bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
IMAGES DU TRAVAIL CHEZ LES PAYSANS ITALIENS
Authors: GASPARINI ALBERTO
Published: March 2008

Quellcs images et quelles valeurs sous‐jacentes conditionnent l'attrait ou la répulsion pour le travail agricole en Italie? A quelles conditions objectives correspondent‐elles dans l' exploitation agricole, la maison ou la famille? Du sud au nord de l'ltalie, l'auteur a questioné des paysans de 4 provinces: Cosenca en Calabre, Latina entre Naples et Rome, Reggio d'Emilie et enfin Trevise en Vénétie. l'analyse des correspon‐dances fournit des résultats surprenants: les appréciations d'ordre technologique sont d'autant plus positives que les conditions objectives sont modernes, se rapprochant de celles qu'exalte la société industrielle, et par conséquent que Ton va du sud au nord. Mais les appréciations sur la responsabilité, la sécurité, le prestige ou la santé valorisent plutôt des situations intermédiates modérément modernisées (Trévise et Latina). Voilà de quoi inspirer théoriciens et praticiens.

What are the underlying images and values conditioning the fact that farm work in Italy is attractive or repellent? To what objective conditions do the former correspond compared with the agricultural holding, the household or the family? From the South of Italy, to the North, the author has questioned peasants belonging to 4 provinces: Cosenza in Calabria, Latina between Naples and Rome, Reggio Emilia and finally Treviso of Venezia. The analysis of correspondences provides astonishing results; the appreciations of a technological nature are all the more positive as the objective conditions are modern, approximating those magnified by the industrial society, and consequently as one goes from the South to the North. But the appreciations about responsibility, security, prestige or health rather valorize moderately modernized intermediate situations (Treviso and Latina). Here is enough subject matter for inspiring theoreticians and practicians.

Welche Bilder und unausgesprochcnen Werte bestimmen in Italien die Anziehungskraft und die Abneigung gegenüber der landwirtschaftlichen Arbeit? Welchen objektiven Bedingungen entsprechen sie auf den Gebieten der Landwirtschaft, des Hauses oder der Familie? Vom Süden bis zum Norden Italiens hat der Verfasser Bauern aus 4 Provinzen befragt: Cosenza, Latina, Reggio d'Emilia und Trevisa. Aus einer vergleichenden Analyse ergeben sich überraschende Resultate; die Abschätzungen technologischer Art sind umso positiver als die objektiven Verhältnisse modern sind und denjenigen der industriellen Gesellschaft gleichkommen. Entsprechend wandern die Leute vom Süden nach dem Norden. Aber Begriffe wie Verantwortung, Sicherheit, Prestige oder Gesundheit werden in mittleren Lagcn mit mässiger Modernisierung positiver bewertet. Das kann den Theoretikern und Praktikern Stoff zum Nachdenken geben.
OVERGRAZING IN PASTORAL AREAS THE COMMONS RECONSIDERED*
Authors: GILLES JERE LEE , JAMTGAARD KEITH
Published: March 2008

The tragedy of the commons concept as popularized by Garrett Hardin places the blame for desertification and overgrazing in pastoral areas upon the land tenure system. Common ownership of pastureland is seen as the major culprit. Examination of ethnographic literature does not reveal a close relationship between common ownership of pastures and resource depletion. Where large numbers of people share a pasture with low but highly variable yields, common ownership is the most desirable form of land tenure. There are many situations where common pastures have been properly managed. Examples from Switzerland, Peru and Africa are presented. These examples illustrate the basic characteristics of a properly managed common grazing system. Collective ownership of land can under these circumstances facilitate livestock development rather than impede it.

Das von Garrett Hardin verbreitete Konzept der Tragödie der Gemeinschaftsweiden macht die Bodeneigentumsverhältnisse für Verwüstung und Überweidung von Weidegebieten verantwortlich. Gemeinschaftliches Eigentum an Weideland wird als Hauptursache dafür angesehen. Das Studium ethnographischer Literatur läßt dagegen keine enge Beziehung zwischen gemeinschaftlichem Eigentum und Zerstörung von natürlichen Resourcen erkennen. Dort, wo eine große Zahl von Menschen sich ein Weidegebiet mit niedrigen, aber sehr stark variierenden Erträgen miteinander teilt, ist gemeinschaftliches Eigentum die bestgeeigneteste Bodeneigentumsform. Es gibt viele Gemeinschaftsweiden, die gut geführt werden. Es werden Beispiele dafür aus der Schweiz, aus Peru und Afrika vorgestellt. Diese Beispiele zeigen die grundlegenden Merkmale eines gut geführten gemeinschaftlichen Weidennutzungssystems auf. Gemeinschaftliches Bodeneigentum kann unter diesen Bedingungen die Entwicklung der Viehhaltung eher erleichtern als erschweren.
CORPORATISM A N D AGRICULTURE IN THE U.K.: THE CASE OF THE MILK MARKETING BOARD
Authors: WINTER MICHAEL
Published: March 2008

Family farming is an important element in British agriculture, particularly dairying. The nature of specialised milk production by family farmers is intricately linked to the activities of the Milk Marketing Board (M.M.B.). This article traces the history of the Milk Marketing Board and assesses its impact on dairy producers. The Board is taken as an example of corporatist arrangements in the political management of the agricultural economy, and the article explores a number of issues central to the debate on corporatism. The Board is seen to be a powerful form of representation of dairy farmers to government, and at the same time a means of regulation of members through the implementation of a number of modernising policies. Questions of the accountability of the Board to consumers, farmers and government are raised.

