bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Peptide models in the study of the mechanism of carcinogenesis by heavy metals
Authors: Malandrinos Gerasimos , Nunes Ana-Monica , Zavitsanos Kimon , Hadjiliadis Nick
Published: June 2011

The molecular mechanisms of carcinogenesis involving heavy metal ions are not yet fully understood. Histones surrounding DNA are believed to be primary targets for metal ion binding, and such interactions may play a direct or indirect role in metal-induced toxicity carcinogenesis. This paper reviews our results of approximately the last 10 years in this area, starting from small peptide fragments and models of various histones and ending with longer ones. It was found that almost all peptide models reacted strongly with metal ions, and in some cases the peptides in the presense of Cu(II) or Ni(II) were hydrolyzed. Oxidation of deoxyguanosine to 8-oxo-deoxyguanosine under physiological pH values was also observed in the presense of mild oxidation agents like H2O2 and certain metal ion–peptide complexes. With longer peptide chain models, a DNA strand breakage analysis was also carried out, indicating an increased DNA damage by Cu2+/H2O2 and Ni2+/H2O2 reaction mixtures. The results lead to proposals of possible mechanistic pathways of carcinogenesis caused by Cu(II) and Ni(II).
Lipoprotein Subclass Abnormalities and Incident Hypertension in Initially Healthy Women
Authors: Paynter Nina P , Sesso Howard D , Conen David , Otvos James D , Mora Samia
Published: June 2011

BACKGROUND

Abnormalities in traditional lipids, particularly decreased HDL cholesterol and increased triglycerides, can precede the onset of hypertension. Whether lipoprotein particle size or subclass concentrations play a role in the development of hypertension is unknown.

METHODS

We followed 17 527 initially healthy women without baseline hypertension prospectively for 8 years. At baseline, information regarding traditional lipids and hypertension risk factors was obtained, and lipoprotein size and subclass concentrations were measured by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

RESULTS

Baseline lipoprotein size and subclass concentrations were significantly associated with incident hypertension. Although LDL cholesterol was not associated with hypertension [odds ratio (OR) for quintile 5 vs 1: 1.08 (95% CI 0.96–1.20)], increased concentrations of LDL particles were associated with greater risk [OR 1.73 (1.54–1.95)], especially small LDL particles [OR 1.62 (1.45–1.83)]. Increased HDL cholesterol was associated with lower risk of hypertension [OR for quintile 5 vs 1: 0.79 (0.70–0.89)]. By contrast, increased concentrations of HDL particles had greater risk [OR 1.48 (1.32–1.67)], especially small HDL particles [OR 1.36 (1.22–1.53)], whereas large HDL particles had lower risk [OR 0.80 (0.71–0.90)]. Triglycerides and triglyceride-rich VLDL particles were positively associated with hypertension, with large VLDL particles associated with greater risk [OR 1.68 (1.50–1.89)]. Adding particle subclasses improved discrimination over a model with traditional lipids and risk factors (c-statistic 0.671 compared to 0.676; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

In this study of initially healthy women, lipoprotein particle size and subclass concentrations were associated with incident hypertension and provided additive information to traditional lipids and risk factors.
Between Plenty and Poverty Foraging in the Salento with Patience Gray
Authors: federman adam
Published: June 2011

Patience Gray was one of the first food writers to celebrate the culinary and cultural significance of edible weeds and plants. In 1970 she and her husband, the Belgian sculptor Norman Mommens, settled in the far south of Italy. It was the endpoint of their Mediterranean odyssey, which had taken them to the Greek island of Naxos, Carrara, in northwestern Tuscany, Catalonia, the Veneto, and finally Puglia. Gray’s Honey from a Weed, the product of those travels, remains one of the best texts on wild foods and on edible weeds in particular. Drawing on Gray’s unpublished letters and manuscripts this essay explores the life of one of the twentieth century’s most unusual and often overlooked food writers. The contemporary uses and significance of edible weeds and plants are also discussed through foraging trips and interviews with Gray’s friends and neighbors. Though Gray warned that traditional ways of life were dying out, it is clear that foraging is still an important part of the Salentine diet.
Catfish and Controversy at the Okie Noodling Tournament
Authors: tobias ruth
Published: June 2011

From a social standpoint, camaraderie and controversy are the twin pillars of noodling, or hand-catfishing—and the Okie Noodling Tournament, held every summer in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, highlights both. As devotees of a sport that's grounded in family tradition and rich in rural lore, noodlers see themselves as self-sufficient stewards of the waterways, living a lifestyle that sensibly values frugality, responsibility, and intergenerational community above all. But their pastime is also illegal in most states, portrayed by the mainstream media as foolish at best and dangerous at worst. Such contradictions are mirrored by the noodlers own mixed reaction to media attention: by promoting hand-fishing to clear up misconceptions, they risk exposing its private, even secretive nature.

