bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Erratum to: “In vitro biological activity comparison of some hydroxyapatite-based composite materials using simulated body fluid”
Authors: Czikó Melinda , Bogya Erzsébet-Sára , Barabás Réka , Bizo Liliana , Stefan Răzvan
Published: August 2013

The original version of the article was published in Cent. Eur. J. Chem. 11(10) (2013) pp. 1583–1598. Unfortunately, the original version of this article contains a mistake in the affiliation section. The affiliation for Răzvan Stefan is Veterinary Medicine Faculty, University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine, RO-400372 Cluj Napoca, Romania.
Extractants selection for hyphenated electrothermal atomic absorption method
Authors: Alemasova Antonina , Alemasova Natalya , Pupyshev Alexander
Published: August 2013

The theoretical approach for extractants selection during hyphenated atomic absorption determination of highly volatile metals (Pb, Cd), hydride- (Sb, Bi) and carbide-forming (Cr) metals using thermodynamic modelling was proposed. The calculated parameter — maximum pyrolysis temperature — can be used for selection of the extractants and chemical modifiers. Using this approach the antimony extract with Brilliant green was modified for which the 1.8-fold sensitivity and 2.6-fold repeatability decreasing while extract sampling in graphite furnace was observed. A chemical modifier — mixture of hydrazine nitrate with the palladium(II) complex with Xylenol orange — was theoretically selected and experimentally tested, which allowed to enhance the maximum pyrolysis temperature on 200°C, to eliminate extract matrix influence. Using this modifier two-fold increasing in sensitivity and 3-fold decreasing in relative standard deviation was achieved while extraction atomic absorption determination.
Preparation and conductivities of polyacrylic acid/polyvinylimidazole grafted and ungrafted iron oxide nanocomposite polymer electrolytes
Authors: Senel Mehmet , Kavas Hüseyin , Tutgun Mehmet , Baykal Abdulhadi
Published: August 2013

Nanocomposites of Polyacrylic acid/polyvinylimidazole (PAA/PVI) with grafted and ungrafted iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared by a Reflux method. The Fe3O4 nanoparticles with 10 nm average diameter were synthesized by controlled co-precipitation and silanization of Si-PVI on Fe3O4 was used to obtain the grafted ones. Grafting becomes important at composites of less PVI that cause drastic decreases in AC conductivity. The content of PVI has important effects on the conductivity mechanism of these composites. The effect of grafting and Polyacrylic acid/polyvinylimidazole molar ratio on the conduction mechanism were studied. The conduction mechanism of iron oxide nanocomposites can be adjusted by changing molar ratio of Polyacrylic acid/polyvinylimidazole and grafting of Fe3O4NPs.
Dispersive evaluation and surface chemistry of advanced, multifunctional silica/lignin hybrid biomaterials
Authors: Nowacka Magdalena , Klapiszewski Łukasz , Norman Małgorzata , Jesionowski Teofil
Published: August 2013

Advanced silica/lignin hybrid biomaterials were obtained using hydrated or fumed silicas (Aerosil®200) and Kraft lignin as precursors, which is a cheap and biodegradable natural polymer. To extend the possible range of applications, the silicas were first modified with N-2-(aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxsysilane, and then with Kraft lignin, which had been oxidized with sodium periodate. The SiO2/lignin hybrids and precursors were characterised by means of determination of their physicochemical and dispersive-morphological properties. The effectiveness of silica binding to lignin was verified by FT-IR spectroscopy. The zeta potential value provides relevant information regarding interactions between colloid particles. Measurement of the zeta potential values enabled an indirect assessment of stability for the studied hybrid systems. Determination of zeta potential and density of surface charge also permitted the quantitative analysis of changes in surface charge, and indirectly confirmed the effectiveness of the proposed method for synthesis of SiO2/lignin hybrid materials. A particularly attractive feature for practical use is their stability, especially electrokinetic stability. It is expected that silica/lignin hybrids will find a wide range of applications (polymer fillers, biosorbents, electrochemical sensors), as they combine the unique properties of silica with the specific structural features of lignin. This makes these hybrids biomaterials advanced and multifunctional.
Governing Climate Technologies: Is there Room for Democracy?
Authors: Stevenson Hayley
Published: August 2013

Technologies for mitigating and adapting to climate change are inherently political. Their development, diffusion and deployment will have uneven impacts within and across national borders. Bringing the governance of climate technologies under democratic control is imperative but impeded by the global scale of governance and its polycentric nature. This article draws on innovative theorising in the deliberative democracy tradition to map possibilities for global democratic governance of climate technologies. It is argued that this domain is not beyond the reach of democracy. Civil society has a unique and expanded role to play in generating democratic legitimacy by fostering public deliberation; translating and transmitting concepts, ideas and messages; and promoting and facilitating deliberative accountability.
Radically Non-Ideal Climate Politics and the Obligation to at Least Vote Green
Authors: Maltais Aaron
Published: August 2013

Obligations to reduce one's green house gas emissions appear to be difficult to justify prior to large-scale collective action because an individual's emissions have virtually no impact on the environmental problem. However, I show that individuals’ emissions choices raise the question of whether or not they can be justified as fair use of what remains of a safe global emissions budget. This is true both before and after major mitigation efforts are in place. Nevertheless, it remains difficult to establish an obligation to reduce personal emissions because it appears unlikely that governments will in fact maintain safe emissions budgets. The result, I claim, is that under current conditions we lack outcome, fairness, promotional, virtue or duty based grounds for seeing personal emissions reductions as morally obligatory.
Finding – and Failing to Find – Meaning in Nature
Authors: James Simon P.
Published: August 2013