.ľ'agriculture familiale est une composante importante de ľagriculturc britannique, spécialement dans ľélevagc. La nature de la production laitiere spécialisée est intimement liée, en ce qui concerne les producteurs familiaux, aux activités du Milk Marketing Board (M.M.B.). ľarticle retrace ľhistoire de cette institution et évaluc son impact sur les producteurs individuels. II s'agit ?un excmple ?organisation corporative dans la gestion politique de ľéconomie agricole: ľarticle détaille quelques thémes cruciaux du débat sur le corporatisme. Le M.M.B. est à la fois un représentant puissant des élevcurs auprés du gouvernement, et un moyen de régulation à travers la mise en oeuvre de nombreuses politiques modernisatrices. ľarticle évoque enfin les problémes de responsabilité de cette organisation par rapport aux consommateurs, aux agriculteurs et au gouvernement.

Landwirtschaftliche Familienbetriebe sind ein wesentliches Element dcr britischen Land‐wirtschaft, vor allem in dcr Milchviehhaltung. Die spczialisierte Milcherzeugung in land‐wirtschaftlichen Familienbctrieben ist in komplizierter Weisc mit den Aktivitäten des Milk‐Marketing‐Board (M.M.B.) verbunden. Dieser Artikcl zeichnct die historische Ent‐wicklung des Milk‐Marketing‐Board nach und bcurtcilt seincn Einfluß auf die Milcher‐zeuger. Das Board wird als ein Beispiel für körperschaftlicher Einrichtungen zur politischen Steuerung der Agrarwirtschaft angesehen, und in dem Artikel werden cine Reihe von Sachverhalten untcrsucht, die in der Debatte über den Korporativismus cine zentrale Rolle spielen. Das Board wird als cine machtvolle Form der Vertretung der Milchviehhalter gegenüber der Regierung angesehen und gleichzeitig als ein Mittel zur Beeinflussung der Mitglieder durch die Einfiürung einer Reihe von politischen Modernisierungsmaßnahmen. Fragen der Veranrwortlichkeit des Board gegenüber Verbrauchern, Landwirten und der Regierung werden aufgeworfen.
AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION AND CAPITALISM: THE STRUCTURED AND EXPRESSIVE ORIENTATIONS1
Authors: GREEN GARY P. , FAIRWEATHER JOHN R.
Published: March 2008

This paper argues that the debates in the sociology of agriculture concerning the viability of family farms and related public policy issues can be understood by examining the fundamental assumptions of two different approaches to understanding the totality of society: the expressive and structured orientations. The different orientations to totality provide two distinct formulations of the relationship of agricultural sector to the wider society. Examples are given of the two ways of perceiving agricultural social structure and its relation to the polity and economy. We argue that the structured orientation is most appropriate for the sociology of agriculture and discuss derivatc concepts that can strengthen theory and direct substantive research.

Cet article développe ľhypothése selon laquelle les débats de la sociologie ruralc à propos de la viabilite de l'agriculture familiale et des problémes politiques qui y sont associés, peuvent être compris en examinant les hypothéses fondamentales qui se référent à deux approches différentcs de la totalité sociale: approche structurée et approche expressive. Ccs deux approches proposent en effet deux formulations distinctcs de la relation du sectcur agricole á la société globale. Les auteurs donnent des exemples de ces deux maniéres de percevoir la structure agricole et sa relation à la politique et àľéconomie. lis estiment que ľapproche “structurée” est la plus adéquate pour ľetude de &lcar'agriculture, et ils développcnt des concepts qui doivent renforccr cette approche théorique et alimenter des recherches empiriques.

In diesem Beitrag wirdt erörtert, wie die Debatten in der Soziologic der Landwirtschaft über die Lebensfähigkcit von Familienbetrieben und damit zusamenhängende politische Sachverhalte verstanden werden können, in dem man die Grundannahmen von zwei untcrschiedlichen Ansätzen zur Erklärung der gesellschaftlichen Tocalität untersucht: die expressiven und die strukturierten Orientierungen. Die uncerschicdlichen Orientierungen auf die gesellschaftliche Totalität führen zu zwei unterschiedlichen Formulierungen dcr Beziehungen des landwirtschaftlichen Sektors zur übrigen Gesellschaft. Es werden Beispiele für die beiden Formen der Wahmehmung dcr sozialen Strukturen in der Landwirtschaft und ihrer Beziehung zur Polidk und WirtKhafi angeführt. Wir bchaupten, daß die strukturierte Orientierung am bestcn für die Soziologie der Landwirtschaft geeignet ist und diskutieren abgeleitete Konzepte, die die Theorie und die direkte, gegenständlichc Forschung stärken können.
The Role of the Firm and Owner Characteristics on the Performance of Agritourism Farms
Authors: Barbieri Carla , Mshenga Patience M.
Published: March 2008