Still, such concerns are minimized on the day of the tournament, when the residential intersection at which Bob’s Pig Shop is transformed into a cheerfully chaotic mass of holding pools, demonstration tanks, bleachers, revelers from all walks of life—and, of course, catfish.
Muse
Authors: koenen barbara
Published: June 2011

Muse is a personal investigation into the historical and contemporary correlations between pomegranates and hand grenades by the author, an artist based in the Midwest. The essay begins with her reminiscences of witnessing a red-stained feast of the “exotic” pomegranate that was hosted by a friend of Armenian descent; then it chronicles the fruit’s historical associations as a fertility and religious symbol in many cultures since ancient times and its cultivation, beginning in the Fertile Crescent and extending across Asia and into Europe and North America. Upon her realization that hand grenades are named after pomegranates, the author describes physical comparisons between the bomb and the fruit, provides a brief history of grenades and grenadiers, and then muses on the contemporaneous marketing campaigns for the War on Terror that paved the way for the 2003 United States invasion into Iraq, and for POM Wonderful beverages that “defy death” as an “Antioxidant Superpower™.” As the hyperbolic claims of both marketing campaigns were later debunked—Saddam Hussein had no weapons of mass destruction and pomegranate juice does not cure cancer—the essay concludes by noting a recent, modest investment by the US government into the cultivation and exporting of pomegranates in Afghanistan as a hopeful sign.
“We Can Serve Them!”: Beanhole Baked Beans at the Broad Cove Church, Cushing, Maine
Authors: scott nina m.
Published: June 2011

Serving beanhole baked beans is a popular fund raiser in summertime Maine, and one of the longest-established suppers of this kind takes place at the Broad Cove Church in mid-coast Cushing. They probably originated in the inland lumber camps, though in-ground cooking is both ancient and world-wide. This article follows the main protagonists through the preparation of their annual public supper.
Improving Recruitment in Clinical Trials: Why Eligible Participants Decline
Authors: Brintnall-Karabelas Julie , Sung Susanna , Cadman Mary Ellen , Squires Carol , Whorton Katherine , Pao Maryland
Published: June 2011

There is a need to explore why protocol-eligible subjects refuse participation in clinical trials. Without a clear understanding, participation by representative populations will be an ongoing obstacle to recruitment. This descriptive research study analyzes frequency data regarding a sample of 965 individuals who, despite being eligible for studies with the National Institute of Mental Health intramural program, declined research participation. Overall, responses regarding reasons for declining fell into the following five categories: A result of specific protocol issues; inconvenience; for other reasons not mentioned; financial reasons; and, lastly, decided to participate elsewhere. The results of this study identify common factors which suggest there are steps that investigators can take to better accommodate the needs of the public and, consequently, improve research participation.
Building Brunelleschi's Dome: A Practical Methodology Verified by Experiment
Authors: Jones Barry , Sereni Andrea , Ricci Massimo
Published: June 2011

Barry Jones, Andrea Sereni, and Massimo Ricci examine how Brunelleschi built the dome of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence between 1420 and 1436. Building Brunelleschi's Dome: A Practical Methodology Verified by Experiment seeks to refute the widely circulated hypothesis that Brunelleschi set out to build the octagonal dome as if it were circular. This article describes the practical principles of an alternative hypothesis of radial construction, developed by Ricci, and it argues that Brunelleschi probably used a method based on these principles. This is supported by the experience of building a one-fifth-scale model of the dome, by evidence discovered within the dome during the recent fresco restoration, and by a fresh interpretation of a contemporary illustrated document prepared by Gherardo da Prato.
Constructing Melchior Lorichs's Panorama of Constantinople
Authors: Westbrook Nigel , Dark Kenneth Rainsbury , van Meeuwen Rene
Published: June 2011

In Constructing Melchior Lorichs's Panorama of Constantinople, Nigel Westbrook, Kenneth Rainsbury Dark, and Rene Van Meeuwen propose that Melchior Lorichs's 1559 Panorama of Constantinople was created by using a viewing grid. The panorama is thus a reliable graphic source for the lost or since-altered Ottoman and Byzantine buildings of the city. The panorama appears to lie outside the conventional symbolic mode of topographical depiction common for its period and constitutes a rare "scientific" record of an encounter of a perspicacious observer with a vast subject. The drawing combines elements of allegory with extensive empirical observation. Several unknown structures, shown on the drawing, have been located in relation to the present-day topography of Istanbul, as a test-case for further research.
Built Like Bridges: Iron, Steel, and Rivets in the Nineteenth-century Skyscraper
Authors: Leslie Thomas
Published: June 2011

Thomas Leslie explains that the wind-induced collapse of the Tay Bridge in Scotland in 1879 illustrated the vulnerability of tall metal frames to lateral forces. Built Like Bridges: Iron, Steel, and Rivets in the Nineteenth-century Skyscraper recounts the revolution in structural methods that followed, culminating in the mid-1890s with the invention of the riveted all-steel skeleton frame and the elimination of thick masonry shear walls. The first generation of wind-braced skyscraper metal frames relied on bridgelike systems of cross bracing or shiplike systems of knee bracing, but these structures intruded into rentable spaces. The second generation of frames better exploited the material properties of steel, making stiff connections between girders and columns that, when multiplied throughout the building, could collectively resist lateral forces without such intrusions. Steel—which had replaced cast iron as a structural material by 1895—excelled in this role because it could be rolled into efficient, workable shapes and riveted to form tight connections.
The Context of the Nave Elevation of Cluny III
Authors: Armi C. Edson
Published: June 2011