This paper is about how we should evaluate our tendencies to find – or fail to find – different meanings in the natural world. It has three aims: (1) to show that some virtues and vices can be exhibited in our tendencies to find or to overlook the meanings of natural things, even if it is unclear whether any can only be exhibited in our relations with such things; (2) to categorise some of the relevant virtues and vices; and (3) to refute the objection that meaning-focused approaches to environmental philosophy, of the sort adopted by writers such as Alan Holland and myself, cannot adequately account for nature's independence from human concerns.
At the Centre of What? A Critical Note on the Centrism-Terminology in Environmental Ethics
Authors: Samuelsson Lars
Published: August 2013

The distinction between anthropocentric and non-anthropocentric theories, together with the more fine-grained distinction between anthropocentrism, biocentrism and ecocentrism, are probably two of the most frequently occurring distinctions in the environmental ethics literature. In this essay I draw attention to some problematic aspects of the terminology used to draw these distinctions: the ‘centrism-terminology’. I argue that this terminology is ambiguous and misleading, and therefore confusing. Furthermore, depending on which interpretation it is given, it is also either asymmetric and non-inclusive, or superfluous. Although I find it unlikely that the centrism-terminology will be abandoned, I end the essay by providing a suggestion for an alternative way to categorise theories in environmental ethics.
The Role of Values in a Community-Based Conservation Initiative in Northern Ghana
Authors: Robinson Lance W. , Sasu Kwame Ampadu
Published: August 2013

In this paper we demonstrate the importance of non-economic values to community-based conservation by presenting findings from research into Kunlog Community Resource Management Area (CREMA) in northern Ghana. One of the central motivations for creating the CREMA was to reinforce a traditional taboo on bushbuck, and while some respondents mentioned the possibility of eventually attracting tourists, the primary desire behind the CREMA is to protect bushbuck and other wildlife for future generations. Several respondents emphasised wanting children and grandchildren to be able to grow up seeing the wildlife. Material benefits should not be the sole focus of those involved in promoting and legislating frameworks for community-based conservation – frameworks such as Ghana's CREMA policy. Government frameworks for the creation, registration and regulation of conservation initiatives should be flexible and able to accommodate diverse community-based conservation initiatives driven from a variety of mixes of motivations, including motivations deriving from non-material values.
A survey of the microbial community in the rhizosphere of two dominant shrubs of the Negev Desert highlands, Zygophyllum dumosum (Zygophyllaceae) and Atriplex halimus (Amaranthaceae), using cultivation‐dependent and cultivation‐independent methods
Authors: Kaplan Drora , Maymon Maskit , Agapakis Christina M. , Lee Andrew , Wang Andrew , Prigge Barry A. , Volkogon Mykola , Hirsch Ann M.
Published: August 2013

• Premise of the study: Plant roots comprise more than 50% of the plant's biomass. Part of that biomass includes the root microbiome, the assemblage of bacteria and fungi living in the 1–3 mm region adjacent to the external surface of the root, the rhizosphere. We hypothesized that the microorganisms living in the rhizosphere and in bulk soils of the harsh environment of the Negev Desert of Israel had potential for use as plant‐growth‐promoting bacteria (PGPB) to improve plant productivity in nutrient‐poor, arid soils that are likely to become more common as the climate changes.

• Methods: We used cultivation‐dependent methods including trap experiments with legumes to find nitrogen‐fixing rhizobia, specialized culture media to determine iron chelation via siderophores and phosphate‐solubilizing and cellulase activities; cultivation‐independent methods, namely 16S rDNA cloning and sequencing; and also community‐level physiological profiling to discover soil microbes associated with the Negev desert perennials Zygophyllum dumosum and Atriplex halimus during the years 2009–2010.

• Key results: We identified a number of PGPB, both epiphytes and endophytes, which fix nitrogen, chelate iron, solubilize phosphate, and secrete cellulase, as well as many other bacteria and some fungi, thereby providing a profile of the microbiomes that support the growth of two desert perennials.

• Conclusion: We generated a snapshot of the microbial communities in the Negev Desert, giving us an insight in its natural state. This desert, like many arid environments, is vulnerable to exploitation for other purposes, including solar energy production and dry land farming.
La V e République et la souveraineté
Authors: Blanquer Jean-Michel
Published: August 2013

Le dialogue entre les deux auteurs, qui date de 1998, évoque l’évolution historique de l’idée de souveraineté et son rôle aujourd’hui en France et en Europe. Après avoir constaté la pluralité des approches de la souveraineté, les auteurs relèvent l’intérêt de cette idée dans le cadre de l’évolution de l’État et de la nation, en présentant la souveraineté avant tout comme un instrument de combat politique. La permanence de l’idée de la souveraineté, autour de la responsabilité et de la solidarité, réside avant tout dans le fait que la construction européenne n’est pas le fruit d’une réflexion innovante, mais bien d’un bricolage institutionnel.
Sovereignty and Europe – The British Perspective
Authors: Nguyên-Duy Iris
Published: August 2013

