bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Popular literature for Scherpenheuvel's pilgrims at the turn of the nineteenth century: a successful but underestimated component of P.J. Brepols's early career
Authors: Lee Bowen Karen
Published: December 2007

P.J. Brepols (ca. 1778-1845), the founder of the Brepols publishing house, which is still active today, succeeded in establishing himself as a printer-publisher by focusing on the production of popular literature and prints and continually building up his clientele in the Netherlands. One lesser-known, but nonetheless important component of this initial publishing strategy and success are his editions pertaining to the devotion of the Virgin of Scherpenheuvel. In this article, I will focus on the popular devotional texts the Manier om godtvruchtelyk, en met profyt der zielen, te lezen het Heylig Roosen-kransken van Maria ... and Het nieuw Scherpenheuvels Trompetjen, editions of which were regularly printed by both Brepols and his contemporaries. Drawing upon an examination of extant copies of these books, as well as records of Brepols's business operations from ca. 1811 to ca. 1820, I will document the extent to which Brepols dominated the market for devotional publications for Scherpenheuvel, discuss his sales of these publications, and provide a detailed description of Brepols's editions of these texts in the concluding appendix. Although primarily a study of Brepols's publications, his approach to the printing and sale of these works offers an instructive example of how other printers in this period may have organized their operations.
S.D. Luzzatto's Approach Regarding the Unity of the Book of Isaiah
Authors: Vargon Shmuel
Published: December 2007

In this article we have described Luzzatto's position, as it is expressed in different passages in his essays, commentaries, and writings, regarding the unity of the book of Isaiah and regarding the question of the time of the various prophecies in the first part of the book, to which different scholars ascribed a later date, in the Second Temple period. We classified and presented the arguments of the scholars
Spirit and Voice: Toward a Feminist Pentecostal Pneumatology
Authors: Hollingsworth Andrea
Published: December 2007

This article suggests that bringing feminist pneumatology and Pentecostal spirituality into dialogue may provide new opportunities link women's empowerment with the doctrine of the Holy Spirit. Following a brief overview of feminist pneumatology and Pentecostal spirituality, it exposits Sarah Coakley's pneumatology, arguing that her insights lead us to inquire about the ways in which Charismatic piety might contribute to the empowerment of Pentecostal women in the majority world today. The article then highlights sociological research which shows that Latin American women's ecstatic experiences of the Spirit are frequently linked with an increased sense of personal subjectivity, and the ability to “give voice” in both public and private spheres. It concludes with a proposal for speaking of the Holy Spirit as the divine voice, suggesting that this may be one way to move toward a constructive feminist Pentecostal pneumatology.
Mary, the Unwelcome (?) Guest in Catholic/Pentecostal Dialogue
Authors: Colle Ralph Del
Published: December 2007

Catholic Marian doctrines and practices have been a major stumbling block for Catholic/Pentecostal dialogue. In this article I utilize a pneumatological perspective to suggest that Mariology exemplifies the intersection between a Catholic theology of grace (including spirituality) and ecclesiology (embracing Vatican II's articulation of Mariology). I build on the notion that the outpouring of the Holy Spirit alerts the Pentecostal/Charismatic believer to: 1) the church's existence in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, 2) the reception of the grace, gifts and charisms of the Holy Spirit, 3) the fraternal/sororal recognition of “anointed ones” in the midst of the Pentecostal assembly, and 4) the doxological response in which praise and veneration are appropriate in an eschatologically oriented church. In doing so I correlate each of these points with aspects of Catholic Marian doctrine and praxis and seek to elicit a Pentecostal response.
Income Volatility and Wealth: The Effect on Charitable Giving
Authors: Hughes Patricia , Luksetich William
Published: December 2007

Charitable giving in the United States provides a major source of funding for nonprofit organizations, but it is also a highly variable source of funding. A possible explanation for the substantial variability in giving lies in the measurement of income. In addition to permanent and transitory income, this article introduces the variability of income as a factor affecting charitable donations. The variability of income increases with the level of household income and varies by the source of income. In distinguishing types of income the authors are also able to shed some light on decision making by married couples. The effect of changes in permanent household income on charitable giving is significantly larger than that of transitory household income. Greater variability in the flow of annual household income has a negative effect on total giving. In addition, the authors find some significant differences in the impact on giving between the husband's and wife's earnings.
The “Romsås in Motion” Community Intervention: Mediating Effects of Psychosocial Factors on Forward Transition in the Stages of Change in Physical Activity
Authors: Lorentzen Catherine , Ommundsen Yngvar , Jenum Anne Karen , Holme Ingar
Published: December 2007