The nave of Cluny III, the largest medieval church in Christendom, was destroyed, and written documentation is limited. The Context of the Nave Elevation of Cluny III studies the physical evidence, piecing together information about its structure, construction, articulation, and decoration. C. Edson Armi uses eighteenth-century depictions of the nave and the surviving Cluny III transept, as well as the priory church at Paray-le-Monial and other related buildings, to identify the artistic strands that the masons of Cluny combined to create the unique achievement of the mother church. Their sources included classical models, the ashlar decoration and apse design associated with the northern French Romanesque, and a strong local tradition of stone architecture, which was based on brick construction.
The Hemicycle of Notre-Dame of Paris: Gothic Design and Geometrical Knowledge in the Twelfth Century
Authors: Van Liefferinge Stefaan
Published: June 2011

The Hemicycle of Notre-Dame of Paris: Gothic Design and Geometrical Knowledge in the Twelfth Century analyzes how the layout of four plinths in the hemicycle of Notre-Dame of Paris reflects the state of mathematical knowledge at the time of the first construction phases of the cathedral in the early 1160s. During the first half of the twelfth century, building enterprise was paired with intellectual activity in Paris, where architects experimented with a new building style—Gothic—and scholars explained geometry in treatises. Stefaan Van Liefferinge reconstructs the mathematics used by the Gothic builders at Notre-Dame, notes its resemblance to the geometry of the Parisian scholars, and suggests that this similarity points to either the exchange of knowledge or a common origin.
The Menil Connection: Louis Kahn and the Rice University Art Center
Authors: James Stephen
Published: June 2011

Stephen James tells the story of a great unrealized project in The Menil Connection: Louis Kahn and the Rice University Art Center. Kahn, Rice, and the art collectors John and Dominique de Menil collaborated in this unusual venture, which, among other things, would have housed the de Menil art collection on the Rice campus. The project embodied Kahn's approach to designing an institutional landscape, interwoven with the smaller spaces that he judged were essential for teaching and learning. Its abandonment was the genesis of the independent Menil Collection, for which Kahn also prepared a design, but which was ultimately built by Renzo Piano.
Illusory Tempo Changes Due to Musical Characteristics
Authors: Boltz Marilyn G.
Published: June 2011

Recent research in music cognition has investigated ways in which different structural dimensions interact to influence perception and cognition. In the present research, various musical characteristics were manipulated to observe their potential influence on perceived tempo. In Experiment 1, participants were given a paired comparison task in which music-like patterns differed in both the pitch octave (high vs. low) and timbre (bright vs. dull) in which they were played. The results indicated that relative to their standard referents, comparison melodies were judged faster when displaying a higher pitch and/or a brighter timbre—even when no actual tempo differences existed. Experiment 2 converged on these findings by demonstrating that the perceived tempo of a melody was judged faster when it increased in pitch and/or loudness over time. These results are suggested to stem from an overgeneralization of certain structural correlations within the natural environment that, in turn, has implications for both musical performance and the processing of tempo information.
A Comparison Between Continental European and Anglo-American Approaches to Overcrimnialization and Some Remarks on How to Deal With it
Authors: Molina Fernando
Published: June 2011

The article begins by briefly identifying what the overcriminalization problem means and how this problem is presented differently in continental European and Anglo-American law. Next is an attempt to summarize the causes of overcriminalization, distinguishing those causes that can be attributed to our own activity as specialists in criminal law from other unrelated causes. Some general proposals follow about what is within our grasp to do about overcriminalization and what goes beyond our competence. The first part thus provides the outlines of a general theory of overcriminalization. The second part offers a provisional three-step test to determine when it is justified to anticipate the intervention of the criminal law by making use of risk-creation offenses, such as, but not limited to, inchoate offenses, possession offenses, and offenses of belonging to criminal organizations.
Start Your Own Religion: New York State's Acid Churches
Authors: Lander Devin R.
Published: June 2011

This paper describes a radical and short-lived spiritual movement that emerged in New York State in the 1960s. With Dr. Timothy Leary as the figurehead, two of these psychedelic religions rose to brief cultural prominence in period of 1963–1968 when Leary and his communal group made their home in the small village of Millbrook, New York. Due to negative media attention and a subsequent law enforcement crackdown brought upon at least partially by the increasingly provocative stance of the leaders of these psychedelic groups, they were forced to flee the state by early 1968. This paper establishes the historical significance of New York State's Acid Churches within the culture of the 1960s and draws the link to today's Neopagan and New Age movements and the rebirth of the use of psychedelic substances within the modern scientific, psychological, and therapeutic communities.
“Last Night, I Prayed to Matthew”: Matthew Shepard, Homosexuality, and Popular Martyrdom in Contemporary America
Authors: Hoffman Scott W.
Published: June 2011