Les relations entre le Royaume-Uni et l’Union européenne sont paradoxales : Le Royaume-Uni a choisi de rejoindre l’Union il y a 40 ans et dans le même temps a résisté de façon quasi-systématique à toutes les tentatives de renforcement de l’intégration européenne. Cet article soutient que l’essentiel des mesures ingénieuses mises en œuvre par le Royaume-Uni à cet effet peut se justifier par la volonté de protéger sa souveraineté, incarnée dans le Parlement souverain : rappel de la tradition dualiste, négociation de réserves, développement de différentes procédures de contrôle et, récemment, création de « verrous référendaires ». Néanmoins, le mécanisme de consultation directe du peuple, institué par le European Union Act en 2011, pour ralentir ou bloquer les transferts de pouvoirs à l’Union européenne, pourrait reconnaître au peuple un rôle plus important et avoir, à terme, des conséquences négatives sur la conception britannique de la souveraineté.
Europe, objectifs et obstacles : la question de la souveraineté
Authors: Padoa-Schioppa Antonio
Published: August 2013

La grave crise économique européenne n’ayant pas encore été surmontée, il est important de mettre en relief les difficultés qui font obstacle à une action à la fois plus efficace et plus démocratique au niveau européen, par rapport à la méthode intergouvernementale suivie jusqu’ici de façon exclusive, qui s’est avérée très insuffisante dans les deux directions. L’article souligne les difficultés à la fois politiques et idéologiques qui empêchent d’adopter une stratégie européenne plus avancée. Au centre de ces difficultés, on trouve une idée de souveraineté qui est politiquement et intellectuellement dépassée, étant liée à une vision purement nationale et monocratique de l’histoire et des pouvoirs souverains. Rien n’est plus obstiné que les idées fausses, si elles sont liées à des puissants intérêts de conservation.
La dérobade des souverains et la construction européenne
Authors: Gouzy Jean-Pierre
Published: August 2013

Cet article propose une relecture de la construction européenne depuis la fin de la seconde guerre mondiale et les premières actions militantes, jusqu’au traité de Lisbonne, à partir de l’opposition entre deux approches : la recherche d’intégration politique européenne d’une part, et la volonté des États membres de conserver leur souveraineté d’autre part. L’auteur évoque une première période marquée par le militantisme européen, jusqu’à l’échec du projet de Communauté européenne de défense. Une seconde période s’ouvre ensuite avec les développements de la Communauté européenne, dont les développements seront entravés par la volonté souverainiste de la France, puis de la Grande-Bretagne, et l’échec du projet Spinelli. Une troisième période s’ouvre avec le traité de Maastricht et se referme avec le traité de Lisbonne, durant laquelle les idées de souveraineté et d’intégration européenne s’équilibrent en permanence. La crise initiée en 2008, et la nécessité pour l’Europe d’y répondre devraient ouvrir une nouvelle période, où des choix fondamentaux restent à faire entre les deux approches.
Une souveraineté fédérale pour la zone euro
Authors: Barthalay Bernard
Published: August 2013

À partir d’une analyse des évolutions récentes de l’Europe, avant tout marqué par l’impuissance individuelle et collective des États-nations, l’auteur propose une vision de nouvelles structures européennes entre république et association internationale d’États, orientées par un fédéralisme fondé sur un État méta-national et un pouvoir latéral. La crise appelle cependant à dépasser une approche simplement structurelle d’un nouveau fédéralisme européen, pour s’intéresser à l’indispensable nécessité du lien entre l’Europe et la démocratie européenne. L’auteur propose les éléments d’une « nouvelle donne », fondée sur un contrat social européen, qui abandonne l’approche ordolibérale, pour établir de nouvelles valeurs de solidarité économique, et de soutenabilité financière et environnementale. Aussi, cet article prône la définition d’un nouveau capitalisme des parties prenantes, fondé sur l’économie de marché mais laissant à l’État toute la place nécessaire, propre à susciter un désir d’unité.
Sovereignty and acquis communautaire: the new borders of the European Union
Authors: Cagiano de Azevedo Raimondo , Paparusso Angela , Vaccaro Mauro
Published: August 2013

La configuration actuelle de l’Union européenne résulte du dépassement des frontières nationales et de l’interprétation stricte du principe de souveraineté. L’intégration économique, monétaire, politique et humaine qui caractérise l’Union européenne aujourd’hui n’aurait pu être accomplie si les frontières nationales avaient été maintenues. Cet article considère que la frontière politique de l’Union européenne s’identifie avec l’acquis communautaire, et que les élargissements de l’Union représentent l’ouverture de cette frontière.
La Cour européenne des droits de l'homme face à la souveraineté d'État
Authors: Kovler Anatoly
Published: August 2013

L’analyse des positions de la Cour européenne des droits de l’homme en matière de la souveraineté d’État et de son expression dans les affaires concrètes démontre la richesse de la jurisprudence de la Cour et en même temps son caractère contradictoire. Les notions de la subsidiarité, de la marge d’appréciation, de l’immunité des États et surtout de leur juridiction extraterritoriale ont été à maintes reprises mises à jour par la Cour au grand dam des États concernés.
Expression of the Immune Regulator Tripartite-Motif 21 Is Controlled by IFN Regulatory Factors
Authors: Sjöstrand Maria , Ambrosi Aurélie , Brauner Susanna , Sullivan Jenna , Malin Stephen , Kuchroo Vijay K. , Espinosa Alexander , Wahren-Herlenius Marie
Published: August 2013