This study examines whether a community-based physical activity intervention influenced movement in stages of change in physical activity in an adult population, whether any such effect was mediated by psychosocial influences, and whether any such mediations were moderated by sociodemographic or anthropometric factors. The 3-year-long pseudoexperimental intervention included physical activity, communication, environmental, and participatory components. Questionnaires assessed stages of change in physical activity and potential psychosocial mediators. Regression analyses revealed a significant favorable intervention effect on stages of change, partially mediated by enhanced support from family, perceived control, and physical activity identity. No moderation effects by gender, age, ethnicity, education, or body mass index were observed. Support from family, perceived control, and identity might be important intervention target points for inducing forward movement in the stages of change in physical activity, regardless of sociodemographic and anthropometric background factors.
A nonsynonymous SNP in the ITGB3 gene disrupts the conserved membrane-proximal cytoplasmic salt bridge in the αIIbβ3 integrin and cosegregates dominantly with abnormal proplatelet formation and macrothrombocytopenia
Authors: Ghevaert Cedric , Salsmann Alexandre , Watkins Nicholas A. , Schaffner-Reckinger Elisabeth , Rankin Angela , Garner Stephen F. , Stephens Jonathan , Smith Graham A. , Debili Najet , Vainchenker William , de Groot Philip G. , Huntington James A. , Laffan Mike , Kieffer Nelly , Ouwehand Willem H.
Published: December 2007

We report a 3-generation pedigree with 5 individuals affected with a dominantly inherited macrothrombocytopenia. All 5 carry 2 nonsynonymous mutations resulting in a D723H mutation in the β3 integrin and a P53L mutation in glycoprotein (GP) Ibα. We show that GPIbα-L53 is phenotypically silent, being also present in 3 unaffected pedigree members and in 7 of 1639 healthy controls. The β3-H723 causes constitutive, albeit partial, activation of the αIIbβ3 complex by disruption of the highly conserved cytoplasmic salt bridge with arginine 995 in the αIIb integrin as evidenced by increased PAC-1 but not fibrinogen binding to the patients' resting platelets. This was confirmed in CHO αIIbβ3-H723 transfectants, which also exhibited increased PAC-1 binding, increased adhesion to von Willebrand factor (VWF) in static conditions and to fibrinogen under shear stress. Crucially, we show that in the presence of fibrinogen, αIIbβ3-H723, but not wild-type αIIbβ3, generates a signal that leads to the formation of proplatelet-like protrusions in transfected CHO cells. Abnormal proplatelet formation was confirmed in the propositus's CD34+ stem cell–derived megakaryocytes. We conclude that the constitutive activation of the αIIbβ3-H723 receptor causes abnormal proplatelet formation, leading to incorrect sizing of platelets and the thrombocytopenia observed in the pedigree.
A systematic approach to detecting transcription factors in response to environmental stresses
Authors: Lin Li-Hsieh , Lee Hsiao-Ching , Li Wen-Hsiung , Chen Bor-Sen
Published: December 2007

Background

Eukaryotic cells have developed mechanisms to respond to external environmental or physiological changes (stresses). In order to increase the activities of stress-protection functions in response to an environmental change, the internal cell mechanisms need to induce certain specific gene expression patterns and pathways by changing the expression levels of specific transcription factors (TFs). The conventional methods to find these specific TFs and their interactivities are slow and laborious. In this study, a novel efficient method is proposed to detect the TFs and their interactivities that regulate yeast genes that respond to any specific environment change.

Results

For each gene expressed in a specific environmental condition, a dynamic regulatory model is constructed in which the coefficients of the model represent the transcriptional activities and interactivities of the corresponding TFs. The proposed method requires only microarray data and information of all TFs that bind to the gene but it has superior resolution than the current methods. Our method not only can find stress-specific TFs but also can predict their regulatory strengths and interactivities. Moreover, TFs can be ranked, so that we can identify the major TFs to a stress. Similarly, it can rank the interactions between TFs and identify the major cooperative TF pairs. In addition, the cross-talks and interactivities among different stress-induced pathways are specified by the proposed scheme to gain much insight into protective mechanisms of yeast under different environmental stresses.

Conclusion

In this study, we find significant stress-specific and cell cycle-controlled TFs via constructing a transcriptional dynamic model to regulate the expression profiles of genes under different environmental conditions through microarray data. We have applied this TF activity and interactivity detection method to many stress conditions, including hyper- and hypo- osmotic shock, heat shock, hydrogen peroxide and cell cycle, because the available expression time profiles for these conditions are long enough. Especially, we find significant TFs and cooperative TFs responding to environmental changes. Our method may also be applicable to other stresses if the gene expression profiles have been examined for a sufficiently long time.
From CNI-1493 to the immunological homunculus: physiology of the inflammatory reflex
Authors: Oke Stacey L , Tracey Kevin J
Published: December 2007

The inflammatory reflex is a neurophysiological mechanism that regulates the immune system. The efferent branch of the reflex the cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway, which inhibits inflammation by suppressing cytokine synthesis via release of acetylcholine in organs of the reticuloendothelial system, including the spleen, liver, and gastrointestinal tract. Acetylcholine binds to α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors expressed by macrophages and other cytokine-producing cells. Receptor-ligand engagement suppresses proinflammatory cytokines and prevents tissue damage. Herein is a review of some of the experimental studies that define the inflammatory reflex and its anatomic and physiologic components.
Turmeric-based diet can delay apoptosis without modulating NF-κB in unilateral ureteral obstruction in rats
Authors: Hashem Reem M , Soliman Hala M , Shaapan Sahar F
Published: December 2007