In October 1998, Matthew Shepard, a young gay student at the University of Wyoming, was brutally murdered. Upon hearing the news, many Americans described him as a victim of a hate crime. Others, however, proclaimed Shepard a gay martyr. This declaration was not simply political rhetoric. Despite long-standing conservative religious opposition to homosexuality, they believed that Shepard had been granted salvation and a place among the saints in heaven. This article addresses the questions, “How and why was Matthew Shepard declared a popular martyr?” More specifically, how does this popular martyrdom relate to contemporary debates surrounding civil rights for gays and lesbians in America? As part of a series of social movements that followed the Second World War, sexual minorities have struggled to claim legitimate space in American society, leaving dramatic social changes in their wake. Noting this, while contrasting the news media’s construction of Shepard with the simultaneous popular discussion on the Internet, this article argues that a long tradition of popular martyr-making came together with social and political circumstances at a certain historical moment to transform the obscure victim of a hate crime into a popular martyr residing in heaven. That is, although the news media constructed Shepard as simply the affable young victim of a fatal hate crime, these contingencies allowed many Americans to reconstruct Shepard as a popular martyr. They expressed this belief in political, cultural, and social action. In time, Shepard's popular martyrdom helped further a growing acceptance of gays and lesbians into America's mainstream.
The Problem of Rhetoric's Materia in Plato's Gorgias (449c9-d9)
Authors: Liebersohn Yosef Z.
Published: June 2011

In this article I shall concentrate on ten lines in Plato's Gorgias (449c9–d9) dealing with what has come to be known as “rhetoric's materia question.” By taking Gorgias as a representative of the first stages of rhetoric in ancient Greek thought, and by a close analysis of Socrates' move in the above section, I shall pinpoint exactly where Plato located rhetoric in the consciousness of Gorgias, and by this offer a new perspective on one of the hot questions in secondary literature nowadays—the origin of ἡ τέχνηῥητοριϰή.
Functional Dissection of the Neural Substrates for Sexual Behaviors in Drosophila melanogaster
Authors: Meissner Geoffrey W , Manoli Devanand S , Chavez Jose F , Knapp Jon-Michael , Lin Tasha L , Stevens Robin J , Mellert David J , Tran David H , Baker Bruce S
Published: June 2011

The male-specific Fruitless proteins (FruM) act to establish the potential for male courtship behavior in Drosophila melanogaster and are expressed in small groups of neurons throughout the nervous system. We screened ∼1000 GAL4 lines, using assays for general courtship, male–male interactions, and male fertility to determine the phenotypes resulting from the GAL4-driven inhibition of FruM expression in subsets of these neurons. A battery of secondary assays showed that the phenotypic classes of GAL4 lines could be divided into subgroups on the basis of additional neurobiological and behavioral criteria. For example, in some lines, restoration of FruM expression in cholinergic neurons restores fertility or reduces male–male courtship. Persistent chains of males courting each other in some lines results from males courting both sexes indiscriminately, whereas in other lines this phenotype results from apparent habituation deficits. Inhibition of ectopic FruM expression in females, in populations of neurons where FruM is necessary for male fertility, can rescue female infertility. To identify the neurons responsible for some of the observed behavioral alterations, we determined the overlap between the identified GAL4 lines and endogenous FruM expression in lines with fertility defects. The GAL4 lines causing fertility defects generally had widespread overlap with FruM expression in many regions of the nervous system, suggesting likely redundant FruM-expressing neuronal pathways capable of conferring male fertility. From associations between the screened behaviors, we propose a functional model for courtship initiation.
Sex-Specific Incompatibility Generates Locus-Specific Rates of Introgression Between Species
Authors: Fusco Diana , Uyenoyama Marcy K
Published: June 2011

Disruption of interactions among ensembles of epistatic loci has been shown to contribute to reproductive isolation among various animal and plant species. Under the Bateson–Dobzhansky–Muller model, such interspecific incompatibility arises as a by-product of genetic divergence in each species, and the Orr–Turelli model indicates that the number of loci involved in incompatible interactions may “snowball” over time. We address the combined effect of multiple incompatibility loci on the rate of introgression at neutral marker loci across the genome. Our analysis extends previous work by accommodating sex specificity: differences between the sexes in the expression of incompatibility, in rates of crossing over between neutral markers and incompatibility loci, and in transmission of markers or incompatibility factors. We show that the evolutionary process at neutral markers in a genome subject to incompatibility selection is well approximated by a purely neutral process with migration rates appropriately scaled to reflect the influence of selection targeted to incompatibility factors. We confirm that in the absence of sex specificity and functional epistasis among incompatibility factors, the barrier to introgression induced by multiple incompatibility factors corresponds to the product of the barriers induced by the factors individually. A new finding is that barriers to introgression due to sex-specific incompatibility depart in general from multiplicativity. Our partitioning of variation in relative reproductive rate suggests that such departures derive from associations between sex and incompatibility and between sex and neutral markers. Concordant sex-specific incompatibility (for example, greater impairment of male hybrids or longer map lengths in females) induces lower barriers (higher rates of introgression) than expected under multiplicativity, and discordant sex-specific incompatibility induces higher barriers.
Comprehensive Comparison of Drug Prescribing in the United States and United Kingdom
Authors: Parkin Lianne , Hagberg Katrina Wilcox , Jick Hershel
Published: June 2011

Study Objective. To compare the frequency of outpatient drug prescribing in the United States and United Kingdom according to individual drugs and therapeutic categories during 2004–2006.

Design. Retrospective prescription record review.

