bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Novel biodegradable composite wound dressings with controlled release of antibiotics: Microstructure, mechanical and physical properties
Authors: Elsner Jonathan J. , Shefy‐Peleg Adaya , Zilberman Meital
Published: February 2010

Wound dressings aim to restore the milieu required for skin regeneration and protect the wound from environmental threats, including penetration of bacteria. The dressings should be easy to apply and remove and maintain a moist healing environment. In this study, novel biodegradable composite wound dressings based on a polyglyconate mesh and a porous PDLGA binding matrix were developed and studied. These novel dressings were prepared by dip‐coating woven meshes in inverted emulsions, followed by freeze‐drying. Their investigation focused on the microstructure, mechanical and physical properties, and the release profile of the antibiotic drug ceftazidime from the binding matrix. The mechanical properties of our wound‐dressing structures were found to be superior, combining relatively high tensile strength and ductility, which changed only slightly during 3 weeks of incubation in an aqueous medium. The parameters of the inverted emulsion, the organic–aqueous phase ratio, and the type of surfactant used for stabilizing the emulsion were found to affect the microstructure of the binding matrix and the resulting properties, i.e., water absorbance, water vapor transmission rate, and drug‐release profile from the binding matrix. Appropriate selection of these parameters can yield composite structures that have the desired physical properties and drug release behavior. Thus, these unique structures are potentially very useful as burn and ulcer dressings. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2010
Premixed acidic calcium phosphate cement: Characterization of strength and microstructure
Authors: Aberg J. , Brisby H. , Henriksson H. B. , Lindahl A. , Thomsen P. , Engqvist H.
Published: February 2010

By using a premixed calcium phosphate cement (CPC), the handling properties of the cement are drastically improved, which is a challenge for traditional injectable CPCs. Previously premixed cements have been based on apatitic cements. In this article, acidic cement has been developed and evaluated. Monocalcium phosphate monohydrate and β‐tricalcium phosphate were mixed with glycerol to form a paste. As the paste does not contain water, no setting reaction starts and thus the working time is indefinite. Powder/liquid ratios (P/L) of 2.25, 3.5 and 4.75 were evaluated. Setting time (ST) and compressive strength (CS) were measured after 1 day, 1 week and 4 weeks in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) solution, and the corresponding microstructure was evaluated using electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The ST started when the cements were placed in PBS and ranged from 28 to 75 min, higher P/L gave a lower ST. Higher P/L also gave a higher CS, which ranged from 2 to 16 MPa. The microstructure mainly consisted of monetite, 1–5 μm in grain size. After 4 weeks in PBS, the strength increased. As acidic cements are resorbed faster in vivo, this cement should allow faster bone regeneration than apatitic cements. Premixed cements show a great handling benefit when compared with normal CPCs and can be formulated with similar ST and mechanical properties. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater 2010
Relaxed energetic maps of κ‐carrabiose: A DFT study
Authors: Yousfi N. , Sekkal‐Rahal M. , Sayede A. , Springborg M.
Published: February 2010

The B3LYP density function was used with the 6‐31G(d) basis set to perform relaxed energetic contour maps of the charged form of κ‐carrabiose in the gas phase and for the neutral form first in the gas phase and then by simulating the presence of water as solvent using the Onsager model. Only one starting conformation has been considered to perform all the calculations. Rigid energetic maps have been then constructed either by addition of diffuse or polarization functions to the basis set obtaining in that way 6‐31+G(d)//6‐31G(d), 6‐31+G(d,p)//6‐31G(d), and 6‐311++G(d,p)//6‐31G(d) energetic maps that have been carefully examined. The obtained structures corresponding to the lower energy conformers have been then fully optimized using different basis sets with the B3LYP method, a reversion in term of energy has been observed for the two first minima in the case of the charged disaccharide in the gas phase, this was attributed to the large grid of 30° that could lead to the exclusion of an intermediate value corresponding to the real minimum of energy. We thus suggest that after establishing potential energy maps it is essential to proceed to full optimizations of the lower energy conformers. Calculations using the more accurate correlated method MP2 with the 6‐31G(d) basis set have also been performed for conformers of the two disaccharides in the gas phase. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Comput Chem 2010
Role of sonography in the emergency room to diagnose sternal fractures
Authors: You Je Sung , Chung Yong Eun , Kim Donghyun , Park Saehwan , Chung Sung Pil
Published: February 2010

Background.

The diagnosis of a sternal fracture is often difficult when the fracture site shows only minimal displacement on conventional radiography. Recently, sonography (US) has been used widely in the emergency room (ER). We investigated the diagnostic performance of US in the ER for the diagnosis of sternal fractures.

Method.

Thirty‐six consecutive patients examined for pain and tenderness in the sternum after blunt chest trauma were enrolled in the study. Antero‐posterior and lateral radiographs and sonograms of the sternum were obtained within 24 hours after admission. The 2 imaging modalities were interpreted in a blinded manner and their diagnostic sensitivity and specificity were calculated. The final diagnosis was based on results from the clinical examination, radiographs, and sonograms.

Result.

