blumenberg, as far as they tackle the problem of rhetoric, into their historical context. Relevant here in particular is the tradition of topological philosophies of the Renaissance and their different types of revival in the 20th century. Part two analyses three main ‘absolute metaphors’ or ‘topoi’ Hans Blumenberg has investigated, the metaphors of ‘light’, ‘shipwreck’, and ‘book of nature’, in order to add to the philosophical perspective taken by Blumenberg a hidden philological perspective, which shows the shortcomings of conceptualizing rhetorical techne (how does a metaphor work), which does not always account for philological techne (how do we write texts).
Painting’s double: Andrew Benjamin’s Disclosing Spaces
Authors: Murphy Peter
Published: March 2011

Andrew Benjamin’s book Disclosing Spaces (2004) presents a theory of painting. The theory is developed via a meticulous analysis of a series of individual artworks. The pivot of Benjamin’s theory of painting is the idea of relationality. The theory is critically reviewed with reference to the works of Edward Hopper, Gerhard Richter and Jacques-Louis David.
The concept of ‘‘equity’’ in health-promotion articles by Nordic authors - A matter of some confusion and misconception
Authors: Povlsen Lene , Borup Ina K. , Fosse Elisabeth
Published: March 2011

Aims: This paper focuses on equity in health, one of the key principles of the Ottawa Charter. It aims at analysing and discussing how the concept was defined, applied, and integrated in health-promotion articles by authors with a Nordic affiliation. Methods: Abstracts were first identified by the search word ‘‘health promotion’’ as a key word. The search was limited to 1986—2008 and abstracts written in English by authors with a Nordic affiliation. Abstracts/articles for the present study were subsequently selected from these abstracts using the search word ‘‘equity’’ and analysed by quantitative and qualitative content analysis. Findings: A majority of the 18 articles in the study did not include any proper definition of the term ‘‘equity in health’’. Most articles dealt with health in general or ‘‘Health for All’’ aspects and did not focus on specific strategies for vulnerable individuals or groups. The theoretical papers had a clear focus on equity aspects even though the concept of equity was sometimes included in an implicit way. In contrast, most papers reporting empirical studies did not specifically target equity aspects. Instead, the analysis gave the impression that many authors used the term ‘‘equity’’ synonymously with ‘‘equality in health’’. Conclusions: The findings may indicate that the concept of ‘‘equity in health’’ has been attenuated or even forgotten by Nordic health-promotion researchers and needs to be re-established as a strong concern within health promotion.
Exploring which context matters in the study of health inequities and their mitigation
Authors: Edwards Nancy , Di Ruggiero Erica
Published: March 2011

Aim: This commentary argues that contextual influences on health inequities need to be more thoroughly interrogated in future studies of population health interventions. Methods: Case examples were chosen to illustrate several aspects of context: its historical, global, and dynamic nature; its multidimensional character; and its macro- and micro-level influences. These criteria were selected based on findings from an extensive literature review undertaken for the Public Health Agency of Canada and from two invitational symposia on multiple intervention programmes, one with a focus on equity, the other with a focus on context. Findings: Contextual influences are pervasive yet specific, and diffuse yet structurally embedded. Historical contexts that have produced inequities have contemporary influences. The global forces of context cross jurisdictional boundaries. A complex set of social actors intersect with socio-political structures to dynamically co-create contextual influences. Conclusions: These contextual influences raise critical challenges for the field of population health intervention research. These challenges must be addressed if we are going to succeed in the calls for action to reduce health inequities. Implications for future public health research and research-funding agencies must be carefully considered.
Social support at work and work changes among cancer survivors in Norway
Authors: Torp Steffen , Gudbergsson Sævar B. , Dahl Alv A. , Fosså Sophie D. , Fløtten Tone
Published: March 2011