The unilateral ureteral obstruction (UUO) model of renal injury in rat is characterized by nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) activation and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) production, which induces apoptosis via activation of caspase 8 resulting in cell death. Curcumin, the major component found in turmeric spice, has been reported to provide protection against fibrosis and apoptosis elicited by UUO. This study examined the effects of a turmeric-based diet (5% w/w) on the apoptotic pathway induced by UUO in rats after 30 days of ligation. Administration of a turmeric-based diet demonstrated a significant decrease (P < 0.05) in mRNA expression of TNF-α and caspase 8, but not NF-κB, expression, which may contribute to the protective role of the turmeric-based diet. We conclude that a turmeric-based diet can delay apoptosis without modulating NF-κB, so as not to sensitize the mesangial cells to the apoptotic stimuli.
Pharmacokinetics of formulated tenoxicam transdermal delivery systems
Authors: Kim Taekyung , Kang Eunyoung , Chun Inkoo , Gwak Hyesun
Published: December 2007

To investigate the feasibility of developing a new tenoxicam transdermal delivery system (TDS), the pharmacokinetics of tenoxicam from various formulated TDS were evaluated and compared with values following oral administration of tenoxicam and with application of a piroxicam plaster (Trast) marketed in Korea. Based on previous in-vitro study results, a mixture of diethylene glycol monoethyl ether (DGME) and propylene glycol monolaurate (PGML) (40:60) was used as a vehicle, and caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, oleic acid or linoleic acid (each at 3%) was added as an enhancer. Triethanolamine (5%) was used as a solubilizer, and Duro-Tak 87–2510 as a pressure-sensitive adhesive. Among these fatty acids used for the formulation of tenoxicam TDS, caprylic acid showed the greatest enhancing effect; the area under the plasma concentration—time profile (AUC) decreased in the order of caprylic acid > linoleic acid ≥ oleic acid > lauric acid > capric acid. Compared with oral administration, maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) was significantly lower, and time to reach Cmax (Tmax) delayed with all formulated tenoxicam TDS. All formulated TDS resulted in a lower AUC than with the oral formulation, except for TDS containing caprylic acid, although the difference was statistically significant only with capric acid. The AUC for all the formulated tenoxicam TDS was significantly higher than that of the piroxicam plaster; TDS with caprylic acid increased AUC 8.53-fold compared with the piroxicam plaster. Even though the Tmax of tenoxicam TDS was not significantly different from that of the piroxicam plaster, Cmax was higher; formulations containing caprylic acid and linoleic acid increased Cmax by 7.39- and 8.76-fold, respectively. In conclusion, a formulation containing 1.5 mL DGME-PGML (40:60) with 3% caprylic acid and 5% triethanolamine mixed with 6 g Duro-Tak 87–2510 could be a good candidate for developing a new tenoxicam TDS to maintain a comparable extent of absorption to oral delivery while attaining a prolonged effect with fewer toxic events.
Slipping and Rolling Ratio of Sliding Acceleration for a Water Droplet Sliding on Fluoroalkylsilane Coatings of Different Roughness
Authors: Suzuki Shunsuke , Nakajima Akira , Sakai Munetoshi , Sakurada Yuu , Yoshida Naoya , Hashimoto Ayako , Kameshima Yoshikazu , Okada Kiyoshi
Published: December 2007

The effect of surface roughness on the internal fluidity of a water droplet during sliding on an inclined Si surface treated fluoroalkylsilane (FAS) was investigated using particle image velocimetry (PIV). A water droplet slid down by caterpillar-like rotation flow with or without slippage on the solid–liquid interface. The slipping/rolling ratio on the sliding acceleration depended on the surface roughness; the droplet advanced on the rough surface mainly by the rolling mechanism.
Vertical Control of Price and Inventory
Authors: Krishnan Harish , Winter Ralph A
Published: December 2007

This paper offers a simple approach to the theory of decentralizing inventory and pricing decisions along a supply chain. We consider an upstream manufacturer selling to two outlets, which compete as differentiated duopolists and face uncertain demand. Demand spillovers between the outlets arise in the event of stockouts. The price mechanism, in which each outlet pays a two-part price and chooses price and inventory, virtually never coordinates incentives efficiently. Contracts that can elicit first-best decisions include resale price floors or buy-back policies (retailer-held options to sell inventory back to the manufacturers). (JEL D21, L13, L14, M11)
Heterogeneity and Aggregation: Implications for Labor-Market Fluctuations
Authors: Chang Yongsung , Kim Sun-Bin
Published: December 2007

We demonstrate that aggregate employment and consumption can increase without a corresponding movement in productivity in a model with heterogeneous agents where the only aggregate disturbance is a productivity shock. The interaction between incomplete capital markets and indivisible labor results in a low employment-productivity correlation and creates a time-varying wedge between the marginal rate of substitution (for commodity consumption and hours) and productivity. Our results caution against viewing the measured wedge as an inefficiency due to a failure of labor-market clearing or as a fundamental driving force behind business cycles. (JEL D31, E32, J22, J24, J31)
Competitive Wages in a Match with Ordered Contracts
Authors: Niederle Muriel
Published: December 2007