Twenty‐four of the 36 patients were diagnosed with sternal fractures. The sensitivity and specificity of the plain radiographs were 70.8% (95% CI = 56.0–85.6%) and 75.0% (95% CI = 60.9–89.1%), respectively. In contrast, sonography had a 100% sensitivity and specificity (95% CI = 90.3–100%).

Conclusion.

US has a higher sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing sternal fractures than conventional radiographs. US should be considered in patients with symptoms suggesting sternal fractures whose radiographs remain indeterminate. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2010
Further observations on the empty “amnion sign”
Authors: Yegul N. Tugce , Filly Roy A.
Published: February 2010

Objective.

To assess the positive predictive value of the empty “amnion sign” (visualization of an amnion without concomitant visualization of an embryo) for the diagnosis of early pregnancy failure.

Methods.

Retrospective study of 882 1st trimester sonographic examinations with abnormal findings among women who were threatening to abort. Eight hundred six met the inclusion criteria.

Results.

In the study cohort 286 (35.5%) had no identifiable embryo and 71 of those without an identifiable embryo had a visible amnion (24.8%). The breakdown of the mean sac diameter of the study cohort was as follows: those measuring less than 16 mm (n = 16); those measuring 16–20 mm (n = 20); those measuring 21 mm or more (n = 35). Sixty‐eight of the 71 patients had adequate follow‐up. Pregnancy failure was confirmed in all 68 patients (positive predictive value = 100%).

Conclusions.

The data from this study indicate that visualization of an amnion without concomitant visualization of an embryo (the empty “amnion sign”) confirms pregnancy failure regardless of the mean sac diameter and with a sufficiently high positive predictive value to make a definitive diagnosis. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2010
Personality and teamwork behavior in context: The cross‐level moderating role of collective efficacy
Authors: Tasa Kevin , Sears Greg J. , Schat Aaron C. H.
Published: February 2010

This research examines whether the relationship between an individual's personality and their behavior within a team is contingent on the team's overall perception of its capability. Individuals were peer‐rated on the extent to which they displayed interpersonal and performance management teamwork behaviors over the course of an 8 week business simulation. The personality trait of agreeableness predicted interpersonal teamwork behavior, while the personality traits of conscientiousness and core self‐evaluation (CSE) predicted performance management behavior. Multilevel analysis showed that collective efficacy influenced the extent to which an individual engaged in both types of behavior, and was also a cross‐level moderator of the relationship between agreeableness and interpersonal behavior and the relationship between CSE and performance management behavior. At the team level, interpersonal behavior mediated between collective efficacy and team performance. The study's results show that in team settings the personality and individual behavior relationship may depend on group level confidence perceptions. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Applications of HILIC for targeted and non‐targeted LC/MS analyses in drug discovery
Authors: Onorato Joelle M. , Langish Robert , Bellamine Aouatef , Shipkova Petia
Published: February 2010

RP‐HPLC has largely been the analytical method of choice in the pharmaceutical industry for many years because of the poor aqueous solubility and hydrophobicity of most small molecule drug candidates. RP‐HPLC coupled to MS has provided an excellent analytical tool for qualitatively and quantitatively determining levels of drug molecules or drug metabolites for studies such as purity assessment and pharmacokinetic profiling. Quantitation of endogenous metabolites is an emerging field in drug discovery, gaining popularity for evaluating pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic relationships and targeting activity and efficacy. While RP‐HPLC‐MS is suitable for a range of applications, many endogenous molecules, especially those found in urine, are small polar compounds that do not retain well by RP‐HPLC. This has made hydrophilic interaction LC (HILIC) an attractive alternative and useful approach to polar molecule analysis. Additionally, because HILIC is routinely used with traditional RP organic solvents such as ACN and methanol, it can be easily coupled to MS. This paper will review selected examples from the current literature as well as discuss some new applications from the author's own laboratory focusing on the applicability of HILIC to quantitative and qualitative profiling of endogenous metabolites in drug discovery.
Off‐line comprehensive two‐dimensional hydrophilic interaction×reversed phase liquid chromatographic analysis of green tea phenolics
Authors: Kalili Kathithileni M. , de Villiers André
Published: February 2010

The separation of green tea phenolic compounds by comprehensive 2‐D LC (LC×LC) has been studied. An off‐line LC×LC system was designed based on hydrophilic interaction chromatography in the first dimension and gradient RP‐LC using a C18 column in the second dimension, to separate compounds based on polarity and hydrophobicity, respectively. Green tea was found to contain a complex composition of low molecular weight phenolic compounds, identified by fluorescence, diode‐array and negative ESI‐MS detection systems. The LC×LC system was characterized by a very high practical peak capacity (>2100, in ∼22.5 h) due to the low degree of correlation (r2<0.2) between the selected separation mechanisms. The proposed methodology demonstrated its suitability for the analysis of various groups of phenolic compounds including proanthocyanidins, phenolic acids, flavonols and flavonol derivatives, all of which cannot be separated in a single analysis by conventional 1‐D HPLC methods.
Evaluation of thrust force generated for a robotic fish propelled with polypyrrole actuators
Authors: McGovern Scott T , Abbot Marc , Emery Richard , Alici Gursel , Truong Van‐Tan , Spinks Geoffrey M , Wallace Gordon G
Published: February 2010

