bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dialogue as Moral Paradigm: Paths toward Intercultural Transformation
Authors: Keller J. Gregory
Published: March 2011

The Council of Europe's 2008 White Paper on Intercultural Dialogue: ‘living together as equals in dignity’ points to the need for shared values upon which intercultural dialogue might rest. In order, however, to overcome the monologic separateness that threatens community, we must educate ourselves to recognize the dialogism of our humanity and to engage in deep encounters with others with a mature skepticism of all dogmatisms, including our own. In order to aid us in reaching the necessary insight, the author calls upon Bakhtin's ideas of the dialogism of every utterance and of the unity and heteroglossia of language, Gadamer's hermeneutical experience that shakes us loose from what we think we know, and Levinas's description of that transcendent ideal of a dialogue beyond reciprocity. These perspectives break open our certainty that tribalism and individualism are fundamental, placing them instead as secondary phenomena that, though powerful, pronounce neither the initial nor the final word on our life together.
The Holistic Theory of Andras Angyal: Measuring the System Principle
Authors: Lester David , Dench Benjamin
Published: March 2011

Scales were devised to measure Andras Angyal's concepts of the trends toward autonomy and homonomy and the patterns of vicarious living and noncommitment. In a sample of 82 undergraduates (62 women, 20 men), scores for the trends were negatively associated with psychoticism scores (-.42 and -.39, respectively), while scores for the patterns were positively associated with neuroticism scores (.42 and .49, respectively).
Personality and Mental Health: An Investigation of South African Police Trainees
Authors: du Preez E. , Cassimjee N. , Lauritz L. E. , Ghazinour M. , Richter J.
Published: March 2011

The relationship between personality and mental health was investigated in one cohort of police trainees at a South African police academy (1,145 police recruits; 648 men, 497 women). Male trainees reported less somatisation, depression, anxiety, and phobic anxiety symptoms and lower harm avoidance as well as higher persistence than female trainees. A cluster analysis based on the personality scores was used to identify three clusters with personality profiles characterized as Vulnerable, Healthy, and Intermediate profiles. Sociodemographic variables and temperament and character domain scores contributed separately and differentially to the explanation of variance in mental health symptom scores. Selection tools should be developed to identify vulnerable individuals in terms of personality characteristics during selection and prior to training, to prevent later problems with stress reactions. Additional training modules focusing on coping skills could possibly reduce vulnerability to stress in some trainees.
Deliberate Faking on Personality and Emotional Intelligence Measures
Authors: Hartman Nathan S. , Grubb W. Lee
Published: March 2011

This study examined the extent the Big Five personality traits and emotional intelligence can be faked. Using a student sample, the equivalence of measurement and theoretical structure of models in a faking and honest condition was tested. Comparisons of the models for the honest and faking groups showed the data fit better in the faking condition. These results suggest that faking does change the rank orders of high scoring participants. The personality dimensions most affected by faking were emotional stability and conscientiousness within the Big Five and the general mood and stress management dimensions of Bar-On's Emotional Quotient Inventory–Short Form (1997) measure of emotional intelligence.
Cognitive Adaptation: Spatial Memory or Attentional Processing. A Comment on Furley and Memmert (2010)
Authors: Allen R. , Fioratou E. , McGeorge P.
Published: March 2011

This commentary considers the paper by Furley and Memmert (2010) who sought to test the respective validities of the specific processing and cognitive adaptation hypotheses. That they found no evidence of a difference between experienced basketball players and nonathletes on the Corsi block task, a measure of spatial memory, led them to infer support for the specific processing hypothesis, namely that differences between experts and novices manifest themselves only in processes related specifically to the domain of expertise. An alternative interpretation is offered, indicating possible confounds and referring to recent research that suggests Corsi block and dynamic spatial tasks depend upon different neuronal networks.
Neuromuscular Responses to Platform Perturbations in Power-Versus Endurance-Trained Athletes
Authors: Johnson Tammie K. , Woollacott Marjorie H.
Published: March 2011

The purpose was to assess differences in postural response characteristics between two groups of elite athletes having power or endurance training. Participants were all men and included power- ( M age = 21 yr., SD = 3, n = 12) and endurance-trained ( M age = 22, SD = 3, n = 12) athletes. Muscle response characteristics and center of pressure measures were recorded during recovery from Fast (10 cm at 80 cm/sec.) and Slow (10 cm at 20 cm/sec.) horizontal platform perturbations. In response to Fast perturbations, power-trained athletes responded with significantly shorter times to stabilize the center of pressure, shorter muscle-contraction onset times, and larger muscle response amplitudes than endurance-trained athletes. This suggests power-trained athletes are more effective than endurance-trained athletes in responding to balance threats such as slips and trips in daily life and that power training should be studied to improve balance control of balance-impaired populations.
Analysis of Movement Patterns by Elite Male Players of Beach Volleyball
Authors: Cortell-Tormo Juan M. , Pérez-Turpin José A. , Chinchilla Juan J. , Cejuela Roberto , Suárez Concepción
Published: March 2011