Following the recently dismissed antitrust lawsuit against the National Residency Matching Program (NRMP), Jeremy Bulow and Jonathan Levin (2006) propose a simple matching model in which firms set impersonal salaries simultaneously before matching with workers, which leads to lower aggregate wages than any competitive outcome. I model a feature of the NRMP, ordered contracts, that allows firms to set several contracts while determining the order in which they try to fill them, which has different properties than standard models with multiple contracts. Furthermore, the low wages of Bulow and Levin are no longer an equilibrium, but competitive wages are. (JEL D86, J31, J41)
Measurement of Vibroacoustic Performance of Close-Fitting Honeycomb Sandwich Structures
Authors: Tang Wing-Cheong
Published: December 2007

This paper considers acoustic treatment of honeycomb sandwich panels in close-fitting enclosures. Honeycomb sandwich panels are efficient radiators of sound because they are generally optimized for high stiffness and low weight. Results confirm that adding absorption at the mass-spring-mass resonance of a honeycomb panel with a thin plate has practical benefit. The absorption minimizes the effect of the ‘mass-air-mass’ resonance which usually reduces the low-frequency transmission loss, and offers increased performance at higher frequencies. The potential of composite honeycomb sandwich panels for reducing noise below 500 Hz is also demonstrated.
A Computer Algorithm for the Generation of Three Dimensional Acoustical Forms: Application to an Investigation of the Acoustics of a Fan Shaped Auditorium
Authors: Hetherington Robina , Oldham David
Published: December 2007

An examination of techniques employed for the computer modeling of building forms reveals that a basic approach is to construct 3D shapes by the assembly of individual planar elements, each of which is defined by a sequence of nodes. The geometric forms of auditoria are analysed and it is shown that the majority can be categorized in terms of a limited number of basic plan forms and cross sections. It is proposed that most of these basic categories can be collapsed to yield a single generic plan form and a single generic cross section that can be simply defined in terms of a number of node co-ordinates. An algorithm is developed for the rapid generation of 3D models of auditoria from the input of a limited number of dimensions related to the generic plan and sections identified in the earlier part of the paper. A number of models generated using this technique have been employed to investigate the effectiveness of stepped walls in general purpose auditoria with a wide fan shaped plan. The results obtained suggest that although the use of stepped walls is very effective in ensuring strong lateral reflections they tend to negate the beneficial effects that the use of the simple plan form brings to rooms intended for speech.
A simple ligation-based method to increase the information density in sequencing reactions used to deconvolute nucleic acid selections
Authors: Childs-Disney Jessica L. , Disney Matthew D.
Published: December 2007

Herein, a method is described to increase the information density of sequencing experiments used to deconvolute nucleic acid selections. The method is facile and should be applicable to any selection experiment. A critical feature of this method is the use of biotinylated primers to amplify and encode a BamHI restriction site on both ends of a PCR product. After amplification, the PCR reaction is captured onto streptavidin resin, washed, and digested directly on the resin. Resin-based digestion affords clean product that is devoid of partially digested products and unincorporated PCR primers. The product's complementary ends are annealed and ligated together with T4 DNA ligase. Analysis of ligation products shows formation of concatemers of different length and little detectable monomer. Sequencing results produced data that routinely contained three to four copies of the library. This method allows for more efficient formulation of structure-activity relationships since multiple active sequences are identified from a single clone.
KREPA6 is an RNA-binding protein essential for editosome integrity and survival of Trypanosoma brucei
Authors: Tarun Salvador Zipagan , Schnaufer Achim , Ernst Nancy Lewis , Proff Rosemary , Deng Junpeng , Hol Wim , Stuart Kenneth
Published: December 2007

Most mitochondrial mRNAs in kinetoplastid protozoa require post-transcriptional RNA editing that inserts and deletes uridylates, a process that is catalyzed by multiprotein editosomes. KREPA6 is the smallest of six editosome proteins that have predicted oligonucleotide-binding (OB) folds. Inactivation of KREPA6 expression results in disruption and ultimate loss of ∼20S editosomes and inhibition of procyclic form cell growth. Gel shift studies show that recombinant KREPA6 binds RNA, but not DNA, with a preference for oligo-(U) whether on the 3′ end of gRNA or as a (UU)12 homopolymer. Thus, KREPA6 is essential for the structural integrity and presence of ∼20S editosomes and for cell viability. It functions in RNA binding perhaps primarily through the gRNA 3′ oligo(U) tail. The significance of these findings to key steps in editing is discussed.
Balancing the Tensions Between Rationalization and Creativity in the Video Games Industry
Authors: Tschang F. Ted
Published: December 2007