This article investigates the role of firm and owner characteristics on the gross income of farms engaged in agritourism. The findings indicate that the length of time in business, the number of employees and the farm acreage have a positive impact on performance in terms of annual gross sales of agritourism farms. Owners of farms with greater annual gross sales than the rest are male or white or their main occupation is farming. The age of the farmer has an inverse relationship on gross sales. Other characteristics including location, if it is a working farm, whether the operator had business and marketing plans, sources of start‐up capital and the entrepreneur's education level did not have a significant relationship on the performance of these farms.
THE EMPERORS'S NEW CLOTHES: THE SECOND EDITION OF THE SOCIETY'S DICTIONARY*
Authors: Algeo John
Published: March 2008

The second edition of the OED (1989) differs from earlier versions in format, form, substance, and especially its invisible electronic base. Future revision of this greatest of English dictionaries should strive, not merely to include more words, but to correct and up‐date the information in entries and to make the dictionary truly international in its editorial languae and usage labels.
Assessing gender inequality in the Turkish pension system
Authors: Elveren Adem Y.
Published: March 2008

Abstract  Since the 1990s, the welfare regime in Turkey has become more market‐oriented. The introduction of the Individual Pension System (IPS), a privately managed defined contribution scheme, is part of this process. This paper uses an autoregressive stochastic model in order to show the total effect of specific disadvantages, such as a shorter working life, less earnings, longer life expectancy, real wage growth, administrative cost and risk aversion, on the retirement benefits of women in Turkey. Using an actuarial model, the article aims to contribute to the literature by investigating the gender gap in the Turkish defined contribution scheme.
Understanding quality of service in a delayed gratification situation: The case of social security providers in Tanzania
Authors: Hussein Kassim
Published: March 2008

Abstract  This article looks at five quality of service dimensions (reliability, responsiveness, assurance, empathy, and tangibility) in a delayed gratification situation in the public sector in a developing economy. Using four formal social security service providers (SSSPs) in Tanzania, it examines members' familiarity with, and expectations and perceptions about, social security services. Through focus group discussions and an adapted servqual instrument, it is found that familiarity is lowest among older members, that members expect more information about benefits, and perceive negative disconformities for cash benefits but positive disconformities for medical benefits. The findings suggest that SSSPs must continually enhance familiarity, offer proactive and repeated assurances to members, and realize improvements in the processing and adequacy of benefits.
Intertemporal Dynamics of Corporate Voluntary Disclosures
Authors: EINHORN ETI , ZIV AMIR
Published: March 2008

While empirical evidence alludes to the intertemporal nature of corporate voluntary disclosures, most of the existing theory analyzes firms' voluntary disclosure decisions within single‐period settings. Introducing a repeated, multiperiod, disclosure setting, we study the extent to which firms' strategic disclosure behavior in the past affects their prosperity to provide voluntary disclosures in the future. Our analysis demonstrates that by voluntarily disclosing private information firms make an implicit commitment to provide similar disclosures in the future, and therefore are less willing to voluntarily disclose information in the first place. This effect is expected to be of larger magnitude for firms (1) with a long history of absence of voluntary disclosures and an impressive past operating performance, or (2) that operate in a relatively stable and predictable business and information environment, or (3) whose managers have a long time horizon and a high degree of risk aversion.
The attribution and sitter of the Munich Portrait of a Young Man in a Fur Coat
Authors: Oakes Simon P.
Published: March 2008

In the mid seventeenth century, Carlo Ridolfi attributed to Giorgione a Portrait of a Young Man in a Fur Coat, now in the Alte Pinakothek, Munich. However, Ridolfi was confused about much of Giorgione's oeuvre, and his ascription is now generally discarded. Currently, most scholars believe that the portrait was executed by Palma Vecchio, but style and chronology suggest otherwise, and in this paper Mauro Lucco's attribution of the painting to Sebastiano Luciani, known later in his career as Sebastiano del Piombo, is endorsed. Ridolfi also stated that the young man in the Munich portrait was a member of the Fugger family of Augsburg, and the reasons for accepting this are sound. Here, the sitter is recognised as Anton Fugger (1493–1560), an identification that is supported by biographical details, and through comparison with other known likenesses.
Raphael and the bad humours of painters in Vasari's Lives of the Artists*
Authors: Britton Piers D. G.
Published: March 2008

Throughout his monumental series of artists’ biographies, and above all in the section of this text dealing with his contemporaries, Giorgio Vasari used the medically related terms ‘complexion’ and ‘humour’ in distinct – though not wholly discrete – ways. The former is deployed to comment on artists’ innate constitutional strength and on changes in their health, while the latter is invoked primarily to characterize pathological tendencies – often problematic or morally objectionable ones. When correlated with information in other vite, striking passages at the beginning and end of the biography of Raphael serve to clarify how and why Vasari considered certain humours – primarily melancholy, but secondarily choler – particularly destructive in their influence on artists’ behaviour. Conversely, the (essentially jaundiced) picture of human temperament in Vasari's text at large serves inversely to underscore the strength of his stated admiration for the ‘gracious,’ Christ‐like Raphael.
Caesarea Laus: Ciriaco d’Ancona praising Caesar to Leonardo Bruni
Authors: Schadee Hester
Published: March 2008

In the 1430s, Poggio Bracciolini and Guarino Veronese conducted a heated epistolary exchange on the relative merits of the Roman republican paragon Scipio Africanus, and Julius Caesar, whom Poggio decried as destroyer of the Republic, whilst Guarino praised him as founder of the Empire. To this debate Ciriaco d’Ancona added his views, a defence of universal monarchy with Caesar as its herald, in his Caesarea Laus. This startling letter, addressed to Leonardo Bruni, is profoundly different in conception from the previous contributions to the Scipio‐Caesar controversy, and is as yet not fully studied. In order to explain Ciriaco's argument, the present article examines his narrative tropes, his self‐presentation, and his literary models in the Caesarea Laus.