Data Sources. United Kingdom General Practice Research Database, and the MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database for U.S. data.

Subjects. In the U.K. database, we identified 1.6 million people younger than 65 years who were prescribed at least one prescription drug in at least one of the calendar years during the study period (2004–2006). For comparison, for each U.K. person identified, we randomly identified one person of the same sex and year of birth in the U.S. database who was also prescribed at least one drug in the same calendar year.

Measurements and Main Results. We compared the frequency of prescribing of individual drugs, as well as selected therapeutic categories. Substantially higher proportions of people in the United States were prescribed antibiotics, statins, and postmenopausal hormones, but asthma drugs were prescribed more frequently in the United Kingdom. In those younger than 20 years, antidepressants and antipsychotics were prescribed more than twice as frequently in the United States, and males in the United States were far more likely to be prescribed drugs for attention‐deficit‐hyperactivity disorder than were their counterparts in the United Kingdom.

Conclusion. This study provides documented quantification of differing patterns of drug use in the United States and United Kingdom during 2004–2006. The higher proportionate prescribing for most indications in the United States and the greater use of drugs under patent suggest that monetary costs are likely to be considerably higher in the United States than in the United Kingdom.
Attachment of MEM piezoresistive silicon pressure sensor dies using different adhesives
Authors: Jovic Vesna , Matic Milan , Vukelic Branko , Starcevic Marko , Smiljanic Milce , Lamovec Jelena , Vorkapic Milos
Published: June 2011

This paper gives comparison and discussion of adhesives used for attachment
of silicon piezoresistive pressure sensor dies. Special attention is paid on
low pressure sensor dies because of their extreme sensitivity on stresses,
which can arise from packaging procedure and applied materials. Commercially
available adhesives ?Scotch Weld 2214 Hi-Temp? from ?3M Co.? and
?DM2700P/H848? from ?DIEMAT?, USA, were compared. First of them is aluminum
filled epoxy adhesive and second is low melting temperature (LMT) glass
paste. Comparing test results for low pressure sensor chips we found that LMT
glass (glass frit) is better adhesive for this application. Applying LMT
glass paste minimizes internal stresses caused by disagreement of
coefficients of thermal expansions between sensor die and housing material.
Also, it minimizes stresses introduced during applying external loads in the
process of pressure measuring. Regarding the measurements, for the sensors
installed with filled epoxy paste, resistor for compensation of temperature
offset change had negative values in all cases, which means that linear
temperature compensation, of sensors installed this way, would be impossible.
In the sensors installed with LMT glass paste, all results, without
exception, were in their common limits (values), which give the possibility
of passive temperature compensation. Furthermore, LMT glass attachment can
broaden temperature operating range of MEM silicon pressure sensors towards
higher values, up to 120 ?C.
Novel Locus FER Is Associated With Serum HMW Adiponectin Levels
Authors: Qi Lu , Menzaghi Claudia , Salvemini Lucia , De Bonis Concetta , Trischitta Vincenzo , Hu Frank B.
Published: June 2011

OBJECTIVE

High molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin is a predominant isoform of circulating adiponectin and has been related to type 2 diabetes. Previous linkage studies suggest that different genetic components might be involved in determining HMW and total adiponectin levels.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of serum HMW adiponectin levels in individuals of European ancestry drawn from the Nurses’ Health Study (NHS) (N = 1,591). The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified in the GWAS analysis were replicated in an independent cohort of Europeans (N = 626). We examined the associations of the identified variations with diabetes risk and metabolic syndrome.

RESULTS

We identified a novel locus near the FER gene (5q21) at a genome-wide significance level, best represented by SNP rs10447248 (P = 4.69 × 10−8). We also confirmed that variations near the adiponectin-encoding ADIPOQ locus (3q27) were related to serum HMW adiponectin levels. In addition, we found that FER SNP rs10447248 was related to HDL cholesterol levels (P = 0.009); ADIPOQ variation was associated with fasting glucose (P = 0.04), HDL cholesterol (P = 0.04), and a metabolic syndrome score (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that different loci may be involved in regulation of circulating HMW adiponectin levels and provide novel insight into the mechanisms that affect HMW adiponectin homeostasis.
Contact Toxicities of Oxygenated Monoterpenes to Different Populations of Colorado Potato Beetle, Leptinotarsa Decemlineata Say (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)
Authors: Mahdi Safaei , Sasan Jafarnia , Sara Khosroshahi
Published: June 2011

Contact Toxicities of Oxygenated Monoterpenes to Different Populations of Colorado Potato Beetle,Leptinotarsa DecemlineataSay (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae)

In the present study, 12 pure oxygenated monoterpenes at 2 different doses were tested for their toxicity against second and third instar larvae and adults of three different populations of Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineataSay). Some of tested compounds were found to be toxic to larvae and adults, but the degree of toxicity was variable. The mortality range was 20-100%. In general, fenchone, linalool, citronella and menthone showed a strong toxicity against the tested developmental stages; camphor, carvone and linalyl acetate showed moderate toxicity against larvae and adults of Colorado potato beetle and some compounds like fenchol, isomenthol, menthol, nerol and neryl acetate showed the least or no toxicity against the tested developmental stages ofL. decemlineata.Another important result was that although the tested populations of Colorado potato beetle showed some resistance to Endosulfan (50% WP), there was no resistance to tested oxygenated monoterpenes. The present results indicate that some of these compounds can be used as potential control agents against both larvae and adults of Colorado potato beetle.
Use of Cultural Filtrates of Certain Microbial Isolates for Powdery Mildew Control in Squash
Authors: Elkot Gaber , Derbalah Aly
Published: June 2011