This paper investigates the forces that influence creativity in the video games industry. We adopt a qualitative approach to guide the development of grounded theory across multiple levels of analysis, including the industry (consisting of multiple actors), organizational, and individual creator levels. Our study shows that business and production interests currently drive the rationalization of video game production. There is a maturing trend, with product designs becoming well established as genres, and consumers and publishers desiring incrementally innovative games. This leads publishers to focus on acquiring intellectual property, and publishers and studios alike to make incrementally innovative sequels. The increasing complexity of products leads to further rationalization in their development. However, the need to satisfy consumers' continually evolving tastes and game developers' inclinations to be creative also creates tensions with these rational forces. Different actors balance these tensions differently. Studios may seek to balance these by shifting between more and less innovative products, by creating original intellectual property to increase their bargaining power with publishers, and by iterating and repositioning products during development to adapt them to the market. Publishers may enhance their portfolio by hiring highly creative designers into their stable. New products are created through combinative creativity, that is, the recombination of existing ideas from different sources into new products. The connection of combinative mechanisms with the balancing behavior at the firm level provides a means for understanding the evolution of innovative products and, therefore, industries.
Mixed media: from digital aesthetics towards general communication theory
Authors: Jensen Klaus Bruhn
Published: December 2007

During the last decade, many studies have reconsidered the definition of media, frequently emphasizing how new Digital media may be reproducing or reformulating old analogue media. Through a critical examination of two key contributions Bolter and Grusin (1999) on remediation and Manovich
(2001) on the language of new media this article suggests that much current work under a heading of digital aesthetics, approaching media as modes of representing reality, rather than as resources for acting in and on reality, is missing not one, but two opportunities one of exploring interactivity
at the level of meaning as received and interpreted, the other of specifying how the discourses of digital media enter into social interaction beyond the interface. Digital media should be understood in the wider context of general communication theory, including issues of mediated and unmediated
social interaction.
Importance of folate-homocysteine homeostasis during early embryonic development
Authors: Taparia Shveta , Gelineau-van Waes Janée , Rosenquist Thomas H. , Finnell Richard H.
Published: December 2007

Although the beneficial effects of maternal folate supplementation in the periconceptional period have been shown to prevent neural tube defects, congenital heart defects and orofacial clefts, the exact protective mechanism of folates remains unknown. Folates affect DNA synthesis, amino acid metabolism and methylation of genes, proteins and lipids via S-adenosylmethionine-mediated one-carbon transfer reactions. Our laboratory has created several mouse knock out models of folate transport using gene targeting to inactivate folate receptor 1 (

Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1717–27.
Small ubiquitin-like modifier-1 (SUMO-1) modification of thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase
Authors: Anderson Donald D. , Woeller Collynn F. , Stover Patrick J.
Published: December 2007

Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1760–3.
The role of hyperhomocysteinemia and B-vitamin deficiency in neurological and psychiatric diseases
Authors: Obeid Rima , McCaddon Andrew , Herrmann Wolfgang
Published: December 2007

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHcy) is related to central nervous system diseases. Epidemiological studies show a positive, dose-dependent relationship between plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration and neurodegenerative disease risk. tHcy is a marker of B-vitamin (folate, B

Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1590–606.
Decreased p66Shc promoter methylation in patients with end-stage renal disease
Authors: Geisel Jürgen , Schorr Heike , Heine Gunar H. , Bodis Marion , Hübner Ulrich , Knapp Jean-Pierre , Herrmann Wolfgang
Published: December 2007

Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1764–70.
The role of hyperhomocysteinemia as well as folate, vitamin B6 and B12 deficiencies in osteoporosis – a systematic review
Authors: Herrmann Markus , Peter Schmidt Johannes , Umanskaya Natalia , Wagner Alexandra , Taban-Shomal Omid , Widmann Thomas , Colaianni Graziana , Wildemann Britt , Herrmann Wolfgang
Published: December 2007

Hyperhomocysteinemia (HHCY) has been suggested as a new risk factor for osteoporosis. Recent epidemiological, clinical and experimental studies provide a growing body of data, which is reviewed in this article.

Epidemiological and (randomized) clinical trials suggest that HHCY increases fracture risk, but has minor effects on bone mineral density. Measurement of biochemical bone turnover markers indicates a shift of bone metabolism towards bone resorption. Animal studies confirm these observations showing a reduced bone quality and stimulation of bone resorption in hyperhomocysteinemic animals. Homocysteine (HCY) has been found to accumulate in bone by collagen binding. Cell culture studies demonstrate that high HCY levels stimulate osteoclasts but not osteoblasts, indicating again a shift of bone metabolism towards bone resorption. Regarding B-vitamins, only a few in vivo studies with equivocal results have been published. However, two large cell culture studies confirm the results obtained with exogenous HCY administration. In addition, HHCY seems to have adverse affects on extracellular bone matrix by disturbing collagen crosslinking.

In conclusion, existing data suggest that HHCY (and possibly B-vitamin deficiencies) adversely affects bone quality by a stimulation of bone resorption and disturbance of collagen crosslinking.