Swimming‐type robotic fish are being developed as mobile sensor platforms that have the potential to outperform existing underwater vehicles in terms of manoeuvrability, miniaturisation and silent operation. Conducting polymer actuators are potential candidates for propelling a flapping tail fin for a robotic fish. This study introduces a method for directly measuring the thrust force generated by a polypyrrole (PPy) powered tail fin. The effects of voltage stimulus (waveform shape and frequency) and tail fin shape on the thrust force were determined. A square wave voltage input was shown to generate the highest thrust forces as fast bending actuation was induced. The thrust force tended to decrease at higher operating frequencies as a result of the reduced actuation occurring in the PPy layers. Increases in the tail fin area tended to lower the frequency where the peak in thrust force was achieved. Tail fin shape was also shown to be important to the force‐frequency behaviour. When attached to an untethered robotic fish, the swimming speed tended to increase with increasing voltage input frequency. There was also an optimum frequency that enabled the fastest acceleration from rest that happened to be higher than the frequency that gave the peak thrust force. This was presumed to be due to the complicated swimming behaviour involving the side‐to‐side movement of the fish nose at low flap frequencies. The study provides valuable insight into the means for tailoring polymer actuator performance to achieve maximum fish swimming speeds. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry
A convenient microwave‐enhanced solid‐phase synthesis of short chain N‐methyl‐rich peptides
Authors: Rodríguez Hortensia , Suarez Margarita , Albericio Fernando
Published: February 2010

Structural modification of the peptide backbone via N‐methylation is a powerful tool to modulate the pharmacokinetic profile and biological activity of peptides. Here we describe a rapid and highly efficient microwave(MW)‐assisted Fmoc/tBu solid‐phase method to prepare short chain N‐methyl‐rich peptides, using Rink amide p‐methylbenzhydrylamine (MBHA) resin as solid‐phase support. This method produces peptides in high yield and purity, and reduces the time required for Fmoc‐N‐methyl amino acid coupling. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Controlling the helical screw sense of peptides with C‐terminal L‐valine
Authors: Demizu Yosuke , Yamagata Nanako , Sato Yukiko , Doi Mitsunobu , Tanaka Masakazu , Okuda Haruhiro , Kurihara Masaaki
Published: February 2010

One chiral L‐valine (L‐Val) was inserted into the C‐terminal position of achiral peptide segments constructed from α‐aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) and α,β‐dehydrophenylalanine (ΔZPhe) residues. The IR, 1H NMR and CD spectra indicated that the dominant conformations of the pentapeptide Boc‐Aib‐ΔPhe‐(Aib)2‐L‐Val‐NH‐Bn (3) and the hexapeptide Boc‐Aib‐ΔPhe‐(Aib)3‐L‐Val‐NH‐Bn (4) in solution were both right‐handed (P) 310‐helical structures. X‐ray crystallographic analyses of 3 and 4 revealed that only a right‐handed (P) 310‐helical structure was present in their crystalline states. The conformation of 4 was also studied by molecular‐mechanics calculations. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of small peptides mimicking the R2 C‐terminus of Mycobacterium tuberculosis ribonucleotide reductase
Authors: Ericsson Daniel J. , Nurbo Johanna , Muthas Daniel , Hertzberg Kalle , Lindeberg Gunnar , Karlén Anders , Unge Torsten
Published: February 2010

Ribonucleotide reductase (RNR) is a viable target for new drugs against the causative agent of tuberculosis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Previous work has shown that an N‐acetylated heptapeptide based on the C‐terminal sequence of the smaller RNR subunit can disrupt the formation of the holoenzyme sufficiently to inhibit its function. Here the synthesis and binding affinity, evaluated by competitive fluorescence polarization, of several truncated and N‐protected peptides are described. The protected single‐amino acid Fmoc‐Trp shows binding affinity comparable to the N‐acetylated heptapeptide, making it an attractive candidate for further development of non‐peptidic RNR inhibitors. Copyright © 2010 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Beneficial effects of quercetin on sperm parameters in streptozotocin‐induced diabetic male rats
Authors: Khaki Arash , Fathiazad Fatemeh , Nouri Mohammad , Khaki AmirAfshin , Maleki Navid A. , Khamnei Hossein Jabbari , Ahmadi Porya
Published: February 2010