Use of Cultural Filtrates of Certain Microbial Isolates for Powdery Mildew Control in Squash

Powdery mildew induces significant losses in yield and quality of squash. Therefore, culture filtrates of certain microbial isolates, (Epicoccum nigrum,Epicoccum minitans,Epicoccumsp.,Trichoderma harzianum,Trichoderma virideandBacillus pumilus) were used alone, and in combination with the fungicide penconazole to control powdery mildew in squash, under field conditions. Moreover, GC-MS analysis was carried out to identify the chemical components of the most effective culture filtrates against powdery mildew pathogen. The results showed that culture filtrates of different microbial isolates (except forTrichoderma harzianum) were more effective against powdery mildew in squash than the tested fungicide alone at the recommended levels, in both tested seasons. The results also showed that mixing different culture filtrates with penconazole improved efficiency against powdery mildew compared to using the fungicide alone, in both tested seasons. The efficacy of the culture filtrates of the tested microbial isolates against powdery mildew were due to the presence of a mixture of known antifungal compounds. The results suggest the possible use of the culture filtrates of the tested microbial isolates as alternative to fungicides, in powdery mildew control. Also, this study suggests the possible mixing of the culture filtrate of the tested biocontrol agents with fungicides to minimize the applied amount of fungicides.
Empirical-Scientific Model of Geography
Authors: Chojnicki Zbyszko
Published: June 2011

Empirical-Scientific Model of Geography

The article presents a philosophical-methodological conception of an empirical-scientific model of geography as an empirical science. It consists of an introduction and two parts. The introduction discusses the notion of philosophical-methodological models of geography and philosophical orientations. Part one addresses the philosophical-methodological foundations of the model, which are three successive philosophical streams: empiricism, logical empiricism (neo-positivism), and scientific philosophy. Part two offers a characterisation of the empirical-scientific model in terms of the principles of scientific philosophy embracing three chief problem areas: ontological, epistemological and methodological.
Modern Economic and Geographical Characteristics and Prospects of Development of Environmental Protection Infrastructure in the Baikal Region of Russia
Authors: Zabortseva Tatiana
Published: June 2011

Modern Economic and Geographical Characteristics and Prospects of Development of Environmental Protection Infrastructure in the Baikal Region of Russia

In the administrative division of Russia, the Baikal region is traditionally considered as embracing three parts: the Irkutsk oblast', the Republic of Buryatia, and Zabaikalsky Kray. Its area is three times larger than that of France (1.6 million km2), but its population size and density are typical of "the Siberian depth of the country" (4.6 million people, under 3 persons/km2). One of the most important global features of a part of this region - the Baikal Natural Territory - is to ensure the preservation of Lake Baikal as a World Heritage Site. A strategy of environmentally oriented land use determines an adequate level of development of ecological infrastructure and its most important sector - environmental protection infrastructure (EPI). The article presents an analysis of the current infrastructure for managing solid waste, and proposes a forecast scenario of its development with the use of the gravity model in the EPI sector involving recycling collection points.
Dependence of Heavy Soil Transport Function on Soil Profile Depth
Authors: Kotorová Dana , Jakubová Jana , Kováč Ladislav
Published: June 2011

Dependence of Heavy Soil Transport Function on Soil Profile Depth

The aim of this work was to quantify the effect of soil profile depth on the transport function of heavy soils. Treatments were carried out between 2006 and 2009 in Milhostov. Two variants were examined : the (conventional soil tillage and long-time no-tilled variant). Soil samples were taken in spring and autumn from soil profile depth of 0.00-0.60 m from each 0.10 m. For further evaluation the average values were used. Particle size composition, bulk density, total porosity and maximum capillary capacity were determined. Content of clay particles in soil profile was in interval 59.64-68.53% and such soils are characterised in the range from clay-loamy soil to clayey soil. The bulk density increased with the depth of soil profile and its values reached 1 184-1 646 kg m-3. The total porosity was in range 37.68-55.17% and it decreased with the depth of soil profile. The values of maximum capillary capacity were characterised for heavy soils with high content of clay particles. The depth had statistically significant effect on all observed parameters. In average, on both variants the bulk density was higher than 1 400 kg m-3, the total porosity was lower than 47% and the content of clay was higher than 30%, pointing to the possibility of soil compaction, which will result in reduced transport function of heavy soils.
Yield Formation of White Lupin Lupinus albus L. on Heavy Gleyey Alluvial Soil
Authors: Šariková Danica , Hnát Andrej , Fecák Peter
Published: June 2011