Tripartite-motif 21 (TRIM21) is an E3 ubiquitin ligase that regulates innate immune responses by ubiquitinating IFN regulatory factors (IRFs). TRIM21 is mainly found in hematopoietic cells in which its expression is induced by IFNs during viral. infections and in systemic autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus and Sjögren’s syndrome. However, the exact molecular mechanism by which the expression of the Trim21 gene is regulated is unknown. In this study, we demonstrate that IFNs induce Trim21 expression in immune cells via IRFs and that IFN-α and IFN-β are the most potent inducers of Trim21. A functional IFN-stimulated response element but no conserved IFN-γ–activated site was detected in the promoter of Trim21. IRF1 and IRF2 strongly induced Trim21 expression in an IFN-stimulated response element–dependent manner, whereas IRF4 and IRF8 strongly repressed the IRF1-mediated induction of Trim21. Consistent with this observation, baseline expression of Trim21 was elevated in Irf4−/− cells. TRIM21, IRF1, and IRF2 expression was increased in PBMCs from patients with Sjögren’s syndrome compared with healthy controls. In contrast, IRF4 and IRF8 expression was not increased in PBMCs from patients. The IFN-γ–mediated induction of Trim21 was completely abolished by inhibiting protein synthesis with cycloheximide, and Trim21 expression could not be induced by IFN-γ in Irf1−/− cells, demonstrating that IFN-γ induces Trim21 indirectly via IRF1 and not directly via STAT1 activation. Our data demonstrate that multiple IRFs tightly regulate expression of Trim21 in immune cells, suggesting that a well-controlled expression of the E3 ligase TRIM21 is important for regulation of immune responses.
ASC Controls IFN-γ Levels in an IL-18–Dependent Manner in Caspase-1–Deficient Mice Infected with Francisella novicida
Authors: Pierini Roberto , Perret Magali , Djebali Sophia , Juruj Carole , Michallet Marie-Cécile , Förster Irmgard , Marvel Jacqueline , Walzer Thierry , Henry Thomas
Published: August 2013

The inflammasome is a signaling platform that is central to the innate immune responses to bacterial infections. Francisella tularensis is a bacterium replicating within the host cytosol. During F. tularensis subspecies novicida infection, AIM2, an inflammasome receptor sensing cytosolic DNA, activates caspase-1 in an ASC-dependent manner, leading to both pyroptosis and release of the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1β and IL-18. Activation of this canonical inflammasome pathway is key to limit F. novicida infection. In this study, by comparing the immune responses of AIM2 knockout (KO), ASCKO, and Casp1KO mice in response to F. novicida infection, we observed that IFN-γ levels in the serum of Casp1KO mice were much higher than the levels observed in AIM2KO and ASCKO mice. This difference in IFN-γ production was due to a large production of IFN-γ by NK cells in Casp1KO mice that was not observed in ASCKO mice. The deficit in IFN-γ production observed in ASCKO mice was not due to a reduced Dock2 expression or to an intrinsic defect of ASCKO NK cells. We demonstrate that in infected Casp1KO mice, IFN-γ production is due to an ASC-dependent caspase-1–independent pathway generating IL-18. Furthermore, we present in vitro data suggesting that the recently described AIM2/ASC/caspase-8 noncanonical pathway is responsible for the caspase-1–independent IL-18 releasing activity. To our knowledge, this study is the first in vivo evidence of an alternative pathway able to generate in a caspase-1–independent pathway bioactive IL-18 to boost the production of IFN-γ, a cytokine critical for the host antibacterial response.
Parasite Infections in Multiple Sclerosis Modulate Immune Responses through a Retinoic Acid–Dependent Pathway
Authors: Correale Jorge , Farez Mauricio F.
Published: August 2013

We recently demonstrated better outcomes in helminth-infected multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, compared with uninfected ones. The present study evaluates the role of TLR2 and retinoic acid (RA) in parasite-driven protection in MS patients. RA serum levels were significantly higher in helminth-infected MS patients than in uninfected MS subjects or healthy controls. Genes involved in RA biosynthesis and metabolism, such as Adh1 and Raldh2, as well as RA receptors and IL-10, were induced in dendritic cells (DCs) via TLR2-dependent ERK signaling. This programmed DCs to induce FOXP3+ T regulatory cells and suppressed production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-12, IL-23, and TNF-α) via induction of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3), an effect mediated by soluble egg Ag (SEA) obtained from Schistosoma mansoni, and by RA. SEA-activated DCs also inhibited IL-17 and IFN-γ production through autoreactive T cells. These inhibitory effects were abrogated when SOCS3 gene expression was silenced, indicating that SEA-mediated signaling inhibited production of these cytokines by T cells, through a SOCS3-dependent pathway. Overall, helminth-related immunomodulation observed in MS patients was mediated by TLR2- and RA-dependent pathways, through two different mechanisms, as follows: 1) induction of IL-10 and FOXP3+ T regulatory cells, and 2) suppression of proinflammatory cytokine production mediated by SOCS3.
Distorted Secretory Granule Composition in Mast Cells with Multiple Protease Deficiency
Authors: Grujic Mirjana , Calounova Gabriela , Eriksson Inger , Feyerabend Thorsten , Rodewald Hans-Reimer , Tchougounova Elena , Kjellén Lena , Pejler Gunnar
Published: August 2013