Quercetin (QR) is a strong antioxidant and has been shown to reduce oxidative stress in the long‐term treatment of streptozotocin (STZ)‐induced diabetes in animal models. Antioxidants have significant effects on spermatogenesis, sperm biology and oxidative stress, and changes in antioxidant capacity are considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of chronic diabetes mellitus. The present study aims to examine the influence of QR on spermatogenesis in STZ‐induced diabetes in male Wistar rats. Animals (n = 50) were allocated into five groups: Group 1: Control rats given 0.5 ml of 20% glycerol in 0.9% normal saline. Group 2: Control rats given buffer (pH4.0).Group 3: diabetic controls. Group 4: rats given QR 15 mg/kg/day (i.p.). Group 5: STZ + QR rats. Animals were kept in standard conditions. At the end of the experiment (28th day), blood samples were taken for determination of testosterone, total antioxidant capacity, and levels of malondialdehyde and oxidized low‐density lipoprotein. All rats were euthanized, testes were dissected out and spermatozoa were collected from the epididymis for analysis. Sperm numbers, percentages of sperm viability and motility, and total serum testosterone increased significantly in QR‐treated diabetic rats (P < 0.05) compared with control groups. In histopathology, degeneration and inflammation in testes cells associated with diabetes were improved and testes weights in the QR‐treated diabetic group decreased significantly in comparison with controls (P < 0.05). We conclude that QR has significant beneficial effects on the sperm viability, motility, and serum total testosterone and could be effective for maintaining healthy sperm parameters and male reproductive function in diabetic rats. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Substituent effects on SN2 reaction between substituted benzyl chloride and chloride ion in gas phase
Authors: Ebrahimi A. , Habibi‐Khorassani S. M. , Doosti M.
Published: February 2010

Nucleophilic substitution reaction between some substituted benzyl chlorides and chloride ion has been investigated by ab initio and DFT methods. New calculated energy data are in better agreement with experimental data. The electron‐withdrawing groups increase the energy barriers and the electron‐donating groups decrease them. The changes of geometrical parameters and energy data are in good agreement with the results of atoms in molecules and natural bond orbital analyses. The relationship between Hammett coefficients and energy data (and geometry parameters) has been established and the ρ constant has been calculated for this reaction. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Configuration interaction calculations on the 2P ground state of boron atom and C+ using Slater orbitals
Authors: Ruiz M. Belén , Rojas Miguel , Chicón Guillermo , Otto Peter
Published: February 2010

Configuration Interaction (CI) calculations on the ground 2P state of boron atom are presented using a wave function expansion constructed with L‐S eigenfunction configurations of s‐, p‐, and d‐Slater orbitals. Two procedures of optimization of the orbital exponents have been investigated. First, CI(SD) calculations including few types of configurations and full optimization of the orbital exponents led to the energy −24.63704575 a.u. Second, full‐CI (FCI) calculations including a large number of configuration types using a fixed set of orbital exponents for all configurations gave −24.63405222 a.u. using the basis [4s3p2d] and 2157 configurations, and to an improved result of −24.64013999 a.u. for 3957 configurations and a [5s4p3d] basis. This last result is better than earlier calculations of Schaefer and Harris (Phys Rev 1968, 167, 67), and compares well with the recent ones from Froese Fischer and Bunge (personal communication). In addition, using the same wave functions, CI calculations of the boron isoelectronic ion C+ have been performed obtaining an energy of −37.41027598 a.u. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Ergodicity and rapid electron delocalization – The dynamical mechanism of atomic reactivity and covalent bonding
Authors: Nordholm Sture , Eek William
Published: February 2010

Surprisingly, the historical development of the understanding of the concept of covalent bonding is incomplete and the physical mechanism responsible for bonding is still the subject of debate among chemists. We argue that this is primarily due to the key role played by quantum mechanics and the peculiarity of the Coulomb interaction operating between the electrons and nuclei in molecules. A study of the simplest molecules Hand H2as well as the π‐electron structure of planar conjugated hydrocarbon molecules leads to the conclusion that delocalization of electron dynamics is the key mechanism of covalent bonding. We find that the new concept of quantum ergodicity defined in terms of the globality of the energy eigenfunctions relates directly to covalent bonding. This is illustrated in the Höckel model of the π‐electrons in polyene molecules. An understanding results associating covalent bonding most fundamentally with the relaxation of nonergodic dynamical constraints upon the electron dynamics in atoms and molecules. The strain energy present due to these constraints can be crudely estimated by the comparison of the results of Thomas‐Fermi (TF) density functional calculations, which can be carried out both with and without these constraints. We present results for the light atoms H through Ar indicating that there is a very considerable strain in most atoms with the exception of the inert gas atoms. For the atoms H through Ne, we can verify this picture by direct comparison of ergodic TF and self‐consistent field‐molecular orbital (SCF‐MO) results. Comparison with atomization energies for some small molecules shows that due to repulsive mechanisms only a small fraction of the covalent strain energy is actually realized as binding energy in most molecules. The hydride molecules appear to be most efficient in utilizing the strain energy. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Secreted proteome of the murine multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cell line DKmix
Authors: Luecke Nina , Templin Christian , Muetzelburg Marika Victoria , Neumann Detlef , Just Ingo , Pich Andreas
Published: February 2010