Clin Chem Lab Med 2007;45:1621–32.
3D magnetic resonance microscopy of a wounded beech branch
Authors: Oven Primož , Merela Maks , Mikac Urša , Serša Igor
Published: December 2007

The pruned part of a beech (Fagus sylvatica) branch was imaged by a 3D spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique to visualize change in structure and water content in the tissues. Proton density-weighted MR images of intact tissues confirmed high moisture content (MC) associated with high MRI signal in the pith, xylem rays and earlywood vessels, as well as in the cambial zone with current annual xylem and phloem increment. MRI images derived from the 3D datasets showed a previously unreported moisture-related structural response of the beech branch to wounding. An extensive wound tissue with a high MRI signal at the wound edge was a conspicuous new structure clearly visualized by 3D MRI. MRI revealed that the xylem at the wound was dehydrated in a cone-shaped pattern extending approximately 4.5 mm deep into the branch. Dehydration was delimited from the underlying sound wood by a layer, corresponding to the reaction zone, of tissue with a high MRI signal and hence high moisture content. Moisture content of these reaction zones in beech determined by MRI were greater than in healthy wood by factors of 1.3–1.8. Accordingly, in the margins of wounded beech wood not only cell wall alterations can be observed, but also an intensive water accumulation, which is probably an integral part of the protective mechanism for the underlying sound wood.
Developing environmentally benign and effective organic wood preservatives by understanding the biocidal and non-biocidal properties of extractives in naturally durable heartwood
Authors: Binbuga Nursen , Ruhs Christopher , Hasty Julia K. , Henry William P. , Schultz Tor P.
Published: December 2007

Wood products for exterior residential applications have long been protected with metallic preservatives. However, environmental and disposal concerns and governmental regulations have resulted in a growing trend to employ organic systems based on relatively benign and expensive agrochemicals. To develop organic preservatives that have increased efficacy and lower cost, various groups are studying the biocidal and non-biocidal properties of extractives present in naturally durable heartwoods. In this study, we determined the fungicidal, free radical scavenger/antioxidant, metal chelation and Fe3+ reducing properties of some flavones and flavonoid analogs and chromones. The results support our earlier hypothesis that the abiotic antioxidant, Fe3+ reduction and subsequent metal complexation properties, in combination with the extractives’ fungicidal properties, all have a role in natural durability. Consequently, it may be possible to employ non-biocidal additive(s) with the above abiotic properties to enhance the efficacy of the relatively expensive organic agrochemicals used to protect wood.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: Katz Naomi
Published: December 2007

Dying for Growth: Global Inequality and the Health of the Poor. Jim Yong Kim, Alec Irwin, Joyce Millen, John Gershman and Jim Young, eds. Monroe, ME: Common Courage Press, 2000.
BOOK REVIEWS
Authors: Wah Dixon WONG Heung
Published: December 2007

Working Out in Japan: Shaping the Female Body in Tokyo Fitness Clubs. Laura Spielvogel. Durham: Duke University Press, 2003.
VISUAL REVIEWS
Authors: O'Neill Tom
Published: December 2007

Children of Shadows. Karen Kramer, producer and director. 54 minutes. Color. New York: Filmakers Library, 2001. [for rental/purchase information see web site: http://www.filmakers.com]
Science, Schooling and Experiential Learning in Pacoima
Authors: Maida Carl A.
Published: December 2007

This paper examines how concerns about school reform, environmental quality, and experiential learning have converged in Pacoima, California, an older community of 98,000 persons in the northeast San Fernando Valley. The area's environmentally compromised landscape has inspired a grassroots urban ecology movement, named Pacoima Beautiful, promoting environmental education, leadership development, and advocacy. Modeled on Dutch “science shops,” their research agenda on environmental quality of life is based upon concerns posed by community residents and carried out in partnership with local universities. Pacoima's environmentalists also collaborate with Project GRAD Los Angeles, a comprehensive initiative to improve student achievement in reading and math to increase the number of youth entering and succeeding in college. The initiative awards merit college scholarships, and require youth seeking them to attend two “institutes” during breaks to increase their skills and experience in reading, critical thinking, communication, and problem solving. An institute on science‐based experiential learning engaged local high school students in collaborative research on environmental concerns, including hazardous waste, flooding, air quality, soil lead contamination, and environmental disease. Faculty from five area universities designed the research questions and outcomes for each study and college students served as mentors for the high school students as they implemented the projects. A resident was selected to serve as a recorder for each project and to relate what was learned to others in the community. Reflective activities, including discussion of alternative paths of action based upon the research, took place within the three constituencies: university students, high school students, and residents. Exposure to urban social knowledge, namely science and advocacy on behalf of environmental concerns, acted as a catalyst to raise the environmental awareness, community consciousness, and academic readiness of the youth. Involving university faculty and students, high school youth, and residents in collaborative partnerships was key to increasing social knowledge and social capital on behalf of revitalizing this community.
Socialization and Reputation in Virtual Corporate Spaces: Confirming Identity and Reproducing Practice
Authors: Dirksen Vanessa
Published: December 2007

Transformative expectations of modern information and communication technologies (ICTs) often do not agree with the reality of their appropriation in context. To investigate the divergence between discourse and praxis of ICTs, I performed an ethnographic study in a large Dutch IT firm where I followed a change project that was aimed at improving the organization's learning capabilities through the concept of virtual community. The research findings illustrate how the virtual community created to serve as an experiential learning exercise is appropriated instead as an arena for the manufacturing and display of status and as a reassurance of belonging.
BOOK REVIEW
Authors: Cefkin Melissa
Published: December 2007

New Technologies at Work: People, Screens and Social Virtuality. Christina Garsten and Helen Wulff, editors. Oxford, NY: Berg, 2003.
BOOK REVIEW
Authors: Léons M. Barbara
Published: December 2007