Mast cells are characterized by an abundance of secretory granules densely packed with inflammatory mediators such as bioactive amines, cytokines, serglycin proteoglycans with negatively charged glycosaminoglycan side chains of either heparin or chondroitin sulfate type, and large amounts of positively charged proteases. Despite the large biological impact of mast cell granules and their contents on various pathologies, the mechanisms that regulate granule composition are incompletely understood. In this study, we hypothesized that granule composition is dependent on a dynamic electrostatic interrelationship between different granule compounds. As a tool to evaluate this possibility, we generated mice in which mast cells are multideficient in a panel of positively charged proteases: the chymase mouse mast cell protease-4, the tryptase mouse mast cell protease-6, and carboxypeptidase A3. Through a posttranslational effect, mast cells from these mice additionally lack mouse mast cell protease-5 protein. Mast cells from mice deficient in individual proteases showed normal morphology. In contrast, mast cells with combined protease deficiency displayed a profound distortion of granule integrity, as seen both by conventional morphological criteria and by transmission electron microscopy. An assessment of granule content revealed that the distorted granule integrity in multiprotease-deficient mast cells was associated with a profound reduction of highly negatively charged heparin, whereas no reduction in chondroitin sulfate storage was observed. Taken together with previous findings showing that the storage of basic proteases conversely is regulated by anionic proteoglycans, these data suggest that secretory granule composition in mast cells is dependent on a dynamic interrelationship between granule compounds of opposite electrical charge.
Capivaras (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris, Linnaeus, 1766) (Mammalia: Rodentia) em áreas verdes do município de Curitiba (PR)
Authors: Almeida Ariádina Maria Reis , Arzua Márcia , Trindade Patricia Weckerlin Silva , Silva Junior Antenor
Published: August 2013

No meio urbano, as áreas verdes são ambientes importantes para a manutenção da fauna silvestre. A capivara Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris Linnaeus, 1766, é uma das espécies que se bene%cia dessas áreas nas grandes cidades. Para veri%car a ocorrência desse roedor de grande porte nas áreas verdes do município de Curitiba foram visitados 13 parques públicos. A coleta de dados ocorreu mediante método de contagem direta dos animais e por meio do registro de vestígios deixados pelas capivaras no ambiente, tais como fezes, pegadas, carreiros, abrigos e marcas de alimentação em vegetação. Os resultados indicaram a presença de capivaras em 11 parques, sendo o parque Tingui o que apresentou o maior número de animais nos dois anos de coleta de dados (2008 e 2010). Este estudo também verificou a presença de capivaras entre quatro áreas, que pode estar relacionada à movimentação entre esses parques.
Perception and position of animals used in education and experimentation by students and teachers of different academic fields
Authors: Fischer Marta Luciane , Tamioso Priscilla Regina
Published: August 2013

The way as society treats the animals may interfere in the success of the proposals for new ethical conducts and has the potential to in!uence the legislative and executive branches, as well as economy. Even in a particular place, such as the university environment, di"erent perceptions on the conduct regarding animal use can be found. This can be related to abilities and competences developed during the academic formation or training. Assuming that the ethical perception in animal use in educational and scienti#c activities are related to knowledge fields, this study aimed to interview students and teachers of a private university considering the biological, social, technical, legal and human fields. The survey was conducted at 17 courses with 87 interviews, through a questionnaire with 16 both open and closed questions, related to the ethics in using animals for teaching and research purposes, as well as knowledge about the animals; about alternatives; and about companies that test their products on animals. The respondents gave positive answers about their feelings towards the animals, but they still show the inheritance of Mechanistic view, once they use the rationality as a mean of di"erentiating Human being from the other animals. Our results indicate the obvious acceptance of the animal use for educational purposes, mainly mammals and rats, for the Veterinary Medicine and Biology courses. The majority of the respondents considered the animal use in scientific research and experimentation fundamental, mainly for medicine production and other therapies related to human health. On the other hand, they did not show to have information about experimentation, once they did not show knowledge about alternative methods. These results confirm the traditional view that the benefits for scientific development justify the costs with animal welfare and the acceptance of practices that do not cause unnecessary su"ering. The data of this study pointed out few differences among academic fields. This finding suggests that ethical attitudes toward animal use in academic and scienti#c areas are beyond the carrier a$nity. These results indicate that there is few worry with information and awareness, which are essentials for changes in attitude.
An investigation of selected microbial pollutants in groundwater sources in Yenegoa Town, Bayelsa, Nigeria
Authors: Ezekwe Ifeanyichukwu Clinton , Chima George Nwabuko , Ikogori Gbakie
Published: August 2013

Potable water is a scarce resource in Yenegoa (Bayelsa Nigeria) town because of problems of quality and contamination. Residents in the town depend therefore on imported water and ground water sources for sustenance. Over 200 boreholes exist in the city and constitute the major source of domestic water to this growing third world city. Thus, the present study aimed to diagnose the quality of the water consumed by the population. For this, 30 boreholes were selected and the presence of readily analyzable biological contaminants in ground water sources in the city and its health implications was examined. Selected micro-organisms (coliform, E. coli, Pseudomonas and Salmonella) where analyzed and compared with WHO/FEPA water quality standards. Results revealed the presence of hazardous biological communities in the ground water sources especially in the Opolo-Okaka-Old Yenegoa-Swali axis, while groundwater sources from the up-gradient and more clayey Igbogene-Agudama-Okutukutu axis were relatively free of the selected biological contaminants. The study concludes that ground water in the Yenegoa central district and the Swali areas su!er intense biological contamination which therefore exposes inhabitants to water borne diseases such as: cholera, diarrhea, typhoid fever, bacterial and amebic dysentery, polio infections, hepatitis and schistosomiasis. Suspected contamination sources is seepage from oft-ill constructed soak-away pits and groundwater problems arising from the seasonal "ooding of porous soil formations and the collapse of the water table especially in the long rainy season that characterize the study area.
Biological contaminants in the River Nun and environmental ethics of riverside communities in the Niger Delta: The case of Amassoma, Bayelsa, Nigeria
Authors: Ezekwe Ifeanyichukwu Clinton , Ezekwe Ahamefula Sunday , Endoro Path Oweikeye
Published: August 2013