Administration of the multipotent hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) line DKmix improved cardiac function after myocardial infarction and accelerated dermal wound healing due to paracrine mechanisms. The aim of this study was to analyse the secreted proteins of DKmix cells in order to identify the responsible paracrine factors and assess their relevance to the wide spectrum of therapeutic effects. A mass spectrometry (MS)‐based approach was used to identify secreted proteins of DKmix cells. Serum free culture supernatants of DKmix‐conditioned medium were collected and the proteins present were separated, digested by trypsin and the resulting peptides were then analyzed by matrix‐assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time‐of‐flight (MALDI‐TOF/TOF) MS. Overall 95 different proteins were identified. Among them, secretory proteins galectin‐3 and gelsolin were identified. These proteins are known to stimulate cell migration and influence wound healing and cardiac remodelling. The remaining proteins originate from intracellular compartments like cytoplasm (69%), nucleus (12%), mitochondria (4%), and cytoplasmic membrane (3%) indicating permeable or leaky DKmix cells in the conditioned medium. Additionally, a sandwich immunoassay was used to detect and quantify cytokines and chemokines. Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6), interleukin‐13 (IL‐13), monocyte‐chemoattractant protein‐1 (MCP‐1), monocyte‐chemoattractant protein‐3 (MCP‐3), monocyte‐chemoattractant protein‐1α (MIP‐1α) and monocyte‐chemoattractant protein‐1β (MIP‐1β) were detected in low concentrations. This study identified a subset of proteins present in the DKmix‐conditioned medium that act as paracrine modulators of tissue repair. Moreover, it suggests that DKmix‐derived conditioned medium might have therapeutic potency by promoting tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On discovering relevant scales in surface roughness measurement—an evaluation of a band‐pass method
Authors: Berglund J. , Agunwamba C. , Powers B. , Brown C. A. , Rosén B.‐G.
Published: February 2010

When characterizing surfaces and searching for correlations to functional properties, such as friction, finding the right scale of roughness for evaluation can improve correlations. However, in traditional roughness parameter analysis, a wide range of scales, or all scales of topography in the surface roughness measurements are evaluated together. In this study a multi‐scale method using a series of band‐pass filters is employed for finding scales of topography with strong correlations to friction. SCANNING 32: 244–249, 2010. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Risk‐based multiobjective resource allocation in hierarchical systems with multiple decisionmakers. Part II. A case study
Authors: Yan Zhenyu , Haimes Yacov Y.
Published: February 2010

This paper demonstrates an application of the Multiobjective Multi‐decisionmaker Resource Allocation (MOMDRA) risk management framework proposed in Part I. A case study of a pumping system, which is a critical component of the hurricane protection system, in the greater New Orleans area during the Katrina event, is discussed. Based on the MOMDRA methodology, the case study models how pumping capacity might be allocated during the initial construction or subsequent enhancement of a pumping system as a multiobjective resource allocation process for managing hurricane risks. Pareto optimal risk management alternatives are generated, and tradeoff analyses are performed across different levels of decisionmakers. The case study demonstrates the applicability and effectiveness of the MOMDRA methodology in risk‐based modeling and management of real‐world large‐scale systems. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Syst Eng 14: 17–28, 2011
Neuropathic bladder dysfunction
Authors: Gamé Xavier , Fowler Clare J. , Panicker Jalesh N.
Published: February 2010

Bladder dysfunction is commonly associated with neurological disorders such as spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis, dementia and stroke, and can reduce quality of life and result in potentially life‐threatening complications. The authors describe the presentations, evaluation and management of neuropathic bladder dysfunction. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Interface Ltd
Training to insert Implanon
Authors: Lee Deborah J.
Published: February 2010

To increase the uptake of long‐acting reversible contraceptive methods, there is an urgent need for more health professionals to be trained to insert Implanon. The author provides an up‐to‐date explanation of the training routes available, for both doctors and nurses. Copyright © 2010 Wiley Interface Ltd
Synthesis and Characterization of the Intrinsic Properties of Milkweed Polyhydroxy Fatty Acids
Authors: Harry‐O'kuru R. E. , Mohamed A. , Gordon S. H. , Xu J. , Sharma B. K.
Published: February 2010

Seed oils consist mainly of triglycerides, that is, they comprise a unit of glycerol backbone esterified with three acyl groups (usually but not limited to C16–C18) which may be saturated or unsaturated with one or more olefinic functionalities per acyl group. Very rarely do seed oils contain additional functional groups, such as hydroxyls as in castor and lesquerella seeds. Milkweed seed oil follows the natural triglyceride patterns, but with a difference in being highly poly olefinic. This character allows for the introduction of different reactive groupings into the structure of the oil so as to be amenable to tailoring to a variety of uses. Synthesis of the milkweed polyhydroxy triglyceride (MWPHTG) from the polyoxirane triglyceride derivative of milkweed oil using in situ peroxy acid epoxidation of the oil was previously reported. Subsequent acidolysis of the epoxy derivative gave the MWPHTG. Here the polyhydroxy triglyceride was saponified for glycerol removal thus generating the polyhydroxy fatty acids of milkweed oil. Studies of the physical characteristics, flow and stability of the resulting hydroxylated fatty acids using FTIR, NMR, DSC, Rheometry and TGA indicate a stable material with unique properties that would be useful as additives in many applications such as pharmaceuticals.
The conserved Cys76 plays a crucial role for the conformation of reduced glutathione peroxidase‐type tryparedoxin peroxidase
Authors: Muhle-Goll Claudia , Füller Florian , Ulrich Anne S. , Luise Krauth-Siegel R.
Published: February 2010