The aim of this study was to analyse and compare movement patterns and direction of locomotion in professional men's beach volleyball. A quantitative analysis of beach volleyball play was carried out for 10 players in the European Beach Volleyball Championship 2005. Video recordings were made of the 1,997 movements in 4 matches. Analysis showed that male players used more offensive than defensive movement patterns. Defensive movement patterns were more blocks and defense than receptions. Offensive movement patterns were more attack and placements than attack preparation moves. Advance was the direction of locomotion most used. Identifying and understanding such movement patterns are vital to defining specific, effective training strategies for men's beach volleyball players.
Moderation of Participant Characteristics in the Relationships of Changes in Self-Regulation for Exercise with Self-Regulation for Controlled Eating, and Self-Efficacy for Exercise with Self-Efficacy for Controlled Eating
Authors: Annesi James J.
Published: March 2011

Research on the relationships of exercise with psychosocial predictors of controlled eating and weight loss may now be capable of informing the development of weight-management treatments. Thus, analysis of moderators of such relationships by personal characteristics is important. Moderation of the expected significant relationships of changes in self-regulation for exercise with self-regulation for controlled eating, and self-efficacy for exercise with self-efficacy for controlled eating was assessed by sex, age, and ethnicity. No significant moderation of the relationships was identified; however, it was suggested that extensions of this research also assess contextual aspects, administration method, and other demographic variables as possible moderators. With continued research, practical treatments based on relationships between exercise- and eating-related variables ultimately may prove to be efficacious, with positive effects that may generalize across participant types and settings.
Rape Stereotypes and Labeling: Awareness of Victimization and Trauma
Authors: Sarmiento Ilaria
Published: March 2011

For years, studies in the U.S. college population have described the phenomena of date and acquaintance rape. These phenomena have perpetuated myths regarding rape leading to the faulty labeling of the experience by the survivors themselves. Compared with the U.S., in Europe there are very few studies concerning this issue. This preliminary study in Italy comprised surveys of 210 participants who were asked to express their opinions on 2 scenarios of sexual assault (a forced rape and an acquaintance rape). Only 48% of the participants thought that acquaintance rape should be tried in a criminal court.
Opportunistic Propensity Hinders Commitment to Acts in Conditions of Forced Compliance and Compliance without Pressure
Authors: Fousiani Kyriaki , Sakalaki Maria , Richardson Clive
Published: March 2011

The psychosocial literature contains empirical evidence of the effects of personality variables on commitment to acts. The association of economic opportunism was explored with respect to postexperimental attitude change, intentions, and intrinsic motivation of individuals ( N = 132) toward acts with either forced compliance or compliance without pressure. In conditions of commitment and compliance without pressure, both intention and intrinsic motivation decreased as economic opportunism increased, while in conditions of commitment and forced compliance, intention increased as economic opportunism increased. Attitude change and economic opportunism did not appear to be associated in any experimental condition. These findings suggest that tendency to noncooperativeness predisposes to reduced concern for consistency and compliance with performed acts.
Children's Time Production for Concurrent Nontemporal Motor Tasks
Authors: Buscà Bernat , Moras Gerard , Seirul-Lo Francisco , Cabot Jaume
Published: March 2011

An internal clock model has often been used to explain disruptions in timing production that occur when temporal and nontemporal tasks are performed simultaneously. In this study, participants' ability to walk 8 m in 8 sec. while executing various secondary concurrent nontemporal tasks was assessed for 16 children enrolled in sports at school. Children participated in six trials under five randomized task conditions involving different coordinative and cognitive workloads. The duration of timing production increased as the attention requirements or cognitive demands placed upon the completion of the task increased. However, participants also showed learning of timing over the six trials. Significant differences were found between the timing task and the concurrent nontemporal tasks depending on the difficulty and cognitive load of the secondary tasks. Results are discussed using attention models of time estimation and production.
Diurnal birds of prey from Letea Forest (The Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation, Romania)
Authors: Pocora Viorel
Published: March 2011

Diurnal birds of prey from Letea Forest (The Danube Delta Biosphere Reservation, Romania)

Letea Forest has always represented a favorable place for the nesting of preying birds. In the past 3 decades, in Letea Forest, as well as in the entire Danube Delta, the number of species of birds of prey has fallen dramatically. In the current paperwork we tried to analyze the situation of the species of diurnal birds of prey identified in Letea Forest. During the study, that took place between November 2003 until September 2009, there were 24 species of preying birds observed, from which 6 are nesting species (Circus aeruginosus, Haliaeetus albicilla, Falco vespertinus, F. subbuteo, F. tinnunculus, Buteo buteo and Pernis apivorus), and the rest are winter guests, passing species and species with accidental presence in the study area.
Inhibition of Galectins with Small Molecules
Authors: Öberg Christopher T. , Leffler Hakon , Nilsson Ulf J.
Published: March 2011