The river Nun at Amassoma community in Bayelsa, Nigeria is a major source of domestic water and sink. Riverside communities in this part of the world believe that rivers have the assimilative capacity to purify themselves inexorably from human wastes hence bathing and defecation takes place on the town side of rivers while domestic water is collected mid-stream and at the opposite banks of rivers. Based on the premise that the community perception in!uences usage of environmental resources, this study aims to examine the veracity of this perception and the impact of this attitude on the quality of the Nun River by examining the presence of selected biological contaminants in the river and the potential health hazards posed by these biological communities in water. Nine water samples were selected from three zones along the river (upstream, town and downstream) and subjected to microbial analysis for Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas, Coliform and Salmonella species and compared with WHO-FEPA standards. This study found concentration of biological communities above standards and a higher concentration of contaminants in the mid-stream and town side of the river bank. Basic water treatment and sanitation; environmental education and an alternative waste management system is recommended to safeguard the lives of the growing population in riverside communities.
Epífitas vasculares em áreas de ecótono entre Floresta Ombrófila Mista e Estacional Semidecidual em Missiones, Argentina
Authors: Kersten Rodrigo de Andrade , Rios Roman Carlos
Published: August 2013

O levantamento das epífias foi realizado em duas unidades de conservação localizadas em Missiones, Argentina; no Parque Provincial Cruce Caballero (522 ha, 600 m s.n.m.) e no Parque Procincial La Araucaria (92 ha, 550 m s.n.m.), em San Pedro, Missiones, Argentina, ambos sob clima subtropical mesotérmico (Cfa), sem estação seca de"nida, e temperatura média do mês mais frio inferior a 18 °C e do mês mais quente, superior a 22 °C. Para o estudo, foram coletadas todas as espécies encontradas. Foram registradas 57 espécies (15 pteridófitas e 42 angiospermas). Orchidaceae (17 espécies) apresentou a maior riqueza +orística, seguida por Polypodiaceae (10 espécies) e Bromeliaceae (10 espécies). A riqueza pode ser considerada dentro do esperado tanto para as +orestas mistas, como para as estacionais. As áreas mais semelhantes à estudada estão localizadas tanto em regiões de Floresta Ombró"la Mista como Estacional e em ecótonos entre essas formações.
Fauna bentônica em áreas com diferentes graus de conservação no Igarapé Been, sul do estado do Amazonas
Authors: Fulan João Ânderson , Bezerra Bruno Sizino da Silva , Santos Lucélia Rodrigues dos
Published: August 2013

O objetivo deste trabalho foi monitorar e avaliar por seis meses (fevereiro a julho de 2012) a fauna bentônica em três pontos com diferentes graus de conservação no igarapé Been, sul do estado do Amazonas: ponto 1 (aparentemente conservado), ponto 2 (próximo à comunidade ribeirinha e com forte in*uência antrópica) e ponto 3 (próximo à desembocadura com o rio Madeira). Os macroinvertebrados bentônicos foram amostrados com um pegador de fundo tipo Van Veen e coletadas amostras de água na subsuperfície com uma garrafa do tipo Van D´orn. Foram medidos em cada estação de amostragem: temperaturas do ar e da água, oxigênio, profundidade e fração granulométrica. Apenas no ponto 3 houve registro de macroinvertebrados, Polypedilum e Nanocladius, e também a maior média de oxigênio dissolvido na água. A análise de correspondência canônica (ACC) mostrou que a correlação entre as variáveis ambientais e a densidade dos macroinvertebrados não foi signi4cativa. Após interpretação dos resultados concluiu-se que nos seis meses de estudo no Igarapé Been houve uma baixa densidade e riqueza de macroinvertebrados bentônicos. A presença de macroinvertebrados de acordo com a ACC pareceu não estar relacionada às variáveis ambientais medidas. Porém, houve uma clara preferência dos poucos táxons identi4cados pelo ponto 3, no qual as condições ambientais foram aparentemente melhores, isto é, baixa ação antrópica e com mata ciliar preservada.
Electric Field‐Induced Oxidation of Ferromagnetic/Ferroelectric Interfaces
Authors: Couet Sebastien , Bisht Manisha , Trekels Maarten , Menghini Mariela , Petermann Claire , Van Bael Margriet J. , Locquet Jean‐Pierre , Rüffer Rudolf , Vantomme André , Temst Kristiaan
Published: August 2013

Composite multiferroics are a new class of material where magneto‐electric coupling is achieved by creating an interface between a ferromagnetic and a ferroelectric compound. The challenge of understanding the chemical and magnetic properties of such interface is a key to achieve good magneto‐electric coupling. The unique possibilities offered by isotope sensitive techniques are used to selectively investigate the interface's chemistry and magnetism in Fe/BaTiO3 and Fe/LiNbO3 systems during the application of an electric field. With a large enough electric field, a strong oxidation of Fe is triggered, which creates a magnetically dead interface. This leads to an irreversible decrease of the magneto‐electric coupling properties. Material parameters are identified that determine under which electric field the interface may be modified. The results are confirmed on the two systems and are expected to be widespread in this new class of hybrid material.
NIR‐Triggered Synergic Photo‐chemothermal Therapy Delivered by Reduced Graphene Oxide/Carbon/Mesoporous Silica Nanocookies
Authors: Chen Yu‐Wei , Chen Po‐Jung , Hu Shang‐Hsiu , Chen I‐Wei , Chen San‐Yuan
Published: August 2013