Foremost among these is Virgil, but behind him, Ciriaco's ultimate source appears: Dante. In choosing these models, Ciriaco also takes issue with Poggio, and Bruni, concerning the use of poetical allegory as a means to attain truth, of which both had been critical. Comparison with an earlier letter, in which Ciriaco defends such interpretations of poetry, sheds further light not only on his method, but also on the contents of his argument in the Caesarea Laus, and the importance he attached to it. Both Ciriaco's appraisal of Caesar and his espousal of allegorical exegesis, which for him are intimately linked, bespeak the continuing vitality, in early Quattrocento humanism, of medieval approaches, which underlie the originality of the Caesarea Laus.
α‐[11C]methyl‐L‐tryptophan uptake in patients with periventricular nodular heterotopia and epilepsy
Authors: Natsume Jun , Bernasconi Neda , Aghakhani Yahya , Kumakura Yoshitaka , Nishikawa Masami , Fedi Marco , Soualmi Lahbib , Dubeau François , Andermann Frederick , Bernasconi Andrea , Diksic Mirko
Published: March 2008

Summary

Background:α‐[11C]methyl‐L‐tryptophan (α‐MTrp) positron emission tomography (PET) is a promising tool in the localization of the epileptogenic area in selected group of focal epilepsy patients. Electrophysiological evidence suggests the involvement of the neocortex in periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH).

Purpose: To determine whether α‐MTrp PET can detect neocortical changes in patients with PVNH.

Methods: Four patients (2 male, mean age 28, range 23–35 years) with PVNH and intractable seizures were studied. The functional image in each patient was compared with those from 21 healthy controls (mean age 34.6 ± 14.2 years) by using statistical parametric mapping (SPM). The location of increased α‐MTrp uptake was compared with the location of the EEG focus. A significant cluster was defined as a cluster with a height p = 0.005 and an extent threshold 100.

Results:α‐MTrp PET revealed increased cortical uptake in two of four patients. The area of increased α‐MTrp uptake in one patient was widespread. In the other patient, the area of increased uptake did not include the region where most seizures were generated on EEG. α‐MTrp PET did not show increased uptake in the heterotopic nodules in any of the patients.

Conclusions:α‐MTrp PET suggests abnormal metabolism of tryptophan in the neocortex. The increased uptake may be diffuse and may not co‐localize with the EEG focus. This preliminary study suggests that α‐MTrp PET may be useful, in conjunction with other evaluations, in localizing epileptic focus in patients with PVNH and refractory seizures.
The prevalence of epilepsy and pharmacoresistant epilepsy in adults: A population‐based study in a Western European country
Authors: Picot Marie‐Christine , Baldy‐Moulinier Michel , Daurès Jean‐Pierre , Dujols Pierre , Crespel Arielle
Published: March 2008

Summary

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of epilepsy in a defined adult population and identify the frequency and principal features of pharmacoresistant epilepsy.

Methods: From a population over 15 years of age residing in a medium‐sized French city, all patients with epilepsy on June 30, 1995 were identified from multiple sources. Pharmacoresistance was defined as failure to control epilepsy by at least two first‐line antiepileptic drugs, with a seizure frequency of at least one per month for 18 months. Collected data were examined by experts in epileptology, and responding patients were reexamined using a standardized diagnostic questionnaire. ILAE definitions and classifications were used.

Results: The age‐adjusted prevalence of active epilepsy was 5.4 per 1,000 (95% CI: 4.7–6.0) and was higher for males (7.8) than for females (5.2). For epilepsy in remission under treatment, this rate was 0.7 per 1,000 (95% CI: 0.5–0.95). Age‐specific prevalence was highest in age groups 25–49 years and declined in the oldest age groups. Localization‐related seizures represented 61.1% of cases and generalized seizures 30.9%. The proportion of noncontrolled epilepsy (seizure‐frequency at least one per month for 18 months) was 15.6%, corresponding to a prevalence of 0.94 per 1,000. In this group, the mean age at onset was lower (p = 0.0007) and localization‐related epilepsy more frequent (p = 0.01).

Conclusion: The findings support previous epidemiological estimates of the prevalence of epilepsy in developed countries. For approximately one patient in eight, epilepsy was not adequately controlled.
The renin‐angiotensin system is upregulated in the cortex and hippocampus of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy related to mesial temporal sclerosis
Authors: Argañaraz Gustavo Adolfo , Konno Ana Carla , Perosa Sandra Regina , Santiago Joselita Ferreira Carvalho , Boim Mirian A. , Vidotti Daniela Berguio , Varella Pedro Paulo Vasconcelos , Costa Luciana Gilbert , Canzian Mauro , Porcionatto Marimélia Aparecida , Yacubian Elza Márcia , Sakamoto Américo Ceiki , Carrete Jr Henrique , Centeno Ricardo Silva , Amado Débora , Cavalheiro Esper Abrão , Junior José Antonio Silva , Mazzacoratti Maria da Graça Naffah
Published: March 2008

Summary

Purpose: As reported by several authors, angiotensin II (AngII) is a proinflammatory molecule that stimulates the release of inflammatory cytokines and activates nuclear factor κB (NFκB), being also associated with the increase of cellular oxidative stress. Its production depends on the activity of the angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) that hydrolyzes the inactive precursor angiotensin I (AngI) into AngII. It has been suggested that AngII underlies the physiopathological mechanisms of several brain disorders such as stroke, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and disease. The aim of the present work was to localize and quantify AngII AT1 and AT2 receptors in the cortex and hippocampus of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy related to mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) submitted to corticoamygdalohippocampectomy for seizure control.