The crystal structure of reduced tryparedoxin peroxidase shows Cys47 close to Gln82 and Trp137 and helix formation of residues 87 to 97 whereas the NMR structure of the reduced C76S mutant adopts a different conformation similar to the oxidized protein. Circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence and NMR spectroscopy reveal that the fully active C76S mutant differs from the wildtype (WT) enzyme mainly in its reduced form both in secondary structure content and Trp137 environment. This implies that Cys76 plays a critical role for the reduced enzyme assuming different conformational states and that the catalytic triad may only be necessary as short‐lived intermediate during catalysis.
Communication channels, innovation tasks and NPD project outcomes in innovation‐driven horizontal networks
Authors: Oke Adegoke , Idiagbon‐Oke Moronke
Published: February 2010

Inter‐organizational collaborations and horizontal networks are increasingly playing a pivotal role in innovations and new product development among firms. In this study, we investigate the link between the innovation task analyzability and the richness of communications channels used in network arrangements and the link between task analyzability and ties and project development time. We investigated the links based on the data collected from 372 respondents representing ninety three different innovation‐driven horizontal networks. The results of structural equation modeling reveal a negative link from task analyzability to communication channel richness and a positive link from communication channel richness to ties. Communication channel richness was found to partially mediate the influence that task analyzability has on both NPD project outcomes of ties and development time. The implications of our results for theory and practice are discussed.
Socio-economic status and political support in post-communist Romania
Authors: Cernat Vasile
Published: February 2010

How is socio-economic status linked to political support? The analysis of a Romanian national probability sample suggests that there are two distinct and opposite routes. On the one hand, status is positively associated to political support, via well-being and, on the other hand, it is negatively associated to political support, probably via expectations and values. Whereas the negative route implies that upper status Romanians are more critical of current politics without questioning democratic principles, the positive route reveals that Romanians’ discontent erodes not only trust in political actors but also more diffuse levels of political support, and leads to positive attitudes toward communism.
The Science and Practice of Welding
Authors: Davies A. C.
Published: February 2010

The Science and Practice of Welding, now in its tenth edition and published in two volumes, is an introduction to the theory and practice of welding processes and their applications. Volume I, Welding Science and Technology, explains the basics principles of physics, chemistry and metallurgy as applied to welding. The section electrical principles includes a simple description of the silicone diode and resistor, the production and use of square wave, and one-knob stepless control of welding current. There is a comprehensive section on non-destructive testing (NDR) and destructive testing of welds and crack tip opening displacement testing. The text has been brought completely up to date and now includes a new chapter devoted to the inverter power unit. Duplex stainless steel has been included in the list of material described.
Proclus: Commentary on Plato's Timaeus
Authors: Proclus
Published: February 2010

Proclus' Commentary on Plato's dialogue Timaeus is arguably the most important commentary on a text of Plato, offering unparalleled insights into eight centuries of Platonic interpretation. This edition offers the first new English translation of the work for nearly two centuries, building on significant recent advances in scholarship on Neoplatonic commentators. It provides an invaluable record of early interpretations of Plato's dialogue, while also presenting Proclus' own views on the meaning and significance of Platonic philosophy. The present volume, the first in the edition, deals with what may be seen as the prefatory material of the Timaeus. In it Socrates gives a summary of the political arrangements favoured in the Republic, and Critias tells the story of how news of the defeat of Atlantis by ancient Athens had been brought back to Greece from Egypt by the poet and politician Solon.
The Onset of Language
Authors: Masataka Nobuo
Published: February 2010

The Onset of Language outlines an approach to the development of expressive and communicative behaviour from early infancy to the onset of single word utterances. Nobuo Masataka's research is rooted in ethology and dynamic action theory. He argues that expressive and communicative actions are organized as a complex and cooperative system with other elements of the infant's physiology, behaviour and the social environments. Overall, humans are provided with a finite set of specific behaviour patterns, each of which is phylogenetically inherited as a primate species. However, the patterns are uniquely organized during ontogeny and a coordinated structure emerges which eventually leads us to acquire language. This fascinating book offers exciting insights into the precursors of speech and will be of interest to researchers and students of psychology, linguistics and animal behaviour biology.
The Political Economy of Economic Growth in Africa, 1960–2000
Authors: Ndulu Benno J. , O'Connell Stephen A. , Bates Robert H. , Collier Paul , Soludo Chukwuma C.
Published: February 2010

The period from 1960 to 2000 was one of remarkable growth and transformation in the world economy. Why did most of Sub-Saharan Africa fail to develop over this period? Why did a few small African economies succeed spectacularly? The Political Economy of Economic Growth in Africa, 1960–2000 is by far the most ambitious and comprehensive assessment of Africa's post-independence economic performance to date. Volume 1 examines the impact of resource wealth and geographical remoteness on Africa's growth and develops a new dataset of governance regimes covering all of Sub-Saharan Africa. Separate chapters analyze the dominant patterns of governance observed over the period and their impact on growth, the ideological formation of the political elite, the roots of political violence and reform, and the lessons of the 1960–2000 period for contemporary growth strategy.
Wittgenstein on Freud and Frazer
Authors: Cioffi Frank
Published: February 2010