Yield Formation of White Lupin Lupinus albus L. on Heavy Gleyey Alluvial Soil

Field trial with white lupin Lupinus albus L., an anti-trypsin-free French cultivar Amiga, on heavy gleyey alluvial soil of the research base in Milhostov (alt.: 101 m, avg. year temp.: 9.0°C, year precip.: 559 mm) in the trial years of 2006-2008 was performed. The influence of three seeding rates: 0.55, 0.65, 0.75 million viable seeds per ha (MVS) and three doses of N fertilization: 25, 50, 75 kg ha-1 N on seed yield and yield components such as plant number per m2, pod number per plant, seed number per plant and thousand seed weight was tested in the trial. The data of randomized complete block design trial were statistically evaluated by ANOVA and LSD method. All tested factors had highly significant (P≤0.01) influence on seed yield. Seed yield was especially influenced by weather in year (97.8% influence), followed by seeding rate with the influence of 1.8% and N fertilization with the influence of 0.3% only. The highest seed yield of 2.21 t ha-1 was under the highest seeding rate of 0.75 MVS with the difference of 0.36 t ha-1 (19.5%) in comparison with the lowest seeding rate of 0.55 MVS (1.85 t ha-1) and about 0.15 t ha-1 (10.7%) higher in comparison with the seeding rate of 0.65 MVS (2.06 t ha-1). The highest influence on seed yield had the dose of 75 kg ha-1 N. The seed yield of 2.09 t ha-1 under the treatment with the highest dose of 75 kg ha-1 N was about 0.13 t ha-1 (6.6%) higher than the yield under the treatment with the lowest dose of 25 kg ha-1 N (1.96 t ha-1). All yield components were highly significantly (P≤0.01) influenced by weather in year. Plant number per m2 was also highly significantly (P≤0.01) influenced by all tested factors.
Sites Availability for Minimalizing and Soil-Conservation Tillage of Soils in Slovakia
Authors: Vilček Jozef , Kováč Karol
Published: June 2011

Sites Availability for Minimalizing and Soil-Conservation Tillage of Soils in Slovakia

There is an alternative technology of traditional agricultural soil processing, so called minimalizing cultivation, which is based on reduction of some operating processes used in common. It is possible to perform this technology only in particular soil conditions. Total land area of sites, which are avail-able for the application of minimalizing cultivation is about 693 thousand hectares, which presents approximately 28% of agricultural and 48% of arable soils. 60% of this land area occurs in the maize production area and 39% in the sugar beet production area, thus in the most favourable agricultural local-ities regarding climate and soil. According to the administrative structuring of Slovakia 43% of agricultural soils suitable for minimalizing technologies occurs in Nitra district and about 27% in Trnava district. Identification of areas, suitable for such technologies application, is possible by the information databases of Soil Science and Conservation Research Institute, which have been elaborated for this purpose in geographic and informative systems. Regarding input parameters, they were chosen as follows: climatic conditions of given locality, steepness, depth, stoniness and soil texture.
Arthritis Extended-Role Practitioners: Impact on Community Practice (An Exploratory Study)
Authors: Lineker Sydney C. , Lundon Katie , Shupak Rachel , Schneider Rayfel , MacKay Crystal , Varatharasan Nirupa
Published: June 2011

Purpose: We compared practice of extended role practitioners and experienced therapists without extended practice training to determine differences in assessment and management of clients with inflammatory arthritis, in preparation for a randomized controlled trial.

Methods: Retrospective review of randomly selected charts of extended-role trained occupational therapists or physiotherapists and from experienced therapists matched on therapist discipline, geographical location, and time of referral. Three trained reviewers used standardized forms to extract data independently.

Results: We reviewed 58 charts of adult clients with inflammatory arthritis. Compared with experienced therapists, extended-role practitioners were more likely to receive referrals specifically for assessments (52% vs. 14%); to treat clients with undifferentiated arthritis (48% vs. 10%); to document comorbidities (90% vs. 66%); to advocate on behalf of the client with the client's family, physician, or specialist (52% vs. 21%); to recommend or provide exercise or physical activity (86% vs. 62%); to educate clients about pain management (41% vs. 28%), energy conservation (24% vs. 14%), and posture (21% vs. 7%); to recommend splints (41% vs. 31%); and to refer for or recommend radiologic or laboratory assessments (14% vs. 3%). Experienced therapists were more likely to provide education about joint protection (41% vs. 31%), community resources (31% vs. 7%), and assistive devices (45% vs. 21%).

Conclusions: We identified possible differences in practice between extended-role practitioners and experienced therapists without training for extended practice. Capturing these details in future studies evaluating the efficacy of extended role practitioner interventions will be important.
Two-level motor nerve transfer for the treatment of long thoracic nerve palsy
Authors: Ray Wilson Z. , Pet Mitchell A. , Nicoson Michael C. , Yee Andrew , Kahn Lorna C. , Mackinnon Susan E.
Published: June 2011

The authors report a case of long thoracic nerve (LTN) palsy treated with two-level motor nerve transfers of a pectoral fascicle of the middle trunk, and a branch of the thoracodorsal nerve. This procedure resulted in near-total improvement of the winged scapula deformity, and a return of excellent shoulder function. A detailed account of the postoperative physical therapy regimen is included, as this critical component of the favorable result cannot be overlooked. This case establishes the two-level motor nerve transfer as a new option for treating LTN palsy, and demonstrates that nerve transfers should be considered in the therapeutic algorithm of an idiopathic mononeuritis.
Spinal duraplasty materials and hydrostasis: a biomechanical study
Authors: Finn Michael A. , Faulkner Nathan D. , Hetzel Scott J. , Anderson Paul A.
Published: June 2011

Object

Dural tears are a frequent complication of spinal surgery and contribute to significant morbidity. Occasionally, dural tears cannot be closed primarily and dural patch grafts must be utilized. No data exist on the comparative immediate hydrostatic strength of various patch materials used alone or with a biological adhesive in a spinal dural tear model. Thus, the authors conducted this study to determine the comparative effectiveness of various patch materials used with and without biological adhesive.