A novel photo‐responsive drug carrier that doubles as a photothermal agent with a nanocookie‐like structure is constructed by coating amorphous carbon on a mesoporous silica support self‐assembled on a sheet of reduced graphene oxide. With a large payload (0.88 mmolg−1) of a hydrophobic anticancer drug, (S)‐(+)‐camptothecin (CPT), nanocookies simultaneously provide a burst‐like drug release and intense heat upon near‐infrared exposure. Being biocompatible yet with a high efficiency for cell uptake, nanocookies have successfully eradicated subcutaneous tumors in 14 days following a single 5 min NIR irradiation without distal damage. These results demonstrate that the nanocookie is an excellent new delivery platform for local, on‐demand, NIR‐responsive, combined chemotherapy/hyperthermia for tumor treatment and other biomedical applications.
Occupational diseases in the people's Republic of China between 2000 and 2010
Authors: Ding Qian , Schenk Linda , Hansson Sven Ove
Published: August 2013

Background

This study provides a description and analysis of the development of occupational diseases in China as recorded in the official statistics during the period 2000–2010, identifies major challenges, and explores possible solutions for prevention and control.

Methods

In‐depth textual analysis and data analysis of China's annual national reports of occupational diseases, as well as of corresponding policy and regulation documents.

Results

The number of recorded cases of occupational diseases increased rapidly in China between 2000 and 2010. Pneumoconiosis was the most prevalent category of occupational diseases. Chemical poisonings accounted for 13% of the cases of occupational diseases.

Conclusions

Difficulties in diagnosis and inefficient surveillance are major impediments to the mitigation of occupational diseases. The new definition of occupational disease has provided an opportunity to enlarge the Catalogue of Occupational Diseases. Improved coordination of the different chemical regulations meant to protect human health may also facilitate the prevention of occupational disease. Am. J. Ind. Med. 56:1423–1432, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The effect of assigning a metadata or indexing term on document ordering
Authors: Losee Robert M.
Published: August 2013

The assignment of indexing terms and metadata to documents, data, and other information representations is considered useful, but the utility of including a single term is seldom discussed. The author discusses a simple model of document ordering and then shows how assigning index and metadata labels improves or decreases retrieval performance. The Indexing and Metadata Advantage (IMA) factor measures how indexing or assigning a metadata term helps (or hurts) ordering performance. Performance values and the associated IMA expressions are computed, consistent with several different assumptions. The economic value associated with various term assignment decisions is developed. The IMA term advantage model itself is empirically validated with computer software that shows that the analytic results obtained agree completely with the actual performance gains and losses found when ordering all sets of 14 or fewer documents. When the formulas in the software are changed to differ from this model, the predictions of the actual performance are erroneous.
Methionine Pretreatment Enhances the Effects of Valproate on Axial Development in a CD1 Mouse Model
Authors: Di Renzo Francesca , Giavini Erminio , Menegola Elena
Published: August 2013

BACKGROUND

The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of methionine (Met) pretreatment on valproate (VPA) axial defects, induced in CD1 mice by a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of 400 mg/kg VPA on E8 dams. This VPA dosage regimen has been in the past related to a specific pathogenic pathway cascade: (1) VPA in utero exposure, (2) H4 histone hyperacetylation (hAC) at the level of somites, (3) expression of pro‐apoptotic factors in somite tissues, (4) apoptosis of somite cells, and (5) axial defects in embryos (abnormal or fused somites) and fetuses (fusions, duplications, respecifications of vertebrae, and/or ribs).

METHODS

On the basis of literature suggestion, E8 CD1 mice were i.p. injected with 70 mg/kg Met 30 min before the i.p. injection with 400 mg/kg VPA. Some females were sacrificed, 1 or 3 hr after the VPA injection, embryos explanted, and used to evaluate the H4 histone hAC. The remaining females were sacrificed at term (E18) and fetuses processed for external and skeletal examination.

RESULTS

The pretreatment with Met worsened the axial skeletal malformative picture in fetuses (we observed a larger number of affected segment per fetus in respect to the groups treated with VPA alone). In embryos, Met pretreatment increased the H4 hAC index and shifted the timing of the H4 hAC peak.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggest that Met pretreatment enhances the effects of VPA in deregulating the epigenetic control of gene expression in somites, and by consequence, induces more extended dysmorphogenic effects along the axial axis.
Neferine, an alkaloid from lotus seed embryo, inhibits human lung cancer cell growth by MAPK activation and cell cycle arrest
Authors: Poornima Paramasivan , Weng Ching Feng , Padma Viswanadha Vijaya
Published: August 2013