What is it that troubles and preoccupies us about the anxieties and anguishes of social and private life? Have advances in the disciplines of psychoanalysis, psychology or the social sciences in general ministered to our needs in these areas? In this forcefully argued collection of essays, Frank Cioffi examines Wittgenstein's reflections on the comparative claims of clarification and empirical enquiry. Though writing out of admiration and indebtedness, he expresses reservations as to the limits Wittgenstein places on the relevance and desirability of empirical knowledge. His discusssions extend from Wittgenstein's reflections on human sacrifice and other ritual practices dealt with by Frazer to Freud's account of the sources of anxiety, depression, dreams and laughter. He asks both whether it is empirical investigation or more lucid reflection that these phenomena demand, and what kind of question this itself is.
From Politics to Reason of State
Authors: Viroli Maurizio
Published: February 2010

Between the end of the sixteenth and the beginning of the seventeenth centuries, the language of politics underwent a radical transformation. The author argues that this transformation amounted to a 'revolution of politics', global in scope, and wide-ranging in its intellectual and moral implications. Not only did the meaning and the range of application of the concept of politics change, but also the status of political science, the role of political education, and the value of political liberty. For three centuries politics had enjoyed the status of the noblest human science, but emerged from the revolution as an ignoble, sordid and depraved activity. It was no longer the means of fighting corruption, but the means of perpetuating it. This 'revolution of politics' has received little attention, despite its importance. This study fills a gap in the history of political thought, and attempts to return to a conception of politics as an activity worth committing ourselves to.
Russian Azerbaijan, 1905–1920
Authors: Swietochowski Tadeusz
Published: February 2010

Russian Azerbaijan, 1905–1920 describes the rise of national identity among the Azerbaijanis - the Turkic-speaking Muslims of Russia's borderland with Iran - at the opening of the twentieth century. The principal focus is on the period from the Russian Revolution of 1905, when the Azerbaijanis began to articulate their national aspirations, until the establishment of the Soviet Azerbaijani Republic in 1920. The central theme of the book is the emergence of ideas, and then actions, that would create a new collective identity among the Muslims - a sense of nationality.
The Thought of Chang Tsai (1020–1077)
Authors: Kasoff Ira E.
Published: February 2010

Chang Tsai is one of the three major Chinese philosophers who, in the eleventh century, revitalised Confucian thought after centuries of stagnation and formed the foundation for the neo-Confucian thinking that was predominant till the nineteenth century. The book analyses in depth Chang's views of man, his nature and endowments, the cosmos, heaven and earth, the problems of learning and self cultivation, the ideal of the sage - and how that ideal might be attained. It looks at the intellectual climate of the eleventh century, the assumptions Chinese intellectuals shared, and the problems which concerned them. It describes the triumph of Chang's rivals within the neo-Confucian movement and the subsequent emergence of neo-Confucianism to state orthodoxy in the thirteenth century.
The Soviet Union in the Horn of Africa
Authors: Patman Robert G.
Published: February 2010

This is an attempt to address the paradoxes of Soviet behaviour in the Horn of Africa. Dr Patman, editor of the journal Third World in Soviet Perspective, traces the impact of history, superpower relationships and competition on Soviet perceptions and motives. Dr Patman provides a careful historical background to the recent conflicts and shows how the Soviet Union and its East European partners dramatically switched from being close allies of Somalia to allies of Ethiopia and then intervened in the Ethiopian-Somali war of 1977–8 to ensure the military defeat of their former ally. However, he does not confine himself simply to retrospective analysis. He also assesses the Soviet experience in the region in the period since 1978, and considers in particular the impact of Gorbachev's thinking and the new diplomacy. The Soviet Union in the Horn of Africa provides the most detailed examination yet of Soviet policy.
A Monetary History of Italy
Authors: Fratianni Michele , Spinelli Franco
Published: February 2010

This volume deals with the monetary history of Italy from its independence in 1861 to 1992. It provides the first complete analysis of a country which has experienced diverse and often dramatic monetary conditions. The authors interpret Italian monetary history through the looking glass of a model which, while monetarist in flavour, is open to other interpretations. A key theme is that public finance is at the root of the (relatively) high Italian inflation rates. The authors argue that there is a strong relationship between the government budget deficit and monetary policy, and that the monetary authorities are too dependent on government. The book contributes in a novel way not only to the monetary debate, but also to fiscal and institutional questions. It combines economic theory, statistical data and history in an accessible way which should prove useful to both economic historians and monetary economists.
Some Cambridge Controversies in the Theory of Capital
Authors: Harcourt G. C.
Published: February 2010