Evidence that the galectin family of proteins plays crucial roles in cancer, inflammation, and immunity has accumulated over the last decade. The galectins have consequently emerged as interesting drug targets. A majority of galectin functions occurs by means of cross-linking glycoproteins
and by doing so controlling glycoprotein cellular localization and residence times. The glycoprotein cross-linking occurs when galectin dimers or multimers, or galectins with two binding sites, bind galactose-containing glycans of the glycoproteins. Such galectin-glycan interactions have been
successfully blocked with compounds having multivalent presentation of galactose, lactose, or N-acetyllactosamine, with peptides, and with small carbohydrate (galactose) derivatives. This review summarizes and analyzes attempts to develop efficient and selective small-molecule galectin inhibitors
through derivatization of monosaccharides, mainly galactosides, with non-carbohydrate structures that protrude into subsites adjacent to the core-conserved galactose-recognizing site of the galectins.
Synthetic Vaccines from Tumor-Associated Glycopeptide Antigens
Authors: Westerlind Ulrika , Kunz Horst
Published: March 2011

The aberrantly glycosylated and extensively over-expressed membrane-bound mucin MUC1 glycoprotein forms a tumor specific epitope on the surface of epithelial cells. Using defined synthetic glycopeptide structures consisting of the MUC1 tandem repeat region for immunization, antibodies
selectively binding to tumor cell surface should be induced. Recent examples of synthetic vaccines directed against the O-glycosylated MUC1 tandem repeats and their immunological evaluation will be given here. These include synthetic MUC1 glycopeptides conjugated to immunostimulants,
such as T-cell peptide epitopes, immune carrier proteins or lipid immunostimulants.
Syntheses and Biological Activities of 1,4-Iminoalditol Derivatives as ?-L-Fucosidase Inhibitors
Authors: Moreno-Clavijo Elena , Carmona Ana T. , Moreno-Vargas Antonio J. , Molina Lidia , Robina Inmaculada
Published: March 2011

A review dealing with 1,4-iminoalditol (hydroxylated pyrrolidine) derivatives as inhibitors of ?-L-fucosidases including the different synthetic approaches for their preparation as well as their inhibitory properties is presented.
Monosaccharides and Analogues from Simple Achiral Unsaturated Compounds
Authors: Moreno-Vargas Antonio J. , Carmona Ana T. , Moreno-Clavijo Elena , Robina Inmaculada
Published: March 2011

We present herein a selection of ingenious methods that have been developed to convert inexpensive furan, pyrrole and unsaturated hydrocarbons into enantiomerically enriched monosaccharides and analogues of biological interest.
Freedom to Read vs. Obligation to Protect
Authors: Horowitz Irving Louis
Published: March 2011

The explosion of new information technologies and their varied capacity to display and disseminate news, rumours, data, reports, confidential memoranda, and so on have raised anew the issue of freedom to read. This essay is an attempt to compare and contrast the period following World War II with a present-day environment of skirmishes, insurgencies, and small wars—and how a democratic society must cope with conflicting aims: protecting the social order and permitting the dangerous message. The essay reviews a variety of national interests, global constraints, and personal values in order to take account of a new situation that requires urgent attention. It concludes by noting that, on overview, the tensions between personal freedom and political order are of long standing. The capacity of the new information technologies to deliver messages in an accelerated time span is distinctive. The stress between freedom and order is greatest in the absence of a social consensus; it is sharply reduced when such a broad national consensus exists. Since the long span from 1950 to 2010 is marked by the breakdown of a cultural consensus, it is plain that the struggle of competing aims of freedom to read and retention of systemic cohesion is on the global agenda.
The Ontology of the Scholarly Journal and the Place of Peer Review
Authors: Wheeler Bonnie
Published: March 2011

Reflections on variations found in scholarly journals and scholarly editing, leading to an argument that the common bond of scholarly journals is a shared commitment to peer review, a widely varying protocol in need of greater transparency.
Morphological, Electrophysiological, and Metabolic Characteristics of Skeletal Muscle in People with End-Stage Renal Disease: A Critical Review
Authors: Sawant Anuradha , Garland S. Jayne , House Andrew A. , Overend Tom J.
Published: March 2011

Purpose: Fatigue is one of the most frequent debilitating symptoms reported by people with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on haemodialysis (HD) therapy. A wide range of underlying abnormalities, including skeletal muscle weakness, have been implicated as causes of this fatigue. Skeletal muscle weakness is well established in this population, and such muscle weakness is amenable to physical therapy treatment. The purpose of this review was to identify morphological, electrophysiological, and metabolic characteristics of skeletal muscles in people with ESRD/HD that may cause skeletal muscle weakness.

Method: Electronic databases were searched for relevant literature from inception to March 2010. Inclusion criteria were English language; adult subjects with ESRD/HD; and the use of muscle biopsy, electromyography, and nuclear magnetic spectroscopy (31P-NMRS) techniques to evaluate muscle characteristics.

Results: In total, 38 studies were included. All studies of morphological characteristics reported type II fibre atrophy. Electrophysiological characteristics included both neuropathic and myopathic skeletal muscle changes. Studies of metabolic characteristics revealed higher cytosolic inorganic phosphate levels and reduced effective muscle mass.