Aims: To investigate how cancer survivors (CSs) experience the cancer-related support they get at the workplace, the proportion of CSs who change work due to cancer and the sociodemographic and work-related factors associated with CSs’ work changes. Methods: CSs of the 10 most common invasive types of cancer for men and women in Norway completed a mailed questionnaire 15—39 months after primary treatment. All CSs who were working when diagnosed were included in the analyses (n = 1115). Leaving the workforce and making other important changes in paid work were regarded as work changes. Results: When diagnosed with cancer, 84% of the CSs experienced their supervisor as caring vs. 90% for colleagues. At the time of the survey, 84% were still working; 24% had made changes in work due to the cancer. Work changes due to cancer were most common among CSs who reported low supervisor support related to the cancer (odds ratio (OR) 0.78) and high physical (OR 2.48) and psychological job demands (OR 1.39) at the time of diagnosis. Work changes were more common among self-employed CSs than among employees (OR 2.03). CSs with high education (OR 0.59) and medium income (OR 0.66) made fewer work changes than other CSs, but these differences were not significant when controlled for the work factors. Conclusions: Close follow-up by supervisors should be a key element in workplace health promotion programmes for CSs. Further, the programmes should target both physical and psychosocial work factors.
Working in tandem with editing tools: iterative meaning-making in filmmaking practices
Authors: Gilje Øystein
Published: March 2011

This article analyses how novice users explore the interface of sophisticated editing software ( Final Cut Express) when working with filters and special effects. Inspired by a multimodal and phenomenological perspective, the author seeks to elaborate a sociocultural approach in order to scrutinize these editing practices by using mediated action as a unit of analysis. The aim of the article is to understand how the editing software and its users work in tandem during the editing practice. The findings indicate that feedback from the software in the filmmaking process becomes a resource in the semiotic work of rethinking the visuals and soundtrack in the editing practices. As a result, the novice students could address more precisely how they wanted to communicate a specific scene visually and aurally.
What is a ‘Gospel’? Recent Studies in the Gospel Genre
Authors: Diehl Judith A.
Published: March 2011

This article is a brief review of two main paths of biblical scholarship with respect to the ‘gospel’ genre. The NT Gospels appear to be similar to other ancient literature in some ways, yet distinctive enough in content, form, theology and purpose to set them apart from other literature. The analogical approach shows how the Gospels were written in a form similar to other written documents of that time and culture. In contrast, the derivational approach attempts to show that the Gospels are unique and exclusive in all of literature. While the search for the ‘historical Jesus’ is not over, literary criticism has now set the Gospels within the concept of ‘story’, with all its literary implications. Scholars have suggested that the ‘Gospel of Mark’ is the first of its kind, becoming the foundational paradigm of the Gospel genre. Further, the discovery of ancient ‘apocryphal gospels’ has encouraged scholars to compare the NT Gospels to the non-canonical documents.The challenge of clearly identifying the ‘Gospel genre’ continues, as scholars try to understand the nature of both canonical and non-canonical stories of Jesus.
Dietary Recommendations for Primary Prevention: An Update
Authors: Miraglia Megan L. , Dwyer Johanna T.
Published: March 2011

This article reviews some recent dietary recommendations for the primary prevention of chronic disease, including diabetes, cancer, and coronary heart disease. It provides background and sets the stage for the latest revision of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which will be issued later this year.
Incorporating Lifestyle Medicine Into a Large Health Care System: The Orlando Health Experience
Authors: Elswick Shannon , O'Donnell Lee , Dinon Nancy , Stachnik Amy , Rippe James
Published: March 2011

There is now overwhelming evidence that daily actions and habits profoundly influence short-term and long-term health and quality of life. Helping individuals make more positive choices in the areas of physical activity, weight management, nutritional practices, and not using tobacco products is a shared responsibility among physicians, other health care workers, health care systems, and the individual patients themselves. Although some progress has been made in these areas, health care systems have been slow to respond to this important imperative. This article describes one health care system, Orlando Health, and its initiative to incorporate lifestyle medicine concepts into its core operating principles. Great progress has been made in the past 18 months in this initiative although numerous challenges remain. The authors enumerate both progress and challenges. They hope the experience at Orlando Health will challenge and inspire other health care systems to also take a more proactive stance in incorporating lifestyle medicine into their culture and core operating principles.
Impact of exercise testing mode on exercise parameters in patients with chronic heart failure
Authors: Beckers Paul J , Possemiers Nadine M , Van Craenenbroeck Emeline M , Van Berendoncks An M , Wuyts Kurt , Vrints Christiaan J , Conraads Viviane M
Published: March 2011

Aim: To verify the impact of testing mode on maximal, sub-maximal parameters and on cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) derived prognostic markers in patients with chronic heart failure (CHF).