Method: Immunohistochemistry, Western blot, and real‐time PCR techniques were employed to analyze the expression of these receptors.

Results: The results showed an upregulation of AngII AT1 receptor as well as its messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression in the cortex and hippocampus of patients with MTS. In addition, an increased immunoexpression of AngII AT2 receptors was found only in the hippocampus of these patients with no changes in its mRNA levels.

Discussion: These data show, for the first time, changes in components of renin‐angiotensin system (RAS) that could be implicated in the physiopathology of MTS.
Analysis of Ethanol Reinforcement in 1‐Day‐Old Rats: Assessment Through a Brief and Novel Operant Procedure
Authors: Bordner Kelly A. , Molina Juan Carlos , Spear Norman E.
Published: March 2008

Background:  An accumulating body of experimental evidence supports the notion that, early in development, heterogeneous rats exhibit heightened affinity for ethanol ingestion and are sensitive to the drug’s postabsorptive reinforcing effects. The brevity of this ontogenetic period and the limited behavioral repertoire of the newborn represent obstacles in the examination of these phenomena. In the present study, we developed a novel operant technique aimed at examining the neonatal predisposition to gain access to intraoral infusions of different ethanol solutions and other potential reinforcers.

Methods:  In all experiments, 1‐day‐old rats were placed in a supine position that allowed access to a touch‐sensitive sensor. In Paired pups, reinforcers were delivered through an intraoral cannula in a fixed‐ratio‐1 schedule, based on their physical contact with the sensor. Yoked controls were included to account for overall magnitude of behavioral responding and were given infusions in accord with behavior of the corresponding Paired pup. The reinforcement effect of milk, water and different ethanol solutions (0.75 to 10% v/v) was assessed using a single 15‐minute conditioning session. Additional pharmacokinetic studies were conducted to determine blood ethanol concentrations attained during the course of the training session.

Results:  Within‐subjects analysis revealed that Paired pups rapidly learned to increase the probability of behavioral execution to gain access to a biological reinforcer such as milk (Experiment 1). Follow‐up experiments indicated that relatively low ethanol concentrations are equally likely to support operant performance (Experiments 2a and 3a). It was also observed that Paired pups exhibited surprisingly high levels of responding during an extinction session, particularly when initially trained with milk or 3% v/v ethanol as reinforcers (Experiment 4). The pharmacokinetic studies indicated that, within a short period of time, ethanol was detectable in blood. Levels attained during conditioning varied as a function of the ethanol concentration utilized as a reinforcer (Experiments 2b and 3b).

Conclusions:  The present technique appears to represent a valuable tool for examining ethanol self‐administration and seeking behavior of the drug during early ontogeny. The results indicate that newborn rats, subjected to the explicit contingency comprising suckling‐related behaviors and intraoral ethanol delivery (Paired pups), rapidly learn to gain access to the drug. These results are not explainable through psychomotor effects of ethanol as Yoked pups consumed similar amounts of ethanol and yet exhibited relatively low and consistent levels of responding. The overall pattern of results extends and validates previous observations of substantial affinity for ethanol during early stages of development, a phenomenon rarely encountered in genetically heterogeneous adult rats.
History's Lessons:
Authors: Boons Frank
Published: March 2008

A major claim of the work of Desrochers is that students of industrial ecology can learn a great deal from historical evidence on industrial practices regarding waste recovery. In this article, I argue that this requires that such evidence should be put into its institutional context, to prevent overly simple conclusions and naive policy prescriptions. In the first part of the article, I argue that the work of Desrochers suffers from a narrowly economic focus on interfirm recovery as well as a selective use of sources. The modern definition of industrial ecology requires that such recycling contributes to the reduction of ecological impact. Additional material from Desrochers's sources, as well as recent historical research on the meatpacking industry, shows that industrial practice in the 19th century does not support the claim that the market mechanism by itself is sufficient to promote such practices.

In the second part of the article, I offer a perspective in which structural, cultural, and political factors are used to assess historical evidence of industrial ecology. This allows a more nuanced understanding of the development of industry's dealing with waste in the 19th century and helps to understand the complexity of promoting interfirm recycling in the present.
Concurrent Application of Charge Using a Novel Circuit Prevents Heat‐Related Coagulum Formation During Radiofrequency Ablation
Authors: LIM BERNARD , VENKATACHALAM KALPATHI L. , JAHANGIR ARSHAD , JOHNSON SUSAN B , ASIRVATHAM SAMUEL J.
Published: March 2008

Introduction: Thromboembolism resulting from coagulum formation on the catheter and electrode surfaces is a serious complication with radiofrequency ablation procedures for heart rhythm disorders. Why coagulum occurs despite therapeutic heparinization is unclear. In this report, we demonstrate a novel approach to minimize coagulum formation based on the electromolecular characteristics of fibrinogen.