Conclusion: The results indicate an array of changes in the morphological, electrophysiological, and metabolic characteristics of skeletal muscle structure in people with ESRD/HD that may lead to muscle weakness.
The American Republic, Executive Power and the National Security State: Hannah Arendt's and Hans Morgenthau's Critiques of the Vietnam War
Authors: Klusmeyer Douglas B.
Published: March 2011

There is nothing new or even faintly original in the neoconservative foreign policy vision. It simply recycles the old national security ideology for a post-Cold War era. Consistent with this ideological agenda, conservatives have also been advancing the case for the strong executive who operates above the law. In championing the principle of the strong executive, they are seeking to re-define the meaning of modern republicanism around this principle. During the 1960s Hannah Arendt and Hans Morgenthau developed a broad critique of the national security state and its ideology in their opposition to the Vietnam War. This essay examines their critique, and the alternative conception of republicanism they developed as part of this critique.
Lignans and Other Constituents from Aerial Parts of Haplophyllum Villosum
Authors: Parhoodeh Parimah , Rahmani Mawardi , Hashim Najihah Mohd , Sukari Mohd Aspollah , Cheng Lian Gwendoline Ee
Published: March 2011

During our phytochemical investigation of Haplophyllum villosum (Rutaceae), a perennial herb from Iran, a new 4,8-diaryl-3,7-dioxobicyclo-(3,3,0)-octane type lignan, eudesmin A (1), together with four known compounds–eudesmin (2), haplamine (3), umbelliferone (4) and scopoletin (5)–were isolated from aerial parts of the plant. The structures of the compounds were elucidated using NMR spectral analysis (1H-NMR, 13C-NMR, HSQC, COSY and HMBC) as well as UV, IR and MS spectra and comparison with previously reported data.
Mapping the Philippines’ Mangrove Forests Using Landsat Imagery
Authors: Long Jordan B. , Giri Chandra
Published: March 2011

Current, accurate, and reliable information on the areal extent and spatial distribution of mangrove forests in the Philippines is limited. Previous estimates of mangrove extent do not illustrate the spatial distribution for the entire country. This study, part of a global assessment of mangrove dynamics, mapped the spatial distribution and areal extent of the Philippines’ mangroves circa 2000. We used publicly available Landsat data acquired primarily from the Global Land Survey to map the total extent and spatial distribution. ISODATA clustering, an unsupervised classification technique, was applied to 61 Landsat images. Statistical analysis indicates the total area of mangrove forest cover was approximately 256,185 hectares circa 2000 with overall classification accuracy of 96.6% and a kappa coefficient of 0.926. These results differ substantially from most recent estimates of mangrove area in the Philippines. The results of this study may assist the decision making processes for rehabilitation and conservation efforts that are currently needed to protect and restore the Philippines’ degraded mangrove forests.
Estimation of Physiological Tremor from Accelerometers for Real-Time Applications
Authors: Veluvolu Kalyana C. , Ang Wei Tech
Published: March 2011

Accurate filtering of physiological tremor is extremely important in robotics assisted surgical instruments and procedures. This paper focuses on developing single stage robust algorithms for accurate tremor filtering with accelerometers for real-time applications. Existing methods rely on estimating the tremor under the assumption that it has a single dominant frequency. Our time-frequency analysis on physiological tremor data revealed that tremor contains multiple dominant frequencies over the entire duration rather than a single dominant frequency. In this paper, the existing methods for tremor filtering are reviewed and two improved algorithms are presented. A comparative study is conducted on all the estimation methods with tremor data from microsurgeons and novice subjects under different conditions. Our results showed that the new improved algorithms performed better than the existing algorithms for tremor estimation. A procedure to separate the intended motion/drift from the tremor component is formulated.
A microseismic approach to locate survivors trapped under rubble
Authors: Arosio Diego
Published: March 2011

The detection of microseismic noise generated by survivors trapped by debris is a method already used by Search and Rescue (S&R) teams. Present seismic S&R equipment works exclusively on energy analysis whilst ignoring information associated with propagation delays. We explore the potential of using traveltime analysis compared to energy analysis for both 2D and 3D location. Results obtained from three different debris field scenarios used for training S&R teams demonstrate that using travel‐time information is more reliable than using energy information alone. A joint analysis of both signal parameters is suggested as an appropriate strategy to improve the reliability of locating survivors. Traveltimes can also potentially extend the location into the third dimension by returning an approximate estimate of the survivor depth below ground level. The main obstacles to achieving this goal are the inhomogeneity of the debris pile, the need for a real‐time response and the limited spatial extension of the sensor array. Despite these difficulties, results obtained in the field, with an algorithm based on energy focusing by means of cross‐correlation and semblance operators, show an accuracy within the limit of the seismic resolution. A new searching strategy is defined and the procedure reduces the investigation time taken by current seismic S&R systems by a factor of three.
NFIL3 Is a Regulator of IL-12 p40 in Macrophages and Mucosal Immunity
Authors: Kobayashi Taku , Matsuoka Katsuyoshi , Sheikh Shehzad Z. , Elloumi Houda Z. , Kamada Nobuhiko , Hisamatsu Tadakazu , Hansen Jonathan J. , Doty Kevin R. , Pope Scott D. , Smale Stephen T. , Hibi Toshifumi , Rothman Paul B. , Kashiwada Masaki , Plevy Scott E.
Published: March 2011