Method: 55 patients (age 60.3 years ±11.1) with CHF (ejection fraction 26 %±8) underwent a maximal CPET on a bicycle and on a treadmill, in a random order, within one week. Maximal, sub-maximal parameters and CPET derived prognostic markers were compared.

Results: VO2peak and VO2peak corrected for lean body mass were significantly higher on treadmill compared to bicycle (+11%, p < 0.0001). This was also the case for the following sub-maximal parameters; heart rate, workload and VO2 at ventilatory anaerobic threshold and VO2 at the respiratory compensation point (RCP). In contrast, both VE/VCO2 slopes (start to RCP and start to end test) were similar. Time to ½ VO2peak was longer and circulatory power was higher on the treadmill compared to exercise testing on the bicycle.

Conclusion: The results of the present study suggest that the mode of exercise testing significantly affects absolute values for VO2peak but does not greatly impact the prognostic utility of the VE/VCO2 slope in patients with moderate to severe CHF. Besides the consequences of these findings in terms of prognostication, testing mode should be taken into consideration when exercise prescription is based on VO2peak.
Subanimation: Verina Gfader in Conversation with Takehito Deguchi and Koji Yamamura
Authors: Gfader Verina
Published: March 2011

This article is a conversation with Takehito Deguchi and Koji Yamamura, two distinct voices in animation practice and theory. Situated in Tokyo, Japan, the discussion follows a concept of expansion through decentralization, both in terms of the subject of animation and the place from where one speaks. Decentralization is considered in relation to how our understanding of the contemporary artwork, including animation, is formed, de- and re-formed through transforming and widening socio-political grounds. Addressing the complexity and hybridity for grasping the evolving layers in the field of anime, the dialogues with Deguchi and Yamamura gather questions and responses particularly about the status of experimental work, social change, the institutional and non-histories, seen as manifestations of incomplete historical understanding. Links are drawn between experimentation and time rupture, drawings and their shifting status in society, institutions and traditional statements, and social sentiments and animation’s intrinsic qualities. The text concludes with a summary of the conversations, including valuable statements that have been made, which open out the research subject for further debates.
Voice and Vision in Oshii Mamoru’s Ghost in the Shell: Beyond Cartesian Optics
Authors: Shin Hyewon
Published: March 2011

This article investigates Oshii Mamoru’s experiments with voice and vision in his film Ghost in the Shell (1995). The audio-visual inversion articulated by the disembodied voice in the film dissolves the conventional image-voice conformity. The inorganic gaze adopted by Oshii breaks out of the human observer’s body to spread into space, unlike the anthropocentric gaze standard in cinema. While this depersonalized sight expresses the subject’s dissemination, it also echoes the film’s motif of mankind’s ontological opening up towards the environment. Oshii’s audio-visual experiment can be considered a critique of Cartesian optics: whereas the bodiless voice undermines the Cartesian domination of vision over other senses, the inorganic gaze produces a non-perspectival space and non-human vision supplementing Renaissance perspectival systems. Consequently, Oshii’s tendency to separate the voice from vision renders his animated bodies as heterogeneous, discrete agents distributed through multiple spatiotemporal dimensions beyond classical constructions of subject—object boundaries.The result of his challenge to Cartesian optics produces in the audience an intense affectivity reminiscent of Eisenstein’s ‘ecstasy’ of animation.
Recursive imaging with multiply scattered waves using partial image regularization: A North Sea case study
Authors: Malcolm Alison E. , De Hoop Maarten V. , Ursin Bjørn
Published: March 2011