Drugs, Labor, and Colonial Expansion. William Jankowiak and Daniel Bradburd, editors. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2003.
Bodies for Rent: Labor and Marginality in Southern Louisiana
Authors: Higgins Rylan
Published: December 2007

In southern Louisiana, supplying a workforce for the offshore oil and gas industry's least desirable jobs requires manipulation of non‐market forces that shape access to labor. Specifically, a labor camp system, evolving since the late 1970s, recruits and deploys disempowered workers (or “bodies”) to fulfill the manual labor needs of a wide variety of oil and gas companies—a process that generates profits for the individuals who own labor camps while reproducing the continuities between work and poverty for the marginalized underclass of US cities. This essay explores the perpetuation of the camp system, arguing that it is not company desires for cost‐saving mechanisms but demands for a tractable workforce that explain the primary relationships between camp workers, managers and owners, on the one hand, and oil company management, on the other. Understandings of how social capital, cultural capital and drug dependency factor into employment at one camp provide key insights into the anatomy of the labor camp system.
California Farmin': Promise and Reality
Authors: Gamst Frederick C.
Published: December 2007

Beasts of the Field:. Narrative History of California Farmworkers, 1769–1913. Richard S. Street. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2004.

Photographing Farmworkers in California. Richard S. Street. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2004.
Hidden Forms in Palestrina's First Book of Four-Voice Motets
Authors: Schubert Peter N.
Published: December 2007

This study offers analysis-based explanations of the construction of points of imitation in Palestrina's First Book of Four-Voice Motets. The traditional view that musical sense is based on repetition seems almost irrelevant to this repertoire, and the wonderfully unpredictable arrangement of thematic entries has seemed a mark of Palestrina's greatness. The project of this essay is to answer the following questions: Why does Palestrina repeat the soggetto as many times as he does? Why does he choose a particular order of voices? Of transpositions? In short, how does he shape the point? I argue that Palestrina organizes his points around the repetition of modules (repeating contrapuntal combinations), and I find that that a mere handful of terms suffices to label all of the points in the collection. The richness and depth of meaning that have made Palestrina's music the object of constant fascination result less from the simple beauty of the lines than from the tension between these lines and the structural modules into which they are woven. Palestrina is probably not the only composer to use such techniques; modular analysis is a tool that can be used in other collections of pieces, in pieces for more voices and in other genres, and in pieces by other composers.
Concise Review: Wharton's Jelly-Derived Cells Are a Primitive Stromal Cell Population
Authors: Troyer Deryl L. , Weiss Mark L.
Published: December 2007

Here, the literature was reviewed to evaluate whether a population of mesenchymal stromal cells derived from Wharton's jelly cells (WJCs) is a primitive stromal population. A clear case can be made for WJCs as a stromal population since they display the characteristics of MSCs as defined by the International Society for Cellular Therapy; for example, they grow as adherent cells with mesenchymal morphology, they are self-renewing, they express cell surface markers displayed by MSCs, and they may be differentiated into bone, cartilage, adipose, muscle, and neural cells. Like other stromal cells, WJCs support the expansion of other stem cells, such as hematopoietic stem cells, are well-tolerated by the immune system, and they have the ability to home to tumors. In contrast to bone marrow MSCs, WJCs have greater expansion capability, faster growth in vitro, and may synthesize different cytokines. WJCs are therapeutic in several different pre-clinical animal models of human disease such as neurodegenerative disease, cancer, heart disease, etc. The preclinical work suggests that the WJCs are therapeutic via trophic rescue and immune modulation. In summary, WJCs meet the definition of MSCs. Since WJCs expand faster and to a greater extent than adult-derived MSCs, these findings suggest that WJCs are a primitive stromal cell population with therapeutic potential. Further work is needed to determine whether WJCs engraft long-term and display self-renewal and multipotency in vivo and, as such, demonstrate whether Wharton's jelly cells are a true stem cell population.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Adipose-Derived Stem Cells Are a Source for Cell Therapy of the Corneal Stroma
Authors: Arnalich-Montiel Francisco , Pastor Silvia , Blazquez-Martinez Alejandro , Fernandez-Delgado Jorge , Nistal Manuel , Alio Jorge L. , De Miguel Maria P.
Published: December 2007

Most corneal diseases affect corneal stroma and include immune or infectious diseases, ecstatic disorders, traumatic scars, and corneal dystrophies. Cell-based therapy is a promising therapeutic approach to overcome the current disadvantages of corneal transplantation. We intended to search for a cell source to repopulate and regenerate corneal stroma. We investigated the ability of human processed lipoaspirate derived (PLA) cells to regenerate corneal stroma in experimental animals. In the first set of experiments, we tested the biosafety and immunogenicity of human PLA stem cells transplanted into the corneal stroma of rabbits. No immune response was elicited even though we used immune-competent animals. PLA cells survived up to 10 weeks post-transplant, maintained their shape, and remained intermingled in the stroma without disrupting its histological pattern. Interestingly, transparency was preserved even 10 weeks after the transplant, when PLA cells formed a discontinuous layer in the stroma. In the second set of experiments, regeneration of the corneal stroma by PLA cells was assessed, creating a niche by partial ablation of the stroma. After 12 weeks, human cells were disposed following a multilayered pattern and differentiated into functional keratocytes, as assessed by the expression of aldehyde-3-dehydrogenase and cornea-specific proteoglycan keratocan. Based on our results, we believe that adipose-derived adult stem cells can be a cell source for stromal regeneration and repopulation in diseased corneas. The low health impact of the surgical procedure performed to obtain the PLA cells provides this cell source with an additional beneficial feature for its possible future autologous use in human patients.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Cancer-Derived Lysophosphatidic Acid Stimulates Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells to Myofibroblast-Like Cells
Authors: Jeon Eun Su , Moon Hyun Jung , Lee Mi Jeong , Song Hae Young , Kim Young Mi , Cho Mong , Suh Dong-Soo , Yoon Man-Soo , Chang Chulhun L. , Jung Jin Sup , Kim Jae Ho
Published: December 2007