Regulation of innate inflammatory responses against the enteric microbiota is essential for the maintenance of intestinal homeostasis. Key participants in innate defenses are macrophages. In these studies, the basic leucine zipper protein, NFIL3, is identified as a regulatory transcription factor in macrophages, controlling IL-12 p40 production induced by bacterial products and the enteric microbiota. Exposure to commensal bacteria and bacterial products induced NFIL3 in cultured macrophages and in vivo. The Il12b promoter has a putative DNA-binding element for NFIL3. Basal and LPS-activated NFIL3 binding to this site was confirmed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. LPS-induced Il12b promoter activity was inhibited by NFIL3 expression and augmented by NFIL3-short hairpin RNA in an Il12b-bacterial artificial chromosome-GFP reporter macrophage line. Il12b inhibition by NFIL3 does not require IL-10 expression, but a C-terminal minimal repression domain is necessary. Furthermore, colonic CD11b+ lamina propria mononuclear cells from Nfil3−/− mice spontaneously expressed Il12b mRNA. Importantly, lower expression of NFIL3 was observed in CD14+ lamina propria mononuclear cells from Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis patients compared with control subjects. Likewise, no induction of Nfil3 was observed in colons of colitis-prone Il10−/− mice transitioned from germ-free to a conventional microbiota. In conclusion, these experiments characterize NFIL3 as an Il12b transcriptional inhibitor. Interactions of macrophages with the enteric microbiota induce NFIL3 to limit their inflammatory capacity. Furthermore, altered intestinal NFIL3 expression may have implications for the pathogenesis of experimental and human inflammatory bowel diseases.
Kimura Disease: A Case Report and Review of the Literature with A New Management Protocol
Authors: Fouda Mohamed Ashraf , Gheith Osama , Refaie Ayman , El-Saeed Mohamed , Bakr Adel , Wafa Ehab , Abdelraheem Mona , Sobh Mohamed
Published: March 2011

Kimura disease (KD) is a chronic inflammatory disorder with angiolymphatic proliferation, usually affecting young men of Asian race but is rare in other races. The etiology of KD is still unknown. It is often accompanied by nephrotic syndrome. Herein, we present an atypical manifestation of Kimura disease occurring in a Caucasian man with steroid-responsive early membranous glomerulonephritis. Kimura disease can present atypically in a middle-aged Caucasian man with secondary steroid-responsive nephrotic syndrome. Steroid, endoxan, and MMF can be used safely and successfully in such situation. The diagnosis of KD can be difficult and misleading, and patients with this disease are often evaluated using avoidable procedures by just not being aware of KD.
Effects of Docosahexaenoic Acid Supplementation on Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, and Serum Lipids in Scottish Men with Hypertension and Hypercholesterolemia
Authors: Sagara Miki , Njelekela Marina , Teramoto Takanori , Taguchi Takashi , Mori Mari , Armitage Lesley , Birt Nina , Birt Christopher , Yamori Yukio
Published: March 2011

To investigate the effects of daily supplementation with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) on coronary heart disease risks in 38 middle-aged men with hypertension and/or hypercholesterolemia in Scotland, a five-week double-blind placebo-controlled dietary supplementation with either 2 g of DHA or active placebo (1 g of olive oil) was conducted. Percent composition of DHA in plasma phospholipids increased significantly in DHA group. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate decreased significantly in DHA group, but not in placebo group. High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) increased significantly, and total cholesterol (TC)/HDL-C and non-HDL-C/HDL-C ratios decreased significantly in both groups. There was no change in TC and non-HDL-C. We conclude that 2 g/day of DHA supplementation reduced coronary heart disease risk factor level improving blood pressure, heart rate, and lipid profiles in hypertensive, hypercholesterolemic Scottish men who do not eat fish on a regular basis.
Proteomic Profiling of Mitochondrial Enzymes during Skeletal Muscle Aging
Authors: Staunton Lisa , O'Connell Kathleen , Ohlendieck Kay
Published: March 2011

Mitochondria are of central importance for energy generation in skeletal muscles. Expression changes or functional alterations in mitochondrial enzymes play a key role during myogenesis, fibre maturation, and various neuromuscular pathologies, as well as natural fibre aging. Mass spectrometry-based proteomics suggests itself as a convenient large-scale and high-throughput approach to catalogue the mitochondrial protein complement and determine global changes during health and disease. This paper gives a brief overview of the relatively new field of mitochondrial proteomics and discusses the findings from recent proteomic surveys of mitochondrial elements in aged skeletal muscles. Changes in the abundance, biochemical activity, subcellular localization, and/or posttranslational modifications in key mitochondrial enzymes might be useful as novel biomarkers of aging. In the long term, this may advance diagnostic procedures, improve the monitoring of disease progression, help in the testing of side effects due to new drug regimes, and enhance our molecular understanding of age-related muscle degeneration.
Protective role of Eclipta alba L. extract against ethinylestradiol induced genotoxic damage in cultured human lymphocytes
Authors: Siddique Yasir Hasan , Ara Gulshan , Beg Tanveer , Faisal Mohammad , Afzal Mohammad
Published: March 2011