As more resources are directed toward reverse time migration, an accurate velocity model, including strong reflectors, is necessary to form a clear image of the subsurface. This is of particular importance in the vicinity of salt, where singly scattered waves are often not ideal for imaging the salt flanks. This has led to interest in processing doubly scattered waves (also called duplex or prismatic waves) for imaging salt flanks and thus improving the location of salt boundaries in a velocity model. We used doubly scattered waves in a two-pass, one-way method to image salt flanks in a North Sea data set. By working in the one-way framework we were able to separately construct images with singly, doubly, and triply scattered waves. We used a multistep imaging process that includes multiply scattered waves by using an imaged reflector to fix one (or more) of the scattering points, allowing for multiply scattered energy from several reflectors, potentially with poor continuity, to be included without picking each reflector individually. With this method we were able to image the flank of a North Sea salt body.
Estimating petrophysical parameters and average mud-filtrate invasion rates using joint inversion of induction logging and pressure transient data
Authors: Liang Lin , Abubakar Aria , Habashy Tarek M.
Published: March 2011

We introduce an inversion approach for determining the water-based mud-filtrate invasion profile, as well as the formation porosity and horizontal permeability, from the induction logging data. The inversion is constrained by a multiphase fluid flow simulator that simulates the mud-filtrate invasion process to obtain the spatial distributions of the water saturation and the salt concentration, which are in turn transformed into the formation resistivity using a resistivity-saturation formula. By ignoring the diffusion effect, we assume that the mud-filtrate invasion process is mainly convective so that it can be equivalently simulated by providing an average invasion rate and the duration of invasion. The average invasion rate can be directly inverted from the fluid-flow-constrained inversion of induction logging data. We also obtain the mud-filtrate invasion profile, which is consistent with the fluid flow physics. The reconstructed mud-filtrate invasion profile benefits the interpretation of the formation test. When the pressure transient data are available, this approach can be also used to jointly invert both induction logging data and pressure transient data to obtain the mud-filtrate invasion profile, as well as a parametric distribution of the TI-anisotropic formation permeability and porosity. Assuming a vertical well penetrating horizontal formations, the fluid flow problem is solved using an implicit black oil finite-difference simulator with brine tracking option based on a cylindrical, axially symmetric grid, whereas the response of the induction logging tool is simulated using a frequency-domain finite-difference solver based on a Cartesian grid. A Gauss-Newton inversion scheme using the multiplicative regularization technique is used for either the fluid-flow-constrained inversion or the joint inversion. The reliability of the inversion results depends on the accuracy of a priori knowledge of the reservoir, which needs to be confirmed via sensitivity analysis.
Antimicrobial peptides from amphibians
Authors: Xiao Yao , Liu Cunbao , Lai Ren
Published: March 2011

Increased prevalence of multi-drug resistance in pathogens has encouraged researchers to focus on finding novel forms of anti-infective agents. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) found in animal secretions are components of host innate immune response and have survived eons of pathogen evolution. Thus, they are likely to be active against pathogens and even those that are resistant to conventional drugs. Many peptides have been isolated and shown to be effective against multi-drug resistant pathogens. More than 500 AMPs have been identified from amphibians. The abundance of AMPs in frog skin is remarkable and constitutes a rich source for design of novel pharmaceutical molecules. Expression and post-translational modifications, discovery, activities and probable therapeutic application prospects of amphibian AMPs will be discussed in this article.
Interactions of natural polyamines with mammalian proteins
Authors: Schuster Inge , Bernhardt Rita
Published: March 2011

The ubiquitously expressed natural polyamines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine are small, flexible cationic compounds that exert pleiotropic actions on various regulatory systems and, accordingly, are essentially involved in diverse life functions. These roles of polyamines result from their capability to interact with negatively charged regions of all major classes of biomolecules, which might act in response by changing their structures and functions. The present review deals with polyamine-protein interactions, thereby focusing on mammalian proteins. We discuss the various modes in which polyamines can interact with proteins, describe major types of affected functions illustrated by representative examples of involved proteins, and support information with respective structural evidence from elucidated three-dimensional structures. A specific focus is put on polyamine interactions at protein surfaces that can modulate the aggregation of proteins to organized structural networks as well as to toxic aggregates and, moreover, can play a role in important transient protein-protein interactions.