Methods and Results: Atomic force microscopy was used to establish that fibrinogen deposited on surfaces underwent conformational changes that resulted in spontaneous clot formation. We then immersed ablation catheters that were uncharged, negatively, or positively charged in heparinized blood for 30 minutes and noted the extent of clot formation. In separate experiments, ablation catheters were sutured to the ventricle of an excised porcine heart immersed in whole, heparinized blood and radiofrequency ablation performed for 5 minutes with and without charge delivered to the catheter tips. Electron microscopy of the catheter tips showed surface coverage of fibrin clot of the catheter to be 33.8% for negatively charged catheters, compared with 84.7% (P = 0.01) in noncharged catheters. There was no significant difference in surface coverage of fibrin clot between positively charged catheters (93.8%) and noncharged catheters (84.7%, P = ns). In contrast, the thickness of surface clot coverage for positively charged catheters was 87.5%, compared with 28.45% (P= 0.03) for noncharged catheters and 11.25% (P = 0.03) for negatively charged catheters, compared with noncharged catheters.

Conclusions: We describe a novel method of placing negative charge on electrodes during ablation that reduced coagulum formation. This may decrease thromboembolism‐related complications with radiofrequency ablation procedures.
Antifibrillatory Actions of Cisatracurium: An Atrial Specific M2Receptor Antagonist
Authors: PATTERSON EUGENE , SCHERLAG BENJAMIN J. , ZHOU JING , JACKMAN WARREN M. , LAZZARA RALPH , COSCIA DANIEL , PO SUNNY
Published: March 2008

Introduction:Muscarinic receptor antagonists are proposed to prevent atrial fibrillation (AF), but also facilitate AV conduction, limiting clinical usefulness.

Methods:Cisatracurium, a neuromuscular blocker, was administered to anesthetized dogs (0.05–0.8 mg/kg IV) and was administered to superfused pulmonary vein (PV) tissuesin vitro.

Results:Dose‐dependent suppression of AF induced by premature atrial stimuli was observed under control conditions (n = 3), right vagus nerve stimulation (n = 7), and anterior right ganglionated plexus stimulation (n = 3). AF was prevented (P < 0.0001) concurrent with suppression of the decreased atrial MAP duration/ERP accompanying vagus nerve stimulation without altering AH intervals or sinus cycle length. Although atropine (0.001–0.016 mg/kg, n = 4) suppressed AF (P < 0.04) in association with suppression of atrial MAP shortening induced by vagus nerve stimulation, atropine also prevented sinus cycle length and AH interval prolongation with vagus nerve stimulation, and decreased AV effective and functional refractory periods.In vitro, both cisatracurium and atropine prevented (1) action potential shortening produced by acetylcholine administration and (2) action potential shortening and arrhythmia triggering within PV sleeves produced by local autonomic nerve stimulation, atropine producing competitive inhibition, and cisatracurium producing noncompetitive M2muscarinic receptor blockade.

Conclusions:Cisatracurium demonstrates a dose‐dependent (1) suppression of AF and atrial action potential shortening accompanying vagus nerve stimulation without facilitating sinus or atrioventricular nodal function and (2) noncompetitive blockade of action potential shortening and triggered firing induced in isolated PVs by local autonomic nerve stimulation. The data are consistent with allosteric binding of cisatracurium to the M2muscarinic receptor in canine atrium.
Efficacy, Safety, and Outcome of Atrial Fibrillation Ablation in Septuagenarians
Authors: CORRADO ANDREA , PATEL DIMPI , RIEDLBAUCHOVA LUCIE , FAHMY TAMER S. , THEMISTOCLAKIS SAKIS , BONSO ALDO , ROSSILLO ANTONIO , HAO STEVEN , SCHWEIKERT ROBERT A. , CUMMINGS JENNIFER E. , BHARGAVA MANDEEP , BURKHARDT DAVID , SALIBA WALID , RAVIELE ANTONIO , NATALE ANDREA
Published: March 2008

Aims: Catheter ablation is an effective treatment for atrial fibrillation (AF). The outcome of AF ablation in septuagenarians is not clear. Our aim was to evaluate success rate, outcome, and complication rate of AF ablation in septuagenarians.

Methods and Results: We collected data from 174 consecutive patients over 75 years of age who underwent AF ablation from 2001 to 2006. AF was paroxysmal in 55%. High‐risk CHADS score (≥2) was present in 65% of the population. Over a mean follow‐up of 20 ± 14 months, 127 (73%) maintained sinus rhythm (SR) with a single procedure, whereas 47 patients had recurrence of AF. Twenty of them had a second ablation, successful in 16 (80%). Major acute complications included one CVA and one hemothorax (2/194 [1.0%]). During the follow‐up, three patients had a CVA within the first 6 weeks after ablation. Warfarin was discontinued in 138 out 143 patients (96%) who maintained SR without AADs with no embolic event occurring over a mean follow‐up of 16 ± 12 months.