In India, natural preparations derived from plants are widely used for the treatment of various diseases. Hence it becomes necessary to assess the modulating action of the plant extracts when associated with other substances. Ethinylestradiol is not only a genotoxic agent but also a tumor initiating agent. It is widely used in oral contraceptive formulations and also for the treatment of various sexual and metabolic disorders. In the present study, the antigenotoxic effect of Eclipta alba was evaluated against the genotoxic effect induced by 10 μM of ethinylestradiol in the presence of metabolic activation using mitotic index (MI), chromosomal aberrations, sister chromatid exchanges and replication index (RI) as parameters. The treatment of 10 μM of ethinylestradiol along with 1.02x10–4, 2.125x10–4, 3.15x10–4 and 4.17x10–4 g/mL of Eclipta alba (E. alba) extract in culture medium results in a significant dose dependent decrease in the genotoxic effects induced by the treatment of 10 μM of ethinylestradiol. The results of the present study suggest that the plant extract per se does not have genotoxic potential, but can modulate the genotoxicity of ethinylestradiol in cultured human lymphocytes.
Nociones de protocolo desde la bibliografía de sus autoridades
Authors: Álvarez Rodríguez María Luz
Published: March 2011

El protocolo es una materia que ha sufrido grandes cambios en los últimos años en España. Su presencia en la formación universitaria ha pasado de ser una mera anécdota a una materia más a impartir en cursos de postgrados avalados por una gran demanda social y profesional. Con la finalidad de dar a conocer la materia del protocolo al ámbito académico español, el presente artículo realiza un estudio de la situación teórica de esta materia y profesión en España. Esta investigación se plantea conocer el carácter científico del protocolo, al mismo tiempo que intenta fundar el lado profesional tan presente en la actual oferta de cursos y de formación. Por este motivo, la investigación puede resultar de interés en el ámbito académico español para ayudar a explicar la realidad del protocolo en España y para impulsar su desarrollo teórico en nuestro país.
Monterrey y sus organizaciones mediáticas. Un retorno al estudio de la ideología a través de cuatro comunicadores
Authors: Frankenberg Lorena
Published: March 2011

Este trabajo presenta un análisis sobre el discurso ideológico que ha permeado los textos mediáticos noticiosos de la ciudad de Monterrey a partir de la narrativa biográfica de cuatro comunicadores, que en la década de los ochenta, ocuparon puestos estratégicos en los principales medios de comunicación. El trabajo tiene como finalidad retornar al estudio de la ideología promovido en sus inicios por los Estudios Culturales. La pregunta que guía esta investigación es ¿de qué manera la postura ideológica de los grupos dominantes de una ciudad primordialmente industrial y con una fuerte elite económica, se entrelaza con una audiencia que se involucra principalmente con textos mediáticos que reafirmen su sistema de valores para conformar una identidad ciudadana?  Se revela así  el proceso de codificación que ha moldeado y reafirmado el sistema de valores y creencias propios de la sociedad. Entre los hallazgos más importantes se encuentran el destacar que ha habido una línea dominante influenciada por el grupo empresarial  regiomontano tanto en el periodismo impreso como en los medios electrónicos y que el único intento por revertir esta tendencia y ofrecer una pluralidad de pensamiento se dio en el periódico El Porvenir en esta misma época, la cual coincidió con su fracaso financiero. En los resultados se muestra la clara relación circular entre los medios, las audiencias y las estructuras de reproducción del discurso ideológico de la elite regiomontana, donde unos y otros se retroalimentan.
On Friendship, Equality and Introductions: Comparing English and German Regimes of Manners and Emotions
Authors: Wouters Cas
Published: March 2011

The Germans and the English differ in their experience of friendship. This paper departs from the observation that German manners books in the nineteenth and twentieth century are preoccupied with ‘friendship’ and the use of the personal pronoun, the informal you: Du. The topic ‘friendship’ is virtually absent in English manners books. In English books, until the 1970s, rules for introductions were a major if not the most prominent topic, whereas these rules attracted hardly any attention in the German ones. From an analysis of manners books from the last decade of, this paper compares friendship in Germany with introducing in England. Establishing a ‘friendship’ as well as ‘being properly introduced’ are both ritual transitions from a rather distant and hierarchical relationship in the direction of greater ‘equality’ and intimacy. These different forms are explained by placing them in the context of their national class structures and by connecting them to differences in the functioning of their good society, particularly the regulation of social mobility, as well as to differences in the processes of social emancipation and national integration.
Ana's Friends. Friendship in Online Pro-Ana Communities
Authors: Cantó-Milà Natàlia , Seebach Swen
Published: March 2011

The objective of this article is to analyse the social relationships within online communities of anorectics, their bonds, their emotions and friendships, and their subsequent relation to anorexia nervosa. The research has focused on their blogs and their forums, which create a space in which they share their experiences, and sometimes encourage each other not to give up on their eating disorder – which they view as an illness, but an illness that has become their lifestyle, and their attitude towards life. Within the article an analysis of the special bonds of friendship that tie the members of the online community together will be presented. Special attention will be paid to the similarities between secret societies and friendship bonds within pro-ana communities.
Hygroscopic behavior of atmospherically relevant water-soluble carboxylic salts and their influence on the water uptake of ammonium sulfate
Authors: Wu Z. J. , Nowak A. , Poulain L. , Herrmann H. , Wiedensohler A.
Published: March 2011