Methods

Twenty-four thoracic spines from calves were prepared with laminectomies and spinal cord evacuation, leaving the dura intact. Foley catheters were inflated on either side of a planned dural defect, and baseline hydrostasis was measured using a fluid column at 30, 60, and 90 cm of H2O. A standard dural defect (1 × 2 cm) was created, and 8 patches of each material (human fascia lata, Duragen, and Preclude) were sutured in place using 5-0 Prolene hemo-seal running sutures. Hydrostasis was again tested at the same pressures. Finally, a hydrogel sealant (Duraseal) was placed over the defect and hydrostasis was again tested. Results were analyzed with repeated measures ANOVA.

Results

The leakage rate increased significantly at each pressure tested for all conditions. There was no difference in leakage among the 3 patch materials at any of the pressures or for either condition (with or without sealant). All patch materials allowed significantly greater leakage than the intact condition at all pressures. The use of sealant reduced leakage significantly at the 30 and 60 mm Hg pressures to levels similar to the intact condition. At 90 mm Hg, leakage of the sealed construct was greater than at the intact condition but significantly less than without the use of sealant.

Conclusions

All 3 dural patch materials were of similar hydrostatic strength and allowed greater leakage than at the intact condition. The use of sealant reduced the amount of leakage at all pressures compared with patching alone but allowed more leakage than the intact state at a high hydrostatic pressure (90 mm Hg).
The Main Anticancer Bullets of the Chinese Medicinal Herb, Thunder God Vine
Authors: Liu Zi , Ma Liang , Zhou Guang-Biao
Published: June 2011

The thunder god vine or Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F. is a representative Chinese medicinal herb which has been used widely and successfully for centuries in treating inflammatory diseases. More than 100 components have been isolated from this plant, and most of them have potent therapeutic efficacy for a variety of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. In the past four decades, the anticancer activities of the extracts from this medicinal herb have attracted intensive attention by researchers worldwide. The diterpenoid epoxide triptolide and the quinone triterpene celastrol are two important bioactive ingredients that show a divergent therapeutic profile and can perturb multiple signal pathways. Both compounds promise to turn traditional medicines into modern drugs. In this review, we will mainly address the anticancer activities and mechanisms of action of these two agents and briefly describe some other antitumor components of the thunder god vine.
Study of the Extraction Process and In Vivo Inhibitory Effect of Ganoderma Triterpenes in Oral Mucosa Cancer
Authors: Gao Yang , Zhang Ruhui , Zhang Juan , Gao Shang , Gao Wenxin , Zhang Haifeng , Wang Haotian , Han Bing
Published: June 2011

The aim of the reported study was to optimize the extraction process for ganoderma triterpenes and to investigate the in vivo inhibitory effect of ganoderma triterpenes on the genesis and progression of oral cancer. Single-factor and orthogonal methods were used to investigate the effects of extraction solvent, solvent amount, extraction time, extraction temperature, and number of extractions, on the extraction rate for ganoderma triterpenes. A golden hamster model with cheek pouch dynamic canceration was established to receive oral treatment of ganoderma triterpenes water solution. Animals were continuously monitored, oral tissue samples were collected for histopathologic examination, and changes in the expression of VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) and Caspase-3 were detected by immunohistochemical methods. Optimization of the experimental conditions allowed the identification of the optimal extraction conditions: 90% ethanol as the extraction solvent, a solvent amount by the liquid-material ratio of 35 mL/g, extraction time of 2 h and extraction temperature of 80 °C. Under these conditions, the average extraction rate of ganoderma triterpenes was 1.09%. Tests in golden hamsters showed that compared with the model group during the same period, animals in the treatment group had better conditions, constantly larger number of normal cases shown by histopathologic results (P < 0.01), and consistently smaller numbers of cases with paraplasm (P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical results showed that compared with the model group, the treatment group had significantly lower (P < 0.05) rates of positive VEGF expression in the normal state, simple epithelial hyperplasia, epithelial dysplasia or squamous cell carcinoma disease stages. Caspase-3 expression showed a tendency toward a gradual increase with the worsening of disease severity in each group. Compared with the model group, the treatment group had significantly lower (P < 0.05) rates of positive Caspase-3 in the normal state, simple epithelial hyperplasia, epithelial dysplasia or squamous cell carcinoma disease grades. Using the optimized extraction process, ganoderma triterpenes could be extracted with high efficiency, and the results of animal tests showed inhibitory effects of ganoderma triterpenes on oral mucosa cancer.