Conclusion: AF ablation is a safe and effective treatment for AF in septuagenarians.
Synchrotron X‐Ray Study of the Crystal Structure and Hydrothermal Degradation of Yttria‐Stabilized Tetragonal Zirconia Polycrystal
Authors: Yamashita Isao , Tsukuma Koji , Tojo Takeo , Kawaji Hitoshi , Atake Tooru
Published: March 2008

Structural study with synchrotron X‐ray diffractometry was made on phase separation phenomena in 2, 3, and 4 mol% Y2O3‐stabilized tetragonal ZrO2 polycrystal (abbreviated as 2, 3, and 4Y‐TZP, respectively). The sintered body of 3Y and 4Y‐TZP underwent phase separation into high and low yttrium regions as sintering temperature increased, and the tetragonal phase was assigned to both regions. The sintering body is less separated, and a large monoclinic phase was detected in 2Y‐TZP. Analysis of aging kinetics of tetragonal‐ to monoclinic‐phase transition showed that the fraction of the transformable phase agreed with that of the low yttrium region.
Domain Switching During Electromechanical Poling in Lead Zirconate Titanate Ceramics
Authors: Jones Jacob L. , Kounga Alain B. , Aulbach Emil , Granzow Torsten
Published: March 2008

In many polycrystalline piezoelectric ceramics, domain switching during the poling process leads to the development of a macroscopic polarization and piezoelectric behavior. Traditionally, poling involves the application of electric fields across two parallel electrodes. In the present work, a radial mechanical compressive stress is applied transverse to the electric field, increasing the potential for domain alignment during poling by taking advantage of ferroelasticity. Experiments demonstrate that poling of lead zirconate titanate using a combination of an electric field and a transverse mechanical compressive stress increases the d33 coefficient from 435 to 489 pC/N. Using neutron diffraction and pole figure inversion methods, the degree of non‐180° domain switching is described using pole density distributions of the tetragonal c‐axis (002). The degree of 002 domain alignment parallel to the electric field after the electromechanical poling process increases from 1.30 multiples of a random distribution (mrd) to >1.40 mrd at stresses exceeding 40 MPa.
Precipitation Coating of Monazite on Woven Ceramic Fibers: II. Effect of Processing Conditions on Coating Morphology and Strength Retention of Nextel™ 610 and 720 Fibers
Authors: Fair Geoff E. , Hay Randall S. , Boakye Emmanuel E.
Published: March 2008

Woven cloths of Nextel™ 610 and 720 fibers were coated with monazite by precipitation. The cloths were first saturated with concentrated precursor solutions, and then submerged in warm water to initiate precipitation onto the fiber surfaces. Coatings were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy; thermogravimetric analysis was performed on LaPO4 owders precipitated in solution under the same conditions as the coatings were deposited. Coating thickness distributions were measured and analyzed. Coated fiber strength was measured following heat treatment for 2 h at 1200°C. Processing conditions which retain a substantial fraction of the uncoated fiber strength are identified, and are discussed in the context of current understanding of strength degradation in coated fibers. Strength retention of coated Nextel™ 610 fibers following heat treatment was broadly insensitive to precursor solution chemistry and was more strongly affected by intercoat firings which govern the final coating microstructure. For fixed processing conditions, more strength degradation was observed in Nextel™ 720 due to higher residual stresses in the fiber.
Chemical Precipitation Synthesis and Optical Properties of ZnO/SiO2 Nanocomposites
Authors: Yang Huaming , Xiao Yu , Liu Kun , Feng Qiming
Published: March 2008

SiO2 nanowires, made from natural chrysotile, were used to synthesize zinc oxide (ZnO)/SiO2 composites by chemical precipitation. The as‐prepared samples were characterized by X‐ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, and Fourier transform infrared. Their optical properties were studied by a ultraviolet‐vis spectrophotometer and a fluorescence spectrophotometer. Structural analysis revealed that the crystal size of ZnO crystallites is <20 nm, and the leached SiO2 nanowires were amorphous. TEM analysis showed that the size of ZnO particles in SZ8 was mainly in the range from 15 to 20 nm and dispersed uniformly on the surface of SiO2 nanowires. The photoluminescence spectra showed that ZnO/SiO2 composites have stronger emitting intensity at the blue–green band than pure ZnO synthesized under the same reaction conditions. Therefore, the composites will be of great interest in the application of luminescence material. The as‐prepared ZnO/SiO2 composites can be used as photocatalysts for waste water treatment because they separate much more easily away from solution.
Pea aphid dropping behavior diminishes foraging efficiency of a predatory ladybeetle
Authors: Francke Devon L. , Harmon Jason P. , Harvey Chad T. , Ives Anthony R.
Published: March 2008

Antipredator defensive behaviors are a well‐studied and often crucial part of prey life histories, but little has been done to quantify how such behaviors affect natural enemies, their foraging, and their effectiveness as biological control agents. We explored how the generalist predatory coccinellid Harmonia axyridis Pallas (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) affects the dropping behavior of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) (Homoptera: Aphididae), and in turn, how that defensive behavior affects the foraging efficiency of the predator. Experimental arenas that allowed or prevented pea aphid dropping were compared to determine how dropping influences the foraging of multiple life stages of H. axyridis: second instars, fourth instars, and adults. Dropping reduced predation on aphids by all ladybeetle life stages. Despite older predators inducing more dropping, aphid dropping reduced predation by approximately 40% across all ladybeetle life stages. Aphid dropping and predator consumption of aphids were both correlated with how much the predator moved, which also increased with predator life stage. We suggest that the high rates of dropping induced by H. axyridis and the subsequent decrease in H. axyridis foraging efficiency may partially explain why H. axyridis is less effective at controlling pea aphids than it is at controlling other aphid species that do not drop.
Longevity and egg development of adult female boll weevils fed exclusively on different parts and stages of cotton fruiting bodies
Authors: Showler Allan T.
Published: March 2008