Abstract. The hygroscopic behavior of atmospherically relevant water-soluble carboxylic salts and their effects on ammonium sulfate was investigated using a hygroscopicity tandem differential mobility analyzer (H-TDMA). No hygroscopic growth is observed for sodium oxalate, while ammonium oxalate shows slight growth (growth factor = 1.05 at 90%). The growth factors at 90% RH for sodium acetate, sodium malonate, sodium succinate, sodium tartrate, ammonium tartrate, sodium pyruvate, sodium maleate, and humic acid sodium salt are 1.79, 1.78, 1.69, 1.54, 1.29, 1.70, 1.78, and 1.19, respectively. The mixtures of organic salts with ammonium sulfate, which are prepared simulating the atmospheric aerosols, are determined. A clear shift in DRH of mixture to lower RH is observed with increasing organic mass fraction. Above RH = 80%, the humidograms of the different mixtures are quite close to that of pure ammonium sulfate. Köhler theory is used to predict the effective hygroscopicity parameter, κ, for mixtures at 90% RH. The results show that Köhler theory underestimated κ for mixtures without considering the water solubility of ammonium oxalate. However, if the water solubility of ammonium oxalate is taken into account, the results show a much better agreement with those derived from H-TDMA measurements.
Sulphur dioxide as a volcanic ash proxy during the April–May 2010 eruption of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano, Iceland
Authors: Thomas H. E. , Prata A. J.
Published: March 2011

Abstract. The volcanic ash cloud from the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in April and May 2010 resulted in unprecedented disruption to air traffic in Western Europe causing significant monetary loses and highlighting the importance of efficient volcanic cloud monitoring. The feasibility of using SO2 as a tracer for the ash released during the eruption is investigated here through comparison of ash retrievals from the Spinning Enhanced Visible and Infrared Imager (SEVIRI) with SO2 measurements from a number of infrared and ultraviolet satellite-based sensors. Results demonstrate that the eruption can be divided into an initial ash-rich phase, a lower intensity middle phase and a final phase where considerably greater quantities of both ash and SO2 were released. Comparisons of ash-SO2 dispersion indicate that despite frequent collocation of the two species, there are a number of instances throughout the eruption where separation is observed. This separation occurs vertically due to the more rapid settling rate of ash compared to SO2, horizontally through wind shear and temporally through volcanological controls on eruption style. The potential for the two species to be dispersed independently has consequences in terms of aircraft hazard mitigation and highlights the importance of monitoring both species concurrently.
Rapid forecasting of tsunami runup heights from 2-D numerical simulations
Authors: Choi B. H. , Kaistrenko V. , Kim K. O. , Min B. I. , Pelinovsky E.
Published: March 2011

Abstract. We propose a method to compute tsunami runup heights that is based on an integration of numerical, 2-D shallow-water modelling and an analytical, 1-D long-wave runup theory. This approach provides a faster forecast of tsunami runup heights than a complicated coastal inundation model. Through simulations of potential tsunami scenarios, this approach can also be applied to long-term tsunami prediction. We tested the model by simulating the historical event in the East (Japan) Sea and found that the estimates of runup heights agreed well with the available observations.
Volcano collapse along the Aleutian Ridge (western Aleutian Arc)
Authors: Montanaro C. , Beget J.
Published: March 2011

Abstract. The Aleutian Ridge, in the western part of the Aleutian Arc, consists of a chain of volcanic islands perched atop the crest of a submarine ridge with most of the active Quaternary stratocones or caldera-like volcanoes being located on the northern margins of the Aleutian Islands. Integrated analysis of marine and terrestrial data resulted in the identification and characterization of 17 extensive submarine debris avalanche deposits from 11 volcanoes. Two morphological types of deposits are recognizable, elongate and lobate, with primary controls on the size and distribution of the volcanic debris being the volume and nature of material involved, proportion of fine grained material, depth of emplacement and the paleo-bathymetry. Volume calculations show the amount of material deposited in debris avalanches is as much as three times larger than the amount of material initially involved in the collapse, suggesting the incorporation of large amounts of submarine material during transport. The orientation of the collapse events is influenced by regional fault systems underling the volcanoes. The western Aleutian Arc has a significant tsunamigenic potential and communities within the Aleutian Islands and surrounding areas of the North Pacific as well as shipping and fishing fleets that cross the North Pacific may be at risk during future eruptions in this area.
Establishment, Maintenance, and In Vitro and In Vivo Applications of Primary Human Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) Xenograft Models for Translational Biology Studies and Drug Discovery
Authors: Carlson Brett L. , Pokorny Jenny L. , Schroeder Mark A. , Sarkaria Jann N.
Published: March 2011