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) is enriched in ascites of ovarian cancer patients and is involved in growth and invasion of ovarian cancer cells. Accumulating evidence suggests cancer-associated myofibroblasts play a pivotal role in tumorigenesis through secreting stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1). In the present study, we demonstrate that LPA induces expression of α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), a marker for myofibroblasts, in human adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hADSCs). The LPA-induced expression of α-SMA was completely abrogated by pretreatment of the cells with Ki16425, an antagonist of LPA receptors, or by silencing LPA1 or LPA2 isoform expression with small interference RNA (siRNA). LPA elicited phosphorylation of Smad2/3, and siRNA-mediated depletion of endogenous Smad2/3 or adenoviral expression of Smad7, an inhibitory Smad, abrogated the LPA induced expression of α-SMA and phosphorylation of Smad2/3. LPA-induced secretion of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 in hADSCs, and pretreatment of the cells with SB431542, a TGF-β type I receptor kinase inhibitor, or anti-TGF-β1 neutralizing antibody inhibited the LPA-induced expression of α-SMA and phosphorylation of Smad2. Furthermore, ascites from ovarian cancer patients or conditioned medium from ovarian cancer cells induced expression of α-SMA and phosphorylation of Smad2, and pretreatment of the cells with Ki16425 or SB431542 abrogated the expression of α-SMA and phosphorylation of Smad2. In addition, LPA increased the expression of SDF-1 in hADSCs, and pretreatment of the cells with Ki16425 or SB431562 attenuated the LPA-stimulated expression of SDF-1. These results suggest that cancer-derived LPA stimulates differentiation of hADSCs to myofibroblast-like cells and increases SDF-1 expression through activating autocrine TGF-β1-Smad signaling pathway.

Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
Endosulfan Sulfate Mobility in Soil Columns and Pesticide Pollution of Groundwater in Northwest Morocco
Authors: Bakouri Hicham El , Ouassini Abdelhamid , Aguado José Morillo , García José Usero
Published: December 2007

Groundwater pollution from agricultural practices is a serious environmental and health problem. In this work, stir bar sorptive extraction (SBSE) and gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectrometry (MS) detection were used to determine phytosanitary products in groundwater samples from the Loukkos perimeter in Northwest Morocco. Some pesticides—in particular, endosulfan and its metabolites—were found in water destined for human consumption. Analyses of soil samples were also carried out, and the results showed endosulfan sulfate and endosulfan ether in abundance. Endosulfan sulfate leaching was also performed in undisturbed soil columns to obtain more information on the vertical migration of pesticides used in the perimeter. The kinetic study showed a high recovery rate (73%) after 10 days of experimental work.
Characterizing the Passage of Personal Care Products Through Wastewater Treatment Processes
Authors: Oppenheimer Joan , Stephenson Roger , Burbano Arturo , Liu Li
Published: December 2007

Wastewater treatment facilities use secondary treatment to stabilize the effect of discharged effluent on receiving waters by oxidizing biodegradable organic matter and reducing suspended solids and nutrients. The process was never specifically intended to remove trace quantities of xenobiotics, such as endocrine‐disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). Nevertheless, European studies performed at bench‐scale or at small facilities have demonstrated that a critical minimum solids retention time (SRT) can achieve good reduction of many EDCs and pharmaceuticals. The objective of this study was to expand these findings to the removal performance for 20 PPCPs commonly found in the influent to full‐scale facilities operating in the United States. The participating plants use SRT conditions ranging from 0.5 to 30 days and include facility capacities ranging from 19 000 m3/d (5 mgd) to greater than 1 136 000 m3/d (300 mgd). Two pilot membrane bioreactors were also included in the study.    The 20 PPCPs were categorized into nine bin combinations of occurrence frequency and treatment reduction performance. While most compounds were well removed, galaxolide (a musk fragrance) occurred frequently and was resistant to removal. A minimum critical SRT, defined as the minimum SRT, needed to consistently demonstrate greater than 80% removal (SRT80), was compound‐dependent, with most compounds removed at 5 to 15 days and a small group requiring longer SRTs. From limited data, no additional removal could be attributed to the use of membrane bioreactors, media filters, or longer hydraulic retention times. Reverse osmosis was effective in removing any remaining compounds.