Capital theory traditionally spans two major compartments of economic theory: the theory of production of both individual products and the total product, and the theory of the distribution of the aggregate product between the different classes of capitalist society. It has always been controversial, partly because the subject matter is difficult and partly because rival ideologies and value systems impinge directly on the subject matter. In the present book the various topics associated with the exchanges between the 'neo-Keynesians' and the 'neo-neoclassicals' are discussed and evaluated. The topics include the measurement of capital, the revival of interest in Irving Fisher's rate of return on investment, the double-switching debate, Sraffa's prelude to a critique of neoclassical theory, and the 'new' theories of the rate of profits in capitalist society.
Studies in Tudor and Stuart Politics and Government
Authors: Elton G. R.
Published: February 2010

This volume continues the publication of Professor Elton's collected papers on topics in the history of Tudor and Stuart England. All appeared between 1973 and 1981. As before, they are reprinted exactly as originally published, with corrections and additions in footnotes. They include the author's four presidential addresses to the Royal Historical Society and bring together his preliminary findings in the history of Parliament and its records. Several of them, which appeared in various collections and Festschriften, have been difficult to find, and some are taken from locations in Germany and the United States unfamiliar to English readers. The eight lengthy reviews here republished examine some of the major questions in the history of the age and throw light on the principles of investigation which underlie the author's own research.
Henry Stubbe, Radical Protestantism and the Early Enlightenment
Authors: Jacob James R.
Published: February 2010

Called 'the most noted person of his age' by Anthony Wood, Henry Stubbe (1632–76), classicist, polemicist, physician, philosopher and the most important critic of the early Royal Society, has never had a biography. This study seeks to fill that gap, while standing received opinion about him on its head. The older view has it that at the Restoration Stubbe renounced his radical past and became the enemy of scientific progress and a reactionary defender of church and monarchy. Professor Jacob shows instead that Stubbe continued to espouse radical views after 1660 by devious means. Publicly he resorted to a rhetoric of subterfuge, while he let the full extent of his radicalism be known in private conversations at Bath and in an important clandestine manuscript (which Jacob proves to be his) that circulated among radicals from the early 1670s well into the eighteenth century.
A History of African Christianity 1950–1975
Authors: Hastings Adrian
Published: February 2010

The churches in Africa probably constitute the most important growth area for Christianity in the second half of the twentieth century. From being a number of rather tightly controlled 'mission fields' zealously guarded by the great missionary societies, Catholic and Protestant, they have emerged across the last decades in bewildering variety to selfhood, a membership of close on a hundred million adherents and an influential role both within their own societies and in the world Church. This book surveys the history of Christianity throughout sub-Saharan Africa during the third quarter of this century. It begins in 1950 at a time when the churches were still for the most part emphatically part of the colonial order and it takes the story on from there across the coming of political independence and the transformations of the 1960s and early 1970s.
Canada's Arctic Waters in International Law
Authors: Pharand Donat
Published: February 2010

The crossing of the Northwest Passage in August 1985 by a US icebreaker, without requesting authorisation, raised the whole question of Canada's sovereignty over the waters of its Arctic Archipelago. Given this controversy and the existence of similar situations in other parts of the world, this book presents an examination of the international legal validity of Canada's claim by an in-depth study of three possible bases in international law: the sector theory, the doctrine of historic waters and the Straight baseline system. This work is the second of a series of monographs arising from the Canadian Northern Waters Project of the Dalhousie Ocean Studies Programme, It draws on examples from other parts of the world, and, as such it will have relevance beyond the development of the Canadian Arctic. Professor Pharand is a recognised authority in this field. His earlier book, The Law of the Sea of the Arctic is still one of the standard reference works in the area, but with changes in the general law of the sea, this monograph presents a timely reappraisal of the relevant legal theories and practices.
Creep and Fracture of Ice
Authors: Schulson Erland M. , Duval Paul
Published: February 2010

This is the first complete account of the physics of the creep and fracture of ice, and their interconnectivity. It investigates the deformation of low-pressure ice, which is fundamental to glaciers, polar ice sheets and the uppermost region of icy moons of the outer Solar System. The book discusses ice structure and its defects, and describes the relationship between structure and mechanical properties. It reviews observations and measurements, and then interprets them in terms of physical mechanisms. The book provides a road-map to future studies of ice mechanics, such as the behaviour of glaciers and ice sheets in relation to climate change and the dating of deep ice cores. It also highlights how this knowledge is transferable into an understanding of other crystalline materials. Written by experts in the field, it is ideal for graduate students, engineers and scientists in Earth and planetary science, and materials science.
Regulating Big Business
Authors: Freyer Tony
Published: February 2010

In the late nineteenth century a new form of capitalism emerged in Great Britain and the United States. Before the revolutions in communication and transportation, the owners of firms managed the processes of production, distribution, transportation and communication personally. By the end of the century, however, technological innovation and mass markets fostered the development of large-scale corporate structures, leading to a separation between owners and operators. In this new form of capitalist enterprise managers were increasingly the principal decision makers. This economic transformation spawned social and political tensions which compelled the public and policy makers to decide upon an appropriate response to big business. A primary focus of public discourse was antitrust. This book explores the development of big business and the antitrust response in a comparative context.