Development of clinically relevant tumor model systems for glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is important for advancement of basic and translational biology. One model that has gained wide acceptance in the neuro‐oncology community is the primary xenograft model. This model entails the engraftment of patient tumor specimens into the flank of nude mice and subsequent serial passage of these tumors in the flank of mice. These tumors are then used to establish short‐term explant cultures or intracranial xenografts. This unit describes detailed procedures for establishment, maintenance, and utilization of a primary GBM xenograft panel for the purpose of using them as tumor models for basic or translational studies. Curr. Protoc. Pharmacol. 52:14.16.1‐14.16.23. © 2011 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Hybrid time slots sequencing model for a class of scheduling problems
Authors: Castro Pedro M. , Zeballos Luis J. , Méndez Carlos A.
Published: March 2011

This article presents a new model for the short‐term scheduling of multistage batch plants with a single unit per stage, mixed storage policies, and multiple shared resources for moving orders between stages. Automated wet‐etching stations for wafer fabrication in semiconductor plants provide the industrial context. The uncommon feature of the continuous‐time model is that it relies on time grids, as well as on global precedence sequencing variables, to find the optimal solution to the problem. Through the solution of a few test cases taken from the literature, we show that new model performs significantly better than a pure sequencing formulation and better than a closely related hybrid model with slightly different sequencing variables. We also propose a new efficient heuristic procedure for extending the range of problems that can effectively be solved, which essentially solves relaxed and constrained versions of the full‐space model. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012
The maximal acceleration, extended relativistic dynamics and Doppler type shift for an accelerated source
Authors: Friedman Y.
Published: March 2011

Based on the generalized principle of relativity and the ensuing symmetry, it has been shown that if the Clock Hypothesis is not true, there is a universal maximal acceleration am. We present here an extension of relativistic dynamics for which all admissible solutions will have have a speed bounded by the speed of light c and the acceleration bounded by am. An additional Doppler type shift for an accelerated source is predicted. The formulas for such shift are the same as for the usual Doppler shift with v/c replaced by a/am. The W. Kündig experiment of measurement of the transverse Doppler shift in an accelerated system was also exposed to a longtitudal shift due to the acceleration. This experiment, as reanalyzed by Kholmetskii et al., shows that the Clock Hypothesis is not valid. Based on the results of this experiment, we predict that the value of the maximal acceleration am is of the order 1019m/s2. Moreover, our analysis provides a way to measure experimentally the maximal acceleration with existing technology.
Paper 5: Surveillance of multiple congenital anomalies: Implementation of a computer algorithm in European registers for classification of cases
Authors: Garne Ester , Dolk Helen , Loane Maria , Wellesley Diana , Barisic Ingeborg , Calzolari Elisa , Densem James ,   a EUROCAT Working Group
Published: March 2011

BACKGROUND

Surveillance of multiple congenital anomalies is considered to be more sensitive for the detection of new teratogens than surveillance of all or isolated congenital anomalies. Current literature proposes the manual review of all cases for classification into isolated or multiple congenital anomalies.

METHODS

Multiple anomalies were defined as two or more major congenital anomalies, excluding sequences and syndromes. A computer algorithm for classification of major congenital anomaly cases in the EUROCAT database according to International Classification of Diseases (ICD)v10 codes was programmed, further developed, and implemented for 1 year's data (2004) from 25 registries. The group of cases classified with potential multiple congenital anomalies were manually reviewed by three geneticists to reach a final agreement of classification as “multiple congenital anomaly” cases.

RESULTS

A total of 17,733 cases with major congenital anomalies were reported giving an overall prevalence of major congenital anomalies at 2.17%. The computer algorithm classified 10.5% of all cases as “potentially multiple congenital anomalies”. After manual review of these cases, 7% were agreed to have true multiple congenital anomalies. Furthermore, the algorithm classified 15% of all cases as having chromosomal anomalies, 2% as monogenic syndromes, and 76% as isolated congenital anomalies. The proportion of multiple anomalies varies by congenital anomaly subgroup with up to 35% of cases with bilateral renal agenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

The implementation of the EUROCAT computer algorithm is a feasible, efficient, and transparent way to improve classification of congenital anomalies for surveillance and research. Birth Defects Research (Part A), 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Purification of chondroitin precursor from Escherichia coli K4 fermentation broth using membrane processing
Authors: Schiraldi Chiara , Carcarino Immacolata Loredana , Alfano Alberto , Restaino Odile Francesca , Panariello Andrea , De Rosa Mario
Published: March 2011

Recently the possibility of producing the capsular polysaccharide K4, a fructosylated chondroitin, in fed‐batch experiments was assessed. In the present study, a novel downstream process to obtain chondroitin from Escherichia coli K4 fermentation broth was developed. The process is simple, scalable and economical. In particular, downstream procedures were optimized with a particular aim of purifying a product suitable for further chemical modifications, in an attempt to develop a biotechnological platform for chondroitin sulfate production. During process development, membrane devices (ultrafiltration/diafiltration) were exploited, selecting the right cassette cut‐offs for different phases of purification. The operational conditions (cross‐flow rate and transmembrane pressure) used for the process were determined on an ÄKTA cross‐flow instrument (GE Healthcare, USA), a lab‐scale automatic tangential flow filtration system. In addition, parameters such as selectivity and throughput were calculated based on the analytical quantification of K4 and defructosylated K4, as well as the major contaminants. The complete downstream procedure yielded about 75% chondroitin with a purity higher than 90%.