The capacities of the rind (i.e., the developing calyx and petals of squares; and the outer casing, or husk, of bolls) and the internal reproductive portion of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. (Malvaceae), squares of three sizes, and bolls of three ages to influence adult female boll weevil, Anthonomus grandis grandis Boheman (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), longevity and egg production were evaluated in laboratory bioassays. While feeding on the reproductive portion of squares was expected to support adult boll weevils for considerable periods of time (e.g., medium square reproductive portion: ≈185 days), feeding on rinds also resulted in substantial longevity (e.g., medium square rind: ≈120 days). As anticipated, feeding on the reproductive portion of squares resulted in formation of chorionated eggs in mated females, but a diet comprised exclusively of rinds, particularly from large squares, was associated with gravidity and high fecundity relative to rinds of young and mature bolls. The reproductive portion and rind of post‐bloom and young bolls as sources of food resulted in limited gravidity while mature bolls were not associated with any egg formation. These findings further our understanding of how boll weevils feed on different parts of the cotton plant and how those parts as food sources are related to the biology and ecology of the boll weevil.
Systems biology and cancer stem cells
Authors: Price Nathan D. , Foltz Greg , Madan Anup , Hood Leroy , Tian Qiang
Published: March 2008

Introduction

Molecular profiling for cancer classification

Molecular profiling of cancer stem cells

Emerging technologies for proteome characterization

Biomolecular networks in cancer

Perspective and concluding remarks

The identification, purification and characterization of cancer stem cells (CSCs) holds tremendous promise for improving the treatment of cancer. Mounting evidence is demonstrating that only certain tumour cells (i.e. the CSCs) can give rise to tumours when injected and that these purified cell populations generate heterogeneous tumours. While the cell of origin is still not determined definitively, specific molecular markers for populations containing these CSCs have been found for leukaemia, brain cancer and breast cancer, among others. Systems approaches, particularly molecular profiling, have proven to be of great utility for cancer diagnosis and characterization. These approaches also hold significant promise for identifying distinctive properties of the CSCs, and progress is already being made.
Vascular endothelial growth factor in astroglioma stem cell biology and response to therapy
Authors: Knizetova Petra , Darling John L. , Bartek Jiri
Published: March 2008

Introduction

Adult brain – a dynamic structure with active stem cells?

Cancer stem‐like cells in brain tumours

Angiogenesis in astrogliomas

VEGF and the ‘stem cell niche’

Resistance to DNA‐damaging therapy in astrogliomas

VEGF and DNA damage response: implications for astroglioma therapy

Malignant astrogliomas are among the most aggressive, highly vascular and infiltrating tumours bearing a dismal prognosis, mainly due to their resistance to current radiation treatment and chemotherapy. Efforts to identify and target the mechanisms that underlie astroglioma resistance have recently focused on candidate cancer stem cells, their biological properties, interplay with their local microenvironment or ‘niche’ and their role in tumour progression and recurrence. Both paracrine and autocrine regulation of astroglioma cell behaviour by locally produced cytokines such as the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are emerging as key factors that determine astroglioma cell fate. Here, we review these recent rapid advances in astroglioma research, with emphasis on the significance of VEGF in astroglioma stem‐like cell biology. Furthermore, we highlight the unique DNA damage checkpoint properties of the CD133‐marker‐positive astroglioma stem‐like cells, discuss their potential involvement in astroglioma radioresistance and consider the implications of this new knowledge for designing combinatorial, more efficient therapeutic strategies.
Morphological characterization of very small embryonic‐like stem cells (VSELs) by ImageStream system analysis
Authors: Zuba‐Surma Ewa K. , Kucia Magdalena , Abdel‐Latif Ahmed , Dawn Buddhadeb , Hall Brian , Singh Rajesh , Lillard James W. , Ratajczak Mariusz Z.
Published: March 2008

Recently, our group purified a rare population of primitive Sca1+/Lin−/CD45− cells from murine bone marrow by employing multiparameter cell sorting. Based on flow cytometric and gene expression analysis, these cells have been shown to express several markers of embryonic stem cells and were accordingly termed Very Small Embryonic‐Like stem cells (VSELs). In order to better characterize VSELs, we focused on their morphological parameters (e.g. diameter, nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio, cytoplasmic area) as well as expression of Oct‐4. To examine the morphological features of VSELs, we employed a multi‐dimensional approach, including (i) traditional flow cytometry, (ii) a novel approach, which is ImageStream (IS) cytometry and (iii) confocal microscopy. We demonstrate by all of the sensitive and precise methods employed, that VSELs are a population of very small cells, which are significantly smaller than haematopoetic stem cells (HSC) (3.63 ± 0.09 versus 6.54 ±0.17 μm in diameter). They also exhibit higher nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio and lower cytoplasmic area as compared with HSCs and mature granulocytes. Besides confirming the size characteristics, confocal microscopic analysis also confirmed that VSELs express Oct‐4, a marker of pluripotent embryonic stem cells. Morphological examination reveals that VSELs are unusually small eukaryotic cells that posses several characteristics of embryonic cells. Thus, FACS‐based sorting strategies should consider that adult tissues harbour small primitive cells that are larger than platelets and smaller than erythrocytes.