Neferine is the major bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the seed embryo of a traditional medicinal plant Nelumbo nucifera (Lotus). Epidemiological studies have revealed the therapeutic potential of lotus seed embryo. Although several mechanisms have been proposed, a clear anticancer action mechanism of neferine on lung cancer cells is still not known. Lung cancer is the most common cause of cancer death in the world, and the patients with advanced stage of nonsmall lung cancer require adjunct chemotherapy after surgical resection for the eradication of cancer cells. In this study, the effects of neferine were evaluated and characterized in A549 cells. Neferine induced apoptosis in a dose‐dependent manner with the hypergeneration of reactive oxygen species, activation of MAPKs, lipid peroxidation, depletion of cellular antioxidant pool, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, and intracellular calcium accumulation. Furthermore, neferine treatment leads to the inhibition of nuclear factor kappaB and Bcl2, upregulation of Bax and Bad, release of cytochrome C, activation of caspase cascade, and DNA fragmentation. In addition, neferine could induce p53 and its effector protein p21 and downregulation of cell cycle regulatory protein cyclin D1 thereby inducing G1 cell cycle arrest. These results suggest a novel function of neferine as an apoptosis inducer in lung cancer cells. © 2013 BioFactors, 40(1):121–131, 2014
Versatile Substrates and Probes for IgA1 Protease Activity
Authors: Choudary Santosh K. , Qiu Jiazhou , Plaut Andrew G. , Kritzer Joshua A.
Published: August 2013

Bacterial meningitis is a severe infectious disease with high mortality. Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria that cause meningitis secrete immunoglobulin A1 (IgA1) proteases to assist in mucosal colonization, invasion, and immune evasion. IgA1 proteases have unique selectivity, with few reported substrates other than IgA1 from human tissue. Here we describe the design, characterization, and application of peptide substrates for diverse IgA1 proteases from Neisseria, Haemophilus, and Streptococcus bacteria. IgA1 proteases from diverse strains showed unexpected selectivity profiles among peptide substrates derived from autoproteolytic sites. A fluorescence probe derived from one of these peptides was used to quantitate IgA1 protease activity in buffer and in human cerebrospinal fluid; it was able to detect recombinant Haemophilus influenzae type 1 IgA1 protease at less than 1 μg mL−1. We also used the probe to establish the first high‐throughput screen for IgA1 protease inhibitors. This work provides tools that will help investigate the roles of IgA1 proteases in bacterial colonization, immune evasion, and infection.
Predictors of drug use in prison among women convicted of violent crimes
Authors: Baltieri Danilo Antonio
Published: August 2013

Background

Worldwide, some prisoners consume illicit drugs while in prison. There is now some recognition of risk factors for this among male but not female prisoners.

Aim

The aim was to identify variables associated with drug use by women in prison after conviction for violent crimes.

Method

Data were obtained from 315 women serving a sentence for robbery or homicide in the Penitentiary of Sant'Ana, São Paulo State, Brazil. Mainly self‐report assessments of alcohol and drug misuse, sexual and general impulsiveness, depression, and psychosocial and criminological features were completed. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression.

Results

Thirty‐five (11%) women reported illicit drug use in prison. Younger age, history of childhood sexual abuse, having committed robbery (rather than homicide), earlier onset of criminal activities, higher scores on sexual impulsiveness, drug‐related problems prior to incarceration and having same‐sex relationships inside prison were associated with a higher risk of using drugs in prison. In a multiple logistic regression, only prior drug history and having same‐sex relationships in prison were independently associated with in‐prison drug use.

Conclusions

Illicit drug use in prison impairs rehabilitative goals. Identification of risk factors for this can help to recognise people with high treatment needs. We found that in‐prison drug users seemed to be an exceptionally needy group, likely to have more wide ranging historical problems than their similar offending peers. It is essential to check for history of drug use outside prison. The strong association with active sexual behaviour in the prison highlighted another area of vulnerability, requiring sensitive in‐prison attention to safeguard these women. Further research to understand the reasons for this relationship is recommended. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A New Family of Two‐Dimensional Zeolites Prepared from the Intermediate Layered Precursor IPC‐3P Obtained during the Synthesis of TUN Zeolite
Authors: Kubů Martin , Roth Wieslaw J. , Greer Heather F. , Zhou Wuzong , Morris Russell E. , Přech Jan , Čejka Jiří
Published: August 2013

The crystallization of zeolite TUN with 1,4‐bis(N‐methylpyrrolidinium)butane as template proceeds through an intermediate, designated IPC‐3P, following the Ostwald rule of successive transformations. This apparently layered transient product has been thoroughly investigated and found to consist of MWW monolayers stacked without alignment in register, that is, disordered compared with MCM‐22P. The structure was confirmed based on X‐ray diffraction and high‐resolution (HR)TEM analysis. The layered zeolite precursor IPC‐3P can be swollen and pillared affording a combined micro‐ and mesoporous material with enhanced Brunauer–Emmett–Teller (BET) surface area (685 m2g−1) and greater accessibility of Brønsted acid sites for bulky molecules. This mesoporous material was probed with 2,6‐di‐tert‐butylpyridine (DTBP). IPC‐3P and its modification create a new layered zeolite sub‐family belonging to the MWW family. FTIR data indicate that (Al)MWW materials MCM‐22 and IPC‐3 with Si/Al ratios greater than 20 exhibit a lower relative ratio of Brønsted to Lewis acid sites than MCM‐22 (with Si/Al ratios of around 13), that is, less than 2 versus more than 3, respectively. This is maintained even upon pillaring and warrants further exploration of materials like IPC‐3P with a higher Al content. The unique XRD features of IPC‐3P indicating misaligned stacking of layers and distinct from MCM‐22P, are also seen in other MWW materials such as EMM‐10P, hexamethonium‐templated (HM)‐MCM‐22, ITQ‐30, and UZM‐8 suggesting the need for more detailed study of their identity and properties.